diff --git "a/articles/2020-12.json" "b/articles/2020-12.json"
--- "a/articles/2020-12.json"
+++ "b/articles/2020-12.json"
@@ -1 +1 @@
-{"title": ["Madrid explosion leaves three dead - BBC News", "UK and EU in row over bloc's diplomatic status - BBC News", "Coronavirus: French students promised one euro lockdown meals - BBC News", "Biden inauguration: Step forward after bumpy period - Boris Johnson - BBC News", "Food supply problems in NI clearly a Brexit issue - Coveney - BBC News", "Covid: Gavin Williamson hopes England's schools will reopen by Easter - BBC News", "Low-deposit mortgages return after Covid slump - BBC News", "Covid: House party-goers face £800 fines in England, Patel says - BBC News", "Covid in Scotland: No more 'easy wins' for hospital staff - BBC News", "Storm Christoph in pictures - BBC News", "University tuition fees frozen at £9,250 for a year - BBC News", "Storm Christoph in North West England: Flooding and evacuations - BBC News", "Covid: How a £20 gadget could save lives - BBC News", "Birmingham mosque becomes UK's first to offer Covid vaccine - BBC News", "Uber: London cabbies plan to sue for damages - BBC News", "Storm Christoph flooding: Financial help offered to victims - BBC News", "Storm Christoph: Travel disruption as snow and rain sweep in - BBC News", "Troubles victims: Thousands of relatives call for action - BBC News", "Glastonbury 2021: Festival axed 'with great regret' - BBC News", "Covid rules: What are the restrictions in your area? - BBC News", "Biden's inauguration speech calls for unity - it won't be easy - BBC News", "Saga cruises says all customers must be vaccinated - BBC News", "Amanda Gorman: Inauguration poet calls for 'unity and togetherness' - BBC News", "Kamala Harris becomes first female, first black and first Asian-American VP - BBC News", "Covid: Infections 'must be brought down' to help NHS - BBC News", "Covid-19: What might a 'tighter' NI lockdown look like? - BBC News", "Manchester sinkhole: Houses collapse in Gorton street - BBC News", "Covid: £800 house party fines to be introduced in England - BBC News", "Brexit: 'I was asked to pay an extra £82 for my £200 coat' - BBC News", "Storm Christoph: Homes evacuated as storm batters Wales - BBC News", "Fulham 1-2 Man Utd: Paul Pogba fires United back to the top of the Premier League - BBC Sport", "Full transcript of Joe Biden's inauguration speech - BBC News", "Covid: 'Too early' to say if lockdown will end in spring - Boris Johnson - BBC News", "Paddy McElhone: Farmer shooting by Army unjustified, inquest rules - BBC News", "Covid: Nine million people forced to borrow more to cope - BBC News", "As it happened: Biden presidency: Covid deaths 'likely to exceed' 500,000 by February - BBC News", "As it happened: Foster and O'Neill give coronavirus update - BBC News", "Covid: Young people asked how pandemic has affected them - BBC News", "Next pulls out of race to buy Topshop-brands - BBC News", "Liverpool 0-1 Burnley: Ashley Barnes scores winner as Reds' unbeaten run ends - BBC Sport", "Kamala Harris and a 1986 snapshot of that Howard generation - BBC News", "Storm Christoph: More than 2,000 homes in Manchester evacuated - BBC News", "Covid: Nearly 2m UK people got first Covid vaccine in last week - BBC News", "Covid: UK reports 1,820 deaths as Johnson warns tough weeks to come - BBC News", "Inauguration fashion: Purple, pearls, and mittens - BBC News", "Covid-19: Military to assist NI medical staff - BBC News", "Covid: 'Two-month' vaccine wait for housebound woman, 84 - BBC News", "Covid-19: Bridgwater Muller worker dies and 95 staff self-isolating - BBC News", "As it happened: Inauguration: Biden signs orders ending key Trump policies - BBC News", "Author Terry Pratchett's 'inspiring' house for sale - BBC News", "Covid-19: Unison 'not opposed' to military help - BBC News", "Elephants counted from space for conservation - BBC News", "Meghan letter: Royal aides 'won't take sides', High Court told - BBC News", "Covid-19: NI lockdown to be extended until 5 March - BBC News", "Covid: Assaults on emergency workers 'most common' virus-related crimes - BBC News", "Marmite maker Unilever to insist suppliers pay 'living wage' - BBC News", "President Joe Biden inauguration speech: 'Democracy has prevailed' - BBC News", "Dartford mother-of-three died after liposuction in Turkey - BBC News", "Biden inauguration in pictures - BBC News", "Covid vaccine: 'Patience and perspective' needed in Wales - BBC News", "Racism in ballet: Black dancer's 'humiliation' at racist comments - BBC News", "Lockdown children forget how to use knife and fork - BBC News", "Coronavirus: BMJ urges NYT to correct vaccine 'mixing' article - BBC News", "Edinburgh's giant pandas may 'return to China' over Covid losses - BBC News", "Families rescued in Peak District after getting trapped in snow - BBC News", "Covid: Liverpool's leaders call for new national lockdown - BBC News", "Covid-19: Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine arrives at hospitals - BBC News", "Covid in Scotland: Scottish cabinet to consider further measures - BBC News", "Cold snap creates 'pop-up' ice hockey rink - BBC News", "Covid in Wales: Schools' phased return defended by first minister - BBC News", "Covid: Sweden official defends Christmas trip to Canary Islands - BBC News", "Irish Eurovision singer and Bagatelle frontman Liam Reilly dies - BBC News", "Zoe Davison: Racing trainer dies on same day two of her horses win at Plumpton - BBC Sport", "West Brom 0-4 Arsenal: Arsenal see off Baggies in ruthless display - BBC Sport", "Covid in Scotland: New strain of virus 'accelerating' spread - BBC News", "Coronavirus: India approves vaccines from Bharat Biotech and Oxford/AstraZeneca - BBC News", "Reading stabbing: Five teenagers arrested after boy, 13, dies - BBC News", "EuroMillions: Jackpot of more than £39m won by UK ticket-holder - BBC News", "Covid rules: What are the restrictions in your area? - BBC News", "Covid: Not much room for lockdown changes, Wales' first minister warns - BBC News", "Coronavirus: Twelve fined for playing dominoes in Tier 4 breach - BBC News", "Boris Johnson says indyref vote should be once-in-generation - BBC News", "Liverpool FC anthem singer Gerry Marsden dies aged 78 - BBC News", "New Year snow flurries fall across England - BBC News", "Covid-19: New variant 'raises R number by up to 0.7' - BBC News", "Suspected Islamists kill dozens in attacks on two Niger villages - BBC News", "Covid: What could 'tougher' measures mean for us? - BBC News", "Pep Guardiola: Man City boss may stay in management longer than planned - BBC Sport", "Covid-19: Anti-lockdown protesters arrested at Hyde Park demo - BBC News", "Benjamin Mendy: Man City 'disappointed' after defender breaches Covid-19 protocols - BBC Sport", "Ryan Garcia stops Luke Campbell after surviving knockdown in Dallas - BBC Sport", "County Antrim poultry flock to be culled after bird flu detected - BBC News", "Covid in Scotland: Restrictions 'could continue' amid rising cases - BBC News", "Hospitals across UK 'must prepare for Covid surge', senior doctor warns - BBC News", "Covid: Regional rules 'probably going to get tougher', says Boris Johnson - BBC News", "Covid: Cardiff Central MP Jo Stevens in hospital with virus - BBC News", "As it happened: Boris Johnson warns of tougher measures amid Covid surge - BBC News", "US Election 2020 - BBC News", "Covid: Snowdonia National Park wardens 'getting abuse' during lockdown - BBC News", "Leicester City 2-0 Southampton: James Maddison and Harvey Barnes send Foxes second - BBC Sport", "Covid: Nurseries 'teetering on the edge' during pandemic - BBC News", "Archie Lyndhurst: CBBC star died in his sleep, says mother - BBC News", "SLS: Nasa's 'megarocket' engine test ends early - BBC News", "Covid-19: Protect us from unlawful killing charges - medics - BBC News", "Phil Spector: Pop producer jailed for murder dies at 81 - BBC News", "Covid-19: Man said he had travelled 100 miles 'for a McDonald's' - BBC News", "RAF veteran receives Covid jab at Salisbury Cathedral - BBC News", "Covid-19: France begins 6pm curfew - BBC News", "Liverpool 0-0 Man Utd: Alisson saves thwart leaders at Anfield - BBC Sport", "Chris Cramer: Tributes paid after former BBC and CNN journalist dies aged 73 - BBC News", "Covid in Scotland: 'Patchy supply' hampering vaccine rollout - BBC News", "Covid-19: NI hospitals prepare for peak of latest virus surge - BBC News", "Branson's Virgin rocket takes satellites to orbit - BBC News", "Covid-19: Nisra records highest ever weekly deaths - BBC News", "Coronavirus: Parents' joy as free childcare resumes - BBC News", "Online clothes sellers targeted by 'creepy' messages - BBC News", "Covid-19: BBC's Fergal Keane revisits St Mary’s and Charing Cross Hospital 10 months on - BBC News", "Sudan's Darfur region: 'More than 80 killed' in clashes - BBC News", "Lai Chi-Wai raises HK$5.2m for charity climbing Nina Towers - BBC News", "Covid: Airport support scheme to open in England - BBC News", "As it happened: NHS England under extreme pressure, says NHS chief - BBC News", "Virtual library gives children in England free book access - BBC News", "Gerry Marsden: Funeral held for Pacemakers star - BBC News", "Covid: Church of England services hit by pandemic - BBC News", "Sri Lanka v England: Tourists wobble chasing 74 after Jack Leach takes 5-122 - BBC Sport", "Universal Credit: Benefit increase only 'temporary', says Raab - BBC News", "G7: UK to host Cornwall seaside summit in summer - BBC News", "Statues to get protection from 'baying mobs' - BBC News", "Home Office 'working to restore' lost police records - BBC News", "Eurostar: Government urged to 'safeguard' rail firm's future - BBC News", "Covid-19: Running a roadside van when a pandemic cuts traffic - BBC News", "Coronavirus: William and Kate hear from emergency workers - BBC News", "Covid: People broke lockdown rules in 200-mile drive to see friends - BBC News", "Covid-19: More mass jab centres, airport support and a virtual library - BBC News", "Covid-19: England delivering 140 jabs a minute, says NHS chief executive - BBC News", "Mount Semeru: Erupting volcano spews ash above Indonesia's Java island - BBC News", "Universal credit: MPs urge PM to keep £20 benefit 'lifeline' - BBC News", "Covid-19: Further 1,295 deaths recorded in the UK - BBC News", "Archbishop of Glasgow Philip Tartaglia dies with Covid aged 70 - BBC News", "Covid-19: Bedworth Pokemon player fined for lockdown breach - BBC News", "Manchester Arena and Parsons Green bombers charged with prison officer attack - BBC News", "Covid in Scotland: Freeman targets 400,000 vaccinations every week - BBC News", "Lockdown Christmas hits: Lidl pink prosecco and takeaways - BBC News", "Covid-19: BBC's Fergal Keane revisits St Mary’s and Charing Cross Hospital 10 months on - BBC News", "'Discriminatory' mental health system overhauled - BBC News", "Fresh calls for NI mother and baby homes inquiry - BBC News", "Covid-19: Welsh Government update - BBC News", "Covid: Police cancel fine for couple visiting care home - BBC News", "Human remains found in search for missing cyclist Tony Parsons - BBC News", "Johnson: 24-7 Covid-vaccine hubs as soon as supply allows - BBC News", "Covid in Scotland: The six new lockdown rules - BBC News", "Coronavirus: British tourist blamed for Lauberhorn ski race cancellation - BBC News", "Coronavirus: 'How long can we keep going like this? About a week' - BBC News", "Covid-19: We can make this the peak by following rules, says Hancock - BBC News", "Morrisons to be first UK supermarket to pay minimum £10 an hour - BBC News", "Covid in Scotland: How do the rules compare to last year? - BBC News", "Edinburgh Woollen Mill rescue deal to save 2,000 jobs - BBC News", "Furlough fraud: I'm still registered as furloughed for a job I quit' - BBC News", "Covid in Scotland: Stricter rules within days - BBC News", "China: Senior Conservatives call for reset of UK policy - BBC News", "Media billionaire David Barclay dies, aged 86 - BBC News", "Covid in Scotland: Lockdown lifting 'unlikely' as deaths pass 5,000 - BBC News", "Huawei patent mentions use of Uighur-spotting tech - BBC News", "PMQs: Some food parcels are an 'insult to families' - PM - BBC News", "Earl of Strathmore admits sex attack at Glamis Castle home - BBC News", "Covid rules: What are the restrictions in your area? - BBC News", "Sinovac: Brazil results show Chinese vaccine 50.4% effective - BBC News", "Covid-19: More than 100,000 vaccine doses administered in NI - BBC News", "Customs staff: Vaccinate us to keep trade flowing - BBC News", "Four arrested over 'public nuisance' at Redditch and Birmingham hospitals - BBC News", "Covid: Birmingham hospitals move 200 doctors to intensive care duties - BBC News", "Plastic bag charge to double to 10p from April in Scotland - BBC News", "Naomi Campbell's Kenya tourism role causes row - BBC News", "Heavy snow causes widespread disruption in Scotland - BBC News", "Covid-19: New test rule for England arrivals pushed back to Monday - BBC News", "David Attenborough to front government-funded 5G AR app - BBC News", "GCSE and A-level pupils could sit mini exams to aid grading - BBC News", "Covid-19: Lockdown measures 'starting to show signs of some effect' - PM - BBC News", "Covid-19: Alabama crowds ignore coronavirus to celebrate championship - BBC News", "Covid-19: New treatment, NHS staff struggles and free meals row - BBC News", "Trump impeachment process: Who are the key players? - BBC News", "Gurlitt's last Nazi-looted work returned to owners - BBC News", "Cramlington woman celebrates 100th birthday with covid jab - BBC News", "People's sonic boom surprise caught on camera - BBC News", "Libby Squire murder trial: Pawel Relowicz 'prowled streets for victim' - BBC News", "Battery lodged in baby's throat for four months - BBC News", "As it happened: Record number of daily deaths reported in UK - BBC News", "Covid vaccine: Pfizer v Oxford AstraZeneca v Moderna - BBC News", "Covid-19: Special school staff want jab priority - BBC News", "Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 Fulham: Ivan Cavaleiro earns a point for Premier League strugglers - BBC Sport", "Call for better coronavirus masks for all medical staff - BBC News", "Covid: Play your part in fight against virus, says Patel - BBC News", "YouTube suspends Donald Trump's channel - BBC News", "Covid: UK reports record 1,564 daily deaths - BBC News", "Mohamud Mohammed Hassan: Hundreds march over arrested man's death - BBC News", "Covid: Three Democratic lawmakers test positive after Capitol riot - BBC News", "Tesco, Asda and Waitrose ban shoppers without face masks - BBC News", "Trump impeached for second time - BBC News", "YFN Lucci: US rapper wanted in Atlanta for suspected murder - BBC News", "Covid: Many NHS staff 'traumatised' by first wave of virus, study shows - BBC News", "Duchess of York: From Budgie the Helicopter to Mills & Boon - BBC News", "Capitol riots: Who broke into the building? - BBC News", "Britain's Got Talent: Filming postponed due to coronavirus concerns - BBC News", "Boris Johnson condemns 'disgraceful scenes' in US - BBC News", "National Express to suspend all services - BBC News", "Fears schools will be overwhelmed by laptopless pupils - BBC News", "Trump allowed back onto Twitter - BBC News", "Trump auction for Arctic oil rights sees little interest - BBC News", "Reading stabbing: Three teenagers charged with murder after boy, 13, dies - BBC News", "Capitol riot: Biden says BLM protest would have been treated 'very differently' - BBC News", "Essex lorry deaths: Dad learned of son's fate on social media - BBC News", "As it happened: PM sets out Covid vaccine rollout plan - BBC News", "Teachers' grades to replace A-levels and GCSEs in England - BBC News", "Adrian Chiles confirmed in Emma Barnett 5 Live slot - BBC News", "Covid: Seven mass vaccination hubs announced for England - BBC News", "Capitol riots: World media see Trump ignite an 'insurrection' - BBC News", "Coronavirus: 'How long can we keep going like this? About a week' - BBC News", "Breonna Taylor: Two Louisville officers fired over roles in shooting - BBC News", "Stella Tennant: Family confirms model's death was suicide - BBC News", "Covid in Scotland: 'Well over half' of care home residents vaccinated - BBC News", "Two more life-saving Covid drugs discovered - BBC News", "Capitol riot: What does a deadly day mean for Trump's legacy? - BBC News", "Coronavirus: Belfast Trust cancels urgent cancer surgeries - BBC News", "Capitol riots: How a Trump rally turned deadly - BBC News", "Capitol riots: A visual guide to the storming of Congress - BBC News", "Muted response as Clap for Heroes returns - BBC News", "Capitol riot: Five startling images from the siege - BBC News", "Capitol riots: Moment protesters storm US legislature - BBC News", "Capitol riots: Boris Johnson condemns Donald Trump for sparking events - BBC News", "Ryanair scraps most UK and Irish lockdown flights - BBC News", "Covid: UK travel curbs to keep out South Africa variant - BBC News", "Capitol riots: Pro-Trump protesters storm the US legislature - in pictures - BBC News", "'Mr Christmas' lights switched off for last time in Croxley Green - BBC News", "Inside one GP surgery's Covid vaccine roll-out - BBC News", "Covid-19: Baby's mother issues mottled skin warning - BBC News", "Trump’s Twitter downfall - BBC News", "ICU hospital staff: 'Scared, sad, petrified, worried' - BBC News", "Elon Musk becomes world's richest person as wealth tops $185bn - BBC News", "Capitol siege: Trump's words 'directly led' to violence, Patel says - BBC News", "Reading stabbing: Murder-accused teenagers appear in court - BBC News", "US Election 2020 - BBC News", "McDonald's pauses walk-in takeaways in lockdown - BBC News", "US Capitol riots: World leaders react to 'horrifying' scenes in Washington - BBC News", "'Show us it's safe' to be open, say nursery staff - BBC News", "Alex Rodda murder: Matthew Mason guilty of killing schoolboy - BBC News", "Covid-19: Boris Johnson makes daily jab pledge as Army helps rollout - BBC News", "Organ donor mum wishes she could help her children in need of kidneys - BBC News", "Meat factories warn Covid absences could hit supplies - BBC News", "Covid tests for Channel hauliers to continue 'until further notice' - BBC News", "Aston Villa plan to play youngsters against Liverpool in FA Cup after Covid outbreak - BBC Sport", "Covid-19: Vaccine rollout widens as hospital pressure rises - BBC News", "Sainsbury's Christmas sales rise despite smaller turkeys - BBC News", "Analysis: Can lockdown stop the new coronavirus variant? - BBC News", "Covid: China places 11m under lockdown after outbreak in northern city - BBC News", "The Wanted's Tom Parker says brain tumour has 'shrunk significantly' - BBC News", "Lockdown: 'I've borrowed £4m just to remain closed' - BBC News", "Capitol siege: An eyewitness account from inside the House chamber - BBC News", "Asos frontrunner to buy Topshop, Topman and Miss Selfridge brands - BBC News", "Boohoo 'set to buy Debenhams brand and website' - BBC News", "Covid-19: Top adviser warns France at 'emergency' virus moment - BBC News", "Covid-19: Essex student helps 600 refugees out of 'period poverty' - BBC News", "Covid: Israel vaccinates 16 to 18-year-olds ahead of exams - BBC News", "Covid: School return in Wales 'unlikely' for all in February - BBC News", "Care home worker thought cancer misdiagnosis was a 'cruel joke' - BBC News", "Skewen flood victims could be out of homes for days - BBC News", "SpaceX: World record number of satellites launched - BBC News", "England in Sri Lanka: Tourists complete six-wicket win and take series 2-0 - BBC Sport", "Boeing 737 Max cleared to fly again 'too early' - BBC News", "Coronavirus: Pressure on NHS front line 'relentless' - Hancock - BBC News", "Covid: Teachers 'not at higher risk' of death than average - BBC News", "Fraud epidemic 'is now national security threat' - BBC News", "Snow: Severe weather warnings in place across UK - BBC News", "Covid-19: MPs call for school reopening plan, and will France have a third lockdown? - BBC News", "Putin condemns Navalny protests as Western concern grows - BBC News", "Covid: 'Not a moment to ease measures,' says Matt Hancock - BBC News", "Robert Rowland: Former Brexit MEP dies in Bahamas diving accident - BBC News", "Pandemic prompts Super Bowl ad rethink in US - BBC News", "Covid: Schools will be told of reopening plans 'as soon as we can' - BBC News", "South Africa coronavirus variant: 77 cases found in UK - BBC News", "US police vehicle ploughs into crowd watching 'burnouts' - BBC News", "Barclaycard customers face higher minimum payments - BBC News", "Skewen flood: Is Wales' coalmining past behind home evacuations? - BBC News", "'Droves' of Pampas grass pickers at South Shields beach - BBC News", "Covid-19: Mansfield newlyweds, 90 and 86, in vaccination plea - BBC News", "'Knackered and confused.' That's just the parents - BBC News", "Covid: Call for long-term plan to help 'burnt-out' nurses - BBC News", "Heatwave sweeps Australian cities and raises bushfire danger - BBC News", "Dylan Freeman: Mother admits killing disabled son - BBC News", "'Running Man' robber jailed after nearly 13 years on the run - BBC News", "Travellers: Shocking lack of pitches for families, charity warns - BBC News", "Skewen flood victims face 'months' before returning home - BBC News", "Jenners: Building's owner says store 'will remain' despite Frasers move - BBC News", "PTSD: Eyes can reveal previous trauma, study reveals - BBC News", "Covid: 'More deadly' UK variant claim played down by scientists - BBC News", "Moderna vaccine appears to work against variants - BBC News", "Channel 4 Deepfake Queen complaints dropped by Ofcom - BBC News", "Debenhams shops to close permanently after Boohoo deal - BBC News", "Covid: Dutch curfew riots rage for third night - BBC News", "Gordon Brown: Trust has broken down in way UK is run - BBC News", "Q&A: Cwm Taf maternity problems - BBC News", "Covid in Scotland: Over-70 vaccine letters start but blue envelope delay - BBC News", "Cwm Taf maternity: Failings 'affected two-thirds of women' - BBC News", "Mastercard to push up fees for UK purchases from EU - BBC News", "Frank Lampard: Chelsea sack manager with Thomas Tuchel expected to replace him - BBC Sport", "Covid-19: Mexican President López Obrador tests positive - BBC News", "Janet Yellen to be first female US treasury secretary - BBC News", "Covid: Hays Travel to close 89 shops as lockdown delays 'bounce back' - BBC News", "Coronavirus: Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer self-isolates for third time - BBC News", "Covid in Scotland: Ways to 'accelerate' vaccine plans being examined - BBC News", "Welsh Valentine's Day: 'Why we mark St Dwynwen's Day' - BBC News", "Cwm Taf maternity: Mothers ignored and made to feel worthless - BBC News", "Keon Lincoln: Mother 'heard gunshots' that killed teen - BBC News", "Covid-19: Police investigate potential breaches at republican funeral - BBC News", "Skewen flooding: Villagers warned not to return to homes - BBC News", "Kickstart: Most job roles for youths not yet filled - BBC News", "Covid: Volunteers in Maesteg clear snow for vulnerable to get vaccine - BBC News", "Manchester United 3-2 Liverpool: Bruno Fernandes settles FA Cup thriller - BBC Sport", "Covid: Early years staff safety 'cause for concern' - BBC News", "Couple killed in Cameron House Hotel fire named - BBC News", "Coronavirus: Police support Crown probe into care home deaths - BBC News", "Covid: Sir Billy Connolly receives his first vaccine jab - BBC News", "Covid: Fire Brigades Union safety demands 'unworkable', says report - BBC News", "Shipping crisis: I'm being quoted £10,000 for a £1,600 container' - BBC News", "Covid: School return in Wales 'unlikely' for all in February - BBC News", "Coronavirus: Majority of discretionary self-isolation support applications rejected, Labour say - BBC News", "Festival season 'still possible' despite Glastonbury cancellation - BBC News", "Coronavirus: 'New variant may be associated with higher mortality' - PM - BBC News", "Inquiry uses legal powers to seek Salmond evidence - BBC News", "Bus driver jailed after passenger's death in Swansea crash - BBC News", "Covid: James Bond film No Time To Die delayed for third time - BBC News", "Covid: How a £20 gadget could save lives - BBC News", "Birmingham mosque becomes UK's first to offer Covid vaccine - BBC News", "Hotel quarantine for UK arrivals to be discussed - BBC News", "St Agnes Cold War bunker for sale - BBC News", "Covid: Side-by-side in a London mosque - funerals and a food bank - BBC News", "Brexit: Retailers warn they could burn goods stuck in EU - BBC News", "Skewen flood: Is Wales' coalmining past behind home evacuations? - BBC News", "Coronavirus: UK R number 'between 0.8 and 1' - BBC News", "Covid-19: 'Unrealistic' to expect NI lockdown to end on 5 March - BBC News", "From Sea Shanty TikTok to a record deal - BBC News", "Trump 'prank-called by Piers Morgan impersonator' - BBC News", "Keon Lincoln murder probe: Boy dies after Handsworth attack - BBC News", "Covid in Scotland: Thirteen residents die in Bishopbriggs care home - BBC News", "Covid-19: Ministers mull £500 Covid payment and retail sales suffer record annual drop - BBC News", "Covid: Museums and galleries 'fighting for survival', Art Fund says - BBC News", "Paula Badosa: Australian Open player 'sorry' after revealing she has Covid - BBC News", "Biden's inauguration speech calls for unity - it won't be easy - BBC News", "Your pictures of Scotland 15 - 22 January - BBC News", "Covid: Wedding party in Stamford Hill broken up by police - BBC News", "Covid-19: No plans for universal £500 self-isolation payment, No 10 says - BBC News", "Essex lorry deaths: Men jailed for killing 39 migrants in trailer - BBC News", "Covid: 'Significant failure' over handling summer exam grades - BBC News", "Covid: £800 house party fines to be introduced in England - BBC News", "Cyber criminals publish more than 4,000 stolen Sepa files - BBC News", "Covid: 'Too early' to say if lockdown will end in spring - Boris Johnson - BBC News", "Paddy McElhone: Farmer shooting by Army unjustified, inquest rules - BBC News", "Police arrest 320 dangerous UK child sex offenders - BBC News", "CCTV captures moment hotel fire takes hold - BBC News", "Chorley 0-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers: Vitinha's superb goal sees Wolves past non-league opponents - BBC Sport", "Cameron House: Fire caused by ash left in cupboard - BBC News", "Next pulls out of race to buy Topshop-brands - BBC News", "Coronavirus: UK variant 'may be more deadly' - BBC News", "Shoppers stuck at home shun new clothes in 2020 - BBC News", "Liverpool 0-1 Burnley: Ashley Barnes scores winner as Reds' unbeaten run ends - BBC Sport", "Brexit: Nissan commits to keep making cars in Sunderland - BBC News", "Detentions and warnings over Navalny protests - BBC News", "Skewen flood: Mine shaft 'blow out' may have flooded village - BBC News", "Australian Open 2021: Andy Murray's hopes of playing in tournament over - BBC Sport", "Cameron House: Mum 'tortured' by son's death in hotel fire - BBC News", "Cladding crisis: 'Delays could bankrupt us' - BBC News", "Covid lockdown rule breakers could 'make pandemic longer' - BBC News", "Beckhams pay themselves £21m despite business losses - BBC News", "Covid-19: Bridgwater Muller worker dies and 95 staff self-isolating - BBC News", "Covid-19: Couple in 'only chance' wedding in Milton Keynes Hospital - BBC News", "As it happened: Biden White House 'will tackle domestic extremism' - BBC News", "Covid-19: NI lockdown to be extended until 5 March - BBC News", "Mick Norcross: Towie star and businessman dies aged 57 - BBC News", "Covid-19: Two £10,000 fines for '150-person' funeral - BBC News", "Dartford mother-of-three died after liposuction in Turkey - BBC News", "Coronavirus: EU vaccine woes mount as new delays emerge - BBC News", "Manchester sinkhole: Houses collapse in Gorton street - BBC News", "Covid: Royal Glamorgan Hospital nurse felt 'overwhelming fear' - BBC News", "Meng Wanzhou: Bullets sent in mail to Huawei's finance chief - BBC News", "Covid-19: BBC's Fergal Keane revisits St Mary’s and Charing Cross Hospital 10 months on - BBC News", "BBC licence fee is 'least worst' option, says new chairman Richard Sharp - BBC News", "Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra: Does stylus spell end of the Note? - BBC News", "Covid: Infections levelling off in some areas - scientist - BBC News", "Fresh calls for NI mother and baby homes inquiry - BBC News", "Covid: Police cancel fine for couple visiting care home - BBC News", "Covid-19: Brazil hospitals 'run out of oxygen' for virus patients - BBC News", "Covid-19: South America travel ban and NHS 'crisis' warning - BBC News", "Past Covid-19 infection may provide 'months of immunity' - BBC News", "Covid in Scotland: The six new lockdown rules - BBC News", "Covid-19: Packed hospitals raised death risk by 20% - BBC News", "Over-50s rush to book holidays as vaccine boosts confidence - BBC News", "Coronavirus: British tourist blamed for Lauberhorn ski race cancellation - BBC News", "Covid: Hospitals in Wales' hardest-hit area pause some urgent surgery - BBC News", "Covid-19: High Street chemists start vaccinations in England - BBC News", "Covid: Students' rent strike threat over accommodation - BBC News", "Covid: Asylum seeker camp conditions prompt inspection calls - BBC News", "TikTok level crossing stunt 'staggeringly stupid' - BBC News", "Armie Hammer: Actor pulls out of film over 'vicious' online abuse - BBC News", "Covid rules: What are the restrictions in your area? - BBC News", "Twitter boss: Trump ban is 'right' but 'dangerous' - BBC News", "Covid-19: Insurance fears stop care homes taking patients - BBC News", "Covid-19: More than 100,000 vaccine doses administered in NI - BBC News", "As it happened: Travel from South America to UK banned - BBC News", "UK snow: Yorkshire ambulance service declares 'major incident' - BBC News", "Pimlico Plumbers to make workers get vaccinations - BBC News", "Coronavirus variants and mutations: The science explained - BBC News", "Cyberpunk 2077: We underestimated difficulties - BBC News", "Portishead mum mistakes pregnancy for lockdown weight gain - BBC News", "Marcus Rashford and top chefs demand free school meals review - BBC News", "Coronavirus: PM says UK 'taking steps' over Brazil variant - BBC News", "Covid-19: Passengers told to check train times as routes cut - BBC News", "Heavy snow causes widespread disruption in Scotland - BBC News", "Covid-19: New test rule for England arrivals pushed back to Monday - BBC News", "Covid-19: Schools get more time to decide on admission criteria - BBC News", "Brexit shellfish delays leave Scottish seafood rotting - BBC News", "Teen detained over 180mph stolen motorbike pursuit - BBC News", "Super Nintendo World opening delayed by Japan's virus outbreak - BBC News", "Covid-19: North-east England leads race to vaccinate over-80s - BBC News", "Covid: UK travel curbs to keep out South Africa variant - BBC News", "Tesco: Brexit disruption 'is a challenge not a crisis' - BBC News", "Bitcoin: Newport man's plea to find £210m hard drive in tip - BBC News", "Gurlitt's last Nazi-looted work returned to owners - BBC News", "Africa secures 270m Covid-19 vaccine doses - BBC News", "Covid-19: Surge leaves key hospital services 'in crisis' - BBC News", "Coronavirus: Government's rough sleeping strategy 'out of step' - BBC News", "Row over half term free school meals plan - BBC News", "Americans react to historic second Trump impeachment - BBC News", "Covid-19: Belfast doctor warns oxygen supplies under 'extreme pressure' - BBC News", "US Election 2020 - BBC News", "Covid-19: Brazil travel ban to be discussed over new variant - BBC News", "Tottenham Hotspur 1-1 Fulham: Ivan Cavaleiro earns a point for Premier League strugglers - BBC Sport", "Covid-19: Bracknell couple's 'final meeting' in hospital - BBC News", "Call for better coronavirus masks for all medical staff - BBC News", "Covid: WHO team probing origin of virus arrives in China - BBC News", "Covid: UK reports record 1,564 daily deaths - BBC News", "Patel: No new Covid rules 'today or tomorrow' - BBC News", "Sri Lanka v England: Dom Bess takes 5-30 as tourists dominate in Galle - BBC Sport", "Covid-19: Guide dog delays like 'losing eyesight all over again' - BBC News", "Firms told to look out for domestic abuse signs - BBC News", "Australian Open: Andy Murray tests positive for coronavirus - BBC Sport", "Covid-19: NI to introduce international travel Covid tests - BBC News", "Trump impeached for second time - BBC News", "Siegfried Fischbacher: Member of magic duo Siegfried and Roy dies aged 81 - BBC News", "Richard Leonard quits as Scottish Labour leader - BBC News", "Primark refuses to go online despite £1bn lockdown loss - BBC News", "Covid in Scotland: hospital numbers at new record high - BBC News", "Woman arrested after two men die at house in east London - BBC News", "Covid-19: Nurse isolating in caravan for nine months moves back home - BBC News", "Covid: Families 'devastated' by cancer surgery cancellation - BBC News", "Coronavirus: Company's apology after £5,000 vaccine offer - BBC News", "Online retailer Ocado warns of shortages as suppliers cut choice - BBC News", "Covid-19: Priti Patel defends police lockdown fines - BBC News", "Covid-19: Queen and Prince Philip receive vaccinations - BBC News", "Trump Twitter ban 'raises regulation questions' - Hancock - BBC News", "Covid-19: Drop 'absurd' 5% council tax increase - Starmer - BBC News", "Bench arrest video 'stage-managed by anti-lockdown protesters' - BBC News", "WW2's 'Spitfire Women': Eleanor Wadsworth, one of last female pilots, dies - BBC News", "Covid-19: Rapid tests for asymptomatic people to be rolled out - BBC News", "Covid: Aberfan survivor Bernard Thomas dies, aged 63 - BBC News", "Covid-19: Every adult to be offered vaccine by autumn says Matt Hancock - BBC News", "Covid-19: Hancock warns flexing of rules 'could be fatal' - BBC News", "Pakistan power cut plunges country into darkness - BBC News", "The 65 days that led to chaos at the Capitol - BBC News", "Storm Filomena: Spain races to clear snow as temperatures plunge - BBC News", "Crawley Town 3-0 Leeds United: Marcelo Bielsa's side suffer huge FA Cup upset - BBC Sport", "Pompeo: US to lift restrictions on contacts with Taiwan - BBC News", "Analysis: Can lockdown stop the new coronavirus variant? - BBC News", "Police arrest 16 at Clapham Common anti-lockdown protest - BBC News", "Covid-19: Fordingbridge farm chickens risk cull over egg demand - BBC News", "Cladding building owners told not to talk to press - BBC News", "Brexit: Edwin Poots warns of job losses and food shortages - BBC News", "Man Utd 1-0 Watford: Scott McTominay heads early FA Cup winner at Old Trafford - BBC Sport", "Coronavirus: Virtual Mass tour across Ireland for 107-year-old - BBC News", "Covid in Scotland: ICU numbers rise amid tighter lockdown warnings - BBC News", "Storm Filomena: Spain sees 'exceptional' snowfall - BBC News", "Covid vaccine: Wales has delivered 70,000 of 275,000 doses - BBC News", "Parler: Amazon to remove site from web hosting service - BBC News", "Covid: Protect family incomes, Starmer urges ministers - BBC News", "Covid vaccine: Wales lagging behind rest of UK with rollout - BBC News", "Happy Mondays star Bez in bid to rival Joe Wicks with lockdown fitness classes - BBC News", "Indonesia landslide: Rescuers buried as they help victims - BBC News", "Covid: UK reports more than 80,000 deaths - BBC News", "NHS Covid-19 jab letters 'confusing over-80s' - BBC News", "'Status quo isn't working' for Scotland, says Starmer - BBC News", "Covid: Warnings 'blatantly ignored' as cars turned away - BBC News", "Covid: Boris Johnson set to announce new England lockdown - BBC News", "Schools to close and exams facing axe in England - BBC News", "New £5 coin to mark Queen's 95th birthday - BBC News", "Reading stabbing: School 'reeling' after boy, 13, dies - BBC News", "Colchester Hospital: Covid deniers removed from 'at capacity' hospital - BBC News", "Ecclestone burglary: Four cleared over £26m celebrity raids - BBC News", "Boris Johnson says indyref vote should be once-in-generation - BBC News", "Covid: Brian Pinker, 82, first to get Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine - BBC News", "Covid in Scotland: Scots ordered to stay at home in new lockdown - BBC News", "Covid in Scotland: First doses of Oxford vaccine administered - BBC News", "Coronavirus: Dr Radha's five mental health tips for lockdown - BBC News", "Covid: Sweden official defends Christmas trip to Canary Islands - BBC News", "Zoe Davison: Racing trainer dies on same day two of her horses win at Plumpton - BBC Sport", "Covid in Scotland: New strain of virus 'accelerating' spread - BBC News", "Covid-19: Oxford vaccine, schools row and the future of gyms - BBC News", "Covid rules: What are the restrictions in your area? - BBC News", "Google workers form tech giant's first labour union - BBC News", "Nóra Quoirin: 'Misadventure' verdict for girl found in Malaysian jungle - BBC News", "Covid: 'No question' restrictions will be tightened, says Boris Johnson - BBC News", "Covid in Scotland: New lockdown from midnight - BBC News", "As it happened: First week after Brexit trade deal poses big test - BBC News", "Covid in England: Professional sport to continue in national lockdown - BBC Sport", "Covid: Keir Starmer in 'back to March' lockdown call - BBC News", "Covid-19: Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine rollout begins in Northern Ireland - BBC News", "Edinburgh's giant pandas may 'return to China' over Covid losses - BBC News", "Families rescued in Peak District after getting trapped in snow - BBC News", "Covid in Scotland: Scottish cabinet to consider further measures - BBC News", "Covid in Wales: Schools' phased return defended by first minister - BBC News", "Brexit: Call for urgent action over deliveries to NI - BBC News", "UK expats prevented from returning home to Spain - BBC News", "Reading stabbing: Five teenagers arrested after boy, 13, dies - BBC News", "Police arrest MP over 'Covid rule breach' - BBC News", "Covid: What could 'tougher' measures mean for us? - BBC News", "Woman's Hour: The Queen sends 'best wishes' to show on its 75th year - BBC News", "As it happened: PM announces new England lockdown in TV Covid address - BBC News", "Covid in Scotland: Restrictions 'could continue' amid rising cases - BBC News", "Niger village attacks: Death toll rises to 100 - BBC News", "Covid: Regional rules 'probably going to get tougher', says Boris Johnson - BBC News", "Tanya Roberts: Bond actress and Charlie's Angel dies at 65 - BBC News", "US Election 2020 - BBC News", "Covid: Derby County players test positive for Covid-19 - BBC News", "England in Sri Lanka: Moeen Ali tests positive for Covid-19 - BBC Sport", "Zara Holland faces court for 'breaking Covid rules' in Barbados - BBC News", "Covid: New lockdowns for England and Scotland ahead of 'hardest weeks' - BBC News", "Coronavirus: Extended period of remote learning for NI schools - BBC News", "Liverpool FC anthem singer Gerry Marsden dies aged 78 - BBC News", "Ladbrokes owner Entain receives offer from MGM Resorts - BBC News", "Covaxin: Concern over 'rushed' approval for India Covid jab - BBC News", "Co-op and Morrisons payment problems investigated - BBC News", "Covid: Highest weekly deaths in Wales since pandemic began - BBC News", "Covid: Shut schools 'like systematic neglect' to disadvantaged pupils - BBC News", "Harvey Weinstein: Court agrees $17m payout for accusers - BBC News", "Covid-19: Five days that shaped the outbreak - BBC News", "Covid deaths: 'Hard to compute sorrow' of 100,000 milestone - PM - BBC News", "Costa Book of the Year: 'Utterly original' Mermaid of Black Conch wins - BBC News", "Covid: UK virus deaths exceed 100,000 since pandemic began - BBC News", "Covid: Floella Benjamin receives first vaccine dose - BBC News", "HS2 protesters dig tunnel to thwart Euston eviction - BBC News", "Facebook News feature launches in UK - BBC News", "Beware fake Covid vaccination invites, NHS warns - BBC News", "Coronavirus: Cut jury size to clear courts backlog - Labour - BBC News", "Scientists address myths over large-scale tree planting - BBC News", "Covid home-schooling: Parents' 'nightmare' juggling work and teaching - BBC News", "Covid: Quarantine hotel plans set to be announced - BBC News", "Covid-19: PM 'deeply sorry' as UK deaths exceed 100,000 - BBC News", "Storm Christoph flooding: Financial help offered to victims - BBC News", "Covid: 'Not a moment to ease measures,' says Matt Hancock - BBC News", "Chris Grayling leads MPs' charge to save hedgehogs - BBC News", "Pandemic prompts Super Bowl ad rethink in US - BBC News", "Covid: Schools will be told of reopening plans 'as soon as we can' - BBC News", "Covid-19: Hotel quarantine expected to be announced, and UK unemployment rises - BBC News", "Covid: Oldham school to withdraw places for lockdown-breach pupils - BBC News", "Xbox sales boom as virus maintains grip on economy - BBC News", "Skewen flood: Is Wales' coalmining past behind home evacuations? - BBC News", "Manchester Arena operator denies 'sacrificing safety' - BBC News", "'Droves' of Pampas grass pickers at South Shields beach - BBC News", "Covid-19: UK deaths likely to come down slowly, Whitty warns - BBC News", "Coronavirus: Seafarers stuck at sea ‘a humanitarian crisis’ - BBC News", "Rape prosecution changes by CPS unlawful, court told - BBC News", "British Asian celebrities unite for video to dispel Covid vaccine myths - BBC News", "Covid-19: Met Police officers in haircut lockdown breach - BBC News", "Skewen flood victims face 'months' before returning home - BBC News", "Covid-19: Vaccine minister 'confident' of supplies amid production delays - BBC News", "Transfer test: RBAI to use primary school test scores - BBC News", "Covid deaths: Four stories in 100,000 - BBC News", "Covid: Cancel developing countries' debt, MPs urge - BBC News", "Covid: Dutch curfew riots rage for third night - BBC News", "UK government backs birth control for grey squirrels - BBC News", "Covid deaths: Why is the UK's death toll so bad? - BBC News", "Inquiry judge's media ban 'unlawful', Court of Session hears - BBC News", "Sport England to direct extra £50m for grassroots sport due to Covid - BBC Sport", "Coronavirus: AstraZeneca defends EU vaccine rollout plan - BBC News", "Storm Christoph: '18 months' for plans to repair Llanerch bridge - BBC News", "Frank Lampard: Chelsea sack manager with Thomas Tuchel expected to replace him - BBC Sport", "Janet Yellen to be first female US treasury secretary - BBC News", "Twitter pilot to let users flag 'false' content - BBC News", "Covid: School closures 'throwing children under the bus' - BBC News", "Covid-19: Five days that shaped the outbreak - BBC News", "Harriet Tubman: Biden moves to put anti-slavery activist on $20 bill - BBC News", "Covid: Hays Travel to close 89 shops as lockdown delays 'bounce back' - BBC News", "NI mother-and-baby home report to be published - BBC News", "Home-schooling: Parents of Welsh-medium pupils 'need more support' - BBC News", "Covid: Curfew stays despite 'scum' riots in Dutch cities - BBC News", "Covid: Teacher dies with virus on 25th birthday - BBC News", "100,000 Covid deaths: A grim milestone in an abnormal year - BBC News", "Covid-19: Police investigate potential breaches at republican funeral - BBC News", "Keon Lincoln: Mother 'heard gunshots' that killed teen - BBC News", "Covid vaccines: Over-80s target missed by Welsh Government - BBC News", "House delivers impeachment charge against Trump - BBC News", "Australia unlikely to fully reopen border in 2021, says top official - BBC News", "Alex Davies-Jones MP 'lost most of cervix after delaying smear' - BBC News", "BBC apologises for Phil Spector death headline - BBC News", "Covid: Paramedic questioned job after being spat at - BBC News", "Sheku Bayoh death: Witness says stamping attack ‘never happened’ - BBC News", "'I'm stranded at Madrid Airport' - BBC News", "Covid-19: 'Toughest week yet' of pandemic for NI hospitals - BBC News", "Covid: UK closes all travel corridors until at least 15 February - BBC News", "Phil Spector: Pop producer jailed for murder dies at 81 - BBC News", "Youngest person in UK convicted of terrorism offence can go free - Parole Board - BBC News", "Trampoline prices 'to soar 50% on shipping costs' - BBC News", "Sri Lanka v England: Tourists win first Test by seven wickets - BBC Sport", "Covid: Tesco staff pay tribute to colleague John Deacy - BBC News", "BT faces £600m lawsuit over 'overcharging' - BBC News", "Liverpool 0-0 Man Utd: Alisson saves thwart leaders at Anfield - BBC Sport", "Covid-19: NI hospitals prepare for peak of latest virus surge - BBC News", "Covid in Scotland: 'Patchy supply' hampering vaccine rollout - BBC News", "Chris Cramer: Tributes paid after former BBC and CNN journalist dies aged 73 - BBC News", "Nóra Quoirin death: Girl's body 'placed in the jungle' - BBC News", "Branson's Virgin rocket takes satellites to orbit - BBC News", "Jonathan Peter Brooks: Doctor charged over plastic surgeon attack - BBC News", "Keelan Wilson: Four guilty of Wolverhampton boy murder - BBC News", "Covid: Brazil approves and rolls out AstraZeneca and Sinovac vaccines - BBC News", "'Relentless' dog attack on Richmond Park deer prompts police warning - BBC News", "M1 deaths: Coroner calls for smart motorway review - BBC News", "Lai Chi-Wai raises HK$5.2m for charity climbing Nina Towers - BBC News", "England: Phil Neville leaves Lionesses and joins Inter Miami - BBC Sport", "Covid: £9,000 for 'anxiety and stress' university degree - BBC News", "Github apologises for firing Jewish employee who warned about 'Nazis' - BBC News", "Eurostar: Government urged to 'safeguard' rail firm's future - BBC News", "Biden inauguration: Fortified US statehouses see some small protests - BBC News", "Covid-19: China's economy picks up, bucking global trend - BBC News", "Brexit: Fishing firms hold London protest over disruption - BBC News", "Coronavirus: Matt Hancock says more in hospital than any time in pandemic - BBC News", "Scots TV and theatre star Andy Gray dies aged 61 - BBC News", "Covid: Aberystwyth University tells students to stay home - BBC News", "London Ambulance Service: 'We take thousands of calls every day - it's tough' - BBC News", "Chip-shortage 'crisis' halts car-company output - BBC News", "Covid: People broke lockdown rules in 200-mile drive to see friends - BBC News", "Universal credit: MPs urge PM to keep £20 benefit 'lifeline' - BBC News", "US Election 2020 - BBC News", "Covid-19: Critical care wards full in hospitals across England - BBC News", "Brithdir Nursing Home: Inquest into six residents' deaths opens - BBC News", "As it happened: Democrats plan to introduce Trump impeachment articles on Monday - BBC News", "Capitol riots: Who broke into the building? - BBC News", "Covid: Royal Glamorgan Hospital nurse felt 'overwhelming fear' - BBC News", "Stricter Covid supermarket rules being considered in Wales - BBC News", "IGCSE exams taken in private schools still going ahead - BBC News", "Loughton school hit-and-run: Terence Glover detained for killing Harley Watson - BBC News", "National Express to suspend all services - BBC News", "Hunt for fake vaccine fraudster who injected woman, 92, in Surbiton - BBC News", "Moderna becomes third Covid vaccine approved in the UK - BBC News", "Little Mix's Sweet Melody finally tops chart as Christmas songs vanish - BBC News", "Eurovision Song Contest 2021 to 'definitely' go ahead, Graham Norton says - BBC News", "Covid deaths in Scotland 'distressingly high' - BBC News", "Phone footage reveals chaotic scenes inside US Capitol - BBC News", "Michael Apted: TV documentary pioneer and film-maker dies aged 79 - BBC News", "'Racist and sexist' Hampshire police unit officers dismissed - BBC News", "Brexit: M&S temporarily cuts hundreds of products in NI - BBC News", "Covid rules: What are the restrictions in your area? - BBC News", "Students pledge rent strike over unused uni rooms - BBC News", "As it happened: Moderna vaccine approved in UK for spring rollout - BBC News", "Dame Barbara Windsor's funeral held with 'Queen Peggy' tribute - BBC News", "Google Chrome browser privacy plan investigated in UK - BBC News", "Brexit: Edwin Poots warns of job losses and food shortages - BBC News", "Stella Tennant: Family confirms model's death was suicide - BBC News", "Capitol riots: Panel of Americans ‘shocked’ and ‘disgusted’ - BBC News", "Two more life-saving Covid drugs discovered - BBC News", "New Zealand: Woman dies in rare suspected shark attack - BBC News", "Capitol riots: A visual guide to the storming of Congress - BBC News", "Muted response as Clap for Heroes returns - BBC News", "Soaring house prices in 2020 likely to slow this year, says Halifax - BBC News", "COP26: Alok Sharma leaves business job to focus on climate role - BBC News", "Ambulance waiting times in parts of England 'off the scale' - BBC News", "Lockdown fashion: 'People are back in their pyjamas' - BBC News", "Capitol riots: Boris Johnson condemns Donald Trump for sparking events - BBC News", "Isle of Wight oil tanker 'hijacking' case dropped against seven men - BBC News", "Covid: UK travel curbs to keep out South Africa variant - BBC News", "US Capitol riot: Police officer dies amid pressure on Trump over inciting violence - BBC News", "Depop seller's crop top made from Chiltern Railways train seat cover 'violates terms' - BBC News", "Covid-19: 'Major incident' declared by London Mayor Sadiq Khan - BBC News", "Lockdown: Police get stuck in snow stopping rule-breakers - BBC News", "Hyundai's confusion over Apple electric car tie-up - BBC News", "Covid: Fines reviewed after women 'surrounded by police' - BBC News", "'Show us it's safe' to be open, say nursery staff - BBC News", "Covid-19: Boris Johnson makes daily jab pledge as Army helps rollout - BBC News", "Covid: Families 'devastated' by cancer surgery cancellation - BBC News", "Your pictures of Scotland 1 - 8 January - BBC News", "Climate change: 2020 in a dead heat for world's warmest year - BBC News", "Covid tests for Channel hauliers to continue 'until further notice' - BBC News", "Covid-19: UK sees highest daily toll of 1,325 deaths - BBC News", "Covid-19: Welsh Government update - BBC News", "Prince William talks about NHS and Covid with his children 'every day' - BBC News", "Salmond accuses Sturgeon of misleading parliament - BBC News", "The Wanted's Tom Parker says brain tumour has 'shrunk significantly' - BBC News", "Covid cases 'up almost a third in week after Christmas' - BBC News", "Ex-MP quits Labour ahead of sexual harassment disciplinary process - BBC News", "David Bowie remembered: Streamed shows, unheard songs and TikTok debut - BBC News", "Surge in pupils at school in lockdown sparks call for limit - BBC News", "Marion Ramsey: Police Academy and Broadway star dies at 73 - BBC News", "Schools to close and exams facing axe in England - BBC News", "Reading stabbing: School 'reeling' after boy, 13, dies - BBC News", "1.3 million in UK have had their Covid vaccine - BBC News", "Ecclestone burglary: Four cleared over £26m celebrity raids - BBC News", "Covid in Scotland: Scots ordered to stay at home in new lockdown - BBC News", "Covid in Scotland: First doses of Oxford vaccine administered - BBC News", "US intelligence task force accuses Russia of cyber-hack - BBC News", "Cyclone Imogen: Downgraded storm brings flood warnings to Queensland - BBC News", "Singapore reveals Covid privacy data available to police - BBC News", "Covid-19: 1.3m in UK have received vaccine as cases soar - BBC News", "Coronavirus: Dr Radha's five mental health tips for lockdown - BBC News", "Proud Boys leader released after arrest for burning BLM flag - BBC News", "Covid rules: What are the restrictions in your area? - BBC News", "BBC to put lessons on TV during lockdown - BBC News", "Mexican fisherman 'dies after attack on Sea Shepherd conservationists' - BBC News", "Government offers firms new grants to survive lockdown - BBC News", "Covid: PM acted 'decisively' on England lockdown - Sunak - BBC News", "Covid in Scotland: New lockdown from midnight - BBC News", "Covid in England: Professional sport to continue in national lockdown - BBC Sport", "Online schooling: Calls to cut data fees during Covid lockdowns - BBC News", "Covid-19: Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine rollout begins in Northern Ireland - BBC News", "UK 'cannot duck' post-Covid inequalities, report warns - BBC News", "Brexit: Call for urgent action over deliveries to NI - BBC News", "UK expats prevented from returning home to Spain - BBC News", "'Let police fight crime with facial recognition' plea - BBC News", "Virgin joins Tui and Thomas Cook in cancelling holiday bookings - BBC News", "Covid: Sir Keir Starmer calls for 'round the clock' vaccinations - BBC News", "Police arrest MP over 'Covid rule breach' - BBC News", "Covid: Urgent cancer ops cancelled in parts of London - BBC News", "Covid-19: UK daily coronavirus cases top 60,000 for first time - BBC News", "Supermarket websites struggle amid new lockdown - BBC News", "Much is an echo of March - but a lot is different too - BBC News", "Conjoined twins Marieme and Ndeye settling at Cardiff school - BBC News", "Tanya Roberts: Bond actress and Charlie's Angel dies at 65 - BBC News", "Colin Bell: Manchester City great dies aged 74 - BBC Sport", "US Election 2020 - BBC News", "TalkRadio: YouTube reverses decision to ban channel - BBC News", "Celtic in Dubai: Nicola Sturgeon says aspects of trip 'should be looked into' - BBC Sport", "Paperchase on the brink of administration - BBC News", "Call for better coronavirus masks for all medical staff - BBC News", "Buckingham Palace thief jailed for stealing medals and photos - BBC News", "Vocational exams allowed to go ahead in England - BBC News", "Reading stabbings: Man motivated by 'religious jihad' - BBC News", "Zara Holland faces court for 'breaking Covid rules' in Barbados - BBC News", "Covid: New lockdowns for England and Scotland ahead of 'hardest weeks' - BBC News", "Coronavirus: Extended period of remote learning for NI schools - BBC News", "Topshop's flagship Oxford Street store up for sale - BBC News", "Covid in Scotland: 'Stay at home' order comes into force - BBC News", "Strangling: Calls for a new non-fatal strangulation offence - BBC News", "Covid lockdown: Joe Wicks online PE classes to return next week - BBC News", "Boeing 737 Max cleared to fly in UK and EU after crashes - BBC News", "Insurers defend covering ransomware payments - BBC News", "Covid-19: Cough, fatigue, sore throat 'more common' with new variant - BBC News", "Covid hotel quarantine: 'It's the luck of the draw' - BBC News", "Covid deaths: 'Hard to compute sorrow' of 100,000 milestone - PM - BBC News", "Covid in Scotland: Nicola Sturgeon says Boris Johnson visit 'not essential' travel - BBC News", "HS2 protesters dig tunnel to thwart Euston eviction - BBC News", "Covid: Floella Benjamin receives first vaccine dose - BBC News", "Philippa Day: Benefit errors 'predominant factor' in mum's death - BBC News", "US actress Jane Fonda to get Golden Globes' lifetime achievement award - BBC News", "Coronavirus: Cut jury size to clear courts backlog - Labour - BBC News", "Covid: Mum-of-five Karen Hobbs dies, aged 40 - BBC News", "Boris Johnson says independence debate 'irrelevant' to most Scots - BBC News", "Coronavirus: Boy sentenced for racist street attack - BBC News", "Covid-19: NI health and social care workers to get £500 payment - BBC News", "Coronavirus: Your tributes to those who have died - BBC News", "Contactless limit could rise to £100 - BBC News", "South Africa coronavirus variant: 77 cases found in UK - BBC News", "Footage shows officer 'rammed' off motorbike in Oldbury - BBC News", "Covid: English schools could return 8 March 'at the earliest' - PM - BBC News", "Covid-19: PM promises roadmap to 'steadily reclaim our lives' - BBC News", "100,000 Covid deaths: ‘I cursed the sterile white room where Ann died’ - BBC News", "Xbox sales boom as virus maintains grip on economy - BBC News", "Apple Christmas sales surge to $111bn amid pandemic - BBC News", "Spanish Armada maps 'saved for the nation' - BBC News", "Covid-19: UK deaths likely to come down slowly, Whitty warns - BBC News", "'Knackered and confused.' That's just the parents - BBC News", "Covid: Wrexham vaccine production resumes after suspect package - BBC News", "100,000 Covid deaths: ‘I cursed the sterile white room where Ann died’ - BBC News", "Covid-19: Met Police officers in haircut lockdown breach - BBC News", "Elliot Page: Juno actor to divorce Emma Portner - BBC News", "Chelsea Flower Show: Event moved to autumn for first time in history - BBC News", "Covid-19: Vaccine minister 'confident' of supplies amid production delays - BBC News", "Covid-19: 'Poor decisions' to blame for UK death toll, scientists say - BBC News", "Extinction: 'Time is running out' to save sharks and rays - BBC News", "Covid deaths: Four stories in 100,000 - BBC News", "Euston tunnel protesters: HS2 begins eviction - BBC News", "Covid: Scotland 'could go further' on quarantine rules - BBC News", "UK government backs birth control for grey squirrels - BBC News", "Leon Briggs inquest: Luton man who died said 'help me' amid police restraint - BBC News", "Covid deaths: Why is the UK's death toll so bad? - BBC News", "Covid-19: Basildon nurse meets her baby after months in hospital with virus - BBC News", "Coronavirus: AstraZeneca defends EU vaccine rollout plan - BBC News", "Covid: Wary Johnson careful not to raise hopes - BBC News", "Victims typically lose £45,000 each owing to investment scams - BBC News", "Jagtar Singh Johal: British man 'tortured to sign blank confession' in India - BBC News", "Coronavirus: Vaccinate teachers at half-term - Starmer - BBC News", "Covid-hit New Orleans turns homes into floats for Mardi Gras - BBC News", "PMQs: As it happened - 27 January - BBC News", "Covid: Teacher dies with virus on 25th birthday - BBC News", "Facebook apologises for Plymouth Hoe 'error' - BBC News", "100,000 Covid deaths: A grim milestone in an abnormal year - BBC News", "Covid-19: Welsh Government update 27 January 2021 - BBC News", "Goldman Sachs boss gets $10m pay cut for 1MDB scandal - BBC News", "Cyclist Josh Quigley has multiple fractures in second serious crash - BBC News", "Boris Johnson promises plan next month for 'phased' easing of lockdown - BBC News", "Legal threat over bee-harming pesticide use - BBC News", "Global health insurance card to replace EHIC under new rules - BBC News", "Reading stabbings: Khairi Saadallah jailed for park murders - BBC News", "Sol Bamba: Cardiff City defender being treated for cancer - BBC Sport", "Irish 'laughing dad' goes viral - BBC News", "Covid: Women fined for going for a walk receive police apology - BBC News", "UK economy 'to get worse before it gets better' - BBC News", "Trump-Biden: Security fears cloud build-up to inauguration - BBC News", "Brexit: UK driver has ham sandwiches confiscated at Dutch border - BBC News", "UK's biggest union elects first woman leader - BBC News", "Covid: UK at 'worst point' of pandemic, says Hancock - BBC News", "James Brokenshire steps back from ministerial role for cancer surgery - BBC News", "Covid: Wrexham hospital stretched as cases rise rapidly - BBC News", "Online retailer Ocado warns of shortages as suppliers cut choice - BBC News", "Covid: All over-50s in Wales to be offered jab by spring - BBC News", "Marks & Spencer snaps up Jaeger fashion brand - BBC News", "SmartDot radiation-protection phone stickers 'have no effect' - BBC News", "Covid-19: UAE dropped from UK travel corridor list - BBC News", "Covid-19: Southend Hospital oxygen supply reaches 'critical' situation - BBC News", "Covid in Scotland: Sturgeon urges football not to 'abuse privileges' - BBC News", "Covid deaths: The emergency mortuary in a Surrey woodland - BBC News", "Covid-19: Vaccination hubs, Whitty's warning and lockdown learning - BBC News", "Bench arrest video 'stage-managed by anti-lockdown protesters' - BBC News", "Pupils in Scotland struggle to get online amid Microsoft issue - BBC News", "Covid-19: Rapid tests for asymptomatic people to be rolled out - BBC News", "Luke Evans: The Pembrokeshire Murders sees actor return to Wales - BBC News", "Covid-19: Hancock warns flexing of rules 'could be fatal' - BBC News", "Storm Filomena: Spain races to clear snow as temperatures plunge - BBC News", "Crawley Town 3-0 Leeds United: Marcelo Bielsa's side suffer huge FA Cup upset - BBC Sport", "Europe's slow start: How many people have had the Covid vaccine? - BBC News", "Analysis: Can lockdown stop the new coronavirus variant? - BBC News", "FA Cup draw: Manchester United to host Liverpool in fourth round - BBC Sport", "Inside Newcastle's Covid mass vaccination centre - BBC News", "'My spending has gone up, not down, in lockdown' - BBC News", "Sex and the City: New series announced but Kim Cattrall won't return - BBC News", "Cladding building owners told not to talk to press - BBC News", "Covid: 'I’m one of those people who’s been left out' - BBC News", "As it happened: New tech unveiled at CES 2021 - BBC News", "Croydon University Hospital doctor: Covid 'not fake news' - BBC News", "Coronavirus: Boris Johnson criticised over bike ride seven miles from home - BBC News", "Covid in Scotland: Home schooling issues & vaccine rollout - BBC News", "Covid in Scotland: All over-80s to be vaccinated by February - BBC News", "Terra Carta: Prince Charles asks companies to join 'Earth charter' - BBC News", "Covid: Dubai added to Scotland's travel quarantine list - BBC News", "Covid: Morrisons and Sainsbury's ban maskless shoppers - BBC News", "Covid in Scotland: ICU numbers rise amid tighter lockdown warnings - BBC News", "Celtic 1-1 Hibernian: Depleted hosts denied win by injury-time strike - BBC Sport", "Covid-19: Welsh Government update - BBC News", "New strangulation law planned to tackle abusers, says justice secretary - BBC News", "Lisa Montgomery: Looking for answers in the life of a killer - BBC News", "Covid vaccine: Wales has delivered 70,000 of 275,000 doses - BBC News", "Covid: Protect family incomes, Starmer urges ministers - BBC News", "Parler social network sues Amazon for pulling support - BBC News", "Indonesia landslide: Rescuers buried as they help victims - BBC News", "BBC Bitesize to be free for BT and EE customers - BBC News", "NHS Covid-19 jab letters 'confusing over-80s' - BBC News", "Covid-19: Hancock says UK at 'worst point' as vaccine brings hope - BBC News", "Covid: 'Most dangerous time' of the pandemic, says Prof Whitty - BBC News", "Biden Twitter account 'starts from zero' with no Trump followers - BBC News", "UK weather: Snow and ice warnings for England and Scotland - BBC News", "Toby Young: Telegraph coronavirus column 'significantly misleading' - BBC News", "TikTok level crossing stunt 'staggeringly stupid' - BBC News", "Covid-19: New test rule for England arrivals pushed back to Monday - BBC News", "Covid-19: Schools get more time to decide on admission criteria - BBC News", "Halam stabbing: Surgeon Graeme Perks 'fighting for his life' - BBC News", "Scottish fishermen 'sailing to Denmark to land catch' - BBC News", "Your pictures of Scotland 8 - 15 January - BBC News", "Covid lockdowns prompt fears over child obesity rise - BBC News", "Covid-19: Bracknell couple's 'final meeting' in hospital - BBC News", "Post-Brexit customs systems not fit for purpose, say meat exporters - BBC News", "Covid-19: Welsh Government update - BBC News", "Brexit: No plans to dilute workers' rights, minister says - BBC News", "Covid-19: South America travel ban begins and UK economy shrinks - BBC News", "Covid: UK to close all travel corridors from Monday - BBC News", "Sylvain Sylvain: New York Dolls guitarist dies aged 69 - BBC News", "Covid: UK's ban on South America and Portugal travellers comes into force - BBC News", "Covid-19: Nisra records highest ever weekly deaths - BBC News", "North Korea unveils new submarine-launched missile - BBC News", "Tory candidate Craig Ross dropped for 'unacceptable' remarks - BBC News", "Technical issue resolved after '150,000 police records lost' - BBC News", "Covid-19: Insurance fears stop care homes taking patients - BBC News", "BBC licence fee is 'least worst' option, says new chairman Richard Sharp - BBC News", "As it happened: Not the time for slightest relaxation, PM says - BBC News", "UK economy shrank by 2.6% in November as services suffered - BBC News", "'Being sectioned felt like a punishment' - BBC News", "Covid-19: Brazil hospitals 'run out of oxygen' for virus patients - BBC News", "Covid: Fake news 'causing UK South Asians to reject jab' - BBC News", "Covid-19: A-level and GCSE results planned for early July - BBC News", "Covid: 'Convalescent plasma no benefit to hospital patients' - BBC News", "Covid-19: Brazil virus already in UK ‘not variant of concern’, scientist says - BBC News", "Police probes compromised after computer records deleted - BBC News", "Covid vaccine: Gwynedd pharmacy 'first in Wales to offer jab' - BBC News", "Covid-19: Early signs of lockdown restrictions working - BBC News", "Covid: Intensive care patients transferred from London to Newcastle - BBC News", "Dustin Diamond diagnosed with cancer - BBC News", "Part of rail bridge collapses near fatal Stonehaven derailment site - BBC News", "Covid-19: NI to introduce international travel Covid tests - BBC News", "Indonesia earthquake: Dozens dead as search for survivors continues - BBC News", "Capitol riots: Police describe a 'medieval battle' - BBC News", "Covid-19: Belfast doctor warns oxygen supplies under 'extreme pressure' - BBC News", "Wayne Rooney: Derby County confirm ex-England captain as manager - BBC Sport", "Covid: Man charged after woman, 92, given fake vaccine - BBC News", "Marcus Rashford and top chefs demand free school meals review - BBC News", "Richard Leonard quits as Scottish Labour leader - BBC News", "East West and Northumberland rail lines get £794m boost - BBC News", "Alexei Navalny: 'More than 3,000 detained' in protests across Russia - BBC News", "Covid-19: Doctors want less wait between jabs as EU struggles with supply - BBC News", "Covid-19: Futures of drinking Senedd members questioned - BBC News", "Cladding crisis: 'Delays could bankrupt us' - BBC News", "Covid: 'More deadly' UK variant claim played down by scientists - BBC News", "Coronavirus: 1,348 more deaths recorded in UK - BBC News", "Keon Lincoln murder probe: Second teenager arrested - BBC News", "Covid: Police injured breaking up Chelsea party with '200 people' - BBC News", "Covid: Number of patients on ventilators passes 4,000 for first time - BBC News", "National Guard: President Biden apologises over troops sleeping in car park - BBC News", "Covid: Rural GPs to run new vaccine hubs amid roll-out criticism - BBC News", "Shipping crisis: I'm being quoted £10,000 for a £1,600 container' - BBC News", "Paul Davies: An understated Tory Senedd leader - BBC News", "Up to 500 new cells to be built in women's prisons - BBC News", "Skewen flood victims could be out of homes for days - BBC News", "Covid vaccine: Betsi Cadwaladr boss warns against queue jumping - BBC News", "Chorley 0-1 Wolverhampton Wanderers: Vitinha's superb goal sees Wolves past non-league opponents - BBC Sport", "Covid hand-outs: How other countries pay if you are sick - BBC News", "Covid-19: New variant 'raises R number by up to 0.7' - BBC News", "Covid: Peaky Blinders' Black Country Museum is vaccine hub - BBC News", "Covid: Four vaccine centres shut amid snow alert for Wales - BBC News", "Larry King: Veteran US talk show host dies aged 87 - BBC News", "Sri Lanka Minister who promoted 'Covid syrup' tests positive - BBC News", "Covid vaccine: 'No impact' on delivery after Storm Christoph floods - BBC News", "PM talks to Biden in first call since inauguration - BBC News", "Covid-19: Couple in 'only chance' wedding in Milton Keynes Hospital - BBC News", "Coronavirus: UK variant 'may be more deadly' - BBC News", "Wuhan marks its anniversary with triumph and denial - BBC News", "Covid: Wedding party in Stamford Hill broken up by police - BBC News", "Covid: Gap between Pfizer vaccine doses should be halved, say doctors - BBC News", "Covid-19: Nurses call for better masks to protect all staff - BBC News", "Cheltenham Town 1-3 Man City: Six-time winners avoid FA Cup shock - BBC Sport", "Essex lorry deaths: Men jailed for killing 39 migrants in trailer - BBC News", "Detentions and warnings over Navalny protests - BBC News", "Covid-19: Two £10,000 fines for '150-person' funeral - BBC News", "Hotel quarantine for UK arrivals to be discussed - BBC News", "Covid: Side-by-side in a London mosque - funerals and a food bank - BBC News", "Coronavirus: EU vaccine woes mount as new delays emerge - BBC News", "Coronavirus: UK R number 'between 0.8 and 1' - BBC News", "Covid in Wales: 'We've lost five patients in a single shift' - BBC News", "New Forest crash: Four ponies killed - BBC News", "Covid-19: UK reports a record 55,892 daily cases - BBC News", "Covid: Illegal New Year party at Essex church broken up - BBC News", "Brexit: Boris Johnson's father applies for French citizenship - BBC News", "Activists cheer as 'sexist' tampon tax is scrapped - BBC News", "Tokyo 2020: Olympics and Paralympics will go ahead, says Japan's PM amid rising infections - BBC Sport", "Covid: 'Nail-biting' weeks ahead for NHS, hospitals in England warn - BBC News", "The KLF's songs are finally available to stream - BBC News", "Newyear 2021: NHS and BLM celebrated in light display - BBC News", "Comedian John Bishop joins Doctor Who cast - BBC News", "Joe Anderson: Liverpool mayor in police probe will not seek re-election - BBC News", "Tommy Docherty: Former Man Utd and Scotland boss dies - BBC Sport", "Covid in Scotland: New strain of virus 'accelerating' spread - BBC News", "Manchester United 2-1 Aston Villa: Bruno Fernandes penalty puts Red Devils joint top - BBC Sport", "Covid-19: London's NHS Nightingale 'ready to admit patients' - BBC News", "Reward offered after Monmouthshire nativity scene destroyed - BBC News", "Police disperse crowd amid muted Hogmanay events - BBC News", "Covid: All London primary schools to stay closed - BBC News", "First Minneapolis police death since George Floyd captured on bodycam - BBC News", "As-it-happened: Hospitals under 'extreme pressure' as virus surges, NHS trusts say - BBC News", "Covid-19: New variant 'raises R number by up to 0.7' - BBC News", "Covid: Councils call for all London schools to stay shut - BBC News", "MF Doom: Hip-hop star dies aged 49 - BBC News", "New Year's Eve: UK sees in 2021 with fireworks and light show - BBC News", "Brexit: Are the borders ready? - BBC News", "Adieu to the single market created by the UK - BBC News", "Brexit: 'Plans in place' to minimise port delays in Wales - BBC News", "Covid vaccine rollout at 'very beginning' in Wales - BBC News", "Norway landslide: Body found as rescuers search Gjerdrum landslide - BBC News", "Ontario finance minister Rod Phillips resigns over Caribbean vacation - BBC News", "Covid: 12-week vaccine gap defended by UK medical chiefs - BBC News", "Brexit: First goods cross Irish Sea trade border - BBC News", "Brexit: New era for UK as it completes separation from European Union - BBC News", "In pictures: New Year, but not quite as we know it - BBC News", "The Archers: Radio 4 to mark 70th anniversary - BBC News", "Brexit: Gibraltar gets UK-Spain deal to keep open border - BBC News", "Omar Elabdellaoui: Norway star hurt by firework on New Year's Eve - BBC News", "Covid-19: England lockdown compliance 'more vital than ever' - BBC News", "Covid in Scotland: hospital numbers at new record high - BBC News", "Kim Jong-un pledges to expand North Korea's nuclear arsenal - BBC News", "Covid: Fines reviewed after women 'surrounded by police' - BBC News", "Covid: 'I've relied on parents to keep my family afloat' - BBC News", "Capitol riots: A visual guide to the storming of Congress - BBC News", "Covid: Families 'devastated' by cancer surgery cancellation - BBC News", "Coronavirus: Company's apology after £5,000 vaccine offer - BBC News", "Covid: Royal Glamorgan Hospital nurse felt 'overwhelming fear' - BBC News", "Covid-19: Act like you've got the virus, government urges - BBC News", "Brexit: M&S temporarily cuts hundreds of products in NI - BBC News", "Covid-19: Queen and Prince Philip receive vaccinations - BBC News", "Stricter Covid supermarket rules being considered in Wales - BBC News", "Covid rules: What are the restrictions in your area? - BBC News", "Covid-19: UK sees highest daily toll of 1,325 deaths - BBC News", "Covid: Aberfan survivor Bernard Thomas dies, aged 63 - BBC News", "Covid-19: Hackney gym owners fined for breaching rules - BBC News", "Covid fine review welcomed by 'intimidated' women - BBC News", "Loughton school hit-and-run: Terence Glover detained for killing Harley Watson - BBC News", "Air disasters timeline - BBC News", "David Moyes: West Ham manager says footballers must not be 'picked on' for coronavirus breaches - BBC Sport", "Covid: Flintshire councillor dies month after mum's funeral - BBC News", "Pompeo: US to lift restrictions on contacts with Taiwan - BBC News", "Analysis: Can lockdown stop the new coronavirus variant? - BBC News", "Google suspends 'free speech' app Parler - BBC News", "Europe's slow start: How many people have had the Covid vaccine? - BBC News", "Police arrest 16 at Clapham Common anti-lockdown protest - BBC News", "Dame Barbara Windsor's funeral held with 'Queen Peggy' tribute - BBC News", "Covid-19: Fordingbridge farm chickens risk cull over egg demand - BBC News", "Prince William talks about NHS and Covid with his children 'every day' - BBC News", "Salmond accuses Sturgeon of misleading parliament - BBC News", "Covid-19: Praise as angling given lockdown go-ahead - BBC News", "Brexit: Edwin Poots warns of job losses and food shortages - BBC News", "Covid cases 'up almost a third in week after Christmas' - BBC News", "Trump’s Twitter downfall - BBC News", "Depop seller's crop top made from Chiltern Railways train seat cover 'violates terms' - BBC News", "Ex-MP quits Labour ahead of sexual harassment disciplinary process - BBC News", "Michael Apted: TV documentary pioneer and film-maker dies aged 79 - BBC News", "Eva Williams, 10, dies one year after brain tumour diagnosis - BBC News", "Storm Filomena: Spain sees 'exceptional' snowfall - BBC News", "Happy Mondays star Bez in bid to rival Joe Wicks with lockdown fitness classes - BBC News", "Covid-19: Lockdown needs to be stricter, scientists warn - BBC News", "Covid: UK reports more than 80,000 deaths - BBC News", "Covid-19: 'Major incident' declared by London Mayor Sadiq Khan - BBC News", "Covid: Warnings 'blatantly ignored' as cars turned away - BBC News", "Covid: UK records new daily high of 1,610 deaths - BBC News", "BBC apologises for Phil Spector death headline - BBC News", "Storm Christoph: Flood warnings in parts of England - BBC News", "Sheku Bayoh death: Witness says stamping attack ‘never happened’ - BBC News", "Government narrowly sees off Tory revolt over anti-genocide trade deal law - BBC News", "'I'm stranded at Madrid Airport' - BBC News", "UK and US fail to do mini-trade deal as Trump exits - BBC News", "Covid: Woman given vaccination on 108th birthday - BBC News", "Covid: How is Europe lifting lockdown restrictions? - BBC News", "Covid court delays: Weeds, leaks, and four-year waits for justice - BBC News", "Japan: One dead as snowstorm causes 130-vehicle pile-up - BBC News", "Schools may reopen region by region, says medical adviser - BBC News", "Duchess of Sussex claims privacy and copyright breached by paper group - BBC News", "Past Covid-19 infection may provide 'months of immunity' - BBC News", "Only 1% of UK university professors are black - BBC News", "'Lack of investment' behind delayed court cases - BBC News", "Will the UK really refuse trade deals over human rights? - BBC News", "Johnson 'glad' to see Trump go, says ex-Civil Service head Lord Sedwill - BBC News", "Brithdir Nursing Home: Inquest into six residents' deaths opens - BBC News", "Covid: Health secretary Matt Hancock self-isolating after app alert - BBC News", "Coronavirus: Your tributes to those who have died - BBC News", "Coal mine go-ahead 'undermines climate summit' - BBC News", "Covid-19: 'Toughest week yet' of pandemic for NI hospitals - BBC News", "Covid: Tesco staff pay tribute to colleague John Deacy - BBC News", "Covid in Scotland: Schools to stay closed as lockdown extended - BBC News", "Covid-19: UK deaths hit new daily high and Scotland extends lockdown - BBC News", "Brexit: Government considers scrapping some EU labour laws - BBC News", "Verbier: British skier killed in avalanche in Swiss Alps - BBC News", "Brexit: Fishing firms hold London protest over disruption - BBC News", "Parents' stress and depression 'rise during lockdowns' - BBC News", "Alex Davies-Jones MP 'lost most of cervix after delaying smear' - BBC News", "Manchester Arena attack: Man tried to comfort Saffie-Rose Roussos - BBC News", "Covid in Scotland: Lockdown until 'at least' mid-February - BBC News", "Trump: 'Movement we started only just beginning' - BBC News", "Stolen 500-year-old painting found in Naples cupboard - BBC News", "Covid: Cash refusal 'creeping into UK economy' - BBC News", "Peaky Blinders film confirmed following final TV outing - BBC News", "Motor neurone disease: Edinburgh scientists reveal breakthrough - BBC News", "Conservative rebel MPs pressure government over genocide clause - BBC News", "Epiphany: Orthodox Christians across Russia brave icy dip - BBC News", "Conquering K2 in winter 'together' - BBC News", "Theresa May: PM's foreign aid cut damaged UK's moral leadership - BBC News", "London Ambulance Service: 'We take thousands of calls every day - it's tough' - BBC News", "Universal credit: MPs urge PM to keep £20 benefit 'lifeline' - BBC News", "BBC Radio 4 - File on 4, Locked Up in Lockdown", "New legislation protects Scottish shop staff from customer abuse - BBC News", "Australia v India: Rishabh Pant & Shubman Gill lead tourists to stunning series win - BBC Sport", "Covid in Scotland: Sturgeon to announce outcome of lockdown review - BBC News", "Covid: Positive antibody tests doubled since autumn - BBC News", "M1 deaths: Coroner calls for smart motorway review - BBC News", "Covid-19: Highest UK deaths as Scotland extends lockdown - BBC News", "Covid self-employment income support scheme unfair say mothers - BBC News", "Covid-19: No vaccine postcode lottery in NI, say doctors - BBC News", "Covid: Marylebone rail workers 'held lockdown baby shower' at closed station patisserie - BBC News", "Depop: 'I felt so violated when my account was hacked' - BBC News", "HSBC to close 82 branches this year - BBC News", "Storm Christoph: Amber alert for northern and central England - BBC News", "Boris Johnson condemns 'disgraceful scenes' in US - BBC News", "Covid-19: West Midlands Ambulance Service records busiest day - BBC News", "Eric Jerome Dickey: Best-selling US author dies at 59 - BBC News", "1.3 million in UK have had their Covid vaccine - BBC News", "Former banker Richard Sharp to be next BBC chairman - BBC News", "UK new car registrations in 2020 sink to 30-year low - BBC News", "Greggs faces first loss for 36 years as lockdown bites - BBC News", "US intelligence task force accuses Russia of cyber-hack - BBC News", "Capitol riot: Biden says BLM protest would have been treated 'very differently' - BBC News", "Georgia Senate: ‘I've never seen this energy before' - BBC News", "Covid in Scotland: Deaths up by 68 as 33,000 more people get vaccine - BBC News", "Covid: Doctors call for rapid rollout of vaccines - BBC News", "Islington street robbery: Man left partially blind after attack - BBC News", "Lockdown: Clap for Carers to return as Clap for Heroes - BBC News", "JoJo Siwa: YouTuber denounces 'gross' board game bearing her image - BBC News", "Teachers' grades to replace A-levels and GCSEs in England - BBC News", "Dr Dre: Rap legend in hospital after brain aneurysm - BBC News", "Reading stabbings: Killer's interest in Islamic jihad 'fleeting' - BBC News", "Covid: Seven mass vaccination hubs announced for England - BBC News", "Coronavirus: 'How long can we keep going like this? About a week' - BBC News", "BBC to put lessons on TV during lockdown - BBC News", "Breonna Taylor: Two Louisville officers fired over roles in shooting - BBC News", "Nursery staff 'torn between duty and fear' - BBC News", "Neil Young sells song rights in '$150m' deal - BBC News", "Trump bans Alipay and seven other Chinese apps - BBC News", "Covid variant 'spreading rapidly through Wales' - BBC News", "Senate debate suspended as protesters enter Capitol - BBC News", "Covid-19: Lockdown latest, exams update and car sales slump - BBC News", "Capitol riots: Moment protesters storm US legislature - BBC News", "Covid: WHO team investigating virus origins denied entry to China - BBC News", "Georgia election: Trump voter fraud claims and others fact-checked - BBC News", "Capitol riots: Pro-Trump protesters storm the US legislature - in pictures - BBC News", "Covid: Sir Keir Starmer calls for 'round the clock' vaccinations - BBC News", "Fake NHS vaccine messages sent in banking fraud scam - BBC News", "Inside one GP surgery's Covid vaccine roll-out - BBC News", "Albert Roux: Chef and culinary 'legend' dies aged 85 - BBC News", "Netflix raises UK prices to cover cost of content - BBC News", "Covid-19: UK daily coronavirus cases top 60,000 for first time - BBC News", "Covid-19: Welsh Government update - BBC News", "Shoppers told not to buy more than normal - BBC News", "Conjoined twins Marieme and Ndeye settling at Cardiff school - BBC News", "Covid: Wuhan scientist would 'welcome' visit probing lab leak theory - BBC News", "UK records coldest night of the winter so far - BBC News", "Colin Bell: Manchester City great dies aged 74 - BBC Sport", "Alaska: Trump opens wilderness up for oil drilling - BBC News", "Baby death motorist admits dangerous driving in Kirkcaldy - BBC News", "Tanya Roberts: Bond actress and Charlie's Angel dies at 65 - BBC News", "US Election 2020 - BBC News", "Julian Assange loses extradition bail bid - BBC News", "McDonald's pauses walk-in takeaways in lockdown - BBC News", "Cancelled GCSEs and A-levels in England must avoid 'shambles' - BBC News", "US Capitol riots: World leaders react to 'horrifying' scenes in Washington - BBC News", "TalkRadio: YouTube reverses decision to ban channel - BBC News", "'Deepfake porn images still give me nightmares' - BBC News", "Vocational exams allowed to go ahead in England - BBC News", "Coronavirus: Arrivals in UK could soon need negative test - BBC News", "Covid: New lockdowns for England and Scotland ahead of 'hardest weeks' - BBC News", "Analysis: Can lockdown stop the new coronavirus variant? - BBC News", "As it happened: MPs back England's new Covid lockdown - BBC News", "FTSE 100 chief executives 'earn average salary within 3 days' - BBC News", "Covid in Scotland: Medics concerned over 12-week gap between vaccine doses - BBC News", "Covid-19: Johnson warns England's lockdown won't end 'with a bang' - BBC News", "Covid: Hackney railway arch rave attended by '300 people' - BBC News", "Robert Rowland: Former Brexit MEP dies in Bahamas diving accident - BBC News", "Sturgeon: I did not mislead Scottish Parliament over Salmond - BBC News", "Asos frontrunner to buy Topshop, Topman and Miss Selfridge brands - BBC News", "Pike River: The 29 coal miners who never came home - BBC News", "Spanish flu: Anglesey search for New Zealand family of flu victim - BBC News", "Alexei Navalny: 'More than 3,000 detained' in protests across Russia - BBC News", "Firms planned record 800,000 redundancies last year - BBC News", "Boohoo 'set to buy Debenhams brand and website' - BBC News", "South Africa coronavirus variant: 77 cases found in UK - BBC News", "UK firms told 'set up in EU to avoid trade disruption' - BBC News", "Covid: 'More deadly' UK variant claim played down by scientists - BBC News", "Covid: Number of patients on ventilators passes 4,000 for first time - BBC News", "US police vehicle ploughs into crowd watching 'burnouts' - BBC News", "Covid: Israel vaccinates 16 to 18-year-olds ahead of exams - BBC News", "Smart motorways are dangerous, says Yorkshire police chief - BBC News", "Learning disability vaccine plea: 'Don't leave us to rot' - BBC News", "Covid: DVLA staff in Swansea 'scared to enter the workplace' - BBC News", "Covid vaccine: Betsi Cadwaladr boss warns against queue jumping - BBC News", "Vaccine volunteers: 'It's felt good to fight back against Covid' - BBC News", "Covid-19: New variant 'raises R number by up to 0.7' - BBC News", "Covid: Four vaccine centres shut amid snow alert for Wales - BBC News", "Border poll would be 'absolutely reckless', says Arlene Foster - BBC News", "Larry King: Veteran US talk show host dies aged 87 - BBC News", "SpaceX: World record number of satellites launched - BBC News", "Sri Lanka Minister who promoted 'Covid syrup' tests positive - BBC News", "PM talks to Biden in first call since inauguration - BBC News", "Keon Lincoln murder probe: Three more arrested - BBC News", "Andrew RT Davies returns as Welsh Conservatives leader - BBC News", "McGregor v Poirier 2: Irishman shocked in UFC rematch at Fight Island - BBC Sport", "As it happened: Hancock says 75% of over-80s get first Covid jab - BBC News", "Manchester United 3-2 Liverpool: Bruno Fernandes settles FA Cup thriller - BBC Sport", "In pictures: Tens of thousands gather for pro-Navalny protests - BBC News", "Covid in Scotland: Over-70 vaccine letters start but blue envelope delay - BBC News", "Cheltenham Town 1-3 Man City: Six-time winners avoid FA Cup shock - BBC Sport", "Covid: Birmingham student party guests 'travelled 200 miles' - BBC News", "Snow: Severe weather warnings in place across UK - BBC News", "Covid: Vaccinated people may spread virus, says Van-Tam - BBC News", "China mine rescue: The moment a miner is rescued - BBC News", "Jim Haynes: A man who invited the world over for dinner - BBC News", "Global health insurance card to replace EHIC under new rules - BBC News", "Irish 'laughing dad' goes viral - BBC News", "UK economy 'to get worse before it gets better' - BBC News", "Covid: UK at 'worst point' of pandemic, says Hancock - BBC News", "Anita Rani to join Emma Barnett on BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour - BBC News", "20-year-old Covid patient couldn't tell parents 'I love you' - BBC News", "Covid: Stick with the rules during lockdown, says Patel - BBC News", "Inside Newcastle's Covid mass vaccination centre - BBC News", "As it happened: New tech unveiled at CES 2021 - BBC News", "John Lewis suspends click and collect due to virus safety - BBC News", "Reading stabbings: Father demands answers on Saadallah freedom - BBC News", "Royal Mail names areas hit by Covid postal delays - BBC News", "Reading stabbings: Khairi Saadallah jailed for park murders - BBC News", "Vogue editor defends cover photo of US Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris - BBC News", "Edinburgh Woollen Mill rescue deal to save 2,000 jobs - BBC News", "Capitol riots: Hundreds will be charged over violence - FBI - BBC News", "Covid in Scotland: Lockdown lifting 'unlikely' as deaths pass 5,000 - BBC News", "Sir David Attenborough receives Covid-19 vaccine - BBC News", "Covid-19: UAE dropped from UK travel corridor list - BBC News", "Earl of Strathmore admits sex attack at Glamis Castle home - BBC News", "Covid rules: What are the restrictions in your area? - BBC News", "Covid: 'Loads of people without masks' in supermarkets - BBC News", "Covid-19: London's Nightingale hospital taking patients - BBC News", "Covid: Around half of intensive care patients in Wales are dying - BBC News", "Four arrested over 'public nuisance' at Redditch and Birmingham hospitals - BBC News", "Covid: Birmingham hospitals move 200 doctors to intensive care duties - BBC News", "Coronavirus: Boris Johnson criticised over bike ride seven miles from home - BBC News", "Retail sales in 2020 'worst for 25 years' - BBC News", "Covid: 2020 saw most excess deaths since World War Two - BBC News", "Eugene Goodman hailed for guiding Mitt Romney to safety - BBC News", "Naomi Campbell's Kenya tourism role causes row - BBC News", "Covid-19: Rule-breakers, eyesight warning and retail gloom - BBC News", "Covid-19: Rule-breakers 'increasingly likely' to be fined - Cressida Dick - BBC News", "Brexit: UK driver has ham sandwiches confiscated at Dutch border - BBC News", "Covid in Scotland: NHS staff shortages 'major problem' - BBC News", "In pictures: Aurora Borealis lights up sky above Scotland - BBC News", "Covid: Gwynedd care home 'frightened' over vaccine delay - BBC News", "Covid: Johnson's bike ride 'didn't break rules' - BBC News", "Covid-19: Alabama crowds ignore coronavirus to celebrate championship - BBC News", "Covid in Scotland: Families remember loved ones lost to coronavirus - BBC News", "Covid rules: What could be done to tighten lockdown in England? - BBC News", "Cramlington woman celebrates 100th birthday with covid jab - BBC News", "People's sonic boom surprise caught on camera - BBC News", "Covid vaccine: Pfizer v Oxford AstraZeneca v Moderna - BBC News", "Covid: Women fined for going for a walk receive police apology - BBC News", "Covid-19 deaths pass 5,000 mark in Wales - BBC News", "Covid: Eyesight risk warning from lockdown screen time - BBC News", "Covid: Play your part in fight against virus, says Patel - BBC News", "Bill Belichick: NFL coach turns down Presidential Medal of Freedom - BBC News", "Mohamud Mohammed Hassan: Hundreds march over arrested man's death - BBC News", "Europe's slow start: How many people have had the Covid vaccine? - BBC News", "Cuba placed back on US terrorism sponsor list - BBC News", "Covid-19: Williamson promises 300,000 extra laptops - BBC News", "Tesco, Asda and Waitrose ban shoppers without face masks - BBC News", "Croydon University Hospital doctor: Covid 'not fake news' - BBC News", "Covid: Morrisons and Sainsbury's ban maskless shoppers - BBC News", "Parler social network sues Amazon for pulling support - BBC News", "Covid: What next for restrictions as hospital cases rise? - BBC News", "Sonic boom heard over East of England as RAF intercepts civilian plane - BBC News", "Leicester City 2-0 Southampton: James Maddison and Harvey Barnes send Foxes second - BBC Sport", "Coronavirus vaccine: India begins world's biggest drive - BBC News", "Covid-19: Rise in suspected child abuse cases after lockdown - BBC News", "UK weather: Snow and ice warnings for England and Scotland - BBC News", "Archie Lyndhurst: CBBC star died in his sleep, says mother - BBC News", "Brexit: Irish hauliers 'bypassing Welsh ports', say bosses - BBC News", "SLS: Nasa's 'megarocket' engine test ends early - BBC News", "Storm Christoph: Homes evacuated as storm batters Wales - BBC News", "Covid in Scotland: How a pilot ended up producing PPE - BBC News", "Joanna Lumley 'shocked' at claims disabled workers unpaid - BBC News", "Toby Young: Telegraph coronavirus column 'significantly misleading' - BBC News", "Halam stabbing: Surgeon Graeme Perks 'fighting for his life' - BBC News", "Boris Johnson says girls' education key to ending poverty - BBC News", "Coronavirus doctor's diary: Karen caught Covid - and took it home - BBC News", "Covid-19: Protect us from unlawful killing charges - medics - BBC News", "Scottish fishermen 'sailing to Denmark to land catch' - BBC News", "RAF veteran receives Covid jab at Salisbury Cathedral - BBC News", "UK weather: Disruption fears lift as snow moves on from UK - BBC News", "Covid: UK to close all travel corridors from Monday - BBC News", "Covid-19: France begins 6pm curfew - BBC News", "Covid-19: Nisra records highest ever weekly deaths - BBC News", "Covid: UK staycation boom predicted once lockdown lifts - BBC News", "Covid-19: BBC's Fergal Keane revisits St Mary’s and Charing Cross Hospital 10 months on - BBC News", "Covid-19: Travel industry 'crisis' and was there Christmas virus spike? - BBC News", "As it happened: Coronavirus: 37, 475 patients in UK hospitals - BBC News", "Sri Lanka v England: Lahiru Thirimanne leads hosts' fightback in Galle - BBC Sport", "Gerry Marsden: Funeral held for Pacemakers star - BBC News", "Home Office 'working to restore' lost police records - BBC News", "Armin Laschet elected leader of Merkel's CDU party - BBC News", "Covid: UK variant could drive 'rapid growth' in US cases, CDC warns - BBC News", "Covid-19: A-level and GCSE results planned for early July - BBC News", "Covid: 'Convalescent plasma no benefit to hospital patients' - BBC News", "Coronavirus: William and Kate hear from emergency workers - BBC News", "Police probes compromised after computer records deleted - BBC News", "Part of rail bridge collapses near fatal Stonehaven derailment site - BBC News", "Capitol riots: Police describe a 'medieval battle' - BBC News", "Covid: Man charged after woman, 92, given fake vaccine - BBC News", "Nóra Quoirin: 'Compelling evidence' of abduction - BBC News", "Mount Semeru: Erupting volcano spews ash above Indonesia's Java island - BBC News", "Covid-19: Further 1,295 deaths recorded in the UK - BBC News", "Covid: UK records new daily high of 1,610 deaths - BBC News", "Madrid explosion leaves three dead - BBC News", "Storm Christoph: Flood warnings in parts of England - BBC News", "Covid: UK records highest daily virus deaths - BBC News", "£80m for treatment services in drug crackdown - BBC News", "Biden inauguration: Step forward after bumpy period - Boris Johnson - BBC News", "Covid: Woman given vaccination on 108th birthday - BBC News", "PMQs: As it happened 20 January - BBC News", "Duchess of Sussex claims privacy and copyright breached by paper group - BBC News", "Low-deposit mortgages return after Covid slump - BBC News", "Donald Trump insists he has 'complete power' to pardon - BBC News", "Doris Hobday: Identical twin among UK's oldest dies with Covid - BBC News", "US election: Bannon Twitter account banned amid clampdown - BBC News", "Musicians 'failed by government' over EU touring, stars say - BBC News", "Biden Inauguration: What will Joe Biden do first? - BBC News", "Coronavirus: Your tributes to those who have died - BBC News", "The 65 days that led to chaos at the Capitol - BBC News", "Covid in Scotland: Schools to stay closed as lockdown extended - BBC News", "Biden inauguration: How the White House gets ready for a new president - BBC News", "Brexit: Government considers scrapping some EU labour laws - BBC News", "Biden's inauguration speech calls for unity - it won't be easy - BBC News", "Saga cruises says all customers must be vaccinated - BBC News", "Police records: Boris Johnson 'doesn't know' impact of deleted files - BBC News", "Joe Biden inauguration: 46th US president takes oath of office - BBC News", "Amanda Gorman: Inauguration poet calls for 'unity and togetherness' - BBC News", "Kamala Harris becomes first female, first black and first Asian-American VP - BBC News", "Covid smear-test delays prompt calls for home HPV tests - BBC News", "£23m support fund for struggling fishing firms - BBC News", "Lockdown: Police officers fined £200 for cafe meeting - BBC News", "Fulham 1-2 Man Utd: Paul Pogba fires United back to the top of the Premier League - BBC Sport", "Full transcript of Joe Biden's inauguration speech - BBC News", "Covid: Llangollen 'Pimm's and Hymns' reaches Brazil - BBC News", "Covid: 'No furlough because they shut the company' - BBC News", "Epiphany: Orthodox Christians across Russia brave icy dip - BBC News", "Scrapping £20 benefit could see Tories called 'nasty party' - Casey - BBC News", "Kamala Harris and a 1986 snapshot of that Howard generation - BBC News", "Storm Christoph: More than 2,000 homes in Manchester evacuated - BBC News", "NHS Tavistock child gender clinic rated 'inadequate' - BBC News", "Covid: UK reports 1,820 deaths as Johnson warns tough weeks to come - BBC News", "Theresa May: PM's foreign aid cut damaged UK's moral leadership - BBC News", "Biden cabinet: Does this diverse team better reflect America? - BBC News", "Joy Morgan: Murdered student 'may have been given drugs without knowing' - BBC News", "Steve Bannon: The Trump-whisperer's rapid fall from grace - BBC News", "New legislation protects Scottish shop staff from customer abuse - BBC News", "Trump presidency: A flashback through four turbulent years - BBC News", "Covid-19: Military to assist NI medical staff - BBC News", "BBC faces 'financial risk' over licence fee income, watchdog says - BBC News", "US historians on what Donald Trump's legacy will be - BBC News", "Rollout of daily testing of close contacts paused in English schools - BBC News", "Monklands ICU staff are 'physically and emotionally' drained - BBC News", "As it happened: Inauguration: Biden signs orders ending key Trump policies - BBC News", "Author Terry Pratchett's 'inspiring' house for sale - BBC News", "Supermarket delivery driver rescued from Westgate ford - BBC News", "Joe Biden: 'Middle Class Joe' vows to 'finish the job' - BBC News", "Covid-19: No vaccine postcode lottery in NI, say doctors - BBC News", "Meghan letter: Royal aides 'won't take sides', High Court told - BBC News", "Biden inauguration: Americans' hopes and fears for next president - BBC News", "Melania’s jacket and nine other defining images of Trump's presidency - BBC News", "Emotional Biden bids farewell to Delaware - BBC News", "President Joe Biden inauguration speech: 'Democracy has prevailed' - BBC News", "Storm Christoph: Evacuations and flood warnings in England - BBC News", "Biden inauguration in pictures - BBC News", "Natural wonder: Wing 'clap' solves mystery of butterfly flight - BBC News", "Burnley 1-1 Fulham: Clarets hit back to frustrate Cottagers - BBC Sport", "Coronavirus: BMJ urges NYT to correct vaccine 'mixing' article - BBC News", "New Forest crash: Four ponies killed - BBC News", "Covid: Illegal New Year party at Essex church broken up - BBC News", "Paris St-Germain: Mauricio Pochettino replaces Thomas Tuchel as head coach - BBC Sport", "Covid in Wales: Beauty spots 'busy' despite lockdown rules - BBC News", "Covid-19: Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine arrives at hospitals - BBC News", "Tokyo 2020: Olympics and Paralympics will go ahead, says Japan's PM amid rising infections - BBC Sport", "Covid: 'Nail-biting' weeks ahead for NHS, hospitals in England warn - BBC News", "Comedian John Bishop joins Doctor Who cast - BBC News", "West Brom 0-4 Arsenal: Arsenal see off Baggies in ruthless display - BBC Sport", "Manchester United 2-1 Aston Villa: Bruno Fernandes penalty puts Red Devils joint top - BBC Sport", "Covid-19: London's NHS Nightingale 'ready to admit patients' - BBC News", "Covid: Metal detecting 'an escape from pandemic stress' - BBC News", "EuroMillions: Jackpot of more than £39m won by UK ticket-holder - BBC News", "Lisa Montgomery: Only woman on US federal death row to face execution - BBC News", "US election: Legal bid to get Pence to overturn results rejected - BBC News", "Covid: All London primary schools to stay closed - BBC News", "First Minneapolis police death since George Floyd captured on bodycam - BBC News", "France: More than 2,500 break virus restrictions at illegal rave - BBC News", "Thousands raised for East Horndon church 'trashed' by revellers - BBC News", "Covid-19: New variant 'raises R number by up to 0.7' - BBC News", "Covid and dementia: Rhondda woman, 51, feels 'lost' during lockdown - BBC News", "Covid-19: Anti-lockdown protesters arrested at Hyde Park demo - BBC News", "Norway landslide: Body found as rescuers search Gjerdrum landslide - BBC News", "Hospitals across UK 'must prepare for Covid surge', senior doctor warns - BBC News", "Tottenham: Jose Mourinho 'disappointed' after three players attend party - BBC Sport", "Irish Eurovision singer and Bagatelle frontman Liam Reilly dies - BBC News", "Bitcoin tops $34,000 as record rally continues - BBC News", "Suspected Islamists kill dozens in attacks on two Niger villages - BBC News", "US Election 2020 - BBC News"], "published_date": ["2021-01-21", "2021-01-21", "2021-01-21", 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deposit.", "People who attend house parties of more than 15 people will be fined, the home secretary says.", "Medics at Glasgow's QEUH are seeing the effects of people delaying healthcare during lockdown.", "The storm brought heavy rain, flooding and snow to parts of England and Wales.", "Tuition fees in England are being frozen for another year and ministers outline plans to reform post-16 education.", "Latest updates from North West England at Storm Christoph brings snow, rain, evacuations and disruption.", "Doctors say people should buy a pulse oximeter to monitor their oxygen levels at home.", "The imam, Sheikh Nuru Mohammed, hopes the centre will dispel false information about the vaccination.", "Thousands of the capital's taxi drivers have already signed up to the planned group legal action.", "Major incidents were declared in north and south Wales as Storm Christoph causes flooding.", "An amber alert has passed but yellow warnings for snow and rain remain in place across Scotland.", "Some 3,500 people sign an open letter, published in three newspapers.", "The Worthy Farm event has been scrapped for a second year running due to the global pandemic.", "Use our search tool to find out about coronavirus rules and restrictions where you live.", "'This is our historic moment of crisis and challenge' - the new president knows how daunting his task is.", "Holidaymakers in 2021 must be fully vaccinated against Covid-19, the travel firm says.", "The 22-year-old from LA is the youngest poet to perform at a presidential inauguration.", "Kamala Harris makes history as she is sworn in as US vice-president.", "Researchers warn that unless something changes, hospitals will continue facing significant pressure.", "With Stormont ministers extending the current lockdown, could other measures could be on the table?", "Investigations are ongoing into what caused the road surface to give way, United Utilities say.", "Fines of £800 will be handed to anyone attending a house party of more than 15 people from next week.", "Shoppers buying items from Europe now have to pay customs or VAT charges on those above a certain value.", "Heavy rain is causing flooding and travel disruption, with a warning for ice also forecast.", "Paul Pogba scores a superb winner as Manchester United reclaim top spot in the Premier League by coming from behind for a club-record equalling away win at Fulham.", "'This is our historic moment of crisis and challenge'. Read the 46th president's address in full.", "Boris Johnson says England's measures will be reviewed once the priority groups have had the vaccine.", "Paddy McElhone, 24, was shot in the back by a soldier near his home outside Pomeroy in August 1974.", "There is a \"widening financial gap\" between households because of the pandemic, says the ONS.", "The new president warned it could take months to turn things around.", "Northern Ireland’s coronavirus lockdown restrictions will be extended until 5 March.", "A survey is launched by the children's commissioner for Wales to help assess the impact on them.", "A consortium including the fashion chain will no longer bid to buy Topshop and Topman out of administration.", "Liverpool's 68-game unbeaten home run in the Premier League comes to an end as Ashley Barnes fires home a late winner from the penalty spot to secure a famous victory for Burnley.", "They are all laughing at the camera, but what are the stories of the women next to Kamala Harris?", "More than 2,000 properties in Manchester are affected as police warn some occupants will have Covid.", "Around 200 vaccines are being given every minute, the health secretary tells the Commons.", "A further 1,820 people die in the UK within 28 days of a positive test - another all-time high.", "With the world watching, who created fashion moments on inauguration day?", "The health minister asks the Ministry of Defence to help out, primarily at a number of hospitals.", "An immobile woman says she was told if she could not get to her GP surgery she would have to wait.", "Muller Milk & Ingredients in Somerset confirms 47 dairy workers have tested positive for Covid-19.", "President Biden inked 15 executive orders, moving to rejoin the Paris climate accord.", "His most famous Discworld novels were written in the house in Somerset, the estate agent says.", "Unison clarifies position on military personnel helping at hospitals after drawing criticism.", "Satellite imagery is being used to count elephants in a breakthrough that could aid conservation.", "The Duchess of Sussex is suing the Mail on Sunday over the publication of a letter to her father.", "The curbs may even continue until Easter in an attempt to drive down Covid-19 case numbers.", "Many coronavirus-related prosecutions involved police officers being coughed and spat on by suspects.", "Unilever says that by 2030 suppliers must pay staff enough to cover a family's basic needs.", "Joe Biden makes his inaugural address as the 46th president of the United States.", "Abimbola Ajoke Bamgbose had been fed up with people asking if she was pregnant, an inquest hears.", "Images from Joe Biden's swearing-in and first day as the 46th US President.", "Wales has made a \"very good start\" on delivering jabs, a former chief medical officer says.", "Chloé Lopes Gomes says she has faced humiliating racial harassment while being a ballet dancer in Berlin.", "The pandemic has seen children slipping back in learning and social skills, Ofsted inspectors warn.", "The medical journal's editor says UK guidelines don't recommend giving different coronavirus jabs.", "Lockdown losses mean renewing the 10-year contract to lease Yang Guang and Tian Tian may be unaffordable.", "Police help dozens of motorists who became stranded after heavy snow fell in the Peak District.", "Council leaders say it is \"self-evident\" the tiers system is not containing the new strain of Covid.", "The first doses of the latest coronavirus vaccination to be approved are due to be given on Monday.", "Parliament will be recalled for Nicola Sturgeon to make an \"urgent statement\" as case numbers rise by 2,464.", "A farmer's field in Scotland has been transformed into a \"pop-up\" ice hockey rink.", "Schools in Wales given a flexible approach to ensure a \"safe return\", despite concerns by unions.", "Dan Eliasson, head of the civil contingencies agency, flew to the Canary Islands to see his daughter.", "The frontman, who found success with songs such as Summer in Dublin, \"passed away suddenly\" aged 65.", "Tributes have been paid to trainer Zoe Davison, who died from cancer on the same day two of her horses claimed wins at Plumpton.", "Arsenal continue their Premier League resurgence with a ruthless victory over strugglers West Brom at The Hawthorns.", "The first minister warns Scotland could be entering the most dangerous period since the outbreak began.", "It aims to inoculate some 300m people this year in one of the world's largest vaccination campaigns.", "Four boys and a girl are held on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder after the Reading attack.", "Just one ticket matched all seven numbers in the New Year's Day draw.", "Use our search tool to find out about coronavirus rules and restrictions where you live.", "Wales' first minister doesn't \"see much headroom for change\" ahead of a review of lockdown measures.", "Twelve people are caught playing the game in darkened backroom at an eatery in east London.", "Boris Johnson says the gap between referendums on Europe - 41 years - is \"a good sort of gap\" for independence referendums.", "The Gerry and the Pacemakers singer's number one hit became a football terrace anthem.", "Driving conditions on many roads will become \"hazardous\" next week, the Met Office warns.", "A study finds the new coronavirus variant is responsible for pushing the R rate above the crucial 1.0 mark.", "The government said soldiers had been sent to protect the area, close to Niger's border with Mali.", "After the PM hints at tighter measures in England, our science editor looks at what they could entail.", "Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola says he may stay in management much longer than he anticipated.", "Up to 300 people gather in London's Hyde Park to protest at Covid-19 restrictions.", "Manchester City say they are disappointed after defender Benjamin Mendy breaches Covid-19 rules by hosting a New Year's Eve party.", "Mexican-American Ryan Garcia gets up from the canvas to stop Britain's Luke Campbell with a body shot in Dallas, Texas.", "About 30,000 birds are to be culled at the farm near Clough in north Antrim.", "The latest government figures show a further 2,137 cases of Covid-19 were confirmed in Scotland on Friday.", "It comes as a further 57,725 people test positive for the virus, a new daily high.", "Boris Johnson says more areas may need tougher rules, as Labour urges England-wide curbs within 24 hours.", "Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer describes her as a \"dear friend and colleague\", and wishes her well.", "Boris Johnson says regional restrictions in England are \"probably about to get tougher\".", "All the latest news and results for the US Election 2020 from the BBC.", "The decision to keep car parks open is under \"constant review\", says one national park.", "Leicester City edge a keenly contested Premier League encounter with Southampton to maintain their push for a top-four place.", "Calls are made for \"front-line\" nursery staff to be supported with funding and vaccines.", "CBBC star's mother, Lucy Lyndhurst, says his death has had a \"catastrophic effect\" on their family.", "A critical engine test for Nasa's new \"megarocket\" - the Space Launch System (SLS) - ends early.", "Health groups say NHS staff fear prosecution over decisions if hospitals are overwhelmed.", "Spector, who was jailed for killing actress Lana Clarkson, transformed pop music with his \"wall of sound\".", "He told police he drove to Devizes for a McDonald's even though the town does not have a branch.", "Louis Godwin, 95, said he was \"so pleased\" to get his Covid-19 vaccination at Salisbury Cathedral.", "Prime Minister Jean Castex said the measures would be in place for at least 15 days.", "Leaders Manchester United are thwarted by the second-half heroics of keeper Alisson in a goalless draw with title rivals Liverpool at Anfield.", "The \"fiercely competitive\" but \"kind, thoughtful and caring\" news executive has died aged 73.", "Doctors say the \"patchy supply\" of vaccine to GPs is slowing down efforts to deliver it to patients.", "Northern Health Trust chief says system is under \"huge pressure\" with patients waiting for beds.", "Sir Richard Branson's rocket company succeeds in putting its first satellites in space.", "Statistics agency Nisra says 145 deaths were registered last week, bringing its pandemic total to 1,976.", "Mother Sara Powell-Davies welcomes its return, but nurseries say they fear for the future.", "Women are sent sexually explicit messages and requests for \"worn\" garments.", "As the UK records its highest death toll, Fergal Keane has been to see the strain the NHS is under for the second time.", "Fighting erupted after a man was stabbed in a row between two men from different ethnic groups.", "Former climbing champion Lai Chi-Wai raised HK$5.2 million for spinal cord patients.", "The government is aiming to provide grants by April to mitigate the impact of Covid travel rules.", "Patient numbers have risen by 15,000 since Christmas, but infections are stabilising, says Sir Simon Stevens.", "Pupils in England can read works by popular authors online while schools stay closed in lockdown.", "The Gerry and the Pacemakers singer died from a blood infection at the age of 78.", "More than half of the Church of England's 14,000 parishes will not open for Sunday services later.", "England need 36 runs on the final day to win the first Test against Sri Lanka despite losing three wickets in a chaotic final session in Galle.", "A decision on whether to extend £20 Universal Credit rise is unlikely before March's Budget, minister says.", "The leaders of the US, France, Germany and other leading economies will meet in Cornwall in June.", "The government is planning new laws to stop England's monuments being removed \"on a whim\" by protesters.", "Hundreds of thousands of DNA and arrest records were deleted after a human error, the Home Office says.", "A group of London firms has written to ministers calling for financial support for the rail firm.", "With traffic down and more people working from home, what is the future for these lay-by businesses?", "Prince William says he \"really worries\" about the effect of the pandemic on front-line workers.", "Drivers from Scotland and Portsmouth caught breaking lockdown rules in north Wales.", "Five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Sunday.", "But Sir Simon Stevens says the health service has never been in a more precarious situation.", "Mount Semeru has erupted, pouring volcanic matter miles into the air and placing locals on alert.", "Pressure grows on PM after non-binding motion on universal credit top-up is passed by 278 votes.", "The latest death and case figures should be a \"bitter warning for us all\", Public Health England says.", "The Most Reverend Philip Tartaglia tested positive for the virus shortly after Christmas but the cause of his death is not clear.", "The man told police he had travelled 14 miles from his home to search for the fictional characters.", "Hashem Abedi and Ahmed Hassan are accused of assaulting an officer in HMP Belmarsh in May.", "Scotland's health secretary says 400,000 jabs could be administered every week by the end of February.", "Lidl, Just Eat and Asos say demand for fizz, takeaways and clothes all rose during December.", "As the UK records its highest death toll, Fergal Keane has been to see the strain the NHS is under for the second time.", "Black people are more than four times more likely to be detained under the Mental Health Act in England.", "Amnesty International says the issue of forced adoptions also needs close scrutiny.", "Details and reaction to a briefing by Wales' chief medical officer and NHS Wales chief executive.", "Carol and David Richards had been fined £60 for driving 20 minutes to see her mother.", "Tony Parsons from Tillicoultry vanished more than three years ago during a charity cycle ride.", "The prime minister wants round-the-clock vaccination but adds supply is currently the limiting factor.", "Nicola Sturgeon announces the areas where restrictions will be tightened in Scotland from Saturday.", "The famous Lauberhorn ski event is cancelled after a spike in Covid-19 cases linked to one tourist.", "Staff at one of London's busiest hospitals say it's not going to take much for services to soon break.", "The health secretary urges people to follow rules, saying \"individual decisions\" make a difference.", "Rival supermarkets defend their pay, with Asda saying looking at hourly rates does not tell the whole story.", "Some restrictions have been tightened amid concerns the \"stay at home\" message has not had the same impact.", "Investors have agreed a deal to save the chain, along with Ponden Home and Bonmarché.", "Amid reports of mass furlough fraud the BBC hears from one worker who quit work but still gets furlough pay.", "First Minister Nicola Sturgeon says because of the \"precarious\" situation in relation to the pandemic more restrictions will be brought in.", "A report from a group of Tory MPs adds to internal pressure on the government to harden its stance.", "Together with his twin brother, Sir David built a business empire spanning hotels, retail and newspapers.", "Scotland's first minister says the current restrictions are \"very unlikely\" to be lifted at the end of the month.", "The company denies selling technology that can identify the ethnic group and plans to reword the patent.", "Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer challenged Boris Johnson over the provision of \"disgraceful\" food parcels.", "The Earl of Strathmore attacked a woman in her room during an event he was hosting at Glamis Castle.", "Use our search tool to find out about coronavirus rules and restrictions where you live.", "Latest results show Sinovac's Covid-19 vaccine is less effective in Brazil than previously suggested.", "The health minister says it is a \"strong start\" but there is more to do.", "One operator told the BBC his staff were working up to 16 hours a day to help traders.", "Earlier this month videos showing supposed empty hospitals were shared on social media.", "A leaked memo warns several Birmingham hospitals risk being \"overwhelmed\" by coronavirus patients.", "The increase is to further discourage shoppers from buying single-use plastic bags.", "Tweeters query why it has not been given to a prominent Kenyan like actress Lupita Nyong'o.", "A Met Office yellow weather warning for ice is in place after heavy snow caused road closures and travel disruption.", "A negative test had been due to be required from Friday, but ministers said people needed time to prepare.", "Sir David will showcase an augmented reality app as part of a drive to prove the uses of 5G.", "Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said this would help teachers to decide \"deserved grades\".", "But Boris Johnson does not rule out tougher restrictions in England, saying they are kept under review.", "Fans of the University of Alabama football team gathered in the streets of Tuscaloosa, ignoring social distancing.", "Five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Wednesday morning.", "These are the lawmakers with a big influence on the impeachment process against the former president.", "The last of 14 works identified as looted from Jewish collectors is returned to the owner's heirs.", "Isabella Curry said she now feels safe and will be able to go out and meet friends soon.", "An RAF aircraft breaking the sound barrier causes a loud bang in skies across the East of England.", "Pawel Relowicz committed \"sexually motivated\" burglaries before Libby Squire's death, jurors hear.", "Doctors believed 11-month-old Sofia-Grace Hill was rejecting food because she had tonsillitis.", "It comes as Boris Johnson is quizzed by MPs on the government's coronavirus response.", "Three vaccines have been approved in the UK - what are the differences between them?", "Parents of disabled children are calling for teachers in special schools to receive the Covid-19 vaccine.", "Ivan Cavaleiro's late header earns Premier League strugglers Fulham a hard-fought draw against Tottenham in their hastily rearranged London derby.", "Doctors leaders' want staff to be given the type of high-quality masks usually only worn in intensive care.", "The home secretary says she will back police to enforce virus rules, as another 1,243 die in the UK.", "The Google-owned service said the president had broken its rules over the incitement of violence.", "The prime minister warns there is a \"very substantial\" risk of intensive care being \"overtopped\".", "Mohamud Mohammed Hassan was arrested at home on Friday but released without charge on Saturday.", "The Democrats say they sheltered in a safe room alongside others who refused to wear masks.", "It follows similar moves by Morrisons and Sainsbury's, but those with medical reasons will be exempt.", "Ten members of his own party voted against the president over his role in the deadly riots at the US Capitol.", "Police in Atlanta want to question YFN Lucci, 29, over a fatal shooting in the city last month.", "More than 700 intensive care staff at nine hospitals were asked about their experiences for a study.", "Her novel Heart for a Compass is a fictional historical saga inspired by her great-great-aunt.", "There's speculation over who was involved in the protests and whether they belong to organised groups.", "Production was to begin later this month but filming and transmission will now be later than hoped.", "The PM leads UK politicians from all parties condemning the riot at the US Capitol building.", "The firm says tighter Covid restrictions and falling passenger numbers have prompted the decision.", "Allowing pupils without laptops into schools could limit the impact of the closures, say head.", "The president will be banned \"permanently\" if he breaks the platform's rules again.", "An Alaska state agency emerged as the main bidder at the sale, which was opposed by environmentalists.", "Two boys and a girl, all aged 13 or 14, are charged with murder after the death of Olly Stephens, 13.", "Joe Biden says it is \"totally unacceptable\" police showed more leniency in the Capitol riot than at anti-racism protests.", "Nguyen Huy Hung was one of 39 people who died in a container en route from Belgium to Essex.", "Boris Johnson has \"no doubt\" there is enough supply to vaccinate the first four priority groups by 15 February.", "Gavin Williamson will \"trust in teachers rather than algorithms\" in awarding this year's results.", "The broadcaster will be a part-time replacement for the new Woman's Hour host.", "The sites, including football stadiums and racecourses, will begin operations next week.", "Events in Washington spark dismay and criticism of America's politics and leader.", "Staff at one of London's busiest hospitals say it's not going to take much for services to soon break.", "The police officer who the FBI said fired the fatal shot is dismissed for breaching policy.", "Her family said the British model, who died in December aged 50, had been \"unwell for some time\".", "More than 113,000 Scots have now been given their first dose of a vaccine against Covid-19.", "The drugs, which save an extra life for every 12 intensive care patients treated, can be used immediately, say experts.", "The president is accused of inciting a riot with his divisive rhetoric - he's unlikely to stay silent.", "Health officials say it was the only option due to the demand for beds as a result of Covid-19.", "A ceremony meant to showcase a peaceful power transfer turns into a dark day. Here are the key moments.", "Breakdown of what happened when Trump supporters stormed the Capitol amid a key Senate vote.", "The weekly applause is back - but its founder distances herself from the initiative.", "News photographers captured extraordinary scenes as Trump supporters stormed the building.", "The US Capitol has gone into lockdown amid violent clashes between police and Trump supporters, who broke security lines and are inside the building.", "The UK prime minister also says the US president is \"completely wrong\" over his election fraud claims.", "The airline warns few, if any, flights will operate to or from Ireland or the UK from the end of January.", "Travellers from Namibia, Zimbabwe, Angola, Botswana and Mauritius will be barred from entry.", "US lawmakers and staff are seen wearing protective gas masks as police draw guns on protesters.", "Dave Edwards lit up his home for 42 years but died before the recent festive season.", "At Fullwell Cross Medical Centre in north London, they are now vaccinating almost 1,000 people a week.", "George is recovering after spending three nights in hospital with coronavirus.", "How Trump's favourite social media site banned him - permanently.", "On Wednesday the UK recorded more than 1,000 daily Covid deaths and hospitals are struggling to cope.", "The Tesla and SpaceX owner replaces Jeff Bezos as the richest man on the planet.", "The home secretary says the US president fuelled the violence, as the PM condemns the \"disgraceful scenes\".", "Two boys and a girl are accused of murdering 13-year-old Olly Stephens in Reading.", "All the latest news and results for the US Election 2020 from the BBC.", "Drive-through and delivery services will still be available while it reviews its safety procedures.", "Leaders from around the world call for peace and a peaceful transfer of power in Washington.", "Worried childcare staff call on ministers to prove it's safe for them to open in England.", "Matthew Mason beat 15-year-old Alex Rodda to death to stop their sexual relationship being revealed.", "Boris Johnson says the armed forces will use \"battle preparation techniques\" to help vaccinate millions.", "Sarah Bingham's son and daughter have the same rare illness and she is a donor match for both.", "Industry body calls for the early vaccination of workers to keep supply chains running smoothly.", "Lorry drivers will need a negative result to cross into France until further notice, the government says.", "Aston Villa are preparing to field a team of youngsters in Friday's FA Cup third-round tie at home to Liverpool.", "GPs in England receive doses of the Oxford Covid jab as medics warn of \"stretched\" wards.", "Families had smaller gatherings, but sales still rose 9.3% in the Christmas trading period, it says.", "There are concerns the new variant may spread too easily to be controlled by lockdown.", "Residents of Shijiazhuang are banned from leaving and will be tested en masse after an outbreak there.", "The Wanted member shares some good news with his fans, three months on from his cancer diagnosis.", "The new lockdown has pushed pubs and restaurants into yet more debt, some of which may never be repaid.", "Jamie Stiehm was in the House of Representatives press gallery when protesters smashed at the door.", "The online retailer wants to buy the brands, not their shops, suggesting any deal would cost jobs.", "The fast fashion retailer is not purchasing the stores or taking on its staff, the BBC understands.", "The head of France's scientific council suggests a third lockdown is needed amid spread of variants.", "Ella Lambert says the period pain she experiences inspired her to help others.", "Israel has vaccinated more than a quarter of its population and now high school students are eligible.", "Ministers have said schools would stay closed until half term unless Covid cases fall significantly.", "Janice Johnston had 18 months of needless chemotherapy, causing her numerous physical problems.", "Underground investigations are due to begin on Saturday after flooding linked to old mine shaft.", "Entrepreneur Elon Musk's SpaceX company delivers 143 satellites to orbit on a single rocket flight.", "England complete a thrilling victory on day four of the second Test against Sri Lanka to take the series 2-0.", "A former Boeing manager says more investigations are needed on the plane, grounded after two crashes.", "Nearly 38,000 people are in hospital in the UK with coronavirus, the health secretary says.", "The highest-risk job roles were in restaurants, care work and manufacturing.", "From credit card fraud to benefit fraud, the problem costs the UK up to £190bn a year, a report says.", "Motorists are urged to take care with sub-zero temperatures forecast into Monday.", "Five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Monday morning.", "The crackdown on Alexei Navalny and his supporters fuels calls in the EU for tougher sanctions.", "The health secretary says it is \"difficult\" to put a timeline on when England's lockdown will be lifted.", "Tributes are paid to Robert Rowland following the accident near his home in the Bahamas.", "Budweiser will not advertise during the Super Bowl for the first time in 37 years.", "Boris Johnson says he understands parents' frustrations but the infection rate is \"still very high\".", "Ministers are due to meet on Monday to consider whether to tighten the UK's border restrictions further.", "Footage shows a police car apparently driving through a group at a street race in Washington state.", "The changes affecting some customers take effect as finances are squeezed by Covid and Christmas.", "A geologist says tens of thousands of old mine shafts must be monitored to help stop more flooding.", "An interior decor trend is blamed for the removal of the grass, which forms part of a wind defence.", "Geoff and Jenny Holland married in August after having to twice postpone their wedding.", "The lack of certainty about schools returning is fraying the exhausted nerves of parents.", "A Royal College of Nursing survey found almost 80% were more stressed because of the Covid pandemic.", "As temperatures continue to remain high, parts of Australia are facing their worst fire risk in a year.", "Three psychiatric reports found Olga Freeman was suffering from a severe depressive illness.", "Ambrose O'Neill disappeared after the first day of his trial in 2008.", "Only 18 out of 251 registered traveller sites have any available spaces, research from a charity suggests.", "Some will be able to return on Tuesday but others are urged to stay away due to safety fears.", "The building's owner vows it will continue as a department store despite the departure of current tenant, the House of Fraser.", "The eyes of people with PTSD behave differently when they see exciting images, researchers say.", "One says he is surprised Boris Johnson shared the early data when it is \"not particularly strong\".", "Laboratory tests suggest antibodies can recognise and fight the UK and South Africa variants.", "The media regulator decided not to pursue complaints about decency over the channel's satire.", "Online retailer Boohoo will buy the brand for £55m, but not its shops, putting 12,000 jobs at risk.", "Police describe it as the worst unrest in the Netherlands for decades, with more than 180 arrests.", "The UK's nations and regions are being treated as if they were \"invisible\", the former PM warns.", "What is behind the review of specialist care for mothers and babies in the south Wales valleys?", "Vaccination appointments for over-70s in Scotland will arrive on Monday as planned - but in white envelopes.", "A new report focuses on the experiences of pregnant women at Cwm Taf Morgannwg health board.", "The move sparks concerns that customers could see prices rise if merchants pass on the higher cost.", "Chelsea sack manager Frank Lampard after 18 months in charge, with former Paris St-Germain and Borussia Dortmund boss Thomas Tuchel expected to replace him.", "Andrés Manuel López Obrador, 67, announces he is receiving medical treatment for the coronavirus.", "The Senate has confirmed Janet Yellen as first female treasury secretary in US history.", "The third national lockdown and travel ban meant the travel firm \"had to act\", a spokeswoman says.", "Sir Keir Starmer says he will be working from home until next Monday.", "A pilot programme for 24/7 vaccinations is among options being considered by the Scottish government.", "Why one family finds St Dwynwen's Day - the Welsh patron saint of lovers - more relevant to their heritage.", "Mothers speaking to the Cwm Taf maternity review \"overwhelmingly\" had distressing experiences.", "The mother of Keon Lincoln, 15, who was shot and stabbed, pleads for information about his death.", "Images circulated on social media show mourners at the funeral of an IRA man in Londonderry.", "First Minister Mark Drakeford earlier visited the site of the flooding which led to 80 people being evacuated.", "About 118,000 placements for young people are yet to be filled due to coronavirus lockdowns.", "Community spirit praised as helpers clear 7cm of snow so vulnerable patients could get Covid jab.", "Bruno Fernandes comes off the bench to fire Manchester United past fierce rivals Liverpool in a pulsating FA Cup fourth-round tie.", "Nurseries, pre-schools and childminders call for rapid testing and priority access to vaccines.", "The two men were guests at Cameron House Hotel on the shores of Loch Lomond when the blaze broke out.", "The force said its role is designed to inform prosecutors and does not indicate a crime has taken place.", "The 78-year-old Scottish comedian received his first dose of the vaccine near his home in Florida.", "A report criticises the union after it told its members not to volunteer due to safety concerns.", "A shortage of shipping containers, rising costs, and congestion at ports are holding back imports from China.", "Ministers have said schools would stay closed until half term unless Covid cases fall significantly.", "The majority of applications for the discretionary part of the test and trace grant are unsuccessful.", "Despite Glastonbury's cancellation, smaller festivals could still go ahead, experts say.", "Boris Johnson says it's more important than ever to be vigilant in following rules and staying home.", "The probe into the handling of harassment claims against Alex Salmond wants to see messages between SNP and government officials.", "Eric Vice, 64, was driving to Swansea University when he hit a bridge.", "The premiere of No Time To Die, Daniel Craig's final 007 outing, is pushed back again due to Covid.", "Doctors say people should buy a pulse oximeter to monitor their oxygen levels at home.", "The imam, Sheikh Nuru Mohammed, hopes the centre will dispel false information about the vaccination.", "Boris Johnson has not ruled out further action to secure the borders amid concerns over Covid variants.", "A bunker built during the Cold War is being auctioned with a guide price of £25,000.", "Worship has been suspended as burials average 15-a-day, yet still there is denial about the disease.", "UK retailers may abandon goods EU customers want to return because it is cheaper than bringing them home.", "A geologist says tens of thousands of old mine shafts must be monitored to help stop more flooding.", "The UK's chief medical adviser warns that \"a very small change and it could start taking off again\".", "Health Minister Robin Swann warns restrictions are likely to continue after latest extension.", "Scottish postie Nathan Evans has quit his job and signed to a record label after storming TikTok with sea shanties.", "The TV presenter says Mr Trump went on with the conversation, believing it to be Morgan.", "A 14-year-old boy is suspected of murder over \"inconceivable violence\" before Keon Lincoln's death.", "The Mavisbank care home in Bishopbriggs was recently rated \"weak\" by the care inspectorate for its Covid response.", "Five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Friday morning.", "A national charity renews its plea for donations to help museums hit by the coronavirus pandemic.", "Paula Badosa reveals she has the virus and apologises for making complaints about quarantine rules.", "'This is our historic moment of crisis and challenge' - the new president knows how daunting his task is.", "A selection of your pictures of Scotland sent in between 15 and 22 January.", "The chief rabbi has described the event as a \"shameful desecration of all that we hold dear\".", "A £500 payment is already available for those on low incomes who cannot work from home, No 10 says.", "Thirty-nine Vietnamese migrants suffocated in a sealed container en route to Essex in October 2019.", "A teachers' union says a review delivers a \"scathing\" verdict on how exams were handled in 2020.", "Fines of £800 will be handed to anyone attending a house party of more than 15 people from next week.", "Thousands of files hacked from Scotland's environment watchdog appear on the \"dark web\" after it rejected a ransom demand.", "Boris Johnson says England's measures will be reviewed once the priority groups have had the vaccine.", "Paddy McElhone, 24, was shot in the back by a soldier near his home outside Pomeroy in August 1974.", "Investigators have been targeting offenders who operate online since the first coronavirus lockdown.", "CCTV footage has been released showing fire breaking out in a hotel after a porter put a bag of ash and embers in a cupboard.", "Vitinha's superb goal sees Wolves into the fifth round of the FA Cup at the expense of non-league Chorley.", "Two people died in the blaze at the Cameron House hotel in West Dunbartonshire three years ago.", "A consortium including the fashion chain will no longer bid to buy Topshop and Topman out of administration.", "Evidence suggests the variant that emerged in the UK may be more deadly as well as faster-spreading.", "Clothing was the hardest-hit sector last year, seeing a 25% drop in sales overall.", "Liverpool's 68-game unbeaten home run in the Premier League comes to an end as Ashley Barnes fires home a late winner from the penalty spot to secure a famous victory for Burnley.", "The Japanese car maker has told the BBC its Sunderland plant is secure for the long term.", "Police hold aides to Putin critic Alexei Navalny as opposition activists start a string of rallies.", "Parts of Skewen remain underwater with people unable to return to their flooded homes.", "Andy Murray will miss the Australian Open after failing to find a \"workable quarantine\" solution following his positive test for coronavirus.", "Simon Midgley's mother says she still does not have answers about how her son died in the fire at Cameron House.", "Campaigners say a government fund to pay for the removal of dangerous cladding is woefully inadequate.", "The minority \"blatantly flouting\" restrictions will face enforcement action, a senior officer says.", "The couple paid themselves the sum despite heavy losses at Mrs Beckham's fashion brand.", "Muller Milk & Ingredients in Somerset confirms 47 dairy workers have tested positive for Covid-19.", "NHS staff rally to arrange a wedding for a couple as the groom's condition deteriorates in hospital.", "Many of those who took part in the Capitol riot are believed to have subscribed to extremist views.", "The curbs may even continue until Easter in an attempt to drive down Covid-19 case numbers.", "Stars of the Essex-based reality show pay tribute to a \"true gentleman\" and \"one of the good guys\".", "Under coronavirus restrictions a maximum of 30 people are meant to attend a funeral.", "Abimbola Ajoke Bamgbose had been fed up with people asking if she was pregnant, an inquest hears.", "AstraZeneca is the latest company, after Pfizer, to warn of delivery issues, frustrating officials.", "Investigations are ongoing into what caused the road surface to give way, United Utilities say.", "As Covid patients waited at Royal Glamorgan Hospital the nurse had a fear of \"wanting to leave\".", "Under house arrest in Canada on bank fraud charges, Ms Meng has reportedly received death threats.", "As the UK records its highest death toll, Fergal Keane has been to see the strain the NHS is under for the second time.", "Richard Sharp says the BBC represents good value, but how it is funded \"may be worth reassessing\".", "The S21 Ultra's support for an S Pen will fuel speculation that the Note range's days are numbered.", "But the expert says the new Covid variant means any relaxation of rules will be a \"gradual process\".", "Amnesty International says the issue of forced adoptions also needs close scrutiny.", "Carol and David Richards had been fined £60 for driving 20 minutes to see her mother.", "Reports from Manaus say medical staff are begging for help in a critical situation due to Covid-19.", "Five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Thursday evening.", "But researchers warn there is still a risk of catching and passing the virus on to others again.", "Nicola Sturgeon announces the areas where restrictions will be tightened in Scotland from Saturday.", "One in three trusts in England was running above safe levels of bed occupancy by the end of 2020.", "Tui, the UK's largest tour operator, says 50% of bookings on their website are currently by over-50s.", "The famous Lauberhorn ski event is cancelled after a spike in Covid-19 cases linked to one tourist.", "Some urgent procedures including cancer surgery are postponed in one health board area due to Covid.", "Six chemists have been chosen initially, with 200 more offering vaccinations in the next fortnight.", "Hundreds of students say it is not right they will have to wait months for rebates during Covid-19.", "Some housed in the military camp say the conditions are so bad it causes them psychological trauma.", "Police and rail bosses condemn a social media post featuring a car parked on a level crossing.", "Armie Hammer dismisses supposedly leaked messages and says he can now not be apart from his children.", "Use our search tool to find out about coronavirus rules and restrictions where you live.", "Jack Dorsey acknowledges that banning the president undermines the ideals of an open internet.", "Homes worry about being sued if people contract the virus while they are staying there.", "The health minister says it is a \"strong start\" but there is more to do.", "Arrivals from most of South America - and from Portugal - will be stopped from Friday.", "Dozens cancel Covid jabs and poor road conditions have a \"severe impact\" on Yorkshire's ambulances.", "Founder Charlie Mullins says it is a \"no-brainer\" that workers should get immunised.", "Scientists are racing to find out more about variants of the coronavirus that are spreading fast.", "The co-founder for Cyberpunk 2077's developer is explaining what went wrong with the launch.", "Samantha Hicks attributed her baby's kicking to sickness having been in hospital with Covid-19.", "The footballer joins celebrities and campaigners to call for action in a letter to the prime minister.", "The prime minister has suggested there could be restrictions on travel from Brazil to the UK.", "Services in England are being cut from 87% of normal levels to 72%, the Rail Delivery Group says.", "A Met Office yellow weather warning for ice is in place after heavy snow caused road closures and travel disruption.", "A negative test had been due to be required from Friday, but ministers said people needed time to prepare.", "Post-primary schools get extra time to decide how they will admit pupils after transfer tests are cancelled.", "A Scottish shellfish firm owner says he is on the brink of bankruptcy as EU customers desert his business.", "The 19-year-old mounted pavements and jumped red lights through London and three counties.", "Nintendo's first theme park, modelled on levels of its Mario games, was due to open on 4 February.", "More than 45% of this priority group has now been vaccinated, compared with about 30% in London.", "Travellers from Namibia, Zimbabwe, Angola, Botswana and Mauritius will be barred from entry.", "New Brexit trade rules mean Britain's biggest supermarket faces problems importing some fruit, meat and ready meals.", "James Howells threw away a hard drive containing bitcoin - now worth £210m - by mistake in 2013.", "The last of 14 works identified as looted from Jewish collectors is returned to the owner's heirs.", "It tops up doses already promised as officials worry that Africa is at the back of the vaccine queue.", "England's cancer, critical care, A&E and routine treatments all hit as hospitals accommodate virus patients.", "Boris Johnson pledged to end rough sleeping by 2024, but a watchdog says plans need reviewing post-Covid.", "The government defends its plan to switch to a grant scheme to feed children at half term.", "Our voter panel is divided over the charge of incitement with Trump supporters warning it will deepen divisions.", "A respiratory doctor at the Mater Hospital warns that oxygen supplies are under \"extreme pressure\".", "All the latest news and results for the US Election 2020 from the BBC.", "Ministers could bring in possible measures after a new Covid variant was found in South America.", "Ivan Cavaleiro's late header earns Premier League strugglers Fulham a hard-fought draw against Tottenham in their hastily rearranged London derby.", "The couple, who both have coronavirus, were given \"precious\" time together, their daughter says.", "Doctors leaders' want staff to be given the type of high-quality masks usually only worn in intensive care.", "The scientists investigating the origins of the coronavirus have landed in the city of Wuhan.", "The prime minister warns there is a \"very substantial\" risk of intensive care being \"overtopped\".", "The home secretary says her focus is on enforcement but doesn't rule out tougher restrictions next week.", "Dom Bess takes 5-30 as a dreadful Sri Lanka batting display leaves England in control after day one of the first Test at Galle.", "A blind social media star could wait years for a new guide dog due to delays linked to the pandemic.", "The government wants bosses to do more to help victims as reports of domestic abuse soar in lockdown.", "Andy Murray is still hopeful of playing in the Australian Open despite not travelling to Melbourne after testing positive for coronavirus.", "On Thursday, 16 more deaths related to Covid-19 were recorded along with 973 new positive cases.", "Ten members of his own party voted against the president over his role in the deadly riots at the US Capitol.", "Illusionist Siegfried Fischbacher and partner Roy Horn were an institution in Las Vegas and beyond.", "Mr Leonard says it is in the best interests of the party if he stands down as leader immediately.", "The retailer insists it has no plans to move online, despite warning shop closures could cost it £1bn.", "A total of 1,596 patients are in Scottish hospitals with Covid as pressures on the NHS continue to build.", "The woman, who was Tasered by officers, is taken to hospital with non life-threatening injuries.", "Sarah Link lived in a caravan on her own drive so she could carry on working and protect her mother.", "Vincent Kane does not know when his operation will happen, having been delayed due to the pandemic.", "The property investment firm is accused of trying to \"jump the queue\".", "It said there may be \"an increase of missing items and substitutions over the next few weeks\".", "Officers \"will not hesitate\" to take action against those breaking the rules, home secretary says.", "The vaccines were administered on Saturday by a household doctor at Windsor Castle, a royal source says.", "Health Secretary Matt Hancock says social media giants are \"taking editorial decisions\".", "The Labour leader urges ministers to give councils more money instead to protect family budgets.", "Three people were arrested during an anti-lockdown protest, including the woman seen in the video.", "Eleanor Wadsworth flew hundreds of aircraft, including Spitfires and Hurricanes, to the front line in WW2.", "People who cannot work from home should be prioritised for rapid tests in England, the government says.", "Bernard Thomas was rescued from the rubble of Pantglas primary school on 21 October, 1966.", "But for now, people must stay at home during lockdown and alleviate 'serious' pressure on the NHS.", "Health Secretary Matt Hancock says the NHS is under \"very serious pressure\" and warns people to stay home.", "Electricity is gradually being restored after a huge outage triggered by a power station fault.", "The riots of 6 January took many by surprise, but to those tracking conspiracy and extreme right groups online, the warning signs were all there.", "Extra measures are taken to distribute Covid vaccines amid fears the snow could turn to ice.", "Crawley Town produce one of the FA Cup third round's most emphatic upsets as they stun Premier League side Leeds United.", "US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says contact between officials should no longer be \"shackled\".", "There are concerns the new variant may spread too easily to be controlled by lockdown.", "At least six police vans are deployed to Clapham Common where about 30 protesters gathered.", "The farm has been left with over 4,000 surplus eggs after schools suddenly closed to most pupils.", "The government says a draft agreement saying flat owners need its approval first is \"standard\".", "Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove says \"work is ongoing\" to improve trade from GB to NI.", "Scott McTominay celebrates captaining Manchester United for the first time with an early winner to see off Watford in the FA Cup third round.", "A 107-year-old woman from County Meath is attempting to attend a virtual Mass in every county.", "Increasing numbers of seriously-ill patients add to the pressure facing Scotland's health service.", "Four deaths are reported as Storm Filomena dumps snow and triggers floods across the country.", "A \"significant step-up\" in rolling out vaccines is promised by the health minister.", "If Parler fails to find a new web hosting service by Sunday, the entire network will go offline.", "The Labour leader calls for tougher coronavirus restrictions and says help for low earners must continue.", "Almost 50,000 people in Wales have been given a first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.", "He hopes to beat his own lockdown bulge with his \"Get Buzzin' With Bez\" YouTube classes.", "Two landslides hit the same village in Indonesia within hours, leaving emergency teams trapped.", "Another 1,035 people have died, taking the total since the start of the pandemic to 80,868.", "Patients, many shielding, have been offered appointments miles away from their homes.", "The Labour leader rejects a second independence referendum but calls for other changes to devolution.", "More than 100 cars are turned away from a beauty spot in north Wales, police say.", "Boris Johnson will make a televised address at 20:00 GMT to outline further steps as virus cases rise.", "Lockdown measures will see schools closed until half term, and GCSEs and A-levels unable to go ahead as normal.", "The British coin collection will also mark the 75th anniversary of the death of novelist HG Wells.", "Four boys and a girl are held on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder after the Reading attack.", "An NHS chief executive says it 'beggars belief' people took pictures of empty corridors.", "Four people were accused of being a \"supporting cast\" for burglars who targeted west London homes.", "Boris Johnson says the gap between referendums on Europe - 41 years - is \"a good sort of gap\" for independence referendums.", "The PM says the number of vaccine doses will amount to \"tens of millions\" by the end of March.", "Mainland Scotland faces tougher restrictions from midnight, and schools will remain closed until February.", "The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine programme is being rolled out less than a week after it became the second approved in the UK.", "Dr Radha Modgil shares tips on staying mentally and emotionally well during the coronavirus lockdown.", "Dan Eliasson, head of the civil contingencies agency, flew to the Canary Islands to see his daughter.", "Tributes have been paid to trainer Zoe Davison, who died from cancer on the same day two of her horses claimed wins at Plumpton.", "The first minister warns Scotland could be entering the most dangerous period since the outbreak began.", "Five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Monday morning.", "Use our search tool to find out about coronavirus rules and restrictions where you live.", "The group of more than 200 engineers say Google must live up to its 'Don't be evil' pledge.", "Nóra Quoirin's family say they are disappointed at the ruling and still think she was abducted.", "Boris Johnson warns of \"tough\" weeks ahead, as coronavirus infection rates continue to surge.", "The first minister says restrictions \"similar to March\" will come into force in mainland Scotland from midnight and schools will not re-open in January.", "The border crossings between the UK and the European Union face their first day of significant traffic under new rules.", "Professional sport in England will be allowed to continue behind closed doors, despite a new national lockdown announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.", "The Labour leader calls for an immediate lockdown in England to get the virus \"back under control\".", "The Department of Health's aim is for all people older than 80 to receive a jab by the end of January.", "Lockdown losses mean renewing the 10-year contract to lease Yang Guang and Tian Tian may be unaffordable.", "Police help dozens of motorists who became stranded after heavy snow fell in the Peak District.", "Parliament will be recalled for Nicola Sturgeon to make an \"urgent statement\" as case numbers rise by 2,464.", "Schools in Wales given a flexible approach to ensure a \"safe return\", despite concerns by unions.", "Economy Minister Diane Dodds writes to Cabinet Office Secretary Michael Gove over the issue.", "UK nationals resident in Spain say they were wrongly turned back when their flight landed in Barcelona.", "Four boys and a girl are held on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder after the Reading attack.", "Rutherglen MP Margaret Ferrier is charged by police with \"alleged culpable and reckless conduct\".", "After the PM hints at tighter measures in England, our science editor looks at what they could entail.", "Her Majesty said the now 75-year-old show had \"played a significant part in the evolving of women\".", "Schools will close for most pupils from Tuesday as people are told to stay at home in new lockdown.", "The latest government figures show a further 2,137 cases of Covid-19 were confirmed in Scotland on Friday.", "The government said suspected jihadists ambushed the two villages near Niger's border with Mali.", "Boris Johnson says more areas may need tougher rules, as Labour urges England-wide curbs within 24 hours.", "The news comes following confusion after her death was prematurely announced on Monday.", "All the latest news and results for the US Election 2020 from the BBC.", "The Championship club said \"several first-team staff and players\" had tested positive.", "England all-rounder Moeen Ali tests positive for Covid-19 upon arrival at Hambantota airport in Sri Lanka.", "The Love Island star is alleged to have \"breached quarantine\" regulations on holiday in Barbados.", "Stay-at-home orders are issued in England and Scotland, as UK classrooms face further disruption.", "The executive also plans to give its stay at home message legal force, with new travel restrictions.", "The Gerry and the Pacemakers singer's number one hit became a football terrace anthem.", "The bid approach is the latest attempt by a casino operator to tap into the online gambling boom.", "The locally-produced Covaxin jab was approved on Sunday before completion of third stage trials.", "Supermarkets say card payment problems that led to long queues are resolved, but cause still unknown", "Total deaths involving Covid pass 6,000, including 467 in the week ending 15 January.", "A Cardiff head teacher says keeping schools closed affects disadvantaged pupils most severely.", "The money comes from the liquidation of a firm co-founded by the disgraced film producer.", "Before Wuhan was locked down in January 2020 officials said the outbreak was under control - but the virus had spread inside and outside the city.", "Boris Johnson says he takes \"full responsibility\" for the UK government's response to the pandemic.", "Trinidadian-born British writer Monique Roffey says she is \"pinching herself\" over her win.", "Another 7,700 registered with coronavirus on the death certificate brings the total to nearly 104,000.", "The 71-year-old Lib Dem peer says she is wearing her \"I've had the jab\" badge with pride.", "The tunnel is a danger to public safety, an HS2 spokeswoman told the BBC.", "The UK is the second market - after the US - to get Facebook's latest news feature.", "The NHS says any invitation which asks for vaccine payment or bank account details is a scam.", "The shadow justice secretary calls for seven-member juries to deal with cases delayed by the pandemic.", "Scientists propose 10 golden rules for restoring forests to maximise benefits for the planet.", "Parents reveal the perils of juggling teaching with work and family life.", "The new measures are likely to apply to British residents arriving in England from high-risk countries.", "Boris Johnson says he takes \"full responsibility for everything that the government has done\".", "Major incidents were declared in north and south Wales as Storm Christoph causes flooding.", "The health secretary says it is \"difficult\" to put a timeline on when England's lockdown will be lifted.", "Ex-cabinet minister wants \"Britain's favourite animal\" to get same protections as bats and badgers.", "Budweiser will not advertise during the Super Bowl for the first time in 37 years.", "Boris Johnson says he understands parents' frustrations but the infection rate is \"still very high\".", "Five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Tuesday morning.", "Several pupils at the school admitted visiting other households, breaking Covid-19 lockdown rules.", "Demand for the video game and cloud computing services helped push Microsoft sales to a new quarterly record.", "A geologist says tens of thousands of old mine shafts must be monitored to help stop more flooding.", "Lawyers for SMG deny claims it was penny-pinching before the 2017 Manchester Arena attack.", "An interior decor trend is blamed for the removal of the grass, which forms part of a wind defence.", "There will be \"a lot more deaths\" before the effect of vaccines is felt, England's chief medical officer says.", "Crew are asking to be designated 'key workers' so they can go home without risking public health.", "Campaigners claim changes to the way decisions were made led to a \"shocking\" fall in cases going to court.", "Comedians Meera Syal, Romesh Ranganathan and Adil Ray make a video urging people to get the vaccine.", "The Met says it was a \"poor decision\" to hire a barber to give cuts to 31 officers in the workplace.", "Some will be able to return on Tuesday but others are urged to stay away due to safety fears.", "Nadhim Zahawi says supply is tight, but he expects the UK to meet its February target of 15 million doses.", "The Belfast grammar school says it will use \"other academic criteria\" in the absence of transfer tests.", "As the UK records its 100,000th death from Covid within 28 days of a positive test, Catherine Burns speaks to some of the people behind the figures.", "It comes as the foreign secretary says the UK will return to spending 0.7% of GDP on aid \"as soon as possible\",", "Police describe it as the worst unrest in the Netherlands for decades, with more than 180 arrests.", "The government gives its support to a project to use oral contraceptives to control grey squirrels.", "As the number of people who died reaches six figures, the factors that led to this terrible total.", "The BBC brought a judicial review over reporting restrictions in a now abandoned legal case against Scotland's child abuse inquiry.", "An extra £50m is being directed towards grassroots sport after a \"significant hit\" to activity levels amid the coronavirus pandemic.", "The pharmaceutical giant said the late signing of contracts limited time to sort out supply glitches.", "Part of the grade II-listed bridge over the River Clwyd was swept away during Storm Christoph.", "Chelsea sack manager Frank Lampard after 18 months in charge, with former Paris St-Germain and Borussia Dortmund boss Thomas Tuchel expected to replace him.", "The Senate has confirmed Janet Yellen as first female treasury secretary in US history.", "The company acknowledges its \"Birdwatch\" idea could be \"messy\", but says it is worth trying.", "Parents and teachers are frustrated and worried about the impact of school closures on children.", "Before Wuhan was locked down in January 2020 officials said the outbreak was under control - but the virus had spread inside and outside the city.", "A plan to put the anti-slavery activist on the banknote was delayed under ex-President Donald Trump.", "The third national lockdown and travel ban meant the travel firm \"had to act\", a spokeswoman says.", "The Stormont-commissioned research examined institutions run by churches and other religious groups.", "English-speaking parents whose children go to Welsh-language schools say they struggle to help them.", "Three nights of rioting will not halt night curfews aimed at stopping coronavirus, say Dutch ministers.", "Claudia Marsh had recently qualified as a teacher and also volunteered for two charities.", "We must remember that every one of the lives lost during the pandemic leaves a legacy of sorrow.", "Images circulated on social media show mourners at the funeral of an IRA man in Londonderry.", "The mother of Keon Lincoln, 15, who was shot and stabbed, pleads for information about his death.", "The Welsh Government misses its target of giving 70% of over-80s the vaccine by last weekend.", "Leaders in the House have brought their article of impeachment against Donald Trump to the Senate.", "The border closure is likely to remain even with widespread vaccinations, a top official says.", "Alex Davies-Jones said \"like so many others\" she put off having a test for months.", "The convicted murderer and music producer was described as \"talented but flawed\" in an online story.", "The Welsh Ambulance Service boss warns that difficult weeks lie ahead in Covid-19 fight.", "An eyewitness speaks publicly for the first time about the 2015 death of a man being restrained by police.", "Lisbet Stone was turned away from her flight to London due to having an outdated Covid test.", "The number of people needing intensive care is expected to continue rising for at least two weeks.", "Passengers must also quarantine for up to 10 days following the closure of all UK travel corridors.", "Spector, who was jailed for killing actress Lana Clarkson, transformed pop music with his \"wall of sound\".", "At the age of 14, he sent encrypted messages inciting an Australian teenager to murder police officers.", "The owner of a toy retailer says high transport costs may mean larger toys become more expensive.", "Jonny Bairstow and Dan Lawrence help England seal victory over Sri Lanka on the final morning of the first Test in Galle.", "Ex-Marine John Deacy, 81, died with Covid-19 just two weeks after his last shift at the supermarket.", "A group of pensioners seek compensation for what they say was the excessive pricing of landlines.", "Leaders Manchester United are thwarted by the second-half heroics of keeper Alisson in a goalless draw with title rivals Liverpool at Anfield.", "Northern Health Trust chief says system is under \"huge pressure\" with patients waiting for beds.", "Doctors say the \"patchy supply\" of vaccine to GPs is slowing down efforts to deliver it to patients.", "The \"fiercely competitive\" but \"kind, thoughtful and caring\" news executive has died aged 73.", "Nóra Quoirin's parents do not accept the findings of an inquest into her death in Malaysia.", "Sir Richard Branson's rocket company succeeds in putting its first satellites in space.", "Jonathan Brooks is charged with the attempted murder of Graeme Perks, who was attacked in his home.", "Police have described the killers of 15-year-old Keelan Wilson as a \"pack of animals\".", "Brazil has the world's second-highest Covid death toll but has seen delay and discord over vaccines.", "A red deer had to be put down after being savaged by a red setter in London's Richmond Park.", "David Urpeth says smart motorways without a hard shoulder carry \"an ongoing risk of future deaths.\"", "Former climbing champion Lai Chi-Wai raised HK$5.2 million for spinal cord patients.", "Phil Neville leaves his role as manager of England's women and takes over at Major League Soccer side Inter Miami.", "Students call for more support as they continue their studies through another lockdown.", "The Jewish employee had warned co-workers about the danger of Nazis during the Capitol Riots.", "A group of London firms has written to ministers calling for financial support for the rail firm.", "Small armed groups gathered in several US cities but most state capitols were quiet amid high security.", "Annual growth of 2.3% puts China on course to be the only major economy to have expanded in 2020.", "Boris Johnson promises £23m in compensation for exporters which have lost orders due to delays.", "Someone is being admitted to hospital with coronavirus every 30 seconds, the health secretary says.", "The Perth-born actor was best known for screen roles including \"Chancer\" in City Lights and \"Pete Galloway\" in River City.", "Students at Aberystwyth are told not to return unless \"absolutely necessary\".", "Ambulance service staff in London explain the unique pressures of working during a pandemic.", "A shortage of computer chips is leading to car factories shutting down for days at a time.", "Drivers from Scotland and Portsmouth caught breaking lockdown rules in north Wales.", "Pressure grows on PM after non-binding motion on universal credit top-up is passed by 278 votes.", "All the latest news and results for the US Election 2020 from the BBC.", "There are very few spare beds for the most seriously ill patients in parts of the country, the NHS says.", "Police found evidence of sub-standard care at the Caerphilly home, an inquest hears.", "Democrats plan to start impeachment proceedings against Donald Trump on Monday, for inciting the invasion of the US Capitol, sources say.", "There's speculation over who was involved in the protests and whether they belong to organised groups.", "As Covid patients waited at Royal Glamorgan Hospital the nurse had a fear of \"wanting to leave\".", "The Welsh Government is in discussions with supermarkets about bringing \"more visible\" regulations.", "While GCSEs and A-levels are cancelled, IGCSEs, often used in independent schools, will continue.", "Terence Glover \"ploughed\" into a group of children in his car as they were leaving school.", "The firm says tighter Covid restrictions and falling passenger numbers have prompted the decision.", "The man charged the 92-year-old £160 and came back a week later asking for a further £100.", "Seventeen million doses have been ordered by the UK and are expected to arrive in spring.", "Sweet Melody becomes the band's fifth number one, and their first since Jesy Nelson left.", "But some performances may be pre-recorded if artists can't travel to Rotterdam.", "The deaths of a further 93 people have been recorded - with the number of patients in hospital at record levels.", "When Trump supporters stormed the Capitol they took out their cameras to record the chaos inside.", "He is remembered for the 7 Up documentary series which followed the lives of 14 children since 1964.", "Secret recordings revealed \"enough profanity, casual sexism and racism to last a lifetime\".", "Criticism of new Brexit trade rules is growing as firms warn of more bureaucracy, higher costs and delays.", "Use our search tool to find out about coronavirus rules and restrictions where you live.", "Students say they will refuse to pay for accommodation they cannot use during lockdown.", "It is the third vaccine to be approved for UK use, after the Pfizer and Oxford jabs.", "Ross Kemp and Christopher Biggins do readings at the funeral of the EastEnders and Carry On actress.", "The Competition and Markets Authority will explore whether Google is abusing its market dominance.", "Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove says \"work is ongoing\" to improve trade from GB to NI.", "Her family said the British model, who died in December aged 50, had been \"unwell for some time\".", "We asked people around the US how they responded to the chaotic scenes from the US Capitol.", "The drugs, which save an extra life for every 12 intensive care patients treated, can be used immediately, say experts.", "Shark attacks are rare in the country and it is thought to be the first such death since 2013.", "Breakdown of what happened when Trump supporters stormed the Capitol amid a key Senate vote.", "The weekly applause is back - but its founder distances herself from the initiative.", "The lender says it expects \"downward pressure on house prices\" in 2021 following annual rise of 6% last year.", "Business Secretary Alok Sharma becomes full-time president of November's COP26 conference in Glasgow.", "Data leaked to BBC News shows a rise in the number of hours before patients are offloaded.", "Marks & Spencer's clothes sales overall fall nearly a quarter, but pyjamas are back in fashion.", "The UK prime minister also says the US president is \"completely wrong\" over his election fraud claims.", "The men were detained when special forces stormed the Nave Andromeda off the Isle of Wight.", "Travellers from Namibia, Zimbabwe, Angola, Botswana and Mauritius will be barred from entry.", "Top Democrats call for the president to be removed as he commits to an \"orderly\" transition of power.", "A London fashion student made the \"social distancing bandeau\" out of a Chiltern Railways seat cover.", "The mayor says in some parts of London 1 in 20 people has Covid-19, as he declares a \"major incident\".", "It comes as all of Wales has snow and ice warnings for the next few days.", "The Korean car company originally said it was in talks with the tech titan before backtracking.", "Two women were fined £200 after driving five miles to walk around Foremark Reservoir, Derbyshire.", "Worried childcare staff call on ministers to prove it's safe for them to open in England.", "Boris Johnson says the armed forces will use \"battle preparation techniques\" to help vaccinate millions.", "Vincent Kane does not know when his operation will happen, having been delayed due to the pandemic.", "A selection of your pictures of Scotland sent in between 1 and 8 January.", "Satellite data shows that 2020 and 2016 are essentially tied as the hottest years since records began.", "Lorry drivers will need a negative result to cross into France until further notice, the government says.", "A record 68,053 cases are also reported as a third vaccine is approved for use in the UK.", "Details and reaction as First Minister Mark Drakeford confirms an extended closure of schools.", "The Duke of Cambridge says he wants his three children to appreciate sacrifices made during Covid.", "He claims her evidence to an inquiry into sexual harassment allegations against him was \"untrue\".", "The Wanted member shares some good news with his fans, three months on from his cancer diagnosis.", "Meanwhile almost half of people took advantage of Christmas bubble rules, a national survey suggests.", "Kelvin Hopkins has previously denied claims by a party activist of inappropriate physical contact.", "A series of streamed music events, shows and releases will mark five years since the singer's death.", "With attendance as high as 50% in some areas, heads call for pupil limits in England's lockdown schools.", "Ramsey was loved by fans for her role as Officer Laverne Hooks in the Police Academy film series.", "Lockdown measures will see schools closed until half term, and GCSEs and A-levels unable to go ahead as normal.", "Four boys and a girl are held on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder after the Reading attack.", "That includes some of the most vulnerable patients who should soon have \"significant\" protection against the virus.", "Four people were accused of being a \"supporting cast\" for burglars who targeted west London homes.", "Mainland Scotland faces tougher restrictions from midnight, and schools will remain closed until February.", "The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine programme is being rolled out less than a week after it became the second approved in the UK.", "President Trump initially accused China of the hack against US government agencies in December.", "The first cyclone of Australia’s season has been downgraded but continues to cause danger.", "Reversing earlier assurances, officials say tracing data can be used for criminal investigations.", "Boris Johnson tells a briefing that nearly a quarter of people over 80 have received a Covid-19 jab.", "Dr Radha Modgil shares tips on staying mentally and emotionally well during the coronavirus lockdown.", "Enrique Tarrio was detained as he entered the city ahead of a pro-Trump protest this week.", "Use our search tool to find out about coronavirus rules and restrictions where you live.", "BBC Two and CBBC will show content for primary and secondary pupils to watch without the internet.", "Sea Shepherd says the collision happened after it came under attack in the Gulf of California.", "Business groups welcomed the new help as a good start but said more aid and a clear plan would be needed.", "Boris Johnson made the decision on restrictions \"in the face of new information\", the chancellor says.", "The first minister says restrictions \"similar to March\" will come into force in mainland Scotland from midnight and schools will not re-open in January.", "Professional sport in England will be allowed to continue behind closed doors, despite a new national lockdown announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.", "The children's commissioner for England and Labour's leader call on firms to help low-income families.", "The Department of Health's aim is for all people older than 80 to receive a jab by the end of January.", "A growing divide over education, jobs, and ethnicity threaten the fabric of society, says Nobel laureate's study.", "Economy Minister Diane Dodds writes to Cabinet Office Secretary Michael Gove over the issue.", "UK nationals resident in Spain say they were wrongly turned back when their flight landed in Barcelona.", "You may be happy to let your phone recognise your face - but what about the police?", "Virgin Holidays joins Tui and Thomas Cook in cancelling holidays after latest coronavirus restrictions.", "In a TV address, Labour's leader says millions of doses need to be given each week by the end of January.", "Rutherglen MP Margaret Ferrier is charged by police with \"alleged culpable and reckless conduct\".", "The cancellations, although rare, reflect the pressure some hospitals are under from Covid.", "Roughly one in 50 people in England has got the virus, Prof Chris Whitty says.", "Demand surges as shoppers rush to secure online delivery slots following news of another lockdown.", "In the tightening of restrictions across the UK there is much that's an echo of March - but a lot that's different too.", "It's been a \"Herculean achievement\" for Marieme and Ndeye, who survived against the odds.", "The news comes following confusion after her death was prematurely announced on Monday.", "Former Manchester City and England midfielder Colin Bell dies aged 74 after a short illness, the Premier League club announces.", "All the latest news and results for the US Election 2020 from the BBC.", "YouTube says the broadcaster posted banned Covid content, but it has decided to reinstate its channel.", "First Minister Nicola Sturgeon thinks Celtic have questions to answer on the grounds for their winter trip to Dubai and says the club's social distancing \"should be looked into\".", "The stationery chain which has 127 stores and around 1,500 employees says shop closures hit it hard.", "Doctors leaders' want staff to be given the type of high-quality masks usually only worn in intensive care.", "Former Buckingham Palace caterer Adamo Canto attempted to sell some items on eBay, a court hears.", "Vocational exams such as BTECs are not being cancelled by the lockdown like GCSEs and A-levels.", "A hearing will decide whether Khairi Saadallah was motivated by a religious or ideological cause.", "The Love Island star is alleged to have \"breached quarantine\" regulations on holiday in Barbados.", "Stay-at-home orders are issued in England and Scotland, as UK classrooms face further disruption.", "The executive also plans to give its stay at home message legal force, with new travel restrictions.", "The famous building on London's Oxford Street has been put on the market by administrators.", "Strict new Covid-19 restrictions come into force in Scotland, prohibiting people from leaving their homes.", "A fresh move to make non-fatal strangulation a specific criminal offence is under way.", "The personal trainer says he wants to \"give children structure\" during lockdown.", "Regulators say the plane is safe to resume service after two fatal crashes led to its grounding.", "Insurers reject claims that by covering ransomware bills they are funding organised crime.", "But loss of taste and smell may be less likely to affect those with the new strain, a study suggests.", "Travellers share their experiences of isolating in hotels, as the UK announces a similar scheme.", "Boris Johnson says he takes \"full responsibility\" for the UK government's response to the pandemic.", "Nicola Sturgeon says she is \"not ecstatic\" about reports the PM will visit Scotland on Thursday.", "The tunnel is a danger to public safety, an HS2 spokeswoman told the BBC.", "The 71-year-old Lib Dem peer says she is wearing her \"I've had the jab\" badge with pride.", "Philippa Day was found collapsed beside a letter rejecting her request for an at-home assessment.", "The 83-year-old Hollywood royalty is also known as an active climate change campaigner.", "The shadow justice secretary calls for seven-member juries to deal with cases delayed by the pandemic.", "Karen Hobbs' sister says she is in shock, and urges people to follow lockdown rules.", "Boris Johnson says most people in Scotland are focused on defeating Covid rather than another referendum.", "Images of Jonathan Mok's swollen eye were posted on Facebook and shared thousands of times.", "Robin Swann says all health workers are valued and have worked tirelessly during the pandemic.", "A collection of your tributes to some of the thousands of people in the UK who have died with coronavirus.", "The financial regulator will consult \"shortly\" on a rise from the current limit of £45.", "Ministers are due to meet on Monday to consider whether to tighten the UK's border restrictions further.", "Footage shows a banned driver in a stolen car drive into a police officer on his motorbike.", "The PM sets the date he hopes England's lockdown will begin to ease, but warns of a \"perilous situation\".", "Boris Johnson also says he shares the \"frustration\" of parents who want to get children back to school.", "Already 100,000 people in the UK have died with Covid. This is the story of one of them.", "Demand for the video game and cloud computing services helped push Microsoft sales to a new quarterly record.", "Families loaded up on the latest technology and sales increased in China.", "The maps depict the famous sea battle in which the English fleet was victorious in 1588.", "There will be \"a lot more deaths\" before the effect of vaccines is felt, England's chief medical officer says.", "The lack of certainty about schools returning is fraying the exhausted nerves of parents.", "The Army sends a bomb disposal unit to a site where the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is produced.", "Already 100,000 people in the UK have died with Covid. This is the story of one of them.", "The Met says it was a \"poor decision\" to hire a barber to give cuts to 31 officers in the workplace.", "The Oscar-nominated actor and his choreographer wife describe as \"difficult\" their decision to split.", "It is the first time the world-famous event will take place in the autumn.", "Nadhim Zahawi says supply is tight, but he expects the UK to meet its February target of 15 million doses.", "A \"legacy of poor decisions\" in 2020 and before the pandemic led to 100,000 deaths, scientists say.", "Scientists say sharks and rays are disappearing from the world's oceans at an \"alarming\" rate.", "As the UK records its 100,000th death from Covid within 28 days of a positive test, Catherine Burns speaks to some of the people behind the figures.", "Bailiffs move in to remove people who dug a 100ft tunnel to block the high-speed rail line.", "Nicola Sturgeon says she is concerned the UK's travel restrictions will not go far enough.", "The government gives its support to a project to use oral contraceptives to control grey squirrels.", "Leon Briggs was \"like a child crying out for a toy\" as he was held down by officers, a jury hears.", "As the number of people who died reaches six figures, the factors that led to this terrible total.", "Nurse Eva Gicain says when she held Elleana for the first time she \"didn't want to let go\".", "The pharmaceutical giant said the late signing of contracts limited time to sort out supply glitches.", "Has the PM effectively admitted we're heading for a full year of limits on our lives?", "Lockdown led to a surge in reports of fraudsters imitating genuine investment firms, regulator says.", "Jagtar Singh Johal has been held in an Indian jail without conviction for more than three years.", "Labour calls for key workers to be added to the first phase of the vaccination programme.", "Residents hit upon the idea after the annual street parade was cancelled because of the pandemic.", "Boris Johnson faced questions from MPs why the UK's coronavirus death toll is the highest in Europe.", "Claudia Marsh had recently qualified as a teacher and also volunteered for two charities.", "The social media platform removed posts after wrongly identifying the place name as offensive.", "We must remember that every one of the lives lost during the pandemic leaves a legacy of sorrow.", "Details from a briefing by the chief medical officer and chief scientific adviser for health.", "David Solomon is being punished for the bank's involvement in the fraudulent Malaysian investment fund.", "Josh Quigley, from Livingston, suffered multiple fractures after coming off his bike at 40mph while training in Dubai.", "The “phased” lifting of restrictions will depend on data on hospitalisations, deaths and vaccinations.", "The government faces legal action over its decision to allow the use of a pesticide that harms bees.", "UK residents can apply for the new card to access emergency medical care when their EHIC card runs out.", "Khairi Saadallah murdered three friends in a Reading park in a \"ruthless and brutal” terror attack.", "Cardiff City defender Sol Bamba is undergoing chemotherapy after being diagnosed with cancer, the Championship club has announced", "County Mayo man howls with laughter while trying to record a birthday message for his son.", "Derbyshire Police apologises to two women fined £200 for driving five miles for a countryside walk.", "New Covid curbs are necessary but they will hit the economy, Chancellor Rishi Sunak warns.", "Thousands of National Guard troops are being deployed to bolster security in Washington DC.", "Dutch TV films officials confiscating ham sandwiches from UK drivers under new food import rules.", "Unison chooses Christina McAnea to replace Dave Prentis, who has been in the job for 20 years.", "Health Secretary Matt Hancock says 2.3 million people in the UK have now had a Covid-19 vaccine dose.", "James Brokenshire will take leave from his Home Office job during further surgery for lung cancer.", "Medical director warns Wrexham Maelor is under huge pressure as numbers of seriously ill patients rise.", "It said there may be \"an increase of missing items and substitutions over the next few weeks\".", "The new Welsh Government vaccine plan says all eligible adults will be offered a jab by the autumn.", "M&S is buying the brand out of administration, but not Jaeger's scores of shops and concessions.", "University of Surrey tests for BBC News found no evidence of any effect.", "The decision follows a rise in cases across the emirates in the past week, officials say.", "A document advises doctors that the minimum level of oxygen required in the blood is being reduced.", "Scotland's first minister says she has doubts about whether Celtic's trip to Dubai was \"really essential\".", "\"Numbers are increasing not decreasing\" - inside an emergency body storage facility in Surrey.", "Five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Monday morning.", "Three people were arrested during an anti-lockdown protest, including the woman seen in the video.", "A number of Scottish schools, pupils and parents report Microsoft Teams running slowly or not at all.", "People who cannot work from home should be prioritised for rapid tests in England, the government says.", "Luke Evans portrays the policeman who brought John Cooper to justice for two double murders.", "Health Secretary Matt Hancock says the NHS is under \"very serious pressure\" and warns people to stay home.", "Extra measures are taken to distribute Covid vaccines amid fears the snow could turn to ice.", "Crawley Town produce one of the FA Cup third round's most emphatic upsets as they stun Premier League side Leeds United.", "As countries look to quickly vaccinate people, BBC reporters explain what's happening across Europe.", "There are concerns the new variant may spread too easily to be controlled by lockdown.", "Manchester United will host Premier League champions Liverpool in the fourth round of the FA Cup.", "Seven mass vaccination centres have opened across England to help deliver the Coronavirus vaccine.", "A study finds that the financial burden on poorer families has increased during the pandemic.", "The much-loved TV series is back with a new name but only three of the original four leads will star.", "The government says a draft agreement saying flat owners need its approval first is \"standard\".", "An industry group wants more state help for people like Jon Wilding, whose business is hit by the pandemic.", "Kitchen robots, new TVs, smart masks and a toilet that analyses your poo are among the new products.", "Doctors at the hospital say they're treating more younger patients than in the first wave.", "Boris Johnson was spotted at the Olympic Park on Sunday, despite government advice to \"stay local\".", "Nicola Sturgeon acknowledges technical problems on the first day the vast majority of pupils in Scotland begin the new term at home.", "About 560,000 people will have been vaccinated by the beginning of next month, the health secretary says.", "He wants businesses to do more to protect the planet as he marks 50 years of environmental campaigning.", "It comes after a Celtic player tested positive less than 48 hours after the squad returned from a training trip there.", "People refusing to wear face coverings who are not medically exempt will not be allowed to shop inside.", "Increasing numbers of seriously-ill patients add to the pressure facing Scotland's health service.", "Celtic's only regret about their Dubai trip was Chris Jullien contracting Covid-19, said coach Gavin Strachan, after the draw with Hibernian.", "Details and reaction to Health Minister Vaughan Gething's vaccination rollout plan.", "Justice Secretary Robert Buckland says too many abusers' sentences are not tough enough.", "Lisa Montgomery's lawyers argued she was a mentally ill victim of abuse who deserved mercy, but her victim's community said otherwise.", "A \"significant step-up\" in rolling out vaccines is promised by the health minister.", "The Labour leader calls for tougher coronavirus restrictions and says help for low earners must continue.", "The social network has hit back asking a federal judge to order it to be reinstated.", "Two landslides hit the same village in Indonesia within hours, leaving emergency teams trapped.", "The content will not count in a mobile data allowance to help keep costs of online learning down.", "Patients, many shielding, have been offered appointments miles away from their homes.", "The health secretary says UK vaccine rollout is on track but urges everyone to play their part by following Covid rules.", "The warning from England's chief medical officer comes as seven mass vaccination centres open.", "Joe Biden's presidential Twitter account launches with no followers transferred from President Trump.", "Some areas could see freezing temperatures and 5-10cm of snow on Saturday, the Met Office says.", "The Daily Telegraph must publish a correction over Covid claims, press regulator Ipso rules.", "Police and rail bosses condemn a social media post featuring a car parked on a level crossing.", "A negative test had been due to be required from Friday, but ministers said people needed time to prepare.", "Post-primary schools get extra time to decide how they will admit pupils after transfer tests are cancelled.", "Plastic surgeons express shock at the stabbing of \"highly respected\" Graeme Perks in his home.", "Red tape plus a \"poor\" Brexit deal mean fishermen fear for the future, says an industry body.", "A selection of your pictures of Scotland sent in between 8 and 15 January.", "In one health board, 30% of four and five-year-olds are overweight or obese.", "The couple, who both have coronavirus, were given \"precious\" time together, their daughter says.", "Even experienced exporters are struggling with the system, says the British Meat Processor Association.", "Details and reaction as First Minister Mark Drakeford promises more protection to shop workers.", "It comes after reports that protections including the 48-hour work week could be dropped.", "Five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Friday morning.", "Prime Minister Boris Johnson says the action is needed to protect against the risk of new Covid strains.", "He helped kick-start punk and new wave, and was an influence on the Sex Pistols and Guns N' Roses.", "Move follows concern over a new Covid variant which an expert says has already been found in the UK.", "Statistics agency Nisra says 145 deaths were registered last week, bringing its pandemic total to 1,976.", "The show of military strength comes days before the inauguration of Joe Biden as US president.", "Craig Ross was quoted as saying food bank users were \"far from starving\" and more at risk of diabetes.", "The Home Office says it is working to \"assess the impact\" of the issue, which has been resolved.", "Homes worry about being sued if people contract the virus while they are staying there.", "Richard Sharp says the BBC represents good value, but how it is funded \"may be worth reassessing\".", "Scientists warn UK deaths will continue to rise as the global death toll passes two million.", "Coronavirus restrictions in England affected services, with pubs and hairdressers badly hit.", "Antonio says he felt he was discriminated against because of his skin colour when he was sectioned.", "Reports from Manaus say medical staff are begging for help in a critical situation due to Covid-19.", "The NHS fears some communities are being targeted with misinformation, a leading doctor says.", "Replacement exam grades are likely to arrive earlier and be decided by teachers and a test.", "Donations of plasma from people who have recovered from the virus have been suspended.", "A variant that is thought to be more infectious has not been found in the UK, scientist says.", "A letter from police chiefs also says 213,000 records were lost - more than first thought.", "Pharmacist Llyr Hughes said 50 patients would be given the Covid vaccine at his pharmacy on Friday.", "The R number in the UK is officially estimated at 1.2-1.3 as a further 1,280 deaths are reported.", "Hospitals with large critical care capacity are taking patients from other areas to ease pressures.", "The Saved by the Bell actor became ill last week and was taken to hospital.", "Network Rail said a 24m section of side wall fell away from a bridge between Carmont and Stonehaven.", "On Thursday, 16 more deaths related to Covid-19 were recorded along with 973 new positive cases.", "The earthquake struck the island of Sulawesi on Friday, injuring hundreds and destroying a hospital.", "US police held back a mob for hours in a \"barbaric\" battle at the Capitol. Here are their stories.", "A respiratory doctor at the Mater Hospital warns that oxygen supplies are under \"extreme pressure\".", "Wayne Rooney is named as Derby County's new manager, with the ex-England captain also announcing his retirement from playing.", "David Chambers is accused of charging the woman £160 for a bogus jab.", "The footballer joins celebrities and campaigners to call for action in a letter to the prime minister.", "Mr Leonard says it is in the best interests of the party if he stands down as leader immediately.", "The government says the funding will connect \"left-behind\" communities.", "Tens of thousands of people join some of the largest rallies against President Vladimir Putin in years.", "Five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Saturday morning.", "It is claimed they were seen drinking on Welsh Parliament premises when a ban on its sale in pubs was in force.", "Campaigners say a government fund to pay for the removal of dangerous cladding is woefully inadequate.", "One says he is surprised Boris Johnson shared the early data when it is \"not particularly strong\".", "It brings the total number of deaths to 97,329.", "Keon Lincoln was attacked by a group of youths in the Handsworth area of Birmingham.", "Police uncover a string of late-night \"incredibly selfish\" parties in Kensington and Chelsea.", "Pressures on intensive care units are seeing one in 10 patients transferred to a different site.", "Photographs of National Guard members sheltering underground spark anger among lawmakers.", "Some elderly people have been told to travel miles to get the jab or face having to wait to get it.", "A shortage of shipping containers, rising costs, and congestion at ports are holding back imports from China.", "Presented as a safe pair of hands, he struggled to make himself heard during tumultuous times.", "Some will enable women to have overnight visits with their children, the Ministry of Justice says.", "Underground investigations are due to begin on Saturday after flooding linked to old mine shaft.", "Booking a jab by following a link in an email meant \"depriving someone else\" of a vaccine, he said.", "Vitinha's superb goal sees Wolves into the fifth round of the FA Cup at the expense of non-league Chorley.", "As the UK rejects £500 Covid pay outs, how are others countries getting people to stick to the rules?", "A study finds the new coronavirus variant is responsible for pushing the R rate above the crucial 1.0 mark.", "Injections are to be delivered at Black Country Living Museum where the series has in part been filmed.", "The vaccination centres temporarily closed in south Wales as a weather warning was extended.", "The popular US broadcaster conducted about 50,000 interviews, from Nelson Mandela to Lady Gaga.", "Pavithra Wanniarachchi, Sri Lanka's health minister, tested positive for Covid on Friday.", "Anybody struggling to get to an appointment will be able to rearrange, a health board says.", "Boris Johnson said he looked forward to \"deepening the longstanding alliance\" between the UK and US.", "NHS staff rally to arrange a wedding for a couple as the groom's condition deteriorates in hospital.", "Evidence suggests the variant that emerged in the UK may be more deadly as well as faster-spreading.", "In the city where the virus first emerged there is now an insistence that it came from elsewhere.", "The chief rabbi has described the event as a \"shameful desecration of all that we hold dear\".", "Delaying second Pfizer doses to give more people their first is \"difficult to justify\", says BMA.", "Inadequate PPE and a new variant may be putting the lives of nurses at risk, says nursing union.", "Manchester City score three times in the last 10 minutes to defeat League Two side Cheltenham and avoid one of the biggest shocks in FA Cup history.", "Thirty-nine Vietnamese migrants suffocated in a sealed container en route to Essex in October 2019.", "Police hold aides to Putin critic Alexei Navalny as opposition activists start a string of rallies.", "Under coronavirus restrictions a maximum of 30 people are meant to attend a funeral.", "Boris Johnson has not ruled out further action to secure the borders amid concerns over Covid variants.", "Worship has been suspended as burials average 15-a-day, yet still there is denial about the disease.", "AstraZeneca is the latest company, after Pfizer, to warn of delivery issues, frustrating officials.", "The UK's chief medical adviser warns that \"a very small change and it could start taking off again\".", "An intensive care doctor says medics are seeing \"unprecedented\" numbers of people dying.", "They were hit while licking freshly laid salt on a road which is a black spot for animal accidents.", "And another 964 people died within 28 days of a positive test, only slightly down on Wednesday's figure.", "Objects are thrown and officers threatened as they break up the New Year's Eve party in Essex.", "As the UK prepares to sever EU ties, Stanley Johnson says he has always regarded himself as French.", "Campaigners say cutting of the 5% VAT rate on tampons and sanitary towels ends a 'sexist' tax.", "Japan's prime minister says the delayed Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics will go ahead this summer despite concern over rising coronavirus cases.", "Doctors urge public to \"take it seriously\" and follow coronavirus restrictions amid rising cases.", "The British dance band make some of their biggest hits available for the first time.", "The new year celebrations featured a tribute to the NHS and a message from David Attenborough.", "Bishop, who recently tested positive for Covid-19, said boarding the Tardis was \"a dream come true\".", "Joe Anderson says Labour should pick another candidate while he seeks to clear his name.", "Former Manchester United and Scotland manager Tommy Docherty dies at the age of 92 following a long illness.", "The first minister warns Scotland could be entering the most dangerous period since the outbreak began.", "Manchester United move level on points with Premier League leaders Liverpool as a Bruno Fernandes penalty seals victory over Aston Villa.", "NHS England says the facility is available to help the capital's hospitals as Covid-19 cases rise.", "The designer of the scene says it is not the first time it has been targeted.", "Several hundred people gathered at Edinburgh Castle despite warnings to stay away.", "Education Secretary Gavin Williamson drops plan to keep primaries open in 10 boroughs in the city.", "Footage is released of the first police-involved death in the US city since George Floyd's in May.", "Staff absences and the new Covid variant are creating a \"challenging situation\", NHS Providers warn.", "A study finds the new coronavirus variant is responsible for pushing the R rate above the crucial 1.0 mark.", "Primary schools in only 10 of London's boroughs are due to reopen next week.", "One of hip-hop's most influential MCs, masked rapper MF Doom died in October, his family confirm.", "It comes as most people heeded warnings to stay home - but police issued fines to those who didn't.", "With a Brexit deal done, we look at the challenges to come at British borders.", "The UK’s new single market is not as big as the country, it now needs to encompass the whole world.", "Some lorries heading for Ireland have already been turned away from Welsh ports over wrong paperwork.", "Health Minister Vaughan Gething urges \"patience\" as the vaccine programme steps up in Wales.", "Nine people are still missing, two days after a hillside collapsed due to flowing clay mud.", "The finance minister had visited the Caribbean while his province is under strict Covid lockdown.", "The UK will now leave a 12-week gap between both parts of the Covid vaccination, rather than 21 days.", "The trade border means most commercial goods entering NI from GB now require a customs declaration.", "Boris Johnson celebrates the \"freedom in our hands\" as the long Brexit process comes to a conclusion.", "Firework displays and some religious rituals go ahead, although Covid mutes celebrations.", "The station will reflect on the world's longest-running serial drama across its output on Friday.", "The deal - yet to become a treaty - enables Spanish workers to continue entering Gibraltar freely.", "Omar Elabdellaoui, who plays for Turkish club Galatasaray, suffers burns and is taken to hospital.", "A new campaign is launched to urge people not to become complacent about the Covid restrictions.", "A total of 1,596 patients are in Scottish hospitals with Covid as pressures on the NHS continue to build.", "Kim Jong-un calls the US his \"biggest enemy\" and says plans for a nuclear submarine are nearly complete.", "Two women were fined £200 after driving five miles to walk around Foremark Reservoir, Derbyshire.", "A self-employed father-of-three calls on UK government to be \"more flexible\" with its Covid support.", "Breakdown of what happened when Trump supporters stormed the Capitol amid a key Senate vote.", "Vincent Kane does not know when his operation will happen, having been delayed due to the pandemic.", "The property investment firm is accused of trying to \"jump the queue\".", "As Covid patients waited at Royal Glamorgan Hospital the nurse had a fear of \"wanting to leave\".", "Advertising campaign warning people not to get complacent comes as 1,325 deaths are recorded in the UK.", "Criticism of new Brexit trade rules is growing as firms warn of more bureaucracy, higher costs and delays.", "The vaccines were administered on Saturday by a household doctor at Windsor Castle, a royal source says.", "The Welsh Government is in discussions with supermarkets about bringing \"more visible\" regulations.", "Use our search tool to find out about coronavirus rules and restrictions where you live.", "A record 68,053 cases are also reported as a third vaccine is approved for use in the UK.", "Bernard Thomas was rescued from the rubble of Pantglas primary school on 21 October, 1966.", "The gym owners were given a £1,000 fine after three people were found inside on Friday.", "The friends said they were relieved people would not have to fear being fined for taking a walk.", "Terence Glover \"ploughed\" into a group of children in his car as they were leaving school.", "A timeline of international air crashes from 1998 to the present.", "West Ham manager David Moyes says footballers must not be \"picked on\" for breaching coronavirus guidelines.", "Councillor Kevin Hughes missed his mother's funeral after testing positive for coronavirus.", "US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says contact between officials should no longer be \"shackled\".", "There are concerns the new variant may spread too easily to be controlled by lockdown.", "Apple will also remove the social network from its App Store if it does not change its policies.", "As countries look to quickly vaccinate people, BBC reporters explain what's happening across Europe.", "At least six police vans are deployed to Clapham Common where about 30 protesters gathered.", "Ross Kemp and Christopher Biggins do readings at the funeral of the EastEnders and Carry On actress.", "The farm has been left with over 4,000 surplus eggs after schools suddenly closed to most pupils.", "The Duke of Cambridge says he wants his three children to appreciate sacrifices made during Covid.", "He claims her evidence to an inquiry into sexual harassment allegations against him was \"untrue\".", "Thousands more people have taken up fishing during the pandemic, figures show.", "Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove says \"work is ongoing\" to improve trade from GB to NI.", "Meanwhile almost half of people took advantage of Christmas bubble rules, a national survey suggests.", "How Trump's favourite social media site banned him - permanently.", "A London fashion student made the \"social distancing bandeau\" out of a Chiltern Railways seat cover.", "Kelvin Hopkins has previously denied claims by a party activist of inappropriate physical contact.", "He is remembered for the 7 Up documentary series which followed the lives of 14 children since 1964.", "Eva Williams was unable to travel to the United States for treatment due to coronavirus.", "Four deaths are reported as Storm Filomena dumps snow and triggers floods across the country.", "He hopes to beat his own lockdown bulge with his \"Get Buzzin' With Bez\" YouTube classes.", "The new more infectious variant requires tougher measures to control the spread of Covid, say scientists.", "Another 1,035 people have died, taking the total since the start of the pandemic to 80,868.", "The mayor says in some parts of London 1 in 20 people has Covid-19, as he declares a \"major incident\".", "More than 100 cars are turned away from a beauty spot in north Wales, police say.", "The total number of deaths within 28 days of a positive test during the pandemic is now above 90,000.", "The convicted murderer and music producer was described as \"talented but flawed\" in an online story.", "Police in Greater Manchester and South Yorkshire say they are expecting flooding in their regions.", "An eyewitness speaks publicly for the first time about the 2015 death of a man being restrained by police.", "Tory rebels hope to get another chance to outlaw trade deals with countries involved in mass killings.", "Lisbet Stone was turned away from her flight to London due to having an outdated Covid test.", "US tariffs on Scotch whisky and cashmere remain in place as UK fails to reach deal with Washington.", "Marion Dawson from Renfrewshire is the third oldest person in Scotland to be given the vaccine.", "Europe is gradually easing lockdown measures ahead of the tourist season.", "People accused of crimes in England and Wales - and alleged victims - wait years for a resolution.", "One person is killed and at least 10 are injured after vehicles collide on the Tohoku Expressway.", "Top medical adviser suggests schools in England may reopen region by region after lockdown.", "The Duchess of Sussex is suing the Mail on Sunday over the publication of her letter to her father.", "But researchers warn there is still a risk of catching and passing the virus on to others again.", "Out of 23,000 professors in UK universities only 155 are black, official figures reveal.", "Court cases face serious delays in the UK and lawyers say more investment in technology would help.", "The government is being scrutinised over trade deals with countries with poor human rights records.", "People who say Boris Johnson does not want Joe Biden as president are \"mistaken\", says Lord Sedwill.", "Police found evidence of sub-standard care at the Caerphilly home, an inquest hears.", "Matt Hancock says he will stay at home and urged others to do the same if \"pinged\" by the app.", "A collection of your tributes to some of the thousands of people in the UK who have died with coronavirus.", "The UK's push to secure a deal over fossil fuels is being undercut by a decision to allow a new coal mine, MPs warn.", "The number of people needing intensive care is expected to continue rising for at least two weeks.", "Ex-Marine John Deacy, 81, died with Covid-19 just two weeks after his last shift at the supermarket.", "Mainland Scotland and some islands to remain under toughest coronavirus rules until at least mid-February.", "Five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Tuesday evening.", "Labour accuses Kwasi Kwarteng of \"unpicking\" workers' rights, as minister confirms he will review rules.", "The unnamed man lived in Verbier, where the incident happened, police said.", "Boris Johnson promises £23m in compensation for exporters which have lost orders due to delays.", "Many parents struggle to meet their children's needs during the pandemic, say researchers.", "Alex Davies-Jones said \"like so many others\" she put off having a test for months.", "Paul Reid was the first person to reach Saffie-Rose Roussos, eight, after the bomb was detonated.", "Nicola Sturgeon says although there is \"cautious grounds for optimism\" on case numbers, the strictest rules will remain in place.", "Live updates from Trump's last hours in office before Democrat Joe Biden is sworn in as president on Wednesday.", "The artwork has been returned to an Italian museum - whose staff were unaware it was missing.", "A survey by consumer group Which? raises concerns over coronavirus leading to more cashless stores.", "Creator of the BBC crime drama says he \"always wanted to end Peaky with a movie\".", "University of Edinburgh scientists are a step closer to being able to reverse the damage caused by MND.", "Tory MPs want Parliament to debate ending trade deals with countries deemed responsible for genocide.", "Orthodox Christians, Putin among them, take an icy dip to commemorate a special day.", "The BBC speaks to Nirmal Purja, from the team of the first climbers to reach the K2 summit in winter.", "The UK has not always \"lived up to its values\" under Boris Johnson, his predecessor Theresa May says.", "Ambulance service staff in London explain the unique pressures of working during a pandemic.", "Pressure grows on PM after non-binding motion on universal credit top-up is passed by 278 votes.", "Are court backlogs creating miscarriages of justice? Helen Grady investigates.", "The Protection of Workers Bill will make it a new specific offence to assault, abuse or threaten Scottish retail staff.", "India pull off an astonishing run-chase to inflict Australia's first defeat at the Gabba since 1988 and take one of the all-time great series.", "The first minister says her statement to MSPs will concern the duration of Scotland's restrictions.", "Some 10% of the UK population is showing signs of recent infection, a doubling since October, says ONS.", "David Urpeth says smart motorways without a hard shoulder carry \"an ongoing risk of future deaths.\"", "A further 1,610 people die with Covid in the UK as Scotland extends its lockdown to mid-February.", "Campaigners are bringing a judicial review for indirect sexual discrimination on Thursday.", "All practices will have their own rollout plan but they have to meet official targets, says GP committee.", "Staff say there was a Covid outbreak after the \"party\" in a shut patisserie at Marylebone station.", "Hackers are selling Depop app account details on the dark web for as little as 77p each online.", "The bank has named the branches that will close between April and September, but aims to avoid redundancies.", "Large parts of northern and central England are expected to face sustained heavy rain from Tuesday.", "The PM leads UK politicians from all parties condemning the riot at the US Capitol building.", "One hospital boss said a two-week \"lag\" meant things could get worse before they get better.", "He wrote 30 novels about relationships and adventures involving young African American characters.", "That includes some of the most vulnerable patients who should soon have \"significant\" protection against the virus.", "He will lead negotiations with the government over the future of the licence fee.", "New 2020 car registrations sink to a 30-year low and see biggest one-year drop since the Second World War", "The bakery chain says it does not expect profits to return to pre-Covid levels until 2022 at the earliest.", "President Trump initially accused China of the hack against US government agencies in December.", "Joe Biden says it is \"totally unacceptable\" police showed more leniency in the Capitol riot than at anti-racism protests.", "All eyes are on the Senate runoff in Georgia, a key race that could help define Biden's presidency.", "Latest figures show more than 90,000 people in Scotland had received a first vaccination by late December.", "But there are fears bottlenecks in the system may hamper how fast NHS can deliver vaccines.", "The 19-year-old suffered life-changing injuries during the \"vicious\" assault in north London.", "Founder Annemarie Plas says the initiative will return on Thursday under the new name of Clap for Heroes.", "The US star says she had \"no idea\" what questions were included in a game bearing her image.", "Gavin Williamson will \"trust in teachers rather than algorithms\" in awarding this year's results.", "The hip-hop star and producer says he is \"doing great\" and \"getting excellent care\".", "A hearing is deciding whether Khairi Saadallah was motivated by a religious or ideological cause.", "The sites, including football stadiums and racecourses, will begin operations next week.", "Staff at one of London's busiest hospitals say it's not going to take much for services to soon break.", "BBC Two and CBBC will show content for primary and secondary pupils to watch without the internet.", "The police officer who the FBI said fired the fatal shot is dismissed for breaching policy.", "The government closed schools to help reduce the virus spread but says nurseries should stay open.", "Investment company Hipgnosis buys a half share of 1,180 songs by the Canadian folk rocker.", "The latest executive order by the US president will only take effect after he has left office.", "Cases have fallen below England's but the new variant is spreading fast, the health minister says.", "As Trump supporters entered the US Capitol building, politicians halted debate inside.", "Five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Wednesday morning.", "The US Capitol has gone into lockdown amid violent clashes between police and Trump supporters, who broke security lines and are inside the building.", "The investigators were turned back, with Beijing saying \"there might be some misunderstanding\".", "President Trump and others have made unsubstantiated claims of fraud in two Senate election run-offs.", "US lawmakers and staff are seen wearing protective gas masks as police draw guns on protesters.", "In a TV address, Labour's leader says millions of doses need to be given each week by the end of January.", "One scam tells recipients they are \"eligible to apply for your vaccine\" with a link to a bogus NHS website.", "At Fullwell Cross Medical Centre in north London, they are now vaccinating almost 1,000 people a week.", "Gordon Ramsay remembers late chef Albert Roux as \"the man who installed gastronomy in Britain\".", "The streaming giant is criticised for \"unfortunate\" timing during the new lockdowns.", "Roughly one in 50 people in England has got the virus, Prof Chris Whitty says.", "Details and reaction to a briefing by Wales' chief medical officer and the head of NHS Wales.", "Stores seek to reassure shoppers that there is no need to bulk-buy in new lockdown.", "It's been a \"Herculean achievement\" for Marieme and Ndeye, who survived against the odds.", "A top Chinese scientist addresses claims the coronavirus leaked from her lab in the city of Wuhan.", "The overnight temperature plunged below -12C in the north west Highlands.", "Former Manchester City and England midfielder Colin Bell dies aged 74 after a short illness, the Premier League club announces.", "The Trump administration pushes ahead with first oil lease sales in an Arctic wildlife refuge.", "A driver, who caused a Fife crash that led to his passenger losing her baby, admits causing death by dangerous driving.", "The news comes following confusion after her death was prematurely announced on Monday.", "All the latest news and results for the US Election 2020 from the BBC.", "Judge rules he has an incentive to abscond if allowed to leave jail before major appeal hearing.", "Drive-through and delivery services will still be available while it reviews its safety procedures.", "Head teachers warn replacement grades for GCSEs and A-levels must not repeat last year's \"disaster\".", "Leaders from around the world call for peace and a peaceful transfer of power in Washington.", "YouTube says the broadcaster posted banned Covid content, but it has decided to reinstate its channel.", "Poet Helen Mort is calling for a change in the law after images of her were edited with porn.", "Vocational exams such as BTECs are not being cancelled by the lockdown like GCSEs and A-levels.", "The government says it is considering the move to prevent the virus spreading \"across the UK border\".", "Stay-at-home orders are issued in England and Scotland, as UK classrooms face further disruption.", "There are concerns the new variant may spread too easily to be controlled by lockdown.", "The House of Commons approves the government's decision to impose tough restrictions across the country.", "FTSE 100 chiefs will by Wednesday have earned more this year than the average worker's annual wage.", "The BMA in Scotland says it is concerned about the potential impact of delaying the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine.", "There will be a \"gradual unwrapping\" of England's lockdown, Boris Johnson tells MPs ahead of a vote later.", "Police say organisers padlocked the door from the inside to stop officers getting in.", "Tributes are paid to Robert Rowland following the accident near his home in the Bahamas.", "The first minister denies claims she knew about harassment allegations earlier than she told parliament.", "The online retailer wants to buy the brands, not their shops, suggesting any deal would cost jobs.", "It's been 10 years since New Zealand's Pike River mine disaster, and families of victims still feel raw.", "Philip Gannaway served in Wales in World War One and his grave lies thousands of miles from home.", "Tens of thousands of people join some of the largest rallies against President Vladimir Putin in years.", "Despite the furlough scheme, employers decided to cut a record number of jobs during 2020.", "The fast fashion retailer is not purchasing the stores or taking on its staff, the BBC understands.", "Ministers are due to meet on Monday to consider whether to tighten the UK's border restrictions further.", "Firms say they have been advised by officials to set up EU hubs, but the government says it is not policy.", "One says he is surprised Boris Johnson shared the early data when it is \"not particularly strong\".", "Pressures on intensive care units are seeing one in 10 patients transferred to a different site.", "Footage shows a police car apparently driving through a group at a street race in Washington state.", "Israel has vaccinated more than a quarter of its population and now high school students are eligible.", "The claim comes after a coroner ruled two deaths on the M1 motorway were avoidable.", "As high risk groups continue to be immunised there are growing concerns that people with learning disabilities have been missed out.", "Ministers are urged to intervene amid rising Covid infection numbers at the Swansea office.", "Booking a jab by following a link in an email meant \"depriving someone else\" of a vaccine, he said.", "Some of those leading the nation's vaccination effort have told of their experiences.", "A study finds the new coronavirus variant is responsible for pushing the R rate above the crucial 1.0 mark.", "The vaccination centres temporarily closed in south Wales as a weather warning was extended.", "A Sunday Times poll shows 51% of people in favour of holding a border poll in NI within five years.", "The popular US broadcaster conducted about 50,000 interviews, from Nelson Mandela to Lady Gaga.", "Entrepreneur Elon Musk's SpaceX company delivers 143 satellites to orbit on a single rocket flight.", "Pavithra Wanniarachchi, Sri Lanka's health minister, tested positive for Covid on Friday.", "Boris Johnson said he looked forward to \"deepening the longstanding alliance\" between the UK and US.", "Keon Lincoln was attacked by a group of youths in the Handsworth area of Birmingham.", "He replaces Paul Davies who quit after drinking alcohol with other politicians in the Senedd.", "Conor McGregor is left stunned on his return to the UFC as Dustin Poirier wins their rematch at UFC 257 by technical knockout.", "The UK health secretary also says the UK has identified 77 cases of the Covid South Africa variant.", "Bruno Fernandes comes off the bench to fire Manchester United past fierce rivals Liverpool in a pulsating FA Cup fourth-round tie.", "Tens of thousands braved a police crackdown to show support for jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny.", "Vaccination appointments for over-70s in Scotland will arrive on Monday as planned - but in white envelopes.", "Manchester City score three times in the last 10 minutes to defeat League Two side Cheltenham and avoid one of the biggest shocks in FA Cup history.", "Some guests were found hiding in cupboards when police raided student flats in Birmingham.", "Motorists are urged to take care with sub-zero temperatures forecast into Monday.", "England's deputy chief medical officer urges those who have had the jab to stick to lockdown rules.", "TV footage from China shows the first miner being brought to the surface, as emergency workers applaud.", "The extraordinary life of an American who invited hundreds of thousands to his Paris home for dinner.", "UK residents can apply for the new card to access emergency medical care when their EHIC card runs out.", "County Mayo man howls with laughter while trying to record a birthday message for his son.", "New Covid curbs are necessary but they will hit the economy, Chancellor Rishi Sunak warns.", "Health Secretary Matt Hancock says 2.3 million people in the UK have now had a Covid-19 vaccine dose.", "The Countryfile star will present the Friday and Saturday editions of the BBC Radio 4 programme.", "A 20-year-old man who spent a week in intensive care says many young people are in denial about Covid.", "Home Secretary Priti Patel says the \"horrifying\" death toll underlines the need to follow restrictions.", "Seven mass vaccination centres have opened across England to help deliver the Coronavirus vaccine.", "Kitchen robots, new TVs, smart masks and a toilet that analyses your poo are among the new products.", "Customers will only be able to collect from Waitrose stores following a \"change in tone\" from the government.", "The father of a Reading terror attack victim asks why the killer was not considered a danger.", "Deliveries may be delayed in 28 areas due to \"resourcing issues\", the postal group says.", "Khairi Saadallah murdered three friends in a Reading park in a \"ruthless and brutal” terror attack.", "Anna Wintour hit back at claims that the informal picture downplayed Ms Harris's achievements.", "Investors have agreed a deal to save the chain, along with Ponden Home and Bonmarché.", "Officials say 170 individuals involved in deadly Capitol riots have been identified, and many more will be.", "Scotland's first minister says the current restrictions are \"very unlikely\" to be lifted at the end of the month.", "The celebrated 94-year-old broadcaster is the latest celebrity to have a first dose of the vaccine.", "The decision follows a rise in cases across the emirates in the past week, officials say.", "The Earl of Strathmore attacked a woman in her room during an event he was hosting at Glamis Castle.", "Use our search tool to find out about coronavirus rules and restrictions where you live.", "A supermarket worker says door staff are facing abuse when they challenge those not wearing masks.", "The facility at the ExCeL Centre also has the capital's first mass vaccination centre on site.", "Overall, patients are now more likely to survive, but death rates are high in intensive care.", "Earlier this month videos showing supposed empty hospitals were shared on social media.", "A leaked memo warns several Birmingham hospitals risk being \"overwhelmed\" by coronavirus patients.", "Boris Johnson was spotted at the Olympic Park on Sunday, despite government advice to \"stay local\".", "A slump in demand for fashion and homeware during lockdown left many retailers struggling.", "Last year saw 697,000 deaths registered in the UK - 14% above what would be expected.", "Eugene Goodman was hailed for luring a mob away from the Senate - now new heroics have emerged.", "Tweeters query why it has not been given to a prominent Kenyan like actress Lupita Nyong'o.", "Five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Tuesday morning.", "People are still holding house parties, raves and gambling gatherings, the UK's most senior police officer says.", "Dutch TV films officials confiscating ham sandwiches from UK drivers under new food import rules.", "The increasing number of staff off work could prevent the NHS Louisa Jordan opening to Covid patients.", "The Northern Lights were visible overnight from Shetland, Moray and the Highlands.", "The manager of a care home says they were promised the jab on New Year's Eve - but none have arrived.", "Downing Street defends the PM, while the Met Police chief says he did not act \"against the law\".", "Fans of the University of Alabama football team gathered in the streets of Tuscaloosa, ignoring social distancing.", "We share the stories of some of the 12,000 people who have died with coronavirus in Scotland.", "There has been speculation over moves to make lockdown stricter, as infection rates remain high.", "Isabella Curry said she now feels safe and will be able to go out and meet friends soon.", "An RAF aircraft breaking the sound barrier causes a loud bang in skies across the East of England.", "Three vaccines have been approved in the UK - what are the differences between them?", "Derbyshire Police apologises to two women fined £200 for driving five miles for a countryside walk.", "Cwm Taf Morgannwg saw the highest number of weekly deaths and the highest number since April.", "More than a third of people using screens more in lockdown reported eyesight changes, a study suggests.", "The home secretary says she will back police to enforce virus rules, as another 1,243 die in the UK.", "New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick turns down Donald Trump's offer, citing the Capitol riots.", "Mohamud Mohammed Hassan was arrested at home on Friday but released without charge on Saturday.", "As countries look to quickly vaccinate people, BBC reporters explain what's happening across Europe.", "Donald Trump made the decision days before Joe Biden, who wants friendlier US-Cuban ties, takes office.", "The laptops and tablets will be delivered to schools in England to support disadvantaged pupils.", "It follows similar moves by Morrisons and Sainsbury's, but those with medical reasons will be exempt.", "Doctors at the hospital say they're treating more younger patients than in the first wave.", "People refusing to wear face coverings who are not medically exempt will not be allowed to shop inside.", "The social network has hit back asking a federal judge to order it to be reinstated.", "Ministers are reluctant to make the rules even tougher at the moment - but would never rule it out.", "A Typhoon aircraft \"safely escorts\" a civilian aircraft to Stansted Airport, an RAF spokesman says.", "Leicester City edge a keenly contested Premier League encounter with Southampton to maintain their push for a top-four place.", "Health and frontline workers are first in line for jabs at vaccination centres across the country.", "The number of incidents reported to the child safeguarding panel in England rose by a quarter.", "Some areas could see freezing temperatures and 5-10cm of snow on Saturday, the Met Office says.", "CBBC star's mother, Lucy Lyndhurst, says his death has had a \"catastrophic effect\" on their family.", "Sea port managers fear the shift may be part of a long-term trend to ship from the Irish Republic.", "A critical engine test for Nasa's new \"megarocket\" - the Space Launch System (SLS) - ends early.", "Heavy rain is causing flooding and travel disruption, with a warning for ice also forecast.", "Douglas Jones had been enjoying his dream job before the pandemic forced him to return home to southern Scotland.", "Sir Iain Duncan Smith and Joanna Lumley speak out about employees allegedly owed a total of £200,000.", "The Daily Telegraph must publish a correction over Covid claims, press regulator Ipso rules.", "Plastic surgeons express shock at the stabbing of \"highly respected\" Graeme Perks in his home.", "The UK prime minister wants girls' education in developing countries to be a key international focus.", "Everyone has heard about doctors and nurses catching Covid-19 but cleaners and porters have been worse hit.", "Health groups say NHS staff fear prosecution over decisions if hospitals are overwhelmed.", "Red tape plus a \"poor\" Brexit deal mean fishermen fear for the future, says an industry body.", "Louis Godwin, 95, said he was \"so pleased\" to get his Covid-19 vaccination at Salisbury Cathedral.", "People in parts of eastern England woke to a thick covering of snow on Saturday morning.", "Prime Minister Boris Johnson says the action is needed to protect against the risk of new Covid strains.", "Prime Minister Jean Castex said the measures would be in place for at least 15 days.", "Statistics agency Nisra says 145 deaths were registered last week, bringing its pandemic total to 1,976.", "Holiday firms are expecting a \"bumper year\" once lockdown restrictions are lifted.", "As the UK records its highest death toll, Fergal Keane has been to see the strain the NHS is under for the second time.", "Five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Saturday.", "The latest UK government data also shows a further 1,295 deaths with 28 days of a positive test.", "Lahiru Thirimanne's unbeaten 76 frustrates England as a spirited Sri Lanka rally on the third day of the first Test in Galle.", "The Gerry and the Pacemakers singer died from a blood infection at the age of 78.", "Hundreds of thousands of DNA and arrest records were deleted after a human error, the Home Office says.", "Centrist Armin Laschet is now in a good position to succeed Angela Merkel as Germany's chancellor.", "Health officials warn the highly contagious UK Covid variant could become the dominant strain in the US by March.", "Replacement exam grades are likely to arrive earlier and be decided by teachers and a test.", "Donations of plasma from people who have recovered from the virus have been suspended.", "Prince William says he \"really worries\" about the effect of the pandemic on front-line workers.", "A letter from police chiefs also says 213,000 records were lost - more than first thought.", "Network Rail said a 24m section of side wall fell away from a bridge between Carmont and Stonehaven.", "US police held back a mob for hours in a \"barbaric\" battle at the Capitol. Here are their stories.", "David Chambers is accused of charging the woman £160 for a bogus jab.", "A Belfast mother says there is \"compelling evidence\" that her daughter was abducted in Malaysia.", "Mount Semeru has erupted, pouring volcanic matter miles into the air and placing locals on alert.", "The latest death and case figures should be a \"bitter warning for us all\", Public Health England says.", "The total number of deaths within 28 days of a positive test during the pandemic is now above 90,000.", "At least three people have died in a suspected gas blast that destroyed four floors of a building.", "Police in Greater Manchester and South Yorkshire say they are expecting flooding in their regions.", "Some 1,820 deaths have been reported in the past 24 hours - surpassing yesterday's previous high.", "The package will also see police target dealers and health services help people with addictions.", "Congratulating Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, the PM said it was a \"big moment\" for the UK and US.", "Marion Dawson from Renfrewshire is the third oldest person in Scotland to be given the vaccine.", "Boris Johnson faced questions on the UK's border policy, and the deletion of police records.", "The Duchess of Sussex is suing the Mail on Sunday over the publication of her letter to her father.", "There has been a fourfold increase in mortgage products for those offering a 10% deposit.", "The president responds to reports he is considering presidential pardons over alleged Russia collusion.", "Doris Hobday's family say they are \"totally heartbroken\" to lose her in this way.", "The big social networks are clamping down on threats of violence amid a tense wait for results.", "Some of the UK's biggest music stars sign an open letter demanding action over post-Brexit touring.", "The President-elect has a laundry list of priorities for his first 100 days in the White House.", "A collection of your tributes to some of the thousands of people in the UK who have died with coronavirus.", "The riots of 6 January took many by surprise, but to those tracking conspiracy and extreme right groups online, the warning signs were all there.", "Mainland Scotland and some islands to remain under toughest coronavirus rules until at least mid-February.", "Taking down pictures and clearing out desks is part of a huge operation readying for a new president.", "Labour accuses Kwasi Kwarteng of \"unpicking\" workers' rights, as minister confirms he will review rules.", "'This is our historic moment of crisis and challenge' - the new president knows how daunting his task is.", "Holidaymakers in 2021 must be fully vaccinated against Covid-19, the travel firm says.", "Boris Johnson calls it an \"outrageous\" error which officers are working \"round the clock\" to rectify.", "The new president is sworn into office by Chief Justice John G Roberts.", "The 22-year-old from LA is the youngest poet to perform at a presidential inauguration.", "Kamala Harris makes history as she is sworn in as US vice-president.", "Delays to smear tests in lockdown prompt cervical cancer charities to call for home-testing kits.", "It comes as industry workers warn their livelihoods are at risk due to Brexit border problems.", "Nine Met Police officers who broke lockdown rules have been asked to \"reflect on their choices\".", "Paul Pogba scores a superb winner as Manchester United reclaim top spot in the Premier League by coming from behind for a club-record equalling away win at Fulham.", "'This is our historic moment of crisis and challenge'. Read the 46th president's address in full.", "Online audiences for singalongs in the Llangollen church have \"exploded\", Father Lee Taylor says.", "Out-of-date tax systems mean people are falling through the cracks for help, MPs say.", "Orthodox Christians, Putin among them, take an icy dip to commemorate a special day.", "The ex-government adviser said the Tories would be seen as the \"nasty party\" by ending the top-up.", "They are all laughing at the camera, but what are the stories of the women next to Kamala Harris?", "More than 2,000 properties in Manchester are affected as police warn some occupants will have Covid.", "Services and waiting times must improve at the NHS's child gender-identity service, inspectors say.", "A further 1,820 people die in the UK within 28 days of a positive test - another all-time high.", "The UK has not always \"lived up to its values\" under Boris Johnson, his predecessor Theresa May says.", "The role of a president's inaugural cabinet goes beyond just policy - let's take a closer look.", "The body of Joy Morgan was found two months after a man was convicted of her murder.", "From \"the best talent in politics\" to \"Sloppy Steve\" and fraud charges - what went wrong for Steve Bannon?", "The Protection of Workers Bill will make it a new specific offence to assault, abuse or threaten Scottish retail staff.", "Donald Trump won a surprise victory in 2016 partly because he promised to shake things up. And boy, did he.", "The health minister asks the Ministry of Defence to help out, primarily at a number of hospitals.", "A National Audit Office report calls on the corporation to produce \"a long-term financial plan\".", "The last four years have been a whirlwind - we asked the experts to break down Trump's key moments.", "More work is needed to understand its benefits in schools in England given the new variant, health officials say.", "The BBC's James Cook returns to Monklands Hospital eight months on to find the staff struggling against the odds.", "President Biden inked 15 executive orders, moving to rejoin the Paris climate accord.", "His most famous Discworld novels were written in the house in Somerset, the estate agent says.", "Police say the van \"careered\" off the road and the man was rescued from the overturned vehicle.", "President Biden has said that democracy and 'freedom' are at stake in the upcoming 2024 election.", "All practices will have their own rollout plan but they have to meet official targets, says GP committee.", "The Duchess of Sussex is suing the Mail on Sunday over the publication of a letter to her father.", "Members of our voter panel all wish Joe Biden well, but they're divided over his chances of success.", "As Donald Trump prepares to leave office, here are some of the key moments of his presidency.", "A tearful President-elect Joe Biden says goodbye to his home state on the eve of his inauguration.", "Joe Biden makes his inaugural address as the 46th president of the United States.", "Parts of England prepare for widespread floods as Boris Johnson announces emergency Cobra meeting.", "Images from Joe Biden's swearing-in and first day as the 46th US President.", "The cupped clap of a butterfly's wings may be the key to their flying abilities and their survival.", "Relegation-threatened Fulham lose some of the momentum built up by their win at Everton but show battling qualities to claim a point at Burnley.", "The medical journal's editor says UK guidelines don't recommend giving different coronavirus jabs.", "They were hit while licking freshly laid salt on a road which is a black spot for animal accidents.", "Objects are thrown and officers threatened as they break up the New Year's Eve party in Essex.", "Former Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino is named Paris St-Germain boss following Thomas Tuchel's sacking.", "People driving to visit beauty spots in Wales are breaking Covid rules, a Snowdonia park warden says.", "The first doses of the latest coronavirus vaccination to be approved are due to be given on Monday.", "Japan's prime minister says the delayed Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics will go ahead this summer despite concern over rising coronavirus cases.", "Doctors urge public to \"take it seriously\" and follow coronavirus restrictions amid rising cases.", "Bishop, who recently tested positive for Covid-19, said boarding the Tardis was \"a dream come true\".", "Arsenal continue their Premier League resurgence with a ruthless victory over strugglers West Brom at The Hawthorns.", "Manchester United move level on points with Premier League leaders Liverpool as a Bruno Fernandes penalty seals victory over Aston Villa.", "NHS England says the facility is available to help the capital's hospitals as Covid-19 cases rise.", "New detectorist Owen Thomas says \"the link with a life that's gone\" appeals to him.", "Just one ticket matched all seven numbers in the New Year's Day draw.", "A court has ruled that Lisa Montgomery can be executed on 12 January, despite appeals from lawyers.", "A last-ditch attempt to overturn the result is overturned, days before the White House changes hands.", "Education Secretary Gavin Williamson drops plan to keep primaries open in 10 boroughs in the city.", "Footage is released of the first police-involved death in the US city since George Floyd's in May.", "The New Year's Eve event, held in a warehouse in a village in Brittany, was shut down on Saturday.", "Volunteers at All Saints Church in East Horndon have praised those who donated £8,700 for repairs.", "A study finds the new coronavirus variant is responsible for pushing the R rate above the crucial 1.0 mark.", "Amanda Quinn, diagnosed with rapid early onset dementia, says lockdown has been a \"scary\" time.", "Up to 300 people gather in London's Hyde Park to protest at Covid-19 restrictions.", "Nine people are still missing, two days after a hillside collapsed due to flowing clay mud.", "It comes as a further 57,725 people test positive for the virus, a new daily high.", "Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho says he is \"disappointed\" after three of his players breached coronavirus rules by attending a party over Christmas.", "The frontman, who found success with songs such as Summer in Dublin, \"passed away suddenly\" aged 65.", "The cryptocurrency's gain so far this year was almost $5,000 - after the value surged 300% in 2020.", "The government said soldiers had been sent to protect the area, close to Niger's border with Mali.", "All the latest news and results for the US Election 2020 from the BBC."], "section": ["Europe", "UK Politics", "Europe", "UK Politics", "Northern Ireland", "Family & Education", "Business", "UK", "Glasgow & West Scotland", "In Pictures", "Family & Education", "Manchester", "Health", "Birmingham & Black Country", "Business", "Wales", "South Scotland", "Northern Ireland", "Entertainment & Arts", "UK", "US & Canada", "Business", "Entertainment & Arts", "US & Canada", "Health", "Northern Ireland", "Manchester", "UK", "Business", "Wales", null, "US & Canada", "UK", "Northern Ireland", "Business", "US & Canada", "Northern Ireland", "Wales", "Business", null, "US & Canada", "England", "UK", "UK", "US & Canada", "Northern Ireland", "Wales", "Somerset", "US & Canada", "Bristol", "Northern Ireland", "Science & Environment", "UK", "Northern Ireland", "UK", "Business", null, "Kent", "In Pictures", "Wales", null, "Family & Education", "UK", 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Video footage showed the aftermath of the deadly explosion\n\nAt least three people have died following an explosion that caused a building to partially collapse in centre of the Spanish capital, Madrid.\n\nA fourth person was missing and several others were hurt, officials said.\n\nCity officials said the blast, which destroyed four floors of the building, had been caused by a gas leak.\n\nMayor José Luis Martínez Almeida told reporters after the blast that a fire was raging inside the building, which belongs to the Catholic Church.\n\nThe blast happened shortly before 15:00 local time (14:00 GMT) as gas workers were repairing a boiler at the back of the building in the central Puerta de Toledo area of Madrid.\n\nAn 85-year-old woman passer-by and two men were killed while a third man who had been working on the boiler was missing, Spanish media reported. One of the injured was in a serious condition and taken to hospital, according to officials.\n\nSpanish reports said the upper floors affected were being used to house local priests.\n\nRescue workers evacuated more than 50 people from a care home next-door to the building in Caille de Toledo, but a school on the other side was closed at the time of the blast.\n\nFour floors of the building were destroyed in the explosion, which could be heard in many areas of Madrid. Images shared on social media showed billowing smoke and debris strewn along the street.\n\nEmergency services said nine fire crews and 11 ambulances were at the scene and some of those caught up in the blast were treated on the street.\n\nFour floors of the building were destroyed in the explosion\n\nPolice officers cleared the area, closing it to all traffic and pedestrians, and appealed to local residents not to come near.\n\n\"The noise was very loud, very loud, really,\" Lorenzo Fomento, who was working from home at a nearby apartment, told AFP news agency. \"I never heard anything so loud before,\" he added.\n\nThe director of the nursing home, Antonio Berlanga, said all the elderly residents were fine and places were being found for them to spend the night.", "The EU has maintained its diplomatic mission in the UK after Brexit\n\nA diplomatic row has broken out between the UK and EU over the status of the bloc's ambassador in London.\n\nThe UK is refusing to give Joao Vale de Almeida the full diplomatic status that is granted to other ambassadors.\n\nThe Foreign Office is insisting he and his officials should not have the privileges and immunities afforded to diplomats under the Vienna Convention.\n\nIt is understood not to want to set a precedent by treating an international body in the same way as a nation state.\n\nAs it stands, the ambassador would not have the chance to present his credentials to the Queen like other diplomatic heads of mission.\n\nThe British decision is in marked contrast to 142 other countries around the world where the EU has delegations and where its ambassadors are all granted the same status as diplomats representing sovereign nations.\n\nJosep Borrell, the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs, has written to the Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, to express his \"serious concerns\".\n\nThe issue is expected to be discussed by EU foreign ministers next Monday when they meet for the first time since the post-Brexit transition period ended on 31 December.\n\nThe Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office wants to treat the EU delegation only as representatives of an international organisation.\n\nThis means EU diplomats would not have the full protection of the Vienna Convention, giving them immunity from detention, criminal jurisdiction and taxation.\n\nThe rights given to staff of international organisations are more ad hoc and less fixed.\n\nThe EU argues it is not a typical international organisation because it has its own currency, judicial system and the power to make law.\n\nIn his letter to Mr Raab last November, seen by the BBC, Mr Borrell says: \"Your service have sent us a draft proposal for an establishment agreement about which we have serious concerns.\n\nAmbassadors of nation states have certain privileges - including being able to present their credentials to the Queen\n\n\"The arrangements offered do not reflect the specific character of the EU, nor do they respond to the future relationship between the EU and the UK as an important third country.\n\n\"It would not grant the customary privileges and immunities for the delegation and its staff. The proposals do not constitute a reasonable basis for reaching an agreement.\"\n\nEU officials privately accuse the Foreign Office of hypocrisy because when the EU's foreign service - known as the External Action Service - was set up in 2010 as a result of the Lisbon Treaty, the UK signed up to proposals that EU diplomats be granted the \"privileges and immunities equivalent to those referred to in the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 18 April 1961\".\n\nOne EU source said: \"It seems petty. This is not about privileges, it's about principle. What does it say about the UK, about how much the British signature is worth?\"\n\nSome in the EU also fear hostile states might copy the UK and downgrade the protections granted to EU diplomats in their own countries. This could open them up to being harassed and make them easier for them to be expelled.\n\nA European Commission spokesman said: \"The UK, as a signatory to the Lisbon Treaty, is well aware of the EU's status in external relations, and was cognisant and supportive of this status while it was a member of the EU.\n\n\"The EU has 143 delegations, equivalent to diplomatic missions, around the world. Without exception, all host states have accepted to grant these delegations and their staff a status equivalent to that of diplomatic missions of states under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, and the UK is well aware of this fact.\"\n\nHe added: \"Nothing has changed since the UK's exit from the European Union to justify any change in stance on the UK's part.\n\n\"The EU's status in external relations and its subsequent diplomatic status is amply recognised by countries and international organisations around the world, and we expect the United Kingdom to treat the EU Delegation accordingly and without delay.\"\n\nA Foreign Office spokesperson said: \"Engagement continues with the EU on the long-term arrangements for the EU delegation to the UK. While discussions are still ongoing, it would not be appropriate for us to speculate on the detail of an eventual agreement.\"", "\"You need to take care of each other,\" President Macron told students in Paris\n\nFrench President Emmanuel Macron has promised all university students two meals a day for one euro (88p; $1.21) to help them cope during lockdown.\n\n\"We must be able to provide better support,\" he said at a meeting with students in Paris on Thursday.\n\nIt follows protests in which students called for more help to tackle loneliness and financial problems.\n\nFrance is currently under a 18:00-06:00 curfew, and coronavirus cases have risen steadily in recent weeks.\n\nMr Macron, who addressed students at Paris-Saclay university, also said the government would provide subsidies to pay for counselling and other mental health services.\n\nThe subsidies would take the form of a voucher which students can redeem if they feel the need to talk to a mental health professional, the president said.\n\nHe added that the discounted meals would be available from university canteens and other nearby outlets that are providing takeaways.\n\n\"We remain in a period of uncertainty,\" Mr Macron said. \"We will have a second semester that will have the virus and a lot of constraints.\"\n\n\"You need to take care of each other,\" he added.\n\nThe president spoke a day after students took to the streets to demand more attention from the government. They sought to raise awareness of the rising mental health problems many say they are suffering as a result of the pandemic.\n\nA combination of isolation, inactivity and concerns about the job market has left many students close to breakdown, according to university psychologists.\n\nRyan Kennedy says the French government is failing to take student issues seriously\n\n\"I've lived alone in a studio apartment since September - it's the first time I've ever lived alone,\" Ryan Kennedy, a 19-year-old law student in Montpellier, told the BBC.\n\nHe added: \"Not a day goes by without a friend calling me because they're struggling with their mental health.\"\n\nHeïdi Soupault, a political science student from Strasbourg, sent a letter to Mr Macron last week. \"I no longer have dreams,\" she said. \"If we have no hope or prospects for the future at 19, what do we have left?\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. \"Our mental health goes downhill in situations like this.\"\n\nMany of the protesting students are calling for a return to face-to-face teaching. Some first-year students will be able to return to the classroom from 25 January.\n\nBut, on Thursday, Mr Macron said all students should be allowed on campus once a week providing certain measures are in place.\n\n\"Given what your generation has already gone through, we cannot but take into account your right to some on-site presence, to exchange with your teachers, and to meet with other students,\" he said.\n\nFrance has had a curfew in place since December, but this was tightened on 16 January to the current hours of 18:00-06:00.\n\nBars, restaurants, theatres, cinemas and ski resorts remain shut. Schools, however, are open with extra testing in place.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Johnson: \"It's a big moment for us - we have things we want to do together.\"\n\nThe inauguration of President Joe Biden is a \"step forward\" for the United States, which has \"been through a bumpy period\", Boris Johnson has said.\n\nCongratulating Mr Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris, the UK PM said it was a \"big moment\" for the UK and the US and their \"joint common agenda\".\n\nMr Johnson said he looked forward to working with the US on tackling climate change and the coronavirus pandemic.\n\nMaking his inaugural address, Mr Biden said \"democracy has prevailed\".\n\nHe promised to be a president \"for all Americans\" and said his \"whole soul is in putting America back together again\".\n\nOutgoing President Donald Trump, who has not formally conceded to Mr Biden, did not attend the ceremony.\n\nPresident Biden began work straight away on reversing a number of his predecessor's policies, including rejoining the Paris climate change agreement - gaining the praise of Mr Johnson.\n\nThe PM tweeted it was \"hugely positive news\", adding: \"I look forward to working with our US partners to do all we can to safeguard our planet.\"\n\nEarlier this week the former head of the civil service Lord Sedwill suggested Mr Johnson would be glad Mr Trump had not been re-elected for a second term as US president.\n\nWriting in the Daily Mail, Lord Sedwill said those who believed Boris Johnson would have preferred Mr Trump to win again were \"mistaken\".\n\nThe former cabinet secretary - who stepped down in September - said a second term for Mr Trump \"would not have been to the benefit of British or European security, to transatlantic trade, let alone the environmental agenda to which the prime minister is so committed\".\n\nBoris Johnson with Donald Trump at the G7 summit in 2019\n\nMr Johnson's public stance toward the former president has varied over the years.\n\nIn 2015, when he was Mayor of London, Mr Johnson accused Mr Trump of \"stupefying ignorance\" over his comments about violence in the city.\n\nBut as foreign secretary, following Mr Trump's election as president, he said there was a \"lot to be positive about\", and in 2019, praised his \"many good qualities\".\n\nFor his part, Mr Trump has appeared largely supportive of Mr Johnson, backing his flagship Brexit policy and at one point saying of the British PM: \"They call him Britain Trump.\"\n\nAnd echoing his predecessor, in 2019 Mr Biden described the UK prime minister as a \"physical and emotional clone\" of Mr Trump.\n\nAfter winning the presidential election Mr Biden phoned Mr Johnson ahead of other European leaders and expressed his desire to strengthen the historic \"special relationship\" between the two countries.\n\nSpeaking on Wednesday, Mr Johnson said it was the job of all UK prime ministers to have a \"good, close working relationship\" with US presidents but, right now, there were many things the two countries \"wanted to do together\".\n\n\"When you look at the issues which unite me and Joe Biden, the UK and the US right now, there is a fantastic joint common agenda,\" he said. \"For us and America, it is a big moment.\"\n\nHe said he hoped the UK could help the US commit to a target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050 in the run up to the climate change conference COP 26, to be held in Glasgow this year.\n\nUK prime ministers like to consider American presidents as their best diplomatic friend.\n\nThat relationship, particularly when it comes to security and defence, is unusually close.\n\nWhen, as with Donald Trump, that friend has been unpredictable and unconventional, that has made for some very awkward political moments.\n\nSo for the government, this a really important and positive turning of the page.\n\nThe terribly over-used phrase the 'special relationship', which provokes neurotic behaviour on this side of the Atlantic, has meant the most when there has been a genuine personal chemistry between the two leaders - whether Thatcher and Reagan, or Bush and Blair.\n\nThere is nothing automatic about Mr Biden and Mr Johnson developing that kind of political friendship.\n\nBut in the words of one former senior minister, for the UK Biden means \"we will lose exclusivity but gain predictability: easier to work with, less cringeworthy and more dependable, but we may not be the only girlfriend on speed dial\".\n\nSpeaking to the Guardian, shadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy described Mr Biden as \"a woke guy\".\n\nAsked if he agreed, Mr Johnson said: \"I can't comment on that. What I know is that he's a firm believer in the transatlantic alliance and that's a great thing.\"\n\nHe added that there was \"nothing wrong with being woke - I put myself in the category of people who believe that it's important to stick up for your history, your traditions and your values, the things you believe in.\"\n\nOpposition leader Sir Keir Starmer also sent his congratulations to the new president and vice-president.\n\n\"The US begins a new chapter in its history, one of hope, decency, compassion and strength,\" the Labour leader said, adding \"together, our two nations can build a better, more optimistic future for our world.\"\n\nAnd First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon tweeted: \"Warm congratulations and best wishes to President Biden and Vice President Harris.\n\n\"Scotland and the USA share long-standing bonds of friendship and co-operation. We look forward to building on these in the years ahead.\"\n\nWriting in the Daily Mail, former UK Prime Minister Theresa May said Mr Biden's election presented the UK with a \"golden opportunity\" for Western democracies to reverse the trend towards \"absolutism\" - and a \"few strongmen facing off against each other\" - in global affairs.\n\nThe Queen sent a private message to Mr Biden before his inauguration, Buckingham Palace has said.", "Food supply problems into Northern Ireland from Great Britain are \"clearly a Brexit issue\", Ireland's foreign affairs minister has said.\n\nSimon Coveney said the shortages were \"part of the reality\" of the UK leaving the EU.\n\n\"Let's not pretend Brexit doesn't force that kind of change,\" he said, speaking on ITV's Peston programme\n\nOn Tuesday, the NI secretary said images of empty supermarket shelves had \"nothing to do with the protocol\".\n\nRather, Brandon Lewis argued the disruption caused by coronavirus before Christmas was responsible for the shortages of some food products.\n\nThe Northern Ireland Protocol between the UK and the EU requires health certifications on animal-based food products entering NI from the rest of the UK.\n\nMr Coveney said it meant \"very real change\" for some businesses, as there now had to be a \"certain number of checks\" on goods from Britain into Northern Ireland.\n\nHe said that some companies were not ready for this.\n\nMr Coveney said the Republic of Ireland would work with the UK and EU to \"make sure\" supermarket shelves were not empty in the future.\n\nHe said the Brexit divorce deal agreed with the EU by then-prime minister Theresa May would have caused less separation from Northern Ireland from the UK.\n\nAsked about Mr Coveney's comments, International Trade Secretary Liz Truss said the disruption had been \"down to both\" Covid and Brexit - but defended the situation.\n\nSpeaking on the Peston programme she said \"there was always going to be a period of adjustment for businesses\" and \"we are now seeing a more rapid flow of goods into Northern Ireland those supermarket shelves are being stocked\".\n\nMs Truss said the government would continue to support businesses, and that \"predictions of Armageddon haven't happened\".", "The education secretary has said he would \"certainly hope\" schools in England could reopen before Easter.\n\nGavin Williamson said he was \"not able to exactly say\" when pupils would go back but schools would be given two weeks' notice before reopening.\n\nPrimary and secondary schools remain closed, apart from to vulnerable pupils and the children of key workers.\n\nDowning Street said the prime minister wanted schools to open as quickly as possible but would follow the evidence.\n\n\"If we can open them up before Easter then we obviously will do but that is determined by the latest scientific evidence and data,\" the prime minister's official spokesman said.\n\nThe Downing Street spokesman was also less specific about the promise of two weeks' notice, saying: \"We want to give schools as much notice as possible.\"\n\nSchools have been closed to most pupils so far this term, with primary schools closing after one day back, in response to rising Covid levels.\n\nPupils have been told they will be learning at home until at least half-term in mid-February.\n\nBut Mr Williamson was pressed on BBC Radio 4's Today programme whether he could guarantee that schools would reopen at all this term, before the Easter holidays.\n\n\"I want to see them, as soon as the scientific and health advice is there, open at the earliest possible stage - and I certainly hope that would be certainly before Easter,\" said the education secretary, who's responsible for schools in England.\n\nHe said schools and parents would have \"absolutely proper notice\" of when children were going to return, which he said would be a \"clear two weeks\" for teachers and families to get ready.\n\nA lesson from the first lockdown was that it's much harder to reopen schools than to close them.\n\nParents and teachers have to be persuaded again it's safe to go back, families need advance notice to plan their work and childcare, schools need to organise their staffing.\n\nAnd there are other parents who will be pushing for schools to go back as soon as possible, in addition to the vulnerable and key workers' children already attending.\n\nFor Education Secretary Gavin Williamson, already under pressure, it means a high-stakes balancing act - and it clearly remains uncertain whether this will happen for all schools before the Easter holidays.\n\nWhat seems likely, from Mr Williamson and England's deputy chief medical officer Jenny Harries, is that this could be a patchwork return beginning after half-term, rather than a single starting date, depending on local levels of the virus.\n\nThe biggest teachers' union, the National Education Union, said schools and parents needed certainty and not a \"stop-start approach\".\n\nLast week Mr Williamson indicated to the Commons education committee that schools in some parts of the country might stay closed at the end of the lockdown, with a return to the \"contingency\" arrangements, under which schools in areas of high infection would be shut.\n\nOn Tuesday, England's deputy chief medical officer Jenny Harries also said schools might reopen region by region in a phased return after half-term.\n\nLabour has accused the education secretary of causing \"chaos and confusion\" and called on him to resign.\n\nParty leader Sir Keir Starmer said providing two weeks' advance notice of opening was \"good news coming from an education secretary who normally gives them about 24 hours' notice\".\n\nSir Keir said the government needed to \"give children the ability to learn at home now\" and \"get on with the blindingly obvious\" task of getting testing in place in schools.\n\nAsked about his own future, Mr Williamson said: \"Our focus is making sure that we get the very best of remote education out to all children across the country, making sure that we return schools at the earliest possible moment.\"\n\nIn terms of his own achievements, the education secretary said: \"I'll let other people do the grading.\"\n\nSchools have also been closed by other governments in the UK. In Scotland and Northern Ireland they will remain closed until at least the middle of February, while in Wales the next review of restrictions will be on 29 January.\n\nThe government has also paused plans to roll out rapid daily coronavirus testing in all but a small number of secondary schools and colleges, with health officials saying the new variant meant the risk of missing infections had risen.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Sir Keir Starmer on Gavin Williamson: \"You would struggle... to find many people who would give him more than an F.\"\n\nBut Mr Williamson emphasised that mass testing in schools would continue, clarifying that it was the daily tests for those who had been in contact with a positive case which had been stopped.\n\nThe education secretary was also challenged on the fairness of setting tests as part of the replacement for cancelled GCSEs and A-levels, considering pupils will have missed different amounts of time in school.\n\nMr Williamson said the tests were only \"one element\" for deciding replacement results, which would be based on teachers' grades.\n\n\"That's why we're asking teachers to make a judgement in the round. We're asking teachers to look at the work they've been doing over the whole period of time they've been studying the course,\" he said.", "Low-deposit mortgages have made a return as the market emerges from a Covid-related slowdown.\n\nMortgage products for homeowners with a deposit of 10% of their property's value have risen more than fourfold compared with last summer's low.\n\nThe increase, based on figures from financial information service Moneyfacts, could offer some relief to first-time buyers.\n\nBut the cost of mortgages will remain an issue for many.\n\nIn early September last year, there were only 44 mortgage products available for those able to offer a 10% deposit. At the same time, first-time buyers putting money aside for a deposit were faced with pressures of poor savings rates and rising house prices.\n\nThat choice has now risen to 197 products, according to the Moneyfacts figures, with some big lenders returning in recent weeks.\n\nMortgage products for those able to offer a 15% deposit have also risen sharply, although the choice was already much greater.\n\n\"First-time buyers who may have been concerned that with record low savings rates and increasing house prices, their homeownership dreams may have had to be shelved, may have been pleased to note that we are now seeing some providers return products for those with 10% deposits,\" said Eleanor Williams, from Moneyfacts.\n\nLenders had been grappling with the practical effects that the coronavirus pandemic brought to their business.\n\nWhile some new businesses targeted first-time buyers on social media, many traditional lenders withdrew products from the market.\n\nStaff shortages, and employees working from home, meant they were unable to process applications as fast as they had before the pandemic.\n\nThere were also concerns among lenders that, despite strong activity in the housing market, riskier - and younger - first-time buyers could find it difficult to make mortgage repayments during an economic slowdown caused by the pandemic.\n\nResearch has shown that younger workers are more at risk of redundancy.\n\nAaron Strutt, from mortgage broker Trinity Financial, said lenders were now working more efficiently despite staff still being at home.\n\nHe said that some of the biggest mortgage lenders had returned to the market. Some of the mortgage rates they were offering were not as attractive as they had been, but competition would help push down costs.\n\n\"If you are planning to purchase a property and have a 10% deposit the mortgage rates are not as cheap as they used to be, but they are getting better,\" he said.\n\nMany thousands of existing mortgage-holders who had struggled to make their repayments during the pandemic had taken payment \"holidays\", which are deferrals on payments.\n\nThe latest figures from UK Finance, which represents lenders, show that 130,000 mortgage payment holidays were in place at the end of December 2020, down from a peak of 1.8 million in June last year.", "US President Joe Biden is now speaking from the White House about how his administration will tackle the coronavirus pandemic.\n\nHe says he has been meeting with his Covid response team, and it will “take months” to turn around the situation in the country.\n\nToday he is going to unveil a “national strategy” on Covid-19, he says, which is “comprehensive” and is based on “science and not politics”.\n\nThe plan, which consists of 198 pages, will start with an “aggressive, safe and effective” vaccination campaign.\n\nBut it will take months to protect everyone, he says, so in the meantime, \"mask up\", he tells the American people.\n\nWearing a mask, he says, is \"a patriotic act\".\n\nTo follow our coverage of his first day, head here.", "The emergency department at Glasgow's Queen Elizabeth University Hospital is the biggest and busiest in Scotland.\n\nAmbulances keep arriving, bringing more patients. In a curtained cubicle, one man is explaining to the doctor that he's been in pain for days, but he put off coming in \"because of everything that's going on\".\n\nDr Alan Whitelaw, who runs the department, says that while there might be fewer patients coming through his door, there are no longer any \"easy wins\".\n\n\"Those that are coming are the sick people,\" he says. \"We are undoubtedly seeing the effects of people not seeking healthcare for six to 10 months.\n\n\"We are seeing disease that we wouldn't always see and we are seeing it further down the road.\n\n\"We are making more diagnoses that potentially would be made in primary care or outpatient clinics. On top of that we've got lots of Covid patients coming through the door.\n\n\"So it is those two things together that currently put the NHS under that significant pressure.\"\n\nAll over Scotland, hospitals are under severe pressure, with some treating significantly more coronavirus patients than they did during the first wave of the pandemic.\n\nPublic visitors are not allowed at the QEUH, but BBC Scotland was given special permission to film to highlight the impact of Covid and the importance of following lockdown rules.\n\nOn the day of the BBC's visit, there are 244 Covid patients. Critical care is running at capacity, and across the whole hospital it's a constant challenge to find space for new patients.\n\nDr Whitelaw says the level of unpredictability is extreme. His team has run out of spare beds.\n\n\"We are ten months into strange and difficult times. It's winter, no-one's had a holiday, no-one's had much downtime.\n\n\"Hospitals are fuller in winter, beds are tighter and patients are sick\".\n\nUpstairs, one ward that previously treated patients with infectious diseases like flu or norovirus, is now a Covid ward. All 28 beds are full.\n\nSome patients here are recently diagnosed, others are coming to the end of their isolation, while some have been stepped down from critical care, but need rehabilitation.\n\nSenior charge nurse Karen Paton says it feels like patients are now sicker for longer.\n\n\"We've had this going on for more or less a year now and staff are beginning to feel the emotional distress of it,\" she says.\n\n\"Having to deal with patients succumbing to coronavirus, and just having the emotions of all the patients not being able to have contact from their families.\n\n\"I think it's beginning to take its toll on everybody.\"\n\nCovid patient Gerry Gilroy says QEUH staff have been \"superb\"\n\nIn one room on the ward is Gerry Gilroy, who tested positive for Covid in late December. By 8 January, the day of his 66th birthday, he could barely get out of bed and couldn't eat.\n\n\"It just hit me and I knew there was something not right,\" he says.\n\n\"I know how serious it is. I never thought it would hit me. It's been a bit of an experience but thankfully I'm on the mend.\n\n\"The staff here are superb. When I get out of here, if I can do something for the NHS I'm going to. Doctors, cleaners, nurses, all top drawer.\"\n\nThe impact of Covid is being felt across the hospital. The acute receiving area used to be the first stop for people who needed urgent surgery.\n\nNow it's where medics like Dr Colin Perry assess Covid patients sent in by their GP or NHS 24. It's another area that's full.\n\n\"In the first wave our ICU was busy and it remains very busy, but during that period we had free beds,\" says Dr Perry.\n\n\"This time we have much more pressure on the downstream ward areas, so it is harder to manage the wider needs of the hospital and make room for patients to move through the system.\n\n\"The numbers are far higher than they were a year ago.\"\n\nRepurposing so many wards to treat coronavirus patients has meant some routine work had to be postponed, but staff are working to prioritise all different kinds of treatment.\n\nHelen Dorrance is a senior surgeon who specialises in bowel cancer at the QEUH. On the day the BBC visits she is operating on patients from another hospital to help relieve pressures there.\n\nDemand for critical care makes it difficult to operate some services, but cancer treatment is still running.\n\n\"We work together as a team across the region to make sure people who are the highest priority get dealt with,\" she says. \"But everyone gets their fair share and access to the care they need.\n\n\"It's not a choice, we do have to provide the best care we can for Covid patients and my critical care colleagues are stepping up to the mark.\n\n\"But the rest of us are making sure the rest of the service runs the way it should, so if you have your heart attack or stroke the right people are there to give you the best care.\"\n\nComing to hospital for any reason during the pandemic is a different experience, and services are stretched.\n\nBut the emergency department's Dr Whitelaw adds that no matter what happens, they will cope.\n\n\"We don't come to work to worry or be fearful, we come to work to do our best and to help,\" he says.\n\n\"I think there's an uncertainty about what the next two to three weeks look like.\n\n\"It might be very, very challenging but I have absolute faith that the staff here will continue to do everything that is required.\n\n\"I think the public should be reassured that no matter what is thrown at us we will definitely get through it.\"", "A council worker in Didsbury, Manchester, checks a bridge for damage, after heavy rainfall. On Thursday morning, there were more than 200 flood warnings in place across the country", "There is still no long-term decision on whether to cut fees as a review recommended\n\nUniversity tuition fees in England will be frozen at a maximum of £9,250 for the next academic year.\n\nThe Department for Education (DfE) said a longer-term decision on cuts to fees would be delayed until the next Comprehensive Spending Review.\n\nBut education sector groups said the government \"is wasting an opportunity\" to help university students.\n\nMinisters also set out plans to improve post-16 vocational education including student loans for adult learners.\n\nThe DfE also launched a consultation on changing the timetable for applying to university - to a so-called \"post-qualification admissions\" system.\n\nThis would mean admissions being based on the grades achieve by students, rather than not relying on predictions.\n\nThe government outlined its plans for higher education reforms for over-18s in response to a landmark review, commissioned by the government from finance expert Philip Augar. Its recommendations were published in May 2019.\n\nPlanned reforms include making £2.5bn available for technical qualifications for adult learners through the National Skills Fund, a lifelong student loan entitlement for up to four years of higher education and the prioritising of funding for STEM subjects.\n\nBut the Augar review's recommendations to reduce tuition fees to £7,500, alongside implementing reforms to minimum entry standards and foundation years at universities, were not addressed in this latest response.\n\nThe DfE said given the pandemic \"now is not the right time to conclude the review in full\".\n\nAny further reforms are expected to be announced at the next Spending Review.\n\nMr Augar also suggested the return of maintenance grants for poorer university students as part of his review, but there was not mention of this in the interim response.\n\nUniversity and College Union general secretary Jo Grady said: \"Sadly this interim response confirms that there will not be a radical change to the current system.\n\nThe Augar review recommended tuition fees should be cut to £7,500 and maintenance grants reintroduced\n\n\"The Westminster government is wasting an opportunity to make a real difference for students and institutions.\"\n\nProf Julia Buckingham, president of Universities UK , welcomed the prospect of lifelong loans, saying \"it is encouraging to see government's commitment to making lifelong learning opportunities more accessible to all\".\n\nHowever, Prof Buckingham said \"government should provide maintenance grants for those who need them the most, including those considering studying shorter courses on a modular basis\".\n\nAs part of its Skills for Jobs White Paper, published alongside higher education reforms, the DfE said it wanted to \"put an end to the illusion that a degree is the only route to success and a good job and that further and technical education is the second-class option\".\n\nA white paper is a policy document produced by the government to set out their proposals for future legislation.\n\nIn December, the government announced that tens of thousands of adults without an A-level or equivalent would be able to benefit from nearly 400 fully-funded courses from April.\n\nIt was the first major development in Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Lifetime Skills Guarantee (LSG) scheme, which was launched in September.\n\nThe government wants to boost the status of vocational education\n\nMr Johnson said it would mean \"everyone will be given the chance to get the skills they need, right from the very start of their career\".\n\nEducation Secretary Gavin Williamson said: \"These reforms are at the heart of our plans to build back better, ensuring all technical education and training is based on what employers want and need, whilst providing individuals with the training they need to get a well-paid and secure job.\"\n\nBritish Chamber of Commerce director general Adam Marshall welcomed the plans to put the skills needs of businesses at the heart of further education.\n\n\"As local business leaders look to rebuild their firms and communities in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, it is essential to ensure that the right skills and training provision is in place to support growth,\" he added.\n\nBut organisations representing school and college leaders are also sceptical that there is enough funding for the further education sector to deliver on the proposals.\n\nIn November, an the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) said FE colleges and sixth forms faced significant financial uncertainty.\n\nChief executive of the Association of Colleges David Hughes said: \"Colleges have been calling for this, after years of being overlooked and underutilised, but government has to not only recognise the vital college role, it also needs to increase funding.\"", "Video caption: David Olusoga learns the stories of the first inhabitants of the house in the 1840s-50s.\n\nDavid Olusoga learns the stories of the first inhabitants of the house in the 1840s-50s.", "One of the mysteries of Covid-19 is why oxygen levels in the blood can drop to dangerously low levels without the patient noticing.\n\nIt is known as \"silent hypoxia\".\n\nAs a result, patients have been arriving in hospital in far worse health than they realised and, in some cases, too late to treat effectively.\n\nBut a potentially life-saving solution, in the form of a pulse oximeter, allows patients to monitor their oxygen levels at home, and costs about £20.\n\nThey are being rolled out for high-risk Covid patients in the UK, and the doctor leading the scheme thinks everyone should consider buying one.\n\nA normal oxygen level in the blood is between 95% and 100%.\n\n\"With Covid, we were admitting patients with oxygen levels in the 70s or low-or-middle 80s,\" said Dr Matt Inada-Kim, a consultant in acute medicine at Hampshire Hospitals.\n\nHe told BBC Radio 4's Inside Health: \"It was a really curious and scary presentation and really made us rethink what we were doing.\"\n\nDr Inada-Kim became the national clinical lead of the Covid Oximetry@home project.\n\nA pulse oximeter slips over your middle finger and shines a light into the body. It measures how much of the light is absorbed in order to calculate oxygen levels in the blood.\n\nIn England, they are being given to people with Covid who are over 65, younger but have a health problem, or anyone doctors are concerned about. Similar schemes are being rolled out across the UK.\n\nPeople measure and record their oxygen levels three times a day.\n\nThis YouTube post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on YouTube The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts. Skip youtube video by Health Education England - HEE This article contains content provided by Google YouTube. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Google’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts.\n\nIf oxygen levels drop to 93% or 94%, then people speak to their GP or call 111. If they go below 92%, people should go to A&E or call 999 for an ambulance.\n\nStudies, which have not been reviewed by other scientists, have shown even small drops below 95% are linked to an increased risk of dying.\n\nDr Inada-Kim said: \"The point of this whole strategy is to try to get in early to prevent people getting that sick, by admitting patients at a more salvageable point in their illness.\"\n\nChris Harris, who is 70, was one of the first patients to benefit from the scheme.\n\nHe was being treated for a urinary infection in November last year, but then when he developed unexpected flu-like symptoms his GP sent him for a Covid test. It was positive.\n\n\"I don't mind admitting I was in tears, it was a very stressful, frightening time,\" he told Inside Health.\n\nHis oxygen levels dropped a couple of percentage points below the normal zone, so after a call with his GP, he went to hospital.\n\nAt this point he was still feeling fine, but things changed the day after he was admitted.\n\n\"My breathing started to get a little bit laboured, I had a high temperature as the days went on, [my oxygen levels] were progressively getting lower, they were in their 80s,\" he told me.\n\nChris was treated, did not need intensive care and has made a full recovery.\n\nHe said: \"I may have gone [to hospital] as the very last resort and that's the frightening thing. It was the oxygen meter that forced me to go, I would have just sat it out thinking I would recover.\n\n\"I am extremely lucky and very, very grateful.\"\n\nHis GP, Dr Caroline O'Keefe, says she has seen a massive increase in the number of people being monitored.\n\nShe said: \"On Christmas Day we were monitoring 44 patients, today I have 160 patients who I am monitoring daily. So we are certainly busy.\"\n\n\"We've had to quadruple the size of our team in the last two weeks.\"\n\nOverall, NHS England has supplied around 300,000 pulse oximeters for the home-monitoring scheme.\n\nDr Inada-Kim says there isn't definitive proof that the gadget saves lives and it could take until April to know for sure. However, the early signs are all positive.\n\n\"What we think we can see are the early seeds of a reduction in the length of stay after a hospital admission, an improvement in survival and a reduction in the pressures on the emergency services,\" he said.\n\nHe is so convinced of their role in tackling silent hypoxia that he said everyone should consider buying one.\n\n\"Personally I would, and I know a number of colleagues who have bought pulse oximeters to distribute to their loved ones,\" he said.\n\nHe advised checking they had a CE Kitemark and to avoid apps on smartphones, which he said were not as reliable.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nA mosque has become the first in the UK to open as a Covid vaccination centre.\n\nThe Al-Abbas Islamic Centre in Balsall Heath, Birmingham is expected to vaccinate up to 500 people a day.\n\nThe imam, Sheikh Nuru Mohammed, said he hoped it would help dispel false information that the vaccine was forbidden in Islamic law.\n\nNHS England said it fears disinformation could be causing some in the UK's South Asian communities to reject the Covid vaccine.\n\n\"It will send a strong message to our Muslim brothers and sisters. We are doing this to say a big 'no' to fake news and a big 'yes' to the vaccine,\" Sheikh Nuru said.\n\n\"Muslim scholars advise us to get the vaccine because the sanctity of life is important in Islam.\"\n\nImam Sheikh Nuru Mohammed said he hopes the opening of the vaccination centre will help dispel false information\n\nDr Rizwan Alidina, a trustee of the mosque and member of the Birmingham and Solihull Clinical Commissioning Group said: \"The significance of the venue is obviously quite evident with particularly the Muslim community being one of the communities with a bit of a lower uptake than we would otherwise have expected.\"\n\nHe said there had been a good response to the opening of the centre at the mosque and hoped it would soon be carrying out between 300 and 500 vaccinations a day.\n\nNHS England regional medical director for London Dr Vin Diwakar told a Downing Street press conference some communities had \"legitimate and understandable concerns about the vaccines\".\n\nHe said despite it being a \"safe and effective vaccine\", for some Asian and black communities there were \"longstanding concerns\" that \"go back generations\".\n\nDr Diwakar said some people were \"told by their grandparents that experiments were done in the early part of the last century, that unethical experiments were done way back in the 60s\".\n\nSpeaking at the Downing Street briefing, Home Secretary Priti Patel also sought to counter disinformation targeted at people from minority ethnic backgrounds.\n\n\"This vaccine is safe for us all,\" she said.\n\n\"It will protect you and your family... So I urge everyone from across our wonderfully diverse country to get the vaccine when their turn comes to keep us all safe.\"\n\nOne of the first to get the jab at he Birmingham mosque, retired GP Dr Masud Ahmad, said his message to others in the local community was \"that it's quite safe to have it and they should have it\".\n\nOther places of worship, including Salisbury Cathedral and Lichfield Cathedral, opened as vaccine centres last week.\n\nThe Al-Abbas Islamic Centre is administering the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine\n\nFollow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Thousands of London taxi drivers plan to sue Uber for damages alleging the ride-hailing firm operated unlawfully.\n\nThe planned group legal action could, if successful, hit Uber with a bill for millions of pounds.\n\nThe action, part of a planned anti-Uber campaign by black-cab drivers this year, claims it didn't follow private hire rules between 2012 and 2018.\n\nUber said it \"operates lawfully in London and these allegations are completely unfounded\".\n\nThe group action, which will be launched by law firm Mishcon de Reya, will allege that for six years Uber operated unlawfully in London.\n\nTaxi rules in London mean that people have to contact a centralised office for minicabs, whereas they can hail a black cab on the street.\n\nThe lawsuit will claim that between 2012 and 2018, Uber let people hail its drivers directly, contravening those rules.\n\nLitigation specialist RGL Management, which is also working with the cabbies to bring the case, said more than 4,000 had signed up so far.\n\nThere are about 5,200 further registrations being processed, with hundreds of enquiries per day, it said. The firm is funding a marketing campaign, and is looking to sign up as many as 30,000 eligible drivers.\n\nA full-time driver over those six years could claim about £25,000 in lost earnings, it added. The group action is aiming to bring a case to the High Court no later than the first quarter of 2022.\n\nThis is not the first time that London's black cabs have done battle with Uber, but today's announcement shows neither side have conceded defeat.\n\nThe proposed claim itself is huge - loss of earnings for up to 30,000 drivers for nearly 6 years - and comes at a time when London black cabs and private hire vehicle drivers are struggling for work after nearly a year of lockdowns and restrictions.\n\nUber might now have its licence back, but the black cabs aren't willing to give them an easy ride.\n\nAn Uber spokeswoman said: \"Uber operates lawfully in London and these allegations are completely unfounded.\n\n\"We are proud to serve this great global city and the 45,000 drivers in London who rely on the app for earnings opportunities, and are committed to helping people move safely.\"\n\nUber has had a torrid history in the UK capital including previous lawsuits.\n\nIn February 2019 cab drivers lost a legal challenge which argued that Uber's London operating licence was granted by a biased judge.\n\nUber then went on to lose its licence to operate in London in November 2019 after safety concerns.\n\nBut in September last year it was spared a London ban after a judge upheld an appeal against Transport for London's decision over safety.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Drone footage captures the extent of the damage the bridge over the River Clwyd\n\nFinancial help has been promised to those affected by serious flooding, the Welsh Government has announced.\n\nPeople have been forced to leave their homes and a major incident declared after Storm Christoph struck.\n\nAbout 80 people were evacuated during flooding thought to be related to mine works in Skewen, Neath, while 30 were evacuated in Bangor-on-Dee, Wrexham.\n\nThe Welsh Government said it would work with councils to deliver £500-£1,000 payments to affected households.\n\nEnvironment minister, Lesley Griffiths, said people across Wales were facing the \"twin problems\" of floods and the coronavirus pandemic.\n\nShe said: \"We will support people in these circumstances just as we did in the aftermath of storms Ciara and Dennis last year, by working with local authorities to make support payments of between £500 and £1,000 available for each household flooded.\"\n\nSevere flood warnings remain in place across Wales as river levels remain high.\n\nIn the Lower Dee Valley a severe flood warning remains in force, from Llangollen to Trevalyn Meadow, and a major incident was declared in Bangor-on-Dee.\n\nWrexham council leader Mark Pritchard said teams worked to ensure the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, made on Wrexham Industrial Estate, was not lost in the floods.\n\nFirefighters in Skewen waded through water up to their thighs amidst reports of evacuated homes\n\nAbout 80 people were evacuated in Skewen, including residents of a care home, after at least eight streets were left under water.\n\nEmergency services said there were no injuries and all those evacuated had been found accommodation, but people are asked to avoid the area.\n\nIn Denbighshire, a bridge linking Trefnant to Tremeirchion over the River Clwyd collapsed in the storm. The council said it would be investigating the cause of the flooding, which forced road closures and evacuations.\n\nNatural Resources Wales (NRW) said the River Dee, which runs through Bangor-on-Dee, was at its highest recorded level since the water gauge became operational in 1996 - 16.45m (54ft).\n\nIt urged people across Wales to remain vigilant, with river levels not set to have peaked until late Thursday evening, adding they would remain high until Friday morning.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe Met Office said over the past two days Wales had the highest rainfall of the four UK nations.\n\nBetween 19 and 21 January, Aberllefenni in Gwynedd saw 188mm (7.5in) of rain, more than average rainfall for Wales for the whole of January, which is 156.89mm (63in).\n\nThat was followed by 180mm (7in) in Crai reservoir, Powys, 169.8mm (6.6in) in Treherbert, Rhondda Cynon Taf, and 166mm (6.5in) in both Maerdy, RCT, and Capel Curig, Conwy.\n\nLlechryd bridge in Ceredigion has been completely submerged by the River Teifi\n\nUp to 30 people were forced out of their homes in Bangor-on-Dee, Wrexham\n\nNatural Resources Wales said the River Dee was at its highest level since the water gauge became operational\n\nThe flooding threatened the supply of the coronavirus Oxford vaccine, which is produced at Wrexham Industrial Estate.\n\nWrexham council leader Mr Pritchard said it had to work to \"make sure we didn't lose the vaccinations in the floods\".\n\n\"I've been up all night... it's a very difficult time for us,\" he added.\n\nNorth East Wales Search and Rescue helped people whose homes were flooded in New Broughton, Wrexham\n\nWockhardt UK, which manufactures the vaccine, said at about 16:00 GMT on Wednesday, excess water surrounded part of its buildings.\n\n\"The site is now secure and free from any further flood damage and operating as normal,\" it said.\n\nThe clean-up has begun in Ruthin\n\nA multi-agency statement described the situation in Bangor-on-Dee as a \"major incident\".\n\nIt said: \"As a severe weather warning indicates that there is a risk to life...\n\n\"The evacuation effort continues, with all routes in and out of the village currently closed to the public due to the flooding.\"\n\nEarlier, some residents in Ruthin were told to leave their homes - people have been told Covid rules allow them leave their homes in an emergency.\n\nMeanwhile, a man's body was recovered from the River Taff near Blackweir in Cardiff.\n\nDozens of ducks and chickens, and 12 huskies were rescued by the RSPCA from a flooded farm in Bangor, while they also took hay to two donkeys stranded by flood water in Mold.\n\nSome 12 huskies had to be rescued after their kennels flooded\n\nDave Brown said the flooding in his home in Broughton, Flintshire, was horrific and his mother-in-law was rescued by firefighters.\n\n\"You don't realise the damage water does and everything that floats - the sheer volume of water. I am 6ft tall and it almost took me out,\" he said.\n\nDave Brown's mother-in-law was rescued from their home in Broughton, Flintshire\n\nWrexham council said some of the people forced to leave their homes were with relatives, while it found others accommodation after having to initially seek refuge in a church hall.\n\nNine properties in Berse Road in New Broughton were also evacuated.\n\nThe situation in Ruthin, Denbighshire, overnight was \"horrendous\", town councillor Stephen Beach said.\n\n\"The whole of Ruthin was on edge,\" he said.\n\n\"Some people were accommodated at the leisure centre, and others were offered places to stay by local residents. The community was superb.\n\n\"It was the sheer volume of water that came down - there was no stopping it.\"\n\nA yellow weather warning for ice for Wales has been issued by the Met Office until 10:00 GMT on Friday, with concerns it could lead to travel disruption, slips and falls.\n\nNumerous flood warnings and alerts remain in place across Wales, including two severe flood warnings.\n\nThe agency said flood defences were being used and river levels at Holt, Wrexham, would remain high for some time.\"There is therefore a significant risk of localised flooding problems and due to that the severe flood warning will remain in place until the levels drop,\" Keith Iven of NRW said\n\nIn Monmouthshire roads were closed following flooding, and the council said while water levels at the River Usk were dropping, a \"second peak\" on the River Wye had been expected on Thursday night.\n\nThe council had warned people living in Riverside Park, Monmouth, may be impacted and council workers were prepared to offer support.\n\nRiver Tywi has burst its banks in Carmarthen, affecting nearby businesses\n\nMid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service said it had attended 98 flooding-related incidents\n\nIt said it deployed swift water rescue teams to rescue 13 people from vehicles in floodwater. It also winched vehicles from water and pumped water from properties.\n\nIn Cardiff, emergency services attended a crash involving a number of vehicles at about 07:40 on the A4232 between Culverhouse Cross and the M4.\n\nNo-one was seriously injured, but both carriageways were closed for just over an hour. The road has since reopened.\n\nIn Carmarthen, people were treated for the effects of fumes after using a generator to pump water from their homes.\n\nIn Knighton and Crickhowell in Powys, crews spent Wednesday night pumping out a number of properties.\n\nIn Borth, Ceredigion, floodwater hit the water treatment plant, an electrical substation and eight properties.\n\nOgwen Valley Mountain Rescue Team had to rescue a man from the roof of his car.\n\nIt said he had tried to drive through the river ford along the road from Llandygai to Bangor, in Gwynedd, but had become stuck in deep water and had climbed onto the roof. He was not injured.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Derek Brockway - weatherman This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nRhondda Cynon Taf council said it was aware of a minor landslip on the mountainside above Pentre.\n\nIt said an initial inspection determined there was no immediate threat to the area and a further detailed inspection would be carried out on Friday. It asked people to avoid the area.\n\nBangor-on-Dee has been badly hit by Storm Cristoph\n\nDozens of roads have been closed across Wales, and while Covid rules are in place stopping people from travelling apart from for essential reasons, people are being warned not to travel in affected areas due to widespread flooding.\n\nChris Lloyd from North Wales Mountain Rescue Association warned people to not visit flood-hit areas to view the damage.\n\nHe told BBC Radio Wales: \"People who are going out to look at the floods are not only putting themselves at risk, but putting additional people on the roads which professional emergency services don't want - we don't want any more incidents.\"\n\nDenbighshire council said Ysgol Bodfari in Denbigh and Ysgol Caer Drewyn, Corwen, which had been open for vulnerable children and the children of critical workers, have been closed.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "The A9 south of Inverness was among the worst affected routes\n\nHeavy snowfall during Storm Christoph has caused travel disruption in parts of Scotland.\n\nVehicles were stuck on the A9 south of Inverness and many roads in the Borders were affected by snow.\n\nThe Queensferry Crossing was closed for a time earlier due to the risk of falling ice before later reopening.\n\nAn amber alert for south-east Scotland was lifted at 08:00 but yellow alerts are in place in other parts of the country until Friday.\n\nTraffic was queued on the A9 after lorries and cars became stuck in snow between Tomatin and Carrbridge.\n\nTractors were used to tow lorries on to cleared stretches of the road.\n\nHeavy snow has also closed the main route to Applecross at the Bealach na Ba.\n\nThe Queensferry Crossing has been reopened after being closed earlier due to the risk of falling ice\n\nThe A939 Cock Bridge to Tomintoul road in Moray was closed after Police Scotland shut the snowgates due to the wintry conditions.\n\nSnow had also affected traffic on parts of the M8.\n\nOn the Highlands' Far North Line, a landslip between Fearn and Tain stations has affected services.\n\nNetwork Rail Scotland said a section of the railway was open with a 5mph speed restriction in place.\n\nChris Tracey, Bear Scotland's south east unit bridges manager, said the Queensferry Crossing was temporarily closed for the safety of bridge users.\n\nHe said: \"We had already mobilised additional ice patrols in response to the weather forecast and the bridge was closed at 04:00 when staff observed ice falling from the structure.\"\n\nThe bridge was reopened after the risk had passed.\n\nEdinburgh is one of the areas where heavy snow has fallen\n\nPolice Scotland has urged people to avoid travelling in the affected areas.\n\nChief Superintendent Louise Blakelock said: \"Government restrictions on only travelling if your journey is essential remain in place and with an amber warning for snow, please consider if your journey really is essential and whether you can delay it until the weather improves.\n\n\"If you deem your journey is essential, plan ahead and make sure you and your vehicle are suitably prepared by having sufficient fuel and supplies such as warm clothing, food, water and charge in your mobile phone in the event you require assistance.\"\n\nAvalanche debris on Turnhouse in the Pentland Hills photographed from Penicuik\n\nPeople heading for the Pentland Hills, south-west of Edinburgh, have been urged to be aware of potential avalanche risk after avalanche debris was spotted on Turnhouse Hill.\n\nTweed Valley Mountain Rescue Team said the \"full depth\" avalanche had enough snow to knock a person off their feet, or even bury them.\n\nTeam leader Dave Wright said avalanches in the Pentland Hills were unusual and walkers, skiers and snowboarders might not appreciate the potential risk.\n\nHe said there had been heavy snowfalls in the hills this week and the avalanche occurred at some point on Thursday afternoon.\n\nMeanwhile, the potential avalanche hazard in all six mountain areas covered by the Scottish Avalanche Information Service - Glen Coe, Lochaber, Creag Meagaidh, Torridon and Northern and Southern Cairgorms - has been classed as \"considerable\".\n\nThe amber weather warning for snow covered a slice of Scotland from south of Edinburgh to close to the Scotland-England border and was valid until Thursday morning.\n\nHowever, further alerts remain in place.\n\nA Bear NW Trunk Roads' tractor clears snow ahead of a lorry on the A9 at the Slochd\n\nIn north-east Scotland and Orkney, a yellow warning for heavy rain and potential flooding is in place until 04:00 on Friday.\n\nYellow warnings for snow and ice are also in place in parts of northern and western Scotland until 12:00 on Friday.\n\nTransport Scotland said it was \"closely monitoring\" the road network and a multi-agency response team would be operational during the weather warnings.\n\nA snow-covered car in Carlops, in the Scottish Borders\n\nDrivers woke up to snow-covered cars in Haddington, East Lothian\n• None In pictures: Scotland in the snow", "Last March, the government set out new thinking on dealing with Northern Ireland's past\n\nThousands of relatives of Troubles victims have signed an open letter calling for the British and Irish governments to fully investigate decades of violence.\n\nIt calls for the long-delayed set up of an independent team of detectives to pursue new prosecutions and other measures to recover information.\n\nThese are measures included in the 2014 Stormont House Agreement.\n\nThe letter is addressed to Taoiseach Micheál Martin and UK PM Boris Johnson.\n\nIt asks for their assurances that their \"human rights as victims will no longer be disregarded or denied\".\n\n\"The peace process has repeatedly failed to deliver on our rights to truth, justice and accountability,\" they said.\n\nThe letter, signed by 3,500 relatives, is being published in the Irish News, Andersonstown News, and US publication the Irish Echo.\n\nThe letter is being printed in several newspapers\n\nMore than 3,600 people were killed during the 30 years of Northern Ireland's Troubles and thousands more injured.\n\nThe UK government has pledged to \"intensify\" engagement with victims' groups in addressing the legacy of the past.\n\nThe Stormont House proposals included a new independent investigation unit to re-examine all unsolved killings and a separate truth recovery mechanism to enable families to gain answers in cases where prosecutions are unlikely.\n\nLast March, the government set out new thinking on dealing with the past, which radically departed from what had been proposed in the Stormont House Agreement.\n\nHe proposed that after a paper review exercise, most unsolved cases would be closed and a new law would be enacted to prevent the investigations from being reopened.\n\nMark Thompson, chief executive of Belfast-based lobby group Relatives for Justice, said about half of those who signed the open letter are 35 years and under.\n\nHe said the letter \"represents the current and future generations\" and that it \"underlines the ongoing trauma and intergenerational impact that the killing of a relative has also had on surviving families\".", "Glastonbury Festival has been cancelled for a second year running due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.\n\nThe news was announced on Thursday on the Worthy Farm event's Twitter page.\n\n\"With great regret, we must announce that this year's Glastonbury Festival will not take place,\" said festival organisers Michael and Emily Eavis.\n\n\"And that this will be another enforced fallow year for us. Tickets for this year will roll over to next year. Michael & Emily.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Glastonbury Festival This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nIt comes in the same week that the future of UK music was up for debate at a DCMS inquiry into streaming, and in Parliament regarding post-Brexit music touring visas.\n\nThe full statement on the festival website read: \"In spite of our efforts to move heaven and earth, it has become clear that we simply will not be able to make the Festival happen this year. We are so sorry to let you all down.\"\n\nIt confirmed that as with last year, anyone with a ticket will now be offered the opportunity to roll their £50 deposit over to next year, when the festival will hopefully resume. It had been due to take place in June 2021.\n\n\"We are very appreciative of the faith and trust placed in us by those of you with deposits, and we are very confident we can deliver something really special for us all in 2022!\"\n\nCulture Secretary Oliver Dowden shared his \"disappointment\" at the lack of a Glastonbury 2021, on Twitter.\n\n\"This regrettable but understandable decision is recognition that public health comes first\" he posted, \"and that right now, getting 200k fans together in just a few months looks very difficult to make safe\".\n\nHe added: \"We continue to help the arts on recovery, including looking at problems around getting insurance. I'm Glastonbury will be back bigger and better next year.\"\n\nJulian Knight MP, chair of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport committee, said news of this year's cancellation was \"devastating\".\n\nSir Paul McCartney headlined Glastonbury in 2004, and was supposed to do so again in 2020\n\n\"We have repeatedly called for ministers to act to protect our world-renowned festivals like this one with a government-backed insurance scheme. Our plea fell on deaf ears and now the chickens have come home to roost,\" he said.\n\n\"The jewel in the crown will be absent but surely the government cannot ignore the message any longer - it must act now to save this vibrant and vital festivals sector.\"\n\nOn 5 January the government responded to a report by UK Music called Let the Music Play: Save Our Summer 2021, which outlined a range of measures that could help the industry get back up and running.\n\nThe government said: \"We know these are challenging times for the live events sector and are working flat out to support it.\n\n\"Our £1.57bn Culture Recovery Fund has already seen more than £1bn offered to arts, heritage and performance organisations to support them through the impact of the pandemic, protecting tens of thousands of creative jobs across the UK, including festivals such as Deer Shed Festival, End of the Road and Nozstock.\"\n\nLast year's 50th anniversary Glastonbury was meant to be headlined by Sir Paul McCartney, Taylor Swift and Kendrick Lamar, but it was cancelled during the initial national lockdown in March 2020.\n\nMichael and Emily Eavis previously said that Glastonbury \"lost millions\" after cancelling in 2020\n\nLast month, organiser Emily Eavis told the BBC she hoped this year's festival could go ahead, despite the \"huge uncertainty\" surrounding live music in the pandemic.\n\n\"We're doing everything we can on our end to plan and prepare,\" she told the BBC, \"but I think we're still quite a long way from being able to say we're confident 2021 will go ahead.\"\n\nEavis said Glastonbury lost \"millions\" in 2020. Her father, Michael, has previously warned the festival \"would seriously go bankrupt\" if they had to cancel again next year.\n\nBut that scenario is unlikely \"as long as we can make a firm call either way in advance\", Eavis clarified to the BBC.\n\nNo line-up details had been confirmed for 2021. But just before Christmas, Sir Paul McCartney told the BBC the event was not in his calendar, as it would be a \"superspreader\".\n\nAt the start of January, MPs were told that some of the UK's biggest music festivals could be called off by the end of this month.\n\nThe festival normally welcomes 200,000 people to Pilton in Somerset every year\n\nEvents are \"rapidly approaching the determination point\", after which they'll have to pull the plug, said the Association of Independent Festivals.\n\nOrganisers will be in \"absolutely dire straits\" financially if the season is cancelled, added Anna Wade, of Winchester's Boomtown Fair.\n\nThey were speaking to MPs examining the plight of music festivals in the UK.\n\nFollow us on Facebook or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "Some Covid restrictions are being reintroduced in response to the Omicron variant.\n\nCheck what the rules are in your area by entering your postcode or council name below.\n\nA modern browser with JavaScript and a stable internet connection is required to view this interactive. What are the rules in your area? Enter a full UK postcode or council name to find out\n\nIf you cannot see the look-up, click here.\n\nThe rules highlighted in the search tool are a selection of the key government restrictions in place in your area.\n\nAlways check your relevant national and local authority website for more information on the situation where you live. Also check local guidance before travelling to others parts of the UK.\n\nAll the guidance in our search look-up comes from national government websites.\n\nFor more information on national measures see:\n\nFind out how the pandemic has affected your area and how it compares with the national average by following this link to an in depth guide to the numbers involved.", "At 12:01, in the midst of his inaugural address, Joe Biden officially became the 46th president of the United States.\n\nHe was already well into outlining exactly how daunting a task he - and the nation - have ahead in what he called its \"winter of peril\".\n\nAmerica is facing a devastating pandemic which has resulted in massive job losses and business closures, a threatened environment, urgent cries for racial justice and resurgence in \"political extremism, white supremacy and domestic terrorism\".\n\nHis speech was not a laundry list of proposals and solutions. Those were reserved for his first 17 executive actions as president - on immigration, climate change, transgender rights and public health, among others.\n\nThe Biden administration has also frozen all of Trump's last-minute regulations pending further review.\n\nInstead, Biden used his speech to offer hope - and to argue, at times forcefully, that the nation must be united in facing the challenges ahead; that it has to move past its current \"uncivil war\".\n\n\"Without unity, there is no peace, only bitterness and fury,\" he said. \"No progress, only exhausting outrage. No nation, only a state of chaos.\"\n\n\"This is our historic moment of crisis and challenge,\" he continued. \"And unity is the path forward\".\n\nAt times, Biden's speech seemed a direct rebuttal to his predecessor's administration, although he did not mention Donald Trump by name.\n\nWhere Trump frequently spoke of American greatness and glorified its founders, Biden noted that the nation's history has been a \"constant struggle\" between its ideals and sometimes harsh realities.\n\nWhere Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway spoke of \"alternative facts\" almost four years ago, Biden said: \"There is truth and there are lies - lies told for power and for profit.\"\n\nBiden wrapped up his inaugural address by warning that America must not \"turn inward\" - both as individuals retreating into \"competing factions\" and as a nation on the world stage.\n\n\"We will repair our alliances and engage with the world once again,\" he said.\n\nRhetorically, Biden turned the page from Trump's days of \"America first\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe first 100 days of any administration are always important to a new president. What are his priorities? What will he try to accomplish when his political capital is at its highest?\n\nJoe Biden and his presidential team have had nearly three months to plan out his first actions upon taking the oath of office, but executive action is the (relatively) easy part.\n\nHis speech reflected the reality that he enters office with his top priorities already determined for him.\n\nHis government will be responsible for distributing the coronavirus vaccine in an efficient and equitable way. After that, he will have to focus on the societal and economic disruptions caused by the pandemic.\n\nThe virus has exacerbated income inequality and pushed many households to the brink of economic ruin. It's devastated the travel and hospitality industries and placed incredible strain on the finances of state and local governments.\n\nHis pledge to seek unity will be tested early, as he pushes a sharply divided Congress to pass another, massive round of pandemic stimulus aid. If he wants to enact it quickly, he will need Republican support in the Senate, and already there are signs that some on the right may be lining up in opposition to more spending.\n\nThen there's Trump's Senate impeachment trial, which will present yet another challenge to national unity. It will keep Trump's name in the news for weeks, as his defenders rally to his side and his detractors call for consequences for his actions.\n\nAfter that, Biden's potential political paths diverge. He has said he wants to improve healthcare in the US, address growing college debt, make new investments in infrastructure and tackle climate change.\n\nHe's pledged to push immigration reform legislation that includes a pathway to citizenship for undocumented migrants - a political lightning rod that helped fuel Trump's first presidential run.\n\nWhat he prioritises, and how successful his first efforts are, could determine the overall success of his administration. To make lasting change - policies that can't be undone by future presidents - he will have to work with Congress.\n\nThe inauguration ceremony is over. But, as Biden noted in his speech, the American people face one of the most challenging times in their nation's history.\n\n\"We will be judged by how we resolve these cascading crises of our era,\" he said.\n\nBiden campaigned against Trump for the opportunity to face those crises. Now he has his chance.", "Anyone going on a Saga holiday or cruise in 2021 must be fully vaccinated against Covid-19, the tour operator has said.\n\nSaga, which specialises in holidays for the over-50s, said it wanted to protect customers' health and safety.\n\nThe firm said it would delay restarting its travel packages until May to give customers enough time to get jabs.\n\nPeople over 50 in the UK have been rushing to book holidays as vaccinations boost confidence.\n\n\"The health and safety of our customers has always been our number one priority at Saga, so we have taken the decision to require everyone travelling with us to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19,\" Saga said in a statement.\n\n\"Our customers want the reassurance of the vaccine and to know others travelling with them will be vaccinated too.\"\n\nThe firm's holidays were due to restart in March and its cruises in April after a long hiatus, but they will now both be delayed.\n\nSaga said that meant all trips before May would no longer go ahead as planned, acknowledging it would be \"a huge disappointment\" to customers.\n\n\"We will be contacting all guests affected to discuss their options,\" it said.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Singapore's 'cruises to nowhere' set back by Covid scare\n\nThe firm said its vaccination policy added to stronger safety processes already planned for when its holidays resume.\n\nThese include requiring cruise passengers to have a Covid-19 test before their trip, as well as a full medical screening.\n\nCapacity on its ships will also be kept to a maximum of 800 people.\n\nThere were some severe covid outbreaks on cruise ships early on the pandemic, before coronavirus restrictions were imposed.\n\nBritish-registered ship the Diamond Princess, owned by the company Carnival, was quarantined for nearly a month in February in the Port of Yokohama in Japan.\n\nMore than 700 of its 3,711 passengers and crew were infected, and 14 died.\n\nThe UK has embarked on a mass vaccination programme as Covid-19 cases surge.\n\nPeople in England are being vaccinated at a rate of 140 jabs per minute, NHS England boss Sir Simon Stevens said this week.\n\nExperts believe in future that airlines, concert venues and restaurants could routinely ask customers to prove that they have been vaccinated.\n\nAnd last week, London plumbing firm Pimlico Plumbers said that all of its staff would be contractually obliged to get the jab.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The Hill We Climb: Watch 22-year-old Amanda Gorman's poem reading at Joe Biden's inauguration\n\nAmanda Gorman has become the youngest poet ever to perform at a presidential inauguration, calling for \"unity and togetherness\" in her self-penned poem.\n\nThe 22-year-old delivered her work The Hill We Climb to both the dignitaries present in Washington DC and a watching global audience.\n\n\"When day comes, we ask ourselves where can we find light in this never-ending shade?\" her five-minute poem began.\n\nShe went on to reference the storming of the Capitol earlier this month.\n\n\"We've seen a force that would shatter our nation rather than share it, would destroy our country if it meant delaying democracy,\" she declared.\n\n\"And this effort very nearly succeeded. But while democracy can be periodically delayed, it can never be permanently defeated.\"\n\nThe poet was applauded by Vice President Kamala Harris\n\nIn her poem, Gorman described herself as \"a skinny black girl descended from slaves and raised by a single mother [who] can dream of becoming president, only to find her self reciting for one\".\n\nAmerica's first-ever National Youth Poet Laureate did her job, which was to find the right words at the right time.\n\nIt was a beautifully paced, well-judged poem for a special occasion, but it will live long beyond the time and space of the moment.\n\nAmanda Gorman delivered her piece with grace, the words it contained will resonate with people the world over: today, tomorrow, and far into the future.\n\nThe writer and performer, who became the country's first National Youth Poet Laureate in 2017, followed in the footsteps of such famous names as Robert Frost and Maya Angelou.\n\n\"I really wanted to use my words to be a point of unity and collaboration and togetherness,\" Gorman told the BBC World Service's Newshour programme before the ceremony.\n\n\"I think it's about a new chapter in the United States, about the future, and doing that through the elegance and beauty of words.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nUS broadcaster and actress Oprah Winfrey tweeted that she had \"never been prouder to see another young woman rise\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Oprah Winfrey This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nAlso on Twitter, Joanne Liu, the former head of aid agency Médecins Sans Frontières, described the poem as \"the most inspiring 5:43 minutes for the longest time\".\n\nFormer First Lady Michelle Obama praised Gorman's \"strong and poignant words\" adding: \"Keep shining, Amanda!\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Michelle Obama This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nUS politician and rights activist Stacey Abrams said the poem was \"an inspiration to us all\".\n\nFormer presidential candidate Hillary Clinton tweeted that Gorman had promised to run for president in 2036 and added: \"I for one can't wait.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 3 by Hillary Clinton This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nIllinois poet laureate Angela Jackson said the recitation was \"so rich and just so filled with truth\".\n\n\"I was stunned that she was so young and so wise,\" Jackson told the Chicago Sun-Times.\n\nGorman said she \"screamed and danced her head off\" when she found out she had been chosen to read at President Biden's swearing-in ceremony.\n\nShe said she felt \"excitement, joy, honour and humility\" when she was asked to take part, \"and also at the same time terror\".\n\nAnd she added that she hoped her poem, completed on the day supporters of former President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol, would \"speak to the moment\" and \"do this time justice\".\n\nGorman, pictured with actor Morgan Freeman in 2018, became LA's youth poet laureate at 16\n\nBorn in Los Angeles in 1998, Gorman had a speech impediment as a child - an affliction she shares with America's new president.\n\n\"It's made me the performer that I am and the storyteller that I strive to be,\" she said in a recent interview with the Los Angeles Times.\n\n\"When you have to teach yourself how to say sounds [and] be highly concerned about pronunciation, it gives you a certain awareness of sonics, of the auditory experience.\"\n\nGorman became LA's youth poet laureate at 16. Three years later, while studying sociology at Harvard, she became National Youth Poet Laureate.\n\nShe published her first book, The One for Whom Food Is Not Enough, in 2015 and will publish a picture book, Change Sings, later this year.\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Kamala Harris was sworn into office by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor.\n\nKamala Harris has made history as the first female, first black and first Asian-American US vice-president.\n\nShe was sworn in just before Joe Biden took the oath of office to become the 46th US president.\n\nMs Harris, who is of Indian-Jamaican heritage, initially ran for the Democratic nomination.\n\nBut Mr Biden won the race and chose Ms Harris as his running mate, describing her as \"a fearless fighter for the little guy\".\n\nPrior to taking the oath at the US Capitol, Ms Harris paid tribute to the women who she says came before her.\n\n\"I stand on their shoulders,\" she said in a video.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Kamala Harris This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nEugene Goodman, the Capitol police officer who was hailed as a hero for steering a pro-Trump mob away from Senate chambers during the 6 January riot, escorted Ms Harris at the inauguration.\n\nMs Harris, 56, was born in Oakland, California, to two immigrant parents: an Indian-born mother and Jamaican-born father.\n\nKamala, left, as child with her mother and younger sister Maya\n\nShe went on to attend Howard University, one of the nation's preeminent historically black colleges and universities. She has described her time there as among the most formative experiences of her life.\n\nMs Harris says she's always been comfortable with her identity and simply describes herself as \"an American\".\n\nAfter four years at Howard, Ms Harris went on to earn her law degree at the University of California, Hastings, and began her career in the Alameda County District Attorney's Office.\n\nShe became the district attorney - the top prosecutor - for San Francisco in 2003, before being elected the first female and the first African American to serve as California's attorney general, the top lawyer and law enforcement official in America's most populous state.\n\nIn her nearly two terms in office as attorney general, Ms Harris gained a reputation as one of the Democratic party's rising stars, using this momentum to propel her to election as California's junior US senator in 2017. She was only the second black woman ever elected to the US senate.\n\nShe launched her candidacy for president to a crowd of more than 20,000 in Oakland at the beginning of 2019.\n\nBut Ms Harris failed to articulate a clear rationale for her campaign, and gave muddled answers to questions in key policy areas like healthcare.\n\nShe was also unable to capitalise on the clear high point of her candidacy: debate performances that showed off her prosecutorial skills, often placing Mr Biden in the line of attack, most notably criticising his praise for the \"civil\" working relationship he had with former senators who favoured racial segregation.\n\nShe dropped out of the presidential race in December 2019.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nBut Mr Biden chose her as his number two in August, calling her \"one of the country's finest public servants\".\n\nAfter Mr Biden was announced as the next president in November, Ms Harris tweeted a video of her congratulating her running mate.\n\n\"We did it, we did it Joe. You're going to be the next president of the United States!\" she beamed.", "Scientists tracking the spread of coronavirus in England say infection levels in the community may have risen at the start of the latest lockdown.\n\nInfections in 6-15 January were up by 50% on early December, with one in 63 people infected, Imperial College London's initial findings suggest.\n\nSwab tests from 143,000 people indicate 1.58% had the virus during in early January - up from 0.91% in December.\n\nMinisters say the report does not yet reflect the impact of the lockdown.\n\nThe latest round of results from Imperial College's React-1 infection survey - one of the country's largest studies into Covid-19 infections - are interim with the full set of results to be published in a week's time.\n\nBut Imperial College London's Prof Paul Elliott warned if the high prevalence continues \"more lives will be lost\".\n\nThe report also says there are \"worrying suggestions of a recent uptick in infections\" and Prof Elliott said the third lockdown - introduced on 6 January - was not having the same impact as the first, in April.\n\nLondon had the highest level in the January period - 2.8%, up from 1.21% in early December.\n\nProf Elliott old BBC Radio 4's Today programme the current R rate - which represents how many people an infected person will pass the virus on to - was \"around 1\".\n\n\"We're seeing this levelling off, it's not going up, but we're not seeing the decline that we really need to see given the pressure on the NHS from the current very high levels of the virus in the population,\" he said.\n\n\"To prevent our already stretched health system from becoming overwhelmed, infections must be brought down,\" Prof Elliot added.\n\nBefore the Covid rules were tightened, the restrictions faced by people in England varied depending on where they lived.\n\nThe researchers say the government's latest daily case figures, which show a slowdown, may reflect a drop in cases just after Christmas, which is only now being registered.\n\nAnd they suggest infection levels may have gone up in early January as a result of people's activity increasing after the Christmas holiday period.\n\nThey admit there is some uncertainty in their data amid a \"fast-changing situation\" but say it is more up to date than the daily government figures because it does not rely on those being tested developing symptoms and then waiting to have their infections confirmed by a laboratory.\n\nThe UK recorded another all-time high of daily coronavirus deaths on Wednesday. A further 1,820 people died within 28 days of a positive Covid test, according to government figures - taking the total number of deaths by that measure to 93,290.\n\nThe findings of the study are seemingly at odds with recent figures from NHS Test and Trace, which has been reporting recent decreases in daily infections and has prompted some experts to suggest that we might be beginning our journey out of the woods.\n\nThe researchers behind the study say the test and trace figures may be reflecting an initial drop in infections just after Christmas, which is only now being registered on the official figures.\n\nThe study's more up to date findings indicate that infection levels did not continue to fall in the first two weeks of January and may even have gone up. So why has this happened?\n\nData on people's movements has shown that there's been increased activity which the scientists involved say has kept transmission of the virus at a high level. The Department of Health says that the study does not yet reflect the impact of the lockdown in England.\n\nBut if this trend continues, say the scientists, the numbers admitted to hospital with severe Covid illness, will not fall in the short term, as some had hoped.\n\nThis is one set of figures over a short number of days so there might be a more optimistic picture when the study reports its full set of results in a week's time. But there is no getting away from the fact that ministers will be disappointed not to have seen a fall at this stage.\n\nUnless things change, even tougher measures will have to be considered.\n\nPrime Minister Boris Johnson said there will be \"tough weeks to come\" but he hoped there would be a \"real difference\" by spring as the vaccine programme accelerates.\n\nIt comes as another 60 NHS Covid-19 vaccination centres in England, including a mosque in Birmingham and a cinema in Aylesbury, will welcome their first patients later.\n\nMinisters have sought to reassure people in the top four priority groups for the Covid vaccination that they will get their jab by the government's mid-February target, following complaints from some GPs about unpredictable supplies.\n\nSome 4.6m people in the UK have now received the first dose of a Covid vaccine.\n\nFacebook mobility data, which tracks people's movements, suggested a fall in activity at the end of December but a rise at the start of the new year.\n\nAnd Prof Elliott said everyone should \"reduce their mobility as much as we can\".\n\nA new, more transmissible variant and the fact larger households and deprived communities were more likely to be affected, may also be factors.\n\nThe Imperial survey is one source of data used to estimate the UK's reproduction (R) number, along with other surveys, from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) for example, and figures on confirmed cases and hospital admissions.\n\nHealth Secretary Matt Hancock said the React findings showed \"we must not let down our guard over the weeks to come\".\n\n\"It is absolutely paramount that everyone plays their part to bring down infections,\" he said.\n\n\"This means staying at home and only going out where absolutely necessary, reducing contact with others and maintaining social distancing.\"", "Police checkpoints have seen officers questioning people about whether their travel is essential\n\nNorthern Ireland has been in lockdown since 26 December, in a bid to control the spread of Covid-19.\n\nRestrictions had been eased in the run-up to Christmas, which led to a sharp spike in cases in January, causing severe pressure on the health service.\n\nMedically-trained military personnel will be deployed to help, but a union has questioned the move and said NI should have entered a stricter lockdown sooner.\n\nWith Stormont ministers extending the current lockdown, could other measures could be on the table?\n\nIt's worth bearing in mind that NI is already in tight lockdown restrictions and has been for almost a month.\n\nBut the current measures are now set to remain in place until at least 5 March.\n\nDeputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill said health officials had not requested any other measures be toughened up at this time, given the duration and extent of the current rules.\n\nThe initial lockdown began last March, with non-essential retail not permitted to open again until 12 June.\n\nBy law people are required to stay at home during the lockdown unless they have a reasonable excuse, such as going out for exercise, medical or food needs.\n\nPeople are also required to wear face masks in shops and on public transport, with only a limited number of exemptions.\n\nThose who breach the rules can face fines, with businesses that break the law also able to be fined if they do not follow the rules.\n\nHowever, DUP minister Edwin Poots has expressed concern that not enough has been done by the PSNI to enforce the laws.\n\nIt is a difficult balance for the executive to strike.\n\nThey previously announced that \"Covid marshals\" would be deployed in the retail sector to ensure social distancing in queues and adherence to the rules.\n\nMinisters want to ensure as many people as possible follow the restrictions voluntarily while ensuring the PSNI has enough powers to manage the situation.\n\nHealth Minister Robin Swann has not ruled out revisiting whether the level of fines people can face should be increased, and said he would raise the matter with his executive colleagues.\n\nThe 2020 lockdown saw many businesses right across Northern Ireland forced to close, with retail and hospitality among them.\n\nThere was confusion over whether construction and manufacturing should stop, with the executive later clarifying that essential work on building sites could continue.\n\nIn the latest lockdown, the sector has been permitted to remain fully open.\n\nIn the Republic of Ireland, all non-essential construction has been ordered to stop during a fresh lockdown there.\n\nLike in the previous lockdown, people have again been told to work from home unless they cannot.\n\nBut it is worth pointing out many companies have had time to prepare since last March, making their workplaces Covid-secure to allow more staff to attend in person.\n\nThe executive has a defined list of essential businesses here.\n\nFace coverings in shops are mandatory in Northern Ireland's shops\n\nThere has also been confusion about what elements of the retail sector can operate.\n\nAll but essential retail shops were told to close on 26 December, and click-and-collect is only allowed for those essential retailers.\n\nBut concerns were later raised that some larger chains were \"gaming\" the regulations by selling non-essential items, with smaller independent shops who had to close arguing they were being treated unfairly.\n\nThe executive met with retailers last week to discuss this, but it seems unlikely it will act to define essential items in regulations.\n\nA similar situation in Wales last year led to criticism after supermarkets were told by law not to sell certain items.\n\nThe majority of pupils are in an extended period of remote learning until after half-term in February, but some children of key workers and vulnerable children are still permitted to attend the classroom.\n\nLast week it emerged that at least eight times as many pupils in Northern Ireland attended schools in the first week of term in 2021 compared to the first lockdown in 2020.\n\nThough part of this is due to special schools remaining open for all pupils, unlike in March to June last year.\n\nThe executive could potentially revisit the list of services it defines as meeting the \"key worker\" definition for childcare, if it wanted to reduce this further.\n\nIt is also possible schools could remain closed to most pupils for a longer period, in line with extending the lockdown to 5 March.\n\nThe executive says workers, builders, tradespeople and other professionals can continue to go into people's houses to carry out work such as repairs, installations and deliveries.\n\nBut it does not define further what this type of work should include.\n\nIt is possible ministers could tighten the circumstances in which work can be carried out in someone's home, but the guidance already specifies a limited number of exemptions for allowing others inside your home during the lockdown.\n\nHouse moves are also allowed under the regulations, although they were paused in the first lockdown.\n\nMusic lessons and private tutoring are permitted in someone's home, with mitigations.\n\nDuring the first week of lockdown from 26 December, people were told not to leave their homes between 20:00 and 06:00 every day - effectively amounting to a curfew.\n\nMinisters could decide to impose the measure again, if they felt that was necessary - but initially it was imposed to stop house parties over New Year's Eve.\n\nAll but essential travel is not permitted outside of Northern Ireland, and anyone entering Northern Ireland must self-isolate for 10 days on arrival or face a fine.\n\nHowever, there is no formal travel ban on passengers from Great Britain or the Republic of Ireland entering Northern Ireland.\n\nThe executive had voted by a majority before Christmas not to impose such a ban, despite calls from Sinn Féin for it to happen.\n\nOther parties argued that the public health advice did not propose a ban in law, and that travel from the Republic of Ireland to NI should be restricted as well due to its rise in cases.\n\nThe current guidance states that anyone coming into NI from within the Common Travel Area who is staying for more than 24 hours should self-isolate for 10 days, but there are exemptions for those who \"cross the border\" regularly for work or other essential reasons.\n\nThe executive also does not have a formal limit in law for travelling to exercise, unlike in the Republic of Ireland where it is 5km (3 miles).\n\nJustice Minister Naomi Long said there is an \"advisory limit\" of 10 miles for exercise in Northern Ireland.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nTwo houses have partially collapsed after a sinkhole measuring 10ft (3m) opened up on a Manchester street.\n\nFour homes were evacuated on Wednesday evening after the hole appeared on Walmer Street in Abbey Hey, Gorton.\n\nFire crews returned hours later after the front of two of the empty properties crashed to the ground.\n\nUnited Utilities said it was dealing with a collapsed sewer but was investigating all possible causes including the recent heavy rain.\n\nThe fire service was first called to Walmer Street just after 21:00 GMT on Wednesday to reports an unoccupied car had fallen down a hole in the road.\n\nA cordon was put in place and residents evacuated as a precaution, the fire service said.\n\nAfter leaving the scene four hours later, the fire service was alerted to the partial collapse of two houses at 11:00 on Thursday.\n\nNo-one was injured in either incident.\n\nEmergency services remain at the scene on Walmer Street\n\nNearby residents Maureen and Louise Kennedy spoke of their shock after the houses collapsed.\n\n\"You're just waiting for your world to crumble. It's not just the bricks and water, said Ms Kennedy.\n\n\"I've lived in there since I was three. It's the memories.\"\n\nResident Nathaniel OKeleafor said he was \"terrified\" when the sinkhole appeared in the street on Wednesday evening.\n\n\"This morning we are out. We are just trying to find somewhere to live,\" he added.\n\nUnited Utilities said it was dealing with a collapsed sewer on Walmer Street\n\nThe collapse comes as rising levels on the River Mersey in Manchester came \"within centimetres\" of breaching flood defences following heavy rain caused by Storm Christoph.\n\nStation Manager Andrew O'Brien, from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, praised firefighters who worked \"at the height of the stormy weather\".\n\n\"The safety of the public was our primary concern overnight and again today, and I'm pleased to say no-one has suffered any injuries,\" he said.\n\nUnited Utilities said: \"When it is safe for engineers to go back into the immediate area we will set up emergency drainage and water supply connections to restore services to the area and begin to assess how best to carry out repairs.\n\n\"It is not known what caused the sinkhole but this will be investigated.\"\n\nBBC Radio Manchester and BBC Radio Lancashire will be on air throughout Storm Christoph, bringing you all of the latest information and news updates\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Home Secretary Priti Patel says police have her \"absolute backing\" to enforce coronavirus restrictions\n\nFines of £800 for anyone attending a house party of more than 15 people will be introduced in England from next week, under new Covid measures.\n\nThese will double for each repeat offence to a maximum of £6,400.\n\nAt a No 10 news conference, Home Secretary Priti Patel said there remained a \"small minority that refuse to do the right thing\".\n\n\"To them my message is clear. If you don't follow rules then the police will enforce them,\" she said.\n\nCurrently in England the fine for those attending illegal indoor gatherings stands at £200 - or £100 if paid early.\n\nFines of up to £10,000 for holding large illegal gatherings of more than 30 people will still only apply to the organisers.\n\nPolice will continue to follow the strategy of engaging with the public, explaining the rules and encouraging compliance, but the Home Office has warned that in severe breaches of lockdown rules, offenders should expect to receive a fine.\n\nMs Patel said the government would \"not stand by while a small number of individuals put others at risk\".\n\nShe was joined at the briefing by NHS England regional medical director for London Dr Vin Diwakar, who compared breaking the rules to turning on a light in the middle of a blackout during the Blitz.\n\n\"It doesn't just put you at risk in your house, it puts your whole street and the whole of your community at risk,\" he said.\n\nWelcoming the fines announcement, Martin Hewitt, chairman of the National Police Chiefs' Council, said large gatherings were \"dangerous, irresponsible, and totally unacceptable\".\n\nHe added: \"I hope that the likelihood of an increased fine acts as a disincentive for those people who are thinking of attending or organising such events.\"\n\nOfficial figures will be released next week showing how many fines have been given out since the start of this latest national lockdown, Mr Hewitt said.\n\nHowever, he stressed that \"forces are telling us there has been a significant increase\" in recent weeks.\n\n\"That's reflecting the fact that we've had more officers out on dedicated patrols taking targeted action against those small few who are letting everybody down,\" he said.\n\nAccording to Mr Hewitt, three police officers were injured in Brick Lane, east London, last week, after more than 40 people were found cramped indoors at a house party.\n\nMeanwhile, more than 150 people were found at a party in Hertfordshire, complete with music equipment including mixing decks and amplifiers, and another officer was injured.\n\nHe said forces in England had issued 250 fixed penalty notices (FPNs) to people organising large gatherings between late August, when regulations were introduced, and 17 January.\n\nIn some other recent examples of lockdown breaches:\n\nThe latest fines announcement comes after figures showed that assaults on emergency workers made up more than a quarter of Covid-related crimes prosecuted in the first six months of the pandemic.\n\nThe Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said there were 1,688 such offences between 1 April and 30 September in England and Wales.\n\nThey were among almost 6,500 crimes related to coronavirus in that period.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nSome 1,137 charges were brought for breaking coronavirus laws, according to the figures published by the CPS - which cover completed prosecutions.\n\nOn Thursday, it was reported that another 1,290 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 in the UK, bringing the total to 94,580.\n\nAnd a further 37,892 lab-confirmed cases of coronavirus were announced, bringing the total number of cases in the UK to 3,543,646.\n• None What powers do police have?", "\"I had no idea at all I was going to be charged any more for deliveries after Brexit. The extra costs were definitely a bit of a shock.\"\n\nEllie Huddleston, a 26-year-old Londoner, thought she would treat herself to some new work clothes in the January sales.\n\nHaving spotted a bargain, she placed an order for a coat and a number of blouses from two of her favourite clothes brands based in Europe.\n\nBut both deliveries were delayed, held up in customs checks for at least a week, she says.\n\nShe was surprised when she then received a text from courier company DPD, containing a link asking her to pay £58 in customs duties, VAT and additional charges for her £180 order.\n\nOn top of that, the UPS courier for the second parcel showed up at her door several days later, asking for an extra payment of £82 for her £200 coat.\n\nThese charges, imposed by new government rules, have to be collected by the courier firms on the authorities' behalf.\n\n\"I didn't even know when the parcels would be coming - so I sent both back without paying the extra fees and won't be ordering anything from Europe again any time soon,\" Ellie says.\n\nWhen the UK was part of the European Union's customs union, goods could move freely between the country and other member states without import taxes being charged.\n\nBut Ellie was one of the shoppers caught unaware of the fact that those rules have changed since the UK's official exit.\n\nEU retailers sending packages to the UK now need to fill out customs declaration forms. Shoppers may also have to pay customs or VAT charges, depending on the value of the product and where it came from.\n\nHowever, customs charges are the responsibility of the customer, not the retailer, who often has no idea of how much the eventual extra cost might be.\n\nThey cannot be paid in advance and are levied only when the item reaches the UK.\n\nAnother unhappy customer, Graeme from Manchester, paid £300 to buy two pairs of suede winter boots from a German firm online.\n\n\"You couldn't get them anywhere in the UK, so I had no choice but to order them from Europe,\" he told the BBC.\n\nThe next thing he knew, courier UPS had sent him a text message saying he had to pay £147 extra before the boots could be delivered. He paid up, but is still waiting for the goods to arrive.\n\n\"It was virtually impossible to find out what the charges would be beforehand,\" he says, \"so I had to take a shot in the dark.\n\n\"I didn't imagine that it would be half as much again.\"\n\nCourier companies are adding charges to some deliveries from the EU\n\nUnder the new rules, anyone in the UK receiving a gift from the EU worth more than £39 may now face a bill for import VAT - with many items charged at 20%.\n\nFor goods costing more than £135, customs duties may also apply, which can range from 0% to 25% of the product you're buying if they have not been paid by the sender already.\n\nThe extra charges are usually collected by the courier on behalf of the government, with customers asked to pay before they can pick up their package.\n\nSome specialist European retailers, such as bicycle part firm Dutch Bike Bits and Belgium-based Beer On Web, recently said that they would stop all deliveries to the UK because of the VAT changes, which came into force on 1 January.\n\nSome firms have started charging additional \"handling fees\" to shoppers to cover costs associated with extra customs checks and paperwork that must be filled out.\n\nRoyal Mail, for example, is charging an £8 fee it says \"reflects the cost of clearing items through customs and presenting them to Border Force\".\n\nMeanwhile, delivery firm DHL says it is charging UK customers 2.5% of the amount paid to clear customs, with a minimum charge of £11.\n\nMail and freight company TNT is also adding £4.31 on all shipments from the UK to the EU and vice versa. It has said this reflects the increased investment it has had to make in adjusting its systems to cope with Brexit.\n\nA spokeswoman for Logistics UK told the BBC that the handling fees were \"a commercial decision by individual businesses\".\n\nBut Michelle Dale, senior manager at accountants UHY Hacker Young, said that new charges could present a major problem for firms in the coming weeks.\n\n\"I think what we'll find is that a lot of trade with the EU from a business-to-customer perspective will come to a stop until some of these rules are eased,\" she said.\n\nA government spokesperson said: \"The new VAT model ensures goods from EU and non-EU countries are treated in the same way and that UK businesses are not disadvantaged by competition from VAT-free imports.\n\n\"The new system also addresses the problem of overseas sellers failing to pay the right amount of VAT when they sell goods in the UK. We anticipate this will bring in £300m in tax every year, to fund essential UK public services.\"\n\nThere is speculation the rules may change, but until they do, Ellie says she won't be buying from European firms.\n\n\"With all that uncertainty around things and whether or not these charges might change, I'd rather just avoid the hassle,\" she says.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nHomes have been evacuated as Storm Christoph batters Wales with a three-day rainstorm.\n\nNorth Wales Police were called to help some residents in Ruthin who were being told to leave their homes.\n\nThey tweeted that \"people who do not live locally are driving to the area to 'see the floods'\".\n\nA rain warning issued by the Met Office is in place until midday on Thursday, with an ice warning for parts of north and mid Wales.\n\nSouth Wales fire crews pumped out water from homes in Pontypridd and Porth, in Rhondda, and roads were blocked in Powys and Flintshire.\n\nVehicles were pulled from floods by firefighters in Tenby, Llandovery, Llandeilo and Whitland, Mid and West Wales fire service said.\n\nUp to 20cm (8in) of rain is expected to fall, with the heaviest rain forecast for the north west of Wales.\n\nThere were flood warnings in 58 areas as forecasters warned heavy rain and melting snow could affect roads. There were also 57 flood alerts - meaning flooding is possible.\n\nA yellow warning for ice was issued for the north and parts of mid Wales, starting at 01:00 on Thursday and lasting until 10:00, as rain clears.\n\nA minor landslip was reported on the mountainside above Pentre in Rhondda Cynon Taf. Natural Resources Wales, who have responsibility for the land, said there is no immediate threat after an initial inspection, but the council urged residents to keep away from the area.\n\nThe River Taf at Llanglydwen in Carmarthenshire\n\nFlood warnings are in Carmarthenshire - the River Towy and isolated properties between Llandeilo and Abergwili, the River Gwendraeth Fawr at Pontyates and Ponthenry, the River Hydfron at Llanddowror and the River Taf at Trevaughan in Whitland.\n\nThe other flood warnings cover the River Ely at Peterston-Super-Ely in Vale of Glamorgan, the River Vyrnwy in the Meifod area in Powys, the River Rhyd Hir at Riverside Terrace in Gwynedd, two for the River Wye at Glasbury and Builth Wells, the Lower Dee Valley from Llangollen to Trevalyn Meadows, the River Dyfi at Pont ar Dyfi, the River Usk from Brecon to Glangrwyne, two at the River Severn at Abermule to Fron and Aberbechan and the River Lower Clydach at Clydach Bridge, Swansea.\n\nIn River Aeron at Aberaeron, in Ceredigion, the River Loughor at Ammanford and Llandybie and the River Wye at Builth Wells, Powys, are also covered by the warning.\n\nA person had to be saved from a car stuck in floodwater in Corwen, Denbighshire, North East Wales Search and Rescue tweeted.\n\nRest centres have been opened in St Asaph and Ruthin after some localised flooding following heavy rainfall throughout the day. Denbighshire council invited affected residents to use the facilities at the towns' main leisure centres.\n\nAnd Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service said crews were called to help a motorist whose vehicle had become stuck in 3ft of water in Machynlleth.\n\nThe waters lapped the doors of Ruthin's Ocean Pearl restaurant\n\nIn Broughton, Flintshire, Ray and Jacqui Littler said they and their daughter waited all afternoon for help at their flooded bungalow after emergency services told them they were \"flat out\".\n\nThey eventually decided to leave their home on Main Road, which was under 10 inches of water, to stay with friends.\n\nNeighbours blamed a blocked culvert on the fields opposite the road. Police closed the road at about 16:00 GMT and Flintshire council attended, after three houses were affected, with the gardens of two pensioners' bungalows also under water.\n\nOverflowing banks of the River Usk at Brecon\n\nSouth Wales Fire and Rescue Service said it had been called to two incidents overnight with reports of water entering properties in Pontycymmer in Bridgend and Tredegar, Blaenau Gwent.\n\nOn Wednesday morning, it dealt with flooding at properties in Tyfica Road, Pontypridd, and Trebanog Road in Porth, Rhondda, where a crew was helping residents divert and pump out water.\n\nFirefighters also had to rescue 46 sheep from land surrounded by water at Merthyr Road, Llanfoist, Monmouthshire.\n\nCrews from Abergavenny and Ebbw Vale were called to help the stricken animals near the River Usk.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by South Wales Fire and Rescue Service This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. End of twitter post by South Wales Fire and Rescue Service\n\nIn Rhondda Cynon Taf, there were also reports of flooding in properties at Pembroke Street, Aberdare and Clydach Vale, Tonypandy.\n\nA tweet from Pontypridd Plaid Cymru councillor Heledd Fychan showed fast-flowing water in the River Taff which runs through the town.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Heledd Fychan This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nWater in the grounds of Gwydir Castle in Llanrwst\n\nJudy Corbett, owner of 16th Century Gwydir Castle in Llanrwst, Conwy, which flooded last year, told BBC Radio Wales things were \"looking pretty dire here this morning\".\n\nShe said: \"We've been obviously monitoring the levels overnight so we've had another sleepless night worrying about the weather but the levels are rising and the water is very violent this morning and of course, we've got another a whole day ahead of us.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 3 by Sabrina Lee This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nSeveral roads have been hit by flooding, including the B5106 between Llanrwst and Trefriw\n\nThe Met Office warned spray and flooding could lead to \"difficult driving conditions and some road closures\" and the downpours could cause delays.\n\nTraffic Wales said restrictions were in place on the M48 Severn Bridge where traffic is coming off eastbound at junction two or westbound at junction one before being directed back on to cross the bridge, which remains open.\n\nIn Flintshire, the A548 Coast Road has been closed at Tan Lan and Mostyn, the A5118 at Padeswood, the A541 between Llong to Pontblyddyn, Bagillt High Street and the B5101 between Treuddyn and Llanfynydd.\n\nThe A485 in Garreg is also closed from the Brondaw Arms to Pont Aberglaslyn.\n\nThe Dyfi Bridge near Machynlleth is closed\n\nIn Powys, the A487 over the Dyfi Bridge, near Machynlleth, is closed while the A458 at Llanfair Caereinion is blocked in both directions from Bridge Street to Guilsfield turn-off because of flooding.\n\nThe A483 in Builth Wells at the station is also closed along with the bridge over the River Wye.\n\nCapel Bangor in Ceredigion has temporary traffic lights on the A44 at Lovesgrove Roundabout due to flooding, which is affecting traffic between Aberystwyth and Llangurig.\n\nIn Bridgend, New Inn Road has been closed in both directions at The Dipping Bridge, affecting traffic between Ewenny village and the A48.\n\nSouth Wales Police warned people not to attempt driving through floodwater after the A4118 at Llanddewi on Gower became blocked.\n\nIn Gwynedd, the council tweeted that Ffordd Siliwen, Bangor, had been closed following a landslip.\n\nA section of the A470 Dolgellau Bypass has also been closed along with the A4085 at Garreg.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 4 by South Wales Police Swansea This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nNational Rail said some lines between North Llanrwst, Conwy, and Blaenau Ffestiniog in Gwynedd were blocked due to heavy rain while services were also disrupted between Shrewsbury and Machynlleth in Powys.\n\nAlterative road transport will run in place of cancelled services, it said.\n\nThe Met Office said 56mm (2.2in) of rain had fallen at Capel Curig in Snowdonia by 18:00 GMT on Tuesday.\n\nA yellow warning for rain is in place for virtually the whole of Wales until Thursday\n\nForecasters also said fast flowing and deep floodwater \"could cause a danger to life\".\n\nThe Met Office warned flooding could lead to some communities being cut off and possible power cuts.\n\nStrong winds will also follow the torrential rain, with forecasters predicting this may cause \"travelling difficulties across areas higher and more exposed routes\".\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Last updated on .From the section Premier League\n\nPaul Pogba scored a superb winner as Manchester United reclaimed top spot in the Premier League by coming from behind for a club-record equalling away win at Fulham.\n\nIn what is becoming a familiar pattern for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side outside Manchester this season, they fell behind early in the game, with Ademola Lookman beating the offside trap before firing in an angled drive.\n\nBut for the seventh time away from Old Trafford in 2020-21, United found a winning response - taking their run to 17 games unbeaten away in the Premier League - courtesy of a gift from their opponents and a bit of magic from their French midfielder.\n\nGoalkeeper Alphonse Areola has been a good addition for the Cottagers but in dropping Bruno Fernandes' cross at the feet of Edinson Cavani, he gifted his former Paris St-Germain team-mate the simplest of equalisers.\n\nAnd on the hour mark, Pogba stepped up to decide the contest, firing a superb angled drive across the diving Areola and into the far corner from 20 yards.\n\nThe France international has come in for criticism at times this season but received nothing but praise from his manager after his winner.\n\n\"I am very happy with his performances,\" said Solskjaer.\n\n\"I know what he can do. He does everything. Now he is putting all the elements together in his performances and it is great to see.\n\n\"It was about getting him fit. He is enjoying his football, he is happy and physically in a good shape.\"\n\nThe win takes United to 40 points, two more than both Leicester and Manchester City, who had briefly taken top spot from the Foxes with a 2-0 win over Aston Villa on Wednesday.\n\nSolskjaer, though, was reluctant to get drawn into discussing his side's title credentials with so much of the campaign to go.\n\n\"It is always going to be talked about that when you are halfway through and top of the league, but we are not thinking about this, we just have to go one game at a time,\" he added. \"It is such an unpredictable season.\"\n\nFulham remain in the bottom three, four points behind 17th-placed Burnley.\n• None Man Utd or Man City to end day top? Cassia bassist Lou Cotterill takes on Lawro\n\nSolskjaer felt his side missed a big opportunity to fully assert their title credentials in failing to make the most of their chances in Sunday's 0-0 draw at champions Liverpool.\n\nUnited were clearly in no mood to repeat such a mistake at a wet and windy Craven Cottage on Wednesday against a less daunting and defining opposition, but one that is far more robust now than they were in the season's first month.\n\nThe visitors fell behind, but this is par for the course for this side, who once again did not panic, wrestled control of the game away from their opponents and took the win.\n\nIt is a handy trick for a title-challenging side to have in their locker, although one they would rather not have to repeatedly pull.\n\nIn truth, they should have won more handsomely.\n\nThey had the far greater share of possession and territory and were well ahead of their opponents on shots taken until a frantic finale in which the Cottagers threw in all they had in pursuit of a point.\n\nFred felt he should have had a penalty in the first half courtesy of being caught in the box by a loose challenge from Ruben Loftus-Cheek, but both on-field and VAR officials disagreed.\n\nHarry Maguire twice headed wide from corners, the first from a far less forgivable, unmarked position than the second.\n\nEqually, though, it is a game that could have seen them drop points, especially in light of Fulham's late barrage, which saw David de Gea save superbly with his legs to deny Loftus-Cheek, and the ball pinballing around the United box on more than one occasion.\n\nThe Cottagers demonstrated that they are no pushover, but they are making of habit of being on the rough end of fine margins.\n\nFive straight draws followed by two defeats by a single goal suggests their battle against the drop will go right down to the wire.\n\n\"I'm really pleased but I'm disappointed at the same time, which shows how far we've come,\" said Cottagers boss Scott Parker.\n\n\"I saw a team today that looked threatening and tried their hardest to get back into the game, but we go again. The next challenge is to maintain where we are and don't let defeat sink us.\n\n\"No doubt we can win and operate in this division and we just need to push on and keep improving.\"\n\nUnited lead the way in early concessions\n• None No side has conceded more goals in the opening five minutes of Premier League games this season than Manchester United (4). Manchester United have won seven Premier League games having gone behind this season - only Newcastle in 2001-02 (10) and Man Utd themselves in 2012-13 (9) have done so more in a single campaign.\n• None Manchester United are unbeaten in their last 17 Premier League away games (W13 D4), equalling their longest ever unbeaten run on the road in top-flight history (17 between December 1998 and September 1999).\n• None This was the 41st different game in which Fulham had led in all competitions under Scott Parker, but the first time they had lost such a game (W34 D6).\n• None Edinson Cavani became the first Man Utd player whose first four Premier League goals for the club were all scored away from home.\n• None Since his return to the club in 2016, no Man Utd player has scored more league goals from outside the box than Paul Pogba (6).\n• None Ademola Lookman has been involved in more Premier League goals than any other Fulham player this season (6 - 3 goals, 3 assists).\n• None Bruno Fernandes has gone three Premier League games without a goal or assist for the first time since his Manchester United debut in February 2020.\n\nFulham's next game is in the FA Cup, against Burnley on Sunday (14:30 GMT). Their next league fixture, an away game on Wednesday, 27 January, is a big one. Opponents Brighton are two places and five points above them in the table.\n\nManchester United host Liverpool in the FA Cup on Sunday at 17:00, live on the BBC. They are also in league action the following Wednesday hosting the league's bottom club Sheffield United in a 20:15 kick-off.\n• None Attempt missed. Aleksandar Mitrovic (Fulham) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Kenny Tete with a cross following a corner.\n• None Attempt blocked. Ademola Lookman (Fulham) left footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Mario Lemina.\n• None Offside, Fulham. Aboubakar Kamara tries a through ball, but Kenny Tete is caught offside.\n• None Attempt missed. Mario Lemina (Fulham) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Aboubakar Kamara.\n• None Attempt blocked. Joe Bryan (Fulham) left footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked.\n• None Attempt missed. Ruben Loftus-Cheek (Fulham) right footed shot from the centre of the box is high and wide to the right following a fast break.\n• None Attempt blocked. Fred (Manchester United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Harry Maguire with a headed pass. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page\n• None You can stream five fourth-round games live on the BBC this weekend, including Liverpool's trip to Manchester United. Find out more here.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThis is America's day. This is democracy's day. A day of history and hope, of renewal and resolve. Through a crucible for the ages, America has been tested anew and America has risen to the challenge. Today we celebrate the triumph not of a candidate but of a cause, a cause of democracy. The people - the will of the people - has been heard, and the will of the people has been heeded.\n\nWe've learned again that democracy is precious, democracy is fragile and, at this hour my friends, democracy has prevailed. So now on this hallowed ground where just a few days ago violence sought to shake the Capitol's very foundations, we come together as one nation under God - indivisible - to carry out the peaceful transfer of power as we have for more than two centuries.\n\nAs we look ahead in our uniquely American way, restless, bold, optimistic, and set our sights on a nation we know we can be and must be, I thank my predecessors of both parties for their presence here. I thank them from the bottom of my heart. And I know the resilience of our Constitution and the strength, the strength of our nation, as does President Carter, who I spoke with last night who cannot be with us today, but who we salute for his lifetime of service.\n\nI've just taken a sacred oath each of those patriots have taken. The oath first sworn by George Washington. But the American story depends not on any one of us, not on some of us, but on all of us. On we the people who seek a more perfect union. This is a great nation, we are good people. And over the centuries through storm and strife in peace and in war we've come so far. But we still have far to go.\n\nWe'll press forward with speed and urgency for we have much to do in this winter of peril and significant possibility. Much to do, much to heal, much to restore, much to build and much to gain. Few people in our nation's history have been more challenged or found a time more challenging or difficult than the time we're in now. A once in a century virus that silently stalks the country has taken as many lives in one year as in all of World War Two.\n\nMillions of jobs have been lost. Hundreds of thousands of businesses closed. A cry for racial justice, some 400 years in the making, moves us. The dream of justice for all will be deferred no longer. A cry for survival comes from the planet itself, a cry that can't be any more desperate or any more clear now. The rise of political extremism, white supremacy, domestic terrorism, that we must confront and we will defeat.\n\nTo overcome these challenges, to restore the soul and secure the future of America, requires so much more than words. It requires the most elusive of all things in a democracy - unity. Unity. In another January on New Year's Day in 1863 Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. When he put pen to paper the president said, and I quote, 'if my name ever goes down in history, it'll be for this act, and my whole soul is in it'.\n\nMy whole soul is in it today, on this January day. My whole soul is in this. Bringing America together, uniting our people, uniting our nation. And I ask every American to join me in this cause. Uniting to fight the foes we face - anger, resentment and hatred. Extremism, lawlessness, violence, disease, joblessness, and hopelessness.\n\nWith unity we can do great things, important things. We can right wrongs, we can put people to work in good jobs, we can teach our children in safe schools. We can overcome the deadly virus, we can rebuild work, we can rebuild the middle class and make work secure, we can secure racial justice and we can make America once again the leading force for good in the world.\n\nI know speaking of unity can sound to some like a foolish fantasy these days. I know the forces that divide us are deep and they are real. But I also know they are not new. Our history has been a constant struggle between the American ideal, that we are all created equal, and the harsh ugly reality that racism, nativism and fear have torn us apart. The battle is perennial and victory is never secure.\n\nThrough civil war, the Great Depression, World War, 9/11, through struggle, sacrifice, and setback, our better angels have always prevailed. In each of our moments enough of us have come together to carry all of us forward and we can do that now. History, faith and reason show the way. The way of unity.\n\nWe can see each other not as adversaries but as neighbours. We can treat each other with dignity and respect. We can join forces, stop the shouting and lower the temperature. For without unity there is no peace, only bitterness and fury, no progress, only exhausting outrage. No nation, only a state of chaos. This is our historic moment of crisis and challenge. And unity is the path forward. And we must meet this moment as the United States of America.\n\nIf we do that, I guarantee we will not failed. We have never, ever, ever, ever failed in America when we've acted together. And so today at this time in this place, let's start afresh, all of us. Let's begin to listen to one another again, hear one another, see one another. Show respect to one another. Politics doesn't have to be a raging fire destroying everything in its path. Every disagreement doesn't have to be a cause for total war and we must reject the culture in which facts themselves are manipulated and even manufactured.\n\nMy fellow Americans, we have to be different than this. We have to be better than this and I believe America is so much better than this. Just look around. Here we stand in the shadow of the Capitol dome. As mentioned earlier, completed in the shadow of the Civil War. When the union itself was literally hanging in the balance. We endure, we prevail. Here we stand, looking out on the great Mall, where Dr King spoke of his dream.\n\nHere we stand, where 108 years ago at another inaugural, thousands of protesters tried to block brave women marching for the right to vote. And today we mark the swearing in of the first woman elected to national office, Vice President Kamala Harris. Don't tell me things can't change. Here we stand where heroes who gave the last full measure of devotion rest in eternal peace.\n\nAnd here we stand just days after a riotous mob thought they could use violence to silence the will of the people, to stop the work of our democracy, to drive us from this sacred ground. It did not happen, it will never happen, not today, not tomorrow, not ever. Not ever. To all those who supported our campaign, I'm humbled by the faith you placed in us. To all those who did not support us, let me say this. Hear us out as we move forward. Take a measure of me and my heart.\n\nIf you still disagree, so be it. That's democracy. That's America. The right to dissent peacefully. And the guardrail of our democracy is perhaps our nation's greatest strength. If you hear me clearly, disagreement must not lead to disunion. And I pledge this to you. I will be a President for all Americans, all Americans. And I promise you I will fight for those who did not support me as for those who did.\n\nMany centuries ago, St Augustine - the saint of my church - wrote that a people was a multitude defined by the common objects of their love. Defined by the common objects of their love. What are the common objects we as Americans love, that define us as Americans? I think we know. Opportunity, security, liberty, dignity, respect, honour, and yes, the truth.\n\nRecent weeks and months have taught us a painful lesson. There is truth and there are lies. Lies told for power and for profit. And each of us has a duty and a responsibility as citizens as Americans and especially as leaders. Leaders who are pledged to honour our Constitution to protect our nation. To defend the truth and defeat the lies.\n\nLook, I understand that many of my fellow Americans view the future with fear and trepidation. I understand they worry about their jobs. I understand like their dad they lay in bed at night staring at the ceiling thinking: 'Can I keep my healthcare? Can I pay my mortgage?' Thinking about their families, about what comes next. I promise you, I get it. But the answer's not to turn inward. To retreat into competing factions. Distrusting those who don't look like you, or worship the way you do, who don't get their news from the same source as you do.\n\nWe must end this uncivil war that pits red against blue, rural versus urban, conservative versus liberal. We can do this if we open our souls instead of hardening our hearts, if we show a little tolerance and humility, and if we're willing to stand in the other person's shoes, as my mom would say. Just for a moment, stand in their shoes.\n\nBecause here's the thing about life. There's no accounting for what fate will deal you. Some days you need a hand. There are other days when we're called to lend a hand. That's how it has to be, that's what we do for one another. And if we are that way our country will be stronger, more prosperous, more ready for the future. And we can still disagree.\n\nMy fellow Americans, in the work ahead of us we're going to need each other. We need all our strength to persevere through this dark winter. We're entering what may be the darkest and deadliest period of the virus. We must set aside politics and finally face this pandemic as one nation, one nation. And I promise this, as the Bible says, 'Weeping may endure for a night, joy cometh in the morning'. We will get through this together. Together.\n\nLook folks, all my colleagues I serve with in the House and the Senate up here, we all understand the world is watching. Watching all of us today. So here's my message to those beyond our borders. America has been tested and we've come out stronger for it. We will repair our alliances, and engage with the world once again. Not to meet yesterday's challenges but today's and tomorrow's challenges. And we'll lead not merely by the example of our power but the power of our example.\n\nFellow Americans, moms, dads, sons, daughters, friends, neighbours and co-workers. We will honour them by becoming the people and the nation we can and should be. So I ask you let's say a silent prayer for those who lost their lives, those left behind and for our country. Amen.\n\nFolks, it's a time of testing. We face an attack on our democracy, and on truth, a raging virus, a stinging inequity, systemic racism, a climate in crisis, America's role in the world. Any one of these would be enough to challenge us in profound ways. But the fact is we face them all at once, presenting this nation with one of the greatest responsibilities we've had. Now we're going to be tested. Are we going to step up?\n\nIt's time for boldness for there is so much to do. And this is certain, I promise you. We will be judged, you and I, by how we resolve these cascading crises of our era. We will rise to the occasion. Will we master this rare and difficult hour? Will we meet our obligations and pass along a new and better world to our children? I believe we must and I'm sure you do as well. I believe we will, and when we do, we'll write the next great chapter in the history of the United States of America. The American story.\n\nA story that might sound like a song that means a lot to me, it's called American Anthem. And there's one verse that stands out at least for me and it goes like this:\n\n'The work and prayers of centuries have brought us to this day, which shall be our legacy, what will our children say?\n\nLet me know in my heart when my days are through, America, America, I gave my best to you.'\n\nLet us add our own work and prayers to the unfolding story of our great nation. If we do this, then when our days are through, our children and our children's children will say of us: 'They gave their best, they did their duty, they healed a broken land.'\n\nMy fellow Americans I close the day where I began, with a sacred oath. Before God and all of you, I give you my word. I will always level with you. I will defend the Constitution, I'll defend our democracy.\n\nI'll defend America and I will give all - all of you - keep everything I do in your service. Thinking not of power but of possibilities. Not of personal interest but of public good.\n\nAnd together we will write an American story of hope, not fear. Of unity not division, of light not darkness. A story of decency and dignity, love and healing, greatness and goodness. May this be the story that guides us. The story that inspires us. And the story that tells ages yet to come that we answered the call of history, we met the moment. Democracy and hope, truth and justice, did not die on our watch but thrive.\n\nThat America secured liberty at home and stood once again as a beacon to the world. That is what we owe our forbearers, one another, and generations to follow.\n\nSo with purpose and resolve, we turn to those tasks of our time. Sustained by faith, driven by conviction and devoted to one another and the country we love with all our hearts. May God bless America and God protect our troops.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. PM: It's too early to give a lockdown end date\n\nIt is \"too early\" to say whether England's Covid restrictions will be able to end in the spring, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said.\n\nOnce the four priority groups have been vaccinated, by mid-February, \"we'll look then at how we're doing,\" he said.\n\nNearly two million people in the UK have had their first dose of vaccine in the past week, government figures show.\n\nScientist Marc Baguelin, who advises the government, has said restaurants and bars should not reopen before May.\n\nEducation Secretary Gavin Williamson has said he \"certainly hopes\" schools in England can fully reopen before Easter, while Downing Street refused to be drawn on whether this would happen by then.\n\nA further 1,290 people have died within 28 days of a positive Covid test and there have been another 37,892 cases, according to the latest government figures.\n\nAnd almost five million people in the UK have had their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine.\n\nSpeaking after a study suggested infections might have increased at the start of the latest lockdown in England, Mr Johnson said it was \"absolutely crucial\" that people observed the restrictions.\n\nReferring to figures from the Imperial College London survey, he said they showed the new variant of the virus was \"not more deadly but it is much more contagious and the numbers are very great\".\n\nFigures published by Public Health England show cases - meaning people who come forward to get tested while they are infected - have fallen across England since early January.\n\nWith the two sets of figures pointing in different directions, it will be some time before it is known for sure how long it will take for lockdown to relieve the pressure on hospitals.\n\nDr Baguelin, from Imperial College, who sits on a sub-group of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) said the premature opening of the hospitality sector would lead to a \"bump\" in Covid-19 cases.\n\nHe told BBC Radio 4's World at One programme even a partial reopening would generate \"an increase in the R number\". An R number above one means the epidemic is growing.\n\n\"Something of this scale, if it was to happen earlier than May, would generate a bump in transmission, which is already really bad,\" he said.\n\n\"So you have a lot of pressure on hospitals, you will have another wave of some extent. At best you will keep on having very, very unsustainable level of pressure on the NHS.\"\n\nNHS England figures show one in 10 major hospital trusts had no spare adult critical care beds last week.\n\nThis is a debate that is going to start to dominate public discourse.\n\nWith the vaccination programme under way, there is huge clamour to know what will happen once the most vulnerable are vaccinated, by mid-February.\n\nThe problem is there are still so many unknowns.\n\nFirstly, it is hard to predict by how much lockdown will have reduced infection levels, considering there is a new faster-spreading variant to deal with.\n\nThe level of uptake will also be crucial. Surveys suggest as many as one in five may not have the vaccine - although the older, more vulnerable groups tend to be the most willing to be vaccinated.\n\nAnd the fact that no vaccine is 100% effective means come February there could still be significant numbers of very vulnerable people who are not protected.\n\nAnother factor is whether the vaccine stops transmissions - so-called sterilising vaccination.\n\nTrials have shown the vaccines are good at stopping symptoms developing. But that does not mean someone who has received a jab will not pass on the virus.\n\nIf it does not, that, of course, has implications on how many control measures have to be kept in place. It will take us at least until spring to know the answer to this.\n\nAt this stage, it seems hard to see much beyond the possible reopening of schools come March.\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer said it was an \"impossible question\" to ask how long the lockdown would need to last.\n\nUnder the national lockdown, people in England must stay at home and only go out for limited reasons.\n\nThis includes for food shopping, exercise, or work if they cannot do so from home. Similar measures are in place across much of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.\n\nIn Northern Ireland, coronavirus lockdown restrictions will be extended until 5 March, BBC News understands.\n\nIn Scotland, lockdown has been extended until at least the middle of February, with most school pupils to continue learning from home.\n\nAnd in Wales health minister Vaughan Gething has said no \"significant easing\" of Wales' Covid restrictions should be expected when the current guidelines are reviewed this month.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nSir Keir added that the coronavirus vaccines were \"really good news\" but \"should not mask the fact that we have still got a very serious problem\".\n\nThe government is aiming to offer a vaccine to all over-70s, the extremely clinical vulnerable and health and care workers by mid-February.\n\nSixty-five new vaccination centres are opening in England, including a mosque in Birmingham and a cinema in Aylesbury.", "Paddy McElhone was shot in the back by a soldier in 1974\n\nThe shooting dead of a man by the Army in County Tyrone in August 1974 was unjustified, a coroner has ruled.\n\nPaddy McElhone, 24, a farmer, was shot in the back near his home in Limehill, Pomeroy.\n\nAn inquest heard the shot was fired by a soldier from the First Battalion, Royal Regiment of Wales.\n\nJudge Siobhan Keegan said Mr McElhone was an \"innocent man shot in cold blood without warning when he was no threat to anyone\".\n\nThe soldier, now deceased, had been cleared of murder but the circumstances were re-examined in a new inquest ordered by the Attorney General.\n\nPaddy McElhone's family said he was killed without justification, explanation or apology\n\nAfterwards, a statement issued by the McElhone family said it had been a \"very long road\" to reach Thursday's ruling and that the truth \"has been heard\".\n\nIt reads: \"Our family always knew that Paddy was an innocent young man, taken from his home and shot by a British soldier for no reason.\"\n\nEvidence presented to the inquest found Mr McElhone was not on any list associated with the IRA and was an innocent man from a humble background.\n\nThe family said Mr McElhone's parents \"went to their graves broken-hearted knowing that their innocent son had been killed, without justification, explanation or apology\".\n\n\"We feel that, today, Judge Keenan at this inquest has, at long last, exonerated Paddy in full,\" the statement continued.\n\n\"As a family we can grieve Paddy, and respect his memory as an innocent young man.\"\n\nThe inquest into Mr McElhone's death was the first in a series of coroners' investigations into deaths associated with Northern Ireland's Troubles.\n\nIt was held in Omagh courthouse in County Tyrone.", "Nearly nine million people had to borrow more money last year because of the impact of coronavirus, government figures show.\n\nSince June last year, the proportion of workers borrowing £1,000 or more had increased from 35% to 45%, said the Office for National Statistics.\n\nSelf-employed people were more likely than employees to borrow money.\n\nThere was also a large increase in the proportion of disabled people borrowing similar sums, the ONS added.\n\nThis was adding to a \"widening financial gap\" between households.\n\nOverall, young people and low earners have been worst hit by the pandemic, according to the ONS survey.\n\nThose aged under 30 and those with household incomes of less than £10,000 were about 35% and 60% respectively more likely to be furloughed than the population as a whole.\n\nMeanwhile, higher-paid workers were more likely to be on full pay if they were unable to work.\n\nThere has been much focus on a glut of savings ready to be unleashed into the economy when pandemic restrictions are lifted.\n\nThis ONS report shines a light on the reality of this for many ordinary Britons, having to borrow more, amid a hit to incomes during the recession.\n\nDisproportionately this has hit the low paid and the young, and this would have been far worse without the government's support package.\n\nMore homeowners and the over-30s by December expected to be able to save for the year ahead. Fewer renters and under 30s expected to be able to save.\n\nThough the analysis does not include the latest national lockdown, the economic impact of schools closure is also clear.\n\nEmployed parents were twice as likely to experience income loss, though that gap closed when schools reopened. The fear is that this trend will have returned over the past month.\n\nGueorguie Vassilev from the ONS said: \"Many people took a financial hit in the first months of the pandemic, either being furloughed or working fewer hours.\n\n\"What we are seeing now, though, is a widening financial gap between households, where some people are relying on savings or borrowing to make ends meet. Those hardest hit are people on low pay, young people and parents of dependent children.\"\n\nParents living with children were almost twice as likely to report a reduction in income as the rest of the population, the ONS added.\n\nThis gap gradually narrowed throughout the year as schools reopened. Parents were less likely to have a reduced income during the November lockdown than in the first lockdown, as schools stayed open.\n\nHave you needed to borrow a substantial amount of money because of the impact of the pandemic? Tell us your story by emailing: haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "Biden invited Taiwan's envoy to his inauguration - what does it mean?\n\nBiden’s inauguration was marked by many historic “firsts”, and one of them could be a sign of potential future clashes between Beijing and Washington. Bi-khim Hsiao, Taiwan’s top envoy to the US, was formally invited to the inauguration - the first time this has happened in more than four decades. A video shared on her social media shows her standing in front of the US Capitol ahead of the inauguration ceremony. “Democracy is our common language and freedom is our common objective,” Taiwan’s de facto ambassador to the US said. China views the self-ruled island as part of its territory that it will eventually retake, by force if necessary. And the status of Taiwan has long been a thorny issue in US-China relations, as the US is by far Taiwan’s most important friend. Hsiao’s presence at the inauguration signals the US may continue to demonstrate strong support for Taiwan, despite the fact that many Taiwanese people are concerned that Biden will take a less confrontational stance towards Beijing compared with Trump. By contrast, it’s unclear whether China’s ambassador to the US, Cui Tiankai, attended Biden’s inauguration. Earlier today, China’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said Cui had been invited, but did not confirm whether he was present in the ceremony. Hua reiterated China’s position of opposing official interactions between Taiwan and the US. It’s a long-running unspoken rule that Beijing and Taipei’s top diplomats in Washington do not attend the same event, because sharing a stage could be seen as Beijing acknowledging Taiwan as an independent sovereign country.", "Education Minister Peter Weir says that from an educational point of view, he wants \"to keep the extent to which they [children] are out of school to a minimum\".\n\nBut Mr Weir said that decisions about schools during the Covid-19 pandemic must \"be weighed up against the wider public health advice\".\n\nSpeaking on the BBC's Evening Extra programme after it was announced that current restrictions will be extended, Mr Weir said that \"nobody wants to see restrictions last longer than they have to\".\n\nHe said the decision to extend lockdown was taken \"very reluctantly but there is a broad consensus in the executive that these are necessary measures that have to be taken to ensure we remain on top of the virus\".\n\nMr Weir added that schools have operated on a slightly different timetable to the rest of the restrictions, and that next week's discussions will consider keeping them closed until 5 March, in line with decisions taken by ministers today.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. While some young people have found it hard at times, others have learnt new skills\n\nYoung people have been asked to share their experiences of how they have coped during the coronavirus pandemic.\n\nChildren's Commissioner for Wales Sally Holland said her national survey was important because sometimes views of younger people can be \"surprising\".\n\nShe said the information provided would also help inform the Welsh Government ahead of some tough decisions it will need to make in the future.\n\nA similar survey was carried out in the first lockdown last year.\n\nA recent Prince's Trust Youth Index survey asked young people across the UK about their thoughts and feelings towards the pandemic.\n\nMore than 2,000 responded including 200 from Wales.\n\nIt found 63% of 16 to 25-year-olds said the pandemic had left them \"always\" or \"often\" feeling anxious - 64% said they were feeling like they were \"missing out on being young\".\n\nBBC Wales spoke to a number of children and young people about their thoughts on a variety of issues including home schooling, loneliness and finding out what they are doing to stay positive.\n\nAngel, 16, from Cardiff, is studying for her GCSEs.\n\n\"I've just been confused a lot of the time. All the information out there and it's really hard to process and get to a point where you're in a mindset where you know what's happening.\n\n\"There's such a high level of uncertainty you're constantly worried or actually doubting what's going to happen next.\n\n\"When you have goals for the future it's something to help you get through this but when you're in the circumstances we're in now, it's really hard to find the motivation and a purpose for what you're doing now.\"\n\nTo try and stay positive Angel has been trying to get out for walks during her school breaks or watch Netflix.\n\nShe said she has also tried to learn some sign-language during lockdown and attempted yoga.\n\nEmrys and Clara have been learning home skills\n\nEmrys, 11, from Bridgend, said he misses not having the structure of a school day and seeing his friends.\n\nHe added: \"I'm a social person. I have friends, I chat with them, I play with them, and it's hard not being with my friends but I mean the family will have to do.\"\n\nHe and his six-year-old sister, Clara, have enjoyed going for walks with their parents and have been learning some new skills including washing dishes, cooking dinner and baking cakes.\n\nMeanwhile, 11-year-old Sophie has found it difficult to not get bored during long periods of time in the house.\n\n\"I'd say I cope OK with it at some points, but then not okay with it at other points,\" she added.\n\nSophie said it can be hard sometimes to find things to do\n\nAlicia is studying for her A-levels and has friends who have dropped out of their studies this year because of the stress and anxiety caused by the uncertainty about exams and their futures.\n\nThe 17-year-old also said it was \"heart-breaking\" not being able to see many of her close friends for almost a year.\n\nShe added: \"My thoughts are, it's less of a luxury now, I need to be able to go out to see them and to work.\"\n\nBefore the pandemic, Sarah, 16, from Swansea enjoyed going to her local youth club and took part in a local drama group but it how now moved online, giving a different experience.\n\n\"It's quite sad because I used to enjoy being able to do those things whenever it was on, but I think I'm getting used to do everything online,\" she said.\n\nAs a person who does not cope very well with not knowing what will happen next, the pandemic has caused anxiety at times for Sarah.\n\n\"I am finding it quite scary but hopefully things will change and I'll be able to go back soon,\" she said.\n\n\"I think if you're really struggling with something, talking really helps so it would be nice to see people in person.\"\n\nChildren's commissioner Sally Holland conducted a survey of pupils in Wales during the first lockdown\n\nChildren's helpline MEIC Cymru said it had seen a 10% increase in the number of calls from young people, parents, and carers during the pandemic compared with previous years.\n\nStephanie Hoffman, Head of Social Action at Promo Cymru, the charity which runs the helpline, said: \"We're seeing what I'd say are many more substantive contacts, so a lot more contact dealing with really serious issues to do with social well-being, mental health and relationships, as opposed to what we might have seen more of in the past.\n\n\"Now we're dealing with situations which can be quite complicated.\"\n\nOf the survey, Ms Holland said: \"We've heard a lot from adults showing concern for children at the moment, such as parents, carers and professionals working with children about the potential impact of the lockdown on children.\n\n\"Those voices are important to hear, but it's also important we hear directly from children and young people because sometimes they can be surprising.\"\n\nWe know that Covid-19 vaccinations have been on people's minds in Wales - with many wanting to know when they or their loved-ones will receive theirs.\n\nIf you have a question about this issue, a story you'd like to share or a query about anything else related to coronavirus, you can sent it to us using the form below.\n\nIn some cases your question will be published, displaying your name and location as you provide it, unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published. Please ensure you have read the terms and conditions.\n\nIf you are reading this page on the BBC News app, you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question on this topic.", "Fashion chain Next has said it will no longer bid to buy Sir Philip Green's Arcadia retail brands Topshop and Topman out of administration.\n\nIt comes after a consortium including the fashion chain was named as frontrunner to buy the brands.\n\nIn a short statement, Next said the consortium had been \"unable to meet the price expectations of the vendor\".\n\nSome 13,000 jobs were put at risk when Arcadia, which also owns Burton and Dorothy Perkins, went bust in November.\n\nIt leaves a clutch of others in the race to buy the 440-store group, including Mike Ashley's Frasers Group, which owns House of Fraser and Sports Direct.\n\nAccording to reports, Authentic Brands, the US owner of the Barneys department store, and JD Sports have tabled a joint offer, while online retailers Asos and Boohoo are also said to be interested.\n\nAdministrators Deloitte have been looking for buyers for some or all of Arcadia, after a slump in sales caused by the pandemic triggered its collapse.\n\nNext, which has 550 UK shops and has weathered the pandemic well, was seen as a good fit to take over the group's assets.\n\nIt had been bidding in partnership with the US hedge fund Davidson Kempner, which was going to put up most of the money.\n\nNext said it wished \"the administrator and future owners [of Arcadia] well in their endeavours to preserve an important part of the UK retail sector\".\n\nExperts expect Arcadia to be broken up, with bidders taking on different parts of the business and brands potentially hived off from their stores.\n\nIn December, Australian collective City Chic said it would buy Arcadia's Evans brand, commerce and wholesale business for £23m but not its store network.\n\nLast year was the worst for the High Street in more than 25 years as the coronavirus accelerated the move towards online shopping, according to the Centre for Retail Research (CRR).\n\nNearly 180,000 retail jobs were lost, up by almost a quarter on the previous year, as shops faced strict curbs and prolonged closures.", "Last updated on .From the section Premier League\n\nLiverpool's 68-game unbeaten home run in the Premier League came to an end as Ashley Barnes fired in a late winner from the penalty spot to secure a famous victory for Burnley.\n\nBarnes was tripped in the box by goalkeeper Alisson with seven minutes remaining and converted the spot-kick as Burnley won at Anfield for the first time since 1974.\n\nLiverpool's last league loss on their own ground came nearly four years ago, against Crystal Palace in April 2017, and they are now six points behind leaders Manchester United at the midway point in the campaign.\n\nDivock Origi was given his first start of the season and should have scored when he ran free on goal after pouncing on Ben Mee's error but struck the crossbar.\n\nThe hosts pushed to find the net in the second half but ran out of ideas, Nick Pope making a stunning save to deny Mohamed Salah and fellow substitute Roberto Firmino flicking an effort wide.\n\nBurnley's shock win lifts them up to 16th in the table, seven points clear of the relegation zone.\n• None Klopp takes blame but what has happened to Liverpool?\n\nJurgen Klopp said before the game he was \"not worried\" by his side's poor run, but the latest setback means this has now turned into a real problem for the Liverpool manager.\n\nAfter 19 games, Liverpool are out of form and out of confidence, failing to find the net in their last 440 minutes of top-flight action and awaiting their first league victory of 2021.\n\nThey looked to be hitting their stride on 19 December when they took apart Crystal Palace 7-0, but have not won in the league since and scored just a solitary league goal in that time, against relegation strugglers West Brom.\n\nTheir drop-off from the same stage last season is extraordinary - after 19 games last term the Reds were 13 points clear at the top with 55 points, but they have 21 fewer points now.\n\nAside from Pope's save to thwart Salah and stops from Origi and Trent Alexander-Arnold, Liverpool did not look a side who were threatening to find the net.\n\nThey had 72% possession but much of it was slow and ponderous, and although they had spaces out wide and put 30 crosses into the box, the resolute Burnley defenders headed and hacked clear every ball that came in.\n\nLiverpool won 18 of 19 league games at Anfield as they cantered to the title last term.\n\nBurnley were the spoilers on that occasion - earning a 1-1 draw in July 2020 - and they bettered that showing here with another solid and well-organised display.\n\nCaptain Mee had 14 clearances and made two tackles, while centre-back partner James Tarkowski contributed five interceptions and won the ball back four times.\n\nBurnley are a well-drilled outfit and know their limitations, happy to sit back and soak up the pressure before looking to take their chances on the counter-attack.\n\nThey had sniffs on the break but were unable to get the final ball right and while Barnes forced an excellent save out of Alisson, the assistant referee's flag would have ruled it out.\n\nThey remain the lowest scorers in the league with just 10 goals - level with bottom side Sheffield United - but their defensive solidity means they will always pose a threat, even to the biggest teams.\n\n'We dealt with the basics' - manager reaction\n\nBurnley boss Sean Dyche to Match of the Day: \"Performance, we had to work very hard, as you do in these places, be diligent and do your jobs - shape was good, energy was good.\n\n\"We had a golden chance, kept searching, but you have to deal with the basics and we did that very well.\n\n\"We were close last year, you get a feel of a performance and I said 'you are used to playing against these players, working without the ball, there's always a chance and you have to take it'. Barnsey sticks it in there, gets a toe, it's a penalty and he sticks it away very well.\"\n• None This was Burnley's second Premier League win away against the reigning champions (also v Chelsea in August 2017). Indeed, since the 2017-18 season, Burnley are the only side with two away league wins over the reigning English champions.\n• None Liverpool have gone four league games without scoring for the first time since May 2000. The Reds have had a total of 87 shots since Sadio Mane's 12th-minute strike against West Brom, 25 days ago.\n• None This is the first time a Jurgen Klopp side has gone four league games without scoring since his Mainz side did so in the Bundesliga from November to December 2006.\n• None Liverpool have gone five Premier League games without a win (D3 L2) for only the second time under Klopp (also from Jan-Feb 2017).\n• None Liverpool have conceded two penalty goals at Anfield in this season's Premier League (also Sander Berge for Sheff Utd); they had only conceded two penalty goals at the ground under Klopp before 2020-21.\n• None Liverpool had 27 shots without scoring against Burnley, the most they have had in a single league match without finding the net since April 2013 v Reading (28), and most at Anfield since April 2012 v West Brom (30).\n• None Ashley Barnes' penalty for Burnley was his first away goal in the Premier League in 11 appearances on the road, since netting against Watford back in November 2019.\n• None Since the start of last season, no goalkeeper has made more saves against a single opponent in the Premier League than Burnley's Nick Pope against Liverpool (19). Pope has made 14 saves in his last two games at Anfield, including six tonight.\n\nLiverpool have another big game on Sunday against rivals Manchester United in the FA Cup. That game is live on the BBC (17:00 GMT). Burnley travel to Fulham in the same competition on the same day (14:30).\n• None Offside, Burnley. Dwight McNeil tries a through ball, but Chris Wood is caught offside.\n• None Attempt blocked. Takumi Minamino (Liverpool) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.\n• None Attempt missed. Dwight McNeil (Burnley) left footed shot from the left side of the box is close, but misses the top left corner. Assisted by Ashley Barnes.\n• None Attempt blocked. Roberto Firmino (Liverpool) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Trent Alexander-Arnold.\n• None Attempt missed. Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool) right footed shot from the right side of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Sadio Mané with a cross.\n• None Joel Matip (Liverpool) is shown the yellow card for hand ball.\n• None Attempt blocked. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) left footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Sadio Mané.\n• None Goal! Liverpool 0, Burnley 1. Ashley Barnes (Burnley) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom right corner.\n• None Penalty conceded by Alisson (Liverpool) after a foul in the penalty area.\n• None Attempt blocked. Sadio Mané (Liverpool) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Andrew Robertson. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page\n• None You can stream five fourth-round games live on the BBC this weekend, including Liverpool's trip to Manchester United. Find out more here.", "There is a photograph of Kamala Harris, taken in 1986, while she was a student at Howard University.\n\nShe and two other friends, all shoulder pads and plaid, are smiling and laughing, a crowd behind them. It's a picture brimming with energy and hope.\n\nIt's been used a lot in telling the extraordinary story of her rise to become the first black and Asian American woman to be vice-president and the first person who attended one of America's HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) to get to such a position.\n\nBut this is the story of the other women in the photograph, her two best friends - Valarie Pippen and Karen Gibbs - as well as of others who might have been milling about in the background there.\n\nThis was the 1980s, when the children of America's civil rights generation came of age. Being at Howard University, an HBCU at a time when solidarity with the global anti-apartheid movement was reaching fever pitch and at the height of Reaganism, was a formative experience for many of them.\n\nNow they are about to witness one of their own become vice-president. What have their journeys been like and what does this moment feel like?\n\nHistorically Black Colleges, like Howard University, were founded in order to educate African Americans who were otherwise prohibited from attending college, after slavery.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nAlthough that has now changed, a core part of the Howard message remains its focus on cultivating black leaders - it is not just about academic achievement, but social activism too.\n\nKamala Harris has made clear the influence Howard University had on her career and life goals. Last week, on the anniversary of her sorority's founding date, she posted on Instagram, paying homage to her Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, and referring to her days at Howard, attending anti-apartheid marches and being part of the debate team: \"Howard taught me that while you will often find that you're the only one in the room who looks like you, or who has had the experiences you've had, you must remember: you are never alone.\"\n\nLike Ms Harris, I also went to Howard University and became a member of that same sorority decades later.\n\nI became intrigued by the stories of the other women and graduates who ventured out into the same world during the same time as Kamala.\n\nIn that photograph, Valarie Pippen is on the right and smiling with confidence at the camera.\n\nHer parents attended historically black colleges after moving north with the great migration, which was the movement over decades of millions of African Americans to the North from the South, where economic uncertainty and segregation prevailed. They settled in the Chicago region and forged successful careers.\n\nShe was led to Howard, specifically, after her older brother attended and brought home a yearbook that intrigued her.\n\nHoward had a festive celebratory atmosphere that the friends made the most of while they were there\n\n\"The culture was festive and lively yet focused on academic and cultural advancement of oppressed people,\" says Ms Pippen. \"We knew that our generation would make a difference with our success.\"\n\nMs Pippen says that at Howard University \"we all had more of a striving to do well, a striving to live with integrity and to make your mark on the world\".\n\nComing from a high-achieving and proud black family with high expectations of their children, she was brought up knowing that her college experience was going to be important.\n\nShe is now a healthcare consultant, and after graduating from Howard she attended medical school at Yale.\n\nShe recalls the commitment to academic excellence, the need to prove your worth out there in the world and how that also translated into many nights studying with her good friend Kamala.\n\n\"There was one year at Howard, we both stayed for summer school. We worked during the day, did night classes and we studied together afterwards. We did that for the whole summer and we had fun.\n\n\"She was born for the job. Her dedication - like mine - was to academics, being an all around good person and to integrity.\"\n\nIn the 1990s, 52% of black pharmacy recipients, 30% of dentistry degree recipients, and 27% of theology degree recipients were all educated at HBCUs.\n\nToday, the two oldest HBCU medical schools - Meharry Medical College and Howard University - are responsible for more than 80% of black doctors and dentists practising in the US.\n\nHBCUs have educated three-quarters of all black people holding a doctorate; three-quarters of all black officers in the armed forces; and four-fifths of all black federal judges, according to the US Department of Education.\n\nThe culture they fostered was hugely important for many ambitious and successful middle- and upper-class class black families going out into a world to become leaders in their field, within one generation of getting the right to vote.\n\nKaren Gibbs, pictured on the left in that photo, remains best friends with the vice-president elect and Valarie Pippen.\n\nShe is now an attorney and speaks of her time at Howard in the same way Kamala Harris has in the past.\n\nThere was \"a lot of black pride and a lot of black love\" in the Howard community, says Ms Gibbs.\n\n\"We had black professors who loved us. That was the beauty of going to Howard. They nurtured us, they groomed us. They were realistic to tell us what we would confront when we left Howard - but they equipped us to realise and achieve our dreams.\"\n\nThat environment was especially important as an escape from the realities of society.\n\n\"I was raised in a rural area in Delaware, and the people there were really racist. I had been called bad names by a lot of people, despite having a black family and smaller community filled with educators and proud of their roots,\" says Ms Gibbs.\n\nThat is one of the reasons that she wanted to attend Howard University, to become a civil rights lawyer. She made the move so that she could be surrounded by \"love\" and \"support\".\n\n\"It was never a matter if I would go to an HBCU,\" it was just a matter of which she would go to.\n\nMs Gibbs and Ms Pippen's experience at Howard University strikes a chord with others who were also there in the 1980s.\n\nThey speak of the open fostering of social awareness and political activism in movements happening off campus.\n\nBeing in the nation's capital, Howard in particular had a front-row seat to some memorable episodes in politics.\n\nThe debate team in 1981 at Howard University. Kamala Harris was one of the few women to join the club.\n\nDexter Cole, a Howard alumnus and now top executive at TV One, told the BBC that \"our parents actively participated in the civil rights movements and were at the forefront, and we came to Howard with a sense of commitment to not only improve the lives of ourselves, but others as well\".\n\nAcross the nation, HBCUs were training a generation who would have a large impact on the world, and the progression of the broader African-American community.\n\n\"We understood that we were agents of change.\"\n\nMr Cole explained that \"social unrest was very prevalent, but as a student body we knew that we had a seat at the table because of those we saw who went before us\".\n\n\"I remember marching on Capitol Hill on the National Mall. There was a group of students going to protest to make Martin Luther King Jr's birthday a national holiday, and now I look there is a memorial just where I marched.\n\n\"We knew what our rights were and we were determined to invoke our right. That's why there were so many of us active in the anti-apartheid movement - we saw it play out in the US,\" says Ms Gibbs.\n\n\"It was a time when a lot of people from the era transcended into important places in different parts of society,\" says Lita Rosario-Richardson.\n\nMs Rosario-Richardson is currently an entertainment lawyer. On campus, she recruited Ms Harris on to the debate team.\n\n\"The election of Kamala Harris has really made crystal clear that Howard prepares you for anything,\" she adds.\n\nAlthough it is no surprise to those who knew Kamala Harris that she is now the vice-president of the United States, it feels like a vindication for their own personal journeys and the philosophy they took forward with them into the wider world.\n\n\"It was instilled that with your education comes a responsibility to improve the world - specifically our own people. And, we see that that has benefited everyone in America.\n\n\"Kamala is a child of desegregation, like myself. Her nomination seemed historically fit, and she's the right person for it,\" Ms Rosario-Richardson adds.\n\nDexter Cole is now a top executive at TV One\n\n\"Alumni like Thurgood Marshall - the first black Supreme Court Justice - who attended Howard laid the framework.\"\n\nEven during their time as students, these alumni felt that they were connected to greatness and expected to make big strides in the world.\n\nIt was not a feeling confined to Kamala Harris. The stories of these women show many have become movers and shakers in their own fields.\n\n\"All this has come full circle,\" says Andrea Holmes, a graduate who is now a marketing executive.\n\n\"The vice-presidency is where she belongs. She is the role model of the world and to all women and little girls.\"\n\nThe original photograph of Kamala, Valarie and Karen was taken in 1986 at Howard University's famous Homecoming.\n\nAt most schools in the US, homecoming is an annual tradition marked by an American football game and partying. At Howard University, homecoming is marked by a football game as well as a week of events where all generations come back to meet and celebrate. Notable graduates as well as celebrities and artists come to perform, join discussions, and be part of the week.\n\nAs a graduate, I know Homecoming remains a highly anticipated annual event, an experience like no other. That picture captures the energy, friendship and ambition of a group of women, at Howard in an electric era, who felt capable of anything.\n\nValarie Pippen remembers the moment: \"The weekend was truly exhilarating, and you can see from the looks and smiles on our faces we were having the time of our lives.\"", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nMore than 2,000 homes in parts of Manchester are being evacuated due to flooding caused by Storm Christoph.\n\nThe Environment Agency (EA) has issued two severe flood warnings, which means danger to life, for the Didsbury and Northenden areas.\n\nAssistant Chief Constable Nick Bailey of Greater Manchester Police has warned some of those affected would \"be Covid-positive or isolating at home\".\n\nHe said the government was working to ensure it was \"totally prepared\" for floods \"in every part of the UK\".\n\nA major incident was earlier declared for the Greater Manchester area where up to 3,000 properties were feared to be at risk.\n\nMr Johnson urged people not to stay in their homes if they were told to evacuate.\n\n\"If you are told to leave your home then you should do so.\n\n\"People may think this is a minor issue at the moment, still relevantly minor by standards of previous floods, but never underestimate the suffering, the misery, that floods can cause people.\"\n\nUnder government restrictions due to the current national lockdown people are allowed to leave their homes to escape harm.\n\nIn an alert to those affected, ACC Bailey said: \"A basin at Didsbury to take water from the Mersey is full. It will over-top in the next few hours. As a result we will be issuing a flood warning to homes.\n\n\"This will be through texted flood alerts to some people, and police officers, PCSOs, firefighters, and volunteers will be knocking on doors.\"\n\nHe said police will be supported by North West Ambulance, the British Red Cross and St John Ambulance.\n\n\"I think it's important to stress that if you are contacted and advised to evacuate then we would strongly urge you to do so,\" he added.\n\nWater levels in the area were expected to peak at about 23:00 GMT on Wednesday.\n\nA major incident has also been declared in Derbyshire, where authorities believe a small number of evacuations are \"likely\" on Thursday morning, when the River Derwent is expected to peak.\n\nCounty council leader Barry Lewis said it could rival levels seen in November 2019, depending on the weather overnight.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The PM says the government is making sure it is “totally prepared in every part of the UK” for flooding after Storm Christoph.\n\nSpeaking after a Cobra emergency meeting on Wednesday, Mr Johnson said work was under way to ensure transport and energy networks, and local council services, were prepared.\n\nHe added that work was also taking place to ensure the necessary numbers of sandbags were available.\n\n\"We want to make sure that we are totally prepared in every part of the UK for flooding, because it is coming on top of the stress people are already under fighting Covid,\" he said.\n\n\"We looked at particularly Manchester, we've got a situation potentially developing there,\" Mr Johnson said.\n\n\"We are looking at a pattern of rainfall possibly not as bad at the end of this week, maybe worse next week.\"\n\nPeople in Greater Manchester have also been advised not to travel.\n\nStephen Rhodes, from Transport from Greater Manchester, said there was disruption across the network.\n\n\"Let's work together and not put our emergency services and the NHS - who are already working extremely hard due to the Covid-19 pandemic - under any more pressure,\" he said.\n\nIn Merseyside, the M57 has been closed in both directions between junction 6 and 7 due to flooding.\n\nThe Environment Agency has issued more than 100 flood warnings, meaning flooding is expected and immediate action required, while there are also more than 200 flood alerts, meaning flooding is possible.\n\nRiver levels have risen rapidly in parts of northern England\n\nThe North West, Yorkshire and the Midlands have been preparing for widespread flooding following the Met Office's amber weather warning for heavy rain until midday Thursday.\n\nThe Met Office said some isolated areas could see up to 200mm (7.8in).\n\nSandbags have been distributed as Storm Christoph batters parts of England\n\n\"Once again the government's response to inevitable flood events has been slow and uncoordinated,\" the Barnsley East MP said.\n\n\"We must ensure councils are supported to protect people, businesses, and local communities, and that all of the necessary precautions are also in place to protect those fighting the floods in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.\"\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Sheila Evans was among those to receive the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine at the Al Abbas Mosque in Birmingham\n\nNearly two million people in the UK have received their first dose of a Covid vaccine in the past week, government figures show.\n\nBy the end of Tuesday 4.61 million people had received their initial jab, up from 2.64 million the week before.\n\nBut Boris Johnson warned there were \"unquestionably going to be a tough few weeks\" while the vaccine was rolled out and urged people to observe lockdown.\n\nSpeaking during a visit to flood-hit Didsbury in Manchester, the prime minister said it was still \"too early\" to say when some lockdown restrictions could be lifted in England.\n\nHe said figures from an Imperial College London survey showed the new variant of the virus to be \"not more deadly but it is much more contagious and the numbers are very great\".\n\nThe study suggests there was a rise in infections in the community at the start of the latest lockdown in England.\n\nMeanwhile, NHS England figures show one in 10 major hospital trusts had no spare adult critical care beds last week.\n\nThe UK recorded another all-time high of daily coronavirus deaths on Wednesday. A further 1,820 people died within 28 days of a positive Covid test, according to government figures - taking the total number of deaths by that measure to 93,290.\n\nSixty-five new vaccination centres have opened in England, including a mosque in Birmingham and a cinema in Aylesbury.\n\nTwo million jabs a week are needed for the government to achieve its target of offering a vaccine to all over 70s, the extremely clinical vulnerable and health and care workers by mid-February.\n\nGiving a statement in the Commons, Health Secretary Mr Hancock said the country had an \"immense infrastructure in place that, day by day, is protecting the vulnerable and giving hope to us all\".\n\nDescribing this as a \"huge feat\", he said the government was making \"good progress\" towards its target.\n\nAsked about difficulties in getting vaccines to rural areas and whether the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine could be prioritised for these as it is easier to store, Mr Hancock said the challenge was that supply was \"lumpy\", with manufacturers working \"as fast as possible\".\n\nShadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said new variants of the virus showed vaccination needed to go \"further and faster\".\n\nHe asked if there was a contingency plan in place in case vaccines needed to be redesigned to contain mutations.\n\nMr Hancock said the early indications were that the new variant was dealt with by the vaccine \"just as much as the old variant\".\n\nHe also said 63% of residents in elderly care homes had now received a vaccine.\n\nFormer Conservative health secretary Jeremy Hunt, who is now chairman of the Common's Health Select Committee, asked about establishing \"quarantine hotels\" to combat new strains, as well as whether there should be further restrictions on household mixing outside bubbles and mandating FFP2 masks in shops and on public transport.\n\nMr Hancock said the clinical advice was that the current guidelines on personal protective equipment (PPE) were \"right and appropriate\" and said \"very significant measures\" had been brought in for international travel.\n\nIn Northern Ireland more than 160,000 people have received a first vaccine dose, while in Wales, where more than 175,000 people have received a jab, people waiting for theirs have been urged to show \"patience\" and \"perspective\".\n\nScotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon insisted her country's vaccine programme was not lagging behind, during First Minister's Questions on Wednesday.\n\nIn England the rollout of the vaccine started with people aged 80 and over. In some regions where the majority of these have been vaccinated, the programmes are now moving on to the over 70s.\n\nHome Secretary Priri Patel, who will lead a Downing Street press conference later, said ministers were working to ensure police and other front-line workers are moved up the priority list, while Education Secretary Gavin Williamson told BBC Breakfast he hoped teachers and support staff could be moved up the list.\n\nMeanwhile, pumps and sandbags were brought in to protect supplies of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine from the risk of flood water at a warehouse in Wrexham, north-east Wales.\n\nYoung people in Wales have been asked to share their experiences of the pandemic in a survey by the nation's Children's Commissioner.", "Prime Minister Boris Johnson has warned there will be \"tough weeks to come\" as the UK reported another all-time high of daily coronavirus deaths.\n\nA further 1,820 people have died within 28 days of a positive Covid test, according to government figures.\n\nIt means the total number of deaths by that measure is now 93,290.\n\nMr Johnson said there was now a \"race against time\" to vaccinate the vulnerable but he hoped there would be a \"real difference\" by spring.\n\nIn an interview with broadcasters, he said the high number of deaths was \"appalling\" and a reflection of the peak infection rates seen a couple of weeks ago.\n\nHe said: \"I must warn people there will be tough weeks to come, but as the vaccine goes in and that programme accelerates, there will be, I think, a real difference by spring.\"\n\nJust under half of the newly reported deaths occurred on Tuesday, while a further quarter took place on Monday or Sunday with the remainder last week or even earlier.\n\nThe previous highest number of daily deaths was the 1,610 reported on Tuesday.\n\nSome 4,609,740 people have now received the first dose of a vaccine - a rise of 343,163 from yesterday.\n\nThere were also a further 38,905 cases, with 3,887 more patients admitted into hospital.\n\nIt is the second consecutive day deaths have hit a new high.\n\nThat, sadly, was to be expected as it is a reflection of the surge in cases seen during December.\n\nIt takes a week or two from the point of infection for someone to become seriously ill - and they can then spend some time in hospital. The high number is also a result of delays reporting deaths - a quarter happened last week or even before.\n\nBut make no mistake the death toll is going up. If you look at the average over the course of a week, the numbers being reported at the moment are twice what they were just two weeks ago.\n\nHowever, we also know they should soon start coming down. Daily infections are falling, with signs lockdown is taking effect. For four days in a row new diagnoses have been below 40,000 - after averaging 60,000 at the start of year.\n\nIt could be another week or so before we start to see the impact of that in the death figures. The hope then would be that within a few weeks we could start seeing a more rapid fall as the impact of the vaccination programme begins to bite.\n\nBut before that happens the daily totals reported could, sadly, go even higher.\n\nNew coronavirus cases are down by 21.5% over the last seven days. But the number of patients being admitted into hospital in the same period has not yet fallen (up by 0.5%).\n\nThe prime minister said it looked as though infection rates across the country overall might now be peaking or flattening, but he cautioned that \"they're not flattening very fast\".\n\nAsked if daily deaths would continue to rise, he said it was \"difficult to predict\".\n\nHe added: \"We must hope that by getting the numbers of daily infections down in the way that perhaps has been happening since the lockdown that will feed through into a reduction in deaths as well.\n\n\"But I must stress that we have tough weeks to come now as we roll out the vaccine.\n\n\"The light will only really begin to dawn as we get those vaccination numbers up.\"\n\nEarlier, the government's chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, told Sky News: \"This is very, very bad at the moment, with enormous pressure, and in some cases it looks like a war zone in terms of the things that people are having to deal with.\"\n\nHe said there was \"light at the end of the tunnel\" in the form of the vaccination programme.\n\nBut he said vaccines were \"not going to do the heavy lifting for us at the moment, anywhere near it\".\n\nMilitary personnel are going to be deployed to a number of hospitals to help staff cope with high numbers of cases, including in Northern Ireland and Exeter.\n\nAnd this week 10 hospital trusts across England consistently reported having no spare adult critical care beds.\n\nIn other developments, Home Secretary Priti Patel said ministers were working to ensure police and other frontline workers were moved up the priority list for the Covid vaccine.\n\nMr Johnson said the government must rely on advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, but wanted front-line workers to be immunised \"as soon as possible\".\n\nHe also said the vaccination programme remained \"on track\" despite \"constraints on supply\".", "Politicians in pearls, the colour purple and warm woollen mittens - these are just a few of Washington's favourite things from the 2021 Inauguration.\n\nWith America's leaders in the spotlight on the inauguration - and world - stage, sometimes what they wear can say more than their speeches.\n\nDC-based fashion consultant Lauren Rothman says Americans have always taken an interest in what political leaders don for inaugural celebrations. And in 2021, with an ongoing pandemic and economic crisis as well as the swearing-in of the first female vice-president, things feel \"even more loaded\".\n\nIt's all about optics for the politically fashion-minded, says Ms Rothman, who helps style politicians for events including inaugurations past.\n\nSo let's see how outspoken this year's inauguration crowd really was, from the Bidens to Bernie Sanders - with a little help from some real fashion experts.\n\nVice-President Kamala Harris' purple ensemble has already made an impact.\n\n\"Symbolically, it's a bipartisan colour because it marries [Republican] red and [Democratic] blue,\" says Ms Rothman, noting a number of elected officials or spouses had opted for purple today.\n\nBut that's not the only reason purple has a special place for US women in politics. The suffragettes often wore the colour in the 1900s while campaigning for women's right to vote.\n\nProfessor Elka Stevens, coordinator of the fashion design programme at Howard University, also notes it's a colour of significance in the black community - one tied to the Christian experience as well. Ms Harris' pearl necklace also made reference to a tradition in her Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, the oldest all-black sorority in the US.\n\nAdd it all up and Ms Harris' choice of pearls and a purple sharp-cut Christopher John Rogers coat was \"an excellent first building block on what the legacy is of how to look like a woman in power\", Ms Rothman says.\n\nBoth Mrs Biden and Ms Harris also took care to choose emerging US brands for their inaugural looks. Ms Harris' outfit, from head-to-toe, showed off African-American designers.\n\nAnd we can't forget Doug Emhoff either, America's \"first second gentleman\".\n\n\"He chose to do everything that he should, which is to not distract and perfectly fit in,\" says Rothman.\n\nWe can't discuss political fashion without bringing up Michelle Obama.\n\nHer purple Sergio Hudson sweater and palazzo pants plus coat look, along with perfectly curled hair, did not disappoint fans of the former first lady.\n\n\"It's a different dress code and different expectation for women who are first ladies versus people who aren't, like women who are elected,\" says Ms Rothman.\n\nFrom baring her arms to wearing both high-end and High Street fashion, Mrs Obama was \"legacy-making\" in a way that hearkened back to Nancy Reagan and Jackie Kennedy, Ms Rothman says.\n\nShe also put many \"independent and ethnic American designers\" on the map during her eight years in the White House.\n\nNewly former First Lady Melania Trump, too, had a clear style, often spotted in sleek looks from well-known brands (think Chanel, Hermès).\n\nOne of her favourite designers was French-American Hervé Pierre, but Prof Stevens also notes she faced a challenge dressing all-American as many US labels said they would not dress her.\n\nFor her final look of the day, Melania swapped out the all-black suit she left the White House in for a Gucci dress with a bold orange print.\n\n\"The curtain is down and she's onto the next phase of her life,\" says Ms Rothman of the sharp contrast. \"I think that's what she's using her clothing to signal: that DC is over.\n\nHe may not win the best-dressed award any time soon, but veteran Senator Bernie Sanders certainly won Twitter with his extra large mittens.\n\nMr Sanders' pair of eye-catching woolly mittens were given to him two years ago by a Vermont schoolteacher who made them from repurposed sweaters and recycled plastic bottles. Those, coupled with a snap of him alone in a crossed-arm pose, made for prime meme fodder.\n\n\"What we love about it is that it's so authentically Bernie,\" says Ms Rothman.\n\nWhen asked for his thoughts on all the stir his inauguration look caused, Mr Sanders simply said: \"In Vermont we dress warm...and we're not so concerned about good fashion. We want to keep warm. And that's what I did today.\"\n\nInauguration 2021 featured performances from Jennifer Lopez (in a crisp white ensemble) and Lady Gaga.\n\nBut it was Gaga's custom black-and-red Schiaparelli gown that stole the show or, more specifically, the large golden dove-shaped brooch she wore atop it.\n\nAside from the Hunger Games comparisons, the almost operatic outfit served another fun purpose in Ms Rothman's eyes.\n\n\"She brought the inaugural ball to the stage in a year where you're not going to get all of the dress up, the ball gowns that we have come to look at and adore and criticise.\"\n\nYouth poet laureate Amanda Gorman was another star on today's stage.\n\nThe self-described \"skinny black girl, descended from slaves and raised by a single mother\", touched on many heavy themes in her verses, but her outfit was a breath of fresh air.\n\nYellow is a colour of hope, energy, light. And her bright red Prada headband was a bold complement. To Prof Stevens, it was almost crown-like.\n\n\"It also honed attention on her hair, because no one else had that particular hairstyle. And we know that hair can be political as well.\"\n\nOur last noteworthy youthful garb of the day was Ella Emhoff, stepdaughter to the vice-president.\n\nHer dainty white collar atop a bejewelled plaid Miu Miu coat was particularly striking - or in the words of Teen Vogue, \"just *chef's kiss*\" - and to Prof Stevens, reminiscent of late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.\n\n\"I really thought about our democracy, justice, the collars [Ginsburg] wore and the messages she would send. I think this was [also] an ode to femininity.\"\n\nAnd as for her brother Cole's look? Prof Stevens' takeaway was: \"You need some gloves, young man.\"\n\nAnd last but not least, let's consider the new president and first lady.\n\nProf Stevens says the political dress mirrored a desire to project comfort and to reassure the nation that US democracy is safe and its way of life is \"going back to something familiar\" despite Covid-19.\n\nThere may not have been anything ground-breaking in Mr Biden's Ralph Lauren suit; perhaps the more interesting aspect is the way he wore it.\n\n\"As a Washington insider he's been wearing suits for decades,\" says Ms Rothman. \"He showed that he knows what works.\"\n\nAlso notable with both Biden's ensembles today: the colour blue. Prof Stevens notes that blue is recognised as a colour of trustworthiness; of stability; of confidence, especially for men.\n\nAs for Jill Biden's custom-made, Swarovski-crystal-accented aquamarine coat from the up-and-coming New York Makarian label?\n\nBoth Prof Stevens and Ms Rothman say it signalled responsibility and modesty.\n\n\"We already know [the Bidens] are very united, but it signalled that they're here and ready to do the work,\" Ms Rothman says.", "More than 100 medically-trained military personnel will be deployed\n\nMembers of the military are to be brought in to help medical staff in Northern Ireland in the fight against Covid-19.\n\nHealth Minister Robin Swann has asked the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to help out, primarily at a number of hospitals across NI.\n\nMore than 100 medically-trained military personnel will be deployed.\n\nThose brought in will assist nursing staff and help on the wards in a move designed to ease the pressure on staff.\n\nIn the past, the use of the military in Northern Ireland has provoked controversy.\n\nWhile military help has already been used during the pandemic to transport equipment and patients, this is the first time military staff will be used in hospitals.\n\nIt is thought the first military staff will be made available as early as next week.\n\nMr Swann said it would have been an abdication of responsibility if he did not avail of help from the military.\n\nHe said while coronavirus cases were lower than two weeks ago, the challenge posed remained \"intense\" and intensive care pressures were expected to increase further in the next eight to 10 days.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Brandon Lewis This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nHe confirmed that a request for military assistance for NI's health service had been accepted by the MoD.\n\nThe health minister thanked the MoD for the Military Aid to the Civil Authorities agreement, which is being provided in other UK regions.\n\n\"The armed forces have provided invaluable support in this pandemic, including aeromedical evacuation, real-estate and ongoing logistical planning,\" he said.\n\n\"Our hospitals are under immense pressure and an additional staffing complement will be very welcome on the front line.\n\n\"This is a health decision and I am confident it will be supported on that basis.\"\n\nNI Secretary Brandon Lewis tweeted: \"Battling #COVID19 is a national effort. I'm pleased that 110 medically-trained personnel from our Armed Forces will support health and social care teams across Northern Ireland in their vital work on the frontline against coronavirus.\"\n\nThe move has been welcomed by the Democratic Unionist Party.\n\nWhen it was announced last April that the health minster had made requests for military help, Sinn Féin's Michelle O'Neill said Mr Swann had taken that decision unilaterally.\n\nHowever, she later said her party would not rule out any measure necessary to save lives.\n\nReacting to the latest request for help, Sinn Féin said its priority throughout the pandemic had been to save lives, keep people safe and protect the health service.\n\n\"The Minister of Health has made a request for staffing support from the British Ministry of Defence,\" the party said.\n\n\"We do not rule out any measures to do so, and any effort to make the threat posed by Covid-19 into a green and orange issue is divisive and a distraction.\"\n\nAs of Wednesday, there were 832 people in hospital in Northern Ireland with coronavirus, of whom 67 were in intensive care, with 57 ventilated.\n\nA further 22 people with coronavirus died, bringing the Department of Health's total to 1,671 while there were 905 new cases.\n\nIn the Republic of Ireland, 61 new Covid-19-related deaths were recorded on Wednesday, bringing the country's death toll to 2,768.\n\nA further 2,488 new cases of the virus were also confirmed by the Irish Department for Health.\n\nSpeaking at Stormont's press briefing on Wednesday, Mr Swann confirmed the executive would review the current lockdown regulations on Thursday.\n\nNorthern Ireland began a six-week lockdown on 26 December, in a bid to bring the virus under control.\n\nMinisters promised to review the regulations after four weeks.\n\nMr Swann said he would not pre-empt the outcome of Thursday's meeting but confirmed he would bring recommendations from his officials to the meeting.\n\n\"This is not the time to open floodgates or take premature decisions that would lead to another spike in cases,\" he added.\n\n\"We must stay the course.\"\n\nThe minister also provided the latest update on the number of vaccinations - 160,396 doses have now been administered in NI, with 21,690 of those second doses.\n\nHe said he understood the frustration of some people that they were still waiting to hear when their elderly or vulnerable relatives would receive their vaccine, but he urged patience.\n\n\"We cannot go faster than supplies allow,\" he said.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Relatives of some older people in Wales called the vaccinations \"poorly organised\"\n\nA housebound 84-year-old woman said she was told she may have to wait up to two months to have her coronavirus vaccine if she could not get to her GP surgery.\n\nStuart Wilson said his mother Julia was immobile and she required two people with a hoist to get her up.\n\nHe said her surgery in Sketty, Swansea, called on Tuesday offering a jab but they were told it would take time to arrange a house visit.\n\nWelsh Government said a mobile service could take a jab to the housebound.\n\nDr Chris Johns, from Sketty Medical Centre, said: \"I can give assurances that no housebound patient is being asked to wait this long for their vaccination.\n\n\"This is a massive undertaking by GPs and we would ask older patients, if they are mobile, to attend one of our vaccination clinics instead.\"\n\nHe said teams have already made close to 200 house calls to vaccinate those unable to come to the surgery and over the next few weeks GPs would continue to go to patients' homes \"where necessary\".\n\nMore than 175,000 vaccines have been administered across Wales so far.\n\nUnder Welsh Government plans, the goal is for everyone over the age of 70 to be offered a vaccination by mid-February.\n\nMr Wilson said the call left his mother \"concerned and distressed\" so with her permission he spoke to the GP surgery himself.\n\nShe has been with the surgery, which is the Sketty branch of Sketty and Killay Surgeries, for about five years, and they are familiar with her condition as she receives home visits for flu jabs.\n\n\"What I can't understand is how they can invite somebody for a vaccination and then turn around and say because you're housebound, they can't give it yet,\" he added.\n\n\"I'm not asking for preferential treatment; we're not asking to be bumped up the list. I was disgusted by the total lack of information.\"\n\nMr Wilson said he knew of three other cases where patients have been given the same information.\n\nHe said disabled people should receive equal treatment. He has also taken the issue up with the disability rights association, Disability Wales, who have been asked to comment.\n\nA Welsh Government spokesperson said: \"Those who cannot attend their appointment or cannot travel to the vaccination venue can let your health board know through the NHS booking system. They will then be offered another appointment on another day or at a more convenient location.\n\n\"There are also plans in place for people who are housebound and for care homes, which will mean the vaccine can be safely taken to them using a mobile service if they are unable to attend a GP surgery or mass vaccination centre.\"\n\nMeanwhile, the Welsh Government has been criticised over the speed of rolling out vaccines to the over 80s age group.\n\nSteve Hockridge's 92-year-old mother Sheila suffers from Alzheimer's disease and lives alone in Cardiff.\n\nHe contacted her surgery but was told they had \"no information\" about when she would receive a vaccine.\n\n\"My confidence in the Welsh Government has been knocked,\" he said.\n\n\"After all the clarity during this pandemic, with this area they seem to be very, very secretive, giving different messages [which are] quite often conflicting.\"\n\nIn Wrexham, Helen Field said her mother, Eileen, 94, was also still waiting to hear about her vaccine.\n\n\"Our relations over the border in the Wirral area who are in a similar age group of over 80s and 90s have all received their second vaccine,\" she said.\n\n\"The difference is quite alarming and I just want to know what's going on in Wales and why they are so slow in putting the vaccines out?\n\n\"Nobody can seem to give us any information and it seems to be so poorly organised.\"\n\nThe Welsh Government spokesperson said: \"Every day in Wales we are speeding up the vaccination programme.\n\n\"Thousands more people are receiving their first dose of the Covid vaccine and more clinics are opening with 45 vaccination centres operating or due to be operating shortly, and more than 250 GP surgeries being involved by the end of this month. As of 20 January, more than 175,816 people in Wales have been vaccinated.\"\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "The company said its milk processing was highly automated with no risk to the products caused by the virus outbreak\n\nOne worker at a dairy has died after contracting coronavirus and 95 others are self-isolating.\n\nMuller Milk & Ingredients said 47 staff members who work at the company's dairy near Bridgwater, Somerset, have tested positive for Covid-19.\n\nIt said it was now testing all 300 workers at its site in North Petherton.\n\nA spokesman for the firm said the safety of its products had not been affected by the outbreak at its factory.\n\nIt was working with Public Health England and the council to help with mass testing, he added.\n\nThe employee was taken to hospital but died. The firm said its thoughts were with the worker's family and friends.\n\nProduction has since been reduced at the site.\n\nThe spokesman added: \"It is important to stress that fresh milk processing is highly automated ensuring no risk to products, with our Bridgwater facility one of the most modern dairies in the UK.\n\n\"As we have done throughout the pandemic, we are placing the safety of our employees first and following best practice as set down by the Health and Safety Executive.\n\n\"Standard measures in place include the use of facemasks, distancing, enhanced deep cleaning and hygiene, underpinned by a programme of e-learning, information and audits to ensure compliance and awareness of the measures.\"\n\nSomerset County Council said it was working closely with Public Health England and the factory and that further testing was being done throughout Thursday.\n\n\"The [council's] rapid outbreak testing team is carrying out further workforce testing today, for workers who were not present on Monday shifts.\n\n\"The testing on Monday identified a number of staff who were positive but asymptomatic, who are now isolating,\" a spokesman said.", "Gabriel is an ardent 'Latino for Trump' who is active in New York Republican circles. He wishes the Biden/Harris administration well but doesn't believe Democrats really want unity and thinks they'll reverse a lot of good Trump policies.\n\nHow did Joe Biden's inaugural speech on unity sit with you?\n\nI caught bits and pieces of the inauguration, but I did not watch the speech. I'll give it a watch when I'm not as busy. Hopefully, his message is not like what we saw on 6 January, when he tried to lambast people as white supremacists for showing up at the Capitol, because that will just alienate people.\n\nThis country has come a long way in terms of race relations and, if we really want unity, let's regain the sense of what an American is. An American isn't white, black or Jewish; it is a person within the United States that takes part in our republic.\n\nWhat do you think of the executive actions he is taking today?\n\nI knew Biden would come out swinging while he stills holds the majority in the legislative branch. It's certainly a statement in the same vein as President Trump's first few days of office, but I think it's horrible. As someone of Hispanic descent, the idea of potentially granting 11 million immigrants citizenship is a slap in the face to everyone who came through the legal process.\n\nJoining the Paris climate agreement again is widely regarded as a farce, even by some ecologists, because nations that are members in the agreement didn't actually hit their targets. The removal of the Keystone Pipeline is not only going to cost people jobs but it could potentially increase our carbon footprint. When it comes to the WHO, they failed us during the Covid pandemic. It's all just smoke and mirrors to undo what President Trump did and stick it in the face of Republicans.", "The former Western Daily Press journalist lived in the property from 1970 until 1994\n\nAn \"inspiring\" house previously owned by fantasy writer Sir Terry Pratchett has been put on the market.\n\nThe creator of the Discworld series lived in the 18th Century property, called Gaze Cottage, in the village of Rowberrow, Somerset, from 1970 until 1994.\n\nSir Terry died aged 66 in 2015, eight years after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.\n\nHe wrote more than 70 books during his career and completed his final book in 2014.\n\nAt the turn of the century, Sir Terry was Britain's second most-read author, beaten only by JK Rowling.\n\nIn August 2007, it was reported he had suffered a stroke, but the following December he announced that he had been diagnosed with a very rare form of early-onset Alzheimer's disease.\n\nThe fitted kitchen is in the older half of the house\n\nRuth Treasure-Smith, from Robin King Estate Agent, said: \"He wrote most of his most famous novels in that house in the 80s.\n\n\"The house must have been inspiring. The current owner purchased the property from Terry Pratchett and has lived at the house since.\"\n\nShe said he had received letters to the house addressed to the \"Hogfather\", a quirky and satirical character from the Death collection in the Discworld series.\n\nThe sitting room has an inglenook fireplace complete with bread oven\n\nThe house is being sold at a guide price of £800,000\n\nThe first floor houses the master bedroom which overlooks the garden\n\nThe property has four bedrooms\n\nThe cottage sits on a plot comprising almost a third of an acre\n\nFollow BBC West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: bristol@bbc.co.uk", "More than 100 medically-trained military personnel will be deployed\n\nNI's largest healthcare union has said it has not objected to military personnel being brought in to help medical staff deal with Covid-19.\n\nHowever, Unison said it had questions over the move and there had \"disappointingly\" been no consultation.\n\nAn initial statement from the union on the subject was criticised by some politicians.\n\nUlster Unionist leader Steve Aiken described it as \"appallingly inappropriate\".\n\nA new statement issued on social media, from the union's regional secretary Patricia McKeown, said the first statement had been \"misunderstood\".\n\nSpeaking to Good Morning Ulster, she acknowledged the initial statement had caused \"stress and hurt\" to Unison members and apologised for that.\n\nHealth Minister Robin Swann has asked the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to help out, primarily at a number of hospitals across NI.\n\nMore than 100 medically-trained military personnel will be deployed.\n\nIn the union's initial statement, issued on Wednesday, it said it would ask Mr Swann for \"detailed reasons\" for the move.\n\nIt said this would include \"seeking information as to what other avenues of support have been sought, such as securing additional staffing from private sector healthcare providers\".\n\nHowever, following criticism, Ms McKeown said in a new statement on Thursday morning that the union was \"happy to clarify\" its position.\n\n\"To be absolutely clear, Unison has not objected to assistance from military personnel.\"\n\nShe added: \"In our experience the deployment of military personnel into public services is a decision taken as a last resort.\n\n\"We were immediately concerned that a request for aid of this nature indicates a crisis that is moving out of control.\n\n\"This is why it is important that we know in advance what options are being explored.\"\n\nThe union said it was important to get detailed information on how, when and where external personnel would be deployed and what the management and accountability structures will be in place for them.\n\nSteve Aiken described the first Unison statement as appallingly inappropriate\n\nSpeaking on Radio Ulster's Good Morning Ulster on Thursday, Ms McKeown said: \"We put a statement out last night, it said what we were going to do, but it didn't say why we were going to do it.\n\n\"That caused stress and hurt to our members and I am very, very sorry for that. That's why we corrected it.\"\n\nShe added that if military personnel were being brought in \"it means that all options have been exhausted, there's a big decision facing us now and that decision is a stronger lockdown\".\n\nThe earlier statement from the union, issued on Wednesday night, had been criticised by some politicians.\n\nUlster Unionist leader Steve Aiken said: \"Judging by the number of healthcare workers who have contacted me tonight they are absolutely incredulous at the Unison statement this evening.\n\n\"Getting help is what is needed - time for Unison to withdraw its appallingly inappropriate remarks.\"\n\nDUP assembly member Jonathan Buckley said: \"This statement from Unison is extremely disappointing and is out of step with both Unison's own members and the wider public.\n\n\"I have already been contacted by health service staff making clear that this does not represent their views.\"\n\nHis party colleague Paul Frew tweeted: \"Utterly appalling. A lot of anger tonight for a union that is supposed to support its membership.\"\n\nSpeaking on Good Morning Ulster, West Belfast People Before Profit assembly member Gerry Carroll said: \"We all recognise that we're in a really desperate situation, a really difficult situation.\n\n\"But people want to see the health service expanded permanently and not just a short-term fix which people have questioned on a number of grounds.\"\n\nHowever, Ulster Unionist Doug Beattie said nurses and doctors were exhausted.\n\n\"What we're really talking about here is a surge of some personnel in order to support out frontline nurses who are dead on their feet,\" he said.\n\n\"The here and now is about saving lives.\"\n\nOn Wednesday, Sinn Féin responded to Mr Swann's decision by saying it would not \"rule out\" any measures that help save lives and that \"any effort to make the threat posed by Covid-19 into an orange and green issue is divisive and a distraction\".\n\nThe chief executive of the Belfast Health Trust, Dr Cathy Jack, told Stormont's health committee that the move would ensure staff can continue to deliver care to as many patients as possible.\n\nShe said the military personnel are \"band 4 medically-trained technicians\" who will \"be working under normal management structures\".\n\n\"This is another group of highly-trained individuals that will support staff and I welcome this.\"\n\nDr Jack said discussions were \"ongoing\" about how private health care providers could help in this phase of the pandemic.\n\nShe said a small number of private lists were being used for surgeries with low-risk cancers and more would be freed up in March \"to allow us to try and catch up on the backlog\".\n\nThe Military Aid to the Civil Authorities (MACA) request means armed forces staff will assist nurses and help on the wards in a move designed to ease the pressure on staff.\n\nIt is thought the first military staff will be made available as early as next week.\n\nMr Swann said the Army has previously carried out pandemic roles in Northern Ireland with \"aeromedical evacuation, real-estate and ongoing logistical planning\".\n\nThe health minister added it would have been an abdication of responsibility if he did not avail of help from the military.\n\nHe said while coronavirus cases were lower than two weeks ago, the challenge posed remained \"intense\" and intensive care pressures were expected to increase further in the next eight to 10 days.\n\nAs of Wednesday, there were 832 people in hospital in Northern Ireland with coronavirus, of whom 67 were in intensive care, with 57 ventilated.\n\nA further 22 people with coronavirus died, bringing the Department of Health's total to 1,671 while there were 905 new cases.", "An algorithm is trained to pick out an elephant against a complex backdrop such as a forest\n\nAt first, the satellite images appear to be of grey blobs in a forest of green splotches - but, on closer inspection, those blobs are revealed as elephants wandering through the trees.\n\nAnd scientists are using these images to count African elephants from space.\n\nThe pictures come from an Earth-observation satellite orbiting 600km (372 miles) above the planet's surface.\n\nThe breakthrough could allow up to 5,000 sq km of elephant habitat to be surveyed on a single cloud-free day.\n\nAnd all the laborious elephant counting is done via machine learning - a computer algorithm trained to identify elephants in a variety of backdrops.\n\n\"We just present examples to the algorithm and tell it, 'This is an elephant, this is not an elephant,'\"Dr Olga Isupova, from the University of Bath, said.\n\n\"By doing this, we can train the machine to recognise small details that we wouldn't be able to pick up with the naked eye.\"\n\nAfrican elephants are listed as vulnerable to extinction\n\nThe scientists looked first at South Africa's Addo Elephant National Park.\n\n\"It has a high density of elephants,\" University of Oxford conservation scientist Dr Isla Duporge said.\n\n\"And it has areas of thickets and of open savannah.\n\n\"So it's a great place to test our approach.\n\n\"While this is a proof of concept, it's ready to go.\n\n\"And conservation organisations are already interested in using this to replace surveys using aircraft.\"\n\nConservationists will have to pay for access to commercial satellites and the images they capture.\n\nBut this approach could vastly improve the monitoring of threatened elephant populations in habitats that span international borders, where it can be difficult to obtain permission for aircraft surveys.\n\nThe scientists say it could also be used in anti-poaching work.\n\n\"And of course, [because you can capture these images from space,] you don't need anyone on the ground, which is particularly helpful during these times of coronavirus,\" Dr Duporge said.\n\n\"In zoology, technology can move quite slowly.\n\n\"So being able to use the cutting-edge techniques for animal conservation is just really nice.\"", "Four royal aides say they do not wish to \"take sides\" over a letter from the Duchess of Sussex to her father, the High Court has been told.\n\nIn a letter lawyers for the four said they believed their clients could \"shed some light\" on the letter's drafting but the four were \"strictly neutral\".\n\nMeghan is suing the Mail on Sunday and Mail Online publisher over articles that reproduced parts of the letter.\n\nShe claims her privacy and copyright were breached by the newspaper group.\n\nHer lawyers are asking for summary judgement - a dismissal of Associated Newspapers' (ANL) defence instead of a trial.\n\nThe five articles, published in February 2019, were a \"triple-barrelled invasion\" of the duchess's privacy, correspondence and family, the lawyers claim.\n\nShe is seeking damages from the newspaper group for alleged misuse of private information, copyright infringement and breach of the Data Protection Act over the articles.\n\nANL claims Meghan wrote her letter \"with a view to it being disclosed publicly at some future point\" in order to \"defend her against charges of being an uncaring or unloving daughter\", which she denies.\n\nOn the second day of the hearing on Wednesday, ANL's barrister Antony White QC told the court that a letter from the so-called \"palace four\" showed that \"further oral evidence and documentary evidence is likely to be available at trial which would shed light on certain key factual issues in this case\".\n\nHe said it was \"likely\" there was also further evidence about whether Meghan \"directly or indirectly provided private information\" to the authors of an unauthorised biography of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Finding Freedom.\n\nThe four aides are: Jason Knauf, former communications secretary to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Christian Jones, their former deputy communications secretary, Samantha Cohen, formerly the Sussexes' private secretary, and Sara Latham, their ex-director of communications.\n\n\"None of our clients welcomes his or her potential involvement in this litigation, which has arisen purely as a result of the performance of his or her duties in their respective jobs at the material time,\" their lawyers said in a letter sent on their behalf.\n\n\"Nor does any of our clients wish to take sides in the dispute between your respective clients. Our clients are all strictly neutral.\n\n\"They have no interest in assisting either party to the proceedings. Their only interest is in ensuring a level playing field, insofar as any evidence they may be able to give is concerned.\"\n\nTheir letter said that their lawyers' \"preliminary view is that one or more of our clients would be in a position to shed some light\" on \"the creation of the letter and the electronic draft\".\n\nIt also said they may be able to shed light on \"whether or not the claimant anticipated that the letter might come into in the public domain\" and whether or not the duchess \"directly or indirectly provided private information, generally and in relation to the letter specifically, to the authors of Finding Freedom\".\n\nBut Justin Rushbrooke QC, representing the duchess, said the letter from the four \"contains no information at all that supports the defendant's case on alleged co-authorship (of Meghan's letter), and no indication that evidence will be forthcoming that will support the defendant's case should the matter proceed to trial\".\n\nMeghan, 39, sent a handwritten letter to her father in August 2018, following her marriage to Prince Harry in May that year, which Mr Markle did not attend. The couple are now living in the US with their son Archie.\n\nThe full trial of the duchess's claim had been due to be heard at the High Court this month, but last year the case was adjourned until autumn 2021.\n\nAt the conclusion of the hearing on Wednesday afternoon, Mr Justice Warby reserved his judgement, which he said he would deliver \"as soon as possible\".", "Michelle O'Neill and Arlene Foster were advised restrictions may have to remain in place until after Easter\n\nCoronavirus lockdown restrictions in Northern Ireland will be extended until 5 March, the first and deputy first ministers have said.\n\nThe executive backed the health minister's proposal on Thursday and will review the move on 18 February.\n\nBut ministers were also told that restrictions may have to remain in place until after the Easter holidays.\n\nA lockdown closing non-essential retailers and encouraging employees to work from home began after Christmas.\n\nFamily gatherings are prohibited and people have been ordered to stay at home for all but essential reasons.\n\nSchools are closed to most pupils until after February's half-term but a paper looking at reopening will be put to ministers at next week's executive meeting.\n\nThe lockdown came in response to a spike in the number of cases of coronavirus, which followed a relaxation of some rules in the run-up to Christmas.\n\nFirst Minister Arlene Foster said extending the restrictions was an \"appropriate and necessary response\" to tackle the \"imminent threat\" posed by Covid-19.\n\nShe said she understood it would be difficult for many people to accept, given the uncertainty facing families and businesses, but added: \"To not press forward would risk all of the hard-won gains.\"\n\nThe first and deputy first ministers were right to state just how tough this decision will be for many people.\n\nBut there's an acceptance among the public that restrictions would have to be extended, given how bad things are in our hospitals.\n\nTheir decision also suggests politicians have perhaps learned from the last wave of the pandemic, when restrictions were turned on and off sporadically, and the impact that had both on cases and the messaging.\n\nThey're not alone in sustaining tough lockdown measures, with other UK nations and the Republic of Ireland also keeping their restrictions in place for several more weeks.\n\nBeyond that, it is thought health officials also want to ensure the vaccination programme is also \"well advanced\" before any restrictions are relaxed.\n\nThe hope is that, by spring, the picture will have improved significantly.\n\nUntil then the price we are paying for relaxations before Christmas looks likely to keep rising.\n\nDeputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill said she recognised the executive was asking a lot of everybody but insisted the measures were important.\n\n\"We don't know what will come after [5 March],\" she said.\n\nMs O'Neill said there was a commitment not to keep restrictions in place longer than necessary but decisions would have to be taken in line with the health advice and concerns about a new variant of the virus which is more transmissible.\n\nThe executive's decision comes as another 21 deaths were recorded by the Department of Health on Thursday.\n\nThe reproductive rate of the virus - known as the R-number - had risen to about 1.8 due to Christmas relaxations.\n\nBut the latest estimate from the Department of Health says it is sitting between 0.65 and 0.85 for cases within the community but is still above one for hospital admissions and intensive care.\n\nWhile some may wonder why are restrictions are being extended when the executive's policy has always been based on this rate of infection, the difference is that this time around there are three times as many people in Northern Ireland's hospitals than there were in last April's peak.\n\nDaily case numbers are still significantly higher too.\n\nWhile ministers have agreed to keep the current restrictions in place until March, Health Minister Robin Swann said it was possible they could be needed until Easter, which this year falls in the first week of April.\n\nMinisters say they understand the extension of the lockdown will be difficult for people\n\nIt is understood this plan is being discussed across the four UK nations but ministers will have to consider that in the review next month.\n\nMinisters were also warned that restrictions would be eased on a step-by-step basis in line with reducing pressures on the health service and ensuring the vaccination programme is \"well advanced\" before any relaxations are agreed.\n\nMrs Foster pleaded with people struggling with their mental health during the lockdown to \"please seek help\".\n\nMore than 100 medically-trained military personnel are to be deployed to help health staff deal with the pressure the latest phase of the pandemic is placing on hospitals.\n\nThe chief medical officer Dr Michael McBride said the \"sustained pressure on our health service\" would probably last for three to four weeks.\n\nIn the Republic of Ireland, 51 Covid-19 related deaths and 2,608 new cases of the virus were recorded on Thursday.\n\nSimon Hamilton, the chief executive of the Belfast Chamber of Trade and Commerce, said the extension of the lockdown would be of \"little surprise to most businesses\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Simon Hamilton This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThe Stormont executive has agreed how to allocate almost £300m to help businesses, education, tourism and transport during the next phase of the lockdown.\n\nA total of £100m is going towards the Local Restrictions Support Scheme, the grant for business premises forced to closed due to the restrictions.\n\nThere will also be £16m for tourism and hospitality, two sectors which have largely been unable to operate.\n\nIn addition, two more support schemes for the sector have been opened.\n\nOne aimed at large tourism and hospitality businesses is offering a pot of £26m, with the Department for Economy having identified 250 businesses that will be eligible.\n\nThe other is a £4m scheme to support those who provide bed-and-breakfast accommodation.\n\nMore money is being made available to help businesses affected by the lockdown\n\nJanice Gault from the trade body the Northern Ireland Hotels Federation said the schemes were a \"real lifeline for the sector\".\n\n\"Trading over the last year has been limited with reserves now severely depleted and businesses operating in survival mode,\" she added.\n\nAlso among those to receive the extra cash will be limited company directors, who had not received support since March.\n\nLast week, a scheme was announced to give directors £1,000 grants which one director described as a \"kick in the teeth\" given that he had little to no income for the past 10 months.\n\nBut that scheme is to be boosted with another £20m so the payments on offer will more than treble to £3,500.\n\nLocal newspapers will also benefit from 12 months of rates relief.", "Assaults on emergency workers made up more than a quarter of Covid-related crimes prosecuted in the first six months of the pandemic, figures show.\n\nThe Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said there were 1,688 such offences between 1 April and 30 September in England and Wales.\n\nMany of these involved police officers being \"coughed and spat on\" by suspected rule-breakers, the CPS said.\n\nThey were among almost 6,500 crimes related to coronavirus in that period.\n\nAssaults on emergency workers, which were the most common prosecution, were \"particularly appalling\" and incidents were still taking place, said director of public prosecutions Max Hill.\n\nHe added: \"I will continue to do everything in my power to protect those who so selflessly keep us safe during this crisis.\"\n\nAccording to the figures published by the CPS - which cover completed prosecutions - there were 1,137 charges brought for breaking coronavirus laws.\n\nThese included a man who claimed 15 people having a party at his house in Manchester were part of his support bubble and another man in Wales caught travelling between counties to solicit the services of a sex worker.\n\nOverall, 2,106 defendants were prosecuted for 6,469 coronavirus-related offences, with a conviction rate of 90%, according to the CPS.\n\nOther crimes flagged as being coronavirus-related by the CPS, included 480 charges for public order offences, 466 for criminal damage and 464 for common assault.\n\nThese included offences such as coughing and spitting while threatening to infect another person with the virus, thefts of essential items and fraudsters taking advantage of the crisis.\n\nMr Hill added: \"The CPS has had to adapt to a raft of new laws and regulations intended to keep the public safe during the pandemic.\n\n\"Our guiding principle throughout has always been to support the police in ensuring the right person in charged with the right offence.\"", "Marmite is one of Unilever's many brands\n\nUnilever has said that by 2030 it will refuse to do business with any firm that does not pay at least a living wage or income to its staff.\n\nThe consumer goods giant defined a living wage as one that covered a family's basic needs \"and helped them break the cycle of poverty\".\n\nIt said it wanted to raise wages for people outside its own workforce in order to promote economic inclusion.\n\nUnilever is one of the first big companies to make such a commitment.\n\nOxfam called the move a \"step in the right direction\".\n\nUnilever, whose products include Marmite, Ben & Jerry's ice cream and Dove soap, said it was committed to helping to build \"a more equitable and inclusive society\".\n\n\"Our ambition is to improve living standards for low-paid workers worldwide,\" it said.\n\n\"We will therefore ensure that everyone who directly provides goods and services to Unilever earns at least a living wage or income, by 2030.\"\n\nThe wage should be enough to cover food, water, housing, education, healthcare, transport and clothing, and also include a provision for unexpected events, Unilever said.\n\nThe firm said it was working with partners to establish exact rates of pay in the 190 countries where it operates.\n\nHowever, Unilever's chief human resources officer Leena Nair said it would pay twice as much as the minimum wage in some countries.\n\nUnilever said it already paid its own employees at least a living wage, but it wanted to secure the same for more people beyond its workforce, specifically focusing on the most vulnerable workers in manufacturing and agriculture.\n\nWhile there is no doubting Unilever's desire to improve the lot of those who make its products, there is also a commercial reason for its living wage initiative.\n\nIt wants all of its suppliers to pay their staff a decent wage by 2030, a plan that has the potential, given Unilever's enormous size and global reach, to change the lives of millions of people.\n\nBut the company also believes the move will give it an advantage in the fierce battle to attract buyers.\n\nAlan Jope, Unilever's Scottish-born chief executive, says customers want to buy products with good credentials, and that this desire has only increased during the pandemic.\n\nMr Jope's comments suggest that the next consumer battlegrounds might not be price, convenience or range of product, but environmental and social considerations.\n\nUnilever wants to get ahead of that trend, and plans to do well by doing good.\n\n\"We will work with our suppliers, other businesses, governments and NGOs - through purchasing practices, collaboration and advocacy - to create systemic change and global adoption of living wage practices,\" it added.\n\nIt has more than 60,000 direct suppliers worldwide, from smallholder farmers to major companies.\n\nAll of them will be covered by its commitment, it said, with millions of people set to benefit.\n\nUnilever already audits its suppliers over climate change commitments, and will use these existing arrangements to make sure workers are being paid a living wage.\n\nSuppliers not willing to sign up may lose their contracts with the firm, Ms Nair said.\n\nAlso by 2030, Unilever said, it would equip 10 million young people with essential job skills.\n\nAdditionally, it committed to spending €2bn (£1.8bn) with suppliers owned and managed by people from under-represented groups by 2025 in an effort to improve diversity.\n\n\"The two biggest threats that the world currently faces are climate change and social inequality,\" said Unilever chief executive Alan Jope.\n\n\"The past year has undoubtedly widened the social divide, and decisive and collective action is needed to build a society that helps to improve livelihoods, embraces diversity, nurtures talent, and offers opportunities for everyone.\"\n\nUnilever chief executive Alan Jope says the firm wants to be a \"positive force in the world\"\n\nHe told the BBC's Today programme that Unilever wanted to be a \"positive force in the world in tackling this persistent and worsening issue of social inequality.\"\n\n\"Without healthy societies, we don't have a healthy business,\" he said.\n\nThe move is the latest in a series of ethical initiatives by Unilever, including promoting vegan food products and experimenting with a four-day working week.\n\nGabriela Bucher, executive director at Oxfam International, welcomed Unilever's announcement, calling it \"an important step in the right direction\".\n\nShe said: \"Unilever's plan shows the kind of responsible action needed from the private sector that can have a great impact on tackling inequality and help to build a world in which everyone has the power to thrive, not just survive.\"\n\nLaura Gardiner, director of the Living Wage Foundation, said commitments such as Unilever's show how some employers \"are leading the way in spreading the living wage through both their business networks, and across their global operations\".\n\nFood services giants Sodexo and Compass Group, which are on the Living Wage Foundation's list of recognised service providers, have made similar supply chain commitments in the UK.", "Joe Biden has been sworn in as the 46th president of the United States, at a low key inauguration ceremony outside the US Capitol in Washington DC.\n\nIn his maiden speech as president, Mr Biden said: \"We've learned again that democracy is precious, democracy is fragile, and at this hour, my friends, democracy has prevailed.\"\n\nRead more: Joe Biden replaces Trump as US president", "Mr Olowo said his wife was \"as near perfection as it's possible to be\"\n\nA woman who died after having liposuction in Turkey had been fed up with people asking if she was pregnant, an inquest heard.\n\nAbimbola Ajoke Bamgbose, 38, of Dartford, Kent, died in August after having the treatment in Izmir.\n\nHusband Moyosore Olowo said he believed she was on holiday with friends until she called to say she was in pain.\n\nHe went to Turkey after she stopped calling and found she had been rushed to hospital for more surgery.\n\nMrs Bamgbose, who also had a Brazilian butt lift, died there two weeks later, the inquest in Maidstone heard.\n\nMr Olowo, a rail safety officer, said his wife paid £5,000 for the package with Mono Cosmetic Surgery as UK treatment was too expensive.\n\nDescribing why she wanted it, he said: \"When a woman is unhappy and getting feelings about her looks, the clothes she buys do not fit and people ask if she is pregnant because of her tummy, sometimes there is nothing we can do. We are powerless.\n\n\"I wasn't concerned. I told her 'you have three children'. I told her my tummy is bigger than hers.\"\n\nHe said his wife, a social worker who graduated with a first class degree, was \"as near perfection as it's possible to be\".\n\nMr Olowo said the medical director in Turkey \"confessed it had been a mistake\".\n\nAssistant coroner Alan Blundson recorded a narrative conclusion, and said: \"This is a tragic case, the more so because the surgery was elective cosmetic surgery.\n\n\"Whilst Mrs Bamgbose was determined to have it performed, her husband had not seen it in any way as necessary.\"\n\nA post-mortem examination found Mrs Bamgbose had a perforated bowel and her death was caused by peritonitis with multiple organ failure as a complication of liposuction surgery.\n\nMr Olowo has said he is suing Mono and the surgeon, Dr Hakan Aydogan, for £1m in the Turkish courts, claiming medical negligence.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Mr Biden took his oath on a Bible that has been in his family since 1893 and was also used each time he was sworn in as Delaware senator. The book itself is five inches (12.5cm) thick with a Celtic cross on the cover", "Wales' former Chief Medical Officer Dame Deirdre Hine thinks the vaccine targets are achievable\n\nPeople waiting for the Covid vaccine need to show \"patience\" and \"perspective\", Wales' former chief medical officer has said.\n\nDame Deirdre Hine said Wales had made a \"very good start\" on delivering jabs.\n\nAged 83, she needs the vaccine herself and accepted there was \"understandable anxiety\" for those still waiting, but said: \"I think we should all quieten down and wait.\"\n\nThere has been criticism of the speed of the roll-out in Wales.\n\nStuart Wilson said he was \"appalled\" his 84-year-old housebound mother had been told she may have to wait up to two months to have her coronavirus vaccine if she cannot get to her GP surgery.\n\nDame Deirdre is regarded as one of Wales' leading medical experts, having not only held the chief medical officer post, but being the woman who established the Welsh breast cancer screening programme.\n\nA past president of the British Medical Association and Royal Society of Medicine, she also oversaw the official inquiry into the 2009 swine flu pandemic in the UK.\n\nIt's not surprising that people are worried and concerned... but I would say to them, let's keep it in proportion, let's look at the perspective\n\nShe told BBC Wales the response from governments had moved forward since then.\n\n\"I can detect some lessons that have been learned from the previous pandemic, the one I reported on. Because, although we had a vaccine then, the arrangements for delivering it were very much less clear and much more protracted than it has been this time.\n\n\"The arrangements for the GPs to deliver, and now pharmacists to deliver, all of that is a tremendous improvement on what I saw at the last pandemic.\"\n\nIn September, Dame Deirdre accused successive governments across the UK of taking \"their eye off the ball\" and failing to prepare for a global pandemic.\n\nShe also correctly warned of the \"real danger\" of a damaging second wave of Covid and has remained critical of failures to get adequate testing and tracing capability up and running in the early stages of the pandemic.\n\nShe added: \"I would say the testing and tracing is another matter, and I think there has been justifiable criticism of that.\"\n\nDame Deirdre, who lives in Cardiff, said she was still \"waiting impatiently\" for her vaccine appointment, but called on people to see the bigger picture.\n\n\"Let's get it in perspective. This is a massive logistical exercise, together with a narrow pipeline of supply of the vaccine, and so I'm not a bit surprised that it's taking as long as it is to get round to everybody. But I have every confidence that they will.\"\n\nThe Welsh Government, along with other UK nations, has committed to vaccinating all four of the highest priority groups by the middle of February, including the over-80s.\n\nLatest figures on vaccination in Wales show that, as of 20 January, there had been 175,816 people to get a first dose of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.\n\nThis accounts for 5.6% of the population in Wales, while 7.1% have received a vaccination in England, 7.3% in Northern Ireland, and 5.7% in Scotland.\n\nHealth Minister Vaughan Gething has denied Covid-19 vaccines were being held back, following comments from First Minister Mark Drakeford that the supply had to last until February to prevent \"vaccinators standing around with nothing to do\".\n\nMr Drakeford later said on social media that \"nobody is holding back vaccines\" and Mr Gething added: \"We're rolling out the vaccination programme as quickly as possible.\"\n\nDame Deirdre said she believed the targets were achievable, but people's anxieties were \"understandable\".\n\nShe added: \"Some recent research by Imperial College shows that people in my age group, people over 70, are the people most worried about this pandemic and about their own safety.\n\n\"So it's not surprising that people are worried and concerned, dismayed, when they don't get the letter and then that turns to anger. But I would say to them, let's keep it in proportion, let's look at the perspective.\n\n\"If you'd asked me last May and June whether we would even have a vaccine, I would have been highly sceptical.\n\n\"Then once you've got the vaccine, there is the whole logistical exercise of the publicity, letting people know what's likely to happen, getting the personnel assembled to do that, getting the premises.\n\n\"And it's not easy, it's not easy to do all that very, very quickly.\"", "Chloé Lopes Gomes says she has faced racial harassment while being a ballet dancer.\n\nThe French performer is the first black female dancer at Berlin's principal ballet company Staatsballett.\n\nMs Gomes claims she was told she did not fit in because of her skin colour, and was asked to wear white make up so she would 'blend in' with the other dancers.\n\nThe company has responded by saying her allegation \"deeply moves us\" and an internal investigation is underway into racism and discrimination at Staatsballett.", "The pandemic has seen most children in England slipping back with their learning - and some have gone significantly back with their social skills, says Ofsted.\n\nA report from the education watchdog warns some young children have forgotten how to use a knife and fork or have regressed back to nappies.\n\nOlder children have lost their \"stamina\" for reading, say inspectors.\n\nThe Department for Education says it shows the need to keep schools open.\n\nOfsted has examined the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on children, based on visits to 900 schools and early years providers this autumn - and found that it has been a very divided experience.\n\nThe chief inspector, Amanda Spielman, says there are three \"broad groups\" to describe what has happened:\n\nBut Ms Spielman says this did not divide along the lines of advantage and deprivation, but instead factors such as whether parents were able to spend time with children and families having what she described as \"good support structures\".\n\nAmong older children, Ofsted warns of a loss of concentration among those returning to school and that \"online squabbles\" that started on social media during the lockdown are now \"being played out in the classroom\".\n\nThere are also reports of a loss of physical fitness, while other pupils are showing \"signs of mental distress\", with concerns over eating disorders and self-harm.\n\nThere are concerns about pupils who have so far not returned to school - and in a third of schools there has been an \"increase in children being removed from school to be educated at home\".\n\nBut inspectors say schools are still \"firefighting\" practical problems about keeping going during the pandemic, with the challenge of operating bubbles and responding to Covid outbreaks.\n\nGeoff Barton, leader of the ASCL head teachers' union, said the report \"starkly shows the educational and emotional impact of school closures, and why we need to do everything possible to keep schools open\".\n\nBut he warned that it was becoming financially unsustainable to keep schools running, with the cost of safety measures and the need to pay for supply staff when teachers had to self-isolate.\n\nA Department for Education spokeswoman said: \"The government has been clear that getting all pupils and students back into full-time education is a national priority.\"\n\nShe said the £1bn catch-up fund, including support for tutoring, would help to make up for lost learning.", "The editor of the British Medical Journal has asked the New York Times to correct an article that says UK guidelines allow two Covid-19 vaccines to be mixed.\n\nThe US publication reported that UK health officials would allow patients to be given a second dose that is a different vaccine to their first.\n\nFiona Godlee pointed out in her letter to the NYT that it was not a recommendation.\n\nShe said the NYT's headline claiming UK guidelines say such substitutions \"may happen\" was \"seriously misleading\".\n\nThe UK has approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab - but both require two doses which are now to be administered 12 weeks apart\n\nMs Godlee said the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) does not make any recommendation to mix and match - in other words, having a shot of one vaccine and then a different one 12 weeks later.\n\nDr Mary Ramsay, Public Health England's head of immunisations, said: \"We do not recommend mixing the Covid-19 vaccines - if your first dose is the Pfizer vaccine you should not be given the AstraZeneca vaccine for your second dose and vice versa.\"\n\nDr Ramsay added that on the \"extremely rare occasions\" where the same vaccine is unavailable or it is unknown which jab the patient received, it is \"better to give a second dose of another vaccine than not at all\".\n\nMs Godlee urged the New York Times to print a \"highly visible correction\" as soon as possible.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The Princess Royal Hospital at Haywards Heath was among the hospitals receiving a delivery\n\nMeanwhile, health staff have criticised the paperwork needed to gain NHS approval to give the coronavirus vaccine, with some medics being asked for proof they are trained in areas such as preventing radicalisation.\n\nThe first doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine are due to be given on Monday after the jab was approved for use in the UK last week.\n\nThe Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was the first vaccine approved in the UK, and 944,539 people have had their first jab.", "Tian Tian arrived in Scotland, along with Yang Guang, from China in 2011\n\nEdinburgh Zoo's giant pandas may have to return to China next year because of financial pressures.\n\nYang Guang and Tian Tian cost about £1m a year to lease from China.\n\nThe zoo, which had hoped to breed the pair, is nearing the end of its 10-year contract with the Chinese government and may be unable to renew the deal.\n\nCovid lockdown closures led to a £2m loss for the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, which runs Edinburgh Zoo and the Highland Wildlife Park.\n\nDavid Field, chief executive of the society, said the charity would have to \"seriously consider every potential saving\", including its giant panda contract.\n\nMr Field said closures had had a \"huge financial impact\" on the charity because most of its income was from visitors.\n\n\"Although our parks are open again, we lost around £2m last year and it seems certain that restrictions, social distancing and limits on our visitor numbers will continue for some time, which will also reduce our income,\" Mr Field said.\n\n\"Yang Guang and Tian Tian have made a tremendous impression on our visitors over the last nine years, helping millions of people connect to nature and inspiring them to take an interest in wildlife conservation.\n\n\"I would love for them to be able to stay for a few more years with us and that is certainly my current aim.\"\n\nYang Guang was given a new enclosure in 2019\n\nThe zoo has already taken a government loan, furloughed staff, made redundancies and launched a fundraising appeal, but was not eligible for the UK government's zoo fund, which was aimed at smaller zoos.\n\n\"The support we have received from our members and animal lovers has helped to keep our doors open and we are incredibly grateful,\" Mr Field added.\n\n\"At this stage, it is too soon to say what the outcome will be. We will be discussing next steps with our colleagues in China over the coming months.\"\n\nThe zoo is part of a number of conservation projects, including one to reintroduce Scottish wildcats.\n\nWork to reintroduce Scottish wildcats in to the Highlands may also suffer from the Zoo's funding problems\n\nHowever, Mr Field said projects like that may also have to be scrapped because of Brexit and being unable to apply for grants from the European Union.\n\n\"We received a £3.2m grant from the EU Life programme to support our Saving Wildcats partnership project, which aims to restore wildcats in Scotland by breeding and releasing them into the wild.\n\n\"Wildcats are on the brink of extinction in Britain and this is the last hope for the species' survival.\"\n\nHe added: \"As we are no longer part of the European Union, our charity is no longer eligible to apply for funding from programmes like EU Life, which have proven critical for our wildlife conservation work and wider efforts to protect animals from extinction.\"\n\nEdinburgh Zoo's conservation genetics laboratory, which supports conservation projects around the world, has lost access to both funding and other researchers as a result.\n\nIt also faces challenges around moving animals, many of which are part of European endangered species breeding programmes.\n\nThe programme is currently about £900,000 short, meaning it may have to be cancelled.\n\nMr Field said: \"We still need to reduce costs to secure our future. It may be that some of our incredibly important conservation projects, including the vital lifeline for Scotland's wildcats, may have to be deferred, postponed or even stopped.\"", "Police rescued 22 people from the snow in Cheshire including a two-year-old child\n\nDozens of people, including a two-year-old child, had to be rescued when they became stranded on rural roads.\n\nPolice and volunteers came to the aid of people whose vehicles were stuck in the Derbyshire Peak District on Saturday.\n\nThere were similar scenes in Cheshire where 22 people, had to be rescued from stranded cars.\n\nThe wintry weather is set to continue with a Met Office warning for ice in the East Midlands and North East.\n\nAt around 20:00 GMT on Saturday, Derbyshire Police reported \"sudden snow\" had left dozens of vehicles and their occupants stranded in the Goyt Valley.\n\nSome visitors to the area were caught off-guard by how quickly the weather changed.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Adam White This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nDerbyshire Police posted on Twitter: \"We are shuttling people back to Buxton as quickly as we can.\n\n\"Sit tight and we will get to you.\"\n\nThe A57 Snake Pass - a road notorious for becoming dangerous in the snow - had been closed earlier in the day because of the weather.\n\nIn Cheshire, police spent three hours helping families stuck in their vehicles in the White Peak area.\n\nIn total 22 people, including eight children - the youngest of whom was two - were recovered from nine vehicles.\n\nCheshire Police Rural Crime Team said: \"The snow had well and truly caught them all out on the back roads.\n\n\"We were three miles (4.8km) from the nearest village, and the light was fading on us quickly.\n\n\"It was decided to get everyone out of their cars and so began a mile walk in the snow.\"\n\nThey were led to a nearby farm where they could be taken to safety in police vehicles.\n\nMost of those rescued from snow in Cheshire had travelled to the area despite coronavirus restrictions\n\nThe force was critical of the families for travelling into the area, that is under tier four coronavirus restrictions.\n\nIt said: \"All except one car was from out of Cheshire. We had people from Sale, Stockport and Salford with the closest being Congleton.\n\n\"Sadly these people have put all of us at risk today.\"\n\nFollow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Liverpool City Council issued their call after local cases nearly trebled in the past fortnight\n\nLiverpool's leaders have called on the government to impose a new nationwide lockdown to halt the spread of the new variant of Covid-19.\n\nActing mayor Wendy Simon and the city council's cabinet said urgent action is needed because the rise in coronavirus cases had reached \"alarming levels\".\n\nThey said it was \"self-evident\" the tier system has not curbed the variant.\n\nIt had been concentrated in London and south-east England but is believed to be spreading north.\n\nCases in Liverpool have almost trebled in the past two weeks to 350 per 100,000.\n\nThis is despite the city successfully leading the national pilot for community testing, which resulted in it becoming the first city to be taken out of tier 3 and moved into tier 2.\n\nHowever, the recent rise in cases meant Liverpool returned to tier three on Thursday.\n\nWendy Simon is the acting mayor for Liverpool\n\nSpeaking to the BBC News Channel, Ms Simon said: \"I think the difficulty with this new strain of the virus is the speed at which it is infecting.\n\n\"What we have seen in these last weeks is that the tier system hasn't worked with this particular strain of the virus.\n\n\"The way the numbers are going, we're likely to go into tier four very, very quickly.\"\n\nMs Simon said officials wanted to \"pre-empt that catastrophe\" and \"recover the economy quicker\", adding: \"We feel these three things - the mass vaccination, the mass testing and certainly a lockdown for a period - is what we need to get the city up and running again.\n\n\"There's a responsibility on us all to act promptly and bring it under control as soon as we can.\"\n\nIn an earlier statement, Ms Simon joined officials at the Labour-run city council to urge the government to \"listen to those at the frontline, both in our hospitals and frontline services\".\n\n\"We as a nation can cope with a lockdown,\" the statement said. \"We have before and we can again.\"\n\nThe city's leaders also called for \"an additional package of welfare and economic support\" to address the \"pain for our retail and hospitality sectors\".\n\nA further 57,725 confirmed cases were announced by the government on Saturday.\n\nThe sharp rise in numbers is partly down to a lag in reporting over the holiday period but, according to Public Health England, is \"largely a reflection of a real increase\".\n\nAlthough the new variant is now spreading more rapidly than the original version, it is not believed to be more deadly.\n\nLiverpool launched the national pilot for community testing in November\n\nOn Sunday, the prime minister said regional restrictions in England were \"probably about to get tougher\".\n\nHe said possible changes included keeping schools closed, although this is not \"something we want to do\".\n\nBoris Johnson said the government was \"entirely reconciled to doing what it takes to get the virus down,\" and warned of a \"tough period ahead\".\n\nHe said increasing vaccination would provide a way out of restrictions and that he hoped \"tens of millions\" would be vaccinated in the next three months.\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk", "The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine has started to arrive in hospitals, with the first doses due to be given on Monday.\n\nThe Princess Royal Hospital at Haywards Heath in West Sussex was one of the hospitals taking a delivery on Saturday.\n\nThe UK has ordered 100 million doses of the new vaccine - enough to vaccinate 50 million people.", "The Scottish cabinet will meet later to consider further measures to help tackle coronavirus, as 2,464 new cases are reported.\n\nThe Scottish Parliament will then be recalled for First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to make an \"urgent statement\".\n\nMs Sturgeon said the \"rapid increase in Covid cases driven by the new variant\" was of \"very serious concern\".\n\n\"We are in a race between this faster spreading strain of Covid and the vaccination programme,\" she tweeted.\n\nShe warned on Friday that the next few weeks could be the most dangerous period for Scotland since March in the fight against Covid.\n\nThe latest government figures for coronavirus cases showed that 15.2% of Saturday's 17,328 tests were positive.\n\nIt is higher than the 2,137 cases reported on Friday, but still lower than Thursday's 2,539 positive results.\n\nFigures for hospital admissions and deaths over the holiday weekend will not be published until Tuesday.\n\nThe cabinet is likely to consider a further delay to the return of Scottish schools and restrictions that are closer to the stay-at-home lockdown in March.\n\n\"All decisions just now are tough, with tough impacts,\" Ms Sturgeon wrote on twitter. \"Vaccines give us way out, but this new strain makes the period between now and then the most dangerous since start of pandemic.\"\n\nThe Scottish government's emergency resilience committee heard on Saturday that \"quick and decisive action is needed\" as the new variant of the virus is becoming the dominant one in Scotland.\n\nA Scottish government spokesperson said: \"The even steeper rises and severe pressure on the NHS that is being experienced in some other parts of the UK is a sign of what may lie ahead in Scotland if we do not take all possible steps now to slow the spread of the virus, while the vaccination programme progresses.\n\n\"The strong message remains - people should stay at home as much as possible and avoid non-essential interaction with others.\"\n\nThis is just the fifth time the Scottish Parliament has been recalled and the second time within the last week.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Prof Linda Bauld says Scots should be prepared a longer period living with level four restrictions\n\nPublic health expert Prof Linda Bauld, from the University of Edinburgh, has said Scotland should be prepared for Covid restrictions to be extended as infection rates continue to rise.\n\nShe said there were no signs yet that the infection rate was levelling off, having risen suddenly from a daily rate of fewer than 1,000 to more than 2,000 per day in recent days.\n\nShe told BBC Scotland: \"It definitely is a fragile situation and you can see that we have more cases than we would expect at the current time.\n\n\"We may be starting to see some of the impacts of the Christmas mixing, but also we know around four in 10 cases, from recent data, are of the new variant.\n\n\"I would imagine that the new variant is playing a role in these higher rates of infection and if these numbers continue to sit at where they are we are going to have more people in hospital in a week or two's time, and that is very worrying.\"\n\nThe new year offers new hope in the struggle against coronavirus with two vaccines now authorised for UK use - but it looks as if the situation will get worse before it gets better.\n\nMinisters are worried by the rapid spread of the new strain of coronavirus during a holiday period when the highest level of restrictions are already in place.\n\nThey think more needs to be done to suppress the virus, to give the vaccination programme a chance to accelerate and give increasing numbers of people protection.\n\nWhen the Scottish cabinet meets they are likely to consider tightening the current restrictions to something closer to the stay at home lockdown of March 2020.\n\nThat will almost certainly mean a further delay to the return of schools into February.\n\nMinisters will take decisions on Monday morning with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon expected to make a statement at Holyrood in the afternoon.\n\nDaily confirmed cases in Scotland reached record highs on the last three days of 2020, rising to to 2,622 on Thursday.\n\nMs Sturgeon warned last week there might be changes to the plans for reopening schools. Children start online learning from 11 January and are set to return to class by 18 January.\n\nThe education recovery group will meet on Monday.\n\nScottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said the situation was \"deteriorating and fast-moving\" but any decision to extend school closures should be clearly explained to parents and teachers.\n\nHe said: \"We have been here before so if schools remain closed, the Scottish government must show that it has learned from past mistakes in order to minimise disruption to education.\"\n\nScottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie said the Scottish government should prioritise teachers and school staff as vaccines were rolled out.\n\nHe added: \"We must be honest and accept that most pupils, teachers and support staff cannot go back to schools until the situation is brought under control.\"\n\nScottish Labour leader Richard Leonard called for ministers to publish the evidence behind all of its decisions to ensure public consent and compliance.\n\n\"What is clear is that we need to see an acceleration of the vaccine rollout and a step-change in testing,\" he said.\n\n\"It is also clear that financial support from government has simply not been nearly sufficient to make up for the damage that lockdown measures have done to jobs, livelihoods and businesses. The SNP government must distribute additional funds to the frontline now.\"\n\nScottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said: \"With tighter restrictions on movement and in schools comes a greater responsibility on the government to show its workings.\n\n\"If we are to restrict people's movement then we need to see what the benefit will be. We need an exit plan to give people hope, as well as to show them what is required to ease the restrictions on our freedoms.\"", "A farmer's field in Scotland has been transformed into a \"pop-up\" ice hockey rink.\n\nLocals in Bishopton, Renfrewshire, have been taking advantage of the clear skies and icy conditions.\n\nOne said the frozen rink had been playing host to skaters and hockey players of all ages and abilities, from six to 60.", "Some schools are due to reopen this week in Wales\n\nSchools are being given a flexible approach to ensure a \"safe return\", according to Wales' first minister.\n\nMark Drakeford said experts would be \"looking at all the evidence again early next week\".\n\nUnions have called for a national decision on reopening schools rather than leaving it to local councils.\n\nAccording to local authorities many secondary schools aim to return from 11 January, with some fully open on 6 January.\n\nA joint statement from nine unions called on the Welsh Government to give a \"centralised, coherent response\" regarding all educational settings \"rather than leaving decisions at local levels\".\n\nThe statement from ASCL Cymru, GMB, NAHT Cymru, NASUWT Cymru, NEU Cymru, Ucac, Unison, Unite and Voice continued: \"We are extremely worried that schools will be opening for face-to-face learning from next Monday, whilst Welsh Government continues to gather information about the nature and impact of the new variant of Covid-19...\n\n\"We strongly believe that we need to err on the side of caution and ensure, in advance, that we have the medical 'evidence and information' to ensure that any decisions are the correct ones.\"\n\nThe National Education Union Cymru has called for in-person learning to be delayed until at least 18 January.\n\nThe NASUWT has also threatened \"appropriate action in order to protect members whose safety is put at risk\", while head teachers' union NAHT Cymru said it had taken legal action.\n\nBut Mr Drakeford said: \"We reached an agreement with our local education colleagues that in Wales we will have a phased and flexible return to school.\"\n\nPrime Minister Boris Johnson said on Sunday parents should send their children to primary school as long as they are open in their area.\n\nMark Drakeford: \"No evidence that young people get the illness more severely as a result of the variant\"\n\nJackie Parker, head of Crickhowell High School in Powys, which reopens for some form years from Wednesday, said \"it would have been more sensible to have had a national decision for the time being until the 18th\".\n\nShe said it would have allowed time to see if cases of Covid had increased over the holiday period.\n\n\"People may have been together during the Christmas holiday,\" she said.\n\nFigures published by Public Health Wales on Sunday showed 56 new deaths from Covid and 4,011 new cases of the virus.\n\nWales has been in lockdown since 20 December with restrictions on people meeting others on all but Christmas Day when it was limited to another household and a person living alone.\n\nMr Drakeford said: \"There is no evidence that young people get the illness more severely as a result of the variant.\n\n\"Our technical advisory group will be looking at all the evidence again early next week.\n\n\"And, of course, we will continue to make decisions in the light of the best knowledge, research and information that's available to us at the time,\" he told BBC Radio Wales' Sunday Supplement.\n\nHe also said mass testing in schools would begin as planned this month, in a decision which has been criticised by NAHT Cymru.\n\n\"It will allow more children and more teachers to stay safely in the classroom without having to be sent home because another child or another staff member has tested positive,\" he said.\n\nThe joint unions' statement also said the Welsh Government's testing proposals were unworkable for most schools.\n\n\"Due to the chaotic and rushed nature of this announcement, the lack of proper guidance, and an absence of appropriate support, the Welsh Government's proposals will be inoperable for most schools and colleges,\" it said.\n\nThe statement continued: \"Any suggestion that schools can safely recruit, train and organise a team of suitable volunteers to staff and run testing stations on their premises by an as yet unspecified date in the new term is simply not realistic.\"\n\nSian Gwenllian, Plaid Cymru's education spokeswoman, said \"parents and teachers need to know what the plan is for the next few weeks\".\n\n\"We don't really know very much about this new variant in the way that it transmits within the school community,\" she said.\n\n\"And if it is becoming inevitable that schools will have to close, well, an early decision is better for everybody.\"\n\nWelsh Conservative education spokeswoman Suzy Davies said: \"We've had conflicting reports in the press and on social media about the effect of the new variant on younger children and their role in transmitting the disease - complete confusion reigns...\n\n\"The Welsh Government hasn't succeeded in reassuring teachers and in some cases parents as well.\"", "A top Swedish official involved in the coronavirus response has defended a Christmas holiday in the Canary Islands in the face of heavy criticism.\n\nDan Eliasson is head of the civil contingencies agency, which earlier in December had texted all Swedes urging them to avoid travel.\n\nHe was photographed in Las Palmas airport on the island of Gran Canaria.\n\nMr Eliasson insisted the trip was necessary \"for family reasons\".\n\nHe told Swedish media that he had \"given up a lot of trips during this pandemic\" but thought this one was necessary because he had a daughter living in the Canaries.\n\n\"I celebrated Christmas with her and my family,\" he told Expressen newspaper. He also said he had been worked remotely while in the Canaries.\n\nSweden has had 437,000 confirmed cases and 8,700 deaths - many more than its Scandinavian neighbours. The country has never imposed a full lockdown.\n\nHowever, alarmed by rising numbers of cases last month, the Swedish government reversed some of its guidance and sent a text message to all Swedes asking them to read updated guidelines.\n\nThe guidelines included asking Swedes to avoid unnecessary trips and not to make new contacts during a journey or at the destination.\n\nMr Eliasson was then photographed several times in Gran Canaria, including at the airport.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Expressen This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThere have been calls for Mr Eliasson, an experienced official who has worked at several important departments, to be fired.\n\nPrime Minister Stefan Löfven and other ministers have not yet commented, according to Swedish media.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. From the pandemic to measles, Smitha Mundasad looks at global health challenges in 2021", "Liam Reilly fronted Bagatelle for more than 40 years\n\nIrish Eurovision singer and frontman of the rock band Bagatelle, Liam Reilly, has died aged 65.\n\nA family statement confirmed that Mr Reilly \"passed away suddenly but peacefully at his home\" on 1 January.\n\nMr Reilly fronted Bagatelle for more than 40 years and they had success with songs including Summer in Dublin and Second Violin.\n\nHe also came joint second at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1990 with the song Somewhere in Europe.\n\nThe song finished on 132 points, joint with France's entry sung by Joëlle Ursull, in the contest in Zagreb.\n\nMr Reilly, from Dundalk, County Louth, also composed Ireland's Eurovision entry for the contest in Rome in 1991, when Kim Jackson performed his song Could It Be That I'm In Love, which was placed 10th.\n\n\"We know that his many friends and countless fans around the world will share in our grief as we mourn his loss, but celebrate the extraordinary talent of the man whose songs meant so much to so many.\" the family statement added.\n\nJoe Gallagher, the band's promoter from Strabane, County Tyrone, told BBC Radio Ulster \"the talent that Liam brought to the music industry in Ireland is second to none\".\n\n\"Some of the songs that he has written are up there with some of the better songs written in Ireland,\" he said.\n\n\"He is one of the best singer-songwriters Ireland has ever seen or produced.\"\n\nMr Reilly also wrote songs for others, including The Wolfe Tones. The Irish group paid tribute to him on social media, describing him as \"a master songwriter\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by The Wolfe Tones 🇮🇪 This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. End of twitter post by The Wolfe Tones 🇮🇪\n\nStephen Travers, a member of the Miami Showband, said Mr Reilly was a \"national treasure\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Stephen Travers This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Last updated on .From the section Horse Racing\n\nTributes have been paid to trainer Zoe Davison, who died from cancer on the same day two of her horses claimed wins at Plumpton.\n\nDavison, who had breast cancer for four-and-a-half years, died at her Shovelstrode Racing Stables in Sussex.\n\nBrown Bullet and Mr Jack, both trained at the family's stable, had raced to victory at the Sussex track on Sunday.\n\nSimon Clare, part-owner of Brown Bullet, said: \"Zoe was just the most wonderful human being imaginable.\"\n\nHer husband Andrew Irvine - who she married in 2018 - was by her side, along with family.\n\nHe said: \"She was the most wonderful, incredible person. I am blessed to have spent the last 24 years of my life with her.\"\n\nDaughter Gemelle Johnson, who was assistant to her mother, said: \"I just feel a bit numb inside because of everything.\n\n\"I'm a bit overwhelmed we've had a double for mum. Hopefully we have made her proud. It's surreal. Our team is a family business and we put everything into it. She will be thoroughly missed as she is the glue that holds us together.\n\n\"We've had a few winners around here and it is one of our local tracks. It means everything to us as we want to do her proud.\"\n\nDavison sent out the first of over 100 winners when Sails Legend, with AP McCoy in the saddle, won at Towcester in November 1997.\n\nShe enjoyed her best season with 15 winners in the 2017-18 campaign.\n\nJockey Page Fuller has a long association with the stable and should have ridden Mr Jack but had been stood down from an earlier fall.\n\nShe said: \"You couldn't have written it any better today. She was just a kind and genuine person who was a real horsewoman. She loved her horses and did her best by them.\n\n\"She has been struggling for a long time, but fortunately her strength has rubbed off on everybody else and they showed that by sending out the winners today.\n\n\"It has been a great team effort and it is great she has gone out like that. I don't know anybody who would have a bad word to say about her - she was just one of those really nice people.\"\n\nEd Arkell, ex-Fontwell clerk of the course and now at nearby West Sussex track Goodwood, said: \"Zoe was a huge part of the southern racing circuit. I'm so sorry for her family and she will be very much missed. She was a friendly, happy person who everybody loved.\n\n\"As a trainer, she ran a wonderful family operation. There are less of those these days. She supported her local tracks and became a big part of them.\"\n\nClare added: \"Zoe was the most talented horsewoman imaginable. What she didn't know about horses wasn't worth knowing.\n\n\"She is so incredibly well loved and will be desperately missed by everyone who knew her.\"", "Last updated on .From the section Premier League\n\nArsenal continued their Premier League resurgence with a ruthless victory over strugglers West Brom at The Hawthorns.\n\nDefender Kieran Tierney's excellent solo run and curling finish put the Gunners in front in the first half, before the impressive Bukayo Saka rounded off a stunning passing move to make it 2-0.\n\nAlexandre Lacazette added the third and fourth goals after the break - smashing in a rebound from Emile Smith Rowe's shot before he was set up by Tierney.\n\nIt was Arsenal's third league victory in a row after they had failed to win their previous seven.\n\nWest Brom, playing their fourth match under new manager Sam Allardyce, remain second from bottom and six points from safety.\n• None Confidence? Youth? How have Arsenal turned relegation talk into European hopes?\n\nArsenal boss Mikel Arteta said he wanted his players to \"show confidence\" at The Hawthorns, and they certainly did that in a dominant and eye-catching display.\n\nHector Bellerin forced Sam Johnstone into a save within two minutes after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang broke down the left, and Saka tormented full-back Dara O'Shea on the opposite wing constantly during the opening half.\n\nIt was Saka's ball that fizzed past the back post, inches away from the toe of Aubameyang, after the 19-year-old had got the better of O'Shea and hit it straight at Johnstone.\n\nWest Brom were being suffocated and Tierney's burst of pace to get around Darnell Furlong, before bending it into the far corner, was the perfect way to open the scoring.\n\nSaka made it 2-0 by rounding off a slick, one-touch passing move that former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger would have been proud of.\n\nWest Brom could offer no response after the break either and Arsenal were 3-0 up on the hour when Lacazette eventually blasted in the rebound from a catalogue of errors by defender Semi Ajayi.\n\nThat was game over but Lacazette was allowed to add a fourth when he was left unmarked to divert Tierney's cross into the roof of the net four minutes later.\n\nArteta, knowing the job was done, was able to bring off Saka and Emile Smith Rowe following impressive performances from both youngsters, while Arsenal continued to create chances to round off a very enjoyable evening in the snow.\n\nAllardyce's first match in charge of West Brom - a 3-0 drubbing by Aston Villa after captain Jake Livermore had been sent off - was a sign of just how tough this job was going to be.\n\nThen that 1-1 draw with Liverpool at Anfield provided hope. The Baggies were resilient, organised and tireless.\n\nBut heavy back-to-back defeats by Leeds United and now Arsenal at home have brought things back down to earth.\n\nWest Brom were overawed in defence, out-run in midfield and frustrated by a lack of opportunities in attack throughout this confidence-crushing defeat.\n\nTheir rare sniffs at goal came from a Granit Xhaka error in the first half - Matheus Pereira chipping it through to Matt Phillips who struck it straight at Bernd Leno - before Callum Robinson's finish was ruled out for offside in the second half.\n\nSubstitute Rekeem Harper's long-range strike deep in stoppage time was also comfortably turned behind by Leno.\n\nIt was West Brom's third home loss in three under Allardyce and they have conceded 12 goals with no reply in those games.\n\n'Everything looks much better' - what they said\n\nWest Brom manager Sam Allardyce: \"Another game gone by where we learn more about the players we have. We have learnt an awful lot about what we can and cannot do.\n\n\"We need to work out a way of not trying to be as sloppy as we have been at conceding goals. It appears when we try to open up we leave opportunities for the opposition and we cannot cope.\"\n\nArsenal manager Mikel Arteta: \"We had a big week, three games in seven days, and we managed to win them and everything looks much better. It was difficult conditions but the team looked sharp from the start. It's a big win.\n\n\"After the results we had before we had to lift things straight away. Now we have got some discipline back. We look more creative in the final third and we look solid at the back.\"\n\nThe best of the stats\n• None West Brom are the first side to lose consecutive home Premier League games by at least four goals since Wigan in August 2010.\n• None Arsenal have scored in all 25 of their Premier League meetings with West Brom, the best 100% scoring record by one side against an opponent in the competition's history.\n• None There were 20 passes in the build-up to Arsenal's first goal scored by Kieran Tierney - since Mikel Arteta's first game in charge on Boxing Day 2019, the Gunners have scored more goals following a sequence of 20+ passes than any other Premier League side (3).\n• None Tierney became the first Scottish player to score an away Premier League goal for Arsenal and the first to do so in the top flight since Charlie Nicholas against Ipswich Town in March 1986.\n• None Alexandre Lacazette has scored five away Premier League goals in 2020-21, his best such tally in a single season in the competition.\n\nWest Brom travel to Blackpool for an FA Cup third-round tie on Saturday, 9 January (15:00 GMT kick-off), before returning to Premier League action on Saturday, 16 January against Wolves (12:30 GMT).\n\nArsenal host Newcastle in their FA Cup match on the same day (17:30 GMT), before facing Crystal Palace at home in the league on Thursday, 14 January (20:00 GMT).\n• None Offside, West Bromwich Albion. Charlie Austin tries a through ball, but Kyle Bartley is caught offside.\n• None Attempt saved. Rekeem Harper (West Bromwich Albion) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Matheus Pereira.\n• None Attempt saved. Willian (Arsenal) left footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Dani Ceballos.\n• None Attempt missed. Joseph Willock (Arsenal) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Willian with a cross.\n• None Attempt saved. Conor Gallagher (West Bromwich Albion) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Callum Robinson.\n• None Attempt blocked. Charlie Austin (West Bromwich Albion) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Dara O'Shea.\n• None Dani Ceballos (Arsenal) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.\n• None Attempt saved. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Kieran Tierney.\n• None Attempt missed. Charlie Austin (West Bromwich Albion) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Matt Phillips. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page\n• None A special and exclusive one-off chat with the music icon\n• None How has their rise come to define our culture?", "Cases have reached record highs in the past week\n\nThe next few weeks could be the most dangerous period for Scotland since March in the fight against Covid, the first minister has warned.\n\nNicola Sturgeon said the new variant of the virus was \"accelerating spread\" across Scotland.\n\n\"If you first foot someone today, or hug/kiss/handshake them HNY, you are putting yourself, others and the NHS at risk,\" she tweeted.\n\nA further 2,539 cases of Covid-19 were confirmed on Friday.\n\nThe number is slightly down on Thursday's figure, but Ms Sturgeon said cases numbers were still \"worryingly high\".\n\nDaily confirmed cases have reached record highs on each of the previous three days, rising to to 2,622 on Thursday.\n\nThe percentage of positive cases also reached 14.4% on Wednesday - the highest it has been since the second wave of the pandemic began in the summer.\n\nMs Sturgeon tweeted: \"Today's case numbers are worryingly high again. The new variant is accelerating spread.\n\n\"PLEASE do not visit other people's homes just now, even today - if you first foot someone today, or hug/kiss/handshake them HNY, you are putting yourself, others & the NHS at risk.\"\n\nShe said the \"vaccine cavalry\" was on the way, offering \"real hope for 2021\", but she added: \"With this new variant, the next few weeks may be the most dangerous we've faced since Mar/April.\n\n\"We must act together to suppress it, to save lives and protect the NHS. Folded hands stick with it.\"\n\nThe number of daily confirmed cases has reached record highs this week\n\nA new study by London's Imperial College has found that the new variant of Covid-19 is \"hugely\" more transmissible than the virus's previous version.\n\nIt concludes the new variant increases the Reproduction or R number by between 0.4 and 0.7.\n\nThe UK's latest R number has been estimated at between 1.1 and 1.3. It needs to be below 1.0 for the number of cases to start falling.\n\nThe Scottish government's most recent estimate of the R number in Scotland has put it between 0.9 and 1.1.\n\nEmma Thomson, a professor of infectious disease at the University of Glasgow, said it was important to get people vaccinated quickly.\n\nThe professor, who has been working on the sequencing of the new Covid mutation, told the BBC that lockdown was not controlling the infection \"on its own\".\n\n\"At least we come in armed into the new year with two vaccines which are highly effective at preventing severe disease. We have that,\" she said.\n\n\"We need to roll it out now to add to the public health measures.\"\n\nParties, traditional \"first-footing\" and social events were banned this Hogmanay, with all of mainland Scotland and Skye being under the highest level of Covid restrictions.\n\nAll official events were cancelled, but police had to disperse a crowds of people who gathered at Edinburgh Castle and Calton Hill to see in the new year.\n\nIt has also emerged that 32 people were charged with reckless conduct after police found them gathered at a rented property in Aberfoyle on 27 December.\n\nA Scottish government spokesperson said: \"As the first minister has pointed out, the sharp rise in cases is evidence that the new strain seems to be speeding up transmission.\n\n\"This is why we are asking people to please stay at home as much as possible and avoid non-essential interaction with others.\n\n\"There is light at the end of the tunnel, but we ask everyone to be patient as we work our way through the vaccination programme, and continue to follow FACTS to keep us all safe.\"", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nIndia has formally approved the emergency use of two coronavirus vaccines as it prepares for one of the world's biggest inoculation drives.\n\nThe drugs regulatory authority gave the green light to the jabs developed by AstraZeneca with Oxford University and by local firm Bharat Biotech.\n\nIndia plans to inoculate some 300 million people on a priority list this year.\n\nIt has recorded the second-highest number of infections in the world, with more than 10.3 million confirmed cases to date. Nearly 150,000 people have died.\n\nOn Saturday India held nationwide drills to prepare more than 90,000 health care workers to administer vaccines across the country, which has a population of 1.3 billion people.\n\nThe Drugs Controller General of India said both manufacturers had submitted data showing their vaccines were safe to use.\n\nHowever, opposition politicians and some doctors have criticised a lack of transparency in the approval process.\n\nDr Swapneil Parikh, an infectious diseases researcher based in Mumbai, told the BBC doctors were in a difficult position.\n\n\"I understand there is a need to go through the process quickly, remove regulatory hurdles,\" he said. \"However... [governments and regulators] have a duty to be transparent about the data they have reviewed and the process involved in making the decision to authorise a vaccine, because if they don't do this, it can affect the public's faith in the process.\"\n\nThe Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine is being manufactured locally by the Serum Institute of India, the world's largest vaccine manufacturer. It says it is producing more than 50 million doses a month.\n\nAdar Poonawalla, the company's CEO, told the BBC in November that he aimed to ramp up production to 100 million doses a month after receiving regulatory approval.\n\nThe jab, which is known as Covishield in India, is administered in two doses given between four and 12 weeks apart. It can be safely stored at temperatures of 2C to 8C, about the same as a domestic fridge, and can be delivered in existing health care settings such as doctors' surgeries.\n\nThis makes it easier to distribute than some of the other vaccines. The jab developed by Pfizer/BioNTech - which is currently being administered in several countries - must be stored at -70C and can only be moved a limited number of times - a particular challenge in India, where summer temperatures can reach 50C.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Adar Poonawalla This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThe local vaccine, however, was approved despite the absence of data on how efficient it can be. It has yet to go through large-scale trials.\n\nThe Drugs Controller General, V.G. Somani, said Bharat Biotech's Covaxin was \"safe and provides a robust immune response\".\n\nMr Somani said it had been approved \"in public interest as an abundant precaution, in clinical trial mode, to have more options for vaccinations, especially in case of infection by mutant strains\".\n\nIndia, which makes about 60% of vaccines globally, plans to immunise about 300 million people by July 2021. It will prioritise health care workers, the emergency services, and those who are clinically vulnerable because of age or pre-existing conditions.\n\nIndia's existing vaccination programme already reaches about 55 million people a year, administering 390 million free jabs against a dozen diseases. It stocks and tracks the vaccines through a well-oiled electronic system.\n\nIndia immunisation programme is one of the largest in the world\n\nPfizer, whose vaccine has already been approved for use in jurisdictions including the UK, the US and the EU, is also seeking emergency authorisation in India.\n\nIn all, some 30 vaccine candidates are being developed in India.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Olly Stephens was pronounced dead in Bugs Bottom fields in Emmer Green, Reading\n\nFour boys and a girl have been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder after a 13-year-old boy was stabbed to death in Reading.\n\nOliver Stephens, known as Olly, was pronounced dead at Bugs Bottom fields, Emmer Green, on Sunday.\n\nThe five teenagers, all aged 13 or 14, remain in custody, according to Thames Valley Police.\n\nDet Supt Kevin Brown said: \"Our thoughts remain with Olly's family at this incredibly difficult time.\"\n\nHe added: \"This is a tragic and shocking incident which has resulted in the death of a young boy.\"\n\nThe victim's family are being supported by specially trained officers.\n\nFloral tributes to Olly have been left outside Highdown School\n\nHighdown School and Sixth Form Centre said it was \"reeling from the tragic news\".\n\nIn a statement, head teacher Rachel Cave said: \"This student was part of our community and many students and staff knew him well.\n\n\"For a life to be ended at such a young age is a total tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.\"\n\nThe school, in Emmer Green, said it was arranging counselling support for students and setting up an electronic book of condolence.\n\nThames Valley Police said a \"considerable police presence\" would be in place in the area for several days\n\nOfficers were called just before 16:00 GMT on Sunday following reports of an attack.\n\nOfficers are appealing for anyone who was in the area between 15:00 and 16:30 who might have taken photos or camera footage to contact them if they notice anything suspicious.\n\nDet Supt Brown said he believed there would have been witnesses to the \"dreadful incident\" as the area is popular with dog walkers.\n\nA man said his wife was walking their dog through the park on Sunday afternoon when she saw a boy on the ground with several people around him trying to give him first aid.\n\nAnother dog walker said she saw a group of young people standing in the woods in Bugs Bottom fields at about 15:30 and described it as \"slightly unusual\".\n\nReading East MP Matt Rodda has offered his \"deepest condolences\" to the boy's family.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Matt Rodda This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nSt Barnabas Church in Emmer Green has invited residents to pray and light a candle in memory of the boy.\n\nFollow BBC South on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to south.newsonline@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "A UK ticket-holder has started the new year by winning the EuroMillions jackpot of nearly £40m.\n\nOne ticket matched all five regular numbers and two lucky stars in the draw on Friday night to win the £39,774,466.40 prize.\n\nCamelot's Andy Carter, senior winners' adviser at the National Lottery, said: \"What an amazing start to 2021 for UK EuroMillions players.\"\n\nA ticket-holder has now come forward to claim their prize.\n\nCamelot, which operates the lottery, said checks were being made on the claim.\n\nMr Carter said: \"It is fantastic news that the jackpot winning lucky ticket-holder has now claimed this enormous prize. We will now focus on supporting the ticket-holder through the process.\"\n\nThe winning numbers were 16, 28, 32, 44 and 48 with the lucky stars 01 and 09.\n\nTen other ticket-holders each won £1m in the UK Millionaire Maker New Year's Day event.\n\nIn 2019, a UK ticket-holder won the full £170m EuroMillions jackpot, making them Britain's richest ever lottery winner.\n\nAnd last year, a £57m EuroMillions prize claim was validated just before the deadline. The ticket had been bought in South Ayrshire.\n\nThe winning ticket holder's newfound cash means they are now wealthier than former One Direction singer Zayn Malik, who is worth £36m, according to the 2020 Sunday Times Rich List.\n\nAnd if they have a bit more money in the bank, they could buy one of the UK's most expensive homes, which went on the market last year.\n\nNobody won the EuroMillons Hotpicks jackpot on Friday, which uses the same numbers as the main draw, but one winner scooped the Thunderball top prize of £500,000.\n\nThe Thunderball numbers were 13, 17, 30, 34, 35 and the Thunderball was 01.", "Some Covid restrictions are being reintroduced in response to the Omicron variant.\n\nCheck what the rules are in your area by entering your postcode or council name below.\n\nA modern browser with JavaScript and a stable internet connection is required to view this interactive. What are the rules in your area? Enter a full UK postcode or council name to find out\n\nIf you cannot see the look-up, click here.\n\nThe rules highlighted in the search tool are a selection of the key government restrictions in place in your area.\n\nAlways check your relevant national and local authority website for more information on the situation where you live. Also check local guidance before travelling to others parts of the UK.\n\nAll the guidance in our search look-up comes from national government websites.\n\nFor more information on national measures see:\n\nFind out how the pandemic has affected your area and how it compares with the national average by following this link to an in depth guide to the numbers involved.", "Wales went into a new lockdown on 20 December\n\nWales is likely to remain in lockdown for the rest of January as the first minister said he does not \"see much headroom for change\".\n\nMinisters are to review restrictions ahead of an announcement on Friday.\n\nBut Mark Drakeford said it was \"very hard to see where the room for manoeuvre is at the moment\" with the NHS \"under huge pressure\".\n\nWithout further changes, restrictions could be kept until the next three-week review at the end of January.\n\nMr Drakeford also said the Welsh Government was unlikely to tighten restrictions despite the emergence of a new more contagious variant of the virus.\n\nHe said there could be some tweaks \"at the margins\" but no wholesale changes because \"it's difficult to see what more could be done\".\n\nThe government introduced a new four-level system of Covid-19 restrictions on 20 December with people told to stay home and avoid all but essential travel.\n\nA study has found the new variant of Covid-19 to be \"hugely\" more transmissible than the virus's previous version.\n\nThe Imperial College study suggests transmission of the new variant tripled during England's November lockdown while the previous version was reduced by a third.\n\nBut Mr Drakeford does not believe the Welsh Government needs to change the system of restrictions it introduced before details of the new variant emerged.\n\n\"We'll keep our plans under review but level four restrictions in Wales are very strict indeed and it's difficult to see what more could be done to them,\" he said.\n\n\"If they need to be tweaked at the margins to take account of the new variation that's what the cabinet here will consider.\"\n\nHe has dismissed calls by teaching unions to suspend the phased return of face-to-face teaching.\n\nThe government's cabinet will meet on Wednesday to review the current restrictions ahead of an announcement by the first minister on Friday.\n\nBut when asked whether he expected any changes, Mr Drakeford said: \"It's very hard to see where the room for manoeuvre is at the moment.\n\n\"Our health service remains under huge pressure and the coming weeks will be very difficult indeed with winter pressures on the one hand and growing numbers of people suffering with coronavirus in our hospitals on the other.\n\n\"We'll review it, as we said we would, but when I look at the figures I don't see much headroom for change.\"\n\nThe Welsh Conservatives have not criticised the decision to remain in lockdown, but have called for greater scrutiny.\n\nSuzy Davies, Member of the Senedd for South Wales West, said questions would remain \"about how legitimate the decisions of the Welsh Government are\" until MSs had the opportunity to question them in the Welsh Parliament.\n\nPlaid Cymru leader Adam Price said the announcement was unsurprising given the pressures on the NHS, but called on the Welsh Government to ensure a \"rapid rollout\" of the Covid vaccine.\n\nMr Price also called for financial support for people forced to self-isolate and businesses \"during the hardest winter of our time\".\n\nAfter Friday's decision, the next three-week review announcement is not expected until 29 January.\n\nA further 56 people have died after contracting coronavirus in Wales, along with 4,011 new cases, according to data published by Public Health Wales on Sunday.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. A dozen people were fined in London for playing dominoes\n\nTwelve people have been fined after they were caught playing dominoes in a restaurant in east London.\n\nPolice officers found the group hiding in a dark room when they entered the building in Whitechapel on Tuesday.\n\nThe owner initially claimed those inside were workers, before admitting they were playing the game.\n\nTower Hamlets Council has been asked to consider issuing a fine to the owner of the restaurant for breaching tier four Covid-19 restrictions, the Met said.\n\nA video released by the Met shows the restaurant owner saying: \"They're playing dominoes.\"\n\nCh Insp Pete Shaw said: \"The rules under tier four are in place to keep all of us safe, and they do not exempt people from gathering to play games together in basements.\n\n\"The fact that these people hid from officers clearly shows they knew they were breaching the rules and have now been fined for their actions.\"\n• None Met breaks up more than 50 New Year's Eve parties\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Boris Johnson has reiterated his position that a Scottish independence referendum should be a \"once-in-a-generation\" vote.\n\nSpeaking on the BBC's Andrew Marr programme, the prime minister said the gap between referendums on Europe - the first in 1975 and the second in 2016 - was \"a good sort of gap\".\n\nHowever, Mr Marr suggested that now \"things had changed\" for Scotland.\n\nNicola Sturgeon wants to see an independent Scotland join the EU.\n\nAndrew Marr asked the prime minister what a voter in Scotland should do if they decided that a second independence referendum was now something they wanted, and what were the \"democratic tools\" to now do that?\n\nMr Johnson replied by saying: \"Referendums in my experience, direct experience, in this country are not particularly jolly events.\n\n\"They don't have a notably unifying force in the national mood, they should be only once-in-a-generation.\"\n\nAsked what the difference was between a referendum on EU membership being granted and one on Scottish independence being requested, he said: \"The difference is we had a referendum in 1975 and we then had another one in 2016.\n\n\"That seems to be about the right sort of gap.\"\n\nThe 2014 independence referendum resulted in a 55.3% vote against Scotland going alone.\n\nOn Hogmanay, Nicola Sturgeon said Europe should \"keep a light on\" as Scotland will be \"back soon\".\n\nThe first minister tweeted just after the Brexit transition period formally ended at 11:00 on 31 December 2020.\n\nScotland's trading and travel relationships with EU countries will now be governed by the agreement announced by the UK government on Christmas Eve.\n\nMs Sturgeon reiterated the SNP's call for an independent Scotland to join the EU.\n\nTweeting a picture of the words Europe and Scotland joined by a love heart, she wrote: \"Scotland will be back soon, Europe. Keep the light on.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Nicola Sturgeon This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nSNP depute leader Keith Brown said: \"It may be a new year but it's the same old incoherent bluster from Boris Johnson. The prime minister pretends otherwise but he knows he can't keep on denying democracy.\n\n\"Even his American pal Donald Trump has learned that if you try to stand in the way of the democratic choice of a nation you get swept away.\n\n\"The people who will decide our future are the people of Scotland, not Boris Johnson and the Westminster Tories.\"\n\nFormer Labour prime minister Tony Blair said it was \"extremely difficult\" to challenge the SNP on independence when the party was \"virtually uncontested\" in Scotland.\n\nHe said: \"We had a referendum that rejected Scottish independence, but Brexit put it back on the agenda again. And it's going to require very careful management. The truth of the matter is it's still not in Scotland's interest to separate from England.\n\n\"There are huge economic and political reasons for the United Kingdom to stay the United Kingdom but we're going to have to examine whether there's different constitutional settlements.\n\n\"I also think it's incredibly important, the single most important thing politically to my mind, is that we get a really capable opposition in Scotland - which should be the Labour Party - that's capable of contesting the Scottish nationalist position in Scotland in a way that prevents them from doing what they do at the moment, which is govern Scotland but pretend they're in opposition.\"\n\nScottish Greens co-leader Lorna Slater said: \"Only the people of Scotland have the right to determine Scotland's future.\n\n\"Seventeen consecutive opinion polls have demonstrated majorities in favour of independence, with the most recent indicating a record 58% support.\n\n\"Whether it's the botched handling of the coronavirus crisis, the Brexit catastrophe or just the heartlessness of Tory governments we haven't voted for, it's clear that the UK isn't working for Scotland.\"", "Gerry Marsden was awarded an MBE in 2003 for services to Liverpudlian Charities.\n\nGerry and the Pacemakers singer Gerry Marsden, whose version of You'll Never Walk Alone became a football terrace anthem for his hometown club of Liverpool, has died at the age of 78.\n\nHis family said he died on Sunday after a short illness not linked to Covid-19.\n\nMarsden's band was one of the biggest success stories of the Merseybeat era, and in 1963 became the first to have their first three songs top the chart.\n\nThe band's other best known hit, Ferry Cross The Mersey, came in 1964.\n\nIt was written by Marsden himself as a tribute to his city, and reached number eight.\n\nMarsden was made an MBE in 2003 for services to charity after supporting victims of the Hillsborough disaster.\n\nAt the time, he said he was \"over the moon\" to have received the honour, following his support for numerous charities across Merseyside and beyond.\n\nGerry Marsden in 2009 on the Mersey ferry, which he made famous with his song Ferry Cross The Mersey, as he received the Freedom of the City in Liverpool\n\nMarsden's daughter, Yvette Marbeck, said he went into hospital on Boxing Day after tests showed he had a serious blood infection that had travelled to his heart.\n\nMs Marbeck told the PA news agency: \"It was a very short illness and too quick to comprehend really.\"\n\nHe died in hospital, Ms Marbeck said, adding: \"He was our dad, our hero, warm, funny and what you see is what you got.\"\n\nLiverpool FC posted on social media that Marsden's words would \"live on forever with us\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Liverpool FC This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nGerry and the Pacemakers worked the same Liverpool club circuit as The Beatles in the 1960s and were signed by the Fab Four's manager Brian Epstein.\n\nEpstein gave Marsden's group the song How Do You Do It, which had been turned down by The Beatles and Adam Faith, for their debut single.\n\nSir Paul McCartney described Gerry and the Pacemakers as The Beatles's \"biggest rivals\" on the Merseyside scene.\n\n\"I'll always remember you with a smile,\" Sir Paul said in his tribute to Marsden.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Paul McCartney This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nAnd the other surviving Beatle, Sir Ringo Starr, sent \"peace and love\" to Marsden's family in a tribute on Twitter.\n\nWhile Marsden was a songwriter as well as a singer, his most enduring hit was actually a cover of a Rodgers and Hammerstein musical number from 1945, which he had to convince his bandmates to record as their third single.\n\nIn many interviews over the years, he explained how fate played a part in his band ever recording the song. He was watching a Laurel and Hardy movie at Liverpool's Odeon cinema in the early 1960s and, only because it was raining, he decided to stay for the second part of a double feature.\n\nThat turned out to be the film Carousel - which featured that song on its soundtrack - and Marsden was so moved by the lyrics that he became determined that it should become part of his band's repertoire.\n\nIn a 2013 interview, Marsden told the Liverpool FC website how You'll Never Walk Alone was adopted by the club's fans as soon as it topped the chart in 1963: \"I remember being at Anfield and before every kick off they used to play the top 10 from number 10 to number one, and so You'll Never Walk Alone was played before the match. I was at the game and the fans started singing it.\n\n\"When it went out of the top 10 they took the song off the playlist and then for the next match the Kop were shouting 'Where's our song?' So they had to put it back on.\n\n\"Now, every time I go to the game I still get goose pimples when the song comes on and I sing my head off.\"\n\nSir Kenny Dalglish, who managed Liverpool at the time of the Hillsborough tragedy, tweeted that he was \"saddened\" by the news of Marsden's death, and that You'll Never Walk Alone was an \"integral part of Liverpool Football Club, and never more so than now\".\n\nLiverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram posted a tribute on Twitter, saying he was \"devastated\" by the news.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 3 by Steve Rotheram This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nGerry was an entertainer. He loved being an entertainer; he loved people seeing him in the street and asking him for his autograph and the like.\n\nHe had a very distinctive voice, and that is terribly important. You knew instantly it was him on those records. He was best on those ballads.\n\nI think he really did them very well indeed. You'll Never Walk Alone was a big show song that had been around for years and years, and lots of people had done it.\n\nJust before Gerry brought his version out, Johnny Mathis brought his out. If that version had been played on the Kop, I don't think the Kop would have taken to it because you couldn't sing along with Johnny Mathis - he had too big a range and too perfect a voice.\n\nBut Gerry sounded like everyman and it was absolutely perfect for the Kop. I think it's the greatest football anthem of the lot.\n\nAs well as being a Liverpool anthem, You'll Never Walk Alone has also been adopted by fans at both Celtic in Scotland and Borussia Dortmund in Germany.\n\nMarsden's career began at legendary live music venue, The Cavern Club, where The Pacemakers played nearly 200 times.\n\nThe club said on Twitter that Marsden was \"not only a legend, but also a very good friend of The Cavern\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 4 by The Cavern Club This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. End of twitter post 4 by The Cavern Club\n\nGerry and The Pacemakers achieved nine hit singles and two hit albums between 1963 and 1965, before splitting up.\n\nMarsden pursued a solo career before the band reformed in 1974 for a world tour.\n\nIn 1985, Marsden was back in the pop spotlight when he was invited to be one of the vocalists of a charity version of You'll Never Walk Alone, which was released to raise funds for victims of a fire at a Bradford City match.\n\nIn doing so, Marsden set another chart record by becoming the first person to sing on two different chart-topping versions of the same song.\n\nSo when, after the Hillsborough tragedy in 1989, the other Pacemakers classic of Ferry Cross The Mersey was chosen to raise funds for its victims and a group of famous Liverpudlian singers was gathered, Marsden was again included and was back at number one once more for a cause he held dear for the rest of his life.\n\nMarsden was awarded the Freedom of Liverpool in April 2009, an occasion he marked by boarding a ferry across the Mersey and getting out his guitar to sing his famous hit which described the scene.", "A woman takes her dog for an early walk in Allendale in Northumberland\n\nMany parts of England have seen snow flurries accompany the arrival of New Year.\n\nAreas which welcomed in 2021 with several centimetres of snow included Northumberland, parts of Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire.\n\nThe Met Office has warned worse is to come with more wintry showers forecast.\n\nDriving conditions on many roads will become \"hazardous\" as the cold weather continues next week, it said.\n\nSeveral football matches were cancelled this weekend due to frozen pitches.\n\nGround staff at West Bromwich Albion were faced with heavy snowfall prior to their Premier League match with Arsenal at The Hawthorns on Saturday evening.\n\nGround staff clear snow from the pitch prior to the Premier League match at The Hawthorns, West Bromwich on Saturday\n\nFurther snow is predicted mainly inland and particularly over higher ground where above 200-300m a further few centimetres of snow is possible.\n\nThe chill in the air is due to high pressure to the north of the UK, which is dragging air from the east \"which at this time of year is cold\", the Met Office said.\n\nThe cold easterly winds are set to develop next week, bringing wintry showers - particularly around eastern parts - while hazardous freezing fog, frost and ice risks will all continue, forecasters said.\n\nSledging in the snow around Silverdale Country Park in Newcastle-under-Lyme\n\nTwo women looking out over the snow covered Huntcliff sea cliffs in Saltburn on the North Yorkshire coast\n\nMeteorologist Alex Burkill said: \"Obviously it's very cold and it's going to stay cold through this week.\n\n\"Whilst there will be some wintry hazards around, it's not really until the end of the week until we see any significant snow.\"\n\nColston Bassett in Nottinghamshire got a light dusting of snow on Saturday\n\nA buried garden Buddha after heavy overnight snow in Buxton in Derbyshire\n\nRAC Breakdown spokesman Simon Williams said: \"The message for those who have to drive is to adjust their speed according to the conditions and leave extra stopping distance so 2021 doesn't begin with an unwelcome bump and an insurance claim.\n\n\"Snow and ice are by far the toughest driving conditions, so if they can be avoided that's probably the best policy.\"\n\nA plough clears snow from the roads in Allendale, Northumberland\n\nA man takes his dogs for an early morning walk through the snow in Allenheads, Northumberland\n\nWaterfowl were still active at a snowy Chapel en le Frith in the Derbyshire Peak District\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Researchers have been tracking changes to the \"spike\" of the virus\n\nThe new variant of Covid-19 is \"hugely\" more transmissible than the virus's previous version, a study has found.\n\nIt concludes the new variant increases the Reproduction or R number by between 0.4 and 0.7.\n\nThe UK's latest R number has been estimated at between 1.1 and 1.3. It needs to be below 1.0 for the number of cases to start falling.\n\nProf Axel Gandy of London's Imperial College said the differences between the viruses types was \"quite extreme\".\n\n\"There is a huge difference in how easily the variant virus spreads,\" he told BBC News. \"This is the most serious change in the virus since the epidemic began,\" he added.\n\nThe Imperial College study suggests transmission of the new variant tripled during England's November lockdown while the previous version was reduced by a third.\n\nCases of Covid-19 have begun to increase rapidly during the second spike, and the number of cases recorded in a single day reached a new high on Thursday.\n\nEarly results indicated that the virus was spreading more quickly among under-20s, particularly among secondary school age children.\n\nBut the very latest data indicates that it was spreading quickly across all age groups, according to Prof Gandy who was a member of the research team.\n\n\"One possible explanation is that the early data was collected during the time of the November lockdown where schools were open and the activities of the adult population were more restricted. We are seeing now that the new virus has increased infectiousness across all age groups.\"\n\nProf Jim Naismith, of Oxford University, said he believed that the new findings indicated that even tougher restrictions would soon be needed.\n\n\"The data from Imperial represent the best analysis to date and imply that the measures we have employed to date, would - with the new virus - fail to reduce the R number to below 1.\n\n\"In simpler terms, unless we do something different the new virus strain is going to continue to spread, more infections, more hospitalisations and more deaths.\"\n\nThe R number is the average number of people an infected person infects. If it is above 1 the epidemic is growing.\n\nThe most chilling finding from this piece of research is that the November lockdown in England, hard though it was for many people, would not have stopped the variant form of the virus spreading. The same severe restrictions that saw cases of the previous version of the virus fall by a third, would see a tripling of the new variant. This is why there has been such a sudden tightening of restrictions across the country.\n\nIt is unclear whether the current restrictions will be enough to control the spread of the virus. Given the fact that it has taken two lockdowns to stop the earlier version of the virus overwhelming the NHS, many scientists fear that further tightening will be necessary.\n\nInfection levels will begin to drop as enough people are vaccinated. But until then it is now more important than ever for people to follow social distancing guidelines, wear masks where required and to regularly wash their hands.\n\nThe new year brings with it hope of a more normal life in the next few months but also a new form of the virus that all of us will have to combat in the coming days and weeks.\n\nProfessor Lawrence Young, of Warwick University, said early indications suggested that vaccines would be effective against the new form of the virus.\n\n\"Variants virus have been around since the beginning of the pandemic and are a product of the natural process by which viruses develop and adapt to their hosts as they replicate.\n\n\"Most of these mutations have no effect on the behaviour of the virus but very occasionally they can improve the ability of the virus to infect and/or become more resistant to the body's immune response.\"\n\nFurther research is needed to understand why the variant is spreading so quickly. But early indications are that vaccines should be effective against it.\n\nThe new virus has been designated \"Variant of Concern 202012/01\" or VOC by Public Health England.\n\nIt was detected in November and thought to have originated in the south-east England in September.\n\nThere is no evidence to suggest that it is more deadly, but it will increase the number of cases which in turn will add further pressure on the NHS.\n\nThe variant can now be found across the UK, except Northern Ireland, but it is heavily concentrated in London, as well as south-east and eastern England.", "The aftermath of an attack in August in Niger, which has suffered a number claimed by jihadist groups\n\nSuspected Islamist militants have attacked two villages in Niger, with reports of dozens of civilians killed.\n\nAround 49 died and 17 were injured in the village of Tchombangou, while another 30 died in Zaroumdareye - both near Niger's western border with Mali, Reuters reports.\n\nThere have been several recent violent incidents in Africa's Sahel region, carried out by militant groups.\n\nFrance said on Saturday that two of its soldiers were killed in Mali.\n\nHours earlier, a group with links to al-Qaeda said it was behind the killing of three French troops in a separate attack in Mali on Monday.\n\nFrance has been leading a coalition of West African and European allies against Islamist militants in the Sahel.\n\nBut the region continues to be affected by ethnic violence, banditry, and human and drug trafficking.\n\nIn light of Saturday's attacks, Interior Minister Alkache Alhada said soldiers had been sent to the area, according to French outlet RFI. But Mr Alhada did not say how many casualties there had been across the two villages.\n\nA local official, quoted by AFP news agency, said many people were killed, and a local journalist spoke of up to 50 deaths.\n\nNiger's Tillabéri region, where the villages are situated, lies within the so-called tri-border area between Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, which has been plagued by jihadi attacks in recent years.\n\nTravel by motorbike has been banned in the region for a year, as part of efforts to stop incursions by Islamic militants, who often launch attacks from the vehicles.\n\nAreas of Niger are also facing repeated attacks by jihadists from Nigeria, where the government is fighting an insurgency by Boko Haram.\n\nLast month, members of the group killed at least 27 people in Niger's south-eastern Diffa region.\n\nThe latest attacks in Tillabéri come amid national elections in Niger, as President Mahamadou Issoufou steps down after two five-year terms.\n\nElection officials announced provisional results on Saturday, showing a lead for Mohamed Bazoum - a former minister and a member of Niger's ruling party.\n\nA second round of votes is expected to be held on 21 February, once ballots have been validated by the country's constitutional court.", "The prime minister has said that tougher measures could be needed to help cope with a surge in coronavirus cases.\n\nHe has not yet said whether we will need school closures, or even overnight curfews like those imposed in France.\n\nBut clues about such measures to tackle the new more infectious variant come from the government's Sage advisory committee.\n\nThe headline is that whether we see a return to only being allowed one form of daily outdoor exercise, or stricter controls on travel around the country, we'll be hearing a lot more about something already very familiar: hand hygiene, social distancing, wearing masks and ensuring there is fresh air.\n\nThese may sound familiar but the advisers believe that because the new variant spreads so easily, the measures need to be applied with \"a step change in rigour\" - in other words, a lot more forcefully.\n\nThey suggest considering a return to the two-metre rule because it's more effective than the one-metre plus guidance adopted last year.\n\nMasks need to be made of three layers, not just one, and worn in more locations than now - including workplaces, schools and crowded outdoor spaces.\n\nThe key message is that it is vital to reduce social contact - being close to people, especially indoors for long periods of time, carries the highest risk of infection.\n\nSo expect tier four-type bans on visiting other households to become normal.\n\nThe advisers also say many people still do not recognise the key symptoms of Covid-19 - so ministers need to spell them out and help people understand why they should self-isolate.\n\nBut they also say it is essential to praise the efforts made so far, to recognise sacrifices and emphasise how they've kept infection numbers lower than they would otherwise have been.\n\nWhatever new measures are picked, the advice to ministers is to offer \"clear and convincing explanations\" to motivate people.\n\nThat could be a hint that the government's current \"hands, face, space\" slogan may need to make way for something stronger.", "Last updated on .From the section Man City\n\nManchester City manager Pep Guardiola says he may stay in management much longer than he anticipated.\n\nGuardiola, 49, has previously talked of limiting his time in football to pursue other interests.\n\n\"Before, I thought I was going to retire soon. Now I'm thinking I'm going to retire older. So, I don't know,\" Guardiola said.\n\nThe Spaniard signed a new two-year deal at City in November and has won six major trophies at the club.\n\nPrior to his arrival in Manchester, Guardiola, who turns 50 this month, spent four years as manager of Barcelona and three in charge of Bayern Munich.\n\n\"Experience helps you, especially the way I live my profession,\" he added.\n\nGuardiola's five-year stay at City represents the longest commitment he has made to a club in his management career.\n\nHe has won two Premier League titles, the FA Cup and three League Cups since joining them in 2016.\n\nDespite going into Sunday's match at Chelsea on the back of a six-game unbeaten run and with two games in hand on most clubs around them in the table, he is cautious about talk of winning a third league title.\n\n\"If you think about what [can] happen in January, February - the two games [in hand], we can lose these two games and anything can happen,\" he said.\n\n\"So, in the Premier League, every game is so tough and it is better to be calm. The real Premier League, the people I spoke to before I landed here, said everyone can lose to everyone. I didn't see this until now.\n\n\"Now is the first time when I see in the Premier League, one team is able to lose or win seven, and after draw, and after lose. The results are unpredictable.\"\n\nAmong the challengers this season are arch rivals Manchester United, who City face in the Carabao Cup semi-finals.\n\nOle Gunnar Solskjaer's side have been rejuvenated in recent weeks, shrugging off the disappointment of a Champions League exit with some excellent domestic form.\n\n\"Ole is happier than me,\" said Guardiola, whose preparations have been affected by five players testing positive for Covid-19.\n\n\"But I am not much concerned about United. I am so busy with what we have to do and what we can do with the players.\n\n\"They are there because they deserve it. Since I arrived I expected them to be there all the time. Sometimes in the last seasons it has not been possible, especially in the Premier League.\"\n• None A special and exclusive one-off chat with the music icon\n• None How has their rise come to define our culture?", "Police made 17 arrests at the demonstration in Hyde Park\n\nPolice have made arrests at an anti-lockdown demonstration in central London.\n\nCrowds of between 200 to 300 people began to gather in Hyde Park, which is in a tier four coronavirus area, at about 13:30 GMT on Saturday, the Metropolitan Police said.\n\nSeventeen people were arrested on suspicion of breaching public health regulations.\n\nMost demonstrators had left the park by 16:45, police said.\n\nThe Met tweeted: \"Officers continue to engage with groups of people who have gathered in the Hyde Park area.\n\n\"A number of people have been arrested under health protection regulations and taken into custody.\n\n\"We urge those in the area to leave immediately.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Metropolitan Police Events This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nMore than two people are generally not allowed to meet in public under tier four rules.\n\nThe police force added: \"Officers will take enforcement action where we see clear breaches of the tier four rules.\n\n\"It's up to all of us to make the right choices and slow the spread of the virus.\"\n\nA group called The People's Lockdown, Stand For Your Human Rights, had said it was going to hold a event at Hyde Park on Saturday afternoon.\n\nIn an online post, it called on people to \"stand with your loved ones\".\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Last updated on .From the section Man City\n\nManchester City say they are disappointed after defender Benjamin Mendy breached Covid-19 rules by hosting a New Year's Eve party.\n\nA spokesperson for the France international said the 26-year-old held a dinner party with guests from outside his household.\n\nThe mixing of households indoors is banned under the UK government's tier four restrictions.\n\nCity said they would conduct an internal investigation.\n\nMendy was named on the bench for City's Premier League game away to Chelsea on Sunday (16:30 GMT).\n\n\"While it is understood that elements of this incident have been misinterpreted in the reports [carried by newspapers earlier], and that the player has publicly apologised for his error, the club is disappointed to learn of the transgression and will be conducting an internal investigation,\" the club said in a statement.\n\nA spokesperson for Mendy said: \"Benjamin and his partner allowed a chef and two friends of his partner to attend his property for a dinner party on New Year's Eve.\n\n\"Ben accepts that this is a breach of Covid-19 protocols and is sorry for his actions in this matter. Ben has had a Covid test and is liaising with Manchester City about this.\"\n\nExplaining why Mendy was in his matchday squad on Sunday, manager Pep Guardiola told Sky Sports: \"First of all the club made a statement; second Benjamin already had Covid in the past - he's been tested every day like all of us and he's negative. He knows what he has done and he will learn in the future.\"\n\nMeanwhile, goalkeeper Ederson, forward Ferran Torres, and midfielder Tommy Doyle are among six City players out of the Chelsea game because of coronavirus.\n\nThe trio have tested positive for the virus, adding to the cases of Kyle Walker, Gabriel Jesus and Eric Garcia.\n\nEarlier on Sunday, defender Garcia became the sixth City player to test positive for coronavirus.\n\nGarcia, along with a member of staff who also returned a positive test, will now self-isolate.\n\nCity previously postponed their match against Everton on 28 December because of positive tests.\n\nThere have been a number of apparent coronavirus breaches by players at Premier League clubs in recent days.\n\nTottenham criticised three of their players after they attended a party over Christmas, while Fulham are looking into reports that striker Aleksandar Mitrovic allegedly broke coronavirus rules.\n\nCrystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson also apologised after midfielder Luka Milivojevic was pictured with Mitrovic at a gathering in London.\n\nFulham's match against Burnley on Sunday was postponed after an increase in positive cases at the club.\n\nCity also had to cancel their match against Everton on 28 December because of positive tests.", "Last updated on .From the section Boxing\n\nLuke Campbell's hopes of another world title shot suffered a severe blow as Ryan Garcia rose from the canvas to land a superb stoppage in Dallas.\n\nIn a gripping lightweight fight, Briton Campbell landed a left hook in round two to floor Mexican-American Garcia.\n\nSome asked how the much-hyped Garcia might respond to adversity and while he fought on emotion, he found answers.\n\nCampbell survived a tough attack in the fifth, but a well-placed body shot ended the contest two rounds later.\n\n\"You taught me a lot,\" Garcia, 22, told 33-year-old Campbell as the opponents embraced in the beaten man's corner at the American Airlines Center.\n\nThe jubilant reaction from Garcia's team - including gym-mate Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez - hinted at relief, but unquestionably emphasised the statement they knew their man had made.\n\nIn beating a fighter of Campbell's pedigree - and by rising from the canvas to do so - this win served up plenty of answers about Garcia, whose social media following led him to be identified as the world's 12th most marketable athlete in October.\n\n\"I think I showed a lot of people who I really am. I showed today I am special,\" he told DAZN.\n\n\"They wanted to show me as a social media fighter. Anybody who puts you down, remember you're not who people tell you who you are - you are who you choose to be. I chose to be a champion tonight.\n\n\"He caught me, I was like, 'I got dropped, this is crazy'. I've never been dropped in my life. I had to adjust. I knew I could beat him, I just had to get back up.\"\n\nGarcia is the first man to beat Campbell by stoppage. Shortly after the fight Campbell told Garcia in his dressing room that he punched harder than anyone he had ever faced. The London 2012 Olympic gold medallist then told his Twitter followers that Garcia has a \"massive future ahead\".\n\nThis stoppage win will add to the kind of hype that has led some American broadcasters to suggest Garcia's star status could bring new fans to the sport in the years to come.\n\nThe 1-3 bookmakers' favourite was carried to the ring on a throne while Campbell waited in the ring in Texas.\n\nBut within two rounds a heavy left hook put Garcia on his back and it is to his credit he got up, took the fight to his rival and won rounds in the aftermath.\n\nGarcia had only twice gone past round four, and his last two bouts had lasted less than 180 seconds in total. He carried a fizz in his punches throughout and a left hook-right hand combination in the fifth rocked Campbell and sent him into the ropes as the bell sounded.\n\nIn a contest that ebbed and flowed, Campbell found some poise after a relentless attack from Garcia when the action resumed at the start of the sixth.\n\nBut a round later, Campbell braced for an attack to his head only for Garcia to beautifully drive a left hand to the body that left him on all fours.\n\nGarcia's team raced into the ring, lifted their man and placed a crown on his head.\n\nHis 21st win in as many fights could earn him a world title shot next, or his preferred bout with American Gervonta Davis.\n\nFor now, it has justified the hype and underlined his threat. After the fourth loss of his career, Campbell will need to regroup if he is to attempt to win a world title for the third time.\n• None A special and exclusive one-off chat with the music icon\n• None How has their rise come to define our culture?", "A large poultry flock is to be culled in County Antrim, after an outbreak of bird flu.\n\nThirty thousand birds are to be destroyed as a precautionary measure at the farm near Clough.\n\nIt is the first time the disease has been detected in a commercial flock in Northern Ireland since 1998\n\nThe outbreak affected a business rearing young hens for egg production and it is understood there are other poultry farms in the area.\n\nIt will mean certain movement restrictions in 3km and 10km protection zones around the affected farm, with potential trade implications for other poultry businesses there.\n\nBird flu is a notifiable disease carried by migratory wild birds. It can spread quickly and rapidly causes death in affected flocks.\n\nRestrictions were put in place earlier in the winter in an attempt to prevent transmission to commercial flocks which make up a key part of Northern Ireland's important agri-food industry.\n\nSince 23 December there has been a requirement for all poultry flocks, no matter how small, to be housed.\n\nPublic health advice is that bird flu- or avian influenza - poses a low risk to human health and the Food Standards Agency advises that it does not present a food risk.\n\nPoultry is a £750m a year industry in Northern Ireland which employs 5,000 people. There are around 24 million birds on 650 farms, most of them in counties Tyrone and Antrim.\n\nThe disease has been detected in a number of wild birds in Northern Ireland this winter and in commercial flocks in both Great Britain and in the Republic of Ireland.\n\nIn the short term it will mean no movements on or off poultry farms in the area, with a licensing system being introduced in the coming days.\n\nPoultry products from outside the restricted zone can continue to be traded with EU member states and products from within the zones can be sold on home markets.\n\nOther countries will apply their own rules depending on their assessment of the situation.\n\nNorthern Ireland's chief vet Robert Huey repeated his message for poultry owners to apply rigorous biosecurity measures.\n\n\"Given the level of suspicion and the density of the poultry population around the holding, it is vital that as a matter of precaution, we act now and act fast,\" he said.\n\n\"I have therefore taken the decision to cull the birds as well as introduce temporary control zones around the holding in an effort to protect our poultry industry and stop the spread of the virus.\n\n\"An epidemiological investigation is under way to determine the likely source of infection and determine the risk of disease spread.\"", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Prof Linda Bauld says Scots should be prepared a longer period living with level four restrictions\n\nScotland should be prepared for Covid restrictions to be extended as infection rates continue to rise, a public health expert has said.\n\nThe latest government figures show a further 2,137 cases of Covid-19 were confirmed in Scotland on Friday.\n\nProf Linda Bauld described it as a \"fragile situation\", despite the rate dropping below Thursday's 2,539 cases.\n\nThe latest figures for hospital admissions and deaths will not be published until Tuesday.\n\nFirst Minister Nicola Sturgeon warned on Friday that the next few weeks could be the most dangerous period for Scotland since March in the fight against Covid as the new variant of the virus was \"accelerating spread\" across Scotland.\n\nDaily confirmed cases reached record highs on the last three days of 2020, rising to to 2,622 on Thursday.\n\nThe percentage of positive cases also reached 14.4% on Wednesday - the highest it has been since the second wave of the pandemic began in the summer.\n\nIt had dropped to 10.8% on Friday. A percentage of lower than 5% is needed to show the virus is under control, according to the WHO.\n\nProf Bauld, a public health expert at the University of Edinburgh, said there were no signs yet that the infection rate was levelling off, having risen suddenly from a daily rate of fewer than 1,000 to more than 2,000 per day in recent days.\n\nShe told BBC Scotland: \"It definitely is a fragile situation and you can see that we have more cases than we would expect at the current time.\n\n\"We may be starting to see some of the impacts of the Christmas mixing, but also we know around four in 10 cases, from recent data, are of the new variant.\n\n\"I would imagine that the new variant is playing a role in these higher rates of infection and if these numbers continue to sit at where they are we are going to have more people in hospital in a week or two's time, and that is very worrying.\"\n\nAll of mainland Scotland is under level four restrictions in an attempt to slow down the rate of virus spread\n\nThis would bring \"real challenges\" for hospitals, especially in the central belt, Prof Bauld said, adding that it was \"absolutely imperative that we do not see these number rise more than they are now\".\n\nShe said it would take some time to see the impact of level four restrictions introduced in mainland Scotland on Boxing Day.\n\n\"Mentally we just need to be prepared for the fact that we may be living with the level four restrictions for longer than the Scottish government currently plans,\" Prof Bauld said.\n\nShe said the new, more transmissible coronavirus variant would make it harder to get the R number below one in Scotland and schools may not be able to fully reopen on 18 January.\n\nThe government's education recovery group was preparing with schools for blended learning to go on longer if necessary, she added.\n\nAll of mainland Scotland is under level four restrictions in an attempt to slow down the rate of virus spread.\n\nA new study by London's Imperial College has found that the new variant of Covid-19 is \"hugely\" more transmissible than the virus's previous version.\n\nIt concludes that the new variant increases the Reproduction or R number by between 0.4 and 0.7.\n\nThe Scottish government's most recent estimate of the R number in Scotland has put it between 0.9 and 1.1. It needs to be below 1.0 for the number of cases to start falling.\n\nThe government has described the vaccination programme as a \"light at the end of the tunnel\" and has urged people to stay at home as much as possible in the meantime.", "Hospitals across the UK are being told to prepare to face the same Covid pressures as the NHS in London and south-east England.\n\nSenior doctor Prof Andrew Goddard said the virus's highly infectious new variant was spreading nationwide.\n\nCase numbers were \"mild\" compared with where he expected them to be next week, he said, with doctors \"really worried\".\n\nIt comes as a further 57,725 people have tested positive for Covid - a new daily high.\n\nThis is the fifth day in a row new daily cases have been over 50,000 and brings the total number of cases to 2,599,789.\n\nAnother 445 deaths, of people who had tested positive within the previous 28 days, were reported on Saturday - bringing the total number of deaths to 74,570, according to government figures.\n\nThe UK-wide total for people in hospital with Covid has already passed the spring peak.\n\nHalf of the major hospital trusts in England are said to be dealing with more Covid-19 patients than at the worst point of the first wave in April, with the NHS facing its \"busiest winter ever\".\n\nProf Goddard, of the Royal College of Physicians, told BBC Breakfast: \"There's no doubt that Christmas is going to have a big impact, the new variant is also going to have a big impact, we know that is more infectious, more transmissible, so I think the large numbers that we're seeing in the South East, in London, in south Wales, is now going to be reflected over the next month, two months even, over the rest of the country.\"\n\nHe said: \"It seems very likely that we are going to see more and more cases, wherever people work in the UK, and we need to be prepared for that.\"\n\nPressure has been so great on hospitals in London and south-east England that some patients have been moved out of the area.\n\nLondon's weekly rate of coronavirus cases is 858 per 100,000 people, double the UK figure.\n\nDominic Harrison, director of public health for Blackburn and Darwen, said a decision on a new lockdown had to be decided \"in the next week\" - instead of waiting for the North to get to the same rates as the capital \"and 'call it late' which has been our pattern of response too often\".\n\nThe most recent UK-wide statistics, from 28 December, showed there were 23,823 people in hospital with Covid. That was already significantly higher than the spring peak, which saw 21,683 in hospital on 12 April.\n\nOnly English hospitals have released figures for the final three days of December - and these show that a further 2,302 Covid patients were occupying hospital beds on 31 December.\n\nLondon's Nightingale emergency hospital is ready to admit patients, the NHS has said, while other sites currently not in use are being readied.\n\nSorry, your browser cannot display this map\n\nProf Goddard said it was vital the public did not \"let their guard down\" and continued to follow government guidelines, including wearing a face mask, maintaining social distancing and washing hands.\n\n\"Until the vaccination hits and does its job - that's what our best defence is going to be,\" he said.\n\nDr Ami Jones, an intensive care consultant in Wales, told BBC Breakfast that \"hospitals are absolutely bursting\", adding that a quarter of her staff were currently off sick or self-isolating, making managing patients even more challenging.\n\n\"When we see the daily figures - we know that will sting us in about 10-12 days' time in the hospital,\" she said. \"We are not even at day 10 post-Christmas yet and it's already exceedingly busy.\n\n\"We are going to get to the point where we physically don't have the staff to look after people safely anymore.\"\n\nDr Jones also urged the public to \"please just obey the rules\", adding: \"Stop mixing with other households because it is spreading like wildfire - and we haven't got much more space in the hospitals left.\"\n\nDo you work in a hospital? Have you recently been treated in a hospital, or due to be treated? Email your experiences: haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nRegional restrictions in England are \"probably about to get tougher\" to curb rising Covid infections, the prime minister has warned.\n\nBoris Johnson told the BBC stronger measures may be required in parts of the country in the coming weeks.\n\nHe said this included the possibility of keeping schools closed, although this is not \"something we want to do\".\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer has called for new England-wide restrictions within 24 hours.\n\nSir Keir said coronavirus was \"clearly out of control\" and it was \"inevitable more schools are going to have to close\".\n\nIt comes as the UK recorded more than 50,000 new confirmed Covid cases for the sixth day in a row, with 54,990 announced on Sunday.\n\nAn additional 454 deaths within 28 days of a positive test result have also been reported, meaning the total by this measure is now above 75,000.\n\nSpeaking on BBC One's Andrew Marr Show, Mr Johnson said he stuck by his previous prediction that the situation would be better by the spring, and he hoped \"tens of millions\" would be vaccinated in the next three months.\n\nBut he added: \"It may be that we need to do things in the next few weeks that will be tougher in many parts of the country. I'm fully, fully reconciled to that.\"\n\n\"And I bet the people of this country are reconciled to that because, until the vaccine really comes on stream in a massive way, we're fighting this virus with the same set of tools.\"\n\nThe PM added that ministers had taken \"every reasonable step that we reasonably could\" to prepare for winter, but \"could not have reasonably predicted\" the new, more transmissible variant of the virus that has emerged over the autumn.\n\nSpeaking after Mr Johnson's interview, Sir Keir said introducing new nationwide restrictions in England \"has to be the first step to controlling the virus\".\n\n\"There's no good the prime minister hinting that further restrictions are coming into place in a week or two or three,\" he told reporters on Sunday. \"That delay has been the source of so many problems.\"\n\n\"Let's not have the prime minister saying 'I'm going to do it, but not yet',\" he added.\n\nMeanwhile, Mr Johnson defended plans for primary schools to reopen in most of England on Monday, amid opposition from teaching unions and some local councils.\n\nIt came after Amanda Spielman, the head of Ofsted, England's schools watchdog, said closures should be kept to an \"absolute minimum\".\n\nThe rapidly rising infection rates mean it should come as no surprise that tougher measures are being considered.\n\nInfection levels are nearly four times higher now than they were at the start of December - and that in turn has put more pressure on hospitals.\n\nThere are signs the restrictions have started slowing the rises in London, the East of England and the South East.\n\nBut that on its own is not enough. Ministers want to get cases down.\n\nSo what extra can be done? After all most of England is effectively in lockdown already with tier four in place. Those places not in tier four could, of course, follow.\n\nBut some public health experts are warning more needs to be done.\n\nThere is a determination to get primary school children back - they have among the lowest rates of infection if you look at symptomatic cases.\n\nBut infection rates are higher among secondary school age children. The government has bought itself time by delaying their return.\n\nA further 20 million people in England were added to tier four - \"stay at home\" - the toughest set of rules, on 31 December in a bid to stem a surge in Covid cases.\n\nIt means 78% of the population of England is now in tier four, under which non-essential shops are closed and people can only leave their homes for a certain number of reasons.\n\nThe Scottish government will meet on Monday to consider \"further action\" to limit the spread of the disease, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said.\n\nAll of mainland Scotland is currently under its own level four restrictions - with only some islands under less stringent tier three measures.\n\nWales entered a nationwide lockdown on 20 December, with First Minister Mark Drakeford saying on Sunday it was \"difficult to see\" how the rules could be strengthened further.\n\nHe said Welsh ministers would consider whether restrictions could be \"tweaked at the margins\" at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday.\n\nNorthern Ireland is in the second week of a six-week lockdown that began on Boxing Day. Stricter measures, including a \"stay-at-home curfew\", ended on Saturday.\n\nIn another development, an academic has said there is a \"big question mark\" over whether a vaccine developed at Oxford University will be as effective against a new variant of the virus that has emerged in South Africa.\n\nProf Sir John Bell, Regius professor of medicine at the university, said the team there were currently investigating this question \"right now\".\n\nHe added it was \"unlikely\" the variant would \"turn off the effect of vaccines entirely,\" and in any case it would be possible to tweak the vaccine in around 4-6 weeks.\n\n\"Everybody should stay calm - it's going to be fine,\" he told Times Radio.\n\n\"But we're now in a game of cat and mouse - because these are not the only two variants we're going to see.\"", "Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer described Jo Stevens as a \"dear friend and colleague\"\n\nCardiff Central MP Jo Stevens is being treated in hospital for Covid-19.\n\nA statement was released on her Twitter account on Saturday night in which her team thanked people for their good wishes.\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer described Ms Stevens as a \"dear friend and colleague\", and wished her well.\n\nOn New Year's Eve, her Twitter account said she had been \"laid low with Covid for a while\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Keir Starmer This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nMs Stevens, who is Labour's shadow culture secretary, was elected as an MP in May 2015.\n\nFirst Minister Mark Drakeford tweeted: \"All of our thoughts and best wishes are with Jo for a speedy recovery.\n\n\"Thank you to Jo's constituency team for continuing to support Cardiff Central constituents at this difficult time.\"", "The rapidly rising infection rates mean it should come as no surprise that tougher measures are being considered.\n\nInfection levels are nearly four times higher now than they were at the start of December – and that in turn has put more pressure on hospitals.\n\nThere are signs the restrictions have started slowing the rises in London, the East of England and the South East. But that on its own is not enough. Ministers want to get cases down.\n\nSo what extra can be done? After all, most of England is effectively in lockdown already with tier four in place. Those places not in tier four could, of course, follow.\n\nBut many public health experts are warning more needs to be done.That’s why we have seen so much debate about schools in recent days.There is a determination to get primary school children back – they have among the lowest rates of infection if you look at symptomatic cases.\n\nBut infection rates are higher among secondary school-age children. The government has bought itself time by delaying their return.\n\nIt looks like there is going to be a very difficult trade-off that needs to be made between the damage to education and wellbeing of children and the risk of further spread of the virus.", "The former president posts that he has been told to report to a grand jury, \"which almost always means an Arrest\".", "Police said a car which had been parked on a bend in the road in Snowdonia was an \"accident waiting to happen\"\n\nStaff looking after a car park in a Welsh national park have been \"getting abuse\" as crowds continue to gather at popular beauty spots.\n\nA spokeswoman for Snowdonia National Park said the decision to keep car parks open was under \"constant review\".\n\nShe explained closing them could lead to unauthorised parking and would exclude locals with mobility issues.\n\nWales is at alert level four, meaning non-essential travel is banned and exercise must start and finish at home.\n\nOn Saturday, North Wales Police said officers had \"turned away\" people who wanted to walk up Snowdon in breach of stay-at-home rules, including some some from Milton Keynes and London.\n\nA red Honda was towed away at Pen y Pass, near Llanberis, after police said it had been parked unsafely on a bend, in snowy conditions.\n\nAt the start of the first lockdown in March, campsites, caravan parks and tourist hotspots were closed by the Welsh Government after \"unprecedented\" crowds gathered at beauty spots.\n\nThe Welsh Government decided to close beauty spots during the first lockdown after scenes like this at Pen y Gwryd in Snowdonia\n\nSnowdonia National Park Authority said it had chosen not to close its car parks again because the areas remained open to people living nearby.\n\n\"Closing car parks can lead to unauthorised parking on roads, so we are keeping them open at the moment,\" a spokeswoman said.\n\n\"The mountains are open for people to be able to exercise from their front doors. Keeping car parks open allows people with mobility issues to exercise as well.\n\n\"We are working closely with police and Gwynedd council and we are reviewing it constantly.\"\n\nNorth Wales Police say beauty spots have been \"disappointingly busy\" since Christmas\n\nShe said its busiest car park, at Pen y Pass near Snowdon, had been overseen by wardens over the Christmas and New Year period, but in a more educational role than in previous years.\n\n\"Places like Pen y Pass are usually manned anyway but their role has changed slightly. They are getting some abuse, which is a shame,\" she continued.\n\n\"We are adopting a similar approach to police: engaging with people, asking what their plans are then educating them.\n\n\"The majority of the time people are going 'I misunderstood that', or people are saying 'I'm doing what I want anyway'.\"\n\nA breach of Covid rules can incur a £60 fine, which rises to £120 for a second breach.\n\nWales is in an alert level four lockdown\n\nPenny Brockman, of Central Beacons Mountain Rescue Team, called on people to help protect themselves and others, including rescue volunteers, by following government guidelines.\n\n\"It is important for people's well-being to walk, but there are probably lots of wonderful places in their own local areas,\" she added.\n\nSouth Wales Police tweeted a picture of Hamilton the police horse \"staying at home\" in his stable, urging people to be \"more like him\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by South Wales P❄️lice This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Last updated on .From the section Premier League\n\nLeicester City climbed to second in the Premier League as they won a keenly contested encounter with fellow top-four hopefuls Southampton at King Power Stadium.\n\nJames Maddison fired in from a tight angle after 37 minutes, the Foxes midfielder instructing his team-mates to stand back as he performed a socially distanced celebration, before Harvey Barnes added a second deep into second-half stoppage-time.\n\nVictory takes Leicester within one point of leaders Manchester United, who travel to third-placed Liverpool on Sunday, while Southampton are eighth, three points outside the top four.\n• None How Leicester followed guidance on celebrations - and others didn't\n• None Reaction to Leicester v Southampton, plus the rest of Saturday's Premier League action\n\nThe Saints dominated in the opening stages and created the first opening when Che Adams stretched the home defence on the counter-attack, while Leicester's Barnes' powerful drive forced Alex McCarthy into action with the game's first shot after 19 minutes.\n\nThe visitors, without talisman Danny Ings after the striker tested positive for Covid-19 last week, went close to a response through Ryan Bertrand and Will Smallbone either side of half-time but neither could find a way past Kasper Schmeichel.\n\nIn an entertaining conclusion, Stuart Armstrong rattled the Leicester crossbar with an excellent strike from the edge of the penalty area, while Jan Bednarek produced a superb goalline clearance to deny Barnes and the returning McCarthy saved from Jamie Vardy as both sides pushed for a late goal.\n\nIt took Leicester until the 95th minute to seal the three points, Barnes calmly slotting past McCarthy on the break.\n\nLeicester manager Brendan Rodgers challenged his side to \"disrupt the Premier League hierarchy\" after a 2-1 win over Newcastle in their last league outing maintained their top-four hopes.\n\nVictory in this stern test ensured they continue to do just that.\n\nEnjoying their longest unbeaten run of the season, their streak now at six matches in all competitions since defeat by Everton a month ago, Rodgers' side delivered an assured performance to remain firmly in contention at the top.\n\nDespite their lofty position as the halfway stage approaches, Leicester have struggled at home this campaign - their four defeats at King Power Stadium in 2020-21 is as many as they suffered in the entirety of last season.\n\nThough largely frustrated in the early exchanges as the visitors retained possession, Leicester's superior quality in attack eventually ensured that record was improved with Maddison turning sharply to meet Youri Tielemans' through-ball before drilling home.\n\nThe in-form Barnes once again impressed and eventually got the goal his performance deserved to equal his best season tally of 10 after just 24 games.\n\nUnlike last season's post-Christmas collapse, the Foxes are yet to show signs of falling away. Maddison - involved in six of Leicester's last 12 league goals - and Barnes are easing the pressure on Vardy to deliver every week and there appears the strength in depth to better maintain this challenge.\n\nThe only concern for Rodgers at the end of a pleasing night was the sight of Vardy appearing to limp off as he was replaced by Kelechi Iheanacho in the final minutes.\n\nWhen Southampton claimed victory in the corresponding fixture last January, the 2-1 win marked a remarkable short-term recovery from a club-record defeat by the Foxes less than three months earlier.\n\nOne year on, this match served as another reminder of how quickly the Saints are progressing under Ralph Hasenhuttl.\n\nThey were, however, unable to set a club top-flight record of seven consecutive away games without defeat in the absence of frontman Ings. That was despite their relative freshness, having not played for 12 days after their FA Cup tie against Shrewsbury Town was postponed last weekend because of a Covid-19 outbreak at the League One club.\n\nFollowing their impressive 1-0 victory over Liverpool on 4 January, a triumph which left Hasenhuttl with tears in his eyes, Southampton once again applied themselves with commendable determination but ultimately failed to produce in the final third.\n\nAdams ran out of space at the byeline after breaking clear from the halfway line in the game's first opening, and neither Bertrand nor Smallbone were able to place past Schmeichel as the equaliser their hard work perhaps deserved evaded them.\n\nAt the back, Bednarek produced the heroics to keep his side in the game and full-back Kyle Walker-Peters provided a regular outlet on the right, but Southampton, who named four teenagers on their bench because of an injury crisis, have now scored only once in five league games.\n\nThat is an obvious concern for Hasenhuttl as he looks to ensure his side do not fade after their promising start.\n\n'We took social distancing to the letter' - what the managers said\n\nLeicester boss Brendan Rodgers told BBC Sport: \"It's a very good win against a good team. We were too passive at the start, we took social distancing to the letter and didn't get close to them. After that we had some sustained attacks and ended up getting a brilliant goal.\n\n\"At half-time we had to reiterate the importance of fighting, you have to fight for every result and Southampton keep going. We were outstanding second half and should have scored more goals. We did the dirty work much better and Harvey Barnes showed again that he is a finisher now.\"\n\nOn Maddison's celebration: \"I said to them there is lots of negativity around it but see it as a positive and be creative. Supporters still want to see players celebrate, the happiness, so be creative with it.\"\n\nSouthampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl said: \"It's never nice to lose a game but we had chances. We hit the bar, we fought with everything we have. We are definitely a team that is never giving up. The quality of the opponent was better than ours today.\n\n\"The first goal, you don't shoot at goal like that every day, it was fantastic from Maddison. We had good chances but we couldn't finish and that was the difference.\n\n\"It doesn't look good at the moment, we have a lot of injuries and not many alternatives. The good news is we have 29 points and they don't take them away from us. We did our best with the options we have. We have nine injured but we are fighting for everything.\"\n• None Leicester earned their first home league victory against Southampton since April 2016, ending a run of four without a win against the Saints at King Power Stadium.\n• None Southampton's first 12 Premier League games in 2020-21 witnessed 41 goals (24 scored) at an average of 3.4 per game. Their past six games have seen just six goals (two scored).\n• None Jamie Vardy had seven shots for Leicester, his highest tally without scoring in a single Premier League match in his career.\n• None Vardy has faced Southampton seven times at home in the Premier League, more than any other side at King Power Stadium without scoring in the competition.\n• None James Maddison scored in consecutive Premier League games for Leicester for the first time since October 2019, matching his goal tally at home from each of the previous two campaigns (three).\n\nBoth sides return to action on Tuesday. Leicester host Chelsea in the Premier League at 20:15 GMT, while Southampton welcome Shrewsbury to St Mary's in their postponed FA Cup third-round tie (20:00).\n• None Goal! Leicester City 2, Southampton 0. Harvey Barnes (Leicester City) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Youri Tielemans following a fast break.\n• None Attempt missed. Stuart Armstrong (Southampton) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right following a corner.\n• None Offside, Leicester City. Marc Albrighton tries a through ball, but Ayoze Pérez is caught offside.\n• None Attempt missed. Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Marc Albrighton.\n• None Attempt saved. Jamie Vardy (Leicester City) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by James Justin.\n• None Attempt missed. Daniel N'Lundulu (Southampton) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Kyle Walker-Peters with a cross.\n• None Offside, Leicester City. Timothy Castagne tries a through ball, but Ayoze Pérez is caught offside.\n• None Attempt blocked. Jamie Vardy (Leicester City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Ayoze Pérez with a cross.\n• None Marc Albrighton (Leicester City) wins a free kick on the right wing.\n• None Attempt missed. James Ward-Prowse (Southampton) right footed shot from the centre of the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Stuart Armstrong. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page\n• None Hear how David Bowie always managed to stay ahead of his time\n• None Joe Wicks and guests are here to bring positivity to your day", "Nurseries have stayed open during the latest lockdown, unlike schools\n\nNurseries are \"teetering on the edge\" and will \"find it hard to survive with next-to-no funding\" as children are kept home in lockdown, an owner said.\n\nLittle Stars near Pontypool has seen numbers drop by 35% - and Emma Matthews says nurseries are \"running on empty\".\n\nUnlike schools, they have remained open and an industry association wants support so they are around to \"provide places for children in the future\".\n\nA Welsh Government spokeswoman said funding was available through councils.\n\nDescribing childcare workers as \"front-line\", the National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA) Cymru also called for anxious staff to be made a priority for the Covid vaccine as they work with little protective equipment.\n\n\"We feel we have poured our heart into serving families and want acknowledgement for the early years and the vital part we play in the community,\" Ms Matthews said.\n\nLittle Stars furloughed some staff during the lockdown last March, with nurseries open for children of keyworkers only.\n\nLittle Stars nursery near Pontypool has seen numbers drop by more than a third\n\nThey reopened fully last summer and this has remained under Welsh Government guidance.\n\nHowever, many parents have decided not to send children - some because they are adhering to stay-at-home rules, are self-isolating, have lost their jobs and are struggling to pay bills, or are on furlough.\n\n\"The reasons are varied and valid why parents decide to pull children out,\" Ms Matthews added.\n\n\"The situation isn't great and some say 'we will wait and see next week'. It's very difficult to formulate a plan then or to furlough. We are teetering on the edge.\"\n\nLittle Stars is down the road from the new Grange hospital that opened in Cwmbran last November\n\nBefore coronavirus, the nursery looked after 65 children each day - but last week, 47 attended, made up of babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers.\n\nThere were also 11 babies due to start in January - but only one is attending because of reasons such as new mothers extending their maternity leave.\n\nMs Matthews believes facilities should be open for children of keyworkers only - allowing nurseries to access support for those not attending.\n\nA baby, a toddler and a staff member from Little Stars had coronavirus - and employees are worried for themselves and their families.\n\nIn Wales eligible children can access 30 hours of early-years education and childcare per week for 48 weeks of the year\n\nThey are unable to wear personal protective equipment because of their close contact with children, and describing workers as \"front-line\" who \"keep the economy going\", Ms Matthews said they should be in the priority group for the vaccine and weekly testing.\n\n\"Social distancing is the challenge,\" she added.\n\n\"Face, space and hands... we can only do hands. The others are impossible.\"\n\nThe facility received a grant of £10,000 at the start of the pandemic and a rate relief grant of £1,000, but Ms Matthews wants more support.\n\n\"It's about valuing the service,\" she said. \"It wasn't a very stable industry pre-Covid. But it's made it very fragile now.\"\n\nThe Welsh Government has been urged to give more help, allowing nurseries to survive and \"provide places for children in the future\" by NDNA Cymru.\n\nIt also said early years staff \"must be a priority for the vaccine to enable them to continue providing support for our youngest children and their families\".\n\nWhile nurseries were closed to all but keyworkers initially, they have been open since summer 2020\n\n\"We all know it's impossible to social distance from toddlers and babies who need close care from nappy changing to the contact and affection that supports their development and learning,\" added chief executive Purnima Tanuku.\n\nA Welsh Government spokeswoman said while the rates of coronavirus in Wales remain high, cases in children under five continue to be relatively low.\n\n\"Childcare providers have worked very hard to ensure settings are safe, with low numbers of children on site,\" she added.\n\nThe spokeswoman said funding is provided to councils, enabling them to help childcare settings experiencing financial difficulties and the Childcare Offer for Wales continues to be in place for all eligible children.\n\n\"We are following the advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation about the people who should be vaccinated first - all those in the priority groups will be immunised as safely and as quickly as possible,\" she added.\n\nMost school children in Wales will learn from home until at least February half-term, unless there is a big drop in Covid cases\n\nChildren's commissioner Sally Holland said she\"empathises with the concerns of staff\" and thanked them for their work \"during an extremely difficult period\".\n\n\"Nurseries play a really important part in young children's wellbeing and development,\" she said.\n\n\"Any services that can remain open for children is to be welcomed due to the importance for their health and wellbeing.\"\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "CBBC star Archie Lyndhurst, the son of Only Fools and Horses actor Nicholas Lyndhurst, died in his sleep from a brain haemorrhage, his mother has said.\n\nLucy Lyndhurst said a second post-mortem exam had revealed his death was caused by a condition called Acute Lymphoblastic Lymphoma/Leukaemia.\n\nShe described Archie as \"the most magical human being we have ever met\".\n\nThe 19-year-old's death on 22 September had had a \"catastrophic effect\" on their family, she wrote on Instagram.\n\nArchie with his father Nicholas and mother Lucy Smith in 2017\n\nLucy said she and husband Nicholas were assured by the doctor who explained the post-mortem results to them that there \"wasn't anything anyone could have done as Archie showed no signs of illness\". She said it was \"not leukaemia as we know it\" and that acute in medical terms meant \"rapid\".\n\nThe couple were \"utterly floored\" to think something like this could happen, she wrote, adding: \"It's very rare and around only 800 people a year die from it.\"\n\nShe said that just days earlier he had been celebrating his birthday with \"the love of his life Nethra\".\n\n\"Life is fragile, precious and sometimes incredibly cruel,\" Lucy wrote.\n\nShe also criticised some media outlets for attempting to garner information about how her son had died from the coroner, before they knew the results of the post mortem themselves.\n\n\"To have a coroner call you a few days after your child has died to say the press have been calling for the results of Archie's post mortem, I think stoops to an all time low for us,\" she noted.\n\n\"What gives the press the right to badger a coroner's office solely to find the cause of death before the parents? The complete lack of empathy is astounding. We released no information at the time as we had no idea what he had died from.\"\n\nNicholas appeared alongside his son in an episode of So Awkward in 2019\n\nArchie began his acting career at the Sylvia Young Theatre School at the age of 10 and was best known for playing Ollie Coulton in the CBBC comedy show So Awkward.\n\nHe appeared in the sitcom, which followed the lives of a group of friends in secondary school, from its first series in 2015.\n\nNicholas appeared alongside his son in a 2019 episode of the programme.\n\nArchie's other roles included recurring appearances as a younger incarnation of comedian Jack Whitehall in various TV programmes.\n\nThese included BBC Three sitcom Bad Education, in which he was seen as a younger version of Whitehall's Alfie Wickers character.\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The four main engines were fired in unison for the first time, but had to be shut down early\n\nA critical engine test for Nasa's new \"megarocket\" has ended early, but the agency denied it amounted to a failure.\n\nShortly before 22:30 GMT (17:30 EST) on Saturday, the four engines ignited, burning for more than a minute before the event was aborted.\n\nThe core stage of the Space Launch System (SLS) was being evaluated at Stennis Space Center, in Mississippi.\n\nThe engines were supposed to fire for eight minutes to simulate the rocket's climb to orbit.\n\nThe SLS is part of Nasa's Artemis programme, which aims to put Americans back on the lunar surface in the 2020s.\n\nWhen it makes its maiden flight - possibly later this year - the SLS will become the most powerful rocket ever to have flown to space.\n\nTeams at Stennis are still poring over the data to find out what happened. John Honeycutt, SLS program manager at Nasa's Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama, said there were \"a lot of dynamics going on\" when the engine shut down.\n\nThe engines' power levels were being throttled down and up again; they were also being prepared to pivot - or gimbal. This movement allows the rocket to be steered during flight.\n\nThe RS-25 engines are the same type that powered the space shuttle orbiter\n\n\"We did see a little bit of a flash come from around the interface between the thermal protection blanket on engine four at the time when we had initiated the gimbal,\" Honeycutt told reporters at a post-test briefing at Stennis.\n\nThe as-yet unknown problem triggered what Nasa calls a failure identification (Fid), followed by a major component failure (MCF). As a result of the fault, an onboard computer known as the engine controller sent a message to another computer called the core stage controller, which took a decision to shut down the vehicle.\n\n\"Any parameter that went awry on the engine could have sent that failure ID,\" said John Honeycutt.\n\nIt was the first time all four RS-25 engines had been ignited together, in a test known as a \"hotfire\".\n\nThe core stage of the rocket was anchored to a massive steel structure called the B-2 test stand on the grounds of the Stennis facility.\n\nTo prepare the core stage, engineers filled its tanks with more than 700,000 gallons (2.6 million litres) of super-cold liquid hydrogen and oxygen propellant.\n\nThis was the eighth and final test in the Green Run, a programme of evaluation carried out by engineers from Nasa and Boeing - the rocket's prime contractor.\n\nAlthough the test was intended to run for eight minutes, engineers would have received all the data required to certify the rocket for flight after 250 seconds.\n\nThey wanted to iron out any problems before the core stage is used for the first SLS launch, in which it will send Nasa's next-generation Orion spacecraft on a loop around the Moon.\n\nNasa's outgoing administrator Jim Bridenstine declined to call Saturday's event a failure: \"This is why we test,\" he said, adding: \"Before we put American astronauts on American rockets, that's when we need it to be perfect.\"\n\nOfficials have not yet decided whether to re-run the hotfire, or proceed with shipping the core stage to Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida to prepare it for the rocket's uncrewed maiden flight, a mission called Artemis-1.\n\n\"It depends what the anomaly was and how challenging it's going to be to fix it,\" said Bridenstine.\n\nNasa administrator Jim Bridenstine said perfection wasn't a realistic expectation for the first engine test\n\nAsked whether a launch this year was still feasible, he added: \"I think it's too early to tell. As we figure out what went wrong, we're going to know what the future holds.\"\n\nHowever, if one or more of the engines needs to be replaced, there are spares waiting to be used at Stennis Space Center.\n\nThe Artemis-1 mission will evaluate how both the SLS and Orion capsule perform prior to Nasa staging a repeat of this lunar loop with astronauts in 2023.\n\nThis will be followed by the first landing on the Moon by humans since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972.\n\nThe SLS consists of the 65m (212 ft) -long core stage with two smaller solid rocket boosters (SRBs) attached to the sides. Engineers at KSC have begun stacking the individual SRB segments for Artemis-1.\n\n\"This powerful rocket is going to put us in a position to be ready to support the agency and the country in deep space missions to the Moon and beyond,\" John Honeycutt said during a media briefing on Tuesday.\n\nArtwork: The initial version of the SLS - known as Block 1 - during the climb to orbit\n\nOfficials have been planning to ship the core stage to Florida in February.\n\nIts engines are of the same type that powered the spaceplane-like shuttle orbiter - America's crewed space vehicle for 30 years from 1981-2011.\n\nNasa is re-using flown hardware: the RS-25 engines used in this test helped launch 21 shuttle missions. Two were used on the last shuttle flight - STS-135 in 2011.\n\nThe four RS-25s can generate 1.6 million lbs (7 Meganewtons) of thrust - the force that propels a rocket through the air.\n\nWhen the solid rocket boosters are added to the core stage, the combined system will produce 8.8 million pounds (39.1 Meganewtons) of thrust. This will make it 15% more powerful than the giant Saturn V rocket that sent astronauts to the Moon in the 1960s and 70s.\n\nPrior to Saturday's test, John Shannon, vice president and SLS program manager at Boeing praised teams at Stennis for keeping the Green Run on track despite the pandemic and this year's particularly active hurricane season.", "Doctors and nurses need protection from prosecution over Covid-19 treatment decisions made under the pressures of the pandemic, medical bodies have said.\n\nGroups including the British Medical Association have written to ministers saying medical workers fear they could be at risk of unlawful killing charges.\n\nIt comes as the UK's chief medical officers said the NHS could be overwhelmed in weeks.\n\nThe government said staff should not have to fear legal action.\n\nThe letter from the health organisations points out that the prime minister warned in November that the NHS being overwhelmed would be a \"medical and moral disaster\", where \"doctors and nurses could be forced to choose which patients to treat, who would live and who would die\".\n\nIt said: \"With the chief medical officers now determining that there is a material risk of the NHS being overwhelmed within weeks, our members are worried that not only do they face being put in this position but also that they could subsequently be vulnerable to a criminal investigation by the police.\"\n\nCo-ordinated by the Medical Protection Society (MPS), the letter was signed by the British Medical Association, the Doctors' Association UK, the Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association, the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, the British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin and Medical Defence Shield.\n\nIt calls for emergency legislation to protect doctors and nurses from \"inappropriate\" legal action when dealing with circumstances outside their control.\n\nExisting guidance for doctors and nurses on when to administer or withdraw treatment does not give legal protection, the letter says.\n\nIt also says the guidance does not consider the circumstances of the pandemic where demand for healthcare may outstrip supply.\n\n\"The first concern of a doctor is their patients and providing the highest standard of care at all times,\" the medical bodies said.\n\n\"We do not believe it is right that healthcare professionals should suffer from the moral injury and long-term psychological damage that could result from having to make decisions on how limited resources are allocated, while at the same time being left vulnerable to the risk of prosecution for unlawful killing.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. What does it mean if the NHS is overwhelmed?\n\nThe medical organisations said no healthcare professional should be \"above the law\" and that the emergency legislation should only apply to decisions made \"in good faith\" and \"in circumstances beyond their control and in compliance with relevant guidance\".\n\nThey said the change in the law should be temporary and should apply retrospectively from the start of the pandemic.\n\nMedical staff in the NHS are protected financially from clinical negligence claims by indemnity schemes where the state pays the costs of claims.\n\nBut if someone dies as a result of a lack of treatment, doctors and nurses fear prosecutors could bring charges such as gross negligence manslaughter, which can carry a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.\n\nEarlier this month, a survey by the MPS of 2,420 of its members found that 61% were concerned about facing an investigation following a decision made in a high-pressure situation.\n\nAbout 36% were concerned about being investigated for a decision to withdraw or withhold life-prolonging treatment due to pressure on resources during the pandemic.\n\nA Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: \"Dedicated frontline NHS staff should be able to focus on treating patients and saving lives during the pandemic without fear of legal action.\"\n\nNHS staff have been told that existing indemnity arrangements will continue and will cover \"the vast majority of liabilities\", the spokesman said.", "Phil Spector pictured in court during his murder trial\n\nUS music producer Phil Spector has died at the age of 81, while serving a prison sentence for murder.\n\nSpector, who transformed pop with his \"wall of sound\" recordings, worked with the Beatles, the Righteous Brothers and Ike and Tina Turner.\n\nIn 2009, he was convicted of the 2003 murder of Hollywood actress Lana Clarkson.\n\nHis death was confirmed by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.\n\n\"California Health Care Facility inmate Phillip Spector was pronounced deceased of natural causes at 6:35 p.m. on Saturday, January 16, 2021, at an outside hospital. His official cause of death will be determined by the medical examiner in the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office,\" it said.\n\nSpector produced 20 top 40 hits between 1961 and 1965. His production methods influenced major artists including the Beach Boys and Bruce Springsteen.\n\nHis life was ultimately blighted by drug and alcohol addiction, and he all but retired from the music scene during the 1980s and 1990s.\n\nIn February 2003, actress Lana Clarkson was found dead at his house in Alhambra, California with a bullet wound to her head. Clarkson, who was known for her work in the sword-and-sorcery genre and starred in films including Barbarian Queen, had met Spector hours earlier at a nightclub.\n\nSpector claimed the shooting happened when Clarkson \"kissed the gun\" - but his trial heard from four women who claimed Spector had threatened them with guns in the past when they had spurned his advances.\n\nFollowing an initial mistrial, Spector was convicted of second degree murder and given a sentence of 19 years to life.\n\nLana Clarkson was an actress and model who starred in the film 1985 Barbarian Queen\n\nHarvey Phillip Spector was born in New York in 1939, to Russian-Jewish parents. His father killed himself when Spector was a boy, and his mother moved her family to Los Angeles.\n\nHe began his career in his teens as a performer, forming a band - the Teddy Bears - with three high school friends. They had a hit single in 1958 with a song that took its title from the wording on his father's gravestone: \"To know him is to love him.\"\n\nThe record went to number one on the Billboard Hot 100, but the group split the following year.\n\nSpector founded his own record label, Philles, in 1961. He produced high-profile 1960s girl groups such as Crystals and the Ronettes, including on 1963 hits Be My Baby and Baby I Love You.\n\nHe also worked on The Righteous Brothers' hits You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' and Unchained Melody.\n\nSpector produced hits for The Ronettes, later marrying their lead singer Ronnie Bennett\n\nHis signature production technique, the \"Wall of Sound,\" involved layering several instruments, including strings, woodwind and brass, to give a lush, orchestral sound.\n\nIn the early 1970s, Spector collaborated with The Beatles on their final album Let It Be, as well as producing John Lennon's solo album Imagine.\n\nAs the decade progressed, the much-feted producer became reclusive and disturbing accounts of his behaviour became widespread. Spector is said to have held a gun to singer Leonard Cohen's head during sessions for his album Death of a Ladies' Man.\n\nRonettes lead singer Veronica \"Ronnie\" Bennett, who became Spector's second wife and divorced him in 1974, wrote in her 1990 autobiography that he subjected her to years of horrific abuse. She said he had threatened to kill her and display her body in a glass-topped coffin he kept in her basement.\n\n\"I can only say that when I left in the early '70s, I knew that if I didn't leave at that time, I was going to die there,\" Ronnie wrote of the time.\n\nWriting on Instagram after her ex-husband's death, Ronnie Spector said he had been \"a brilliant producer but a lousy husband\".\n\n\"When I was working with Phil Spector, watching him create in the recording studio, I knew I was working with the very best,\" she wrote. \"He was in complete control, directing everyone. So much to love about those days.\n\n\"Meeting him and falling in love was like a fairytale,\" she continued. \"The magical music we were able to make together was inspired by our love. I loved him madly, and gave my heart and soul to him.\n\n\"Unfortunately Phil was not able to live and function outside of the recording studio. Darkness set in, many lives were damaged.\"\n\nSinger Darlene Love, who sang on several songs Spector produced, said he \"changed the sound of rock 'n' roll\" but likened their relationship to \"a bad marriage\".\n\n\"The problem I have with Phil is that he wanted to control Darlene Love's talent,\" she told Variety. \"If he couldn't do that, he was going to do everything in his power to keep my talent from shining.\"\n\nWeeks before Lana Clarkson was shot dead, Spector gave a rare interview to British broadsheet The Telegraph.\n\n\"I would say I'm probably relatively insane, to an extent,\" he told the paper, adding that he had \"devils inside that fight me\".\n\nResponding to news of the producer's death, Blondie guitarist Chris Stein tweeted: \"When we went to Phil Spector's house in the 70s he came to the door holding a bottle of diet Manischewitz wine in one hand and a presumably loaded 45 automatic in the other. Long story.", "The man from Luton was fined £200 for travelling to Devizes and also had his car seized for having no insurance\n\nA man told police he had driven from Luton to Devizes to visit a McDonald's, even though the town does not have a branch of the burger chain.\n\nWiltshire Police called his actions a \"flagrant breach\" of lockdown regulations and fined the man £200.\n\nThe 34-year-old was stopped on Estcourt Street in Devizes, a distance of more than 100 miles (160km) from Luton.\n\nHis car was also seized for having no insurance, police added.\n\n\"The distance travelled across numerous counties to Devizes, which doesn't have a McDonald's restaurant, is a flagrant breach of the regulations currently in place.\n\n\"The majority of people across Wiltshire continue to act responsibly and we thank you for that, however, it is important to protect the NHS that we all stick to the rules,\" said police.\n\nThe man was stopped on Thursday evening.\n\nFollow BBC West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: bristol@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Louis Godwin said receiving the vaccine was \"no trouble at all\" and encouraged others to have it as soon as they could\n\nSalisbury Cathedral has been transformed into a vaccination centre with an RAF veteran being one of the first to receive the Covid-19 jab.\n\nFormer Flight Sergeant Louis Godwin, 95, gave a thumbs-up after being vaccinated in the cathedral, which dates back more than 800 years.\n\n\"I was so pleased to get it, especially in a setting like this,\" he said.\n\nOrganisers were aiming to vaccinate 1,000 people aged over 80 with the Pfizer/BioNTech jab on Saturday.\n\nPeople queuing to receive their vaccines at Salisbury Cathedral on Saturday\n\nMr Godwin, a great-grandfather of 12, joined the RAF aged 18 in 1943 and served as an air gunner during World War Two.\n\n\"I've had many jabs in my time, especially in the RAF. After the war, I was sent to Egypt and I had a couple of jabs which knocked me over for a week,\" he said.\n\n\"This one, the doctor said to me 'well that's done' and I thought he hadn't started. So it's no trouble at all and no pain.\"\n\nA health worker prepares the vaccine to be administered at the cathedral\n\nStella Bennett, 88, said she felt \"safer\" after receiving the jab.\n\n\"It was easy. I live on my own so it has been hard but I've managed. At least I'm at home and not in hospital with it,\" she said.\n\nDerek Burnett was also among those inoculated against the virus on Saturday.\n\n\"I feel unbelievably relieved as lockdown has been a big strain. It takes a big weight off my mind,\" said the 81-year-old.\n\nOrganisers hoped to vaccinate 1,000 people aged over 80 during the day\n\nThe Very Rev Nicholas Papadopulos, Dean of Salisbury described the vaccines as \"a real sign of hope for us at the end of this very, very difficult year\".\n\n\"I doubt that anyone is having a jab in surroundings that are more beautiful than this so I hope it will ease people as they come into the building,\" he said.\n\nThe Very Rev Nicholas Papadopulos, Dean of Salisbury, described hosting the event as \"absolutely wonderful\"\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "The French government has imposed a nationwide curfew from 6pm - 6am to fight the surge in cases of coronavirus.\n\nWhile some departments were already under these restrictions, the majority of France was under an 8pm - 6am curfew.\n\nFrench Prime Minister Jean Castex said the measures would be in place for at least 15 days.", "Last updated on .From the section Premier League\n\nManchester United \"missed an opportunity\" to beat Liverpool, said boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after his side stayed top of the Premier League with a goalless draw against the champions.\n\nIt was a game that failed to justify the pre-match anticipation and Solskjaer will know his side had the better chances to claim a statement victory at Anfield.\n\nLiverpool, without a recognised centre-back and with midfielders Jordan Henderson and Fabinho in defence, dominated possession in the first half but it was United who came closest when Bruno Fernandes' 20-yard free-kick curled inches wide.\n\nFernandes was then thwarted after the break by the outstretched leg of Liverpool keeper Alisson before Thiago Alcantara's long-range effort finally brought the previously unemployed David de Gea into action.\n\nAlisson was Liverpool's hero late on when he blocked Paul Pogba's drive from point-blank range.\n\n\"It was an opportunity missed with the chances we had but then again we were playing a very good side.\" Solskjaer told BBC Sport. \"I'm disappointed but, still, a point is OK if you win the next one.\n\n\"We have improved and progressed. It's not just the result we're disappointed with, it's some of the performance. I know these boys can play better.\"\n\nUnited are now two points ahead of Manchester City, who moved up to second by beating Crystal Palace 4-0, and Leicester City in third. Liverpool, who have scored just one goal in their past four league games, have dropped to fourth, a point behind the Foxes.\n\n\"The performance was good enough to win it but to win a game you have to score goals and we didn't do that, so that's why we had that result,\" said Reds boss Jurgen Klopp.\n\n\"We try not to not score. We obviously have to ignore the fact and hope it will be good again.\"\n• None 'From dejection to frustration in 12 months, Anfield draw underlines Man Utd progress'\n• None Lawro's predictions v You Me At Six drummer Dan Flint\n\nKlopp cut a frustrated figure pretty much from the first whistle, his voice booming around Anfield with a tone of displeasure, showing unhappiness with his own players and officials.\n\nThe German's team, so used to steamrollering all before them in recent times, are going through a very dry spell and barely created an opening worthy of the name here against a resolute Manchester United defence.\n\nToo often, Liverpool's approach play ended with a careless pass or an aimless cross and the longer this game went on the more United looked the most likely winners.\n\nIt was perhaps inevitable Liverpool would be unable to maintain their relentless style, but there will be concerns they have now gone four league games without a win since Crystal Palace were demolished 7-0 at Selhurst Park.\n\nBefore this draw, West Bromwich Albion left Anfield with a point, while Liverpool also had a goalless draw at Newcastle United and lost at Southampton.\n\nSadio Mane and Mohamed Salah are feeding off scraps, while Roberto Firmino's impact was so minimal that he was withdrawn near the end, even with the hosts chasing a goal.\n\nA team as good as Liverpool will not remain off the boil for too long, but there is no doubt they are struggling for form and spark. The fact this is their longest barren sequence in the league since February and March 2005 tells the tale.\n\nManchester United may have a taken a point before this game and there will be justified satisfaction that they subdued Liverpool so completely, created the game's best chances and remain top of the table.\n\nAnd yet there must also be disappointment that they could not cash in completely on an off-colour Liverpool, with reality dawning on them very late that they could take all three points.\n\nFernandes, despite being poor in general, almost unlocked Liverpool twice, while Solskjaer and his backroom team threw their hands up in frustration as other good positions were wasted late on.\n\nIn the final reckoning, however, there will be few complaints at this outcome, which leaves them three points ahead of Liverpool with the visit to Anfield negotiated without mishap.\n\nUnited were well organised and grew into the game after a poor opening half-hour and had real defensive heroes in captain Harry Maguire and left-back Luke Shaw, with the latter particularly outstanding.\n\nIt is a display that will give them increased confidence and belief as they lead the pack - although they might just look back and think a point could so easily have been three.\n\n'It was an opportunity missed' - reaction\n\nManchester United manager Solskjaer said: \"They are a good side and they have some injury problems but we didn't pounce on that.\n\n\"I felt we grew into the game and got stronger and stronger and were closer to winning.\n\n\"We were a bit disappointed in the performance, not just the result. We didn't do well enough to cause them problems in the first half but we defended well and they didn't create too many chances.\"But I think everyone was a bit disappointed with the way we started the game but that is a good feeling to have - that we were disappointed in the performance.\"\n\nLiverpool boss Klopp told BBC Sport: \"The performance was good and the first half was exceptionally good.\n\n\"With all the things that were said before the game - United are flying and we were struggling - and then to play this kind of game, I was happy with that.\n\n\"We tried in the second half again, but you cannot deny United over 90 minutes, not with the counter-attacking threat they have. So they had two really good chances, I have to say, but we had our chances in the second half as well.\n\n\"The way we understood the game, the way we felt the game, the way we read the moments were really good. But it is not exactly how it should be so we have space for improvement, absolutely. We will keep working on that.\"\n• None Liverpool and Manchester United have drawn 0-0 at Anfield in the league three times in the past five seasons, as many times as in the previous 48 top-flight campaigns.\n• None United are unbeaten in their past 16 away matches in the Premier League (W12 D4) - only once have they gone longer without a defeat on the road in the competition (17 games ending in September 1999).\n• None Liverpool are now unbeaten in their past 68 league games at Anfield, earning 178 out of a possible 204 points over this run.\n• None United are the first side to stop Liverpool scoring at Anfield in a Premier League match since Manchester City in October 2018 - this was Liverpool's 43rd home league game since then.\n• None Under Klopp, Liverpool are unbeaten in all seven of their Premier League games at Anfield when facing the side starting the day top of the table (W3 D4).\n• None Marcus Rashford was caught offside five times in this match, the most of any Premier League player this season and the most by a United player since Robin van Persie (six) against Spurs in January 2013.\n\nUnited are at Fulham in the league on Wednesday (20:15 GMT) and Liverpool host Burnley on Thursday (20:00). Next Sunday, Manchester United and Liverpool will meet again - at Old Trafford this time - in the FA Cup fourth round, a match you can watch live on BBC One and the BBC Sport website.\n• None Marcus Rashford (Manchester United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.\n• None Curtis Jones (Liverpool) wins a free kick on the right wing.\n• None Offside, Manchester United. Paul Pogba tries a through ball, but Marcus Rashford is caught offside.\n• None Attempt blocked. Paul Pogba (Manchester United) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Luke Shaw with a cross.\n• None Attempt saved. Paul Pogba (Manchester United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner.\n• None Attempt missed. Thiago (Liverpool) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Assisted by Georginio Wijnaldum. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page\n• None Missed all the goals, highlights and talking points from Saturday's Premier League action? Match of the Day is streaming now", "Chris Cramer, a major figure in BBC News and later CNN International, has died at the age of 73 after a period of ill health. Former BBC director of news Richard Sambrook looks back at his life.\n\nChris Cramer's legacy will be the major change in attitudes and support for journalist safety he championed through the BBC and across the wider industry, as well as many achievements in newsgathering and international news.\n\nHe began his career as a teenager on the Portsmouth Evening News, moving to BBC Radio Solent when it launched in 1970.\n\nAfter a year's secondment in Brunei he found his way to the BBC TV Newsroom in the 1970s and developed his reputation as a highly competitive and effective news editor and field producer.\n\nIn 1980 he and a BBC team were in the Iranian Embassy in London collecting visas when it was seized by gunmen opposed to Ayatollah Khomeini. A standoff and siege followed, with Chris among 26 hostages.\n\nHe managed to feign serious illness and was released by the gunmen allowing him to give vital information to the authorities before the SAS stormed the embassy and rescued the hostages.\n\nAt a time when no-one understood or spoke of PTSD, it had a marked effect on his life.\n\nArmed police on the adjoining balcony to the Iranian Embassy during the siege in 1980\n\nMany journalists and crew subsequently spoke of his care and attention when they had difficult experiences and he went on to drive major changes in understanding and support for journalists' safety.\n\nWith BBC Safety manager Peter Hunter, Chris introduced the first hostile environment training courses, risk assessments and equipment for those covering conflicts.\n\nFormer correspondent Martin Bell recalls: \"From Vietnam to Croatia I had covered 10 wars without protection. Then in June 1992 we were shot up crossing the airport runway in Sarajevo in a soft-skinned vehicle. Within two weeks Chris had procured our first armoured Land Rover, the redoubtable 'Miss Piggy', and the body armour to go with it.\"\n\nHe later introduced the first confidential counselling service for news teams, recognising PTSD, and helped found the International News Safety Institute, which spearheaded safety across the news industry.\n\nDuring the 1980s he was at the forefront of organising and overseeing major news coverage, including Michael Buerk's reporting from the Ethiopian famine, coverage of the IRA Brighton bomb attack on the British government, the Zeebrugge ferry disaster, Kate Adie's reporting from Tiananmen Square, the fall of eastern Europe, the first Gulf War and many more major events.\n\nHis fierce competitiveness delivered a series of major exclusives and awards for BBC News.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Jeremy Bowen This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nIn the 1990s he oversaw major investment in BBC Newsgathering and the integration of radio and TV reporting - often against internal resistance. His managerial style could be uncompromising and tough, but he was also bitingly funny, shrewd and his hard exterior hid a warm-hearted and generous core.\n\nHe was crucial to establishing the integrated News division as it exists today.\n\nIn 1996 he left the BBC to move to Atlanta as managing director and executive vice-president of CNN International.\n\nThere he took his passion for news safety and his competitive news edge to develop the network into a greater global force.\n\nAs his former BBC and CNN colleague Tony Maddox has said: \"Among his many accomplishments Chris was a pioneer and innovator in field safety for journalists. He led the development of guidelines and practices now widely adopted across the industry.\"\n\nCramer moved to CNN after his time with the BBC\n\nHe was a larger-than-life figure who generated affection and respect in equal measure, often wielding a rapid and disarming wit.\n\nHe is also remembered for supporting women into senior and executive positions and helping them succeed.\n\nDirector of BBC News Fran Unsworth recalls: \"He was one of journalism's enormous characters and a legend in the television news industry. But the legend and the reported image always belied the man.\n\n\"He was immensely kind, thoughtful and caring underneath that image he sometimes projected.\"\n\nFormer deputy director general Mark Byford said: \"He was probably the greatest newsgathering executive ever in the broadcast news business and his organisational skills, competitiveness, eye for a story and steel were extraordinary.\n\n\"He was also, behind the facade, a gentle giant who cared for his people with amazing passion and love.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by John Simpson This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\n\"Many editors, correspondents and presenters in BBC News owe their success to his mentorship - myself included.\"\n\nAfter 11 years he left CNN and took up roles first with Reuters TV and then the Wall Street Journal, where his experience and expertise were used to develop their digital video services.\n\nHe leaves his wife, Nina, son Richard and daughter Nicolette and his daughter Hannah by an earlier marriage to Helen, a former BBC producer.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The BMA Scotland GP chief says doctors \"can't plan\" for vaccines\n\nDoctors leaders say the \"patchy supply\" of vaccine to GP surgeries across Scotland is hampering the speed of delivery to patients.\n\nMinisters have pledged a first dose of the vaccine to 1.4 million of the most vulnerable Scots by mid-February.\n\nBut the British Medical Association in Scotland said inconsistencies in supply made it difficult to plan patient appointments to receive the vaccine.\n\nThey also said some GP surgeries had yet to receive any vaccine at all.\n\nThe Scottish government said it was working with health boards to resolve the issues.\n\nCurrently, about 16,000 vaccinations a day are being carried out in Scotland. However, that is expected to rise significantly as efforts to deliver the vaccine are scaled up.\n\nOn Sunday, 1,341 new cases of Covid-19 were reported - the lowest daily figure since 28 December. However, the numbers being admitted to hospital have continued to rise, reaching 1,918.\n\nNo new deaths were registered.\n\nHealth Secretary Jeane Freeman has pledged that the workforce and infrastructure will be in place to vaccinate 400,000 people each week by the end of February.\n\nThe government has already announced plans for large vaccination centres in Aberdeen, Glasgow and Edinburgh.\n\nIt comes after more than 5,000 front-line health and care staff were vaccinated at the NHS Louisa Jordan in Glasgow on Saturday.\n\nGP practices across Scotland are currently providing vaccination services to those aged over 80.\n\nAbout 16,000 vaccinations are currently being carried out a day in Scotland\n\nSpeaking on the BBC's Politics Scotland programme, Dr Andrew Buist, who chairs the British Medical Association's (BMA) GP committee in Scotland, said there was inconsistencies across the GP network.\n\nHe said the vaccine deployment plan was \"ambitious\" and so far \"good progress\" had been made in giving it to priority groups such as care homes residents and front-line health staff.\n\nHowever, he told the programme: \"The current problem lies with the next priority group, which is the 80-plus group, which GPs in Scotland are set to vaccinate because the supply of the vaccine so far has been quite patchy.\n\n\"Some practices have a good supply, some have had none so far.\"\n\nHe said his practice had received 100 doses of the vaccine for 600 patients over the age of 80, who all needed to be vaccinated by 5 February.\n\nHe added: \"I then have to do another 1,200 patients in the 70-plus group and the extremely clinically vulnerable by the middle of February, so we need to do 1,700 vaccines in the next four weeks.\n\n\"Now we can do that. We are used to providing large number of flu vaccinations and it is possible, we have our workforce in place, but we need the vaccine, otherwise we can't do it.\"\n\nWhen asked if his practice was running out of vaccine at the end of each day, Dr Buist said: \"Yes - we can't plan, that's the key thing. We can't send out appointments to patients until we're sure we have the vaccine in our fridge.\n\n\"We were given 100 doses on Monday. We used that all up by Friday. We don't want to send out appointments to patients until we know that we can definitively vaccinate them otherwise patients get very upset.\"\n\nVaccinators have reported being able to extract one additional dose from vaccine vials\n\nDr Buist said vaccinators were regularly managing to extract higher numbers of doses from vaccine vials despite claims that some doses were being wasted.\n\nHe said there was widespread experience of six doses being extracted from Pfizer vaccine vials, which were marketed as having five doses, while 11 doses were regularly being taken from AstraZeneca vials.\n\nBut Dr Buist criticised issues around the red tape some retired health professional had faced when volunteering to become vaccinators.\n\n\"I have reports that arrangement to get doctors and nurses back into the system have been quite bureaucratic and I think it's something we need to look at.\"\n\nThe Scottish government acknowledged that there had been delays in vaccine supplies reaching some GP surgeries.\n\nA spokeswoman said: \"GPs have a significant role to play in delivering the vaccine - and we thank them for their hard work and patience as we roll out more vaccines to those in the communities.\n\n\"We know there have been some initial delays in supply reaching some practices and are working with health boards to resolve this. Vaccines are being manufactured as quickly as possible and we will continue to explore all options available to increase supply.\"\n\nThe government said health boards were providing order information for their GP practices to National Procurement who in turn advised the distribution partner.\n\nThe spokeswoman added: \"Once stock is released for ordering, the distribution partner inputs the GP orders on to their ordering system. Once the order has been placed, GP practices will receive an automated email providing an indication of the delivery day.\n\n\"We too want to vaccinate as many people as quickly as possible and are continually working hard to see if distribution can be made faster in any respect.\"", "Hospitals are preparing for the expected peak of the latest Covid-19 surge this week, the Northern Trust's chief executive has said.\n\nJennifer Welsh said there was \"huge pressure across the (healthcare) system\" with more intensive care admissions expected.\n\nThirty patients were awaiting admission to Antrim Area Hospital on Sunday morning, she said.\n\nThere were 25 more deaths linked to Covid-19 reported in NI on Sunday.\n\nThe total number of deaths recorded by the Department of Health since the start of the pandemic is now 1,606.\n\nIt was also reported that there had been 822 more positive cases, with 67 people in intensive care and 50 people on ventilators.\n\nThere are 840 patients being treated for Covid- 19 across Northern Ireland, according to the latest available figures with hospitals working at 93% capacity.\n\nMeanwhile, Northern Ireland has been continuing its vaccination programme having distributed 140,559 first doses and 20,174 second doses.\n\nThe total number of jabs administered in the UK, including both first and second doses, is 4,307,002 according to government data.\n\nIn the Republic of Ireland on Sunday, there were 13 further deaths related to Covid-19, bringing the total number to 2,608 since the start of the pandemic.\n\nThere was also a further 2,944 positive cases, bringing the total number of cases in the state to 172,726.\n\nThe Republic of Ireland's Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan said the situation in the country's hospitals was \"stark\" and that people of all ages were being admitted and taken into intensive care.\n\nAt the beginning of January, Health Minister Robin Swann said that modelling indicated the \"peak of the third surge\" would hit in the third week of January.\n\nFrontline health staff have spoken to BBC News NI about their \"exhaustion\" and stress, as the pressure on the system continues to increase amid the surging number of cases.\n\nNorthern Ireland is currently in the third week of a six-week lockdown, with ministers scheduled to review measures next week.\n\nHowever, health officials have warned that an extension of the restrictions could be required to reduce pressure on the health service.\n\nNorthern Trust chief executive Jennifer Welsh said hospitals were \"coping but at great cost\"\n\nMs Welsh told BBC NI's Sunday Politics programme that the \"ICU surge is yet to come\" and that the Northern Trust - where two major hospitals, Antrim Area and Causeway, are located - has had to redeploy staff to prepare for the coming days.\n\nShe said both hospitals had been \"under significant pressure and have been for some time\".\n\nShe said 30 patients in Antrim Area's Emergency Department are waiting on a bed after a decision was made to admit them - 24 of those patients have been waiting longer than 12 hours.\n\nMs Welsh added that almost half of all patients in Antrim Area Hospital have tested positive for Covid-19.\n\n\"At the peak of the first wave in Antrim and Causeway the highest number of Covid positive patients was 73.\n\n\"In November, the highest number was 102 and we peaked on Thursday at 202. We have now dropped below that slightly.\"\n\nThe chief executive said the hospitals were \"coping but at great cost\", with many urgent surgeries cancelled.\n\n\"Emergency surgery is being done but we are not being able to do any other in the Antrim Area site.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by bbctheview This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\n\"We have been able to deliver some red flag cancer surgery at Causeway but we would like to do more.\"\n\nDespite these emergency measures already in place, the worst of the current surge is only expected to arrive this week.\n\nShe added: \"We are not going to get out of this quickly. It's going to be a challenge for us as a system.\n\n\"It's been building from October.\"\n\n\"We're not yet at the peak of intensive care admissions and we expect that this week.\n\n\"Antrim has doubled its intensive care beds from seven to 14 in anticipation of the coming surge - 11 are already being used.\n\n\"All hospitals have doubled their ICU footprint. There are more than 160 inpatients in Antrim Area Hospital.\"", "Within seconds of being dropped, LauncherOne had ignited its engine\n\nSir Richard Branson's rocket company Virgin Orbit has succeeded in putting its first satellites in space.\n\nTen payloads in total were lofted on the same rocket, which was launched from under the wing of one of the entrepreneur's old 747 jumbos.\n\nSir Richard is hoping to tap into what is a growing market for small, lower-cost satellites.\n\nBy using a jet plane as the launch platform, he can theoretically send up spacecraft from anywhere in the world.\n\nIn reality, of course, his Virgin Orbit system has to be licensed in the locality where it is used, which at the moment is solely California. But there are well-advanced plans to bring the 747 and its rockets to Cornwall in south-west England, for example.\n\nSunday's success was a big fillip for Sir Richard's team who had tried and failed to launch a rocket in May last year. That effort was thwarted by a breached propellant line feeding liquid oxygen to the booster's first-stage Newton-3 engine.\n\nNo such problems occurred this time.\n\nThe modified 747, named Cosmic Girl, left its base in California's Mojave desert at 10:50 PST (18:50 UTC) to fly out over the Pacific Ocean.\n\nA little under 60 minutes later, and cruising at 35,000ft (10,500m), the jet banked hard to the right, dropping as it did so the 21m-long rocket that had been clamped to its underside.\n\nWithin seconds this booster, called LauncherOne, had ignited its engine and was climbing to space.\n\nCorrect deployment of the various spacecraft onboard at an altitude of roughly 500km was confirmed a couple of hours later.\n\n\"A new gateway to space has just sprung open,\" said Virgin Orbit CEO Dan Hart. \"That LauncherOne was able to successfully reach orbit today is a testament to this team's talent, precision, drive, and ingenuity.\"\n\nSir Richard has been trying to find the right solution to get into the satellite launch business since 2009. His concrete proposal was first put before the public at the Farnborough International Air Show three years later.\n\nThere is an emerging market for small, lower-cost spacecraft, whose developers are seeking more flexible and affordable ways of getting their assets above the Earth.\n\nSorry, we're having trouble displaying this content. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nVirgin Orbit is one of a number of companies now racing to meet this demand. Other contenders include the Rocket Lab outfit, which sends up its vehicles from a ground launch pad in New Zealand. But there are tens of other small rocket start-ups at various stages of maturation, and some of these plan to operate from the UK as well.\n\n\"Virgin Orbit has achieved something many thought impossible. It was so inspiring to see our specially adapted Virgin Atlantic 747, Cosmic Girl, send the LauncherOne rocket soaring into orbit,\" Sir Richard said.\n\n\"This magnificent flight is the culmination of many years of hard work and will also unleash a whole new generation of innovators on the path to orbit. I can't wait to see the incredible missions Dan and the team will launch to change the world for good.\"\n\nSir Richard presented the LauncherOne concept at Farnborough in 2012\n\nWill Whitehorn is the president of UKSpace, the trade body representing the space industry in Britain. He's also a former president of Virgin Galactic, Sir Richard's other space company which hopes soon to start flying fare-paying passengers above the atmosphere in a rocket plane.\n\nHe said Virgin Orbit's success on Sunday was hugely significant.\n\n\"This is a momentous day for the small satellite world, as we will be able to launch satellites responsively; and for the UK this event promises sovereign launch capability very soon,\" he told BBC News.\n\n\"I plan to push hard for a launch from Cornwall to coincide with the G7 meeting this year if at all possible!\"\n\nSunday's payloads were mostly shoebox-sized and developed by universities\n\nThe air-launched system has the flexibility to operate anywhere - in theory", "Northern Ireland's statistics agency has recorded its highest weekly Covid-19 related registered deaths since the pandemic began.\n\nNisra said 145 deaths were registered in the first week of 2021, although administrative delays over Christmas may have affected the number.\n\nThat brings the agency's death toll to 1,976 by 8 January.\n\nThe figures come as the chief medical officers from NI and the Republic issued a joint stay-at-home plea.\n\nDr Michael McBride and Dr Tony Holohan said they were \"gravely concerned\" about the \"unsustainably high level of Covid-19 infection\" across the island of Ireland.\n\nConcern was raised in the Republic of Ireland this week as figures showed it has the world's highest number of confirmed new Covid-19 cases per million people.\n\nOn Friday evening, the Irish Department of Health reported 50 further deaths with Covid-19 and 3,498 new cases of the virus. More than half (54%) of those newly diagnosed are under the age of 45.\n\nNorthern Ireland is in the third week of a six-week lockdown, with ministers scheduled to review measures next week.\n\nHowever, health officials have warned that an extension of the restrictions could be required to reduce pressure on the health service.\n\nOf the 2,019 deaths recorded by Nisra by 8 January, 1,247 (62%) occurred in hospital, 622 (31%) in care homes, 12 (0.6%) in hospices and 138 (7%) at residential addresses or other locations.\n\nPeople aged 75 and over account for just over three-quarters of all Covid-19 related registered deaths (77.6%) between 19 March 2020 and 8 January 2021.\n\nJust over a fifth (22.2%) of all Covid-19 related registered deaths have been of people with an address in the Belfast council area.\n\nMeanwhile, the Department of Health reported 26 further Covid-related deaths on Friday.\n\nFive of these deaths did not occur in the past 24 hours.\n\nThe Department of Health bases its figures on a positive test result being recorded, whereas Nisra figures are based on mentions of the virus on death certificates, so people may or may not have been confirmed to have contracted the virus prior to death.\n\nA further 1,052 individuals have tested positive for Covid-19 and 63 patients are being treated in intensive care units, 47 of whom are on ventilators.\n\nThe chief medical officers warned the high infection rate was having a \"significant impact\" on the health of the population and the \"safe functioning\" of the healthcare systems.\n\nThey said the public should avoid all unnecessary journeys, including cross-border travel.\n\nPointing out that many of the patients admitted to hospital in January have been younger than 65, they warned coronavirus could affect anyone, \"regardless of age or underlying condition\".\n\n\"It highlights the need for us all to protect one another by staying at home,\" said the medical officers.\n\nNorthern Ireland's spike in infections has been put down to an easing of restrictions over Christmas.\n\nAsked if he regretted being part of the decision to ease restrictions, Health Minister Robin Swann said the executive had tried to be balanced in its approach.\n\n\"I regret the pressures we see now in our hospitals, but let's remember it's caused by this virus, we have it in our power to bring it back under control and get us back to where we were in the summer,\" he told BBC News NI on Friday.\n\nMr Swann pleaded with people to follow the current restrictions.\n\n\"We're in the middle of a very tough six-week scenario, and how we come out of this will be a more graduated approach to make sure we get the benefits of what we've already done, and also the benefits of the vaccine.\"", "Sara Powell-Davies said she was lucky her nursery was able to open following lockdown\n\nA mother with two young children has said it was \"incredibly stressful\" trying to manage without free childcare during lockdown.\n\nThe Welsh Government's scheme was suspended in April, with funds redirected to pay for childcare for key workers' children.\n\nNow the offer, available to working parents of three and four-year-olds, has been reinstated.\n\nBut there are concerns many nurseries have been operating at a loss.\n\nWorking parents of three and four-year-old children are able to claim up 30 hours of early-years education and childcare a week for 48 weeks a year under the Childcare Offer for Wales.\n\nThose whose children become eligible in the autumn term, can apply from September.\n\nSara Powell-Davies, from Caerphilly, said it had been really hard to manage without the help during the coronavirus pandemic.\n\nThe mother to three-year-old Tirion and one-year-old Cadel said the free childcare saved the family about £200 a month.\n\n\"It does make a massive difference to our finances every month,\" she said.\n\nMrs Powell-Davies said, while she was lucky Cadel's nursery was open, after-school clubs would not run in September due to the coronavirus pandemic, which would make juggling childcare around work a challenge.\n\n\"It's incredibly stressful trying to manage this anyway,\" she said.\n\n\"We do rely on support like private nursery provision, after-school care [and] wraparound because we don't have any family that is able to support us.\n\n\"So, this is our lifeline.\"\n\nChildcare Offer for Wales gives those eligible 30 hours of early-years education and childcare per week for 48 weeks of the year\n\nChildcare providers are paid £4.50 per hour for every child who takes up a place through the childcare offer.\n\nBut the National Day Nurseries Association said many of its members were operating at a loss as fewer children had been attending and costs had gone up to comply with Covid-19 safety regulations.\n\nIts chief executive Purnima Tanuku called on the Welsh Government to set up a \"transformation fund to be able to support the sector until occupancy levels pick up and to really review the hourly rate to reflect the additional cost they've had to incur\".\n\nLyn Bourne, of Britannia Day Nursery, said nurseries were a \"forgotten industry\"\n\nBefore the coronavirus pandemic, around 70 children attended Britannia Day Nursery in Caerphilly - now there are about 40.\n\nOwner Lyn Bourne said the nursery was losing money every week, but was determined to keep going.\"It is hard financially and emotionally, but we decided we wanted to keep going so we've just done our best to do that,\" she said.Ms Bourne said she hoped the childcare offer would help some parents to bring children back, but said nurseries needed extra financial help from the government too.\"Nurseries are closing every week,\" she said.\"We seem to be a forgotten industry, but we're so important.\"\n\nThe Welsh Government confirmed that coronavirus guidance restricting children to groups of eight in childcare would be lifted.\n\nDeputy Minister for Social Care Julie Morgan said: \"Bringing the offer back will not only help parents, but it is crucial for providers too in supporting their businesses to recover after what has been a period of great uncertainty and anxiety for many.\"\n\nA Welsh Government spokesman said the hourly rate was under review and it was considering extending the offer to parents in education or training or \"on the cusp\" of returning to work.\n\nHe added: \"The childcare offer being restarted funded childcare for an average of 13,000 children per month before the pandemic, a significant investment in the Welsh childcare sector.\n\n\"We have also relaxed some of the regulatory requirements on childcare settings in the national minimum standards to make it easier for them to operate under the current restrictions.\"", "Women selling clothes online are being sent explicit messages, with requests for sex and \"worn\" garments.\n\nBoth businesses and private individuals have experienced the problem when advertising on mainstream platforms.\n\nWomen have been sent '\"creepy\" messages on Facebook, Instagram, eBay, and Depop, the BBC has learned.\n\nSome were asked for additional items including worn tights, explicit photos and used underwear.\n\nWhen inappropriate profiles were blocked or reported, some would reappear with a different account, sources told the BBC.\n\n\"During lockdown, the messages have gotten really creepy,\" said Sara Faye, who has sold her clothes on Depop for years.\n\n\"They always want to know how many times it has been worn and if it is dirty.\"\n\nMs Faye used to post images of herself in the clothes on the platforms but has now stopped because of the messages.\n\nWomen often model the clothing they're selling in the photos\n\n\"Don't message me on an innocent second-hand website, just because you can see a hot girl in the photos,\" she added. \"It feels like a violation, you should be able to sell your clothes online without getting harassed.\"\n\nSellers were sometimes offered additional money for used clothing or explicit images.\n\nJennifer Savin - a Cosmopolitan features writer, who recently investigated the topic - was offered ��5 for more than 50 intimate images after posting items on eBay.\n\n\"I think there are a lot of users out there, just trying their luck,\" she told the BBC. \"Who knows if they'd even pay up if they were to be sent the explicit content in the first place?\"\n\nOne online seller, who relies on the profits made on these platforms for a living, said \"it was a balance between feeling safe and needing the money.\"\n\nEstablished clothing brands have also reported receiving inappropriate messages and requests on Facebook and Instagram.\n\nLovely's Vintage Emporium sells vintage clothes and receives many such comments every week.\n\nLovely's Vintage Emporium says it receives many inappropriate messages every week\n\n\"I get a lot of messages about the model, especially if there are shirts with close-up images,\" said owner Lynnette Peck.\n\n\"I had a fetishist asking what [shoes] smelt like, who wore them and if I could take a photo of myself wearing them.\"\n\nShe has now stopped selling certain items on the website, after receiving explicit photographs through Facebook Messenger.\n\nNaomi Edmondson, who runs lingerie brand Edge o'Beyond, said the business was \"constantly bombarded with creepy comments from men\", often asking for sex.\n\n\"We get so many creepy messages and comments it's too time-consuming to report them all,\" she said. \"A few times I have felt concerned for safety.\n\n\"We create lingerie to empower women, we do not welcome the minority of men who think it's acceptable to send explicit pictures.\"\n\nSome of the women the BBC spoke to said they hadn't reported the messages because they were \"embarrassed\", \"ashamed\" or \"didn't want to risk losing their accounts\".\n\nFacebook, Instagram, Depop and eBay all said they take these kinds of messages seriously and would take action against those who violated policy.\n\nThey all urged users to report and block any accounts which break the rules.\n\nFacebook - which also owns Instagram - said it has built a \"global safety and security team as well as powerful technology\" to remove accounts as quickly as possible.\n\nDepop said it aims to respond to 95% reports of inappropriate behaviour within three hours, during business hours.\n\n\"The issue of women receiving creepy messages when selling clothes online is not a new phenomenon,\" said Jo O'Reilly, digital privacy expert at ProPrivacy.\n\n\"This is particularly concerning because to sell on most popular online selling platforms, including eBay and Depop, it is mandatory for users to provide a postal address - likely to be their home address.\"\n\nBut that is technically against the terms and conditions of most selling platforms.\n\n\"The very nature of selling second-hand clothes means that sellers will often post photos of themselves wearing the items,\" she says.\n\n\"That can, unfortunately, attract unwanted attention from buyers who might wish to buy worn clothes rather than just second-hand items.\"\n\nAlthough sites restrict the selling of certain used items, such as underwear, private messaging provides a \"loophole\", she added.", "Boris Johnson has said there is still a very substantial risk of intensive care units in hospitals being overwhelmed by the spread of the coronavirus.\n\nIt comes on a day when the UK has recorded the highest number of deaths in a single day in Europe.\n\nFergal Keane last visited the Imperial Healthcare Trust’s St Mary’s and Charing Cross hospital in London last April.\n\nHe's been back to see how they're coping.", "UN peacekeepers ended their mission in Darfur last month\n\nThe number of people killed in clashes between different ethnic groups in Sudan's West Darfur state has risen to 83, a medical body has said.\n\nThe fighting in the state capital, El Geneina, began on Saturday after a row in which a man was stabbed to death.\n\nA state-wide curfew has been imposed and Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok has sent a delegation to investigate.\n\nA conflict in Darfur that began in 2003 forced millions to flee and, despite a peace process, tensions remain.\n\nSaturday's violence comes less than three weeks after peacekeepers from the United Nations and African Union handed over security to the Khartoum authorities after 13 years there, reports the BBC's Youssef Taha.\n\nSimilar clashes in El Geneina last year, which saw Arab pastoralists fight with non-Arab groups, caused hundreds of casualties.\n\nThe most recent fighting was centred around a camp for people who had been displaced by the Darfur conflict. A deadly row between two men escalated into a fight involving armed militias, the AFP news agency reports.\n\nThe Central Committee of Sudan Doctors said the death toll had risen from 48 to 83, and the number of wounded from around 100 to 160.\n\nMembers of the armed forces were among the victims, it said.\n\nCasualties were likely to rise further as fighting was continuing, the medical body added.\n\nThe government said on Sunday that troop reinforcements would be sent to the area\n\nThe announcement was made after army chief Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan met top security officials to discuss the violence.\n\nA peace deal involving most, but not all, groups in Darfur was signed last year.\n\nThe Darfur conflict began under the presidency of Omar al-Bashir, who was overthrown in 2019 and is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged war crimes and genocide in the region.\n\nJustice for the people of Darfur was a key rallying cry for civilian groups who backed the ouster of the president after nearly three decades in power.\n\nThe Sudanese Professionals' Association, which was at the forefront of the anti-Bashir movement, called for the current transitional government to deal with the \"unruly armed groups which have been freely moving and terrorising civilians since the collapse of the former regime\", Sudan's news agency reports.\n\nYou may also be interested in:\n\nLast year Mohanad Hashim visited Kalma camp where some of the millions of people who fled flighting ended up:\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The ongoing struggle for peace in Darfur", "A man has scaled a Hong Kong skyscraper in his wheelchair to raise money for spinal cord patients.\n\nLai Chi-Wai, who became paralysed after a road accident ten years ago, climbed 250 metres (820ft) of the Nina Towers building.\n\nBefore his accident, Lai Chi-Wai was a rock-climbing champion in Asia and eighth best in the world.\n\nHe said that \"knowing there was a possibility...that I could be a climber again, I found some direction in life\".", "A financial support scheme for airports in England will open this month, the government says, as the aviation sector faces new Covid travel curbs.\n\nAviation minister Robert Courts said the move was a response to the closure of all UK air corridors from Monday.\n\nThe aim was to provide grants by the end of this financial year, he said.\n\nIndustry groups had warned there was only so long airports could \"run on fumes\", following the announcement of the new quarantine rules.\n\nUnder the new rules beginning at 04:00 GMT on Monday, all travel corridors - which have been in place to allow arrivals from some countries to forgo quarantine - will close.\n\nAll arrivals to the UK after that time will need to isolate for up to 10 days, although the quarantine period can be cut short with a negative test after five days.\n\nPeople will also have to show proof of a negative test taken in the previous 72 hours before travelling.\n\nOn Sunday, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab also told the BBC'S Andrew Marr Show that Public Health England would also be stepping up checks on travellers who must self-isolate, while enforcement checks at borders would also be \"ramped up\".\n\nHe added that asking all arrivals to self-isolate in hotels was a \"potential measure\" the government was keeping under review.\n\nIn a tweet, Mr Courts said the Airport and Ground Operations Support Scheme \"will help airports reduce\" additional costs faced due to the pandemic and that further details would follow soon.\n\nThe scheme had first been announced in November, but without a set start date. It will involve grants of up to £8m per applicant, to be used to cover fixed costs, such as business rates.\n\nIn a statement at the time, the Airport Operators Association said the scheme would be a relief. However, it said support equivalent to business rates would only go so far and with the pandemic crisis deepening, a broader package of support was needed for all four nations, to see the sector through the next few months.\n\nAOA chief executive Karen Dee said the measures would \"provide much-needed support to many embattled airports, helping them through the challenging months ahead\".\n\nPrime Minister Boris Johnson announced the changes to the UK's travel rules at a Downing Street briefing on Friday, saying they would \"protect against the risk of as yet unidentified new strains\" of Covid.\n\nThe new rules will be in place until at least 15 February, he said.\n\nA ban on travellers from South America, Portugal and Cape Verde also came into force on Friday, having been imposed over concerns about a new variant identified in Brazil.\n\nNew variants causing concern have previously been identified in the UK and South Africa, with many countries imposing restrictions on arrivals from both nations.\n\nScientists fear the variants seen in South Africa and Brazil may interfere with the effectiveness of vaccines and evade parts of the immune system.\n\nThe government's chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance told the press briefing on Friday that some of the new variants may be able to \"get round\" the Covid vaccines but it was \"really quite easy\" to adjust the vaccines to deal with mutations in the virus.\n\nThe travel industry said closing the travel corridors was understandable due to the health emergency, but warned it would deepen the crisis for the sector.\n\nTim Alderslade, chief executive of Airlines UK, said the system had been \"a lifeline for the industry\" last summer but \"things change and there's no doubting this is a serious health emergency\". He said he assumed the government would remove the latest restrictions as soon as it was safe.\n\n\"We've had no revenue now effectively for 12 months, give or take a few months in the summer last year. If we're going to have an aviation sector coming out of this we need to open up in the summer,\" he told the BBC.\n\nTravel operators had already been forced to cancel holidays before the latest restrictions were announced.\n\nEarlier this week, Jet2 suspended all flights and holidays until 25 March over \"ongoing uncertainty\" and budget travel provider EasyJet on Thursday began cancelling holidays up to and including 24 March.\n\nThe Department for Transport has said it is supporting the travel industry with an extension to the furlough scheme until the end of April, business rates relief and tax deferrals.\n\nWith all parts of the UK under strict virus rules amid high levels of infection, only essential travel is permitted.\n\nOn Saturday, another 1,295 deaths within 28 days of a positive Covid test were reported in the UK, and a further 41,346 lab-confirmed cases of coronavirus.\n\nAre you due to travel back to the UK from overseas? Do you work in the travel industry? Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "Pilot Douglas Jones, 27, was enjoying his dream job, working for Aegean Airlines and living in Greece, when the pandemic began last spring - and borders began to close.\n\nFearing being stranded in Greece, he booked a flight home to Scotland and within a couple of weeks learned his job was gone.\n\nBack home, in the small Scottish town of Moffat, in Dumfries and Galloway, he found himself “desperate to do something”.\n\n\"When you have been used to living in Berlin and Athens and you move back to Moffat, living with your dad, it is a bit of slowdown,\" he says.\n\nIt was a relative of a friend who spotted south of Scotland firm Alpha Solway was hiring new workers to meet demand for personal protective equipment (PPE).\n\nIt certainly marked a change of pace – the nine-to-five office-based routine was difficult to adjust to for someone accustomed to navigating the skies of Europe – but Douglas says he was \"surprised\" by what parts of his old job he could bring to his new post.\n\n\"A lot in commercial aviation is about awareness - situational awareness - and a lot of that can be built into manufacturing as well,\" he says.\n\nWhile looking forward to returning to the skies one day, he adds: “I have learned a huge amount here.\n\n“There are good people here doing a good job and I am helping at least with that.\"", "Children in England will be able to access books online free during school closures via a virtual library.\n\nInternet classroom Oak National Academy created the library after schools moved to remote learning for the majority of pupils until February half-term.\n\nFormed with The National Literacy Trust, the library will provide a book a week from its author of the week.\n\nThe aim is to increase young readers' access to e-books and audiobooks, particularly the most disadvantaged.\n\nOak National Academy is funded by the Department for Education and has provided more than 28 million lessons since the start of the school term on 4 January.\n\nIn the last two weeks, 4.1 million pupils accessed its resources.\n\nThe latest lockdown has seen schools in England close except for children of key workers and vulnerable pupils.\n\nMatt Hood, principal of Oak National Academy, said: \"It's incredible to be able to add to our offer something vital for children's literacy and their mental wellbeing.\"\n\nJonathan Douglas, chief executive of the National Literacy Trust, said it was \"essential\" to enable as many children as possible to \"access a world of great literature\".\n\nHe added: \"Many children's literacy skills were profoundly affected by the first lockdown and school closures.\n\n\"We will do everything in our power to support children, families and teachers during this new lockdown period.\"\n\nDescribing the virtual library as a \"fantastic resource\", Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said learning and children's development must continue while schools remain closed.\n\nHe said: \"Reading is hugely beneficial not only for children's literacy skills, but also their mental health and wellbeing.\"\n\nThe first book to feature will be Dame Jacqueline Wilson's The Story Of Tracy Beaker, and will be available to access free for a week from 17 January.\n\nDame Jacqueline said with schools closed, the free online library is needed more than ever, adding: \"I think it's vitally important that every child should have an opportunity to access books.\"", "The funeral of Gerry and the Pacemakers singer Gerry Marsden has been held at a church near his beloved River Mersey.\n\nMarsden died, aged 78, in hospital on 3 January following a blood infection.\n\nAs the frontman in the band Gerry and the Pacemakers, his hits included Ferry Cross The Mersey and a cover version of You'll Never Walk Alone.\n\nEx-Liverpool boss Sir Kenny Dalglish was among the mourners at the funeral which had to remain small because of Covid restrictions.\n\nSir Kenny managed the club at the time of the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, which led to the deaths of 96 fans who were attending an FA Cup game between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest.\n\nGerry Marsden sings You'll Never Walk Alone before an Anfield match in 2010\n\nSir Kenny said: \"You'll Never Walk Alone has huge meaning to the lives of Liverpool supporters around the world and is synonymous with the club.\n\n\"He will be sadly missed by those who knew him and the millions he never got to meet.\"\n\nYou'll Never Walk Alone became a football terrace anthem for Marsden's hometown club soon after it topped the charts in 1963.\n\nThe song was played during the funeral by a guitarist while a version of Marsden singing Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying, a song he wrote for his wife Pauline, also featured.\n\nShe said: \"We, his family, are totally devastated and have been so moved and amazed at the extent of the respect, love and affection received from all over the world.\n\n\"When the time is right and we have come out of this terrible pandemic we hope a fitting memorial can be held for him in the city he loved so much.\"\n\nGerry and the Pacemakers was one of the biggest British bands in the 1960s\n\nReferring to the lyrics from Ferry Cross the Mersey, close friend Arthur Johnson said: \"He lived close to the banks of the Mersey for all his life and as the words of his song say: 'This land's the place I love and here I'll stay'.\"\n\nLiverpool City Region mayor Steve Rotheram said: \"I feel privileged he let me into his life, although that makes his passing even more painful.\"\n\nIn 1962, Beatles manager Brian Epstein signed up Gerry and the Pacemakers and, a year later, they became the first band to have their first three songs top the charts - How Do You Do It, I Like It and You'll Never Walk Alone.\n\nA flag on the Royal Iris Mersey ferry flew at half mast after the death of Gerry Marsden\n\nThey were one of the successes of the Merseybeat era, with former Beatles star Sir Paul McCartney saying at the time of Marsden's death that: \"Gerry was a mate from our early days in Liverpool\".\n\n\"He and his group were our biggest rivals on the local scene.\"", "More than half of the Church of England's 14,000 parishes will not open for Sunday services later, as places of worship are hit hard by Covid-19.\n\nMany of the Church's clergy are shielding, while some parishes have decided it is not safe enough to admit worshippers.\n\nMost mosques in London did not open for Friday prayers.\n\nThe Catholic Church in England and Wales says parishes that are able to follow guidelines will still open.\n\nDespite coronavirus restrictions, places of worship in England and Wales can open - but many are struggling to do so safely.\n\nPlaces of worship remain closed throughout Scotland, while Northern Ireland's main church denominations are to cease public worship until early February.\n\nThe Church of England has told the BBC more than half of its parishes - including some cathedrals - will not open for communal prayer on Sunday. Many have moved their worship online.\n\nThe Church said some of its clergy were shielding, and all parishes were making their own decision.\n\nLincoln Cathedral took the decision to suspend in-person worship and move services online earlier in the week.\n\nRev Canon Nick Brown, Precentor of Lincoln, said the decision was taken \"with a very heavy heart\" but explained: \"To bring people together in worship is at the very heart of our purpose, but having considered expert advice we believe that the best way to help limit the spread of Covid-19 is to suspend public services for the time being.\"\n\nThe Catholic Church in England and Wales says it will keep its churches under review to make sure \"the highest standards of safety are maintained\". It is also organising online masses in many parishes.\n\nBritain's most senior Catholic, Cardinal Vincent Nichols, had criticised previous orders for churches to close.\n\nWith more than half of the Church of England's parishes closed for communal worship, thousands of Christians are being deprived of spiritual sustenance, at a time when many feel sorely in need of it.\n\nOther religions are also grappling with the issue and have worked hard to make their places of worship Covid-compliant by, for example, introducing strict booking and ticketing systems.\n\nMany church parishes have adapted by moving services online, a trend mirrored in some Jewish and Muslim denominations. These have been largely successful, and in some cases attracted new audiences from thousands of miles away. However, it's difficult to replicate the sense of community when people can physically and regularly meet up.\n\nOne Rabbi I spoke to last summer admitted he was worried some of his synagogue regulars, kept away by Covid-19, might never return.\n\nThere's also a financial aspect. Places of worship rely heavily on the generosity of believers. Weekly donations have been hit by church closures, and many revenue-generating schemes, such as hiring out church halls, have been cancelled. Many of the country's ancient cathedrals make much of their income from tourist admission fees.\n\nDifferent parts of the UK have taken different approaches, with all places of worship currently closed in Scotland, for example. Some Christian leaders, largely accepting of initial closures during the first lockdown, have gradually spoken out in favour of being able to make the decision themselves.\n\nBut with most shops and sporting facilities closed in England, some campaigners, such as the National Secular Society, have railed against what they say is \"a worrying deference to religious entitlement\".\n\nMeanwhile, the Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board has told the BBC although most mosques in England and Wales did open for Friday prayers, the majority in London did not - and it says it has asked its members in areas where the infection rate is rising to work closely with Public Health England and local authorities.\n\nUnder the latest lockdowns in the UK, there are changes to usual practices for worshippers of all religions.\n\nIn the areas of the UK where communal worship is allowed, a number of measures are in place, such as carrying out services in the shortest possible time, and ensuring worshippers do not mingle with anyone not in their own household or support bubble.\n\nFaith leaders have accepted the need for restrictions.\n\nThe Muslim Council of Britain urges \"strong caution for mosques wishing to continue remaining open to the public for worship... and for tremendous care to be exercised\".\n\nMeanwhile, the Bishop of London, the Rt Rev Sarah Mullally, who has been in charge of the Church of England's plans for resuming services, has said \"some may feel that it is currently better not to attend in person... Clergy who have concerns, and others who are shielding, should take particular care and stay at home\".\n\nHow have you been affected by the issues relating to coronavirus? Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.\n• None What are the rules for places of worship?", "Last updated on .From the section Cricket\n\nEngland need further 36 runs to win\n\nEngland need 36 runs on the final day to win the first Test against Sri Lanka despite losing three wickets in a chaotic end to the fourth day in Galle.\n\nChasing only 74, the tourists slipped to 14-3 as Dom Sibley and Zak Crawley fell to left-arm spinner Lasith Embuldeniya before captain Joe Root was run out after a mix-up with Jonny Bairstow.\n\nBairstow, who survived a run-out chance of his own, and debutant Dan Lawrence saw England to 38 without further loss before bad light ended play early.\n\nBairstow and Lawrence will resume on 11 and seven respectively at 04:15 GMT on Monday.\n\nEarlier, Sri Lanka were bowled out for 359, with Lahiru Thirimanne scoring 111 - his first century for almost eight years - and Angelo Matthews 73.\n\nJack Leach, playing his first Test since 2019, took 5-122 and Dom Bess 3-100 to finish with match figures of 8-130 and set up what should still be a comfortable England victory despite a wearing pitch.\n\nEngland won their most recent series in Sri Lanka 3-0, but their record in Asia - and playing spin - is poor and it reared its head again in a remarkable start to their fourth-innings chase.\n\nSibley, whom many feel is vulnerable against spin, was bowled for two not offering a shot, while Crawley, who was dropped on one, added only eight before a drive was superbly caught at gully by Kusal Mendis.\n\nEngland contributed to their own problems as captain Root, who scored a magnificent 228 in the first innings, was run out by a direct hit by wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella, colliding with bowler Dilruwan Perera after Bairstow called for a risky single.\n\nBairstow and Lawrence restored calm in a 24-run stand to steer England to stumps, and they remain firm favourites to take a 1-0 lead in the two-match series.\n\n\"If Sri Lanka had run Bairstow out just after Root it would have been very interesting,\" former England captain Michael Vaughan said on BBC Test Match Special.\n\nSri Lanka, whose first-innings effort of 135 in just 46.1 overs was described as \"one of the worse we've ever seen\", showed significantly more character and application in the second.\n\nOpener Thirimanne, 76 not out as the hosts resumed on 156-2, moved to his second Test century - 54 innings after his first, the third longest gap in Test history - with a cut for four off Bess.\n\nThe left-hander averaged 22 in 36 Tests before this match and his place was in serious doubt, only for captain Dimuth Karunaratne to be ruled out before the game with a thumb injury.\n\nAfter Thirimanne got a faint inside edge to the excellent Jos Buttler off Sam Curran, former captain Mathews played a dogged 219-ball innings containing only two fours to ensure Sri Lanka at least wiped out a 286-run first-innings deficit.\n\nWhen he edged Leach to Root at slip to be last man out, Sri Lanka were left wondering what might have been had they shown the same discipline first time round.\n\nBess, who took 5-30 in the first innings despite struggling with his length, improved throughout the second innings and took a wicket in the first over of his three spells on Sunday.\n\nHe had nightwatchman Embuldeniya caught by Sibley at short cover off the 12th ball of the day, before returning to have stand-in captain Dinesh Chandimal held at slip by Root, and Dickwella caught behind as he attempted to guide the ball to third man.\n\nLeach, who has missed England's past 11 Tests - in part due to illness - yorked Dasun Shanaka and had the dangerous Wanindu Hasaranga superbly taken by Root at slip, before Perera became Buttler's first stumping in Test cricket.\n\nThe wicket of Mathews rounded off Leach's five-wicket haul, the first time two England spinners had achieved the feat in the same match since Derek Underwood and John Emburey in Sri Lanka in 1982.\n\n'It will only mean something if we win' - reaction\n\nEngland spinner Jack Leach on BBC Test Match Special: \"I wouldn't say I bowled well. It has been hard graft out there and I have certainly found I am probably a little rusty.\n\n\"At times I felt I could have done a better job, but the pleasing thing is I felt I bowled better as the game went on.\n\n\"We will come back tomorrow, knock these off and then I can be happy about my five wickets. It will only mean something if we win.\"\n\nFormer England captain Michael Vaughan: \"It has been an exciting day's play. Sri Lanka hung in there.\n\n\"Credit to Sri Lanka - we pelted them but on days three and four have shown they are a team that can compete in home conditions.\"\n\nFormer Sri Lanka all-rounder Russel Arnold: \"The start of England's innings was hectic. We saw panic from England, but Bairstow and Lawrence now look like they have it under control.\"\n• None Find all the resources you need to help with education at home\n• None The hilarious hit history podcast is back for a new series", "There are warnings more children could be plunged into poverty\n\nA decision on whether the £20 weekly rise in Universal Credit will be kept in place is unlikely before March's Budget, a top minister has indicated.\n\nCampaigners say the uplift, worth more than £1,000 a year, has been a lifeline for the vulnerable during the pandemic.\n\nLabour will use a Commons debate on Monday to add pressure on ministers to agree now to extend it beyond 31 March.\n\nBut Dominic Raab told the BBC it was a \"temporary measure\" and the Budget would spell out support \"in the round\".\n\nIn an interview with Andrew Marr, the foreign secretary confirmed that Conservative MPs would be told to abstain in Monday's debate, meaning Labour's \"opposition day\" motion will be approved.\n\nWhile the motion will not be binding on ministers and won't change policy, the BBC's Ben Wright said not opposing it represented an attempt by the government to \"neutralise\" the issue for the time being.\n\nIt showed, he added, how concerned ministers were about the prospect of a rebellion by Tory MPs - many of whom want an end to the uncertainty over the issue - if they had been asked to vote against it.\n\nThe standard Universal Credit allowance, which is claimed by more than 5.5 million households, was increased by £20 a week in April 2020 as part of Chancellor Rishi Sunak's early Covid economic response.\n\nWhile it was designed as a temporary response to help those unable to work or struggling due to the lockdown, opposition parties and charities say failing to extend will cause real hardship for hundreds of thousands of people.\n\nThe Joseph Rowntree Foundation has suggested about 16 million people will be directly affected, with millions of households facing an income loss equivalent to £1,040 a year.\n\nThe organisation has warned 500,000 more people will be driven into poverty, including 200,000 children, while a further 500,000 of those already in poverty will find themselves in even worse hardship.\n\nIts director Helen Barnard said a decision could not be delayed any longer.\n\n\"The chancellor has said the economy is going to get worse before it gets better and our evidence shows it is those with the least who are often suffering the most,\" she said.\n\n\"No one can seriously argue that cutting support for those on the lowest incomes in April will do anything other than weaken our already fragile economy.\"\n\nAsked whether the government should act now, Mr Raab said Monday's debate was a \"political\" move by the opposition and not about the government's overall financial support during the pandemic.\n\nHe promised to \"look at everything in the round\" to make sure support for the most vulnerable was available.\n\n\"Obviously in March there will be a Budget where again that holistic approach can be taken by the chancellor, but we've put that support in place to make sure that the most vulnerable communities can be protected at this very difficult time,\" he told Andrew Marr.\n\nThe government says it has injected an extra £7bn into the welfare system during the pandemic, including boosting Working Tax Credits by more than £1,000 a year for a 12-month period.\n\nLabour has urged the government to \"see sense\" on Universal Credit, saying that it would be both morally and economically wrong to \"take £1,000 a year from Britain's families\" at the peak of the unemployment crisis.", "The leaders of most of the world's biggest economies will get a brief taste of the English seaside this June as they gather for the G7 summit.\n\nCornwall's Carbis Bay, known for its sandy beach and clear waters, will be the venue for discussions on debt, climate change and post-Covid recovery.\n\nPrime Minister Boris Johnson called it the \"perfect location for such a crucial summit\".\n\nThe UK, US, Germany, France, Canada, Italy and Japan make up the G7.\n\nLeaders from Australia, India, South Korea and the EU will also attend the event, from 11 to 13 June, as guests.\n\nVisit Cornwall estimates the county will make £50m, with the summit providing a boost to tourism and the area's international profile.\n\nBut the likes of US President Joe Biden, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron are unlikely to enjoy an ice cream and a barefoot stroll through Carbis Bay's surf.\n\nG7 summits require security cordons, with anti-globalisation protests having affected several previous get-togethers.\n\nMeasures in place for the meeting in Biarritz, France, in 2019, saw the seaside resort likened to a temporary \"fortress\".\n\nThe Cornish meeting will be the first face-to-face G7 since the pandemic started. Last year's event - scheduled to take place at Camp David, Maryland - took place online instead.\n\nThe previous two UK-hosted meetings were at Lough Erne, Co Fermanagh, in 2013, and Gleneagles, Perth and Kinross, in 2005.\n\nBoris Johnson invoked the leading role of Cornwall's mining communities in the industrial revolution\n\nThis year, delegates will be put up - with Covid restrictions in place - at the Tregenna Castle Resort, overlooking nearby St Ives, and other locations.\n\nThe National Maritime Museum Cornwall in Falmouth will host international media.\n\nThe UK is hosting the summit as president of the G7 for the year.\n\n\"As the most prominent grouping of democratic countries, the G7 has long been the catalyst for decisive international action to tackle the greatest challenges we face,\" Mr Johnson said.\n\nHe added that leaders should approach the economic challenges of Covid \"by uniting with a spirit of openness to create a better future\".\n\n\"Two-hundred years ago Cornwall's tin and copper mines were at the heart of the UK's industrial revolution and this summer Cornwall will again be the nucleus of great global change and advancement,\" the prime minister said.\n\nVisit Cornwall chief executive Malcolm Bell said the summit would \"not only showcase the beauty of Cornwall but give us the opportunity to communicate our heritage, culture and the connections\".\n\nLocal leaders said it would provide a \"fantastic opportunity\" to showcase the county on the world stage.\n\nThe government said it would announce more of its plans \"in due course\".\n\nThe G7 meeting comes five months ahead of UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow in November.", "A statue of Edward Colston was thrown into Bristol Harbour last June, after being pulled down and rolled through the streets\n\nThe government is planning new laws to protect statues in England from being removed \"on a whim or at the behest of a baying mob\", Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick has said.\n\nWriting in the Sunday Telegraph, he said generations-old monuments should be \"considered thoughtfully\".\n\nThe legislation would require planning permission for any changes and a minister would be given the final veto.\n\nIt will be revealed in Parliament on Monday.\n\nThe plans follow the toppling of a statue of slave trader Edward Colston last year and a wider discussion on the removal of controversial monuments.\n\nFour people were later charged with criminal damage over the removal of the Colston statue, and six people accepted conditional cautions over their involvement.\n\nIn the paper, the communities secretary said Britain should not try to edit or censor its past.\n\nMr Jenrick said any decision to remove heritage assets in England would require planning permission and a consultation with local communities, adding that he wanted to see a \"considered approach\".\n\nHe wrote: \"Our view will be set out in law, that such monuments are almost always best explained and contextualised, not taken and hidden away.\"\n\nMr Jenrick added that he had noticed an attempt to set a narrative which seeks to erase part of the nation's history, saying this was \"at the hand of the flash mob, or by the decree of a 'cultural committee' of town hall militants and woke worthies\".\n\nHe said: \"We live in a country that believes in the rule of law, but when it comes to protecting our heritage, due process has been overridden. That can't be right.\n\n\"Local people should have the chance to be consulted whether a monument should stand or not.\n\n\"What has stood for generations should be considered thoughtfully, not removed on a whim or at the behest of a baying mob.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The Metropolitan Police say they are seeking to identify those responsible for the damage\n\nThe death of George Floyd while in the custody of police in Minneapolis sparked anti-racism protests across the world.\n\nDuring largely peaceful demonstrations in the UK, the controversial Colston statue was dumped into Bristol Harbour and a memorial to Sir Winston Churchill was vandalised with the words \"was a racist\".\n\nSpeaking in June, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: \"The statue of Winston Churchill in Parliament Square is a permanent reminder of his achievement in saving this country - and the whole of Europe - from a fascist and racist tyranny.\n\n\"It is absurd and shameful that this national monument should ... be at risk of attack by violent protesters.\n\n\"Yes, he sometimes expressed opinions that were and are unacceptable to us today, but he was a hero, and he fully deserves his memorial.\"\n\nColston made his fortune in the slave trade and bequeathed his money to charities in Bristol, which led to many venues, streets and landmarks bearing his name.\n\nThe Society of Merchant Venturers, the Bristol charity which runs institutions named after Edward Colston, said it was right that the statue was removed, along with other memorials to \"a man who benefited from trading in human lives\".\n\nThey said it was part of acknowledging Bristol's \"dark past\" and building \"a city where racism and inequality no longer exist\".\n\nFollowing the toppling of the statue, Colston's Girls School changed its name to Montpelier High School and the city's Colston Hall music venue is now known as the Bristol Beacon.\n\nA statue of a Black Lives Matter protester was placed on the empty plinth without permission in July and was removed shortly afterwards.", "Work to restore hundreds of thousands of fingerprint, DNA and arrest records accidentally wiped from police databases is ongoing, the Home Office has said.\n\nAround 400,000 records were lost, according to The Times, which first reported the story.\n\nThe Home Office did not comment on how many records were likely to be restored, or how long it would take.\n\nHome Secretary Priti Patel said the issue was \"a result of human error\".\n\nData was wiped from the Police National Computer (PNC) - which stores and shares criminal records information across the UK - after being inadvertently flagged for deletion.\n\nThe PNC is used in police investigations and provides real-time checks on people, vehicles and crimes, as well as whether suspects are wanted for any unsolved offences.\n\nThe coding that caused the problem was introduced in November 2020, and the deletions started earlier this week.\n\nInitially, it was thought some 150,000 records were lost, but it since has emerged the number could be significantly higher.\n\nCommenting on the error, Ms Patel said: \"Engineers continue to work to restore data lost as a result of human error during a routine housekeeping process earlier this week.\n\n\"I continue to be in regular contact with the team, and working with our policing partners, we will provide an update as soon as we can.\"\n\nEarlier, Labour shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds called on Ms Patel to take responsibility for the error and be clear about the impact it had had.\n\nSpeaking on BBC Breakfast, he described the situation as \"extraordinarily serious\", adding: \"Priti Patel will be responsible for criminals walking free.\n\n\"We're not going to be able to link suspects to crime scenes without the DNA and fingerprint evidence.\"\n\nThe National Police Chiefs' Council said the lost data had resulted in a couple of \"near misses\" for serious crimes when trying to identify an offender.\n\nPolicing minister Kit Malthouse insisted the affected records \"apply to cases where individuals were arrested and then released with no further action\".\n\nHe added: \"We are working to recover the affected records as a priority. While we do so, the Police National Computer is functioning and the police are taking steps to mitigate any impact.\"", "A group of London business leaders has written to the government calling for financial support for the struggling rail firm Eurostar.\n\nIn a letter to the Treasury and Department for Transport, they urge \"swift action to safeguard its future\".\n\nBosses of firms such as Fortnum & Mason signed the letter asking for access to government loans and business rates relief \"at the very least\".\n\nThe government says it is \"working closely\" with Eurostar.\n\nThe cross-Channel rail company is threatened by a large drop in passenger numbers due to coronavirus-related travel restrictions.\n\nIt reported in November that passenger numbers had been down 95% since March 2020.\n\nWith two trains an hour normally scheduled in peak hours, it now runs just two services a day from London to Paris and Brussels.\n\nThe letter, coordinated by business campaigning group London First and seen by the BBC, describes the firm as one that has \"fallen through the cracks\". Unlike some airlines, it has not been eligible for government-backed loans.\n\n\"If this viable business is allowed to fall between the cracks of support - neither an airline, nor a domestic railway - our recovery could be damaged,\" it says.\n\nCo-signed by 28 leaders, including the vice-chancellor of Middlesex University, the chief executive of West End property company Shaftesbury, as well as the boss of the ExCeL conference centre, the letter points out that the company currently employs 1,200 people in the UK.\n\nThe firm is 55% owned by French state rail firm SNCF. The UK government sold its stake in the business to private companies for £757m in 2015.\n\nThe letter also credits Eurostar with reducing carbon emissions. Since it launched in 1994, it has transported more than 190 million passengers between Britain and mainland Europe.\n\nA spokesman for Eurostar said: \"Without additional funding from government there is a real risk to the survival of Eurostar, the green gateway to Europe.\n\nHe described the current situation as \"very serious\".\n\nA spokesman for the Department for Transport said: \"We recognise the significant financial challenges facing Eurostar as a result of Covid-19 and the unprecedented circumstances currently faced by the international travel industry.\"\n\nHe added the government had been in contact with Eurostar \"on a regular basis\" since the start of the coronavirus crisis and would continue to work closely with the firm.\n• None How are travel rules being relaxed?", "Few people get as unique a take on the movement, mood and feelings of the public than the business owners that sit in its lay-bys.\n\nSince the start of lockdown they have juggled highs and lows.\n\nFrom supporting lorry drivers unable to stop at closed service stations to seeing their customers told to stay at home - and in turn not spend money with them.\n\nSome are now questioning their future and role in a workforce predicted to change its patterns and work from home more in the future.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The Duke of Cambridge shared his own experiences of seeing \"death and so much bereavement\"\n\nThe Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been told the pandemic will leave many emergency workers \"broken\".\n\nMany police and NHS workers are too concerned with battling the pandemic to look after their mental health, they were told.\n\nInsp Phil Spencer from Cleveland Police said staff did not engage enough with counselling \"because we don't want to take anybody else's valuable time\".\n\nPrince William said he \"really worries\" about the effect on front-line workers.\n\n\"When you're surrounded by that level of intense trauma and sadness and bereavement, it really does, it stays with you at home, it stays with you for weeks on end,\" he said.\n\nInsp Spencer said emergency workers \"run towards danger, run towards a terrorist attack, we run towards the pandemic\".\n\n\"Perhaps further down the line when all this is gone we're going to have some broken police officers and emergency services staff, because we're too busy focusing on protecting the most vulnerable,\" he said.\n\nThe couple also spoke to counsellors from Hospice UK's Harrogate-based Just B support line for NHS staff, social care workers, carers and emergency services, which their foundation helps financially.\n\nThe prince said he feared \"you're all so busy caring for everyone else that you won't take enough time to care for yourselves\".\n\nHe and Catherine said the stigma surrounding seeking help for mental health issues must end.\n\nFollow BBC North East & Cumbria on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk.\n• None The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Two drivers from Scotland were stopped by police on Anglesey going to see friends.\n\nPeople who drove more than 200 miles to visit friends in Wales and a group having a party in a garden shed have been caught breaking Covid rules.\n\nPolice forces in Wales have broken up parties, football matches and fined people for visiting beauty spots this weekend while Wales is in lockdown.\n\nTwo motorists were reported by North Wales Police in Anglesey after driving from Scotland to visit friends.\n\nWhile in Swansea, eight people were fined after a party was held in a shed.\n\nThe drivers from Scotland were stopped by police at Valley, near Holyhead, and reported for driving without insurance and breaching Covid travel restrictions.\n\nOfficers from North Wales Police on Saturday also stopped a car from Portsmouth as the driver was travelling to \"collect a front bumper\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by South Wales Police Vale of Glamorgan This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. End of twitter post by South Wales Police Vale of Glamorgan\n\n\"Travelling nearly 300 miles for a piece of cosmetic plastic for your car is not essential at this time,\" said North Wales Police's Intercept team.\n\n\"The regulations have been broadcast far and wide. Please be mindful you will be reported if your journey is not essential.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Gwent Police | Caerphilly Borough Officers This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nEven though national parks have shut car parks in a bid to stop people visiting, North Wales Police said it received about 100 calls on Saturday about potential Covid breaches - and officers told people they need to take \"personal responsibility\" and \"stay home\".\n\nSouth Wales Police officers issued fixed penalty notices after finding people from \"all different households\" in a shed - which had been converted into a bar - in the Sketty area of Swansea all \"mixing together\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 3 by Mark Drakeford This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nA further nine fixed penalty notices were given out in the Townhill area of the city after different households attended a baby reveal party on Sunday.\n\nFive people were warned about breaking laws in Neath Port Talbot after a group travelled to a field to play football, while four people were fined after a house party in Aberavon.\n\nUnder coronavirus rules people are only allowed to leave their homes for \"essential\" reasons, including to shop for food, get medical treatment and to exercise.\n\nWhile exercise is allowed, people are not allowed to drive to a spot for a walk, run or cycle, and the law means exercising with people you do not live with (or who are your bubble if you live alone) is banned.\n\nThose found to be in breach of Covid laws can be fined £60 for the first offence, with the penalties increasing up to £1,920. If prosecuted, however, a court can impose an unlimited fine.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Covid lockdown: 'This is why we say to you do not come out'\n\nUntil recently police had been using an education first approach, but the Welsh Government has repeatedly said it wants to see stricter enforcement of the rules.\n\nIn Powys, road officers from Dyfed-Powys Police stopped cars and turned around people driving to exercise.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 4 by Traffic Wales North & Mid #KeepWalesSafe This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nIn Port Talbot, two people sat on a bench drinking alcohol were fined by South Wales Police for \"leaving home without a reasonable excuse\".\n\nGwent Police officers broke-up a house party in Glyn-Gaer, Caerphilly county, on Friday evening and issued fines.", "Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Sunday. We'll have another update for you on Monday.\n\nTen new mass Covid vaccination centres are to open in England from Monday, as the government bids to meet its target of offering 15 million people in the UK a dose by 15 February. Blackburn Cathedral and St Helens Rugby Ground are among the venues chosen to join the seven hubs already in use. NHS England said the new centres would offer \"thousands\" of jabs a week. It comes as another 324,233 vaccine doses have been administered across the UK, taking the total above 3.5 million. Check when you will be eligible for a jab.\n\nA financial support scheme for airports in England will open this month, the government says, as the aviation sector faces new Covid travel curbs. Aviation minister Robert Courts said the move was a response to the closure of all UK air corridors from Monday. The aim is to provide grants before the end of this financial year, he said. Industry groups had warned there was only so long airports could \"run on fumes\", following the announcement of the new quarantine rules. Under the new rules beginning at 04:00 GMT on Monday, all travel corridors - which have been in place to allow arrivals from some countries to forgo quarantine - will close.\n\nMore than half of the Church of England's 14,000 parishes will not open for Sunday services today, as places of worship are hit hard by Covid-19. Many of the Church's clergy are shielding, while some parishes have decided it is not safe enough to admit worshippers. It has also been revealed that most mosques in London remained closed on Friday, meaning Muslims had to make alternative arrangements for Friday prayers. Despite current coronavirus restrictions, places of worship in England and Wales can open - but many are struggling to do so safely. Places of worship remain closed throughout Scotland, while Northern Ireland's main church denominations are to cease public worship until early February. Remind yourself of the rules where you live for places of worship.\n\nChildren in England will be able to access books online free during school closures via a virtual library. Internet classroom Oak National Academy created the library after schools moved to remote learning for the majority of pupils until February half-term. Formed with The National Literacy Trust, the library will provide a book a week from its author of the week. The aim is to increase young readers' access to e-books and audiobooks, particularly the most disadvantaged. The latest lockdown has seen schools in England close to all but children of key workers and vulnerable pupils.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe Duke of Cambridge has expressed his pride at the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh for stepping up and having their Covid-19 vaccinations. In a video call with frontline workers, Prince William spoke about his grandparents after being told medics have witnessed \"vaccine hesitancy\" among some communities during the jab rollout. He praised NHS staff behind the rollout of the vaccine, and described the programme as \"tremendous\", saying it didn't \"just happen\". Staff joked they had been \"thinking and dreaming\" of vaccines all day and night with some describing working seven-day weeks.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. In a video call, the Duke of Cambridge said the vaccination programme was \"tremendous\"\n\nYou can find more information, advice and guides on our coronavirus page.\n\nAnd it's been almost a month since people in some parts of the UK were allowed to meet in Christmas \"bubbles\", so what impact did this have?\n\nWhat questions do you have about coronavirus?\n\nIn some cases, your question will be published, displaying your name, age and location as you provide it, unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published. Please ensure you have read our terms & conditions and privacy policy.\n\nUse this form to ask your question:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or send them via email to YourQuestions@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any question you send in.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The boss of NHS England reveals Covid-19 jabs are being done much faster than people are newly catching the virus\n\nPeople in England are being vaccinated four times faster than new cases of the virus are being detected, NHS England's chief executive has said.\n\nSir Simon Stevens told the BBC that 140 people a minute were now being given the jab, usually the first dose of two.\n\nBut he said the NHS had never been in a more precarious position, with 75% more Covid patients than at the April peak.\n\nIt comes as a further 298,087 people received their first dose of the vaccine on Saturday.\n\nThere were also 671 more deaths within 28 days of a positive Covid test, and another 38,598 positive tests.\n\nSir Simon told the Andrew Marr Show some hospitals would open for vaccinations 24 hours a day, seven days a week on a trial basis in the next 10 days.\n\nHe said England was on course to deliver 1.5 million doses this week. Scotland has delivered a total of more than 224,000 first doses, Wales has given over 126,000 and Northern Ireland nearly 118,000 - although Scotland and Wales do not report figures at the weekend.\n\nHalf of all over-80s have now been vaccinated, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said. \"Each jab brings us one step closer to normal,\" he said.\n\nForeign Secretary Dominic Raab told the BBC that the UK was making \"good progress\" in ensuring every adult was offered a vaccine by September and \"if it can be done more swiftly, that's a bonus\".\n\nMore people have now been vaccinated than have had positive tests since the pandemic began, with 10 more mass vaccination sites due to open in England on Monday.\n\nSir Simon said hospitals and staff were under \"extreme pressure\", however. Asked if the NHS has ever been in a more precarious situation, he said \"no\", adding that the pandemic was a \"unique event\" in its 72-year history.\n\nSomeone was being admitted to hospital with coronavirus every 30 seconds, Sir Simon said, and since Christmas patient numbers had risen by 15,000 - the equivalent of 30 full hospitals.\n\nIt means there are 75% more Covid-19 patients in hospital than there were in the April peak, the NHS chief executive said.\n\nAlthough there were promising signs infection rates were falling, he said they were still too high and rising in some areas and age groups, including the over-60s.\n\nHe said the number of critical care beds had been increased by 50% since the first wave of the pandemic but a \"very small number\" of patients were still having to be transferred between regions when hospitals were full.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The foreign secretary said there would be increased UK border checks next week\n\nAsked about the ratio of nurses to patients in London intensive care units, Sir Simon said there were sometimes three patients for every nurse rather than the one-to-one ratio normally expected. But patients were receiving the \"highest quality care possible\".\n\nAbout 53,000 NHS staff are currently off work due to the virus, he added.\n\nSir Simon said the health service would only be able to maintain the vaccination rate and \"hold the line if people continue to do the right thing and prevent the transmission of coronavirus\".\n\nVaccinating priority groups by the spring would not mean that \"with one bound we are free\" of coronavirus restrictions, he said. But he added: \"I don't think we will have to wait until the autumn.\"\n\nHe said he suspected that there would be enough supply of the vaccine - \"the crucial thing\" - to begin lifting restrictions before then.\n\nSir Simon also warned that although starting with the most vulnerable groups reduced the risk of deaths, a quarter of hospital patients with the virus were currently under 55 - and therefore not a priority unless they have a medical condition that puts them at additional risk.\n\nAsked about suggestions that some vaccination centres were having to throw away leftover doses, he said: \"The guidance from the chief medical officer is crystal clear: every last drop of vaccine should be used.\"\n\nMany centres were finding they were able to get six doses out of a five-dose vial, and Sir Simon said they should keep a reserve list of staff and high-risk patients who could be contacted to receive a vaccination at short notice.\n\nDr Rosie Shire from the Doctors' Association UK told the BBC that as well as sometimes getting six doses out of the five-dose Pfizer vials, they had also got 11 or 12 doses out of 10-dose AstraZeneca vials.\n\nBut she said the uncertain dose count made it harder to know how many last-minute appointments to book in order to use up the supply.\n\nMr Raab said that he was not aware of any delays to supplies from manufacturers Pfizer and AstraZeneca and said he was \"confident we have the flexibility\" to deliver enough doses.\n\n\"It is an enormous challenge. We are meeting it,\" he said. \"But we take nothing for granted.\"\n\nThe foreign secretary said the risk that new variants could prove resistant to vaccines or more deadly meant the UK had to take the \"precautionary approach\" of requiring all travellers to quarantine on arrival from Monday, closing the travel corridors which previously been exempt.\n\n\"We don't want to find in two or three weeks time that our vaccine roll out is imperilled because we haven't taken the precautionary measures on travel corridors,\" he said.\n\nChecks by Border Force on the passenger locator forms filled out on arrival would be increased, Mr Raab said, as would the follow-up calls by Public Health England intended to ensure people were isolating for up to 10 days.\n\nAsked whether the UK would introduce quarantine hotels to ensure people maintained their isolation, he said all potential measures were under review but there was a challenge in the \"workability\" of the proposal.\n\nHow have you been affected by the issues relating to coronavirus? Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "Smoke rises from Mount Semeru, the highest volcano on the Indonesian island of Java\n\nIndonesia's Mount Semeru has erupted, pouring ash an estimated 5.6km (3.4 miles) into the sky above Java, the country's most densely populated island.\n\nNo evacuation orders have so far been issued, and no casualties reported.\n\nThe National Disaster Mitigation Agency (NDMA) warned villagers living on the mountain's slopes to be alert for ongoing volcanic activity.\n\nFootage showed ash from the 3,676m (12,060ft) volcano looming over homes.\n\n\"The villages of Sumber Mujur and Curah Koboan [in Lumajang municipality] are located in the trajectory of the hot clouds,\" local official Thoriqul Haq said on Saturday.\n\nResidents of the Curah Kobokan river basin have been urged to watch for possible \"cold lava\" mudflow, which can be triggered by intense rainfall combining with volcanic material.\n\nMount Semeru erupted at about 17:24 local time (10:24 GMT), authorities said.\n\nA picture from the Indonesian National Board for Disaster Management shows ash rolling over the landscape\n\nIndonesia sits on the Pacific \"Ring of Fire\" where tectonic plates collide, causing frequent volcanic activity as well as earthquakes.\n\nSemeru - also known as \"The Great Mountain\" - is the highest volcano in Java and one of the most active. It is also one of Indonesia's most popular tourist hiking destinations.\n\nThe volcano previously erupted in December, when about 550 people were evacuated.", "A non-binding Labour motion calling for the universal credit top-up to be kept in place beyond 31 March passed by 278 votes to none after a Commons debate.\n\nSix Tory MPs defied party orders to abstain and voted with Labour, adding to the pressure on the PM on the issue.\n\nThe prime minister said the government had provided £280bn worth of support during the pandemic but all measures would be kept under \"constant review\".\n\nThe motion, which will not automatically lead to a change in policy, was put forward by Labour as a way to put additional pressure on the government to continue the increase, worth £1,000 a year.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Carl, a roofer, describes going from \"not having enough to barely having enough\" on universal credit.\n\nFormer Work and Pensions Secretary Stephen Crabb was among six Conservative MPs to rebel, along with Peter Aldous, Robert Halfon, Jason McCartney, Anne Marie Morris and Matthew Offord.\n\nAhead of the vote, Mr Crabb told the BBC that although there were \"difficult pressures on the chancellor\" extending the increase for 12 months was \"the right thing to do\".\n\nBBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg said there were dozens of Conservative MPs who were \"deeply uneasy\" about ending the £20 weekly increase to universal credit.\n\nShe added that it was also understood the cabinet minister with responsibility for benefits, Therese Coffey, was arguing that the uplift should not be dropped in April.\n\nCharities and anti-poverty campaigners are pleading with the government to keep the support in place, describing it as a lifeline for more than 5.5 million families who receive the standard universal credit allowance.\n\nFood poverty campaigner and chef Jack Monroe told the BBC that the £20 increase \"has been a lifeline\" for millions of people who have needed to top up their income or rely on universal credit payments in order to get by.\n\nSir Keir said the increase was a vital safety net for those who had lost their jobs, seen their working hours slashed or who were not eligible for the government's wage subsidy furlough scheme.\n\n\"If we don't give a helping hand to families through this pandemic, then we are going to slow our economic recovery as we come out it.\n\n\"We urge Boris Johnson to change course and give families certainty today that their incomes will be protected.\"\n\nSix billion pounds of the benefits bill - the difference between poverty or not for 1.2 million families, according to a think tank.\n\nThe £1,040 a year increase to universal credit is a very emotive issue.\n\nThere's even a battle over what to call it.\n\nTo the government, its introduction was a one-off boost to cope with a crisis. For Labour, taking it away is a cut.\n\nMinisters would prefer we looked at the overall level of support they've provided for workers and businesses during the pandemic. The opposition say the £20 a week boost is a powerful symbol of the state's willingness to help.\n\nEven the act of debating it today is disputed. Labour say they've got the right occasionally to set the agenda in Parliament. Boris Johnson said his MPs risk abuse from campaigners and protestors if they engage.\n\nThe Joseph Rowntree Foundation has suggested about 16 million people will be directly affected if the £20 is rolled back.\n\nIt says 500,000 more people will be driven into poverty, including 200,000 children, while a further 500,000 of those already in poverty will find themselves in even worse hardship.\n\nHowever, free market think tank the Institute for Economic Affairs has argued that \"across-the-board benefit increases are a wasteful use of taxpayers' money\" at a time when the government is borrowing \"a hair-raising amount of money\".\n\nUniversal credit is a single payment replacing old benefits such as housing benefit and child tax credits.\n\nYou can claim universal credit if you are on a low income or are out of work.\n\nThe standard allowance varies from around £340 to just under £600 a month, depending on your age or whether you are single.\n\nYou may be eligible to receive more money on top of the standard allowance if, for example, you have children or a health condition.\n\nSpeaking on behalf of the Northern Research Group, Conservative MP John Stevenson said the £1,000 increase had been \"a real life-saver for people throughout this pandemic\".\n\n\"To end it now would be devastating for the 6 million individuals and families who are already struggling to stay afloat,\" he added.\n\nWhile the vote is not binding, and will not lead to a change in policy, it will increase pressure on the government to keep the increase or come up with an alternative.\n\nLabour said the Conservatives' decision to abstain created \"unnecessary uncertainty\" but minister Nadhim Zahawi described the vote as \"a political stunt\".\n\nThe government says it has strengthened the welfare system with an extra £7bn of funding during the pandemic while families struggling with food and household bills can get help through the £170m Winter Grant Scheme.\n\nMinisters also point to extra support for housing costs, through an increase in local housing allowance for those on housing benefits and hardship payments worth £670m next year for those unable to pay their council tax bills.", "A further 1,295 deaths within 28 days of a positive Covid test have been reported in the UK, the third-highest daily total since the pandemic began.\n\nIt brings the total number of deaths by this measure to 88,590.\n\nThere have also been a further 41,346 lab-confirmed cases, and 4,262 more people have been admitted to hospital.\n\nDr Yvonne Doyle, medical director for Public Health England, said the \"continuous rise in cases and deaths should be a bitter warning for us all\".\n\n\"We must not forget the basics,\" she added. \"The lives of our friends and family depend on it.\n\n\"Keep your distance from others, wash your hands and wear a mask.\"\n\nThe latest figures come ahead of Monday's change in travel rules for the UK, with all travel corridors closing, meaning arrivals from every country will have to quarantine.\n\nPrime Minister Boris Johnson announced the changes at Downing Street on Friday, saying they would \"protect against the risk of as yet unidentified new strains\" of Covid.\n\nWhile daily figures can fluctuate due to delays in reporting, the seven-day average of Covid deaths in the UK has now risen slightly to 1,103.\n\nFor cases, however, there has been a drop in the seven-day average, with the figure now at 48,565.\n\nThere are currently 37,475 people in hospital with the virus, government figures show, while a further 324,233 people have received their first vaccine dose.\n\nThe government has promised all the over-70s, the extremely clinically vulnerable and front-line health and care workers - about 15 million people - will be offered a jab by mid February.\n\nCurrently, just over 3.5 million doses have been administered.\n\nThe government has also announced £120m in funds for the social care sector to be used by local authorities to increase staffing levels.\n\nStaff absence rates have risen in care homes and among home care staff, due to them testing positive or having to self-isolate.\n\nHealth Secretary Matt Hancock said the money would bolster staffing numbers in a \"controlled and safe way, whilst ensuring people continue to receive the highest quality of care\".\n\nA further £149m funding was announced in December to support rapid testing of care home staff.\n\nSpeaking alongside the PM on Friday, England's chief medical officer, Prof Chris Whitty, said the number of patients being admitted to hospital with coronavirus was set to peak within the next 10 days, while the peak for deaths was also yet to come.\n\nHe added, however, that he hoped the peak in infections had already happened in the South East, East and London, where there was a surge in the new, more transmissible variant.\n\n\"The peak of deaths I fear is in the future, the peak of hospitalisations in some parts of the country may be around about now and beginning to come off the very, very top,\" he said.\n\n\"Because people are sticking so well to the guidelines we do think the peaks are coming over the next week to 10 days for most places in terms of new people into hospital.\"\n\nHowever, chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance stressed it was a \"suppressed peak\" that would \"boil over for sure\" if controls were eased.\n\nHe said: \"This is not the natural peak that's going to come down on its own, it's coming down because of the measures that are in place.\n\n\"Take the lid off now and it's going to boil over for sure and we're going to end up with a big problem.\"\n\nMeanwhile, on Saturday, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer suggested he would back further coronavirus measures, as \"the tougher the restrictions now the quicker we get the virus back under control\".\n\nSir Keir said he was \"still worried\" by the number of infections, despite signs they are falling - and that the \"sense that we are through the worst\" of the third wave was wrong.\n\n\"Nobody likes restrictions but the tougher the restrictions now the quicker we get the virus back under control, the quicker we reduce the number of hospital admissions and the quicker we get that number of deaths, tragically, down,\" he added.", "The Archbishop of Glasgow, the Most Reverend Philip Tartaglia, has died suddenly at his home in the city.\n\nArchbishop Tartaglia had tested positive for Covid-19 shortly after Christmas and was self-isolating.\n\nThe Catholic Church said the cause of his death was not yet clear.\n\nHe was ordained a priest in 1975 and had served as leader of Scotland's largest Catholic community since 2012.\n\nA statement from the Archdiocese of Glasgow said: \"It is with the greatest sorrow that we announce the death of our Archbishop.\n\n\"The Pope's Ambassador to Great Britain, Archbishop Claudio Gugerotti, has been informed.\n\n\"It will be for Pope Francis to appoint a new Archbishop to succeed Archbishop Tartaglia, but until then the Archdiocese will be overseen by an administrator.\"\n\nScotland's Catholic bishops described Archbishop Tartaglia as a \"gentle, caring and warm-hearted pastor\".\n\nThey said in a statement: \"His loss to his family, his clergy and the people of the Archdiocese of Glasgow will be immeasurable but for the entire Church in Scotland this is a day of immense loss and sadness.\n\n\"He was a gentle, caring and warm-hearted pastor who combined compassion with a piercing intellect.\n\n\"His contribution to the work of the Bishops' Conference of Scotland over the past 16 years was significant and we will miss his wisdom, wit and robust Catholic spirit very much.\"\n\nArchbishop Tartaglia had been self-isolating at home after contracting coronavirus\n\nThe statement concluded: \"On behalf of the Bishops of Scotland, we commend his soul into the hands of God and pray that he may enjoy eternal rest.\"\n\nArchbishop Tartaglia was a lifelong Celtic fan and the club tweeted their tribute to him: \"We are saddened to hear of the death of Archbishop Philip Tartaglia who was a huge supporter of the club and regularly attended matches at Celtic Park.\n\n\"Everyone at Celtic offers their sincere condolences to Philip's family and Scotland's Catholic community at this sad time.\"\n\nFirst Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the archbishop was \"a fine man who was much loved within the Catholic community and beyond\".\n\nMs Sturgeon tweeted: \"I always valued my interactions with him and he will be greatly missed. My thoughts are with his loved ones and wider community. May he rest in peace.\"\n\nThe leader of the Scottish Conservatives, Douglas Ross, tweeted: \"Tragic news about the sudden passing of Archbishop Philip Tartaglia. My condolences to his friends and family.\n\n\"His death will be keenly felt within the Catholic Church and across the wider community.\"\n\nThe leader of Glasgow City Council described the archbishop as \"a true Glaswegian\" who \"knew its people and the challenges faced by ordinary citizens, regardless of their faith or beliefs\".\n\nCouncillor Susan Aitken added: \"He was also unafraid to use his position to challenge deprivation, austerity and the ill-effects of welfare reform when he believed it was his duty to call them out.\"\n\nArchbishop Tartaglia was born in Glasgow on 11 January 1951 - the eldest son of Guido and Annita Tartaglia.\n\nAfter attending St Thomas' Primary in Riddrie, he began his secondary education at St Mungo's Academy before moving to the national junior seminary at St Vincent's College, Langbank.\n\nHe later attended St Mary's College, at Blairs, Aberdeen, before completing his ecclesiastical studies at the Pontifical Scots College, and the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.\n\nOn returning to Scotland, he was an assistant and then parish priest at Our Lady of Lourdes, Cardonald, St Patrick's, Dumbarton, and St Mary's, Duntocher.\n\nArchbishop Tartaglia was ordained by then Archbishop Thomas Winning in the Church of Our Lady of Good Counsel, Dennistoun, on 30 June 1975.\n\nHe was a leading opponent of proposals to legalise same-sex marriage in Scotland and also criticised ministers over anti-bigotry legislation.\n\nThe Archdiocese of Glasgow is the largest of Scotland's eight dioceses with an estimated Catholic population of about 200,000. It comprises 95 parishes and is served by about 200 priests.\n\nArchbishop Tartaglia was the eighth person to hold the office since the restoration of the Catholic hierarchy in Scotland in 1878.\n\nHe followed Archbishop Mario Conti and Archbishop Thomas Winning, who later became Cardinal Winning.", "The player told police he had travelled from his home in Bedworth to hunt the characters\n\nA man has been fined for breaking lockdown rules after travelling 14 miles to play Pokemon Go.\n\nHe admitted to Warwickshire Police he had driven from his home in Bedworth to look for the characters in Kenilworth.\n\nHe was fined £200 for \"contravening the requirement to not leave or be outside the place they live without a reasonable excuse\".\n\n\"Everyone has a part to play in ensuring they slow the spread of the virus,\" a police spokeswoman said.\n\n\"We would like to remind people they must not leave or be outside their home unless they have a reasonable excuse.\"\n\nPokemon Go is a Japanese augmented reality game for smartphones. First launched in 2016, it allows players to hunt for characters that \"appear\" in real-life places.\n\nIt has been downloaded around the world more than one billion times.", "Hashem Abedi (left) and Ahmed Hassan are due to appear at Bromley Magistrates' Court\n\nThe Manchester Arena and Parsons Green bombers have been charged with assaulting a prison officer together, the BBC has learned.\n\nHashem Abedi, 23, and Ahmed Hassan, 21, are accused of assaulting an officer in HMP Belmarsh, south London, in May last year.\n\nAnother man who is awaiting sentencing for terror offences is also charged with assaulting the same person.\n\nThe three men are due to appear at Bromley Magistrates' Court on 7 April.\n\nAbedi, who was jailed in August for murdering the 22 victims of the May 2017 Manchester Arena attack, is also charged with assaulting a second prison officer during the same incident on 11 May.\n\nHassan, from London, whose Parsons Green tube bomb injured 51 people in September 2017, was jailed for attempted murder the following year.\n\nMuhammed Saeed, 22, from Manchester, is the third person charged. Last year, he admitted possessing terrorist documents.\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Up to 400,000 people could be given the Covid-19 vaccine every week by the end of February, Scottish Health Secretary Jeane Freeman has told MSPs.\n\nHealth teams are ramping up the rollout of jabs, with 1,100 vaccination centres now open and using two vaccines.\n\nMinisters aim to vaccinate care home residents, NHS staff and over-80s by the first week of February.\n\nThey then hope to have completed the over-70 group by mid-February and over-65 and vulnerable groups by March.\n\nThis would see 1.4m people given the jab, and Ms Freeman said the government's \"priority is to vaccinate as many people as quickly as possible\".\n\nHowever, the BMA Scottish GP Committee has warned the vaccine supply is \"stuttering\" and blamed \"bureaucratic hold-ups\" for delaying distribution.\n\nIn a statement at Holyrood, the health secretary said Scotland faces \"a more perilous situation than at any point in this pandemic\", with the new variant of coronavirus \"increasing in its dominance\" of infections north of the border.\n\nHowever Ms Freeman said there was hope in the form of the vaccination programme, which she said was \"scaling up rapidly\".\n\nA first dose of vaccine has now been given to just over 80% of care home residents and 55% of staff, along with 52% of frontline NHS staff.\n\nAnd in the eight days since 4 January, just over 2% of those aged 80 or over in the community have been given a first dose.\n\nMs Freeman said that age was \"the greatest risk factor for serious illness and death from Covid, and represents well over 90% of preventable mortality\".\n\nThe government is prioritising giving a first dose to as many people as possible, which Ms Freeman said provides \"very high protection\", with a second dose of the same vaccine then administered within 12 weeks.\n\nMs Freeman said that by the end of February, an average of 400,000 people should be getting a jab per week.\n\nJeane Freeman said the vaccine programme was \"scaling up rapidly\"\n\nThe government is also working to set up large vaccination centres in the community, which could handle up to 20,000 vaccinations a week in a single location.\n\nSites include the Event Complex conference centre in Aberdeen, Ravenscraig Regional Sports Facility in Motherwell, Queen Margaret University in Musselburgh and the Edinburgh International Conference Centre, and Ms Freeman said work was ongoing to secure more centres in the Glasgow area in particular.\n\nA total of 4.5m adults in Scotland are in line to be vaccinated.\n\nMs Freeman said she was aware that people would \"want to know when it will be their turn\", saying a national advertising campaign would be established to \"inform the public\".\n\nScottish Conservative health spokesman Donald Cameron said it was \"clear not enough people are being vaccinated each day and timetables are slipping\".\n\nHe also asked Ms Freeman whether there were delays to the creation of a national booking system, after speculation that it could hold up the start of mass vaccinations.\n\nThe health secretary said she did not believe it was the case that timetables were slipping, and said there were no delays to the national booking system - adding that it would be \"ready from the beginning of February to do its job\".\n\nMeanwhile Scottish Labour's Monica Lennon asked how quickly the country could move to a 24 hours a day rollout of vaccines.\n\nMs Freeman said this was \"entirely possible\" once the mass vaccination centres are open, saying she \"would anticipate that would be by the end of February or early March\".\n\nShe said: \"The will is there to do that, if that is what it takes, because the objective is to get as many people vaccinated as possible.\"\n\nThe BMA Scottish GP Committee has said practices \"don't know when their next supply is coming in\".\n\nIts chairman, Dr Andrew Buist, told BBC Scotland's Drivetime programme the Scottish government \"must do everything possible to ensure vaccine supply is as good as it can be\".\n\nHe said: \"I've spoken with the chief medical officer about this and emphasised we should remove any bureaucratic hold-up to the distribution of this vaccine.\n\n\"People are obviously very anxious to get it as soon as possible.\n\n\"We know what the priority groups are, we have the practices ready and running to give it to their patients. We just need to get the vaccine to them.\"\n• None All over-80s to be vaccinated by February", "More than six million glasses of pink prosecco were enjoyed by Lidl customers over the festive period as strict Covid rules prompted people to indulge.\n\nThe discount supermarket reported record total sales for the four weeks to 27 December with revenue up 18%.\n\nTakeaway firm Just Eat and online fashion retailer Asos have also reported stellar sales for the period.\n\nAll three benefited as restaurants and non-essential shops faced strict curbs or were forced to close.\n\nDemand was so strong, Lidl said it had shifted 7,000 glasses of mulled wine and almost 17,000 deluxe mince pies every hour in the run up to Christmas.\n\nIt also sold more than 2.7 million servings of panettone, the festive Italian cake.\n\nLidl continued to press ahead with its store expansion programme in the period, opening four new stores in December at a time when many businesses are closing down.\n\nBoss Christian Härtnagel said: \"Despite this Christmas being a difficult time for many across the country, we are pleased to have been able to help our customers enjoy themselves.\n\n\"As we look ahead to this year, we remain committed to our expansion and investment plans,\" he added.\n\nJust Eat said delivery orders in the UK surged 58% in the last three months of 2020 compared with the same period last year.\n\nThe takeaway firm, which operates around the world, said this had been its third consecutive quarter of growth, reflecting the huge demand for takeaway food as restaurants have faced curbs and closures.\n\nBoss Jitse Groen said the firm's progress in the UK was \"particularly exciting\" with demand up nearly five-fold in the fourth quarter of 2020 compared with the same period in 2019.\n\nIts UK sales force has also doubled compared with last year.\n\nIt was a similar story for Asos, whose sales for the four months to 31 December rose 36% to £554.1m, something it credited in part to restrictions on non-essential shops.\n\nThe fashion retailer, which also operates across Europe and the US, said its active customer base was now 24.5 million, up 1.1 million on the same period last year.\n\nRichard Lim, head of analysts Retail Economics, said: \"Lockdowns, fewer opportunities to mix socially and cancelled Christmas parties have decimated the demand for new outfits this year.\n\n\"But what consumers did spend was focused towards casual-wear and channelled online where the retailer was well position to leverage this opportunity.\"", "Boris Johnson has said there is still a very substantial risk of intensive care units in hospitals being overwhelmed by the spread of the coronavirus.\n\nIt comes on a day when the UK has recorded the highest number of deaths in a single day in Europe.\n\nFergal Keane last visited the Imperial Healthcare Trust’s St Mary’s and Charing Cross hospital in London last April.\n\nHe's been back to see how they're coping.", "Plans have been announced to overhaul the mental health system - with the aim of making it less discriminatory towards black people.\n\nMinisters say changes to how people are sectioned in England and Wales will see them treated \"as individuals, with rights, preferences, and expertise\".\n\nBlack people are over four times more likely to be detained under the Mental Health Act, relative to population.\n\nThe mental health charity Mind said the changes \"cannot come soon enough.\"\n\nPeople are detained under the mental health act - or sectioned - for their own safety, or the safety of others.\n\nHow long they are detained for varies - but once detained, they are immediately considered to be \"sectioned\".\n\nUse of the Mental Health Act has increased markedly - from 2005/6 to 2015/16, the number of people detained in hospital increased by 40%.\n\nNHS data for England shows there were at least 50,893 new detentions under the Mental Health Act in 2019/20 - but the overall total will be higher as not all providers submitted data.\n\nOf those detentions, 5,336 people were black or black British.\n\nThe data also shows that in 2019/20 there were 321 detentions per 100,000 population for people who were black or black British - while there were 73 detentions per 100,000 for white people.\n\nWith the act disproportionately used against black people, the reforms will see a Patient and Carers Race Equality Framework introduced across all NHS mental health trusts - which the government describes as a practical tool to improve the outcome for BAME communities.\n\nWhat ministers call \"culturally appropriate advocates\" will also be developed, so patients from all ethnic backgrounds can be supported.\n\n\"We need to bring mental health laws into the 21st Century,\" said Health Secretary Matt Hancock.\n\n\"I want to ensure our health service works for all, yet the Mental Health Act is now 40 years old.\n\n\"This is a significant moment in how we support those with serious mental health issues, which will give people more autonomy over their care and will tackle disparities for all who access services - in particular for people from minority ethnic backgrounds.\"\n\nThe reforms will also ensure that autism or a learning disability cannot be a reason for detaining someone under the act.\n\nIn future, a clinician will have to identify another psychiatric condition to order their detention.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. What is it like to be sectioned?\n\nThe current Mental Health Act dates from 1983 and the aim of these reforms, which are widely supported, is to give people greater say over their care and to rebalance the system between the state and the individual.\n\nAmong the recommendations are plans to introduce statutory advance choice documents which will allow people to express their preferred treatment before they reach a crisis and need hospitalisation.\n\n\"This is just the beginning of what is now a long overdue process,\" said Sophie Corlett, director of external relations at the mental health charity Mind.\n\n\"At the moment, thousands of people are still subjected to poor, sometimes appalling, treatment, and many will live with the consequences far into the future.\n\n\"Our understanding of mental health has moved on significantly in recent decades but our laws are rooted in the 19th Century.\"\n\nThe recommendations, set out in a government White Paper, build on the proposals from an independent review of the act, which was ordered by then prime minister Theresa May in October 2017 and which published its conclusions in December 2018.\n\nMinisters intend to publish a Mental Health Bill in 2022, following a consultation on their plans.", "Amnesty says about 7,500 women and girls gave birth in the Northern Ireland homes,\n\nThere have been calls for an inquiry into mother and baby homes in Northern Ireland.\n\nIt comes as the Irish government is to apologise after an investigation found an \"appalling level of infant mortality\" in the Republic of Ireland's homes.\n\nAbout 9,000 children died in the 18 institutions under investigation.\n\nMothers and babies who were in similar homes in Northern Ireland want a full inquiry to be held in NI too.\n\nStormont commissioned research into whether or not there should an inquiry held into the homes which operated in Northern Ireland, is due to be published by the end of January.\n\nPatrick Corrigan from Amnesty International said the issue of forced adoptions also needs close scrutiny.\n\n\"We have had cases of mothers telling us that ultimately, many decades later, when they tried to track down their long-lost children they found adoption certificates where they said their signature had actually been forged,\" he said.\n\n\"So I think that there is criminality to investigate here and that it behoves the Northern Ireland Executive to set up the inquiry that has long been sought here and long been denied.\"\n\nIn 2017 research into infant mortality rates at former mother and baby homes in Northern Ireland had prompted initial calls for a public inquiry.\n\nBBC News NI previously spoke to Eunan Duffy who was 47 years old when he found out he was adopted from Marianvale mother and baby home in Newry, County Down.\n\nIt was one of a network of institutions in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland which offered women the voluntary option, for those who were unmarried, to give birth in private and give their babies up for adoption\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Marian Vale was one of a network of mother and baby institutions in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland\n\nAmnesty says there were more than a dozen mother-and-baby institutions in Northern Ireland.\n\nIt said about 7,500 women and girls gave birth in the Northern Ireland homes, operated by both Catholic and Protestant churches and religious organisations.\n\nIn Northern Ireland, research into mother and baby homes and Magdalene laundries was commissioned three years ago and was initially expected to take 12 months.\n\nIt was completed in February last year, but was then sent to those facing criticism to give them an opportunity to reply.\n\nA Department of Health spokesperson said: \"A paper will be brought to the executive shortly for its consideration. Subject to executive approval, it is intended to publish the research report before the end of January 2021.\"\n\nIn the Republic of Ireland, the commission that investigated the homes found that the number of children who died was about 15% of all those who were born in the institutions.\n\nTaoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Mícheál Martin said the report, which can be read in full here, described a \"dark, difficult and shameful chapter\" of Irish history.\n\nSolicitor Claire McKeegan, who represents the Birth Mothers for Justice group, welcomed the apology in the Republic of Ireland, but said mothers and children in NI had not received one.\n\n\"The crimes perpetrated on them have yet to be investigated,\" she said.\n\n\"Those perpetrators who forced them into arbitrary detention, hard labour and colluded in the forced adoption of their babies, remain unchallenged in this jurisdiction.\"\n\nMary O'Neill became pregnant when she was 18 and was sent to Marianvale in Newry in the late 1970s.\n\nThere she gave birth to a baby girl who was taken away from her almost immediately after the birth.\n\nShe wanted to keep the baby, but was not allowed and was told the baby would be put up for adoption.\n\nThe mother and baby scandal became an international news story when 'significant human remains' were found on the grounds of a former home in County Galway\n\nMs O'Neill told Good Morning Ulster she eventually tracked down her daughter after 40 years.\n\n\"It was a long search, everywhere you went you were up against a brick wall,\" she said.\n\n\"There was no help, the social workers didn't want to tell you anything.\"\n\nShe finally found out her daughter was living in America but was coming home for her 40th birthday.\n\nShe said when she met her it was like meeting a stranger.\n\n\"But thank God we have met and we have a good relationship. She's still keeping in touch,\" Ms O'Neill said.\n\n\"It means the world to me, because you always wondered where was she? Was she happy? Did she know about you?\n\n\"It was always in the back of your mind. It never went away, the tears and the heartache.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nMs O'Neill said she was happy the victims in the Republic of Ireland were getting an apology, but wishes the homes in Northern Ireland could have been included.\n\nMechelle Dillon's mother was 21 and pregnant when she was sent to Marianvale in Newry in 1969.\n\nShe was placed in foster care a few months after her birth.\n\nHer mother returned to her home village and then moved to England. But she came back for Mechelle when she was around eight or nine-months-old.\n\nShe said she believed she was not adopted because she was born with a cyst on her mouth.\n\n\"I would have maybe been classed as a reject, if you want to put it that way,\" she said.\n\n\"It's the same as if you go to look for a little puppy and if the puppy doesn't feel right and you think 'Oh God, I'll have a lot of vet bills here, I don't want that puppy' - I would have probably been classed the same because I would have had that defect.\"\n\nSDLP leader Colum Eastwood said \"the executive should move quickly to publish the research report and then call a full public inquiry\".", "The numbers of care home residents and staff testing positive for Covid-19 have hit their highest levels.\n\nThere were 1,507 positive tests in care homes in Wales in the most recent week, a 78% rise on the week before.\n\nAcross Wales, 37,026 residents and staff were tested by either the NHS or the Lighthouse laboratories the week beginning 4 January, according to Public Health Wales.\n\nBroken down, 6,466 care home residents were tested in the most recent week and 582 (9%) were positive in results from NHS laboratories.\n\nAlso, 248 care home workers tested positive, with about 96% of tests negative.\n\nBut there were another 677 positive test results from Lighthouse labs, which do not distinguish between residents and care home staff.\n\nAll of these categories saw the highest numbers yet recorded.\n\nResidents and staff are supposed to be tested weekly at care homes in Wales.\n\nCare Home Inspectorate Wales also now publish separate figures around testing , which showed 137 care homes in Wales (13%) had notified one or more positive cases in staff or residents in the most recent week available and 31.8% within the last month.\n\nSwansea had 17 care homes which had notified at least one case in the week ending 1 January; Cardiff had 15 homes with at least one case and Bridgend was next with 13 care homes.", "Decima Minhinnick, pictured at her 90th birthday party, lives in a care home and has vascular dementia\n\nA couple who were fined £60 for driving 20 minutes to see a relative in a care home have had their fine cancelled by police.\n\nCarol and David Richards from Bridgend travelled seven miles to Porthcawl to visit her mother Decima Minhinnick, 94.\n\nOn Tuesday, police defended the fine, claiming the couple had broken lockdown rules.\n\nOn Wednesday, South Wales Police said it had \"since been reviewed and the notice has been rescinded\".\n\n\"The individual concerned has been notified\".\n\nIn a statement, it added: \"Wales remains at alert level four and South Wales Police will continue to patrol our communities to ensure the legislation, which has been enacted to slow the spread of coronavirus, is complied with\".\n\nMrs Richards has said she was \"mortified\" they were stopped by police while returning on Sunday from what she said was a compassionate visit.\n\nShe said on Tuesday she did not believe they breached lockdown rules.\n\nMrs Richards said the couple had arranged the visit to Picton Court Care Home in advance with the permission of staff, and spoke to her mother, who has vascular dementia, through the window of her ground-floor room from the car park.\n\nDavid and Carol Richards complained about the £60 fine\n\nShe told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that when she was issued with the fine it was like \"a sort of dystopian novel\", adding that the officer involved was \"pedantic and inflexible\".\n\n\"I was angry - she just would not listen to any protestations, and so she said 'you're going to be issued with a £60 fixed penalty fine'.\n\n\"It's not about the 60 quid, it's about the principle.\"\n\nThe home is just over seven miles from where the couple live", "Tony Parsons was last seen on 29 September 2017\n\nPolice have discovered human remains during a search for a man who went missing more than three years ago during a charity cycle ride.\n\nTony Parsons, from Tillicoultry, was last seen on 29 September 2017 outside the Bridge of Orchy Hotel.\n\nDetectives said the discovery was made during a detailed search of a remote site close to a farm near the A82 at Bridge of Orchy.\n\nPolice said that Mr Parsons' family have been made aware of the discovery.\n\nEfforts to recover the remains will continue over the coming days before a post mortem is held to establish their identity.\n\nTwo men, both aged 29, were arrested and then released pending further inquiries in December in connection with the disappearance of Mr Parsons.\n\nPolice have been carrying out searches in the area in recent days\n\nDet Ch Insp Alan Somerville said: \"This is clearly a significant development and extensive work is ongoing to recover the remains and confirm their identity.\n\n\"We have informed Mr Parsons' family, who are being supported by specialist officers.\n\n\"The thoughts of everyone involved in the investigation are with them at this difficult time.\"\n\nMr Parsons cycled through Glencoe village and was last seen at the Bridge of Orchy Hotel\n\nThe former navy officer, who was 63 when he went missing, was last seen outside the hotel at about 23:30. He then continued south along the A82 in the direction of Tyndrum but there were no more sightings of him after that.\n\nExtensive searches were carried out in the area, involving local mountain rescue teams, volunteers, Police Scotland dogs and the force's air support unit.\n\nMr Parsons had caught the train to Fort William on the day he was last seen with the intention of cycling the 104-mile (167km) journey home to Tillicoultry.", "Covid vaccinations will be offered 24 hours a day, seven days a week as soon as supply allows, Boris Johnson says.\n\nThe prime minister said the plan was to extend opening hours of vaccination centres - at the moment, most sites run from 08:00 to 22:00.\n\nThe 24-7 service will be piloted in a small number of places first - with NHS staff likely to be offered the option of overnight vaccinations first.\n\nBut Mr Johnson said supply was the limiting factor at the moment.\n\nThe NHS had just over a million doses available last week and used up most of them.\n\nThis week, there are thought to be more but not yet enough to vaccinate two million people - the weekly target the government is aiming to reach in the coming weeks.\n\nAt Prime Minister's Questions, Mr Johnson said there would be 24-7 vaccination \"as soon as possible\".\n\nThe UK has access to two vaccines at the moment - the Pfizer-BioNTech jab and another produced in partnership by Oxford University and AstraZeneca.\n\nA third vaccine made by the US company Moderna has been approved but is not yet available to the UK.\n\nMr Johnson praised the work of the more than 200 hospitals and 1,000 GP-led NHS vaccination sites running at the moment.\n\n\"They are going exceptionally fast,\" he added.\n\nBy the end of Monday, 2.4 million people had received their first vaccine dose.\n\nThe government has promised all the over-70s, the extremely clinically vulnerable and front-line health and care workers - about 15 million people - will be offered a jab by mid February.\n\nThere is actually enough vaccine in the country to vaccinate all the highest at-risk groups.\n\nThe problem is that not all of it has been packaged into vials or passed through the final safety checks.\n\nThere should soon be two million doses available each week for the NHS to use.\n\nBut the key question once that is achieved is how quickly and by how much supply can increase from there.\n\nTo make full use of the network of vaccination centres - the ambition is to have 2,700 up and running - many millions of doses will be needed each week.\n\nThere is huge global demand for these vaccines.\n\nAnd while the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab is made in the UK, the Pfizer-BioNTech one is made abroad as is the Moderna vaccine.\n\nSupplies of the latter are not expected until the spring.\n\nThis is an issue the government is likely to be grappling with for some time.\n\nBut despite the concerns, it should also be recognised the UK has been quick out of the blocks.\n\nOnly two countries have vaccinated a larger proportion of the population than the UK.\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer said it was vital the government moved quickly.\n\nSpeaking about the planned 24-7 vaccination, he said: \"I obviously welcome that and urge the prime minister and the government to get on with this.\"\n\nMeanwhile, Nadhim Zahawi, the minister in charge of the vaccination programme, was also asked about supply, at an appearance before the Science and Technology Committee.\n\nHe said he had a \"clear line of sight\" for the expected numbers that would be available to the NHS for the next few months but refused to give any more detail.\n\n\"The more we show off about how many vaccine batches we're receiving, the more difficult life becomes for the manufacturers,\" he said.\n\nAstraZeneca vice president Sir Mene Pangalos said one of the issues the firm was facing was that infections among staff had begun to hinder production.\n\n\"I feel that it is critical that those who are working on vaccines are immunised because if you have an outbreak at one of the centres, which we've had actually or in one of the groups in Oxford that's working on new variants, or those working on the regulatory files everything stops.\"", "Changes to Scotland's lockdown restrictions have been announced. The tightening of the rules follows concerns the \"stay at home\" message is not having the same impact it did during last year's lockdown. The changes will come into effect on Saturday.\n\nThe availability and operation of click and collect services will be limited to retailers selling essential items such as clothes, footwear, baby equipment, homeware and books. Also, outlets that sell electrical goods; do key cutting; undertake shoe repairs, plus garden centres and plant nurseries can continue the collect service.\n\nFor qualifying businesses, staggered appointments will need to be offered to avoid any potential for queuing, and access inside premises for collection will not be permitted.\n\nCustomers in Scotland will no longer be allowed to go inside to collect takeaway food or coffee. Businesses will have to operate from a serving hatch or doorway.\n\nThe aim is to reduce the risk of customers coming into contact indoors with each other, or with staff.\n\nIt will be against the law in all level four areas of Scotland to drink alcohol outdoors in public.\n\nThis will mean that buying a takeaway pint and consuming on the street will not be permitted.\n\nIt is intended to underline the message that people should only be leaving home for essential purposes.\n\nThe Scottish government is strengthening the obligation on employers to allow their staff to work from home whenever possible.\n\nThe law already says that people should only be leaving home to go to work if it is work that cannot be done from home. This is a legal obligation that falls on individuals.\n\nHowever, statutory guidance is being introduced to make clear that employers should support employees to work from home wherever possible.\n\nThe Scottish government is strengthening provisions in relation to work inside people's houses.\n\nCurrent guidance says that in level four areas work is only permitted within a private dwelling if it is essential for the upkeep, maintenance and functioning of the household. This guidance is now being put into law.\n\nThe final change is an amendment to the regulations requiring people to stay at home.\n\nThis is intended to close an apparent loophole rather than change the spirit of the law. It will also bring the wording of the stay at home regulations in Scotland into line with the other UK nations.\n\nCurrently the law states that people can only leave home for an essential purpose.\n\nThe amendment will make it clear that people \"must not leave or remain outside\" the home unless it is for an essential purpose.\n\nThe Scottish government's full lockdown guidance is available here.", "The Lauberhorn course is the longest downhill run in the world (file image)\n\nA British tourist has been blamed for a spike in coronavirus cases that led officials to cancel Switzerland's famous Lauberhorn ski race.\n\nThe resort of Wengen, where the race is held, had recorded only 10 cases of the virus by mid-December.\n\nBut the number soon began to rise and many cases have since been linked to the new highly infectious variant of Covid-19 first identified in the UK.\n\nAt least 27 cases are connected to one British tourist, contact tracers say.\n\nThe tourist stayed in a hotel in Wengen over the holiday period.\n\nThe Lauberhorn course is the longest downhill run in the world, and racers can reach speeds of 160km/h (100 mph).\n\nOfficials desperately tried to save the race, shutting schools and offering to close off the resort to everyone but the competitors.\n\nSwiss health officials initially agreed with the plan, but a further jump in cases at the start of this week prompted them to pull the emergency brake and cancel the event.\n\nThe Lauberhorn track is 4,480m (14,700ft) long - and the race will now have to wait until 2022\n\nWengen is devastated. The Lauberhorn is one of the top competitions on the World Cup ski circuit. It is dearly loved by the Swiss, who have watched with delight as some of their own homegrown talent, such as Beat Feuz and Carlo Janka, have triumphed there.\n\nMoreover, the long love affair between Switzerland and British winter tourists has frosted over to some extent.\n\nIt was only last month that the vanishing Brits of Verbier, who reportedly fled Switzerland rather than accept the government mandated quarantine, triggered a flurry of negative headlines.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Italy's Foppolo ski resort was closed until 6 January and missed the all-important Christmas ski season\n\nNow the high point of Switzerland's skiing calendar has been abruptly cancelled, and some Swiss blame the British.\n\nOthers say Switzerland only has itself to blame.\n\nWhile neighbours France and Italy closed their resorts over the festive period, the Swiss government opted for a precarious balancing act. It kept its slopes open, but closed all bars and restaurants and limited ski lifts to two-thirds capacity.\n\nMost Swiss resorts are quiet, with just a few locals enjoying the runs. But still some tourists arrived and, as Wengen's experience shows, just one infected guest is enough to cause major damage.\n\nInstead of hosting a major ski race, Wengen officials are now racing to control the virus. Mass testing has already begun in the resort.\n\nSwitzerland's government has extended the closure of bars, restaurants, museums, and theatres until the end of February in a bid to control the new variant. It has also ordered non-essential shops to close and made working from home obligatory.\n\nAs for the Lauberhorn, Switzerland's oldest and fiercest skiing rival, Austria, will now host the postponed event. Nothing could have been calculated to upset the Swiss more.\n\nThe event was first moved to the Austrian ski resort of Kitzbühel, but an outbreak of coronavirus there has prompted another move, this time to Flachau, 100km to the east.\n\nThe cluster of cases in Jochberg near Kitzbühel broke out among a group of mainly British trainee ski instructors.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nI'm standing in what should be an operating theatre - but instead it's been converted into an intensive care unit for Covid-19 patients on ventilators.\n\nThis is the first time I have seen it full of patients like this. Normally this theatre would be busy with major cancer surgery, but that's been transferred to another building.\n\nA children's recovery area, still decorated with colourful stickers of cartoons, is once again filled with desperately sick adults. Every day, more wards are being transformed into ICU - ready for the next influx of patients.\n\nWe have been given access to University College Hospital, in central London. This is the same intensive care unit that I first visited in April, during the first peak.\n\nIt is one of the busiest hospitals in the capital and intensive care here is expanding across a hospital that is under pressure like never before, from a relentless rise in Covid admissions.\n\nI am struck by the toll the pandemic is taking on staff. It's immense - both physically and mentally. They are shell-shocked. \"My emotions are all over the place. Scared, sad, petrified, worried,\" one ICU nurse tells me.\n\nI asked one of the consultants who I've met several times in the last year, Dr Jim Down, how long they can keep going like this - and the answer was stark. \"At this rate, about a week. After that we really need to see it slow down or we're going to see the care we can deliver suffering.\"\n\nThey have got three times as many critically ill patients in the hospital as normal. The number of Covid admissions to London hospitals has doubled in just two weeks - they're more stretched now than at the peak last April. Senior staff are worried.\n\nDr Alice Carter compares it to an elastic band that is close to snapping. \"It gets to a point where you stretch so far it never returns back to its baseline. I think that's probably where we are now. It's not going to take much more for that elastic band to break, and that's the real fear for us at the moment.\"\n\nDr Alice Carter: 'It's not going to take much more for that elastic band to break'\n\nThat could have very serious consequences, she adds. \"If we get to that point, we can't offer anyone ICU, not just Covid patients, but anyone who has a traffic accident or a heart attack or a stroke - whatever it is, to take them in.\"\n\nFor 38-year-old Rachel Arfin, one of the three pregnant women in intensive care with Covid-19, treatment is more complicated. Her baby is due in five weeks and the staff have to monitor them both.\n\n\"They can't do anything that will harm the baby,\" she says. \"All the time [they are] checking, monitoring the baby.\" She is reassured by the \"beautiful sound\" of her baby's heartbeat.\n\n\"They are looking after two people in one. They're saving lives,\" says Rachel. But her children - she has seven - keep asking when she's coming home.\n\nRachel Arfin's baby is due in five weeks - both are doing well\n\nI've reported from here several times during the pandemic and am always struck by the professionalism and dedication of staff. It's always quiet and calm, but that belies what's actually happening. This is a system under strain like never before.\n\nThe warning signs are clear, the NHS is on the brink. Unless infection rates fall, soon it will have a serious impact. The pressure on staff is unrelenting. I saw two nurses in tears.\n\nCompared to when I visited in April, it's a lot busier. In some ways, it's more structured - they now know what they're dealing with. They've got new treatments, such as the drug dexamethasone, which they didn't have last time. And many of the staff have now had the first dose of the vaccine.\n\nBut other aspects don't get any easier, such as the emotional burden of breaking bad news over a telephone or video call. It is very different to being able to hold someone's hand.\n\nStaff say they don't know which patients to help first\n\nICU staff have incredibly high standards. They're used to doing everything meticulously and perfectly. And they're doing all they can. But sometimes they go home and feel guilty that they can't do more. The impact on nurses - the bedrock of care in intensive care - is visible.\n\nThe highly specialised staff are usually one-to-one with patients. Deputy sister Ashleigh Shillingford is looking after three or four ventilated patients at a time, with one other junior member of staff. It's emotional and often devastating work.\n\n\"We are so stretched we have to prioritise and prioritising care is not the NHS that I grew up in - we shouldn't have to choose which patient gets what care first.\" She says she's never had to make decisions like these before.\n\n\"You just don't know who to help first. The patients are losing their lives at a dramatic speed, we're not just getting old people,\" she says, \"these are young people that we're getting.\"\n\nGerald Williams, 58, is awaiting chemotherapy for lung cancer and had been shielding, but he still caught coronavirus. \"All of a sudden, out of the blue, Covid came knocking on my door and it's frightening - you don't know how you're getting your next breath,\" he says.\n\nGerald Williams had been shielding but he still caught coronavirus\n\nHe wants to get home to his daughters, the youngest of whom is 13. And he's annoyed at those who don't take it seriously. \"People are moaning and groaning. Even in A&E. They need to get a life. Don't be idiots, forget about meeting your mate, stay home. No-one is invulnerable.\"\n\nFor now the Trust is coping better than many others in London and is still taking Covid patients from other hospitals. But the next few weeks could be the biggest challenge the NHS has ever faced - and it will be its doctors and nurses who will bear the brunt for all of us.\n\nAs the BBC's medical editor, Fergus Walsh has been reporting on the Covid-19 pandemic and its immense impact on the UK.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Matt Hancock: 'Together we can make this the peak'\n\n\"We can make this the peak\" of the coronavirus pandemic \"if enough people follow the rules\", Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said.\n\nHe told BBC Breakfast it was \"those individual decisions\" that determine the virus's spread and it \"comes down to the behaviour of everyone\".\n\nPeople \"shouldn't take the mickey out of the rules,\" he said.\n\nUnder the national lockdown, people in England must stay at home and only go out for limited reasons.\n\nThis includes for food shopping, exercise, or work if they cannot do so from home. Similar measures are in place across much of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.\n\nLatest figures show there are now more than 35,000 people in hospital with Covid - an increase on the spring peak.\n\nIt comes as Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to be questioned by MPs on the vaccine rollout later.\n\nMeanwhile, Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is also due to announce whether there will be any changes to lockdown restrictions later. Ministers have been discussing the possibility of tightening the current restrictions.\n\nWhen asked on BBC Breakfast if this was the peak of this wave of the pandemic, Mr Hancock replied: \"I want it to be, but that comes down to the behaviour of everyone.\n\n\"Together we can make this the peak if enough people follow the rules which are incredibly clear.\"\n\nMr Hancock said England's lockdown measures were \"always under review\", but he would be \"very reluctant\" to remove the rule of meeting one other person outside for exercise as \"it is a lifeline\" for some people, including those who live alone. Mr Hancock has already ruled out scrapping support bubbles.\n\n\"What I'd rather is that everybody follow that rule and doesn't stretch it or flex it,\" he said.\n\nOn the news that patients at a hospital in London are to be discharged early and sent to a hotel to help free up beds for critically ill coronavirus patients, Mr Hancock said moving patients to hotels \"isn't something we are actively putting in place\".\n\nKing's College Hospital said it would help to create space for the \"high numbers\" of new admissions and would \"temporarily accommodate mainly homeless patients who are ready to safely leave hospital and will benefit from further support from community partners\".\n\nThere are very early signs that infections may have peaked - although as always we should be careful about reading too much into a few days' worth of data.\n\nThe past two days have seen newly diagnosed cases hover around the 46,000-mark. Up to the weekend, the average was close to 60,000.\n\nThe drop has largely been driven by falls in new cases in London, the South East and East of England.\n\nThe national picture does mask some regional differences. Cases are rising in the North West, which is causing particular concern.\n\nIt is too early for the vaccination programme to be having any significant impact so a combination of the national lockdown on top of the tier four restrictions that were imposed in some areas before Christmas look like they may be beginning to have an impact.\n\nThere is also some evidence the new variant may not be quite as fast-spreading as first feared - a Public Health England study suggested rather than being 70% more transmissible it may actually be somewhere between 30% to 50%.\n\nAnd, if it does represent the start of a continuous fall, it is important to remember it will still take some time to translate into fewer hospital cases - people being admitted at the moment are those who would have caught the virus a week or two ago.\n\nBut after six weeks of pretty sustained rises, it is at least an encouraging sign.\n\nAsked about images of elite footballers celebrating goals with hugs, Mr Hancock said: \"I think elite sport is important because these are tough times, and being able to watch the football on the telly is really important because there's loads of things that you can't do.\"\n\nHe said the Premier League has \"special arrangements to ensure that players are safe\" as well as a testing regime.\n\nThe health secretary told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the rollout of the coronavirus vaccine will accelerate over the coming weeks, saying they were \"on track\" to deliver it to 14 million people by mid-February.\n\nVaccines deployment minister Nadhim Zahawi later told the Commons' science and technology committee that he was \"confident\" of achieving this target.\n\nMore than 2.4 million people have now had a first dose of a coronavirus vaccine, while 412,167 people have had a second dose. Mr Hancock said 40% of the 3.4m people over 80 in England had been vaccinated so far.\n\n\"We have the capacity to get that vaccine out. The challenge is that we need to get the vaccine in,\" Mr Hancock said.\n\n\"What I know is that the supply will increase over the next few weeks and that means the very rapid rate that we are going at at the moment will continue to accelerate over the next couple of weeks.\"\n\nOn Tuesday, NHS Providers chief executive Chris Hopson said it was \"pretty clear\" that because of the new strain the Covid-19 infection rate was not going to go down as quickly as it did during the first wave.\n\n\"It now looks like the peak for NHS demand may actually be in February,\" he said.", "Morrisons will become the first UK supermarket to pay at least £10 an hour from April.\n\nIt will increase its minimum pay for up to 96,000 workers from £9.20.\n\nRetail trade union Usdaw negotiated the £10 per hour basic rate which is 50p an hour above the voluntary Living Wage Foundation rate.\n\nHowever, other big supermarkets appear unlikely to follow any time soon, with Asda saying that just looking at hourly rates does not tell the full story.\n\nMorrisons said for the majority of its workers the pay increase will be approximately 9%.\n\nPart of the increase will result from changing the company's annual bonus scheme from a discretionary yearly payment into a guaranteed amount in workers' hourly rates.\n\nIt will boost the weekly pay of someone working 36.75 hours a week from £330.10 to £367.50.\n\nUnion members still need to approve the deal. The result will be announced on 12 February and, if accepted, the new rates will be paid from 5 April 2021.\n\n\"The new consolidated hourly rate is now the leading rate of the major supermarkets,\" said Joanne McGuinness, Usdaw national officer after the Morrisons announcement.\n\n\"It's been a tough time for food retail staff who have worked throughout the pandemic in difficult circumstances,\" said Ms McGuinness.\n\n\"They provide the essential service of keeping the nation fed and deserve our support, respect and appreciation. Most of all they deserve decent pay and this offer is a welcome boost.\"\n\nIn addition to the hourly pay increase, Morrisons will pay a higher London weighting.\n\nRates for inner London will be 85p and for outer London 60p per hour, up from 75p in inner London and 50p in outer London.\n\nDavid Potts, Morrisons chief executive said: \"It's a symbolic and important milestone that represents another step in rewarding the incredibly important work that our colleagues do up and down the country.\"\n\nMorrisons' move propels it to the top of the supermarket pay league, leapfrogging Aldi and Lidl. Will other big rivals follow suit?\n\nSupermarket staff have become frontline heroes in this pandemic and there's a new-found respect for the vital work they do in keeping us fed day-in day-out.\n\nMany consumers may welcome the idea of higher rewards for those staff.\n\nBut supermarkets have already taken on a lot of extra costs in ramping up their operations as well as recruiting thousands of extra staff.\n\nAnd there are no shortage of workers looking for jobs right now, which could keep a lid on pay.\n\nLidl has already announced plans to increase its hourly wage for staff from March, increasing the rate for 20,000 workers from £9.30 to £9.50.\n\nWithin London's M25 motorway boundary the rate has increased from £10.75 to £10.85 an hour.\n\n\"It is only right that we increase the income for our colleagues who are the backbone of our business.,\" said chief executive Christian Härtnagel.\n\n\"This is about recognising their hard work and dedication in keeping the nation fed during a year like no other.\n\nAsda, which pays £9.18 outside London and either £9.76 or £10.31 inside the capital, pointed out that it pays above National Living Wage rules and never employs on 'zero hours' contracts.\n\nAn Asda statement said: \"On top of a competitive wage structure, Asda colleagues also receive a host of benefits which contribute to their yearly earnings, these including colleague discount in our stores and online, special discounts for shops and a yearly performance-based bonus.\n\n\"So simply looking at the hourly rate doesn't tell the full story.\"\n\nSainsbury's basic hourly pay is £9.30, and a statement to the BBC made no mention of any immediate intention to raise the rate.\n\nA spokesperson said, \"Our colleagues do a brilliant job and we are so proud of how they continue to go above and beyond for our customers.\n\n\"We have made two thank you payments to frontline workers in recognition of this in the last year and regularly review colleague pay to make sure we offer leading rates.\"\n\nA Waitrose spokesperson said: \"Our hourly minimum starting pay across the UK for non-management Partners in Waitrose is currently £9.10 following a short induction period, with scope for higher pay according to performance.\n\n\"We review Partner pay annually each April and will do so again this year.\"\n\nM&S said their minimum pay for workers is £9.00 an hour, but pointed out that those that worked during the pandemic last April and May were handed a 15% pay reward on top of the rate.\n\nLatest available data suggests Aldi currently pays £9.40 an hour, Tesco £9.30 and Co-op £9.", "As Scotland's hospitals fill with Covid patients and the daily-registered death toll passes 5,000, there are concerns the \"stay at home\" message has not had the same impact it did during last year's lockdown.\n\nSome of the restrictions announced by Nicola Sturgeon in early January have now been tightened even further.\n\nHow do Scotland's current lockdown rules compare to those imposed last March?\n\nLast March outdoor exercise was allowed only if people were alone or with someone from the same household. It was initially limited to once a day, before this restriction was eased in May 2020.\n\nAll exercise had to be done close to home. No mixing with other households or other any outdoor relaxation was allowed.\n\nNow up to two people from separate households can meet for outdoor sport or exercise. Children under 12 years old do not count towards this number.\n\nThere is no limit on how many times you can go out to exercise each day, but you should still stay close to home and avoid crowded areas.\n\nProf Jason Leitch, Scotland's clinical director, says police enforcement is used as \"last resort\" against people who break the rules.\n\nThese rules are not expected to change in Scotland. However, the UK government has warned that exercise restrictions may be tightened after \"large groups\" have flouted their own two-person rule.\n\nLast March non-essential shops were ordered to shut along with cafes, bars, restaurants and cinemas. Supermarkets and pharmacies were among premises which could stay open.\n\nIn July a new law made it compulsory to wear a face covering in shops across Scotland.\n\nAll pubs, restaurants and cafes must remain closed in Scotland's level four areas - although they can still serve takeaway food. The definition of \"essential retail\" has also been narrowed, forcing homeware shops and garden centres to close once again.\n\nRules on click and collect will be tightened from 16 January. The service will be limited to retailers selling essential items and access inside premises for collection will not be allowed.\n\nTakeaway customers will also no longer be allowed inside premises for pick-up from 16 January. Businesses will have to operate from a serving hatch or doorway.\n\nSchools and nurseries were closed last March, with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon saying there were too many absent staff to continue.\n\nMany teachers prepared homeworking packs and some online learning. Parents and pupils had to get used to home schooling.\n\nChildren of essential workers and vulnerable pupils were looked after by staff in childcare hubs.\n\nSchools began the January 2021 term largely via online and remote learning.\n\nAs before, only children of key workers and vulnerable children are allowed in classrooms - but this time there is more focus on learning than simply child care.\n\nThe number of pupils attending school is much higher than last year.\n\nProf Leitch suggests this may be because Scotland has \"too much open\" in the rest of society with working adults in greater need of childcare. He said a \"sweet spot\" needs to be found to keep children and adults safe.\n\nThe Scottish government hopes pupils can return to the classroom in February, but this plan is to be kept under review.\n\nSee where coronavirus case rates have been rising in Scotland with this interactive map.\n\nPeople were told to stay at home except for essential shopping for food or medicine, going out for their daily exercise, or to care for the vulnerable.\n\nEmployers were asked to make provisions for staff to work from home. Wearing of face coverings on public transport was not initially required, but became mandatory in Scotland in June.\n\nIt is a legal requirement not to leave home for anything other than essential purposes. A \"reasonable excuse\" can include essential shopping, exercise or caring responsibilities.\n\nPeople should only go out to work if it absolutely cannot be done from home. It is illegal to travel between Scotland and other parts of the UK unless the journey is essential.\n\nThere are no expectations of enhanced travel restrictions, as the rules are already \"pretty tight\" says Prof Leitch.\n\n\"We have a stay at home law, it is illegal to fly overseas, it is illegal to travel, it is illegal to leave your home without a reason to do so,\" he added.\n\nThe latest contact tracing figures from Public Health Scotland show that since November, shops have accounted for 19% of the places visited by people the week before their positive test.\n\nWhile these figures don't tell us whether people contracted the virus in a specific location, they do suggest the most likely sources.\n\nThe number of cases traced to shopping-related locations increased by 83% between 27 December and 3 January.\n\nOther large increases were seen when:\n\nIn March \"essential\" was the key word for all employers. Businesses were told they could only stay open if what they do was \"essential\" to the effort of tackling Covid or the wellbeing of society.\n\nNicola Sturgeon said building sites should close unless they involved work on an \"essential building\" such as a hospital. Visits from tradespeople were allowed only for \"essential repairs\".\n\nOutdoor workplaces, construction, manufacturing, veterinary services and film and TV production can remain open. Employers have been told to plan for the minimum number of people needed on site to operate safely and effectively.\n\nHome visits by tradespeople are still allowed for essential maintenance. This guidance is being put into law from 16 January.\n\nProf Leitch says the Scottish government continues to examine rules around what constitutes essential and non-essential construction.", "A deal has been agreed for the sale of the Edinburgh Woollen Mill, Ponden Home and Bonmarché chains, which were on the brink of closure.\n\nThe businesses went into administration last year after a collapse in sales due to the pandemic.\n\nAlmost 2,000 staff will be kept on but as many as 260 stores could close.\n\nThe buyers are a consortium of international investors who will inject fresh funds into the business, led by the existing management team.\n\nEdinburgh Woollen Mill, which sells mid-price knitwear and other clothing to older shoppers, is part of a stable of retail brands owned by billionaire businessman, Philip Day.\n\nIt is understood that Mr Day will effectively lend the group the money to buy the businesses which will be paid back over a number of years.\n\nThe deal also covers two other brands in the group, value retailer Bonmarché, and Ponden Home, an interiors chain based in the south east of England.\n\nThe new owners plan to operate 246 stores across both the Edinburgh Woollen Mill and Ponden Home brands, retaining 1,453 staff in those stores, the head office and distribution centres in Carlisle.\n\nHowever, 85 Edinburgh Woollen Mill stores and 34 Ponden Home stores have been closed permanently, with the loss of 485 jobs.\n\nWakefield-based Bonmarché will retain 72 of its stores and 531 staff including head office and distribution centre staff.\n\nThe majority of its stores, 148 outlets, remain under review with staff on furlough.\n\nAdministrators representing Edinburgh Woollen Mill and Ponden Home said the deal represented the best chance to save stores and jobs, given the difficult outlook for UK retail.\n\n\"We regret that not all of Edinburgh Woollen Mill and Ponden Home could be rescued,\" said Tony Wright, partner at FRP. \"This has resulted in a significant number of redundancies at a particularly challenging time of year and period of economic uncertainty.\"\n\nRetail has been particularly hard hit by measures to curb the spread of Covid-19. Even when shops have been open many shoppers stayed away, wary of the health risks.\n\nThe British Retail Consortium said consumers bought 5% less last year than the year before (not including food). Much of that custom switched from the High Street to online, making it harder for chains whose customers usually shop in person. Physical stores saw sales drop by a quarter, the BRC said.\n\nOther major brands including Topshop-owner Arcadia and Debenhams have also gone into administration, costing hundreds of jobs.\n\n\"Lockdowns have proved hugely damaging for mid-range fashion chains like Edinburgh Woollen Mill and Bonmarché whose traditional customer base has not adapted so quickly to online shopping as younger shoppers,\" said Susannah Streeter, analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown.\n\n\"The backers of this rescue deal clearly believe there is pent-up demand amongst core customers which will be released once the doors are flung open once more,\" she added.\n\nOn Monday, Marks & Spencer announced it was buying Jaeger, another brand that had belonged to Philip Day's portfolio.\n\nPeacocks, another High Street fashion brand in the EWM group remains in administration.", "Sally told the BBC she is still waiting for her P45 despite handing in her notice in November\n\nHairdresser Sally had a surprise when she looked at her tax record with HM Revenue and Customs: \"It said I'd still been getting furlough pay from a job I left in November.\"\n\nShe told BBC Radio 5 Live's Wake up to Money: \"That was a revelation - none of it had landed in my bank account.\"\n\nHers is among more than 21,000 reports of suspected furlough fraud currently being handled by HMRC.\n\nThe money is either due to fraudulent claims, or is being paid out in error.\n\nThe Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, commonly called the furlough scheme was launched in March 2020, at the start of the coronavirus crisis, to minimise unemployment. Under the scheme, the government pays 80% of employees' wages up to £2,500 a month.\n\nThe number of tip offs to the taxman has spiralled since last April, from 3,000 to 21,378 reports of suspect payments by early January.\n\nSally's former employer told the BBC she did not know Sally had resigned\n\nAt the peak of its use in early May, the scheme was supporting 8.9 million jobs.\n\nIt was extended in January until the end of April 2021 and now also applies to those who are unable to work due to caring responsibilities, or because they are clinically extremely vulnerable.\n\nThe scheme has been widely supported for its role in supporting employers and jobs during the pandemic, but it has been found to be open to abuse.\n\nTax lawyer Anita Clifford said at the 'extreme end' of furlough fraud were 'dormant companies being resurrected' and 'fake employees'\n\nSally believes her former employer broke the rules after she resigned from the salon last year.\n\nShe told the BBC she sent her resignation letter and returned her uniform to her employer in the post in November, but \"heard nothing back\". A client later contacted her asking if she was OK, as they had heard she was off work, \"sick\".\n\nSally started to get her paperwork together to register as self-employed but when she opened her online HMRC account, she noticed she was registered as receiving payments equivalent to those she was getting while on furlough - although the money was not reaching her account.\n\nShe left it a couple of weeks in case her resignation was taking a few weeks to be processed.\n\nTo date, Sally has still has not received a P45, and says she is still registered as being paid through the furlough scheme.\n\nHMRC has called on anyone concerned about suspected abuse of the team to get in touch with the department\n\n\"In the middle of the pandemic, where people are losing homes because they can't get any help, I think it's quite sickening,\" she said.\n\n\"It's wrong, and it makes a mockery of all those people who are suffering.\"\n\nThe BBC contacted Sally's former employer, who has denied the claims, saying she did not know that Sally had resigned, and had struggled to get in touch with her.\n\nTax barrister, Anita Clifford, from the firm Bright Line Law, said Sally's experience was \"a classic example\".\n\n\"Whether it's a mistake, or whether some actors are doing it deliberately, continuing furlough payments for former employees is a classic way of defrauding the system.\"\n\nHMRC has previously stressed that some employers may accidentally be committing furlough fraud.\n\nMs Clifford told the BBC that she was seeing businesses coming forward, \"worried about the mistakes that they've made\".\n\nBut she added examples of furlough fraud could be more extreme, where some businesses \"are seeking to claim money for completely fake employees\".\n\n\"In time to come, we'll certainly see enforcement activity, and people very worried about being on the receiving end of a criminal prosecution for some of these things.\n\n\"Certainly where you have dormant companies being resurrected, in order to claim money from the furlough scheme, you have fake employees... businesses being quite unscrupulous, you're not using the funds to pay salaries, I think those are the businesses you'll eventually see being looked at very seriously for criminal prosecution,\" she said.\n\nHMRC told the BBC: \"The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme is part of the collective national effort to protect jobs. This is taxpayers' money and fraudulent claims limit our ability to support people and deprive public services of essential funding.\"\n\nNames have been changed to protect identities\n• None What happens when furlough ends?\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "The Archbishop of Glasgow, Philip Tartaglia, has died suddenly at his home in Glasgow.\n\nA spokeswoman for the Catholic Church said that Archbishop Tartaglia had tested positive for Covid-19 shortly after Christmas and was self-isolating at home.\n\nThe cause of death is not yet clear.\n\nArchbishop Tartaglia, who was 70, was ordained a priest in 1975 and served as Archbishop of Glasgow since 2012.\n\nThe spokeswoman said it would be for Pope Francis to appoint a new archbishop, but until then the Archdiocese will be overseen by an administrator.", "Senior Conservatives have called for a \"reset\" in UK policy towards China, including sanctions against officials responsible for human rights abuses.\n\nThe Conservative Human Rights Commission demanded a rethink in relations after hearing evidence of abuses from torture to slavery.\n\nIt urged the UK to work with allies to respond to China's behaviour.\n\nForeign Secretary Dominic Raab has said the UK plays a \"leading role\" in highlighting abuses.\n\nThe Commission made the recommendations in a new report endorsed by two former Conservative foreign secretaries, Lord Hague and Sir Malcolm Rifkind.\n\nIt adds to growing internal pressure on the government from Conservative circles to harden its line on China.\n\nThe Commission says it has heard first-hand evidence of human rights violations in China from dissidents, lawyers, and human rights campaigners.\n\nThis included violations of media freedom, clampdowns on Uighur Muslims, modern day slavery, and the establishment of an \"Orwellian surveillance state,\" it added.\n\nThe group said this showed the need for a \"comprehensive review\" of China policy across UK government departments.\n\nIt also called for the UK to diversify its supply chains to reduce \"strategic dependency\" on China and further efforts to highlight rights issues at the United Nations.\n\nMr Raab announced fines on Tuesday for UK firms doing business in China if they cannot show that their products aren't linked to forced labour in the country's Xinjiang region.\n\nIn December, the BBC revealed new evidence that China is forcing hundreds of thousands of Uighurs and other minorities into hard, manual labour in the cotton fields of Xinjiang.\n\nMPs and peers are separately pushing for new laws to block trade deals with countries found guilty of genocide, something which for now the government is resisting.\n\nMr Raab told MPs the idea was \"well-meaning\" but it would be wrong to \"sub-contract\" the issue of when to break off trade talks to the courts.\n\nThe Conservative Human Rights Commission, established in 2005, aims to highlight human rights concerns and keep the issue high on the party's agenda.", "David (right) and Frederick Barclay receiving their knighthoods in 2000\n\nSir David Barclay, the co-owner of the Daily Telegraph newspaper, has died at the age of 86.\n\nSir David, together with his twin brother Sir Frederick, built up a business empire spanning hotels, retail and media.\n\nHis death was announced in the Telegraph, which reported that he died on Sunday after a short illness.\n\nPrime Minister Boris Johnson, a former columnist for the paper, paid tribute to Sir David.\n\n\"Farewell with respect and admiration to Sir David Barclay who rescued a great newspaper, created many thousands of jobs across the UK and who believed passionately in the independence of this country and what it could achieve,\" he tweeted.\n\nThe Barclay brothers, who had an estimated wealth of £7bn according to the 2020 Sunday Times Rich List, were known for being media shy and rarely gave interviews.\n\nBorn in Hammersmith, west London, in 1934, Sir David was profoundly shaped by his childhood memories of war, and the death of his father when he was 12.\n\nHe and his twin Frederick - who was 10 minutes younger - started out as painters and decorators, before moving into property and eventually hotels.\n\nTheir success in property and hotels helped them take over Ellerman Lines, a shipping business with interests in brewing, in 1983.\n\nThis provided a launch pad from which they would become billionaires.\n\nAt various times, their hotel portfolio has included a number of trophy assets, including the Ritz Hotel in London, which they sold in March last year.\n\nIn 2012, the BBC’s Panorama reported that the Ritz had not paid any corporation tax since it had been taken over by the Barclays in 1995.\n\nAt the time, Sir David said they had “acted in a responsible way with regard to taxation and have never been involved in any tax avoidance scheme.”\n\nIn 2015, the twins sold off the hospitality group Maybourne, which included luxury hotels like Claridges.\n\nThe brothers first ventured into media ownership with their 1992 purchase of The European, a pan-European newspaper that shut down in 1998.\n\nThey also bought The Scotsman in 1995 and Sunday Business in 1997.\n\n“After these ventures in the publishing arena, the brothers had nurtured since the 1980s an ambition to own the Telegraph group,” The Telegraph said.\n\nThey acquired the Telegraph Group in 2004 for £665m from Canadian media magnate Conrad Black's Hollinger group.\n\nThe brothers also had a number of forays into retail, including Shop Direct, fashion retailer Very and delivery firm Yodel.\n\nThe pair were knighted in 2000 for services to charity. By this point their foundation was thought to have donated about £40m to charity and medical research.\n\nThe notoriously private twins' relationship was the subject of an extraordinary legal case last year, in which Sir David's three sons were accused by his brother of bugging conversations at the Ritz Hotel, which they previously owned.\n\nIn its obituary the Telegraph said Sir David had been a voracious reader, obsessed with newspapers, business, economics and politics, and had always said he had been educated at the \"university of life\".", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Covid in Scotland: Lockdown likely to extend to February\n\nScotland's first minister has said the country's current lockdown is \"very unlikely\" to be lifted at the end of the month.\n\nNicola Sturgeon was speaking as she confirmed that more than 5,000 people have now died after testing positive for the virus.\n\nA review of the current restrictions is due to be carried out at the end of January.\n\nMs Sturgeon said it was possible that there would be no easing at that point.\n\nA further 54 deaths have been recorded in the past 24 hours - bringing the total by that measure to 5,023.\n\nBut the most recent figures from the National Records of Scotland - which record all deaths registered in Scotland where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate - put the total at 6,686.\n\nMs Sturgeon told her daily briefing that the figures were a reminder of the toll the virus had taken.\n\nAnd she said every death had caused heartbreak to friends, families and loved ones across the country.\n\nThe first minister also said Scotland's NHS would be under far greater pressure if the current restrictions had not been put in place on Boxing Day.\n\nAnd she urged people not to raise their expectations about what will be announced when the lockdown review is completed in a fortnight as wholesale lifting of the restrictions was \"very unlikely\".\n\nShe added: \"There may not even be any lifting of these restrictions as soon as the end of January - we will have to consider all of that carefully and set it out in due course.\"\n\nAll of mainland Scotland and some islands were placed into level four restrictions on 26 December, with schools remaining closed to most pupils until at least the end of the month.\n\nA further 1,875 positive cases of the virus were recorded on Monday, bringing the total since the pandemic began to 153,423.\n\nThe number of people in hospital with the virus stands at 1,717 - an increase of 53 since yesterday and higher than the peak of about 1,500 in the first wave in April.\n\nOf these, 133 patients are intensive care units, with Ms Sturgeon saying that the virus was putting \"very acute pressure\" on hospitals.\n\nThe first minister also said that 175,942 people in Scotland had received their first vaccine dose by Monday.\n\nOpposition parties have claimed that the rollout of the vaccine has been \"sluggish\" in Scotland compared to south of the border - a charge that the government denies.\n\nAnd they have called for greater transparency over how many people are being given the jab every day.\n\nHealth Secretary Jeane Freeman said on Monday that the government was aiming to vaccinate about 560,000 people in Scotland by 31 January.\n\nNon-essential shops have been closed in Scotland since 26 December\n\nThe Scottish government has previously said it is concerned that too many people have not been following the \"stay at home\" rules that are in place across the whole of the mainland and some islands.\n\nMinisters have been discussing the possibility of imposing tougher rules on click and collect shopping and takeaway food, with an announcement expected to be made on Wednesday.\n\nRetail industry representatives have described click and collect services as a \"lifeline\" for struggling businesses amid the forced closure of all non-essential shops.\n\nAnd they said they had not been shown any evidence that click and collect was driving transmission of the virus.\n\nMs Sturgeon told her daily coronavirus briefing that the government may not stop click and collect services altogether.\n\nBut she added: \"If we are saying to people right now that you should not be out of your home for shopping unless it is essential, then do we need to have click and collect for non-essential services instead of having that for delivery?\"\n\nScottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross told BBC Scotland that he did not want to see further restrictions put in place unless there was evidence that they would have the desired effect.\n\nHe also suggested that restricting click and collect would simply result in more people going back into supermarkets to do their shopping.\n\nThe Scottish government is also under pressure to lift the the current ban on public Sunday worship, with a group of 500 church leaders from across the UK - including 200 in Scotland - insisting that there is \"no evidence of any tangible contribution to community transmission through churches in Scotland\".\n\nIn a letter to the first minister, they claim that the ban may be unlawful and accuse the government of failing to understand that \"Christian worship is an essential public service, and especially vital to our nation in a time of crisis\".\n\nA Scottish government spokeswoman said: \"Test and Protect tells us where people were in their 48-hour infectious period.\n\n\"So we know that on one day last week the seven-day number for places of worship was 120, and data from yesterday shows the seven-day number for places of worship is 38, underlining the essential decision to require places of worship to close for public health reasons.\"\n\nMeanwhile, it has been confirmed that everyone arriving in Scotland from overseas will need to show proof of a negative test from Friday.\n\nThe test will need to be \"highly reliable\", the first minister said, and will need to have been from the previous three days - although young children may be exempt from the restriction.\n\nThose travelling from countries not on the quarantine exemption list will still need to self-isolate on arrival.\n\nThe new rules, which will also come into force in England, were first outlined last week.", "A Huawei patent has been brought to light for a system that identifies people who appear to be of Uighur origin among images of pedestrians.\n\nThe filing is one of several of its kind involving leading Chinese technology companies, discovered by a US research company and shared with BBC News.\n\nHuawei had previously said none of its technologies was designed to identify ethnic groups.\n\nIt now plans to alter the patent.\n\nThe company indicated this would involve asking the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) - the country's patent authority - for permission to delete the reference to Uighurs in the Chinese-language document.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nUighur people belong to a mostly Muslim ethnic group that lives mainly in Xinjiang province, in north-western China.\n\nGovernment authorities are accused of using high-tech surveillance against them and detaining many in forced-labour camps, where children are sometimes separated from their parents.\n\nBeijing says the camps offer voluntary education and training.\n\nChina's technology companies deny selling software that can be used to pick out Uighur people from the rest of the population by their appearance\n\n\"One technical requirement of the Chinese Ministry of Public Security's video-surveillance networks is the detection of ethnicity - particularly of Uighurs,\" said Maya Wang, from Human Rights Watch.\n\n\"While in the rest of the world, such targeting and persecution of a people on the basis of their ethnicity would be completely unacceptable, the persecution and severe discrimination of Uighurs in many aspects of life in China remain unchallenged because Uighurs have no power in China.\"\n\nHuawei's patent was originally filed in July 2018, in conjunction with the Chinese Academy of Sciences .\n\nIt describes ways to use deep-learning artificial-intelligence techniques to identify various features of pedestrians photographed or filmed in the street.\n\nIt focuses on addressing the fact different body postures - for example whether someone is sitting or standing - can affect accuracy.\n\nBut the document also lists attributes by which a person might be targeted, which it says can include \"race (Han [China's biggest ethnic group], Uighur)\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. BBC News visited the camps where China’s Muslims have their \"thoughts transformed\", in 2019\n\nA spokesman said this reference should not have been included.\n\n\"Huawei opposes discrimination of all types, including the use of technology to carry out ethnic discrimination,\" he said.\n\n\"Identifying individuals' race was never part of the research-and-development project.\n\n\"It should never have become part of the application.\n\n\"And we are taking proactive steps to amend it.\n\n\"We are continuously working to ensure new and evolving technology is developed and applied with the utmost care and integrity.\"\n\nThe patent was brought to light by the video-surveillance research group IPVM.\n\nIt had previously flagged a separate \"confidential\" document on Huawei's website, referencing work on a \"Uighur alert\" system.\n\nIn that case, Huawei said the page referenced a test rather than a real-world application and denied selling systems that identified people by their ethnicity.\n\nOn Wednesday, Tom Tugendhat, who chairs the UK Parliament's Foreign Affairs Select Committee and leads the Conservative Party's China Research Group, told BBC News: \"Chinese tech giants supporting the brutal assault on the Uighur population show us why we as consumers and as a society must be careful with who we buy our products from or award business to.\n\n\"Developing ethnic-labelling technology for use by a repressive regime is clearly not behaviour that lives up to our standards.\"\n\nIPVM also discovered references to Uighur people in patents filed by the Chinese artificial-intelligence company Sensetime and image-recognition specialist Megvii.\n\nSensetime's filing, from July 2019, discusses ways facial-recognition software could be used for more efficient \"security protection\", such as searching for \"a middle-aged Uighur with sunglasses and a beard\" or a Uighur person wearing a mask.\n\nA Sensetime spokeswoman said the references were \"regrettable\".\n\n\"We understand the importance of our responsibilities, which is why we began to develop our AI Code of Ethics in mid-2019,\" she said, adding the patent had predated this code.\n\nMegvii's June 2019 patent, meanwhile, described a way of relabelling pictures of faces tagged incorrectly in a database.\n\nLike Huawei, Megvii now plans to withdraw the original version of its patent\n\nIt said the classifications could be based on ethnicity, for example, including \"Han, Uighur, non-Han, non-Uighur and unknown\".\n\nThe company told BBC News it would now withdraw the patent application.\n\n\"Megvii recognises that the language used in our 2019 patent application is open to misunderstanding,\" it said.\n\n\"Megvii has not developed and will not develop or sell racial- or ethnic-labelling solutions.\n\n\"Megvii acknowledges that, in the past, we have focused on our commercial development and lacked appropriate control of our marketing, sales, and operations materials.\n\n\"We are undertaking measures to correct the situation.\"\n\nIPVM also flagged image-recognition patents filed by two of China's biggest technology conglomerates, Alibaba and Baidu, that referenced classifying people by ethnicity but did not specifically mention the Uighur people by name.\n\nAlibaba responded: \"Racial or ethnic discrimination or profiling in any form violates our policies and values.\n\n\"We never intended our technology to be used for and will not permit it to be used for targeting specific ethnic groups.\"\n\nProtests have been held across the world to highlight China's treatment of Uighur people\n\nAnd Baidu said: \"When filing for a patent, the document notes are meant as an example of a technical explanation, in this case describing what the attribute-recognition model is rather than representing the expected implementation of the invention.\n\n\"We do not and will not permit our technology to be used to identify or target specific ethnic groups.\"\n\nBut Human Rights Watch said it still had concerns.\n\n\"Any company that sells video-surveillance software and systems to the Chinese police would have to ensure that they meet the police's requirements, which includes the capacity for ethnicity detection,\" Ms Wang said.\n\n\"The right thing for these companies to do is to immediately cease their sale and maintenance of surveillance equipment, software and systems, to the Chinese police.\"", "At Prime Minister’s Questions, Boris Johnson said that “the lockdown measures we had in place, combined with tier four measures, are starting to show some signs of effect.”\n\nLooking at cases of Covid-19 in England, the average for the week ending 1 January was almost 55,000 cases.\n\nThese people will have been infected before England’s lockdown came in on January 6, although much of the country was under very strict measures before then.\n\nSo, using publicly available data, it might be too early to make this assessment.\n\nAnd in the past month, we’ve seen that a couple of days of decline can quickly be followed by a sustained increase in cases.\n\nBut what is clear is that hospital admissions from coronavirus appear to be increasing (they usually peak up to a couple of weeks after high numbers of cases).\n\nThe latest seven day average (ending on January 7) saw 3,705 people admitted to hospital daily in England – that’s the highest throughout the entire pandemic.", "A Scottish earl has pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a woman at his ancestral home in Angus.\n\nThe Earl of Strathmore, Simon Bowes-Lyon, forced his way into the sleeping woman's room during a weekend event he was hosting at Glamis Castle.\n\nHe repeatedly assaulted the 26-year-old victim and tried to pull off her nightdress during the 20-minute attack.\n\nBowes-Lyon, 34 - who is the Queen's first cousin twice removed - has been placed on the sex offenders register.\n\nHe was granted bail at Dundee Sheriff Court and sentence was deferred.\n\nSheriff Alistair Carmichael also ordered Glamis Castle be assessed for its suitability to house Bowes-Lyon while under a tagging order.\n\nThe court heard the woman fled the castle the morning after the attack on 13 February last year and flew home to report the matter to police.\n\nBoth Police Scotland and the Metropolitan Police were involved in the investigation.\n\nGlamis Castle was the childhood home of the Queen Mother\n\nOutside court, Bowes-Lyon said he was \"greatly ashamed\" of his actions.\n\nHe added: \"Clearly I had drunk to excess on the night of the incident. I should have known better. I recognise, in any event, that alcohol is no excuse for my behaviour.\n\n\"I did not think I was capable of behaving the way I did but have had to face up to it and take responsibility.\n\n\"My apologies go, above all, to the woman concerned, but I would also like to apologise to family, friends and colleagues for the distress I have caused them.\"\n\nGlamis Castle, near Forfar, has been the seat of the Bowes-Lyon family since 1372.\n\nIt was the childhood home of the Queen Mother, and the Queen's sister Princess Margaret was born there.\n\nBowes-Lyon was a great-great nephew of the Queen Mother.", "Some Covid restrictions are being reintroduced in response to the Omicron variant.\n\nCheck what the rules are in your area by entering your postcode or council name below.\n\nA modern browser with JavaScript and a stable internet connection is required to view this interactive. What are the rules in your area? Enter a full UK postcode or council name to find out\n\nIf you cannot see the look-up, click here.\n\nThe rules highlighted in the search tool are a selection of the key government restrictions in place in your area.\n\nAlways check your relevant national and local authority website for more information on the situation where you live. Also check local guidance before travelling to others parts of the UK.\n\nAll the guidance in our search look-up comes from national government websites.\n\nFor more information on national measures see:\n\nFind out how the pandemic has affected your area and how it compares with the national average by following this link to an in depth guide to the numbers involved.", "The Chinese vaccine is one of two that the Brazilian government has lined up\n\nA coronavirus vaccine developed by China's Sinovac has been found to be 50.4% effective in Brazilian clinical trials, according to the latest results released by researchers.\n\nIt shows the vaccine is significantly less effective than previous data suggested - barely over the 50% needed for regulatory approval.\n\nThe Chinese vaccine is one of two that the Brazilian government has lined up.\n\nBrazil has been one of the countries worst affected by Covid-19.\n\nSinovac, a Beijing-based biopharmaceutical company, is behind CoronaVac, an inactivated vaccine. It works by using killed viral particles to expose the body's immune system to the virus without risking a serious disease response.\n\nSeveral countries, including Indonesia, Turkey and Singapore, have placed orders for the vaccine.\n\nLast week researchers at the Butantan Institute, which has been conducting the trials in Brazil, announced that the vaccine had a 78% efficacy against \"mild-to-severe\" Covid-19 cases.\n\nBut on Tuesday they revealed that calculations for this figure did not include data from a group of \"very mild infections\" among those who received the vaccine that did not require clinical assistance.\n\nWith the inclusion of this data, the efficacy rate is now 50.4%, said researchers.\n\nBut Butantan stressed that the vaccine is 78% effective in preventing mild cases that needed treatment and 100% effective in staving off moderate to serious cases.\n\nThe Sinovac trials have yielded different results across different countries.\n\nLast month Turkish researchers said the Sinovac vaccine was 91.25% effective, while Indonesia, which rolled out its mass vaccination programme on Wednesday, said it was 65.3% effective. Both were interim results from late-stage trials.\n\nThe latest figures for China's coronavirus vaccine show just how difficult it is to compare vaccines.\n\nOn the face of it, the 50% effectiveness figure isn't as good as Oxford's 70% or Pfizer and Moderna's 95%. But trials are run very differently in different countries - the numbers of volunteers enrolled varies wildly, as do the criteria used to test how much protection the vaccines offer.\n\nA figure for efficacy is reached by looking at how many people developed Covid after being given the vaccine, compared with how many were affected when given a dummy injection. Normally, that is based on people developing obvious symptoms but in this Brazilian trial, people with no symptoms also appear to have been included.\n\nSo it's only when the full data from all trials of this vaccine are published that scientists can analyse its real efficacy, and compare like with like. Only limited data for this Sinovac vaccine is currently available - and experts say that is confusing the picture.\n\nIn the long term, many vaccines against Covid are needed to vaccinate the world and, inevitably, some will perform better than others - but giving as many people as possible some protection is the priority.\n\nThere has been concern and criticism that Chinese vaccine trials are not subject to the same scrutiny and levels of transparency as its Western counterparts.\n\nBoth the Sinovac vaccine and the vaccine developed by Oxford University and pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca have requests for emergency use authorisation pending with regulators in Brazil.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe latest news comes as Brazil is dealing with a major spike in cases. The country currently has the third highest number of Covid-19 cases in the world at over 8.1 million, just behind the US and India.\n\nThe BBC World Service's Americas editor Candace Piette says the country is suffering one of the world's deadliest outbreaks but as yet, has not announced when its vaccination programme will begin.\n\nThe delay has been caused in large part by the government's haphazard and divided approach to vaccination, says our correspondent.", "More than 100,000 Covid-19 vaccinations had been issued in Northern Ireland by Tuesday evening, Robin Swann has said.\n\nThe health minister said, of that figure, 91,419 people had received their first vaccine dose.\n\nHe added that 95% of care home residents had received their first dose and about 20% of those aged over 80 have received their first dose.\n\nIt comes as leading GP said the goal to begin a mass vaccine rollout by summer is \"achievable\" but hinges on supply.\n\nThe Department of Health published its plan to deliver vaccines in Northern Ireland on Tuesday.\n\nDr Alan Stout said the timeline was \"very sensible\" but was \"almost 100%\" dependent on getting enough of the vaccine.\n\nAt Wednesday's health briefing, Mr Swann said the programme had made a \"strong start\" but there was more to do.\n\nHe also said he has decided to issue tighter visiting guidelines for hospitals.\n\n\"I have ensured visiting will be permitted to hospices and care homes, but visits to general medical wards will no longer be permitted from this Friday\", he said.\n\nThe minister added that the measure would be kept under constant review.\n\nMr Swann also confirmed a new rapid test for Covid-19, which can return results in 12 minutes, would be used in emergency departments.\n\nHe said a pilot programme has been carried out using the LumiraDX nasal swab, which will enable health staff to \"very quickly identify patients who do not have Covid-19\".\n\nHe also repeated that the current lockdown restrictions were working and had helped to reduce NI's rate of infection, but warned the executive would still have \"difficult decisions\" to take in relation to decisions about whether to extend some restrictions in the coming weeks.\n\nOn Wednesday, a further 19 Covid-related deaths were announced by the Department of Health in Northern Ireland.\n\nA further 1,145 new cases of the virus were also reported.\n\nMeanwhile, Northern Ireland's chief medical officer warned there was \"no doubt\" that levels of the new, more transmissible variant of coronavirus are rising in Northern Ireland.\n\nSpeaking at Stormont's executive briefing, Dr Michael McBride said that the new variant was making the job to contain it \"twice as difficult\".\n\nThe new variant is said to be up to 70% more transmissible, but there is no evidence it is more dangerous.\n\nThe first confirmed case of the new strain was detected in Northern Ireland on 23 December, but officials had said levels in Northern Ireland remained lower than in other areas of the UK.\n\nDr McBride said there would now be situations where the variant could spread, where previously it may not have.\n\n\"We need to be extremely cautious in the weeks ahead,\" he warned, adding that the virus would not \"magically disappear\" on 6 February, when the current lockdown is due to end.\n\nStormont ministers have to review the regulations on or before 22 January, with that scheduled for next Thursday.\n\nDr McBride said Northern Ireland had some distance to go before restrictions are lifted\n\nDr Stout, the chair of NI's GP committee, said practices needed another 22,000 doses to finish vaccinating people aged over 80.\n\nSpeaking to BBC's Good Morning Ulster, he said he was \"very confident\" the next doses would come through shortly.\n\n\"I have been overwhelmed by the desire of practices, the determination just to get going and the one thing we need to give them is vaccine - we need to get the supply in as quickly as possible.\n\n\"This is such a good news story that everybody wants the vaccine and everybody wants to give it.\"\n\nThe plan is for the vaccine to be given to the general population in summer 2021.\n\nGP clinics should have received their first delivery of the vaccine by Tuesday.\n\nResponding to reports in The Daily Telegraph that GPs administering the vaccine in England had been asked to \"slow down\" to let other regions \"catch-up\", Dr Stout said Northern Ireland had taken a different approach to how it rolled out vaccines to GPs.\n\nHe said vaccines were shared among all practices in Northern Ireland.\n\n\"We just don't have the full amount of vaccine in practice to give. We could have given all of the vaccine that a certain number of practices needed to start with but there were issues with inequality and discrimination ... so that's why an amount has gone to every single practice, so at least they have some.\"", "Customs operators have pleaded with the government to prioritise vaccinations for staff they insist are key front-line workers in the effort to keep vital supplies flowing into the UK.\n\nOne operator told the BBC his staff were working flat out - often up to 16 hours a day - to help traders comply with the new post-Brexit customs requirements.\n\n\"A Covid outbreak would be disastrous. Customs clearance staff should be identified as key workers and fast-tracked for vaccination.\"\n\nAnother said he had written to Transport Secretary Grant Shapps and his local MP for Ashford, Damian Green saying any coronavirus-related staff shortages could force them to close.\n\n\"We have 14 staff. Two have already had to self-isolate, if we lose any more we would have to consider closing\".\n\nRod McKenzie of the Road Haulage Association supports the argument to accelerate vaccinations of port and customs staff.\n\n\"Customs agents are absolutely swamped, they are understaffed by tens of thousands and although volumes have been light thanks to pre-Christmas and pre-Brexit stockpiling, we are approaching a critical point:\"\n\nSteve Cock of logistics firm KGH said that volume would begin to build this week and described Friday as \"a moment of truth\" as volumes would be close to normal, imposing the first serious test of the system's capacity.\n\nThe government told the BBC that vaccination priorities were based on clinical vulnerability determined by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation.\n\nAlthough the government said it would be looking at key workers beyond the current priorities - like teachers - that would not come till after phase 1 of the current programme ends. That is not expected till late March at the earliest.\n\nAlthough the ports themselves have been running reasonably smoothly, that is because many traders aren't getting as far as the ports as their documentation is not complete.\n\nThe Dover-Calais crossing last week saw only 40% of its usual traffic for this time of year. Many foreign hauliers have been avoiding the UK for fear of getting stuck on the wrong side of the channel or raising their prices by as much as six times to compensate for the additional risks of congestion.\n\nCracks in the system have already started to show with large European delivery firm DPD cancelling road deliveries from the UK to the EU while Ocado, M&S, and Fortnum and Mason have cited problems delivering to customers in the EU and Northern Ireland.\n\nFish and seafood exports have been particularly hard hit.\n\nMany small traders who usually club together to share the cost of space on large lorries headed to their primary markets in the EU have hit serious roadblocks.\n\nProducts of animal origin now need Export Health Certificates signed off by veterinary professionals.\n\nThe burden of getting multiple certificates for single lorries has brought exports to the EU to a virtual standstill for some traders.\n\nThe focus in the UK is understandably primarily on food supplies into the UK and although there are some limited shortages being reported in fruit and vegetable supplies, shelves in the UK are showing very few gaps.\n\nThe problems are more acute in Northern Ireland, which for the purposes of trade is still part of the EU customs area. For that reason, what is happening to food exports from GB to Northern Ireland is perhaps a useful proxy for what is happening to UK food exports to the EU.\n\nThe last thing the UK-EU trade machinery can afford right now is for critical staff - caught in the crossfire of pandemic and Brexit - to be laid low.", "The men were arrested on suspicion of causing a public nuisance at hospitals in Birmingham and Worcestershire\n\nFour men have been arrested on suspicion of causing a public nuisance at hospitals in the West Midlands.\n\nThe men, aged between 31 and 37, were held in relation to incidents in Birmingham and Worcestershire between 31 December and 9 January.\n\nEarlier this month, police said they were investigating after people posted videos of supposedly empty hospital corridors on social media.\n\nThe videos claiming Covid-19 was a hoax sparked an outcry from medical workers.\n\nWest Mercia Police launched a joint investigation with West Midlands Police, after incidents were reported at Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital and the Alexandra in Redditch.\n\nHospitals in Worcester and Kidderminster also featured, before the footage was deleted.\n\nThe West Mercia force confirmed it had arrested two men from Bromsgrove aged 31 and 34 as well as a 37 year-old man from Kidderminster and a fourth man, aged 34, from Droitwich.\n\nThey were also detained relating to incidents in a park in Bromsgrove as well as the town centre.\n\nAll four men have since been bailed with conditions not to enter any hospital in England unless they have a medical reason to do so.\n\nFollow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Birmingham has one of the largest intensive care capacities in the whole country\n\nTwo hundred doctors will be redeployed to one of England's largest intensive care units amid fears it could be \"overwhelmed\".\n\nA leaked memo warned hospitals in Birmingham were \"in a position of extremis\" as Covid-19 cases rise.\n\nElective surgeries at the city's main Queen Elizabeth Hospital will stop as staff move to critical care duties.\n\nA spokesperson said the approach ensured \"the greatest good for the greatest numbers of people\".\n\nThe trust's decision to redeploy doctors was revealed in a leaked email to the Health Service Journal, which has been verified by the BBC.\n\nSent by consultant Peter Hewins, it said hospitals in Birmingham risked being \"overwhelmed\" amid a \"period of absolute emergency\".\n\nThe University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB) said there were 873 patients with Covid-19 across its sites, with 125 in intensive care.\n\nThis was significantly more than in April 2020, it said, as it announced plans to double its intensive care capacity to more than 250 beds.\n\nTime-critical surgery, including cancer operations, will continue, the trust said, but elective procedures at the Queen Elizabeth will be paused, and reduced elsewhere.\n\nThere will also be a \"further reduction of outpatient activity\", a spokesperson said, adding: \"Every member of staff will be supported by the Trust in delivering the best care wherever they are working.\"\n\nThere are currently 873 Covid-19 patients being treated at the trust\n\nNeighbouring University Coventry and Warwickshire Hospitals Trust confirmed it had started taking Covid patients from Birmingham.\n\nUniversity Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB) is one of the largest teaching hospital trusts in England.\n\nIt runs several hospitals, including Birmingham Heartlands, the Queen Elizabeth, Solihull Hospital and Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield. It also runs Birmingham Chest Clinic.\n\nFollow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "The minimum cost of carrier bags in Scotland is set to double to 10p from 1 April.\n\nThe Scottish government has said it is important to increase the charge periodically to encourage the use of reusable options instead.\n\nEnvironment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham said the move was to deter the use of single-use plastic bags.\n\nThe 5p charge was introduced in 2014, with plastic bag usage dropping by 80% by the following year.\n\nMs Cunningham said: \"Thanks to the people of Scotland, the introduction of the charge has been successful in reducing the amount of single-use carrier bags in circulation.\n\n\"While the 5p bag charge was suitable when it was first introduced, it is important that pricing is updated to ensure that the charge continues to be a factor in making people think twice about using a single-use carrier bag.\"\n\nSome retailers have pledged to donate their carrier bag charges to good causes, with £2.5m raised in 2019.\n\nPrior to the charge being introduced in 2014, 800 million single use carrier bags were issued annually in Scotland.\n\nBy 2015 this fell by 80% with the Marine Conservation Society noting in 2016 that the number of plastic carrier bags being found on Scotland's beaches dropped by 40% two years in a row with a further drop of 42% recorded between 2018 and 2019.\n\nKeep Scotland Beautiful chief executive Barry Fisher said: \"Since 2014 the single use carrier bag charge has significantly helped reduce the number of bags being given out by retailers - saving thousands of tonnes of single use plastic realising a significant net carbon saving and reducing the chances of these items becoming littered.\n\n\"However, there is still an opportunity to challenge individual behaviours and improve consumer awareness which the doubling of the charge will help do.\n\nDue to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Scottish government is looking into creating an exemption on the bag charge for certain deliveries and collections, as was the case last year at the onset of the pubic health crisis.", "Naomi Campbell and Kenyan Tourism Minister Najib Balala sealed the deal over the weekend\n\nThe appointment of British supermodel Naomi Campbell as Kenya's tourism ambassador has caused a Twitter storm in the East African nation.\n\nMany queried why it had not been given to a prominent Kenyan like Hollywood actress Lupita Nyong'o.\n\nOthers leapt to her defence, saying the debate already justified her role.\n\nKenya's tourism sector has been badly hit by coronavirus, with visitor numbers down by 72% between January and October last year.\n\n\"The sector hence lost over 110bn Kenyan shillings [$1bn, £738m] of direct international tourists' revenue due to the Covid-19 pandemic,\" Kenya's Tourism Research Institute reported last month.\n\nThe country is famous for its wildlife safaris and beach resorts.\n\nKenyan Tourism Minister Najib Balala said the deal with Ms Campbell was done over the weekend after he met the model, who is currently on holiday in Kenya.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Ministry of Tourism & Wildlife-Kenya This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. End of twitter post by Ministry of Tourism & Wildlife-Kenya\n\nThe 50-year-old style icon and philanthropist has been posting images of her stay on Instagram, where she has 10 million followers.\n\n\"We welcome the exciting news that Naomi Campbell will advocate for tourism and travel internationally for the Magical Kenya brand,\" Mr Balala said, without giving further deals of the contract.\n\nBut the statement, posted on Twitter on Tuesday, prompted instant outrage from some, and the supermodel's name has since been trending in the country.\n\nOne tweeter cited other Kenyan celebrities better suited to the ambassadorial role, including models Ajuma Nasenyana and Debra Sanaipei, as well as Nyong'o.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Syombua A. Kibue 🇰🇪 This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nOne tweeter said the backlash revealed an unhealthy attitude in Kenya: \"At the end of the day, it's all about who will get the job done. This mentality is what causes nepotism and tribalism in Kenyan institutions, it should be about the most suitable candidate not 'one of our own' thing.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nMs Campbell's defenders praised her for visiting Kenya several times and said it was not only the model's social media following that made her the perfect appointment.\n\nHer circle of friends were equally important as she would attract wealthy tourists willing to spend money.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 3 by Mlolwa🐬 This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThe tourism industry usually contributes about 8.8% to Kenya's annual Gross domestic product (GDP), according to Kenya's East African newspaper.\n• None The supermodel and the warlord", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Large parts of Scotland woke up to a blanket of snow on Thursday, including in Rutherglen where conditions became challenging for drivers\n\nMotorists continue to face difficult conditions after heavy snow across parts of Scotland caused road closures.\n\nA Met Office yellow warning for ice will be in place overnight and for all of Friday for mainland Scotland.\n\nThe A9 at Dunblane was closed due to snow but has now reopened, while driving conditions on the M90 and M8 were reported as difficult.\n\nThere have also been problems in the Scottish Borders where up to a foot of snow fell overnight.\n\nTraffic Scotland has reported difficult driving conditions on the M77 at Fenwick, M80 around Cumbernauld and the A9 at Greenloaning.\n\nA woman walks through the snow in Braco near Dunblane\n\nThe impact of the overnight freeze on a hedgerow near Strathaven, South Lanarkshire\n\nIn the Borders several lorries got stuck on the A7 between Selkirk and Hawick, while difficult driving conditions were also reported on the A68 at the Carter Bar and Soutra.\n\nThere were also delays on the A83 Old Military Road diversion and the A82 at Tyndrum.\n\nMeanwhile, police have urged drivers to properly clear their car windscreens before setting off in the wintry conditions.\n\nOfficers in Dumfries and Galloway shared a picture of a driver they stopped and charged for failing to do this.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by DumfriesGPolice This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nPeople should only be leaving home to make essential journeys in parts of Scotland under level four Covid measures, under current Scottish government lockdown regulations.\n\nCh Supt Louise Blakelock, of Police Scotland, said: \"Government guidance on only travelling if your journey is essential remains in place and so with an amber warning for snow, please consider if your journey really is essential and whether you can delay it until the weather improves.\n\n\"If your journey really is essential, plan ahead and make sure you and your vehicle are suitably prepared by having sufficient fuel and supplies such as warm clothing, food, water and charge in your mobile phone in the event you require assistance.\"\n\nA motorist brushes snow off a car in Braco near Dunblane\n\nThe village of Bowden near Melrose woke up to snow\n\nA snowy scene at Fountainhall in the Scottish Borders\n\nPolice in Shetland have also warned of ice badly affecting roads on the islands.\n\nScotRail said its services could be affected, particularly on the Highland mainline.\n\nScottish Borders Council said the effects of the adverse weather could cause disruption into Friday morning.\n\nEmergency planning officer Jim Fraser said: \"With widespread snow and some freezing rain possible over the course of Wednesday and Thursday, there is the strong potential for disruption across our road network and communities.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Michael Matheson MSP This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nSome of the deepest snowfalls in recent weeks have been in the Highlands, including the Cairngorms.\n\nEarlier this month, the UK had its coldest night of the winter so far after a temperature of -12.3C was recorded in the north west Highlands.\n\nThe temperature was recorded at Loch Glascarnoch, near Garve, south of Ullapool in Wester Ross.\n\nThe record lowest temperature in the UK is -27.2C, which was recorded in Braemar, Aberdeenshire, in 1895 and 1982 and at Altnaharra in the Highlands in 1995.", "Pre-departure Covid-19 testing will now be required for everyone travelling to England from 04:00 GMT on Monday.\n\nThe rules had been due to come into force on Friday, but the government said people needed time \"to prepare\".\n\nThose arriving by plane, train or boat, including UK nationals, will have to take a test up to 72 hours before leaving the country they are in.\n\nAnyone arriving from places not on the UK's travel corridor list must still self-isolate for 10 days.\n\nThe Scottish government is planning to impose the same rules and has had to defer them coming into effect as a result of changes in England.\n\n\"This meant Scotland was also obliged to delay implementation as we need sight of their final regulations in order to properly draft and approve the relevant Scottish regulations,\" a spokeswoman said.\n\nIt is expected the requirement will come into force in Scotland at 04:00 GMT on Monday as well. Wales and Northern Ireland are expected to announce plans for pre-arrival testing in the coming days.\n\nAnnouncing the deferral on Twitter, Transport Secretary Mr Shapps said: \"To give international arrivals time to prepare, passengers will be required to provide proof of a negative Covid-19 test before departure to England from Monday 18 January at 4am.\"\n\nHe also reminded travellers to fill out the Passenger Locator Form - used in track and trace - and added that those without proof of a negative test faced a fine of £500.\n\nProblems with testing availability and capacity mean some countries will initially be exempt.\n\nFor instance, the requirement will not apply to travellers from St Lucia, Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda until 04:00 GMT on 21 January.\n\nTravellers from Falkland Islands, Ascension Islands and St Helena are exempted permanently.\n\nHauliers are exempt to allow the free flow of freight, as are air, international rail and maritime crew.\n\nThe government has said all forms of PCR test will be accepted, as will other forms of test with \"97% specificity, 80% sensitivity\".\n\nThe move comes as a further 1,564 people have died in the UK within 28 days of a positive Covid test - the biggest figure reported in a single day since the pandemic began.\n\nWednesday's figure brings the total number of deaths by that measure to 84,767.\n\nDr Yvonne Doyle, medical director at Public Health England, said there had now been more deaths in the second wave than the first.\n\nMeanwhile on Wednesday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he was \"concerned\" about a new coronavirus variant that is believed to have emerged in Brazil.\n\nHe acknowledged it was not yet clear how effective existing vaccines would be against the latest new variant.\n\nMr Johnson said the UK was taking steps to make sure it was not brought into the country.\n\nA government Covid committee is meeting on Thursday to discuss the possibility of stopping flights from Brazil.\n\nArrivals from Brazil already have to self-isolate for 10 days.\n\nAre you due to travel back to the UK from Brazil? Share your experience. Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "Sir David will appear in \"very high-resolution holographic video\"\n\nSir David Attenborough is to front an augmented reality app letting users see exotic plants and animals in their own surroundings, as part of a government drive to prove the uses of 5G.\n\nThe Green Planet AR app has been given £2.3m government funding as one of nine 5G test projects given a total of £28m.\n\nIt will be released alongside The Green Planet, Sir David's forthcoming BBC series that will show plants in detail.\n\nThe five-part documentary series is expected to be broadcast in 2022.\n\nAugmented reality superimposes virtual objects on to the world around us, meaning the app's users will be able to use their smartphones to see Sir David and \"meticulously detailed graphics of exotic plants and animals\" as if they were in front of them.\n\nThe app will help prove \"how new technology can reconnect us with the natural world whilst demonstrating the power of 5G to a huge new audience\", according to Minister for Digital Infrastructure Matt Warman.\n\nThe app will be available in \"set locations\" around the UK. Developer Factory 42 said it does not yet know how many locations, but they could include parks, visitor attractions like Kew Gardens and urban settings. Users will need a 5G-enabled device.\n\nThe other projects sharing the £28m funding include one to provide live, multi-angle HD video streams and replays on phones at sporting events; one to allow people to experience exhibits at The Eden Project in Cornwall from their own homes; and one to control the 113 cranes at the Port of Felixstowe in Suffolk.\n\nThey follow nine other 5G trial projects that were awarded a total of £35m in February 2020.\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "Pupils are currently learning remotely from home\n\nA-level, AS and GCSE students in England could be asked to sit mini external exams to help teachers with their assessments after formal exams were cancelled last week.\n\nIn a letter to the exams regulator, Ofqual, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said this would help teachers to decide \"deserved grades\".\n\nHe promised not to use an algorithm which led to controversy last summer.\n\nHead teachers said the \"devil was in the detail\" for these plans.\n\nThe letter was published on Wednesday morning, as Mr Williamson appeared before the education select committee to answer questions on the impact of Covid-19 on education.\n\nIn the letter to Ofqual he said: \"A breadth of evidence should inform teachers' judgments, and the provision of training and guidance will support teachers to reach their assessment of a student's deserved grade.\n\n\"In addition, I would like to explore the possibility of providing externally set tasks or papers, in order that teachers can draw on this resource to support their assessments of students.\"\n\nMr Williamson's pledge not to use an algorithm to determine grades comes after thousands of A-level students had their results downgraded from school estimates last summer - before Ofqual announced a U-turn allowing them to use teachers' predictions.\n\n\"We have agreed that we will not use an algorithm to set or automatically standardise anyone's grade,\" the letter says.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Gavin Williamson: \"The top priority is for all those that work in schools\"\n\n\"Schools and colleges should undertake quality assurance of their teachers' assessments and provide reassurance to the exam boards. We should provide training and guidance to support that, and there should also be external checks in place to support fairness and consistency between different institutions and to avoid schools and colleges proposing anomalous grades.\"\n\nBut he added: \"Changes should only be made if those grades cannot be justified, rather than as a result of marginal differences of opinion.\n\n\"Any changes should be based on human decisions, not by an automatic process or algorithm.\"\n\nA consultation on plans for this year is being launched later this week.\n\nGeoff Barton, head of the Association of School and College Leaders, said the letter set out \"broad and sensible parameters\" for assessing GCSEs and A-levels after exams were cancelled.\n\n\"But, as ever, the devil will be in the detail of how this is turned into reality,\" Mr Barton said.\n\nHe welcomed confirmation that no algorithm would be applied this year \"following last summer's grading debacle.\"\n\nBut he questioned how any system of externally set assessment would work and how it could ensures fairness for students whose education had been heavily disrupted.\n\n\"It is vital that the final plans not only provide fairness and consistency but that they are also workable for schools, colleges and teaching staff who will have to put them into practice,\" he added.\n\nNational Education Union joint general secretary Dr Mary Bousted said: \"Had the government listened to the NEU and put in place a contingency plan sooner we would be in a better position now to make sure grades could be awarded reliably and without creating severe workload issues for education staff and students.\n\nShe said the union would continue to work with the Dfe and Ofqual, but they needed to see the full details of the plans as soon as possible to ensure grades are fair and the process is manageable for staff.\n\nTaking questions from MPs on the education select committee, Mr Williamson said he wanted to see schools re-opening at the earliest opportunity and that he would \"never apologise for being the biggest champion for keeping schools open\".\n\nHe said attendance rates of vulnerable and key worker pupils in schools since the start of term were higher than in the first lockdown.", "The prime minister has said lockdown measures are \"starting to show signs of some effect\", but he has refused to rule out extra restrictions in England.\n\nAt PMQs, Boris Johnson said measures were kept under \"constant review\" after Labour's Sir Keir Starmer said it was obvious more restrictions were needed.\n\nMr Johnson added that vaccine centres would move to 24-7 \"as soon as we can\".\n\nUnder the national lockdown, people in England must stay at home and only go out for limited reasons.\n\nThis includes for food shopping, exercise, or work if they cannot do so from home. Similar measures are in place across much of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.\n\nLater, Mr Johnson told the Commons Liaison Committee there was a \"very substantial\" risk of intensive care capacity in hospitals being \"overtopped\", and appealed to people to follow lockdown rules.\n\nHe said the situation was \"very, very tough\" in the NHS and the strain on staff was \"colossal\".\n\nMeanwhile, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has announced new restrictions in Scotland from Saturday, including limiting click and collect services to essential items only and restricting takeaways.\n\nAt Prime Minister's Questions, Sir Keir said stronger restrictions were needed in England and accused Mr Johnson of being \"slow to act\".\n\nHe asked the prime minister why restrictions were weaker in this lockdown compared with March.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Boris Johnson says the government acted \"within 24 hours\" of advice on the new Covid-19 variant\n\n\"We keep things under constant review,\" Mr Johnson replied. \"If there is any need to toughen up restrictions - which I don't rule out - we will of course come to this House.\n\n\"The lockdown measures we have in place combined with tier four measures that we were using are starting to show signs of some effect and we must take account of that too.\"\n\nHe added it was early days and urged people to abide by the rules.\n\nQuestioned by the liaison committee on Wednesday afternoon, Mr Johnson said it was \"far, far too early\" to say there could be any relaxation of the lockdown in the middle of February, and \"we've got to work very hard to achieve that\".\n\nHe acknowledged that it was a \"tragedy\" that so many children were missing face-to-face teaching at school and said reopening schools was \"the priority\".\n\nTier four - the highest level in England's tier system which bans households mixing indoors - was introduced on 21 December in parts of south-east England, including London.\n\nIt was then widened to include more of southern England on Boxing Day. England has been in a national lockdown since 5 January.\n\nMr Johnson also said the vaccination programme was going \"exceptionally fast\" but \"at the moment the limit is on supply\" of the vaccine.\n\n\"We will be going to 24/7 as soon as we can,\" he told MPs, saying Health Secretary Matt Hancock will set out further details \"in due course\".\n\nMore than 2.4 million people have had a first dose of a coronavirus vaccine, while 412,167 people have had a second dose.\n\nScotland's Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said it was \"entirely possible\" to offer round-the-clock vaccinations in Scotland once mass sites were up and running by late February or early March.\n\nThere are very early signs that infections may have peaked - although as always we should be careful about reading too much into a few days' worth of data.\n\nThe past two days have seen newly diagnosed cases hover around the 46,000-mark. Up to the weekend, the average was close to 60,000.\n\nThe drop has largely been driven by falls in new cases in London, the South East and East of England.\n\nThe national picture does mask some regional differences. Cases are rising in the North West, which is causing particular concern.\n\nIt is too early for the vaccination programme to be having any significant impact so a combination of the national lockdown on top of the tier four restrictions that were imposed in some areas before Christmas look like they may be beginning to have an impact.\n\nThere is also some evidence the new variant may not be quite as fast-spreading as first feared - a Public Health England study suggested rather than being 70% more transmissible, it may actually be somewhere between 30% to 50%.\n\nAnd, if it does represent the start of a continuous fall, it is important to remember it will still take some time to translate into fewer hospital cases - people being admitted at the moment are those who would have caught the virus a week or two ago.\n\nBut after six weeks of pretty sustained rises, it is at least an encouraging sign.\n\nEarlier, Health Secretary Matt Hancock questioned whether there would be demand for a round-the-clock vaccination operation, saying: \"Most people want to get vaccinated in the daytime, and also most people who are doing the vaccinations want to give them in the daytime, but there may be circumstances in which that would help.\"\n\nHe said England's lockdown measures were \"always under review\", but he would be \"very reluctant\" to remove the rule of meeting one other person outside for exercise as \"it is a lifeline\" for some people, including those who live alone. Mr Hancock has already ruled out scrapping support bubbles.\n\n\"What I'd rather is that everybody follow that rule and doesn't stretch it or flex it,\" he said.", "Fans of the University of Alabama football team gathered in the streets of Tuscaloosa in Alabama, ignoring social distancing.\n\nThey were celebrating the university's third national championship in the past six years.", "Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Wednesday morning. We'll have another update for you at 18:00 BST.\n\nThe first Covid patients have begun receiving a new treatment it's hoped will prevent sufferers becoming seriously ill. The patients are part of a large-scale trial testing the effect of inhaling a protein called interferon beta which the body produces when it gets a viral infection. Developed at Southampton University Hospital and produced by biotech company, Synairgen, early findings suggest the treatment cuts the odds of severe illness by almost 80%. Find out more here.\n\nKaye Flitney is one of those enrolled on the clinical trial\n\nMany hospital staff treating the sickest patients during the first wave of the pandemic have been left struggling to cope, a new study suggests. Researchers at King's College London questioned 709 workers at nine units in England and nearly half reported symptoms of severe anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder or problem drinking. Lead researcher Prof Neil Greenberg said it should be a \"wake-up call\" for managers about the need to provide more mental health support. Some staff are they're also facing abuse online and at protests from Covid sceptics and anti-lockdown activists.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nChildren's minister Vicky Ford says caterers must urgently improve the quality of food parcels being provided for low-income families. Catering company Chartwells has apologised after photographs of some parcels were shared online and heavily criticised. The packages - more on them here - are being sent to children who would normally receive free school meals in England. The row could well come up when Education Secretary Gavin Williamson faces MPs' questioning later. Our education correspondent looks closely at Mr Williamson - a man whose political obituary has been written so many times he must sometimes feel like the walking dead.\n\nTwitter user Roadside Mum complained about the parcel she received\n\nNurse Kate Fraser said administering the vaccination to Ms Curry had been \"emotional\"\n\nFind more information, advice and guides on our coronavirus page.\n\nPlus, Britain's top police officer, Dame Cressida Dick, says it's \"preposterous\" to suggest some people are not aware of what the lockdown laws now tell them to do. So how much do you know? Try our quiz.\n\nWhat questions do you have about coronavirus?\n\nIn some cases, your question will be published, displaying your name, age and location as you provide it, unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published. Please ensure you have read our terms & conditions and privacy policy.\n\nUse this form to ask your question:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or send them via email to YourQuestions@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any question you send in.", "Democrats, including Jamie Raskin (centre), voted to impeach President Donald Trump, as did 10 Republicans\n\nThe US House of Representatives has voted to impeach President Donald Trump for a second time over his alleged role in the 6 January deadly assault on the Capitol.\n\nHis impeachment for \"incitement to insurrection\" was approved by 232 representatives including 10 Republicans.\n\nDemocrats led the effort to charge Mr Trump with encouraging the riots.\n\nBut some Republicans had backed calls for impeachment.\n\nSo, who are these key players, and what do we know about them?\n\nWhen the impeachment charges go to the Senate for trial, the case for the prosecution will be made by a team of lawmakers, led by Mr Raskin, a Democratic representative from Maryland since 2017 and a former professor of constitutional law.\n\nThe impeachment of Mr Trump represents the continuation of an extremely challenging start to 2021 for Mr Raskin, 58.\n\nJamie Raskin (left) helped to draft the article of impeachment against President Trump\n\nThe congressman's 25-year-old son, Tommy Bloom Raskin, took his own life on New Year's Eve and was laid to rest in early January.\n\nA day after the funeral, Mr Raskin found himself hunkering down with colleagues, shielding from a violent mob that rampaged through the Capitol where lawmakers were meeting to certify November's presidential election result.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Rep. Jamie Raskin This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nOn the day of the assault, Mr Raskin helped to draw up an article of impeachment against President Trump.\n\nSpeaking to the Washington Post, Mr Raskin said his son, who was studying law at Harvard University, would have considered last week's violence \"the absolute worst form of crime against democracy\".\n\n\"It really is Tommy Raskin, and his love and his values and his passion, that have kept me going,\" Mr Raskin said.\n\nIn total, nine Democrats, including Mr Raskin, have been named as impeachment managers. One is Representative Madeleine Dean, from Pennsylvania, who is one of three women on the team.\n\nMs Dean started her career in law, opening her own three-woman practice in Pennsylvania before teaching English at a university.\n\nHaving been active in state politics for decades, she was elected to the House in 2018, using her seat to champion women's reproductive rights, gun law reform, and healthcare for all, among other issues.\n\nMadeleine Dean has called for a quick trial of President Trump in the Senate\n\nIn an interview with MSNBC, Ms Dean, 68, said she favoured a \"speedy trial\" in the Senate if Mr Trump was impeached.\n\n\"This isn't about a party. This isn't about politics. This is about protection of our constitution, of our rule of law,\" Ms Dean said.\n\nAs the Speaker of the House, Ms Pelosi has been in the spotlight since the riots in the Capitol.\n\nMs Pelosi leads the Democrats in the lower chamber of Congress, so the 80-year-old had a huge influence over the decision to introduce an article of impeachment against Mr Trump.\n\nMs Pelosi had the House proceed with impeachment after former Vice-President Mike Pence did not invoked constitutional powers to force out Mr Trump, who was then president.\n\nMr Pence said at the time he believed such a move was against the country's interests.\n\n\"This president is guilty of inciting insurrection. He has to pay a price for that,\" Ms Pelosi said.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The storming of the US Capitol\n\nMr McConnell, a 78-year-old Republican senator for Kentucky, is one to watch in the Senate.\n\nThe upper chamber's former majority leader remains the man at the helm of the upper chamber's Republican caucus.\n\nDubbed the \"Grim Reaper\" by Democrats, Mr McConnell was a thorn in the side of former President Barack Obama, often manoeuvring to frustrate his legislative agenda and judicial appointments.\n\nHe was also the driving force behind Mr Trump's acquittal in his first impeachment trial in 2019.\n\nIn his last few weeks as Senate leader, Mr McConnell also delayed Mr Trump's trial until after the former president left office, saying there was no time for a \"fair or serious trial\" ahead of Mr Biden's inauguration.\n\nMr McConnell has not publicly commented on whether he supports convicting or acquitting Mr Trump, but he has sent some mixed messages.\n\nMitch McConnell had been loyal to President Trump until the Capitol riots\n\nThough he spent the last four years in the president's corner, the minority leader said the rioters were \"provoked by\" Mr Trump and that he plans to hear out both sides in the trial.\n\nBut later on in January, he also joined the majority of Republican senators to vote for a motion to toss out the impeachment case as unconstitutional now that Mr Trump is no longer in the White House.\n\nMr McConnell may no longer have the final say on all things impeachment, but as Democrats need Republican support to convict Mr Trump with the required two-thirds majority, he still has a key role to play in the upcoming proceedings.\n\nWith just over a week to go before the trial, Mr Trump parted ways with his legal team, including attorneys Butch Bowers and Deborah Barbier.\n\nThey were quickly replaced by David Schoen, a trial lawyer, and Bruce Castor, a former district attorney, who will lead the defence efforts for the former president.\n\nIn a statement, both attorneys said they didn't believe the push to impeach Mr Trump is constitutional.\n\nDavid Schoen, left, and Bruce Castor will lead the defence efforts for the former president\n\nMr Castor added: \"The strength of our Constitution is about to be tested like never before in our history.\n\n\"It is strong and resilient. A document written for the ages, and it will triumph over partisanship yet again, and always.\"\n\nMr Schoen has previously represented Roger Stone, former adviser to Mr Trump. Stone received a presidential pardon in December.\n\nThe lawyer also made headlines in the past for meeting with Jeffrey Epstein in his final days to discuss possible representation, and for later saying he did not believe the death of the US financier and sex offender was suicide.\n\nMr Castor, a former Pennsylvania district attorney, is known for declining to prosecute Bill Cosby for sexual assault in 2005. The comedian was eventually convicted on three counts of sexual assault in a 2018 retrial of his case.\n\nMs Cheney, 54, is third-highest-ranking Republican leader in the House. As the daughter of former Republican Vice-President Dick Cheney, she has a high profile in the party.\n\nSo, her support for impeachment is particularly significant.\n\nLiz Cheney has accused President Trump of inciting the attack on Congress\n\nMr Trump had \"summoned this mob, assembled the mob, and lit the flame of this attack\", Ms Cheney said of the Capitol riots.\n\n\"There has never been a greater betrayal by a president of the United States of his office and his oath to the Constitution,\" the Wyoming representative said.\n\nHowever, in a recent test of support for conviction on impeachment charges that Mr Trump incited his supporters to mount an insurrection at the US Capitol, 45 out of 50 Senate Republicans voted last week to consider stopping the trial before it even starts.\n\nMs Cheney survived a House Republican vote - 145-61 - to oust her from her leadership position after breaking ranks with other GOP lawmakers last month to impeach the former president.\n\nShe is also now facing a primary challenger for her Wyoming congressional seat after voting to impeach Mr Trump.\n\nBlocking Mr Trump from ever running for office again is one rationale that may motivate some Republicans to impeach the president.\n\nThat reasoning could be attractive to Republican senators like Mr Sasse, who is seen as a possible contender for the presidency in 2024.\n\nElected to the Senate in 2014, the 48-year-old has been an ardent critic of Mr Trump.\n\nBen Sasse refused to overturn the results of November's presidential election in Congress\n\nMr Sasse was firmly opposed to a Republican effort - cheered on by Mr Trump - to overturn the certification of President-elect Joe Biden's election victory in Congress.\n\nOn the question of impeachment, Mr Sasse said he would \"definitely consider whatever articles they might move\" in the House.\n\nA two-thirds majority would be needed to convict Mr Trump in the Senate, meaning at least 17 Republicans - including Mr Sasse - would have to vote for it.\n\nIn Mr Trump's first impeachment trial in 2020, it was Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts who presided over the proceedings.\n\nThis time, he declined to participate, handing the job over to the 80-year-old Vermont Democrat, who will take the gavel in this second impeachment trial.\n\nMr Leahy was first elected to the Senate in 1974, and is the longest serving lawmaker in the upper chamber.\n\nHe will be presiding in his role as the Senate's president pro tempore - a constitutional officer, responsible for presiding over the Senate in the absence of the vice-president.\n\nIn a statement, he said \"the president pro tempore takes an additional special oath to do impartial justice according to the Constitution and the laws\" when presiding over an impeachment trial.\n\n\"It is an oath that I take extraordinarily seriously.\"", "Many of the works in Gurlitt's collection were in poor condition when they were discovered in 2012 (file photo)\n\nWhen a trove of 1,500 artworks hoarded by the son of a Nazi-era art dealer was discovered in 2012, an investigation began to find out how many were looted from Jewish owners.\n\nEventually only 14 were conclusively identified as looted, and now Germany has declared the last of those works has been returned to the owner's heirs.\n\nDas Klavierspiel (Playing the Piano) by Carl Spitzweg was owned by music publisher Henri Hinrichsen.\n\nHe was murdered at Auschwitz in 1942.\n\nGerman Culture Minister Monika Grütters said the return of the work sent an \"important signal\", and that while it could not make up for the deep suffering, it could \"make a contribution to historical justice and fulfil our moral responsibility\".\n\nThe 19th-Century work by Spitzweg was confiscated by the Nazis in 1939, the same year that Hinrichsen had bought it.\n\nDas Klavierspiel by Carl Spitzweg was seized by the Nazis in 1939\n\nIt was bought in 1940 by Hildebrand Gurlitt, a Nazi-era dealer who had been given the task by Adolf Hitler of dealing in art seized from Jewish collectors and of buying up so-called \"degenerate art\" removed from museums for a planned Führermuseum in the Austrian city of Linz.\n\nThe money for the Spitzweg work was paid into a blocked account, so Hinrichsen would never have received it.\n\nIn 2015, the piece was identified as looted, and it was handed over to the auctioneers Christie's on Tuesday, according to the wishes of Hinrichsen's heirs.\n\nAlthough his collection of 1,500 works, plundered from museums as well as individuals, was initially confiscated after the war by the Allies, Hildebrand Gurlitt eventually managed to get it back.\n\nGurlitt died in the 1950s and when German authorities approached his widow in 1961 in search of part of his collection, she claimed the works had been destroyed at the end of World War Two by Allied bombing.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The BBC's Stephen Evans was granted exclusive access to look at some of the long-lost masterpieces in 2014\n\nIt was only when tax investigators searched the Munich flat of his son Cornelius Gurlitt in 2012 that they found more than 1,400 of the works. Another 60 pieces were discovered at his Austrian home in Salzburg the following year.\n\nThe son died in 2014 with questions still hanging over the ownership of the collection - as he was protected by a statute of limitations.\n\nA court ruled that the works could be bequeathed to the Museum of Fine Arts in the Swiss capital Bern, as Cornelius Gurlitt had requested.\n\nWhile some of the works were deemed to belong to the family, the German Lost Art Foundation then tried to find out, with the Swiss museum, who were the rightful owners of the rest.\n\nFourteen pieces have now conclusively identified as belonging to Jewish owners and returned.\n\nAmong the many masterpieces in the collection was this work by Edouard Manet", "Isabella Curry urged others to get the jab and said it was just a little \"prick in the arm\"\n\nA woman has celebrated her 100th birthday by getting a covid vaccination at home.\n\nIsabella Curry, known as Ella, from Cramlington, was among some of the most vulnerable people in Northumberland to receive the vaccine.\n\nMs Curry, who lives alone, urged others not to be afraid to get the jab and said it was just a little \"prick in the arm\" and she now felt safe.\n\nHer birthday was also marked by the arrival of a card from the Queen.\n\nShe said: \"This vaccine means I'll be able to go out, meet my friends soon and feel safe.\"\n\nIsabella Curry's nephew Neil Curry thanked the \"army\" of helpers who cared for his aunt\n\nMs Curry's nephew, Neil Curry from Bristol, said he was delighted she had had the vaccination but sad the whole family could not get together for the milestone birthday.\n\n\"We had a family reunion for Ella's 90th - we all got together in Newcastle. We would have all got together again to mark this occasion, but we couldn't,\" he said.\n\nHe also said he wanted to thank the \"army\" of people who looked after his aunt including Noreen and Jim Hutchinson, who did her shopping and cut her grass.\n\nHe also thanked June and Peter Marshall and all the other people who collected her prescriptions and mobile library books.\n\nKate Fraser, the community nurse who administered the vaccination, said: \"It's been an emotional time being able to give Isabella her vaccination.\"\n\nFollow BBC North East & Cumbria on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk.", "People's reaction to a sonic boom heard across the East of England has been caught on camera.\n\nIt happened after a Typhoon aircraft took off from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire to escort a plane to Stansted Airport because it had lost communications at about 13:05 GMT.\n\nPeople in Cambridgeshire, Essex and parts of London posted videos on social media, with one person heard asking if it was thunder.\n\nHeather Eastlake, who was filming herself exercising near Cambridge, described her reaction as being like \"a deer in the highlights\".", "Libby Squire was not seen alive after travelling to Oak Road playing fields with Pawel Relowicz, a court heard\n\nA man accused of raping and murdering a student committed a string of \"sexually motivated\" burglaries in the months before her death, a court has heard.\n\nJurors heard \"trophies\" - underwear and sex toys - stolen from other women were found after his arrest.\n\nProsecutors claim he was \"prowling the streets\" of Hull's student area in search of a victim when he intercepted the \"extremely vulnerable\" Ms Squire.\n\nSheffield Crown Court previously heard the defendant drove Ms Squire - who had earlier been refused entry to a nightclub - to the Oak Road playing fields.\n\nOnce there, jurors were told, he subjected her to an \"act of sexual violence\" before he disposed of her body in the River Hull.\n\nHer remains were found in the Humber Estuary almost seven weeks later.\n\nProsecutor Richard Wright QC said Mr Relowicz would claim Ms Squire had \"instigated consensual sexual intercourse\", and he had left her \"safe and well\" on the fields.\n\nRichard Wright QC continued to outline the case against Pawel Relowicz on Wednesday\n\nHowever, Sam Alford, who lives nearby, reported hearing a woman's \"desperate screams\" coming from the direction of the river, the court heard.\n\nProsecutors allege the screams were Ms Squire's and a man seen \"emerging from the darkness\" and fleeing the area was the defendant.\n\n\"Libby was never seen again\", Mr Wright told jurors.\n\nThe screams, and scratches to the defendant's face were evidence Ms Squire had \"fought him off\", the court heard.\n\nMr Wright said the evidence established \"that she was raped by a man whose entire motivation for coming into contact with her that night was to take her away from safety to a remote area well known to him and there to subject her to his uncontrollable sexual urges\".\n\nThe prosecutor said a pathologist concluded he could not establish how Ms Squire died despite \"an obvious bruise\" to the inside of her right thigh.\n\nMr Wright told jurors a CCTV recording made after the last sighting of Ms Squire showed Mr Relowicz performing a sex act in the middle of a street.\n\nA condom found at the scene days later yielded a DNA profile matching the defendant, the court heard.\n\nIn the year leading up to Ms Squire's disappearance, Mr Relowicz exposed himself to women in public and watched them through windows as they changed or had sex, the court heard.\n\nHe also \"burgled their homes with the purpose of stealing their underwear and sexual toys or other objects,\" Mr Wright said.\n\nUniversity of Hull student Libby Squire was last seen in the early hours of 1 February 2019\n\nFollowing his arrest on 6 February, Mr Wright said, police recovered the pink holdall \"full of sex toys... and some photographs of young women and several pairs of women's knickers and thongs\".\n\nA statement made by Ms Squire's mother, Lisa Squire, was read out in court describing her daughter having battled mental health issues including an eating disorder, self-harming - cutting the top of her arms, legs and chest - and depression.\n\nShe said her eldest child had been afraid of water since she was young, to the point she would not go near a swimming pool when on holiday. She was also scared of the dark, jurors were told.\n\nStatements by Ms Squire's boyfriend Connor James-Pye were also read out, in which he described Libby as being \"a happy drunk\" and that she \"didn't understand moderation\".\n\nHowever, on the night she disappeared, the court heard Ms Squire \"didn't want to go out because she had a lecture the next morning, but she didn't want to let the girls down\".\n\nMr James-Pye last heard from his girlfriend at about 22:30 on 31 January, jurors heard.\n\nThe 21-year-old's body was recovered from the Humber Estuary on 20 March 2019\n\nFollow BBC East Yorkshire and Lincolnshire on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "The button battery was stuck in Sofia-Grace's throat for four months\n\nAn 11-month-old girl who was rejecting solid food had a button battery lodged in her throat for four months.\n\nDoctors thought Sofia-Grace Hill had tonsillitis or a viral infection until an X-ray revealed the battery the size of a 10p in her oesophagus.\n\nShe underwent a two-hour operation to remove it and is now on a liquid only diet.\n\nA surgeon said her survival may be due to the battery being old and without charge.\n\nDad Calham, from Swindon, first noticed something was wrong in January 2020 and had countless paramedic call-outs and visits to the GP and local hospital.\n\nShe had a two-hour operation to remove the battery\n\nHe was convinced there was something else going on as Sofia-Grace would only eat pureed food.\n\nAfter another hospital trip in May, she was given an X-ray which showed the battery lodged in her oesophagus was causing serious damage as it had corroded.\n\nMr Hill said: \"I was gutted when I saw it and angry at myself. I blamed myself, but now I realise there was nothing we could have done to know.\"\n\nThe button battery is the size of a 10p\n\nSofia-Grace had a feeding tube fitted to help her with food and to stop her throat from closing.\n\nEvery two weeks she has a general anaesthetic to stretch her oesophagus but faces the prospect of further surgery.\n\nMr Hill said: \"The damage has left a pocket in her oesophagus which needs to close but Sofia is improving week by week with regular dilations which is improving her oesophagus.\n\n\"But I know the chance of survival in the first weeks after this happens is very low so we are moving in the right direction.\"\n\nSofia-Grace is improving week by week, her dad said\n\nMr Hill is unsure how Sofia-Grace, now almost two-years-old, got hold of the button battery and warned parents about the dangers.\n\nHe said: \"Just get rid of them or lock them away and don't give your child car keys to play with. Always trust your instincts as a parent.\"\n\nJanet McNally, consultant paediatric surgeon at Bristol Royal Hospital for Children, who is treating Sofia-Grace, said her survival may be because the battery was old and had lost its charge.\n\nShe said that without someone seeing a child swallow a battery or obvious symptoms it was not unusual for it to be missed.\n\n\"Clinicians and the government have been warning of the dangers of button batteries for a long time. But not all parents are aware of how dangerous they can be.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Brazil's variant: Two 'spike' changes flagged up\n\nAs MPs have been mentioning today - a coronavirus variant has been found circulating in the Amazonas state of Brazil, and was picked up in Japan in travellers from the region. It’s different from the UK and South African variants, but it contains common mutations - two changes to the virus’ \"spike\" in particular which have been flagged as potentially making the virus more infectious. This is not going to be the last mutation we hear about. At the moment changes are mainly being picked up in areas that do lots of genetic tracking of the virus - it’s almost certain there are other mutations already circulating unseen in other parts of the world. And the virus will continue to mutate - it’s just a question of how, how much and how fast. For now there’s no evidence the virus is becoming more dangerous - but if more people catch it then, left unchecked, more will potentially become ill or die. But the vaccines, which target several different areas of the virus’ spike, should still work - though that’s something that scientists the world over will be monitoring very closely.", "The three main Covid-19 vaccines are from Pfizer-BioNTech, the University of Oxford and Astra-Zeneca and Moderna.\n\nThe Pfizer, Oxford and Moderna vaccines each require two doses and you are not fully vaccinated until you have had both shots.\n\nBut there are many differences between them.\n\nThe BBC's Laura Foster looks at how much immunity they give, how they prevent infection and how they compare.", "Parents say teachers at special schools often provide medical care and should be treated like other front-line workers\n\nParents of children with special educational needs and disabilities are calling for teachers in special schools to be vaccinated against Covid-19.\n\nMany parents have been told their children cannot attend school because of safety concerns about the virus.\n\nNow they want staff in special schools to be prioritised for the vaccine and considered front-line workers.\n\nThe government said special schools should encourage pupils to attend.\n\nLaura cares for son Oscar alone and says their respite support collapsed during the pandemic\n\nStaff in special schools are often required to provide personal and medical care for pupils, such as clearing tracheotomies, on top of regular teaching responsibilities.\n\nThe schools also offer precious respite to many families of disabled children who require a lot of additional care.\n\nLaura Godfrey, 33, from Norwich, is mum to nine-year-old Oscar, who usually attends a school for children with complex needs. His return was delayed at the start of term, despite government advice for these schools to remain open.\n\n\"His school provision is essential to us as a family. Oscar's mental health suffered a lot in the first lockdown, as did mine. It was a very dark time.\"\n\nHe is currently attending school, but Laura worries it could be forced to close in the event of an outbreak.\n\nShe is calling for staff at special schools to be given PPE and access to the vaccine, to keep schools open and protect vulnerable pupils.\n\n\"They should be recognised and treated as front-line staff and afforded the same protections.\"\n\nLaura's calls have been echoed by Mark Powell, CEO of the Dorset-based Diverse Abilities charity which runs a special school in Poole.\n\nStaff at Langside School in Poole were provided with PPE at the start of the pandemic\n\nThe school bought its own PPE in order to remain open during the pandemic but said it was \"very difficult and extremely costly\".\n\nMr Powell described PPE as a \"wonderful barrier to prevent the spread of the virus\" but said it had also been \"a devastating barrier to the development and well-being of our pupils\".\n\n\"The fact we have nurses, physiotherapists, and occupational therapists on site to form part of our children's school provision means that our school can be classified as a health setting, which are at the top of the list for priority vaccinations.\"\n\nThe Department for Education said the impact of being out of education \"can be greatest on vulnerable children and those with education, health and care plans\".\n\nIt said special schools should \"continue to welcome and encourage pupils to go into school full-time\" where possible and \"ensure pupils with Send can successfully access remote education\" if they are unable to attend.", "Last updated on .From the section Premier League\n\nIvan Cavaleiro scored a late header to earn Premier League strugglers Fulham a hard-fought draw against Tottenham in their hastily rearranged London derby.\n\nThe Portuguese forward's finish cancelled out Harry Kane's first-half diving header and came just minutes after Son Heung-min hit the post in search of Spurs' second.\n\nCavaleiro sealed a remarkable turnaround for a side whose manager Scott Parker said it was \"scandalous\" to be given just two days' notice to face Jose Mourinho's men after Spurs' game at Aston Villa was postponed because of a Covid-19 outbreak in the Villa camp.\n\nTottenham boss Mourinho had little sympathy for the visitors as the derby itself was a rearranged fixture, having been called off three hours before kick-off when originally scheduled on 30 December.\n\nFor all the complications surrounding the fixture, the intensity from two sides at opposite ends of the table was high at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with Fulham's fifth successive league draw a valuable point in their efforts to escape the relegation zone.\n• None Relive Tottenham v Fulham as it happened and analysis\n\nFulham made a bright start and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa's fierce shot to test Hugo Lloris was a warning of what was to come from a side who remain 18th despite the draw.\n\nThe excellent Alphonse Areola twice denied Son in the first 45 minutes, first blocking a toe-poked effort before palming a header away.\n\nAreola could do nothing, however, to deny Kane the opener in the 25th minute, with the striker beating the Frenchman with a thumping diving header from an excellently-placed Sergio Reguilon cross.\n\nKane was off target with another header and Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Kenny Tete threatened to respond for the visitors, who had the woodwork to thank for denying Son in the second half after the South Korean scuffed a shot past Areola.\n\nSubstitute Ademola Lookman was instrumental following his introduction, creating the equaliser for Cavaleiro seven minutes after coming off the bench.\n\nThe powerful finish extended Fulham's unbeaten run to five league matches, which is their longest such sequence in the top flight in three Premier League campaigns since 2012-13.\n\nThis latest draw highlights just how resolute Parker's men have become after a slow start to the campaign, in which they collected just one point from their first six matches.\n\nSpurs punished for reliance on Kane and Son\n\nWhile the Cottagers may be in the relegation places and had lost a record 13 successive top-flight matches to London rivals, they presented a significantly sterner test of Mourinho's men than non-league side Marine - a team made up of NHS workers, teachers and a refuse collector - which Spurs cruised past in the third round of the FA Cup on Sunday.\n\nThe prolific pair of Kane and Son, a duo that has now scored 23 of Tottenham's 30 league goals this term, were among 10 to return to Spurs' starting line-up.\n\nSon was an unused substitute on their trip to Crosby but Kane, along with Lloris, Eric Dier, Serge Aurier and Harry Winks came back from being rested.\n\nWhile Kane was clinical with the nodded finish, he reacted in frustration as he flicked another header off target.\n\nThat miss, as well as the wastefulness of Reguilon - who sent an early effort over - and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg's tame strike, ensured Fulham were still in it at half-time.\n\nMoussa Sissoko also dithered in the box when an early second-half chance presented itself, allowing Tosin Adarabioyo to superbly block.\n\nSon's effort off the post, and their reliance on him and Kane for goals, ultimately proved costly as Cavaleiro ended the hosts' run of three clean sheets in January.\n\nAnd while Reguilon did have the ball in the back of the net again for Tottenham in the final minute, it was immediately disallowed for offside as Spurs missed the chance to move up to third in the table.\n\n'Some players had one day's training' - what the managers said\n\nTottenham manager Jose Mourinho, speaking to BBC Sport: \"In the first half Alphonse Areola made some impossible saves, a couple of others in the second, too.\n\n\"We have to kill a game and we didn't - but you have to keep a clean sheet, not make mistakes, so it was a very avoidable goal. The markers are there, there wasn't even an advantage in terms of numbers.\n\n\"Fulham were intelligent enough to understand the way they play, they change, they become more defensive and they are getting results. I thought they were a bit lucky but they were good.\n\n\"We have bad results and we should - and we could have - avoided these results.\"\n\nFulham boss Scott Parker, speaking to BBC Sport: \"I'm very proud of this team for what we've been through. There's a lot of talk around - everyone assumes about what happened. I know what we've been through the last two weeks.\n\n\"We had players out there today who had one day's training. What pleased me most was a desire and a passion and a real quality at times tonight.\n\n\"There's a real determination and hard work from this group of players. They've never shied away from anything.\"\n\nOn Monday's announcement of the game with Tottenham: \"We were told, in the end, at 9:30. It was put to me on Saturday, if there was a possibility, but I just batted it off thinking 'no chance'.\n\n\"This game was supposed to be scheduled 16 days ago - for 10 days some of these boys were locked up in their houses. I was surprised but it wasn't in terms of preparing for this game, we've prepared in two days for a game before, it was more just getting told of the consequences that you face.\"\n\nBest of the stats\n• None Tottenham and Fulham played out their first draw in the Premier League since December 2009, with Spurs winning 10 of the last 11 encounters (L1).\n• None Tottenham are unbeaten in their last eight London derbies in the Premier League (W3 D5), they've never gone longer without defeat against sides from the capital in the competition.\n• None Fulham have drawn five consecutive Premier League games, their longest such run since January 2007 (six games).\n• None Fulham have gained five points in their last four Premier League away games (W1 D2 L1), more than they collected in their previous 13 on the road in the competition (W1 D1 L11).\n• None Only Brighton (12) and Sheffield United (11) have dropped more points from winning positions than Spurs (10) in the Premier League this season.\n• None Tottenham's Harry Kane has become just the third player to score 25 Premier League goals with his head (25), his right foot (94) and his left foot (34) - after Robbie Fowler and Andy Cole.\n• None Ademola Lookman has been directly involved in five goals (two goals, three assists) in the Premier League this season, more than any other Fulham player.\n\nTottenham travel to Bramall Lane on Sunday (14:05 GMT) to face the Premier League's bottom side Sheffield United, who on Tuesday earned their first top-flight win of the season.\n\nFulham face Chelsea in another derby, hosting their west London rivals on Saturday (17:30 GMT).\n• None Offside, Tottenham Hotspur. Erik Lamela tries a through ball, but Son Heung-Min is caught offside.\n• None Attempt blocked. Antonee Robinson (Fulham) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Aboubakar Kamara. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page\n• None Can the TV personality make it as a pro footballer?\n• None New drama brings the chilling crimes of Charles Sobhraj to life", "Doctors' leaders have called for urgent improvements in personal protective equipment for health workers.\n\nThe British Medical Association is appealing for a higher grade of face mask to guard against coronavirus infection.\n\nIt says there is 'growing evidence' that the virus is being spread through the air by aerosols.\n\nThese are tiny virus particles that can build up in stuffy rooms and they have been linked to outbreaks of Covid-19.\n\nThis follows an open letter from more than 1,500 health professionals for staff on general wards to be given the type of high-quality masks usually only worn in intensive care units.\n\nPublic Health England (PHE) has issued guidance on what PPE staff in different settings require. It was last updated in October 2020.\n\nEarly in the pandemic, it was widely believed that to catch the disease you had to either be close to an infected person and hit by droplets from their coughs or sneezes or touch a surface they had contaminated.\n\nBut research during the course of last year highlighted how it is also possible for the virus to be carried in what are called aerosols, drifting and accumulating in the air.\n\nMost infections are thought to have occurred indoors in badly ventilated rooms, and many studies have shown that the 'airborne route' can be an important factor.\n\nAcross the UK, the guidance for hospital staff is to wear surgical masks in most areas.\n\nMore sophisticated masks - a type known as FFP3 that includes an air filter - are only required in intensive care or when certain procedures are carried out that are known to generate aerosols.\n\nIn their letter, the consultants, doctors and nurses say healthcare workers are three to four times more likely to become infected than the general population.\n\nBut they point out that staff in intensive care units, who have the best level of protection, have about half the risk of catching the virus than colleagues on general wards.\n\nThe letter states: \"It is now essential that healthcare workers have their PPE upgraded to protect against airborne transmission\".\n\nBarry McAree, a consultant surgeon in Northern Ireland, is one of many healthcare workers to be ill with Covid.\n\nHe is self-isolating at home right after his testing positive for the second time.\n\nA signatory to the letter, he says his hospital in Antrim followed the guidance about which type of masks should be worn in which areas, but he became infected nonetheless. It is not clear how and when he caught it.\n\n\"There's so much evidence that we are talking about an airborne infection that it has to be said that it is not appropriate just to wear FFP3 in environments when aerosol generating procedures take place.\"\n\nHe believes that with such high levels of the virus in the community and in hospitals, staff should be wearing the higher-grade masks whenever they're close to patients.\n\nSurgical masks can be bought online for about 10p each, while the FFP3 masks are far more expensive about £5.00.\n\nDr Barry Jones, a retired gastroenterologist and leading expert on aerosols, says that's nothing compared to the cost of a patient with Covid,\n\nHe points to data showing that roughly a fifth of people needing hospital treatment for Covid may have acquired the infection in hospital in the first place.\n\n\"We should do everything we can to reduce that possibility - it's the air we share that's killing us.\"\n\nA few hospitals have decided to break with official guidance.\n\nIt's understood that hospitals in Cambridge, Plymouth and Exeter have decided to equip staff with FFP3 masks if they face patients diagnosed with Covid or suspected of having it.\n\nOne consultant, who did not want to be named, said: \"When you realise patients are more infectious at an earlier stage of disease and are presenting at general wards with poorer ventilation than intensive care units and staff are wearing a poorer quality of PPE, you really want those in a position of leadership to listen and to act.\"\n\nRCN General Secretary Dame Donna Kinnair, said: \"Without delay, they must state whether existing PPE guidance is adequate for the new variant.\n\n\"While more research is carried out, we ask for the precautionary principle to be applied and staff to be given a higher level of PPE if working with suspected or confirmed cases.\"\n\nPublic Health England said this was a matter for NHS England to comment on.\n\nA Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: \"The safety of NHS and social care staff has always been our top priority and we continue to work tirelessly to deliver PPE that protects those on the frontline.\n\n\"UK guidance on the safest levels of PPE is written by experts and agreed by all four chief medical officers. Our guidance is kept under constant review based on the latest evidence and data.\n\n\"Emerging evidence and data, including on variant strains, will be continually monitored and reviewed, and the guidance updated accordingly if needed.\"", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Home Secretary Priti Patel: \"Our selfless police officers... will enforce the regulations and I will back them to do so\"\n\nPeople have been urged to \"play your part\" and follow Covid rules by Home Secretary Priti Patel, who says she will back police to enforce laws.\n\nAt a No 10 briefing, Ms Patel said a minority were \"putting the health of the nation at risk\" by flouting rules.\n\nPolice are \"moving more quickly to issuing fines\", she added, with nearly 45,000 fixed penalty notices issued across the UK.\n\nAnother 1,243 people have died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid.\n\nAnd there have been a further 45,533 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK.\n\nMeanwhile, another 145,076 people have received a first dose of a coronavirus vaccine, and 20,768 a second dose, bringing the totals respectively to 2,431,648 and 412,167.\n\nAt the briefing, Ms Patel said: \"My message today to anyone refusing to do the right thing is simple: if you do not play your part, our selfless police officers - who are out there risking their own lives every day to keep us safe - they will enforce the regulations.\n\n\"And I will back them to do so, to protect our NHS and to save lives.\"\n\nIt comes after the UK's most senior police officer said lockdown rule-breakers were more likely to be fined as Covid laws would be enforced \"more quickly\".\n\nMetropolitan Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick said her officers had been forced to break up parties, despite hospitals in London struggling to cope with rising patient numbers.\n\nChairman of the National Police Chiefs' Council Martin Hewitt, who also spoke at the Downing Street briefing, said people should be asking themselves whether their reason for leaving home was \"truly essential\".\n\nHe stressed that police officers had been \"putting themselves at risk in order to keep people safe\", and said it had been \"disappointing\" to see some of the behaviour by rule-breakers.\n\nHe said examples of recent breaches included:\n\nMr Hewitt said he made \"no apology\" for police issuing fines, and warned people breaking rules - such as by organising parties or not wearing face coverings on public transport - to \"expect\" a fine.\n\nAsked if there needed to be more clarity on the guidance around exercise and staying local, Mr Hewitt said it would be wrong to put a \"particular distance\" on how far people could exercise from their home - as it would be too difficult for police to enforce.\n\nHe said it was right there was an exception to allow people to exercise, but insisted it was the public's responsibility to make sure they were doing so safely.\n\nThere is a big focus on adherence to lockdown rules. But what has almost gone unnoticed is the fact that cases may have actually started falling.\n\nThere has now been two consecutive days where newly diagnosed cases have hovered around the 46,000 mark. Up to the weekend, the average was close to 60,000.\n\nThe drop has largely been driven by falls in new cases in London, the south east and east of England.\n\nIn some regions, cases are still going up. The north west of England is causing particular concern.\n\nIt is too early for the vaccination programme to be having any significant impact, so a combination of the national lockdown on top of the tier four restrictions that were imposed in some areas before Christmas look like they may be beginning to have an impact.\n\nCare must be taken in reading too much into a couple of days' data.\n\nHospital cases are still rising - patients being admitted at the moment are the ones who were infected a week or so ago - but it does at least offer a glimmer of hope.\n\nLater in the news conference, NHS medical director for London Dr Vin Diwakar said the capital's Nightingale hospital has reopened and was admitting patients to help with the coronavirus spread.\n\nHe told reporters it was taking non-Covid patients to help free up beds in London's hospitals.\n\nDr Diwakar warned that if levels of hospitalisation in the capital continued to rise then more patients would need to be transferred out of London, adding that the NHS across the country was under pressure.\n\nIn Birmingham, 200 doctors are being redeployed to one of the country's largest intensive care units as it nears capacity.\n\nThe University Hospitals Birmingham Trust said there were 873 patients with Covid-19 in their hospitals, with 125 in intensive care.\n\nEarlier, crime and policing minister Kit Malthouse said people have a \"duty\" to make this lockdown \"the last one\".\n\n\"We are urging the small minority of people who aren't taking this seriously to do so now, and [we say] to them that, if they don't, they are much more likely to get fined by the police,\" he told BBC Breakfast.\n\nDame Cressida told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the move towards greater enforcement was \"common sense\" rather than a show of \"dictatorial policing\".\n\nFines start at £200 in England and Northern Ireland, and £60 in Wales and Scotland. Large parties can be shut down by the police, with fines of up to £10,000.\n\nEngland is currently under a national lockdown, meaning people must stay at home and can go out only for limited reasons such as food shopping, exercise, or work if they cannot do so from home.\n\nSimilar lockdown measures are in place across much of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland - all of which are in charge of deciding and enforcing their own coronavirus restrictions.\n• None Could I be fined for exercising?", "YouTube has become the latest social network to suspend President Trump.\n\nThe Google-owned service has prevented his account from uploading new videos or live-streaming material for a minimum of seven days, and has said it may extend the period.\n\nThe firm said the channel had broken its rules over the incitement of violence.\n\nThe president had posted several videos on Tuesday night, some of which remain online.\n\nGoogle has not provided details of what Mr Trump said in the video it banned, however the BBC has discovered it was a clip from a press conference he had given on Tuesday.\n\nThe move came hours after civil rights groups had threatened to organise an ads boycott against YouTube.\n\nPresident Trump's YouTube channel remains live but he cannot post new videos\n\nJim Steyer - who previously helped coordinate similar action against Facebook last year - had called on Google to go further and take the president's channel offline.\n\n\"We hope they will make it permanent. It is disappointing that it took a Trump-incited attack to get here, but appears that the major platforms are finally beginning to step up,\" he tweeted after the suspension.YouTube suspends Donald Trump's channel\n\nGoogle said that Mr Trump could still face his page being closed if he falls foul of its three-strikes policy.\n\n\"After review, and in light of concerns about the ongoing potential for violence, we removed new content uploaded to Donald J Trump's channel for violating our policies,\" it said in a statement.\n\n\"It now has its first strike and is temporarily prevented from uploading new content for a minimum of seven days.\n\n\"Given the ongoing concerns about violence, we will also be indefinitely disabling comments on President Trump's channel, as we've done to other channels where there are safety concerns found in the comments section.\"\n\nMeanwhile, Apple chief Tim Cook told CBS News that those involved with the riots on the US Capitol last week should be held accountable.\n\n\"Everyone that had a part in it needs to be held accountable. I think no one is above the law. We're a rule of law country.\"\n\nHe did not mention President Trump by name, but added: \"I don't think we should let it go. This is something we've got to be serious about.\"\n\nMr Trump had already been suspended by Facebook and Instagram following last week's rioting on Capitol Hill, until at least the transition of power to Joe Biden on 20 January.\n\nTwitter has gone further by imposing a permanent ban.\n\nAmazon's Twitch has also disabled his account on its platform. And Snapchat has locked his account.\n\nShopify, Pinterest, TikTok and Reddit have also taken steps to restrict content associated with the president and his calls for the results of the US election to be challenged.\n\nYouTube has often been behind its social media rivals when it comes to moderating user-posted content.\n\nOver the years it has come under fire from campaign groups and big advertisers for not acting swiftly.\n\nNow it has followed Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat in restricting Donald Trump's access to its platform.\n\nAnd as so often, there's a lack of transparency about exactly what prompted the President's suspension.\n\nIt's only saying that a video violated its policies on incitement to violence, but is indicating that the issue was the President's remarks to reporters on Tuesday where he refused to take responsibility for the attack on Congress.\n\nOf course, those comments were broadcast on TV channels, including the BBC, and are still widely available.\n\nIt's not long ago that the social media landscape was being described as the Wild West when it came to moderating content - now the platforms suddenly seem eager to appear more cautious than the mainstream media.\n\nIt's amazing what the threat of regulation can do.", "A further 1,564 people have died in the UK within 28 days of a positive Covid test - the biggest figure reported in a single day since the pandemic began.\n\nIt brings the total number of deaths by that measure to 84,767.\n\nDr Yvonne Doyle, medical director at Public Health England, said there have now been more deaths in the second wave than the first.\n\nAnd the prime minister warned there was a \"very substantial\" risk of intensive care capacity being \"overtopped\".\n\nSpeaking to the Commons Liaison Committee, Boris Johnson said the situation was \"very, very tough\" in the NHS and the strain on staff was \"colossal\".\n\nHe appealed to the public to follow lockdown rules, which require people in England to stay at home and only go out for limited reasons, such as for food shopping, exercise, or work if they cannot do so from home.\n\nSimilar measures are in place across much of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.\n\nA further 47,525 new cases have also been recorded.\n\nPerhaps the most distressing element about the latest Covid deaths is that the numbers are almost certainly going to rise from here.\n\nPeople who are dying now are likely to have been infected three or so weeks ago, around Christmas time.\n\nThat was at a point when infection rates were rising quite steeply, so in the coming days and weeks we should, sadly, expect to see more deaths than this being reported.\n\nToday's figures are affected by the weekend, which sees delays in reporting deaths that tend to translate into higher figures from Tuesday onwards.\n\nCurrently around 1,000 people a day on average are dying once you take this into account.\n\nBut the figures also provide some hope. For the third day in a row the number of newly diagnosed infections are well below 50,000.\n\nThere have been several days where they have exceeded 60,000.\n\nIf that trend continues, and the number of new cases keeps coming down, that will eventually translate into the number of deaths falling.\n\nBut it is going to take some weeks for that to happen.\n\nThese are, as many have been saying, the darkest days of the pandemic so far.\n\nEarlier, during Prime Minister's Questions, Mr Johnson said lockdown measures were \"starting to show signs of some effect\".\n\nLabour's Sir Keir Starmer called for tougher restrictions in England, asking why they were weaker in this lockdown compared with March.\n\nDuring the first lockdown, nurseries were closed to most children and it was not permitted to exercise with someone from another household.\n\n\"We keep things under constant review,\" Mr Johnson replied. \"If there is any need to toughen up restrictions - which I don't rule out - we will of course come to this House.\"\n\nHe stressed that it was early days, but said: \"The lockdown measures we have in place combined with tier four measures that we were using are starting to show signs of some effect.\"\n\nLater, asked by the Commons Liaison Committee whether schools could reopen after February half-term, Mr Johnson said: \"It is far, far too early for us to say [early signs of progress mean] we can go into any kind of relaxation in the middle of February, we've got to work very hard to achieve that.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Boris Johnson took questions from MPs on the Commons Liaison Committee\n\nThe prime minister also said on Wednesday that Covid vaccinations will be offered 24 hours a day, seven days a week as soon as supply allows.\n\nThe number of people in the UK who have received the first dose of a vaccine has risen to 2,639,309 - up by 207,661 from the day before.\n\nCommenting on the latest daily figures, PHE's Dr Doyle said: \"With each passing day, more and more people are tragically losing their lives to this terrible virus.\"\n\nShe added: \"It is essential that we stay at home, minimise contact with other people and act as if you have the virus.\"\n\nThe vast majority of the deaths reported on Tuesday happened over the past week. However, at least 100 were in 2020, with one death dating back to May.\n\nThe previous highest daily death toll was on Friday, when 1,325 people were reported to have died.\n\nThese government figures count people who died within 28 days of testing positive, but there are other ways of measuring the total number of deaths.\n\nWhen all deaths where coronavirus is mentioned on the death certificate are counted, plus deaths known to have occurred more recently, the number of deaths involving Covid in the UK is more than 100,000.\n\nAnother method is to count excess deaths - all deaths over and above the usual number at the time of year.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Johnson: \"We are taking steps to ensure that we do not see the import of this new variant\".\n\nMeanwhile, the prime minister has said he is \"concerned\" about a new coronavirus variant that is believed to have emerged in Brazil. He acknowledged it is not yet clear how effective existing vaccines will be against the latest new variant.\n\nThe UK is taking steps to make sure it is not brought into the country, Mr Johnson said.\n\nA government Covid committee is meeting on Thursday to discuss the possibility of stopping flights from Brazil.\n\nArrivals from Brazil already have to self-isolate for 10 days.\n\nAnd from Monday, anyone arriving into the UK from any country will have to present a negative Covid test. The new rule had been due to come into force this week but the government said it was being put back to give travellers more time to prepare.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nHundreds of people have joined a march organised following claims a man died hours after being released by police in Cardiff.\n\nThe family of Mohamud Mohammed Hassan, 24, claim he was assaulted in custody.\n\nMore than 300 people took part in a march from the city centre to Cardiff Bay police station.\n\nSouth Wales Police said it found no evidence of excessive force. The police watchdog said initial tests showed Mr Hassan was not killed by any injuries.\n\nThe Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said toxicology tests were now being carried out and it was awaiting the full post-mortem results.\n\nEarlier, First Minister Mark Drakeford said the reports of Mr Hassan's death were \"deeply concerning\".\n\nMr Hassan was arrested at his Roath home on Friday on suspicion of breach of the peace but released without charge on Saturday morning.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nMr Hassan's aunt Zainab Hassan told BBC Wales she had seen Mr Hassan within an hour of his release.\n\n\"He was released on Saturday morning with lots of wounds on his body and lots of bruises,\" she said.\n\n\"He didn't have these wounds when he was arrested and when he came out of Cardiff Bay police station, he had them.\"\n\nIn a virtual session of the Welsh Parliament on Monday, Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price said: \"Every effort should be made to seek the truth of what happened.\"\n\nHe said he wanted to know why Mr Hassan was arrested and what happened during his arrest.\n\nMr Hassan's aunt Zainab Hassan said she saw him after his release\n\n\"Why did this young man die?,\" he added.\n\nMr Price said any inquiry should not be prejudged, but asked if the first minister would \"help the family find those answers\".\n\nIn response, Mr Drakeford said reports of the story were \"deeply concerning\".\n\n\"Our thoughts must be with the family of a young man who was... a fit and healthy individual,\" the Cardiff West MS said.\n\nMark Drakeford said he was deeply concerned by the reports\n\nMr Drakeford, who said the death must be \"properly investigated\", said the first step in any inquiry would be to allow the IOPC to carry out their work, which he said he expected \"to be done rigorously and with full and visible independence\".\n\nHe added that if there were things the Welsh Government could do \"I will make sure that we attend properly to those\".\n\nProtesters on Tuesday afternoon chanted \"no justice, no peace\" and called for the police force to release CCTV of Mr Hassan's time in custody.\n\nProtesters on Tuesday afternoon marched from the city centre to Cardiff Bay\n\nIn a statement on Monday, South Wales Police said Mr Hassan was arrested at his home in Newport Road on Friday night and taken to Cardiff Bay police station.\n\nHe was released at 08:30 GMT on Saturday and officers returned to the property at about 22:30 following his death.\n\nIt added: \"As part of the South Wales Police investigation CCTV and body-worn video has already been, and will continue to be, examined.\n\n\"This will assist in establishing and understanding the events that took place.\n\n\"Early findings by the force indicate no misconduct issues and no excessive force.\"\n\nProtesters were heard chanting \"no justice, no peace\"\n\nCatrin Evans, the IOPC's director for Wales, said its investigation would focus on Mr Hassan's arrest, the journey in a police van to custody and his time at Cardiff Bay police station, including whether relevant assessments were made before he was released.\n\nShe said they would be \"urgently examining the extensive relevant CCTV footage and body-worn video\" and would be speaking to the officers involved as well as witnesses who saw his arrest on Friday evening and his movements the next day after leaving custody.\n\nShe added: \"I send my condolences to Mr Hassan's family and friends, and to everyone affected by his sad death.\n\n\"We are aware of concerns being expressed and questions being asked about use of force by police officers. We will look carefully at the level of force used during the interaction and I would urge people show patience while our inquiries, which will take some time, are made.\"\n\nMs Evans added: \"An interim report from a post-mortem examination is awaited.\n\n\"Preliminary indications are that there is no physical trauma injury to explain a cause of death, and toxicology tests are required.\"\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Bonnie Watson Coleman is one of three Democratic lawmakers to have tested positive since the invasion of the US Capitol\n\nThree US lawmakers have tested positive for the coronavirus after sheltering for hours with colleagues during last week's deadly assault on the Capitol.\n\nHouse Democrats Bonnie Watson Coleman, Pramila Jayapal and Brad Schneider have announced their diagnoses.\n\nLast Wednesday they hunkered down in secure rooms, seeking refuge from an invasion of Congress in which five people died.\n\nSome Republicans were not wearing masks during the ordeal, footage suggests.\n\nVideo shared by Punchbowl News shows several lawmakers apparently refusing facemasks offered to them.\n\nHowever, CBS pictures from inside the chamber show Ms Jayapal was herself not wearing a mask at one point.\n\nMedical experts fear more lawmakers may have contracted the disease, potentially amounting to a super-spreader event at a time when coronavirus infections and deaths continue to rise in the US.\n\nThe US has recorded the highest number of coronavirus infections (22.6 million) and deaths (367,000) in the world, with no sign of the epidemic abating, despite the limited roll-out of vaccines.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. When a mob stormed the US capitol\n\nOver the weekend, top congressional doctor Brian Monahan told lawmakers and congressional staff who sheltered together from the riots to get tested.\n\n\"The time in this room was several hours for some and briefer for others,\" Mr Monahan said. \"During this time, individuals may have been exposed to another occupant with coronavirus infection.\"\n\nMr Monahan did not say how many lawmakers were in the room, but called on them to observe social-distancing measures and wear masks.\n\nNew Jersey Democratic Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman was the first lawmaker to confirm she had tested positive on Monday. In a tweet, the 75-year-old cancer survivor said she was resting at home with \"mild, cold-like symptoms\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nMs Jayapal, a Democrat from Washington state, and Illinois congressman Mr Schneider revealed they had tested positive on Tuesday.\n\nAll three Democrats accused Republican lawmakers of refusing to wear masks as they huddled together for safety last Wednesday.\n\n\"Any member who refuses to wear a mask should be fully held accountable for endangering our lives,\" Ms Jayapal wrote, calling for mask transgressors to be fined.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Rep. Pramila Jayapal This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThe wearing of masks has been an explosive political issue throughout the pandemic in the US, with some lawmakers openly refusing to don a face covering.\n\nA Republican congressman, Jake LaTurner of Kansas, tested positive for Covid-19 after participating in a House vote to reject Arizona's presidential election results on Wednesday.\n\nBut on Tuesday, Mr LaTurner's spokesperson told the Topeka Capital-Journal newspaper that he was not in the secure area of the Capitol building where multiple members have since tested positive.\n\nOn Friday Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), had warned that Wednesday's rioting would probably have significant health consequences.\n\n\"You have to anticipate that this is another surge event,\" he told the McClatchy news agency. \"You had largely unmasked individuals in a non-distanced fashion, who were all through the Capitol.\"\n\nCoronavirus has swept through the heart of the American political establishment during the pandemic. One notable outbreak happened in September last year, when an event was held at the White House to announce the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett as a Supreme Court justice.\n\nSoon after, US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump tested positive for the virus, along with numerous other senior government officials.", "Tesco, Asda and Waitrose have become the latest supermarkets to say they will deny entry to shoppers who do not wear face masks unless they are medically exempt.\n\nIt follows a similar move by Morrisons, while Sainsbury's says it will challenge those who flout the rules.\n\nRetailers have been criticised for not doing enough to stop people breaking Covid rules as infections spread.\n\nBut enforcement of face coverings is officially a police responsibility.\n\nHowever, supermarkets can deny entry to their premises which is private property, and can call the police if someone refuses to follow the rules or becomes abusive.\n\nSenior police figures have reportedly said there is little officers can do to enforce the rules in shops because they are so busy.\n\nBut policing minister Kit Malthouse said that they would offer \"backup if things go seriously wrong\".\n\n\"What we hope is that in the vast majority of cases the enforcement, or the reminders if you like, put in place by the store owners will be enough,\" he told BBC News.\n\nA Tesco spokeswoman said the supermarket chain had decided to strengthen its policies.\n\n\"To protect our customers and colleagues, we won't let anyone into our stores who is not wearing a face covering, unless they are exempt in line with government guidance,\" she said.\n\n\"We are also asking our customers to shop alone, unless they're a carer or with children. To support our colleagues, we will have additional security in stores to help manage this.\"\n\nAn Asda spokesman said if customers had forgotten their face coverings, it would continue to offer them one free of charge.\n\nBut he added: \"Should a customer refuse to wear a covering without a valid medical reason and be in any way challenging to our colleagues about doing so, our security colleagues will refuse their entry.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. How to wear your mask. Hint: it's not any of these three options\n\nAndrew Murphy, executive director of operations at Waitrose, said: \"We've listened carefully to the clear change in tone and emphasis of the views and information shared by the UK's governments in recent days.\n\n\"By insisting on the wearing of face coverings, over and above the social distancing measures we already have in place, we aim to make our shops even safer for customers.\"\n\nOn Tuesday, Sainsbury's told the BBC it did not have the power to deny entry to shoppers without masks. However, trials showed customers complied more when asked to wear masks by security guards at the door, it said.\n\nIn an interview with the BBC, Sainsbury's boss, Simon Roberts, said \"we are not going to ban customers\".\n\nBut he urged shoppers to wear a mask and shop alone.\n\n\"By doing that we will help keep everybody safe,\" he said.\n\nThe Co-op also said it would not ban shoppers without masks from entering, and instead urged customers to take responsibility for wearing a face covering when visiting its stores, as it was mandatory by law.\n\nBoss of Co-op Food Jo Whitfield said: \"We've increased our in-store messaging to remind customers and government guidance does state that the police can take measures if members of the public don't comply with this law.\"\n\nIceland said it would take a similar approach, adding the vast majority of its customers continued to shop in compliance with the law.\n\n\"In view of the rising tide of abuse and violence being directed at our store colleagues, we do not expect them to confront the small minority of customers who aggressively refuse to comply with the law,\" a spokesman added.\n\nIn England, the police can issue a £200 fine to someone breaking the face covering rules. In Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, a £60 fine can be imposed. Repeat offenders face bigger fines.", "President Trump has just become the first sitting president to be impeached twice by the US House of Representatives.\n\nWe asked members of our BBC voter panel to weigh in as well.\n\nHere's what they said:\n\nQuote Message: Everything he has done is unconstitutional and, as a president, the number one thing he should be doing is upholding the Constitution. If not for him continually fighting the election results and claiming the election was stolen, if not for him holding that rally near the Capitol, if not for him talking about 'uprising', last week would very likely not have happened. Unfortunately it was completely predictable. from Melissa Dangaran 51, from Minnesota Everything he has done is unconstitutional and, as a president, the number one thing he should be doing is upholding the Constitution. If not for him continually fighting the election results and claiming the election was stolen, if not for him holding that rally near the Capitol, if not for him talking about 'uprising', last week would very likely not have happened. Unfortunately it was completely predictable.\n\nQuote Message: Unprecedented. He should not have been impeached at all. There is no justification, no legal basis, no constitutional basis for it. It's a rush to judgment for ulterior motives and a dark stain on our country. I'm concerned about the double standard and I'm afraid our Constitution is on its deathbed. Why would anybody who's rational think that our president meant for people to go break into the Capitol? from Belinda Noah 45, from Florida Unprecedented. He should not have been impeached at all. There is no justification, no legal basis, no constitutional basis for it. It's a rush to judgment for ulterior motives and a dark stain on our country. I'm concerned about the double standard and I'm afraid our Constitution is on its deathbed. Why would anybody who's rational think that our president meant for people to go break into the Capitol?\n\nQuote Message: It's more of a symbolic impeachment at this point because he'll be out soon, but it's necessary nonetheless. Not only is he a threat to our national security, but he doesn't condone white supremacy and other threats. It's deeply saddening to me. from Williams Morales 19, from Georgia It's more of a symbolic impeachment at this point because he'll be out soon, but it's necessary nonetheless. Not only is he a threat to our national security, but he doesn't condone white supremacy and other threats. It's deeply saddening to me.\n\nQuote Message: I was in DC at the rally - not near the Capitol - but I saw the president speak with my own eyes and he did not call for anyone to storm the building or cause harm. It's just a way to ensure he will not run in the next four years. It is political and it will create a bigger divide between left and right. All violence should be condemned fairly and justly. It was a very sad outcome, but I do not believe it was the most horrible day in our country's history. from Gabriel Montalvo 21, from New York I was in DC at the rally - not near the Capitol - but I saw the president speak with my own eyes and he did not call for anyone to storm the building or cause harm. It's just a way to ensure he will not run in the next four years. It is political and it will create a bigger divide between left and right. All violence should be condemned fairly and justly. It was a very sad outcome, but I do not believe it was the most horrible day in our country's history.", "US rapper YFN Lucci is wanted by police in Atlanta, Georgia, for his alleged involvement in the murder of a local man last month.\n\nTwo suspects have been arrested over the killing of the 28-year-old victim.\n\nAuthorities have appealed for help in locating YFN Lucci, 29 - whose birth name is Rayshawn Bennett.\n\nHe is wanted on suspicion of murder, aggravated assault and participation in criminal street gang activity, police told US media.\n\nThey say another man was wounded in the incident.\n\nLast month YFN Lucci released new material under the title Wish Me Well 3.\n\nIn 2018 rapper Cardi B was forced to defend her then-fiancé Offset against allegations of homophobia after he used a lyric by YFN Lucci that included the word \"queer.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Jasmina Alston This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Many hospital staff treating the sickest patients during the first wave of the pandemic were left traumatised by the experience, a study suggests.\n\nResearchers at King's College London asked 709 workers at nine intensive care units in England about how they were coping as the first wave eased.\n\nNearly half reported symptoms of severe anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder or problem drinking.\n\nOne in seven had thoughts of self-harming or being \"better off dead\".\n\nNursing staff were more likely to report feelings of distress than doctors or other clinical staff in the anonymous web-based survey, which was carried out in June and July last year.\n\nVictoria Sullivan, an intensive care nurse at Queen's Hospital in Romford, said she often can't sleep because she's thinking about what is happening at the hospital.\n\nHer worst moment was breaking the news of a death on the phone, she said, adding that the screams from the patient's relatives \"will honestly stay with me forever\".\n\n\"Telling someone over the phone and all you can say is 'I'm really sorry', whilst they're crying their heart out, is quite traumatising,\" she said.\n\n\"Although you're saying how sorry you are, in the back of your mind, you're also thinking: 'I've got three other patients I've got to go and see, the infusions need drawing up, and meds need to be given and a nurse needs support'.\n\n\"The guilt is just too much.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nIn the study, which has been published online but has not yet been peer-reviewed:\n\nThe researchers say the findings are, in some ways, not surprising given the pressures ICU staff have faced.\n\nTheir workload has been relentless, caring for more patients than is ideal and under extremely challenging circumstances.\n\nLead researcher Prof Neil Greenberg said the findings should be a \"wake-up call\" for NHS managers.\n\nHe said: \"The severity of symptoms we identified are highly likely to impair some ICU staff's ability to provide high-quality care as well as negatively impacting on their quality of life.\"\n\nProf Greenberg said it was important to have \"occupationally focused\" mental health care to try to keep staff fighting fit or, where this was not possible, to ensure they got help to access the right sort of care.\n\nAnd he said that, while their work suggested things may have improved over the summer, there were signs the numbers experiencing mental health problems would rise in November and December.\n\nProf Partha Kar, diabetes consultant at Portsmouth Hospitals NHS trust, said it was \"really, really difficult seeing people battling through all sorts of odds\".\n\nHe added: \"We've got sickness rates high all around us and colleagues from all specialities, where they're not accustomed to seeing such ill patients, coming out and trying to help.\n\n\"Understandably the impact of that on everybody's mental health is not insignificant either... it's such a tough place to be in.\"\n\nPTSD is an anxiety disorder caused by very stressful, frightening or distressing events.\n\nSomeone with PTSD often relives the traumatic event through nightmares and flashbacks, and may experience feelings of isolation, irritability and guilt.\n\nThey may also have problems sleeping, such as insomnia, and find concentrating difficult.\n\nThese symptoms are often severe and persistent enough to have a significant impact on the person's day-to-day life.\n\nCauses of PTSD can include:\n\nAn NHS spokesperson said: \"This is an incredibly tough time for NHS staff working on the front line which is why we have invested £15m in support, including 38 local mental health and well-being hubs and a service for staff with complex mental health needs, such as trauma and addiction.\n\n\"The public can also help to support doctors and nurses by following the 'hands, space, face' guidance to reduce pressure on hospitals and save lives.\"\n\nIf you or someone you know has been affected by mental health issues, the organisations listed at this link might be able to help", "Sarah Ferguson has a long-held interest in history, especially that of the royals and the aristocracy\n\nSarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, has written her first novel for adults, to be released by the leading romantic fiction publisher Mills & Boon.\n\nHer Heart for a Compass is based on the life of the duchess's great-great-aunt, Lady Margaret Montagu Douglas Scott.\n\nShe has previously written children's books, non-fiction about Queen Victoria, and her own memoirs.\n\nShe said: \"I am proud to bring my personal brand of historical fiction to the publishing world.\"\n\n\"It all started with researching my ancestry. Digging into the history of the Montagu-Douglas Scotts, I first came across Lady Margaret, who intrigued me because she shared one of my given names,\" she added.\n\n\"But although her parents, the Duke and Duchess of Buccleuch, were close friends with Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, I was unable to discover much about my namesake's early life, and so was born the idea which became Her Heart for a Compass.\"\n\nThe story will include some real people and events and also draw on the duchess's own experiences but she said \"my imagination took over\".\n\n\"I have long held a passion for historical research and telling the stories of strong women in history through film and television,\" she added.\n\nFor the big screen, she conceived the idea for the 2009 movie Young Victoria, starring Emily Blunt and written by Julian Fellowes.\n\nShe was a producer on the film and her daughter, Princess Beatrice, had a minor part. The duchess also worked on a documentary about Princess Louise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, Prince Albert's mother.\n\nShe recently revived her children's book series, Budgie the Helicopter.\n\nHeart for a Compass was written with the collaboration of established Mills & Boon novelist Marguerite Kaye, who has created more than 50 novels for the imprint, set in a variety of eras.\n\nThe duchess's novel is a saga that takes in events at Queen Victoria's court and the grand country houses of Scotland and Ireland, and crosses into the slums of London and on to the bustle of 1870s New York.\n\nMills & Boon described the story as a \"fascinating journey of a woman, born into the higher echelons of society, who desires to break the mould, follow her internal compass (her heart) and discover her raison d'être - and falling in love along the way\".\n\nMills & Boon is the UK's top publisher of romantic fiction and says it sells one of its novels every 10 seconds.\n\nThe stories are \"written by women, for women, it has a romance for every reader promising a happily-ever-after ending every time\", it adds.\n\nOther well-known names to venture into the Mills & Boon world include Made in Chelsea and I'm A Celebrity star Georgia Toffolo, whose debut romance novel, Meet Me in London, came out last year.\n\nBest-selling authors have also created stories for Mills & Boon under a pseudonym, including Destiny writer Sally Beauman (Vanessa James) and The Shell Seekers author Rosamunde Pilcher (Jane Fraser). PG Wodehouse also contributed a story in 1912.\n\nFollow us on Facebook or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "Who were the protesters that broke into buildings on Capitol Hill after attending a rally in support of Donald Trump?\n\nSome were carrying symbols and flags strongly associated with particular ideas and factions, but in practice many of the members and their causes overlap.\n\nImages show individuals associated with a range of extreme and far-right groups and supporters of fringe online conspiracy theories, many of whom have long been active online and at pro-Trump rallies.\n\nOne of the most startling images, quickly shared across social media, shows a man dressed with a painted face, fur hat and horns, holding an American flag.\n\nHe's been identified as Jake Angeli, a well-known supporter of the baseless conspiracy theory QAnon. He calls himself the QAnon Shaman.\n\nHis social media presence shows him attending multiple QAnon events and posting YouTube videos about deep state conspiracies.\n\nHe was pictured in November making a speech in Phoenix, Arizona, about unproven claims the election was fraudulent.\n\nHis personal Facebook page is filled with images and memes relating to all sorts of extreme ideas and conspiracy theories.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nAnother group spotted at the storming of the Capitol were members of the far-right group Proud Boys.\n\nThe organisation was founded in 2016 and is anti-immigrant and all male. In the first US presidential debate President Trump in response to a question about white supremacists and militias said: \"Proud Boys - stand back and stand by.\"\n\nThe individual on the right is Nick Ochs, who describes himself as a \"Proud Boy Elder\".\n\nOne of their members, Nick Ochs, tweeted a selfie inside the building saying \"Hello from the Capital lol\". He also filmed a live stream inside.\n\nWe haven't identified the individual standing on the left in the above image.\n\nMr Ochs' profile on the messaging app Telegram describes himself as a \"Proud Boy Elder from Hawaii.\"\n\nIndividuals with large followings online were also spotted at the protests.\n\nAmong them was the social media personality Tim Gionet, who goes under the pseudonym \"Baked Alaska\".\n\nTim Gionet, better known as \"Baked Alaska\", livestreamed himself from the Capitol on Wednesday\n\nHis livestream from inside the Capitol posted on a niche streaming service was watched by thousands of people and showed him talking to other protesters.\n\nA Trump supporter, Mr Gionet has made a name for himself as an internet troll.\n\nYouTube banned his channel in October after he posted videos of himself harassing shop workers and refusing to wear a face-mask during the coronavirus pandemic.\n\nOther platforms that have previously shut down his accounts include Twitter and PayPal.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. 'Treason, traitors and thugs' - the words lawmakers used to describe Capitol riot\n\nA photo that went viral of a man who'd entered the office of senior Democrat politician Nancy Pelosi has been named as Richard Barnett from Arkansas.\n\nRichard Barnett left a message for US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi saying \"we will not back down\"\n\nOutside Capitol Hill buildings, he told the New York Times that he took an envelope from the speaker's office and says left a note calling her an expletive.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Matthew Rosenberg This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nReacting to the New York Times interview, Republican congressman Steve Womack said on Twitter: \"I'm sickened to learn that the below actions were perpetrated by a constituent.\"\n\nLocal media reports say Mr Barnett is involved in a group that supports gun rights, and that he was interviewed at a 'Stop the Steal' rally following the presidential election - a movement that refused to accept Joe Biden's victory and supports the president's unsubstantiated claims of electoral fraud.\n\nIn the interview at the rally organised by 'Engaged Patriots' he said: \"If you don't like it, send somebody out to get me 'cause I ain't going down easy.\"\n\nThe group associated with Mr Barnett held a fundraiser in October with proceeds going towards body cameras for the local police department, according to the Westside Eagle Observer local paper.\n\nAs the events were unfolding, many social media users, especially those associated with QAnon and supporters of President Trump, were claiming that agitators from the loose-knit left-wing group antifa were involved.\n\nThe implication was that these activists were disguised as Trump supporters to create disruption.\n\nA number of prominent Republican politicians, such as US Representative Matt Gaetz, claimed it was antifa masquerading as Trump supporters.\n\nOne widely-shared post claimed one protester had a \"communist hammer\" tattoo, as evidence that he wasn't a Trump supporter.\n\nOn closer inspection, the symbol is from the video game series Dishonored.\n\nThere have also been suggestions that Mr Angeli, the man wearing fur and horns, was a Black Lives Matter supporter, with users sharing an image of him at a BLM event in Arizona.\n\nMr Angeli was indeed at that event, but he was there as a counter-protester. In images taken there, he's seen holding a QAnon sign.\n\nAt least one of the rioters was holding a Confederate flag, which represented US states that supported the continuation of slavery during the American civil war. For this reason, it is considered by many to be a symbol of racism and there have been calls to ban it across the US. Others see it as an important part of southern US history.\n\nA protester carries the Confederate flag after breaching US Capitol security\n\nIn July it was announced that the flag could no longer be flown on American military properties because of a new policy to reject \"divisive symbols\".\n\nPresident Trump has defended the use of the Confederate flag in the past, saying: \"I know people that like the Confederate flag and they're not thinking about slavery...I just think it's freedom of speech.\"\n\nThere were also protesters holding aloft flags featuring a coiled rattlesnake on a yellow background, often accompanied by the phrase \"don't tread on me\". This is known as the Gadsden flag, harking back to the American revolution and the war to expel British colonialists.\n\nIt was adopted by libertarians in the 1970s, according to an article in the New Yorker, and more recently became a favourite symbol of conservative Tea Party activists.\n\nThe flag has been adopted by the right over the past couple of decades, says Prof Margaret Weir, a political science expert at Brown University.\n\nIt is also used by anti-government, white supremacist groups who embrace violence, she says.", "The Christmas Day special saw Ashley Banjo (r) sit in for Simon Cowell\n\nThe filming of the next series of ITV show Britain's Got Talent has been postponed due to coronavirus concerns.\n\nProduction on the show was due to begin later this month but will now start at a later date yet to be confirmed.\n\nITV said it had decided to move \"the record and broadcast\" of the show's 15th series\" to safeguard \"the well-being of everyone involved\".\n\nThe filming of the programme's audition shows typically involves hundreds of people congregating en masse.\n\nIt is understood this has been considered to be unviable due to lockdown restrictions currently in place.\n\nWriting on Twitter, ITV thanked viewers for their \"continued love and support\" for the long-running programme.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by BGT This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThe filming of last year's Christmas special was also postponed after at least three crew members tested positive for Covid-19.\n\nThe Christmas Day programme saw former contestants return to perform again alongside the show's panel of celebrity judges.\n\nThe show saw Ashley Banjo sit in for Simon Cowell, who spent much of last year recovering from an electric bicycle accident.\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "Prime Minister Boris Johnson has condemned the \"disgraceful scenes\" in the US, after supporters of President Donald Trump stormed Congress and clashed with police.\n\nRioters breached the Capitol building where lawmakers met to confirm Joe Biden's presidential election victory.\n\nThe PM said it was \"vital that there should be a peaceful and orderly transfer of power\".\n\nAnd Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said it was a \"direct attack on democracy\".\n\n\"The United States stands for democracy around the world and it is now vital that there should be a peaceful and orderly transfer of power,\" Mr Johnson tweeted.\n\nScottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, meanwhile, called the events \"utterly horrifying\".\n\nFriend of President Trump and leader of Reform UK - formerly the Brexit Party - Nigel Farage tweeted: \"Storming Capitol Hill is wrong. The protesters must leave.\"\n\nThe US Congress has now reconvened after the violence - spurred on by Mr Trump's unproven claims of electoral fraud - to certify Mr Biden's victory in the US election in November\n\nHundreds of the president's supporters stormed the Capitol, and staged an occupation of the building in Washington DC.\n\nBoth chambers of Congress were forced into recess, as protesters clashed with police and tear gas was released.\n\nFour people died on Capitol grounds during the violence, including a woman shot by police and three others, who died as a result of \"medical emergencies\", local police said.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Police place US Capitol Building on lockdown after Trump supporters breached security lines\n\nUK MPs from across the political spectrum have criticised the events in the US.\n\nForeign Secretary Dominic Raab said there was \"no justification for these violent attempts to frustrate the lawful and proper transition of power\", while Home Secretary Priti Patel called the scenes \"unacceptable and undemocratic\".\n\nShe added: \"There is no justification for this violence and Donald Trump must condemn it.\"\n\nHer Conservative colleague, and former Foreign Secretary, Jeremy Hunt directly addressed President Trump for telling the crowd to march on Congress, tweeting: \"He shames American democracy tonight and causes its friends anguish - but he is not America.\"\n\nLabour's deputy leader, Angela Rayner said: \"The violence that Donald Trump has unleashed is terrifying, and the Republicans who stood by him have blood on their hands.\"\n\nAnd shadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy said the events were \"the legacy of a politics of hate that pits people against each other and threatens the foundations of democracy\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Boris Johnson This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nMeanwhile, Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey has defended the prime minister's response to the rioting.\n\nAsked on ITV's Peston programme why Mr Johnson hadn't criticised Mr Trump, she said: \"The prime minister has been clear tonight that we need a peaceful and orderly transition.\"\n\nMs Coffey added that events in the US were a \"reminder that democracy is something precious - and will only continue to thrive as long as we protect institutions that make this country important and not demean each other when the majority of what we want to achieve is similar outcomes\".\n\nDonald Trump and Boris Johnson at a Nato summit in 2019\n\nMeanwhile, the SNP's leader in Westminster, Ian Blackford, said the end of Mr Trump's presidency \"cannot come quick enough\".\n\nHe tweeted: \"What a legacy the events of today are to his time in office. Shameful, shocking, an affront to democracy.\"\n\nLeader of the Liberal Democrats, Ed Davey, called the scenes \"absolutely horrendous\", while his party's foreign affairs spokeswoman, Layla Moran, said: \"The scenes coming out of Washington tonight are an attack on democracy.\"", "National Express has announced that it is suspending its entire national network of coach services from midnight on Sunday.\n\nThe firm said tighter Covid restrictions and falling passenger numbers had prompted the decision.\n\nIt added that it hoped to restart services in March.\n\nAll customers whose travel has been cancelled will be contacted and offered a free amendment or full refund, the company said.\n\nAll journeys before Monday 11 January will be completed to ensure any passengers making essential journeys are not stranded.\n\nChris Hardy, managing director of National Express UK Coach, said: \"We have been providing an important service for essential travel needs. However, with tighter restrictions and passenger numbers falling, it is no longer appropriate to do this.\n\nHe added that as the vaccination programme was rolled out and government guidance changed, the company would regularly review when services could restart.\n\n\"We plan to be back on the road as soon as the time is right and have put a provisional restart date of Monday 1 March in place,\" he said.\n\nNational Express first suspended coach services during the coronavirus crisis in April, then restarted in July.\n\nServices have been operating at half capacity, with strict cleaning and Covid protocols. As the tier structure came into operation, demand for services reduced.\n\nAs with the previous suspension, employees will be furloughed.\n\nFirms that transport passengers, including coach, rail and aviation businesses, have been under intense pressure during the coronavirus crisis.\n\nAvanti West Coast, the train operating company running services on the West Coast mainline, has confirmed it will cut its timetable from 18 January.\n\nAvanti says the new timetable will 'more closely reflect the current demand for our services whilst still allowing key workers, and those needing to make essential journeys, to travel with confidence'.\n\nDuring the first major lockdown in March, services on key intercity routes were reduced from three an hour to one. This included services from both Manchester and Birmingham to London.\n\nThe Department for Transport has been consulting with all train operators about service reductions during the latest lockdown.\n\nThe exact scale of reduction is still being worked on, but the DfT says service levels may fall to as low as 40% of the normal timetable by some operators.\n\nThe focus is to ensure essential workers can still make essential journeys.\n\n\"Following discussions with the Department for Transport we will be introducing a new timetable on Monday 18 January. This will more closely reflect the current demand for our services whilst still allowing key workers, and those needing to make essential journeys, to travel with confidence.\"\n\nOn Thursday, Ryanair also announced that it would make big cuts to its flight schedule from 21 January, with few, if any flights to or from the UK or Ireland until \"draconian travel restrictions are removed\".\n\nTrain services are expected to be reduced in lockdown, with some in the industry anticipating reductions of between 50% and 60% compared with normal service.\n\nIn the first national lockdown in England, services were reduced to almost half.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Work to get pupils connected in Wolverhampton is well under way\n\nThere are concerns some schools in lockdown could be inundated with pupils without laptops after a change to the vulnerable pupil list.\n\nPupils are learning remotely in England after schools were closed on Tuesday to all but children of key workers and those deemed vulnerable.\n\nBut those without laptops or space to study are now eligible to attend school, under government guidance.\n\nHeads' union, NAHT, said the move could reduce the effect of the shutdown.\n\nSchools were ordered to close to most pupils as a way of limiting the spread of the virus.\n\nNational Association of Head Teachers general secretary Paul Whiteman said demand for key worker and vulnerable places in schools had risen substantially since the last school shutdown.\n\nNearly a third of the 2,000 head teachers who joined an online union meeting on Wednesday afternoon reported having between 20 and 30% of pupils in school, the NAHT said.\n\nMr Whiteman said: \"It is critical that key worker child school places are only used when absolutely necessary to truly reduce numbers and spread of the virus.\n\n\"We have concern that the government has not supplied enough laptops for all the children without them and so has made lack of internet access a vulnerable criteria - only adding to numbers still in school.\n\n\"It is important that all vulnerable pupils have access to a school place, but the government must provide laptops and internet access for every pupil that needs one, so that they can access home learning to take some of the strain off the demand for school places.\n\n\"Nearly half of head teachers who we polled during a webcast on Wednesday evening said that had received fewer than 10% of the laptops they'd requested.\n\n\"It is essential that this is rectified immediately, so that we can keep school attendance figures at a level which will have the desired impact on getting transmission rates under control.\"\n\nJane Girt, head teacher of Carlton Bolling College in Bradford, said the rule change could leave her having to accommodate an extra 200 pupils on top of those already on the key worker and vulnerable children list.\n\nShe told BBC News that having so many pupils in school would \"defeat the object\" of closing amid the England-wide lockdown.\n\nMrs Girt said her secondary, which has more than 1,500 students, had received 261 laptops from the government since March but about 50% of pupils were sharing a device with another family member.\n\nThe prime minister told MPs on Wednesday that 560,000 devices had been given out to schools in 2020 and a further 50,000 so far this week.\n\nAnd Gavin Williamson reiterated that those without access to remote learning via digital devices could attend school.\n\nHe said: \"Schools are much better prepared to deliver online learning, with the delivery of hundreds of thousands of devices at breakneck speed, data support and high quality video lessons.\"\n\nBut Ofcom estimates there are up to 1.5m pupils without digital devices in their homes, on which they can learn.\n\nAmanda Bailey, director of the child poverty commission in north-east England, said pupils without internet access tended to be concentrated in disadvantaged areas and this meant some schools would be \"largely fully open\", she said.\n\n\"And we know that the most deprived communities are the ones most vulnerable to the health impact of the pandemic,\" she added.\n\n\"Our main concerns are that we're now nine months into this situation and we're still talking about families not having sufficient access to digital devices or data or the internet.\"\n\nLabour Councillor Beverley Momenabadi, Wolverhampton's champion for digital innovation, said the guidance massively expands the number of children who are entitled to go into school.\n\nShe said although plans to support those needing access while self-isolating in her city are at an advanced stage, with rental schemes being accessed and donations sought, the new lockdown changes the game completely.\n\nShe called for a national plan for the transition to remote learning.\n\nCouncillor Momenabadi said: \"Even after Gavin Williamson's statement in the Commons, children across the country are still waiting for that national plan.\n\n\"And even on the devices they've said will arrive; how will these be distributed, when will they arrive, will they arrive in time to ensure that no child misses out on their education?\"\n\nWill you have to send your child back to school because you are unable to supervise home learning? Or are you a teacher concerned about lack of equipment? Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nUS President Donald Trump has been allowed to Tweet again, after being locked out of his account for 12 hours.\n\nPosting a more conciliatory message, he refrained from reiterating false claims of voter fraud.\n\nTwitter said that it would ban Mr Trump \"permanently\" if he breached the platform's rules again.\n\nThe move from Twitter puts clear water between it and Facebook, which suspended him \"indefinitely\" on Thursday.\n\nTwitter has instead given the outgoing president a final warning.\n\nEarlier on Thursday, the popular gaming platform Twitch also placed an indefinite ban on Mr Trump's channel, which he has used for rally broadcasts.\n\nMr Trump tweeted several message on Wednesday, calling the people who stormed Capitol Hill \"patriots\". He also said \"We love you.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. When a mob stormed the US capitol\n\nA spokesperson for Twitter said: \"After the Tweets were removed and the subsequent 12-hour period expired, access to @realDonaldTrump was restored.\n\n\"Any future violations of the Twitter Rules, including our Civic Integrity or Violent Threats policies, will result in permanent suspension of the @realDonaldTrump account.\"\n\nEarlier in the day, the president was suspended from Facebook and Instagram. That suspension will be reviewed after the transition of power to Joe Biden on 20 January.\n\nThe social network had originally imposed a 24-hour ban after the US Capitol attack.\n\nFacebook's chief, Mark Zuckerberg, wrote that the risks of allowing Mr Trump to post \"are simply too great\".\n\nMr Zuckerberg said Facebook had removed the president's posts \"because we judged that their effect - and likely their intent - would be to provoke further violence\".\n\nThis Facebook post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Facebook The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Facebook content may contain adverts. Skip facebook post by Mark This article contains content provided by Facebook. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Meta’s Facebook cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Facebook content may contain adverts.\n\nHe said it was clear Mr Trump intended to undermine the transfer of power to President-elect Joe Biden.\n\n\"Therefore, we are extending the block we have placed on his Facebook and Instagram accounts indefinitely and for at least the next two weeks until the peaceful transition of power is complete,\" he wrote.\n\nMr Trump's favoured platform, Twitter, suspended the president for 12 hours on Wednesday.\n\nThe company said it required the removal of three tweets for \"severe violations of our Civic Integrity policy\".\n\nIt said the president's account would remain locked for good if the tweets were not removed.\n\nTwitter has now confirmed the offending tweets have been removed, and he is free to tweet again.\n\nSnapchat also stopped Mr Trump from creating new posts, but did not say if or when it would end the ban. YouTube also removed Wednesday's video.\n\nThe president's supporters stormed the seat of US government and clashed with police, leading to the death of one woman.\n\nThe violence brought to a halt congressional debate over Democrat Joe Biden's election win.\n\nIn the House and Senate chambers, Republicans were challenging the certification of November's election results.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. \"We will never give up, we will never concede\", Trump tells supporters\n\nBefore the violence, President Trump had told supporters on the National Mall in Washington that the election had been stolen.\n\nHours later, as the violence mounted inside and outside the US Capitol, he appeared on video and repeated the false claim.", "The controversy over drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge has been ongoing since 1977\n\nThe Trump administration has held the first sale for rights to drill for oil in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge - but it drew no interest from major companies.\n\nAn Alaskan state agency emerged as the primary bidder at the auction, which has been heavily criticised by environmental groups.\n\nThe sale raised less than $15m (£11m) - far less than the government had hoped.\n\nThe tepid interest comes amid big changes in the energy industry.\n\nMajor companies, including oil giant Exxon, Shell and BP, have said they are focusing their spending on renewable energy, amid a huge slump in oil prices, in part triggered by the coronavirus pandemic.\n\nAdam Kolton, executive director of the Alaska Wilderness League, said the sale was an \"epic failure\" for the Trump administration and the Alaska Republicans, who had backed the move as a way to create jobs and reduce American dependence on foreign oil.\n\n\"After years of promising a revenue and jobs bonanza they ended up throwing a party for themselves, with the state being one of the only bidders,\" he said in a statement.\n\n\"We have long known that the American people don't want drilling in the Arctic Refuge, the [Alaska native] Gwich'in people don't want it, and now we know the oil industry doesn't want it either.\"\n\nThe refuge is home to more than 200 species of bird including the Northern shrike\n\nMr Kolton said his organisation would continue to fight in court to reverse the sale of the land, which is home to caribou, polar bears and millions of migratory birds.\n\nThe wildlife refuge is estimated to hold some 11 billion barrels of oil.\n\nOpening the wilderness for drilling and development has been a long-term priority for Alaska Republicans, but development was expected to be costly since the area has minimal roads and infrastructure.\n\nAfter decades of controversy, the sale was finally authorised by the US Congress in 2017 as part of a major package of tax cuts. The auction comes just weeks before Donald Trump is due to leave office on 20 January.\n\nPresident-elect Joe Biden had vowed to protect the refuge and environmental groups have also challenged the sale, which they say threatens land that provides a vital home to wildlife.\n\nA federal court rejected arguments by environmental groups seeking to block the auction on Tuesday.\n\nPolar bears are particularly at risk of dying in oil spills\n\nAt Wednesday's auction, the Bureau of Land Management said it had received bids for 12 of the 22 tracts of land offered, covering more than 600,000 acres.\n\nThe Alaska Industrial Development and Industrial Authority, a state agency, was the sole bidder on at least eight of the 12 tracts.\n\nSome bids submitted were \"incomplete\", the bureau said.\n\nThe state agency has said it plans to work with private companies on development of the refuge, which encompasses more than 19,000 million acres overall.\n\nOn social media platform Twitter, Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy called the sale \"historic for Alaska and tremendous for America\".\n\n\"Opening [Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge] for responsible resource development could put more oil in our pipeline, put Alaskans to work, bring billions of dollars of investment to our state, support American energy independence, and provide critical revenues to our state and local communities,\" he wrote.\n\n\"Alaskans have waited two generations for this moment; I stand with them in support of this day.\"", "Olly Stephens was stabbed to death in Emmer Green in Reading on Sunday\n\nThree teenagers have been charged with murder and conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm after a boy, 13, was stabbed to death in Reading.\n\nOliver Stephens, known as Olly, was pronounced dead at Bugs Bottom fields, Emmer Green, on Sunday.\n\nTwo boys, aged 13 and 14, and a girl, aged 13, will appear in Reading Magistrates' Court on Thursday.\n\nTwo other boys, also aged 13, have been released on bail, with strict conditions, until 1 February.\n\nThe girl has also been charged with perverting the course of justice.\n\nIn a statement, Oliver's family said: \"An Olly-sized hole has been left in our hearts.\"\n\nHis parents said their son was \"an enigma\", and having both autism and suspected pathological demand avoidance meant \"he became a challenge we never shied away from\".\n\nThe family described the ordeal as \"every parents' worst nightmare\".\n\nThey also sought to highlight those who helped at the scene, including \"a Good Samaritan that tried valiantly to save Oliver\", an off-duty doctor who offered help, and the emergency services.\n\nOfficers were called just before 16:00 GMT on Sunday following reports of an attack in fields on the boundary of Emmer Green and Caversham Heights.\n\nParents laying flowers at nearby Highdown School called the killing \"utterly senseless\" and said their children who attended school with Olly were \"devastated\".\n\nDet Supt Kevin Brown urged anyone with information to contact police and not to share any images or footage on social media.\n\n\"This continues to be a very difficult time for the family of Olly. Our thoughts remain with them,\" he said.\n\n\"The Stephens family appreciate all of the kindness shown to them but they have asked that their privacy is respected at this very difficult time.\"\n\nFollow BBC South on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to south.newsonline@bbc.co.uk.", "South Vietnam flags were seen during the unrest Image caption: South Vietnam flags were seen during the unrest\n\nOn Wednesday, as protesters gathered outside before swarming the Capitol building, the yellow flags of the old South Vietnam regime could be seen.\n\nIn fact, the yellow flags of the former South Vietnam are a common sight at pro-Trump rallies across the United States.\n\nVietnamese Americans, especially those of the older generation who fled Vietnam after Saigon fell in 1975, are known for their support for the Republican party and Donald Trump.\n\nA pre-election survey by the group Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote found that Vietnamese Americans are the only major East Asian ethnic community that favoured Trump over Biden . Trump’s anti-China and anti-communist rhetoric resonated greatly with the former refugees who risked their lives to escape communism.\n\nBut the support for President Trump has also become an increasingly divisive issue amongst the Vietnamese American community.\n\nHours after the Capitol riot, there are still calls on pro-Trump internet forums like the \"ABC Trump\" Facebook page for Vietnamese Americans to “take to the streets in support of President Trump” as “the battle continues”.\n\nBut there have also been condemnations.\n\n“This is embarrassing,” one young Vietnamese American wrote on Twitter, adding: “They’ve brought shame to the flag”.", "Nguyen Huy Hung was one of 39 people who died in a container en route from Belgium to Essex\n\nThe father of a 15-year-old boy who was one of 39 people to die in a lorry trailer said he learned of his son's death through social media.\n\nNguyen Huy Hung died in the sealed container en route from Belgium to Purfleet, Essex, in October 2019.\n\nHis father, Nguyen Huy Tung, said the family could not believe it until \"we saw his body by our own eyes\" at the hospital.\n\nEight men are being sentenced for their role in the people-smuggling operation.\n\nThe bodies of 39 Vietnamese nationals were discovered in a refrigerated trailer on 23 October last year\n\nThe 39 Vietnamese migrants, aged 15 to 44, were sealed inside the container for at least 12 hours.\n\nThe Old Bailey heard how it became a \"tomb\" as temperatures reached an \"unbearable\" 38.5C (101F).\n\nThe people trapped inside had used a metal pole to try to punch through the roof, but only managed to dent the interior.\n\nAt a sentencing hearing set to last three days in front of Mr Justice Sweeney, some of their final desperate phone messages were played in court.\n\nIn one message, a man spoke with ragged breaths as he apologised to his family.\n\n\"I can't breathe,\" he said. \"I want to come back to my family. Have a good life.\"\n\nIn the background, a voice could be heard pleading: \"Come on everyone. Open up, open up.\"\n\nProsecutor Jonathan Polnay read out statements from the victims' families, and the mother of another 15-year-old who died, Dinh Dinh Binh, said her family had \"not been able to get back to our normal life yet\".\n\n\"Our economic conditions and work are negatively affected,\" she said. \"We have had to sell some properties of the family to afford our life.\"\n\nThe 39 people who died in the back of a trailer as it crossed the North Sea between Zeebrugge and the UK\n\nTran Hai Loc and his wife Nguyen Thi Van, both 35, were found huddled together in the trailer, and left behind two children, aged six and four.\n\nThe children's grandfather, Tran Dinh Thanh, said: \"At the moment their children are very small - this incident will affect their future.\n\n\"Every day, when they come home from school they always look at the photos of their parents on the altar. The decease of both parents is a big loss to them.\"\n\nThe moment lorry driver Maurice Robinson opened the trailer door and discovered the bodies inside was captured on CCTV\n\nPhan Thi Thanh, 41, had sold the family home and left her son with his godmother before setting off on the journey.\n\nHer son, who is now being looked after by his father in the UK, said he felt \"very heartbroken with mum not around\".\n\nHaulier boss Ronan Hughes, 41, of Tyholland, County Monaghan, Ireland, was described as a ringleader of the operation. He closed his eyes as the phone messages were played to the court. Other defendants hung their heads.\n\nBoth Maurice Robinson (l) and Ronan Hughes (r) admitted 39 counts of manslaughter in connection with the case\n\nHughes had previously admitted manslaughter, as had 26-year-old lorry driver Maurice Robinson, from County Armagh, who discovered the bodies in the trailer.\n\nEamonn Harrison, 24, of Newry, County Down, who dropped off the trailer at Zeebrugge port, and people-smuggler Gheorghe Nica, 43, were convicted of the same charge by a jury.\n\nThey will be sentenced alongside Christopher Kennedy, 24, from County Armagh, Valentin Calota, 38, from Birmingham, Alexandru-Ovidiu Hanga, 28, of Hobart Road, Tilbury, Essex, and Gazmir Nuzi, 43, of Tottenham, north London, who were convicted for their role in the smuggling.\n\nGheorghe Nica and Eamonn Harrison were both found guilty of manslaughter\n\nMr Polnay said: \"These defendants were party to a sophisticated, long-running and profitable conspiracy to smuggle [mainly] Vietnamese migrants to the UK, in the back of lorries, in a deliberate and intentional breach of border control.\"\n\nThe fee was between £10,000 and £13,000 for each migrant, for the \"VIP route\", the court heard.\n\nMr Polnay said seven smuggling trips were identified between May 2018 and 23 October 2019, but there was \"an irresistible inference that there were more events than those that were fortuitously detected\".\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk", "It is inevitable that part of the politics of a pandemic is the perceived relative performance of different countries.\n\nYou can pick your metric to make your comparison, and plenty have.\n\nThe death toll in the UK, and the economic slump, have come in for particular criticism.\n\nBut the government has, for some time, sought to emphasise how the UK is ahead of the game on vaccinations.\n\nThe UK was considerably quicker than the EU, for instance, in licencing the first vaccine, from Pfizer-BioNTech.\n\nAt today's news conference, the Prime Minister has pointed out that the UK has already given more people a first jab for Covid than all the other countries in Europe put together.\n\nSir Simon Stevens, the Chief Executive of the National Health Service in England, added that the UK has jabbed four times as many people as Germany and 300 times more than France.\n\nBut he acknowledged the scale of the ongoing challenge - trying to vaccinate as many people in the next five weeks as normally happens in five months with the flu jab.\n\nOne final thought: ministers tend to suggest international comparisons are pointless or premature when the comparisons are less than flattering.\n\nThey're rather keener on them when the numbers look better.", "Teachers' estimated grades will be used to replace cancelled GCSEs and A-levels in England this summer, says Education Secretary Gavin Williamson.\n\nHe told MPs he would \"trust in teachers rather than algorithms\", a reference to the U-turn over last year's exams.\n\nFor primaries, he confirmed there would be no Year 6 Sats tests this year.\n\nMr Williamson promised parents it would be \"mandatory\" for schools to provide \"high-quality remote education\" of three to five hours per day.\n\nHe said this would be \"enforced\" by Ofsted, with inspections where there were \"serious concerns\" about what was provided for children now studying at home.\n\nLabour's Shadow Education Secretary, Kate Green, accused Mr Williamson of \"chaos and confusion\" - and said he had failed to listen to the \"expertise of professionals on the front line\".\n\nShe said he had given a \"cast-iron commitment\" that exams would go ahead - and Ms Green said: \"At that moment, we should have known they were doomed to be cancelled.\"\n\nMr Williamson, in a statement to the House of Commons, said there would be \"training and support\" for teachers in estimating grades, \"to ensure these are awarded fairly and consistently\".\n\nHe also told MPs there would be no Sats tests for those at the end of primary school.\n\n\"I can absolutely confirm that we won't be proceeding with Sats this year. We do recognise that this will be an additional burden on schools\n\nGeoff Barton, leader of the ASCL head teachers' union, said rather than a \"vague statement\" of how A-levels and GCSEs would be graded, ministers should already have a system ready in place - and it was a \"dereliction of duty\" that it was not already prepared.\n\nAnd he warned against repeating the \"shambles\" of last summer's cancelled exams.\n\nThe education secretary confirmed to MPs that GCSEs and A-levels are not going ahead - after this week's decision that it was no longer feasible with so much time lost in the Covid pandemic and the latest lockdown.\n\nThe exams watchdog Ofqual will draw up proposals for an alternative way of deciding results, for qualifications that could be used for jobs, staying on in school or university places.\n\nSimon Lebus, the watchdog's interim head, said evidence for replacement grades could include tests, homework, mock exams and teachers' observations - and would take into account how much of the syllabus had been covered.\n\nA consultation is expected to begin next week, with plans to be decided by the end of February or possibly sooner.\n\nLast year's attempts to find an alternative approach to exam results, which initially used an algorithm, descended into chaos - and eventually switched to using teachers' grades.\n\nAnd without any exam papers or standardised mock exams, the use of teachers' assessments, with some process of moderation between schools, will be used for this summer's candidates.\n\nOn vocational qualifications, Labour's Ms Green said the education secretary was \"failing to show leadership on exams in January\".\n\nVocational exams, such as BTecs, are carrying on, if schools and colleges decide to continue with them - but college leaders had complained that there needed to be a national decision to avoid confusion.\n\nIf students cannot take BTec exams this month as planned, they will still be awarded a grade, if they have \"enough evidence to receive a certificate that they need for progression\", says the awarding body Pearson.\n\nAn Ofqual spokeswoman said they would consider options for replacement exam results, academic and vocational, \"to ensure the fairest possible outcome in the circumstances\".\n\nThe exams watchdog's decisions will face much scrutiny - with the previous head of Ofqual resigning after last summer's U-turns over grades.\n\nMr Williamson's statement in the Commons came as all GCSE, AS and A-level exams in Northern Ireland were cancelled due to the Covid-19 crisis.\n\nEducation Minister Peter Weir announced the decision in the Stormont assembly on Wednesday.\n\nScotland has already cancelled its Nationals, Highers and Advanced Highers.\n\nGCSEs and A-levels in Wales were scrapped in November.", "Adrian Chiles first joined 5 Live for its launch in 1994\n\nAdrian Chiles has been confirmed as the broadcaster who will replace Emma Barnett on BBC Radio 5 Live on Thursday mornings.\n\nNaga Munchetty now presents the same show from Monday to Wednesday.\n\nChiles has previously presented the same time slot on Fridays, along with the BBC's The One Show and Match of the Day 2, as well as ITV's Daybreak show.\n\n\"Adrian is a wonderful broadcaster who our audience trust and respect,\" said 5 Live controller Heidi Dawson.\n\n\"He has that unique ability to put listeners at ease and make them smile, whilst remaining relentless in his questioning of those in positions of power.\"\n\nChiles, who will present the show on Thursdays and Fridays, joined the station at its launch in 1994 and has featured regularly on shows like Wake Up To Money, and 5 Live Drive.\n\nFollowing his move to mid-morning, Chiles' Question Time Extra Time show will be replaced by a new programme, hosted by Colin Murray.\n\nBarnett, who has moved to BBC Radio 4 to host Woman's Hour, defended herself this week after a guest who was booked to appear on the BBC Radio 4 programme dropped out due to remarks the presenter made about her off-air.\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "Epsom Racecourse in Surrey will be one of seven mass vaccination hubs announced by the government\n\nSeven new mass Covid vaccination hubs across England have been announced by the government.\n\nCentres in London, Newcastle, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Surrey and Stevenage are due to begin operations next week.\n\nVarious venues will be converted into regional centres in a bid to meet the government's target of vaccinating 14 million people in the UK by February.\n\nIt is expected the hubs will be staffed by NHS staff and volunteers.\n\nThe seven sites announced by Downing Street are:\n\nAshton Gate Stadium, home to Bristol City FC, will be used to help the government meet its vaccination target\n\nSupermarket chain Morrisons has confirmed car parks at its stores in Yeovil, Wakefield and Winsford would be used to drive-through vaccinations from Monday. It has also offered an additional 47 sites to the government.\n\nPremier League club Tottenham Hotspur has also offered the use of its stadium to the NHS as a venue to provide the coronavirus vaccine.\n\nThe sites across England will begin operations next week", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. US Capitol riots: How the world's media reacted\n\nShock and contempt for the violent storming of the US Capitol by Donald Trump's supporters is evident in many reports and commentary on the event from around the world.\n\nFrom Germany's Die Welt daily describing \"disturbing, sad, terrifying scenes\", to the Nigerian Tribune saying \"Trump supporters defile US democracy\", many criticise the outgoing president for what what they see as his role in degrading America's institutions and democracy.\n\nOne commentator in Argentina's leading daily Clarin called it \"the 'scorched earth' legacy of Donald Trump\".\n\n\"Narcissism prevailing over all dignity, he harasses institutions, tramples on democracy, divides his own camp,\" says an editorial in France's Le Figaro.\n\n\"In refusing to quit, Donald Trump exposes the fragility of the American system in a final destructive offensive,\" a columnist says in France's Le Monde. Another headline in the paper calls him \"the insurrectional president\".\n\nIn Turkey, the pro-government Turkiye paper notes: \"Trump's stubbornness stirred the US\".\n\n\"I expect Trump to be tried after this turmoil,\" said one pundit on Egypt's MBC Misr TV, adding that \"the US is no longer a superpower in the full sense of the word\".\n\nSeveral of America's adversaries seized the opportunity to portray the incident as an example of the country's structural weaknesses and what they see as its hypocrisy.\n\n\"@SpeakerPelosi once referred to the Hong Kong riots as 'a beautiful sight to behold' — it remains yet to be seen whether she will say the same about the recent developments in Capitol Hill,\" tweeted China's daily Global Times.\n\n\"Capital vandals show fragility of US democracy,\" claimed a headline in the paper.\n\nIn Iran, state TV and radio inaccurately reported that the mayor of Washington DC had imposed \"martial law\", instead of the 12-hour curfew on the capital, which is what actually happened.\n\nAnd in Russia, where the first day of the Orthodox Christmas is currently being celebrated, footage of Trump's supporters ransacking the Capitol dominates state TV.\n\nMorning bulletins have focused on the events in America\n\nRolling news channel Rossiya 24 has played scenes of the violence at length, with no comment other than the caption \"Attack on the Capitol\".\n\nSome channels have also shown sympathy for the pro-Trump supporters, suggesting that they had cause to feel \"cheated\" over November's presidential election, and talked up claims that the event represents a crisis for US and even Western democracy.\n\nRossiya 24 said they were \"dissatisfied with the most scandalous election in US history\", while Rossiya 1 said it was the US system of democracy that was \"to a large degree the cause of today's events\".\n\nEven for those not necessarily unfriendly to America, the incident shows serious rifts in society that Trump's departure won't address.\n\nIt is \"a spectacular demonstration of frustration that has been building in the USA for decades,\" says one commentator in Poland's conservative daily Rzeczpospolita.\n\n\"Behind the façade of plastered smiles… and phrases about 'the best country in the world' lies the drama of a gigantic income gap, society in which more and more people struggle to make ends meet, while the few do not even know how many billions they own.\"", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nI'm standing in what should be an operating theatre - but instead it's been converted into an intensive care unit for Covid-19 patients on ventilators.\n\nThis is the first time I have seen it full of patients like this. Normally this theatre would be busy with major cancer surgery, but that's been transferred to another building.\n\nA children's recovery area, still decorated with colourful stickers of cartoons, is once again filled with desperately sick adults. Every day, more wards are being transformed into ICU - ready for the next influx of patients.\n\nWe have been given access to University College Hospital, in central London. This is the same intensive care unit that I first visited in April, during the first peak.\n\nIt is one of the busiest hospitals in the capital and intensive care here is expanding across a hospital that is under pressure like never before, from a relentless rise in Covid admissions.\n\nI am struck by the toll the pandemic is taking on staff. It's immense - both physically and mentally. They are shell-shocked. \"My emotions are all over the place. Scared, sad, petrified, worried,\" one ICU nurse tells me.\n\nI asked one of the consultants who I've met several times in the last year, Dr Jim Down, how long they can keep going like this - and the answer was stark. \"At this rate, about a week. After that we really need to see it slow down or we're going to see the care we can deliver suffering.\"\n\nThey have got three times as many critically ill patients in the hospital as normal. The number of Covid admissions to London hospitals has doubled in just two weeks - they're more stretched now than at the peak last April. Senior staff are worried.\n\nDr Alice Carter compares it to an elastic band that is close to snapping. \"It gets to a point where you stretch so far it never returns back to its baseline. I think that's probably where we are now. It's not going to take much more for that elastic band to break, and that's the real fear for us at the moment.\"\n\nDr Alice Carter: 'It's not going to take much more for that elastic band to break'\n\nThat could have very serious consequences, she adds. \"If we get to that point, we can't offer anyone ICU, not just Covid patients, but anyone who has a traffic accident or a heart attack or a stroke - whatever it is, to take them in.\"\n\nFor 38-year-old Rachel Arfin, one of the three pregnant women in intensive care with Covid-19, treatment is more complicated. Her baby is due in five weeks and the staff have to monitor them both.\n\n\"They can't do anything that will harm the baby,\" she says. \"All the time [they are] checking, monitoring the baby.\" She is reassured by the \"beautiful sound\" of her baby's heartbeat.\n\n\"They are looking after two people in one. They're saving lives,\" says Rachel. But her children - she has seven - keep asking when she's coming home.\n\nRachel Arfin's baby is due in five weeks - both are doing well\n\nI've reported from here several times during the pandemic and am always struck by the professionalism and dedication of staff. It's always quiet and calm, but that belies what's actually happening. This is a system under strain like never before.\n\nThe warning signs are clear, the NHS is on the brink. Unless infection rates fall, soon it will have a serious impact. The pressure on staff is unrelenting. I saw two nurses in tears.\n\nCompared to when I visited in April, it's a lot busier. In some ways, it's more structured - they now know what they're dealing with. They've got new treatments, such as the drug dexamethasone, which they didn't have last time. And many of the staff have now had the first dose of the vaccine.\n\nBut other aspects don't get any easier, such as the emotional burden of breaking bad news over a telephone or video call. It is very different to being able to hold someone's hand.\n\nStaff say they don't know which patients to help first\n\nICU staff have incredibly high standards. They're used to doing everything meticulously and perfectly. And they're doing all they can. But sometimes they go home and feel guilty that they can't do more. The impact on nurses - the bedrock of care in intensive care - is visible.\n\nThe highly specialised staff are usually one-to-one with patients. Deputy sister Ashleigh Shillingford is looking after three or four ventilated patients at a time, with one other junior member of staff. It's emotional and often devastating work.\n\n\"We are so stretched we have to prioritise and prioritising care is not the NHS that I grew up in - we shouldn't have to choose which patient gets what care first.\" She says she's never had to make decisions like these before.\n\n\"You just don't know who to help first. The patients are losing their lives at a dramatic speed, we're not just getting old people,\" she says, \"these are young people that we're getting.\"\n\nGerald Williams, 58, is awaiting chemotherapy for lung cancer and had been shielding, but he still caught coronavirus. \"All of a sudden, out of the blue, Covid came knocking on my door and it's frightening - you don't know how you're getting your next breath,\" he says.\n\nGerald Williams had been shielding but he still caught coronavirus\n\nHe wants to get home to his daughters, the youngest of whom is 13. And he's annoyed at those who don't take it seriously. \"People are moaning and groaning. Even in A&E. They need to get a life. Don't be idiots, forget about meeting your mate, stay home. No-one is invulnerable.\"\n\nFor now the Trust is coping better than many others in London and is still taking Covid patients from other hospitals. But the next few weeks could be the biggest challenge the NHS has ever faced - and it will be its doctors and nurses who will bear the brunt for all of us.\n\nAs the BBC's medical editor, Fergus Walsh has been reporting on the Covid-19 pandemic and its immense impact on the UK.", "Two US police officers linked to a notorious raid in which young black medic Breonna Taylor was fatally shot have been fired, authorities have said.\n\nDetectives Myles Cosgrove and Joshua Jaynes are the latest officers to be dismissed over the shooting in March last year.\n\nThe incident in Kentucky caused outrage, spurring protests against racism and police brutality.\n\nMs Taylor, 26, died when police raided her home in connection to a drug case.\n\nThe FBI said Mr Cosgrove fired the shot that killed Ms Taylor at her home in Louisville.\n\nLouisville police dismissed Mr Cosgrove for violating procedures for use of force and failing to use a body camera during the search, the Louisville Courier Journal reported on Wednesday.\n\nMr Jaynes, the newspaper said, was fired for violating the police force's policy for truthfulness and search warrant preparation.\n\nDuring the raid, Ms Taylor's boyfriend fired at the officers who he said he believed were attackers breaking into their home.\n\nPolice say they knocked on the door to announce their presence before breaking down the door with a battering ram.\n\nMs Taylor's boyfriend said police did not make their presence known, and he fired out of self-defence. Three officers returned fire with 32 shots, six of which hit Ms Taylor.\n\nMs Taylor's name became a global rallying cry as people demanded a thorough investigation into her death.\n\nBlack Lives Matter activists in the US have demanded that Louisville police take stronger action against the officers in the case and say that police too often escape unpunished after killing members of the public.\n\nBut despite the outcry against Ms Taylor's shooting, no criminal charges were sought relating to her death.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. \"Questions still aren't answered\": Breonna Taylor's family are worried about a \"cover-up\"", "Tennant was remembered as \"a beautiful soul\" and \"a sensitive and talented woman\"\n\nBritish model Stella Tennant took her own life after being \"unwell for some time\", her family has confirmed.\n\nIn a statement, her family said it was \"a matter of our deepest sorrow and despair that she felt unable to go on.\"\n\nTennant, who made her name in the early 1990s modelling for designers like Karl Lagerfeld and Versace, died in December five days after her 50th birthday.\n\nHer family said they were \"humbled by the outpouring of messages of sympathy and support\" they have received.\n\nTennant was \"a beautiful soul, adored by a close family and good friends, a sensitive and talented woman whose creativity, intelligence and humour touched so many\", they said.\n\n\"In grieving Stella's loss, her family renews a heartfelt request that respect for their privacy should continue.\"\n\nBorn in London on 1970, Tennant was known for her androgynous sultry looks and aristocratic heritage.\n\nShe shot to fame after being photographed for British Vogue at the age of 22 in 1993, going on to work with such designers as Alexander McQueen and Jean Paul Gaultier.\n\nTennant retired from the catwalk in 1998 but later returned. She also worked on campaigns to promote saving energy and reducing the environmental impact of fast fashion.\n\nShe had four children with French-born photographer David Lasnet. The couple married in the Scottish borders in 1999 and announced their separation last year.\n\nTennant with David Lasnet on their wedding day in 1999\n\nStella McCartney, Victoria Beckham and fellow model Naomi Campbell were among those to pay tribute after her death was announced last month.\n\nCampbell said she had been \"a class act in every way\", while Beckham remembered her as \"an incredible talent\".\n\nIf you have been affected by any of the issues in this article, information and support is available from BBC Action Line.\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "Medical staff are \"well over half way through\" vaccinating Scotland's care home residents with their first dose against Covid-19.\n\nThe first minister said this was \"extremely important\", as care homes accounted for more than a third of Covid-related deaths in the past week.\n\nBy Sunday more than 113,000 people in Scotland had been given their first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.\n\nSome 1,100 vaccination centres are set to be operational within a week.\n\nThe government has set a target of giving a first dose to everyone over the age of 80 in Scotland within the next four weeks.\n\nScotland has about 30,000 residents living in care homes for older people.\n\nA further 78 deaths of people who had tested positive for Covid-19 were announced on Thursday, the highest daily number during the second wave of the virus.\n\nMeanwhile, the National Records of Scotland said the virus had been mentioned on 183 death certificates in the week to Sunday - with 63 of these deaths occurring in care homes.\n\nFirst Minister Nicola Sturgeon said this underlined the importance of rolling out the vaccine in care homes, saying it would hopefully start to significantly reduce the risk of residents dying due to coronavirus.\n\nAnd she said the government would start issuing a daily update on how many people had been given the jab from next week.\n\nThe first minister said: \"Vaccination ultimately is what will provide us with the route out of this pandemic, so we are absolutely determined to make sure as many people as possible are vaccinated just as quickly as it is possible to do so.\"\n\nAs of Sunday, a total of 113,459 people had been given their first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in Scotland.\n\nThe Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine began to be rolled out on Monday, and will be reflected in statistics from next week.\n\nA total of 36 people have had a second dose of the vaccine, with efforts now focused on giving a first jab to as many people as possible\n\nThis means that people will now not receive their second dose for up to 12 weeks rather than within 21 days - a move that has been criticised by some medics.\n\nBut Chief Medical Officer Dr Gregor Smith said the first dose gave \"substantial\" protection against the virus.\n\nThe vaccine is being rolled out to health and social care workers in the first instance, then care home residents and other over-80s.\n\nEventually everyone in Scotland over the age of 18 - a total of 4.4m people - will be given a jab, although the government has refused to set targets beyond the initial phase due to uncertainty over supplies.\n\nNicola Sturgeon has said Scotland is in a race between the vaccine and the virus\n\nThe UK government had already committed to publishing vaccination figures on a daily basis, and the Scottish Conservatives had been pushing for the Scottish government to follow suit.\n\nTory leader Douglas Ross said that \"publishing these numbers will increase transparency and give the public confidence that progress is being made in our fight against Covid-19\".\n\nThe MP told BBC Scotland that he had been getting inquiries from constituents about when they could expect to get a jab, saying people \"need to know roughly where they are on that list and when they can expect to receive that vaccine\".\n\nScottish Labour called on the government to backdate the statistics and to publish \"a detailed breakdown of how many people in each priority group has been vaccinated\".\n\nThe party's health spokeswoman, Monica Lennon, said: \"Quicker progress must be made on securing vaccinations sites and vaccinators, including the contribution that community pharmacy teams can make.\"\n\nAt her daily briefing, Ms Sturgeon said over-80s should not worry if they had not yet been contacted about a vaccine appointment.\n\nShe said these were being \"aligned with availability of supply\" in different local areas.\n\nThe first minister said there was \"no need to phone your GP\", and that people would be \"contacted with an appointment as soon as possible\".\n\nShe also said the government was considering \"as a matter of ongoing review\" whether tighter restrictions may still be needed.\n\nScotland has been in a new lockdown since Tuesday, and Ms Sturgeon said it was \"probably too early\" for this to be reflected in the number of new infections.\n\nHowever she warned that the number of interactions people are having needed to be \"radically\" cut in order to slow the spread of the virus.\n\nShe said shutting down construction, manufacturing and click-and-collect businesses was \"the kind of thing we need to look at if we have a concern that we are not sufficiently reducing the number of people who are out and about and interacting\".", "Two more life-saving drugs have been found that can cut deaths by a quarter in patients who are sickest with Covid.\n\nThe anti-inflammatory medications, given via a drip, save an extra life for every 12 treated, say researchers who have carried out a trial in NHS intensive care units.\n\nSupplies are already available across the UK so they can be used immediately to save hundreds of lives, say experts.\n\nThere are over 30,000 Covid patients in UK hospitals - 39% more than in April.\n\nThe UK government is working closely with the manufacturer, to ensure the drugs - tocilizumab and sarilumab - continue to be available to UK patients.\n\nAs well as saving more lives, the treatments speed up patients' recovery and reduce the length of time that critically-ill patients need to spend in intensive care by about a week.\n\nBoth appear to work equally well and add to the benefit already found with a cheap steroid drug called dexamethasone.\n\nAlthough the drugs are not cheap, costing around £500 per patient, on top of the £5 course of dexamethasone, the advantage of using them is clear - and less than the cost per day of an intensive care bed of around £2,000, say experts.\n\nLead researcher Prof Anthony Gordon, from Imperial College London, said: \"For every 12 patients you treat with these drugs you would expect to save a life. It's a big effect.\"\n\nIn the REMAP-CAP trial carried out in six different countries, including the UK, with around 800 intensive care patients:\n\nProf Stephen Powis, NHS national medical director, said: \"The fact there is now another drug that can help to reduce mortality for patients with Covid-19 is hugely welcome news and another positive development in the continued fight against the virus.\"\n\nHealth and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said: \"The UK has proven time and time again it is at the very forefront of identifying and providing the most promising, innovative treatments for its patients.\n\n\"Today's results are yet another landmark development in finding a way out of this pandemic and, when added to the armoury of vaccines and treatments already being rolled out, will play a significant role in defeating this virus.\"\n\nThe drugs dampen down inflammation, which can go into overdrive in Covid patients and cause damage to the lungs and other organs.\n\nDoctors are being advised to give them to any Covid patient who, despite receiving dexamethasone, is deteriorating and needs intensive care.\n\nTocilizumab and sarilumab have already been added to the government's export restriction list, which bans companies from buying medicines meant for UK patients and selling them on for a higher price in another country.\n\nThe research findings have not yet been peer reviewed or published in a medical journal.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. \"We will never give up, we will never concede\", Trump tells supporters\n\nThis is how the Trump presidency ends. Not with a whimper, but with a bang.\n\nFor weeks, Donald Trump had been pointing to 6 January as a day of reckoning. It was when he told his supporters to come to Washington DC, and challenge Congress - and Vice-President Mike Pence - to discard the results of November's election and keep the presidency in his hands.\n\nOn Wednesday morning, the president and his warm-up speakers set the whirlwind in motion.\n\nRudy Giuliani, the president's personal lawyer, said the election disputes should be resolved through \"trial by combat\".\n\nDonald Trump Jr, the president's oldest son, had a message to members of his party who would not \"fight\" for their president.\n\n\"This isn't their Republican Party anymore,\" he said. \"This is Donald Trump's Republican Party.\"\n\nThen the president himself encouraged the growing crowd, which had chanted \"stop the steal\" and \"bullshit\" at the president's prompting, to march the two miles from the White House to the Capitol.\n\n\"We will never give up. We will never concede,\" the president said. \"Our country has had enough. We will not take it anymore.\"\n\nAs the president was concluding his remarks, a different kind of drama was playing out within the Capitol itself, as a joint session of Congress prepared to tabulate the state-by-state results of the election.\n\nFirst, Pence - disregarding the president's urging to throw out the results from contested states - released a statement that he did not have such powers and his role was \"largely ceremonial\".\n\nThen Republicans issued their first challenge, to Arizona votes, and the House and Senate began their separate deliberations on whether to accept Joe Biden's victory there.\n\nThe House proceedings were raucous, with both sides cheering as their speakers made their remarks.\n\n\"The oath that I took this past Sunday to defend and support the Constitution makes it necessary for me to object to this travesty,\" said newly elected Congresswoman Lauren Boebert, who had recently made headlines for insisting that she would carry a handgun with her in Congress. \"I will not allow the people to be ignored.\"\n\nProtesters gathered outside the Capitol as the joint session started\n\nIn the Senate, the debate was taking on a different tone. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, dressed in the kind of dark suit and tie that befits a funeral, was coming to bury Donald Trump, not praise him.\n\n\"If this election were overturned by mere allegations from the losing side, our democracy would enter a death spiral,\" McConnell said. \"We'd never see the whole nation accept an election again. Every four years would be a scramble for power at any cost.\"\n\nThe Kentucky senator, who will become the Senate minority leader as a result of his party's two recent defeats in Georgia, said that the chamber was designed to \"stop short-term passions from boiling over and melting the foundations of our republic\".\n\nHis words were practically still hanging in the air when the passions outside the Capitol boiled over, and the Trump supporters, perhaps inspired by the earlier speeches, stormed the building. They swamped the insufficient security in place and brought the proceedings to a grinding halt, as lawmakers, staff and media rushed to find shelter from the rioters.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. How a Trump rally near the White House turned deadly at the Capitol\n\nThe drama unfolded in fits and starts. Television cameras broadcast images of protesters dancing and waving flags on the steps of the Capitol. Photos and snippets popped up on social media of rioters inside the building, attempting to break into the legislative chambers and posing in the offices of elected legislators; of security officers, guns drawn in the House of Representatives, behind barricaded doors.\n\nIn Wilmington, Delaware, President-elect Joe Biden scrapped a planned speech on the economy and condemned what he called an \"insurrection\" in Washington.\n\n\"At this hour our democracy is under unprecedented assault unlike anything we've seen in modern times,\" he said. \"An assault on the citadel of liberty, the Capitol itself.\"\n\nHe concluded his short remarks with a challenge to Trump: to go on national television to condemn the violence and \"demand an end to this siege\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Joe Biden: The scenes of chaos at the Capitol do not reflect a true America, do not represent who we are\n\nMinutes later, Trump would offer his message to the nation - but it was not the one Biden suggested.\n\nInstead, sandwiched between his now familiar complaints about the election being \"stolen\", he told his supporters \"to go home, we love you, you're very special\".\n\nIt was the kind of kid gloves way the president has routinely responded to transgressions from his supporters - whether it was their violent treatment of protesters at his rallies, the \"very fine people on both sides\" statement after the clashes at a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville or his \"stand back and stand by\" message to the far-right Proud Boys group during the first debate with Biden.\n\nTrump's tweet, and two subsequent ones which also praised his supporters, were flagged and then removed by Twitter, which took the unprecedented step of locking the president's account for 12 hours. Facebook followed suit, banning Trump for a full day.\n\nFor the first time in his presidency, for the first time in his long, intimate relationship with social media, Donald Trump had been silenced.\n\nIf this is the \"at long last, have you left no sense of decency\" moment for Donald Trump, it arrives as they're cleaning up blood and broken glass in the US Capitol.\n\nAs the afternoon stretched into the evening, and police finally secured the US Capitol, a growing chorus of voices - from the left and right - condemned the violence. It was not surprising that Democrats, like soon-to-be Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, laid the riots at the feet of the president.\n\n\"January 6 will go down as one of the darkest days in American history,\" he said. \"A final warning to our nation of the consequences of the demagogic president, the people who enable him, the captive media that parrot his lies and the people who follow him as he attempts to push America to the brink of ruin.\"\n\nMore noteworthy, however, were the Republicans who followed suit.\n\n\"We just had a violent mob assault the Capitol in an attempt to prevent those from carrying out our Constitutional duty,\" tweeted Congresswoman Lynne Cheney, a frequent Republican critic of the president's. \"There is no question that the president formed the mob, the president incited the mob, the president addressed the mob.\"\n\nThe condemnations were not limited to Trump's reliable intraparty critics, however. Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas, who frequently sides with the president, also spoke out.\n\n\"It's past time for the president to accept the results of the election, quit misleading the American people, and repudiate mob violence,\" he said.\n\nFirst Lady Melania Trump's Chief of Staff Stephanie Grisham and Deputy White House Press Secretary Sarah Matthews both resigned in protest, and there are reports that more administration officials will head for the exits in the next 24 hours.\n\nCBS has reported that Trump administration Cabinet officials are discussing the 25th amendment to the US constitution, which outlines how the vice-president and a majority of the Cabinet can temporarily remove a president from office.\n\nWhether Pence and the Cabinet act or not, Trump's presidency will be over in just two weeks. At that point, Republican Party leaders will have to grapple with a future where it has lost control of the Congress and the White House and has a former president whose reputation is badly tarnished but who still has strong sway over a sizeable segment of the party's base.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Mitt Romney warns fellow Republicans not to be complicit in attack on democracy\n\nWednesday's events could presage a pitched battle for the direction of the party, as conservatives within the party attempt to wrest control away from Trump and his loyalists. McConnell, given his remarks earlier in the day, appears willing to chart such a course. Others, like Utah Senator Mitt Romney, a former Republican presidential nominee, may also take a leading role.\n\nThey will be challenged by others within the party who may be more interested in laying claim to Trump's populist mantle. It was notable that Josh Hawley of Missouri, the first senator to announce he would object the results of the election in the Senate, did not step away from his challenge even after the Senate reconvened following the violence in the Capitol.\n\nCrisis can bring political opportunity, and there are many politicians who will not hesitate to use it to gain advantage.\n\nMeanwhile, Trump - for now - is still in power. And while he may be chastened, he may be sitting in the White House residence watching television temporarily without his social media outlet, he will not be silent for long.\n\nAnd once he decamps for his new Florida home, he could begin making plans to settle scores and, perhaps, someday return to power and rebuild a legacy that, for the moment, lies in tatters.", "The Belfast Health Trust has said it has no other option but to cancel urgent cancer surgery.\n\nThese are known as red flag cancer cases where an operation is expected to impact on a person's recovery and even surviving the disease.\n\nThe Department of Health has confirmed to the BBC that it's estimated that one in 60 people in NI have Covid-19.\n\nIt is understood the trust expects \"many 100s\" of new Covid patients in the next three weeks.\n\nThe demand for bed space is described as \"highly significant\", while a source added that all is being done to \"find beds and staff\".\n\nThey continued: \"People in here are moving heaven and earth to find beds in anticipation of what is coming and that's why some cancer patients even those who have been told their case is urgent are having their surgery cancelled.\"\n\nEffectively the move means that choices are already being made within the health service about who should receive critical treatment.\n\nThe daughter of a 66-year-old woman who was told her surgery has been cancelled has described the move as \"deeply worrying\".\n\n\"Mummy was diagnosed with cancer of the lining of the bladder in November, it's since spread to the muscle wall of her bladder. She was told in December her surgery was urgent - but now it's been cancelled.\n\n\"She is so frightened, it is just horrendous and I'm sure mum is not alone.\"\n\nWhile a cancer patient might have been told their case is critical and that treatment is necessary within weeks, some Covid patients are also being told that in order to survive they require treatment immediately.\n\nWith the number of cases soaring this is worse than the first lockdown and according to health professionals there is worse to come.\n\nThe BBC understands that the health minister is expected to respond to the problem in the coming days.\n\nIt is hoped that he will announce a regional approach to tackling cancelled surgeries among the various health trusts.\n\nNorthern Ireland's other health trusts have also begun to cancel operations due to pressures created by coronavirus.\n\nThe Northern, Western, Southern and South-Eastern trusts have said they will be cancelling planned surgeries.\n\nHospitals have said they were facing a surge in coronavirus cases following Christmas.\n\nOn Thursday, 599 people were in hospital with Covid-19.\n\nThe Belfast Trust apologised for the \"distress\" caused by the cancellations.\n\n\"Belfast Trust has made the difficult decision to cancel all planned inpatient surgery this week due to rising numbers of Covid cases,\" a spokesperson said.\n\nThe trust said it was contacting those affected and \"will rearrange this surgery as soon as possible and we will do everything we can to ensure continuity of care throughout this challenging time\".\n\nThe Northern Trust said it had \"regrettably\" cancelled the majority of its planned or elective surgeries to \"both free up staff to support the significant COVID-19 surge experience in the Trust and to reduce the clinical risk to patients who are or may be exposed to the virus\".\n\nIt apologised and said it would contacting people.\n\nThe Western Trust said it is \"facing unprecedented pressures due to the escalating rate\" of Covid infections.\n\nDirector of Acute Hospitals, Geraldine McKay, said routine elective inpatient, outpatient and day case surgeries have now been postponed until further notice.\n\nShe said the decision was \"very regrettable, but necessary\".\n\n\"Red flag and some time critical procedures and clinics will continue, but will be reviewed daily,\" she said.\n\nShould the number of Covid patients further increase, she added, the trust will \"have no option but to move to perform emergency and trauma surgery only\".\n\nA spokesperson for the South Eastern Trust said it was still carrying out some planned surgery, but the majority would be cancelled by next week.\n\nThe Southern Trust said it had taken its decision in response to the \"very significant recent increase\" in the number of Covid-19 cases.\n\nIt said this had been compounded by an increase in trauma workload and recent icy weather.\n\nThe trust said it would continue to provide day surgery and endoscopy across its hospital sites.\n\nOf the 3,359 planned procedures scheduled across NI between 29 December 2020 and 4 January, 3,267 went ahead as planned, according to the Health and Social Care website.\n\nThere were 92 cancellations which amounted to about 3% of all surgeries.", "During a speech earlier in the day, President Trump had asked his supporters to march towards the Capitol in protest. They breached the building while Congress was certifying Joe Biden's win.\n\nProtesters made it all the way to the Senate floor and the office of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.\n\nHere are the key moments in a dark day for US democracy.", "The US is reeling after supporters of President Trump stormed the Capitol building in Washington DC on the day Congress was meeting to confirm Joe Biden's election victory.\n\nLawmakers were forced to take shelter, the building was put into lockdown and four people died in the chaos that followed a pro-Trump rally near the White House.\n\nHere's a breakdown of how events unfolded on Wednesday.\n\nJust before midday local time (17:00 GMT) thousands of people gather at the Ellipse, near the White House, to hear the president speak at a \"Save America\" rally.\n\nHe tells them: \"We're going to walk down Pennsylvania Avenue... and we're going to the Capitol and we're going to try and give… our Republicans, the weak ones... the kind of pride and boldness that they need to take back our country.\"\n\nAs the speech ends, crowds start to drift towards the Congress building, about a mile and a half away, where they are met by police barriers.\n\nThe Capitol is home to the two chambers of the US government that make up Congress - the House of Representatives and the Senate.\n\nChanting crowds start to gather on both sides of the building at around 13:10, grappling with police at the metal barricades.\n\nTear gas and pepper spray are used to try to keep the protesters at bay.\n\nPolice officers struggle to maintain control of the situation as protesters advance on the building on multiple fronts.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Police place US Capitol Building on lockdown after Trump supporters breached security lines\n\nOn the east side, the crowd force their way through barricades on the Capitol Plaza and move on the main entrance, quickly gaining access to the Great Rotunda.\n\nOnce inside, they head for the House and Senate chambers.\n\nIgor Bobic, a journalist for the Huffington Post, captures a group of men forcing a police officer to retreat up a set of stairs as they continue their advance.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Igor Bobic This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nSenators are forced to abandon the process of confirming President-elect Biden's victory and the building goes into lockdown.\n\nThe doors of the House chamber are locked and a makeshift barricade is erected in front of them. Security officials guard the entrance, guns drawn.\n\nWithin an hour, protesters have also broken police lines on the west side of the Capitol, scaling walls to reach the building itself before smashing windows and forcing doors open.\n\nOther videos and images show rioters storming through the building's ornately-decorated corridors and chambers chanting \"USA!\" and \"Stop the steal\".\n\nShortly before 15:00, gunshots are reportedly heard inside the building.\n\nPhotos and video footage later show a female protester being shot as she tries to break through the barricaded doors of the Speakers' Lobby.\n\nDespite efforts by police and others at the scene to save her, she is later reported to have died.\n\nOn the other side of the building, protesters break into the Senate chamber, one taking seat in the Speaker's chair.\n\nAnother protester is photographed nearby sitting in Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office, with his foot on the table.\n\nAfter growing condemnation of the riots, President Trump eventually calls for calm, telling the protesters to leave peacefully: \"Go home. We love you, you're very special.\"\n\nBy 17:40, the building is cleared and made secure ahead of the 18:00 curfew ordered by DC Mayor Muriel Bowser.\n\nSeveral thousand National Guard troops, FBI agents and US Secret Service are deployed to help.\n\nMore than six hours after the storming of the building, senators return and resume the day's business of certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election.\n\nAt 03:41 on Thursday, Congress confirms President-elect Joe Biden will succeed President Trump on 20 January.", "Young women clap for heroes outside Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London\n\nA revived initiative to applaud the heroes of the pandemic has returned - but much more quietly than last year.\n\nIt comes after the founder of Clap for Carers distanced herself from its return after facing online abuse.\n\nAnnemarie Plas wanted to bring back the weekly applause under a new name of Clap for Heroes to lift spirits in the new lockdown but it fell a little flat.\n\nSome health workers have said they would rather people stay at home and wear a mask than clap for them.\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer said he participated at 20:00 GMT on Thursday, but clapping \"isn't enough\".\n\n\"They need to be paid properly and given the respect they deserve,\" he tweeted., of the health workers.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The weekly clap returned but Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said clapping alone \"wasn't enough\"\n\nThe idea of clapping and banging pots from doorsteps originally began as a one-off to support NHS staff on 26 March - three days after the UK went into lockdown for the first time.\n\nAfter proving popular it was expanded to cover all key workers and continued every Thursday for 10 weeks last year, with millions of people across the UK taking part.\n\nMembers of the Royal Family and politicians including Prime Minister Boris Johnson also joined in with the show of support.\n\nHowever, the event faced criticism for becoming politicised, with some suggesting the NHS would benefit more from extra funding than applause.\n\nPeople in some streets stood on doorsteps and leaned out windows to clap for the pandemic's heroes, and landmarks in London were illuminated blue for the occasion - but reports suggested the applause was noticeably quieter than last year.\n\nAnnemarie Plas and her family were threatened online for her efforts\n\nOn Wednesday, Ms Plas, a 36-year-old mother-of-one, announced the return of the initiative, saying she hoped to \"lift the spirit of all of us\" including \"all who are pushing through this difficult time\".\n\nBut some NHS workers were less than enthusiastic. Ami Jones, an intensive care consultant from Wales, tweeted: \"No thanks. I'd rather you obey the rules, stay at home, wear masks and wash your hands.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Rachel Clarke 💙 This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nAnd palliative care doctor Rachel Clarke said: \"Please don't clap us. Just wear a mask, wash your hands and respect lockdown.\"\n\nIn a tweet posted hours before the weekly clap was due to return, Ms Plas, a Dutch national living in south London, said she had been targeted with personal abuse and threats against her and her family by \"a hateful few\" on social media.\n\n\"I have no political agenda, I am not employed by the government, I do not work in PR, I am just an average mum at home trying to cope with the lockdown situation,\" she said, in a statement.\n\nShe said the newly revived clap could and should still happen at 20:00 GMT.\n\n\"It's up to each person to decide how relevant or worthwhile they feel it is to participate,\" she said.\n\nThe fountains in Trafalgar Square were illuminated blue for the initiative on Thursday\n\nSome incorporated pots and pans during their weekly claps in warmer months", "As violent Trump supporters surged past barricades and into the US Capitol, news agency photographers - who were there to document the vote certifying Joe Biden's election win - captured extraordinary scenes.\n\nThe last time government buildings were breached in Washington was in 1814 and the invaders were British soldiers.\n\nBut in 2021 a Trump supporter, carrying the Confederate flag, is walking freely through the halls near the entrance to the Senate, encountering little resistance.\n\nThe Confederacy was the group of southern states that fought to keep slavery during the American Civil War. In this image, the oil paintings of political figures in the background emphasise this imagery of the past.\n\nThere have been renewed calls for the Confederate flag to be banned across the US following the anti-racism protests sparked by the police killing of George Floyd, a black man.\n\nHowever Mr Trump has defended use of the flag, calling it a matter of free speech.\n\nOne man in a Trump beanie here walks between the red guide ropes, as many visitors might do on a guided-tour to view the Crypt, the Statuary Hall and the Rotunda.\n\nBut this man is carrying a podium bearing the seal of the Speaker of the House, as he poses in front of a painting depicting the surrender of Gen Burgoyne in the war of independence.\n\nAnother man, identified as Jake Angeli, an ardent Trump supporter who has attended a number of the president's rallies, shouts as he makes his way to the Senate Chamber.\n\nHis incongruous garments set him apart from other protesters wearing black hoodies. These Trump activists stand by taking selfies, but he has clearly come here to be photographed by others.\n\nThe apparent lack of a security presence is in sharp contrast to other Washington protests where there is a highly visible presence of heavily armed security forces protecting US institutions.\n\nAnother Trump supporter, identified as Richard Barnett, sits with one boot disrespectfully on a desk that is at the very centre of power in Congress. It is in the office of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.\n\nIn the scene, unimaginable days earlier, Barnett in his baseball cap and checked shirt resembles a raconteur regaling friends with tales of his exploits.\n\nThe image went viral as did pictures of the notes he and others left on Ms Pelosi's desk.\n\nThis dramatic image shows how the formal proceedings came to a violent halt as Capitol police officers drew their guns on doors being attacked by protesters intent on entering the House Chamber.\n\nMany commentators asked if they were watching a coup unfold as doors were barricaded and firearms brandished.\n\nThe composition is reminiscent of a scene in a Hollywood Western, the lawmen bracing for the doors to be breached.\n\nUS President-elect Joe Biden made an impassioned TV address describing the scenes as \"an assault on democracy\" - this chilling picture encapsulates what he meant.", "A Joint Session of Congress to certify the election of Joe Biden has gone into an unexpected recess, and the Capitol building into lockdown, after Trump supporters breached security lines.\n\nEarlier, President Trump addressed supporters at a rally outside the White House and encouraged them to protest the election result.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Boris Johnson: \"I condemn encouraging people to behave in the disgraceful way they did in the Capitol\"\n\nDonald Trump was \"completely wrong\" to cast doubt on the US election and encourage supporters to storm the Capitol, Boris Johnson has said.\n\nThe UK prime minister said he \"unreservedly condemns\" the US president's actions.\n\nFour people died after a pro-Trump mob stormed the building in a bid to overturn the election result.\n\nMr Trump had urged protesters to march on the Capitol after making false electoral fraud claims.\n\nHe later called on his supporters to \"go home\", while continuing to make false claims - Twitter and Facebook later froze his accounts.\n\nThe president has now said there will be an \"orderly transition\" to President-elect Joe Biden, whose November election victory has now been certified by US lawmakers.\n\nBut he added that he continued to \"totally disagree\" with the outcome of the vote, repeating his unsubstantiated claims of electoral fraud.\n\nOn Wednesday night, Mr Johnson condemned the \"disgraceful scenes\" and called for a \"peaceful and orderly transfer of power\".\n\nBut asked by the BBC's political correspondent Alex Forsyth if President Trump was directly responsible, he said: \"All my life America has stood for some very important things. An idea of freedom, an idea of democracy.\n\n\"As you say, in so far as he encouraged people to storm the Capitol, and in so far as the president has consistently cast doubt on the outcome of a free and fair election, I believe that was completely wrong.\n\n\"I believe what President Trump has been saying about that has been completely wrong and I unreservedly condemn encouraging people to behave in the disgraceful way that they did in the Capitol.\"\n\nThe PM, speaking at a Downing Street briefing, then welcomed the confirmation of President-elect Biden, saying \"democracy has prevailed\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nHundreds of the president's supporters stormed the Capitol on Wednesday - where lawmakers were meeting to confirm Mr Biden's election victory - and staged an occupation of the building in Washington DC.\n\nBoth chambers of Congress were forced into recess, as protesters clashed with police and tear gas was released.\n\nA woman died after being shot by police, and three others died as a result of \"medical emergencies\", local police said.\n\nUK politicians from different parties have all condemned Mr Trump's actions in encouraging the storming of the Capitol.\n\nEarlier, Home Secretary Priti Patel said the president's comments had \"directly led\" to the events and he \"didn't do anything to de-escalate that\".\n\nShe added: \"He basically has made a number of comments yesterday that helped to fuel that violence and he didn't actually do anything to de-escalate that whatsoever... what we've seen is completely unacceptable.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Priti Patel says Donald Trump was wrong for not condemning the violence\n\nSpeaking on Thursday, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said Mr Trump should \"take responsibility\" for what happened, calling it the \"culmination of years of the politics of hate and division\".\n\nSir Keir added he welcomed the outgoing president's agreement to an orderly handover, but told reporters \"he should have said it a long time ago.\"\n\nScottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said Mr Trump had been \"inciting insurrection in his own country,\" and called it a \"dark period\" in US history.\n\n\"What we witnessed last night is not that surprising. In some senses, Donald Trump's presidency has been moving towards this moment almost from the moment it started,\" she told ITV's Good Morning Britain.\n\nScotland's Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf said the home secretary should \"give serious consideration\" to denying Mr Trump entry to the UK after he leaves office.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. 'Treason, traitors and thugs' - the words lawmakers used to describe Capitol riot\n\nForeign Secretary Dominic Raab said certification of Mr Biden's victory was \"good to see\" after the \"shocking events\" on Wednesday, adding the UK condemned the violence \"unequivocally\".\n\nFormer Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May, who shared time in office with Mr Trump, said there should be \"no place for the rule of the mob\".\n\nBut senior Welsh Conservative Andrew RT Davies has been criticised after comparing the rioting to politicians who supported a second referendum on Brexit.\n\nMr Davies, a member of the Welsh Parliament, later tweeted that \"violence must never be tolerated\".\n\nHis party colleague, the Conservative MP Simon Hoare, suggested Mr Trump could be sent to the US detention centre at Guantanamo Bay:\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Simon Hoare MP This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nCommons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle has written to express his \"solidarity\" with US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, whose empty office was broken into by protesters.\n\n\"Seeing your office trashed in that way and its occupation by one of the rioters was particularly outrageous. I am just so relieved you were not hurt,\" he wrote.\n\nTrump supporters left this note on the desk of Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the House of Representatives.", "Ryanair is making big cuts to its flight schedule from 21 January in response to the latest Covid lockdowns.\n\nIt warned that few, if any, flights would operate to or from Ireland or the UK from the end of January until \"draconian\" restrictions were removed.\n\nCustomers hit by the cancellations will be advised by email of entitlements to free moves or refunds, it said.\n\nRyanair also cut its full year traffic forecast from currently \"below 35 million\" to 26-30 million passengers.\n\nThe airline said that new Covid restrictions could reduce traffic in February and March to as little as 500,000 passengers each month. It expects January traffic to fall below 1.25 million.\n\nIt said it did not expect these latest flight cuts and further traffic reductions to materially affect its net loss for the year to 31 March 2021, since many of the flights would have been loss-making.\n\nRyanair hit out at Irish and UK governments for the latest lockdowns.\n\n\"The WHO have previously confirmed that governments should do everything possible to avoid brutal lockdowns, because lockdowns 'do not get rid of the virus',\" Ryanair said in a statement.\n\n\"Ireland's Covid-19 travel restrictions are already the most stringent in Europe, and so these new flight restrictions are inexplicable and ineffective when Ireland continues to operate an open border between the Republic and the North of Ireland.\"\n\nIt called on the Irish Government to accelerate the rollout of vaccines.\n\n\"The fact that the Danish Government, with a similar five million population, has already vaccinated 10 times more citizens than Ireland shows that emergency action is needed to speed Covid vaccinations in Ireland.\"\n\nRival low-cost carrier Norwegian said its traffic figures had been hit heavily by the pandemic, with customer numbers down 94% compared to the same period the previous year.\n\nIn December, 129,664 customers flew with Norwegian, with the capacity and total passenger traffic both down by 98%.\n\n\"2020 has been a very challenging year and we now find ourselves fighting for survival,\" said Jacob Schram, chief executive of Norwegian.\n\n\"The vaccination is now being rolled out across the world and is good news for both the aviation industry and those who want to travel.\"", "Mauritius has been removed from the safe list\n\nTravellers from countries near South Africa are to be banned from entering England to stop the spread of the South African Covid variant.\n\nArrivals from Namibia, Zimbabwe, Angola, Botswana, as well as island nations Mauritius and Seychelles, will be affected.\n\nThe rule will take effect on 9 January but there will be an exemption for British and Irish nationals.\n\nThey will need to follow existing quarantine procedures.\n\nA ban by visitors to the UK from South Africa started on 24 December.\n\nThe latest restriction brought in by the Department for Transport also affects travellers arriving from Eswatini, Zambia, Malawi, Lesotho and Mozambique.\n\nIt will apply from 04:00 GMT on Saturday to people who have travelled from or through any of the specified countries in the last 10 days.\n\nIt is understood most flights from the affected countries arrive at airports in England, although it is expected the policy will be formally adopted by the other UK nations.\n\nThe measures will be in place for an initial period of two weeks.\n\nMeanwhile, Botswana, and the islands of Seychelles and Mauritius, are being removed from the UK list of safe travel corridors as there is a high frequency of travel between the islands and South Africa.\n\nThe new variant of coronavirus circulating in South Africa is already being seen in other countries, including the UK.\n\nThe variant, much like the new UK variant first seen in Kent, appears to be more contagious than previous ones.\n\nAnyone arriving into the UK from most destinations must quarantine for 10 days.\n\nBut there are a list of countries exempt from the rules, meaning returning travellers do not need to self-isolate, called the travel corridor list.\n\nUnder the latest announcement, the travel corridor with Israel will also end amid concerns about rising infection levels in that country.\n\nHowever, rules in place across the UK currently ban travel abroad unless for specific reasons.", "Protesters in support of US President Donald Trump swarmed the Capitol building, forcing officials to order lawmakers to shelter in place and halting debate in both the House and Senate. Congress was meeting to confirm President-elect Joe Biden's electoral college victory.", "Mr Christmas' light displays attracted thousands of visitors over the years\n\nThe family of a man known affectionately as Mr Christmas has turned off his festive lights for the last time.\n\nDave Edwards, 86, lit up his home in Croxley Green, Hertfordshire, with extravagant light displays for 42 years to raise money for charity.\n\nHe died from cancer on the eve of his annual switch-on in November.\n\nHis daughter Sharon Markham called on local residents to \"continue to light up Croxley every year\".\n\nMr Edwards started putting up the light display with his wife - who died three years ago - as a competition with a house across the street, and continued to build on the set over the years.\n\nDave Edwards was dubbed Mr Christmas due to the illuminations at his home in Croxley Green\n\nPeople would travel miles to see the festive lights\n\nMrs Markham said each year they raised about £5,000 for charity, but this year a \"record amount\" of more than £10,000 had been donated.\n\nWhen his family said the 2020 display would be the last due to Mr Edwards's failing health, people across the village rallied together by installing their own displays in his honour.\n\nSharon Markham said her parents were \"such amazing people but their light will always be shining\"\n\nResidents of Croxley Green placed a banner opposite Mr Christmas' home to thank him for his displays and fundraising\n\nTurning off the lights at 21:23 GMT on Wednesday, in an event filmed for the Mr Christmas Facebook page, Mrs Markham thanked the community for its support over the years.\n\n\"Without you we could not have achieved the things we have done,\" she said.\n\n\"I thought turning the lights on was hard enough but switching them off - this moment has been worrying me for months and now it's finally here.\n\n\"For now, though, we say goodbye and we thank Mr and Mrs Christmas for all the joy they have brought us all.\n\n\"We ask you all to continue to light up Croxley every year.\"\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk", "Dr Anil Mehta, a GP at Fullwell Cross Medical Centre in North London, told the BBC that staff were working from 7 in the morning until 10pm at night during the three days of their weekly Covid-19 vaccine rollout, describing the process as a 'full team effort.\n\nDr Mehta was also keen to encourage people who might be nervous about the vaccine to take up the offer, emphasising that the evidence behind the vaccine 'was very strong'.\n\nThis message was echoed by Zahin Ahmed, whose grandfather Shafiquz Zaman has now received both doses of the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine at the clinic. Mr Ahmed, who is from the Bangladeshi community, also said it was important that minority communities took up the offer of the vaccine when called upon to do so.", "George had mottled skin, swelling on his lips, a high temperature and could not keep fluids down\n\nThe mother of a baby who was treated in hospital for Covid-19 has urged parents to be alert to symptoms such as mottled skin and sickness.\n\nMyer Rudelhoff's four-month-old son George spent three nights in Basildon hospital, in Essex.\n\nHe had patchy skin, swelling on his lips, a high temperature and could not keep fluids down.\n\nShe said: \"I thought it was a sickness bug. I had no idea it was caused by coronavirus.\"\n\nDiarrhoea, vomiting and abdominal cramps in children can be a sign of coronavirus according to some researchers, but the officially recognised symptoms are a fever, cough and loss of smell or taste.\n\nMrs Rudlehoff, who lives in Basildon, noticed her son had a temperature on New Year's Eve but put it down to teething.\n\nGeorge began vomiting the following evening and on 2 January she called NHS 111, who told her to take him to hospital.\n\nShe said: \"I really did not want to go. I was so scared about him getting the virus there, I had no idea he had it.\n\n\"He got so poorly so quickly when we arrived and was really lethargic. They took a swab and, when they said he was positive, I burst into tears. It was such a shock.\"\n\nMyer Rudelhoff was scared to take her son to hospital but realised he was too poorly and needed treatment\n\nThe mother-of-two said she presumed it was not Covid-19 because he did not have a cough, though he did develop a mild one a few days later while in hospital.\n\nShe said the staff were \"amazing\" and she wanted to reassure parents \"not to be afraid to go to hospital\" if their children were ill.\n\nNurses told her they had treated several other children with the same mottled skin and sickness and asked her to share her story to raise awareness of these symptoms.\n\nMrs Rudelhoff's post on Facebook was shared nearly 7,000 times within three days.\n\nIn the post, she said she felt \"upset, angry and frustrated\" because she had taken the illness very seriously but George had still managed to catch it. He was the only member of the family who tested positive.\n\nGeorge was discharged from hospital and was making a good recovery at home, she said.\n\nGeorge is now making a good recovery at home and is being looked after by his big brother Stanley\n\nDr Kilali Ominu-Evbota, paediatric consultant at Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust, said: \"It's great to hear that George is now back home and on the road to recovery.\n\n\"George's family did the right thing and we encourage parents to seek medical advice with their GP or via the NHS 111 service in order to get the correct treatment for their child.\"\n\nBasildon has an infection rate of 1,265 cases per 100,000 people - compared to the average England rate of 606.9.\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk\n• None 'Upset stomach' in children may be coronavirus\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "The president says he hates Big Tech. Yet he has loved using Twitter.\n\nHe's used it as a way, for more than 10 years, to bypass the media and speak directly to voters.\n\nThe 280 characters fits neatly with his style of political engagement - broad brushstrokes rather than details.\n\nAnd Twitter has undoubtedly benefited from President Trump too, the place to go to hear the latest musings from the most powerful person on the planet.\n\nThat decade-long symbiosis has been ended with a shuddering halt.\n\nImmediately after the deadly riots, Twitter locked the President's Twitter feed and asked Mr Trump to delete three tweets for violations around its Civic Integrity policy., which he promptly did.\n\nAfter the suspension he tweeted as a new man, the nonsense claims of mass voter fraud replaced with a more conciliatory tone.\n\nPrivately though Twitter was pondering whether it had gone far enough. Facebook had already acted, banning Donald Trump \"indefinitely\".\n\nAfter more than 48 hours of consideration, Twitter acted. It made unquestionably the most important moderation decision in its history. It banned the president of the United States.\n\nSome have asked why he wasn't kicked off sooner.\n\nMr Trump or one of his associates appears to have deleted some of his most recent tweets\n\nWell, Twitter has very specific rules about world leaders.\n\n\"We recognise that sometimes it may be in the public interest to allow people to view tweets that would otherwise be taken down,\" Twitter's rules say.\n\n\"At present, we limit exceptions to one critical type of public-interest content - tweets from elected and government officials.\"\n\nChief executive Jack Dorsey had felt it was in the public interest to keep the account active, albeit with warning messages.\n\n\"No one is turning a blind eye,\" a senior source told the BBC before the ban.\n\nIn short, Mr Trump had been allowed to remain on Twitter - despite numerous breaches of its rules - because he is the president.\n\nWith less than two weeks to go of Trump's presidency, many social media companies have now decided enough is enough.\n\nCritics say the outgoing president's words on social media, for years, helped to incite Wednesday's storming of Capitol Hill.\n\nAll the big social media companies have made it clear that - as a private citizen - if you continually look to peddle conspiracy theories and promote extremism, you should expect to be kicked out. With just a few days of his presidency left, Mr Trump is already being held to a different standard - his privileges stripped.\n\nWhat's driving this? To be cynical, social media companies are acutely aware that President-elect Joe Biden believes Big Tech hasn't done enough to quell fake news and hate speech on their platforms.\n\nRioters broke into Congress after a speech by Mr Trump on Wednesday\n\nThey are now desperate to show that they can, in fact, police their own platforms without the need for stringent legal reforms.\n\nWhat better way to show you're serious than to act on Mr Trump's misinformation?\n\nWhat will Mr Trump do next? Well he's already said he's looking into the possibility of building his own platform in the future.\n\nBut for now he's consigned to the fringes of the internet. Can Trumpism survive without Big Tech? We're about to find out.\n\nJames Clayton is the BBC's North America technology reporter based in San Francisco. Follow him on Twitter @jamesclayton5.", "For the first since April the UK has recorded more than 1,000 daily Covid-related deaths – one of the highest figures of the pandemic.\n\nRight now, London is at the epicentre of this crisis. Hospitals now have more Covid patients being admitted every day than they did at the peak in April. Many doctors and nurses say they're reaching breaking point.\n\nThe BBC's medical editor Fergus Walsh has been allowed to film inside the intensive care unit at London's University College Hospital, which is one of the busiest in the capital.\n\nRead more: 'How long can we keep going like this? About a week'", "Elon Musk has become the world's richest person, as his net worth crossed $185bn (£136bn).\n\nThe Tesla and SpaceX entrepreneur was pushed into the top slot after Tesla's share price increased on Thursday.\n\nHe takes the top spot from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who had held it since 2017.\n\nMr Musk's electric car company Tesla has surged in value this year, and hit a market value of $700bn (£516bn) for the first time on Wednesday.\n\nThat makes the car company worth more than Toyota, Volkswagen, Hyundai, GM and Ford combined.\n\nMr Musk reacted to the news in signature style, replying to a Twitter user sharing the news with the remark \"how strange\".\n\nAn older tweet pinned to the top of his feed offered further insight into his thoughts on personal wealth.\n\n\"About half my money is intended to help problems on Earth, and half to help establish a self-sustaining city on Mars to ensure continuation of life (of all species) in case Earth gets hit by a meteor like the dinosaurs or WW3 happens and we destroy ourselves,\" it reads.\n\nThe tycoon's fortunes have been buoyed by politics in the US, where the Democrats will have control of the US Senate in the forthcoming session.\n\nDaniel Ives, an analyst with Wedbush Securities wrote: \"A Blue Senate is very bullish and a potential 'game changer' for Tesla and the overall electric vehicle sector, with a more green-driven agenda now certainly in the cards for the next few years.\"\n\nExpected electric vehicle tax credits would benefit Tesla, \"which continues to have an iron grip on the market today\", he added.\n\nMr Bezos is also using his personal wealth to fund space exploration\n\nMr Bezos has also seen his fortunes rise over the past year. The coronavirus pandemic has meant Amazon benefited from stronger demand for both its online store and cloud computing services.\n\nHowever, he gave a 4% stake in the business to his ex-wife MacKenzie Scott after they split, which helped Mr Musk overtake him.\n\nIn addition, the threat of regulation has meant Amazon's stock has not risen as high as it might otherwise have done.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Who is Elon Musk? Meet the meme-loving magnate behind SpaceX and Tesla...published in 2021\n\nThe owner of a business which has only just made its first annual profit and is still a minnow compared to the likes of Toyota - or Amazon - is now the world's richest person.\n\nIt is the fact that Tesla's share price has increased more than seven-fold in the past year that has sent Elon Musk's fortune rocketing past that of Jeff Bezos.\n\nTo believe the electric car-maker's worth could rise so rapidly in just 12 months is the ultimate example of irrational exuberance.\n\nIt means that Musk will have to show within the next five years that Tesla can make more profits than just about the whole of the rest of the motor industry combined to justify the valuation.\n\nMind you, his many fans will point out that the somewhat eccentric tycoon has constantly confounded the sceptics who bet that he would go bust.\n\nAnd of course 20 years ago another tech visionary was staring disaster in the face when the dot com bubble burst and big profits seemed a distant dream - but Jeff Bezos went on to make those who bet on Amazon very rich indeed.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Priti Patel says Donald Trump was wrong for not condemning the violence\n\nDonald Trump's comments \"directly led\" to his supporters storming Congress and clashing with police, Home Secretary Priti Patel has said.\n\nFour people have died after a pro-Trump mob stormed the building in a bid to overturn the election result.\n\nPresident Trump had urged protesters to march on the Capitol after making false claims of electoral fraud.\n\nMs Patel said the president's words had fuelled the violence and he \"didn't do anything to de-escalate that\".\n\nPrime Minister Boris Johnson has condemned the \"disgraceful scenes\" and called for a \"peaceful and orderly transfer of power\".\n\nOn Wednesday evening, President Trump later called on his supporters to \"go home\", while continuing to make false claims of electoral fraud.\n\nHe has been suspended from his Facebook and Instagram accounts for at least two weeks, and possibly indefinitely. Twitter has also frozen his account.\n\nThe president has now said there will be an \"orderly transition\" to Democrat Joe Biden, whose November election victory has now been certified by US lawmakers.\n\nBut he added that he continued to \"totally disagree\" with the outcome of the vote, repeating his unsubstantiated claims of electoral fraud.\n\nHundreds of the president's supporters stormed the Capitol - where lawmakers were meeting to confirm Mr Biden's election victory - and staged an occupation of the building in Washington DC.\n\nBoth chambers of Congress were forced into recess, as protesters clashed with police and tear gas was released.\n\nMs Patel told BBC Breakfast the scenes were \"awful beyond words\".\n\nThe home secretary said: \"His comments directly led to the violence, and so far he has failed to condemn that violence and that is completely wrong.\"\n\nShe added: \"He basically has made a number of comments yesterday that helped to fuel that violence and he didn't actually do anything to de-escalate that whatsoever... what we've seen is completely unacceptable.\"\n\nA woman died after being shot by police, and three others died as a result of \"medical emergencies\", local police said.\n\nPoliticians across the UK's political parties lined up to condemn the scenes in Washington.\n\nSpeaking on Thursday, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said Mr Trump should \"take responsibility\" for what happened, calling it the \"culmination of years of the politics of hate and division\".\n\nSir Keir added he welcomed the outgoing president's agreement to an orderly handover, but told reporters \"he should have said it a long time ago.\"\n\nScottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said Mr Trump had been \"inciting insurrection in his own country,\" and called it a \"dark period\" in US history.\n\n\"What we witnessed last night is not that surprising. In some senses, Donald Trump's presidency has been moving towards this moment almost from the moment it started,\" she told ITV's Good Morning Britain.\n\nScotland's Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf said the home secretary should \"give serious consideration\" to denying Mr Trump entry to the UK after he leaves office.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Police place US Capitol Building on lockdown after Trump supporters breached security lines\n\nForeign Secretary Dominic Raab said certification of Mr Biden's victory was \"good to see\" after the \"shocking events\" on Wednesday, adding the UK condemned the violence \"unequivocally\".\n\nFormer Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May, who shared time in office with Mr Trump, said there should be \"no place for the rule of the mob\".\n\nBut senior Welsh Conservative Andrew RT Davies has been criticised after comparing the rioting to politicians who supported a second referendum on Brexit.\n\nMr Davies, a member of the Welsh Parliament, later tweeted that \"violence must never be tolerated\".\n\nHis party colleague, the Conservative MP Simon Hoare, suggested Mr Trump could be sent to the US detention centre at Guantanamo Bay:\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Simon Hoare MP This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nFriend of President Trump and leader of Reform UK - formerly the Brexit Party - Nigel Farage tweeted: \"Storming Capitol Hill is wrong. The protesters must leave.\"\n\nMeanwhile, Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey has defended the prime minister's response to the rioting.\n\nAsked on ITV's Peston programme why Mr Johnson hadn't criticised Mr Trump, she said: \"The prime minister has been clear tonight that we need a peaceful and orderly transition.\"\n\nCommons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle has written to express his \"solidarity\" with US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, whose empty office was broken into by protesters.\n\n\"Seeing your office trashed in that way and its occupation by one of the rioters was particularly outrageous. I am just so relieved you were not hurt,\" he wrote.\n\nTrump supporters left this note on the desk of Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the House of Representatives.\n\nIt is a truism of British diplomacy that every occupant of 10 Downing Street has to get on with every occupant of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, regardless of their politics or character.\n\nPersonal consideration is pushed aside. What matters is the national interest and staying close to one of Britain's closest allies.\n\nThus even now, even after Donald Trump's incitement of the Capitol mob, even though there are less than two weeks until the inauguration, even as close Republican allies jump ship, Boris Johnson and Dominic Raab were reluctant to criticise the president by name in their initial response overnight.\n\nYes, they condemned the violence. But of Mr Trump, not a word. This caution was matched by the Prime Ministers of fellow so-called Five Eyes intelligence allies, Australia and New Zealand, both of whom also both failed to mention Mr Trump in their condemnatory tweets.\n\nIn contrast, European leaders were quick to blame the president personally.\n\nIt was only this morning that a British minister, Home Secretary Priti Patel, felt able to follow suit in strong terms.\n\nSo was this natural and sensible diplomatic caution in the midst of a febrile crisis?\n\nOr was this, as some Labour figures are already claiming, a function of the closeness between the current UK government and the Trump administration?\n\nIt was only a few weeks ago that Defence Secretary Ben Wallace told The Sun that he would miss Donald Trump because he was a good friend to Britain.\n\nWhatever one's views, it is certainly the case that the British government is seen on the international stage by some has having ideological proximity to Mr Trump.\n\nChanging that reputation is seen by many diplomats as a priority in the months ahead, a task made more urgent by events overnight.", "Olly Stephens was stabbed to death in Emmer Green in Reading on Sunday\n\nThree teenagers accused of murdering a 13-year-old boy who was stabbed to death have appeared in Crown Court.\n\nOliver Stephens, known as Olly, was pronounced dead at Bugs Bottom fields, Emmer Green in Reading, on Sunday.\n\nTwo boys, aged 13 and 14, and a 13-year-old girl have been charged with murder and conspiracy to commit grievous bodily harm.\n\nThey have all been remanded in youth detention custody and a provisional trial date has been set for 21 June.\n\nThe three teenagers, who cannot be identified because of their ages, had appeared at Reading Youth Court earlier on Thursday before the Crown Court hearing.\n\nThe defendants only spoke at the youth court to confirm their names, ages and addresses.\n\nThe court heard the girl has also been charged with perverting the course of justice.\n\nThe Crown Court hearing was told a potential trial was estimated to last five or six weeks.\n\nPolice were called just before 16:00 GMT on Sunday following reports of an attack in fields on the boundary of Emmer Green and Caversham Heights.\n\nOlly was pronounced dead at the scene.\n\nIn a statement released on Wednesday, his family said: \"An Olly-sized hole has been left in our hearts.\"\n\nHis parents said their son was \"an enigma\", and having both autism and suspected pathological demand avoidance meant \"he became a challenge we never shied away from\".\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "The former president posts that he has been told to report to a grand jury, \"which almost always means an Arrest\".", "McDonald's is pausing walk-in takeaway services in the UK as new lockdown restrictions come into force.\n\nDine-in meals and walk-in takeaways will not be available temporarily while it reviews safety procedures, it said.\n\nIts UK boss said it will be testing \"additional measures that may further enhance the safety of our takeaway service.\"\n\nRival food chains Burger King, Subway, KFC and Pret A Manger are still offering takeaways in-store.\n\nMcDonald's UK and Ireland chief executive Paul Pomroy said that safety measures across the firm's 1,300 restaurants will be reviewed by an independent health and safety body.\n\nHe added that customers would be kept updated via the restaurant's app and its website. Drive-through and delivery services across the fast food chain will remain open.\n\nUnder new lockdown restrictions which came into force in England and Scotland this week, hospitality firms are allowed to offer takeaways and deliveries.\n\nBut rules which previously allowed takeaways or click-and-collect services for alcoholic drinks have been scrapped.\n\nWales and Northern Ireland were already in lockdown, which meant that pubs, restaurants and cafes were restricted to takeaway-only too.\n\nAfter the first nationwide lockdown in March, many chains including McDonald's, Burger King and Pret closed their doors to hungry customers.\n\nThey gradually reopened with additional safety measures in place, such as plastic screens in front of the tills, hand sanitiser dispensers and restrictions on the number of customers allowed in at any one point. Some also pared back the number of dishes on offer.\n\nA Burger King spokesperson said that takeaway was still available in some branches and that it would continue to offer click-and-collect and delivery services \"in line with guidance issued\".\n\nSandwich chain Pret A Manger told the BBC that it is keeping some outlets open for both takeaways and delivery, but it would keep the number under review in the coming months.\n\n\"Last year we shifted our business to focus on delivery and expanded our delivery platform partnerships, to make Pret available to a wider customer base\", a spokesperson said.\n\n\"Since then, we have seen a significant increase in the use of delivery.\"\n\nSubway and KFC also confirmed that they remain open for in-store takeaways, deliveries and click-and-collect orders across the UK.\n\nFast food firm Leon, which has 65 outlets, said that 28 of their sites will remain open for takeaways and deliveries.\n\n\"We will continue to keep as many restaurants open as possible, as we did in the previous two lockdowns in line with government guidelines,\" a spokesperson said.\n\nDespite adapting their business models, many casual dining chains have been forced to make job cuts in the last year as lockdown restrictions hit sales. Pret, for example, announced 3,000 job cuts in August, while Greggs made 820 job cuts at the end of 2020.", "Supporters of US President Donald Trump stormed the US Capitol on Wednesday\n\nWorld leaders have condemned violent scenes in Washington after supporters of US President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol building on Wednesday.\n\nThe riot forced the suspension of a joint session of Congress to certify Joe Biden's electoral victory.\n\nMany leaders called for peace and an orderly transition of power, describing what happened as \"horrifying\" and an \"attack on democracy\".\n\n\"The United States stands for democracy around the world and it is now vital that there should be a peaceful and orderly transfer of power,\" he wrote on Twitter.\n\nOther UK politicians joined him in criticising the violence, with opposition leader Sir Keir Starmer calling it a \"direct attack on democracy\".\n\nHome Secretary Priti Patel told the BBC that Mr Trump's comments \"directly led\" to his supporters storming Congress and clashing with police.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Home Secretary Priti Patel says Donald Trump was wrong for not condemning the violence\n\nScotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted that the scenes from the US Capitol were \"utterly horrifying\".\n\nIn Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel said those who stormed the US legislature were \"attackers and rioters\" and that she felt \"angry and also sad\" after seeing pictures from the scene.\n\nShe told a meeting of German conservatives: \"I regret very much that President Trump has still not admitted defeat, but has kept raising doubts about the elections.\"\n\nChina meanwhile attempted to draw comparisons between the rioters who entered Congress to try and subvert the US election result and pro-democracy protesters who stormed Hong Kong's Legislative Council last year.\n\nForeign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying claimed events in Hong Kong were more \"severe\" than those in Washington but \"not one demonstrator died\".\n\nThe comparisons between the two incidents has caused outrage among Hong Kong's pro-democracy activists and their supporters.\n\nRussia blamed the \"archaic\" US electoral system and the politicisation of the media for Wednesday's unrest in Washington.\n\n\"The electoral system in the United States is archaic, it does not meet modern democratic standards, creating opportunities for numerous violations, and the American media have become an instrument of political struggle,\" foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.\n\nElsewhere in Europe, a chorus of leaders condemned the scenes in Washington as an attack on democracy.\n\nSpanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said: \"I have trust in the strength of US democracy. The new presidency of Joe Biden will overcome this tense stage, uniting the American people.\"\n\nIn a video on Twitter, French President Emmanuel Macron said: \"When, in one of the world's oldest democracies, supporters of an outgoing president take up arms to challenge the legitimate results of an election, a universal idea - that of 'one person, one vote' - is undermined.\n\n\"What happened today in Washington DC is not American, definitely. We believe in the strength of our democracies. We believe in the strength of American democracy\" he added.\n\nSwedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven described the incident as \"worrying\" and said it was \"an assault on democracy\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by SwedishPM This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nTop EU leaders have also made their views known. European Council President Charles Michel said he trusted the US \"to ensure a peaceful transfer of power\" to Mr Biden, while European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she looked forward to working with the Democrat, who \"won the election\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Charles Michel This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nLike many other global figures, the Secretary-General of the Nato military alliance, Jens Stoltenberg, said that the outcome of the election \"must be respected\".\n\nFor his part, UN Secretary-General António Guterres was \"saddened\" by the events at the US Capitol, his spokesman said.\n\nThe events also shocked America's close ally and neighbour to its north. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canadians were \"deeply disturbed and saddened by the attack on democracy\".\n\n\"Violence will never succeed in overruling the will of the people. Democracy in the US must be upheld - and it will be,\" he wrote on Twitter.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. When a mob stormed the US capitol\n\nFrom New Zealand, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, tweeted that \"democracy - the right of people to exercise a vote, have their voice heard and then have that decision upheld peacefully - should never be undone by a mob\".\n\nMeanwhile Prime Minister Scott Morrison of Australia - another close US ally - condemned the \"distressing scenes\" and said he looked forward to a peaceful transfer of power.\n\nIn India, the world's largest democracy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi - who has enjoyed a good relationship with President Trump - said he was \"distressed to see news about rioting and violence\" in Washington.\n\n\"Orderly and peaceful transfer of power must continue,\" he tweeted.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 3 by Narendra Modi This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nTurkey, an ally through Nato, said it invited \"all parties\" to show \"restraint and common sense\".\n\nThe Venezuelan government, which the US does not recognise as legitimate, said \"with this regrettable episode, the United States suffers the same thing that it has generated in other countries with its policies of aggression\".\n\nIn statements on Twitter, Argentina's President Alberto Fernández and Chile's President Sebastián Piñera also condemned the scenes in Washington. Mr Piñera said Chile \"trusts in the solidity of US democracy to guarantee the rule of law\".\n\nIn Japan, one of America's closest allies and partners, Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato said the government hoped for a \"peaceful transfer of power\" in the United States.\n\nFrom Fiji, Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, who led a coup in 2006, also expressed outrage at the events that took place.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 4 by Frank Bainimarama This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nAnd in Singapore, Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean said he had watched as the \"shocking\" scenes took place, adding: \"Its a sad day.\"", "Nursery staff are not advised to wear face coverings\n\nChildcare organisations are demanding to see evidence that it is safe for them to remain open while schools and colleges have closed to most pupils.\n\nStaff have close contact with children and babies daily, when they change nappies and receive them by the hand from parents, for example.\n\nMinisters have insisted early years settings are safe as young children have very low rates of the virus.\n\nNurseries argue the evidence cited is based on data about old variant Covid.\n\nEngland's three main nursery organisations, the Early Years Alliance, the National Day Nurseries Association and childminders' group, Pacey, have joined together to mount a #ProtectEarlyYears campaign.\n\nThey want the government to provide clear scientific evidence on the risks to early years staff of staying open, particularly in light of the increased transmissibility of the new variant of Covid-19.\n\nSue Cardy, owner and manager of Ready Teddy Go Pre School, in Shoeburyness, Essex said: \"There isn't anyone who has asked: 'Is it 100% safe for us to remain fully open? No one can see the virus and staff may be asymptomatic, and so we all run an element of risk of catching or spreading it.\"\n\nShe added: \"Staff have families and are not all young... 50% of my staff are over 50 and some have underlying medical conditions.\"\n\nVicky, the manager of a church pre-school in Cheshire West and Chester said she could potentially have 30 children plus 10 staff in a church hall, with no PPE recommended, and limited social distancing.\n\n\"As an early years provider, I am increasingly worried about the safety of both staff and children, yet if we chose to partially close, we could be financially penalised.\"\n\nAnd Georgie Morrell from Brighton and Hove said: \"Since re-opening, I have had four households tell me. they are Covid positive.\n\n\"This is clearly very close to home and yet we have been given no choice or support but to remain open and carry on.\"\n\nNeil Leitch, chief executive of the Early Years Alliance, said: \"It is simply not acceptable that, at the height of a global pandemic, early years providers are being asked to work with no support, no protection and no clear evidence that is safe for them to do so.\n\n\"We know how vital access to early education and care is to many families, but it cannot be right to ask the early years workforce to put themselves at risk. That is why it is vital that the government takes the urgent steps needed to safeguard those working in the sector, particularly mass testing and priority access to vaccinations.\n\nNursery providers are calling for staff to be tested, priority for vaccination and for state funding lost due to lower numbers during the pandemic, to be replaced by government.\n\nPurnima Tanuku, chief Executive of National Day Nurseries Association, said nurseries were determined to support families during the current lockdown.\n\nBut, she added: \"Time and again, whether it's on PPE, cleaning costs, testing or staffing, early years providers have been overlooked by the Department for Education.\n\n\"Now, they are the only part of the education sector fully open to all children and must be given priority.\"\n\nOn Wednesday, vaccines minister Nadim Zahawi said there was very little risk to younger children.\n\n\"The nursery sector has taken tremendous care in making sure the premises are also Covid safe. It is the right thing to do.\"\n\nThe Department for Education is yet to comment on the #ProtectEarlyYears demands.", "Matthew Mason will be sentenced later this month\n\nA man who killed a schoolboy after paying him to stop their sexual relationship being revealed has been found guilty of murder.\n\nMatthew Mason admitted bludgeoning 15-year-old Alex Rodda with a wrench in Ashley, Cheshire, in 2019.\n\nThe 19-year-old paid Alex more than £2,000 after he contacted his then girlfriend about \"flirty\" messages, Chester Crown Court heard.\n\nMason, of Ash Lane in Ollerton, will be sentenced on 25 January.\n\nLawyers acting for Mason, who denied murder, had claimed the killing was the result of self-defence or a loss of control.\n\nBut the jury rejected this and found him guilty of murdering Alex by a majority of 10 to two.\n\nAs the verdict was returned, Mason appeared to be crying in the dock.\n\nMembers of Alex's family were also in tears. In a statement, they said they had \"never come across a more selfish, cold and calculating person\" as Mason.\n\n\"Mason has attempted to blame Alex and discredit his name throughout this trial and thankfully the jury were able to see through his web of deceit,\" they said.\n\nSpeaking outside the court, Alex's father Adam Rodda said the trial had been \"very difficult\" for the family and they were relieved Mason had been found guilty of murder.\n\n\"We wouldn't have accepted anything else, we would have been distraught if any other verdict had been given. We prayed and we are obviously delighted that justice has been done,\" he said.\n\nAlex Rodda was killed in woodland in Cheshire\n\nOn the evening of 12 December, Mason said he had picked Alex up from his home and drove him to a remote area of woodland where he told him he could not afford to give him any more money.\n\nThe agricultural engineering student, who was the son of a farmer, told the court he had taken the wrench with him to \"scare him\".\n\nHe claimed that, once in the woods, Alex had threatened to ruin his life \"financially or socially\" and pushed him to the floor, grabbing the wrench and hitting Mason with it.\n\nMason said he managed to get the wrench from Alex and recalled hitting him with it twice, although the court heard evidence of further blows.\n\nAlex, a pupil at Holmes Chapel High School, was struck at least 15 times to the head and his body was found by refuse collectors the next morning.\n\nEvidence showed Alex had been struck at least 15 times with the wrench\n\nThe jury heard Mason had paid Alex more than £2,000 to stop him reporting their \"intimate sexual relationship\".\n\nIn the month before the murder, Alex contacted Mason's girlfriend to tell her that her boyfriend had been messaging him \"in a flirty way\" and had sent an explicit photo and video.\n\nMason denied the claim but began making payments to the 15-year-old's bank account.\n\nBy the time of Alex's death, Mason had transferred more than £2,200 and was asking friends and family to borrow money, the court was told.\n\nGiving evidence, Mason, who lived with his family on a farm near Knutsford, admitted having sex with Alex but said he thought it was \"wrong\".\n\nHe told the court he did not believe his friends would accept him if he was gay or bisexual.\n\nIn the week before Alex's death, Mason made internet searches for phrases including \"what would happen if you kicked someone down the stairs\", \"everyday poison\" and \"the mysteries of Cheshire unsolved deaths of missing people\".\n\nBut he told the court he had been searching the terms because he was suicidal.\n\nAlex's body was found in woodland by refuse collectors\n\nAfter killing Alex, Mason had a drink with friends in the Red Lion pub in Pickmere and The Golden Pheasant pub in Plumley, Cheshire Police said.\n\nHe later returned to the woods and the prosecution believe he dragged Alex's body to the side of the road and attempted to put him inside his car.\n\nAfter failing to do this, he drove away. But a witness had taken a photo of his Renault Clio car parked on the track and reported this to police.\n\nMason was identified as the owner and arrested the next day.\n\nPolice said Mason had dried blood on his hands and there was a bin bag in his boot with a blood-stained fleece, the wrench and Alex's jacket in it.\n\nDet Insp Nigel Reid said: \"Mason had murder on his mind as he drove Alex to his death under the pretence of sexual activity.\n\n\"He chose a secluded place to kill him in cold blood, a place he believed he would go unseen and his crime undetected.\"\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "The coronavirus vaccine rollout is a national challenge requiring an unprecedented effort - involving the armed forces - Boris Johnson says.\n\nThe PM confirmed almost 1.5 million people in the UK have now received at least one dose of a Covid vaccine.\n\nMore than 1,000 GP-led sites in England will be able to offer a total of \"hundreds of thousands\" of jabs each day by 15 January, he said.\n\nThe Army will use \"battle preparation techniques\" to help achieve that goal.\n\nIt came as a further 1,162 deaths within 28 days of a positive test were reported on Thursday - the second consecutive day of more than 1,000 recorded fatalities - and 52,618 new cases.\n\nAnd as Simon Stevens, head of the NHS in England, warned 10,000 patients with Covid had been admitted to hospital since Christmas Day.\n\nSpeaking at a Downing Street news conference, Mr Johnson said there would likely be \"lumpiness and bumpiness\" in the rollout of vaccines.\n\nHe said: \"Let's be clear, this is a national challenge on a scale like nothing we've seen before and it will require an unprecedented national effort.\n\n\"Of course, there will be difficulties, appointments will be changed but... the Army is working hand in glove with the NHS and local councils to set up our vaccine network and using battle preparation techniques to help us keep up the pace.\"\n\nAlongside GPs, there will be 223 hospital sites and seven \"giant vaccination centres\" - as well as an initial 200 community pharmacies - offering jabs, Mr Johnson said.\n\nEveryone will have a vaccination centre within 10 miles of their home, he added, with a \"full vaccination deployment plan\" to be published on Monday.\n\nHe also said there would be a national booking system for vaccinations - but did not give any more details.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Brigadier Phil Prosser said his task was to ensure everyone in England had equal access to the vaccine\n\nBrigadier Phil Prosser, commander of military support to the vaccine delivery programme, told the news conference his team was \"embedded\" with the NHS.\n\nHe said his \"day job\" is to deliver combat supplies to UK forces in time of war, \"at speed in the most arduous and challenging conditions\".\n\nThe government has set a target to offer vaccination slots to 15 million in the top four priority groups - including all over-80s - by 15 February.\n\nAnd Mr Johnson said that, with the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine available, he could pledge one of those groups - care home residents - would all receive their jab by the end of January.\n\nThe widespread rollout of the vaccine has begun in earnest with the first doses delivered during the day to family doctors for distribution.\n\nBut there were concerns from some GPs over supplies, as Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the levels of vaccine supply was the \"rate-limiting\" factor as jabs would be delivered as quickly as stock is available.\n\nIt comes as some hospitals in England are at risk of becoming Covid-only sites, with rising admissions for the virus forcing trusts to cut back on other services.\n\nThe latest NHS statistics also show that there were 30,370 patients with Covid in UK hospitals on Tuesday, a much higher figure than the first peak in the spring of 2020.\n\nHospital leaders have warned medics are becoming increasingly stretched with \"untrained staff\" used to fill gaps.\n\nAt 20:00 GMT, people in some streets stepped out onto doorsteps to clap for the heroes of the pandemic, following a weekly initiative which gained popularity during the UK's first lockdown.\n\nHowever, Thursday's clap for heroes was more muted than those seen last year, perhaps reflecting criticism the initiative had become politicised.\n\nLots of detail has been given about how the NHS - working hand-in-hand with the military - will be able to deliver the vaccines.\n\nThere will be more local vaccination centres, hospital hubs and even mass vaccination at sports stadiums.\n\nThousands of extra vaccinators have already been trained - and thousands more are waiting in the wings.\n\nBut the biggest hurdle the UK faces is vaccine supply.\n\nIf it is not available, it cannot be put in arms no matter how good the vaccination network is.\n\nIn the long-term, supply is not likely to be a problem - but in the coming weeks it could be tight.\n\nThere is enough vaccine in the country to offer all those at highest risk a jab by mid-February.\n\nBut it is not yet all ready for the NHS to use, either because the final safety checks have not been done or the vaccine has not been put into vials.\n\nThe former depends on lab work by the medicines regulator, while the latter is the job of a plant in Wrexham.\n\nEach stage takes some time. The target is achievable, but a lot has to go right.\n\nSir Simon Stevens said there were 50% more coronavirus patients in England's hospitals now compared to the peak last April, affecting every region across the country.\n\nHe said: \"That number is accelerating very, very rapidly... the pressures are real and they are growing.\"\n\nIn Northern Ireland, the Belfast Health Trust has said it has no other option but to cancel all of its urgent cancer surgery amid \"highly significant\" demand for bed space.\n\nThe cancelled operations will affect those patients for whom surgery could impact recovery and even survival, the trust said.\n\nBoris Johnson said all parts of government would be throwing everything at the vaccination effort \"round the clock\"\n\nIn one positive development for hospitals, two more life-saving drugs that can cut deaths by a quarter in patients who are sickest with Covid have been cleared for widespread use, with immediate effect.\n\nThe anti-inflammatory medications, given via a drip, save an extra life for every 12 treated, researchers said, following NHS trials.\n\nElsewhere, the UK has implemented restrictions on travellers to England from countries near South Africa to stop the spread of the South African Covid variant.\n\nMeanwhile, Mr Johnson and Sir Simon were asked about persistent social media claims that coronavirus does not exist - and that reports of packed hospital wards of people being treated are just a myth.\n\nSir Simon said that such misinformation was an \"insult\" to hard-working critical care staff.\n\n\"There is nothing more demoralising than having that kind of nonsense spouted when it is most obviously untrue,\" he said.", "Sarah Bingham said she is a match donor for her daughter Ariel and eldest son Noah (far right)\n\nA mother with two children who need kidney transplants said she wishes she could help both of them, but can only donate one organ.\n\nSarah Bingham's son Noah, 20, and daughter Ariel, 16, have the same rare genetic condition.\n\nMrs Bingham, 48, is a donor match for her children and said her maternal instinct is to donate to both of them.\n\nBut her organ was always due to go to her daughter and two family friends are matches for her son.\n\nHer husband Darryl, 49, is not a match, so cannot be a donor for their children.\n\nBoth Noah and Ariel have nephronophthisis, which causes inflammation and scarring to the kidneys.\n\nMrs Bingham, of Hexham, Northumberland, said although her son is \"very poorly\", he undergoes regular dialysis and is in a stable condition.\n\nHer daughter's kidney function \"has been deteriorating more in the last year\" and she will probably need a transplant first.\n\nMrs Bingham said: \"I was all set to give a kidney to my daughter and then my son went into renal failure and he also needs a kidney. Obviously, I've only got one that I can donate.\n\n\"The renal teams don't push you [to make a decision], because you're putting yourself on the line to donate a kidney.\n\n\"You have to make that call yourself, but obviously as a mum when you've got two children who both need kidney transplants and you've expected to give your kidney to one, and suddenly the other one needs one as well, you feel this dilemma.\"\n\nNoah Bingham is in a stable condition thanks to regular kidney dialysis\n\nProblems began in 2016 when Ariel started to feel constantly tired.\n\nHer fatigue was initially put down to exam stress, but tests at Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary found she had the kidney condition.\n\nMrs Bingham was told she would be a suitable donor for Ariel when the time came.\n\nThen, in 2019, Noah became ill and was diagnosed with the same condition.\n\nHe is stable, but would need to put on weight to undergo a transplant.\n\nThe couple have another son Casper, 12, who is being tested to see if he also has the condition.\n\nDarryl Bingham is not a suitable match for his two eldest children\n\nProf John Sayer, a kidney specialist at Newcastle's Freeman Hospital who is treating Noah, said nephronophthisis affects about one in 100,000 people.\n\n\"There's clearly a dilemma because there's a shortage of donors for patients needing kidney transplants.\n\n\"But kidney failure itself is not rare. There are 4,500 people across the country waiting for a transplant.\"\n\nHe added patients often face a \"gruelling and terrifying\" wait of about three years for a donor organ.\n\nIn December, Mr Bingham completed the challenge of walking 12,000 steps every day for 12 days to raise money for Kidney Research UK, which has supported the family.\n\nMrs Bingham said that if Ariel's condition was to deteriorate first she would get her kidney\n\nFollow BBC North East & Cumbria on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Some supermarkets faced issues over the festive period due to ports disruption\n\nThe UK meat industry has called for the early vaccination of workers to keep food supplies running smoothly during the coronavirus crisis.\n\nIt warned that absences during the pandemic, coupled with disruption at ports, could hit food supply chains.\n\nAn early vaccination call for supermarket staff was also made by the boss of Sainsbury's on Thursday.\n\nThe government said the food industry remains \"well-prepared\" to make sure people have the food they need.\n\nThe British Meat Processors Association (BMPA) said coronavirus and disruption at ports due to new systems brought in after the Brexit transition period were \"a severe challenge to the industry and to the smooth running of the nation's food supply chain\".\n\nIt argued frontline workers in meat factories should get early vaccinations due to the risk of a rapid spread of the new strains of the virus among key workers.\n\nThe government has set out who will get vaccinated first, which starts with care home residents and the oldest and most vulnerable people.\n\nBut Nick Allen, chief executive of the BMPA, said it would be logical to also prioritise key workers in the food industry.\n\n\"As the new coronavirus variant takes hold across the whole of the UK, we are hearing widespread reports of rapidly rising absences in the food supply chain,\" he said.\n\nSome firms supplying supermarkets \"are seeing a tripling of staff having to take time off work through illness or enforced self-isolation\", he added.\n\nPressures on staff during the lockdown include illness, having to self-isolate, and childcare while some schools are closed under England's lockdown.\n\nDue to the specialised nature of meat production, if even a few key factory personnel such as the foreman or managers are absent, production can stop, Mr Allen said.\n\nEarly vaccinations should not be restricted to the meat industry, according to Mr Allen. All key workers in the food industry should get early vaccinations, he said.\n\nEven supermarkets themselves are having problems with absences, he suggested.\n\n\"The key food supply chains ought to be prioritised,\" he said. \"All food industry key workers should be prioritised [for vaccination]\".\n\nThe government is advised on vaccinations by a group of experts called the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).\n\nProfessor Wei Shen Lim, Covid-19 Chair for the JCVI, said the committee's advice on vaccine prioritisation \"was developed with the aim of preventing as many deaths as possible.\"\n\n\"As the single greatest risk of death from Covid-19 is older age, prioritisation is primarily based on age,\" he said.\n\n\"It is estimated that vaccinating everyone in the priority groups would prevent 99% of deaths, including those associated with occupational exposure to infection,\" the professor added.\n\nSainsbury's boss Simon Roberts also called for early vaccinations for key workers on Thursday.\n\n\"My view is that priority has to be given to those that need it first,\" he said. \"Those on the frontline should be part of that as and when capacity becomes available.\"\n\nAbsence rates for Sainsbury's staff are lower than at the peak of the crisis, but are rising, and have stepped up in the last few days, he said.\n\nThe Sainsbury's absence rate is currently 8%. The business has 172,000 employees.\n\nAsda said that it had seen an increase in employees self-isolating and shielding in line with the rising UK infection rate.\n\nHowever, it said that absence rates were still lower than at the peak of the pandemic.\n\n\"We are taking proactive steps to manage colleague absences by retaining temporary colleagues hired over the Christmas period and are bringing in additional temporary colleagues in those stores that need them the most,\" and Asda spokesman said.\n\nTesco has asked clinically vulnerable staff to stay at home.\n\nMorrisons, meanwhile, is also seeing more absences, but the rate is still more than half that of the peak of the pandemic. It is also a bigger business having taken on 26,000 extra staff during the crisis.\n\nAndrew Opie, director of food and sustainability at the British Retail Consortium said: \"While absence rates are currently rising, retailers are closely monitoring the situation in stores and distribution centres and supply chains continue to run smoothly.\n\nA spokesperson for the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs said: \"As we have seen in recent months, the UK has a large, diverse and highly resilient food supply chain.\n\n\"We continue to closely monitor the situation and are working closely with the food industry on the workforce and absence related challenges presented by the pandemic.\"\n\nThey added that the food industry remains \"well-prepared\" to make sure people across the country have the food they need.\n\nUK ports have seen disruption due to the effects of coronavirus on trade and new systems brought in after the Brexit transition period.\n\nMr Roberts of Sainsbury's said that, so far, the flow of goods from Europe is in decent shape, but there had been some problems in sending food to Northern Ireland.There is still some backlog in general merchandising, he added.\n\nHowever, Scottish seafood exporters warned on Thursday that they had been hit by the \"perfect storm of Brexit disruption\".\n\n\"Weakened by Covid-19, and the closure of the French border before Christmas, the end of the Brexit transition period has unleashed layer upon layer of administrative problems, resulting in queues, border refusals and utter confusion,\" said Donna Fordyce, chief executive of Seafood Scotland.\n\nShe said IT problems in France meant consignments were diverted from Boulogne-sur-Mer to Dunkirk, \"which was unprepared as it wasn't supposed to be at the export frontline.\"\n\nThere have also been IT issues on the UK side with HMRC, she added.\n\n\"These businesses are not transporting toilet rolls or widgets,\" she said. \"They are exporting the highest quality, perishable seafood which has a finite window to get to markets in peak condition. If the window closes these consignments go to landfill.\"\n\nThe National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations also warned of delays to fish exports due to \"a brick wall of bureaucracy\".", "Lorry drivers crossing the Channel will continue to need a recent negative Covid test result \"until further notice\", the UK government has said.\n\nHauliers have been required to prove they have tested negative since the border with France reopened last month.\n\nThe decision to continue testing comes from the French government, the Department for Transport said.\n\nTransport Secretary Grant Shapps urged \"all hauliers to get tested before getting to the border\".\n\nThe decision comes as the introduction of new trading rules between the UK and European Union prompts disruption for some businesses and hauliers.\n\nMr Shapps said the government was \"offering support to businesses to set-up testing facilities at their own premises, assisting the smooth passage of trucks and good across the border, as well as setting up testing at information and advice sites around the country\".\n\nDrivers and crew of heavy goods vehicles (HGVs), drivers of large goods vehicles (LGVs) and van drivers are advised to obtain a negative test before arriving in Kent or at other Channel crossing points.\n\nThere are now 34 testing sites for hauliers situated in key \"stopping spots\" across the UK, with further sites being set up, the DfT said.\n\nTests must be authorised and taken 72 hours before entry into France.\n\nIn addition to a negative Covid test result, some hauliers require a new 24-hour permit to enter Kent since the introduction of the new UK-EU rules.\n\nFrance reported 21,703 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, while the UK reported 52,618.\n\nLast month, the border crisis saw France refuse arrivals from the UK for 48 hours between 20 and 22 December due to a new virus variant initially discovered in Kent.\n\nPassenger ferries and lorry freight bound for France were suspended from Dover, Portsmouth and Newhaven.\n\nAn emergency procedure devised as part of post-Brexit preparations allowed lorries to be \"stacked\" - leaving thousands of foreign drivers stranded throughout southern England.", "Last updated on .From the section Aston Villa\n\nAston Villa are preparing to field a team of youngsters in Friday's FA Cup third-round tie at home to Liverpool after a \"significant\" Covid-19 outbreak at the club.\n\nA final decision on whether the game will take place at all will be made on Friday.\n\nVilla manager Dean Smith, his coaching staff and the rest of the club's first-team squad will not be involved after the outbreak forced the closure of the club's Bodymoor Heath training headquarters on Thursday.\n\nThe club is in discussions with the Football Association and want to fulfil the fixture (kick-off 19:45 GMT) but final confirmation on whether the tie is played is still on hold pending the results of further testing on the young players who are now being considered for selection.\n\nMark Delaney, Villa's under-23 coach, is scheduled to take charge in the absence of Smith and his backroom staff. He will be accompanied by a doctor, physiotherapist and kit staff.\n\nThe game was thrown into doubt when Villa confirmed the shutdown of the training ground after \"a large number of first-team players and staff\" returned positive Covid-19 results after being tested on Monday.\n\nThose affected went into isolation and a second round of tests was carried out immediately, which produced more positive results on Thursday.\n\nVilla are keen to play the game against Jurgen Klopp's Premier League champions, who they thrashed 7-2 earlier this season. Manager Smith had planned to rest several stars for the game but the Covid-19 outbreak has thrown the club's plans into chaos.\n\nThey will now be hoping the additional Covid-19 testing returns a clean bill of health with Villa liaising closely with the FA in the hope of getting the game played on Friday night.\n\nThe meeting between in-form Villa and Liverpool is one of the most attractive ties of the third round, even if both managers were set to field unfamiliar line-ups.\n\nIt also remains to be seen whether Villa's scheduled Premier League home game against Tottenham Hotspur at Villa Park on Wednesday goes ahead.\n• None What sport has been hit by Covid-19 this weekend?\n\nElswhere, Southampton's FA Cup third-round game against Shrewsbury on Sunday was called off on Thursday after a significant number of Shrews players and staff tested positive for coronavirus.\n\nWayne Rooney and Derby's first-team squad will miss their FA Cup tie at Chorley on Saturday following a Covid-19 outbreak which closed their training ground on Monday.\n\nThe Rams' team for the game at Victory Park will be made up of under-23 and under-18 players.\n\nVilla will be doing all they can to ensure Friday's tie goes ahead but the Covid-19 outbreak could also have Premier League ramifications.\n\nVilla are scheduled to face fourth-placed Spurs at Villa Park on Wednesday and they currently stand only three points behind Jose Mourinho's team.\n\nThere must now be question marks over whether that game will take place.\n\nIf the game is off it will only add to the fixture congestion both clubs are likely to face in an already crowded calendar this season.\n\nVilla, even though they planned to leave out several established first-team players against Liverpool, still had high FA Cup ambitions and would have wanted to maintain the momentum that has given them such an impressive start to the season after only surviving in the top flight on the final day of last season.\n\nThey will hope the latest testing brings no further complications in the FA Cup context - then attention will turn to what has the potential to be a hugely significant game on Wednesday.\n• Stream eight live FA Cup third-round games this weekend on BBC iPlayer, the BBC Sport website and app. Find out more here.", "GPs in England are receiving doses of the Oxford Covid jab as medics warn about overstretched hospitals.\n\nThe rollout of the Oxford vaccine is part of the NHS's biggest-ever effort and aims to offer jabs to 13 million by mid-February - including all over-80s.\n\nBirmingham's NHS said there are enough supplies with more to come as politicians warned doses may run out.\n\nSome hospitals in England are at risk of becoming Covid-only sites, with rising admissions for the virus forcing trusts to cut back on other services.\n\nAnd hospital leaders have warned medics are becoming increasingly stretched with \"untrained staff\" used to fill gaps.\n\nIt came as a further 1,162 deaths within 28 days of a positive test were reported on Thursday - the second consecutive day of more than 1,000 recorded fatalities - and 52,618 new cases.\n\nThe latest NHS statistics also show that there were 30,370 patients with Covid in UK hospitals on Tuesday.\n\nThe rollout of the Oxford vaccine to GPs will help increase vaccinations among the top four priority groups who are first in line to receive doses.\n\nThe Department of Health said 1.3 million people in the UK, including almost a quarter of those aged over 80 in England, have received at least one dose so far.\n\nWriting to Health Secretary Matt Hancock, the Birmingham political leaders criticised communication around the vaccination programme in the city.\n\n\"We acknowledge that the vaccination rollout is in its early days, but we have also learned today that Birmingham has not yet been supplied with any AstraZeneca stock, while current Pfizer stocks are scheduled to run out on Friday this week with currently no clarity on when further supplies will arrive.\"\n\nThey added \"it remains unclear who is responsible for overseeing the vaccination programme in Birmingham, and whom we should hold accountable for progress and delivery\".\n\nThe letter is signed by Labour leader of Birmingham City Council, Ian Ward; Liam Byrne MP, Labour's candidate for the West Midlands mayor, and by Conservative MP and ex-minister Andrew Mitchell.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Liam Byrne This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nBut NHS Birmingham and Solihull told the BBC: \"Thousands of people in Birmingham and Solihull have already been vaccinated and this continues at pace.\n\n\"We have sufficient supplies and more will be coming.\"\n\nWest Midlands mayor Andy Street said he has been assured supplies of the Oxford vaccine will be delivered to Birmingham on Friday.\n\nElsewhere, Gillian McLauchlan, deputy director of public health at Salford Council, described \"teething\" issues with the vaccine rollout there.\n\nShe told councillors at a local scrutiny committee: \"We have no control over vaccine supplies. We are told literally two days in advance 'your next lot of vaccines are coming'.\"\n\nEngland's vaccination programme is described as the biggest in NHS history, with an aim to offer jabs to most care home residents by the end of January and the most vulnerable by mid-February.\n\nOfficials leading the vaccination programme are adamant rollout is going to plan - and are cautioning against judging performance too early.\n\nOf course, there will be teething problems, but the fact remains the UK has vaccinated more per head of population than any other country apart from Israel and Bahrain.\n\nWhile rollout of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine started on Monday, it was actually only being used at the hospital hubs up to Thursday.\n\nDeliveries are now being made to hundreds of local vaccination centres. There are 17 in the Birmingham region so they should start to receive doses imminently.\n\nThat should mean there is a vaccine available if they do run out of the Pfizer-BioNTech jab.\n\nAlthough disruption to the rollout of the programme in the city may still happen as local centres are warning they cannot book patients in until they know they have stock available.\n\nBut the fact the city's leaders felt compelled to write to the health secretary to warn about this is an illustration of the pressure in the system at the moment.\n\nGiven the high level of infections and current lockdown, there is a desperation in all quarters to get the most at-risk vaccinated as quickly as possible.\n\nAnd until the nation sees that translate into significant numbers of people getting vaccinated - 2 million a week is the goal - people will remain on edge.\n\nThe Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was approved for emergency use on 2 December but requires specialist storage unsuitable for most GP practices, with doses largely delivered in hospitals.\n\nThe Oxford-AstraZeneca jab was approved on 30 December and does not require specialist storage. It was first rolled out on Monday to hospitals and to GPs in England from Thursday.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. One medical centre in London is now vaccinating almost 1,000 people a week\n\nMr Hancock visited a GP surgery in London to promote the roll out earlier - but staff there said delivery of the Oxford vaccine had been delayed.\n\nThe health secretary said he was \"delighted\" care home residents would begin receiving their first Oxford jabs from GPs this week.\n\n\"This will ensure the most vulnerable are protected and will save tens of thousands of lives,\" he said.\n\nGP Ammara Hughes, a partner at Bloomsbury Surgery, told broadcasters its first delivery of the Oxford jab had been pushed back 24 hours to Thursday.\n\nShe said: \"It's just more frustrating than a concern because we've got the capacity to vaccinate. And if we had a regular supply - we do have the capacity to vaccinate three to four thousand patients a week.\"\n\nMr Hancock described supply of vaccine as a \"rate-limiting\" step.\n\nHe said: \"For the first three days with the Oxford vaccine we did it in hospitals to check that it was working well and it's working well so now we can make sure that it gets to all those GP surgeries that like this one can do all the vaccinations that are needed.\n\n\"The rate-limiting step is the supply of vaccine. We're working with the companies - both Pfizer and AstraZeneca - to increase the supply.\"\n\nMore than 700 local vaccination sites will administer jabs, with the government announcing a further seven mass vaccination sites across England.\n\nAnother 180 GP-led sites, 100 new hospital sites and a pilot scheme involving local pharmacies will open this week.\n\nMeanwhile, nearly 19,981 second doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech jab - which was the first to be approved for emergency use in the UK last month - were administered between 29 December and 3 January, NHS England said.\n\nIt came as Rupert Pearse, professor of intensive care medicine and a consultant at the Royal London, said his own intensive care staff are having to care for far more sick patients.\n\nHe told BBC Radio 4's Today programme there would usually be a ratio of one fully-trained intensive care nurse for each patient in a unit but staff are becoming increasingly stretched.\n\n\"Right now we are diluting down to one [intensive care] nurse to three [patients] and filling those gaps with untrained staff and in some instances doctors helping nurses deliver their care... and we're even facing diluting that further to one in four,\" he said.\n\nAll of the UK is now under strict virus curbs, with Wales, Northern Ireland and most of Scotland also in lockdown, and vaccinations are progressing across the devolved nations.", "Supermarket giant Sainsbury's has reported a bumper Christmas, with sales up 9.3% for the festive trading period.\n\nMore customers bought their food online than ever before, it said.\n\nIn the 10 days leading up to Christmas, it delivered 1.1 million online orders, twice last year's number.\n\n\"Many customers had to change their Christmas plans at the last minute and we sold smaller turkeys and more lamb and beef than normal,\" said chief executive Simon Roberts.\n\nSainsbury's Christmas trading period covered the nine weeks from 1 November 2020 to 2 January 2021.\n\nFor the 15 weeks to 2 January, like-for-like sales, which strip out the impact of new store openings, were up 8.6%.\n\n\"We now expect, after forgoing business rates relief of £410m, to report underlying profit before tax of at least £330m in the financial year to March 2021,\" the supermarket said.\n\nThat is down from the previous year's figure of £586m.\n\nSainsbury's has delivered bumper festive sales. It's invested heavily in boosting online capacity to keep up with the soaring demand.\n\nSupermarkets have struggled to make money from doing online deliveries, but Sainsbury's says its operation has become more efficient and profitability has improved. As volumes have increased, there are more orders in every van delivering to a smaller radius of customers.\n\nClick-and-collect is a lot cheaper to do than home deliveries. And this accounted for about a quarter of online sales in the final week.\n\nArgos generated more than half its sales from online well before the pandemic. More than 300 Argos counters are now inside Sainsbury's supermarkets, making it easy for people to pick up goods and gifts. Its fast-track delivery service can deliver to customers' homes and collection points within hours and this has seen growth of 62%.\n\nThis is a business that's been well placed to benefit from the huge shift to digital this Christmas.\n\nChristmas and New Year celebrations were constrained by coronavirus restrictions, which limited the number of people and households allowed to meet up.\n\nSainsbury's said that while people had smaller gatherings, they still treated themselves, with sales of the supermarket's premium Taste the Difference range up 11%.\n\nPremium champagne sales were up 52%, it added, echoing similar findings by rival Morrisons.\n\n\"People did more home baking than usual, with mincemeat sales up 24%. Customers still wanted New Year's Eve at home to feel special and we sold a record number of steaks,\" Sainsbury's said.\n\nSales of groceries, general merchandise and clothing were stronger than expected throughout the quarter, particularly since the start of England's second national lockdown, it added.\n\nClothing benefited from better-than-anticipated full-price sales, driven by customers shopping earlier for Christmas and changes to the supermarket's Black Friday trading strategy.\n\nSeparate figures issued by discount retailer B&M indicated that it too had a good Christmas, with like-for-like revenues at its UK stores up 21.1% year-on-year in the 13 weeks to 26 December.\n\n\"With our combination of exceptional value and convenient out-of-town locations, we are confident that our business model will prove highly relevant to the needs of customers in 2021,\" said chief executive Simon Arora.", "Lockdowns have worked before, but can we expect the new one to do the same?\n\nIt feels like we are back in March or April last year, when the strict controls on all our lives led to a fairly quick decline in levels of coronavirus.\n\nBut one of the crucial differences this time is the new variant, which is thought to spread between 50 and 70% faster than previous forms of the virus.\n\nExperts warn there are now no guarantees that lockdown will be enough to bring the variant under control.\n\n\"It still would not have been easy, but it would have been a much easier situation if it had not been for the new variant,\" Prof Neil Ferguson, from Imperial College London, told Inside Health.\n\n\"That really pushes the bounds of our ability to control the spread of the virus, even with measures that were previously relatively quite effective.\"\n\nThe coronavirus spreads when we come into contact with each other so moving classrooms online, telling people to stay at home and closing shops breaks many of those opportunities for human contact.\n\nIf we consider the R number - the average number of people each infected person passes the virus on to - it was about 3.0 in the run up to the first lockdown and anything above 1.0 means cases are climbing.\n\nR fell to 0.6 during the first lockdown.\n\nThen every 1,000 infected people passed the virus on to 600 others, who passed it on to 360 others and so on.\n\nBut if the new variant is 50% more transmissible then the R number, in the same lockdown conditions, would be about 0.9.\n\nThen 1,000 infected people would pass the virus onto 900 others, then 810 and so on.\n\nAs you can see this leads to far slower decline.\n\nAnd that assumes lockdown can get R down to 0.9 in areas where the new variant has become the most common form of the virus.\n\nIf, as some studies suggest, the variant is about 70% more transmissible then R may stay above 1.0 and cases may not fall at all.\n\n\"We'd at best flatten the curve, keep numbers at a roughly constant level, and that's frankly why there is so much emphasis on getting vaccine into people's arms as quickly as possible,\" said Prof Ferguson.\n\nIt is hard to lock down even harder as there are some parts of society - hospitals, supermarkets - that need to be kept open.\n\nWhat happens to the number of cases over the coming weeks will be closely monitored. If this lockdown is less effective then we will have to live with it for longer.\n\nThere have been some encouraging signs over the Christmas break, which was a bit like a lockdown due to school holidays and other restrictions.\n\n\"We are in a very difficult situation here, but my initial assessment of the last few days is that the rate is slowing which is good news,\" Prof John Edmunds, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, told the BBC.\n\nHe added: \"It looks likes those restrictions should be sufficient to stop the increase, whether they will be sufficient to bring cases down sufficiently we are yet to see.\"\n\nEventually the vaccine will give people immunity so we do not need the same controls on our lives.\n\nNow more than ever this is a race between the virus and the vaccine.", "Shijiazhuang authorities have started mass-testing residents following an outbreak in the city\n\nChina has placed 11 million people in the northern city of Shijiazhuang under lockdown after more than 100 new Covid cases were confirmed there.\n\nResidents are banned from leaving the city and schools have also been closed.\n\nMore than 5,000 testing sites have been set up so every resident can be tested.\n\nThe new figures are the highest China has seen in more than five months. The country has been able to contain such outbreaks by immediately taking tough action.\n\nThis has involved consistently using mass testing when new clusters of cases appear, even if they seem relatively small.\n\nHebei province, where Shijiazhuang is located, reported 120 new cases on Thursday and all but one of those infections was in the city. Elsewhere in the country, 22 new cases were confirmed.\n\nThe virus was first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019 before spiralling into a global pandemic.\n\nThursday's lockdown comes just weeks ahead of Chinese New Year, a time when people in China travel en masse to spend the holiday with their families.\n\nBut residents in the Gaocheng district of Shijiazhuang, considered to be the epicentre of the outbreak, are now not allowed to leave their local area. Other residents are banned from leaving the city.\n\nIn terms of transport, bus travel has been halted and many flights have been cancelled.\n\nResidents have been banned from leaving the city\n\nIn a sign of just how seriously the authorities see the situation, even the postal service in and out of Shijiazhuang has been suspended for three days. And the restrictions are being tightly enforced - police were photographed in protective hazmat suits guarding the entrance to an expressway.\n\nThree officials in Shijiazhuang's Gaocheng district have been punished for \"negligence\", according to the state-run China Daily newspaper.\n\n\"Villages should identify, report, isolate and treat cases as early as possible, so as to cut off the transmission,\" Wu Hao, a national health official, was quoted as saying.\n\nFive hospitals in Shijiazhuang have been cleared for Covid-19 patients, with three others standing by, the city's Vice-Mayor Meng Xianghong said.\n\nThursday's lockdown comes just weeks ahead of Chinese New Year - a time when families gather\n\nIt is not the first time China has locked down a city in response to a cluster of cases since the outbreak in Wuhan.\n\nIn October, all nine million residents of the Chinese city of Qingdao were tested in five days after a dozen cases were confirmed. The cases were linked to a hospital treating coronavirus patients arriving from abroad.\n\nThe same month, authorities in Kashgar, in Xinjiang, tested around 4.7m people after an outbreak there.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Many businesses in Beijing say that customers are still staying away", "The star thanked fans for their messages of support\n\nThe Wanted's Tom Parker has told fans he is \"responding well\" to treatment for his brain tumour.\n\nThe singer praised the NHS as he wrote on Instagram: \"Significant reduction: These are the words I received today and I can't stop saying them over and over again.\"\n\nSharing a picture with his wife Kelsey Hardwick and their two children, he added: \"Today is a good day.\"\n\nThe 32-year-old was found to have an inoperable brain tumour last year.\n\nThe diagnosis came after he suffered two seizures last summer. Because of Covid-19 restrictions, his wife was not allowed in the hospital during three days of tests and he received the news alone.\n\nAt the time he vowed to fight the cancer \"all the way\". Two weeks later he became a father for the second time after Hardwick gave birth to a baby boy.\n\nThe singer shared a photo of his young family alongside the latest update on his health\n\nSharing an update on his condition on Thursday, Parker said: \"I had an MRI scan on Tuesday and my results today were a significant reduction to the tumour and I am responding well to treatment.\n\n\"I can't thank our wonderful NHS enough,\" he continued. \"You're all having a tough time out there but we appreciate the work you are all doing on the front line.\"\n\nThe star also thanked his wife, calling her \"my rock\", and thanked fans for their support. \"Your love, light and positivity have inspired me,\" he wrote. \"Every message has not been unnoticed they have given me so much strength.\"\n\nParker achieved fame in the early 2010s as part of The Wanted, reaching number one with the singles All Time Low and Glad You Came.\n\nSince the band went on hiatus in 2014, he has played Danny Zuko in a touring production of Grease and reached the semi-finals of Celebrity Masterchef.\n\nHe married Hardwick, an actress, in 2018. As well as Bodhi, the couple have an 18-month-old daughter.\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "Just when the hospitality sector thought things couldn't get any worse, it has been hit by another lockdown.\n\nLast year's rolling closures forced Martin Wolstencroft to borrow £4m just to ensure the survival of Arc Inspirations, a bar chain with 17 venues across the north of England that he has spent the last two decades building into a successful business.\n\nAnd the latest lockdown has forced Mr Wolstencroft to ask his bank to lend him another £1m.\n\nHe is far from alone. UK Hospitality says the closure of pubs, restaurants and hotels is costing business owners such as Mr Wolstencroft a total of £500m a month, even allowing for any government support. And that has led to a huge rise in debt.\n\n\"The money that we are borrowing is really just to stand still,\" Mr Wolstencroft said.\n\n\"We'll be coming out of this in a far worse position with far greater debt and it totally reduces our ability to grow our business for the future.\n\n\"And all of this has been brought about through no fault of our own.\"\n\nHe reckons the debt he has taken on so far will take the business six years to pay back, which leaves him facing some difficult decisions.\n\nChancellor Rishi Sunak has announced a package of grants worth up to £3,000 a month per property to keep retail, hospitality and leisure businesses afloat until the spring.\n\nBut Mr Wolstencroft, who pays rents of more than £16,000 a month on some of his bars, described the grants as a \"mere drop in the ocean\".\n\nThe effect of taking on huge debts with no prospect of reopening soon is a major threat to millions working in the hospitality sector.\n\nMore than 1,600 restaurants closed last year, costing 30,000 jobs, says property adviser Altus.\n\nWhen bars, hotels and other hospitality businesses are included, almost 300,000 jobs were lost last year as a result of the pandemic, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics.\n\nAnd that figure is expected to more than double in the first three months of this year alone.\n\nKate Nicholls, the boss of UK Hospitality, predicts the total will hit 660,000 by the end of March.\n\nUK Hospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls is calling for further support for the industry\n\n\"The longer that these restrictions are in place, the more rapidly businesses will simply run out of cash and be unable to to remain open,\" she said.\n\nA survey of the trade body's members revealed that 80% of businesses did not have enough cash to make it through to April. \"It's going to be unbelievably brutal in the first quarter,\" Ms Nicholls said.\n\nThe latest lockdown follows a bruising Christmas period for the hospitality sector, which typically depends on a busy December to tide it over during January, traditionally a quiet month for pubs and restaurants.\n\n\"It's obviously very worrying for our industry,\" says Tim Hughes, who runs the Plough pub at Sleapshyde in Hertfordshire.\n\n\"They have banned takeaway sales of alcohol from pubs, but off-licences and supermarkets can carry on selling it,\" he said.\n\nBetween them, Mr Hughes, his brother and his father run three pubs in the St Albans area. They have already borrowed £350,000 and Mr Hughes says the latest lockdown will force them to take on even more debt just to survive.\n\nMonthly fixed costs at each of the pubs run to £9,500 and only one of their venues qualifies for the full £3,000 grant, so Mr Hughes says the Treasury's support \"doesn't touch the sides\".\n\nIt's the fourth time Mr Hughes has been forced to close the doors to the Plough - and each time it has cost him about £5,000.\n\nThis time, he also had to give away £4,000 worth of jumbo pork, vegetarian and vegan Bavarian bratwursts, bought to give 2,000 customers a substantial meal in the pub's \"winter garden\" during the festive period.\n\nThat was before an unexpected decision to put St Albans into tier three forced him to close the pub. He cancelled those bookings and refunded customers their £16,000.\n\nThe Plough's \"winter garden\", which was booked up for the Christmas period, stands empty\n\nRalph Findlay, the boss of Marston's, which has 1,700 pubs across the country and employs 14,000 people, said some pubs that had been forced to close their doors because of the lockdown would never reopen.\n\nHalf of Marston's employees are under 25, he said. \"I really worry about the impact of this on their employment prospects in places where it's very difficult to find employment.\"\n\nHe has called for pubs to be given more time before they are required to pay business rates again, which will leave pubs facing an £800m bill as soon as the current rates holiday expires in March, according to the British Beer & Pub Association.\n\nThat would force landlords, including Mr Hughes, to foot a bill that works out at £25,000 a pub.\n\n\"We are kidding ourselves if we think that more debt upon more debt is going to be sustainable,\" said Stephen Welton, executive chairman of the Business Growth Fund.\n\n\"Past recessions have shown very clearly that it's coming out of a recession - when companies are short of working capital - that they fall over.\"\n\nFor Mr Hughes at the Plough, he is looking for all the support he can get to avoid being put into a \"bigger black hole\".\n\nA Treasury spokesman said: \"\"We've taken swift action throughout the pandemic to protect lives and livelihoods.\"\n\nHe said the grant scheme would continue to support businesses and jobs through to the spring.", "Jamie Stiehm is a US political columnist who was in the Capitol building in Washington DC when it was stormed by pro-Trump rioters. Here's what she saw from the press gallery in the House of Representatives.\n\nI had told my sister earlier: \"Something bad is going to happen today. I don't know what, but something bad will happen.\"\n\nOutside the Capitol, I encountered a group of very boisterous supporters of President Donald Trump, all waving flags and pledging their allegiance to him. There was a sense that trouble was brewing.\n\nI went inside to the House of Representatives and up into the press gallery, where we were assigned seats, looking down at the rather sombre gathering. Speaker Nancy Pelosi was holding the gavel, and keeping people to their five-minute statements.\n\nAs we went into the second hour, all of a sudden we heard breaking glass. The air began getting fogged. An announcement from the Capitol Police said, \"An individual has breached the building\". So everyone looked around and then it was business as usual. But after that, the announcements kept coming. And they were getting more and more urgent.\n\nThey announced that the intruders had breached the rotunda, which is under the famed marble dome. The sacred house of democracy was under fire.\n\nMany of us are hardened journalists - I've seen my share of violence covering homicides in Baltimore - but this was very unpredictable. The police didn't seem to know what was happening. They weren't coordinated. They locked the chamber doors but at the same time, they told us we would have to evacuate. So there was a sense of panic.\n\nI was afraid. I'll tell you that. And I've spoken to other journalists who said they were a little ashamed of themselves for feeling afraid.\n\nThere was a sense of \"nobody's in charge here, the Capitol Police have lost control of the building, anything can happen\".\n\nIf you think back to the September 11 attacks in 2001, there was one plane that went down and didn't hit its target. That target was the Capitol. There were echoes of that. I made a call to my family, just to let them know that I was here and it was a dangerous situation.\n\nThere was a shot. We could see there was a standoff in our chamber. Five men were holding guns at the door. It was a frightening sight. Men were looking through a broken glass window and looked like they could shoot at any second.\n\nThankfully there was no gunfire inside the chamber. But for a while there, it felt like it would be a real possibility. Because things were going downhill very fast.\n\nWe had to crawl under railings to get out of the way. I was not dressed to do that. A lot of women were dressed up, wearing heels, because they had come for a formal ritual.\n\nI sheltered in the House cafeteria alongside others. I'm still shaking now.\n\nI have seen a lot as a journalist, but this was something more. This was the collective public sphere being undermined, assaulted, degraded. And I think this was why the Speaker wanted to return and hold the gavel again and go on.\n\nAfterwards I had to decide whether I was going to go back to the chamber too. I decided l probably would, because the message that is sending is: \"You can incite a mob, but we're going to go on\". I think that is a very important political message.", "Asos says it is in \"exclusive\" talks to buy Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge and HIIT brands out of administration.\n\nBut the online retailer said it only wanted the brands, not their shops, suggesting any deal would cost jobs.\n\nThe current owner of the brands, Sir Philip Green's Arcadia Group, fell into administration last November putting 13,000 jobs at risk.\n\nAsos said it was \"a compelling opportunity\" to buy \"strong brands that resonate well with its customer base\".\n\n\"However, at this stage, there can be no certainty of a transaction and Asos will keep shareholders updated as appropriate,\" it added.\n\nLast week, a consortium including fashion chain Next dropped its bid to buy Topshop and Topman because it could not meet the price tag.\n\nOthers interested in some or all of Arcadia - which also owns Dorothy Perkins and Burton - include Mike Ashley's Frasers Group, a consortium including JD Sports, and the online retailer Boohoo.\n\nIn addition, the Issa brothers, who recently bought supermarket chain Asda, and Chinese fast fashion giant Shein are said to have made bids for Topshop.\n\nAsos has seen strong sales in the pandemic and is already one of the biggest wholesalers for Topshop, Topman, Burton and Miss Selfridge.\n\nAdministrators from Deloitte requested that final bids be submitted last Monday, with the auction expected to conclude at the end of January.\n\nSir Philip Green is under pressure to use his own money to plug an estimated £350m hole in Arcadia's pension fund, which has about 10,000 members.\n\nLast year the retail tycoon had an estimated fortune of £930m, according to the Sunday Times Rich List.\n\nArcadia employed about 13,000 people and had 444 shops at the time of its collapse.", "Boohoo is set to buy the Debenhams brand and website, the BBC understands.\n\nHowever, the fast fashion retailer will not be taking on any of the company's remaining 118 High Street stores or its workforce.\n\nThe announcement could come as early as Monday morning.\n\nThe 242-year-old chain is already in the process of closing down, after administrators failed to secure a rescue deal for the business, with the likely loss of 12,000 jobs.\n\nA closing down sale at 124 Debenhams stores began in December, as administrators continued to seek offers for all, or parts of the business.\n\nIn the last week or so, the company announced that six shops would not reopen after lockdown, including its flagship department store on London's Oxford Street.\n\nBoohoo has already bought a number of High Street brands out of administration. It snapped up Oasis, Coast and Karen Millen, but not the associated stores.\n\nDebenhams has struggled for years with falling profits and rising debts, as more shopping has moved online. It called in administrators twice in two years, most recently in April.\n\nMike Ashley has bought other struggling businesses including House of Fraser and Evans Cycles\n\nHowever, its position became untenable during the coronavirus pandemic as non-essential retailers were forced to close for prolonged periods.\n\nThe firm had already trimmed its store portfolio and cut about 6,500 jobs since May, as it struggled to stay afloat.\n\nBusinessman Mike Ashley, who founded Sports Direct and also owns House of Fraser, had already made an offer for Debenhams after it was initially put up for sale in April.\n\nHowever the takeover offer, thought to be in the region of £125m, was rejected as being too low, leaving JD Sports as the last remaining bidder.\n\nMr Ashley had previously built up a 29% stake in the chain, but saw his £150m holding wiped out in 2019, when the company fell into administration and then ended up in the hands of its lenders - a consortium led by hedge fund Silverpoint.\n\nIn early December, the Frasers Group confirmed that it was working on a possible last minute rescue of Debenhams.\n\nThe announcement came five days after staff were informed and liquidators moved in to Debenhams' stores to start clearing stock, after a potential rescue deal with JD Sports fell through.\n\nBut Frasers said there was \"no certainty\" it could save the chain.\n\nOne of the biggest issues, it said, was the collapse into administration last week of another High Street giant, Arcadia, which is the biggest concession holder in Debenhams department stores.", "More than 26,000 are now in hospital with the virus, according to government data\n\nFrance's top medical adviser said on Sunday that a third national lockdown would probably soon be needed to combat coronavirus in the country.\n\nA strict curfew was implemented last weekend, but cases continue to climb.\n\nProf Jean-Francois Delfraissy, head of the scientific council that advises leaders on Covid-19, said \"there is an emergency\" and this week was critical.\n\nHe called for swift government action, amid rising concerns about the spread of new variants of the coronavirus.\n\nProf Delfraissy said data showed a new more transmissible variant first detected in the UK now makes up between 7-9% of cases in some French regions and will be hard to stop.\n\nHe said the country was in a better situation than others in Europe, but described the new variants as the \"equivalent of a second pandemic\".\n\n\"If we do not tighten regulations, we will find ourselves in an extremely difficult situation from mid-March,\" the advisor warned during an interview with BFM television.\n\nThe French government is expected to meet on Wednesday to decide if further measures are needed.\n\nOfficials have so far resisted implementing a third national lockdown, preferring an overnight curfew system which allows schools to stay open.\n\nBut daily infection numbers are rising - with the seven-day moving average now above 20,000 despite the 18:00 curfew.\n\nFrench Prime Minister Jean Castex previously said restrictions could be imposed \"without delay\" if the situation deteriorated further.\n\nThe country's virus death toll topped 73,000 on Sunday, as the country tightened restrictions on arrivals into the country.\n\nUnder new rules anyone entering from inside the EU by air or ferry must now present a negative Covid-19 test result within 72 hours of travel. Those entering France from the EU by road, including cross-border workers, will not be required to take a test.\n\nPresident of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said last week that all non-essential travel \"must be strongly advised against\" but EU nations have so far agreed to keep borders open.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Police in Paris ensure shops close at 6pm as France begins a new curfew to tackle Covid-19", "Ella Lambert had never sewn before but borrowed a friend's machine to learn how to make sanitary pads made from cloth\n\nA student whose \"terrible period pains\" inspired her to start a reusable sanitary pad project has helped 600 refugees get out of \"period poverty\".\n\nElla Lambert, 20, from Chelmsford, Essex, started The Pachamama Project during the first coronavirus lockdown.\n\nShe said she wanted to help women who were unable to buy period products.\n\nNearly 2,500 pads sewn by 150 volunteers have been sent to camps in Greece and Lebanon.\n\nWomen are given four pads each, which are washable and can be reused for about five years, she said.\n\nThe pads are distributed to women in refugee camps\n\nMs Lambert said: \"In March I had terrible period pain, I was being sick, it was awful, and it made me think, I know I'm not the only person going through this.\n\n\"The people I want to help, in these camps, they're experiencing period pain and having to use random tissue paper, cardboard, socks, scraps of material and even leaves - whatever they can get hold of.\"\n\nThe University of Bristol languages student set up her not-for-profit group in March and launched her sanitary product - Pacha Pads - in August, with the help of charities and groups in the two countries to distribute them.\n\nThousands of pads have been made by hundreds of volunteers since August\n\nIt started when she put appeals for material on community groups, she said.\n\nVolunteers from all over the UK came forward to make the products after she developed a pattern, created a guide and explained how to source material for free.\n\nThe products are then sent back to her to be posted abroad, after quality checks.\n\nSome of the sewers came from groups formed to make scrubs for NHS workers during the first lockdown, and who still wanted to be useful, she said.\n\nAlice Corrigan, from The Free Shop of Lebanon, said the project helped with the \"fight against period poverty in Lebanon\"\n\nAlice Corrigan, founder of The Free Shop Lebanon, which hands out the products for free in its shop, said: \"Sustainable menstrual products are very new to many Lebanese and in particular Syrian women.\"\n\nShe added it is not common for them to talk about menstrual activity, so it was important they could be helped to understand its importance and accept it as part of their routine.\n\nKaty Chadwick, technical adviser at the charity ActionAid UK, said: \"For too many women and girls and people who menstruate a lack of access to products impacts on their ability to move freely and to access education and other opportunities.\n\n\"It's encouraging to see new initiatives to support the most marginalised women and girls access sustainable products.\"\n\nAll the sanitary pads are washable so they can be reused for up to about five years\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "It is hoped that vaccinating teenagers will allow them to sit exams\n\nIsrael has started vaccinating 16 to 18-year-olds against Covid-19, in an effort to enable them to sit exams.\n\nMore than a quarter of Israel's population of nine million have received at least one dose of the Pfizer vaccine since 19 December, its health ministry says.\n\nIt started with the elderly and others at high risk, but people aged 40 and over can also now get the jab.\n\nIsrael hopes to start reopening its economy in February.\n\nThe inclusion of 16 to 18-year-olds - with parental permission - is meant \"to enable their return (to school) and the orderly holding of exams\", an education ministry spokeswoman said.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe matriculation exams that Israeli students sit at the end of high school play an important role in deciding where they will go to university. Their results can also affect their placement in the military, where many young Israelis do compulsory service.\n\nThe education ministry has said it is too early to say whether schools will reopen next month.\n\nIsrael started its rapid vaccination drive - the fastest in the world - on 19 December, reaching 10% of its population by the end of 2020.\n\nIsrael has recorded more than 596,000 cases and 4,392 deaths with Covid-19, according to data collected by Johns Hopkins University.\n\nOn Sunday, the government said it would ban passenger flights in and out of the country from Monday night for the rest of January, in an effort to halt the spread of new virus variants.\n\n\"Other than rare exceptions, we are closing the sky hermetically to prevent the entry of the virus variants and also to ensure that we progress quickly with our vaccination campaign,\" Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.\n\nForeigners have largely been blocked from entering Israel during the pandemic.", "All schools moved to online learning before Christmas, following concerns from unions over the new coronavirus variant\n\n\"Wholesale\" return of pupils to school after February half term is \"unlikely\", Wales' first minister has said.\n\nMark Drakeford said there were \"intermediate positions between where we are today, with very few children in school, and everybody being back\".\n\nPreviously, ministers said schools would stay closed to most until February half term unless Covid cases fell significantly.\n\nThose preparing for qualifications and very young children may return first.\n\nMr Drakeford told a coronavirus briefing on Friday he had recently chaired a meeting of the teaching unions and local education authorities.\n\n\"We all agreed that we would work purposefully together to find ways of bringing more young people back into the classroom,\" he said.\n\n\"Does that mean that we will see a wholesale return of every child in every classroom, every day of the week across Wales? I do think that that is probably unlikely.\n\n\"But there are intermediate positions between where we are today, with very few children in school, and everybody being back.\"\n\nHe said there had been \"practical, creative, imaginative\" proposals put forward which could mean some children being back in the classroom for some of the week.\n\nMinisters previously said schools would stay closed until half term unless Covid cases fell significantly\n\nThese could include \"children preparing for qualifications [and] very young children for whom online learning really isn't a genuine possibility\".\n\n\"I certainly don't rule out making some of those things happen after the February half term, but I do think it's unlikely in the way you said that we would see every child back full-time in every classroom in the way that we would ideally wish to do,\" he added.\n\nAll schools and colleges moved to online learning before Christmas, following concerns from unions over the new coronavirus variant.\n\nThey have remained open for children of critical workers and vulnerable learners, as well as for learners who needed to complete essential exams or assessments.\n\nEarlier this month, when Education Minister Kirsty Williams said schools and colleges would stay closed to most pupils until the February half term, unions welcomed the news, saying the health and safety of pupils and staff \"had to be a priority\".\n\nBut, they added, teachers must now be given the vaccine as a priority, and pupils and staff must be protected before talks about reopening schools could begin.\n\nTeachers are still not on the priority list for immunisation, and have to wait to get the jab dependent on their age and if they have a medical condition.\n\nAt the time, Laura Doel, director of The National Association of Headteachers Cymru, said: \"Any plan that sees school staff return to face-to-face learning should be afforded as much protection as possible against the virus.\n\n\"Once these issues have been addressed, then we can discuss the orderly return to school we all want.\"\n\nOpposition parties have called for clear plans on how schools would return and for support to make sure pupils from poorer backgrounds did not fall behind due to a \"digital divide\".\n\nPlaid Cymru's education spokeswoman Sian Gwenllian said: \"The Welsh Government must plan now for the gradual and safe reopening of schools, putting in place safety measures, and should lay out plans for a vaccination programme for schools staff.\"\n\nWelsh Conservative education spokeswoman Suzy Davies called for the Welsh Government to publish evidence on its reasons for closing schools, bring forward vaccines for teachers, and said money must be made available for all pupils to access laptops for online learning.", "Janice Johnston says doctors who misdiagnosed her \"took so much away from me\"\n\nA care home worker who was wrongly diagnosed with cancer said she thought it was a \"cruel joke\" when she was told doctors had made a mistake and she did not have cancer at all.\n\nMum-of-four Janice Johnston said her \"world crumbled\" when she learned she had a rare form of blood cancer at Kent and Canterbury Hospital in 2017.\n\nShe had 18 months of oral chemotherapy treatment, during which she experienced weight loss, nausea and bone pain, and had to give up her job as an auxiliary nurse.\n\nWhen the treatment did not appear to be working, she says, medics upped the dosage.\n\nIn 2018, she sought alternative treatment at Guy's Hospital in London. It was there a specialist told her she did not have cancer at all but a different condition.\n\nMrs Johnston was awarded £75,950 in damages after East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust admitted liability. Staff at the hospital had failed to do the necessary ultrasound scan and bone marrow biopsy before diagnosing her.\n\nMrs Johnston, 53, said: \"The cancer diagnosis was an absolute shock. They said my life span would be shortened.\n\n\"I was at high risk of a fatal stroke or heart attack and I could drop down at any minute. It was heartbreaking and devastating.\n\n\"It didn't sink in until I saw the haematologist. I was in a room with people having serious chemotherapy who looked incredibly ill. I thought: 'I'm like them'.\"\n\nMrs Johnston says doctors told her she would need chemotherapy for life.\n\nThe side-effects led to her feeling \"wiped out\", her hair thinning, her teeth becoming loose and her gums receding.\n\nShe says occupational health told her that her immune system was jeopardised and she could pick up infections easily. That meant she was forced to resign from her job.\n\n\"Giving up work was horrible,\" Mrs Johnston says.\n\nShe was also worried she would not get to see some of her daughters get married or her grandchildren grow up.\n\nThe trust admitted failing to carry out vital tests before diagnosing Mrs Johnston\n\nAfter searching on the internet to find out more about the blood cancer she was told she had - Polycythaemia vera (PV) - she learned that Guy's Hospital offered a different type of chemotherapy and asked her consultant for an appointment there.\n\nMrs Johnston recalls: \"The specialist at Guy's looked over my blood counts and said: 'I don't think you have blood cancer'.\"\n\nThe doctor told Mrs Johnston she had a different condition called secondary PV which is not cancer.\n\n\"She asked if I'd had a bone marrow test and scan of the spleen to confirm the diagnosis - I hadn't had either. My husband thought it was fantastic but I was angry.\n\n\"I thought it was a cruel joke on me. It didn't sink in. My husband couldn't understand why I wasn't jumping for joy - but it had taken my life.\"\n\nOne of the hardest things to cope with for Mrs Johnston was thinking she had been a \"fraud\".\n\n\"I'd been doing some fundraising to try and have something positive to focus on. Cancer Research UK asked if I'd be guest of honour at a charity run in Margate. I stood on stage in front of 3,000 women saying I had cancer.\n\n\"I'm mortified that people will think I made it up. It has made me feel awful and like I have lied to everyone,\" she said.\n\nMrs Johnston now has severe anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).\n\n\"I still get flashbacks to it,\" she says. \"It was two years of my life. They took so much away from me.\"\n\nShe says she wants to \"raise awareness\" about her experience, and for \"anyone that does get diagnosed with it, to ask questions and learn as much as they can about it and if they feel any doubt, to get a second opinion\".\n\nA spokesperson for East Kent Hospitals said: \"A misdiagnosis of this kind is exceptionally rare and we wholeheartedly apologise to Ms Johnston.\"", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Teresa Dalling says a river of orange water rushed through the village on Thursday\n\nFlood victims will not be able to return to their homes until their safety can be assured, a council leader has said.\n\nThe Coal Authority has said initial checks suggested water built up in a mine shaft causing a \"blow out\" that flooded properties in Skewen, Neath Port Talbot.\n\nAbout 80 people were evacuated as water rushed through the village on Thursday.\n\nCouncil leader Rob Jones said it was unlikely residents could return Monday.\n\nHe said underground investigations would begin on Saturday and the work could take two to three days.\n\n\"Safety is the paramount concern for us,\" he said.\n\n\"Because we can't guarantee the site safety - that's the reason why people will remain away from their properties until such time as we can give the all clear.\n\n\"We don't know what the water has done underground.\"\n\nThe fire service said on Saturday morning the pumping operation was \"making good progress\".\n\nMr Jones told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast people may be able to return next week but \"did not want to raise hopes\" it will be Monday.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nHe said the flooding was \"more than likely\" related to old mine workings with six mines known about in area. He said the industry dated back 300 years.\n\nSkewen resident John Thomas returned home from a funeral with wife Lynne on Thursday to find their house had turned into \"a lake\".\n\nHe said: \"The water was around the level of the bottom of the doors so we couldn't go in, so we just had to stand there and watch this orange-coloured water just piling up and up and up.\n\n\"Other people who were evacuated had the chance to move things upstairs, I didn't have a chance to do that because I couldn't get in to it.\"\n\nAt least 80 people had to leave their homes in the village after flooding\n\nLocal MP Stephen Kinnock said affected residents were staying in \"lots of different places\" across the region.\n\nAnd he praised the \"extraordinary\" generosity of the community and the support of the Salvation Army with donations of food, clothing and toiletries.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Stephen Kinnock This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nNatural Resources Wales (NRW) said officers were continuing to look at how to minimise the risk of pollution to nearby rivers, and investigating any impacts on the River Neath.\n\nThe Coal Authority, which manages the effects of past coal mining, is investigating the incident.\n\nChief executive Lisa Pinney said equipment, due on site on Saturday, would be used to drill into mine workings to \"fully investigate what has happened\".\n\n\"The blow out is likely to have been caused by a blockage underground which has caused water to back up and to break out using the easiest path,\" she said.\n\n\"The excessive rainfall of the past few days and the prolonged rainfall this winter, will have put additional pressure on the system.\n\n\"We know that people will want to get back to their homes and we will continue to progress these works as soon as possible, but public safety has to come first.\"\n\nThere are a number of historical mine workings in Skewen dating back beyond 1850.\n\nOn Saturday, Mr Jones said water was still pouring out of the affected site so workers were diverting it, while machines cleared gulleys and drains to give the water the chance to enter drainage systems.\n\nA residents' incident support centre has been set up at Abbey Primary School to offer help and information over the weekend, between 09:00-17:00 GMT.\n\nThe council has asked residents to be \"patient as the investigation continues\" and has set up a helpline. Tel. 01639 686868.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nA new world record has been set for the number of satellites sent to space on a single rocket.\n\nThe 143 payloads, of all shapes and sizes, rode to orbit on a SpaceX Falcon rocket that launched out of Florida.\n\nThe number beats the previous record of 104 satellites carried aloft by an Indian vehicle in 2017.\n\nIt's further evidence of the major structural changes taking place in space activity that are allowing many more actors to get involved.\n\nThis shift is the result of a revolution in robust, miniaturised, low-cost components - many taken direct from consumer electronics such as smartphones - that mean pretty much anyone can now build a capable satellite in a very small package.\n\nAnd with SpaceX offering to transport those packages to orbit for just $1m, the commercial opportunities will continue to open up.\n\nGuatemala's Santa María volcano: Planet is imaging the entire Earth daily with its Dove satellites\n\nSpaceX itself had 10 satellites on the Falcon - the latest additions to its Starlink telecommunications mega-constellation, which is going to deliver broadband internet connections around the globe.\n\nSan Francisco's Planet company had the most satellites of all on the flight - 48.\n\nThese were another batch of its SuperDove models that image the Earth's surface daily at a resolution of 3-5m. The new spacecraft take the firm's operational fleet now in orbit to more than 200.\n\n\"Internet of things\": SpaceBees will connect to all manner of objects on the ground\n\nThe SuperDoves are the size of a shoebox. Many of the other payloads on the Falcon rocket were little bigger than a coffee mug, however; and some were smaller even than a paperback book.\n\nSwarm Technologies is rolling out what it calls the SpaceBees. They're just 10cm by 10cm by 2.5cm.\n\nThey'll act as telecommunications nodes to connect devices that are attached to all manner of objects on the ground, from migrating animals to shipping containers.\n\nThe satellites were mounted on a dispenser that ejected them in sequence\n\nSome of the larger items on the Falcon rocket were suitcase-sized. Among these were several radar satellites. Radar has been one of the major beneficiaries of the revolution in componentry.\n\nTraditionally, radar satellites were big, multi-tonne objects that cost hundreds of millions of dollars to fly, which essentially meant only the military or major space agencies could afford to operate them.\n\nBut the adoption of new materials and compact \"off the shelf\" parts have dramatically shrunk the size (to under 100kg) and price (a couple of million dollars) of these spacecraft.\n\niQPS artwork: The radar satellites unfurl large antennas once they are in space\n\nIceye from Finland, Capella from the US, and iQPS of Japan all took the ride to orbit on Sunday. These start-ups are establishing constellations in the sky that will return rapid, repeat imagery of the Earth.\n\nRadar has the advantage over standard optical cameras of being able to pierce cloud, and to sense the Earth's surface whether it is day or night. We're entering an age when any change on the planet, wherever it happens, will be picked up almost immediately.\n\nThe Falcon carried the 143 satellites into a 500km-high path that runs from pole to pole. This is one of the drawbacks of a big rideshare mission: you go where the rocket goes, and for some that might not be ideal.\n\nA number of satellite missions will want an orbit that's higher or lower in the sky, or on a different inclination to the equator.\n\nThis can be achieved by mounting the satellites on \"space tugs\" which, after coming off the top of the rocket, modify the final parameters for their \"passengers\" over the course of several weeks. Sunday's Falcon carried two such tugs.\n\nBut for some missions a bespoke ride is going to be the only satisfactory solution. It's why we're now witnessing a rush to produce small rockets that can run dedicated flights.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Virgin Orbit's LauncherOne rocket blasts its way to space\n\nThese smaller rockets will not be able to compete on cost with the big vehicles, such as SpaceX's Falcon-9, but they should attract the custom of those with very specific or urgent needs.\n\nDan Hart, the CEO of Virgin Orbit, which has developed a small rocket that can be launched from under the wing of a Boeing 747, says the start-ups are becoming more discerning.\n\n\"These small satellites used to be points of fascination and interest, and it was a case of finding the cheapest way possible to get into space,\" he explained.\n\n\"That's rapidly changing. These are now businesses with critical missions that risk losing revenue if they have to wait on others or go into an unsuitable orbit. And that's why you're going to see people who will pay that little bit more to get to where they want to go when they absolutely need to go there,\" he told BBC News.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Will Marshall: \"Our satellites 'phoned home' and they are healthy\"\n\nWith the roll call of satellites going into orbit now accelerating rapidly, the issue of traffic management is becoming a hot topic.\n\nFull-on collisions are currently rare, but a surprisingly large number (10%) of satellites will even now experience sudden, unexpected momentum changes, most probably the result of being hit by some small fragment from a previous mission.\n\nThe space sector needs to find smarter ways to track objects in orbit and to command timely avoidance manoeuvres, otherwise certain altitudes could ultimately become unusable because of the presence of dangerously dense debris fields.\n\nJonathan McDowell from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics is a noted historian of astronautics.\n\nHe commented: \"There are now over 3,000 working satellites in orbit. The number of satellites launched last year at over 1,200 is over twice as many as in any previous year. And the ones launched today - that used to be the number you'd launch in a whole year. So it's getting really crowded up there.\"\n\nWill Marshall, the CEO of Planet, said his company, and indeed all of the companies on Sunday's flight, were accutley aware of the issue.\n\n\"We are seeing crowded areas in certain orbits,\" he told BBC News.\n\n\"Most of the crowded piece that is in danger of what they call Kessler Syndrome (runaway collisions) is quite high up. So one of the tricks that all of these satellites that were launched today use is to just stay really low where there's still a lot of atmospheric drag and eventually those satellites just come down.\"", "Last updated on .From the section Cricket\n\nSecond Test, Galle (day four of five)\n\nEngland completed a thrilling victory on day four of the second Test against Sri Lanka to take the series 2-0.\n\nChasing a tricky 164, England were 89-4 on a turning pitch but opener Dom Sibley hit 56 not out to lead them to a six-wicket win.\n\nSibley, who had not reached double figures in the series, put on 75 with Jos Buttler, who made 46 not out.\n\nEarlier, England capitalised on reckless batting to dismiss Sri Lanka for 126 in their second innings.\n\nDom Bess and Jack Leach took four wickets each and the hosts would have been dismissed even more cheaply but for 40 from number 10 Lasith Embuldeniya, who finished with match figures of 10-210.\n\nResuming on 339-9 in their first innings, England conceded a first-innings deficit of 37 when Jack Leach was dismissed with only five runs added.\n\nSri Lanka were favourites at that point but England completed a turnaround on a dramatic day when 15 wickets fell.\n\nThe series win is England's fourth in a row and they are also unbeaten in 10 successive Tests under Joe Root's captaincy, going into a difficult series in India which starts on 5 February.\n\nEngland are fourth in the World Test Championship table, 0.5% behind third-placed Australia.\n• None Root urges England not to 'stand still'\n• None TMS podcast: What does England's series win mean for India tour?\n\nThis was also England's fifth consecutive away Test win, the first time they have achieved that feat since World War One. They are developing an impressive winning habit.\n\nSri Lanka's batting, perhaps spooked by the turning pitch, was inept and their effort in the field lacklustre, but England were clinical.\n\nBess and Leach bowled well - far better than their wicketless showing in the first innings - while James Anderson took a brilliant high catch and Zak Crawley two excellent grabs at short leg.\n\nSri Lanka were leading only by 115 when their eighth wicket fell, before Embuldeniya, who had a remarkable game in defeat, dragged them to a score.\n\nThe target looked competitive - the hosts were possibly even favourites - but the manner England in which overhauled it was mightily impressive.\n\nThere was a wobble when Jonny Bairstow was trapped lbw for a useful 28-ball 29, Root - the dominant player in the series - was bowled for 11 and Dan Lawrence edged behind with a further 85 needed.\n\nHowever, Sibley played the anchor role while Buttler provided impetus in his typically attacking style.\n\nSibley, so at sea in his previous three innings, calmly nudged singles into the leg side. Buttler played thumped drives to the extra-cover boundary, smacked a reverse sweep through point and launched a slog sweep through mid-wicket.\n\nIn the end, England won with ease, Sibley sealing a fine win by tapping for one.\n\nSri Lanka threatened better in this match, having been convincingly beaten by seven wickets in the first.\n\nThey batted well in the first innings and in Embuldeniya they have a fine spinner, playing only his ninth Test.\n\nBut their fourth-day performance was abysmal. Their batting was akin to their performance on day one of the series when they were bowled out for 135.\n\nThe dismissals of captain Dinesh Chandimal - skying a slog sweep to Anderson at mid-on having hit a four a ball earlier - and Niroshan Dickwella, who drove Bess to extra cover two minutes before lunch, were the worst of a series of needlessly aggressive shots.\n\nSri Lanka also disappointed in the field. They were a little unfortunate that Sibley survived three tight lbw reviews, all of which were umpire's call, but their tactics were baffling.\n\nChandimal set the field back and allowed an accumulator in Sibley to tick along as he wished.\n\nThis tour, while important for points in the World Test Championship, always felt like the warm-up act in a huge year for England's Test team.\n\nNext they face a far bigger challenge in India before a summer against New Zealand, top of the Test rankings, India again, and an Ashes series in Australia the winter.\n\nThe biggest plus of this series has been the emphatic run-scoring of Root. He did not score a century in 2019 but made 228 and 186, albeit against a poor Sri Lanka. The skipper amassed 426 runs at an average of 106.50 in the series.\n\nBess and Leach were by no means perfect - they bowl too many bad balls - but finished the series with 12 and 10 wickets respectively.\n\nThe match-winning fifty for Sibley is also a significant boost going into the four Tests in India. Having been dismissed by Embuldeniya in every innings on tour previously, he showed he can grind out a score.\n\nEngland's veteran bowlers, Anderson and Stuart Broad, proved once again they can perform in unhelpful conditions.\n\nThere are question marks, however, about opener Crawley, whose top score in four innings was 13.\n\nThe issues at the top of the order are complicated by the fact Bairstow, who has done well at number three, has been rested for the first two Tests in India.\n\nEngland opener Dom Sibley on Test Match Special: \"I didn't think I'd left any stone unturned with regards playing spin, but then you go back to your room in the evening and think 'maybe I'm not up to this' and have those doubts.\n\n\"It is about accepting those and just believing. It just feels like pure relief at the moment.\"\n\nSri Lanka captain Dinesh Chandimal: \"We were outplayed today. We have done all the hard work in the last three days but as a batting unit we made the same mistakes of the first Test. There are no excuses for the batsmen and we've got to learn how to bat like Joe Root.\"\n\nFormer England captain Michael Vaughan: \"A really, really strong performance from England. If you look down from one to 11, most people have contributed.\n\n\"They will have to bowl better in India. But the confidence that this will do for the team, and for Joe Root at the start of a huge year, is huge.\"", "A former senior manager at Boeing's 737 plant in Seattle has raised new concerns over the safety of the company's 737 Max.\n\nThe aircraft, which was grounded after two accidents in which 346 people died, has already been cleared to resume flights in North America and Brazil, and is expected to gain approval in Europe this week.\n\nBut in a new report, Ed Pierson claims that further investigation of electrical issues and production quality problems at the 737 factory is badly needed.\n\nRegulators in the US and Europe insist their reviews have been thorough, and that the 737 Max aircraft is now safe.\n\nIn his report, Mr Pierson claims that regulators and investigators have largely ignored factors, which he believes, may have played a direct role in the accidents.\n\nHe explicitly links them to conditions at the company's factory in Renton, near Seattle at the time. Boeing says this is unfounded.\n\nInvestigators believe both accidents were triggered by the failure of a single sensor. It sent inaccurate data to a piece of flight control software, called MCAS.\n\nThis automated system then repeatedly forced the nose of the aircraft downwards, when the pilots were trying to gain height. Ultimately each aircraft was pushed into an unrecoverable dive.\n\nEfforts to make the 737 Max safe have focused on redesigning the MCAS software, and ensuring it can no longer be triggered by a single sensor failure.\n\nFor Ed Pierson, this does not go nearly far enough. A US Navy veteran, who had a senior role on the 737 production line from 2015-2018, he was a star witness during congressional hearings into the disasters involving the Max.\n\nHe told lawmakers he had become so concerned about conditions at the factory, he had told his bosses that he was hesitant about taking his own family on a Boeing plane.\n\nEd Pierson (centre), seated next to his attorney Eric Havian (right), at a House Transportation Committee hearing on oversight of the Boeing 737 Max certification, on 11 December 2019\n\nHe testified that during 2018, the factory was in a \"chaotic\" and \"dysfunctional\" state as, he claimed, staff there struggled under pressure from managers to build new planes as quickly as possible.\n\nNow, he is worried that these issues have been overlooked in the rush to get the 737 Max back in the air.\n\nHis report draws on material from the official investigations. It claims that both of the crashed aircraft suffered from - what he believes were - production defects, almost from the moment they entered service.\n\nThese included intermittent flight control system problems and electrical anomalies that occurred in the days and weeks before the accidents.\n\nHe claims these may have been symptoms of flaws in the aircrafts' highly complex wiring systems, which could have contributed to the erroneous deployment of MCAS.\n\nHe also points out that sensor failures contributed to both accidents and asks why such failures were happening on brand new machines.\n\nIn the case of the Lion Air plane, a faulty sensor was replaced with another part that was not properly calibrated.\n\nAll signs, Mr Pierson says, \"point back to where these airplanes were produced, the 737 factory\".\n\nHowever, he insists that the possibility of production defects playing a role in the accidents has not been addressed by regulators.\n\nHe claims this could lead to further tragedies, involving the Max or even a previous version of the 737.\n\nMr Pierson's concerns are supported by the celebrated aviation safety campaigner Captain Chesley Sullenberger.\n\nBest known as \"Sully\", one of the pilots who safely ditched a crippled and engineless Airbus plane in the Hudson river off Manhattan in 2009, he too believes that modifications to the Max do not go far enough.\n\nHe believes changes are needed to warning systems aboard the plane, which were carried over from a previous version of the 737 and are \"not up to modern standards\".\n\nCaptain Chesley \"Sully\" Sullenberger (centre) testifies during a House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing on the status of the grounded Boeing 737 Max in June 2019\n\n\"Ed Pierson's report is very disturbing, about manufacturing issues in the Boeing factories that go well beyond just the Max, and also affect… the previous version of the 737,\" says Capt Sullenberger.\n\n\"There are many critically important unanswered questions that must be answered.\n\n\"Boeing and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) must finally become more transparent, and begin to provide information and data, so that independent experts can determine the worthiness of the work that's been done.\"\n\nThe BBC has also spoken to a former senior inspector with the UK's Air Accident Investigations Branch (AAIB), who now works as a safety specialist. He warns that Mr Pierson's findings should be viewed in a wider context.\n\nThe report, he says, does make some \"valid observations\" about the pressures on Boeing's production line and quality control, and concerns about specific components.\n\nHowever, he adds that \"taking the limited information in any accident report… and making fresh interpretations of it, is not the same as conducting a new investigation\".\n\nThe issues highlighted, he adds, \"may have been investigated and dismissed already, for good reason\".\n\nThe FAA, meanwhile, insists it only approved the return to service of the Max, following a \"comprehensive and methodical safety review process\".\n\nA worker stands by a Boeing 737 Max plane on the tarmac at the Boeing Renton factory in Washington\n\nIt adds: \"None of the many investigations of the two accidents produced evidence that a production flaw played a role\", and emphasises that \"every aircraft leaving the factory is inspected by a team of FAA inspectors before it is cleared for delivery\".\n\nBoeing itself will not comment on whether the electrical and flight control problems highlighted by Mr Pierson may have played a factor in the two accidents, on the grounds that this is a matter for the investigating authorities.\n\nIt has, however, described suggestions of any link between conditions at Renton and the two accidents as \"completely unfounded\", emphasising that none of the authorities investigating the crashes has found any such link.\n\nPatrick Ky, the head of Europe's aviation safety agency, EASA, has previously told the BBC he is \"certain\" the plane is safe to fly.\n\nBut relatives of those who died aboard ET302 are continuing to urge the agency not to allow the 737 Max to operate in Europe, \"until continuing concerns about the aircraft's safety have been fully and openly addressed\".", "People in Lebanon are living under one of the world's strictest lockdowns. Under the round-the-clock curfew, citizens who are not \"essential workers\" have been barred from leaving their homes since 14 January.\n\nLaila, 12, is in Beirut trying to study while her family works from home.\n\n\"We all have our own work to do and when we have meetings we hear each other. It can be a real distraction and stop you from finishing your work on time,\" she says.\n\n\"Sometimes I can't study well because I get stressed with all the work they're giving us. It is definitely not the same studying online as it is in the physical world.\"\n\nFor hairdresser Walid Kanaan this year has been \"extremely difficult psychologically and economically\".\n\n\"I own my shop but still I cannot afford it. I pay the workers' salary so I am really broke,\" says the 45-year-old.\n\n\"It is hitting hard. You can't go out at all or do anything. My wife works in a bank and she is also collapsing. She doesn't know if she will still have her job or not.\n\n\"We don't trust the government that if they bring a vaccine it will be safe to take it. We can only pray for God to protect us.\"\n\nRead more stories from people in lockdown in Lebanon here.", "Teachers were not at significantly higher risk of death from Covid-19 than the general population, Office for National Statistics figures suggest.\n\nRestaurant staff, people working in factories and care workers had among the highest death rates, followed by taxi drivers and security guards.\n\nNurses were more than twice as likely as their peers to die of coronavirus.\n\nSecondary school teachers may have been at slightly, but not measurably, higher risk than the average.\n\nThe ONS looked at death rates from coronavirus in England and Wales between 9 March and 28 December 2020.\n\nIt found 31 in every 100,000 working-age men and 17 in every 100,000 working-age women had died of Covid-19.\n\nThis equated to just under 8,000 deaths among 20-64-year-olds.\n\nBut care workers, security guards and people working in certain manufacturing roles died at more than three times the rate of their peers.\n\nTwo-thirds of deaths were among men.\n\nAs well as being more likely to be male, working-age people who died of Covid last year had other things in common: they were much more likely to work in jobs where they were either regularly exposed to known Covid cases or working in close proximity with other people more generally.\n\nMany of the highest-risk jobs were also relatively low paid and may be more likely to be casual or insecure, without sick pay, including hospitality, care work and taxi driving.\n\nAmong teachers, there were 18 deaths per 100,000 among men and 10 per 100,000 among women.\n\nBreaking that down by role, secondary school teachers appear to have a very slightly elevated risk at 39 deaths per 100,000 people in men and 21 per 100,000 in women.\n\nPer 100,000 men aged 20-64, 31 died in the population as a whole compared with:\n\nPer 100,000 women aged 20-64, 17 died in the population as a whole compared with:\n\nThese are illustrative examples, not an exhaustive league table.\n\nThe ONS calculated the rate by dividing the number of deaths by the number of workers in each job role.\n\nBecause the numbers for secondary teachers were comparatively small - 52 deaths in total - it's difficult to be certain about their exact risk, but any increase there might be compared with the general population was not considered statistically significant.\n\nHowever, while teachers were not at higher risk than the average, they did appear to be at higher risk than some other professional job roles, which have seen very few or no deaths.\n\nThe ONS excluded from its analysis any occupation that had seen fewer than 10 deaths, and the average death rate for the whole population masks this variation.\n\nThe study also covers periods where there were limited numbers of children attending school.\n\nBut the figures do tell us teachers didn't have an elevated risk of the magnitude faced by health and care staff and by lower-paid manual and service workers.\n\nOther groups of staff studied with higher death rates, including hospitality and some factory and construction workers, also had their usual work paused for similar chunks of that period.\n\nWhile these figures tell us the death rates in each occupation group, they do not tell us the jobs are themselves causing more infections.\n\nThe ONS looked at age and sex but did not adjust for ethnicity, health or socioeconomic status which might influence an individual's risk.\n\nONS analyst Ben Humberstone said: \"As the pandemic has progressed, we have learnt more about the disease and the communities it impacts most. There are a complex combination of factors that influence the risk of death; from your age and your ethnicity, where you live and who you live with, to pre-existing health conditions.\n\n\"Our findings do not prove that the rates of death involving COVID-19 are caused by differences in occupational exposure,\" he added.\n\nThis also just refers to deaths, not infections which may result in serious illness.\n\nSome earlier ONS data suggested certain types of teacher may have an increased risk of catching coronavirus, although again the body did not consider this to be statistically significant.\n\nDirector of policy for the Association of School and College Leaders teachers' union, Julie McCulloch, said: \"When trying to understand rates of coronavirus-related deaths, there are likely to be many complex factors and we need to be careful not to jump to conclusions about the relative risks of different workplaces.\n\n\"What we do know is that, when schools are fully open, education staff are asked to work in environments that are inherently busy and crowded. In order to give them reassurance, and to minimise the disruption to education, it is vital that they are prioritised for vaccination as soon as possible.\"\n\nWhether teachers should be prioritised for vaccines has been a matter of debate.\n\nAt the moment the programme is being rolled out based on what will save the most lives and prevent the most severe illness.\n\nAfter the oldest age groups, people with health conditions and frontline staff who are regularly exposed to the virus, the government will have to publish a new raft of priorities.\n\nVaccines minister Nadim Zahawi has indicated more people could be prioritised on the basis of their job role, including teachers, shop workers and police officers.", "Fraud has reached epidemic levels in the UK and should be seen as a national security issue, says think tank the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI).\n\nThe scale of credit card, identity and cyber-fraud makes it the most prevalent crime, costing up to £190bn a year.\n\nUK intelligence agencies should play a greater role in responding, the RUSI argues in a report.\n\nPolicing should be better resourced, working more closely with the private sector, it adds.\n\nThe report argues that the scale of fraud against the private sector has an impact on the reputation of the UK as a place to do business.\n\nMeanwhile, the amount lost by the government in fraudulent claims represents a \"heist\" on the public purse, undermining faith and trust, it says.\n\nIt is the crime UK citizens are most likely to fall victim to, but the failures in responding risk undermining public confidence in the rule of law.\n\nThe Crime Survey for England and Wales found 3.7 million reported incidents in 2019-20 of members of the public being targeted by credit card, identity and cyber-fraud.\n\nThe private sector takes the biggest financial losses. One estimate from 2017 put the cost of fraud to businesses at £140bn.\n\nFraud against the public sector, including benefit, tax credit and student loan fraud, is estimated to cost £31-48bn a year, the upper figure larger than the UK's annual defence budget.\n\nThe losses go beyond the financial, the authors say.\n\n\"Fraud has the potential to disrupt society in multiple ways, by psychologically impacting individuals, undermining the viability of businesses, putting pressure on public services, fuelling organised crime and funding terrorism,\" they add.\n\nThe report cites evidence that terrorist groups and lone actors turn to fraud in order to finance their activities.\n\nIn one case, eight supporters of the Islamic State group were convicted of defrauding UK pensioners out of more than £1m, which was alleged to be used in part to fund travel from the UK to Syria.\n\nThe men carried out a type of courier fraud in which they pretended to be police officers, telling victims that their bank accounts had been compromised and needed to be transferred.\n\nBut despite the growing scale of the problem, there is no national strategy for tackling the issue, while the police response is underfunded and lacking focus.\n\nThis makes fraud \"everyone's problem but no-one's priority\", according to the report, written by RUSI experts Helena Wood, Tom Keatinge, Keith Ditcham and Ardi Janjev.\n\nThe digitisation of everyday life - accelerated by Covid - has only increased the risks, with organised crime groups showing increased sophistication in their tactics.\n\n\"The UK has become a target destination for global fraudsters,\" the RUSI argues.\n\nBut the extent to which international criminals focus on the UK is hard to gauge, because intelligence agencies have not traditionally focused on the issue.\n\nOne senior fraud professional interviewed by the researchers said that despite 30 years of investigating fraud, they still had no idea what proportion of the threat emanated from overseas.\n\nClassifying fraud as a national security issue would help ensure the right level of resourcing and prioritisation, the authors argue.\n\nThey also recommend more focused intelligence direction from the National Security Council, including greater tasking for GCHQ as well as the National Crime Agency to understand the issue.\n\nThey call for better information-sharing and use of data analytics, as well as more money and attention from police forces to address what they call a \"responsibility vacuum\".", "People made the most of the snowy slopes of Gold Hill in Shaftesbury, Dorset\n\nSevere weather warnings are in place across much of the UK after large parts of the country saw heavy snowfall.\n\nThe blanket of snow drew people outside for sledging and winter walks, but motorists have been warned to take extra care on icy roads with sub-zero temperatures forecast overnight.\n\nSeveral coronavirus vaccination and testing centres were closed in England and Wales due to the conditions.\n\nPolice reminded the public to keep to lockdown rules while out in the snow.\n\nOfficers in Wandsworth, south-west London, encouraged people with gardens to play in the snow at home.\n\nAnd police in Rutland, Leicestershire, were among several forces questioning why people were leaving their homes to go sledging.\n\nContinuing coronavirus lockdowns across the four UK nations mean most of the population must stay at home, except for a limited number of reasons.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. For cats Bonny and Freddy, the snow is a chance to explore. Credit: Rachel Prew\n\nAs well as four vaccination centres in Wales, six Covid testing centres in the West Midlands had to close due to heavy snow on Sunday.\n\nHighways England warned that the snow had caused collisions on the M3, M27 and M25 in southern England, with the agency urging drivers to only travel if absolutely necessary.\n\nThose using the roads for essential journeys have been urged to allow plenty of extra time for their travel and pedestrians and cyclists are also advised to be cautious.\n\nThe Met Office put a yellow weather warning for snow in place on Sunday, stretching from coast to coast in southern England and ending just south of Manchester.\n\nIt is also in place for western and northern areas of Scotland, most of Northern Ireland and all of Wales apart from Anglesey.\n\nAn amber warning for snow in Nottingham and Stoke meant travel disruption and power cuts were likely on Sunday evening.\n\nYellow weather warnings for ice are in place until 11:00 GMT Monday for all of Wales and Northern Ireland, northern and eastern Scotland and much of southern England and the Midlands.\n\nMany people swapped their usual daily bout of exercise for sledging on Parliament Hill on Hampstead Heath, north London, but police urged people to stay at home\n\nGritters leapt into action near Touchen-end in Berkshire\n\nIn Wales, appointments at the Bridgend, Rhondda, Abercynon and Merthyr Tydfil coronavirus vaccination centres were rescheduled for safety reasons, the Cwm Taf Morgannwg health board said.\n\nUp to 1in (3cm) of snow was forecast to fall in most areas of Wales, with 4-6in (10-15cm) expected in the Brecon Beacons and Snowdonia.\n\nIn the West Midlands, coronavirus testing centres at Castle Vale Stadium, the Arcadian Centre and Maypole Youth Centre were closed, Birmingham City Council said.\n\nFacilities in Moat Street, Coventry and The Place in Oakengates in Shropshire also closed, along with one in Lichfield, Staffordshire, local MP Michael Fabricant said.\n\nAnd in Devon, a gritting lorry overturned on Dartmoor. Devon County Council urged people to avoid travel unless it was absolutely essential and not to travel to find snow.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Devon County Council This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nMet Office forecaster Simon Partridge said a band of hail, sleet, snow and rain moved in through Wales and south-west England in the early hours before sweeping across the UK and stalling over the Midlands, which saw some of the heaviest snow.\n\nColeshill, near Birmingham, had seen had 3.5in (9cm) by Sunday lunchtime.\n\nThe snow clouds eased away on Sunday evening but overnight temperatures could be as low as -4C to -6C (25F to 21F) for a lot of the south of the UK, the forecaster added.\n\n\"Some localised spots, likely in the Midlands, could see it as low as -10C (14F),\" he said.\n\nSnowmen popped up in the grounds of Guildford Castle, Surrey\n\nAs shown on the M1 in Bedfordshire, the wintry showers have caused hazardous driving conditions\n\nChris Fawkes of BBC Weather said some stretches of the M4 and M5 had been completely covered in snow at some points on Sunday morning.\n\nHe said this was partly because traffic has been low due to lockdown restrictions - and vehicles are needed to help grit mix into snow to make it melt.", "Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Monday morning. We'll have another update for you this evening.\n\nMost pupils across the UK have not been in school since before the Christmas holidays - and now Tory MPs are calling for a \"route map\" for the reopening of schools in England. Pupils have been told they will be learning from home until at least the February half-term holidays. And Education Secretary Gavin Williamson says schools will be given at least two weeks' notice to reopen - which he \"hopes\" will happen before Easter. So, with no firm timetable, the chairman of the education select committee, Robert Halfon, has called for a plan to be laid out to MPs. He has asked for an urgent question in the Commons - if granted, Mr Williamson must respond. No part of the UK has yet announced a firm date for schools' reopening - you can read about the different nations' plans here.\n\nThe UK must reform how it is governed or risk becoming a \"failed state\", former Labour prime minister Gordon Brown has warned. Writing in the Daily Telegraph, he says Covid has exposed \"tensions\" between Whitehall and the nations and regions. Recent polls have suggested rising support for Scottish independence - and a potential border vote in Northern Ireland. \"The complaint is that Whitehall does not fully understand the country it is supposed to govern,\" says Mr Brown.\n\nFrance's top medical adviser says a third national lockdown will probably soon be needed to combat Covid-19. Prof Jean-Francois Delfraissy says \"there is an emergency\", adding that the \"UK variant\" now makes up between 7-9% of cases in some French regions. A strict curfew was implemented last weekend but cases continue to climb. You can see police enforcing the 6pm shutdown below.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Police in Paris ensure shops close at 6pm as France begins a new curfew to tackle Covid-19\n\nRiot police in the Netherlands have clashed with protesters who are angry at new coronavirus restrictions. Officers used water cannon and tear gas to clear demonstrators in Eindhoven. They had gathered in defiance of a new 9pm curfew. Some protesters threw fireworks, looted supermarkets and smashed shop windows. There were smaller demonstrations in the capital, Amsterdam.\n\nAustralia has suspended a travel bubble with New Zealand - after NZ's first Covid case in months was confirmed to be the South African variant. The infected patient had served 14 days in quarantine and tested negative twice before developing symptoms later. Travellers coming from New Zealand to Australia in the next 72 hours will now have to go through hotel quarantine. Health Minister Greg Hunt said the suspension was done out of an \"abundance of caution\".\n\nYou can find more information, advice and guides on our coronavirus page. This explainer looks at various questions - including whether the vaccine stops you spreading the disease.\n\nWhat questions do you have about coronavirus?\n\nIn some cases, your question will be published, displaying your name, age and location as you provide it, unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published. Please ensure you have read our terms & conditions and privacy policy.\n\nUse this form to ask your question:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or send them via email to YourQuestions@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any question you send in.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Supporters of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny protest against his arrest across Russia\n\nRussian President Vladimir Putin has condemned as \"illegal and dangerous\" the mass rallies in support of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny.\n\nTens of thousands defied a heavy police presence to join the rallies across Russia on Saturday. More than 3,500 were detained, monitors say.\n\nEU foreign ministers discussed the protests on Monday, but did not agree on further sanctions on Russia.\n\nIn Moscow riot police were seen beating and dragging away demonstrators.\n\nThe foreign ministers of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are demanding \"restrictive measures against Russian officials responsible for arrests\".\n\nPoland's President Andrzej Duda also urged the EU to step up sanctions on Russia following the arrest of Mr Navalny. A week ago he was sentenced to 30 days in jail for violating parole conditions - a case he condemns as fabricated.\n\nMr Navalny, President Putin's most high-profile critic, called for protests after he was arrested at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport, on arrival from Berlin on 17 January.\n\nDemonstrations were held on Saturday in about 100 cities and towns from Russia's Far East and Siberia to Moscow and St Petersburg.\n\nFrench Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian described the arrests as a \"slide towards authoritarianism\" and called for further sanctions against Russia.\n\n\"Change is in the air in Russia,\" declared Lithuania's new Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis, as he arrived for his first meeting with EU counterparts.\n\nBut he soon discovered that change is not always in the air in Brussels.\n\nA couple of years ago, one seasoned Spanish politician lamented the meetings of the 27 EU foreign ministers as being \"more a valley of tears\" than a place for decision-making: \"We express our condolence and concern… but no capacity for action comes out of it.\"\n\nUnfortunately for that same politician - Josep Borrell - he's now the man who chairs these gatherings.\n\nThe EU has already imposed sanctions on six senior Russian officials - including the head of the FSB security service - over the nerve agent attack on Mr Navalny last August.\n\nBut MEPs are urging the EU to go further and hit Mr Putin's administration \"where it really hurts - the money\".\n\nIn December, the EU unveiled a tougher sanctions regime, including asset freezes and travel bans for foreign individuals accused of human rights violations. It puts the bloc alongside the US and UK, which adopted so-called Magnitsky Acts.\n\nThey take the name of the lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, who died in a Moscow prison in 2009 after reporting massive fraud by Russian tax officials. The EU version does not bear his name, to avoid alienating Russia-leaning member states.\n\nAgreeing on EU sanctions is always tough, as it requires all 27 countries to agree and we're told no concrete proposal was discussed by foreign ministers today.\n\nObservers say the scale of the Russia-wide demonstrations was unprecedented for recent years, and the Moscow protest was the capital's largest in almost a decade.\n\nThey appeared to enjoy widespread passive support, with trolley bus passengers waving to the crowds and large numbers of car drivers beeping their horns.\n\nProtesters, like these in St Petersburg, braved freezing cold to rally for Mr Navalny\n\nThe protests were also notable for the high proportion of young Russians who turned out. Opposition rallies have attracted more young people since Mr Navalny began releasing online investigations into alleged government corruption.\n\nMany protesters said they were angered by the findings of that report, and chants of \"Putin is a thief!\" were heard during Saturday's demonstrations.\n\nSocial media also played a key role in driving young people - many of whom have only ever known a Putin-led Russia - to take to the streets. Posts promoting the demonstrations were viewed hundreds of millions of times on TikTok.\n\nThe flood of videos prompted Russia's official media watchdog, Roskomnadzor, to demand the app take down any information \"encouraging minors to act illegally\".\n\nMr Putin has said no underage children should take part in the protests: \"One must under no circumstances push forward underage people. After all, it is terrorists who act like that, when they drive in front of them women and children. The emphasis is slightly different, but essentially, this is the same thing.\"\n\nPolice should also act within the law, he said.\n\nNo-one should seek to advance \"their ambitious objectives and goals, particularly in politics\" through protests, he added, in an apparent reference to Mr Navalny.\n\nMr Navalny's video report into this Black Sea resort has been viewed 85 million times\n\nOn Sunday Mr Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov criticised a message from the US embassy in Moscow warning people to avoid the demonstrations, branding the warning an \"interference in our domestic affairs\".\n\nThe embassy said such warnings were a \"common and routine practice\".\n\nMeanwhile, the Russian embassy in the UK also accused Western nations of using their embassies to encourage the protests.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Russian Embassy, UK This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Health Secretary Matt Hancock says lifting restrictions can only happen when \"facts on the ground\" show it is safe\n\nIt is \"difficult to put a timeline\" on when England's lockdown could be lifted, Matt Hancock has said.\n\nThe health secretary said there were \"early signs\" the measures were working but it was \"not a moment to ease up\".\n\nHe said there were 37,000 people in hospital with coronavirus in the UK and \"more people on ventilators than at any time in this whole pandemic\".\n\n\"The pressure on the NHS remains huge and we've got to get that case rate down,\" he said.\n\nThe number of coronavirus cases in the UK has been falling, but the number of people in hospital remains high, as does the UK's daily death numbers.\n\nA further 592 people have died in the UK within 28 days of a positive Covid test and another 22,195 cases have been recorded, according to Monday's government figures.\n\nThe are 4,076 people in hospital on ventilators.\n\nUnder the national lockdown, people in England must stay at home and only go out for limited reasons.\n\nThis includes for food shopping, exercise, or work if they cannot do so from home. Similar measures are in place across much of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.\n\nAt Monday's Downing Street press briefing, Mr Hancock said: \"I understand the yearning people have to get out of this.\n\n\"The thing is that we have to look at the facts on the ground and we have to monitor those facts.\n\n\"And of course, everybody wants to have a timeline for that, but I think most people understand why it is difficult to put a timeline on it because it's a matter of monitoring the data.\"\n\nHe set out the factors the government would take into account when reaching decisions over lifting the restrictions, including: the death rate, the number of people in hospital, whether there were new coronavirus variants and the success of the vaccine rollout.\n\nAlmost four in five of the UK's over-80s have had the vaccine, Mr Hancock said, with nearly 6.6m people in total having had their first dose.\n\nThe falling numbers of infections being reported and the rising rate of vaccination are incredibly promising - even if the drop in infections reported on Monday may have been partly an artefact of fewer people coming forward for a test because of the snow.\n\nBut that does not offer any guarantees of a rapid lifting of lockdown.\n\nWhat is concerning ministers are the high numbers in hospital.\n\nThe number of new admissions seems to have plateaued - but at a very high rate.\n\nClose to 4,000 patients a day are being admitted to hospital.\n\nTo put that in context, that is four times the total number of all types of respiratory admissions the NHS would normally see in winter.\n\nIt means the numbers in hospital are at nearly twice the level they were at the peak in the spring during the first wave.\n\nWith better treatments available, patients are spending longer in hospital.\n\nSo come mid-February the pressures in hospital are likely to be very high, leaving ministers little wriggle-room to relax restrictions.\n\nThe big unknown, however, is what impact and how quickly vaccination will have an effect on admissions.\n\nThere is encouraging early news from Israel that hospitalisation really starts to drop three weeks after the first dose.\n\nIf that is repeated here, the picture could quickly change.\n\nBut until that happens the government - in the words of Health Secretary Matt Hancock - is urging the country to hold its nerve.\n\nSpeaking at the Downing Street press conference, Jenny Harries, deputy chief medical officer for England, warned: \"We are not out of this by a very long way.\"\n\nShe said current coronavirus rates were still causing concern, patience was needed about the vaccination programme and the NHS still faced its usual winter pressures.\n\nSusan Hopkins, from Public Health England, said the UK need to see the death rate \"fall much lower\" before any decision to ease measures.\n\nShe said teams were currently studying the impact on the UK's vaccine programme of the variant first identified in South Africa.\n\nBut she added the \"consensus view\" from four UK laboratories suggested that \"the current vaccine works against the variant that was first discovered in the UK\".", "Former Brexit Party MEP Robert Rowland was described as a larger than life character\n\nA former Brexit Party MEP has died in a diving accident near his home in the Bahamas.\n\nRobert Rowland, 54, represented the south east of England at the European Parliament from July 2019 until January 2020.\n\nNigel Farage paid tribute to the \"larger than life character\" and \"enthusiastic\" Brexit supporter.\n\nHe announced the death of his former colleague in a statement on Sunday.\n\nThe Royal Bahamas Police Force said it had \"received reports of a drowning incident\" on Saturday and was \"conducting inquires\".\n\nMr Farage said: \"It is with great sadness that I have to announce the death of Robert Rowland, after a diving accident near his home in the Bahamas.\n\n\"Following a successful career in the City, Robert was an enthusiastic Brexit Party MEP and larger than life character.\"\n\nHe said he wished to extend his \"sincerest condolences\" to Mr Rowland's family, including his wife and four children.\n\nFormer Brexit Party MEP David Bull said he was \"beyond devastated,\" adding: \"Robert was a wonderful friend and colleague.\"\n• None Farage's Brexit Party officially changes its name\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Budweiser has said it will not advertise its beer during the Super Bowl this year, joining a growing number of big brands sitting out the annual American football championship.\n\nThe event remains one of the most-watched in the US each year, drawing more than 100 million viewers in 2020.\n\nThe advertisements are often as much a conversation-starter as the game itself, sometimes sparking controversy.\n\nFirms say the virus has made finding the right message especially difficult.\n\nOthers are grappling with financial hits caused by the pandemic, which has dampened spending on many items, while also casting more than 10 million Americans out of work, resurfacing racial and economic inequalities and sharpening political divisions.\n\nBudweiser's parent company, Anheuser-Busch, said it planned to reallocate the money it would have spent on a 30-second Budweiser spot during the game to support an Ad Council campaign promoting coronavirus vaccination.\n\nIt is the first time the flagship brand will not make a game-time appearance in 37 years.\n\n\"This commitment is an investment in a future where we can all get back together safely over a beer\", it said, adding that it would still promote some of its other brands, such as Bud Light, during the game.\n\nOn Monday, Budweiser released a full 90-second Super Bowl ad on YouTube entitled \"Bigger Picture\", which showed US citizens overcoming pandemic challenges together and aimed to raise awareness about Covid-19 vaccines.\n\nCoke, Pepsi and Hyundai are among the other major names also planning to forego airtime during the broadcast.\n\nCoca-Cola said it had made the \"difficult choice\" to \"ensure we are investing in the right resources during these unprecedented times\". The firm did not advertise during the 2019 game either.\n\nHyundai cited \"marketing priorities\" and the timing of upcoming vehicle launches.\n\nPepsi has also said it would not promote its flagship soda during the game. Instead, it is spending money on an advert airing to promote the Super Bowl halftime show it has sponsored for almost a decade.\n\nThe Super Bowl boasts some of the most expensive advertising slots all year\n\nGiven all the economic, political and health questions of 2020, companies may have felt it was prudent to pull back - especially several months ago, when they would have had to start planning for such a high-profile night, said Kimberly Whitler, professor at the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business\n\n\"It's the biggest night of TV watching and so they have to plan it months in advance,\" she said. \"There was so much uncertainty that to go and invest in a Super Bowl ad might have actually felt or seemed frivolous at the time.\"\n\nThe decision goes \"beyond finances\", she added. \"It's also, 'How do we identify the right tone that will match the moment'.\"\n\nThis year's Super Bowl will see star quarterback Tom Brady's Tampa Bay Buccaneers face off against reigning champions the Kansas City Chiefs on 7 February.\n\nLast year, firms spent an average of $5.25m (£3.8m) for a 30-second spot during the championship, driving Super Bowl ad spending to a record $450m, according to Kantar consultancy.\n\nThe firm has said its research suggests Super Bowl ads are \"typically 20 times more effective\" in changing a brand's perception than a normal advert.\n\nAnheuser-Busch, an official sponsor of the National Football League, is typically one of the night's top spenders, so the absence of its flagship brand may create its own buzz, said Satya Menon, a Chicago-based managing partner of of ROI practice at Kantar.\n\nChipotle's very first Super Bowl commercial is entitled, \"Can a burrito change the world?\"\n\n\"Budweiser in particular is a very established brand ... so for them, it's all about generating love and goodwill and maybe this is another way,\" she says.\n\n\"They do have a lot of pre-game advertising out there. When people have the expectation that they wil be there and then they don't see the brand, they'll start thinking why are they not.\"\n\nMeanwhile, the sports showdown still seems to be finding plenty of firms ready to fill spots left by the stalwarts. Names of newcomers include Chipotle and Fiverr, a freelance platform that has seen business soar during the pandemic.\n\n\"It doesn't get any bigger than the Super Bowl from a branding and marketing perspective,\" said Fiverr's chief marketing officer Gali Arnon. \"We believe this is a major opportunity for us to introduce the world to Fiverr in a unique and creative way.\"\n\nMany of this year's advertisers are firms coming from the e-commerce sector, which have benefited from the pandemic, Ms Menon said.\n\nAnd though audience numbers for NFL games have slipped this year, for those firms making their game-night debuts, Ms Menon says she still expects ads to have a big impact - even if the pandemic puts a damper on the traditional Super Bowl parties and other festivities, which can make championship feel like an unofficial national holiday.\n\n\"There isn't very much going on in life, so it will always have that great reach,\" she says. \"Some of that excitement may not be there, but watching will definitely be there.\"", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Boris Johnson says teachers and pupils will be told “as much as we can, as soon as we can” about reopening schools\n\nThe government will tell teachers and parents when schools in England can reopen \"as soon as we can\", the prime minister has said.\n\nMPs have called on the government to set out a \"route map\" for reopening amid concerns for children's education.\n\nBoris Johnson said he understood why people wanted a timetable but he did not want to lift restrictions while the infection rate was \"still very high\".\n\nHe would not guarantee schools would reopen before April's Easter break.\n\nMr Johnson said: \"We've now got the R [reproduction rate] down below 1 across the whole of the country, that's a great achievement, we don't want to see a huge surge of infection just when we've got the vaccination programme going so well and people working so hard.\n\n\"I understand why people want to get a timetable from me today, what I can tell you is we'll tell you, tell parents, tell teachers as much as we can as soon as we can.\"\n\nHe said the government would be \"looking at the potential of relaxing some measures\" before mid-February, with Downing Street clarifying that this meant looking at the data to decide \"what we may or may not be able to ease from 15 February onwards\".\n\nA further 592 people have died in the UK within 28 days of a positive Covid test and another 22,195 cases have been recorded, according to Monday's government figures.\n\nAt Monday's Downing Street press briefing, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said almost four in five of the UK's over-80s have had the vaccine, with nearly 6.6m people in total having had their first dose.\n\nBut he said the NHS continues to be under \"intense pressure\", with Jenny Harries, deputy chief medical officer for England, saying there are \"twice the number of people in hospital than we had in the first wave\" of the pandemic.\n\nRobert Halfon, chairman of the education select committee, told BBC Breakfast there was \"enormous uncertainty\" and called for the government to set out what the conditions needed to be for pupils to return to schools.\n\nThe Conservative MP for Harlow suggested the government could consider tighter restrictions in other parts of society and the economy, in order to enable schools to open.\n\nTory MPs were enraged by reports over the weekend that schools might not re-open fully until after the Easter holidays.\n\nMinisters say it's the progress of the pandemic that will determine their decision rather than a pre-agreed timetable.\n\nYet whenever the government speaks, parents hear dates. Whether it's that the situation will be reviewed at half-term. Or a pledge to give two weeks' notice when classes will come back.\n\nMPs are now pushing for more transparency from the government about how they'll assess the data, and for some ideas between school being mostly closed or totally open.\n\nThis issue is a perfect metaphor for the situation facing the entire country. Too much hope breeds disappointment, but living with uncertainty is just as hard. And you can come up with a plan but it might have to be junked if the virus has other ideas.\n\nChildren's Commissioner for England Anne Longfield joined the call for clarity and told the BBC: \"Children are more withdrawn, they are really suffering in terms of isolation, their confidence levels are falling, and for some there are serious issues.\"\n\nEducation Secretary Gavin Williamson said the government wanted to \"see all children back at the very earliest moment\".\n\nSchools in England have been closed to most pupils since the national lockdown began on 5 January due to high levels of Covid transmission in the community.\n\nThere have been calls for teachers to be vaccinated sooner, although it is not clear if that would allow schools to reopen earlier.\n\nThe majority of pupils in England are learning from home with schools only open to the children of key workers, vulnerable children and those who cannot learn at home\n\nCovid death rates among educational professionals are not \"statistically significantly different\" to those in the general population, according to Office for National Statistics (ONS) data, but secondary school teachers appeared to have an elevated risk compared particularly with people working in office-type jobs.\n\nAmong secondary school teachers Covid death rates were 39.2 deaths per 100,000 males, compared with 31.4 for all males aged 20 to 64, and 21.2 per 100,000 females, compared with 16.8, but the ONS said these were \"not statistically significantly different than those of the same age and sex in the wider population\".\n\nSchools will remain closed in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales until at least the February half-term - with the Welsh first minister saying it is \"unlikely\" all pupils will return after the break.\n\nGemma Cocker with her children Charlie and Lyla\n\nGemma Cocker from Brighton is one of the many parents struggling to balance childcare, home learning and work.\n\nShe says she's having to share her work laptop with her son, who has already missed learning time after the family moved home and did not have internet access. \"We didn't have any internet. The school said they had reached their limit so couldn't take him,\" she says.\n\nAnd because her children are young, she says: \"They're never just going to watch a classroom by themselves, you have to be with them the whole time.\"\n\nKitty Jones, 11, is in her last year of primary school and she says home learning is \"tricky\" because she is not used to using different remote platforms like Google Classroom and she wants to return \"as soon as possible\".\n\n\"I still think that I'm learning a bit, but I don't think I'm learning as much as I would be in person,\" she tells BBC Radio 4's World at One programme.\n\nHolly Agbukor, 18, is studying for her A-levels, says it is \"quite stressful\" learning at home, as it is a \"different environment, so it is not as easy to be fully present in the lessons\".\n\nBut, she says, while is it \"difficult\" working at home, \"I don't think it is worth the cost of reintroducing the virus into society and making things worse overall\".\n\nHow has home-schooling been going for your family? You can share your experience by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "The UK has identified 77 cases of the coronavirus variant first detected in South Africa, the health secretary has said.\n\nCases are linked to travellers arriving in the UK, rather than community transmission, Matt Hancock added.\n\nHe told the BBC's Andrew Marr cases were under \"very close\" observation and enhanced contact tracing was under way.\n\nMinisters are due to meet on Monday to consider imposing tougher restrictions on people arriving from abroad.\n\nScientists have said there is a chance the South African variant may harm the effectiveness of current vaccines.\n\nMeanwhile, Mr Hancock said that \"three quarters of all the 80-year-olds in the country and a similar number of care homes\" have received their first doses of the vaccine.\n\nBoth the Pfizer-BioNTech and Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines require two doses, and figures so far reflect those given the first dose.\n\nMr Hancock said that it was \"far too early to say\" what proportion of the population needed to be vaccinated before lockdown restrictions could be eased.\n\nAll viruses, including the one that causes Covid-19, mutate, and variants have been first located in the UK, South Africa and Brazil.\n\nThe South Africa variant has been found in at least 20 other countries, including the UK.\n\nMr Hancock said that all the South Africa variant cases in the UK were linked to travel.\n\n\"That's why we have got such stringent border measures in place against movement from South Africa,\" he added.\n\nThe UK closed all travel corridors last week until at least 15 February, with almost all travellers arriving in the country now required to show proof of a negative Covid-19 test to be allowed entry.\n\nPrime Minister Boris Johnson has not ruled out bringing in tougher measures at UK borders, telling a Downing Street news conference on Friday: \"We don't want to put that (efforts to control Covid) at risk by having a new variant come back in.\"\n\nMinisters are set to discuss whether to tighten border restrictions further, including the possibility of hotel quarantines for travellers.\n\nMr Hancock said: \"We have got to be cautious at the borders.\"\n\nAsked for a date on when lockdown restrictions might end, Mr Hancock said it was \"one of the many things that we don't yet know the answer to\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Matt Hancock on easing restrictions: \"We don't know the answer\"\n\nGovernment data on 14 January showed there were 35 confirmed cases of the South Africa variant identified in the UK, and a further 12 \"probable\" cases.\n\nMr Hancock said nine cases of the Brazil variant had been found in the UK, adding \"we are monitoring each and every one very closely\".\n\nShadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show that Labour had been \"pushing the government to take tougher measures at the border since last spring\".\n\nShe said: \"We would fully expect the government to bring in tougher quarantine measures, we would expect them to roll out a proper testing strategy and we would expect them as well to start checking up on the people who are quarantining.\n\n\"Only three out of every hundred people who are asked to quarantine when they arrive into the UK actually face any checks at all - that's just simply not sufficient.\"\n\nOn Friday, Mr Johnson said there was \"some evidence\" the UK variant may be associated with \"a higher degree of mortality\".\n\nThe UK government's chief scientific officer, Sir Patrick Vallance, said there was \"a lot of uncertainty around these numbers\" but that early evidence suggested the variant could be about 30% more deadly.\n\nThe PM said on Friday that there was evidence that both the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine and Oxford-AstraZeneca jab were effective against the variant first detected in the UK.\n\nSir Patrick has warned that the variants in South Africa and Brazil might \"have certain features which means they might be less susceptible to vaccines\".\n\nBut he said \"there is no evidence\" that the two variants have transmission advantages over those already in the UK and so having cases here doesn't mean \"they will take off\".\n\nMeanwhile, England's deputy chief medical officer warned that people who have received a Covid-19 vaccine could still pass the virus on to others and should continue following lockdown rules.\n\nWriting in the Sunday Telegraph, Prof Jonathan Van-Tam stressed that scientists \"do not yet know the impact of the vaccine on transmission\".\n\nHe said vaccines offer \"hope\" but infection rates must come down quickly.\n\nIt's a key question but the fact is that no one can be sure.\n\nThat's because the trials of the vaccines explored the safety of the drugs and how well they prevent people from becoming ill - with good results for both.\n\nBut they did not investigate whether vaccination also stops infection and therefore whether people who've been immunised can still spread the virus to others.\n\nIf a vaccinated person did become infected, they probably wouldn't realise because they wouldn't have any symptoms. That's why health officials and ministers are so concerned.\n\nIt's possible that the antibodies boosted by the vaccine suppress the effects of the virus but don't eliminate it from the upper airway.\n\nMany scientists are cautiously hopeful that in this scenario, the amount of virus would be reduced but they're waiting for the results of studies under way now.\n\nAnd until there's an answer, it's difficult to calculate how and when it's safe to ease restrictions and allow people to mix again.\n\nA further 610 deaths within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test were reported in the UK on Sunday - down from 671 deaths last Sunday - in addition to 30,004 new infections.\n\nThe number of positive cases has fallen for the fourth day in a row and is the lowest figure since before Christmas.\n\nThe death figures tend to be lower on a Sunday and Monday because of weekend lags in reporting of the data.\n\nMeanwhile, more than six million people have had their first dose of a Covid vaccine - with the figure now standing at 6,353,321.\n\nNadhim Zahawi, the minister responsible for the vaccine rollout, said on Twitter that 6,353,321 of the \"most vulnerable and frontline heroes\" had received a first dose of the vaccine, but there was still \"much more to do\".\n\nThere were 4,076 Covid patients in mechanical ventilation beds in UK hospitals as of Friday, according to government data.\n\nThat is higher than during the first wave, when the peak was 3,301 on 12 April.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Video filmed in Tacoma, Washington, shows a police car apparently ploughing through a crowd of people\n\nA police officer is under investigation in the US after his vehicle ploughed into a group of people, running over at least one, in Tacoma, Washington.\n\nNobody was killed in the incident, although one person was rushed to hospital with injuries.\n\nA video shows a large group of people surrounding the police car as it revs its engine in an apparent effort to drive off.\n\nThe group refuses to move, and police say people started hitting the car.\n\nThe police officer then speeds through the group, hitting numerous people. One person is dragged under the car.\n\nTacoma Police Department said multiple vehicles and approximately 100 people were blocking an intersection when officers arrived on the scene. The group was apparently watching street racers doing \"burnouts\".\n\n\"During the operation, a responding Tacoma police vehicle was surrounded by the crowd. People hit the body of the police vehicle and its windows as the officer was stopped in the street,\" police said in a statement.\n\n\"The officer, fearing for his safety, tried to back up, but was unable to do so because of the crowd,\" it said.\n\n\"While trying to extricate himself from an unsafe position, the officer drove forward striking one individual and may have impacted others,\" it said.\n\nThe person who was run over was rushed to hospital. Their condition is as yet unclear.\n\nThe Pierce County Force Investigation Team is investigating the incident, the statement said. The police officer has not been identified.\n\n\"I am concerned that our department is experiencing another use of deadly force incident,\" Interim Police Chief Mike Ake said in the statement.\n\n\"I send my thoughts to anyone who was injured in tonight's event, and am committed to our department's full co-operation in the independent investigation and to assess the actions of the department's response during the incident.\"\n\nThe incident comes at a time of rising anger over the use of excessive force by police in the US.\n\nPeople across the world took to the streets last year to demonstrate their anger at the death of George Floyd, a black man who died in police custody in Minneapolis, and to demand an end to police brutality and what they see as systemic racism.", "Some Barclaycard customers will see their minimum repayments rise from Tuesday, at a time when finances are already stretched owing to Covid and Christmas.\n\nThe new requirements are tailored to each customer, although some may see a significant rise in demands.\n\nBut the changes will also see charges for exceeding a credit limit scrapped.\n\nJanuary is a pinch point for many in debt and borrowers are being urged to seek help if they are in trouble.\n\nBarclaycard signalled the changes to their pricing structures in November, although some borrowers may have missed the notice, which was titled \"changes to your terms and conditions\".\n\nThe new repayment rates will affect those with Platinum, Initial, Freedom, Forward, Cashback, Littlewoods, Rewards and Hilton Honors cards, but not Premier or Woolwich cards.\n\nFor cardholders who started using their cards in the last decade, the minimum repayment each month has been calculated as the highest of 2.25% of the full balance, 1% of the balance plus interest, or £5. This differed slightly for longer-standing customers.\n\nThe new charges mean minimum repayments will be the highest of between 2% and 5% of the full balance, between 1% and 3% of the balance plus interest, or £5.\n\nThis means some people could see the minimum repayment rise, although some other charges - such as the late payment fee - will be limited.\n\nThe exact percentage depends on the customer and would have been outlined in the November message.\n\nA Barclaycard spokesman said: \"We are increasing minimum payments for some customers to help them pay off debt quicker and reduce the overall interest they pay.\n\n\"This is part of our ambition to ensure that no Barclaycard customer gets into persistent debt - where they pay more in interest and charges than reducing their debt and take a long time to pay this debt off - and is being put in place to support our customers.\"\n\nSara Williams, who writes the Debt Camel blog, said that the higher minimum payment may well come as a \"nasty shock\".\n\n\"January is always the tightest month for money for most people. December pay is often early, so the money has to stretch further, and if you put any Christmas presents or expenses on your Barclaycard, this month's bill will be high anyway,\" she said.\n\n\"For people who were hardly managing before, the increase to the minimum payments may tip the bill over into being unaffordable.\"\n\nDebt charities had already warned that the coronavirus pandemic meant the UK was \"sleepwalking into a debt crisis\".\n\nThe government-backed Money and Pensions Service - which offers free guidance - said it was expecting a call about debt at least every four minutes throughout January.\n\nBarclaycard said the timing of the changes - which coincide with lockdown and many people on a reduced furlough income - was unintentional and had been signalled some time ago.\n\nAny borrowers who feel the new repayment levels are unaffordable are being asked to contact the company.\n\nMore broadly, anyone struggling to make debt repayments of any kind is being urged to face their difficulties and seek help.\n\n\"Financial worries negatively affect our 'cognition', which are the thinking processes that support and maintain our mental health. When in a poor state, financial worries cause stress and our cognition fails,\" said Keiron Sparrowhawk, a cognition expert from the Being Well Group, which runs the MyCognition app.\n\nThis could lead to depression and hasty, ill-thought-out decisions, he said.\n\n\"Together, depression and anxiety are distressing and disabling, causing us to spiral out of control and enter a pit of hell,\" he said.", "The water is warmer than the air and is creating a mist along Dynevor Road\n\nThe coalmining heritage of Wales has been implicated in flooding of homes - but what has happened in Skewen?\n\nAbout 80 people were evacuated from the Neath Port Talbot village, with at least eight streets left under water.\n\nCouncil leader Rob Jones says the flood appears to be related to mine works - but the volume of water involved has hampered a full assessment so far.\n\nThe Coal Authority is investigating how \"historic underground mining features\" in the area exacerbated the problem.\n\nA geologist says there are tens of thousands of old mine shafts across the former south Wales coalfield and it is \"incredibly difficult\" to monitor them all.\n\nSkewen lies within an old coal mining hotspot, with several former colliery sites near the village that operated in the 19th and early 20th Century.\n\nThere were colliery sites near what is now Drummau Road, in the north of the village and another close to Old Road, near Neath Abbey.\n\nSkewen was part of a collection of collieries that stretched between Neath and Llanelli on the western side of south Wales' coalfield.\n\nGraham Levins, secretary of the Welsh Mines Preservation Trust, said old mines often contain groundwater which can flood in heavy rain.\n\nHe said: \"A lot of them go very, very deep down, much below the local water level and that's why they had all the big wheels to pump the water out.\n\n\"It fills up with water and will find a way out. Normally rainfall you get it doesn't cause a lot of problems but when you get really heavy rain, the water drains down through the ground and builds up.\"\n\nStreets were turned into rivers in Skewen\n\nGeologist Tom Backhouse said water was coming out of an area near the junction of Goshen Park and Drummau Road, where there is a record of a mine shaft dating from the turn of the 20th Century.\n\nIt then started \"rushing down\" Drummau Road, causing the flooding that forced evacuations.\n\n\"What we can expect to have happened is that the water level in the mines rose to a point where it's burst out of that entry point from the mine workings below.\n\n\"Also, there are images of very ochre like orange-coloured water and again, that may well be issuing from the mine workings on the highlands to the east of the property on the hill behind.\n\n\"That may be where the shallow workings have flooded.\"\n\nHe said old mine working across the former coalfield area hold water at a certain depth, but when an event such as Storm Christoph drops \"a huge amount in a small area\", the levels rise quickly.\n\n\"As it gets closer and closer to the surface, it basically looks for an escape, the pressure builds up,\" he continued.\n\n\"What it looks like has happened on the junction of Goshen Park and Drummau Road, where the mine shaft is recorded, is that pressure has built up at that point and then burst out through the shaft which is very likely to have been capped with wood or something like that.\n\n\"Where you've got those mine shafts, which ultimately are vertical tunnels down into the mine workings below, the water has literally forced itself up through that shaft, and the pressure is obviously so great it's caused this devastating flash flood.\"\n\nAs well as properties, vehicles were submerged in water\n\nThere are about 13 shafts recorded within about 820ft (250m) of the one in Goshen Park, so Mr Backhouse said it is possible more than one may have burst.\n\nThere are tens of thousands in south Wales and he said it was \"incredibly difficult\" to check them all, but there were \"tell tale signs\" as to why they may collapse such as age or what type of developments are around them.\n\nThe clean up has continued on Friday morning\n\n\"Not to try and fear-monger or anything but of course this sort of thing can happen again,\" he said.\n\n\"If another event like Storm Christoph happens, the water levels in the mine rises as quickly as it did, there's absolutely nothing to say that it wouldn't happen again in the future.\n\n\"And obviously as climate changes and we have many more events like Storm Christoph, they are going to increase in frequency, they are going to be much more severe.\n\n\"The Coal Authority will have to consider the risk in places like Skewen, and they'll have to understand how it will affect residents and proactively manage that and look at how to reduce the risks for residents.\"", "Pictures of the Pampas grass on social media are thought to have made the area in South Shields popular\n\nA boom in the popularity of Pampas grass with interior decorators has led to \"droves\" of people picking the plant which grows wild near a beach.\n\nThe grass, near Littlehaven Beach in South Shields, forms part of a wind defence to stop sand blowing onto roads and helps protect the coastline.\n\nSouth Tyneside Council warned anyone found removing it could be prosecuted.\n\nCouncillor Ernest Gibson said while the grass may look \"beautiful in vases\" people were \"damaging the environment\".\n\nThe grass, which was popular in the 1970s, can sell for up to £40 a bunch and has proved a popular addition to people's homes.\n\nIt is thought that photographs on social media sites such as Instagram may have influenced people turning up and taking it, Mr Gibson added.\n\n\"Pampas grass is quite expensive to buy if you went to a florist. It's cheaper to come to South Tyneside and take it away,\" he said.\n\n\"But what we are doing is urging people not to come here and take it away, it's there for a reason.\"\n\nPampas grass and Marram grass form part of a defence along the coast at South Shields\n\nThe Pampas grass helps to bond poor soils found at the coast, while Marram grass helps to prevent erosion in the dunes.\n\nSigns are to be erected warning people not to pick the grass because it is already in need of replenishment, the council said.\n\n\"Through Covid, we have a massive amount of people coming to the coastal town, it's Benidorm without the sunshine,\" he added.\n\n\"It's great to see people at the seaside enjoying it [the grass] and that's what it's part of. It's there for everybody to view.\"\n\nGarden designer George Wright said Pampas grass was \"very popular\" and he had seen demand increase two or three times at his nursery in West Boldon. He also expressed concern for the area.\n\n\"Once they take the flower heads themselves they take the seeds. Eventually this will become very much a patchy area and they will all start to decline.\n\n\"Pampas grass is becoming more and and more popular at the moment and I think a lot of it is people are starting to extend their houses into the garden so they want something nice in there, and also it's being used for interior decoration in houses.\"\n\nFollow BBC North East & Cumbria on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Geoff and Jenny Holland married in August after two previous attempts to wed were delayed by the pandemic\n\nTwo newlywed pensioners are urging everyone to get vaccinated as they were among the first to receive a dose at a new centre.\n\nGeoff Holland, 90, and 86-year-old wife Jenny married in August after meeting at Town View independent living centre in Mansfield.\n\nThe pair tied the knot after being forced to postpone their nuptials twice due to the pandemic.\n\nThey both received the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.\n\nThe couple made their vaccination plea as a centre at an old DIY store on Chesterfield Road South, in Mansfield, opened on Monday.\n\nIt has joined 31 other new sites opening across England this week, with anyone aged 75 and over who lives within a 45-minute drive encouraged to book their injections.\n\nMrs Holland praised staff at the vaccination site for the care she and her new husband received.\n\n\"We've been well looked after while we've been here,\" she said.\n\n\"People have worked long and hard to get this vaccine so I think people ought to have it.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Time-lapse footage shows how a DIY store was transformed into a vaccine centre in three weeks\n\nMr and Mrs Holland said they both tested positive for coronavirus a couple of months ago after Mr Holland reported feeling unwell.\n\nBoth managed to recover without developing major symptoms.\n\nDespite the delay to their wedding and the ongoing after-effects of the pandemic, Mrs Holland said married life was turning out to be \"brilliant\".\n\n\"Hopefully, one day soon, we'll be able to have a get together and celebrate with our family and friends who couldn't be there on the day,\" she said.\n\nKathryn Turner, Mr Holland's daughter, said the family was thrilled the pair received their jabs.\n\n\"It's fantastic that they are getting the vaccine so their love story can continue,\" she said.\n\n\"Hopefully this will help us all get back to some sort of normality.\"\n\nThe Hollands met in the summer of 2019 and were engaged the following New Year's Eve\n\nFollow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk.\n• None COVID-19 Vaccination in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire - NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire CCG The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Parents are struggling with the sense of uncertainty, says psychologist\n\nHome schooling can be tough. It's difficult to concentrate, there's emotional exhaustion, boredom, a lack of motivation and it's really hard not going out to see friends. And that's just the parents.\n\nThis winter lockdown is taking its toll on families, now struggling even more on the black ice of uncertainty as no-one can say when schools in England are going to reopen for most pupils again.\n\n\"There's a sense of fatigue,\" says Jacqueline Smallwood, who is at home with three secondary-school children. She says her own \"concentration levels have fallen dramatically\".\n\n\"It's so repetitive that it just makes you feel tired,\" she says of the latest lockdown and the \"silent struggle\" facing both parents and their children to try to get motivated.\n\nHome school shows no sign of coming to an early end\n\nThere might have been some guilty enjoyment at the start of the year when the school term was initially delayed, not having to get up and out on cold January mornings.\n\nUntil it dawned on them that this was becoming something much longer than a few weeks.\n\nIt's morphed from early January to half term in mid-February and now maybe Easter in early April or even later. And Jacqueline says, as a matter of \"respect\", parents need to know what's happening about schools.\n\nThe confusion over a return date seems to have further frayed the nerves of parents.\n\nThe mother, who lives outside Canterbury in Kent, says she worries about the pressures building up on young people.\n\nFor teenagers like her sons, she says this \"should be a pivotal time in their lives,\" when they're beginning to get some independence and when social lives are hugely important - but instead they're stuck inside with their parents.\n\n\"We can't live like the Waltons forever,\" she says, referencing the US TV series of a folksy family relying on each other.\n\nJacqueline says families are finding this latest lockdown tougher than the spring or summer\n\nThe first lockdown created an unexpected sense of togetherness, an \"enforced bonding\" that she says turned out to be a \"massive positive\".\n\nBut Jacqueline, who works as a writer, sees no such upside to the latest lockdown. There is a collective frustration - and she says it has been made even worse by the confusion about when schools will go back.\n\nThe online home-schooling seems to be working, she says, with teachers trying to boost the enthusiasm levels, but it's no real substitute for being in school. And she wants much more clarity about when they will go back.\n\n\"I've tried not to be political about decisions being made, but you can't help but feel disappointed. They don't seem to understand how real people are living,\" she says.\n\nShe says when politicians say maybe schools will or won't be back by Easter, they don't realise how much that uncertainty affects families trying to plan for what comes next.\n\nEducational psychologist Dan O'Hare says the \"key word is 'uncertainty'\".\n\nLiving on a laptop can take its toll on parents having to work and home school their children\n\nNot knowing what is coming next adds to the pressure, he says, and children out of school are already facing big unknowns such as what's going to happen about exams or when will they see their friends and teachers.\n\n\"It's really stressful for children and their families,\" says Dr O'Hare, who is co-chair of the British Psychological Society's division for educational and child psychology. \"They need a sense of a plan.\"\n\nThis lockdown is also in the depths of winter - and he says employers need to think about making sure staff working from home are able to take a break in daylight hours, so that families can get outside.\n\nIt's no use asking parents to answer work emails all day and expect them to go out when it's dark.\n\nSchools have been providing more online lessons in this lockdown\n\nFor some families it has got very difficult.\n\n\"It's affected her emotionally a lot,\" says Dave in Bolton, who is worrying about his six-year-old daughter, who has been crying because she misses her friends.\n\n\"It's awful, you can't put a positive spin on it. She's at that age where she's enjoying her friends, becoming more socialised,\" he told BBC 5 Live.\n\n\"She's quite a confident little girl and I can't help worry that being stuck at home is going to impact her in the longer term.\"\n\nThe father says many of her classmates are still going into school - and that makes it even harder when she sees her friends on school Zoom calls.\n\nEmployers should make sure that parents' working hours allow them to get out in daylight, says psychologist\n\nJen Locke in Newcastle makes the point that women can often be \"the most adversely affected by the decision to keep schools closed\".\n\nShe says home schooling has \"fallen squarely on my shoulders\", helping her children in the day and then shifting her work with an IT company into the evening, so it's an early start through to a very late finish.\n\n\"It's a huge mental strain… I'm knackered from it all,\" she says, right down to trying to get children to bed who aren't tired because they're not going out.\n\nA lockdown weariness seems to be out there, despite the best efforts of schools.\n\nSimon Armstrong in Bristol, whose son is in secondary school, says: \"Virtual lessons, no matter how well delivered, are a woeful substitute for real lessons.\"\n\n\"I am at the end of my tether,\" he says.\n\nThe Department for Education said: \"We are committed to reopening schools as soon as the public health picture allows, and will inform schools, parents and pupils of plans ahead of February half term.\"\n\nBut Labour has accused the government of causing \"chaos and confusion\" for parents and schools.\n\nThe National Association of Head Teachers said: \"Now is the moment for calm heads to decide on a sustainable return to school, not another chaotic and last-minute set of decisions that could easily result in a yo-yo return to lockdown.\"", "Of 2,000 Welsh members of the Royal College of Nursing who took part in a survey, 75.9% reported increased stress over the past year\n\nA long-term plan is needed to help nurses cope with post-traumatic stress resulting from the coronavirus pandemic, union officials have said.\n\nLast year the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) ran a survey looking at its impact on front-line staff and how it had changed nurses' lives.\n\nOf 2,000 Welsh members who took part, 75.9% reported increased stress and 52% were worried about their mental health.\n\nThe Welsh Government said it recognised the pressures on NHS workers.\n\nCarol Doggett, senior matron at Swansea's Morriston Hospital, said nurses were often becoming patients' \"next of kin\" during the pandemic, due to the \"absence of family, particularly at end of life\".\n\n\"Which we would do anyway, naturally, but in the absence of family it's far more profound than supporting them in a holistic way if they were present with us,\" she said.\n\nSenior matron Carol Doggett says the extreme pressure experienced in intensive care had been felt throughout the hospital\n\nMs Doggett said the extreme pressure experienced in intensive care had been felt throughout the hospital.\n\n\"Patients are coming in through [the emergency department]. They are sicker. The number of sicker patients has definitely increased,\" she said.\n\n\"That results in them having an extended period in hospital. They can stay beyond Covid. They continue to suffer with those conditions that present themselves as a result of Covid.\"\n\nOn Sunday, Ms Doggett's colleague, Morriston intensive care consultant John Gorst, said as many as five patients are dying with Covid during a single 12-hour shift.\n\nNicky Hughes, associate director of nursing at RCN Wales, said: \"The Welsh Government needs to set a long-term plan in place to deal with post-traumatic stress and other mental health issues amongst nurses as a result of the pandemic.\n\n\"Nurses are exhausted, stressed and nearing burnout. Every day they tell us that they feel that they have nothing left to give and feel devalued.\"\n\nAlmost a year on from the start of the pandemic nurses have had to find \"ever more physical and emotional strength\" to cope with Covid-19, said Ms Hughes.\n\nMental health charity Mind Cymru agreed with the RCN that a \"coherent long-term strategy\" was needed to help front-line workers deal with the pandemic's effect on their mental health.\n\n\"We urge Welsh Government to factor this in to their plans and take the necessary steps to give people the support they need,\" said Simon Jones, Mind Cymru's head of policy.\n\n\"Nursing staff and other healthcare professionals have played, and continue to play, a vital role in combatting the pandemic, often putting their own health and wellbeing at risk.\n\n\"Even before the outbreak, we heard from many healthcare professionals struggling with the mental health impact of things like long working hours without breaks, unsociable shift patterns, and dealing with traumatic events.\"\n\nA mental health support hotline for front-line NHS staff in Wales - Health for Health Professionals (HHP) Wales - has been set up by Cardiff University and has received Welsh Government funding.\n\nThe hotline's director Prof Jonathan Bisson said he was \"encouraged\" by the Welsh Government's investment in HHP Wales along with Traumatic Stress Wales, which helps people who have experienced traumatic events.\n\n\"These two initiatives are taking a long term strategic approach to support health workers exposed to traumatic events,\" Prof Bisson said.\n\n\"HHP Wales offers access to mental health support for any member of NHS staff in Wales and has linked with Traumatic Stress Wales to provide evidence-based treatment to health workers who are experiencing post traumatic stress disorder as a result of traumatic experiences related to the pandemic and other causes.\"\n\nPlaid Cymru said the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on health and care workers \"mustn't be underestimated\".\n\n\"The Welsh Government must demonstrate that they're taking this seriously with a robust workforce strategy that takes into account the mental health needs of workers, including sufficient down time after the pandemic, and addresses the need to retain and recruit more staff,\" said Plaid's health spokesman Rhun ap Iorwerth.\n\nThe Welsh Government called the \"commitment and tireless hard work\" of nurses across Wales \"truly remarkable\".\n\nA spokesman said: \"We recognise the pressures the NHS workforce is experiencing and have worked closely with NHS employers and trade unions to create a comprehensive wellbeing package to help support them, which includes a dedicated and confidential Samaritans listening support helpline.\n\n\"We have also expanded our Health for Health Professionals Wales service which offers psychological and mental health support, as well as a number of free-to-access health and wellbeing support apps.\"\n\nRCN Wales said it was glad the Welsh Government was backing projects supporting health workers.\n\nIt said it encouraged the continued development of a \"long-term strategy to deal with the lasting impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on our nursing workforce.\"", "A heatwave sweeping south-east Australia has sent temperatures soaring in the nation's biggest cities and escalated the threat of bushfires.\n\nA large blaze has been contained in Adelaide, South Australia after it burned through 2,500 hectares.\n\nNeighbouring Victoria state is facing its worst fire risk in a year.\n\nTemperatures in those states have started to cool but New South Wales and Queensland will see their heatwave continue into Tuesday.\n\nSydney recorded temperatures of above 40C by Monday afternoon.\n\nHealth officials have urged people to stay inside and to avoid physical activity, and for those near bushfires to avoid inhaling smoke.\n\nThe blaze in the Adelaide Hills has been contained but is expected to continue to burn for the next few days, local media reports.\n\nIt is believed to have destroyed several houses but has not caused injuries.\n\nThe blaze has burned through more than 2,500 hectares\n\nPeople in the area have been warned to take care.\n\n\"Smoke will reduce visibility on the roads and there is a risk of trees and branches falling,\" a statement from SA police said.\n\nImages taken on Monday show smoke over Adelaide obscuring parts of the city skyline and prompting some residents to wear face masks.\n\nAdelaide was blanketed by smoke on Monday\n\nAfter the hot spell began on Friday, the Bureau of Meteorology (Bom) issued heatwave warnings for South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, Tasmania and Queensland.\n\nOn Monday, Victoria's state capital Melbourne recorded temperatures of 41.5C at 12.40pm (01.40 GMT).\n\nPeople in Victoria have been urged to be careful when in water after the state recorded seven drownings over the past 10 days, ABC News reports.\n\nPeople in Sydney flocked to beaches at the weekend seeking relief from the heat\n\nThe heat is expected to linger until mid-week as the hot air mass tracks east across the country.\n\nAfter extreme bushfires and heatwaves a year ago, Australia's summer this year has so far been cooler and wetter. Meteorologists say the conditions are influenced by a La Nina phenomenon.\n\nAustralia has warmed on average by 1.4C since national records began in 1910, according to its science and weather agencies.\n\nThat's led to an increase in the number of extreme heat events, as well as increased fire danger days.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Hell to high water: Australia’s summer of extremes in 2019-20\n\n\"In summer we now see a greater frequency of very hot days compared to earlier decades,\" said BoM and the national science agency, CSIRO, in their 2020 State of the Climate report.\n\nThe same report noted that 2019 - Australia's hottest year on record - had 33 days where the national maximum temperature exceeded 39C. That surpassed the total number of days over 39C in the previous six decades.\n\nHeatwaves are Australia's deadliest natural disaster and have killed thousands more people than bushfires or floods.", "Police found Dylan Freeman in his mother's bed surrounded by toys\n\nA woman has admitted suffocating her severely disabled son after suffering a breakdown.\n\nDylan Freeman's body was found in Acton, west London, on 16 August with a sponge in his mouth.\n\nHis mother Olga Freeman pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey to manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility.\n\nThree psychiatric reports said Freeman was suffering from a severe depressive illness with psychotic symptoms at the time of the killing.\n\nFreeman attended Acton Police Station to report herself following the killing.\n\nOfficers later found Dylan in his mother's bed surrounded by toys.\n\nDylan had autism, Cohen syndrome - which is linked to abnormalities in many parts of the body - and significant difficulties with language and communication.\n\nIn the week leading up to the killing, Freeman had spoken about saving the world and being a Messiah, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said.\n\nOlga Freeman had booked flights abroad the night before Dylan's body was found\n\nFreeman appeared by video-link to enter her plea and will be sentenced on 11 February.\n\nSpeaking after the hearing, the CPS's Kristen Katsouris described the death as \"tragic\".\n\nShe added: \"Olga Freeman had loved and cared for Dylan for many years, but the strain and pressures of her son's severe and complex special needs had built up and that, combined with her impaired mental health, led to heart-breaking consequences.\"\n\nA post-mortem examination at Great Ormond Street Hospital recorded Dylan's cause of death as upper airway obstruction.\n\nThe Met Police said Freeman had spoken to friends about struggling with the responsibility of caring for Dylan.\n\nOn the night before his body was found, Freeman booked two seats on a flight to Tel Aviv and told her friend not to go into Dylan's room.\n\nThe body of Dylan was found at a house in Cumberland Park, Acton\n\nAt the time of his death, his father, celebrity photographer Dean Freeman, was in Spain.\n\nHe described his son as \"a beautiful, bright, inquisitive and artistic child who loved to travel, visit art galleries and swim\".\n\nFor more London news follow on Facebook, on Twitter, on Instagram and subscribe to our YouTube channel.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Ambrose O'Neill was sentenced in his absence in 2008\n\nA violent robber who went on the run for nearly 13 years has finally been caught and jailed.\n\nAmbrose O'Neill - dubbed \"The Running Man\" due to his ability to evade capture - skipped his 2008 trial over an attack on an antiques dealer.\n\nHe was sentenced to eight years in prison in his absence but spent years at large, until police got a tip-off he was in hiding in Lincolnshire.\n\nThe 42-year-old was arrested on Friday and is now beginning his sentence.\n\nNottinghamshire Police said in 2007, O'Neill, of Ludgate Close in Arnold, knocked on his victim's front door in Seagrave, Leicestershire, posing as a pizza delivery man.\n\nWhen his victim opened the door, O'Neill pushed him over, punched him in the face and demanded he open a safe, threatening to kill him.\n\nBut he ultimately left empty-handed and was later arrested.\n\nO'Neill attended the first day of his trial at Leicester Crown Court but then went on the run.\n\nPolice said they launched Operation Gladiolus in December 2020 in a bid to track him down.\n\nPC James Gill, from Nottinghamshire Police's \"wanted squad\", said: \"We knew he had changed his appearance and lived in an area where people do not know him and he had an assumed identity,\" he said.\n\n\"He was laughing at the police, so we were determined to do everything to find him.\"\n\nA major breakthrough came from an anonymous tip-off suggesting O'Neill may be living with a woman in the Wyberton area, in Lincolnshire.\n\nPolice narrowed it down to a house in Causeway and arrested the \"surprised\" O'Neill in the early hours of Friday.\n\nPC James Gill worked in his free time to bring O'Neill to justice, Nottinghamshire Police said\n\nOfficers also arrested a 41-year-old woman on suspicion of assisting an offender. She remains in custody.\n\nO'Neill is due to appear at Leicester Crown Court on 29 January, where his sentence could be extended, the force added.\n\nFollow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Bethany and her two children have been on a waiting list for more than a year\n\nThere is a \"shocking\" lack of places for traveller families to live in England, according to a charity.\n\nOnly 18 out of 251 registered traveller sites have any spaces available, research from Friends, Families and Travellers (FFT) suggests.\n\nIt says the government must \"do more\" to identify land for the community to live on.\n\nThe government says councils are \"best placed\" to assess the local need for permanent traveller sites.\n\nIn October, FFT wrote to all local authorities and private registered site providers in England to ask how many pitches they had available.\n\nIt received responses relating to 251 out of 266 traveller sites - which represented 3,482 permanent pitches and 304 transit pitches.\n\nA transit pitch is a short-term place where people can stay for a set period of usually up to three months.\n\nBethany says she's near the bottom of the waiting list for a pitch in her local area\n\nBethany Rose, 26, and her two children have been on a waiting list for a pitch in West Sussex for more than a year.\n\nShe is currently staying with her parents in their caravan on a registered traveller site. But this is against the rules of their tenancy contract and she will have to move out once the coronavirus pandemic is over.\n\nBethany has a health condition which means she can often be paralysed from the waist down and she needs to be close to her mum who is her carer.\n\n\"It's frustrating, annoying, aggravating, I feel let down,\" she says. \"I'm disabled. I'm homeless and I have two kids.\n\n\"For anyone normally it would just be like, 'Boof, there you go, there's a property, go and live there'. But I can't do that. I can't even get a house, I can't buy a plot of land, I can't do anything.\"\n\nBethany and her children are currently living with her parents on a traveller site in West Sussex\n\nIt's estimated about 1.1 million households are on local authority housing waiting lists, but Bethany believes it would be easier for her to get a home if she wasn't a traveller.\n\nShe says being a traveller is a huge part of her identity and she wants to live on a site so she can continue to be connected to her heritage.\n\n\"A whole community is there if you need something or something happens,\" she said. \"If you fall or you go to hospital, you can guarantee your neighbour will watch the kids until you come back. If you need a cup of sugar, you can just go round.\"\n\nThe research from FFT comes as MPs were due to debate a petition on Monday against government proposals to criminalise trespassing. However, this has been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.\n\nThe new measures could see travellers facing a fine or prison if they set up unauthorised encampments - currently it's a civil offence.\n\nIn a consultation paper published in 2019, the Home Office said there had been \"long-standing concerns\" about the distress they caused to local communities.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Sarah Tanner posted a video saying she was \"disgusted\" by mess left by travellers in Dorset\n\nIn June 2020, residents in Dorset complained about mess left by travellers on a local park - which included a car being abandoned in the middle of a cricket pitch, rubbish dumped in green spaces and human waste deposited in the pond and lake.\n\nFFT says councils are failing to provide enough sites for travellers to live on.\n\nIn January 2019, plans to spend £5m on new traveller pitches in Milton Keynes were put on hold after a \"heated\" meeting with local residents.\n\nBethany believes councils are not doing more to provide extra sites because of discrimination towards travellers.\n\n\"They're building 50,000 new houses in West Sussex, not one of those places is having a site,\" she said. \"So you've got the Nimby (Not In My Back Yard) culture attached to that.\n\n\"For every 50 houses, they could put a site of five which is a whole little community that they can get used to and go, 'Yeah, OK, they're not as bad as people say.'\n\n\"That also means we're not pulling up the side of the roads. We're not being moved off. We're just trying to live like everyone else.\"\n\nMilton Keynes Council changed its plan to build a new traveller site after listening to residents\n\nWest Sussex County Council says when a vacancy comes up on a permanent site all those who have expressed an interest in that location are considered for the pitch.\n\nThe FFT wants the government to reintroduce pitch targets and a statutory duty on local authorities to meet the assessed need for Gypsy and traveller sites.\n\nIt also calls on the government to abandon its proposal to criminalise trespassing.\n\nSarah Sweeney, policy and communications manager at FFT, said: \"It is deeply unfair that while the government is dramatically failing to identify enough land for Gypsy and traveller families to live on, the home secretary is working to create laws to imprison, fine and remove the homes of families living on roadside camps for the 'crime' of having nowhere else to go.\"\n\nThe Local Government Association says it wants the government to publish \"better data\" on the scale of unauthorised encampments and the availability of authorised sites to help councils in England meet their planning obligations.\n\nA spokeswoman for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: \"Unauthorised encampments cause distress and disruption for many people across the country so it's right we are giving the police the powers they need to address this issue.\n\n\"Councils are best placed to assess the local need for permanent traveller sites and decide where they should be, and can apply for funding through our Shared Ownership and Affordable Homes Programme to help build them.\"", "At least 80 people had to leave their homes in the village after flooding\n\nPeople whose homes were flooded after a \"blow out\" at a mine shaft are said to be \"devastated\" as they face months before they can return home.\n\nSteve Morris said his son Gareth and his girlfriend's home in Skewen, Neath Port Talbot, was inundated by \"orange\" flood water containing sewage.\n\nBut some will be allowed back to their properties on Tuesday.\n\nResidents of Goshen Park and Sunnyland Crescent who have yet to contact Neath Port Talbot council are urged to do so in the next 24 hours.\n\nThe council said access to these properties would continue to be affected beyond 26 January and the Coal Authority wished to have early discussions with them.\n\nMr Morris told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast that his son called him on Thursday to say his house was about to be flooded.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Teresa Dalling says a river of orange water rushed through the village on Thursday\n\n\"I live about half a mile away... and by the time I got to his address I could see the water levels were rising rapidly up the road,\" he explained.\n\n\"Then it was so quick - the water came through his rear patio doors firstly, then the gardens and then the drains couldn't cope on the main road and came through the front door, then the side door.\n\n\"His ground floor was four feet under water, and it was this orange coloured water. There was sewage in the house, so his ground floor needs totally gutting.\"\n\nMr Morris said Gareth and his girlfriend are staying in a hotel as they wait to be allowed back to assess the damage.\n\nHe hopes their insurance firm will pay to rent a home for them, adding: \"I can honestly see them being out of their house for between six and 10 months.\n\n\"They are obviously devastated - they have only been in there for 12 months so everything was near enough brand new.\"\n\nCerys Thomas was at her mother's house with her son, in Goshen Park, when she saw water coming through the front door.\n\nThe stairs at the home of Cerys Thomas' parents were left caked in mud\n\nShe said: \"I said to my mother to get my son and herself out and up toward the street. I phoned the police then, because I could see it was going to be an emergency, and within minutes my parents' conservatory doors just blew through.\n\n\"The pressure of the water just blew through the house and the water, within minutes, was up to my waist.\n\n\"Trying to get out of the house was very scary because the pressure of the front door was getting pushed back.\"\n\nShe said the street was under water \"within seven minutes\".\n\n\"It was something you would see in a movie,\" she said.\n\nWithin minutes of water entering the house Ms Thomas was up to her waist in water\n\nMeanwhile, the Coal Authority said it has identified the cause of the \"blow out\".\n\nChief executive Lisa Pinney told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast: \"Firstly, I just want to say our thoughts are with everyone affected by this flooding and we are genuinely sorry people have been affected in this way.\n\n\"What we know so far is the blow out was caused by a blockage underground which caused water to break out, basically to find the easiest path, and there's no doubt the excessive rainfall in the days before was also a factor in that.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nMs Pinney said crews had been able to find the site of the collapsed mineshaft which had caused the flooding, and the authority had started to \"develop options\".\n\n\"We really understand people want to get back into their homes, they want to collect things, they want to know what the next steps are,\" she continued.\n\n\"We are working as fast as possible to make that happen and we hope to be able to provide some more information in the next day or so, but you will understand that we have to be sure for public safety.\"\n\nMs Pinney said there are almost 300 mine shafts or entries across the Skewen mine works, which covers an area of about 12 sq km (7.6 sq miles).\n\nShe added: \"We have checked all recorded shafts in the immediate area and we are doing continued checks over the coming days. We have found no problems. They are all safe.\"", "Jenners department store in Edinburgh has been at the site since 1838\n\nThe owner of the Jenners building in Edinburgh has promised that it will remain a department store - despite the departure of its current tenant, the House of Fraser.\n\nFrasers Group said it would cease trading at the site on 3 May, with the loss of 200 jobs.\n\nThe building is owned by Danish billionaire Anders Holch Povlsen.\n\nA company spokesman said it would continue as a store and that \"advanced\" talks were taking place with operators.\n\nThe Jenners building has occupied a prime location on Princes Street for 183 years.\n\nIt was bought by Mr Povlsen - who is one of Scotland's biggest landowners - in 2017, reportedly for £53m.\n\nThe store is currently operated by the Frasers Group, which owns the commercial rights to the Jenners trading name.\n\nIt said it would be quitting the site in May after the two sides were unable to come to an agreement.\n\nA Frasers spokesman claimed that the landlord had not been able to \"work mutually on a fair agreement\".\n\nHe said this had led to \"the loss of 200 jobs and a vacant site for the foreseeable future, with no immediate plans.\n\n\"Our commitment to our Frasers strategy remains but landlords and retailers need to work together in a fair manner, especially when all stores are closed.\"\n\nAnders Holch Povlsen is one of Scotland's biggest landowners\n\nHowever, Anders Krogh Vogdrup - the director of AAA United, which owns the Jenners building - said it had given Frasers a substantial rent reduction and rent-free periods to cover the lockdowns.\n\n\"Frasers has made the decision that it does not wish to continue in occupation,\" he said.\n\n\"This will see the end of the 16-year association between House of Fraser and this building, but not of the 180 years of Jenners department store.\"\n\nMr Vogdrup told BBC Scotland that it had bought the Jenners building \"out of passion for its architecture and history\".\n\n\"We have been sad to read on social media that we are to close the department store, as that is not the case,\" he said.\n\n\"We fought to keep the current tenant and we are now in advanced talks with other partners.\"\n\nHe said their \"first priority\" was to keep it as a department store, while there were also plans to turn some unused parts of the building into a hotel.\n\n\"The Jenners department store and building is the jewel in the crown of Edinburgh,\" he added.\n\n\"We are not turning it into a hotel. It will remain a department store.\"\n\nHe also expects the Jenners name will remain on the side of the building.\n\nMr Povlsen, whose parents set up Scandinavian fashion company Bestseller, is believed to be worth £4.5bn. As well as owning Bestseller he is a major shareholder in online retailer Asos.\n\nHe has previously revealed plans to use parts of the Princes Street building for a hotel, with the rest reserved for retail.\n\nThe plans included the restoration of the building's Victorian facade and central atrium, which is a three-storey, top-lit grand saloon. A rooftop restaurant and bar would overlook nearby St Andrew Square.\n\nMr Vogdrup said the plans to refurbish the store were now on hold due to the current economic climate.\n\nJenners has dominated Edinburgh's main shopping thoroughfare since the mid-19th Century.\n\nIt was opened in 1838 by local drapers Charles Jenner and Charles Kennington, who found themselves out of work after being sacked for taking a day off to go to the races in Musselburgh.\n\nInitially called Kennington & Jenner, the boutique store proved popular for keeping the people of Edinburgh in fine silks and linen, which could normally only be found in London.\n\nBy 1890 the shop had changed name to Charles Jenner & Co and had expanded to adjoining buildings, making it one of the biggest stores in Scotland.\n\nBut just two years later fire destroyed the shop and ambitious plans - backed by the local council - were launched for a new look Jenners.\n\nCelebrated architect William Hamilton Beattie, who also designed the Balmoral and Carlton Hotel, was brought in for the redesign.\n\nCharles Jenner died in 1893 before the work was completed in 1895.\n\nIn 1911 the popular store was given a Royal Warrant.\n\nAfter struggling in the the 21st Century, the Jenners brand was sold to rivals House of Fraser for £46m in 2005.\n\nIn 2018, House of Fraser was bought by Mike Ashley's Sports Direct group.", "The pupils of someone with PTSD have an exaggerated response when viewing exciting or dangerous images, the study found\n\nA person's pupils can reveal if they have suffered a traumatic experience in the past, according to new research.\n\nThe joint Swansea and Cardiff universities study found the eyes of people with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) behave differently.\n\nIt found their pupils have an exaggerated response when viewing exciting or dangerous images.\n\nThose behind the study said it could be useful in diagnosis, treatment and in bench-marking progress.\n\nNormally pupil size fluctuates with changing light levels, but it can also alter when a person is scared, excited, or even concentrating hard.\n\nShocking or surprising images can cause pupils to enlarge, however the researchers discovered this reaction was highly exaggerated in people who have experienced a traumatic event.\n\nThree groups of people were tested - some with diagnosed PTSD, others who had experienced a traumatic event but had no PTSD, and a control group of people with no previous issues.\n\nProf Nicola Gray, of Swansea University, co-authored the study with Prof Robert Snowden of Cardiff University.\n\nShe said: \"The pupil normally shows a fast constriction when the person sees a new image, but then the pupil gets bigger - especially if the picture is arousing, such as a scary image of, for example, fierce animals or weapons.\n\n\"However, the patients with PTSD behaved differently in both phases. First, their pupil did not constrict much when shown a new picture, and then it expanded more to the scary images than for people without PTSD.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Could virtual reality help treat PTSD in veterans?\n\nOne man with PTSD who wished to remain anonymous described how, after his time in the Army, he was left unable to drive at night because his pupils could not contract sufficiently in response to street lights and on-coming headlights, leaving him dazzled and unable to see properly.\n\nThe research found the PTSD group showed enlarged pupils to images which were positive and exciting.\n\n\"When we displayed exciting scenes, such as a sporting triumph or an image of a person sky-diving, these images elicited the same enhanced pupil response in the PTSD group as the frightening pictures,\" Prof Snowden said.\n\n\"The subjects weren't frightened by these images, but the images were arousing. Once again, the people with PTSD showed a far greater response, indicating that they were even more aroused by these images than the other participants\".\n\nAccording to Prof Gray this finding could help to develop new therapies for PTSD.\n\n\"If exciting, but non-threatening, images elicit the same response, then it may be possible in the future to use them to gradually reduce the arousal levels of people experiencing PTSD.\"\n\nPTSD is an anxiety disorder caused by very stressful, frightening or distressing events.\n\nSomeone with PTSD often relives the traumatic event through nightmares and flashbacks, and may experience feelings of isolation, irritability and guilt.\n\nThey may also have problems sleeping, such as insomnia, and find concentrating difficult.\n\nThese symptoms are often severe and persistent enough to have a significant impact on the person's day-to-day life.\n\nCauses of PTSD can include:\n\nThe pupil is the opening in the middle of the iris\n\nProf Gray said the research may also be useful from a diagnostic perspective.\n\n\"PTSD comes in many forms, from people who have experienced a one-off sudden event like a car crash, to those who have gone through many traumatic events over a period of months or years via abuse.\n\n\"Sometimes people struggle to express these thoughts, or might even play them down in order to please the therapist.\n\n\"Having a more objective method to look for these signs of hypervigilance and hyperarousal may be useful in order to obtain a more accurate benchmark of how the person is progressing.\"", "Scientists say signs a new coronavirus variant is more deadly than the earlier version should not be a \"game changer\" in the UK's response to the pandemic.\n\nBoris Johnson has said there is \"some evidence\" the variant may be associated with \"a higher degree of mortality\".\n\nBut the co-author of the study the PM was referring to said the variant's deadliness remained an \"open question\".\n\nAnother adviser said he was surprised Mr Johnson had shared the findings when the data was \"not particularly strong\".\n\nA third top medic said it was \"too early\" to be \"absolutely clear\".\n\nAt a Downing Street coronavirus news conference on Friday, the prime minister said: \"In addition to spreading more quickly, it also now appears that there is some evidence that the new variant - the variant that was first identified in London and the South East - may be associated with a higher degree of mortality.\"\n\nSpeaking alongside the PM, the government's chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance said there was \"a lot of uncertainty around these numbers\" but that early evidence suggested the variant could be about 30% more deadly.\n\nFor example, Sir Patrick said if 1,000 men in their 60s were infected with the old variant, roughly 10 of them would be expected to die - but this rises to about 13 with the new variant.\n\nThe announcement followed a briefing by scientists on the government's New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (Nervtag) which concluded there was a \"realistic possibility\" that the variant was associated with an increased risk of death.\n\nBut one of the briefing's co-authors, Prof Graham Medley, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: \"The question about whether it is more dangerous in terms of mortality I think is still open.\"\n\n\"In terms of making the situation worse it is not a game changer. It is a very bad thing that is slightly worse,\" added Prof Medley, who is a professor of infectious disease modelling at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.\n\nAnother 1,348 deaths within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test were reported in the UK on Saturday, in addition to 33,552 new infections, according to the government's coronavirus dashboard.\n\nThere is huge uncertainty in the evidence on how lethal the variant is.\n\nThe scientific experts that reviewed the data used a precise phrase saying it was a \"realistic possibility\" the new variant is more deadly.\n\nThat means there's a roughly 50-50 chance it will turn out to be true.\n\nWith time, and sadly more deaths, the picture will become clearer.\n\nWhile people debate the uncertainties though, we already know this variant has the ability to kill more people than the old ones.\n\nA virus that spreads faster (this one is 30-70% faster) will infect more people, more quickly, putting a greater strain on hospitals and leading to a sharper spike in deaths.\n\nIt is why viruses becoming more transmissible can be a bigger problem than ones becoming more deadly.\n\nNervtag's chairman Prof Peter Horby defended the government's \"transparency\" in making the announcement.\n\n\"Scientists are looking at the possibility that there is increased severity... and after a week of looking at the data we came to the conclusion that it was a realistic possibility,\" he said.\n\n\"We need to be transparent about that. If we were not telling people about this we would be accused of covering it up.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Sir Patrick Vallance: \"There is evidence that there's an increased risk for those who have the new variant\"\n\nBut Dr Mike Tildesley, a member of Sage subgroup the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling (Spi-M), agreed it was too early to draw \"strong conclusions\" as the suggested increased mortality rates were based on \"a relatively small amount of data\".\n\nHe told BBC Breakfast he was \"actually quite surprised\" Mr Johnson had made the early findings public rather than monitoring the data \"for a week or two more\".\n\n\"I just worry that where we report things pre-emptively where the data are not really particularly strong,\" Dr Tildesley added.\n\nPublic Health England medical director Dr Yvonne Doyle also said it was not \"absolutely clear\" the new variant was more deadly than the original.\n\n\"There is some evidence, but it is very early evidence. It is small numbers of cases and it is far too early to say,\" she told the Today programme.\n\nMeanwhile, senior doctors are calling on England's chief medical officer to cut the gap between the first and second doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine.\n\nThe British Medical Association told Prof Chris Whitty an extension to the maximum gap between jab from three weeks to 12 weeks, to get the first dose to more people, was \"difficult to justify\".", "Moderna's Covid vaccine appears to work against new, more infectious variants of the pandemic virus found in the UK and South Africa, say scientists from the US pharmaceutical company.\n\nEarly laboratory tests suggest antibodies triggered by the vaccine can recognise and fight the new variants.\n\nMore studies are needed to confirm this is true for people who have been vaccinated.\n\nThe new variants have been spreading fast in a number of nations.\n\nThey have undergone changes or mutations that mean they can infect human cells more easily than the original version of coronavirus that started the pandemic.\n\nExperts think the UK strain, which emerged in September, may be up to 70% more transmissible.\n\nCurrent vaccines were designed around earlier variants, but scientists believe they should still work against the new ones, although perhaps not quite as well. There are already some early results that suggest the Pfizer vaccine protects against the new UK variant.\n\nFor the Moderna study, researchers looked at blood samples taken from eight people who had received the recommended two doses of the Moderna vaccine.\n\nThe findings are yet to be peer reviewed, but suggest immunity from the vaccine recognises the new variants.\n\nNeutralising antibodies, made by the body's immune system, stop the virus from entering cells.\n\nBlood samples exposed to the new variants appeared to have sufficient antibodies to achieve this neutralising effect, although it was not as strong for the South Africa variant as for the UK one.\n\nModerna says this could mean that protection against the South Africa variant might disappear more quickly.\n\nProf Lawrence Young, a virus expert at Warwick Medical School in the UK, said this would be concerning.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. BBC health and science journalist Laura Foster compares the three different Covid-19 vaccines\n\nModerna is currently testing whether giving a third booster shot might be beneficial.\n\nLike other scientists, the company is also investigating whether redesigning the booster to be a better match for the new variants will be beneficial.\n\nStephane Bancel, chief executive officer of Moderna, said the company believed it was \"imperative to be proactive as the virus evolves\".\n\nUK regulators have already approved Moderna's vaccine for rollout on the NHS, but the 17m pre-ordered doses are not expected to arrive until Spring.\n\nThe vaccine works in a similar way to the Pfizer one already being used in the UK.\n\nMore than 6.3 million people in the UK have already received a first dose of either the Pfizer or the AstraZeneca vaccine.", "Media regulator Ofcom has decided not to take any action over Channel 4's use of a \"deepfaked\" video of the Queen.\n\nThe \"alternative Christmas message\" attracted 354 complaints about decency after it aired on Christmas Day.\n\nIt showed an AI-generated version of the Queen, who made jokes about the Royal Family and the prime minister, and danced on top of a table.\n\nBut after assessing things, Ofcom decided not to pursue the complaints about disrespecting the monarch.\n\n\"In our view, Channel 4 made clear that the images were deliberately manipulated as a device to question societal trust in what we see online,\" a spokeswoman for the regulator said.\n\n\"We also consider that the satirical tone of the film was in keeping with audience expectations of this broadcaster,\" it added.\n\nThat decision is similar to Channel 4's own defence of the satire, in which it argued that the parody left viewers \"in no doubt that it was not real\".\n\nThis YouTube post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on YouTube The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts. Skip youtube video by Channel 4 This article contains content provided by Google YouTube. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Google’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts.\n\nIt also argued the message of the video as a whole was a warning about the importance of trust, and how easily convincing fake images and video can be created - even uploading a behind-the-scenes video about its creation.\n\nAfter airing on national television in the UK, the video has spread widely online, racking up nearly two million views on YouTube alone.\n\nIt has not, however, been universally popular - on top of the formal complaints to Ofcom, it has a poor ratio of likes-to-dislikes on YouTube - with more than 19,000 likes, but nearly 5,000 dislikes.\n\nDeepfakes work by training a computer to draw a person's face by showing it thousands of photographs of that person, ideally from many different angles and in different lighting conditions.\n\nThe computer can then draw that person's face on top of another actor's performance.\n\nThe more varied and numerous the images used in training the model, the better the result - which is why it is almost universally used to fake the appearance of celebrities, who already have hours of available film or television footage available.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nBut there are other limitations on the technology, too.\n\nThe similarity in facial structure, size, and appearance of the actor whose face is being replaced affects the realism of the finished deepfake. It is also far easier to produce a convincing result if the person remains still, as movement can often reveal the artificial nature of the animation.\n\nThe voice must also be replaced by an impersonator and the entire process is incredibly demanding, even for high-end computers, often taking many days of computation.\n\nHowever, the technique is advancing rapidly, and the results are becoming more convincing with each passing year, with major film firms such as Disney actively exploring the technique and developing their own variants.", "Fashion retailer Boohoo has bought the Debenhams brand and website for £55m.\n\nHowever, it will not take on any of the firm's remaining 118 High Street stores or its workforce.\n\nBoohoo said it was a \"transformational deal\" and a \"huge step\". But the deal means that up to 12,000 jobs at the department store chain are set to go.\n\nThe 242-year-old Debenhams chain is already in the process of closing down, after administrators failed to secure a rescue deal for the business.\n\nIn a separate development, Asos says it is in \"exclusive\" talks to buy the Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge and HIIT brands out of administration.\n\nBut the online retailer said it only wanted the brands, not their shops, suggesting any deal would cost jobs.\n\nThe current owner of the brands, Sir Philip Green's Arcadia Group, fell into administration last November putting 13,000 jobs at risk.\n\nA closing-down sale at 124 Debenhams stores began in December, as the administrators continued to seek offers for all or parts of the business.\n\nThe company announced recently that six shops would not reopen after lockdown, including its flagship department store on London's Oxford Street.\n\nThe administrators of Debenhams UK, FRP Advisory, said they had undertaken a \"thorough and robust process\" to achieve \"the best outcome for Debenhams' stakeholders\".\n\n\"This transaction will allow a new Debenhams-branded business to emerge under strong new ownership, including an online operation and the opportunity to secure an international franchise network that will operate under licence using the Debenhams name,\" they added.\n\nBoohoo has already bought a number of High Street brands out of administration. It snapped up Oasis, Coast and Karen Millen, but not the associated stores.\n\nIts executive chairman, Mahmud Kamani, said: \"This is a transformational deal for the group, which allows us to capture the fantastic opportunity as ecommerce continues to grow. Our ambition is to create the UK's largest marketplace.\n\n\"Our acquisition of the Debenhams brand is strategically significant as it represents a huge step which accelerates our ambition to be a leader, not just in fashion ecommerce, but in new categories including beauty, sport and homeware.\"\n\nBoohoo said Debenhams was expected to relaunch on Boohoo's web platform later this year.\n\nIn the meantime, Debenhams will continue to operate its website for an agreed period.\n\nBoohoo's fast-fashion model has come under scrutiny\n\nBoohoo has recently come under fire over workers' pay and conditions and its ultra-low pricing.\n\nAs well as facing questions about the environmental impact of its fast-fashion business model, there have been accusations of widespread abuse of employment law at some of Boohoo's suppliers in Leicester.\n\nInvestigations last year suggested workers were being paid below the minimum wage.\n\nAfter an independent review of the claims found a series of failings, Mr Kamani said last month that the firm was working to fix the problems, adding: \"We will make a better Boohoo.\"\n\nWhile online retailers have been whittling away at their High Street rivals for years, few could have predicted how quickly bricks-and-mortar stalwarts have collapsed. The pandemic has fatally undermined their already parlous finances. Businesses that appeared to have a chance of survival just a year ago have been wiped out and their brands bought by online players.\n\nThe scale of the change is profound: when Debenhams listed on the stock exchange in 2011, investors valued it at £1.6bn. Boohoo, which was founded only in 2006, already has a stock market value of £4.4bn. Asos, a bit player two decades ago when Sir Philip Green's Arcadia group was riding high and toying with a bid for Marks & Spencer, is now valued by the stock market at £5bn.\n\nNeither Boohoo or Asos see any value in the Debenhams or Topshop High Street estates. Instead, they will concentrate on development of the brands and the associated customer data. This is bad news for the 19,000-odd people who work in the branches of Debenhams and Topshop, and will leave councils around the country wondering how they will fill town centres that were based on retail.\n\nBut just as canny entrepreneurs and private equity companies are gearing up to buy struggling pub chains, in the hope of a recovery once lockdown restrictions are eased, so will some investors be wondering what next for the High Street. The British love affair with shopping will not end overnight and a well-placed punt now could have big rewards.\n\nDebenhams has struggled for years with falling profits and rising debts, as more shopping has moved online. It called in administrators twice in two years, most recently in April.\n\nHowever, its position became untenable during the coronavirus pandemic as non-essential retailers were forced to close for prolonged periods.\n\nThe firm had already trimmed its store portfolio and cut about 6,500 jobs since May, as it struggled to stay afloat.\n\nBusinessman Mike Ashley, who founded Sports Direct and also owns House of Fraser, had already made an offer for Debenhams after it was initially put up for sale in April.\n\nHowever, the takeover offer, thought to be in the region of £125m, was rejected as being too low.\n\nMeanwhile, one of House of Fraser's flagship outlets, the Jenners department store in Edinburgh, is to leave its Princes Street home after 183 years. It will close on 3 May with the loss of 200 jobs.\n\nThe building's owner, Danish billionaire Anders Holch Povlsen, announced in November 2019 that he intended to convert the site, replacing Jenners with a hotel, cafes, a rooftop restaurant and luxury shops.\n\nHowever, a spokesperson for Frasers Group said it had been \"unable to reach an agreement\" with Mr Povlsen and that the closure of Jenners would leave \"a vacant site for the foreseeable future with no immediate plans\".\n\nDo you work for Debenhams? Has your job been affected? Please get in touch by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Dutch police have described it as the worst unrest in four decades\n\nMore than 180 people were arrested in 10 Dutch cities as protesters defying a curfew clashed with riot police for a third night running.\n\nShops in Rotterdam were looted and police used water cannon, as rioters resisted latest Covid restrictions.\n\nPrime Minister Mark Rutte condemned \"criminal violence\" and the justice minister said the curfew would remain.\n\nThe Dutch chief of police said the riots no longer had \"anything to do with the basic right to demonstrate\".\n\nThe Netherlands has had nearly one million confirmed Covid cases since the start of the outbreak, with more than 13,500 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University in the US, which is tracking the pandemic.\n\nThe government recently introduced a night-time curfew which runs from 21:00 (20:00 GMT) to 04:30. Anyone caught violating it faces a €95 (£84) fine.\n\nThere were further violent scenes in many towns and cities. Riot police clashed with protesters in Rotterdam and Amsterdam, as well as Amersfoort, Den Bosch, Alphen and Helmond.\n\nSome of the worst disturbances were in the south of Rotterdam where police said 10 officers were hurt. Across the country 184 people were arrested. Amsterdam's mayor appealed to parents to keep young people indoors.\n\nSeveral cities have vowed to introduce emergency measures in an effort to prevent more disturbances\n\nThe windows of some shops were smashed in Rotterdam\n\nFires were lit on the streets of The Hague, where police on bicycles attempted to move small clusters of men who threw stones and fireworks. There was violence in the southern city of Den Bosch, where rioters set off fireworks, broke windows, looted a supermarket and overturned cars.\n\nA woman living near Den Bosch train station told Dutch radio that masked youths had left a trail of destruction in the city centre. \"I saw windows smashed and fireworks going off. Really crazy, just like a war zone,\" the woman said. Roads into the city were closed to stop people joining the rioters and Mayor Jack Mikkers imposed an emergency order banning gatherings on Tuesday.\n\nThe ignition of discontent has rocked the core of Dutch society.\n\nIn the absence of any legitimate way to socialise, is this simply an outlet for young men to feel part of something, their masks concealing their identities and enabling them to violently channel their frustrations?\n\nThere are more sinister influences at play. Messages on social media, overt and covert, have whipped up anger. Misinformation has even been spread by some politicians.\n\nSome of the worst violence was in Rotterdam\n\nSome feared a curfew would be a tipping point, as Dutch restrictions tighten while some neighbouring countries relax their rules. The vast majority of people in the Netherlands are peacefully observing the curfew.\n\nThe unrest was initially seen as a response to the first \"stay-at-home\" order imposed since Nazi occupation during World War Two. That notion has been dismissed by Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who said the rioters were simply criminals and would be treated as such.\n\nBut there are simmering anxieties in Dutch towns and cities, and with less than two months before a general election, voters are vulnerable and the streets volatile.\n\nThere has been widespread shock at the violence. In Rotterdam, where police used water cannon during clashes with rioters, Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb signed an emergency decree, giving police broader powers of arrest. He reacted furiously to shops being looted in the south of the city, condemning \"shameless thieves, I can't call it anything else\".\n\nThe prime minister said the police had the government's full support: \"The riots have nothing to do with protesting or fighting for freedom.\"\n\nRotterdam shop-owner Emrah Köker said he had no words for what he had seen. \"How can this happen in the Netherlands?\" he asked Dutch daily newspaper Algemeen Dagblad. Justice Minister Ferd Grapperhuis challenged anyone to explain what looting a shop had to do with coronavirus.\n\nThe mayor of Den Bosch said police had struggled to respond to the violence because they were needed in other nearby towns.\n\nFootball fans of the Willem II club took to the streets of Tilburg to \"protect their city\" against rioters, news site Brabants Dagblad reports.\n\nMayors in several cities have vowed to introduce emergency measures in an effort to prevent more disturbances.\n\nThe Dutch prime minister has condemned the violence\n\nThere has been widespread shock in the Netherlands over the violence", "The public's trust in the way the UK is run is breaking down, former Labour prime minister Gordon Brown has warned.\n\nHe said Covid-19 had exposed \"tensions\" between Whitehall and the nations and regions, who were often treated by the centre as if they were \"invisible\".\n\nMr Brown is urging Boris Johnson to set up a commission to review how the country is governed and powers shared.\n\nBut the PM said his focus was on the pandemic, stressing the benefits of the union could be \"seen everywhere\".\n\nMr Brown's intervention comes amid a looming clash between Mr Johnson and Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who has demanded the UK agree to another Scottish independence referendum if the SNP wins a majority in May's Holyrood elections.\n\nThe Court of Session is hearing arguments about whether Holyrood can legislate to hold one even if the UK government continues to object.\n\nWriting in the Daily Telegraph, Mr Brown - who advocates a federal system with more power for nations and regions - says the pandemic has \"brought to the surface tensions and grievances that have been simmering for years\" between Downing Street and the various parts of the UK.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The Conservatives election win was not 'a signal that the country is at ease' warns Brown\n\nHe points to \"bitter disputes\" over issues such as lockdown restrictions and furlough and said unless underlying tensions were resolved, the UK risked becoming a \"failed state\".\n\nIn an interview with BBC Radio 4's Today, he said at a time \"when all should be pulling together and intensifying co-operation across the UK\" there was division and claims by the leaders of Scotland and Wales and the English regions that they were not being properly consulted.\n\nLast year there were rows between the government and local authorities over coronavirus tiers, with the Labour mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, objecting to plans to put the region into the strictest level of restrictions.\n\nMr Brown told Today that while he was \"confident\" that Scotland would still be part of the UK in ten years time, the way the UK was governed had to change.\n\n\"I think the public are fed up. I think in many ways, they feel they are being treated as second class citizens, particularly in the outlying areas, that they are invisible and forgotten.\"\n\n\"Something has broken down in trust and has to be repaired.\"\n\nMr Brown is advising the Labour Party on its devolution strategy - but has also held talks with government ministers including Michael Gove in recent weeks.\n\nGovernment sources say they are focused on taking tangible steps to demonstrate the value of the UK.\n\nThe idea of a fundamental review of the UK's power structures has been suggested as one possible way to counter support for Scottish independence ahead of May's Holyrood election.\n\nBut a series of polls now suggest support for independence is higher than support for the union - and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will demand another referendum if, as seems likely, her party - the SNP - wins in May.\n\nHe is calling on Boris Johnson to immediately set up a commission on democracy to review how the UK is governed, something the Conservatives promised in their manifesto before the last general election.\n\nIn his Telegraph article, he suggests it would find that the UK needs a Forum of the Nations and Regions, citizens' assemblies, and a greater focus on the benefits of cooperation in areas such as the NHS and the armed forces.\n\nThe current Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer also supports devolving more powers from Westminster but opposes another Scottish independence referendum.\n\nThe SNP said last week that there would be a \"legal referendum\" after the pandemic if May's Holyrood election returned a pro-independence majority.\n\nAsked if he would stand in the way of this, Mr Johnson said what the British public wanted was for its political leaders to focus on beating coronavirus, adding that the advantages of the UK's four nations working together \"spoke for themselves\".\n\n\"I think people can see everywhere in the UK the visible benefits of our wonderful union,\" he said.\n\n\"A vaccine programme that is being rolled out by a National Health Service, a vaccine that was developed in labs in Oxford and is being administered by the British Army.\"\n\nBut the SNP said the Scottish people, not Westminster-based politicians, should decide the country's future.\n\n\"No amount of constitutional tinkering from Labour would protect Scotland from Brexit or the Tory power grab - only independence can do that,\" said Kirsten Oswald, the party's deputy Westminster leader.\n\n\"The Scottish people will see right through this attempt to deny their democratic right.\"\n\nA poll commissioned by the Sunday Times in Northern Ireland found 51% of people wanted a referendum on Irish unity in the next five years.\n\nDUP leader and Northern Irish First Minister Arlene Foster said such a vote would be \"absolutely reckless\".\n\nNumbers supporting Wales breaking away from the UK also appear to be rising. The pro-independence campaign group Yes Cymru has said membership swelled from 2,000 at the start of 2020 to more than 17,000.\n\nPlaid Cymru has also promised to hold an independence referendum if it wins the next Senedd election.\n\nResponding to Mr Brown's intervention, the party's Westminster leader Liz Saville Roberts said: \"It's been clear for many years that the UK doesn't work for Wales - I'm glad that the Labour Party are starting to see that.\"", "Prince Charles Hospital now has an expanded special care baby unit and six en-suite delivery rooms\n\nIt followed concerns that emerged in late 2018 that women and babies may have come to harm because of staff shortages and failures to report serious incidents.\n\nThe review by experts from two royal colleges was in addition to the health board's own investigation. Maternity services in Cwm Taf are now in special measures and an independent panel was set up to drive improvements.\n\nHow many incidents are we talking about?\n• None 150cases from 2016-2018 reviewed so lessons can be learnt\n\nThe health board's own investigation looked at 43 cases, including 25 serious incidents. Of these initial cases, 20 were at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital in Llantrisant and 23 at Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil. The serious incidents include eight stillbirths and five deaths shortly after birth, all between January 2016 and last September.\n\nThey came to light after concerns were raised that staff had not been reporting serious incidents.\n\nThe health board said it faced \"extreme\" staff shortages and was urgently trying to make improvements.\n\nBut the review team cast doubt on the ability of the health board to make changes, without more support. It said it was \"dismayed\" that an internal report, written by a consultant midwife, highlighting many safety concerns last September was not acted upon, \"thereby continuing to expose women to unacceptable risks\".\n\nA consultant midwife also identified 67 stillbirths, going back to 2010, which had not been reported by the health board.\n\nThe independent panel decided to widen its scope to look at 350 cases of women who were transferred out of the health board area.\n\nIn October 2019, the panel said it was looking at a total of 150 cases between 2016 and 2018 - including the 43 cases initially investigated. There is still scope to look back at further years.\n\nWho has been investigating?\n\nThe health minister Vaughan Gething ordered an \"independent external review\" by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecology and the Royal College of Midwives last October.\n\nIts findings, published in April 2019, were damning and found services \"under extreme pressure\" and \"dysfunctional\", while mothers had distressing experiences in how they were treated.\n\nCwm Taf's maternity services were placed in special measures and the independent panel overseeing changes has indicated as well as looking back in detail at past cases it wanted to ensure improvements were robust and to look at lessons that could be learned across Wales.\n\nHave any changes been made?\n\nThe royal colleges review team ordered urgent action after visiting hospitals in January 2019 - finding \"a number of immediate quality and safety concerns\".\n\nMeasures included more cover by doctors, strengthened processes for flagging up problems and more support for junior doctors. Cwm Taf now says these have all been completed.\n\nThe latest progress report from the independent panel in January 2020 found the most urgent improvements had been made.\n\nStaffing levels and training had improved, there was a better system for flagging up complaints and surveys found \"high levels of satisfaction\" from women using Prince Charles Hospital.\n\nThe panel was \"cautiously optimistic\" that long term improvements would be made.\n\nChioma Udeogu, who has moved back home to Nigeria\n\nThe review's parallel report on how families were dealt with was perhaps the most powerful testimony on the problems at Cwm Taf.\n\nMothers were said to have been ignored or made to feel worthless.\n\nThey spoke of being ignored or patronised.\n\nOne mother said: \"I want having a baby to be a good experience. It's ruined it.\"\n\nThere was the case of Sarah Handy, who was sent home from hospital in pain with laxatives, before giving birth prematurely at home. Her daughter died.\n\nChioma Udeogu's daughter was delivered stillborn after failings in her care at the Royal Glamorgan hospital in January 2017. An internal investigation has already found midwives failed for 12 hours to carry out antenatal checks on Mrs Udeogu, an engineering student at the University of South Wales at the time.\n\n\"I believe that if I was properly monitored in the hospital I wouldn't have lost her,\" she said.\n\nJessica Western, from Rhoose, in the Vale of Glamorgan, said she was not listened to when she could not feel her baby move in the month before the birth.\n\nJessica Western says she was not listened to at different points before and after the birth of her baby\n\nHer daughter Macie died in March 2018, 19 days after she was born.\n\n\"I'm only young and I do want to have more kids eventually, but I'm not prepared to put myself through a pregnancy if this could happen again,\" she said.\n\nAnother, Monique Aziz, from Coedely, Rhondda Cynon Taff, whose baby son died days after leaving hospital, said: \"I just want to know if he would have still been here if things had been done differently.\"\n\nWhat else has been happening?\n\nIn the background, there have been long planned changes in how maternity services are organised.\n\nFrom March 2019, doctor-led care for mothers in labour or for babies needing specialist neonatal care is now only provided on one site - Prince Charles Hospital. The Royal Glamorgan still has a 24-hour midwife unit for less complicated births and will continue to provide all antenatal services, clinic appointments, scans and tests during pregnancy.\n\nThe changes follow long-standing concerns that specialist maternity staff had been spread too thinly. The health board says those changes will help address challenges, including over staffing.\n\nAfter the critical report, the health board's chief executive went on sickness leave and then resigned in August 2019.\n\nStress and sickness absence was reported to be an issue among midwives, in the aftermath of the review.\n\nHow far back to those concerns go?\n\nThe fragility of maternity services in the area can be traced back for at least a decade. In a review in 2011 the Wales Audit Office raised concerns about staffing, skill mix and absences and the health board's ability to deliver maternity services on two sites.\n\nConcerns about the quality of maternity care were also at the heart of a controversial plan in 2014 to centralise some specialist services in fewer hospitals along the M4 corridor. It recommended moving doctor-led care for mothers and children (along with A&E) from the Royal Glamorgan hospital.\n\nCwm Taf health board initially rejected the plan and several months of wrangling followed.\n\nFour years later, the proposals on maternity services are only now being finally implemented.\n\nWhat is the independent panel doing?\n\nThe chairman Mick Giannasi - who has a track record going into troubled organisations, like Anglesey Council and the Welsh Ambulance Service - brings clinical expertise. He is also setting up a system so families can be involved and kept fully informed.\n\nIn the first progress report in October 2019, the panel said there had been progress - around a third of the action points in the improvement plan had been delivered - but a \"significant amount of work\" still needed to be done.\n\nThere had been \"significant\" progress by January 2020 although with more than two thirds of recommendations it was still \"work in progress\".\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Vaccination appointments for people aged 70-79 are being delivered from Monday - but plans to use distinctive blue envelopes in some parts of the country have been delayed.\n\nThe aim is to have this group receive their first dose by mid-February.\n\nOn Sunday morning, the Scottish government said some letters would be sent out in blue envelopes and given Royal Mail priority.\n\nBut in a statement published later it said the envelopes were not yet ready.\n\nIt added that the change has no impact on the vaccination programme timetable.\n\nVaccinations for over-80s are continuing, with Nicola Sturgeon revealing on Sunday that about 40% of this age group had received a first dose of the vaccine.\n\nAll appointments will initially be sent out in white envelopes which will have a window and a black NHS logo on the right hand side.\n\nThe blue envelopes were due to be sent out in Fife, Forth Valley, Ayrshire and Arran, Lanarkshire, Greater Glasgow and Clyde, and Lothian as part of a new booking system.\n\nUnder the system, patients are scheduled in order of priority and more boards are expected to make use of the technology as the vaccination programme expands.\n\nA Scottish government spokesman said the blue envelopes would be introduced \"as quickly as possible\".\n\nHe added: \"The blue envelopes we hoped to use were not ready in time for the first tranche of vaccine appointment invitations so distinctive NHS branded white envelopes are being used as a temporary measure.\n\n\"The absolute priority remains the roll-out of vaccinations and this temporary change to the envelope colour has absolutely no impact to our timetable.\n\n\"We continue to strongly urge everyone in the 70-79 age group to check all their post in the coming weeks and take up the offer of the vaccine when it is received,\" he added.\n\nAccording to the Scottish government's vaccine deployment plan, the 470,000 people aged in the 70 and 79 age bracket should receive their first dose by mid-February.\n\nSome patients may receive a phone call from their local health board as part of the appointment process.\n\nAnd all patients aged 75 to 79 in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde will be invited via phone.\n\nA Royal Mail spokesman said \"clearly marked envelopes\" would be used to make it easier for the postal service to identify and prioritise this mail during sorting and delivery process.\n\nHe added: \"We are poised to make these letters even more noticeable in the coming weeks as we have agreed.\"\n\nMeanwhile, the Scottish government has said it is on track for all those aged 80 and over to have received their first dose of the vaccine by the end of the first week in February.\n\nThis age group are being contacted by telephone or another form of letter.\n\nMinisters have faced criticism over the pace of the vaccine rollout, and accusations that Scotland is \"lagging behind\" England on the vaccine roll-out.\n\nOpposition parties say vaccines are not being supplied to GPs' surgeries fast enough.\n\nAnd they point to the latest official figures which show that 13% of over 80s in Scotland had their first dose by Sunday 17 January, while 56.3% of same age group had been vaccinated in England.\n\nMs Sturgeon told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show that, a week on, the figure had reached about 40%.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Nicola Sturgeon says the over 70s are to receive their vaccine date\n\nThe UK government Health Secretary Matt Hancock told Andrew Marr on Sunday that 75% of over-80s and three-quarters of UK care homes had received a first Covid vaccine in England.\n\nAbout 95% of Scottish care home residents have received their first dose, Ms Sturgeon told the Scottish government briefing on Friday.\n\nShe said the over-80s roll-out has been slower because the Scottish government has \"very deliberately\" concentrated on vaccinating care home residents first, which is \"more time consuming and labour intensive\".\n\nThis was designed to target the most vulnerable and was in line with the priority list compiled by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), which advises on vaccine rollout across the UK, she said.\n\nScotland's national clinical director Prof Jason Leitch has defended the plan, which has been challenged by the British Medical Association (BMA) for not getting second doses out quickly enough.\n\nProf Leitch told the BBC's Good Morning Scotland programme: \"The difficulty with the BMA's position is that we would have to de-prioritise another group, either care home residents or the over-80s, in order to give a second dose to younger people.\n\n\"And that's what the Joint Committee on Vaccination have told us not to do.\n\n\"They have told us in very clear terms - give the first dose to as many vulnerable people as you can and that gives us the best chance of saving the most lives.\"\n\nMeanwhile, Deputy First Minister John Swinney told Politics Scotland that the Scottish government was \"actively exploring\" the possibility of stricter rules around facemasks.\n\nHe said the issue was being \"looked at\" after new rules announced in Germany last week required people to wear medical-grade facemasks on public transport and in shops.\n\nMr Swinney said progress was being made in reducing cases but hospitals were still under \"enormous pressure\" and it would be \"foolish\" to rule out strengthening restrictions further in the future.", "Concerns emerged in late 2018 that women and babies may have come to harm because of staff shortages and failures to report serious incidents\n\nTwo-thirds of women at the heart of a review into maternity services at a Welsh health board could have had very different outcomes if they had received better care, a report has found.\n\nThe Independent Maternity Services Oversight Panel (Imsop) focused on the experiences of pregnant women at Cwm Taf Morgannwg health board.\n\nIts maternity services have been in special measures since \"serious failings\" were found two years ago.\n\nConcerns emerged in late 2018 that women and babies may have come to harm because of staff shortages and failures to report serious incidents.\n\nThis sparked a major independent review, which gave a damning verdict on maternity services in the health board area that covers about 450,000 people living in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Bridgend and Merthyr Tydfil.\n\nPublished on Monday, the Imsop report focuses on the care of 27 women, most of whom were admitted to an intensive care unit during 28 \"episodes of care\" between January 2016 and September 2018.\n\nIt found that 19 reviews of maternal care (68%) revealed at least one factor where \"different management would reasonably have been expected to alter the outcome\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Kayden was born with severe brain damage following mistakes in his mother's maternity care\n\nThe panel's chairman, Mick Giannasi, said: \"These findings will be concerning and potentially distressing for the women and families involved, and it will be difficult for staff.\n\n\"Of the 28 episodes of care, we concluded that in 27 of them, our independent teams who reviewed the care would have done something differently. Put simply, what went wrong, might not have gone wrong if things had been done differently.\"\n\nTwo further reviews of stillbirths and neonatal mortality and morbidity will follow later this year. In total, all three independent reviews will looks at 160 cases.\n\nImsop's findings reinforce those of the Royal College of Midwives and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.\n\nThe royal colleges' 2019 investigation found mothers faced \"distressing experiences and poor care\" at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital in Llantrisant and Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil, with maternity services deemed \"dysfunctional\".\n\nFour key areas have been identified by Imsop as factors which contributed to poor care. These are:\n\nWales' Health Minister Vaughan Gething said the latest report recognises things are moving in the right direction for the health board, but more needs to be done.\n\n\"The report highlights that women weren't always at the centre of their care and that women weren't always listened to, and that led to harm that could have been avoided,\" Mr Gething told reporters at the latest Welsh Government press briefing.\n\n\"Nothing will be able to change what these women and their families experienced at these two hospitals or the outcome for those families whose babies died or came to harm.\n\n\"I am deeply sorry for everything that happened.\"\n\nVaughan Gething says he is \"deeply sorry\" women and their families were not listened to\n\nHe said he hoped \"families can take some comfort\" from the reviews that have provided answers to questions they were asking.\n\n\"My thoughts are with everyone affected by this report today and those who are still awaiting the outcome of their reviews,\" Mr Gething added.\n\nCwm Taf Morgannwg health board said it has been \"working with the panel and families\" to put in place a \"comprehensive maternity and neonatal improvement programme\".\n\n\"It has been a period of reflection during which we have examined the regrettable failings in maternity services of the former Cwm Taf University Health Board and we acknowledge the fact that we still have some way to go,\" said Greg Dix, the health board's executive director of nursing and midwifery.\n\n\"We will never forget the tragedies suffered by women, their families and our staff, and the learning from these cases is a key corner stone on which we are building our improvement plans.\"", "Credit card giant Mastercard is to raise the fees it charges EU merchants when UK cardholders buy goods and services from them online by fivefold.\n\nIt has sparked fears that consumer prices could rise if merchants choose to pass on those costs, especially on items not available from UK retailers.\n\nTransactions with airlines, hotels, car rentals and holiday firms based in the EU could all be affected.\n\nMastercard attributed the move to the UK's decision to leave the EU.\n\nIt said that only online sales would be affected and that \"in practice\" UK consumers would not notice the change.\n\nThe change affects the \"interchange\" fees Mastercard sets on behalf of big banks, so that its customers can use their payment networks.\n\nFrom October, Mastercard said it would increase these fees to 1.5% on every transaction, up from 0.3%.\n\nThe EU introduced a cap on such fees in 2015 after concerns they pushed prices up for consumers and unfairly burdened companies.\n\nBritish customers makes tens of billions of pounds of purchases every year from European merchants on credit cards alone - and the hike in fees from Mastercard will affect the majority of those.\n\nThe increase may be relatively small but it's significant, coming at a time when retailers may face extra paperwork and checks - higher costs - for goods coming into the UK.\n\nWith Covid restrictions bringing their own challenges, businesses, especially smaller ones, may be compelled to pass on the costs to consumers.\n\nAnd it's not just items crossing borders. The payments for most items bought on Amazon in the UK are processed via its Luxembourg headquarters.\n\nWith the increase not coming in for several months, international companies may look at ways to reclassify UK sales, to avoid the charges.\n\nMastercard is implementing the rises simply as it's no longer bound by the restrictions imposed by the UK being in the EU. The banks which receive the fees have said in the past that they are invested in areas such as card security and innovation. This time, however, the trade body which represents them has declined to comment on the rises.\n\nBut Mastercard said that since the end of the Brexit transition period, the cap no longer applied to many payments between the UK and European Economic Area (which also includes Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway).\n\n\"As a result of the UK leaving the EEA, Mastercard will adapt interchange rates on UK cards to the commitments it gave the European Commission in 2019 for non-EEA card transactions,\" the company said.\n\n\"In practice, only EEA merchants making e-commerce sales to UK cardholders will see a change.\"\n\nKevin Hollinrake, chair of the parliamentary group on Fair Business Banking, told the Financial Times, which first reported the story, that the move \"smacks of opportunism\".\n\nAnd Callum Godwin, chief economist at CMSPI, the global payments consultancy, said airlines, hotels, car rentals and travel groups would be hit.\n\n\"[This will happen] anywhere the consumer is in the UK and the merchant is in the EU,\" he said.\n\nHe added that many firms in these industries were already struggling due to the pandemic.\n\nVisa, Mastercard's larger rival, has not announced plans to change its fees but told the FT it was keeping the issue under review.\n\nCompanies in the UK and EU are already facing added costs and delays due to post-Brexit trade rules brought in on 1 January.\n\nSome EU exporters have already stopped deliveries to the UK because of new VAT related charges.\n\nMeanwhile, UK consumers who have bought goods from firms based in the bloc have found themselves facing hefty charges to cover customs duties, taxes and administration.", "Chelsea have sacked manager Frank Lampard after 18 months in charge, with former Paris St-Germain boss Thomas Tuchel expected to replace him.\n\nLampard, 42, leaves with the club ninth in the Premier League after last week's defeat at Leicester City, having won once in their past five league matches.\n\nHis final game was Sunday's 3-1 FA Cup fourth-round win against Luton.\n\nLampard was appointed on a three-year contract when he replaced Maurizio Sarri at Stamford Bridge in July 2019.\n• None Watch Monday Night Club: Is Tuchel right man for Chelsea?\n• None 'Lampard had seen enough Chelsea managers go to know the score'\n• None Why Tuchel will be a popular appointment in the Chelsea dressing room\n• None Tuchel set to come in after Lampard sacking - reaction\n\nIn a statement released on Monday night, Lampard said he was \"disappointed not to have had the time to take the club forward\" and added that it had been a \"huge privilege and an honour\" to manage the club.\n\n\"When I took on this role I understood the challenges that lay ahead in a difficult time for the football club,\" he continued.\n\n\"I am proud of the achievements that we made, and I am proud of the academy players that have made their step into the first team and performed so well. They are the future of the club.\"\n\nChelsea are hopeful that new manager Tuchel will be on the bench for Wednesday's Premier League game against Wolves at Stamford Bridge.\n\nHe will not be exempt from coronavirus quarantine.\n\nBut if Tuchel tests negative on entry to the United Kingdom and then negative again in order to enter a Premier League club's bubble, he will be granted an exemption by the Football Association for attending matches and training.\n\nHe will still have to serve a quarantine period outside of those environments, which will last five days.\n\nFormer Chelsea midfielder Lampard guided them to fourth place and the FA Cup final in his first season in charge, and a 3-1 win against Leeds in early December put the club top of the Premier League.\n\nHowever, the Blues have suffered five defeats in their past eight league games, as many as they had in their previous 23.\n\nIn a statement, Chelsea said: \"This has been a very difficult decision, and not one that the owner and the board have taken lightly.\n\n\"We are grateful to Frank for what he has achieved in his time as head coach of the club. However, recent results and performances have not met the club's expectations, leaving the club mid-table without any clear path to sustained improvement.\n\n\"There can never be a good time to part ways with a club legend such as Frank, but after lengthy deliberation and consideration it was decided a change is needed now to give the club time to improve performances and results this season.\"\n\nOwner Roman Abramovich said Lampard's status as an \"important icon\" of the club \"remains undiminished\" despite his dismissal.\n\n\"This was a very difficult decision for the club, not least because I have an excellent personal relationship with Frank and I have the utmost respect for him,\" said Abramovich.\n\n\"He is a man of great integrity and has the highest of work ethics. However, under current circumstances we believe it is best to change managers.\"\n\nLampard did not sign a single player during his first season as the club were operating under a transfer embargo, but spent more than £200m on seven major signings last summer, including £45m on Leicester's Ben Chilwell and £71m on midfielder Kai Havertz from Bayer Leverkusen.\n\nIt is the most Chelsea have spent in one summer, eclipsing the £186m they invested at the start of the 2017-18 season.\n\nLampard is Chelsea's all-time record scorer, with 211 goals for the club between 2001 and 2014, and is also joint-seventh on the list of most capped England players, having made 106 appearances for his country over 15 years from 1999.\n\nDuring his 13 seasons as a player at Stamford Bridge, he made 648 appearances and won 11 major trophies - including four Premier League titles and the 2012 Champions League.\n\nHis first managerial job was at Derby. In his one season in charge, they reached the Championship play-off final, where they lost to Aston Villa.\n\nLampard became the 10th full-time manager appointed by Abramovich since the billionaire bought the club in 2003.\n\nAccording to football finance journalist Kieran Maguire, Abramovich had spent £110m on sacking managers before Lampard's dismissal.\n\nHaving finished with 66 points last season after 20 wins and 12 defeats, Chelsea have lost six times in their opening 19 league games this season.\n\nLampard's points-per-game average of 1.67 is the lowest of any permanent Chelsea manager in the Premier League. During the Abramovich era, only Andre Villas-Boas (47.5%) has a worse win rate than Lampard's 52.4%, in all competitions among permanent Chelsea bosses.\n\nIn contrast, Jose Mourinho's win rate in all competitions during his first spell in charge was 67.03%, while Sarri, Antonio Conte, Avram Grant, Carlo Ancelotti and Claudio Ranieri all had win rates over 60%.\n\nAnalysis - lack of confidence among squad key to sacking\n\nLampard was sacked because the club could not see him reversing a slide in form.\n\nAfter qualifying for the Champions League last season and spending more than £200m on players in the summer, the aim this campaign was to close the gap on the leaders, but that has not been achieved.\n\nAlthough links will be made between Tuchel's heritage and the poor form of fellow Germans Kai Havertz and Timo Werner, the change was made because of the lack of confidence among the whole squad.\n\nIt is hoped that Tuchel can rejuvenate a team that is five points outside of the top four, and an announcement could be made within 24 hours.\n\nThe decision to sack Lampard was very difficult for Abramovich, who has never made a statement when changing Chelsea managers previously.\n\nIn the end, Lampard paid for his relative inexperience as a manager, which cannot be said of Tuchel.\n\nBest of reaction to Lampard sacking\n\nManchester City boss Pep Guardiola: \"People talk about projects and ideas. They don't exist. You have to win or you will be replaced. I am not judging Chelsea's decision. I respect their decision. But our world is to win as much as possible.\n\n\"I hope to see Frank soon and go to a restaurant with him when lockdown is finished.\"\n\nTottenham boss Jose Mourinho: \"It is the brutality of football. Anything can happen in football now, every time somebody loses their job it is sad news but he is a big boy, [with] a strong personality and strong mentality.\n\n\"I am pretty sure he will be back when he wants to be back and his career will be good. I hope so.\"\n\nWest Ham boss David Moyes: \"I'm disappointed for Frank as I saw him as one of the most up and coming young English managers in the country.\n\n\"It's a big thing we try to encourage our own British managers into the big leagues, if we can. I'm sure he'll come back and learn from it.\n\n\"He did a great job last year - he did a really good job with so many youngsters coming through the academy. It seemed a little bit harder for him this year. I'm sure he'll take time off, come back and get better.\"\n\nLeicester boss Brendan Rodgers: \"Clearly I'm really sad for Frank and his staff. I know how much the club means to him.\n\n\"Looking at the squad and how young they are, they need time. He hasn't been given that time. I really feel for him. He did great at Derby.\n\n\"He had the courage to step out of an amazing career and could have taken an easier route. It was a job he couldn't turn down, even though he didn't have a lot of experience.\n\n\"Results haven't been what he would have wanted, but I feel it's a job that needed time.\"\n\nCrystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson: \"It saddens me. I thought he did an excellent job last season. I was rather hoping that the idol of the fans and Chelsea legend that he is, he'd get a longer shot than 18 months.\n\n\"Managers who have had short stays at Chelsea have gone on to have good careers elsewhere. When you're sacked for the first time, it is a devastating blow. There's no doubt he has a pedigree to be a very good manager.\"\n\nFormer Chelsea striker Chris Sutton speaking on BBC 5 Live's Monday Night Club: \"It is 52 days since Chelsea were top of the Premier League and 48 days ago that Chelsea had been on an unbeaten run of 17 games.\n\n\"So in the space of 48 days the owner has decided to write Frank Lampard off. How are we ever going to know if Frank Lampard is a good manager? You only every really learn about people and their characteristics and traits when they go through a little bit of adversity and Frank has gone through a little bit of adversity.\n\n\"Frank has basically been sacked for the owner's expectations. I feel sorry for Frank because he is a club legend.\n\n\"They are five points off fourth place, but the bottom line is that the owner wants to win the Premier League and that was always going to be the pressure.\n\n\"Chelsea should have been more loyal. We know the owner's track record - he is ruthless, he is brutal and guillotined Frank.\"\n\nScott G: Been a Chelsea fan since Nevin, Speedie and Dixon and admit I've enjoyed all the success money has brought us over the last 20 years. However, there's a sadness about that decision. Some things money can't buy. #SuperFrank\n\nFil Harris: Isn't the whole point of appointing a younger manager to give him time to build and develop? Craziness from Chelsea to sack Lampard after such a short time.\n\nSimon Kirk: Been a Chelsea fan since 1969 and have never been so annoyed at a sacking of a Chelsea manager. He needed at least another 18 months. Shame on you Abramovich and the Chelsea board for supporting such a decision.\n\nRyan Howard: I find it such a weird sacking - a month or so ago Chelsea were in a nice groove, Zouma and Silva were scoring and keeping clean sheets, now after one bad run he gets sacked. Chelsea could be a world-class club if they just gave a manager proper time to build a team.\n\nPeter Josi: Chelsea are totally right to sack Lampard, he lacked the experience or coaching prowess to lead the side. The next phase should start with an investigation into our transfer policy and how our last two record signings turned out to be flops.\n\nThomas Wilson: Why are people surprised Lampard was sacked? Chelsea have been ruthlessly successful for 15 years. They are not going to suddenly resort to being generously unsuccessful because of a club legend being at the helm.\n• None All the goals, highlights and drama from Sunday's fourth-round ties are", "The leader says he is \"optimistic\" and is recieving medical treatment\n\nMexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has announced he has tested positive for Covid-19.\n\nThe 67-year-old said on Twitter that his symptoms were mild and that he was \"optimistic\" following the diagnosis.\n\nThe development comes as Mexico grapples with an upsurge in infections, with deaths nearing 150,000.\n\nMr López Obrador says he will continue working from home, including speaking to President Vladimir Putin about acquiring a Russian-made vaccine.\n\nIt was announced earlier on Sunday that a call between the two leaders will take place on Monday to discuss their bilateral relationship and the possible supply of Sputnik V jabs.\n\nThe Mexican president said last year he would try and acquire 12 million doses of the Russian-made vaccine if it proved effective.\n\nMexico has not yet approved the jab for use, but officials want to expand the country's vaccination program for the population of 128 million people amid delivery delays from Pfizer-BioNTech.\n\nSputnik V has already received authorisation in a number of other countries, including Brazil and Argentina. Hungary became the first in the EU to give it the green light this week.\n\nJosé Luis Alomia Zegarra, a senior health official, described Mr López Obrador's condition as stable and told a news briefing that \"a team of medical specialists\" were attending to the president.\n\nMexico has recorded more than 1.75m virus cases since the pandemic began, according to Johns Hopkins University tracking.\n\nThe nation's confirmed death toll of 149,614 is one of the highest in the world - behind only the US, Brazil and India.", "Janet Yellen has been confirmed as the first ever female US treasury secretary in a Senate vote.\n\nMs Yellen, who headed the US central bank from 2014 to 2018, earlier won bipartisan support from members of the Senate Finance Committee.\n\nShe will be responsible for guiding the Biden administration's economic response to the pandemic.\n\nThe US is struggling to rebound economically from the hit caused by the coronavirus pandemic.\n\nAt her confirmation hearing on 19 January, Ms Yellen urged Congress to approve trillions more in pandemic relief and economic stimulus, saying that lawmakers should \"act big\" without worrying about national debt.\n\nIn response, Republican senators warned the former Federal Reserve head this was not the time for \"a laundry list\" of liberal reforms.\n\nMs Yellen disagreed, highlighting the fact that many families whose incomes have fallen were not reached by jobless programmes. She argued that plans to raise taxes must be seen in the context of financing bigger investments necessary to make the US economy competitive.\n\n\"The focus now is not on tax increases. It is on programmes to help us get through the pandemic,\" she stressed.\n\nJanet Yellen was previously chair of the US Federal Reserve. She was known for focusing more attention on the impact of the central bank's policies on workers and the costs of America's rising inequality.\n\nBefore then-President Barack Obama named her to lead the Fed in 2014, she had served as one of its board members for a decade, including four years as vice-chair.\n\nJanet Yellen speaking at a press conference in 2017 as US Federal Reserve Chair\n\nDonald Trump bucked Washington tradition when he opted not to appoint Ms Yellen to a second four-year term at the Fed.\n\nHowever, her climb to the top of the economics profession had made her a feminist icon in the economics world.\n\nWhen she left the Fed in 2018, many paid tribute to her leadership by imitating her signature look of a blazer with a popped collar.\n\nMs Yellen is seen as someone able to satisfy both progressive and centrist members of Mr Biden's Democratic party. Her nomination to lead the Fed in 2014 won support from some Republicans.\n\nHer focus on employment, rather than inflation, gave her a reputation of favouring low interest rates, which spur economic activity by making it less expensive to borrow money.\n\nBut under her leadership, the Fed raised interest rates for the first time since 2008 - albeit less aggressively than some more conservative commentators supported.\n\nHer stewardship of that process has won praise on Wall Street, even as it remains hotly debated.", "Sunderland-based Hays Travel took over Thomas Cook's stores and staff in 2019\n\nTravel firm Hays Travel is to close 89 of its 535 shops following a review into its take over of Thomas Cook.\n\nThe Sunderland-based firm bought the collapsed company in October 2019 and deferred a review into the performance of its shops until 2021.\n\nA Hays Travel spokeswoman said the third national lockdown and travel ban meant \"the company had to act\".\n\nShe said 388 staff affected by the closures would be offered \"alternative work options\" to minimise redundancies.\n\nChief operating officer Jonathon Woodall said the \"first priority\" was to \"look after our customers\" and ensure \"the highest standards of customer service\".\n\nHe added that the firm was \"continuing with our robust two-year business plan and continue to be ready for the bounce back when it comes\".\n\nDame Irene Hays said business had not bounced back as had been hoped\n\nDame Irene Hays, owner and chair of the Sunderland-based firm, said it was \"always our intention to review the performance of our shops at the end of the licence period\".\n\n\"We had hoped the business would bounce back in January and it has not,\" she said.\n\n\"We have done everything we could to safeguard jobs and the business thus far, and we have come up with a range of options for those at risk of redundancy to help as many colleagues as we can.\"\n\nOptions for staff include working from home or filling vacancies in other shops.\n\nThe spokeswoman said the firm employed about 7,700 people, many of whom were \"working from home taking bookings for holidays for 2021 and beyond\".\n\nThe company has yet to confirm which of its locations will be affected.\n\nFollow BBC North East & Cumbria on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Sir Keir Starmer is isolating after a contact tested positive for Covid-19.\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer is self-isolating for the third time, after coming into contact with someone who tested positive for coronavirus.\n\nHe said he would be working from home until next Monday after being notified of the contact earlier.\n\nSir Keir confirmed on Twitter that he had no symptoms.\n\nThe Labour leader last self-isolated in December after a member of his staff tested positive for Covid-19, but he never showed any symptoms of the virus.\n\nHe also self-isolated in September after a member of his family showed symptoms - but they later tested negative, allowing Sir Keir to get back to Westminster.\n\nIf you are contacted by NHS Test and Trace and told you have been in contact with someone who has tested positive for the virus, you have a legal obligation to self-isolate.\n\nYou then have to stay at home, not going out for any reason, for 10 days from the time you last saw the contact.\n\nIf you don't stick to the rules, the police can issue you with a fine, starting at £1,000.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Keir Starmer This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nFor Sir Keir, he needs to stay indoors until next Monday and cancel all his upcoming plans for the week.\n\nHe will still be able to take part in Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday via video link.\n\nThe current list of MPs set to question Boris Johnson, shows that only one will now physically be in the Commons with the PM.\n\nA number of politicians have had to self-isolate during the pandemic, including the prime minister.\n\nThe latest was Health Secretary Matt Hancock, who got a notification from the NHS app to stay at home.\n\nHe had the virus last March, but said self-isolation was \"perhaps the most important part of all the social distancing\" and urged others to do the same if contacted.\n\nMr Hancock's isolation period was due to end on Sunday, so he is expected back in Whitehall this week.", "Health and social care staff have been vaccinated at the NHS Louisa Jordan Hospital in Glasgow\n\nThe Scottish government is \"looking at all sorts of ways\" to accelerate its Covid-19 vaccine programme, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said.\n\nThe government is considering a pilot of 24/7 vaccine arrangements, chiefly aimed at younger age groups.\n\nA total of 46% of over-80s in Scotland have now had a first dose, along with 95% of older care home residents.\n\nMs Sturgeon said the programme was \"picking up pace\" and \"on track\" to reach all over-70s by mid-February.\n\nShe said the government was \"looking at all options\" to get the vaccine out to people as quickly as possible.\n\nThe government aims to have the top priority groups - including care home residents and staff, frontline health workers and all those aged over 80 - given a first dose by the end of the first week in February.\n\nFrom Monday, letters are being sent out to people aged 70 to 79 inviting them to receive their first doses. Ms Sturgeon says the programme is \"on track\" to having this group complete by the middle of February.\n\nThere has been some criticism of the speed of the rollout in Scotland, with a greater proportion of over-80s having already received a jab in England.\n\nHowever Ms Sturgeon said the programme was \"making good progress\" and said any differences with the rest of the UK were because of an early focus on vaccinating older care home residents - 95% of whom have now had their first dose.\n\nShe said she was \"absolutely confident\" that the government would hit its targets.\n\nAnd the first minister said consideration was being given to how to speed up the programme further, saying her government is \"looking at all sorts of ways to accelerate things\".\n\nShe said: \"We are looking at piloting 24/7 arrangements so that when we get into wider groups of the population, people will have choices about the time they turn up for vaccines.\n\n\"There's been debate about whether people will want to turn up in the middle of the night to get vaccinated - some will and some won't. If that sort of thing is going to add to what we are able to do, it is likely to have the greatest impact when you get down into the relatively younger age groups.\n\n\"If we think it is appropriate there may be some things we try just to see if they would work, and if they don't we won't continue with them.\n\n\"We are looking at all of these options to make sure that as the supply increases, we can get it to people as quickly as possible.\"\n\nMs Sturgeon said there was \"some early evidence\" that lockdown was reducing the number of new Covid-19 cases, although she said the government would take a \"cautious\" approach to restrictions - which are currently due to run into mid-February at the earliest.\n\nShe also voiced some \"cautious grounds for optimism\" that admissions to hospital are starting to \"tail off slightly\", although she warned that pressure on the NHS would remain \"acute\" for some time.\n\nOpposition leaders called for the vaccine programme to be accelerated and for support to be targeted at key workers.\n\nA mass vaccination centre is being set up at the P&J Live Arena in Aberdeen\n\nScottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said: \"People are talking about a 24/7 approach here in Scotland - I think based on the figures so far we need to focus just on a seven day approach, because we are not vaccinating people quickly enough.\n\n\"We are not making the progress we need to, to get people vaccinated as quickly as possible.\"\n\nScottish Labour MSP Sarah Boyack said the vaccine programme \"needs to be accelerated as fast as possible\"\n\nShe said: \"We are all behind this vaccine being rolled out - but it has to be as soon as possible, because people are getting nervous.\n\n\"Whether it's police staff, construction staff, care staff who have been worried for weeks - the vaccine has got to be the top priority, along with the test and trace so we can monitor the impact on the ground and get targeted support to people.\"\n\nScottish Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie said Scotland was \"slipping further and further behind England\" and added: \"The first minister's excuses on the rollout of the vaccine are wearing very thin.\"", "The Francis family said they would be exchanging cards and having a special meal for their lockdown St Dwynwen's Day\n\nIt may not be as well-known as Valentine's Day but St Dwynwen's Day is a special time for some in Wales.\n\nSian and Trystan Francis from Rhiwbina in Cardiff do not celebrate Valentine's Day but on Monday will exchange St Dwynwen cards and have a special meal.\n\nMr Francis, 40, said: \"It's just a part of my culture - I didn't know about Valentine's Day until about Year 6.\n\n\"My parents didn't celebrate Valentine's Day at all but they did send cards on Santes Dwynwen.\"\n\nSian and Trystan Francis perform as Do Re Mi Canu\n\nThe Welsh patron saint of lovers St Dwynwen - or Santes Dwynwen in Welsh - was a 4th Century princess who lived in what is now the Brecon Beacons National Park.\n\nThe story goes she was unlucky in love, became a nun and went on to pray for true lovers to have better luck than she did.\n\nMrs Francis, who grew up in Mountain Ash, Rhondda Cynon Taf, said her family did not speak Welsh but she went to a Welsh medium school and her mother learnt the language as an adult.\n\nMrs Francis, 38, said: \"I think if you're going to celebrate anything that says that you love your partner, then this one is loads more relevant to us because it's part of our heritage and our culture - Valentine's Day is not really that much to do with us.\"\n\nThe family have been busy organising cards and treats for their children, Jac, two, and Mimi, seven.\n\n\"I bought a card for Mimi from a mystery person and that's being delivered tomorrow,\" she said.\n\nShe added Covid had meant the celebration was a bit more low-key this year.\n\n\"I bought some cupcakes but we would normally go out for food and stuff,\" she said.\n\nMenna Llinos and her family celebrated with heart-shaped pizza in Llantwit Major, Vale of Glamorgan\n\nThere was a time when they also marked Valentine's Day before they had a change of heart, she said.\n\n\"Over time we just went, 'actually, it's a bit irrelevant to us',\" she said.\n\n\"And you can never get a restaurant [on Valentine's Day],\" Mr Francis added.\n\nCarys Ingram from Llantwit Major, Vale of Glamorgan, has been making heart-shaped cookies with her children\n\nMr Francis, who grew up speaking Welsh at home, said their choice was not unusual among their friends.\n\n\"My friends, people within the Welsh-speaking community definitely, celebrate Santes Dwynwen,\" he said.\n\n\"There is a subculture within Wales that does exist within Welsh-speaking communities so I would say Santes Dwynwen is part of that.\"\n\nMrs Francis said it meant they were able to avoid the commercialisation of the better-known celebration.\n\n\"Santes Dwynwen isn't particularly commercialised because it is so niche,\" she added.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Jessica Western says she is still fighting to find out why her daughter Macie died\n\nThe full extent of the problems with maternity services at two hospitals in the south Wales valleys rings out when the voices of women and families are listened to.\n\nAs one said: \"I want having a baby to be a good experience. It's ruined it.\"\n\nWomen repeatedly stated they were not listened to and their concerns were not taken seriously or valued.\n\nThey spoke of being ignored or patronised while being cared for at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital in Llantrisant and Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil.\n\nOften, their suspicions and concerns were found to have reflected a genuine problem that emerged later, but at the time they were dismissed when they tried to voice their concerns.\n\nA major independent review has found Cwm Taf health board's maternity services were \"under extreme pressure\" and the health minister has ordered them be put into special measures.\n\nIt was prompted by 25 serious incidents, including eight stillbirths and four neonatal deaths, between January 2016 and last September.\n\nThe independent review team has released a separate, damning 78-page report, which shares the views of 140 family members, including mothers about their experiences at the hospitals.\n\nNearly two thirds of women questioned felt they had not had good quality care during their pregnancy.\n\nThe review said: \"Many women had felt something was wrong with their baby or tried to convey the level of pain they were experiencing but they were ignored or patronised, and no action was taken, with tragic outcomes including stillbirth and neonatal death of their babies.\"\n\nOne woman said she felt worthless, adding: \"I'm broken from the whole experience, the lack of care and compassion.\"\n\nOn the care itself, repeatedly the review team heard from mothers who did not always believe the right level of skills and expertise were available at the right time.\n\nThere was a failure to seek a second, more senior opinion, and to escalate concerns, especially with women with complex pregnancies.\n\nOne mother said: \"He told me there was no point calling the consultant on a Sunday as no one would come.\"\n\nAnother said: \"I never saw the same consultant. They didn't know me, and they didn't want to know me. I was pushed in and out of rooms with all sorts of people.\"\n\nMothers faced too many variables in the service offered - from the time of day they used it, to staffing levels and the communication skills of the staff they met.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. 'We picked the wrong day to be ill'\n\nSarah Handy's experience is highlighted in the report as illustrating a number of serious issues.\n\nIn pain, she was begging to see a doctor when she arrived in hospital in April 2017 and was left for nearly three hours without examination before being told it was constipation.\n\nMs Handy, 33, was sent back home to Merthyr Tydfil with laxatives and pain relief and that evening her baby Jennifer was delivered prematurely by her husband and mother-in-law.\n\nDespite their efforts to give CPR to save her life, Jennifer died.\n\nThe review said it showed:\n\nMs Handy said after the report came out: \"Today it's been proven in black and white that we were right to highlight our concerns and push for further investigation into our Jennifer's death.\n\n\"We just wish that this report will now do what it promised and improve the quality of care so that no other family has to go the traumatic experience we went through.\"\n\nOn communication, although individual staff were spoken of as excellent, many women felt during their care this aspect was extremely poor.\n\nWhen concerns were raised, there was a \"significant dissatisfaction\" with how they were dealt with, with dismissive attitudes.\n\nMany women were not listened to or taken seriously, one saying she was \"laughed at\" when she expressed concern.\n\nOther responses included: \"I was never asked, never believed.\n\n\"If only they had asked the right questions.\n\n\"Most importantly, we were not listened to. By the time we were it was too late.\"\n\nThe review said women reported an \"almost callous and brutal use of language\" and disregard for feelings.\n\nWhen one mother was concerned that she may be losing her baby she was told to \"prepare for the worst - it could be a miscarriage\" and then told to go home as \"there wasn't a lot she could do.\"\n\nYounger mothers in particular often felt their concerns were dismissed, which became an \"emerging theme\" for the review team.\n\nThere were failures to apologise, lack of access to notes and comprehensive investigations over concerns.\n\nWith high risk pregnancies, one woman interviewed believed that there was a lack of expertise and that \"anything different from the norm, they didn't seem set up to deal with it\".\n\nAnother described the antenatal clinic as being \"like a cattle-market\".\n\nWhen babies were lost, \"many women and families received no bereavement counselling or support and continue to experience emotional distress\".\n\nOne mother talking about the demand on midwives and doctors in the Royal Glamorgan Hospital, said it was \"no way a reflection on them\".\n\n\"They would always spend as much time as possible with me but unfortunately when needs must I was left with some questions but again this was due to staff shortages,\" she said.\n\nAnother said: \"There were so many jobs for one midwife to do and then people wonder why mistakes get made. They are human and are exhausted\".\n\nThe review published two parallel reports into Cwm Taf maternity services and the experiences of mothers\n\nThe review team said it was disappointing that lessons had not been learnt from a review of Furness General Hospital services four years ago.\n\nProf Jean White, chief nursing officer, said: \"It should be a joyous occasion giving birth to a child. Many of the women who shared their stories had care well below the standards we expect and that's not right.\n\n\"I think over time there appears to be a culture that has developed rather than an open culture where people are encouraged to say what's gone wrong, there is a blame culture.\"\n\nIn the words of another parent: \"Listen to women and families and believe what they tell you when they are in pain.\"\n\nThe review team concludes: \"The strong message heard from women and families in Cwm Taf is that they don't want their experiences to happen to anyone else and the importance to them that the organisation learns from these experiences to ensure that improvement and change occurs.\"\n\nCwm Taf chief executive Allison Williams said she was deeply sorry, is taking the findings very seriously but recognised \"significant work\" was still needed.\n\n\"Some of the feedback we have received from patients is extremely distressing and their experience in our maternity service has been totally unacceptable,\" she added.\n\nIf you have been affected by stillbirth, the following organisations might be able to help:", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe mother of a 15-year-old boy attacked by a group of youths said she heard the gunshots that killed him.\n\nKeon Lincoln was \"set upon\" at about 15:30 GMT on Thursday on Linwood Road in Handsworth, Birmingham, and died later in hospital, police said.\n\nIn an emotional appeal, Sharmaine Lincoln pleaded with the local community to \"help us understand why this has happened\".\n\nFive teenage boys have so far been arrested over his death.\n\nA post-mortem examination revealed Keon was shot and stabbed to death.\n\nKeon Lincoln's mother said not a day would go by when she would not hear her son's \"unbelievable\" laugh\n\nRemembering that afternoon, Ms Lincoln said: \"I heard the gunshots and my first instinct was, 'Where's my son?'\n\n\"A few minutes went by, we heard somebody was in the road and it was my boy.\"\n\nWest Midlands Police arrested three teenagers over the weekend on suspicion of Keon's murder - a 14-year-old boy from Birmingham and two others, aged 15 and 16, at an address in Walsall.\n\nThis is in addition to two 14-year-old boys arrested on Friday, one of whom remains in custody and the other released under investigation.\n\n\"The community needs to step up and put themselves in the shoes of the family,\" police say\n\nDet Ch Insp Alastair Orencas, from West Midlands Police, said the attack on Keon was \"the most pointless use of extreme violence I've witnessed in my 24 years in the police force\".\n\n\"The level of violence has not just caused shock to the family, but to hardened police officers,\" he said. \"It was an absolutely pointless attack, one I can't clear my mind of.\"\n\nThe force is appealing for information and Det Ch Insp Orencas said the community response was \"not where it should be\".\n\n\"These are multiple offenders in broad daylight. I simply don't believe there's not information out there that can help me with the inquiry,\" he said.\n\nKeon Lincoln was attacked on Linwood Road, a residential street in the Handsworth area of Birmingham\n\nMs Lincoln remembered her son as a joker, cheeky - a \"loving child with a jolly spirit\" whose \"unbelievable laugh\" would echo daily around her home.\n\n\"It doesn't make sense, the type of person Keon was, it doesn't make sense as to why someone would want to harm him or take his life in such a brutal way,\" she said.\n\nFollow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Pictures of the funeral have led to criticism from unionists\n\nPolice have begun an investigation into potential breaches of Covid-19 regulations at the funeral of an IRA man in Londonderry.\n\nEamon McCourt, 62, who reportedly died with Covid-19, was buried on Monday.\n\nUnder current Covid-19 restrictions funerals in Northern Ireland are limited to 25 people.\n\nThe police said a \"significant number of people\" had gathered, in a manner \"likely to be in breach\" of the coronavirus regulations.\n\nPSNI Ch Supt Darrin Jones said anyone found in breach of public health regulations would be reported to the Public Prosecution Service.\n\nHe said police had \"engaged with representatives of the family of the deceased, the local church and local political representatives\", prior to the funeral.\n\n\"As a result, police were given a number of assurances as to the conduct of the funeral, and that people would seek to pay their respects to the deceased from outside their homes rather than gather at the funeral.\"\n\nPictures of the leading republican's funeral show men in white shirts and black ties flanking the cortege and dozens of others behind them.\n\nCh Supt Jones added: \"Regrettably at the funeral on Monday morning, a significant number of people gathered as part of the cortège, in a manner likely to be in breach of the health protection regulations.\"\n\nUnionist politicians had called on the police to act after images circulated online of mourners.\n\nDUP MLA Gary Middleton said those who had abided by Covid-19 restrictions would view the scenes from the funeral \"with dismay\".\n\nHe said it was \"hard to put into words the sheer recklessness of those involved\".\n\n\"Within republicanism it seems that certain individuals are viewed as being more important than public health regulations,\" Mr Middleton said.\n\n\"In those minds the reality of Covid-19 has not been brought home, or at the very least it is viewed as less important than having a public display at a funeral.\n\n\"Such sights are most painful for relatives who have recognised the need for such painful restrictions to be put in place and have abided by them.\"\n\n\"Eamon 'Peggy' McCourt who passed away on Saturday morning was buried from his family home in Creggan, a right accredited to us all.\n\n\"However, it was evident that social-distancing measures and permitted mourner numbers were completely ignored by those in attendance.\n\n\"Again, the majority of people in Northern Ireland who have followed lockdown measures since March 2020 are asking themselves why can republicans do whatever they like?\"\n\nHe called on the police to explain why such \"a large funeral procession was permitted to take place and what actions will follow\".\n\nIn a statement, Sinn Féin said: \"Everyone has a responsibility to follow the public health guidelines.\n\n\"Sinn Féin held its own tribute to his memory online.\"\n\nIn June last year, about 1,800 people attended the funeral of leading IRA member Bobby Storey in west Belfast.\n\nAmong them was Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill, the Sinn Féin vice-president, who later admitted the public health message had been undermined.\n\nIn May, Assistant Chief Constable Alan Todd said there had been social-distancing breaches at funerals in Northern Ireland in both the unionist and nationalist communities.\n\nThis story was amended on 27 January 2021 to remove the phrase 'IRA veteran'. Whilst referring to Mr McCourt's long history in republicanism, we accept the phrase was open to misinterpretation.", "The first minister visited the site of the flooding, where 80 villagers were evacuated from their homes\n\nResidents have been urged to stay away from homes flooded after a \"blow out\" at a mine shaft following reports some had returned against advice.\n\nEighty people had to be evacuated from Skewen, Neath Port Talbot, on Thursday and the Coal Authority is investigating the cause of the flooding.\n\nOn Sunday First Minister Mark Drakeford visited the village.\n\nSpecialists said mine shafts in the area were stable, but villagers were told it was not safe to return home.\n\nNeath Port Talbot Council tweeted on Sunday afternoon that some evacuated residents had ignored the warnings.\n\nIt said: \"We are getting reports that some residents who have been evacuated are returning to their homes.\n\n\"Investigations are ongoing at the site, including safety checks by utility companies. They have asked us to reiterate the request for residents to stay away and that it is not safe to return today or tomorrow.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Mark Drakeford This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nIt is not known how many residents were thought to have returned to their flooded homes or how long they were there for.\n\nBigger equipment is being brought in to \"understand in detail what has caused the blow out\", according to Coal Authority chief executive Lisa Pinney.\n\nThe Coal Authority, which manages the effects of past mining on communities, said it believed the \"blow out\" was likely to have been caused by a blockage underground which caused water to back up before breaking out.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Teresa Dalling says a river of orange water rushed through the village on Thursday\n\nCouncil leader Rob Jones warned residents it was unlikely that they could return home by Monday.\n\nMs Pinney said a hand-drilling crew \"determined the precise location and extension of the collapsed mine shaft\" on Saturday.\n\nThe village was flooded after a mine shaft \"blow out\"\n\n\"This now allows us to bring in larger equipment to investigate the wider mine workings and drainage channels in the area around it, so we can understand in detail what has caused the blow out,\" she said.\n\n\"We have checked all recorded shafts in the immediate area and found them all to be safe.\n\n\"We will be checking over a wider area in the days ahead.\"\n\nDuring his visit to the village Mr Drakeford was shown the sinkhole which had opened up on Thursday, leading to the flooding.\n\nOn Friday the Welsh Government confirmed financial support would be made available to people affected by the floods, up to £1,000 per household.\n\nMr Drakeford said on Sunday: \"Particularly for families who have no insurance, this is a devastating event.\n\n\"They will know that the Welsh Government is there to help and we will do that through the local authority which has been here very visibly, helping people in the last couple of days.\"\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Rishi Sunak: 'We’re throwing absolutely everything at it'\n\nFewer than 2,000 young people have so far started new roles under the government's £2bn Kickstart jobs scheme, data shows.\n\nThe programme, which launched in September, has created 120,000 temporary jobs to date.\n\nChancellor Rishi Sunak told the BBC coronavirus restrictions were making it harder for more young people to get started.\n\nHowever, he expected the number to rise once restrictions are lifted.\n\n\"Obviously because of the lockdowns and restrictions, that hampers businesses' ability to bring people into work,\" said Mr Sunak,\n\n\"What we can look forward to, as the restrictions ease, is more of these young people starting those placements.\n\n\"But taking a step back, we announced this scheme first week of July, it went live the first week of September and here we are, just a few months later, with 120,000 jobs having being vetted, funded and created.\"\n\nThe Chancellor insisted that the government had moved at an \"enormous pace\" to set up the programme, which targets youths at risk of long-term unemployment.\n\n\"I've always said my priority through this crisis is to protect, support and create as many jobs as possible, and young people in particular have been at the forefront of my mind,\" said Mr Sunak.\n\n\"We know that they're most likely to work in affected sectors, they're twice as likely to be furloughed, and the ones leaving college are entering a really difficult labour market.\"\n\nYouth unemployment rose to 14.5% between August to October 2020, with 597,000 people aged 16 to 24 unemployed, up from 11% in the same period in 2019.\n\nLatest data from the Department of Work Pensions shows that as of 15 January, 1,868 young people had begun their placements.\n\nHayden Finlayson, recipient of a Kickstart work placement with Whistl in Bedford\n\nHayden Finlayson, 24, is one of them. He was made redundant from a retail job last summer.\n\nLooking for work during the pandemic proved difficult: \"You start thinking about things - whether you're going to find work again.\"\n\nHe has secured a Kickstart placement at a Whistl distribution centre in Bedford, an opportunity for which he is grateful.\n\n\"I gave it a go. It's a new experience and I want to do new things,\" he said. \"[I'm learning] different skills every day, things I've never done before.\"\n\nBusinesses apply to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to create Kickstart places, which are then vetted for suitability.\n\nYoung people aged between 16 and 24 who are on Universal Credit are matched to roles by their job centre work coaches.\n\nThey are then interviewed by the prospective employer, which decides whether to take them on.\n\nFor each successful placement, the government covers the National Minimum Wage for a six-month period, at 25 hours per week.\n\nA further £1,500 grant is available per placement to help cover setup costs and assist in the development of employability skills. The current £2bn budget allows for around 250,000 roles.\n\nFSB's Craig Beaumont says the decision to allow small firms offer placements through a faster, more direct process is four months late\n\nFollowing criticism from small businesses, firms who wish to create just a handful of roles will have the option of applying direct to the Department for Work and Pensions.\n\nPreviously, small firms who wanted to create fewer than 30 Kickstart jobs had to group together, or use a \"gateway\" provider as an intermediary.\n\nMore than 600 gateways have now been approved, but small businesses complained that they found the process slow and difficult.\n\n\"The decision should have been made in September,\" said Craig Beaumont, chief of external affairs at the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB).\n\n\"There is now a backlog of cases of people who've been appointed through intermediaries, who've not been able to access that work yet. So we need a real focus from the government to clear that.\"\n\nAsked if the scheme would need extending because continuing restrictions could prevent its aims being achieved this year, Mr Sunak left the possibility open.\n\nAnna Szymanowska runs Fighter Shots, which makes ginger-based remedy drinks. She is keen to create three digital marketing Kickstart roles as soon as possible.\n\nHowever, she says her application - which was done in a pool with other businesses - took a long time.\n\nSmall business owner Anna Szymanowska would like to hire three young people for digital marketing roles\n\n\"It was a little bit lengthy, because the first time I heard of the scheme was July or August,\" she told the BBC.\n\n\"We applied within a month [of hearing about it], and just yesterday we received a contract to sign. So it was lengthy but otherwise well managed.\"\n\nThe Chancellor told the BBC that the changes hadn't been made earlier because Kickstart had been set up \"at speed\". He pointed out other interventions aimed at supporting young people's jobs, including investment in employment support schemes, training and apprenticeships.\n\nTracy Fishwick is the managing director of Transform Lives Company, a social enterprise which helps people into work.\n\nShe believes that the young people chosen to have Kickstart placements will be very important.\n\n\"The young people who really probably would already get a job with a little bit of help - we don't want all the Kickstart jobs going to those young people,\" said Ms Fishwick, who previously worked with the Future Jobs Fund - a scheme for young people created by Labour in 2009.\n\n\"We need to be able to put things in place to support those young people who were already unemployed before Covid.\"", "Volunteers responded to an appeal on social media on Saturday night\n\nVolunteers helped to clear up to 7cm of snow at a community hospital so Covid-19 vaccines could be given to about 300 vulnerable patients.\n\nMore than a dozen people cleared the car park at Maesteg community hospital in Bridgend county on Sunday where the Pfizer-BioNtech jab is being given.\n\nPeople with brushes and shovels came to the rescue after a Facebook appeal and Bridgend council provided a plough.\n\nOne local councillor said their community spirit \"knows no bounds\".\n\nThe Maesteg area had been at or near the top of Wales' Covid case rate chart for a few weeks before Christmas - with an infection rate of more than 1300 cases per 100,000 at its height.\n\nVaccinations were delayed for about an hour on Sunday and Maesteg West councillor Ross Thomas, who helped organise the clear-up, said it would have been a \"disaster\" to have cancelled the appointments.\n\nCovid jabs at four other locations in south Wales had to be cancelled after snow cause widespread disruption across the UK.\n\nAnd Mr Thomas praised the local community for preventing their centre from also falling victim to the weather.\n\n\"With a few Facebook call-outs we had a dozen or so volunteers within the hour together with surgery staff, a number of the GPs,\" Mr Thomas told BBC Radio Wales.\n\nCouncillor Ross Thomas said there would be some aching backs on Monday morning\n\n\"The grounds of the hospital are not small by any stretch of the imagination. It was a valiant effort over two-and-a-half hours to ensure we could allow access to Maesteg community hospital.\n\n\"It's thanks to them that 300 more people in the 80 and over priority group in the Llynfi valley received their jab yesterday.\"\n\nAnother 40 vulnerable patients will receive their Covid jabs on Monday.\n\nMr Thomas said the spirit in his community \"knows no bounds\" and added: \"People rally round, it's a sense of belonging, its genuinely instilled in our DNA in Maesteg and it was on show.\n\n\"Not only did people want to help, I think it's clear there's anxiety in the community about the virus.\n\n\"Ahead of Christmas some local wards here in the Llynfi valley had the highest case rates in Europe.\n\n\"There was the realisation yesterday that it wasn't just shovelling snow out of the way, it was about getting on top of this virus and ensuring the most vulnerable people in this community have a fighting chance moving forward.\"", "Last updated on .From the section FA Cup\n\nBruno Fernandes' superb 78th-minute free-kick gave Manchester United victory in a thrilling FA Cup tie with old rivals Liverpool at Old Trafford.\n\nLiverpool led a fantastic contest through Mohamed Salah, who then equalised after Mason Greenwood and Marcus Rashford had struck for the hosts either side of the break.\n\nBut in a game which had everything last week's drab stalemate between this pair at Anfield lacked, Fernandes came off the bench to have the final word after Fabinho had fouled Edinson Cavani on the edge of the area.\n• None Don't worry about us, says Reds boss Klopp\n\nFernandes might have been slightly off the pace in recent games but when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer needed his £47m inspiration to come up with another special moment, the Portuguese delivered, bending his shot round the wall and beyond Allison's reach.\n\nThe victory earns United a home meeting with an in-form West Ham side managed by former boss David Moyes in the fifth round.\n\nBut the search for form goes on for Liverpool, whose only win in seven games since that seven-goal hammering of Crystal Palace came against Aston Villa's kids in the last round, and who have a meeting with Jose Mourinho's Tottenham looming on Thursday.\n• None Watch all the goals from the FA Cup fourth round\n\nIt was not quite the ending Solskjaer served up when he won a previous fourth-round meeting between these sides but, as in 1999, they had to come from behind.\n\nAnd while Fernandes applied the devastating finish, that goal should not be allowed to overshadow Rashford's contribution to United's victory.\n\nSo much has been said about the England forward as a social crusader it is sometimes easy to forget he also needs to be judged as a footballer.\n\nAt only 23, he is still a long way off his prime but he is developing into an outstanding forward, with vision to match his speed and finishing ability.\n\nThe pass that created Greenwood's equaliser was superb. Taking possession just inside his own half, Rashford delivered a 60-yard pass with such accuracy all Greenwood needed to do was take one touch to control with his chest before drilling low into the far corner.\n\nRashford's raw pace put Liverpool's defence under constant stress and the delicate touch that took him past Rhys Williams by the touchline in a move that ended with Paul Pogba curling wide was sensational.\n\nAnd then there was his goal, which needed a perfectly-timed run to go beyond the Liverpool defence and reach Greenwood's through ball, and then a cool head to apply the finish.\n\nAt that point, it seemed United had the game under control. It did not quite work out that way and once again, Fernandes, who has won four Premier League player of the month awards out of the seven he has been eligible for since leaving Sporting Lisbon less than 12 months ago, underlined his credentials as English football's most influential player at present.\n\nSalah's effort was the first time Liverpool had been ahead at Old Trafford since January 2017, since when Liverpool have won both the Champions League and Premier League, a clear indication that whatever issues Jurgen Klopp is wrestling with at the moment, they are not insurmountable.\n\nThe finish for the striker's 18th goal of the season did not hint at a lack of confidence as he raced on to Roberto Firmino's precise through ball, having escaped the attentions of Victor Lindelof, and lifted his shot beyond the reach of Dean Henderson.\n\nEvidently, what Klopp needs is to find a solution in defence. Williams was shaky and at fault for Rashford's goal, while Fabinho was exposed by United in this game and Cavani exploited the Brazilian's defensive inexperience to earn the free-kick that won the game.\n\nEven so, after Salah equalised from close range after United had lost possession to James Milner and never recovered their position after working their way up-field from a short goal-kick, the visitors did have chances to win it themselves.\n\nBut Dean Henderson saved from Trent Alexander-Arnold and Salah before Fernandes struck - so Liverpool's wait for a first FA Cup win since 1921 at Old Trafford, and Jurgen Klopp's for a first win at United full stop, goes on.\n\nManchester United are next in action against Sheffield United in the Premier League at Old Trafford on Wednesday, 27 January (20:15GMT). Liverpool play at Tottenham on Thursday, 28 January (20:00GMT).\n• None Manchester United have eliminated Liverpool from the FA Cup proper for the 10th time; in the competition's history, only Liverpool themselves (12 v Everton) have knocked a particular side out more times (including finals).\n• None Liverpool have won just one of their past 15 matches at Old Trafford in all competitions (D4 L10), and are winless in their last eight at the ground (D4 L4).\n• None Manchester United have won each of their past eight home games in the FA Cup; only from 1908 to 1912 have they had a better winning run on home soil in the competition (9 games).\n• None Liverpool are the first reigning Premier League champion to be eliminated from the FA Cup as early as the fourth round since Manchester City in 2014-15.\n• None Liverpool have lost back-to-back games in all competitions for the first time since March 2020.\n• None Roberto Firmino has assisted Mohamed Salah for 18 goals in all competitions for Liverpool, the most any player has set up another for the Reds under Jurgen Klopp. Since they first played together in 2017-18, this is the most one player has assisted another for all Premier League sides in all competitions.\n• None Mason Greenwood scored his first goal for Man Utd in 11 appearances in all competitions, ending his longest run of games without a goal for the club. Aged 19 years and 115 days, he was the youngest Man Utd player to score against Liverpool since Wayne Rooney in January 2005 in the Premier League (19y 83d).\n• None Marcus Rashford has scored more goals at Old Trafford against Liverpool than he has against any other opponent on home soil for Manchester United (4).\n• None Since his Man Utd debut in February 2020, Bruno Fernandes has scored more goals than any other player for Premier League clubs (28).\n• None No player has scored more goals for Premier League clubs in all competitions this season than Salah for Liverpool (19, level with Harry Kane).\n• None Attempt missed. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) left footed shot from the right side of the box misses to the right following a set piece situation.\n• None Paul Pogba (Manchester United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.\n• None Victor Lindelöf (Manchester United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.\n• None Edinson Cavani (Manchester United) hits the right post with a header from the centre of the box. Assisted by Bruno Fernandes with a cross.\n• None Attempt saved. Marcus Rashford (Manchester United) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the top left corner. Assisted by Aaron Wan-Bissaka.\n• None Goal! Manchester United 3, Liverpool 2. Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United) from a free kick with a right footed shot to the bottom right corner. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page\n• None All the goals, highlights and drama from Saturday's fourth-round ties are", "Early years educational providers in England have been told to remain open\n\nMany staff at nurseries, pre-schools and childminders \"don't feel safe at work\", says the Early Years Alliance.\n\nThe group, representing early years providers, wants staff in this sector to be a higher priority for Covid testing and vaccinations.\n\nNurseries and settings for young children in England have been told to remain open during lockdown.\n\nThe government said the under-fives were \"unlikely to be playing a driving role in transmission\".\n\nThe Early Years Alliance received more than 3,500 responses in a survey of staff in nurseries or childcare settings and said these suggested widespread concerns - with half of those who replied saying they did not feel safe at work.\n\nNeil Leitch, chief executive of the group, said the safety worries were \"a cause for serious concern\".\n\nHe called on the government to implement rapid coronavirus testing among early years staff \"as a matter of urgency\", adding they should be \"given priority access to vaccinations in phase two of the rollout\".\n\nThere are currently no confirmed plans for lateral-flow testing in nurseries and pre-schools.\n\nBut the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) is looking at whether some high-risk professions should be prioritised for vaccination.\n\nAnd Education Secretary Gavin Williamson told the BBC's Breakfast programme he would \"very much like to see it\" once the most vulnerable groups had received their jabs.\n\nA Department for Education (DfE) spokesman said: \"Keeping nurseries and childminders open will support parents and deliver the crucial care and education for our youngest children.\n\n\"Current evidence suggests that pre-school children are less susceptible to infection and are unlikely to be playing a driving role in transmission.\"\n\nThe Early Years Alliance survey also found concerns that staff shortages would make it difficult for some nurseries and pre-school settings to stay open.\n\nDr Amelia Massoura, who runs Stepping Stone pre-school, in Sittingbourne, Kent, said: \"Out of six members of staff, four have contracted Covid-19.\n\n\"Fortunately, all have recovered well.\"\n\nVanessa Linehan, manager of Sandbrook Community Playgroup in Hackney in London, said: \"We are happy to stay open to support our families.\n\n\"But we want our staff to have testing and vaccinations as a priority.\n\n\"We encourage local authorities to prioritise appropriate testing for early-years staff through their community testing programmes,\" said the Department for Education spokesman.\n\nThe Department for Education says the under-fives are \"unlikely\" to drive up coronavirus transmission\n\nHowever, Labour's shadow education minister Tulip Siddiq accused the government of \"incompetence and neglect\", saying early-years staff \"deserve... proper access to testing\".\n\nShe questioned why \"the government has refused to publish the scientific basis for keeping early-years settings open in lockdown\" and called on it to \"urgently pull back from the brink of funding changes that could lead to viable early-years providers going bust\".\n\nThe government changed the funding formula for the early years sector in December, basing it on current attendance rather than pre-pandemic levels.\n\nAccording to the DfE, early years attendance is at 54% of the usual daily level, as of 14 January, leading to a shortfall in revenues.\n\nIn primary and secondary schools, which are open to vulnerable children and children of key workers only, average attendance levels have fallen to just 14%.\n\nRoughly half of nurseries and pre-schools and a third of childminders expect to be operating at a loss by the end of the spring term, based on current levels of government support, according to the survey.\n\n\"Early years providers are the only part of the education sector that the government has asked to remain open to all families,\" said Mr Leitch\n\n\"It is surely not too much to ask for the protection - both practical and financial - needed to ensure that we can continue to do so.\"", "Richard Dyson and Simon Midgley were thought to be on a winter break in Scotland\n\nTwo men who died when a fire tore through a luxury five-star hotel on the shores of Loch Lomond have been named.\n\nSimon Midgley and Richard Dyson, believed to be from London, were staying at Cameron House Hotel when the blaze broke out on Monday morning.\n\nPolice have not confirmed the identity of those who died, but relatives have paid tribute on social media.\n\nThe hotel's director has praised the actions of the emergency services in preventing further tragedy.\n\nFirefighters who brought a couple and their baby to safety from an upper floor have been hailed as \"heroes\".\n\nA baby was rescued by firefighters from an upper floor of the hotel\n\nAndrew and Louise Logan, and their son Jimmy, from Worcestershire, were taken to hospital after being brought to safety, but were later discharged.\n\nMore than 200 guests were evacuated from the building when the blaze broke out. A joint investigation into the cause of the fire is under way.\n\nSocial media posts suggested that Mr Midgley and Mr Dyson were on a winter break in Scotland.\n\nA post on Mr Midgley's Instagram account on Saturday showed pictures of Cameron House Hotel and said: \"Home for the weekend.\"\n\nRelatives have been expressing their shock at news of the couple's deaths.\n\nMr Midgley's sister posted a picture of her brother and his partner on Facebook, while another relative wrote: \"I'm beyond heartbroken.\"\n\nKate Baxter wrote on Twitter: \"Such unbearably sad news.. RIP @SimonMidgleyPR, a shining star in our wonderfully close-knit industry.\"\n\nAccording to his Facebook page, Mr Midgley was a freelance journalist at the London Evening Standard and ran his own PR company, while Mr Dyson is believed to be a TV producer.\n\nPolice and firefighters remained at the scene on Tuesday morning, with the scale of the damage becoming more apparent.\n\nBBC Scotland's Andrew Black was allowed on site and said: \"The damage to the building is pretty extensive, especially the upper floors. There's a smell of burning wood and we could hear a fire alarm from part of the building still going off.\"\n\nThe BBC understands that a wedding due to take place at Cameron House hotel this weekend has been moved to another luxury hotel.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Drone footage from above Loch Lomond shows the extent of the damage at Cameron House\n\nIn a new statement, Cameron House's director, Andy Roger, praised the \"very swift actions of the emergency services\".\n\nHe said: \"Everyone associated with Cameron House Hotel is still coming to terms with the events of yesterday and we are all hugely conscious that two people tragically lost their lives in the fire.\n\n\"Their families and friends are foremost in our thoughts as we co-operate fully with the investigation teams to try to establish the circumstances surrounding this terrible incident.\n\n\"The emergency services were on the scene long into the night and I cannot praise their efforts highly enough. They are true heroes. The firemen bringing out a couple and their young child by ladder from a second-floor room was a heart-stopping moment for all those who witnessed it.\n\n\"We're also enormously grateful for the many, many offers of practical support and good wishes from the UK hospitality industry and also from the local community, which has rallied around to help. It's been a humbling experience, but we are a small, tight-knit community on Loch Lomond and a response like that is typical of our many friends and neighbours.\"\n\nMr Roger said the hotel had made arrangements for the vast majority of the guests to travel home or continue with their breaks and he thanked them for their patience and \"good spirits\".\n\nHe also paid tribute to the staff at Cameron House who he said had shown \"an enormous degree of care and teamwork throughout the last two days\".\n\nLocal people have been speaking of their shock and sadness at what happened at the hotel.\n\nOne woman told BBC Scotland: \"We are just very sad for all the families involved and so sorry for the people who work there.\"\n\nAnother added: \"It's absolutely horrific. I think the local community really feels it.\"\n\nReverend Ian Miller, a retired minister who lives locally and was called in to offer guests support in the aftermath of the fire, said those affected \"fell into two groups\".\n\n\"There were those in the side bedrooms which weren't really touched and they just realised they had escaped something terrible,\" he said.\n\n\"But for those in the main building then there were degrees of trauma. Some had escaped with virtually nothing.\n\n\"One man came out in his underwear. Another woman told me she just grabbed her baby, change bag and moved out.\"\n\nThe Scottish Fire and Rescue service remained at the scene on Tuesday morning\n\nSpeaking on BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme, John Gow, from forensic investigations firm IFIC, said: \"There will be a number of strands to this investigation, running in tandem.\n\n\"Obviously, sadly, there is the death investigation due to the fatalities that occurred.\n\n\"There is the origin and cause investigation which is establishing how the fire started and spread throughout the property.\n\n\"It is also likely there will be an investigation to establish if the fire precaution measures were adequate and operated as they should.\"\n\nCameron House, an 18th Century mansion, was converted into a luxury hotel and resort in 1986.\n\nIt is a popular wedding venue and houses the Michelin-starred Martin Wishart at Loch Lomond restaurant.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Covid-19 has been reported in 60% of Scotland's care homes\n\nPolice Scotland has confirmed it will support the dedicated Crown Office unit which has been set up to investigate Covid-19 deaths in care homes.\n\nThe force said its involvement does not indicate that crimes have been committed but is designed simply to inform prosecutors.\n\nCases of the virus have been reported in 60% of Scotland's care homes, with a total of 5,635 residents affected.\n\nThe first minister described the impact on the sector as \"heartbreaking\".\n\nEarlier this month Lord Advocate James Wolffe QC announced the new unit and said it would help determine if Fatal Accident Inquiries were to be held into the deaths.\n\nThe outbreaks across Scotland include one on Skye which is under police investigation.\n\nOfficers are looking into the circumstances surrounding the deaths of three women - aged 84, 86 and 88 - at Home Farm in Portree.\n\nOn Friday police outlined the support officers will provide to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) review.\n\nAssistant Chief Constable Duncan Sloan said: \"We understand the significant public anxiety caused by reports of deaths among those being cared for and staff in the health and care sectors as a result of coronavirus.\n\n\"This is a matter of great concern for us all.\"\n\nMr Sloan said COPFS is working with a number of agencies and asked the force to gather \"additional information\".\n\nHe added: \"Our involvement does not necessarily indicate that crimes are being investigated and the information we gather on behalf of COPFS will help inform its decision on whether further action is required.\n\n\"These are challenging times for everyone but Police Scotland will continue to work with COPFS and other partner agencies to maximise public safety, to support and protect the vulnerable in our communities and to support the work of colleagues in the health and care professions.\"", "The comedian's wife shared a picture online of the 78-year-old after he received the vaccination\n\nSir Billy Connolly has received his first dose of the coronavirus vaccine.\n\nThe comedian's wife Pamela Stephenson shared an image on social media of the 78-year-old wearing a mask with a plaster on his left arm.\n\nAlongside the picture, Ms Stephenson wrote: \"Thank God... Billy had his first Covid vaccine today!\"\n\nSir Billy, who lives in Florida, was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2013 and announced he was \"finished with stand-up\" last year.\n\nHe said at the time: \"The Parkinson's has made my brain work differently and you need to have a good brain for comedy.\"\n\nSir Billy now lives in Florida with his wife Pamela Stephenson\n\nSir Billy joins famous faces including actress Dame Judi Dench, broadcaster Sir David Attenborough and actor Sir Ian McKellen in receiving the vaccine.\n\nHollywood star and former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger also shared a video of him receiving the jab earlier this week.", "The Fire Brigades Union has held back firefighters from efforts to tackle the pandemic in England with \"unreasonable\" safety demands, a report claims.\n\nIn it, the fire service watchdog says the union has insisted on \"unworkable\" rules for testing and self-isolation.\n\nThousands of firefighters assisted health and emergency services last year but in December, as vaccinations began, the FBU asked members not to volunteer.\n\nThe union says it cannot be sure its members will be safe if they do.\n\nThat is because councils and fire chiefs have pulled out of an agreement on health protection measures, it added.\n\nFor most of last year the agreement allowed firefighters to perform a range of additional duties, including delivering meals, driving ambulances and transporting bodies.\n\nFirefighters returning from roles in potential contact with Covid victims would spend several days self-isolating and being tested to show they were not infected.\n\nBy December, when there was the prospect of firefighters helping with vaccinations, a row over the deal resulted in the union giving new advice to members\n\nThe FBU said in message on 9 December: \"At this time, members are asked not to volunteer and to suspend any expression of interest that they have registered until such time as satisfactory arrangements can be secured that allow a national agreement to be reached.\"\n\nOn 13 January, local councils, which employ firefighters, decided the agreement with the union \"was no longer sustainable or appropriate\", partly because of the requirements for staff to have tests and self-isolate.\n\nThey said these made it impossible to run the fire service flexibly. Fire chiefs argued that police officers and paramedics did not have to isolate and await test results.\n\nThe union says it cannot be sure its members will be safe if they volunteer\n\nThe FBU general secretary, Matt Wrack, told the BBC he still was not able to advise firefighters about additional Covid-related duties because the union did not know what the safety risks would be locally.\n\n\"I'm not prepared to ask people to volunteer if there aren't safety measures in place,\" he said. \"I don't want to see a deadly virus brought into workplaces when we have measures in place which have avoided it in the past several months.\"\n\nThe fire minister, Lord Stephen Greenhalgh, said: \"Brave firefighters have been prevented from stepping up to support the pandemic response because of the actions of the Fire Brigades Union.\"\n\nZoe Billingham, an inspector at Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Fire and Rescue Services, said many firefighters had contributed to the effort during the Covid crisis, but much more could have been done.\n\nShe described the union's position as \"deeply regrettable\" and \"not what the public would expect of a fire service\".\n\nThe inspectorate has released several reports calling for the modernisation of fire service working practices and criticising the FBU.\n\nLancashire Fire and Rescue Service said it had begun testing its staff twice a week\n\nAccording to this one, the dispute between firefighters and their employers has held up vital work to protect lives.\n\nIn Greater Manchester requests to the fire service to help with NHS Track and Trace were delayed by 12 weeks.\n\nIn Cleveland, the fire and rescue service had to use non-operational support staff, rather than firefighters, to carry out temperature testing for the local authority.\n\nIn Suffolk and South Yorkshire, there were delays to plans for firefighters to help get into properties where residents were suffering from Covid.\n\nThe FBU says it was not given an opportunity to respond to these claims before the report was published. Mr Wrack dismissed it as poorly-sourced and politically-motivated.\n\nSome fire services have reached agreements with local branches of the union instead so that they can volunteer for the vaccination effort.\n\nLancashire Fire and Rescue Service said it had begun testing its staff twice a week and those giving vaccinations had also received them first.", "Helen White's lighting business is struggling to absorb a six-fold increase in freight costs.\n\n\"We were paying £1,600 per container in November, this month we've been quoted over £10,000,\" says Helen White.\n\nThe founder of start-up Houseof.com, which imports lighting from China, says the rise in shipping costs means she's making a loss on what she sells.\n\nShe's one of many UK importers facing soaring freight costs amid a global shipping crisis that may last months.\n\nA shortage of empty shipping containers in Asia and bottlenecks at the UK's deep sea ports are behind the problems.\n\nIt was hoped the backlogs could be cleared during the Chinese New Year holiday in February, but instead a coronavirus outbreak in China is adding to the uncertainty facing firms.\n\nIn the UK the difficulties in international shipping have coincided with problems faced by businesses trading with the EU after Brexit.\n\nOne Manchester-based freight forwarder said the logistics industry is facing the most challenging conditions he's seen in the 17 years he's been in the business.\n\nCraig Poole from Cardinal Maritime said during lockdowns, people have been turning to online shopping, and that's causing a surge in demand for goods from China.\n\nFreight forwarder Craig Poole says the logistics industry is facing hugely challenging conditions\n\nBut some companies can't absorb the skyrocketing freight costs that shipping lines are charging. That could lead to higher prices for consumers or businesses having to close.\n\n\"The really unfortunate thing is, the small businesses who can't afford to pay those rates are going to go under as a result,\" Mr Poole said.\n\nHelen White's lighting range is designed in the UK and manufactured in Guangzhou, China.\n\nShe said the six-fold increase in shipping costs is hard to take, especially when getting hold of a container \"is like gold dust\".\n\n\"It's really hard for a small business to absorb those costs. We'll be making a loss on the goods we're selling.\"\n\nLighting seller houseof.com is struggling to import stock from China\n\nAt the other end of the supply chain, Chinese manufacturers and logistics firms say they are equally frustrated.\n\nJohnny Tseng is the owner and director of Hong Kong-based J&B Clothing Company Ltd., which manufactures garments for some of the UK's most popular fashion sites including Boohoo and Pretty Little Thing.\n\nHe's been supplying clothes to British retailers for more than 40 years, but he says his family-run firm won't be able to absorb inflated shipping rates for much longer.\n\n\"To be honest I don't even know how we can survive if we carry on shipping things at this kind of cost.\"\n\nJohnny Tseng says sky-high shipping rates are putting his business at risk.\n\nHe says he's now being quoted $14,000 to ship a container to the UK, when the usual price is $2,500.\n\nThe shortage of empty containers in China and congestion at UK ports caused some of his stock to miss the busy Christmas trading period. Now some customers are holding orders for their Autumn-Winter collections until next year.\n\n\"It's chaos,\" he said. \"We are making a loss. We take it as a loss leader and keep our fingers crossed it will go back to normal after Chinese New Year, but it is a major issue if it persists this way.\"\n\nUsually during the Chinese New Year holiday, factories in China shut down for two weeks. There were hopes the pause in production would give UK ports a chance to clear the backlog of ships waiting to dock, and encourage shipping lines to move more empty containers back to Asia, which is a less profitable journey.\n\nChinese workers usually travel home for the Chinese New Year holiday.\n\nBut rising numbers of coronavirus cases have prompted the Chinese authorities to stagger factory closing dates so that not all workers are travelling to their home regions at the same time. A worsening outbreak could lead to travel restrictions, in which case some factories may not stop production at all.\n\nCraig Poole says some companies have been caught out by factories closing earlier than planned.\n\n\"A lot of businesses that can't get those goods away are delaying orders until after Chinese New Year, so this situation could continue 'til March,\" he said.\n\nPatrick Lee from the Hong Kong-based Unique Logistics International said it could be even longer than that.\n\n\"Middle of the year at the earliest is what we're hearing from end customers in the UK, and also from some of our people in the industry. Some of the carriers as well,\" he said.\n\nMr Lee has called on the shipping lines to add more ships to help ease the backlog of stock orders building up at warehouses across China.\n\n\"They are increasing sailing but can increase a lot more. There are idle ships out there that they can reactivate without too much difficulty,\" he said.\n\nThe disruption could last for several months, according to logistics specialist Patrick Lee\n\nBut a spokeswoman for the World Shipping Council said carriers are using all available capacity.\n\n\"The demand for transportation service far exceeds supply. As in any free market, this puts upward pressure on rates,\" she said.\n\nShipping lines have been trying to drive down demand from British importers by charging a premium for deliveries to the UK, or bypassing the country's ports altogether.\n\nOne shipping line recently offered freight rates of $12,050 for a 40ft container from China to Southampton, but charged just $8,450 for the same container to travel from China to Rotterdam, Hamburg, or Antwerp.\n\nThe UK's largest container port at Felixstowe has been experiencing long delays since October. Congestion has also been a problem at the Port of Southampton, albeit to a lesser extent.\n\nThe bottlenecks were initially caused by a surge in imports as business activity picked up after the first wave of the pandemic. Huge shipments of PPE and the usual Christmas rush added to container volumes and ports struggled to cope.\n\nThe UK's largest container port at Felixstowe has been experiencing bottlenecks for months\n\n\"Most of the carriers just don't want UK cargo because of the issues when the vessels dock, so mainly they're favouring European ports and we are having to truck containers over,\" said freight forwarder Craig Poole.\n\nHe said that adds a cost of up to £2,000 per container, and takes an extra seven to ten days to reach the delivery point in the UK.\n\nFor business-owners like Helen White, the difficulties affecting the shipping industry can't be solved quickly enough.\n\n\"Lots of little start-ups are really hurting,\" she said. \"It has been paired with logistical nightmares across Europe as well. It just feels like logistics is falling apart at the moment. It's hard to see where the resolution is.\"", "All schools moved to online learning before Christmas, following concerns from unions over the new coronavirus variant\n\n\"Wholesale\" return of pupils to school after February half term is \"unlikely\", Wales' first minister has said.\n\nMark Drakeford said there were \"intermediate positions between where we are today, with very few children in school, and everybody being back\".\n\nPreviously, ministers said schools would stay closed to most until February half term unless Covid cases fell significantly.\n\nThose preparing for qualifications and very young children may return first.\n\nMr Drakeford told a coronavirus briefing on Friday he had recently chaired a meeting of the teaching unions and local education authorities.\n\n\"We all agreed that we would work purposefully together to find ways of bringing more young people back into the classroom,\" he said.\n\n\"Does that mean that we will see a wholesale return of every child in every classroom, every day of the week across Wales? I do think that that is probably unlikely.\n\n\"But there are intermediate positions between where we are today, with very few children in school, and everybody being back.\"\n\nHe said there had been \"practical, creative, imaginative\" proposals put forward which could mean some children being back in the classroom for some of the week.\n\nMinisters previously said schools would stay closed until half term unless Covid cases fell significantly\n\nThese could include \"children preparing for qualifications [and] very young children for whom online learning really isn't a genuine possibility\".\n\n\"I certainly don't rule out making some of those things happen after the February half term, but I do think it's unlikely in the way you said that we would see every child back full-time in every classroom in the way that we would ideally wish to do,\" he added.\n\nAll schools and colleges moved to online learning before Christmas, following concerns from unions over the new coronavirus variant.\n\nThey have remained open for children of critical workers and vulnerable learners, as well as for learners who needed to complete essential exams or assessments.\n\nEarlier this month, when Education Minister Kirsty Williams said schools and colleges would stay closed to most pupils until the February half term, unions welcomed the news, saying the health and safety of pupils and staff \"had to be a priority\".\n\nBut, they added, teachers must now be given the vaccine as a priority, and pupils and staff must be protected before talks about reopening schools could begin.\n\nTeachers are still not on the priority list for immunisation, and have to wait to get the jab dependent on their age and if they have a medical condition.\n\nAt the time, Laura Doel, director of The National Association of Headteachers Cymru, said: \"Any plan that sees school staff return to face-to-face learning should be afforded as much protection as possible against the virus.\n\n\"Once these issues have been addressed, then we can discuss the orderly return to school we all want.\"\n\nOpposition parties have called for clear plans on how schools would return and for support to make sure pupils from poorer backgrounds did not fall behind due to a \"digital divide\".\n\nPlaid Cymru's education spokeswoman Sian Gwenllian said: \"The Welsh Government must plan now for the gradual and safe reopening of schools, putting in place safety measures, and should lay out plans for a vaccination programme for schools staff.\"\n\nWelsh Conservative education spokeswoman Suzy Davies called for the Welsh Government to publish evidence on its reasons for closing schools, bring forward vaccines for teachers, and said money must be made available for all pupils to access laptops for online learning.", "Three quarters of applications for a £500 discretionary grant, which aims to help those on low incomes self-isolate, have been rejected, figures suggest.\n\nEmployed or self-employed people in England who do not qualify for the Test and Trace Support Payment because they do not receive benefits can apply.\n\nData obtained by Labour and shared with BBC Newsnight suggests just 12,069 of 49,877 applications were successful.\n\nThe government said it was assessing how the scheme is supporting people.\n\nThe cumulative figures obtained by Labour suggest that between October and December last year, 35,252 applications to local authorities in England for the discretionary part of the test and trace support payment scheme were rejected, while 12,069 were granted.\n\nThe government introduced the Test and Trace Support payment in late September as a way of topping up any benefits or Statutory Sick Pay a person receives.\n\nThe Department of Health and Social Care says it is a targeted scheme designed to help people on low incomes.\n\nThere is a list of specific criteria applicants must meet for the grant, but those who do not qualify for this payment and who are on a low income or may face financial hardship as a result of self-isolating, can apply for a discretionary payment.\n\nLocal authorities in England oversee the entire support scheme, with the qualifying criteria set by the government. They blame overly strict criteria and inadequate government guidance for people being rejected who feel they should qualify for a grant.\n\nThe Local Government Association, which represents councils in England as well as the London boroughs, said some councils were having to turn down applications for the discretionary support because \"people are ineligible or have failed to provide the evidence needed\".\n\nLast month, the self-isolation period for contacts of people with confirmed coronavirus was shortened from 14 to 10 days after the time of exposure.\n\nPeople who are contacted by NHS Test and Trace and told to self-isolate, face fines of up to £10,000 if they fail to comply. Those who don't self-isolate risk spreading the virus to others.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nDr Nishant Joshi, a GP trainee working at a practice in Luton, says he meets, on a daily basis, people who are faced with what he calls a \"Sophie's choice\".\n\nHe says: \"People come to me with essentially a Sophie's choice situation - I know I have to isolate but also I don't have enough money to put food on my table.\n\n\"If I say to somebody who comes to me with a health problem, you need to take a couple of weeks off work, I've had patients who have come to me and they're in tears.\"\n\nRachel, a shop worker from East London with a disabled son, tested positive in early January and was left in a desperate situation after having to self-isolate.\n\nShe says: \"I didn't have a hot meal for 10 days. I had two bowls of cornflakes and a hot dog. I was hungry. I was petrified\".\n\nShe adds: \"It's been probably the worst two weeks of my life. On a personal level I knew I had no choice but to isolate to keep my son safe.\n\n\"Had I not been in that position I can't guarantee that I would have done the whole self isolation thing because you get desperate.\"\n\nHer local councillor eventually dropped off a hot meal. Rachel was fortunate and received a £500 grant at the end of her isolation.\n\nJosie Tothill said missing two weeks of work \"could be the difference between feeding your kids or not, or paying rent or not\"\n\nJosie Tothill from Manchester didn't qualify for the scheme, even though her job, as a personal assistant to a woman who needs mental health support, means she is on a low income.\n\nShe had to self-isolate in October after her sister tested positive. But she did not receive a call from Test and Trace despite being a contact. Only people with a Test and Trace number are eligible.\n\nJosie says: \"It was difficult, but I got by. But for a lot of people, especially if you work in care, you are already on poverty wages, so to miss two weeks of work - that could be the difference between feeding your kids or not, or paying rent or not.\n\n\"So you can see, for some people, it's impossible to do that isolation, so it's much harder to control the virus.\"\n\nThe Labour Party, which obtained the figures from local authorities under the Freedom of Information Act, says the government must make sure everyone can afford to self isolate.\n\nShadow communities secretary Steve Reed said it was vital that people who self-isolated were not \"punished for doing the right thing\".\n\nHe told the BBC: \"The problem is the government established a fixed pot of money and, in some cases, councils have eked it out so much that many people applying for the funding haven't received it.\n\n\"In other cases councils have used up all the money because they have more people applying than were expected.\n\n\"So, we end up with a postcode lottery, if you live in one area you might get the funding, if you live in another area you might not.\"\n\nAnalysis of the figures by the BBC shows that of the applications to the discretionary scheme:\n\nWhile most of councils that responded rejected the majority of applications to the discretionary scheme, a smaller number bucked the trend.\n\nLambeth granted 77% of applications, Haringey and Wakefield 75%, and Solihull 64%.\n\nWhile it's impossible to rule out that applications may be coming from people who are taking a chance, it's also clear that some councils are apparently more flexible about the criteria used on the discretionary scheme.\n\nThe government is putting £70 million into funding the scheme. It said: \"Local authorities are responsible for decisions when it comes to making additional discretionary payments to people who fall outside the scope of the main scheme and are facing financial hardship as a result of having to self-isolate.\n\n\"We continue to work closely with the 314 local authorities in England to assess how the scheme is supporting people experiencing financial difficulties.\"\n\nThe Local Government Association said the government \"needs to ensure its £500 self-isolation payment support scheme is available to those in need of financial support\".\n\nIt says it is \"good\" that councils will receive extra government funding \"to support people on low incomes who do not meet the strict criteria for this main scheme, but who may face financial hardship because of the requirement to self-isolate\".", "Because of its scale, work on Glastonbury's site must begin earlier than most festivals\n\nMusic festivals are \"still possible\" this summer, despite the cancellation of Glastonbury, says the head of the Association of Independent Festivals.\n\nPaul Reed said Glastonbury \"is a different beast to most festivals and most likely ran out of time due to the size and complexity of the event\".\n\nSmaller events could still happen if the government ensures organisers can access cancellation insurance, he said.\n\n\"For most festivals, the cut-off point is more likely the end of March.\"\n\nOn Thursday, Glastonbury organisers Michael and Emily Eavis called off their festival for the second year in a row because of the coronavirus pandemic.\n\n\"In spite of our efforts to move Heaven & Earth, it has become clear that we simply will not be able to make the festival happen,\" they said in a joint statement. \"We are so sorry to let you all down.\"\n\nTickets for the festival, which normally attracts 200,000 people and was due to take place in June, will roll over to 2022.\n\nGlastonbury is the UK's biggest music festival, but it was not the only event to cancel its plans on Thursday. The Country To Country festival, which was due to take place in March, also said its 2021 edition would not happen.\n\nThe three-day event, which attracts some of country music's biggest names to indoor venues in London, Dublin and Glasgow, said it had pulled the plug due to the \"current restrictions on mass gatherings and international travel\".\n\nThe announcements came as coronavirus deaths soared in England, with more than 8,500 deaths recorded in the past week. On Thursday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said it was \"too early\" to say whether England's Covid restrictions would be lifted by the spring.\n\nStormzy has already been announced as a headliner for August's Reading and Leeds festivals\n\nGlastonbury's cancellation has raised fears for other music festivals this summer. However, the organisers of Glasgow's TRNSMT said there was \"reason to be optimistic\" that it could go ahead in July, with headliners Lewis Capaldi, Liam Gallagher and the Courteeners.\n\n\"Glastonbury is the biggest festival in the world and it's sad to see that, due to its enormous scale and taking several months to get the city-sized festival site ready, it's unable to go ahead this year,\" boss Geoff Ellis told Scotland's Daily Record.\n\n\"By comparison, TRNSMT is a much smaller city centre event with no camping. As such it takes us days rather than months to build TRNSMT. Therefore, we will continue to listen to and follow the advice from the government and remain positive about events later in the summer.\"\n\nHis comments were echoed by Bestival co-founder Rob Da Bank, who tweeted that \"festival season will happen in the UK this summer\", adding: \"Sadly Glasto is such a mammoth beast to plan it ran outta time.\"\n\nSacha Lord, co-founder of Manchester's Parklife festival, added that Glastonbury's cancellation was \"yet another blow\" to freelancers who work in the live music sector.\n\nSpeaking to BBC Breakfast on Friday, Mr Reed said the UK was at a \"serious point in the pandemic and festivals only want to return when it is safe to do so\".\n\nHe added that festivals were currently struggling to get insurance for coronavirus-related cancellations. Last week, MPs from the House of Commons culture select committee wrote to the chancellor, urging him to launch a Covid-19 insurance scheme to protect live music.\n\nThe appeal was backed by more than 100 industry figures, including organisers of the TRNSMT and Parklife festivals. \"We do need government to intervene in this issue,\" said Mr Reed.\n\nIn a tweet on Thursday, Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden expressed his regret at Glastonbury's cancellation and said the government was \"looking at problems around getting insurance\".\n\nA government spokeswoman said on Friday they are in \"regular dialogue\" with public health experts to \"agree a realistic return date for festivals and other large events\". They added they were still helping festivals with the £1.5bn Culture Recovery Fund, \"with many already receiving this support\".\n\nLatitude Festival has been held at Henham Park, near Southwold, since 2006\n\nOther European countries, including Austria and Germany, have launched schemes to cover events that cannot be rescheduled, including music festivals. At present, England has a scheme protecting film and TV shoots, but not music.\n\nHowever, some festivals have been given support by the government's £1.57bn Culture Recovery Fund, including Womad, End of the Road and Nozstock.\n\nMelvin Benn, whose company Festival Republic organises the Latitude, Download and the Reading & Leeds festivals, said that without an insurance scheme, other events would be left \"staring into the same barrel that Glastonbury stared into\".\n\n\"People can't afford to take that financial risk,\" he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.\n\nThe government is holding \"early stage talks\" with insurers, confirmed Tim Thornhill of Tyser's Insurance, which counts Glastonbury amongst its clients.\n\n\"We have helped to put in place the film and TV restart scheme, which the chancellor explained saved 14,000 jobs,\" he said. \"So if we can do something for events, that would be welcome across the industry\".\n\nWhile there is \"no guarantee\" that insurance could be provided, he said there was \"significant urgency\" to finding a solution \"within the next few months\".\n\n\"It's really important that the government supports the industry,\" added Radiohead's Colin Greenwood. \"And they need to start thinking about that now, and not when we reach that point - say in October this year - when there are enough people vaccinated for [live music] to become safe.\n\n\"Nobody wants to go to anything, or take part in anything, that's going to turn into a super-spreader event,\" he said.\n\n\"But obviously there has to be a way out of this, through vaccination. And I think we need to make sure that systems are in place so we can get back into doing what we love.\"\n\nJulian Knight MP, chair of the culture select committee, said the government was working on insurance plans, because of the importance of festivals to British culture and the economy.\n\n\"I've been in to see the chancellor,\" he told BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat. \"Finally I think there is some movement. I understand that they are dropping some of the objections that they may have had, and that we may end up with an insurance scheme.\n\n\"However, there's a danger that it's too little too late.\"\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "PM: We are enforcing lockdown with increasing toughness\n\nSky News's Sam Coates asks whether, if the new variant is more dangerous, it is right that more people are \"out and about\" during the current lockdown than the first one last year. The PM says that \"we are enforcing the law very strictly with increasing toughness\", meaning increased fines to dissuade risky behaviour. \"It depends on everybody doing the right thing and avoiding transmission,\" he says, adding that is what will be more effective than police action. On why the new variant may be transmitting more readily, Sir Patrick Vallance says it is not believed the new variant has a higher viral load, meaning people \"shed more virus\". He suggests it may be other factors that make it more transmissible. On the current infection rate, Chris Whitty says that while infections are slowly going down \"it is at a very, very high level\". He says that among some age groups - including those 20 to 30 - infections may still be increasing. And on hospitalisations, he says that they are \"broadly flat\" for the UK as a whole, but there are variations between regions. \"That peak is not yet definitely going down yet,\" he says. Deaths will be delayed further with the peak expected in the future, he adds. Video caption: Infection level 'very, very high' and 'extremely precarious' - Prof Whitty Infection level 'very, very high' and 'extremely precarious' - Prof Whitty", "The Holyrood inquiry into the handling of harassment claims against Alex Salmond is using legal powers to seek documents from the Crown Office.\n\nThe documents include messages between SNP officials, civil servants and advisers relating to Mr Salmond's legal challenge to the complaints process.\n\nIt is the first time MSPs have issued such a formal request in the history of the Scottish Parliament.\n\nConvener Linda Fabiani said the action was necessary to continue its work.\n\nThe committee was established in the wake of a judicial review court case where the Scottish government admitted its internal investigation of two harassment complaints against Mr Salmond had been unlawful.\n\nThe government had to pay out more than £500,000 in legal expenses to the former first minister, who was later acquitted of 13 charges of sexual assault in a separate criminal trial.\n\nThe notice, formally issued by Holyrood chief executive David McGill, states that the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) \"may hold documents relevant and necessary for the committee to fulfil its remit\".\n\nThe committee is seeking the release of documents detailing text or WhatsApp communications between SNP chief operating officer Susan Ruddick and Scottish government ministers, civil servants or special advisers between August 2018 and January 2019, that may be relevant to the inquiry.\n\nIt also wants to see any documents linked to the leaking of complaints to the Daily Record newspaper in August 2018.\n\nMs Fabiani said: \"Throughout this inquiry, the committee has been determined to get as much information as possible to inform its task.\n\n\"This is a step that hasn't been taken lightly, and is a first for this Parliament, but which the committee felt was needed as it continues its vital work.\"\n\nThe Crown Office has been given until 17:00 on 29 January to respond to the notice.\n\nNever before in Holyrood's history has it attempted to use this legal power of compulsion.\n\nSection 23 of the Scotland Act makes it possible to force a witness to give evidence in person or - as in this case - to hand over documents.\n\nIt sounds straightforward but lots of legal terms and conditions apply.\n\nThat's especially true in this case where MSPs are trying to compel the Crown Office - in charge of prosecutions and headed up by the Lord Advocate.\n\nThe Lord Advocate has potential get-outs if he considers releasing documents would \"prejudice criminal proceedings\" or otherwise be \"contrary to the public interest\".\n\nThat public interest test could be key.\n\nClearly, MSPs think social media messages and other material held by the Crown Office could be relevant to their inquiry and should be released.\n\nThe Crown Office has argued that disclosing evidence gathered in a criminal case for other purposes risks undermining confidence in the police and prosecutors.\n\nThe Lord Advocate has a big call to make - has the prosecution service (which he runs) or the parliament (to which he is answerable as a minister) got the better sense of where - on balance - the public interest lies?\n\nIn other developments, Mr Salmond has been given a deadline by which to appear before the committee.\n\nThe former SNP leader has been given the option of giving evidence to the committee either in person in the Parliament or by appearing remotely on a number of dates in the first week of February.\n\nMs Fabiani said if this was not possible then the \"committee regrets that it will not be able to take oral evidence from you\" although he would be free to submit further written evidence.\n\nMr Salmond's lawyers had said he was only available in the second week of February.\n\nIn a letter to the committee, the former first minister said this was because he had still to complete two further submissions but the process had been \"hampered\" by the Scottish government's \"failure\" to release its legal advice and the ongoing bid to recover documents from the Crown Office.\n\nMr Salmond's appearance is much anticipated following his written submission earlier this month in which he alleged that Nicola Sturgeon misled parliament.\n\nMs Sturgeon, who \"entirely rejects\" his claims, is expected to give evidence in the coming weeks and has said she is looking forward to putting her side across.\n\nMeanwhile, the committee has once again written to the Scottish government urging it to waive legal privilege and release the advice it received from lawyers regarding the case.\n\nA Crown Office spokesman said: \"COPFS has received the correspondence from the committee and will respond in early course.\"\n\nA Scottish government spokeswoman said: \"We will consider the committee's letter - but the Scottish government has already taken unprecedented steps to provide the committee with access to relevant information to allow it to fulfil its remit.\n\n\"The government has, exceptionally, provided the committee with access to a summary of the legal advice on the judicial review on a confidential basis.\"", "Eric Vice, 64, was on his way to Swansea University when he crashed into a bridge\n\nA bus driver who crashed his double-decker bus into a bridge, killing a passenger, has been jailed.\n\nJessica Jing Ren, 36, died 11 days after the bus, which was going to Swansea University, hit a bridge on Neath Road on 12 December 2019.\n\nEric Vice, 64, pleaded guilty to causing death by dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving at Swansea Crown Court.\n\nHe was sentenced to two years and six months.\n\nMs Ren had been on the front row of the upper deck of the bus and was on her phone at the time of the crash, the court heard.\n\nShe was a visiting academic at the university's accounting and finance department from Huanghuai University in China, where she had a five-year-old son with her husband, who is also a lecturer.\n\nProsecutor Carina Hughes said the crash left trapped passengers covered in debris and forced to crouch down in the flattened upper deck while they waited to be rescued.\n\nOlympic gold medallist and 400m hurdles world record holder Kevin Young, who was studying at the university, saw Ms Ren hit the front windscreen.\n\nEric Vice is \"consumed with guilt\" his defence barrister said\n\n\"Mr Young says that she was slowly trying to mouth some words to him, but it was inaudible.\n\n\"He described that he held her hand to try and comfort her until the police and paramedics arrived.\"\n\nMs Hughes said Ms Ren had been unconscious when cut out of the bus by firefighters 90 minutes later and was airlifted to the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff, with spine injuries, leg fractures, lacerations and a severe brain injury.\n\nAerospace engineering student Richard Thompson, 20, was seriously injured in the crash and required facial reconstruction. Mr Young suffered a head wound and two broken ribs.\n\nThe court heard passenger statements saying the bus appeared to be running late and the driver had been waving passengers on to the bus without scanning their tickets.\n\nMs Hughes said when Vice encountered traffic between Swansea University's Singleton campus and its Swansea Bay campus, he decided to take a different route, one he had taken several times before when driving a single-decker bus.\n\nShe said 21 passengers has been on board, 13 of whom were on the top deck.\n\nMs Hughes said Vice had driven past two height restriction warnings on the route.\n\nThe bus went under the stone arch of the railway bridge, but hit the lower steel bridge.\n\nIan Ibrahim, defending, said it had been \"without doubt a catastrophic error of judgement.\"\n\nHe added: \"He is consumed with guilt - he's been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder and severe depression.\"\n\nJessica Jing Ren was a visiting academic at Swansea University from Huanghuai University in China\n\nJudge Geraint Williams said: \"That fatal error of yours resulted in the death of a promising young academic.\n\n\"Following the crash you stayed at the scene where you witnessed first-hand the carnage you had created.\n\n\"I can't think of a word short of carnage to describe the scene on the upstairs of that bus - but it could have been many, many times worse.\n\n\"The stark reality in this case is that your impatience that day robbed you of the care which ordinarily you applied to your professional driving.\"\n\nThe scene inside the bus after it crashed into a railway bridge in Neath Road, Swansea\n\nAt the time of her death, Ms Ren's family said in a statement: \"Jessica was the loving wife of Wenquang Wang, a devoted mother to five-year-old Yushu Wang and the cherished Daughter of Mingqi Ren.\n\n\"A much loved and talented academic, Jessica will be deeply missed by her family and her friends both in China and in Swansea and will leave a great void in their lives.\"\n\nIn a statement released after Ms Ren died, Swansea University said: \"We are deeply shocked and saddened to hear of the death of Jessica Jing Ren.\n\n\"Our thoughts are with Jessica's family at this time and we extend our deepest condolences at their tragic loss.\"", "Daniel Craig with director Cary Joji Fukunaga on the No Time To Die set in 2019\n\nThe release of the next James Bond film has been delayed for a third time because of the coronavirus pandemic.\n\nNo Time To Die had already been pushed back twice, and will now debut globally on 8 October, an announcement on the film's website said.\n\nIt had originally been due to hit screens in April 2020.\n\nThe film is the 25th instalment in the Bond franchise, and marks Daniel Craig's final appearance as British secret service agent 007.\n\nIt also features Lea Seydoux and Rami Malek.\n\nThe delay will come as a further blow to cinemas that have been forced to shut for months at a time because of lockdowns.\n\nEarlier this week, leading film-makers including Danny Boyle and Sir Steve McQueen wrote to the UK Government, calling for financial support for cinema chains because \"UK cinema stands on the edge of an abyss\".\n\nCineworld said in October, when No Time To Die was pushed back for the second time, that delays to big budget releases meant the industry was \"unviable\".\n\nBond's latest move sparked a flurry of other delays to major releases. Sony has pushed back Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Peter Rabbit 2, Jared Leto's Morbius, Tom Holland's Uncharted and Cinderella, which will star singer Camila Cabello; while Universal has moved Tom Hanks' Bios from April to November.\n\nThis YouTube post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on YouTube The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts. Skip youtube video by James Bond 007 This article contains content provided by Google YouTube. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Google’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts.\n\nThe UK Cinema Association said the decision to postpone No Time To Die again, \"while clearly disappointing, is at the same time not surprising given the current situation around Covid-19 in the UK as well as the US and other major film territories\".\n\nThe postponement of Daniel Craig's swansong and other films \"underlines the need for ongoing support for the UK cinema sector\", the trade body's chief executive Phil Clapp said.\n\nThe association is calling on the government to provide \"direct funding\" to chains, which represent 80% of ticket sales.\n\nOne of the major chains, Vue, said the delay was \"understandable\", and that the continuing attempts to release the film in cinemas \"is further testament to our shared belief in a bright future for the big screen\".\n\nHowever, the latest postponement could stoke speculation that the film may ultimately skip cinemas and be released on a streaming platform.\n\nMajor Disney titles like Pixar's Soul and its live-action remake of Mulan bypassed cinemas, premiering instead on the Disney+ streaming service.\n\nWonder Woman 1984, meanwhile, was made available in the US on the HBO Max streaming service on the same day it received a limited cinema release.\n\nLast year, Warner Bros announced its 2021 titles - including sci-fi epic Dune and The Matrix 4 - would all adopt a similar dual release pattern, escalating tensions between Hollywood and US movie theatres.\n\nRami Malek plays the villainous Safin in the thrice-delayed film\n\nThe Dig, a new historical drama starring Ralph Fiennes and Carey Mulligan, was due to be released in selected UK cinemas this month. Now, the film will only be available on Netflix from 29 January.\n\nAsked whether No Time To Die might go down the same route, Fiennes - who will reprise his role as M in the film - recently told BBC News: \"That's a good question and I'm not really in a position to answer it.\n\n\"I would love the idea that people could go to the cinema and have the full effect of the big-screen energy behind the Bond, but I'm sure it's something the people who make these executive decisions are probably considering.\n\n\"I really hope we come through this so people can go to the cinema. Maybe they just have to hold their nerve. But of course we don't know, and there may be financial reasons or imperatives that [mean] they have to put it on a streaming system.\"\n\nIf No Time To Die is indeed released in cinemas in October, it will arrive a full six years on from the release of its 2015 predecessor Spectre.\n\nThat won't be far behind the six years and four months that separated the release of Licence to Kill in summer 1989 and GoldenEye in late 1995 - the biggest gap between two Bond films.\n\nThe last Bond film, 2015's Spectre, took almost $900m (£690m) at worldwide box offices.\n\nOther blockbusters to have been delayed by the pandemic include action sequel Top Gun: Maverick and Marvel's Black Widow.\n\nFollow us on Facebook or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "One of the mysteries of Covid-19 is why oxygen levels in the blood can drop to dangerously low levels without the patient noticing.\n\nIt is known as \"silent hypoxia\".\n\nAs a result, patients have been arriving in hospital in far worse health than they realised and, in some cases, too late to treat effectively.\n\nBut a potentially life-saving solution, in the form of a pulse oximeter, allows patients to monitor their oxygen levels at home, and costs about £20.\n\nThey are being rolled out for high-risk Covid patients in the UK, and the doctor leading the scheme thinks everyone should consider buying one.\n\nA normal oxygen level in the blood is between 95% and 100%.\n\n\"With Covid, we were admitting patients with oxygen levels in the 70s or low-or-middle 80s,\" said Dr Matt Inada-Kim, a consultant in acute medicine at Hampshire Hospitals.\n\nHe told BBC Radio 4's Inside Health: \"It was a really curious and scary presentation and really made us rethink what we were doing.\"\n\nDr Inada-Kim became the national clinical lead of the Covid Oximetry@home project.\n\nA pulse oximeter slips over your middle finger and shines a light into the body. It measures how much of the light is absorbed in order to calculate oxygen levels in the blood.\n\nIn England, they are being given to people with Covid who are over 65, younger but have a health problem, or anyone doctors are concerned about. Similar schemes are being rolled out across the UK.\n\nPeople measure and record their oxygen levels three times a day.\n\nThis YouTube post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on YouTube The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts. Skip youtube video by Health Education England - HEE This article contains content provided by Google YouTube. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Google’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts.\n\nIf oxygen levels drop to 93% or 94%, then people speak to their GP or call 111. If they go below 92%, people should go to A&E or call 999 for an ambulance.\n\nStudies, which have not been reviewed by other scientists, have shown even small drops below 95% are linked to an increased risk of dying.\n\nDr Inada-Kim said: \"The point of this whole strategy is to try to get in early to prevent people getting that sick, by admitting patients at a more salvageable point in their illness.\"\n\nChris Harris, who is 70, was one of the first patients to benefit from the scheme.\n\nHe was being treated for a urinary infection in November last year, but then when he developed unexpected flu-like symptoms his GP sent him for a Covid test. It was positive.\n\n\"I don't mind admitting I was in tears, it was a very stressful, frightening time,\" he told Inside Health.\n\nHis oxygen levels dropped a couple of percentage points below the normal zone, so after a call with his GP, he went to hospital.\n\nAt this point he was still feeling fine, but things changed the day after he was admitted.\n\n\"My breathing started to get a little bit laboured, I had a high temperature as the days went on, [my oxygen levels] were progressively getting lower, they were in their 80s,\" he told me.\n\nChris was treated, did not need intensive care and has made a full recovery.\n\nHe said: \"I may have gone [to hospital] as the very last resort and that's the frightening thing. It was the oxygen meter that forced me to go, I would have just sat it out thinking I would recover.\n\n\"I am extremely lucky and very, very grateful.\"\n\nHis GP, Dr Caroline O'Keefe, says she has seen a massive increase in the number of people being monitored.\n\nShe said: \"On Christmas Day we were monitoring 44 patients, today I have 160 patients who I am monitoring daily. So we are certainly busy.\"\n\n\"We've had to quadruple the size of our team in the last two weeks.\"\n\nOverall, NHS England has supplied around 300,000 pulse oximeters for the home-monitoring scheme.\n\nDr Inada-Kim says there isn't definitive proof that the gadget saves lives and it could take until April to know for sure. However, the early signs are all positive.\n\n\"What we think we can see are the early seeds of a reduction in the length of stay after a hospital admission, an improvement in survival and a reduction in the pressures on the emergency services,\" he said.\n\nHe is so convinced of their role in tackling silent hypoxia that he said everyone should consider buying one.\n\n\"Personally I would, and I know a number of colleagues who have bought pulse oximeters to distribute to their loved ones,\" he said.\n\nHe advised checking they had a CE Kitemark and to avoid apps on smartphones, which he said were not as reliable.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nA mosque has become the first in the UK to open as a Covid vaccination centre.\n\nThe Al-Abbas Islamic Centre in Balsall Heath, Birmingham is expected to vaccinate up to 500 people a day.\n\nThe imam, Sheikh Nuru Mohammed, said he hoped it would help dispel false information that the vaccine was forbidden in Islamic law.\n\nNHS England said it fears disinformation could be causing some in the UK's South Asian communities to reject the Covid vaccine.\n\n\"It will send a strong message to our Muslim brothers and sisters. We are doing this to say a big 'no' to fake news and a big 'yes' to the vaccine,\" Sheikh Nuru said.\n\n\"Muslim scholars advise us to get the vaccine because the sanctity of life is important in Islam.\"\n\nImam Sheikh Nuru Mohammed said he hopes the opening of the vaccination centre will help dispel false information\n\nDr Rizwan Alidina, a trustee of the mosque and member of the Birmingham and Solihull Clinical Commissioning Group said: \"The significance of the venue is obviously quite evident with particularly the Muslim community being one of the communities with a bit of a lower uptake than we would otherwise have expected.\"\n\nHe said there had been a good response to the opening of the centre at the mosque and hoped it would soon be carrying out between 300 and 500 vaccinations a day.\n\nNHS England regional medical director for London Dr Vin Diwakar told a Downing Street press conference some communities had \"legitimate and understandable concerns about the vaccines\".\n\nHe said despite it being a \"safe and effective vaccine\", for some Asian and black communities there were \"longstanding concerns\" that \"go back generations\".\n\nDr Diwakar said some people were \"told by their grandparents that experiments were done in the early part of the last century, that unethical experiments were done way back in the 60s\".\n\nSpeaking at the Downing Street briefing, Home Secretary Priti Patel also sought to counter disinformation targeted at people from minority ethnic backgrounds.\n\n\"This vaccine is safe for us all,\" she said.\n\n\"It will protect you and your family... So I urge everyone from across our wonderfully diverse country to get the vaccine when their turn comes to keep us all safe.\"\n\nOne of the first to get the jab at he Birmingham mosque, retired GP Dr Masud Ahmad, said his message to others in the local community was \"that it's quite safe to have it and they should have it\".\n\nOther places of worship, including Salisbury Cathedral and Lichfield Cathedral, opened as vaccine centres last week.\n\nThe Al-Abbas Islamic Centre is administering the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine\n\nFollow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Ministers will discuss at a meeting on Monday whether to tighten restrictions at UK borders - including the possibility of hotel quarantines for travellers, the BBC has been told.\n\nAt a Downing Street news conference on Friday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson did not rule out taking further action.\n\nIt comes amid increased concerns over the spread of new coronavirus variants.\n\nUnder current travel curbs, almost all people arriving in the UK must test negative for Covid to be allowed entry.\n\nThe test must be taken in the 72 hours before travelling and anyone arriving without one faces a fine of up to £500.\n\nAll passengers are also required to quarantine for up to 10 days, although the isolation period can be cut short with a second negative test after five days in England.\n\nThe only people not subject to the conditions are children under 11, hauliers, air, international rail and maritime crew, and passengers from the Common Travel Area - comprised of the Republic of Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man\n\nScotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own quarantine rules, which differ slightly.\n\nAs of Monday, travel corridors, which exempted passengers arriving from some countries from quarantine, were suspended throughout the UK.\n\nAsked whether the government would bring in further measures at UK borders, Mr Johnson said: \"I really don't rule it out, we may need to take further measures still.\n\n\"We may need to go further to protect our borders.\n\n\"We don't want to put that [efforts to control Covid] at risk by having a new variant come back in.\"\n\nOne more infectious variant , which was first identified in Kent, has already spread widely across the UK.\n\nAnd, at the briefing, the prime minister announced that early evidence suggests this variant may be more deadly.\n\nOther new variants causing concern have been identified in South Africa and Brazil in the weeks since the Kent variant was discovered.\n\nThose discoveries led to direct flights to the UK from all South American countries and several southern African countries being suspended.\n\nScientists fear these variants discovered in other countries may interfere with the effectiveness of vaccines and evade parts of the immune system.\n\nWhile those travelling into the UK are asked to abide by the 10-day isolation and told they can be subject to checks, London mayor Sadiq Khan is among those who have called for the UK to adopt the use of enforced quarantine in hotel rooms.\n\nThe policy is among the measures in Australia that has limited the country to just 28,750 positive cases during the entire pandemic, fewer than the UK currently has every day.\n\nTravellers who choose to go to Australia have to pay for their rooms at one of a number of selected quarantine facilities - and have all their meals delivered to their room throughout a stay of at least 14 days. They get tested twice for Covid during that period and if they test positive their quarantine is extended for a further 14 days.\n\nMeanwhile, passengers arriving into London's Heathrow airport this week have complained of queues at passport control and what they described as poor social distancing, after the latest travel restrictions - requiring travellers to show proof of their negative Covid tests - came into force.\n\nOn Friday, former British ambassador Peter Westmacott posted a picture on Twitter of long queues at the airport.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Peter Westmacott This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nA government spokesman said people \"should not be travelling unless absolutely necessary\".\n\nThe statement added: \"You must have proof of a negative test and a completed passenger locator form before arriving.\n\n\"Border Force have been ramping up enforcement and those not complying could be fined £500.\n\n\"It's ultimately up to individual airports to ensure social distancing on site.\"\n\nWith all parts of the UK under strict virus rules amid high levels of infection, only essential foreign travel is permitted in the current advice from the Foreign Office.\n\nA further 40,261 cases, and 1,401 deaths within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test were reported on Friday in the UK.", "The bunker is in a rural location near St Agnes, Cornwall\n\nAn \"eerie\" underground bunker built during the Cold War has been put up for sale with a guide price of £25,000.\n\nThe former monitoring post near St Agnes, Cornwall was built in 1961 and is accessed down a 14ft (4.2m) ladder.\n\nSellers have suggested \"a variety of uses\" for the \"out of the ordinary\" property, subject to planning permission from Cornwall Council.\n\nIt was used in the Cold War to monitor aircraft and any potential nuclear threats, said auctioneer Adam Cook.\n\nThe auction will be held online in February\n\nThe bunker was manned by volunteers and consists of an access shaft, a toilet and a monitoring room.\n\nIt is being auctioned online as part of a triangular piece of land on 18 February.\n\nThe site was first opened in 1961 and closed in 1991 and is accessed down a \"rustic vehicular track\", according to the online advert.\n\nMr Cook said it is a former Royal Observer Corps Monitoring Post \"but people love calling it a nuclear bunker\".\n\nHe said the bunker would have been one of around 1,500 monitoring posts built in coastal regions in the UK between the 1960s and 1990s.\n\nOld bunk beds remain in the bunker\n\nAccessed by a hatch, Mr Cook described the reinforced concrete bunker as \"a little bit eerie when you're there on your own\".\n\n\"I'm glad I've been down there...[to have] half a chance of explaining it to customers.\"\n\nHe said there was still a sense of what it used to be with an \"old bunk bed\" and a toilet \"which I don't think you'd fancy using but it certainly gives you the atmosphere\".\n\nMr Cook explained it is \"difficult to pigeon hole it onto any one kind of purchaser\" and said the buyer could be anyone from a history enthusiast to a landowner.\n\n\"All kinds could be interested and we're already getting lots of calls about it.\"\n\nFollow BBC News South West on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your comments and story ideas to spotlight@bbc.co.uk.\n• None Cold War bunker up for sale for £25,000", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Some of the volunteers are working to prepare bodies for burial\n\nA mosque in east London has closed for all communal prayer. Instead it is serving two purposes - providing funerals and feeding the local community. Michael Buchanan finds a team of volunteers there battling to deal with the pandemic.\n\nThe family shuffled quietly past a crate of milk cartons. They came through the small porch, towards the open coffin. Inside was a woman - a loved one - who died of Covid two days ago. The coffin sat feet away from tins and packets to be distributed by the local food bank. The milk was the latest delivery.\n\nIt is impossible to capture the enormous consequences of the pandemic. But last Saturday lunchtime, this tragic image - one of grief and hardship coming together - came close, for me at least.\n\nCovid-19 has made extraordinary demands of so many different people, but what is currently happening at the Masjid Ibrahim and Islamic Centre in east London is truly remarkable. Situated on a busy road, with the noise of ambulance sirens regularly shattering its peaceful interior, the mosque has closed to communal prayer and is open for two other purposes - to provide a funeral service and a food bank to the local community. Both are inundated.\n\n\"We've had so many bodies coming in. It's quite shocking. It's one after another after another. We've never had that situation before,\" says Sofia Bhatti. Alongside her friend, Tabassum Khokhar - known as Tabs - the pair are unheralded heroes. They volunteer to wash the bodies of Covid-positive women prior to burial.\n\nThe practice, called Ghusl, is a sacred Islamic ritual and is usually performed by the deceased's relatives, who cleanse and shroud the body. But Covid restrictions mean families are currently denied that religious honour, so volunteers like Sofia and Tabs are taking on what they consider to be a privileged task.\n\n\"We actually believe that when we are shrouding here, that God is shrouding the soul at the same time,\" says Tabs, standing by a coffin. By day, she works as a teaching support worker in a local school, so the PPE that the mosque provides - bodysuit, footwear, two sets of gloves, masks and visors - is crucial for her. \"I make sure my PPE is secure because it's not just about me, it's about my family. I have an 81-year-old mother.\"\n\nThe women are seeing first hand - and in graphic detail - the pressure the NHS is under. \"Very often we see bodies coming in with a lot of medical equipment still attached to them,\" says Sofia. \"Tubes and pipes and catheters still attached. So it makes our job a little bit harder.\" One of the women they washed during my visit had died in the ambulance, never actually reaching hospital.\n\nVery often we see bodies coming in with a lot of medical equipment still attached to them. Tubes and pipes and catheters\n\nThere are far more bodies than during the first peak and there is a larger age range. One day this week, the mosque was handling seven bodies. A few days earlier they said they'd processed 10 funerals, all arranged for free and paid for by donations. Before the pandemic, they'd handled two to three funerals a week. The two local hospital trusts in east London have each had more than 1,000 Covid deaths since the start of the pandemic. More have died at home.\n\nThe borough of Newham, where the mosque sits, has suffered a disproportionate number of deaths. Home to the Olympic Park, the 2012 London games were meant to regenerate this area. Yet it retains high levels of poverty and overcrowded housing. Add in a diverse population, rich in south Asian culture, and large numbers of people who can't work from home and the virus has sadly ripped through its residents.\n\nIsfand Aslam said he's shocked by what's going on. His father, Mohammad, died on 3 January, a week after falling ill. His positive Covid test result arrived two days after his death. The 85-year-old was a committee member at the Masjid Ibrahim and despite his age had been in good health. \"It took a week between him passing away and getting buried. Initially I was getting a lot of condolences from friends. But by the end of that week I am giving condolences to three friends because their fathers had passed away. It's now got to the stage where everybody we know knows somebody who has passed away.\"\n\nThe sheer number of deaths is impacting the area's main Muslim cemetery. Normally, the Gardens of Peace buries three to four people each day. They're currently carrying out an average of 15 funerals daily. Overall, they are about 50% busier than usual. They can no longer promise burials within 24 hours, as per Muslim custom.\n\nDespite this, there is still a concerning number of people in the local area who either don't think Covid is real or are resistant to taking a vaccine. There was anger among some community leaders before Christmas when it emerged the Bangladeshi High Commission in London held a cultural evening to celebrate its independence. Photos from the event, on 16 December, showed a group - including the High Commissioner herself - standing close together with no masks or social distancing. The High Commission said performers had been Covid tested and it had issued 10 videos in Bangla urging British-Bangladeshis to adhere to UK government guidance.\n\nIt's now got to the stage where everybody we know knows somebody who has passed away\n\nTo counter disinformation among its members, an imam at the Masjid Ibrahim, Mohammad Ammar, filmed a short video of himself being injected with the vaccine and urged his congregation to follow suit. Imam Ammar has actually been furloughed by the mosque as it focusses all its resources on battling the pandemic, including feeding its local community.\n\nThe virus forced the mosque to open a food bank in March. It is still running 10 months on. On Monday night, I watched a steady stream of people gather in the gloom at the rear of the mosque to fill their bags. Most were collecting on behalf of a larger household, and the mosque says they're currently feeding 350 families each week, including students, refugees, people with no access to public funds and those who've lost income.\n\nAmong those collecting food on Monday was Mohammad Rahman. A 42-year-old chef, he lost his job in an Indian restaurant three months ago. The married father of two boys - aged eight and six - told me he was already in rent arrears and struggling to pay his energy bills. \"My son says 'where is the pizza'? But I have no money. He says '[can I have] chicken and chips'? But I have no money. The shops are open, but no money\", he adds, taking his hands from his pockets.\n\nIn normal times, the Masjid Ibrahim would attract about 1,100 worshippers over three floors for Friday prayers, and there has been some pressure on the leadership to reopen for communal worship. But Asim Uddin, chairman of the mosque, says now is not the time. \"Prayers, yes, it's important. But right now what is the need? The need of the community is they want to be fed and they want a place where they can respectfully bury their loved ones. And the demand is overwhelming. Right now, it's better they stay home, and they can pray at home until the situation goes back to normal.\"\n\nMichael Buchanan is the BBC's social affairs correspondent and has been reporting on the impact of the pandemic on communities in the UK. Last year, he visited the town of Pontypool to find out what impact coronavirus restrictions were having in Wales.", "UK retailers could abandon goods EU customers want to return, with some even thinking of burning them because it is cheaper than bringing them home.\n\nThey say the new EU trade deal has put costly duties on returns at a time when firms are already struggling.\n\nThe BBC has been told UK High Street and luxury brands have a mounting volume of goods stuck with courier services on the continent.\n\nNone of the retailers would comment on the problem.\n\nAdam Mansell, boss of the UK Fashion & Textile Association (UKFT), said it's \"cheaper for retailers to write off the cost of the goods than dealing with it all, either abandoning or potentially burning them.\"\n\nSince 1 January, lots of European customers have been presented with an unexpected customs invoice when signing for goods they've ordered from the UK. These new customs charges are a result of the new EU trade deal with the UK.\n\n\"It's part of the ongoing small print of the deal,\" said Mr Mansell. \"If you're in Germany and buying goods from the UK, you as the German customer are the importer bringing goods into the EU.\n\n\"You then have a courier company knocking on the door giving you a customs clearance invoice that you need to pay to receive your goods.\"\n\nMany customers automatically reject the goods, refusing to pay the additional surcharges, leaving couriers to take them away.\n\nAbout 30% of items bought online are returned, according to figures from Statista. That has meant large volumes of goods are heading back to the UK.\n\nWhen goods arrive back at depots on the Continent, there is new customs paperwork to complete. \"Export clearance charge, import charge arrival, import VAT charge and depending on the goods a rules of origin document as well,\" said Mr Mansell.\n\n\"Lots of large businesses don't have a handle on it, never mind smaller ones.\"\n\nThe BBC has seen a document that states four major UK High Street fashion retailers are stockpiling returns in Belgium, Ireland and Germany. One brand will incur charges of almost £20,000 to get the returns back.\n\nCouriers and freight businesses that ship from the UK to Europe are also experiencing delays getting goods to the Continent because of the new customs clearances.\n\n\"It's a bigger change than we thought possible,\" explained Shona Brown from Speedy Freight, a courier service. \"Before, we'd get the order to Germany and off the driver would go.\n\n\"Now we've got to do export entry detailing where was it made, the driver needs to go to the customs office at Dover, then customs in Germany on arrival and then sort out the VAT. There are so many hoops to jump through, it's so laborious.\"\n\n\"You've got to have manpower to figure out what to do. And with people working from home it's difficult. For small businesses, it is a huge thing for people to do,\" she added.\n\nUlla Vitting Richards runs her sustainable fashion brand VILDNIS from the UK. She has stopped exporting to her fastest growing market, the EU, because of the new customs processes.\n\n\"I've been involved in logistics before. I expected it to be bad and I am used to shipping to the USA which is difficult. But this is just mind-blowing,\" she said.\n\n\"Every day there is another layer. In the first two weeks we couldn't get answers. For two years we were told to get ready for Brexit. But for these we couldn't prepare.\"\n\nShe added: \"I don't think we can increase prices but we might just have to say that we can't make the business with the EU work. It is a real shame. There is a huge interest in sustainable fashion in Europe and we might have to walk away from it.\"\n\nUlla did speak with the Department for International Trade for help and advice. She was told that setting up a subsidiary distribution hub in Europe might be a good idea: \"He told me we'd be best off moving stock to a warehouse in Germany and get them to handle it.\"\n\nRetailers in the UK and Europe that trade across the new customs border are all still adapting to the rules. Hauliers and customs agents are facing a steep learning curve too.\n\nThe government said: \"Now the UK has left the EU customs union and Single Market, there are new rules and processes businesses will need to follow.\n\n\"We have encouraged companies new to dealing with customs declarations to appoint a specialist to deal with import and export declarations on their behalf - and we made more than £80m available to expand the capacity of the customs agents market.\"\n\nIt added: \"Most businesses use a specialist such as a customs broker, freight forwarder or fast parcel operator to deal with this.\n\n\"The government will continue to work closely with businesses to ensure they are able to trade effectively under the new rules.\"", "The water is warmer than the air and is creating a mist along Dynevor Road\n\nThe coalmining heritage of Wales has been implicated in flooding of homes - but what has happened in Skewen?\n\nAbout 80 people were evacuated from the Neath Port Talbot village, with at least eight streets left under water.\n\nCouncil leader Rob Jones says the flood appears to be related to mine works - but the volume of water involved has hampered a full assessment so far.\n\nThe Coal Authority is investigating how \"historic underground mining features\" in the area exacerbated the problem.\n\nA geologist says there are tens of thousands of old mine shafts across the former south Wales coalfield and it is \"incredibly difficult\" to monitor them all.\n\nSkewen lies within an old coal mining hotspot, with several former colliery sites near the village that operated in the 19th and early 20th Century.\n\nThere were colliery sites near what is now Drummau Road, in the north of the village and another close to Old Road, near Neath Abbey.\n\nSkewen was part of a collection of collieries that stretched between Neath and Llanelli on the western side of south Wales' coalfield.\n\nGraham Levins, secretary of the Welsh Mines Preservation Trust, said old mines often contain groundwater which can flood in heavy rain.\n\nHe said: \"A lot of them go very, very deep down, much below the local water level and that's why they had all the big wheels to pump the water out.\n\n\"It fills up with water and will find a way out. Normally rainfall you get it doesn't cause a lot of problems but when you get really heavy rain, the water drains down through the ground and builds up.\"\n\nStreets were turned into rivers in Skewen\n\nGeologist Tom Backhouse said water was coming out of an area near the junction of Goshen Park and Drummau Road, where there is a record of a mine shaft dating from the turn of the 20th Century.\n\nIt then started \"rushing down\" Drummau Road, causing the flooding that forced evacuations.\n\n\"What we can expect to have happened is that the water level in the mines rose to a point where it's burst out of that entry point from the mine workings below.\n\n\"Also, there are images of very ochre like orange-coloured water and again, that may well be issuing from the mine workings on the highlands to the east of the property on the hill behind.\n\n\"That may be where the shallow workings have flooded.\"\n\nHe said old mine working across the former coalfield area hold water at a certain depth, but when an event such as Storm Christoph drops \"a huge amount in a small area\", the levels rise quickly.\n\n\"As it gets closer and closer to the surface, it basically looks for an escape, the pressure builds up,\" he continued.\n\n\"What it looks like has happened on the junction of Goshen Park and Drummau Road, where the mine shaft is recorded, is that pressure has built up at that point and then burst out through the shaft which is very likely to have been capped with wood or something like that.\n\n\"Where you've got those mine shafts, which ultimately are vertical tunnels down into the mine workings below, the water has literally forced itself up through that shaft, and the pressure is obviously so great it's caused this devastating flash flood.\"\n\nAs well as properties, vehicles were submerged in water\n\nThere are about 13 shafts recorded within about 820ft (250m) of the one in Goshen Park, so Mr Backhouse said it is possible more than one may have burst.\n\nThere are tens of thousands in south Wales and he said it was \"incredibly difficult\" to check them all, but there were \"tell tale signs\" as to why they may collapse such as age or what type of developments are around them.\n\nThe clean up has continued on Friday morning\n\n\"Not to try and fear-monger or anything but of course this sort of thing can happen again,\" he said.\n\n\"If another event like Storm Christoph happens, the water levels in the mine rises as quickly as it did, there's absolutely nothing to say that it wouldn't happen again in the future.\n\n\"And obviously as climate changes and we have many more events like Storm Christoph, they are going to increase in frequency, they are going to be much more severe.\n\n\"The Coal Authority will have to consider the risk in places like Skewen, and they'll have to understand how it will affect residents and proactively manage that and look at how to reduce the risks for residents.\"", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Infection level \"very, very high\" and \"extremely precarious\" - Prof Whitty\n\nThe UK is at an \"extremely precarious\" point, according to the chief medical adviser, despite signs Covid infections are beginning to fall.\n\nThe virus's reproduction rate is estimated to be at or below one for the first time since early December.\n\nAnything below one means the epidemic is shrinking.\n\nBut cases are falling from a \"very, very high level\", Prof Chris Whitty said - and may still be increasing in some areas.\n\n\"A very small change and it could start taking off again from an extremely high base,\" he warned.\n\nSpeaking at a Number 10 press conference on Friday evening, the UK's chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, said the \"awful\" death rate would stay high \"for a little while before it starts coming down\".\n\n\"That was always what was predicted...and I think the information about the new variant doesn't change that\".\n\nEarly evidence suggests the variant of coronavirus that emerged in the UK may be more deadly, although findings are preliminary and there is a high level of uncertainty.\n\nDr Susan Hopkins at Public Health England said there was \"evidence from some but not all data sources which suggests that the variant of concern which was first detected in the UK may lead to a higher risk of death than the non-variant.\n\n\"Evidence on this variant is still emerging and more work is under way to fully understand how it behaves.\"\n\nThe Department of Health and Social Care said while the UK's R or reproduction number, might be below one - meaning a shrinking epidemic - overall, \"cases remain dangerously high and...it is essential that everyone continues to stay at home, whether they have had the vaccine or not.\"\n\nMeanwhile, Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures suggested cases were decreasing slightly or levelling off across Britain.\n\nBut infections are falling more slowly than they did during the first lockdown - by somewhere around a quarter every fortnight compared with a halving back in April.\n\nA further 40,261 cases, and 1,401 deaths were recorded on Friday in the UK.\n\nMore than five million people had been given a first dose of the vaccine by 21 January, and about half a million had received their second dose.\n\nPrime Minister Boris Johnson has previously said it is \"too early\" to say whether England's Covid restrictions will be able to end in the spring.\n\nWhile cases are falling or stable across the rest of the UK, in Northern Ireland cases have continued to rise and the new, more infectious strain has overtaken the older variant of the virus as of the start of January.\n\nDuring the week ending 16 January, about one in 55 people in England had the virus, the ONS estimated, with one in 35 in London testing positive.\n\nOne in 100 people had the virus in Scotland and one in 70 in Wales.\n\nBut in Northern Ireland infections have shot up from an an estimated one in 200 people testing positive in the week to 2 January, to one in 60 last week.\n\nONS statistician Sarah Crofts said while fewer people were testing positive in England, \"rates remain high and we estimate the level of infection is still over one million people\".\n\nAnd, she pointed out, \"the picture across the UK is mixed\".\n\nA survey by tech company ZOE and King's College London, based on swabs of people with and without symptoms, also suggested the R number could be at 0.8.\n\nAnd it estimated symptomatic cases had fallen by a quarter since last week.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. What is the R number and what does it mean?\n\nMeanwhile, the proportion of people testing positive for the new Covid variant has risen considerably in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, ONS data suggest.\n\nBut the new strain, which remains by far the main source of infections in England, has yet to overtake the old strain in Scotland and Wales.\n\nWithin England, the proportion of infections that appear to be due to the new variant remained stable, but the gap between the regions is narrowing.\n\nIn the figures covering 2 January, 80% of infections looked like the new variant in London compared to 30% in the North East.\n\nTwo weeks later, that gap had narrowed to 70% in London versus 50% in the North East.\n\nIt is not clear what is behind the small fall in London, but it may be down to behaviour change, or other variants like the South Africa strain now in circulation and diluting the numbers.", "It would be unrealistic to expect all lockdown restrictions in Northern Ireland to be lifted on 5 March, Health Minister Robin Swann has said.\n\nOn Thursday, the executive announced that the current restrictions, which have been in place since 26 December, would be extended to 5 March.\n\nBut ministers were also told restrictions may have to remain in place until after the Easter holidays.\n\nMr Swann said the decision to extend restrictions had not been easy.\n\nSpeaking on BBC Radio Ulster's Good Morning Ulster programme, he said: \"Can I say that'll we'll have to extend them at that point [5 March]? At this time, no I can't.\n\n\"But it would, I think, be unrealistic to think that we'd be able to lift every restriction come that date because we do see where this virus is going, the trajectory it's taking, the large number of positive cases that we are managing but also the large number of hospital admissions that we currently have.\n\nRobin Swann says the decision to extend the restrictions had not been easy\n\n\"There has to be a consideration and planning put into place - we know Covid's going to be with us for a very long time, we also know it will take time for our vaccination process to kick in and have that major effect.\"\n\nA lockdown closing non-essential retailers and encouraging employees to work from home began after Christmas.\n\nFamily gatherings are prohibited and people have been ordered to stay at home for all but essential reasons.\n\nSchools are closed to most pupils until after February's half-term break but a paper looking at reopening will be put to ministers at next week's executive meeting.\n\nThe Catholic Church, the Church of Ireland, the Presbyterian Church and the Methodist Church have all confirmed that in-person worship will continue to be suspended until 5 March in accordance with the executive's decision on the restrictions.\n\nThe churches say there are exceptions for weddings and funerals and private prayer.\n\nTwelve more Covid-19 related deaths were recorded in Northern Ireland on Friday, taking the overall death toll recorded by the Department of Health to 1,704.\n\nIt is a story that changes not only by the day but by the hour and is dictated by numbers.\n\nNever before have we scrutinised hospital figures so closely, especially this week.\n\nAnd the numbers are important as we know how many intensive care unit (ICU) beds are available across Northern Ireland and potentially how many will be required in the next 24 hours.\n\nOn Wednesday, 33 ICU beds were available - on Friday that dropped to 18.\n\nBut as we enter a difficult 72 hours, there is a feeling that the health system will cope.\n\nA regional approach to the crisis means no hospital is left to shoulder responsibility on its own.\n\nEvery afternoon a call is made about whether an additional \"pod\" - a bay of beds - is required to be opened at the Nightingale facility at Belfast City Hospital.\n\nIf not, it is felt that hospitals can hold their own for another 24 hours.\n\nCoping is good but comes at a terrible cost - keeping a lid on Covid-19 is only possible because so much else within hospitals has been cancelled.\n\nA heavy price has been paid and will continue to be paid for months, possibly years to come.\n\nOn Wednesday it was announced more than 100 medically-trained military personnel would be deployed in Northern Ireland to help hospital staff deal with Covid-19 pressures after a request by Mr Swann.\n\nSpeaking at Stormont's Health Committee on Thursday, Sinn Féin MLA Pat Sheehan said: \"My only concern is that they [military personnel] don't get in the way of the real professionals who are doing the work to save lives.\n\n\"This is slamming the dead cat down on the table to deflect attention away from the inadequacies in the health department at the minute.\"\n\nOn Friday, Mr Swann responded by saying he was \"disappointed and disgusted\" by Mr Sheehan's comments.\n\nHe added: \"The majority of our health service workers are actually welcoming them because this is a tough period of time that we are entering into in the health service.\n\n\"To hear some of the comments where he's actually, I think, criticising the level of delivery that our health service has given over these past 10-12 months, I think is disappointing.\"\n\n\"It wouldn't be the language that would be reflective of his party leadership in regards to the assistance that we're receiving from the Army.\"\n\nDeputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill, the Sinn Féin vice-president, had previously said her party's priority had \"always been to save lives\" and she would \"never rule out anything that actually supports the health service\".\n\nFirst Minister Arlene Foster, the DUP leader, said on critics of the move to deploy military medics were putting \"political intolerance before patients\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Arlene Foster #WeWillMeetAgain This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nMr Swann also said the executive would \"not be found wanting\" in enforcing Covid-19 regulations.\n\nIt came after a district judge said on Wednesday that \"the powers-that-be made a significant error\" in making breaches of some rules punishable only with fines.\n\nDistrict Judge Michael Ranaghan told Dungannon Magistrates' Court he would have remanded two defendants from Enniskillen, County Fermanagh, in custody if he had \"the power to do so\".\n\nShania Devenney, 21, of Kilmacormick Drive, and Nathan Maguire, 20, of Carnmore Lodge, were charged with contravening the regulations when arrested by police who were alerted to anti-social behaviour.\n\nA police officer told the court there had been repeated parties at Ms Devenney's address this month.\n\nThe judge, granting bail, said: \"I cannot consider remanding in custody as these matters are fine-only.\n\n\"The powers-that-be made a significant error when drafting legislation in making these fine-only offences.\n\n\"Had I the power to do so I would definitely be remanding these two in custody.\"\n\nThe PSNI has issued more than 2,000 Covid-19 fines during the pandemic\n\nThe health minister said the executive had asked people \"to work with us\" and had increased the level of fines.\n\nAsked about the judge's comments about enforcement, Mr Swann said he was \"content enough to raise it with executive colleagues and ask the justice minister to have a look at that\".\n\nMr Swann added that the vast majority of people in Northern Ireland were abiding by the regulations as it is the \"right thing to do\".\n\nOn Tuesday, police revealed that 2,159 penalty notices had been issued during the pandemic, with fines starting at £200.\n\nThere have been 55 failure-to-isolate fines, which incur a £1,000 fine.", "Scottish postie Nathan Evans has quit his job and signed to a record label after storming TikTok with sea shanties.\n\nNathan said the singalong craze for his The Wellerman rendition exploded in just a matter of weeks.\n\nAnd Friday sees an official release of the shanty, after he was picked up by Polydor records.\n\nThe 26-year-old from Airdrie said it goes to show that if you keep going anything can happen.", "Mr Trump was duped by the prankster, Morgan said\n\nDonald Trump was called on Air Force One last year by a prankster posing as Piers Morgan, the TV presenter says.\n\nThe president, as he was at the time, only realised he had been tricked when he phoned the real Morgan while on his way to vote in Florida last year.\n\nThe alleged security breach is said to have happened in October, but only emerged in an interview Morgan gave to the BBC's Americast podcast.\n\nThe two recently had a falling out over Mr Trump's handling of the pandemic.\n\nAsked by the BBC's Jon Sopel why Mr Trump had called Morgan out of the blue this past October, the presenter described \"an absolutely hilarious story, where somebody had called [Trump] pretending to be me the day before and got through to him on Air Force One\".\n\nThe 45th US president didn't realise he had been duped, Morgan said. \"They had a conversation with Trump thinking he was talking to me.\"\n\nIt is not clear who the alleged hoaxers were, but if the story is true President Trump would not be the first political leader to have been pranked.\n\nCanadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, while he was foreign secretary, have both been tricked on the phone in recent years.\n\nBut it would revive long-running questions about the security of President Trump's phone conversations.\n\nMorgan became increasingly critical of Mr Trump in the final months of his presidency\n\nThe BBC has asked the Secret Service for comment.\n\nMorgan was a high-profile tabloid editor in the UK who took over from Larry King with a primetime CNN chat show in 2011. He now presents a breakfast show in the UK.\n\nHe was initially supportive of President Trump after his surprise election win but became increasingly critical in the last 12 months.\n\n\"We had a very nice conversation... I always got on well with Trump,\" Morgan said of their October call, but added that Mr Trump's \"character flaws - the chronic narcissism, the desire to make everything about himself\" made him a \"useless leader\".\n\nOn their friendship, Morgan described Mr Trump's behaviour since the November presidential election as \"egregious\" and \"so obviously on a pathway\" to the Capitol Hill riots on 6 January.\n\n\"I just felt - no, I'm done with you now,\" Morgan said.\n\nYou may also be interested in:\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The recording of the conversation between Elton John and the man he believed was Vladimir Putin", "Keon Lincoln died after being subjected to \"inconceivable violence\"\n\nA 15-year-old boy has died after being attacked in a residential street by a group of youths \"armed with knives\".\n\nPolice said Keon Lincoln was \"set upon\" at about 15:30 GMT on Thursday on Linwood Road, in Handsworth, Birmingham, and died later in hospital.\n\nThe attackers fled the scene in a car which crashed into a house a short distance away, added police, who said they had since seized the vehicle.\n\nA 14-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of murder and is in custody.\n\nThe investigation is progressing \"at pace\", according to the West Midlands force, which detained the suspect on Friday morning.\n\nDet Ch Insp Alastair Orencas, who is leading a murder inquiry, said Keon died \"in the most violent of circumstances\".\n\nKeon was attacked on Linwood Road, a residential street in the Handsworth area of Birmingham\n\nWitnesses who reported the carrying of knives to officers also said shots were heard.\n\nPolice confirmed Keon, who lived locally, was attacked with weapons but did not specify which sort.\n\nThe motive remained unknown said police, who urged those who could identify the attackers to contact the force.\n\n\"We are not sure of all the details at the moment, but we do know that Keon was set upon by this group and suffered a series of serious injuries,\" said Ch Supt Steve Graham, adding that five or six youths were believed to have been involved.\n\nPolice have not disclosed the nature of Keon's injuries. They say they are unable to say how he died before a post-mortem examination takes place.\n\nOfficers are searching Linwood Road after the attack on Thursday afternoon\n\nDet Ch Insp Orencas said: \"The death of Keon has shocked the whole community.\n\n\"This level of violence in broad daylight on a residential street is inconceivable, let alone the fact the target was a 15-year-old boy.\"\n\nHe said the family, who were being supported by specialist officers, \"had the worst shock imaginable\".\n\nIn a statement issued by police, the family said they were \"devastated\" by their loss, and remembered Keon as \"fun-loving\" and \"full of life and love\".\n\nThe tribute added: \"He had an infectious laugh that lit up the room whenever he was in it.\"\n\nPolice have seized a crashed car they believe to be a getaway vehicle\n\nDetectives are examining a white car they believe to be the getaway vehicle which crashed into a house on Wheeler Street.\n\nCCTV footage has been seized and the area is cordoned off while investigations continue.\n\nA resident of Linwood Road, who did not wish to be named, said she was shocked to hear someone had been killed.\n\nShe said: \"We've lived here 45 years and I've never heard of anything like this.\n\n\"It's just shocking and really, really sad.\"\n\nPolice have appealed for dash cam and CCTV footage as they piece together the events of Thursday afternoon\n\nLocal Labour MP, Khalid Mahmood, described the death as \"extremely tragic\" and \"a needless thing to have happened\".\n\nHe said: \"We must work with police as much as we can to stop this happening again.\"\n\nFollow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "A coronavirus outbreak at Mavisbank care home has led to the deaths of 13 residents\n\nA total of 13 residents at an East Dunbartonshire care home have died in a Covid-19 outbreak.\n\nThe owners of Mavisbank care home in Bishopbriggs confirmed the deaths and said that a further seven residents had also tested positive for the virus.\n\nAnother 11 staff members were self-isolating following positive tests.\n\nThe Care Inspectorate rated the home in Lennox Crescent as \"weak\" in its Covid-19 response in an inspection last month.\n\nAt the unannounced check on 26 October, inspectors found the cleanliness of the home a \"significant concern\".\n\nIt went on to describe the cleanliness of the environment and the overall fabric of the building as \"poor\".\n\nInspectors said in their report that they were \"very concerned about the potential risk of infection for residents\".\n\nSenior managers responded immediately and maintenance staff were deployed to clean the home.\n\nHowever, the operators were ordered to carry out a deep clean of the facility by 11 November.\n\nMavisbank owners HC-One said they were monitoring the situation closely.\n\nMavisbank was given a rating of \"weak\" in October\n\nA spokeswoman said: \"Our thoughts and sympathies are with all families who have lost a loved one from coronavirus.\n\n\"As we navigate this outbreak, we continue to work closely with all the relevant authorities to contain the virus and safeguard our residents.\n\n\"We are pleased that a number of residents have now recovered, and we continue to closely monitor the health and wellbeing of all those affected.\n\n\"This includes following all government guidance in relation to infection prevention and control.\"\n\nResponding to the Care Inspectorate report, the company said the health, safety and wellbeing of its residents and staff was a priority.\n\nThe spokeswoman said: \"We were disappointed that inspectors found some elements of our robust infection control plan were not being fully implemented and we acted urgently to respond to this feedback. These issues were immediately rectified so that when inspectors returned, they were able to see and approve of the work that had been completed.\n\n\"Senior staff are also supporting the home and our learning and development team are ensuring that all colleagues complete refresher training which includes our specific coronavirus training modules on the virus, enhanced infection control procedures, and the correct use of PPE.\n\n\"These training modules have been regularly updated to reflect all changes in the guidance over recent months.\"\n\nCaroline Sinclair, of East Dunbartonshire Health and Social Care Partnership, said, \"We are aware of this very sad situation and have been working with Mavisbank care home to provide a high level of clinical support to residents at this difficult time. Our thoughts are with the families of those who have passed and others affected by their loss.\"", "Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Friday morning. We'll have another update for you this evening.\n\nMinisters wrestling with how to ensure people with coronavirus obey laws to self-isolate are to consider paying £500 to anyone who tests positive. It's among options drawn up for England by the Department of Health to encourage people to stay at home, amid fears the current support leaves some unable to afford the time away from work. However, Treasury sources say funding a universal payment to the tune of £453m a week is unlikely.\n\nBritish retail sales saw their largest annual fall in history last year as the impact of coronavirus took its toll. Sales fell by 1.9% in 2020, when compared with 2019, official figures show. Clothes shops were hit hard, with a record annual fall of more than 25%. Meanwhile, UK government borrowing hit £34.1bn last month, the highest December figure on record, as the cost of pandemic support weighed on the economy, the Office for National Statistics says.\n\nA Crown Office unit set up to probe Covid-related deaths is investigating cases at 474 care homes in Scotland, ahead of prosecutors' decisions on whether they should be the subject of a fatal accident inquiry or prosecution. Care homes say the investigation is \"disproportionate\". But Linda Duncan, whose 91-year-old mother Anne died last April, argues: \"A lot of the focus has been on the government response but we need this investigation to look at the private operators.\"\n\nHalf of all staff at nurseries, pre-schools and childminders \"don't... feel safe at work\", with about one in every 10 having tested positive since 1 December, according to an Early Years Alliance survey of more than 3,000 staff. Providers in England have been told to remain open to all children during lockdown and the government says under-fives are \"unlikely to be playing a driving role in transmission\".\n\nAs lockdown has forced families apart, grandparents have had to find new ways of keeping in touch with their grandchildren. Annette Landy tells us how reading over video calls to Alicia, eight, and Sadie, two, has made things a little easier.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Harry Potter and The Secret Garden have proven to be favourites\n\nYou can find more information, advice and guides on our coronavirus page.\n\nIf you're struggling to understand why vaccinating the most vulnerable won't immediately end lockdown, health correspondent Nick Triggle explains the reasoning.\n\nWhat questions do you have about coronavirus?\n\nIn some cases, your question will be published, displaying your name, age and location as you provide it, unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published. Please ensure you have read our terms & conditions and privacy policy.\n\nUse this form to ask your question:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or send them via email to YourQuestions@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any question you send in.", "The Florence Nightingale Museum announced it would close for the foreseeable future\n\nMuseums and galleries are \"fighting for survival\" amid the current lockdown, a national charity has warned.\n\nThe Art Fund has predicted that small institutions are likely to suffer most and said more help is needed.\n\nSo far, the charity has only been able to help 15% of applicants to its emergency response fund.\n\nEarlier this month, it was announced London's Florence Nightingale Museum is to close for the foreseeable future due to the impact of the pandemic.\n\nThe Williamson Art Gallery & Museum in Birkenhead is also under threat of closure, according to the Art Fund.\n\nThe charity's director Jenny Waldman said: \"The latest lockdown is a body blow and is leaving our museums and galleries fighting for survival.\n\n\"Smaller museums in particular, which are so vital to their communities, simply do not have the reserves to see them through this winter.\n\nResearch previously conducted by the charity found six in 10 museums, galleries and historic houses were worried about their own survival.\n\n\"Tragically, we are now seeing well-known and much-loved museums facing mothballing or permanent closure,\" Waldman said.\n\nIn November, the charity offered limited edition artworks to members of the public who donated to help coronavirus-hit museums.\n\nSir Anish, Lubaina Himid, David Shrigley and Michael Landy were among the artists who provided their works to the appeal.\n\nArt Fund has renewed its appeal for people to donate to the crowdfunding campaign, which is called Together For Museums.\n\nNew works of art from Howard Hodgkin, Jeremy Deller and Cornelia Parker have been added to the items on offer.\n\nJeremy Deller worked on the 2016 Somme commemoration project featuring 'Ghost Tommies' appearing across UK locations\n\nSir Anish said: \"Museums are where we go to engage with art, witness our psychic history and understand ourselves. Today they face great difficulty.\n\n\"The Art Fund campaign gives us an opportunity to help museums to continue to provide access to all in spite of the difficulties of this time.\"\n\nArt Fund has also announced £750,000 of new grants to help 23 museums respond to the pandemic - taking its total spend so far to £2.25 million.\n\nBut that is only a small proportion of the applications the charity has received, which total over £16 million.\n\nRecipients include the Barber Institute of Fine Arts, Birmingham, for a health and wellbeing project, and Portland Museum, Dorset, for a plan to recreate Rufus Castle digitally.\n\nFollow us on Facebook or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "Spanish player Paula Badosa has revealed that she has the virus\n\nA Spanish tennis player who was among many Australian Open competitors to complain about quarantine rules has revealed she has coronavirus.\n\nPaula Badosa said she had felt unwell with symptoms before testing positive for the virus in Melbourne on Thursday.\n\nBadosa is believed to be the fourth competitor to test positive in hotel quarantine, but is the first to identify herself publicly.\n\nOn Friday, she said \"sorry guys\", adding quarantine rules were \"pivotal\".\n\n\"Please, don't get me wrong. Health will always comes first & I feel grateful for being in Australia,\" tweeted Badosa, who is ranked 67th globally in singles.\n\nThe 23-year-old said she had been taken to a separate hotel in Melbourne to \"self-isolate and be monitored\".\n\n\"I'll try to recover as soon as possible listening to the doctors,\" she said.\n\nVictoria state health authorities said on Wednesday a total of 10 infections had been linked to the event, but a few were \"viral shedding\" cases where the person was not infectious.\n\nMelbourne endured one of the world's longest lockdowns last year and many locals have concerns about the potential Covid risk posed by the tournament.\n\nTennis Australia chartered 15 flights to bring players and their entourages into the country, but three flights had passengers who later tested positive for the virus.\n\nBadosa is one of 72 players who have been confined full-time to their hotel rooms for 14 days - under a state health order - after the infections were discovered. She has already spent seven days in isolation.\n\nPlayers who arrived on flights with no infections are also in quarantine but are allowed five hours of court practice a day.\n\nSeveral players have complained about the impacts to their tennis preparation.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Confined players have been training in their hotel rooms\n\nEarlier this week, in a tweet reported by Australian media that has since been deleted, Badosa wrote: \"At the beginning the rule was the positive section of the plane who was with that person had to quarantine. Not the whole plane.\n\n\"Not fair to change the rules at the last moment. And to have to stay in a room with no windows and no air.\"\n\nBut Tennis Australia and state officials have rejected assertions that any rules were changed or not clear ahead of time.\n\n\"We're thinking of you Paula, and hoping you feel better soon,\" the Australian Open's Twitter account replied in a message to Badosa on Friday.\n\nOrganisers have said that despite the infections, the Grand Slam will go ahead on 8 February.", "At 12:01, in the midst of his inaugural address, Joe Biden officially became the 46th president of the United States.\n\nHe was already well into outlining exactly how daunting a task he - and the nation - have ahead in what he called its \"winter of peril\".\n\nAmerica is facing a devastating pandemic which has resulted in massive job losses and business closures, a threatened environment, urgent cries for racial justice and resurgence in \"political extremism, white supremacy and domestic terrorism\".\n\nHis speech was not a laundry list of proposals and solutions. Those were reserved for his first 17 executive actions as president - on immigration, climate change, transgender rights and public health, among others.\n\nThe Biden administration has also frozen all of Trump's last-minute regulations pending further review.\n\nInstead, Biden used his speech to offer hope - and to argue, at times forcefully, that the nation must be united in facing the challenges ahead; that it has to move past its current \"uncivil war\".\n\n\"Without unity, there is no peace, only bitterness and fury,\" he said. \"No progress, only exhausting outrage. No nation, only a state of chaos.\"\n\n\"This is our historic moment of crisis and challenge,\" he continued. \"And unity is the path forward\".\n\nAt times, Biden's speech seemed a direct rebuttal to his predecessor's administration, although he did not mention Donald Trump by name.\n\nWhere Trump frequently spoke of American greatness and glorified its founders, Biden noted that the nation's history has been a \"constant struggle\" between its ideals and sometimes harsh realities.\n\nWhere Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway spoke of \"alternative facts\" almost four years ago, Biden said: \"There is truth and there are lies - lies told for power and for profit.\"\n\nBiden wrapped up his inaugural address by warning that America must not \"turn inward\" - both as individuals retreating into \"competing factions\" and as a nation on the world stage.\n\n\"We will repair our alliances and engage with the world once again,\" he said.\n\nRhetorically, Biden turned the page from Trump's days of \"America first\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe first 100 days of any administration are always important to a new president. What are his priorities? What will he try to accomplish when his political capital is at its highest?\n\nJoe Biden and his presidential team have had nearly three months to plan out his first actions upon taking the oath of office, but executive action is the (relatively) easy part.\n\nHis speech reflected the reality that he enters office with his top priorities already determined for him.\n\nHis government will be responsible for distributing the coronavirus vaccine in an efficient and equitable way. After that, he will have to focus on the societal and economic disruptions caused by the pandemic.\n\nThe virus has exacerbated income inequality and pushed many households to the brink of economic ruin. It's devastated the travel and hospitality industries and placed incredible strain on the finances of state and local governments.\n\nHis pledge to seek unity will be tested early, as he pushes a sharply divided Congress to pass another, massive round of pandemic stimulus aid. If he wants to enact it quickly, he will need Republican support in the Senate, and already there are signs that some on the right may be lining up in opposition to more spending.\n\nThen there's Trump's Senate impeachment trial, which will present yet another challenge to national unity. It will keep Trump's name in the news for weeks, as his defenders rally to his side and his detractors call for consequences for his actions.\n\nAfter that, Biden's potential political paths diverge. He has said he wants to improve healthcare in the US, address growing college debt, make new investments in infrastructure and tackle climate change.\n\nHe's pledged to push immigration reform legislation that includes a pathway to citizenship for undocumented migrants - a political lightning rod that helped fuel Trump's first presidential run.\n\nWhat he prioritises, and how successful his first efforts are, could determine the overall success of his administration. To make lasting change - policies that can't be undone by future presidents - he will have to work with Congress.\n\nThe inauguration ceremony is over. But, as Biden noted in his speech, the American people face one of the most challenging times in their nation's history.\n\n\"We will be judged by how we resolve these cascading crises of our era,\" he said.\n\nBiden campaigned against Trump for the opportunity to face those crises. Now he has his chance.", "A selection of your pictures of Scotland sent in between 15 and 22 January. Send your photos to scotlandpictures@bbc.co.uk. Please ensure you adhere to the BBC's rules regarding photographs that can be found here.\n\nPlease also ensure you follow current coronavirus guidelines and take your pictures safely and responsibly.\n\nConditions of use: If you submit an image, you do so in accordance with the BBC's terms and conditions.\n\nHot dog: Ann Baldwin thinks it looks warm enough for a swim in this shot looking towards Inchcolm Island and Arthur’s Seat from the sailing club in Dalgety Bay, Fife, 10 minutes before sunrise.\n\nLittle sucker: Tessa McAndrew helped this beautiful octopus back into the water after finding him clinging to driftwood on the beach at Lower Largo.\n\nWindswept: Bad hair day for these trees in the Pentland Hills Regional Park in Edinburgh. Claire Dunbar took this picture during one of the many recent snow dumps in the area.\n\nIntricate web: The sun was making an attempt to defrost this frozen spider web in Colin Sergeant's back garden in Motherwell.\n\nHindsight: David Fox thinks this roe deer fawn that he captured on his camera at Strathbraan in Perthshire will be \"a future Monarch of the Glen\".\n\nTrue snowman: Only Gordon Brandie knows what this Highland fling snowman is wearing under his kilt and peg sporran in Faskally, Perthshire.\n\nStill life: Artistic beauty found when looking through a drainage hole in the Arbroath sea wall.\n\nBlurred lines: Sunrise on top of Falkland Hill in the early hours of the morning, taken by Jordan Moreham.\n\nStick together: Judith McIntyre spotted these wooden friends huddling to keep warm this winter in Kingston, Moray.\n\nHowling wind: Three-year-old Poppy enjoying a very windy afternoon walk on Craiglockhart Hill in Edinburgh with her mum, Sophia Lyons.\n\nCollectivism vs Individualism: Victor Tregubov took this shot of birds in countryside near Glasgow.\n\nStrike a pose: Colin Little on the bank of the River Lossie in Elgin, said: \"This otter posed for a couple of shots before diving under again.\"\n\nBlack and white: Derek Brown took this snowy scene in Stow just outside Galashiels in the Scottish Borders.\n\nEbb and flow: Michelle Moggach said it was \"Baltic but beautiful\" at Aberdeen Beach while she gazed at the sea.\n\nAlan Kemp said about 100 fieldfares descended on his pink berry Rowan trees in Murthly, Perthshire and devoured the lot in one sitting.\n\nMindfulness: Shirley Faichney captured a zen moment during a recent sunrise at West Wemyss beach in Fife.\n\nBridge to nowhere: Rachel Abbie was left puzzled as to where her walk was leading at Belhaven Beach in Dunbar.\n\nWinter wonderland: The path for Ross McKellar looks bright in High Blantyre in Glasgow.\n\nAutumn meets winter: Agnes Neal observed a sole woman walking through this peaceful scene in Queen's Park in Glasgow.\n\nSquirrel Nutkin: David Doogan loves it when this bushy-tailed friend joins him for a picnic in his garden in Glencoe, Argyll.\n\nTop of the world: ...well it was for Katie Gillingham and her friends on Goatfell on the Isle of Arran this week.\n\nEthereal moonlight: Arletta Babicz thought there was a \"magical vibe\" when he took this shot of the most photographed tree in Scotland at Loch Lomond.\n\nFollow the herd: Christopher Barrow thought it was funny when this flock of sheep kept following him while he was out skiing in Almondbank, Perthshire.\n\nPillars of the community: Poll nan Crann pier, known locally as Stinky Bay due to the large amount of seaweed blown onto the beach by storms which then rots in the sun. Seonaidh MacInnes took this picture at night on the Isle of Benbecula.\n\nRising above the herd: Jim Clark thought this beast could have been thinking outside the box when he captured this shot at Glanderston Dam, Barrhead.\n\nVirgin powder: Dan Price-Davies enjoyed Alpine conditions at Clashindarroch Forest while Nordic skiing with his son, Lestin, this week.\n\nCloud inversion: Steve Mitchell took in this stunning view overlooking a snowy drystone dyke at the top of the Cairn o' Mount (B974) road between Banchory and Fettercairn.\n\nWinter Washingland: Louise Harper took this picture of colourful plastic pegs with no job to do during heavy snow in Motherwell.\n\nThe Night Walker: Tamar Lewis thought there was an eerie glow in the sky as she took an evening stroll through Pollok Country Park.\n\nStripped bare: This dead-looking tree brings life to Dave Cullen's picture of the Cramond landscape in Edinburgh.\n\nDuck down: All but one mallard enjoying the food thrown to them at St Fillans in the snow, taken by Kenn Begley.\n\nWinter coat: Glen Tanar cleansed in white, near the summit of Baudy Meg in Aberdeenshire, taken by Neil Marchant.\n\nFyrish sunrise: It's as if Sir Hector Munro ordered his monument to be put in the best light possible for Laura Steel who took this picture in Evanton near Alness.\n\nSun and shadows: Michal Markowski took this eye-catching picture in West Linton using a drone.\n\nHair ice: Jane Tweedie noticed this rare phenomenon while out walking at Craigellachie, Moray. It is also known as ice wool or frost beard and is a type of ice that forms on dead wood and takes the shape of fine, silky hair.\n\nUdderly mootiful: Izabela Bodzioch took this picture of cows admiring the view of Ben Cruachan covered in snow.\n\nIce bath: Jan Overmeer said he changed his mind about going for a swim in Loch Carron when he was greeted by this frozen scene.\n\nJack Frost: Graeme Mackay was mesmerised by the patterns Mother Nature had made on the sunroof of his car in Aberdeen.\n\nSwan Lake: Bob Smart captured the sheer power and might of this magnificent bird at Townhill Loch in Fife.\n\nFine sunset: James MacArthur captured the fresh breath of brightness burning the last corner of Loch Fyne as the sun dropped below the skyline.\n\nPlease ensure that the photograph you send is your own and if you are submitting photographs of children, we must have written permission from a parent or guardian of every child featured (a grandparent, auntie or friend will not suffice).\n\nIn contributing to BBC News you agree to grant us a royalty-free, non-exclusive licence to publish and otherwise use the material in any way, including in any media worldwide.\n\nHowever, you will still own the copyright to everything you contribute to BBC News.\n\nAt no time should you endanger yourself or others, take any unnecessary risks or infringe the law.\n\nYou can find more information here.\n\nAll photos are subject to copyright.", "Guests fled when officers arrived at the Stamford Hill school, where the windows had been covered\n\nPolice broke up a wedding party in north London, where they now say about 150 people had gathered.\n\nOfficers found the windows at the Yesodey Hatorah Senior Girls' School, in Stamford Hill, had been covered when they arrived at 21:15 GMT on Thursday.\n\nGuests fled from the strictly Orthodox Charedi Jewish school when the police arrived. The organisers face a £10,000 fine for breaking lockdown rules.\n\nThe Met originally claimed that about 400 guests were at the gathering.\n\nIn a statement, the school said its hall had been leased out.\n\nA spokesman for the school, whose principal Rabbi Avrahom Pinter died in April after contracting coronavirus, said \"we had no knowledge that the wedding was taking place\".\n\nHe added: \"We are absolutely horrified about last night's event and condemn it in the strongest possible terms.\"\n\nBoris Johnson supports the police for \"taking action against people who flagrantly and selfishly ignore the rules\", according to the prime minister's official spokesman.\n\nThe spokesman said: \"Large gatherings such as that pose a health risk, not just to those who attend but those who they live with or others who they may come into contact with.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Chief Rabbi Mirvis This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nChief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, meanwhile, said the \"overwhelming majority\" of the Jewish community would be appalled at the event.\n\nRabbi Mirvis, who serves as the head of the UK's orthodox Jewish community but is not the leader of the Charedi group, called the wedding party \"a most shameful desecration of all that we hold dear\".\n\nFive guests were issued with £200 fixed penalty notices, according to police, who said their inquiries had established those present at the school had gathered for a wedding.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. A video shared with the Jewish Chronicle shows officers in Stamford Hill\n\nVideo shared with the Jewish Chronicle shows officers in Stamford Hill speaking with a man to explain why they are there, although he is not accused of any wrongdoing.\n\nThey are then seen arriving at the Yesodey Hatorah Senior Girls' School.\n\nDet Ch Sup Marcus Barnett of the Met Police said: \"This was a completely unacceptable breach of the law.\n\n\"People across the country are making sacrifices by cancelling or postponing weddings and other celebrations and there is no excuse for this type of behaviour.\n\n\"My officers are working tirelessly with the community and we will not hesitate to take enforcement action if that is required to keep people safe.\"\n\nOn Friday morning, a security guard at the school told the BBC there were more like 100 guests at the party than the much higher number given out by police.\n\nThe Met later said in a statement: \"Although initial calls suggested some 400 people had attended the wedding, it is now believed that approximately 150 people were in attendance.\"\n\nStamford Hill is part of the borough of Hackney, which has a Covid-19 infection rate of 625.43 cases per 100,000 people. The England average rate is 471.31 per 100,000 people.\n\nThe mayor of Hackney, Philip Glanville, said he was \"deeply disappointed\" that the wedding party had taken place, despite \"the number of lives that have already been lost in the Charedi community and across the borough\".\n\nHe added: \"Unfortunately, similar events have taken place even at this venue before and we need to be really clear how unacceptable it is.\n\n\"We will be meeting with the Rabbinate and our community partners over the coming days to see how we can prevent further incidents of this nature.\"\n\nLondon is under an England-wide lockdown, which prevents social mixing between households.\n\nLondoners are asked to only leave home for limited reasons such as shopping, going to work, seeking medical assistance, or avoiding domestic abuse.\n\nFor more London news follow on Facebook, on Twitter, on Instagram and subscribe to our YouTube channel.\n\nDo you have any information to share about this incident? Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "There are no plans to pay everyone in England who tests positive for Covid £500 to self-isolate, No 10 has said.\n\nThe PM's official spokesman said there was already a £500 payment available for those on low incomes who could not work from home and had to isolate.\n\nA universal £500 payment was among suggestions in a leaked Department of Health document.\n\nThere are fears the current financial support is not working because low paid workers cannot afford to self-isolate.\n\nBut a senior government source said the idea of extending the £500 payments to everyone who tests positive had been drawn up by officials and had not been considered by the prime minister.\n\nBBC Newsnight's Katie Razzall said ministers were aware self-isolation was crucial for stopping the spread of coronavirus and the \"options paper\" had been drawn up by civil servants at the Department of Health.\n\nShe said it would be discussed soon by the Covid operations committee chaired by Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove, adding the move suggested there was an admission in government that too many people were not staying at home and a decision needed to be made quickly.\n\nThe story was first reported by the Guardian which said the options paper suggested the proposal could cost up to £453m per week - 12 times the cost of the current payouts.\n\nEnvironment Secretary George Eustice told the BBC he had not seen the leaked document but said the issue of financial support for people self-isolating was \"always kept under review\".\n\n\"We've got to consider all sorts of policies in order to make sure that people abide by the rules, are able to abide by the rules and we get the infection rate down,\" he said.\n\nBut the prime minister's official spokesman denied the government was planning to introduce the new payment, telling reporters: \"We've given local authorities £70m for the scheme and they are able to provide extra payments on top of those £500 if they think it necessary.\n\n\"That £500 is on top of any other benefits and statutory sick pay that people are eligible for.\"\n\nAsked about document, the spokesman said he would not comment on a leaked paper.\n\nIt's impossible to say exactly what proportion of people stay at home for the full 10 days after being in contact with someone who has tested positive, however some evidence suggests the minority of people do.\n\nA government-backed study from September 2020 suggests that just 10.9% of people remained indoors for the full time.\n\nLabour has often cited this report when arguing that people cannot afford to miss work, but a closer look at it suggests that, of those who break the rules, just 8.9% do \"to go to work\".\n\nMost people reported going out for things like shopping or exercise, but also because they didn't think they needed to quarantine as they didn't develop symptoms.\n\nThis research is quite old (done before self-isolation grants came in) and has a relatively small sample size of just 400 people.\n\nHowever, the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) has also highlighted research that shows that most people don't completely follow the rules.\n\nThis research also suggests that those on lower incomes felt they were three times less able to self-isolate than those better off.\n\nBBC political correspondent Ben Wright said there was concern in government about the huge cost of the proposal for the Treasury.\n\nHowever, he said the issue of financial incentives and trying to get people to self-isolate was clearly a live discussion within government.\n\nIt became a legal requirement last September for anyone in England testing positive for coronavirus to self-isolate.\n\nThe £500 grant already available in England is funded by the government but administered by local authorities.\n\nThe same level of payment is available in Scotland and Wales with similar conditions attached. Northern Ireland offers a discretionary self-isolation grant that covers expenses, such as the cost of groceries.\n\nThere is a list of specific criteria applicants must meet for the grant, but those who do not qualify for this payment and who are on a low income or may face financial hardship as a result of self-isolating can apply for a discretionary payment.\n\nHowever, there have been high rejection rates for this discretionary grant in England, figures obtained by Labour and reported by the BBC this week suggest.\n\nBetween October and December last year, three-quarters of the 49,877 applications were rejected, the data showed.\n\nScotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said the Scottish government would welcome the introduction of a £500 payment, as the additional funds it would generate for Scotland could allow for a similar scheme to be set up.\n\nSpeaking at her regular coronavirus briefing, she said: \"We will see whether that transpires or not, but any extra resources for self-isolation we would use to support self-isolation.\"\n\nProf Susan Michie, an adviser on the government's Scientific Pandemic Insights Group on Behaviours, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme just 18% of people with symptoms were self-isolating for the full 10 days they were meant to.\n\nShe said financial support currently offered to people having to self-isolate was a \"key weakness\" of the government's pandemic strategy.\n\nSharon, a cleaner from Kent, told the BBC if no money were to come in for two weeks she would not be able to afford to self-isolate.\n\n\"I have a mortgage to pay,\" she said.\n\n\"I can't even afford to heat my property at the moment because my wages were cut and that £500 payment would make all the difference. I would be able to self-isolate.\n\n\"It wouldn't be enough money, but it would help.\"\n\nThe DoH said it would not comment on a leaked paper but stressed it was incumbent on everyone to help protect the NHS by staying at home and following the rules at \"one of the toughest moments of this pandemic\".\n\nA spokesman said £50m was invested at the time the Test and Trace Support Payment scheme launched and it was providing a further £20m to help support people on low incomes who need to self-isolate.\n\nPeople who have tested positive for coronavirus and those considered at risk of having been exposed to it must self-isolate.\n\nOther legal obligations to self-isolate in the UK include:\n\nWould £500 be enough to help you to self-isolate? Please share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "The 39 people who died in the back of a trailer as it crossed the North Sea between Zeebrugge and the UK\n\nFour men have been jailed for the manslaughter of 39 Vietnamese migrants found dead in a lorry trailer in Essex.\n\nThe migrants died \"excruciatingly painful\" deaths, having suffocated in the container en route from Belgium to Purfleet in October 2019, a judge said.\n\nRonan Hughes, 41, and Gheorghe Nica, 43, played \"leading roles\" in the smuggling conspiracy and were jailed for 20 and 27 years respectively.\n\nAt the Old Bailey, two lorry drivers were also jailed for manslaughter.\n\n[Left to right] Eamonn Harrison, Ronan Hughes, Gheorghe Nica and Maurice Robinson were all jailed for manslaughter\n\nEamonn Harrison, 24, who towed the trailer to the Belgian port of Zeebrugge before their journey to the UK, was sentenced to 18 years.\n\nMaurice Robinson, 26, was given 13 years and four months, having collected the trailer and opened it in an industrial estate to find the migrants dead.\n\nThree others members of the people-smuggling gang were also sentenced for conspiracy to facilitate unlawful immigration.\n\nChristopher Kennedy, 24, from County Armagh, was jailed for seven years; Valentin Calota, 38, of Birmingham, for four-and-a-half years; and Alexandru-Ovidiu Hanga, 28, of Hobart Road, Tilbury, Essex, was given a three-year sentence.\n\n[Left to right] Valentin Calota, Alexandru-Ovidiu Hanga and Christopher Kennedy were also sentenced on Friday\n\nSentencing, Mr Justice Sweeney said: \"I have no doubt that the conspiracy was a sophisticated, long-running and profitable one to smuggle mainly Vietnamese people across the channel.\"\n\nHe said on the fatal trip the temperature had been rising along with the carbon dioxide levels throughout, hitting 40C (104F) while the container was at sea on 22 October 2019.\n\n\"There were desperate attempts to contact the outside world by phone and to break through the roof of the container,\" the judge said.\n\n\"All were to no avail and, before the ship reached Purfleet, [the victims] all died in what must have been an excruciatingly painful death.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Video evidence showed how the trainer containing 39 Vietnamese migrants made its way to the UK\n\nThe victims had used a metal pole to try to punch through the roof but only managed to dent the interior.\n\nThe court heard some of their final desperate phone messages, including one where a man spoke with ragged breaths as he apologised to his family.\n\n\"I can't breathe,\" he said. \"I want to come back to my family. Have a good life.\"\n\nJustice Sweeney added: \"The willingness of the victims to try and enter the country illegally provides no excuse for what happened to them.\"\n\nThe bodies of 39 Vietnamese nationals were discovered in a refrigerated trailer on 23 October 2019\n\nDuring the trial, jurors were given a snapshot of the victims - who included a bricklayer, a university graduate and a nail bar technician - and their dreams of a better life.\n\nMany of their families borrowed heavily to fund their passage, relying on their potential future earnings once they got into the UK.\n\nThe father of Nguyen Huy Tung, one of two 15-year-olds in the container, later learned of his son's death via social media.\n\nHarrison, of Newry, County Down, claimed he did not know there were people in the trailer when he towed it to the Belgian port, and that he watched \"a wee bit of Netflix\" in bed as they were loaded on.\n\nAfter receiving this message from his boss, Robinson got out of his cab, opened the trailer door and discovered the bodies\n\nRobinson, from County Armagh, collected the trailer when it arrived on UK shores just after midnight on 23 October.\n\nHis boss, Hughes, had messaged him: \"Give them air quickly don't let them out.\"\n\nRobinson gave a thumbs-up in reply. When Robinson stopped on a nearby industrial estate, he found that the migrants were all dead.\n\nHis barrister said Robinson, who admitted manslaughter, being part of the trafficking plot and money laundering, was \"horrified by what he saw\".\n\nThe moment lorry driver Maurice Robinson opened the trailer door and discovered the bodies inside was captured on CCTV\n\nThe trial examined three smuggling attempts by the gang - two that were successful on 11 and 18 October, and the final trip on 23 October.\n\nOn all three runs, Nica, of Basildon, Essex, had arranged cars and a van to transport the migrants at the UK end.\n\nWhen Robinson discovered the bodies, there was a series of telephone conversations between him and Nica and Hughes, of Tyholland, County Monaghan, Ireland, before the driver eventually dialled 999.\n\nIn his evidence, Nica said Robinson told him: \"I have a problem here - dead bodies in the trailer.\"\n\nWhile Hughes admitted manslaughter, both Nica and Harrison were convicted by a jury.\n\nMr Justice Sweeney said that in the conspiracy \"two played leading roles, namely - in order of importance - Hughes and Nica\".\n\nHe accepted Hughes was \"not at the very top of the conspiracy\" but said his role was \"pivotal... in that he ran a haulage business and supplied the trailers and drivers used to transport the migrants\".\n\nThe judge said Nica \"recruited and paid the drivers whose job it was to collect the migrants when they reached the drop-off site in this country and to drive them to the safe house(s) where they were to be held until payment\".\n\nHe added at the top of the conspiracy was a Vietnamese man called \"Fong\", who was based in London.\n\nMr Justice Sweeney told the defendants jailed for manslaughter they would serve two-thirds of the term in custody, instead of the usual half.\n\nEarlier this month, Gazmir Nuzi, 43, of Barclay Road, Tottenham, north London, was sentenced, having admitted his limited role in the people-smuggling operation. It was accepted he was not a member of the organised crime group behind the smuggling operation.\n\nDet Ch Insp Daniel Stoten said: \"May this serve as a warning to those who think it's OK to prey on the vulnerabilities of migrants and their families, transporting them in a way worse than we would transport animals.\n\n\"My message to you is that we will find you and we will stop you.\"\n\nHe said the victims died in an \"unimaginable way, because of the utter greed of these criminals\".\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk", "Last summer's A level results prompted an outcry from students - leading to an independent review\n\nThere was a \"significant failure\" in the way exam bodies in Wales handled awarding student grades in 2020, a report says.\n\nThe independent review found there was \"too much confidence\" in statistical models, and the appeals process in place was inadequate.\n\nQualifications Wales (QW) said it had learnt many lessons and WJEC exam board will look \"in detail\" at the findings.\n\nTeaching union UCAC described the report's findings as \"scathing\".\n\nIts release comes after it was announced this week that teachers will make 2021 grade assessments\n\nThe review was ordered by the Welsh Government following the outcry over initial examination results awarded in August for A-level students.\n\nThe assessment approach resulted in a \"significant breakdown\" in trust, says the review\n\nIn the weeks after the coronavirus pandemic took hold, formal external exams in Wales were scrapped, with schools asked to provide grade assessments for sixth-form and GCSE pupils.\n\nHowever, it later emerged 42% of the A-level grades were lower than those submitted by teachers.\n\nIn her foreword the report panel's chairwoman Louise Casella, said substantial numbers of young people across Wales \"were left feeling bewildered and distressed as they received A level results that bore no relation to their expectation and their abilities\".\n\nThe result decision was reversed, and school's predicted grades reinstated, but not before \"some learners lost their university place and some were not able to progress as planned in 2020\", noted Ms Casella, who is also director of The Open University in Wales.\n\nThe review found that QW and the WJEC board would have known the \"scale of the outliers\" and had \"an insight\" into the likely number of appeals.\n\nBut the bodies failed to fully test \"alternative routes or approaches\" to the statistical models they used to standardise results.\n\nThe review added it was \"surprising\" QW did not explore additional safeguards, after having being previously warned about, and acknowledging that there were potential problems with the statistical process.\n\nThe report said it could not find evidence either WJEC or QW \"acknowledged, accepted or anticipated the scale of the issues\" nor the risk of unfairness to learners, and that it considered this a \"significant failure\".\n\nThe approach last summer had resulted in a \"significant breakdown\" in trust between the teaching profession and the regulator and examining body, added the report authors.\n\nIt said fairness must now be central to planning for 2021, avoiding automated algorithms to predict individual grades, and developing an appeals process.\n\nDelivering the report, the review panel chair added: \"There is now a real opportunity for the education sector of Wales to come together to develop and deliver a qualifications system that puts learners at its heart, not only for the cohort facing qualifications in 2021, but for the longer term.\"\n\nQW said the review had \"some useful findings and recommendations that we are already addressing\".\n\nChair David Jones and Chief Executive Philip Baker said: \"We would have welcomed greater engagement with the review panel so there was full consideration of all the issues.\"\n\nChief Executive of WJEC Ian Morgan, said he was \"disappointed with some aspects of the report\" but the exam board would \"look in detail at the findings to identify areas where we need to take action to continuously improve as an organisation.\"\n\nEducation Minister Kirsty Williams has already said teachers will assess grades in 2021\n\nEducation Minister Kirsty Williams has welcomed the report and how it would help drive how students are graded by teachers and schools this summer.\n\n\"It is my sincere hope and expectation that our education system can continue to work together to support the progression of our learners in exam years, both through the delivery of these assessment arrangements and through a wider package of support,\" she said.\n\nUCAC Deputy General Secretary Rebecca Williams, said the report supported its call for external moderation of grades, to improve fairness to students.\n\n\"There are longer-term recommendations, including the need to be more ambitious in terms of reform of qualifications and assessment in relation to the new curriculum, and we look forward to discussing these over the coming months,\" she said.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Home Secretary Priti Patel says police have her \"absolute backing\" to enforce coronavirus restrictions\n\nFines of £800 for anyone attending a house party of more than 15 people will be introduced in England from next week, under new Covid measures.\n\nThese will double for each repeat offence to a maximum of £6,400.\n\nAt a No 10 news conference, Home Secretary Priti Patel said there remained a \"small minority that refuse to do the right thing\".\n\n\"To them my message is clear. If you don't follow rules then the police will enforce them,\" she said.\n\nCurrently in England the fine for those attending illegal indoor gatherings stands at £200 - or £100 if paid early.\n\nFines of up to £10,000 for holding large illegal gatherings of more than 30 people will still only apply to the organisers.\n\nPolice will continue to follow the strategy of engaging with the public, explaining the rules and encouraging compliance, but the Home Office has warned that in severe breaches of lockdown rules, offenders should expect to receive a fine.\n\nMs Patel said the government would \"not stand by while a small number of individuals put others at risk\".\n\nShe was joined at the briefing by NHS England regional medical director for London Dr Vin Diwakar, who compared breaking the rules to turning on a light in the middle of a blackout during the Blitz.\n\n\"It doesn't just put you at risk in your house, it puts your whole street and the whole of your community at risk,\" he said.\n\nWelcoming the fines announcement, Martin Hewitt, chairman of the National Police Chiefs' Council, said large gatherings were \"dangerous, irresponsible, and totally unacceptable\".\n\nHe added: \"I hope that the likelihood of an increased fine acts as a disincentive for those people who are thinking of attending or organising such events.\"\n\nOfficial figures will be released next week showing how many fines have been given out since the start of this latest national lockdown, Mr Hewitt said.\n\nHowever, he stressed that \"forces are telling us there has been a significant increase\" in recent weeks.\n\n\"That's reflecting the fact that we've had more officers out on dedicated patrols taking targeted action against those small few who are letting everybody down,\" he said.\n\nAccording to Mr Hewitt, three police officers were injured in Brick Lane, east London, last week, after more than 40 people were found cramped indoors at a house party.\n\nMeanwhile, more than 150 people were found at a party in Hertfordshire, complete with music equipment including mixing decks and amplifiers, and another officer was injured.\n\nHe said forces in England had issued 250 fixed penalty notices (FPNs) to people organising large gatherings between late August, when regulations were introduced, and 17 January.\n\nIn some other recent examples of lockdown breaches:\n\nThe latest fines announcement comes after figures showed that assaults on emergency workers made up more than a quarter of Covid-related crimes prosecuted in the first six months of the pandemic.\n\nThe Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said there were 1,688 such offences between 1 April and 30 September in England and Wales.\n\nThey were among almost 6,500 crimes related to coronavirus in that period.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nSome 1,137 charges were brought for breaking coronavirus laws, according to the figures published by the CPS - which cover completed prosecutions.\n\nOn Thursday, it was reported that another 1,290 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 in the UK, bringing the total to 94,580.\n\nAnd a further 37,892 lab-confirmed cases of coronavirus were announced, bringing the total number of cases in the UK to 3,543,646.\n• None What powers do police have?", "Cyber criminals who stole thousands of digital files belonging to environmental regulator Sepa have published them on the internet.\n\nThe public body had about 1.2GB of data stolen from its digital systems on Christmas Eve.\n\nSepa rejected a ransom demand for the attack, which has been claimed by the international Conti ransomware group.\n\nContracts, strategy documents and databases are among the 4,000 files released.\n\nThe data has been put on the dark web - a part of the internet associated with criminality and only accessible through specialised software.\n\nSepa chief executive Terry A'Hearn said: \"We've been clear that we won't use public finance to pay serious and organised criminals intent on disrupting public services and extorting public funds.\n\n\"We have made our legal obligations and duty of care on the sensitive handling of data a high priority and, following Police Scotland advice, are confirming that data stolen has been illegally published online.\n\n\"We're working quickly with multi-agency partners to recover and analyse data then, as identifications are confirmed, contact and support affected organisations and individuals.\"\n\nThe attack locked Sepa's emails and contacts centre but Sepa said \"priority regulatory, monitoring, flood forecasting and warning services were continuing to adapt and operate\".\n\nSepa said the theft was the equivalent to a fraction of the contents of an average laptop hard drive.\n\nSepa chief executive Terry A'Hearn said the organisation had faced a \"significant and sophisticated cyber-attack\"\n\nSome of the information stolen was already publicly available but other files included data about staff and suppliers was not.\n\nWhere information has been identified to date, staff have been contacted and are being supported.\n\nBrett Callow, of cyber security company Emsisoft, has been tracking the Sepa ransomware attack.\n\nHe said: \"Conti may well be the work of the same people behind another type of ransomware called Ryuk.\n\n\"There are similarities in the code, ransom note and attack mechanisms.\n\n\"When the complete haul of data is posted like this, it usually means the group has given up hope of being able to extract payment from the victim of monetise the data in other ways.\n\n\"It's a loss for them. At this point, they've lost all leverage and the action is intended to serve as a warning to future victims.\"\n\nDet Insp Michael McCullagh, of Police Scotland's cybercrime investigations unit, said: \"This remains an ongoing investigation.\n\n\"Inquiries remain at an early stage and continue to progress including deployment of specialist cybercrime resources to support this response.\"\n\nThe authorities will be pleased.\n\nIt looks like Sepa decided not to play ball with the cyber criminals.\n\nRansomware is a scourge that is costing organisations billions of pounds and every time a victim pays, it fuels further attacks.\n\nSadly for Sepa this is far from over.\n\nBy the looks of the stash of files that the hackers stole and encrypted, Sepa will have months of work ahead to try to recover important documents and spreadsheets from backups and rebuild their records.\n\nIt's also telling that, according to the hackers website, almost 1,000 people have so far looked at the documents.\n\nWho knows what other criminals or hackers are poring over the files right now.\n\nMaking the documents open to all means that information can be extracted to potentially be used against Sepa in further attacks or extortion attempts.\n\nIt will be months, perhaps even years until the organisation can say it is safe once more and can put this cyber attack behind it.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. PM: It's too early to give a lockdown end date\n\nIt is \"too early\" to say whether England's Covid restrictions will be able to end in the spring, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said.\n\nOnce the four priority groups have been vaccinated, by mid-February, \"we'll look then at how we're doing,\" he said.\n\nNearly two million people in the UK have had their first dose of vaccine in the past week, government figures show.\n\nScientist Marc Baguelin, who advises the government, has said restaurants and bars should not reopen before May.\n\nEducation Secretary Gavin Williamson has said he \"certainly hopes\" schools in England can fully reopen before Easter, while Downing Street refused to be drawn on whether this would happen by then.\n\nA further 1,290 people have died within 28 days of a positive Covid test and there have been another 37,892 cases, according to the latest government figures.\n\nAnd almost five million people in the UK have had their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine.\n\nSpeaking after a study suggested infections might have increased at the start of the latest lockdown in England, Mr Johnson said it was \"absolutely crucial\" that people observed the restrictions.\n\nReferring to figures from the Imperial College London survey, he said they showed the new variant of the virus was \"not more deadly but it is much more contagious and the numbers are very great\".\n\nFigures published by Public Health England show cases - meaning people who come forward to get tested while they are infected - have fallen across England since early January.\n\nWith the two sets of figures pointing in different directions, it will be some time before it is known for sure how long it will take for lockdown to relieve the pressure on hospitals.\n\nDr Baguelin, from Imperial College, who sits on a sub-group of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) said the premature opening of the hospitality sector would lead to a \"bump\" in Covid-19 cases.\n\nHe told BBC Radio 4's World at One programme even a partial reopening would generate \"an increase in the R number\". An R number above one means the epidemic is growing.\n\n\"Something of this scale, if it was to happen earlier than May, would generate a bump in transmission, which is already really bad,\" he said.\n\n\"So you have a lot of pressure on hospitals, you will have another wave of some extent. At best you will keep on having very, very unsustainable level of pressure on the NHS.\"\n\nNHS England figures show one in 10 major hospital trusts had no spare adult critical care beds last week.\n\nThis is a debate that is going to start to dominate public discourse.\n\nWith the vaccination programme under way, there is huge clamour to know what will happen once the most vulnerable are vaccinated, by mid-February.\n\nThe problem is there are still so many unknowns.\n\nFirstly, it is hard to predict by how much lockdown will have reduced infection levels, considering there is a new faster-spreading variant to deal with.\n\nThe level of uptake will also be crucial. Surveys suggest as many as one in five may not have the vaccine - although the older, more vulnerable groups tend to be the most willing to be vaccinated.\n\nAnd the fact that no vaccine is 100% effective means come February there could still be significant numbers of very vulnerable people who are not protected.\n\nAnother factor is whether the vaccine stops transmissions - so-called sterilising vaccination.\n\nTrials have shown the vaccines are good at stopping symptoms developing. But that does not mean someone who has received a jab will not pass on the virus.\n\nIf it does not, that, of course, has implications on how many control measures have to be kept in place. It will take us at least until spring to know the answer to this.\n\nAt this stage, it seems hard to see much beyond the possible reopening of schools come March.\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer said it was an \"impossible question\" to ask how long the lockdown would need to last.\n\nUnder the national lockdown, people in England must stay at home and only go out for limited reasons.\n\nThis includes for food shopping, exercise, or work if they cannot do so from home. Similar measures are in place across much of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.\n\nIn Northern Ireland, coronavirus lockdown restrictions will be extended until 5 March, BBC News understands.\n\nIn Scotland, lockdown has been extended until at least the middle of February, with most school pupils to continue learning from home.\n\nAnd in Wales health minister Vaughan Gething has said no \"significant easing\" of Wales' Covid restrictions should be expected when the current guidelines are reviewed this month.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nSir Keir added that the coronavirus vaccines were \"really good news\" but \"should not mask the fact that we have still got a very serious problem\".\n\nThe government is aiming to offer a vaccine to all over-70s, the extremely clinical vulnerable and health and care workers by mid-February.\n\nSixty-five new vaccination centres are opening in England, including a mosque in Birmingham and a cinema in Aylesbury.", "Paddy McElhone was shot in the back by a soldier in 1974\n\nThe shooting dead of a man by the Army in County Tyrone in August 1974 was unjustified, a coroner has ruled.\n\nPaddy McElhone, 24, a farmer, was shot in the back near his home in Limehill, Pomeroy.\n\nAn inquest heard the shot was fired by a soldier from the First Battalion, Royal Regiment of Wales.\n\nJudge Siobhan Keegan said Mr McElhone was an \"innocent man shot in cold blood without warning when he was no threat to anyone\".\n\nThe soldier, now deceased, had been cleared of murder but the circumstances were re-examined in a new inquest ordered by the Attorney General.\n\nPaddy McElhone's family said he was killed without justification, explanation or apology\n\nAfterwards, a statement issued by the McElhone family said it had been a \"very long road\" to reach Thursday's ruling and that the truth \"has been heard\".\n\nIt reads: \"Our family always knew that Paddy was an innocent young man, taken from his home and shot by a British soldier for no reason.\"\n\nEvidence presented to the inquest found Mr McElhone was not on any list associated with the IRA and was an innocent man from a humble background.\n\nThe family said Mr McElhone's parents \"went to their graves broken-hearted knowing that their innocent son had been killed, without justification, explanation or apology\".\n\n\"We feel that, today, Judge Keenan at this inquest has, at long last, exonerated Paddy in full,\" the statement continued.\n\n\"As a family we can grieve Paddy, and respect his memory as an innocent young man.\"\n\nThe inquest into Mr McElhone's death was the first in a series of coroners' investigations into deaths associated with Northern Ireland's Troubles.\n\nIt was held in Omagh courthouse in County Tyrone.", "Some 320 of the UK's most dangerous child sex offenders have been arrested since the first coronavirus lockdown, the National Crime Agency (NCA) said.\n\nInvestigators have been focusing on tracking down offenders who operate online.\n\nThe operation led to a total of 4,760 arrests and 6,500 children safeguarded between April and September last year.\n\nMeanwhile, the Home Office has launched a strategy to collect detailed data about child grooming gangs.\n\nThe Tackling Child Sexual Abuse Strategy aims to identify and convict offenders who operate in groups by gathering more information about their characteristics, including ethnicity.\n\nIt also involves investing in the national child abuse image database to identify offenders more quickly, protecting police from frequently being exposed to indecent images, and enabling parents to ask officers if someone with access to their child is known to them for cases of abuse.\n\nHome Secretary Priti Patel said some who had suffered child sexual abuse had told her they felt \"let down by the state\", and insisted she was \"determined to put this right\".\n\nRob Jones, an NCA director, welcomed the initiative \"at a time when the threat to children is more severe than it has ever been\", highlighting that last year there were at least 300,000 people posing a sexual threat to children in the UK.\n\nHe said the NCA was focusing on the most dangerous offenders \"as part of the whole system approach\".\n\n\"Many feel they can operate with impunity online - using anonymisation techniques, secure accounts and the dark web - but as we have shown with this operation they are wrong and we have the capabilities to track them down,\" he said.\n\nMr Jones added: \"These are not just images or videos being viewed online.\n\n\"What we are uncovering here is evidence of the horrific, real-world sexual abuse of children.\"\n\nOut of the 320 arrested as part of the NCA's operation targeting the UK's most dangerous child sex offenders, 122 were targeted by NCA officers.\n\nSeventeen were in positions of trust, including a volunteer with the Scouts, church youth group leaders, a social worker, primary school and college teachers, a hospital care assistant, a police officer, and a civil servant.\n\nIn the year ending March 2020 the NCA and UK policing made 7,212 arrests and safeguarded and protected 8,329 children. This was a 50% increase in arrests and a 10% increase in safeguards compared with the year ending March 2019.\n\nMs Patel said that the national strategy would tackle and respond to \"all forms of child sexual abuse, relentlessly going after abusers, whilst better protecting victims and survivors\".\n\nShe added: \"Crucially, it contains a commitment to collect higher quality data on the characteristics of offenders, so that the government can build a fuller picture of perpetrators, and tackle the abuse that has blighted many towns and cities across our country.\"\n\nThe government has pledged to support local authorities' responses to exploitation through funding for The Children's Society's Prevention Programme initiative, which has so far trained 13,363 professionals to spot signs of child abuse.\n\nThrough the Online Safety Bill, the Home Office has also said it will ensure technology companies are held to account for harmful content on their sites.\n\nThe Children's Society's chief executive, Mark Russell, has described the strategy as a \"golden opportunity to improve support for child victims of horrific crimes and send a clear signal that child sexual abuse and exploitation are crimes that will not be tolerated\".\n\nThe scheme was also welcomed by GCHQ and charity NSPCC, which said it has received more than 40 calls a day about child sexual abuse since the pandemic began.\n\nGCHQ's director of serious and organised crime said: \"Our work to tackle systemic internet problems, the insight we provide into offender behaviour and our efforts alongside law enforcement to identify and pursue the worst offenders will help to ensure there is no safe space online for these people to operate.\"\n\nNSPCC chief executive Sir Peter Wanless said it \"rightly puts the emphasis on early intervention and action across government but added it \"must be backed up with serious investment in support for victims\" - and that children were still being exposed to abuse from teachers and social workers.\n\nSir Peter said: \"It's crucial that no young person is left unprotected which is why it's disappointing the government has not committed to closing the legal loophole that enables some adults to abuse their position of power to have sexual contact with 16 and 17-year-olds in their care.\"", "CCTV footage has been released of the moment a fire took hold in a hotel after a porter put a bag of ash and embers in a cupboard.\n\nSimon Midgley and his partner Richard Dyson died in the fire at Cameron House next to Loch Lomond in December 2017.\n\nCameron House admitted charges under the Fire Scotland Act of failing to take fire safety measures.\n\nChristopher O'Malley, who put the bag in the cupboard, admitted breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act.", "Last updated on .From the section FA Cup\n\nNon-league Chorley were unable to emulate the heroes from 1986 by causing an FA Cup sensation against Wolves - but the National League North side came away with all the credit from their fourth-round tie at Victory Park.\n\nVitinha's superb 30-yard shot after 12 minutes proved enough to secure an all-Premier League tie against Arsenal or Southampton at Molineux in the fifth round.\n\nBut Nuno Espirito Santo's side were less than impressive against their part-time opponents.\n\nChorley had the first shot of the match through Elliot Newby, and after Vitinha had struck his first Wolves goal with the visitors' only shot on target, it was the hosts who had the best chances.\n\nCrucially, they also pocketed around £120,000 in prize money, plus TV fees, to sustain them through what could be a difficult period after their league was suspended for two weeks amid funding concerns earlier in the day.\n\n\"If you are going to lose, I would prefer to lose to a goal like that than a scruffy goal,\" said Chorley boss Jamie Vermiglio.\n\n\"I am proud of what we have done for our community, my kids at school will remember that their head teacher got this far in the FA Cup. Hopefully it can inspire some of them.\n\n\"We are approaching up to half a million [in earnings from the cup run], we have people who are isolating, and those players have given them a little bit of happiness.\n\n\"If it is 2-0 or 3-0 at half-time the game is done and people are turning their TVs off. That did not happen. I felt we were in the game. Every player was outstanding.\"\n• None How to follow FA Cup fourth round on the BBC\n\nIf this does end up being Chorley's last game of the season, it is one they will remember for some time, not only for the action on the pitch but also for the huge volley of fireworks that went off behind the main stand minutes into the contest.\n\nFor visiting Wolves, it was a step into the unknown. Their starting line-up got changed in the away dressing room, while their substitutes - European Championship winner Rui Patricio and Spain international Adama Traore among them - readied themselves in a sponsors' lounge.\n\nSeemingly those starting the game on the bench got the better deal.\n\nWolves boss Nuno paid Chorley the compliment of picking a strong starting line-up, including £35.6m record signing Fabio Silva and England international Conor Coady.\n\nAnd had this match been played in more imposing surroundings, it could have been mistaken for one of those Premier League games where one side sits back, challenges the opposition to break them down and then hits them on the counter.\n\nWolves' return of 76% possession and one shot on target, set against Chorley's five shots on target, suggests home manager Vermiglio got his tactics spot on.\n\nIndeed, had Andy Halls, a personal trainer by day, not had his goal-bound header tipped over by John Ruddy after an hour, Chorley might have forced a different outcome.\n\n\"The scene was set for us to lose this game,\" said Nuno. \"John Ruddy did his job, everybody knows his quality. He helped us to win the game.\"\n\nIt was nevertheless a typically English FA Cup tie, enlivened by Vermiglio yelling \"nothing wrong with that\" when two Wolves players went down under agricultural challenges, and then laughing in Traore's face amid a brief skirmish.\n\nIt was fantastic knockabout stuff. Sadly, the enduring disappointment was that other than staff, media and stewards, no-one was there in person to witness it.\n• None Wolves have reached the FA Cup fifth round in three of the last five seasons, as many as in the 21 seasons prior to this.\n• None Premier League teams have progressed from 45 of their 47 FA Cup ties against non-league teams (96%), with only Norwich vs Luton in 2013 and Burnley vs Lincoln in 2017 failing to progress.\n• None Separated by 120 years and 362 days, Chorley have lost both of their FA Cup games against top-flight opponents, losing against Notts County in January 1900 and Wolves.\n• None Vitinha became the 32nd different Wolves player to score a goal for Nuno Espirito Santo in all competitions and the 11th different Portuguese player to do so, with what was his third shot in his 12th appearance.\n• None Since the start of 2017-18, Wolves have had 11 different Portuguese scorers - more than twice as many as any other English league team in that time (Nottingham Forest, five).\n\nWolves are next in action against Chelsea in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, 27 January (18:00 GMT).\n• None Attempt blocked. Rayan Aït-Nouri (Wolverhampton Wanderers) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Rúben Neves.\n• None Harry Cardwell (Chorley) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.\n• None Attempt missed. Pedro Neto (Wolverhampton Wanderers) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Rúben Neves.\n• None Arlen Birch (Chorley) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.\n• None Attempt blocked. Fábio Silva (Wolverhampton Wanderers) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Pedro Neto. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page\n• None You can stream five fourth-round games live on the BBC this weekend, including Liverpool's trip to Manchester United. Find out more here.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nA hotel fire which claimed the lives of two men started after a porter put a bag of ash and embers in a cupboard containing kindling and newspaper.\n\nSimon Midgley and his partner Richard Dyson died in the fire at Cameron House next to Loch Lomond in December 2017.\n\nCameron House pled guilty to charges under the Fire Scotland Act of failing to take fire safety measures.\n\nChristopher O'Malley, who put the bag in the cupboard, admitted breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act.\n\nO'Malley's lawyer said the night porter - from Renton in West Dunbartonshire - deeply regretted his actions, and did not deliberately start the fire.\n\nDumbarton Sheriff Court also heard that Cameron House did not have proper procedures in place for the disposal of ash, or for training staff.\n\nThe owners also failed to keep cupboards that contained potential ignition sources free of combustibles.\n\nAt about 04:00 on 18 December 2017, O'Malley, 35, cleared ash and embers from a fireplace in the Cameron House reception into a metal bucket.\n\nHe then emptied the contents of the bucket into a plastic bag, which he put into the concierge cupboard.\n\nThe cupboard also contained flammable materials including kindling, newspapers and cardboard.\n\nRichard Dyson, left, and Simon Midgley, right, who both died, had been on a winter break in Scotland\n\nAt about 06:40 an initial fire alarm sounded and staff noticed smoke coming from the concierge cupboard.\n\nO'Malley opened the door and flames took hold, spreading to the hall.\n\nHe and two others tried to fight the blaze with fire extinguishers, but were overcome by the flames.\n\nAdvocate depute Michael Meehan QC told the court the cupboard was well alight and the \"blaze immediately took hold and spread from there\".\n\nHe added: \"As a result of [Cameron House's] failure to keep the cupboard free of combustibles, ash and embers ignited and fire spread in the main building.\"\n\nThe night manager sounded the alarm and called 999. Firefighters arrived within 10 minutes to find a \"well developed\" fire in the mansion, which is near Balloch in West Dunbartonshire.\n\nMore than 200 guests were staying in the hotel.\n\nThe court heard one family-of-three on the second floor had to be rescued by firefighters while a couple on the first floor had to crawl to safety because corridors and fire escape pathways were filling with smoke and gases.\n\nIt was after 08:00 when it was discovered that Mr Dyson, 38, and Mr Midgley, 32, were missing.\n\nFirefighters wearing breathing apparatus found Mr Dyson on a landing at the top of a staircase.\n\nMr Midgley was lying in a fire escape passageway. Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene.\n\nMr Dyson was taken to hospital, where he was also pronounced dead.\n\nPost-mortem examinations said the men's causes of death had been inhalation of smoke and fire gases.\n\nThe couple had travelled from London, and were staying at the five-star resort as the final stop on their winter break to Scotland.\n\nSheriff William Gallacher also heard of an incident three nights before the fatal fire, where O'Malley and another night porter were told not to put ash into plastic bags because it was a fire hazard.\n\nCameron House QC Peter Gray said it was therefore \"extremely difficult to understand\" why O'Malley did not follow this guidance on the night of the fire.\n\nThe court also heard that Cameron House staff were not properly trained in the safe disposal of ash and that no written procedures were in place.\n\nThere was also no procedure in place for emptying the metal ash bins outside the hotel on a regular basis.\n\nThat was contrary to recommendations made in two fire risk assessments carried out by an independent company in 2016 and 2017.\n\nAfter the first report was received by Cameron House management in January 2016, the resort manager agreed there was a lack of a formal procedure for disposing of ash and delegated the responsibility for this to his deputy.\n\nMr Meehan said this report \"should have been a game-changer\" for Cameron House.\n\nWhen the issue was raised again in a follow-up report a year later, managers believed it had already been dealt with.\n\nMr Gray said: \"The resort manager understood incorrectly that all the actions had been completed, including in relation to the written procedure for disposing of ash from open fires.\"\n\nThe Scottish Fire and Rescue Service had also warned Cameron House managers about the risks of storing combustibles in the concierge cupboard in August 2017.\n\nThe audit highlighted the potential danger of fire spreading rapidly through the building because of its age and voids.\n\nA follow-up letter was sent to management in November 2017 - one month before the fire - but combustibles continued to be stored in the cupboard.\n\nCameron House's lawyer added that the failings were not deliberate breaches but occurred \"as a result of genuine errors\".\n\nHe also told the court the fire had gone undetected for a long period before being discovered, and that the hotel had a \"suite of measures in place\" to deal with fire safety.\n\nAn absence of formal procedures for dealing with ashes and embers gave staff the opportunity to improvise, he added.\n\nMr Gray continued: \"I am instructed to extend my deepest sympathies from the accused to the families of Mr Midgley and Mr Dyson.\n\nHe said the hotel takes its duties to ensure the safety of its guests extremely seriously.\n\nDetails of what happened at Cameron House were first revealed in court on 14 December last year, but reporting restrictions meant they could not be published until now.\n\nSentencing is due to take place on 29 January.", "Fashion chain Next has said it will no longer bid to buy Sir Philip Green's Arcadia retail brands Topshop and Topman out of administration.\n\nIt comes after a consortium including the fashion chain was named as frontrunner to buy the brands.\n\nIn a short statement, Next said the consortium had been \"unable to meet the price expectations of the vendor\".\n\nSome 13,000 jobs were put at risk when Arcadia, which also owns Burton and Dorothy Perkins, went bust in November.\n\nIt leaves a clutch of others in the race to buy the 440-store group, including Mike Ashley's Frasers Group, which owns House of Fraser and Sports Direct.\n\nAccording to reports, Authentic Brands, the US owner of the Barneys department store, and JD Sports have tabled a joint offer, while online retailers Asos and Boohoo are also said to be interested.\n\nAdministrators Deloitte have been looking for buyers for some or all of Arcadia, after a slump in sales caused by the pandemic triggered its collapse.\n\nNext, which has 550 UK shops and has weathered the pandemic well, was seen as a good fit to take over the group's assets.\n\nIt had been bidding in partnership with the US hedge fund Davidson Kempner, which was going to put up most of the money.\n\nNext said it wished \"the administrator and future owners [of Arcadia] well in their endeavours to preserve an important part of the UK retail sector\".\n\nExperts expect Arcadia to be broken up, with bidders taking on different parts of the business and brands potentially hived off from their stores.\n\nIn December, Australian collective City Chic said it would buy Arcadia's Evans brand, commerce and wholesale business for £23m but not its store network.\n\nLast year was the worst for the High Street in more than 25 years as the coronavirus accelerated the move towards online shopping, according to the Centre for Retail Research (CRR).\n\nNearly 180,000 retail jobs were lost, up by almost a quarter on the previous year, as shops faced strict curbs and prolonged closures.", "Early evidence suggests the variant of coronavirus that emerged in the UK may be more deadly, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said.\n\nHowever, there remains huge uncertainty around the numbers - and vaccines are still expected to work.\n\nThe data comes from mathematicians comparing death rates in people infected with either the new or the old versions of the virus.\n\nThe new more infectious variant has already spread widely across the UK.\n\nMr Johnson told a Downing Street briefing: \"In addition to spreading more quickly, it also now appears that there is some evidence that the new variant - the variant that was first identified in London and the south east - may be associated with a higher degree of mortality.\n\n\"It's largely the impact of this new variant that means the NHS is under such intense pressure.\"\n\nPublic Health England, Imperial College London, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the University of Exeter have each been trying to assess how deadly the new variant is.\n\nTheir evidence has been assessed by scientists on the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (Nervtag).\n\nThe group concluded there was a \"realistic possibility\" that the virus had become more deadly, but this is far from certain.\n\nSir Patrick Vallance, the government's chief scientific adviser, described the data so far as \"not yet strong\".\n\nHe said: \"I want to stress that there's a lot of uncertainty around these numbers and we need more work to get a precise handle on it, but it obviously is a concern that this has an increase in mortality as well as an increase in transmissibility.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Sir Patrick Vallance: \"There is evidence that there's an increased risk for those who have the new variant\"\n\nPrevious work suggests the new variant spreads between 30% and 70% faster than others, and there are hints it is about 30% more deadly.\n\nFor example, with 1,000 60-year-olds infected with the old variant, 10 of them might be expected to die. But this rises to about 13 with the new variant.\n\nThis difference is found when looking at everyone testing positive for Covid, but analysing only hospital data has found no increase in the death rate. Hospital care has improved over the course of the pandemic as doctors get better at treating the disease.\n\nThe new variant was first detected in Kent in September. It is now the most common form of the virus in England and Northern Ireland, and has spread to more than 50 other countries.\n\nThe Pfizer and Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine are both expected to work against the variant that emerged in the UK.\n\nHowever, Sir Patrick said there was more concern about two other variants that had emerged in South Africa and Brazil.\n\nHe said: \"They have certain features which means they might be less susceptible to vaccines.\n\n\"They are definitely of more concern than the one in the UK at the moment and we need to keep looking at it and studying this very carefully.\"\n\nThe prime minister said the government was prepared to take further action to protect the country's borders to prevent new variants from entering.\n\n\"I really don't rule it out, we may need to take further measures still,\" he said.\n\nLast week the government extended a travel ban to South America, Portugal and many African countries amid concerns about new variants, while all international travellers must now test negative ahead of departure to the UK and go into quarantine on arrival.", "Shoppers bought far fewer clothes last year as lockdowns meant people had less opportunity to socialise and go out.\n\nClothes sales slumped 25%, the biggest drop in 23 years when records began, official figures suggest.\n\nWhile shops have reported demand for certain clothing such as pyjamas and loungewear has risen, demand for going-out items has fallen sharply.\n\nAnd despite a pick-up in December, clothing sales remain lower than before the pandemic struck.\n\n\"With few opportunities to socialise during lockdown and many people working from home, the clothing sector has been one of the \"worst-affected by restrictions\", the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.\n\nEarlier this month, Marks & Spencer said sales of sleepwear had soared\n\nGrowing numbers of High Street shops have faced financial difficulties due to the temporary store closures imposed during lockdowns.\n\nTopshop-owner Arcadia and competitors Debenhams, Edinburgh Woollen Mill Group, Oasis and Warehouse have all slid into insolvency since lockdown measures were first imposed last March.\n\nThe inability to try clothes on in bricks-and-mortar shops, as well as restrictions on eating out meaning consumers are going out less, have all affected sales, the ONS suggested.\n\nAnd the slump in demand for fashion meant that British retail sales saw their largest annual fall on record in 2020.\n\nSales fell by 1.9% last year, when compared with 2019, the largest year-on-year fall since records began in 1997.\n\nRetail sales, including fuel, did see a small increase last month, growing by 0.3% when compared with November.\n\nIt came following the end of England's national lockdown on 2 December. Sales had slumped by 4.1% in November during a month-long shutdown.\n\nBut \"this was very clearly not a Merry Christmas for most of the High Street\", said Susannah Streeter, senior investment and markets analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown.\n\n\"For most retailers it's the most crucial month of the year to get profit back on track but the large upswing in sales after the pain of the November lockdowns didn't materialise,\" she said.\n\nONS deputy national statistician for economic statistics Jonathan Athow said that some sectors, however, had been \"able to buck the trend\" last year.\n\n\"The increased popularity of click-and-collect and people buying more items from home led to a strong year for overall internet sales, with record highs for food and household goods sales online.\"\n\nIn a sign of the way the pandemic has changed shopping habits, the value of online retail sales jumped by 46.1% in 2020 when compared with 2019 - the highest annual growth reported since 2008.\n\nOnline trade now accounts for more than one-third of all retail sales.\n\nRichard Lim, chief executive of Retail Economics, explained that the rise of online had \"polarised industry performance\".\n\n\"The gap widened between those retailers with the most sophisticated online propositions from those with legacy store-dependent business models,\" he said.\n\nOnline-only retailers such as Boohoo and Asos, for example, have reported strong sales figures in 2020.\n\nSupermarkets in particular have embraced the shift to digital, with online food store sales up 79.3% last year.\n\nThere was also better news from the John Lewis Partnership, which owns Waitrose, on Friday. It said that it would return a £300m emergency coronavirus loan to the government as trading went \"better than anticipated\" over Christmas.\n\nToday's figures show just how badly the clothing sector has been affected these last 12 months.\n\nFashion is the big retail loser from this pandemic. Who needs to splash out on the latest trends when we're working from home and not going out? And even when clothing shops are open, chances are you can't try things on.\n\nWith all of the Covid-19 measures in place, the fun has been sucked out of shopping. We haven't stopped spending, but most of it is going online. Boohoo and Asos have seen very strong sales growth, for instance.\n\nThe going's far harder for retailers with large numbers of physical stores. The pressures have already taken their toll on the likes of Sir Philip Green's Arcadia Group and Debenhams.\n\nAnd things may well get worse on the high street before they better. Many retailers are worried about the end of the business rates holiday and of the temporary ban on eviction for non payment of rent in April. These will result in a big increase in costs when sales have yet to fully recover.\n\nBut Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, called for more help for non-essential shops and High Street retailers who continue to be affected by lockdown restrictions.\n\n\"With no end in sight for retailers closed in lockdown, many will struggle to survive under a mounting rent burden, and a return to full business rates in April,\" she said.\n\nShe called on government to offer \"targeted\" business rates relief to businesses worst-affected by the pandemic.\n\n\"Decisive action is needed to save jobs, shops and local communities, with town and city centres looking to be particularly hard hit unless the government acts now.\"\n\nEarlier in January, a report from the Centre for Retail Research said that 2020 was the worst for High Street job losses in more than 25 years, because of the acceleration towards online shopping.\n\nNearly 180,000 retail jobs were lost last year, up by almost a quarter from 2019, it said.", "Last updated on .From the section Premier League\n\nLiverpool's 68-game unbeaten home run in the Premier League came to an end as Ashley Barnes fired in a late winner from the penalty spot to secure a famous victory for Burnley.\n\nBarnes was tripped in the box by goalkeeper Alisson with seven minutes remaining and converted the spot-kick as Burnley won at Anfield for the first time since 1974.\n\nLiverpool's last league loss on their own ground came nearly four years ago, against Crystal Palace in April 2017, and they are now six points behind leaders Manchester United at the midway point in the campaign.\n\nDivock Origi was given his first start of the season and should have scored when he ran free on goal after pouncing on Ben Mee's error but struck the crossbar.\n\nThe hosts pushed to find the net in the second half but ran out of ideas, Nick Pope making a stunning save to deny Mohamed Salah and fellow substitute Roberto Firmino flicking an effort wide.\n\nBurnley's shock win lifts them up to 16th in the table, seven points clear of the relegation zone.\n• None Klopp takes blame but what has happened to Liverpool?\n\nJurgen Klopp said before the game he was \"not worried\" by his side's poor run, but the latest setback means this has now turned into a real problem for the Liverpool manager.\n\nAfter 19 games, Liverpool are out of form and out of confidence, failing to find the net in their last 440 minutes of top-flight action and awaiting their first league victory of 2021.\n\nThey looked to be hitting their stride on 19 December when they took apart Crystal Palace 7-0, but have not won in the league since and scored just a solitary league goal in that time, against relegation strugglers West Brom.\n\nTheir drop-off from the same stage last season is extraordinary - after 19 games last term the Reds were 13 points clear at the top with 55 points, but they have 21 fewer points now.\n\nAside from Pope's save to thwart Salah and stops from Origi and Trent Alexander-Arnold, Liverpool did not look a side who were threatening to find the net.\n\nThey had 72% possession but much of it was slow and ponderous, and although they had spaces out wide and put 30 crosses into the box, the resolute Burnley defenders headed and hacked clear every ball that came in.\n\nLiverpool won 18 of 19 league games at Anfield as they cantered to the title last term.\n\nBurnley were the spoilers on that occasion - earning a 1-1 draw in July 2020 - and they bettered that showing here with another solid and well-organised display.\n\nCaptain Mee had 14 clearances and made two tackles, while centre-back partner James Tarkowski contributed five interceptions and won the ball back four times.\n\nBurnley are a well-drilled outfit and know their limitations, happy to sit back and soak up the pressure before looking to take their chances on the counter-attack.\n\nThey had sniffs on the break but were unable to get the final ball right and while Barnes forced an excellent save out of Alisson, the assistant referee's flag would have ruled it out.\n\nThey remain the lowest scorers in the league with just 10 goals - level with bottom side Sheffield United - but their defensive solidity means they will always pose a threat, even to the biggest teams.\n\n'We dealt with the basics' - manager reaction\n\nBurnley boss Sean Dyche to Match of the Day: \"Performance, we had to work very hard, as you do in these places, be diligent and do your jobs - shape was good, energy was good.\n\n\"We had a golden chance, kept searching, but you have to deal with the basics and we did that very well.\n\n\"We were close last year, you get a feel of a performance and I said 'you are used to playing against these players, working without the ball, there's always a chance and you have to take it'. Barnsey sticks it in there, gets a toe, it's a penalty and he sticks it away very well.\"\n• None This was Burnley's second Premier League win away against the reigning champions (also v Chelsea in August 2017). Indeed, since the 2017-18 season, Burnley are the only side with two away league wins over the reigning English champions.\n• None Liverpool have gone four league games without scoring for the first time since May 2000. The Reds have had a total of 87 shots since Sadio Mane's 12th-minute strike against West Brom, 25 days ago.\n• None This is the first time a Jurgen Klopp side has gone four league games without scoring since his Mainz side did so in the Bundesliga from November to December 2006.\n• None Liverpool have gone five Premier League games without a win (D3 L2) for only the second time under Klopp (also from Jan-Feb 2017).\n• None Liverpool have conceded two penalty goals at Anfield in this season's Premier League (also Sander Berge for Sheff Utd); they had only conceded two penalty goals at the ground under Klopp before 2020-21.\n• None Liverpool had 27 shots without scoring against Burnley, the most they have had in a single league match without finding the net since April 2013 v Reading (28), and most at Anfield since April 2012 v West Brom (30).\n• None Ashley Barnes' penalty for Burnley was his first away goal in the Premier League in 11 appearances on the road, since netting against Watford back in November 2019.\n• None Since the start of last season, no goalkeeper has made more saves against a single opponent in the Premier League than Burnley's Nick Pope against Liverpool (19). Pope has made 14 saves in his last two games at Anfield, including six tonight.\n\nLiverpool have another big game on Sunday against rivals Manchester United in the FA Cup. That game is live on the BBC (17:00 GMT). Burnley travel to Fulham in the same competition on the same day (14:30).\n• None Offside, Burnley. Dwight McNeil tries a through ball, but Chris Wood is caught offside.\n• None Attempt blocked. Takumi Minamino (Liverpool) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.\n• None Attempt missed. Dwight McNeil (Burnley) left footed shot from the left side of the box is close, but misses the top left corner. Assisted by Ashley Barnes.\n• None Attempt blocked. Roberto Firmino (Liverpool) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Trent Alexander-Arnold.\n• None Attempt missed. Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool) right footed shot from the right side of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Sadio Mané with a cross.\n• None Joel Matip (Liverpool) is shown the yellow card for hand ball.\n• None Attempt blocked. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) left footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Sadio Mané.\n• None Goal! Liverpool 0, Burnley 1. Ashley Barnes (Burnley) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom right corner.\n• None Penalty conceded by Alisson (Liverpool) after a foul in the penalty area.\n• None Attempt blocked. Sadio Mané (Liverpool) right footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Andrew Robertson. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page\n• None You can stream five fourth-round games live on the BBC this weekend, including Liverpool's trip to Manchester United. Find out more here.", "Nissan's car plant in Sunderland is the UK's biggest and employs 6,000 people directly\n\nJapanese car maker Nissan has told the BBC its Sunderland plant is secure for the long term as a result of the trade deal reached between the UK and the EU.\n\nIt said it will move additional battery production close to the plant where it has 6,000 direct employees and supports nearly 70,000 jobs in the supply chain.\n\nCurrently, the batteries in its Leaf electric cars are imported from Japan.\n\nNissan would not confirm if this would mean additional jobs at Sunderland, which is the UK's largest car plant.\n\nManufacturing the more powerful batteries in the UK will ensure its cars comply with trade rules agreed with the EU requiring at least 55% of the car's value to be derived from either the UK or the EU to qualify for zero tariffs when exported to the EU.\n\nSome 70% of the cars made in Sunderland are exported and the vast majority of them are sold in the EU.\n\nNissan had issued stark warnings last year that if the UK left the EU without a trade deal, the resulting tariffs on cars and components would make the Sunderland plant \"unsustainable\".\n\nNissan's chief operating officer Ashwani Gupta told the BBC: \"The Brexit deal is positive for Nissan. Being the largest automaker in the UK we are taking this opportunity to redefine auto-making in the UK.\n\nNissan's Ashwani Gupta said the Brexit deal had created a 'competitive environment'\n\n\"It has created a competitive environment for Sunderland, not just inside the UK but outside as well.\n\n\"We've decided to localise the manufacture of the 62kWh battery in Sunderland so that all our products qualify [for tariff-free export to the EU]. We are committed to Sunderland for the long term under the business conditions that have been agreed.\"\n\nIt came as Nissan paused one of its two production lines in Sunderland on Friday as disruption at ports caused by the pandemic affected its supply chain.\n\nThe company said the move would affect the line which produces the Qashqai and Leaf, but work would resume next week.\n\nBusiness Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng welcomed the firm's endorsement of Sunderland as a manufacturing base.\n\n\"Nissan's decision represents a genuine belief in Britain and a huge vote of confidence in our economy thanks to the certainty our trade deal with the EU delivers,\" he said.\n\n\"For the dedicated and highly-skilled workforce in Sunderland, it means the city will be home to Nissan's latest models for years to come and positions the company to capitalise on the wealth of benefits that will flow from electric vehicle production.\"\n\nIt's particularly welcome after the more guarded comments from the boss of Vauxhall's parent company last week.\n\nSpeaking as the tie-up between Fiat Chrsyler and Peugeot Citroen was christened with new umbrella name Stellantis, boss Carlos Tavares said that the future of its Ellesmere Port plant depended on the support the UK government was prepared to offer after its decision to ban sales of new petrol and diesel cars after 2030.\n\n\"If you change, brutally, the rules and if you restrict the rules for business then there is at one point in time a problem,\" he said.\n\nLooking forward, he said it would make more sense to locate an electric vehicle factory closer to the larger EU market.\n\nIndustry voices welcomed the news from Nissan but reinforced the message from Vauxhall's owners that the government needs to do more to secure the future of the car industry as it electrifies.\n\n\"This is obviously good news and will help the Nissan Leaf avoid any future tariffs, but we are going to need to see a lot more investment in battery production in the UK if we are to preserve the UK as a car manufacturer and exporter,\" said Professor David Bailey of Warwick University.\n\nThe head of trade body the Society for Motor Manufacturers and Traders agreed.\n\n\"The battery plant in Sunderland may be enough for Nissan's near-term plans to build tens of thousands of electric cars but the UK made 1.5 million cars last year and all will be partly electric by 2030,\" Mike Hawes said.\n\nAndy Palmer, former boss of Aston Martin and current chairman of electric bus maker Switch Mobility, has gone further. He says that 800,000 jobs are at risk if the UK government doesn't act now to foster battery investment.\n\n\"Without electric vehicle batteries made in the UK, the country's auto industry risks becoming an antiquated relic and overtaken by China, Japan, America and Europe.\"\n\nHe urged the UK government to use every lever at its disposal to make the UK attractive.\n\nUK car investment has fallen sharply since the UK voted to leave the EU.\n\nIn the five years to 2016 it averaged £3.5bn per year. In the four years since it has averaged around £1bn - a fall of 71% at a time when the technology and map of car production are going through their biggest revolution since the car was invented.\n\nThe Nissan decision is therefore a very welcome boost to the UK which is in an international scramble for the investment of the future which is happening right now.", "Police warned that unsanctioned protests would be \"immediately suppressed\"\n\nRussian police have detained close aides of the jailed opposition politician Alexei Navalny, as a string of nationwide protests gets under way.\n\nPolice have broken up demonstrations in the eastern Khabarovsk region, amid stern warnings for people to stay home.\n\nMr Navalny's supporters flooded social media with calls to rally at protests expected in dozens of cities later.\n\nHe is Russian leader Vladimir Putin's most high-profile critic.\n\nHe was arrested last Sunday after he flew back to Moscow from Berlin, where he had been recovering from a near-fatal nerve agent attack in Russia last August.\n\nOn his return, he was immediately taken into custody and found guilty of violating parole conditions. He says it is a trumped-up case designed to silence him.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Alexei Navalny was filmed by the BBC saying goodbye to his wife and then being led away by authorities\n\nMore than 60m people have watched his new video about President Vladimir Putin's alleged luxury Black Sea palace.\n\nThe Kremlin denies the property belongs to the president.\n\nAmong those detained in Moscow on Thursday were his spokeswoman, Kira Yarmysh, and one of his lawyers, Lyubov Sobol. They face fines or short jail terms.\n\nMs Sobol, who has a young child, was later released. But Ms Yarmysh has now been jailed for nine days.\n\nProminent Navalny activists are also being held in the cities of Vladivostok, Novosibirsk and Krasnodar.\n\nUnauthorised rallies are being planned in more than 60 cities across Russia for Saturday. Moscow police say any unauthorised demonstrations and provocations will be \"immediately suppressed\".\n\nA thousand people were reported to have come onto the streets in the Khabarovsk region, with some of them already detained.\n\nMr Navalny's wife Yulia, who travelled back to Russia with him from Germany, said she would demonstrate in Moscow \"for myself, for him, for our children, for the values and the ideals that we share\".\n\nAlexei Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) has drawn millions of followers on social media, through slickly produced videos alleging large-scale official corruption. He has long denounced Mr Putin's administration as \"feudal\" and full of \"crooks and thieves\".\n\nFor a long time the Russian authorities made out that Alexei Navalny was irrelevant. Just a blogger. With a tiny following. No threat whatsoever.\n\nRecent events suggest the opposite. First Mr Navalny was targeted with a nerve agent, allegedly by a secret group of FSB state security hitmen. Instead of investigating the poisoning, Russia is investigating him: on his return from Germany the Kremlin critic was arrested.\n\nHaving put Mr Navalny behind bars, the authorities are putting pressure on his supporters. The Kremlin's greatest fear is of a Ukraine-style revolution in Russia that would sweep away those in power.\n\nThere's no indication that such a scenario is imminent. But with economic problems growing, the Kremlin will worry that Mr Navalny could act as a lightning rod for protest sentiment. That explains the police crackdown on Navalny allies ahead of Saturday's potential protests.\n\nPlus, this is getting personal. Mr Navalny's video about \"Putin's Palace\" on the Black Sea was designed to cause maximum embarrassment to the Russian president.\n\nIn the \"Putin's palace\" video Mr Navalny alleges that rich businessmen close to Mr Putin paid for a sumptuous 17,691sq m (190,424sq ft) palace for him at Gelendzhik, by the Black Sea.\n\nIt is alleged to have a casino, a theatre and many other comforts, including a vineyard and tea house in the sprawling grounds. The Kremlin dismissed the YouTube video as a \"pseudo-investigation\" aimed at earning money for Mr Navalny.\n\nProsecutors have warned people against protesting in support of Mr Navalny on Saturday. Russia's education ministry has told parents not to allow their children to attend.\n\nSome Russian celebrities in the arts and sports have pledged support for Mr Navalny. They include ice hockey star Artemi Panarin.\n\nFormer world chess champion Garry Kasparov - now a leading anti-Putin activist based in the US - tweeted that pro-Navalny posts were being widely blocked in Russia.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Garry Kasparov This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nIn a phone call to President Putin on Friday, EU Council President Charles Michel voiced \"grave concern\" about the jailing of Mr Navalny.\n\nMr Michel said the EU was \"united in its call on Russia to swiftly release Mr Navalny and proceed with the investigation into the assassination attempt on him, in full transparency and without further delay\".\n\nIn October, the EU imposed sanctions on six top Russian officials and a Russian chemical weapons research centre over the Novichok poisoning of Mr Navalny.\n\nThe Kremlin retaliated with tit-for-tat sanctions, denying any role in the attack and rejecting the expert finding that the Russian nerve agent had been used.\n\nThe Black Sea palace allegedly features a casino, an ice rink and a vineyard\n\nThe social media app TikTok has a flood of videos from Russians promoting the protests planned for Saturday. The messages about Mr Navalny have been going viral for several days.\n\nA well-known Russian TikTok user, Slava Varfolomeyev, told BBC Russian: \"I go on TikTok and find that every third video is about 'Putin's palace', the detention of Navalny and the 23 January rally!\"\n\nHe said that on Thursday \"this swelled to a maximum: practically seven out of every 10 videos were on that topic [Navalny]\". TikTok's popularity is based on short-form videos.\n\nOn Wednesday Russia's official media watchdog, Roskomnadzor, demanded that TikTok take down any information \"encouraging minors to act illegally\", threatening large fines.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Teresa Dalling says a river of orange water rushed through the village on Thursday\n\nSerious flooding which forced villagers from their homes was potentially caused by a mine shaft \"blow out\" during Storm Christoph, authorities have said.\n\nAbout 80 people were evacuated as water rushed through Skewen, Neath Port Talbot, on Thursday.\n\nResidents have been told they will not be able to return home this weekend or \"possibly longer\".\n\nThe Coal Authority said initial checks suggested water had built up in the shaft and flooded the village.\n\nCarl Banton, from the Coal Authority, said there had been a \"tremendous amount\" of rain recently and potentially a blockage in the drainage system could have caused the mine shaft to \"blow out\".\n\nMr Banton reassured people that officers had visually checked other mine shafts in the area and were \"not concerned\" any would collapse.\n\n\"The mine shaft in question is the one that was on actually on the water level, it has found its point of weakness,\" he said.\n\nCarl Banton said that while investigations were ongoing heavy rain may have overwhelmed the mine shaft\n\nA major incident was declared as water rushed into the village on Thursday, leaving eight streets underwater as Storm Christoph caused widespread flooding across Wales.\n\nOn Friday, as firefighters continued to pump water out of the village, Natural Resources Wales (NRW) confirmed the Tennant Canal had been polluted \"from mine water\".\n\nLate on Friday evening, Neath Port Talbot council said, for safety reasons, people forced to leave their homes would \"not be able to return home this weekend, and the wait could possibly longer\".\n\nA support centre will open at Abbey Primary School from Saturday, with council officers on site to help people access emergency support.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe Coal Authority, which manages the effects of historical coal mining, are investigating the cause of the flooding.\n\nMr Banton said initial findings showed there may have been a build-up of water on the hillside which had \"found its way out\" through the mine shaft, flooding the village.\n\n\"The flow appears to be subsiding... but what we are unsure of is if there is a feed of additional water into the mine workings, from the extensive mine workings on the hillside,\" he added.\n\nAt least 80 people have had to leave their homes in the village after flooding\n\nMr Banton said officers would drill down into the shaft and investigate on Saturday, in the hope that people could soon be allowed back into their homes.\n\n\"A lot of the mining in this area is very old... some of it dates back to the early 1800s... we have no details of how the shaft in question here was originally filled or capped,\" he said.\n\n\"We will ensure the mine shaft is properly capped and sorted out.\"\n\nMartyn Evans, of NRW, said officers were looking at how to minimise the risk of pollution to nearby rivers, and investigating any impacts on the River Neath.\n\n\"We have also carried out tests on other watercourses in the vicinity of the incident. Results indicate there has been no significant impact on those at present,\" he said.\n\nOn Thursday night a further 20 homes were evacuated by emergency services as the water continued to rush through the village.\n\nFirst Minister Mark Drakeford confirmed on Friday financial support would be made available to people affected by the recent floods, up to £1,000 per household.\n\n\"This is the same level of support available a year ago when storms Ciara and Dennis hit Wales, just before the pandemic,\" he said.\n\nThe water is warmer than the air and is creating a mist along Dynevor Road\n\nSkewen resident John Thomas said he returned home from a funeral with wife Lynne on Thursday to find their house had turned into \"a lake\", he told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast.\n\nHe said: \"The water was around the level of the bottom of the doors so we couldn't go in, so we just had to stand there and watch this orange-coloured water just piling up and up and up.\"\n\nMr Thomas said that with water up to his waist, he was unable to get in to rescue possessions.\n\nHe added: \"We're in a bit of a dip on the road, so you could see it gradually coming up, they were worried it might have been a sinkhole because of the coal mines.\n\n\"It's definitely mine workings, just by looking at the colour of the water, it's an orange colour.\n\n\"Other people who were evacuated had the chance to move things upstairs, I didn't have a chance to do that because I couldn't get in to it.\"\n\nThe couple are now staying with their daughter, with everyone else who was evacuated from their homes finding accommodation and told to avoid the area.\n\nMore than 30 residents of Cwrt-Clwydi-Gwyn care home were among those moved as a precaution.\n\nIt was a sleepless night for Skewen resident Teresa Dalling\n\nTeresa Dalling, who lives in Dynevor Road, said she had spent the night fearing for her safety.\n\n\"I haven't slept. I was up the back door every two hours checking the water level,\" she said.\n\n\"I didn't know we lived near old mines and if there's been a collapse, my fear is more could follow and that's terrifying.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Stephen Kinnock This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nAs well as properties, vehicles were submerged in water\n\nUp to 45 firefighters were involved at the scene at the height of the flooding.\n\nIn a joint statement, the police, fire service and Neath Port Talbot Council urged people not to return to their homes until it was safe.\n\nCh Supt Trudi Meyrick said: \"We appreciate people are eager to get back to their homes and we are working with partners to allow this to happen as soon as it is safe to do so.\n\n\"In the meantime we ask people to please be patient as their safety is our top priority.\"\n\nIn one home, floodwater can be seen filling the living room\n\nFirefighters are continuing to pump water out of the village where people were forced to leave their homes\n\nDeputy Chief Fire Officer Roger Thomas, of Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service, said firefighters remained in the village, pumping out water.\n\nHe said: \"We will continue to monitor the situation and support our partner agencies and those affected over the next few days.\"\n\nHomes were evacuated at Goshen Park, in Skewen\n\nNeath Port Talbot council said a local rest centre was available, and measures had been put in place to protect against Covid-19.\n\nChief executive Karen Jones said they would continue to support residents who had to leave their homes and they would ensure others had a safe place to go if further evacuations were necessary.\n\nNetwork Rail said engineers had checked for any potential damage to the railway line, but had found no \"cause for concern\".\n\nThe water has rushed through the streets of the town\n\nA severe flood warning remains in force for the Lower Dee Valley, from Llangollen to Trevalyn Meadows.\n\nThree flood warnings are in place for the River Wye at Monmouth, River Ritec at Tenby, and Bangor-on-Dee, where people were forced to leave their homes on Thursday as flooding saw a major incident declared. Eleven flood alerts are also in place.\n\nSnow and ice could also exacerbate issues for emergency services and those forced to leave their homes, with temperatures forecast to plummet in coming days.", "Last updated on .From the section Tennis\n\nFive-time finalist Andy Murray will miss the Australian Open after a solution to find a \"workable quarantine\" following his positive test for coronavirus could not be found.\n\nThe 33-year-old Briton was set to fly out to Melbourne last week, but was not allowed to travel on a charter flight after being found to have Covid-19.\n\nThe former world number one had hoped to travel safely and compete as planned on the back of a negative test.\n\nMurray said he was \"gutted\" not to go.\n\nHe was asymptomatic and is now out of self-isolation, but finding a way for him to travel to Australia and then going into quarantine before the tournament starts on 8 February proved too difficult.\n\n\"We've been in constant dialogue with Tennis Australia to try and find a solution which would allow some form of workable quarantine, but we couldn't make it work,\" said Murray.\n\n\"I want to thank everyone there for their efforts. I'm devastated not to be playing out in Australia. It's a country and tournament that I love.\"\n\nMurray was able to play only seven official matches in 2020 because of a lingering pelvic injury, and the five-month suspension of the tours because of the pandemic.\n\nAt 123rd in the world, he was ranked too low to gain direct entry into Australian Open so the three-time Grand Slam champion was given a wildcard.\n\nThe Australian Open at Melbourne Park is starting three weeks later than usual because of the coronavirus pandemic.\n\nPlayers had to test negative before taking one of the 15 chartered flights - which were put on last week by tournament organisers and operated at 25% capacity - to Australia.\n\nOn arrival, the players and their support staff went straight into a 14-day quarantine under the conditions imposed by the Australian government.\n\nThat agreement allowed them out of their rooms for up to five hours a day for food and practice.\n\nHowever, 72 players have been confined to their rooms in a tougher quarantine - which led to some complaints and creative ways of staying fit - after they travelled on three flights where positive cases were found on arrival.\n\nHaving missed his flight to Melbourne, and therefore last weekend's window for the players to begin 14 days of quarantine, Murray was always up against it.\n\nThere are no health issues, and no injury concerns, and Murray had been hoping he could make it to Australia to complete quarantine in time to play a first-round match on either 8 or 9 February.\n\nBut the only \"workable quarantine\" would have included five hours out of his room every day. This was no longer available, and no player - irrespective of age or injury history - would want to play a Grand Slam first-round match just hours after two weeks in a hotel room.\n\nMurray is understandably devastated: he knows that at 33, and with two hip operations behind him, he cannot guarantee there will be another opportunity.\n\nBut it would have been a long way to travel potentially to lose in the first round, and receiving a special exemption may not have sat well with Murray over time.\n\nInstead, he will work with his team on his next move. Montpellier and Rotterdam are the next two ATP tournaments in Europe, although nothing is easy with Covid travel restrictions.\n• None You can stream five fourth-round games live on the BBC this weekend, including Liverpool's trip to Manchester United. Find out more here.", "Jane Midgley says she needs answers about the death of her son, Simon\n\nThe mother of a man killed in a fire at a hotel on the shores of Loch Lomond more than two years ago has said it is \"torture\" not knowing why he died.\n\nSimon Midgley, 32, and Richard Dyson, 38, died in the fire which fire broke out at the Cameron House Hotel in 2017.\n\nJane Midgley said she needs answers about what led to Simon's death.\n\nThe Crown Office said it was committed to ensuring the circumstances around the deaths were aired in an \"appropriate legal forum\".\n\nMs Midgley said every day without answers was like the day she found out about his death.\n\n\"I just live it every single day and I can't cope with it much longer,\" she said. \"I need to know why they are not here and it's so difficult.\n\n\"I need answers. Why are these boys not here anymore? Why did this happen? Nearly three years on, no one is telling me.\"\n\nRichard Dyson and Simon Midgley were thought to be on a winter break in Scotland\n\nShe told BBC Scotland she wakes up during the night thinking about her son, asking herself \"has this really happened?\".\n\n\"Nearly three years on, should I still be feeling this hurt and pain?\"\n\nAfter the fire, the emergency services conducted investigations.\n\nWhile this can be a lengthy process, reports from the fire service and the police were passed to the Crown months ago.\n\nMs Midgley criticised prosecutors for not providing her with more information. She added she thinks they should be in contact with her more regularly than every four weeks.\n\nShe said: \"When the Crown say that they regularly update the family and are in regular contact that is always to say... 'it's still ongoing', 'we'll update you with anything significant', 'it's complicated'.\"\n\nShe added that there were many questions she still wanted answers to.\n\n\"The most important thing is finding out why Simon couldn't get out of that hotel that night - what went wrong. I have no idea, I've got to understand, I just need the answers.\n\n\"I need to know how it happened. I need to know why the boys didn't get out of that hotel when it was on fire, how it started, where it started, why they could not get out, could it have been prevented... it is pure torture.\"\n\nFire broke out at the Cameron House hotel in 2017\n\nMr Midgley was a freelance writer with the Evening Standard. Following his death the newspaper's editor, George Osbourne, paid tribute to Mr Midgley's \"adventurous spirit\".\n\nA spokesman for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service said: \"Our staff have been in regular contact with the nearest relatives and provided them with information at every stage.\n\n\"The information that can be shared while a case is being investigated is limited so as not to prejudice any potential proceedings.\n\n\"The Crown‎ is committed to ensuring that the facts and circumstances surrounding the deaths of Simon Midgley and Richard Dyson are thoroughly investigated by the relevant agencies, fully considered by COPFS and, in due course, aired in an appropriate legal forum.\n\n\"The nearest relatives will continue to be kept updated in relation to any significant developments.\"\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Amy says her flat isn't worth anything until it is made safe\n\nThe government's fund to pay for the removal of dangerous cladding is woefully inadequate, oversubscribed and taking too long to make buildings safe, campaigners say.\n\nMore than three and a half years since the Grenfell Tower fire which killed 72 people, an estimated 700,000 people are still living in high-rise blocks with flammable cladding.\n\nThe £1.6bn Building Safety Programme was set up in 2019. Concerns have emerged about the contract that the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government requires applicants to the fund, usually managing agents or building owners, to sign.\n\nA clause in the contract, seen by the BBC, indicates applicants will be financially liable for any repair work not covered by the fund.\n\nThe BBC has learnt that some managing agents are refusing to sign the document, further delaying the repair work, and have written to the government asking ministers to clarify the position.\n\nChristian Hansen, a solicitor at Bindmans LLP specialising in housing law and fire safety claims, said the contract showed that \"there's going to be a significant shortfall between the costs of the [repair] works that are required and the funding provided under the scheme\".\n\n\"Someone is going to need to pick up the bill and pay the difference. This contract makes clear it's going to be the leaseholders and for many, this could be tens of thousands of pounds, potentially ruinous costs,\" he warned.\n\nMr Hansen said that leaseholders wanted the focus of government action \"to be on the manufacturers of the defective materials and construction companies who built these buildings\".\n\n\"At the moment, they are the ones profiting from putting people's lives at risk.\"\n\n\"It is absolutely terrifying knowing that you are stuck here,\" says Amy\n\nFirst-time buyer Amy Cottenden, who is 28, bought a one-bed flat in Metis Tower in the centre of Sheffield for £85,000 in 2017.\n\nInspections of the 14-storey building in the wake of the Grenfell Tower tragedy revealed it had the same type of flammable ACM cladding and other safety faults.\n\nWork to remove the cladding started last month, but Ms Cottenden, who is a frontline NHS health worker, is frustrated at what she describes as a lack of progress.\n\n\"The pace of work is extremely slow. So far, they've put scaffolding up and removed three panels. They have told us it's going to take between 12 and 24 months just to take the cladding off,\" she said.\n\n\"It is absolutely terrifying knowing that you are stuck here. With lockdown, they are saying not to go out, but you are in a building where all you want to do is not be in it. You can't leave. You can't sell. My flat isn't worth anything until it is made safe.\"\n\nWhile the government's Building Safety Fund is paying for the Grenfell-style cladding to be removed, the building has other fire safety faults, including missing fire breaks, that aren't covered by the scheme.\n\nIt could cost up to £6m to fix. Flat owners fear they may face huge bills of up to £50,000 each.\n\n\"We can't pay it and we shouldn't have to pay it. It is not our fault. We could all go bankrupt because of this,\" Ms Cottenden said.\n\nA spokesperson for Rendall & Rittner, the company which manages Metis Tower, said government funding to remove ACM cladding had been approved totalling £6.3m.\n\nHowever, an application to the same fund to pay for the removal of other types of unsafe cladding was rejected and the company has appealed against that decision.\n\nThe company added: \"We understand and sympathise with residents and owners about the uncertainty that this situation is causing and will do all we can to assist.\"\n\nWhat started as a cladding scandal has now become a much wider building safety crisis, exposing decades of regulatory failure.\n\nSafety inspections have revealed that many buildings have other serious faults, including missing fire breaks, flammable balconies and defective insulation. None of that is covered by the government's Building Safety Fund.\n\nDr Nigel Glen, the chief executive of ARMA, the trade association for residential leasehold management, said the additional costs that leaseholders were currently facing for non-cladding-related issues remained a huge concern.\n\n\"In the longer term, the draining of reserve funds will also mean that in the years to come, any major works that were being saved up for, such as a new roof or lift repairs, will have to be funded anew by the leaseholders,\" he added.\n\nA spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said that despite the pandemic, significant progress had been made to remove dangerous cladding, but \"building safety remains the responsibility of the building owner and we expect them to ensure any necessary work is carried out safely and effectively\".\n\n\"All applicants to the Building Safety Fund are told the amount of funding they have been awarded before being asked to sign contracts - this is clearly explained in the guidance,\" the spokesperson added.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. This is the moment a police officer broke up a house party on Saturday\n\nA minority still breaking Covid lockdown rules could make the pandemic \"stretch longer\" in Wales, a senior police officer has warned.\n\nThe \"gold commander\" for policing lockdown across the Gwent force area said he wanted to thank the vast majority for sticking to the law.\n\nBut Chief Superintendent Mark Hobrough said those \"blatantly flouting\" rules would face enforcement action.\n\nNearly 3,800 fines have been issued in Wales for Covid rule breaches.\n\nThe latest figures released by UK police forces revealed nearly three-quarters of those fines went to men, and the largest group falling foul of Covid rules were aged between 18 and 24.\n\nCh Supt Hobrough, who oversees Gwent Police's response to Covid-19, said he and his officers had seen a change in the way the public responded to the restrictions since the first lockdown was announced in March 2020.\n\n\"When it first started there was certainly a lack of understanding among the public,\" he said.\n\n\"We were called for advice and questions on what was allowed or not allowed, which we've certainly seen diminish.\"\n\nHe said initially his force was dealing with breaches of regulations by pubs and bars, or people holding house parties.\n\n\"That has changed over time. We still have experiences of house parties and people congregating in houses, which just isn't allowed obviously.\n\n\"But I think we are also seeing breaches in relation to people congregating in beauty spots and maybe not exercising in line with the requirements.\"\n\nAccording to the National Police Chiefs' Council, there were 3,770 fixed penalty notices issues by the four Welsh forces between the last Friday in March and 20 December last year.\n\nOf those fines, 2,188 were for breaching rules on movement restrictions, while 823 faced penalties for gathering in private properties outside their own households.\n\nA further 113 notices were issued to individuals for staying in Wales when it was not their main residence, and 89 were hit with fines for entering or leaving local health protection areas, when many counties in Wales had separate travel restrictions in place in the autumn.\n\nThe figures also reveal that just two fines were issued in the period for failing to wear a face covering in designated indoor areas.\n\nSgt Dan Wise says enforcement is sometimes the only option for his team\n\nOut on the streets of Newport, and around the rest of the Gwent force area, the officers on the ground said they wanted to educate the public whenever rules changed, but they will enforce clear breaches.\n\n\"Some of the things people have been stopped for are travelling into Wales to look at the snow,\" said Sgt Dan Wise, as he carried out checks on motorists in Newport.\n\n\"Others are travelling to local beauty spots to exercise. Obviously, these are things that are not acceptable.\"\n\nHe said as the pandemic continues, with high numbers of cases and given how easily the virus can spread, \"we will look to enforce where people are blatantly flouting the rules\".\n\nAt the Gwent Police headquarters, Ch Supt Hobrough said he had this message for the minority of \"those people who aren't abiding\" by the rules: \"It would very much be within everybody's interest for them to reflect on the way they are conducting themselves.\n\n\"Because that minority of people who aren't abiding are possibly making this pandemic stretch longer.\"\n• None Coronavirus legislation and guidance on the law - GOV.WALES The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "David and Victoria Beckham have paid themselves £21m from their sports and media business since 2019, according to the their latest accounts.\n\nThis is despite continued heavy losses at Ms Beckham's fashion business, where trade has worsened during the pandemic.\n\nProfit at David Beckham Ventures Limited (DBVL), the brand management firm owned by the former footballer and his wife, fell £3.5m to £11.3m in 2019.\n\nThis was in part due to money spent on expansion and charitable donations.\n\nHowever, the celebrity couple still paid themselves a £14.5m dividend at the end of 2019, accounts show, and took a further £7.1m in 2020.\n\nA spokesman attributed the payments to \"profitable performance\" at DBVL, which among other things manages Mr Beckham's strategic partnerships with Adidas and Haig Club whisky.\n\nHe also noted that the company's revenue climbed by £600,000 in 2019 to £16.2m.\n\nHowever, Victoria Beckham Holdings (VBHL), which manages the former Spice Girl's fashion label, fared much worse during that time.\n\nLosses at the business - which is also backed by the Beckhams' former business partner Simon Fuller and private equity firm NEO investment Partners - widened to £16.6m during the year, following a loss of £12.5m in 2018.\n\nIt marked the seventh year the brand has been in the red since it was founded in 2008.\n\nVBHL blamed costs associated with the launch of the Victoria Beckham Beauty business, a new cosmetics range in which the group has an 85% shareholding.\n\nIt also noted that total sales across the whole business were up by 7% in 2019.\n\nNevertheless, auditors BDO, who signed off on the accounts, warned that the business was now reliant on shareholder support to keep going which could \"cast significant doubt on the company's ability to continue as a going concern\".\n\nAs the pandemic hammered the business last April, VBHL had to borrow £9.2m from its shareholders to repay an outstanding bank loan to HSBC after breaking its debt covenants.\n\nVBHL said it was doing all it could to \"navigate\" the coronavirus crisis, including taking \"all actions possible to conserve cash\".\n\n\"All non-essential expenditure is being deferred and hiring freezes have been implemented for open positions.to enable the company to navigate through this pandemic,\" it said.", "The company said its milk processing was highly automated with no risk to the products caused by the virus outbreak\n\nOne worker at a dairy has died after contracting coronavirus and 95 others are self-isolating.\n\nMuller Milk & Ingredients said 47 staff members who work at the company's dairy near Bridgwater, Somerset, have tested positive for Covid-19.\n\nIt said it was now testing all 300 workers at its site in North Petherton.\n\nA spokesman for the firm said the safety of its products had not been affected by the outbreak at its factory.\n\nIt was working with Public Health England and the council to help with mass testing, he added.\n\nThe employee was taken to hospital but died. The firm said its thoughts were with the worker's family and friends.\n\nProduction has since been reduced at the site.\n\nThe spokesman added: \"It is important to stress that fresh milk processing is highly automated ensuring no risk to products, with our Bridgwater facility one of the most modern dairies in the UK.\n\n\"As we have done throughout the pandemic, we are placing the safety of our employees first and following best practice as set down by the Health and Safety Executive.\n\n\"Standard measures in place include the use of facemasks, distancing, enhanced deep cleaning and hygiene, underpinned by a programme of e-learning, information and audits to ensure compliance and awareness of the measures.\"\n\nSomerset County Council said it was working closely with Public Health England and the factory and that further testing was being done throughout Thursday.\n\n\"The [council's] rapid outbreak testing team is carrying out further workforce testing today, for workers who were not present on Monday shifts.\n\n\"The testing on Monday identified a number of staff who were positive but asymptomatic, who are now isolating,\" a spokesman said.", "Elizabeth Kerr and Simon O'Brien were married moments before he was put on a mechanical ventilator\n\nAn engaged couple taken to hospital in the same ambulance with Covid-19 were able to marry moments before the man was sedated and put on a ventilator.\n\nElizabeth Kerr, 31, and Simon O'Brien, 36, were taken to Milton Keynes University Hospital with breathing difficulties on 9 January.\n\nStaff rallied to arrange a wedding as the groom's condition worsened.\n\nThey held off intubating Mr O'Brien so the ceremony could go ahead. The couple are now recovering in hospital.\n\nMrs Kerr, a nurse, and Mr O'Brien had planned to marry in June.\n\nBoth contracted the disease and were taken to hospital together when their oxygen levels fell dangerously low.\n\nThey were placed on separate wards but when Mrs Kerr told nurse Hannah Cannon about their wedding plans, she asked her if they would like to marry in the hospital.\n\nMrs Kerr said she was told it could be their only chance.\n\n\"Those are words I never, ever want to hear again,\" she said.\n\nA photo on Mrs Kerr's phone shows the wedding took place in the beds of the intensive care unit\n\nHowever, while staff were securing the wedding licence, Mr O'Brien's condition further deteriorated and on 12 January he was placed on the intensive care unit, to be put on a ventilator.\n\nThey waited to intubate him just long enough for the ceremony to go ahead.\n\nMs Cannon said: \"With lots of teamwork... we were able to give them a wedding, not necessarily the wedding that they would have initially intended, but certainly something positive, remarkable and memorable for them to really hold on to.\"\n\nShe filmed the marriage for the couple's families and friends, and catering staff at the hospital provided a cake.\n\nShortly after saying \"I do\", Mr O'Brien was placed on the ventilator.\n\nThe couple have now been reunited on a recovery ward and were able to kiss for the first time since being married.\n\nMrs Kerr said having the wedding meant \"everything\" to them.\n\n\"If we hadn't had each other and we hadn't been given that opportunity to get married, I don't think both of us would be here now,\" she added.\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "The White House has just put out a statement marking the 48th anniversary of Roe v Wade, the Supreme Court decision that essentially legalised the right to abortion.\n\n\"In the past four years, reproductive health, including the right to choose, has been under relentless and extreme attack,\" the statement from Biden and Harris begins .\n\nThey go on to say they are committed to \"codifying\" the judgement, which means pass legislation through Congress that enshrines abortion access into law.\n\nThey will also appoint judges who will support abortion access, they say. Trump, during his time in office, was able to give the Supreme Court a conservative majority, making anti-abortion activists hopeful that Roe v Wade could eventually be overturned.\n\nBiden was the only candidate during the primary to say he endorsed the so-called Hyde Amendment, which says that no federal funds can go towards abortions. After nearly all 22 other candidates came out against the Hyde Amendment, he reversed his stance.\n\nAlthough abortion is technically legal across the US, multiple states have instituted laws that make it nearly impossible in practice. Abortion activists hope that a law would make it more difficult for local governments to restrict access.", "Michelle O'Neill and Arlene Foster were advised restrictions may have to remain in place until after Easter\n\nCoronavirus lockdown restrictions in Northern Ireland will be extended until 5 March, the first and deputy first ministers have said.\n\nThe executive backed the health minister's proposal on Thursday and will review the move on 18 February.\n\nBut ministers were also told that restrictions may have to remain in place until after the Easter holidays.\n\nA lockdown closing non-essential retailers and encouraging employees to work from home began after Christmas.\n\nFamily gatherings are prohibited and people have been ordered to stay at home for all but essential reasons.\n\nSchools are closed to most pupils until after February's half-term but a paper looking at reopening will be put to ministers at next week's executive meeting.\n\nThe lockdown came in response to a spike in the number of cases of coronavirus, which followed a relaxation of some rules in the run-up to Christmas.\n\nFirst Minister Arlene Foster said extending the restrictions was an \"appropriate and necessary response\" to tackle the \"imminent threat\" posed by Covid-19.\n\nShe said she understood it would be difficult for many people to accept, given the uncertainty facing families and businesses, but added: \"To not press forward would risk all of the hard-won gains.\"\n\nThe first and deputy first ministers were right to state just how tough this decision will be for many people.\n\nBut there's an acceptance among the public that restrictions would have to be extended, given how bad things are in our hospitals.\n\nTheir decision also suggests politicians have perhaps learned from the last wave of the pandemic, when restrictions were turned on and off sporadically, and the impact that had both on cases and the messaging.\n\nThey're not alone in sustaining tough lockdown measures, with other UK nations and the Republic of Ireland also keeping their restrictions in place for several more weeks.\n\nBeyond that, it is thought health officials also want to ensure the vaccination programme is also \"well advanced\" before any restrictions are relaxed.\n\nThe hope is that, by spring, the picture will have improved significantly.\n\nUntil then the price we are paying for relaxations before Christmas looks likely to keep rising.\n\nDeputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill said she recognised the executive was asking a lot of everybody but insisted the measures were important.\n\n\"We don't know what will come after [5 March],\" she said.\n\nMs O'Neill said there was a commitment not to keep restrictions in place longer than necessary but decisions would have to be taken in line with the health advice and concerns about a new variant of the virus which is more transmissible.\n\nThe executive's decision comes as another 21 deaths were recorded by the Department of Health on Thursday.\n\nThe reproductive rate of the virus - known as the R-number - had risen to about 1.8 due to Christmas relaxations.\n\nBut the latest estimate from the Department of Health says it is sitting between 0.65 and 0.85 for cases within the community but is still above one for hospital admissions and intensive care.\n\nWhile some may wonder why are restrictions are being extended when the executive's policy has always been based on this rate of infection, the difference is that this time around there are three times as many people in Northern Ireland's hospitals than there were in last April's peak.\n\nDaily case numbers are still significantly higher too.\n\nWhile ministers have agreed to keep the current restrictions in place until March, Health Minister Robin Swann said it was possible they could be needed until Easter, which this year falls in the first week of April.\n\nMinisters say they understand the extension of the lockdown will be difficult for people\n\nIt is understood this plan is being discussed across the four UK nations but ministers will have to consider that in the review next month.\n\nMinisters were also warned that restrictions would be eased on a step-by-step basis in line with reducing pressures on the health service and ensuring the vaccination programme is \"well advanced\" before any relaxations are agreed.\n\nMrs Foster pleaded with people struggling with their mental health during the lockdown to \"please seek help\".\n\nMore than 100 medically-trained military personnel are to be deployed to help health staff deal with the pressure the latest phase of the pandemic is placing on hospitals.\n\nThe chief medical officer Dr Michael McBride said the \"sustained pressure on our health service\" would probably last for three to four weeks.\n\nIn the Republic of Ireland, 51 Covid-19 related deaths and 2,608 new cases of the virus were recorded on Thursday.\n\nSimon Hamilton, the chief executive of the Belfast Chamber of Trade and Commerce, said the extension of the lockdown would be of \"little surprise to most businesses\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Simon Hamilton This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThe Stormont executive has agreed how to allocate almost £300m to help businesses, education, tourism and transport during the next phase of the lockdown.\n\nA total of £100m is going towards the Local Restrictions Support Scheme, the grant for business premises forced to closed due to the restrictions.\n\nThere will also be £16m for tourism and hospitality, two sectors which have largely been unable to operate.\n\nIn addition, two more support schemes for the sector have been opened.\n\nOne aimed at large tourism and hospitality businesses is offering a pot of £26m, with the Department for Economy having identified 250 businesses that will be eligible.\n\nThe other is a £4m scheme to support those who provide bed-and-breakfast accommodation.\n\nMore money is being made available to help businesses affected by the lockdown\n\nJanice Gault from the trade body the Northern Ireland Hotels Federation said the schemes were a \"real lifeline for the sector\".\n\n\"Trading over the last year has been limited with reserves now severely depleted and businesses operating in survival mode,\" she added.\n\nAlso among those to receive the extra cash will be limited company directors, who had not received support since March.\n\nLast week, a scheme was announced to give directors £1,000 grants which one director described as a \"kick in the teeth\" given that he had little to no income for the past 10 months.\n\nBut that scheme is to be boosted with another £20m so the payments on offer will more than treble to £3,500.\n\nLocal newspapers will also benefit from 12 months of rates relief.", "Mick Norcross, 57, was found dead at his home in Essex on Thursday\n\nFormer The Only Way Is Essex star Mick Norcross has died at the age of 57.\n\nThe businessman and father of Kirk Norcross, who also appeared in the ITV show, was found dead at his home in Bulphan at 15:15 GMT on Thursday.\n\nEssex Police said the death was not being treated as suspicious.\n\nIn tributes on social media, fellow Towie stars past and present, including Gemma Collins and James \"Arg\" Argent, called him \"one of the good guys\" and a \"true gentleman\".\n\nNorcross first appeared in the reality show in 2011 in his position as owner of Sugar Hut, a Brentwood nightclub which was often attended by the cast.\n\nHe left the show two years later, stating that the venue's prominent place in Towie had damaged its brand.\n\nThe star posted a tweet to his 505,000 followers on Thursday morning saying: \"At the end remind yourself that you did the best you could. And that's good enough.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Sugar Hut This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThe club tweeted that \"Mr Sugarhut\" had been a \"very talented, friendly and fun guy\" and a \"true Essex legend, who will be sorely missed\".\n\nCollins, who briefly dated Norcross during their time on the show, shared a photo of them together on Instagram and said he had been \"one of the good guys\", while Argent tweeted that he had been \"a true gentleman and a very kind man\".\n\nThis Instagram post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Instagram The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip instagram post by gemmacollins This article contains content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Meta’s Instagram cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nTributes were also shared by Towie stars Lauren Goodger and Mario Falcone, with the latter tweeting that he was \"thankful I got the privilege of having you in my life\".\n\nIn another tweet, Mark Wright, the Towie star turned TV presenter and professional footballer, said he was \"a great man, an inspiration to many, always so polite and welcoming\".\n\nPresenter Denise Van Outen tweeted that he was \"such a lovely man\" while TV chef James Martin, posted that he was \"a true gentleman, who I had the pleasure to meet and spend evenings with over the years\".\n\nThe Only Way Is Essex posted a tribute on Instagram, saying the team behind the show were \"shocked and deeply saddened\".\n\nThey said: \"He was hugely popular with cast, crew and the audience alike. Charming, generous and host to many of Essex's most glamorous events, Mick will be missed by us all.\"\n\nAn Essex Police spokesman said officers \"were called to an address in Brentwood Road, Bulphan shortly before 15:15 on Thursday\" and \"sadly, a man inside was pronounced dead\".\n\nThe police spokesman said the death was \"not being treated as suspicious and a file will be prepared for the coroner\".\n\nIf you have been affected by any of the issues in this article, information and support is available from BBC Action Line.\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk", "Police said they had been in contact with the family before the funeral took place \"in an attempt to ensure safety\"\n\nA funeral director has been fined £10,000 after police were called to a funeral with close to 150 people in attendance.\n\nHertfordshire Police said the large gathering in Welwyn Garden City on Thursday was reported to them by members of the public.\n\nCoronavirus rules mean a maximum of 30 people can attend a funeral.\n\nA second person was fined, by Bedfordshire Police, for when the gathering was in Arlesey, Bedfordshire.\n\nSupt Nick Caveney, of Hertfordshire Police, said: \"This was a clear and blatant breach of the current restrictions.\"\n\nHe said the fine was given to the funeral director \"for not managing this event correctly and advising their clients of the rules\".\n\n\"We implore all business owners to ensure they are following the restrictions safely and responsibly,\" he said.\n\n\"Flagrant breaches such as this will not be tolerated.\"\n\nThe force said it had worked with other agencies and the family in advance of the funeral \"in an attempt to ensure the safety of those attending and that of the wider public\".\n\nBut when officers attended they found the large number of people at the church, and a 41-year-old man from Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, was handed the £10,000 fine after police served a fixed penalty notice.\n\nSeveral members of the public had contacted the force about the funeral at the Roman Catholic Church of Our Lady, Queen of Apostles on Woodhall Lane.\n\nBedfordshire Police said a man in his 30s was issued with the fine over the gathering.\n\nCh Supt John Murphy from the force said: \"Fines and enforcement are a last resort for us, and we will always engage and work with families in the first instance.\n\n\"But we need to take firm action against those who brazenly decide to go against the guidelines outlined by the government and put a large number of people at risk.\"\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk", "Mr Olowo said his wife was \"as near perfection as it's possible to be\"\n\nA woman who died after having liposuction in Turkey had been fed up with people asking if she was pregnant, an inquest heard.\n\nAbimbola Ajoke Bamgbose, 38, of Dartford, Kent, died in August after having the treatment in Izmir.\n\nHusband Moyosore Olowo said he believed she was on holiday with friends until she called to say she was in pain.\n\nHe went to Turkey after she stopped calling and found she had been rushed to hospital for more surgery.\n\nMrs Bamgbose, who also had a Brazilian butt lift, died there two weeks later, the inquest in Maidstone heard.\n\nMr Olowo, a rail safety officer, said his wife paid £5,000 for the package with Mono Cosmetic Surgery as UK treatment was too expensive.\n\nDescribing why she wanted it, he said: \"When a woman is unhappy and getting feelings about her looks, the clothes she buys do not fit and people ask if she is pregnant because of her tummy, sometimes there is nothing we can do. We are powerless.\n\n\"I wasn't concerned. I told her 'you have three children'. I told her my tummy is bigger than hers.\"\n\nHe said his wife, a social worker who graduated with a first class degree, was \"as near perfection as it's possible to be\".\n\nMr Olowo said the medical director in Turkey \"confessed it had been a mistake\".\n\nAssistant coroner Alan Blundson recorded a narrative conclusion, and said: \"This is a tragic case, the more so because the surgery was elective cosmetic surgery.\n\n\"Whilst Mrs Bamgbose was determined to have it performed, her husband had not seen it in any way as necessary.\"\n\nA post-mortem examination found Mrs Bamgbose had a perforated bowel and her death was caused by peritonitis with multiple organ failure as a complication of liposuction surgery.\n\nMr Olowo has said he is suing Mono and the surgeon, Dr Hakan Aydogan, for £1m in the Turkish courts, claiming medical negligence.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Reports suggest AstraZeneca may have warned of a 60% cut to doses available\n\nA second coronavirus vaccine manufacturer has warned of supply issues to the European Union, compounding frustration in the bloc.\n\nAstraZeneca said a production problem meant the number of initial doses available would be lower than expected.\n\nThe fresh blow comes after some nations' inoculation programmes were slowed due to a cut in deliveries of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.\n\nThe EU Health Commissioner expressed \"deep dissatisfaction\" at the news.\n\nOfficials have not confirmed publicly how big the shortfall will be, but an unnamed EU official told Reuters news agency that deliveries would be reduced to 31m - a cut of 60% - in the first quarter of this year.\n\nThe drug firm had been set to deliver about 80 million doses to the 27 nations by March, according to the official who spoke to Reuters.\n\nThe AstraZeneca vaccine, developed with Oxford University, has not yet been approved by the EU's drug regulator but is expected to get the green light at the end of this month, paving the way for jabs to be given.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Stella Kyriakides This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nA spokesman for AstraZeneca said on Friday that \"initial volumes will be lower than originally anticipated\" without giving further details.\n\nHis written statement blamed the discrepancy on \"reduced yields at a manufacturing site within our European supply chain\" and said the firm was continuing to ramp up production volumes.\n\nNews of the delay comes amid criticism and frustration across the region about the speed of vaccination roll-outs.\n\nIsrael, the United Arab Emirates, the UK, and the US are all well ahead of EU nations in terms of doses given per capita so far.\n\nThe European Commission has co-ordinated orders for all member states, with vaccines then distributed based on their population size.\n\nVaccines are increasingly seen by experts as the only way out of the Covid-19 crisis, with many European nations struggling to cope with a deadly surge of the virus over the winter period.\n\nAustrian media have reported that only 600,000 of two million AstraZeneca doses promised by the end of March will arrive in the country on time, with the remaining 1.4m now being delivered in April.\n\nA delay would be \"completely unacceptable\", Austrian Health Minister Rudolf Anschober said on Friday.\n\nAs for Pfizer, the US firm said it had to cut shipments for the next few weeks while it worked to increase capacity at its Belgian processing plant. The EU has ordered 600 million doses from Pfizer.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Ursula von der Leyen This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nSome regions, including Germany's most populous state North-Rhine Westphalia and parts of Italy, said earlier this week that they were suspending giving first jabs of the two-dose vaccine because of the shortages.\n\nItaly and Poland have threatened to take legal action in response to the reduction in vaccine supply.\n\nMeanwhile Hungary's government, which has complained over the time it is taking EU regulators to approve the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, has reached a deal with Russia to buy up large quantities of its Sputnik V vaccine, even though it has not received EU approval.\n\nEuropean Council President Charles Michel, who led a call of EU leaders this week, said Thursday that officials were considering all ideas to try and stop future vaccine delays.\n\n\"All possible means will be examined to ensure rapid supply, including early distribution to avoid delays,\" he said.\n\nEuropean Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and Mr Michel both say they are still aiming for the target of 70% of the EU population being vaccinated by summer.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Covid vaccine safety: How does a vaccine get approved?\n\nThe total number of German Covid deaths climbed above 50,000 on Friday - a day after the country warned that it could close its borders if other EU countries were less strict in controlling the virus. Berlin sounded the alarm amid rising concern about new variants.\n\nEU leaders agreed late on Thursday to keep their internal borders open but warned non-essential travel might need to be restricted to curb the spread of the virus.\n\nMs von der Leyen said Thursday that more testing and \"targeted measures\" were needed throughout the EU in order to keep internal and external borders open.\n\nFor its part, France said it would impose tighter travel restrictions for European arrivals from Sunday, requiring a negative PCR Covid test within three days of travel.\n\nIn the Netherlands, a ban on all flights from the UK, South Africa and South American countries came into effect on Saturday to try and prevent new coronavirus variants gaining a foothold.\n\nLooking forward to the future, officials from EU nations reliant on tourism - including Spain and Greece - have floated the possibility of using vaccination certificates to allow for cross-border travel but there has been scepticism within the bloc.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nTwo houses have partially collapsed after a sinkhole measuring 10ft (3m) opened up on a Manchester street.\n\nFour homes were evacuated on Wednesday evening after the hole appeared on Walmer Street in Abbey Hey, Gorton.\n\nFire crews returned hours later after the front of two of the empty properties crashed to the ground.\n\nUnited Utilities said it was dealing with a collapsed sewer but was investigating all possible causes including the recent heavy rain.\n\nThe fire service was first called to Walmer Street just after 21:00 GMT on Wednesday to reports an unoccupied car had fallen down a hole in the road.\n\nA cordon was put in place and residents evacuated as a precaution, the fire service said.\n\nAfter leaving the scene four hours later, the fire service was alerted to the partial collapse of two houses at 11:00 on Thursday.\n\nNo-one was injured in either incident.\n\nEmergency services remain at the scene on Walmer Street\n\nNearby residents Maureen and Louise Kennedy spoke of their shock after the houses collapsed.\n\n\"You're just waiting for your world to crumble. It's not just the bricks and water, said Ms Kennedy.\n\n\"I've lived in there since I was three. It's the memories.\"\n\nResident Nathaniel OKeleafor said he was \"terrified\" when the sinkhole appeared in the street on Wednesday evening.\n\n\"This morning we are out. We are just trying to find somewhere to live,\" he added.\n\nUnited Utilities said it was dealing with a collapsed sewer on Walmer Street\n\nThe collapse comes as rising levels on the River Mersey in Manchester came \"within centimetres\" of breaching flood defences following heavy rain caused by Storm Christoph.\n\nStation Manager Andrew O'Brien, from Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service, praised firefighters who worked \"at the height of the stormy weather\".\n\n\"The safety of the public was our primary concern overnight and again today, and I'm pleased to say no-one has suffered any injuries,\" he said.\n\nUnited Utilities said: \"When it is safe for engineers to go back into the immediate area we will set up emergency drainage and water supply connections to restore services to the area and begin to assess how best to carry out repairs.\n\n\"It is not known what caused the sinkhole but this will be investigated.\"\n\nBBC Radio Manchester and BBC Radio Lancashire will be on air throughout Storm Christoph, bringing you all of the latest information and news updates\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nA nurse felt \"overwhelming fear\" as 13 ambulances queued at her hospital's A&E department - in the Welsh region currently hardest hit by Covid deaths.\n\nTo date Cwm Taf Morgannwg health board, which runs Royal Glamorgan Hospital, has reported 1,091 deaths of patients with coronavirus.\n\nBBC Wales was granted access to A&E at the hospital in Rhondda Cynon Taf.\n\nSenior doctor Amanda Farrow said the whole hospital had faced \"unrelenting\" pressure last Saturday.\n\nSarah Fogarasy was the senior nurse on duty as 13 ambulances queued up outside her A&E department\n\nSenior A&E nurse Sarah Fogarasy, who was on shift as the ambulances arrived, said there was no capacity at the unit - a situation that left her wanting \"to leave\".\n\n\"We had to escalate it to our site manager and deputy head of nursing who were liaising with the executive team on call,\" she said.\n\n\"And then it got to 13 patients outside - I had no capacity in this unit, no resuscitation capacity, no capacity to put a patient on CPAP [continuous positive airway pressure] should they require that and no physical areas to put a patient in.\n\nOn Saturday, 13 ambulances queued outside the hospital's A&E department\n\nShe said she found it hard to keep going.\n\n\"This bit makes me quite emotional… for the first time I was sat trying to coordinate this department and I had that overwhelming fear that I just wanted to leave,\" Ms Fogarasy continued.\n\n\"I was just - 'I'm done. I'm done with this'... and it's scary, it fills you full of fear when you have got 13 ambulances outside, queuing around the carpark. Where do you go from that?\"\n\nShe said it was the team that kept her going: \"I started looking around to all the staff working tirelessly and just trying to remember what we're here for and why I became a nurse.\n\n\"I know it sounds soppy but it's literally the humanitarian effort that has gone into [fighting] this pandemic that has kept people going.\n\n\"It's the sheer determination and guts of the staff working in these times that is so powerful, that keeps the shift going.\"\n\nEmergency Medicine Consultant Amanda Farrow said it was a \"very emotional time for everyone\"\n\nDr Farrow, emergency medicine consultant, said staffing and bed numbers were of particular concern.\n\n\"In the emergency department the challenge we have is with regards to flow, so that is our daily challenge,\" she explained.\n\n\"And we say it's like playing a game of Tetris trying to work out which patient you can put where.\"\n\nStaff reported feeling overwhelmed as they work through the second Covid wave\n\nShe said the second wave of the virus had also seen more staff off sick with Covid and isolating - with some becoming very ill.\n\n\"We've had staff in as patients and one of my colleagues - I saw them when they were critically ill and ended up going to intensive care,\" continued Dr Farrow.\n\n\"So it's very emotional time for everyone as well you know, looking after the sick patients and looking after your colleagues.\n\n\"There's a level of anxiety still around - will you be the next person to get this disease?\"\n\nShe said although fewer people were attending A&E, they were seeing more people arriving by ambulance and presenting with more complex needs.\n\n\"The group of patients we are seeing this time I think is different, we're definitely having more younger people with Covid that are becoming sick, the volume is very high in the community.\n\n\"I think people are afraid of come into the hospital as well, so there are still quite a lot of patients who leave it maybe a bit too late before they're seeking hospital attention.\"\n\nSpeaking from her intensive care bed, Helen Whatmore said she was extremely grateful to staff\n\nHelen Whatmore, 45, from Beddau, has been hospital since early December after developing Covid symptoms.\n\nSpeaking from her intensive care bed, she said she had been unwell in February so assumed she had already caught the virus.\n\n\"I honestly didn't believe it was as bad until I caught [Covid] this time,\" she said.\n\n\"This time it's absolutely knocked the socks off me. It's nearly killed me.\n\n\"A friend of mine passed away as I came into hospital and I came down very rapidly with Covid, kidney problems and pneumonia.\"\n\nShe said she was grateful for the care she had received: \"The nurses are coming in [working] all shifts, they're fighting for your loved ones, from the time they enter right until the time they leave, then they're changing over and doing the same again.\n\n\"People are passing away… how much more have they got to do? We're asking them to protect our children and our families. Why are we not protecting them ourselves? Saving our families and our own children.\"", "Top Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou has been sent bullets in the mail while under house arrest in Vancouver, according to court testimony.\n\nIt was one of several alleged death threats revealed on Wednesday by the company providing her security.\n\nMs Meng was detained in 2018 on charges relating to allegedly misleading HSBC about Huawei's dealings in Iran.\n\nHer case has created a rift between China and Canada, with Beijing repeatedly calling for her release.\n\nThe chief financial officer of Huawei was arrested at Vancouver International Airport on a warrant from the US, where she is facing charges of bank fraud and potentially causing HSBC to break US sanctions.\n\nDays after she was released on bail, she was placed under house arrest in Vancouver. She has been fighting against her extradition to the US, which wants her to stand trial.\n\nThe threats were revealed at the British Columbia Supreme Court by Doug Maynard, chief operating officer of security firm Lions Gate Risk Management.\n\nHe said Ms Meng received \"five or six\" threatening letters at her residence in June and July 2020 and that the letters were \"easily identifiable by markings on the outside\". He added that \"sometimes there were bullets inside the envelopes\".\n\nThe role of the Vancouver police and any investigations is unclear.\n\nMs Meng has been in court pushing for conditions of her bail to be loosened, including dropping the daytime security detail that constantly follows her.\n\nShe is permitted to leave home between 6am and 11pm and pays for a round-the-clock security detail. She also wears a GPS tracking anklet as stipulated by her bail conditions.\n\nThe government has also granted family members of Ms Meng permission to travel to Canada, sparking controversy.\n\nConservative MP Raquel Dancho said the exception was an \"insult to the millions of Canadians who were told by this government not to visit loved ones\" over the holidays.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Raquel Dancho This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nShe called the move disappointing, noting that Beijing detained two Canadians soon after Ms Meng's arrest in December 2018 and has held them in prison ever since, subjecting them to interrogations.\n\nMs Meng's defence lawyer has argued that Canada is effectively being asked \"to enforce US sanctions\".\n\nHuawei has been one of the main targets of the Trump administration's attack on Chinese companies that it deems are security threats and pass data to the government.\n\nThe US has placed harsh restrictions on Huawei and has banned its 5G equipment from its networks. It also added 38 names linked to Huawei to a trade blacklist.\n\nThis week Huawei came under fire for technology that identifies people who appear to be of Uighur origin among images of pedestrians.\n\nHuawei had previously said none of its technology was designed to identify ethnic groups.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.", "Boris Johnson has said there is still a very substantial risk of intensive care units in hospitals being overwhelmed by the spread of the coronavirus.\n\nIt comes on a day when the UK has recorded the highest number of deaths in a single day in Europe.\n\nFergal Keane last visited the Imperial Healthcare Trust’s St Mary’s and Charing Cross hospital in London last April.\n\nHe's been back to see how they're coping.", "The licence fee is the \"least worst\" way of funding the BBC, its incoming chairman Richard Sharp has said.\n\nBut Mr Sharp told MPs he had an \"open mind\" about how the corporation should be funded in the future, and it \"may be worth reassessing\" the current system.\n\nHe also said he didn't think the BBC's Brexit coverage was biased overall, but \"there were some occasions when the Brexit representation was unbalanced\".\n\nQuestion Time \"seemed to have more Remainers than Brexiteers\", he said.\n\nBBC Three's Normal People was one of the corporation's biggest hits last year\n\nThe £157.50 licence fee is due to stay in place until at least 2027, when the BBC's Royal Charter ends, with a debate about how the broadcaster should be funded after that.\n\nMr Sharp, who spent 23 years working as a banker for Goldman Sachs, told the House of Commons digital, culture, media and sport select committee: \"At 43p a day, the BBC represents terrific value.\"\n\nThe government is currently reviewing whether its cost should continue rising with inflation from 2022, and whether non-payment should remain a criminal offence. Mr Sharp said he was \"not in favour of decriminalisation\".\n\nHe said other possible options for funding the BBC in the future could include a household tax like the one used in Germany, \"which amounts to the same amount of money\".\n\nHe added: \"So when we next get the chance to review the structure of this then it may be worth reassessing.\"\n\nAsked whether he believed the BBC's coverage of Brexit had been unbalanced, he replied: \"No, actually I don't.\n\n\"I believe there were some occasions when the Brexit representation was unbalanced.\n\n\"So if you ask me if I think Question Time seemed to have more Remainers than Brexiteers, the answer is yes, but the breadth of the coverage I thought was incredibly balanced, in a highly toxic environment that was extremely polarised.\"\n\nQuestion Time has said it has robust processes in place to ensure balance on its panels.\n\nMr Sharp said he was \"considered to be a Brexiteer\" and had donated around £400,000 to the Conservative Party over the past 20 years.\n\nHe said the biggest issue now facing the BBC is impartiality, and that \"trust in leadership and trust in processes\" must be rebuilt after high-profile equal pay cases with journalists such as Carrie Gracie and Samira Ahmed.\n\n\"Clearly some of the problems it's had recently are really rather terrible and reflect a culture that needs to be rebuilt, so everybody who cherishes the BBC and works at the BBC feels proud and happy to work there,\" he said. \"Then in my view that would produce a better output inevitably.\"\n\nMr Sharp also told the committee he would give his £160,000 salary as BBC chairman to charity.\n\nWhen asked \"what's in it for you?\" Mr Sharp, whose heritage is Jewish, said: \"We're all a product of our upbringing and I was very fortunate with the parents I have, my great grandparents came to this country escaping tyranny.\n\n\"I think I won the lottery in life to be British and if I can make a contribution, I couldn't be happier to.\n\n\"The BBC is part of the fabric of all our national identities, it offers education and enrichment and is also important for our position in the world... It is a massive privilege to be chair of the BBC.\"\n\nSir David Clementi, the current BBC chairman, steps down in February. The post-holder is officially appointed by the Queen on the recommendation of the government.\n\nFollow us on Facebook or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "The Galaxy S21 Ultra has hardware built into it to make use of the firm's S Pen stylus\n\nSamsung's new flagship Galaxy S smartphone works with its stylus for the first time.\n\nThe S Pen is an optional add-on for the Galaxy S21 Ultra. But the move will fuel speculation the firm will phase out its separate Note handset range.\n\nSamsung told the BBC it had yet to make a decision about this.\n\nThe company's handset sales have declined more quickly than the wider market. One expert said a streamlined line-up might help address this.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. WATCH: First look at Samsung's S21 Ultra phone\n\n\"There's increasing logic for Samsung to converge the Galaxy S and Note platforms, because there's so little differentiation between the two kinds of devices now,\" said Ben Wood, from the CCS Insight consultancy.\n\n\"That would align them with Apple, which also has one big phone launch event a year.\n\n\"My concern is that every time Samsung has announced its Note products in the past, it has planted a seed in consumers' minds that the Galaxy S products have become kind of the old ones.\"\n\nThe benefit of having a stylus is that it is easier to write, draw or annotate notes than using a finger. But to work it requires special hardware under the glass of the phone's display to pass power to the stylus and to track its tip.\n\nThe Android-based Galaxy S21 Ultra has a 6.8in (17.3cm) display, which is only slightly smaller than the top-end 6.9in Note.\n\nIn years past, the Note phones were known as \"phablets\", and their size was the other key distinguishing factor with the S range.\n\nUnlike the Note series, the S21 Ultra requires a special case to stow away the pen\n\nProduct manager Mark Notton said \"we haven't decided\", when asked whether Samsung planned to continue the Note family.\n\n\"It does not mean that Samsung is not committed to the Note category, but is expanding the Note experience across device categories,\" the firm said in a follow-up statement.\n\n\"We will actively listen to consumers' feedback and reflect it in our continued product innovation.\"\n\nThe S21 Ultra will start at £1,149 when it goes on sale on 29 January. The S Pen costs an extra £35 on its own, or £85 when bundled with a case that stores it.\n\nThat puts it in the ballpark of the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra's £1,179 starting price, which comes with a stylus that slots into its body.\n\nThere are also two other lower-cost models in the new range, neither of which works with the S-Pen stylus: the 6.2in S21 and 6.7in S21+.\n\nAll three models feature a redesigned camera module on their back.\n\nAll the Galaxy S21 phones feature a redesigned camera module on their back\n\nBut while the two lower-end models have three lenses - ultra-wide, wide and 3x-zoom telephoto - the S21 Ultra adds a further 10x-zoom telephoto lens, letting owners shoot action from even further away.\n\nThe handsets also benefit from a new Director's View facility. It lets users film video while getting thumbnail previews superimposed on-screen of what it would look like if they switched to another lens.\n\nAll three phones can film in 8K - double the maximum resolution of the competing iPhone 12 range's native video app.\n\nThe Director's View mode lets users preview how the recorded shot will change in a video if they switch to a different lens while filming\n\nHowever, the handsets may be more notable for following Apple in two regards.\n\nThey have abandoned a slot for a microSD memory card.\n\nAnd they will be sold without either a charger - a decision over which Samsung had mocked its rival. - or earphones.\n\nSamsung posted this ad in October on social media before deleting it\n\n\"We discovered that more and more Galaxy users are reusing accessories they already have,\" the firm said.\n\nSamsung typically unveils its Galaxy range in late February, but has brought forward this year's launch to coincide with the CES tech show.\n\n\"Samsung needs S21 to be a success given that S20 was launched in the middle of Covid first wave in Europe and didn't gain many fans,\" commented Marta Pinto, from research firm IDC.\n\nShe added the earlier launch date could help it compete in the \"premium market\" with Apple, whose iPhones were released later than normal last year.\n\nThe South Korean firm should also benefit from collapsing sales of Huawei's devices in the West, caused by US sanctions that prevent them offering the Google Play store and some of the search giant's other services.\n\nSamsung dedicated a segment of its Unpacked launch presentation to its partnership with Google\n\nBut Mr Wood said Samsung was facing growing competition from other Chinese brands including Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo.\n\n\"Samsung's differentiator is going to be its ability to market its strong brand, and the fact it has a very wide product portfolio,\" he commented.\n\nSamsung also aims to widen its appeal with two further accessories.\n\nIt has a new pair of £219 wireless earbuds that monitor what the user is doing.\n\nSamsung's earbuds should automatically adapt their audio output according to what the user is doing\n\nIf they detect the wearer is talking, they automatically turn down the volume of music and amplify the sounds of the nearby environment picked up by their microphones, allowing the owner to have a brief conversation without needing to take them out or manually adjust their settings.\n\nSamsung also is launching the £30 Galaxy SmartTag - a Bluetooth-enabled tracker that can be attached to belongings or pets.\n\nIt will allow an app to show their location, so long as the tag is in range of the owner or anyone else's compatible Samsung device.\n\nThe tracker will compete with similar products from the current market leader Tile.\n\nThe SmartTag will challenge Tile, which already sells a range of Bluetooth trackers\n\nApple is widely rumoured to be working on similar devices of its own.", "The coronavirus growth rate is slowing in the UK and the number of infections is starting to level off in some areas, a top scientist has said.\n\nProf Neil Ferguson told the BBC that in some NHS regions there is a \"sign of plateauing\" in cases and hospital admissions.\n\nBut he warned the overall death toll would exceed 100,000.\n\nOn Wednesday, the UK saw its biggest daily death figure since the start of the pandemic, with 1,564 deaths.\n\nIt has taken the total number of deaths by that measure to 84,767. There were also 47,525 new cases.\n\nIt comes after Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the national lockdown measures were \"starting to show signs of some effect\", but it was early days and urged people to abide by the rules.\n\nPeople in England are required to stay at home and only go out for limited reasons, such as for food shopping, exercise, or work if they cannot do so from home.\n\nSimilar measures are in place across much of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.\n\nProf Ferguson, an epidemiologist at Imperial College London whose modelling led to the first lockdown in March, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme it was \"much too early\" to say when the number of cases would come down.\n\nBut he said: \"It looks like in London in particular and a couple of other regions in the South East and East of England, hospital admissions may even have plateaued.\n\n\"It has to be said this is not seen everywhere - both case numbers and hospital admissions are going up in many other areas, but overall at a national level we are seeing the rate of growth slow.\"\n\nProf Ferguson added: \"I would hope the hospital admissions might plateau… sometime in the next week, but hospital bed occupancy may continue to rise slowly for up to two weeks.\"\n\nHe warned the overall death toll would be \"well over 100,000\", adding \"there's nothing we can do about that now\".\n\nProf Ferguson added Covid restrictions could be in place for many months to come, adding the new variant's increased transmissibility would mean relaxation of the rules will be a \"gradual process to the autumn\".\n\nHome Secretary Priti Patel said on Thursday that the government will not be introducing tougher social distancing rules \"today or tomorrow\" and insisted that ministers are focusing on increasing enforcement of the current restrictions.\n\nAsked about speculation further measures could include a three-metre social distancing rule or a requirement to wear masks outside, she told ITV's This Morning: \"This isn't about new rules coming in - we're going to stick with enforcing the current measures.\"\n\nMeanwhile, a major study led by Public Health England has shown most people who have had Covid-19 are protected from catching it again for at least five months.\n\nPast infection was linked to an 83% lower risk of getting the virus, compared with those who had never had Covid-19, scientists found.\n\nProf Susan Hopkins, who led the study, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the finding \"doesn't eliminate\" the risk of people catching Covid-19 again, and infecting others.\n\nShe said: \"We found people with very high amounts of virus in their nose and throat swabs, that would easily be in the range which would cause levels of transmission to other individuals.\"\n\nProf Hopkins said she hoped that after Easter, \"we will start to see reduced infection rates, as we did at that time last year\" and the number of people who have been vaccinated at a \"very high level\".\n\nThe UK is continuing efforts to ramp up the rollout of the Covid vaccine, with the prime minister saying that Covid vaccinations will be offered 24 hours a day, seven days a week as soon as supply allows.\n\nHealth Secretary Matt Hancock tweeted on Thursday to say that \"three million vaccines have now been administered\" in the UK.\n\nOn Thursday, NHS England published a breakdown of vaccinations by age and region for the first time.\n\nMr Johnson told the Commons Liaison Committee on Wednesday that he was \"concerned\" about a new Covid variant that is believed to have emerged in Brazil and said that the UK was taking steps to ensure it is not brought into the UK.\n\nA Downing Street spokesman said ministers met this morning to discuss \"urgent measures to reduce the potential spread to the UK of the Brazilian variant\".\n\nThey could include a ban on flights from Brazil. Arrivals from Brazil already have to self-isolate for 10 days.\n\nMeanwhile, the Deputy Scottish First Minister John Swinney told BBC Breakfast \"the virus is not accelerating as fast as it was\" in Scotland.\n\nHe said \"there are some early signs of optimism\" but emphasised people should follow all guidance as the \"virus is still at a very strong level\".", "Amnesty says about 7,500 women and girls gave birth in the Northern Ireland homes,\n\nThere have been calls for an inquiry into mother and baby homes in Northern Ireland.\n\nIt comes as the Irish government is to apologise after an investigation found an \"appalling level of infant mortality\" in the Republic of Ireland's homes.\n\nAbout 9,000 children died in the 18 institutions under investigation.\n\nMothers and babies who were in similar homes in Northern Ireland want a full inquiry to be held in NI too.\n\nStormont commissioned research into whether or not there should an inquiry held into the homes which operated in Northern Ireland, is due to be published by the end of January.\n\nPatrick Corrigan from Amnesty International said the issue of forced adoptions also needs close scrutiny.\n\n\"We have had cases of mothers telling us that ultimately, many decades later, when they tried to track down their long-lost children they found adoption certificates where they said their signature had actually been forged,\" he said.\n\n\"So I think that there is criminality to investigate here and that it behoves the Northern Ireland Executive to set up the inquiry that has long been sought here and long been denied.\"\n\nIn 2017 research into infant mortality rates at former mother and baby homes in Northern Ireland had prompted initial calls for a public inquiry.\n\nBBC News NI previously spoke to Eunan Duffy who was 47 years old when he found out he was adopted from Marianvale mother and baby home in Newry, County Down.\n\nIt was one of a network of institutions in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland which offered women the voluntary option, for those who were unmarried, to give birth in private and give their babies up for adoption\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Marian Vale was one of a network of mother and baby institutions in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland\n\nAmnesty says there were more than a dozen mother-and-baby institutions in Northern Ireland.\n\nIt said about 7,500 women and girls gave birth in the Northern Ireland homes, operated by both Catholic and Protestant churches and religious organisations.\n\nIn Northern Ireland, research into mother and baby homes and Magdalene laundries was commissioned three years ago and was initially expected to take 12 months.\n\nIt was completed in February last year, but was then sent to those facing criticism to give them an opportunity to reply.\n\nA Department of Health spokesperson said: \"A paper will be brought to the executive shortly for its consideration. Subject to executive approval, it is intended to publish the research report before the end of January 2021.\"\n\nIn the Republic of Ireland, the commission that investigated the homes found that the number of children who died was about 15% of all those who were born in the institutions.\n\nTaoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Mícheál Martin said the report, which can be read in full here, described a \"dark, difficult and shameful chapter\" of Irish history.\n\nSolicitor Claire McKeegan, who represents the Birth Mothers for Justice group, welcomed the apology in the Republic of Ireland, but said mothers and children in NI had not received one.\n\n\"The crimes perpetrated on them have yet to be investigated,\" she said.\n\n\"Those perpetrators who forced them into arbitrary detention, hard labour and colluded in the forced adoption of their babies, remain unchallenged in this jurisdiction.\"\n\nMary O'Neill became pregnant when she was 18 and was sent to Marianvale in Newry in the late 1970s.\n\nThere she gave birth to a baby girl who was taken away from her almost immediately after the birth.\n\nShe wanted to keep the baby, but was not allowed and was told the baby would be put up for adoption.\n\nThe mother and baby scandal became an international news story when 'significant human remains' were found on the grounds of a former home in County Galway\n\nMs O'Neill told Good Morning Ulster she eventually tracked down her daughter after 40 years.\n\n\"It was a long search, everywhere you went you were up against a brick wall,\" she said.\n\n\"There was no help, the social workers didn't want to tell you anything.\"\n\nShe finally found out her daughter was living in America but was coming home for her 40th birthday.\n\nShe said when she met her it was like meeting a stranger.\n\n\"But thank God we have met and we have a good relationship. She's still keeping in touch,\" Ms O'Neill said.\n\n\"It means the world to me, because you always wondered where was she? Was she happy? Did she know about you?\n\n\"It was always in the back of your mind. It never went away, the tears and the heartache.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nMs O'Neill said she was happy the victims in the Republic of Ireland were getting an apology, but wishes the homes in Northern Ireland could have been included.\n\nMechelle Dillon's mother was 21 and pregnant when she was sent to Marianvale in Newry in 1969.\n\nShe was placed in foster care a few months after her birth.\n\nHer mother returned to her home village and then moved to England. But she came back for Mechelle when she was around eight or nine-months-old.\n\nShe said she believed she was not adopted because she was born with a cyst on her mouth.\n\n\"I would have maybe been classed as a reject, if you want to put it that way,\" she said.\n\n\"It's the same as if you go to look for a little puppy and if the puppy doesn't feel right and you think 'Oh God, I'll have a lot of vet bills here, I don't want that puppy' - I would have probably been classed the same because I would have had that defect.\"\n\nSDLP leader Colum Eastwood said \"the executive should move quickly to publish the research report and then call a full public inquiry\".", "Decima Minhinnick, pictured at her 90th birthday party, lives in a care home and has vascular dementia\n\nA couple who were fined £60 for driving 20 minutes to see a relative in a care home have had their fine cancelled by police.\n\nCarol and David Richards from Bridgend travelled seven miles to Porthcawl to visit her mother Decima Minhinnick, 94.\n\nOn Tuesday, police defended the fine, claiming the couple had broken lockdown rules.\n\nOn Wednesday, South Wales Police said it had \"since been reviewed and the notice has been rescinded\".\n\n\"The individual concerned has been notified\".\n\nIn a statement, it added: \"Wales remains at alert level four and South Wales Police will continue to patrol our communities to ensure the legislation, which has been enacted to slow the spread of coronavirus, is complied with\".\n\nMrs Richards has said she was \"mortified\" they were stopped by police while returning on Sunday from what she said was a compassionate visit.\n\nShe said on Tuesday she did not believe they breached lockdown rules.\n\nMrs Richards said the couple had arranged the visit to Picton Court Care Home in advance with the permission of staff, and spoke to her mother, who has vascular dementia, through the window of her ground-floor room from the car park.\n\nDavid and Carol Richards complained about the £60 fine\n\nShe told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that when she was issued with the fine it was like \"a sort of dystopian novel\", adding that the officer involved was \"pedantic and inflexible\".\n\n\"I was angry - she just would not listen to any protestations, and so she said 'you're going to be issued with a £60 fixed penalty fine'.\n\n\"It's not about the 60 quid, it's about the principle.\"\n\nThe home is just over seven miles from where the couple live", "The governor of Amazonas state warned of a \"critical\" moment and has implemented a curfew\n\nHospitals in the Brazilian city of Manaus have reached breaking point while treating Covid-19 patients, amid reports of severe oxygen shortages and desperate staff.\n\nThe city, in Amazonas state, has seen a surge of deaths and infections.\n\nHealth professionals, quoted by local media, warned \"many people\" could die due to lack of supplies and assistance.\n\nBrazil has recorded more than 205,000 virus deaths - the second-highest tally in the world, behind the US.\n\nA new coronavirus variant has recently emerged in Brazil, with several cases in travellers arriving in Japan traced back to the Amazonas region.\n\nAmazonas suffered heavy losses in the first wave of the pandemic but is also being badly hit by a new rise in infections.\n\nRefrigerated containers were brought to hospitals to help store bodies last week, as authorities declared a state of emergency.\n\nJessem Orellana, from the Fiocruz-Amazonia scientific investigation institute, told the AFP news agency that some hospitals in Manaus had \"run out of oxygen\" with some centres becoming \"a type of suffocation chamber\" for patients.\n\nThe researcher told Brazilian media she had received reports from the front-line of \"dramatic\" scenes playing out in some hospitals.\n\nReports in the daily Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper described desperate staff having to try to keep patients alive through manual ventilation.\n\nIn a widely shared video from the region, a female medical worker asks the internet for help: \"We're in an awful state. Oxygen has simply run out across the whole unit today.\"\n\n\"There is no oxygen and lots of people are dying,\" she says in the clip. \"If anyone has any oxygen, please bring it to the clinic. There are so many people dying.\"\n\nThe UK has banned travellers from much of Latin America over a new variant detected in Brazil\n\nAmazonas Governor Wilson Lima said the state was \"in the most critical moment of the pandemic\" and has announced a nightly curfew will begin at 19:00 local time (23:00 GMT) on Friday to try to stem the spread.\n\nMarcellus Campelo, a local health secretary, said the state needed three times the amount of oxygen it can produce locally and appealed for help.\n\nBrazil's vice-president shared images on Twitter of the air force transporting hospital supplies, including oxygen cylinders and stretchers, to the city as reports of the situation spread throughout the country.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by General Hamilton Mourão This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nHealth officials also say some patients will be airlifted to other states for treatment due to the demand for intensive care units, Reuters reports.\n\nFelipe Naveca, deputy director of research at the state-run Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, told the BBC's South America correspondent Katy Watson that the new variant had evolved separately from those in the UK and South Africa, but that it showed some of the same characteristics: \"Some of these mutations have been linked to increased transmission and that is of concern.\"\n\nMr Naveca said that they did not yet have any data to suggest that existing vaccines would be any less effective against the new variant. \"We have to do a lot more sequencing of samples to answer that question,\" he said.\n\nHowever, on Thursday UK officials announced a ban on travellers from South America, Portugal and Cape Verde due to the new strain.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.", "Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Thursday evening. We'll have another update for you on Friday morning.\n\nTravel from South America and Portugal to the UK is being banned, other than for British or Irish citizens and foreign nationals with residence rights. The new ruling is being brought in because of concerns about the new Brazilian coronavirus variant and comes into force from 04:00 GMT on Friday. The ban applies to people who have travelled from, or through, these countries in the 10 days before their departure for the UK: Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Cape Verde, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela. Find out more about the new variants here.\n\nDoctors have warned that the recent surge in Covid hospital cases has left key hospital services in England in crisis. Accident and Emergency departments are facing rising delays in admitting extremely sick patients on to wards, NHS data shows. The total number of people facing year-long waits for routine treatments is more than 100 times higher than it was before the pandemic - and cancer specialists are warning of a \"terrifying\" disruption to their services that would cost lives.\n\nThe government has told schools not to provide free meals to eligible pupils' families over half term, with food to be provided by councils under the Covid Winter Grant Scheme instead. The Department for Education said vulnerable families would continue to receive meals outside of term time through the welfare support they have made available. But councils say the government should be responsible for providing food vouchers during the February half-term, like it did over summer.\n\nA top scientist has said the coronavirus growth rate in the UK is slowing, with the number of infections starting to level off in some areas. Prof Neil Ferguson told the BBC that in some NHS regions there is a \"sign of plateauing\" in cases and hospital admissions. But he warned the overall death toll - currently standing at over 80,000 - would exceed 100,000. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said the national lockdown measures in place across the UK are \"starting to show signs of some effect\" but warned that it was still early days.\n\nMany people feel they've put on weight during the pandemic, due to staying indoors more and turning to comfort food. Samantha Hicks, from Portishead, North Somerset, thought she was one of them - but what she believed was a few extra pounds of weight was actually a baby. She gave birth to her daughter Julia just 10 days after discovering she was pregnant. Her pregnancy was even missed when she was taken to hospital in November with Covid-19. She said: \"My tummy was a bit swollen but again, because I felt sick and I wasn't great, it never occurred to me I was pregnant.\"\n\nThe UK travel rules have been updated again. Find out all the details you need here.\n\nFind more information, advice and guides on our coronavirus page.\n\nWhat questions do you have about coronavirus?\n\nIn some cases, your question will be published, displaying your name, age and location as you provide it, unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published. Please ensure you have read our terms & conditions and privacy policy.\n\nUse this form to ask your question:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or send them via email to YourQuestions@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any question you send in.", "Most people who have had Covid-19 are protected from catching it again for at least five months, a study led by Public Health England shows.\n\nPast infection was linked to around a 83% lower risk of getting the virus, compared with those who had never had Covid-19, scientists found.\n\nBut experts warn some people do catch Covid-19 again - and can infect others.\n\nAnd officials stress people should follow the stay-at-home rules - whether or not they have had the virus.\n\nProf Susan Hopkins, who led the study, said the results were encouraging, suggesting immunity lasted longer than some people feared, but protection was by no means absolute.\n\nIt was particularly concerning some of those reinfected had high levels of the virus - even without symptoms - and were at risk of passing it on to others, she said.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Prof Susan Hopkins from Public Health England said immunity from having Covid-19 is \"not 100% protective\"\n\n\"This means even if you believe you already had the disease and are protected, you can be reassured it is highly unlikely you will develop severe infections but there is still a risk that you could acquire an infection and transmit to others,\" she added.\n\n\"Now more than ever, it is vital we all stay at home to protect our health service and save lives.\"\n\nFrom June to November 2020, almost 21,000 healthcare workers across the UK were regularly tested to see whether they:\n\nOf those who had no antibodies to the virus, suggesting they may have never had it, 318 developed potential new infections within this timeframe.\n\nBut among the 6,614 with antibodies, this figure was just 44 potential new infections.\n\nResearchers received various different pieces of evidence suggesting these people had become re-infected - including new symptoms more than 90 days after their first infection, new positive swab tests and blood tests.\n\nSome tests are still being run and researchers say their results will be updated as they come in.\n\nScientists will continue to monitor the healthcare workers for 12 months to see how long immunity lasts.\n\nThey will also look closely at cases with the new variant - which was not widespread at the time of this first analysis - and observe the immunity of participants who receive the vaccine.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Can you become immune to coronavirus?\n\nDr Julian Tang, a virus expert at the University of Leicester, said the results were reassuring for healthcare workers.\n\n\"Having the vaccine after recovering from Covid-19 is not an issue... and will likely boost the natural immunity,\" he added.\n\n\"We also see this with the seasonal flu vaccine.\n\n\"So hopefully the results from this paper will reduce the anxiety of many healthcare-worker colleagues who have concerns about getting Covid-19 twice.\"\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Changes to Scotland's lockdown restrictions have been announced. The tightening of the rules follows concerns the \"stay at home\" message is not having the same impact it did during last year's lockdown. The changes will come into effect on Saturday.\n\nThe availability and operation of click and collect services will be limited to retailers selling essential items such as clothes, footwear, baby equipment, homeware and books. Also, outlets that sell electrical goods; do key cutting; undertake shoe repairs, plus garden centres and plant nurseries can continue the collect service.\n\nFor qualifying businesses, staggered appointments will need to be offered to avoid any potential for queuing, and access inside premises for collection will not be permitted.\n\nCustomers in Scotland will no longer be allowed to go inside to collect takeaway food or coffee. Businesses will have to operate from a serving hatch or doorway.\n\nThe aim is to reduce the risk of customers coming into contact indoors with each other, or with staff.\n\nIt will be against the law in all level four areas of Scotland to drink alcohol outdoors in public.\n\nThis will mean that buying a takeaway pint and consuming on the street will not be permitted.\n\nIt is intended to underline the message that people should only be leaving home for essential purposes.\n\nThe Scottish government is strengthening the obligation on employers to allow their staff to work from home whenever possible.\n\nThe law already says that people should only be leaving home to go to work if it is work that cannot be done from home. This is a legal obligation that falls on individuals.\n\nHowever, statutory guidance is being introduced to make clear that employers should support employees to work from home wherever possible.\n\nThe Scottish government is strengthening provisions in relation to work inside people's houses.\n\nCurrent guidance says that in level four areas work is only permitted within a private dwelling if it is essential for the upkeep, maintenance and functioning of the household. This guidance is now being put into law.\n\nThe final change is an amendment to the regulations requiring people to stay at home.\n\nThis is intended to close an apparent loophole rather than change the spirit of the law. It will also bring the wording of the stay at home regulations in Scotland into line with the other UK nations.\n\nCurrently the law states that people can only leave home for an essential purpose.\n\nThe amendment will make it clear that people \"must not leave or remain outside\" the home unless it is for an essential purpose.\n\nThe Scottish government's full lockdown guidance is available here.", "Covid-19 patients in England's busiest intensive care units in 2020 were 20% more likely to die, University College London research has found.\n\nThe increased risk was equivalent to gaining a decade in age.\n\nBy the end of 2020, one in three hospital trusts in England was running at higher than 85% capacity.\n\nEleven trusts were completely full on 30 December, and the total number of people in intensive care with Covid has continued to rise since then.\n\nThe link between full ICUs and higher death rates was already known, but this study is the first to measure its effect during the pandemic.\n\nTighter lockdown restrictions are needed to prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed, says study author Dr Bilal Mateen.\n\nResearchers looked at more than 4,000 patients who were admitted to intensive care units in 114 hospital trusts in England between April and June last year.\n\nThey found the risk of dying was almost a fifth higher in ICUs where more than 85% of beds were occupied, than in those running at between 45% and 85% capacity.\n\nThat meant a 60-year-old being treated in one of these units had the same risk of dying as a 70-year-old on a quieter ward.\n\nThe Royal College of Emergency Medicine sets 85% as the maximum safe level of bed occupancy.\n\nHowever, the team found there was no tipping point after which deaths rose - instead, survival rates fell consistently as bed-occupancy increased.\n\nThis suggests \"a lot of harm is occurring before you get to 85%\".\n\nPatients admitted to ICUs that were less than 45% full were 25% less likely to die than average.\n\nUsually if a very sick patient's heart stops, everyone on the ward will rush to help them, Dr Mateen explained.\n\nBut when there are too many patients, staff's time is inevitably split, so \"it makes sense that the quality of patient care would be sacrificed\", he said.\n\nWhile extra beds and equipment can, and have, been provided through the Nightingale hospitals and the private sector, finding enough qualified staff has been an issue.\n\n\"You can't just create an ICU nurse who knows how to operate a mechanical ventilator overnight,\" Dr Mateen told the BBC.\n\nThese are highly-skilled roles that take years of training and sometimes decades of experience, he added.\n\nInstead, a \"robust vaccination programme\" and tighter lockdown restrictions are needed to bring down cases and hospitalisations, he believes.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. What does it mean if the NHS is overwhelmed?\n\nCo-author Prof Christina Pagel at UCL added: \"This paper highlights for the first time that putting such strain on ICUs during pandemic peaks does, sadly, mean that that chances of someone dying in intensive care are higher.\n\n\"Our work underlines the urgency of both vaccinating vulnerable groups as soon as possible and reducing Covid transmission in the community to relieve pressure on intensive care.\"\n\nIt's difficult to say for sure that fuller ICUs are actually causing more deaths - it's possible that as they get fuller, only the sickest patients are admitted.\n\nBut Dr Mateen says there was no evidence of rationing - of sick patients being turned away.\n\nEven pre-Covid, data suggests larger ICUs had lower death rates - with a 25% increase in bed numbers linked to a corresponding 25% fall in mortality.\n\nAnd the findings are supported by a wealth of evidence from before the pandemic and from around the world.", "Coach and tour operators have seen an unexpected growth in bookings in the last fortnight.\n\nWhilst there is no doubt that the pandemic continues to put huge pressure on lives and the NHS, this is a small amount of sunshine for the travel industry, which has had a tough year.\n\nTUI, the UK's largest tour operator, says 50% of bookings on their website are currently by over-50s.\n\nThis was previously a smaller market for them.\n\nNational Express's coach holiday businesses say bookings made by those 65 and over have increased by 185% in the last fortnight compared to last year.\n\n\"Since the announcement of the vaccine, it's given our customer base, predominantly those over 65, increased confidence to book and have that summer getaway in 2021\" says Jit Desai, head of holidays and travel at National Express.\n\n\"We launched the brochure for spring-summer 2021 just this weekend gone, and on Monday we took a week's worth of bookings in a day and that's continued so far,\" says Mr Desai. \"What the vaccine does is give certainty and confidence.\n\n\"That then allows the customer and ourselves the ability to plan ahead\".\n\nThe pandemic has been devastating for the travel sector. Tens of thousands of jobs have gone in the UK. Millions of Britons cancelled breaks because the health situation was in flux across the world.\n\nBut National Express now points to returning confidence to travel.\n\n\"Many we've spoken to have had the first jab. They know in 12 weeks they'll get a second jab. It gives them certainty that they can enjoy and look forward to their 2021 holiday. It is something to look forward to, to being with people, with friends, like minded and from the same generation.\"\n\nDawn and Ray - 75 and 78 years old - are from Hampshire and are due to have their first jab soon. They have just booked five UK holidays.\n\n\"We are raring to go once we've got that vaccine, we are really looking forward to it - both of us. We are going to Wales, Leicestershire, to York where there is a mystery tour - and to the Cotswolds'\", Dawn said.\n\nFor Dawn and Ray, it's the ease of coach travel that's appealing, as well as the safety. She adds \"they've looked after us so well in the past, the coaches are clean, we'll all wear masks, we all look after each other.\"\n\nAt the moment, 90% of the bookings with National Expresses coach businesses are UK based, so it looks like another good year for the staycation.\n\n\"European bookings are lower because of the uncertainty on the continent,\" says Mr Desai.\n\n\"The UK wins because of the lack of need to quarantine. And uncertainty about the moves other governments might make whilst away also creates fear.\"\n\nIt's not just UK breaks that are selling. The UK's largest tour operator TUI, famous for its sun-drenched European beach holidays, says there has also been a change in the last fortnight.\n\n\"We're seeing a customer base or age group that wasn't booking before, that is starting to book,\" says Andrew Flintham the MD of TUI UK. \"The over 50s, we assume, is on the back to the vaccine news.\"\n\nWhilst TUI UK boss acknowledges that \"the market is still depressed and it's not where we want it - we are seeing glimmers of hope.\"\n\nTrips to towns in England are among those being booked\n\nThere are also interesting changes emerging in the types of breaks holidaymakers plan to take and the months they're planning to travel.\n\n\"People are booking later into the summer, hedging their bets\" said Mr Flintham. \"More July and August and a lot of demand for September and October.\n\n\"People are booking longer holidays, we're seeing more people booking ten or eleven or 14 nights rather than seven. People are maybe catching up on what they've missed.\"\n\nAs TUI analysed its recent booking data, one trend they spotted is the emergence of large, multigenerational group bookings.\n\n\"It is family time we've all missed. We can't get away from our own families, but our broader families we can't see, and that's feeding into our choices\" Mr Flintham explains.\n\nAfter such a bad 10 months, and TUI cancelling all holidays until the middle of February at the earliest because of the new lockdown, how does the rest of the summer look?\n\n\"I think the summer holiday is on\" says Mr Flintham, \"I think we just need time for people to get that confidence, but yes, we think there will be a good summer this summer\".\n\nFor those who've watched the paralysis brought upon the travel industry since last winter, a morsel of good news about customers booking again is being celebrated.\n\n\"This is fantastic news and to be hugely welcomed by an industry that has been utterly devastated by the pandemic\", says Sophie Griffiths, editor of Travel Trade Gazette.\n\n\"Ten months into this crisis and the industry has still received zero dedicated support from the government despite being unique as a sector in terms of giving out thousands in refunds while getting next to nothing back in for 2020.\"", "The Lauberhorn course is the longest downhill run in the world (file image)\n\nA British tourist has been blamed for a spike in coronavirus cases that led officials to cancel Switzerland's famous Lauberhorn ski race.\n\nThe resort of Wengen, where the race is held, had recorded only 10 cases of the virus by mid-December.\n\nBut the number soon began to rise and many cases have since been linked to the new highly infectious variant of Covid-19 first identified in the UK.\n\nAt least 27 cases are connected to one British tourist, contact tracers say.\n\nThe tourist stayed in a hotel in Wengen over the holiday period.\n\nThe Lauberhorn course is the longest downhill run in the world, and racers can reach speeds of 160km/h (100 mph).\n\nOfficials desperately tried to save the race, shutting schools and offering to close off the resort to everyone but the competitors.\n\nSwiss health officials initially agreed with the plan, but a further jump in cases at the start of this week prompted them to pull the emergency brake and cancel the event.\n\nThe Lauberhorn track is 4,480m (14,700ft) long - and the race will now have to wait until 2022\n\nWengen is devastated. The Lauberhorn is one of the top competitions on the World Cup ski circuit. It is dearly loved by the Swiss, who have watched with delight as some of their own homegrown talent, such as Beat Feuz and Carlo Janka, have triumphed there.\n\nMoreover, the long love affair between Switzerland and British winter tourists has frosted over to some extent.\n\nIt was only last month that the vanishing Brits of Verbier, who reportedly fled Switzerland rather than accept the government mandated quarantine, triggered a flurry of negative headlines.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Italy's Foppolo ski resort was closed until 6 January and missed the all-important Christmas ski season\n\nNow the high point of Switzerland's skiing calendar has been abruptly cancelled, and some Swiss blame the British.\n\nOthers say Switzerland only has itself to blame.\n\nWhile neighbours France and Italy closed their resorts over the festive period, the Swiss government opted for a precarious balancing act. It kept its slopes open, but closed all bars and restaurants and limited ski lifts to two-thirds capacity.\n\nMost Swiss resorts are quiet, with just a few locals enjoying the runs. But still some tourists arrived and, as Wengen's experience shows, just one infected guest is enough to cause major damage.\n\nInstead of hosting a major ski race, Wengen officials are now racing to control the virus. Mass testing has already begun in the resort.\n\nSwitzerland's government has extended the closure of bars, restaurants, museums, and theatres until the end of February in a bid to control the new variant. It has also ordered non-essential shops to close and made working from home obligatory.\n\nAs for the Lauberhorn, Switzerland's oldest and fiercest skiing rival, Austria, will now host the postponed event. Nothing could have been calculated to upset the Swiss more.\n\nThe event was first moved to the Austrian ski resort of Kitzbühel, but an outbreak of coronavirus there has prompted another move, this time to Flachau, 100km to the east.\n\nThe cluster of cases in Jochberg near Kitzbühel broke out among a group of mainly British trainee ski instructors.", "Some 13 ambulances queued outside the Royal Glamorgan Hospital hospital's A&E department on Saturday\n\nHospitals in the area with Wales and England's worst Covid death rates are only coping by postponing urgent surgery such as cancer operations.\n\nCwm Taf Morgannwg had already suspended some non-emergency services but the boss of the health board said they have now paused some urgent procedures.\n\nCwm Taf covers Rhondda Cynon Taf and Merthyr Tydfil, which have the highest and second highest Covid death rates.\n\nHealth Minister Vaughan Gething said he \"would not be surprised\" if other health boards were forced to do the same soon, if case rates did not come down.\n\n\"There is real harm being done... because of the level of hospital admissions,\" he said.\n\n\"Our critical care units are at 150% of their capacity and that has very real consequences.\n\n\"It reinforces why all of us need to do the right thing in reducing our contacts with other people and follow the rules, otherwise greater harm will be caused.\"\n\nThe news comes as NHS bosses said the number of Covid patients in Welsh hospitals is double April's peak.\n\nOn Thursday, Public Health Wales (PHW) said a further 54 people had died with coronavirus in Wales, taking the total number of deaths since the start of the pandemic to 4,117.\n\nMr Lyons said on Wednesday night their field hospital Ysbyty Seren in Bridgend had 74 patients, people they \"wouldn't have been able to accommodate within our usual hospitals\".\n\n\"We are coping, but that's coping because we've been cancelling urgent surgery.\n\n\"We even had to cancel some cancer surgery over the last few weeks,\" Mr Lyons told BBC Radio Wales.\n\n\"My heart goes out to families and to patients with all the stress and the worry that gives.\n\n\"It's tough times and we're all in it together, and we do see that optimism, that glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel but it's hard.\"\n\nNearly half of hospital beds in the health board - which covers Bridgend, Merthyr Tydfil and Rhondda Cynon Taf- are taken up with Covid-19 patients, including 31 in critical care or on ventilation.\n\nThey outnumber those in critical care with other conditions by three to one.\n\nLatest NHS Wales figures show 2,806 hospital patients in Wales with Covid-19 - 35% of all patients. This is twice the proportion in May.\n\nIn Rhondda Cynon Taf, the Covid death rate is 283.9 per 100,000 population - followed by Merthyr Tydfil where the death rate is 253.6.\n\n\"It's an absolute tragedy for the families and the loved ones and very sobering,\" said Mr Lyons.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. See how case rates have changed in each part of Wales\n\n\"We're coping but only because of the dedication of our staff, and it's immensely humbling to see people giving up their spare time coming in doing extra shifts, but the toll on them is immense.\n\n\"In practice our hospitals are full and although we are coping that we're only coping because we've cancelled all but the most urgent surgery.\n\n\"We've redeployed staff who've been incredibly flexible from places they normally work such as outpatients.\"\n\nThe health board oversees three hospitals - Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil, Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend and the Royal Glamorgan in Rhondda Cynon Taf.\n\nA nurse at Royal Glamorgan Hospital, near Llantrisant, said earlier this week how she felt \"overwhelming fear\" as 13 ambulances queued outside her hospital's A&E department.", "Six pharmacies will be vaccinating people invited by letter to make an appointment online\n\nSome High Street pharmacies in England will start vaccinating people from priority groups on Thursday, with 200 providing jabs in the next two weeks.\n\nSix chemists in Halifax, Macclesfield, Widnes, Guildford, Edgware and Telford are the first to offer appointments to those invited by letter.\n\nBut pharmacists say many more sites should be allowed to give the jab, not just the largest ones.\n\nMore than 2.6 million people in the UK have now received their first dose.\n\nAcross the UK, the target is to vaccinate 15 million people in the top four priority groups - care home residents and workers, NHS frontline staff, the over-70s and the extremely clinically vulnerable - by mid-February.\n\nThe vaccines - made by either Oxford-AstraZeneca or Pfizer-BioNTech - are being administered at hospitals, care homes, GP surgeries and vaccination centres.\n\nIt comes as the UK saw its highest number of daily reported coronavirus deaths since the pandemic began, with the government announcing a further 1,564 deaths of people within 28 days of a positive Covid test.\n\nOn Wednesday evening, the Scottish government published its detailed 16-page plan for rolling out the vaccine, including details of how many vaccines it expects to receive every week until the end of May.\n\nThe first pharmacy sites in England to deliver a vaccine have been chosen because they are capable of delivering large numbers of vaccines quickly while allowing space for social distancing.\n\nPeople will be invited by letter to make an appointment at one of the pharmacies, or a vaccination centre, through the NHS Covid-19 vaccination booking service.\n\nAnyone who doesn't want to travel to these sites can still be vaccinated by their local GP or hospital service, but they may have to wait longer.\n\nUp to 70 more pharmacies will be taking bookings for appointments for next week, with 200 in total offering slots over the next fortnight, according to NHS England.\n\nVaccines are currently being offered at more than 1,000 sites, including :\n\nAn Asda supermarket in Birmingham will also host a vaccination centre, with pharmacy staff giving jabs in the store's former clothing section from 25 January.\n\nBut the National Pharmacy Association says the rules on which pharmacies qualify to deliver Covid vaccines should be relaxed to allow more to take part.\n\nHow people awaiting vaccines will queue and socially distance in the Halifax store of Boots\n\nAt present, pharmacies have to be able to deliver 1,000 vaccines a week, have enough fridge space to store all the doses, and be able to open seven days a week.\n\nAndrew Lane, of the National Pharmacy Association, said now that the Oxford vaccine had been approved, community pharmacies could store and administer it in the same way as they deliver the flu jab.\n\nThe Oxford vaccine only needs to be stored at fridge temperature, as opposed to the freezer temperatures of -70C required by Pfizer.\n\n\"We're here, we're trained, we will deliver,\" said Mr Lane, who represents Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Northamptonshire.\n\nNHS England has said that as more supplies of vaccine become available, more community pharmacists will be able to play a role in the programme.\n\nThe government's vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi said staff across the NHS had \"pulled out all the stops to help ramp up vaccinations\" and were working day and night to keep people safe.\n\nProf Claire Anderson, chair of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society's English Pharmacy Board, said pharmacy teams in hospital, primary care and the community were \"working flat out to support the nation's health\".\n\nShe said she looked forward to the vaccination programme being expanded through pharmacies to benefit patients.\n\nBoris Johnson said on Wednesday that vaccinations would also start being offered 24 hours a day, seven days a week \"as soon as possible\" - but supply of doses was currently the limiting factor.\n\nIt comes as hospitals struggle to cope with the rising numbers of patients being admitted with Covid.\n\nA study published today has shown the impact of packed intensive care units on death rates, finding that patients in England's busiest ICUs in 2020 were 20% more likely to die.\n\nMeanwhile, a government committee is meeting later to discuss whether to stop flights from Brazil coming to the UK because of concern about a new variant of the virus believed to have emerged there.\n\nArrivals from Brazil already have to self-isolate for 10 days.\n\nThe strain is one of a small number of new variants which have been spreading, including ones first spotted in the UK and South Africa.\n\nScientists are racing to understand what it means for the vaccines - but most experts think vaccines will still be effective.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Bangor student Michelle Francis said students had hardly used rooms and had not been able to use facilities on campus\n\nHundreds of students are preparing to take part in rent strikes after paying for \"hardly used\" rooms during the pandemic.\n\nSome Welsh universities have already offered refunds to students who have been living away due to Covid-19.\n\nBut students in Cardiff, Swansea and Bangor claim they are being treated unfairly and are threatening to withhold rent.\n\nUniversities said they were trying to work out the implications of Covid-19.\n\nAnd a solicitor warned students they could face legal action for not paying rent, with long-term implications possible if they lose.\n\nFace-to-face teaching was suspended and many students moved back home before Christmas as coronavirus cases continued to rise.\n\nStaggered returns are being introduced in order to \"help stop the spread of the virus in student accommodation\", according to the Welsh Government.\n\nThey said they had not been living in the rooms or using facilities, despite paying for them, because they were abiding by Welsh Government guidelines.\n\nCardiff Metropolitan University, Aberystwyth University, Swansea University, Bangor University and Cardiff University have now offered eligible students rebates or discounts for time not spent living on campus.\n\nUniversity of South Wales said it will be offering a \"rent holiday\" on university-owned accommodation in Treforest, Rhondda Cynon Taf, for the period 4 January to 12 February.\n\nUniversity of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD) said on Thursday it is now offering refunds to students who have not returned to university-owned accommodation while teaching is solely online.\n\nBut students say the offers are inadequate for students already paying £9,000-a-year tuition fees at a time when most of the teaching was online, and they had been unable to use facilities in halls.\n\nWhile the students cannot hold their protests in person due to coronavirus laws, hundreds are now planning to cancel their direct debits, withholding thousands of pounds of rent from universities.\n\nMichelle Francis, who formed the Bangor Rent Strike campaign, said the university's offer of a 10% discount to eligible students living in university-owned accommodation did not go far enough.\n\nShe said students who had chosen to go home for Christmas were not eligible, despite being unable to use facilities paid for during the first term.\n\n\"[We were] advised to have left university from the beginning of December and to come back at 8 February,\" she said.\n\n\"That's 25% of our halls that we've been paying and we're not there... we should be allowed to have that back.\"\n\nSo far over 300 students have joined the campaign to cancel their direct debits paid to Welsh universities and campaigners said the numbers were growing daily.\n\nOn Wednesday, Cardiff University joined other Welsh universities in offering a rent rebate to students living in university-owned accommodation during the pandemic.\n\nBut the full rebate, for the time students are unable to return to live in their accommodation, will not be applied until April.\n\nSwansea University has also confirmed a rent reduction to students in university halls who have been asked to remain at home.\n\nOisin Mulholland of Swansea Rent Strike said the group wanted the university to commit to fairly \"assessing the situation\", including for the coming term, and students who had already moved in should be given rebates as well.\n\n\"There was a window in January, where the Welsh Government said return, but the English government said don't return, and the university said nothing,\" he said.\n\n\"Many students came back and are now trapped in Swansea and can't go back because of lockdown\"\n\nIbrahim Khan said students were struggling and needed the rebate immediately\n\nIbrahim Khan, of the Cardiff Rent Strike campaign, said the rebate was \"too late\" for students struggling financially now.\n\n\"The university should be giving us the rebate this January as opposed to the third instalment in April,\" he said.\n\nLawyers have warned that students would in breach of contract if they cancel the direct debit for their rent.\n\nSiôn Fôn, a solicitor at Darwin Gray, encouraged students to discuss the issue with their families and student unions before taking action.\n\n\"I think a case could be brought forward pretty easily against somebody not paying rent,\" he said.\n\nBut he said students may have a case against the university due to not being able to access advertised facilities, but if the university took legal action it could have long-term consequences for individuals.\n\n\"If the students lose, and even after losing don't pay the rent, that would come up on credit scores, or with the bank, if they're trying to get a mortgage or a credit card it would come up on their record,\" he warned.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. \"How am I going to afford to do my food shop... if I can't go to work?\"\n\nA spokesperson for Cardiff University said technical reasons meant they had to wait until the April instalment of accommodation fees to provide the rebate.\n\nSwansea University said some students had already returned when the stay at home guidance was issued, and it was working through the \"implications of this\".\n\n\"To help with this the university will not generate invoices for any students with university accommodation until May when we have been able to look at these cases,\" a spokesman said.\n\nBangor University said it did not wish to add anything further following its rebate announcement.\n\nThe Welsh Government said it had provided an extra £40m to help universities, including £10m for towards student hardship and support.\n\n\"It would seem fair that students should be eligible for a rebate for the period when a course is online only and we welcome moves by universities to address this,\" a spokesman said.\n\n\"We are actively considering how we can support our students and universities even further.\"", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Residents of an asylum seeker camp in Pembrokeshire says life is 'very bad'\n\nAsylum seekers housed in a military training camp have claimed the \"very bad\" conditions are making them feel increasingly desperate.\n\nThe Home Office decided to house up to 250 asylum seekers at the site in Penally, Pembrokeshire, from September.\n\nBut some housed at the camp claim the conditions are unsafe and putting them at risk of coronavirus.\n\nPlaid Cymru has called for an urgent inspection, but the Home Office said it was safe and \"Covid-compliant\".\n\nOn Thursday afternoon, the independent chief inspector for borders and immigration David Bolt said he hoped an inspection can begin \"within a few weeks\" and was awaiting further details he requested from the Home Office.\n\nProtests and counter-protests have taken place at the camp, with concerns conditions breach human rights.\n\nFirst Minister Mark Drakeford has said the facility was \"unsuitable\" for vulnerable people who have \"fled terror and suffering\".\n\nNow, asylum seekers have spoken to the BBC about their experiences of living in the camp during the pandemic, with some claiming the site does not abide by Covid-19 rules.\n\nPhotos taken inside the camp show the living conditions in one of the rooms\n\nOne man, who wishes to remain anonymous, arrived at the camp on 1 October.\n\nHe said he had pain from \"old injuries\" obtained in Syria, but had to wait \"four days\" to see a doctor. He also has concerns about hygiene facilities at the camp.\n\n\"There is no observance of the Covid safety laws,\" he said, claiming \"six men\" share a small bedroom, dozens eat in the same room, and some staff preparing food do not wear face masks.\n\nVideo footage and photographs of the camp, seen by BBC Wales, show bathroom floors covered with water, every toilet in one bathroom blocked, beds in communal rooms less than 2m (6ft) apart and a bathroom where all the soap dispensers are empty.\n\nThe Home Office said medical need determined GP appointments, social distancing was required, and soap was replenished at the site.\n\nThe man said the camp's conditions had left him in a \"bad psychological state\" and others had attempted self-harm: \"Should I try to hurt myself to get out of here?\"\n\nHe said he and other residents were able to leave the camp as long as they are back by 22:00 GMT, but said he was reluctant to go out due to the \"humiliation, abuse and racism\" he has experienced.\n\nThe site has attracted protests in recent months\n\nWhile some have welcomed the refugees, posting welcome notes outside the gates, the camp has been described as a target for \"hard-right extremist\" protesters.\n\nThe Home Office said that, where someone claims their mental health is suffering, it would consider if their needs can be met at the site.\n\nAnother resident, from Eritrea, north-east Africa, said life in the camp was stressful, and people were being \"treated like prisoners\".\n\n\"For the Eritrean community in this camp, the most difficult thing is we escaped from our country from indefinite military service and illegal imprisonment,\" he said.\n\n\"So we feel like we are imprisoned in a military camp. It is all coming back to us.\"\n\nOne resident said it was impossible to maintain social distancing in a room with six people\n\nThe man said he had been told to be careful and to abide to Covid rules, but there was \"no protection\" as he was sleeping in a room with five others.\n\n\"Most of the bathrooms - they are broken,\" he said.\n\n\"They are filled with tissues, masks, everything you can find, they are blocked, they don't work.\"\n\nHe said he had not been offered a coronavirus test since arriving about three months ago.\n\nThe Home Office said residents had often entered the UK some time ago, and had been mainly placed in the camp after being in the south-east of England and around London.\n\nIt added that coronavirus tests were only necessary in line with Welsh Government guidance.\n\nIt added that Clearsprings Ready Homes, which manage the camp, took immediate steps to repair damage.\n\nSome have welcomed the asylum seekers in the community\n\nBut Plaid Cymru's leader in Westminster, Liz Saville Roberts, has called for an \"urgent\" and \"transparent\" inspection of the site.\n\nIn a letter to the UK's Independent chief inspector of borders and immigration, David Bolt, the MP said: \"We are now not only in the middle of winter, but cases of Covid-19 in Wales are rising at an alarming rate.\n\n\"I am extremely worried that the conditions at the old military barracks are wholly unsuitable to deal with the cold weather and to facilitate effective social distancing.\n\n\"This shows a clear disregard for the health and wellbeing of those being kept in the camp.\"\n\nAbout 40 men took part in the protest outside the camp in November over claims their human rights were being breached\n\nShe told BBC Radio Wales: \"If we aspire to be a nation of sanctuary, surely we should be looking at how people, while they are with us, are integrated into our communities and given all the services that they need, rather than putting them in a convenient enclosed space in a tiny community which is ill equipped itself to deal with this... Let alone far right protests outside and all the pressure that's put on the local population.\n\n\"We need to make sure that this doesn't set a precedent into the future.\"\n\nMr Bolt told Ms Saville Roberts he had \"received assurances\" from the Home Office that the Penally camp had an independent Covid-19 audit on 4 November.\n\nIn a letter, he said he hoped an inspection could be held \"within a few weeks\".\n\nHe said he was keen to understand how the Home Office \"was assuring itself\" individuals who were particularly vulnerable, including torture victims, potential victims of modern slavery, and those with complex health and other needs, were being identified and action taken to safeguard them.\n\nHe said: \"While on site I would expect the only restrictions to be those relating to Covid-19 and that inspectors would be free to examine the premises and facilities, observe daily life and interview staff and service users, and I would look to the Home Office to ensure that whoever is responsible for managing the site understands that they must cooperate with the inspection team.\"\n\nIn December, the Welsh Labour Government deputy minister Jane Hutt called on the Home Secretary Priti Patel to close the camp, describing the conditions as \"unsafe\" and \"inhumane\".\n\nTom Nunn, a solicitor representing some of the residents at camp, said the Home Office had said the camp should only be used as short-term accommodation for single, asylum-seeking males with no known vulnerabilities.\n\nBut he said 20 clients had been transferred away from the camp due to being vulnerable, and feared a serious incident would happen if things did not change.\n\n\"The majority of them have been detained and/or tortured in their country of origin, many have been exploited on their journey to the UK and a large number have fairly severe mental health problems,\" he said.\n\n\"It should not be the case that the only effective way of being transferred out is through making submissions through lawyers, and we are concerned about a large number of individuals who for a myriad of reasons may be unable to obtain this representation.\"\n\nThe UK's Minister for Immigration Compliance, Chris Philp, said: \"We provide asylum seekers in Penally with safe, Covid-compliant and weather-proof accommodation along with free, nutritious meals, all paid for by the taxpayer.\n\n\"We take the welfare of those in our care extremely seriously and asylum seekers can contact the 24/7 helpline run by Migrant Help if they have any issues.\n\n\"We are fixing our asylum system to make it firm and fair. We will be bringing forward legislation which will stop abuse of the system while ensuring it is compassionate towards those who need our help, welcoming people through safe and legal routes.\"", "The TikTok clip was reported to police by Network Rail\n\nA TikTok stunt featuring a car parked on a level crossing has been branded \"staggeringly stupid\".\n\nThe \"reckless\" social media post, recorded on the line at Bromley Cross, Bolton, showed a camera and tripod set up on the railway to record the scene.\n\nAn accompanying caption asked viewers: \"Would you take the risk to get the shot no-one else would?\"\n\nInsp Becky Warren, from British Transport Police, said: \"No picture or video is worth risking your life for.\"\n\nNetwork Rail, which reported the footage after it appeared on the video-sharing app, blasted the \"staggeringly stupid and dangerous\" clip.\n\nIt issued a reminder that trespassing on railway lines is against the law.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by ManchesterPiccadilly This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nNorth West route director Phil James said using the tracks \"as a backdrop for a photo shoot beggars belief\".\n\n\"Lives could so easily have been lost by this reckless behaviour,\" he said.\n\nInsp Warren added: \"There is simply no excuse for not following safety procedures at level crossings. The behaviour shown by the individuals in this video is incredibly dangerous and reckless.\"\n\nMany instances of trespass involve people using railway lines as backdrops for selfies and even wedding photos.\n\nLast year, Network Rail and British Transport Police launched a You vs. Train campaign to highlight the issue of young people trespassing.\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Armie Hammer has starred in The Social Network and Call Me By Your Name\n\nUS actor Armie Hammer has pulled out of a new film with Jennifer Lopez after what he described as \"vicious and spurious online attacks against me\".\n\nHammer had been set to appear in the action comedy Shotgun Wedding.\n\nHowever, the star's role will now be re-cast after private messages he supposedly sent were circulated online.\n\nIn a statement, Hammer dismissed the messages and said the subsequent abuse meant he could no longer spend months away from his children while filming.\n\n\"I'm not responding to these [false] claims but in light of the vicious and spurious online attacks against me, I cannot in good conscience now leave my children for four months to shoot a film in the Dominican Republic,\" the 34-year-old said, according to Deadline and Variety.\n\nThe Social Network and Call Me By Your Name actor added that film studio Lionsgate \"is supporting me in this and I'm grateful to them for that\".\n\nHammer has two children aged six and three with TV host Elizabeth Chambers. The couple announced their divorce last summer.\n\nHis name began trending over the weekend after explicit messages detailing disturbing sexual fantasies, which were purportedly sent by him, appeared online.\n\nA spokesman for Shotgun Wedding told the PA news agency that the film's producers accepted his decision.\n\n\"Given the imminent start date of Shotgun Wedding, Armie has requested to step away from the film and we support him in his decision,\" they said.\n\nHammer played the Winklevoss twins in 2010's The Social Network and starred opposite Timothée Chalamet in 2017's acclaimed drama Call Me By Your Name. He also appeared alongside Lily James in the Netflix adaptation of Rebecca, which came out last year.\n\nFollow us on Facebook or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "Some Covid restrictions are being reintroduced in response to the Omicron variant.\n\nCheck what the rules are in your area by entering your postcode or council name below.\n\nA modern browser with JavaScript and a stable internet connection is required to view this interactive. What are the rules in your area? Enter a full UK postcode or council name to find out\n\nIf you cannot see the look-up, click here.\n\nThe rules highlighted in the search tool are a selection of the key government restrictions in place in your area.\n\nAlways check your relevant national and local authority website for more information on the situation where you live. Also check local guidance before travelling to others parts of the UK.\n\nAll the guidance in our search look-up comes from national government websites.\n\nFor more information on national measures see:\n\nFind out how the pandemic has affected your area and how it compares with the national average by following this link to an in depth guide to the numbers involved.", "Twitter boss Jack Dorsey has said banning US President Donald Trump was the right thing to do.\n\nHowever, he expressed sadness at what he described as the \"extraordinary and untenable circumstances\" surrounding Mr Trump's permanent suspension.\n\nHe also said the ban was in part a failure of Twitter's, which hadn't done enough to foster \"healthy conversation\" across its platforms.\n\nTwitter has been praised and criticised for freezing Mr Trump's account.\n\nGerman leader Angela Merkel and Mexican President Andres Manuel López Obrador - neither an ally of the outgoing US president - spoke out against the tech titan's move.\n\nIn a long Twitter thread, Twitter's chief said he did not celebrate or feel pride in the ban - which came after the Capitol riot last week.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by jack This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nHe reiterated that removing the president from Twitter was made after \"a clear warning\" to Mr Trump.\n\n\"We made a decision with the best information we had based on threats to physical safety both on and off Twitter,\" Mr Dorsey said.\n\nHe also accepted that the move would have consequences for an open and free internet.\n\n\"Having to take these actions fragment the public conversation. They divide us….And sets a precedent I feel is dangerous.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Police place US Capitol Building on lockdown after Trump supporters breached security lines\n\nHe also addressed criticism that just a handful of tech bosses can make decisions on who does and doesn't have a voice on the internet - and on accusations of censorship.\n\n\"A company making a business decision to moderate itself is different from a government removing access, yet can feel much the same,\" said Mr Dorsey.\n\nThe decision to remove users, posts and tweets has been criticised by some for violating First Amendment - free speech - rights.\n\nHowever, big tech firms generally argue that as they are private companies, and not state actors, this law does not apply when they moderate their platforms.\n\nFacebook and YouTube have taken steps to silence the president, while Amazon shut down Parler, an app widely used by his supporters.\n\nNow Snapchat has also announced that Mr Trump will be permanently banned from its platform too.\n\nIt had already announced an indefinite suspension, but has now decided that \"in the interest of public safety and based on his attempts to spread misinformation, hate speech, and incite violence\" to permanently terminate his account.\n\nOn Monday, the German chancellor's spokesperson said she found the social media ban \"problematic\". And the Mexican president said: \"I don't like anybody being censored.\"\n\nIncoming US President-elect Joe Biden has said he wants companies like Facebook and Twitter to do more to take down hate speech and fake news.\n\nHe has previously said he wants to repeal Section 230, a law protecting social media companies from being sued for the things people post.\n\nIt's not clear how Mr Biden intends to regulate Big Tech, though it's likely to be a legislative focus of his.", "Despite the huge need to free up space in hospitals, some care homes say insurance issues make it impossible for them to accept Covid-19 patients.\n\nIn October, the government launched a scheme for designated care homes to take patients recovering from the virus but insurance is a stumbling block.\n\nSir David Behan, head of the UK's largest care home company, HC-One, says insurance has become a major concern.\n\nThe government says it is working to resolve the issue.\n\n\"We are aware the adult social care insurance market is changing in response to the pandemic, and recognise some care providers may encounter difficulties as their policies come up for renewal,\" said a Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson.\n\nOne Hampshire care home says it will have to stop taking patients within days because its insurance will expire.\n\nWaterside House in Netley, Hampshire usually provides holidays and respite care for people with disabilities.\n\nBut since the autumn it has been taking Covid-positive patients discharged from hospitals on the south coast.\n\nThey are looked after on a separate floor from other residents, and the home has had to meet high infection control standards.\n\nHome manager Sarah Knight said demand for the 31 beds is unparalleled and added: \"I've been in nursing a long, long time, and I have never known anything like this.\n\n\"People end up in an ambulance sat outside hospitals for hours and hours, or they end up on a trolley in A&E in a corridor for hours and hours.\n\n\"By offering the best that we've got here, we can reduce some of that burden.\"\n\nJan Tregelles is chief executive of the charity Revitalise which runs Waterside House\n\nThe government originally hoped there would be 500 designated care homes taking in Covid-positive patients.\n\nBut Waterside House is one of only 129 which have been set up to take those who have not completed 14 days in isolation.\n\nHowever, its public indemnity insurance protection, which it needs in case someone contracts Covid there, runs out at the end of January.\n\nWaterside House is run by the charity Revitalise, whose chief executive, Jan Tregelles, said they have tried everything, but will soon have to start turning away people.\n\n\"It's shocking,\" she says. \"We are truly helpless. We have a fantastic team of nurses and colleagues already.\n\n\"The facilities are here, everything's arranged and we can't step up to support our communities at this time.\"\n\nOne resident, Alan Washbourne, who has been living at Waterside House since he was discharged from hospital during the first wave of the pandemic, said: \"I feel quite safe here.\"\n\nHe is not on the Covid floor of the home, and added: \"If I were to go to somewhere else, which is possible, I might not feel quite so safe.\"\n\nAlan Washbourne has been at Waterside House since April last year\n\nAfter so many deaths last spring, many care homes will not consider taking patients who are Covid-positive, even with extra infection control measures.\n\nMeanwhile, growing numbers of staff are off sick or self-isolating, leaving care homes facing shortages.\n\nAnd many are also finding it difficult to get the public indemnity insurance.\n\nSir David Behan is chairman of HC-One, the UK's largest care home provider\n\nSince November, HC-One, which is the UK's largest care home provider, has had to cover its own Covid risks because it cannot get the insurance.\n\nSir David said it is one of the reasons why they have not taken part in the designated places scheme.\n\n\"You've got solicitors' firms advertising, taking cases up against care companies,\" he says.\n\n\"So, this isn't a theoretical risk that there may be proceedings, it's an actual risk, and therefore we need cover.\n\n\"The NHS wouldn't operate without similar liability cover and that's what we need to see, and I think governments have a role to play working with the insurance industry to work to find a solution.\"\n\nThe Department for Health and Social Care said it was making efforts to determine what actions it could take.\n\n\"Our priority is to ensure everyone receives the right care, in the right place, at the right time,\" said a spokesperson.", "More than 100,000 Covid-19 vaccinations had been issued in Northern Ireland by Tuesday evening, Robin Swann has said.\n\nThe health minister said, of that figure, 91,419 people had received their first vaccine dose.\n\nHe added that 95% of care home residents had received their first dose and about 20% of those aged over 80 have received their first dose.\n\nIt comes as leading GP said the goal to begin a mass vaccine rollout by summer is \"achievable\" but hinges on supply.\n\nThe Department of Health published its plan to deliver vaccines in Northern Ireland on Tuesday.\n\nDr Alan Stout said the timeline was \"very sensible\" but was \"almost 100%\" dependent on getting enough of the vaccine.\n\nAt Wednesday's health briefing, Mr Swann said the programme had made a \"strong start\" but there was more to do.\n\nHe also said he has decided to issue tighter visiting guidelines for hospitals.\n\n\"I have ensured visiting will be permitted to hospices and care homes, but visits to general medical wards will no longer be permitted from this Friday\", he said.\n\nThe minister added that the measure would be kept under constant review.\n\nMr Swann also confirmed a new rapid test for Covid-19, which can return results in 12 minutes, would be used in emergency departments.\n\nHe said a pilot programme has been carried out using the LumiraDX nasal swab, which will enable health staff to \"very quickly identify patients who do not have Covid-19\".\n\nHe also repeated that the current lockdown restrictions were working and had helped to reduce NI's rate of infection, but warned the executive would still have \"difficult decisions\" to take in relation to decisions about whether to extend some restrictions in the coming weeks.\n\nOn Wednesday, a further 19 Covid-related deaths were announced by the Department of Health in Northern Ireland.\n\nA further 1,145 new cases of the virus were also reported.\n\nMeanwhile, Northern Ireland's chief medical officer warned there was \"no doubt\" that levels of the new, more transmissible variant of coronavirus are rising in Northern Ireland.\n\nSpeaking at Stormont's executive briefing, Dr Michael McBride said that the new variant was making the job to contain it \"twice as difficult\".\n\nThe new variant is said to be up to 70% more transmissible, but there is no evidence it is more dangerous.\n\nThe first confirmed case of the new strain was detected in Northern Ireland on 23 December, but officials had said levels in Northern Ireland remained lower than in other areas of the UK.\n\nDr McBride said there would now be situations where the variant could spread, where previously it may not have.\n\n\"We need to be extremely cautious in the weeks ahead,\" he warned, adding that the virus would not \"magically disappear\" on 6 February, when the current lockdown is due to end.\n\nStormont ministers have to review the regulations on or before 22 January, with that scheduled for next Thursday.\n\nDr McBride said Northern Ireland had some distance to go before restrictions are lifted\n\nDr Stout, the chair of NI's GP committee, said practices needed another 22,000 doses to finish vaccinating people aged over 80.\n\nSpeaking to BBC's Good Morning Ulster, he said he was \"very confident\" the next doses would come through shortly.\n\n\"I have been overwhelmed by the desire of practices, the determination just to get going and the one thing we need to give them is vaccine - we need to get the supply in as quickly as possible.\n\n\"This is such a good news story that everybody wants the vaccine and everybody wants to give it.\"\n\nThe plan is for the vaccine to be given to the general population in summer 2021.\n\nGP clinics should have received their first delivery of the vaccine by Tuesday.\n\nResponding to reports in The Daily Telegraph that GPs administering the vaccine in England had been asked to \"slow down\" to let other regions \"catch-up\", Dr Stout said Northern Ireland had taken a different approach to how it rolled out vaccines to GPs.\n\nHe said vaccines were shared among all practices in Northern Ireland.\n\n\"We just don't have the full amount of vaccine in practice to give. We could have given all of the vaccine that a certain number of practices needed to start with but there were issues with inequality and discrimination ... so that's why an amount has gone to every single practice, so at least they have some.\"", "A ban on travellers to the UK from South America has left one family fearing it could leave them stranded abroad for months.\n\nThe restriction comes into force at 04:00 GMT on Friday amid fears of a new Covid variant identified in Brazil.\n\nBritish and Irish citizens and foreign nationals with residence rights will still be able to travel but must isolate for 10 days.\n\nHowever many flights have now been cancelled.\n\nJon Den travelled to Brazil with his wife Carla, 32, in October so that her family - who live in Goiania - could meet their one-year-old daughter Luiza for the first time.\n\nThe couple, who live in Wolverhampton, are due to fly back to the UK on 6 February but Jon now fears they may be stuck out there for months due to the travel ban.\n\n\"We had planned to visit in February 2020 but we had to postpone because of the lockdown and that was rough on my wife, she suffered a lot,\" the 31-year-old says.\n\n\"Now I think my mum is suffering as she's expecting Luiza to be back, but who knows now?\n\n\"My initial reaction was worry because it's so unknown. The thought of not being able to return home and being stranded is not a nice feeling.\n\n\"I'm hoping British residents will be able to get home but I don't know if the government will organise flights. I think it's a long shot. I hope we can get home and not be stranded out here for months.\n\n\"We've got to be patient but at the same time flexible.\"", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Several Leeds bus drivers were faced with challenging conditions in the snow.\n\nHigh demand and heavy snow have had a \"severe impact\" on Yorkshire's ambulances, with bad weather also affecting coronavirus vaccinations.\n\nThe county ambulance trust declared a major incident, urging calls only in a \"serious or life-threatening emergency\" due to poor road conditions.\n\nA vaccination centre in Barnsley was closed, with patients told to await new appointments.\n\nCovid testing centres in Kirklees and Bradford also suspended operations.\n\nA yellow Met Office warning for snow and ice is in force until 21:00 GMT.\n\nMark Millins, strategic commander at Yorkshire Ambulance Service, said \"very snowy conditions across West, South and North Yorkshire\" had caused gridlock and made driving difficult.\n\nStaff were \"working extremely hard to reach patients\", he said, but \"hazardous driving conditions and blocked roads mean that it is taking us longer than normal in the worst-hit areas.\"\n\nVaccinations taking at the Priory Campus in Lundwood, Barnsley, were suspended from 15:00 GMT\n\nIn Barnsley, the town's Clinical Commissioning Group issued a tweet advising that it had postponed all Covid vaccinations at one centre from 15:00 on Thursday.\n\nIt asked those due to receive jabs at the Priory Campus in Lundwood after this time not to travel, and said patients would be contacted with a rescheduled appointment.\n\nThe group said its two remaining centres at Goldthorpe and Apollo Court, in Dodworth, remained open, but those unable to attend would also get a new time and date.\n\nWest Yorkshire Police said it had also seen a surge in calls and urged people not to call 101 for \"non-urgent matters\".\n\nSupt Chris Bowen said the force had received 300 calls to the 999 and 101 numbers in the space of an hour on Thursday morning.\n\nA large snowball fight on Woodhouse Moor in Leeds was criticised for an apparent lack of social distancing after footage was posted on social media.\n\nLiam Ford, who recorded the video, said he saw the \"awful scenes\" after he \"heard the commotion while on a walk round the block\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. A large group of people have been filmed in a snowball fight in Leeds\n\nPolice urged drivers to stay at home until the roads cleared\n\nMotorists reported hazardous driving conditions on many routes and police warned people to stay at home or allow extra time for essential journeys.\n\nPhil Airey said his usual 30-minute commute from Boston Spa to Harrogate took 90 minutes due to the poor conditions.\n\n\"The gritters have been doing their job but any sort of hill then it's not very good and if you go off onto the little roads well they are not good at all,\" he said.\n\nWest Yorkshire's road policing unit said it was dealing with a number of crashes while the North Yorkshire force said the A59 was blocked near Skipton due to a number of vehicles getting stuck in the snow.\n\nThe Met Office has not issued a weather notice for Friday, but a yellow warning for snow and ice on Saturday is in place across most of northern England and Scotland.\n\nPolice say they have dealt with a number of collisions and accidents\n\nFollow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk or send video here.", "Charlie Mullins said workers getting vaccinated is \"a no-brainer\".\n\nA large London plumbing firm plans to rewrite all of its workers' contracts to require them to be vaccinated against coronavirus.\n\nPimlico Plumbers chairman Charlie Mullins said it was \"a no-brainer\" that workers should get the jab.\n\nIf they do not want to comply with the policy, it will be decided on a case-by-case basis whether they are kept on, he said.\n\nEmployment lawyers said the plan carried risks for the business.\n\nThe NHS is seeking to vaccinate 15 million people from priority groups by mid-February as part of efforts to try to control the spread of Covid-19.\n\nBut Mr Mullins said he was prepared to pay for private immunisations for people at the firm, should they become available, which would be done on the company's time.\n\nDoctors have warned that key hospital services in England are in crisis, with reports of hospitals cancelling urgent operations after a surge in Covid patients in recent weeks.\n\nPimlico Plumbers plans to change its contracts for new joiners to require immunisation. It will rewrite its contracts with existing workers and employees as soon as is practical, depending on vaccine availability.\n\nThe firm has about 350 plumbers working as contractors and about 120 employees.\n\nMr Mullins said the firm was \"not putting anyone under any pressure\" to have the jab.\n\nHowever, new starters who were not immunised would not be taken on, he said.\n\nMr Mullins said employees approved of the policy.\n\n\"It's a no-brainer,\" he said. \"I've talked to people who have said: 'I will queue up all night to get the vaccine.'\n\n\"I think it will be the norm in five or six months. To go into a bar or cinema, or go on a plane, you have to have a vaccine,\" he added.\n\nMr Mullins said he had set aside £800,000 to pay for private vaccinations, but estimated costs more in the region of £100,000.\n\n\"Whatever it costs, I will pay,\" he said. \"I would pay £1m tomorrow to safeguard our staff.\n\n\"If people don't want the vaccine, let them sit at home and not have a normal life,\" he added.\n\nHowever, employment lawyers said this vaccination policy could be risky.\n\nLegally, companies cannot force employees to take a vaccine, said Thrive Law managing director Jodie Hill.\n\n\"They can't jab a vaccine in your arm,\" she said.\n\nPeople who refuse vaccination and are dismissed may have grounds to make a legal claim, she said.\n\n\"Even if they put that [requirement] in a new contract, I don't think they'd get away with it,\" she said.\n\nEmployees with more than two years' service could claim unfair dismissal. But this option is not open to workers and self-employed contractors.\n\nBroadly, people can refuse a vaccination for legitimate reasons such as being pregnant or breastfeeding, for religious reasons, because of disability or allergy, or for ethical vegan reasons if the jab contains animal products.\n\nThe two vaccines approved for use in the UK, from Oxford-AstraZeneca and Pfizer/BioNTech, do not contain any components of animal origin, a Department for Health and Social Care spokesman confirmed.\n\nDismissal for employees with one or more of these protected characteristics could give rise to a discrimination claim.\n\nPeople who are hesitant about taking the vaccine for personal reasons would not be able to claim discrimination, but could potentially claim unfair dismissal if they have been with the firm for two years or more.\n\nPeople with strong anti-vaccination beliefs may be protected under equality law, Ms Hill added.\n\nThe company and Mr Mullins have previously faced a lengthy legal battle with one of its former contractors, Gary Smith.\n\nIn 2018, Mr Smith won a Supreme Court ruling over holiday and sick pay. However, an employment tribunal later ruled that he was not entitled to make a claim for the back pay, as he had not completed the necessary paperwork.\n\nMr Mullins insisted that the vaccination change to contracts \"will be done legally\", but said that he was willing to take this matter to the Supreme Court as well, if necessary.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "The rapid spread of coronavirus variants has put the world on alert and triggered a new lockdown in the UK. What are these variants and why are they causing concern?\n\nAll viruses naturally mutate over time, and Sars-CoV-2 is no exception.\n\nSince the virus was first identified a year ago, thousands of mutations have arisen.\n\nThe vast majority of mutations are \"passengers\" and will have little impact, says Dr Lucy van Dorp, an expert in the evolution of pathogens at University College London.\n\n\"They don't change the behaviour of the virus, they are just carried along.\"\n\nBut every once in a while, a virus strikes lucky by mutating in a way that helps it survive and reproduce.\n\n\"Viruses carrying these mutations can then increase in frequency due to natural selection, given the right epidemiological settings,\" Dr van Dorp says.\n\nThis is what seems to be happening with the variant that has spread across the UK, known as 202012/01, and a similar, but different variant, recently identified in South Africa (501.V2).\n\nHundreds of thousands of viral genomes have been analysed across the world\n\nThere is no evidence so far that either causes more severe disease, but the worry is that health systems will be overwhelmed by a rapid rise in cases.\n\nIn a rapid risk assessment of these \"variants of concern\", the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said they place increased pressure on health systems.\n\n\"Although there is no information that infections with these strains are more severe, due to increased transmissibility, the impact of Covid-19 disease in terms of hospitalisations and deaths is assessed as high, particularly for those in older age groups or with co-morbidities,\" the EU agency said.\n\nThe variants have different origins but share a mutation in a gene that encodes the spike protein, which the virus uses to latch on to and enter human cells.\n\nScientists think this could be why they appear more infectious.\n\n\"The UK and South African virus variants have changes in the spike gene consistent with the possibility that they are more infectious,\" says Prof Lawrence Young at the University of Warwick.\n\nBut as Dr Jeff Barrett, director of the Covid-19 genomics initiative at the Wellcome Sanger Institute in Hinxton, UK, points out, it's the combination of what the virus is doing and what we're doing that determines how fast it spreads.\n\n\"With the new variant, the situation changes more quickly as restrictions are relaxed and tightened, and there is less room for error in controlling the spread,\" he says.\n\n\"We don't have any evidence, however, that the new variant can fundamentally evade masks, social distancing, or the other interventions - we just need to apply them more strictly.\"\n\nThe spike protein (foreground) enables the virus to enter and infect human cells\n\nWith vaccine roll-out underway, scientists are racing to understand the repercussions for vaccines, which are based on the spike protein sequence.\n\nThere is particular concern about the South Africa variant, which has several changes in the spike (S) protein.\n\nMost experts think vaccines will still be effective, at least in the short term.\n\nDr Julian W Tang, a virologist at the University of Leicester, says vaccines can be modified to be \"more close-fitting and effective against this variant in a few months\".\n\n\"Meanwhile, most of us believe that the existing vaccines are likely to work to some extent to reduce infection/ transmission rates and severe disease against both the UK and South African variants - as the various mutations have not altered the S protein shape that the current vaccine-induced antibodies will not bind at all.\"\n\nMink outbreaks are a \"spillover\" from the human pandemic\n\nScientists are carrying out laboratory studies to find out more about the variants. And they are tracking every move of the virus as it hopscotches around the world.\n\nBy taking a swab from an infected patient, the genetic code of the virus can be extracted and amplified before being \"read\" using a sequencer.\n\nThe string of letters, or nucleotides, allows genomes and mutations to be compared.\n\n\"It is thanks to these efforts, and UK testing laboratories, that the UK variant has been flagged so quickly as a potential cause of concern,\" Dr van Dorp says.\n\nProf Julian Hiscox, chair in infection and global health at the University of Liverpool, says that, through the efforts of scientists to sequence the virus, \"we've got a really good handle on variants that emerge\".\n\nIn the short-term, only the harshest of lockdowns will reduce case numbers, he says.\n\n\"What lockdown does is reduce the number of people with the virus and reduce the amount of virus out there and that's a good thing.\"\n\nBut in the long term, Prof Hiscox suspects, we may face a scenario like flu, where new vaccines are developed and administered every year.\n\n\"The problem is, the more variants we get, the greater the chance the virus will be able to escape part of the vaccine - and this may reduce [its] efficacy,\" he says.\n• None New coronavirus variant: What do we know?", "The co-founder for Cyberpunk 2077's developer has released a new video explaining what went wrong with the game.\n\nCD Projekt's Marcin Iwiński admitted they \"underestimated the task\" of adapting the game for consoles like the PS4 and Xbox One.\n\nMarcin says he's \"deeply sorry for this and this video is me publicly owning up\".\n\nThe game was arguably the most anticipated release of 2020 but the launch just before Christmas was a disaster.\n\nThe problems led to Sony and Microsoft removing the game from online stores and gamers were offered refunds.\n\nCyberpunk 2077 is a set in the fictional Night City - a dystopian future where pollution and crime are rampant and social inequality is the norm.\n\nIn the video, Marcin explains issues originated from Cyperpunk's \"huge\" scope, particularly the high number \"of custom objects, interacting systems, and mechanics\", making it a complex game.\n\nThis YouTube post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on YouTube The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts. Skip youtube video by Cyberpunk 2077 This article contains content provided by Google YouTube. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Google’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts.\n\nAs this was \"condensed in one big city\" rather than spread over a bigger space - it needed greater hardware capability.\n\nSo despite working well for high-end PCs, it couldn't be adjusted to older generation consoles such as the PS4 and Xbox One, making in-game streaming difficult.\n\n\"We hit the ground running on PC. While not perfect, it's a version of Cyberpunk we're very proud of.\"\n\nMarcin adds that testing did not \"show a big part of the issues\" that gamers experienced.\n\n\"As we got closer to the final release, we saw significant improvements each and every day.\"\n\nHe also blames the coronavirus pandemic for creating issues for CD Projekt as they tried to improve performance after launch.\n\n\"A lot of the dynamics we normally take for granted got lost over video calls or email. And we took that hit too.\"\n\nLooks good right? But this wasn't what the game looked like for a lot of console gamers\n\nMarcin added the \"incredibly hard working and talented\" development team should not be blamed for problems, saying the final decision came down to him and the board.\n\n\"Believe me, we never ever intended for anything like this to happen. I assure you that we will do our best to regain your trust\".\n\nAs part of that, he says they intend to fix the problems and improve the game across platforms.\n\n\"Our ultimate goal is to fix the bugs and crashes,\" he says, with updates to the game expected to arrive in the coming days and weeks.\n\n\"We treat this entire situation very seriously and are working hard to make it right.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nListen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.", "Julia is doing well after her surprise arrival into the world\n\nA mother who gave birth just 10 days after discovering she was pregnant thought she had put on weight in lockdown.\n\nSamantha Hicks, from Portishead, North Somerset, attributed her baby Julia's kicking to sickness having been ill.\n\nHer pregnancy was missed even when she was in Southmead Hospital in Bristol with Covid-19 in November .\n\n\"It never occurred to me I was pregnant as I had taken two previous tests which both came back negative,\" she said.\n\nWhen Mrs Hicks was taken to the Covid ward in hospital, doctors asked if she was pregnant and she said no.\n\nShe said she had noticed a small amount of weight gain but put it down to lockdown and that she thought she might have Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) as it runs in the family.\n\nMrs Hicks said: \"I felt a bit of movement but I thought it was because I had not been well.\n\n\"My tummy was a bit swollen but again, because I felt sick and I wasn't great, it never occurred to me I was pregnant.\"\n\nHer husband Joe said: \"On Christmas Day, I asked her if she was sure she wasn't pregnant, but she said no and she knows her own body.\n\n\"Then on January 1, I had my hands on Sammy and we felt a baby kick.\n\n\"We took another pregnancy test which came back positive.\"\n\nAt that stage, Mrs Hicks thought she was only five or six months into her term and returned to her job in a care home, walking 40 minutes to get there.\n\nTen days later, her contractions began and Mr Hicks rushed her to hospital\n\n\"It was unreal, the doctors only realised Julia was full term when she was born,\" he said.\n\nThe couple, who have two sons aged three and eight, said they had not planned on having more children.\n\nThey have since been \"inundated\" with gifts from friends, family and strangers in Portishead, who have offered blankets and essentials to help out.\n\n\"We want to say thank you to everyone really,\" Mr Hicks said.\n\nHelen Blanchard, Director of Nursing and Quality at North Bristol NHS Trust said: \"We would like to pass our congratulations to Mrs Hicks and her family on their new arrival.\n\n\"As Mrs Hicks experienced when she was cared for at Southmead, it is routine practice to ask people if they are, or could be, pregnant upon admission.\n\n\"However, we would ask a patient to do a pregnancy test if they were undergoing specific operations or procedures.\"\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Marcus Rashford and a group of celebrity chefs and campaigners have called on Boris Johnson to review the government's free school meals policy.\n\nThe group, including Jamie Oliver, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Tom Kerridge, have written to the PM asking him to \"fix\" the system long-term.\n\nThey called for a strategy to help \"end child food poverty\" before the summer holidays.\n\nNo 10 said \"no child will ever go hungry\" because of the Covid pandemic.\n\nThe call for a wide review comes after another row over free school meals during February half-term.\n\nThe government has said food will be provided to children by councils under the Covid Winter Grant Scheme while schools are closed for the holiday.\n\nCouncils and unions say the government should provide food vouchers instead, with the Local Government Association's Councillor Richard Watts telling BBC Radio 4's PM programme the grant had already been allocated for other support.\n\nBut Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: \"We are down to semantics whether it is the school delivering the meal or whether it is the local authority - fortunately there is quite a lot of different support available.\"\n\nAs well as getting the backing of Rashford - who has led campaigns around child poverty over the course of the pandemic - the letter has been signed by chefs Oliver, Kerridge and Fearnley-Whittingstall, along with actor Dame Emma Thompson and over 40 charities and education leaders.\n\nOrganised by the Food Foundation charity, the letter said it was time to \"step back and review the policy in more depth\".\n\nThey called for an \"urgent comprehensive review into free school meal policy across the UK\" to feed into the government's next Spending Review, saying it should look at:\n\nThe signatories praised the Department for Education's \"swift response\" to reports earlier this week of inadequate food parcels sent to families, saying the \"robustness of the message from you and the secretary of state on this issue was very welcome\".\n\nBut, they added that \"following the series of problems which have arisen over school food vouchers, holiday provision and food parcels since the start of the pandemic\", now was the time for a review.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Tom Kerridge: There has to be a solution to free school meals\n\nAnna Taylor, executive director of the Food Foundation charity, said the last few months had seen \"crisis after crisis with the provision of free school meals\".\n\n\"The result of that is disadvantaged children have often paid the price,\" she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.\n\n\"Our view is that really unless we do a root and branch review these problems are going to still keep appearing.\"\n\nChef Fearnley-Whittingstall also called for a more consistent, long-term response to the issue of food poverty.\n\n\"We need to get out of this fire-fighting, highly reactive series of actions by the government,\" he told the same programme.\n\nThe signatories want a review to be published and debated in Parliament before the 2021 summer holidays.\n\n\"We are ready and willing to support your government in whatever way we can to make this review a reality and to help develop a set of recommendations that everyone can support,\" the letter said.\n\n\"School food is essential in supporting the health and learning of our most disadvantaged children.\n\n\"Now, at a time when children have missed months of in-school learning and the pandemic has reminded us of the importance of our health, this is a vital next step.\"\n\nAnti-poverty campaigner and food writer Jack Monroe welcomed the letter to the PM, but told the BBC: \"We need to be feeding children right now.\"\n\nShe added: \"While it is great to be looking longer term... having an underpinning strategy that means that children aren't put into poverty in the first place, we need to also immediately be putting resources in to ensure people aren't going hungry, today, tonight, next week and in the February half-term.\n\n\"This isn't a rhetorical thing. It isn't a dinner party discussion. We need to be doing this now.\"\n\nA Downing Street spokesperson said: \"It is great that celebrities and groups across society see the importance of school food. The PM thanks Marcus Rashford for his letter and will reply soon.\n\n\"School food is essential in supporting the health and learning of the most disadvantaged pupils. The prime minister has been clear that no child will ever go hungry as a result of the pandemic\".", "The prime minister has suggested there could be restrictions on travel from Brazil to the UK - but a final decision has not been taken.\n\nBoris Johnson was asked by Labour MP Yvette Cooper why checks on people arriving from Brazil have not been strengthened, given that a new variant of coronavirus has been identified there.\n\nMr Johnson said: \"We are taking steps to ensure that we do not see the import of this new variant from Brazil.\"\n\nThe UK government’s 'Covid-O' committee is expected to discuss the new Brazil variant of coronavirus at a meeting on Thursday.", "People needing to travel by rail during lockdown are being urged to double-check train times, as services are being reduced.\n\nServices in England are being cut from 87% of normal levels to 72%, industry body the Rail Delivery Group said.\n\nIt said the number of trains would reflect the drop in passengers, and provide better value for money for taxpayers who are subsidising services.\n\nPeak services will be prioritised to help key workers, it added.\n\nWhile some timetables have already changed, others will be altered in the next few weeks.\n\nSince the early days of the pandemic, the government has spent billions of pounds covering the fall in ticket revenues for rail companies, owing to low passenger numbers.\n\nCutting some services will save public money, the government said.\n\nRail minister Chris Heaton-Harris said: \"It is critical that our railways continue to deliver reliable services for key workers and people who cannot reasonably work from home, and that they respond quickly to changes in demand.\"\n\nRail usage has slumped, with passenger journeys falling more than 90% to 35 million journeys for the three-month period to June, according to the Office of Rail and Road.\n\nThe figures recovered a little to 134 million for the three months to September - the latest published.\n\nWith fewer passengers, the government argues, it makes sense to run fewer services.\n\nNot least because right now, the government are footing much of the bill; since the start of the pandemic, the government has spent more than £4bn covering the fall in ticket revenues because of low passenger numbers.\n\nThe cuts aren't as deep as they were in March - then services were running around 55% of pre-pandemic levels - which is partly because the train companies want to make sure it doesn't take as long getting the services back up again when they are needed.\n\nLonger term, rail companies are nervous about how quickly passengers, particularly commuters, will return, but for now the message is still firmly \"stay at home\".\n\n\"Train timetables must still meet the needs of those who have to travel, said Transport Focus chief executive Anthony Smith.\n\n\"Many key workers rely on the first and last services of the day so it's important that these are maintained. Providing enough capacity for those who are travelling to properly social distance remains vital.\"\n\nAlthough timetables were restored when restrictions were eased over the summer, rail franchising has since been scrapped and replaced with a model which means the taxpayer is currently liable for the losses on the railways.\n\nIn September, the bill had run to more than £3.5bn - and the Department for Transport has said \"significant\" support is still needed.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Large parts of Scotland woke up to a blanket of snow on Thursday, including in Rutherglen where conditions became challenging for drivers\n\nMotorists continue to face difficult conditions after heavy snow across parts of Scotland caused road closures.\n\nA Met Office yellow warning for ice will be in place overnight and for all of Friday for mainland Scotland.\n\nThe A9 at Dunblane was closed due to snow but has now reopened, while driving conditions on the M90 and M8 were reported as difficult.\n\nThere have also been problems in the Scottish Borders where up to a foot of snow fell overnight.\n\nTraffic Scotland has reported difficult driving conditions on the M77 at Fenwick, M80 around Cumbernauld and the A9 at Greenloaning.\n\nA woman walks through the snow in Braco near Dunblane\n\nThe impact of the overnight freeze on a hedgerow near Strathaven, South Lanarkshire\n\nIn the Borders several lorries got stuck on the A7 between Selkirk and Hawick, while difficult driving conditions were also reported on the A68 at the Carter Bar and Soutra.\n\nThere were also delays on the A83 Old Military Road diversion and the A82 at Tyndrum.\n\nMeanwhile, police have urged drivers to properly clear their car windscreens before setting off in the wintry conditions.\n\nOfficers in Dumfries and Galloway shared a picture of a driver they stopped and charged for failing to do this.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by DumfriesGPolice This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nPeople should only be leaving home to make essential journeys in parts of Scotland under level four Covid measures, under current Scottish government lockdown regulations.\n\nCh Supt Louise Blakelock, of Police Scotland, said: \"Government guidance on only travelling if your journey is essential remains in place and so with an amber warning for snow, please consider if your journey really is essential and whether you can delay it until the weather improves.\n\n\"If your journey really is essential, plan ahead and make sure you and your vehicle are suitably prepared by having sufficient fuel and supplies such as warm clothing, food, water and charge in your mobile phone in the event you require assistance.\"\n\nA motorist brushes snow off a car in Braco near Dunblane\n\nThe village of Bowden near Melrose woke up to snow\n\nA snowy scene at Fountainhall in the Scottish Borders\n\nPolice in Shetland have also warned of ice badly affecting roads on the islands.\n\nScotRail said its services could be affected, particularly on the Highland mainline.\n\nScottish Borders Council said the effects of the adverse weather could cause disruption into Friday morning.\n\nEmergency planning officer Jim Fraser said: \"With widespread snow and some freezing rain possible over the course of Wednesday and Thursday, there is the strong potential for disruption across our road network and communities.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Michael Matheson MSP This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nSome of the deepest snowfalls in recent weeks have been in the Highlands, including the Cairngorms.\n\nEarlier this month, the UK had its coldest night of the winter so far after a temperature of -12.3C was recorded in the north west Highlands.\n\nThe temperature was recorded at Loch Glascarnoch, near Garve, south of Ullapool in Wester Ross.\n\nThe record lowest temperature in the UK is -27.2C, which was recorded in Braemar, Aberdeenshire, in 1895 and 1982 and at Altnaharra in the Highlands in 1995.", "Pre-departure Covid-19 testing will now be required for everyone travelling to England from 04:00 GMT on Monday.\n\nThe rules had been due to come into force on Friday, but the government said people needed time \"to prepare\".\n\nThose arriving by plane, train or boat, including UK nationals, will have to take a test up to 72 hours before leaving the country they are in.\n\nAnyone arriving from places not on the UK's travel corridor list must still self-isolate for 10 days.\n\nThe Scottish government is planning to impose the same rules and has had to defer them coming into effect as a result of changes in England.\n\n\"This meant Scotland was also obliged to delay implementation as we need sight of their final regulations in order to properly draft and approve the relevant Scottish regulations,\" a spokeswoman said.\n\nIt is expected the requirement will come into force in Scotland at 04:00 GMT on Monday as well. Wales and Northern Ireland are expected to announce plans for pre-arrival testing in the coming days.\n\nAnnouncing the deferral on Twitter, Transport Secretary Mr Shapps said: \"To give international arrivals time to prepare, passengers will be required to provide proof of a negative Covid-19 test before departure to England from Monday 18 January at 4am.\"\n\nHe also reminded travellers to fill out the Passenger Locator Form - used in track and trace - and added that those without proof of a negative test faced a fine of £500.\n\nProblems with testing availability and capacity mean some countries will initially be exempt.\n\nFor instance, the requirement will not apply to travellers from St Lucia, Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda until 04:00 GMT on 21 January.\n\nTravellers from Falkland Islands, Ascension Islands and St Helena are exempted permanently.\n\nHauliers are exempt to allow the free flow of freight, as are air, international rail and maritime crew.\n\nThe government has said all forms of PCR test will be accepted, as will other forms of test with \"97% specificity, 80% sensitivity\".\n\nThe move comes as a further 1,564 people have died in the UK within 28 days of a positive Covid test - the biggest figure reported in a single day since the pandemic began.\n\nWednesday's figure brings the total number of deaths by that measure to 84,767.\n\nDr Yvonne Doyle, medical director at Public Health England, said there had now been more deaths in the second wave than the first.\n\nMeanwhile on Wednesday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he was \"concerned\" about a new coronavirus variant that is believed to have emerged in Brazil.\n\nHe acknowledged it was not yet clear how effective existing vaccines would be against the latest new variant.\n\nMr Johnson said the UK was taking steps to make sure it was not brought into the country.\n\nA government Covid committee is meeting on Thursday to discuss the possibility of stopping flights from Brazil.\n\nArrivals from Brazil already have to self-isolate for 10 days.\n\nAre you due to travel back to the UK from Brazil? Share your experience. Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "Post-primary schools have been given extra time to decide how they will admit pupils in 2021 following the cancellation of transfer tests.\n\nOn Wednesday the AQE said it would not hold any transfer tests in the 2020-21 school year.\n\nThey had originally planned to go ahead with a test in late February after cancelling tests in January.\n\nThe other test provider, PPTC, had also previously announced it would not hold tests this year.\n\nAttention will now focus especially on what criteria grammar schools will use to select pupils.\n\nSome have already published what criteria they would use in the event transfer tests were cancelled but it is not clear if those will now change.\n\nAll post-primaries were to submit their admissions criteria to the Education Authority (EA) by this Friday.\n\nBut following the AQE's move the Department of Education (DE) has written to schools to tell them they do not have to provide criteria to the EA until Friday 22 January.\n\n\"This will allow them to meet the statutory deadline for publication on their website of 2 February 2021,\" the DE letter said.\n\n\"I would also remind you that boards of governors should ensure that any admissions criteria are robust and are able to clearly and objectively rank order applicants.\"\n\nIt is unclear how most grammar schools who have used transfer tests to select pupils in previous years will admit children in 2021.\n\nPatrick Allen, principal of Foyle College in Londonderry, said his school's board of governors was now working to determine this year's admissions criteria.\n\n\"This is and continues to be an exceptional year. It is a very difficult circumstance,\" he said.\n\n\"We are trying to do the best and what is right for as many pupils as possible in looking at various permutations and combinations of criteria\".\n\nEducation Minister Peter Weir said it was \"a very disappointing day\" for many families.\n\n\"The transfer test, while it has never been about being compulsory for either a school or indeed an individual parent, does enable a level of parental choice and that has been dramatically reduced as a result of that,\" he told Radio Ulster's Good Morning Ulster programme.\n\n\"But sadly what we have seen is for this year, the pandemic has prevented those transfer tests taking place, and I am very disappointed and entirely understand the disappointment and frustration of many families today.\"\n\nMr Weir said there had been \"a lack of consistency\" from AQE.\n\n\"I don't think the way things have worked out from AQE's point of view, particularly over the last couple of weeks, have been particularly helpful,\" he said.\n\nThe minister also apologised for \"clumsy language\" in a statement he issued on Wednesday night.\n\nWriting on Twitter about the cancellation of the transfer test, Mr Weir said: \"This severely limits parental choice and children's opportunities.\"\n\n\"There was no adverse intention towards non-selective schools,\" he said in relation to his tweet.\n\n\"I think both selective and non-selective schools have got excellent records in Northern Ireland.\"\n\n\"But once the opportunities for entry to any school is reduced then that is a reduction in opportunities for all.\"\n\nUUP MLA Robbie Butler has proposed that pupils' results in tests in primary schools could be given to parents and then used by grammar schools to decide which children get a place.\n\nMr Butler said that he had some favourable responses from some grammars and some primary schools to that proposal.\n\n\"Whilst I don't think my solution is absolutely perfect I do believe it to be absolutely fair and absolutely compassionate,\" he told MLAs on the committee.\n\n\"We have the genesis of a solution for these P7 pupils.\"\n\nBut, speaking on Wednesday, Mr Weir replied that there were issues with that approach.\n\n\"There are very major problems, I'm being honest with you, in terms of the models that have been put forward for academic selection without the test,\" he said.\n\nThe minister said it would be difficult to get comparable information for pupils across all primaries.\n\n\"While it's not entirely ruling out those and there is the option for schools to do it, it does leave them in a very difficult position making comparability between pupils on a fair basis,\" he said", "Jamie McMillan said delays in exporting his shellfish would result in them arriving dead\n\nA Scottish shellfish firm has warned it is on the brink of bankruptcy as delays continue at ports following the introduction of post-Brexit red tape.\n\nLochfyne Langoustines managing director Jamie McMillan said his firm had already lost some consignments after they were found to be rotten by the time they arrived in France.\n\nHe also warned EU customers were now going to Denmark to buy langoustines.\n\nMr McMillan described it as a \"very, very serious situation\".\n\nHis comments came after transport company DFDS announced a further delay in exports of group consignments of seafood to the EU.\n\nIt halted groupage exports last week after delays in getting new paperwork for EU border posts in France.\n\nDFDS said it would not resume those exports until Monday.\n\nMr McMillan told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme: \"We've been screaming for the last six months - eight months - that we have to get our produce to market within 12 to 24 hours.\n\n\"Any delays in that process, our shellfish will arrive in France dead.\n\n\"We lost two pallets last week. It took five days to arrive in Boulogne from Scotland, so our goods were rotten on arrival.\"\n\nTransport company DFDS has said it will not resume groupage exports until Monday\n\nHe added: \"Customers are not buying from us any more - we have become unreliable suppliers.\n\n\"Everybody has stopped buying. This has happened for the past two weeks. We can't continue this to happen for another week because we will be out of business.\n\n\"We have had no sales to the EU, our biggest market for live shellfish, in the last two weeks.\n\n\"If we go another week without that, we are finished.\"\n\nMr McMillan said there were \"sticking points\" in both the UK and France, with transportation hubs in Scotland struggling with increased paperwork and checks by vets.\n\n\"There are sticking points down in France as well,\" he said.\n\n\"There are delays at the borders in France for up to 30 hours, I'm hearing, to clear customs by the time they do all their checks.\"\n\nThe UK government's Scotland Office minister David Duguid said he did not underestimate the struggles the industry was facing with paperwork, IT and ports.\n\nHe said the UK and Scottish governments, fish exporters and the EU needed to come together to work through the issues, which he estimated would last \"weeks\" and not months.\n\nHe told Good Morning Scotland: \"What I can commit to is that the UK government, whether that's through Defra or the Scotland Office, we are working day and night in resolving the issues that we know about and that we can fix directly.\n\n\"The other issues that are maybe the responsibility of the Scottish government, or indeed the EU on the other side of the channel, Defra are engaging heavily with those parties as well.\"\n\nHowever, when asked directly on the programme how long the problems would last, Mr Duguid responded: \"How long is a piece of string?\"\n\nFish ate up a lot of the time in negotiating the deal for departing the European customs union and single market.\n\nNow grown to become a much bigger political predator, it has started the post-Brexit era by threatening to devour UK ministers with the task of making the deal work.\n\nThe fisheries minister admitted she was preparing for Christmas rather than seeing how the deal had turned out on 24 December. Asked how long it will take to sort out delays, a Scotland Office minister asked: \"How long's a piece of string?\"\n\nThe prime minister says there will be compensation, but it seems that is due to come from the fund intended to expand the fishing fleet.\n\nAnd Michael Gove, who appears to have more of a grasp of the detail, was in the Commons on Wednesday, acknowledging there's a vast amount for the government yet to sort out - and that was only for Northern Ireland.\n\nAt least the province got a grace period before consignments of food require the paperwork now needed to send fish to France. That was sought by fish and meat exporters.\n\nIt's not clear if the request was made of EU negotiators, but it hasn't materialised. Yet coming the other way, the UK has given a six-month preparation period for EU exporters to Britain.\n\nBecause seafood is freshly delivered, it is the product that hit the obstacles first. Meat and dairy are sure to follow.\n\nBeef exporters to Europe are beginning to face delays, while Brexit chickens are coming home to roast.", "A teenage motorcyclist who led police on a 30-minute pursuit at speeds of up to 180mph (290km/h) through London and three counties has been sentenced.\n\nOfficers in Haringey, London, spotted a speeding rider at about 21:20 BST on 20 May and were joined by a police helicopter as they followed it along the M1, through Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire.\n\nThe biker mounted pavements, drove through multiple red lights and the wrong way down the motorway hard shoulder before he was arrested at a service station.\n\nMarian Vasilica Dragoi, 19, of Teynton Terrace, Haringey, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, failing to stop for police, driving without a licence and being uninsured and was sentenced at Wood Green Crown Court to 46 weeks' detention.", "The opening of Nintendo's first theme park has been delayed because of rising coronavirus cases in Japan.\n\nSuper Nintendo World, modelled on levels of the company's Mario games, had been due to open on 4 February.\n\nBut Japan has expanded its state of emergency, due to last until at least 7 February, beyond Tokyo to include Osaka prefecture, where the park is located.\n\nThe opening, at Universal Studios Japan, had already been postponed from mid-2020 because of the pandemic.\n\nBut in December, Nintendo posted a video tour of the park in December, starring Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of Mario, Zelda, and Donkey Kong, among others.\n\nIt is not the first theme park to suffer problems during the pandemic - the shuttered Disneyland theme park in California is set to become a large-scale vaccination centre.\n\nThe state of emergency in Japan, which has so far avoided the types of lockdowns seen in the UK and other European nations, prohibits non-essential trips outside the home.\n\nOn Tuesday, the country's total number of cases reached 300,000, with more than 4,000 deaths.\n\nAnd many of those have been in the past three months.\n\nThe rising number of cases has also led to some doubts over the fate of the Tokyo Olympics, scheduled for this summer, having already been postponed last year.\n\nOrganisers, however, insist the Games will go ahead.", "Nearly 46% of over-80s in England's North East and Yorkshire region have been given their first dose of a Covid vaccine - more than any other area, official figures show.\n\nThis compares with about 30% of over-80s in both London and the East of England who have received a first jab.\n\nLondon Mayor Sadiq Khan claims the capital is not getting its fair share of vaccine doses.\n\nIn total, more than 2.2 million people in England have had one vaccine dose.\n\nAbout 400,000 second doses have also been administered, despite guidance from the UK's chief medical officers and vaccine advisers, the JCVI, that giving a first dose to as many people as possible was a public health priority.\n\nThe NHS England figures cover Covid-19 vaccinations given to people at hospital hubs and GP practices between 8 December 2020 and 10 January 2021.\n\nAmong the over-80s alone, most first doses - 204,140 - were administered in north-east England and Yorkshire, while the lowest number (92,398) were given to this age group in London.\n\nOverall, more than one-third of people aged 80 and over in England have received at least one dose.\n\nThe figures show that in the Midlands more vaccine doses had been administered to all people in the top priority groups - 387,647 - than in any other area of England. In London, a total of 199,986 first doses were given and in the East the figure was 186,291.\n\nThese include care home residents, frontline heath and care staff, the over-80s and people who are clinically extremely vulnerable, who are most at risk of becoming seriously ill and dying from the Covid-19.\n\nThe percentage of the whole population to have received a first dose so far ranged from 4.3% in the north-east and Yorkshire to 2.2% in London.\n\nMr Khan said he was \"hugely concerned\" that Londoners had received only one-tenth of the vaccines that had been given across the country.\n\n\"The situation in London is critical with rates of the virus extremely high, which is why it's so important that vulnerable Londoners are given access to the vaccine as soon as possible,\" he said.\n\nHe said he would hold talks with vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi to ensure more vaccines were delivered to reflect the level of need in the city.\n\nLondon has a younger average population than other parts of England and the smallest number of people aged over 80 compared with other regions.\n\nDr Mary Ramsay, head of immunisation at Public Health England, said vaccinating over a third of all over-80s was \"a great achievement\".\n\nBut she said people must continue to follow the guidance that is in place to protect themselves and their loved ones.\n\n\"These data will help us to evaluate the protection from the vaccine and to effectively target the roll-out of the programme to help control the virus and save lives,\" she added.", "Mauritius has been removed from the safe list\n\nTravellers from countries near South Africa are to be banned from entering England to stop the spread of the South African Covid variant.\n\nArrivals from Namibia, Zimbabwe, Angola, Botswana, as well as island nations Mauritius and Seychelles, will be affected.\n\nThe rule will take effect on 9 January but there will be an exemption for British and Irish nationals.\n\nThey will need to follow existing quarantine procedures.\n\nA ban by visitors to the UK from South Africa started on 24 December.\n\nThe latest restriction brought in by the Department for Transport also affects travellers arriving from Eswatini, Zambia, Malawi, Lesotho and Mozambique.\n\nIt will apply from 04:00 GMT on Saturday to people who have travelled from or through any of the specified countries in the last 10 days.\n\nIt is understood most flights from the affected countries arrive at airports in England, although it is expected the policy will be formally adopted by the other UK nations.\n\nThe measures will be in place for an initial period of two weeks.\n\nMeanwhile, Botswana, and the islands of Seychelles and Mauritius, are being removed from the UK list of safe travel corridors as there is a high frequency of travel between the islands and South Africa.\n\nThe new variant of coronavirus circulating in South Africa is already being seen in other countries, including the UK.\n\nThe variant, much like the new UK variant first seen in Kent, appears to be more contagious than previous ones.\n\nAnyone arriving into the UK from most destinations must quarantine for 10 days.\n\nBut there are a list of countries exempt from the rules, meaning returning travellers do not need to self-isolate, called the travel corridor list.\n\nUnder the latest announcement, the travel corridor with Israel will also end amid concerns about rising infection levels in that country.\n\nHowever, rules in place across the UK currently ban travel abroad unless for specific reasons.", "Tesco says it has seen some disruption to food supplies in Northern Ireland since trading arrangements with the EU changed on 1 January.\n\n\"We see this as a challenge at the moment, but not a crisis,\" boss Ken Murphy said.\n\nBut he said the retailer was working closely with government on both sides of the Irish Sea to \"smooth the flow\".\n\nSince 31 December, Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK that has stayed in the EU's single market for goods.\n\nMr Murphy said certain foodstuffs had faced supply chain disruption going into both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.\n\n\"Ready meals have been the most affected as they have an eight-day shelf life so any wait is more likely to have an impact,\" he said.\n\n\"Some processed meat and some citrus fruit has also been impacted, but it is important to stress that our availability in the Republic and Northern Ireland is strong and is very strong in the mainland UK.\n\nLast week, all the major grocers wrote to Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove asking him to take urgent action.\n\nBut Tesco said its \"comprehensive preparations and... strong relationships with suppliers\" had allowed it to maintain strong levels of availability during the Brexit transition period.\n\nMr Murphy said he was confident Tesco would have the right measures in place to supply Northern Ireland after end of a three month grace period on certain rules and regulations with the EU on 31 March.\n\nHe also said there had also been \"teething problems\" with supply flows from continental Europe to Great Britain.\n\n\"Inevitably there are bedding-in issues, teething issues, that you would expect with any new process that's been set up at relatively short notice,\" he said.\n\n\"We're working our way through those and we would hope over the coming weeks and months that we will end up with a much smoother flow of product.\"\n\nUnder new trading arrangements, food products entering Northern Ireland from Britain need to be professionally certified and are subject to new checks and controls at ports.\n\nMarks & Spencer has temporarily reduced its range of food products in Northern Ireland\n\nA three month \"grace period\" means that supermarkets currently don't need to comply with all the EU's usual certification requirements until 1 April - but there has still been disruption.\n\nM&S has temporarily reduced its range of food products and Sainsbury's has been sourcing Spar-branded products from an NI wholesaler.\n\nThis week the bosses of Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda, Iceland, Co-Op and Marks & Spencer warned that trade into Northern Ireland would become \"unworkable\" if further new certification requirements were introduced in April .\n\nThe government said a new dedicated team has already been set up and will be working with supermarkets, the food industry and the Northern Ireland Executive to develop ways to streamline the movement of goods.\n\nTesco's comments came as the supermarket giant reported record sales for the Christmas period after customers looked to \"treat themselves\" amid tough Covid restrictions across most of the UK.\n\nUK like-for-like sales were up 8.1% in the six weeks to 9 January, as the supermarket saw a surge in demand for goods in its Tesco Finest range.\n\nBig grocers have benefited at a time when most non-essential shops and restaurants are closed, prompting consumers to spend more on their weekly shop. But they have faced criticism too.\n\nLast month, Tesco said it would repay £585m of business rates relief after it was criticised for paying dividends to shareholders during the crisis. Most big grocers followed suit.\n\nTesco was later criticised for keeping its shops open on Boxing Day despite union calls to give staff the day off.\n\nIn its results the grocer said it had given all frontline staff a 10% bonus over Christmas. It also said it had shielded vulnerable staff and taken on nearly 35,000 additional temporary staff for the season.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. James Howells says he wishes he had never thrown away the hard drive\n\nA man who threw away a laptop hard drive containing bitcoin he believes is now worth about £210m wants his council to let him search for it in landfill.\n\nJames Howells had 7,500 bitcoins, a virtual currency, on the hard drive, which he mistakenly threw away in 2013.\n\nHe said he was willing to donate 25% of the value of the bitcoins to his home city of Newport in south Wales - about £52.5m - if he found the hard drive.\n\nNewport council said excavation was not possible under its licensing permit.\n\nMr Howells said if he was to recover the hard drive, he would want the money to be put into a \"Covid relief fund\" for people in Newport to use \"no questions asked\".\n\n\"Imagine how great it would be to say 'I've given everyone in the city a few hundred pounds',\" he told the BBC.\n\nMr Howells bought the bitcoins for almost nothing in 2009, but the hard drive ended up in a drawer after he spilled a drink on his laptop.\n\nHe kept the hard drive in his office drawer and \"totally forgot about bitcoin all together\" - so when he had a clear out, he believed everything had been taken off it.\n\nWhen he threw the hard drive away in 2013, the value of the bitcoins was about $7.5m (£4.6m).\n\nBut now they are worth almost 50 times more, with the cost of a single bitcoin currently just over £28,000 after a surge in value.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. James Howells: \"When I went up to the landfill site yesterday my first thought was 'I've got not chance'\"\n\nHe said he has asked Newport council if he could search the landfill several times, but had not been granted permission.\n\n\"I offered the local authority 10% of the recovered funds in order to give me permission to search on their property and unfortunately they said no at the time,\" Mr Howells told BBC Radio 5 Live.\n\n\"What actually happened after that was the value of bitcoin skyrocketed even further. In 2017 the value of my hard drive was approximately £125m, at which point I made them another offer of 10% and unfortunately that offer was refused as well.\n\nJames Howells said he wants to donate a quarter of the money to the people of Newport\n\n\"I haven't actually made an offer to them today, but I'm willing to increase my offer to them to 25%. On today's valuation that would be £52.5m and I'd like to put that into a Covid relief fund for the citizens of Newport.\"\n\nMr Howells said searching for the discarded hard drive would \"not be as hard as you might think\" as he would employ a professional team - and knows when he threw it away so could use that to find a grid reference of where the hard drive is buried.\n\nHe added investors had offered to cover the cost of excavating the landfill, in exchange for a large proportion of the recovered bitcoin.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nMr Howells said he wants to meet with the council to discuss what he said would be a \"win-win-win\" situation for him, the council and the city.\n\nBut a spokeswoman for the council said: \"Newport City Council has been contacted a number of times since 2013 about the possibility of retrieving a piece of IT hardware said to contain bitcoins.\n\n\"The first time was several months after Mr Howells first realised the hardware was missing.\n\n\"The council has told Mr Howells on a number of occasions that excavation is not possible under our licencing permit and excavation itself would have a huge environmental impact on the surrounding area.\n\n\"The cost of digging up the landfill, storing and treating the waste could run into millions of pounds - without any guarantee of either finding it or it still being in working order.\"", "Many of the works in Gurlitt's collection were in poor condition when they were discovered in 2012 (file photo)\n\nWhen a trove of 1,500 artworks hoarded by the son of a Nazi-era art dealer was discovered in 2012, an investigation began to find out how many were looted from Jewish owners.\n\nEventually only 14 were conclusively identified as looted, and now Germany has declared the last of those works has been returned to the owner's heirs.\n\nDas Klavierspiel (Playing the Piano) by Carl Spitzweg was owned by music publisher Henri Hinrichsen.\n\nHe was murdered at Auschwitz in 1942.\n\nGerman Culture Minister Monika Grütters said the return of the work sent an \"important signal\", and that while it could not make up for the deep suffering, it could \"make a contribution to historical justice and fulfil our moral responsibility\".\n\nThe 19th-Century work by Spitzweg was confiscated by the Nazis in 1939, the same year that Hinrichsen had bought it.\n\nDas Klavierspiel by Carl Spitzweg was seized by the Nazis in 1939\n\nIt was bought in 1940 by Hildebrand Gurlitt, a Nazi-era dealer who had been given the task by Adolf Hitler of dealing in art seized from Jewish collectors and of buying up so-called \"degenerate art\" removed from museums for a planned Führermuseum in the Austrian city of Linz.\n\nThe money for the Spitzweg work was paid into a blocked account, so Hinrichsen would never have received it.\n\nIn 2015, the piece was identified as looted, and it was handed over to the auctioneers Christie's on Tuesday, according to the wishes of Hinrichsen's heirs.\n\nAlthough his collection of 1,500 works, plundered from museums as well as individuals, was initially confiscated after the war by the Allies, Hildebrand Gurlitt eventually managed to get it back.\n\nGurlitt died in the 1950s and when German authorities approached his widow in 1961 in search of part of his collection, she claimed the works had been destroyed at the end of World War Two by Allied bombing.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The BBC's Stephen Evans was granted exclusive access to look at some of the long-lost masterpieces in 2014\n\nIt was only when tax investigators searched the Munich flat of his son Cornelius Gurlitt in 2012 that they found more than 1,400 of the works. Another 60 pieces were discovered at his Austrian home in Salzburg the following year.\n\nThe son died in 2014 with questions still hanging over the ownership of the collection - as he was protected by a statute of limitations.\n\nA court ruled that the works could be bequeathed to the Museum of Fine Arts in the Swiss capital Bern, as Cornelius Gurlitt had requested.\n\nWhile some of the works were deemed to belong to the family, the German Lost Art Foundation then tried to find out, with the Swiss museum, who were the rightful owners of the rest.\n\nFourteen pieces have now conclusively identified as belonging to Jewish owners and returned.\n\nAmong the many masterpieces in the collection was this work by Edouard Manet", "A provisional 270 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines have been secured by the African Union (AU) for distribution across the continent.\n\nAll of the doses will be used this year, promises current AU head South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.\n\nThis is on top of 600 million doses already promised but is still not enough to vaccinate the whole region.\n\nThere are fears that poorer countries globally will wait far longer than richer nations to be inoculated.\n\nAlthough infection numbers and death rates are comparatively lower across most of Africa, cases are spiking again in some areas.\n\nA new variant of Covid-19 in South Africa is causing particular alarm and makes up most of the new cases.\n\n\"As a result of our own efforts we have so far secured a commitment of a provisional amount of 270 million vaccines from three major suppliers: Pfizer, AstraZeneca (through Serum Institute of India) and Johnson & Johnson,\" President Ramaphosa said on Wednesday.\n\nAt least 50 million of the doses will be available \"for the crucial period of April to June 2021,\" he said.\n\nIn addition, the region is expecting around 600 million doses from the global Covax effort which aims to provide vaccines to lower-income countries.\n\nBut officials are still waiting for details and are now \"happy we have alternative solutions,\" Nicaise Ndembi, senior science adviser for the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told the AP news agency.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Covid vaccines in Africa: What you need to know\n\nMr Ramaphosa said officials are worried that the doses from the Covax effort released in the first half of 2021 will only be enough to inoculate health care workers. With a population of 1.3 billion people and each person requiring two vaccine jabs, Africa would need around 2.6 billion doses to eventually vaccinate everyone.\n\n\"These endeavours aim to supplement the Covax efforts, and to ensure that as many dosages of vaccine as possible become available throughout Africa as soon as possible,\" he explained.\n\nAfrica has recorded more than three million cases of Covid-19 and nearly 75,000 deaths. By contrast, the US has reported close to 23 million infections and more than 383,000 fatalities.\n\nThere has been a global rush to buy vaccines, with richer countries accused of buying up most of the supply.\n\nAs many had feared, Africa appears to be at the back of the queue to get Covid-19 vaccines.\n\nThe announcement of 270 million doses by South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa - who is also the current chair of the African Union - is good news. This is in addition to those secured by the Covax facility, which is led by the World Health Organisation and the Vaccine Alliance, Gavi. The facility has secured 600 million doses - enough to vaccinate only a fifth of the continent.\n\nBut it may be a while before any of them get to the continent. The announcements are agreements to supply vaccines. There is still the actual procurement process that needs to happen. Negotiations are ongoing.\n\nWealthier nations had a head start. They already acquired the bulk of the early doses being produced through advance purchase deals with manufacturers. The race is on to meet that demand.\n\nAfrica, on the other hand, still faces funding deficits. There are questions also about the continent's readiness to receive the vaccines. Ultra-cold refrigeration is needed for both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. Countries are working on building their cold chains. But even this is marred by a shortage of funds.\n\nSo, the continent can only wait.", "The surge in Covid hospital cases has left key hospital services in England in crisis, doctors are warning.\n\nNHS data showed A&Es were facing rising delays admitting extremely sick patients on to wards.\n\nMeanwhile, the total number of people facing year-long waits for routine treatments is now more than 100 times higher than it was before the pandemic.\n\nCancer experts are also warning the disruption to their services was \"terrifying\" and would cost lives.\n\nReports have emerged of hospitals cancelling urgent operations - London's King's College Hospital has stopped priority two treatments, which are those that need to be done within 28 days.\n\nAnd Birmingham's major hospital trust has temporarily suspended most liver transplants.\n\nIt comes after a surge in Covid patients in recent weeks.\n\nOne in three patients in hospital have the virus - and at some sites it is more than half.\n\nNHS England medical director Prof Stephen Powis said the NHS was facing an \"exceptionally tough challenge\", adding services would continue to be under pressure until the virus was under control.\n\nBut he stressed non-Covid treatment was still happening - with three times as many diagnostic tests and twice as many operations being carried out than in the spring when the pandemic first hit.\n\nThe data published by NHS England showed the scale of the impact from dealing with Covid on key hospital services.\n\nThe figures for cancer date back to November, before the surge in cases.\n\nAt that point, the number of urgent cancer check-ups and treatments being started was at normal levels.\n\nBut since then, concerns have been raised that services have been reduced.\n\nProf Pat Price, of the Catch Up With Cancer campaign, said services were facing the \"biggest crisis\" of her 30-year career.\n\n\"This is a truly terrifying scenario,\" she added.\n\nAnd the Royal College of Surgeons warned the pandemic was having a \"calamitous impact\" on waiting times for planned surgery.\n\nSarah Scobie, from the Nuffield Trust think tank, said services were under \"intolerable strain\", adding \"the worst is yet to come\".\n\nSaffron Cordery, of NHS Providers, which represents hospital bosses, agreed: \"The next few weeks are no doubt going to be the most testing in NHS history.\"", "The government must review its strategy to end rough sleeping in England by 2024 after coronavirus showed it to be \"out of step\", a watchdog warned.\n\nA National Audit Office report praised the 'Everyone In' scheme, which housed about 33,000 people in the crisis.\n\nBut the plan highlighted issues with the current strategy - with thousands more needing help than expected.\n\nThe government said it was \"regularly taking into account the lessons learned\" from the pandemic.\n\nBoris Johnson made the pledge to end rough sleeping by the end of this Parliament shortly before he won the general election in 2019.\n\nAt the time, a snapshot figure taken by the government one evening showed 4,266 people were sleeping on the streets in England.\n\nBut it did not include people in night shelters or assessment centres, and could have missed people sleeping hidden from view.\n\nResearch by the BBC carried out in February 2020 showed more than 28,000 people across the UK had been recorded as sleeping rough in the previous 12 months - and in England, councils were seeing figures five times higher than the snapshot.\n\nThe 'Everyone In' scheme, launched in March 2020, aimed to provide emergency shelter for all rough sleepers during the first wave of the pandemic.\n\nFunding was ended two months later to the anger of many charities, but the government said it had made a number of more targeted funding pledges to tackle the issue since.\n\nThe National Audit Office (NAO) carried out an investigation into the housing of rough sleepers in the pandemic and praised the \"considerable achievement\" of 'Everyone In'.\n\nThe head of the watchdog, Gareth Davies, said the government \"acted swiftly to house rough sleepers and keep transmission rates low during the first wave\".\n\nBut the NAO investigation found between the end of March and November 2020, 33,139 people were given accommodation through the scheme - a number almost eight times greater than the annual snapshot of rough sleepers.\n\nExamples included Bristol City Council which reported it accommodated 400 people in March, despite its most recent snapshot count being 98 rough sleepers.\n\nAnd the London Borough of Southwark had 25 known rough sleepers in March 2020, but within hours of 'Everyone In' launching, it had taken 200 people into hotels, with nearly 1,000 accommodated by November.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. How the UK's homeless are coping during the coronavirus pandemic\n\nThe government pledged to carry out a review of its strategy to end rough sleeping early in 2020, but the plans took a back seat as the crisis unfolded.\n\nThe NAO said there was \"an ongoing need for a review of the strategy as it is out of step with the government's target\", adding there were now \"important lessons from Everyone In to consider\".\n\nMr Davies said the scale of the rough sleeping population in England has now been made clear, and it \"far exceeds\" previous government estimates.\n\n\"Understanding the size of this population, and who needs specialist support, is essential to achieve its ambition to end rough sleeping\", he added.\n\nThe report also highlighted the large number of people remaining in emergency accommodation unable to move on as they have no recourse to public funds - a condition put into the residence permit of some immigrants meaning they cannot access benefits.\n\nThe NAO also called on the government to \"keep under close review\" its more targeted response to the current coronavirus resurgence, whether it will \"protect vulnerable individuals as decisively\" as 'Everyone in'.\n\nA spokesman from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said they were pleased the NAO recognised its achievements with 'Everyone In'.\n\nHe added: \"By November, we had supported around 33,000 people, with nearly 10,000 in emergency accommodation and more than 23,000 in longer-term accommodation.\n\n\"We recently announced an additional £10m to help accommodate rough sleepers and ensure they are registered with a GP to receive the vaccine, and we will invest £750m next year as part of our commitment to end rough sleeping.\"\n\nAsked whether the review into the ending rough sleeping strategy would take place, the spokesman said: \"Our ambition to end rough sleeping within this parliament still stands, and we are regularly taking into account the lessons learned from our ongoing pandemic response, including 'Everyone In'.\"", "The government has defended its scheme to offer free food to struggling families in England over half term - after criticism from teachers' unions and council leaders.\n\nFood will be provided for children by councils under the Covid Winter Grant Scheme, rather than through schools.\n\nBut councils say the government should provide food vouchers over half term.\n\n\"Vulnerable families will continue to receive meals,\" said a Department for Education (DFE) spokeswoman.\n\n\"Our guidance is clear: schools provide free school meals for eligible pupils during term time.\n\n\"Beyond that, there is wider government support in place to support families and children via the billions of pounds in welfare support we've made available,\" said the DFE spokeswoman.\n\nBut the Local Government Association (LGA), representing councils, said \"the government should provide food vouchers to eligible families during February half-term as it did last summer\" - and that the £170m Covid Winter Grant Scheme should be used for other support.\n\n\"During the last full national lockdown, government recognised the significant extra pressures on low income families and extended free school meal provision into the school holidays,\" said Richard Watts, chairman of the LGA's resources board.\n\n\"Government was explicit that the Covid Winter Grant Scheme was not intended to replicate or replace free school meals, but was to enable councils to support low income households, particularly those at risk of food poverty as we moved towards economic recovery.\"\n\nThe row follows the DFE's publication of guidelines on free meals, after an outcry over pictures of food packages to replace free school meals during the lockdown.\n\nThe prime minister and other ministers criticised the quality of what was being sent out by some school food firms.\n\nMarcus Rashford has spear-headed a campaign for holiday food\n\nThe DfE guidance says: \"Schools do not need to provide lunch parcels or vouchers during the February half term.\n\n\"There is wider government support in place to support families and children outside of term-time through the Covid Winter Grant Scheme.\"\n\nThe DFE insists that even though schools will not provide food parcels or vouchers during half term, children will still be supplied with food through the Covid Winter Grant Scheme.\n\nThis aims to support those most in need with the cost of food, energy, water bills and other essentials.\n\nCouncils are required to work out their own local approach to eligibility, using benefits data and their local knowledge to decide how to support vulnerable families.\n\nMoving to this scheme for a replacement for school meals during half term, with the added pressure of a lockdown, has drawn criticism from head teachers and teachers.\n\nKevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the National Education Union, warned that switching schemes meant \"yet more disruption to free schools meals could lie ahead in half term\".\n\nHe said using this scheme could cause an \"unnecessary logistical nightmare\", suggesting continuing with providing meals through schools would be more simple.\n\nMr Courtney said: \"This week, Matt Hancock, Gavin Williamson and Boris Johnson made public statements about how appalled they were by the quality of food parcels shared on Twitter,\" said Mr Courtney.\n\nBut he said ministers should now \"hang their heads in shame\" for threatening more \"chaos and confusion\" over providing food.\n\n\"These are battles which should not have to be repeatedly fought,\" said Mr Courtney.\n\nNational Association of Head Teachers general secretary Paul Whiteman accused the the government of \"badly thought out and last-minute schemes to help with holiday hunger\" which he said were \"leaving families and children anxious\".\n\n\"The government must urgently clarify for families how they will be helped during the upcoming half term holiday so they can be assured that they will not go hungry,\" said Mr Whiteman.\n\nLabour's Tulip Siddiq, shadow minister for children and early years, said: \"Time and time again this government has had to be shamed into providing food for hungry children over school holidays.\"\n\nFood charities and anti-poverty campaigners, including footballer Marcus Rashford, have repeatedly clashed with the government over the issue of food for poor pupils during the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly over school holidays.\n\nThe footballer forced the government to back down in the summer over its plans not to offer free meals in the holidays to poor pupils, whose families were likely to be suffering with reduced incomes.\n\nBut over the October half-term when the provision was withdrawn many local authorities continued to offer them from their own budgets.", "President Donald Trump has just become the only US president to be impeached twice by the House of Representatives. He was impeached on Wednesday for \"incitement of insurrection\" following last week's riot at the US Capitol. However, a recent poll suggests that a majority of Republicans still support President Trump and don't hold him responsible for the violence.\n\nWe've been hearing from lawmakers - but what do Americans think? We asked members of our BBC voter panel to weigh in.\n\nBelinda is an attorney and devoted Trump supporter of Native American and African American ancestry. She says this second impeachment vote is wrong and misconstrues the facts of what happened last week in favour of political expediency.\n\nThis is unprecedented. There is no justification, no legal or constitutional basis for this impeachment. He did not even receive due process. It's a rush to judgment for ulterior motives and a dark stain on our country. I'm afraid our Constitution is on its deathbed. I hope the American people will stand up against this outrage. It's indicative of what would happen in a communist country where we have no free speech rights.\n\nThose who broke in should be charged appropriately for whatever laws they violated. But why would anybody who's rational think that our president meant for people to go break into the Capitol? His rallies have always been peaceful and most of the people on Wednesday were middle-aged and elderly, with children and grandchildren.\n\nIndividuals who violated the law should definitely be prosecuted but I don't see how you can blame someone for a speech and someone else's criminal activity. It can't be selective enforcement of the law.\n\nMelissa is a Filipino American small business owner with two children who had told us the country could not afford four more years of Donald Trump. She says the behaviour he displayed last Wednesday was undoubtedly an impeachable offense.\n\nEverything he has done is unconstitutional and, as a president, the number one thing he should be doing is upholding the Constitution.\n\n[Republican Congresswoman] Liz Cheney said that, if not for the president, last week would not have happened and she's right. If not for him continually fighting the election results, if not for him repeatedly sending the false message the election was stolen, if not for him holding that rally near the Capitol, if not for him talking about an 'uprising', last week would very likely not have happened.\n\nEven three months ago, before all the lawsuits and everything else he was saying, I was not shocked by his behaviour. It's all completely predictable because it's just within his character. So the argument by politicians that impeachment could divide us more, I don't see that as the goal of impeachment.\n\nIt can't help but I don't think it will have any impact on deterring violence. There needs to be some kind of statement that the president is not allowed to attack another branch of government. It's a chance for the Republican Party to rid itself of Trump's stranglehold on them.\n\nGabriel is a regional coordinator for the New York Young Republicans and is an outspoken 'Latino for Trump'. He condemns the violence of last Wednesday but says the reaction has been unfair and worries about where the party will go from here.\n\nI do not think that Donald Trump should be impeached. I was in DC at the rally on 6 January - I did not go near the Capitol and went back to my hotel room - but I saw the president speak with my own eyes and he did not call for anyone to storm the building or cause harm.\n\nThis is just a way to ensure he will not run in the next four years. It is political and it will create a bigger divide between left and right. I fear that people will become reactionary and elected officials will use impeachment in the future not as a last resort to uphold our republic but as a tool to remove whoever they don't agree with.\n\nAll violence should be condemned fairly and justly. It was a very sad outcome, but I do not believe it was the most horrible day in our country's history and it was not a coup. It's important to dictate that violence is not the answer. The day was supposed to be different. January 6 did something to the Republican Party. The actions of the few will discourage many of the new voters that Trump brought in and made his base.\n\nWilliams is a first-generation Mexican American college student in Atlanta who has been extremely concerned about what he has seen in his country over the past four years. He says the events of the past week justify today's vote in the House.\n\nI believe he should have been impeached. Not only is he a threat to our national security, but he doesn't condemn white supremacy and other threats. That affects us internally within the United States as well as abroad.\n\nIt's more of a symbolic impeachment at this point because he'll be out soon, but it's necessary nonetheless. Impeachment failed once, but now he has set the precedent that a president can be impeached more than once.\n\nIn processing the past week, all I could do at first was to ignore it and joke about the situation. It's deeply saddening to me.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nA respiratory doctor at Belfast's Mater Hospital has warned that hospital oxygen supplies are under \"extreme pressure\".\n\nDr Nick Magee also said more younger patients were now being treated in hospital than during the first and second waves of the Covid-19 pandemic.\n\nHe said in the past they did not have to consult other NI hospitals about how much oxygen they had.\n\n\"That was never a thing in previous January flu problems,\" he told the BBC.\n\n\"But that is something we are now having to think of,\" he added.\n\nEarlier this week Northern Ireland's Chief Medical Officer Dr Michael McBride said there is enough oxygen to cope with the current demand.\n\nBut according to Dr Magee the current level of oxygen being used in \"bays\" at the Mater means patients cannot charge their mobile phones by their bedside because of the \"fire risk\".\n\n\"It is all well controlled and we are making sure that we can share out that oxygen burden. That is something we are having to think about,\" he said.\n\n\"I can't say specifically about other regional hospitals but I know that they are under extreme pressure and it's just something we have to think of as a region.\n\n\"Can we supply oxygen adequately for the amounts of oxygen we are using in hospitals?\"\n\nThe number of Covid positive hospital in-patients has increased significantly since last week - up from 599 a week ago to 850 on Thursday.\n\nThe number of people in ICU has also risen from 44 to 58 in the past week.\n\nDr Magee said staff were concerned about having to cope with \"large volumes\" of patients requiring respiratory support.\n\nHe said the number of younger patients becoming increasingly sick with the virus was growing.\n\nOn Wednesday, the Mater Hospital moved six patients who had been on wards into ICU and also took patients from the Southern Health Trust.\n\n\"Recently I saw a 29-year-old patient, also three who were in their mid 30s that all required respiratory support on a ward,\" he told BBC News NI.\n\n\"They are frightened they are wearing specialist masks CPAP masks that help them breathe. They are scared.\"\n\nThe relentless pressure of the past 10 months and the prospect of a further surge in admissions over the next fortnight is weighing heavily on the minds of medics.\n\n\"We are really worried about next week,\" said Dr Magee.\n\n\"It's very busy this week, we are coping well but we are particularly concerned about next week.\n\n\"Normally, if we had somebody who needed a lot of respiratory support we would involve a high dependency unit but all the respiratory wards are becoming like high dependency units.\n\n\"Volume of sicker, younger patients is much greater and it's not something that I would [have] ever seen before,\" he added.\n\nThe Southern Health and Social Care Trust said its hospitals had limited infrastructure to manage high numbers of patients requiring oxygen so a regional agreement was in place to share resources across Trusts to support Covid-positive patients.\n\n\"As a result some patients have been diverted to Belfast or SE Trust to help reduce pressure on the Southern Trust hospital system,\" a statement said.\n\n\"Craigavon and Daisy Hill hospitals remain very busy with high numbers of Covid-19 positive patients who are dependent on oxygen therapy.\n\n\"These protocols are in place as part of regional surge planning to ensure that we can safely manage the current high volume of Covid-19 patients needing hospital care.\n\n\"Patients who are currently being treated in Craigavon and Daisy Hill have secure supplies of oxygen.\"", "The former president posts that he has been told to report to a grand jury, \"which almost always means an Arrest\".", "Travel from Brazil to the UK could be banned in response to the discovery of a new coronavirus variant.\n\nMinisters have met to discuss possible measures and a block on flights could also be extended to other South American countries in a bid to stop its spread.\n\nPrime Minister Boris Johnson has said he is \"concerned\" about the new variant and \"extra measures\" were being taken.\n\nArrivals from Brazil are currently required to self-isolate for 10 days.\n\nCabinet Office minister Michael Gove chaired a meeting earlier to discuss whether measures should be put in place.\n\nNew variants of Covid-19 have also been identified in the UK and South Africa.\n\nDuring a two-hour appearance in front of the Commons Home Affairs Committee on Wednesday Mr Johnson stopped short of promising a ban on travel from Brazil.\n\n\"We already have tough measures ... to protect this country from new infections coming in from abroad,\" he said.\n\n\"We are taking steps to do that in respect of the Brazilian variant.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Johnson: \"We are taking steps to ensure that we do not see the import of this new variant\".\n\nProf Susan Hopkins, who is Strategic Response Director for Covid-19 with Public Health England, told BBC Breakfast experts were looking at the Brazilian variant and needed to grow the virus in the UK in order to perform laboratory experiments.\n\n\"So we need to understand the biology of these [new strains], as well as understanding mutations,\" she said.\n\n\"We will be watching them all to make sure that they can't escape your immune response, which is the key thing that we're looking at the moment.\"\n\nA travel ban was put in place on arrivals from South Africa on 24 December, which was later extended to several other nearby countries, following the discovery of a new variant.\n\nLuiz Amorim, a graphic designer in London, said he had travelled to Brazil to spend Christmas with his family and was now worried he may not be able to get home.\n\n\"My wife was also supposed to come but didn't in the end,\" he said. \"Now I am worried I won't be able to get back to her in London.\"\n\nMr Amorim said his workplace had been supportive but he may have to take leave if he was unable to return, with his original flight back having been cancelled.\n\nHe has now booked another flight on 27 January and is \"watching the news closely to see what will happen\".\n\nThe discussion comes after it was announced a requirement for arrivals into England to test negative for coronavirus 72 hours before their journey will now come into force at 04:00 GMT on Monday.\n\nTransport Secretary Grant Shapps said the new rules had been delayed from Friday \"to give international arrivals time to prepare\".\n\nLabour's Yvette Cooper, chairwoman of the Commons Home Affairs Committee, described the delay in introducing the new rules as \"truly shocking\".\n\nScotland is taking the same approach to international travellers but will implement the policy on Friday, while Wales and Northern Ireland are expected to announce their own plans in the coming days.\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer criticised the government for delaying pre-departure testing for arrivals to England, describing the situation as a \"complete mess\".\n\n\"Priti Patel has talked tough about the borders but other countries have been doing testing for months and months,\" he said.\n\nSir Keir said people were \"really worried\" about strains in other parts of the world, including Brazil, and people would be \"bewildered and they will feel that we're exposed\".", "Last updated on .From the section Premier League\n\nIvan Cavaleiro scored a late header to earn Premier League strugglers Fulham a hard-fought draw against Tottenham in their hastily rearranged London derby.\n\nThe Portuguese forward's finish cancelled out Harry Kane's first-half diving header and came just minutes after Son Heung-min hit the post in search of Spurs' second.\n\nCavaleiro sealed a remarkable turnaround for a side whose manager Scott Parker said it was \"scandalous\" to be given just two days' notice to face Jose Mourinho's men after Spurs' game at Aston Villa was postponed because of a Covid-19 outbreak in the Villa camp.\n\nTottenham boss Mourinho had little sympathy for the visitors as the derby itself was a rearranged fixture, having been called off three hours before kick-off when originally scheduled on 30 December.\n\nFor all the complications surrounding the fixture, the intensity from two sides at opposite ends of the table was high at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with Fulham's fifth successive league draw a valuable point in their efforts to escape the relegation zone.\n• None Relive Tottenham v Fulham as it happened and analysis\n\nFulham made a bright start and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa's fierce shot to test Hugo Lloris was a warning of what was to come from a side who remain 18th despite the draw.\n\nThe excellent Alphonse Areola twice denied Son in the first 45 minutes, first blocking a toe-poked effort before palming a header away.\n\nAreola could do nothing, however, to deny Kane the opener in the 25th minute, with the striker beating the Frenchman with a thumping diving header from an excellently-placed Sergio Reguilon cross.\n\nKane was off target with another header and Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Kenny Tete threatened to respond for the visitors, who had the woodwork to thank for denying Son in the second half after the South Korean scuffed a shot past Areola.\n\nSubstitute Ademola Lookman was instrumental following his introduction, creating the equaliser for Cavaleiro seven minutes after coming off the bench.\n\nThe powerful finish extended Fulham's unbeaten run to five league matches, which is their longest such sequence in the top flight in three Premier League campaigns since 2012-13.\n\nThis latest draw highlights just how resolute Parker's men have become after a slow start to the campaign, in which they collected just one point from their first six matches.\n\nSpurs punished for reliance on Kane and Son\n\nWhile the Cottagers may be in the relegation places and had lost a record 13 successive top-flight matches to London rivals, they presented a significantly sterner test of Mourinho's men than non-league side Marine - a team made up of NHS workers, teachers and a refuse collector - which Spurs cruised past in the third round of the FA Cup on Sunday.\n\nThe prolific pair of Kane and Son, a duo that has now scored 23 of Tottenham's 30 league goals this term, were among 10 to return to Spurs' starting line-up.\n\nSon was an unused substitute on their trip to Crosby but Kane, along with Lloris, Eric Dier, Serge Aurier and Harry Winks came back from being rested.\n\nWhile Kane was clinical with the nodded finish, he reacted in frustration as he flicked another header off target.\n\nThat miss, as well as the wastefulness of Reguilon - who sent an early effort over - and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg's tame strike, ensured Fulham were still in it at half-time.\n\nMoussa Sissoko also dithered in the box when an early second-half chance presented itself, allowing Tosin Adarabioyo to superbly block.\n\nSon's effort off the post, and their reliance on him and Kane for goals, ultimately proved costly as Cavaleiro ended the hosts' run of three clean sheets in January.\n\nAnd while Reguilon did have the ball in the back of the net again for Tottenham in the final minute, it was immediately disallowed for offside as Spurs missed the chance to move up to third in the table.\n\n'Some players had one day's training' - what the managers said\n\nTottenham manager Jose Mourinho, speaking to BBC Sport: \"In the first half Alphonse Areola made some impossible saves, a couple of others in the second, too.\n\n\"We have to kill a game and we didn't - but you have to keep a clean sheet, not make mistakes, so it was a very avoidable goal. The markers are there, there wasn't even an advantage in terms of numbers.\n\n\"Fulham were intelligent enough to understand the way they play, they change, they become more defensive and they are getting results. I thought they were a bit lucky but they were good.\n\n\"We have bad results and we should - and we could have - avoided these results.\"\n\nFulham boss Scott Parker, speaking to BBC Sport: \"I'm very proud of this team for what we've been through. There's a lot of talk around - everyone assumes about what happened. I know what we've been through the last two weeks.\n\n\"We had players out there today who had one day's training. What pleased me most was a desire and a passion and a real quality at times tonight.\n\n\"There's a real determination and hard work from this group of players. They've never shied away from anything.\"\n\nOn Monday's announcement of the game with Tottenham: \"We were told, in the end, at 9:30. It was put to me on Saturday, if there was a possibility, but I just batted it off thinking 'no chance'.\n\n\"This game was supposed to be scheduled 16 days ago - for 10 days some of these boys were locked up in their houses. I was surprised but it wasn't in terms of preparing for this game, we've prepared in two days for a game before, it was more just getting told of the consequences that you face.\"\n\nBest of the stats\n• None Tottenham and Fulham played out their first draw in the Premier League since December 2009, with Spurs winning 10 of the last 11 encounters (L1).\n• None Tottenham are unbeaten in their last eight London derbies in the Premier League (W3 D5), they've never gone longer without defeat against sides from the capital in the competition.\n• None Fulham have drawn five consecutive Premier League games, their longest such run since January 2007 (six games).\n• None Fulham have gained five points in their last four Premier League away games (W1 D2 L1), more than they collected in their previous 13 on the road in the competition (W1 D1 L11).\n• None Only Brighton (12) and Sheffield United (11) have dropped more points from winning positions than Spurs (10) in the Premier League this season.\n• None Tottenham's Harry Kane has become just the third player to score 25 Premier League goals with his head (25), his right foot (94) and his left foot (34) - after Robbie Fowler and Andy Cole.\n• None Ademola Lookman has been directly involved in five goals (two goals, three assists) in the Premier League this season, more than any other Fulham player.\n\nTottenham travel to Bramall Lane on Sunday (14:05 GMT) to face the Premier League's bottom side Sheffield United, who on Tuesday earned their first top-flight win of the season.\n\nFulham face Chelsea in another derby, hosting their west London rivals on Saturday (17:30 GMT).\n• None Offside, Tottenham Hotspur. Erik Lamela tries a through ball, but Son Heung-Min is caught offside.\n• None Attempt blocked. Antonee Robinson (Fulham) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Aboubakar Kamara. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page\n• None Can the TV personality make it as a pro footballer?\n• None New drama brings the chilling crimes of Charles Sobhraj to life", "Gerry and Barbara Jarrett were admitted to hospital with Covid-19 two weeks ago\n\nAn elderly couple with coronavirus have been helped by a hospital to say their last goodbyes to each other after the wife's condition deteriorated.\n\nGerry and Barbara Jarrett, from Bracknell, Berkshire, are in separate wards at Frimley Park Hospital, Surrey.\n\nTheir daughter Chloe, who posted a picture of one reunion on Twitter, said her mother \"looked to be at the end\".\n\nShe said her parents had \"precious\" extra time together thanks to the hospital's \"incredible\" efforts.\n\nMrs Keljarrett said her 79-year-old father and mother, 76, who have been together for 50 years, were admitted to hospital with Covid-19 two weeks ago.\n\nOn Tuesday she posted: \"In the midst of a pandemic peak, staff (namely a consultant, a surgeon and a HCA) at FPH just made sure my dad saw my mum for what is likely the last time.\"\n\nShe said another meeting happened on Wednesday when \"mum looked to be at the end\".\n\nFrimley Park Hospital said the reunions were the sort of \"care that matters the most\"\n\nShe said: \"Dad was wheeled in, crying, touched her hand and her eyes flew open. She was awake and bright and could talk.\n\n\"We got a precious extra hour or two before her breathing got worse again and got to say what we wanted.\n\n\"All thanks to the staff who made these meetings possible. In current times I just find that incredible.\"\n\nMrs Keljarrett, a teacher at The Brakenhale School, said her father was \"showing signs of improvement but has a very long journey to complete\".\n\n\"He has a number of other health issues that will make recovery that bit trickier, but I have to remain positive that he will overcome this horrendous virus,\" she added.\n\nShe said she had met hospital workers who were \"pulling unexpected double shifts\" due to short-staffing.\n\n\"How they are managing such compassion when they are stretched to their emotional and physical limits I do not know,\" she added.\n\nResponding to Mrs Keljarrett's Twitter post, the hospital wrote: \"Our hearts go out to you and your family.\n\n\"We are so glad that our staff managed to make this time just a little bit easier for you all.\n\n\"This truly is some of the care we give that matters the most.\"\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Doctors' leaders have called for urgent improvements in personal protective equipment for health workers.\n\nThe British Medical Association is appealing for a higher grade of face mask to guard against coronavirus infection.\n\nIt says there is 'growing evidence' that the virus is being spread through the air by aerosols.\n\nThese are tiny virus particles that can build up in stuffy rooms and they have been linked to outbreaks of Covid-19.\n\nThis follows an open letter from more than 1,500 health professionals for staff on general wards to be given the type of high-quality masks usually only worn in intensive care units.\n\nPublic Health England (PHE) has issued guidance on what PPE staff in different settings require. It was last updated in October 2020.\n\nEarly in the pandemic, it was widely believed that to catch the disease you had to either be close to an infected person and hit by droplets from their coughs or sneezes or touch a surface they had contaminated.\n\nBut research during the course of last year highlighted how it is also possible for the virus to be carried in what are called aerosols, drifting and accumulating in the air.\n\nMost infections are thought to have occurred indoors in badly ventilated rooms, and many studies have shown that the 'airborne route' can be an important factor.\n\nAcross the UK, the guidance for hospital staff is to wear surgical masks in most areas.\n\nMore sophisticated masks - a type known as FFP3 that includes an air filter - are only required in intensive care or when certain procedures are carried out that are known to generate aerosols.\n\nIn their letter, the consultants, doctors and nurses say healthcare workers are three to four times more likely to become infected than the general population.\n\nBut they point out that staff in intensive care units, who have the best level of protection, have about half the risk of catching the virus than colleagues on general wards.\n\nThe letter states: \"It is now essential that healthcare workers have their PPE upgraded to protect against airborne transmission\".\n\nBarry McAree, a consultant surgeon in Northern Ireland, is one of many healthcare workers to be ill with Covid.\n\nHe is self-isolating at home right after his testing positive for the second time.\n\nA signatory to the letter, he says his hospital in Antrim followed the guidance about which type of masks should be worn in which areas, but he became infected nonetheless. It is not clear how and when he caught it.\n\n\"There's so much evidence that we are talking about an airborne infection that it has to be said that it is not appropriate just to wear FFP3 in environments when aerosol generating procedures take place.\"\n\nHe believes that with such high levels of the virus in the community and in hospitals, staff should be wearing the higher-grade masks whenever they're close to patients.\n\nSurgical masks can be bought online for about 10p each, while the FFP3 masks are far more expensive about £5.00.\n\nDr Barry Jones, a retired gastroenterologist and leading expert on aerosols, says that's nothing compared to the cost of a patient with Covid,\n\nHe points to data showing that roughly a fifth of people needing hospital treatment for Covid may have acquired the infection in hospital in the first place.\n\n\"We should do everything we can to reduce that possibility - it's the air we share that's killing us.\"\n\nA few hospitals have decided to break with official guidance.\n\nIt's understood that hospitals in Cambridge, Plymouth and Exeter have decided to equip staff with FFP3 masks if they face patients diagnosed with Covid or suspected of having it.\n\nOne consultant, who did not want to be named, said: \"When you realise patients are more infectious at an earlier stage of disease and are presenting at general wards with poorer ventilation than intensive care units and staff are wearing a poorer quality of PPE, you really want those in a position of leadership to listen and to act.\"\n\nRCN General Secretary Dame Donna Kinnair, said: \"Without delay, they must state whether existing PPE guidance is adequate for the new variant.\n\n\"While more research is carried out, we ask for the precautionary principle to be applied and staff to be given a higher level of PPE if working with suspected or confirmed cases.\"\n\nPublic Health England said this was a matter for NHS England to comment on.\n\nA Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: \"The safety of NHS and social care staff has always been our top priority and we continue to work tirelessly to deliver PPE that protects those on the frontline.\n\n\"UK guidance on the safest levels of PPE is written by experts and agreed by all four chief medical officers. Our guidance is kept under constant review based on the latest evidence and data.\n\n\"Emerging evidence and data, including on variant strains, will be continually monitored and reviewed, and the guidance updated accordingly if needed.\"", "It was initially believed that Covid-19 originated at a market in Wuhan\n\nA World Health Organization (WHO) team has arrived in the Chinese city of Wuhan to start its investigation into the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic.\n\nThe long-awaited probe comes after months of negotiations between the WHO and Beijing.\n\nA group of 10 scientists is set to interview people from research institutes, hospitals and the seafood market linked to the initial outbreak.\n\nCovid-19 was first detected in Wuhan in central China in late 2019.\n\nThe team's arrival on Thursday morning coincides with a resurgence of new coronavirus cases in the north of the country, while life in Wuhan is relatively back to normal.\n\nThey will undergo two weeks of quarantine before beginning their research, which will rely upon samples and evidence provided by Chinese officials.\n\nTeam leader Peter Ben Embarek told AFP news agency just before the trip that it \"could be a very long journey before we get a full understanding of what happened\".\n\n\"I don't think we will have clear answers after this initial mission, but we will be on the way,\" he said.\n\nThe probe, which aims to investigate the animal origin of the pandemic, looks set to begin after some initial hiccups.\n\nChina resisted this investigation because it doesn't want to look back. It sees the potential for more blame, from a group of foreigners. It has its official version of what happened already.\n\nThe government paper published months ago declared \"victory\" in the war against the virus. But it didn't have a verdict - not one it made public anyway - on where the new coronavirus came from nor how it passed to humans. There's been global pressure to answer that, to prevent repeat pandemics.\n\nThe WHO team will be heavily reliant on their Chinese hosts for access: to key places in Wuhan and beyond, and crucially to research material, human and animal samples and data gathered by China's authorities over the past year. The man leading the WHO team said he is open minded. No theories - and there is a range of theories - are off the table. All sides have talked about the importance of the science. But the investigators arrived here as a propaganda effort, lead by China's state media, is in full swing, to question whether the pandemic originated here in the first place.\n\nDespite a lack of any credible evidence it's reported for months now that it was in Spain, Italy or maybe the US before it was seen in China. A campaign intended to undermine the very reason the WHO is, finally, here in Wuhan.\n\nEarlier this month the WHO said its investigators were denied entry into China after one member of the team was turned back and another got stuck in transit. But Beijing said it was a misunderstanding and that arrangements for the investigation were still in discussion.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Covid-19: How everyday life has changed in Wuhan\n\nChina has been saying for months that the although Wuhan is where the first cluster of cases was detected, it is not necessarily where the virus originated.\n\nProfessor Dale Fisher, chair of the global outbreak and response unit at the WHO, told the BBC that he hoped the world would consider this a scientific visit. \"It's not about politics or blame but getting to the bottom of a scientific question,\" he said.\n\nProf Fisher added that most scientists believed that the virus was a \"natural event\".\n\nThe visit comes as China reports its first fatality from Covid-19 in eight months.\n\nNews of the woman's death in northern Hebei province prompted anxious chatter online and the hashtag \"new virus death in Hebei\" trended briefly on social media platform Weibo.\n\nThe country has largely brought the virus under control through quick mass testing, stringent lockdowns and tight travel restrictions.\n\nBut new cases have been resurfacing in recent weeks, mainly in Hebei province surrounding Beijing and Heilongjiang province in the northeast.", "A further 1,564 people have died in the UK within 28 days of a positive Covid test - the biggest figure reported in a single day since the pandemic began.\n\nIt brings the total number of deaths by that measure to 84,767.\n\nDr Yvonne Doyle, medical director at Public Health England, said there have now been more deaths in the second wave than the first.\n\nAnd the prime minister warned there was a \"very substantial\" risk of intensive care capacity being \"overtopped\".\n\nSpeaking to the Commons Liaison Committee, Boris Johnson said the situation was \"very, very tough\" in the NHS and the strain on staff was \"colossal\".\n\nHe appealed to the public to follow lockdown rules, which require people in England to stay at home and only go out for limited reasons, such as for food shopping, exercise, or work if they cannot do so from home.\n\nSimilar measures are in place across much of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.\n\nA further 47,525 new cases have also been recorded.\n\nPerhaps the most distressing element about the latest Covid deaths is that the numbers are almost certainly going to rise from here.\n\nPeople who are dying now are likely to have been infected three or so weeks ago, around Christmas time.\n\nThat was at a point when infection rates were rising quite steeply, so in the coming days and weeks we should, sadly, expect to see more deaths than this being reported.\n\nToday's figures are affected by the weekend, which sees delays in reporting deaths that tend to translate into higher figures from Tuesday onwards.\n\nCurrently around 1,000 people a day on average are dying once you take this into account.\n\nBut the figures also provide some hope. For the third day in a row the number of newly diagnosed infections are well below 50,000.\n\nThere have been several days where they have exceeded 60,000.\n\nIf that trend continues, and the number of new cases keeps coming down, that will eventually translate into the number of deaths falling.\n\nBut it is going to take some weeks for that to happen.\n\nThese are, as many have been saying, the darkest days of the pandemic so far.\n\nEarlier, during Prime Minister's Questions, Mr Johnson said lockdown measures were \"starting to show signs of some effect\".\n\nLabour's Sir Keir Starmer called for tougher restrictions in England, asking why they were weaker in this lockdown compared with March.\n\nDuring the first lockdown, nurseries were closed to most children and it was not permitted to exercise with someone from another household.\n\n\"We keep things under constant review,\" Mr Johnson replied. \"If there is any need to toughen up restrictions - which I don't rule out - we will of course come to this House.\"\n\nHe stressed that it was early days, but said: \"The lockdown measures we have in place combined with tier four measures that we were using are starting to show signs of some effect.\"\n\nLater, asked by the Commons Liaison Committee whether schools could reopen after February half-term, Mr Johnson said: \"It is far, far too early for us to say [early signs of progress mean] we can go into any kind of relaxation in the middle of February, we've got to work very hard to achieve that.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Boris Johnson took questions from MPs on the Commons Liaison Committee\n\nThe prime minister also said on Wednesday that Covid vaccinations will be offered 24 hours a day, seven days a week as soon as supply allows.\n\nThe number of people in the UK who have received the first dose of a vaccine has risen to 2,639,309 - up by 207,661 from the day before.\n\nCommenting on the latest daily figures, PHE's Dr Doyle said: \"With each passing day, more and more people are tragically losing their lives to this terrible virus.\"\n\nShe added: \"It is essential that we stay at home, minimise contact with other people and act as if you have the virus.\"\n\nThe vast majority of the deaths reported on Tuesday happened over the past week. However, at least 100 were in 2020, with one death dating back to May.\n\nThe previous highest daily death toll was on Friday, when 1,325 people were reported to have died.\n\nThese government figures count people who died within 28 days of testing positive, but there are other ways of measuring the total number of deaths.\n\nWhen all deaths where coronavirus is mentioned on the death certificate are counted, plus deaths known to have occurred more recently, the number of deaths involving Covid in the UK is more than 100,000.\n\nAnother method is to count excess deaths - all deaths over and above the usual number at the time of year.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Johnson: \"We are taking steps to ensure that we do not see the import of this new variant\".\n\nMeanwhile, the prime minister has said he is \"concerned\" about a new coronavirus variant that is believed to have emerged in Brazil. He acknowledged it is not yet clear how effective existing vaccines will be against the latest new variant.\n\nThe UK is taking steps to make sure it is not brought into the country, Mr Johnson said.\n\nA government Covid committee is meeting on Thursday to discuss the possibility of stopping flights from Brazil.\n\nArrivals from Brazil already have to self-isolate for 10 days.\n\nAnd from Monday, anyone arriving into the UK from any country will have to present a negative Covid test. The new rule had been due to come into force this week but the government said it was being put back to give travellers more time to prepare.", "The home secretary has said the government will not announce new Covid restrictions on Thursday or Friday, but did not rule out further measures being announced next week.\n\nPriti Patel told ITV her focus was on enforcing the current lockdown rules.\n\nIt is thought ministers are considering measures like requiring masks outside or allowing people to exercise only with people from the same household.\n\nOn Wednesday, the UK recorded 1,564 new deaths, the highest daily total so far.\n\nMrs Patel emphasised the current stay-at-home rules, under which people are only allowed to go out for a limited number of reasons, including work, essential shopping and providing care to a vulnerable person.\n\nAsked whether further restrictions could include a three-metre social distancing rule, or the requirement to wear masks outside, the home secretary told ITV's This Morning: \"The plans are very much to enforce the rules.\n\n\"This isn't about new rules coming in - we're going to stick with enforcing the current measures.\"\n\nBut Ms Patel did not rule out new measures being announced next week, saying: \"We are not thinking about bringing in new measures today or tomorrow.\"\n\nAt a press conference on Monday, she said police would move more quickly to fine people who break the rules.\n\nOver the course of the pandemic, more than 30,000 such fines have been issued.\n\nA senior backbench Conservative MP has written to his colleagues to criticise the government's approach to coronavirus restrictions.\n\nSteve Baker, deputy chairman of the Covid Recovery Group of MPs, which is sceptical of lockdown measures, said that if the government did not change its strategy, \"inevitably the prime minister's leadership will be on the table: we strongly do not want that after all we have been through as a country\".\n\nHe asked his colleagues to impress upon the party's chief whip the need for \"a clear plan for when our full freedoms will be restored, with a guarantee that this strategy will not be used again next winter\".\n\nHowever, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has questioned why the current lockdown restrictions are \"weaker\" than those imposed in March last year, when deaths and hospitalisations were lower than they are now.\n\nHe questioned why nurseries were open when primary schools were closed, and whether estate agents should be allowed to continue with house viewings.\n\nRules have been further tightened in Scotland this week, with new restrictions on click and collect and takeaway services.", "Last updated on .From the section Cricket\n\nSpinner Dom Bess took 5-30 as a woeful Sri Lanka batting display left England in control after the opening day of the first Test in Galle.\n\nThe hosts were bowled out for 135 in only 46.1 overs despite winning the toss on a pitch that offered only a little spin.\n\nEngland closed on 127-2, with Joe Root unbeaten on 66, Jonny Bairstow 47 not out and their third-wicket stand worth 110.\n\nDom Sibley and Zak Crawley fell to left-arm spinner Lasith Embuldeniya for four and nine respectively.\n\nSri Lanka's total was the lowest in a first innings in a Galle Test, and was a pitiful exhibition of indiscipline and poor strokes which demonstrated a clear lack of understanding of how to build a Test innings.\n\nEngland, who made five changes from their previous Test in August, were disciplined with the ball and tidy in the field, aside from a drop from debutant Dan Lawrence, with Stuart Broad superb in taking 3-20.\n\nTheir reward was a strong position on their first day of overseas Test cricket since the coronavirus pandemic took hold, and their opening action of a year that includes home and away series against India, a likely two-Test series against world number one side New Zealand and a bid to regain the Ashes in Australia.\n\nThe second day starts at 04:30 GMT on Friday.\n• None 'Right up there with the worst we've seen' - Sri Lanka collapse shocks pundits\n\nWith England's most recent Test being played five months ago, and Sri Lanka playing in South Africa over Christmas and the new year, there was concern that the tourists would not be as prepared as the hosts.\n\nBroad, who had Lahiru Thirimanne caught at leg slip and Kusal Mendis, who has now made a duck in four successive Test innings, caught behind in the seventh over, showcased his experience and guile by turning to off-cutters almost immediately.\n\nBess, playing his 11th Test, may have taken his second five-wicket haul in Tests but struggled to find a consistent line and length.\n\nKusal Perera reverse swept Bess' second ball to Root at slip, while Niroshan Dickwella slapped a long hop to Sibley at point to fall for 12.\n\nAfter getting Dasun Shanaka in fortunate circumstances as a sweep rebounded off Bairstow at short leg into wicketkeeper Jos Buttler's hands, Bess produced a beautifully flighted delivery to bowl Dilruwan Perera between bat and pad for a duck.\n\nHe rounded off the innings by bowling the reverse-sweeping Wanindu Hasaranga for 19 as the hosts lost their last five wickets for 30 runs.\n\nStand-in captain Dinesh Chandimal and Angelo Mathews offered some fight with a stand of 56 for the fourth wicket, the former becoming the 12th Sri Lankan to reach 4,000 Tests runs and Mathews the fifth to 6,000.\n\nHowever, both fell tamely in the space of three balls as Broad - who had taken three wickets in 80 overs in Sri Lanka before this match - had Mathews slashing to slip, before Chandimal looped a simple catch to Sam Curran at cover to give Jack Leach his first Test wicket since November 2019.\n• None Why the Sri Lanka tour matters for the Ashes\n\nFor England this two-Test tour, which was cut short in March 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic, is a build-up to the four-Test series in India that follows.\n\nTo stand any chance of beating Virat Kohli's side England must play spin well, and they will be concerned by the early inroads that Sri Lanka made.\n\nOpener Sibley, whom many feel is vulnerable against spin, edged to slip via his back pad as he attempted to work Embuldeniya to leg.\n\nCrawley, promoted to open given Rory Burns' absence to be at the birth of his first child, looked to take Embuldeniya over the top - a shot he played superbly last summer - but mistimed it to mid-off.\n\nHowever, Root, whose fifty was his 50th in Test cricket, will be buoyed by the way he and the recalled Bairstow nullified the spin threat as they shared England's highest partnership in Galle.\n\nIt was a chanceless stand, although Root overturned an lbw decision on 20 with replays showing the ball would have gone over the stumps.\n\nBoth he and Bairstow scored around the wicket, with Root playing the sweep to good effect, and Bairstow cutting and flicking through mid-wicket well.\n\nThey will hope to build a substantial first-innings lead and turn the match into a three-innings game.\n\n'England didn't have to work hard at all' - reaction\n\nEngland spinner Dom Bess on BBC Test Match Special: \"We have put ourselves in a really good position. Rooty and Jonny batted really well because the wicket started to spin.\n\n\"I felt I was quite nervous. I hadn't bowled in a game since the Test matches last summer.\n\n\"I didn't feel I bowled as well as I know I can. That's cricket, isn't it? There might be days bowl exceptionally well and go 1-100.\"\n\nFormer England captain Michael Vaughan: \"It was a fantastic day for England.\n\n\"The partnership with Root and Bairstow was exactly what was required by Sri Lanka.\n\n\"Mathews and Chandimal are experienced pros. They were playing nicely and then played two rash shots. It was so poor from Sri Lanka.\"\n\nSri Lanka batting coach Grant Flower: \"I'm at a loss for words, I've never seen us bat that badly. They know these conditions well and it should have been a big advantage.\n\n\"England's batsmen showed us there's nothing wrong with the pitch. We batted terribly.\"\n\nFormer Sri Lanka all-rounder Russell Arnold: \"It is not a minefield. It was very poor from Sri Lanka. England didn't have to work hard at all.\n\n\"It is very, very disappointing. It surprised me and I expected a lot more.\"\n• None Can the TV personality make it as a pro footballer?\n• None New drama brings the chilling crimes of Charles Sobhraj to life", "Lucy Edwards, pictured with dog Olga, became BBC Radio 1's first blind presenter when she guested in 2019\n\nA blind social media star said she could be waiting for years for a new guide dog because of delays connected with the Covid-19 pandemic.\n\nLucy Edwards creates videos on living with sight loss, which have been watched millions of times.\n\nThe 25-year-old has used a guide dog since she was 17 and said she had lost her independence since her latest dog was retired four months ago.\n\nShe said it was like losing her \"eyesight all over again\".\n\n\"It has really knocked my confidence that in a pandemic I don't have my dog any more,\" Ms Edwards, from Sutton Coldfield, in the West Midlands, said.\n\n\"I don't feel comfortable going outside on my own.\"\n\nLucy Edwards says she struggles to socially distance using her cane alone, as she does not know where people are around her\n\nShe now relies on her cane and her sighted partner, but added she found it difficult to socially distance with just a cane and felt \"scared\" without the support of her dog Olga.\n\nThe Guide Dogs for the Blind Association said the pandemic meant it had been forced to stop dog training for five months last year.\n\nIt said 52 dogs had been trained and become qualified in the Midlands in 2020, compared with 125 in 2019, and added the monthly figures showed a big impact in April.\n\nWhile general dog training is continuing during the third England lockdown, with social distancing measures in place, some orientation and other work has stopped, along with puppy training classes.\n\nWest Bromwich marathon runner Dave Heeley, who was appointed an OBE in the New Year Honours, has been waiting for a dog for more than two years.\n\n\"The dog is your best friend, your dog is your mobility and I don't feel that from a stick,\" he said.\n\nDave Heeley has been waiting two years for a dog\n\nThe Guide Dogs for the Blind Association said over the past two years it had matched 80% of people with a guide dog within 16 months.\n\nThe charity currently has about 5,000 guide dogs working in the UK and within the next few years said it was targeting 1,000 new guide dog partnerships a year.\n\nFollow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Employers \"have a duty\" to support staff who suffer domestic abuse but few have adequate policies in place, the government says.\n\nIt said bosses were in a unique position to help but a \"lack of awareness and stigma\" held them back.\n\nCalls to domestic abuse services have surged in the pandemic as couples spend more time at home.\n\nBusiness Minister Paul Scully said employers could be a \"bridge between a worker and the support they need\".\n\n\"It was once taboo to talk about mental health, but now most workplaces have well-established policies in place. We want to see the same happen for domestic abuse, but more quickly and more effectively,\" he said in an open letter to employers.\n\nManagers and colleagues are often the only other people outside the home that victims talk to each day and so \"uniquely placed\" to spot signs of abuse, he said.\n\nThese include becoming more withdrawn than usual, sudden drops in performance, mentions of controlling or coercive behaviour in partners, or physical signs such as bruising.\n\nEmployers did not have to become \"specialists\" in handling domestic abuse, Mr Scully said, but could do more to help, including:\n\nFirms already taking action include Vodafone, which offers specialist training to HR and line managers and support for victims including counselling and additional paid leave.\n\nIn August, law firm Linklaters strengthened its policies and now offers people who need to flee their home but can't stay with others three nights' accommodation in a hotel.\n\nIt also offers the option of paid leave, plus one-off payments of £5,000 to help victims trying to become financially independent.\n\nDomestic violence charity Refuge said it saw an 80% increase in calls to its helpline during the first national lockdown, a trend the government believes has continued.\n\nAnd in November, 43% of respondents to a survey by charity Surviving Economic Abuse showed an abuser had interfered with someone's ability to work or study from home during the crisis.\n\nExamples included hiding phones or computers, removing wi-fi connections, and phoning an employer claiming a breach of lockdown rules, in an apparent effort to get them sacked.\n\nDomestic abuse isn't a new problem, nor does today's call to businesses apply only during a pandemic.\n\nBut coronavirus has highlighted new and existing risks.\n\nFor many victims and survivors, work is a place of respite.\n\nBeing based at home, or on furlough, can reduce communication with team members, and prevent face-to-face chats with colleagues.\n\nI've heard of employers finding simple yet effective ways of supporting staff during the pandemic.\n\nFor example, finding a plausible reason for an employee whose remote communications were being overlooked, to go into the office as a one-off, so they could talk freely and hand over an ID document for safe keeping.\n\nOf course, not every business can afford to offer emergency accommodation or financial support to those in urgent need. But the focus of today's letter is on awareness, using free support and removing stigma.\n\nThe charity Surviving Economic Abuse wants the government to go further, and put paid leave for domestic abuse victims into law.\n\nElizabeth Filkin, who chairs the Employer's Initiative on Domestic Abuse, argues there are real benefits in supporting staff - including around productivity, loyalty and reputation.\n\nEmployment lawyer Sarah Chilton, a partner at CM Murray, told the BBC that all employers have a duty to protect their staff's health and safety while working from home. That includes if they are being subjected to domestic abuse.\n\n\"Where an employee is required to work at home during, for example, the pandemic, the employer should take account of any risk to that person's physical and mental health and safety in the environment in which they work.\"\n\nAngela Ogilvie, global director of HR at Linklaters, said training was vital to spot signs of abuse, especially now.\n\n\"Victims may avoid calls or videos for example. They may become quiet, anxious or tearful, secretive about their home life.\n\n\"And it's being conscious of how you start those conversations because they may be overheard, so you may have to switch your conversation to email or text.\"\n\nMr Scully said the government would consult on ways to help domestic abuse victims at work, for instance by making it easier to request flexible working.\n\nThe government's Domestic Abuse Bill also continues to make its way through parliament.\n\nIt will bring into law a statutory definition of domestic abuse that includes coercive or controlling behaviour as well as emotional and economic abuse.", "Last updated on .From the section Tennis\n\nFormer world number one Andy Murray's participation at the Australian Open is in doubt after the Briton tested positive for coronavirus.\n\nThe 33-year-old Scot was set to fly out to Melbourne on a chartered flight arriving there over the next 36 hours.\n\nInstead he remains in quarantine and isolating at home in London.\n\nMurray, who is said to be in good health, remains hopeful he will be allowed to travel safely at a later date and compete as planned.\n\nThe five-time Australian Open runner-up pulled out of last week's ATP event in Delray Beach as he wanted to \"minimise the risks\" of catching a transatlantic flight to Florida.\n\n'He will be refused'\n\nThe Australian Open will start on 8 February at Melbourne Park, three weeks later than usual, because of the coronavirus pandemic.\n\nPlayers must test negative before taking one of the 15 chartered flights - which have been put on by tournament organisers and will operate at 25% capacity - to Australia.\n\nOnce they have arrived, they will have to pass a series of Covid tests during a 14-day quarantine in Melbourne before the Grand Slam.\n\n\"Mr Murray, and the other 1,240 people as part of the program, need to demonstrate that if they're coming to Melbourne they have returned a negative test,\" said Victorian state health minister Martin Foley.\n\n\"So should Mr Murray arrive, and I have no indication that he will, he will be subject to those same rigorous arrangements as everyone else. Should he test positive prior to his attempts to come to Australia, he will be refused.\"\n\nMurray's planned appearance at Melbourne Park would come two years after he played there in what he feared would be his final match as a professional.\n\nAt 123rd in the world, Murray is ranked too low to gain direct entry into the tournament so the three-time Grand Slam champion has been given a wildcard.\n\nMurray was able to play only seven official matches in 2020 because of a lingering pelvic injury, and the five-month suspension of the tours because of the pandemic.\n\nThe Scot is among a number of players to have their plans disrupted.\n\nAmerican Madison Keys, who reached the Australian Open women's singles semi-finals in 2015, said she would not be playing in Melbourne after testing positive for coronavirus.\n\nWorld number two Rafael Nadal is travelling to Melbourne in search of a record 21st Grand Slam men's singles title without coach Carlos Moya, who has decided to stay at home in Spain with his family because of the health situation.\n\nWorld number three Dominic Thiem's coach Nicolas Massu has also not travelled after a positive Covid test, Thiem's father Wolfgang told Austrian newspaper Kurier.\n\n'Change of year, but not a change of luck' - analysis\n\nA change of year does not appear to have brought about a change of luck for Andy Murray.\n\nHe is now hoping he will be given permission to arrive in Melbourne late - and outside the window Tennis Australia painstakingly negotiated with the Victorian state government.\n\nIf he does get the green light to travel, having completed self-isolation in the UK and returned a negative test, he will still have to spend 14 days in quarantine on arrival.\n\nThat means he won't be able to play in the warm-up events the week before the Australian Open.\n\nBut it would keep alive his hopes of playing in the first Grand Slam of the year, as players will be allowed out of their rooms to practise for five hours a day during quarantine.\n\nAmerican player Tennys Sandgren, meanwhile, boarded a charter plane to Melbourne despite testing positive for coronavirus.\n\nThe world number 50, a two-time Australian Open quarter-finalist, tweeted that after testing positive in November he had returned another positive on Monday and might not be able to fly on Wednesday.\n\nBut Australian Open organisers said his medical file had been reviewed by Victoria state authorities and he had then been cleared to fly.\n\nThey explained that players are only allowed to enter Australia with proof of a negative test done just before departure or \"with approval to travel as a recovered case at the complete discretion of an Australian government authority\".\n\nSandgren posted on social media that he had been ill in November but was \"totally healthy now\".\n\n\"My two tests were less than eight weeks apart,\" he wrote. \"There's not a single documented case where I would be contagious at this point.\"\n\nLisa Neville, minister for police and emergency services, tweeted: \"Tennys Sandgren's positive result was reviewed by health experts and determined to be viral shedding from a previous infection, so was given the all clear to fly.\n\n\"No-one who is Covid positive for the first time - or could still be infectious - will be allowed in for the Aus Open.\"\n• None Alerts: Get tennis news sent to your phone\n• None Can the TV personality make it as a pro footballer?\n• None New drama brings the chilling crimes of Charles Sobhraj to life", "Passengers will need to provide a negative Covid-19 test taken within 72 hours before departure\n\nPassengers arriving into NI from outside the UK and Republic of Ireland will soon have to produce a negative Covid-19 test before departure.\n\nFirst Minister Arlene Foster confirmed the executive had agreed the plan on Thursday.\n\nPeople arriving from countries not on the government's travel corridors list will also still have to self-isolate for 10 days.\n\nThe move has already been agreed in the Republic of Ireland.\n\nPassengers arriving there will be subject to the new rules from Saturday, with the measure taking effect in England and Scotland from Monday.\n\nNegative tests 72 hours prior to arrival are already a requirement in the Republic of Ireland for passengers travelling from Great Britain and South Africa.\n\nSpeaking at Stormont's press conference on Thursday, the first minister said Northern Ireland's R-number had also fallen to between 0.7 and 0.9 for new cases of the virus.\n\nThe reproductive rate of the virus - known as the R rate, measures the infection rate of Covid-19 and had risen to about 1.8 due to Christmas relaxations.\n\nDeputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill said the drop showed the \"very real\" effect of lockdown restrictions imposed on 26 December, but she warned there was still \"no room for complacency\".\n\nShe said she still believed there needed to be an \"two-island approach\" to travel restrictions, including discussions with the British and Irish governments as a \"matter of urgency\".\n\nMrs Foster said Stormont ministers had also expressed frustration at the executive meeting over a lack of data-sharing from authorities in the Republic of Ireland, and called for it to be escalated.\n\nPSNI Chief Constable (centre) Simon Byrne attended Stormont's press briefing on Thursday with the first and deputy first ministers\n\nPSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne said 40 penalty notices a day are being handed out to those who breach the Covid-19 regulations.\n\nHe told the press briefing that if people continued flouting rules, they could expect \"firm and swift enforcement\".\n\n\"We won't turn a blind eye when people break the rules.\"\n\nOn Thursday, 16 more deaths related to Covid-19 were reported by the Department of Health in Northern Ireland, bringing its total to 1,533.\n\nThere have been 973 new cases diagnosed in the past 24 hours, while 58 Covid-19 patients are being treated in ICUs across Northern Ireland, of which 44 are on ventilators.\n\nMrs Foster said she found it \"incredible and frankly unbelievable\" that some people were still holding house parties and gatherings, despite the pandemic rates and the lockdown.\n\nOn Wednesday, health officials warned that levels of the new, more transmissible variant of the virus are rising.\n\nMr Swann said that meant more \"difficult decisions\" on lockdown restrictions could be required.\n\nNorthern Ireland is in the third week of a six-week lockdown to curb the spread of Covid-19.\n\nThe executive is due to review the current restrictions on 21 January.\n\nThe first and deputy first ministers said they would take evidence from health officials before deciding whether an extension of the lockdown would be required.\n\nMinisters have expressed concerns about keeping non-essential parts of businesses open\n\nMinisters have also expressed concerns about some larger retailers \"gaming\" the regulations and keeping open non-essential parts of their businesses.\n\nA meeting between the first and deputy first ministers and representatives of the retail sector is due to happen on Friday afternoon.\n\nElsewhere, the Chief Medical Officer has confirmed that unpaid carers looking after Clinically Extremely Vulnerable individuals should receive the first dose of their vaccine when phase two of the vaccination programme begins next month.\n\nDr Michael McBride told Stormont's Health Committee they are provided for on a list of prioritisation provided by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, which decides the order of vaccination delivery.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Department of Health This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. End of twitter post by Department of Health\n\nMr Swann was asked if his department was \"putting all its eggs in the vaccine basket\".\n\nHe said it was \"not the entirety of the answer\", adding: \"It will take time for the benefits of it to bed in.\n\n\"And while it is doing it, we still have to follow those restrictions that are in place.\n\n\"We may actually have to introduce more.\"\n\nOn Thursday afternoon the department tweeted that 121,711 vaccines have been administered in Northern Ireland.\n\nMrs Foster said that by end of this month, it is hoped all care home residents, health staff and those aged over 80 in Northern Ireland will have received their first vaccination.\n\nShe said that would be an \"incredible achievement\" and make Northern Ireland one of the top-performing countries in rolling out its vaccination programme.\n\nMeanwhile, the chairman of the Police Federation for NI (PFNI) has said officers need more powers to enforce Covid-19 regulations.\n\nAt present officers can only issue guidance and advice on the public health regulations.\n\nPFNI chairman Mark Lindsay said that puts officers in a \"difficult position\".\n\nThe federation represents thousands of rank and file PSNI officers.\n\n\"I think we are well past the stage where police officers are the people that should be giving advice around the guidance,\" Mr Lindsay told BBC Radio Foyle.", "President Trump has just become the first sitting president to be impeached twice by the US House of Representatives.\n\nWe asked members of our BBC voter panel to weigh in as well.\n\nHere's what they said:\n\nQuote Message: Everything he has done is unconstitutional and, as a president, the number one thing he should be doing is upholding the Constitution. If not for him continually fighting the election results and claiming the election was stolen, if not for him holding that rally near the Capitol, if not for him talking about 'uprising', last week would very likely not have happened. Unfortunately it was completely predictable. from Melissa Dangaran 51, from Minnesota Everything he has done is unconstitutional and, as a president, the number one thing he should be doing is upholding the Constitution. If not for him continually fighting the election results and claiming the election was stolen, if not for him holding that rally near the Capitol, if not for him talking about 'uprising', last week would very likely not have happened. Unfortunately it was completely predictable.\n\nQuote Message: Unprecedented. He should not have been impeached at all. There is no justification, no legal basis, no constitutional basis for it. It's a rush to judgment for ulterior motives and a dark stain on our country. I'm concerned about the double standard and I'm afraid our Constitution is on its deathbed. Why would anybody who's rational think that our president meant for people to go break into the Capitol? from Belinda Noah 45, from Florida Unprecedented. He should not have been impeached at all. There is no justification, no legal basis, no constitutional basis for it. It's a rush to judgment for ulterior motives and a dark stain on our country. I'm concerned about the double standard and I'm afraid our Constitution is on its deathbed. Why would anybody who's rational think that our president meant for people to go break into the Capitol?\n\nQuote Message: It's more of a symbolic impeachment at this point because he'll be out soon, but it's necessary nonetheless. Not only is he a threat to our national security, but he doesn't condone white supremacy and other threats. It's deeply saddening to me. from Williams Morales 19, from Georgia It's more of a symbolic impeachment at this point because he'll be out soon, but it's necessary nonetheless. Not only is he a threat to our national security, but he doesn't condone white supremacy and other threats. It's deeply saddening to me.\n\nQuote Message: I was in DC at the rally - not near the Capitol - but I saw the president speak with my own eyes and he did not call for anyone to storm the building or cause harm. It's just a way to ensure he will not run in the next four years. It is political and it will create a bigger divide between left and right. All violence should be condemned fairly and justly. It was a very sad outcome, but I do not believe it was the most horrible day in our country's history. from Gabriel Montalvo 21, from New York I was in DC at the rally - not near the Capitol - but I saw the president speak with my own eyes and he did not call for anyone to storm the building or cause harm. It's just a way to ensure he will not run in the next four years. It is political and it will create a bigger divide between left and right. All violence should be condemned fairly and justly. It was a very sad outcome, but I do not believe it was the most horrible day in our country's history.", "Siegfried and Roy were one of the hottest tickets in Las Vegas\n\nSiegfried Fischbacher, one half of celebrated magic double act Siegfried and Roy, has died from pancreatic cancer in Las Vegas at the age of 81.\n\nThe pair were among the biggest names in the world of magic and were known for working with lions and tigers.\n\nPaying tribute, David Copperfield called him a \"legend in magic\", and Penn Jillette said Siegfried and Roy were \"pure showbiz and pure class\".\n\nRoy Horn died from Covid-19 complications last May.\n\nThe pair \"invented the full length magic show headlining Vegas\", according to Jillette, who is known as part of the duo Penn and Teller.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Penn Jillette This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nSiegfried and Roy teamed up in their native Germany in the 1950s, and the highlight of their extravagant shows was their performances with white lions and white tigers.\n\nHorn was attacked by a 400lb white Bengal tiger named Montecore during a performance in Las Vegas in 2003, leaving him partially paralysed and using a wheelchair.\n\nHe underwent lengthy rehabilitation and was later able to walk again, but the attack ended the duo's long-running Las Vegas residency.\n\nRoy Horn (left) had to use a wheelchair after the tiger attack\n\nFischbacher and Horn, whose real name was Uwe Ludwig Horn, had met on a cruise ship and were later signed up by a liner company.\n\nAfter being spotted and signed to perform at a nightclub in Bremen, they went on to tour Europe and brought tigers into their act.\n\nBut they shot to worldwide fame after launching their Las Vegas shows in the 1960s.\n\nTheir unique brand of magic and artistry consistently attracted sell-out crowds. They performed an estimated 5,000 shows for 10 million fans in the city after 1990, when they began performing at the Mirage hotel-casino.\n\nThey were also estimated to have grossed more than $1bn by 2001, which included their thousands of shows at other venues in earlier years.\n\nIn 2004, their act became the basis for the animated comedy Father of the Pride, about the mischievous adventures of a family of white lions who perform with Siegfried & Roy in Las Vegas.\n\nHorn's condition improved and by 2006 he was able to talk and walk with assistance from Fischbacher.\n\nIn 2009, the duo staged a final appearance with a tiger (said to be Montecore, but this was disputed by some) at a benefit for the Lou Ruvo Brain Institute in Las Vegas.\n\nSiegfried Fischbacher was devoted to his partner Roy\n\nThey retired from showbusiness in 2010. After Horn's death last year, Fischbacher said: \"Today, the world has lost one of the greats of magic, but I have lost my best friend.\n\n\"From the moment we met, I knew Roy and I, together, would change the world. There could be no Siegfried without Roy, and no Roy without Siegfried.\"\n\nFischbacher recently had a 12-hour operation to remove a malignant tumour. He had been receiving care at home from two hospice workers in recent days.\n\nFollow us on Facebook or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nRichard Leonard has resigned as Scottish Labour leader, saying it is in the best interests of the party for him to stand down.\n\nMr Leonard said he believed speculation about his leadership had become a \"distraction\".\n\nAnd he said he would be stepping down with immediate effect.\n\nHis resignation comes just months ahead of the Scottish Parliament election, which is scheduled to be held in May.\n\nMr Leonard had been leader of the party for three years after succeeding Kezia Dugdale.\n\nThe former union official had faced open calls to quit from some of his own MSPs last year amid concerns that his leadership style could damage the party in the forthcoming Scottish Parliament election.\n\nPolls have suggested that many Scottish Labour supporters struggle to recognise him, and he is closely associated with former UK Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.\n\nScottish Labour had dominated politics in Scotland for decades, but is currently the third largest party at Holyrood behind the SNP and Conservatives.\n\nAnd Mr Leonard's critics had questioned whether he was capable of turning the party's fortunes around.\n\nMr Leonard was seen as a close ally of former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn\n\nIn a statement, Mr Leonard said the decision to resign had not been easy - but he felt it was the right one for him and his party.\n\nHe said: \"I have thought long and hard over the Christmas period about what this crisis means, and the approach Scottish Labour takes to help tackle it.\n\n\"I have also considered what the speculation about my leadership does to our ability to get Labour's message across. This has become a distraction.\n\n\"I have come to the conclusion it is in the best interests of the party that I step aside as leader of Scottish Labour with immediate effect.\"\n\nHe also insisted that Scotland now needs a Labour government more than ever, and accused both the Scottish and UK governments of mishandling the coronavirus pandemic.\n\nMr Leonard added: \"While I step down from the leadership today, the work goes on - and I will play my constructive part as an MSP in winning support for Labour's vision of a better future in a democratic economy and a socialist society.\"\n\nHis decision leaves Scottish Labour looking for its fifth leader since the independence referendum in 2014 - with Johann Lamont, Jim Murphy and Kezia Dugdale all having held the job since then.\n\nA Procedures Committee, to oversee the election of Mr Leonard's successor, has been formed and will have its first meeting on Friday.\n\nMeanwhile, Labour's Scottish Executive Committee will also meet in the coming days to agree a timetable for the process.\n\nMSP Jackie Baillie, who was Scottish Labour's deputy leader, has taken charge of the party on an interim basis.\n\nThis sudden resignation four months from the Holyrood elections seems to have taken Scottish Labour by surprise.\n\nMSPs I've spoken to said they did not see it coming.\n\nThere have been times when Richard Leonard has been under severe pressure from some in his party to stand down.\n\nWhen several MSPs publicly called for him to quit because the party had gone backwards at successive elections on his watch, he stood firm.\n\nHis critics seemed to have accepted that he would lead them and a divided party into the Holyrood election.\n\nThat has now changed and interim leader Jackie Baillie has to quickly organise a contest to replace him.\n\nIt's a contest in which Anas Sarwar, if he stands, would be an obvious frontrunner - even although he lost last time to Mr Leonard, who was seen as much closer to the then UK party leader, Jeremy Corbyn.\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer said Mr Leonard should be \"very proud\" of his achievements as leader of the party in Scotland.\n\nSir Keir added: \"I would like to thank Richard for his service to our party and his unwavering commitment to the values he believes in.\n\n\"Richard has led Scottish Labour through one of the most challenging and difficult periods in our country's history, including a general election and the pandemic.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Neil Findlay MSP This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nMr Leonard had been due to face a confidence vote at the party's ruling Executive Committee last September - but the motion was withdrawn at the last minute.\n\nIt came after four Scottish Labour MSPs called for him to go, warning that the party faced \"catastrophe\" at the ballot box under his leadership.\n\nThey pointed to the party's dismal performance in previous elections under Mr Leonard.\n\nScottish Labour finished fifth in the European election in May 2019, and then lost all but one of its MPs in the general election in December of the same year.\n\nMr Leonard insisted at the time that he intended to lead the party into this year's Holyrood election, and accused his opponents of waging \"internal war\" against him.\n\nFirst Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who faced Mr Leonard in her weekly question session in the Scottish Parliament, tweeted that she had \"always liked Richard Leonard\" despite their political difference.\n\nShe added: \"He is a decent guy and I wish him well for the future.\"\n\nRuth Davidson, who quit as leader of the Scottish Tories in 2019 before returning to lead the party at Holyrood, said she had always found Mr Leonard to be a \"thoroughly decent man and a committed campaigner.\"\n\nAnas Sarwar, who was defeated by Mr Leonard in the leadership contest in 2017 and is seen as one of the favourites to replace him, said he was sure Mr Leonard would \"continue to fight for a fairer, more just and more equal society today, tomorrow and long into the future.\"\n\nBut Labour MSP Neil Findlay, an outspoken supporter of Mr Leonard, took aim at those who had sought to oust him last year - describing them as \"flinching cowards\" and \"sneering traitors\".", "Primark stores have been hit hard by lockdown\n\nPrimark says it has no plans to sell its clothes online despite warning that lockdown store closures could cost it more than £1bn in lost sales.\n\nSome 305 of Primark's 389 global stores are shut - including all 190 UK outlets - but unlike rivals it has no online arm to fall back on.\n\nCustomers have said they would welcome the retailer setting up an online shop.\n\nBut Primark, which saw a 30% sales fall to £2bn in the 16 weeks to 2 January, says the cost would mean price rises.\n\nIt contrasts with online only fashion retailers such as Asos and Boohoo, whose sales rose by around 40% in the last four months of 2020.\n\nOn Thursday, consumers called on Primark to embrace e-commerce with one tweeting: \"Online sales are thru the roof during the pandemic. You're missing out on a LOT of money.\"\n\nBut the retailer tweeted back: \"We prefer to sell our products in our physical stores but thanks for the suggestion.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Primark This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nSince March last year, non-essential shops in the UK and overseas have faced strict curbs and prolonged closures and all are currently shut in England.\n\nIn a statement, Primark said that if all of its stores stayed closed until 27 February 2021, it expected to miss out on £1.05bn of sales - up from a previous estimate of £650m.\n\nThe retailer said it would partially mitigate this by cutting its costs, but did not say if that would mean job losses. It added that it only expected to break even in the first half of the financial year, after seeing healthy operating profits of £441m last time around.\n\nIn the past Primark has said it won't sell online because the cost of manning the operation and processing high volumes of returns would mean it could no longer offer low prices.\n\n\"As a fast fashion retailer they are on a low margins anyway - they have to be very competitive on price,\" Patrick O'Brien, UK retail research director at GlobalData told the BBC.\n\nHe said pure online players like Asos and Boohoo could make it work because they were \"geared up for it in terms of logistics\".\n\nPrimark shops saw strong sales when they reopened after the first lockdown\n\n\"But Primark would be starting from scratch, and would have to integrate any new online operation with its existing store structure which would be costly.\"\n\nDespite this Mr O'Brien said the retailer was still likely succeed, pointing to the surge in sales it saw when its shops reopened after the first lockdown.\n\nBut Retail Economics' Richard Lim said Primark was at risk of \"potentially alienating its customers\" who increasingly expect to be able to shop online.\n\n\"They have very loyal customers who love the brand, but they are crying out to be able to access it online.\n\n\"The longer they are not online, the more disruptive it is. The more their customers are discovering new brands and ways to shop.\"\n\nAssociated British Foods also owns food and agriculture businesses. Sales across the group were down 13% in the 16 weeks to 2 January at £4.8bn.\n\nThere are always winners and losers in retail but this Christmas the picture is more polarised than ever thanks to the effects of the pandemic. Just contrast the fortunes of Primark, which doesn't sell online, with Boohoo and Asos which have both reported soaring growth in sales.\n\nAll our big supermarkets have now reported bumper Christmas trading, too, which is no real surprise given we can't go out to eat and so many of us are working from home. This growth has also been driven by an extraordinary rise in internet orders.\n\nWhile Primark is bracing itself to lose £1bn in business as a result of store closures, Tesco says it added £1bn of extra sales online this festive quarter. It's been very tough for many traditional non-food retailers, big and small, who've been unable to make up for all the lost sales from their High Street shops. Looking ahead, the big question is where the online dial will settle when our lives eventually return to normal.", "The number of people being treated in Scotland's hospitals for coronavirus has reached another record daily high.\n\nLatest Scottish government figures show a total of 1,596 people are in hospital with recently confirmed Covid.\n\nThis is up from Friday's figure of 1,530 patients.\n\nThe deaths of a further 93 people who had tested positive for the virus have been recorded in the past 24 hours, the same tally as Friday which was the highest daily figure of the pandemic.\n\nIt is the second day in a row there has been a record figure for Covid hospital patients.\n\nOf the 1,596 people in hospital, a total of 109 are in intensive care, up seven on Friday's figure.\n\nNational clinical director Prof Jason Leitch said Scotland's hospitals were \"very busy and fragile\" but coping so far.\n\nHe said: \"People should not be worried we have reached capacity but the best way of getting those numbers down is to reduce the prevalence of the virus.\"\n\nProf Leitch said the NHS could create more intensive care capacity if needed but \"all of that has a cost in what we won't be able to do\" elsewhere in the health service.\n\nThe NHS Louisa Jordan temporary hospital in Glasgow can be used to care for the sickest of Covid patients if the spike in admissions continues, but officials are trying to avoid this \"if we can manage without it\", Prof Leitch added.\n\nThis is because it is better for patients and staff for Covid patients to be in traditional intensive care units, he explained.\n\nFirst Minister Nicola Sturgeon has described the latest Covid figures as \"a big concern\".\n\nOn Twitter, she said: \"Covid case numbers still a big concern and putting huge pressure on the NHS, as hospital and ICU cases increase.\n\n\"Also, 93 further deaths remind us just how dangerous the virus can be - my thoughts are with all those grieving.\"]\n\nThe Scottish government data shows a further 1,865 new cases of Covid have been reported in the last 24 hours, down from the 2,309 cases reported on Friday.\n\nHowever, the daily test positivity rate is 8.7%, up from 8.1% on the previous day.\n\nThis breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.\n\nYou can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on Twitter to get the latest alerts.", "A 28-year-old woman has been arrested on suspicion of murder after two men died at a property in east London.\n\nPolice were called to an address in Tavistock Gardens, Ilford, at 04:24 GMT to reports of a disturbance.\n\nTwo men were found seriously injured inside the property and both died at the scene.\n\nThe woman, who was Tasered during the arrest, also suffered non life-threatening injuries. She has been taken to hospital, the Met Police said.\n\nA man who lives a short way down the street said he was awoken by the sounds of a woman screaming.\n\nKuddus Miah, 44, said: \"She was screaming 'help, help, call the police'.\n\n\"The police and ambulances were there very quick.\"\n\nThe men who were found seriously injured on Sunday morning died at the scene\n\n\"I got changed out my PJs and went outside and asked one of the neighbours opposite what happened.\n\n\"She said a woman was coming in and out of the house crying out for help.\n\n\"Apparently they were new tenants. We've lived here around 15 years and it's a very quiet neighbourhood, it's shocking.\"\n\nSeveral forensics officers were seen outside the house and a large police cordon has been put in place.\n\nForensic officers have been seen working in the house\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Sarah and her husband Gary lived in the caravan on the drive for nine months\n\nA nurse who lived in a caravan for nine months to protect her mother from coronavirus says moving back into her house was like \"winning the lottery\".\n\nSarah Link and her husband Gary, who usually share a home with her mother, bought the caravan in March to allow them to isolate.\n\n\"I have cried a river in the caravan, if it wasn't for Gary, I wouldn't have got through it,\" Mrs Link said.\n\nThey moved back home for Christmas after her mother received the vaccine.\n\nThe caravan, bought for £600 and parked on their own drive in Cradley, in the Black Country, allowed Mrs Link to continue working at Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital and her husband at his fishmonger's business.\n\n\"I'd do it again tomorrow. I would do it every time, I would have done anything to protect mum,\" she said.\n\n\"We were thinking it would be four weeks, 12 weeks max, then the summer came and went and nine months later we were still there. It was incredible, I just can't believe we did it,\" Mrs Link, who has been a nurse for 17 years, said.\n\nThe couple both contracted coronavirus in December, but carried on living in the caravan so they could self-isolate and continue to protect Mrs Link's 84-year-old mother.\n\nMrs Link said her Christmas this year was \"magical\" after moving out of the caravan\n\n\"I went back to work properly last week. I still get tired easily and suffer with fatigue, but I'm OK,\" Mrs Link said.\n\n\"It's getting ridiculous the cases... some people still walk around and don't believe it's real. If people came on my ward and see what I've seen.\"\n\nMrs Link said she had not hugged her mother since before March as they were still taking precautions to keep her safe.\n\nShe said Christmas and new year had been \"magical\" adding it was the \"best\" she had ever experienced after being able to move back home.\n\n\"We all cried when it turned midnight, that year we'd all had.\n\n\"It was like winning the lottery, waking up in a proper bed.\n\n\"We're in the warm... I wouldn't be happier if I'd won a million pounds.\"\n\nThe couple decorated the caravan throughout the year\n\nFollow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Vincent Kane - pictured with his grandson Sonny - is facing uncertainty about his operation\n\nThe son of a man with pancreatic cancer has said the last-minute cancellation of his surgery has been \"devastating\".\n\nJodie Kane said his father Vincent was due to have his operation on Friday.\n\nHowever, that procedure was cancelled by the Belfast Health Trust on Tuesday as the worsening coronavirus crisis increases the pressure on hospitals.\n\nThe trust apologised, saying it had faced an 80% rise in the number of patients with Covid-19 admitted to hospitals since Christmas Day.\n\nSpeaking on BBC Radio Ulster's Nolan Show, Jodie said that there was now \"no guarantee\" his 68-year-old father would get the treatment.\n\n\"To be told we had the chance of a very successful surgery on offer and then to have it taken away at the last minute is pretty devastating,\" he said.\n\n\"Even the surgeon himself said they would be concerned if it was to go on more than four weeks.\n\n\"There is an uncertainty hanging over us now that we don't know when he'll actually get that surgery or what the impact on his health is going to be.\"\n\nVincent Kane - pictured with his with wife Karen - has been suffering other health issues arising from his cancer\n\nVincent, from Newtownards, County Down, did not receive treatment for some of his other symptoms as it was planned that the surgery would help with those.\n\n\"Because they were hoping to get him straight into surgery he hasn't had the blockage in his gall bladder addressed so he's jaundiced, he's covered in a rash, can't sleep, he's lost a lot of weight,\" Jodie said.\n\n\"Undoubtedly there are people worse off than us out there but it is still a critical illness that he has got and it is one that we don't have an end in sight for, in terms of treatment.\n\n\"There must be a way of helping all those in need, or I suppose if you were being really honest about it those who stand the best chance of surviving - making the decisions for the benefit of them.\n\n\"There's no guarantee that in six weeks' time surgery is going to be an option because who knows what's going to happen with Covid?\"\n\nThe Belfast Health Trust said it had to reduce the number of ill patients on wards to protect them from coronavirus\n\nJodie called on those who were breaking Covid-19 regulations to think about the the \"direct and indirect impacts\" of their actions.\n\n\"We've every sympathy for anyone who has a loved one who needs [intensive] care because of Covid but cancer and Covid are both life-and-death situations.\n\n\"We can minimise the risks of one of them as a collective society just by taking the necessary precautions.\n\n\"It could be someone they love or their neighbour or someone in their community that's in the same situation as us in the very near future.\"\n\nFlo McClements, who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in December, found out on Tuesday that her surgery - scheduled for Thursday - had been cancelled by the Belfast Health Trust.\n\nSpeaking to BBC Radio Foyle, her son Gregg said the pressure was \"mounting day by day\" on the the 72-year-old from Ballymoney, County Antrim.\n\n\"She had waited all through Christmas for the date and due to the Covid-19 restrictions we as a family had stayed away from her,\" he added.\n\nFlo McClements' family wants to \"give her a hug\" after her operation was cancelled\n\n\"We left her on her own with my dad just to make sure she didn't catch Covid and risk the operation.\n\n\"When you get the date you like to think it's the next step to recovery but unfortunately that didn't happen.\"\n\nGregg said his mother was \"putting on a brave face\" but it was difficult for the family to not be with her in person during what was a difficult time.\n\n\"That's actually the hardest part that we can't go up and have a cup of tea with her or give her a hug to make her feel a bit better even for a few minutes.\"\n\nThe Belfast Health Trust said it \"would like to sincerely apologise\" to those affected by the postponement of surgeries.\n\nIt said the decision was taken to reduce the number of ill patients on wards that would be more at risk from the virus than others.\n\n\"This was an incredibly difficult decision to make and we did not take it without considering all the information available to us,\" said the trust.\n\n\"We do not underestimate the anxiety and distress this causes the patients and families affected and we deeply regret this.\n\nIt said it would do \"everything in our power\" to reschedule their operations \"as soon as possible\".", "The company offered to pay surgeries a £5,000 charitable donation \"or to the staff member directly\" in emails\n\nThe Hacking Trust's medical division approached surgeries in Bristol and Worthing offering to pay the money to charity \"or the staff member directly\".\n\nRobyn Clark, from the Institute of General Practice Management, said it was \"just appalling\".\n\nThe company, based in London, has apologised, saying its \"good intentions\" were \"misinterpreted\".\n\nNHS England said people \"will rightly take a dim view of anyone who tries to jump the queue\".\n\n\"The NHS is free at the point of access for everyone who needs it,\" said Mrs Clark.\n\n\"What we felt this company was trying to do was jump the queue.\"\n\nThe Bristol-based manager said she worried it could \"create more health inequality\".\n\nShe said: \"The JCVI [Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation] is trying to prioritise the vaccine based on the vulnerability to Covid.\"\n\nThe e-mail sent to the GP surgery in Worthing said The Hacking Trust was aware that \"many appointments\" for vaccinations are not kept, and that it would be interested in being informed of \"any no-shows\".\n\nA donation of £5,000 would be paid to a staff member or given to charity for each dose it could secure, the e-mail said.\n\nIn a statement, the Battersea-based company said it \"offered charitable donations to staff or surgeries in this difficult time for any vaccines which were unused\".\n\nIt added: \"We had heard that some vaccines were being unused due to missed appointments. We would apologise that our good intentions have been misinterpreted.\"\n\nNHS England said it knew \"these particular emails were received across the country\".\n\nDr Nikki Kanani, GP and NHS medical director for primary care, said hundreds of NHS teams across the country were \"working hard to deliver vaccines quickly to those who would benefit most\".\n\n\"NHS staff will never ask for, or accept, cash for vaccines,\" she said.\n\nThe Department of Health and Social Care said vaccinations were available from the NHS \"for free\" and \"cannot be sold privately in the UK\".\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Online supermarket Ocado has become the first big retailer to warn of shortages of some products.\n\nIt told customers in an email that there may be \"an increase of missing items and substitutions over the next few weeks\".\n\nStaff sickness and self-isolation means some food producers are cutting the number of product lines they offer.\n\nWhile customers might not get their exact product choice, plenty of food should be available, Ocado said.\n\n\"Staff absences across the supply chain may lead to an increase in product substitutions for a small number of customers as some suppliers consolidate their offering to maintain output,\" a spokesperson said.\n\nThe news comes after a rush of online food orders for supermarkets, as shoppers try to stay at home after the new lockdown started.\n\nWithin a couple of hours of Prime Minister Boris Johnson's speech to the nation on Monday, shoppers reported problems with Sainsbury's and Tesco, while Ocado customers were placed in a virtual queue.\n\nOcado told its customers that from Friday \"changes to the UK supply chain have affected some of our suppliers and may result in an increase of missing items and substitutions over the next few weeks.\"\n\nIt added: \"We apologise for any inconvenience caused and we are working hard to mitigate any impact.\"\n\nFood suppliers are grappling with staffing problems, hospitality clients who have closed their doors and delays at the border with the EU.\n\nWholesalers the BBC spoke to this week said they faced throwing away thousands of pounds worth of food because of cancelled orders following new restrictions.\n\nThe UK meat industry has called for the early vaccination of its workers to keep food supplies running smoothly during the coronavirus crisis.\n\nIt warned earlier this week that absences during the pandemic, coupled with disruption at ports, could hit food supply chains.\n\nAn early vaccination call for supermarket staff was also made by the boss of Sainsbury's on Thursday.\n\nThe government said the food industry remains \"well-prepared\" to make sure people have the food they need.\n\nThe British Meat Processors Association (BMPA) said coronavirus and disruption at ports due to new systems brought in after the Brexit transition period were \"a severe challenge to the industry and to the smooth running of the nation's food supply chain\".", "Home Secretary Priti Patel has said officers \"will not hesitate\" to enforce lockdown rules as she defended the way police have handled breaches.\n\nShe said rising numbers of coronavirus cases and deaths illustrated the need for \"strong enforcement\".\n\nIt comes after the National Police Chiefs' Council published guidance saying officers should issue fines more quickly when rules are broken.\n\nMore than 30,000 fines have been handed out by forces in England and Wales.\n\nNPCC figures show 32,329 fixed penalty notices were issued between 27 March and 21 December last year.\n\nThe number of people who have died in the UK within 28 days of a positive Covid test surpassed 80,000 on Saturday, and a further 59,937 people tested positive.\n\nMinisters have launched a new campaign urging people to act like they have the virus and scientists have warned that lockdown measures in England need to be stricter.\n\n\"The vast majority of the public have supported this huge national effort and followed the rules,\" Ms Patel said.\n\n\"But the tragic number of new cases and deaths this week shows there is still a need for strong enforcement where people are clearly breaking these rules to ensure we safeguard our country's recovery from this deadly virus.\n\n\"Enforcing these rules saves lives. It is as simple as that. Officers will continue to engage with the public across the country and will not hesitate to take action when necessary.\"\n\nHealth Secretary Matt Hancock has warned the public to follow the lockdown restrictions, telling the BBC's Andrew Marr programme that \"every time you try to flex the rules, that could be fatal\".\n\nBut Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer criticised the government for not providing \"absolute clarity of messaging\", telling the BBC's Andrew Marr that there had been \"mixed messaging over the last nine months\".\n\nNPCC guidance, published on 6 January, says officers should still offer people \"encouragement\" to comply with the regulations and explain any changes.\n\n\"However, if the individual or group does not respond appropriately, then enforcement can follow without repeated attempts to encourage people to comply with the law,\" the NPCC said.\n\nOn Saturday 12 people were arrested during an anti-lockdown protest in south London.\n\nElsewhere, North Wales Police turned away more than 100 cars at Moel Famau in Flintshire by Saturday lunchtime, and Norfolk Police fined one couple who had travelled about 130 miles (209km) to see a seal colony.\n\nHowever, Derbyshire Police has launched an urgent review into how fines were issued after two women were charged £200 each.\n\nThe pair were stopped by officers for walking five miles from their home with hot drinks, which they were told were not allowed as they were \"classed as a picnic\".\n\nJohn Apter, chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales, said officers were under \"immense pressure to do the right thing\" and said with \"such a changing landscape politically and legally\" there were going to be things which did not go right.\n\nHe said the police had to balance the relationship with the public.\n\n\"It's not easy because all we are trying to do in policing is keep as many people safe as possible,\" he said.", "The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh have received Covid-19 vaccinations, Buckingham Palace has said.\n\nA royal source said the vaccinations were administered on Saturday by a household doctor at Windsor Castle.\n\nThe source added the Queen decided to let it be known she had the vaccination to prevent further speculation.\n\nThe Queen, 94, and Prince Philip, 99, are among around 1.5 million people in the UK to have had at least one dose of a Covid vaccine so far.\n\nPeople aged over 80 in the UK are among the high-priority groups who are being given the vaccine first.\n\nThe couple have been spending the lockdown in England at their Windsor Castle home after deciding to have a quiet Christmas at their Berkshire residence, instead of the traditional royal family gathering at Sandringham.\n\nLast month, the Queen appeared alongside several other senior members of the royal family for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic began.\n\nIn 2020 she went seven months - between March and October - without carrying out public engagements outside of a royal residence.\n\nDuring that time, her eldest child, Prince Charles, 72, contracted coronavirus and displayed mild symptoms.\n\nPalace sources also told the BBC that her grandson Prince William tested positive in April - although Kensington Palace refused to comment officially.\n\nThe Queen made a private pilgrimage to the grave of the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Abbey in November\n\nThe Queen used her Christmas Day message to reassure anyone struggling without friends and family this year that they \"are not alone\".\n\nShe said the pandemic had \"brought us closer\" despite causing hardship, adding that the Royal Family has been \"inspired\" by people volunteering in their communities.\n\nOn Friday a third coronavirus vaccine - made by US company Moderna - was approved for use in the UK, joining the Pfizer-BioNTech and Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines already approved by UK regulators.\n\nIt is not known which vaccine the Queen and Prince Philip have received.\n\nAll the approved vaccines require two doses to provide the best possible protection, with the second dose being given up to 12 weeks after the first.\n\nPrime Minister Boris Johnson has said the aim is to vaccinate 15 million people in the UK by mid-February, including care home residents and staff, frontline NHS staff, everyone over 70 and those who have been categorised as clinically extremely vulnerable.", "Bans imposed by Twitter, Facebook and Instagram on Donald Trump's accounts raise a \"very big question\" about how social media is regulated, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said.\n\nThe companies acted after supporters of the US president stormed Washington DC's Capitol building on Wednesday.\n\nMr Hancock said the bans showed they were now \"taking editorial decisions\".\n\nCampaigners want social media to be treated as \"publishers\", rather than \"platforms\", meaning more regulation.\n\nBut opponents of the idea argue that it could allow governments to limit debate.\n\nMr Trump faces an impeachment charge, with Democrats accusing the Republican president of encouraging the Washington riots, in which five people died.\n\nTwitter permanently suspended his @realDonaldTrump account on Saturday, citing the \"risk of further incitement of violence\".\n\nBut Mr Trump called this an attack on free speech and suggested he would look at \"building out our own platform in the future\".\n\nThere has been a long-running debate over whether social media companies should be treated in law as \"publishers\", with greater responsibility for dealing with libellous, discriminatory, misleading or incendiary content posted by users.\n\nMr Hancock, a former culture secretary, told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show: \"The scenes, clearly encouraged by President Trump - the scenes at the Capitol - were terrible - and I was very sad to see that because American democracy is such a proud thing.\n\n\"But there's something else that has changed, which is that social media platforms are making editorial decisions now. That's clear because they're choosing who should and shouldn't have a voice on their platform.\"\n\nMr Hancock said that development was likely to have \"consequences\".\n\nAsked earlier about Twitter's decision to ban Mr Trump's account, he told Sky News: \"I think it raises a very important question, which is it means that the social media platforms are taking editorial decisions.\n\n\"And that is a very big question because then it raises questions about their editorial judgements and the way that they're regulated.\"\n\nTwitter's ban on Mr Trump's account followed the increasing use of warning labels on his posts referring to the coronavirus pandemic and the result of the US presidential election.\n\nIn a blog on Friday, the company said its public interest framework existed \"to enable the public to hear from elected officials and world leaders directly\".\n\nIt added: \"However, we made it clear going back years that these accounts are not above our rules and cannot use Twitter to incite violence. We will continue to be transparent around our policies and their enforcement.\"\n\nFacebook and Instagram banned Mr Trump \"indefinitely\" on Thursday, with Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg saying this sanction would not be lifted until at least 20 January, when Joe Biden is sworn in as the new US president.", "\"Absurd\" council tax rises should be scrapped to ease the pressure on family budgets, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has said.\n\nLocal authorities in England will be able to raise council tax by 5% from April, with 3% used to top up adult social care budgets.\n\nSir Keir said this meant those living in a band D property could see bills rise by an average of £90.\n\nHe added that the prime minister should provide extra funding to councils.\n\nBut the government says the rise in council tax bills, plus extra money from central government, will ensure a real-terms increase in support for local services.\n\nSir Keir wrote in the Sunday Telegraph: \"It is absurd that during the deepest recession in 300 years, at the very time millions are worried about the future of their jobs and how they will make ends meet, Boris Johnson and [Chancellor] Rishi Sunak are forcing local government to hike up council tax.\n\n\"The prime minister said he would do 'whatever is necessary' to support local authorities in providing vital services - he needs to make good on that promise.\"\n\nSir Keir urged Mr Johnson to \"give families the security they need\" by dropping the tax increase.\n\nHe said families had been treated as an \"afterthought\" by the government during the pandemic, adding that Labour would become the \"party of the family\" under his leadership.\n\nA Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson said: \"Council tax plays an important role in helping fund the frontline services needed to respond to the pandemic.\n\n\"Our approach strikes a balance between allowing local authorities to address service pressures and ensuring local residents have the final say on excessive increases.\"\n\nA £500m fund to support people struggling with finances meant councils could \"cut bills further for some of the most vulnerable households\", they added, while a £7.2bn support package would help meet \"the major Covid-19 service pressures in their local area\".\n\nThe chancellor's Spending Review in November set out the cost to the UK economy so far of dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.\n\nMr Sunak warned the \"economic emergency\" caused by the pandemic had only begun, with lasting damage to growth and jobs.\n\nInterviewed on BBC One's Andrew Marr Show, Sir Keir said there was no scope for a \"major renegotiation\" of the UK's post-Brexit trade deal with the EU, but added that there were \"bits already that need to be improved on\".\n\nAnd, asked about the possibility of another Scottish referendum on independence from the UK, he said that a \"further, divisive\" vote was not \"the way forward\".\n\n\"But I do accept that the status quo isn't working\", Sir Keir added. \"I don't accept the argument that the status quo isn't working, the next thing you do is go to a referendum.\"\n\nThe prime minister has said such a vote - last held in 2014 - should be a \"once-in-a-generation\" event.\n\nBut Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said a referendum should take place.", "Dorset Police said officers dispersed dozens of demonstrators from the town centre as they attempted to march\n\nA video shared online apparently showing a woman being arrested in breach of lockdown for sitting on a bench was \"stage-managed\", police said.\n\nDorset Police believe the video was planned and recorded by anti-lockdown protesters during a demonstration in Bournemouth on Saturday.\n\nThree people were arrested for not giving their details so officers could issue fines for breaking Covid rules.\n\nThe BBC has asked one of the protesters who posted the video to comment.\n\nThe force said two of those held were later de-arrested when they confirmed their details in police custody and a third was released when his details were verified - all three were then issued fixed penalty notices.\n\nOfficers also issued at least seven other fines and 10 dispersal notices.\n\nAssistant Chief Constable Mark Callaghan, from Dorset Police, said: \"We believe this video was planned, stage-managed and recorded by members of the protest group who turned up in multiple areas, several of whom refused to engage or provide their details.\n\n\"If people refuse to give their details in such circumstances then it leaves officers with little option, but to arrest until the details are established. Our officers would only arrest as a last resort.\n\n\"It was clear that the group was deliberately organising their activities, walking around in twos and then trying to come together in a 'flash mob'-style approach, as they have done previously. This activity went on for a couple of hours.\"\n\nThe force's chief constable James Vaughan earlier said: \"I condemn the actions of these selfish individuals who knowingly flouted the lockdown restrictions.\"\n\nThe force said there were \"repeated attempts\" to engage with the organisers to stop the planned protest and found a number of the protesters had \"travelled considerably\" from out of the Dorset area.\n\nMr Vaughan added: \"Our county is gripped with infections and yet these irresponsible individuals have ignored what is being asked of them and have left their homes to protest. Shame on them.\"\n\nSam Crowe, director of public health for Dorset, said its hospital services were \"close to being overwhelmed\".\n\nMr Crowe said: \"Infection rates locally have been doubling in less than a week. If this carries on, our hospitals will not be able to cope with caring for those needing life-saving treatment. Stay at home means exactly that.\"\n\nLatest figures show Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole has reached 745.2 cases per 100,000 people.\n\nAlso on Saturday, 16 people were also arrested during an anti-lockdown protest in south London.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Eleanor Wadsworth was a civilian pilot with the Air Transport Auxiliary\n\nOne of the last surviving \"Spitfire Women\", who ferried aircraft to the front line in World War Two, has died.\n\nEleanor Wadsworth, who was 103, was part of the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA), a civilian service that transported fighter aircraft and crew.\n\nThe ATA Association said she was among 165 women who flew without radios or instrument flying instructions.\n\nMrs Wadsworth, who lived in Bury St Edmunds, died in December after a month of illness.\n\nDuring the war, about 1,250 men and women from 25 countries transferred some 309,000 aircraft of 147 different types.\n\nMrs Wadsworth said the \"thought of learning to fly for free was a great incentive\" to join the ATA\n\nMrs Wadsworth, who was born in Nottingham, joined the ATA in 1943 after seeing an advertisement for female pilots and was one of the first six successful candidates to be accepted with no or little previous flying experience, historian Sally McGlone said.\n\nIn 2020, the former pilot told her housing association's in-house magazine that she had been \"looking for a new challenge\" when she joined the service.\n\n\"The thought of learning to fly for free was a great incentive [so] I put my name down and didn't think much about it,\" she said.\n\nShe added that she had enjoyed flying Spitfires the most, which she did 132 times.\n\n\"It was a beautiful aircraft, great to handle,\" she said.\n\nTributes have been paid to her bravery on social including one from former RAF Tornado navigator and Gulf prisoner of war John Nichol.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by John Nichol This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nMs McGlone said Mrs Wadsworth and her fellow ATA pilots \"will remain an inspiration to women worldwide\", while fellow historian Howard Cook said she and her fellow \"Spitfire Women\" had been \"incredibly brave\".\n\nAuthor Karen Borden, who interviewed Mrs Wadsworth for an upcoming book, added that \"like many of the women pilots, she was incredibly humble about her contribution to the war effort\".\n\n\"She joked about how flying 'straight and level' was her mark... and how marvellous it was to take to the air on her own.\"\n\nEleanor Wadsworth (bottom row, far left) joined the ATA in 1943\n\nHer son Robert said she had been \"a wonderful mother, an adoring grandmother and great-grandmother\", who had been \"matter of fact\" about her wartime service.\n\nHe said she would say that \"we had a job to do [and] we just got on and did it\".\n\nHer funeral will take place on Tuesday.\n\nMrs Wadsworth had been one of three surviving female ATA pilots, alongside American Nancy Stratford and Briton Jaye Edwards, who lives in Canada.\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Asymptomatic testing for Covid can help \"break the chains of transmission\", Matt Hancock says\n\nRegular rapid testing for people without coronavirus symptoms will be made available across England this week, the government has said.\n\nThe community testing regime - expanded to cover all 317 local authorities - uses rapid lateral flow tests, which can return results in 30 minutes.\n\nLocal councils are being encouraged to prioritise tests for those who cannot work from home during the lockdown.\n\nThe health secretary said asymptomatic testing can help break transmission.\n\nMeanwhile, NHS England has invited tens of thousands of people over 80 to book vaccinations.\n\nA further 563 people have died in the UK within 28 days of a positive Covid test and another 54,940 cases reported, according to government figures on Sunday.\n\nThe total number of deaths in the UK after a positive test passed 80,000 on Saturday.\n\nThe government has launched a campaign telling people to act like they have got the virus in a bid to tackle the rise in infections.\n\nUnder the national lockdown, people in England must stay at home and can go out only for limited reasons such as food shopping, exercise, or work if they cannot do so from home. Similar measures are in place across much of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.\n\nThe Department of Health and Social Care said expanding the Community Testing Programme to more people without symptoms was \"crucial given that around one in three people\" who contract Covid-19 show no symptoms.\n\nIt said regular community testing using the rapid tests had already identified more than 14,800 positive Covid-19 cases.\n\nSo far, 131 local authorities in England have enrolled in the government's community testing programme, with Milton Keynes, Slough, Doncaster and Essex the latest to join.\n\nHealth Secretary Matt Hancock said targeted asymptomatic testing and subsequent isolation was \"highly effective in breaking chains of transmission\".\n\nBut Angela Raffle, a consultant in public health at the University of Bristol Medical School, said increasing lateral flow testing was \"very worrying\" and warned the benefits of finding symptomless cases \"will be outweighed by the many more infectious cases that are missed by these tests\".\n\nDefending lateral flow tests on the BBC's Andrew Marr programme Mr Hancock said mass asymptomatic testing in Liverpool had seen the case rate drop \"more sharply than it did in other similar areas where only restrictions were brought in\".\n\nNHS Test and Trace will also work closely with other government departments to scale up workforce testing, the Department of Health and Social Care said.\n\nMany are already piloting regular workforce testing, with 15 large employers having taken up this offer already across 64 sites, \"including organisations operating in the food, manufacturing, energy and retail sectors, and within the public sector including job centres, transport networks and the military\".\n\nThe Department of Health and Social Care said plans were already in place for rapid testing of staff and students in schools and colleges and staff in primary schools.\n\nAsked when schools could reopen by the BBC's Andrew Marr, Mr Hancock said there were four conditions: that there is not a major new variant, the vaccine rollout is proceeding effectively, the number of deaths is falling and there is an easing of pressure on the NHS.\n\nMatthew Fell, of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), which represents 190,000 UK businesses, said: \"This expansion of testing will help more critical workers and those unable to work from home to operate safely, while also catching new cases more swiftly.\"\n\nBusiness Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said the safety of the workforce had been an \"absolute priority\" and said the expansion of testing means \"we can keep our economy on the move while giving individuals in key sectors complete confidence that their workplace is safe\".\n\nBut Prof Susan Michie, professor of health psychology at University College London, told BBC Breakfast the country would continue a \"yo-yoing of lockdown\" without a \"test, trace and isolate system that actually works\" and warned there needed to be tighter restrictions and tougher messaging than in March to prevent \"tens of thousands of avoidable deaths in the next few weeks\".", "Bernard Thomas was interviewed by BBC Wales at the time of the 50th anniversary of the Aberfan disaster\n\nA survivor of the Aberfan disaster has died after contracting Covid-19.\n\nAs a nine-year-old Bernard Thomas was rescued from the rubble of Pantglas primary school after one of the biggest tragedies in Welsh history.\n\nA total of 144 people were killed in the disaster on 21 October, 1966, after thousands of tonnes of coal slurry slid from a tip. Of those 116 were primary school pupils.\n\nLater Bernard was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress.\n\nHe told S4C he \"still heard the sounds of children screaming.\"\n\nPaying tribute to Mr Thomas, 63, who died on Wednesday, his brother Andrew told BBC's Newyddion: \"Bernard was a real character and his death has come as a shock to us as a family and the community of Aberfan.\"\n\n\"We can't be sure where he caught Covid, but he had an eye appointment at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital on 21 December.\n\n\"A few days later, he became ill and at Prince Charles Hospital, he tested positive for Covid-19.\"\n\n\"Although he had been receiving oxygen through a mask, we spoke regularly on the phone and he told us he was getting better.\n\n\"But on Wednesday morning he removed his mask to eat his breakfast, and 10 minutes after eating he faded away.\"\n\n\"It's a huge shock but I don't blame anybody.\"\n\nOn the 50th anniversary of the disaster Bernard told the BBC: \"I still wonder what the others would have been doing if it hadn't happened. Who would have got married to who, you know.\"\n\nBernard is survived by his 90-year-old mother Gwen, with whom he shared a home, and brothers Andrew and Robert.", "Coronavirus does not show much sign of \"abating\" in Scotland, says the deputy first minister as he refused to rule out tougher restrictions.\n\nScotland is facing \"a very alarming situation\" with the virus, according to John Swinney, whose comments come as the country records its highest death toll so far in the pandemic in the last two days, where 93 Scots died from the virus.\n\nSwinney tells Politics Scotland: \"I don't think I'm revealing a state secret when I say that the debate within cabinet [on Monday] was not whether we were going too far but whether we were going far enough.\"\n\nMr Swinney says Scotland recorded around 130 cases per 100,000 people on Boxing Day, but the figure shot up to 300 just 10 days later.\n\nDespite the new measures put in place, Mr Swinney said: \"It doesn't show much sign of abating to any extent.\n\n\"We're seeing case numbers which are hovering around 2,000 per day... so we've got an accelerating situation on our hands and we have to constantly review whether more restrictions are required.\"\n\nHe added: \"We remain open to considering further restrictions if they are necessary.\"", "Flexing the coronavirus lockdown rules could be fatal, the health secretary has warned as hospital admissions soar.\n\nMatt Hancock did not rule out strengthening current restrictions and told the BBC's Andrew Marr the NHS was under \"very serious pressure\".\n\nIt comes after almost 55,000 new cases of coronavirus were reported in the UK and the number of deaths after a positive test passed 80,000.\n\nScientist Prof Peter Horby warned the UK was in \"the eye of the storm\".\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the rules were tough but \"may not be tough enough\" and called for the government to hold daily press conferences to avoid \"mixed messages\".\n\nThe UK recorded another 563 deaths within 28 days of a positive Covid test on Sunday, down from 1,065 deaths on Saturday.\n\nHowever, there tends to be fewer deaths reported on Sundays, due to a reporting lag over the weekend. There were also a further 54,940 daily cases.\n\nMr Hancock told Andrew Marr \"every time you try to flex the rules that could be fatal\" and said staying at home was the \"most important thing we can do collectively as a society\".\n\nThe health secretary said he did not want to speculate on whether the government would further strengthen restrictions, after warnings from scientists on Saturday that they may need to be stricter.\n\n\"People need to not just follow the letter of the rules but follow the spirit as well and play their part,\" he said.\n\nHis comments came after Home Secretary Priti Patel defended police over enforcing lockdown rules following the case of two women who were fined for going for a walk five miles from their homes - a decision which is now under review.\n\nThe government has launched a campaign telling people to act like they have got the virus in a bid to tackle the rise in infections.\n\nUnder the national lockdown, people in England must stay at home and can go out only for limited reasons such as food shopping, exercise, or work if they cannot do so from home. Similar measures are in place across much of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.\n\nEngland's chief medical officer Prof Chris Whitty said that if the virus continued on its current trajectory \"many hospitals will be in real difficulties, and very soon\".\n\nIn a statement released on Sunday, he said that unless people started to follow the rules more strictly, emergency patients will have to be turned away from hospitals, causing \"avoidable deaths\".\n\nProf Horby, chairman of the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (Nervtag), said there may be \"early signs that something is beginning to bite\" due to the restrictions - but if they did not then stricter measures would be needed.\n\nHe told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show: \"I really hope people take this very seriously. It was bad in March, it's much worse now.\n\n\"We've seen record numbers across the board, record numbers of cases, record numbers of hospitalisations, record numbers of deaths.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Professor Peter Horby explains why the new Covid-19 variant is up to 70% more transmissible\n\nProf Horby said tougher measures might include those during the March lockdown, such as people only being able to exercise once a day and stricter rules about meeting people.\n\n\"We are in a situation where everything that was risky in the past is now more risky,\" he said.\n\nProf Horby said early signs were encouraging that the vaccines would be effective against the new Covid variants - first identified in the UK and in South Africa - and he did not want people to \"hide under the duvet\".\n\n\"We can see the end game now,\" he said.\n\nHigher cases inevitably mean more hospitalisations and more deaths.\n\nThe most recent figures show that, on average, 894 people per day are now dying within 28 days of a positive Covid test, up from 438 at the start of December.\n\nThe spike in cases since Christmas means that figure is almost certain to get worse before the most recent lockdown measures can start to have any effect.\n\nScientists think the new variant of the disease is more \"transmissible\", possibly because each infected individual produces more of the actual virus - sometimes referred to as the viral load.\n\nVaccination should help to protect the most vulnerable from serious symptoms but we don't yet know if receiving the jab stops an individual contracting the virus and passing it on to others.\n\nScientists say that may mean even tougher restrictions will be needed to bring the R-number below one and start to reduce the overall size of the pandemic.\n\nMass community testing is to be rolled out this week, the government has said, and the health secretary said around two million people had been vaccinated in the UK, with some 200,000 jabs being given in England daily.\n\nMr Hancock said by autumn every adult in the UK would be offered a vaccine.\n\nHe said the government was on course to reach its target of 15 million people vaccinated by mid-February, with the opening of seven mass vaccination centres this week likely to increase the rate of jabs.\n\nMr Hancock told Sky News' Sophy Ridge he hoped coronavirus could be treated like seasonal flu with an annual vaccination programme in the future.\n\nProf Horby said the vaccines may have to be updated \"every few years\" as the virus mutates and said it was unlikely the virus would go away completely.\n\n\"We're going to have to live with it,\" he said. \"But that may change significantly.\n\n\"It may well become more of an endemic virus that's with us all the time and may cause some seasonal pressures and some excess deaths but is not causing the huge disruption that we're seeing now.\"", "Electricity is gradually being restored in Pakistan following a huge power cut across the country, which led to every city reporting outages.\n\nHomes nationwide were suddenly plunged into darkness from about midnight.\n\nPower is now back in most cities but officials warn that it could still be a few hours before electricity is fully restored.\n\nThe outage is believed to have been caused by a fault at a power plant in the south of the country.\n\nPower cuts are not uncommon in Pakistan. Essential facilities such as hospitals often use diesel-fuelled generators as a back-up power supply.\n\n\"A countrywide blackout has been caused by a sudden plunge in the frequency in the power transmission system,\" Pakistan's power minister, Omar Ayub Khan, wrote on Twitter in the early hours of Sunday.\n\nHomes across the country were plunged into darkness at about midnight\n\nMr Khan later said that power had been restored in most major cities but that it would take a few more hours for the grid to go completely back to normal.\n\nHe added that the outage occurred after a fault developed at the Guddu power plant in Sindh province shortly before midnight on Saturday (19:00 GMT).\n\nInvestigators were at the site to ascertain the cause of the fault, Mr Khan said.\n\nBlackouts sometimes occur in Pakistan because of chronic power shortages, with many areas having no electricity for several hours a day. The issue has previously led to street protests.\n\nIn 2013, Pakistan's electricity network broke down completely after a power plant in south-western Balochistan province developed a technical fault.\n\nPakistanis seem to have largely taken this power cut in their stride. Outages lasting a number of hours are not uncommon, though they are rarely on this scale, and normally occur during the hotter summer months. The last time there was a near national blackout like this was in 2015.\n\nSo far, there have been no reports of problems at hospitals, which have their own back-up supplies. A senior member of staff at a major hospital in the city of Karachi told me they could maintain services for 48-72 hours without mainline power.\n\nMany businesses and richer families invariably own diesel or petrol fuelled generators too, allowing them to continue using electricity whenever power cuts occur. There were reports of queues at some petrol stations earlier in the day as people tried to keep refilling their generators.\n\nOthers will have been without internet and phone access, or hot water, but - already used to periods without electricity - appear to have accepted the outage with an air of resignation.", "Many were taken by surprise by the events in Washington, but to those who closely follow conspiracy and extreme right groups online, the warning signs were all there.\n\nAt 02:21 Eastern Standard Time on election night, President Trump walked onto a stage set up in the East Room of the White House and declared victory.\n\n\"We were getting ready to win this election. Frankly, we did win this election.\"\n\nHis speech came an hour after he'd tweeted: \"They are trying to steal the election\".\n\nHe hadn't won. There was no victory to steal. But to many of his most fervent supporters, these facts didn't matter, and still don't.\n\nSixty five days later, a motley coalition of rioters stormed the US Capitol building. They included believers in the QAnon conspiracy theory, members of \"Stop the Steal\" groups, far-right activists, online trolls and others.\n\nOn Friday 8 January - some 48 hours after the Washington riots - Twitter began a purge of some of the most influential pro-Trump accounts that had been pushing conspiracies and urging direct action to overturn the election result.\n\nThen came the big one - Mr Trump himself.\n\nThe president was permanently banned from tweeting to his more than 88 million followers \"due to the risk of further incitement of violence\".\n\nThe violence in Washington shocked the world and seemed to catch the authorities off guard.\n\nBut for anyone who had been carefully watching the unfolding story - online and on the streets of American cities - it came as no surprise.\n\nThe idea of a rigged election was seeded by the president in speeches and on Twitter, months before the vote.\n\nOn election day, the rumors started just as Americans were going to the polls.\n\nA video of a Republican poll watcher being denied entry to a Philadelphia polling station went viral. It was a genuine error, caused by confusion about the rules. The man was later allowed into the station to observe the count.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Will Chamberlain This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. End of twitter post by Will Chamberlain\n\nBut it became the first of many videos, images, graphics and claims that went viral in the days that followed, giving rise to a hashtag: #StopTheSteal.\n\nThe message behind it was clear - Mr Trump had won a landslide victory, but dark forces in the establishment \"deep state\" had stolen it from him.\n\nIn the early hours of Wednesday 4 November, while votes were still being counted and three days before the US networks called the election for Joe Biden, President Trump claimed victory, alleging \"a fraud on the American public\".\n\nMr Trump did not provide any evidence to back up his claims. Studies carried out for previous US elections have shown that voter fraud is extremely rare.\n\nBy mid-afternoon a Facebook group called \"Stop the Steal\" was created and quickly became one of the fastest-growing in the platform's history. By Thursday morning, it had added more than 300,000 members.\n\nMany of the posts focused on unsubstantiated allegations of mass voter fraud, including manufactured claims that thousands of dead people had voted and that voting machines had somehow been programmed to flip votes from Mr Trump to Mr Biden.\n\nBut some of the posts were more alarming, speaking of the need for a \"civil war\" or \"revolution\".\n\nBy Thursday afternoon, Facebook had taken down Stop the Steal, but not before it had generated nearly half a million comments, shares, likes, and reactions.\n\nDozens of other groups quickly sprang up in its place.\n\nThe idea of a stolen election continued to spread online and take hold. Soon, a dedicated Stop the Steal website was launched in a bid to register \"boots on the ground to protect the integrity of the vote\".\n\nOn Saturday 7 November, major news organisations declared that Joe Biden had won the election. In Democratic strongholds, throngs of people took to the streets to celebrate. But the reaction online from Mr Trump's most ardent supporters was one of anger and defiance.\n\nThey planned a rally in Washington DC for the following Saturday, dubbed the Million MAGA (Make America Great Again) March.\n\nTrump tweeted that he might try to stop by the demonstration and \"say hello\".\n\nPrevious pro-Trump rallies in Washington had failed to attract large crowds. But thousands gathered at Freedom Plaza that sunny morning.\n\nOne extremism researcher called it the \"debut of the pro-Trump insurgency\".\n\nAs Trump's motorcade drove through the city, supporters screaming with delight rushed to catch a glimpse of the president, who beamed at them wearing a red MAGA hat.\n\nWhile mainstream conservative figures were present, the event was dominated by far-right groups.\n\nDozens of members of the far-right, anti-immigrant, all-male group Proud Boys, who have repeatedly been involved in violent street protests and were among those who would later break into the US Capitol, joined the march. Militia groups, far-right media figures and promoters of conspiracy theories were also there.\n\nAs night fell, clashes between Trump supporters and counter-protesters broke out, including a brawl about five blocks from the White House.\n\nThe violence - although largely contained by police on this occasion - was a clear sign of things to come.\n\nBy now, President Trump and his legal team had invested their hopes in dozens of legal cases.\n\nAlthough a number of courts had already dismissed fraud allegations, many in the pro-Trump online world became fascinated with two lawyers with close ties to the president - Sidney Powell and L Lin Wood.\n\nMs Powell and Mr Wood promised they were preparing cases of voter fraud so comprehensive that when released, they would destroy the case for Mr Biden having won the presidency.\n\nMs Powell, 65, a conservative activist and former federal prosecutor, told Fox News that the effort would \"release the Kraken\" - a reference to a gigantic sea monster from Scandinavian folklore that rises up from the ocean to devour its enemies.\n\nThe \"Kraken\" quickly became an internet meme, representing sprawling, unsubstantiated claims of widespread election fraud.\n\nMs Powell and Mr Wood became heroes to followers of the QAnon conspiracy theory - who believe President Trump and a secret military intelligence team are battling a deep state made up of Satan-worshipping paedophiles in the Democratic Party, media, business and Hollywood.\n\nThe lawyers became a conduit between the president and his most conspiracy-minded supporters - a number of whom ended up inside the Capitol on 6 January.\n\nMs Powell and Mr Wood were successful in whipping up sound and fury online, but their legal efforts came to nothing.\n\nWhen they released almost 200 pages of documents in late November, it became clear that their lawsuit consisted predominantly of conspiracy theories and debunked allegations that had already been rejected by dozens of courts.\n\nThe filings contained simple legal errors - and basic misspellings and typos.\n\nStill, the meme lived on. The terms \"Kraken\" and \"Release the Kraken\" were used more than a million times on Twitter before the Capitol riot.\n\nDeath threats were made against a Georgia election worker, and Republican officials in the state - including Governor Brian Kemp, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and the official in charge of the state's voting systems, Gabriel Sterling - were branded \"traitors\" online.\n\nMr Sterling issued an emotional and prescient warning to the president in a press conference on 1 December.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. \"This has to stop... someone's gonna get killed\": Mr Sterling calls on President Trump to condemn the threats\n\n\"Someone's going to get hurt, someone's going to get shot, someone's going to get killed, and it's not right,\" he said.\n\nIn Michigan in early December, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, a Democrat, had just finished trimming her Christmas tree with her four-year-old son when she heard a commotion outside her Detroit home.\n\nAbout 30 protesters with banners stood outside, shouting \"Stop the steal!\" through megaphones.\n\n\"Benson, you are a villain,\" one person yelled.\n\nOne of the demonstrators live-streamed the protest on Facebook, stating that her group was \"not going away\".\n\nIt was just one of a rash of protests targeting people involved in the vote.\n\nIn Georgia, a constant stream of Trump supporters drove past Mr Raffensperger's home, honking their horns. His wife received threats of sexual violence.\n\nIn Arizona, demonstrators gathered outside of the home of Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, at one point warning: \"We are watching you.\"\n\nOn 11 December, the Supreme Court rejected an attempt by the state of Texas to throw out election results.\n\nAs the president's legal and political windows continued to close, the language in pro-Trump online circles became increasingly violent.\n\nOn 12 December, a second Stop the Steal rally was held in the capital. Once again, thousands attended, and once again prominent far-right activists, QAnon supporters, fringe MAGA groups and militia movements were among the demonstrators.\n\nMichael Flynn, Mr Trump's former national security advisor, likened the protesters to the biblical soldiers and priests breaching the walls of Jericho. This echoed the rally organisers' call for \"Jericho Marches\" to overturn the election result.\n\nNick Fuentes, the leader of Groypers, a far-right movement that targets Republican politicians and figures they deem too moderate, told the crowd: \"We are going to destroy the GOP!\"\n\nThe march once again turned violent.\n\nThen two days later, the Electoral College certified Mr Biden's victory, one of the final steps required for him to take office.\n\nOn online platforms, supporters were becoming resigned to the view that all legal avenues were dead ends, and only direct action could save the Trump presidency.\n\nSince election day, alongside Mr Flynn, Ms Powell and Mr Wood, a new figure had rapidly gained prominence among pro-Trump circles online.\n\nRon Watkins is the son of Jim Watkins, the man behind 8chan and 8kun - message boards filled with extreme language and views, violence and extreme sexual content. They gave rise to the QAnon movement.\n\nIn a series of viral tweets on 17 December, Ron Watkins suggested President Trump should follow the example of Roman leader Julius Caesar, and capitalise on \"fierce loyalty of the military\" in order to \"restore the Republic\".\n\nRon Watkins encouraged his more than 500,000 followers to make #CrossTheRubicon a Twitter trend, referring to the moment when Caesar launched a civil war by crossing the Rubicon river in 49BC. The hashtag was also used by more mainstream figures - including the chairwoman of Arizona Republican Party, Kelli Ward.\n\nIn a separate tweet, Ron Watkins said Mr Trump must invoke the Insurrection Act, which empowers the president to deploy the military and federal forces.\n\nMr Trump met Ms Powell, Mr Flynn and others at a strategy meeting at the White House the following day, 18 December.\n\nDuring the meeting, according to the New York Times, Mr Flynn called on Mr Trump to impose martial law and deploy the military to \"rerun\" the election.\n\nThe meeting further stoked online chatter about \"war\" and \"revolution\" in far-right circles. Many came to see the joint session of Congress on 6 January, normally a formality, as a last roll of the dice.\n\nA wishful story began to take hold among QAnon and some MAGA supporters. They hoped that Vice-President Mike Pence, who was set to preside over the 6 January ceremony, would ignore the electoral college votes.\n\nThe president, they said, would then deploy the military to quell any unrest, order the mass arrest of the \"deep state cabal\" who had rigged the election and send them to Guantanamo Bay military prison.\n\nBack in the land of reality, none of this was remotely feasible. But it launched a movement for \"patriot caravans\" to organise ride shares to help transport thousands from around the country to Washington DC on 6 January.\n\nLong processions of vehicles flying Trump flags and sometimes towing elaborately decorated trailers gathered in car parks in cities including Louisville, Kentucky, Atlanta, Georgia, and Scranton, Pennsylvania.\n\n\"We are on our way,\" one caravaner posted on Twitter with a picture of about two dozen supporters.\n\nAt an Ikea parking lot in North Carolina, another man showed off his truck. \"The flags are a little tattered - we'll call them battle flags now,\" he said.\n\nAs it became clear that Mr Pence and other key Republicans would follow the law and allow Congress to certify Mr Biden's win, the language towards them became vicious.\n\n\"Pence will be in jail awaiting trial for treason,\" Mr Wood tweeted. \"He will face execution by firing squad.\"\n\nOnline discussion reached boiling point. References to firearms, war and violence were rife on self-styled \"free speech\" social platforms such as Gab and Parler, which are popular with Trump supporters, as well as on other sites.\n\nIn Proud Boys groups, where members had once supported police, some turned against authorities, whom they deemed to no longer be on their side.\n\nHundreds of posts on a popular pro-Trump site, TheDonald, openly discussed plans to cross barricades, carry firearms and other weapons to the march in defiance of Washington's strict gun laws. There was open chatter about storming the Capitol and arresting \"treasonous\" members of Congress.\n\nOn Wednesday 6 January, Mr Trump addressed a crowd of thousands at the Ellipse, a park just south of the White House, for more than an hour.\n\nEarly on he encouraged supporters to \"peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard\", but he ended with a warning. \"We fight like hell, and if you don't fight like hell, you're not going to have a country anymore.\n\n\"So we're going to, we're going to walk down Pennsylvania Avenue… and we're going to the Capitol.\"\n\nTo some observers, the potential for violence that day was clear from the outset.\n\nMichael Chertoff, former secretary of homeland security under President George W Bush, blamed the Capitol Police, who reportedly turned down offers of assistance from the much larger National Guard ahead of time. He characterised it as \"the worst failure of a police force I can think of\".\n\n\"I think it was a very foreseeable potential negative turn of events,\" Mr Chertoff said.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\n\"To be blunt, it was obvious. If you read the newspaper and were awake, you understood that you've got a lot of people who have been convinced there was a fraudulent election. Some of them are extremists, and violent. Some of the groups openly said, 'Bring your guns'.\"\n\nStill, many Americans were astonished by Wednesday's scenes, like James Clark, a 68-year-old Republican from Virginia.\n\n\"I find it absolutely shocking. I didn't think it would come to this,\" he told the BBC.\n\nBut the signs were there for weeks. A hodgepodge of extreme and conspiratorial groups were convinced that the election was stolen. Online, they repeatedly talked about arming themselves, and violence.\n\nPerhaps the authorities didn't think their posts were serious, or specific enough to investigate. They now face pointed questions.\n\nFor Joe Biden's inauguration on 20 January, Mr Chertoff is expecting a \"much stronger showing\" by security services than last Wednesday night.\n\nBut that hasn't stopped many on extreme platforms calling for further violence and disruption on the day.\n\nThere are questions, too, for the major social media platforms, which enabled conspiracy theories to reach millions of people.\n\nLate on Friday, Twitter deleted the accounts of Mr Flynn, the former Trump advisor, the \"Kraken\" lawyers Ms Powell and Mr Wood, and Mr Watkins. Then Mr Trump himself.\n\nArrests of those who stormed the Capitol continue. But most of the rioters still live in a parallel online universe - a subterranean world filled with alternative facts.\n\nThey have already come up with fanciful explanations to dismiss Mr Trump's video statement, posted on Twitter the day after the riots, in which he acknowledged for the first time that \"a new administration will be inaugurated on 20 January\".\n\nHe can't possibly be giving up, they contend. Among their new theories - it's not really him in the video but a computer-generated \"deep fake\". Or perhaps the president is being held hostage.\n\nMany still believe Mr Trump will prevail.\n\nThere's no evidence behind any of this, but it does prove one thing.\n\nNo matter what happens to Donald Trump, the rioters who stormed the US Capitol are not backing down anytime soon.", "Spain is in a race against time to clear roads covered by heavy snow, and get Covid vaccines and food supplies to areas affected by Storm Filomena.\n\nUp to 50cm (20 inches) of snow fell on the capital Madrid, one of the worst hit areas, between Friday and Saturday.\n\nAt least four people died and thousands of travellers were left stranded.\n\nOvernight, temperatures plunged to -8C (18F) in parts of Spain, amid warnings by meteorologists that the snow was turning to perilous ice.\n\nThe unusual cold wave on the Iberian peninsula is expected to last until Thursday.\n\nThe Spanish government said it had taken extra steps - including police-escorted convoys - to ensure its expected shipment of some 300,000 coronavirus vaccines can be distributed as planned to regional health authorities later on Monday.\n\n\"The commitment is to guarantee the supply of health, vaccines and food. Corridors have been opened to deliver the goods,\" Transport Minister Jose Luis Abalos said on Sunday.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Madrid has been hit by heavy snowfall after Storm Filomena\n\nSoldiers have been deployed to clear some of the 700 major roads.\n\nSome 3,500 tonnes of salt were later brought on lorries to the capital, Spain's El Mundo website reported on Monday.\n\nThe record-breaking snowfall has triggered some unprecedented scenes here in Madrid. People have skied along the city's main commercial street, Gran Vía, and one man was pictured being pulled through the district of Hortaleza on a sled by five huskies.\n\nBut other responses to the snow have been more controversial due to concerns about Covid-19. Dozens of young people had a snowball fight in Callao square, for example, and many of them were without facemasks.\n\nNearby, in Puerta del Sol, others celebrated the snow by dancing a conga. The daily Marca newspaper branded it \"the conga of shame\".\n\nAlthough the snowfall has now stopped, low temperatures have left snow and ice piled up across the capital and the surrounding region. And with residents advised to avoid using their cars, public transport has seen a surge in demand.\n\nThis has compounded coronavirus concerns as many metro train carriages were packed at rush hour on Monday morning, making social distancing impossible.\n\nMadrid's international airport began gradually resuming operations on Sunday afternoon, having cancelled all flights on Friday.\n\nSome 500 people across the Madrid region were forced to spend the night in temporary shelter, including sports centres, after they were trapped by the whiteout.\n\nAbout 100 shoppers and staff spent two nights at a shopping centre in Majadahonda, a town north of the capital. \"There are people sleeping on the ground on cardboard,\" one restaurant employee told TVE television.\n\nSpain's Meteorological Agency said Saturday's snowfall was the heaviest in Madrid since 1971\n\nBut there were stories of heroism too, including doctors and medical workers who abandoned their cars and walked for hours to get to work. One doctor, Alvaro Sanchez, said on social media he had walked 17km (10 miles) over nearly two hours to get to work, while two nurses, Paco and Monica, said they had walked 22km to their hospital.\n\nThey were praised by Spanish Health Minister Salvador Illa, who tweeted: \"The commitment that the entire group of health workers is showing is an example of solidarity and dedication.\"\n\nSome 4x4 vehicle owners offered to transport medical workers, while other volunteers helped to clear hospital entrance ways.\n\n\"Health staff have been working (hard) for more than a year and this is just a short moment for us, so as citizens, we are trying to help; it is everyone's responsibility,\" said Fernando de la Fuente, 60, who helped clear the entrance to Madrid's Gregorio Maranon Hospital.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nSpaniards in large parts of the country have been warned to take care in the coming days as temperatures could fall to -12C (10F) in some areas until Thursday.", "Last updated on .From the section FA Cup\n\nCrawley Town delivered one of the FA Cup third round's most emphatic upsets as the League Two underdogs tore apart Marcelo Bielsa's Leeds.\n\nThree second-half goals rewarded a fantastic performance from John Yems' side as they made light of the 62 places between themselves and their Premier League visitors.\n\nNick Tsaroulla, playing only his seventh game in senior football, set the ball rolling, beating three Leeds defenders to fire home a superb solo opener.\n\nUnited keeper Kiko Casilla's error allowed Ashley Nadesan to double the lead before Jordan Tunnicliffe added a third for Crawley, who could have won by more.\n• None Watch all of the goals from the FA Cup third round\n• None Can Mark Wright make it as a pro at Crawley?\n\nBielsa made seven changes to his side but Leeds fielded England midfielder Kalvin Phillips among several regular top-flight starters including Pablo Hernandez, Ezgjan Alioski and club record signing Rodrigo.\n\nHowever, after an even first half, they were completely outplayed in the second period by a Crawley side who have reached the fourth round for only the third time, having spent most of their 125-year existence in non-league football.\n\nCrawley even had the luxury of bringing on reality TV celebrity Mark Wright in stoppage time for the former The Only Way Is Essex star's debut, having signed for the club on non-contract terms in December.\n\nLeeds' loss is the first time in 34 years a top-flight side has lost to a fourth-tier team by three or more goals and only the second ever instance since a fourth division was added to the Football League in 1958.\n\nThey may be the lesser-known of the two Red Devils but Crawley's efforts were no less impressive than Manchester United's 6-2 dissection of Leeds last month.\n\nWhile Bielsa rested first-choice stars such as Patrick Bamford, Luke Ayling, Stuart Dallas and Mateusz Klich, there was still plenty of experience mixed in with the youth in Leeds' line-up.\n\nBut the hosts, sixth in League Two after an eight-game unbeaten run, never gave them the chance to settle and while neither side could break the deadlock before the interval, it was Crawley who went closest as Casilla kept out Tom Nichols' close-range header.\n\nHe was helpless, however, to prevent Tsaroulla - a former Tottenham trainee who spent a year out of the game because of injuries sustained in a car crash - firing Crawley ahead after a twisting run into the area that beguiled the Leeds back-line.\n\nRather than protect their lead, Crawley went for the jugular and Nadesan soon doubled their advantage, although his strike owed much to a bobble that beat Casilla at his near post.\n\nTunnicliffe then fired into the roof of the net after Casilla parried from Nadesan and Crawley could have had a fourth after top scorer Max Watters came off the bench to round the keeper, only to be denied by a covering defender.\n\nThe win marked the first time in four attempts that Crawley have beaten a Premier League side in the FA Cup and so comfortable was the victory that TV personality Wright was given his late cameo.\n\nAnother name added to Leeds' list of cup woes\n\nBielsa was left to mull over back-to-back 3-0 defeats, albeit this one coming in a much different context to Leeds' Premier League loss at Tottenham on 2 January.\n\nThis was the former Argentina manager's first taste of an FA Cup shock, after far more mundane exits against Arsenal and QPR in Bielsa's two previous campaigns since taking the Elland Road reins in 2018.\n\nBut it was not unfamiliar ground for Leeds as Crawley - who have finished in the bottom half of League Two for five successive seasons - emulated non-league pair Histon and Sutton United, as well as lower-league clubs Rochdale and Newport, in upsetting the Whites this century.\n\nThe visitors only forced one real save from Crawley keeper Glenn Morris, who reacted well to push away Ian Poveda's strike from an acute angle in the first half.\n\nLeeds might point to a penalty they perhaps should have had before the interval when Crawley defender Tony Craig got away with pulling back Rodrigo as he attempted to meet Helder Costa's volleyed cross.\n\nBut there was no video assistant referee system at the game, and they offered very little going forward after Rodrigo was substituted at half-time.\n\nIt was a fourth successive third-round exit in a competition they could have looked to with some hope, given their relatively comfortable position in the Premier League.\n\n\"We've got 11 star men\" - what they said\n\nCrawley manager Yems to BBC Sport: \"You have to enjoy these games - you work hard enough for it. It was a really good team performance and it's clear that we've got 11 star men.\n\n\"These players have got a lot to prove to the clubs who have released them and we've showed what we can do against a really good side.\n\n\"Let's see who we get in the next round and enjoy the moment.\"\n\nLeeds midfielder Alioski to BBC Radio 5 Live: \"We are really disappointed and it wasn't the result that we wanted. We took the game really seriously and we wanted to win and go on a run, so it is disappointing.\n\n\"Crawley played the game of their lives, and congratulations. To beat us 3-0 - I still can't believe it.\n\n\"The manager said what he wanted to say. It's important for every player to know what this means. He is sad and the players are sad.\"\n• None Attempt blocked. Sam Greenwood (Leeds United) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.\n• None Attempt missed. Raphinha (Leeds United) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Pablo Hernández.\n• None Jake Hessenthaler (Crawley Town) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.\n• None Attempt saved. Hélder Costa (Leeds United) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Pablo Hernández.\n• None Jamie Shackleton (Leeds United) wins a free kick on the right wing.\n• None Attempt blocked. Max Watters (Crawley Town) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Tom Nichols. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page\n• None All the goals and highlights from a huge Saturday of third-round matches are", "Mike Pompeo said the US-Taiwan relationship should not be \"shackled\" (file photo)\n\nThe US is lifting long-standing restrictions on contacts between American and Taiwanese officials, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says.\n\nThe \"self-imposed restrictions\" were introduced decades ago to \"appease\" the mainland Chinese government, which lays claim to the island, the US state department said in a statement.\n\nThese rules are now \"null and void\".\n\nThe move is likely to anger China and increase tensions between Washington and Beijing.\n\nIt comes as the Trump administration enters its final days ahead of the inauguration of Joe Biden as president on 20 January.\n\nThe Biden transition team have said the president-elect is committed to maintaining the long-standing US policy towards Taiwan.\n\nAnalysts say they will be unhappy with such a policy decision being made in the final days of the Trump administration, but that the move could be reversed easily by Mr Pompeo's successor Antony Blinken.\n\nChina regards Taiwan as a breakaway province, but Taiwan's leaders argue that it is a sovereign state.\n\nRelations between the two are frayed and there is a constant threat of a violent flare up that could drag in the US, an ally of Taiwan.\n\nIn a statement on Saturday, Mr Pompeo said the US state department had introduced complicated restrictions limiting the communication between American diplomats and their Taiwanese counterparts.\n\n\"Today I am announcing that I am lifting all of these self-imposed restrictions,\" he said. \"Today's statement recognises that the US-Taiwan relationship need not, and should not, be shackled by self-imposed restrictions of our permanent bureaucracy.\"\n\nHe added that Taiwan was a vibrant democracy and a reliable US partner, and that the restrictions were no longer valid.\n\nFollowing the announcement, Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu thanked Mr Pompeo, saying he was \"grateful\".\n\n\"The closer partnership between Taiwan and the US is firmly based on our shared values, common interests and unshakeable belief in freedom and democracy,\" he wrote in a tweet.\n\nLast August, US Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar became the highest-ranking US politician to hold meetings on the island for decades.\n\nIn response, China urged the US to respect what it calls its \"one China\" principle.\n\nThe US also sells arms to Taiwan, though it does not have a formal defence treaty with the country, as it does with Japan, South Korea and the Philippines.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nChina and Taiwan have had separate governments since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949.\n\nBeijing has long tried to limit Taiwan's international activities and both have vied for influence in the Pacific region.\n\nTensions have increased in recent years and Beijing has not ruled out the use of force to take the island back.\n\nAlthough Taiwan is officially recognised by only a handful of nations, its democratically-elected government has strong commercial and informal links with many countries.", "Lockdowns have worked before, but can we expect the new one to do the same?\n\nIt feels like we are back in March or April last year, when the strict controls on all our lives led to a fairly quick decline in levels of coronavirus.\n\nBut one of the crucial differences this time is the new variant, which is thought to spread between 50 and 70% faster than previous forms of the virus.\n\nExperts warn there are now no guarantees that lockdown will be enough to bring the variant under control.\n\n\"It still would not have been easy, but it would have been a much easier situation if it had not been for the new variant,\" Prof Neil Ferguson, from Imperial College London, told Inside Health.\n\n\"That really pushes the bounds of our ability to control the spread of the virus, even with measures that were previously relatively quite effective.\"\n\nThe coronavirus spreads when we come into contact with each other so moving classrooms online, telling people to stay at home and closing shops breaks many of those opportunities for human contact.\n\nIf we consider the R number - the average number of people each infected person passes the virus on to - it was about 3.0 in the run up to the first lockdown and anything above 1.0 means cases are climbing.\n\nR fell to 0.6 during the first lockdown.\n\nThen every 1,000 infected people passed the virus on to 600 others, who passed it on to 360 others and so on.\n\nBut if the new variant is 50% more transmissible then the R number, in the same lockdown conditions, would be about 0.9.\n\nThen 1,000 infected people would pass the virus onto 900 others, then 810 and so on.\n\nAs you can see this leads to far slower decline.\n\nAnd that assumes lockdown can get R down to 0.9 in areas where the new variant has become the most common form of the virus.\n\nIf, as some studies suggest, the variant is about 70% more transmissible then R may stay above 1.0 and cases may not fall at all.\n\n\"We'd at best flatten the curve, keep numbers at a roughly constant level, and that's frankly why there is so much emphasis on getting vaccine into people's arms as quickly as possible,\" said Prof Ferguson.\n\nIt is hard to lock down even harder as there are some parts of society - hospitals, supermarkets - that need to be kept open.\n\nWhat happens to the number of cases over the coming weeks will be closely monitored. If this lockdown is less effective then we will have to live with it for longer.\n\nThere have been some encouraging signs over the Christmas break, which was a bit like a lockdown due to school holidays and other restrictions.\n\n\"We are in a very difficult situation here, but my initial assessment of the last few days is that the rate is slowing which is good news,\" Prof John Edmunds, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, told the BBC.\n\nHe added: \"It looks likes those restrictions should be sufficient to stop the increase, whether they will be sufficient to bring cases down sufficiently we are yet to see.\"\n\nEventually the vaccine will give people immunity so we do not need the same controls on our lives.\n\nNow more than ever this is a race between the virus and the vaccine.", "Dozens of demonstrators were walking and chanting along Clapham High Street as police attempted to keep them contained to the area\n\nSixteen people have been arrested during an anti-lockdown protest in south London.\n\nPolice officers clashed with some of the maskless protesters who arrived in Clapham Common, some shouting \"take your freedom back\".\n\nSix police vans were deployed to the scene while officers moved the crowd of about 30 people away from the area.\n\nGathering for the purpose of a protest is not an exemption to the rules, the Met Police said.\n\nOne woman shouted from her car at the protesters \"there's a pandemic going\", while another bystander shouted \"idiots\".\n\nOne anti-lockdown protester, who was detained at Clapham Common park, said \"I stand under common law, not maritime law and this is assault\" as he was put into handcuffs by police officers.\n\nA large police presence remains around Clapham Common station, but almost all protesters had left the area as of 14:00 GMT.\n\nIt comes as a \"major incident\" was declared as the spread of Covid-19 threatens to \"overwhelm\" London hospitals.\n\nCity Hall said Covid-19 cases in the capital had exceeded 1,000 per 100,000, while there were 35% more people in hospital with the virus than in the peak of the pandemic in April.\n\nPolice could be seen questioning several people at the demonstration\n\nPolice battled to disperse the protestors gathering in Clapham Common\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Ben Jackson said the closure of the farm's bulk-buyers like hotels and schools has left thousands of eggs unsold\n\nA fall in bulk egg orders due to the lockdown could lead to chickens being culled, a poultry-farmer has warned.\n\nFluffetts Farm near Fordingbridge had been supplying free range eggs to 350 Hampshire schools, but orders stopped when schools suddenly closed.\n\nFarm owner, Ben Jackson said: \"If you can't sell the eggs you can't still keep feeding the chickens and therefore something has to give.\"\n\nHe said he hoped to work out a local delivery system to avoid culling birds.\n\nMr Jackson, who has been selling some of the surplus eggs off on social media, has more than 13,000 chickens laying 12,000 eggs each day.\n\nThe cancellation of his school orders has left him with about 4,000 spare eggs a day. The farm has also been hit by restaurants and pubs closing again.\n\nThe farm has a surplus of about 4,000 eggs each day from its 13,000 chickens\n\nHe said: \"If we can't find a home for the eggs the worst-case scenario is that we may have to look to get rid of some of our chickens, but that's what we're trying to avoid.\n\n\"Other chicken farmers are in the same situation - they are talking about potentially having to cull birds in the next week or so - it's not a decision that anyone wants to make.\n\n\"We just want to get through this dark time - we're just taking it a day at time.\"\n\nChickens at the farm are currently in a bird lockdown.\n\nSince 14 December strict biosecurity regulations have been in place following a number of outbreak of avian influenza throughout England.\n• None 'I'll have to throw away £6,000-worth of milk'", "Flat owners applying to a fund to help pay to remove flammable building cladding will be told not to talk to the press without government approval.\n\nA draft agreement, uncovered by the Sunday Times, says that even where there is \"overwhelming public interest\" in speaking to journalists, the government must be told first.\n\nThe government said the wording was \"standard\".\n\nIt set up a £1.6bn fund last year to repair the most dangerous buildings.\n\nBut it warned that the fund might not cover all the costs of removing the cladding.\n\nThe clause might affect building owners and professional managing agents but also residents who manage their building.\n\nSome types of the covering, often added to newer blocks of flats, have been proven to be a fire hazard.\n\nAfter the 2017 Grenfell fire, the government pledged that safe alternatives to dangerous cladding would be provided on all buildings in England taller than 18m.\n\nIt set up the £1.6bn fund to help foot the costs.\n\nThe agreement, between the building owner or leaseholder and the government, says: \"The Applicant shall not make any communication to the press or any journalist or broadcaster regarding the Project or the Agreement (or the performance of it by any Party) without the prior written approval of Homes England and [the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government ]\" and its press offices.\n\nIt says an exception can be made \"where such disclosure is in the overwhelming public interest (in which case disclosure will not be made without first allowing Homes England and MHCLG to make representations on such proposed disclosure).\"\n\nThe UK Cladding Action Group tweeted that it was \"clearly a matter of public interest\" that these issues were aired in public.\n\n\"No department should be hiding behind non-disclosure agreements to stop scrutiny of their actions,\" the group said.\n\nAnother campaign group, Manchester Cladiators, said the existence of the \"gagging clause\" was \"shocking but not necessarily that surprising\".\n\nSpokesperson Rebecca Fairclough said residents would feel \"intimidated\" by it, adding: \"We ask the government to remove this unfair clause immediately and focus on the priority of solving this institutional failure, which still exists and is only growing over three and a half years after the Grenfell tragedy.\"\n\nThe government insists that the wording in the agreement, under the heading \"Marketing material\", is there to ensure applicants come to the government first.\n\n\"The terms set out are standard in commercial agreements and are not specific to this fund - to suggest otherwise is misleading and inaccurate,\" the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) said in a statement.\n\n\"We want a constructive working relationship with building owners who apply to the fund and applicants are asked to work with the department on public communications relating to the project.\"", "Edwin Poots said he has asked senior UK government figures to consider unilaterally revoking the NI Protocol\n\nThe Stormont minister whose officials are responsible for the new Irish Sea border has said some food will be unavailable if changes are not made.\n\nDUP Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots has also said jobs could be at risk.\n\nHe said problems at the ports were being caused by new rules applied on imports of food and other products from Britain to Northern Ireland.\n\nEarlier Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove said trade from GB to NI \"will get worse before it gets better\".\n\nMr Gove said that \"work is ongoing\" and it is \"all part of the process of leaving the European Union\".\n\nHe added that he had spoken to ministers from all parties in the Northern Ireland Executive.\n\nAfter speaking with hauliers, supermarkets and processors this week, Mr Poots predicted the loss of jobs and rising costs.\n\n\"A wide range of frozen and chilled foods will be unavailable after the temporary exemption period ends,\" he tweeted.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Edwin Poots MLA This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThat exemption period applies to supermarkets and other food importers and runs out in April.\n\nAfter that they will have to comply with all the paperwork required to ship food in, or find suppliers on the island of Ireland or elsewhere in the EU.\n\nNew rules - called the Northern Ireland Protocol - were introduced because while the UK has left the EU, Northern Ireland has remained in the Single Market for goods and is continuing to apply EU customs rules.\n\nThe arrangement was agreed between the UK and the EU to prevent a hard border on the island of Ireland.\n\nMr Poots said he had spoken to senior UK government figures to ask them to consider unilaterally revoking the protocol as it was \"damaging Northern Ireland at the economic and societal level\".\n\nAnd he hit out at members of Sinn Fein, the SDLP, and Alliance Party who he claimed had supported it.\n\nMembers of those parties have countered similar claims from other DUP politicians in recent days.\n\nThey said DUP MPs had voted against alternative arrangements that would have been simpler to manage before the government pushed ahead with the protocol plan.\n\nResponding to Mr Poot's tweet on Friday evening, SDLP leader Colum Eastwood wrote: \"You broke it, you own it.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Colum Eastwood This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nSinn Féin MLA Martina Anderson accused Mr Poots of being \"asleep at the wheel\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 3 by Martina Anderson MLA This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThe Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) has called for the assembly to be recalled to discuss difficulties over trading between Great Britain and Northern Ireland due to Brexit.\n\nUUP MLA Roy Beggs said: \"The impact of the Irish Sea border is causing horrendous difficulties for hauliers and this is being seen in shops and businesses across Northern Ireland.\n\n\"It is damaging the Northern Ireland economy and the situation is escalating.\"\n\nEarlier on Friday, Michael Gove said it had been expected that there would be \"some initial disruption\" to trade between GB and NI, but that the government is \"ironing\" issues out.\n\nHe said discussions with the executive in Northern Ireland were \"in order to make sure that the [Northern Ireland] protocol works\".\n\n\"[To make sure] that businesses in Northern Ireland can continue to have access to the rest of the UK market, and that Northern Ireland businesses can have the goods that they need on the shelves, that they have access to at the moment,\" he said.\n\nNorthern Ireland has remained a part of the EU's single market for goods while the rest of the UK has left.\n\nThis means food products from Great Britain are subject to checks when they enter Northern Ireland.\n\nSimilar processes and checks also apply when moving food products from Great Britain into the Republic of Ireland.\n\nMeanwhile, an organisation representing haulage firms has called on the UK and Irish government to relax some of the new Irish Sea trade border rules.\n\nThe Road Haulage Association (RHA) said there is serious disruption to freight movements into the island of Ireland.\n\nThe RHA said relaxing the controls on food products and customs declarations \"would help traders to ship goods that have struggled to move over recent days.\"\n\n\"The problems have led to gaps in supermarket shelves and lorries delayed at ports because of problems with red-tape and the situation is worsening,\" the organisation added.\n\n\"We are facing an inflexible, cumbersome and time consuming process just to move goods.\"\n\nThe UK government said the flow of goods \"between GB and NI has been smooth overall and arrivals of freight have continued to increase substantially over this week\".\n\n\"There are no significant queues at NI ports and supermarkets are reporting healthy supplies into their Northern Ireland stores,\" a spokesperson added.\n\n\"We recognise the need to provide as much support to the haulage sector as possible as industry adapts to new processes. That's why hauliers can benefit from the Trader Support Service, which provides free advice and support to businesses of all sizes moving goods under the Northern Ireland Protocol.\n\n\"We have been engaging intensively with the Irish authorities and hauliers on the issues that have been encountered for goods transiting through Dublin port.\"\n\nOn Thursday customs authorities in the Republic of Ireland announced a temporary relaxation of one customs process.\n\nHauliers will be able to use an override code to complete a piece of administration known as ENS.\n\nThe letters ENS refer to an entry summary declaration, an online form which goods carriers are now legally obliged to submit to Irish customs when transporting goods from Great Britain into Ireland.\n\nLorries arriving in Ireland from Great Britain have faced new checks since 1 January\n\nOn Thursday night the Irish Revenue Commissioners said it recognised that \"some businesses are experiencing difficulties on lodging their safety and security ENS declarations\".\n\nIt said that in response it was providing a \"temporary easement\" which would allow an ENS to be produced without all the normally required information.\n\nAn Irish government spokesperson said it is \"absolutely essential that Ireland fulfils its obligations as a member of the EU and that we protect the integrity of the single market and the customs union\".\n\n\"We appreciate that the new requirements and customs formalities present significant challenges and impose additional burdens on businesses.\"\n\nMeanwhile Stena, the ferry company, said it was cancelling a dozen sailings between Wales and Ireland next week due to \"a decline in freight volumes during the first week of Brexit.\"", "Last updated on .From the section FA Cup\n\nScott McTominay's fourth-minute header was enough to give Manchester United an unconvincing victory in their FA Cup third-round tie against Watford on Saturday.\n\nWearing the captain's armband for the first time in a much-changed side from Wednesday's Carabao Cup semi-final defeat by Manchester City, McTominay found the net after rising to meet Alex Telles' corner.\n\nThe hosts did have chances to increase their lead, but Juan Mata failed to find a finish to an excellent three-man move just before half-time, then Daniel James and substitute Marcus Rashford had shots saved after the break.\n\nBut none of those opportunities were better than that for Hornets defender Adam Masina, who saw his effort blocked by United keeper Dean Henderson not long after McTominay had struck.\n• None Watch all the goals from the FA Cup third round\n• None How all of Saturday's FA Cup action unfolded\n• None How to follow FA Cup third round on the BBC\n\nNow under their fifth manager in two years, Xisco Munoz, Watford had other chances too - Joao Pedro's header went straight to Henderson and Ken Sema was off target with his.\n\nMason Greenwood and Donny van de Beek did little to press their claims for a regular starting slot in manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side, while Jesse Lingard - making only his third appearance of the season and the subject of interest from a number of clubs in the January transfer window - showed glimpses of form but eventually faded.\n\nUnited will go into the hat for Monday's fourth and fifth-round draws, while Watford are left to focus on winning promotion back to the Premier League at the first attempt.\n\nGiven the increasing awareness of the effects of concussion, the decision of United's medical staff to take no risks with defender Eric Bailly when he was caught in the head by Henderson's knee as the keeper punched clear was a welcome one.\n\nThe Football Association had hoped to introduce concussion substitutes by now but it has not yet been able to as detailed protocols are yet to be received from Ifab, the world game's rulemakers.\n\nAs Bailly was guided towards the tunnel in the last minute of the first half, Harry Maguire replaced him and helped United keep the clean sheet which ensured they reached the fourth round for the 34th time in their past 36 attempts.\n\nAfterwards, United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said: \"I think it was his neck. I don't think it was concussion so that is a positive. But we have got to do scans.\"\n\n'I wanted to test McTominay and he delivered' - post-match quotes\n\nManchester United manager Solskjaer said: \"Scott has got everything a leader has to have. I wanted to test him by making him captain and see how he would react.\n\n\"He delivered and he always does. He was brilliant today.\n\n\"We have always trusted our young men coming through and Scott is one who we believe has the Manchester United DNA in him and knows what it is to be a Manchester United player.\"\n\nMcTominay on captaining the side: \"When the manager told me it was a surreal moment. I've been here since I had just turned five, so that's 18 or 19 years associated with the club and it is a huge honour.\n\n\"I love this club and it has been my whole life.\"\n\nUnited turn their attentions to a big week in the Premier League. Solskjaer's side travel to Burnley on Tuesday (20:15 GMT) knowing victory will send them top of the table above Liverpool - who they then play at Anfield on Sunday (16:30 GMT).\n\nWatford's miserable run at Old Trafford continues - stats of the day\n• None The last time Manchester United failed to progress in the FA Cup third round was January 2014, when they lost 2-1 to Swansea.\n• None Watford have lost on 10 consecutive visits to Old Trafford, scoring just three goals.\n• None United have progressed from each of their past 17 FA Cup matches against opposition from a lower division, since a 1-0 home defeat by League One side Leeds United in January 2010.\n• None McTominay has scored four goals in 22 matches this season, one short of his best tally in a campaign (five goals in 37 appearances in 2019-20). Three of those goals have been scored in the first five minutes of games.\n• None Watford attempted 18 shots in the match - only in their 2-0 loss at Huddersfield (21) have they had more shots on the road this season.\n• None Attempt blocked. Marc Navarro (Watford) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.\n• None Will Hughes (Watford) wins a free kick in the attacking half.\n• None Attempt missed. Juan Mata (Manchester United) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right from a direct free kick.\n• None Joseph Hungbo (Watford) wins a free kick on the right wing.\n• None Joseph Hungbo (Watford) wins a free kick on the right wing.\n• None Attempt blocked. Joseph Hungbo (Watford) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by João Pedro. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page\n• None Calculate the impact and how to change it\n• None Sir David Attenborough shows us the forces of nature that support the Earth", "A 107-year-old woman from Clonard, County Meath is attempting a virtual Mass tour across Ireland while in lockdown.\n\nNancy Stewart and granddaughter, Louise Coghlan, have been shielding together since March last year, and have set themselves the spiritual challenge.\n\nThey are attending Mass services across the 32 counties on the island from the comfort of their own kitchen.\n\nLouise said that because they have been shielding for so long together, she is constantly trying to find \"different ways of keeping granny entertained\".\n\nShe said that when she asks Nancy if she wants to watch Mass her \"eyes light up like I'd just given her a million euros\".\n\nNancy, whose favourite saint is St Anthony, said she can hardly believe she is able to watch Mass on a computer or a phone from her comfy armchair.\n\n\"I feel so happy and so refreshed sitting happily in my own kitchen, in my armchair looking at Mass,\" she told BBC News NI.\n\n\"I can't believe it, I'm trying to believe it's true.\"", "The number of patients in intensive care with Covid has risen sharply, amid warnings that tougher lockdown measures may be needed.\n\nLatest Scottish government figures show 1,877 new cases of Covid were reported in the last 24 hours\n\nThe number of people in intensive care has risen from 109 to 123, the highest daily jump since October.\n\nDeputy First Minister John Swinney said a tightening of restrictions could not be ruled out.\n\nA total of 1,598 people are currently in hospital with recently-confirmed Covid, up from Saturday's figure of 1,596 patients which was the highest number since the outbreak began.\n\nThe daily test positivity rate was10%, up from 8.7% on Saturday, when 1,865 positive cases were recorded.\n\nThe deputy first minister said the country was facing \"a very alarming situation\" with the virus.\n\nSpeaking on Politics Scotland, Mr Swinney said coronavirus does not show much sign of \"abating\" and he would not rule out tougher lockdown measures.\n\nHe said: \"We're seeing case numbers which are hovering around 2,000 per day... so we've got an accelerating situation on our hands and we have to constantly review whether more restrictions are required.\"\n\nThere have been some encouraging signs in recent days with average positivity rates falling, a possible indicator that the lockdown is having an impact, but Prof Linda Bauld, of Edinburgh University, urged caution.\n\nShe said: \"The numbers are not reducing at the rate which we want them to, so [it is] still a very fragile situation.\n\n\"The measures we have now I hope are working but it's not clear whether they are tough enough.\n\n\"I think the key change the government could make is in the sectors which are still open, particularly workplaces but also things like takeaways and click and collect.\"\n\nMr Swinney said the Scottish government is \"open to considering further restrictions if they are necessary\"\n\nProfessional sport, along with manufacturing and construction work have been allowed to continue in this lockdown, whereas they were not in the first wave in March.\n\nThe deputy first minister said the meeting of the cabinet which agreed the latest lockdown saw ministers wondering if they had gone far enough to stop the spread.\n\nMr Swinney added: \"I don't think I'm revealing a state secret when I say that the debate within cabinet was not whether we were going too far but whether we were going far enough.\"\n\nA total of three deaths were recorded in the past 24 hours but these figures are lower at weekends because register offices are generally closed.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Madrid has been hit by heavy snowfall after Storm Filomena\n\nStorm Filomena has blanketed parts of Spain in heavy snow, with half of the country on red alert for more on Saturday.\n\nRoad, rail and air travel has been disrupted and interior minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said the country was facing \"the most intense storm in the last 50 years\".\n\nMadrid, one of the worst affected areas, is set to see up to 20cm (eight inches) of snow in the next 24 hours.\n\nFurther south the storm caused rivers to burst their banks.\n\nFour deaths have been reported so far as a result of Filomena. Officials said two people had been found frozen to death - one in the town of Zarzalejo, north-west of Madrid, and the other in the eastern city of Calatayud. Two people travelling in a car were swept away by floods near the southern city of Malaga.\n\nAs snow fell on Madrid on Friday evening, a number of vehicles became stranded on a motorway near the capital.\n\nThe city's Barajas airport has closed, along with a number of roads, and all trains to and from Madrid have been cancelled.\n\nFirefighters were called in to assist drivers who had become stuck. In some areas the military were called in to help clear roads.\n\nSpanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez urged people to stay at home and to follow the instructions of emergency services. King Felipe and Queen Letizia took to Twitter to urge \"extreme caution against the risks of accumulation of ice and snow\".\n\nThe country's AEMET weather agency said the snowfall was \"exceptional and most likely historic\".\n\nA number of people were seen making the most of the snowy scenery, walking through Madrid's Puerta del Sol square.\n\nLarge parks in Madrid have since been closed as a precaution, AFP news agency reports.\n\nOne man was pictured skiing along the Gran Via, the capital's famous shopping street.\n\nIn Cañada Real, the largest shanty town in western Europe, residents were seen creating a bonfire to keep warm.\n\nThe cold weather is set to continue beyond the weekend with temperatures in Madrid predicted to hit -12C on Thursday.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.", "Wales has received 275,000 doses of the two Covid-19 vaccines to deal with the pandemic.\n\nAbout 70,000 people received a first dose after the first month of the vaccine rollout.\n\nThe Welsh Government confirmed it has had more than 250,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and 25,000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab.\n\nThe health minister promised a \"really significant step-up\" in the roll-out after opponents criticised its speed.\n\nThe Pfizer jabs were first administered in early December at seven sites across Wales as part of the UK-wide immunisation programme.\n\nThis 82-year-old woman was one of 100 to receives her vaccine at a special clinic in Swansea on Saturday\n\nApproximately 1.6% of people were vaccinated up to 3 January - fewer than all other UK nations.\n\nIn England, about 1.9% of the population had received the first dose, while 2.1% of people in both Scotland and Northern Ireland had received their first jab.\n\nThe Welsh Government has dismissed criticism it is lagging behind, with health officials saying the new Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine would help speed up the programme \"considerably\".\n\nTwo full doses of the Oxford vaccine gave 62% protection, a half dose followed by a full dose was 90% and overall the trial showed 70% protection.\n\nThe rollout of the Oxford vaccine started on Monday, with 25,000 doses received this week, according to the Welsh Government.\n\nFirst Minister Mark Drakeford said on Friday that Wales would receive another 25,000 Oxford doses next week and 80,000 the week after that.\n\nWhen asked how many doses of the Pfizer vaccine Wales had received, he said he could not recall the exact figure but further deliveries had been received \"on the 23rd and the 27th of December\".\n\nPressed on a figure, he said: \"It's the low hundreds of thousands\", adding: \"The Pfizer vaccine has particular challenges in terms of the conditions that it's got to be stored in and in parts of Wales that is a very particular challenge because it is a hard vaccine to transport over long distances to relatively scattered and remote communities.\n\n\"But the fact that we've got it and the fact that we're able to use more of it than we originally anticipated means we'll be able to accelerate the use of it over the next couple of weeks.\"\n\nThese were the latest comparative weekly totals - daily updates are promised from this week onwards in Wales\n\nOn Sunday, the Welsh Government confirmed it had received 25,000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine in the first week but the quantity would increase, allocated to Wales based on a population share on a weekly basis.\n\n\"We are confident in the assurances we have been given that this will increase over the next few weeks to around 100,000 per week,\" they said.\n\n\"We are delivering all the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine allocated to Wales directly to GPs, other primary care providers and hospitals as soon as it is available.\"\n\nConservative MP for the Vale of Clwyd, Dr James Davies, said: \"We all know that the Pfizer vaccine is difficult to transport and store and needs to be stored at -70 degrees, that's understood.\n\n\"But the issue is that actually, if you look at the rest of the UK, including very rural areas, they've managed to deal with it... and it is difficult to see why they haven't been in a position to be organised earlier and to ramp-up the delivery.\"\n\nRhun ap Iorwerth, Plaid Cymru's health spokesman, called for transparency: \"It is very worrying to find out that we have had in Wales more than 250,000 doses but only a relatively small proportion of that have yet ended up in people's arms, protecting people, because that's what we want to happen.\"\n\nHe has written an open letter to Health Minister Vaughan Gething calling for greater clarity on the vaccine deployment programme, asking for a dashboard of information which would allow the public to track the rollout's progress for themselves, including volume of doses delivered and administered by health board and by the nine priority groups.\n\nDr Olwen Williams, vice-president for Wales at the Royal College of Physicians, also called on health boards and Welsh Government to publish regular data showing which groups of people have been vaccinated, with patient-facing health workers prioritised over other colleagues.\n\n\"I think that would give assurance to people working in the NHS and the population in general, that the programme is progressing as planned,\" she said.\n\nAll data will be published daily from Monday but Mr Gething conceded that Wales, from last week's figures, was \"slightly behind on the population share and I'm not getting away from that.\"\n\nHe said the race was not \"necessarily against other UK nations\" but against the virus.\n\nHe also told BBC Radio Wales' Sunday Supplement that, in the next two to three weeks, he expected to see a \"really significant step-up in the delivery of the vaccine\" as more GP practices and community pharmacies help.\n\n\"We're going to get through many more people, giving them significant protection with a first vaccine,\" he said.\n\n\"And that will mean that we're going to be able to prevent most of the avoidable deaths.\"\n\nIt is hoped the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine will speed up the process.\n\nBy the end of last week, it was being offered to patients aged over 80 at 73 GP practices.\n\nMore than 100 are expected to be offering the jabs next week, Mr Gething said, \"and then we get into several hundred thereafter and we'll bring community pharmacies on board.\"\n\nThe UK and Scottish governments did not provide the numbers of Pfizer vaccines supplied to England and Scotland. BBC Wales is still waiting for a response from the Northern Irish Executive.\n\nMeanwhile, regular rapid testing for people without coronavirus symptoms will be made available in England.\n\nThe Welsh Government said it would evaluate its mass testing pilots in Merthyr Tydfil and lower Cynon Valley, as well as elsewhere in the UK, to inform its approach to community testing.\n\nA spokesman added: \"We have announced regular asymptomatic testing of health and social care workers, in education and daily contact testing in South Wales Police.\n\n\"A pilot has also started at the Tata Port Talbot site. We are also exploring other opportunities for regular testing to support critical services.\"", "Amazon is removing \"free speech\" social network Parler from its web hosting service for violating rules.\n\nIf Parler fails to find a new web hosting service by Sunday evening, the entire network will go offline.\n\nParler styles itself as an \"unbiased\" social media and has proved popular with people banned from Twitter.\n\nAmazon told Parler it had found 98 posts on the site that encouraged violence. Apple and Google have removed the app from their stores.\n\nLaunched in 2018, Parler has proved particularly popular among supporters of US President Donald Trump and right-wing conservatives. Such groups have frequently accused Twitter and Facebook of unfairly censoring their views.\n\nWhile Mr Trump himself is not a user, the platform already features several high-profile contributors following earlier bursts of growth in 2020.\n\nTexas Senator Ted Cruz boasts 4.9 million followers on the platform, while Fox News host Sean Hannity has about seven million.\n\nThe move comes after Apple suspended Parler from its app store. The suspension will remain in place for as long as the network continued to spread posts that incite violence, it said.\n\nGoogle removed the app from its store on Friday.\n\nResponding to Google's move earlier, Parler's chief executive John Matze said: \"We won't cave to politically motivated companies and those authoritarians who hate free speech!\"\n\nHe also warned that Parler could be offline for up to a week while \"we rebuild from scratch\".\n\nIt briefly became the most-downloaded app in the United States after the US election, following a clampdown on the spread of election misinformation by Twitter and Facebook.\n\nIn a letter obtained by CNN, Amazon's AWS Trust and Safety team told Parler's Chief Policy Officer Amy Peikoff that the social network \"does not have an effective process to comply with the AWS terms of service\".\n\n\"AWS provides technology and services to customers across the political spectrum, and we continue to respect Parler's right to determine for itself what content it will allow on its site\", the letter said.\n\n\"However we cannot provide services to a customer that is unable to effectively identify and remove content that encourages or incites violence against others.\".\n\nParler will be removed from Amazon's web hosting service shortly before midnight on Sunday Pacific Standard Time (07:59 GMT on Monday).\n\nOn Saturday, Apple removed Parler from its app store after warning the network to remove content that violated its rules or face a ban.\n\n\"Parler has not taken adequate measures to address the proliferation of these threats to people's safety\", it said in a statement announcing the app's suspension on Saturday evening.\n\nFor months, Parler has been one of the most popular social media platforms for right-wing users.\n\nAs major platforms began taking action against viral conspiracy theories, disinformation and the harassment of election workers and officials in the aftermath of the US presidential vote, the app became more popular with elements of the fringe far-right.\n\nThis turned the network into a right-wing echo chamber, almost entirely populated by users fixated on revealing examples of election fraud and posting messages in support of attempts to overturn the election outcome.\n\nIn the days preceding the Capitol riots, the tone of discussion on the app became significantly more violent, with some users openly discussing ways to stop the certification of Joe Biden's victory by Congress.\n\nUnsubstantiated allegations and defamatory claims against a number of senior US figures such as Chief Justice John Roberts and Vice-President Mike Pence were rife on the app.\n\nGoogle and Apple say they are taking necessary action to ensure violent rhetoric is not promoted on their platforms.\n\nHowever, to those increasingly concerned about freedom of speech and expression on online platforms, it represents another example of draconian action by major tech companies which threatens internet freedom.\n\nThis is a debate which is certain to continue beyond the Trump presidency.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Sir Keir Starmer calls for families to be put \"at the heart of our recovery\" from the coronavirus pandemic.\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer has urged the government to \"protect family incomes\" as it deals with the economic effects of coronavirus.\n\nIn his first speech of the year, he demanded teachers, the armed forces and care workers are left out of the public sector pay freeze.\n\nSir Keir also called for tougher restrictions to be considered for tackling coronavirus.\n\nNo 10 said the government had \"shown it is prepared to act\".\n\nWith coronavirus restrictions and lockdowns shutting thousands of businesses, the economy was 7.9% smaller in October last year than it had been six months earlier.\n\nAnd the government's independent forecaster, the Office for Budgetary Responsibility, predicts that unemployment will rise to 2.6 million by the middle of this year.\n\nIn his speech, Sir Keir attacked the government for \"having been found wanting at every turn\", accusing Boris Johnson of being \"indecisive\" and acting \"too slow\" over further lockdowns and support for business and families.\n\nHe said: \"The British people will forgive many things. They know the pandemic is difficult.\n\n\"But they also know serial incompetence when they see it - and they know when a prime minister simply isn't up to the job.\"\n\nBut the PM's official spokeswoman rejected the criticism, saying: \"This government has shown it is prepared to act. When given evidence in the morning it has taken action that evening.\"\n\nAsked by the BBC's political editor Laura Kuenssberg whether the government should tighten restrictions, such as closing nurseries, Sir Keir said there \"probably is more that we could do [and we] may have to get tougher\".\n\nBut he did not outline what measures he would recommend, instead saying it was \"time to hear from the scientists what else can be done - and that probably should be done in the next few hours\".\n\nThe Labour leader said ministers must \"protect family incomes and support businesses\" from the economic effects of previous restrictions and the current lockdown.\n\nHe added policies must \"make a real difference to millions of people across the country\" and \"put families at the heart of our recovery\".\n\nSir Keir argued the £20-a-week rise given to Universal Credit claimants last April must continue beyond this April's cut-off point.\n\nCouncil tax increases in England of up to 5% this April must not happen, he said, while calling for the ban on evictions and repossessions to be extended.\n\nThe government's pay freeze for at least 1.3 million public sector workers - which does not apply to NHS frontline staff and those earning below £24,000 a year - must not go ahead, said Sir Keir.\n\n\"I know this isn't everything that's needed,\" he added, \"and after so much suffering we can't go back the status quo.\n\n\"We cannot return to an economy where over half our care workers earn less than the living wage, where childcare is among the most expensive in Europe, where our social care system is a national disgrace and where over four million children grow up in poverty.\"\n\nAn opposition leader has no policy leavers to pull. They have to rely on words to persuade the public they are worthy of power.\n\nWith the next general election an eternity away, Sir Keir Starmer knows the question of competence matters far more to voters than ideology right now.\n\nThe Labour leader was unsparing in his criticism of the government's handling of the pandemic - accusing the prime minster of serial incompetence, dithering and delay.\n\nSir Keir said the government could reverse planned changes to council tax and universal credit to ease the financial pressure on families.\n\nBut pressed on how lockdown might be different today if he was in No 10, the Labour leader mirrored the government's messaging.\n\nHe said there was \"probably\" more that could be done around nurseries and estate agent viewings, but Sir Keir's mantra was listen to the scientists.\n\nIt's what ministers say endlessly too.\n\nSir Keir argued that, just as a Labour government \"built the welfare state from the rubble\" of World War Two, a future one can \"secure our economy, protect our NHS and rebuild our country so that Britain is the best country to grow up in and the best country to grow old in\".\n\nBut Conservative Party co-chairman Amanda Milling accused Sir Keir of \"calling for actions the Conservatives are already taking in government\".\n\n\"We have delivered an unprecedented £280bn package of support to protect jobs, livelihoods and public services through this pandemic,\" she added, including the furlough scheme, the temporary increase to Universal Credit and extra funding for councils.\n\n\"The Conservatives will continue to put families and communities at the heart of every decision we take as we deliver on our promises to the British people,\" Ms Milling said.\n\nIn his Spending Review in November, Chancellor Rishi Sunak warned that the \"economic emergency\" caused by the pandemic had only begun.\n\nHe promised to take \"extraordinary measures to protect people's jobs and incomes\".", "The Oxford vaccine rollout started in Wales earlier this week - those figures are not yet included\n\nMore than 14,000 people had their first dose of the Covid-19 jab in Wales in the past week, the latest figures show.\n\nIt takes the numbers on the priority list to have got the Pfizer-BioNTech jab to 49,403 since the rollout started on 8 December.\n\nBut Wales is lagging behind the rest of the UK so far, with a lower proportion of people getting a first dose.\n\nThe Welsh Government said that by next week, 60 GP practices and 20 centres would be vaccinating.\n\nHealth officials said the new Oxford vaccine would help speed up the programme \"considerably\".\n\nThe numbers do not include the first people to receive the new vaccine, which began to be given this week.\n\nPublic Health Wales (PHW) said the real numbers were likely to be higher, with the figures a snapshot based on those vaccines recorded electronically so far.\n\nThey give a breakdown by health board and also show how many people have been given their first dose.\n\nThe figures also include people, such as NHS staff, who work in Wales but live over the border, but do not yet give details of people in different priority categories.\n\nRhun ap Iorwerth, Plaid Cymru's health spokesman, said: \"We need real transparency on progress of the vaccination process.\n\n\"This must include clear targets and data on how many vaccines come to Wales, and how many are distributed and given out by each health board to each priority group - both the first and second doses - so we can measure this against the targets. This is how confidence can be built that Wales is on track.\"\n\nThe Welsh Government said: \"These are early days in our mass vaccination programme. Momentum will continue to build and the speed of our vaccination programme will increase each week.\n\n\"From Monday, the number of people vaccinated will be published daily and we will publish our vaccination rollout plan early next week.\"\n\nThe figure in Wales means approximately 1.6% of people have been vaccinated up to 3 January - fewer than other UK nations - and the gap appears to be growing compared to last week.\n\nIn England, nearly 1.1 million people were given the first dose by 3 January. This is about 1.9% of the population. NHS England said 60% of doses have gone to people aged over 80.\n\nIf vaccinations were being given at the same rate in Wales as in England, a further 13,000 people would have been given a dose.\n\nIn both Scotland and Northern Ireland, 2.1% of people have been given a first dose.\n\nHow many people have had a Covid-19 vaccine? Residents in Wales vaccinated by health board, to 3 January Source: Public Health Wales, 7 January. Excludes 224 unknown and 1,024 doses for priority groups living in England\n\nSamantha is keen to have the vaccine as soon as possible and return to work\n\nDental nurse Samantha Davies, 47, who has shielded since March, was overjoyed at the prospect of having the coronavirus vaccine and returning to work.\n\nBut she is now in limbo after confusion over whether she could have the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab because of her ongoing treatment for Crohn's Disease.\n\nAfter filling out a questionnaire sent by PHW, a consultant recommended she should have the Pfizer-BioNTech jab instead.\n\nThis is because of the inflectra infusion treatment she receives every eight weeks to treat her Crohn's Disease - a type of inflammatory bowel condition.\n\nHowever, the Pfizer vaccine is in shorter supply than the Oxford vaccine and the Swansea practice where Samantha works was only offered 10 vaccinations.\n\nAs Samantha, from Foelgastell, Carmarthenshire, is shielding and not in work, she was not considered a priority for one of these.\n\nSwansea Bay health board has since said the advice about vaccines was given in error and pledged to arrange an appointment for her as soon as possible.\n\n\"It's just being home all the time. Some people I know had it two or three weeks ago. The government put me shielding since March on sick pay and I just want to return to work,\" she said.\n\nWhile she was furloughed from April to August, Samantha has been on statutory sick pay since.\n\nDr Gillian Richardson, the senior officer responsible for the Covid-19 vaccine programme in Wales, said the efforts from NHS Wales and PHW had been \"exceptional\".\n\n\"The number of doses unable to be used have been incredibly low - around 1% - and significantly below anticipated levels, thanks to the robust appointment planning and reserve lists,\" she said.\n\n\"The NHS is providing vaccines as quickly and as safely as possible to people in the priority groups.\"\n\nDerek Hinchliffe, 80, says he is \"frustrated\" at not knowing when he will get his first dose of vaccine\n\nHowever, 80-year-old Derek Hinchliffe, who is eligible for a first dose of a Covid vaccine during this period of the rollout, said he was \"frustrated\" because he has had no information about getting the first dose.\n\nMr Hinchliffe, who lives with his wife in Penpedairheol in Caerphilly county, said: \"We've had nothing - no communication.\n\n\"We've got friends the same as us who live in England who have had their first dose, and some of them are having their second vaccination.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Stephen Crabb This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nConservative health spokesman Andrew RT Davies renewed his call for a vaccinations minister to be appointed to take control.\n\n\"Of course we welcome the increase in the number of vaccinations, but the rough calculation is that one in 65 people in Wales has had their jab compared to one in 50 in England,\" he said,\n\n\"Factor in the postcode lottery emerging in Wales, and the picture's not looking great.\n\n\"You're twice as likely in south Wales to have had the vaccination and three times more likely to have had it in mid Wales than in north Wales.\"\n\nDr Richardson called the second Covid vaccine - Oxford-AstraZeneca - which began its roll-out on Monday a \"real game-changer\".\n\nShe said it would help speed up vaccinations considerably.\n\nThere are challenges with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine because it has to be stored at extremely cold temperatures, while the Oxford vaccine can be be kept in a fridge.\n\nBoth vaccines will be available in Wales and the Welsh Government said 40,000 doses of the Oxford jab would be available within the first two weeks - with 22,000 jabs this week.\n\nTwo full doses of the Oxford vaccine gave 62% protection, a half dose followed by a full dose was 90% and overall the trial showed 70% protection.", "Bez in training for his new exercise classes in a park in Manchester\n\nHappy Mondays star Bez is to launch his own lockdown fitness classes to inspire the nation like Joe Wicks.\n\nThe former maraca-shaking dancer, 56, wants to rival Joe Wicks with his online YouTube classes \"Get Buzzin' With Bez\" to be launched on 17 January.\n\nBez, whose on-stage \"freaky dancing\" made him an icon of the 'Madchester' music scene, has admitted he also wants to budge his own lockdown bulge.\n\nHe won Celebrity Big Brother in 2005 and even made a bid to become an MP.\n\nBez, whose real name is Mark Berry, will be shown being trained in the fitness classes rather than acting as the instructor himself.\n\nHe said: \"I'd like to think I'm somewhere between Joe Wicks and Mr Motivator.\n\n\"I've started this new year seriously unfit, with a fat belly and creaky hips, and I can't stop eating chocolate.\n\n\"Last lockdown I got unfit, fat, lazy and into some seriously bad eating habits.\n\nBez being put through his paces with a personal trainer\n\n\"This year, this lockdown, I need to sort it out sharpish.\"\n\nHe said that people can join him on \"on this mad journey or just sit on the sofa and have a good laugh at me\".\n\nBez said he has \"started this new year seriously unfit, with a fat belly and creaky hips\"\n\nThe former dancer added: \"At the very least, I know I'll be making people smile, at best I'll be helping people get fit and mentally happier alongside me.\"\n\nThe Happy Mondays, along with bands like The Stone Roses and Inspiral Carpets, spearheaded the indie music 'Madchester' scene of the late 80s and early 90s.\n\nBez dancing with his maraca on BBC One's Top of the Pops as the band perform Step On in 1989\n\nBez's bug-eyed dance routines were said to have inspired the group's song Freaky Dancin' and made him one of the best-known members of the group, alongside frontman Shaun Ryder.\n\nTheir hits included Step On, Kinky Afro, Hallelujah and 24 Hour Party People.\n\nHowever, serious drug habits and infighting led to the Salford band's breakup in 1993.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "An ambulance had to be lifted out of the mud\n\nRescuers searching for victims of a landslide in Indonesia were buried by a second mudslide just hours later, officials say.\n\nThe first landslide, in Cihanjuang village, West Java, was triggered by torrential rain.\n\nAnother struck as survivors were still being evacuated. At least 12 people died and dozens more are missing.\n\nLandslides are common in Indonesia during rainy season, and often blamed on deforestation.\n\nThe latest disasters hit the villagers in Sumedang regency, about 150km (95 miles) southeast of the capital Jakarta, three and a half hours apart on Saturday.\n\nThe first happened at 16:00 (09:00 GMT) and the second at 19:30 (12:30 GMT), disaster agency spokesman Raditya Jati said in a statement.\n\n\"The first landslide was triggered by high rainfall and unstable soil conditions. The subsequent landslide occurred while officers were still evacuating victims around the first landslide area,\" he added.\n\nRescuers are believed to be among those killed, he added. A six-year-old boy was also among the dead, according to AFP news agency.\n\nSome 27 people were believed to be missing late on Sunday, local media quoted Deden Ridwansah, the head of the local search and rescue agency as saying. About 46 were known to have survived.\n\nBad weather had forced the search to be suspended, he said, but it was expected to resume on Monday.\n\nIndonesia frequently suffers floods and landslides. Thousands of people had to be evacuated in the capital Jakarta this time last year as the city was inundated.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n• None The fastest-sinking city in the world", "More than 80,000 people have died in the UK within 28 days of a positive Covid test since the start of the pandemic, official figures have shown.\n\nA further 1,035 deaths in the UK were reported on Saturday, taking the total by that measure to 80,868.\n\nThe number of daily cases of people who tested positive for coronavirus increased by 59,937.\n\nOnly the US, Brazil, India and Mexico have recorded more Covid deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.\n\nIt is the fourth day in a row that the UK has reported more than 1,000 daily deaths.\n\nIt comes as scientists advising the government have warned that lockdown measures in England need to be stricter to achieve the same impact as the March shutdown.\n\nMinisters have launched a new campaign urging people to act like they have the virus.\n\nMeanwhile, Buckingham Palace has said the Queen, 94, and the Duke of Edinburgh, 99, received Covid-19 vaccinations on Saturday.\n\nThe Office for National Statistics recently estimated as many as one in 50 people in England had coronavirus between 27 December and 2 January, while in London it was one in 30.\n\nOn Friday, mayor Sadiq Khan said the spread of Covid in the capital was \"out of control\".\n\nOfficial figures from Public Health England showed London had the highest regional case rate in the UK, exceeding 1,000 per 100,000 people.\n\nUnder the national lockdown, people in England must stay at home and can only go out for essential reasons. Similar measures are in place across most of Scotland, in Wales and Northern Ireland.\n\nProf Robert West, a participant in the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Behaviours (SPI-B), which advises the government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), said the current rules were \"still allowing a lot of activity which is spreading the virus\".\n\nHe said the new variant of Covid was around 50% more infectious compared to the virus that infected people last March.\n\n\"That means that if we were to achieve the same result as we got in March we would have to have a stricter lockdown, and it (the current regime) is not stricter,\" he added.\n\nThe professor of health psychology at University College London also told the BBC more children were going to school, compared to during the first lockdown.\n\nHe said schools were \"a very important seed of community infection\".\n\nMore children are at school, after the Department for Education widened the categories of vulnerable and key worker pupils allowed to attend. Attendance rates have risen to 50% in some places.\n\nProf Susan Michie, who is also a member of Sage, said the spread of the new, more infectious variant meant current restrictions were \"too lax\".\n\n\"When you look at the data, it shows that almost 90% of people are overwhelmingly adhering to the rules - despite the fact that we're also seeing more people out and about,\" she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.\n\nShe said, in comparison to the first lockdown in spring 2020, more people were allowed to go out to work and children's nurseries were open, making public transport busier.\n\nThe number of people travelling by public transport in London has decreased since the latest national lockdown began, with tube journeys now at 18% of the pre-pandemic demand and bus journeys at 30%, according to figures from Transport for London.\n\nHowever, during the first lockdown passenger numbers fell below 10% at some points.\n\nScientists believe the new variant spreads between 50 and 70% faster compared to previous forms of the virus.\n\nProf Kevin Fenton, London regional director for Public Health England, said there were \"things we could do better\" to reduce the number of infections, including greater compliance with mask wearing and social distancing when shopping and using public transport.\n\nTorsten Bell, chief executive of the Resolution Foundation think tank, told BBC Radio 4's PM programme that the UK's statutory sick pay system was \"not fit for purpose for a pandemic\" and more effective measures to encourage people to isolate were needed.\n\nAs cases and deaths soar, the government has launched an advertising campaign, which will be shared across television, radio, newspapers and on social media, urging people to stay at home and not to get complacent.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Department of Health and Social Care This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. End of twitter post by Department of Health and Social Care\n\nPrime Minister Boris Johnson said: \"I know the last year has taken its toll - but your compliance is now more vital than ever.\"\n\nGovernment sources say there is also likely to be more focus from police on enforcing rather than explaining rules.\n\nOn Saturday afternoon, 12 people were arrested during an anti-lockdown protest in south London.\n\nIf you would like to send us a tribute to a friend or family member who died after contracting coronavirus, please use the form below.\n\nPlease remember to include a photo of your loved one and their name. Upload your pictures here. Don't forget to include your contact details, so we can get in touch with you.\n\nWe would like to respond to everyone individually and include every tribute in our coverage, but unfortunately that may not be possible. Please be assured your message will be read and treated with the utmost respect.\n\nPlease note the contact details you provide will never be published. Please ensure you have read our terms & conditions and privacy policy.\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your tribute.\n• None Lockdown needs to be stricter, scientists warn", "Kay and Kenneth Hayward said they felt the journey was too unsafe\n\nPeople waiting to receive the Covid-19 vaccine say they are confused by NHS letters inviting them to travel to centres miles away from their homes.\n\nThe first 130,000 letters have been sent to people aged 80 or older who live about 30 to 45 minutes' drive away from one of seven new regional centres.\n\nBut patients, many of whom are shielding, questioned why they had to travel so far in a pandemic.\n\nLocal jabs are available to people if they wait, the NHS said.\n\nThe seven centres include Ashton Gate in Bristol, Epsom racecourse in Surrey, London's Nightingale hospital, Newcastle's Centre for Life, the Manchester Tennis and Football Centre, Robertson House in Stevenage and Birmingham's Millennium Point.\n\nPeople will not miss out on their vaccination if they do not use the letters to make an appointment at one of the centres, the NHS said.\n\nTwo Labour MPs tweeted about their concerns about the letters being delayed in getting out to people due to coronavirus affecting Royal Mail staff.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Sarah Jones MP This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nMary McGarry from Leamington Spa in Warwickshire told BBC News that her letter points to an NHS online booking page which suggests she would have to take her husband, who has cancer and a lung disease, 20 miles to Birmingham.\n\n\"We're very reluctant to go into Birmingham city centre,\" she said.\n\n\"If we can't get somebody to take us, we'd have to go on the train but we're shielding because my husband's got poor health.... we want to know why we've got to travel that far?\"\n\nKay Hayward, from Whitwick in Leicestershire, said she went online to book an appointment for her 85-year-old husband Kenneth and was offered five different places including Widnes in Cheshire and Stevenage in Hertfordshire.\n\n\"I thought they must be joking... we talked about it and we thought it was actually safer to stay here and for him not not have it.\n\n130,000 letters have been sent out by NHS England so far\n\n\"But we were worried if we turned this down, we'd be off the list.. the letter doesn't say anything about having the vaccines anywhere else locally.\"\n\nAndrea Eaton, from Coventry, said she was so angry that her 81-year-old mother, who has heart problems and leukaemia, was offered Birmingham for her appointment that she attempted to ring Downing Street on Saturday night to complain.\n\nShe said she reached the press office and said: \"I want you to give Boris a message please that he has lied to the British public.\n\n\"He has told them they never need to go more than 10 miles... they were really rude and just put the phone down on me.\"\n\nAndrea Eaton said she wanted to get a message to Boris Johnson so rang Downing Street on Saturday evening\n\nA spokesperson from Number 10 told BBC News that they did not wish to comment, but wanted to remind the public to use the government website to write to the prime minister or contact their constituency MP.\n\nCouncillor Shaun Davies, the Labour leader at Telford and Wrekin Council in Shropshire, said he had been contacted by dozens of people who have found the letters misleading, thinking this is their only chance to get the vaccine.\n\nHe said he had spoken to Trafford Council and was aware of people in Shropshire being sent to Manchester and residents there being directed to Birmingham to get their jabs.\n\n\"For many people they have been told consistently to wait for the NHS to contact you in order to get a vaccine and that's what they've had for the first time as a piece of communication.\n\n\"This is really, really concerning for people in their 80s or 90s because of the importance of getting the vaccine.\"\n\nThe letters are not \"going to the heart\" of the public health message which is staying home and staying local, he said.\n\nMore than 500,000 letters will be sent out to homes offering people appointments at the centres over the next seven days\n\nDr Sarah Raistrick, from Coventry and Rugby Clinical Commission group (CCG), said people did not have to travel to the centres but admitted the letter did not make that clear.\n\n\"You can wait and be contacted by your local GP service and have it locally if you'd prefer.\n\n\"If you sit tight, you will be contacted and I'm hopeful that if you're 80 or over, by the end of this month you will have had your vaccination whether that is locally or whether you have chosen to travel,\" she said.\n\nWork will be done with the NHS locally and nationally to make that message clearer, she added.\n\nThe seven centres were chosen to give a geographical spread covering as many people as possible and are capable of delivering thousands of jabs per week, NHS England has said.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Sir Keir Starmer has said the \"status quo isn't working\" for Scotland but has again rejected calls for a second independence referendum.\n\nThe Labour leader, who backs devolving more powers from Westminster, claimed another vote would be \"divisive\".\n\nHowever, he said he did not agree with Boris Johnson's assessment that there should not be another referendum for at least 40 years.\n\nThe SNP said a vote would allow Scots to choose how to rebuild after Covid.\n\nLast year Sir Keir said he would set up a constitutional commission to offer a \"positive alternative to the Scottish people\".\n\nHe told BBC One's Andrew Marr Show: \"I don't think there should be another referendum, I don't think a further divisive referendum is the way forward.\n\n\"But I do accept that the status quo isn't working. I don't accept the argument that the status quo isn't working, the next thing you do is go to a referendum.\n\n\"I think there are other things you can do, other arguments that can be made in support of the United Kingdom.\"\n\nAsked about Boris Johnson's 40-year position, Sir Keir replied: \"I heard the prime minister say that and I don't agree with him on that.\"\n\nSpeaking on BBC Politics Scotland, Deputy First minister John Swinney rejected suggestions that the recovery from the Covid crisis should be a greater priority than another independence vote.\n\nHe said: \"An independence referendum is an essential priority of the people of Scotland because it gives us the opportunity to choose how we rebuild as a country from Covid.\n\n\"It would give us the opportunity to decide on our constitutional future and to determine the nature of our economy and how we deal with and support our citizens.\"\n\nEarlier this month Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the BBC he thought the 41-year interval between the UK's referendums on joining the EU and leaving it was a \"good sort of gap\".\n\nMr Johnson said in his experience, such votes \"don't have a notably unifying force in the national mood, they should be only once in a generation\".", "This car was one of many turned away by police at Moel Famau on Saturday\n\nPeople are \"blatantly\" ignoring rules on lockdown restrictions despite repeated warnings, police have said.\n\nMore than 100 cars had been turned away from Moel Famau on the Flintshire border by Saturday lunchtime, with some driving past \"road closed\" signs.\n\nIn Snowdonia, Gwynedd, a warden said a group from Leicester would have \"probably ignored our advice\" if police had not arrived and told them to leave.\n\nLevel four restrictions mean travelling for exercise is not allowed in Wales.\n\nKeith Ellis, a warden at Pen y Pass in Snowdonia, said while it had been much quieter this weekend, people were still travelling, despite the restrictions.\n\n\"We've had three from Leicester first thing this morning and if the police hadn't turned up they would have probably ignored our advice and carried on up the mountain,\" he said.\n\n\"What they were wearing was totally inappropriate and they would have probably got into danger.\n\n\"We've had people also from Liverpool and some locals turning up knowing full well what the rules are, but just trying it on.\n\n\"Luckily there are a lot more police officers around and all these people have been spoken to and advised by the police as well.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by NWP Rural Crime Team /Tîm Troseddau Cefn Gwlad HGC This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nA Welsh Government spokesman said: \"Cases of coronavirus are very high in Wales at the moment and there is a new strain of the virus circulating, which is highly infectious and moving quickly.\n\n\"At alert level four, exercise should always be undertaken from home, unless you have special circumstances which requires some flexibility - such as disability or autism.\n\n\"The more people gather, the greater the risk of spreading or catching the virus.\"", "Boris Johnson is expected to announce a set of new national restrictions for England, similar to the March lockdown, in a televised address at 20:00 GMT.\n\nThe PM is likely to urge the public to follow the new rules from midnight.\n\nIt is expected people will be told to work from home if possible and schools will close for most pupils.\n\nIt is not yet clear when the measures will be reviewed, but MPs are likely to be given a vote to approve them retrospectively on Wednesday.\n\nMeanwhile, the UK's chief medical officers warned of a \"material risk of healthcare services being overwhelmed\" in several areas over the next 21 days.\n\nScotland announced a legal requirement to stay at home from midnight, with schools to be closed.\n\nMr Johnson will set out plans for England as the UK's devolved nations have the power to set their own coronavirus regulations.\n\nBoth Wales and Northern Ireland are already under national restrictions.\n\nOn Monday, the UK recorded more than 50,000 new confirmed Covid cases for the seventh day in a row.\n\nAs of 08:00 GMT, there were 26,626 Covid-19 patients in hospital in England, according to the latest figures.\n\nThis is a week-on-week increase of 30%, and a new record high.\n\nMr Johnson is expected to tell people to work from home unless they are a key worker, or it is not possible for them to do so, for example if they work on a construction site, according to BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg.\n\nIt is also understood that England's chief medical officer, Prof Chris Whitty, has told the prime minister the new variant of coronavirus is now spreading throughout the country.\n\nThe new variant - first identified in Kent and since seen across the UK and other parts of the world - has been found to spread much more easily than earlier variants.\n\nA No 10 spokesman said the spread of the new variant had led to \"rapidly escalating case numbers across the country\".\n\n\"The prime minister is clear that further steps must now be taken to arrest this rise and to protect the NHS and save lives,\" he added.\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer - who called for a national lockdown in England within 24 hours on Sunday - said: \"I hope the prime minister has been listening to the clear calls for tough national restrictions.\"\n\nHospitals have said they are under \"extreme pressure\" and one of Britain's most senior doctors warned on the weekend that trusts across the UK should prepare themselves for a surge in cases.\n\nThe number of Covid-19 patients in UK hospitals is currently above the level seen in spring 2020.\n\nA further 58,784 cases and an additional 407 deaths within 28 days of a positive test result were reported on Monday, though deaths in Scotland were not recorded.\n\nWhat worked before may not work again - even a repeat of the March lockdown may not be enough to contain the new variant.\n\nConsider the R number - the number of people each infected person passes the virus onto on average.\n\nThe March lockdown brought R down to 0.6 and led to a sharp decline in cases.\n\nEvery 100 infected people passed the virus onto 60 others, who passed it onto 36, then 21, then 12 and so on.\n\nBut the new variant is thought to be around 50% more transmissible so its R number, in the same lockdown conditions, would be around 0.9.\n\nThen 100 infected people would pass the virus onto 90 others, then 81, then 73, then 66 and so on.\n\nThis is a far slower decline.\n\nHowever, uncertainty around the new variant means there are scenarios where its levels plateau rather than fall during lockdown conditions.\n\nIt is going to be a tough start to the year. Even with immediate and tough restrictions there are a projected 20,000 additional deaths in the first months of 2021.\n\nNow more than ever this is a race between the virus and the vaccine.\n\nMr Johnson's address comes as UK chief medical officers recommended the Covid threat level be increased to five - its highest level.\n\nIt means the NHS may soon be unable to handle a further sustained rise in cases, the medical officers said in a joint statement.\n\nNHS Providers, which represents health service trusts, said hospitals were at a \"critical point\" and that \"immediate and decisive action\" is needed.\n\nPreviously, the government described level five as requiring stricter social distancing measures. The first lockdown, which began in March 2020, was when the UK was under level four.\n\nThese Covid threat levels are separate to the regional tier system of restrictions in England.\n\nAnnouncing tougher measures in Scotland, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: \"It is no exaggeration to say that I am more concerned about the situation we face now than I have been at any time since March last year.\"\n\nThe new restrictions in Scotland mean it will be a legal requirement to stay at home except for certain essential purposes, similar to the first lockdown last March. Schools will be closed to pupils until February.\n\nIn Wales, all schools and colleges will move to online learning until at least 18 January.\n\nNorthern Ireland's Stormont Executive are also meeting to discuss possible new measures in light of Mr Johnson's televised address - which will air on BBC One and the BBC iPlayer from 19:35 GMT.\n\nThe prime minister will speak amid continued uncertainty over whether schools will remain open to all pupils in England, after several councils requested classrooms stay shut.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. 82-year-old Brian Pinker is given the Oxford vaccine at the Churchill Hospital in Oxford\n\nEarlier on Monday, an 82-year-old retired maintenance manager became the first person in the UK to receive the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine.\n\nBrian Pinker said he was \"really proud\" to receive a jab developed in the UK, which will form a large part of the country's mass vaccination plan.\n\n\"The nurses, doctors and staff today have all been brilliant and I can now really look forward to celebrating my 48th wedding anniversary with my wife Shirley later this year,\" Mr Pinker said.", "Most pupils will be studying from home for the rest of this half term\n\nSchools and colleges in England are to be closed to most pupils until at least half term, Boris Johnson has announced.\n\nThe prime minister said the new lockdown had to be \"tough enough\" to stop the variant virus from spreading - and teaching will go online.\n\nA-Levels and GCSEs will be cancelled, a government source confirmed to BBC News - although vocational exams will go ahead.\n\nThe National Education Union accused the government of causing \"chaos\".\n\nIn a television address, Mr Johnson announced the biggest changes to schools since the early days of the first lockdown in March.\n\n\"Because we now have to do everything we possibly can to stop the spread of the disease, primary schools, secondary schools and colleges across England must move to remote provision from tomorrow,\" said the prime minister.\n\nThis means a return to online learning for pupils of all ages - apart from vulnerable children and the children of key workers who can continue to go into school.\n\nPrimary schools went back today - and will then close again tomorrow\n\n\"We recognise that this will mean it's not possible or fair for all exams to go ahead this summer, as normal,\" said Mr Johnson.\n\nIt is understood that vocational exams will continue, but GCSEs and A-levels will be cancelled - and that the exam watchdog Ofqual will make \"alternative arrangements\" for delivering results.\n\nAn attempt to produce replacement exam grades last summer turned into one of the biggest U-turns of the pandemic.\n\nTeachers' unions accused the government of failing to react more swiftly to \"mounting evidence\" about Covid transmission in schools and to make preparations for remote teaching and alternatives to written exams.\n\nBut Mary Bousted, co-leader of the National Education Union, said Education Secretary Gavin Williamson had \"become an expert in putting his head in the sand\".\n\nGeoff Barton of the ASCL head teachers' union criticised ministers for having issued legal threats to keep schools open at the end of last term - and then \"made a series of chaotic announcements about the start of this term\".\n\nThe new term, which began on Monday for primary pupils, has only lasted a day before it has been suspended.\n\nThe prime minister said he hoped that schools would be \"reopening schools after the February half term\".\n\nThere have been assurances that there will be a more thorough approach to home learning than in the first lockdown last year.\n\nThe Department for Education has provided hundreds of thousands of computer devices - with the aim of supporting those without the equipment needed to work online from home.\n\nThere have also been suggestions Ofsted inspectors will play a more active role in checking on what support schools are providing to pupils in their online learning.\n\nUniversities in England had already planned a staggered return for this term - but there will now be even fewer students on campus this month.\n\nThe latest lockdown guidance says university students who are taking hands-on courses such as medicine or veterinary science should return for face-to-face lessons as planned.\n\nThese students will be expected to take two Covid tests or self-isolate for 10 days when they return.\n\nBut students on all other courses are being told not to come back to university if possible and to start their term online \"until at least mid-February\".", "The Queen's 95th birthday will be commemorated on one of five new coins released this year, the Royal Mint has announced.\n\nThe 2021 British coin collection will also mark the 250th anniversary of the birth of novelist Sir Walter Scott, and the 75th anniversary of the death of author HG Wells.\n\nThe release of a £5 coin is typically reserved for significant royal events.\n\nIn April the Queen will become the first UK monarch to reach 95.\n\nThe new £5 coin depicts the royal cypher \"EIIR\", above the words \"my heart and my devotion\", a nod to part of her 1957 Christmas broadcast, which was the first to be televised.\n\nDuring that speech, the Queen told the nation: \"In the old days the monarch led his soldiers on the battlefield and his leadership at all times was close and personal.\n\n\"Today things are very different. I cannot lead you into battle, I do not give you laws or administer justice, but I can do something else, I can give you my heart and my devotion to these old islands and to all the peoples of our brotherhood of nations.\"\n\nThe anniversary of the birth of Sir Walter Scott, who wrote the novels Waverley, Rob Roy and Ivanhoe and is considered one of Scotland's most famous figures, will be celebrated with a £2 coin.\n\nThe 75th anniversary of the death of science fiction author HG Wells, who penned works such as The Time Machine and The War Of The Worlds, will also be marked on a £2 coin, with a depiction of images from his novels.\n\nThe 50th anniversary of decimalisation, when Britain's modern coins came into force, will be featured on a 50p coin.\n\nThe 75th anniversary of the death of the inventor John Logie Baird, famous for his early prototypes of the television, will be commemorated on another new 50p coin.\n\nAs the Queen's head already appears on one side of all coins in circulation, these five coins will each offer a different depiction from the various stages of her reign.\n\nClare Maclennan, of the consumer division at the Royal Mint, said this year's commemorative coins marked \"some of the biggest anniversaries in 2021\", with each coin \"a miniature work of art\" designed as \"a treasured keepsake or gift\".\n\nThe commemorative set will be available to purchase from the Royal Mint website.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Olly Stephens was pronounced dead in Bugs Bottom fields in Emmer Green, Reading\n\nA school says its community has been left \"reeling\" after a 13-year-old boy was stabbed to death in Reading.\n\nOliver Stephens, known as Olly, was pronounced dead at Bugs Bottom fields, Emmer Green, on Sunday.\n\nFour boys and a girl, all aged 13 or 14, have been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder. They remain in custody.\n\nHighdown School and Sixth Form Centre head teacher Rachel Cave described the boy's death as a \"total tragedy\".\n\nIn a statement, she said: \"This student was part of our community and many students and staff knew him well.\n\n\"Many have been deeply affected by this tragedy.\n\n\"In normal circumstances we would open the school and welcome in students for support before the start of the term.\n\n\"We are currently unable to do this, of course, but are arranging counselling support and will be establishing an electronic book of condolence.\"\n\nFlowers have been left outside Highdown School\n\nMs Cave said the school was \"a supportive and close-knit community\" which would \"work together over the coming days and weeks\".\n\nDet Supt Kevin Brown, of Thames Valley Police, said: \"Our thoughts remain with Olly's family at this incredibly difficult time.\"\n\nHe added: \"This is a tragic and shocking incident which has resulted in the death of a young boy.\"\n\nThe victim's family are being supported by specially trained officers.\n\nThames Valley Police said a \"considerable police presence\" would be in place in the area for several days\n\nOfficers were called just before 16:00 GMT on Sunday following reports of an attack.\n\nOfficers are appealing for anyone who was in the area between 15:00 and 16:30 who might have taken photos or camera footage to contact them if they notice anything suspicious.\n\nDet Supt Brown said he believed there would have been witnesses to the \"dreadful incident\" as the area is popular with dog walkers.\n\nA man said his wife was walking their dog through the park on Sunday afternoon when she saw a boy on the ground with several people around him trying to give him first aid.\n\nAnother dog walker said she saw a group of young people standing in the woods in Bugs Bottom fields at about 15:30 and described it as \"slightly unusual\".\n\nReading East MP Matt Rodda has offered his \"deepest condolences\" to the boy's family.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Matt Rodda This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nSt Barnabas Church in Emmer Green has invited residents to pray and light a candle in memory of the boy.\n\nFollow BBC South on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to south.newsonline@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Nick Hulme said intensive care units at Colchester and Ipswich hospitals were \"at capacity\"\n\nSecurity officers removed Covid-19 \"deniers\" who were taking pictures of empty corridors at a NHS hospital where the intensive care unit is at maximum capacity, its chief executive said.\n\nThe incident took place at Colchester Hospital at the weekend.\n\nChief executive Nick Hulme said it \"beggars belief\" some people were calling the pandemic a hoax.\n\nHe said it was \"the right thing to do\" to keep corridors in outpatients units as empty as possible.\n\nMr Hulme said hospital security had to \"remove people who were taking photographs of empty corridors and then posting them on social media, saying the hospital is not in crisis\".\n\n\"When you've got that sort of social media pressure and those people denying the reality of Covid it really concerns us. Words fail me,\" he said.\n\n\"Why would people do that when we all know somebody who has died from Covid?\n\n\"Of course there are empty corridors at the weekend in outpatients, because that's the right thing to do.\n\n\"We are facing the biggest health challenge we've ever seen and we are still seeing people flouting the [social distancing] rules.\"\n\nPeople had to be removed from Colchester Hospital's outpatients ward for taking pictures of empty corridors and claiming Covid-19 was a hoax\n\nUnder coronavirus pandemic restrictions on social distancing, many outpatient consultations had been moved online or were taking place over the telephone, he added.\n\nPhysical appointments, tests and procedures had been organised differently to avoid crowded waiting areas.\n\nMr Hulme is chief executive of East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust which also runs Ipswich Hospital and he said there were currently 320 patients being treated for Covid-19 across both sites.\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk", "The homes of Frank and Christine Lampard, Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha and Tamara Ecclestone and her husband were broken into in December 2019\n\nFour people have been cleared of being involved in a plot to raid the luxury homes of celebrities in west London.\n\nItems belonging to Frank Lampard, Tamara Ecclestone and the family of tycoon Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha were among the items taken during three burglaries in December 2019.\n\nProsecutors said Maria Mester, 48, Emil Bogdan Savastru, 30, Sorin Marcovici, 53, and Alexandru Stan, 49, were a \"supporting cast\" for the burglars.\n\nBut a jury found all four not guilty.\n\nIsleworth Crown Court heard the three burglaries had netted \"big money\" for the raiders, with \"fabulous jewellery\" stolen and the majority of it having never been recovered.\n\nJay Rutland, Tamara Ecclestone and their daughter had left for Lapland on the morning of the burglary\n\nJewellery and cash worth £25m was taken from Ms Ecclestone's Kensington home while she was on holiday in Lapland with her husband Jay Rutland and their daughter.\n\nMr Lampard and his TV presenter wife Christine had about £60,000 in watches and jewellery stolen when they were out, while raiders also ransacked the family home of Mr Srivaddhanaprabha, who died in 2018 in a helicopter crash, the jury was told.\n\nThe four defendants were accused of eight charges including conspiracy to burgle.\n\nHowever, each denied their involvement with the plot, saying they had no knowledge that the alleged burglars were criminals.\n\nJurors were shown an image from Maria Mester's Facebook account, in which she was said to be wearing Tamara Ecclestone's necklace\n\nThe court heard escort Ms Mester had flown into the UK from Italy on 7 December.\n\nPolice described her as the plot's \"matriarch\", but the 48-year-old told jurors she was only in London after being paid £5,000 to accompany one of the alleged burglars for the week.\n\nSavastru was arrested at Heathrow Airport on 30 January as he prepared to leave for Japan, wearing Mr Srivaddhanaprabha's Tag watch and carrying a Louis Vuitton bag stolen from Mr Rutland.\n\nHe told the court he thought the items had been left behind by the alleged burglars at the Airbnb property he had helped them rent.\n\nThe four Romanian nationals were cleared of all charges apart from Savastru, who was convicted of one count of attempting to conceal criminal property.\n\nThe 30-year-old will be sentenced at a later date.\n\nA group of alleged burglars, who cannot be named for legal reasons, are accused of carrying out the raids.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Boris Johnson has reiterated his position that a Scottish independence referendum should be a \"once-in-a-generation\" vote.\n\nSpeaking on the BBC's Andrew Marr programme, the prime minister said the gap between referendums on Europe - the first in 1975 and the second in 2016 - was \"a good sort of gap\".\n\nHowever, Mr Marr suggested that now \"things had changed\" for Scotland.\n\nNicola Sturgeon wants to see an independent Scotland join the EU.\n\nAndrew Marr asked the prime minister what a voter in Scotland should do if they decided that a second independence referendum was now something they wanted, and what were the \"democratic tools\" to now do that?\n\nMr Johnson replied by saying: \"Referendums in my experience, direct experience, in this country are not particularly jolly events.\n\n\"They don't have a notably unifying force in the national mood, they should be only once-in-a-generation.\"\n\nAsked what the difference was between a referendum on EU membership being granted and one on Scottish independence being requested, he said: \"The difference is we had a referendum in 1975 and we then had another one in 2016.\n\n\"That seems to be about the right sort of gap.\"\n\nThe 2014 independence referendum resulted in a 55.3% vote against Scotland going alone.\n\nOn Hogmanay, Nicola Sturgeon said Europe should \"keep a light on\" as Scotland will be \"back soon\".\n\nThe first minister tweeted just after the Brexit transition period formally ended at 11:00 on 31 December 2020.\n\nScotland's trading and travel relationships with EU countries will now be governed by the agreement announced by the UK government on Christmas Eve.\n\nMs Sturgeon reiterated the SNP's call for an independent Scotland to join the EU.\n\nTweeting a picture of the words Europe and Scotland joined by a love heart, she wrote: \"Scotland will be back soon, Europe. Keep the light on.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Nicola Sturgeon This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nSNP depute leader Keith Brown said: \"It may be a new year but it's the same old incoherent bluster from Boris Johnson. The prime minister pretends otherwise but he knows he can't keep on denying democracy.\n\n\"Even his American pal Donald Trump has learned that if you try to stand in the way of the democratic choice of a nation you get swept away.\n\n\"The people who will decide our future are the people of Scotland, not Boris Johnson and the Westminster Tories.\"\n\nFormer Labour prime minister Tony Blair said it was \"extremely difficult\" to challenge the SNP on independence when the party was \"virtually uncontested\" in Scotland.\n\nHe said: \"We had a referendum that rejected Scottish independence, but Brexit put it back on the agenda again. And it's going to require very careful management. The truth of the matter is it's still not in Scotland's interest to separate from England.\n\n\"There are huge economic and political reasons for the United Kingdom to stay the United Kingdom but we're going to have to examine whether there's different constitutional settlements.\n\n\"I also think it's incredibly important, the single most important thing politically to my mind, is that we get a really capable opposition in Scotland - which should be the Labour Party - that's capable of contesting the Scottish nationalist position in Scotland in a way that prevents them from doing what they do at the moment, which is govern Scotland but pretend they're in opposition.\"\n\nScottish Greens co-leader Lorna Slater said: \"Only the people of Scotland have the right to determine Scotland's future.\n\n\"Seventeen consecutive opinion polls have demonstrated majorities in favour of independence, with the most recent indicating a record 58% support.\n\n\"Whether it's the botched handling of the coronavirus crisis, the Brexit catastrophe or just the heartlessness of Tory governments we haven't voted for, it's clear that the UK isn't working for Scotland.\"", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. 82-year-old Brian Pinker is given the Oxford vaccine at the Churchill Hospital in Oxford\n\nDialysis patient Brian Pinker, 82, has become the first person to receive the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine.\n\nThe retired maintenance manager got the jab at 7:30 GMT from nurse Sam Foster at Oxford's Churchill Hospital.\n\nMore than half a million doses of the vaccine are ready for use on Monday.\n\nHealth Secretary Matt Hancock said it was a \"pivotal moment\" in the UK's fight against the virus, as vaccines will help curb infections and then allow restrictions to be lifted.\n\nBut Prime Minister Boris Johnson warned on Monday there was \"no question we will have to take tougher measures\", which will be announced in \"due course\", as the UK struggles to control a new, fast-spreading variant of the virus.\n\nOn Sunday more than 50,000 new confirmed Covid cases were recorded in the UK for the sixth day running, prompting Labour to call for a third national lockdown in England.\n\nNorthern Ireland and Wales currently have their own lockdowns in place and Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced a fresh lockdown will begin in Scotland from 00:01 on Tuesday.\n\nThe rollout comes as rows continue over whether pupils should return to school with the current high levels of Covid infections.\n\nSix hospital trusts - in Oxford, London, Sussex, Lancashire and Warwickshire - have begun administering the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab, with 530,000 doses ready for use.\n\nMost other available doses will be sent to hundreds of GP-led services and care homes across the UK later in the week, according to the Department of Health and Social Care.\n\nMr Pinker, who has been having dialysis for kidney disease at the Churchill Hospital for a number of years, said he was \"really proud\" the vaccine was developed in Oxford.\n\n\"The nurses, doctors and staff today have all been brilliant and I can now really look forward to celebrating my 48th wedding anniversary with my wife Shirley later this year,\" he said.\n\nMusic teacher and father-of-three Trevor Cowlett, 88, and Prof Andrew Pollard, a paediatrician working at the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and lead investigator of the Oxford vaccine trial, were also among the first to be vaccinated.\n\nChief nurse Ms Foster, who administered the first dose, told the BBC it was a \"huge privilege\", saying: \"Every single patient that we have vaccinated over the last couple of weeks have got their own personal stories to the difference it's going to make, so it is no different this morning.\"\n\nSpeaking during a visit to London's Chase Farm Hospital, to meet some of the first people to receive the Oxford vaccine, the prime minister said there were \"tough, tough\" weeks to come.\n\nThere will now be a \"massive ramp-up\" in vaccination numbers \"in the weeks ahead\", Mr Johnson said, and the number of vaccine doses will amount to \"tens of millions by the end of March\".\n\nAsked when the government will be able to vaccinate two million people a week, Mr Johnson said the government will give more details \"in the next few days... as soon as we have better numbers to give\".\n\nMr Hancock told BBC Breakfast the Oxford vaccine rollout was a \"pivotal moment\" in the fight against coronavirus, saying: \"It's going to be a tough few weeks ahead, but this is the way out.\"\n\nAsked about reports potential volunteers were being deterred by the additional training and forms, Mr Hancock said they were going to \"reduce the amount of bureaucracy\".\n\n\"For instance there's one of the training programmes about how to tackle terrorism, I don't think that's necessary, we're going to stop that,\" he said.\n\nHowever, he said this was not delaying the delivery of the vaccine, adding that the next delivery of the vaccine will be \"early this week\" to be \"deployed next week\".\n\nEngland's chief medical officer Chris Whitty said the vaccines \"give us a route out in the medium term\" but warned the NHS was \"under considerable and rising pressure in the short term\".\n\nFormer health secretary and Conservative chairman of the Commons' health committee Jeremy Hunt tweeted that it was \"time to act\" and the government needed to close schools and borders, ban all household mixing and impose a 12-week national lockdown in England.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Jeremy Hunt This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nLabour's shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth agreed that a national lockdown was needed, as well as \"rapidly scaled-up vaccine distribution\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Matt Hancock: 'This way can save more lives'\n\nAs the recent rise in Covid cases puts increased pressure on the NHS, the UK has accelerated its vaccination rollout by planning to give both doses of the vaccine 12 weeks apart, having initially planned to leave 21 days between jabs.\n\nThe UK's chief medical officers have defended the delay to second doses, saying getting more people vaccinated with the first jab \"is much more preferable\".\n\nMake no mistake, the UK is in a race against time.\n\nThat much is clear from the decision to delay the second dose of the vaccine to focus on giving as many people as possible their first doses.\n\nSo how fast can the NHS go? Ultimately it wants to get to two million doses a week.\n\nThat will not be achieved this week.\n\nBut Monday marks the start of the NHS putting the accelerator to the floor.\n\nA rapid increase in the vaccination rate should follow.\n\nBut how quickly the UK can go is dependent on several complex processes.\n\nFirst, the vaccine has to be manufactured, then it has to be put into vials and packaged up (known as fill and finish). After that each batch has to be checked and certified before being sent to NHS vaccination sites where there needs to be enough vaccinators and support staff to ensure those doses are given as quickly as possible.\n\nProblems at any one stage can disrupt how quickly the vaccination programme can be rolled out.\n\nWhile there are millions of doses of each vaccine in the country and a total of 140 million of both vaccines pre-ordered, there are currently just over one million - around 500,000 of each - ready to be given this week.\n\nNHS medical director Professor Stephen Powis said: \"The NHS' biggest vaccination programme in history is off to a strong start, thanks to the tremendous efforts of NHS staff who have already delivered more than one million jabs.\"\n\nHe said the Oxford vaccine rollout was \"chalking up another world first that will protect thousands more over the coming weeks\".\n\nThe Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was the first jab approved in the UK, and more than a million people have had their first one.\n\nThe first person to get the jab on 8 December, Margaret Keenan, has already had her second dose.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Dr Nikita Kanani, NHS England's medical director for primary care, says it's crucial to get more patients the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine\n\nThe Oxford jab - which was approved for use in late December - can be stored at normal fridge temperatures, making it easier to distribute and store than the Pfizer jab. It is also cheaper per dose.\n\nThe UK has secured 100 million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, enough for most of the population.\n\nCare home residents and staff, people aged over 80, and frontline NHS staff will be first to receive it.\n\nGPs and local vaccination services have been asked to ensure every care home resident in their local area is vaccinated by the end of January, the Department of Health and Social Care said.\n\nSome 730 vaccination sites have already been established across the UK, with the total set to surpass 1,000 later this week, the department added.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Nicola Sturgeon announces stay at home rules in new lockdown\n\nScots are to be ordered to stay at home amid a fresh Covid-19 lockdown which will see schools remain closed to pupils until February.\n\nFirst Minister Nicola Sturgeon said new curbs would be introduced at midnight in a bid to contain the new, faster-spreading strain of the virus.\n\nNew laws will require people to stay at home and work from home where possible.\n\nOutdoor gatherings are also to be cut back, with people only allowed to meet one person from one other household.\n\nPlaces of worship are to be closed, group exercise banned, and schools will largely operate via online and remote learning.\n\nThese rules will apply across the Scottish mainland until at least the end of January, and will be kept under review.\n\nIsland areas will remain in level three - but Ms Sturgeon said they would be monitored carefully.\n\nPrime Minister Boris Johnson later announced similar lockdown measures for the whole of England with all schools and colleges closing to most pupils until mid February.\n\nA further 1,905 new cases were reported in Scotland on Monday - with 15% of tests returning a positive result, something Ms Sturgeon said \"illustrates the severity and urgency of the situation\".\n\nThe first minister said she was \"more concerned about the situation we face now than I have been at any time since March last year\", with the new coronavirus strain now accounting for half of new cases.\n\nAnd she said a \"steeply rising trend of infections\" was threatening to put \"significant pressure\" on NHS services, saying hospitals could breach capacity within three to four weeks.\n\nThe new rules - which will be put down in law - mean Scots will only be allowed to leave home for essential purposes, such as shopping for food and medicine, exercise and caring responsibilities.\n\nNo limit is to be put on how many times people can go out to exercise, but outdoor meetings are to be limited to a maximum of two people from two households.\n\nEveryone who can work from home will be required to, and people in the \"shielding\" category are advised not to go in to work at all.\n\nThe construction and manufacturing industries will remain open, but Ms Sturgeon said this would be kept under review.\n\nPlaces of worship are to close, the number of people who can attend weddings is to be cut to five, and funeral wakes will no longer be allowed.\n\nSchools are to remain closed to the majority of pupils until February, with Ms Sturgeon saying community transmission of the virus must be brought to a lower level amid concerns that the new variant of the virus spreads more easily among young people.\n\nShe said she knew remote learning presented \"significant challenges\" for parents, teachers and pupils, adding: \"I want to be clear that it remains our priority to get school buildings open again for all pupils are quickly as possible and then keep them open.\"\n\nThe first minister said she was considering whether teachers could be given the Covid-19 vaccine as a priority.\n\nMore than 100,000 people have been given a first dose of the vaccine in Scotland, and the government expects to have access to just over 900,000 doses by the end of January.\n\nHowever Ms Sturgeon said the best way to get schools open again was to drive down transmission of the virus - urging Scots to abide by the rules.\n\nThese are the toughest restrictions Scotland has faced since the lockdown of March 2020.\n\nIt is - once again - becoming compulsory to stay at home except for essential purposes like food shopping, exercise and medical care.\n\nThe extended closure of schools to most pupils is something the Scottish government was particularly keen to avoid.\n\nThese decisions are a measure of how worried ministers are about the rapid spread of the new variant of coronavirus, which is fast becoming the dominant strain.\n\nWith 225 cases per 100,000 people, Scotland is thought to be about four weeks behind London, which already has four times as many cases and NHS services under considerable pressure.\n\nThe Scottish government believes that without further action the NHS here would run out of beds for Covid patients within a month.\n\nThis new alert comes at the start of a new year which also brings new hope for a route out of the pandemic with two vaccines now beginning to offer protection.\n\nAround 100,000 doses have already been administered in Scotland but it is likely to take several months to reach all in the most vulnerable groups.\n\nThe first minister said Scotland was now in \"a race between the vaccine and the virus\".\n\nShe said: \"The Scottish government will do everything we can to speed up distribution of the vaccine. But all of us must do everything we can to slow down the spread of the virus.\n\n\"We can already see - by looking at infection rates in the south of England - some of what could happen here in Scotland. To prevent that, we need to act immediately and firmly.\n\n\"For government, that means introducing tough measures - as we have done today. And for all of us, it means sticking to the rules.\"\n\nScottish Conservative group leader Ruth Davidson raised concerns about online learning, saying it was vital that pupils had \"equal access to high-quality education\".\n\nAnd Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard said teachers and working parents would need support to make the remote learning system work.\n\nMs Sturgeon said her government had \"agonised\" over the decision on schools, and said the \"fundamental priority\" was to re-open them in full as soon as possible.\n\nShe said: \"Just as the last places we ever want to close are schools and nurseries - so it is the case that schools and nurseries will be the first places we want to reopen as we re-emerge from this latest lockdown.\"\n\nThe NHS has coped so far in Scotland - more so than many other parts of the UK.\n\nBut in places like Glasgow and Lanarkshire it has been very, very tight. And here like everywhere else staff are bracing themselves for the post-Christmas effects of rising cases.\n\nThe first minister gave some stark figures on hospital and ICU occupancy - suggesting we are just weeks away from reaching limits.\n\nThere is so little give in the system they will be glad to see everything possible done to prevent stretched services being overwhelmed at a time when we are on our way to getting out the other side.\n\nThere is real anxiety about what the next few weeks might bring.\n• None Covid in Scotland: New lockdown from midnight", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. James Shaw, from Dundee, was among the first to receive the jab\n\nThe first Scottish recipients of the new Oxford University and AstraZeneca vaccine have received their jabs.\n\nJames Shaw, 82, and his 82-year-old wife Malita were among the first to be vaccinated in Dundee.\n\nThe couple received their first doses at Lochee Health and Community Care Centre.\n\nNicola Sturgeon has said she hoped all over-50s and those with underlying health conditions will have been vaccinated by early May.\n\nJames said: \"My wife and I are delighted to be receiving this vaccination. I have asthma and bronchitis and I have been desperate to have it so I am really pleased to be one of the first to be getting it.\n\n\"I know it takes a little while for the vaccine to work but after today I know that I will feel a bit less worried about going out. I will still be very careful and avoid busy places but knowing I have been vaccinated will really help me.\n\n\"All of my friends have said they are going to have the vaccine when it is their turn and I would encourage everyone who is offered this vaccination to take it.\"\n\nJames Shaw, 82, was one of the first people in Scotland to receive the AstraZeneca/Oxford Covid-19 vaccine, administered by advanced nurse practitioner Justine Williams\n\nThe Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine programme is being rolled out less than a week after it was approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). It is the second vaccine approved for use in the UK.\n\nNHS Tayside is rolling out the vaccine through GP practices in the community and will also vaccinate elderly residents and staff in care homes.\n\nIts associate director of public health Dr Daniel Chandleris said: \"The efforts of our vaccination teams have been amazing and it is testament to a real whole team approach that sees the first over-80s in the general population have their jabs today in Tayside.\n\n\"The availability and mobility of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine gives us the opportunity to start to roll out the biggest vaccine programme that the UK has ever seen across our communities.\n\n\"Over-80s are the first priority group and patients will be contacted directly to attend a vaccination session.\"\n\nScottish Secretary Alister Jack added: \"This is another important moment in our fight against the virus - every vaccination takes us a step closer to getting back to our normal lives as soon as possible.\n\n\"As with the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, the UK is the first country in the world to approve and roll out the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, with the UK Government ordering and paying for millions of doses for people in all parts of the UK.\"\n\nThe milestone came as First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced a new stricter lockdown.\n\nWith the exception of essential travel, people in mainland Scotland will have to remain at home from midnight.\n\nStatistics released on Monday showed a further 1,905 people had contracted Covid-19.\n\nFigures for hospital admissions and deaths over the holiday weekend will not be published until Tuesday.\n\nMs Sturgeon likened the situation to a race between the vaccine and the virus.\n\nShe said: \"In one lane we have vaccines - our job is to make sure they run as fast as possible.\n\n\"But in the other lane is the virus which - as a result of this new variant - has just learned to run much faster and has most definitely picked up pace in the last couple of weeks.\n\n\"To ensure that the vaccine wins the race, it is essential to speed up vaccination as far as possible. But to give it the time it needs to get ahead, we must also slow the virus down.\"\n\nThe new vaccine will initially be available in the hospitals that have been delivering the Pfizer/BioNtech vaccine, and new community settings will be able to deliver the jabs from 11 January.\n\nPeople in Scotland will be contacted by their health board when it is their turn to be vaccinated.\n\nThe Oxford vaccination marks a major turning point in the pandemic and will lead to a massive expansion in the UK's immunisation campaign, with enough to vaccinate 50 million people throughout the UK already on order.\n\nIt is easier to transport and store than the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, which needs cold storage of about -70C.\n\nThe Oxford vaccine is logistically much easier to distribute\n\nThe UK government has said 530,000 doses of the Oxford vaccine will be available to the UK from Monday, with \"millions due by the beginning of February\".\n\nScotland will ultimately get an 8.2% share of these vaccines, based on its population.\n\nChief Medical Officer Dr Gregor Smith has said he expects the NHS in Scotland to receive 440,360 doses of the vaccine during January.\n\nThe first minister said on Monday about 100,000 people in Scotland have already received a first dose of vaccine.\n\nBoth vaccines require two doses to be administered with an interval of between four and 12 weeks.\n\nPreviously the advice was for the vaccines to have a four-week gap between doses.\n\nThe Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) then recommended as many people as possible in the top priority groups should be offered a first dose as the initial priority.", "Dr Radha Modgil from BBC Radio 1’s Life Hacks shares her top five tips on how to stay mentally and emotionally well during the coronavirus lockdown, all beginning with the letter C.\n\nSticking to a routine, making sure we take care of ourselves, and using our creativity in new ways are all ways she suggests we can ease the psychological toll that staying inside is having on all of us.\n\nListen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.", "A top Swedish official involved in the coronavirus response has defended a Christmas holiday in the Canary Islands in the face of heavy criticism.\n\nDan Eliasson is head of the civil contingencies agency, which earlier in December had texted all Swedes urging them to avoid travel.\n\nHe was photographed in Las Palmas airport on the island of Gran Canaria.\n\nMr Eliasson insisted the trip was necessary \"for family reasons\".\n\nHe told Swedish media that he had \"given up a lot of trips during this pandemic\" but thought this one was necessary because he had a daughter living in the Canaries.\n\n\"I celebrated Christmas with her and my family,\" he told Expressen newspaper. He also said he had been worked remotely while in the Canaries.\n\nSweden has had 437,000 confirmed cases and 8,700 deaths - many more than its Scandinavian neighbours. The country has never imposed a full lockdown.\n\nHowever, alarmed by rising numbers of cases last month, the Swedish government reversed some of its guidance and sent a text message to all Swedes asking them to read updated guidelines.\n\nThe guidelines included asking Swedes to avoid unnecessary trips and not to make new contacts during a journey or at the destination.\n\nMr Eliasson was then photographed several times in Gran Canaria, including at the airport.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Expressen This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThere have been calls for Mr Eliasson, an experienced official who has worked at several important departments, to be fired.\n\nPrime Minister Stefan Löfven and other ministers have not yet commented, according to Swedish media.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. From the pandemic to measles, Smitha Mundasad looks at global health challenges in 2021", "Last updated on .From the section Horse Racing\n\nTributes have been paid to trainer Zoe Davison, who died from cancer on the same day two of her horses claimed wins at Plumpton.\n\nDavison, who had breast cancer for four-and-a-half years, died at her Shovelstrode Racing Stables in Sussex.\n\nBrown Bullet and Mr Jack, both trained at the family's stable, had raced to victory at the Sussex track on Sunday.\n\nSimon Clare, part-owner of Brown Bullet, said: \"Zoe was just the most wonderful human being imaginable.\"\n\nHer husband Andrew Irvine - who she married in 2018 - was by her side, along with family.\n\nHe said: \"She was the most wonderful, incredible person. I am blessed to have spent the last 24 years of my life with her.\"\n\nDaughter Gemelle Johnson, who was assistant to her mother, said: \"I just feel a bit numb inside because of everything.\n\n\"I'm a bit overwhelmed we've had a double for mum. Hopefully we have made her proud. It's surreal. Our team is a family business and we put everything into it. She will be thoroughly missed as she is the glue that holds us together.\n\n\"We've had a few winners around here and it is one of our local tracks. It means everything to us as we want to do her proud.\"\n\nDavison sent out the first of over 100 winners when Sails Legend, with AP McCoy in the saddle, won at Towcester in November 1997.\n\nShe enjoyed her best season with 15 winners in the 2017-18 campaign.\n\nJockey Page Fuller has a long association with the stable and should have ridden Mr Jack but had been stood down from an earlier fall.\n\nShe said: \"You couldn't have written it any better today. She was just a kind and genuine person who was a real horsewoman. She loved her horses and did her best by them.\n\n\"She has been struggling for a long time, but fortunately her strength has rubbed off on everybody else and they showed that by sending out the winners today.\n\n\"It has been a great team effort and it is great she has gone out like that. I don't know anybody who would have a bad word to say about her - she was just one of those really nice people.\"\n\nEd Arkell, ex-Fontwell clerk of the course and now at nearby West Sussex track Goodwood, said: \"Zoe was a huge part of the southern racing circuit. I'm so sorry for her family and she will be very much missed. She was a friendly, happy person who everybody loved.\n\n\"As a trainer, she ran a wonderful family operation. There are less of those these days. She supported her local tracks and became a big part of them.\"\n\nClare added: \"Zoe was the most talented horsewoman imaginable. What she didn't know about horses wasn't worth knowing.\n\n\"She is so incredibly well loved and will be desperately missed by everyone who knew her.\"", "Cases have reached record highs in the past week\n\nThe next few weeks could be the most dangerous period for Scotland since March in the fight against Covid, the first minister has warned.\n\nNicola Sturgeon said the new variant of the virus was \"accelerating spread\" across Scotland.\n\n\"If you first foot someone today, or hug/kiss/handshake them HNY, you are putting yourself, others and the NHS at risk,\" she tweeted.\n\nA further 2,539 cases of Covid-19 were confirmed on Friday.\n\nThe number is slightly down on Thursday's figure, but Ms Sturgeon said cases numbers were still \"worryingly high\".\n\nDaily confirmed cases have reached record highs on each of the previous three days, rising to to 2,622 on Thursday.\n\nThe percentage of positive cases also reached 14.4% on Wednesday - the highest it has been since the second wave of the pandemic began in the summer.\n\nMs Sturgeon tweeted: \"Today's case numbers are worryingly high again. The new variant is accelerating spread.\n\n\"PLEASE do not visit other people's homes just now, even today - if you first foot someone today, or hug/kiss/handshake them HNY, you are putting yourself, others & the NHS at risk.\"\n\nShe said the \"vaccine cavalry\" was on the way, offering \"real hope for 2021\", but she added: \"With this new variant, the next few weeks may be the most dangerous we've faced since Mar/April.\n\n\"We must act together to suppress it, to save lives and protect the NHS. Folded hands stick with it.\"\n\nThe number of daily confirmed cases has reached record highs this week\n\nA new study by London's Imperial College has found that the new variant of Covid-19 is \"hugely\" more transmissible than the virus's previous version.\n\nIt concludes the new variant increases the Reproduction or R number by between 0.4 and 0.7.\n\nThe UK's latest R number has been estimated at between 1.1 and 1.3. It needs to be below 1.0 for the number of cases to start falling.\n\nThe Scottish government's most recent estimate of the R number in Scotland has put it between 0.9 and 1.1.\n\nEmma Thomson, a professor of infectious disease at the University of Glasgow, said it was important to get people vaccinated quickly.\n\nThe professor, who has been working on the sequencing of the new Covid mutation, told the BBC that lockdown was not controlling the infection \"on its own\".\n\n\"At least we come in armed into the new year with two vaccines which are highly effective at preventing severe disease. We have that,\" she said.\n\n\"We need to roll it out now to add to the public health measures.\"\n\nParties, traditional \"first-footing\" and social events were banned this Hogmanay, with all of mainland Scotland and Skye being under the highest level of Covid restrictions.\n\nAll official events were cancelled, but police had to disperse a crowds of people who gathered at Edinburgh Castle and Calton Hill to see in the new year.\n\nIt has also emerged that 32 people were charged with reckless conduct after police found them gathered at a rented property in Aberfoyle on 27 December.\n\nA Scottish government spokesperson said: \"As the first minister has pointed out, the sharp rise in cases is evidence that the new strain seems to be speeding up transmission.\n\n\"This is why we are asking people to please stay at home as much as possible and avoid non-essential interaction with others.\n\n\"There is light at the end of the tunnel, but we ask everyone to be patient as we work our way through the vaccination programme, and continue to follow FACTS to keep us all safe.\"", "Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Monday morning. We'll have another update for you at 18:00 BST.\n\nThe first patients have been given the Oxford vaccine - five days after it was approved for use in the UK. Dialysis patient Brian Pinker, aged 82, was the first to receive it. It's a \"pivotal moment\" in the fight against the virus, according to Health Secretary Matt Hancock. More than 500,000 doses are ready to go, with care home residents and staff, people aged over 80, and NHS workers at the front of the queue. Some 730 vaccination sites have already been established, we're told, with the total set to surpass 1,000 later this week. The Oxford jab is easier to distribute and store than the Pfizer version, which was the first to be approved. It's also cheaper per dose. Find out more about how it was developed, and when you might receive one.\n\nThe vaccine news may be positive, but few deny the coronavirus situation in the UK right now is bleak. On Sunday, more than 50,000 new cases were recorded for the sixth day running and Labour is calling for a third national lockdown in England. Boris Johnson has admitted tougher restrictions are likely. Nicola Sturgeon is expected to announce new restrictions for Scotland later, while Northern Ireland and Wales already have their own lockdowns in place. The obvious next step for England would probably be to move more areas into tier four - a reminder of what that means - but our science editor David Shukman says there are other steps under discussion too.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nJanuary is normally a boom time for gyms, but coronavirus restrictions mean many are closed and others can't offer any group classes. At the same time, there's been an explosion in fitness tech, allowing more of us than ever to work out at home. So what does this mean for the future of the gym sector? Our reporter Eleanor Lawrie looks closely. Meanwhile, wherever you are in the UK, see 21 simple ways to get fitter in 2021.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Sports expert Ruth Lowry says exercising outdoors could help us cope with Covid this winter\n\nThe pandemic has prompted many of us to change direction, career-wise, whether out of choice or necessity. Our CEO Secrets series has been documenting some of those forging a new path here in the UK, but the same trends are going on elsewhere too. In India, Shalini Sharma and Mrinali Hariyal have gone from stay-at-home mums cooking for their families to chefs providing meals for paying customers. They're plugging the gap left by restaurant closures and finding new identities for themselves. Watch their stories.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nFind more information, advice and guides on our coronavirus page.\n\nPlus, are pandemics the new normal?\n\nWhat questions do you have about coronavirus?\n\nIn some cases, your question will be published, displaying your name, age and location as you provide it, unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published. Please ensure you have read our terms & conditions and privacy policy.\n\nUse this form to ask your question:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or send them via email to YourQuestions@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any question you send in.", "Some Covid restrictions are being reintroduced in response to the Omicron variant.\n\nCheck what the rules are in your area by entering your postcode or council name below.\n\nA modern browser with JavaScript and a stable internet connection is required to view this interactive. What are the rules in your area? Enter a full UK postcode or council name to find out\n\nIf you cannot see the look-up, click here.\n\nThe rules highlighted in the search tool are a selection of the key government restrictions in place in your area.\n\nAlways check your relevant national and local authority website for more information on the situation where you live. Also check local guidance before travelling to others parts of the UK.\n\nAll the guidance in our search look-up comes from national government websites.\n\nFor more information on national measures see:\n\nFind out how the pandemic has affected your area and how it compares with the national average by following this link to an in depth guide to the numbers involved.", "More than 200 workers at Google-parent Alphabet have taken steps to form a labour union in a rare development for an American tech giant.\n\nThey said the organisation will give staff greater power to voice concerns about discriminatory work practices at the firm and how it handles issues like online hate speech.\n\nThe move follows walkouts and other actions by staff in recent years.\n\nGoogle said it would \"continue engaging directly with all our employees\".\n\n\"We've always worked hard to create a supportive and rewarding workplace for our workforce,\" Kara Silverstein, director of people operations, said in a statement.\n\n\"Of course our employees have protected labour rights that we support. But as we've always done, we'll continue engaging directly with all our employees\".\n\nThe announcement of the Alphabet Workers Union comes weeks after Google's firing of a high-profile black artificial intelligence and ethics researcher generated uproar.\n\nThe US National Labor Relations Board also recently ruled the firm had unlawfully fired employees for attempting to organise a union.\n\nGoogle staff stage a walkout in 2018 over the company's handling of sexual misconduct allegations\n\nStaff have also mobilised against the firm's \"Project Maven\" work with the Department of Defense and the company's handling of sexual harassment complaints.\n\n\"This union builds upon years of courageous organizing by Google workers,\" Nicki Anselmo, program manager, said in the announcement.\n\n\"From fighting the 'real names' policy, to opposing Project Maven, to protesting the egregious, multi-million dollar payouts that have been given to executives who've committed sexual harassment, we've seen first-hand that Alphabet responds when we act collectively.\n\n\"Our new union provides a sustainable structure to ensure that our shared values as Alphabet employees are respected even after the headlines fade.\"\n\nThe group was organised by software engineers but is open to all ranks at the company's US and Canadian workforce, including temporary workers and contractors.\n\nIt is affiliated with the larger labour group, Communication Workers of America, but is not seeking formal recognition from the federal government, limiting its bargaining power.\n\nIt represents a small fraction of Alphabet's workforce, which includes more than 130,000 people as of September and roughly as many contractors, vendors and temporary staff.\n\nMembers who join will contribute about 1% of their compensation to the effort.\n\n\"We want Alphabet to be a company where workers have a meaningful say in decisions that affect us and the societies we live in,\" organisers wrote on Twitter.", "Nóra Quoirin was born with holoprosencephaly, a disorder that affects brain development\n\nA girl whose body was found in a jungle during a holiday in Malaysia died by misadventure, a coroner has recorded.\n\nNóra Quoirin, 15, from Balham, south-west London, was discovered dead nine days after she went missing from an eco-resort in August 2019.\n\nThe family said they were \"utterly disappointed\" with the verdict, which ruled out any criminal involvement.\n\nThey believe \"layers of evidence\" that were heard at the inquest point towards Nora having been abducted.\n\nThe family were staying in Sora House in Dusun eco-resort near Seremban, about 40 miles (65km) south of Kuala Lumpur, when they reported Nóra missing, the day after they had arrived.\n\nNóra, who was born with holoprosencephaly - a disorder which affects brain development - was eventually found by a group of civilian volunteers in a palm-oil plantation less than two miles from the holiday home.\n\nThe Quoirins, whose lawyers had asked the coroner to record an open verdict, said in a statement after the ruling that they have a number of reasons for the abduction theory. These include:\n\nSearch and rescue teams were deployed in an effort to locate Nora\n\nIn the statement, issued through the Lucie Blackman Trust, the family said they witnessed 80 slides presented in court as the verdict was given, adding that none of them \"engaged with who Nóra really was - neither her personality nor her intellectual abilities\".\n\nThey said: \"The coroner made mention several times of her inability to rule on certain points due to not knowing Nóra enough.\n\n\"It is indeed our view that to know Nóra would be to know that she was simply incapable of hiding in undergrowth, climbing out a window and making her way out of a fenced resort in the darkness unclothed.\"\n\nThe statement added: \"We believe we have fought not just for Nóra but in honour of all the special needs children in this world who deserve our most committed support and the most careful application of justice.\n\n\"This is Nóra's unique legacy and we will never let it go.\"\n\nFom the outset Meabh Quoirin believed her daughter had been abducted but Malaysian police insisted Nóra's disappearance had always been a missing persons case and ruled out any criminal involvement.\n\nThe authorities closed the case in January 2020, and Nóra's parents pushed for the inquest.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Police played the sound of Nóra's mother's voice through a loudspeaker in the jungle\n\nDuring the inquest, a British pathologist who carried out a second post-mortem examination said Nóra's body had no injuries to suggest she was attacked or restrained.\n\nOn the final day of evidence, an investigating officer who was on duty the morning Nóra was reported missing said he was confident there were no criminal elements involved in her disappearance.\n\nFollowing the coroner's verdict, the Quoirins' legal team have discussed the family's rights moving forward, which include the possibility of applying for a revision of the misadventure verdict at the High Court of Seremban.\n\nLouise Azmi, one lawyer for the family, said they had pressed for an open verdict to reflect the lack of positive evidence in the case regarding what happened to Nora.\n\nAn open verdict would leave open the possibility that a criminal element was involved in Nora's death, Mrs Azmi said.\n\nShe told the BBC based on everything the family know of Nora, \"they continue to believe it is impossible she would have willingly walked away into the jungle\".\n\nThe family's legal team say parents Meabh and Sebastien Quoirin are \"disappointed\" with today's verdict.\n\nBut, Coroner Maimoonah Aid said her verdict was made not on \"theories\" and \"speculation\" surrounding the case, but on the balance of probabilities of the evidence presented before her.\n\nWith no evidence to the contrary she ruled out foul play.\n\nMoving forward, the Quoirin family now have the possibility to apply for a revision of the verdict with the High Court of Seremban.\n\nThere is precedent of a verdict being overturned in Malaysia before.\n\nIn 2019, following an appeal, a Malaysian coroner's verdict of misadventure concerning the death of 18-year-old model Ivana Smit was overturned in Kuala Lumpur and reopened as a murder investigation.\n\nAccording to Quoirin family lawyer Sakthy Vell, the family say they now need time to consider their next course of action.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. PM: 'No question we're going to have to take tougher measures'\n\nBoris Johnson has said there is \"no question\" the government will announce stricter measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus \"in due course\".\n\nHe predicted \"tough, tough\" weeks to come, with more than three-quarters of England's population already under the highest - tier four - restrictions.\n\nOn Sunday, the UK recorded more than 50,000 new confirmed Covid cases for the sixth day in a row.\n\nLabour is calling for new England-wide restrictions to come in immediately.\n\nLeader Sir Keir Starmer said it was \"inevitable\" more schools would have to close to lessen the spread of coronavirus.\n\nIn Scotland, further new restrictions are to come into force at midnight, including a \"legal requirement\" for people to stay at home. except for essential purposes.\n\nFirst Minister Nicola Sturgeon said Scotland was effectively returning to conditions similar to Spring's nation-wide lockdown, with the curbs in place until at least the end of January.\n\nAn additional 454 deaths within 28 days of a positive test result were reported across the UK on Sunday, meaning the total by this measure is now above 75,000.\n\nHealth Secretary Matt Hancock told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the \"old tier system\" in England was \"no longer strong enough\" to contain increasing infections.\n\nHospitals are coming under increasing pressure, as cases mount up.\n\nThe old tier system is no longer enough…the figures are only heading in one direction.\n\nThese are the words of the health secretary and a health minister.\n\nBoris Johnson says stricter measures are coming, which immediately sparks the questions \"when?,\" and \"what are you waiting for?\"\n\nDowning Street wants to push a tougher message on adherence to the current rules in England while it assesses the latest Christmas data, but is coming under growing pressure to act sooner.\n\nWith Nicola Sturgeon about to go further in Scotland and the Labour leader calling for an immediate national lockdown, it's difficult to see how the prime minister can wait much longer.\n\nAsked what further restrictions would be put in place, Mr Johnson said: \"What we have been waiting for is to see the impact of the tier four measures on the virus and it is a bit unclear, still, at the moment.\n\n\"But if you look at the numbers, there is no question that we are going to have to take tougher measures and we will be announcing those in due course.\"\n\nHe said the faster-spreading coronavirus variant that has developed in south-eastern England required \"extra-special vigilance\".\n\nBBC science editor David Shukman said new measures could include limits on outdoor exercise and a return to the two-metre (rather than one-metre-plus) social distancing rule, as applied during the first lockdown last year.\n\nSpeaking on a visit to Chase Farm Hospital in north London, the prime minister argued that closing primary schools must remain a \"last resort\", adding that the \"risk to kids\" was \"very, very small\".\n\nSecondary schools in England are currently closed until 18 January, except for pupils in their final GCSE and A-level years, who are due to return on 11 January.\n\nAsked whether they could remain closed, Mr Johnson said: \"We are keeping things under review.\"\n\nBut former Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt urged the government to close all schools and UK borders \"right away\", while banning \"all household mixing\".\n\nThe Conservative MP, who now chairs the Commons Health Committee, said these restrictions should be \"time-limited\" to \"12 weeks or so\", after which the roll-out of vaccines would provide \"light at the end of the tunnel\".\n\nMore than 500,000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine are now available for use, with the Pfizer BioNTech jab having been issued since early last month.\n\nThe virus is winning at the moment, despite science fighting back with a vaccine. New daily cases of Covid have been rising to record levels, which means hospital numbers and deaths will increase too.\n\nMinisters say more measures are coming, but it is not clear yet what that will mean in practice.\n\nScotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are already in lockdown, and most of England is under tier four rules.\n\nIn recent days the focus has shifted to schools and whether they can be kept open without making the epidemic worse.\n\nExperts agree that the risk the virus poses to children is still low, but they can spread the disease.\n\nWith a new, more transmissible variant of Covid circulating, the government may have to enact this unpalatable \"last resort\" of closing classrooms.\n\nSome 78% of the population of England is now in tier four, under which non-essential shops are closed and people can only leave their homes for a certain number of reasons.\n\nThe Scottish government meets later to consider \"further action\", with all of mainland Scotland currently under its own level four restrictions - only some islands are under less stringent tier three measures.\n\nWales entered a nationwide lockdown on 20 December, while Northern Ireland is in the second week of a six-week lockdown that began on Boxing Day.\n\nIn another development, an academic has said there is a \"big question mark\" over whether a vaccine developed at Oxford University will be as effective against a new variant of the virus that has emerged in South Africa.\n\nProf Sir John Bell, Regius professor of medicine at the university, said the team there were currently investigating this question \"right now\".\n\nHe added it was \"unlikely\" the variant would \"turn off the effect of vaccines entirely\", and in any case it would be possible to tweak the vaccine in around four to six weeks.\n\nBut Matt Hancock told Today he was \"incredibly worried\" about the South African variant, saying: \"This is a very, very significant problem.\"\n\n\"We have shown that we are prepared to move incredibly quickly, within 24 hours if we think that is necessary, and we keep these things under review all the time,\" added the health secretary.", "Quote Message: The return of lockdown for at least the rest of January is a severe blow for much of the Scottish economy. It could be worse: this is not the peak Christmas season for retail and hospitality, though the season they’ve just had was very hard going for many, and non-existent for others. This is also the quietest part of the tourism year, so January is a relatively good month to lose one’s bookings. For many firms, it is better than last spring, because they have infection controls in place. And there is a less harsh closure scheme, meaning construction sites and others can stay open, subject to tight rules. Many employers have settled into patterns of working from home, so this does not carry the shock of last March. There was little expectation of getting staff back into offices for months yet. But that doesn’t make this time any easier for workers who are also parents. They know, from last year, how tough it is to handle childcare and lessons while schools are shut - and this time, they have to manage without good weather. The other, more negative comparison with last spring is that firms now are, typically, deeper in debt and with less spare cash to pay the bills that don’t stop - rent, and utility bills, for instance. Some delayed payments are getting tougher to keep on hold. Their frustration with the slow movement of government grant schemes is showing. They aren’t disputing the case for further lockdown but they are making their own case for support through it, and for a recovery strategy once restrictions are lifted, including a boost to consumer confidence and spending.\" from Douglas Fraser Scotland business & economy editor\n\nThe return of lockdown for at least the rest of January is a severe blow for much of the Scottish economy. It could be worse: this is not the peak Christmas season for retail and hospitality, though the season they’ve just had was very hard going for many, and non-existent for others. This is also the quietest part of the tourism year, so January is a relatively good month to lose one’s bookings. For many firms, it is better than last spring, because they have infection controls in place. And there is a less harsh closure scheme, meaning construction sites and others can stay open, subject to tight rules. Many employers have settled into patterns of working from home, so this does not carry the shock of last March. There was little expectation of getting staff back into offices for months yet. But that doesn’t make this time any easier for workers who are also parents. They know, from last year, how tough it is to handle childcare and lessons while schools are shut - and this time, they have to manage without good weather. The other, more negative comparison with last spring is that firms now are, typically, deeper in debt and with less spare cash to pay the bills that don’t stop - rent, and utility bills, for instance. Some delayed payments are getting tougher to keep on hold. Their frustration with the slow movement of government grant schemes is showing. They aren’t disputing the case for further lockdown but they are making their own case for support through it, and for a recovery strategy once restrictions are lifted, including a boost to consumer confidence and spending.\"", "Northern Ireland's First Minister Arlene Foster has said there \"is a gateway of opportunity\" for the UK and Northern Ireland after Brexit.\n\nShe told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show on Sunday that the trade deal also tackled \"some of the great difficulties that there are with the (Northern Ireland) Protocol\".\n\nThe purpose of the Protocol is to prevent a hardening of the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. It does that by keeping Northern Ireland in the EU's single market for goods and by having Northern Ireland apply EU customs rules at its ports.\n\nAs a result, an 'Irish Sea border' now exists, with most commercial goods entering Northern Ireland from Great Britain requiring a customs declaration.\n\nThe Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), which Mrs Foster leads, opposed the protocol and had criticised the establishment of such a border. She told The Andrew Marr show that her party \"didn't want the protocol but it is here\".\n\n\"I have to mitigate against that and my job from now on is to mitigate against those excesses and to hold the government to account,\" Mrs Foster added.", "Last updated on .From the section Sport\n\nProfessional sport in England can continue behind closed doors, despite a new national lockdown announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.\n\nIt means Premier League football and elite leagues in other sports are allowed to carry on.\n\nThe sport and leisure rules in England are similar to those announced in Scotland earlier on Monday.\n\nPeople living in England have been told to stay at home and schools will shut for most pupils from Tuesday.\n\nOn Monday, the UK recorded more than 50,000 new confirmed Covid cases for the seventh day in a row.\n\nFor those in England, exercising outside is allowed once a day. Venues such as gyms, tennis courts and golf courses will be closed.\n\nOrganised outdoor sport for disabled people is exempt from the new measures.\n\nGames and training in non-elite football - which includes all adult and youth grassroots, except for disabled people - have been suspended.\n\nThe Women's FA Cup is among the non-elite competitions placed on hold. All but one of the second-round matches scheduled to take place on Sunday were postponed because of Covid-19 regulations.\n\nTeams from the Women's Super League and Women's Championship enter the draw from the fourth round onwards.\n\nWhich non-elite football has been suspended? Steps three to six of the National League System (all divisions below the National League North and South) Tiers three to seven of the Women's Football Pyramid (all divisions below the Women's Championship) Women's FA Cup (classified as 'non-elite' up to and including the third round) All indoor and outdoor youth and adult grassroots football, including under-18s (except organised outdoor football for disabled people, which is allowed to continue)\n\nFollowing Monday's announcement by the prime minister, this week's sporting fixtures in England are set to go ahead as planned.\n\nIn football, the Carabao Cup semi-finals are being played on Tuesday and Wednesday, while the FA Cup third round - which has 32 fixtures spanning four days - starts on Friday.\n\nThere are also several Women's Super League, English Football League and National League games set to take place, as well as English Premiership and Premier 15s rugby union matches, plus the Masters snooker event in Milton Keynes.\n\nEarlier on Monday, Rochdale chief executive David Bottomley said he believes it is \"inevitable\" that the EFL will have to temporarily suspend fixtures because of rising coronavirus cases.\n\nSeven of last Saturday's EFL games - and 52 across the season - have been called off as teams are affected by the virus.\n\nFour Premier League matches have also been postponed this season because of coronavirus cases.\n\nWhat does the new lockdown mean for sport in England?\n\nThe UK government published its guidance for England's new national lockdown shortly after the prime minister's televised address at 20:00 GMT.\n\nHere are the points relating to sport and physical activity:\n• None Elite sportspeople (and their coaches if necessary, or parents/guardians if they are under 18) - or those on an official elite sports pathway - to compete and train\n• None Outdoor sports courts, outdoor gyms, golf courses, outdoor swimming pools, archery/driving/shooting ranges and riding arenas must also close\n• None Organised outdoor sport for disabled people is allowed to continue\n\nWhile golfing has been allowed to continue in Scotland under strict rules, courses will be closed in England.\n\nEngland Golf said it was \"extremely disappointed\" with the decision, adding it had made a \"strong case\" to keep the sport open in recent months.\n\nWhere can I exercise and who can I exercise with?\n\nYou can exercise in a public outdoor place:\n• None with the people you live with\n• None with your support bubble ( if you are legally permitted to form one)\n• None or, when on your own, with one person from another household\n• None public gardens (whether or not you pay to enter them)\n\nUK Active, a not-for-profit organisation that promotes health and fitness, says the government must act immediately to \"minimise the damaging impact of lockdown\".\n\n\"We know from the millions of people that depend on gyms, pools, and leisure centres to support their physical and mental health, how essential they are,\" said UK Active chief executive Huw Edwards.\n\n\"We cannot afford to wait until the vaccine rollout is advanced before we act, so the government must explore all options at this time and provide a credible plan for maintaining this support to millions of people who rely on these Covid-secure facilities to stay strong and healthy.\n\n\"Furthermore, the UK governments must protect this sector before it becomes too late.\"", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nBoris Johnson must bring back \"the spirit of March\" to get control of coronavirus in England, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has said.\n\nSir Keir said the virus was \"out of control\" and a second \"national lockdown\" - including the closure of all schools - was needed.\n\nThe PM had to give a firm \"stay at home message\", Sir Keir told the BBC.\n\nMr Johnson will make a televised address at 20:00 GMT to set out further restrictions amid surging cases.\n\nIt comes as Scotland announced a legal requirement to stay at home from midnight.\n\nSir Keir said Labour would support any move towards tighter restrictions in England, but urged the prime minister to \"stop dithering\" and take action.\n\nThe Labour leader said it was \"inevitable\" that schools would need to close.\n\n\"There is complete chaos, with parents not knowing what is going on. We need to create space for the vaccine now, to be rolled out safely.\n\n\"The virus is out of control. We have got to get it back under control. The more we delay, the worse it will be. The more we delay, the longer schools will be closed.\"\n\nIn March last year, Boris Johnson told people in England they could only leave home to exercise once a day, travel to and from work when it is \"absolutely necessary\", shop for essential items and fulfil any medical or care needs.\n\nCurrently, shops selling non-essential goods have been told to shut and gatherings in public of more than two people who do not live together are prohibited in tier four areas.\n\nSir Keir said the government's message needed to be firmer and backed by law, if necessary, to encourage people to comply.\n\nIn an interview with the BBC's deputy political editor Vicki Young, he urged the country to get back to \"the spirit of March, where there was a very strong stay at home message\".\n\n\"You only need to go out on the streets now and you see lots of people out and about, you see trains that are half full,\" said the Labour leader.\n\n\"We need to go back to where we were in March with very very strong messaging about staying at home.\n\n\"And I'm afraid that the closure of schools is now inevitable, and therefore that needs to be part of that plan, as part of the national plan for further restriction.\n\n\"And that means that we need to have measures in place to protect working parents, most in place to enable children to learn at home, and a plan to get schools safely reopened again and that goes back to vaccination. It must be mission critical now.\"", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Eileen Lynch, 94, was the first person in Northern Ireland to receive the Oxford/AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine\n\nUp to 11,000 people aged over 80 across Northern Ireland are set to receive the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine this week.\n\nThe aim is to ensure everyone in that age group will be offered the vaccine by the end of January.\n\nThirty GP practices will be administering 50,000 doses of the vaccine, which was approved for use in the UK on 30 December.\n\nIt is the second vaccine to be approved in the battle against coronavirus in Northern Ireland.\n\nIt comes ahead of a UK-wide announcement by the prime minister, set to be made at 20:00 GMT on Monday, in which further restrictions will be announced.\n\nIn a statement, a No 10 spokesman said the new variant of Covid-19 had \"led to rapidly escalating case numbers across the country\" and \"further steps must now be taken to arrest this rise\".\n\nOn Monday, Northern Ireland recorded a further 1,801 Covid-19 cases and 12 more virus-related deaths.\n\nThese latest figures from the Department of Health bring the total number of deaths to 1,366, while 79,873 people have tested positive for the virus since the pandemic started.\n\nMore than 12,000 cases have been reported in the past seven days, more than double the week before.\n\nThe seven-day rate per 100,000 people is now 660 positive cases, compared to 200 per 100,000 two weeks ago.\n\nMedical experts believe that is down to the two-week easing of restrictions over the Christmas period.\n\nIn the Republic of Ireland on Monday, an additional 6,110 confirmed cases of Covid-19 were announced, with six further deaths linked to the virus.\n\nNorthern Ireland is in the second week of a six-week lockdown in which non-essential retail is closed.\n\nThe first doses of the vaccine were given delivered at a GP surgery on the Falls Road in West Belfast on Monday afternoon.\n\nThe first person in Northern Ireland to receive the Oxford/AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine was 94-year-old Eileen Lynch.\n\nSpeaking after receiving the vaccine, Ms Lynch said she was \"delighted and privileged\" to receive it.\n\n\"I feel like I can really look forward to the year ahead now that I have been vaccinated,\" she said.\n\nThe Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine has already been used to vaccinate care home residents and staff.\n\nBy mid December, 50,000 doses of that vaccine had been made available and by 30 December, Northern Ireland's Department of Health reported that 33,000 people had been vaccinated.\n\nThis included 8,940 care home residents, 10,484 care home staff and 14,259 health and social care staff.\n\nAccording to the latest NI statistics, for the first time the percentage positive cases in the over 80s is down - an indication the vaccination process is working.\n\nThere are approximately 82,000 people over 80 in NI and BBC News NI understands that if deliveries of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine happen as planned, it is thought that all of those over 80, as well as GPs and their staff, could be vaccinated within three weeks.\n\nWhile 50,000 doses have been delivered to Northern Ireland, a further 23,000 vaccines are expected on 19 January while another 68,000 are due on 24 January.\n\nDr Alan Stout, who is a GP in Belfast, told BBC News NI that members are \"very optimistic\" that 11,000 people can be vaccinated this week.\n\nThe Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is the second coronavirus vaccine to be approved in the UK\n\nNI's chief medical officer said the Oxford-AstraZeneca rollout would run alongside the ongoing vaccination programme.\n\nDr Michael McBride said: \"First and foremost we must act to protect those most at risk of severe disease and death.\n\n\"The evidence shows that the initial dose of vaccine offers as much as 70% protection against the effects of the virus.\n\n\"Providing that level of protection on a large scale will have the greatest impact on reducing mortality and hospitalisations, protecting the health and social care system.\"\n\nThe Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine has to be kept at an extremely low temperature which complicates handling constraints.\n\nThe Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is considered easier to store and distribute.\n\nIts rollout consists of two full doses of the vaccine, with the second dose to be given four to 12 weeks after the first.\n\nGPs are appealing to the public to remain calm and wait to be called for their vaccine either by telephone or by letter.\n\nDr Stout said as demand grows worldwide for the vaccine, that schedule could easily change.\n\n\"The public have to be patient, we have a system and must be allowed to get on with it - it really is 'don't call us - we will call you'.\"\n\nWhile some vaccinations will take place in surgeries others will happen in a drive-through system.\n\nCovid-19 is deadlier than flu, which means January 2021 is going to be even tougher than usual.\n\nAlso, Covid patients tend to stay much longer in hospital with more severe symptoms requiring additional beds and care.\n\nBut those rising patient numbers aren't matched by an increased workforce.\n\nInstead it is expected that the nurse-patient ratio will increase (even though many aren't trained to work in critical care) as there simply aren't enough nurses available.\n\nSome health unions fear this will only add to Northern Ireland's excess mortality rate, which is greater than that in Great Britain.\n\nOnce again, this highlights Northern Ireland's failing health care system, which was already below par well before the start of the pandemic.\n\nCoronavirus infection figures here are expected to peak between 15 and 21 January. That will be felt not only in hospitals but also in GP practices as they continue to roll out the vaccine.\n\nWhile at this stage the six weeks look bleak it's hoped that the additional Astra-Zeneca vaccine and the low incidence of flu will go a long way in not only saving lives, but also protecting the health service.\n\nDr Stout said much planning had gone into ensuring the programme happened as smoothly as possible.\n\n\"People will literally stay in their cars and be asked to roll up their sleeves - it has to be safe and efficient in order for us to get through it and safely.\"\n\nThe UK has ordered 100 million doses of the new vaccine - enough to vaccinate 50 million people.\n\nMeanwhile, Dr Tom Black, chair of the British Medical Association in Northern Ireland, said it was \"appalling\" that the Pfizer vaccine was not to be administered in two doses within 21 days as instructed by the company and threatened legal action.\n\nDr Black was responding to news that the UK will give both parts of the Oxford and Pfizer vaccines 12 weeks apart.\n\n\"They have left care workers in Northern Ireland with a gap in their expected immunity,\" he told BBC NI's Radio Foyle on Monday.\n\n\"In that period doctors, nurses, porters or health care professionals could infect patients because they will not be protected against the transmission of the infection to patients.\"\n\nThe UK's chief medical officers have defended their Covid vaccination plan.\n\nThey said getting more people vaccinated with the first jab was \"much more preferable\" and that the great majority of the initial protection from clinical disease is after the first dose of vaccine.\n\nDr Black is to meet NI Health Minister Robin Swann later to express health care workers' concern over the change in vaccine policy.", "Tian Tian arrived in Scotland, along with Yang Guang, from China in 2011\n\nEdinburgh Zoo's giant pandas may have to return to China next year because of financial pressures.\n\nYang Guang and Tian Tian cost about £1m a year to lease from China.\n\nThe zoo, which had hoped to breed the pair, is nearing the end of its 10-year contract with the Chinese government and may be unable to renew the deal.\n\nCovid lockdown closures led to a £2m loss for the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, which runs Edinburgh Zoo and the Highland Wildlife Park.\n\nDavid Field, chief executive of the society, said the charity would have to \"seriously consider every potential saving\", including its giant panda contract.\n\nMr Field said closures had had a \"huge financial impact\" on the charity because most of its income was from visitors.\n\n\"Although our parks are open again, we lost around £2m last year and it seems certain that restrictions, social distancing and limits on our visitor numbers will continue for some time, which will also reduce our income,\" Mr Field said.\n\n\"Yang Guang and Tian Tian have made a tremendous impression on our visitors over the last nine years, helping millions of people connect to nature and inspiring them to take an interest in wildlife conservation.\n\n\"I would love for them to be able to stay for a few more years with us and that is certainly my current aim.\"\n\nYang Guang was given a new enclosure in 2019\n\nThe zoo has already taken a government loan, furloughed staff, made redundancies and launched a fundraising appeal, but was not eligible for the UK government's zoo fund, which was aimed at smaller zoos.\n\n\"The support we have received from our members and animal lovers has helped to keep our doors open and we are incredibly grateful,\" Mr Field added.\n\n\"At this stage, it is too soon to say what the outcome will be. We will be discussing next steps with our colleagues in China over the coming months.\"\n\nThe zoo is part of a number of conservation projects, including one to reintroduce Scottish wildcats.\n\nWork to reintroduce Scottish wildcats in to the Highlands may also suffer from the Zoo's funding problems\n\nHowever, Mr Field said projects like that may also have to be scrapped because of Brexit and being unable to apply for grants from the European Union.\n\n\"We received a £3.2m grant from the EU Life programme to support our Saving Wildcats partnership project, which aims to restore wildcats in Scotland by breeding and releasing them into the wild.\n\n\"Wildcats are on the brink of extinction in Britain and this is the last hope for the species' survival.\"\n\nHe added: \"As we are no longer part of the European Union, our charity is no longer eligible to apply for funding from programmes like EU Life, which have proven critical for our wildlife conservation work and wider efforts to protect animals from extinction.\"\n\nEdinburgh Zoo's conservation genetics laboratory, which supports conservation projects around the world, has lost access to both funding and other researchers as a result.\n\nIt also faces challenges around moving animals, many of which are part of European endangered species breeding programmes.\n\nThe programme is currently about £900,000 short, meaning it may have to be cancelled.\n\nMr Field said: \"We still need to reduce costs to secure our future. It may be that some of our incredibly important conservation projects, including the vital lifeline for Scotland's wildcats, may have to be deferred, postponed or even stopped.\"", "Police rescued 22 people from the snow in Cheshire including a two-year-old child\n\nDozens of people, including a two-year-old child, had to be rescued when they became stranded on rural roads.\n\nPolice and volunteers came to the aid of people whose vehicles were stuck in the Derbyshire Peak District on Saturday.\n\nThere were similar scenes in Cheshire where 22 people, had to be rescued from stranded cars.\n\nThe wintry weather is set to continue with a Met Office warning for ice in the East Midlands and North East.\n\nAt around 20:00 GMT on Saturday, Derbyshire Police reported \"sudden snow\" had left dozens of vehicles and their occupants stranded in the Goyt Valley.\n\nSome visitors to the area were caught off-guard by how quickly the weather changed.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Adam White This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nDerbyshire Police posted on Twitter: \"We are shuttling people back to Buxton as quickly as we can.\n\n\"Sit tight and we will get to you.\"\n\nThe A57 Snake Pass - a road notorious for becoming dangerous in the snow - had been closed earlier in the day because of the weather.\n\nIn Cheshire, police spent three hours helping families stuck in their vehicles in the White Peak area.\n\nIn total 22 people, including eight children - the youngest of whom was two - were recovered from nine vehicles.\n\nCheshire Police Rural Crime Team said: \"The snow had well and truly caught them all out on the back roads.\n\n\"We were three miles (4.8km) from the nearest village, and the light was fading on us quickly.\n\n\"It was decided to get everyone out of their cars and so began a mile walk in the snow.\"\n\nThey were led to a nearby farm where they could be taken to safety in police vehicles.\n\nMost of those rescued from snow in Cheshire had travelled to the area despite coronavirus restrictions\n\nThe force was critical of the families for travelling into the area, that is under tier four coronavirus restrictions.\n\nIt said: \"All except one car was from out of Cheshire. We had people from Sale, Stockport and Salford with the closest being Congleton.\n\n\"Sadly these people have put all of us at risk today.\"\n\nFollow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "The Scottish cabinet will meet later to consider further measures to help tackle coronavirus, as 2,464 new cases are reported.\n\nThe Scottish Parliament will then be recalled for First Minister Nicola Sturgeon to make an \"urgent statement\".\n\nMs Sturgeon said the \"rapid increase in Covid cases driven by the new variant\" was of \"very serious concern\".\n\n\"We are in a race between this faster spreading strain of Covid and the vaccination programme,\" she tweeted.\n\nShe warned on Friday that the next few weeks could be the most dangerous period for Scotland since March in the fight against Covid.\n\nThe latest government figures for coronavirus cases showed that 15.2% of Saturday's 17,328 tests were positive.\n\nIt is higher than the 2,137 cases reported on Friday, but still lower than Thursday's 2,539 positive results.\n\nFigures for hospital admissions and deaths over the holiday weekend will not be published until Tuesday.\n\nThe cabinet is likely to consider a further delay to the return of Scottish schools and restrictions that are closer to the stay-at-home lockdown in March.\n\n\"All decisions just now are tough, with tough impacts,\" Ms Sturgeon wrote on twitter. \"Vaccines give us way out, but this new strain makes the period between now and then the most dangerous since start of pandemic.\"\n\nThe Scottish government's emergency resilience committee heard on Saturday that \"quick and decisive action is needed\" as the new variant of the virus is becoming the dominant one in Scotland.\n\nA Scottish government spokesperson said: \"The even steeper rises and severe pressure on the NHS that is being experienced in some other parts of the UK is a sign of what may lie ahead in Scotland if we do not take all possible steps now to slow the spread of the virus, while the vaccination programme progresses.\n\n\"The strong message remains - people should stay at home as much as possible and avoid non-essential interaction with others.\"\n\nThis is just the fifth time the Scottish Parliament has been recalled and the second time within the last week.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Prof Linda Bauld says Scots should be prepared a longer period living with level four restrictions\n\nPublic health expert Prof Linda Bauld, from the University of Edinburgh, has said Scotland should be prepared for Covid restrictions to be extended as infection rates continue to rise.\n\nShe said there were no signs yet that the infection rate was levelling off, having risen suddenly from a daily rate of fewer than 1,000 to more than 2,000 per day in recent days.\n\nShe told BBC Scotland: \"It definitely is a fragile situation and you can see that we have more cases than we would expect at the current time.\n\n\"We may be starting to see some of the impacts of the Christmas mixing, but also we know around four in 10 cases, from recent data, are of the new variant.\n\n\"I would imagine that the new variant is playing a role in these higher rates of infection and if these numbers continue to sit at where they are we are going to have more people in hospital in a week or two's time, and that is very worrying.\"\n\nThe new year offers new hope in the struggle against coronavirus with two vaccines now authorised for UK use - but it looks as if the situation will get worse before it gets better.\n\nMinisters are worried by the rapid spread of the new strain of coronavirus during a holiday period when the highest level of restrictions are already in place.\n\nThey think more needs to be done to suppress the virus, to give the vaccination programme a chance to accelerate and give increasing numbers of people protection.\n\nWhen the Scottish cabinet meets they are likely to consider tightening the current restrictions to something closer to the stay at home lockdown of March 2020.\n\nThat will almost certainly mean a further delay to the return of schools into February.\n\nMinisters will take decisions on Monday morning with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon expected to make a statement at Holyrood in the afternoon.\n\nDaily confirmed cases in Scotland reached record highs on the last three days of 2020, rising to to 2,622 on Thursday.\n\nMs Sturgeon warned last week there might be changes to the plans for reopening schools. Children start online learning from 11 January and are set to return to class by 18 January.\n\nThe education recovery group will meet on Monday.\n\nScottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said the situation was \"deteriorating and fast-moving\" but any decision to extend school closures should be clearly explained to parents and teachers.\n\nHe said: \"We have been here before so if schools remain closed, the Scottish government must show that it has learned from past mistakes in order to minimise disruption to education.\"\n\nScottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie said the Scottish government should prioritise teachers and school staff as vaccines were rolled out.\n\nHe added: \"We must be honest and accept that most pupils, teachers and support staff cannot go back to schools until the situation is brought under control.\"\n\nScottish Labour leader Richard Leonard called for ministers to publish the evidence behind all of its decisions to ensure public consent and compliance.\n\n\"What is clear is that we need to see an acceleration of the vaccine rollout and a step-change in testing,\" he said.\n\n\"It is also clear that financial support from government has simply not been nearly sufficient to make up for the damage that lockdown measures have done to jobs, livelihoods and businesses. The SNP government must distribute additional funds to the frontline now.\"\n\nScottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said: \"With tighter restrictions on movement and in schools comes a greater responsibility on the government to show its workings.\n\n\"If we are to restrict people's movement then we need to see what the benefit will be. We need an exit plan to give people hope, as well as to show them what is required to ease the restrictions on our freedoms.\"", "Some schools are due to reopen this week in Wales\n\nSchools are being given a flexible approach to ensure a \"safe return\", according to Wales' first minister.\n\nMark Drakeford said experts would be \"looking at all the evidence again early next week\".\n\nUnions have called for a national decision on reopening schools rather than leaving it to local councils.\n\nAccording to local authorities many secondary schools aim to return from 11 January, with some fully open on 6 January.\n\nA joint statement from nine unions called on the Welsh Government to give a \"centralised, coherent response\" regarding all educational settings \"rather than leaving decisions at local levels\".\n\nThe statement from ASCL Cymru, GMB, NAHT Cymru, NASUWT Cymru, NEU Cymru, Ucac, Unison, Unite and Voice continued: \"We are extremely worried that schools will be opening for face-to-face learning from next Monday, whilst Welsh Government continues to gather information about the nature and impact of the new variant of Covid-19...\n\n\"We strongly believe that we need to err on the side of caution and ensure, in advance, that we have the medical 'evidence and information' to ensure that any decisions are the correct ones.\"\n\nThe National Education Union Cymru has called for in-person learning to be delayed until at least 18 January.\n\nThe NASUWT has also threatened \"appropriate action in order to protect members whose safety is put at risk\", while head teachers' union NAHT Cymru said it had taken legal action.\n\nBut Mr Drakeford said: \"We reached an agreement with our local education colleagues that in Wales we will have a phased and flexible return to school.\"\n\nPrime Minister Boris Johnson said on Sunday parents should send their children to primary school as long as they are open in their area.\n\nMark Drakeford: \"No evidence that young people get the illness more severely as a result of the variant\"\n\nJackie Parker, head of Crickhowell High School in Powys, which reopens for some form years from Wednesday, said \"it would have been more sensible to have had a national decision for the time being until the 18th\".\n\nShe said it would have allowed time to see if cases of Covid had increased over the holiday period.\n\n\"People may have been together during the Christmas holiday,\" she said.\n\nFigures published by Public Health Wales on Sunday showed 56 new deaths from Covid and 4,011 new cases of the virus.\n\nWales has been in lockdown since 20 December with restrictions on people meeting others on all but Christmas Day when it was limited to another household and a person living alone.\n\nMr Drakeford said: \"There is no evidence that young people get the illness more severely as a result of the variant.\n\n\"Our technical advisory group will be looking at all the evidence again early next week.\n\n\"And, of course, we will continue to make decisions in the light of the best knowledge, research and information that's available to us at the time,\" he told BBC Radio Wales' Sunday Supplement.\n\nHe also said mass testing in schools would begin as planned this month, in a decision which has been criticised by NAHT Cymru.\n\n\"It will allow more children and more teachers to stay safely in the classroom without having to be sent home because another child or another staff member has tested positive,\" he said.\n\nThe joint unions' statement also said the Welsh Government's testing proposals were unworkable for most schools.\n\n\"Due to the chaotic and rushed nature of this announcement, the lack of proper guidance, and an absence of appropriate support, the Welsh Government's proposals will be inoperable for most schools and colleges,\" it said.\n\nThe statement continued: \"Any suggestion that schools can safely recruit, train and organise a team of suitable volunteers to staff and run testing stations on their premises by an as yet unspecified date in the new term is simply not realistic.\"\n\nSian Gwenllian, Plaid Cymru's education spokeswoman, said \"parents and teachers need to know what the plan is for the next few weeks\".\n\n\"We don't really know very much about this new variant in the way that it transmits within the school community,\" she said.\n\n\"And if it is becoming inevitable that schools will have to close, well, an early decision is better for everybody.\"\n\nWelsh Conservative education spokeswoman Suzy Davies said: \"We've had conflicting reports in the press and on social media about the effect of the new variant on younger children and their role in transmitting the disease - complete confusion reigns...\n\n\"The Welsh Government hasn't succeeded in reassuring teachers and in some cases parents as well.\"", "Economy Minister Diane Dodds has written to Cabinet Office Secretary Michael Gove to call for urgent action to be taken on deliveries to NI.\n\nSince Christmas some orders have been cancelled or delayed and some retailers have suspended deliveries.\n\nThe problem is related to uncertainty about post-Brexit transition rules.\n\nHM Customs announced a grace period on New Year's Eve confirming most parcels from GB-NI will not need customs declarations until at least April.\n\nThe problems have not affected all companies with many continuing to take orders and deliver as normal.\n\nHowever, some companies had already suspended deliveries, including John Lewis.\n\nThe government said the three-month grace period \"recognises the unique circumstances of Northern Ireland, the impacts of any disruption to parcel movements in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic and specific challenges for operators moving express consignments\".\n\nA government spokesman said further details will be published in the new year, adding: \"Our priority is to have a pragmatic approach that allows us to comply with the [Northern Ireland] Protocol without causing undue disruption to businesses and citizens.\n\n\"HMRC is engaging with operators to finalise arrangements.\"\n\nSome changes have already come into effect.\n\nA Northern Ireland-based business receiving goods valued at £135 or more through an express carrier or Royal Mail will need to submit a customs declaration.\n\nThey will need to do this within three months of receiving the goods and can use the government's Trader Support Service to do so.\n\nExcise goods, which mostly refers to alcoholic drinks, will also need a declaration when being sent from GB to NI.\n\nThe government has advised retailers of those goods to contact their delivery company.\n\nIt said: \"They will then tell you if they carry the type of goods you want to send and, if they do, they will ask you to provide any additional information that they need so that a declaration can be made.\"", "About 10 UK nationals resident in Spain say they were wrongly turned back when their flight landed in Barcelona.\n\nThey left Heathrow on the Saturday morning British Airways flight, but were refused entry on arrival.\n\nThey were stopped by border police and ultimately flown back to the UK.\n\nSpain has banned all but Spanish nationals and residents flying from the UK to Spain since 22 December in the hope of containing the spread of the new UK strain of Covid-19.\n\nOne passenger on the flight, who did not wish to be named, said that those on board had been told repeatedly that only Spanish nationals or residents would be allowed to enter the country and that their residency certificates, also known as green certificates, were shown to airline staff several times.\n\nHowever, on arrival, British passengers with green residency certificates were prevented from entering Spain.\n\nBA has confirmed that about 10 people were denied entry into Barcelona, as they did not meet the Spanish authorities' required criteria.\n\nOne of those affected, Ruth O'Leary, said: \"I was very confused, obviously. I asked them what other documents I could provide.\n\n\"They seemed to be just flat-out refusing anything I had and just wouldn't let me on the flight. Very upsetting really.\n\n\"Quite an awful feeling not to be able to go back to your own house and to not really be given an explanation why you can't go home.\"\n\nOther British expat passengers have also said that they have been stopped from boarding planes to Spain.\n\nOne passenger on board said that seven British citizens were prevented from boarding a British Airways/Iberia flight from Heathrow to Madrid on Saturday evening, despite having their green residency certificates, as well as negative Covid tests.\n\nThe exact number of flights and passengers affected has not been released by the Foreign Office.\n\nIn a statement on Monday, Iberia said that on 1 January, it received an email from the border police saying that registration as a European citizen was no longer considered to be a valid document to prove legal residency in Spain as a British citizen.\n\nHowever, by 19:30 on 2 January, the airline received a second email, confirming that the document could be used if it had not expired.\n\nA British Airways spokesperson said: \"In these difficult and unprecedented times with dynamic travel restrictions, we are doing everything we can to help and support our customers.\"\n\nThe Spanish Embassy in London tweeted a letter stating it was aware that during the current travel restrictions, there had been some problems for British nationals resident in Spain who had not been allowed to return.\n\nThe embassy clarified that green certificates were valid proof of residency.\n\nThe Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: \"We have worked closely with the Spanish government to resolve these issues.\n\n\"The Spanish Embassy in London has re-confirmed today that both the green residence certificate and the new residence TIE card [Photo-ID card] are equally valid in terms of proving residence in Spain, as set out in the [Brexit] Withdrawal Agreement.\"", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Olly Stephens was pronounced dead in Bugs Bottom fields in Emmer Green, Reading\n\nFour boys and a girl have been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder after a 13-year-old boy was stabbed to death in Reading.\n\nOliver Stephens, known as Olly, was pronounced dead at Bugs Bottom fields, Emmer Green, on Sunday.\n\nThe five teenagers, all aged 13 or 14, remain in custody, according to Thames Valley Police.\n\nDet Supt Kevin Brown said: \"Our thoughts remain with Olly's family at this incredibly difficult time.\"\n\nHe added: \"This is a tragic and shocking incident which has resulted in the death of a young boy.\"\n\nThe victim's family are being supported by specially trained officers.\n\nFloral tributes to Olly have been left outside Highdown School\n\nHighdown School and Sixth Form Centre said it was \"reeling from the tragic news\".\n\nIn a statement, head teacher Rachel Cave said: \"This student was part of our community and many students and staff knew him well.\n\n\"For a life to be ended at such a young age is a total tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.\"\n\nThe school, in Emmer Green, said it was arranging counselling support for students and setting up an electronic book of condolence.\n\nThames Valley Police said a \"considerable police presence\" would be in place in the area for several days\n\nOfficers were called just before 16:00 GMT on Sunday following reports of an attack.\n\nOfficers are appealing for anyone who was in the area between 15:00 and 16:30 who might have taken photos or camera footage to contact them if they notice anything suspicious.\n\nDet Supt Brown said he believed there would have been witnesses to the \"dreadful incident\" as the area is popular with dog walkers.\n\nA man said his wife was walking their dog through the park on Sunday afternoon when she saw a boy on the ground with several people around him trying to give him first aid.\n\nAnother dog walker said she saw a group of young people standing in the woods in Bugs Bottom fields at about 15:30 and described it as \"slightly unusual\".\n\nReading East MP Matt Rodda has offered his \"deepest condolences\" to the boy's family.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Matt Rodda This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nSt Barnabas Church in Emmer Green has invited residents to pray and light a candle in memory of the boy.\n\nFollow BBC South on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to south.newsonline@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Margaret Ferrier admitted travelling back from London to Glasgow after testing positive for coronavirus\n\nScottish MP Margaret Ferrier has been arrested by police after she admitted using public transport while infected with Covid-19.\n\nMs Ferrier apologised for what she called a \"blip\" in September.\n\nShe was suspended from the SNP group at Westminster and leaders, including First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, urged her to quit as an MP over the row.\n\nPolice Scotland said she had been charged in connection with \"alleged culpable and reckless conduct\".\n\nMs Ferrier apologised in September after travelling from London to Glasgow having tested positive for coronavirus.\n\nThe Rutherglen and Hamilton West MP said she had experienced \"mild symptoms\" and taken a test, but had then decided to travel to Westminster because she was \"feeling much better\".\n\nShe then travelled home again on a train after receiving the positive test result, and said she \"deeply regretted\" her actions.\n\nA Police Scotland spokesman said: \"We can confirm that officers today arrested and charged a 60-year-old woman in connection with alleged culpable and reckless conduct.\n\n\"This follows a thorough investigation by Police Scotland into an alleged breach of coronavirus regulations between 26 and 29 September 2020.\n\n\"A report will be sent to the procurator fiscal and we are unable to comment further.\"\n\nMs Ferrier has been contacted for comment.", "The prime minister has said that tougher measures could be needed to help cope with a surge in coronavirus cases.\n\nHe has not yet said whether we will need school closures, or even overnight curfews like those imposed in France.\n\nBut clues about such measures to tackle the new more infectious variant come from the government's Sage advisory committee.\n\nThe headline is that whether we see a return to only being allowed one form of daily outdoor exercise, or stricter controls on travel around the country, we'll be hearing a lot more about something already very familiar: hand hygiene, social distancing, wearing masks and ensuring there is fresh air.\n\nThese may sound familiar but the advisers believe that because the new variant spreads so easily, the measures need to be applied with \"a step change in rigour\" - in other words, a lot more forcefully.\n\nThey suggest considering a return to the two-metre rule because it's more effective than the one-metre plus guidance adopted last year.\n\nMasks need to be made of three layers, not just one, and worn in more locations than now - including workplaces, schools and crowded outdoor spaces.\n\nThe key message is that it is vital to reduce social contact - being close to people, especially indoors for long periods of time, carries the highest risk of infection.\n\nSo expect tier four-type bans on visiting other households to become normal.\n\nThe advisers also say many people still do not recognise the key symptoms of Covid-19 - so ministers need to spell them out and help people understand why they should self-isolate.\n\nBut they also say it is essential to praise the efforts made so far, to recognise sacrifices and emphasise how they've kept infection numbers lower than they would otherwise have been.\n\nWhatever new measures are picked, the advice to ministers is to offer \"clear and convincing explanations\" to motivate people.\n\nThat could be a hint that the government's current \"hands, face, space\" slogan may need to make way for something stronger.", "The Queen said she wished Woman's Hour \"continued success\" in the programme's \"important work\"\n\nThe Queen has sent her \"best wishes\" to Woman's Hour to mark the BBC Radio 4 show's 75th year.\n\nThe 94-year-old noted that the show had \"played a significant part in the evolving role of women\".\n\n\"As you celebrate your 75th year, it is with great pleasure that I send my best wishes to the listeners and all those associated with Woman's Hour,\" she said in a letter sent to the programme.\n\nEmma Barnett read out the message on her first day as the show's presenter.\n\n\"During this time, you have witnessed and played a significant part in the evolving role of women across society, both here and around the world,\" the Queen added in her message.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Presenter Emma Barnett reads a message from Her Majesty to Woman's Hour listeners.\n\n\"In this notable anniversary year, I wish you continued success in your important work as a friend, guide and advocate to women everywhere.\"\n\nSpice Girl Melanie C also performed a rendition of The Beatles track Here Comes the Sun, after presenter Barnett had declared that 2021 \"has to be better\" than the previous year.\n\nLater, guest Imelda Staunton, who will play Her Majesty in the upcoming series five of Netflix's royal drama, The Crown, described her as being like \"the original Spice Girl\".\n\n\"The Queen, you think, might be an original Spice Girl because girl power is what she is,\" said the actress, who is due to take over the role from Olivia Colman. \"She became the head of state and all that sort of thing.\n\n\"It's the continuity of The Queen that has been so important... Whether you're a royalist or not, this person has got up and gone to work every day for 60 years, and I sort of admire that.\"\n\nLast month, the Queen used her Christmas Day message to reassure anyone struggling without friends and family this year that they \"are not alone\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe message helped to mark a memorable opening day in the hot seat for Barnett, which also saw her discuss Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, the British-Iranian under house arrest in Tehran, with her husband Richard and the MP and former foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt.\n\nBarnett - known for hosting Newsnight and shows on 5 Live - has replaced Jane Garvey, who presented her final edition of Woman's Hour after 13 years last week, saying the programme \"needs to move on, and now it can\".\n\nGarvey's exit came three months after her co-host Dame Jenni Murray also left the long-running show after 33 years.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Emma Barnett This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nBarnett's 5 Live show has been taken over by BBC Breakfast presenter Naga Munchetty, who also broadcast her first show on Monday.\n\nMunchetty told listeners she was \"absolutely delighted to be here with you on the first Monday of 2021\".\n\n\"I am so excited to be on board with you on this, the morning show we are making together,\" she added. \"We are going to get to know each other, I promise. There is so much to talk about.\"\n\nEmma Barnett interviewed former prime minister Theresa May on her 5 Live show\n\nWoman's Hour is a topical, conversation-led programme; Barnett has a strong news pedigree. Her previous 5 Live show involved thorough interrogation of politicians, and she has made no secret of her love of politics, not least in her outings on Newsnight.\n\nIt doesn't get any bigger than the Queen, obviously. Interestingly, the other big 'get' for her first show is Sonia Khan, former special adviser to the Chancellor.\n\nSo Barnett's first show indicates very clearly that she will make Woman's Hour newsier and more political.\n\nIt's also a safe bet that short, visual clips of the kind that allowed Barnett's 5 Live show to dramatically increase its impact will also be a big feature of her time in the job.\n\nOne early challenge: getting an even bigger name for next Monday. Any thoughts?\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "The lockdown announcement contained the clearest indication yet of how quickly the government hopes to vaccinate the at risk groups.\n\nA target of mid February for vaccinating all the over 70s and those deemed extremely clinically vulnerable and frontline health and care staff opens up a pathway to a significant easing of restrictions by the start of March.\n\nBut it will require a rapid acceleration in vaccination rates.\n\nSo far nearly one million people have been vaccinated.\n\nBy the end of the week that number is expected to double.\n\nThe hope is that later in January two million doses a week will be given.\n\nThat will be the minimum needed – there are around 12 million in those priority groups.\n\nBy vaccinating them, there is the potential to prevent close to nine in 10 deaths.\n\nBut achieving that requires a lot to go right.\n\nThere is enough vaccine in the country to vaccinate that many people, but not all of it has been through the final “fill and finish” process which involves packaging it in glass vials (and there is a shortage of those) and then the batches have to be checked and signed off by the regulator – a process that is taking weeks at the moment.\n\nAnd all of that is before it is sent out to the NHS vaccination centres to inject it into people’s arms.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Prof Linda Bauld says Scots should be prepared a longer period living with level four restrictions\n\nScotland should be prepared for Covid restrictions to be extended as infection rates continue to rise, a public health expert has said.\n\nThe latest government figures show a further 2,137 cases of Covid-19 were confirmed in Scotland on Friday.\n\nProf Linda Bauld described it as a \"fragile situation\", despite the rate dropping below Thursday's 2,539 cases.\n\nThe latest figures for hospital admissions and deaths will not be published until Tuesday.\n\nFirst Minister Nicola Sturgeon warned on Friday that the next few weeks could be the most dangerous period for Scotland since March in the fight against Covid as the new variant of the virus was \"accelerating spread\" across Scotland.\n\nDaily confirmed cases reached record highs on the last three days of 2020, rising to to 2,622 on Thursday.\n\nThe percentage of positive cases also reached 14.4% on Wednesday - the highest it has been since the second wave of the pandemic began in the summer.\n\nIt had dropped to 10.8% on Friday. A percentage of lower than 5% is needed to show the virus is under control, according to the WHO.\n\nProf Bauld, a public health expert at the University of Edinburgh, said there were no signs yet that the infection rate was levelling off, having risen suddenly from a daily rate of fewer than 1,000 to more than 2,000 per day in recent days.\n\nShe told BBC Scotland: \"It definitely is a fragile situation and you can see that we have more cases than we would expect at the current time.\n\n\"We may be starting to see some of the impacts of the Christmas mixing, but also we know around four in 10 cases, from recent data, are of the new variant.\n\n\"I would imagine that the new variant is playing a role in these higher rates of infection and if these numbers continue to sit at where they are we are going to have more people in hospital in a week or two's time, and that is very worrying.\"\n\nAll of mainland Scotland is under level four restrictions in an attempt to slow down the rate of virus spread\n\nThis would bring \"real challenges\" for hospitals, especially in the central belt, Prof Bauld said, adding that it was \"absolutely imperative that we do not see these number rise more than they are now\".\n\nShe said it would take some time to see the impact of level four restrictions introduced in mainland Scotland on Boxing Day.\n\n\"Mentally we just need to be prepared for the fact that we may be living with the level four restrictions for longer than the Scottish government currently plans,\" Prof Bauld said.\n\nShe said the new, more transmissible coronavirus variant would make it harder to get the R number below one in Scotland and schools may not be able to fully reopen on 18 January.\n\nThe government's education recovery group was preparing with schools for blended learning to go on longer if necessary, she added.\n\nAll of mainland Scotland is under level four restrictions in an attempt to slow down the rate of virus spread.\n\nA new study by London's Imperial College has found that the new variant of Covid-19 is \"hugely\" more transmissible than the virus's previous version.\n\nIt concludes that the new variant increases the Reproduction or R number by between 0.4 and 0.7.\n\nThe Scottish government's most recent estimate of the R number in Scotland has put it between 0.9 and 1.1. It needs to be below 1.0 for the number of cases to start falling.\n\nThe government has described the vaccination programme as a \"light at the end of the tunnel\" and has urged people to stay at home as much as possible in the meantime.", "Security has been stepped up in Niger's Tillabéri region, where the two villages are situated\n\nNiger's prime minister says 100 people are now known to have been killed in Saturday's attacks by suspected jihadists on two villages.\n\nBrigi Rafini said 70 people were killed in the village of Tchombangou and 30 others in Zaroumdareye - both near Niger's border with Mali.\n\nIt was one of the deadliest days in living memory, as Niger grapples with ethnic violence and Islamist militancy.\n\nNo group has said it carried out the attacks.\n\nAccording to local mayor Almou Hassane, those responsible travelled on \"about 100 motorcycles,\" AFP news agency reports.\n\nThey split into two groups and carried out the attacks simultaneously.\n\nFormer minister Issoufou Issaka told AFP that jihadists launched the assaults after villagers killed two of their group members, though this hasn't been officially confirmed.\n\nMayor Hassane said 75 other villagers were left wounded in the aftermath, and some have been evacuated for treatment in Ouallam and the capital, Niamey.\n\nPrime Minister Rafini visited both of the villages on Sunday.\n\n\"This situation is simply horrible... but investigations will be conducted so that this crime does not go unpunished,\" he told reporters.\n\nNiger's Tillabéri region lies within the so-called tri-border area between Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, which has been plagued by jihadist attacks for many years.\n\nNiger's Prime Minister Brigi Rafini visited the two villages on Sunday\n\nLast month, seven Nigerien soldiers were killed in an ambush in the region.\n\nAreas of Niger are also facing repeated attacks by jihadists from neighbouring Nigeria, where the government is fighting an insurgency by Boko Haram.\n\nAs part of efforts to quell the violence, France has been leading a coalition of West African and European allies against Islamist militants in the Sahel.\n\nCoalition forces have become targets, and last week five French soldiers were killed in two separate incidents in Mali.\n\nThe latest attacks in Tillabéri also come amid national elections in Niger, as President Mahamadou Issoufou steps down after two five-year terms.\n\nElection officials announced provisional results on Saturday, showing a lead for Mohamed Bazoum - a former minister and a member of Niger's ruling party.\n\nA second round of votes is expected to be held on 21 February, once ballots have been validated by the country's constitutional court.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nRegional restrictions in England are \"probably about to get tougher\" to curb rising Covid infections, the prime minister has warned.\n\nBoris Johnson told the BBC stronger measures may be required in parts of the country in the coming weeks.\n\nHe said this included the possibility of keeping schools closed, although this is not \"something we want to do\".\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer has called for new England-wide restrictions within 24 hours.\n\nSir Keir said coronavirus was \"clearly out of control\" and it was \"inevitable more schools are going to have to close\".\n\nIt comes as the UK recorded more than 50,000 new confirmed Covid cases for the sixth day in a row, with 54,990 announced on Sunday.\n\nAn additional 454 deaths within 28 days of a positive test result have also been reported, meaning the total by this measure is now above 75,000.\n\nSpeaking on BBC One's Andrew Marr Show, Mr Johnson said he stuck by his previous prediction that the situation would be better by the spring, and he hoped \"tens of millions\" would be vaccinated in the next three months.\n\nBut he added: \"It may be that we need to do things in the next few weeks that will be tougher in many parts of the country. I'm fully, fully reconciled to that.\"\n\n\"And I bet the people of this country are reconciled to that because, until the vaccine really comes on stream in a massive way, we're fighting this virus with the same set of tools.\"\n\nThe PM added that ministers had taken \"every reasonable step that we reasonably could\" to prepare for winter, but \"could not have reasonably predicted\" the new, more transmissible variant of the virus that has emerged over the autumn.\n\nSpeaking after Mr Johnson's interview, Sir Keir said introducing new nationwide restrictions in England \"has to be the first step to controlling the virus\".\n\n\"There's no good the prime minister hinting that further restrictions are coming into place in a week or two or three,\" he told reporters on Sunday. \"That delay has been the source of so many problems.\"\n\n\"Let's not have the prime minister saying 'I'm going to do it, but not yet',\" he added.\n\nMeanwhile, Mr Johnson defended plans for primary schools to reopen in most of England on Monday, amid opposition from teaching unions and some local councils.\n\nIt came after Amanda Spielman, the head of Ofsted, England's schools watchdog, said closures should be kept to an \"absolute minimum\".\n\nThe rapidly rising infection rates mean it should come as no surprise that tougher measures are being considered.\n\nInfection levels are nearly four times higher now than they were at the start of December - and that in turn has put more pressure on hospitals.\n\nThere are signs the restrictions have started slowing the rises in London, the East of England and the South East.\n\nBut that on its own is not enough. Ministers want to get cases down.\n\nSo what extra can be done? After all most of England is effectively in lockdown already with tier four in place. Those places not in tier four could, of course, follow.\n\nBut some public health experts are warning more needs to be done.\n\nThere is a determination to get primary school children back - they have among the lowest rates of infection if you look at symptomatic cases.\n\nBut infection rates are higher among secondary school age children. The government has bought itself time by delaying their return.\n\nA further 20 million people in England were added to tier four - \"stay at home\" - the toughest set of rules, on 31 December in a bid to stem a surge in Covid cases.\n\nIt means 78% of the population of England is now in tier four, under which non-essential shops are closed and people can only leave their homes for a certain number of reasons.\n\nThe Scottish government will meet on Monday to consider \"further action\" to limit the spread of the disease, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said.\n\nAll of mainland Scotland is currently under its own level four restrictions - with only some islands under less stringent tier three measures.\n\nWales entered a nationwide lockdown on 20 December, with First Minister Mark Drakeford saying on Sunday it was \"difficult to see\" how the rules could be strengthened further.\n\nHe said Welsh ministers would consider whether restrictions could be \"tweaked at the margins\" at a cabinet meeting on Wednesday.\n\nNorthern Ireland is in the second week of a six-week lockdown that began on Boxing Day. Stricter measures, including a \"stay-at-home curfew\", ended on Saturday.\n\nIn another development, an academic has said there is a \"big question mark\" over whether a vaccine developed at Oxford University will be as effective against a new variant of the virus that has emerged in South Africa.\n\nProf Sir John Bell, Regius professor of medicine at the university, said the team there were currently investigating this question \"right now\".\n\nHe added it was \"unlikely\" the variant would \"turn off the effect of vaccines entirely,\" and in any case it would be possible to tweak the vaccine in around 4-6 weeks.\n\n\"Everybody should stay calm - it's going to be fine,\" he told Times Radio.\n\n\"But we're now in a game of cat and mouse - because these are not the only two variants we're going to see.\"", "Former Bond actress and Charlie's Angel Tanya Roberts has died in hospital in Los Angeles at the age of 65.\n\nRoberts appeared with Sir Roger Moore in his final Bond film, 1985's A View To A Kill, and had a recurring role in That '70s Show.\n\nShe also starred in the final series of Charlie's Angels on TV in 1980.\n\nHer death was prematurely announced on Monday, only for doctors to say she was still alive. However, her death was then confirmed on Tuesday.\n\nRoberts had collapsed while walking her dogs on 24 December and was admitted to Los Angeles' Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre.\n\nHer partner Lance O'Brien mistakenly thought she had died on Sunday after visiting her in hospital. After getting a call from doctors to say she was deteriorating quickly, he went to her bedside, her eyes closed and she \"faded\", TMZ reported.\n\nDevastated, he walked out of the room and then the hospital without speaking to medical staff before informing Roberts' agent that he had \"just said goodbye to Tanya\".\n\nBut while being interviewed for US TV show Inside Edition on Monday, Mr O'Brien got a call from the hospital to say she was alive.\n\nThe moment was captured on film, as he picked up his phone and said: \"Now you're telling me she's alive? Thank the Lord.\" However, she died on Monday night.\n\nShe appeared in A View To A Kill alongside Sir Roger Moore and singer Grace Jones\n\nBorn Victoria Leigh Blum in 1955, Roberts grew up in New York before moving to Hollywood in 1977.\n\nHer big break came when she replaced Shelly Hack in Charlie's Angels, joining Jaclyn Smith and Cheryl Ladd as third 'Angel' Julie.\n\nAfter the show's cancellation, she appeared in such fantasy adventure films as The Beastmaster and Hearts and Armour.\n\nShe also played comic book heroine Sheena in a 1984 film that saw her nominated for a Golden Raspberry award for worst actress.\n\nRoberts received another Razzie nomination for her role as geologist Stacey Sutton in 1985 Bond film A View to a Kill.\n\nRoberts in the title role in Sheena: Queen of the Jungle\n\nShe admitted being \"a little cautious\" about taking the role, but said it would have been \"ridiculous\" to have turned it down.\n\nRoberts' subsequent films included Night Eyes and Inner Sanctum, erotic thrillers that did little to advance her career.\n\nShe went on to play Midge Pinciotti in more than 80 episodes of That '70s Show between 1998 and 2004.\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "The former president posts that he has been told to report to a grand jury, \"which almost always means an Arrest\".", "Derby County said several staff members and first-team players tested positive for the virus\n\nChampionship side Derby County has said \"several first-team staff and players\" have tested positive for Covid-19.\n\nIn a statement, the club said it had closed its Moor Farm training ground and was speaking to the EFL and the Football Association about forthcoming fixtures.\n\nThe club said it would not reveal the names of those who had tested positive, due to medical confidentiality.\n\nIt added they would be isolating in line with government guidelines.\n\nThe outbreak at Derby comes after Sheffield Wednesday closed their Middlewood Road training ground following a Covid-19 outbreak at the club.\n\nThe Rams were beaten 1-0 by Wednesday in their most recent match on New Year's Day at Hillsborough.\n\nDerby, who are third from bottom in the Championship, are due to travel to Chorley on Saturday for a third round FA Cup tie.\n\nFormer England striker Wayne Rooney took over as interim manager at Derby after the club sacked former head coach Phillip Cocu in November\n\nFollow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Last updated on .From the section Cricket\n\nEngland all-rounder Moeen Ali has tested positive for Covid-19 upon the squad's arrival in Sri Lanka.\n\nThe 33-year-old, who tested negative before departure, will now isolate for 10 days in accordance with the Sri Lanka government's quarantine protocol.\n\nFellow all-rounder Chris Woakes has been deemed as a possible close contact, and will observe a period of self-isolation and further testing.\n\nEngland's two-Test tour of Sri Lanka starts in Galle on 14 January.\n\nEngland had lateral flow tests and a PCR test at Hambantota airport upon arrival, with Moeen's PCR test returning the positive.\n\nThe rest of the touring parting will be retested on Tuesday morning, before being allowed to train for the first time on Wednesday.\n\nMoeen is the first England player to test positive for the virus, with a full summer of games against West Indies, Pakistan, Australia and Ireland being completed without any cases.\n\nEngland's last overseas tour, in South Africa, was cut short in December after positive cases in the Cape Town hotel where England were staying. England returned two positive tests - that were later verified as false positives.\n\nLast week England captain Joe Root said he did not expect the tour to be postponed if there were one or two isolated cases of the virus.\n\nSince England's tour of South Africa was called off, Pakistan's tour of New Zealand and Sri Lanka's of South Africa have both continued despite positive cases.\n\nEngland flew on a chartered flight from London to Hambantota on Saturday evening.\n\nAll of the players, and touring party, tested negative before their departure and were sprayed with disinfectant upon their arrival in Sri Lanka.\n\nThe series was scheduled to take place last year but England flew home after the tour was called off on 13 March as the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic took hold.\n\nSri Lanka has seen 44,774 coronavirus infections and 213 deaths during the pandemic, according to Johns Hopkins University.\n\nGiven the circumstances of their abandoned trip to South Africa, this is clearly alarming for England, however it's important to make the distinction between the two tours. In South Africa, they felt their bubble was breached, whereas this is an issue internal to the tourists.\n\nMoeen will be moved to Galle, the location of the two Tests, for his period of isolation, but given that is not due to end until the day before the first match, he must be considered a huge doubt.\n\nEngland have planned for this sort of issue, travelling with seven reserves in addition to the squad of 16. Three of those reserves - Mason Crane, Amar Virdi and Matt Parkinson - are spinners, but have only Crane's one Test cap between them.\n\nAt the moment, England have not discussed promoting a player to the main squad but should they feel the need to supplement frontline spinners Dom Bess and Jack Leach in their Test XI, then an inexperienced name is set for a big opportunity.", "Zara Holland appeared on the second series of Love Island\n\nLove Island star Zara Holland is to be prosecuted for allegedly breaking Covid rules on holiday in Barbados.\n\nIsland police say the former Miss Great Britain is expected to appear in court on Wednesday, accused of \"breaching quarantine\".\n\nStation Sergeant Michael Blackman told Newsbeat she was \"intercepted\" at the airport and later presented herself at a police station.\n\nIt's not clear whether she will appear in court in person or by video link.\n\nAn apology from the 25-year-old for what she described as \"a massive mix-up and misunderstanding\" was published by the Barbados Today website.\n\nShe told the publication: \"I have been a guest of this lovely island in excess of 20 years and would never do anything to jeopardise an entire nation that I have nothing but love and respect for and which has treated me as a family.\"\n\nListen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nEveryone in England must stay at home except for permitted reasons during a new coronavirus lockdown expected to last until mid-February, the PM says.\n\nAll schools and colleges will close to most pupils and switch to remote learning from Tuesday.\n\nBoris Johnson warned the coming weeks would be the \"hardest yet\" amid surging cases and patient numbers.\n\nHe said those in the top four priority groups would be offered a first vaccine dose by the middle of next month.\n\nAll care home residents and their carers, everyone aged 70 and over, all frontline health and social care workers, and the clinically extremely vulnerable will be offered one dose of a vaccine by mid-February.\n\nSchools in Northern Ireland will have an \"extended period of remote learning\", the Stormont Executive said.\n\nSpeaking from Downing Street, Mr Johnson told the public to follow the new lockdown rules immediately, before they become law in the early hours of Wednesday.\n\nAll the new measures in England will then last until at least the middle of February, he said, as a new more infectious variant of the virus spreads across the UK.\n\nThe PM added that he believed the country was entering \"the last phase of the struggle\".\n\nHospitals were under \"more pressure from Covid than at any time since the start of the pandemic\", he said.\n\nAnd he reiterated the slogan used earlier in the pandemic, urging people to immediately \"stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives\".\n\nOn Monday, the UK recorded more than 50,000 new confirmed Covid cases for the seventh day in a row.\n\nA further 58,784 cases and an additional 407 deaths within 28 days of a positive test result were reported, though deaths in Scotland were not recorded.\n\nAs of 08:00 GMT, there were 26,626 Covid-19 patients in hospital in England, according to the latest figures.\n\nThis is a week-on-week increase of 30%, and a new record high.\n\nThose who are clinically extremely vulnerable will be contacted by letter and should now shield once more, Mr Johnson said.\n\nSupport and childcare bubbles will continue under the new measures - and people can meet one person from another household for outdoor exercise.\n\nCommunal worship and life events like funerals and weddings can continue, subject to limits on attendance.\n\nWhile Mr Johnson said end-of-year exams would not take place as normal in the summer, he said alternative arrangements would be announced separately.\n\nThe government has published a 22-page document outlining the new rules in detail.\n\nThe House of Commons has been recalled to allow MPs to vote on the new restrictions on Wednesday.\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer said his MPs would \"support the package of measures\", saying \"we've all got to pull together now to make this work\".\n\nOnce again it is the threat to the NHS that has forced the hand of ministers.\n\nIn England there has been a 50% rise in the number of patients in hospital with Covid since Christmas day.\n\nTo put that into context, it equates to 18 hospitals being filled.\n\nCurrently around three out of 10 beds are occupied by patients with the disease.\n\nIn some hospitals it is more than six in 10.\n\nBut what is worrying ministers and NHS leaders is that the number is just going to increase.\n\nIn the spring it took nearly three weeks after lockdown for hospital cases to peak.\n\nThe last six days have seen in excess of 50,000 new infections confirmed each day across the UK - a number of these infections are next week's hospital admissions.\n\nIt is why the UK's chief medical officers were warning there was a \"material risk\" of some hospitals being overwhelmed if something did not change.\n\nMr Johnson spoke after UK chief medical officers recommended the Covid threat level be increased to five - its highest level.\n\nLevel five means the NHS may soon be unable to handle a further sustained rise in cases, the medical officers said in a joint statement.\n\nNHS Providers, which represents health service trusts, said hospitals were at a \"critical point\" and that \"immediate and decisive action\" was needed.\n\nAnnouncing tougher measures in Scotland, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: \"It is no exaggeration to say that I am more concerned about the situation we face now than I have been at any time since March last year.\"\n\nFor pupils who returned for their first day of the new term at primary school on Monday, it's turned out to be an extremely short-lived visit.\n\nBoris Johnson's announcement will see primary, secondary and further education colleges closed for at least the next six weeks, except for vulnerable and key workers' children.\n\nIt's a much bigger shift in policy than had been anticipated, even a few days ago.\n\nEven the return date will depend on the progress in tackling the virus.\n\n\"I hope we can steadily move out of lockdown, reopening schools after the February half term,\" said the prime minister.\n\nKeeping schools open was the government's most definite of red lines, a few weeks ago they were threatening councils that wanted to close them - but it's now been overtaken by the spiking lines on the Covid infection charts.\n\nEven after the chaos of last year's replacement grades, GCSEs and A-levels are being cancelled again - with a replacement system still to be decided. Vocational exams are to continue.\n\nFor parents dreading home schooling, there are plans for it to be better supported this time - with more computer devices available and suggestions that Ofsted inspectors will check what schools are offering.\n\nBut there's no escaping that this will feel like another sudden and chaotic change of direction for schools and parents.\n\nMr Johnson's pledge on vaccinations comes after an 82-year-old retired maintenance manager became the first person in the UK to receive the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 jab\n\nSome 13.9 million people are among the four priority groups who will receive a vaccine dose by about 15 February, vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi said.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. BBC's Laura Foster explains the order in which the Covid vaccine will be given\n\nHow will you be affected by the latest developments? What questions do you have? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "First Minister Arlene Foster and Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill met throughout Monday\n\nThere will be an extended period of remote learning for schools in Northern Ireland, the executive has said.\n\nMinisters met on Monday night as other parts of the UK tightened their coronavirus restrictions.\n\nThe Stormont executive also plans to give its stay at home guidance legal force, with new restrictions on travel.\n\nDeputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill said details would be formalised on Tuesday.\n\nThe health and education ministers will bring separate papers on the issues to the executive at the meeting, she added.\n\nNorthern Ireland's Education Minister Peter Weir had previously announced a staggered return to school for pupils during the month of January.\n\nThe first transfer test, used by many grammar schools to select pupils, is due to take place on Saturday but there have been calls from some teaching unions and political parties for the test to be cancelled this year, in light of the uncertainty with the pandemic.\n\nIn England, all schools and colleges will close to most pupils and switch to remote learning until the middle of February, and end-of-year exams will not take place this summer as normal.\n\nRecommendations on exams in Northern Ireland are also expected to be brought forward by the executive on Tuesday.\n\nIt is understood ministers will update the assembly on Wednesday about their decisions.\n\nFirst Minister Arlene Foster said the new restrictions were unfortunate, but necessary.\n\nShe said she believed the stay-at-home message will be in place \"for the rest of January, probably into February\".\n\n\"We will of course review it, as we're legally bound to do every couple of weeks.\"\n\nShe added that ministers would \"much prefer\" for face-to-face education to continue, but said they had to \"take into account the very serious situation that we find ourselves in tonight.\"\n\nBoth organisations which organise transfer tests will be making announcements on Tuesday, she said.\n\n\"We'll wait to hear what they have to say. They do of course have to abide by public health advice, but they are private organisations and they will make their own announcements.\"\n\nThe Irish government is considering a proposal to close schools for the rest of January.\n\nOn Monday, the Department of Health reported that a further 1,801 people had tested positive for the virus in the past 24 hours.\n\nThere have also been 12 more Covid-19 related deaths.\n\nThese latest figures from the Department of Health bring the total number of deaths to 1,366, while 79,873 people have tested positive for the virus since the pandemic started.\n\nMore than 12,000 cases have been reported in the past seven days, more than double the week before.\n\nThe seven-day rate per 100,000 people is now 660 positive cases, compared to 200 per 100,000 two weeks ago.\n\nIn the Republic of Ireland on Monday, an additional 6,110 confirmed cases of Covid-19 were announced, with six further deaths linked to the virus.\n\nScotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has already announced a fresh lockdown there from midnight, with schools closed until February.\n\nSpeaking on BBC Radio Ulster's Evening Extra programme, Dr Michael McBride said Scotland's measures were \"prudent and sensible\".\n\nMeanwhile, the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine rollout has begun in Northern Ireland.\n\nUp to 11,000 people aged over 80 across Northern Ireland are set to receive the this week, with some of the first doses delivered at a GP surgery on the Falls Road in West Belfast on Monday afternoon.\n\nUp to 11,000 people aged over 80 across Northern Ireland are set to receive the Oxford-AstraZeneca\n\nThe SDLP has called for the assembly to be recalled on Tuesday to discuss the rolling out of the vaccine.\n\nIt can be recalled if at least 30 MLAs sign a petition.\n\nOn Monday, Justice Minister Naomi Long welcomed the opening of Northern Ireland's first Nightingale venue, which will be used for courts and tribunals business.\n\nThe facility was approved by a meeting of the executive on 17 December, and will sit in the International Convention Centre in Belfast (ICC).\n\nActivity at the centre will be phased in, in line with Covid-19 regulations.\n\nIn other coronavirus-related developments on Monday:", "Gerry Marsden was awarded an MBE in 2003 for services to Liverpudlian Charities.\n\nGerry and the Pacemakers singer Gerry Marsden, whose version of You'll Never Walk Alone became a football terrace anthem for his hometown club of Liverpool, has died at the age of 78.\n\nHis family said he died on Sunday after a short illness not linked to Covid-19.\n\nMarsden's band was one of the biggest success stories of the Merseybeat era, and in 1963 became the first to have their first three songs top the chart.\n\nThe band's other best known hit, Ferry Cross The Mersey, came in 1964.\n\nIt was written by Marsden himself as a tribute to his city, and reached number eight.\n\nMarsden was made an MBE in 2003 for services to charity after supporting victims of the Hillsborough disaster.\n\nAt the time, he said he was \"over the moon\" to have received the honour, following his support for numerous charities across Merseyside and beyond.\n\nGerry Marsden in 2009 on the Mersey ferry, which he made famous with his song Ferry Cross The Mersey, as he received the Freedom of the City in Liverpool\n\nMarsden's daughter, Yvette Marbeck, said he went into hospital on Boxing Day after tests showed he had a serious blood infection that had travelled to his heart.\n\nMs Marbeck told the PA news agency: \"It was a very short illness and too quick to comprehend really.\"\n\nHe died in hospital, Ms Marbeck said, adding: \"He was our dad, our hero, warm, funny and what you see is what you got.\"\n\nLiverpool FC posted on social media that Marsden's words would \"live on forever with us\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Liverpool FC This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nGerry and the Pacemakers worked the same Liverpool club circuit as The Beatles in the 1960s and were signed by the Fab Four's manager Brian Epstein.\n\nEpstein gave Marsden's group the song How Do You Do It, which had been turned down by The Beatles and Adam Faith, for their debut single.\n\nSir Paul McCartney described Gerry and the Pacemakers as The Beatles's \"biggest rivals\" on the Merseyside scene.\n\n\"I'll always remember you with a smile,\" Sir Paul said in his tribute to Marsden.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Paul McCartney This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nAnd the other surviving Beatle, Sir Ringo Starr, sent \"peace and love\" to Marsden's family in a tribute on Twitter.\n\nWhile Marsden was a songwriter as well as a singer, his most enduring hit was actually a cover of a Rodgers and Hammerstein musical number from 1945, which he had to convince his bandmates to record as their third single.\n\nIn many interviews over the years, he explained how fate played a part in his band ever recording the song. He was watching a Laurel and Hardy movie at Liverpool's Odeon cinema in the early 1960s and, only because it was raining, he decided to stay for the second part of a double feature.\n\nThat turned out to be the film Carousel - which featured that song on its soundtrack - and Marsden was so moved by the lyrics that he became determined that it should become part of his band's repertoire.\n\nIn a 2013 interview, Marsden told the Liverpool FC website how You'll Never Walk Alone was adopted by the club's fans as soon as it topped the chart in 1963: \"I remember being at Anfield and before every kick off they used to play the top 10 from number 10 to number one, and so You'll Never Walk Alone was played before the match. I was at the game and the fans started singing it.\n\n\"When it went out of the top 10 they took the song off the playlist and then for the next match the Kop were shouting 'Where's our song?' So they had to put it back on.\n\n\"Now, every time I go to the game I still get goose pimples when the song comes on and I sing my head off.\"\n\nSir Kenny Dalglish, who managed Liverpool at the time of the Hillsborough tragedy, tweeted that he was \"saddened\" by the news of Marsden's death, and that You'll Never Walk Alone was an \"integral part of Liverpool Football Club, and never more so than now\".\n\nLiverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram posted a tribute on Twitter, saying he was \"devastated\" by the news.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 3 by Steve Rotheram This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nGerry was an entertainer. He loved being an entertainer; he loved people seeing him in the street and asking him for his autograph and the like.\n\nHe had a very distinctive voice, and that is terribly important. You knew instantly it was him on those records. He was best on those ballads.\n\nI think he really did them very well indeed. You'll Never Walk Alone was a big show song that had been around for years and years, and lots of people had done it.\n\nJust before Gerry brought his version out, Johnny Mathis brought his out. If that version had been played on the Kop, I don't think the Kop would have taken to it because you couldn't sing along with Johnny Mathis - he had too big a range and too perfect a voice.\n\nBut Gerry sounded like everyman and it was absolutely perfect for the Kop. I think it's the greatest football anthem of the lot.\n\nAs well as being a Liverpool anthem, You'll Never Walk Alone has also been adopted by fans at both Celtic in Scotland and Borussia Dortmund in Germany.\n\nMarsden's career began at legendary live music venue, The Cavern Club, where The Pacemakers played nearly 200 times.\n\nThe club said on Twitter that Marsden was \"not only a legend, but also a very good friend of The Cavern\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 4 by The Cavern Club This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. End of twitter post 4 by The Cavern Club\n\nGerry and The Pacemakers achieved nine hit singles and two hit albums between 1963 and 1965, before splitting up.\n\nMarsden pursued a solo career before the band reformed in 1974 for a world tour.\n\nIn 1985, Marsden was back in the pop spotlight when he was invited to be one of the vocalists of a charity version of You'll Never Walk Alone, which was released to raise funds for victims of a fire at a Bradford City match.\n\nIn doing so, Marsden set another chart record by becoming the first person to sing on two different chart-topping versions of the same song.\n\nSo when, after the Hillsborough tragedy in 1989, the other Pacemakers classic of Ferry Cross The Mersey was chosen to raise funds for its victims and a group of famous Liverpudlian singers was gathered, Marsden was again included and was back at number one once more for a cause he held dear for the rest of his life.\n\nMarsden was awarded the Freedom of Liverpool in April 2009, an occasion he marked by boarding a ferry across the Mersey and getting out his guitar to sing his famous hit which described the scene.", "US casino giant MGM Resorts has made an $11bn (£8.1bn) offer for British gaming company Entain, which owns Ladbrokes.\n\nThe move is the latest attempt by a casino operator to move into the online gambling business.\n\nIn addition to its chain of High Street betting shops, UK-based Entain also owns a number of online sports betting and gambling sites.\n\nEntain confirmed the offer, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, but said the price was too low.\n\nIt had recently rebuffed an earlier $10bn (£7.3bn) all-cash approach from MGM, the newspaper said.\n\nIn a statement, Entain said the latest bid approach \"significantly undervalues the company and its prospects\".\n\nMGM Resorts, which runs the Bellagio casino in Las Vegas, now has until the beginning of next month to decide whether to make a formal bid or to walk away.\n\nFTSE 100-listed Entain. which renamed itself from GVC Holdings last month, describes itself as \"one of the world's largest sports betting and gaming groups operating in the online and retail sector\".\n\nAlong with Ladbrokes, it also owns brands such as Bwin, Partypoker, Coral, Eurobet, Gala and Foxy Bingo.\n\nAfter news of the latest offer for the firm, investors started betting on Entain, pushing its share price up by more than 25% to £14.30 a share - above MGM's offer of roughly £13.83 a share - a sign that market watchers are expecting a higher bid.\n\nIf the two firms do reach an agreement, it would follow another deal in September when MGM rival Caesars Entertainment agreed to buy UK-based William Hill for $3.7bn (£2.9bn).\n\n\"Following Caesar's offer for William Hill last year, a bid by MGM for Ladbroke's owner Entain isn't exactly a surprise,\" said Nicholas Hyett an analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown.\n\n\"The two are working together to take advantage of the recent legalisation of sports betting in the US, a market worth many billions of dollars a year.\"\n\nPredictions about the stockmarket have a habit of making the person trying to guess the future look foolish. No such problem for Laura Foll, a fund manager at the investment firm Janus Henderson. On the Today programme on Monday, she forecast more takeover offers for household names in Britain, noting that the UK markets remained unloved by investors and so - perhaps - undervalued.\n\nAn hour after the prediction a big offer duly landed, with Entain, the London-listed company that owns Ladbrokes and other gambling brands, saying it had received a takeover proposal from MGM Resorts, an American rival.\n\nThe US company is offering to pay shareholders in Entain not in cash, but in new MGM shares - an obvious move given the sky-high rating of US shares compared to those listed in London.\n\nIt looks a carbon copy of last year's deal where Caesars, best known for its Las Vegas properties, bought another venerable name in British bookmaking, William Hill. Get ready for more acquisitive foreign companies looking for deals in bargain basement London.\n\nThe new bid for Entain comes with financial backing from MGM's largest shareholder, InterActiveCorp (IAC), which took a 12% stake in MGM Resorts last August.\n\nAt the time, IAC's chief executive Barry Diller said it planned to work with MGM to expand its online gambling portfolio.\n\nThe attempted acquisition comes as the casino industry faces headwinds from the Covid-19 pandemic.\n\nThe economy of Asian casino hub Macau shrank 49% in the first quarter of this year, while unemployment in Las Vegas reached 30% earlier in the year and remains well above the US average.\n\nMGM Resorts, which is the operator of the Bellagio casino in Las Vegas, laid off 18,000 furloughed employees in the US in August.\n\nMany online gambling companies, by contrast, saw a boost during Covid-19 restrictions, prompting many casino owners to pivot their businesses towards online.", "Experts have raised concerns over India's emergency approval of a locally-produced coronavirus vaccine before the completion of trials.\n\nOn Sunday, Delhi approved the vaccine - known as Covaxin - as well as the global AstraZeneca Oxford jab, which is also being manufactured in India.\n\nThe head of Bharat Biotech, which makes Covaxin, defended the approval process, but health experts warn it was rushed.\n\nHealth watchdog All India Drug Action Network said it was \"shocked\".\n\nIt said that there were \"intense concerns arising from the absence of the efficacy data\" as well a lack of transparency that would \"raise more questions than answers and likely will not reinforce faith in our scientific decision making bodies\".\n\nThe statement came after India's Drugs Controller General, VG Somani, insisted Covaxin was \"safe and provides a robust immune response\".\n\nHe added the vaccines had been approved for restricted use in \"public interest as an abundant precaution, in clinical trial mode, to have more options for vaccinations, especially in case of infection by mutant strains\".\n\n\"The vaccines are 100% safe,\" he said, adding that side effects such as \"mild fever, pain and allergy are common for every vaccine\".\n\nThe All India Drug Action Network, however, said it was \"baffled to understand the scientific logic\" to approve \"an incompletely studied vaccine\".\n\nOne of India's most eminent medical experts, Dr Gagandeep Kang, told the Times of India newspaper that she had \"not seen anything like this before\". She added that \"there is absolutely no efficacy data that has been presented or published\".\n\nEven social media users were quick to point out that approving the vaccine before trials were complete was a matter of concern irrespective of how safe or effective the vaccine eventually turned out to be.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Joy This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nBut Krishna Ella, chairman of Bharat Biotech, met reporters on Monday and said the approval of Covaxin had not been rushed. He cited previous examples where emergency authorisation approvals had been given based only on immunogenicity data.\n\n\"Under Indian laws we can get emergency approval for the vaccine based on fulfilling five parameters after Phase 2 trails. That is what has happened with our vaccine. So it is not a premature approval,\" he said.\n\n\"We will complete the Phase 3 trials soon and provide the efficacy data for the vaccine by February.\"\n\nThe company currently has 20 million doses available and plans to produce about 700 million doses this year, Dr Ella said.\n\n\"We have four facilities coming up and we are planning [to make] around 200 million doses in Hyderabad, 500 million doses in other cities.\"\n\nMany scientists and opposition politicians have raised questions over what they say is the hasty authorisation of Covaxin.\n\nBharat Biotech has developed the vaccine with the state-run Indian Council of Medical Research - and the effort has been touted as an example of India's might in vaccine development and production.\n\nRegulators say the vaccine is safe and effective. The firm says phase 1 and phase 2 trials have shown good results.\n\nBut scientists say that the government's decision not to release data on the vaccine's efficacy for peer review has raised concerns.\n\nMr Modi has welcomed the approval, saying Covaxin is a shining example of his ambitious Atmnirbhar (self-reliance) India campaign.\n\nBut experts worry that questions over the approval process don't bode well for the campaign. And there could be deeper issues. Many believe that the government needs to be more transparent about the authorisation process because the success of the Covid-19 vaccine programme depends on public trust.\n\nThe emergency authorisation also sparked a fierce debate on Indian Twitter on Sunday night between ministers and opposition leaders.\n\nIndia's health minister Dr Harsh Vardhan called out opposition leaders for failing to \"applaud\" the country's \"prowess\" in locally producing a vaccine. India makes about 60% of vaccines globally.\n\nMembers of the main opposition Congress party, Shashi Tharoor and Jairam Ramesh, and former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh state, Akhilesh Yadav, were among those who raised concerns about the manner in which Covaxin was approved.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Shashi Tharoor This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 3 by Dr Harsh Vardhan This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThe approval comes as India gears up to vaccinate its population of more than 1.3 billon people. Amid fears that richer countries are buying up much of the vaccine supply, India too appears to be stockpiling vaccines.\n\nIn an interview with the Associated Press, Adar Poonawalla, whose Serum Institute of India (SII) is manufacturing the AstraZeneca Oxford vaccine, said the jab was given emergency authorisation on the condition that it would not be exported outside India.\n\nMr Poonawalla said his company, the world's largest vaccine maker, was also not allowed to sell the shot in the private market.\n\nThis has raised concerns in India's neighbouring countries, including Nepal and Bangladesh, which were primarily depending on the SII to start vaccinating their populations.\n\nBangladesh had already ordered 30 million doses of the vaccine in the first phase, Reuters reported, but now the fate of the order is unclear. The country's health secretary told local media in December that it expected the first batch of the jab by February.\n\nIndia plans to vaccinate some 300 million people on a priority list by August.\n\nIt has recorded the second-highest number of infections in the world, with more than 10.3 million confirmed cases to date. Nearly 150,000 people have died.\n\nBoth vaccines approved on Sunday can be transported and stored at normal refrigeration temperatures.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.", "Co-op, Morrisons and their payments processing provider ACI say they are investigating an IT glitch that created problems for card payments in stores.\n\nLong queues were seen outside some of the Co-op's convenience stores from Sunday amid the snow, with some shoppers asked to use cash.\n\nCo-op and Morrisons said customers were no longer experiencing problems but they, and ACI, were studying the cause.\n\nOne MP said the problem exposed the risks of letting cash use \"wither\".\n\nACI, which provides real-time payments processing for the retailers, said: \"We are working closely with the IT teams at our partners to resolve the problem as quickly as possible. We apologise to shoppers for any inconvenience caused.\"\n\nThe issue comes as contactless payments have taken off in the UK during the pandemic, with fewer consumers using cash to pay for groceries.\n\nCustomers complained about the issue on social media.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Jen Bartram This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nA Co-op spokesman told the BBC: \"All card transactions are being processed as usual and our payment process partner is investigating after we experienced an intermittent issue.\n\n\"We would like to apologise to customers for any inconvenience caused during that time.\"\n\nThe BBC witnessed the card processing issue affecting some of The Co-op's stores meant that self-service checkouts had to be closed, requiring customers to queue to be served at tills manned by staff.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by David of Nottingham This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. End of twitter post 2 by David of Nottingham\n\nAt some stores, customers queuing outside were warned on Monday evening that transactions had to be \"cash-only\" due to the ongoing issue.\n\nSome customers said they had to use the convenience store's cash machine to withdraw money to pay for purchases.\n\nHowever in other stores, the problem was intermittent, impacting some payment card brands, but not others.\n\nShadow economic secretary to the Treasury Pat McFadden said: \"This shows the dangers of letting the cash network just wither away as use declines.\n\n\"The government promised legislation to secure nationwide access to cash a year ago. It hasn't been brought forward.\"", "The case rate in Bridgend peaked just before Christmas, but now we are seeing deaths in hospitals\n\nThe total number of deaths involving Covid-19 in Wales has reached its highest weekly total of the pandemic.\n\nThere were 467 deaths in the week ending 15 January, which is 13 more than the week before.\n\nThis was nearly 40% of all registered deaths, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).\n\nBoth Betsi Cadwaladr and Cwm Taf Morgannwg health boards saw their highest weekly numbers, more than experienced during the first wave.\n\nBetsi Cadwaladr had 74 deaths while Cwm Taf Morgannwg had 116.\n\nUnlike during the peak in the first wave in 2020, Wales is also now seeing higher numbers of deaths in north Wales and west Wales.\n\nIn north-east Wales, where there have been the highest case rates of Covid-19 in recent weeks, there were 30 deaths of Flintshire residents, including 25 in hospital. In Wrexham, there were 27 deaths - with 21 in hospital.\n\nCwm Taf Morgannwg health board saw 49 hospital deaths in Bridgend - the highest weekly number in Wales. There were also 33 patients who died in Rhondda Cynon Taf (RCT) and six in Merthyr Tydfil.\n\nAll counties recorded at least three deaths involving Covid-19 and the total number of deaths in Wales, up to and registered by 15 January, was 5,884.\n\nWhen deaths registered over the following few days are counted, there is now a total of 6,074.\n\nRCT, with 752 deaths, has the largest number in Wales, followed by Cardiff with 637, up to the latest week.\n\nWhen looking at crude mortality rates, the highest number of deaths - when taking into account the size of populations in England and Wales - are Welsh areas: RCT, followed by Merthyr Tydfil and Blaenau Gwent.\n\nSo-called excess deaths, which compare all registered deaths with previous years, continue to be above the five-year average.\n\nLooking at the number of deaths we would normally expect to see at this point in the year is seen as a useful measure of how the pandemic is progressing.\n\nIn Wales, the number of deaths from all causes fell from 1,198 in the previous week - the highest recorded during the pandemic - to 1,170. But this was still 314 (36.7%) higher than the five-year average for that week.\n\nThis means deaths have been more than the peak in the first wave of the pandemic - 1,169 deaths in the week ending 17 April 2020 - for two weeks in a row.\n\nThe highest proportion of excess deaths was 84.1% in London.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Schools and colleges in Wales moved to online learning before Christmas\n\nKeeping schools shut during the Covid pandemic is \"almost like systematic neglect\" to disadvantaged pupils, a head teacher has said.\n\nCardiff head Armando Di-Finizio said there was a \"fair degree of trauma\" among pupils because of the lockdowns.\n\nOne expert said children from disadvantaged backgrounds were falling furthest behind academically.\n\nThe Welsh Government said it ensured vulnerable children could continue to attend school.\n\nBefore the pandemic the proportion of pupils receiving free school meals who achieved five or more GCSEs was 32% lower than the figure for other pupils in Wales.\n\nAt Eastern High School, where 47% of children receive free school meals, Mr Di-Finizio said the challenges of lockdown were greater for pupils who may not have support or structure at home for learning.\n\nArmando Di-Finizio, head teacher of Eastern High School, says the the attainment gap among pupils is \"widening\"\n\nMr Di-Finizio told Wales Live he did not think the balance was right \"between those who are genuinely vulnerable\" with the virus and young people who are vulnerable in terms of their welfare and wellbeing and their academic progress.\n\n\"I think there would have been other ways to handle this because we are seeing students struggling because of it and the attainment gap is widening for this generation,\" he said.\n\n\"It's almost like systematic neglect of young people that is going on day after day, week after week, month after month.\n\n\"We have to somehow pull this back because I do wonder one day, how the children will look back and judge us in terms of our responses.\"\n\nAnother concern since the pandemic began, he said, was the fact the number of child protection cases at his school has doubled.\n\n\"I don't want to sound alarmist, but I do believe it will take a number of years for us to unpick the traumas that young people go through because we don't know yet just what this lasting impact will be,\" he added.\n\nProfessor Chris Taylor says home learning reduces the ability to provide a \"level playing field\" for education\n\nWelsh Chief Inspector of Schools Meilyr Rowlands, has previously said there was evidence of widening inequality in performance as a result of the pandemic.\n\nSocial Sciences Prof Chris Taylor, from Cardiff University, said this gap was continuing to widen.\n\n\"Closing schools exposes and accentuates the deep disadvantage that many families have across Wales in the different circumstances that they're in,\" Prof Taylor said.\n\nHome learning reduces the ability of schools \"to provide that level playing field\" for educational opportunities.\n\n\"Instead, we're relying on what families and households can produce and provide to support that learning,\" he said.\n\nProf Taylor added some children would \"feel like they've left school at the age of 14 or 15, instead of 18\" in terms of their learning, and the focus for them should be preparing for the next step in their education rather than exams that are not going to happen this summer.\n\nHe said some pupils who may have been planning to leave school at 16 should remain in education until they are 18 to \"remedy some of the missed opportunities\", and that summer school and activities should be put on to help address isolation.\n\nAlmost half of all pupils receive free school meals at Eastern High School in Cardiff\n\nSiân Gwenllian MS, Plaid Cymru's education spokeswoman, has called on the Welsh Government to publish a plan on how pupils will be helped to catch up with \"lost education\".\n\n\"Those children in more deprived areas have been doubly disadvantaged - coronavirus has been more prevalent in these areas, meaning they will have lost more school prior to the lockdown, and these children are less likely to have the means to access online learning,\" she said.\n\nA Welsh Government spokesman said it had provided \"more than 130,000 [electronic] devices\" since the start of the pandemic for pupils' home learning.\n\n\"We've also recruited more than 1,000 teaching and support staff to provide additional support for learners who may have missed out on teaching time due to the pandemic,\" he said.\n\nThe government has ensured vulnerable children, as well as children of critical workers, could continue to attend school throughout the pandemic, he added.", "A US bankruptcy judge has agreed a $17m (£12.4m) payout to women who accused disgraced film producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual misconduct.\n\nWeinstein, 68, was convicted last year and jailed for 23 years for rape and sexual assault.\n\nThe payout for his victims will come from the liquidation of the Weinstein Co, which filed for bankruptcy in 2018.\n\nThe judge overruled an objection from some accusers looking to pursue appeals outside of bankruptcy court.\n\nJudge Mary Walrath said without the settlement, the plaintiffs would get \"minimal, if any, recovery.\"\n\nThe Weinstein Co was set up as an independent film studio with the disgraced Hollywood mogul one of its co-founders.\n\nThe company collapsed in late 2017, following widespread claims of sexual misconduct against Weinstein, who was convicted of sexually assaulting a former production assistant and raping an actress.\n\nThe US judge said that 83% of sexual misconduct claimants in the bankruptcy \"have expressed very loudly that they want closure through acceptance of this plan, that they do not seek to have to go through any further litigation in order to receive some recovery, some possible recompense... although it's clear that money will never give them that\".\n\nThe $17m fund will be divided among more than 50 claimants, with the most serious allegations resulting in payouts of $500,000 or more.\n\nThe settlement was put to a vote of Weinstein's accusers, with 39 voting in favour and eight opposed.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThey will have the option to forgo most of their payout under the plan if they want to continue pursuing their claims.\n\nInsurers contributed $35m under the liquidation plan, which also provides $9.7m to the former officers and directors of the Weinstein Co, allowing them to pay a portion of their legal bills over the last several years.\n\nThe directors and officers, who include Weinstein's brother, Bob, also received releases that absolve them of any potential liability for enabling Weinstein's conduct.\n\nThe Weinstein Co sold its assets to Lantern Entertainment, which later became Spyglass Media Group, for $289m.", "A year ago, the Chinese government locked down the city of Wuhan. For weeks beforehand officials had maintained that the outbreak was under control - just a few dozen cases linked to a live animal market. But in fact the virus had been spreading throughout the city and around China.\n\nThis is the story of five critical days early in the outbreak.\n\nBy 30 December, several people had been admitted to hospitals in the central city of Wuhan, having fallen ill with high fever and pneumonia. The first known case was a man in his 70s who had fallen ill on 1 December. Many of those were connected to a sprawling live animal market, Huanan Seafood Market, and doctors had begun to suspect this wasn't regular pneumonia.\n\nSamples from infected lungs had been sent to genetic sequencing companies to identify the cause of the disease, and preliminary results had indicated a novel coronavirus similar to Sars. The local health authorities and the country's Center for Disease Control (CDC) had already been notified, but nothing had been said to the public.\n\nAlthough no-one knew it at the time, between 2,300 and 4,000 people were by now likely infected, according to a recent model by MOBS Lab at Northeastern University in Boston. The outbreak was also thought to be doubling in size every few days. Epidemiologists say that at this early part of an outbreak, each day and even each hour is critical.\n\nWuhan’s Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market was sealed off on 1 January 2020\n\nAt around 16:00 on 30 December, the head of the Emergency Department at Wuhan Central Hospital was handed the results of a test carried out by sequencing lab Capital Bio Medicals in Beijing.\n\nShe went into a cold sweat as she read the report, according to an interview given later to Chinese state media.\n\nAt the top were the alarming words: \"SARS CORONAVIRUS\". She circled them in bright red, and passed it on to colleagues over the Chinese messaging site WeChat.\n\nWithin an hour and a half, the grainy image with its large red circle reached a doctor in the hospital's ophthalmology department, Li Wenliang. He shared it with his hundreds-strong university class group, adding the warning, \"Don't circulate the message outside this group. Get your family and loved ones to take precautions.\"\n\nWhen Sars spread through southern China in late 2002 and 2003, Beijing covered up the outbreak, insisting that everything was under control. This allowed the virus to spread around the world. Beijing's response invoked international criticism and - worryingly for a regime deeply concerned about stability - anger and protests within China. Between 2002 and 2004, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Sars) went on to infect more than 8,000 people and kill almost 800 worldwide.\n\nRobert Maguire of the WHO and a Chinese doctor visit a Sars patient in Guangzhou, China – April 2003\n\nOver the coming hours, screen shots of Li's message spread widely online. Across China, millions of people began talking about Sars online.\n\nIt would turn out that the sequencers made a mistake - this was not Sars, but a new coronavirus very similar to it. But this was a critical moment. News of a possible outbreak had escaped.\n\nThe Wuhan Health Commission was already aware that there was something going on in the city's hospitals. That day, officials from the National Health Commission in Beijing arrived, and lung samples were sent to at least five state labs in Wuhan and Beijing to sequence the virus in parallel.\n\nNow, as messages suggesting the possible return of Sars began flying over Chinese social media, the Wuhan Health Commission sent two orders out to hospitals. It instructed them to report all cases direct to the Health Commission, and told them not to make anything public without authorisation.\n\nWithin 12 minutes, these orders were leaked online.\n\nIt might have taken a couple more days for the online chatter to make the leap from Chinese-speaking social media to the wider world if it wasn't for the efforts of veteran epidemiologist Marjorie Pollack.\n\nThe deputy editor of ProMed-mail, an organisation which sends out alerts on disease outbreaks worldwide, received an email from a contact in Taiwan, asking if she knew anything about the chatter online.\n\nDr Marjorie Pollack is an epidemiologist based in New York\n\nBack in February 2003, ProMed had been the first to break the news of Sars. Now, Pollack had deja vu. \"My reaction was: 'We're in trouble,'\" she told the BBC.\n\nThree hours later, she had finished writing an emergency post, requesting more information on the new outbreak. It was sent out to ProMed's approximately 80,000 subscribers at one minute to midnight.\n\nAs word began to spread, Professor George F Gao, director general of China's Center for Disease Control [CDC], was receiving offers of help from contacts around the world.\n\nChina revamped its infectious disease infrastructure after Sars - and in 2019, Gao had promised that China's vast online surveillance system would be able to prevent another outbreak like it.\n\nBut two scientists who contacted Gao say the CDC head did not seem alarmed.\n\n\"I sent a really long text to George Gao, offering to send a team out and do anything to support them,\" Dr Peter Daszak, the president of New York-based infectious diseases research group EcoHealth Alliance, told the BBC. But he says that all he received in reply was a short message wishing him Happy New Year.\n\nDirector of the Chinese Center for Disease Control, George F Gao – 22 January 2020\n\nEpidemiologist Ian Lipkin of Columbia University in New York was also trying to reach Gao. Just as he was having dinner to ring in the New Year, Gao returned his call. The details Lipkin reveals about their conversation offer new insights into what leading Chinese officials were prepared to say at this critical point.\n\n\"He had identified the virus. It was a new coronavirus. And it was not highly transmissible. This didn't really resonate with me because I'd heard that many, many people had been infected,\" Lipkin told the BBC. \"I don't think he was duplicitous, I think he was just wrong.\"\n\nLipkin says he thinks Gao should have released the sequences they had already obtained. My view is that you get it out. This is too important to hesitate.\"\n\nGao, who refused the BBC's requests for an interview, has told state media that the sequences were released as soon as possible, and that he never said publicly that there was no human-to-human transmission.\n\nThat day, the Wuhan Health Commission issued a press release stating that 27 cases of viral pneumonia had been identified, but that there was no clear evidence of human to human transmission.\n\nIt would be a further 12 days before China shared the genetic sequences with the international community.\n\nThe Chinese government refused multiple interview requests by the BBC. Instead, it gave us detailed statements on China's response, which state that in the fight against Covid-19 China \"has always acted with openness, transparency and responsibility, and … in a timely manner.\"\n\nBBC This World's 54 Days: China and the pandemic can be seen on BBC Two at 21:00 GMT on Tuesday 26 January, or 23:30 on Monday 1 February (except BBC Two Northern Ireland). Or watch on BBC iPlayer.\n\nPart two - 54 Days: America and the Pandemic - will be on BBC Two on Tuesday 2 February at 21:00.\n\nInternational law stipulates that new infectious disease outbreaks of global concern be reported to the World Health Organization within 24 hours. But on 1 January the WHO still had not had official notification of the outbreak. The previous day, officials there had spotted the ProMed post and reports online, so they contacted China's National Health Commission.\n\n\"It was reportable,\" says Professor Lawrence Gostin, Director of the WHO Collaborating Center on national and global health law at Georgetown University in Washington DC, and a member of the International Health Regulations roster of experts. \"The failure to report clearly was a violation of the International Health Regulations.\"\n\nDr Maria Van Kerkhove, a WHO epidemiologist who would become the agency's Covid-19 technical lead, joined the first of many emergency conference calls in the middle of the night on 1 January.\n\n\"We had the assumptions initially that it may be a new coronavirus. For us it wasn't a matter of if human to human transmission was happening, it was what is the extent of it and where is that happening.\"\n\nIt was two days before China responded to the WHO. But what they revealed was vague - that there were now 44 cases of viral pneumonia of unknown cause.\n\nChina says that it communicated regularly and fully with the WHO from 3 January. But recordings of internal WHO meetings obtained by the Associated Press (AP) news agency some of which were shared with PBS Frontline and the BBC, paint a different picture, revealing the frustration that senior WHO officials felt by the following week.\n\n\"'There's been no evidence of human to human transmission' is not good enough. We need to see the data,\" Mike Ryan WHO's health emergencies programme director is heard saying.\n\nThe WHO was legally required to state the information it had been provided by China. Although they suspected human to human transmission, the WHO were not able to confirm this for a further three weeks.\n\n\"Those concerns are not something they ever aired publicly. Instead, they basically deferred to China,\" says AP's Dake Kang. \"Ultimately, the impression that the rest of the world got was just what the Chinese authorities wanted. Which is that everything was under control. Which of course it wasn't.\"\n\nThe number of people infected by the virus was doubling in size every few days, and more and more people were turning up at Wuhan's hospitals.\n\nBut now - instead of allowing doctors to share their concerns publicly - state media began a campaign that effectively silenced them.\n\nOn 2 January, China Central Television ran a story about the doctors who spread the news about an outbreak four days earlier. The doctors, referred to only as \"rumour mongers\" and \"internet users\", were brought in for questioning by the Wuhan Public Security Bureau and 'dealt with' 'in accordance with the law'.\n\nOne of the doctors was Li Wenliang, the eye doctor whose warning had gone viral. He signed a confession. In February, the doctor died of Covid-19.\n\nThe Chinese government says that this is not evidence that it was trying to suppress news of the outbreak, and that doctors like Li were being urged not to spread unconfirmed information.\n\nBut the impact of this public dressing down was critical. For though it was becoming apparent to doctors that there was, in fact, human-to-human transmission, they were prevented from going public.\n\nA health worker from Li's hospital, Wuhan Central, told us that over the next few days \"there were so many people who had a fever. It was out of control. We started to panic. [But] The hospital told us that we were not allowed to speak to anyone.\"\n\nThe Chinese government told us that \"it takes a rigorous scientific process to determine if a new virus can be transmitted from person to person\".\n\nThe authorities would continue to maintain for a further 18 days that there was no human-to-human transmission.\n\nLabs across the country were racing to map the complete genetic sequence of the virus. Among them was a renowned virologist in Shanghai, Professor Zhang Yongzhen who began sequencing on 3 January.\n\nAfter having worked for two days straight, he obtained a complete sequence. His results revealed a virus that was similar to Sars, and therefore likely transmissible.\n\nOn 5 January, Zhang's office wrote to the National Health Commission advising taking precautionary measures in public places.\n\n\"On that very day, he was working to try and get information released as soon as possible, so the rest of the world could see what it was and so we could get diagnostics going\", says Zhang's research partner, Professor Edward Holmes an evolutionary virologist at the University of Sydney.\n\nBut Zhang could not make his findings public. On January 3, the National Health Commission had sent a secret memorandum to labs banning unauthorised scientists from working on the virus and disclosing the information to the public.\n\n\"What the notice effectively did,\" says AP's Dake Kang, \"is it silenced individual scientists and laboratories from revealing information about this virus and potentially allowing word of it to leak out to the outside world and alarm people.\"\n\nNone of the labs went public with the genetic sequence of the virus. China continued to maintain it was viral pneumonia with no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission.\n\nIt would be six days before it announced that the new virus was a coronavirus, and even then, it did not share any genetic sequences to allow other countries to develop tests and begin tracing the spread of the virus.\n\nThree days later, on 11 January, Zhang decided it was time to put his neck on the line. As he boarded a plane between Beijing and Shanghai, he authorised Holmes to release the sequence.\n\nThe decision came at a personal cost - his lab was closed the next day for \"rectification\" - but his action broke the deadlock. The next day state scientists released the sequences they had obtained. The international scientific community swung into action, and a toolkit for a diagnostic test was publicly available by 13 January.\n\nDespite the evidence from scientists and doctors, China would not confirm there was human-to-human transmission until 20 January.\n\nIllustration of spike proteins (red) of Covid-19 binding with receptors (blue) on a target human cell\n\nAt the beginning of any emerging disease outbreak, says health law expert Lawrence Gostin, it's always chaotic. \"It was always going to be very difficult to control this virus, from day one. But by the time we knew [the international community] it was transmissible human to human, I think the cat was already out the bag, it already spread.\n\n\"That was the shot we had, and we lost it.\"\n\nAs Wang Linfa, a bat virologist at Duke-Nus Medical School in Singapore, says: \"January 20th is the dividing line, before that the Chinese could have done much better. After that, the rest of the world should be really on high alert and do much better.\"", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nMore than 100,000 people have died with Covid-19 in the UK, after 1,631 deaths within 28 days of a positive test were recorded in the daily figures.\n\nPrime Minister Boris Johnson said he took \"full responsibility\" for the government's actions, saying: \"We truly did everything we could.\"\n\n\"I'm deeply sorry for every life lost,\" he said.\n\nA total of 100,162 deaths have been recorded in the UK, the first European nation to pass the landmark.\n\nEarlier, figures from the ONS, which are based on death certificates, showed there had been nearly 104,000 deaths since the pandemic began.\n\nThe government's daily figures rely on positive tests and are slightly lower.\n\nMr Johnson told Tuesday's Downing Street news conference that it was \"hard to compute the sorrow contained in this grim statistic\".\n\nHe gave his \"deepest condolences\" to those who had lost loved ones, including \"fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, and the many grandparents who've been taken\".\n\nThe UK is the fifth country to pass 100,000 deaths, coming after the US, Brazil, India and Mexico.\n\nA surge in cases in recent weeks - driven in part by a new, fast-spreading variant of the virus - has left the UK with one of the highest coronavirus death rates globally.\n\nA further 20,089 coronavirus cases were recorded on Tuesday, continuing a downward trend in the number of UK cases seen in recent days. The number of people in hospital remains high, as do the UK's daily death figures.\n\nMr Johnson said the coronavirus infection rate remained \"pretty forbiddingly high\" despite lockdown restrictions which have been in place in England since 5 January.\n\nUnder the national lockdown, people in England must stay at home and only go out for limited reasons - including for food shopping, exercise, or work if they cannot do so from home. Similar measures are in place across much of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.\n\nMr Johnson said he would set out more detail in \"the next few days and weeks\" about \"when and how we want to get things open again\".\n\nIt's a terrible milestone - and one that represents unimaginable loss.\n\nMost of the deaths have come in two waves - the sharp, sudden surge in the spring followed by a slow and sustained rise throughout autumn and winter.\n\nMistakes have been made - the delay locking down back in March is one that is often cited even by the government's own advisers.\n\nThe UK, like much of Europe, was also woefully underprepared with limited testing and contact tracing systems.\n\nBut the ageing population, high rates of obesity, the fact the UK is a global hub and its inter-connectedness with Europe are also factors that meant we were tragically never going to escape lightly once the virus got a foothold.\n\nSpeaking alongside the prime minister, Prof Chris Whitty, England's chief medical officer, described it as a \"very sad day\".\n\nHe said the number of people dying \"will come down relatively slowly over the next two weeks - and will probably remain flat for a while now\".\n\nProf Whitty added the new coronavirus variant had changed the UK's situation \"very substantially\" with infection rates \"just about holding\" due to lockdown restrictions.\n\nBut he said the number of people testing positive for Covid-19 in the UK \"has been coming down\" and the number of people in hospital with Covid has \"flattened off\" - including in London, the South East and East of England.\n\nHowever, there were \"some areas\" where the hospital figures were \"still not convincingly reducing\", he said.\n\nNHS chief executive Sir Simon Stevens said there had been \"continuing improvements in hospital treatment for severely sick coronavirus patients\".\n\nHe said he expected more treatments within the next six to 18 months, adding: \"We can see a world in which coronavirus may be more treatable, but for now, it's a combination of reducing infections and getting vaccinations done.\"\n\nOne day there will be a public inquiry - maybe several - seeking to understand why so many died.\n\nLast summer, back when the government was subsidising people to eat out at restaurants, Boris Johnson said there would be an independent inquiry into the government's handling of Covid, but gave no details or dates.\n\nHe still hasn't, despite a recent call from bereaved families, trade unions and charities for lessons to be learnt now.\n\nThe gravest public health crisis for a century would have tested any government.\n\nBut as the pandemic has worsened, the criticisms and questions have mounted - about the timing of lockdowns, the rollout of test and trace and the failure to protect care homes last spring.\n\nThere is now pressure on Boris Johnson from some Tory MPs to ease restrictions as soon as the most vulnerable are vaccinated.\n\nBut this evening a sombre prime minister said the government would first do everything it could to minimise further loss of life.\n\nDr Yvonne Doyle, medical director at Public Health England, said it was a \"sobering moment in the pandemic\", saying: \"Each death is a person who was someone's family member and friend.\"\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer said it was a \"national tragedy\" to have reached 100,000 deaths.\n\nThe government had been \"behind the curve at every stage\" of the pandemic and had not learnt lessons over the summer, he added.\n\nThe epidemiologist whose modelling in part prompted the UK's first national lockdown said more action in the autumn of last year could have saved lives.\n\nProf Neil Ferguson told BBC Radio 4's PM programme: \"Had we acted both earlier and with greater stringency back in September when we first saw case numbers going up, and had a policy of keeping case numbers at a reasonably low levels, then I think a lot of the deaths we've seen, not all by any means, but a lot of the deaths we've seen in the last four or five months, could have been avoided.\"\n\nHealth Secretary Matt Hancock said the death toll was \"heartbreaking\" and warned there was a \"tough period ahead\".\n\n\"The vaccine offers the way out, but we cannot let up now,\" he added.\n\nMore than 6.8 million people in the UK have had their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine, according to the latest figures.\n\nPlease enable JavaScript or upgrade your browser to see this interactive\n\nIf you would like to send us a tribute to a friend or family member who died after contracting coronavirus, please use the form below.\n\nPlease remember to include a photo of your loved one and their name. Upload your pictures here. Don't forget to include your contact details, so we can get in touch with you.\n\nWe would like to respond to everyone individually and include every tribute in our coverage, but unfortunately that may not be possible. Please be assured your message will be read and treated with the utmost respect.\n\nPlease note the contact details you provide will never be published. Please ensure you have read our terms & conditions and privacy policy.\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your tribute.", "The Mermaid of Black Conch, a dark love story about a fisherman and a mermaid torn from the sea, has won the Costa Book of the Year award.\n\nTrinidadian-born British writer Monique Roffey beat four other contenders with her sixth novel to scoop the £30,000 prize.\n\nJudges said the book was \"utterly original... and feels like a classic in the making\".\n\nA \"delighted\" Roffey said her win was a vote for Caribbean literature.\n\n\"A huge thank you to the judges for exposing my book to a wide readership. I'll be pinching myself for weeks to come,\" she added.\n\nBased on a Taino legend of a beautiful woman transformed into a mermaid, the story is set in the Caribbean village of St Constance.\n\nDavid, a fisherman, unexpectedly attracts the attention of Aycayia, a mermaid who is drawn to his singing. When she is captured from the sea during an annual fishing competition, he does all he can to save her, with dramatic consequences.\n\nProfessor Suzannah Lipscomb, chair of judges, said: \"The Mermaid of Black Conch is an extraordinary, beautifully written, captivating, visceral book - full of mythic energy and unforgettable characters, including some tremendously transgressive women.\"\n\nThe Costa Book Awards have a reputation for picking popular reads: books you would recommend to a friend. And I would definitely recommend The Mermaid of Black Conch.\n\nAt first, the novel might sound a bit odd. Set on a Caribbean island in the 1970s, it is a bittersweet love story between a beautiful young woman cursed to live as a mermaid and a fisherman.\n\nBased on a legend passed down by the indigenous people of the Caribbean, the Taino, there are touches of magic and snippets of poetry. The book was also shortlisted for the Goldsmiths Prize last year, which rewards fiction that breaks the mould or extends the possibilities of the novel.\n\nBut while it is unusual it is also a joy to read, brimming with memorable characters and vivid descriptions.\n\nWe see the mermaid's \"hair flying like a nest of cables\" while we are told \"sea moss trailed from her shoulders like slithers of beard\" and \"barnacles speckled the swell of her hips.\"\n\nFor me, this was a hugely entertaining and thought-provoking novel and a worthy winner.\n\nRoffey, a senior lecturer in creative writing at Manchester Metropolitan University, secured her publishing deal through Peepal Tree Press, an independent publisher supporting Caribbean writers.\n\nShe then crowd-funded her publicity campaign with the support of fellow authors.\n\nThe Mermaid of Black Conch is set in the Caribbean\n\nRoffey's entry was also named Costa's Novel of the Year earlier this month, alongside winners from four other categories:\n\nThe Mermaid of Black Conch is the thirteenth novel to take the overall prize. Days Without End by Sebastian Barry was the last novel to be named Costa Book of the Year in 2016.\n\nTuesday's virtual ceremony also saw London-based writer Tessa Sheridan receive the 2020 Costa Short Story Award.\n\nSheridan won the public vote and £3,500 for her story, The Person Who Serves, Serves Again.\n\nThe Costa Book Awards, formerly the Whitbread Book Awards, were established in 1971 to encourage, promote and celebrate the best contemporary British writing.\n\nIt is open to UK and Irish authors.\n\nSeamus Heaney, Ted Hughes and Sebastian Barry are among the authors to have won the book of the year award more than once.\n\nFollow us on Facebook or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "The number of people to have died with coronavirus in the UK has exceeded 100,000.\n\nThere have been nearly 104,000 deaths since the pandemic began, data from the UK's national statisticians shows.\n\nThe figures, which go up to 15 January, are based on death certificates. The government's daily figures, which rely on positive tests, are slightly lower.\n\nIt follows a surge of cases last month, leaving the UK with one of the highest coronavirus death rates globally.\n\nThe Office for National Statistics and its counterparts in Scotland and Northern Ireland registered 7,776 deaths with coronavirus on the death certificate in the most recent week.\n\nThat total is the third highest of the epidemic.\n\nLast April, there were two weeks with more than 9,000 coronavirus deaths registered across the UK - but there have been no other weeks with more than 7,000 deaths registered.\n\nAbout nine in 10 death certificates citing coronavirus registered Covid as the cause of death.\n\nMost of the deaths have been in older age groups - nearly three-quarters of those who have died with the virus were over 75. One in three deaths were care home residents.\n\nChris Hopson, of NHS Providers, which represents health service managers, described the milestone as a \"tragedy\".\n\n\"Behind each death will be a story of sorrow and grief,\" he said.\n\n\"We pay tribute, once again, to NHS and care staff who have done everything they can throughout the long months of this pandemic to avoid each one of these deaths and reduce patient harm.\n\n\"We won't know the true impact of Covid-19 for a long time to come because of its long-term effects.\n\n\"But, as well as the high death rate, it's particularly concerning that this virus has widened health inequalities and affected black, Asian and minority-ethnic communities disproportionately.\"\n\nSarah Scobie, of the Nuffield Trust think tank, said it was a \"harrowing figure\".\n\nShe added: \"While the vaccine rollout for the most vulnerable is continuing at impressive speed, it will be a while until the benefits feed through to the figures.\"\n\nWe were one of the worst hit countries, if not the worst, in the spring - certainly in Europe and the G7.\n\nTwo big drivers of that were the timing of the first lockdown and the terrible numbers of deaths in care homes.\n\nAs a result, the UK could always rank among the hardest hit nations overall.\n\nBut comparing experiences in second waves is harder.\n\nSome countries have very clearly done better than the UK.\n\nAustralia, for example, has seen very few coronavirus deaths overall, and deaths quite close to usual levels throughout 2020.\n\nBut the US, which had a milder first wave than the UK, has seen steady numbers of coronavirus deaths throughout summer and autumn.\n\nIts death toll has been catching up with that of the UK in the most recent data, covering up until Christmas.\n\nAnd some countries that missed the first wave entirely - such as Poland (shown above) or Germany - have seen significant spikes in deaths in recent months.\n\nWith deaths rising since then in many countries and vaccination programmes only getting up and running, there is still a long way to go before we will know who has had the toughest second wave.\n• None Lockdown needs to be stricter, scientists warn", "Baroness Floella Benjamin has spoken of her pride after receiving a first coronavirus vaccine dose.\n\nThe 71-year-old actress said she would wear a badge saying \"I've had the jab\" after being vaccinated.\n\nThe Lib Dem peer, who came to Britain in 1960 and was born in Trinidad, is known for appearing in the children's programme Play School and received a damehood last year.\n\nOver 6.8m people in the UK have now received a first vaccine dose.\n\nAs a member of the House of Lords, Baroness Benjamin has spoken regularly about the disproportionate effect of Covid-19 on black, Asian and minority ethnic communities as well as the knock-on impact of the pandemic.\n\nIn September, she told peers she knew two people who had taken their own lives \"because they could not cope with the uncertainty of the future\".\n\nShe is also a member of the Lords Covid-19 Committee.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Floella Benjamin This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThe government has set a target for all those in the top four priority groups - around 15 million - to be offered a vaccine by mid-February.\n\nTwo vaccines - developed by Pfizer-BioNTech and Oxford-AstraZeneca - are being used. A third, from Moderna, has been approved.\n\nAll have been shown to be safe and effective in trials with two doses needed to offer the best protection - now timed 12 weeks apart.\n\nIt comes as British Asian celebrities united to dispel myths about the coronavirus vaccine.\n\nComedians Romesh Ranganathan and Meera Syal and cricketer Moeen Ali appear in a video urging people to get a jab.\n\nA study from the Royal Society for Public Health found 57% of black, Asian and minority ethnic people said they would take the vaccine.\n\nThis figure compared with 79% of white people who would do so.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. One protester said: \"This is the only way I can effect change\"\n\nPeople campaigning against the HS2 rail project have dug a tunnel near Euston station, in a bid to prevent their eviction from a protest camp.\n\nIn September, members of HS2 Rebellion set up a Tree Protection Camp in Euston Square Gardens in central London to protest against the £106bn scheme.\n\nThey claim the tunnel is 100ft (30m) long and has taken two months to dig.\n\nActivists say the tunnel - codenamed \"Kelvin\" - is their \"best defence\" against being evicted.\n\nOne protester, identified only as Blue, told the BBC: \"It is all very dangerous and life-threatening but it is all worth it. This is the only way I can effect change, I would sacrifice everything for the climate ecological emergency to not be happening.\"\n\nThe 18-year-old added: \"We want to be as safe as possible. It is not about us martyring ourselves, it is about delaying and stopping HS2.\"\n\nDemonstrators have previously built tree houses and scaled cranes near the HS2 Euston site\n\nA spokeswoman for HS2 said tunnel protests were \"costly to the taxpayer\".\n\nShe added: \"These are a danger to the safety of the protesters, HS2 staff, High Court enforcement officers and the general public, as well as putting unnecessary strain on the emergency services during the pandemic.\n\n\"Safety is our first priority when taking possession of land and removing illegal encampments.\"\n\nBritish Transport Police said it was aware of the tunnel but it was a matter for the Met Police, which said no complaint yet had been made.\n\nHS2 is set to link London, Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds. It is hoped the 20-year project will reduce rail passenger overcrowding and help to rebalance the UK's economy.\n\nThe campaign group alleges HS2 is the \"most expensive, wasteful and destructive project in UK history\" and that it is \"set to destroy or irreparably damage 108 ancient woodlands and 693 wildlife sites\".\n\nHowever, HS2 bosses have said seven million trees will be planted during phase one of the project and that much ancient woodland will \"remain intact\".\n\nSeasoned activist Daniel Cooper - better known as Swampy - has been at Euston supporting the campaigners\n\nTransport Secretary Grant Shapps told MPs in September that the first phase of the high-speed rail link between London and Birmingham would not open until 2028 at the earliest.\n\nThe second phase, to Manchester and Leeds, was due to open in 2032-33 but that has been pushed back to 2035-40.\n\nNetwork Rail, which owns the land, has been approached for a comment about the tunnel.\n\nHS2 protester Dr Larch Maxey said the tunnel was \"warm and quiet\"\n\nTunnelling as a form of environmental protest has a long history in the UK.\n\nIn the 1990s it was one of the ways that pushed environmental concerns into the headlines and changed perceptions.\n\nIn one of the environmental protesters' tunnelling guides, written by \"Disco Dave\", it says:\n\n\"In the world of NVDA (non-violent direct action) there are few defence tactics that can compare with the protest tunnel. Dangerous, laborious and time consuming, tunnelling is the ultimate and desperate tactic of desperate people in desperate times.\"\n\nThe first protest tunnel goes back to the M11 and 1993 but they only really developed during the Newbury Bypass protests in 1996.\n\nProtest tunnels against the A30 in Devon and Manchester Airport's second runway then followed.\n\nNot only did they make household names of environmental campaigners like \"Swampy\" but they arguably changed transport policy - road-building reduced massively.\n\nWe have seen tunnels more recently in 2017 in Coldharbour in Surrey in a protest against fracking so it's not a massive surprise we are seeing tunnels again.\n\nTunnelling in particular as a direct action slows down developers and it is expensive to dig out protesters safely.\n\nDisco Dave wrote: \"That ultimately is the purpose of tunnels and tree houses. To act as a deterrent warning the authorities that should they decide to evict, then it will hurt them where for them it hurts most - in the pocket.\"\n\nWhat will be interesting is if these tunnels have the same impact on HS2 as they did on the road-building programme of the late 1990s.\n\nWill it reframe HS2 so it will be seen in the same way as fracking or road building? Or can the argument still be made that it is a low-carbon form of travel even though it does cause some destruction of habitat?\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Facebook News, the social network's dedicated section for news content, is launching in the UK.\n\nThe UK is the second market to get Facebook News, which launched in the United States last year.\n\nSeveral major news publishers, including Channel 4, Sky News, and The Guardian have signed deals with Facebook to provide content.\n\nIt comes as the tech industry's relationship with the media comes under increased scrutiny.\n\nAnd French publishers recently agreed a deal with Google on how a new EU copyright law about news excerpts should be applied.\n\nFacebook News is the social network's own attempt to address the long-running friction between it and news publishers, as advertising spend has increasingly moved to the large tech firms instead of individual news outlets.\n\nThe new feature is set to go live on Tuesday afternoon, Facebook said.\n\nThe new feature is a dedicated tab within the Facebook mobile app, accessible by tapping the three-line icon for more options.\n\nThe tab features a mix of major daily news stories and \"personalised\" news selected for each reader based on their interests, as decided by Facebook's algorithm.\n\nFacebook says it pays publishers \"for content that is not already on the platform\", and says the feature will also provide publishers with new advertising and subscription \"opportunities\".\n\nThe dedicated news feed will have personalisation controls, Facebook says\n\nThat may be partly based on data from the United States, which Facebook says shows more than 95% of traffic on Facebook News is from people who have not read those publications before.\n\nThe social network says the new product is a \"a multi-year investment that puts original journalism in front of new audiences\".\n\nAnd news organisations, for which new readers are often in short supply, are signing up.\n\nIn November, when it first announced the product was heading to the UK, major names such as The Economist, The Independent, and Cosmopolitan were already on board.\n\nAhead of Tuesday's launch, The Daily Mail, Financial Times and Telegraph were also announced, among others.\n\nBBC News has not signed a commercial deal with Facebook News, but may still appear on the tab through public posts it makes on the Facebook platform.\n\nFacebook also says that this new product is a direct result of discussions with the news industry, with which it has often been at loggerheads.\n\nThe tech giant is responsible for driving a lot of traffic around the internet, and a story which performs well on Facebook will often attract more readers than one which does not.\n\nBut Facebook has also repeatedly made changes to its algorithms over the years which have affected news organisations, sometimes with little notice. It has also encouraged organisations to use its features such as instant articles, or to make video content for Facebook.\n\nHowever, it envisions Facebook News as a better solution than earlier attempts, and one it plans to roll out to other countries - including France and Germany - in the near future.\n\n\"Our goal has always been to work out the best ways we can support the industry in building sustainable business models,\" Facebook said in its blog post about the UK launch.\n\n\"As we invest more in news, and pay publishers for more content in more countries, we will work with them to support the long-term viability of newsrooms.\"", "The fake email looks like it has come from NHS Test and Trace\n\nThe NHS has warned people to be vigilant about fake invitations to have the coronavirus vaccination, sent by scammers.\n\nThe scam email includes a link to \"register\" for the vaccine, but no registration for the real vaccination is required.\n\nThe fake site also asks for bank details either to verify identification or to make a payment.\n\nThe NHS says it would never ask for bank details, and the vaccine is free.\n\nCyber-security consultant Daniel Card told BBC News that traffic data indicates thousands of people had clicked the link to the fake site - although it is unclear how many then filled in the form.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by NHS This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nHe urged people to remain vigilant: \"These things spring up, we take them down and then they spring up again.\"\n\nBoth the National Cyber Security Centre and Action Fraud have asked anyone who receives a scam email or text to report it.\n\n\"Vaccines are our way out of this pandemic,\" said health secretary Matt Hancock.\n\n\"It is vital that we do not let a small number of unscrupulous fraudsters undermine the huge team effort under way across the country to protect millions of people from this terrible disease.\"\n\nAt the start of January, Derbyshire police issued a warning about a text message scam which offered Covid vaccinations.\n\n\"If you receive a text or email that asks you to click on a link or for you to provide information, such as your name, credit card or bank details, it's a scam,\" the force said.\n\nLast year, tech firms warned that coronavirus was a popular hook for scammers. In April 2020 Google said it was blocking 18 million scam emails a day on the subject.", "Labour is calling for juries to be cut from 12 members to seven, to stem the \"gravest crisis\" in the justice system since World War Two.\n\nShadow justice secretary David Lammy said action was needed to clear the backlog of thousands of cases.\n\nHe argued that smaller juries and the use of more temporary courts would allow socially distanced trials.\n\nThe government has not ruled out such a move but insists measures it is taking to clear the backlog are working.\n\nLast week four criminal justice watchdogs warned that courts in England and Wales were straining under pressure from the coronavirus pandemic.\n\nJury trials ground to a halt at the start of the first lockdown, when people were advised to stay at home except in limited circumstances.\n\nWhen they resumed, there were severe delays and numerous cancellations due to social-distancing requirements.\n\nRecent figures revealed that the number of unheard cases in crown courts had reached a record 54,000.\n\nThe backlog means some from last year may not go before a jury until 2022, and it could be years before the courts get back on track.\n\nLabour wants the temporary return of so-called \"wartime juries\" of seven rather than 12 members to speed up the process.\n\n\"Victims of rape, murder, domestic abuse, robbery and assault are facing delays of up to four years because of the government's failure to act,\" Mr Lammy said.\n\nHe also urged the government to speed up the rollout of temporary \"Nightingale courts\" to hear civil, family and tribunals work, as well as non-custodial crime cases.\n\nTen of these were announced in July 2020 to help deal with the backlog in court proceedings, and 20 are now in operation across England and Wales.\n\nLeading lawyers are sceptical about Labour's proposal to reach back into wartime history.\n\nThe Criminal Bar Association - representing barristers who prosecute and defend trials - says a panel of seven may allow more courtrooms to be used, but it wouldn't solve what it says is chronic underfunding - and potentially undermines one of the most important safeguards in our society.\n\nThe Law Society, for solicitors, wants to see evidence that smaller panels would ease backlogs without risking injustices.\n\nThe Ministry of Justice's internal modelling calculated last year that reduced juries would lead to a 10% increase in cases - but that was before courtrooms received new Covid-proof screens that have allowed more trials to run.\n\nScotland's courts are using cinemas to host juries - and while that is not being actively discussed in England, it's not been ruled out either.\n\nEven if juries were slimmed, courts would still need to tightly control the number of defendants who can use their cells and courtroom docks to meet Public Health England's guidelines.\n\nIn April last year, the head of judiciary in England and Wales, Lord Burnett, backed the idea of reducing the number of jurors if social distancing continued.\n\nIn June, Justice Secretary Robert Buckland told the BBC he was \"very attracted\" by the idea of smaller juries, as had happened in wartime, and judge-only trials in less serious cases.\n\nThe Ministry of Justice says it has now installed plastic screens in more than 450 courtrooms and jury deliberation rooms to reduce Covid risks.\n\nIt says the safety measures are designed for 12-person juries and that the impact of lowering the number of jurors would be negligible.\n\nHowever, a spokesman said nothing was being ruled out and ministers were continuing to consider every option available to ensure courts recover quickly.\n\n\"This approach is already delivering results, with magistrates' backlogs falling significantly and the number of cases being dealt with in the crown courts reaching pre-Covid levels last month,\" he added.\n\nThe spokesman also said: \"We know more must be done and are investing £110m into a range of measures to drive this recovery further, including opening more Nightingale courts.\"", "Trees must be able to cope with projected climate change\n\nScientists have proposed 10 golden rules for tree-planting, which they say must be a top priority for all nations this decade.\n\nTree planting is a brilliant solution to tackle climate change and protect biodiversity, but the wrong tree in the wrong place can do more harm than good, say experts at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.\n\nThe rules include protecting existing forests first and involving locals.\n\nForests are essential to life on Earth.\n\nThey provide a home to three-quarters of the world's plants and animals, soak up carbon dioxide, and provide food, fuels and medicines.\n\nBut they're fast disappearing; an area about the size of Denmark of pristine tropical forest is lost every year.\n\n\"Planting the right trees in the right place must be a top priority for all nations as we face a crucial decade for ensuring the future of our planet,\" said Dr Paul Smith, a researcher on the study and secretary general of conservation charity, Botanic Gardens Conservation International, in Kew.\n\nIt takes at least a century to restore damaged forests\n\nA raft of ambitious tree-planting projects are underway around the world to replace the forests being lost.\n\nBoris Johnson has said he is aiming to plant 30,000 hectares (300 sq km) of new forest a year across the UK by the end of this parliament.\n\nAn African-led movement to plant a 5,000-mile (8,048km) forest wall to fight the climate crisis is set to become the largest living structure on Earth, three times the size of the Great Barrier Reef.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. A solution that's slowing desertification on the front lines of climate change\n\nHowever, planting trees is highly complex, with no universal easy solution.\n\n\"If you plant the wrong trees in the wrong place you could be doing more harm than good,\" said lead researcher Dr Kate Hardwick of RBG Kew.\n\nAll too often natural forests teeming with plants, animals and fungi are replaced by commercial plantations with row upon row of timber trees, which will be harvested after a few decades, she told BBC News.\n\n\"What we're trying to do is to encourage people, wherever possible, to try and recreate forests which are similar to the natural forests and which provide multiple benefits to people, the environment and to nature as well as capturing carbon.\"\n\nThe review of research, published in the journal Global Change Biology, found that in some cases, planned tree planting does not increase carbon capture and can have negative effects.\n\nKeeping forests in their original state is always preferable; undamaged old forests soak up carbon better and are more resilient to fire, storm and droughts. \"Whenever there's a choice, we stress that halting deforestation and protecting remaining forests must be a priority,\" said Prof Alexandre Antonelli, director of science at RGB Kew.\n\nPut local people at the heart of tree-planting projects\n\nStudies show that getting local communities on board is key to the success of tree-planting projects. It is often local people who have most to gain from looking after the forest in the future.\n\nReforestation should be about several goals, including guarding against climate change, improving conservation and providing economic and cultural benefits.\n\nSelect the right area for reforestation\n\nPlant trees in areas that were historically forested but have become degraded, rather than using other natural habitats such as grasslands or wetlands.\n\nUse natural forest regrowth wherever possible\n\nLetting trees grow back naturally can be cheaper and more efficient than planting trees.\n\nSelect the right tree species that can maximise biodiversity\n\nWhere tree planting is needed, picking the right trees is crucial. Scientists advise a mixture of tree species naturally found in the local area, including some rare species and trees of economic importance, but avoiding trees that might become invasive.\n\nMake sure the trees are resilient to adapt to a changing climate\n\nUse tree seeds that are suitable for the local climate and how that might change in the future.\n\nPlan how to source seeds or trees, working with local people.\n\nCombine scientific knowledge with local knowledge. Ideally, small-scale trials should take place before planting large numbers of trees.\n\nThe sustainability of tree re-planting rests on a source of income for all stakeholders, including the poorest.\n• None Will millions more trees really stop climate change?", "Clare Ferguson-Walker says she has struggled with home-schooling her two children\n\nAs kitchen tables are turned back into classrooms across Wales, parents admit they are struggling with the return to home-schooling.\n\nFor Clare Ferguson-Walker from Tavernspite, Pembrokeshire, the experience has been a \"nightmare\".\n\nShe said trying to educate her two children alongside work has resulted in her relying on universal credit.\n\nGetting to grips with home-schooling in the first lockdown was \"a shock to the system\".\n\n\"My heart goes out to teachers, I can't imagine what it was like for them putting together all these packages,\" she said.\n\n\"My son is 12 and loves gaming so he's quite tech-savvy. When I have managed to pin him down he's been 'go away, dinosaur mother, I know how to do it!'\n\n\"I'm not au fait with these subjects I haven't done for years. It's different to how I learned at school.\"\n\nAs a single parent, Clare said she had found it difficult to juggle home-schooling with her work.\n\n\"At first, in the summer, we were doing Joe Wicks exercises every day then some work. Then it fell into chaos. I tried really hard at the beginning to be organised.\n\n\"I'm an artist and sculptor - that work ended and my income has dried up so I'm on universal credit.\n\n\"It's incredibly tough financially. Life has revolved around looking after the kids,\" she said.\n\nBy the end of the year, she said the pressure had all become too much.\n\n\"The thought of going through that again in the winter months - without sunny days in the garden - the stress really got to me.\n\n\"I was finding myself going repeatedly from the kettle to the fridge and back again in this weird loop, thinking what do I do now?\n\n\"It was like being a caged animal, like one of those bears that starts to pace in a cage. The kids had gone feral by then.\n\n\"I think it's been horrendous for young people and families - we can't even rely on grandparents. Mental health struggles are at an all-time high,\" she said.\n\n\"The one positive is I've got to know my kids a hell of a lot more and there have been times that have been lovely.\n\n\"I think they've learned more sat around the kitchen table when we've been talking about what's going on, they've learned about rational thinking, the importance of science and not jumping to conclusions.\n\nJayne Palmer advises not sitting down at a desk\n\nJayne Palmer from Cardiff, who home-educated both her sons, said there was too much pressure on parents to replicate traditional classroom learning.\n\n\"This is not an ideal circumstance for home-education families either because they are not used to being locked indoors.\n\n\"I think there's far too much emphasis in continuing the set curriculum. Right now it's a complete waste of time. There's pressure to compete in a system parents weren't even involved in.\n\nIt is far more important to \"create and interest in learning,\" she said.\n\n\"There's been a tendency of families to rush to buy desks and chairs and pens. What we find is the best way forward is not to sit down and teach your children - watch documentaries with them, play online games with historical content, practise reading to them, do some cooking, Lego or gardening.\"", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nSome travellers coming to England will have to quarantine in hotels amid concerns about new Covid variants, the government is expected to announce.\n\nBoris Johnson will discuss proposals with ministers later, but a decision may not be announced until Wednesday.\n\nMost foreign nationals from high-risk countries are already denied UK entry, so the new rules will mainly affect returning UK citizens and residents.\n\nQuarantine rules are set by each of the UK nations but tend to be similar.\n\nThe requirement to isolate in a hotel for 10 days will apply to arrivals from most of southern Africa and South America, as well as Portugal, because many flights from Brazil come via Lisbon, according to BBC Newsnight's political editor Nicholas Watt.\n\nHe said there had been \"no definitive decision yet\" on arrivals from other parts of the world and this was \"still a live issue\".\n\nWhitehall sources said those quarantining in hotels would have to pay for the costs of their own accommodation.\n\nThe prime minister will later chair a meeting of the Covid operations committee, attended by senior ministers, to discuss the options.\n\nMeanwhile, more than 100,000 people have died with Covid-19 in the UK, after 1,631 deaths within 28 days of a positive test were recorded in the daily figures.\n\nAt the moment, almost all arrivals to the UK need to have tested negative for Covid-19 within the 72 hours before they set off to be allowed entry. Then they still have to quarantine for up to 10 days, although this can be done at home.\n\nIn England, this self-isolation period can be cut short with a second negative test after five days.\n\nQuarantine rules are set separately in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland but have only tended to differ slightly, and there has been a \"four nations\" approach to discussions around hotel quarantine, Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said.\n\nBut deputy first minister John Swinney said his government would \"go at least as far\" as any Westminster policy, adding: \"If these UK restrictions are at a minimal level, we will look at other controls we can announce - including additional supervised quarantine measures - that can further protect us from importation of the virus.\"\n\nHotel quarantine is already in use in countries including New Zealand and Australia.\n\nJessica Gold (centre), her son William Copsey (left), and her mother, Rossana Gold, are trying to get home to the UK from South Africa\n\nJessica Gold, from London, has been trying to get home from South Africa with her mother, 77, and son, 13, since 1 January - but their flights have been cancelled three times.\n\nShe says the idea of having to quarantine in a hotel when she eventually manages to get home is \"absolutely absurd\".\n\n\"Now we are booked to return on 16 Feb, and there is no way we can or will stay in a hotel to quarantine when I have my own place and we can quarantine there, as we have done in the past,\" says Jessica, who flew out to her safari lodge in Greater Kruger National Park, on business, at the end of November.\n\nJessica, 42, wants the government to get tougher on enforcing travellers' home quarantines, rather than bringing in the hotel rule which she says is \"ridiculous and an extra unnecessary expense during these very tough times\".\n\nJessica adds that she's looking into other ways of getting home earlier, before any potential new rules kick in.\n\nShadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds told MPs on Tuesday that bringing in hotel quarantine plans for arrivals from a small number of countries would leave \"gaping holes\" in the UK's defences against any new, unknown variants of coronavirus coming from across the globe.\n\nHome Secretary Priti Patel said all current travel measures were being kept under review and the government \"will not hesitate to take further action\" to combat variants, especially as they could effect the efficacy of Covid vaccines.\n\nTravel writer Simon Calder told BBC Breakfast it was \"going to be tricky\" to identify people arriving from the high-risk countries, as travellers could go to a third country before coming to the UK.\n\nHe said British citizens in Portugal, for example, could travel to Madrid in order to fly back to the UK.\n\nPassengers in Australian quarantine hotels have all meals delivered to their room\n\nIn Australia, travellers are allocated a hotel room on arrival and taken there by bus. Often, entire flights are accommodated in the same hotel.\n\nThe New South Wales government promises to make \"every attempt\" to find suitable accommodation for travellers and families. But availability of rooms means there are severe limits on the number of people who can arrive in the country on any given day.\n\nThe hotel quarantine lasts a minimum of 14 days up to 24 days, providing a person tests negative twice.\n\nThe passenger must cover the cost of quarantine - at about £2,800 for a family of two adults and two children.\n\nFees are waived for those who can prove they are unable to pay, and there are certain exemptions.\n\nBut not following the rules is a criminal offence, and in New South Wales carries fines of around £6,000 for individuals, six months in prison, or both - with an extra fine for each day the offence continues.\n\nHotel quarantine is among the measures credited with limiting cases of coronavirus in Australia - which has a population of around 25 million - to just 28,777 positive cases during the entire pandemic, a smaller number of cases than is currently being recorded in the UK every day.\n\nBut international arrivals to Australia have fallen dramatically since its hotel quarantine policy was introduced in March 2020.\n\nBetween July and October 2020, just 72,111 people arrived in Australia to live, work or visit - compared with 7.5 million people in the same period in 2019, according to Australian government figures.\n\nRob Paterson, chief executive of Best Western Hotels, said his hotels would be well-prepared for the expected new policy.\n\nSome already have Covid infection controls in place, he said, as they have been used to host \"step-down\" patients who complete their recovery in hotels to free up hospital beds.\n\nMr Paterson told BBC Breakfast quarantining customers would like to see reduced prices, a contact arrival process, CCTV and security to stop people leaving and meals delivered three times a day outside the door - along with clean linen and towels.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Boris Johnson: “That idea of looking at hotels is certainly one thing we are actively now working on.”\n\nJoss Croft, chief executive of UKinbound, which represents the tourism sector, said he hoped hotel quarantine rules would cover as few countries as possible and told the BBC's Newsnight the industry had been \"decimated\".\n\nIn a joint statement, the Airport Operators Association and Airlines UK said the country already had \"some of the highest levels of restrictions in the world\" and tougher rules would be \"catastrophic\".", "President Joe Biden has said that the US might be able to boost its daily vaccination roll-out targets after criticising the Trump administration’s record.\n\nBiden, who has described the previous vaccine programme as a \"dismal failure\", has committed to getting 100 million vaccine doses done in his first 100 days and has since said: \"I think we may be able to get that to 1.5 million a day, rather than one million a day.\"\n\nIs he right about the vaccine roll-out under the Trump administration?\n\nAs of 20 January, when Biden became US president, about 16.5 million vaccines had been administered.\n\nThat is some way off the Trump administration's target of vaccinating 20 million people by the end of 2020. In fact, fewer than three million people had received a jab by 31 December.\n\nVaccinations have sped up since the start of the year.\n\nThe daily average for the week before Trump left office was less than 900,000, according to Our World in Data .\n\nThat figure has since risen above one million doses a day, and Biden has come under some scrutiny for not setting a more ambitious target.\n\nWhen you look at the countries doing the most vaccinations by population, the US is fourth after Israel, the UAE and the UK in terms of doses per 100 people.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Drone footage captures the extent of the damage the bridge over the River Clwyd\n\nFinancial help has been promised to those affected by serious flooding, the Welsh Government has announced.\n\nPeople have been forced to leave their homes and a major incident declared after Storm Christoph struck.\n\nAbout 80 people were evacuated during flooding thought to be related to mine works in Skewen, Neath, while 30 were evacuated in Bangor-on-Dee, Wrexham.\n\nThe Welsh Government said it would work with councils to deliver £500-£1,000 payments to affected households.\n\nEnvironment minister, Lesley Griffiths, said people across Wales were facing the \"twin problems\" of floods and the coronavirus pandemic.\n\nShe said: \"We will support people in these circumstances just as we did in the aftermath of storms Ciara and Dennis last year, by working with local authorities to make support payments of between £500 and £1,000 available for each household flooded.\"\n\nSevere flood warnings remain in place across Wales as river levels remain high.\n\nIn the Lower Dee Valley a severe flood warning remains in force, from Llangollen to Trevalyn Meadow, and a major incident was declared in Bangor-on-Dee.\n\nWrexham council leader Mark Pritchard said teams worked to ensure the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, made on Wrexham Industrial Estate, was not lost in the floods.\n\nFirefighters in Skewen waded through water up to their thighs amidst reports of evacuated homes\n\nAbout 80 people were evacuated in Skewen, including residents of a care home, after at least eight streets were left under water.\n\nEmergency services said there were no injuries and all those evacuated had been found accommodation, but people are asked to avoid the area.\n\nIn Denbighshire, a bridge linking Trefnant to Tremeirchion over the River Clwyd collapsed in the storm. The council said it would be investigating the cause of the flooding, which forced road closures and evacuations.\n\nNatural Resources Wales (NRW) said the River Dee, which runs through Bangor-on-Dee, was at its highest recorded level since the water gauge became operational in 1996 - 16.45m (54ft).\n\nIt urged people across Wales to remain vigilant, with river levels not set to have peaked until late Thursday evening, adding they would remain high until Friday morning.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe Met Office said over the past two days Wales had the highest rainfall of the four UK nations.\n\nBetween 19 and 21 January, Aberllefenni in Gwynedd saw 188mm (7.5in) of rain, more than average rainfall for Wales for the whole of January, which is 156.89mm (63in).\n\nThat was followed by 180mm (7in) in Crai reservoir, Powys, 169.8mm (6.6in) in Treherbert, Rhondda Cynon Taf, and 166mm (6.5in) in both Maerdy, RCT, and Capel Curig, Conwy.\n\nLlechryd bridge in Ceredigion has been completely submerged by the River Teifi\n\nUp to 30 people were forced out of their homes in Bangor-on-Dee, Wrexham\n\nNatural Resources Wales said the River Dee was at its highest level since the water gauge became operational\n\nThe flooding threatened the supply of the coronavirus Oxford vaccine, which is produced at Wrexham Industrial Estate.\n\nWrexham council leader Mr Pritchard said it had to work to \"make sure we didn't lose the vaccinations in the floods\".\n\n\"I've been up all night... it's a very difficult time for us,\" he added.\n\nNorth East Wales Search and Rescue helped people whose homes were flooded in New Broughton, Wrexham\n\nWockhardt UK, which manufactures the vaccine, said at about 16:00 GMT on Wednesday, excess water surrounded part of its buildings.\n\n\"The site is now secure and free from any further flood damage and operating as normal,\" it said.\n\nThe clean-up has begun in Ruthin\n\nA multi-agency statement described the situation in Bangor-on-Dee as a \"major incident\".\n\nIt said: \"As a severe weather warning indicates that there is a risk to life...\n\n\"The evacuation effort continues, with all routes in and out of the village currently closed to the public due to the flooding.\"\n\nEarlier, some residents in Ruthin were told to leave their homes - people have been told Covid rules allow them leave their homes in an emergency.\n\nMeanwhile, a man's body was recovered from the River Taff near Blackweir in Cardiff.\n\nDozens of ducks and chickens, and 12 huskies were rescued by the RSPCA from a flooded farm in Bangor, while they also took hay to two donkeys stranded by flood water in Mold.\n\nSome 12 huskies had to be rescued after their kennels flooded\n\nDave Brown said the flooding in his home in Broughton, Flintshire, was horrific and his mother-in-law was rescued by firefighters.\n\n\"You don't realise the damage water does and everything that floats - the sheer volume of water. I am 6ft tall and it almost took me out,\" he said.\n\nDave Brown's mother-in-law was rescued from their home in Broughton, Flintshire\n\nWrexham council said some of the people forced to leave their homes were with relatives, while it found others accommodation after having to initially seek refuge in a church hall.\n\nNine properties in Berse Road in New Broughton were also evacuated.\n\nThe situation in Ruthin, Denbighshire, overnight was \"horrendous\", town councillor Stephen Beach said.\n\n\"The whole of Ruthin was on edge,\" he said.\n\n\"Some people were accommodated at the leisure centre, and others were offered places to stay by local residents. The community was superb.\n\n\"It was the sheer volume of water that came down - there was no stopping it.\"\n\nA yellow weather warning for ice for Wales has been issued by the Met Office until 10:00 GMT on Friday, with concerns it could lead to travel disruption, slips and falls.\n\nNumerous flood warnings and alerts remain in place across Wales, including two severe flood warnings.\n\nThe agency said flood defences were being used and river levels at Holt, Wrexham, would remain high for some time.\"There is therefore a significant risk of localised flooding problems and due to that the severe flood warning will remain in place until the levels drop,\" Keith Iven of NRW said\n\nIn Monmouthshire roads were closed following flooding, and the council said while water levels at the River Usk were dropping, a \"second peak\" on the River Wye had been expected on Thursday night.\n\nThe council had warned people living in Riverside Park, Monmouth, may be impacted and council workers were prepared to offer support.\n\nRiver Tywi has burst its banks in Carmarthen, affecting nearby businesses\n\nMid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service said it had attended 98 flooding-related incidents\n\nIt said it deployed swift water rescue teams to rescue 13 people from vehicles in floodwater. It also winched vehicles from water and pumped water from properties.\n\nIn Cardiff, emergency services attended a crash involving a number of vehicles at about 07:40 on the A4232 between Culverhouse Cross and the M4.\n\nNo-one was seriously injured, but both carriageways were closed for just over an hour. The road has since reopened.\n\nIn Carmarthen, people were treated for the effects of fumes after using a generator to pump water from their homes.\n\nIn Knighton and Crickhowell in Powys, crews spent Wednesday night pumping out a number of properties.\n\nIn Borth, Ceredigion, floodwater hit the water treatment plant, an electrical substation and eight properties.\n\nOgwen Valley Mountain Rescue Team had to rescue a man from the roof of his car.\n\nIt said he had tried to drive through the river ford along the road from Llandygai to Bangor, in Gwynedd, but had become stuck in deep water and had climbed onto the roof. He was not injured.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Derek Brockway - weatherman This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nRhondda Cynon Taf council said it was aware of a minor landslip on the mountainside above Pentre.\n\nIt said an initial inspection determined there was no immediate threat to the area and a further detailed inspection would be carried out on Friday. It asked people to avoid the area.\n\nBangor-on-Dee has been badly hit by Storm Cristoph\n\nDozens of roads have been closed across Wales, and while Covid rules are in place stopping people from travelling apart from for essential reasons, people are being warned not to travel in affected areas due to widespread flooding.\n\nChris Lloyd from North Wales Mountain Rescue Association warned people to not visit flood-hit areas to view the damage.\n\nHe told BBC Radio Wales: \"People who are going out to look at the floods are not only putting themselves at risk, but putting additional people on the roads which professional emergency services don't want - we don't want any more incidents.\"\n\nDenbighshire council said Ysgol Bodfari in Denbigh and Ysgol Caer Drewyn, Corwen, which had been open for vulnerable children and the children of critical workers, have been closed.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Health Secretary Matt Hancock says lifting restrictions can only happen when \"facts on the ground\" show it is safe\n\nIt is \"difficult to put a timeline\" on when England's lockdown could be lifted, Matt Hancock has said.\n\nThe health secretary said there were \"early signs\" the measures were working but it was \"not a moment to ease up\".\n\nHe said there were 37,000 people in hospital with coronavirus in the UK and \"more people on ventilators than at any time in this whole pandemic\".\n\n\"The pressure on the NHS remains huge and we've got to get that case rate down,\" he said.\n\nThe number of coronavirus cases in the UK has been falling, but the number of people in hospital remains high, as does the UK's daily death numbers.\n\nA further 592 people have died in the UK within 28 days of a positive Covid test and another 22,195 cases have been recorded, according to Monday's government figures.\n\nThe are 4,076 people in hospital on ventilators.\n\nUnder the national lockdown, people in England must stay at home and only go out for limited reasons.\n\nThis includes for food shopping, exercise, or work if they cannot do so from home. Similar measures are in place across much of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.\n\nAt Monday's Downing Street press briefing, Mr Hancock said: \"I understand the yearning people have to get out of this.\n\n\"The thing is that we have to look at the facts on the ground and we have to monitor those facts.\n\n\"And of course, everybody wants to have a timeline for that, but I think most people understand why it is difficult to put a timeline on it because it's a matter of monitoring the data.\"\n\nHe set out the factors the government would take into account when reaching decisions over lifting the restrictions, including: the death rate, the number of people in hospital, whether there were new coronavirus variants and the success of the vaccine rollout.\n\nAlmost four in five of the UK's over-80s have had the vaccine, Mr Hancock said, with nearly 6.6m people in total having had their first dose.\n\nThe falling numbers of infections being reported and the rising rate of vaccination are incredibly promising - even if the drop in infections reported on Monday may have been partly an artefact of fewer people coming forward for a test because of the snow.\n\nBut that does not offer any guarantees of a rapid lifting of lockdown.\n\nWhat is concerning ministers are the high numbers in hospital.\n\nThe number of new admissions seems to have plateaued - but at a very high rate.\n\nClose to 4,000 patients a day are being admitted to hospital.\n\nTo put that in context, that is four times the total number of all types of respiratory admissions the NHS would normally see in winter.\n\nIt means the numbers in hospital are at nearly twice the level they were at the peak in the spring during the first wave.\n\nWith better treatments available, patients are spending longer in hospital.\n\nSo come mid-February the pressures in hospital are likely to be very high, leaving ministers little wriggle-room to relax restrictions.\n\nThe big unknown, however, is what impact and how quickly vaccination will have an effect on admissions.\n\nThere is encouraging early news from Israel that hospitalisation really starts to drop three weeks after the first dose.\n\nIf that is repeated here, the picture could quickly change.\n\nBut until that happens the government - in the words of Health Secretary Matt Hancock - is urging the country to hold its nerve.\n\nSpeaking at the Downing Street press conference, Jenny Harries, deputy chief medical officer for England, warned: \"We are not out of this by a very long way.\"\n\nShe said current coronavirus rates were still causing concern, patience was needed about the vaccination programme and the NHS still faced its usual winter pressures.\n\nSusan Hopkins, from Public Health England, said the UK need to see the death rate \"fall much lower\" before any decision to ease measures.\n\nShe said teams were currently studying the impact on the UK's vaccine programme of the variant first identified in South Africa.\n\nBut she added the \"consensus view\" from four UK laboratories suggested that \"the current vaccine works against the variant that was first discovered in the UK\".", "A group of MPs is calling for hedgehog nesting sites to get the same protections as those for bats and badgers, in an effort to boost numbers.\n\nFormer Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has tabled an amendment to the Environment Bill, which he said would help \"Britain's favourite animal\".\n\nThe spiky mammals should be on developers' \"radar\" when they are planning a project, he added.\n\nA report in 2018 suggested UK hedgehog numbers had halved since 2000.\n\nRough estimates put the population at one million, compared with 30 million during the 1950s.\n\nMr Grayling's amendment would add hedgehogs the list of protected animals under the Wildlife and Countryside Act.\n\nThis would place a legal obligation on developers to search for the animals and take action to reduce the risk to them from building.\n\nChris Grayling said hedgehogs should feature on property developers' surveys\n\nIt is illegal to kill or capture hedgehogs using certain methods but Mr Grayling said: \"It seems wrong to me, for example, that whenever a developer has to carry out a wildlife survey before starting work on a project that the hedgehog is not on anyone's radar.\n\n\"It is Britain's favourite animal, its numbers are declining and it should be as well protected as any other popular but threatened British animal.\"\n\nFormer cabinet ministers Liam Fox, Andrew Mitchell and Dame Cheryl Gillan are among 13 fellow Conservative MPs supporting Mr Grayling's amendment.\n\nLabour's Hilary Benn and Debbie Abrahams have also signed it.\n\nThe Environment Bill - which seeks to write environmental principles into UK law for the first time - will be debated in the House of Commons on Tuesday.\n\nIt includes setting legally binding targets to improve air quality, water, biodiversity and waste reduction by 2037.\n\nBut some Conservative backbenchers say this is much too slow. They want the targets brought forward to 2030 at the latest.\n\nAn amendment from the Conservative MP, Chris Loder, calls for unmissable targets to reduce plastics waste.\n\nIt comes as a report from Greenpeace and the Environmental Investigation Agency claims that the UK's 10 largest supermarket chains put plastic equivalent to the weight of 90 Eiffel Towers on to the market in 2019.\n\nThe study found that while the number of single-use carrier bags fell by more than a third, more than one and a half billion plastic \"bags for life\" were issued by the top brands, and that 2.5 billion plastic water bottles were sold or given away.\n\nThe Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said the bill would help \"improve the environment for future generations\".\n\nIt added that ministers were \"ambitious\" to \"drive a world-leading programme of environmental reform\".\n\nFor Labour, shadow environment secretary Luke Pollard said the bill should be prioritised to complete its passage in this session of Parliament.\n\nHe added that the UK needed legislation that \"recognises the urgency of the crisis and doesn't go backwards\".", "Budweiser has said it will not advertise its beer during the Super Bowl this year, joining a growing number of big brands sitting out the annual American football championship.\n\nThe event remains one of the most-watched in the US each year, drawing more than 100 million viewers in 2020.\n\nThe advertisements are often as much a conversation-starter as the game itself, sometimes sparking controversy.\n\nFirms say the virus has made finding the right message especially difficult.\n\nOthers are grappling with financial hits caused by the pandemic, which has dampened spending on many items, while also casting more than 10 million Americans out of work, resurfacing racial and economic inequalities and sharpening political divisions.\n\nBudweiser's parent company, Anheuser-Busch, said it planned to reallocate the money it would have spent on a 30-second Budweiser spot during the game to support an Ad Council campaign promoting coronavirus vaccination.\n\nIt is the first time the flagship brand will not make a game-time appearance in 37 years.\n\n\"This commitment is an investment in a future where we can all get back together safely over a beer\", it said, adding that it would still promote some of its other brands, such as Bud Light, during the game.\n\nOn Monday, Budweiser released a full 90-second Super Bowl ad on YouTube entitled \"Bigger Picture\", which showed US citizens overcoming pandemic challenges together and aimed to raise awareness about Covid-19 vaccines.\n\nCoke, Pepsi and Hyundai are among the other major names also planning to forego airtime during the broadcast.\n\nCoca-Cola said it had made the \"difficult choice\" to \"ensure we are investing in the right resources during these unprecedented times\". The firm did not advertise during the 2019 game either.\n\nHyundai cited \"marketing priorities\" and the timing of upcoming vehicle launches.\n\nPepsi has also said it would not promote its flagship soda during the game. Instead, it is spending money on an advert airing to promote the Super Bowl halftime show it has sponsored for almost a decade.\n\nThe Super Bowl boasts some of the most expensive advertising slots all year\n\nGiven all the economic, political and health questions of 2020, companies may have felt it was prudent to pull back - especially several months ago, when they would have had to start planning for such a high-profile night, said Kimberly Whitler, professor at the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business\n\n\"It's the biggest night of TV watching and so they have to plan it months in advance,\" she said. \"There was so much uncertainty that to go and invest in a Super Bowl ad might have actually felt or seemed frivolous at the time.\"\n\nThe decision goes \"beyond finances\", she added. \"It's also, 'How do we identify the right tone that will match the moment'.\"\n\nThis year's Super Bowl will see star quarterback Tom Brady's Tampa Bay Buccaneers face off against reigning champions the Kansas City Chiefs on 7 February.\n\nLast year, firms spent an average of $5.25m (£3.8m) for a 30-second spot during the championship, driving Super Bowl ad spending to a record $450m, according to Kantar consultancy.\n\nThe firm has said its research suggests Super Bowl ads are \"typically 20 times more effective\" in changing a brand's perception than a normal advert.\n\nAnheuser-Busch, an official sponsor of the National Football League, is typically one of the night's top spenders, so the absence of its flagship brand may create its own buzz, said Satya Menon, a Chicago-based managing partner of of ROI practice at Kantar.\n\nChipotle's very first Super Bowl commercial is entitled, \"Can a burrito change the world?\"\n\n\"Budweiser in particular is a very established brand ... so for them, it's all about generating love and goodwill and maybe this is another way,\" she says.\n\n\"They do have a lot of pre-game advertising out there. When people have the expectation that they wil be there and then they don't see the brand, they'll start thinking why are they not.\"\n\nMeanwhile, the sports showdown still seems to be finding plenty of firms ready to fill spots left by the stalwarts. Names of newcomers include Chipotle and Fiverr, a freelance platform that has seen business soar during the pandemic.\n\n\"It doesn't get any bigger than the Super Bowl from a branding and marketing perspective,\" said Fiverr's chief marketing officer Gali Arnon. \"We believe this is a major opportunity for us to introduce the world to Fiverr in a unique and creative way.\"\n\nMany of this year's advertisers are firms coming from the e-commerce sector, which have benefited from the pandemic, Ms Menon said.\n\nAnd though audience numbers for NFL games have slipped this year, for those firms making their game-night debuts, Ms Menon says she still expects ads to have a big impact - even if the pandemic puts a damper on the traditional Super Bowl parties and other festivities, which can make championship feel like an unofficial national holiday.\n\n\"There isn't very much going on in life, so it will always have that great reach,\" she says. \"Some of that excitement may not be there, but watching will definitely be there.\"", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Boris Johnson says teachers and pupils will be told “as much as we can, as soon as we can” about reopening schools\n\nThe government will tell teachers and parents when schools in England can reopen \"as soon as we can\", the prime minister has said.\n\nMPs have called on the government to set out a \"route map\" for reopening amid concerns for children's education.\n\nBoris Johnson said he understood why people wanted a timetable but he did not want to lift restrictions while the infection rate was \"still very high\".\n\nHe would not guarantee schools would reopen before April's Easter break.\n\nMr Johnson said: \"We've now got the R [reproduction rate] down below 1 across the whole of the country, that's a great achievement, we don't want to see a huge surge of infection just when we've got the vaccination programme going so well and people working so hard.\n\n\"I understand why people want to get a timetable from me today, what I can tell you is we'll tell you, tell parents, tell teachers as much as we can as soon as we can.\"\n\nHe said the government would be \"looking at the potential of relaxing some measures\" before mid-February, with Downing Street clarifying that this meant looking at the data to decide \"what we may or may not be able to ease from 15 February onwards\".\n\nA further 592 people have died in the UK within 28 days of a positive Covid test and another 22,195 cases have been recorded, according to Monday's government figures.\n\nAt Monday's Downing Street press briefing, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said almost four in five of the UK's over-80s have had the vaccine, with nearly 6.6m people in total having had their first dose.\n\nBut he said the NHS continues to be under \"intense pressure\", with Jenny Harries, deputy chief medical officer for England, saying there are \"twice the number of people in hospital than we had in the first wave\" of the pandemic.\n\nRobert Halfon, chairman of the education select committee, told BBC Breakfast there was \"enormous uncertainty\" and called for the government to set out what the conditions needed to be for pupils to return to schools.\n\nThe Conservative MP for Harlow suggested the government could consider tighter restrictions in other parts of society and the economy, in order to enable schools to open.\n\nTory MPs were enraged by reports over the weekend that schools might not re-open fully until after the Easter holidays.\n\nMinisters say it's the progress of the pandemic that will determine their decision rather than a pre-agreed timetable.\n\nYet whenever the government speaks, parents hear dates. Whether it's that the situation will be reviewed at half-term. Or a pledge to give two weeks' notice when classes will come back.\n\nMPs are now pushing for more transparency from the government about how they'll assess the data, and for some ideas between school being mostly closed or totally open.\n\nThis issue is a perfect metaphor for the situation facing the entire country. Too much hope breeds disappointment, but living with uncertainty is just as hard. And you can come up with a plan but it might have to be junked if the virus has other ideas.\n\nChildren's Commissioner for England Anne Longfield joined the call for clarity and told the BBC: \"Children are more withdrawn, they are really suffering in terms of isolation, their confidence levels are falling, and for some there are serious issues.\"\n\nEducation Secretary Gavin Williamson said the government wanted to \"see all children back at the very earliest moment\".\n\nSchools in England have been closed to most pupils since the national lockdown began on 5 January due to high levels of Covid transmission in the community.\n\nThere have been calls for teachers to be vaccinated sooner, although it is not clear if that would allow schools to reopen earlier.\n\nThe majority of pupils in England are learning from home with schools only open to the children of key workers, vulnerable children and those who cannot learn at home\n\nCovid death rates among educational professionals are not \"statistically significantly different\" to those in the general population, according to Office for National Statistics (ONS) data, but secondary school teachers appeared to have an elevated risk compared particularly with people working in office-type jobs.\n\nAmong secondary school teachers Covid death rates were 39.2 deaths per 100,000 males, compared with 31.4 for all males aged 20 to 64, and 21.2 per 100,000 females, compared with 16.8, but the ONS said these were \"not statistically significantly different than those of the same age and sex in the wider population\".\n\nSchools will remain closed in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales until at least the February half-term - with the Welsh first minister saying it is \"unlikely\" all pupils will return after the break.\n\nGemma Cocker with her children Charlie and Lyla\n\nGemma Cocker from Brighton is one of the many parents struggling to balance childcare, home learning and work.\n\nShe says she's having to share her work laptop with her son, who has already missed learning time after the family moved home and did not have internet access. \"We didn't have any internet. The school said they had reached their limit so couldn't take him,\" she says.\n\nAnd because her children are young, she says: \"They're never just going to watch a classroom by themselves, you have to be with them the whole time.\"\n\nKitty Jones, 11, is in her last year of primary school and she says home learning is \"tricky\" because she is not used to using different remote platforms like Google Classroom and she wants to return \"as soon as possible\".\n\n\"I still think that I'm learning a bit, but I don't think I'm learning as much as I would be in person,\" she tells BBC Radio 4's World at One programme.\n\nHolly Agbukor, 18, is studying for her A-levels, says it is \"quite stressful\" learning at home, as it is a \"different environment, so it is not as easy to be fully present in the lessons\".\n\nBut, she says, while is it \"difficult\" working at home, \"I don't think it is worth the cost of reintroducing the virus into society and making things worse overall\".\n\nHow has home-schooling been going for your family? You can share your experience by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Tuesday morning. We'll have another update for you this evening.\n\nRules for people entering the UK could get tighter later - with the government expected to enforce hotel quarantine in England for some arrivals. Currently, people arriving in the UK must test negative before setting off, and then self-isolate for 10 days on arrival. This can be reduced to five days in England after a second negative test. But it's feared that not everyone follows the rules - so people could now be told to stay in hotels, where the isolation will be enforced. It's thought the rules will definitely apply to UK citizens and residents arriving from southern African, South America, and Portugal (foreign nationals are already banned from arriving from those \"high risk\" areas). The rules could also apply to other countries. And it's expected that people will have to pay their own way. Although each part of the UK sets its own travel rules, Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said a \"four nations\" approach is being discussed. Here's a glimpse from last year of hotel quarantine in Australia.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe UK's unemployment rate rose to 5% in the three months to November, up from 4.9%, as the pandemic continued to hit the jobs market. In November, Chancellor Rishi Sunak said unemployment could peak at 2.6 million by the middle of this year - that's 7.5% of the working population.\n\nThe EU has been criticised for a slow vaccine rollout - which is partly down to delays from manufacturers Pfizer and AstraZeneca (although the latter's jab hasn't actually been approved in the EU yet). Now the EU says vaccine makers must provide \"early notification\" when they want to export vaccines outside the bloc. This could mean more doses stay inside the EU. The UK minister responsible for vaccine deployment, Nadhim Zahawi, has said he is confident Pfizer - which manufactures its vaccine in Belgium - will deliver for both the UK and the EU. This tweet is from the EU's health commissioner.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Stella Kyriakides This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nRiot police in the Netherlands have again clashed with people defying a curfew, following a weekend of unrest. More than 150 were arrested. In Rotterdam, police fired warning shots and tear gas, after an emergency order failed to move demonstrators.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Dutch police described the rioting as the worst unrest in four decades\n\nDespite Covid and the strains on the system, there is still kindness - and new life - in NHS hospitals. The BBC's Hugh Pym went to Kings Mill Hospital, part of Sherwood Forest Hospitals Trust, to meet the patients and staff.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. WATCH: ‘Among all the doom and gloom there’s positives’\n\nYou can find more information, advice and guides on our coronavirus page. This page analyses UK data - including the recent fall in daily cases.\n\nWhat questions do you have about coronavirus?\n\nIn some cases, your question will be published, displaying your name, age and location as you provide it, unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published. Please ensure you have read our terms & conditions and privacy policy.\n\nUse this form to ask your question:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or send them via email to YourQuestions@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any question you send in.", "The school's head teacher said it was unacceptable staff were being put at risk\n\nA school has threatened to withdraw places for pupils who have told teachers they are visiting people outside their households.\n\nYew Tree Community School in Oldham said several children had admitted visiting friends, neighbours and family contrary to Covid-19 lockdown rules.\n\nHead teacher Martine Buckley said she would take the action when \"parents were putting staff in danger\".\n\nThe Department for Education said \"all vulnerable\" pupils should go to school.\n\nDuring the current lockdown schools are open only to pupils listed as vulnerable and the children of key workers.\n\nFamilies can form \"childcare bubbles\" with one other household, and children who live with two parents who live separately can move between households - but any further mixing is forbidden.\n\nIn a letter posted on the Chadderton school's Facebook page, Mrs Buckley said she was \"upset\" to be writing it \"but I feel I must\".\n\n\"Our lovely children are open and honest and they tell us about their lives and activities,\" she said.\n\n\"A number of them are telling us that they are visiting friends, neighbours and family which is against the law.\n\n\"Our teachers and support staff are putting their own safety at risk to look after your children and they should be confident you are doing your bit to follow the lockdown rules.\n\n\"I am afraid I will have to withdraw the offer of a place in school to children whose parents are putting us in danger.\"\n\nWhile a number of parents applauded the message, others have been angered.\n\nOne man told the BBC his two grandchildren were at the school and children as young as four have been asked about their activities at home, which was \"out of order\".\n\n\"My granddaughters are pretty intimidated by the tone,\" he said.\n\n\"Asking them questions like that and then the answers off the back of that. They come to a decision of whether they are going to displace them or not.\"\n\nThe school has about 660 pupils aged between four and 11.\n\nA spokeswoman for the Department for Education said during the current lockdown, schools were \"open for vulnerable children and the children of critical workers\".\n\n\"We expect schools to work with families to ensure all critical worker children are given access to a place if this is required,\" she added.\n\n\"We encourage all vulnerable children to attend.\"\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk", "Microsoft has reported booming demand for its Xbox gaming consoles as the pandemic continues to lift the fortunes of the American tech giant.\n\nIts Azure cloud computing services also got a boost due to a surge in working and learning from home.\n\nThe gains helped push the firm's overall revenue up 17% to a record $43.1bn (£31.4bn).\n\nBut its growth came as the virus continues to weigh on other industries.\n\nMicrosoft boss Satya Nadella said the firm is benefiting from a long-term shift in behaviour.\n\n\"What we have witnessed over the past year is the dawn of a second wave of digital transformation sweeping every company and every industry,\" he said.\n\nXbox sales jumped 40% in the three months to 31 December while Azure services soared 50%.\n\nThe virus continues to weigh on industries outside of tech\n\nThe pandemic has prompted many firms to switch to remote working, while keeping many entertainment options outside of the home off-limits.\n\nMicrosoft has seized on the changes, focusing energy on updating its remote work software options.\n\nThe firm also released two new Xbox consoles in November, helping to boost the performance of its personal computing unit.\n\nMicrosoft's gaming business topped $5bn in quarterly sales for the first time ever due to gaming subscriptions and sales as well as new consoles.\n\nThe firm said profits in the quarter rose 33% compared with last year to $15.5bn.\n\nIts shares - which climbed roughly 40% last year - were up another 4% in after-hours trade,\n\n\"These were blow out numbers that will be another feather in the cap for the tech sector as the cloud growth party is just getting started,\" said Dan Ives, an analyst at Wedbush Securities.\n\nBut the gains enjoyed by tech firms like Microsoft stand in contrast to the ongoing struggles seen in other industries such as hospitality, retail and travel.\n\nCoffee chain Starbucks on Tuesday said its sales in the last three months of 2020 fell roughly 5% compared to 2019, driven by a drop in business in the US where concerns about Covid-19 have prompted authorities to urge people to stay at home.\n\nIn China, where the virus is under more control, sales rose 5%, the company said.\n\nThe firm said it expected business to return to growth in the next few months, including in the critical US market.\n\nBut profits in the quarter dropped 30% to $622.2m compared with last year, sending the firm's shares lower in after-hours trade.", "The water is warmer than the air and is creating a mist along Dynevor Road\n\nThe coalmining heritage of Wales has been implicated in flooding of homes - but what has happened in Skewen?\n\nAbout 80 people were evacuated from the Neath Port Talbot village, with at least eight streets left under water.\n\nCouncil leader Rob Jones says the flood appears to be related to mine works - but the volume of water involved has hampered a full assessment so far.\n\nThe Coal Authority is investigating how \"historic underground mining features\" in the area exacerbated the problem.\n\nA geologist says there are tens of thousands of old mine shafts across the former south Wales coalfield and it is \"incredibly difficult\" to monitor them all.\n\nSkewen lies within an old coal mining hotspot, with several former colliery sites near the village that operated in the 19th and early 20th Century.\n\nThere were colliery sites near what is now Drummau Road, in the north of the village and another close to Old Road, near Neath Abbey.\n\nSkewen was part of a collection of collieries that stretched between Neath and Llanelli on the western side of south Wales' coalfield.\n\nGraham Levins, secretary of the Welsh Mines Preservation Trust, said old mines often contain groundwater which can flood in heavy rain.\n\nHe said: \"A lot of them go very, very deep down, much below the local water level and that's why they had all the big wheels to pump the water out.\n\n\"It fills up with water and will find a way out. Normally rainfall you get it doesn't cause a lot of problems but when you get really heavy rain, the water drains down through the ground and builds up.\"\n\nStreets were turned into rivers in Skewen\n\nGeologist Tom Backhouse said water was coming out of an area near the junction of Goshen Park and Drummau Road, where there is a record of a mine shaft dating from the turn of the 20th Century.\n\nIt then started \"rushing down\" Drummau Road, causing the flooding that forced evacuations.\n\n\"What we can expect to have happened is that the water level in the mines rose to a point where it's burst out of that entry point from the mine workings below.\n\n\"Also, there are images of very ochre like orange-coloured water and again, that may well be issuing from the mine workings on the highlands to the east of the property on the hill behind.\n\n\"That may be where the shallow workings have flooded.\"\n\nHe said old mine working across the former coalfield area hold water at a certain depth, but when an event such as Storm Christoph drops \"a huge amount in a small area\", the levels rise quickly.\n\n\"As it gets closer and closer to the surface, it basically looks for an escape, the pressure builds up,\" he continued.\n\n\"What it looks like has happened on the junction of Goshen Park and Drummau Road, where the mine shaft is recorded, is that pressure has built up at that point and then burst out through the shaft which is very likely to have been capped with wood or something like that.\n\n\"Where you've got those mine shafts, which ultimately are vertical tunnels down into the mine workings below, the water has literally forced itself up through that shaft, and the pressure is obviously so great it's caused this devastating flash flood.\"\n\nAs well as properties, vehicles were submerged in water\n\nThere are about 13 shafts recorded within about 820ft (250m) of the one in Goshen Park, so Mr Backhouse said it is possible more than one may have burst.\n\nThere are tens of thousands in south Wales and he said it was \"incredibly difficult\" to check them all, but there were \"tell tale signs\" as to why they may collapse such as age or what type of developments are around them.\n\nThe clean up has continued on Friday morning\n\n\"Not to try and fear-monger or anything but of course this sort of thing can happen again,\" he said.\n\n\"If another event like Storm Christoph happens, the water levels in the mine rises as quickly as it did, there's absolutely nothing to say that it wouldn't happen again in the future.\n\n\"And obviously as climate changes and we have many more events like Storm Christoph, they are going to increase in frequency, they are going to be much more severe.\n\n\"The Coal Authority will have to consider the risk in places like Skewen, and they'll have to understand how it will affect residents and proactively manage that and look at how to reduce the risks for residents.\"", "Twenty-two people were killed and hundreds more injured in the 2017 bombing\n\nThe operator of the Manchester Arena has denied it \"deliberately sacrificed safety\" in the aftermath of the 2017 bombing.\n\nAn inquiry has heard how security failures contributed to the arena being unsafe on the night of the attack.\n\nVenue operator SMG has disputed claims it \"was akin to the worst kind of Dickensian factory owner, deliberately and cynically sacrificing safety\".\n\nTwenty-two people were killed and hundreds more injured when Salman Abedi detonated a home-made device as fans left the arena following an Ariana Grande concert.\n\nAndrew O'Connor QC, representing SMG, told the inquiry the firm had always accepted responsibility for security in the City Room, where the bomb exploded.\n\nBut he denied the firm had sought to \"blame others,\" adding it had \"simply sought to explain how SMG discharged its responsibilities\".\n\n\"It is for that purpose and not for prevarication, finger-pointing or buck passing that we have sought to explain to you SMG's relationship with all the other organisations involved,\" he added.\n\nMr O'Connor said the company accepted there were \"shortcomings\" with its written risk assessments but maintained it \"did have a system for assessing terrorism-related risk\".\n\nThe public inquiry into the bombing will look at whether the attack could have been prevented\n\nPatrick Gibbs QC, representing BTP, told the inquiry the force made five key mistakes on the night of the bombing.\n\nThis included having no officers on patrol at Victoria station when Abedi made his final journey to the arena and not having an officer in the City Room at the end of the concert.\n\nOther mistakes included failing to complete a written risk-assessment for the concert, officers not following instructions from their duty sergeant and that PC Stephen Corke, the most experienced officer on duty, was not at the arena complex for the end of the event.\n\nBTP has since made significant changes to its procedures since the attack, the inquiry was told.\n\nThese include monthly meetings with the arena operators to discuss events.\n\nThe inquiry, which began in September, continues.\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Pictures of the Pampas grass on social media are thought to have made the area in South Shields popular\n\nA boom in the popularity of Pampas grass with interior decorators has led to \"droves\" of people picking the plant which grows wild near a beach.\n\nThe grass, near Littlehaven Beach in South Shields, forms part of a wind defence to stop sand blowing onto roads and helps protect the coastline.\n\nSouth Tyneside Council warned anyone found removing it could be prosecuted.\n\nCouncillor Ernest Gibson said while the grass may look \"beautiful in vases\" people were \"damaging the environment\".\n\nThe grass, which was popular in the 1970s, can sell for up to £40 a bunch and has proved a popular addition to people's homes.\n\nIt is thought that photographs on social media sites such as Instagram may have influenced people turning up and taking it, Mr Gibson added.\n\n\"Pampas grass is quite expensive to buy if you went to a florist. It's cheaper to come to South Tyneside and take it away,\" he said.\n\n\"But what we are doing is urging people not to come here and take it away, it's there for a reason.\"\n\nPampas grass and Marram grass form part of a defence along the coast at South Shields\n\nThe Pampas grass helps to bond poor soils found at the coast, while Marram grass helps to prevent erosion in the dunes.\n\nSigns are to be erected warning people not to pick the grass because it is already in need of replenishment, the council said.\n\n\"Through Covid, we have a massive amount of people coming to the coastal town, it's Benidorm without the sunshine,\" he added.\n\n\"It's great to see people at the seaside enjoying it [the grass] and that's what it's part of. It's there for everybody to view.\"\n\nGarden designer George Wright said Pampas grass was \"very popular\" and he had seen demand increase two or three times at his nursery in West Boldon. He also expressed concern for the area.\n\n\"Once they take the flower heads themselves they take the seeds. Eventually this will become very much a patchy area and they will all start to decline.\n\n\"Pampas grass is becoming more and and more popular at the moment and I think a lot of it is people are starting to extend their houses into the garden so they want something nice in there, and also it's being used for interior decoration in houses.\"\n\nFollow BBC North East & Cumbria on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Prof Chris Whitty said it was a very sad day, as the UK surpassed 100,000 Covid deaths\n\nThe number of daily coronavirus deaths in the UK is likely to come down \"relatively slowly\", England's chief medical officer has warned.\n\nProf Chris Whitty said the UK was going to see \"a lot more deaths\" over the next few weeks before the effects of the vaccination programme were felt.\n\nCurrent restrictions were \"just about holding\" in lowering infection rates, he told a Downing Street briefing.\n\nIt comes as the UK surpassed 100,000 coronavirus deaths on Tuesday.\n\nA further 1,631 deaths within 28 days of a positive test were recorded in the daily figures.\n\nAnd 20,089 coronavirus cases were reported on Tuesday, continuing a downward trend in the number of UK cases seen in recent days.\n\nProf Whitty told a Downing Street news conference the rolling seven-day average for deaths was 1,242 - \"an incredibly high number\" - and unlikely to come down quickly.\n\n\"I think we have to be realistic that the rate of mortality, the number of people dying a day, will come down relatively slowly over the next two weeks - and will probably be flat for a while now.\"\n\nProf Whitty said the number of people testing positive for coronavirus was \"still at a very high number, but it has been coming down\".\n\nBut he cautioned against relaxing restrictions \"too early\", as Office for National Statistics data showed a \"rather slower\" decrease.\n\nThe number of people in hospital with Covid-19 in the UK had \"flattened off\", he said, but was still an \"incredibly high number\" and \"substantially above the peak in April\".\n\nProf Whitty said the new, more transmissible variant discovered in the south east of England at the end of last year had altered the UK's situation \"very substantially\" and had made it \"much harder\" to bring infection levels down.\n\n\"We were worried two weeks ago that the measures we have at the moment were not enough to hold this new variant,\" he told the news conference.\n\n\"I think what the data I showed you at the beginning of the slide sessions shows is that the rates are just about holding with the new variant, with what everybody's doing.\n\n\"It's going to be much harder because of this new variant and I think we have to be realistic about that.\"\n\nSir Simon Stevens, chief executive of NHS England, said that more than a quarter of a million severely ill coronavirus patients have been looked after in hospital since the pandemic started last year.\n\n\"This is not a year that anybody is going to want to remember nor is it a year that across the health service any of us will ever forget,\" he said.\n\nThe daily Covid figures have seen the number of deaths top 100,000. But they also contain some signs of hope.\n\nJust over 20,000 new infections have been reported - down from 22,000 yesterday.\n\nThis compares to an average of 60,000 at the start of the year.\n\nIt is a sharp fall, although Prof Whitty cautions it may actually be a little slower than that.\n\nNot everyone who is infected comes forward for testing and the government surveillance programme which involves random testing of the population suggests the fall has not been quite so great.\n\nNonetheless, it is clear the infection rate is coming down - and that offers hope.\n\nHospital cases have plateaued and should soon start falling. That will eventually lead to a reduction in the number of deaths.\n\nThen, in February, the vaccination programme should start having an impact, leading, hopefully, to a rapid drop in deaths.\n\nPrime Minister Boris Johnson told the briefing the coronavirus infection rate remained \"pretty forbiddingly high\" to ease lockdown restrictions, which have been in place in England since 5 January.\n\nBut he said \"at a certain stage we will want to be getting things open\".\n\nHe added: \"What I will be doing in the course of the next few days and weeks is setting out in more detail, as soon as we can, when and how we want to get things open again.\"\n\nUnder the national lockdown, people in England must stay at home and only go out for limited reasons - including for food shopping, exercise, or work if they cannot do so from home. Similar measures are in place across much of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.\n\nMeanwhile, the epidemiologist whose modelling prompted the UK government to impose the first lockdown has told BBC Radio 4's PM he believes more action in autumn last year could have \"drastically reduced\" the number of lives lost in the second wave - some 60,000.\n\nProf Neil Ferguson said: \"They couldn't have been eliminated, but they could have been drastically reduced by earlier action, unfortunately.\n\n\"How much is difficult to judge, the new variant was unpredictable and did change our understanding of how much was needed to control spread, but we did just let the autumn wave get to far, far too high infection levels.\"\n\nReacting to the UK's death toll, Mr Johnson said he took \"full responsibility\" for the government's actions, but added: \"We truly did everything we could.\"", "The fate of more than 200,000 seafarers who play a crucial role in keeping global trade flowing is being labelled a \"humanitarian crisis at sea\".\n\nMore than 300 firms and organisations are urging for them to be treated as \"key workers\", so they can return home without risking public health.\n\nMore than 90% of global trade - from household goods to medical supplies - is moved by sea.\n\nBut governments have banned crew from coming ashore amid Covid-19 fears.\n\nLarge firms including shipping titan AP Moller-Maersk, oil firms BP and Shell, consumer giant Unilever and mining groups Rio Tinto and Vale, as well as maritime transporters, unions, the World Economic Forum (WEF) and other supply chain partners have signed the Neptune Declaration on Seafarer Wellbeing and Crew Change.\n\nThey are calling for all countries to designate seafarers as key workers and implement crew change protocols.\n\nThe signees of the Neptune Declaration are warning global leaders that ignoring the risk to crews' mental and physical wellbeing threatens global supply chains, which are crucial to vaccinating the world from coronavirus.\n\nThe firms and organisations hope that world leaders, gathering at this year's virtual Davos Forum, will heed their call.\n\n\"Unified, prompt action from governments and other key stakeholders is needed to protect the lives and livelihoods of the 1.6 million seafaring men and women who serve us all across the seas, and who continue to face extreme risk to their safety and earnings,\" said WEF's head of supply chain and transport Margi Van Gogh.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. India coronavirus: The stranded sailor yet to meet his daughter\n\n\"By granting stranded seafarers key worker status, and by prioritising vaccine allocation for transport crew, we can prevent a deepening humanitarian and economic crisis.\"\n\nAccording to latest data from the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) and international ship owners body Bimco, there are 1.6 million seafarers serving on internationally trading merchant ships worldwide.\n\nTypically, ICS estimates around 100,000 seafarers are rotated every month, with 50,000 staff disembarking and 50,000 crew embarking ships to comply with international maritime regulations, governing safe working hours and crew welfare.\n\nSeafarers usually work 10-12 hours shifts, seven days a week to man ships, on four or six-month-long contracts, followed by a period of leave.\n\nBut due to the coronavirus crisis and travel bans brought in by many governments to combat new variants of Covid-19, hundreds of thousands of crew are spending extended periods at sea, far beyond the expiry of their contracts.\n\nFor those who have been at sea for months longer than their contract stipulates, there is a growing risk to their mental and physical wellbeing.\n\n\"Seafarers are the unacceptable collateral damage on the war on Covid-19 and this must stop,\" said ICS secretary general Guy Platten.\n\n\"If we want to maintain global trade seafarers must not be put to the back of the vaccine queue. You can't inject a global population without the shipping industry and most importantly our seafarers. We are calling on the supply chain to take action to support seafarers now.\"", "Changes were made to rape prosecution policy that led to a \"shocking\" fall in offences before courts in England and Wales, the Court of Appeal has heard.\n\nThe End Violence Against Women (EVAW) coalition is challenging what it said was an \"unlawful\" move by the Crown Prosecution Service in 2016-18.\n\nThe CPS said there was no \"substantial change\" in how cases were treated.\n\nAnd it denied the coalition's claim it had been taking on only \"strong cases\" to keep conviction rates up.\n\nAccording to the EVAW, the CPS adopted what is known as the \"bookmaker's approach\" to cases, which saw prosecutors considering what may happen based on past experience of similar cases, rather than its earlier \"merits-based approach\" based on objective assessment of the evidence.\n\nIn documents before the court, Phillippa Kaufmann QC said that from September 2016 prosecutors were \"trained away\" from the former CPS policy, including through a series of roadshows.\n\nIn 2017 legally binding guidance on the old approach was removed, and the CPS introduced a 60% conviction rate target in relation to rape cases.\n\nMs Kauffmann said both the volume of cases and the charging rate fell.\n\nShe cited figures showing an average of 3,446 rape cases were charged per year between 2009 and 2016, compared with 2,822 in 2017, a fall of 23%.\n\nAt the same time the charging rate \"declined precipitously\" from 56% in 2016, to 47% in 2017 and 34% in 2018.\n\nThe court documents note the conviction target was removed at some point between 2017 and 2019, and guidance relating to the \"merits-based approach\" to prosecutions was reintroduced.\n\nThe campaigners are aiming to show there was a policy change and the way the CPS went about it was unlawful.\n\nIf a ruling goes in its favour, the EVAW hopes some cases could be looked at again by the CPS.\n\nLawyers for the CPS argue the case was not suitable for a legal challenge.\n\nIn written submissions, Tom Little QC, says the move away from a \"merits-based approach\" was out of a concern that \"some people were being prosecuted when the case ought not to have been charged\".\n\nHe added the decision to initiate the roadshows and remove the guidance \"did not result in any substantial change in the application of the evidential test in the code for Crown prosecutors\".\n\nIn a statement, the CPS said: \"Independent inspectors have found no evidence of a risk-averse approach and have reported a clear improvement in the quality of our legal decision-making in rape cases.\"\n\nThe judges are expected to give their ruling in the case at a later date.", "Celebrities including comedians Romesh Ranganathan and Meera Syal and cricketer Moeen Ali have made a video urging people to get the Covid vaccine.\n\nThe video was co-ordinated by Citizen Khan creator Adil Ray, who said he wanted to dispel vaccination myths for those from ethnic minority communities.\n\nMayor of London Sadiq Khan and former Conservative Party Chairman Baroness Warsi are among the others taking part.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Adil Ray OBE 💙 This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\n\"We all just feel we needed to do something,\" Ray told the BBC.\n\nFake news about the vaccine, particularly in the South Asian community, has led to concerns about uptake.\n\nRay appears in the five-minute video alongside stars like former Coronation Street actress Shobna Gulati, who tells viewers: \"We will find our way through this. And we will be united once again with our friends and our families. All we have to do is take the vaccination.\"\n\nSomali-born British journalist Rageh Omaar and his ITV colleague Ranvir Singh join comedians like Sanjeev Bhaskar, Asim Chaudhry and Ranganathan to debunk common vaccine misinformation and misconceptions.\n\nRanganathan says: \"There's no chip or tracker in the vaccine to keep watching where you go. Your mobile phone actually does a much better job of that.\"\n\nAfter posting the video, Ray told BBC Radio Leicester: \"For the British Asian and black communities, at the very beginning of the pandemic we were told they were perhaps the most vulnerable, that there was a disproportionate number of cases and even deaths.\n\n\"Even now there are a disproportionate number of deaths. But nothing was really done about it and that was really quite confusing for a lot of the community. So we felt that we've got to try and take the lead a little bit here and dispel some of these myths.\"\n\nHe added: \"This was recorded entirely independently from the government - the only thing we did do was we went to the NHS website for the correct medical guidance.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nWith the UK aiming to offer Covid vaccinations to every adult by autumn, vaccine minister Nadhim Zahawi said confidence in the vaccines was high in the UK, with 85% saying they would accept the jab.\n\nBut he said that those who were hesitant \"skew heavily\" towards black, Asian and minority ethnic communities.\n\nThe UK is recording the ethnicity and occupations of people who receive the vaccine and figures would be published soon, Mr Zahawi added.\n\nLast month, a poll commissioned by the Royal Society of Public Health suggested 57% of black, Asian and minority ethnic people would be happy to have the coronavirus vaccine, compared with 79% of white people.\n\nDr Harpreet Sood, who is leading an NHS anti-disinformation drive, recently said fake news was likely to be causing some people from the UK's South Asian communities to reject the vaccine.\n\nSuch warnings have led the Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board to urge places of worship and community hubs to be used as vaccination centres in an attempt to inspire confidence.\n\nThe board's chairman, Imam Qari Asim, said: \"As an imam, my message is simple - do not trust 'fake news', verify before you amplify.\"\n\nThe Al Abbas Mosque in Birmingham is being used as a Covid vaccination centre\n\nMany mosques are using their Friday sermons to urge people to have the jab, while some imams are sharing photos of themselves getting the jab on social media.\n\nMeanwhile, the government has announced £23m funding for a network of \"community champions\" to spread accurate information and provide support for people in at-risk groups including older people, disabled people and ethnic minorities.\n\nOn Monday, Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick visited the UK's first vaccination centre to be opened in a mosque, at Al-Abbas Islamic Centre in Birmingham.\n\n\"It is absolutely brilliant to see faith communities like this stepping up and playing their part in the vaccine programme,\" Mr Jenrick said.\n\n\"We have to build trust, ensure that we counter misinformation and ensure that everyone, regardless of their faith, regardless of what community they're from, gets access to the programme.\"\n\nFollow us on Facebook or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "The police officers were on duty when they had their hair cut, the Met says\n\nThirty-one Met Police officers who broke coronavirus rules to get haircuts are facing £200 fines.\n\nTwo officers who hired a barber to give the cuts to staff at Bethnal Green Police Station, on 17 January, are also facing misconduct investigations, the Met said.\n\nUnder current lockdown restrictions in England, barbers and hairdressers are not allowed to work.\n\nDet Ch Supt Marcus Barnett said he was \"deeply disappointed\" in the officers.\n\n\"Although officers donated money to charity as part of the haircut, this does not excuse them from what was a very poor decision,\" he said. \"I expect a lot more of them.\n\n\"Quite rightly, the public expect police to be role models in following the regulations, which are designed to prevent the spread of this deadly virus.\"\n\nThe investigation comes after fines were handed out to nine officers who were caught eating breakfast together in a Greenwich café.\n\nAll those officers were issued with a £200 fixed penalty notice.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "At least 80 people had to leave their homes in the village after flooding\n\nPeople whose homes were flooded after a \"blow out\" at a mine shaft are said to be \"devastated\" as they face months before they can return home.\n\nSteve Morris said his son Gareth and his girlfriend's home in Skewen, Neath Port Talbot, was inundated by \"orange\" flood water containing sewage.\n\nBut some will be allowed back to their properties on Tuesday.\n\nResidents of Goshen Park and Sunnyland Crescent who have yet to contact Neath Port Talbot council are urged to do so in the next 24 hours.\n\nThe council said access to these properties would continue to be affected beyond 26 January and the Coal Authority wished to have early discussions with them.\n\nMr Morris told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast that his son called him on Thursday to say his house was about to be flooded.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Teresa Dalling says a river of orange water rushed through the village on Thursday\n\n\"I live about half a mile away... and by the time I got to his address I could see the water levels were rising rapidly up the road,\" he explained.\n\n\"Then it was so quick - the water came through his rear patio doors firstly, then the gardens and then the drains couldn't cope on the main road and came through the front door, then the side door.\n\n\"His ground floor was four feet under water, and it was this orange coloured water. There was sewage in the house, so his ground floor needs totally gutting.\"\n\nMr Morris said Gareth and his girlfriend are staying in a hotel as they wait to be allowed back to assess the damage.\n\nHe hopes their insurance firm will pay to rent a home for them, adding: \"I can honestly see them being out of their house for between six and 10 months.\n\n\"They are obviously devastated - they have only been in there for 12 months so everything was near enough brand new.\"\n\nCerys Thomas was at her mother's house with her son, in Goshen Park, when she saw water coming through the front door.\n\nThe stairs at the home of Cerys Thomas' parents were left caked in mud\n\nShe said: \"I said to my mother to get my son and herself out and up toward the street. I phoned the police then, because I could see it was going to be an emergency, and within minutes my parents' conservatory doors just blew through.\n\n\"The pressure of the water just blew through the house and the water, within minutes, was up to my waist.\n\n\"Trying to get out of the house was very scary because the pressure of the front door was getting pushed back.\"\n\nShe said the street was under water \"within seven minutes\".\n\n\"It was something you would see in a movie,\" she said.\n\nWithin minutes of water entering the house Ms Thomas was up to her waist in water\n\nMeanwhile, the Coal Authority said it has identified the cause of the \"blow out\".\n\nChief executive Lisa Pinney told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast: \"Firstly, I just want to say our thoughts are with everyone affected by this flooding and we are genuinely sorry people have been affected in this way.\n\n\"What we know so far is the blow out was caused by a blockage underground which caused water to break out, basically to find the easiest path, and there's no doubt the excessive rainfall in the days before was also a factor in that.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nMs Pinney said crews had been able to find the site of the collapsed mineshaft which had caused the flooding, and the authority had started to \"develop options\".\n\n\"We really understand people want to get back into their homes, they want to collect things, they want to know what the next steps are,\" she continued.\n\n\"We are working as fast as possible to make that happen and we hope to be able to provide some more information in the next day or so, but you will understand that we have to be sure for public safety.\"\n\nMs Pinney said there are almost 300 mine shafts or entries across the Skewen mine works, which covers an area of about 12 sq km (7.6 sq miles).\n\nShe added: \"We have checked all recorded shafts in the immediate area and we are doing continued checks over the coming days. We have found no problems. They are all safe.\"", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Nadhim Zahawi: \"We have 367m vaccines from seven different manufacturers that we have contracted with\"\n\nSupplies of vaccines are \"tight\" but the UK believes it will receive enough doses to meet its targets, the vaccine minister has said.\n\nNadhim Zahawi told BBC Breakfast manufacturers were \"confident\" they would deliver for the UK amid warnings of production delays.\n\nIt comes as the EU said it might tighten vaccine export controls.\n\nCountries should avoid \"vaccine nationalism\" and ensure a fair global supply, Mr Zahawi said.\n\nMeanwhile, more than 100,000 people have died with Covid-19 in the UK, after 1,631 deaths within 28 days of a positive test were recorded in the daily figures.\n\nMr Zahawi said the vaccination programme was still on track to deliver a first dose to 15 million of the most vulnerable by mid-February and to offer all adults their first dose by autumn.\n\nHe said the UK had supplies of the Oxford vaccine manufactured domestically by AstraZeneca as well as the Pfizer one, which is made in Belgium.\n\nThe government is also planning to publish figures on the take-up of the vaccine by ethnicity from Thursday, following concerns that some black, Asian and ethnic minority communities were more hesitant to get the jab.\n\n\"I'm confident we will meet our mid-February target and continue beyond that,\" Mr Zahawi told the BBC.\n\n\"Supplies are tight, they continue to be, these are new manufacturing processes,\" he added. \"It's lumpy and bumpy, it gets better and stabilises and improves going forward.\"\n\nBut he declined to say that he had received guarantees about the number of doses the UK would receive from Pfizer or other manufacturers and refused to confirm how many doses had already arrived.\n\nThe prime minister's spokesman said AstraZeneca had committed to delivering two million doses a week to the UK, and the government was not expecting any changes to that supply.\n\nDowning Street also rejected German media reports claiming a very low efficacy rate for the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine among older people, saying they had been denied by Oxford University, AstraZeneca and the German health ministry.\n\nChief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance told the cabinet the trials showed similar immune responses in younger and older adults.\n\nAnd England's chief medical adviser, Prof Chris Whitty, has defended the UK's strategy of extending the time between first and second doses of coronavirus vaccines from three to 12 weeks in order to immunise more people.\n\nHe told the Downing Street coronavirus briefing on Tuesday that the \"great majority\" of protection came from the first dose.\n\nHe also said there was \"no evidence\" that immunity waned between three and 12 weeks after the first dose was administered.\n\nProf Whitty said: \"We thought very carefully about what the balance of this is, but the balance of risk in terms of reducing the number of deaths in the community - and I really want to stress that, that is the aim of this - is to maximise the number of people who get that first dose, where the great majority of protection comes from.\"\n\nThe latest tension over supply of the Covid vaccine is another illustration of just how fragile this issue is.\n\nThere are huge global demands for Covid vaccine, limited raw materials and constraints on manufacturing.\n\nThe UK already has enough vaccine to jab all the highest-risk groups by mid-February, although not all of it has been packaged up or been through the final safety checks.\n\nThis explains why ministers are confident about the immediate target for the over-70s, health and care workers and the extremely clinically vulnerable.\n\nBut what is in doubt is how quickly the UK can vaccinate in the medium term.\n\nWith the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine manufactured in the UK those supply routes are more guaranteed.\n\nBut the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is made in Belgium. The UK, like the rest of Europe, is affected by the problems with manufacturing that are being experienced with that vaccine.\n\nWith Europe experiencing major problems rolling out its vaccination programme - per head of population five times fewer vaccines have been delivered - this is a story that is going to rumble on for months.\n\nThe UK has placed orders for 367 million doses of vaccines from seven manufacturers, Mr Zahawi said. \"As vaccines come along we will get more volume, millions more in the weeks and months to come,\" he added.\n\nThe tension over vaccine supplies increased after UK-based AstraZeneca warned the EU it would have to reduce planned deliveries because of production problems. Pfizer-BioNTech has also said supplies will be temporarily lower as it works to increase capacity at its Belgian factory.\n\nIt has prompted the EU to accuse AstraZeneca of failing to meet its commitments and to warn that it might require all companies producing Covid vaccines to provide \"early notification\" whenever they planned to export supplies out of the EU.\n\n\"The thing to do now is not to go down the dead end of vaccine nationalism. It's to work together to protect our people,\" Mr Zahawi said.\n\n\"No-one is safe until the whole world is safe.\"\n\nHealth Secretary Matt Hancock subsequently said the UK government \"oppose protectionism in all its forms\" and urged all international partners to \"be collaborative\" and \"work closely together\" on vaccine distribution.\n\nHe added that the EU's warning that it could restrict exports of vaccines made in the bloc was \"unfortunate and especially so in the midst of a pandemic\".\n\nMeanwhile, the head of NHS England earlier told MPs coronavirus could become a \"much more treatable disease\" over the next six to 18 months, with the hope of a return to a \"much more normal future\".\n\nSir Simon Stevens told the Health and Social Care Committee: \"The first half of the year, vaccination is going to be crucial.\n\n\"I think a lot of us in the health service are increasingly hopeful that in the second half of the year and beyond we will also see more therapeutics and more treatments for coronavirus.\"\n\nHe also said it \"would be great\" if the Covid vaccine and flu vaccine were combined into a single jab, if not for next winter then future ones.\n\nAnd he said vaccines were being used as fast as they arrived in the NHS, with more than half of those aged 75-79 having now had their first dose.\n\nThe UK aims to offer Covid vaccination to every adult by autumn.\n\nMr Zahawi said confidence in the vaccines was high, with 85% of people saying they would accept the jab.\n\nBut he said those who were hesitant \"skew heavily\" towards black, Asian and minority ethnic communities.\n\nThe government is providing £23m of funding to 60 local councils and voluntary groups to boost vaccine take-up among groups such as older people, disabled people, and people from ethnic minority backgrounds.\n\nIt comes as celebrities such as comedians Romesh Ranganathan and Meera Syal and cricketer Moeen Ali appeared in a video urging people in their communities to get vaccinated.\n\nMr Zahawi told ITV's Good Morning Britain his uncle had died from Covid-19 last week. He had been eligible for vaccination but caught the virus before he could receive it, the minister said.\n\nThis \"grim and horrible\" experience made him determined to ensure that the most vulnerable were protected as quickly as possible, Mr Zahawi said.\n\nSir Simon said there was concern about vaccine hesitancy in some groups, where there were access problems as well as \"systematic attempts to misinform and lie about the vaccine programme targeted particularly at minority populations, and - in some cases - long-standing mistrust of public services\".\n\nHe said disruption to vaccine deliveries from EU export restrictions was not thought to be likely.\n\nIn other developments, the UK has offered to carry out genomic sequencing for other countries around the world to help identify further new variants.\n\nPublic Health England said it would give \"crucial early warning\" of any mutations that might cause the virus to spread faster, make people more ill or possibly reduce the effectiveness of vaccines.", "Transfer tests normally used by grammar schools have been cancelled this year\n\nOne of NI's most prominent grammar schools has said it will use primary school test scores to decide which pupils to admit in 2021.\n\nRoyal Belfast Academical Institution said it would \"adopt other academic criteria for admission to the school\".\n\nThat is despite the vast majority of grammar schools not planning to use academic criteria this year.\n\nThe tests run by the AQE and the Post-Primary Transfer Consortium (PPTC) were cancelled in early 2021.\n\nAs a result, grammar schools - which are attended by about 45% of post-primary pupils in Northern Ireland - are drawing up new criteria for how they will select pupils in 2021.\n\nBanbridge Academy, Bangor Grammar, Belfast Royal Academy and Regent House are among those to have published their admissions criteria for 2021.\n\nNone of those schools are using academic criteria, but pupils applying will have to have entered the AQE transfer test.\n\nSome other grammars like Thornhill College and St Columb's College in Londonderry, which decided in 2020 not to use the PPTC transfer test in 2021, have also published admissions criteria.\n\nIn a statement to BBC News NI, Royal Belfast Academical Institution (RBAI) said it was \"committed to the principle that a child should be placed in a school which offers a curriculum best suited to the aptitudes of that child\".\n\n\"For this reason RBAI believes that the use of academic criteria for admission to grammar schools is the outworking of that principle,\" the school said.\n\n\"Accordingly, in the absence of AQE and PPTC tests for admissions, RBAI will adopt other academic criteria for admission to the school.\"\n\nRBAI said scores in practice AQE or PPTC transfer tests will be taken into account\n\nThe school is planning to use standardised scores in the Progress Test in English (PTE) and Progress Test in Maths (PTM) which pupils sat in Primary Five to decide which pupils to admit.\n\nRBAI said that school year was \"the most recent one which has not been interrupted\".\n\nPupils scores in practice AQE or PPTC transfer tests taken under supervision by a teacher will also be taken into account.\n\n\"RBAI is satisfied that this is a reasonable and robust way of selecting pupils based on academic aptitude in the absence of a bespoke test,\" the school said.\n\nRBAI normally admits 150 pupils each year, but received 227 applications for places in 2020.\n\nThe admissions criteria for all post-primary schools will be published on the Education Authority (EA) website on 2 February.\n\nThe UUP assembly member Robbie Butler had proposed that pupils' results in tests in primary schools could be given to parents and then used by grammar schools to decide which children get a place.\n\nBut Education Minister Peter Weir had said there would be \"major problems\" with that approach.", "In March 2020, we were told it would be a ‘’good outcome’’ if coronavirus killed 20,000 people across the UK.\n\nNow the bleakest milestone has been reached: 100,000 deaths.\n\nIn a statement, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said \"behind these heart-breaking figures are friends, families and neighbours. The vaccine offers us the way out, but we cannot let up now and we sadly still face a tough period ahead. The virus is still spreading and we're seeing over 3,500 people per day being admitted into hospital.\"\n\nHealth correspondent Catherine Burns looks at the past year of the UK’s epidemic and hears from families who have lost loved ones.\n\nFilmed and edited by Julius Peacock. Additional filming by Emily Brooks", "The UK government should cancel the debt owed by developing countries struggling with the impact of Covid-19, MPs have said.\n\nThe International Development Committee warned that the pandemic was fuelling extreme poverty and food insecurity.\n\nIt was also disrupting routine healthcare, such as tuberculosis immunisations, it added.\n\nThe Foreign Office said it was spending £1.3bn to protect livelihoods, improve health systems and distribute vaccines.\n\nMore than two million people around the world have died after contracting coronavirus, with almost 100 million cases reported.\n\nAppearing before the Commons International Development Committee, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said he wanted the UK to be a \"force for good in the world\" as it fought the pandemic.\n\nHe defended the government's decision to cut overseas aid spending next year, saying there were \"no easy choices\" given the hit to the public finances from the pandemic.\n\nThe cuts mean the UK will fail to meet the UN target of spending 0.7% of national income on overseas aid in 2021-2, a target that was enshrined into UK law in 2015.\n\nMr Raab said he hoped the UK would be able to reach 0.7% again as \"soon as possible\" but this would only happen once the long-term damage to the UK's balance sheet had been \"corrected\".\n\nLabour said the government was \"betraying the world's poorest.\"\n\nShadow international development secretary Preet Kaur Gill said: \"This move signals a retreat from the world stage, damages the UK's reputation and will only show our allies and detractors that Britain under Boris Johnson is no longer interested in fulfilling our moral or legal responsibilities.\n\n\"Labour are committed to spending 0.7% of Gross National Income on aid to tackle global poverty and injustice and will oppose any attempt from this government to damage this country's reputation.\"\n\nMr Raab said he took seriously warnings from Conservative MPs and ex-ministers that to press ahead with the cuts without passing new legislation would be unlawful.\n\nFormer Solicitor General Lord Garnier said earlier on Tuesday that Mr Raab's \"reputation\" and the government's domestic and international standing would be damaged if it was seen to \"flout a clear legal obligation\".\n\nIn tough financial times, Mr Raab said the UK needed to \"make the most\" of its £10bn spending, avoiding \"salami-slicing\" budgets and focusing on a handful of priorities such as climate, biodiversity, conflict prevention and helping the \"bottom billions\" out of extreme poverty.\n\n\"I think we should unabashedly be proud and confident about the moral responsibility we have to make the world a better place,\" he said.\n\n\"At the same time, I see a range of grittier strategic interests in dealing with climate change and humanitarian suffering and indeed trade.\"\n\nThe Foreign Office took over responsibility for overseas aid in September after absorbing the Department for International Development.\n\nOn debt cancellation, the committee said that, due to disruption caused by the pandemic, millions of people in developing countries were more at risk from diseases such as tuberculosis because of missed immunisations.\n\nMillions were more likely to lose their livelihoods because of the global recession and millions of women were more exposed to sexual violence.\n\nThe MPs want the government to provide more aid to address the problems and cancel long-term national debt that was diverting cash away from those in need.\n\nA Foreign Office spokesperson said: \"We'll only be safe from coronavirus when we're all safe - which is why the UK is leading global efforts to fight this pandemic, committing up to £1.3bn of new UK aid to find and equitably distribute a vaccine, strengthen health systems, protect livelihoods and support the global economy.\"\n\nThey added that the UK would use its 2021 presidency of the G7 group of leading economies \"to help the world build back stronger and fairer after the pandemic\".\n\nThis would include \"promoting open societies, championing gender equality and girls' education, and setting out new international approaches to global health security and climate action\", the spokesperson said.\n\nThe UK has announced it will step up its efforts to help other countries, including some of the poorest in the world, to find new variants of Covid-19.\n\nIn a speech in London, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the UK would share its world-leading genomics expertise worldwide to help countries identify new mutations of the virus and protect global health security.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Dutch police have described it as the worst unrest in four decades\n\nMore than 180 people were arrested in 10 Dutch cities as protesters defying a curfew clashed with riot police for a third night running.\n\nShops in Rotterdam were looted and police used water cannon, as rioters resisted latest Covid restrictions.\n\nPrime Minister Mark Rutte condemned \"criminal violence\" and the justice minister said the curfew would remain.\n\nThe Dutch chief of police said the riots no longer had \"anything to do with the basic right to demonstrate\".\n\nThe Netherlands has had nearly one million confirmed Covid cases since the start of the outbreak, with more than 13,500 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University in the US, which is tracking the pandemic.\n\nThe government recently introduced a night-time curfew which runs from 21:00 (20:00 GMT) to 04:30. Anyone caught violating it faces a €95 (£84) fine.\n\nThere were further violent scenes in many towns and cities. Riot police clashed with protesters in Rotterdam and Amsterdam, as well as Amersfoort, Den Bosch, Alphen and Helmond.\n\nSome of the worst disturbances were in the south of Rotterdam where police said 10 officers were hurt. Across the country 184 people were arrested. Amsterdam's mayor appealed to parents to keep young people indoors.\n\nSeveral cities have vowed to introduce emergency measures in an effort to prevent more disturbances\n\nThe windows of some shops were smashed in Rotterdam\n\nFires were lit on the streets of The Hague, where police on bicycles attempted to move small clusters of men who threw stones and fireworks. There was violence in the southern city of Den Bosch, where rioters set off fireworks, broke windows, looted a supermarket and overturned cars.\n\nA woman living near Den Bosch train station told Dutch radio that masked youths had left a trail of destruction in the city centre. \"I saw windows smashed and fireworks going off. Really crazy, just like a war zone,\" the woman said. Roads into the city were closed to stop people joining the rioters and Mayor Jack Mikkers imposed an emergency order banning gatherings on Tuesday.\n\nThe ignition of discontent has rocked the core of Dutch society.\n\nIn the absence of any legitimate way to socialise, is this simply an outlet for young men to feel part of something, their masks concealing their identities and enabling them to violently channel their frustrations?\n\nThere are more sinister influences at play. Messages on social media, overt and covert, have whipped up anger. Misinformation has even been spread by some politicians.\n\nSome of the worst violence was in Rotterdam\n\nSome feared a curfew would be a tipping point, as Dutch restrictions tighten while some neighbouring countries relax their rules. The vast majority of people in the Netherlands are peacefully observing the curfew.\n\nThe unrest was initially seen as a response to the first \"stay-at-home\" order imposed since Nazi occupation during World War Two. That notion has been dismissed by Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who said the rioters were simply criminals and would be treated as such.\n\nBut there are simmering anxieties in Dutch towns and cities, and with less than two months before a general election, voters are vulnerable and the streets volatile.\n\nThere has been widespread shock at the violence. In Rotterdam, where police used water cannon during clashes with rioters, Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb signed an emergency decree, giving police broader powers of arrest. He reacted furiously to shops being looted in the south of the city, condemning \"shameless thieves, I can't call it anything else\".\n\nThe prime minister said the police had the government's full support: \"The riots have nothing to do with protesting or fighting for freedom.\"\n\nRotterdam shop-owner Emrah Köker said he had no words for what he had seen. \"How can this happen in the Netherlands?\" he asked Dutch daily newspaper Algemeen Dagblad. Justice Minister Ferd Grapperhuis challenged anyone to explain what looting a shop had to do with coronavirus.\n\nThe mayor of Den Bosch said police had struggled to respond to the violence because they were needed in other nearby towns.\n\nFootball fans of the Willem II club took to the streets of Tilburg to \"protect their city\" against rioters, news site Brabants Dagblad reports.\n\nMayors in several cities have vowed to introduce emergency measures in an effort to prevent more disturbances.\n\nThe Dutch prime minister has condemned the violence\n\nThere has been widespread shock in the Netherlands over the violence", "The greys were introduced to Britain from North America in the 19th Century\n\nThe UK government has given its support to a project to use oral contraceptives to control grey squirrel populations.\n\nEnvironment minister Lord Goldsmith says the damage they and other invasive species do to the UK's woodlands costs the UK economy £1.8 billion a year.\n\nThe bizarre-sounding plan is to lure grey squirrels into feeding boxes only they can access with little pots containing hazelnut spread.\n\nThese would be spiked with an oral contraceptive.\n\nLord Goldsmith says the damage from squirrels also threatens the effectiveness of government efforts to tackle climate change by planting tens of thousands of acres of new woodlands.\n\nOn Tuesday, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) told BBC News: \"We hope advances in science can safely help our nature to thrive, including through the humane control of invasive species.\"\n\nA partnership of conservation and forestry organisations called the UK Squirrel Accord (UKSA) is behind the proposal.\n\nIt says grey squirrels, which were first introduced from North America in the late 19th century, cause huge damage to woodlands by stripping bark from trees aged between 10-50 years, the younger trees in a forest.\n\nThey particularly target broad-leafed varieties including oak, which are particularly ecologically important because they support so many other species.\n\nIt is estimated the UK is home to some three million of these invasive rodents.\n\nRed squirrels are now confined mainly to Scotland and Ireland\n\nThey have displaced the native red squirrel across most of the UK.\n\nLord Goldsmith says the government supports the plan as well as a longer-term effort to breed infertility into female grey squirrels to reduce their numbers.\n\nInvasive non-native species such as grey squirrels threaten our native biodiversity, he argues.\n\nWhen regulating grey squirrels with oral contraceptive was first proposed in 2017, the government's Animal and Plant Health Agency said it thought it could reduce their numbers by as much as 90%.\n\nThe project also has royal approval.\n\nPrince Charles was instrumental in founding the UK Squirrel Accord with the objective of \"managing the negative impacts of invasive grey squirrels in the UK\".\n\nHe has written of the importance of protecting Britain's remaining red squirrels.\n\n\"These charming and intelligent creatures never fail to delight\", he wrote last week in his capacity as patron of the Red Squirrel Survival Trust, describing red squirrels as the \"symbol and benchmark\" of healthy woods.\n\nJason Gilchrist, an ecologist from Edinburgh Napier University, has written in defence of the grey squirrel but he says he supports the oral contraceptive plan.\n\nHe acknowledges there is a need to manage grey squirrel populations.\n\n\"It is better than the alternative: a shotgun\", he told BBC News.\n\nIt is the same argument the UKSA makes: dosing the animals with contraceptives provides a humane alternative to culling them.\n\nLast week, the Royal Forestry Society, a member of the Squirrel Accord, called for just such a cull.\n\nSimon Lloyd, its chief executive, says efforts to tackle global warming and improve biodiversity will be undermined unless grey squirrel numbers can be reduced.\n\nNew trees will not survive to \"deliver the carbon capture or biodiversity objectives if grey squirrels cannot be controlled\", he told the Daily Telegraph.\n\nThe UKSA has been experimenting with ways to deliver oral contraceptives to squirrels for more than three years now.\n\nLast year, it tested special feeding stations designed so only grey squirrels can gain access in woodland in East Yorkshire.\n\nInstead of contraceptives, the hazelnut paste bait was dosed with a dye that, when ingested, causes squirrel hair to fluoresce under UV light.\n\nThe researchers found that more than 90% of the grey squirrel population being studied visited the traps.\n\nThey concluded that it was possible to deliver repeat doses of a contraceptive to the majority of grey squirrels in a wood.", "More than 100,000 people in the UK have died from a virus, that, this time last year, felt like a far-off foreign threat. How did we come to be one of the countries with the worst death tolls?\n\nThere is no quick answer to that question, and there is sure to be a long and detailed public inquiry once the pandemic is over. But there are plenty of clues that, when pieced together, help build a picture of why the UK has reached this devastating number.\n\nSome will point a finger at the government - its decision to lock-down later than much of western Europe, the stuttering start to its test-and-trace network and the lack of protection afforded to care home residents.\n\nOthers will spotlight deeper rooted problems with British society - its poor state of public health, with high levels of obesity, for example.\n\nOthers, still, will note that some of the UK's great strengths - its position as a vibrant hub for international air travel, its ethnically diverse and densely-packed urban populations - exposed its vulnerability to a virus that spreads effortlessly between people.\n\nIn some people's eyes, the UK's island status might have helped it. New Zealand, Australia and Taiwan managed to stop the virus getting a foothold and deaths have been kept to a minimum - Australia has seen fewer deaths throughout the pandemic than the UK is recording every day on average.\n\nAll introduced strict border restrictions immediately and lockdowns to contain the virus before it had spread. The UK did not. It was not until June that quarantine rules were introduced for all arrivals and even then travel corridors were soon set up, relaxing the rules for travellers from certain countries. Only this month were these scrapped.\n\nProf Devi Sridhar, an expert in public health from Edinburgh University, is one of those who has been critical of the approach the UK has taken from the start.\n\nShe says the UK, like much of Europe, was \"complacent\" about the threat of infectious disease - choosing to treat the new coronavirus \"like flu\" and allowing it to spread, while talking about the desire to achieve herd immunity.\n\nThis all changed in late March, when a full lockdown eventually came. But there was a crucial delay of a week which is estimated to have cost more than 20,000 lives, according to government modeller Prof Neil Ferguson, because of how quickly infection rates were doubling at that point.\n\nThis, of course, is said with the benefit of hindsight. Government modellers themselves acknowledge the data was \"really quite poor\" making it difficult to make a decision that would have significant repercussions. It is a point acknowledged by Prof Chris Whitty, the UK's chief medical adviser. Speaking in the summer he said there had been \"very limited information\" in early March.\n\nBy then, the virus was ripping through care homes. Around 30% of deaths in the first wave happened in care homes; 40% if you include care home residents who died in hospital.\n\nThose at the heart of government acknowledge mistakes were made. UK chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance said recently: \"The lesson is go earlier than you think you want to, go harder than you think you want to, and go a bit broader than you think you want to in terms of applying the restrictions.\"\n\nBy May, restrictions were beginning to be eased. But was this too soon?\n\nThe government seized on the relative lull to focus on building what the prime minister promised would be a \"world-beating\" test-and-trace system. The idea was that new outbreaks could be nipped in the bud, with comprehensive tracking by a centralised team of tracers.\n\nThe mere fact this had to be done some months after the virus had struck, illustrates another factor behind the high number of deaths - the UK was simply not prepared for a pandemic of this nature in the way some Asian nations had been. Countries such as South Korea and Taiwan had established test-and-trace systems in place that were ready to be activated.\n\nThe UK had a chance to bed in its system in the summer but it was riven with teething problems, with tracers struggling to reach many contacts and the testing capacity slowing down as demand rose.\n\nLow levels of infection over the summer had created a false sense of security.\n\nDesperate to boost the economy, the government launched the Eat Out to Help Out scheme, offering people discounted meals out during August. To what extent it contributed to the rise in the autumn is much argued about but certainly some doctors blame it in part for an increase in patients seen.\n\nThe truth is the virus never went away. Testing in the summer showed even at the lowest levels there were still around 500 cases a day being diagnosed - and random testing in the population subsequently showed the true level may have been twice that.\n\nIn late August around 1,000 people a day were testing positive. By mid-September that had trebled and from there it rose five-fold to 15,000 by mid October. The numbers testing positive have never returned below 10,000 a day on average since.\n\nAnother decision that has been heavily criticised was the refusal of ministers to introduce a short two-week lockdown, or \"circuit breaker\", in September - despite their advisers on Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) recommending such a step. The argument was it would have set the spread of the virus back by at least a month, giving test and trace time to regroup.\n\nWales, however, did introduce its own \"fire-breaker\" - a 17-day lockdown in October. It got infection rates down, but as soon as it was lifted they rebounded. This is, of course, why lockdowns have been criticised.\n\nEdinburgh University infectious diseases expert Prof Mark Woolhouse, one of the modellers who feeds data into Sage, is on the record in the autumn questioning the logic of them for this very reason. It remains up for debate how effective a circuit-breaker would actually have been.\n\nThis after all is the time of year when respiratory illnesses start to increase. Schools had returned as had university students, creating new environments for the novel coronavirus to spread.\n\nWhen a lockdown was eventually introduced in England in November it was to last four weeks, with Sage members lamenting the delay. \"The absence of a decision is a decision in itself,\" says Wellcome Trust director Sir Jeremy Farrar.\n\nBut even before that lockdown was lifted cases had started going up in the south-east of England. Within weeks it became clear what was happening. The virus had mutated and a new faster-spreading variant was on the rise.\n\nBy mid-December the clamour for lockdown was growing again, but the plan for a Christmas relaxation of restrictions had already been announced. In every nation of the UK, ministers waited.\n\nAt the start of 2021, with hospital admissions rising rapidly, the UK's four chief medical officers intervened, issuing a joint statement warning the NHS was at \"material risk\" of being overwhelmed. Within hours the UK was back in lockdown.\n\nWhat has struck some is just how similar the mistakes have been in terms of locking down late.\n\n\"It will take years to unpick why Covid has gone so badly in the UK,\" says University College London infectious diseases expert Dr Neil Stone. \"But the failure to learn from wave one stands out.\"\n\nBut it must also be recognised that there are factors outside the control of the government - certainly in terms of its pandemic response - that have contributed to the high number of deaths.\n\nOne of the reasons the virus was able to take a hold and spread so quickly was because of geography and the fact the UK - and London in particular - is a global hub. Genetic analysis has shown the virus was brought into the UK on at least 1,300 separate occasions, mainly from France, Spain and Italy, by the end of March.\n\nIt was here before we knew it. That's not something Australia or New Zealand had to deal with on such a scale.\n\nDensity of population is also a factor. The UK is among the 10 most densely populated big nations - those with populations of more than 20 million. What is more, our cities are more inter-connected than they are in many places.\n\nIt meant the virus was able to seed everywhere quite quickly. Contrast this with Italy which saw the vast majority of cases in the north of the country in the first wave.\n\nThe ageing population also needs to be taken into account. Once you do this, and adjust for the size of the population - known as age-standardised mortality - deaths have risen, but not by as much as some of the headline figures suggest.\n\nThe health of the nation has also been a factor. The UK has one of the highest rates of obesity in the world. And obesity increases the risk of hospitalisation and death, according to Public Health England. One study found the risk of death was almost double for those who are severely obese.\n\nConditions such as diabetes, kidney disease and respiratory problems also increase the risk - a fifth of Covid deaths have listed diabetes on the death certificate.\n\nAgain the UK has relatively high rates of these illnesses.\n\nBut many have argued that these high levels of ill-health have been compounded by the levels of inequality in the UK.\n\nLevels of ill health and life expectancy have always been worst in the poorest areas, but the pandemic certainly seems to have exacerbated this.\n\nOffice for National Statistics data shows mortality rates have been twice as high in deprived areas as they have been in wealthy areas. The Health Foundation is carrying out its own inquiry into the issue, arguing the Covid death toll needs to be seen through the \"lens\" of inequality to fully understand it.\n\nIt is something that has also been raised by Prof Michael Marmot, one of the country's leading experts on health inequalities. \"The UK's dismal record is telling us something important about our society.\"\n\nIf you, or someone you know, have been affected by bereavement, here is a list of organisations that may be able to help.", "A senior judge prevented the BBC from properly reporting a £2.6m legal claim against Scotland's child abuse inquiry, a court has been told.\n\nThe Court of Session heard how Lady Smith, chairwoman of the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry (SCAI), faced an employment tribunal claim in 2019.\n\nLady Smith passed orders which stopped detail of the action being reported.\n\nThe top judge denied any wrongdoing in regard to the claim that was later abandoned.\n\nThe employment tribunal case alleging discrimination, harassment and victimisation was from a former senior member of the inquiry legal team.\n\nBBC Scotland has raised a judicial review of the SCAI restriction orders, arguing they were beyond the powers of Lady Smith and her involvement in the case meant any restriction decision should have been made by the employment tribunal.\n\nBut Roddy Dunlop QC, advocate for the SCAI, told the Court of Session the corporation's case was academic as the original restriction order had been overtaken by another order.\n\nMr Dunlop also argued the BBC had not spelled out to the SCAI what detail it wanted to publish in relation to the tribunal.\n\nKenneth McBrearty QC, acting for the broadcaster, told the court the purpose of the original restriction order was, \"not merely to prohibit disclosure or publication of the documents. It was to prohibit disclosure or publication of the very existence of the proceedings\".\n\nHe said: \"It is in effect what is equivalent to what in England has been described as a super injunction. That is what in effect it amounts to because it prohibits even the disclosure of the proceedings.\n\n\"The importance of this case lies with the way the Restriction Order impinged on the open justice principle. If there was a need for an order restricting the disclosure of any material, that is an order to be sought from the employment judge.\"\n\nThe case before Lord Boyd is being heard at the Court of Session\n\nThe Court of Session heard the employment tribunal claim for £2.6m damages was brought in July, 2019, by the inquiry's former lead junior counsel, John Halley.\n\nA news release, issued by SCAI in October 2019, confirmed existence of the claim and a denial that Lady Smith had discriminated against Mr Halley. An initial hearing took place that month and Mr Halley abandoned the tribunal two months later.\n\nBut Mr McBrearty QC said the SCAI press release did not include the full outline of the claim\n\nHe said: \"All that the media was to be entitled to publish was that which the respondent had considered able to include in a press release in circumstances to which the respondent was herself party in the proceedings.\"\n\nThe BBC is seeking declarators from the Court of Session stating that Lady Smith's restriction orders were unlawful.\n\nRoddy Dunlop QC said the BBC had the option to present to Lady Smith what it wanted to report on in the case, as per the detail of the media restriction order, and then get her permission to publish but failed to do so.\n\nHe said: \"That simple request is all that needed to be done and it wasn't resorted to. That's why the alternative remedy aspect of this is a problem to the BBC.\n\n\"There needs to be a practical effect, the entitlement to publish could have been obtained at any point by asking.\"\n\nMr Dunlop pointed out that the original restriction orders objected to by the BBC have now been replaced by a new order issued in March last year.\n\nHe said: \"What is the point of challenging orders which cease to have any potency.\n\n\"Why is it we continue to expend grey matter, and more importantly public funds on both sides, in fighting on something which is in any view within the terms of the reference [of the SCAI inquiry] and within article ten [of Human Rights legislation].\"\n\nOn Wednesday Mr Dunlop will continue his submissions before Lord Boyd.", "An extra £50m is being directed towards grassroots sport after a \"significant hit\" to activity levels amid the coronavirus pandemic.\n\nFunding agency Sport England - which has already invested £220m since the start of the crisis - announced the additional money as part of a new 10-year strategy.\n\nThousands of clubs, swimming pools, leisure centres and gyms have been forced to shut in recent months.\n\nWith many children having done no sport outside of PE lessons since the start of November, and schools now shut across the county, emphasis will be placed on supporting young people to get active.\n\nEarlier this month, figures showed the majority of young people failed to meet the recommended 60 minutes of daily exercise in the last academic year. Almost a third of children were classed as 'inactive' as a result of the first lockdown, not even doing 30 minutes.\n\nAnother focus in the new 'Uniting the Movement' strategy will be tackling the long-standing inequalities that have existed within the sport sector and reinforced by the recent disruption.\n\nNew data shows the pandemic has disproportionately affected people from lower socio-economic groups and BAME backgrounds, for whom there was already a clear pattern of low activity.\n\n\"This strategy comes at a critical time\" said Tim Hollingsworth, the chief executive of Sport England.\n\n\"We have made significant funding available, but many organisations are struggling, and activity levels have taken a significant hit.\n\n\"At the heart of all this is a ruthless focus on providing opportunities to people and communities that have traditionally been left behind.\"\n\nAndy Reed, Chair of the Sport for Development Coalition, said: \"The impact of the pandemic, growing social challenges and subsequent widening inequalities mean we urgently need a new social contract with sport and physical activity, focused on the wider social outcomes that sport can deliver.\"\n\n\"We must expand understanding, recognition and investment in the contribution that sport can make beyond health and wellbeing, to addressing loneliness and social isolation, improving educational attainment and employability, to community cohesion, and reducing anti-social behaviour and entry into the justice system.\"\n\nA group of more than 50 sports bodies have called for a new government action plan and emergency funding to help them survive the pandemic. The Save Our Sports campaign has warned that the activity sector - which employs nearly 600,000 people in the UK and contributes £16bn to the economy each year - faces an unprecedented crisis.\n\nHuw Edwards, the chief executive of Ukactive, which represents the physical activity industry, said: \"Crucially, before the sector begins its recovery from the impact of Covid-19, it must first survive it.\n\n\"The publication of this strategy needs to be accompanied by a new level of urgency and commitment from the government that it will not leave parts of this sector behind, and provide the necessary financial and regulatory support so desperately needed.\"\n\nBut Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston said it was \"placing sport and physical activity at the heart of its coronavirus recovery plan, and Sport England's new strategy provides a strong base to invest in sports organisations, facilities and people\".\n• None All the goals, highlights and drama from Sunday's fourth-round ties are", "The head of AstraZeneca has defended its rollout of the coronavirus vaccine in the EU, amid tension with member states over delays in supply.\n\nPascal Soriot told Italian newspaper La Repubblica that his team was working \"24/7 to fix the very many issues of production of the vaccine\".\n\nHe said production was \"basically two months behind where we wanted to be\".\n\nHe also said the EU's late decision to sign contracts had given limited time to sort out hiccups with supply.\n\nMr Soriot, chief executive of the UK-Swedish multinational, said a contract with the UK had been signed three months before the one with the EU, giving more time for glitches to be ironed out.\n\nHe told La Repubblica that problems in \"scaling up\" vaccine production were being experienced at two plants, one in the Netherlands and one in Belgium.\n\n\"It's complicated, especially in the early phase where you have to really sort out all sorts of issues,\" he said.\n\n\"We believe we've sorted out those issues, but we are basically two months behind where we wanted to be.\"\n\nHe added: \"We've also had teething issues like this in the UK supply chain. But the UK contract was signed three months before the European vaccine deal. So with the UK we have had an extra three months to fix all the glitches we experienced.\n\nAstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot said a vaccine targeting the South African variant was being worked on\n\n\"Would I like to do better? Of course. But, you know, if we deliver in February what we are planning to deliver, it's not a small volume. We are planning to deliver millions of doses to Europe, it is not small.\"\n\nMr Soriot also said AstraZeneca was working on a vaccine with Oxford University that would target the South African variant of the coronavirus.\n\nScientists have warned there is a chance the South African variant may harm the effectiveness of current vaccines.\n\nThe AstraZeneca vaccine is already being used in the UK but has not yet been approved by the EU, although the European Medicines Agency (EMA) is expected to give it the green light at the end of this month.\n\nThe bloc signed a deal in August for 300 million doses, with an option for 100 million more. The EU had hoped that, as soon as approval was given, delivery would start straight away, with some 80 million doses arriving in the 27 nations by March.\n\nThe EU has ordered 600 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which is already being used on patients around the bloc.\n\nBut Pfizer-BioNTech said last week it was delaying shipments for the next few weeks because of work to increase capacity at its Belgian plant.\n\nIn response to the delays, the EU has said it might restrict exports of vaccines made in the bloc.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Sofia Bettiza explains why some countries are far ahead of others in the vaccination race\n\nHealth Commissioner Stella Kyriakides said companies making Covid vaccines in the bloc would have to \"provide early notification whenever they want to export vaccines to third countries\".\n\nShe said the 27-member EU bloc would \"take any action required to protect its citizens\".\n\nEuropean Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, addressing the virtual version of the annual World Economic Forum (WEF), usually held in Davos, said: \"Europe invested billions to help develop the world's first Covid-19 vaccines. And now, the companies must deliver. They must honour their obligations.\"\n\nHave you been affected by vaccine supply issues? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Drone footage captures the extent of the damage the bridge over the River Clwyd\n\nIt could take 18 months to draw up plans to rebuild a bridge which was swept away during last week's Storm Christoph, a council has warned.\n\nLlanerch bridge, between Trefnant and Tremeirchion in Denbighshire, is a backroad link to the A55.\n\nThe grade II-listed bridge crosses the River Clwyd and villagers now face a seven-mile detour.\n\nMeanwhile, some people in Skewen, Neath Port Talbot, can return home later after flooding caused by the storm.\n\nDenbighshire council said diversions would go through St Asaph while Llanerch bridge was repaired.\n\n\"It means it takes much longer now to go from Tremeirchion to Trefnant or St Asaph,\" he said.\n\n\"I know of one couple that have a horse in stables on the other side of the river - so it's a seven-mile journey each way, twice a day, for them now.\n\n\"It's quite a challenge and we're starting to think about how long we'll need to live with it. Are we talking a year, two, three, or maybe much longer than that?\"\n\nVale of Clwyd Conservative MP James Davies said the bridge should be rebuilt: \"There are many who would wish to see the bridge replaced like-for-like, although I appreciate that the new structure will need to take into account the challenges posed by modern-day and projected river flows.\"\n\nDenbighshire council's Meirick Lloyd Davies suggested the structure could be widened, similar to the one in Llangollen.\n\nBut the Trefnant ward councillor added: \"We will need money from the Welsh Government and I hope the UK government are also ready to throw something into the bucket because it is very expensive.\"\n\nA council spokesman said: \"We will seek to resolve this as soon as we are able.\n\n\"Final plans for the bridge will involve a number of third parties and it could take up to 18 months or more to resolve.\"\n\nThe Welsh Government said the condition of the structure was the responsibility of the owner, with local authorities having powers to ensure listed structures were preserved.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Cerys Thomas said her mother's conservatory windows were blown open by the force of the water\n\nSouth Wales was also hit by Storm Christoph on Thursday and in Skewen about 80 people were evacuated as water rushed through the village on Thursday.\n\nThe Coal Authority said initial checks suggested water built up in a mine shaft, causing a \"blow out\" which flooded properties.\n\nThose living in Jubilee Crescent and Dunevor Road have been told they can return home, but others will have to wait until the Coal Authority has made further investigations.\n\nCouncil leader Rob Jones told Breakfast with Claire Summers: \"We haven't got the exact figures of the number of people who will be able to return home today, there's going to be further assessments this morning.\n\n\"As early as we can, we will release the names of the streets of those people who will be able to go back, but it will be conditional. They need to go back in a controlled manner. We've still got Covid around.\"\n\nHe added houses would need to have their electrics checked and information would be provided on how to do this.\n\nOther people have been warned it could take months before they can go home.", "Chelsea have sacked manager Frank Lampard after 18 months in charge, with former Paris St-Germain boss Thomas Tuchel expected to replace him.\n\nLampard, 42, leaves with the club ninth in the Premier League after last week's defeat at Leicester City, having won once in their past five league matches.\n\nHis final game was Sunday's 3-1 FA Cup fourth-round win against Luton.\n\nLampard was appointed on a three-year contract when he replaced Maurizio Sarri at Stamford Bridge in July 2019.\n• None Watch Monday Night Club: Is Tuchel right man for Chelsea?\n• None 'Lampard had seen enough Chelsea managers go to know the score'\n• None Why Tuchel will be a popular appointment in the Chelsea dressing room\n• None Tuchel set to come in after Lampard sacking - reaction\n\nIn a statement released on Monday night, Lampard said he was \"disappointed not to have had the time to take the club forward\" and added that it had been a \"huge privilege and an honour\" to manage the club.\n\n\"When I took on this role I understood the challenges that lay ahead in a difficult time for the football club,\" he continued.\n\n\"I am proud of the achievements that we made, and I am proud of the academy players that have made their step into the first team and performed so well. They are the future of the club.\"\n\nChelsea are hopeful that new manager Tuchel will be on the bench for Wednesday's Premier League game against Wolves at Stamford Bridge.\n\nHe will not be exempt from coronavirus quarantine.\n\nBut if Tuchel tests negative on entry to the United Kingdom and then negative again in order to enter a Premier League club's bubble, he will be granted an exemption by the Football Association for attending matches and training.\n\nHe will still have to serve a quarantine period outside of those environments, which will last five days.\n\nFormer Chelsea midfielder Lampard guided them to fourth place and the FA Cup final in his first season in charge, and a 3-1 win against Leeds in early December put the club top of the Premier League.\n\nHowever, the Blues have suffered five defeats in their past eight league games, as many as they had in their previous 23.\n\nIn a statement, Chelsea said: \"This has been a very difficult decision, and not one that the owner and the board have taken lightly.\n\n\"We are grateful to Frank for what he has achieved in his time as head coach of the club. However, recent results and performances have not met the club's expectations, leaving the club mid-table without any clear path to sustained improvement.\n\n\"There can never be a good time to part ways with a club legend such as Frank, but after lengthy deliberation and consideration it was decided a change is needed now to give the club time to improve performances and results this season.\"\n\nOwner Roman Abramovich said Lampard's status as an \"important icon\" of the club \"remains undiminished\" despite his dismissal.\n\n\"This was a very difficult decision for the club, not least because I have an excellent personal relationship with Frank and I have the utmost respect for him,\" said Abramovich.\n\n\"He is a man of great integrity and has the highest of work ethics. However, under current circumstances we believe it is best to change managers.\"\n\nLampard did not sign a single player during his first season as the club were operating under a transfer embargo, but spent more than £200m on seven major signings last summer, including £45m on Leicester's Ben Chilwell and £71m on midfielder Kai Havertz from Bayer Leverkusen.\n\nIt is the most Chelsea have spent in one summer, eclipsing the £186m they invested at the start of the 2017-18 season.\n\nLampard is Chelsea's all-time record scorer, with 211 goals for the club between 2001 and 2014, and is also joint-seventh on the list of most capped England players, having made 106 appearances for his country over 15 years from 1999.\n\nDuring his 13 seasons as a player at Stamford Bridge, he made 648 appearances and won 11 major trophies - including four Premier League titles and the 2012 Champions League.\n\nHis first managerial job was at Derby. In his one season in charge, they reached the Championship play-off final, where they lost to Aston Villa.\n\nLampard became the 10th full-time manager appointed by Abramovich since the billionaire bought the club in 2003.\n\nAccording to football finance journalist Kieran Maguire, Abramovich had spent £110m on sacking managers before Lampard's dismissal.\n\nHaving finished with 66 points last season after 20 wins and 12 defeats, Chelsea have lost six times in their opening 19 league games this season.\n\nLampard's points-per-game average of 1.67 is the lowest of any permanent Chelsea manager in the Premier League. During the Abramovich era, only Andre Villas-Boas (47.5%) has a worse win rate than Lampard's 52.4%, in all competitions among permanent Chelsea bosses.\n\nIn contrast, Jose Mourinho's win rate in all competitions during his first spell in charge was 67.03%, while Sarri, Antonio Conte, Avram Grant, Carlo Ancelotti and Claudio Ranieri all had win rates over 60%.\n\nAnalysis - lack of confidence among squad key to sacking\n\nLampard was sacked because the club could not see him reversing a slide in form.\n\nAfter qualifying for the Champions League last season and spending more than £200m on players in the summer, the aim this campaign was to close the gap on the leaders, but that has not been achieved.\n\nAlthough links will be made between Tuchel's heritage and the poor form of fellow Germans Kai Havertz and Timo Werner, the change was made because of the lack of confidence among the whole squad.\n\nIt is hoped that Tuchel can rejuvenate a team that is five points outside of the top four, and an announcement could be made within 24 hours.\n\nThe decision to sack Lampard was very difficult for Abramovich, who has never made a statement when changing Chelsea managers previously.\n\nIn the end, Lampard paid for his relative inexperience as a manager, which cannot be said of Tuchel.\n\nBest of reaction to Lampard sacking\n\nManchester City boss Pep Guardiola: \"People talk about projects and ideas. They don't exist. You have to win or you will be replaced. I am not judging Chelsea's decision. I respect their decision. But our world is to win as much as possible.\n\n\"I hope to see Frank soon and go to a restaurant with him when lockdown is finished.\"\n\nTottenham boss Jose Mourinho: \"It is the brutality of football. Anything can happen in football now, every time somebody loses their job it is sad news but he is a big boy, [with] a strong personality and strong mentality.\n\n\"I am pretty sure he will be back when he wants to be back and his career will be good. I hope so.\"\n\nWest Ham boss David Moyes: \"I'm disappointed for Frank as I saw him as one of the most up and coming young English managers in the country.\n\n\"It's a big thing we try to encourage our own British managers into the big leagues, if we can. I'm sure he'll come back and learn from it.\n\n\"He did a great job last year - he did a really good job with so many youngsters coming through the academy. It seemed a little bit harder for him this year. I'm sure he'll take time off, come back and get better.\"\n\nLeicester boss Brendan Rodgers: \"Clearly I'm really sad for Frank and his staff. I know how much the club means to him.\n\n\"Looking at the squad and how young they are, they need time. He hasn't been given that time. I really feel for him. He did great at Derby.\n\n\"He had the courage to step out of an amazing career and could have taken an easier route. It was a job he couldn't turn down, even though he didn't have a lot of experience.\n\n\"Results haven't been what he would have wanted, but I feel it's a job that needed time.\"\n\nCrystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson: \"It saddens me. I thought he did an excellent job last season. I was rather hoping that the idol of the fans and Chelsea legend that he is, he'd get a longer shot than 18 months.\n\n\"Managers who have had short stays at Chelsea have gone on to have good careers elsewhere. When you're sacked for the first time, it is a devastating blow. There's no doubt he has a pedigree to be a very good manager.\"\n\nFormer Chelsea striker Chris Sutton speaking on BBC 5 Live's Monday Night Club: \"It is 52 days since Chelsea were top of the Premier League and 48 days ago that Chelsea had been on an unbeaten run of 17 games.\n\n\"So in the space of 48 days the owner has decided to write Frank Lampard off. How are we ever going to know if Frank Lampard is a good manager? You only every really learn about people and their characteristics and traits when they go through a little bit of adversity and Frank has gone through a little bit of adversity.\n\n\"Frank has basically been sacked for the owner's expectations. I feel sorry for Frank because he is a club legend.\n\n\"They are five points off fourth place, but the bottom line is that the owner wants to win the Premier League and that was always going to be the pressure.\n\n\"Chelsea should have been more loyal. We know the owner's track record - he is ruthless, he is brutal and guillotined Frank.\"\n\nScott G: Been a Chelsea fan since Nevin, Speedie and Dixon and admit I've enjoyed all the success money has brought us over the last 20 years. However, there's a sadness about that decision. Some things money can't buy. #SuperFrank\n\nFil Harris: Isn't the whole point of appointing a younger manager to give him time to build and develop? Craziness from Chelsea to sack Lampard after such a short time.\n\nSimon Kirk: Been a Chelsea fan since 1969 and have never been so annoyed at a sacking of a Chelsea manager. He needed at least another 18 months. Shame on you Abramovich and the Chelsea board for supporting such a decision.\n\nRyan Howard: I find it such a weird sacking - a month or so ago Chelsea were in a nice groove, Zouma and Silva were scoring and keeping clean sheets, now after one bad run he gets sacked. Chelsea could be a world-class club if they just gave a manager proper time to build a team.\n\nPeter Josi: Chelsea are totally right to sack Lampard, he lacked the experience or coaching prowess to lead the side. The next phase should start with an investigation into our transfer policy and how our last two record signings turned out to be flops.\n\nThomas Wilson: Why are people surprised Lampard was sacked? Chelsea have been ruthlessly successful for 15 years. They are not going to suddenly resort to being generously unsuccessful because of a club legend being at the helm.\n• None All the goals, highlights and drama from Sunday's fourth-round ties are", "Janet Yellen has been confirmed as the first ever female US treasury secretary in a Senate vote.\n\nMs Yellen, who headed the US central bank from 2014 to 2018, earlier won bipartisan support from members of the Senate Finance Committee.\n\nShe will be responsible for guiding the Biden administration's economic response to the pandemic.\n\nThe US is struggling to rebound economically from the hit caused by the coronavirus pandemic.\n\nAt her confirmation hearing on 19 January, Ms Yellen urged Congress to approve trillions more in pandemic relief and economic stimulus, saying that lawmakers should \"act big\" without worrying about national debt.\n\nIn response, Republican senators warned the former Federal Reserve head this was not the time for \"a laundry list\" of liberal reforms.\n\nMs Yellen disagreed, highlighting the fact that many families whose incomes have fallen were not reached by jobless programmes. She argued that plans to raise taxes must be seen in the context of financing bigger investments necessary to make the US economy competitive.\n\n\"The focus now is not on tax increases. It is on programmes to help us get through the pandemic,\" she stressed.\n\nJanet Yellen was previously chair of the US Federal Reserve. She was known for focusing more attention on the impact of the central bank's policies on workers and the costs of America's rising inequality.\n\nBefore then-President Barack Obama named her to lead the Fed in 2014, she had served as one of its board members for a decade, including four years as vice-chair.\n\nJanet Yellen speaking at a press conference in 2017 as US Federal Reserve Chair\n\nDonald Trump bucked Washington tradition when he opted not to appoint Ms Yellen to a second four-year term at the Fed.\n\nHowever, her climb to the top of the economics profession had made her a feminist icon in the economics world.\n\nWhen she left the Fed in 2018, many paid tribute to her leadership by imitating her signature look of a blazer with a popped collar.\n\nMs Yellen is seen as someone able to satisfy both progressive and centrist members of Mr Biden's Democratic party. Her nomination to lead the Fed in 2014 won support from some Republicans.\n\nHer focus on employment, rather than inflation, gave her a reputation of favouring low interest rates, which spur economic activity by making it less expensive to borrow money.\n\nBut under her leadership, the Fed raised interest rates for the first time since 2008 - albeit less aggressively than some more conservative commentators supported.\n\nHer stewardship of that process has won praise on Wall Street, even as it remains hotly debated.", "Twitter is asking its users for help in combating fake news.\n\nIt has announced a pilot that allows people to submit notes on tweets that may be false or misleading.\n\nThe initiative, named 'Birdwatch', is being trialled among a small group in the US initially. The firm acknowledged the new system would have to be \"resistant to manipulation attempts\".\n\nCompanies like Twitter are looking at how they can better moderate their platforms.\n\nTwitter said on Monday: \"We know this might be messy and have problems at times, but we believe this is a model worth trying.\"\n\nTwitter, along with other large social media companies, has struggled to deal with disinformation on its platform.\n\nThe pilot will allow users to flag tweets they believe to be \"misleading or false\", provide evidence to the contrary and discuss them with other - on a separate 'Birdwatch' site.\n\nAdditional notes and flags would then be placed on to content.\n\nTwitter says this new approach could help it respond more quickly when misleading information spreads.\n\n\"Eventually we aim to make notes visible directly on Tweets for the global Twitter audience, when there is consensus from a broad and diverse set of contributors,\" Twitter said.\n\nTwitter already adds labels to some misleading news. For example, many of Donald Trump's false claims of voter fraud were labelled by the company.\n\nTwitter also reserves the right to remove tweets - and in extreme circumstances ban users - which it did with the US president after the riots in Washington earlier this month.\n\nTwitter, though, wants to go further: \"We don't want to limit efforts to circumstances where something breaks our rules or receives widespread public attention,\" said Twitter's Vice-President Keith Coleman.\n\nParticipants will have to provide a verified phone number and email to take part, in a bid to keep bots and bad actors away, as well as having no recent rule violations against their Twitter account.\n\nPresident Biden said in his inauguration speech that: \"We must reject a culture where facts are manipulated, or even manufactured.\"\n\nJames Clayton is the BBC's North America technology reporter based in San Francisco. Follow him on Twitter @jamesclayton5.", "Parents and teachers say they are \"frustrated\" schools will be shut until the February half term and fear the impact it will have on children.\n\nSpeaking to Radio Wales' phone-in, one caller said they felt young people were being \"thrown under the bus\".\n\nOthers said they were fed up with \"bitty information\" from the Welsh Government.\n\nFirst Minister Mark Drakeford said it was the \"best certainty\" he could offer \"in a world which is highly uncertain\".\n\nSo how have parents, pupils and professionals reacted to the announcement that schools may not reopen until 22 February?\n\nDr Dai Samuel welcomed the news as a consultant treating Covid patients - but as a dad he feels some \"trepidation\"\n\nDr Dai Samuel, a consultant at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital in Llantrisant, Rhondda Cynon Taf, is also a father and lives in one of the worst-hit areas in Wales.\n\nHe said he had mixed feelings about the decision as he had \"two hats on\" - one as an NHS doctor treating Covid patients and the other as a dad.\n\n\"The hospitals are full and the ITU units only have beds now because they've expanded that capacity,\" he said.\n\n\"It's a very precarious position and I just hope that this measure now for the next three to six weeks will hopefully allow us to get through this winter, allow the vaccines to take effect and get us out of this mess come the spring and summer.\n\n\"I'm a doctor so, from a medical point of view, yes [the decision is] a massive sigh of relief, but as a father and someone who lives in Merthyr - a town that's been hit already significantly by the virus and the economical impacts of that - I've got some sort of trepidation because I fear that those businesses now that still remain closed will suffer and will go under.\n\n\"What will happen to that generation of children now who might not get the education they deserve and would have had otherwise… who won't achieve what they could have?\"\n\nTrying to home-school four young children and work is a \"challenge\", said Kaarina Rutta Reuter from Sully, Vale of Glamorgan.\n\n\"It's a challenge trying to help all four at the same time and also having in the back of your mind, 'I should also be working and doing other things',\" she said.\n\n\"I was quite sure that this was going to happen. It didn't come as a surprise I have to say, because the situation is just so bad I think there is no other way out of it at the moment. I just wish we had known earlier on and it would have been easier to plan.\"\n\nThe pressures of juggling home-schooling with her career mean she is working at night when the children have gone to bed.\n\n\"I don't even try to work during the day with the children around because I've just realised it's just not possible.\n\n\"My husband is working full-time but I'm only working part-time, I'm teaching at university so I still have quite flexible hours - apart from obviously teaching hours - it just means that I have to work in the evening or over the weekend, just organise yourself differently.\"\n\nShe said it was \"best not to have too high expectations\" when it came to guessing when lockdown would end and schools would reopen.\n\n\"Like we saw in the first lockdown in spring, in the end it was quite a bit longer than we had all thought,\" she said.\n\n\"I would hope they could go back in March, that's my hope for now but I think we'll just have to wait and see what will happen with the numbers over the next few weeks, months and just take it from there really.\"\n\nA father called Ron, from Bridgend, told the phone-in with Dot Davies he was predominantly worried about the effects on children, particularly in the south Wales valleys.\n\n\"I just see children deteriorating on a regular basis. I can only speak about my own - I have a teenage daughter and her mental health, her lack of access to her school, her teachers, to her peers, will cause more harm than the virus will cause children.\n\n\"It feels like we are asking our children to donate their kidneys to the vulnerable. We are throwing them under the bus as far as I'm concerned.\"\n\nAnna, 16, who is studying for her GCSEs at Ysgol Gyfun Gwyr, Swansea, said the decision to keep schools and colleges closed was \"a big disappointment\".\n\n\"The idea of staying in the house until February fills me with dread because we've been in the house for months,\" she told Newyddion.\n\nAfter a case of Covid-19 in her school, she said she had to self-isolate, adding: \"It's been an age since I last saw my friends, went to school, and really learned.\n\n\"It's really hard. We've been back in school since Wednesday and doing everything online but it's nigh-on impossible. It's not the same.\n\n\"It's really hard to learn. There's this feeling of 'why am I even bothering?' - I really want to go back but I appreciate that might not be possible because people are dying. It's not an easy situation.\"\n\nHer mock assessments before her final assessments - which were brought in to replace exams - have been cancelled until the return to school, which she said has taken away some of the pressure.\n\n\"Without practising, there's a lot of uncertainty. What's going to be in the assessment? So, it is nice to hear they've cancelled them. It's a difficult situation so cancelling them takes a bit of the pressure off children and young people my age.\"\n\nMother-of-three Amanda Williams from Bridgend told the Local Democracy Reporting Service she was glad schools would remain closed and hoped it would minimise the spread of the virus.\n\n\"I don't believe schools are safe to open at the moment,\" she said.\n\n\"Until they can classify exactly what the main symptoms are in children I think it's a risk to send children back to school and it's a risk with these new variants.\"\n\nMrs Williams lives in Bridgend county borough, where infection rates are the highest among all Welsh local authority areas. One of her relatives is currently on a ventilator at Bridgend's Princess of Wales Hospital with Covid-19.\n\n\"In the last week I've heard of a lot of people passing away such as friends of friends. It's starting to get closer to home.\"\n\nSarah Curley, a maths teacher and mother of twins, also from Bridgend, said she would \"rather be in school\" but agreed schools remaining shut was the \"safest option\".\n\nShe said: \"In school each day I come into contact with 100-odd pupils and we don't wear PPE.\"\n\nMs Curley said she was glad her school, Coleg Cymunedol Y Dderwen in Bridgend, would not be welcoming students back on Monday, as originally planned, because of the area's high infection rates.\n\n\"My anxiety was through the roof around Christmas. I could see the numbers going up and I was thinking, 'I've got to go back into school next week'.\"", "A year ago, the Chinese government locked down the city of Wuhan. For weeks beforehand officials had maintained that the outbreak was under control - just a few dozen cases linked to a live animal market. But in fact the virus had been spreading throughout the city and around China.\n\nThis is the story of five critical days early in the outbreak.\n\nBy 30 December, several people had been admitted to hospitals in the central city of Wuhan, having fallen ill with high fever and pneumonia. The first known case was a man in his 70s who had fallen ill on 1 December. Many of those were connected to a sprawling live animal market, Huanan Seafood Market, and doctors had begun to suspect this wasn't regular pneumonia.\n\nSamples from infected lungs had been sent to genetic sequencing companies to identify the cause of the disease, and preliminary results had indicated a novel coronavirus similar to Sars. The local health authorities and the country's Center for Disease Control (CDC) had already been notified, but nothing had been said to the public.\n\nAlthough no-one knew it at the time, between 2,300 and 4,000 people were by now likely infected, according to a recent model by MOBS Lab at Northeastern University in Boston. The outbreak was also thought to be doubling in size every few days. Epidemiologists say that at this early part of an outbreak, each day and even each hour is critical.\n\nWuhan’s Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market was sealed off on 1 January 2020\n\nAt around 16:00 on 30 December, the head of the Emergency Department at Wuhan Central Hospital was handed the results of a test carried out by sequencing lab Capital Bio Medicals in Beijing.\n\nShe went into a cold sweat as she read the report, according to an interview given later to Chinese state media.\n\nAt the top were the alarming words: \"SARS CORONAVIRUS\". She circled them in bright red, and passed it on to colleagues over the Chinese messaging site WeChat.\n\nWithin an hour and a half, the grainy image with its large red circle reached a doctor in the hospital's ophthalmology department, Li Wenliang. He shared it with his hundreds-strong university class group, adding the warning, \"Don't circulate the message outside this group. Get your family and loved ones to take precautions.\"\n\nWhen Sars spread through southern China in late 2002 and 2003, Beijing covered up the outbreak, insisting that everything was under control. This allowed the virus to spread around the world. Beijing's response invoked international criticism and - worryingly for a regime deeply concerned about stability - anger and protests within China. Between 2002 and 2004, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Sars) went on to infect more than 8,000 people and kill almost 800 worldwide.\n\nRobert Maguire of the WHO and a Chinese doctor visit a Sars patient in Guangzhou, China – April 2003\n\nOver the coming hours, screen shots of Li's message spread widely online. Across China, millions of people began talking about Sars online.\n\nIt would turn out that the sequencers made a mistake - this was not Sars, but a new coronavirus very similar to it. But this was a critical moment. News of a possible outbreak had escaped.\n\nThe Wuhan Health Commission was already aware that there was something going on in the city's hospitals. That day, officials from the National Health Commission in Beijing arrived, and lung samples were sent to at least five state labs in Wuhan and Beijing to sequence the virus in parallel.\n\nNow, as messages suggesting the possible return of Sars began flying over Chinese social media, the Wuhan Health Commission sent two orders out to hospitals. It instructed them to report all cases direct to the Health Commission, and told them not to make anything public without authorisation.\n\nWithin 12 minutes, these orders were leaked online.\n\nIt might have taken a couple more days for the online chatter to make the leap from Chinese-speaking social media to the wider world if it wasn't for the efforts of veteran epidemiologist Marjorie Pollack.\n\nThe deputy editor of ProMed-mail, an organisation which sends out alerts on disease outbreaks worldwide, received an email from a contact in Taiwan, asking if she knew anything about the chatter online.\n\nDr Marjorie Pollack is an epidemiologist based in New York\n\nBack in February 2003, ProMed had been the first to break the news of Sars. Now, Pollack had deja vu. \"My reaction was: 'We're in trouble,'\" she told the BBC.\n\nThree hours later, she had finished writing an emergency post, requesting more information on the new outbreak. It was sent out to ProMed's approximately 80,000 subscribers at one minute to midnight.\n\nAs word began to spread, Professor George F Gao, director general of China's Center for Disease Control [CDC], was receiving offers of help from contacts around the world.\n\nChina revamped its infectious disease infrastructure after Sars - and in 2019, Gao had promised that China's vast online surveillance system would be able to prevent another outbreak like it.\n\nBut two scientists who contacted Gao say the CDC head did not seem alarmed.\n\n\"I sent a really long text to George Gao, offering to send a team out and do anything to support them,\" Dr Peter Daszak, the president of New York-based infectious diseases research group EcoHealth Alliance, told the BBC. But he says that all he received in reply was a short message wishing him Happy New Year.\n\nDirector of the Chinese Center for Disease Control, George F Gao – 22 January 2020\n\nEpidemiologist Ian Lipkin of Columbia University in New York was also trying to reach Gao. Just as he was having dinner to ring in the New Year, Gao returned his call. The details Lipkin reveals about their conversation offer new insights into what leading Chinese officials were prepared to say at this critical point.\n\n\"He had identified the virus. It was a new coronavirus. And it was not highly transmissible. This didn't really resonate with me because I'd heard that many, many people had been infected,\" Lipkin told the BBC. \"I don't think he was duplicitous, I think he was just wrong.\"\n\nLipkin says he thinks Gao should have released the sequences they had already obtained. My view is that you get it out. This is too important to hesitate.\"\n\nGao, who refused the BBC's requests for an interview, has told state media that the sequences were released as soon as possible, and that he never said publicly that there was no human-to-human transmission.\n\nThat day, the Wuhan Health Commission issued a press release stating that 27 cases of viral pneumonia had been identified, but that there was no clear evidence of human to human transmission.\n\nIt would be a further 12 days before China shared the genetic sequences with the international community.\n\nThe Chinese government refused multiple interview requests by the BBC. Instead, it gave us detailed statements on China's response, which state that in the fight against Covid-19 China \"has always acted with openness, transparency and responsibility, and … in a timely manner.\"\n\nBBC This World's 54 Days: China and the pandemic can be seen on BBC Two at 21:00 GMT on Tuesday 26 January, or 23:30 on Monday 1 February (except BBC Two Northern Ireland). Or watch on BBC iPlayer.\n\nPart two - 54 Days: America and the Pandemic - will be on BBC Two on Tuesday 2 February at 21:00.\n\nInternational law stipulates that new infectious disease outbreaks of global concern be reported to the World Health Organization within 24 hours. But on 1 January the WHO still had not had official notification of the outbreak. The previous day, officials there had spotted the ProMed post and reports online, so they contacted China's National Health Commission.\n\n\"It was reportable,\" says Professor Lawrence Gostin, Director of the WHO Collaborating Center on national and global health law at Georgetown University in Washington DC, and a member of the International Health Regulations roster of experts. \"The failure to report clearly was a violation of the International Health Regulations.\"\n\nDr Maria Van Kerkhove, a WHO epidemiologist who would become the agency's Covid-19 technical lead, joined the first of many emergency conference calls in the middle of the night on 1 January.\n\n\"We had the assumptions initially that it may be a new coronavirus. For us it wasn't a matter of if human to human transmission was happening, it was what is the extent of it and where is that happening.\"\n\nIt was two days before China responded to the WHO. But what they revealed was vague - that there were now 44 cases of viral pneumonia of unknown cause.\n\nChina says that it communicated regularly and fully with the WHO from 3 January. But recordings of internal WHO meetings obtained by the Associated Press (AP) news agency some of which were shared with PBS Frontline and the BBC, paint a different picture, revealing the frustration that senior WHO officials felt by the following week.\n\n\"'There's been no evidence of human to human transmission' is not good enough. We need to see the data,\" Mike Ryan WHO's health emergencies programme director is heard saying.\n\nThe WHO was legally required to state the information it had been provided by China. Although they suspected human to human transmission, the WHO were not able to confirm this for a further three weeks.\n\n\"Those concerns are not something they ever aired publicly. Instead, they basically deferred to China,\" says AP's Dake Kang. \"Ultimately, the impression that the rest of the world got was just what the Chinese authorities wanted. Which is that everything was under control. Which of course it wasn't.\"\n\nThe number of people infected by the virus was doubling in size every few days, and more and more people were turning up at Wuhan's hospitals.\n\nBut now - instead of allowing doctors to share their concerns publicly - state media began a campaign that effectively silenced them.\n\nOn 2 January, China Central Television ran a story about the doctors who spread the news about an outbreak four days earlier. The doctors, referred to only as \"rumour mongers\" and \"internet users\", were brought in for questioning by the Wuhan Public Security Bureau and 'dealt with' 'in accordance with the law'.\n\nOne of the doctors was Li Wenliang, the eye doctor whose warning had gone viral. He signed a confession. In February, the doctor died of Covid-19.\n\nThe Chinese government says that this is not evidence that it was trying to suppress news of the outbreak, and that doctors like Li were being urged not to spread unconfirmed information.\n\nBut the impact of this public dressing down was critical. For though it was becoming apparent to doctors that there was, in fact, human-to-human transmission, they were prevented from going public.\n\nA health worker from Li's hospital, Wuhan Central, told us that over the next few days \"there were so many people who had a fever. It was out of control. We started to panic. [But] The hospital told us that we were not allowed to speak to anyone.\"\n\nThe Chinese government told us that \"it takes a rigorous scientific process to determine if a new virus can be transmitted from person to person\".\n\nThe authorities would continue to maintain for a further 18 days that there was no human-to-human transmission.\n\nLabs across the country were racing to map the complete genetic sequence of the virus. Among them was a renowned virologist in Shanghai, Professor Zhang Yongzhen who began sequencing on 3 January.\n\nAfter having worked for two days straight, he obtained a complete sequence. His results revealed a virus that was similar to Sars, and therefore likely transmissible.\n\nOn 5 January, Zhang's office wrote to the National Health Commission advising taking precautionary measures in public places.\n\n\"On that very day, he was working to try and get information released as soon as possible, so the rest of the world could see what it was and so we could get diagnostics going\", says Zhang's research partner, Professor Edward Holmes an evolutionary virologist at the University of Sydney.\n\nBut Zhang could not make his findings public. On January 3, the National Health Commission had sent a secret memorandum to labs banning unauthorised scientists from working on the virus and disclosing the information to the public.\n\n\"What the notice effectively did,\" says AP's Dake Kang, \"is it silenced individual scientists and laboratories from revealing information about this virus and potentially allowing word of it to leak out to the outside world and alarm people.\"\n\nNone of the labs went public with the genetic sequence of the virus. China continued to maintain it was viral pneumonia with no clear evidence of human-to-human transmission.\n\nIt would be six days before it announced that the new virus was a coronavirus, and even then, it did not share any genetic sequences to allow other countries to develop tests and begin tracing the spread of the virus.\n\nThree days later, on 11 January, Zhang decided it was time to put his neck on the line. As he boarded a plane between Beijing and Shanghai, he authorised Holmes to release the sequence.\n\nThe decision came at a personal cost - his lab was closed the next day for \"rectification\" - but his action broke the deadlock. The next day state scientists released the sequences they had obtained. The international scientific community swung into action, and a toolkit for a diagnostic test was publicly available by 13 January.\n\nDespite the evidence from scientists and doctors, China would not confirm there was human-to-human transmission until 20 January.\n\nIllustration of spike proteins (red) of Covid-19 binding with receptors (blue) on a target human cell\n\nAt the beginning of any emerging disease outbreak, says health law expert Lawrence Gostin, it's always chaotic. \"It was always going to be very difficult to control this virus, from day one. But by the time we knew [the international community] it was transmissible human to human, I think the cat was already out the bag, it already spread.\n\n\"That was the shot we had, and we lost it.\"\n\nAs Wang Linfa, a bat virologist at Duke-Nus Medical School in Singapore, says: \"January 20th is the dividing line, before that the Chinese could have done much better. After that, the rest of the world should be really on high alert and do much better.\"", "Harriet Tubman was a spy and a nurse for the Union during the US Civil War\n\nThe Biden administration has said it will seek to push forward a plan to make anti-slavery activist Harriet Tubman the face of a new $20 bill.\n\nA note featuring Ms Tubman, who was born a slave in about 1822, was originally due to be unveiled in 2020.\n\nThe US Treasury said she would replace former President Andrew Jackson, a slave owner.\n\nBut the effort was delayed under former President Donald Trump, who branded it \"pure political correctness\".\n\nNow President Joe Biden has revived the project, with White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki telling reporters the Treasury was \"exploring ways to speed up\" the process.\n\nThe move would make Ms Tubman the first African American to appear on a US banknote, and the first woman for more than 100 years.\n\n\"It's important that our notes, our money - if people don't know what a note is - reflect the history and diversity of our country, and Harriet Tubman's image gracing the new $20 note would certainly reflect that,\" Ms Psaki said on Monday.\n\nA mock-up of the new $20 note\n\nThe women last depicted on US notes were former First Lady Martha Washington, on the $1 silver certificate from 1891 to 1896, and Native American Pocahontas, in a group image on the $20 bill from 1865 to 1869.\n\nHowever, given the complexities of redesigning and producing US banknotes, the bill is not expected to be released any time soon.\n\nIn 2019, Mr Trump's Treasury Secretary, Steven Mnuchin, said the redesign would be delayed until at least 2026. At the time, he said he was focused on redesigning bills to address counterfeiting issues, not making changes to their imagery.\n\nMr Trump, an admirer of his populist predecessor Andrew Jackson - whose portrait hung in his office - expressed opposition to the redesign.\n\nWhile campaigning in 2016, Mr Trump suggested that Ms Tubman be put on the $2 bill instead.\n\nBorn into slavery in about 1822, Ms Tubman grew up working in the cotton fields in Dorchester County, Maryland. She was the fourth of nine children born to two enslaved parents, Benjamin Ross and Harriet Rit.\n\nAs a teenager, she was hit in the head by an iron weight thrown by an overseer, leaving her severely injured.\n\nShe escaped from a slave plantation in 1849, fleeing north to the neighbouring state of Pennsylvania.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. How Harriet Tubman escaped slavery and then helped others to do so.\n\nIn the years that followed, Ms Tubman returned multiple times to Maryland to rescue others, conducting them along the so-called \"underground railroad\", a network of safe houses used to spirit slaves from the south to the free states in the north.\n\nShe is estimated to have made some 13 missions to rescue more than 70 enslaved people, including family and friends, using the network.\n\nLater, she became a spy for the Union Army during the Civil War, a prominent supporter of the women's suffrage movement, and a famous veteran of the struggle for the abolition of slavery.\n\nAfter the war, Ms Tubman toured eastern cities giving speeches in support of women's suffrage, drawing on her experiences in the fight against slavery.\n\nShe died in 1913, aged 91, surrounded by her family.", "Sunderland-based Hays Travel took over Thomas Cook's stores and staff in 2019\n\nTravel firm Hays Travel is to close 89 of its 535 shops following a review into its take over of Thomas Cook.\n\nThe Sunderland-based firm bought the collapsed company in October 2019 and deferred a review into the performance of its shops until 2021.\n\nA Hays Travel spokeswoman said the third national lockdown and travel ban meant \"the company had to act\".\n\nShe said 388 staff affected by the closures would be offered \"alternative work options\" to minimise redundancies.\n\nChief operating officer Jonathon Woodall said the \"first priority\" was to \"look after our customers\" and ensure \"the highest standards of customer service\".\n\nHe added that the firm was \"continuing with our robust two-year business plan and continue to be ready for the bounce back when it comes\".\n\nDame Irene Hays said business had not bounced back as had been hoped\n\nDame Irene Hays, owner and chair of the Sunderland-based firm, said it was \"always our intention to review the performance of our shops at the end of the licence period\".\n\n\"We had hoped the business would bounce back in January and it has not,\" she said.\n\n\"We have done everything we could to safeguard jobs and the business thus far, and we have come up with a range of options for those at risk of redundancy to help as many colleagues as we can.\"\n\nOptions for staff include working from home or filling vacancies in other shops.\n\nThe spokeswoman said the firm employed about 7,700 people, many of whom were \"working from home taking bookings for holidays for 2021 and beyond\".\n\nThe company has yet to confirm which of its locations will be affected.\n\nFollow BBC North East & Cumbria on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "There has been a recent investigation into mother-and-baby homes in the Republic of Ireland\n\nA report into mother-and-baby homes and Magdalene Laundries in Northern Ireland is expected to be published later.\n\nThe Stormont-commissioned research was carried out by Queen's University and Ulster University.\n\nIt examined whether a public inquiry should be held into the homes.\n\nAmnesty has estimated about 7,500 women and girls gave birth in the institutions operated by both Catholic and Protestant churches and other religious organisations.\n\nSome survivors, both unmarried pregnant mothers who were brought to the facilities and children who were later adopted, have long called for a public inquiry.\n\nThe NI Executive is currently meeting to discuss the report and its recommendations.\n\nFirst Minster Arlene Foster tweeted to say she had spoken to survivors of the homes about the report and the next steps.\n\nShe described it as \"a shameful chapter\", adding: \"Now the silence is broken and their stories have rightfully begun to be told\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Arlene Foster #WeWillMeetAgain This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nDeputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill said earlier that Tuesday's research \"breaks the silence\" around what happened.\n\nShe added that \"what happened was so, so wrong\", and that her thoughts were with the survivors \"who deserve answers to their many questions\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Michelle O’Neill This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThe report was commissioned by the Department of Health in 2018 and assessed the period from 1922 to 1999.\n\nIt was completed in February 2020 but was then sent to those facing criticism to give them an opportunity to reply.\n\nSolicitor Claire McKeegan, representing the group Birth Mothers and their Children for Justice NI, said many women were branded as \"fallen\" after becoming pregnant outside marriage and were forced to carry out unpaid labour.\n\nThis \"abuse\", she said, happened on both sides of the Irish border.\n\n\"The state in Northern Ireland not only permitted what happened, but also policed it,\" she added.\n\nAmnesty said there were more than a dozen mother-and-baby home and Magdalene Laundry-type institutions in NI, with the last one closing its doors as recently as 1990.\n\nPatrick Corrigan, NI programme director of Amnesty International, said the report would \"shed new light on the appalling extent and vast scale of the suffering experienced by generations of women and girls in these institutions\".\n\nThe human rights organisation has written to the first and deputy first ministers urging them to meet survivors of mother-and-baby homes.\n\n\"It's time for ministers to listen to the survivors - both the women and girls forced into the homes and the children born there,\" said Mr Corrigan.\n\nThe publication of the report in Northern Ireland comes after a similar investigation into mother-and-baby homes and laundries in the Republic of Ireland, which prompted an apology from Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) Mícheál Martin.\n\nThis report found an \"appalling level of infant mortality\".\n\nAbout 9,000 children died in the 18 institutions which were investigated.\n\nMr Martin said there had been \"profound and generational wrong\", adding it was a \"dark, difficult and shameful chapter\" of Irish history.\n\nFollowing the report's publication, NI's first and deputy first ministers Arlene Foster and Michelle O'Neill met the Irish Children's Minister Roderic O'Gorman.\n\nBoth Mrs Foster and Ms O'Neill said there was a need for the executive and the Irish government to work together in sharing information and to support survivors.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Time out of school has affected some children who have not established their language skills\n\nParents in English-speaking homes whose children go to Welsh-language schools need more support during lockdown, the Welsh language commissioner has said.\n\nSome parents said time away from face-to-face schooling was affecting younger children who have not fully established their language skills.\n\nOne mother said \"not only do you not know how to help them, you don't know what the question is to start with\".\n\nThe Welsh Government said it had given guidance to Welsh-medium schools.\n\nThere are 65,000 children in Welsh-medium or bilingual primary schools across Wales.\n\nCardiff council estimated more than 70% of children in Welsh-medium education in the city did not speak Welsh at home.\n\nWelsh language commissioner Aled Roberts said any parents concerned about remote learning in should let the school and teachers know in the first instance.\n\nHowever, he said it should be ensured there were \"as many resources as possible to support them\" at a national level and these policies should \"recognise the huge investment that these people are making [into] Welsh-medium education\".\n\nAngela Crabtree said her nine-year-old daughter Ffion had to help her younger sisters\n\nAngela Crabtree, from Caerphilly, said her daughters were partly reliant on her eldest child Ffion to translate Welsh schoolwork.\n\nMs Crabtree, who is on furlough, said keeping up Welsh-language skills had been a challenge for her three daughters, Ffion, Natalie and Chloe, who go to Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Caerffili.\n\n\"It's hard if they ask you a question, not only do you not know how to help them, you don't know what the question is to start with,\" she said.\n\nNatalie and Chloe are partly reliant on their older sister Ffion to translate Welsh work during lockdown\n\n\"The school has been really good in sending things back bilingually, but I've still got the challenge of trying to make sure that the girls look at the Welsh first.\n\n\"Off the back of the first lockdown I think what suffered most was their Welsh language, especially the middle child, going from the infants to the juniors - her Welsh comprehension fell behind a bit.\"\n\nLisa Jane Thomas, from Cardiff, said she was concerned her youngest child, who attends a Welsh-medium school, was going to be disadvantaged.\n\n\"These are really critical stages and to have so much timeout, it does worry me that may be putting her back [and] is going to make it more difficult for her longer term,\" she said.\n\nMs Thomas said she felt there \"ought to be more recognition\" and more could be offered to help parents and children.\n\nYsgol Gynradd Gymraeg Caerffili headteacher Lynn Griffiths said parents make a \"conscious decision\" to send children to Welsh-medium schools\n\nHead teacher of Ysgol Gynradd Gymraeg Caerffili, Lynn Griffiths, said of almost 440 pupils at the school, three families spoke to him about issues with Welsh-language learning.\n\nMr Griffiths said it was \"a rarity\" after one family that chose not to send their child back to the school this year, while the two other \"listened to what support we can provide them to enable them to do the best for their children\".\n\n\"But also let's not forget our parents have made a conscious decision to send their children to a Welsh medium school because they want their children to be fully bilingual and the advantages that will give them,\" he said.\n\nCampaign group Parents for Welsh medium education said it was launching new website end of this month to help parents by collating Welsh language resources in one place, due to the extra pressure of lockdown home-schooling.\n\nElin Maher, who is a part of the group, said: \"Obviously, we do acknowledge that acquiring language is done best in the classroom, with the teacher at the front and to be surrounded by the language - we want to reassure parents that the language will be there.\"\n\nThe Welsh Government, which has a target of one million people speaking Welsh by 2050, said it appreciated the challenges all parents faced with learning at home.\n\nA spokesman said: \"We have provided guidance to schools to help them during the pandemic, which includes dedicated support for Welsh-medium learners whose families don't speak Welsh.\n\n\"This includes advice for parents and carers on how they can support their children to use the Welsh language while at home.\"", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Maaike Neuféglise said she found blood on the floor of her shop alongside upturned stands and damaged equipment\n\nThe Dutch government says it will not lift a curfew, after a third night of violent protests against increased Covid curbs across the Netherlands.\n\nShops in Rotterdam and other cities were looted and Finance Minister Wopke Hoekstra said: \"It's scum doing this\". More than 180 arrests have been made.\n\nThe Dutch chief of police said the riots no longer had \"anything to do with the basic right to demonstrate\".\n\nThe criminal violence had to stop, said Prime Minister Mark Rutte.\n\nShop-owners in Rotterdam, Den Bosch and other cities spent Tuesday morning cleaning up the debris from Monday night's violence.\n\nRotterdam Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb sent a passionate message to \"shameless thieves\" who had caused the damage: \"Does it make you feel good that you've helped ruin your city? To wake up with a bag full of stolen stuff beside you?\"\n\nA night-time curfew from 21:00 (20:00 GMT) to 04:30 was imposed last Saturday to halt the spread of the virus. Anyone caught violating it faces a €95 (£84) fine. Mr Hoekstra said they would not \"capitulate to a few idiots\" and anyone who caused damage should be tracked down and be made to pay for it.\n\nSome of the worst damage was caused in the southern city of Den Bosch\n\nThe Netherlands has had nearly a million confirmed Covid cases since the start of the outbreak, with more than 13,500 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University in the US, which is tracking the pandemic.\n\nRiot police clashed with protesters in Rotterdam and Amsterdam, as well as Amersfoort, Den Bosch, Alphen and Helmond.\n\nSome of the worst disturbances were in the south of Rotterdam where police said 10 officers were hurt. Most of the rioters were youths or young men, and Amsterdam's mayor appealed to parents to keep young people indoors.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Dutch police have described it as the worst unrest in four decades\n\nFires were lit on the streets of The Hague, where police on bicycles attempted to move small clusters of men who threw stones and fireworks.\n\nIn Den Bosch in the south, rioters set off fireworks, broke windows, looted a supermarket and overturned cars. A local woman told Dutch radio that masked youths had left a trail of destruction in the city centre. \"I saw windows smashed and fireworks going off. Really crazy, just like a war zone,\" she said.\n\nSeveral cities have vowed to introduce emergency measures in an effort to prevent more disturbances\n\nRoads into Den Bosch were closed to stop people joining the rioters and Mayor Jack Mikkers imposed an emergency order banning gatherings on Tuesday.\n\nThe region's chief prosecutor, Heleen Rutgers, urged parents to ensure teenagers stayed at home. \"Start talking about how to respond to calls on social media to go and turn up somewhere,\" she told public broadcaster NOS.\n\nIn some southern cities, such as Maastricht and Breda, football fans marched through the centres promising to protect them from rioters. Ex-football international Robin van Persie appealed to people in Rotterdam to keep \"our beautiful city\" intact.\n\nThe ignition of discontent has rocked the core of Dutch society.\n\nIn the absence of any legitimate way to socialise, is this simply an outlet for young men to feel part of something, their masks concealing their identities and enabling them to violently channel their frustrations?\n\nThere are more sinister influences at play. Messages on social media, overt and covert, have whipped up anger. Misinformation has even been spread by some politicians.\n\nSome of the worst violence was in Rotterdam\n\nSome feared a curfew would be a tipping point, as Dutch restrictions tighten while some neighbouring countries relax their rules. The vast majority of people in the Netherlands are peacefully observing the curfew.\n\nThe unrest was initially seen as a response to the first \"stay-at-home\" order imposed since Nazi occupation during World War Two. That notion has been dismissed by Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who said the rioters were simply criminals and would be treated as such.\n\nBut there are simmering anxieties in Dutch towns and cities, and with less than two months before a general election, voters are vulnerable and the streets volatile.\n\nThere has been widespread shock at the violence. In Rotterdam, where police used water cannon against the rioters, the mayor signed an emergency decree, giving police broader powers of arrest.\n\nThe prime minister said the police had the government's full support: \"The riots have nothing to do with protesting or fighting for freedom.\"\n\nRotterdam shop-owner Emrah Köker said he had no words for what he had seen. \"How can this happen in the Netherlands?\" he asked Dutch daily newspaper Algemeen Dagblad. The justice minister said he challenged anyone to explain what looting a shop had to do with coronavirus.\n\nIn Den Bosch, Maaike Neuféglise said the damage to her shop was heartbreaking and ran into thousands of euros. \"Everything's ruined. I saw the videos, it was a complete invasion. There must have been 40 people in our store,\" she told broadcaster Omroep Brabant.\n\nThe city's mayor said police had struggled to respond to the violence because they were needed in other nearby towns.", "Claudia Marsh was a volunteer for an eating disorder charity which had helped her in the past\n\nAn \"incredible\" recently-qualified teacher has died with coronavirus on her 25th birthday.\n\nClaudia Marsh's death was described as \"sudden and unexpected\" by a charity which had helped her recover from an eating disorder several years ago.\n\nShe had gone on to volunteer for the organisation and became a \"beacon of hope\" for others.\n\nHer mother Tina Marsh, from Heswall in Wirral, said she was \"very proud\" and \"blown away\" by the many tributes.\n\nWriting on Facebook, Ms Marsh said she was a \"beautiful daughter and incredible sister\" who was selfless in her work for Merseyside-based charities Talking Eating Disorders (TEDS) and The Whitechapel Centre.\n\nShe said: \"She loved giving back to people less fortunate than herself.\"\n\nFamily friend Leigh Best, who founded TEDS, described the death as \"heartbreaking\".\n\nShe added: \"Claudia was very special, kind, caring and a dedicated teacher.\n\n\"She supported countless families across the UK. Claudia made her own little packs to give out to others with eating disorders with positive affirmations.\n\n\"She was full of positivity, kindness and hope, and had a smile that would brighten up the whole room.\"\n\nIn a statement, the Whitechapel Centre, where Claudia also volunteered, said staff were \"devastated\", adding she would leave behind a \"legacy of care, dedication and enthusiasm\".\n\nThe charity said she put all of her time and energy into providing food and clothing to those who needed it during the pandemic.\n\n\"Claudia always put others before herself and her memory will live on through the impact and contribution she made to our organisation,\" the centre said.\n\n\"She was instrumental in bringing together our volunteer community.\"\n\nMs Marsh has set up an online fundraising page for the two charities, which has already garnered more than £10,000.\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "It wasn't normal when the prime minister stood at the lectern in Downing Street's wood-panelled State Dining Room and announced that four people had died from coronavirus on 9 March last year.\n\nIt wasn't normal, that day, when he announced the obscure-sounding virus was a global pandemic that, in the 21st Century, the UK government would struggle to contain.\n\nIt was unprecedented, in peacetime, when, on 23 March, Boris Johnson instructed the country to stay at home.\n\nIt was shocking when, on 28 March, official figures reported more than 1,000 cases in a single day.\n\nA few weeks later, there were sharp intakes of breath when the UK government's chief scientific adviser told MPs, and all of us, that keeping the numbers of deaths down to around 20,000 would be a \"good outcome\".\n\nIt wasn't normal when the Treasury started paying the wages of millions of people to prevent hardship on a vast scale.\n\nIt wasn't normal when planes stayed on the ground, roads and trains emptied.\n\nIt certainly wasn't normal when classrooms fell largely silent, or when the nooks and crannies of Westminster, usually full of intrigue, emptied.\n\nBut in that new strangeness it became normal, week after week, for millions of us to stand in the street, on balconies or on doorsteps to express thanks to those who care for us.\n\nAnd there is now an emerging routine of the most vulnerable rolling up their sleeves, sometimes in front of the cameras, for vaccines that offer at least part of the route to the future.\n\nYet the daily publication of the numbers of people who have died because of Covid has become an all-too-familiar rhythm.\n\nIn the middle of the afternoon, every day, the latest total emerges. A previously unimaginable communication has become a regular part of the country's conversation.\n\nBut today that number has reached a terrible height. Every one of those 100,000 lives lost leaves its own story, and sorrow, behind.\n\nThis miserable landmark is a moment to remember, maybe, that what has happened in the last year, to our politics, to us all is not normal at all.", "Pictures of the funeral have led to criticism from unionists\n\nPolice have begun an investigation into potential breaches of Covid-19 regulations at the funeral of an IRA man in Londonderry.\n\nEamon McCourt, 62, who reportedly died with Covid-19, was buried on Monday.\n\nUnder current Covid-19 restrictions funerals in Northern Ireland are limited to 25 people.\n\nThe police said a \"significant number of people\" had gathered, in a manner \"likely to be in breach\" of the coronavirus regulations.\n\nPSNI Ch Supt Darrin Jones said anyone found in breach of public health regulations would be reported to the Public Prosecution Service.\n\nHe said police had \"engaged with representatives of the family of the deceased, the local church and local political representatives\", prior to the funeral.\n\n\"As a result, police were given a number of assurances as to the conduct of the funeral, and that people would seek to pay their respects to the deceased from outside their homes rather than gather at the funeral.\"\n\nPictures of the leading republican's funeral show men in white shirts and black ties flanking the cortege and dozens of others behind them.\n\nCh Supt Jones added: \"Regrettably at the funeral on Monday morning, a significant number of people gathered as part of the cortège, in a manner likely to be in breach of the health protection regulations.\"\n\nUnionist politicians had called on the police to act after images circulated online of mourners.\n\nDUP MLA Gary Middleton said those who had abided by Covid-19 restrictions would view the scenes from the funeral \"with dismay\".\n\nHe said it was \"hard to put into words the sheer recklessness of those involved\".\n\n\"Within republicanism it seems that certain individuals are viewed as being more important than public health regulations,\" Mr Middleton said.\n\n\"In those minds the reality of Covid-19 has not been brought home, or at the very least it is viewed as less important than having a public display at a funeral.\n\n\"Such sights are most painful for relatives who have recognised the need for such painful restrictions to be put in place and have abided by them.\"\n\n\"Eamon 'Peggy' McCourt who passed away on Saturday morning was buried from his family home in Creggan, a right accredited to us all.\n\n\"However, it was evident that social-distancing measures and permitted mourner numbers were completely ignored by those in attendance.\n\n\"Again, the majority of people in Northern Ireland who have followed lockdown measures since March 2020 are asking themselves why can republicans do whatever they like?\"\n\nHe called on the police to explain why such \"a large funeral procession was permitted to take place and what actions will follow\".\n\nIn a statement, Sinn Féin said: \"Everyone has a responsibility to follow the public health guidelines.\n\n\"Sinn Féin held its own tribute to his memory online.\"\n\nIn June last year, about 1,800 people attended the funeral of leading IRA member Bobby Storey in west Belfast.\n\nAmong them was Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill, the Sinn Féin vice-president, who later admitted the public health message had been undermined.\n\nIn May, Assistant Chief Constable Alan Todd said there had been social-distancing breaches at funerals in Northern Ireland in both the unionist and nationalist communities.\n\nThis story was amended on 27 January 2021 to remove the phrase 'IRA veteran'. Whilst referring to Mr McCourt's long history in republicanism, we accept the phrase was open to misinterpretation.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe mother of a 15-year-old boy attacked by a group of youths said she heard the gunshots that killed him.\n\nKeon Lincoln was \"set upon\" at about 15:30 GMT on Thursday on Linwood Road in Handsworth, Birmingham, and died later in hospital, police said.\n\nIn an emotional appeal, Sharmaine Lincoln pleaded with the local community to \"help us understand why this has happened\".\n\nFive teenage boys have so far been arrested over his death.\n\nA post-mortem examination revealed Keon was shot and stabbed to death.\n\nKeon Lincoln's mother said not a day would go by when she would not hear her son's \"unbelievable\" laugh\n\nRemembering that afternoon, Ms Lincoln said: \"I heard the gunshots and my first instinct was, 'Where's my son?'\n\n\"A few minutes went by, we heard somebody was in the road and it was my boy.\"\n\nWest Midlands Police arrested three teenagers over the weekend on suspicion of Keon's murder - a 14-year-old boy from Birmingham and two others, aged 15 and 16, at an address in Walsall.\n\nThis is in addition to two 14-year-old boys arrested on Friday, one of whom remains in custody and the other released under investigation.\n\n\"The community needs to step up and put themselves in the shoes of the family,\" police say\n\nDet Ch Insp Alastair Orencas, from West Midlands Police, said the attack on Keon was \"the most pointless use of extreme violence I've witnessed in my 24 years in the police force\".\n\n\"The level of violence has not just caused shock to the family, but to hardened police officers,\" he said. \"It was an absolutely pointless attack, one I can't clear my mind of.\"\n\nThe force is appealing for information and Det Ch Insp Orencas said the community response was \"not where it should be\".\n\n\"These are multiple offenders in broad daylight. I simply don't believe there's not information out there that can help me with the inquiry,\" he said.\n\nKeon Lincoln was attacked on Linwood Road, a residential street in the Handsworth area of Birmingham\n\nMs Lincoln remembered her son as a joker, cheeky - a \"loving child with a jolly spirit\" whose \"unbelievable laugh\" would echo daily around her home.\n\n\"It doesn't make sense, the type of person Keon was, it doesn't make sense as to why someone would want to harm him or take his life in such a brutal way,\" she said.\n\nFollow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "People were vaccinated at Cwmbran Stadium on Tuesday\n\nA pledge that 70% of the over-80s would get the Covid-19 vaccine by last weekend was missed, the Welsh Government has admitted.\n\nWeather has been blamed for the problem with figures showing 96,830, or 52.8%, had their first dose.\n\nFirst Minister Mark Drakeford said many over-80s felt unsafe attending appointments amid the snow and ice.\n\nThe pledge had been made by Health Minister Vaughan Gething in the Senedd, last week.\n\nBut earlier, Mr Gething said that as well as missed appointments, five mass vaccination centres were affected by the conditions and \"a range of additional GP clinics didn't go ahead\".\n\nLatest data shows almost 97,000 of the most vulnerable have had a dose - but there is a lag and it can take up to five days for doses injected to be included in the figures. At least 289,566 people have had a first dose - 9.2% of the population.\n\nThat compares to 10.6% in England, 8.6% in Northern Ireland and 8% in Scotland.\n\nMr Drakeford told First Minister's Questions earlier: \"We will not reach the 70% for over-80s because of the interruption to the programme of vaccination that happened on Sunday and on Monday morning.\n\nA pledge 70% of over-80s would be inoculated by last weekend was missed\n\n\"I won't have people over-80 feeling pressurised to come out to be vaccinated when they themselves decide that it is not safe for them to do so.\"\n\nHe said all of those people would have been offered a further opportunity to be vaccinated by the end of Wednesday.\n\nHowever, Mr Drakeford said Wales was on track to meet plans to offer everybody in the top four priority groups (those aged 70 or over) a vaccination by mid-February.\n\nAround 23,700 first doses a day would need to be given for the first four priority groups to be have a vaccine offered by 14 February.\n\nOn the latest seven day rolling average, it would take 25 days.\n\nBut Mr Davies said: \"Welsh Conservatives would have been the first to congratulate the Welsh Government and its health minister had the target been reached on Friday, but that target has been missed.\n\n\"It's the same old Labour story of taking credit when things go well but look to blame anyone and everything else when it goes wrong.\"\n\nIn the Senedd, he accused the government of running a \"postcode lottery\" for vaccinations, which Mr Drakeford denied.\n\nThe first minister said figures had gone from 162,000 people being vaccinated last week to 230,000 this Tuesday.\n\nHe said that was \"the fastest rate of increase in any part of the United Kingdom\", and accused Mr Davies of wanting to \"run it down\".\n\n\"He leads a Conservative party in Wales, which has reverted to its 19th Century type - for Wales, see England.\"\n\nPlaid Cymru's Rhun ap Iorwerth said he did not think \"blaming snow over the weekend holds water\".\n\n\"Snow did cause problems in certain areas but the problem was that you were still on 24% of over-80s in the middle of last week. There was too high a mountain to climb,\" he added.\n\nBut Mr Gething said the weather was an \"obvious factor\" on both Sunday and Monday.\n\nIn a statement, he said more than 11,000 care home residents - 67% of the priority group - had received their first vaccine dose.\n\nOver 65% of Welsh Ambulance Service staff had also taken up the offer of a vaccine.\n\n\"We have seen a significant escalation in the pace of vaccine deployment here in Wales over the last couple of weeks,\" he told Members of the Senedd (MSs).", "Leaders in the US House of Representatives have officially delivered their article of impeachment against former President Donald Trump to the Senate, the first step in beginning his trial.\n\nRead more: Trump impeachment trial delayed until next month", "Anyone entering Australia has to undergo a mandatory 14-day hotel quarantine\n\nAustralia is unlikely to fully open its borders in 2021 even if most of its population gets vaccinated this year as planned, says a senior health official.\n\nThe comments dampen hopes raised by airlines that travel to and from the country could resume as early as July.\n\nDepartment of Health Secretary Brendan Murphy made the prediction after being asked about the coronavirus' escalation in other nations.\n\nDr Murphy spearheaded Australia's early action to close its borders last March.\n\n\"I think that we'll go most of this year with still substantial border restrictions,\" he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation on Monday.\n\n\"Even if we have a lot of the population vaccinated, we don't know whether that will prevent transmission of the virus,\" he said, adding that he believed quarantine requirements for travellers would continue \"for some time\".\n\nCitizens, permanent residents and those with exemptions are allowed to enter Australia if they complete a 14-day hotel quarantine at their own expense.\n\nDr Brendan Murphy (left) was Australia's chief medical officer and now leads the Department of Health\n\nQantas - Australia's national carrier - reopened bookings earlier this month, after saying it expected international travel to \"begin to restart from July 2021.\"\n\nHowever, it added this depended on the Australian government's deciding to reopen borders.\n\nThe country opened a travel bubble with neighbouring New Zealand late last year, but currently it only operates one-way with inbound flights to Australia.\n\nAustralia has also discussed the option of travel bubbles with other low-risk places such as Taiwan, Japan and Singapore.\n\nA passenger from New Zealand arriving at Sydney Airport last October\n\nA vaccination scheme is due to begin in Australia in late February. Local authorities have resisted calls to speed up the process, giving more time for regulatory approvals.\n\nAustralia has so far reported 909 deaths and about 22,000 cases, far fewer than many nations. It reported zero locally transmitted infections on Monday.\n\nExperts have attributed much of Australia's success to its swift border lockdown - which affected travellers from China as early as February - and a hotel quarantine system for people entering the country.\n\nLocal outbreaks have been caused by hotel quarantine breaches, including a second wave in Melbourne. The city's residents endured a stringent four-month lockdown last year to successfully suppress the virus.\n\nOther outbreaks - including one in Sydney which has infected about 200 people - prompted internal border closures between states, and other restrictions around Christmas time.\n\nThe state of Victoria said on Monday it would again allow entry to Sydney residents outside of designated \"hotspots\", following a decline in cases.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Travel abroad UK: How to fly during a global pandemic\n\nWhile the measures have been praised, many have also criticised them for separating families across state borders and damaging businesses.\n\nDr Murphy said overall Australia's virus response had been \"pretty good\" but he believed the nation could have introduced face masks earlier and improved its protections in aged care homes.\n\nIn recent days, Australia has granted entry to about 1,200 tennis players, staff and officials for the Australian Open. The contingent - which has recorded at least nine infections - is under quarantine.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Ms Davies-Jones wanted to highlight how \"vitally important\" smear tests are\"\n\nAn MP has described how she had to have most of her cervix removed after putting off a smear test for several months.\n\nPontypridd MP Alex Davies-Jones, 31, said she was invited for her first routine screening in December 2015 and \"like so many others, I put it off\".\n\nFollowing a reminder in April 2016 she went for the cervical screening.\n\nShe wrote in the i newspaper it led to her being diagnosed with CIN3, abnormal cells and had to have surgery.\n\nIf left untreated, CIN3 can have a high chance of becoming cancerous.\n\nMs Davies-Jones wrote in the paper she was left \"without the majority of my cervix\" after the surgery.\n\nShe said she used her article to urge others \"don't delay in booking\" and said she felt compelled to write about her experiences for Cervical Cancer Prevention Week.\n\nA cervical screening checks the health of your cervix.\n\nA small sample of cells is taken from the cervix and checked for certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV) that can cause changes to the cells.\n\nIf present the sample is then checked for any changes in the cells which can be treated before they get a chance to turn into cervical cancer.\n\nThe NHS advises women between the ages of 25 to 49 to have a smear test every three years.\n\nAlex Davies-Jones became the Labour MP for Pontypridd in the 2019 General Election\n\nShe wrote: \"I used all of the usual excuses that you may have heard before.\n\n\"I was simply too busy, I couldn't get an appointment and I had no symptoms or abnormalities that were worrying me.\"\n\nMs Davies-Jones wrote she thought the routine screening would \"just be five minutes of awkward conversation with the nurse at my local GP whilst taking my knickers off\".\n\n\"I didn't ever think that there could be a chance that my cells would be 'abnormal' and that the next few months of my life would leave me terrified and constantly contemplating my own mortality.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Chloe Delevingne had a smear test live on the Victoria Derbyshire programme to show what the procedure involved\n\nIf she had put off the screening any longer \"the situation could have been different\", the MP wrote.\n\nShe said she first received a type of laser treatment to \"burn off the abnormal cells from my cervix\" but more treatment was needed after the doctor told her the abnormal cells on her cervix were \"embedded deeper and looked more challenging than expected\".\n\nThen she had to have surgery, a \"cold knife biopsy\".\n\n\"I was without the majority of my cervix, but my life was saved. It was over,\" she wrote.\n\n\"Sadly, for many this isn't the case. For the next few years, I attended screenings every six months to ensure the abnormal cells didn't return.\n\n\"My last screening was in April 2018. Thankfully again all was fine but the anxiety and fear that surrounded me as I awaited those results has stayed with me even now.\"\n\nShe went on to give birth to her son Sullivan in March 2019.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "In 2009, Spector was convicted of the 2003 murder of Hollywood actress Lana Clarkson\n\nThe BBC has apologised for the original headline in its reporting of the death of the convicted murderer Phil Spector.\n\nThe former music producer died on Saturday at the age of 81, while serving a prison sentence for the murder of Lana Clarkson in 2003.\n\nThe first version on the breaking news story on the BBC News website carried the headline: \"Talented but flawed producer Phil Spector dies aged 81\".\n\nThe BBC said the headline \"did not meet our editorial standards\".\n\nThe text was quickly changed to: \"Pop producer jailed for murder dies at 81.\"\n\n\"This was changed within minutes and we also deleted a tweet that had gone out automatically with the original headline,\" a statement issued by the BBC read.\n\n\"We apologise for this error.\"\n\n\"Our coverage of the story across BBC News has been clear that Phil Spector was convicted of the murder of Lana Clarkson and had a long history of violence and abuse,\" it continued.\n\nSpector was convicted of murdering Clarkson, an actress, in 2009.\n\nHis death was confirmed by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.\n\nReacting to the original version of the BBC's story, pop star Lily Allen tweeted: \"Rolling eyes at all the journos deliberately downplaying Phil Spector being a murderer in their headlines, so everyone points this out while linking to their articles resulting in lots of clicks.\"\n\n\"How about 'Murderer, Phil Spector dies aged 81'?\" offered author and historian Hallie Rubenhold.\n\nThe headline was also discussed on TV and radio programmes on Monday, including Loose Women and Radio 4's Woman's Hour, and prompted an article in the Guardian.\n\nThe phrasing of the BBC's article - and others like it - were \"a reflection of how a man's 'genius' is often viewed as more important than a woman's humanity,\" said columnist Arwa Mahdawi.\n\nSpector, who transformed pop with his \"wall of sound\" recordings, worked with The Beatles, The Righteous Brothers and Tina Turner.\n\nBut after the commercial failure of Tina Turner's River Deep, Mountain High, he largely withdrew from public life, and entered a long decline, marked by erratic behaviour, heavy drinking, and a fondness for guns.\n\nHis turbulent marriage to Ronettes singer Veronica Bennett, known as Ronnie Spector, ended in divorce.\n\n\"Unfortunately Phil was not able to live and function outside of the recording studio,\" she wrote after his death was announced. \"Darkness set in, many lives were damaged.\"\n\nSinger Darlene Love, who sang on several songs Spector produced, said he \"changed the sound of rock 'n' roll\" but likened their relationship to \"a bad marriage\".\n\n\"The problem I have with Phil is that he wanted to control Darlene Love's talent,\" she told Variety. \"If he couldn't do that, he was going to do everything in his power to keep my talent from shining.\"\n\nWeeks before Lana Clarkson was shot dead, Spector gave a rare interview to British broadsheet The Telegraph.\n\n\"I would say I'm probably relatively insane, to an extent,\" he told the paper, adding that he had \"devils inside that fight me\".\n\nFollow us on Facebook or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. 'I was spat at working as an ambulance paramedic'\n\nAfter experiencing its most difficult period of the entire Covid-19 pandemic in December, the boss of Welsh Ambulance Service said it was still under \"extreme pressure\".\n\nAt one stage, 400 staff - 12% of all workers - were sick or self-isolating.\n\nJason Killens said this was exacerbated by high call numbers and \"significant delays\" handing patients to hospitals.\n\nOne paramedic described questioning whether he was in the right job after being spat at during the pandemic.\n\nThe chief executive said it meant \"patients with less serious conditions waited much longer than we would like\".\n\nParamedic Stan Baxter was assaulted by someone who spat at him\n\nParamedic Stan Baxter, describing the pressure he and colleagues were under, said at one point an incident caused him to question whether he wanted to continue working.\n\n\"During the peak of the pandemic last year, I was assaulted by a member of the public where I was spat at in the face,\" he said.\n\n\"And that's really the only time that I've stopped and gone: 'Is this for me?'\"\n\nHowever the \"vast majority of the public\" had been \"absolutely fantastic\", he stressed, adding: \"We've had people waving at us, buying us coffee.\"\n\nLuke Robinson and Stan Baxter must wear more protective equipment when they help patients\n\nFor his work partner, Luke Robinson, their job made it clear how coronavirus had made a resurgence across the country.\n\n\"I worked New Year's Eve and I responded to a number of incidents which involved just regular health complaints,\" he said.\n\n\"But next door or in the adjacent building there's people having parties and you can tell that there's large gatherings going on. And it's really frustrating because it really hammers home that some people aren't listening to the rules.\n\n\"And it's not surprising that we're seeing a second wave now.\"\n\nMr Killens said the pressure was now \"palpably less\" compared to last month, but admitted difficult weeks lie ahead.\n\n\"December was probably the most pressurised period during the whole pandemic for a number of reasons,\" he said.\n\n\"Staff that were symptomatic or isolating, that's been at its peak in December.\n\n\"We've seen more work both in the 111 and 999 service, that is patients contacting us with Covid-related symptoms, and of course because of the pressure on the rest of the NHS, we've seen extended handover at some of our emergency departments and what that's meant regrettably is some less serious patients have waited a lot longer in the community than I would have expected.\"\n\nSoldiers have been helping to relieve pressure on ambulance staff\n\nThe ambulance service has been at its highest level of alert - described as \"extreme pressure\" - since early December.\n\nIt was so bad at the beginning of the month, the service had to declare a \"critical incident\", because of severe problems in south east Wales in particular - and one man had to wait 19 hours in an ambulance outside a hospital.\n\nThis strain has been partly blamed for deteriorating ambulance response times, with the situation exacerbated by the fact hospitals are struggling.\n\nAmbulances spent more than 11,661 hours outside emergency departments waiting to transfer patients in December - an equivalent to a total of more than 485 days. The average delay was one hour and eight minutes.\n\nThe Ambulance Service has been hit by high numbers of staff sick or self-isolating\n\n\"We would usually see handover delays through winter - but what's unique this time is the overlay of the pandemic,\" Mr Killens added.\n\n\"There has to be additional distancing, this means less capacity in emergency departments.\n\n\"Testing also needs to be done before patients are admitted - the additional complexities mean the process is slower and there's less space for patients to go into.\"\n\nHe said the impact of implementing Covid precautions is also affecting how quickly crews can respond.\n\n\"As a result of the virus, we're having to clean vehicles and equipment more frequently and thoroughly than before,\" Mr Killens said.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\n\"Also there are levels for personal protective equipment that staff have to wear to protect themselves and others. Level three - the highest in some cases.\n\n\"And it takes a number of minutes for crews to put that on before staff treat the patients.\"\n\nTo bolster staffing levels and speed up response times, about 80 soldiers are assisting the Welsh Ambulance Service for the second time since the start of the pandemic - along with smaller number of staff from other services like the fire service.\n\n\"They are driving emergency ambulances for us... which means an emergency ambulance clinician can look after the patient,\" Mr Killens added.\n\n\"They'll drive the ambulance from the scene to hospital... it enables us to put more ambulances on the streets to respond to patients more quickly given the levels of absence that we've seen.\"\n\nParamedics now have to carry out a more rigorous and time-consuming cleaning regime\n\nAfter facing relentless pressure for close to a year, Mr Killens is worried about the impact on mental health and well-being of ambulance and control centre staff.\n\nThe service is focused on \"what we can do to keep them fit and well\", he said.\n\nBut he praised staff for \"stepping up to the plate\" - and insists some of the lessons learnt during the last year will benefit the service during the longer term.\n\n\"I've been in the ambulance sector for 25 years and this is like dealing with a very long incident,\" said Mr Killens.\n\n\"So, a major incident an emergency service routinely responds to generally will be over in a couple of hours. But the level of pressure has been sustained now for 12 months.\n\n\"All of our people have stepped up and done what was necessary and got on with providing the best care in really difficult circumstances.... we will come through it and at the end of the pandemic and will be a stronger organisation for it.\"\n\nHe believes the service is now \"on the home straight\" in dealing with the pandemic.\n\n\"We've had two waves of this virus and learnt much along the way, and with a vaccine rollout we have a real opportunity now to see an end to the disruption, the personal impact and the level of death and harm,\" Mr Killens said.\n\n\"By the time we get to the other side of the spring, probably we will be able to return to some kind of normality whatever that will be 18 months into a pandemic.\n\n\"There's a couple of difficult weeks to come, but if we can emerge through February and March, provided we all stick to the rules, because it's easy for the virus to grab hold again if we get complacent .... we'll be in a far better position as we come to the spring.\"", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Sheku Bayoh death: Eyewitness says stamping attack on officer 'never happened'\n\nTwo police officers involved in the death of a black man they were restraining may have provided false statements, the BBC can reveal.\n\nThey said Sheku Bayoh carried out a stamping attack on a female PC before he was brought to the ground and restrained by up to six officers.\n\nBut now an eyewitness has spoken publicly for the first time about the 2015 incident.\n\nHe told a Panorama investigation that the stamping attack \"never happened\".\n\nThe Scottish Police Federation said its officers had cooperated truthfully with investigators.\n\nMr Bayoh, a 31-year-old father of two, died in the incident in the Fife town of Kirkcaldy in 2015.\n\nA public inquiry into the circumstances surrounding his death has recently got under way. One of its tasks is to examine whether his race was a factor.\n\nSheku Bayoh was restrained on the ground for five minutes before falling unconscious\n\nOn the night of 2 May 2015, Sheku Bayoh had taken drugs, which friends said dramatically altered his behaviour.\n\nPolice were called early the following morning after he was spotted behaving erratically with a knife in the streets of his home town.\n\nAccording to police statements, by the time the officers arrived at the scene Mr Bayoh no longer had the knife but he failed to obey instructions to get down on the ground.\n\nEach of the officers used force on Mr Bayoh within seconds of encountering him, including CS Spray and batons.\n\nHe then punched PC Nicole Short, who went to the ground.\n\nTwo officers, PCs Craig Walker and Ashley Tomlinson, would later tell investigators that Mr Bayoh then carried out a violent stamping attack on PC Short while she lay on the ground, a claim reported widely in the media.\n\nThe stamping attack was widely reported in the newspapers\n\nPC Walker told investigators: \"I had a clear view of him… he had his arms raised up at right angles to his body and brought his right foot down in a full-force stamp on to her lower back.\"\n\nPC Tomlinson said: \"I thought he had killed her. He stomped on her back again.\"\n\nNow, evidence obtained by Panorama suggests these accounts may be false.\n\nMr Bayoh was restrained on the ground for five minutes before falling unconscious. He was pronounced dead at hospital a short time later.\n\nA post-mortem examination report revealed 23 separate injuries to Mr Bayoh's body, including a broken rib and gashes to his head. The cause of death was recorded as \"sudden death in a man intoxicated [with drugs] whilst under restraint\".\n\nIn 2018, the Crown Office in Scotland decided there would be no prosecutions against any officers involved.\n\nKevin Nelson gave evidence to investigators two days after the incident\n\nKevin Nelson was in a nearby house and saw events unfold over a garden hedge.\n\nHe gave his account to investigators from Pirc (Police Investigations and Review Commissioner), which investigates deaths in custody, two days after the incident.\n\nSpeaking publicly for the first time, Mr Nelson told Panorama he saw Mr Bayoh attempt to walk away from the officers, ignoring their commands, before being sprayed with CS spray. He said Mr Bayoh retaliated and punched PC Short.\n\nAsked if there had been any further contact with PC Short, he said, \"No. He was running off… after the punch, there was no more attack on her at all.\"\n\nMr Nelson said Mr Bayoh ran off from where PC Short went down and was quickly intercepted by the other officers.\n\nAsked about PC Walker's claim that Mr Bayoh had \"his arms raised up… and brought his right foot down in a full force stamp\", Mr Nelson said: \"That never happened. I didn't see him stamping at all or, other than the punch, any raised arms.\n\n\"After the punch, that was it. There was no more attack on her at all. That's not right.\"\n\nThe officers provided their accounts to investigators 32 days after Mr Bayoh's death.\n\nMr Nelson said no-one from Pirc returned to ask about the discrepancy between their account and his.\n\nThe eyewitness said he decided to speak out because it was unfair on Mr Bayoh's family that the officers had \"made the incident worse than it actually was to justify what had happened and… that's not right\".\n\nMr Nelson's account is supported by CCTV footage of the incident, obtained by the BBC.\n\nIt is poor quality but appears to show that once PC Short is knocked down by Mr Bayoh, the action moves away from her, and he is brought down within five seconds.\n\nPC Short did not mention in her statement she had been stamped on. Now retired, she later said she was unsure if she was conscious, and only learned about the alleged stamping attack when her colleagues told her about it afterwards.\n\nIn the CCTV, PC Short appears to get to her feet a few seconds after Mr Bayoh is brought down.\n\nMike Franklin says conflicts of evidence should have been resolved\n\nMike Franklin, former commissioner for the body which investigated police complaints in England and Wales, looked at Panorama's evidence.\n\nHe said: \"I think there's nothing more serious than a police officer who gives false information in an investigation where somebody has died. So without accusing them of lying, I simply say that there's a big conflict.\n\n\"Two officers who were there say that it did happen. The person to whom it happened didn't mention it. And an eyewitness says it didn't happen.\n\n\"I would've been reluctant to sign off the investigation as complete, without resolving those… conflicts of evidence.\"\n\nMr Bayoh's sister, Kadi Johnson, told Panorama the new allegations had made her \"really angry\".\n\nShe said the way her brother was \"painted\" by the accounts given after his death was not who he was.\n\nMr Bayoh's sister, Kadi Johnson, said the new allegations had made her really angry\n\nA spokesman for the Scottish Police Federation, which represents rank and file officers, said serving officers were unable to comment on matters \"to which they may be called upon to give sworn evidence\" but that they had \"co-operated fully and truthfully with the investigations that have taken place\".\n\nIt added it had seen \"compelling material that Mr Bayoh did violently stamp on the back of a policewoman as she lay unconscious\".\n\nThe BBC asked for this material to be produced but was told the inquiry was the \"proper forum\" for such matters.\n\nThe Crown Office, which directed the Pirc Inquiry, told Panorama it had examined \"eye-witness accounts of police and civilian witnesses\" and instructed \"appropriate investigation\".\n\nIt said after careful consideration it was decided there should be no prosecutions but reserved the right to prosecute should evidence become available.\n\nPirc told Panorama its investigation was \"detailed and extensive\" but could not comment further because of the public inquiry.\n\nPolice Scotland Chief Constable Iain Livingstone expressed his condolences to the Bayoh family and said the force would \"participate fully\" in the inquiry.\n\nKevin Clarke died after being restrained in London by up to nine officers\n\nPanorama's \"I Can't Breathe: Black and Dead in Custody\" also investigates the case of Kevin Clarke, 35, who died in 2018 after being restrained in London by up to nine officers.\n\nAn inquest into his death resulted in a damning verdict on the police and ambulance services.\n\nMr Clarke's sister Tellecia told the programme that if the officers \"hadn't used excessive force he would still be here today… treat him like a human being, and not just see him as a big scary black man\".\n\nMetropolitan Police Commander Bas Javid apologised to Mr Clarke's family and accepted the restraint had not been appropriate.", "Lisbet Stone is stranded at Madrid Airport due to having an out-of-date coronavirus test result\n\nPassenger Lisbet Stone says she is stuck in Madrid Airport after airline officials said her coronavirus test result was out of date.\n\nFrom Monday, travellers arriving in the UK, whether by boat, train or plane, have to show proof of a negative Covid-19 test to be allowed entry.\n\nThe test must be taken in the three days before travelling.\n\nFor those with connecting flights, the test must be 72 hours before your final departure point to England.\n\nAnyone arriving without one faces a fine of up to £500.\n\nMrs Stone originally travelled to Cuba in February 2020 to see family. The British Cuban dual national was unable to fly home to the UK when Cuba closed its borders in March.\n\nThe family say she had several previous flights cancelled before finally being able to leave this weekend. She hasn't been able to see her four children or her husband Trevor in 11 months.\n\nThe government are understood to be speaking to Air Europa to try to get Mrs Stone home. Carriers have been told that they should permit stranded passengers to board and will not be fined for doing so.\n\nWhile Mrs Stone has been caught out by the new restrictions for incoming travellers, the first day of the new regulations appeared to go smoothly.\n\nMrs Stone left Jose Marti International Airport in Havana, Cuba, on Sunday night to fly back to the UK via Madrid.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Coronavirus: How to fly during a global pandemic (this video reflects the rules before the hotel quarantine was introduced in the UK)\n\nShe took a Covid test on Thursday to be guaranteed a result by Saturday. It was negative and Mrs Stone was able to board the plane from Cuba.\n\nHowever, on arrival at Madrid-Barajas Airport, Mrs Stone says she was stopped from boarding the next leg of her journey to London Gatwick by Air Europa staff, because her test had been taken more than 72 hours before the final flight.\n\n\"She's crying her eyes out,\" says Trevor Stone, her husband. \"I feel absolutely helpless. She doesn't have any Euros as she wasn't meant to stay in Spain. The authorities have given her no help whatsoever, we are just trying to understand what to do.\n\n\"She took her test 72 hours before the start of her journey, but had to take a connecting flight onwards. There would be no other way to do it, it is not physically possible.\"\n\nIn the meantime, Mr Stone says he has been home-schooling their four children on his own through the pandemic.\n\nTrevor Stone (left) has been caring for the couple's four children on his own for 11 months since Lisbet Stone was unable to leave Cuba\n\n\"We are just desperate to get her home - I'm so worried about her and after 11 months, she really wants to see her children,\" he added. \"We haven't done anything wrong, I don't know what to do or who to turn to.\"\n\nA Department for Transport spokesman said: \"Passengers travelling to the UK must provide proof of a negative coronavirus test which meets the performance standards set out by the government in the guidance published on gov.uk.\n\n\"The type of test could include a PCR test or antigen test, including a lateral flow test. Anyone who cannot provide the necessary documentation may not be allowed to board their flight.\"\n\nAir Europa and Madrid Airport have been approached by the BBC for comment.", "Medical staff are expected to \"face pressures unlike any other they have faced before\" as NI approaches its toughest week so far in the pandemic.\n\nThe British Medical Association has said while its doctors are \"coping\", many feel they are unable to give care to the \"standard they would want\".\n\nThe peak in intensive care is predicted to happen next weekend.\n\nThe head of the BMA in NI, Dr Tom Black has been critical of the way this wave of the pandemic has been managed.\n\nHe said: \"Staff will do their best in a very difficult situation, where many decisions in this pandemic were made too late.\"\n\nWhile it is expected the number of hospital admissions will peak sometime over the next eight to 10 days, the number requiring intensive care treatment is likely to continue increasing for at least another fortnight.\n\nDr Black said he was concerned for both patients and staff.\n\nHe said: \"It is likely that over the next few weeks doctors will be asked to work in a new location or provide support to areas that are already overstretched.\n\n\"Many have already had planned annual leave cancelled.\"\n\nThere were a further 19 virus-related deaths and 640 more Covid-19 cases reported in Northern Ireland on Monday.\n\nThe latest figures from the Department of Health bring the total number of deaths to 1,625, while 96,001 people have tested positive for the virus since the pandemic began.\n\nSome 65 patients are in ICU, down two from the last report, and 51 patients are being ventilated.\n\nSince the vaccine rollout began in NI, 146,733 people have been vaccinated, according to the Department of Health.\n\nOf that number, 125,717 were first doses and 21,016 were second jabs.\n\nA total of 31,393 people from the over-80 age group have been vaccinated.\n\nEarlier the BMA told BBC News NI that more than 90,000 doses the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine had arrived in Northern Ireland but the Department of Health has said it is anticipated separate deliveries will arrive by this weekend.\n\nDr Black said many staff members had reported feeling \"exhausted and demoralised\" and he warned that when it came to reviewing how the pandemic was handled \"this phase will stand out as one where we could have planned better\".\n\nHealth Minister Robin Swann said the next seven days is \"when we will see that real intense pressure coming on our inpatients and intensive care units\".\n\n\"Our worst case scenario has modelling up to 1,200 inpatients - and that's a serious pressure that comes on our system,\" he told Radio Ulster's Evening Extra programme.\n\n\"We can go up into nearly 200 ICU capacity but that comes at a stretch, that comes with putting our staff under severe pressure in ICU units.\n\n\"It also comes by having to shift the ICU specialist nurse from a ratio of one-to-one to a ratio of one-to-two or even one-to-three in extreme pressures.\n\n\"That's not something we want to do,\" he added.\n\nThe past week saw hospitals across Northern Ireland coming together in order to cope with the strain.\n\nOn 10 January, the Southern Health Trust was on the cusp of declaring a major incident amid the mounting pressures across the health service.\n\nThat was avoided as many off-duty staff answered a call to come into work and the health trusts pulled together to provide a regional response to the crisis.\n\nPatients were diverted to those hospitals which could take them and where infrastructure could cope with supplying additional oxygen to the very ill.\n\nOver the weekend of 9/10 January the Southern Health Trust - the smallest of the health trusts - was dealing with the highest number of patients who required oxygen.\n\nIn the past week the Northern and Southern Health Trusts have seen the highest number of patients.\n\nThat reflects the high rate of community transmission in some areas those trusts cover.\n\nMeanwhile, no resolution has been reached between Stormont leaders and the Irish Government over the sharing of passenger data.\n\nLast week, First Minister Arlene Foster and Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill criticised Dublin for failing to share information on travellers arriving there during the pandemic.\n\nMichelle O'Neill said it was \"regrettable\" the issue has not been resolved\n\nFirst Minister Arlene Foster said repeated efforts to access data on passenger locator forms filled out by people arriving in the Republic of Ireland had failed.\n\nMrs Foster and Ms O'Neill indicated on Thursday that they planned to raise the matter directly with Taoiseach (Irish prime minsiter) Micheál Martin.\n\nMs O'Neill told the Northern Ireland Assembly on Monday that no resolution has been found yet.\n\nShe told MLAs the issue had been raised \"on every occasion we have had the opportunity\" and that it was \"regrettable\" that the issue had not been resolved.\n\nThe travel issue will be discussed at a meeting on Wednesday involving the first minister, the deputy first minister, Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney and NI Secretary of State Brandon Lewis.\n\n\"I hope that perhaps Wednesday's meeting will allow some opportunity for there to be a way forward,\" the deputy first minister added.\n\nIt was announced on Sunday that all travellers who have returned from Portugal or transited through 16 South American countries in the past 14 days will have to - along with their household - self-isolate for 10 days upon return to Northern Ireland.\n\nThis includes travellers who entered these countries en route to another destination. All travellers returning home from South America are advised to be tested, whether or not they have symptoms.\n\nFrom Thursday, all international travellers will be required to present a negative Covid-19 test result before arriving in Northern Ireland.\n\nThis rule comes into effect in England, Scotland and Wales on Monday.\n\nOn Monday, the Department of Health in the Republic of Ireland reported eight more coronavirus-related deaths.\n\nIt brings its death toll to 2,616.\n\nThe department said 2,121 new cases of the virus had been reported, with a cumulative total of 174,843 infections.\n\nIt said that as of 14:00 local time on Monday, 1,975 Covid-19 patients are in hospital, of which 200 are in ICU (intensive care units).\n\nIrish Chief Medical Officer, Dr Tony Holohan, said: \"This third wave of the pandemic has seen higher level of hospitalisations across all age groups.\n\n\"There are now more sick people in hospital than any time in the course of this pandemic\".", "All travellers arriving in the UK will need to show proof of a negative Covid-19 test\n\nAll UK travel corridors, which allow arrivals from some countries to avoid having to quarantine, have now closed.\n\nTravellers arriving in the UK, whether by boat, train or plane, also have to show proof of a negative Covid-19 test to be allowed entry.\n\nThe test must be taken in the 72 hours before travelling and anyone arriving without one faces a fine of up to £500.\n\nAll passengers will still be required to quarantine for up to 10 days.\n\nThe isolation period can be cut short with a negative test after five days in England, but it does not apply in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.\n\nThe government has said the travel corridor closure will be in force until at least 15 February.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Coronavirus: How to fly during a global pandemic (this video reflects the rules before the hotel quarantine was introduced in the UK)\n\nUnder the new rules, travellers arriving from the Falklands, St Helena and Ascension Islands are exempt.\n\nThose arriving from some Caribbean islands are exempt until 04:00 GMT on Thursday 21 January.\n\nForeign Secretary Dominic Raab told the BBC'S Andrew Marr Show on Sunday that Public Health England would be stepping up checks on travellers who must self-isolate.\n\nHe said enforcement checks at borders would also be \"ramped up\" and added that asking all arrivals to self-isolate in hotels was a \"potential measure\" the government was keeping under review.\n\nPassengers arriving into London's Heathrow airport on Monday said they had been met with \"substantial\" queues at passport control and one couple complained they had \"felt unsafe\" due to what they described as poor social distancing.\n\nPassengers speak to staff at the entrance to the Covid-19 Testing Centre at Heathrow\n\nAndy Hart, from London, who had arrived into the UK from Nairobi, said: \"We felt that even though everyone was masked they were far too close together.\n\n\"It took an hour and 10 minutes. I've been flying 30 times a year for 20 years. I mean, once or twice have I ever seen it [airport queues] like this. How can this happen during Covid times?\"\n\nMeanwhile on Sunday, the government announced that a financial support scheme for airports in England would open this month in response to the new travel curbs.\n\nAviation minister Robert Courts said the aim was to provide grants of up to £8m per applicant by the end of this financial year. The scheme was first announced in November but without a start date.\n\nIndustry groups have warned there was only so long airports could \"run on fumes\", following the announcement of the new quarantine rules.\n\nEasyJet chief executive Johan Lundgren said the closure of the travel corridors will not have a \"significant impact\" on his airline in the short term as flight numbers were already limited due to the pandemic.\n\nHe told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the minimum number of days arrivals must wait to take a negative test releasing them from quarantine could be reduced from five days to three days.\n\nKaren Dee, chief executive of trade body the Airport Operators Association, said she supported the decision to close the travel corridors but stressed the need for \"a clear pathway out\".\n\nA ban on travellers from South America, Portugal and Cape Verde also came into force on Friday, having been imposed over concerns about a new variant identified in Brazil.\n\nNew variants causing concern have previously been identified in the UK and South Africa, with many countries imposing restrictions on arrivals from both nations.\n\nScientists fear the variants seen in South Africa and Brazil may interfere with the effectiveness of vaccines and evade parts of the immune system.\n\nThe travel industry has said closing the travel corridors was understandable due to the health emergency, but warned it would deepen the crisis for the sector.\n\nTim Alderslade, chief executive of Airlines UK, said the system had been \"a lifeline for the industry\" last summer but \"things change and there's no doubting this is a serious health emergency\". He said he assumed the government would remove the latest restrictions as soon as it was safe.\n\n\"We've had no revenue now effectively for 12 months, give or take a few months in the summer last year. If we're going to have an aviation sector coming out of this we need to open up in the summer,\" he told the BBC.\n\nThe Department for Transport has said it is supporting the travel industry with an extension to the furlough scheme until the end of April, business rates relief and tax deferrals.\n\nWith all parts of the UK under strict virus rules amid high levels of infection, only essential travel is permitted.\n\nOn Sunday, another 671 deaths within 28 days of a positive Covid test were reported in the UK, and a further 38,598 lab-confirmed cases of coronavirus.\n\nAre you due to travel back to the UK from overseas? Do you work in the travel industry? Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "Phil Spector pictured in court during his murder trial\n\nUS music producer Phil Spector has died at the age of 81, while serving a prison sentence for murder.\n\nSpector, who transformed pop with his \"wall of sound\" recordings, worked with the Beatles, the Righteous Brothers and Ike and Tina Turner.\n\nIn 2009, he was convicted of the 2003 murder of Hollywood actress Lana Clarkson.\n\nHis death was confirmed by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.\n\n\"California Health Care Facility inmate Phillip Spector was pronounced deceased of natural causes at 6:35 p.m. on Saturday, January 16, 2021, at an outside hospital. His official cause of death will be determined by the medical examiner in the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office,\" it said.\n\nSpector produced 20 top 40 hits between 1961 and 1965. His production methods influenced major artists including the Beach Boys and Bruce Springsteen.\n\nHis life was ultimately blighted by drug and alcohol addiction, and he all but retired from the music scene during the 1980s and 1990s.\n\nIn February 2003, actress Lana Clarkson was found dead at his house in Alhambra, California with a bullet wound to her head. Clarkson, who was known for her work in the sword-and-sorcery genre and starred in films including Barbarian Queen, had met Spector hours earlier at a nightclub.\n\nSpector claimed the shooting happened when Clarkson \"kissed the gun\" - but his trial heard from four women who claimed Spector had threatened them with guns in the past when they had spurned his advances.\n\nFollowing an initial mistrial, Spector was convicted of second degree murder and given a sentence of 19 years to life.\n\nLana Clarkson was an actress and model who starred in the film 1985 Barbarian Queen\n\nHarvey Phillip Spector was born in New York in 1939, to Russian-Jewish parents. His father killed himself when Spector was a boy, and his mother moved her family to Los Angeles.\n\nHe began his career in his teens as a performer, forming a band - the Teddy Bears - with three high school friends. They had a hit single in 1958 with a song that took its title from the wording on his father's gravestone: \"To know him is to love him.\"\n\nThe record went to number one on the Billboard Hot 100, but the group split the following year.\n\nSpector founded his own record label, Philles, in 1961. He produced high-profile 1960s girl groups such as Crystals and the Ronettes, including on 1963 hits Be My Baby and Baby I Love You.\n\nHe also worked on The Righteous Brothers' hits You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' and Unchained Melody.\n\nSpector produced hits for The Ronettes, later marrying their lead singer Ronnie Bennett\n\nHis signature production technique, the \"Wall of Sound,\" involved layering several instruments, including strings, woodwind and brass, to give a lush, orchestral sound.\n\nIn the early 1970s, Spector collaborated with The Beatles on their final album Let It Be, as well as producing John Lennon's solo album Imagine.\n\nAs the decade progressed, the much-feted producer became reclusive and disturbing accounts of his behaviour became widespread. Spector is said to have held a gun to singer Leonard Cohen's head during sessions for his album Death of a Ladies' Man.\n\nRonettes lead singer Veronica \"Ronnie\" Bennett, who became Spector's second wife and divorced him in 1974, wrote in her 1990 autobiography that he subjected her to years of horrific abuse. She said he had threatened to kill her and display her body in a glass-topped coffin he kept in her basement.\n\n\"I can only say that when I left in the early '70s, I knew that if I didn't leave at that time, I was going to die there,\" Ronnie wrote of the time.\n\nWriting on Instagram after her ex-husband's death, Ronnie Spector said he had been \"a brilliant producer but a lousy husband\".\n\n\"When I was working with Phil Spector, watching him create in the recording studio, I knew I was working with the very best,\" she wrote. \"He was in complete control, directing everyone. So much to love about those days.\n\n\"Meeting him and falling in love was like a fairytale,\" she continued. \"The magical music we were able to make together was inspired by our love. I loved him madly, and gave my heart and soul to him.\n\n\"Unfortunately Phil was not able to live and function outside of the recording studio. Darkness set in, many lives were damaged.\"\n\nSinger Darlene Love, who sang on several songs Spector produced, said he \"changed the sound of rock 'n' roll\" but likened their relationship to \"a bad marriage\".\n\n\"The problem I have with Phil is that he wanted to control Darlene Love's talent,\" she told Variety. \"If he couldn't do that, he was going to do everything in his power to keep my talent from shining.\"\n\nWeeks before Lana Clarkson was shot dead, Spector gave a rare interview to British broadsheet The Telegraph.\n\n\"I would say I'm probably relatively insane, to an extent,\" he told the paper, adding that he had \"devils inside that fight me\".\n\nResponding to news of the producer's death, Blondie guitarist Chris Stein tweeted: \"When we went to Phil Spector's house in the 70s he came to the door holding a bottle of diet Manischewitz wine in one hand and a presumably loaded 45 automatic in the other. Long story.", "Now 20, he was jailed for life at Manchester Crown Court after admitting inciting terrorism overseas\n\nThe youngest person convicted of a terrorism offence in the UK - who plotted to murder police in Australia on Anzac Day aged 14 - can be freed from jail, the Parole Board has ruled.\n\nThe 20-year-old, from Blackburn, who can only be identified as RXG, sent encrypted messages inciting an Australian to launch attacks in 2015.\n\nHe was jailed for life that year after admitting inciting terrorism overseas.\n\nBut the Parole Board now says it is \"satisfied\" he is suitable for release.\n\n\"After considering the circumstances of his offending, the progress made while in detention, and the evidence presented at the hearings, the panel was satisfied that RXG was suitable for release,\" the board said in a document detailing the decision.\n\nDuring his trial, the court heard how at the age of 14, the boy adopted an older persona in messages to alleged Australian jihadist Sevdet Besim, 18, instructing him to kill police officers at the remembrance parade.\n\nHe sent thousands of messages suggesting Mr Besim get his \"first taste of beheading\" by attacking \"a proper lonely person\".\n\nAustralian police were alerted to the plot after British officers discovered material on the teenager's phone.\n\nA written summary of the Parole Board decision reveals that two hearings took place to consider the decision - hearings that included evidence from RXG himself.\n\nThe summary records that \"no-one at the hearing considered there to be a need for further time\" in custody and that \"all necessary work had been completed\".\n\nRXG, who became eligible for parole in October, is said to have \"undertaken extensive specialist work in detention to address his offending behaviour, his understanding of Islam and to develop his level of maturity\".\n\nThe Parole Board panel noted that \"considerable progress that had been made\", the summary records.\n\nLicense conditions for the 20-year-old a requirement to live at designated address, wearing an electronic tag, and limits on his contacts, movements and activities.\n\nAnzac Day is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand\n\nA ban on identifying RXG, made when he was sentenced, would normally have expired on his 18th birthday, but a number of media organisations made representations to the High Court, arguing that he should be named.\n\nBut in 2019, the court ruled identifying him was likely to cause him \"serious harm\", and so granted him lifelong anonymity.\n\nThe decision taken by the judge, Dame Victoria Sharp, has only been made in a small number of cases.\n\nIn 2016, two brothers who had tortured other children in South Yorkshire were granted lifelong anonymity.\n\nLifelong anonymity under new identities was also been granted after release to Mary Bell, the Newcastle child killer; Maxine Carr, who obstructed police investigating the 2002 Soham murders by her partner Ian Huntley; and Jon Venables and Robert Thompson, who murdered Liverpool toddler James Bulger.", "Soaring shipping costs are likely to cause a bounce in the cost of trampolines in the UK this summer, according to one games retailer.\n\nJames Owen, owner of Outdoor Toys, says high transport costs and port congestion may mean larger toys such as swings, trampolines and climbing frames will be more expensive.\n\nTrampoline prices could soar by 40-50%, he told BBC 5 Live's Wake Up to Money.\n\n\"The port congestion just keeps snowballing,\" he said.\n\n\"More and more issues keep arising,\" Mr Owen added. \"We can't get space out of China, there's a container shortage.\n\n\"Hauliers are really stretched, rates keep climbing.\"\n\nHis firm makes some products in the UK already and rising shipping costs will mean it will become economical to make more.\n\n\"For the first time ever, the ocean freight outweighs the cost of the item,\" in some cases, he said.\n\nDemand for Chinese goods has soared around the world in recent months, placing a strain on existing shipping capacity.\n\nThe price of shipping a 40-foot container on major world trade routes has almost tripled since a year ago, according to research firm Drewry.\n\nHauliers in the UK are also charging more. It used to cost about £650 to haul a container from the port of Felixstowe to the company's site in mid-Wales, Mr Owen says.\n\nThe cost is now up to £1,800 per container \"if you can get the haulier to take it,\" he says.\n\nWhether people will pay the premium for a new outdoor toy is \"a good question,\" he said.\n\nIt emerged over the weekend that Irish hauliers are bypassing Welsh ports to avoid Brexit bureaucracy.\n\nSo-called \"teething problems\" with new export rules are causing \"enormous strain on staff\", according to one haulage company.\n\nBut others warn of a longer-term shift by truck firms from using Holyhead, Fishguard and Pembroke Dock.", "Last updated on .From the section Cricket\n\nEngland won by seven wickets; take 1-0 series lead\n\nEngland wrapped up a seven-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the first Test of a two-match series in Galle.\n\nResuming on 38-3, needing another 36 for victory, Jonny Bairstow and debutant Dan Lawrence carried England to their target inside 35 minutes on the final morning of an enthralling encounter.\n\nBairstow ended unbeaten on 35 and Lawrence 21, although the latter survived an lbw review against Dilruwan Perera and Sri Lanka did not refer another shout that replays suggested would have been overturned.\n\nAfter England slipped to 14-3 during a frantic end to day four, Bairstow and Lawrence's unbroken 62-run stand guided them to an ultimately comfortable win.\n\nThe second Test starts at 04:30 GMT on Friday at the same ground.\n• None 'It wasn't perfect but England's win ticked a lot of boxes'\n• None 'We are on an upward curve' - Root savours fourth straight away win\n\nEngland are now unbeaten in nine Tests under Joe Root's captaincy, they have won four consecutive overseas Tests for the first time since 1957, and boast five successive wins in Sri Lanka.\n\nVictory improved England's chances of reaching the inaugural World Test Championship final at Lord's in June. They remain fourth in the standings, with the two top sides playing in the final.\n\nEngland out of the blocks quickly\n\nRoot's side have been slow starters in series in recent years - they lost the opening Test against Australia, New Zealand and South Africa in 2019, and against West Indies last summer.\n\nHowever, Sunday's top-order wobble aside, they were rarely troubled in the first of six successive Tests on the subcontinent - an achievement made all the more impressive given they had one day of match practice before this game.\n\nRoot scored a magnificent 226 in the first innings, and off-spinner Dom Bess and slow left-armer Jack Leach, who returned match figures of 8-130 and 6-177 respectively, found more rhythm as the game progressed, which bodes well for the sterner four-Test series in India that follows this tour.\n\nLawrence can take considerable credit for his first-innings 73 and the manner in which he helped negate England's second-innings nerves alongside the efficient Bairstow, while wicketkeeper Jos Buttler was tidy behind the stumps throughout on a dry, turning pitch.\n\nSri Lanka, meanwhile, were left wondering what if. Their collapse to 135 all out on the first day was described as \"one of the worse we've ever seen\", and even an extra 50 runs could have changed the course of this game.\n\n'Very impressive' - what they said\n\nEngland captain and player of the match Joe Root: \"To come here with the little preparation we have had and play in the manner we have is very impressive.\n\n\"We worked extremely hard and for the spinners to come out of the game with two five-fors is a great effort. Without the preparation, it is testament to their characters.\n\n\"It is a good start to the tour. We know we have to keep getting better but I am really pleased with the start we have had.\"\n\nEngland bowler Stuart Broad on BBC Test Match Special: \"It looked like we could lose a wicket every ball last night. We were pretty happy when play finished last night.\n\n\"It felt calm here this morning. We had a job to do and felt we had enough in tank to chase 30-odd. To do it without losing a wicket is awesome.\"\n\nFormer England captain Michael Vaughan: \"When I think about the preparation England have had, in Loughborough in a tent, one day in the middle in Sri Lanka and then rain, to put in this kind of performance is a great effort.\n\n\"I can't think Sri Lanka will gift England two poor days in the next Test - that match will be really tough.\n\n\"I am happy England have played in difficult conditions and won the game.\"\n\nSri Lanka captain Dinesh Chandimal: \"We were outplayed in first innings with bat and ball. As a batting unit, especially playing at home, you have to get a big total in the first innings. It cost us the game.\n\n\"Everyone did their bit in the second innings. We played outstanding knocks in the second innings. We have to take the positives out of this.\"\n\nSri Lanka coach Mickey Arthur: \"The first innings was very poor - it was an unacceptable batting performance.\n\n\"Even if we get 220 in the first innings we keep ourselves massively in the game, so that's where it was lost. We did put it right in the second innings. But it was too late.\"\n• None All the goals, highlights and analysis from the weekend's Premier League matches including Manchester United's visit to Anfield: MOTD2 is streaming now on BBC iPlayer", "Staff gathered outside a supermarket to pay their respects to a colleague who died with coronavirus.\n\nJohn Deacy, 81, worked the Christmas Eve shift at the Tesco Extra store in Gabalfa, Cardiff, died just two weeks later.\n\nFriends and colleagues clapped as the funeral procession went by the store.\n\nFormer members of a jazz band, formed by Mr Deacy in the 1970s, marched in front of the hearse.\n\nHis son, Wayne, 56, said: “My dad put everyone above himself. He’d do anything for anyone.\n\n\"He’d help anyone and would never speak badly of people.”\n\nMr Deacy was in the Royal Marines for seven years and was a semi-professional boxer before starting a career at the industrial gas company BOC.\n\nHe went on to work for the supermarket for 16 years.\n\n“We’ve had loads and loads of messages from hundreds of staff who said he will leave a massive gaping hole,\" his son said.", "BT is facing a class action lawsuit over claims it failed to compensate elderly customers who were overcharged for landlines for years.\n\nIn 2017, Ofcom said people who only had a landline telephone were \"getting poor value for money in a market that is not serving them well enough\".\n\nAs a result, BT reduced the price of its landlines by £7 a month.\n\nBut campaigners are unhappy that \"loyal customers\" have still not been compensated for previous overcharging.\n\n\"Ofcom made it very clear that BT had spent years overcharging landline customers, but did not order it to repay the money it made from this,\" said Justin Le Patourel, founder of consumer group Collective Action on Landlines (CALL) and a telecoms consultant who worked for Ofcom for 13 years.\n\n\"We think millions of BT's most loyal landline customers could be entitled to compensation of up to £500 each, and the filing of this claim starts that process.\"\n\nBT said it \"strongly disagrees\" with the claim that it had engaged in anti-competitive behaviour and intends to defend itself \"vigorously\" in court.\n\nA spokesman for BT said: \"We take our responsibilities to older and more vulnerable customers very seriously and will defend ourselves against any claim that suggests otherwise.\n\n\"For many years we've offered discounted landline and broadband packages in what is a competitive market with competing options available, and we take pride in our work with elderly and vulnerable groups, as well as our work on the Customer Fairness agenda.\"\n\nLaw firm Mishcon de Reya has filed a claim with the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) worth £600m. The claim could result in payments of up to £500 each for 2.3 million BT customers, should it be successful.\n\nThe case represents customers who purchased a BT landline contract, but did not also take BT broadband or pay TV packages.\n\nSince 2009, the wholesale costs of providing landlines to consumers have been falling by at least 25%.\n\nBut in October 2017, Ofcom found that all major landline providers in the UK had increased the line rental charges by 28-41%.\n\nOfcom strongly criticised market leader BT for raising prices, saying that customers were being given \"poor value\" for money.\n\nIt added that many of the affected customers had \"been with BT for decades\" and were more likely to be old, on low incomes and vulnerable.\n\nBT announced that it would slash its landline prices by £84 a year.\n\nBT's argument is that Ofcom's final statement did not explicitly accuse it of engaging in anti-competitive behaviour.\n\nBut independent telecoms analyst Ian Grant says that the telecoms giant \"has a history of abusing its position\".\n\n\"Earlier in 2017, Ofcom fined BT £42m because it was late providing high-speed Ethernet lines, and forced BT to make good the losses of firms like Vodafone and TalkTalk,\" he told the BBC.\n\n\"Ofcom, which has a statutory duty to stop consumer abuses, could have done the same for these customers. Instead, it allowed BT to get away with a 37% price cut, at a time when the difference between its costs and what it charged customers had risen between 50-74%.\"\n\nMr Grant added: \"It is especially poor that BT was overcharging customers who were mostly over 65, more than three-quarters of whom had never used a different provider, and for whom the telephone was their only communications link.\"", "Last updated on .From the section Premier League\n\nManchester United \"missed an opportunity\" to beat Liverpool, said boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after his side stayed top of the Premier League with a goalless draw against the champions.\n\nIt was a game that failed to justify the pre-match anticipation and Solskjaer will know his side had the better chances to claim a statement victory at Anfield.\n\nLiverpool, without a recognised centre-back and with midfielders Jordan Henderson and Fabinho in defence, dominated possession in the first half but it was United who came closest when Bruno Fernandes' 20-yard free-kick curled inches wide.\n\nFernandes was then thwarted after the break by the outstretched leg of Liverpool keeper Alisson before Thiago Alcantara's long-range effort finally brought the previously unemployed David de Gea into action.\n\nAlisson was Liverpool's hero late on when he blocked Paul Pogba's drive from point-blank range.\n\n\"It was an opportunity missed with the chances we had but then again we were playing a very good side.\" Solskjaer told BBC Sport. \"I'm disappointed but, still, a point is OK if you win the next one.\n\n\"We have improved and progressed. It's not just the result we're disappointed with, it's some of the performance. I know these boys can play better.\"\n\nUnited are now two points ahead of Manchester City, who moved up to second by beating Crystal Palace 4-0, and Leicester City in third. Liverpool, who have scored just one goal in their past four league games, have dropped to fourth, a point behind the Foxes.\n\n\"The performance was good enough to win it but to win a game you have to score goals and we didn't do that, so that's why we had that result,\" said Reds boss Jurgen Klopp.\n\n\"We try not to not score. We obviously have to ignore the fact and hope it will be good again.\"\n• None 'From dejection to frustration in 12 months, Anfield draw underlines Man Utd progress'\n• None Lawro's predictions v You Me At Six drummer Dan Flint\n\nKlopp cut a frustrated figure pretty much from the first whistle, his voice booming around Anfield with a tone of displeasure, showing unhappiness with his own players and officials.\n\nThe German's team, so used to steamrollering all before them in recent times, are going through a very dry spell and barely created an opening worthy of the name here against a resolute Manchester United defence.\n\nToo often, Liverpool's approach play ended with a careless pass or an aimless cross and the longer this game went on the more United looked the most likely winners.\n\nIt was perhaps inevitable Liverpool would be unable to maintain their relentless style, but there will be concerns they have now gone four league games without a win since Crystal Palace were demolished 7-0 at Selhurst Park.\n\nBefore this draw, West Bromwich Albion left Anfield with a point, while Liverpool also had a goalless draw at Newcastle United and lost at Southampton.\n\nSadio Mane and Mohamed Salah are feeding off scraps, while Roberto Firmino's impact was so minimal that he was withdrawn near the end, even with the hosts chasing a goal.\n\nA team as good as Liverpool will not remain off the boil for too long, but there is no doubt they are struggling for form and spark. The fact this is their longest barren sequence in the league since February and March 2005 tells the tale.\n\nManchester United may have a taken a point before this game and there will be justified satisfaction that they subdued Liverpool so completely, created the game's best chances and remain top of the table.\n\nAnd yet there must also be disappointment that they could not cash in completely on an off-colour Liverpool, with reality dawning on them very late that they could take all three points.\n\nFernandes, despite being poor in general, almost unlocked Liverpool twice, while Solskjaer and his backroom team threw their hands up in frustration as other good positions were wasted late on.\n\nIn the final reckoning, however, there will be few complaints at this outcome, which leaves them three points ahead of Liverpool with the visit to Anfield negotiated without mishap.\n\nUnited were well organised and grew into the game after a poor opening half-hour and had real defensive heroes in captain Harry Maguire and left-back Luke Shaw, with the latter particularly outstanding.\n\nIt is a display that will give them increased confidence and belief as they lead the pack - although they might just look back and think a point could so easily have been three.\n\n'It was an opportunity missed' - reaction\n\nManchester United manager Solskjaer said: \"They are a good side and they have some injury problems but we didn't pounce on that.\n\n\"I felt we grew into the game and got stronger and stronger and were closer to winning.\n\n\"We were a bit disappointed in the performance, not just the result. We didn't do well enough to cause them problems in the first half but we defended well and they didn't create too many chances.\"But I think everyone was a bit disappointed with the way we started the game but that is a good feeling to have - that we were disappointed in the performance.\"\n\nLiverpool boss Klopp told BBC Sport: \"The performance was good and the first half was exceptionally good.\n\n\"With all the things that were said before the game - United are flying and we were struggling - and then to play this kind of game, I was happy with that.\n\n\"We tried in the second half again, but you cannot deny United over 90 minutes, not with the counter-attacking threat they have. So they had two really good chances, I have to say, but we had our chances in the second half as well.\n\n\"The way we understood the game, the way we felt the game, the way we read the moments were really good. But it is not exactly how it should be so we have space for improvement, absolutely. We will keep working on that.\"\n• None Liverpool and Manchester United have drawn 0-0 at Anfield in the league three times in the past five seasons, as many times as in the previous 48 top-flight campaigns.\n• None United are unbeaten in their past 16 away matches in the Premier League (W12 D4) - only once have they gone longer without a defeat on the road in the competition (17 games ending in September 1999).\n• None Liverpool are now unbeaten in their past 68 league games at Anfield, earning 178 out of a possible 204 points over this run.\n• None United are the first side to stop Liverpool scoring at Anfield in a Premier League match since Manchester City in October 2018 - this was Liverpool's 43rd home league game since then.\n• None Under Klopp, Liverpool are unbeaten in all seven of their Premier League games at Anfield when facing the side starting the day top of the table (W3 D4).\n• None Marcus Rashford was caught offside five times in this match, the most of any Premier League player this season and the most by a United player since Robin van Persie (six) against Spurs in January 2013.\n\nUnited are at Fulham in the league on Wednesday (20:15 GMT) and Liverpool host Burnley on Thursday (20:00). Next Sunday, Manchester United and Liverpool will meet again - at Old Trafford this time - in the FA Cup fourth round, a match you can watch live on BBC One and the BBC Sport website.\n• None Marcus Rashford (Manchester United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.\n• None Curtis Jones (Liverpool) wins a free kick on the right wing.\n• None Offside, Manchester United. Paul Pogba tries a through ball, but Marcus Rashford is caught offside.\n• None Attempt blocked. Paul Pogba (Manchester United) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Luke Shaw with a cross.\n• None Attempt saved. Paul Pogba (Manchester United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner.\n• None Attempt missed. Thiago (Liverpool) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right. Assisted by Georginio Wijnaldum. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page\n• None Missed all the goals, highlights and talking points from Saturday's Premier League action? Match of the Day is streaming now", "Hospitals are preparing for the expected peak of the latest Covid-19 surge this week, the Northern Trust's chief executive has said.\n\nJennifer Welsh said there was \"huge pressure across the (healthcare) system\" with more intensive care admissions expected.\n\nThirty patients were awaiting admission to Antrim Area Hospital on Sunday morning, she said.\n\nThere were 25 more deaths linked to Covid-19 reported in NI on Sunday.\n\nThe total number of deaths recorded by the Department of Health since the start of the pandemic is now 1,606.\n\nIt was also reported that there had been 822 more positive cases, with 67 people in intensive care and 50 people on ventilators.\n\nThere are 840 patients being treated for Covid- 19 across Northern Ireland, according to the latest available figures with hospitals working at 93% capacity.\n\nMeanwhile, Northern Ireland has been continuing its vaccination programme having distributed 140,559 first doses and 20,174 second doses.\n\nThe total number of jabs administered in the UK, including both first and second doses, is 4,307,002 according to government data.\n\nIn the Republic of Ireland on Sunday, there were 13 further deaths related to Covid-19, bringing the total number to 2,608 since the start of the pandemic.\n\nThere was also a further 2,944 positive cases, bringing the total number of cases in the state to 172,726.\n\nThe Republic of Ireland's Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan said the situation in the country's hospitals was \"stark\" and that people of all ages were being admitted and taken into intensive care.\n\nAt the beginning of January, Health Minister Robin Swann said that modelling indicated the \"peak of the third surge\" would hit in the third week of January.\n\nFrontline health staff have spoken to BBC News NI about their \"exhaustion\" and stress, as the pressure on the system continues to increase amid the surging number of cases.\n\nNorthern Ireland is currently in the third week of a six-week lockdown, with ministers scheduled to review measures next week.\n\nHowever, health officials have warned that an extension of the restrictions could be required to reduce pressure on the health service.\n\nNorthern Trust chief executive Jennifer Welsh said hospitals were \"coping but at great cost\"\n\nMs Welsh told BBC NI's Sunday Politics programme that the \"ICU surge is yet to come\" and that the Northern Trust - where two major hospitals, Antrim Area and Causeway, are located - has had to redeploy staff to prepare for the coming days.\n\nShe said both hospitals had been \"under significant pressure and have been for some time\".\n\nShe said 30 patients in Antrim Area's Emergency Department are waiting on a bed after a decision was made to admit them - 24 of those patients have been waiting longer than 12 hours.\n\nMs Welsh added that almost half of all patients in Antrim Area Hospital have tested positive for Covid-19.\n\n\"At the peak of the first wave in Antrim and Causeway the highest number of Covid positive patients was 73.\n\n\"In November, the highest number was 102 and we peaked on Thursday at 202. We have now dropped below that slightly.\"\n\nThe chief executive said the hospitals were \"coping but at great cost\", with many urgent surgeries cancelled.\n\n\"Emergency surgery is being done but we are not being able to do any other in the Antrim Area site.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by bbctheview This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\n\"We have been able to deliver some red flag cancer surgery at Causeway but we would like to do more.\"\n\nDespite these emergency measures already in place, the worst of the current surge is only expected to arrive this week.\n\nShe added: \"We are not going to get out of this quickly. It's going to be a challenge for us as a system.\n\n\"It's been building from October.\"\n\n\"We're not yet at the peak of intensive care admissions and we expect that this week.\n\n\"Antrim has doubled its intensive care beds from seven to 14 in anticipation of the coming surge - 11 are already being used.\n\n\"All hospitals have doubled their ICU footprint. There are more than 160 inpatients in Antrim Area Hospital.\"", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The BMA Scotland GP chief says doctors \"can't plan\" for vaccines\n\nDoctors leaders say the \"patchy supply\" of vaccine to GP surgeries across Scotland is hampering the speed of delivery to patients.\n\nMinisters have pledged a first dose of the vaccine to 1.4 million of the most vulnerable Scots by mid-February.\n\nBut the British Medical Association in Scotland said inconsistencies in supply made it difficult to plan patient appointments to receive the vaccine.\n\nThey also said some GP surgeries had yet to receive any vaccine at all.\n\nThe Scottish government said it was working with health boards to resolve the issues.\n\nCurrently, about 16,000 vaccinations a day are being carried out in Scotland. However, that is expected to rise significantly as efforts to deliver the vaccine are scaled up.\n\nOn Sunday, 1,341 new cases of Covid-19 were reported - the lowest daily figure since 28 December. However, the numbers being admitted to hospital have continued to rise, reaching 1,918.\n\nNo new deaths were registered.\n\nHealth Secretary Jeane Freeman has pledged that the workforce and infrastructure will be in place to vaccinate 400,000 people each week by the end of February.\n\nThe government has already announced plans for large vaccination centres in Aberdeen, Glasgow and Edinburgh.\n\nIt comes after more than 5,000 front-line health and care staff were vaccinated at the NHS Louisa Jordan in Glasgow on Saturday.\n\nGP practices across Scotland are currently providing vaccination services to those aged over 80.\n\nAbout 16,000 vaccinations are currently being carried out a day in Scotland\n\nSpeaking on the BBC's Politics Scotland programme, Dr Andrew Buist, who chairs the British Medical Association's (BMA) GP committee in Scotland, said there was inconsistencies across the GP network.\n\nHe said the vaccine deployment plan was \"ambitious\" and so far \"good progress\" had been made in giving it to priority groups such as care homes residents and front-line health staff.\n\nHowever, he told the programme: \"The current problem lies with the next priority group, which is the 80-plus group, which GPs in Scotland are set to vaccinate because the supply of the vaccine so far has been quite patchy.\n\n\"Some practices have a good supply, some have had none so far.\"\n\nHe said his practice had received 100 doses of the vaccine for 600 patients over the age of 80, who all needed to be vaccinated by 5 February.\n\nHe added: \"I then have to do another 1,200 patients in the 70-plus group and the extremely clinically vulnerable by the middle of February, so we need to do 1,700 vaccines in the next four weeks.\n\n\"Now we can do that. We are used to providing large number of flu vaccinations and it is possible, we have our workforce in place, but we need the vaccine, otherwise we can't do it.\"\n\nWhen asked if his practice was running out of vaccine at the end of each day, Dr Buist said: \"Yes - we can't plan, that's the key thing. We can't send out appointments to patients until we're sure we have the vaccine in our fridge.\n\n\"We were given 100 doses on Monday. We used that all up by Friday. We don't want to send out appointments to patients until we know that we can definitively vaccinate them otherwise patients get very upset.\"\n\nVaccinators have reported being able to extract one additional dose from vaccine vials\n\nDr Buist said vaccinators were regularly managing to extract higher numbers of doses from vaccine vials despite claims that some doses were being wasted.\n\nHe said there was widespread experience of six doses being extracted from Pfizer vaccine vials, which were marketed as having five doses, while 11 doses were regularly being taken from AstraZeneca vials.\n\nBut Dr Buist criticised issues around the red tape some retired health professional had faced when volunteering to become vaccinators.\n\n\"I have reports that arrangement to get doctors and nurses back into the system have been quite bureaucratic and I think it's something we need to look at.\"\n\nThe Scottish government acknowledged that there had been delays in vaccine supplies reaching some GP surgeries.\n\nA spokeswoman said: \"GPs have a significant role to play in delivering the vaccine - and we thank them for their hard work and patience as we roll out more vaccines to those in the communities.\n\n\"We know there have been some initial delays in supply reaching some practices and are working with health boards to resolve this. Vaccines are being manufactured as quickly as possible and we will continue to explore all options available to increase supply.\"\n\nThe government said health boards were providing order information for their GP practices to National Procurement who in turn advised the distribution partner.\n\nThe spokeswoman added: \"Once stock is released for ordering, the distribution partner inputs the GP orders on to their ordering system. Once the order has been placed, GP practices will receive an automated email providing an indication of the delivery day.\n\n\"We too want to vaccinate as many people as quickly as possible and are continually working hard to see if distribution can be made faster in any respect.\"", "Chris Cramer, a major figure in BBC News and later CNN International, has died at the age of 73 after a period of ill health. Former BBC director of news Richard Sambrook looks back at his life.\n\nChris Cramer's legacy will be the major change in attitudes and support for journalist safety he championed through the BBC and across the wider industry, as well as many achievements in newsgathering and international news.\n\nHe began his career as a teenager on the Portsmouth Evening News, moving to BBC Radio Solent when it launched in 1970.\n\nAfter a year's secondment in Brunei he found his way to the BBC TV Newsroom in the 1970s and developed his reputation as a highly competitive and effective news editor and field producer.\n\nIn 1980 he and a BBC team were in the Iranian Embassy in London collecting visas when it was seized by gunmen opposed to Ayatollah Khomeini. A standoff and siege followed, with Chris among 26 hostages.\n\nHe managed to feign serious illness and was released by the gunmen allowing him to give vital information to the authorities before the SAS stormed the embassy and rescued the hostages.\n\nAt a time when no-one understood or spoke of PTSD, it had a marked effect on his life.\n\nArmed police on the adjoining balcony to the Iranian Embassy during the siege in 1980\n\nMany journalists and crew subsequently spoke of his care and attention when they had difficult experiences and he went on to drive major changes in understanding and support for journalists' safety.\n\nWith BBC Safety manager Peter Hunter, Chris introduced the first hostile environment training courses, risk assessments and equipment for those covering conflicts.\n\nFormer correspondent Martin Bell recalls: \"From Vietnam to Croatia I had covered 10 wars without protection. Then in June 1992 we were shot up crossing the airport runway in Sarajevo in a soft-skinned vehicle. Within two weeks Chris had procured our first armoured Land Rover, the redoubtable 'Miss Piggy', and the body armour to go with it.\"\n\nHe later introduced the first confidential counselling service for news teams, recognising PTSD, and helped found the International News Safety Institute, which spearheaded safety across the news industry.\n\nDuring the 1980s he was at the forefront of organising and overseeing major news coverage, including Michael Buerk's reporting from the Ethiopian famine, coverage of the IRA Brighton bomb attack on the British government, the Zeebrugge ferry disaster, Kate Adie's reporting from Tiananmen Square, the fall of eastern Europe, the first Gulf War and many more major events.\n\nHis fierce competitiveness delivered a series of major exclusives and awards for BBC News.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Jeremy Bowen This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nIn the 1990s he oversaw major investment in BBC Newsgathering and the integration of radio and TV reporting - often against internal resistance. His managerial style could be uncompromising and tough, but he was also bitingly funny, shrewd and his hard exterior hid a warm-hearted and generous core.\n\nHe was crucial to establishing the integrated News division as it exists today.\n\nIn 1996 he left the BBC to move to Atlanta as managing director and executive vice-president of CNN International.\n\nThere he took his passion for news safety and his competitive news edge to develop the network into a greater global force.\n\nAs his former BBC and CNN colleague Tony Maddox has said: \"Among his many accomplishments Chris was a pioneer and innovator in field safety for journalists. He led the development of guidelines and practices now widely adopted across the industry.\"\n\nCramer moved to CNN after his time with the BBC\n\nHe was a larger-than-life figure who generated affection and respect in equal measure, often wielding a rapid and disarming wit.\n\nHe is also remembered for supporting women into senior and executive positions and helping them succeed.\n\nDirector of BBC News Fran Unsworth recalls: \"He was one of journalism's enormous characters and a legend in the television news industry. But the legend and the reported image always belied the man.\n\n\"He was immensely kind, thoughtful and caring underneath that image he sometimes projected.\"\n\nFormer deputy director general Mark Byford said: \"He was probably the greatest newsgathering executive ever in the broadcast news business and his organisational skills, competitiveness, eye for a story and steel were extraordinary.\n\n\"He was also, behind the facade, a gentle giant who cared for his people with amazing passion and love.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by John Simpson This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\n\"Many editors, correspondents and presenters in BBC News owe their success to his mentorship - myself included.\"\n\nAfter 11 years he left CNN and took up roles first with Reuters TV and then the Wall Street Journal, where his experience and expertise were used to develop their digital video services.\n\nHe leaves his wife, Nina, son Richard and daughter Nicolette and his daughter Hannah by an earlier marriage to Helen, a former BBC producer.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Nóra Quoirin's parents: \"The inquest is a battle we must continue in Nóra's name\"\n\nThe mother of a 15-year-old girl found dead in a Malaysian jungle says she believes her daughter's body was placed by somebody in the spot she was found.\n\nNóra Quoirin, from Balham in south London, vanished from her room at the Dusun rainforest resort in August 2019.\n\nHer body was found near the resort nine days after she went missing. A coroner recorded her death was by misadventure.\n\nMeabh Quoirin, who thinks Nora was abducted, said the family would \"never give up their fight for justice\".\n\nNóra was born with holoprosencephaly, a disorder that affects brain development, and her parents have always believed that wandering off from the resort - which is about 40 miles from Kuala Lumpur - was not something their daughter would have done.\n\nA post-mortem examination found Nóra had died three days before her body was found, due to gastrointestinal bleeding from hunger and stress endured over a prolonged period.\n\nBut Mrs Quoirin points out that the jungle had been searched on four occasions in the seven days leading up to her death, with police suggesting the teenager been \"alive and moving\" during the first stages of the search.\n\n\"The fact that search teams were there, along with many hundreds of volunteers in that particular area so close to her death, makes us feel that she was placed there at a later point,\" Mrs Quoirin told the BBC.\n\nNóra's parents Maebh and Sebastien Quoirin want there to be a revision of the inquest verdict\n\nThe teenager's mother pointed out that the inquest had not explained how her daughter ended up in the jungle, where her unclothed body was eventually found by a group of volunteers.\n\n\"I suppose the easiest one to dwell on was the fact there was an open window [in the family's chalet],\" said Mrs Quoirin, who is originally from Belfast.\n\n\"Someone opened that window, it wasn't any of us. That is totally unexplained.\"\n\nMalaysian police have always treated Nóra's disappearance as a missing person case. They maintain there was no suggestion of abduction, kidnap or foul play.\n\nDuring the search for her daughter, Mrs Quoirin told emergency services that their work meant \"the world to us\"\n\n\"Nóra always looked to someone else for reassurance on what she should do next so the idea that she would have climbed out a window - even found a window or seen a window in the pitch black - is in our view crazy,\" Mrs Quorin said.\n\n\"If she had somehow mistaken which door was for the bathroom and had gone out the front door for instance... she was barefoot, she would have instantly felt pain and she would have been absolutely petrified.\"\n\nNóra's parents have asked for a revision of the inquest verdict as \"so many questions have been left unanswered\".\n\nNóra was born with holoprosencephaly, a disorder which affects brain development\n\n\"I think it will be impossible to ever have all the answers to questions that inevitably we will agonise over for the rest of our lives,\" Mrs Quoirin said.\n\n\"We can do more justice by at least recognising who this child was and that she wouldn't have - couldn't have - done the things that have been ruled through this verdict of misadventure.\n\n\"It's our duty to Nora to stand up for that, to really recognise who she was and stand up in the name of all children with special needs, to recognise who these children are, what they represent in our society.\"", "Within seconds of being dropped, LauncherOne had ignited its engine\n\nSir Richard Branson's rocket company Virgin Orbit has succeeded in putting its first satellites in space.\n\nTen payloads in total were lofted on the same rocket, which was launched from under the wing of one of the entrepreneur's old 747 jumbos.\n\nSir Richard is hoping to tap into what is a growing market for small, lower-cost satellites.\n\nBy using a jet plane as the launch platform, he can theoretically send up spacecraft from anywhere in the world.\n\nIn reality, of course, his Virgin Orbit system has to be licensed in the locality where it is used, which at the moment is solely California. But there are well-advanced plans to bring the 747 and its rockets to Cornwall in south-west England, for example.\n\nSunday's success was a big fillip for Sir Richard's team who had tried and failed to launch a rocket in May last year. That effort was thwarted by a breached propellant line feeding liquid oxygen to the booster's first-stage Newton-3 engine.\n\nNo such problems occurred this time.\n\nThe modified 747, named Cosmic Girl, left its base in California's Mojave desert at 10:50 PST (18:50 UTC) to fly out over the Pacific Ocean.\n\nA little under 60 minutes later, and cruising at 35,000ft (10,500m), the jet banked hard to the right, dropping as it did so the 21m-long rocket that had been clamped to its underside.\n\nWithin seconds this booster, called LauncherOne, had ignited its engine and was climbing to space.\n\nCorrect deployment of the various spacecraft onboard at an altitude of roughly 500km was confirmed a couple of hours later.\n\n\"A new gateway to space has just sprung open,\" said Virgin Orbit CEO Dan Hart. \"That LauncherOne was able to successfully reach orbit today is a testament to this team's talent, precision, drive, and ingenuity.\"\n\nSir Richard has been trying to find the right solution to get into the satellite launch business since 2009. His concrete proposal was first put before the public at the Farnborough International Air Show three years later.\n\nThere is an emerging market for small, lower-cost spacecraft, whose developers are seeking more flexible and affordable ways of getting their assets above the Earth.\n\nSorry, we're having trouble displaying this content. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nVirgin Orbit is one of a number of companies now racing to meet this demand. Other contenders include the Rocket Lab outfit, which sends up its vehicles from a ground launch pad in New Zealand. But there are tens of other small rocket start-ups at various stages of maturation, and some of these plan to operate from the UK as well.\n\n\"Virgin Orbit has achieved something many thought impossible. It was so inspiring to see our specially adapted Virgin Atlantic 747, Cosmic Girl, send the LauncherOne rocket soaring into orbit,\" Sir Richard said.\n\n\"This magnificent flight is the culmination of many years of hard work and will also unleash a whole new generation of innovators on the path to orbit. I can't wait to see the incredible missions Dan and the team will launch to change the world for good.\"\n\nSir Richard presented the LauncherOne concept at Farnborough in 2012\n\nWill Whitehorn is the president of UKSpace, the trade body representing the space industry in Britain. He's also a former president of Virgin Galactic, Sir Richard's other space company which hopes soon to start flying fare-paying passengers above the atmosphere in a rocket plane.\n\nHe said Virgin Orbit's success on Sunday was hugely significant.\n\n\"This is a momentous day for the small satellite world, as we will be able to launch satellites responsively; and for the UK this event promises sovereign launch capability very soon,\" he told BBC News.\n\n\"I plan to push hard for a launch from Cornwall to coincide with the G7 meeting this year if at all possible!\"\n\nSunday's payloads were mostly shoebox-sized and developed by universities\n\nThe air-launched system has the flexibility to operate anywhere - in theory", "A doctor has appeared in court charged with the attempted murder of a \"highly-respected\" fellow plastic surgeon who was stabbed in his own home.\n\nGraeme Perks, 65, was stabbed in his abdomen and chest in Halam, Nottinghamshire, on Thursday.\n\nJonathan Peter Brooks, also charged with three counts of attempted arson with intent to endanger life, appeared at Nottingham Magistrates' Court.\n\nMr Perks is currently in a serious but stable condition, police said.\n\nMr Brooks, 56, of Landseer Road, Southwell, has also been charged with possession of a knife in a public place.\n\nHe was remanded in custody to appear at Nottingham Crown Court on 15 February.\n\nPolice said they were not looking for anyone else in connection with the attack.\n\nGraeme Perks has been described as \"one of the most highly regarded and respected surgeons in the profession\"\n\nThe two men were colleagues at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust.\n\nA spokeswoman for the trust said: \"This incident has affected many of our staff who worked closely with, and are friends with Graeme.\n\n\"Our thoughts are with Graeme and his family at this time.\"\n\nMr Perks had served as president of the British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (BAPRAS), which described him as \"one of the most highly-regarded and respected surgeons in the profession\".\n\nPolice previously said Mr Perks had gone to investigate the sound of breaking glass at about 04:15 GMT on Thursday, after an intruder was believed to have smashed their way into the house.\n\nPolice said Mr Perks was stabbed at his home in Halam, Nottinghamshire, while his family were upstairs\n\nThey said Mr Perks was stabbed and the suspect ran off.\n\nMr Perks worked in London, Sheffield, Newcastle and Melbourne, Australia, but returned to the UK in the mid-1990s and started working in Nottingham.\n\nHe and his wife have raised thousands of pounds for charity by opening their garden to visitors, and were featured on BBC Radio Nottingham after raising more than £34,000.\n\nFollow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Keelan Wilson was 15 when he was stabbed more than 40 times\n\nFour men have been found guilty of murdering a boy stabbed more than 40 times in a \"well-planned execution\".\n\nKeelan Wilson, 15, was fatally injured on Langley Road in Merry Hill, Wolverhampton, on 29 May, 2018.\n\nThe four murderers acted \"like a pack of animals\" amid rising gang violence in the city, police said.\n\nKeelan's mother Kelly Ellitts said the convictions meant justice for her son, but added \"nothing would bring Keelan back\".\n\nIt emerged a few days after the murder that when an ambulance was called for the wounded boy, his final words included \"tell my mum I love her\".\n\nThe trial at Wolverhampton Crown Court heard how the night time attack - carried out by Brian Sasa and Nehemie Tampwo, each aged 20, along with Tyrique King and Zenay Pennant-Phillips, both 19 - was \"not in any way spontaneous\".\n\nDet Sgt Nick Barnes from the West Midlands force said Keelan had the \"single worst set of injuries\" he had seen on a victim in more than six years investigating homicide.\n\nThere had been increasing acts of violence between opposing gangs leading up to the murder, including disorder earlier that day, police said.\n\nThat included weapons being brandished in Wolverhampton city centre, and in another incident, Keelan and two others being shot at by a group of youngsters on bikes. No one was hurt.\n\nBut later on, the court heard, the group of four killers ran towards Keelan as he sat in a taxi close to his home, then pulled open the rear door and \"set about him with weapons\", inflicting more than 40 knife wounds.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Keelan Wilson's mother Kelly Ellitts 'hit the floor' when she saw he had been stabbed\n\nMichael Duck QC, prosecuting, said the killing \"was not in any way a spontaneous act of violence\".\n\nHe said: \"This was a well-planned, targeted group attack by a number of youths armed with knives, and that was with the plan to execute another young man.\"\n\nDuring the 13-week trial, jurors heard there was evidence to suggest the victim had \"become embroiled in gang culture\", with his killers believing he had switched factions.\n\nDet Sgt Barnes said it was \"difficult\" to pinpoint a motive \"because Keelan wasn't on the police radar particularly for any such activity\".\n\nKeelan was wounded just metres from his home, receiving 43 stab wounds in total, according to police.\n\nHe had been driving with a friend - with whom he met up after the shooting incident - when their car broke down, which led to a taxi being called.\n\nA spokesperson for the Crown Prosecution Service said while Keelan was attacked on boarding the vehicle, his friend was \"left unscathed\" and fled, making it \"evident\" to authorities that \"Keelan was the only target\".\n\nMs Ellitts said she lived with the shock of her son's death daily.\n\n\"This isn't something that you think of every now and again, this is a daily thing that you have to live with.\n\n\"It's terrible my daughters won't know who he is.\"\n\nOn the day of Keelan's death, CCTV captured a scene from the Wolverhampton city centre disorder that police said was linked to gang activity\n\nSasa, of Long Ley, Heath Town, Wolverhampton; King, of Chelwood Gardens, Wolverhampton; Tampwo of Fern Grove in Bletchley, Milton Keynes; and Pennant-Phillips, whose address cannot be published for legal reasons, had all denied murder.\n\n\"Keelan was a child who had his whole life ahead of him,\" Det Sgt Barnes said.\n\nThe convictions, he added, came after a \"very difficult and long investigation,\" with more than 2,000 lines of inquiry having to be examined.\n\nSome lines of investigation had been met with a \"wall of silence,\" he said.\n\nJudge Michael Chambers said: \"It is an utter tragedy that a 15-year-old child lost his life at the hands of others who are barely older than he.\"\n\nSentencing is set to take place at Wolverhampton Crown Court on 19 March.\n\nFollow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk\n• None 'Tell mum I love her' said stabbed boy\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Monica Calazans, a 54-year-old nurse in São Paulo, was given a Chinese-developed vaccine\n\nA nurse has received Brazil's first Covid-19 vaccine dose after regulators gave emergency approval to two jabs.\n\nRegulator Anvisa gave the green light to vaccines from Oxford-AstraZeneca and China's Sinovac, doses of which will be distributed among all 27 states.\n\nBrazil has the world's second-highest death toll from Covid-19 and cases are rising again across the country.\n\nPresident Jair Bolsonaro has been heavily criticised for his handling of the pandemic.\n\nThe president, who caught Covid-19 last year and recovered, has said he will not take a vaccine.\n\nAuthorities reported 551 new fatalities on Sunday, the first time in six days that it had fallen short of 1,000 although this could reflect a delay in the reporting of numbers over the weekend.\n\nIn all, more than 209,000 Covid-related deaths have been recorded in Brazil, a raw total figure only exceeded by the US.\n\nOver 8.4 million infections have been confirmed since the start of the pandemic - the third-highest tally in the world.\n\nHealth Minister Eduardo Pazuello told reporters that the national vaccination programme in the country of 211 million people would begin in earnest in the coming days. Two Brazilian biomedical centres which have been given approval to produce the jabs will be heavily involved.\n\nAbout six million doses of the Sinovac-developed CoronaVac have already been produced in Brazil, while the government is waiting for shipments of the AstraZeneca vaccine from a laboratory in India.\n\nShortly after Anvisa's board gave emergency approval, Monica Calazans, a 54-year-old nurse in São Paulo, became the first person to be inoculated with CoronaVac.\n\nHer vaccination was organised by the São Paulo state government, which is led by Mr Bolsonaro's main political rival, João Doria.\n\nThis has been a rare piece of good news today for Brazilians who are grappling with a devastating second wave.\n\nFrom where I am, the city of Manaus, the vaccine does not feel real. People here are trying to recover a collapsed health system and doing what they can to keep their sick relatives alive.\n\nThe pandemic has become deeply political in Brazil. President Bolsonaro continues to present himself as a vaccine sceptic and he was notably absent as the vaccines were approved. Instead, Monday's newspapers will no doubt have São Paulo Governor Doria slapped on their front pages.\n\nHe is expected to run in next year's presidential elections and has backed the Sinovac vaccine from the very start. He was once a Bolsonaro ally and is now his nemesis - but there is no doubt who is leading the way in trying to get the population vaccinated.\n\nEarlier this week researchers said the Chinese vaccine had been found to be 50.4% effective in Brazilian clinical trials. This, results showed, was significantly less effective than previous data suggested - barely over the 50% needed for regulatory approval.\n\nCoronaVac is also being used in China, Indonesia and Turkey.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe news comes after revelations that a new coronavirus variant has emerged in Brazil. Several cases were traced back to the Amazonas state, where a state of emergency is in place.\n\nManaus, the state capital, has been hit especially hard, with beds and life-saving oxygen running low. Refrigerated containers have also been brought to hospitals to help store bodies.\n\nNeighbouring Venezuela said it had sent a convoy of trucks with oxygen supplies to help Amazonas.\n\nPresident Bolsonaro has faced mounting criticism for his handling of Brazil's outbreak, and several anti-government protests were held last week.\n\nAn opponent of lockdowns, he has previously blamed state governors and mayors for the Covid crisis, saying the federal government has provided all the resources needed to tackle the virus.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The deer had to be put down by a gamekeeper after the attack\n\nA warning has been issued by royal parks police after a dog carried out a \"relentless\" attack on a deer that had to be put down.\n\nFootage shows the dog savaging the red deer in London's Richmond Park.\n\nCases of pets worrying deer in London's eight royal parks have shot up during lockdown, police say. They are urging owners to keep dogs on leads.\n\nSeparately, on Sunday, a 10-year-old child was injured by a herd of deer being chased by a dog in Bushy Park.\n\nPolice said the incident in the park in Richmond-upon-Thames, which left the child needing hospital treatment, underlined the need for people to keep their dogs on a lead if they are unsure how they will react to deer.\n\nOn Friday, Franck Hiribarne, 44, from Kingston in south-west London, admitted causing or permitting an animal he was in charge of to injure another animal, in relation to the Richmond Park attack.\n\nWimbledon magistrates heard the doe suffered deep wounds, then received a broken leg when it was hit by a car as it tried to flee from the dog. Witnesses described the attack as \"relentless\".\n\nThe deer had to be put down by a gamekeeper after the attack in October.\n\nMr Hiribarne, who reported the matter himself to the Royal Parks Office, said he usually walked his red setter Alfie on a lead until he was well away from any grazing deer, and that the dog had been responding well to \"off-lead\" commands.\n\nThe dog owner, who was fined £600, said in a statement: \"I was genuinely shocked and sorry for what had happened and since then I have refrained completely from letting Alfie off the leash in any park.\n\n\"I have also taken a special dog trainer specialised in gundogs to control more accurately any of his hunting instincts. He has made great progress.\"\n\nFour deer have died from dog attacks in the royal parks since March 2020, while there have been 58 incidents of dogs chasing the herds - a big increase on previous years - according to the manager of Richmond Park.\n\nPart of the increase is thought to be down to new dog owners who are unfamiliar with the best conduct around wildlife.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Alexandru Murgeanu (l) and Jason Mercer were killed in the crash on the M1 in South Yorkshire\n\nA coroner has called for a review of smart motorways after an inquest heard the deaths of two men on a stretch of the M1 could have been avoided.\n\nJason Mercer, 44, and Alexandru Murgeanu, 22, died when Prezemyslaw Szuba crashed his lorry into their vehicles near Sheffield on 7 June 2019.\n\nCoroner David Urpeth said smart motorways without a hard shoulder carry \"an ongoing risk of future deaths\".\n\nHighways England said it was \"addressing many of the points raised\".\n\nMr Urpeth recorded a verdict of unlawful killing at Sheffield Town Hall. He added he would be writing to Highways England and the transport secretary asking for a review.\n\nThe inquest heard the deaths of the two men may have been avoided had there had been a hard shoulder.\n\nOn the stretch of the M1 where the crash took place, the hard shoulder has been replaced by an active lane.\n\nSzuba, 40, from Hull, was jailed last year after admitting causing their deaths by careless driving.\n\nHe was speaking from prison to the inquest.\n\nPrezemyslaw Szuba was jailed over the deaths\n\nAnswering questions over the phone, Szuba told the hearing he accepted he was driving without paying proper attention.\n\n\"I have already accepted that at my trial,\" he said, but added: \"If there had been a hard shoulder on this bit of motorway, the collision would have been avoidable.\n\n\"I would have driven past these two cars as it would be safer and they would have been able to come home safely and I would be able to come back home.\"\n\nSzuba said he had only three to five seconds to react, and asked if he would have avoided the crash had he been paying attention, he said: \"It's difficult to say after everything now.\"\n\nSgt Mark Brady, who oversees major collision investigations for South Yorkshire Police, told the hearing: \"Had there been a hard shoulder, had Jason and Alexandru pulled on to the hard shoulder, my opinion is that Mr Szuba would have driven clean past them.\"\n\nBut he accepted the primary cause of the crash was Szuba's inattention to the road.\n\nThe crash happened after a collision between a Ford Focus driven by Mr Mercer, from Rotherham, South Yorkshire, and a Ford Transit driven by Mr Murgeanu, who was living in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, but was originally from Romania.\n\nWhen Mr Mercer and Mr Murgeanu got out to exchange details they were hit by the lorry, and both died at the scene.\n\nMr Mercer's wife Claire has campaigned against smart motorways since her husband's death, and was at the hearing on Monday.\n\nClaire Mercer has campaigned against the use of smart motorways since her husband's death\n\nIn a statement, Highways England said it was \"determined\" to do everything it could to make roads as safe as possible and was already addressing many of the points raised by the coroner \"as published in the Government's Smart Motorway Evidence Stocktake and Action Plan of March 2020\".\n\n\"We will carefully consider any further comments raised by the coroner once we receive the report,\" it added.\n\nFollow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "A man has scaled a Hong Kong skyscraper in his wheelchair to raise money for spinal cord patients.\n\nLai Chi-Wai, who became paralysed after a road accident ten years ago, climbed 250 metres (820ft) of the Nina Towers building.\n\nBefore his accident, Lai Chi-Wai was a rock-climbing champion in Asia and eighth best in the world.\n\nHe said that \"knowing there was a possibility...that I could be a climber again, I found some direction in life\".", "Last updated on .From the section England\n\nPhil Neville has left his role as manager of England's women and been appointed in charge of David Beckham's Major League Soccer side Inter Miami.\n\nThe 43-year-old was appointed as England boss in January 2018 and his contract was set to end in July.\n\nThe Football Association says it will \"shortly confirm\" an interim head coach until Sarina Wiegman's arrival.\n\nNetherlands manager Wiegman will take on the role after the delayed Tokyo Olympics in August.\n\nFormer Manchester United and Everton defender Neville was the leading contender to manage Great Britain at the Games, but his move to the United States has left the FA needing another option.\n\n\"This is a very young club with a lot of promise and upside, and I am committed to challenging myself, my players and everyone around me to grow and build a competitive soccer culture we can all be proud of,\" Neville said of his American move.\n\nBeckham said of his former Manchester United team-mate: \"I have known Phil since we were both teenagers at the academy.\n\n\"We share a footballing DNA having been trained by some of the best leaders in the game, and it's those values that I have always wanted running through our club.\"\n\nThe MLS side had been managed by former Uruguay striker Diego Alonso before the 45-year-old left by mutual consent earlier this month.\n\nBeckham added: \"Anyone who has played or worked with Phil knows he is a natural leader, and I believe now is the right time for him to join.\"\n\nNeville led the Lionesses to their first SheBelieves Cup title in 2019 and fourth place at the Women's World Cup later the same year, but results since that tournament have been poor.\n\nEngland's struggles under Neville continued at the 2020 SheBelieves Cup, where a late defeat by Spain in the final match was their seventh loss in 11 games.\n\nThe Lionesses have not played since that game last March because of the coronavirus pandemic.\n\n\"It has been an honour to manage England and I have enjoyed three of the best years of my career,\" said Neville, who won 19 of his 35 games in charge.\n\n\"The players who wear the England shirt are some of the most talented and dedicated athletes I have ever had the privilege to work with.\n\n\"They have challenged me and improved me as a coach, and I am very grateful to them for the fantastic memories we have shared.\"\n\nNeville, who had no previous experience in the women's game before taking over, has made a \"significant contribution\" during his three-year spell, said Baroness Campbell, the FA's director of women's football.\n\n\"The commitment, dedication and respect he has shown the position has been clear to see,\" she added.\n\n\"I will personally miss our many conversations about ways we can improve and progress.\"\n\nEngland are ranked sixth in the world, having been third when Neville succeeded Mark Sampson.\n\nNeville's record against the best sides came under particular scrutiny, with England winning one of their nine games against teams ranked in the top five in the world during his reign.\n\nNeville's record against teams ranked in the world's top five\n\n\"After steadying the ship at a challenging period, he helped us to win the SheBelieves Cup for the first time, reach the World Cup semi-finals and qualify for the Olympics,\" added Campbell.\n\n\"Given his status as a former Manchester United and England player, he did much to raise the profile of our team.\n\n\"He has used his platform to champion the women's game, worked tirelessly to support our effort to promote more female coaches and used his expertise to develop many of our younger players.\"\n\nWhat happens next with England?\n\nThe FA is expected to name England's interim head coach in the next few days.\n\nAmong the favourites is former Norway midfielder Hege Riise, one of the greatest players of her generation - a European Championship winner in 1993, a World Cup winner in 1995 and an Olympic gold medallist in 2000.\n\nAfter retiring as a player, Riise moved into club management in Norway and also coached the country's Under-23 side before spending three years as assistant to then-USA head coach Pia Sundhage from 2009.\n\nShe then joined the set-up at Norwegian club LSK Kvinner in 2012 - becoming head coach in 2017 - as they won six successive titles between 2014 and 2019, while also reaching the 2018-19 Champions League quarter-finals.\n\nRiise was one of seven nominees for the Fifa best women's coach award in 2020, won by Wiegman in December.\n\nThe new interim manager has no England fixtures booked in the diary, though there has reportedly been discussions over a mini-tournament during the next international window in February.\n\nEngland will not be taking part in the SheBelieves Cup but could host a tournament which would see three other nations take part in a round-robin event.\n• None All the goals, highlights and analysis from the weekend's Premier League matches, including Manchester United's visit to Liverpool: MOTD2 is streaming now on BBC iPlayer", "Morgan Le-Riche and other students have questioned if they should be paying full tuition fees\n\n\"I am paying £9,000 for a university degree that is causing me nothing but anxiety and stress.\"\n\nFor Morgan Le-Riche, the university experience since the coronavirus pandemic hit has not been worth the fee.\n\nSome students are calling for reduced tuition fees and more support.\n\nThe Welsh Government said it provided the most generous student support package in the UK and has appointed a dedicated minister for mental health.\n\nIn announcing a lockdown earlier this week, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said students in England would not return to the classroom until mid February, with calls for clarity over what will happen in Wales.\n\nMorgan, who is studying criminology and criminal justice at the University of South Wales, said \"something needs to be done to help us students\".\n\nHer Facebook post calling for more help was shared 3,000 times in three days - something that surprised her but also highlighted the depth of feeling.\n\nStudents face an uncertain time with with restrictions currently in place\n\nThe second year student said: \"I don't think the government is understanding students, instead they are only recognising primary and secondary schools - there's no recognition for university students.\"\n\nMorgan was given assignments to complete over Christmas, but said her lecturers had turned off their emails so she could not seek guidance when she was finding work difficult.\n\n\"I feel like the amount of stress I've had has meant I'm not doing a high enough standard of work, that I would normally do, due to the lack of assistance,\" she said.\n\nShe said more time with tutors and spaces for students to come together to discuss mental health would be beneficial.\n\nThe University of South Wales said their course teams are committed to providing \"comprehensive support\" and are \"readily available to offer help and guidance for students\".\n\nStudents in England have been told to work online and remain where they are\n\nA petition calling for the UK government to reduce university student tuition fees from £9,250 to £3,000 has gained more than 400,000 signatures online.\n\nMorgan thinks she has been \"massively let down\" and there needs to be a \"heavy reduction\" on the amount students are paying for their courses.\n\nA Welsh Government spokesman said: \"We are the only country in the whole of Europe that provides equivalent up front living costs grants and loans for full and part-time undergraduates, and for post-graduates.\n\n\"This already covers campus-based and distance learners and will continue throughout the academic year.\"\n\nDanielle Herbert believes university students need more focus from government\n\nJournalism student Danielle Herbert, who also studies at the University of South Wales, said online learning has helped her mental health because otherwise a lot of her face-to-face interactions would be limited.\n\nDespite \"lecturers trying their best\", students' experiences since March last year have not been \"adequate for a £9,000 fee\".\n\nThe third-year student from Swindon said the prime minister's announcement of an England-wide lockdown was stressful \"because there was no mention of universities\".\n\nShe said: \"I was left very unclear and confused as to where I stood on travelling back to Wales. As someone who suffers from anxiety, I rely on concrete facts and that wasn't provided. We have been ignored by the prime minister.\n\n\"I had just paid my rent for this term - which was £2,300 - and I looked at my mum and dad and said: 'Am I even going to be able to go back to my student flat'?\"\n\nDanielle has called for more help for students in dealing with mental health issues during the pandemic\n\nShe does not believe students have had the same level of support as secondary school pupils, adding: \"We're still expected to produce the same standard of work without protection whilst there's a pandemic going on - it's really unrealistic.\"\n\nDanielle said having a \"no detriment\" policy in place would help to relieve students' stress.\n\n\"I think there's a real issue amongst students and students' mental health and it's only grown because of coronavirus. I think we will see the consequences of that if nothing is done.\"\n\nThe Welsh Government said: \"To support mental health services, we have made an additional £9.9m available, as part of efforts to ensure people can access the right support when they need it.\n\n\"In October we announced an additional £10m to support mental health services for higher education students in Wales to increase capacity in students' unions and universities to provide support services.\n\n\"This is in addition to the £27m Higher Education Investment and Recovery Fund announced in the summer.\"\n\nThe University of South Wales said the safety and wellbeing of students is its priority and students have access to a \"wide range of comprehensive support for their health, mental health and wellbeing\".\n\n\"Recognising that a number of staff would be on leave over the Christmas and New Year holidays, the course team let students know they were available for help and support right up until the end of term and students were encouraged to ask for support if they needed it,\" said a spokesperson.\n\n\"We are providing a full and interactive blended learning offer this term, in line with Welsh Government guidance, so that students can receive good experiences and a high-quality education, enabling them to progress and complete their studies on time.\"", "Software giant Github has apologised for firing a Jewish employee who warned co-workers to be careful about Nazis.\n\nThe employee was fired two days after using the word to describe participants in the US Capitol riots.\n\nBut Github now says that decision was a mistake, and its head of HR has resigned over the scandal.\n\nThe company says it has offered the fired employee his job back, and clarified that \"employees are free to express concerns about Nazis\".\n\nMicrosoft-owned Github is one of the most popular software development tools in the world, with more than 50 million users. News of the internal row was first reported by Business Insider.\n\nPeople associated with a range of extreme and far-right groups and supporters of fringe online conspiracy theories stormed Congress.\n\nAs it happened, the Jewish employee posted to an internal Github Slack channel: \"Stay safe homies, Nazis are about.\"\n\nBut the comment sparked criticism from a co-worker about the use of the word \"Nazi\" to describe the rioters, calling it \"untasteful conduct\" for the workplace.\n\nThe Jewish employee, who wished to remain anonymous, told Techcrunch he had been \"genuinely concerned about his co-workers in the area, in addition to his Jewish family members\".\n\nTwo days later, he was fired for his \"patterns of behaviour\".\n\nBut the firing led to an outcry from many more co-workers, with hundreds signing an internal letter calling on Github to explain the decision - and to publicly denounce Nazis.\n\nAmid the outcry, the company opened an investigation with an external investigator.\n\n\"The investigation revealed significant errors of judgment and procedure,\" chief executive Erica Brescia wrote in a blogpost. \"Our head of HR has taken personal accountability and resigned from GitHub.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Joe Biden: \"Yesterday, in my view, was one of the darkest days in the history of our nation.\"\n\nShe said the firm had \"reversed the decision to separate with the employee\", and had contacted him - but it is not clear if the employee wishes to return after the treatment he received.\n\nThe company has also issued statements condemning white supremacists, Nazism, anti-Semitism, and those who took part in the Capitol riots.", "A group of London business leaders has written to the government calling for financial support for the struggling rail firm Eurostar.\n\nIn a letter to the Treasury and Department for Transport, they urge \"swift action to safeguard its future\".\n\nBosses of firms such as Fortnum & Mason signed the letter asking for access to government loans and business rates relief \"at the very least\".\n\nThe government says it is \"working closely\" with Eurostar.\n\nThe cross-Channel rail company is threatened by a large drop in passenger numbers due to coronavirus-related travel restrictions.\n\nIt reported in November that passenger numbers had been down 95% since March 2020.\n\nWith two trains an hour normally scheduled in peak hours, it now runs just two services a day from London to Paris and Brussels.\n\nThe letter, coordinated by business campaigning group London First and seen by the BBC, describes the firm as one that has \"fallen through the cracks\". Unlike some airlines, it has not been eligible for government-backed loans.\n\n\"If this viable business is allowed to fall between the cracks of support - neither an airline, nor a domestic railway - our recovery could be damaged,\" it says.\n\nCo-signed by 28 leaders, including the vice-chancellor of Middlesex University, the chief executive of West End property company Shaftesbury, as well as the boss of the ExCeL conference centre, the letter points out that the company currently employs 1,200 people in the UK.\n\nThe firm is 55% owned by French state rail firm SNCF. The UK government sold its stake in the business to private companies for £757m in 2015.\n\nThe letter also credits Eurostar with reducing carbon emissions. Since it launched in 1994, it has transported more than 190 million passengers between Britain and mainland Europe.\n\nA spokesman for Eurostar said: \"Without additional funding from government there is a real risk to the survival of Eurostar, the green gateway to Europe.\n\nHe described the current situation as \"very serious\".\n\nA spokesman for the Department for Transport said: \"We recognise the significant financial challenges facing Eurostar as a result of Covid-19 and the unprecedented circumstances currently faced by the international travel industry.\"\n\nHe added the government had been in contact with Eurostar \"on a regular basis\" since the start of the coronavirus crisis and would continue to work closely with the firm.\n• None How are travel rules being relaxed?", "A small group of armed protesters held a rally in front of the capitol building in Texas\n\nSmall groups of protesters - some of them armed - gathered on Sunday at statehouses in the US, where tensions are high after the deadly riots at the Capitol in Washington.\n\nProtests were held outside capitol buildings in Texas, Oregon, Michigan, Ohio and elsewhere.\n\nBut many other statehouses were quiet, amid a ramping up of security across US legislatures. No clashes were reported.\n\nThe FBI has warned of armed protests ahead of Wednesday's inauguration.\n\nPresident-elect Joe Biden will take office two weeks after pro-Trump protesters stormed the US Capitol in Washington DC on 6 January, leaving five dead, including a police officer.\n\nMore than 25,000 National Guard troops are being deployed to secure Washington. In a sign of just how worried officials are about potential unrest, Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy told the Associated Press on Sunday that all Guard members were being vetted because of fears of an insider threat.\n\nAlso on Sunday, a county official from New Mexico was arrested in Washington in connection with the riots at the US Capitol on 6 January.\n\nCouy Griffin, the founder of a group called Cowboys for Trump, had vowed to return on inauguration day with firearms to \"embrace my Second Amendment\".\n\nMany cities had prepared for potentially violent protests over the weekend, erecting barriers and deploying thousands of National Guard troops.\n\nPosts on pro-Trump and far-right online networks had called for armed demonstrations on Sunday in particular, but some militias told their followers not to attend, citing heavy security or claiming the planned events were police traps.\n\nSmall crowds of protesters numbering in the dozens gathered in only some cities, leaving the streets surrounding many statehouses largely empty.\n\nMembers of the the Boogaloo Bois were seen outside the Michigan State Capitol in Lansing\n\nThe New York Times reported about 25 members of the Boogaloo Bois movement were among heavily-armed protesters who gathered at the statehouse in Columbus, Ohio. But the men - who are part of a loosely organised extremist group that wants to overthrow the US government - said they were there for a long-planned gun rights rally.\n\nMeanwhile in Michigan, about two dozen people - some carrying rifles - protested outside the statehouse in Lansing, as police watched on.\n\n\"I am not here to be violent and I hope no one shows up to be violent,\" one protester told Reuters news agency.\n\nA similarly small group of about a dozen protesters, a few armed with rifles, stood outside the Texas Capitol in Austin.\n\nOutside Pennsylvania's capitol in Harrisburg, one Trump supporter noted the poor turn-out, telling Reuters: \"There's nothing going on.\"\n\nMore protests are expected on Wednesday, when Mr Biden will officially be sworn into office, replacing Mr Trump as president.\n\nMr Biden will issue executive orders to reverse President Trump's travel bans and re-join the Paris climate accord on his first day in the White House.\n\nThe president-elect is also expected to focus on reuniting families separated at the US-Mexico border, and to issue mandates on Covid-19 and mask-wearing.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The US Capitol is on high alert ahead of Biden's inauguration\n\nMuch of Washington DC has been locked down ahead of the inauguration. The National Mall, which is usually thronged with thousands of people for inaugurations, has been shut at the request of the Secret Service.\n\nThe Biden team had already asked Americans to avoid travelling to the nation's capital for the inauguration because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Local officials said people should watch the event remotely.", "China's economy grew at the slowest pace in more than four decades last year, official figures show, but remains on course to be the only major economy to have expanded in 2020.\n\nThe economy grew 2.3% last year, despite Covid-19 shutdowns causing output to slump in early 2020.\n\nStrict virus containment measures and emergency relief for businesses helped the economy recover.\n\nGrowth in the final three months of the year picked up to 6.5%.\n\n\"The GDP data shows the economy has almost normalised. This momentum will continue, although the current Covid-19 outbreak in a couple of provinces in northern China might temporarily cause fluctuation,\" said Yue Su, principal economist for the Economist Intelligence Unit.\n\nChina's mainland share markets as well as Hong Kong's Hang Seng posted modest gains on the latest figures, which exceeded economists' expectations, according to a Reuters poll.\n\nHowever, Covid-19 was still a major drain on growth in 2020, with nationwide shutdowns of factories and manufacturing plants forcing economic growth down to its slowest rate for four decades.\n\nChina's manufacturing sector appears to have recovered, with Monday's data showing a 7.3% increase in industrial output.\n\nExports have also led the way. Data last week showed Chinese exports grew by more than expected in December, as coronavirus disruptions around the world fuelled demand for Chinese goods.\n\nThat is despite a stronger yuan, which makes Chinese exports more expensive for overseas buyers.\n\nChina's economy has seen a strong rebound, while the rest of the world struggles with anaemic demand, millions of job losses, and businesses shutting down.\n\nChina's economic engine roared back to life after a brutal lockdown that saw the Chinese economy contract by a historic 6.8% in the first quarter of 2020.\n\nWe should always be circumspect about Chinese data - with the usual caveat that the trajectory of the data rather than the figures themselves are a useful guide to how China's economy is growing.\n\nWhat these numbers show is that China's strategy of locking down cities hard and quickly has worked.\n\nA combination of government-led investment and global demand for Chinese goods also helped to power a rapid recovery, and boost exports.\n\nStill - this is the lowest rate of annual growth in more than 40 years for the economic giant. Worries over a resurgence of the virus are also clouding China's growth outlook, with consumer demand still weak.\n\nAnd Beijing is trying to navigate a prickly trade relationship with the US, with the incoming administration unlikely to be softer on China than President Donald Trump.\n\nAll of these challenges will no doubt weigh on Chinese growth in 2021 - but they seem to be in a better place than the rest of the world's major economies.\n\nIt was not all good news from the latest figures.\n\nLi Wei, a senior economist at Standard Chartered Bank, said pandemic-related exports and credit-fuelled car and housing sales accounted for much of the growth, while domestic demand lagged behind.\n\n\"Domestic household consumption of food, clothing, furniture and utilities remains below pre-pandemic levels, while the hospitality and transportation sectors continue to face capacity and travel restrictions,\" he told Reuters.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Why does China’s economy matter to you?\n\nAlthough retail sales grew by 4.6% in the fourth quarter of 2020, they fell by 3.9% for the year.\n\nMany analysts are tipping growth to accelerate in 2021, but the China Bureau of Statistics has warned of a \"grave and complex environment both at home and abroad\", with the pandemic having a \"huge impact\".\n\nChina still faces many challenges, including continuing trade tensions with the US and how they might play out under the administration of President-elect Joe Biden, who takes office later this week.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Lorry drivers have been holding up the traffic in Westminster.\n\nBoris Johnson has pledged £23m to help businesses affected by Brexit delays amid protests by fishing firms.\n\nDemonstrations took place outside government departments in central London by exporters who are warning their livelihoods are under threat.\n\nExports of fresh fish and seafood have been severely disrupted by new border controls since the UK's transition period ended earlier this month.\n\nThe PM said firms would be compensated for delays that were not their fault.\n\nIndustry associations have complained that extra paperwork has made it difficult to deliver fresh produce to mainland Europe before it goes off.\n\nThey have warned that if the situation continues, jobs could soon be at risk.\n\nPressed on what he would do in response, Mr Johnson said the government would step in to support firms which \"through no fault of their own have experienced bureaucratic delays, difficulties getting their goods through, where there is a genuine willing buyer on the other side of the channel\".\n\n\"There's a £23m compensation fund we've set up and we'll make sure they get help,\" he said.\n\nDetails of the scheme are expected later this week.\n\nAfter a day of protests in central London, which saw 20 lorries drive up Whitehall, the Metropolitan Police said 14 people had been reported for Covid-related offences, but no arrests were made.\n\nMark Moore, manager of the Dartmouth Crab Company, said his business and others were protesting to \"raise awareness\" of the impact of new border checks.\n\nHe told BBC Radio 5 Live his company had faced delays of up to eight and a half hours when delivering produce into the European Union.\n\nHe added that the situation was \"especially difficult\" for the shellfish sector, where goods were at risk of going off before reaching customers.\n\n\"It's not about the increased documentation per se,\" he said.\n\n\"We have taken that on board, and we ourselves - and I know many others - have had no issues with producing the actual paperwork.\n\n\"It's the volume required and the timeframe in which to produce it, which doesn't lend itself to live shellfish and fish generally.\"\n\nThere are 24 lorries in total, overwhelmingly from seafood exporters in Scotland. Businesses taking part say the Brexit trade deal has left their industry high and dry.\n\nAnd although one haulier from Aberdeenshire I spoke to was keen to stress that their coordinated protest was peaceful, it is clear that they all feel that direct action is now necessary to make the government sit up and take notice.\n\nGood natured though their action was, it did for a time cause serious traffic congestion along Whitehall and Parliament Square.\n\nHowever, low levels of traffic perhaps caused by the Covid lockdown meant the roads around Whitehall didn't grind to a complete halt.\n\nAt stake, they believe, is an industry, but also thousands of livelihoods. Exporters say they are backed by fishermen who are struggling to land their catches.\n\nAnd although the rural Scottish communities which are sustained by fishing might seem like a long way from the streets of SW1, the hauliers certainly made their presence felt this morning.\n\nHaving left the EU's customs union and the single market, UK exports are subject to new customs and veterinary checks which have caused problems at the border.\n\nSome Scottish fishermen have been landing their catch in Denmark to avoid the \"bureaucratic system\" involved in exporting to Europe, according to Scotland's rural economy secretary.\n\nLast week, Boris Johnson told a committee of MPs that fishing firms impacted by disruption would be compensated for \"temporary frustrations\".\n\nBut the BBC was told that the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) did not know about the promise of compensation before it was made by Mr Johnson.\n\nSpeaking to reporters, the prime minister said he understood the \"frustrations\" of the fishing industry, noting its plight had been \"exacerbated by the Covid pandemic\".\n\n\"Unfortunately, the demand in restaurants on the continent for UK fish has not been what it was before the pandemic, just because the restaurants have been closed for so long,\" he added.\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer accused ministers of trying to \"blame fishing communities\" for problems \"rather than accepting it's their failure to prepare\".\n\n\"The government has known there would be a problem with fishing and particularly the sale of fish into the EU for years,\" he told reporters.\n\nMuch media attention has been focussed on Scotland as this export crisis has unfolded.\n\nBut exactly the same problem is rearing its head in the UK's other great fishing stronghold - at the other end of the UK in Devon and Cornwall.\n\nA virtual Who's Who of South West fishing leaders wrote to the environment secretary back in November warning that the new post-Brexit export requirements would have a \"seriously detrimental effect\" on the industry, claiming this \"could be the final straw for many businesses\".\n\nHere, too, many fish exports have now ground to a halt and others have encountered obstacles and long delays.\n\nAnd exporters have reacted angrily to the government's repeated insistence that the issues they've been experiencing over the last two weeks are just \"teething problems\".", "Although it has been common to hear and see the impact on care homes internationally throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, one country where such insight has been rare is China.\n\nPrivate care homes have been growing in popularity in China in recent years, but there are some stigmas associated with the industry.\n\nIn China, many view nursing homes as going against the cultural concept of “filial piety”. This is the belief that the young should respect for and care for their elders, and so many believe the elderly should live with their children, and not live in care homes.\n\nHowever, as cases of the virus grow in the northeast of the country, the official broadcaster CCTV has offered viewers a rare insight into how China’s elderly in these facilities are being protected.\n\nA journalist today has visited the Shijiazhuang Nursing Home. Shijiazhuang is the Chinese city that has been hardest hit by the virus in recent weeks.\n\nIn a 30-minute livestream in which he is clad in hazmat suit and visor, journalist Gu Junling introduces viewers to how the facilities are kept safe, and shows viewers inside the care home’s stockrooms, packed with ample provisions for its residents.\n\nMany of the residents seem happy to speak to the journalist and talk about how they are healthy, and happy. Masks are mandatory for both residents and staff, even in the areas outside on-site. However, far from being kept under house arrest, residents are shown to have sufficient space to go outside, use computers and games rooms.", "Tributes have been paid to the actor Andy Gray who has died at the age of 61.\n\nThe Perth-born star was a well known face on TV and the stage for more than 40 years.\n\nAmong his best known on-screen roles were \"Chancer\" in the 1980s comedy City Lights and more recently \"Pete Galloway\" in BBC soap River City.\n\nHis River City co-star Gayle Telfer Stevens said Gray was a \"national treasure\".\n\nShe added: \"Not only was he an exceptional actor and entertainer who brought so much joy to so many people, he was an extraordinary man.\n\n\"When you were in his presence you could feel it was of greatness. The most kind, clever, funny beyond measure, beautiful man.\"\n\nAndy Gray, second from the left in the back row, starred as \"Chancer\" in the hit 1980s comedy show \"City Lights\"\n\nAndy Gray performing at the Edinburgh Festival in 2013\n\nSteve Carson, director of BBC Scotland, said: \"We are deeply saddened by the news that one of Scotland's much loved comedy actors and close friend to many at BBC Scotland, Andy Gray has passed away.\n\n\"On screen and in person he could always make you laugh and was one of the kindest people to have around on any production. Our thoughts are with his family at this difficult time.\"\n\nAndy Gray, pictured with Grant Stott, had been one of the stars at Edinburgh's King's Theatre pantomime for years\n\nMartin McCardie, executive producer at BBC Scotland Studios, added: \"When Andy joined River City in 2016 he had an extremely successful stage, TV and film career behind him, but the character of Pete Galloway turned out to be one of the most popular ever to pass through Shieldinch.\n\n\"Andy took ill in 2018 and he had to leave the show and he had a difficult time. His ongoing recovery was borne with humour and gratitude for what he had. He had unfinished business on River City and we were looking forward to welcoming him back to film with us before the end of the current series.\"\n\nAndy Gray was genuinely one of the nicest people in the world of showbusiness.\n\nWhether you were an actor, or a journalist, or just someone who'd seen him in panto, he was always ready to have a chat.\n\nWhen he dropped out of his Fringe show in 2018, after being diagnosed with a rare form of leukaemia, he was inundated with good wishes, but said he wanted privacy to deal with his illness.\n\nHe retreated to his home in Perthshire and took the time to recover.\n\nWhen he returned to the stage of the Kings Theatre in Edinburgh for their 2019 panto, it was an emotional milestone.\n\nWrapped in his Batman dressing gown backstage (he was a huge fan with a shed full of film paraphernalia) he admitted it could be overwhelming. Sometimes the whoops and cheers of the audience at his arrival in the midst of a glitzy song and dance routine would go on for several minutes.\n\nHis co-stars Grant Stott and Allan Stewart watched from the wings and said it had restored the balance of their long established trio. The Kings is one of the only theatres to have a tradition of a pantette - where the cast sit in the auditorium and watch the front of house staff performing the show. Andy wasn't spared the merciless send up, nor would he have wanted to.\n\nDaughter Claire was also in the show - as one of the three bears - and her baby daughter was in Andy's arms for the curtain call. But whether his actual family, or his panto family, or the generations of people who've seen him onstage or screen, it was a moment of hope, as well as joy, that someone who'd brought so much laughter and entertainment to Scotland was back.\n\nThat's why his sudden death at 61 is such a cruel blow.\n\nHe had been campaigning to keep the Kings afloat, and was involved in online performances. He and Allan Stewart had hoped to appear in one of the few surviving pantomimes in Milton Keynes but that too was cancelled.\n\nFriends and colleagues knew he'd been admitted to hospital in the last few days, and feared the worst. Those who simply knew him as someone who made them laugh, on stage or screen, are no less bereft.\n\nTonight the world of Scottish entertainment is in mourning for a gifted comic actor, writer and genuinely nice man.", "Aberystwyth University's vice chancellor told students not to attend lectures unless \"absolutely necessary\"\n\nAberystwyth University has told its students not to return to campus following new advice from the Welsh Government.\n\nA phased return had been planned from 11 January, but this has now been postponed.\n\nVice-chancellor Prof Elizabeth Treasure said students should not attend the university, in Ceredigion, unless \"absolutely necessary.\"\n\nOn Friday the Welsh Government told learners \"study from home if you can\".\n\nMs Treasure said: \"We are reviewing our plans for in-person teaching and will inform you as soon as we can. Whilst we are reviewing those plans, we don't want students travelling to the university unnecessarily.\"\n\nShe said there were certain exceptions, including students without internet access and those for whom laboratory access was essential.\n\nWales' Education Minister, Kirsty Williams, said universities were reviewing their plans based on their individual circumstances.\n\n\"On return, students are also expected to take two asymptomatic tests and comply with rules as they re-join their term time household,\" she said.\n\nDespite the announcement, Bangor University said on Facebook on Friday that it \"falls under the rules of the Welsh Government which allow for a staggered return to blended learning\".\n\nCardiff University said earlier this week that most students would not return to face-to-face teaching until 22 February.\n\nA Welsh Government spokesman said: \"Our message to students, staff and universities in general is the same as the rest of the population: Stay home, work or study from home if you can.\n\n\"Only attend your place of work or study if you can't work from home.\"\n\nThe new announcement came after calls for clarity were made because of differences with the rules in England.\n\nAt that point, the Welsh Government and Universities Wales said the plans agreed before Christmas would remain in place.\n\nOn Friday, it was announced that schools and colleges would stay closed to most pupils until the February half term unless there is a \"significant\" fall in Covid cases.", "LAS received almost 200,000 calls in December - up 50,000 on November, when London was in the second national lockdown\n\nLast week London exceeded the grim milestone of 10,000 deaths linked to Covid-19. Thousands of people are critically ill in hospital, and as many as 5% of Londoners are thought to have the virus in some parts of the city. As coronavirus continues to circulate silently around the capital, staff at the London Ambulance Service (LAS) are under immense pressure.\n\nThe service is currently taking up to 8,500 calls a day, compared with a pre-Covid figure of 5,000 to 6,000, according to its chief executive Garrett Emmerson.\n\nLizzie Cooke is one of the workers at LAS's south London headquarters who are dealing with strangers at what is a distressing time.\n\nI covered the London Bridge terror attacks and Grenfell but this is a different scale\n\nCalmly, the 30-year-old answers the phone and usually asks first if the patient is breathing.\n\n\"In the first wave we were getting a lot of calls of [people seeking] reassurance,\" Lizzie says. \"But now there are more and more who have symptoms, and family members are really frightened.\"\n\nIt is a fear that Lizzie knows all too well, having been hospitalised with Covid-19 in March. She spent a week receiving treatment for the virus.\n\n\"I was at work taking calls and struggling to concentrate,\" the call-handling supervisor says. \"At times I would just have my head on the desk in between calls.\n\n\"I started to develop chest pains five days later so my parents took me to Royal County Hospital, in Hampshire, and an X-ray showed a lot of fluid in my lungs. It was quite horrible.\n\n\"Luckily, I wasn't on a ventilator but I had the oxygen hood, and the nurses were so rushed off their feet. I didn't have my phone with me or know my parents' numbers off by heart so for that week I was quite alone and isolated.\n\n\"It was just a mixture of the unknown and not knowing when it was going to stop that was so daunting.\"\n\nThe unprecedented volume of calls means waiting times for patients are increasing\n\nLizzie's personal battle with coronavirus has helped her to empathise with people who call up with breathing problems.\n\nIt's something she says she's having to do more and more.\n\n\"Just before Christmas we were getting a lot of respiratory and cardiac arrest calls,\" she says. \"You could just hear colleagues counting to four [for chest compressions] and it was echoing around the room. It has been tough.\n\n\"We are getting calls from family members who are really frightened. I covered the London Bridge terror attacks and Grenfell but this is a different scale.\n\n\"I did get one call for toothache, but that's part of the job.\"\n\nLizzie, who lives in Hampshire, says that because the coverage of coronavirus is everywhere, it is \"difficult to escape\".\n\nWhen she's not at work she binge-watches Line of Duty on Netflix, but she says winding down isn't easy.\n\nLizzie sometimes thinks about the people who aren't following the rules aimed at helping stop the spread of the virus, and those who deny Covid-19 even exists.\n\n\"It's a kick in the teeth,\" she says. \"It is frustrating on the way to work when you see people not wearing masks or even posting stuff on social media not believing the virus is real.\n\n\"I just don't know where the disconnect is coming from; there are many people in hospital, many people dying, and I don't know what more needs to be said to make them realise how dangerous the illness is.\"\n\nSorry, your browser cannot display this map\n\nSitting a few metres away from Lizzie is 24-year-old Louise Essam, who has been in the job for two years.\n\n\"Every call we take at the moment is coronavirus,\" she says. \"My record was 108 calls in a day back in March during the first wave.\n\n\"But easily in the last few weeks I've been taking around 100 a day at times,\" Louise adds.\n\n\"We are just doing the best we can,\" says emergency call co-ordinator Louise Essam\n\n\"Sometimes I'll come in for a shift and can just hear colleagues counting one, two, three, four, for the compressions, and you just know what kind of shift it is going to be.\n\n\"It has been tough and quite frustrating, really. We are trying to help people. We are under so much pressure as there are high waiting times, but we are just doing the best we can.\"\n\nHelp is at hand though from the LAS workers' fellow emergency services personnel.\n\nMet Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick visited Wembley Stadium on Wednesday, where her officers are being trained to drive ambulances\n\nSeventy-five Met Police officers are currently being trained at Wembley Stadium to drive ambulances.\n\nThey will start work as drivers from 20 January, joining the 200 firefighters who are already helping LAS.\n\n\"It came as a huge relief when they announced it,\" says 37-year-old paramedic Ben West.\n\nBen West has been with the London Ambulance Service for 13 years\n\nAs is the case with many frontline workers, Ben says he is concerned about the dangers of exposure to coronavirus.\n\nHe has lost four colleagues to Covid-19, including Ian Reynolds, a paramedic based in Croydon, and Melonie Mitchell, a member of the NHS 111 team. They both died during the first wave in April.\n\n\"I wouldn't be a normal person if I said I wasn't scared,\" he says.\n\n\"I am scared and I do worry but we take every day as it comes, take our precautions and we just see where we go with that.\n\n\"We know the virus is out there in the community and we are not immune.\"", "Audi factories, like others, will make thousands fewer cars at the start of this year\n\nAudi is having to slow production because of a computer-chip shortage it is calling a \"crisis upon a crisis\".\n\nBoss Markus Duesmann said it was now aiming to make 10,000 fewer cars in the first quarter of the year and putting more than 10,000 workers on furlough.\n\nIts parent company, Volkswagen, announced its own go-slow due to a lack of chips last week, alongside rivals such as Honda.\n\nMr Duesmann told the Financial Times carmakers had been caught by surprise.\n\nAfter a poor start to 2020 for new car sales, manufacturers cut their orders from the Chinese factories making computer chips.\n\nBut then, at the end of the year, \"everybody was quite surprised by the strength of the market\", Mr Duesmann said.\n\nHowever, ordering new chips is not simple.\n\nCCS Insight analyst Geoff Blaber said: \"Semiconductors have a broad range of applications but a very limited pool of companies capable of manufacturing the silicon.\n\n\"Demand is high, and supply is tight\" and any sudden needs \"can prove very difficult to accommodate\".\n\n\"Modern cars are becoming computers on wheels, with an abundance of silicon required to control everything from the infotainment system to camera, radar and lidar,\" he said.\n\nThe demand from carmakers \"competes for manufacturing capacity with smartphones, servers and a host of other segments\".\n\nAnd a boom in the market for devices such as PCs and new game consoles was making it doubly difficult to book manufacturing time.\n\nThe shortages have seen Mercedes-maker Daimler, Fiat, Ford, Honda, Nissan, Subaru and Toyota all reportedly suspend production for days or weeks at a time.\n\nAnd German car-parts company Continental described \"largescale supply shortages\", with lead times of six to nine months, adding bottlenecks were expected to continue \"well into 2021, causing major disruptions\".", "Two drivers from Scotland were stopped by police on Anglesey going to see friends.\n\nPeople who drove more than 200 miles to visit friends in Wales and a group having a party in a garden shed have been caught breaking Covid rules.\n\nPolice forces in Wales have broken up parties, football matches and fined people for visiting beauty spots this weekend while Wales is in lockdown.\n\nTwo motorists were reported by North Wales Police in Anglesey after driving from Scotland to visit friends.\n\nWhile in Swansea, eight people were fined after a party was held in a shed.\n\nThe drivers from Scotland were stopped by police at Valley, near Holyhead, and reported for driving without insurance and breaching Covid travel restrictions.\n\nOfficers from North Wales Police on Saturday also stopped a car from Portsmouth as the driver was travelling to \"collect a front bumper\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by South Wales Police Vale of Glamorgan This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. End of twitter post by South Wales Police Vale of Glamorgan\n\n\"Travelling nearly 300 miles for a piece of cosmetic plastic for your car is not essential at this time,\" said North Wales Police's Intercept team.\n\n\"The regulations have been broadcast far and wide. Please be mindful you will be reported if your journey is not essential.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Gwent Police | Caerphilly Borough Officers This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nEven though national parks have shut car parks in a bid to stop people visiting, North Wales Police said it received about 100 calls on Saturday about potential Covid breaches - and officers told people they need to take \"personal responsibility\" and \"stay home\".\n\nSouth Wales Police officers issued fixed penalty notices after finding people from \"all different households\" in a shed - which had been converted into a bar - in the Sketty area of Swansea all \"mixing together\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 3 by Mark Drakeford This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nA further nine fixed penalty notices were given out in the Townhill area of the city after different households attended a baby reveal party on Sunday.\n\nFive people were warned about breaking laws in Neath Port Talbot after a group travelled to a field to play football, while four people were fined after a house party in Aberavon.\n\nUnder coronavirus rules people are only allowed to leave their homes for \"essential\" reasons, including to shop for food, get medical treatment and to exercise.\n\nWhile exercise is allowed, people are not allowed to drive to a spot for a walk, run or cycle, and the law means exercising with people you do not live with (or who are your bubble if you live alone) is banned.\n\nThose found to be in breach of Covid laws can be fined £60 for the first offence, with the penalties increasing up to £1,920. If prosecuted, however, a court can impose an unlimited fine.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Covid lockdown: 'This is why we say to you do not come out'\n\nUntil recently police had been using an education first approach, but the Welsh Government has repeatedly said it wants to see stricter enforcement of the rules.\n\nIn Powys, road officers from Dyfed-Powys Police stopped cars and turned around people driving to exercise.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 4 by Traffic Wales North & Mid #KeepWalesSafe This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nIn Port Talbot, two people sat on a bench drinking alcohol were fined by South Wales Police for \"leaving home without a reasonable excuse\".\n\nGwent Police officers broke-up a house party in Glyn-Gaer, Caerphilly county, on Friday evening and issued fines.", "A non-binding Labour motion calling for the universal credit top-up to be kept in place beyond 31 March passed by 278 votes to none after a Commons debate.\n\nSix Tory MPs defied party orders to abstain and voted with Labour, adding to the pressure on the PM on the issue.\n\nThe prime minister said the government had provided £280bn worth of support during the pandemic but all measures would be kept under \"constant review\".\n\nThe motion, which will not automatically lead to a change in policy, was put forward by Labour as a way to put additional pressure on the government to continue the increase, worth £1,000 a year.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Carl, a roofer, describes going from \"not having enough to barely having enough\" on universal credit.\n\nFormer Work and Pensions Secretary Stephen Crabb was among six Conservative MPs to rebel, along with Peter Aldous, Robert Halfon, Jason McCartney, Anne Marie Morris and Matthew Offord.\n\nAhead of the vote, Mr Crabb told the BBC that although there were \"difficult pressures on the chancellor\" extending the increase for 12 months was \"the right thing to do\".\n\nBBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg said there were dozens of Conservative MPs who were \"deeply uneasy\" about ending the £20 weekly increase to universal credit.\n\nShe added that it was also understood the cabinet minister with responsibility for benefits, Therese Coffey, was arguing that the uplift should not be dropped in April.\n\nCharities and anti-poverty campaigners are pleading with the government to keep the support in place, describing it as a lifeline for more than 5.5 million families who receive the standard universal credit allowance.\n\nFood poverty campaigner and chef Jack Monroe told the BBC that the £20 increase \"has been a lifeline\" for millions of people who have needed to top up their income or rely on universal credit payments in order to get by.\n\nSir Keir said the increase was a vital safety net for those who had lost their jobs, seen their working hours slashed or who were not eligible for the government's wage subsidy furlough scheme.\n\n\"If we don't give a helping hand to families through this pandemic, then we are going to slow our economic recovery as we come out it.\n\n\"We urge Boris Johnson to change course and give families certainty today that their incomes will be protected.\"\n\nSix billion pounds of the benefits bill - the difference between poverty or not for 1.2 million families, according to a think tank.\n\nThe £1,040 a year increase to universal credit is a very emotive issue.\n\nThere's even a battle over what to call it.\n\nTo the government, its introduction was a one-off boost to cope with a crisis. For Labour, taking it away is a cut.\n\nMinisters would prefer we looked at the overall level of support they've provided for workers and businesses during the pandemic. The opposition say the £20 a week boost is a powerful symbol of the state's willingness to help.\n\nEven the act of debating it today is disputed. Labour say they've got the right occasionally to set the agenda in Parliament. Boris Johnson said his MPs risk abuse from campaigners and protestors if they engage.\n\nThe Joseph Rowntree Foundation has suggested about 16 million people will be directly affected if the £20 is rolled back.\n\nIt says 500,000 more people will be driven into poverty, including 200,000 children, while a further 500,000 of those already in poverty will find themselves in even worse hardship.\n\nHowever, free market think tank the Institute for Economic Affairs has argued that \"across-the-board benefit increases are a wasteful use of taxpayers' money\" at a time when the government is borrowing \"a hair-raising amount of money\".\n\nUniversal credit is a single payment replacing old benefits such as housing benefit and child tax credits.\n\nYou can claim universal credit if you are on a low income or are out of work.\n\nThe standard allowance varies from around £340 to just under £600 a month, depending on your age or whether you are single.\n\nYou may be eligible to receive more money on top of the standard allowance if, for example, you have children or a health condition.\n\nSpeaking on behalf of the Northern Research Group, Conservative MP John Stevenson said the £1,000 increase had been \"a real life-saver for people throughout this pandemic\".\n\n\"To end it now would be devastating for the 6 million individuals and families who are already struggling to stay afloat,\" he added.\n\nWhile the vote is not binding, and will not lead to a change in policy, it will increase pressure on the government to keep the increase or come up with an alternative.\n\nLabour said the Conservatives' decision to abstain created \"unnecessary uncertainty\" but minister Nadhim Zahawi described the vote as \"a political stunt\".\n\nThe government says it has strengthened the welfare system with an extra £7bn of funding during the pandemic while families struggling with food and household bills can get help through the £170m Winter Grant Scheme.\n\nMinisters also point to extra support for housing costs, through an increase in local housing allowance for those on housing benefits and hardship payments worth £670m next year for those unable to pay their council tax bills.", "The former president posts that he has been told to report to a grand jury, \"which almost always means an Arrest\".", "Staff are in \"the eye of the storm\" amid the coronavirus pandemic, the NHS says\n\nTen hospital trusts across England consistently reported having no spare adult critical care beds in the most recent figures.\n\nIt comes as hospital waiting times, coronavirus admissions and patients requiring intensive care are rising.\n\nEngland's 140 acute trusts had 5,503 adult critical care beds on 10 January, with 4,632 in use.\n\nNHS bosses have warned hospitals could \"hit the limit\" of their capacity this week.\n\n\"I think, this next week, we will be at the limit of what we probably have the physical space and the people to safely do,\" Danny Mortimer, the chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said.\n\n\"And, of course, this is the week when we expect also the highest rate of admissions, the highest demand for the care that we're providing.\"\n\nThe latest figures from NHS England show the number of trusts that were, on average, at full capacity in adult critical care across an entire week rose from four to 10 in the week to 10 January.\n\nThis was the highest number in the last 10 weeks for which data was available.\n\nThe increase comes despite trusts adding an additional 50% \"surge\" capacity across the summer and autumn to cope with winter pressures, according to NHS England.\n\nOverall, 30 acute hospital trusts in England had no spare adult critical care beds on 10 January alone. But daily admissions figures can vary from day-to-day as patients move in and out of intensive care.\n\nSpeaking on the Andrew Marr Show on Sunday, NHS England chief executive Sir Simon Stevens said nine critical care patients had recently been transferred to other parts of the country because of no beds being available in their local area.\n\nSpeaking about all admissions, Sir Simon said hospitals in England had seen an increase of 15,000 inpatients since Christmas Day.\n\n\"That's the equivalent of filling 30 hospitals full of coronavirus patients and staggeringly every 30 seconds across England another patient is being admitted to hospital with coronavirus,\" he added.\n\nHelen Buckingham, from Health think-tank The Nuffield Trust, said the NHS was facing a winter \"like no other\" and, on top of rising coronavirus hospital admissions, critical care beds were also required for non-Covid patients.\n\n\"The NHS has pulled out all the stops to create more beds this year, and hospitals are working together so that patients who need critical care can be moved to other hospitals as necessary - but without more fully trained critical care staff there isn't much further the service can go,\" she said.\n\nThe figures only tell part of the story. The creation of extra beds to cope with rising numbers of Covid patients has come at a price.\n\nCritical care beds have been set up in overspill areas including departments usually reserved for operations. What is more, there is no extra staff to look after these extra patients - so specialist intensive care nurses have been stretched across more patients than normal. Instead of providing one-to-one care for the most sick, some areas are seeing nurses looking after three or four patients.\n\nStaff from other areas have had to be redeployed into critical care departments too.\n\nThat of course comes at a cost to non-Covid services and is part of the reason we have seen planned surgery and even cancer care being cut back on.\n\nA leaked email recently revealed about 200 doctors would be redeployed to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham amid fears its intensive care unit could be \"overwhelmed\".\n\nUniversity Hospitals Birmingham NHS Trust said it had \"significantly\" more patients in hospital with Covid-19 than in April last year.\n\nThe trust had 147 critical care beds available across its hospitals as of 10 January, all of which were full as of the latest figures.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. What does it mean if the NHS is overwhelmed?\n\nA spokesman said the trust would continue to extend its intensive care teams \"so they are able to treat the rising number of Covid-19 patients and those who require time-critical surgery, including cancer operations\".\n\nAiredale NHS Foundation Trust, despite having nine critical care beds overall, said it did not normally experience full occupancy at this time in the year and the ward had both Covid and non-Covid patients.\n\n\"We are experiencing normal winter pressures across the trust, combined with an increasing number of Covid-19 patients, particularly over the last week,\" a spokeswoman said.\n\n\"Every bed in ICU that is occupied by a Covid-19 patient is one less available for people who need that level of care for other reasons.\"\n\nSir Simon said the current number of patients in critical care was a \"clear indication of the huge pressure on the NHS\", including ambulance and mental health services as well as hospitals.\n\n\"The likelihood is, even with a stabilising of infections in some parts of the country, we're still seeing increases in infections among the over-60s in many parts of the country,\" he added.\n\n\"The forecasts are the pressure on hospitals will only get more intense over the next several weeks.\"\n\nNHS England said critical care services were under \"unprecedented pressure\".\n\nA spokeswoman added that hospitals had \"tried and tested plans in place\" to manage pressure from increased Covid-19 and non-Covid patients, including mutual aid practices where hospitals work together to manage admissions.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Evelyn Jones was one of the care home residents whose family raised concerns\n\nSix care home residents died after suffering dehydration and malnourishment because of alleged neglect, an inquest has been told.\n\nStanley James, 89, June Hamer, 71, Stanley Bradford, 76, Edith Evans, 85, Evelyn Jones, 87, and William Hickman, 71 all died between 2003 and 2005.\n\nThey were residents at Brithdir Nursing Home in New Tredegar, Caerphilly.\n\nThe inquest in Newport follows Operation Jasmine, an £11.6m inquiry into alleged neglect at six homes.\n\nOne of Wales' biggest inquiries, it was launched after the death of an 84-year-old patient at a nursing home in Newbridge, Caerphilly.\n\nOpening the inquest, Assistant Coroner for Gwent Geraint Williams said police started investigating in 2005 following the death of an 84-year-old \"mentally infirm\" woman at another care home in Newbridge.\n\nMr Williams said it led to officers uncovering a \"pattern of concerns linked to other deaths in other care homes\".\n\nJune Hamer went into Brithdir in 2003\n\nIn relation to the Brithdir inquiry, Mr Williams said: \"Operation Jasmine uncovered evidence suggesting poor care of residents, including allegations of poor pressure sore and peg [percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy] feed management, malnourishment, and general neglect of the residents' long-term needs, together with deficient standards of care and nursing practice.\"\n\nThe inquest heard resident Mr James, who had dementia and was not mobile, developed several pressure sores in the 18 months before he died in August 2003.\n\nMr Bradford, who had schizophrenia, was admitted to the Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil on several occasions for complaints of \"dehydration, chest and urine infections\".\n\nBefore he died in August 2005 he was \"observed to be seriously malnourished\", by doctors.\n\nDementia patient Mrs Evans was admitted to the same hospital in September 2005, where nurses found the site around her feeding tube \"infected\", while broken skin was found on her buttocks and she appeared \"unkempt and dirty, and her mouth and lips were dry and her tongue was thick\".\n\nThe trial of the late Dr Prana Das for care home neglect collapsed after he suffered brain damage in an attack\n\nDr Prana Das, who owned and ran the nursing home along with several other facilities in Wales, faced a string of charges relating to failings in care.\n\nHe suffered a brain injury during a burglary at his home in 2012 and was declared medically unfit to stand trial.\n\nDr Das died in January 2020 aged 73, but his widow and co-owner of the home, Dr Nishebita Das, who is said not to have taken part in running it, is expected to give evidence at the inquest.\n\nMr Williams told the hearing that, even before the couple purchased the home in April 2002 under their company Puretruce Health Care Limited, \"serious concerns\" were raised by state agencies regarding the number of residents who had suffered pressure ulcers.\n\n\"Those issues continued, even after Dr Das assumed ownership of the home,\" he said.\n\nMr Williams said the inquest will consider the actions of nurses and carers at the home, \"many of whom came to this country from abroad to work and have since returned there, and are now not available to participate in the inquest\".\n\nThe inquest is set to last until March.\n\nA hearing into the death of a seventh resident, Matthew Higgins, 86, will be held following the conclusion of this inquest.", "A Republican lawmaker who had been in office for less than a week when she invoked German dictator Adolf Hitler in a Washington speech has apologised for saying that she agreed with the mass murderer.\n\nIllinois Congresswoman Mary Miller had said in a speech on Tuesday outside the Capitol, one day before her fellow Trump supporters ransacked the building, that Hitler had been \"right\".\n\nMiller told the crowd: \"You know, if we win a few elections we’re still going to be losing unless we win the hearts of our children.\n\n\"It’s the battle. Hitler was right on one thing - that whoever has the youth has the future.\"\n\nHitler, among his supporters in Germany in 1933 Image caption: Hitler, among his supporters in Germany in 1933\n\nThe comments drew large-scale condemnation, with the US Holocaust Memorial Museum saying in a statement that it \"unequivocally condemns any leader trying to advance a position by claiming Adolf Hitler was ‘right.’\"\n\nUnder Hitler, millions of Jews and other minority groups were murdered across Europe by Germany and its allies during World War Two.\n\nOn Friday, Miller insisted that she is not anti-semitic and accused other of \"trying to intentionally twist my words\".\n\n\"I sincerely apologise for any harm my words caused and regret using a reference to one of the most evil dictators in history to illustrate the dangers that outside influences can have on our youth,\" she said.\n\nCorrection 23rd June 2022: This post originally described Mary Miller as having praised Hitler and has been amended to make clear that she invoked Hitler in her speech.", "Who were the protesters that broke into buildings on Capitol Hill after attending a rally in support of Donald Trump?\n\nSome were carrying symbols and flags strongly associated with particular ideas and factions, but in practice many of the members and their causes overlap.\n\nImages show individuals associated with a range of extreme and far-right groups and supporters of fringe online conspiracy theories, many of whom have long been active online and at pro-Trump rallies.\n\nOne of the most startling images, quickly shared across social media, shows a man dressed with a painted face, fur hat and horns, holding an American flag.\n\nHe's been identified as Jake Angeli, a well-known supporter of the baseless conspiracy theory QAnon. He calls himself the QAnon Shaman.\n\nHis social media presence shows him attending multiple QAnon events and posting YouTube videos about deep state conspiracies.\n\nHe was pictured in November making a speech in Phoenix, Arizona, about unproven claims the election was fraudulent.\n\nHis personal Facebook page is filled with images and memes relating to all sorts of extreme ideas and conspiracy theories.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nAnother group spotted at the storming of the Capitol were members of the far-right group Proud Boys.\n\nThe organisation was founded in 2016 and is anti-immigrant and all male. In the first US presidential debate President Trump in response to a question about white supremacists and militias said: \"Proud Boys - stand back and stand by.\"\n\nThe individual on the right is Nick Ochs, who describes himself as a \"Proud Boy Elder\".\n\nOne of their members, Nick Ochs, tweeted a selfie inside the building saying \"Hello from the Capital lol\". He also filmed a live stream inside.\n\nWe haven't identified the individual standing on the left in the above image.\n\nMr Ochs' profile on the messaging app Telegram describes himself as a \"Proud Boy Elder from Hawaii.\"\n\nIndividuals with large followings online were also spotted at the protests.\n\nAmong them was the social media personality Tim Gionet, who goes under the pseudonym \"Baked Alaska\".\n\nTim Gionet, better known as \"Baked Alaska\", livestreamed himself from the Capitol on Wednesday\n\nHis livestream from inside the Capitol posted on a niche streaming service was watched by thousands of people and showed him talking to other protesters.\n\nA Trump supporter, Mr Gionet has made a name for himself as an internet troll.\n\nYouTube banned his channel in October after he posted videos of himself harassing shop workers and refusing to wear a face-mask during the coronavirus pandemic.\n\nOther platforms that have previously shut down his accounts include Twitter and PayPal.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. 'Treason, traitors and thugs' - the words lawmakers used to describe Capitol riot\n\nA photo that went viral of a man who'd entered the office of senior Democrat politician Nancy Pelosi has been named as Richard Barnett from Arkansas.\n\nRichard Barnett left a message for US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi saying \"we will not back down\"\n\nOutside Capitol Hill buildings, he told the New York Times that he took an envelope from the speaker's office and says left a note calling her an expletive.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Matthew Rosenberg This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nReacting to the New York Times interview, Republican congressman Steve Womack said on Twitter: \"I'm sickened to learn that the below actions were perpetrated by a constituent.\"\n\nLocal media reports say Mr Barnett is involved in a group that supports gun rights, and that he was interviewed at a 'Stop the Steal' rally following the presidential election - a movement that refused to accept Joe Biden's victory and supports the president's unsubstantiated claims of electoral fraud.\n\nIn the interview at the rally organised by 'Engaged Patriots' he said: \"If you don't like it, send somebody out to get me 'cause I ain't going down easy.\"\n\nThe group associated with Mr Barnett held a fundraiser in October with proceeds going towards body cameras for the local police department, according to the Westside Eagle Observer local paper.\n\nAs the events were unfolding, many social media users, especially those associated with QAnon and supporters of President Trump, were claiming that agitators from the loose-knit left-wing group antifa were involved.\n\nThe implication was that these activists were disguised as Trump supporters to create disruption.\n\nA number of prominent Republican politicians, such as US Representative Matt Gaetz, claimed it was antifa masquerading as Trump supporters.\n\nOne widely-shared post claimed one protester had a \"communist hammer\" tattoo, as evidence that he wasn't a Trump supporter.\n\nOn closer inspection, the symbol is from the video game series Dishonored.\n\nThere have also been suggestions that Mr Angeli, the man wearing fur and horns, was a Black Lives Matter supporter, with users sharing an image of him at a BLM event in Arizona.\n\nMr Angeli was indeed at that event, but he was there as a counter-protester. In images taken there, he's seen holding a QAnon sign.\n\nAt least one of the rioters was holding a Confederate flag, which represented US states that supported the continuation of slavery during the American civil war. For this reason, it is considered by many to be a symbol of racism and there have been calls to ban it across the US. Others see it as an important part of southern US history.\n\nA protester carries the Confederate flag after breaching US Capitol security\n\nIn July it was announced that the flag could no longer be flown on American military properties because of a new policy to reject \"divisive symbols\".\n\nPresident Trump has defended the use of the Confederate flag in the past, saying: \"I know people that like the Confederate flag and they're not thinking about slavery...I just think it's freedom of speech.\"\n\nThere were also protesters holding aloft flags featuring a coiled rattlesnake on a yellow background, often accompanied by the phrase \"don't tread on me\". This is known as the Gadsden flag, harking back to the American revolution and the war to expel British colonialists.\n\nIt was adopted by libertarians in the 1970s, according to an article in the New Yorker, and more recently became a favourite symbol of conservative Tea Party activists.\n\nThe flag has been adopted by the right over the past couple of decades, says Prof Margaret Weir, a political science expert at Brown University.\n\nIt is also used by anti-government, white supremacist groups who embrace violence, she says.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nA nurse felt \"overwhelming fear\" as 13 ambulances queued at her hospital's A&E department - in the Welsh region currently hardest hit by Covid deaths.\n\nTo date Cwm Taf Morgannwg health board, which runs Royal Glamorgan Hospital, has reported 1,091 deaths of patients with coronavirus.\n\nBBC Wales was granted access to A&E at the hospital in Rhondda Cynon Taf.\n\nSenior doctor Amanda Farrow said the whole hospital had faced \"unrelenting\" pressure last Saturday.\n\nSarah Fogarasy was the senior nurse on duty as 13 ambulances queued up outside her A&E department\n\nSenior A&E nurse Sarah Fogarasy, who was on shift as the ambulances arrived, said there was no capacity at the unit - a situation that left her wanting \"to leave\".\n\n\"We had to escalate it to our site manager and deputy head of nursing who were liaising with the executive team on call,\" she said.\n\n\"And then it got to 13 patients outside - I had no capacity in this unit, no resuscitation capacity, no capacity to put a patient on CPAP [continuous positive airway pressure] should they require that and no physical areas to put a patient in.\n\nOn Saturday, 13 ambulances queued outside the hospital's A&E department\n\nShe said she found it hard to keep going.\n\n\"This bit makes me quite emotional… for the first time I was sat trying to coordinate this department and I had that overwhelming fear that I just wanted to leave,\" Ms Fogarasy continued.\n\n\"I was just - 'I'm done. I'm done with this'... and it's scary, it fills you full of fear when you have got 13 ambulances outside, queuing around the carpark. Where do you go from that?\"\n\nShe said it was the team that kept her going: \"I started looking around to all the staff working tirelessly and just trying to remember what we're here for and why I became a nurse.\n\n\"I know it sounds soppy but it's literally the humanitarian effort that has gone into [fighting] this pandemic that has kept people going.\n\n\"It's the sheer determination and guts of the staff working in these times that is so powerful, that keeps the shift going.\"\n\nEmergency Medicine Consultant Amanda Farrow said it was a \"very emotional time for everyone\"\n\nDr Farrow, emergency medicine consultant, said staffing and bed numbers were of particular concern.\n\n\"In the emergency department the challenge we have is with regards to flow, so that is our daily challenge,\" she explained.\n\n\"And we say it's like playing a game of Tetris trying to work out which patient you can put where.\"\n\nStaff reported feeling overwhelmed as they work through the second Covid wave\n\nShe said the second wave of the virus had also seen more staff off sick with Covid and isolating - with some becoming very ill.\n\n\"We've had staff in as patients and one of my colleagues - I saw them when they were critically ill and ended up going to intensive care,\" continued Dr Farrow.\n\n\"So it's very emotional time for everyone as well you know, looking after the sick patients and looking after your colleagues.\n\n\"There's a level of anxiety still around - will you be the next person to get this disease?\"\n\nShe said although fewer people were attending A&E, they were seeing more people arriving by ambulance and presenting with more complex needs.\n\n\"The group of patients we are seeing this time I think is different, we're definitely having more younger people with Covid that are becoming sick, the volume is very high in the community.\n\n\"I think people are afraid of come into the hospital as well, so there are still quite a lot of patients who leave it maybe a bit too late before they're seeking hospital attention.\"\n\nSpeaking from her intensive care bed, Helen Whatmore said she was extremely grateful to staff\n\nHelen Whatmore, 45, from Beddau, has been hospital since early December after developing Covid symptoms.\n\nSpeaking from her intensive care bed, she said she had been unwell in February so assumed she had already caught the virus.\n\n\"I honestly didn't believe it was as bad until I caught [Covid] this time,\" she said.\n\n\"This time it's absolutely knocked the socks off me. It's nearly killed me.\n\n\"A friend of mine passed away as I came into hospital and I came down very rapidly with Covid, kidney problems and pneumonia.\"\n\nShe said she was grateful for the care she had received: \"The nurses are coming in [working] all shifts, they're fighting for your loved ones, from the time they enter right until the time they leave, then they're changing over and doing the same again.\n\n\"People are passing away… how much more have they got to do? We're asking them to protect our children and our families. Why are we not protecting them ourselves? Saving our families and our own children.\"", "The Welsh Government is in discussions about bringing in \"more visible\" coronavirus regulations.\n\nStricter enforcement of coronavirus rules could return to supermarkets in Wales, Mark Drakeford has said.\n\nThe first minister said he had heard concerns from people \"expressing anxiety\" about a lack of \"visible protections\" in supermarkets.\n\nThe Welsh Government is now in talks with stores about social-distancing measures.\n\nMr Drakeford said he wanted to see stores policed as they were during the first lockdown.\n\nAmong the measures previously used was a strict limit of the numbers of people allowed in a store however Mr Drakeford said people were worried the rules \"don't appear to be there this time\".\n\n\"Given the fact the new variant is so much easier to catch... we are looking at supermarkets and other places where people leave their homes, to make sure they are organised in a way that keeps their staff and customers safe,\" he said.\n\nHe said previously sanitising arrangements had been \"very visible\", one-way markings were prominently displayed, regular reminders were announced to customers and staff were also posted at the front entrance of supermarkets\n\n\"That person was carefully controlling the numbers of people going in, to make sure that they were no more than a certain number of people in the store at any one time,\" he said.\n\n\"There was somebody directing people to the checkout, to make sure people weren't queuing next to each other over prolonged periods, and markings on the floor so people kept at a two-metre distance\".\n\nHowever the first minister said some of those measures are no longer as apparent to people.\n\n\"I want to make sure that those visible signs of the protections that are being offered to the public and the shop workers are in place again.\"\n\nFederation of Small Businesses Wales said has called for clarity on what support would be available and the possible new measures required of shops.\n\nPolicy Chair, Ben Francis, said: \"We've already asked to see more information on the technical data that informs the decisions that Welsh Government are making.\n\n\"It seems clear that businesses will require funding support for longer than was originally anticipated if they are to survive this troubling period.\n\n\"Welsh Government should urgently give clarity on what additional funding will be made available to support businesses beyond this next three week period to allow them to plan.\"", "While GCSEs and A-levels are being cancelled, the IGCSE exams will go ahead this summer\n\nThe IGCSE exams, usually only taken in private schools, are still going ahead this summer - even though GCSEs and A-levels have been cancelled.\n\nExam boards that run IGCSEs plan to offer them, while many other exams have been stopped by the pandemic.\n\nIGCSE qualifications, alternative exams to GCSEs, are not usually available in state schools.\n\nPupils in England whose A-levels and GCSEs are cancelled will depend on replacement grades from teachers.\n\nBut Education Secretary Gavin Williamson's scrapping of exams this summer does not apply to students taking IGCSEs.\n\nA Department for Education report in 2019 found 94% of IGCSEs were taken in private schools, accounting for 164,000 exam entries.\n\nThe decision not to cancel them was welcomed by the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference (HMC), representing some of the most prestigious independent schools.\n\nThe HMC's general secretary, Simon Hyde, said their schools \"would be the first to cheer if pupils educated by the state had the same opportunity\".\n\n\"The decision to cancel GCSEs was premature. Exams are the fairest way of assessing what learners know and understand and we would like to see as many pupils as possible take a form of exam in the summer,\" said Dr Hyde.\n\nIndependent schools often offer a mix of IGCSEs and GCSEs for different subjects, although IGCSEs do not count towards school league tables.\n\nThe qualifications - International GCSEs - are offered by Cambridge Assessment and Pearson and are taken in other countries as well as the UK. Both boards say they are planning to go ahead with exam papers for UK schools this summer.\n\nIGCSEs were not included in the cancellation of exams announced by England's Department for Education and it will be up to individual schools to decide whether to continue with them.\n\nJulie McCullloch of the ASCL head teachers' union said: \"It creates another inconsistency, but none of this is easy.\"\n\nShe said it created an \"odd situation\" when GCSEs were cancelled but IGCSEs were going ahead, but she recognised that an international qualification could need a common approach across different countries.\n\nWith the latest lockdown and most pupils studying at home, GCSEs and A-levels have been cancelled in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.\n\nIn England, the exams watchdog Ofqual will launch a consultation next week on a replacement way of deciding grades - but Ofqual does not regulate IGCSEs and they will not be part of the watchdog's proposals.", "Harley Watson's mother Jo described him as a \"kind, caring, selfless, intelligent and comical young man\"\n\nA man who killed a 12-year-old boy by driving into schoolchildren in a \"deliberate\" hit and run has been detained in a secure hospital.\n\nHarley Watson died after he was hit by a car outside Debden Park High School in Loughton, Essex, on 2 December 2019.\n\nTerence Glover, 52, pleaded guilty to manslaughter by diminished responsibility at an earlier hearing.\n\nHe also admitted 10 counts of attempted murder and has been detained under the Mental Health Act indefinitely.\n\nAt the sentencing hearing at Snaresbrook Crown Court, Harley's mother Jo described her son as a \"kind, caring, selfless, intelligent and comical young man\".\n\nHe was hit by Glover's Ford Ka as he left school with friends and died later in Whipps Cross University Hospital.\n\nTerence Glover has been sentenced indefinitely under the Mental Health Act\n\nChristine Agnew, prosecuting, said eye-witnesses saw Glover's car \"ploughing through and hitting children from behind\".\n\nShe said he \"deliberately mounted the pavement... and drove directly at a group of people, mostly children, intending to kill them\".\n\nGlover, previously of Newmans Lane, Loughton, also pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of 23-year-old Raquel Jimeno and six boys and three girls aged between 12 and 16 who were outside the school.\n\nThe court heard he suffered from paranoid schizophrenia and medical experts agreed his \"significant\" mental illness \"provided an explanation for his conduct\".\n\nHe was given a hospital order under the Mental Health Act 1983, meaning if his illness was treated successfully, he would be transferred to prison.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Harley Watson's classmates paid tribute to him in 2019\n\nJudge Andrew Edis said if transferred, Glover must serve a life sentence with a minimum of 15 years.\n\nIn his sentencing statement, Judge Edis noted his history of mental illness and cocaine use, but said Glover's actions were \"appalling\".\n\n\"He caused the death of a much-loved and admired 12-year-old boy who had done no harm to anyone,\" he said.\n\nHe added that Glover's behaviour \"requires punishment as well as treatment\" and there was \"no doubt that this defendant is dangerous\".\n\nHe also ordered that Glover be banned from driving for life and that the car should be destroyed.\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "National Express has announced that it is suspending its entire national network of coach services from midnight on Sunday.\n\nThe firm said tighter Covid restrictions and falling passenger numbers had prompted the decision.\n\nIt added that it hoped to restart services in March.\n\nAll customers whose travel has been cancelled will be contacted and offered a free amendment or full refund, the company said.\n\nAll journeys before Monday 11 January will be completed to ensure any passengers making essential journeys are not stranded.\n\nChris Hardy, managing director of National Express UK Coach, said: \"We have been providing an important service for essential travel needs. However, with tighter restrictions and passenger numbers falling, it is no longer appropriate to do this.\n\nHe added that as the vaccination programme was rolled out and government guidance changed, the company would regularly review when services could restart.\n\n\"We plan to be back on the road as soon as the time is right and have put a provisional restart date of Monday 1 March in place,\" he said.\n\nNational Express first suspended coach services during the coronavirus crisis in April, then restarted in July.\n\nServices have been operating at half capacity, with strict cleaning and Covid protocols. As the tier structure came into operation, demand for services reduced.\n\nAs with the previous suspension, employees will be furloughed.\n\nFirms that transport passengers, including coach, rail and aviation businesses, have been under intense pressure during the coronavirus crisis.\n\nAvanti West Coast, the train operating company running services on the West Coast mainline, has confirmed it will cut its timetable from 18 January.\n\nAvanti says the new timetable will 'more closely reflect the current demand for our services whilst still allowing key workers, and those needing to make essential journeys, to travel with confidence'.\n\nDuring the first major lockdown in March, services on key intercity routes were reduced from three an hour to one. This included services from both Manchester and Birmingham to London.\n\nThe Department for Transport has been consulting with all train operators about service reductions during the latest lockdown.\n\nThe exact scale of reduction is still being worked on, but the DfT says service levels may fall to as low as 40% of the normal timetable by some operators.\n\nThe focus is to ensure essential workers can still make essential journeys.\n\n\"Following discussions with the Department for Transport we will be introducing a new timetable on Monday 18 January. This will more closely reflect the current demand for our services whilst still allowing key workers, and those needing to make essential journeys, to travel with confidence.\"\n\nOn Thursday, Ryanair also announced that it would make big cuts to its flight schedule from 21 January, with few, if any flights to or from the UK or Ireland until \"draconian travel restrictions are removed\".\n\nTrain services are expected to be reduced in lockdown, with some in the industry anticipating reductions of between 50% and 60% compared with normal service.\n\nIn the first national lockdown in England, services were reduced to almost half.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Police have issued CCTV footage of a man they want to speak to in connection with the incident\n\nA fraudster claiming to work for the NHS injected a 92-year-old woman with a fake Covid-19 vaccine, City of London Police has said.\n\nDetectives are hunting the man who charged the victim in Surbiton, south-west London, £160.\n\nPolice said it was \"crucial\" he was caught as soon as possible as he \"may endanger people's lives\".\n\nDet Insp Kevin Ives described it as a \"disgusting and totally unacceptable assault\".\n\nIt comes after the NHS warned people that no-one should be turning up at doorsteps offering a vaccine for payment, following a spate of fake text messages.\n\nUnder the current coronavirus vaccine rollout plans, people will be invited to receive the vaccine by their GP or healthcare provider.\n\nPolice said the victim allowed the man into her home on the afternoon of 30 December after he said he was from the NHS and there to administer the Covid-19 vaccine.\n\nShe said she was jabbed in the arm with a \"dart-like implement\" before being charged £160, which the man said would be refunded by the NHS.\n\nPolice said it was not known what substance, if any, was administered, but the woman had been checked at her local hospital and showed no ill effects.\n\nDet Insp Ives appealed for information to help identify the suspect.\n\nHe added: \"It is crucial we catch him as soon as possible as not only is he defrauding individuals of money, he may endanger people's lives.\"\n\nThe man made a second visit to the woman's home on 4 January, when he asked for another £100, police said.\n\nThe man was spotted in the Tolworth area of Kingston-upon-Thames on 4 January\n\nOfficers released CCTV footage on Friday of a man dressed in a navy blue tracksuit with white stripes down the side, who they want to speak to in connection with the incident.\n\nHe is described as a white man in his early 30s, who is about 5ft 9ins (1.75m) tall, of medium build, with light brown hair that is combed back. He speaks with a London accent.\n\nA spokesman for the Department of Health said: \"NHS England will never ask for bank details, Pin numbers or passwords, when contacting you about a vaccination.\n\n\"Any communication which claims to be from the NHS but asks for payment, or bank details, is fraudulent and can be ignored. It can be reported to police via Action Fraud.\n\n\"You will never be charged for the vaccine.\"\n\nFor more London news follow on Facebook, on Twitter, on Instagram and subscribe to our YouTube channel.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said it is \"excellent news\" that a third coronavirus vaccine has been approved for use in the UK.\n\nIt is made by US company Moderna and works in a similar way to the Pfizer one already being offered on the NHS.\n\nThe UK has pre-ordered 17 million doses of the Moderna vaccine - 10 million more than planned - but supplies are not expected to arrive until spring.\n\nIt is the last Covid vaccine with final trial data published.\n\nThere are hundreds still in development, with some expected to report findings in the near future.\n\nAround 1.5 million people in the UK have had at least one dose of a Covid vaccine so far, with either the Pfizer or AstraZeneca vaccines already approved by UK regulators.\n\nThat figure includes almost a quarter of those aged over 80 in England - people at highest risk of severe illness or death from the virus.\n\nVaccines are being given to the most vulnerable first, as set out in a list of nine high-priority groups, covering around 30 million people in the UK.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Vaccine Deployment Minister Nadhim Zahawi welcomed the approval of the Moderna jab\n\nThe prime minister has said the aim is to vaccinate 15 million people in the UK by mid-February, including care homes residents and staff, frontline NHS staff, everyone over 70 and those who are clinically extremely vulnerable.\n\nHealth and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said: \"This is further great news and another weapon in our arsenal to tame this awful disease.\"\n\nThe UK had originally ordered 7 million doses of the Moderna jab, but has increased this to get even more people immunised as quickly as possible.\n\nIn total, the UK has now ordered 367 million doses of vaccines to protect against Covid-19.\n\nNadhim Zahawi, vaccine deployment minister, said: \"The NHS is pulling out all the stops to vaccinate those most at risk as quickly as possible, with over 1,000 vaccination sites live across the UK by the end of the week to provide easy access to everyone, regardless of where they live.\n\n\"The Moderna vaccine will be a vital boost to these efforts and will help us return to normal faster.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Covid vaccine safety: How does a vaccine get approved?\n\nThe Moderna vaccine, an RNA vaccine like Pfizer's, injects part of the virus's genetic code in order to provoke an immune response.\n\nIt requires temperatures of around -20C for shipping - similar to a normal freezer.\n\nIn comparison, the Pfizer/BioNTech one requires temperatures closer to -75C, making transport logistics much more difficult.\n\nThe AstraZeneca jab is easier to store and distribute, as it can be kept at normal fridge temperature.\n\nAll of these vaccines require a second booster shot, but a first dose is likely to be given to as many people as possible.\n\nIn trials with more than 30,000, the Moderna vaccine offered nearly 95% protection from severe Covid.\n\nNo vaccine is 100% effective and it takes time for protection to build. For all of the Covid vaccines, we still do not know how long immunity will last.\n\nPeople who have received a coronavirus vaccine should continue to follow social distancing rules to protect themselves and others.\n\nEU and US regulators have already approved the Moderna vaccine.", "The band recently became a trio (left-right): Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Jade Thirlwall and Perrie Edwards\n\nLittle Mix have risen to top the top of UK singles chart after Christmas songs released their grip on the top 40.\n\nSweet Melody has become the band's fifth number one, three months after it was released - and will be their last with Jesy Nelson, who quit last year.\n\nThe 29-year-old said in December that nine years in the girl group had taken \"a toll on her mental health\".\n\nLittle Mix's victory is part of a huge chart upheaval, after 56 Christmas songs dropped out of the top 100.\n\nAmong them was last week's number one, Wham's Last Christmas, which set a new record for the biggest-ever fall from the top. The festive ballad has now left the chart altogether.\n\nThe previous record-holder - Three Lions, by The Lightning Seeds with Frank Skinner and David Baddiel - fell from number one to 96 after England crashed out of the World Cup in 2018.\n\nSweet Melody has risen from number nine to number one this week, giving Little Mix their first chart-topper since Shout Out To My Ex in 2016.\n\nJade Thirlwall told BBC Radio 1 the milestone was particularly important because it was \"the last single we did as a four with Jesy\".\n\n\"And it's even more special that now, going into 2021 as a three, we've got the first number one,\" she added.\n\nThis YouTube post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on YouTube The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts. Skip youtube video by Official Charts This article contains content provided by Google YouTube. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Google’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts. End of youtube video by Official Charts\n\nAcknowledging a fan campaign to boost the song's chart position, bandmate Perrie Edwards said: \"I just want to squish every single fan who managed to get it to number one.\n\n\"The power they have, I'm sorry. The song's been out for months!\"\n\nWith fans abandoning their festive playlists, the stage was also set for singles that had previously been forced out of the top 40 to stage a dramatic return.\n\nDua Lipa's Levitating jumped 63 places to number five, reclaiming a position it last held on 3 December; and Tate McRae's You Broke Me First rocketed from number 74 to nine. In total, there were 39 new entries or re-entries in the top 75.\n\nIn the album chart, Taylor Swift's Evermore returned to number one, four weeks after its surprise pre-Christmas release, while companion album Folklore climbed to number 12.\n\nMeanwhile, Harry Styles' Fine Line reached a new chart peak at number two following the release of a video for his latest single Treat People With Kindness, which sees him dance with Fleabag's Phoebe Waller-Bridge.\n\nLewis Capaldi's Divinely Uninspired To A Hellish Extent - the UK's biggest-selling album of both 2019 and 2020 - also climbed to number six, notching up its 86th week in the top 10.\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "Graham Norton has been the BBC's Mr Eurovision since 2009\n\nGraham Norton, who commentates for the UK's BBC Eurovision coverage, has said the song contest will go ahead this year despite the coronavirus pandemic.\n\n\"There's definitely going to be a Eurovision... The competition element is going to happen,\" he said.\n\nContest organisers told the BBC: \"We can confirm the Eurovision Song Contest will definitely take place this year.\"\n\nBut pre-recorded performances may be used if acts cannot travel to Rotterdam or have to isolate when they get there.\n\nLast year's contest was cancelled due to the pandemic. It was replaced in the UK with a programme looking back at the event's history, including a vote to find the greatest Eurovision song of all time.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nNorton told US radio station Sirius XM that if some artists are unable to travel to the Netherlands in 2021, \"they can Zoom in a performance\". He added: \"I doubt we'll be in a stadium full of 20,000 people.\"\n\nOrganisers stressed that while \"the general gist of Graham's comments is correct\", pre-recorded performances will be used if an act can't travel, rather than asking them to perform live from their home country.\n\nThe filmed routines will be shown \"if a participant cannot travel to Rotterdam due to the current pandemic, or in the unfortunate instance of an artist having to quarantine on site\", a spokesman said.\n\nBroadcasters will have to follow a \"strict set of guidelines\" to help them record their \"live on tape\" performances \"to keep the competition fair should it not go ahead in the traditional way\", he added.\n\nThe new rules state: \"The recording will take place in real time (as it would be at the contest) without making any edits to the vocals or any part of the performance itself after the recording.\"\n\nThis year's contest will take place on 22 May.\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk", "The number of people in Scotland who have died within 28 days of testing positive for the virus now stands at 4,872\n\nScotland's hospitals have more Covid patients than ever before - with the number of deaths also \"distressingly high\", the first minister has said.\n\nThe latest figures showed that the deaths of 93 people who had tested positive for the virus have been recorded in the past 24 hours.\n\nBut the figure includes some people who died over Christmas and New Year.\n\nThere were also 1,530 people in hospital with the virus, higher than the peak of 1,520 last April.\n\nOf these, 102 patients were in intensive care - with Ms Sturgeon saying the statistics showed the \"severity of the pressure\" that hospitals are facing.\n\nThe 93 deaths recorded on Friday is the highest daily figure since the outbreak began - with the previous high being 84 on 15 April.\n\nBut Ms Sturgeon said the figure will \"undoubtedly include some people who died over the Christmas and New Year period and the delay in registration because of the bank holidays means that their deaths are only being reported today.\"\n\nShe added: \"To be clear, that is not more than 90 people who died yesterday. It will be people who have died over a period of time.\n\n\"That does not change the fact they are all individuals who have died and have died of Covid.\"\n\nA further 2,309 people have tested positive for Covid-19, which was 8.1% of the tests carried out on Thursday and takes the total number of cases in Scotland to 146,024.\n\nThe figures mean that the total number of people in Scotland who have died within 28 days of testing positive for the virus now stands at 4,872.\n\nThe Scottish government has said it is concerned that too many people have not been following the \"stay at home\" rules that are in place across the whole of the mainland and some islands.\n\nIt believes that more people are using the country's road and public transport networks than during the lockdown last spring.\n\nAnd it has warned that tougher restrictions could be needed to increase compliance with the travel restrictions.\n\nMs Sturgeon told her daily briefing that the areas being looked at included non-essential click and collect shopping, further restrictions on takeaway food, non-essential construction and whether more people should be working from home.\n\nThe first minister also confirmed that universities and colleges will not resume in-person teaching until at least the end of February.\n\nThis means that students should stay at home rather than travelling back to their campus or accommodation.\n\nThere will be exceptions for cases where remote study is not possible - for example for a student nurse or a doctor on a practical placement.\n\nAnd Ms Sturgeon said any students who have remained on campus will be \"fully supported\" by their institution.\n\nAll of mainland Scotland was placed into level four restrictions from 26 December before additional measures, including closing schools to most pupils until at least the end of the month, was introduced on Tuesday.\n\nScotland's interim chief medical officer, Dr Dave Caesar, insisted on Friday morning that coronavirus case numbers in January \"could have been worse\".\n\nHe said the restrictions that were introduced on Boxing Day had helped to \"blunt the spike\" but warned that the country was \"not out of the woods yet\".\n\nDr Caesar told the BBC's Good Morning Scotland programme: \"Our case numbers are high, but they're not as high as they could have been if we hadn't taken the measures that we undertook from Boxing Day.\n\n\"Our health system is under serious pressure but is coping.\n\n\"I hate to say it, but it could have been worse by this time in January. We're not out of the woods yet by any stretch of the imagination, but I suppose we're holding our own in very significantly challenging circumstances.\"\n\nNew Covid testing measures for international travellers are to be introduced\n\nNew plans to make international passengers test negative for Covid-19 before travelling to Scotland and England have also been unveiled, with Ms Sturgeon saying she hoped the scheme could start by the end of next week.\n\nIt will mean people arriving by plane, train or boat - including UK nationals - will have to take a test up to 72 hours before leaving the country they are travelling from.\n\nProf Linda Bauld of Edinburgh University said the move was long overdue as the UK had \"really struggled from the beginning\" with limiting the impact of international travel on the pandemic.\n\nBut she said the country should also consider introducing supervised quarantine for people arriving from overseas.", "When Trump supporters stormed the Capitol they took out their cameras to record the chaos inside. The BBC looked through hours of phone footage to paint a picture of what happened.", "Film director Michael Apted, best known for the Up series of TV documentaries following the lives of 14 people every seven years, has died aged 79.\n\nHe also directed Coal Miner's Daughter, Gorillas In The Mist and the 1999 Bond movie The World Is Not Enough.\n\nThe original 7 Up in 1964 set out to document the life prospects of a range of children from all walks of life.\n\nThe show was inspired by the Aristotle quote \"give me a child until he is seven and I will show you the man\".\n\nThe first 7 Up show was followed by 14 Up at the start of the next decade, which interviewed the same children as teenagers - and the pattern was set right up until 63 Up in 2019.\n\nThroughout all those intervening years ITV viewers became engrossed with the stories of private school trio Andrew, Charles and John, of Jackie who went through two divorces, of Neil who went from jobless and homeless to Liberal Democrat councillor, and of working class chatterbox Tony, whose life ambition was to become a jockey.\n\nApted's shows - which won three Bafta awards - have often been described as the forerunner of modern-day reality TV series, giving its participants the time to tell their own stories on screen.\n\nBut unlike their modern counterparts, the original Up children tended to fade away from the limelight in the seven years between each chapter.\n\nIn 2008, Apted was made a companion of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George in the Queen's Birthday Honours for services to the British film and television industries.\n\nThomas Schlamme, president of the Directors Guild of America, said Apted was a \"fearless visionary\" whose legacy would live on.\n\nHe said Apted, who was born in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, \"saw the trajectory of things when others didn't and we were all beneficiaries of his wisdom and lifelong dedication\".\n\nITV's managing director Kevin Lygo said the director's six-decade career was \"in itself truly remarkable\".\n\nHe said the Up series \"demonstrated the possibilities of television at its finest in its ambition and its capacity to hold up a mirror to society and engage with and entertain people while enriching our perspective on the human condition\".\n\nApted directed the 19th James Bond film The World Is Not Enough\n\n\"The influence of Michael's contribution to film and programme-making continues to be felt and he will be sadly missed,\" Lygo added.\n\nMichael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, producers of the James Bond film franchise, said Apted \"was a director of enormous talent\" and \"beloved by all those who worked with him\".\n\n\"We loved working with him on The World Is Not Enough and send our love and support to his family, friends and colleagues,\" they said.\n\nA post on the Twitter account of the band Garbage, who performed the theme for The World Is Not Enough, labelled Apted a \"delightful, charming soul\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Garbage This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nComposer David G Arnold, who composed the Bond theme and worked with Apted on three other non-Bond movies, said he felt \"lucky\" to work with him.\n\n\"A more trusting, funny, friendly and, most importantly, kind, person you'd never meet. So pleased to have known him and so sad that he's gone,\" Arnold wrote on Twitter.", "Former Det Insp Tim Ireson led the unit for two years and would have been sacked if he was still serving\n\nThree members of a \"toxic\" police unit have been sacked for gross misconduct after their \"offensive\" conversations were secretly bugged.\n\nThe devices picked up \"homophobic, racist and sexist\" conversations in the offices of Hampshire's Serious and Organised Crime Unit in Basingstoke in 2018, a misconduct panel heard.\n\nA number of force staff referred to it as a \"lads' pad\".\n\nTwo other officers would have been sacked but had already left the force.\n\nThe misconduct hearing was told in the 24 days the office was bugged - following concerns raised by a whistleblower - there was \"enough profanity, casual sexism and racism to last a lifetime\".\n\nDet Sgt Oliver Lage, Det Sgt Gregory Willcox and PC James Oldfield have been dismissed while retired Det Insp Tim Ireson and former PC Craig Bannerman were the two who had previously left the force.\n\nTrainee Det Con Andrew Ferguson, who sent colleagues a fake pornographic image of members of the royal family, has been given a final written warning.\n\nThe six men were based at the Serious and Organised Crime Unit in Basingstoke\n\nImposing the sanctions, panel chairman John Bassett said the conduct had been \"shameful\".\n\nHe said police officers could not \"pick and choose the standards they will abide by\" in order to create more \"cohesive\" teams.\n\nMr Bassett said PC Ferguson was \"essentially a good officer\" who joined the team three months before the recordings, by which time the \"culture was well-established\".\n\nHe said the officer was \"conflicted by what he witnessed\" and \"felt unable to raise the matter with a supervisor\".\n\nChief Constable Olivia Pinkney said the force's internal investigation had revealed a \"catalogue of sexist, racist, homophobic and ableist language and commentary that has rightly shocked us all\".\n\nShe added: \"These officers have failed to deliver on the promise they made to uphold fundamental human rights and accord equal respect to all people.\n\n\"[They] have undermined the trust and confidence of our communities and damaged the reputations of their colleagues.\"\n\nThe six officers have apologised but some told the disciplinary panel swearing was in the \"fabric\" of the police force.\n\nOne also said they felt they were being \"made an example of\" by the force which should have learned from other previous incidents.\n\nIn all, 20 police officers and staff from the unit have faced some sort of disciplinary action.\n\nDuring the misconduct hearing at Hampshire Constabulary's headquarters in Eastleigh, it was heard a \"toxic, abhorrent culture\" developed with officers using offensive terms for women, black people, immigrants, disabled, gay and transgender people and foreign nationals.\n\nJason Beer QC, prosecuting, said the only black member of the team was referred to using racist tropes and references to slavery.\n\nWomen were described using derogatory terms and stared at in the canteen, he added.\n\nThe men admitted some of the charges of breaching standards of professional behaviour against them but claimed it only amounted to misconduct not gross misconduct.\n\nZoe Wakefield, chair of Hampshire Police Federation, said: \"The outdated and offensive views we heard during the hearing have no place in society and they certainly have no place in policing.\n\n\"We should not let the awful language and terminology used by a very small number of police officers tarnish the hard work and dedication of thousands of police officers and staff in Hampshire...\"\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Marks & Spencer has temporarily stopped selling hundreds of items in its Northern Ireland stores due to Brexit red tape.\n\nThe retailer said it feared its food would be blocked due to new rules governing shipments between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.\n\nA growing number of firms have spoken out about paperwork delays at ports.\n\nThe government said traders and hauliers need to take steps to comply with new border rules.\n\nM&S took the decision to temporarily drop hundreds of products, including chocolate fudge pudding and sweet and sour chicken, from its Northern Ireland stores after it saw competitors' lorries barred from travelling between the mainland and Northern Ireland.\n\nAn entire consignment in a lorry can be held up if only one item in the truck doesn't have the correct customs forms filled out.\n\nThe retailer said it aimed to get the products back up for sale soon.\n\nAn M&S spokesperson said: \"We have served customers in Northern Ireland for over 50 years and our priority is to make sure we continue to deliver the same choice and great quality range that our loyal customers have always enjoyed.\n\n\"Stores have been receiving regular deliveries this week, however following the UK's recent departure from the EU, we are transitioning to new processes and we're working closely with our partners and suppliers to ensure customers can continue to enjoy a great range of products.\"\n\nIn addition to problems shipping goods internally in the UK, the new Brexit trade rules are creating problems for exporters and traders transporting goods to and from the EU, say firms.\n\nThe UK sealed a trade deal with the European Union (EU) on 24 December that was billed as preserving its zero-tariff and zero-quota access to the bloc's single market.\n\nBut in addition to red tape causing delays, major retailers that use the UK as a distribution hub for European business could face possible tariffs if they re-export goods to the EU.\n\nOn Friday, M&S chief executive Steve Rowe warned of more red tape and a rise in export costs to some countries.\n\n\"The best example I can give you of that is Percy Pig,\" he said,\n\n\"Percy Pig is actually manufactured in Germany. If it comes to the UK and we then send it to Ireland, in theory it would have some tax on it,\" he added.\n\nM&S said it was \"actively working to mitigate\" the effects of the \"rules of origin\" regulations, under which products are taxed differently depending on which country they come from.\n\nOther firms have also been hit by the confusion caused by new Brexit trading rules.\n\nParcels giant DPD has suspended some services, while seafood exporter John Ross said the chaos was like being \"thrown in the cold Atlantic without a lifejacket\".\n\nShane Brennan, chief executive of the Cold Chain Federation, which represents chilled transport and storage companies, said the emerging problems had come despite the amount of cross-border traffic still being quite low.\n\n\"Trade flows are still only about 50% of what we would expect, but even at those levels we are seeing levels of confusion and delays,\" he told the BBC's Today programme. \"The feeling is we are building to quite a significant potential disruption.\"\n\nA government spokesman acknowledged that there had been \"some issues\", but said ministers had always been clear there would be some disruption at the end of the transition period.\n\nThe Cabinet Office said in a statement that the volume of border crossings had been low so far this year, but that it expected crossings to steadily increase to normal levels.\n\nThis brings the potential for \"significant disruption if traders and hauliers have not taken the necessary steps to comply with the new rules,\" the Cabinet Office said.\n\nOut of about 1,500 lorries per day trying to get from Great Britain to the EU in the new year, 700 have been turned away - mainly due to a lack of a negative Covid test for drivers, it said.\n\n\"We have always been clear there would be changes now that we are out of the customs union and single market, so full compliance with the new rules is vital to avoid disruption,\" said Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove.\n\nHowever, anger is growing among companies whose livelihoods depend on export trade.\n\nIn a letter on Friday to Business Secretary Alok Sharma, Scottish salmon producer John Ross Jr launched a stinging attack on the government's handling of the situation.\n\nThe firm's sales director, Victoria Leigh-Pearson, wrote that the company had in recent months \"had to endure the government issuing a barrage of useless information\" and an \"absence of factually correct information from all government agencies.\" It amounted, she said, to \"gross incompetence\".\n\nJohn Ross exports to 36 countries and has won the Queen's Award twice\n\nPart of the letter to Alok Sharma:\n\nAs I write, perishable goods that were dispatched from our facility five days ago, headed for France following a process that your department advised, have still not crossed the border. This usually takes only 24 hours because they are consolidated with the produce of other companies, which have not been able to follow the correct procedures due to a knowledge gap directly attributable to your department.\n\nEntire trucks are currently being rejected without explanation by the French customs authority. Our hauliers have now pulled their services as such a backlog has been created. Other hauliers are not taking on new customers. Today, we've even had confirmation that the IT systems of the UK and France are incompatible. After four years you only establish this now?\n\nYour so-called 'deal' is worthless if this situation is not fixed immediately, and unless you put in place measures to address the issues that continue to unfold on a daily basis. Moreover, as a seafood exporter, it feels as though our own government has thrown us into the cold Atlantic waters without a lifejacket.\n\nJohn Ross is not the only Scottish seafood exporter suffering. The industry says it has been hit by a \"perfect storm\" of Brexit disruption, which could sink a centuries-old industry.\n\n\"These businesses are not transporting toilet rolls or widgets. They are exporting the highest quality, perishable seafood which has a finite window to get to markets in peak condition,\" said Donna Fordyce, chief executive of Seafood Scotland.\n\n\"If the window closes, these consignments go to landfill.\"\n\nShe said the sector has already been weakened by Covid-19, the closure of the French border before Christmas as well as \"layer upon layer\" of problems associated with Brexit.\n\nThe group fears that without exports, the fishing fleet will have little reason to go out.\n\n\"In a very short time, we could see the destruction of a centuries-old market which contributes significantly to the Scottish economy,\" added Ms Fordyce.\n\nUK government Minister for Scotland David Duguid blamed Scottish leaders for the issues.\n\n\"The Scottish Government has persistently refused to accept the democratic vote to leave the EU, but that does not allow them to abdicate their responsibilities to Scottish businesses,\" he said.\n\n\"Over the past 18 months they have assured the fishing industry that the systems they were putting in place would be adequate. They clearly are not.\"\n\nParcel delivery service DPD UK said it had paused its European Road Service because of the '\"increased burden\" of customs paperwork for packages heading to the EU, including the Republic of Ireland.\n\nDPD said 20% of parcels had \"incorrect or incomplete data attached\", which meant they would have to be returned.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. What Brexit means for Britons travelling, shopping, studying or owning properties in the EU.\n\nIn an email to its business customers, the company said that it had been a \"challenging few days\" for its international operation, and that it would \"pause and review\" its service. It plans to restart on 13 January.\n\n\"It has now become evident that we have an increased burden with the new, more complex processes, and additional customs data we require from you for your parcels destined to Europe\" the firm wrote.\n\nThe boss of one of Wales' largest hauliers said logistical problems have emerged at the Irish border too.\n\nAndrew Kinsella, managing director of Gwynedd Shipping, said his company has a backlog of 60 lorries waiting to be shipped to Dublin.\n\nHe said many hauliers are finding that their customers are not able to generate the special declarations that are needed to ultimately enable a lorry to get onto a ferry.\n\n\"Whilst you don't see queues at ports and terminals the reality is that these queues are developing elsewhere in our depot in Holyhead, in our depot in Deeside and in our depot in Newport in South Wales, and lots of hauliers have depots in the proximity of ports,\" he said.\n\n\"There are a lot of issues about demarcation about who is going to arrange the export declaration with the UK revenue authorities, who's going to arrange the import declaration, the hauliers then trying to arrange the import safety and security declaration to create an ENS number which helps you generate a PBN number so there has been a lot of everyone finding their feet\".\n\nCorrection 9th April 2021: An earlier version of this article included a photo showing queues of lorries at Dover Port. This photo was replaced in the hours after publication after it was established that it had been taken months earlier.", "Some Covid restrictions are being reintroduced in response to the Omicron variant.\n\nCheck what the rules are in your area by entering your postcode or council name below.\n\nA modern browser with JavaScript and a stable internet connection is required to view this interactive. What are the rules in your area? Enter a full UK postcode or council name to find out\n\nIf you cannot see the look-up, click here.\n\nThe rules highlighted in the search tool are a selection of the key government restrictions in place in your area.\n\nAlways check your relevant national and local authority website for more information on the situation where you live. Also check local guidance before travelling to others parts of the UK.\n\nAll the guidance in our search look-up comes from national government websites.\n\nFor more information on national measures see:\n\nFind out how the pandemic has affected your area and how it compares with the national average by following this link to an in depth guide to the numbers involved.", "Growing numbers of students in England have pledged to withhold rent on university accommodation they cannot use during the Covid lockdown.\n\nOrganisers say this is building up to be a major protest, estimating that about 15,000 students at dozens of universities have signed up so far.\n\nThey want a rebate on rent when many students are being kept off campus at the start of term.\n\nBut universities say they only provide 20% of student accommodation.\n\nUniversities UK says this means \"many decisions on refunds will be made by private landlords and other providers\".\n\nIn November, University of Manchester offered a 30% rent rebate for the first half of the academic year, worth about £1,000 to each student in halls.\n\nThe move followed protests over lack of support during the coronavirus pandemic which saw students tear down temporary fencing in one demonstration.\n\nUniversity of Manchester students have been calling for a rent strike\n\nThe reduction will be applied to direct debit payments this month, with students who have already paid for the whole year getting a refund.\n\nBut organiser of the Rent Strike Now campaign, Ben McGowan, said the new lockdown means students are still paying for halls they are unable to return to which has prompted a wave of student anger.\n\nOn Twitter, campaigners listed more than 40 universities where they said students were pledging to withhold rent.\n\nThe campaign group Rent Strike Now tweeted a list of universities where there are campaigns\n\n\"Most of us are being told not to go back so we're paying for accommodation we can't use and there's been no extra support from universities and government,\" added Saranya Thambiranjah, a first year at Bristol University who also helps run the campaign.\n\n\"Rent striking is a great way to make our voices heard and get universities to listen our concerns.\"\n\nStudents at universities not yet part of this campaign have said they will organise similar challenges on their own campuses, including Coventry and Keele.\n\nRebecca Hyde is having to do her journalism course in her bedroom\n\nAt Nottingham Trent University, student campaigner Rebecca Hyde, who is doing a masters in broadcast journalism, said 244 students had so far pledged to withhold rent on university halls since their campaign was launched a few days ago.\n\nShe believes universities should do more to help students who are having to pay for rooms they are unable to use through no fault of their own.\n\nShe says her course leaders have been brilliant but missing out on using studios and running \"news days\" with her fellow students \"is just so disappointing\".\n\nNottingham Trent University says it understands student concerns over rents and urged the government \"to show leadership to find a solution that is fair to all students\".\n\n\"At NTU, only a minority of our students are in accommodation operated by or on behalf of the university.\n\n\"We do not want a repeat of the situation in the summer term of 2020 where most of our students were reliant on the goodwill of private accommodation providers who did not always do the right thing,\" said the university in a statement.\n\nAt King's College London, campaign secretary \"Juno\" likewise reported hundreds of new pledges to withhold rent in the past few days, saying students felt they had been \"lured\" into their accommodation at the start of the academic year.\n\nA King's spokesperson promised that students would not be charged for accommodation they are unable to use during lockdown.\n\nAbout a quarter of students are in privately-run purpose built accommodation, and one of the biggest of these providers, Unite Students, is also facing demands.\n\nLiverpool John Moores student Suhail Accad, in Unite accommodation, says his rent strike post on Instagram has gained 3,000 followers and has had 8,000 shares in just a few days.\n\n\"It's expensive to stay here,\" says Suhail.\n\nUnite was unable to comment directly on the threat of rent strikes but maintains that it is doing all it can to help keep students and staff safe \"during this challenging period\".\n\nUniversities UK said universities were looking at the issue \"actively\" and considering what support they can offer students.\n\n\"Universities recognise the financial pressures the pandemic has placed on students and are providing increased financial and other support as a result.\n\n\"With government restrictions reducing the numbers of students returning in person to universities, now is the time for the government to seriously consider the financial implications for students and institutions and what support they will provide.\"", "Prof Chris Whitty will front one of the adverts Image caption: Prof Chris Whitty will front one of the adverts\n\nThe government is urging people in England to stay at home and \"act like you've got it\" as part of a new advertising campaign.\n\nThe \"stay at home, save lives\" campaign will run across TV, radio, out-of-home advertising and social media.\n\nThe campaign will include a new advert fronted by England's Chief Medical Officer, Prof Chris Whitty, which will air for the first time on ITV at 19:15 GMT tonight.\n\nThe UK reported a record number of deaths and cases today, as hospitals come under growing pressure, with some in the South East at extreme capacity.\n\nAround one in three people with Covid-19 don’t have any symptoms and can pass it on without realising, the government said, \"which is why it’s essential everyone stays at home and remembers Hands, Face, Space\".\n\nPrime Minister Boris Johnson said: \"Our hospitals are under more pressure than at any other time since the start of the pandemic, and infection rates across the entire country continue to soar at an alarming rate.\n\n“The vaccine has given us renewed hope in our fight against the virus but we must not be complacent.\n\n\"The NHS is under severe strain and we must take action to protect it, both so our doctors and nurses can continue to save lives and so they can vaccinate as many people as possible as quickly as we can.\n\n“I know the last year has taken its toll – but your compliance is now more vital than ever. So once again, I must urge everyone to stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives.”", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. One floral tribute had Dame Barbara's photograph in the centre\n\nThe funeral of EastEnders and Carry On actress Dame Barbara Windsor has taken place in London.\n\nRoss Kemp, who played her on-screen son in the soap, was among the 30 mourners and gave a reading, as did actor and friend Christopher Biggins.\n\nDame Barbara died in December at the age of 83, having had dementia.\n\nThere were floral arrangements spelling Babs, The Dame and Saucy, and a mock pub sign showing her as The Queen Peggy in the style of the soap's Queen Vic.\n\nDame Barbara played pub landlady Peggy Mitchell in EastEnders for more than two decades.\n\nA version of the EastEnders Queen Vic pub sign was painted in tribute\n\nScott Mitchell, who was married to Dame Barbara for 20 years, was joined at Golders Green Crematorium by family and friends including comedians Matt Lucas and David Walliams.\n\n\"As Covid has denied so many of Barbara's family, friends and fans a chance to say farewell properly, I wanted to share the order of service to let people be a small part of it,\" Mr Mitchell told the PA news agency.\n\n\"My heart goes out to every family who have experienced the same restrictions at their loved ones' funerals.\"\n\nLeft-right: Christopher Biggins, Ross Kemp and David Walliams were among the mourners\n\nHe added: \"I would again like to thank my family, friends, the media and the public for their incredible support and well wishes since Barbara's passing.\"\n\nDame Barbara's coffin was brought into the crematorium to sound of Frank Sinatra's On The Sunny Side Of The Street, and the service featured a recording of Sparrows Can't Sing from the actress's 1963 film of the same.\n\nIt finished with the famous topless photo of Dame Barbara from the film Carry On Camping, alongside her quote: \"That picture will follow me to the end.\"\n\nLong-time friend Anna Karen, who played Dame Barbara's on-screen sister Aunt Sal in EastEnders, also paid tribute during the service.\n\nThe funeral was also attended by Loose Women's Jane Moore and EastEnders actor Jamie Borthwick. However, the numbers were limited due to coronavirus social distancing.\n\nAlzheimer's Research UK recently said it had seen a spike in donations since Dame Barbara's death, and a JustGiving page set up as a tribute to her and in aid of the charity has raised more than £150,000 (including Gift Aid).\n\nMr Mitchell said that was \"beyond anything we may have dreamed of\".\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "Google's plan to replace web browser cookies with a system that shares less data with advertisers is being investigated in the UK.\n\nThe Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) said Google's plan could have a \"significant impact\" on news websites and the digital advertising market.\n\nIt had already raised concerns that publishers' profits could sink if they were unable to run personalised ads.\n\nBut Google said digital advertising practices had to \"evolve\".\n\nCookies are small files a web browser stores on a user's device when they visit a webpage.\n\nThey can be used to remember what items a person has added to their online basket and deliver personalised content.\n\nThey can also be used to track somebody's activity online and deliver targeted advertising.\n\nSome cookies known as cross-site or third-party cookies can let publishers track a person's web activity as they move from one website to another.\n\nBy default, Apple's Safari and Mozilla's Firefox browsers already block cross-site cookies.\n\nBut Google intends to go further by ending support for all cookies except first-party ones - those used by sites to track activity within their own pages.\n\nIt wants to replace them with new tools that give advertisers more limited, anonymised information such as how many users visited a promoted product's page after seeing a relevant ad - but not tie this information to individual users.\n\nAccording to one industry group opposing the move, Google's Chrome browser is installed on more than 70% of computers in the UK.\n\nSo even if other web browsers do not adopt the same approach the move would still be significant.\n\n\"Google's Privacy Sandbox proposals will potentially have a very significant impact on publishers like newspapers, and the digital advertising market. But there are also privacy concerns to consider,\" said Andrea Coscelli, chief executive of the CMA.\n\nA coalition of about a dozen small tech companies and publishers - Marketers for an Open Web (Mow) - claims some of its members' revenues could drop by as much as two-thirds.\n\nMoreover, it suggests the move would put too much power into Google's hands.\n\n\"Google will effectively control how websites can monetise and operate their business,\" it warned last month.\n\n\"This means that any business that buys or sells advertising will be reliant on Google for a part of the process, whether they like it or not.\n\n\"This will reduce the ability of independent players to compete with Google, strengthening its monopoly control of online commerce.\"\n\nThe group has also raised concerns about other related matters, including the tech firm's plan to end support for user-agent strings.\n\nThese are bits of text that browsers send to websites at the start of a user's visit to reveal details about the device and browser being used.\n\nPublishers use this information to optimise the way their sites appear.\n\nBut Google is phasing out support on the grounds that they are also used as an alternative to cookies to track users, and sometimes cause compatibility issues.\n\nThe CMA previously issued a report into the matter in July.\n\nAt that point it acknowledged that while there were benefits to consumers from the kinds of privacy measures Google was proposing, they might be outweighed by other concerns.\n\nIt added that \"many news publishers\" had expressed concern that their news sites would become \"unsustainable\".\n\nUntil recently, the European Commission was responsible for most large and complex competition cases involving the UK.\n\nOn 1 January, the CMA took over these responsibilities on a local level due to Brexit.\n\nLast November, the government announced it would create a new Digital Markets Unit within the CMA.\n\nThe organisation subsequently detailed how it would to govern the behaviour of Google, Facebook and other tech platforms \"that currently dominate\" online markets, and give consumers \"more control over how their data is used\".\n\nThe new unit becomes operational in April, but is dependent on legislation going through Parliament before it gets new powers, and that may not happen until 2022.\n\nSince that would be too late to block Google's Privacy Sandbox plans, the probe is being carried out under the existing regime.\n\nEven so, all those involved will be watching closely for signs of how willing the authority is to confront the US's largest tech companies.", "Edwin Poots said he has asked senior UK government figures to consider unilaterally revoking the NI Protocol\n\nThe Stormont minister whose officials are responsible for the new Irish Sea border has said some food will be unavailable if changes are not made.\n\nDUP Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots has also said jobs could be at risk.\n\nHe said problems at the ports were being caused by new rules applied on imports of food and other products from Britain to Northern Ireland.\n\nEarlier Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove said trade from GB to NI \"will get worse before it gets better\".\n\nMr Gove said that \"work is ongoing\" and it is \"all part of the process of leaving the European Union\".\n\nHe added that he had spoken to ministers from all parties in the Northern Ireland Executive.\n\nAfter speaking with hauliers, supermarkets and processors this week, Mr Poots predicted the loss of jobs and rising costs.\n\n\"A wide range of frozen and chilled foods will be unavailable after the temporary exemption period ends,\" he tweeted.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Edwin Poots MLA This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThat exemption period applies to supermarkets and other food importers and runs out in April.\n\nAfter that they will have to comply with all the paperwork required to ship food in, or find suppliers on the island of Ireland or elsewhere in the EU.\n\nNew rules - called the Northern Ireland Protocol - were introduced because while the UK has left the EU, Northern Ireland has remained in the Single Market for goods and is continuing to apply EU customs rules.\n\nThe arrangement was agreed between the UK and the EU to prevent a hard border on the island of Ireland.\n\nMr Poots said he had spoken to senior UK government figures to ask them to consider unilaterally revoking the protocol as it was \"damaging Northern Ireland at the economic and societal level\".\n\nAnd he hit out at members of Sinn Fein, the SDLP, and Alliance Party who he claimed had supported it.\n\nMembers of those parties have countered similar claims from other DUP politicians in recent days.\n\nThey said DUP MPs had voted against alternative arrangements that would have been simpler to manage before the government pushed ahead with the protocol plan.\n\nResponding to Mr Poot's tweet on Friday evening, SDLP leader Colum Eastwood wrote: \"You broke it, you own it.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Colum Eastwood This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nSinn Féin MLA Martina Anderson accused Mr Poots of being \"asleep at the wheel\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 3 by Martina Anderson MLA This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThe Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) has called for the assembly to be recalled to discuss difficulties over trading between Great Britain and Northern Ireland due to Brexit.\n\nUUP MLA Roy Beggs said: \"The impact of the Irish Sea border is causing horrendous difficulties for hauliers and this is being seen in shops and businesses across Northern Ireland.\n\n\"It is damaging the Northern Ireland economy and the situation is escalating.\"\n\nEarlier on Friday, Michael Gove said it had been expected that there would be \"some initial disruption\" to trade between GB and NI, but that the government is \"ironing\" issues out.\n\nHe said discussions with the executive in Northern Ireland were \"in order to make sure that the [Northern Ireland] protocol works\".\n\n\"[To make sure] that businesses in Northern Ireland can continue to have access to the rest of the UK market, and that Northern Ireland businesses can have the goods that they need on the shelves, that they have access to at the moment,\" he said.\n\nNorthern Ireland has remained a part of the EU's single market for goods while the rest of the UK has left.\n\nThis means food products from Great Britain are subject to checks when they enter Northern Ireland.\n\nSimilar processes and checks also apply when moving food products from Great Britain into the Republic of Ireland.\n\nMeanwhile, an organisation representing haulage firms has called on the UK and Irish government to relax some of the new Irish Sea trade border rules.\n\nThe Road Haulage Association (RHA) said there is serious disruption to freight movements into the island of Ireland.\n\nThe RHA said relaxing the controls on food products and customs declarations \"would help traders to ship goods that have struggled to move over recent days.\"\n\n\"The problems have led to gaps in supermarket shelves and lorries delayed at ports because of problems with red-tape and the situation is worsening,\" the organisation added.\n\n\"We are facing an inflexible, cumbersome and time consuming process just to move goods.\"\n\nThe UK government said the flow of goods \"between GB and NI has been smooth overall and arrivals of freight have continued to increase substantially over this week\".\n\n\"There are no significant queues at NI ports and supermarkets are reporting healthy supplies into their Northern Ireland stores,\" a spokesperson added.\n\n\"We recognise the need to provide as much support to the haulage sector as possible as industry adapts to new processes. That's why hauliers can benefit from the Trader Support Service, which provides free advice and support to businesses of all sizes moving goods under the Northern Ireland Protocol.\n\n\"We have been engaging intensively with the Irish authorities and hauliers on the issues that have been encountered for goods transiting through Dublin port.\"\n\nOn Thursday customs authorities in the Republic of Ireland announced a temporary relaxation of one customs process.\n\nHauliers will be able to use an override code to complete a piece of administration known as ENS.\n\nThe letters ENS refer to an entry summary declaration, an online form which goods carriers are now legally obliged to submit to Irish customs when transporting goods from Great Britain into Ireland.\n\nLorries arriving in Ireland from Great Britain have faced new checks since 1 January\n\nOn Thursday night the Irish Revenue Commissioners said it recognised that \"some businesses are experiencing difficulties on lodging their safety and security ENS declarations\".\n\nIt said that in response it was providing a \"temporary easement\" which would allow an ENS to be produced without all the normally required information.\n\nAn Irish government spokesperson said it is \"absolutely essential that Ireland fulfils its obligations as a member of the EU and that we protect the integrity of the single market and the customs union\".\n\n\"We appreciate that the new requirements and customs formalities present significant challenges and impose additional burdens on businesses.\"\n\nMeanwhile Stena, the ferry company, said it was cancelling a dozen sailings between Wales and Ireland next week due to \"a decline in freight volumes during the first week of Brexit.\"", "Tennant was remembered as \"a beautiful soul\" and \"a sensitive and talented woman\"\n\nBritish model Stella Tennant took her own life after being \"unwell for some time\", her family has confirmed.\n\nIn a statement, her family said it was \"a matter of our deepest sorrow and despair that she felt unable to go on.\"\n\nTennant, who made her name in the early 1990s modelling for designers like Karl Lagerfeld and Versace, died in December five days after her 50th birthday.\n\nHer family said they were \"humbled by the outpouring of messages of sympathy and support\" they have received.\n\nTennant was \"a beautiful soul, adored by a close family and good friends, a sensitive and talented woman whose creativity, intelligence and humour touched so many\", they said.\n\n\"In grieving Stella's loss, her family renews a heartfelt request that respect for their privacy should continue.\"\n\nBorn in London on 1970, Tennant was known for her androgynous sultry looks and aristocratic heritage.\n\nShe shot to fame after being photographed for British Vogue at the age of 22 in 1993, going on to work with such designers as Alexander McQueen and Jean Paul Gaultier.\n\nTennant retired from the catwalk in 1998 but later returned. She also worked on campaigns to promote saving energy and reducing the environmental impact of fast fashion.\n\nShe had four children with French-born photographer David Lasnet. The couple married in the Scottish borders in 1999 and announced their separation last year.\n\nTennant with David Lasnet on their wedding day in 1999\n\nStella McCartney, Victoria Beckham and fellow model Naomi Campbell were among those to pay tribute after her death was announced last month.\n\nCampbell said she had been \"a class act in every way\", while Beckham remembered her as \"an incredible talent\".\n\nIf you have been affected by any of the issues in this article, information and support is available from BBC Action Line.\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "The storming of the US Capitol building in Washington DC stunned viewers around the world.\n\nBut how did Americans feel seeing the seat of their government being ransacked?\n\nWe asked members of our BBC voter panel for their views.\n\nSimon grew up in Uganda during its civil war and became a US citizen last year. A master's student and stay-at-home father, he warns that, while things may settle down, \"democracy is not guaranteed\".\n\nI'm disgusted but not surprised. I anticipated this would happen and it was a matter of when, not if.\n\nI didn't anticipate that it would happen in the capital. This is the president whose people - since the racial justice movement in the summer - said they were for \"law and order\". So the \"law and order\" people broke into the Capitol and changed the American flag with the Trump flag. History shows that has not happened in over 200 years, so it tells you how dangerous this man is.\n\nIn Uganda, in November, when the opposition was arrested, people took to the streets and got shot. Here, in the summer, the Capitol building was protected and they were breaking up peaceful protests.\n\nIt's clear that [Trump supporters] have been organising, we've seen this was going to happen, yet we subconsciously did not think that white people are a threat. That is the construct of this country and how law enforcement viewed it.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. 'Treason, traitors and thugs' - the words lawmakers used to describe Capitol riot\n\nTaylor is a staunch Trump supporter and recently travelled to Washington DC for a post-election pro-Trump rally. A photographer by trade, she was upset by the rioting but believes unsubstantiated claims that left-wing radicals were behind the violence.\n\nIt was just heart-breaking to watch what was going on and the behaviour of protesters is just not like the Trump people I've been around. If it did come from any conservatives, then I condemn it. There's no excuse for violence.\n\nIt doesn't change my support for Trump. The people that love Trump, that's not going to change no matter if he gets a second term or not. It just means we're going to hold out for 2024 and hope either he runs again or his kids do.\n\nOur country is going to go downhill over the next four years if Biden does take office. I'm actually moving today out of the city into the suburbs of a Republican county because I am afraid of how Democratic counties will end up under a Biden presidency.\n\nWe're going to catapult towards socialism and communism. I'm worried for the country's future, but regardless of who takes office, we have a lot of healing to do. I hope we can all find our common humanity and embrace each other when this is all over, which is hopefully soon.\n\nJames is a lifelong Republican who worked on Capitol Hill for the party for nearly two decades, but cast his first ever vote for a Democrat in the 2020 election. He was stunned by 6 January's events and expects it to become a bad footnote in the country's history.\n\nI find it absolutely shocking. I didn't think it would come to this.\n\nI had actually thought about going down to the protests with a sign that said \"Republicans Against Trump\". My brother said, if I had done that, there would have been five deaths, not four, and he may have been right. I'm astounded by the stupidity of these people who show up without masks and who are being filmed. Quite a few of them are going to prison. It's a serious situation when you break past a police barricade and go into a building that's supposed to be secure.\n\nI have a lot of friends who say things couldn't get worse, but I have to remind them, as a student of history, that it has been worse. The Civil War was much worse. There was a lot of violence in the South during the Reconstruction period. This is something the country will get over. I was heartened by President-elect Biden's speech yesterday. Finally we've got someone who's sounding presidential. We haven't had it for the last four years.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nA'Kayla is a college student who supports the Black Lives Matter movement. She says law enforcement \"coddled\" the rioters at the Capitol and thus made an argument for police reform because they were far more aggressive at protests she attended.\n\nIt's so irritating I can't put into words how frustrating it is. They stormed the Capitol and the police were gentle and lackadaisical with them. I expected the police to use force, but they were so kind and gentle. During the summer, when the Black Lives Matter protests were going on, so many people were injured, locked up and lost their lives.\n\nFrom my own experience, marching peacefully on the front lines in Charleston, we had tear gas thrown at us and had to pour milk in our eyes. It was excruciating. And for what? We're marching for a cause, because we had the murder of somebody by the police. What are they upset about? They're upset because we are living in a democracy and they didn't get their way.\n\nDuring one of the debates, when Trump said \"stand back and stand by\", is this what he was talking about? This is the calm before the storm. I think it's going to get way more ugly, but Kamala [Harris] and Joe [Biden] are a symbol of change and hope.\n\nWhether [Trump supporters] like it or not, America is moving towards a more progressive country and there's going to be a lot of changes.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Joe Biden: Black Lives Matter protesters would have been treated \"differently\"", "Two more life-saving drugs have been found that can cut deaths by a quarter in patients who are sickest with Covid.\n\nThe anti-inflammatory medications, given via a drip, save an extra life for every 12 treated, say researchers who have carried out a trial in NHS intensive care units.\n\nSupplies are already available across the UK so they can be used immediately to save hundreds of lives, say experts.\n\nThere are over 30,000 Covid patients in UK hospitals - 39% more than in April.\n\nThe UK government is working closely with the manufacturer, to ensure the drugs - tocilizumab and sarilumab - continue to be available to UK patients.\n\nAs well as saving more lives, the treatments speed up patients' recovery and reduce the length of time that critically-ill patients need to spend in intensive care by about a week.\n\nBoth appear to work equally well and add to the benefit already found with a cheap steroid drug called dexamethasone.\n\nAlthough the drugs are not cheap, costing around £500 per patient, on top of the £5 course of dexamethasone, the advantage of using them is clear - and less than the cost per day of an intensive care bed of around £2,000, say experts.\n\nLead researcher Prof Anthony Gordon, from Imperial College London, said: \"For every 12 patients you treat with these drugs you would expect to save a life. It's a big effect.\"\n\nIn the REMAP-CAP trial carried out in six different countries, including the UK, with around 800 intensive care patients:\n\nProf Stephen Powis, NHS national medical director, said: \"The fact there is now another drug that can help to reduce mortality for patients with Covid-19 is hugely welcome news and another positive development in the continued fight against the virus.\"\n\nHealth and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said: \"The UK has proven time and time again it is at the very forefront of identifying and providing the most promising, innovative treatments for its patients.\n\n\"Today's results are yet another landmark development in finding a way out of this pandemic and, when added to the armoury of vaccines and treatments already being rolled out, will play a significant role in defeating this virus.\"\n\nThe drugs dampen down inflammation, which can go into overdrive in Covid patients and cause damage to the lungs and other organs.\n\nDoctors are being advised to give them to any Covid patient who, despite receiving dexamethasone, is deteriorating and needs intensive care.\n\nTocilizumab and sarilumab have already been added to the government's export restriction list, which bans companies from buying medicines meant for UK patients and selling them on for a higher price in another country.\n\nThe research findings have not yet been peer reviewed or published in a medical journal.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "A young woman has died after a rare suspected shark attack in New Zealand.\n\nPolice named the victim as 19-year-old Kaelah Marlow, from Hamilton.\n\nMarlow was taken out of the water still alive but died at the scene despite efforts to save her life. Police said it appeared she had been injured by a shark.\n\nThe attack happened at Waihi Beach on North Island not far from the country's biggest city Auckland.\n\n\"Police extend our deepest sympathies to Kaelah's family and loved ones at this very difficult time,\" police said in a statement.\n\n\"We appreciate her death was extremely traumatic for those who were at Waihi Beach yesterday and we are offering victim support services to anyone who requires it,\" the statement said.\n\nShark attacks are unusual in the country and this is thought to be the first fatality since 2013. Local media cited witnesses as saying the woman had been swimming right in front of the lifeguard flags on Thursday.\n\nWhen they heard screams, lifeguards went out by boat immediately and pulled her to shore.\n\nIt is not clear what kind of shark attacked Kaelah Marlow, but an eyewitness reportedly claimed it was a great white, a species which is protected in the waters around New Zealand.\n\n\"Sharks are reasonably common near all northern beaches of New Zealand, most are harmless and even species considered dangerous very rarely interact with swimmers,\" shark researcher Kina Scollay told the BBC.\n\n\"My thoughts and sympathies are with the victim's family and we need to remember that this is a real tragedy to real people. I worry that this gets lost sight of in the media scramble after such events.\"\n\nOne witness quoted by local media said he believed a great white shark attacked the woman\n\nMr Scolley said that while attacks were rare, there were ways to be careful about interactions that could go wrong. Among the risk factors are, for instance, fish feeding events or dead animals in the water.\n\n\"If a large shark approaches or is seen nearby people should stay calm, warn those nearby and calmly exit the water,\" he said.\n\nA seven-day rahui, a traditional Maori prohibition restricting access to an area, has been placed on the beach.\n\nThe last recorded shark attack was in 2018 when a man was injured - but survived - at Baylys Beach. Over the past 170 years, there have only been 13 fatal shark attacks documented in New Zealand, according to the country's department of conservation.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.", "The US is reeling after supporters of President Trump stormed the Capitol building in Washington DC on the day Congress was meeting to confirm Joe Biden's election victory.\n\nLawmakers were forced to take shelter, the building was put into lockdown and four people died in the chaos that followed a pro-Trump rally near the White House.\n\nHere's a breakdown of how events unfolded on Wednesday.\n\nJust before midday local time (17:00 GMT) thousands of people gather at the Ellipse, near the White House, to hear the president speak at a \"Save America\" rally.\n\nHe tells them: \"We're going to walk down Pennsylvania Avenue... and we're going to the Capitol and we're going to try and give… our Republicans, the weak ones... the kind of pride and boldness that they need to take back our country.\"\n\nAs the speech ends, crowds start to drift towards the Congress building, about a mile and a half away, where they are met by police barriers.\n\nThe Capitol is home to the two chambers of the US government that make up Congress - the House of Representatives and the Senate.\n\nChanting crowds start to gather on both sides of the building at around 13:10, grappling with police at the metal barricades.\n\nTear gas and pepper spray are used to try to keep the protesters at bay.\n\nPolice officers struggle to maintain control of the situation as protesters advance on the building on multiple fronts.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Police place US Capitol Building on lockdown after Trump supporters breached security lines\n\nOn the east side, the crowd force their way through barricades on the Capitol Plaza and move on the main entrance, quickly gaining access to the Great Rotunda.\n\nOnce inside, they head for the House and Senate chambers.\n\nIgor Bobic, a journalist for the Huffington Post, captures a group of men forcing a police officer to retreat up a set of stairs as they continue their advance.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Igor Bobic This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nSenators are forced to abandon the process of confirming President-elect Biden's victory and the building goes into lockdown.\n\nThe doors of the House chamber are locked and a makeshift barricade is erected in front of them. Security officials guard the entrance, guns drawn.\n\nWithin an hour, protesters have also broken police lines on the west side of the Capitol, scaling walls to reach the building itself before smashing windows and forcing doors open.\n\nOther videos and images show rioters storming through the building's ornately-decorated corridors and chambers chanting \"USA!\" and \"Stop the steal\".\n\nShortly before 15:00, gunshots are reportedly heard inside the building.\n\nPhotos and video footage later show a female protester being shot as she tries to break through the barricaded doors of the Speakers' Lobby.\n\nDespite efforts by police and others at the scene to save her, she is later reported to have died.\n\nOn the other side of the building, protesters break into the Senate chamber, one taking seat in the Speaker's chair.\n\nAnother protester is photographed nearby sitting in Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office, with his foot on the table.\n\nAfter growing condemnation of the riots, President Trump eventually calls for calm, telling the protesters to leave peacefully: \"Go home. We love you, you're very special.\"\n\nBy 17:40, the building is cleared and made secure ahead of the 18:00 curfew ordered by DC Mayor Muriel Bowser.\n\nSeveral thousand National Guard troops, FBI agents and US Secret Service are deployed to help.\n\nMore than six hours after the storming of the building, senators return and resume the day's business of certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election.\n\nAt 03:41 on Thursday, Congress confirms President-elect Joe Biden will succeed President Trump on 20 January.", "Young women clap for heroes outside Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London\n\nA revived initiative to applaud the heroes of the pandemic has returned - but much more quietly than last year.\n\nIt comes after the founder of Clap for Carers distanced herself from its return after facing online abuse.\n\nAnnemarie Plas wanted to bring back the weekly applause under a new name of Clap for Heroes to lift spirits in the new lockdown but it fell a little flat.\n\nSome health workers have said they would rather people stay at home and wear a mask than clap for them.\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer said he participated at 20:00 GMT on Thursday, but clapping \"isn't enough\".\n\n\"They need to be paid properly and given the respect they deserve,\" he tweeted., of the health workers.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The weekly clap returned but Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said clapping alone \"wasn't enough\"\n\nThe idea of clapping and banging pots from doorsteps originally began as a one-off to support NHS staff on 26 March - three days after the UK went into lockdown for the first time.\n\nAfter proving popular it was expanded to cover all key workers and continued every Thursday for 10 weeks last year, with millions of people across the UK taking part.\n\nMembers of the Royal Family and politicians including Prime Minister Boris Johnson also joined in with the show of support.\n\nHowever, the event faced criticism for becoming politicised, with some suggesting the NHS would benefit more from extra funding than applause.\n\nPeople in some streets stood on doorsteps and leaned out windows to clap for the pandemic's heroes, and landmarks in London were illuminated blue for the occasion - but reports suggested the applause was noticeably quieter than last year.\n\nAnnemarie Plas and her family were threatened online for her efforts\n\nOn Wednesday, Ms Plas, a 36-year-old mother-of-one, announced the return of the initiative, saying she hoped to \"lift the spirit of all of us\" including \"all who are pushing through this difficult time\".\n\nBut some NHS workers were less than enthusiastic. Ami Jones, an intensive care consultant from Wales, tweeted: \"No thanks. I'd rather you obey the rules, stay at home, wear masks and wash your hands.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Rachel Clarke 💙 This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nAnd palliative care doctor Rachel Clarke said: \"Please don't clap us. Just wear a mask, wash your hands and respect lockdown.\"\n\nIn a tweet posted hours before the weekly clap was due to return, Ms Plas, a Dutch national living in south London, said she had been targeted with personal abuse and threats against her and her family by \"a hateful few\" on social media.\n\n\"I have no political agenda, I am not employed by the government, I do not work in PR, I am just an average mum at home trying to cope with the lockdown situation,\" she said, in a statement.\n\nShe said the newly revived clap could and should still happen at 20:00 GMT.\n\n\"It's up to each person to decide how relevant or worthwhile they feel it is to participate,\" she said.\n\nThe fountains in Trafalgar Square were illuminated blue for the initiative on Thursday\n\nSome incorporated pots and pans during their weekly claps in warmer months", "UK house prices rose by 6% last year, according to the Halifax, but the lender is predicting \"downward pressure\" on values in 2021.\n\nThe mortgage lender, part of Lloyds Banking Group, said that prices \"soared\" in the second half of 2020.\n\nPent-up demand, a clamour for more space, and stamp duty holidays led to higher prices.\n\nBut the Halifax said the economic realities of 2021 meant activity would slow as the year progressed.\n\n\"With the pace of the UK's economic recovery expected to be constrained by the renewed national lockdown, and unemployment widely predicted to rise in the coming months, downward pressure on house prices remains likely as we move through 2021,\" said Russell Galley, managing director at the Halifax.\n\nHe said that last year was a market of two halves - starting with slow growth, and stalling when the market was closed during the first national lockdown, but then booming when it reopened.\n\nThis meant that overall, demand and price growth were relatively high.\n\nThe conclusion mirrors the findings of rival lender, the Nationwide, which said that UK house prices climbed 7.5% in 2020, the highest growth rate for six years.\n\nBoth mortgage lenders base their findings on their customer data.\n\nLucy Pendleton, from estate agents James Pendleton, said: \"The simple truth is that extra space has become non-negotiable for legions of homeowners with families, and the usual winter slowdown has met the immovable force that is hundreds of thousands of people all trying to jump to larger properties at the same time.\"\n\nThe Halifax said there were already signs of the market slowing, with prices rising by 0.2% in December compared with the previous month.\n\nThat was the slowest monthly rise of the last six months.\n\nThe lender said the average home was valued at £253,374.\n• None Where can I afford to live?", "The switch has been welcomed by climate campaigners\n\nAlok Sharma is to leave his position as business secretary to focus full-time on his role as president of the UN COP26 climate conference in November.\n\nThe Glasgow event is expected to be the biggest summit the UK has ever hosted.\n\nMr Sharma, who will remain in the cabinet, said he was \"delighted to have been asked by the PM to dedicate all my energies\" to the position.\n\nKwasi Kwarteng replaces him as business secretary while Anne-Marie Trevelyan becomes the new energy minister.\n\nThe government says a successful summit will be critical if the UK wants to meet the objectives set out by the Paris Agreement and reduce global emissions.\n\nThe event had originally been scheduled for November 2020 but was delayed by a year due to Covid-19.\n\nThe BBC's political correspondent Jessica Parker said the decision to move Alok Sharma wasn't a surprise and would be seen as a recognition of the need to free him up to do more of the crucial diplomatic leg-work required.\n\nSome MPs had previously warned that Mr Sharma lacked the \"bandwidth\" to head the conference alongside his cabinet job, especially given the strains on business due to the pandemic.\n\nIn his new role, which is based in the Cabinet Office, Mr Sharma's will remain a member of Boris Johnson's top team but be focused solely on coordinating global action to tackle climate change\n\nBoris Johnson chose Mr Sharma to head the event after ex-minister Claire O'Neill was ousted from the position in the summer of 2019.\n\nShe later condemned what she called broken promises and backsliding on climate commitments.\n\nFormer Conservative PM David Cameron turned down the chance to head the conference and ex-Foreign Secretary Lord Hague was also involved in discussions.\n\nMr Sharma's move will be welcomed by climate campaigners, who worried he was over-stretched running a frantically busy department while also orchestrating the most important climate meeting on Earth.\n\nMany of these summits - known as COPs - yielded little because the leadership was poor.\n\nThe French produced a triumphant agreement in the 2015 Paris COP after mustering the mighty force of French diplomacy.\n\nMr Sharma is reported to accept that he now needs to concentrate full time on the challenge.\n\nHe will need subtle diplomatic skills, a mastery of detail and the stamina of an ox as he attempts to corral world leaders into agreement on curbing emissions faster. He'll also need 100% support from the PM.\n\nThe greatest obstacle to action - Donald Trump - will soon disappear from the scene, and with China making bold promises, the COP has potential.\n\nBut politicians have been so slow to act that some key tipping points in the climate might already have been breached.\n\nReflecting on his new role, Mr Sharma said: \"The biggest challenge of our time is climate change and we need to work together to deliver a cleaner, greener world and build back better for present and future generations.\n\n\"Through the UK's Presidency of COP26 we have a unique opportunity, working with friends and partners around the world, to deliver on this goal.\"\n\nRichard Black, senior associate at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) said: \"Allowing Alok Sharma to focus full-time on his COP26 role is a sensible decision, not least as it signals the government's commitment to ensuring that the summit is a success.\n\n\"With the election of Joe Biden as the next US President and China's recent carbon neutrality pledge, the diplomatic opportunities have opened up for more ambitious action on climate change. Mr Sharma's job will be to seize them.\"\n\nAnd ex-cabinet minister Amber Rudd, who led the UK delegation at the Paris climate change conference, said the move showed the government \"recognises the importance and opportunity for a global agreement this year\".\n\nResponding to his new appointment, Mr Kwarteng said he was \"thrilled\" and pledged to help businesses through this period of \"extremely challenging circumstances\".\n\nThe Spelthorne MP, who entered Parliament in 2010, has been energy minister since July 2019.\n\nLabour's shadow business secretary Ed Miliband said Mr Kwarteng had \"a massive task\" in providing business with \"a plan to help them through this year, not the inadequate sticking plaster measures we have seen\".\n\nHe welcomed the decision to make Mr Sharma's COP role full time.\n\n\"It's absolutely crucial that the full political, diplomatic and strategic resources of government are now directed to the most ambitious outcome at Glasgow, which is a 1.5 degree deal.\"", "The number of hours ambulances spent waiting to offload patients in parts of England is \"off the scale\", the Royal College of Emergency Medicine says.\n\nData leaked to BBC News shows ambulance waiting times at hospitals in the South East rose by 36% in December compared to the same month in 2019.\n\nPeople are also having to wait longer for ambulances to arrive when called.\n\nAmbulance services say it is taking longer to hand over patients but they are doing all they can to meet demand.\n\nIt comes as the NHS faces unprecedented pressure because of the Covid pandemic.\n\nA paramedic working in London told BBC News he had encountered patients left waiting up to 12 hours for an ambulance in the last week.\n\nOne patient in London with a broken leg had to wait outside at night for six hours before an ambulance arrived to collect him, he said.\n\nOn another occasion, paramedics were called to attend to a young man with Covid-19 whose oxygen levels were \"so low\". He was given oxygen when they arrived - but that was eight hours after the ambulance was called.\n\nIncidents such as these are \"dangerous\" and the service is \"on its knees\", the paramedic added.\n\nThe figures also show that at one point on Monday this week more than 700 patients were left waiting for an ambulance to arrive in London when none was available.\n\nDifferent statistics obtained by BBC News highlight the number of hours spent waiting to offload patients at hospitals half an hour after ambulances arrived at hospitals in the South East.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. What does it mean if the NHS is overwhelmed?\n\nSouth East Coast Ambulance service lost 7,803 hours queuing outside hospitals, an increase on 5,732 hours in 2019.\n\nKent saw the greatest rise in this period. One of its hospitals, Medway Maritime Hospital, saw a doubling in ambulance waiting times.\n\nThese figures are \"off the scale\", according to Royal College of Emergency Medicine Vice President Adrian Boyle.\n\n\"It is not because more ambulances are being called, it's because the amount of time they're spending outside a hospital has increased,\" he said.\n\nDr Boyle says ambulances left queuing outside hospitals meant crews were not available to respond to other emergencies.\n\nHe says services are facing a \"crisis\" unlike any other he has seen.\n\n\"People may feel they have a winter crisis every year but this is a different order of magnitude\", he added.\n\n\"This is the worst winter crisis I've been through in my 25 years of practising as a doctor.\"\n\nAmbulance services say they are are doing everything they can to meet the demand.\n\nA London Ambulance Service Trust spokesperson said: \"We are continuing to prioritise the most seriously ill and injured patients, and our team of trained clinicians in our control rooms are working hard to monitor and maintain contact with many other patients as needed while they are waiting for ambulance crews to arrive.\"\n\nA South East Coast Ambulance Service Trust spokesperson said: \"We are doing everything we can to increase the number of staff available to meet this demand, including increasing overtime, to ensure crews are as available as possible to respond to patients in the community.\"\n\nHave you been affected by the issues raised in this story? You can share your experience by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "Marks & Spencer says sales of sleepwear have soared as people spend more time at home because of Covid restrictions.\n\nThe retailer sold 20% more women's pyjamas during the 13 weeks to 26 December, with many of them being bought as Christmas presents.\n\n\"The great British public are back in their pyjamas,\" said chief executive Steve Rowe.\n\nDespite this, clothing sales as a whole fell nearly a quarter, although food sales showed modest growth.\n\nM&S said its trading was \"robust\" over the Christmas period, but UK revenues for the quarter were £2.52bn, 8.2% lower than last year.\n\nM&S blamed \"on-off restrictions and distortions in demand patterns\" due to the coronavirus crisis.\n\nM&S also said that potential post-Brexit tariffs on part of its range exported to the EU, together with \"very complex\" administrative processes, would \"significantly impact\" its businesses in Ireland and the Czech Republic, as well as its franchise business in France.\n\nMr Rowe said the chain's popular Percy Pig sweets, made in Germany, were one product that could face tax rises.\n\nIt said it was \"actively working to mitigate\" those effects.\n\nMr Rowe thanked staff for \"a first-class execution of Christmas for our customers in near impossible conditions\".\n\nThe High Street stalwart said customers had responded to its \"innovative seasonal product\" during the four-week run-up to Christmas.\n\nLike-for-like food sales had risen 2.6% during the period, it said.\n\nHowever, clothing and home sales fell by 24.1%, and UK sales overall were down 7.6% on a like-for-like basis.\n\nTrading was hit particularly badly in November by the national lockdown in England, with clothing and home sales slumping 40.5% in the month and food sales down 4.5%.\n\n\"Near-term trading remains very challenging, but we are continuing to accelerate change under our Never the Same Again programme to ensure the business emerges from the pandemic in very different shape,\" Mr Rowe said.\n\nOn the positive side, M&S said its tie-up with online firm Ocado had produced \"very strong\" results, while customers had responded to its \"innovative seasonal product\" during the four-week run-up to Christmas.\n\nRoss Hindle, retail sector analyst at Third Bridge, said: \"Despite the pressure faced by their clothing division, the M&S food division is expected to deliver solid results, propelled by both stockpiling and its Ocado partnership.\n\nHe pointed to reports that M&S was poised to acquire the Jaeger clothing brand as a possible way forward, saying it \"hints at the potential for a more aggressive shift into the multi-brand space\".\n\n\"M&S have numerous large stores which could be filled with non-M&S merchandise in order to drive their top-line. The risk here is whether such brands might cannibalise M&S branded products,\" he added.\n\nEmily Salter, retail analyst at GlobalData, said M&S was \"paying the cost for its inability to adapt fast enough to changing shopping habits\".\n\n\"M&S's recovery is slow versus other apparel players, as it continues to be hurt by an online platform unable to make up for lost store sales,\" she added.\n\nShe saw little point in a potential purchase of Jaeger, as it would be \"costly to turn around and do little to boost the retailer's fortunes\".\n\nHowever, she said M&S's focus on value in food had \"started to pay off, with decent sales growth, especially considering dampened footfall on High Streets\".", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Boris Johnson: \"I condemn encouraging people to behave in the disgraceful way they did in the Capitol\"\n\nDonald Trump was \"completely wrong\" to cast doubt on the US election and encourage supporters to storm the Capitol, Boris Johnson has said.\n\nThe UK prime minister said he \"unreservedly condemns\" the US president's actions.\n\nFour people died after a pro-Trump mob stormed the building in a bid to overturn the election result.\n\nMr Trump had urged protesters to march on the Capitol after making false electoral fraud claims.\n\nHe later called on his supporters to \"go home\", while continuing to make false claims - Twitter and Facebook later froze his accounts.\n\nThe president has now said there will be an \"orderly transition\" to President-elect Joe Biden, whose November election victory has now been certified by US lawmakers.\n\nBut he added that he continued to \"totally disagree\" with the outcome of the vote, repeating his unsubstantiated claims of electoral fraud.\n\nOn Wednesday night, Mr Johnson condemned the \"disgraceful scenes\" and called for a \"peaceful and orderly transfer of power\".\n\nBut asked by the BBC's political correspondent Alex Forsyth if President Trump was directly responsible, he said: \"All my life America has stood for some very important things. An idea of freedom, an idea of democracy.\n\n\"As you say, in so far as he encouraged people to storm the Capitol, and in so far as the president has consistently cast doubt on the outcome of a free and fair election, I believe that was completely wrong.\n\n\"I believe what President Trump has been saying about that has been completely wrong and I unreservedly condemn encouraging people to behave in the disgraceful way that they did in the Capitol.\"\n\nThe PM, speaking at a Downing Street briefing, then welcomed the confirmation of President-elect Biden, saying \"democracy has prevailed\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nHundreds of the president's supporters stormed the Capitol on Wednesday - where lawmakers were meeting to confirm Mr Biden's election victory - and staged an occupation of the building in Washington DC.\n\nBoth chambers of Congress were forced into recess, as protesters clashed with police and tear gas was released.\n\nA woman died after being shot by police, and three others died as a result of \"medical emergencies\", local police said.\n\nUK politicians from different parties have all condemned Mr Trump's actions in encouraging the storming of the Capitol.\n\nEarlier, Home Secretary Priti Patel said the president's comments had \"directly led\" to the events and he \"didn't do anything to de-escalate that\".\n\nShe added: \"He basically has made a number of comments yesterday that helped to fuel that violence and he didn't actually do anything to de-escalate that whatsoever... what we've seen is completely unacceptable.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Priti Patel says Donald Trump was wrong for not condemning the violence\n\nSpeaking on Thursday, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said Mr Trump should \"take responsibility\" for what happened, calling it the \"culmination of years of the politics of hate and division\".\n\nSir Keir added he welcomed the outgoing president's agreement to an orderly handover, but told reporters \"he should have said it a long time ago.\"\n\nScottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said Mr Trump had been \"inciting insurrection in his own country,\" and called it a \"dark period\" in US history.\n\n\"What we witnessed last night is not that surprising. In some senses, Donald Trump's presidency has been moving towards this moment almost from the moment it started,\" she told ITV's Good Morning Britain.\n\nScotland's Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf said the home secretary should \"give serious consideration\" to denying Mr Trump entry to the UK after he leaves office.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. 'Treason, traitors and thugs' - the words lawmakers used to describe Capitol riot\n\nForeign Secretary Dominic Raab said certification of Mr Biden's victory was \"good to see\" after the \"shocking events\" on Wednesday, adding the UK condemned the violence \"unequivocally\".\n\nFormer Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May, who shared time in office with Mr Trump, said there should be \"no place for the rule of the mob\".\n\nBut senior Welsh Conservative Andrew RT Davies has been criticised after comparing the rioting to politicians who supported a second referendum on Brexit.\n\nMr Davies, a member of the Welsh Parliament, later tweeted that \"violence must never be tolerated\".\n\nHis party colleague, the Conservative MP Simon Hoare, suggested Mr Trump could be sent to the US detention centre at Guantanamo Bay:\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Simon Hoare MP This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nCommons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle has written to express his \"solidarity\" with US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, whose empty office was broken into by protesters.\n\n\"Seeing your office trashed in that way and its occupation by one of the rioters was particularly outrageous. I am just so relieved you were not hurt,\" he wrote.\n\nTrump supporters left this note on the desk of Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the House of Representatives.", "The Liberia-flagged oil tanker Nave Andromeda docked at Southampton after the incident\n\nSeven men, including two who had already been charged, will face no action over a suspected hijacking of an oil tanker off the Isle of Wight.\n\nSpecial forces stormed the Nave Andromeda on 25 October after the crew raised concerns about stowaways.\n\nMatthew Okorie, 25, and Sunday Sylvester, 22, had been charged with conduct endangering ships.\n\nBut prosecutors dropped their case after evidence analysis \"cast doubt\" on whether the tanker was put in danger.\n\nThe Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said initial reports had indicated there was a \"real and imminent threat\" to the vessel, but added mobile phone footage and witness accounts \"could not show that the ship or crew were threatened\" and there was no evidence the men had any intention to seize control of the vessel.\n\nThe CPS said the new evidence meant the \"legal test\" for the offence was \"no longer met\".\n\n\"Our case was that the actions of the men were responsible for the endangerment of the vessel, but further material was then supplied by a maritime expert which significantly undermined whether there was a threat of danger,\" prosecutors said in a statement.\n\nThe Home Office said it was \"disappointed\" by the CPS's decision and added it was working with prosecutors to \"urgently resolve the issues raised by this case\".\n\nA spokesman said: \"It is frustrating that there will be no prosecution in relation to this very serious incident and the British people will struggle to understand how this can be the case.\"\n\nHampshire Constabulary said the five other men, who were arrested on suspicion of seizing or exercising control of a ship by use of threats or force, also face no police action.\n\nThey will remain detained under immigration regulations.\n\nThe 748ft-long (228m) ship left Lagos in Nigeria on 5 October bound for Southampton.\n\nAs it approached the Isle of Wight 20 days later, an emergency call came from the ship concerned about stowaways on board while the 22 crew members had locked themselves in the ship's citadel - secure area.\n\nThe men had been found on the ship earlier in the voyage and the vessel had made unsuccessful attempts to dock in other ports.\n\nIt was reported the men became hostile as the tanker approached the UK - but the CPS said it was thought this may have occurred while the ship was outside of UK waters.\n\nAt the time the Ministry of Defence called the incident a \"suspected hijacking\" and said Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and Home Secretary Priti Patel authorised a special forces operation in response to a police request following a 10-hour stand-off.\n\nIn a nine-minute operation carried out under the cover of darkness, Special Boat Service commandos boarded the vessel and arrested the seven men, believed to be Nigerian nationals seeking asylum in the UK.\n\nThe Liberian-registered tanker later docked in Southampton.\n\nSpecial forces boarded the Nave Andromeda on the evening of 25 October\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Mauritius has been removed from the safe list\n\nTravellers from countries near South Africa are to be banned from entering England to stop the spread of the South African Covid variant.\n\nArrivals from Namibia, Zimbabwe, Angola, Botswana, as well as island nations Mauritius and Seychelles, will be affected.\n\nThe rule will take effect on 9 January but there will be an exemption for British and Irish nationals.\n\nThey will need to follow existing quarantine procedures.\n\nA ban by visitors to the UK from South Africa started on 24 December.\n\nThe latest restriction brought in by the Department for Transport also affects travellers arriving from Eswatini, Zambia, Malawi, Lesotho and Mozambique.\n\nIt will apply from 04:00 GMT on Saturday to people who have travelled from or through any of the specified countries in the last 10 days.\n\nIt is understood most flights from the affected countries arrive at airports in England, although it is expected the policy will be formally adopted by the other UK nations.\n\nThe measures will be in place for an initial period of two weeks.\n\nMeanwhile, Botswana, and the islands of Seychelles and Mauritius, are being removed from the UK list of safe travel corridors as there is a high frequency of travel between the islands and South Africa.\n\nThe new variant of coronavirus circulating in South Africa is already being seen in other countries, including the UK.\n\nThe variant, much like the new UK variant first seen in Kent, appears to be more contagious than previous ones.\n\nAnyone arriving into the UK from most destinations must quarantine for 10 days.\n\nBut there are a list of countries exempt from the rules, meaning returning travellers do not need to self-isolate, called the travel corridor list.\n\nUnder the latest announcement, the travel corridor with Israel will also end amid concerns about rising infection levels in that country.\n\nHowever, rules in place across the UK currently ban travel abroad unless for specific reasons.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Trump calls for an 'orderly transition of power' to the Biden administration on January 20th\n\nA US Capitol police officer has died from injuries sustained in the attack on Congress by a pro-Trump mob as top Democrats have called for the president to be removed for \"inciting\" the riot.\n\nHouse Speaker Nancy Pelosi urged Vice-President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th amendment to the Constitution to declare the president unfit for office.\n\nAlternatively, she vowed to initiate the process to impeach the president.\n\nWednesday's violence came hours after Mr Trump encouraged his supporters to fight against the election results as Congress was certifying President-elect Joe Biden's victory in the November vote.\n\nFive people have died in relation to the riot, including Brian Sicknick, an officer at the US Capitol Police (USCP) who was \"injured while physically engaging with protesters\", the police said.\n\nMeanwhile, the top congressional Democrats - Speaker Pelosi and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer - have urged Vice-President Pence and Mr Trump's cabinet to remove the president for \"his incitement of insurrection\".\n\n\"The President's dangerous and seditious acts necessitate his immediate removal from office,\" they said in a joint statement.\n\nThe duo called for Mr Trump to be ousted using the 25th Amendment, which allows the vice-president to step up if the president is unable to perform his duties owing to a mental or physical illness.\n\nBut it would require Mr Pence and at least eight cabinet members to break with Mr Trump and invoke the amendment, something they have so far seemed unlikely to do. Mr Trump is due to leave office on 20 January, when Mr Biden will be sworn in.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nMrs Pelosi indicated that if the vice-president failed to act, she would convene the House to launch their second impeachment proceedings against Mr Trump.\n\nHowever, to succeed in convicting and removing the president, Democrats would need a two-thirds majority in the Senate, and there is no indication they would get those numbers. And it was not clear whether enough time remained to carry out the process.\n\nMrs Pelosi's deputy, Katherine Clark, told CNN the House could move on impeachment next week.\n\nMedia reports, quoting unnamed sources, said Mr Trump had suggested to aides he was considering granting a pardon to himself in the final days of his presidency. The legality of such a move is untested.\n\nIt wasn't until Thursday night, more than 24 hours after the US Capitol had been ransacked by his supporters, that Donald Trump released a recorded statement calling for \"healing and reconciliation\" in a wounded nation.\n\nThat was the very least that could be expected from a US president in a time of crises, and it probably will not be enough to silence calls for his removal, impeachment or resignation. Those demands have been coming from the political left, of course, but also from parts of the right - longtime critics, from former allies and, remarkably, even the conservative editorial page of Rupert Murdoch's Wall Street Journal.\n\nEver since November's election, when Trump chose to attack the results rather than admit defeat, a reckoning was coming. The pressure, like a malfunctioning steam engine, was building toward a catastrophic ending.\n\nOn Thursday night, the president began trying to pick up the pieces.\n\nTeleprompter Trump had spoken. In past crises, unscripted Trump has quickly returned, with words and actions that reveal his earlier comments were insincere.\n\nWith 12 days left in his presidency, the question is whether, or more likely when, that Trump will return - and what happens when he does.\n\nPresident Trump returned to Twitter on Thursday following a 12-hour freeze of his account. His message was the closest he has come to a formal acceptance of his defeat after weeks of falsely insisting he actually won the election in a \"landslide\".\n\n\"Now Congress has certified the results a new administration will be inaugurated on January 20th,\" the Republican said in a video, without mentioning Mr Biden by name.\n\n\"My focus now turns to ensuring a smooth, orderly and seamless transition of power. This moment calls for healing and reconciliation.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. 'Treason, traitors and thugs' - the words lawmakers used to describe Capitol riot\n\nMr Trump said he had \"immediately deployed\" the National Guard to expel the intruders, though some US media reported he had hesitated to send in the troops, leaving his vice-president to give the order.\n\nHe also praised his \"wonderful supporters\" and promised \"our incredible journey is only just beginning\".\n\nLaw enforcement have been heavily criticised after they were overrun by the protesters. Mr Biden said: \"Nobody could tell me that if it was a group of Black Lives Matter protesters yesterday they wouldn't have been treated very differently than the thugs that stormed the Capitol.\"\n\nImages captured inside the Capitol building showed protesters roaming through some of the corridors unimpeded.\n\nThe FBI is seeking to identify those involved in the rampage, and the Washington DC police have released pictures of \"persons of interest\" for their involvement in the riot. The Department of Justice says people could face charges of seditious conspiracy, as well as rioting and insurrection.\n\nWashington police say 68 people have so far been arrested. One of those detained at the Capitol had a \"military-style automatic weapon and 11 Molotov cocktails (petrol bombs)\", according to the federal attorney for Washington DC.\n\nThe official responsible for security in the House of Representatives, the sergeant at arms, has resigned. Mr Schumer has called for his counterpart in the Senate to be sacked. USCP chief Steven Sund is also resigning, effective 16 January, following calls from Mrs Pelosi.\n\nOn Thursday, crews began installing a non-scalable 7ft (2m) fence around the Capitol which will remain in place for at least 30 days.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Joe Biden: Black Lives Matter protesters would have been treated \"differently\"\n\nAshli Babbitt, a 35-year-old US Air Force veteran from San Diego, California, was named as the woman fatally shot by a police officer who has now been placed on leave. Law enforcement told US media the victim was unarmed.\n\nThree others died after suffering unspecified medical emergencies on Capitol grounds: Benjamin Philips, 50, from Pennsylvania; Kevin Greeson, 55, from Alabama; and Rosanne Boyland, 34, from Georgia. Mr Greeson's family said he died of a heart attack.\n\nPolice said that 14 officers had been injured in the riot.\n\nOn Thursday evening, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos - one of the longest serving members of the president's administration - became the second cabinet member to quit following the Capitol riot.\n\nIn her resignation letter, Ms DeVos accused the president of fomenting Wednesday's disorder. \"There is no mistaking the impact your rhetoric had on the situation, and it is the inflection point for me.\"\n\nEarlier in the day, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao stepped down, saying she had been \"deeply troubled\" by the rampage.\n\nOther aides to quit include special envoy Mick Mulvaney, a senior national security official, and the chief of staff to First Lady Melania Trump. A state department adviser was also sacked after calling Mr Trump \"unfit for office\" in a tweet.", "Fashion student Mhari Thurston-Tyler posted an advert for the \"crop top\" (right) on Depop after she says she found some discarded Chiltern Railways seat covers (like those on the left)\n\nA fashion student has been warned not to sell prohibited items on the clothes app, Depop, after she posted an advert for a top made from a train seat cover.\n\nMhari Thurston-Tyler made the bandeau out of a Chiltern Railways seat cover designed to promote social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic.\n\nThe 20-year-old sold the top for £15 but later refunded her customer and took the advert down.\n\nDepop said the item \"clearly violates our terms of service\".\n\nThe app for buying and selling second-hand clothes said the sale of stolen goods was banned - but Ms Thurston-Tyler denied stealing.\n\nShe told BBC News she found two of the blue seat covers \"balled up on the floor\" outside Marylebone station in London in September.\n\nMs Thurston-Tyler, who is a fashion student at Central Saint Martins, re-sewed one of the covers to make it fit her, before deciding to advertise the second cover on Depop.\n\n\"I have no money at the moment so decided to put the second one on Depop to see if anyone would buy it,\" she said, adding that the app had become her main source of income as she has struggled to find other work during the pandemic.\n\n\"I have to resort to little things like this to make ends meet, to pay the bills.\"\n\nMs Thurston-Tyler's advert went viral on social media after being shared by Depop Drama's Instagram and Twitter accounts.\n\nMhari Thurston-Tyler said she has been unable to find a job during the coronavirus pandemic and sells clothes on Depop \"to make ends meet\"\n\nIn the advert, Ms Thurston-Tyler models the seat cover and describes it as a \"social distancing crop\", adding: \"Got a few of these can do different sizes.\"\n\nMs Thurston-Tyler, from Kenilworth in Warwickshire, said a Depop customer paid her £15 and ordered a crop top \"in extra small\".\n\nBut realising she should not be making money out of Chiltern Railways' property, Ms Thurston-Tyler refunded the customer 15 minutes later and took the advert down shortly afterwards.\n\n\"I didn't steal it but I understand it's not right to re-sell it,\" she said.\n\nA Depop spokesperson said Ms Thurston-Tyler would be banned from the platform if she listed any other prohibited goods.\n\n\"We explicitly prohibit the sale of illegal and unlawful content on the app, including any stolen goods,\" they said.\n\n\"This item clearly violates our terms of service, but as it has been removed by the seller and is no longer for sale on the platform, we will not be taking immediate steps to ban this user.\"\n\nMs Thurston-Tyler said she hopes to make her own line of crop tops with the words \"children railways\" on the design, while \"the hype\" of the viral moment continues.\n\nChiltern Railways said it has been using the social distancing \"seat sashes\" since the beginning of the UK's Covid epidemic.\n\nA spokeswoman added: \"Whilst we appreciate this new take on railway memorabilia, these items are there to help customers travel with confidence and we would respectfully ask that they are left in place.\"", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. London mayor Sadiq Khan: \"Unless the virus reduces... we could run out of beds\"\n\nThe spread of Covid in London is \"out of control\" according to Sadiq Khan, who has declared a \"major incident\".\n\nThe coronavirus infection rate in London has exceeded 1,000 per 100,000 people, based on the latest figures from Public Health England.\n\nHowever, the Office for National Statistics recently estimated as many as one in 30 Londoners has coronavirus.\n\nMr Khan told BBC political reporter Karl Mercer that the figure is as high as one in 20 in some parts of London.\n\nMajor incidents have previously been called for the Grenfell Tower fire in June 2017 and the terror attacks at Westminster Bridge and London Bridge.\n\nA major incident is any emergency that requires the implementation of special arrangements by one or all of the emergency services, the NHS or the local authority.\n\nIt means the emergency services and hospitals cannot guarantee their normal level of response.\n\nCurrently, there are more than 7,000 people in hospital with Covid-19, the mayor said.\n\nThis is a 35% increase compared to last April's peak of the pandemic, he added.\n\nDr Samantha Batt-Rawden, an ICU registrar and President of the Doctors' Association UK, tweeted: \"We tried. We really tried. NHS staff pleaded with people that Christmas is not worth it. Now one in 30 people in London have Covid and ICUs are overwhelmed. My heart is broken.\"\n\nAn analysis of Public Health England figures show in the week to 3 January, the number of cases rose across all of the London's boroughs compared with the previous week, with 17 individually recording more than 1,000 cases per 100,000 people.\n\nTesting increased in parts of the city after a drop over the Christmas period but positivity was high among people taking lab-based tests - suggesting more testing is needed to find undiagnosed cases in the community.\n\nIn the past week, many parts of the capital saw a rise in deaths where a person had tested positive for coronavirus in the previous 28 days - with some areas recording more than double the number of deaths compared with the previous week.\n\nHowever, reporting over the Christmas period may have affected this.\n\nOut of the 18 acute hospital trusts in London providing figures to the government, all of them recorded having more beds being filled by coronavirus patients than in the previous week.\n\nBarts NHS Health, one of London's largest trusts, saw a 30% increase in coronavirus patients between 29 December and 5 January, to 830.\n\nThe London Ambulance Service is now taking up to 8,000 emergency calls a day, the mayor says\n\nThe mayor of London's announcement comes after the counties of Sussex and Surrey declared similar major incidents on Thursday.\n\nHe said the London Ambulance Service was currently taking up to 8,000 emergency calls a day, compared to 5,500 on a typical busy day.\n\nThe London Fire Brigade said more than 100 firefighters had been drafted in to drive ambulances to help cope with the demand.\n\nEvery frontline agency involved in protecting the public has a legal duty to prepare for emergencies by devising and testing major incident plans.\n\nThese public bodies declare a major incident when the situation they're confronting is so big or terrible that it's not only likely to cause serious harm, but it will also compromise their ability to respond effectively.\n\nIn general terms, that means public bodies can legally stop delivering some everyday services, so that their personnel, attention and resources can be diverted to the emergency confronting them.\n\nAt other times, the plans will lead to the military sending soldiers to aid the civilian effort, as we have seen already during the pandemic.\n\nPrevious major incidents include the Grenfell Tower disaster in London, the Salisbury Novichok poisonings and the 2017 terrorism attacks.\n\nLondon's regional director for Public Health England Kevin Fenton said the current wave of coronavirus was \"the biggest threat\" the capital has faced in this pandemic to date.\n\nHe added: \"The emergence of the new variant means we are setting record case rates at almost double the national average, with at least one in 30 people now thought to be carrying the virus.\n\n\"We know this will sadly lead to large numbers of deaths, so strong and immediate action is needed.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. What does it mean if the NHS is overwhelmed?\n\nMr Khan is warning that London is \"at crisis point\".\n\n\"If we do not take immediate action now, our NHS could be overwhelmed and more people will die,\" he said.\n\n\"Londoners continue to make huge sacrifices and I am today imploring them to please stay at home unless it is absolutely necessary for you to leave. Stay at home to protect yourself, your family, friends and other Londoners and to protect our NHS.\"\n\nHe said he had written to Prime Minister Boris Johnson asking for more financial support for Londoners who need to self-isolate and are unable to work, and for daily vaccination data.\n\nMr Khan also called for the closure of places of worship and for face masks to be worn routinely outside the home, including in crowded places and supermarket queues, in a bid to curb case numbers.\n\nTwo hospital trusts in London have recorded more than 1,000 coronavirus deaths\n\nThe mayor of London was in a sombre mood when I spoke to him earlier this afternoon. One in 20 Londoners in some areas now has Covid, and there is a real fear that hospitals will simply be overwhelmed in the next two weeks.\n\nDeclaring a major incident is a real indication of the levels of concern felt not just at City Hall but across London's emergency services and the NHS.\n\nMore Londoners are now in hospital with coronavirus than at the peak of the first wave last April - and those numbers are growing by more than 800 every day.\n\nIt's believed the last mayor to declare a London-wide major incident was Boris Johnson in response to the 2011 riots.\n\nThe coming days will be some of the most challenging in the city's recent history.\n\nKatie Sanderson, a junior doctor working in London, said she is worried how long medical staff can cope with the surge of patients.\n\n\"[Staff] are working on wards and spending long amounts of time with patients who need high-intensive oxygen therapy,\" she said.\n\n\"It is technically challenging and the emotional burden is enormous. I see it in a flatness in their demeanour, like we've all got used to doing things which before were totally inconceivable.\"\n\nGeorgia Gould, chair of London Councils, described London's rising coronavirus rate as \"dangerous\".\n\nShe added: \"One in 30 Londoners now has Covid. This is why public services across London are urging all Londoners to please stay at home except for absolutely essential shopping and exercise.\n\n\"This is a dark and difficult time for our city but there is light at end of the tunnel with the vaccine rollout. We are asking Londoners to come together one last time to stop the spread - lives really do depend on it.\"\n\nEarlier this week as the prime minister introduced an England-wide lockdown, the Met Police said officers were going to be \"more inquisitive\" towards Londoners seen outside.\n\nThe Met handed out 1,761 fines for breaches of coronavirus laws between 27 March and 20 December.\n\nDeputy Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist said the major incident was a \"stark reminder\" of the point London is at in the pandemic.\n\nHe said: \"These rule-breakers cannot continue to feign ignorance of the risk that this virus poses or listen to the false information and lies that some promote downplaying the dangers.\n\n\"Every time the virus spreads it increases the risk of someone needlessly losing their life.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. 'One of the worst shifts of my life - it's overwhelming'\n\nIn response to Mr Khan's announcement the government said the NHS is continuing to \"face a huge challenge\"\n\nA spokeswoman added: \"It is absolutely paramount people in London, and the rest of the country, follow the rules and stay at home to protect the NHS and save lives.\n\n\"We are working closely with NHS England to support hospitals in the capital, including additional bed capacity at the London Nightingale.\n\n\"Financial support is in place for workers who need to self-isolate - including a £500 payment for those on the lowest incomes who have been contacted by NHS Test and Trace.\"\n\nFor more London news follow on Facebook, on Twitter, on Instagram and subscribe to our YouTube channel.\n\nHave any of the issues raised in this article had an impact on you? You can share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Covid lockdown: 'This is why we say to you do not come out'\n\nPeople are being warned about breaking lockdown restrictions after the police got stuck in snow due to rule-breakers.\n\nA car driving on Moel Famau hill, Flintshire, despite roadblocks, skidded off the road on Thursday night, with officers deployed to help the passengers.\n\nHowever, they then became stuck and had to call mountain rescuers.\n\nA yellow warning for snow and ice has been issued by the Met Office for all of Wales, until midnight on Friday.\n\nPolice said: \"This is why we say to you do not come out.\"\n\nOn a video posted on Twitter, an officer for the North Wales Police Rural Crime Team warned people about the consequences of breaking the rules.\n\n\"It is now involving two agencies, two police vehicles, two mountain rescue vehicles and three police officers and the casualty.\"\n\nRob Taylor from North Wales Police Rural Crime Team said the person who was driving the car, which travelled 200m when it lost control was \"very, very lucky to be alive and escape uninjured\".\n\n\"We've been having problems with people lately flouting the law and going where they shouldn't be going,\" he said.\n\n\"People have been going through them for various reasons whether that's a walk or sledge and gathering in large groups. So we have been paying attention.\n\n\"This issue that was highlighted perfectly yesterday where someone's gone there thinking it's okay to flout the law. They get themselves in trouble and cause an emergency response from police and actually put those police officers' lives at risk.\n\n\"Their actions can really affect many people.\"\n\nSnow and ice warnings are in place for all of Wales\n\nThe snow warning for Friday said 5cm of snow could also fall on hills and mountains, with a widespread frost forecast for the morning.\n\nRoad agencies said driving conditions on the A55 in Flintshire were difficult, with snow on Rhuallt Hill.\n\nOne lane on the expressway has been closed eastbound between Pentre Halkyn and Northop following a crash.\n\nRoads have also been closed in Denbighshire following the heavy snow.\n\nThe Met Office warned there was a risk of slips and falls with sleet and snow predicted to fall on to already-frozen ground, creating icy patches.\n\nForecasters said that while snow was likely to fall on hills and mountains, flurries could be seen elsewhere, but this was likely to \"be slight and temporary\".\n\nFurther ice warnings have also been issued until 11:00 GMT on Saturday.\n\nResidents in parts of Wales have been waking to snow, including in Mold, Flintshire\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Hyundai has sparked confusion over a possible electric car tie-up with Apple.\n\nThe South Korean car company initially said it was in the \"early stage\" of talks with the iPhone maker about a possible electric car partnership.\n\nBut hours later it backtracked and said it was talking with a number of potential partners without naming Apple.\n\nHyundai's share price rose more than 20% when the tie-up was announced.\n\n\"Apple and Hyundai are in discussions but they are at an early stage and nothing has been decided,\" it said in a statement which was later revised. Hyundai's value shot up $9bn (£6.5bn) after the Apple announcement.\n\nWhile an updated statement said it was talking to a number of companies about a possible electric car tie-up including Apple, a later version omitted the US tech firm.\n\nApple is known for its secretiveness when it comes to new products and partnerships.\n\n\"I'm not surprised to see a big jump in the valuation of Hyundai. The stock market loves car companies who are tech firms as seen with Tesla rise,\" said Sarwant Singh, managing partner at consultants Frost & Sullivan. \"This partnership helps Hyundai be seen as a tech innovator.\"\n\nLast month, news emerged that Apple was moving forward with self-driving car technology with a 2024 launch date.\n\nThe electric vehicle (EV) market is becoming increasingly competitive, with companies such as Tesla grabbing the headlines with its rapidly-increasing valuation. Tesla chief executive Elon Musk is now the richest man in the world, displacing Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.\n\nExperts say an electric vehicle from Apple is still at least five years away.\n\nThey say pandemic-related delays could push the start of production into 2025 or beyond.\n\nHyundai has already been pushing into new technologies such as electric, driverless and flying cars.\n\nLast month, it took a controlling stake in Boston Dynamics in a deal that valued the mobile robot firm at $1.1bn.\n\nThe company is also setting up a $4bn autonomous-driving joint venture with auto parts supplier Aptiv.\n\nBoth partners will invest $2bn, while Ireland-based Aptiv will contribute about 700 engineers and transfer patents and intellectual property to the venture.\n\n\"Apple could certainly jumpstart that project and Hyundai brings the vehicle development and manufacturing expertise,\" said Jeff Schuster at automobile data firm LMC Automotive\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nApple's efforts to produce an electric car, known as Project Titan, have been on and off ever since plans were revealed in 2014.\n\nThere have been rumours over who would assemble an Apple-branded car as it may be difficult for the tech giant to manufacture them on its own.\n\nIts rival Alphabet's Waymo chose a factory in Detroit to mass produce its own self-driving cars.", "Jessica Allen (left) and Eliza Moore are now sticking to walks nearer their homes\n\nA police force that was criticised for its \"intimidating\" approach to two walkers is to review its lockdown fines policy.\n\nJessica Allen and Eliza Moore said they were surrounded by police after driving five miles from their home for a walk on Wednesday, and fined £200 each.\n\nDerbyshire Police initially said driving to exercise was \"not in the spirit\" of lockdown.\n\nBut it now says new national guidelines mean it will review its position.\n\nIn a statement, the force said all of its fixed penalties issued during the new national lockdown will be reviewed.\n\nMs Allen, from Ashby-de-la-Zouch in Leicestershire, said she assumed \"someone had been murdered\" when she arrived at Foremark Reservoir on Wednesday afternoon.\n\nWhen she and her friend were questioned by police, they were also told by officers the hot drinks they had brought along were not allowed as they were \"classed as a picnic\".\n\nShe said: \"The next thing, my car is surrounded. I got out of my car thinking 'There's no way they're coming to speak to us'. Straight away they start questioning us.\n\n\"I said we had come in separate cars, even parked two spaces away and even brought our own drinks with us. He said 'You can't do that as it's classed as a picnic'.\"\n\nMs Allen said the experience was \"very intimidating\" and had left her feeling scared of police in general.\n\nForemark Reservoir is five miles away from where Jessica Allen and Eliza Moore live\n\nHer friend, Ms Moore, said she was \"stunned at the time\" so did not challenge police and gave her details so they could send a fixed penalty notice.\n\nAt the time Derbyshire Police said that driving to a location to exercise \"is clearly not in the spirit of the national effort to reduce our travel, reduce the possible spread of the disease and reduce the number of deaths\".\n\nThe force added: \"Where there are cases of blatant breaches of the regulations then fines will be issued by officers.\"\n\nDerbyshire Police has also been giving fixed penalty notices to people who visit Calke Abbey and Elvaston Castle.\n\nFixed penalty notices have been given to people who visit Calke Abbey, a National Trust property\n\nBut in a statement, the force said further guidance issued by the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) had \"clarified the policing response concerning travel and exercise\".\n\nThe guidance said: \"The Covid regulations which officers enforce and which enables them to issue FPNs [fixed penalty notices] for breaches, do not restrict the distance travelled for exercise.\"\n\nThe NPCC added that rather than issue fines for people who travel out of their local area \"but are not breaching regulations, officers will encourage people to follow the guidance\".\n\nThe force has now said it will be \"aligning to adhere to this stance\".\n\nAssistant Chief Constable Kem Mehmet said: \"We are grateful for the guidance from the NPCC.\n\n\"The actions of our officers continues to be to protect the public, the NHS and to help save lives.\"\n\nIt is not the first time the force has been accused of being overzealous in enforcing alleged lockdown breaches.\n\nIn the country's first lockdown in March the use of a drone to film people walking in the Peak District was labelled \"nanny policing\".\n\nFollow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Nursery staff are not advised to wear face coverings\n\nChildcare organisations are demanding to see evidence that it is safe for them to remain open while schools and colleges have closed to most pupils.\n\nStaff have close contact with children and babies daily, when they change nappies and receive them by the hand from parents, for example.\n\nMinisters have insisted early years settings are safe as young children have very low rates of the virus.\n\nNurseries argue the evidence cited is based on data about old variant Covid.\n\nEngland's three main nursery organisations, the Early Years Alliance, the National Day Nurseries Association and childminders' group, Pacey, have joined together to mount a #ProtectEarlyYears campaign.\n\nThey want the government to provide clear scientific evidence on the risks to early years staff of staying open, particularly in light of the increased transmissibility of the new variant of Covid-19.\n\nSue Cardy, owner and manager of Ready Teddy Go Pre School, in Shoeburyness, Essex said: \"There isn't anyone who has asked: 'Is it 100% safe for us to remain fully open? No one can see the virus and staff may be asymptomatic, and so we all run an element of risk of catching or spreading it.\"\n\nShe added: \"Staff have families and are not all young... 50% of my staff are over 50 and some have underlying medical conditions.\"\n\nVicky, the manager of a church pre-school in Cheshire West and Chester said she could potentially have 30 children plus 10 staff in a church hall, with no PPE recommended, and limited social distancing.\n\n\"As an early years provider, I am increasingly worried about the safety of both staff and children, yet if we chose to partially close, we could be financially penalised.\"\n\nAnd Georgie Morrell from Brighton and Hove said: \"Since re-opening, I have had four households tell me. they are Covid positive.\n\n\"This is clearly very close to home and yet we have been given no choice or support but to remain open and carry on.\"\n\nNeil Leitch, chief executive of the Early Years Alliance, said: \"It is simply not acceptable that, at the height of a global pandemic, early years providers are being asked to work with no support, no protection and no clear evidence that is safe for them to do so.\n\n\"We know how vital access to early education and care is to many families, but it cannot be right to ask the early years workforce to put themselves at risk. That is why it is vital that the government takes the urgent steps needed to safeguard those working in the sector, particularly mass testing and priority access to vaccinations.\n\nNursery providers are calling for staff to be tested, priority for vaccination and for state funding lost due to lower numbers during the pandemic, to be replaced by government.\n\nPurnima Tanuku, chief Executive of National Day Nurseries Association, said nurseries were determined to support families during the current lockdown.\n\nBut, she added: \"Time and again, whether it's on PPE, cleaning costs, testing or staffing, early years providers have been overlooked by the Department for Education.\n\n\"Now, they are the only part of the education sector fully open to all children and must be given priority.\"\n\nOn Wednesday, vaccines minister Nadim Zahawi said there was very little risk to younger children.\n\n\"The nursery sector has taken tremendous care in making sure the premises are also Covid safe. It is the right thing to do.\"\n\nThe Department for Education is yet to comment on the #ProtectEarlyYears demands.", "The coronavirus vaccine rollout is a national challenge requiring an unprecedented effort - involving the armed forces - Boris Johnson says.\n\nThe PM confirmed almost 1.5 million people in the UK have now received at least one dose of a Covid vaccine.\n\nMore than 1,000 GP-led sites in England will be able to offer a total of \"hundreds of thousands\" of jabs each day by 15 January, he said.\n\nThe Army will use \"battle preparation techniques\" to help achieve that goal.\n\nIt came as a further 1,162 deaths within 28 days of a positive test were reported on Thursday - the second consecutive day of more than 1,000 recorded fatalities - and 52,618 new cases.\n\nAnd as Simon Stevens, head of the NHS in England, warned 10,000 patients with Covid had been admitted to hospital since Christmas Day.\n\nSpeaking at a Downing Street news conference, Mr Johnson said there would likely be \"lumpiness and bumpiness\" in the rollout of vaccines.\n\nHe said: \"Let's be clear, this is a national challenge on a scale like nothing we've seen before and it will require an unprecedented national effort.\n\n\"Of course, there will be difficulties, appointments will be changed but... the Army is working hand in glove with the NHS and local councils to set up our vaccine network and using battle preparation techniques to help us keep up the pace.\"\n\nAlongside GPs, there will be 223 hospital sites and seven \"giant vaccination centres\" - as well as an initial 200 community pharmacies - offering jabs, Mr Johnson said.\n\nEveryone will have a vaccination centre within 10 miles of their home, he added, with a \"full vaccination deployment plan\" to be published on Monday.\n\nHe also said there would be a national booking system for vaccinations - but did not give any more details.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Brigadier Phil Prosser said his task was to ensure everyone in England had equal access to the vaccine\n\nBrigadier Phil Prosser, commander of military support to the vaccine delivery programme, told the news conference his team was \"embedded\" with the NHS.\n\nHe said his \"day job\" is to deliver combat supplies to UK forces in time of war, \"at speed in the most arduous and challenging conditions\".\n\nThe government has set a target to offer vaccination slots to 15 million in the top four priority groups - including all over-80s - by 15 February.\n\nAnd Mr Johnson said that, with the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine available, he could pledge one of those groups - care home residents - would all receive their jab by the end of January.\n\nThe widespread rollout of the vaccine has begun in earnest with the first doses delivered during the day to family doctors for distribution.\n\nBut there were concerns from some GPs over supplies, as Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the levels of vaccine supply was the \"rate-limiting\" factor as jabs would be delivered as quickly as stock is available.\n\nIt comes as some hospitals in England are at risk of becoming Covid-only sites, with rising admissions for the virus forcing trusts to cut back on other services.\n\nThe latest NHS statistics also show that there were 30,370 patients with Covid in UK hospitals on Tuesday, a much higher figure than the first peak in the spring of 2020.\n\nHospital leaders have warned medics are becoming increasingly stretched with \"untrained staff\" used to fill gaps.\n\nAt 20:00 GMT, people in some streets stepped out onto doorsteps to clap for the heroes of the pandemic, following a weekly initiative which gained popularity during the UK's first lockdown.\n\nHowever, Thursday's clap for heroes was more muted than those seen last year, perhaps reflecting criticism the initiative had become politicised.\n\nLots of detail has been given about how the NHS - working hand-in-hand with the military - will be able to deliver the vaccines.\n\nThere will be more local vaccination centres, hospital hubs and even mass vaccination at sports stadiums.\n\nThousands of extra vaccinators have already been trained - and thousands more are waiting in the wings.\n\nBut the biggest hurdle the UK faces is vaccine supply.\n\nIf it is not available, it cannot be put in arms no matter how good the vaccination network is.\n\nIn the long-term, supply is not likely to be a problem - but in the coming weeks it could be tight.\n\nThere is enough vaccine in the country to offer all those at highest risk a jab by mid-February.\n\nBut it is not yet all ready for the NHS to use, either because the final safety checks have not been done or the vaccine has not been put into vials.\n\nThe former depends on lab work by the medicines regulator, while the latter is the job of a plant in Wrexham.\n\nEach stage takes some time. The target is achievable, but a lot has to go right.\n\nSir Simon Stevens said there were 50% more coronavirus patients in England's hospitals now compared to the peak last April, affecting every region across the country.\n\nHe said: \"That number is accelerating very, very rapidly... the pressures are real and they are growing.\"\n\nIn Northern Ireland, the Belfast Health Trust has said it has no other option but to cancel all of its urgent cancer surgery amid \"highly significant\" demand for bed space.\n\nThe cancelled operations will affect those patients for whom surgery could impact recovery and even survival, the trust said.\n\nBoris Johnson said all parts of government would be throwing everything at the vaccination effort \"round the clock\"\n\nIn one positive development for hospitals, two more life-saving drugs that can cut deaths by a quarter in patients who are sickest with Covid have been cleared for widespread use, with immediate effect.\n\nThe anti-inflammatory medications, given via a drip, save an extra life for every 12 treated, researchers said, following NHS trials.\n\nElsewhere, the UK has implemented restrictions on travellers to England from countries near South Africa to stop the spread of the South African Covid variant.\n\nMeanwhile, Mr Johnson and Sir Simon were asked about persistent social media claims that coronavirus does not exist - and that reports of packed hospital wards of people being treated are just a myth.\n\nSir Simon said that such misinformation was an \"insult\" to hard-working critical care staff.\n\n\"There is nothing more demoralising than having that kind of nonsense spouted when it is most obviously untrue,\" he said.", "Vincent Kane - pictured with his grandson Sonny - is facing uncertainty about his operation\n\nThe son of a man with pancreatic cancer has said the last-minute cancellation of his surgery has been \"devastating\".\n\nJodie Kane said his father Vincent was due to have his operation on Friday.\n\nHowever, that procedure was cancelled by the Belfast Health Trust on Tuesday as the worsening coronavirus crisis increases the pressure on hospitals.\n\nThe trust apologised, saying it had faced an 80% rise in the number of patients with Covid-19 admitted to hospitals since Christmas Day.\n\nSpeaking on BBC Radio Ulster's Nolan Show, Jodie said that there was now \"no guarantee\" his 68-year-old father would get the treatment.\n\n\"To be told we had the chance of a very successful surgery on offer and then to have it taken away at the last minute is pretty devastating,\" he said.\n\n\"Even the surgeon himself said they would be concerned if it was to go on more than four weeks.\n\n\"There is an uncertainty hanging over us now that we don't know when he'll actually get that surgery or what the impact on his health is going to be.\"\n\nVincent Kane - pictured with his with wife Karen - has been suffering other health issues arising from his cancer\n\nVincent, from Newtownards, County Down, did not receive treatment for some of his other symptoms as it was planned that the surgery would help with those.\n\n\"Because they were hoping to get him straight into surgery he hasn't had the blockage in his gall bladder addressed so he's jaundiced, he's covered in a rash, can't sleep, he's lost a lot of weight,\" Jodie said.\n\n\"Undoubtedly there are people worse off than us out there but it is still a critical illness that he has got and it is one that we don't have an end in sight for, in terms of treatment.\n\n\"There must be a way of helping all those in need, or I suppose if you were being really honest about it those who stand the best chance of surviving - making the decisions for the benefit of them.\n\n\"There's no guarantee that in six weeks' time surgery is going to be an option because who knows what's going to happen with Covid?\"\n\nThe Belfast Health Trust said it had to reduce the number of ill patients on wards to protect them from coronavirus\n\nJodie called on those who were breaking Covid-19 regulations to think about the the \"direct and indirect impacts\" of their actions.\n\n\"We've every sympathy for anyone who has a loved one who needs [intensive] care because of Covid but cancer and Covid are both life-and-death situations.\n\n\"We can minimise the risks of one of them as a collective society just by taking the necessary precautions.\n\n\"It could be someone they love or their neighbour or someone in their community that's in the same situation as us in the very near future.\"\n\nFlo McClements, who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in December, found out on Tuesday that her surgery - scheduled for Thursday - had been cancelled by the Belfast Health Trust.\n\nSpeaking to BBC Radio Foyle, her son Gregg said the pressure was \"mounting day by day\" on the the 72-year-old from Ballymoney, County Antrim.\n\n\"She had waited all through Christmas for the date and due to the Covid-19 restrictions we as a family had stayed away from her,\" he added.\n\nFlo McClements' family wants to \"give her a hug\" after her operation was cancelled\n\n\"We left her on her own with my dad just to make sure she didn't catch Covid and risk the operation.\n\n\"When you get the date you like to think it's the next step to recovery but unfortunately that didn't happen.\"\n\nGregg said his mother was \"putting on a brave face\" but it was difficult for the family to not be with her in person during what was a difficult time.\n\n\"That's actually the hardest part that we can't go up and have a cup of tea with her or give her a hug to make her feel a bit better even for a few minutes.\"\n\nThe Belfast Health Trust said it \"would like to sincerely apologise\" to those affected by the postponement of surgeries.\n\nIt said the decision was taken to reduce the number of ill patients on wards that would be more at risk from the virus than others.\n\n\"This was an incredibly difficult decision to make and we did not take it without considering all the information available to us,\" said the trust.\n\n\"We do not underestimate the anxiety and distress this causes the patients and families affected and we deeply regret this.\n\nIt said it would do \"everything in our power\" to reschedule their operations \"as soon as possible\".", "Gordy Philip took an icy bike ride on the Great Glen Way between Blackfold and Abriachan in the hills above Loch Ness. He said of his image: \"Could be the light at the end of the road on the first day of another lockdown.\"", "New data from EU satellites shows that 2020 is in a statistical dead heat with 2016 as the world's warmest year.\n\nThe Copernicus Climate Change Service says that last year was around 1.25C above the long-term average.\n\nThe scientists say that unprecedented levels of heat in the Arctic and Siberia were key factors in driving up the overall temperature.\n\nThe past 12 months also saw a new record for Europe, around 0.4C warmer than 2019.\n\nLast December, the World Meteorological Organization predicted that 2020 would be one of the three warmest years on record.\n\nThis new, more complete report from Copernicus says that last year is right at the top of the list.\n\nHigh temperatures saw fires rage in spring and summer in many locations inside the Arctic circle\n\nThe Copernicus data comes from a constellation of Sentinel satellites that monitor the Earth from orbit, as well as measurements taken at ground level.\n\nTemperature data from the system shows that 2020 was 1.25C warmer than the average from 1850-1900, a time often described as the \"pre-industrial\" period.\n\nOne key factor driving up the temperatures was the heating experienced in the Arctic and Siberia.\n\nIn some locations there, temperatures for the year as a whole were 6C above the long-term average.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThis exceptional warming led to a very active wildfire season. Fires in the Arctic Circle released a record amount of CO2, according to the study, up over a third from 2019.\n\nThe Copernicus service concludes that while 2020 was very marginally cooler than 2016, the two years are statistically on a par as the differences between the figures for the two years are smaller than the typical differences found in other temperature databases for the same period.\n\nMore data on 2020's temperature will be released in the next week or so from other agencies, including Nasa and the UK Met Office.\n\nThe scientists say that the closeness between the years is all the more remarkable considering the impacts of the El Niño/La Niña weather cycle.\n\nPeople saw their homes burnt down in some parts of Siberia\n\nEurope also saw a new record level of warming for the year, 0.4C warmer than 2019. A major heat wave in July and August was an important factor driving up the mercury across the continent.\n\nGlobally, the 10-year period from 2011-2020 is the warmest decade, with the last six years being the six hottest on record.\n\n\"Twenty-twenty stands out for its exceptional warmth in the Arctic and a record number of tropical storms in the North Atlantic,\" said Carlo Buontempo, director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service.\n\n\"It is no surprise that the last decade was the warmest on record, and is yet another reminder of the urgency of ambitious emissions reductions to prevent adverse climate impacts in the future.\"\n\nWhile a strong La Niña may cool temperatures a little in 2021, levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are likely to remain high, contributing to ongoing warming.\n\nNew data from the UK's Met Office suggests that average concentrations of CO2 will reach levels that are 50% higher than they were before the industrial revolution.\n\nResearchers predict that annual average CO2 concentration at the Mauna Loa recording station in Hawaii will be around 2.29 parts per million (ppm) higher in 2021 than in 2020.\n\nDespite the global slowdowns caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the scientists say this rise is being driven by emissions from the use of fossil fuels and from deforestation.\n\nEurope saw a prolonged heat wave in July and August that pushed the year to a new record\n\nWhile weather patterns linked to the La Niña event may boost growth in tropical forests and increase the amount of the gas that's absorbed, it won't be enough to slow the overall rise.\n\nThe Met Office says that CO2 will exceed 417ppm in the atmosphere for several weeks from April to June.\n\nThis is 50% higher than the level of 278ppm that pertained in the late 18th Century as widespread industrial activity was just beginning.\n\n\"The human-caused build-up of CO2 in the atmosphere is accelerating,\" said Prof Richard Betts from the Met Office.\n\n\"It took over 200 years for levels to increase by 25%, but now just over 30 years later we are approaching a 50% increase.\"\n\n\"Reversing this trend and slowing the atmospheric CO2 rise will need global emissions to reduce, and bringing them to a halt will need global emissions to be brought down to net zero. This needs to happen within about the next 30 years if global warming is to be limited to 1.5C.\"", "Lorry drivers crossing the Channel will continue to need a recent negative Covid test result \"until further notice\", the UK government has said.\n\nHauliers have been required to prove they have tested negative since the border with France reopened last month.\n\nThe decision to continue testing comes from the French government, the Department for Transport said.\n\nTransport Secretary Grant Shapps urged \"all hauliers to get tested before getting to the border\".\n\nThe decision comes as the introduction of new trading rules between the UK and European Union prompts disruption for some businesses and hauliers.\n\nMr Shapps said the government was \"offering support to businesses to set-up testing facilities at their own premises, assisting the smooth passage of trucks and good across the border, as well as setting up testing at information and advice sites around the country\".\n\nDrivers and crew of heavy goods vehicles (HGVs), drivers of large goods vehicles (LGVs) and van drivers are advised to obtain a negative test before arriving in Kent or at other Channel crossing points.\n\nThere are now 34 testing sites for hauliers situated in key \"stopping spots\" across the UK, with further sites being set up, the DfT said.\n\nTests must be authorised and taken 72 hours before entry into France.\n\nIn addition to a negative Covid test result, some hauliers require a new 24-hour permit to enter Kent since the introduction of the new UK-EU rules.\n\nFrance reported 21,703 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, while the UK reported 52,618.\n\nLast month, the border crisis saw France refuse arrivals from the UK for 48 hours between 20 and 22 December due to a new virus variant initially discovered in Kent.\n\nPassenger ferries and lorry freight bound for France were suspended from Dover, Portsmouth and Newhaven.\n\nAn emergency procedure devised as part of post-Brexit preparations allowed lorries to be \"stacked\" - leaving thousands of foreign drivers stranded throughout southern England.", "A further 1,325 people have died in the UK within 28 days of a positive Covid test - the biggest figure reported in a single day since the pandemic began.\n\nIt means there have been just short of 80,000 deaths by that measure - as another 68,053 new cases were recorded.\n\nPublic Health England (PHE) said the number of deaths would \"continue to rise until we stop the spread\".\n\nIt comes as the government launches a new campaign in England urging people to \"act like you've got\" the virus.\n\nThe campaign, including an advert fronted by England's chief medical officer, Prof Chris Whitty, is intended to remind the public Covid is spreading fast, with large numbers showing no symptoms.\n\nIn the advert, Prof Whitty says: \"Covid-19, especially the new variant, is spreading quickly across the country.\n\n\"This puts many people at risk of serious disease and is placing a lot of pressure on our NHS.\n\n\"Once more, we must all stay home. If it is essential to go out remember, wash your hands, cover your face indoors and keep your distance from others.\"\n\nPrime Minister Boris Johnson said: \"Our hospitals are under more pressure than at any other time since the start of the pandemic, and infection rates across the entire country continue to soar at an alarming rate.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Department of Health and Social Care This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. End of twitter post by Department of Health and Social Care\n\nHospital leaders have warned of stretched staffing with 31,624 coronavirus patients in UK hospitals on Wednesday - 46% above the peak during the first wave last year.\n\nDr Ian Higginson, vice president of Royal College of Emergency Medicine, said the situation in London and south-east England was \"pretty dire\" and would get worse in the rest of the country before long.\n\n\"We're heading for some really dark times, I fear, in this phase of the pandemic,\" he said.\n\nRichard Mitchell, chief executive of Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Trust, said the increase in patients seen in London was now affecting his area in Nottinghamshire.\n\nHe said: \"Critical care is exceptionally busy and the colleagues who work here are tired, they're fatigued and they're worn out.\"\n\nMeanwhile, a third Covid vaccine received emergency approval for use in the UK with 17 million doses of the jab, made by US firm Moderna, pre-ordered by the UK.\n\nThe vaccine joins the Pfizer-BioNTech and Oxford-AstraZeneca jabs in being approved, with close to 1.5 million people now vaccinated in the UK.\n\nDr William Welfare, Covid-19 response director at PHE, said: \"Each life lost to this virus is a tragedy, but sadly we can expect the death toll to continue to rise until we stop the spread.\n\n\"Approximately one in three people who have coronavirus have no symptoms and could be spreading it without realising it.\n\n\"To protect our loved ones it is essential we all stay at home where possible. This will reduce new infections, ease the pressure on the NHS and save lives.\"\n\nLondon Mayor Sadiq Khan said the spread of Covid in the capital was now \"out of control\", as he declared a \"major incident\".\n\nThis means the emergency services and hospitals cannot guarantee their normal level of response, and allows special arrangements to be implemented.\n\nThe previous highest daily death toll - 1,224 - was recorded on 21 April 2020 during the UK's first lockdown. Daily deaths were in the single figures as recently as September.\n\nThe UK has recorded the fifth-highest number of deaths behind the United States, Brazil, India and Mexico, according to Johns Hopkins University.\n\nWe are now seeing the record numbers of cases over the Christmas period translate into record numbers of deaths.\n\nAnd with new infections rising rapidly - more than 1.1 million people in England estimated to be infected with Covid-19 last week - these tragic numbers are set to continue for some time.\n\nAnd that is mainly because of the new variant form of the virus which is thought to be between 30-70% more transmissible.\n\nThe administration of the vaccines to at-risk groups should see a reduction in the numbers dying by the end of the month and the numbers having to go into hospital going down sometime after that.\n\nThat is the other way around from what you normally hear - but that it because a successful vaccine programme will initially remove those most likely to die from the path of the virus.\n\nFitter or younger people - who are less likely to die but could still end up occupying hospital beds - won't be getting their jabs for some time yet.\n\nThe advent of spring's better weather should also help cases to fall, but ministers will have to decide what level of risk - and deaths - society is prepared to tolerate.\n\nFriday saw 619,941 tests conducted in the 24 hours to 09:00 GMT - also a new record.\n\nEngland, much of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland continue to be under strict national measures, with stay-at-home orders in place for most people.\n\nThe R number - the rate at which an infected person passes on the virus to someone else - is now estimated to be between 1.0 to 1.4, meaning the epidemic is growing between 0% and 6% per day.\n\nCovid infections rose by almost a third between Boxing Day and 3 January, reaching 70,000 new cases a day according to a major study.\n\nIn a different piece of research, an estimated 1.2 million people in total had Covid over a similar time period, the Office for National Statistics said.\n\nBoris Johnson pledged on Thursday to use England's lockdown to implement an \"unprecedented national effort\" to offer vaccination to those at the highest risk from Covid by 15 February.\n\nHe said the Army would be drafted in to use \"battle preparation techniques\" to achieve the goal, which could see up to 15 million people offered a vaccine by the middle of next month.\n\nIn another development, from next week all travellers to the UK will need to show a recent negative test result before they arrive.\n\nHave you been affected by the issues raised in this story? You can share your experience by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "Parents and teachers are \"frustrated\" about plans to keep schools closed until the February half term and concerned about the impact on children.\n\nSpeaking to the BBC Radio Wales phone-in, callers said they felt young people were being \"thrown under the bus\".\n\nOthers said they were fed up with \"bitty information\" from the Welsh Government.\n\nKaarina Rutta from Sully, Vale of Glamorgan, told the programme she was having to work at night when her four children had gone to bed after home schooling.\n\n\"It's a challenge trying to help all four at the same time and also having in the back of your mind I should also be working and doing other things,\" she said.\n\n\"I was quite sure that this was going to happen,\" she added.\n\n\"It didn't come as a surprise I have to say, because the situation is just so bad I think there is no other way out of it at the moment.\n\n\"I just wish we had known earlier on and it would have been easier to plan.\"\n\nFirst Minister Mark Drakeford said it was the \"best certainty\" he could offer \"in a world which is highly uncertain\".", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The Duke of Cambridge asked how staff were coping during the pandemic and thanked them for their sacrifice\n\nThe Duke of Cambridge has said he talks to his three children about NHS staff \"every day\" to help them to understand the \"sacrifices\" made during Covid.\n\nPrince William's comments were part of a video call to London hospital staff.\n\n\"Catherine and I and all the children talk about all of you guys every day, so we're making sure the children understand all of the sacrifices that all of you are making,\" he said.\n\nIt comes after the London mayor said the virus was \"out of control\".\n\nSadiq Khan declared a major incident on Friday - meaning the emergency services and hospitals cannot guarantee their normal level of response - after the number of Covid patients in the capital's hospitals surpassed 7,000.\n\nStaff at Homerton University Hospital in east London told the Duke of Cambridge that queues of people waiting to be vaccinated at the hospital offered hope, but that the way out of the crisis was for the public to \"stay at home\" during lockdown.\n\nIn recent days the hospital has seen its highest number of admissions since the pandemic began.\n\nDuring the UK's first national lockdown, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their three children Prince George (left), Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis joined in with the weekly Clap for Carers event\n\nThe duke, who is joint patron of NHS Charities Together, said: \"A huge thank you for all the hard work, the sleepless nights, the lack of sleep, the anxiety, the exhaustion and everything that you are doing, we are so grateful.\n\n\"Good luck, we are all thinking of you.\"\n\nHis video call, which took place on Thursday, is one of many he and the duchess have made to NHS staff during the pandemic.\n\nPrince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis have also shown their support for the health service by getting involved with the weekly Clap for Carers applause during the UK's first national lockdown.\n\nAnd on Saturday, the Duchess's birthday, Kensington Palace said the family's thoughts \"continue to be with all those working on the front line at this hugely challenging time\".\n\nChief nurse Catherine Pelley told the prince her hospital had used funds from NHS Charities Together to set up various support initiatives such as a \"wobble room\" for colleagues to relax in.\n\n\"For us this week, starting vaccinating has been one of the single most significant impacts on people feeling that there is a future out of this, and the queues out the door here where they have been vaccinating have been really hopeful for people,\" she said.\n\n\"But the support we need is stay at home, help us. Because that will get us all out of this, whatever our role is, and we will get society out of this.\"\n\nAfter speaking to Ms Pelley and her colleagues about how they supported one another, the prince said: \"It's good that you and your team are keeping your spirits high and I always find that having some sort of sense of humour through everything is very important, otherwise we all go mad.\"\n\nThe Duke of Cambridge said he wants his children to appreciate the sacrifices made by NHS staff during the pandemic", "Ms Sturgeon has rejected claims made by former first minister Alex Salmond\n\nAlex Salmond has accused Nicola Sturgeon of misleading parliament, calling evidence she gave to an inquiry into the handling of sexual harassment claims against him \"simply untrue\".\n\nMr Salmond's comments emerged in a written submission to a separate investigation into whether the first minister breached the ministerial code.\n\nThe submission has been shared with the Holyrood committee.\n\nMs Sturgeon says she \"entirely rejects Mr Salmond's claims\".\n\nIn the submission, the former first minister said that Ms Sturgeon had misled parliament and broken the ministerial code with breaches including failing to inform the civil service in good time of her meetings with him.\n\nHe claimed she allowed the Scottish government to contest a civil court case against him despite having had legal advice that it was likely to collapse.\n\nMs Sturgeon told the Holyrood inquiry she had become aware of allegations at a meeting with Mr Salmond at her home.\n\nIt since emerged she met his former chief of staff in the days before, but she said she had forgotten about that meeting.\n\nMr Salmond said that claim was untenable.\n\nHis submission said that she misled parliament, and that amounted to a breach of the code. He also said she breached the code by failing to to inform civil servants of the nature of the meetings that took place between the two of them at her home where the allegations were discussed.\n\nAlex Salmond walked free from court in March having been cleared of charges of sexual assault\n\nMr Salmond's statement read: \"The pre-arranged meeting in the Scottish Parliament of 29 March 2018 was \"forgotten\" about because acknowledging it would have rendered ridiculous the claim made by the first minister in parliament that it had been believed that the meeting on 2 April was on SNP Party business and thus held at her private residence.\"\n\nBoth Mr Salmond and Ms Sturgeon are expected to give evidence to the committee in the coming weeks.\n\nScottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross responded to the claims, saying: \"Nobody ever bought Nicola Sturgeon's tall tales to have suddenly turned forgetful, especially about the devastating moment she found out of sexual harassment allegations against her friend and mentor of 30 years.\n\n\"What has been revealed are allegations of shocking, deliberate and corrupt actions at the heart of government. There is now clear evidence of Nicola Sturgeon abusing her power to deceive the Scottish public.\n\n\"If this proves to be correct, it is a resignation matter. No first minister, at any time, can be allowed to get away with repeatedly and blatantly lying to the Scottish Parliament and breaking the ministerial code.\"\n\nScottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie said Alex Salmond's explosive allegations demanded answers from the first minister to the committee.\n\nShe said: \"The bombshell accusation that Nicola Sturgeon has broken the ministerial code has the potential to end her political career and demands a robust and honest answer from the first minister.\n\n\"This committee demands truthfulness and honesty from every witness it calls - it is vital that the first minister tells the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth when she appears.\"\n\nMs Sturgeon has repeatedly dismissed any notion of a conspiracy against Mr Salmond.\n\nHer spokeswoman said: \"The first minister entirely rejects Mr Salmond's claims about the ministerial code.\n\n\"We should always remember that the roots of this issue lie in complaints made by women about Alex Salmond's behaviour whilst he was first minister, aspects of which he has conceded. It is not surprising therefore that he continues to try to divert focus from that by seeking to malign the reputation of the first minister and by spinning false conspiracy theories.\n\n\"The first minister is concentrating on fighting the pandemic, stands by what she has said, and will address these matters in full when she appears at committee.\"\n\nSpeaking on BBC Radio 4's Any Questions on Friday evening, SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford MP said he did not believe the accusations about the first minister were correct.\n\nHe said: \"I believe that the first minister has acted in an honourable way, she's someone that I've every faith and trust in.\n\n\"I can tell you that the approval ratings for the first minister, the respect that she has right up and down the country of Scotland is enormous and this is something that will pass, when she appears in front of the committee these matters will be dealt with.\"\n\nAlex Salmond has just turned up the heat on his successor with a submission that presents a direct and serious challenge to the reputation of Nicola Sturgeon - who was once his closest political ally.\n\nWhat he no doubt considers as an attempt to secure justice, some others will see as a case of deflection and revenge.\n\nAllegations of breaking the ministerial code of conduct and misleading parliament are serious and, if upheld, potentially career threatening.\n\nYet even some of Ms Sturgeon's fiercest critics at Holyrood do not expect the inquiries into the Scottish government's mishandling of harassment complaints against Mr Salmond to force her from office.\n\nMr Salmond seems to expect the review of the first minister's actions under the ministerial code of conduct to remain narrow enough that it could not possibly find against her.\n\nThe first minister herself appears confident of persuading all comers, including a cross-party committee of MSPs (before which both she and Mr Salmond are due to appear in the coming weeks) that she has acted properly throughout.", "The star thanked fans for their messages of support\n\nThe Wanted's Tom Parker has told fans he is \"responding well\" to treatment for his brain tumour.\n\nThe singer praised the NHS as he wrote on Instagram: \"Significant reduction: These are the words I received today and I can't stop saying them over and over again.\"\n\nSharing a picture with his wife Kelsey Hardwick and their two children, he added: \"Today is a good day.\"\n\nThe 32-year-old was found to have an inoperable brain tumour last year.\n\nThe diagnosis came after he suffered two seizures last summer. Because of Covid-19 restrictions, his wife was not allowed in the hospital during three days of tests and he received the news alone.\n\nAt the time he vowed to fight the cancer \"all the way\". Two weeks later he became a father for the second time after Hardwick gave birth to a baby boy.\n\nThe singer shared a photo of his young family alongside the latest update on his health\n\nSharing an update on his condition on Thursday, Parker said: \"I had an MRI scan on Tuesday and my results today were a significant reduction to the tumour and I am responding well to treatment.\n\n\"I can't thank our wonderful NHS enough,\" he continued. \"You're all having a tough time out there but we appreciate the work you are all doing on the front line.\"\n\nThe star also thanked his wife, calling her \"my rock\", and thanked fans for their support. \"Your love, light and positivity have inspired me,\" he wrote. \"Every message has not been unnoticed they have given me so much strength.\"\n\nParker achieved fame in the early 2010s as part of The Wanted, reaching number one with the singles All Time Low and Glad You Came.\n\nSince the band went on hiatus in 2014, he has played Danny Zuko in a touring production of Grease and reached the semi-finals of Celebrity Masterchef.\n\nHe married Hardwick, an actress, in 2018. As well as Bodhi, the couple have an 18-month-old daughter.\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "Covid infections rose by almost a third between 26 December and 3 January, reaching 70,000 new cases a day according to a major study.\n\nIn a different piece of research, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimated 1.2 million people in total had Covid over a similar time period.\n\nDaily infections are understood to have risen to about 150,000 since then.\n\nThat would bring daily coronavirus cases above the first peak.\n\nThe R or reproduction number for the virus is now between 1 and 1.4 for the UK, reflecting the sharp rise in cases in recent weeks.\n\nSeparate ONS data suggests just under half (44%) of British adults formed a Christmas bubble.\n\nThese temporary rules let up to three households mix indoors on 25 December - unless they were living in a Tier 4 area.\n\nThe ONS estimated how much of the population had Covid in the week of 27 December- 2 January:\n\nThe ONS data suggests cases rose by three-quarters between its two most recent study periods: 12-18 December and 27 December - 2 January.\n\nThe ZOE Covid Symptom Study was able to track more recent changes since there was no pause in its research for Christmas.\n\nIt found the epidemic is growing throughout the UK.\n\nResearchers estimate the virus's reproduction or R number is currently 1.2 across the UK.\n\nBoth sources indicate London has the most severe epidemic with the highest number of cases.\n\nConfirmed cases, published on the government's dashboard, are always lower than those in surveys because they mainly reflect the test results of people coming in with symptoms.\n\nBoth the ONS and ZOE also look at asymptomatic cases - people who may not otherwise get tests.\n\nSome asymptomatic testing is now available in the community but it is not being widely taken up.\n\nAbout a fifth of people responding to a separate ONS survey looking at the social impacts of the pandemic, said they had found it difficult to follow the Christmas rules.\n\nAnd half of those gave the fact that they had already made plans as the reason.\n\nRules, which were set to allow everyone in the UK to mix in a five-day window, were changed at the last minute, on 19 December.\n\nIn England, people living in Tiers 1-3 were allowed to form a one-day Christmas bubble with a maximum of two other households.\n\nThose in Tier 4, including about 10 million people in Greater London, were not permitted to mix at all.\n\nMixing was permitted in Scotland and Wales for Christmas Day only.\n\nHow has coronavirus affected you? Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nOr use this form to get in touch:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your comment or send it via email to HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any comment you send in.", "A former Labour MP has quit the party before disciplinary proceedings against him concerning sexual harassment could be concluded, Labour has said.\n\nKelvin Hopkins was suspended by the party in 2017 after a Labour activist, Ava Etemadzadeh, accused him of inappropriate physical contact.\n\nMs Etemadzadeh said the ex-MP's exit from the party was \"disappointing\".\n\nThe BBC has attempted to contact Mr Hopkins, 79, for a response, but he has previously denied the accusations.\n\nA Labour spokesperson said it \"takes all complaints of sexual harassment extremely seriously and they are fully investigated in line with our rules and procedures, and any appropriate disciplinary action is taken.\n\n\"We are disappointed that the party's disciplinary processes did not reach a conclusion due to Kelvin Hopkins' decision to resign his membership,\" they added.\n\n\"We are establishing an independent process to investigate complaints, including sexual harassment, to ensure complainants can feel confident that in coming forward they will be heard and get the justice they deserve.\"\n\nMr Hopkins, who first won the seat of Luton North from the Conservatives in 1997, stood down ahead of the 2019 election - a decision, he said, which was to do with his wife's health, not the accusations.\n\nHe had originally been referred to the party's National Constitutional Committee following the allegations in 2017 and had expressed frustration at the length of time the hearing was taking.\n\nResponding to his decision to leave the party, Ms Etemadzadeh tweeted: \"This is very disappointing news. I hope Keir Starmer listens to my concerns and fixes this broken system.\"", "David Bowie left his mark with songs like Space Oddity, Let's Dance and Under Pressure\n\nA series of streamed music events, shows and new releases are marking David Bowie's birthday and the fifth anniversary of his death.\n\nThe musician would have turned 74 on Friday, while Sunday is five years since he died of cancer.\n\nA star-studded tribute concert and his 2015 stage musical Lazarus will both be streamed over the weekend.\n\nTwo previously unreleased Bowie tracks have also been released, while his music has now arrived on TikTok.\n\nThe tribute gig, titled A Bowie Celebration: Just For One Day, will feature Bowie's former bandmates alongside stars including Boy George, Duran Duran, Trent Reznor, Adam Lambert, Gary Barlow and actor Gary Oldman.\n\nStarting at 18:00 PT on Friday (02:00 GMT Saturday), the show will be led by Bowie's longtime pianist Mike Garson and will be available for 24 hours.\n\nDuran Duran released a timely cover of Bowie's track Five Years ahead of the show. \"My life as a teenager was all about David Bowie,\" singer Simon Le Bon said.\n\n\"He is the reason why I started writing songs. Part of me still can't believe in his death five years ago, but maybe that's because there's a part of me where he's still alive and always will be.\"\n\nOn Friday, Bowie's previously unreleased covers of Bob Dylan's Tryin' to Get to Heaven and John Lennon's Mother were also put out into the world.\n\nThis YouTube post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on YouTube The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts. Skip youtube video by David Bowie - Topic This article contains content provided by Google YouTube. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Google’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts.\n\nBBC Four is hosting a Bowie Night on Friday, while there will be special programmes on BBC Radio 4 and 6 Music. They include Bowie: Dancing Out in Space, which will air simultaneously on the two stations on Sunday.\n\nIn it, producer Tony Visconti describes how Bowie and Lennon first met awkwardly in a New York hotel room ahead of their collaborations on the former's cover of The Beatles' Across the Universe and his own 1975 song Fame.\n\n\"He was terrified of meeting John Lennon,\" says Visconti. \"About one in the morning I knocked on the door and for about the next two hours, John Lennon and David weren't speaking to each other.\n\n\"Instead, David was sitting on the floor with an art pad and a charcoal and he was sketching things and he was completely ignoring Lennon.\n\n\"So, after about two hours of that, he [John] finally said to David, 'Rip that pad in half and give me a few sheets. I want to draw you.' So David said, 'Oh, that's a good idea', and he finally opened up. So John started making caricatures of David, and David started doing the same of John and they kept swapping them and then they started laughing and that broke the ice.\"\n\nMeanwhile, next weekend will see the release of Stardust, a film biopic about Bowie's journey to becoming Ziggy Stardust, starring singer and actor Johnny Flynn.\n\nHowever, Bowie's family have not given it their blessing, meaning the film-makers were not allowed to use any of his music. Instead Flynn, as Bowie, is seen performing songs by Jacques Brel, The Yardbirds and one of Flynn's own compositions.\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "Heads are calling for limits to the number of pupils in school during lockdown in England, with attendance rates surging to 50% in some places.\n\nThe two head teachers' unions, NAHT and ASCL, say the high numbers attending could hamper the fight against the virus.\n\nThe Department for Education has widened the categories of vulnerable and key worker pupils who can attend.\n\nIt is insisting that schools ensure all children who qualify can attend.\n\nThe widened categories not only include vulnerable pupils and children of workers in critical occupations but also those who cannot access remote learning either because they do not have devices or space to study.\n\nChildren of parents working on the Brexit arrangements are also included.\n\nTeachers have described streets around schools being packed with parents dropping off their children and almost all staff having to come in and work despite the lockdown.\n\nHeads say they fear schools could be overwhelmed by children who do not have access to lap tops to learn remotely.\n\nJessica Jane, a learning assistant at a school in Hampshire, told the BBC: \"I work in a primary school where we are having to bring in every single member of staff as the list of key-workers is vast in our area and over 50% of our children are attending.\n\n\"Our community school is not closed and streets are packed with parents morning and afternoon collecting their children from open schools.\"\n\nShe added: \"My colleagues and I are still being put at risk every single day as are our families.\"\n\nA teacher from the Midlands who did not wish to be named said the number had risen from 10 pupils a day in the first lockdown to about 90 a day this week.\n\n\"We're talking just under to just over a third of the usual amount of pupils for our school here.\n\n\"The vast majority are key worker children, not vulnerable.\n\n\"I also know that other primary schools in our area have similar amounts of children in school - one neighbouring school in particular, which is only slightly larger than us, is estimating/averaging 100 to 160 children in school every day.\"\n\nGeoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, called the lack of limits \"bizarre... in a week when the prime minister has told the nation that it is necessary to move schools to remote education in order to suppress coronavirus transmission\".\n\n\"We are hearing reports that attendance in some primary schools is in excess of 50% because of demand from critical workers and families with children classed as vulnerable under criteria which has been significantly widened,\" he said.\n\n\"We are urgently seeking clarification about the maximum number who should be in school while protecting public health.\n\n\"This seems completely illogical given the fact that the government has taken the drastic action of a full national lockdown precisely in order to limit contacts.\"\n\nPaul Whiteman, general secretary of National Association of Head Teachers, said schools could not \"meet the demand created by government and reduce social mixing in the way the prime minister announced\".\n\n\"The government acknowledges that schools do play a role in the transmission of the virus. Therefore, there comes a point when occupancy levels might be so high that they work against the efforts to bring down infection rates in communities, as is the national aim.\n\n\"This could result in prolonging the amount of time pupils are away from the classroom, which we are all anxious to avoid.\"\n\nA Department for Education spokesman said: \"Schools are open for vulnerable children and the children of critical workers. We expect schools to work with families to ensure all critical worker children are given access to a place if this is required.\n\n\"If critical workers can work from home and look after their children at the same time then they should do so, but otherwise this provision is in place to enable them to provide vital services.\n\n\"The protective measures that schools have been following throughout the autumn term remain in place to help protect staff and students, while the national lockdown helps reduce transmission in the wider community.\"\n\nBut Emma Knights, chief executive of the National Governance Association, reflected head teachers' concerns, saying between 40 and 60% of pupils were attending schools across England.\n\n\"The real problem is we have got two different national narratives going on,\" she said - with the prime minister saying \"stay at home\" but the DfE telling schools to take all eligible children who turn up.\n\nDr Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the National Education Union, said the government seemed unable to decide whether schools were safe or unsafe.\n\nCommenting on the latest Coronavirus Infection Survey from the Office for National Statistics, Dr Bousted, said: \"Let this data end their confusion. Schools are clearly driving infection amongst children, and then onto the wider community.\n\n\"This peaked on Christmas Day with one in every 27 secondary-age children and one in 40 primary-age children infected.\n\n\"In London this rises to one in 18 secondary pupils and one in 23 primary pupils. These figures are truly shocking and entirely the result of government negligence.\"\n• None How are Covid rules changing across UK schools?", "Marion Ramsey will be remembered by fans for her notable role in the US comedy series Police Academy\n\nMarion Ramsey, best known for her acting in the American film series Police Academy, has died at the age of 73, her agent has announced.\n\nHer management at Roger Paul Inc told the BBC she died at her Los Angeles home on Thursday morning.\n\nThe agency said Ramsey had recently fallen ill, but did not give a cause of death.\n\nRamsey was adored by fans for her portrayal of the squeaky-voiced Officer Laverne Hooks in Police Academy.\n\nShe also had an illustrious career on Broadway, starring in the 1978 production Eubie!, a biographical musical about celebrated jazz pianist Eubie Blake.\n\n\"Her passion for performing and sharing her heart with the world was immense,\" Roger Paul Inc said in a statement.\n\n\"Marion carried with her a kindness and permeating light that instantly filled a room upon her arrival.\n\n\"The dimming of her light is already felt by those who knew her well. We will miss her, and always love her.\"\n\nRamsey featured in six Police Academy films as Officer Laverne Hooks\n\nBorn in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1947, Ramsey started her career in the theatre, appearing in both the original Broadway and subsequent touring productions of Hello, Dolly!.\n\nShe was prolific on Broadway, co-starring in many shows, including Harold Prince's Grind with Ben Vereen, and Eubie! with Gregory and Maurice Hines.\n\nHer agent said Ramsey was \"particularly proud\" about Broadway's Dreamgirls finally becoming a major motion picture in 2006, because she was one of the singers that the original Broadway show's producer, Tom Eyen, based the three main characters on.\n\nRamsey's career in TV and film career took off after she appeared as a guest on the hit sitcom The Jeffersons in 1976.\n\nFollowing that, she was a regular on Cos, Bill Cosby's sketch show.\n\nShe starred in six Police Academy films in total, making her a familiar face to fans of the franchise.\n\nRamsey's agent said she had an immense passion for performing\n\nAmerican actor Michael Winslow wrote in a tweet that he had \"no words to say or explain the pain\" of losing Ramsey.\n\n\"In the 80s the Police Academy films cast a long shadow over the comedy genre - they were everywhere & everyone watched them,\" British producer Jonathan Sothcott wrote. \"#MarionRamsey was hilarious as Hooks - a fine comedic actress.\"\n\nA message on the Twitter account for the movie When I Sing read: \"It is with great sadness that I share our loss of my friend, and one of the shining stars of When I Sing (her final role), the beautiful, kind, hilarious, #MarionRamsey. I will miss you, my silly sister.\"", "Most pupils will be studying from home for the rest of this half term\n\nSchools and colleges in England are to be closed to most pupils until at least half term, Boris Johnson has announced.\n\nThe prime minister said the new lockdown had to be \"tough enough\" to stop the variant virus from spreading - and teaching will go online.\n\nA-Levels and GCSEs will be cancelled, a government source confirmed to BBC News - although vocational exams will go ahead.\n\nThe National Education Union accused the government of causing \"chaos\".\n\nIn a television address, Mr Johnson announced the biggest changes to schools since the early days of the first lockdown in March.\n\n\"Because we now have to do everything we possibly can to stop the spread of the disease, primary schools, secondary schools and colleges across England must move to remote provision from tomorrow,\" said the prime minister.\n\nThis means a return to online learning for pupils of all ages - apart from vulnerable children and the children of key workers who can continue to go into school.\n\nPrimary schools went back today - and will then close again tomorrow\n\n\"We recognise that this will mean it's not possible or fair for all exams to go ahead this summer, as normal,\" said Mr Johnson.\n\nIt is understood that vocational exams will continue, but GCSEs and A-levels will be cancelled - and that the exam watchdog Ofqual will make \"alternative arrangements\" for delivering results.\n\nAn attempt to produce replacement exam grades last summer turned into one of the biggest U-turns of the pandemic.\n\nTeachers' unions accused the government of failing to react more swiftly to \"mounting evidence\" about Covid transmission in schools and to make preparations for remote teaching and alternatives to written exams.\n\nBut Mary Bousted, co-leader of the National Education Union, said Education Secretary Gavin Williamson had \"become an expert in putting his head in the sand\".\n\nGeoff Barton of the ASCL head teachers' union criticised ministers for having issued legal threats to keep schools open at the end of last term - and then \"made a series of chaotic announcements about the start of this term\".\n\nThe new term, which began on Monday for primary pupils, has only lasted a day before it has been suspended.\n\nThe prime minister said he hoped that schools would be \"reopening schools after the February half term\".\n\nThere have been assurances that there will be a more thorough approach to home learning than in the first lockdown last year.\n\nThe Department for Education has provided hundreds of thousands of computer devices - with the aim of supporting those without the equipment needed to work online from home.\n\nThere have also been suggestions Ofsted inspectors will play a more active role in checking on what support schools are providing to pupils in their online learning.\n\nUniversities in England had already planned a staggered return for this term - but there will now be even fewer students on campus this month.\n\nThe latest lockdown guidance says university students who are taking hands-on courses such as medicine or veterinary science should return for face-to-face lessons as planned.\n\nThese students will be expected to take two Covid tests or self-isolate for 10 days when they return.\n\nBut students on all other courses are being told not to come back to university if possible and to start their term online \"until at least mid-February\".", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Olly Stephens was pronounced dead in Bugs Bottom fields in Emmer Green, Reading\n\nA school says its community has been left \"reeling\" after a 13-year-old boy was stabbed to death in Reading.\n\nOliver Stephens, known as Olly, was pronounced dead at Bugs Bottom fields, Emmer Green, on Sunday.\n\nFour boys and a girl, all aged 13 or 14, have been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder. They remain in custody.\n\nHighdown School and Sixth Form Centre head teacher Rachel Cave described the boy's death as a \"total tragedy\".\n\nIn a statement, she said: \"This student was part of our community and many students and staff knew him well.\n\n\"Many have been deeply affected by this tragedy.\n\n\"In normal circumstances we would open the school and welcome in students for support before the start of the term.\n\n\"We are currently unable to do this, of course, but are arranging counselling support and will be establishing an electronic book of condolence.\"\n\nFlowers have been left outside Highdown School\n\nMs Cave said the school was \"a supportive and close-knit community\" which would \"work together over the coming days and weeks\".\n\nDet Supt Kevin Brown, of Thames Valley Police, said: \"Our thoughts remain with Olly's family at this incredibly difficult time.\"\n\nHe added: \"This is a tragic and shocking incident which has resulted in the death of a young boy.\"\n\nThe victim's family are being supported by specially trained officers.\n\nThames Valley Police said a \"considerable police presence\" would be in place in the area for several days\n\nOfficers were called just before 16:00 GMT on Sunday following reports of an attack.\n\nOfficers are appealing for anyone who was in the area between 15:00 and 16:30 who might have taken photos or camera footage to contact them if they notice anything suspicious.\n\nDet Supt Brown said he believed there would have been witnesses to the \"dreadful incident\" as the area is popular with dog walkers.\n\nA man said his wife was walking their dog through the park on Sunday afternoon when she saw a boy on the ground with several people around him trying to give him first aid.\n\nAnother dog walker said she saw a group of young people standing in the woods in Bugs Bottom fields at about 15:30 and described it as \"slightly unusual\".\n\nReading East MP Matt Rodda has offered his \"deepest condolences\" to the boy's family.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Matt Rodda This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nSt Barnabas Church in Emmer Green has invited residents to pray and light a candle in memory of the boy.\n\nFollow BBC South on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to south.newsonline@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Boris Johnson: \"We've now vaccinated over 1.3m people across the UK\"\n\nSome 1.3 million people in the UK have now received their first dose of a Covid vaccine, says the government.\n\nIn England, that includes nearly a quarter of the most elderly, vulnerable patients.\n\nPrime Minister Boris Johnson said it meant that within a two to three weeks they should have a \"significant degree of immunity\" to the virus.\n\nHe said there would be a ramping up to get more people immunised - up to 2 million a week.\n\nThe ambition is to vaccinate all the over-70s, the most clinically vulnerable and front-line health and care workers by mid-February. That will require around 13 million vaccinations.\n\nHe defended the UK's policy of immunising more people with one dose immediately - rather than holding some stock back to give people a second booster shot - in order to save \"the most lives the fastest\".\n\nUS regulators have questioned the policy, saying it is premature without more trial evidence, but the UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency says it is a pragmatic decision to protect more people.\n\nBoth the Pfizer and Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines require two doses to provide the best possible protection.\n\nInitially, the strategy for the Pfizer vaccine was to offer people the second dose 21 days after their initial jab - full immunity starts seven days after the second dose.\n\nBut when approval was announced for the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine on 30 December, it was also announced that the policy would now change - the new priority would be to give as many people a first shot of either vaccine, rather than providing the required two doses in as short a time as possible.\n\nEveryone will still receive their second dose, but this will now be within 12 weeks of their first.\n\nEngland's chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty told the Downing Street press conference that extending the gap between the first and second jabs would mean the number of people vaccinated can be doubled over three months.\n\n\"If over that period there is more than 50% protection then you have actually won. More people will have been protected than would have been otherwise.\n\n\"Our quite strong view is that protection is likely to be lot more than 50%.\"\n\nAsked whether the longer gap could lead to an increase risk of the virus mutating into a version that could escape the vaccine, he said it was a worry, but a small one.\n\nChief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance said vaccines would probably need to be changed further down the line to continue to be a good match for the virus - but that this was relatively quick to do.\n\nOne of the exciting things about the science of the RNA vaccines is that they are incredibly fast to make in response to new mutations, he said.", "The homes of Frank and Christine Lampard, Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha and Tamara Ecclestone and her husband were broken into in December 2019\n\nFour people have been cleared of being involved in a plot to raid the luxury homes of celebrities in west London.\n\nItems belonging to Frank Lampard, Tamara Ecclestone and the family of tycoon Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha were among the items taken during three burglaries in December 2019.\n\nProsecutors said Maria Mester, 48, Emil Bogdan Savastru, 30, Sorin Marcovici, 53, and Alexandru Stan, 49, were a \"supporting cast\" for the burglars.\n\nBut a jury found all four not guilty.\n\nIsleworth Crown Court heard the three burglaries had netted \"big money\" for the raiders, with \"fabulous jewellery\" stolen and the majority of it having never been recovered.\n\nJay Rutland, Tamara Ecclestone and their daughter had left for Lapland on the morning of the burglary\n\nJewellery and cash worth £25m was taken from Ms Ecclestone's Kensington home while she was on holiday in Lapland with her husband Jay Rutland and their daughter.\n\nMr Lampard and his TV presenter wife Christine had about £60,000 in watches and jewellery stolen when they were out, while raiders also ransacked the family home of Mr Srivaddhanaprabha, who died in 2018 in a helicopter crash, the jury was told.\n\nThe four defendants were accused of eight charges including conspiracy to burgle.\n\nHowever, each denied their involvement with the plot, saying they had no knowledge that the alleged burglars were criminals.\n\nJurors were shown an image from Maria Mester's Facebook account, in which she was said to be wearing Tamara Ecclestone's necklace\n\nThe court heard escort Ms Mester had flown into the UK from Italy on 7 December.\n\nPolice described her as the plot's \"matriarch\", but the 48-year-old told jurors she was only in London after being paid £5,000 to accompany one of the alleged burglars for the week.\n\nSavastru was arrested at Heathrow Airport on 30 January as he prepared to leave for Japan, wearing Mr Srivaddhanaprabha's Tag watch and carrying a Louis Vuitton bag stolen from Mr Rutland.\n\nHe told the court he thought the items had been left behind by the alleged burglars at the Airbnb property he had helped them rent.\n\nThe four Romanian nationals were cleared of all charges apart from Savastru, who was convicted of one count of attempting to conceal criminal property.\n\nThe 30-year-old will be sentenced at a later date.\n\nA group of alleged burglars, who cannot be named for legal reasons, are accused of carrying out the raids.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Nicola Sturgeon announces stay at home rules in new lockdown\n\nScots are to be ordered to stay at home amid a fresh Covid-19 lockdown which will see schools remain closed to pupils until February.\n\nFirst Minister Nicola Sturgeon said new curbs would be introduced at midnight in a bid to contain the new, faster-spreading strain of the virus.\n\nNew laws will require people to stay at home and work from home where possible.\n\nOutdoor gatherings are also to be cut back, with people only allowed to meet one person from one other household.\n\nPlaces of worship are to be closed, group exercise banned, and schools will largely operate via online and remote learning.\n\nThese rules will apply across the Scottish mainland until at least the end of January, and will be kept under review.\n\nIsland areas will remain in level three - but Ms Sturgeon said they would be monitored carefully.\n\nPrime Minister Boris Johnson later announced similar lockdown measures for the whole of England with all schools and colleges closing to most pupils until mid February.\n\nA further 1,905 new cases were reported in Scotland on Monday - with 15% of tests returning a positive result, something Ms Sturgeon said \"illustrates the severity and urgency of the situation\".\n\nThe first minister said she was \"more concerned about the situation we face now than I have been at any time since March last year\", with the new coronavirus strain now accounting for half of new cases.\n\nAnd she said a \"steeply rising trend of infections\" was threatening to put \"significant pressure\" on NHS services, saying hospitals could breach capacity within three to four weeks.\n\nThe new rules - which will be put down in law - mean Scots will only be allowed to leave home for essential purposes, such as shopping for food and medicine, exercise and caring responsibilities.\n\nNo limit is to be put on how many times people can go out to exercise, but outdoor meetings are to be limited to a maximum of two people from two households.\n\nEveryone who can work from home will be required to, and people in the \"shielding\" category are advised not to go in to work at all.\n\nThe construction and manufacturing industries will remain open, but Ms Sturgeon said this would be kept under review.\n\nPlaces of worship are to close, the number of people who can attend weddings is to be cut to five, and funeral wakes will no longer be allowed.\n\nSchools are to remain closed to the majority of pupils until February, with Ms Sturgeon saying community transmission of the virus must be brought to a lower level amid concerns that the new variant of the virus spreads more easily among young people.\n\nShe said she knew remote learning presented \"significant challenges\" for parents, teachers and pupils, adding: \"I want to be clear that it remains our priority to get school buildings open again for all pupils are quickly as possible and then keep them open.\"\n\nThe first minister said she was considering whether teachers could be given the Covid-19 vaccine as a priority.\n\nMore than 100,000 people have been given a first dose of the vaccine in Scotland, and the government expects to have access to just over 900,000 doses by the end of January.\n\nHowever Ms Sturgeon said the best way to get schools open again was to drive down transmission of the virus - urging Scots to abide by the rules.\n\nThese are the toughest restrictions Scotland has faced since the lockdown of March 2020.\n\nIt is - once again - becoming compulsory to stay at home except for essential purposes like food shopping, exercise and medical care.\n\nThe extended closure of schools to most pupils is something the Scottish government was particularly keen to avoid.\n\nThese decisions are a measure of how worried ministers are about the rapid spread of the new variant of coronavirus, which is fast becoming the dominant strain.\n\nWith 225 cases per 100,000 people, Scotland is thought to be about four weeks behind London, which already has four times as many cases and NHS services under considerable pressure.\n\nThe Scottish government believes that without further action the NHS here would run out of beds for Covid patients within a month.\n\nThis new alert comes at the start of a new year which also brings new hope for a route out of the pandemic with two vaccines now beginning to offer protection.\n\nAround 100,000 doses have already been administered in Scotland but it is likely to take several months to reach all in the most vulnerable groups.\n\nThe first minister said Scotland was now in \"a race between the vaccine and the virus\".\n\nShe said: \"The Scottish government will do everything we can to speed up distribution of the vaccine. But all of us must do everything we can to slow down the spread of the virus.\n\n\"We can already see - by looking at infection rates in the south of England - some of what could happen here in Scotland. To prevent that, we need to act immediately and firmly.\n\n\"For government, that means introducing tough measures - as we have done today. And for all of us, it means sticking to the rules.\"\n\nScottish Conservative group leader Ruth Davidson raised concerns about online learning, saying it was vital that pupils had \"equal access to high-quality education\".\n\nAnd Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard said teachers and working parents would need support to make the remote learning system work.\n\nMs Sturgeon said her government had \"agonised\" over the decision on schools, and said the \"fundamental priority\" was to re-open them in full as soon as possible.\n\nShe said: \"Just as the last places we ever want to close are schools and nurseries - so it is the case that schools and nurseries will be the first places we want to reopen as we re-emerge from this latest lockdown.\"\n\nThe NHS has coped so far in Scotland - more so than many other parts of the UK.\n\nBut in places like Glasgow and Lanarkshire it has been very, very tight. And here like everywhere else staff are bracing themselves for the post-Christmas effects of rising cases.\n\nThe first minister gave some stark figures on hospital and ICU occupancy - suggesting we are just weeks away from reaching limits.\n\nThere is so little give in the system they will be glad to see everything possible done to prevent stretched services being overwhelmed at a time when we are on our way to getting out the other side.\n\nThere is real anxiety about what the next few weeks might bring.\n• None Covid in Scotland: New lockdown from midnight", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. James Shaw, from Dundee, was among the first to receive the jab\n\nThe first Scottish recipients of the new Oxford University and AstraZeneca vaccine have received their jabs.\n\nJames Shaw, 82, and his 82-year-old wife Malita were among the first to be vaccinated in Dundee.\n\nThe couple received their first doses at Lochee Health and Community Care Centre.\n\nNicola Sturgeon has said she hoped all over-50s and those with underlying health conditions will have been vaccinated by early May.\n\nJames said: \"My wife and I are delighted to be receiving this vaccination. I have asthma and bronchitis and I have been desperate to have it so I am really pleased to be one of the first to be getting it.\n\n\"I know it takes a little while for the vaccine to work but after today I know that I will feel a bit less worried about going out. I will still be very careful and avoid busy places but knowing I have been vaccinated will really help me.\n\n\"All of my friends have said they are going to have the vaccine when it is their turn and I would encourage everyone who is offered this vaccination to take it.\"\n\nJames Shaw, 82, was one of the first people in Scotland to receive the AstraZeneca/Oxford Covid-19 vaccine, administered by advanced nurse practitioner Justine Williams\n\nThe Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine programme is being rolled out less than a week after it was approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). It is the second vaccine approved for use in the UK.\n\nNHS Tayside is rolling out the vaccine through GP practices in the community and will also vaccinate elderly residents and staff in care homes.\n\nIts associate director of public health Dr Daniel Chandleris said: \"The efforts of our vaccination teams have been amazing and it is testament to a real whole team approach that sees the first over-80s in the general population have their jabs today in Tayside.\n\n\"The availability and mobility of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine gives us the opportunity to start to roll out the biggest vaccine programme that the UK has ever seen across our communities.\n\n\"Over-80s are the first priority group and patients will be contacted directly to attend a vaccination session.\"\n\nScottish Secretary Alister Jack added: \"This is another important moment in our fight against the virus - every vaccination takes us a step closer to getting back to our normal lives as soon as possible.\n\n\"As with the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, the UK is the first country in the world to approve and roll out the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, with the UK Government ordering and paying for millions of doses for people in all parts of the UK.\"\n\nThe milestone came as First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced a new stricter lockdown.\n\nWith the exception of essential travel, people in mainland Scotland will have to remain at home from midnight.\n\nStatistics released on Monday showed a further 1,905 people had contracted Covid-19.\n\nFigures for hospital admissions and deaths over the holiday weekend will not be published until Tuesday.\n\nMs Sturgeon likened the situation to a race between the vaccine and the virus.\n\nShe said: \"In one lane we have vaccines - our job is to make sure they run as fast as possible.\n\n\"But in the other lane is the virus which - as a result of this new variant - has just learned to run much faster and has most definitely picked up pace in the last couple of weeks.\n\n\"To ensure that the vaccine wins the race, it is essential to speed up vaccination as far as possible. But to give it the time it needs to get ahead, we must also slow the virus down.\"\n\nThe new vaccine will initially be available in the hospitals that have been delivering the Pfizer/BioNtech vaccine, and new community settings will be able to deliver the jabs from 11 January.\n\nPeople in Scotland will be contacted by their health board when it is their turn to be vaccinated.\n\nThe Oxford vaccination marks a major turning point in the pandemic and will lead to a massive expansion in the UK's immunisation campaign, with enough to vaccinate 50 million people throughout the UK already on order.\n\nIt is easier to transport and store than the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, which needs cold storage of about -70C.\n\nThe Oxford vaccine is logistically much easier to distribute\n\nThe UK government has said 530,000 doses of the Oxford vaccine will be available to the UK from Monday, with \"millions due by the beginning of February\".\n\nScotland will ultimately get an 8.2% share of these vaccines, based on its population.\n\nChief Medical Officer Dr Gregor Smith has said he expects the NHS in Scotland to receive 440,360 doses of the vaccine during January.\n\nThe first minister said on Monday about 100,000 people in Scotland have already received a first dose of vaccine.\n\nBoth vaccines require two doses to be administered with an interval of between four and 12 weeks.\n\nPreviously the advice was for the vaccines to have a four-week gap between doses.\n\nThe Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) then recommended as many people as possible in the top priority groups should be offered a first dose as the initial priority.", "US intelligence agencies have said they believe Russia was behind the \"serious\" cyber compromise revealed in December.\n\nPresident Trump had previously suggested China might have been behind the hack, although other members of his administration had pointed the finger at Moscow.\n\nIn a joint statement, the intelligence bodies say they currently believe fewer than 10 US government agencies saw their data compromised, although other organisations outside of government were also affected.\n\nThey say work is still going on to understand the scope of the incident, which appears to have been aimed at gathering intelligence and which they say is \"ongoing\" a month after details first emerged.\n\nThe update on the investigation came in a statement from a task force called the Cyber Unified Coordination Group which was set up to deal with the incident. It comprises intelligence and law enforcement agencies including the FBI and NSA.\n\nThe group said it was still working to understand the scope of what had taken place.\n\nEighteen thousand customers who used Orion product from the company Solar Winds were exposed but US intelligence says it believes a much smaller number saw follow-on activity from the hackers in which they stole data. The US Treasury was among those which previously acknowledged being targeted.\n\n\"This is a serious compromise that will require a sustained and dedicated effort to remediate,\" the statement said. Many organisations are having to scour their systems for signs that they may have been compromised.\n\nThe incident sent shockwaves across the US partly because the breach was undiscovered for many months and was potentially far-reaching in terms of who it might have affected. It also suggested a degree of sophistication and stealth which was widely seen as a trademark of hackers from the SVR, Russia's foreign intelligence agency.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Experts have been warning for years that it's not a matter of if, but when, hackers will kill somebody\n\nSoon after the incident was revealed, President Trump raised the possibility that China might be responsible, but members of his own administration including the secretary of state and attorney general pointed the finger at Moscow. The latest statement shows the assessment of US intelligence agencies is that Russia was behind it, although it does not go so far as accusing the Russian state itself, saying only that the actor was \"likely Russian in origin\". Moscow has denied playing any part.\n\nPresident-elect Joe Biden has previously said it was important to take \"meaningful steps\" to hold those responsible to account. It is not yet clear, though, what that might involve. While some US politicians suggested the breach might even be compared to an \"act of war\", most cyber-experts disputed this and the US intelligence community has now played down suggestions that it could have had destructive impact.\n\n\"At this time, we believe this was, and continues to be, an intelligence-gathering effort,\" the latest statement says. This is significant since it suggests no evidence has been found that this was preparatory activity for a more destructive cyber-attack which might switch off systems. This may limit the US response since espionage operations do not breach the cyber norms the US itself promotes (largely because it too carries out such intelligence-gathering operations against other nations).\n\nIn December UK officials say they believed a small number of UK organisations were affected but said they did not believe they were in the public sector.", "Queensland in Australia has seen heavy rainfall as an ex-tropical cyclone crosses the state, bringing warnings of “life-threatening\" flash flooding.\n\nMeteorologists say cyclones are more likely in Australia this year because of La Nina weather conditions.", "Singapore's Covid app is widely used across the country\n\nSingapore has admitted data from its Covid contact tracing programme can also be accessed by police, reversing earlier privacy assurances.\n\nOfficials had previously explicitly ruled out the data would be used for anything other than the virus tracking.\n\nBut parliament was told on Monday it could also be used \"for the purpose of criminal investigation\".\n\nClose to 80% of residents are signed up to the TraceTogether programme, which is used to check in to locations.\n\nThe voluntary take up increased after it was announced it would soon be needed to access anything from the supermarket to your place of work.\n\nThe TraceTogether programme, which uses either a smartphone app or a bluetooth token, also monitors who you have been in contact with.\n\nIf someone tests positive with the virus, the data allows tracers to swiftly contact anyone that might have been infected. This prompted concerns over privacy - fears which have been echoed across the world as other countries rolled out their own tracing apps.\n\nTo encourage people to enrol, Singaporean authorities promised the data would never be used for any other purpose, saying \"the data will never be accessed, unless the user tests positive for Covid-19 and is contacted by the contact tracing team\".\n\nBut Minister of State for Home Affairs Desmond Tan told parliament on Monday that it can in fact also be used \"for the purpose of criminal investigation\", adding that \"otherwise, TraceTogether data is to be used only for contact tracing and for the purpose of fighting the Covid situation\".\n\nHowever, the privacy statement on the TraceTogether site was then updated on the same day to state that \"the Criminal Procedure Code applies to all data under Singapore's jurisdiction\".\n\n\"Also, we want to be transparent with you,\" the statement reads. \"TraceTogether data may be used in circumstances where citizen safety and security is or has been affected.\n\n\"The Singapore Police Force is empowered under the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC) to obtain any data, including TraceTogether data, for criminal investigations.\"\n\nOn Tuesday, the country's Minister for Foreign Affairs, Vivian Balakrishnan, clarified that it was not just TraceTogether data that was used in cases of serious criminal investigations.\n\nHe said under the CPC, \"other forms of sensitive data like phone or banking records\" would also have their privacy regulations overruled in such cases.\n\nMr Balakrishnan added that to his knowledge, police had so far only once accessed contact tracing data, in the case of a murder investigation.\n\nThe minister stressed though that \"once the pandemic is over and there will no longer be a need for contact tracing, we will happily stand down the TraceTogether programme.\"\n\nMonday's announcement though sparked some controversy on social media, with people calling out the government and some users posting that they had now deleted the app.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by prEEtipls This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\n\"I'm disappointed, but not at all surprised,\" local journalist and activist Kirsten Han told the BBC. \"This is actually something that I've been flagging as a concern since the earlier days of TraceTogether - and was sometimes told that I was just a paranoid fearmonger undermining efforts to fight Covid-19.\n\n\"It doesn't feel good at all to discover I was right.\"\n\n\"I think why most people are so angry about this is not that they feel like they're constantly being watched,\" one Singaporean, who did not want to be named, told the BBC. \"We already have that through other means like CCTV.\n\n\"It's more that they feel like they've been cheated. The government had assured us many times that TraceTogether would only be used for contact tracing, but now they've suddenly added this new caveat.\"\n\nAnother person told the BBC they wished they could delete the app, but daily life would be impossible without it.\n\n\"So I'm just going to disable my Bluetooth for TraceTogether from now on, unless I have to use it to enter somewhere. If the app is not only going to be used for contact tracing, then it's too much of an invasion of privacy.\"\n\nAustralian privacy watchdog Digital Rights Watch, told the BBC they were \"extremely concerned\" about the news from Singapore.\n\n\"This is the worst case scenario that privacy advocates have warned about since the start of the pandemic,\" Programme Director Lucie Krahulcova told the BBC. \"Such an approach will erode public trust in future health responses and therefore impede their efficacy.\"\n\nLike most countries, Australia has rolled out its own contact tracing app but uptake has been sluggish precisely because of privacy concerns.\n\nSingapore was among the first countries to introduce a contact tracing app nationally in March last year.\n\nThe introduction of the token in June had sparked a rare backlash against the government over concerns the device would be mandatory. An online petition calling for it to be ditched has gathered some 55,000 signatures so far.\n\nSingapore has been been one of the most successful countries in tackling the pandemic. Despite a big outbreak among its foreign workers early on, local infection rates have for months been close to zero.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Singapore rolled out its Covid tracing tokens last June", "Whitty: Priority to vaccinate those who would die from virus\n\nAndy Woodcock from the Independent asks about testing for people arriving into the UK from abroad and why it wasn't done sooner. The prime minister says the government will be bringing in measures to \"ensure that we test people coming into this country and preventing the virus from being readmitted\". Responding to a second question on schools and whether teachers and pupils should be vaccinated, Prof Chris Whitty says there is no evidence of hospitals filling up with children and it appears, that even with the new variant, \"children are relatively much less affected than other groups\". He says from a clinical point of view the real priority is to vaccinate the people that we know \"are by far the most likely to die and by far most likely to end up in hospital\". He adds there will have to be decisions made once the most vulnerable groups are vaccinated but we are not yet at that stage. The chief medical officer adds that neither vaccine currently in use in the UK has been licensed for children yet.", "Dr Radha Modgil from BBC Radio 1’s Life Hacks shares her top five tips on how to stay mentally and emotionally well during the coronavirus lockdown, all beginning with the letter C.\n\nSticking to a routine, making sure we take care of ourselves, and using our creativity in new ways are all ways she suggests we can ease the psychological toll that staying inside is having on all of us.\n\nListen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.", "Enrique Tarrio says his far-right group will turn out in numbers on Wednesday\n\nThe leader of the far-right Proud Boys group has been released after his arrest on suspicion of burning a Black Lives Matter flag last month.\n\nEnrique Tarrio faces destruction of property charges. On Tuesday, a judge ordered him to stay out of Washington.\n\nHe has reportedly admitted torching a banner taken from a black church during a rally in December in the city.\n\nPresident Donald Trump has been urging supporters to gather in the capital this week for another demonstration.\n\nOn Tuesday, a judge released him on his own recognisance pending his trial.\n\nOn Wednesday, members of Congress are due to certify Democratic President-elect Joe Biden's election victory before he takes office on 20 January.\n\nMr Tarrio has said on the social media app Parler that the Proud Boys will \"turn out in record numbers on Jan 6th\", referring to his members as \"the most notorious group of extraordinary gentlemen\".\n\nThe National Guard has been deployed by Washington DC's mayor to assist local authorities. Officials say the troops will not be armed and will be there to assist with crowd management and traffic control.\n\nA spokesman for the Metropolitan Police Department, Dustin Sternbeck, told the Washington Post on Monday that Mr Tarrio had been stopped in a vehicle shortly after it entered the district.\n\nThe 36-year-old was also found during his arrest to be in unlawful possession of two devices that allow guns to hold additional bullets, a source told CBS News.\n\nThe destruction of property charge relates to a protest in Washington DC on 12 December in support of the outgoing Republican president's unsubstantiated claims of systemic election fraud.\n\nThe mostly peaceful demonstration ended in isolated scuffles as confrontations with counter-protesters broke out. Police said more than three dozen people were arrested and four churches were vandalised.\n\nMr Tarrio - who lives in Miami, where he also reportedly runs a grassroots organisation called Latinos for Trump - told the Washington Post at the time that he had burned the Black Lives Matter flag.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\n\"Let's make this simple,\" he said. \"I did it.\"\n\nBut he maintained he did not know the Asbury United Methodist Church, where the flag had reportedly flown, was predominantly attended by African American worshippers.\n\nMr Tarrio also said Proud Boy members have had their flags and hats stolen in past demonstrations without anyone being arrested for those alleged incidents.\n\nEarlier on Monday, another black church that was vandalised during December's protest sued Mr Tarrio and the Proud Boys.\n\nCounter-demonstrators were mostly kept at a distance from Trump supporter last month by Washington DC police\n\nThe Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church accused the group of climbing over a fence and tearing down a Black Lives Matter sign.\n\nKristen Clarke, head of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, said in a statement: \"Black churches and other religious institutions have a long and ugly history of being targeted by white supremacists in racist and violent attacks meant to intimidate and create fear.\n\n\"Our lawsuit aims to hold those who engage in such action accountable.\"\n\nThe city's police department said last month it had been considering a potential hate crime charge over the incident.", "Some Covid restrictions are being reintroduced in response to the Omicron variant.\n\nCheck what the rules are in your area by entering your postcode or council name below.\n\nA modern browser with JavaScript and a stable internet connection is required to view this interactive. What are the rules in your area? Enter a full UK postcode or council name to find out\n\nIf you cannot see the look-up, click here.\n\nThe rules highlighted in the search tool are a selection of the key government restrictions in place in your area.\n\nAlways check your relevant national and local authority website for more information on the situation where you live. Also check local guidance before travelling to others parts of the UK.\n\nAll the guidance in our search look-up comes from national government websites.\n\nFor more information on national measures see:\n\nFind out how the pandemic has affected your area and how it compares with the national average by following this link to an in depth guide to the numbers involved.", "Kate Thistleton will front new content from Bitesize Daily\n\nBBC TV is to help children keep up with their studies during the latest lockdown by broadcasting lessons on BBC Two and CBBC, as well as online.\n\nSchools have been closed to most children across the UK as part of tougher measures to control Covid-19.\n\nThe BBC will show curriculum-based programmes on TV from Monday.\n\nThey will include three hours of primary school programming every weekday on CBBC, and at least two hours for secondary pupils on BBC Two.\n\nDuring the first lockdown in the spring, lessons were available on iPlayer, red button and online, but not on regular TV channels.\n\nThe move comes amid concerns that low-income families may struggle to afford data packages for their children to take part in online learning.\n\nPrime Minister Boris Johnson praised the BBC's \"fantastic\" plans on Tuesday. BBC Director-General Tim Davie said \"education is absolutely vital\".\n\nHe continued: \"The BBC is here to play its part and I'm delighted that we have been able to bring this to audiences so swiftly.\"\n\nThe primary programmes, which will be broadcast on CBBC from 09:00 every day, will include BBC Live Lessons and BBC Bitesize Daily as well as Our School, Celebrity Supply Teacher, Horrible Histories and Operation Ouch.\n\nBBC Two will cater for secondary students with programming to support the GCSE curriculum, including adaptations of Shakespeare plays alongside science, history and factual titles.\n\nBitesize Daily primary and secondary will also air every day on the red button as well as episodes being available on demand on iPlayer.\n\nCulture Secretary Oliver Dowden said the BBC \"has helped the nation through some of the toughest moments of the last century\".\n\n\"And for the next few weeks it will help our children learn whilst we stay home, protect the NHS and save lives,\" he added. \"This will be a lifeline to parents and I welcome the BBC playing its part.\"\n\nFollow us on Facebook or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "Sea Shepherd is working to protect the endangered vaquita porpoise\n\nA Mexican fisherman has died after his boat collided with a larger vessel used by US conservationist group Sea Shepherd, reports say.\n\nSea Shepherd said the clash happened after fishing boats attacked one of its vessels in the Gulf of California, where it is working to protect the endangered vaquita porpoise.\n\nIt said its vessel was trying to leave when one of the boats smashed into it.\n\nThe man's family allege that his boat was intentionally rammed.\n\nHealth official Alonso Perez told AFP news agency on Monday that one fisherman died after sustaining serious injuries, while a second remained in a stable condition.\n\nSea Shepherd said its Farley Mowat vessel was removing an illegal net from a protected area on 31 December when a group of people on small fishing boats launched a \"violent attack\", including throwing Molotov cocktails.\n\n\"Following routine anti-piracy procedures, the Farley Mowat undertook defensive manoeuvring to avoid the attacks. As the vessel attempted to leave the scene, one of the [boats] aggressively swerved in front of the Farley Mowat, crashing directly into the hull\" and splitting in two, it said.\n\nThe group said it provided emergency first aid to the two men who had been on board the fishing boat.\n\nConservationists working for Sea Shepherd have been attacked several times while patrolling the vaquita refuge.\n\nThe group works with Mexican authorities to remove illegal gillnets used to catch totoaba fish, which are highly valued in Chinese traditional medicine. The nets are designed to trap the heads of fish but not their bodies, but are blamed for trapping and killing the endangered porpoises as well.", "Businesses in retail, hospitality and leisure will receive new grants to help them keep afloat until spring, Chancellor Rishi Sunak has said.\n\nThe grants will be worth up to £9,000 per property, the Treasury says.\n\nMr Sunak told the BBC he was \"committed to protecting jobs and supporting businesses\".\n\nBusiness groups welcomed the new help as a good start but warned the money still wouldn't be enough to save many firms from collapse.\n\nThe help is in addition to business rates relief and the furlough scheme, which has been extended until the end of April.\n\nFirms do not have to pay the grant money back.\n\nMr Sunak said he would consider whether or how to extend support packages in its Budget on 3 March.\n\n\"The Budget early in March is an excellent opportunity to take stock of the range of support we have put in place and set out the next stage of our economic response,\" he said.\n\nThe director general of the CBI business group, Tony Danker, earlier warned leaving additional support until the Budget could be too late for many firms, saying. \"the comprehensive restrictions required a new comprehensive response\".\n\nIt was a fear echoed by other business groups, the BCC and the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB).\n\nBCC director general, Adam Marshall, warned many smaller firms would not qualify for help and \"will be left struggling to see how this new top-up grant will help them out of their cashflow problems.\"\n\nHe also called for the support to be extended to firms in other sectors \"who are also feeling the devastating impacts of these restrictions.\"\n\nFSB chair Mike Cherry also said the funds would be a lifeline to many, but \"do not go far enough to match the scale of the crisis that small firms are facing.\"\n\nThe British Beer & Pub Association described the grants as a \"lifeline\", but added that companies on which pubs rely, such as breweries, would also need help.\n\nSeb Heeley, owner of distillery Manchester Gin, says he needs dates to plan around\n\nSeb Heeley, owner of distillery Manchester Gin, told the BBC that fixed dates to aim for are crucial for his business.\n\n\"We need a date to work towards and we don't have that so, again, we're in limbo,\" he said. \"It takes three or four weeks\" to prepare, including retraining staff, he added.\n\nHis business has been closed since October because of restrictions in the Manchester area. It borrowed money under the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS).\n\n\"We start repayment in June and there's good chance we won't be open, so they are going to have to extend that,\" he said.\n\nHe said much of the £9,000 grant will be taken up by the £6,000 a month his business owes in pension contributions and national insurance alone.\n\nMr Sunak said the new support would \"help businesses to get through the months ahead - and crucially it will help sustain jobs, so workers can be ready to return when they are able to reopen\".\n\nBusinesses such as cafes, restaurants, leisure centres and shops that do not sell essentials have been particularly hard hit by coronavirus lockdown measures as people are told to stay at home.\n\nAll non-essential shops, leisure and entertainment venues are now closed, with pubs and restaurants allowed to offer takeaway food and non-alcoholic drinks only.\n\nThe new measures contained no additional support for self-employed people.\n\nMel Stride, chair of parliament's Treasury Committee, which scrutinises the finance department's work, warned the chancellor \"must not forget those who have fallen through the gaps around previous support packages.\"\n\nWhile this is welcome and essential support, it is now clear that the most optimistic timetable for economic lift-off from the pandemic is going to be put back.\n\nThis raises questions about the length of the furlough scheme, and government-guaranteed loans.\n\nBefore this, the best-case scenario was that mass vaccination, enabling a confident reopening of the economy, would allow furloughed workers to go straight back to their jobs in late spring.\n\nThis was never the government's central forecast, but looked possible amid optimism about the vaccine last month.\n\nEven if all vulnerable people can be vaccinated by March, the first three months of the year will see school lockdowns which will harm growth, and therefore a possible double dip recession.\n\nBusiness groups which welcomed this support say they now need a clear long-term plan. They want to know that current levels of support will stay in place until most of the population is vaccinated.\n\nHundreds of thousands of self-employed workers who fell through the gaps of support remain under huge pressure, particularly ahead of the self assessment tax deadline.\n\nA decision on extending the £20 a week increase to universal credit will also be required.\n\nEngland's lockdown rules are due to be reviewed on 15 February while Scotland's will be reviewed at the end of January.\n\nIn the UK, the unemployment rate rose to 4.9% in the three months to October, with the jobless total up to 1.7 million people.\n\nThe Office for Budgetary Responsibility, the government's independent forecaster, predicts the UK economy will have shrunk by 11.3% in 2020 - the biggest decline in 300 years. It expects unemployment to peak at 9.7%.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe PM acted \"decisively\" in announcing a new lockdown in England \"in the face of new information\", Rishi Sunak says.\n\nPeople must now stay at home except for a handful of permitted reasons and schools have closed to most pupils.\n\nThe chancellor said the action was \"regrettable\" but it was \"right we take these measures\", which will be reviewed on 15 February, to suppress the virus.\n\nIt came after UK chief medical officers recommended the Covid threat level be increased to five - its highest level.\n\nBoris Johnson said vaccinating the top four priority groups by mid-February could allow restrictions to be eased, with Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove telling Sky News the measures may remain until March.\n\nMeanwhile, the prime minister is due to hold a press conference in Downing Street at 17:00 GMT with chief medical officer for England Prof Chris Whitty and the government's chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance.\n\nTough new lockdown restrictions forbidding people from leaving home for non-essential reasons have also come into force across the Scottish mainland. Wales has been in a national lockdown since 20 December and Northern Ireland entered a six-week lockdown on 26 December.\n\nThe UK reported a record 58,784 cases on Monday, as well as a further 407 deaths within 28 days of a positive test.\n\nMr Gove told BBC Breakfast: \"The four chief medical officers of the United Kingdom met and discussed the situation yesterday and their recommendation was that the country had to move to level five, the highest level available of alert that meant there was an imminent danger to the NHS of being overwhelmed unless action was taken.\n\n\"And so in the circumstances we felt that the only thing we could do was to close those primary schools that were open.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Gove:\" With a heavy heart but with clear evidence we had to act.\"\n\nHe said the action was taken \"with the heaviest of hearts\" and \"we had to act\" following that advice.\n\n\"It is a very, very difficult time for the whole country, that's why it's so important we do everything we can in government to vaccinate people,\" he said.\n\nHe said a million people had been vaccinated so far \"up until the weekend\" and it was hoped that number would reach more than 13 million in February.\n\nWhen asked about the target of two million vaccines a week and concerns over logistics and the safety systems, Mr Gove said the vaccination process was a \"complicated exercise\" but the NHS \"has more than risen to the challenge\".\n\nThe government was \"looking at further options\" to restrict international travel, he said.\n\nMr Gove told Sky News he could not say exactly when the lockdown in England would end, adding: \"I think it is right to say that as we enter March we should be able to lift some of these restrictions but not necessarily all.\"\n\nCabinet Office minister Michael Gove saying the lockdown may have to last to March may not come as much of a surprise to many.\n\nWhile the government has set a target of offering the most at-risk a jab by mid February, it will take several weeks longer for the full effect to be felt given it takes time for an immune response to kick in.\n\nThe bigger question is whether or not the government could have acted earlier.\n\nIt was clear before Christmas the new variant was pushing up infection rates - and that in turn would mean more hospital admissions.\n\nThe delay looks costly. Since Christmas Day, the number of Covid-19 patients in hospital has risen by 50% alone - enough to fill 18 hospitals.\n\nWhile the government did introduce tier four the weekend before Christmas in parts of the south east of England, which banned mixing over the festive period and led to the closure of non-essential shops and gyms, most of the country were allowed to meet up on Christmas Day.\n\nInfections from Christmas Day are now being felt - the numbers have been rising sharply ever since. Some of these are next week's hospital admissions - and is why the chief medical officers warned of the risk of hospitals becoming overwhelmed, which Mr Gove said persuaded them to act on Monday.\n\nIf lockdown had come earlier, it may well have been shorter.\n\nProf Andrew Hayward - a member of the government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) - told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the lockdown measures \"will save tens of thousands of lives\".\n\nBut he said \"the virus is different\" and \"it may be that the lockdown measures that we have are not enough\"\n\n\"This lockdown period we need to do more than just stay at home, wait for the vaccine, we need to be actively bearing down on it,\" he said.\n\nAt Scotland's daily briefing, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon called for people to hold on to the fact there was now \"a clear route out of this pandemic\".\n\nShe said there had been urgent discussions between the four home nations about whether border controls should be tightened - and she hoped there would be an announcement soon.\n\nAnnouncing England's lockdown on Monday, Mr Johnson said hospitals were under \"more pressure from Covid than at any time since the start of the pandemic\".\n\nHe ordered people to stay indoors other than for limited exceptions - such as essential medical needs, food shopping, exercise and work that cannot be done at home - and said schools and colleges should move to remote teaching for the majority of students until at least half term.\n\nPeople who are clinically extremely vulnerable will be contacted by letter and should now shield once more, Mr Johnson said.\n\nWhile the rules become law in the early hours of Wednesday, people should follow them now, Mr Johnson added.\n\nMr Johnson said the new variant of coronavirus, which is up to 70% more transmissible, was spreading in a \"frustrating and alarming\" manner and warned that the number of Covid-19 patients in English hospitals is 40% higher than the first peak.\n\nThe House of Commons has been recalled to allow MPs to vote on England's new restrictions on Wednesday.\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer said his MPs would \"support the package of measures\", saying \"we've all got to pull together now to make this work\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. BBC's Laura Foster explains the order in which the Covid vaccine will be given\n\nHow will you be affected by the latest developments? What questions do you have? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "Quote Message: The return of lockdown for at least the rest of January is a severe blow for much of the Scottish economy. It could be worse: this is not the peak Christmas season for retail and hospitality, though the season they’ve just had was very hard going for many, and non-existent for others. This is also the quietest part of the tourism year, so January is a relatively good month to lose one’s bookings. For many firms, it is better than last spring, because they have infection controls in place. And there is a less harsh closure scheme, meaning construction sites and others can stay open, subject to tight rules. Many employers have settled into patterns of working from home, so this does not carry the shock of last March. There was little expectation of getting staff back into offices for months yet. But that doesn’t make this time any easier for workers who are also parents. They know, from last year, how tough it is to handle childcare and lessons while schools are shut - and this time, they have to manage without good weather. The other, more negative comparison with last spring is that firms now are, typically, deeper in debt and with less spare cash to pay the bills that don’t stop - rent, and utility bills, for instance. Some delayed payments are getting tougher to keep on hold. Their frustration with the slow movement of government grant schemes is showing. They aren’t disputing the case for further lockdown but they are making their own case for support through it, and for a recovery strategy once restrictions are lifted, including a boost to consumer confidence and spending.\" from Douglas Fraser Scotland business & economy editor\n\nThe return of lockdown for at least the rest of January is a severe blow for much of the Scottish economy. It could be worse: this is not the peak Christmas season for retail and hospitality, though the season they’ve just had was very hard going for many, and non-existent for others. This is also the quietest part of the tourism year, so January is a relatively good month to lose one’s bookings. For many firms, it is better than last spring, because they have infection controls in place. And there is a less harsh closure scheme, meaning construction sites and others can stay open, subject to tight rules. Many employers have settled into patterns of working from home, so this does not carry the shock of last March. There was little expectation of getting staff back into offices for months yet. But that doesn’t make this time any easier for workers who are also parents. They know, from last year, how tough it is to handle childcare and lessons while schools are shut - and this time, they have to manage without good weather. The other, more negative comparison with last spring is that firms now are, typically, deeper in debt and with less spare cash to pay the bills that don’t stop - rent, and utility bills, for instance. Some delayed payments are getting tougher to keep on hold. Their frustration with the slow movement of government grant schemes is showing. They aren’t disputing the case for further lockdown but they are making their own case for support through it, and for a recovery strategy once restrictions are lifted, including a boost to consumer confidence and spending.\"", "Last updated on .From the section Sport\n\nProfessional sport in England can continue behind closed doors, despite a new national lockdown announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.\n\nIt means Premier League football and elite leagues in other sports are allowed to carry on.\n\nThe sport and leisure rules in England are similar to those announced in Scotland earlier on Monday.\n\nPeople living in England have been told to stay at home and schools will shut for most pupils from Tuesday.\n\nOn Monday, the UK recorded more than 50,000 new confirmed Covid cases for the seventh day in a row.\n\nFor those in England, exercising outside is allowed once a day. Venues such as gyms, tennis courts and golf courses will be closed.\n\nOrganised outdoor sport for disabled people is exempt from the new measures.\n\nGames and training in non-elite football - which includes all adult and youth grassroots, except for disabled people - have been suspended.\n\nThe Women's FA Cup is among the non-elite competitions placed on hold. All but one of the second-round matches scheduled to take place on Sunday were postponed because of Covid-19 regulations.\n\nTeams from the Women's Super League and Women's Championship enter the draw from the fourth round onwards.\n\nWhich non-elite football has been suspended? Steps three to six of the National League System (all divisions below the National League North and South) Tiers three to seven of the Women's Football Pyramid (all divisions below the Women's Championship) Women's FA Cup (classified as 'non-elite' up to and including the third round) All indoor and outdoor youth and adult grassroots football, including under-18s (except organised outdoor football for disabled people, which is allowed to continue)\n\nFollowing Monday's announcement by the prime minister, this week's sporting fixtures in England are set to go ahead as planned.\n\nIn football, the Carabao Cup semi-finals are being played on Tuesday and Wednesday, while the FA Cup third round - which has 32 fixtures spanning four days - starts on Friday.\n\nThere are also several Women's Super League, English Football League and National League games set to take place, as well as English Premiership and Premier 15s rugby union matches, plus the Masters snooker event in Milton Keynes.\n\nEarlier on Monday, Rochdale chief executive David Bottomley said he believes it is \"inevitable\" that the EFL will have to temporarily suspend fixtures because of rising coronavirus cases.\n\nSeven of last Saturday's EFL games - and 52 across the season - have been called off as teams are affected by the virus.\n\nFour Premier League matches have also been postponed this season because of coronavirus cases.\n\nWhat does the new lockdown mean for sport in England?\n\nThe UK government published its guidance for England's new national lockdown shortly after the prime minister's televised address at 20:00 GMT.\n\nHere are the points relating to sport and physical activity:\n• None Elite sportspeople (and their coaches if necessary, or parents/guardians if they are under 18) - or those on an official elite sports pathway - to compete and train\n• None Outdoor sports courts, outdoor gyms, golf courses, outdoor swimming pools, archery/driving/shooting ranges and riding arenas must also close\n• None Organised outdoor sport for disabled people is allowed to continue\n\nWhile golfing has been allowed to continue in Scotland under strict rules, courses will be closed in England.\n\nEngland Golf said it was \"extremely disappointed\" with the decision, adding it had made a \"strong case\" to keep the sport open in recent months.\n\nWhere can I exercise and who can I exercise with?\n\nYou can exercise in a public outdoor place:\n• None with the people you live with\n• None with your support bubble ( if you are legally permitted to form one)\n• None or, when on your own, with one person from another household\n• None public gardens (whether or not you pay to enter them)\n\nUK Active, a not-for-profit organisation that promotes health and fitness, says the government must act immediately to \"minimise the damaging impact of lockdown\".\n\n\"We know from the millions of people that depend on gyms, pools, and leisure centres to support their physical and mental health, how essential they are,\" said UK Active chief executive Huw Edwards.\n\n\"We cannot afford to wait until the vaccine rollout is advanced before we act, so the government must explore all options at this time and provide a credible plan for maintaining this support to millions of people who rely on these Covid-secure facilities to stay strong and healthy.\n\n\"Furthermore, the UK governments must protect this sector before it becomes too late.\"", "Internet providers are under pressure to do more to help low-income families afford data packages for their children to take part in remote learning.\n\nIt follows a decision to close UK schools to most pupils to enforce new coronavirus lockdowns.\n\nThe children's commissioner for England told the BBC that \"broadband companies really need to step up\".\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer added he thought the cost of data was \"a big problem\".\n\n\"We're asking people to endure very tough restrictions. And there has to be the other side of that contract,\" he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.\n\n\"Everybody needs to try and make this work. And that includes the companies that can take away the charging for data. It's a serious situation.\"\n\nWhen questioned about the topic at a Downing Street press conference, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: \"We are looking at... the potential costs to parents of online teaching, and we're going to do our best to support them in any way that we can and to work with the internet companies.\"\n\nThere is concern that some disadvantaged pupils are currently dependent on pay-as-you-go or monthly mobile phone subscriptions that only include a small data allowance because their families cannot afford or otherwise obtain a separate fixed broadband connection.\n\n\"There are 25 million pay-as-you go customers in the UK, and about seven million of those struggle with the cost of topping up their data,\" commented Chris Thorpe from the Centre For The Acceleration Of Social Technology charity.\n\nMany schools are using video-chat software including Microsoft Teams, Zoom and Google Meet to live-stream classes, assemblies and other activities, which all benefit from a fast, stable connection and can consume a lot of data.\n\nIn addition, other tools including Google Classroom, Tapestry and Class Dojo are used by pupils to submit schoolwork and receive marks and other feedback.\n\nThe situation became more pressing after the prime minister announced last night that England's lockdown would mean schools and colleges would remain closed to most pupils until at least the February half-term.\n\nTech for UK - a coalition of technologists and other concerned business leaders - has suggested one way forward would be for internet providers to \"zero rate\" edtech apps and websites, so that their data use would be deducted from a mobile subscriber's monthly allowance.\n\nHowever, it acknowledges the challenge in doing so is to pick which platforms to support without giving some providers an unfair advantage over others.\n\nThe Department for Education already runs a scheme for disadvantaged children who do not have access to a home broadband connection to temporarily increase their mobile data allowance.\n\nIn some cases, this involves an extra 20 gigabytes a month. In others - such as Three - it provides an \"unlimited\" data upgrade.\n\nSchools, trusts and local authorities need to request the support on a pupil's behalf.\n\nThe networks involved in the initiative include:\n\nIn cases when this is not available, the government offers 4G wireless routers - which use mobile networks to offer a wi-fi connection - as an alternative.\n\nIn addition, Vodafone provided 350,000 \"free data\" Sim cards to thousands of primary and secondary schools and colleges in November.\n\n\"We are actively considering what to do now about this new situation,\" it said.\n\nO2 pledged in October to donate 10,000 devices and 12 months of free data to \"vulnerable individuals\".\n\nAnd Virgin Media noted it had launched a discounted home broadband service for families facing financial difficulties and receiving universal credit.\n\nBT says it has already removed all caps on its home broadband plans to help ensure children can stay connected to their schools.\n\nAnne Longfield, the children's commissioner for England, said she was also concerned about the provision of devices.\n\n\"A lot of children still don't have laptops. They're surviving on broken phones,\" she told the Today programme.\n\nThe Department for Education said it had delivered more than 560,000 devices to schools and councils in England between the start of the pandemic and the end of last year.\n\nIn addition, it aims to have delivered a further 100,000 laptops and tablets to schools by the end of this week to help get closer to its overall target of one million devices.\n\nHowever, teaching groups have raised concerns about the rollout.\n\nSome children are being provided with tablets to keep them connected to their schools\n\n\"We must hear no more of rationing of equipment, as we did late last year,\" Dr Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU) told the BBC.\n\n\"If the stockpiles exist, as the Department for Education claim they do, then they must be distributed urgently. We have heard too many stories of requests from schools not being met, or not being fully met.\"\n\nSteven George of head teachers' union, NAHT added that a website used to order laptops had been inaccessible over the Christmas break, so some members had been unable to make requests.\n\nIn addition, the Association of School and College Leaders suggested the government had \"never really got to grips\" with the issue.\n\n\"It is certainly sending out lots of laptops for disadvantaged children to schools. But there's clearly still a gap, not just in terms of the number of devices that are required but also in terms of whether families have sufficient connectivity,\" said general secretary Geoff Barton.\n\n\"This has happened because it is a crisis situation, and there hasn't been a great deal of time in which to properly assess the level of need that exists, but it does expose the fact that pre-crisis, there hadn't been a properly joined-up national strategy on digital learning.\"\n\nOthers have noted that the device allocation scheme does not extend to printers - which are needed for worksheets and other materials sent by teachers - putting low-income families at a further disadvantage.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Eileen Lynch, 94, was the first person in Northern Ireland to receive the Oxford/AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine\n\nUp to 11,000 people aged over 80 across Northern Ireland are set to receive the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine this week.\n\nThe aim is to ensure everyone in that age group will be offered the vaccine by the end of January.\n\nThirty GP practices will be administering 50,000 doses of the vaccine, which was approved for use in the UK on 30 December.\n\nIt is the second vaccine to be approved in the battle against coronavirus in Northern Ireland.\n\nIt comes ahead of a UK-wide announcement by the prime minister, set to be made at 20:00 GMT on Monday, in which further restrictions will be announced.\n\nIn a statement, a No 10 spokesman said the new variant of Covid-19 had \"led to rapidly escalating case numbers across the country\" and \"further steps must now be taken to arrest this rise\".\n\nOn Monday, Northern Ireland recorded a further 1,801 Covid-19 cases and 12 more virus-related deaths.\n\nThese latest figures from the Department of Health bring the total number of deaths to 1,366, while 79,873 people have tested positive for the virus since the pandemic started.\n\nMore than 12,000 cases have been reported in the past seven days, more than double the week before.\n\nThe seven-day rate per 100,000 people is now 660 positive cases, compared to 200 per 100,000 two weeks ago.\n\nMedical experts believe that is down to the two-week easing of restrictions over the Christmas period.\n\nIn the Republic of Ireland on Monday, an additional 6,110 confirmed cases of Covid-19 were announced, with six further deaths linked to the virus.\n\nNorthern Ireland is in the second week of a six-week lockdown in which non-essential retail is closed.\n\nThe first doses of the vaccine were given delivered at a GP surgery on the Falls Road in West Belfast on Monday afternoon.\n\nThe first person in Northern Ireland to receive the Oxford/AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine was 94-year-old Eileen Lynch.\n\nSpeaking after receiving the vaccine, Ms Lynch said she was \"delighted and privileged\" to receive it.\n\n\"I feel like I can really look forward to the year ahead now that I have been vaccinated,\" she said.\n\nThe Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine has already been used to vaccinate care home residents and staff.\n\nBy mid December, 50,000 doses of that vaccine had been made available and by 30 December, Northern Ireland's Department of Health reported that 33,000 people had been vaccinated.\n\nThis included 8,940 care home residents, 10,484 care home staff and 14,259 health and social care staff.\n\nAccording to the latest NI statistics, for the first time the percentage positive cases in the over 80s is down - an indication the vaccination process is working.\n\nThere are approximately 82,000 people over 80 in NI and BBC News NI understands that if deliveries of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine happen as planned, it is thought that all of those over 80, as well as GPs and their staff, could be vaccinated within three weeks.\n\nWhile 50,000 doses have been delivered to Northern Ireland, a further 23,000 vaccines are expected on 19 January while another 68,000 are due on 24 January.\n\nDr Alan Stout, who is a GP in Belfast, told BBC News NI that members are \"very optimistic\" that 11,000 people can be vaccinated this week.\n\nThe Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is the second coronavirus vaccine to be approved in the UK\n\nNI's chief medical officer said the Oxford-AstraZeneca rollout would run alongside the ongoing vaccination programme.\n\nDr Michael McBride said: \"First and foremost we must act to protect those most at risk of severe disease and death.\n\n\"The evidence shows that the initial dose of vaccine offers as much as 70% protection against the effects of the virus.\n\n\"Providing that level of protection on a large scale will have the greatest impact on reducing mortality and hospitalisations, protecting the health and social care system.\"\n\nThe Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine has to be kept at an extremely low temperature which complicates handling constraints.\n\nThe Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is considered easier to store and distribute.\n\nIts rollout consists of two full doses of the vaccine, with the second dose to be given four to 12 weeks after the first.\n\nGPs are appealing to the public to remain calm and wait to be called for their vaccine either by telephone or by letter.\n\nDr Stout said as demand grows worldwide for the vaccine, that schedule could easily change.\n\n\"The public have to be patient, we have a system and must be allowed to get on with it - it really is 'don't call us - we will call you'.\"\n\nWhile some vaccinations will take place in surgeries others will happen in a drive-through system.\n\nCovid-19 is deadlier than flu, which means January 2021 is going to be even tougher than usual.\n\nAlso, Covid patients tend to stay much longer in hospital with more severe symptoms requiring additional beds and care.\n\nBut those rising patient numbers aren't matched by an increased workforce.\n\nInstead it is expected that the nurse-patient ratio will increase (even though many aren't trained to work in critical care) as there simply aren't enough nurses available.\n\nSome health unions fear this will only add to Northern Ireland's excess mortality rate, which is greater than that in Great Britain.\n\nOnce again, this highlights Northern Ireland's failing health care system, which was already below par well before the start of the pandemic.\n\nCoronavirus infection figures here are expected to peak between 15 and 21 January. That will be felt not only in hospitals but also in GP practices as they continue to roll out the vaccine.\n\nWhile at this stage the six weeks look bleak it's hoped that the additional Astra-Zeneca vaccine and the low incidence of flu will go a long way in not only saving lives, but also protecting the health service.\n\nDr Stout said much planning had gone into ensuring the programme happened as smoothly as possible.\n\n\"People will literally stay in their cars and be asked to roll up their sleeves - it has to be safe and efficient in order for us to get through it and safely.\"\n\nThe UK has ordered 100 million doses of the new vaccine - enough to vaccinate 50 million people.\n\nMeanwhile, Dr Tom Black, chair of the British Medical Association in Northern Ireland, said it was \"appalling\" that the Pfizer vaccine was not to be administered in two doses within 21 days as instructed by the company and threatened legal action.\n\nDr Black was responding to news that the UK will give both parts of the Oxford and Pfizer vaccines 12 weeks apart.\n\n\"They have left care workers in Northern Ireland with a gap in their expected immunity,\" he told BBC NI's Radio Foyle on Monday.\n\n\"In that period doctors, nurses, porters or health care professionals could infect patients because they will not be protected against the transmission of the infection to patients.\"\n\nThe UK's chief medical officers have defended their Covid vaccination plan.\n\nThey said getting more people vaccinated with the first jab was \"much more preferable\" and that the great majority of the initial protection from clinical disease is after the first dose of vaccine.\n\nDr Black is to meet NI Health Minister Robin Swann later to express health care workers' concern over the change in vaccine policy.", "Food banks have seen increased demand during the pandemic\n\nThe UK \"cannot duck\" tackling inequalities of health, ethnicity, education and jobs post-Covid, a major review has warned.\n\nThe report's chairman, Nobel laureate Sir Angus Deaton, says a lot of work to repair and rebuild the damage will be needed after the pandemic.\n\nThe Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) Deaton Review of Inequalities warned the fabric of society was under threat.\n\nThe review says there is a \"once-in-a-generation opportunity to tackle the disadvantages faced by many that this pandemic has so devastatingly exposed\".\n\n\"We now face a set of challenges which we cannot duck.\"\n\nSir Angus said: \"As the vaccines should, at some point this year, take us into a world largely free of the pandemic, it is imperative to think about policies that will be needed to repair the damage and that focus on those who have suffered the most.\n\n\"We need to build a country in which everyone feels that they belong.\"\n\nWhile the pandemic had highlighted the disproportionate impact on ethnic minority groups and deprived communities, it also showed that the UK's best-paid and most highly educated have been \"much better able to ride out the crisis\", the report said.\n\nYoung people have been among the worst hit economically\n\nChildren from poorer households found it harder to do schoolwork during lockdown and have been more likely to miss school since September, it noted.\n\nAnd while the biggest risk factor for coronavirus is age, younger people have been hit harder by the economic consequences of the crisis.\n\nThe cost of the pandemic is \"just colossal\" IFS director Paul Johnson told the BBC's Today programme.\n\n\"We've seen the biggest reduction in national income, essentially in history, over the last year, we've seen the biggest public deficit in history outside of the two world wars, so there's no getting around the fact that the pandemic and the response to it has had a bigger effect on the economy than anything essentially in the whole of history.\"\n\nThe report highlighted the effects of the pandemic on different groups, including on education, which is \"probably more worrying\" than the overall economic effect, Mr Johnson said.\n\n\"The first lockdown lockdown saw a dreadful impact on the education particularly of poorer children... they were getting less in the way of online lessons from their schools.\n\n\"There's a huge private school/state school divide in this, but also a big divide within state schools between those children who had support at home, had the facilities at home - laptops and internet and so on - but who also had the support from school - so there's a big impact on education but also a very unequal one,\" he added.\n\nThe review is calling for extra support for children who have fallen behind and help for school and university leavers to find jobs.\n\nIt says the welfare safety net must be adapted so it supports non-traditional forms of employment, including insecure and self-employed workers, and minority ethnic groups must be given greater economic opportunities.\n\nProgress in reducing poor mental and physical health could be \"one of the clearest indications of success of economic and social policy\", it adds.\n\nMark Franks, director of welfare at the Nuffield Foundation, which funded the review, said: \"Individuals are subject to a wide range of potential vulnerabilities around dimensions including age, ethnicity, place of birth, education, income and the nature of their employment.\n\n\"Where these vulnerabilities intersect, they can amplify and reinforce one another and play a huge role in driving unequal outcomes.\"\n\nHowever, the government said it was already spending vast sums to support people and the economy through the pandemic.\n\nA spokesman said: \"We're doing everything we can to ensure our coronavirus support reaches those who need it the most, which is why we've invested more than £280bn to protect the incomes, livelihoods and health of millions of people across the UK.\"\n\nThis included an additional £9bn for the welfare system and £2bn for the Kickstart Scheme, tripling traineeships, incentives for firms hiring apprentices and doubling the number of work coaches \"so that nobody is left without hope or opportunity\", the spokesman said.", "Economy Minister Diane Dodds has written to Cabinet Office Secretary Michael Gove to call for urgent action to be taken on deliveries to NI.\n\nSince Christmas some orders have been cancelled or delayed and some retailers have suspended deliveries.\n\nThe problem is related to uncertainty about post-Brexit transition rules.\n\nHM Customs announced a grace period on New Year's Eve confirming most parcels from GB-NI will not need customs declarations until at least April.\n\nThe problems have not affected all companies with many continuing to take orders and deliver as normal.\n\nHowever, some companies had already suspended deliveries, including John Lewis.\n\nThe government said the three-month grace period \"recognises the unique circumstances of Northern Ireland, the impacts of any disruption to parcel movements in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic and specific challenges for operators moving express consignments\".\n\nA government spokesman said further details will be published in the new year, adding: \"Our priority is to have a pragmatic approach that allows us to comply with the [Northern Ireland] Protocol without causing undue disruption to businesses and citizens.\n\n\"HMRC is engaging with operators to finalise arrangements.\"\n\nSome changes have already come into effect.\n\nA Northern Ireland-based business receiving goods valued at £135 or more through an express carrier or Royal Mail will need to submit a customs declaration.\n\nThey will need to do this within three months of receiving the goods and can use the government's Trader Support Service to do so.\n\nExcise goods, which mostly refers to alcoholic drinks, will also need a declaration when being sent from GB to NI.\n\nThe government has advised retailers of those goods to contact their delivery company.\n\nIt said: \"They will then tell you if they carry the type of goods you want to send and, if they do, they will ask you to provide any additional information that they need so that a declaration can be made.\"", "About 10 UK nationals resident in Spain say they were wrongly turned back when their flight landed in Barcelona.\n\nThey left Heathrow on the Saturday morning British Airways flight, but were refused entry on arrival.\n\nThey were stopped by border police and ultimately flown back to the UK.\n\nSpain has banned all but Spanish nationals and residents flying from the UK to Spain since 22 December in the hope of containing the spread of the new UK strain of Covid-19.\n\nOne passenger on the flight, who did not wish to be named, said that those on board had been told repeatedly that only Spanish nationals or residents would be allowed to enter the country and that their residency certificates, also known as green certificates, were shown to airline staff several times.\n\nHowever, on arrival, British passengers with green residency certificates were prevented from entering Spain.\n\nBA has confirmed that about 10 people were denied entry into Barcelona, as they did not meet the Spanish authorities' required criteria.\n\nOne of those affected, Ruth O'Leary, said: \"I was very confused, obviously. I asked them what other documents I could provide.\n\n\"They seemed to be just flat-out refusing anything I had and just wouldn't let me on the flight. Very upsetting really.\n\n\"Quite an awful feeling not to be able to go back to your own house and to not really be given an explanation why you can't go home.\"\n\nOther British expat passengers have also said that they have been stopped from boarding planes to Spain.\n\nOne passenger on board said that seven British citizens were prevented from boarding a British Airways/Iberia flight from Heathrow to Madrid on Saturday evening, despite having their green residency certificates, as well as negative Covid tests.\n\nThe exact number of flights and passengers affected has not been released by the Foreign Office.\n\nIn a statement on Monday, Iberia said that on 1 January, it received an email from the border police saying that registration as a European citizen was no longer considered to be a valid document to prove legal residency in Spain as a British citizen.\n\nHowever, by 19:30 on 2 January, the airline received a second email, confirming that the document could be used if it had not expired.\n\nA British Airways spokesperson said: \"In these difficult and unprecedented times with dynamic travel restrictions, we are doing everything we can to help and support our customers.\"\n\nThe Spanish Embassy in London tweeted a letter stating it was aware that during the current travel restrictions, there had been some problems for British nationals resident in Spain who had not been allowed to return.\n\nThe embassy clarified that green certificates were valid proof of residency.\n\nThe Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: \"We have worked closely with the Spanish government to resolve these issues.\n\n\"The Spanish Embassy in London has re-confirmed today that both the green residence certificate and the new residence TIE card [Photo-ID card] are equally valid in terms of proving residence in Spain, as set out in the [Brexit] Withdrawal Agreement.\"", "South Wales Police piloted the use of facial recognition in Cardiff - it was later ruled unlawful\n\nPolice should be allowed more access to facial recognition technology, a firm developing it for use in the private sector has said.\n\nLast year, appeal court judges ruled a trial project to scan thousands of faces by South Wales Police was unlawful. The force did not appeal.\n\nWelsh company Credas said laws were not keeping up with the latest technology.\n\nThe Home Office said it wants police to use new crime-reducing technology while \"maintaining public trust\".\n\nCredas believes such facial recognition technology could be a vital tool in fighting crime.\n\n\"Ten years ago it would have felt space age, but now it's everywhere - just logging into my phone or laptop, we're all used to it now,\" said chief executive Rhys David.\n\n\"But the legislation will never keep up with the technological advancements.\"\n\nThe firm, based in Penarth in the Vale of Glamorgan, works with firms to prevent crime in commercial settings, helping them confirm a client's identity.\n\nIt can include estate agents, the legal sector, accountancy or gambling operations - any businesses regulated to reduce fraud and money laundering.\n\n\"There's common stories of people buying houses with someone else's identity and manipulating the paperwork so that the funds get transferred into the wrong account and it's too late then - we can't recover that,\" said Mr David.\n\n\"It's a very difficult position to be in, but technologies like ours are closing the gap.\"\n\nApps can compare people's picture to that on their passport\n\nCredas's app uses facial recognition - people take a selfie and the app compares it to a photograph of their passport to verify they are who they claim to be.\n\nClaire Williams works for FBM estate agent in Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire, which has been using the software for the past two years.\n\n\"Before we would take people's passports or driver's licence, they would either come into the office and we would photocopy it, or we would even accept a scanned, emailed copy.\n\n\"There would be no way of knowing whether these were legitimate passports and driver's licences.\n\n\"They might have been using fake IDs, trying to launder money through the property industry - putting money into the properties, then reselling them to launder the money.\"\n\nBut scanning faces to confirm details for a mortgage is a very different beast to automated facial recognition, which is what was being trialled by South Wales Police - scanning faces in a crowd, often without people's knowledge.\n\nThat was ruled unlawful after a challenge by civil rights group Liberty and Ed Bridges from Cardiff.\n\n\"Real-time surveillance is considerably more complex than in the commercial space where it's a fairly static, controlled environment. But we should be adopting it and encouraging it to reduce a criminal footprint,\" added Mr David.\n\n\"I find it really sad that the police aren't encouraged to use technology like this to keep our country safe.\n\n\"Let's be honest, the police don't want to sell us trainers. They're not looking to capture our images or biometric footprints to sell us goods. It's to keep us safe, so the police can run very sophisticated facial matching programmes in real time to identify criminals.\"\n\nThe frustration was echoed by the surveillance camera commissioner, Tony Porter, who is the independent regulator appointed to oversee the use of camera systems in England and Wales.\n\nFollowing the appeal court ruling on South Wales Police in August, he said he had been \"fruitlessly and repeatedly\" calling for an updated code the police could follow.\n\nWhile campaigners Liberty felt the court's ruling left little room for the technology to be safely used, Mr Porter disagreed, adding: \"I believe adoption of new and advancing technologies is an important element of keeping citizens safe.\"\n\nHe has issued new guidance on the use of facial recognition in light of the case, but it remains just that - guidance, not law.\n\nIt has left police forces still trying to iron out the problems raised by the Court of Appeal - the potential for gender and ethnic biases and a robust code to cover when, how and where the technology can be used, and in search of whom.\n\nProf Martin Innes, from the Universities' Police Sciences Institute, evaluated the rollout of automatic facial recognition for South Wales Police in 2018, flagging ethical and regulatory challenges facing forces.\n\n\"If you look back at the history of new and innovative technologies in policing this is what always happens. You have to let the law catch up a little bit and find out what matters and where the key points of regulation are,\" he said.\n\nAt present, different standards between the private and public sectors \"could be very, very confusing,\" he added.\n\n\"There is a risk that these technologies get introduced almost by stealth and they start popping up everywhere.\"\n\nPembrokeshire estate agent Claire Williams now uses a facial recognition app to match faces to identity\n\nIn a way, some of that has already happened, from mobile phones that can detect your face to hi-tech doorbells\n\nStopping criminal harm \"seems to be an equally justifiable reason\" to use the technology, argued Prof Innes.\n\n\"But we need to think quite carefully about how far do we want this to go, and where is it appropriate for us to introduce these technologies in our lives.\n\n\"There are issues - but there are potentially opportunities and benefits to be gained if it can be done in the right way, as well.\"\n\nThe Home Office and the police say they will consider any ideas that could improve the way live facial recognition technology is used.\n\n\"We want police to use new technologies, like live facial recognition, in a way that reduces crime while maintaining public trust,\" said a Home Office spokesperson.\n\n\"We are working closely with the police to ensure national College of Policing guidance complies with the Court of Appeal's request to clarify how live facial recognition will be used.\n\n\"The government committed in the Home Office Biometrics Strategy to review the Surveillance Camera Code of Practice and it will be updated in due course.\"\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Virgin Holidays has become the latest travel firm to cancel holidays after new coronavirus lockdown restrictions were imposed.\n\nIt said schedules will be cancelled until mid-February, joining similar moves by Tui, Jet2 and Thomas Cook.\n\nThe companies said customers would be contacted about their future travel options during what Virgin described as \"these extraordinary circumstances\".\n\nThomas Cook said it will call customers to offer refunds or rebooking.\n\nTui said it was \"cancelling all holidays in line with international travel restrictions\". It added that said customers due to depart from England, Scotland and Wales would be contacted to discuss options.\n\nThe company said that customers due to travel from an English airport before mid-February, or from a Scottish or Welsh airport up to 31 January, would not be able to do so.\n\nThose customers will be contacted \"in departure date order to discuss their options\", Tui said, which include rebooking \"with an incentive\", getting a credit note, or a full refund.\n\n\"Customers currently overseas can continue to enjoy their holidays as planned and we will update them directly if there are any changes to their holidays,\" Tui added.\n\nIn a statement, Virgin said: \"In line with the new national lockdown restrictions we have reviewed the upcoming holiday schedule and will be cancelling all holidays up to and including 14 February 2021.\n\n\"To simplify the options and to provide immediate peace of mind for customers whose holidays will no longer be going ahead, we're automatically providing a digital voucher for the value of their trip, redeemable up until 30 September 2021, which they can use to rebook a holiday, departing any time before 31 December 2022.\"\n\nVirgin added that customers \"may also request a refund\".\n\nMeanwhile, Jet2 said it was extending \"the suspension of flights and holidays up to and including 11 February 2021\".\n\nA spokesman said: \"For customers due to travel from 12th February onwards, we will provide another update closer to the time.\"\n\nThomas Cook, which became an online-only travel brand in September after its earlier collapse, said: \"Following the announcement of the latest lockdown, we are calling our customers to offer refunds or move their holidays to a later date.\".\n\nChief executive Alan French said: \"We've seen over the festive period that customers are looking ahead to the summer and beginning to book in earnest for those important summer weeks in the sun.\n\n\"I am sure that after many more weeks spent at home - and with the progress of the vaccine rollout - we will see an even bigger demand for people to escape to the beach this summer.\"\n\nLast month, a number of countries suspended routes to the UK due to the rapid spread of a new variant of coronavirus.\n\nThe blanket travel ban to the EU was then lifted, but with rules varying from country to country. The suspension of flights between the UK and China remains in place.\n\nLast year Tui was investigated by competition authorities after complaints that it had not given prompt refunds.\n\nBritish Airways Holidays, part of Britain's biggest airline, said it would be offering refunds if customers are no longer allowed travel.\n\nThe firm said in a statement: \"We are contacting all affected British Airways Holidays customers following the announcement of new national lockdown restrictions.\n\n\"Customers due to depart by 12 February 2021 will be offered a refund for their holiday. Our teams continue to monitor the situation and update our policy accordingly.\"", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Keir Starmer: \"If we pull together as a nation, we can win\"\n\nSir Keir Starmer has called for a \"round the clock\" vaccination programme to tackle the rise in Covid cases.\n\nAs part of a televised speech, the Labour leader said the government needed to deliver \"millions of doses a week by the end of the month\".\n\nHe said there were \"serious questions for the government to answer\" over the timing of the lockdown in England, but Labour would support the restrictions.\n\nBoris Johnson said daily vaccination figures would be published from Monday.\n\nThe prime minister has also said the four most vulnerable groups of people across the UK should receive their first dose by mid-February.\n\nBoth the PM and Scotland's First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, have announced lockdowns this week.\n\nWales has been in a national lockdown since 20 December and Northern Ireland entered a six-week lockdown on 26 December.\n\nEngland's lockdown will become law from 00:01 GMT Wednesday and MPs will return to the Commons later that day to vote on the measures retrospectively.\n\nThe restrictions come into force as the number of new daily confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK topped 60,000 for the first time since the pandemic started.\n\nOn Tuesday, 60,914 had tested positive in the previous 24 hours and a further 830 people had died within 28 days of a positive test.\n\nIn an address to the nation on BBC One, in response to Boris Johnson's televised address on Monday, Sir Keir said the UK had reached a \"critical moment in our fight against coronavirus\".\n\nThe Labour leader said people were \"angry at the mistakes the government has made\" and ministers needed to answer questions on why they did not act sooner over locking down England.\n\nHe stressed that Labour would continue to hold the government to account, but added: \"Whatever our quarrels with the government and with the prime minister, the country now needs us to come together.\n\n\"At this darkest of moments, we need a new national effort to re-kindle the spirit of last March - to come together and to do everything possible to stay at home [and] to protect the NHS and save lives.\"\n\nSir Keir reiterated that Labour would support the new lockdown when it comes to the retrospective Commons vote on Wednesday and \"join in this national effort\".\n\nBut he called for the government to use the lockdown to establish \"a massive, immediate, and round the clock vaccination programme\" to \"deliver millions of doses a week by the end of the month in every village and town, every high street and every GP surgery\".\n\nThe Labour leader added: \"This is now a race between the virus and the vaccine and if we pull together as a nation, we can win.\n\n\"We need a new contract between the government and the British people: The country stays at home, the government delivers the vaccine.\"\n\nEarlier at a Downing Street press conference, Mr Johnson said more than 1.3 million people across the UK had now been vaccinated with either the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines.\n\nThe figure included 23% of over-80s in England - part of a programme Mr Johnson said aimed to save \"the most lives the fastest\".\n\nThe PM said there will \"still be long weeks ahead\", but that he wanted to give \"maximum possible transparency\" about the vaccination roll-out.\n\nMore details will be announced on Thursday, with daily updates starting on Monday, \"so that you can see day by day and jab by jab how much progress we are making\", he added.\n\nAsked whether the target could be met, Chief Medical Officer for England, Professor Chris Whitty, said the timetable was \"realistic but not easy\".", "Margaret Ferrier admitted travelling back from London to Glasgow after testing positive for coronavirus\n\nScottish MP Margaret Ferrier has been arrested by police after she admitted using public transport while infected with Covid-19.\n\nMs Ferrier apologised for what she called a \"blip\" in September.\n\nShe was suspended from the SNP group at Westminster and leaders, including First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, urged her to quit as an MP over the row.\n\nPolice Scotland said she had been charged in connection with \"alleged culpable and reckless conduct\".\n\nMs Ferrier apologised in September after travelling from London to Glasgow having tested positive for coronavirus.\n\nThe Rutherglen and Hamilton West MP said she had experienced \"mild symptoms\" and taken a test, but had then decided to travel to Westminster because she was \"feeling much better\".\n\nShe then travelled home again on a train after receiving the positive test result, and said she \"deeply regretted\" her actions.\n\nA Police Scotland spokesman said: \"We can confirm that officers today arrested and charged a 60-year-old woman in connection with alleged culpable and reckless conduct.\n\n\"This follows a thorough investigation by Police Scotland into an alleged breach of coronavirus regulations between 26 and 29 September 2020.\n\n\"A report will be sent to the procurator fiscal and we are unable to comment further.\"\n\nMs Ferrier has been contacted for comment.", "Potentially life-saving cancer operations have been put on hold at a major London NHS trust because of the number of beds taken by Covid patients.\n\nKing's College Hospital Trust has cancelled all \"Priority 2\" operations - those doctors judge need to be carried out within 28 days.\n\nCancer Research UK said such cancellations did not appear to be widespread across the country.\n\nAnd surgery has not been stopped on the same scale as during the first wave.\n\nRebecca Thomas, who has had her bowel cancer surgery at King's College Hospital \"cancelled indefinitely\", told the BBC she felt like she had been left \"in limbo\".\n\nUntil she has surgery her tumour cannot be studied to see how aggressive it is, and so she won't know until then how significant this wait will turn out to be.\n\nA spokesperson for the Trust, which mainly serves patients in south London, said: \"Due to the large increase in patients being admitted with Covid-19, including those requiring intensive care, we have taken the difficult decision to postpone all elective procedures, with the exception of cases where a delay would cause immediate harm.\n\n\"A small number of cancer patients due to be operated on this week have had their surgery postponed, with patients being kept under close review by senior doctors.\"\n\nProf Neil Mortensen, President of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, said he had heard from members that \"hospitals across London are having to cancel cancer surgeries as a result of the huge number of Covid-19 patients being hospitalised.\"\n\nBut it hasn't yet emerged as an issue affecting hospitals outside London.\n\nWhen Covid-19 hit last March, NHS England developed guidance on prioritising patients who needed operations, with emergency procedures that needed to be carried out within 24 hours coming first.\n\nThese life-saving operations have continued throughout the pandemic and there is no prospect of that stopping.\n\nHowever, patients in the \"priority 2\" category - who should have surgery within 28 days, to save their life or stop their disease progressing \"beyond operability\" - have found their operations being cancelled at King's.\n\nThe 28-day guideline is based on the patient's individual symptoms and the expected growth rate of their particular cancer.\n\n\"Delays further than that could have a negative impact on that person's chance of survival,\" according to Kruti Shrotri at Cancer Research UK.\n\nAnd delays in diagnosis and treatment in general can lead to worsening chances of recovery, she said.\n\nThis will vary dramatically by person and cancer type, but in some cases, a matter of a few weeks can make the difference between a cancer that can be survived or not.\n\nGenevieve Edwards, chief executive at Bowel Cancer UK, said research showed \"even a month's delay to cancer treatment can increase a person's risk of dying by up to 13% - a risk that keeps rising the longer their treatment is delayed\".\n\nWhile this was \"really concerning to hear,\" she said, \"it's not by and large something we've heard is happening widespread across the country\".\n\nThis is an improvement from the first wave of Covid-19 when the NHS had to put a near-blanket ban on non-urgent surgery.\n\nBut for those patients who are affected, this news will be \"incredibly hard,\" and Ms Shrotri stressed that patients with any symptoms that could be cancer should not put off going to see their GP.\n\n\"The NHS is open,\" she said.\n\nSurgery is most at risk because of the shortage of intensive care beds - but other forms of cancer treatment, including radiotherapy, should continue.\n\nNHS Providers, which represents hospital bosses in England, said trusts were doing all they could to \"prioritise on the basis of clinical need\".", "The number of new daily confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK has topped 60,000 for the first time since the pandemic started.\n\nAccording to government figures on Tuesday, the number of people who tested positive was 60,916.\n\nOne in 50 people in private households in England had Covid last week - and one in 30 in London, according to estimates based on the latest data.\n\nA further 830 people have also died within 28 days of a positive test.\n\nIt comes as England and Scotland announced new strict lockdowns, with people told to stay at home.\n\nAt a press conference at Downing Street on Tuesday, Boris Johnson said 1.3 million people had now been vaccinated in the UK - including 23% of over 80s in England, some 650,000 people.\n\nBut he said more than one million people were currently infected - with the number of patients in hospitals 40% higher than in the first peak.\n\nThe government's chief medical adviser Prof Chris Whitty cited the Office for National Statistics' random sampling data for England as showing how widespread the virus is.\n\n\"We're now into a situation where across the country as a whole, roughly one in 50 people have got the virus, higher in some parts of the country, lower in others,\" he said.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Professor Chris Whitty: \"No evidence\" the new variant is \"more dangerous\"\n\nThe number of new daily cases has consistently been above 50,000 since 29 December.\n\nBack in the first peak of the pandemic in the spring, the number of daily confirmed cases never went above 7,000.\n\nHowever, it is thought the true number of cases then was much higher but not picked up because testing capacity was limited. It was estimated there were about 100,000 new infections a day at the end of March - but there was not the testing to detect it.\n\nHospital admissions of people with Covid-19 in England also reached another record high on Tuesday, NHS England figures show.\n\nAt a hospital in Lincolnshire, a \"critical\" incident has been declared after a sharp rise in patients requiring admission.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. How NHS nurses and doctors are struggling to cope with Covid as cases continue to rise in England\n\nAnd potentially life-saving cancer operations have been put on hold at a major London NHS trust because of the number of beds taken by Covid patients.\n\nHowever, Cancer Research UK said such cancellations did not appear to be widespread across the country.\n\nIn a statement after the case numbers were released, Public Health England medical director Yvonne Doyle said the rapid rise in cases was \"highly concerning and will sadly mean yet more pressure on our health services in the depths of winter\".\n\nAfter seven consecutive days of more than 50,000 cases being confirmed, the fact that more than 60,000 have been recorded should not come as a surprise.\n\nIt will take a week, if not more, for the impact of lockdown to be felt.\n\nAnd all the evidence suggests the new variant of coronavirus, which is more transmissible than previous ones, means the impact is likely to be more limited than it was in previous ones.\n\nThe figures are also a warning about what the NHS is facing.\n\nSome of this week's infections are next week's hospital admissions.\n\nAbout three in 10 beds are now occupied by Covid patients. In some hospitals more than six in 10 are.\n\nHospitals are now busy making more spaces on their wards - that means cancelling planned work, including in some places cancer treatment.\n\nBoris Johnson and Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon both announced new lockdowns on Monday.\n\nWales has been in a national lockdown since 20 December and Northern Ireland entered a six-week lockdown on 26 December.\n\nRestrictions are also being tightened further in Northern Ireland, and an order for people to stay at home will become legally enforceable from Friday.\n\nIn a televised address to the nation, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer urged the government to use the lockdown to create a \"round the clock\" vaccination programme.\n\nHe also called on people to \"recapture the spirit\" of the beginning of the pandemic.\n\nAt the press conference on Tuesday, Mr Johnson repeated his suggestion that there is a \"prospect\" of the lockdown being eased in mid-February.\n\n\"But you will also appreciate there are a lot of caveats, a lot of ifs built into that, the most important of which is that we all now follow the guidance,\" he said.\n\nEarlier, Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove told Sky News he could not say exactly when the lockdown in England would end, but \"as we enter March we should be able to lift some of these restrictions but not necessarily all\".\n\nMr Whitty said the virus \"is not going to go away, just as flu doesn't go away, just as many other viruses don't go away\".\n\n\"We shouldn't kid ourselves that this just disappears with spring,\" he said.\n\nMr Whitty said although hopefully there would be nearly no measures needed from the spring onwards, the government might have to bring in a few restrictions next winter.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Boris Johnson: \"We've now vaccinated over 1.3m people across the UK\"\n\nOn Monday the UK's chief medical officers recommended the Covid threat level be increased to five - its highest level.\n\nAlthough the new variant is now spreading more rapidly than the original version, it is not believed to be more deadly.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. BBC's Laura Foster explains the order in which the Covid vaccine will be given", "Supermarkets' online shopping operations have come under strain with customers rushing to book deliveries as the new coronavirus lockdown began.\n\nWithin a couple of hours of Prime Minister Boris Johnson's speech to the nation on Monday, shoppers reported problems with Sainsbury's and Tesco.\n\nSainsbury's said on Tuesday that earlier it had restricted access to its online services to manage high demand.\n\nThe surge in demand echoes consumers' reaction at the start of the pandemic.\n\nSainsbury's said: \"We temporarily limited access to our groceries online service last night so that we could manage high demand for slots and updates customers were making to existing orders.\n\n\"We're continuing to monitor the situation and are sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused.\"\n\nA spokeswoman said customers should now be able to use the Sainsbury's app and website \"as usual\".\n\nAfter the first lockdown in March, supermarkets reported panic buying and a rush to book online delivery slots despite grocers insisting there would be no shortages if consumers shopped sensibly.\n\nShoppers used social media to vent their frustration on Monday, with Twitter user Auld Bryan saying: \"Ocado have already introduced their virtual queue process on their app. It's March 2020 all over again.\"\n\nAnother tweet, by Karl Dyson, said of Ocado: \"You'd think ~10 months in to this, they'd have worked on scalable infrastructure for the website?\"\n\nThere were also reports of people having problems with the Tesco app and website, including when trying to check out and complete payment.\n\nHowever, a spokesman for Britain's biggest supermarket said on Monday evening that there had been no reports from Tesco's technical department of any website problems.\n\nThe supermarket had increased the number of slots available for online delivery before the latest lockdown measures.\n\nAn email from Tesco UK boss Jason Tarry already sent to customers said: \"Since March, we have more than doubled home delivery and Click+Collect slots to 1.5 million a week, with over 760,000 vulnerable customers registered with us who are eligible for priority slots.\"\n\nUsers complained that the Sainsbury's app was down following the prime minister's announcement on Monday.\n\nTwitter user Francesca Balgobind wrote: \"What's happening with the Sainsbury's shopping app tonight? Website is down too?\"\n\nAnother social media user, Matt, said some 40 minutes after Mr Johnson had finished speaking: \"Sainsbury's app and website down\".\n\nAsda saw more demand for online shopping after the lockdown announcement, but said it had increased the number of slots available since the first two national lockdowns.\n\nMorrisons also reported a jump in the number of shoppers using its website after the announcement.\n\nHowever, despite the longer waiting queues, the grocer said it continued to have \"good slot availability\" for home deliveries.\n\nThroughout the pandemic, supermarkets have urged people to shop normally.\n\nBefore Christmas, in the run-up to the end of the Brexit transition period, some grocers reported temporary shortages of fresh goods due to congestion at UK shipping ports.", "By 8pm on Monday it felt inevitable.\n\nBut it doesn't mean that a national instruction to close the doors was automatic. Or indeed that new lockdowns in England and Scotland aren't still dramatic and painful.\n\nWith tightening up in Wales and Northern Ireland too, the spread of coronavirus this winter has been faster than governments' attempts to keep up with it - leaving leaders with little choice but to take more of our choices away.\n\nThere is much that's an echo of March. Work, school, life outside the home will be constrained in so many ways, with terrible and expensive side-effects for the economy.\n\nThis time, it's already spluttering - restrictions being turned on and off for months have starved so much trade of vital business.\n\nBut there's a lot that's different too. After so long, the public is less forgiving of the actions taken, and there is frustration particularly over last-minute changes for schools; fatigue too with having to live under such limits.\n\nBy now, Boris Johnson's opponents, inside and outside the Tory party, have plenty of evidence to suggest that he would rather put off difficult decisions.\n\nBut there is another profound change, that the prime minister was unsurprisingly keen to point out on live TV, where the UK, at the moment, has a leading reputation.\n\nVaccines exist, partly due to UK science, and are being injected into willing arms already.\n\nThe scientific triumph still needs to be turned into a logistical victory. But if around 13 million vaccines can be offered over the next six weeks, we may be on the way.\n\nOne member of the cabinet told me: \"We should do absolutely nothing but this, the vaccine - it should be the entire focus of the government; every government shoulder should be put to every government wheel.\"\n\nIt's not just the country's health and economic fortunes riding on hitting that stretching target, but the government's reputation too.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The twins' father says what they have achieved is a 'herculean achievement'\n\nConjoined twins who were expected to die within days when they were born are nearly four years later said to be settling in at their Cardiff school.\n\nMarieme and Ndeye Ndiaye were brought to the UK from Senegal in 2017 by their father Ibrahima for treatment at London's Great Ormond Street Hospital.\n\nThe girls, now four, are learning to stand and their father said their progress was \"a Herculean achievement\".\n\nTheir head teacher said the girls had made friends and were \"laughing a lot\".\n\nThe girls, who have separate hearts and spines but share a liver, bladder and digestive system, have conditions which put them at higher risk of complications from Covid.\n\nHowever, Mr Ndiaye said he had wanted them to start school for their development.\n\n\"When you look in the rear view mirror, it was an unachievable dream,\" he said.\n\n\"From now, everything ahead will be a bonus to me. My heart and soul is shouting out loud, 'Come on! Go on girls! Surprise me more!'.\"\n\nMr Ndiaye brought the girls to the UK through funding from a charitable foundation run by Senegal's first lady Marieme Faye Sall, before he sought asylum.\n\nIn March 2018, the family were moved by the Home Office to Cardiff as asylum seekers can be moved anywhere in the UK and they now have discretionary leave to remain.\n\nIn 2019, Great Ormond Street surgeons considered attempting separation but it was something Mr Ndiaye did not want because of the risks involved.\n\nThe girls have such complex circulatory systems medics now believe they would not survive being separated\n\nSince then, doctors have found the girls' circulatory systems to be more closely linked than previously thought and neither would survive without the other, making separation now impossible.\n\nThe girls' head teacher Helen Borley said they were learning well since starting reception in September and had made new friends.\n\nShe said: \"Children either say, 'I'm Marieme's friend' or 'I'm Ndeye's friend' - they don't say, 'I'm the twins' friend'. Children very much identify as being one person's friend or another - because the girls are very different characters.\n\n\"They are laughing a lot - which is always a good sign, isn't it? Any child that is laughing a lot is a happy child.\"\n\nMarieme receives oxygen from Ndeye's stronger heart and food via their linked stomachs\n\nFor the twins, school needs to fit around hospital visits.\n\nIn October, the girls needed surgery at Great Ormond Street Hospital.\n\nDr Gillian Body, a paediatric consultant at the Children's Hospital for Wales in Cardiff, said the procedure was important, despite the risks.\n\nShe said: \"The girls have complex anatomies and that makes them prone to infections and potentially sepsis.\n\n\"One of the challenges we had was getting antibiotics into them quickly, and this tube or cannula they've had fitted, means we can get them into them more quickly with less distress to the girls.\"\n\nThe girls have been experiencing the feeling of standing, at children's hospice Ty Hafan\n\nShe said Marieme's heart was complex with lots of abnormalities that cause her problems with doing exercise and can lead to breathlessness.\n\nAt children's' hospice Ty Hafan in Sully, Vale of Glamorgan, the girls have been learning what it feels like to stand.\n\nA special frame gives them the experience of being upright, helping build strength in their legs.\n\nPhysiotherapist Sara Wade-West said it had been hard for them.\n\n\"It's a really different sensation when you're used to being sat down, to be upright can be scary,\" she said.\n\n\"To start with, particularly Ndeye wasn't very keen. We try and sneak the therapy in around the play, encouraging them to reach for toys to make them work a bit harder, but if they know it's therapy it's not so fun.\n\n\"Because of their cardiac function we can't push them too much so it's finding that balance - challenging them to get stronger but not exhausting them.\"\n\nThe twins' father Ibrahima Ndiaye said they were his \"warriors\"\n\nWatching his daughters stand is more than just a breakthrough for their father.\n\n\"They are showing that they don't only want to live, but be active and play their part in society,\" he said.\n\n\"All these achievements bring light and hopes for the future. But I know how fragile, complex and unpredictable their lives can be.\"\n\nMr Ndiaye said his hopes were \"parallel to my fears\" as the girls had \"so many times come close to the worst\".\n\n\"But the very least I can do for the girls is figure out my hopes for them,\" he said.\n\n\"The most I can do is to be beside them and live inside that hope and never allow anything to take that hope away.\n\n\"They are my warriors. They have proved they will never surrender without fighting. It is not yet over.\"", "Former Bond actress and Charlie's Angel Tanya Roberts has died in hospital in Los Angeles at the age of 65.\n\nRoberts appeared with Sir Roger Moore in his final Bond film, 1985's A View To A Kill, and had a recurring role in That '70s Show.\n\nShe also starred in the final series of Charlie's Angels on TV in 1980.\n\nHer death was prematurely announced on Monday, only for doctors to say she was still alive. However, her death was then confirmed on Tuesday.\n\nRoberts had collapsed while walking her dogs on 24 December and was admitted to Los Angeles' Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre.\n\nHer partner Lance O'Brien mistakenly thought she had died on Sunday after visiting her in hospital. After getting a call from doctors to say she was deteriorating quickly, he went to her bedside, her eyes closed and she \"faded\", TMZ reported.\n\nDevastated, he walked out of the room and then the hospital without speaking to medical staff before informing Roberts' agent that he had \"just said goodbye to Tanya\".\n\nBut while being interviewed for US TV show Inside Edition on Monday, Mr O'Brien got a call from the hospital to say she was alive.\n\nThe moment was captured on film, as he picked up his phone and said: \"Now you're telling me she's alive? Thank the Lord.\" However, she died on Monday night.\n\nShe appeared in A View To A Kill alongside Sir Roger Moore and singer Grace Jones\n\nBorn Victoria Leigh Blum in 1955, Roberts grew up in New York before moving to Hollywood in 1977.\n\nHer big break came when she replaced Shelly Hack in Charlie's Angels, joining Jaclyn Smith and Cheryl Ladd as third 'Angel' Julie.\n\nAfter the show's cancellation, she appeared in such fantasy adventure films as The Beastmaster and Hearts and Armour.\n\nShe also played comic book heroine Sheena in a 1984 film that saw her nominated for a Golden Raspberry award for worst actress.\n\nRoberts received another Razzie nomination for her role as geologist Stacey Sutton in 1985 Bond film A View to a Kill.\n\nRoberts in the title role in Sheena: Queen of the Jungle\n\nShe admitted being \"a little cautious\" about taking the role, but said it would have been \"ridiculous\" to have turned it down.\n\nRoberts' subsequent films included Night Eyes and Inner Sanctum, erotic thrillers that did little to advance her career.\n\nShe went on to play Midge Pinciotti in more than 80 episodes of That '70s Show between 1998 and 2004.\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "Last updated on .From the section Man City\n\nManchester City legend Colin Bell has died, aged 74, after a short illness, the Premier League club have announced.\n\nThe former England midfielder made 501 appearances for City between 1966 and 1979, scoring 153 goals. He won 48 caps for his country.\n\n\"Few players have left such an indelible mark on City,\" said a club statement on Tuesday.\n\nIn 2004, Manchester City fans voted to name one of the stands at Etihad Stadium in Bell's honour.\n\n\"Colin Bell will always be remembered as one of Manchester City's greatest players and the very sad news today of his passing will affect everybody connected to our club,\" said City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak.\n\n\"I am fortunate to be able to speak regularly to his former manager and team-mates, and it's clear to me that Colin was a player held in the highest regard by all those who had the privilege of playing alongside him or seeing him play.\n\n\"The passage of time does little to erase the memories of his genius.\"\n• None 'Bell will always be king of Man City' - tributes paid after death of club great\n\nAfter starting his career at Bury, Bell moved to Manchester City - then in the second tier - midway through the 1965-66 season in a £47,500 deal.\n\nHe helped Joe Mercer's team win promotion that season and was instrumental in the Blues winning the First Division title two years later.\n\nDuring his 13 years as a player at Maine Road, he also won the FA Cup, League Cup and Cup Winners' Cup.\n\nHowever, his career was hampered by a serious knee injury he suffered in a League Cup tie against Manchester United in November 1975, when he was 29.\n\nAfter making a comeback later that season, he was injured again against Arsenal and out for another 18 months.\n\nBell regained fitness and received an emotional ovation on his return at Maine Road on 26 December 1977.\n\nHowever, he did not have the same freedom and mobility as he had done and played only a handful more games.\n\nBell finished his career with a brief spell in the United States playing for San Jose Earthquakes.\n\nIn 2004, he was awarded an MBE for his services to football and remained a regular presence at City games in recent seasons.\n\n'De Bruyne reminds me a lot of Colin' - tributes pour in for the 'King of the Kippax'\n\nFormer City team-mate Mike Summerbee, who was part of their 'Holy Trinity' alongside Bell and Francis Lee in the 1960s and 1970s, described Bell as \"just the greatest footballer\" the club has had.\n\n\"Colin was a lovely, humble man. He was a huge star for Manchester City but you would never have known it,\" said ex-forward Summerbee, 78.\n\n\"He was quiet, unassuming and I always believe he never knew how good he actually was.\n\n\"[Current City midfielder] Kevin de Bruyne reminds me a lot of Colin in the way he plays and the way he is as a person.\"\n\nFormer England forward Lee says he thinks the knee injury curtailed Bell's career \"by a good four or five years\".\n\n\"Colin had tremendous stamina. He was a very good player technically and had the ability to score goals,\" said Lee, 76.\n\n\"He goes into the top five City players of all time - only in the last 10, 15 years has anyone else come along who can take that mantle.\"\n\nSummerbee and Lee were among a number of former and current City players to pay tribute to Bell, along with celebrity fans including former Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher.\n\nBell would \"always have a smile\" and \"meet and greet everyone\" he knew, said former City midfielder Michael Brown.\n\n\"He's done lots of charity work and always tried to help people,\" added Brown, who first met Bell as a youngster having come up through City's academy.\n\n\"It's a huge loss. To have done so much and be so low key was admirable.\"\n\nEx-City defender Micah Richards said Bell was \"one of the nicest men ever\", while their former full-back Pablo Zabaleta added he was \"absolutely devastated\" by the news.\n\nFormer England striker Gary Lineker said Bell was one of his favourite players when he was growing up.\n\n\"Terrific box to box midfielder. A real gem for Manchester City and England,\" added the Match of the Day host.\n\nThe Times' chief football writer Henry Winter said Bell \"oozed class, skill and glamour\" as he was \"flowing across rutted pitches, taking people on, creating and scoring\".", "The former president posts that he has been told to report to a grand jury, \"which almost always means an Arrest\".", "YouTube has reinstated TalkRadio's channel on its platform hours after saying it had been \"terminated\" for breaking the tech firm's rules.\n\nIt said the broadcaster had posted material that contradicted expert advice about the coronavirus pandemic.\n\nBut it explained its U-turn saying it sometimes made exceptions to guidelines that state repeat offenders face a permanent ban.\n\nTalkRadio said it had yet to be given a full explanation for the affair.\n\nThe decision to ban TalkRadio had appalled digital rights campaigners, with one group - Big Brother Watch - claiming it was evidence that \"big tech censorship is spiralling out of control\".\n\nThe Google-owned service has issued a brief statement explaining its actions.\n\n\"TalkRadio's YouTube channel was briefly suspended, but upon further review, has now been reinstated,\" it said.\n\n\"We quickly remove flagged content that violate our community guidelines, including Covid-19 content that explicitly contradict expert consensus from local health authorities or the World Health Organization. We make exceptions for material posted with an educational, documentary, scientific or artistic purpose, as was deemed in this case.\"\n\nYouTube has not published details of the offending posts.\n\nBut independent fact-checkers have repeatedly challenged some of the claims made by interviewees featured by the London-based radio station.\n\nYouTube operates a \"three strikes\" policy, whereby channels that break its community guidelines three times within a 90-day period can be permanently banned, but other infractions lead to temporary restrictions.\n\nProhibited content includes \"medically unsubstantiated claims\" relating to Covid-19, and videos that contradict expert consensus from local health authorities such as the NHS.\n\n\"YouTube is making decisions about which opinions the public are allowed to hear, even when they are sourced to responsible and regulated new providers,\" TalkRadio said in a statement this evening.\n\n\"This sets a dangerous precedent and is censorship of free speech and legitimate national debate.\"\n\nThe broadcaster tweeted the statement minutes after YouTube's change of heart. It did not appear to be aware that its channel had been reinstated at the time, but has since acknowledged the move.\n\nTalkRadio has about 424,000 listeners, according to the latest figures from market research provider Rajar.\n\nIt uses YouTube as a means to livestream shows from its studios and to provide an archive of past broadcasts.\n\nIts channel on the platform has 242,000 subscribers.\n\nYouTube's action had meant that TalkRadio's website had featured articles featuring broken embedded clips for most of the day, and that users who had shared its clips would have been unable to view them.\n\nThe US firm has previously imposed a permanent ban against conspiracy theorist David Icke, and a one-week video suspension of right-wing outlet One America News Network's ability to publish new clips - in both cases for breaches of its Covid rules.\n\nIt's pretty clear something has gone wrong at YouTube in the last 24 hours.\n\nIt appeared as though TalkRadio had been banned for good on YouTube - or \"terminated\" as the company put it.\n\nYouTube is now saying it was a short suspension, which certainly seems like a backtrack.\n\nEven now, it's not obvious what the offending material was that caused this action. The whole process reinforces the idea that YouTube's moderation policies - where it draws the line between freedom of expression and clamping down on misinformation - can be messy and inconsistent.\n\nAnd when YouTube takes such an action without giving full details, it rains controversy down on its own head.\n\nThis plays to a broader movement by YouTube and other social media companies to take a harder line on disinformation.\n\nJoe Biden is about to become US President - and he wants social media companies to do more to remove fake news.\n\nBut as they are increasingly finding out, refereeing their own platforms can be hugely difficult, and this highlights the need for greater transparency about moderation decisions.", "Last updated on .From the section Celtic\n\nScotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon says Celtic have questions to answer about their trip to Dubai.\n\nMs Sturgeon says possible breaches of social distancing rules while in the Middle East \"should be looked into\".\n\nHowever, Celtic insist the training camp was approved by the Scottish government, while the Scottish FA have no plans to investigate the trip.\n\n\"For me, the question for Celtic is what is the purpose of them being there,\" Ms Sturgeon said.\n\n\"I've seen comments from the club that it's more for R&R than training.\n\n\"I have also seen some photographs - and I don't know the full circumstances - that would raise a question in my mind about whether all the rules elite players have to follow in their bubble around social distancing are being complied with.\"\n\nPictures have emerged of members of the Celtic party in the UAE not wearing face masks and potentially breaching the social distancing rules that those in Scottish football must adhere to.\n\nIt remains unclear if the Scottish FA will investigate that matter.\n\nCeltic travelled to the United Arab Emirates on Saturday just hours after their 1-0 defeat by Rangers.\n\nTravellers returning from the UAE are exempt from self-isolation protocols in Scotland, with elite athletes in Scotland permitted to travel abroad to compete.\n\n\"Elite sport has been in a privileged position and as long as that is the case it's really important they don't abuse it,\" said Ms Sturgeon at her daily coronavirus briefing on Tuesday.\n\n\"I saw their [Celtic's] statement and have not spent a lot of time looking into it, but as I understand it the government gave advice to the Scottish FA about the rules around training camps in November.\n\n\"The world has changed quite a bit since then but it's not our role to sign off what a club does around these training camps.\n\n\"The rules may have to change, but they were that elite sportspeople and teams can go overseas if it is important in the context of training and competitions.\"\n\nMainland Scotland has been in Tier 4 - the highest level of restrictions - since 26 December, and Ms Sturgeon addressed the nation on Monday ordering people to stay at home where possible.\n\nDeputy first minister John Swinney has accused Celtic of not setting \"a particularly great example\".\n\n\"I don't think it's a good idea,\" he told BBC Radio Scotland on Monday.\n\n\"When we are asking members of the public to take on very, very significant restrictions on the way in which they live their lives, I think we have all got to demonstrate leadership on this particular question.\"\n\nWhen approached for comment on Monday, a Celtic spokesman told BBC Scotland: \"The training camp was arranged a number of months ago and approved by all relevant footballing authorities and the Scottish government through the Joint Response Group on 12 November.\n\n\"The team travelled prior to any new lockdown being in place, to a location exempt from travel restrictions. The camp, the same one as we have undertaken for a number of years, has been fully risk assessed.\n\n\"If the club had not received Scottish government approval, then we would not have travelled.\"\n\nIn November, Celtic requested their fixture with Hibernian, originally scheduled for this weekend, be moved to Monday, 11 January to accommodate the trip.\n\nThe SPFL granted the change, despite objections from the Easter Road side.", "Stationery chain Paperchase is on the brink of administration after most of its stores were forced to close over the Christmas period.\n\nThe firm has filed a notice to appoint administrators, a move that will give it breathing space from its creditors while it works out a rescue plan.\n\nThe company has 127 stores and about 1,500 employees.\n\nThe second lockdown in November came at a crucial period for the firm, which makes a high proportion of sales then.\n\nJust under half its sales, 40%, come from trade in November and December.\n\nPaperchase said: \"The cumulative effects of lockdown one, lockdown two - at the start of the Christmas shopping period - and now the current restrictions have put unbearable strain on retail businesses across the country.\"\n\nThe company went through an insolvency process, known as a Company Voluntary Arrangement or CVA, almost two years ago to cut costs.\n\nThe chain now has 10 working days to find a solution.\n\nPaperchase said its strong online trading had not made it \"immune\" from the impact of shop closures across the country.\n\n\"Out of lockdown we've traded well, but as the country faces further restrictions for some months to come, we have to find a sustainable future for Paperchase,\" it added.\n\n\"We are working hard to find that solution and this [notice of administration] is a necessary part of this work. This is not the situation we wanted to be in.\n\nThe chain is the latest of a string of high-profile retailers to hit trouble in the past year.\n\nThe sector was already battling with the shift to online sales, coupled with rising costs, including rents and higher minimum wages.\n\nCoronavirus restrictions which shut non-essential shops piled on the pressure.\n\nOthers that have run into trouble recently include Debenhams, which last month said it would cease trading putting 12,000 jobs at risk. Arcadia Group, which owns Topshop and Dorothy Perkins, has also gone into administration, putting a further 13,000 jobs at risk.\n\nMeanwhile, Edinburgh Woollen Mills' brands Peacocks and Jaeger also fell into administration in November, putting 21,000 jobs at risk.\n\nAnd earlier last year, Oasis and Warehouse fell into administration in mid-April after failing to find buyers, and online fashion group Boohoo said in June it was buying the brands but closing all stores.", "Doctors' leaders have called for urgent improvements in personal protective equipment for health workers.\n\nThe British Medical Association is appealing for a higher grade of face mask to guard against coronavirus infection.\n\nIt says there is 'growing evidence' that the virus is being spread through the air by aerosols.\n\nThese are tiny virus particles that can build up in stuffy rooms and they have been linked to outbreaks of Covid-19.\n\nThis follows an open letter from more than 1,500 health professionals for staff on general wards to be given the type of high-quality masks usually only worn in intensive care units.\n\nPublic Health England (PHE) has issued guidance on what PPE staff in different settings require. It was last updated in October 2020.\n\nEarly in the pandemic, it was widely believed that to catch the disease you had to either be close to an infected person and hit by droplets from their coughs or sneezes or touch a surface they had contaminated.\n\nBut research during the course of last year highlighted how it is also possible for the virus to be carried in what are called aerosols, drifting and accumulating in the air.\n\nMost infections are thought to have occurred indoors in badly ventilated rooms, and many studies have shown that the 'airborne route' can be an important factor.\n\nAcross the UK, the guidance for hospital staff is to wear surgical masks in most areas.\n\nMore sophisticated masks - a type known as FFP3 that includes an air filter - are only required in intensive care or when certain procedures are carried out that are known to generate aerosols.\n\nIn their letter, the consultants, doctors and nurses say healthcare workers are three to four times more likely to become infected than the general population.\n\nBut they point out that staff in intensive care units, who have the best level of protection, have about half the risk of catching the virus than colleagues on general wards.\n\nThe letter states: \"It is now essential that healthcare workers have their PPE upgraded to protect against airborne transmission\".\n\nBarry McAree, a consultant surgeon in Northern Ireland, is one of many healthcare workers to be ill with Covid.\n\nHe is self-isolating at home right after his testing positive for the second time.\n\nA signatory to the letter, he says his hospital in Antrim followed the guidance about which type of masks should be worn in which areas, but he became infected nonetheless. It is not clear how and when he caught it.\n\n\"There's so much evidence that we are talking about an airborne infection that it has to be said that it is not appropriate just to wear FFP3 in environments when aerosol generating procedures take place.\"\n\nHe believes that with such high levels of the virus in the community and in hospitals, staff should be wearing the higher-grade masks whenever they're close to patients.\n\nSurgical masks can be bought online for about 10p each, while the FFP3 masks are far more expensive about £5.00.\n\nDr Barry Jones, a retired gastroenterologist and leading expert on aerosols, says that's nothing compared to the cost of a patient with Covid,\n\nHe points to data showing that roughly a fifth of people needing hospital treatment for Covid may have acquired the infection in hospital in the first place.\n\n\"We should do everything we can to reduce that possibility - it's the air we share that's killing us.\"\n\nA few hospitals have decided to break with official guidance.\n\nIt's understood that hospitals in Cambridge, Plymouth and Exeter have decided to equip staff with FFP3 masks if they face patients diagnosed with Covid or suspected of having it.\n\nOne consultant, who did not want to be named, said: \"When you realise patients are more infectious at an earlier stage of disease and are presenting at general wards with poorer ventilation than intensive care units and staff are wearing a poorer quality of PPE, you really want those in a position of leadership to listen and to act.\"\n\nRCN General Secretary Dame Donna Kinnair, said: \"Without delay, they must state whether existing PPE guidance is adequate for the new variant.\n\n\"While more research is carried out, we ask for the precautionary principle to be applied and staff to be given a higher level of PPE if working with suspected or confirmed cases.\"\n\nPublic Health England said this was a matter for NHS England to comment on.\n\nA Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: \"The safety of NHS and social care staff has always been our top priority and we continue to work tirelessly to deliver PPE that protects those on the frontline.\n\n\"UK guidance on the safest levels of PPE is written by experts and agreed by all four chief medical officers. Our guidance is kept under constant review based on the latest evidence and data.\n\n\"Emerging evidence and data, including on variant strains, will be continually monitored and reviewed, and the guidance updated accordingly if needed.\"", "Adamo Canto had worked as a catering assistant at the palace's Royal Mews since 2015\n\nA Buckingham Palace catering assistant who stole medals and photographs from the Queen's residence has been jailed.\n\nAdamo Canto, 37, stole items including signed photos of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and a photo album of US President Donald Trump's UK visit.\n\nPolice said some of the goods, worth between £10,000 and £100,000, had been listed for sale on eBay.\n\nCanto, from Scarborough, North Yorkshire, was jailed for eight months after he admitted stealing the items.\n\nSouthwark Crown Court heard police recovered a \"significant quantity\" of stolen items when they searched his quarters at the palace's Royal Mews, where he had worked as a catering assistant since 2015.\n\nCanto stole an album of photos from US President Donald Trump's visit to the UK\n\nA total of 37 items were offered for sale \"well under\" their true value, with Canto making £7,741.\n\nOne item was a photo album of US President Donald Trump's visit to the UK, worth £1,500.\n\nCanto also took official signed photographs of the Duke of Sussex and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.\n\nSome 77 items were taken from the palace shop, while others were stolen from staff lockers, the Queen's Gallery shop and the Duke of York's storeroom.\n\nCanto also admitted stealing a Companion of Bath medal belonging to the Master of the Household, which was sold online for £350, and a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order medal from the locker of former British Army officer Maj Gen Richard Sykes.\n\nCanto pleaded guilty to three counts of theft by an employee at a hearing in November and was jailed on Monday.\n\nFollow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Vocational exams, including BTEcs, are to go ahead this month in England - despite calls for them to be cancelled alongside GCSEs and A-levels.\n\n\"Schools and colleges can continue with the vocational and technical exams that are due to take place in January, where they judge it right to do so,\" said a Department for Education spokeswoman.\n\nFurther education college leaders had complained this was unfair to students.\n\nThey said students would face \"stress\" from taking exams in the lockdown.\n\nThe Association of Colleges warned the decision, giving schools and colleges the option on whether to carry on with BTecs, would create more confusion.\n\nChief executive David Hughes said some colleges would cancel exams and others would continue - but without any clarity about what would happen to \"students in colleges which do cancel for safety reasons\".\n\n\"A national decision would have allowed for more fairness,\" said Mr Hughes.\n\nThe announcement from the Department for Education has left it open for schools and colleges to decide whether to go ahead with vocational and technical exams.\n\n\"Schools and colleges have already implemented extensive protective measures to make them as safe as possible,\" said the DFE's spokeswoman.\n\nThe Department for Education said it recognised \"this is a difficult time\" but wanted to allow students who had prepared for exams and assessments to continue, including those who needed to take hands-on practical tests for qualifications for jobs.\n\nA joint statement from the mayors of Manchester and Liverpool said it was wrong to go ahead with these vocational exams when other academic exams had been cancelled.\n\n\"It is unfair to ask these students to go into colleges when everyone else is being told to stay at home.\n\n\"This will cause unnecessary anxiety and concern just when they need to be able to focus,\" said the statement from Andy Burnham and Steve Rotheram.\n\nThe mayors highlighted that students taking BTecs were more likely to be from \"working-class backgrounds and ethnic minority communities\" and they should not be treated any less well than those following an \"academic route\" in exams.\n\nHow will you be affected by the latest developments? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "Khairi Saadallah admitted three counts of murder and three counts of attempted murder\n\nA man who stabbed three people to death in a Reading park believed he was carrying out \"an act of religious jihad\", a court has heard.\n\nKhairi Saadallah, 26, stabbed to death James Furlong, 36, David Wails, 49, and Joseph Ritchie-Bennett, 39, during the attack in Forbury Gardens in June.\n\nAs part of his sentencing, a hearing will decide if he was motivated by a religious or ideological cause.\n\nThe prosecution claim the stabbing spree was a terror attack.\n\nSaadallah has admitted three counts of murder and attempted murder, but denies he was motivated by an ideology.\n\nProsecutor Alison Morgan QC told the court he \"executed\" his victims and intended to \"kill as many people as he could\" in the name of violent jihad.\n\nShe said: \"In less than a minute, shouting Allahu Akhbar the defendant carried out a lethal attack with a knife, killing all three men before they had a chance to respond and try to defend themselves.\n\n\"Within the same minute, the defendant went on to attack others nearby, stabbing three more people, Stephen Young, Patrick Edwards and Nishit Nisudan, causing them significant injuries.\"\n\nThe court was shown CCTV footage of Saadallah in Morrisons buying the knife he used in the attack\n\nSaadallah was captured on CCTV leaving his flat on the day of the attack\n\nStating the prosecution's case she said the attack was \"carefully planned and executed\" by the defendant with \"determination and precision\".\n\nShe added: \"The defendant believed that in carrying out this attack he was acting in pursuit of his extreme ideology, an ideology he appears to have held for some time.\n\n\"He believed that in killing as many people as possible that day he was performing an act of religious jihad.\"\n\nAfter the attack Sadallah fled but was chased down by police, and later admitted the attacks in his cell, the court heard.\n\nIn interviews with police he \"howled like a dog\" and claimed to have magic powers, which the prosecution said was a \"disingenuous\" attempt to suggest he had a mental disorder.\n\n\"After a careful period of assessment and treatment at Belmarsh prison, it is clear that he does not have a major mental illness\", a report by a psychiatrist read out in court said.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. A friend of the victims, Michael Main, said: \"They were always happy\"\n\nSaadallah arrived in the UK as an asylum seeker in 2012, having fled the civil war in his home country of Libya in North Africa.\n\nThe court heard the defendant, who had been refused asylum, had been involved with militias as part of the uprising against Muammar Gaddafi.\n\nBetween 2013 and 2020 he was repeatedly arrested and convicted of various offences in the UK.\n\nWhile in HMP Bullingdon, Saadallah was observed to be keen to interact with radical preacher Omar Brooks - associated with banned terror group Al-Muhajiroun - who was also at the jail at the time, the court heard. He was released from the prison in June, days before the attack.\n\nSaadallah had been due to be deported, but was told by the government circumstances in Libya at the time were a \"legal barrier\".\n\nThe court was told he had also searched on the internet \"how to disappear with magic\" and accessed a website with the flag associated with Islamic State.\n\nA probation officer who had contact with Saadallah flagged his concerns about his mental health, but a psychiatrist has since concluded the attack on June 20 was \"unrelated to the effects of either mental disorder or substance misuse\".\n\nSaadallah, of Basingstoke Road in Reading, launched his attack as people enjoyed a summer Saturday evening in Forbury Gardens on 20 June.\n\nEyewitnesses said he walked along a footpath when he suddenly ran towards a group of men sitting on the grass.\n\nHistory teacher Mr Furlong and Mr Ritchie-Bennett, a US citizen, were both stabbed once in the neck, while scientist Mr Wails was stabbed in the back.\n\nAll three were pronounced dead at the scene.\n\nThree others - their friend Stephen Young, as well as Patrick Edwards and Nishit Nisudan, who were sitting in a nearby group - were also injured by Saadallah.\n\nThe sentencing before Mr Justice Sweeney is expected to conclude on January 11.\n\nFloral tributes were left near the entrance to the park where the men were killed\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Zara Holland appeared on the second series of Love Island\n\nLove Island star Zara Holland is to be prosecuted for allegedly breaking Covid rules on holiday in Barbados.\n\nIsland police say the former Miss Great Britain is expected to appear in court on Wednesday, accused of \"breaching quarantine\".\n\nStation Sergeant Michael Blackman told Newsbeat she was \"intercepted\" at the airport and later presented herself at a police station.\n\nIt's not clear whether she will appear in court in person or by video link.\n\nAn apology from the 25-year-old for what she described as \"a massive mix-up and misunderstanding\" was published by the Barbados Today website.\n\nShe told the publication: \"I have been a guest of this lovely island in excess of 20 years and would never do anything to jeopardise an entire nation that I have nothing but love and respect for and which has treated me as a family.\"\n\nListen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nEveryone in England must stay at home except for permitted reasons during a new coronavirus lockdown expected to last until mid-February, the PM says.\n\nAll schools and colleges will close to most pupils and switch to remote learning from Tuesday.\n\nBoris Johnson warned the coming weeks would be the \"hardest yet\" amid surging cases and patient numbers.\n\nHe said those in the top four priority groups would be offered a first vaccine dose by the middle of next month.\n\nAll care home residents and their carers, everyone aged 70 and over, all frontline health and social care workers, and the clinically extremely vulnerable will be offered one dose of a vaccine by mid-February.\n\nSchools in Northern Ireland will have an \"extended period of remote learning\", the Stormont Executive said.\n\nSpeaking from Downing Street, Mr Johnson told the public to follow the new lockdown rules immediately, before they become law in the early hours of Wednesday.\n\nAll the new measures in England will then last until at least the middle of February, he said, as a new more infectious variant of the virus spreads across the UK.\n\nThe PM added that he believed the country was entering \"the last phase of the struggle\".\n\nHospitals were under \"more pressure from Covid than at any time since the start of the pandemic\", he said.\n\nAnd he reiterated the slogan used earlier in the pandemic, urging people to immediately \"stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives\".\n\nOn Monday, the UK recorded more than 50,000 new confirmed Covid cases for the seventh day in a row.\n\nA further 58,784 cases and an additional 407 deaths within 28 days of a positive test result were reported, though deaths in Scotland were not recorded.\n\nAs of 08:00 GMT, there were 26,626 Covid-19 patients in hospital in England, according to the latest figures.\n\nThis is a week-on-week increase of 30%, and a new record high.\n\nThose who are clinically extremely vulnerable will be contacted by letter and should now shield once more, Mr Johnson said.\n\nSupport and childcare bubbles will continue under the new measures - and people can meet one person from another household for outdoor exercise.\n\nCommunal worship and life events like funerals and weddings can continue, subject to limits on attendance.\n\nWhile Mr Johnson said end-of-year exams would not take place as normal in the summer, he said alternative arrangements would be announced separately.\n\nThe government has published a 22-page document outlining the new rules in detail.\n\nThe House of Commons has been recalled to allow MPs to vote on the new restrictions on Wednesday.\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer said his MPs would \"support the package of measures\", saying \"we've all got to pull together now to make this work\".\n\nOnce again it is the threat to the NHS that has forced the hand of ministers.\n\nIn England there has been a 50% rise in the number of patients in hospital with Covid since Christmas day.\n\nTo put that into context, it equates to 18 hospitals being filled.\n\nCurrently around three out of 10 beds are occupied by patients with the disease.\n\nIn some hospitals it is more than six in 10.\n\nBut what is worrying ministers and NHS leaders is that the number is just going to increase.\n\nIn the spring it took nearly three weeks after lockdown for hospital cases to peak.\n\nThe last six days have seen in excess of 50,000 new infections confirmed each day across the UK - a number of these infections are next week's hospital admissions.\n\nIt is why the UK's chief medical officers were warning there was a \"material risk\" of some hospitals being overwhelmed if something did not change.\n\nMr Johnson spoke after UK chief medical officers recommended the Covid threat level be increased to five - its highest level.\n\nLevel five means the NHS may soon be unable to handle a further sustained rise in cases, the medical officers said in a joint statement.\n\nNHS Providers, which represents health service trusts, said hospitals were at a \"critical point\" and that \"immediate and decisive action\" was needed.\n\nAnnouncing tougher measures in Scotland, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: \"It is no exaggeration to say that I am more concerned about the situation we face now than I have been at any time since March last year.\"\n\nFor pupils who returned for their first day of the new term at primary school on Monday, it's turned out to be an extremely short-lived visit.\n\nBoris Johnson's announcement will see primary, secondary and further education colleges closed for at least the next six weeks, except for vulnerable and key workers' children.\n\nIt's a much bigger shift in policy than had been anticipated, even a few days ago.\n\nEven the return date will depend on the progress in tackling the virus.\n\n\"I hope we can steadily move out of lockdown, reopening schools after the February half term,\" said the prime minister.\n\nKeeping schools open was the government's most definite of red lines, a few weeks ago they were threatening councils that wanted to close them - but it's now been overtaken by the spiking lines on the Covid infection charts.\n\nEven after the chaos of last year's replacement grades, GCSEs and A-levels are being cancelled again - with a replacement system still to be decided. Vocational exams are to continue.\n\nFor parents dreading home schooling, there are plans for it to be better supported this time - with more computer devices available and suggestions that Ofsted inspectors will check what schools are offering.\n\nBut there's no escaping that this will feel like another sudden and chaotic change of direction for schools and parents.\n\nMr Johnson's pledge on vaccinations comes after an 82-year-old retired maintenance manager became the first person in the UK to receive the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 jab\n\nSome 13.9 million people are among the four priority groups who will receive a vaccine dose by about 15 February, vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi said.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. BBC's Laura Foster explains the order in which the Covid vaccine will be given\n\nHow will you be affected by the latest developments? What questions do you have? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "First Minister Arlene Foster and Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill met throughout Monday\n\nThere will be an extended period of remote learning for schools in Northern Ireland, the executive has said.\n\nMinisters met on Monday night as other parts of the UK tightened their coronavirus restrictions.\n\nThe Stormont executive also plans to give its stay at home guidance legal force, with new restrictions on travel.\n\nDeputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill said details would be formalised on Tuesday.\n\nThe health and education ministers will bring separate papers on the issues to the executive at the meeting, she added.\n\nNorthern Ireland's Education Minister Peter Weir had previously announced a staggered return to school for pupils during the month of January.\n\nThe first transfer test, used by many grammar schools to select pupils, is due to take place on Saturday but there have been calls from some teaching unions and political parties for the test to be cancelled this year, in light of the uncertainty with the pandemic.\n\nIn England, all schools and colleges will close to most pupils and switch to remote learning until the middle of February, and end-of-year exams will not take place this summer as normal.\n\nRecommendations on exams in Northern Ireland are also expected to be brought forward by the executive on Tuesday.\n\nIt is understood ministers will update the assembly on Wednesday about their decisions.\n\nFirst Minister Arlene Foster said the new restrictions were unfortunate, but necessary.\n\nShe said she believed the stay-at-home message will be in place \"for the rest of January, probably into February\".\n\n\"We will of course review it, as we're legally bound to do every couple of weeks.\"\n\nShe added that ministers would \"much prefer\" for face-to-face education to continue, but said they had to \"take into account the very serious situation that we find ourselves in tonight.\"\n\nBoth organisations which organise transfer tests will be making announcements on Tuesday, she said.\n\n\"We'll wait to hear what they have to say. They do of course have to abide by public health advice, but they are private organisations and they will make their own announcements.\"\n\nThe Irish government is considering a proposal to close schools for the rest of January.\n\nOn Monday, the Department of Health reported that a further 1,801 people had tested positive for the virus in the past 24 hours.\n\nThere have also been 12 more Covid-19 related deaths.\n\nThese latest figures from the Department of Health bring the total number of deaths to 1,366, while 79,873 people have tested positive for the virus since the pandemic started.\n\nMore than 12,000 cases have been reported in the past seven days, more than double the week before.\n\nThe seven-day rate per 100,000 people is now 660 positive cases, compared to 200 per 100,000 two weeks ago.\n\nIn the Republic of Ireland on Monday, an additional 6,110 confirmed cases of Covid-19 were announced, with six further deaths linked to the virus.\n\nScotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has already announced a fresh lockdown there from midnight, with schools closed until February.\n\nSpeaking on BBC Radio Ulster's Evening Extra programme, Dr Michael McBride said Scotland's measures were \"prudent and sensible\".\n\nMeanwhile, the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine rollout has begun in Northern Ireland.\n\nUp to 11,000 people aged over 80 across Northern Ireland are set to receive the this week, with some of the first doses delivered at a GP surgery on the Falls Road in West Belfast on Monday afternoon.\n\nUp to 11,000 people aged over 80 across Northern Ireland are set to receive the Oxford-AstraZeneca\n\nThe SDLP has called for the assembly to be recalled on Tuesday to discuss the rolling out of the vaccine.\n\nIt can be recalled if at least 30 MLAs sign a petition.\n\nOn Monday, Justice Minister Naomi Long welcomed the opening of Northern Ireland's first Nightingale venue, which will be used for courts and tribunals business.\n\nThe facility was approved by a meeting of the executive on 17 December, and will sit in the International Convention Centre in Belfast (ICC).\n\nActivity at the centre will be phased in, in line with Covid-19 regulations.\n\nIn other coronavirus-related developments on Monday:", "The 90,000 sq ft store is a familiar sight for commuters coming out of Oxford Circus Tube station\n\nThe building that houses Topshop's Oxford Street store is up for sale.\n\nThe High Street chain's owner Arcadia went into administration in November, putting 13,000 jobs at risk.\n\nNews of the sale of the three-storey building has prompted an outpouring of emotion on social media, with shoppers recounting how important the flagship store is to them.\n\nThe store, which boasted a DJ booth, nail bar and food stalls, was a retail sensation when it opened in 1994.\n\nHuge crowds gathered at the store for the launch of Kate Moss's Topshop collection in 2014\n\nArcadia - which owns Topshop, Miss Selfridge and Dorothy Perkins - entered administration on 30 November\n\nThe sale of 214 Oxford Street, managed by agents Savills and Eastdil, follows the failure of Sir Philip Green's retail empire to secure funding to pay its debts after sales slumped during the pandemic.\n\nThe Oxford Street building also houses Nike and Vans stores.\n\nArcadia said that although it was in administration, and so all its assets are to be sold, that did not mean the shops in the building would have to close.\n\nPeople have been sharing their feelings about the London landmark, which was often used as a meeting point for friends and was a must-visit for fashion-loving tourists.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Carolin This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by shon faye. This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 3 by Kelly Taylor This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nArcadia, which also owns Miss Selfridge, Dorothy Perkins and Burton, had already closed other Topshop stores across the UK, citing the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.\n\nIts brands were struggling before the pandemic, partly due to competition from online-only fashion retailers such as Asos, Boohoo and Pretty Little Thing.\n\nBeyonce launched her Ivy Park collection at Topshop in 2016\n\nThe flagship store is currently closed, in line with the rules about non-essential retailers\n\nThe Oxford Street store pictured during Pride in 2018", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Sturgeon: Vaccination programme needs to win the race\n\nTough new lockdown restrictions forbidding people from leaving home for non-essential reasons have come into force across the Scottish mainland.\n\nFirst Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the clampdown was necessary to contain the spread of the new strain of Covid-19.\n\nPeople are now required by law to stay in their homes and to work from home.\n\nOutdoor gatherings have been restricted to one-on-one meet-ups, and schools will close to most pupils until February at the earliest.\n\nMs Sturgeon told MSPs on Monday that Scotland faced an \"extremely serious\" situation, with the new, faster-spreading variant of coronavirus \"a massive blow\".\n\nSchools will remain closed to most pupils until at least the beginning of February.\n\nThe first minister has said she cannot guarantee when children will be allowed back in classrooms or when the latest lockdown restrictions will be lifted.\n\nShe also told the BBC's Good Morning Scotland programme on Tuesday that she hoped 2.7 million people in Scotland would have received one dose of the Covid vaccine by the middle of May.\n\nShe said: \"I can't be definitive right now about when we will lift these restrictions.\n\n\"I have described this as a race - we've got the vaccine in one lane and we are trying to accelerate that.\n\n\"We've got the virus which has learned to run faster in the other lane and we've got to slow it down.\n\n\"Lockdown is about pushing rates of the virus back, and if we manage to do that then hopefully we will be able to start lifting restrictions while the vaccination programme is ongoing.\"\n\nA government document revealed there were now more than 90 patients in intensive care units, with new modelling suggesting that figure could more than double by early February.\n\nThe modelling sets out different scenarios with the most pessimistic predicting hospitals admissions could soar to more than 8,000 with over 700 patients requiring intensive care.\n\nThe document also revealed that Inverclyde - which a few weeks ago had relatively low levels of Covid - now has the highest case rate, almost 550 per 100,000 - while Dumfries and Galloway has seen its rate increase to 475 per 100,000.\n\nDundee City, East Ayrshire, East Renfrewshire, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire and the Scottish Borders all now have case rates exceeding 300 per 100,000.\n\nOnly limited data was released by the government in recent days but a full update on deaths, hospital admissions and local infection rates has now been issued.\n\nCases of Covid have risen sharply in recent days\n\nThe new restrictions came into force at midnight and are, in effect, an enhancement to the level four curbs already in place across the mainland and Skye.\n\nThey will run until at least the end of January and could yet be extended both in scope and duration.\n\nScotland's island communities, with the exception of Skye, are to remain in level three for now, although Ms Sturgeon warned this would also remain under review.\n\nNew regulations mean Scots are prohibited from leaving their homes for anything other than \"essential\" purposes - although the law provides a lengthy list of examples of \"reasonable excuses\".\n\nThese include shopping for food or medical supplies, providing or accessing childcare, exercise, and participation in extended households.\n\nAnyone who can do their job from home must do so, and people in the \"shielding\" category have been advised not to go out to work at all.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Nicola Sturgeon announces stay at home rules in new lockdown\n\nNew restrictions have been placed on outdoor gatherings in level four areas, with only two people from separate households now permitted to meet up.\n\nThese restrictions do not include children under the age of 12, who are still allowed to gather to play, but everyone else must abide by them or face a fixed penalty notice.\n\nTravel restrictions remain in place between local authority areas and in and out of Scotland, and people have been urged to stay as close to home as possible when going out for exercise.\n\nSchools will now operate on a remote-learning basis for the majority of pupils when the new term starts on 11 January, with only the children of key workers and vulnerable children to receive face-to-face teaching.\n\nThis is to run until at least 1 February, with a review on 18 January - with Ms Sturgeon saying her \"fundamental priority\" was still to get children back in school full time as quickly as possible.\n\nThe new measures are a bid to control the spread of the new variant of Covid, which is now thought to be responsible for nearly half of all new cases of the virus in Scotland.\n\nOfficials believe Scotland is roughly four weeks behind London - where health services are coming under increasing pressure - and warn that hospitals could hit capacity within the month without major new curbs.\n\nBetween 23 and 30 December, the average number of cases per 100,000 people in Scotland increased by 65%, from 136 to 225.", "\"It could be something as simple as: 'I don't like what you have got on' - that would end in strangulation\"\n\nA fresh move is under way to make non-fatal strangulation a specific criminal offence in England and Wales, after the House of Lords debated the Domestic Abuse Bill.\n\nThe government has said it has no plans to change the law, arguing that non-fatal strangulation is already covered by existing legislation.\n\nHowever, campaigners say abusers who use non-fatal strangulation are telling their victims: \"I am controlling you and I can kill you\" - but too often are charged only with common assault.\n\nThis is what happened in Jenny's case. Her abusive partner used non-fatal strangulation as a means of control throughout the five years they were together.\n\n\"It was like his favourite thing to do,\" says Jenny, who asked the BBC not to use her real name.\n\n\"That sounds really awful and trivial but that is how it becomes as an abuse victim. You learn to accept that is part of your life. It was like something I had to manage.\"\n\n\"We would wake up in the morning and he would be in one of those moods, and I would see it in his eyes and I would think today's the day I'm going to get it.\n\n\"It could be something as simple as: 'I don't like what you have got on' - that would end in strangulation.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. WATCH: Domestic abuse victim - 'He threw me against the wall and strangled me'\n\nEventually one night she did call the police during an attack.\n\n\"He chased me round the house and every time he caught me he would pin me to the floor and strangle me until I had marks.\n\n\"I had burst blood vessels. I was streaming with tears. I just kept thinking: 'This is how I am going to die.'\n\n\"The doors were locked. He'd smashed my phone. I managed to get to the window and shout and one of the neighbours called the police.\"\n\nHowever, she was dismayed by the police response. \"I thought it was quite lax. They didn't take the strangulation as seriously as they should have.\"\n\nHer partner was charged with common assault. He pleaded guilty and was given a three-month sentence, suspended for 18 months.\n\n\"Strangulation needs to be a specific offence. I think the weak police response contributed to keeping me in the relationship,\" she says.\n\nJenny believed her partner would eventually kill her.\n\n\"I just kept looking in the mirror and thinking: you need to leave and you're the only person who can do it.\n\n\"So one day while he was asleep, I picked up whatever I could carry and I ran and got on a train.\"\n\nBaroness Newlove is bringing forward an amendment to the Domestic Abuse Bill in the House of Lords\n\nPoliticians and campaigners tried and failed to have a new offence of non-fatal strangulation introduced in the Domestic Abuse Bill when it was going through the House of Commons.\n\nDuring Tuesday's debate on the bill in the Lords, the Conservative peer and former victims' commissioner, Baroness Newlove, said she intended to table an amendment to the bill when it reached the committee stage.\n\nShe said non-fatal strangulation was currently not being picked up adequately by the police, as it often left no physical marks on the victim.\n\nShe described it as a terrifying crime, with many victims testifying they felt as though their heads were going to explode and they were about to die.\n\nPeers from other parties also spoke in support of a new offence.\n\nNogah Offer, a lawyer with the Centre for Women's Justice, which has been at the forefront of the campaign for a new offence, says: \"We believe this is a real opportunity to make a difference.\"\n\nCommon assault is a summary offence that can be charged by the police.\n\nBut when it involves domestic abuse, it should be referred to the Crown Prosecution Service, its guidance says.\n\nIn a statement, the Ministry of Justice said: \"Non-fatal strangulation is a serious crime which is already covered by existing laws such as common assault and attempted murder.\"\n\nA spokesperson said the government would keep this area of the law under review, but said a specific offence of attempting to choke, strangle or suffocate a person is included in the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 and, according to the 2015 Serious Crime Act, attempted strangulation can fall under the offence of coercive or controlling behaviour.\n\nDr Catherine White: \"Ultimately it can lead to death\"\n\nDr Catherine White, clinical director of St. Mary's Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Manchester, says: \"Strangulation often ends up being treated the same as a slap or a punch.\n\n\"It's a very different crime. Often there is no external injury to the neck, which is why it's a very powerful tool for the perpetrator.\n\n\"It can cause confusion but ultimately it can lead to death.\"\n\nA research project led by Dr White describes non-fatal strangulation as a \"gendered crime, with nearly all the patients female and the alleged perpetrators male\".\n\nAnd figures from the Femicide Census, which looked at the cases of women killed by men in the UK, found that in 2018, 29% died through strangulation.\n\nCampaigners point to New Zealand and some parts of the United States and Australia, where non-fatal strangulation has become a specific offence.\n\nMeanwhile, after help from a women's centre and counselling, Jenny now feels stronger and happier.\n\nDespite the pandemic, she says, having finally escaped her abuser: \"2020 was one of the best years of my life.\"", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The Body Coach says he will be running PE lessons online for children\n\nJoe Wicks is restarting his online PE lessons from next week, to help families keep fit during lockdown.\n\nThe personal trainer told the BBC he wanted to \"give children structure\" and help them feel \"more optimistic\".\n\nHe said live sessions would run on his YouTube channel at 09:00 GMT on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.\n\nSchools across the UK are reopening later than normal, amid tighter measures to curb the spread of coronavirus.\n\nConfirming the return of his \"PE with Joe\" sessions in an Instagram post, Wicks, known as the Body Coach, said: \"We all need this for our mental health more than ever and exercising can help.\"\n\nHe told BBC Breakfast he had \"a really emotional moment last night\", after Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a new national lockdown for England on Monday evening.\n\n\"I was thinking about all the children in the UK and all around the world that are at home in tiny little flats… and they feel like they miss their friends and they miss school,\" he said.\n\n\"And so PE with Joe three days a week is going to really help them get through those days and give them some structure and hopefully help them feel a little bit happier and a bit more optimistic.\"\n\nWicks first began his free online workouts during the national lockdown in March, with the sessions attracting millions of viewers.", "Boeing's 737 Max plane is safe to return to service in the UK and the European Union, regulators have said.\n\nIt ends a 22-month flight ban for the jet, which followed two crashes which caused 346 deaths.\n\nThe plane had already been cleared to resume flying in North America and Brazil.\n\nBut this week a senior manager at Boeing's 737 plant in Seattle warned that recertification had happened too quickly.\n\nRegulators in the US and Europe insist their reviews have been thorough, and that the 737 Max aircraft is now safe.\n\nThe European Union Aviation Safety Agency (Easa), which regulates aviation in 31 mainly EU countries, said it now had \"every confidence\" in the plane following an independent review.\n\n\"But we will continue to monitor 737 Max operations closely as the aircraft resumes service,\" said executive director Patrick Ky.\n\n\"In parallel, and at our insistence, Boeing has also committed to work to enhance the aircraft still further in the medium term, in order to reach an even higher level of safety.\"\n\nThe UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), which oversees UK aviation now Britain has left the EU, said the work to return the 737 Max to the skies had been \"the most extensive project of this kind\".\n\nIt said it was in close contact with Tui, currently the only UK operator of the aircraft, as it returned the plane to service.\n\n\"As part of this we will have full oversight of the airline's plans including its pilot training programmes and implementation of the required aircraft modifications.\"\n\nThe 737 Max's first accident occurred in October 2018, when a Lion Air jet came down in the sea off Indonesia.\n\nThe second involved an Ethiopian Airlines version that crashed shortly after takeoff from Addis Ababa, just four months later.\n\nBoth have been attributed to flawed flight control software, which became active at the wrong time and prompted the aircraft to go into a catastrophic dive.\n\nEasa said it had done a full investigation independent of Boeing or the US Federal Aviation Administration and \"without any economic or political pressure\".\n\nAs a result, it demanded software upgrades, electrical working rework, maintenance checks, operations manual updates and crew training.\n\n\"We asked difficult questions until we got answers and pushed for solutions which satisfied our exacting safety requirements,\" Mr Ky said.\n\nThe CAA said it had based its decision on information from Easa, the US Federal Aviation Agency and Boeing, as well as \"extensive engagement\" with airline operators and pilots.\n\nIt comes days after a report by Ed Pierson, a former Boeing manager, claimed that regulators and investigators had largely ignored factors that may have played a direct role in the accidents.\n\nMr Pierson said that further investigation of electrical issues and production quality problems at the 737 factory in Seattle was badly needed.\n\nOn Wednesday Naoise Connolly Ryan, whose husband Mick died in the Ethiopian Airlines crash, said that the families of victims \"still do not have a full accounting of what happened and why\".\n\n\"Ultimately we are more determined than ever to find out exactly what Boeing knew about this dangerous aircraft, and hold them accountable for the deaths of our loved ones.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Paul Njoroge says his family died because of Boeing's \"negligence\"\n\nBoeing has already agreed to pay $2.5bn (£1.8bn) to settle US criminal charges that it hid information from safety officials about the design of the planes.\n\nThe US Justice Department said the firm chose \"profit over candour\", impeding oversight of the planes.\n\nAbout $500m of that will go to families of the people killed in the tragedies.\n\nHowever, attorneys for the victims of the Ethiopian Airlines crash have said the deal would not end their pending civil lawsuit against Boeing.\n\nOn Wednesday, Boeing posted a record $12bn annual loss after it delayed its all-new 777X jet for the third time, incurring huge charges.\n\nThe coronavirus crisis has caused demand for the industry's largest jetliners to fall, with airline customers shunning deliveries of planes due international travel restrictions.\n\nThe 737 Max has already been cleared to fly in North America and Brazil - now it has the go-ahead from European regulators as well.\n\nIt's a major step for Boeing - although with the current travel restrictions in place, it's likely to be a while before the decision has much practical effect.\n\nBut the controversy won't end there. Relatives of those who died in the Ethiopian Airlines accident have made it clear they haven't heard enough to be sure the aircraft - modified in accordance with regulators' wishes - is truly safe.\n\nAnd this week, a former senior manager at the 737 factory told the BBC why he thought existing planes might still be carrying potentially dangerous manufacturing defects.\n\nThat may explain why Easa has also chosen to publish a report setting out the detailed reasoning behind its decision.\n\nUltimately, the 737 Max may we'll have decades of successful service ahead of it. But for the moment, winning back passenger confidence will be a formidable challenge.", "The Association of British Insurers (ABI) has defended the inclusion of ransomware payments in first-party cyber-insurance policies.\n\nIt said insurance was \"not an alternative\" to doing everything possible to first minimise the risk.\n\nHowever, it added that firms could face financial ruin without the cover.\n\nProf Ciaran Martin, former head of the National Cyber Security Centre, said the UK needed to rethink its policies on ransomware.\n\nRansomware is a form of malware in which infected computers are remotely locked by cyber-criminals, who then demand a ransom, often in the form of Bitcoin, to unlock them and return the data they hold.\n\nThere are many examples of businesses and public bodies which have chosen to pay because they do not have the data backed up, or cannot afford - or do not have time - to rebuild their systems from scratch.\n\nThe Guardian reported that Prof Martin, now at Oxford University's Blavatnik School of Government, said he believed insurers were \"funding organised crime\" by accepting ransomware claims, but he told the BBC the issue of how to tackle ransomware was far broader than just the insurance sector.\n\nWhile official advice is not to pay the demand, it is not illegal to do so in the UK, he said.\n\n\"I have some sympathy with insurers, because as long as it's legal, there are incentives to pay.\"\n\nWhile the ransom demand may be high, the alternative impact can also be devastating.\n\nWhen the global aluminium producer Norsk Hydro was attacked in 2019, it cost the firm around £45m, and its profits in the immediate aftermath plummeted by 82%, reported Reuters.\n\nNorsk Hydro refused to pay the demand, which would arguably have been cheaper - but it did have insurance.\n\nA spokesman for the ABI said insurers do require that \"reasonable precautions\" are taken to prevent cyber-attacks from succeeding in the first place, just as cars and houses require security measures in place to deter thieves.\n\n\"Some might argue that any insurance that covers against a criminal act could lull the policyholder into a false sense of security,\" he said.\n\nProf Martin said he did not think that banning ransomware insurance claims would necessarily solve the problem.\n\n\"But it's worth a serious piece of consultation because if we continue as we are, things will get worse,\" he said.", "Cough, fatigue, sore throat and muscle pain may be more common in people who test positive for the new UK variant of coronavirus, a study by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) suggests.\n\nThe ONS findings are based on positive tests from a random sample of 6,000 people in England.\n\nLoss of taste and smell may be slightly less likely to affect those with the new form of the virus.\n\nHowever, it is still one of the three main symptoms of the virus.\n\nThe NHS website lists the symptoms as a high temperature, a new continuous cough and a loss or change to sense of smell or taste.\n\nMost people infected with the virus develop at least one of these symptoms.\n\nThe new variant, which was first spotted in Kent in September, spreads more easily than the previous form of the virus and has now spread across the UK, causing a surge in cases which prompted the current lockdown.\n\nThere is some evidence it could be more deadly than other variants, although the data isn't strong enough yet to say for certain.\n\nTwo other variants - one from South Africa and another from Brazil - are also circulating, although at lower levels.\n\nThe ONS analysis looked at the symptoms reported by people up to a week before testing positive for the new variant of coronavirus, compared with those testing positive for the old variant.\n\nThey were tested over two months between mid-November and mid-January.\n\nTest results compatible with the new variant show up as being positive for two genes, rather than three for the other variant.\n\nIn a group of about 3,500 people with the new variant:\n\nIn a group of 2,500 people with the old variant:\n\nThe study found 16% of those with the new variant experienced losing their sense of taste while 15% lost their sense of smell.\n\nThis was slightly lower than reported by people with the old variant (18% for both).\n\nThere was no difference found in levels of headaches, shortness of breath or diarrhoea and vomiting in both groups.\n\nProf Lawrence Young, virologist and professor of molecular oncology at the University of Warwick, said the new variant of the virus had 23 changes compared to the original Wuhan virus.\n\n\"Some of these changes in different parts of the virus could affect the body's immune response and also influence the range of symptoms associated with infection,\" he said.\n\nInfected people appear to produce more virus and this could result in more widespread infection within the body \"perhaps accounting for more coughs, muscle pain and tiredness\", Prof Young added.\n\nThe analysis is part of a long-term study to track coronavirus in the UK population, carried out jointly with Public Health England, the University of Oxford and the University of Manchester.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "UK nationals and residents returning from \"red list\" countries will be made to quarantine in accommodation such as hotels for 10 days, Boris Johnson has said. While exact details of the policy remain unclear, similar schemes are already in place elsewhere, including in Australia and New Zealand. So how does it work?\n\nAfter finally securing her family's place in Australia's quarantine system, Keri McMenamin prepared for the worst - and ordered a vacuum cleaner.\n\nThe 38-year-old was returning to the country with her husband and two children after securing a job offer - leaving the UK in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic last year.\n\n\"It is literally luck of the draw,\" she says of where her family would spend 14 days together once they arrived. \"You didn't know what to expect.\" Having done some research, Keri discovered Facebook groups busy with people relaying their experiences of quarantine.\n\n\"A lot of people were saying, 'Look, just expect the worst and then whatever you get is a bonus.'\"\n\nKeri's children Quinn and Nyala kept busy with board games\n\n\"There were people who had, like, filthy hotel rooms, appalling food, you know, really sort of tiny spaces, no opening windows, no balconies,\" she adds.\n\nThat's when she ordered the vacuum for a friend to deliver when the time came.\n\nIn the end, the family was taken to a hotel in Surfers' Paradise on the Gold Coast and given an interconnecting room. But still, the windows were sealed and their only time outside was 20-minute stints every two to three days.\n\n\"I think what kept us sane was having a routine,\" she adds. \"Joe Wicks in the morning and our yoga in the evening and sort of keeping up your 12,000 steps a day walking around in loops.\" The vacuum came in useful.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThere are strict caps on the numbers travelling to countries using hotels to quarantine arrivals.\n\nBetween July and October 2019, 7.5m people arrived into Australia to live, work and visit. But over the same period last year, when enforced quarantine was in place, just 72,111 people arrived, according to government figures.\n\nPeople like Keri who have been through quarantine in Australia told BBC News that airlines will only confirm seats once a spot in a hotel is secured - leading to last-minute scrambles.\n\nOnline forums suggest expats desperate to get home are facing months of delays, cancellations and uncertainty - around 39,000 have said they want to return.\n\nQuarantine hotel stays themselves are costly - with fees paid for by travellers.\n\nThe quality of food provided to those placed into quarantine in Australia has improved since the start of the pandemic\n\nIn New South Wales, it costs the equivalent of around £1,700 per adult and £2,800 for a family of two adults and two children - billed after the quarantine is completed.\n\nArrivals into New Zealand are charged £1,630 for the first adult, with an extra £500 for each additional adult and £250 for each child.\n\nThe costs include the accommodation and a basic food service and even more basic cleaning - perhaps once per week, or not at all, with one change of linen and towels, depending on the facility.\n\nBut it comes on top of airfares, which have increased due to the pandemic. Fees can be waived for those who cannot pay and there are some exemptions.\n\nEach region has its own rules. In Australia, packages can be brought in from outside, and in New Zealand some of those in quarantine are taken to fields to exercise.\n\nMark Dickinson, from Liverpool, has lived in New Zealand with his wife Lisa for four years but returned to the UK to see their newborn granddaughter in December - he spoke to the BBC 10 days into a 14-day isolation near Auckland.\n\n\"We had to have a test on day zero, then day three, then we're having a test tomorrow on day 11,\" Mark says.\n\n\"The area at the front of the hotel is surrounded by a double-guarded fence. It may have cost us £2,000 but if that means New Zealand stays safe, then we're happy doing it.\"\n\nMark and his wife Lisa added photographs of their newborn granddaughter to a display in a small walking area at their hotel\n\nMany of those isolating found life does not stop in quarantine. Australian Brad Thiele started a new job and celebrated his 51st birthday alone in a 300 sq ft room at the Novotel in central Sydney.\n\nAfter being asked by a person wearing a full hazmat suit at Sydney airport whether he had any concerns about being held in a room for 14 days, Brad was taken to the hotel with a blue-light police escort. On arrival, the military were on hand to ensure he checked in.\n\n\"I quite like practising meditation. So I was able to just sort of just sit and be at peace with the fact this was the first two weeks of the rest of my life having lived abroad in Britain for the past 23 years,\" he says.\n\n\"I had some regimen, it was important to get up in the morning, make the bed, shower, iron a shirt and be smart casual for work. Just finding a rhythm and a pattern in the day.\"\n\nHe's yet to decide whether to take the Novotel up on an offer of a 30% discount on a future stay.\n\nOther countries' experience of setting up a hotel quarantine system provides an insight into the sort of challenges politicians and civil servants in the UK may soon be grappling with.\n\nInitially those in quarantine across the world complained about the quality of food being provided.\n\nThen outbreaks at just two hotels in the Australian state of Victoria were traced to 99% of cases in a second wave across Melbourne that led to around 750 deaths.\n\nA public inquiry found a lack of training, cleaning and contact tracing seeded infections into the local community.\n\nAn urgent review of the hotel quarantine system in New Zealand is under way\n\nReports at the time suggested encounters between private security staff and those staying in quarantine caused the virus to spread. The inquiry did not find evidence to back up the claims.\n\nBut former judge Jennifer Coate criticised a lack of \"health focus\" in the quarantine system in Melbourne, saying risks \"were foreseeable and may have actually been foreseen\".\n\nMeanwhile, New Zealand is investigating after a woman who had served 14 days in quarantine and tested negative twice went on to develop symptoms which were confirmed to be the South Africa variant of Covid-19.\n\nThe 56-year-old woman had recently returned from Europe and is said to have visited almost 30 places in New Zealand before her case was detected. Local officials say she is likely to have been infected by a fellow returnee.\n\nBack in Australia, knowing why the quarantine system is in place and the benefits it brings - the country has largely eradicated the virus - helps motivate people to keep to the rules, Keri McMenamin says.\n\nKeri's family have since been able to enjoy a Christmas with minimal restrictions following their stay in hotel quarantine\n\nShe has just spent a public holiday going about the sort of activities many of us in the UK can but dream of - and her children will be in school this week.\n\n\"We went to a local gym and had a group workout with 30 people,\" she says.\n\n\"And then we went to the countryside, and the kids built little boats out of wood and mingled around and there were families picnicking.\n\n\"I almost feel guilty for having gone through this process and now living a normal life,\" she adds. \"I feel like I don't want to talk to my friends in the UK about how easy our life here is and how normal it is.\"", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nMore than 100,000 people have died with Covid-19 in the UK, after 1,631 deaths within 28 days of a positive test were recorded in the daily figures.\n\nPrime Minister Boris Johnson said he took \"full responsibility\" for the government's actions, saying: \"We truly did everything we could.\"\n\n\"I'm deeply sorry for every life lost,\" he said.\n\nA total of 100,162 deaths have been recorded in the UK, the first European nation to pass the landmark.\n\nEarlier, figures from the ONS, which are based on death certificates, showed there had been nearly 104,000 deaths since the pandemic began.\n\nThe government's daily figures rely on positive tests and are slightly lower.\n\nMr Johnson told Tuesday's Downing Street news conference that it was \"hard to compute the sorrow contained in this grim statistic\".\n\nHe gave his \"deepest condolences\" to those who had lost loved ones, including \"fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, sons and daughters, and the many grandparents who've been taken\".\n\nThe UK is the fifth country to pass 100,000 deaths, coming after the US, Brazil, India and Mexico.\n\nA surge in cases in recent weeks - driven in part by a new, fast-spreading variant of the virus - has left the UK with one of the highest coronavirus death rates globally.\n\nA further 20,089 coronavirus cases were recorded on Tuesday, continuing a downward trend in the number of UK cases seen in recent days. The number of people in hospital remains high, as do the UK's daily death figures.\n\nMr Johnson said the coronavirus infection rate remained \"pretty forbiddingly high\" despite lockdown restrictions which have been in place in England since 5 January.\n\nUnder the national lockdown, people in England must stay at home and only go out for limited reasons - including for food shopping, exercise, or work if they cannot do so from home. Similar measures are in place across much of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.\n\nMr Johnson said he would set out more detail in \"the next few days and weeks\" about \"when and how we want to get things open again\".\n\nIt's a terrible milestone - and one that represents unimaginable loss.\n\nMost of the deaths have come in two waves - the sharp, sudden surge in the spring followed by a slow and sustained rise throughout autumn and winter.\n\nMistakes have been made - the delay locking down back in March is one that is often cited even by the government's own advisers.\n\nThe UK, like much of Europe, was also woefully underprepared with limited testing and contact tracing systems.\n\nBut the ageing population, high rates of obesity, the fact the UK is a global hub and its inter-connectedness with Europe are also factors that meant we were tragically never going to escape lightly once the virus got a foothold.\n\nSpeaking alongside the prime minister, Prof Chris Whitty, England's chief medical officer, described it as a \"very sad day\".\n\nHe said the number of people dying \"will come down relatively slowly over the next two weeks - and will probably remain flat for a while now\".\n\nProf Whitty added the new coronavirus variant had changed the UK's situation \"very substantially\" with infection rates \"just about holding\" due to lockdown restrictions.\n\nBut he said the number of people testing positive for Covid-19 in the UK \"has been coming down\" and the number of people in hospital with Covid has \"flattened off\" - including in London, the South East and East of England.\n\nHowever, there were \"some areas\" where the hospital figures were \"still not convincingly reducing\", he said.\n\nNHS chief executive Sir Simon Stevens said there had been \"continuing improvements in hospital treatment for severely sick coronavirus patients\".\n\nHe said he expected more treatments within the next six to 18 months, adding: \"We can see a world in which coronavirus may be more treatable, but for now, it's a combination of reducing infections and getting vaccinations done.\"\n\nOne day there will be a public inquiry - maybe several - seeking to understand why so many died.\n\nLast summer, back when the government was subsidising people to eat out at restaurants, Boris Johnson said there would be an independent inquiry into the government's handling of Covid, but gave no details or dates.\n\nHe still hasn't, despite a recent call from bereaved families, trade unions and charities for lessons to be learnt now.\n\nThe gravest public health crisis for a century would have tested any government.\n\nBut as the pandemic has worsened, the criticisms and questions have mounted - about the timing of lockdowns, the rollout of test and trace and the failure to protect care homes last spring.\n\nThere is now pressure on Boris Johnson from some Tory MPs to ease restrictions as soon as the most vulnerable are vaccinated.\n\nBut this evening a sombre prime minister said the government would first do everything it could to minimise further loss of life.\n\nDr Yvonne Doyle, medical director at Public Health England, said it was a \"sobering moment in the pandemic\", saying: \"Each death is a person who was someone's family member and friend.\"\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer said it was a \"national tragedy\" to have reached 100,000 deaths.\n\nThe government had been \"behind the curve at every stage\" of the pandemic and had not learnt lessons over the summer, he added.\n\nThe epidemiologist whose modelling in part prompted the UK's first national lockdown said more action in the autumn of last year could have saved lives.\n\nProf Neil Ferguson told BBC Radio 4's PM programme: \"Had we acted both earlier and with greater stringency back in September when we first saw case numbers going up, and had a policy of keeping case numbers at a reasonably low levels, then I think a lot of the deaths we've seen, not all by any means, but a lot of the deaths we've seen in the last four or five months, could have been avoided.\"\n\nHealth Secretary Matt Hancock said the death toll was \"heartbreaking\" and warned there was a \"tough period ahead\".\n\n\"The vaccine offers the way out, but we cannot let up now,\" he added.\n\nMore than 6.8 million people in the UK have had their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine, according to the latest figures.\n\nPlease enable JavaScript or upgrade your browser to see this interactive\n\nIf you would like to send us a tribute to a friend or family member who died after contracting coronavirus, please use the form below.\n\nPlease remember to include a photo of your loved one and their name. Upload your pictures here. Don't forget to include your contact details, so we can get in touch with you.\n\nWe would like to respond to everyone individually and include every tribute in our coverage, but unfortunately that may not be possible. Please be assured your message will be read and treated with the utmost respect.\n\nPlease note the contact details you provide will never be published. Please ensure you have read our terms & conditions and privacy policy.\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your tribute.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nNicola Sturgeon has suggested that Boris Johnson should not visit Scotland as it is not an \"essential\" journey.\n\nThe prime minister is widely expected to travel to Scotland on Thursday.\n\nBut Ms Sturgeon said she was \"not ecstatic\" about the plan, saying leaders should abide by the same rules as they ask of the general public.\n\nAsked about the trip, Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said Mr Johnson would go \"wherever he needs to go in his vital work against this pandemic\".\n\nAnd Downing Street has insisted that it is important for the prime minister to be \"visible and accessible\" during the pandemic.\n\nThe prime minister's official spokesman did not confirm details of the visit, but said: \"It remains the fact that it is a fundamental role of the PM to be the physical representative of the UK government\".\n\nThe spokesman added: \"It is right that he is visible and accessible to businesses, communities and the public across all parts of the UK, especially during the pandemic.\"\n\nReports have suggested Mr Johnson is due to visit Scotland on Thursday to thank staff involved in the fight against Covid-19, despite the \"stay at home\" lockdown in place across the country.\n\nSpeaking at her daily coronavirus briefing, Ms Sturgeon stressed that she was not saying Mr Johnson was unwelcome in Scotland, but added that she was \"not ecstatic\" about the idea of him travelling up from London.\n\nDowning Street says it is important for the prime minister to be \"visible and accessible\" across the UK during the pandemic\n\nShe said: \"We are living in a global pandemic and every day I stand and look down the camera and say 'don't travel unless it is essential, work from home if you possibly can' - that has to apply to all of us.\n\n\"People like me and Boris Johnson have to be in work for reasons people understand, but we don't have to travel across the UK. We have a duty to lead by example.\"\n\nMs Sturgeon said her team had suggested she visit a mass vaccination centre in Aberdeen in the coming weeks, but that she had questioned whether the journey was \"genuinely essential\".\n\nShe said: \"If I'm standing here every day saying to all of you watching, don't leave your house unless it is essential, I have a duty to subject myself to that same discipline and decision making.\n\n\"I would say me travelling from Edinburgh to Aberdeen to visit a vaccine centre is not essential - Boris Johnson travelling from London to wherever in Scotland to do the same is not essential.\n\n\"If we're asking other people to abide by that then I'm sorry, I think it's incumbent on us to do likewise.\"\n\nThere are currently cross-border travel restrictions in place for anything other than essential travel, as well as a stay at home order\n\nThe Scottish secretary was asked about the move at Westminster by SNP MP Neale Hanvey, who described the trip as a \"futile\" attempt to bolster the union following a trend of polls suggesting majority support for independence.\n\nMr Jack replied: \"That's ridiculous - the prime minister is the prime minister of the United Kingdom, and wherever he needs to go in his vital work against this pandemic, he will go.\"", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. One protester said: \"This is the only way I can effect change\"\n\nPeople campaigning against the HS2 rail project have dug a tunnel near Euston station, in a bid to prevent their eviction from a protest camp.\n\nIn September, members of HS2 Rebellion set up a Tree Protection Camp in Euston Square Gardens in central London to protest against the £106bn scheme.\n\nThey claim the tunnel is 100ft (30m) long and has taken two months to dig.\n\nActivists say the tunnel - codenamed \"Kelvin\" - is their \"best defence\" against being evicted.\n\nOne protester, identified only as Blue, told the BBC: \"It is all very dangerous and life-threatening but it is all worth it. This is the only way I can effect change, I would sacrifice everything for the climate ecological emergency to not be happening.\"\n\nThe 18-year-old added: \"We want to be as safe as possible. It is not about us martyring ourselves, it is about delaying and stopping HS2.\"\n\nDemonstrators have previously built tree houses and scaled cranes near the HS2 Euston site\n\nA spokeswoman for HS2 said tunnel protests were \"costly to the taxpayer\".\n\nShe added: \"These are a danger to the safety of the protesters, HS2 staff, High Court enforcement officers and the general public, as well as putting unnecessary strain on the emergency services during the pandemic.\n\n\"Safety is our first priority when taking possession of land and removing illegal encampments.\"\n\nBritish Transport Police said it was aware of the tunnel but it was a matter for the Met Police, which said no complaint yet had been made.\n\nHS2 is set to link London, Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds. It is hoped the 20-year project will reduce rail passenger overcrowding and help to rebalance the UK's economy.\n\nThe campaign group alleges HS2 is the \"most expensive, wasteful and destructive project in UK history\" and that it is \"set to destroy or irreparably damage 108 ancient woodlands and 693 wildlife sites\".\n\nHowever, HS2 bosses have said seven million trees will be planted during phase one of the project and that much ancient woodland will \"remain intact\".\n\nSeasoned activist Daniel Cooper - better known as Swampy - has been at Euston supporting the campaigners\n\nTransport Secretary Grant Shapps told MPs in September that the first phase of the high-speed rail link between London and Birmingham would not open until 2028 at the earliest.\n\nThe second phase, to Manchester and Leeds, was due to open in 2032-33 but that has been pushed back to 2035-40.\n\nNetwork Rail, which owns the land, has been approached for a comment about the tunnel.\n\nHS2 protester Dr Larch Maxey said the tunnel was \"warm and quiet\"\n\nTunnelling as a form of environmental protest has a long history in the UK.\n\nIn the 1990s it was one of the ways that pushed environmental concerns into the headlines and changed perceptions.\n\nIn one of the environmental protesters' tunnelling guides, written by \"Disco Dave\", it says:\n\n\"In the world of NVDA (non-violent direct action) there are few defence tactics that can compare with the protest tunnel. Dangerous, laborious and time consuming, tunnelling is the ultimate and desperate tactic of desperate people in desperate times.\"\n\nThe first protest tunnel goes back to the M11 and 1993 but they only really developed during the Newbury Bypass protests in 1996.\n\nProtest tunnels against the A30 in Devon and Manchester Airport's second runway then followed.\n\nNot only did they make household names of environmental campaigners like \"Swampy\" but they arguably changed transport policy - road-building reduced massively.\n\nWe have seen tunnels more recently in 2017 in Coldharbour in Surrey in a protest against fracking so it's not a massive surprise we are seeing tunnels again.\n\nTunnelling in particular as a direct action slows down developers and it is expensive to dig out protesters safely.\n\nDisco Dave wrote: \"That ultimately is the purpose of tunnels and tree houses. To act as a deterrent warning the authorities that should they decide to evict, then it will hurt them where for them it hurts most - in the pocket.\"\n\nWhat will be interesting is if these tunnels have the same impact on HS2 as they did on the road-building programme of the late 1990s.\n\nWill it reframe HS2 so it will be seen in the same way as fracking or road building? Or can the argument still be made that it is a low-carbon form of travel even though it does cause some destruction of habitat?\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Baroness Floella Benjamin has spoken of her pride after receiving a first coronavirus vaccine dose.\n\nThe 71-year-old actress said she would wear a badge saying \"I've had the jab\" after being vaccinated.\n\nThe Lib Dem peer, who came to Britain in 1960 and was born in Trinidad, is known for appearing in the children's programme Play School and received a damehood last year.\n\nOver 6.8m people in the UK have now received a first vaccine dose.\n\nAs a member of the House of Lords, Baroness Benjamin has spoken regularly about the disproportionate effect of Covid-19 on black, Asian and minority ethnic communities as well as the knock-on impact of the pandemic.\n\nIn September, she told peers she knew two people who had taken their own lives \"because they could not cope with the uncertainty of the future\".\n\nShe is also a member of the Lords Covid-19 Committee.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Floella Benjamin This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThe government has set a target for all those in the top four priority groups - around 15 million - to be offered a vaccine by mid-February.\n\nTwo vaccines - developed by Pfizer-BioNTech and Oxford-AstraZeneca - are being used. A third, from Moderna, has been approved.\n\nAll have been shown to be safe and effective in trials with two doses needed to offer the best protection - now timed 12 weeks apart.\n\nIt comes as British Asian celebrities united to dispel myths about the coronavirus vaccine.\n\nComedians Romesh Ranganathan and Meera Syal and cricketer Moeen Ali appear in a video urging people to get a jab.\n\nA study from the Royal Society for Public Health found 57% of black, Asian and minority ethnic people said they would take the vaccine.\n\nThis figure compared with 79% of white people who would do so.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nAuthorities who dealt with a benefits claim from a single mother, who took a fatal overdose after her payments were cut, made 28 errors in managing her case, a coroner has found.\n\nPhilippa Day, 27, was found collapsed at her Nottingham home beside a letter rejecting her request for an at-home benefits assessment in August 2019.\n\nShe died after two months in a coma.\n\nNottingham Coroner's Court heard the way her claim was dealt with was the \"predominant factor\" in her overdose.\n\nRecording a narrative conclusion, coroner Gordon Clow said he could not determine whether she intended to die rather than put her life at risk.\n\nMiss Day, who had been diagnosed with unstable personality disorder, had been receiving disabled living allowance (DLA) payments as she had type 1 diabetes.\n\nThose payments stopped in January 2019 after she made an application for a personal independence payment (PIP), reducing her income from £228 a week to £60.\n\nThis, the inquest heard, was because a form she had sent went missing and her payments were not reinstated for months, despite her eligibility.\n\nThis led to her taking out short-term loans and ending up in debt.\n\nThe court heard in June, she called the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to say she was \"starving\" and \"couldn't survive like this for much longer\".\n\nPhilippa Day (left) took a fatal overdose and died in October 2019\n\nShe was then asked to attend a face-to-face assessment despite it being \"distressing\" for her, Mr Clow said.\n\nThe coroner added Miss Day's mental health problems were \"exacerbated\" by the benefits process.\n\nHe accepted it had been \"the last straw\" for Miss Day who was already experiencing a range of stressors.\n\nHe said: \"Were it not for this problem, it is not likely that she would have [overdosed] on the 7th or 8th of August.\"\n\nCall handlers repeatedly failed to flag that the case required \"additional support\" due to her mental health problems, the coroner said.\n\nThe DWP did not tell her community psychiatric nurse that she had not returned the form before refusing her application, which could have resolved the issue.\n\nThe coroner said call handlers received little to no training on personality disorders like Miss Day's - all that was available was a factsheet.\n\nCapita was made aware of the risks to Miss Day's health from a face-to-face interview by her community psychiatric nurse, but did not act on it, he added.\n\nMr Clow said: \"Given the sheer number of problems in the handling of her claim, I am unable to conclude that each of these was attributable to individual human error.\"\n\nHe concluded the failure to administer her benefit claim in a way that avoided exacerbating her mental health problems was the \"predominant factor\" that caused Miss Day to overdose.\n\nMr Clow recommended changes at both the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and Capita, the authorities involved.\n\nIn a prevention of future deaths report, Mr Clow said the DWP should consider timely mental health training for call handlers and address \"poor record keeping\".\n\nThe DWP and Capita were also directed to review the change of assessment process so that it does not \"create unnecessary distress\".\n\nA spokesman for the DWP said: \"This is a deeply tragic case. Our sincere condolences are with Miss Day's family and we will carefully consider the coroner's findings.\"\n\nA Capita spokesman said the company also apologised for the mistakes made.\n\n\"We have strengthened our processes over the last 18 months and are committed to continuously working to deliver a high-quality, empathetic service for every claimant,\" he said.\n\n\"In partnership with the DWP, we will act upon the coroner's findings and make further improvements to our processes.\"\n\nThis conclusion amounts to a near dismantling of the process for applying for the main disability benefit for people with psychiatric problems.\n\nWhile around 40% of claimants for personal independence payments have mental health conditions, the inquest found that call handlers for the DWP didn't receive adequate mental health training.\n\nThe coroner found there was an \"institutional assumption\" in the DWP that problems with a claim were the claimants' fault.\n\nLast year a report from the National Audit Office (NAO) found the department had investigated 69 suicides of benefit claimants since 2014-15.\n\nThere were more cases they could have looked into, said the NAO, but in any case the department couldn't demonstrate any improvements from their investigations had actually been implemented.\n\nFollow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Jane Fonda has had a glittering acting career spanning six decades\n\nUS actress Jane Fonda is to be honoured with a lifetime achievement award at next month's Golden Globes, which celebrate excellence in film and TV.\n\n\"Her undeniable talent has gained her the highest level of recognition,\" said the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA) - the ceremony's organiser.\n\n\"While her professional life has taken many turns, her unwavering commitment to evoking change has remained.\"\n\nFonda, 83, has had a glittering acting career spanning six decades.\n\nThe HFPA said she would be given the Cecil B deMille Award at the annual ceremony in Beverly Hills, California, on 28 February.\n\nThe Oscar-winning actress made her debut in 1960, later becoming one of the brightest Hollywood stars with films like Barbarella, Nine to Five and On Golden Pond.\n\nHer most recent performance was in the Netflix comedy series Grace and Frankie.\n\nFonda is also well known as a political activist, most recently as a campaigner against climate change. In 2016, she spent Thanksgiving among the protesters at Standing Rock, demonstrating against the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline.\n\nIn the 1960s she vocally opposed the Vietnam War.\n\nThe actress - who has written a book about how people can get involved in such activism - has been arrested several times during protests, and hopes her actions have raised awareness.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.", "Labour is calling for juries to be cut from 12 members to seven, to stem the \"gravest crisis\" in the justice system since World War Two.\n\nShadow justice secretary David Lammy said action was needed to clear the backlog of thousands of cases.\n\nHe argued that smaller juries and the use of more temporary courts would allow socially distanced trials.\n\nThe government has not ruled out such a move but insists measures it is taking to clear the backlog are working.\n\nLast week four criminal justice watchdogs warned that courts in England and Wales were straining under pressure from the coronavirus pandemic.\n\nJury trials ground to a halt at the start of the first lockdown, when people were advised to stay at home except in limited circumstances.\n\nWhen they resumed, there were severe delays and numerous cancellations due to social-distancing requirements.\n\nRecent figures revealed that the number of unheard cases in crown courts had reached a record 54,000.\n\nThe backlog means some from last year may not go before a jury until 2022, and it could be years before the courts get back on track.\n\nLabour wants the temporary return of so-called \"wartime juries\" of seven rather than 12 members to speed up the process.\n\n\"Victims of rape, murder, domestic abuse, robbery and assault are facing delays of up to four years because of the government's failure to act,\" Mr Lammy said.\n\nHe also urged the government to speed up the rollout of temporary \"Nightingale courts\" to hear civil, family and tribunals work, as well as non-custodial crime cases.\n\nTen of these were announced in July 2020 to help deal with the backlog in court proceedings, and 20 are now in operation across England and Wales.\n\nLeading lawyers are sceptical about Labour's proposal to reach back into wartime history.\n\nThe Criminal Bar Association - representing barristers who prosecute and defend trials - says a panel of seven may allow more courtrooms to be used, but it wouldn't solve what it says is chronic underfunding - and potentially undermines one of the most important safeguards in our society.\n\nThe Law Society, for solicitors, wants to see evidence that smaller panels would ease backlogs without risking injustices.\n\nThe Ministry of Justice's internal modelling calculated last year that reduced juries would lead to a 10% increase in cases - but that was before courtrooms received new Covid-proof screens that have allowed more trials to run.\n\nScotland's courts are using cinemas to host juries - and while that is not being actively discussed in England, it's not been ruled out either.\n\nEven if juries were slimmed, courts would still need to tightly control the number of defendants who can use their cells and courtroom docks to meet Public Health England's guidelines.\n\nIn April last year, the head of judiciary in England and Wales, Lord Burnett, backed the idea of reducing the number of jurors if social distancing continued.\n\nIn June, Justice Secretary Robert Buckland told the BBC he was \"very attracted\" by the idea of smaller juries, as had happened in wartime, and judge-only trials in less serious cases.\n\nThe Ministry of Justice says it has now installed plastic screens in more than 450 courtrooms and jury deliberation rooms to reduce Covid risks.\n\nIt says the safety measures are designed for 12-person juries and that the impact of lowering the number of jurors would be negligible.\n\nHowever, a spokesman said nothing was being ruled out and ministers were continuing to consider every option available to ensure courts recover quickly.\n\n\"This approach is already delivering results, with magistrates' backlogs falling significantly and the number of cases being dealt with in the crown courts reaching pre-Covid levels last month,\" he added.\n\nThe spokesman also said: \"We know more must be done and are investing £110m into a range of measures to drive this recovery further, including opening more Nightingale courts.\"", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Karen Hobbs, from Cardiff, had a heart attack and died, weeks after testing positive for Covid\n\nThe family of a 40-year-old mother-of-five who died with coronavirus have urged people to respect lockdown rules.\n\nKaren Hobbs had a heart attack and died, weeks after testing positive for Covid-19.\n\nThe former EasyJet cabin crew member developed symptoms a week before Christmas, was not able to get out of bed and started struggling to breathe.\n\nShe was taken to hospital and died on 19 January.\n\nKaren's sister Rachel Hobbs said her normally healthy sister became very ill over Christmas.\n\n\"She just looked dreadful, Christmas Day she was laid up in bed, she couldn't do anything,\" she said.\n\n\"I knew she was really bad but I'd never seen anybody like that before, it was shocking, for someone that healthy to be barely able to walk to a car is quite shocking.\"\n\nOn 2 January, Karen was put into an induced coma.\n\n\"She was really terrified, she said 'I need to come out of this and see my children again'. She never came out of it,\" her sister added.\n\nKaren Hobbs' children are now 14, 11, nine, eight and four.\n\nThe family were told Karen's organs were beginning to fail and she was \"going downhill\" about a week before she died, and they were allowed to visit.\n\n\"She did look a little bit better, she had more colour, she was quite puffy - swelling and a bit of a rash on her. Her lungs were struggling, so we came home a little bit shocked.\n\n\"They started feeding her in a tube and were able to move her, I thought perhaps she's recovering a little bit and then I had the phone call to say that she'd gone.\n\n\"Her body just couldn't take it any more. I don't think it's sunk in. I think the children are still in a bit of shock as well, I thought she would come out of it but she just had it so severe. \"\n\nKaren's children made her a get well soon card while she was in hospital\n\nRachel said her sister, from Cardiff, was healthy with no underlying conditions.\n\n\"She didn't go anywhere - she did online shopping, she was in the house - so we don't even know where it could have come from, she was one of the ones who stayed safest.\n\n\"It's just shocking to think a young mum of five is no longer here. They've lost their mum and they lost their grandfather and nan a couple of years ago so they must feel 'who will be next'?\n\nRachel Hobbs says it still has not sunk in that she has lost her sister\n\nRachel said her sister was a fantastic mother to her five children, aged 14, 11, nine, eight and four.\n\n\"I don't think the youngest understands, I think she thinks mummy's still just in the hospital.\n\n\"She was a very hands-on mum, she spent a lot of time with the children. She'd sit and play with them for hours, sit and colour, she was always there for them.\"\n\nRachel says her youngest niece does not yet understand what has happened to her mother\n\nRachel added that Karen had no patience with people who broke lockdown rules: \"She used to get quite annoyed about people who broke the rules and she wasn't slow on coming forward, she'd say it as well.\n\n\"It just goes to show how bad this virus is. She would say 'make sure you follow the rules because nobody is safe, it is real this virus, stay at home and only go out when you need to'.\"\n\nIn the days since Karen's death a fundraising page has been set up by friends to support her children and their dad, and has raised more than £20,000.\n\nKaren spoke of how frightened she was in her final post on Facebook\n\n\"I'm absolutely amazed at how generous people have been and how kind people have been, the community has come together and I think she'd be proud too that it's raising awareness about the pandemic.\n\n\"That'll help the children going forward now. Out of a bad thing, it's been nice people getting in touch, kind words, messages, little things about what she was like.\"\n\nKaren loved colouring and playing with her children, her sister said", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Boris Johnson joined the production line at the Lighthouse Laboratory in Glasgow for the unpacking of Covid tests\n\nBoris Johnson has insisted that Scotland's independence debate is \"irrelevant\" to most people as he urged the country to unite against Covid.\n\nThe PM was speaking during a trip to Scotland to emphasise the strength of the UK working together during the pandemic.\n\nThe SNP said he was panicking as opinion polls show declining support for the union.\n\nFirst Minister Nicola Sturgeon also questioned if his trip is essential.\n\nThe PM started his day-long visit by going to the Lighthouse Laboratory - which processes Covid tests - at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital campus in Glasgow.\n\nHe later visited troops who are setting up a vaccination centre in the Castlemilk area of the city, and toured the Valneva vaccine factory in Livingston.\n\nThe factory is expected to deliver 60 million doses to the UK by the end of the year if its vaccine is approved.\n\nMr Johnson used the visit to argue that the priority should be \"fighting this pandemic and coming back more strongly together\" rather than arguing about the constitution.\n\nAnd he praised the \"amazing performance\" of Scottish people in the \"national effort\" to fight the pandemic.\n\nThe prime minister said: \"I think endless talk about a referendum without any clear description of what the constitutional situation would be after that referendum is completely irrelevant now to the concerns of most people\".\n\nMr Johnson also criticised the SNP's record in government, and added: \"We don't actually know what the referendum would set out to achieve.\n\n\"We don't know what the point of it would be - what happens to the army, what happens to the Crown, what happens to the pound, what happens to the Foreign Office. Nobody will tell us what it's all meant to be about.\"\n\nHe told reporters that \"the very same people\" who wanted independence \"also said only a few years ago, in 2014, that this was a once-in-a-generation event\".\n\n\"I'm inclined to stick with what they said last time,\" Mr Johnson said.\n\nMr Johnson met troops who are setting up a vaccination centre\n\nUnder the current Covid regulations, people are only able to travel between Scotland and England for essential reasons, with similar regulations also in place to stop travel across council boundaries within Scotland.\n\nAsked at her daily coronavirus briefing on Wednesday how she felt about the prime minister's visit while the strict travel restrictions were in place, Ms Sturgeon replied she was \"not ecstatic\" about it.\n\nShe argued that leaders should abide by the same rules they impose on the general public, adding that she had herself rejected a suggested visit to a vaccine centre in Aberdeen for this reason.\n\nDowning Street has insisted it is important for the prime minister to be \"visible and accessible\" across the whole of the UK during the pandemic.\n\nIn response to Ms Sturgeon's criticism, the prime minister's official spokesman said: \"These are Covid-related visits. You've seen the prime minister do a number of them over the past few weeks.\n\n\"It is obviously important that he is continuing to meet and see those who are on the front line in terms of those who are providing tests, in terms of those who are working so hard to deliver the vaccination plan.\"\n\nMr Johnson's visit to Scotland is widely seen as being part of a \"charm offensive\" in response to polls indicating a rise in support for independence.\n\nHowever, polls have also suggested that the independence question is currently a lower priority for many people than other issues such as the pandemic, health and education.\n\nA series of opinion polls have suggested that support for independence is now ahead of support for remaining in the UK\n\nCabinet Office Minister Michael Gove said it was \"only right\" the prime minister visited people on the front line of the vaccine roll-out to make sure it is operating effectively.\n\nHe told BBC Breakfast Mr Johnson has visited other crucial locations in the UK's pandemic response, such as the Wrexham plant making the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, adding: \"No one thinks that's illegitimate.\"\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer also said he backed the visit. \"I'm with the prime minister on this one,\" he told LBC Radio.\n\n\"He is the prime minister of the UK. It's important that he travels to see what is going on, on the ground.\"\n\nIt comes as the Scottish government sets out its budget, described as the \"most important in the history of devolution\" in the wake of huge spending increases to support people and businesses during the pandemic.\n\nBoris Johnson had a clear purpose on his visit to Scotland - to talk up what he calls the power of cooperation across the UK.\n\nDressed in white lab coat and protective gear, he was happy to tell me how the UK government is supporting the fight against coronavirus in Scotland.\n\nThat includes spending lots of money supporting jobs and businesses, building test centres, and procuring vaccine supplies from companies like the one he was visiting in Livingston.\n\nNo matter what the prime minister does, or that the UK and Scottish governments are following broadly similar Covid strategies - the public in Scotland perceives that Nicola Sturgeon and her team are handling the pandemic response better.\n\nThis visit was controversial because it happened during lockdown but it went ahead because the UK government recognises how much work it has to do to make the case for the union in Scotland, with Scottish elections due in May when the question of indyref2 will be to the fore.\n\nOn Sunday, the SNP revealed an 11-point \"roadmap to a referendum\" on Scottish independence, which sets out how the party intends to take forward its plan for another vote on the issue.\n\nIt says a \"legal referendum\" will be held after the pandemic if there is a pro-independence majority at Holyrood following May's election.\n\nAnd it says it will \"vigorously oppose\" any legal challenge from the UK government.\n\nNicola Sturgeon's SNP has published a \"roadmap\" aimed at holding a legal referendum once the pandemic ends\n\nMr Johnson has repeatedly stated his opposition to a referendum, and has suggested that another one should not be held for 40 years.\n\nOpposition parties in Scotland have also accused Ms Sturgeon and the SNP of putting the push for independence ahead of the Covid pandemic.\n\nBut SNP deputy leader Keith Brown said the prime minister's trip was evidence that he is in a \"panic\" about the prospect of another referendum.", "Jonathan Mok posted a selfie and another photo of his injuries on Facebook\n\nA 16-year-old boy has been sentenced for racially attacking a Singapore student who was told \"we don't want your coronavirus in our country\".\n\nJonathan Mok was beaten up on Oxford Street last February by a group of boys in an \"unprovoked attack\".\n\nThe teenager was convicted of racially aggravated grievous bodily harm following a trial at Highbury Corner Youth Court.\n\nThe chair of the bench gave the boy an 18-month youth rehabilitation order.\n\nHe was also ordered to wear an electronic tag, follow a curfew order between 20:00 and 07:00 for 10 weeks and must pay £600 compensation to Mr Mok.\n\nChair of the bench Mervyn Mandell warned that had he been an adult he \"would have gone to jail for a very long time\".\n\n\"This was an unprovoked attack for no reason other than his [Mr Mok's] appearance,\" he said.\n\nJonathan Mok had been walking home after having dinner in central London\n\nMr Mok, 23, suffered a complicated fracture to his nose and cheekbone which required surgery, screws and stitches.\n\nImages of his swollen eye were shared widely on social media following the attack.\n\nThe court heard previously how the UCL law student turned around after a friend of the attacker made a remark about coronavirus towards him.\n\nWitnesses described a \"commotion on the street\" where Mr Mok and his friend were \"confronted by a group of white males\".\n\nThey heard someone shout \"you are diseased don't come near me\".\n\nMr Mok was then punched in the face. The teenager joined the attack and continued to punch and kick Mr Mok.\n\nProsecutor Simon Maughan said the teenager was \"quick to get involved\" in the group attack.\n\nA victim impact statement read out on behalf of Mr Mok said the crime had \"taken a heavy toll\" on him and his family.\n\nHe added: \"My legal education had to be halted for a month due to surgery and follow up medical appointments.\n\n\"I have anxiety and have problems sleeping. I believe the defendant is a threat to Singaporeans and South East Asians. He has shown no remorse.\"\n\nThe teenager's defence barrister Gerard Pitt said the boy handed himself in following a police CCTV appeal last March.\n\nNo-one else has been charged in connection with the attack.\n\nMr Pitt said: \"He has always maintained he did not say anything about coronavirus and that was vindicated at the trial.\"\n\nThe court heard Mr Mok could not be 100% sure the defendant was the boy who said anything about coronavirus.\n\nThe boy had no previous convictions, but had two youth cautions for common assaults, the court was told.\n\nBefore being sentenced the teenager said: \"When I saw the picture I felt disgusted.\n\nFor more London news follow on Facebook, on Twitter, on Instagram and subscribe to our YouTube channel.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Robin Swann says all health workers are valued and have worked tirelessly during the pandemic\n\nHealth workers in Northern Ireland are to get a \"special recognition\" payment for their work during the pandemic.\n\nIt is intended that all staff will receive a payment of £500, said Health Minister Robin Swann.\n\nHowever, it will be subject to approval from the Department of Finance.\n\nThere had been calls from some political parties and health unions for staff to be recognised for their efforts.\n\nScotland has already announced a similar one-off payment and Mr Swann said it would reflect the \"principle of parity\".\n\n\"There are no words to properly convey what health workers have done for us, we will never be able to repay that debt,\" added the minister.\n\nThe development comes as Northern Ireland's Department of Health has recorded 16 more coronavirus-related deaths, taking its toll so far to 1,779.\n\nA further 527 people have tested positive for the virus in the past 24 hours.\n\nThere are 775 people in Northern Ireland's hospitals who are being treated for the virus - 68 of them are in intensive care and the number of people requiring ventilators has risen to 56.\n\nIn the Republic of Ireland, 54 more Covid-19 related deaths were recorded on Wednesday. It brings the Republic of Ireland's death toll to 3,120.\n\nThe Irish Department of Health also confirmed 1,335 more Covid-19 cases.\n\nSpeaking at the weekly health news conference on Wednesday, Mr Swann said the pandemic had caused \"destruction\" and left \"heartbreak in its wake\".\n\n\"Staying at home is making a difference. The R-number has been moving in the right direction,\" he said.\n\n\"We have to sustain and build on that progress.\"\n\nThe reproductive rate of the virus - known as the R rate, measures the infection rate of Covid-19 and had risen to about 1.8 after Christmas relaxations.\n\nIt has been falling since lockdown restrictions were introduced on 26 December, and Chief Medical Officer Dr Michael McBride said NI's R-number for hospital admissions has now fallen back below one.\n\nBut he warned that the pressure on the system was still significant and would continue for several more weeks.\n\nHe added that there would need to be a \"sustained\" drop in the figures before relaxations of the lockdown could be considered by the executive.\n\nIt has also been confirmed that the number of people in Northern Ireland who have received their first Covid-19 now stands at 168,140.\n\nMore than 50,000 people aged over 80 have been vaccinated.\n\nOn the payment to health workers, Mr Swann said it would \"not be without its challenges\" but that he valued all staff in the health service.\n\n\"For some people, especially some of our lower paid workers, it may in fact have an adverse impact on their social security payments or supports that recipients may be claiming,\" he added.\n\n\"I have written to the ministers of finance and communities asking them to urgently consider the issue and to engage with the tax and benefit authorities in Great Britain to request that these payments are excluded from consideration in this regard.\"\n\nThere will also be a one-off payment of £2,000 for all non-salaried students on clinical placements in the health service.\n\nMr Swann added that he intends to provide a one-off payment for carers as well, describing them as \"among the greatest unsung heroes\" of the pandemic.\n\nBut he said: \"There is still more work to be done in this regard and it will be significantly more complex to administer than the staff payment.\"\n\nKevin McAdam, who is from Unite the union, said the \"recognition payments\" will be allocated with assurances that this will not affect pay negotiations with healthcare workers.\n\nMr McAdam welcomed that health care workers and non-salaried students on placements will be \"receiving something more tangible than applause\".\n\n\"The student payment is a recognition payment, it does not solve the problems around whether student placements should be paid, I think that is an argument for another day.\"\n\nMeanwhile, a senior Department of Finance official has warned there is \"a higher than usual risk\" of some £430m unspent by the NI Executive being returned to the Treasury.\n\nMinisters must submit further funding bids, or risk it being handed back at the end of the financial year.\n\nA department official, Jeff McGuinness, said the Treasury was being pressed to show flexibility in carrying unspent money over but added that it was \"imperative\" Stormont pressed ahead, rather then rely on agreement from Treasury.\n\nHe said the other devolved administrations were also asking the Treasury for similar levels of carry-forward of unspent fiscal allocations.", "More than 127,000 people in the UK who contracted coronavirus have lost their lives - with the pandemic claiming more than 3.4 million deaths worldwide. As the UK marks a year since the first coronavirus lockdown was called, it's a time for reflection.\n\nWe have gathered tributes to more than 770 of those who have died. Below are words of remembrance from friends, family and colleagues.\n\nPlease enable JavaScript or upgrade your browser to see this interactive\n\nThe tributes are displayed at random, which means that you will see different faces each time you visit this page.\n\nIf we have used your tribute to your friend or family member, it will appear in the carousel above, or you can find it by entering their name in the search box below.\n\nA modern browser with JavaScript and a stable internet connection is required to view this interactive. Enter a name to search the tributes\n\nFor more on NHS and healthcare workers, please see this page dedicated to 100 people who died while helping to look after others.\n\nFor more on how it has affected people's lives, from family tragedy to its impact on everyday life, we have a collection of personal stories about life in lockdown.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "The limit on a single payment using contactless card technology could rise to £100 - more than double the current limit.\n\nThe coronavirus pandemic led to larger amounts spent via contactless payments on debit cards, credit cards, and cards connected to smartphones.\n\nIt has been less than a year since the limit was raised from £30 to £45.\n\nThe Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said it will consult \"shortly\" on a change in the rules.\n\n\"It is important that payments regulation keeps pace with consumer and merchant expectations,\" the regulator said.\n\n\"Recognising changing behaviour in how people pay, as part of a wider consultation, we will shortly be seeking views on amending our rules to allow for a possible increase in the contactless limit to £100.\"\n\nThe FCA can set the boundaries for payments, under its rules, but the card issuers would have the power to set the actual limits.\n\nThe pandemic has changed the way we pay for things\n\nThe use of contactless technology by consumers has risen sharply in recent years, with more services adopting the technology and most shops offering it as an option.\n\nTo protect workers and consumers during the Covid outbreak, an increase to the current limit of £45 was rushed through by the regulator in April last year.\n\nThe latest figures show that the proportion of contactless payments had fallen slightly compared with pre-pandemic levels, because lockdown measures hit the use of pubs, restaurant, and public transport. They accounted for 41% of card transactions.\n\nHowever, there was a 16% increase in the total value of contactless payments in the UK in October, compared with the same month a year earlier, the latest data from UK Finance - which represents banks - shows.\n\nThe amount spent on contactless hit a monthly record in August, boosted by the Eat Out to Help Out scheme and fewer coronavirus-related restrictions. A total of £8.4bn was spent on credit and debit cards using contactless during that month.\n\n\"The industry believes that a more flexible approach could be merited in future, which takes into account consumer demand, fraud prevention, security and convenience,\" said a spokesman for UK Finance.\n\n\"Contactless is one of a range of payment methods and the industry will also continue to work closely with the regulator to ensure that customers can pay in a way that suits them.\"\n\nHowever, there may be less enthusiasm from some shopkeepers concerned about higher-value theft as a result of the proposed changes.\n\nAndrew Cregan, payments policy advisor at the British Retail Consortium, said: \"We have concerns about raising the contactless limit, with losses from incomplete contactless payments at self-checkouts currently costing retailers millions in lost revenue.\n\n\"Card companies should take measures to reduce incomplete payments and we urge customers to make sure their own transactions always go through. However, the overwhelming priority at the moment must be for the government to address the rocketing card fees.\"", "The UK has identified 77 cases of the coronavirus variant first detected in South Africa, the health secretary has said.\n\nCases are linked to travellers arriving in the UK, rather than community transmission, Matt Hancock added.\n\nHe told the BBC's Andrew Marr cases were under \"very close\" observation and enhanced contact tracing was under way.\n\nMinisters are due to meet on Monday to consider imposing tougher restrictions on people arriving from abroad.\n\nScientists have said there is a chance the South African variant may harm the effectiveness of current vaccines.\n\nMeanwhile, Mr Hancock said that \"three quarters of all the 80-year-olds in the country and a similar number of care homes\" have received their first doses of the vaccine.\n\nBoth the Pfizer-BioNTech and Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines require two doses, and figures so far reflect those given the first dose.\n\nMr Hancock said that it was \"far too early to say\" what proportion of the population needed to be vaccinated before lockdown restrictions could be eased.\n\nAll viruses, including the one that causes Covid-19, mutate, and variants have been first located in the UK, South Africa and Brazil.\n\nThe South Africa variant has been found in at least 20 other countries, including the UK.\n\nMr Hancock said that all the South Africa variant cases in the UK were linked to travel.\n\n\"That's why we have got such stringent border measures in place against movement from South Africa,\" he added.\n\nThe UK closed all travel corridors last week until at least 15 February, with almost all travellers arriving in the country now required to show proof of a negative Covid-19 test to be allowed entry.\n\nPrime Minister Boris Johnson has not ruled out bringing in tougher measures at UK borders, telling a Downing Street news conference on Friday: \"We don't want to put that (efforts to control Covid) at risk by having a new variant come back in.\"\n\nMinisters are set to discuss whether to tighten border restrictions further, including the possibility of hotel quarantines for travellers.\n\nMr Hancock said: \"We have got to be cautious at the borders.\"\n\nAsked for a date on when lockdown restrictions might end, Mr Hancock said it was \"one of the many things that we don't yet know the answer to\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Matt Hancock on easing restrictions: \"We don't know the answer\"\n\nGovernment data on 14 January showed there were 35 confirmed cases of the South Africa variant identified in the UK, and a further 12 \"probable\" cases.\n\nMr Hancock said nine cases of the Brazil variant had been found in the UK, adding \"we are monitoring each and every one very closely\".\n\nShadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show that Labour had been \"pushing the government to take tougher measures at the border since last spring\".\n\nShe said: \"We would fully expect the government to bring in tougher quarantine measures, we would expect them to roll out a proper testing strategy and we would expect them as well to start checking up on the people who are quarantining.\n\n\"Only three out of every hundred people who are asked to quarantine when they arrive into the UK actually face any checks at all - that's just simply not sufficient.\"\n\nOn Friday, Mr Johnson said there was \"some evidence\" the UK variant may be associated with \"a higher degree of mortality\".\n\nThe UK government's chief scientific officer, Sir Patrick Vallance, said there was \"a lot of uncertainty around these numbers\" but that early evidence suggested the variant could be about 30% more deadly.\n\nThe PM said on Friday that there was evidence that both the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine and Oxford-AstraZeneca jab were effective against the variant first detected in the UK.\n\nSir Patrick has warned that the variants in South Africa and Brazil might \"have certain features which means they might be less susceptible to vaccines\".\n\nBut he said \"there is no evidence\" that the two variants have transmission advantages over those already in the UK and so having cases here doesn't mean \"they will take off\".\n\nMeanwhile, England's deputy chief medical officer warned that people who have received a Covid-19 vaccine could still pass the virus on to others and should continue following lockdown rules.\n\nWriting in the Sunday Telegraph, Prof Jonathan Van-Tam stressed that scientists \"do not yet know the impact of the vaccine on transmission\".\n\nHe said vaccines offer \"hope\" but infection rates must come down quickly.\n\nIt's a key question but the fact is that no one can be sure.\n\nThat's because the trials of the vaccines explored the safety of the drugs and how well they prevent people from becoming ill - with good results for both.\n\nBut they did not investigate whether vaccination also stops infection and therefore whether people who've been immunised can still spread the virus to others.\n\nIf a vaccinated person did become infected, they probably wouldn't realise because they wouldn't have any symptoms. That's why health officials and ministers are so concerned.\n\nIt's possible that the antibodies boosted by the vaccine suppress the effects of the virus but don't eliminate it from the upper airway.\n\nMany scientists are cautiously hopeful that in this scenario, the amount of virus would be reduced but they're waiting for the results of studies under way now.\n\nAnd until there's an answer, it's difficult to calculate how and when it's safe to ease restrictions and allow people to mix again.\n\nA further 610 deaths within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test were reported in the UK on Sunday - down from 671 deaths last Sunday - in addition to 30,004 new infections.\n\nThe number of positive cases has fallen for the fourth day in a row and is the lowest figure since before Christmas.\n\nThe death figures tend to be lower on a Sunday and Monday because of weekend lags in reporting of the data.\n\nMeanwhile, more than six million people have had their first dose of a Covid vaccine - with the figure now standing at 6,353,321.\n\nNadhim Zahawi, the minister responsible for the vaccine rollout, said on Twitter that 6,353,321 of the \"most vulnerable and frontline heroes\" had received a first dose of the vaccine, but there was still \"much more to do\".\n\nThere were 4,076 Covid patients in mechanical ventilation beds in UK hospitals as of Friday, according to government data.\n\nThat is higher than during the first wave, when the peak was 3,301 on 12 April.", "A banned driver in a stolen car who drove into a police officer on his motorbike has been detained for three years at a young offender's institute.\n\nPC Steve Lovering was deliberately hit by Callum Fellows in Oldbury, West Midlands, after recognising him as a car crime suspect, police said.\n\nFellows, 18, admitted dangerous driving, driving while disqualified and assault at Wolverhampton Crown Court.\n\nFootage from 27 August shows Fellows reversing and knocking Mr Lovering off his bike \"sending him sprawling into the road\" before he sped off on the wrong side of the road and through red traffic lights.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The prime minister said he knew pupils and teachers wanted \"nothing more than to get back to the classroom\"\n\nSchools in England will not be able to reopen to all pupils after the February half-term, but could do so from 8 March, the prime minister has said.\n\nBoris Johnson said this was the earliest schools could reopen and \"depends on lots of things going right\".\n\nThe BBC has been told the aim is for all schools and year groups in England to return at the same time.\n\nTheir return would mark the first stage in lifting the lockdown, the PM said.\n\nHe told a Downing Street news conference: \"The date of 8 March is the earliest that we think it is sensible to set for schools to go back and obviously we hope that all schools will go back.\"\n\n\"I'm hopeful, but that's the earliest that we can do it and it depends on lots of things going right, and... it also depends on us all now continuing to work together to drive down the incidence of the disease through the basic methods we've used throughout this pandemic,\" he added.\n\nThere was not enough data yet to decide when to end the lockdown, he said, but intended to set out a plan for how it could be eased - and the criteria involved - in the final week of February\n\nBBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg described the 8 March date as \"very much a hope and certainly not a guarantee\".\n\nMeanwhile, a further 1,725 people have died in the UK within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test, according to the latest government figures. The UK's official coronavirus death toll surpassed 100,000 on Tuesday.\n\nMr Johnson told MPs the country remained in a \"perilous situation\" as he said UK nationals and residents arriving from 30 high-risk countries would soon be ordered to quarantine in hotels.\n\nHe revealed a plan for the \"gradual and phased\" lifting of the lockdown in England could come in the week beginning 22 February.\n\nOther restrictions on daily life could be eased after schools reopen, but he explained this would depend on hitting vaccination targets, the capacity of the NHS, and deaths falling.\n\nAn earlier plan for mass testing for pupils and staff remains in place, the BBC has been told.\n\nEngland's schools have been closed to all but vulnerable children and those of key workers since the Christmas break.\n\nIn Scotland, it is hoped schools may begin a phased return in the middle of February.\n\nIn Wales, measures including school and college closures will be reviewed on Friday. In Northern Ireland, a review will take place on Thursday.\n\nThe prime minister said he understood frustration among pupils and teachers \"and for parents and for carers who spent so many months juggling their day jobs, not only with home schooling but meeting the myriad other demands of their children from breakfast until bedtime\".\n\nThe government initially planned to review England's lockdown measures - including school closures - on 15 February, which had raised hopes that pupils could return to classes after half term.\n\nAcknowledging the impact of continued school closures, Mr Johnson pledged to \"work with parents, teachers and schools to develop a long-term plan to make sure that pupils have the chance to make up their learning\" before 2024.\n\nHe said £300m \"of new money to schools\" would fund a catch-up programme over the coming year, with financial incentives for providers to educate pupils who have missed lessons due to the pandemic.\n\nAfter complaints about confusion and drift about when schools in England are going back, Boris Johnson has sought to bring some certainty.\n\nThey won't be going back straight after half term - but the target date will be 8 March.\n\nSources say the aim is for all schools and year groups in England, in primary and secondary, to return back on that date - rather than it being the starting date of a phased or regional return.\n\nAlthough that could be subject to any changes in local Covid-19 levels.\n\nWhen schools do go back it is expected there will be mass testing for pupils and staff, in the scheme initially planned for the start of term.\n\nIt still leaves parents home schooling for another five weeks - and means most of this term will have been without face-to-face lessons.\n\nThis will be a particular worry for pupils heading for whatever replaces GCSEs and A-levels this summer, after almost a full year of stop-start lessons.\n\nHead teachers say the delay is \"no surprise\" - and reopening must be done safely.\n\nAnd Labour says half term should be used to vaccinate teachers to help schools stay open.\n\nBut the prime minister will hope that parents would rather have some clarity about what's happening with schools, even if that means a longer delay.\n\nTeachers' and head teachers' unions said they supported reopening schools but added that it must be safe and not rushed.\n\nMary Bousted, joint general secretary of the National Education Union, said that although the most vulnerable would be protected by March, most parents would not be.\n\n\"It fails completely to recognise the role schools have played in community transmission. The prime minister has already forgotten what he told the nation at the beginning of this lockdown, that schools are a 'vector for transmission',\" she said.\n\nPaul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders' union NAHT, said the government needs to work with head teachers to review safety measures and create a \"workable plan\" for schools to reopen fully.\n\n\"The government will also have to put effort into reassuring families that it is safe to send their children back to school - there is a confidence test the government must pass to make the return a success,\" he said.\n• None How are Covid rules changing across UK schools?", "Times Radio's Tom Newton-Dunn asked about transmission rates in people given the vaccine Image caption: Times Radio's Tom Newton-Dunn asked about transmission rates in people given the vaccine\n\nTom Newton Dunn from Times Radio asks what we know so far about the rate at which people who have had the vaccine can transmit coronavirus.\n\nJonathan Van Tam says there is no clear data on how the vaccine impacts transmission of coronavirus but there are studies working on finding out and we will have that information in time.\n\nHe said the question is less \"will they\" and more \"to what extent\" do they stop transmission.\n\nSir Patrick Vallance says \"you don't have vaccines of this efficacy without there being some effect on transmission\".\n\nHe says it's an important question as \"it will also determine to what extent these vaccines can be used across wider society to reduce transmission overall\".\n\nNewton Dunn asks how the prime minister came to the date of 8 March to reopen schools and whether it would have been \"wiser to wait until you were sure\".\n\nThe prime minister says the date depends on the vaccines working in reducing mortality and serious disease.... and we need to make sure the infection rate is in the right place.\n\n\"We will keep it all under constant review,\" he says.", "Already 100,000 people in the UK have died with Covid, according to the official count. The idea of 100,000 deaths is hard for many of us to comprehend. But each was a human being who lived and loved in their own unique way. This is the story of one of them.\n\nBy 3:01am, alone in a hospital room, Ann Fitzgerald reached for her phone. This would be her last chance to contact her husband of four decades, the man she'd raised two children with, her Tony - to Ann, he was always her Tony.\n\nThe couple had made a pact. So long as Ann was in hospital with Covid, Tony would spend his nights dozing upright in a chair at their bungalow in Pewfall, Merseyside. That way, he would wake up if there was a message alert.\n\nIt wasn't much of a sacrifice, Tony thought, not when the woman he'd loved for 47 years was all by herself and frightened. And besides, each time his phone bleeped Tony would know she was still alive, and silently he'd thank the stars.\n\nAnd so in the early hours of Tuesday 7 April, Ann's last message arrived. She'd summoned the energy to take a farewell selfie as she lay in bed wearing an oxygen mask. \"She must have thought: 'Here's something so you won't forget me,'\" says Tony.\n\nTwo-and-a-half hours later, Ann was dead. She was 65, a mother, a wife, a neighbour, a colleague and a friend, and one of 999 people in the UK who died that day with the novel coronavirus.\n\nSoon after the hospital rang and told Tony of her death, he was at her bedside, dressed from head to toe in PPE. No visitors had been allowed to see her while she was alive, but now she was gone it was apparently fine - for reasons he didn't understand.\n\nTony wept as he apologised to his wife's lifeless body for letting her go like this, with no loved ones by her side. Then he turned and cursed the sterile white hospital ceiling and walls, because they'd been with her at the end and he hadn't.\n\nBack then, few could have imagined the UK's death toll would reach 100,000, or anything close to it.\n\nAt that point, the tally stood at 10,000; three weeks previously the UK government's Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance had said limiting the final figure to twice that sum would be a \"good outcome\".\n\nNow, 10 months on, the total number of people in the UK who have died within 28 days of a coronavirus diagnosis has increased tenfold, while UK excess deaths in 2020 were at their highest level since World War Two. The UK has had one of the highest rates of recorded coronavirus deaths in the world so far.\n\nBy any measure, 100,000 is a devastating amount, roughly equivalent to two Premier League football grounds, or the number of people who attend the Reading festival every year. For many people, the sheer scale of loss conveyed by the figure will be impossible to grasp.\n\n\"Numbers with lots of zeros are very difficult to interpret, and can be made to look large or small,\" says Sir David Spiegelhalter, a statistician at the University of Cambridge.\n\n\"If I say that 100,000 deaths is two months' worth of normal mortality, then it may not look so bad. If I say that it is more than all the [UK] civilian deaths in WW2, or as if everyone in a city the size of Durham got killed, then it sounds worse. It is challenging to adequately convey such a large number of individual tragedies.\"\n\nBut while many may have become numb to the daily death figures, behind every statistic is a real life lost - a real life like Ann's. \"That is why this arbitrary numerical milestone is important,\" says Hetan Shah, chief executive of the British Academy and a former executive director of the Royal Statistical Society. \"It is a chance to reflect again on the terrible toll this pandemic has taken on so many British families.\"\n\nIn a Manchester nightclub one evening in 1973, 18-year-old Tony felt a tap on his arm. It was Ann, a year his senior, whom he knew by sight as a barmaid in one of the city-centre pubs he sometimes drank in. She'd always stood out to him, with her olive skin and striking good looks, but he'd never dared imagine she might be interested in him romantically.\n\n\"I'm here with that fella over there,\" she told him, gesturing towards across the room. \"But I don't like him and I don't know what to do.\"\n\nTony walked over to Ann's date and told him to clear off. Then Tony returned to Ann, and the two of them had a drink together, and then another. Before long they were a couple and Tony decided he was the luckiest man in the world.\n\nSoon he learned all about Ann's background. Her Lithuanian-born Jewish father had died when she was two years old, and with her mother unable to cope she'd been passed between relatives throughout her childhood. By 16 she was living in a bedsit, supporting herself with waitressing and bar work - she'd also been employed at the legendary art-deco Kardoma café on Market Street and at George Best's nightclub, Oscar's.\n\n\"As a consequence of her upbringing she was really, really independent,\" says Tony. \"She was really good at talking to people, and she was sharp - the sharpest, wittiest person I've ever met.\"\n\nThey rented a flat in Fallowfield together and made it their home. After Ann was offered relief work running bars around Manchester, Tony quit his job as a sales rep to join her. Eventually, in 1981, they took on their own pub. It was in what was then a tough part of Salford, but Ann had grown up nearby and knew how to handle the local characters: \"She could have you in stitches, but she could throw you a look, and you knew you had to behave yourself,\" Tony says.\n\nThe couple were offered the chance to take on another pub in Sale Moor. They thought they were going upmarket, but it turned out to be quite the reverse; Tony would joke that he should take away all the tables and chairs and install a boxing ring instead.\n\nBut Ann wasn't intimidated by anyone. According to Tony, when a notorious local villain turned up and demanded a free drink, Ann stood her ground: \"My husband's name is above the front door, and he pays for his drinks, so you're going to pay for yours,\" she told him. Impressed, the villain ended up buying one for Ann instead.\n\nShe and Tony knew it was time to quit when burglars broke in one night while their baby daughter slept in her cot upstairs. Tony went back on the road as a salesman; Ann worked variously as a debt counsellor, an incident manager for the RAC, and a sales trainer at a cotton firm. Their children, Gary, and Rachel, never once heard them argue, Tony says.\n\nFor six years the couple had a stall at Altrincham Market selling women's clothes. \"People would come, not necessarily to buy something - they just wanted to see Ann,\" says Tony. \"And as a consequence, they'd buy something they didn't really want.\" Each time this happened, Ann would give Tony a wink.\n\nBy the start of 2020, Ann and Tony were looking forward to a long retirement together. Both their children had left home, and they'd recently moved to the bungalow. The news broadcasts had begun describing a deadly pandemic that had spread from China. But Ann wasn't leaving the house much while she recovered from an operation to replace both hips.\n\nThen one Thursday in March she went for a haircut; she asked for the colour to be darkened slightly too, and when he first saw her afterwards Tony told her how much he loved it. Ann mentioned that the hairdresser had been coughing.\n\nThree days later, Ann began coughing too, and soon afterwards so did Tony. But with a fever, she felt worse, and within a few more days she was barely able to stand. She asked Tony to call 999.\n\nThe paramedics helped her to the ambulance. It haunts Tony now that he didn't hug or kiss her as they said goodbye. \"Neither of us thought for one moment that it would be the last day I would ever see her alive,\" he says. She told him they'd probably give her antibiotics and he could come and pick her up in a few hours.\n\nBut later that day she phoned him to say the doctors suspected Covid and they would be keeping her in. As in many hospitals during the first wave, no visiting was allowed.\n\nTony could only stay in touch with her by phone. When a doctor told him the next 24 hours were critical, he didn't tell Ann, because he knew how scared she was already by then.\n\nBut he did pass on something else the medic had said - that they were deeply impressed by her upbeat attitude and fighting spirit. Tony told her, too, that he believed she would be home soon: \"I had to say that to keep her fighting, and fight she did for 10 days.\"\n\nThe last time they spoke was Saturday 4 April. Ann told Tony she thought she'd turned a corner; she'd eaten a sandwich and some yoghurt. After that, talking became too difficult for her; she wasn't in intensive care but the mask she wore to help her breathe was getting in the way.\n\nThree days after their last conversation, Tony was sitting in a white hospital room beside Ann's body. He sat with her there for an hour. He didn't just apologise, he also promised he'd make sure she was remembered properly. When it was time to leave, a nurse gave him a booklet about bereavement and a black bag in which to put Ann's belongings. Tony carried them along a hospital corridor, wondering how he would tell Gary and Rachel their mum was dead.\n\nThere are eight photographs of Ann in Tony's living room. In each of them she looks full of joy. \"Every time I look around, there's a picture of Ann somewhere,\" Tony says. \"She's smiling and I'm thinking, 'If only I could turn back the clock.' But I can't, you know, and nor can all those other families and relations, either.\"\n\nNearly 10 months after Ann's death, Tony finds himself resenting the home he's been left alone inside. If they hadn't moved there, he reasons, Ann wouldn't have gone to that hairdresser's that day and caught the virus - she'd still be alive, perhaps.\n\nHe feels robbed of the 20 additional years he hoped they'd spend together, as surely will thousands of other bereaved relatives. While the impact on the very oldest has been widely recognised, those who might have looked forward to a long retirement have been badly hit, too - during the pandemic, around 15% of all UK fatalities with Covid mentioned on the death certificate have been among those aged 65-74.\n\nTony desperately wishes his life would go back to how it was, but knows it won't.\n\nAnn's funeral didn't give him any closure. Tony would rather she had been buried, but the undertaker warned him to hurry - extra restrictions could be introduced any time - so he took the date that was offered by the crematorium.\n\nAs it was, under the rules that were already in force, only 10 mourners were permitted, spaced out around the chapel. No flowers or photographs on display, no hugging.\n\nTony understood why all this was necessary - but it wasn't the celebration of Ann's bright, gregarious, love-filled life that he thought she deserved. He'd have to plan another one when all this was over.\n\nAs the months went on, Tony joined online Covid support groups. It helped talking to others who understood how it felt to have lost someone. There was the family of a 19-year-old boy. A woman who was mourning both her mum and her dad. Another woman whose husband had died in the car as she drove him to hospital.\n\nHe thought of these stories each time he switched on the news and watched the Covid mortality figures climb higher and higher. Behind these cold statistics were human lives. And each was as unique as Ann, with a personality and backstory entirely of their own.\n\nIt would have been Ann and Tony's 41st wedding anniversary on 6 October, the day before the six-month anniversary of her death. The following month, a few days after the UK's Covid death toll reached 50,000, Tony once again felt Ann's absence bitterly on what would have been her 66th birthday.\n\n\"Christmas was a nightmare for me,\" he says. Under the rules for the festive season, Gary and Rachel and their partners were able to be there with him, and cooking lunch kept him busy most of the day. But afterwards, when he was on his own again, the reality hit that another celebration had gone by without Ann beside him, and Tony sat down and sobbed.\n\nFor millions the arrival of the Covid vaccines has brought hope, but it is a cold comfort for those who have lost someone. If every one of the 100,000 were loved by a dozen people, \"that's a million people in Britain who have been bereaved\", says the bioethicist and sociologist Prof Sir Tom Shakespeare. \"We need a national monument, some form of remembering.\"\n\nTony is not one of those who will find it hard to grasp the significance of this bleak milestone.\n\n\"To me it's 100,000 poor souls fighting for breath, and they've not had a hug from anyone in their family,\" he says. \"There's a name - there's a person behind that number. And then they've passed away, and the family goes through the grief that I've been through - the numbness, the shock, the anguish and the pain to come.\"", "Microsoft has reported booming demand for its Xbox gaming consoles as the pandemic continues to lift the fortunes of the American tech giant.\n\nIts Azure cloud computing services also got a boost due to a surge in working and learning from home.\n\nThe gains helped push the firm's overall revenue up 17% to a record $43.1bn (£31.4bn).\n\nBut its growth came as the virus continues to weigh on other industries.\n\nMicrosoft boss Satya Nadella said the firm is benefiting from a long-term shift in behaviour.\n\n\"What we have witnessed over the past year is the dawn of a second wave of digital transformation sweeping every company and every industry,\" he said.\n\nXbox sales jumped 40% in the three months to 31 December while Azure services soared 50%.\n\nThe virus continues to weigh on industries outside of tech\n\nThe pandemic has prompted many firms to switch to remote working, while keeping many entertainment options outside of the home off-limits.\n\nMicrosoft has seized on the changes, focusing energy on updating its remote work software options.\n\nThe firm also released two new Xbox consoles in November, helping to boost the performance of its personal computing unit.\n\nMicrosoft's gaming business topped $5bn in quarterly sales for the first time ever due to gaming subscriptions and sales as well as new consoles.\n\nThe firm said profits in the quarter rose 33% compared with last year to $15.5bn.\n\nIts shares - which climbed roughly 40% last year - were up another 4% in after-hours trade,\n\n\"These were blow out numbers that will be another feather in the cap for the tech sector as the cloud growth party is just getting started,\" said Dan Ives, an analyst at Wedbush Securities.\n\nBut the gains enjoyed by tech firms like Microsoft stand in contrast to the ongoing struggles seen in other industries such as hospitality, retail and travel.\n\nCoffee chain Starbucks on Tuesday said its sales in the last three months of 2020 fell roughly 5% compared to 2019, driven by a drop in business in the US where concerns about Covid-19 have prompted authorities to urge people to stay at home.\n\nIn China, where the virus is under more control, sales rose 5%, the company said.\n\nThe firm said it expected business to return to growth in the next few months, including in the critical US market.\n\nBut profits in the quarter dropped 30% to $622.2m compared with last year, sending the firm's shares lower in after-hours trade.", "Apple sales have hit another record, as families loaded up on the firm's latest phones, laptops and gadgets during the Christmas period.\n\nSales in the last three months of 2020 hit more than $111bn (£81bn) - up 21% from the prior year.\n\nThe gains come as the pandemic pushes more activity online, fuelling demand for new technology.\n\nApple now counts more than 1.65 billion active devices globally, including more than 1 billion iPhones.\n\nApple's gains follow the release of its new iPhone 12 suite of phones, which executives said had convinced a record number of people to switch to the company or upgrade from older models.\n\nThe firm said growth in China - where the pandemic has already loosened its grip on the economy - was particularly strong, helped in part by demand for phones compatible with new 5G networks.\n\nSales in the firm's greater China region, which includes Hong Kong and Taiwan, jumped 57%. In Europe, sales roles 17%, and they rose 11% in the Americas.\n\n\"The products are doing very well all around the world,\" said Luca Maestri, Apple's chief financial officer. \"As we look ahead into the March quarter, we're very optimistic.\"\n\nAnalyst Dan Ives of Wedbush Securities said he thought the firm was just at the beginning of a \"super-cycle\" as Apple devotees finally trade in old phones, coinciding with upgrades to telecommunications networks.\n\n\"With 5G now in the cards and roughly 40% of its 'golden jewel' iPhone installed base not upgrading their phones in the last 3.5 years, [Apple chief Tim] Cook & Co have the stage set for a renaissance of growth,\" he wrote.\n\nBig Tech is having an exceptionally lucrative pandemic.\n\nIt's hard not to be wowed by some of these figures.\n\nThat Apple recorded more than $100bn in sales in just three months is simply astonishing.\n\nFacebook figures are also well up on where they were last year.\n\nAs other companies have struggled to survive, Big Tech has flourished.\n\nThere are other reasons for some of these incredible figures. Certainly it seems iPhone enthusiasts were holding out for the new 5G enabled iPhone12.\n\nBut it's not just Apple and Facebook, all of the massive tech companies are having a bumper year.\n\nCovid-19 means people are spending more time indoors - buying things online, watching things online and chatting online.\n\nPerhaps then it's no surprise that these companies are posting record breaking figures.\n\nBut others point to these figures as yet more evidence that Big Tech has become too big to fail.\n\nThese figures are impressive. But they also attract the attention of politicians who are increasingly asking difficult questions - like are these tech mega companies operating in a market that is fair and with enough competition?\n\nApple said profits in the quarter reached nearly $28.8bn, up 29% compared with the same quarter last year.\n\nThe gains seen by technology firms like Apple contrast with losses hitting many other economic sectors, as the virus restricts activity and keeps shoppers at home.\n\nOther tech firms, such as Microsoft and Facebook, have also enjoyed strong growth.\n\nFacebook on Wednesday said increased online shopping during the pandemic helped lift ad revenue in the quarter by 30%.\n\nThe number of people active on its apps - which also include WhatsApp and Instagram - also rose to 2.6 billion daily, up 15% compared to 2019.\n\nIt said ad spending could slow as the Covid crisis relaxes and shopper appetite returns for services like travel rather than products.\n\nIt also warned that plans by Apple to change how it shares user data could weigh on growth.", "The ink and watercolour maps are believed to have been created the year after the battle\n\nHand-drawn, Elizabethan-era maps depicting the Spanish Armada have been saved for the nation after £600,000 was raised to buy them.\n\nThe 10 maps, believed to have been drawn the year after the famous battle of 1588, were sold to an overseas buyer in July but an export ban was imposed.\n\nThe National Museum of the Royal Navy (NMRN) in Portsmouth raised the money in eight weeks.\n\nIt is now seeking further funds to put the maps on display for the first time.\n\nIt is believed the drawings, completed by an unknown draughtsman, possibly from the Netherlands, were based on a set of engravings from the same year by Elizabethan cartographer Robert Adams.\n\nIn the summer of 1588 the Spanish Armada set sail for England after decades of hostility between Spain's Catholic King Philip II and the Protestant Queen Elizabeth I.\n\nIt is regarded as one of the most significant naval battles in history, when the English fleet of 66 ships defeated the Armada, twice its size, by sailing fire ships into its formation off Calais.\n\nThe English fleet defeated the Spanish Armada in the English Channel in 1588\n\nThe ink and watercolour maps were sold for £600,000, but culture minister Caroline Dinenage imposed an export ban until January and called for a museum or institution to raise funds to purchase them.\n\nNMRN director general Prof Dominic Tweddle said members of the public had \"dug deep in extremely difficult times\".\n\nThe target was reached with the help of £212,800 from the National Heritage Memorial Fund and £200,000 from the Art Fund.\n\nMs Dinenage said: \"The export bar system exists so we can keep nationally important works in the country and I am delighted that, thanks to the tireless work of the National Museum of the Royal Navy, the Armada maps will now go on display to educate and inspire future generations.\"\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Prof Chris Whitty said it was a very sad day, as the UK surpassed 100,000 Covid deaths\n\nThe number of daily coronavirus deaths in the UK is likely to come down \"relatively slowly\", England's chief medical officer has warned.\n\nProf Chris Whitty said the UK was going to see \"a lot more deaths\" over the next few weeks before the effects of the vaccination programme were felt.\n\nCurrent restrictions were \"just about holding\" in lowering infection rates, he told a Downing Street briefing.\n\nIt comes as the UK surpassed 100,000 coronavirus deaths on Tuesday.\n\nA further 1,631 deaths within 28 days of a positive test were recorded in the daily figures.\n\nAnd 20,089 coronavirus cases were reported on Tuesday, continuing a downward trend in the number of UK cases seen in recent days.\n\nProf Whitty told a Downing Street news conference the rolling seven-day average for deaths was 1,242 - \"an incredibly high number\" - and unlikely to come down quickly.\n\n\"I think we have to be realistic that the rate of mortality, the number of people dying a day, will come down relatively slowly over the next two weeks - and will probably be flat for a while now.\"\n\nProf Whitty said the number of people testing positive for coronavirus was \"still at a very high number, but it has been coming down\".\n\nBut he cautioned against relaxing restrictions \"too early\", as Office for National Statistics data showed a \"rather slower\" decrease.\n\nThe number of people in hospital with Covid-19 in the UK had \"flattened off\", he said, but was still an \"incredibly high number\" and \"substantially above the peak in April\".\n\nProf Whitty said the new, more transmissible variant discovered in the south east of England at the end of last year had altered the UK's situation \"very substantially\" and had made it \"much harder\" to bring infection levels down.\n\n\"We were worried two weeks ago that the measures we have at the moment were not enough to hold this new variant,\" he told the news conference.\n\n\"I think what the data I showed you at the beginning of the slide sessions shows is that the rates are just about holding with the new variant, with what everybody's doing.\n\n\"It's going to be much harder because of this new variant and I think we have to be realistic about that.\"\n\nSir Simon Stevens, chief executive of NHS England, said that more than a quarter of a million severely ill coronavirus patients have been looked after in hospital since the pandemic started last year.\n\n\"This is not a year that anybody is going to want to remember nor is it a year that across the health service any of us will ever forget,\" he said.\n\nThe daily Covid figures have seen the number of deaths top 100,000. But they also contain some signs of hope.\n\nJust over 20,000 new infections have been reported - down from 22,000 yesterday.\n\nThis compares to an average of 60,000 at the start of the year.\n\nIt is a sharp fall, although Prof Whitty cautions it may actually be a little slower than that.\n\nNot everyone who is infected comes forward for testing and the government surveillance programme which involves random testing of the population suggests the fall has not been quite so great.\n\nNonetheless, it is clear the infection rate is coming down - and that offers hope.\n\nHospital cases have plateaued and should soon start falling. That will eventually lead to a reduction in the number of deaths.\n\nThen, in February, the vaccination programme should start having an impact, leading, hopefully, to a rapid drop in deaths.\n\nPrime Minister Boris Johnson told the briefing the coronavirus infection rate remained \"pretty forbiddingly high\" to ease lockdown restrictions, which have been in place in England since 5 January.\n\nBut he said \"at a certain stage we will want to be getting things open\".\n\nHe added: \"What I will be doing in the course of the next few days and weeks is setting out in more detail, as soon as we can, when and how we want to get things open again.\"\n\nUnder the national lockdown, people in England must stay at home and only go out for limited reasons - including for food shopping, exercise, or work if they cannot do so from home. Similar measures are in place across much of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.\n\nMeanwhile, the epidemiologist whose modelling prompted the UK government to impose the first lockdown has told BBC Radio 4's PM he believes more action in autumn last year could have \"drastically reduced\" the number of lives lost in the second wave - some 60,000.\n\nProf Neil Ferguson said: \"They couldn't have been eliminated, but they could have been drastically reduced by earlier action, unfortunately.\n\n\"How much is difficult to judge, the new variant was unpredictable and did change our understanding of how much was needed to control spread, but we did just let the autumn wave get to far, far too high infection levels.\"\n\nReacting to the UK's death toll, Mr Johnson said he took \"full responsibility\" for the government's actions, but added: \"We truly did everything we could.\"", "Parents are struggling with the sense of uncertainty, says psychologist\n\nHome schooling can be tough. It's difficult to concentrate, there's emotional exhaustion, boredom, a lack of motivation and it's really hard not going out to see friends. And that's just the parents.\n\nThis winter lockdown is taking its toll on families, now struggling even more on the black ice of uncertainty as no-one can say when schools in England are going to reopen for most pupils again.\n\n\"There's a sense of fatigue,\" says Jacqueline Smallwood, who is at home with three secondary-school children. She says her own \"concentration levels have fallen dramatically\".\n\n\"It's so repetitive that it just makes you feel tired,\" she says of the latest lockdown and the \"silent struggle\" facing both parents and their children to try to get motivated.\n\nHome school shows no sign of coming to an early end\n\nThere might have been some guilty enjoyment at the start of the year when the school term was initially delayed, not having to get up and out on cold January mornings.\n\nUntil it dawned on them that this was becoming something much longer than a few weeks.\n\nIt's morphed from early January to half term in mid-February and now maybe Easter in early April or even later. And Jacqueline says, as a matter of \"respect\", parents need to know what's happening about schools.\n\nThe confusion over a return date seems to have further frayed the nerves of parents.\n\nThe mother, who lives outside Canterbury in Kent, says she worries about the pressures building up on young people.\n\nFor teenagers like her sons, she says this \"should be a pivotal time in their lives,\" when they're beginning to get some independence and when social lives are hugely important - but instead they're stuck inside with their parents.\n\n\"We can't live like the Waltons forever,\" she says, referencing the US TV series of a folksy family relying on each other.\n\nJacqueline says families are finding this latest lockdown tougher than the spring or summer\n\nThe first lockdown created an unexpected sense of togetherness, an \"enforced bonding\" that she says turned out to be a \"massive positive\".\n\nBut Jacqueline, who works as a writer, sees no such upside to the latest lockdown. There is a collective frustration - and she says it has been made even worse by the confusion about when schools will go back.\n\nThe online home-schooling seems to be working, she says, with teachers trying to boost the enthusiasm levels, but it's no real substitute for being in school. And she wants much more clarity about when they will go back.\n\n\"I've tried not to be political about decisions being made, but you can't help but feel disappointed. They don't seem to understand how real people are living,\" she says.\n\nShe says when politicians say maybe schools will or won't be back by Easter, they don't realise how much that uncertainty affects families trying to plan for what comes next.\n\nEducational psychologist Dan O'Hare says the \"key word is 'uncertainty'\".\n\nLiving on a laptop can take its toll on parents having to work and home school their children\n\nNot knowing what is coming next adds to the pressure, he says, and children out of school are already facing big unknowns such as what's going to happen about exams or when will they see their friends and teachers.\n\n\"It's really stressful for children and their families,\" says Dr O'Hare, who is co-chair of the British Psychological Society's division for educational and child psychology. \"They need a sense of a plan.\"\n\nThis lockdown is also in the depths of winter - and he says employers need to think about making sure staff working from home are able to take a break in daylight hours, so that families can get outside.\n\nIt's no use asking parents to answer work emails all day and expect them to go out when it's dark.\n\nSchools have been providing more online lessons in this lockdown\n\nFor some families it has got very difficult.\n\n\"It's affected her emotionally a lot,\" says Dave in Bolton, who is worrying about his six-year-old daughter, who has been crying because she misses her friends.\n\n\"It's awful, you can't put a positive spin on it. She's at that age where she's enjoying her friends, becoming more socialised,\" he told BBC 5 Live.\n\n\"She's quite a confident little girl and I can't help worry that being stuck at home is going to impact her in the longer term.\"\n\nThe father says many of her classmates are still going into school - and that makes it even harder when she sees her friends on school Zoom calls.\n\nEmployers should make sure that parents' working hours allow them to get out in daylight, says psychologist\n\nJen Locke in Newcastle makes the point that women can often be \"the most adversely affected by the decision to keep schools closed\".\n\nShe says home schooling has \"fallen squarely on my shoulders\", helping her children in the day and then shifting her work with an IT company into the evening, so it's an early start through to a very late finish.\n\n\"It's a huge mental strain… I'm knackered from it all,\" she says, right down to trying to get children to bed who aren't tired because they're not going out.\n\nA lockdown weariness seems to be out there, despite the best efforts of schools.\n\nSimon Armstrong in Bristol, whose son is in secondary school, says: \"Virtual lessons, no matter how well delivered, are a woeful substitute for real lessons.\"\n\n\"I am at the end of my tether,\" he says.\n\nThe Department for Education said: \"We are committed to reopening schools as soon as the public health picture allows, and will inform schools, parents and pupils of plans ahead of February half term.\"\n\nBut Labour has accused the government of causing \"chaos and confusion\" for parents and schools.\n\nThe National Association of Head Teachers said: \"Now is the moment for calm heads to decide on a sustainable return to school, not another chaotic and last-minute set of decisions that could easily result in a yo-yo return to lockdown.\"", "The Army sent a bomb disposal unit to Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine producer Wockhardt's unit\n\nProduction of the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine has resumed at a plant after it was suspended when a suspicious package was received.\n\nThe Wockhardt UK plant on Wrexham Industrial Estate was evacuated and the Army sent a bomb disposal unit.\n\nPolice said the package had been made safe and its contents would be \"taken away for analysis\".\n\nWockhardt said staff had been allowed to return and its production schedule had not been affected.\n\nBoth Downing Street and Wales' First Minister Mark Drakeford had been receiving updates on the incident since police were called at about 10:40 GMT.\n\nA police cordon was put in place near the plant and the public were asked to keep away. There are no reports of any injuries.\n\n\"There are no wider concerns for public safety, however, some roads on the industrial estate will remain closed whilst we continue our investigations,\" North Wales Police said in a statement.\n\nPolice have asked the public to keep away from the site in Wrexham\n\nForensic police officers were seen examining items on the road outside the plant, which remained closed after the cordon had been lifted.\n\nWockhardt UK said: \"We can confirm that the investigation on the suspicious package received today has been concluded.\n\n\"Given that staff safety is our main priority, manufacturing was temporarily paused whilst this took place safely.\n\n\"We can now confirm that the package was made safe and staff are now being allowed back into the facility.\n\n\"This temporary suspension of manufacturing has in no way affected our production schedule and we are grateful to the authorities and experts for their swift response and resolution of the incident.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. 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The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nIn an earlier statement, the global pharmaceutical and biotechnology company confirmed it had \"partially evacuated\" its site to protect staff.\n\nThe Wrexham plant has the capability to produce about 300 million doses of the vaccine a year.\n\nEarlier on Wednesday, John Roberts, who runs CMS Wrexham Ltd, next door to the plant, said he heard a \"big bang\" at about 11:35 GMT - although he could not say where the noise came from.\n\n\"We're next door to Wockhardt. Three of us were talking then we heard a hell of an explosion or a bang,\" he said.\n\n\"I went outside, couldn't see anything. I looked the other side and two blokes were on the roof.\n\n\"The next thing the police had blocked off the road and were looking in the bushes.\"\n\nPolice were at the scene on Wrexham Industrial Estate for most of the day\n\nA police cordon had been put in place near the Wockhardt plant\n\nHis son Mark Roberts said: \"The police just closed the road off and we've heard there's a bomb disposal unit.\n\n\"They've been here about an hour or so - we're on tenterhooks.\n\n\"Boris Johnson toured the factory around December time, so I wonder if that's raised the profile, as it's where they make the Oxford vaccine.\"\n\nThe Wrexham plant has the capability to produce about 300 million doses of the vaccine a year\n\nDave Picken, 53, who lives near Wrexham Industrial Estate, said: \"We've seen lots of police cars and a fire engine.\n\n\"Bomb disposal are here with a robot. We were closer to the factory but police told us to move and cordoned off a bigger area.\n\n\"I did ask an officer how big the bomb is but he said he couldn't say it's a bomb.\"\n\nPrime Minister Boris Johnson saw the production line for vaccines when he visited the factory\n\nVisiting the plant in November, Prime Minister Boris Johnson it could provide \"salvation for humanity\".\n\nWockhardt UK entered an agreement in August to help prepare the vaccine for distribution.\n\nWhen the company's contract was announced, Ravi Limaye, managing director, said: \"We are immensely proud to have been selected to partner with the UK government on this project.\n\n\"We have a sophisticated sterile manufacturing facility and a highly skilled workforce.\"\n\nOn Thursday, Wrexham council leader Mark Pritchard said teams had worked to ensure the vaccine was not lost in the floods.\n\nThe Welsh Government said there had been \"no adverse effects\" on the coronavirus vaccine roll-out.", "Already 100,000 people in the UK have died with Covid, according to the official count. The idea of 100,000 deaths is hard for many of us to comprehend. But each was a human being who lived and loved in their own unique way. This is the story of one of them.\n\nBy 3:01am, alone in a hospital room, Ann Fitzgerald reached for her phone. This would be her last chance to contact her husband of four decades, the man she'd raised two children with, her Tony - to Ann, he was always her Tony.\n\nThe couple had made a pact. So long as Ann was in hospital with Covid, Tony would spend his nights dozing upright in a chair at their bungalow in Pewfall, Merseyside. That way, he would wake up if there was a message alert.\n\nIt wasn't much of a sacrifice, Tony thought, not when the woman he'd loved for 47 years was all by herself and frightened. And besides, each time his phone bleeped Tony would know she was still alive, and silently he'd thank the stars.\n\nAnd so in the early hours of Tuesday 7 April, Ann's last message arrived. She'd summoned the energy to take a farewell selfie as she lay in bed wearing an oxygen mask. \"She must have thought: 'Here's something so you won't forget me,'\" says Tony.\n\nTwo-and-a-half hours later, Ann was dead. She was 65, a mother, a wife, a neighbour, a colleague and a friend, and one of 999 people in the UK who died that day with the novel coronavirus.\n\nSoon after the hospital rang and told Tony of her death, he was at her bedside, dressed from head to toe in PPE. No visitors had been allowed to see her while she was alive, but now she was gone it was apparently fine - for reasons he didn't understand.\n\nTony wept as he apologised to his wife's lifeless body for letting her go like this, with no loved ones by her side. Then he turned and cursed the sterile white hospital ceiling and walls, because they'd been with her at the end and he hadn't.\n\nBack then, few could have imagined the UK's death toll would reach 100,000, or anything close to it.\n\nAt that point, the tally stood at 10,000; three weeks previously the UK government's Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance had said limiting the final figure to twice that sum would be a \"good outcome\".\n\nNow, 10 months on, the total number of people in the UK who have died within 28 days of a coronavirus diagnosis has increased tenfold, while UK excess deaths in 2020 were at their highest level since World War Two. The UK has had one of the highest rates of recorded coronavirus deaths in the world so far.\n\nBy any measure, 100,000 is a devastating amount, roughly equivalent to two Premier League football grounds, or the number of people who attend the Reading festival every year. For many people, the sheer scale of loss conveyed by the figure will be impossible to grasp.\n\n\"Numbers with lots of zeros are very difficult to interpret, and can be made to look large or small,\" says Sir David Spiegelhalter, a statistician at the University of Cambridge.\n\n\"If I say that 100,000 deaths is two months' worth of normal mortality, then it may not look so bad. If I say that it is more than all the [UK] civilian deaths in WW2, or as if everyone in a city the size of Durham got killed, then it sounds worse. It is challenging to adequately convey such a large number of individual tragedies.\"\n\nBut while many may have become numb to the daily death figures, behind every statistic is a real life lost - a real life like Ann's. \"That is why this arbitrary numerical milestone is important,\" says Hetan Shah, chief executive of the British Academy and a former executive director of the Royal Statistical Society. \"It is a chance to reflect again on the terrible toll this pandemic has taken on so many British families.\"\n\nIn a Manchester nightclub one evening in 1973, 18-year-old Tony felt a tap on his arm. It was Ann, a year his senior, whom he knew by sight as a barmaid in one of the city-centre pubs he sometimes drank in. She'd always stood out to him, with her olive skin and striking good looks, but he'd never dared imagine she might be interested in him romantically.\n\n\"I'm here with that fella over there,\" she told him, gesturing towards across the room. \"But I don't like him and I don't know what to do.\"\n\nTony walked over to Ann's date and told him to clear off. Then Tony returned to Ann, and the two of them had a drink together, and then another. Before long they were a couple and Tony decided he was the luckiest man in the world.\n\nSoon he learned all about Ann's background. Her Lithuanian-born Jewish father had died when she was two years old, and with her mother unable to cope she'd been passed between relatives throughout her childhood. By 16 she was living in a bedsit, supporting herself with waitressing and bar work - she'd also been employed at the legendary art-deco Kardoma café on Market Street and at George Best's nightclub, Oscar's.\n\n\"As a consequence of her upbringing she was really, really independent,\" says Tony. \"She was really good at talking to people, and she was sharp - the sharpest, wittiest person I've ever met.\"\n\nThey rented a flat in Fallowfield together and made it their home. After Ann was offered relief work running bars around Manchester, Tony quit his job as a sales rep to join her. Eventually, in 1981, they took on their own pub. It was in what was then a tough part of Salford, but Ann had grown up nearby and knew how to handle the local characters: \"She could have you in stitches, but she could throw you a look, and you knew you had to behave yourself,\" Tony says.\n\nThe couple were offered the chance to take on another pub in Sale Moor. They thought they were going upmarket, but it turned out to be quite the reverse; Tony would joke that he should take away all the tables and chairs and install a boxing ring instead.\n\nBut Ann wasn't intimidated by anyone. According to Tony, when a notorious local villain turned up and demanded a free drink, Ann stood her ground: \"My husband's name is above the front door, and he pays for his drinks, so you're going to pay for yours,\" she told him. Impressed, the villain ended up buying one for Ann instead.\n\nShe and Tony knew it was time to quit when burglars broke in one night while their baby daughter slept in her cot upstairs. Tony went back on the road as a salesman; Ann worked variously as a debt counsellor, an incident manager for the RAC, and a sales trainer at a cotton firm. Their children, Gary, and Rachel, never once heard them argue, Tony says.\n\nFor six years the couple had a stall at Altrincham Market selling women's clothes. \"People would come, not necessarily to buy something - they just wanted to see Ann,\" says Tony. \"And as a consequence, they'd buy something they didn't really want.\" Each time this happened, Ann would give Tony a wink.\n\nBy the start of 2020, Ann and Tony were looking forward to a long retirement together. Both their children had left home, and they'd recently moved to the bungalow. The news broadcasts had begun describing a deadly pandemic that had spread from China. But Ann wasn't leaving the house much while she recovered from an operation to replace both hips.\n\nThen one Thursday in March she went for a haircut; she asked for the colour to be darkened slightly too, and when he first saw her afterwards Tony told her how much he loved it. Ann mentioned that the hairdresser had been coughing.\n\nThree days later, Ann began coughing too, and soon afterwards so did Tony. But with a fever, she felt worse, and within a few more days she was barely able to stand. She asked Tony to call 999.\n\nThe paramedics helped her to the ambulance. It haunts Tony now that he didn't hug or kiss her as they said goodbye. \"Neither of us thought for one moment that it would be the last day I would ever see her alive,\" he says. She told him they'd probably give her antibiotics and he could come and pick her up in a few hours.\n\nBut later that day she phoned him to say the doctors suspected Covid and they would be keeping her in. As in many hospitals during the first wave, no visiting was allowed.\n\nTony could only stay in touch with her by phone. When a doctor told him the next 24 hours were critical, he didn't tell Ann, because he knew how scared she was already by then.\n\nBut he did pass on something else the medic had said - that they were deeply impressed by her upbeat attitude and fighting spirit. Tony told her, too, that he believed she would be home soon: \"I had to say that to keep her fighting, and fight she did for 10 days.\"\n\nThe last time they spoke was Saturday 4 April. Ann told Tony she thought she'd turned a corner; she'd eaten a sandwich and some yoghurt. After that, talking became too difficult for her; she wasn't in intensive care but the mask she wore to help her breathe was getting in the way.\n\nThree days after their last conversation, Tony was sitting in a white hospital room beside Ann's body. He sat with her there for an hour. He didn't just apologise, he also promised he'd make sure she was remembered properly. When it was time to leave, a nurse gave him a booklet about bereavement and a black bag in which to put Ann's belongings. Tony carried them along a hospital corridor, wondering how he would tell Gary and Rachel their mum was dead.\n\nThere are eight photographs of Ann in Tony's living room. In each of them she looks full of joy. \"Every time I look around, there's a picture of Ann somewhere,\" Tony says. \"She's smiling and I'm thinking, 'If only I could turn back the clock.' But I can't, you know, and nor can all those other families and relations, either.\"\n\nNearly 10 months after Ann's death, Tony finds himself resenting the home he's been left alone inside. If they hadn't moved there, he reasons, Ann wouldn't have gone to that hairdresser's that day and caught the virus - she'd still be alive, perhaps.\n\nHe feels robbed of the 20 additional years he hoped they'd spend together, as surely will thousands of other bereaved relatives. While the impact on the very oldest has been widely recognised, those who might have looked forward to a long retirement have been badly hit, too - during the pandemic, around 15% of all UK fatalities with Covid mentioned on the death certificate have been among those aged 65-74.\n\nTony desperately wishes his life would go back to how it was, but knows it won't.\n\nAnn's funeral didn't give him any closure. Tony would rather she had been buried, but the undertaker warned him to hurry - extra restrictions could be introduced any time - so he took the date that was offered by the crematorium.\n\nAs it was, under the rules that were already in force, only 10 mourners were permitted, spaced out around the chapel. No flowers or photographs on display, no hugging.\n\nTony understood why all this was necessary - but it wasn't the celebration of Ann's bright, gregarious, love-filled life that he thought she deserved. He'd have to plan another one when all this was over.\n\nAs the months went on, Tony joined online Covid support groups. It helped talking to others who understood how it felt to have lost someone. There was the family of a 19-year-old boy. A woman who was mourning both her mum and her dad. Another woman whose husband had died in the car as she drove him to hospital.\n\nHe thought of these stories each time he switched on the news and watched the Covid mortality figures climb higher and higher. Behind these cold statistics were human lives. And each was as unique as Ann, with a personality and backstory entirely of their own.\n\nIt would have been Ann and Tony's 41st wedding anniversary on 6 October, the day before the six-month anniversary of her death. The following month, a few days after the UK's Covid death toll reached 50,000, Tony once again felt Ann's absence bitterly on what would have been her 66th birthday.\n\n\"Christmas was a nightmare for me,\" he says. Under the rules for the festive season, Gary and Rachel and their partners were able to be there with him, and cooking lunch kept him busy most of the day. But afterwards, when he was on his own again, the reality hit that another celebration had gone by without Ann beside him, and Tony sat down and sobbed.\n\nFor millions the arrival of the Covid vaccines has brought hope, but it is a cold comfort for those who have lost someone. If every one of the 100,000 were loved by a dozen people, \"that's a million people in Britain who have been bereaved\", says the bioethicist and sociologist Prof Sir Tom Shakespeare. \"We need a national monument, some form of remembering.\"\n\nTony is not one of those who will find it hard to grasp the significance of this bleak milestone.\n\n\"To me it's 100,000 poor souls fighting for breath, and they've not had a hug from anyone in their family,\" he says. \"There's a name - there's a person behind that number. And then they've passed away, and the family goes through the grief that I've been through - the numbness, the shock, the anguish and the pain to come.\"", "The police officers were on duty when they had their hair cut, the Met says\n\nThirty-one Met Police officers who broke coronavirus rules to get haircuts are facing £200 fines.\n\nTwo officers who hired a barber to give the cuts to staff at Bethnal Green Police Station, on 17 January, are also facing misconduct investigations, the Met said.\n\nUnder current lockdown restrictions in England, barbers and hairdressers are not allowed to work.\n\nDet Ch Supt Marcus Barnett said he was \"deeply disappointed\" in the officers.\n\n\"Although officers donated money to charity as part of the haircut, this does not excuse them from what was a very poor decision,\" he said. \"I expect a lot more of them.\n\n\"Quite rightly, the public expect police to be role models in following the regulations, which are designed to prevent the spread of this deadly virus.\"\n\nThe investigation comes after fines were handed out to nine officers who were caught eating breakfast together in a Greenwich café.\n\nAll those officers were issued with a £200 fixed penalty notice.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Actor Elliot Page and choreographer Emma Portner have decided to divorce after three years of marriage.\n\n\"After much thought and careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to divorce following our separation last summer,\" the Canadian couple said in a statement.\n\n\"We have the utmost respect for each other and remain close friends.\" They provided no further details.\n\nPage, the 33-year-old Oscar-nominated actor, came out as transgender in 2020.\n\nThat decision was widely praised by his many fans and fellow actors.\n\nPage said at the time that he could not \"begin to express how remarkable it feels to finally love who I am enough to pursue my authentic self\".\n\nHe also used the occasion to address discrimination towards trans people.\n\nPage received international acclaim for starring as a pregnant teenager in the 2007 film Juno. Other major films include Inception and the X-Men series, while the actor has more recently starred in Netflix series The Umbrella Academy.\n\nPortner, 26, has said she has always supported Page's decision to come out.", "The famous event has been held at London's Royal Hospital Chelsea since 1913\n\nThe Chelsea Flower Show will take place in September for the first time in its history as a result of the pandemic.\n\nOrganisers had planned to hold a six-day show in May but announced it would be postponed as there was no guarantee what tier London would be in then.\n\nA virtual show will take place in May like in 2020, with the physical event taking place later at London's Royal Hospital Chelsea.\n\nThe Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) said it would be a \"moment in history\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Chelsea Flower Show exhibitors had to display their gardens online last year\n\nThe world-famous show has been taking place for 108 years but has never happened in September.\n\nThis year's event will go ahead between 21-26 September, with the virtual event showing online from 18-23 May.\n\nIt is usually filled with spring and summer colours but the RHS said it hoped the delay will allow a celebration of autumn horticulture.\n\nThousands of people normally attend the week-long event\n\nThe society, which runs the event, said it had a responsibility to exhibitors, visitors, volunteers and staff to delay the flower show, as more people would be vaccinated and levels of infection may have reduced substantially.\n\nDirector general Sue Biggs said: \"Whilst we are sad to have had to delay RHS Chelsea and are sorry for the disruption this will cause, we are excited that we are still planning to bring the world's best-loved gardening event to the nation at a time when more people are gardening more than ever.\n\n\"We know that the autumn dates may not be suitable for everyone, but with our fantastic industry partners we will do everything we can to support them and create a show that will be a moment in history,\" she added.\n\nThose who bought tickets for the event when it was due to happen in May will be contacted by the RHS.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Nadhim Zahawi: \"We have 367m vaccines from seven different manufacturers that we have contracted with\"\n\nSupplies of vaccines are \"tight\" but the UK believes it will receive enough doses to meet its targets, the vaccine minister has said.\n\nNadhim Zahawi told BBC Breakfast manufacturers were \"confident\" they would deliver for the UK amid warnings of production delays.\n\nIt comes as the EU said it might tighten vaccine export controls.\n\nCountries should avoid \"vaccine nationalism\" and ensure a fair global supply, Mr Zahawi said.\n\nMeanwhile, more than 100,000 people have died with Covid-19 in the UK, after 1,631 deaths within 28 days of a positive test were recorded in the daily figures.\n\nMr Zahawi said the vaccination programme was still on track to deliver a first dose to 15 million of the most vulnerable by mid-February and to offer all adults their first dose by autumn.\n\nHe said the UK had supplies of the Oxford vaccine manufactured domestically by AstraZeneca as well as the Pfizer one, which is made in Belgium.\n\nThe government is also planning to publish figures on the take-up of the vaccine by ethnicity from Thursday, following concerns that some black, Asian and ethnic minority communities were more hesitant to get the jab.\n\n\"I'm confident we will meet our mid-February target and continue beyond that,\" Mr Zahawi told the BBC.\n\n\"Supplies are tight, they continue to be, these are new manufacturing processes,\" he added. \"It's lumpy and bumpy, it gets better and stabilises and improves going forward.\"\n\nBut he declined to say that he had received guarantees about the number of doses the UK would receive from Pfizer or other manufacturers and refused to confirm how many doses had already arrived.\n\nThe prime minister's spokesman said AstraZeneca had committed to delivering two million doses a week to the UK, and the government was not expecting any changes to that supply.\n\nDowning Street also rejected German media reports claiming a very low efficacy rate for the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine among older people, saying they had been denied by Oxford University, AstraZeneca and the German health ministry.\n\nChief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance told the cabinet the trials showed similar immune responses in younger and older adults.\n\nAnd England's chief medical adviser, Prof Chris Whitty, has defended the UK's strategy of extending the time between first and second doses of coronavirus vaccines from three to 12 weeks in order to immunise more people.\n\nHe told the Downing Street coronavirus briefing on Tuesday that the \"great majority\" of protection came from the first dose.\n\nHe also said there was \"no evidence\" that immunity waned between three and 12 weeks after the first dose was administered.\n\nProf Whitty said: \"We thought very carefully about what the balance of this is, but the balance of risk in terms of reducing the number of deaths in the community - and I really want to stress that, that is the aim of this - is to maximise the number of people who get that first dose, where the great majority of protection comes from.\"\n\nThe latest tension over supply of the Covid vaccine is another illustration of just how fragile this issue is.\n\nThere are huge global demands for Covid vaccine, limited raw materials and constraints on manufacturing.\n\nThe UK already has enough vaccine to jab all the highest-risk groups by mid-February, although not all of it has been packaged up or been through the final safety checks.\n\nThis explains why ministers are confident about the immediate target for the over-70s, health and care workers and the extremely clinically vulnerable.\n\nBut what is in doubt is how quickly the UK can vaccinate in the medium term.\n\nWith the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine manufactured in the UK those supply routes are more guaranteed.\n\nBut the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is made in Belgium. The UK, like the rest of Europe, is affected by the problems with manufacturing that are being experienced with that vaccine.\n\nWith Europe experiencing major problems rolling out its vaccination programme - per head of population five times fewer vaccines have been delivered - this is a story that is going to rumble on for months.\n\nThe UK has placed orders for 367 million doses of vaccines from seven manufacturers, Mr Zahawi said. \"As vaccines come along we will get more volume, millions more in the weeks and months to come,\" he added.\n\nThe tension over vaccine supplies increased after UK-based AstraZeneca warned the EU it would have to reduce planned deliveries because of production problems. Pfizer-BioNTech has also said supplies will be temporarily lower as it works to increase capacity at its Belgian factory.\n\nIt has prompted the EU to accuse AstraZeneca of failing to meet its commitments and to warn that it might require all companies producing Covid vaccines to provide \"early notification\" whenever they planned to export supplies out of the EU.\n\n\"The thing to do now is not to go down the dead end of vaccine nationalism. It's to work together to protect our people,\" Mr Zahawi said.\n\n\"No-one is safe until the whole world is safe.\"\n\nHealth Secretary Matt Hancock subsequently said the UK government \"oppose protectionism in all its forms\" and urged all international partners to \"be collaborative\" and \"work closely together\" on vaccine distribution.\n\nHe added that the EU's warning that it could restrict exports of vaccines made in the bloc was \"unfortunate and especially so in the midst of a pandemic\".\n\nMeanwhile, the head of NHS England earlier told MPs coronavirus could become a \"much more treatable disease\" over the next six to 18 months, with the hope of a return to a \"much more normal future\".\n\nSir Simon Stevens told the Health and Social Care Committee: \"The first half of the year, vaccination is going to be crucial.\n\n\"I think a lot of us in the health service are increasingly hopeful that in the second half of the year and beyond we will also see more therapeutics and more treatments for coronavirus.\"\n\nHe also said it \"would be great\" if the Covid vaccine and flu vaccine were combined into a single jab, if not for next winter then future ones.\n\nAnd he said vaccines were being used as fast as they arrived in the NHS, with more than half of those aged 75-79 having now had their first dose.\n\nThe UK aims to offer Covid vaccination to every adult by autumn.\n\nMr Zahawi said confidence in the vaccines was high, with 85% of people saying they would accept the jab.\n\nBut he said those who were hesitant \"skew heavily\" towards black, Asian and minority ethnic communities.\n\nThe government is providing £23m of funding to 60 local councils and voluntary groups to boost vaccine take-up among groups such as older people, disabled people, and people from ethnic minority backgrounds.\n\nIt comes as celebrities such as comedians Romesh Ranganathan and Meera Syal and cricketer Moeen Ali appeared in a video urging people in their communities to get vaccinated.\n\nMr Zahawi told ITV's Good Morning Britain his uncle had died from Covid-19 last week. He had been eligible for vaccination but caught the virus before he could receive it, the minister said.\n\nThis \"grim and horrible\" experience made him determined to ensure that the most vulnerable were protected as quickly as possible, Mr Zahawi said.\n\nSir Simon said there was concern about vaccine hesitancy in some groups, where there were access problems as well as \"systematic attempts to misinform and lie about the vaccine programme targeted particularly at minority populations, and - in some cases - long-standing mistrust of public services\".\n\nHe said disruption to vaccine deliveries from EU export restrictions was not thought to be likely.\n\nIn other developments, the UK has offered to carry out genomic sequencing for other countries around the world to help identify further new variants.\n\nPublic Health England said it would give \"crucial early warning\" of any mutations that might cause the virus to spread faster, make people more ill or possibly reduce the effectiveness of vaccines.", "\"A legacy of poor decisions\" by the UK before and during the pandemic led to one of the worst death rates in the world, scientists have said.\n\nLabour also criticised \"monumental mistakes\" by the prime minister in delaying acting on scientific advice over lockdowns three times.\n\nAfter UK deaths passed 100,000, Boris Johnson said he took \"full responsibility\" for the actions taken.\n\nBut he said it was too soon to learn the lessons from the pandemic response.\n\nProf Linda Bauld, public health expert from the University of Edinburgh, said the UK's current position was \"a legacy of poor decisions that were taken when we eased restrictions\".\n\nShe told the BBC the lack of focus on test and trace and the \"absolute inability to recognise\" the need to address international travel had also led to a more deadly winter surge.\n\nProf Sir Michael Marmot, who carried out a review of inequalities in Covid-19 deaths, said the UK had entered the pandemic \"in a bad state\" with rising health inequality, a slowdown in life expectancy improvements and a lack of investment in the public sector.\n\nShadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth rejected Mr Johnson's claim that he had done \"everything we could\" to minimise the death toll, adding: \"I do not accept that.\"\n\nHe said the prime minister had been given scientific advice to impose lockdowns and \"pushed that back\" - not only in March but again in September and December.\n\nThe government also failed to create a working contact-tracing system, did not introduce effective health controls at the borders and still did not offer \"proper sick pay\", he said.\n\nAt Prime Minister's Questions, Mr Johnson said: \"I mourn every death in this pandemic and we share the grief of all those who have been bereaved. I and the government take full responsibility for all the actions we have taken to fight this pandemic.\"\n\nHe said there would be time to reflect on the decisions taken, but he did not think the right time was in the middle of the pandemic when \"37,000 people are struggling with Covid in our hospitals\".\n\nThe government needed to focus on keeping the virus under control and continuing the fastest vaccine roll-out in Europe, he said.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nHe said his message to grieving families was that he \"deeply, personally\" regretted the loss of life and that the best way to honour the memory of those who had died and honour those who were currently grieving was \"to work together to bring this virus down, to keep it under control in the way that we are\".\n\nAsked about the government's \"legacy of poor decisions\", Mr Johnson said ministers followed scientific advice and did everything they could to minimise suffering. He said there were \"no easy solutions\" but the UK could be proud of its efforts to distribute the vaccine.\n\nAfter leading a minute's silence in the Scottish Parliament, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she was \"truly sorry\" for any mistakes, as Scotland recorded a total of 5,888 deaths within 28 days of a positive Covid test.\n\nShe said the government did everything it could, but added: \"I don't think any of us, reflecting on numbers like these, can conclude that we have always succeeded.\"\n\nNext month, the prime minister hopes to publish a document giving details of the criteria he will use to start lifting the lockdown, a senior government source told the BBC.\n\nIt will include factors such as the number of hospitalisations and deaths, the progress of the vaccination programme, any changes to the virus and the impact easing restrictions might have on the epidemic - but will be dependent on emerging data about how effectively the vaccine stops the virus spreading.\n\nThe UK is the fifth country to pass 100,000 deaths, coming after the US, Brazil, India and Mexico.\n\nA scientist advising the government has warned the UK could face as many as 50,000 more coronavirus deaths.\n\nProf Calum Semple, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, told the BBC's Newsnight: \"It would really not surprise me if we're looking at another 40-50,000 deaths before this burns out.\n\n\"The deaths on the way up are likely to be mirrored by the number of deaths on the way down in this wave. Each one again is a tragedy and each one represents probably four or five people who survive but are damaged by Covid.\"\n\nHe said the UK had experienced some \"bad luck\" with the emergence of a new, more transmissible variant but had also suffered from \"decades of underinvestment\" in the NHS and \"a public health authority that's been eroded\" .\n\nMeanwhile, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell asked people, regardless of whether they had faith, to reflect on the \"enormity\" of the pandemic and join in a \"prayer for the nation\" at 18:00 GMT every day from 1 February.\n\nThey said the death statistics were were not \"just an abstract figure\", saying: \"Each number is a person: someone we loved and someone who loved us.\"\n\nMuslim leaders backed the call for a daily prayer. Qari Asim, chair of the Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board, said Muslims and wider black, Asian and minority ethnic communities had been disproportionately affected by the \"tsunami of pain, grief and devastation\" - with many unable to properly mourn due to Covid restrictions.\n\nOn Tuesday, a further 1,631 coronavirus deaths were recorded, taking the total number of people who had died within 28 days of a positive test to 100,162.\n\nSeparate figures from the Office for National Statistics, which are based on death certificates, show there have been nearly 104,000 deaths since the pandemic began.\n\nA further 20,089 coronavirus cases were recorded on Tuesday, continuing a downward trend in the number of UK cases seen in recent days. The number of people in hospital remains high, as do the UK's daily death figures.\n\nSpeaking alongside the prime minister, England's chief medical officer Prof Chris Whitty said the number of people dying would come down \"relatively slowly\" over the next two weeks - and would probably \"remain flat for a while now\".\n\nElsewhere, bereavement support charities have written to the health secretary calling for more funding in the light of what they call \"the terrible toll of 100,000 deaths\".\n\nThe National Bereavement Alliance, representing a range of charities, said many families had been unable to be with loved ones as they died or to support one another.\n\nThey called for £500m allocated to mental health in England to be used to support the bereaved.\n\nMinister for bereavement Nadine Dorries said the government had given more than £10.2m to charities since March to ensure services were available to those who needed them.\n\nPlease enable JavaScript or upgrade your browser to see this interactive\n\nIf you would like to send us a tribute to a friend or family member who died after contracting coronavirus, please use the form below.\n\nPlease remember to include a photo of your loved one and their name. Upload your pictures here. Don't forget to include your contact details, so we can get in touch with you.\n\nWe would like to respond to everyone individually and include every tribute in our coverage, but unfortunately that may not be possible. Please be assured your message will be read and treated with the utmost respect.\n\nPlease note the contact details you provide will never be published. Please ensure you have read our terms & conditions and privacy policy.\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your tribute.", "Scientists say sharks and rays are disappearing from the world's oceans at an \"alarming\" rate.\n\nThe number of sharks found in the open oceans has plunged by 71% over half a century, mainly due to over-fishing, according to a new study.\n\nThree-quarters of the species studied are now threated with extinction.\n\nAnd the researchers say immediate action is needed to secure a brighter future for these \"extraordinary, irreplaceable animals\".\n\nThey are calling on governments to implement science-based fishing limits.\n\nStudy researcher, Dr Richard Sherley of the University of Exeter, said the declines appear to be driven very much by fishing pressures.\n\nHe told BBC News: \"That's the driver for the 70% reduction in the last 50 years. For every 10 sharks you had in the open ocean in the 1970s, you would have three today, across these species, on average.\"\n\nSharks and rays are caught for their meat, fins and liver oil. They are also captured for recreational fishing and turn up by accident in the catch of fishing boats that are targeting other stocks.\n\nSharks are long-lived species that tend to produce few young\n\nOf the 31 species studied, 24 are now threatened with extinction, and three shark species (the oceanic whitetip shark, and the scalloped and great hammerhead sharks) have declined so sharply they are now classified as critically endangered - the highest threat category, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).\n\nProf Nicholas Dulvy of Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, Canada, said oceanic sharks and rays are at exceptionally high risk of extinction, much more so than the average bird, mammal or frog, despite ranging far from land.\n\n\"Overfishing of oceanic sharks and rays jeopardises the health of entire ocean ecosystems as well as food security for some of the world's poorest countries,\" he said.\n\nThe researchers compiled global data on sharks and rays found in the open oceans (as opposed to reef sharks or those found close to shore).\n\nOf the 1,200 or so species of sharks and rays in the world, 31 are oceanic, travelling large distances across water.\n\n\"These are some of the big, important, open ocean predators that people will be familiar with,\" said Dr Sherley. \"The kind of sharks that people might describe as awe-inspiring or charismatic.\"\n\nHe said political will is needed to reverse the trends.\n\n\"The science is there, there needs to be the desire to do those stock assessments, to implement the measures that are needed to reduce the take of sharks and that political will has to come from pressure from citizens,\" Dr Sherley explained.\n\nDespite this \"gloomy\" picture, the scientists said a few shark conservation stories give cause for hope.\n\nSonja Fordham, president of Shark Advocates International, a non-profit project of The Ocean Foundation, said a couple of species, including the great white, have started to recover through science-based fishing limits.\n\n\"Relatively simple safeguards can help to save sharks and rays, but time is running out,\" she said.\n\n\"We urgently need conservation action across the globe to prevent myriad negative consequences and secure a brighter future for these extraordinary, irreplaceable animals.\"\n\nPopulations can recover with appropriate conservation\n\nSharks are at the top of the food chain, and crucial to the health of the oceans. Their loss impacts other marine animals as well as human livelihoods.\n\n\"Oceanic sharks and rays are vital to the health of vast marine ecosystems, but because they are hidden beneath the ocean surface, it has been difficult to assess and monitor their status,\" said Nathan Pacoureau of Simon Fraser University.\n\n\"Our study represents the first global synthesis of the state of these essential species at a time when countries should be addressing insufficient progress towards global sustainability goals.\n\n\"While we initially intended it as a useful report card, we now must hope it also serves as an urgent wake-up call.\"\n\nThe research is published in the journal, Nature.", "In March 2020, we were told it would be a ‘’good outcome’’ if coronavirus killed 20,000 people across the UK.\n\nNow the bleakest milestone has been reached: 100,000 deaths.\n\nIn a statement, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said \"behind these heart-breaking figures are friends, families and neighbours. The vaccine offers us the way out, but we cannot let up now and we sadly still face a tough period ahead. The virus is still spreading and we're seeing over 3,500 people per day being admitted into hospital.\"\n\nHealth correspondent Catherine Burns looks at the past year of the UK’s epidemic and hears from families who have lost loved ones.\n\nFilmed and edited by Julius Peacock. Additional filming by Emily Brooks", "Enforcement agents have removed protesters from the makeshift camp near Euston station\n\nBailiffs from HS2 have started to evict activists who dug a tunnel near Euston station in protest against the £106bn rail project.\n\nIt comes after the BBC revealed campaigners spent months digging the tunnel they claim is 100ft (30m) long.\n\nSince August, HS2 Rebellion members have been living in tree houses and tents at a camp nearby.\n\nA HS2 spokeswoman said the protesters were \"trespassing\" on land owned by the company.\n\nThe land being occupied is needed for continued building work around Euston, she added.\n\nEnforcement agents from the National Eviction Team have removed some protesters from the makeshift camp in the park.\n\nPolice have arrested five men and a woman at the site, although one male was later de-arrested.\n\nActivists say the tunnel - codenamed \"Kelvin\" - was dug as their \"best defence\" against being evicted.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Protesters have filmed themselves inside the tunnels\n\nProtesters said they were continuing to dig tunnels and have vowed to stay for as long as possible.\n\nAn 18-year-old, who gave his name as Al, said the tunnels can only be accessed through a section of the makeshift camp and were about 15ft (4.5m) deep.\n\n\"I will stay as long as I can,\" he said, but he added the activists \"have not got much food and water\".\n\nHS2 Rebellion told the BBC four people had \"locked themselves\" to fixing points inside the tunnels.\n\nOne activist, Blue Sandford, admitted the stunt was \"dangerous\" but felt it was \"worth it\".\n\nHS2 protester Dr Larch Maxey said the tunnel was \"warm and quiet\"\n\nEnforcement agents dismantle the make shift camp where HS2 Rebellion members have been living\n\nThe 18-year-old, who is currently on school strike for climate, said HS2 \"is a waste of money\".\n\n\"I'm in this tunnel because they [the government] are irresponsibly putting my life at risk from the climate and ecological emergency,\" she said.\n\n\"They are behaving in a way that is so reckless and unsafe that I don't feel they are giving us any option but to protest in this way to help save our own lives and the lives of all the people round the world.\n\n\"I shouldn't have to do this - I should be in school - the trouble is they are stealing that future and I have to stop them.\"\n\nEnforcement officers have used aerial platforms to try and coax protesters down from the trees\n\nA protester was brought down from the trees by officers\n\nMartin Andryjankczyk, who was carried out of the camp by enforcement agents earlier, predicted it would take \"at least a week or two\" to evict all the protesters.\n\nThe 20-year-old was taken to Holloway Police Station when he was led away but said he had been \"de-arrested\" and returned to the park.\n\n\"I have been living here for the last four months. They (the remaining demonstrators) aren't going to give up that easily,\" he said.\n\nOne activist used to a rope to tie himself between trees at the camp\n\nThe Met Police confirmed a number of officers were sent to the eviction site at Euston Square Gardens to assist High Court enforcement officers should there be any breach of the peace and to uphold Covid legislation.\n\nThe force said five people who were arrested at the site remain in custody.\n\nA spokeswoman for HS2 said tunnel protests were \"costly to the taxpayer\".\n\nShe added: \"HS2 has taken legal temporary possession of Euston Square Gardens in order to progress with works necessary for the construction of the new Euston station.\n\n\"These protests are a danger to the safety of the protesters, our staff and the general public, and put unnecessary strain on the emergency services during a pandemic.\"\n\nHS2 is set to link London, Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds. It is hoped the 20-year project will reduce rail passenger overcrowding and help to rebalance the UK's economy.\n\nThe campaign group alleges HS2 is the \"most expensive, wasteful and destructive project in UK history\" and that it is \"set to destroy or irreparably damage 108 ancient woodlands and 693 wildlife sites\".\n\nHowever, HS2 bosses have said seven million trees will be planted during phase one of the project and that much ancient woodland will \"remain intact\".\n\nThere is a ring of security surrounding the square outside Euston Station and a crowd of journalists reporting on today's event.\n\nEvery now and then there is a burst of singing through a loud hailer and motivational speeches echo from the trees.\n\nMost of the protesters we can see are among the branches, some have cut their safety lines, others are swinging in harnesses.\n\nEarlier, enforcement officers were lifted up in a cherry picker into one of the tree camps . They have spoken with the demonstrators and are now fixing ropes to the high level platforms.\n\nWe've been told at least four people are inside the tunnels HS2 Rebellion have dug under the site.\n\nPeople inside the fence have said they predict the eviction to \"take weeks\".\n\nThe atmosphere is calm but the police have begun to push back people watching, reminding them of Covid-19 regulations and asking to see press passes.\n\nA fence is being erected by officers around the site\n\nFor more London news follow on Facebook, on Twitter, on Instagram and subscribe to our YouTube channel.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Scotland is to initially follow UK travel rules, but could introduce stricter measures next week\n\nScotland could introduce tougher quarantine rules for international travellers than other parts of the UK, the first minister has said.\n\nPrime Minister Boris Johnson has announced that UK arrivals from regions with new virus variants will be provided accommodation for 10 days to isolate.\n\nNicola Sturgeon said she was \"concerned the proposal does not go far enough\".\n\nScotland will \"initially emulate\" the UK government measures, she said.\n\nBut further Scottish rules will be set out next week if the four nations do not reach an agreement on a UK-wide approach - which Ms Sturgeon said would be preferable.\n\nThe prime minister has said there are 22 countries with the risk of known new variants, including the South American nations, Portugal and South Africa.\n\nMr Johnson said anyone travelling from these countries who cannot be refused entry to the UK - such as British citizens - will be provided accommodation for 10 days to isolate \"without exception\".\n\nThey will be met at the airport and transferred to specific places, such as hotels.\n\nFurther details of the plan are expected to be outlined by Home Secretary Priti Patel later.\n\nHowever Ms Sturgeon - who was briefed on the UK government proposals in advance - told her daily coronavirus briefing that a \"comprehensive system of supervised quarantine\" was required in the next stage of the pandemic.\n\nAnd she said she was \"seeking urgently\" to persuade the UK government \"to go much further\" while providing additional support to the aviation industry.\n\nThe first minister said: \"Our best route back to greater domestic normality right now, as we continue with the vaccine programme, is firstly to suppress the virus here to as low as level as possible - as we did over the summer - then give ourselves a better chance of controlling it through test and protect, and next by doing much more than we did last year to protect our borders.\"\n\nThe Welsh government has also said the PM's proposals do not go far enough.\n\nWhen questioned by journalists, Ms Sturgeon said she would \"not give arbitrary dates\" on when the travel restrictions might come to an end.\n\nBut she said people \"might not be able to go on holiday overseas\" in order to \"get domestic normality\" back - including the reopening of schools and allowing people more interactions with loved ones.\n\n\"I'm not saying that's easy but maybe that might be a price we all need to be prepared to pay,\" she added.\n\nScottish Conservatives leader Douglas Ross told the BBC that he believed that countries with higher infection rates and strains with quicker transmission should be prioritised.\n\n\"We've got to look at dealing with this in stages,\" he said. \"This doesn't need to be dragged into a Scotland versus England issue or the rest of the UK issue.\n\n\"This is as big an issue within Scotland. We shouldn't be moving around local authority areas so whether it's north or south of the border or within our own communities we've got to reduce travel as much as possible.\"\n\nIt comes as the deaths of a further 92 people who had tested positive for coronavirus were recorded in Scotland - bringing the total to 5,888.\n\nThe total number of deaths across the UK by that measure passed the grim milestone of 100,00 on Tuesday.\n\nMs Sturgeon said she was \"truly sorry\" for any mistakes that had been made in the handling of the pandemic.\n\nShe added: \"She said the death toll should make all political leaders \"think very hard about what more we could have done and what lessons we must continue to learn\".\n\nShe added: \"I know that I, and everyone in my government, have tried every day to do everything we possibly can.\n\n\"But I don't think any of us, reflecting on numbers like these, can conclude that we have always succeeded.\"\n\nA total of 1,330 new cases were recorded in the last 24 hours, representing 6.2% of people tested.\n\nMeanwhile 462,092 people have received the first dose of the vaccine in Scotland - including 56% of the over 80s and 95% of people in care homes.", "The greys were introduced to Britain from North America in the 19th Century\n\nThe UK government has given its support to a project to use oral contraceptives to control grey squirrel populations.\n\nEnvironment minister Lord Goldsmith says the damage they and other invasive species do to the UK's woodlands costs the UK economy £1.8 billion a year.\n\nThe bizarre-sounding plan is to lure grey squirrels into feeding boxes only they can access with little pots containing hazelnut spread.\n\nThese would be spiked with an oral contraceptive.\n\nLord Goldsmith says the damage from squirrels also threatens the effectiveness of government efforts to tackle climate change by planting tens of thousands of acres of new woodlands.\n\nOn Tuesday, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) told BBC News: \"We hope advances in science can safely help our nature to thrive, including through the humane control of invasive species.\"\n\nA partnership of conservation and forestry organisations called the UK Squirrel Accord (UKSA) is behind the proposal.\n\nIt says grey squirrels, which were first introduced from North America in the late 19th century, cause huge damage to woodlands by stripping bark from trees aged between 10-50 years, the younger trees in a forest.\n\nThey particularly target broad-leafed varieties including oak, which are particularly ecologically important because they support so many other species.\n\nIt is estimated the UK is home to some three million of these invasive rodents.\n\nRed squirrels are now confined mainly to Scotland and Ireland\n\nThey have displaced the native red squirrel across most of the UK.\n\nLord Goldsmith says the government supports the plan as well as a longer-term effort to breed infertility into female grey squirrels to reduce their numbers.\n\nInvasive non-native species such as grey squirrels threaten our native biodiversity, he argues.\n\nWhen regulating grey squirrels with oral contraceptive was first proposed in 2017, the government's Animal and Plant Health Agency said it thought it could reduce their numbers by as much as 90%.\n\nThe project also has royal approval.\n\nPrince Charles was instrumental in founding the UK Squirrel Accord with the objective of \"managing the negative impacts of invasive grey squirrels in the UK\".\n\nHe has written of the importance of protecting Britain's remaining red squirrels.\n\n\"These charming and intelligent creatures never fail to delight\", he wrote last week in his capacity as patron of the Red Squirrel Survival Trust, describing red squirrels as the \"symbol and benchmark\" of healthy woods.\n\nJason Gilchrist, an ecologist from Edinburgh Napier University, has written in defence of the grey squirrel but he says he supports the oral contraceptive plan.\n\nHe acknowledges there is a need to manage grey squirrel populations.\n\n\"It is better than the alternative: a shotgun\", he told BBC News.\n\nIt is the same argument the UKSA makes: dosing the animals with contraceptives provides a humane alternative to culling them.\n\nLast week, the Royal Forestry Society, a member of the Squirrel Accord, called for just such a cull.\n\nSimon Lloyd, its chief executive, says efforts to tackle global warming and improve biodiversity will be undermined unless grey squirrel numbers can be reduced.\n\nNew trees will not survive to \"deliver the carbon capture or biodiversity objectives if grey squirrels cannot be controlled\", he told the Daily Telegraph.\n\nThe UKSA has been experimenting with ways to deliver oral contraceptives to squirrels for more than three years now.\n\nLast year, it tested special feeding stations designed so only grey squirrels can gain access in woodland in East Yorkshire.\n\nInstead of contraceptives, the hazelnut paste bait was dosed with a dye that, when ingested, causes squirrel hair to fluoresce under UV light.\n\nThe researchers found that more than 90% of the grey squirrel population being studied visited the traps.\n\nThey concluded that it was possible to deliver repeat doses of a contraceptive to the majority of grey squirrels in a wood.", "Leon Briggs died in hospital after being restrained and detained at Luton police station in November 2013\n\nA man shouted \"help me\" and \"get off me\" as he was restrained face-down by police officers hours before he died, an inquest heard.\n\nLeon Briggs, 39, died in 2013 after being detained under the Mental Health Act at Luton police station.\n\nA jury was told one witness described the father-of-two as \"like a child crying out for a toy\" as he was held down by officers.\n\nAnother said he looked her in the eyes and said \"please help me\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe jury has been shown CCTV of Mr Briggs skipping between shops and across roads, before two Bedfordshire Police officers handcuffed him and placed him in leg restraints on Marsh Road in Luton on 4 November 2013.\n\nMr Briggs was detained in a cell at about 14:25 GMT, but he became unconscious and was pronounced dead in hospital at about 16:15.\n\nThe inquest heard his primary cause of death was \"amphetamine intoxication with prone restraint and prolonged struggling\" with a secondary cause of coronary heart disease.\n\nMr Briggs was described as \"a really good dad\" who loved spending time with his children\n\nThe inquest heard Wendy Hamilton was shopping when she saw one officer restraining Mr Briggs on his lower legs, with another on his shoulders, and a third appeared to be looking through his wallet.\n\nMs Hamilton said she \"thought the amount of pressure being used was not needed\", adding she heard Mr Briggs shout \"get off me\" and \"why are you doing this to me?\".\n\n\"He lifted his head from the pavement, he looked me in the eyes and said 'please help me',\" she said.\n\nShe added when two paramedics arrived \"around 45 minutes\" after she first saw Mr Briggs, she was \"surprised\" they \"did not check Leon at all\".\n\nShe said he was later lifted into a police van \"front first\" and \"face down\", \"like he was a bag of potatoes\" or \"like they were picking up a dog\".\n\n\"They lifted him not in a rough way... but it was not very dignified,\" she said.\n\nFootage showed Mr Briggs walking out of a shop with officers before he was restrained\n\nAnother witness, Raja Khan, said: \"Mr Briggs was crying out... but not in an aggressive manner... in a similar way to a child crying out for a toy.\n\n\"I'm not going to forget what I saw in regard to the restraint... I do not agree with how Mr Briggs was treated... it would have been fair enough if he was being violent but from what I saw, he was not.\"\n\nFormer chairman of the College of Paramedics, Andrew Newton, said paramedics on Marsh Road were likely to have had \"inadequate knowledge\" of dealing with acute behavioural disorder patients like Mr Briggs in 2013, due to a lack of national guidance.\n\nBut Mr Newton added Mr Briggs \"received no meaningful medical care\" because they failed to properly check his vital signs, and this \"fell below the standards of care\".\n\nHe said Mr Briggs should have been taken to hospital in an ambulance.\n\nThe inquest heard part of a statement from Sgt Loren Short, who said he told paramedics Mr Briggs had been detained under the Mental Health Act when they arrived.\n\nPolice Community Support Officer (PCSO) James Collings described Mr Briggs as \"aggressive\" and \"nonsensical\", and \"shouting 'no, no' and snarling\" while in the police van.\n\nPCSO Collings said when he questioned whether Mr Briggs was on drugs, one officer said: \"[He is] mental\", and Mr Briggs replied: \"Don't take the [expletive]\", to which the officer said: \"I'm not taking the [expletive], I just want to get you back and get you some help.\"\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk", "More than 100,000 people in the UK have died from a virus, that, this time last year, felt like a far-off foreign threat. How did we come to be one of the countries with the worst death tolls?\n\nThere is no quick answer to that question, and there is sure to be a long and detailed public inquiry once the pandemic is over. But there are plenty of clues that, when pieced together, help build a picture of why the UK has reached this devastating number.\n\nSome will point a finger at the government - its decision to lock-down later than much of western Europe, the stuttering start to its test-and-trace network and the lack of protection afforded to care home residents.\n\nOthers will spotlight deeper rooted problems with British society - its poor state of public health, with high levels of obesity, for example.\n\nOthers, still, will note that some of the UK's great strengths - its position as a vibrant hub for international air travel, its ethnically diverse and densely-packed urban populations - exposed its vulnerability to a virus that spreads effortlessly between people.\n\nIn some people's eyes, the UK's island status might have helped it. New Zealand, Australia and Taiwan managed to stop the virus getting a foothold and deaths have been kept to a minimum - Australia has seen fewer deaths throughout the pandemic than the UK is recording every day on average.\n\nAll introduced strict border restrictions immediately and lockdowns to contain the virus before it had spread. The UK did not. It was not until June that quarantine rules were introduced for all arrivals and even then travel corridors were soon set up, relaxing the rules for travellers from certain countries. Only this month were these scrapped.\n\nProf Devi Sridhar, an expert in public health from Edinburgh University, is one of those who has been critical of the approach the UK has taken from the start.\n\nShe says the UK, like much of Europe, was \"complacent\" about the threat of infectious disease - choosing to treat the new coronavirus \"like flu\" and allowing it to spread, while talking about the desire to achieve herd immunity.\n\nThis all changed in late March, when a full lockdown eventually came. But there was a crucial delay of a week which is estimated to have cost more than 20,000 lives, according to government modeller Prof Neil Ferguson, because of how quickly infection rates were doubling at that point.\n\nThis, of course, is said with the benefit of hindsight. Government modellers themselves acknowledge the data was \"really quite poor\" making it difficult to make a decision that would have significant repercussions. It is a point acknowledged by Prof Chris Whitty, the UK's chief medical adviser. Speaking in the summer he said there had been \"very limited information\" in early March.\n\nBy then, the virus was ripping through care homes. Around 30% of deaths in the first wave happened in care homes; 40% if you include care home residents who died in hospital.\n\nThose at the heart of government acknowledge mistakes were made. UK chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance said recently: \"The lesson is go earlier than you think you want to, go harder than you think you want to, and go a bit broader than you think you want to in terms of applying the restrictions.\"\n\nBy May, restrictions were beginning to be eased. But was this too soon?\n\nThe government seized on the relative lull to focus on building what the prime minister promised would be a \"world-beating\" test-and-trace system. The idea was that new outbreaks could be nipped in the bud, with comprehensive tracking by a centralised team of tracers.\n\nThe mere fact this had to be done some months after the virus had struck, illustrates another factor behind the high number of deaths - the UK was simply not prepared for a pandemic of this nature in the way some Asian nations had been. Countries such as South Korea and Taiwan had established test-and-trace systems in place that were ready to be activated.\n\nThe UK had a chance to bed in its system in the summer but it was riven with teething problems, with tracers struggling to reach many contacts and the testing capacity slowing down as demand rose.\n\nLow levels of infection over the summer had created a false sense of security.\n\nDesperate to boost the economy, the government launched the Eat Out to Help Out scheme, offering people discounted meals out during August. To what extent it contributed to the rise in the autumn is much argued about but certainly some doctors blame it in part for an increase in patients seen.\n\nThe truth is the virus never went away. Testing in the summer showed even at the lowest levels there were still around 500 cases a day being diagnosed - and random testing in the population subsequently showed the true level may have been twice that.\n\nIn late August around 1,000 people a day were testing positive. By mid-September that had trebled and from there it rose five-fold to 15,000 by mid October. The numbers testing positive have never returned below 10,000 a day on average since.\n\nAnother decision that has been heavily criticised was the refusal of ministers to introduce a short two-week lockdown, or \"circuit breaker\", in September - despite their advisers on Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) recommending such a step. The argument was it would have set the spread of the virus back by at least a month, giving test and trace time to regroup.\n\nWales, however, did introduce its own \"fire-breaker\" - a 17-day lockdown in October. It got infection rates down, but as soon as it was lifted they rebounded. This is, of course, why lockdowns have been criticised.\n\nEdinburgh University infectious diseases expert Prof Mark Woolhouse, one of the modellers who feeds data into Sage, is on the record in the autumn questioning the logic of them for this very reason. It remains up for debate how effective a circuit-breaker would actually have been.\n\nThis after all is the time of year when respiratory illnesses start to increase. Schools had returned as had university students, creating new environments for the novel coronavirus to spread.\n\nWhen a lockdown was eventually introduced in England in November it was to last four weeks, with Sage members lamenting the delay. \"The absence of a decision is a decision in itself,\" says Wellcome Trust director Sir Jeremy Farrar.\n\nBut even before that lockdown was lifted cases had started going up in the south-east of England. Within weeks it became clear what was happening. The virus had mutated and a new faster-spreading variant was on the rise.\n\nBy mid-December the clamour for lockdown was growing again, but the plan for a Christmas relaxation of restrictions had already been announced. In every nation of the UK, ministers waited.\n\nAt the start of 2021, with hospital admissions rising rapidly, the UK's four chief medical officers intervened, issuing a joint statement warning the NHS was at \"material risk\" of being overwhelmed. Within hours the UK was back in lockdown.\n\nWhat has struck some is just how similar the mistakes have been in terms of locking down late.\n\n\"It will take years to unpick why Covid has gone so badly in the UK,\" says University College London infectious diseases expert Dr Neil Stone. \"But the failure to learn from wave one stands out.\"\n\nBut it must also be recognised that there are factors outside the control of the government - certainly in terms of its pandemic response - that have contributed to the high number of deaths.\n\nOne of the reasons the virus was able to take a hold and spread so quickly was because of geography and the fact the UK - and London in particular - is a global hub. Genetic analysis has shown the virus was brought into the UK on at least 1,300 separate occasions, mainly from France, Spain and Italy, by the end of March.\n\nIt was here before we knew it. That's not something Australia or New Zealand had to deal with on such a scale.\n\nDensity of population is also a factor. The UK is among the 10 most densely populated big nations - those with populations of more than 20 million. What is more, our cities are more inter-connected than they are in many places.\n\nIt meant the virus was able to seed everywhere quite quickly. Contrast this with Italy which saw the vast majority of cases in the north of the country in the first wave.\n\nThe ageing population also needs to be taken into account. Once you do this, and adjust for the size of the population - known as age-standardised mortality - deaths have risen, but not by as much as some of the headline figures suggest.\n\nThe health of the nation has also been a factor. The UK has one of the highest rates of obesity in the world. And obesity increases the risk of hospitalisation and death, according to Public Health England. One study found the risk of death was almost double for those who are severely obese.\n\nConditions such as diabetes, kidney disease and respiratory problems also increase the risk - a fifth of Covid deaths have listed diabetes on the death certificate.\n\nAgain the UK has relatively high rates of these illnesses.\n\nBut many have argued that these high levels of ill-health have been compounded by the levels of inequality in the UK.\n\nLevels of ill health and life expectancy have always been worst in the poorest areas, but the pandemic certainly seems to have exacerbated this.\n\nOffice for National Statistics data shows mortality rates have been twice as high in deprived areas as they have been in wealthy areas. The Health Foundation is carrying out its own inquiry into the issue, arguing the Covid death toll needs to be seen through the \"lens\" of inequality to fully understand it.\n\nIt is something that has also been raised by Prof Michael Marmot, one of the country's leading experts on health inequalities. \"The UK's dismal record is telling us something important about our society.\"\n\nIf you, or someone you know, have been affected by bereavement, here is a list of organisations that may be able to help.", "Eva Gicain has been celebrating a belated Christmas with her daughter Elleana and husband Limuel Lina after being discharged from Royal Papworth Hospital in Cambridge\n\nA nurse who gave birth nearly three months ago while seriously ill with Covid-19 has held her daughter for the first time.\n\nEva Gicain, 30, had the long-awaited reunion with her baby after being discharged from Royal Papworth Hospital in Cambridge earlier this month.\n\nBaby Elleana had to be delivered about a month early by C-section, but Mrs Gicain has no memory of her birth.\n\n\"When I held Elleana for the first time I didn't want to let go,\" she said.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Covid-19: New mum thanks hospitals after recovery\n\nMrs Gicain was taken to her local hospital with a severe case of Covid-19 at the end of October when she was 34 weeks pregnant, and gave birth a week later.\n\nBut the NHS nurse, who was on maternity leave from her job in London, has no recollection of it or the traumatic weeks that followed.\n\nDays later she was transferred 50 miles (80km) away to Royal Papworth Hospital's critical care unit and became one of the youngest patients ever to be put on to its \"artificial lung\" for acute respiratory failure.\n\nThe extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machine acted as Mrs Gicain's lungs so they could recover while she was treated for Covid-19.\n\n\"The first thing I remember is just a few days before Christmas and being told where I was, what I had been through and that Elleana was doing well,\" Mrs Gicain said.\n\nMrs Gicain was given a round of applause by hospital staff after spending the first few weeks of her baby's life in a hospital 50 miles away\n\nHer husband Limuel Lina, 30, who also had Covid-19, was unable to visit her and had to wait three weeks to see Elleana, who was in a special care baby unit.\n\n\"It was so horrible the three of us being in separate places at a time when we should all have been together,\" Mr Lina said.\n\nAlthough the couple knew they were having a girl and had discussed her name, Mr Lina, a healthcare assistant, said he did not know his wife's preferred spelling.\n\n\"[It] meant I couldn't yet get her registered,\" he said.\n\n\"Luckily, I found some personalised pyjamas that Eva had bought as a Christmas present and so I managed to get the spelling from there!\"\n\nThe couple and their daughter celebrated a belated Christmas last week at their home in Basildon, Essex.\n\n\"Life is unpredictable and we are now just looking forward to being a little family and spending time together,\" added Mrs Gicain.\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "The head of AstraZeneca has defended its rollout of the coronavirus vaccine in the EU, amid tension with member states over delays in supply.\n\nPascal Soriot told Italian newspaper La Repubblica that his team was working \"24/7 to fix the very many issues of production of the vaccine\".\n\nHe said production was \"basically two months behind where we wanted to be\".\n\nHe also said the EU's late decision to sign contracts had given limited time to sort out hiccups with supply.\n\nMr Soriot, chief executive of the UK-Swedish multinational, said a contract with the UK had been signed three months before the one with the EU, giving more time for glitches to be ironed out.\n\nHe told La Repubblica that problems in \"scaling up\" vaccine production were being experienced at two plants, one in the Netherlands and one in Belgium.\n\n\"It's complicated, especially in the early phase where you have to really sort out all sorts of issues,\" he said.\n\n\"We believe we've sorted out those issues, but we are basically two months behind where we wanted to be.\"\n\nHe added: \"We've also had teething issues like this in the UK supply chain. But the UK contract was signed three months before the European vaccine deal. So with the UK we have had an extra three months to fix all the glitches we experienced.\n\nAstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot said a vaccine targeting the South African variant was being worked on\n\n\"Would I like to do better? Of course. But, you know, if we deliver in February what we are planning to deliver, it's not a small volume. We are planning to deliver millions of doses to Europe, it is not small.\"\n\nMr Soriot also said AstraZeneca was working on a vaccine with Oxford University that would target the South African variant of the coronavirus.\n\nScientists have warned there is a chance the South African variant may harm the effectiveness of current vaccines.\n\nThe AstraZeneca vaccine is already being used in the UK but has not yet been approved by the EU, although the European Medicines Agency (EMA) is expected to give it the green light at the end of this month.\n\nThe bloc signed a deal in August for 300 million doses, with an option for 100 million more. The EU had hoped that, as soon as approval was given, delivery would start straight away, with some 80 million doses arriving in the 27 nations by March.\n\nThe EU has ordered 600 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, which is already being used on patients around the bloc.\n\nBut Pfizer-BioNTech said last week it was delaying shipments for the next few weeks because of work to increase capacity at its Belgian plant.\n\nIn response to the delays, the EU has said it might restrict exports of vaccines made in the bloc.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Sofia Bettiza explains why some countries are far ahead of others in the vaccination race\n\nHealth Commissioner Stella Kyriakides said companies making Covid vaccines in the bloc would have to \"provide early notification whenever they want to export vaccines to third countries\".\n\nShe said the 27-member EU bloc would \"take any action required to protect its citizens\".\n\nEuropean Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, addressing the virtual version of the annual World Economic Forum (WEF), usually held in Davos, said: \"Europe invested billions to help develop the world's first Covid-19 vaccines. And now, the companies must deliver. They must honour their obligations.\"\n\nHave you been affected by vaccine supply issues? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "The prime minister has responded to calls that were getting louder for clarity about what might happen next and when.\n\nHe pencilled in a date for the country's diary. But 8 March is the hoped-for beginning of the end of lockdown - far from a guarantee.\n\nPolitical demands for more information from his backbench MPs and the opposition were part of the reason for his announcement. But there was also the relentless march of the clock.\n\nThe government had promised it would give schools in England two weeks' notice of whether they would be able to open after half-term.\n\nWith Boris Johnson not expected in Westminster on Thursday, Wednesday was the last viable moment to keep that vow.\n\nWith cases still so high, and hospitals still so full, in theory the announcement wasn't that much of a surprise.\n\nNorthern Ireland is already in lockdown until 5 March, but will confirm its position on schools on Thursday.\n\nWales and Scotland are reviewing whether to extend closures beyond the middle of February in the next couple of days. Without dramatic falls in case numbers, they seem likely to be in step soon too.\n\nIn practice, though, Mr Johnson's announcement still felt like a big admission: that we're heading for 12 months of limits - starting last March - on our lives in one way or another.\n\nFirms and families around the UK will have had to cope with moving in and out of lockdown for a whole year.\n\nLike Tuesday's terrible 100,000-deaths mark, it's a milestone that at the beginning of all of this simply wouldn't have been imagined.\n\nBut as time as worn on, the pattern has become familiar: push the dates back, confront the worst rather than hope for the best.\n\nThe prime minister altered, maybe, too. You could hear it in his tone when asked what the chances of sticking to his date were. \"That's the earliest,\" he warned, suggesting that a long list of things have to go right.\n\nOne cabinet minister described the government's position: \"The decision making has been more and more cautious as they've been caught out so many times.\"\n\nNo one perhaps would be more delighted than Mr Johnson if the pace of the disease slows dramatically and the promise of the vaccine comes good very soon.\n\nBut at this time, with a buffer of several weeks to keep looking at the information, that's not a commitment that ministers are willing to make.", "Victims lost an average of £45,242 last year after investing with fraudsters imitating genuine investment firms.\n\nMore than £78m was lost in total, according to fraud reporting centre Action Fraud.\n\nReports of clone firm investment scams rose by 29% in April - at the time of the first national lockdown - compared with the previous month.\n\nA UK financial watchdog warned people to be alert, particularly when their finances were stretched.\n\nScammers set up clone firms using the name, address and firm reference number (FRN) of real companies authorised by the regulator - the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).\n\nThey then send out sales materials linking to the websites of legitimate firms, to trick potential investors into thinking they are dealing with the real firm.\n\nThey use their own, similar contact details, so victims still think they are dealing with the genuine firm as they invest money.\n\nLosses can be high as fraudsters tend to encourage large or regular investments before disappearing with the money.\n\nThe ongoing financial impact of Covid-19 may make people more susceptible to clone scams, the FCA said.\n\nMark Steward, executive director of enforcement and market oversight at the FCA, said: \"Fraudsters use literature and websites that mirror those of legitimate firms, as well as encouraging investors to check the firm reference number (FRN) on the FCA Register to sound as convincing as possible.\"\n\nHe said alerts were raised about 1,100 firms, including clones, last year - twice as many as the previous year.\n\nHe said the authorities were taking down clone sites when discovered.\n\n\"When it comes to clones, I cannot emphasise enough how important it is to double check every detail,\" Mr Steward said.\n\nOne victim, called Janet, said: \"After searching the internet for high-return bonds, I received a call the next day about investing in student accommodation.\n\n\"I found legitimate details of the company online - everything seemed genuine, so I invested.\n\n\"A few months later, after a couple more investments, I started to get a bit worried - I still hadn't received confirmation of the latest investment.\n\n\"I tried to call the contacts I had been speaking to, but the numbers were invalid. It was clear I had been scammed.\n\nThe ScamSmart campaign, run by the FCA, has tips to protect yourself from clone investment firms:", "Jagtar Singh Johal, from Dumbarton, is being held under India's anti-terror law\n\nA Scottish man who has been held in an Indian jail without conviction for three years has told the BBC he was tortured to sign a blank confession.\n\nJagtar Singh Johal, from Dumbarton, is being held under India's anti-terror laws, accused of conspiring to murder a number of right-wing Hindu leaders.\n\nCourt documents allege he helped fund the crimes and claim he was a member of a \"terrorist gang\".\n\nMr Johal told the BBC via his lawyer he had been \"falsely implicated\".\n\nIn answers to BBC questions obtained by his lawyer during a virtual prison meeting, the 33-year-old says he was physically tortured into signing a blank confession and forced to record a video which was broadcast on Indian TV.\n\n\"They made me sign blank pieces of paper and asked me to say certain lines in front of a camera under fear of extreme torture,\" he said via his lawyer.\n\nMr Johal's legal team also shared a copy of what they say is a handwritten letter from shortly after his arrest in November 2017 in which he details allegations of how the torture took place.\n\n\"Multiple shocks were administered by placing (the) crocodile clips on my earlobes, nipples and private parts,\" the letter says. \"Multiple shocks were given each day.\n\n\"Two people would stretch my legs, another person would slap and strike me from behind, and the shocks were given by the seated officers.\"\n\n\"At some stages I was left unable to walk and had to be carried out of the interrogation room.\"\n\nThe BBC has been unable to independently verify these allegations of torture.\n\nThe Indian authorities strongly deny them, and have said \"there is no evidence of mistreatment or torture as alleged\".\n\nJagtar got married in India in 2017\n\nMr Johal travelled to India in October 2017 for his wedding.\n\nVideos of the occasion show the new groom jumping enthusiastically to Bhangra music as he celebrated.\n\nIn another he is seen holding his wife's hand, as they perform their first dance in front of friends and family.\n\n\"It was a cheerful day for us, it went exactly as planned,\" recalls his brother Gurpreet Singh Johal.\n\nBut a fortnight later, while on a shopping trip with his new bride in the North Indian state of Punjab, Mr Johal was taken away by police and has been in detention ever since.\n\nHis brother Gurpreet, who lives in Scotland, says Mr Johal was a peaceful activist and is convinced he was arrested because he had written about historical human rights violations against Sikhs in India.\n\n\"I believe my brother is being targeted because he was outspoken,\" Gurpreet says. \"I believe he is innocent and will be proved innocent once the trial starts.\n\n\"Otherwise Indian officials should release him and return him back to his country.\"\n\nJagtar Singh Johal (right) arrives at court in India in November 2017\n\nCharge-sheets from the Indian authorities outline the case against Mr Johal and a group of men whom they believe were involved in a \"series of killings\" of right wing Hindu leaders.\n\nIt is claimed Mr Johal was a member of Khalistan Liberation Front (KLF), described in the documents as an international \"terrorist gang\".\n\nHe is accused of paying £3,000 to the former head of the KLF to help fund the crimes. The documents claim he \"actively participated and had complete knowledge of the conspiracy\".\n\n\"There are very serious charges against him including murder and abetment of terrorism,\" an Indian government official told the BBC.\n\n\"The seriousness of charges against him have been shared with the British authorities,\" they added.\n\nFootage which claims to show Mr Johal in custody was broadcast on Indian TV\n\nMr Johal's lawyer, Jaspal Singh Manjphur, who has represented him since he was first arrested, told the BBC he was concerned by the length of time it was taking for the case to go through the Indian legal system.\n\n\"He has been in custody for over three years,\" Mr Manjphur said. \"Normally, if the prosecution wants, they can complete the case in that much time.\"\n\nMr Manjphur said the authorities had yet to provide any him with any evidence linking his client to the crimes and feared he was being framed, a charge denied by officials.\n\nA few weeks ago, Mr Johal was accused of being involved in another crime. While in prison he has been arrested for helping to plot the murder of a man in October 2020.\n\n\"He is in a high security jail, he is under CCTV surveillance for 24 hours. How can he be in contact with anyone?\", Mr Manjphur said.\n\nMr Johal was last seen in public at court in Delhi earlier this month\n\nMr Johal is being held at Delhi's maximum security Tihar jail.\n\nHe claims he is often forced to stay in solitary confinement and is denied the same facilities as other prisoners, such as hot water.\n\n\"By making me stay in these conditions, they are ensuring that my mental condition remains disturbed,\" he said.\n\n\"It is very tough to live here,\" he said.\n\nThe vast majority of inmates at the prison are, like Mr Johal, held before a conviction in what is known as an \"under-trial\" in India.\n\nAt the end of 2019, 82% of prisoners held in Tihar jail had yet to complete the trial process.\n\nIn India it can take many years before under-trial prisoners ever get to court, especially in terror cases where bail is hard to secure, a concern for Mr Johal's lawyer.\n\n\"He will languish in jail until the trial is completed, in such cases it could take anywhere between five to 10 years,\" Mr Manjphur said.\n\nUK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has raised the case with his Indian counterpart\n\nThe human rights charity Reprieve has written to the UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, asking that he calls for Mr Johal's immediate release.\n\nReprieve is also worried that some of the charges Mr Johal is awaiting trial for carry the death penalty as the maximum punishment. But experts stress that executions in India are extremely rare.\n\nThe UK's Foreign Commonwealth and Development office told the BBC that Mr Raab did raise the case with his Indian counterpart during his trip to India in December.\n\n\"We have consistently raised concerns about his case with the Government of India, including allegations of torture and mistreatment and his right to a fair trial,\" it said in a statement.\n\n\"Our staff continue to support Jagtar Singh Johal following his detention in India, and are in regular contact with his family and prison officials about his health and wellbeing.\"\n\nHundreds of people protested outside the Foreign Office\n\nBut Mr Johal's brother Gurpreet said the family was still waiting for a meeting with the foreign secretary.\n\nHe said: \"We are calling for either Jagtar to be charged and a fair trial to take place or to be returned back to his country so he can spend his life with his wife in the UK.\"\n\nIn August last year Gurpreet Singh Johal was joined by dozens who protested outside Downing Street.\n\nJagtar Singh Johal's case has sparked protests around the world, from Westminster to Washington, Geneva to Toronto.\n\nIn his statement to the BBC, Mr Johal had this message for officials back home: \"I plead to the UK government to support me, I'm a British citizen and the government should understand that.\"", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Sir Keir Starmer calls for teachers and support staff to be vaccinated during the February half term\n\nSir Keir Starmer has called on the government to \"use the window\" of the February half-term to vaccinate all teachers and support staff.\n\nSpeaking at Prime Ministers Questions, the Labour leader said reopening schools must be a national priority.\n\nLabour wants to bring forward the vaccination of key workers alongside others in high risk groups.\n\nBut Boris Johnson said the proposal would \"delay our ability to move forward out of lockdown\".\n\nThe PM said teachers in the top nine priority groups would be vaccinated as a \"matter of priority\", adding: \"I know how deeply frustrating it is, the extra burden that we have placed on families by closing the schools.\"\n\nMr Johnson said he remained confident that the top four priority groups - taking in all over-70s, health and care staff and elderly care home residents - would receive a first jab by mid-February \"if we can get the supply\" of vaccines.\n\nBy the end of April those in the next five priority groups, including all over-50s and younger adults with underlying health conditions, should have been offered a jab, under the government's plans.\n\nLabour wants to see workers in critical professions - such as police officers, firefighters and transport workers, as well as teachers - vaccinated alongside these groups.\n\nShadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said: \"The NHS rightly deserve congratulations for their impressive and speedy roll out of vaccinations.\n\n\"But now we need to go further and faster.\n\n\"Not only will vaccination acceleration save lives it will help us to carefully and responsibly reopen our economy and crucially ensure children are back in school as transmission reduces.\"\n\nBut asked about the proposal in the Commons, Mr Johnson said it would \"take vaccines away from the more vulnerable groups and... delay our ability to move forward out of lockdown\".\n\nThe government has said it will prioritise the reopening of schools as it begins the process of lifting lockdown restrictions, but in a Commons statement after PMQs, Mr Johnson indicated that schools would remain closed until early March.\n\n\"We hope it will... be safe to begin the reopening of schools from Monday, 8 March, with other economic and social restrictions being removed thereafter as and when the data permits,\" he told MPs.", "The coronavirus pandemic has forced the cancellation of many much-loved events and traditions but the good people of New Orleans were not going to let it ruin their annual Mardi Gras.\n\nWhen the mayor of the Louisiana city announced that the raucous, crowd-filled street carnival parades would not be going ahead, residents decided to turn their houses into floats instead.\n\nThousands have been transformed for the two-week long carnival that runs until Ash Wednesday on 17 February. In the picture below, you can see The Queen's Jubilee House.\n\nA special project was set up encouraging home-owners to hire the many artists who would normally have months of work preparing for the event.\n\nRené Pierre's company usually looks after 75 floats during Mardi Gras and he has managed to get contracts to build 53 house floats.\n\n\"My wife and I were trying to sleep one night, and we kept hearing notifications coming from the website. It was like instant success. It was incredible,\" he told CNN.\n\nThere were a variety of themes such as this reference to the Bernie Sanders meme from last month's presidential inauguration.\n\nAnd this homage to influential women including Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg who died last year.\n\nThe idea for the house floats came from a carnival regular, Megan Joy Boudreaux, who had suggested it in a post on Twitter after the mayor's announcement in November.\n\n\"It doesn't matter if your budget is zero and you're recycling cardboard boxes, or whether your budget is tens of thousands of dollars and you've got a mansion on St Charles. We want everyone who wants to do this to participate,\" she told the New York Times.\n\nShe said she had expected a few friends and neighbours to join in, but by the beginning of January more than 9,000 people had signed up - some as far afield as the UK and Australia, the AP reports.\n\nSome homes were decorated in honour of musicians, like this house below that paid tribute to former New Orleans resident and jazz clarinet payer Pete Fountain.\n\nAnd this house which referenced country music star Dolly Parton.\n\nThere were also tributes to musician Dr John.\n\nAnd others evoked Zydeco music pioneers Boozoo Chavis and Clifton Chenier and the 'Cajun Hank Williams', DL Menard.\n\nAn online map of the decorated houses is being made available for people to visit in their own time and, it is hoped, in a socially-distanced way.", "Starmer: Get a grip on getting laptops to children\n\nSir Keir says he is \"no wiser\" over where the PM stands on vaccinating teachers. But he moves on to the supplies of technology for children at home. \"The government has got a duty to make sure every single child can learn at home,\" says the Labour leader. But he says a third of families say they don't have enough laptops or home computers, and over 400,000 children are still not able to get online at home. He asks if the PM understands the anger of families that the government \"still haven't got to grips with this\". Johnson says he \"fully understands the frustration and impatience across the country.\" He says the government has provided 1.3 million laptops to children and a £1bn catch up fund, but he promises more details in his statement this afternoon on \"what more we propose to do on reopening of schools\".", "Claudia Marsh was a volunteer for an eating disorder charity which had helped her in the past\n\nAn \"incredible\" recently-qualified teacher has died with coronavirus on her 25th birthday.\n\nClaudia Marsh's death was described as \"sudden and unexpected\" by a charity which had helped her recover from an eating disorder several years ago.\n\nShe had gone on to volunteer for the organisation and became a \"beacon of hope\" for others.\n\nHer mother Tina Marsh, from Heswall in Wirral, said she was \"very proud\" and \"blown away\" by the many tributes.\n\nWriting on Facebook, Ms Marsh said she was a \"beautiful daughter and incredible sister\" who was selfless in her work for Merseyside-based charities Talking Eating Disorders (TEDS) and The Whitechapel Centre.\n\nShe said: \"She loved giving back to people less fortunate than herself.\"\n\nFamily friend Leigh Best, who founded TEDS, described the death as \"heartbreaking\".\n\nShe added: \"Claudia was very special, kind, caring and a dedicated teacher.\n\n\"She supported countless families across the UK. Claudia made her own little packs to give out to others with eating disorders with positive affirmations.\n\n\"She was full of positivity, kindness and hope, and had a smile that would brighten up the whole room.\"\n\nIn a statement, the Whitechapel Centre, where Claudia also volunteered, said staff were \"devastated\", adding she would leave behind a \"legacy of care, dedication and enthusiasm\".\n\nThe charity said she put all of her time and energy into providing food and clothing to those who needed it during the pandemic.\n\n\"Claudia always put others before herself and her memory will live on through the impact and contribution she made to our organisation,\" the centre said.\n\n\"She was instrumental in bringing together our volunteer community.\"\n\nMs Marsh has set up an online fundraising page for the two charities, which has already garnered more than £10,000.\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Facebook is taking steps to rectify the error that saw posts referring to Plymouth Hoe taken down\n\nFacebook has apologised for removing posts that named part of a city it deemed to contain an offensive word.\n\nPlymouth Hoe is a historic part of the Devon city's seafront but the social media platform wrongly identified it as an offensive term.\n\nFacebook users have recently had posts taken down for breaching bullying rules after innocently using the place name.\n\nThe company said it \"will take steps to rectify the error\".\n\nDawn Lapthorn, who created the 'Don't Dump it, Plymouth and Surrounding areas' page said she was surprised to receive notifications from Facebook telling her \"community standards on harassment and bullying\" had been breached.\n\nPlymouth Hoe is famous as the place where Sir Francis Drake finished off a game of bowls before setting off to fight the Spanish Armada in 1588\n\nShe said: \"One woman on the group had been making hats, and she forgot to say where the collection point was so people asked her and she wrote Plymouth Hoe.\n\n\"Suddenly I started getting notifications asking me to remove the comments.\n\n\"And then her daughter contacted me asking why her mum had been banned from commenting on the group.\"\n\nOther people commenting on the group's posts have also received notifications and had posts taken down.\n\nMs Lapthorn said: \"I've heard that some Facebook groups have been closed down because of this, and with the work we do in the community and 26,000 members, I've worked too hard to have that put at risk.\"\n\nA Facebook company spokesperson said: \"These posts were removed in error and we apologise to those who were affected. We're looking into what happened and will take steps to rectify the error.\"\n\nFollow BBC News South West on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to spotlight@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "It wasn't normal when the prime minister stood at the lectern in Downing Street's wood-panelled State Dining Room and announced that four people had died from coronavirus on 9 March last year.\n\nIt wasn't normal, that day, when he announced the obscure-sounding virus was a global pandemic that, in the 21st Century, the UK government would struggle to contain.\n\nIt was unprecedented, in peacetime, when, on 23 March, Boris Johnson instructed the country to stay at home.\n\nIt was shocking when, on 28 March, official figures reported more than 1,000 cases in a single day.\n\nA few weeks later, there were sharp intakes of breath when the UK government's chief scientific adviser told MPs, and all of us, that keeping the numbers of deaths down to around 20,000 would be a \"good outcome\".\n\nIt wasn't normal when the Treasury started paying the wages of millions of people to prevent hardship on a vast scale.\n\nIt wasn't normal when planes stayed on the ground, roads and trains emptied.\n\nIt certainly wasn't normal when classrooms fell largely silent, or when the nooks and crannies of Westminster, usually full of intrigue, emptied.\n\nBut in that new strangeness it became normal, week after week, for millions of us to stand in the street, on balconies or on doorsteps to express thanks to those who care for us.\n\nAnd there is now an emerging routine of the most vulnerable rolling up their sleeves, sometimes in front of the cameras, for vaccines that offer at least part of the route to the future.\n\nYet the daily publication of the numbers of people who have died because of Covid has become an all-too-familiar rhythm.\n\nIn the middle of the afternoon, every day, the latest total emerges. A previously unimaginable communication has become a regular part of the country's conversation.\n\nBut today that number has reached a terrible height. Every one of those 100,000 lives lost leaves its own story, and sorrow, behind.\n\nThis miserable landmark is a moment to remember, maybe, that what has happened in the last year, to our politics, to us all is not normal at all.", "The Royal Welsh Show - the biggest agricultural show in Europe - has been cancelled for the second year running because of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.\n\nThe board met on Wednesday to discuss holding the show as scheduled in July, but after discussions with Welsh Government decided it wouldn't be feasible.\n\nSteve Hughson, chief executive of the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society, said: “We continue to work alongside the Welsh Government and Public Health Wales to create a road map for the safe re-opening of events.\n\n\"Our events are central to the rural economy and way of life and mean so much to members, exhibitors, traders and visitors.\n\n\"We fully understand the responsibility on all of us to ensure we deliver our events as soon as it is safe to do so.\"\n\nMr Hughson said the society had provided free facilities for a Covid testing centre and a mass vaccination centre at its showground in Llanelwedd, Powys.", "Goldman Sachs' chief executive David Solomon will get a $10m (£7.3m) pay cut for the bank's involvement in the 1MDB corruption scandal.\n\n1MDB was an investment fund set up by the Malaysian government that lost billions due to fraudulent activity.\n\nThe global web of fraud and corruption led to a 12-year jail term for Malaysia's ex-prime minister Najib Razak which he is appealing.\n\nGoldman Sachs called its involvement in the scandal an \"institutional failure\".\n\nGoldman Sachs helped raise $6.5bn for 1MDB by selling bonds to investors, the proceeds of which were largely stolen.\n\nProsecutors alleged that senior Goldman executives ignored warning signs of fraud in their dealings with 1MDB and Jho Low, an adviser to the fund. Two Goldman bankers have been criminally charged in the scandal.\n\nMr Solomon's pay would have been $10m higher but for the actions its board of directors took in response to the 1MDB saga, Goldman Sachs said on Tuesday.\n\nWhile disclosing his salary had dropped to $17.5m for 2020, the bank stressed that Mr Solomon was unaware of the corruption.\n\nHe was not \"involved in or aware of the firm's participation in any illicit activity at the time... the board views the 1MDB matter as an institutional failure, inconsistent with the high expectations it has for the firm\".\n\nMr Solomon's package consists of $2m in cash base pay, a $4.65m cash bonus, and $10.85m in stock-based compensation.\n\nIn October, Goldman agreed to pay nearly $3bn to government officials in four countries to end an investigation into work it performed for 1MDB. The bank collected $600m for arranging the bond sales in 2012 and 2013.\n\nIt has spent years being investigated by regulators across the globe including those in the US, UK, Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong.In total, Goldman's dealings with 1MDB cost the bank more than $5bn.\n\nDespite the costs and fines from the fallout from the 1MDB scandal, 2020 was a bumper year for Goldman's businesses with annual revenue of $44.6bn, its highest since 2009.\n\nThe US-based bank got a huge boost from the recovery in global stock markets from the depths of the coronavirus recession.\n\nIn 2018 Malaysian police raided the home of former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak, as part of their investigation in his involvement with 1MDB.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Handbags and money seized in raids on former Malaysian PM's home (video published in 2018)", "Josh Quigley crashed while cycling at 40mph downhill in Dubai\n\nA record-breaking Scottish cyclist is recovering from his second serious crash in little over a year.\n\nJosh Quigley fractured his spine, pelvis, shoulder, collarbone and elbow after falling off his bike at 40mph while training in Dubai on Tuesday.\n\nThe 28-year-old from Livingston is in hospital awaiting surgery.\n\nLast September he broke the North Coast 500 cycling world record just months after suffering life-threatening injuries while riding across the USA.\n\nMr Quigley told BBC Scotland he was in a lot of pain and unable to walk after his latest crash.\n\nHe said: \"I think a gust of wind took my front wheel out.\"\n\n\"Not sure what the recovery process is looking like yet,\" he added on social media.\n\n\"Very grateful to Ben and Tobias who I was riding with for getting me an ambulance and making sure I got to hospital OK.\n\n\"There's a great cycling community here who have been great to me since I've been here and they're all doing a lot to make sure I am looked after and have what I need in here.\n\n\"Huge thanks also to a few people who stopped at the scene and all of the first responders and medical staff who have helped at the hospital so far.\"\n\nMr Quigley shaved six minutes off the existing North Coast 500 world record when he completed the 516-mile Highland route in 31hrs and 17 minutes last September.\n\nThe route is ranked as one of the world's toughest endurance challenges as it has 34,423ft (10,492m) of ascent - more than Mount Everest, which stands at 29,031ft (8,848m).\n\nHis feat came after he was hit by a vehicle in Texas during a round-the-world-trip in December 2019.\n\nHe had life-threatening injuries and operations on a broken heel and ankle as well as a stent fitted in an artery in his neck, which feeds blood to his brain.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "The PM has said he hopes a \"gradual and phased\" relaxation of Covid restrictions can begin in early March.\n\nBoris Johnson told MPs he intended to set out a plan for how the lockdown in England could be eased and the criteria involved in the final week of February.\n\nFactors will include death and hospitalisation numbers, progress of vaccinations and changes in the virus.\n\nHe has ruled out schools in England re-opening after the February half term, instead setting an 8 March target.\n\nIn a statement to Parliament, Mr Johnson said the scientific data was not sufficiently clear to make any decisions now but he hoped to publish a detailed roadmap in just under a month's time as the \"picture became clearer\".\n\nHe also announced plans for tighter border restrictions to combat new variants of Covid, confirming all those arriving from high-risk countries will have to quarantine in hotels and other accommodation for 10 days.\n\nThe PM, who is under pressure from Tory MPs to spell out how the current lockdown will end, said relaxing restrictions would depend on emerging data about how effectively the vaccine stops virus transmission.\n\nHe signalled any easing of restrictions would start with schools, setting a potential re-opening date of 8 March - when he said he hoped the 15 million or so people in the top four vulnerable groups earmarked for vaccinations by mid-February will have had their jabs and have full protection.\n\n\"Our aim will be to set out a gradual and phased approach to easing the restrictions in a sustainable way,\" he said, adding that the \"first sign of normality\" should be pupils returning to school.\n\nHe added: \"We hope it will be safe to begin the re-opening of schools from 8 March with other economic and social restrictions being removed thereafter as the data permits.\"\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer said reopening schools should be a national priority and urged the government to vaccinate teachers and support staff during the February half term.\n\nLabour is also calling for the government to prioritise key workers in critical professions, seeing them added to the first phase of the vaccination programme, alongside those might likely to become seriously ill.\n\nCases are falling and the vaccination programme is going well. So why is the government waiting?\n\nFirstly, there are doubts about how fast infections are falling.\n\nWhile the daily figures show they have almost halved in just over a fortnight, the government's surveillance programmes which involve random testing suggest the drop may be slower.\n\nIt is unclear why there is this discrepancy, but understanding the true trajectory is crucial to knowing what will happen to pressures on hospitals.\n\nWhat impact the vaccination programme has will also be vital.\n\nEarly results from Israel, which is leading the world on vaccination, suggest cases in older age groups start falling three weeks after significant numbers are vaccinated. But ministers want to see that pattern repeated here.\n\nThey also want to know what effect vaccination has on transmission - it is possible vaccinated people can still transmit the infection even if they are protected from illness.\n\nThis will not be completely clear by March, but scientists should at least have a better idea.\n\nWhen a plan for exiting lockdown is set out, the government wants to be certain it can be kept to. But given the cost of lockdown the pressure to lift restrictions will grow if progress keeps being made.\n\nLast week, chair of the Covid Recovery Group Conservative MP Mark Harper said if the government meets its 15 February vaccination deadline, then ministers should begin easing lockdown by 8 March.\n\nHe welcomed the announcement from the prime minster.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Mark Harper This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nUnder the current lockdown, people in England must stay at home and only go out for limited reasons such as food shopping and exercise.\n\nSimilar measures are in place across much of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.\n\nEngland's lockdown laws are due to end on 31 March. Mr Johnson has previously said this date is to allow for a \"controlled\" easing of restrictions back into local tiers.\n\nUnder the tier system, different rules are applied to different parts of the country, depending on factors such as pressure on the NHS, number of cases and rates at which case numbers fall.\n\nPupils in England are not expected to return to school before the February half term. Mr Johnson has said schools will be reopened \"as soon as we can\" but did not guarantee that would happen before Easter.\n\nFirst Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said restrictions in Scotland will continue until mid-February at the earliest.\n\nIn Wales, the lockdown will be reviewed at the end of January, but the government has previously said it does not see \"much headroom for change\".\n\nNorthern Ireland's lockdown has been extended until 5 March.", "As a family of chemicals, neonicotinoids cause harm to pollinating insects such as bees\n\nThe Wildlife Trusts is to take legal action against the UK government over its decision to allow a pesticide that is almost entirely banned in the EU.\n\nIn 2018, the EU banned the outdoor use of neonicotinoid pesticides, which harm pollinating insects such as bees.\n\nBut following Brexit, the government approved the emergency use of one neonicotinoid to combat a crop disease.\n\nThe charity has told Environment Secretary George Eustice of their intention to challenge the decision.\n\nIn a letter to Mr Eustice, the Trusts says it will push for a judicial review unless the government can \"prove it has acted lawfully\".\n\nMultiple studies, including large-scale field trials, have found that neonicotinoids harm pollinators and aquatic life. Research has also shown that they can be linked to the wider collapse in biodiversity.\n\nThe government says it allowed the use of the neonicotinoid thiamethoxam because of the \"potential danger\" to the sugar beet crop from beet yellows virus, which is spread by aphids.\n\nThe virus can have a severe impact on sugar beet.\n\nIt stressed that use of the chemical would be strictly limited, and the risk to bees was \"acceptable\" because sugar beet doesn't flower. Alternative chemicals should be used to kill any wild flowering plants in and around the crops, the government said.\n\nNeonicotinoids are the most widely-used class of insecticides in the world and they work by disrupting the insect central nervous system.\n\nTwo years ago, the EU's ban was supported by then-Environment Secretary Michael Gove, who said the weight of evidence was \"greater than previously understood\". Unless the evidence changed, he said, the restrictions would be maintained post-Brexit.\n\nThe government says the change in policy is based on \"new evidence\". But, so far, they haven't made this science public.\n\nHowever, Craig Bennett, chief executive of the Wildlife Trusts, said there was no new evidence to justify the change in policy.\n\nHe said: \"The government refused a request for emergency authorisation in 2018 and we want to know what's changed. Where's the new evidence that it's okay to use this extremely harmful pesticide?\n\n\"Using neonicotinoids not only threatens bees but is also extremely harmful to aquatic wildlife because the majority of the pesticide leaches into soil and then into waterways. Worse still, farmers are being recommended to use weedkiller to kill wildflowers in and around sugar beet crops in a misguided attempt to prevent harm to bees in the surrounding area. This is a double blow for nature.\"\n\nIt was the National Farmers' Union (NFU) and British Sugar that applied for the authorisation. Victoria Prentis, a minister with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) told BBC News that it \"wasn't ideal\". But she was \"convinced it was appropriate\" and that the government was \"committed to reducing pesticide use and integrated pest management\".\n\nSugar beet affected by the yellowing disease spread by aphids\n\nThe pesticide will be authorised for use if there is a large enough outbreak of the disease. And it can only be used for a period of up to 120 days. Around a dozen other EU countries, including France and Germany, have also agreed emergency permits.\n\nMs Prentis said the authorisation was very specific, and \"targeted at a non-flowering crop, which bees are not attracted to\".\n\nHowever research, shows that the highly toxic chemicals can persist in the wider ecosystem for some time, potentially to be absorbed by wildflowers that pollinators then visit.\n\nProf Glen Jeffery, from University College London (UCL), said he felt \"horror\" when he learned of the government's decision.\n\n\"We've slowly moved away from it and yet it's creeping back in,\" he told BBC News.\n\n\"It's very prevalent in other parts of the world, but then you find in other parts of the world vast numbers of pollinating insects have just vanished and they've just gone through heavy pesticide use. We reach the ridiculous situation where in parts of California thousands of beehives are trucked from Texas and from Florida into California to pollinate crops.\"\n\nThere has been one full sugar beet harvest since outdoor neonicotinoid use was banned. According to the NFU, the 2019-20 harvest was largely unaffected by beet yellows disease. This year's sugar beet harvest is currently underway, and yields are expected to be down by around 25% compared with the five-year average, with some farmers losing as much as 80% of their crop.\n\nAccording to the NFU, there are 3,000 farmers who grow sugar beet, and the wider industry supports around 9,500 jobs in England, largely in the East.\n\nThe NFU has called the situation \"unprecedented\" and its sugar board chairman Michael Sly said: \"I am relieved that our application for emergency use of a neonicotinoid seed treatment for the 2021 sugar beet crop has been granted.\"\n\nNeurobiologist and environmental pharmacologist Dr Chris Connolly said that, since 2018, when neonicotinoids were banned in the EU, around 400 papers had been published looking into thiamethoxam, and none said they were less harmful.\n\nThe peach potato aphid is responsible for spreading the beet yellows virus\n\nHe said he could be in favour of using it: \"But rarely, and when it's really needed - when it's an emergency. It's not an emergency if you apply for it before an emergency.\n\nHe added: \"Is adding pesticides to pesticides the way to go towards better sustainability?\"\n\nWhen they were introduced in 2005, neonicotinoids were seen as a good alternative to traditional pesticides. They are systemic, which means they are absorbed by the plant, so are applied to seeds as a coating - instead of being sprayed. However, it has become clear they are highly toxic to invertebrates such as insects.\n\nThe government recently committed to spending £3bn of international climate finance to \"supporting nature and biodiversity\".\n\nSeveral hundred thousand people have now signed various online petitions against the move. Earlier this month, more than 30 wildlife and environmental organisations, including Pesticide Action Network and the RSPB, wrote a joint letter to Mr Eustice calling on the government to publish the new evidence that led to the derogation being approved.", "The EHIC card is making way for the GHIC card under a new agreement with the EU\n\nUK residents can apply for a Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) to access emergency medical care in the EU when their current EHIC card runs out.\n\nUnder a new agreement with the EU, both cards will offer equivalent healthcare protection when people are on holiday, studying or travelling for business.\n\nThis includes emergency treatment as well as treatment needed for a pre-existing condition.\n\nThe new GHIC card is free and can be obtained via the official GHIC website.\n\nCurrent European Health Insurance Cards (EHIC) are valid as long as they are in date, and can continue to be used when travelling to the EU.\n\nYou don't need to apply for a GHIC until your current EHIC expires.\n\nPeople should apply at least two weeks before they plan to travel to ensure their card arrives on time.\n\nHealth Minister Edward Argar said: \"Our deal with the EU ensures the right for our citizens to access necessary healthcare on their holidays and travels to countries in the EU will continue.\n\n\"The GHIC is a key element of the UK's future relationship with the EU and will provide certainty and security for all UK residents.\"\n\nIf a UK resident is travelling without a card, they are still entitled to necessary healthcare, and should contact the NHS Business Services Authority (which covers the whole of the UK), which can arrange for payment should they require treatment when abroad.\n\nEHICs from EU member states will continue to be accepted by the NHS.\n\nIt is advised that anyone travelling overseas, whether to the EU or elsewhere in the world, should take out comprehensive travel insurance.", "Khairi Saadallah admitted three counts of murder and three counts of attempted murder\n\nA killer who stabbed three men to death in a Reading park has been handed a whole-life jail term.\n\nKhairi Saadallah murdered James Furlong, 36, David Wails, 49, and 39-year-old Joe Ritchie-Bennett, in June last year in Forbury Gardens.\n\nLondon's Old Bailey previously heard the 26-year-old \"executed\" the men as an \"act of religious jihad\".\n\nPassing sentence Judge Mr Justice Sweeney said it was a \"ruthless and brutal\" terror attack.\n\nSaadallah, who admitted the murders, had also pleaded guilty to the attempted murders of three other men who were also in the park.\n\nThe judge said the victims \"had no chance to react, let alone defend themselves\".\n\n(L-R) David Wails, Joe Ritchie-Bennett and James Furlong were pronounced dead at the scene\n\nHe said he was sure the attack \"involved a substantial degree of premeditation or planning\" and was carried out \"for the purpose of advancing a political, religious, or ideological cause\".\n\nBBC News correspondent Helena Wilkinson, who was in court, said the families of James Furlong and David Wails were present, while Joseph Ritchie-Bennett's loved ones watched via a link from America.\n\nSaadallah showed no emotion as Mr Justice Sweeney went through his sentencing remarks.\n\nOn the afternoon of 20 June, the park was busy due to the first lockdown restrictions being relaxed in England.\n\nAndrew Cafe, who witnessed the stabbings, said he saw Saadallah wielding the \"biggest kitchen knife\" and charging towards him shouting \"Allahu Akbar\".\n\nPharmaceutical manager Mr Ritchie-Bennett and teacher Mr Furlong died from single stab wounds to their necks, while scientist Mr Wails was stabbed once in the back.\n\nDespite treatment from paramedics and doctors, all three friends, who were members of the LGBT community, died at the scene.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Witness Andrew Cafe visited Forbury Gardens for the first time since the attack\n\nThree other people - Nishit Nisudan, Patrick Edwards and Stephen Young - were also injured, before Saadallah threw away the knife and fled the scene, pursued by police.\n\nFollowing his arrest, Saadallah initially said he wanted to plead guilty to the \"jihad that I done\", but the prosecution claimed he later feigned mental illness in police interviews.\n\nAt a previous hearing, the court heard he had developed an emotionally unstable and anti-social personality disorder, with his behaviour worsened by alcohol and cannabis misuse.\n\nBut the judge said it was \"clear that the defendant did not, and does not, have any major mental illness\".\n\nAn examination of Saadallah's phone revealed an interest in extremist material, including images of the flag of Islamic State and Jihadi John, the court previously heard.\n\nWhile at HMP Bullingdon in 2017, he was seen to associate with radical preacher Omar Brookes, who has connections with banned terrorist organisation Al-Muhajiroun.\n\nThe court heard Saadallah, who arrived in Britain from Libya in 2012, had previously been involved with militias who had been part of the uprising against Muammar Gaddafi, and was pictured handling weapons, including firearms.\n\nSince seeking asylum in Britain, he had been repeatedly arrested and convicted of various offences, including theft and assault, between 2013 and 2020.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. CCTV cameras captured Khairi Saadallah before and after the stabbing\n\nHe briefly came to the attention of MI5 in 2019, but the information provided did not meet the threshold of investigation.\n\nSaadallah had been released from prison on 5 June, days before the attack, the court heard.\n\nOn 17 June, he researched the location for his attack online and carried out reconnaissance in the park.\n\nThe following day his probation officer alerted his mental health team over comments he made about magic.\n\nA day later, Saadallah contacted the crisis team himself, but when they visited he did not answer.\n\nFollowing concerns from his brother, police visited the killer the same day, but he told officers he was \"alright\" while he stood near a knife he bought from a supermarket.\n\nAndrew Wails said losing his brother had been devastating\n\nAfter the sentencing, James Furlong's father, Gary, said: \"The secretary of state needs to tell us why this guy wasn't put into some form of detention centre before they could deport him.\n\n\"He was not safe to be released back on the streets.\"\n\nReferring to the fact that Saadallah had been visited by police the night before the attack, Mr Furlong said: \"Given the volume of crimes he's committed and the information that they had on him, for an assessment to be done the night before to say that he's not a danger to the public - it is beyond me.\"\n\nHe described Mr Furlong, originally from Liverpool, as \"a lovely man, loved by his family, idolised by his mother\".\n\nDavid Wails' brother Andrew said: \"For us as a family it's been devastating to lose our much loved son, brother and uncle.\"\n\nIn a statement, the Bennett family described Mr Ritchie-Bennett as a \"devoted and loving husband\" and \"a man who cared strongly about family\".\n\nThe park had been busy due to the first lockdown restrictions being relaxed in England\n\nDet Ch Supt Kath Barnes, head of Counter Terrorism Policing South East, described Saadallah as \"a committed jihadist\".\n\nShe said: \"He has caused unspeakable hurt and distress to the families of the three men who were brutally murdered as they were relaxing and enjoying socialising with friends on a Saturday evening.\n\n\"I'm sure there will also be lasting effects on those who were injured in the attack, who were fortunate not to have been even more seriously harmed.\"\n\nReading Borough Council leader Jason Brock described the attacks as \"horrific\" and \"senseless\" and said a permanent memorial to the victims was planned.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Last updated on .From the section Cardiff\n\nCardiff City defender Sol Bamba is being treated for cancer, the Championship club has announced.\n\nThe 35-year-old Ivory Coast international has been diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma and is undergoing chemotherapy.\n\n\"Sol has begun his battle in typically positive spirits and will continue to be an integral part of the Bluebirds family,\" said the Bluebirds.\n\nBamba joined Cardiff in October 2016 under former manager Neil Warnock.\n\nThe National Health Service Wales describes the illness as \"a type of cancer that develops in the lymphatic system, a network of vessels and glands spread throughout your body.\n\n\"The lymphatic system is part of your immune system\".\n\nThe Bluebirds said Bamba is \"universally admired by team-mates, staff and supporters in the Welsh capital\".\n\nThe club's statement added: \"During treatment Sol will support his team mates at matches and younger players within the Academy, with whom he will continue his coaching development.\n\n\"While we request privacy for him and his family at this time, messages of support to be passed on to Sol may be sent to club@cardiffcityfc.co.uk.\"\n\n\"We are all with you Sol.\"\n\nBamba helped Cardiff win promotion to the Premier League in 2018 and has made more than 100 appearances for the club.\n\nThe former Paris St Germain player has been a hugely popular member of the squad, though this season he has been restricted to five Championship substitute appearances and one League Cup start.\n\nHe is a much travelled player who has had spells at Dunfermline, Hibernian, Leicester City, Trazbonspor and Italian club Palermo as well as Leeds United.\n\nFrance-born Bamba has played 46 times for the Ivory Coast, including World Cup appearances and was part of their African Cup of Nations squad when they were runners-up in 2012.", "A video featuring footage of a County Mayo man being consumed by fits of laughter while trying to record a birthday message for his son, has gone viral.\n\nVincent McDonnell was sending the message to his son David, who was celebrating his 40th birthday in Australia.\n\nHis younger son Paul got the video rolling, but the pair could not contain their laughter as they racked up the attempts.\n\nThe video has been viewed more than 1.5m times on Paul's Twitter account.", "Jessica Allen and Eliza Moore said their cars were surrounded by police when they arrived at the reservoir\n\nTwo women who were fined £200 each when they drove five miles for a walk have had the penalties withdrawn.\n\nJessica Allen and Eliza Moore were walking at Foremark Reservoir, Derbyshire, when they were \"surrounded\" by officers.\n\nAt the time Derbyshire Police insisted driving to exercise was \"not in the spirit\" of the most recent lockdown.\n\nBut new national guidance for police has led the force to quash the fines, and apologise to the women.\n\nChief Constable Rachel Swann said the fines \"have been withdrawn and we have notified the women directly, apologising for any concern caused\".\n\nThe two friends travelled the short distance to the reservoir from their homes in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire, on Wednesday afternoon.\n\nThey said their cars were \"surrounded\" by police. They were then questioned on why they were there and told the hot drinks they had brought along were not allowed as they were \"classed as a picnic\".\n\nIn a statement, the women said: \"This afternoon we both received a phone call from Derbyshire Police.\n\n\"After reviewing our case, our fines have been rescinded and we have received an apology on behalf of the constabulary for the treatment we received.\n\n\"We welcomed this apology and we are pleased to draw a line under this event.\"\n\nAfter the incident gained media attention, the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) \"clarified the policing response concerning travel and exercise\".\n\nThe guidance said: \"The Covid regulations which officers enforce and which enables them to issue FPNs [fixed penalty notices] for breaches, do not restrict the distance travelled for exercise.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Covid: Fined women 'could have been dealt with differently'\n\nDerbyshire Police said: \"Having received clarification of the guidance issued by the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) on Friday, these FPNs as well as a small number of others issued, were reviewed in line with that latest advice, and so it is right that we have taken this action.\"\n\nThe county's police and crime commissioner Hardyal Dhinsda said: \"While the police are doing their absolute best to protect public safety during what is a critical time of the pandemic, the public should rightly expect a proportionate and balanced approach, taking full consideration of individual circumstances.\n\n\"We recognise that errors will occur in the face of complex guidance and legislation and it is important such situations are resolved quickly and fairly, as has been the case here.\"\n\nFollow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "The UK economy will \"get worse before it gets better\" as the country battles the pandemic, Chancellor Rishi Sunak has warned.\n\nThe chancellor told MPs the new national restrictions were necessary to control the spread of coronavirus.\n\nHowever, he said they would have a further significant economic impact,\n\n\"Even with the significant economic support we've provided, over 800,000 people have lost their job since February,\" he said.\n\n\"Sadly, we have not and will not be able to save every job and every business.\n\n\"But I am confident that our economic plan is supporting the finances of millions of people and businesses.\"\n\nThe chancellor said \"the road ahead will be tough\", but maintained that the government was \"taking the difficult but right long-term decisions for our country\".\n\nHe said that fiscal stimulus provided so far amounted to more than £280bn, while 1.2 million employers had furloughed almost 10 million employees.\n\nAt the same time, three million people had benefited from self-employment grants.\n\nMr Sunak said he would \"bear in mind\" calls to extend business rate relief and provide further support for the hospitality sector at the Budget in March.\n\nShadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds accused Mr Sunak of being \"out of ideas\" and providing \"nothing new\".\n\nShe said: \"The purpose of an update is to provide us with new information, not to repeat what we already know.\"\n\nThe chancellor's words reflect the fact that with a widespread lockdown, the first months of 2021 are likely to see a further contraction in the UK economy and probably an official double-dip recession. This reflects the physical shutdown nationwide of hospitality and retail, as well as the effect in the data of school shutdowns too.\n\nIn addition, consumers and workers are likely to be more cautious as the vaccine starts to be rolled out. So this is a very odd sort of economic tripwire. The challenge in the next weeks and months gets bigger, although not as big as it was last April. But beyond that, there is the hope of something normal.\n\nThe implication for the chancellor as he prepares a vital early March Budget, however, is further delay to the measures, such as tax rises, to deal with historic levels of pandemic government borrowing.", "In his letter to staff, circulated on social media, Chad Wolf said he had hoped to remain as acting secretary to homeland security until the end of the Trump administration.\n\n\"Unfortunately, this action is warranted by the recent events, including the ongoing and meritless court rulings regarding the validity of my authority as acting secretary,\" he said, \"which serve to divert attention and resources away from the important work of the Department in this critical time of a transition of power\".\n\nWolf's resignation comes after he last week called on Trump and all elected officials to \"strongly condemn\" the Capitol riot.\n\nHis exit throws the department into turmoil just as it is gearing up for inauguration of Joe Biden as president on 20 January, which has been designated a national security special event.", "Rules governing the import of personal goods from the UK to the EU changed after Brexit formally came into effect\n\nA Dutch TV network has filmed border officials confiscating ham sandwiches and other foods from drivers arriving in the Netherlands from the UK, under post-Brexit rules.\n\nThe officials were shown explaining import regulations imposed since the UK formalised its separation from the EU.\n\nUnder EU rules, travellers from outside the bloc are banned from bringing in meat and dairy products.\n\nThe rules appeared to bemuse one driver.\n\n\"Since Brexit, you are no longer allowed to bring certain foods to Europe, like meat, fruit, vegetables, fish, that kind of stuff,\" a Dutch border official told the driver in footage broadcast by TV network NPO 1.\n\nIn one scene, a border official asked the driver whether several of his tin-foil wrapped sandwiches had meat in them.\n\nWhen the driver said they did, the border official said: \"Okay, so we take them all.\"\n\nSurprised, the driver then asked the officials if he could keep the bread, to which one replied: \"No, everything will be confiscated - welcome to the Brexit, sir. I'm sorry.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe UK officially finished its formal separation from the EU on 31 December, 2020.\n\nFrom 23:00 GMT on that date, the UK stopped following EU rules, with new arrangements for travel, trade, immigration and security co-operation coming into force.\n\nA trade deal with the EU was agreed on 24 December, and a week later, UK lawmakers voted in favour of the agreement.\n\nThe UK's departure means big changes for business - with the UK and EU forming two separate markets - the end of free movement, and new regulations, including those governing the import of personal goods.\n\nThe UK government has issued guidance to commercial drivers travelling to the EU, warning them to \"be aware of additional restrictions to personal imports\".\n\n\"You cannot bring POAO (products of an animal origin) such as those containing meat or dairy (e.g. a ham and cheese sandwich) into the EU,\" the guidance says. \"There are exceptions to this rule for certain quantities of powdered infant milk, infant food, special foods, or special processed pet feed.\"\n\nOn its website, the European Commission says the ban is necessary because such goods \"continue to present a real threat to animal health throughout the Union\".\n\n\"It is known, for example, that dangerous pathogens that cause animal diseases such as Foot and Mouth Disease and classical swine fever can reside in meat, milk or their products,\" the Commission says.\n\nSeparately, the Dutch customs agency shared a picture of foodstuffs it had confiscated from motorists in the ferry terminal the Hook of Holland.\n\n\"Since 1 January, you can't just bring more food from the UK,\" the agency said. \"So prepare yourself if you travel to the Netherlands from the UK and spread the word. This is how we prevent food waste and together ensure that the controls are speeded up.\"\n\nThe BBC's economics editor Faisal Islam described the confiscation of ham sandwiches and other foodstuffs at the EU's borders with the UK as \"a standard implication of [the] Brexit deal\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Faisal Islam This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Unison, the UK's biggest trade union, has elected a woman as leader for the first time.\n\nChristina McAnea won 47.7% of the vote and takes over as general secretary from Dave Prentis, who has been in the job since 2001.\n\nThe former assistant general secretary beat fellow officials Paul Holmes, Roger McKenzie and Hugo Pierre in the contest, which began in October.\n\nMs McAnea said: \"I become general secretary at the most challenging time in recent history - both for our country and our public services.\n\n\"Health, care, council, police, energy, school, college and university staff have worked throughout the pandemic, and it's their skill and dedication that will see us out the other side.\n\n\"Their union will continue to speak up for them and do all it can to protect them in the difficult months ahead.\"\n\nUnison is promising action against the government's pay freeze for 1.3 million public sector workers, which it has described as an \"attack\" on members' livelihoods.\n\nMs McAnea said: \"Despite the risks, the immense pressures and their sheer exhaustion, the dedication and commitment of our key workers knows no end. I will not let this government, nor any future one, forget that.\"\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer has also demanded a U-turn on public sector pay, as he urges ministers to \"protect family incomes\" from the effects of lockdowns and other restrictions in his first speech of the year.\n\nBut Chancellor Rishi Sunak has said he cannot \"justify a significant, across-the-board\" salary increase while the economy and public finances are suffering in the wake of the pandemic.\n\nMs McAnea, an experienced negotiator and former NHS worker, is expected to be broadly supportive of Sir Keir, as Mr Prentis has been.\n\nThe Labour leader welcomed her victory, saying: \"I know you will be a brilliant representative for Unison members.\n\n\"And it's a significant moment for the union to elect its first woman general secretary. I look forward to working with you.\"\n\nHer election comes at a strained time between Sir Keir and several other unions whose general secretaries have spoken out in support of his predecessor Jeremy Corbyn, who is currently suspended from the Parliamentary Labour Party.\n\nMr Holmes came second in the Unison contest, with 33.8%, followed by Mr McKenzie, on 10.8%, and Mr Pierre, on 7.8%.\n\nMs McAnea grew up in Glasgow and worked as a housing officer before becoming a union employee.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe UK is at the \"worst point\" of the pandemic, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has warned, but said the actions of the public \"could make a difference\".\n\nAt a No 10 briefing, Mr Hancock pleaded with people to follow the government's Covid rules until the vaccine could provide a \"way out\" of the pandemic.\n\nThe government earlier published its plan to immunise tens of millions of people by spring.\n\nSo far 2.3 million people in the UK have had a first Covid vaccine shot.\n\nAnd a total of 2.6 million doses have been given out across the country, with some people having received both doses.\n\nMr Hancock said the new variant of coronavirus was putting the NHS under \"significant pressure\", adding it was \"imperative\" that people limit their social contacts.\n\n\"The NHS, more than ever before, needs everybody to be doing something right now - and that something is to follow the rules,\" he said.\n\n\"I know there has been speculation about more restrictions, and we don't rule out taking further action if it is needed, but it is your actions now that can make a difference.\"\n\nThe health secretary said he could \"rule out\" tightening restrictions by removing support and childcare bubbles, however.\n\nHis comments follow similar warnings from Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and England's chief medical officer Prof Chris Whitty, who said that the next few weeks will be \"the worst\" of the pandemic for the NHS.\n\nAccording to the latest figures, there have been another 529 deaths within 28 days of a positive test in the UK, and another 46,169 cases reported. There are also more than 32,000 people in hospital with coronavirus, data shows.\n\nMatt Hancock has previously said he's learned to rule nothing out when it comes to dealing with the pandemic.\n\nBut today he took the unusual step of doing just that.\n\nSupport bubbles and childcare bubbles, hugely valued by so many, will stay.\n\nSenior Whitehall sources have previously told me bubbles were \"untouchable\" but for a minister to say as much, so explicitly and on the record, means there's now very little wriggle room for the government to change its mind.\n\nMinisters will know that scrapping bubbles, for those that rely on them, could have proved deeply unpopular. But this certainty is a rarity.\n\nWhilst the current emphasis is on compliance, the idea of toughening up controls in other areas is not being ruled out.\n\nThe vaccine delivery plan says it is expected to take until spring to give a first dose to all 32 million people in the UK's priority groups, including everyone over 55 and those who are clinically vulnerable.\n\nUnder the plan, the government has pledged to carry out at least two million vaccinations in England per week by the end of January, which it says will be made possible by rolling out jabs at 206 hospital sites, 50 vaccination centres and around 1,200 local vaccination sites.\n\nIt also reiterates the government's aim of offering vaccinations to around 15 million people in the UK - the over-70s, older care home residents and staff, frontline healthcare workers and the clinically extremely vulnerable - by mid-February.\n\nAccording to Mr Hancock, two fifths of over-80s have now received their first dose, and almost a quarter of care home residents have received theirs.\n\nAlso at the briefing, NHS England's national medical director, Prof Stephen Powis, said the NHS was aiming to vaccinate the rest of the top nine priority groups by April, with a final push to offer all adults over 18 a jab by the autumn.\n\nHe stressed it would take until February before there were \"early signs\" that vaccination was leading to a drop in hospitalisations.\n\nThe country has still not seen the full impact of the Christmas loosening of lockdown restrictions, Prof Powis added, although he noted there are now 13,000 more Covid patients in hospital than there were on Christmas Day.\n\nSpeaking in Bristol earlier, Mr Johnson warned the vaccination programme was in a \"race against time\" because of pressure on the NHS.\n\nHe said it was \"a very perilous moment because everyone can sense the vaccine is coming in - my worry is that will breed false complacency\".\n\nThe newly-published vaccination plan also says ministers are aiming to offer jabs at more than 2,700 sites across the UK.\n\nAnd it says that daily vaccination figures for England will be published from now on - showing the total number vaccinated to date, including first and second doses.\n\nEarlier, NHS England's chief executive, Sir Simon Stevens, told MPs that there was a \"strong case\" for asking the the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) to consider prioritising \"teachers and other key workers\" for vaccination after the \"first nine [priority] groups have been vaccinated\".\n\nA quarter of coronavirus admissions to hospital are for people under the age of 55, he added.\n\nIn the first four weeks of the vaccination campaign, the NHS did 1.3 million vaccinations.\n\nNews that in the past week almost the same again has been done shows progress is being made - even though there has been some concern rollout to care home residents has been slower than hoped.\n\nHitting two million doses a week is the next target - and is something the NHS is aiming to get close to this week.\n\nWith more vaccination sites opening by the day, it should be achievable as long as there is good supply.\n\nThere is already enough vaccine in the country to vaccinate all 15 million people in the highest at-risk groups that have been promised an offer of a vaccine by mid-February.\n\nHowever, not all of it has been through the final safety checks or been packaged up ready for distribution.\n\nChallenges remain, but even at this early stage it is clear there is growing optimism that the programme is on track.\n\nAs seven mass vaccination centres opened across England on Monday, NHS England said hundreds more GP-led and hospital services would also open later this week.\n\nBut with all centres, people will need to wait until they receive an invitation.\n\nTwo vaccines - Pfizer-BioNTech and Oxford-AstraZeneca - are currently being administered in the UK.\n\nOn Friday, a third coronavirus vaccine - made by US company Moderna - was approved for use, although supplies are not expected to arrive until spring.\n\nVaccine programmes are also progressing in the UK's devolved nations.\n\nAll over-50s and everyone who is at greater risk from Covid in Wales will be offered a vaccine by spring, under new plans.\n\nAnd Scotland's health secretary has said every aged over 80 or over in the nation will be offered a jab by February, while care workers in Northern Ireland who provide services to ill or elderly patients living at home can now book an appointment to get a Covid-19 vaccine.\n\nEngland is currently under a national lockdown, meaning people must stay at home and can go out only for limited reasons such as food shopping, exercise, or work if they cannot do so from home.\n\nSimilar lockdown measures are in place across much of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer has questioned why there are \"less restrictions in place\" now than there were last March.\n\nIn his first speech of the year, he said: \"I do think it's time to hear from the scientists [about] what else could be done and that probably should be done in the next few hours\".\n\nMeanwhile, the United Arab Emirates is being removed from the UK list of travel corridors amid a spike in Covid cases.\n\nAnd England's Test and Trace scheme has revised one of its definitions of a \"close contact\" - the people who need to be reached if they have been near to someone who has tested positive for Covid.\n\nThis now refers to anyone who has been within two metres of someone for more than 15 minutes, whether in a single period or cumulatively over the course of one day.\n\nPreviously the definition was just a single period of at least 15 minutes.", "Home Office Minister James Brokenshire, who was diagnosed with lung cancer three years ago, is taking leave to have surgery on a lung tumour.\n\nThe Old Bexley and Sidcup MP resigned as Northern Ireland secretary in 2018 for surgery to remove a lesion on his right lung.\n\nOn Monday he confirmed that \"frustratingly\" there had been a recurrence of a tumour there.\n\nHe said he was in \"good hands\" with the \"fantastic NHS team\" looking after him.\n\n\"[I'm] keeping positive and blessed to have the love of Cathy and the kids to support me through this,\" the 53-year-old wrote on Twitter.\n\nPrime Minister Boris Johnson said his thoughts were with Mr Brokenshire and his family.\n\n\"Wishing you all the best for your treatment and looking forward to welcoming you back on the team soon,\" he added.\n\nHome Secretary Priti Patel said she was \"saddened\" by the news, adding: \"All my thoughts and prayers are with James and his family during this time\".\n\n\"All colleagues across government send James our love and best wishes, and we look forward to having him back soon,\" she added.\n\nHealth secretary Matt Hancock was among government colleagues wishing him well, adding he was \"sending my best wishes for a speedy recovery\".\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer tweeted: \"Wishing you all the best for your treatment, James. Get well soon.\"\n\nMr Brokenshire, who was first elected to Parliament in 2005 as MP for the former constituency of Hornchurch, has also previously served as housing secretary under former PM Theresa May.\n\nHe has called for efforts to \"break some of the stigma around lung cancer\" and raise awareness of the disease.\n• None Brokenshire: There were some pretty dark moments", "Medical director Steve Stanaway says numbers of Covid patients are rising at the hospital\n\nHospital staff in Wrexham are under immense pressure after a \"rapid increase\" in seriously ill coronavirus patients, a medical director has warned.\n\nWrexham now has the highest rate of Covid-19 in Wales, with 851.7 cases per 100,000 of the population.\n\nThis is more than double the Welsh average.\n\nSteve Stanaway, medical director at Wrexham Maelor Hospital, pleaded with people to abide by rules.\n\n\"The worry from a staff's point of view is how much more stretching can we take, how many more staff can we deploy?\" he said.\n\nThe hospital - which is part of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board - was the latest to suspend routine surgery as it tries to deal with rising numbers of Covid patients.\n\n\"That's created more feelings of stress and anxiety, not least to the people who were hoping to get their surgery this week,\" Mr Stanaway said.\n\nThe health board has postponed the majority of surgeries planned for the next two weeks at Wrexham, although some patients will be offered appointments in Bangor instead.\n\nEmergency surgery, upper gastro-intestinal surgery, endoscopy procedures and caesarean sections will continue at the Wrexham hospital.\n\nProf Arpan Guha, acting executive medical director, said: \"There are many patients expecting to undergo an operation in Wrexham over the coming weeks and we recognise how anxious and worried they will already be about having surgery during the current surge of the pandemic.\n\n\"We are sorry for any further distress or inconvenience this decision may cause and would like to reassure those affected that we are doing all we can to prioritise patients in the most urgent need of care.\"\n\nThe spike in cases in communities in north-east Wales has been blamed on the newer \"faster-spreading\" variant.\n\nWhile case rates in many communities have fallen slightly in recent weeks, in Wrexham numbers are continuing to rise.\n\nThe area now has the highest rate in Wales, followed by Flintshire with 754.6 per 100,000 of the population.\n\nBus services in the area have been affected after 28 drivers of Arriva Buses Wales tested positive for Covid-19.\n\nMeanwhile, Gwynedd, has the lowest case rate in the whole of Wales, with 110.\n\nThe average case rate for Wales stands at 435.9, according to the most recent Public Health Wales figures.\n\nThere have been calls for mass testing - as seen in parts of the south Wales Valleys - in the area as case rates continue to rise, but Wrexham council has said it has no plans to offer this to the wider community.\n\nMr Stanaway said the critical care unit and respiratory unit at the Wrexham hospital was now under huge pressure with the number of new patients needing this level of care \"rapidly increasing\" in recent weeks.\n\n\"The numbers are really quite alarming\", he told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast on Monday. \"It's a huge amount of disease burden within a community.\"\n\nMr Stanaway said there were 125 inpatients being treated with Covid on Sunday night, which he estimated was an increase of 117% since Christmas.\n\nHe said 14 of them where in critical care, with some on ventilators, while 16 where being treated in the hospital's high care respiratory unit - a 45% increase in just four days.\n\n\"There are now so many in that unit they've had to expand it to a completely different part of the hospital,\" he said.\n\n\"If you look at the graphs of the cases they are going up exponentially, they are terrifying to look at, and I think people are very aware that this is what is happening out in the community around them,\" he said.\n\nMr Stanaway said staff were working tirelessly and under huge amounts of pressure to keep caring for the sickest patients, but it was unclear how much more demand the hospital could take.\n\n\"Our current predictions for admissions coming through the door in January are currently sitting at about 350, if you compare that to April, the height of the pandemic, we had 286 people,\" he said.\n\n\"It's a lot more, we've already had 112 people in the first nine days of January. And the numbers are going up and up.\"\n\nHe pleaded with people to abide by the rules.\n\n\"This virus is hurting, and has hurt, a lot of people within Wrexham and Flintshire,\" he said.\n\n\"I can't say it strongly enough... we will get through this, but you just have to play by the rules.\"\n\nLatest figures show 149 staff were isolating and, with high nursing vacancy rates, staff were under huge pressure and were working tirelessly.\n\n\"Of all the years I've worked in the NHS... the resilience, dedication and professionalism our staff are showing is absolutely unbelievable,\" he said.\n\n\"But you have to bear in mind that people are tired, people are stressed, and it does put a strain,\" he said.\n\n\"We absolutely want to see you if you are unwell, but if you can wait or seek care somewhere else... please do that to give us that little bit of headspace.\"", "Online supermarket Ocado has become the first big retailer to warn of shortages of some products.\n\nIt told customers in an email that there may be \"an increase of missing items and substitutions over the next few weeks\".\n\nStaff sickness and self-isolation means some food producers are cutting the number of product lines they offer.\n\nWhile customers might not get their exact product choice, plenty of food should be available, Ocado said.\n\n\"Staff absences across the supply chain may lead to an increase in product substitutions for a small number of customers as some suppliers consolidate their offering to maintain output,\" a spokesperson said.\n\nThe news comes after a rush of online food orders for supermarkets, as shoppers try to stay at home after the new lockdown started.\n\nWithin a couple of hours of Prime Minister Boris Johnson's speech to the nation on Monday, shoppers reported problems with Sainsbury's and Tesco, while Ocado customers were placed in a virtual queue.\n\nOcado told its customers that from Friday \"changes to the UK supply chain have affected some of our suppliers and may result in an increase of missing items and substitutions over the next few weeks.\"\n\nIt added: \"We apologise for any inconvenience caused and we are working hard to mitigate any impact.\"\n\nFood suppliers are grappling with staffing problems, hospitality clients who have closed their doors and delays at the border with the EU.\n\nWholesalers the BBC spoke to this week said they faced throwing away thousands of pounds worth of food because of cancelled orders following new restrictions.\n\nThe UK meat industry has called for the early vaccination of its workers to keep food supplies running smoothly during the coronavirus crisis.\n\nIt warned earlier this week that absences during the pandemic, coupled with disruption at ports, could hit food supply chains.\n\nAn early vaccination call for supermarket staff was also made by the boss of Sainsbury's on Thursday.\n\nThe government said the food industry remains \"well-prepared\" to make sure people have the food they need.\n\nThe British Meat Processors Association (BMPA) said coronavirus and disruption at ports due to new systems brought in after the Brexit transition period were \"a severe challenge to the industry and to the smooth running of the nation's food supply chain\".", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Health Minister Vaughan Gething aims to offer all adults a jab by the autumn.\n\nAll over-50s and everyone who is at greater risk from Covid will be offered a vaccine by spring, under new Welsh Government plans.\n\nA vaccine strategy unveiled by Health Minister Vaughan Gething aims to offer all adults a jab by the autumn.\n\nIt comes after criticism that the rollout of the vaccine has been slower than in other parts of the UK.\n\nThe latest figures show 86,039 doses had been administered by 22:00 GMT on Sunday.\n\nA total of 327,000 doses - 280,000 of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and 47,000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab - have now been delivered to the Welsh NHS.\n\nThe figures mean 2.7% of Wales population has so far been vaccinated - compared to just over 4% in Northern Ireland, about 3.5% in England and 3% in Scotland.\n\nAcross the UK nearly 400,000 second doses have been administered, including 374,613 in England, 79 in Wales, 13,949 in Northern Ireland and, as of January 3, 36 in Scotland.\n\nMr Gething admitted the rest of the UK had \"gone slightly faster than we have\", but said the latest vaccinations figures showed a \"significant acceleration\" in the rollout.\n\nThe Welsh Conservatives accused the government of a \"stuttering start\", while Plaid Cymru said the plan was \"late in the day\".\n\nEveryone over 70, all care home residents and staff, and front-line NHS and social care workers will be offered a jab by mid-February, under similar timescales to other UK nations.\n\nThis 82-year-old woman was one of 100 to receive her vaccine at a special clinic in Swansea on Saturday\n\nThe Welsh Government's vaccination plans aim to cover 2.5 million people by September, with vaccines supplied by the UK government.\n\nMr Gething said: \"Delivering this vaccination programme to the people in Wales is a huge task but an enormous amount of work is going on to make it a success.\n\n\"We are making good progress with thousands more people being vaccinated every day.\"\n\nThe plan sets out a series of \"milestones\" for the vaccine rollout in Wales - all depending on the supply of vaccines approved for use.\n\nAt a press conference, Mr Gething said the government aimed to vaccinate:\n\nMr Gething said 700,000 people would be vaccinated by mid-February.\n\nAccording to the plan, the number of GPs' surgeries delivering vaccines will be increased from around 100 to more than 250 by the end of January.\n\nThe number of mass vaccination centres will increase in the next couple of weeks to 35, according to Welsh Government's plan.\n\nOne of those is Margam Orangery, in Neath Port Talbot, where about 500 people will be vaccinated each day.\n\nAt the press conference, Mr Gething defended the UK-wide decision to increase the gap between giving the two doses of the Pfizer vaccine and said it would \"avoid more deaths\".\n\n\"Each of the vaccines provide a high level of protection against harm from coronavirus. That's really good news for all of us,\" he added.\n\nWelsh Conservative health spokesman Andrew RT Davies said the Welsh Government should have a vaccinations minister who \"gets up in the morning thinking about vaccinations and goes to bed thinking about vaccinations\".\n\nHe said such a move would help the government recover from a \"stuttering start\" to the vaccines programme. Mr Davies said the government needed \"focus and direction to drive this forward\".\n\nPlaid Cymru leader Adam Price welcomed the strategy but said it was \"late in the day\".\n\nMr Price said many people, including his own parents, wanted clarity: \"My parents, who are in their 80s, have been told their surgery won't have the ability to vaccinate them for another three weeks, yet the GP surgery next door is starting this week.\"\n\nLarger supplies of the Oxford jab will be needed to speed up vaccinations\n\nThe Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is crucial to ensuring everyone aged over 70 can have at least one jab by Valentine's Day.\n\nHealth boards plan to use reserves of the Pfizer vaccine, but they alone will not reach the Welsh Government's first milestone. To speed things up, bigger supplies of the Oxford vaccine are needed.\n\nUnlike the Pfizer vaccine however, the stock is not held by the Welsh Government. Instead, it is delivered directly to the frontline - including GPs and community pharmacies - by Public Health England.\n\nAround 24,000 Oxford doses arrived in Wales last week; 26,000 are due this week; and another 80 to 100,000 are expected to arrive in four batches next week.\n\nIf the mid-February milestone is reached, attention then turns to the over-50s and younger people whose health puts them at greater risk.\n\nThey can expect a dose by the Spring, but discussions are continuing between the four UK nations to nail down a more specific date.\n\nDr Helen Alefounder is a GP in Colwyn Bay, Conwy county and part of a team that administered 400 vaccines at care comes last week after receiving the vaccine herself on Wednesday.\n\n\"Between us and the surgery next door that we're working with we've got just shy of 20,000 patients to vaccinate,\" she told BBC Radio Wales.\n\n\"It's an absolutely huge task, it's really scary, but we are really keen and committed to get it done because everybody is sick of lockdown and let's be honest, everybody wants life to return to as normal as possible and the only way we're going to do that is to mass vaccinate people.\"\n\nA mass-vaccination centre has been set up at Margam Orangery near Port Talbot\n\nOther GP surgeries have posted on social media that they have not received as many doses of the vaccine as promised.\n\nVaccination numbers will now be published daily and the number of mass vaccination centres will rise from 22 to 35. The vaccination plan also suggests pharmacies could be used to deploy the vaccine.\n\nDr Gill Richardson, the senior responsible officer for the Covid vaccination programme in Wales, said GPs were \"raring to go\" to get the vaccine distributed.\n\nShe said the model for Wales' vaccination programme was focused around the Oxford-Astrazeneca vaccine, which was approved in late December and \"much larger quantities\" were expected.\n\nShe also said: \"I know it's very difficult if you haven't had a letter and you're feeling anxious but you are going to be approached and when you're approached we'd like it to be as soon as possible and as convenient as possible to you.\"\n\nMichael Sullivan, 93, from Radyr, Cardiff, is one of those who is yet to receive his letter.\n\nHe said: \"I hear of all these other people having their second jabs and nobody's even thought of contacting me to say I'm going to have one in the first place. It's a bit depressing. It makes me think somebody's not doing what they should be doing.\n\n\"It gets stressful more easily, that's another thing one has to bare in mind - it's going to save my life.\"\n\nTwo full doses of the Oxford vaccine gave 62% protection, a half dose followed by a full dose was 90% and overall the trial showed 70% protection.\n\nElen Jones, the Wales director of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, said community pharmacists were \"willing and skilled to help deliver the vaccination programme, as they do with flu every year\".\n\nShe added pharmacists could help deliver the vaccine \"at a more local level\".\n\nWelsh ministers have been under intense pressure since it became clear that Wales was lagging behind every other home nation in the initial weeks of vaccine rollout.\n\nIt's still not clear why that should be the case - the logistical challenges of rollout and the change in advice over the time period between first and second doses apply across the UK, not just to Wales.\n\nThe health minister says that there has already been \"a significant step-up in delivery\".\n\nThe test of that will be whether the system in Wales can meet the delivery goals set out in the vaccination strategy - which (as for the other home nations) also rely on a regular and sufficient supply of vaccine.", "Marks & Spencer has announced that it has bought the Jaeger fashion brand, which fell into administration last November.\n\nM&S is taking on the brand, but not Jaeger's scores of shops and concessions.\n\nIt is now in the process of finalising a deal to buy its products and \"supporting marketing assets\".\n\nM&S announced in May 2020 that it planned to stock other complementary brands to boost sales.\n\nSince then, it has started to sell products online from the Early Learning Centre, as well as from two designers, Nobody's Child and Ghost London.\n\nRichard Price, managing director of M&S Clothing & Home, said: \"We have set out our plans to sell complementary third party brands as part of our Never the Same Again programme to accelerate our transformation and turbocharge online growth.\n\n\"In line with this, we have bought the Jaeger brand and are in the final stages of agreeing the purchase of product and supporting marketing assets from the administrators of Jaeger Retail Limited. We expect to fully complete later this month.\"\n\nIn a call with journalists last week, chief executive Steve Rowe said M&S wanted to partner with other brands, largely for its online business, but stressed: \"We have no intention of turning into a department store.\"\n\nJaeger had 244 staff and some 63 stores and concessions. In addition, 13 stores closed after administrators were appointed, with the loss of more than 120 posts across stores, head office and distribution.\n\nIt is unclear if any jobs will be saved. There has been no update from the administrators, FRP.\n\nJaeger was founded in 1884, the same year as Marks & Spencer, which started out as a stall in an open market in Leeds known as Marks' Penny Bazaar.\n\nLast week, M&S unveiled quarterly figures showing that its clothing division had seen sales fall nearly a quarter, although sales of sales of sleepwear had soared.\n\nThe retailer sold 20% more women's pyjamas during the 13 weeks to 26 December. However, UK revenues for the quarter were £2.52bn, 8.2% lower than last year.\n\nM&S blamed \"on-off restrictions and distortions in demand patterns\" due to the coronavirus crisis.", "Stickers supposed to protect users against mobile-phone radiation have no effect, scientists have found.\n\nEnergydots says they \"counteract the harmful energy emitted by wireless and electronic equipment\" to aid sleep, cure headaches and give a clearer mind.\n\nBut University of Surrey tests for BBC News found no evidence of any effect.\n\nThe Devon-based company told BBC News the stickers were programmed with \"scalar energy\", which the scientists' equipment would be unable to detect.\n\nEnergydots markets a range of stickers, including the SmartDot, the SleepDot and even the PetDot.\n\nBBC News bought five SmartDots - a special offer for £55 - and sent them to the university's 6th Generation Innovation Centre.\n\nResearchers tested 4G mobile phones and wi-fi access points with and without the stickers applied to them.\n\nAnd a spokesman for the lab said: \"We could not find any evidence that these products had any effect on frequency or power when used as instructed.\"\n\nAn Energydots spokeswoman told BBC News: \"We state clearly that our products harmonise the fields.\n\n\"And the way to test this is to assess via biological testing.\"\n\nLast November, the company published a press release saying it was extremely proud to announce a partnership with the NHS that would see \"brand-new patient engagement units\" installed in Torbay and Royal College of London hospitals.\n\nAt the time, an Energydots spokeswoman told BBC News adverts for its products would appear in the two hospitals, though she clarified the London hospital was in fact University College Hospital.\n\nBut a Torbay Hospital spokesman then told BBC News it knew nothing of this partnership.\n\nAnd within hours, the press release had disappeared from the company's website.\n\nEnergydots later said there had been a misunderstanding with the agency that had promised to organise the adverts.\n\nIts stickers are among a wide range of products on Amazon from companies offering electric-and-magnetic-field (EMF) protection.\n\nEnergydots also suggests placing its SmartDot stickers on wi-fi routers\n\nThese include protective clothing, canopies to be placed over beds and even devices that block radiation from wi-fi routers - making them effectively useless.\n\nCampaigners claiming radiation from mobile phones and other devices poses a health risk have stepped up protests as 5G networks are rolled out.\n\nBut most scientists say even the higher part of the electromagnetic spectrum that may be used by 5G should not harm humans.\n\nAnd within those limits, there are no known consequences for health, the World Health Organization says.", "The United Arab Emirates is being removed from the UK list of travel corridors amid a spike in Covid cases.\n\nThat means anyone who arrives from the UAE after 04:00 GMT on Tuesday now needs to self-isolate for 10 days, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said.\n\nUK officials say Covid cases have risen 52% in the UAE in the last seven days and cite \"a significant acceleration in the number of imported cases\".\n\nIt comes after Scotland removed the UAE city Dubai from its safe travel list.\n\nThe Foreign Office has also updated its advice to advise against all but essential travel to the emirates.\n\nThe recent lockdown restrictions imposed across the UK mean leisure travel is currently banned.\n\nBut the UAE has been in particular focus in recent weeks after a number of UK reality TV and social media stars posted photographs of themselves holidaying there before the rules came into place.\n\nAnd a Celtic footballer tested positive for Covid-19 after the club took a trip to Dubai for a winter training camp.\n\nCeltic were allowed to go as a group under exemptions for elite athletes. As a result,15 playing and coaching staff are now required to self-isolate.\n\nDubai was added to Scotland's travel quarantine list from 04:00 GMT on Monday - with the rule also applying retrospectively for passengers who have arrived in Scotland from the city since January 3.\n\nThe Department for Transport said the removal of the whole of the UAE from the travel corridor is being adopted by all four UK nations.\n\nArrivals to the UK from most destinations now have to quarantine for 10 days.\n\nHowever, arrivals from some countries are exempt from the rules. Those countries make up the so-called travel corridor list.\n\nFrom this week, passengers arriving by boat, train or plane, including UK nationals, must also take a Covid test up to 72 hours before leaving the country of departure.\n\nAre you affected by the government decision to remove UAE from the UK travel corridor list? Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "A hospital's oxygen supply has \"reached a critical situation\" due to rising numbers of Covid-19 infections.\n\nA document shared with the BBC showed Southend Hospital has had to reduce the amount it uses to treat patients.\n\nIt said the target range for oxygen levels that should be in patients' blood had been cut from 92% to a baseline of 88-92%.\n\nHospital managing director, Yvonne Blucher, said it was \"working to manage\" the situation.\n\n\"We are experiencing high demand for oxygen because of rising numbers of inpatients with Covid-19 and we are working to manage this,\" she said.\n\n\"The public can play their part by staying home and, where they cannot, following the 'hands, face, space' advice to cut the spread of the virus.\"\n\nIn the document, from the Mid and South Essex Hospitals Foundation Trust, which has been shared with frontline NHS staff, the oxygen supply was said to have \"reached a critical situation\".\n\nIt said it was \"imperative we use oxygen efficiently and safely\" and states patients who are being fed oxygen and have an oxygen saturation of above 92% \"should have their oxygen weaned within the target range\", which is now 88-92%. This means very gradually reducing the saturation level.\n\nIt added that \"maintaining saturations within this target range is safe and no patient will come to harm as a result\".\n\nGPs in Essex have told the BBC that the threshold for sending a patient to hospital for supplemental oxygen is if their oxygen saturation is at 92%. A level of 96-100% is deemed normal.\n\nChris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers which represents hospital trusts in England, said there was \"huge pressure\" on hospital oxygen stocks because giving patients extra oxygen was a \"key part\" of coronavirus treatment.\n\nHe said there were a number of hospitals where this happened in the first phase of coronavirus and over the past few weeks \"similar things have happened\" elsewhere.\n\nChris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers which represents hospital trusts in England, said there was \"huge pressure on oxygen systems\"\n\n\"This is the kind of problem that chief executives and trust leadership teams are having to solve day in, day out,\" he said.\n\n\"If you [a hospital] push your oxygen to an absolutely critical level, then the thing that you can't do is have the oxygen system break down... so effectively you will have to dial it down, in which case you will probably have to transfer patients to the nearest neighbouring hospital for a short period of time.\n\n\"I cannot tell you how much work has been done over the summer and autumn to ensure that people [hospital trusts] have been prepared for this... they knew they would come under pressure if there were to be further waves, as has now proved to be the case.\"\n\nEssex has one of the highest rates of Covid-19 per 100,000 people in the country, with seven of the 14 council areas in the county in the top 20 most infected areas of England.\n\nThe Mid and South Essex Hospitals Foundation Trust said it was \"imperative we use oxygen efficiently and safely\"\n\nNews of oxygen issues is understandably worrying, but not unexpected. Tanks may be full, but flow is a problem.\n\nMany people who are sick with Covid will need extra oxygen to help them breathe. As Covid admissions increase, it can put huge demand on a hospital's piped oxygen supply system to provide this high flow.\n\nHospital bosses have been planning for such scenarios for months, learning from experiences during the first wave of Covid when some trusts ran into difficulties.\n\nMany wards have made improvements to their pipework in preparation for a very busy winter, but there is still a limit to what hospitals can provide.\n\nWhen stretched to the maximum, other steps are needed, such transferring patients elsewhere or limiting how much oxygen is pumped to each patient.\n\nSouthend Hospital has taken this latter measure.\n\nAlthough not ideal, it is not unsafe. Patients will be closely monitored and the trust hopes the situation will improve if new Covid admissions start to go down as people follow the stay at home lockdown rules.\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk\n• None 'One in 18 have Covid-19' in parts of Essex", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Nicola Sturgeon says exemption from quarantine travel requirements for elite sport are to be reviewed\n\nFirst Minister Nicola Sturgeon has urged football clubs not to \"abuse\" the privileges they are afforded while the rest of Scotland is in lockdown.\n\nPlayers and staff from Celtic FC are having to self-isolate after one tested positive for Covid-19 on return from a mid-season training camp in Dubai.\n\nMs Sturgeon said she had doubts about whether the trip was really necessary.\n\nAnd she said \"everyone, including football, should be erring on the side of caution\" amid a rise in infections.\n\nScottish football below Championship level is to be suspended for three weeks in light of the current lockdown, with Scottish Cup and lower league ties to be rescheduled.\n\nTop flight football in Scotland is continuing while most Scots are subject to a \"stay at home\" order due to the Covid-19 pandemic.\n\nCeltic's home fixture against Hibernian went ahead on Monday evening, despite the club having lost 13 players and three staff to Covid-19 issues.\n\nDefender Christopher Jullien tested positive for the virus on return from the club's training camp in Dubai, with others including the club's manager Neil Lennon being forced to isolate as close contacts.\n\nMs Sturgeon said she was \"disappointed and frustrated\" that her daily coronavirus briefing was again being \"dominated by football\".\n\nCeltic trained in Scotland on Saturday after returning from Dubai\n\nShe said she had doubts about whether Celtic's trip \"was really essential\" and whether rules were strictly adhered to, saying it was for the footballing authorities to decide if further action was necessary.\n\nThe first minister issued a warning to clubs that they must stick to the rules set out for them while the rest of the populace is subject to tight restrictions.\n\nShe said: \"Football and elite sport more generally enjoys a number of privileges right now that the rest of us don't have. These privileges include the right to go to overseas training camps and be exempt from quarantine on return.\n\n\"It is really vital, obviously for public health reasons but also I think out of respect for the rest of the population living under really heavy restrictions, that these privileges are not abused.\"\n\nScottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross is an assistant referee in the game.\n\nHe said that at a time when people are staying at home football games were something many looked forward to.\n\nMr Ross said: \"We don't want to see the whole of Scottish football affected by the actions of one club.\" He also called for financial support to be made available to clubs in the Scottish lower leagues and Scottish Cup who had had their games suspended for three weeks.\n\nCeltic manager Neil Lennon is among those who are self-isolating\n\nMs Sturgeon said Scotland was currently in \"the most perilous and serious position since the start of the pandemic\", with a record number of people in hospital with Covid-19.\n\nShe said everyone should be doing their utmost not to add to pressure on the health services by following the rules.\n\nShe said: \"This whole episode should underline how serious the situation we are in now is. Everyone including football should be erring on the side of caution.\n\n\"I know fans of other clubs feel very strongly that the whole of football should not pay the price for the actions of any one club, and I agree with that.\n\n\"But of course a situation like this does make it essential for us to review the rules - including those around travel exemptions - and that's what we will be doing. As we do, I do hope that Celtic themselves will reflect seriously on all of this.\"\n\nMs Sturgeon cited photographs which emerged of players socialising in Dubai, but Celtic's assistant manager John Kennedy said these created a \"false picture\" and that there had been \"minor slip-ups\" at worst.\n\nThe club had previously claimed the government had given permission for the trip to go ahead, but Ms Sturgeon said it had only provided guidance to the footballing authorities on the rules.\n\nShe said: \"It's not our role to give approval or not to what a football club is doing.\"\n\nA statement posted on the Celtic website said that \"the reality is that a case could well have occurred had the team remained in Scotland\".\n\nIt added: \"Celtic has done everything it can to ensure we have in place the very best procedures and protocols. From the outset of the pandemic, Celtic has worked closely with the Scottish government and Scottish football and we will continue to do so.\"", "As hospital mortuaries fill up in Surrey, England, some of the dead from the coronavirus pandemic are being brought to an emergency body storage facility.\n\nSurrey currently has one of the highest infection rates in the country, and some are concerned the facility may reach capacity.\n\nBBC home editor Mark Easton paid a visit to the site which has been set up in a Surrey woodland.", "Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Monday morning. We'll have another update for you at 18:00 BST.\n\nSeven centres begin operating this morning across England, a key part of efforts to vaccinate 15 million in the top four priority groups by mid-February. To begin with, more than 600,000 aged 80 or over are being sent letters inviting them to book an appointment at one of the hubs - but if the journey is too long, they're being told closer options will be available soon. The centres will be open 12 hours a day and more large-scale sites will follow. The health secretary will give more details later, while the Welsh government will publish its own vaccination plan. In Scotland, more clinics should start to receive the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine. Here's how vaccines are approved for use, and some of the challenges a rollout on this scale faces.\n\nScientists have warned stricter measures might be needed to curb infections in England but, right now, the government is focusing on an \"all-out public information\" campaign to improve compliance with the existing rules. Chief medical officer Prof Chris Whitty is appearing on TV and radio this morning urging the public to \"stay at home\" given what he called the \"appalling situation\" we are in. He told BBC One's Breakfast that getting case numbers down was \"everybody's problem\", and \"every unnecessary contact\" with someone from another household gave the virus an opportunity to be transmitted. \"We need to really double down\", he added, because \"this is the most dangerous time we've had in terms of numbers into the NHS.\" If you've seen videos online claiming some hospital wards and corridors are empty, BBC Reality Check explains what's really going on.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe Federation of Small Businesses says a record quarter of a million firms could close over the coming year. The organisation's chairman, Mike Cherry, said financial support provided to businesses during the pandemic had \"not kept pace with intensifying restrictions\". It also wants more help for many self-employed workers who are currently excluded from aid. There's another call for more government support this morning from Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer. He wants teachers, the armed forces and care workers to be left out of a public sector pay freeze, and is urging ministers not to end the temporary £20-a-week boost to Universal Credit.\n\nThe Federation of Small Businesses said the government had met the latest national lockdown \"with a whimper\"\n\nThe body representing prison staff says courts should cease hearing trials to help stop the spread of coronavirus in jails. Mark Fairhurst, from the Prison Officers' Union, said there had been a \"massive outbreak\" at Cardiff Prison, and the site was struggling to find space for newly-sentenced arrivals. However, others within the criminal justice sector argue courts must be kept open to prevent the case backlog growing further. The rate of spread in prisons is still well below the wider population, and a prison service spokesman said shielding, mass testing and limited regimes were in place at all facilities.\n\nPrimary and secondary schools are closed to most pupils, and the switch to virtual learning presents challenges for many families. The BBC is trying to help, and from today lessons and programmes will be broadcast on TV, on BBC Two and CBBC. They'll also be available on iPlayer, with additional content online. Find out all you need to know here. If you're looking for some inspiration for PE, Joe Wicks is also back today. For many families, he was one of the fixtures of the first lockdown, and live classes start at 09:00 GMT on his YouTube channel.\n\nFind more information, advice and guides on our coronavirus page.\n\nWhat questions do you have about coronavirus?\n\nIn some cases, your question will be published, displaying your name, age and location as you provide it, unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published. Please ensure you have read our terms & conditions and privacy policy.\n\nUse this form to ask your question:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or send them via email to YourQuestions@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any question you send in.", "Dorset Police said officers dispersed dozens of demonstrators from the town centre as they attempted to march\n\nA video shared online apparently showing a woman being arrested in breach of lockdown for sitting on a bench was \"stage-managed\", police said.\n\nDorset Police believe the video was planned and recorded by anti-lockdown protesters during a demonstration in Bournemouth on Saturday.\n\nThree people were arrested for not giving their details so officers could issue fines for breaking Covid rules.\n\nThe BBC has asked one of the protesters who posted the video to comment.\n\nThe force said two of those held were later de-arrested when they confirmed their details in police custody and a third was released when his details were verified - all three were then issued fixed penalty notices.\n\nOfficers also issued at least seven other fines and 10 dispersal notices.\n\nAssistant Chief Constable Mark Callaghan, from Dorset Police, said: \"We believe this video was planned, stage-managed and recorded by members of the protest group who turned up in multiple areas, several of whom refused to engage or provide their details.\n\n\"If people refuse to give their details in such circumstances then it leaves officers with little option, but to arrest until the details are established. Our officers would only arrest as a last resort.\n\n\"It was clear that the group was deliberately organising their activities, walking around in twos and then trying to come together in a 'flash mob'-style approach, as they have done previously. This activity went on for a couple of hours.\"\n\nThe force's chief constable James Vaughan earlier said: \"I condemn the actions of these selfish individuals who knowingly flouted the lockdown restrictions.\"\n\nThe force said there were \"repeated attempts\" to engage with the organisers to stop the planned protest and found a number of the protesters had \"travelled considerably\" from out of the Dorset area.\n\nMr Vaughan added: \"Our county is gripped with infections and yet these irresponsible individuals have ignored what is being asked of them and have left their homes to protest. Shame on them.\"\n\nSam Crowe, director of public health for Dorset, said its hospital services were \"close to being overwhelmed\".\n\nMr Crowe said: \"Infection rates locally have been doubling in less than a week. If this carries on, our hospitals will not be able to cope with caring for those needing life-saving treatment. Stay at home means exactly that.\"\n\nLatest figures show Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole has reached 745.2 cases per 100,000 people.\n\nAlso on Saturday, 16 people were also arrested during an anti-lockdown protest in south London.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Pupils across Scotland have been experiencing problems accessing Microsoft Teams as the majority move to home learning.\n\nA number of schools, pupils and parents have reported the technology running slowly or not at all.\n\nIt is one of the main platforms being used for remote learning with schools shut to most pupils until at least the beginning of February.\n\nMicrosoft Teams tweeted that the issue was being investigated.\n\nA Microsoft spokesperson said: \"Our engineers are working to resolve difficulties accessing Microsoft Teams that some customers are experiencing.\"\n\nWhen pressed on whether demand as a result of home schooling was causing the issue, Microsoft declined to comment.\n\nFirst Minister Nicola Sturgeon highlighted the problem during her daily coronavirus briefing.\n\n\"This is not an issue that is unique to Scotland or indeed unique to schools, but I understand Microsoft is currently working to address it,\" she said.\n\n\"More generally I don't underestimate how difficult this is both for young people learning away from friends… and for parents to juggle home schooling with working.\"\n\nMs Sturgeon was also asked about problems which were being experienced by users of digital learning platform Glow.\n\nShe replied: \"It is not an issue with Glow. It is affecting Glow, but the core issue is not with Glow… the issue is with Microsoft Teams.\"\n\nTwo schools in Wishaw, North Lanarkshire, said the problem was a \"national issue\" although Renfrew High School urged pupils experiencing difficulties not to panic.\n\nClyde Valley High School tweeted: \"Our online learning provision begins today for all of our pupils. Due to the very high demand for Microsoft Teams across Scotland, there may be issues initially getting logged on or accessing some files.\n\n\"This is a national issue on the site and may take a little time to rectify.\"\n\nColtness High School said: \"Unfortunately it appears Microsoft Teams is struggling to cope with the traffic this morning.\n\n\"This is across Scotland and not isolated to Coltness. Pupils and staff are having difficulty loading files. We have reported the issue and hopefully this will be resolved soon.\"\n\nEdinburgh City Council have texted all parents saying: \"There is a city-wide problem with Microsoft Teams this morning. Please be patient as the council is working to resolve it.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by RHS Digital Learning This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by D&G Council This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nA Scottish government spokesman said: \"Microsoft has confirmed that this issue is affecting users in the UK and elsewhere in northern Europe. Education Scotland is working closely with the company to resolve the issues.\"\n\nAfter one teacher complained to Microsoft Teams on Twitter, a staff member said: \"We're currently investigating an issue where some users in the UK region are unable to access Microsoft Teams. We will provide further information as soon as this is available.\"\n\nAccording to an Ofcom report in December, about 34,000 (1.2%) premises in Scotland were without a decent broadband connection, while superfast broadband coverage had increased to 94% of homes.\n\nIt also said that fixed and mobile networks in Scotland had \"generally coped well\" with increased demands during the pandemic.\n\nIt comes as plans for remote learning during the latest lockdown reveal big disparities between Scotland's 32 councils.\n\nNot all pupils will be offered live lessons - instead the decision on the best approach has been left to individual schools and teachers.\n\nGuidance on remote learning published by the Scottish government on Friday recommended a \"a balance of live learning and independent activity\".\n\nThe Scottish government said it had invested £25m to address digital exclusion in schools with funding allocations for digital devices and connectivity solutions made to all 32 local authorities.\n\nMore than 50,000 devices such as laptops have been distributed to children and young people to help with remote learning and the programme in total is expected to deliver about 70,000 devices for disadvantaged children and young people across Scotland.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Asymptomatic testing for Covid can help \"break the chains of transmission\", Matt Hancock says\n\nRegular rapid testing for people without coronavirus symptoms will be made available across England this week, the government has said.\n\nThe community testing regime - expanded to cover all 317 local authorities - uses rapid lateral flow tests, which can return results in 30 minutes.\n\nLocal councils are being encouraged to prioritise tests for those who cannot work from home during the lockdown.\n\nThe health secretary said asymptomatic testing can help break transmission.\n\nMeanwhile, NHS England has invited tens of thousands of people over 80 to book vaccinations.\n\nA further 563 people have died in the UK within 28 days of a positive Covid test and another 54,940 cases reported, according to government figures on Sunday.\n\nThe total number of deaths in the UK after a positive test passed 80,000 on Saturday.\n\nThe government has launched a campaign telling people to act like they have got the virus in a bid to tackle the rise in infections.\n\nUnder the national lockdown, people in England must stay at home and can go out only for limited reasons such as food shopping, exercise, or work if they cannot do so from home. Similar measures are in place across much of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.\n\nThe Department of Health and Social Care said expanding the Community Testing Programme to more people without symptoms was \"crucial given that around one in three people\" who contract Covid-19 show no symptoms.\n\nIt said regular community testing using the rapid tests had already identified more than 14,800 positive Covid-19 cases.\n\nSo far, 131 local authorities in England have enrolled in the government's community testing programme, with Milton Keynes, Slough, Doncaster and Essex the latest to join.\n\nHealth Secretary Matt Hancock said targeted asymptomatic testing and subsequent isolation was \"highly effective in breaking chains of transmission\".\n\nBut Angela Raffle, a consultant in public health at the University of Bristol Medical School, said increasing lateral flow testing was \"very worrying\" and warned the benefits of finding symptomless cases \"will be outweighed by the many more infectious cases that are missed by these tests\".\n\nDefending lateral flow tests on the BBC's Andrew Marr programme Mr Hancock said mass asymptomatic testing in Liverpool had seen the case rate drop \"more sharply than it did in other similar areas where only restrictions were brought in\".\n\nNHS Test and Trace will also work closely with other government departments to scale up workforce testing, the Department of Health and Social Care said.\n\nMany are already piloting regular workforce testing, with 15 large employers having taken up this offer already across 64 sites, \"including organisations operating in the food, manufacturing, energy and retail sectors, and within the public sector including job centres, transport networks and the military\".\n\nThe Department of Health and Social Care said plans were already in place for rapid testing of staff and students in schools and colleges and staff in primary schools.\n\nAsked when schools could reopen by the BBC's Andrew Marr, Mr Hancock said there were four conditions: that there is not a major new variant, the vaccine rollout is proceeding effectively, the number of deaths is falling and there is an easing of pressure on the NHS.\n\nMatthew Fell, of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), which represents 190,000 UK businesses, said: \"This expansion of testing will help more critical workers and those unable to work from home to operate safely, while also catching new cases more swiftly.\"\n\nBusiness Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said the safety of the workforce had been an \"absolute priority\" and said the expansion of testing means \"we can keep our economy on the move while giving individuals in key sectors complete confidence that their workplace is safe\".\n\nBut Prof Susan Michie, professor of health psychology at University College London, told BBC Breakfast the country would continue a \"yo-yoing of lockdown\" without a \"test, trace and isolate system that actually works\" and warned there needed to be tighter restrictions and tougher messaging than in March to prevent \"tens of thousands of avoidable deaths in the next few weeks\".", "Luke Evans plays police officer Steve Wilkins who reopened and solved the two double murders\n\nHollywood actor Luke Evans says telling the true story of the murder of four people was a \"huge responsibility\".\n\nEvans, who was brought up in Aberbargoed, Caerphilly county, returned to Wales to star in ITV drama The Pembrokeshire Murders.\n\nHe plays Dyfed-Powys Police officer Steve Wilkins who in 2006 reopened two unsolved double murders from the 1980s.\n\n\"I just wanted to tell it right and show justice for the victims, which is the most important part,\" Evans said.\n\n\"This is a very serious, sad story where four people lost their lives and their families have struggled and suffered greatly because of it,\" he told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast.\n\n\"So you do feel a huge sense of responsibility.\"\n\nThe Pembrokeshire Murders has been adapted from a book about the case written by Mr Wilkins and ITV journalist Jonathan Hill.\n\nIn 1985 brother and sister Richard and Helen Thomas were shot at their remote mansion near Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire, before the property was set alight.\n\nThen in 1989, Peter and Gwenda Dixon were shot dead at close range on the Pembrokeshire coastal path near Little Haven.\n\nThe drama also stars Newport actress Alexandria Riley as Det Insp Ella Richards\n\nBut it was only years later that microscopic DNA and fibres linked the murders to John Cooper, who was already in prison for a string of burglaries.\n\nIn 2011 he was jailed for life.\n\nThe Dracula Untold star said he had not been aware of the notorious case: \"I knew almost nothing about these murders, to the point where when I read what was a treatment two or three years ago… I couldn't believe what I was reading.\n\n\"So I did my own research into it and realised that the story was completely true - it hadn't been embellished, none of this was fiction and it sort of blew my mind.\"\n\nHe said being able to speak to Mr Wilkins while filming was invaluable: \"Me and Steve had a dialogue almost every week for a few hours.\n\n\"We had a lot of conversations before we started shooting where I would speak to him and ask him, not just about the case - obviously that that was very important - but about things like how was it standing in front of John Cooper, having to interview John Cooper, having to deal with his family.\n\n\"You see both sides of the effect of these terrible crimes, you see what the aftermath of what it does to people and how they suffer and you meet Cooper's family as well.\n\n\"Steve has his own family and that also is played into the storyline very powerfully.\"\n\nEvans said the only other time he has worked in Wales was when filming Visit Wales commercials: \"Being Welsh and not getting to work in Wales very often - that certainly was an attraction for me,\" he said.\n\n\"I've done them [the commercials] for a few years - one of them was about the coastal walks of Wales and our beautiful coastline... and then right in this beautiful place I was there back there, portraying a character and trying to find the killer of somebody who murdered people on this coastal path.\"\n\nBut he said he enjoyed playing a Welsh character: \"To go right back to my roots with my accent and that was a really, really exciting to do.\n\nThe series, made by World Productions, the makers of Line of Duty and Bodyguard, finished filming just before Wales' first coronavirus lockdown.\n\n\"When we started The Pembrokeshire Murders it was January so we didn't hear anything really, and then just before we finished there was rumblings of this virus,\" he said.\n\n\"We were very lucky in a way, we wrapped basically on the Friday then on the Monday everything closed.\n\n\"So it was a big sigh of relief when we got to the final wrap of that day and it was very special.\"\n\nThe three-part series also stars Keith Allen, Owen Teale, Alexandria Riley, Caroline Berry, Oliver Ryan and David Fynn.\n\nThe Pembrokeshire Murders in on ITV at 21:00 GMT on 11, 12 and 13 January", "Flexing the coronavirus lockdown rules could be fatal, the health secretary has warned as hospital admissions soar.\n\nMatt Hancock did not rule out strengthening current restrictions and told the BBC's Andrew Marr the NHS was under \"very serious pressure\".\n\nIt comes after almost 55,000 new cases of coronavirus were reported in the UK and the number of deaths after a positive test passed 80,000.\n\nScientist Prof Peter Horby warned the UK was in \"the eye of the storm\".\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the rules were tough but \"may not be tough enough\" and called for the government to hold daily press conferences to avoid \"mixed messages\".\n\nThe UK recorded another 563 deaths within 28 days of a positive Covid test on Sunday, down from 1,065 deaths on Saturday.\n\nHowever, there tends to be fewer deaths reported on Sundays, due to a reporting lag over the weekend. There were also a further 54,940 daily cases.\n\nMr Hancock told Andrew Marr \"every time you try to flex the rules that could be fatal\" and said staying at home was the \"most important thing we can do collectively as a society\".\n\nThe health secretary said he did not want to speculate on whether the government would further strengthen restrictions, after warnings from scientists on Saturday that they may need to be stricter.\n\n\"People need to not just follow the letter of the rules but follow the spirit as well and play their part,\" he said.\n\nHis comments came after Home Secretary Priti Patel defended police over enforcing lockdown rules following the case of two women who were fined for going for a walk five miles from their homes - a decision which is now under review.\n\nThe government has launched a campaign telling people to act like they have got the virus in a bid to tackle the rise in infections.\n\nUnder the national lockdown, people in England must stay at home and can go out only for limited reasons such as food shopping, exercise, or work if they cannot do so from home. Similar measures are in place across much of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.\n\nEngland's chief medical officer Prof Chris Whitty said that if the virus continued on its current trajectory \"many hospitals will be in real difficulties, and very soon\".\n\nIn a statement released on Sunday, he said that unless people started to follow the rules more strictly, emergency patients will have to be turned away from hospitals, causing \"avoidable deaths\".\n\nProf Horby, chairman of the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (Nervtag), said there may be \"early signs that something is beginning to bite\" due to the restrictions - but if they did not then stricter measures would be needed.\n\nHe told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show: \"I really hope people take this very seriously. It was bad in March, it's much worse now.\n\n\"We've seen record numbers across the board, record numbers of cases, record numbers of hospitalisations, record numbers of deaths.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Professor Peter Horby explains why the new Covid-19 variant is up to 70% more transmissible\n\nProf Horby said tougher measures might include those during the March lockdown, such as people only being able to exercise once a day and stricter rules about meeting people.\n\n\"We are in a situation where everything that was risky in the past is now more risky,\" he said.\n\nProf Horby said early signs were encouraging that the vaccines would be effective against the new Covid variants - first identified in the UK and in South Africa - and he did not want people to \"hide under the duvet\".\n\n\"We can see the end game now,\" he said.\n\nHigher cases inevitably mean more hospitalisations and more deaths.\n\nThe most recent figures show that, on average, 894 people per day are now dying within 28 days of a positive Covid test, up from 438 at the start of December.\n\nThe spike in cases since Christmas means that figure is almost certain to get worse before the most recent lockdown measures can start to have any effect.\n\nScientists think the new variant of the disease is more \"transmissible\", possibly because each infected individual produces more of the actual virus - sometimes referred to as the viral load.\n\nVaccination should help to protect the most vulnerable from serious symptoms but we don't yet know if receiving the jab stops an individual contracting the virus and passing it on to others.\n\nScientists say that may mean even tougher restrictions will be needed to bring the R-number below one and start to reduce the overall size of the pandemic.\n\nMass community testing is to be rolled out this week, the government has said, and the health secretary said around two million people had been vaccinated in the UK, with some 200,000 jabs being given in England daily.\n\nMr Hancock said by autumn every adult in the UK would be offered a vaccine.\n\nHe said the government was on course to reach its target of 15 million people vaccinated by mid-February, with the opening of seven mass vaccination centres this week likely to increase the rate of jabs.\n\nMr Hancock told Sky News' Sophy Ridge he hoped coronavirus could be treated like seasonal flu with an annual vaccination programme in the future.\n\nProf Horby said the vaccines may have to be updated \"every few years\" as the virus mutates and said it was unlikely the virus would go away completely.\n\n\"We're going to have to live with it,\" he said. \"But that may change significantly.\n\n\"It may well become more of an endemic virus that's with us all the time and may cause some seasonal pressures and some excess deaths but is not causing the huge disruption that we're seeing now.\"", "Spain is in a race against time to clear roads covered by heavy snow, and get Covid vaccines and food supplies to areas affected by Storm Filomena.\n\nUp to 50cm (20 inches) of snow fell on the capital Madrid, one of the worst hit areas, between Friday and Saturday.\n\nAt least four people died and thousands of travellers were left stranded.\n\nOvernight, temperatures plunged to -8C (18F) in parts of Spain, amid warnings by meteorologists that the snow was turning to perilous ice.\n\nThe unusual cold wave on the Iberian peninsula is expected to last until Thursday.\n\nThe Spanish government said it had taken extra steps - including police-escorted convoys - to ensure its expected shipment of some 300,000 coronavirus vaccines can be distributed as planned to regional health authorities later on Monday.\n\n\"The commitment is to guarantee the supply of health, vaccines and food. Corridors have been opened to deliver the goods,\" Transport Minister Jose Luis Abalos said on Sunday.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Madrid has been hit by heavy snowfall after Storm Filomena\n\nSoldiers have been deployed to clear some of the 700 major roads.\n\nSome 3,500 tonnes of salt were later brought on lorries to the capital, Spain's El Mundo website reported on Monday.\n\nThe record-breaking snowfall has triggered some unprecedented scenes here in Madrid. People have skied along the city's main commercial street, Gran Vía, and one man was pictured being pulled through the district of Hortaleza on a sled by five huskies.\n\nBut other responses to the snow have been more controversial due to concerns about Covid-19. Dozens of young people had a snowball fight in Callao square, for example, and many of them were without facemasks.\n\nNearby, in Puerta del Sol, others celebrated the snow by dancing a conga. The daily Marca newspaper branded it \"the conga of shame\".\n\nAlthough the snowfall has now stopped, low temperatures have left snow and ice piled up across the capital and the surrounding region. And with residents advised to avoid using their cars, public transport has seen a surge in demand.\n\nThis has compounded coronavirus concerns as many metro train carriages were packed at rush hour on Monday morning, making social distancing impossible.\n\nMadrid's international airport began gradually resuming operations on Sunday afternoon, having cancelled all flights on Friday.\n\nSome 500 people across the Madrid region were forced to spend the night in temporary shelter, including sports centres, after they were trapped by the whiteout.\n\nAbout 100 shoppers and staff spent two nights at a shopping centre in Majadahonda, a town north of the capital. \"There are people sleeping on the ground on cardboard,\" one restaurant employee told TVE television.\n\nSpain's Meteorological Agency said Saturday's snowfall was the heaviest in Madrid since 1971\n\nBut there were stories of heroism too, including doctors and medical workers who abandoned their cars and walked for hours to get to work. One doctor, Alvaro Sanchez, said on social media he had walked 17km (10 miles) over nearly two hours to get to work, while two nurses, Paco and Monica, said they had walked 22km to their hospital.\n\nThey were praised by Spanish Health Minister Salvador Illa, who tweeted: \"The commitment that the entire group of health workers is showing is an example of solidarity and dedication.\"\n\nSome 4x4 vehicle owners offered to transport medical workers, while other volunteers helped to clear hospital entrance ways.\n\n\"Health staff have been working (hard) for more than a year and this is just a short moment for us, so as citizens, we are trying to help; it is everyone's responsibility,\" said Fernando de la Fuente, 60, who helped clear the entrance to Madrid's Gregorio Maranon Hospital.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nSpaniards in large parts of the country have been warned to take care in the coming days as temperatures could fall to -12C (10F) in some areas until Thursday.", "Last updated on .From the section FA Cup\n\nCrawley Town delivered one of the FA Cup third round's most emphatic upsets as the League Two underdogs tore apart Marcelo Bielsa's Leeds.\n\nThree second-half goals rewarded a fantastic performance from John Yems' side as they made light of the 62 places between themselves and their Premier League visitors.\n\nNick Tsaroulla, playing only his seventh game in senior football, set the ball rolling, beating three Leeds defenders to fire home a superb solo opener.\n\nUnited keeper Kiko Casilla's error allowed Ashley Nadesan to double the lead before Jordan Tunnicliffe added a third for Crawley, who could have won by more.\n• None Watch all of the goals from the FA Cup third round\n• None Can Mark Wright make it as a pro at Crawley?\n\nBielsa made seven changes to his side but Leeds fielded England midfielder Kalvin Phillips among several regular top-flight starters including Pablo Hernandez, Ezgjan Alioski and club record signing Rodrigo.\n\nHowever, after an even first half, they were completely outplayed in the second period by a Crawley side who have reached the fourth round for only the third time, having spent most of their 125-year existence in non-league football.\n\nCrawley even had the luxury of bringing on reality TV celebrity Mark Wright in stoppage time for the former The Only Way Is Essex star's debut, having signed for the club on non-contract terms in December.\n\nLeeds' loss is the first time in 34 years a top-flight side has lost to a fourth-tier team by three or more goals and only the second ever instance since a fourth division was added to the Football League in 1958.\n\nThey may be the lesser-known of the two Red Devils but Crawley's efforts were no less impressive than Manchester United's 6-2 dissection of Leeds last month.\n\nWhile Bielsa rested first-choice stars such as Patrick Bamford, Luke Ayling, Stuart Dallas and Mateusz Klich, there was still plenty of experience mixed in with the youth in Leeds' line-up.\n\nBut the hosts, sixth in League Two after an eight-game unbeaten run, never gave them the chance to settle and while neither side could break the deadlock before the interval, it was Crawley who went closest as Casilla kept out Tom Nichols' close-range header.\n\nHe was helpless, however, to prevent Tsaroulla - a former Tottenham trainee who spent a year out of the game because of injuries sustained in a car crash - firing Crawley ahead after a twisting run into the area that beguiled the Leeds back-line.\n\nRather than protect their lead, Crawley went for the jugular and Nadesan soon doubled their advantage, although his strike owed much to a bobble that beat Casilla at his near post.\n\nTunnicliffe then fired into the roof of the net after Casilla parried from Nadesan and Crawley could have had a fourth after top scorer Max Watters came off the bench to round the keeper, only to be denied by a covering defender.\n\nThe win marked the first time in four attempts that Crawley have beaten a Premier League side in the FA Cup and so comfortable was the victory that TV personality Wright was given his late cameo.\n\nAnother name added to Leeds' list of cup woes\n\nBielsa was left to mull over back-to-back 3-0 defeats, albeit this one coming in a much different context to Leeds' Premier League loss at Tottenham on 2 January.\n\nThis was the former Argentina manager's first taste of an FA Cup shock, after far more mundane exits against Arsenal and QPR in Bielsa's two previous campaigns since taking the Elland Road reins in 2018.\n\nBut it was not unfamiliar ground for Leeds as Crawley - who have finished in the bottom half of League Two for five successive seasons - emulated non-league pair Histon and Sutton United, as well as lower-league clubs Rochdale and Newport, in upsetting the Whites this century.\n\nThe visitors only forced one real save from Crawley keeper Glenn Morris, who reacted well to push away Ian Poveda's strike from an acute angle in the first half.\n\nLeeds might point to a penalty they perhaps should have had before the interval when Crawley defender Tony Craig got away with pulling back Rodrigo as he attempted to meet Helder Costa's volleyed cross.\n\nBut there was no video assistant referee system at the game, and they offered very little going forward after Rodrigo was substituted at half-time.\n\nIt was a fourth successive third-round exit in a competition they could have looked to with some hope, given their relatively comfortable position in the Premier League.\n\n\"We've got 11 star men\" - what they said\n\nCrawley manager Yems to BBC Sport: \"You have to enjoy these games - you work hard enough for it. It was a really good team performance and it's clear that we've got 11 star men.\n\n\"These players have got a lot to prove to the clubs who have released them and we've showed what we can do against a really good side.\n\n\"Let's see who we get in the next round and enjoy the moment.\"\n\nLeeds midfielder Alioski to BBC Radio 5 Live: \"We are really disappointed and it wasn't the result that we wanted. We took the game really seriously and we wanted to win and go on a run, so it is disappointing.\n\n\"Crawley played the game of their lives, and congratulations. To beat us 3-0 - I still can't believe it.\n\n\"The manager said what he wanted to say. It's important for every player to know what this means. He is sad and the players are sad.\"\n• None Attempt blocked. Sam Greenwood (Leeds United) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.\n• None Attempt missed. Raphinha (Leeds United) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Pablo Hernández.\n• None Jake Hessenthaler (Crawley Town) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.\n• None Attempt saved. Hélder Costa (Leeds United) header from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Pablo Hernández.\n• None Jamie Shackleton (Leeds United) wins a free kick on the right wing.\n• None Attempt blocked. Max Watters (Crawley Town) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Tom Nichols. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page\n• None All the goals and highlights from a huge Saturday of third-round matches are", "A 78-year-old French woman received the first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in France\n\nA global race is on to vaccinate people against Covid-19 - and with infections soaring in Europe many have complained that the roll-out is too slow in the EU.\n\nMember states decide individually who to vaccinate, when and where, but the EU is coordinating strategy and buying vaccines in bulk. On Friday, the EU Commission agreed to buy an extra 300 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine - that would give the EU nearly half of the firm's global output for 2021.\n\nBBC reporters in seven European capitals explain how the vaccinations are going on their patch.\n\nIn an election year, the vaccine has become a political battleground, writes Jenny Hill, in Berlin.\n\nThe fact it was German scientists who developed the first effective Covid vaccine has been the source of great national pride. And, by and large, Germans appear to be reasonably comfortable with the idea of immunisation.\n\nA recent survey found 65% were prepared to have the vaccine. Other research indicates that less than a quarter of those surveyed would not. But politically - and perhaps unsurprisingly, given this is an election year - Germany's vaccination programme has become a battleground.\n\nVaccinations began here just under two weeks ago and prioritise the over 80s and care home workers. By Thursday evening, more than 477,000 first doses had been administered.\n\nGermany's share of the EU order amounts to 56 million doses. So far, 1.3 million doses have been delivered.\n\nBut some of the hundreds of specially prepared vaccination centres are still not in use and even the government has admitted there simply isn't enough to go around. Angela Merkel and her health minister Jens Spahn have been accused of failing to secure enough doses.\n\nMuch of the criticism has come from Mrs Merkel's own coalition partners but some within the scientific community have echoed their concerns - that Germany put European interests above its own by insisting on a joint EU procurement process. The scientists who developed the vaccine have said publicly that the EU originally turned down an offer for a further order.\n\nGermany's share of the EU order amounts to 56 million doses. So far, 1.3 million doses have been delivered and it's thought that by the end of the month a further 2.68 million will have followed.\n\nMr Spahn, whose assured performance through the pandemic led some to wonder whether he might be a potential successor to Mrs Merkel, has blamed the shortage on the inability of the manufacturers of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to meet global demand.\n\nGermany has now ordered an extra 30 million doses and, following the recent European approval of the Moderna vaccine, expects to start rolling that out next week. The government is sticking to its pledge that the vaccination programme will be complete by the end of the summer.\n\nThe Czech prime minister has hit out at apparent delays in distributing the vaccine, writes Rob Cameron, in Prague.\n\nThe Czech vaccination effort began on 27 December, when the prime minister, Andrej Babis, became the first person in the country to receive the jab. Mr Babis, who is 66, had previously questioned whether he would be eligible, as he'd had his spleen removed as a teenager.\n\nBut the country's programme has got off to a sluggish start. Mr Babis - a billionaire businessman who has been dogged by both European and Czech investigations into alleged misuse of EU funds - has lost no time venting his (figurative) spleen at the European Commission over the delay. \"We believed when we contributed €12m to the European fund in November that we'd receive the vaccine,\" he told a newspaper this week.\n\nThe health minister conceded this week that immunising the higher-risk groups will take months.\n\nThe country has received 30,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine. So far, it has managed to administer it to 19,918 people. The government says it is ready to roll out the jab en masse as soon as supplies arrive from the manufacturers.\n\nIt has also published a strategy, which envisages a three-stage process. The first will see targeted vaccination of high-risk groups. This will gradually give way to mass vaccination in 31 centres, using an online reservation system that will be open to all from 1 February. And the final stage will see the country's GPs deployed, hopefully to administer the Oxford-AstraZeneca and other jabs, which unlike the previous two can be stored and transported at fridge temperature.\n\nHowever, the timing in the original strategy document now appears optimistic. The health minister conceded this week that immunising the higher-risk groups - all health and social care staff, teachers, everyone over 65, all those with serious health conditions - will take months. GPs may not begin vaccinating young, healthy members of society until late spring, or summer.\n\nA sluggish start is being blamed on bureaucracy and vaccine scepticism, writes Hugh Schofield, in Paris.\n\nFrance's boast of a big, effective state apparatus has been badly exposed by the sluggish start to the Covid vaccination programme. After the first week, when neighbouring Germany had inoculated around 250,000 people, France was on a mere 530. By Friday, the figure had gone up to 45,500 - still so small as to be statistically meaningless.\n\nSo why has it taken so long for France to put the plan into action? It is not as if the authorities did not have time to prepare. And it is certainly not a question of a lack of vaccine. In fact, more than a million Pfizer doses are already in cold storage, waiting to be used.\n\nPolls suggest as many as 58% of the public do not want to be given the jab.\n\nThe primary reason for the delay seems to be the cumbersome, over-centralised nature of France's health bureaucracy. A 45-page dossier of instructions issued by the ministry in Paris had to be read and understood by staff at old people's homes.\n\nEach recipient then had to give informed consent in a consultation with a doctor, held no less than five days before injection. The lengthy procedure is in theory to save lives - those of patients who might have an adverse reaction. But as the critics have been arguing, delay in inoculating the population is also costing lives.\n\nAnother problem in France is the high level of scepticism towards vaccination - product of a more general suspicion of government. Polls suggest as many as 58% of the public do not want to be given the jab. The effect - critics say - has been to make the government unduly cautious. When urgency was required, the authorities were reluctant to move fast for fear of galvanising the anti-vaxxers.\n\nAfter President Emmanuel Macron communicated his anger at the delays at the weekend, the pace is picking up. The procedure for consent is being simplified. By the end of January, the plan is to have 500-600 vaccination centres open across the country - either in hospitals or other big public buildings.\n\nPolitically a lot is at stake. The government has already come under fire for failings in providing masks and tests. With opposition voices calling the vaccine delay a \"state scandal\", President Macron needs a roll-out that is fast and problem-free.\n\nNational pride accelerated Russia's rollout, but one man is conspicuously absent from the list of people vaccinated, writes Sarah Rainsford, in Moscow.\n\nRussia registered its main Covid vaccine for domestic use way back in August, before mass safety and efficacy trials had even begun. In December, with those trials still underway, it began rolling out Sputnik V to the public ahead of mass vaccination launches everywhere else in Europe. The rush was driven by national pride as well as medical necessity.\n\nSputnik was initially offered to front line health and education workers but early take-up of the two-dose vaccination was slow and the list of those eligible soon expanded.\n\nA poll by the Levada Centre in late December showed only 38% of respondents were willing to get the jab: wary of domestic healthcare and medicines, Russians were sceptical of bold early claims made for the vaccine and nervous about possible adverse reactions. Even so, and despite similar delays scaling-up production as in other countries, Sputnik's backers announced this week that more than a million people had been vaccinated.\n\nRussia began rolling out its Sputnik V vaccine in December\n\nBut one man still conspicuously absent from the list of the vaccinated is Vladimir Putin, despite the Kremlin saying he will - eventually - get the jab. In the meantime, those who meet him in person are obliged to test for Covid first and even quarantine. The president may need to lead by example, though. Mr Putin has said repeatedly that protecting the economy is his priority so he's banking on mass vaccination to avoid a return to national lockdown.\n\nRussia has built giant, temporary hospitals since the start of the pandemic and the health minister said this week that 25% of Covid beds remain free. There's also been a fall in the number of new daily cases reported - around 25,000 for the past 5 days. But that's not down to the vaccine yet. The country is nearing the end of a 10-day New Year holiday period and the number of Covid tests has also dropped.\n\nAs infection rates grow in a country praised by many for its no-lockdown approach, a successful vaccine programme is crucial writes Maddy Savage, in Stockholm.\n\nAlmost two weeks since 91-year-old care home resident Gun-Britt Johnsson became the first Swede to get the initial dose of a Pfizer jab, there is still no official tally of how many others have received the vaccination.\n\nThe Public Health Agency of Sweden says it's in the process of compiling data from the country's 21 regional health authorities tasked with vaccinating the entire adult population - around eight million people - by 26 June. The date isn't arbitrary, it's the biggest public holiday weekend of the year, when Swedes traditionally hold Midsummer celebrations. Karin Tegmark, a senior manager at the agency, says the date remains \"feasible\". But she says it depends on the delivery of vaccines to the country.\n\nAfter months of high trust levels in the country's no-lockdown approach, support for the health agency has dwindled.\n\nAlongside 4.5 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, Sweden has ordered 3.6 million jabs from Moderna, the first of which are expected to arrive next week. The country also plans to roll-out the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine as soon as possible after it is approved by the EU - ideally by February.\n\nSwedes initially appeared lukewarm to the idea of taking a speedily-developed coronavirus vaccine, although a poll at the end of December found 71% would take one. A key driver of the initial scepticism is thought to be the failure of a voluntary mass vaccination programme for swine flu in 2009. Hundreds of Swedish children and young adults under 30 developed the sleeping disorder narcolepsy, which was found to be a side effect of the Pandemrix vaccine.\n\nA successful vaccination programme will be crucial, not least because it comes at a time when Swedish authorities are struggling to maintain public confidence. After months of high trust levels in the country's no-lockdown approach, support for the health agency has dwindled as Sweden has struggled with the second wave of coronavirus.\n\nMeanwhile, several high profile officials have faced heavy criticism for breaching their own recommendations - including the head of the civil contingencies agency (pictured), who resigned after spending Christmas with his daughter in the Canary Islands.\n\nA new government in Belgium seems unified on the vaccine rollout - for now at least, writes Nick Beake, in Brussels.\n\nIt seemed fitting that the first person in Belgium to receive a Covid jab lives in the place where the world's first approved Covid vaccine is being produced. Jos Hermans, a 96-year-old from the municipality of Puurs, was given the injection on 28 December, in his care home. A further 700 elderly residents were also administered a dose in what was a small, initial trial.\n\nThe mass vaccination programme in Belgium began on 5 January, but has been criticised for starting slowly. Federal Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke had promised in November that the rollout would be \"seamless and fast\", tweeting: \"If that does not work, shoot me.\"\n\nThe first phase looks to vaccinate up to 200,000 nursing home residents by the end of this month, or early February. Healthcare professionals will be next in line and the aim was for the whole population to be inoculated by the end of September.\n\nJos Hermans, a 96-year-old from Puurs, was given the injection on 28 December\n\nYou may think the country would be at an advantage being the epicentre of the Pfizer-BioNTech production. While this clearly helps with distribution, Belgium cannot receive more doses - relative to its population - than other EU countries under strict Commission rules. That didn't stop the minister-president of the Flanders region, who admitted this week that he had contacted Pfizer directly in the hope of procuring more doses, only to be rebuffed.\n\nAfter getting a guarantee from Pfizer over supply of the jab, the federal Belgian authorities have adapted their strategy: they now propose giving as many available doses to as many people as they can - and no longer reserving vials for patients' second dose, given three weeks after the first. In general, the federal government, rather than the European Commission has faced any criticism for a delay and has defended its \"careful\" approach.\n\nAnd there appears to be an interesting regional or cultural discrepancy when it comes to whether people are willing to take the vaccine. Of the Flemish population interviewed in a poll, half have said they wanted the vaccine as soon as possible. Among French speakers - it was 20% fewer, which chimes with the deeper scepticism over the border in France.\n\nIn a country where politics are notoriously complicated and fractious - they've only recently agreed a government, after a 500-day vacuum - the Federal Coalition appears unified on its Covid vaccine strategy. For now, at least.\n\nRegional variances and political rows have marked the beginning of Spain's vaccination programme writes Guy Hedgecoe, in Madrid.\n\nSpain started administering the vaccine on 27 December. So far, 743,925 doses have been distributed to regional administrations, with 277,976 people vaccinated, according to the health ministry. The objective of the coalition government is to immunise 2.3 million people within 12 weeks. Priority is being given to elderly residents of care homes, those who look after them, and healthcare personnel.\n\nEach of the country's 17 regions has a high degree of control over healthcare and should receive the number of doses that corresponds to their populations. However, already there has been substantial geographical disparity.\n\nGovernment data showed, for example, that while the northern region of Asturias had used 55% of the doses it had received by 3 January, the Madrid region had only administered 5% by the same date. Some regions are holding back doses to administer a second follow-up jab to the same person in several weeks' time, and some have been vaccinating on national holidays while others have not.\n\nThe pandemic has been the cause of constant political conflict, with the right-wing opposition accusing the leftist government of incompetence.\n\nAlthough vaccination is voluntary, the government has said it is making a register of those who do not wish to be inoculated. That initiative has generated controversy, although the government has insisted the register will merely seek to clarify why people refuse the vaccination.\n\nHowever, the pandemic has been the cause of constant political conflict, with the right-wing opposition accusing the leftist government of Pedro Sánchez of incompetence, lack of transparency and using coronavirus to accumulate power.\n\nThe arrival of a vaccine has not stopped the rancour. Alberto Núñez Feijóo, the conservative Popular Party (PP) president of Galicia, warned the number of doses being distributed to each region was being dictated by \"political affiliations or parliamentary needs\", a claim the central government has rejected.", "Lockdowns have worked before, but can we expect the new one to do the same?\n\nIt feels like we are back in March or April last year, when the strict controls on all our lives led to a fairly quick decline in levels of coronavirus.\n\nBut one of the crucial differences this time is the new variant, which is thought to spread between 50 and 70% faster than previous forms of the virus.\n\nExperts warn there are now no guarantees that lockdown will be enough to bring the variant under control.\n\n\"It still would not have been easy, but it would have been a much easier situation if it had not been for the new variant,\" Prof Neil Ferguson, from Imperial College London, told Inside Health.\n\n\"That really pushes the bounds of our ability to control the spread of the virus, even with measures that were previously relatively quite effective.\"\n\nThe coronavirus spreads when we come into contact with each other so moving classrooms online, telling people to stay at home and closing shops breaks many of those opportunities for human contact.\n\nIf we consider the R number - the average number of people each infected person passes the virus on to - it was about 3.0 in the run up to the first lockdown and anything above 1.0 means cases are climbing.\n\nR fell to 0.6 during the first lockdown.\n\nThen every 1,000 infected people passed the virus on to 600 others, who passed it on to 360 others and so on.\n\nBut if the new variant is 50% more transmissible then the R number, in the same lockdown conditions, would be about 0.9.\n\nThen 1,000 infected people would pass the virus onto 900 others, then 810 and so on.\n\nAs you can see this leads to far slower decline.\n\nAnd that assumes lockdown can get R down to 0.9 in areas where the new variant has become the most common form of the virus.\n\nIf, as some studies suggest, the variant is about 70% more transmissible then R may stay above 1.0 and cases may not fall at all.\n\n\"We'd at best flatten the curve, keep numbers at a roughly constant level, and that's frankly why there is so much emphasis on getting vaccine into people's arms as quickly as possible,\" said Prof Ferguson.\n\nIt is hard to lock down even harder as there are some parts of society - hospitals, supermarkets - that need to be kept open.\n\nWhat happens to the number of cases over the coming weeks will be closely monitored. If this lockdown is less effective then we will have to live with it for longer.\n\nThere have been some encouraging signs over the Christmas break, which was a bit like a lockdown due to school holidays and other restrictions.\n\n\"We are in a very difficult situation here, but my initial assessment of the last few days is that the rate is slowing which is good news,\" Prof John Edmunds, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, told the BBC.\n\nHe added: \"It looks likes those restrictions should be sufficient to stop the increase, whether they will be sufficient to bring cases down sufficiently we are yet to see.\"\n\nEventually the vaccine will give people immunity so we do not need the same controls on our lives.\n\nNow more than ever this is a race between the virus and the vaccine.", "Last updated on .From the section FA Cup\n\nPremier League rivals Manchester United and Liverpool will meet at Old Trafford in the fourth round of the FA Cup later this month.\n\nNon-league Chorley will host Premier League Wolverhampton Wanderers after beating a depleted Derby County in the third round.\n\nLeague Two Cheltenham Town are set to welcome Pep Guardiola's Manchester City to Whaddon Road.\n\nThe fourth-round ties will be played the weekend of 23-24 January.\n\nCrawley Town, who celebrated a famous 3-0 win over Leeds United on Sunday, will travel to Championship side Bournemouth in the next round.\n\nJose Mourinho's Tottenham will face Wycombe Wanderers at Adams Park, while Fulham take on Burnley in an all-Premier League tie.\n\nChorley would face 14-time winners Arsenal in the fifth round - if the National League North side overcome Wolves and the Gunners beat Southampton.\n\nDavid Moyes could return to former club Manchester United in the last 16 if West Ham beat League One Doncaster Rovers and United seal victory over Liverpool in the fourth round.\n\nThe fifth-round ties will be played 9-11 February.\n• None Watch all the goals and highlights from the FA Cup third round\n• None Goals, highlights and knockouts. All the action from Sunday's third-round ties are", "Seven new mass vaccination centres have opened up across England to help deliver the Coronavirus vaccine, as the Prime Minister says we are facing a \"perilous moment\" in the fight against the virus.\n\nThe Centre of Life in Newcastle is home to one of them, with others in Bristol, Epsom, London, Manchester, Stevenage and Birmingham.\n\nInitially they will be used to vaccinate the over 80's, alongside NHS staff and health and social care workers. It's part of a drive that the government hopes will see 15 million people vaccinated against the virus by mid-February.", "Caroline Rice couldn't afford the ink to print off her child's maths homework\n\nThere are few benefits from lockdown, but one often touted is that people are managing to save a little money: lower transport costs, fewer shop-bought office lunches, cheaper childcare costs and no foreign holidays.\n\nSingle mum Caroline Rice gives a wry smile when asked if she's managed to squirrel away extra cash over the past few months during pandemic restrictions.\n\n\"My spending is up,\" she says. \"The heating costs are higher because it's very cold. I'm having to shop locally because of lockdown, where the prices are slightly higher. The nearest Asda is 12 miles away.\"\n\nThe small savings on little luxuries that many people are making - fewer coffees or restaurant meals - were never an option for her in the first place.\n\nHer meagre finances meant the registered child minder, who lives in rural County Fermanagh, was already living week-to-week. Now it seems like day-to-day, she says.\n\n\"There's a mental stress, fatigue, in having to check the bank balance every day to see how much I'm down,\" she says. \"My child and I haven't bought any clothes in almost a year.\"\n\nShe's having to home-school her child. Many people wouldn't think twice about printing off their child's maths homework project. Caroline had to write it out by hand because they could not afford the ink.\n\nAnd she is not alone. A new report on the finances of low-income families during the pandemic says they are twice as likely to have increased their spending.\n\nIt says extra costs for food, energy and remote learning equipment have piled financial pressure on the poor.\n\nThe study - Pandemic Pressures - was a collaboration between the Resolution Foundation and the Nuffield Foundation-funded Covid Realities research project at the University of York.\n\nDr Ruth Patrick, a social policy lecturer at the University of York, says talk of saving money during the pandemic is \"worlds away\" from the experiences of many low-income parents and carers.\n\n\"Parents have found their spending increases, as some of the usual strategies they use to get by on a low income - shopping around for the best deal, going to families and friends for a meal when the cupboards are empty - have become suddenly impossible,\" she said.\n\nFor Shirley Widdop, an increase in food costs has been one of the biggest issues. The disabled single parent, who lives in Keighley, now has to shield for health reasons. That means using online deliveries a lot.\n\nShe says: \"There's a minimum basket size [with online orders]. You often have to bulk buy in case there's a problem getting delivery slots.\"\n\nShirley Widdop has not saved on life's little luxuries - because she could not afford them in the first place\n\nWhen not shielding, Shirley would seek out food in her supermarket's reduced-price section. \"There used to be just a couple of people. Now there are crowds,\" she says. \"Not everyone has easy access to the internet. And not everyone has a functioning bus service.\"\n\nThe report notes that the pandemic has been marked by a huge reduction in overall spending, with entertainment and social activities restricted by lockdown.\n\nHigher-income households have been the main beneficiaries of this \"enforced saving\", as they spend 40% more of their income on recreation and leisure activities than the poorest fifth of households.\n\nThe report says that in contrast to this overall picture, the pandemic has in many cases made it more expensive to live on a low income with children.\n\nMore than one in three (36%) low-income households with children have increased their spending during the pandemic so far, compared with about one in six (18%) who have reduced their spending.\n\nAmong high-income households without children, 13% have increased their spending, compared with 40% who have reduced it.\n\nUse of food banks has increased significantly during the pandemic\n\nThe report highlights three main reasons for these extra pressures:\n\nIt should also be noted, the report says, that these extra spending pressures are squeezing living standards that had stagnated even before the pandemic.\n\nTo ease the burden, the report says the government should be seeking to maintain the £20-a-week rise in Universal Credit (UC) into next year. Otherwise, six million households face having their incomes cut by more than £1,000.\n\nMike Brewer, chief economist at the Resolution Foundation, said: \"The pandemic has forced society as a whole to spend less and save more. But these broad spending patterns don't hold true for everyone.\n\n\"The extra cost of feeding, schooling and entertaining children 24/7 means that, for many families, lockdowns have made life more expensive to live on a low income.\"\n\nHowever, a government spokesperson said measures had been put in place to \"ensure that nobody is left behind\", including extra welfare payments, job protection safeguards, the £170m Covid Winter Grant Scheme, and equipment for home-schooling.\n\n\"We are committed to supporting the lowest-paid families through the pandemic and beyond,\" the spokesperson said.\n\nSometimes the overall economic figures can not capture the actual on-the-ground financial reality.\n\nThe pandemic lockdowns have led to a \"K-shaped\" recovery. Across the entire economy, staying at home has meant less capacity to spend on going out and a surge in savings. But the economic picture is both up and down at the same time, depending on which household.\n\nThe average picture is composed of wealthier people saving a huge amount and poorer families more squeezed than ever. This report shows how children staying at home have increased food and energy bills. The cost of buying food has increased with fewer store promotions and a requirement to use more expensive local shops. The furlough scheme has kept people paid, but not necessarily on full pay.\n\nSo the chancellor hopes that the vaccine rollout could unleash pent up demand in the form of huge levels of savings from the already well-off. And yet at the same time, will continue to face pressure over extending support - for example, the £20-a-week increase to universal credit.", "A Sex and the City revival is heading to the small screen, more than 20 years after the hit series made its debut.\n\nThe original HBO show followed the lives of four New York women negotiating work and relationships in the late 90s and early 2000s.\n\nBut only three of the fab four are returning for the new TV series - Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon and Kristin Davis.\n\nKim Cattrall, who played the popular character Samantha, will not feature.\n\nThe US network did not say why Cattrall wasn't cast in the revival, titled And Just Like That - a nod to one of the show's original catchphrases.\n\nHowever, Cattrall has had a strained relationship with the show in recent years, and in particular with her former co-star Parker.\n\nThe new series will consist of 10 half-hour episodes. Production will begin in late spring.\n\nThe trailer for the HBO Max show gives nothing away; It features numerous shots of New York, but none of the characters is seen on screen.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Kristin Davis This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\n\"I grew up with these characters, and I can't wait to see how their story has evolved in this new chapter, with the honesty, poignancy, humour and the beloved city that has always defined them,\" Sarah Aubrey, head of original content at HBO Max, said in a statement.\n\nThe original Sex and the City series, created by Darren Star, was based on Candace Bushnell's 1997 book of the same name. It premiered on HBO in 1998 and ran for six seasons until 2004.\n\nThe show inspired two films, Sex and the City in 2008 and Sex and the City 2 in 2010. A prequel series titled The Carrie Diaries, starring Anna Sophia Robb, aired on The CW in 2013/14.\n\nStar also created Netflix show Emily in Paris, and many have drawn inevitable comparisons between that show and SATC.\n\nWhen it first burst on to our TV screens, Sex and the City was seen as revolutionary - four women talking openly about their love and sex lives, not to mention the sex scenes themselves.\n\nThe first series of SATC began filming in 1998\n\nCosmopolitans and rabbit vibrators were trending before trending was a thing.\n\nWhile it was praised by many for its liberating female-led content, it also attracted criticism from some quarters who felt Carrie's ongoing pursuit of Mr Big (Christopher Noth) was not exactly an advert for female independence.\n\nIt was also accused of trivialising issues such as sexual harassment and for its lack of diversity, a criticism levelled at many older shows including Friends.\n\nFashion was a hugely influential part of the series - the tutu worn by Sarah Jessica Parker in the opening credits, teamed with a fur coat and heels, was described as \"an ensemble rich in cultural resonance\".\n\nAnd Manolo Blahnik could never have dreamed of attracting so much publicity for his designer footwear.\n\nIt was a ratings smash, with the hotly anticipated finale in 2004 drawing an audience of 10.6 million viewers in the US.\n\nIn the UK, the final episode was watched by 4.1m on Channel 4.\n\nThe series was predictably most popular in the 18-34 age group.\n\nMany SATC fans will be disappointed that larger-than-life favourite Samantha Jones - played by Kim Cattrall - will not be returning for the sequel series.\n\nSamantha was Sex and the City's most outlandish character and arguably, the star of the show.\n\nWhile Miranda was juggling a career and motherhood, Charlotte was focused on marriage and motherhood and Carrie poured her neuroses into her New York Star column, Samantha was the character perhaps harder to relate to but someone we all wanted to be (at least a little).\n\nShe was fiercely independent and while caring for her friends, she always put her own needs before men.\n\nBut news Cattrall won't reprise the role in And Just Like That comes as no surprise after years of feud rumours which were later confirmed by the British-born Canadian actress.\n\nIn 2017, Cattrall told Piers Morgan she had \"never been friends\" with her co-stars.\n\nShe said there was a \"toxic relationship\" and ruled out appearing in a third Sex and the City movie, denying that her decision was down to pay or \"diva\" demands.\n\nCattrall commented that former co-star Parker \"could have been nicer\" about the situation.\n\nA different actress could play Samantha in the future, she suggested.\n\n\"I played it past the finish line and then some and I loved it and another actress should play it,\" she said. \"Maybe they could make it an African-American Samantha Jones or a Hispanic Samantha Jones, or bring in another character.\"\n\nShe later criticised Parker for being \"cruel\" after she sent condolences following the death of Cattrall's brother.\n\nIn an interview with People magazine shortly afterwards, SJP acknowledged Cattrall \"said things that were really hurtful about me\".\n\nParker said: \"So there was no fight; it was completely fabricated, because I actually never responded.\"\n\nOn Monday, Parker replied on Instagram to someone posting that SJP \"didn't tag Samantha Jones\" into her post announcing the new series.\n\n\"I don't dislike her. I've never said that. Never would. Samantha isn't part of this story. But she will always be part of us. No matter where we are or what we do. x.\"\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "Flat owners applying to a fund to help pay to remove flammable building cladding will be told not to talk to the press without government approval.\n\nA draft agreement, uncovered by the Sunday Times, says that even where there is \"overwhelming public interest\" in speaking to journalists, the government must be told first.\n\nThe government said the wording was \"standard\".\n\nIt set up a £1.6bn fund last year to repair the most dangerous buildings.\n\nBut it warned that the fund might not cover all the costs of removing the cladding.\n\nThe clause might affect building owners and professional managing agents but also residents who manage their building.\n\nSome types of the covering, often added to newer blocks of flats, have been proven to be a fire hazard.\n\nAfter the 2017 Grenfell fire, the government pledged that safe alternatives to dangerous cladding would be provided on all buildings in England taller than 18m.\n\nIt set up the £1.6bn fund to help foot the costs.\n\nThe agreement, between the building owner or leaseholder and the government, says: \"The Applicant shall not make any communication to the press or any journalist or broadcaster regarding the Project or the Agreement (or the performance of it by any Party) without the prior written approval of Homes England and [the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government ]\" and its press offices.\n\nIt says an exception can be made \"where such disclosure is in the overwhelming public interest (in which case disclosure will not be made without first allowing Homes England and MHCLG to make representations on such proposed disclosure).\"\n\nThe UK Cladding Action Group tweeted that it was \"clearly a matter of public interest\" that these issues were aired in public.\n\n\"No department should be hiding behind non-disclosure agreements to stop scrutiny of their actions,\" the group said.\n\nAnother campaign group, Manchester Cladiators, said the existence of the \"gagging clause\" was \"shocking but not necessarily that surprising\".\n\nSpokesperson Rebecca Fairclough said residents would feel \"intimidated\" by it, adding: \"We ask the government to remove this unfair clause immediately and focus on the priority of solving this institutional failure, which still exists and is only growing over three and a half years after the Grenfell tragedy.\"\n\nThe government insists that the wording in the agreement, under the heading \"Marketing material\", is there to ensure applicants come to the government first.\n\n\"The terms set out are standard in commercial agreements and are not specific to this fund - to suggest otherwise is misleading and inaccurate,\" the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) said in a statement.\n\n\"We want a constructive working relationship with building owners who apply to the fund and applicants are asked to work with the department on public communications relating to the project.\"", "Small business owner Jon Wilding is facing a dilemma: his livelihood is on hold because of Covid restrictions and he has a big tax bill to settle.\n\nIf his company supplying marquees to outdoor events goes bust, the taxman will get paid, but his reputation as a businessman will be ruined forever.\n\n\"If I shut the business down, I then become director of a business that's gone bankrupt, at which stage getting loans in the future becomes nigh-on impossible,\" he told the BBC.\n\n\"I feel like I'm one of those people who's been left out. We don't need a lot to keep going,\" said Mr Wilding, of Cannock in the West Midlands.\n\n\"The government say their support system is the best in the world, we've done furlough, this that and whatever, but it's not getting to all the people that need it.\"\n\nApart from the Bounce Back Loan scheme, his two-person business has received no government assistance.\n\nHis colleague was furloughed in March last year, but because Mr Wilding is the director, he is not allowed to furlough himself.\n\nThe Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) is particularly concerned about people like Mr Wilding.\n\nIt says directors of small companies, who pay themselves in dividends rather than drawing a salary, are not receiving any help from the government.\n\nThe FSB says somewhere between 700,000 and 1.1 million people fall into this category.\n\nIt has put forward ideas to help some of those firms, which it hopes ministers will adopt.\n\nThe FSB's proposed Directors Income Support Scheme would pay them grants of up to £7,500 to cover three months of lost trading profits. It would be limited to those who earn less than £50,000 a year.\n\n\"Company directors, the newly self-employed, those in supply chains and those without commercial premises are still being left out in the cold,\" said FSB national chairman Mike Cherry.\n\nWithout further government help to cope with the effects of the pandemic, a record 250,000 small businesses could be lost in the next 12 months, the FSB said.\n\n\"The development of business support measures has not kept pace with intensifying restrictions,\" Mr Cherry added.\n\n\"As a result, we risk losing hundreds of thousands of great, ultimately viable small businesses this year, at huge cost to local communities and individual livelihoods.\"\n\nThe Federation of Small Businesses said the government had met the latest national lockdown \"with a whimper\"\n\nThe FSB based its prediction on a survey of 1,400 small firms, 5% of which said they expected to close this year.\n\nIf those figures were replicated across the country, some 250,000 of the UK's 5.9 million small firms could disappear, it said.\n\nMr Cherry said the government had met the latest national lockdown \"with a whimper\" and called for help that went beyond the retail, leisure and hospitality businesses.\n\nThe FSB said it had submitted its support scheme proposals to the Treasury and was expecting a decision this month.\n\nThe Treasury said nothing was planned at present, but added: \"Our support schemes are designed to get help to those who need it most whilst protecting the taxpayer from fraud, but of course we keep everything under review and are always open to further ideas.\"", "But it delivered a fascinating look behind the scenes at two cutting-edge ways the firm is creating video content.\n\nThe first involved the use of a giant screen which is matched with movement-sensors on a camera to create a fake backdrop that shifts in turn with the lens.\n\nA similar technique was pioneered by Industrial Light & Magic and used in the Star Wars spin-off series The Mandalorian, but this opens the door to other filmmakers.\n\nThe screens involved use Sony's Crystal LED technology, which the firm first unveiled at CES in 2012, but has been unable to bring low down enough in price to take mainstream.\n\nIn effect, this is its version of micro-LED tech, using millions of tiny light emitting diodes (LEDs) to match the number of pixels. The result is much greater brightness and contrast than a normal LCD or OLED display would be capable of.\n\nThe background footage moves in time with the camera to aid the illusion Image caption: The background footage moves in time with the camera to aid the illusion\n\nUntil now, the firm has marketed the tech at building owners wanting the ultimate video walls. But this has the potential to help film and advert-makers place actors within environments they can see, rather than relying on greenscreen effects.\n\nThe second innovation was the creation of an \"immersive reality\" performance, which uses body sensors to create a highly-detailed animated version of an artist.\n\nIt was demoed by the singer-songwriter Madison Beer.\n\nMotion capture has been used for years to add special effects to characters in movies and to place real-world actors into video games.\n\nBut the aim here is to create a lifelike representation of a performer on stage at a concert.\n\nThe footage shown didn't quite escape the \"uncanny valley\" - there's still some way to go before we can't tell the difference between a real person and even a highly detailed avatar.\n\nBut it's easy to imagine that the tech being more impressive when viewed in virtual reality, where users can move about and choose their view.\n\nThe computer-generated image looks less real the closer you get to the performer Image caption: The computer-generated image looks less real the closer you get to the performer\n\nUntil now, VR apps of concerts have either offered a pick of different static camera locations or involved much lower-resolution characters.\n\nWith Covid meaning it's impossible for artists to tour, this second-best experience could be very timely when it's offered to PlayStation VR headsets and other devices soon.", "Many hospitals are still under intense pressure with the increasing number of Covid patients arriving.\n\nDoctors say they are seeing more younger patients in their thirties and forties compared to the first wave.\n\nThe overall pattern of those at risk of becoming seriously ill or dying has not changed significantly and the older someone is, the greater their risk from Covid-19 - particularly those over the age of 65.\n\nThe BBC's Health Editor Hugh Pym was given access to film at Croydon University Hospital in South London.", "Boris Johnson - pictured here in 2013 - has long been a fan of cycling\n\nBoris Johnson has been criticised for travelling seven miles from Downing Street to go cycling during lockdown.\n\nThe Evening Standard reported the prime minister had been spotted in the Olympic Park in East London on Sunday.\n\nGovernment advice allows people to exercise outside, but says you should not travel outside your local area.\n\nA No 10 spokesman would not confirm if Mr Johnson had been driven to the park or cycled there, but said the PM had complied with Covid-19 guidelines.\n\nLabour's Andy Slaughter said: \"Once again it is do as I say, not as I do, from the prime minister.\"\n\nThe Hammersmith MP added: \"London has some of the highest infection rates in the country. Boris Johnson should be leading by example.\"\n\nIn response to the criticism, a Downing Street source told the BBC: \"The PM has exercised within the Covid rules and any suggestion to the contrary is wrong.\"\n\nA woman told the PA news agency she had seen the prime minister in the park: \"He was leisurely cycling with another guy with a beanie hat and chatting, while around four security guys, possibly more, cycled behind them.\n\n\"Considering the current situation with Covid I was shocked to see him cycling around looking so care-free.\n\n\"Also, considering he's advising everyone to stay at home and not leave their area, shouldn't he stay in Westminster and not travel to other boroughs?\"\n\nHealth Secretary Matt Hancock was asked at Monday's Downing Street press conference whether travelling seven miles for a cycle ride was within the rules.\n\nMr Hancock said: \"It is OK, if you went for a long walk and ended up seven miles from home, that is OK, but you should stay local.\n\n\"It is OK to go for a long walk or a cycle ride or to exercise, but stay local.\"\n\nThe issue of travelling for exercise was highlighted at the weekend after two women said they were surrounded by police and fine £200 after driving five miles from home to take a walk.\n\nDerbyshire Police have now dropped the fine and apologised to the women, but the incident led to a debate over the guidance.\n\nGovernment advice for England says you can leave your home to exercise, but adds: \"This should be limited to once per day, and you should not travel outside your local area.\"\n\nThe guidance adds: \"Stay local means stay in the village, town, or part of the city where you live.\"\n\nIn Scotland, the advice is more precise, saying exercise can be taken if it \"starts and finishes at the same place, which can be up to five miles from the boundary of your local authority area\".\n\nFormer Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron, who represents a constituency in the Lake District, has written to the PM calling for clearer guidance on exercise similar to that in Scotland.\n\nHe wrote: \"On the one hand, our local police force here in Cumbria are reporting that people... have travelled hundreds of miles to take their exercise in the Lake District.\n\n\"And on the other hand, I have constituents writing to me, worried whether they will be punished for driving five minutes up the road to go for a walk in their local park.\"\n\nMr Farron added: \"We need a solution that clearly deters people from making lengthy trips and potentially spreading the virus, but also that doesn't discourage people from keeping fit and healthy.\"", "Douglas Ross: 'All of Scottish football should not be affected by the actions of one club'\n\nScottish Conservatives leader Douglas Ross tells viewers he thinks politics should be put aside and the UK and Scottish governments should work together to get the vaccinations out as quickly as possible. He is reluctant, as an assistant referee, to comment on the Celtic Dubai situation, but he does say that people have to look at the message it sends out. He points out that for many people at home alone at the moment, football is something they look forward to and \"we don't want to see the whole of Scottish football affected by the actions of one club\". He adds that financial support should be made available to clubs in the Scottish lower leagues & Scottish Cup who have had their games suspended for three weeks.", "Terry Irving, 83, from Dumfries, was given the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine on Monday\n\nEveryone aged 80 or over in Scotland will be given the Covid vaccine by February, the health secretary has said.\n\nJeane Freeman also said care home staff and residents, as well as front-line health and social care staff would be vaccinated in the next few weeks.\n\nAs of Sunday, 163,377 Scots had been given a first dose of vaccine.\n\nMs Freeman told BBC Scotland that just under 560,000 people will have been vaccinated by the end of the month.\n\nThe Oxford vaccine will be available at more than 1,100 locations from Monday.\n\nScotland has been given an initial allocation of more than 500,000 doses to use in January.\n\nMs Freeman told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme: \"We intend that by the end of this month, the very beginning of February, we will have vaccinated all residents in care homes and staff, all front-line health and social care workers and all those aged 80 or over.\n\n\"So that's just under 560,000. We've already vaccinated about 70% of people in care homes and about half of the health and social care workforce.\"\n\nShe said the Scottish government was on course to match the UK government's commitment to offer a vaccine jab to everyone in the top four priority groups by the middle of February.\n\nThe health service will be able to vaccinate people as supplies of the jabs arrive, she said, with over-80s being contacted by their GPs.\n\nThe government has now started publishing vaccination figures on a daily basis, with 163,377 Scots having been given a first dose as of Sunday.\n\nFirst Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the health authorities in Scotland now had enough supplies to give jabs to all over-80s over the coming four weeks.\n\nShe said the aim was to get through the priority list as quickly as possible.\n\nThis had been expected to be complete by mid-May, but Ms Sturgeon said she was \"very, very hopeful we will be able to accelerate that to an earlier point\".\n\nA total of 1,664 people are in hospital being treated for Covid-19, the highest number since the pandemic began - with Ms Sturgeon saying the country was in a \"dangerous situation\".\n\nThe Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine has already been administered in the Tayside, Lothian, Orkney and Highlands health board areas but this week will see it being used at vaccination centres across the whole country.\n\nRecent figures suggest a slight fall in the average positivity rates for Covid in many parts of Scotland, but pressures on the NHS have intensified.\n\nThe number of patients in hospital in with Covid rose to new highs at the weekend, and Sunday saw a sharp increase in the number of patients requiring treatment in intensive care.\n\nDeputy First Minister John Swinney said there were few signs that the threat was \"abating\" and that a tightening of restrictions could not be ruled out.\n\nThe majority of Scotland's schools are closed until at least February with pupils now learning from home as the new term begins this week..\n\nOnly vulnerable pupils and the children of key workers will receive face-to-face teaching.\n\nLocal authorities said schools were better prepared to roll out digital learning than they were during the first lockdown.\n\nBut one parents' group has raised concerns about \"equal and fair access to home learning\".", "The Prince of Wales is urging firms to back a more sustainable future and do more to protect the planet, as he marks 50 years of environmental campaigning.\n\nPrince Charles wants companies to join what he is calling \"Terra Carta\" - or Earth charter.\n\nThe charter is being launched alongside a fund run by the Natural Capital Investment Alliance.\n\nIt aims to mobilise $10 billion towards natural capital by 2022.\n\nTerra Carta will harness the \"irreplaceable power of nature\", the prince said in his virtual address to the One Planet Summit on Monday.\n\nHe hopes the new charter will help \"reunite people and planet\".\n\nHe said: \"I can only encourage, in particular, those in industry and finance to provide practical leadership to this common project, as only they are able to mobilise the innovation, scale and resources that are required to transform our global economy.\"\n\nIn his foreword to Terra Carta, the prince writes: \"If we consider the legacy of our generation, more than 800 years ago, Magna Carta inspired a belief in the fundamental rights and liberties of people.\n\n\"As we strive to imagine the next 800 years of human progress, the fundamental rights and value of nature must represent a step-change in our 'future of industry' and 'future of economy' approach.\"\n\nCharles has previously said that people thought he was \"completely dotty\" when he started talking about environmental issues in the 1970s.", "A number of positive cases have been identified among passengers who had flown into Glasgow from Dubai since the new year\n\nDubai has been added to Scotland's travel quarantine list with anyone coming from the country told to self-isolate for 10 days.\n\nThe rule, which came into effect at 04:00, will also apply retrospectively for passengers who have made the journey since 3 January.\n\nCeltic confirmed one of their players tested positive for the virus less than 48 hours after the squad returned from a training trip to Dubai on Friday.\n\nIt is not known if he was on the trip.\n\nThe Scottish government said clinicians and the local NHS health protection team were in contact with Celtic providing advice. It also confirmed that quarantine rules did not apply to sports people who had attended \"elite training\" abroad.\n\nHowever, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon last week questioned the purpose of Celtic's trip and whether they were following social-distancing rules after seeing photos from their Dubai base.\n\nShe warned that professional sport's privileges could be lost if protocols were not followed by all participants.\n\nThe government said the change was due to a number of positive cases being identified in passengers who had flown into Glasgow from Dubai since the new year.\n\nIt said the \"preventative action\" would help stem the rise in coronavirus cases.\n\nTransport Secretary Michael Matheson said: \"It is evident, both in Scotland and in countries across the world, that the virus continues to pose real risks to health and to life and we need to interrupt the rise in cases.\"\n\nHe added: \"Imposing quarantine requirements on those arriving in the UK is our first defence in managing the risk of imported cases from communities with high risks of transmission. That is why we have made the decision to remove Dubai from the country exemptions list.\n\n\"Whether or not an overseas destination has been designated for quarantine restrictions, our message remains clear that people should not currently be undertaking non-essential foreign travel.\n\n\"People need to stay at home to help suppress the virus, protect our NHS and save lives.\"\n\nJoanne Dooey, president of the Scottish Passenger Agents' Association (SPAA), said: \"Removing Dubai from the safe list is understandable. We believe that there has been a cluster of infections around Scots who travelled to Dubai over the Christmas and New Year period.\n\n\"Whilst we're keen to see a return to increased international travel, protecting the health of the whole country remains our key concern and we are supportive of this move.\"", "Morrisons will bar customers who refuse to wear face coverings from its shops amid rising coronavirus infections.\n\nFrom Monday, shoppers who refuse to wear face masks offered by staff will not be allowed inside, unless they are medically exempt.\n\nSainsbury's also said it would challenge those not wearing a mask or who were shopping in groups.\n\nThe announcements come amid concerns that social distancing measures are not being adhered to in supermarkets.\n\nVaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi said the government is \"concerned\" shops are not enforcing rules strictly enough.\n\n\"Ultimately, the most important thing to do now is to make sure that actually enforcement - and of course the compliance with the rules - when people are going into supermarkets are being adhered to,\" Mr Zahawi told Sky News.\n\n\"We need to make sure people actually wear masks and follow the one-way system,\" he said.\n\nMorrisons said it had \"introduced and consistently maintained thorough and robust safety measures in all our stores\" since the start of the pandemic.\n\nBut it said: \"From today we are further strengthening our policy on masks.\"\n\nSecurity guards at the UK's fourth-biggest supermarket chain will be enforcing the new rules.\n\nMorrisons' chief executive, David Potts, said: \"Those who are offered a face covering and decline to wear one won't be allowed to shop at Morrisons unless they are medically exempt.\n\n\"Our store colleagues are working hard to feed you and your family, please be kind.\"\n\nFollowing Morrisons' announcement, Sainsbury's said that it was also putting trained security guards at the front of its stores to challenge shoppers who did not comply.\n\nChief executive Simon Roberts said: \"I've spent a lot of time in our stores reviewing the latest situation over the last few days and on behalf of all my colleagues, I am asking our customers to help us keep everyone safe.\n\n\"The vast majority of customers are shopping safely, but I have also seen some customers trying to shop without a mask and shopping in larger family groups.\n\n\"Please help us to keep all our colleagues and customers safe by always wearing a mask and by shopping alone. Everyone's care and consideration matters now more than ever.\"\n\nEarlier on Monday, Mr Zahawi stopped short of saying that supermarket staff should be responsible for enforcing rules on face masks.\n\nEnforcement of face coverings is the responsibility of the police, not retailers. Wearing face masks in supermarkets and shops is compulsory across the UK.\n\nIn England, the police can issue a £200 fine to someone breaking the face covering rules. In Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, a £60 fine can be imposed. Repeat offenders face bigger fines.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. How to wear your mask. Hint: it's not any of these three options\n\nHowever, retail industry body the British Retail Consortium said that, workers have faced an increase in incidents of violence and abuse when trying to encourage shoppers to put them on.\n\nAndrew Opie, director of food and sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, added: \"Supermarkets continue to follow all safety guidance and customers should be reassured that supermarkets are Covid-secure and safe to visit during lockdown and beyond.\n\n\"Customers should play their part too by following in-store signage and being considerate to staff and fellow shoppers.\"\n\nUnder current lockdown restrictions across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, people must only leave home for essential reasons, such as buying food or medicine.\n\nIn a bid to contain the spread of coronavirus, supermarkets introduced social distancing measures during the UK's first nationwide lockdown last March. They included limits on the numbers of customers in the shops at any one time, protective plastic screens at tills and \"marshals\" to ensure shoppers were maintaining a two-metre distance.\n\nBut amid rising numbers of infections, some have expressed concerns about a \"lack of visible protections\" implemented by supermarkets in recent weeks.\n\nThe First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford, said on Saturday that he wanted to see stores policed as they were during the first lockdown as people were worried the strict enforcement of rules did not \"appear to be there this time\".\n\n\"Given the fact the new variant is so much easier to catch... we are looking at supermarkets and other places where people leave their homes, to make sure they are organised in a way that keeps their staff and customers safe,\" he said.\n\nSupermarket Waitrose said that it was taking a \"cautious approach\" to the virus, with marshals checking that customers are wearing face coverings on the door, hand sanitiser stations at its entrances and written communications to shoppers reminding them to maintain their distance.\n\nTesco said it was limiting the number of customers in store and was also reminding customers to wear masks.\n\n\"We have clear signage explaining this, and we have packs of face coverings available for purchase near the front of our stores for any customers who have forgotten them.\"\n\nMeanwhile, Asda announced last week that it would extend its marshals' hours to 08:00 to 20:00 and increase how often baskets and trollies are cleaned.\n\nShop workers' union Usdaw has also called for firms to apply more stringent measures again.\n\nThe union's general secretary, Paddy Lillis, said that it had received reports that \"too many customers are not following necessary safety measures like social distancing, wearing a face covering and only shopping for essential items\".\n\n\"It is going to take some time to roll out the vaccine and we cannot afford to be complacent in the meantime, particularly with a new strain sweeping the nation,\" Mr Lillis said.\n\nThe trade union also suggested that \"'one-in one-out\" policies and proper queuing systems should be reintroduced in supermarkets.\n\nIt added that these systems should be managed by trained security staff where necessary.", "The number of patients in intensive care with Covid has risen sharply, amid warnings that tougher lockdown measures may be needed.\n\nLatest Scottish government figures show 1,877 new cases of Covid were reported in the last 24 hours\n\nThe number of people in intensive care has risen from 109 to 123, the highest daily jump since October.\n\nDeputy First Minister John Swinney said a tightening of restrictions could not be ruled out.\n\nA total of 1,598 people are currently in hospital with recently-confirmed Covid, up from Saturday's figure of 1,596 patients which was the highest number since the outbreak began.\n\nThe daily test positivity rate was10%, up from 8.7% on Saturday, when 1,865 positive cases were recorded.\n\nThe deputy first minister said the country was facing \"a very alarming situation\" with the virus.\n\nSpeaking on Politics Scotland, Mr Swinney said coronavirus does not show much sign of \"abating\" and he would not rule out tougher lockdown measures.\n\nHe said: \"We're seeing case numbers which are hovering around 2,000 per day... so we've got an accelerating situation on our hands and we have to constantly review whether more restrictions are required.\"\n\nThere have been some encouraging signs in recent days with average positivity rates falling, a possible indicator that the lockdown is having an impact, but Prof Linda Bauld, of Edinburgh University, urged caution.\n\nShe said: \"The numbers are not reducing at the rate which we want them to, so [it is] still a very fragile situation.\n\n\"The measures we have now I hope are working but it's not clear whether they are tough enough.\n\n\"I think the key change the government could make is in the sectors which are still open, particularly workplaces but also things like takeaways and click and collect.\"\n\nMr Swinney said the Scottish government is \"open to considering further restrictions if they are necessary\"\n\nProfessional sport, along with manufacturing and construction work have been allowed to continue in this lockdown, whereas they were not in the first wave in March.\n\nThe deputy first minister said the meeting of the cabinet which agreed the latest lockdown saw ministers wondering if they had gone far enough to stop the spread.\n\nMr Swinney added: \"I don't think I'm revealing a state secret when I say that the debate within cabinet was not whether we were going too far but whether we were going far enough.\"\n\nA total of three deaths were recorded in the past 24 hours but these figures are lower at weekends because register offices are generally closed.", "Last updated on .From the section Scottish Premiership\n\nCeltic's only regret about their Dubai trip was Chris Jullien contracting Covid-19, said coach Gavin Strachan, after the draw with Hibernian.\n\nThirteen Celtic players missed the game as they self-isolate after being deemed close contacts of Jullien.\n\nThe hosts led through David Turnbull's free-kick, but are now 21 points behind Scottish Premiership leaders Rangers after Kevin Nisbet's late Hibs strike.\n\n\"There's regret that one person has caught the virus,\" said Strachan.\n\n\"But there's not a regret in terms of the permission we got to go and the protocols that we followed, which we have done the whole season.\"\n• None 'Celtic's lack of remorse over Dubai farce is risible'\n• None Trouble in paradise? Timeline of Dubai bid to Covid crisis\n\nStrachan, who managed the team against Hibs as Neil Lennon and assistant John Kennedy are also in enforced quarantine, defended the decision to take Jullien - who is out injured for up to four months - on last week's controversial training trip.\n\n\"It was to maintain his treatment with the backroom staff, he went over there so we can get him back as fast as we can,\" Strachan added.\n\n\"Yeah, I can understand the frustration from everybody, because we end up playing with a weaker team, but that could have happened if we were training at home as well.\"\n\nCeltic, who still have three games in hand, fielded an unfamiliar line-up showing six changes, though one of those was enforced by Nir Bitton's suspension, and teenage American forward Cameron Harper was handed a debut.\n\nHibs' request for Celtic players to be retested pre-match was turned down and Jack Ross gave a first appearance to on-loan Arsenal goalkeeper Matt Macey.\n\nAnd it was the visitors who tried to stamp their authority on the game early on with Nisbet heading over and later testing Conor Hazard with a shot after Joe Newell's strike had been pushed out by the Celtic keeper.\n\nHarper shot instead of passing from a promising position in Celtic's first incisive move and long-range efforts from Ismaila Soro and Diego Laxalt drew fine saves from Macey.\n\nTurnbull's superb chip found Callum McGregor in behind the Hibs defence but he could not make the right connection.\n\nLewis Stevenson made his 500th Hibernian appearance as a half-time replacement for Josh Doig and Harper limped off to be replaced by another Celtic debutant Armstrong Oko-Flex on the hour.\n\nChances were at a premium and Hazard was quick off his line to snuff out a chance for Melker Hallberg and Drey Wright's replacement Christian Doidge could not get a header on Jamie Murphy's teasing corner.\n\nMikey Johnston claimed unsuccessfully for a penalty after going down in the Hibs box following Ryan Porteous' challenge and soon made way for Karamoko Dembele.\n\nHibs also made a change with Stephen McGinn replacing Hallberg and the midfielder fouled Turnbull to give the Celtic midfielder the chance to put Celtic ahead, and he did. It was a fantastic strike by Turnbull and his fifth goal for Celtic.\n\nHibs went back on the attack and won a free-kick of their own after Laxalt's foul on Paul McGinn and the latter's header from Stevie Mallan's delivery was cleared on the line only for Nisbet to fire high into the net for parity. A point took Hibs to within two of Aberdeen in third.\n\nWhat did we learn?\n\nUnsurprisingly, Celtic took a while to settle into the match and lacked a focal point in the absence of Leigh Griffiths and Odsonne Edouard.\n\nFor long spells in the second half, the hosts did not look likely to win but took their chance when it came. Defensively, though, they were caught out badly at a set play.\n\nHibs may rue not throwing more caution to the wind at 0-0 but, after three league defeats, a point in Glasgow is a positive result.\n\nWhat did they say?\n\nCeltic coach Gavin Strachan: \"The players put a lot into the game and we thought we did enough to nick it. The sucker punch at the end was frustrating. We were hoping we would have enough bodies back to see that out.\n\n\"There's a lot of football still to be played and you never know what's going to happen. Obviously it's a frustrating time just now but we need to get the win on Saturday, keep racking up the points and see what happens.\"\n\nHibernian head coach Jack Ross: \"We wanted to come and win the game. I certainly think we merited taking something from it. It's good for us to stop the bleeding. It hopefully just propels our side in the right direction again.\n\n\"Kevin Nisbet's goalscoring return has been excellent. The accuracy of the finish and the trust in his finishing ability with the goal has to be like that otherwise I don't think he scores it.\"\n\nCeltic will still be without their isolating players when they host Livingston on Saturday (15:00 GMT). Hibs are at home to Kilmarnock at the same time.\n• None Attempt blocked. Stephen Mallan (Hibernian) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Kevin Nisbet.\n• None Goal! Celtic 1, Hibernian 1. Kevin Nisbet (Hibernian) left footed shot from the right side of the six yard box to the top right corner following a set piece situation.\n• None Attempt blocked. Paul McGinn (Hibernian) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Stephen Mallan with a cross.\n• None Paul McGinn (Hibernian) wins a free kick on the right wing.\n• None Attempt missed. Stephen Mallan (Hibernian) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Paul McGinn with a headed pass.\n• None Attempt blocked. Christian Doidge (Hibernian) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Paul McGinn with a cross.\n• None Attempt saved. Jamie Murphy (Hibernian) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Paul McGinn.\n• None Goal! Celtic 1, Hibernian 0. David Turnbull (Celtic) from a free kick with a right footed shot to the top left corner. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page", "Wales' health minister has acknowledged it was \"entirely understandable people are concerned\" about when they will receive their vaccine.\n\nBut Vaughan Gething also stressed that supplies will increase over the coming weeks.\n\n\"I think a number of people are are anxious because this is a worrying time. And it's entirely understandable on a human level why people are concerned\", he said.\n\nMr Gething admitted that other UK nations had made a better start in rolling out the vaccine.\n\nBut he said that he believed Wales had still made a \"good start\" and \"that's evidenced by the figures\".\n\nWhen asked about the concerns made by some GP practices, Mr Gething said he understands why some of them \"will be frustrated\".\n\nHe added: \"But we're delivering the AstraZeneca vaccine in supplies that we have to keep it going.\n\n\"And as I said, the availability of that vaccine is the current rate limiting step and significantly increasing our delivery because we know there are a range of general practices and others who could deliver more if we had more supply.\n\n\"The supply they're being given is supplied for the week - it's not to stretch through for the whole population that they're covering.\"", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. WATCH: Domestic abuse victim - 'He threw me against the wall and strangled me'\n\nJustice Secretary Robert Buckland has said he hopes to make non-fatal strangulation a specific offence after a call by domestic abuse campaigners.\n\nToo many violent offenders' sentences are not tough enough, he said.\n\nAnd he added that strangulation can be a precursor to even more serious crimes against women.\n\nCampaigners argue that perpetrators are often only charged with common assault, which carries a maximum of six months in prison.\n\nBecause non-fatal strangulation may not leave any marks on the victim, prosecutors do not bring more serious charges, they say.\n\nMr Buckland said: \"There are too many violent offenders not getting sentences proportionate to the seriousness of their crimes because in many cases, prosecutors don't have adequate charging options where the victim has been strangled.\n\n\"The vast majority of these crimes are committed against women and they are often a precursor to even more serious violence.\"\n\nThe justice secretary hopes the new offence can be included in the Police and Sentencing Bill, although discussions are at an early stage.\n\nCampaigners had called for a new offence to be part of the Domestic Abuse Bill. The Conservative peer Baroness Newlove was planning to table an amendment to this bill as it goes through the House of Lords. She won cross-party support during a debate in the Lords last week.\n\nBut the Ministry of Justice believes that as non-fatal strangulation can be used in situations other than domestic abuse, the legislation should have a broader context.\n\nJustice Secretary Robert Buckland said strangulation was often a precursor to even more serious attacks on women\n\nWelcoming the move, Nogah Ofer, a lawyer with the Centre for Women's Justice, which has been at the forefront of the campaign for a new offence said: \"It is time that as a society we stopped normalising and ignoring strangulation.\n\n\"We look forward to police, prosecutors and medical professionals working together to address this with the seriousness it deserves, and hope that survivors of domestic abuse will have greater confidence to seek justice.\"\n\nCampaigner Rachel Williams, who suffered strangulation during an abusive relationship, tweeted that it was \"a great victory\". She was shot and severely injured by her violent partner in 2011, who then killed himself.\n\nLast week, the government said that non-fatal strangulation was already covered by existing legislation from common assault to attempted murder.\n\nIt is now looking at how a new offence was introduced in New Zealand. Parts of Australia and the US have also brought in similar measures.\n\nDuring the Lords debate, crossbench peer Lord Anderson of Ipswich, a QC and former Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation, warned that \"hurried law can be bad law\".\n\nHe asked whether a more generic offence of aggravated assault or recklessly endangering life might cover these circumstances and questioned how strangulation and suffocation would be defined in the law.", "Lisa Montgomery - the only female inmate on federal death row in the US - has been executed for murder in the state of Indiana. Her lawyers had argued she was a mentally ill victim of abuse who deserved mercy. Her victim's community said otherwise.\n\nThis story was first published on 11 January - before Lisa Montgomery's execution on 13 January.\n\nFor Diane Mattingly, there is one moment from her childhood for which she feels both enormous gratitude and guilt.\n\nShe credits this moment for her \"fairly normal\" life - a house on eight peaceful acres, a loving relationship with her children, nearly two decades at a job working for the state of Kentucky.\n\nAt the same time, she blames it for the fate of her younger half-sister, Lisa Montgomery.\n\nMontgomery was sentenced for the murder of a 23-year-old woman who was eight months pregnant. In December 2004, Montgomery, who was 36 at the time, strangled Bobbie Jo Stinnett before cutting the baby out of her womb and kidnapping it. Stinnett bled to death.\n\nMattingly and Montgomery lived together until Mattingly was eight and her half-sister was four. It was a terrifying household, she says, where physical, psychological and sexual abuse at the hands of Judy Shaughnessy, Montgomery's mother, and her boyfriends was routine.\n\nThe girls' biological father left the home, and after a while, Mattingly was whisked away to foster care. Montgomery was left behind with her mother.\n\nLisa Montgomery and her half-sister Diane Mattingly as children\n\nIt would be 34 years before the half-sisters would see each other again. And that would be from across a courtroom, where lawyers for the US government were trying to persuade a jury to sentence Montgomery to death.\n\n\"One sister got taken out and got put into a loving home and was nurtured and had time to heal,\" says Mattingly. \"The other sister stayed in that situation, and it got worse and worse and worse. And then at the end, she was broken.\"\n\nIn late December, Montgomery's legal team submitted a petition to President Donald Trump that makes the case that after a lifetime of abuse - which they characterise as torture - she is too mentally ill to be executed and deserves mercy.\n\nHowever, in the tiny town of Skidmore, Missouri, where the crime was committed, there is little sympathy for that argument. Many there believe the final moments of Bobbie Jo Stinnett were so horrific, the death sentence is warranted.\n\nLisa Montgomery and Bobbie Jo Stinnett got to know each other online through a shared love of dogs. They had corresponded for weeks on an online forum for rat terrier breeders and enthusiasts called \"Ratter Chatter\". Montgomery told Stinnett that she was also expecting, and the pair shared pregnancy stories.\n\nIn December 2004, Montgomery drove 281.5 km (175 miles) from her home in Kansas to Skidmore, where she had an appointment to look at some puppies owned by Stinnett.\n\nBut it wasn't Montgomery that Stinnett was expecting, it was a woman who went by the name of Darlene Fischer. But Fischer was a name that Montgomery had been using when she separately began messaging Stinnett from a different email address inquiring about buying one of her puppies.\n\nWhen Stinnett answered the door, Montgomery overpowered the pregnant woman, strangled her with a piece of rope, and cut the baby out of her womb.\n\nInvestigators quickly realised that \"Darlene Fischer\" did not exist, and tracked Montgomery down the next day using her emails and computer IP address. They found her cradling a new-born girl she claimed to have given birth to the previous day. Her story quickly fell apart and she confessed to the killing.\n\nSince 2008, Montgomery has been held in a federal prison in Texas for female inmates with special medical and psychological needs, where she has been receiving psychiatric care. Since receiving her execution date, she's been placed on suicide watch in an isolated cell.\n\nMontgomery is scheduled to be put to death by a lethal injection of pentobarbital at Terre Haute prison in Indiana. It is the only federal prison with an active death chamber.\n\nMontgomery's lawyers argue that because of a combination of years of horrific abuse, and a raft of psychological issues, she should never have been given the death penalty. They believe that at the time of the crime, Montgomery was psychotic and out of touch with reality. They have been joined by a chorus of supportive voices from the legal field, including 41 former and current prosecutors, as well as human rights entities like the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.\n\nHowever, calls for Trump to be merciful are hardly unanimous. According to Gallup, while support for the death penalty in the US is at its lowest level in more than 50 years, 55% of Americans still believe it is an appropriate punishment for murder. And nowhere is that support more palpably felt in this case than in Skidmore.\n\n\"Bobbie deserves to be here today. Bobbie's family deserves her,\" says Meagan Morrow, a high school classmate of Stinnett's. \"And Lisa deserves to pay.\"\n\nIf you or someone you know needs support for issues about emotional distress, these organisations may be able to help.\n\nLisa Montgomery's current legal team has conducted some 450 interviews with family members, friends, case workers, doctors and social workers. Stitched together, they form a tapestry of family dysfunction, abuse, neglect, professional negligence, substance abuse and untreated mental illness.\n\n\"The whole story is tragic,\" says Kelley Henry, one of Montgomery's federal defence lawyers. \"But one of the things that the president can do is say - to women who have been trafficked, and who have been sexually abused - 'Your abuse matters'.\"\n\nFor Montgomery, her lawyers argue, it began before she was born. According to an interview with her father, Montgomery's mother Judy Shaughnessy drank heavily throughout her pregnancy, and their daughter was born with foetal alcohol syndrome. Multiple medical experts have given statements agreeing with that diagnosis.\n\nWhen Mattingly and Montgomery were young, Shaughnessy beat them and doled out cruel forms of punishment, like taping Montgomery's mouth shut, or pushing Mattingly out into the snow, naked. After their biological father left the home, Mattingly says they were left alone with Shaughnessy's boyfriends, at least one of whom started raping Mattingly.\n\n\"Judy was manipulative and - I hate to use this word, but - evil. She enjoyed torturing the people around her,\" says Mattingly. \"She got joy out of it.\"\n\nAfter Mattingly was removed from the home by social services, Montgomery fell prey to her mother's new husband, who according to statements from his other children, was a violent alcoholic who began sexually abusing Montgomery when she was a pre-teen. The family moved from place to place dozens of times, but it was in a trailer in Sperry, Oklahoma, where her lawyers say the abuse turned into something more akin to torture.\n\nAccording to interviews with her half-siblings and others who spent time with the family, Montgomery's stepfather built a shed onto the trailer where he, and eventually his friends, raped and beat her. Her mother also began trafficking her, allowing handymen like electricians and plumbers to sexually abuse Montgomery in exchange for work on the house.\n\nAs a teenager, Montgomery confided in a cousin, telling him the men would tie her up, beat her and even urinate on her afterwards.\n\nBut the cousin, a sheriff's deputy, confessed to Montgomery's current legal team that he did nothing. In fact, he drove her back home and dropped her off in the hands of her abusers.\n\nLawyer Kelley Henry says one of the things that disturbs her most is that adults in positions of authority were told about what was going on but did nothing.\n\nWhen Shaughnessy eventually split from her second husband, she and Montgomery testified in divorce proceedings about the sexual assaults. The judge in the case scolded Shaughnessy for not reporting the abuse - but did not report the abuse himself.\n\n\"There were so many opportunities where people could have intervened and prevented this,\" says Henry.\n\nMontgomery's cousin told her legal team that he lived with \"regret for not speaking up about what happened to Lisa\".\n\nWhen she was 18, Montgomery married her stepbrother. The couple had four children in five years, but the relationship was not the escape from violence that Montgomery might have hoped it would be. At one point, one of Montgomery's brothers found a home movie that showed Montgomery's husband raping and beating her.\n\n\"It was violent and like a scene out of a horror movie,\" he said in a statement. \"I felt sick watching the video. I didn't know what to do or how to talk to my sister about it.\"\n\nFriends and family began noticing Montgomery's tendency to slip into \"a world of her own\". Her children were disturbed by it. Henry says this was an early sign of her mental illnesses, which include bipolar disorder, complex post-traumatic stress disorder, dissociative disorder and traumatic brain injury.\n\nMontgomery eventually divorced her first husband and married Kevin Montgomery. Around this time, she repeatedly claimed to be pregnant again, although she had undergone sterilisation after her fourth baby was born.\n\nOne theory her lawyers put forward regarding the chain of events that led to the murder, is that Montgomery feared her ex-husband would expose her lies about being pregnant and use it against her as he sought custody of their children.\n\n\"There was so much pressure on her at that point,\" says Henry. She describes Montgomery's ex-husband as cruel and harassing. \"She was completely detached from reality.\"\n\nHer lawyers say that as she lost touch with reality, she fantasised about being pregnant.\n\nHenry says Montgomery's original legal defence after she was arrested and charged with murder was woefully inadequate, and presented few of the details about her abuse, trauma and mental illness.\n\nHer lawyers at the time also presented an alternative theory of the crime, which was that Montgomery's brother had actually committed the murder, even though he had an alibi. That was ultimately dropped in favour of an insanity defence, but Henry believes the damage to Montgomery's credibility was already done.\n\nAfter five hours of deliberation, the jury found Montgomery guilty. They recommended a sentence of death.\n\nDiane Mattingly has been speaking publicly for the first time in the hope it can make a difference.\n\n\"I would say, 'President Trump, I want you to look at the life that Lisa had led, I want to look at all the people that have failed her, I want you to look at the rape, the torture, the mental abuse, the physical abuse that this woman had endured,'\" she says. \"I'm asking him to have compassion on her as a person that has been failed over and over and over again. And to not fail her.\"\n\nThe tiny farming town of Skidmore sits in the far northwest corner of Missouri. A generation ago, it was the kind of place where you could \"get your hair cut, see a show, buy rabbit feed and eat dinner\" - but those days are long gone. Today there is a single restaurant and few of the streets are paved.\n\nThe population hovers around just 250, and everyone knew Bobbie Jo Stinnett and her family. Friends recall her as a good student with a love of horses and dogs. She liked going down to the Nodaway River to swim, and playing Nintendo games at slumber parties. She was quiet and kind, they say.\n\nAt the time of her murder, she was newly married and pregnant with her first child.\n\nAlthough the alumni have scattered somewhat, in recent years, the Nodaway-Holt R-VII High School graduating class of 2000 - which had only 22 members - has a tradition to mark the anniversary of the death of their classmate Bobbie Jo Stinnett.\n\nThey hold a collection and try to do something nice for Stinnett's mother. \"Last year, we got flowers, and gave her a $100-plus gift card and then paid her water bill,\" says Jena Baumli.\n\nThe murder 16 years ago is never far from the minds of the town's residents.\n\nFor one thing, the wider world won't let them forget. It has been the subject of two books, multiple true crime television shows, documentaries and countless podcast episodes. And though there's been much recent debate over the fairness of Montgomery's sentence in courthouses and in the opinion pages of newspapers like the New York Times, a similar debate does not exist here.\n\n\"I think that in a lot of the opinion pieces that are being posted, in a lot of things that people are sharing, Bobbie Jo and her daughter, and her mother and her husband and other friends and family, are kind of being forgotten,\" says Tiffany Kirkland, another member of the class of 2000.\n\n\"She always wanted to be a mom,\" says Baumli. \"She was really the first one to have a decent marriage, you know, and I guess looking at Bobbie Jo was like, what your dreams were when you were younger.\"\n\nBecause of Stinnett's easy-going reputation, Morrow remembers instantly dismissing the initial reports of her murder.\n\n\"I was like, 'Oh, she was not.' You know, like, that doesn't happen to Bobbie,\" Morrow says.\n\nBut what happened at the modest clapboard house where Stinnett lived with her husband still haunts some of those involved in the investigation.\n\nNodaway County Sheriff Randy Strong says that the scene that he and his four colleagues found that day was so bloody, they are still traumatised by it. It makes him even angrier that it was Stinnett's mother who discovered her that way.\n\n\"The people that are defending [Montgomery], I wish I could take them back in time, and put them in that room,\" he says. \"And then go, 'Look at this body'. And then go, 'Stand there and listen to the 911 call of [Stinnett's mother]. This is the stuff of nightmares.\"\n\nMany of the residents of Skidmore cite the details of the crime, and the amount of planning that went into it, as evidence that Montgomery was a calculating killer.\n\nShe had catfished Stinnett online under a fake name. She had bought supplies, including a home birth kit, and searched online for how to perform a caesarean section. Sheriff Strong insists that the crime was meticulously planned and that the woman he arrested continued to lie until backed into a corner.\n\nDr Katherine Porterfield, a clinical psychologist who evaluated Montgomery and spent about 18 hours with her, says that psychosis does not always look the way people expect it to.\n\n\"Being psychotic, it does not mean you are not intelligent, nor that you cannot act in a planful way,\" she says. \"We've seen crime for years and years in our country in which people enact terrible violence coming out of a psychotic set of beliefs or thought process. Lisa Montgomery is no different. She enacted this in the grip of a very broken mind.\"\n\nThe baby was returned to her father, after being recovered from Montgomery.\n\nBobbie Jo's mother and husband have have not spoken publicly in many years. But Strong says this is the first year he's heard directly from Stinnett's husband. He thanked the sheriff for recovering his daughter and allowing him to be the parent that his wife couldn't be.\n\n\"I cried,\" says Strong. \"The whole community over there's traumatised by this.\"\n\nSchool friend Baumli says she's read the descriptions of Montgomery's abuse, but it mostly just makes her angry. She says it's not as if all the other people of Skidmore lead idyllic lives free from abuse, poverty and other destructive tragedies. She gives herself as an example - when Stinnett was murdered, Baumli was in rehab for a drug addiction. She missed the funeral because of it.\n\n\"Let's say I didn't stay clean very long,\" she says.\n\n\"I'm sick of hearing about Lisa Montgomery and what she went through. And it's never about what my friend went through,\" she adds. \"I get these images in my head of [Bobbie Jo's mother] finding her daughter that way.\"\n\nThree federal inmates - Orlando Hall, Alfred Bourgeois and Brandon Bernard - have been put to death since the 3 November presidential election. Several high-profile figures had appealed for clemency in Brandon's case but Mr Trump did not heed those calls.\n\nPresident-elect Joe Biden has already pledged to end death penalty proceedings, although he hasn't said when.\n\nUntil July 2020, there had been no federal executions for 17 years. At state level, the number of sentences and executions continues a historic decline. Only 18 death sentences were handed down in 2020 and the number of executions carried out hit a 30-year low. More recently, the states that have been carrying out executions, such as Texas and Tennessee, have halted and delayed executions because of the pandemic.\n\nHowever, the executions ordered by President Trump are continuing. If they all go ahead, the federal government will have executed more people than any administration in nearly 100 years.\n\nProtest against federal executions of death row inmates - outside the US Justice Department, Washington DC, December 2020\n\nTwo other inmates are scheduled to die at Terre Haute prison before Mr Trump's presidency ends. Recently, there has been a virus outbreak on death row at the institution, and previous executions have been linked to outbreaks among the execution team and prison staff.\n\n\"They made this a priority at the risk of the health and lives of corrections officials, of the prisoners on death row, and the communities that all of those Bureau of Prisons officials who flew in from across the country were returning to,\" says Ngozi Ndulue, senior director of research and special projects at the Death Penalty Information Center.\n\n\"This was a very coordinated and determined plan to ensure that as many people could be executed on federal death row as possible before the end of this administration term.\"\n\nMontgomery's lawyers want her sentence commuted to a life sentence, which would allow her to remain under psychiatric care in prison for the rest of her days.\n\nMattingly says looking back to the moment life changed for her as an eight-year-old, she feels guilty that when the social workers came for her, she didn't tell them what was going on in that house.\n\n\"If I had, would they have taken Lisa out of the home also?\" she says. \"There's so many people that failed her throughout her whole life. And I am just asking for somebody - once - not to fail her.\"", "Wales has received 275,000 doses of the two Covid-19 vaccines to deal with the pandemic.\n\nAbout 70,000 people received a first dose after the first month of the vaccine rollout.\n\nThe Welsh Government confirmed it has had more than 250,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and 25,000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab.\n\nThe health minister promised a \"really significant step-up\" in the roll-out after opponents criticised its speed.\n\nThe Pfizer jabs were first administered in early December at seven sites across Wales as part of the UK-wide immunisation programme.\n\nThis 82-year-old woman was one of 100 to receives her vaccine at a special clinic in Swansea on Saturday\n\nApproximately 1.6% of people were vaccinated up to 3 January - fewer than all other UK nations.\n\nIn England, about 1.9% of the population had received the first dose, while 2.1% of people in both Scotland and Northern Ireland had received their first jab.\n\nThe Welsh Government has dismissed criticism it is lagging behind, with health officials saying the new Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine would help speed up the programme \"considerably\".\n\nTwo full doses of the Oxford vaccine gave 62% protection, a half dose followed by a full dose was 90% and overall the trial showed 70% protection.\n\nThe rollout of the Oxford vaccine started on Monday, with 25,000 doses received this week, according to the Welsh Government.\n\nFirst Minister Mark Drakeford said on Friday that Wales would receive another 25,000 Oxford doses next week and 80,000 the week after that.\n\nWhen asked how many doses of the Pfizer vaccine Wales had received, he said he could not recall the exact figure but further deliveries had been received \"on the 23rd and the 27th of December\".\n\nPressed on a figure, he said: \"It's the low hundreds of thousands\", adding: \"The Pfizer vaccine has particular challenges in terms of the conditions that it's got to be stored in and in parts of Wales that is a very particular challenge because it is a hard vaccine to transport over long distances to relatively scattered and remote communities.\n\n\"But the fact that we've got it and the fact that we're able to use more of it than we originally anticipated means we'll be able to accelerate the use of it over the next couple of weeks.\"\n\nThese were the latest comparative weekly totals - daily updates are promised from this week onwards in Wales\n\nOn Sunday, the Welsh Government confirmed it had received 25,000 doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine in the first week but the quantity would increase, allocated to Wales based on a population share on a weekly basis.\n\n\"We are confident in the assurances we have been given that this will increase over the next few weeks to around 100,000 per week,\" they said.\n\n\"We are delivering all the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine allocated to Wales directly to GPs, other primary care providers and hospitals as soon as it is available.\"\n\nConservative MP for the Vale of Clwyd, Dr James Davies, said: \"We all know that the Pfizer vaccine is difficult to transport and store and needs to be stored at -70 degrees, that's understood.\n\n\"But the issue is that actually, if you look at the rest of the UK, including very rural areas, they've managed to deal with it... and it is difficult to see why they haven't been in a position to be organised earlier and to ramp-up the delivery.\"\n\nRhun ap Iorwerth, Plaid Cymru's health spokesman, called for transparency: \"It is very worrying to find out that we have had in Wales more than 250,000 doses but only a relatively small proportion of that have yet ended up in people's arms, protecting people, because that's what we want to happen.\"\n\nHe has written an open letter to Health Minister Vaughan Gething calling for greater clarity on the vaccine deployment programme, asking for a dashboard of information which would allow the public to track the rollout's progress for themselves, including volume of doses delivered and administered by health board and by the nine priority groups.\n\nDr Olwen Williams, vice-president for Wales at the Royal College of Physicians, also called on health boards and Welsh Government to publish regular data showing which groups of people have been vaccinated, with patient-facing health workers prioritised over other colleagues.\n\n\"I think that would give assurance to people working in the NHS and the population in general, that the programme is progressing as planned,\" she said.\n\nAll data will be published daily from Monday but Mr Gething conceded that Wales, from last week's figures, was \"slightly behind on the population share and I'm not getting away from that.\"\n\nHe said the race was not \"necessarily against other UK nations\" but against the virus.\n\nHe also told BBC Radio Wales' Sunday Supplement that, in the next two to three weeks, he expected to see a \"really significant step-up in the delivery of the vaccine\" as more GP practices and community pharmacies help.\n\n\"We're going to get through many more people, giving them significant protection with a first vaccine,\" he said.\n\n\"And that will mean that we're going to be able to prevent most of the avoidable deaths.\"\n\nIt is hoped the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine will speed up the process.\n\nBy the end of last week, it was being offered to patients aged over 80 at 73 GP practices.\n\nMore than 100 are expected to be offering the jabs next week, Mr Gething said, \"and then we get into several hundred thereafter and we'll bring community pharmacies on board.\"\n\nThe UK and Scottish governments did not provide the numbers of Pfizer vaccines supplied to England and Scotland. BBC Wales is still waiting for a response from the Northern Irish Executive.\n\nMeanwhile, regular rapid testing for people without coronavirus symptoms will be made available in England.\n\nThe Welsh Government said it would evaluate its mass testing pilots in Merthyr Tydfil and lower Cynon Valley, as well as elsewhere in the UK, to inform its approach to community testing.\n\nA spokesman added: \"We have announced regular asymptomatic testing of health and social care workers, in education and daily contact testing in South Wales Police.\n\n\"A pilot has also started at the Tata Port Talbot site. We are also exploring other opportunities for regular testing to support critical services.\"", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Sir Keir Starmer calls for families to be put \"at the heart of our recovery\" from the coronavirus pandemic.\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer has urged the government to \"protect family incomes\" as it deals with the economic effects of coronavirus.\n\nIn his first speech of the year, he demanded teachers, the armed forces and care workers are left out of the public sector pay freeze.\n\nSir Keir also called for tougher restrictions to be considered for tackling coronavirus.\n\nNo 10 said the government had \"shown it is prepared to act\".\n\nWith coronavirus restrictions and lockdowns shutting thousands of businesses, the economy was 7.9% smaller in October last year than it had been six months earlier.\n\nAnd the government's independent forecaster, the Office for Budgetary Responsibility, predicts that unemployment will rise to 2.6 million by the middle of this year.\n\nIn his speech, Sir Keir attacked the government for \"having been found wanting at every turn\", accusing Boris Johnson of being \"indecisive\" and acting \"too slow\" over further lockdowns and support for business and families.\n\nHe said: \"The British people will forgive many things. They know the pandemic is difficult.\n\n\"But they also know serial incompetence when they see it - and they know when a prime minister simply isn't up to the job.\"\n\nBut the PM's official spokeswoman rejected the criticism, saying: \"This government has shown it is prepared to act. When given evidence in the morning it has taken action that evening.\"\n\nAsked by the BBC's political editor Laura Kuenssberg whether the government should tighten restrictions, such as closing nurseries, Sir Keir said there \"probably is more that we could do [and we] may have to get tougher\".\n\nBut he did not outline what measures he would recommend, instead saying it was \"time to hear from the scientists what else can be done - and that probably should be done in the next few hours\".\n\nThe Labour leader said ministers must \"protect family incomes and support businesses\" from the economic effects of previous restrictions and the current lockdown.\n\nHe added policies must \"make a real difference to millions of people across the country\" and \"put families at the heart of our recovery\".\n\nSir Keir argued the £20-a-week rise given to Universal Credit claimants last April must continue beyond this April's cut-off point.\n\nCouncil tax increases in England of up to 5% this April must not happen, he said, while calling for the ban on evictions and repossessions to be extended.\n\nThe government's pay freeze for at least 1.3 million public sector workers - which does not apply to NHS frontline staff and those earning below £24,000 a year - must not go ahead, said Sir Keir.\n\n\"I know this isn't everything that's needed,\" he added, \"and after so much suffering we can't go back the status quo.\n\n\"We cannot return to an economy where over half our care workers earn less than the living wage, where childcare is among the most expensive in Europe, where our social care system is a national disgrace and where over four million children grow up in poverty.\"\n\nAn opposition leader has no policy leavers to pull. They have to rely on words to persuade the public they are worthy of power.\n\nWith the next general election an eternity away, Sir Keir Starmer knows the question of competence matters far more to voters than ideology right now.\n\nThe Labour leader was unsparing in his criticism of the government's handling of the pandemic - accusing the prime minster of serial incompetence, dithering and delay.\n\nSir Keir said the government could reverse planned changes to council tax and universal credit to ease the financial pressure on families.\n\nBut pressed on how lockdown might be different today if he was in No 10, the Labour leader mirrored the government's messaging.\n\nHe said there was \"probably\" more that could be done around nurseries and estate agent viewings, but Sir Keir's mantra was listen to the scientists.\n\nIt's what ministers say endlessly too.\n\nSir Keir argued that, just as a Labour government \"built the welfare state from the rubble\" of World War Two, a future one can \"secure our economy, protect our NHS and rebuild our country so that Britain is the best country to grow up in and the best country to grow old in\".\n\nBut Conservative Party co-chairman Amanda Milling accused Sir Keir of \"calling for actions the Conservatives are already taking in government\".\n\n\"We have delivered an unprecedented £280bn package of support to protect jobs, livelihoods and public services through this pandemic,\" she added, including the furlough scheme, the temporary increase to Universal Credit and extra funding for councils.\n\n\"The Conservatives will continue to put families and communities at the heart of every decision we take as we deliver on our promises to the British people,\" Ms Milling said.\n\nIn his Spending Review in November, Chancellor Rishi Sunak warned that the \"economic emergency\" caused by the pandemic had only begun.\n\nHe promised to take \"extraordinary measures to protect people's jobs and incomes\".", "Parler has hit back after Amazon pulled support for its so-called \"free speech\" social network.\n\nParler is suing the tech giant, accusing it of breaking anti-trust laws by removing it.\n\nParler had been reliant on the tech giant's Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud computing service to provide its alternative to Twitter.\n\nThe platform was popular among supporters of Donald Trump, although the president is not a user.\n\nAmazon took the action after finding dozens of posts on the service that it said encouraged violence.\n\nIn response, the platform has asked a federal judge to order Amazon to reinstate it.\n\n\"AWS's decision to effectively terminate Parler's account is apparently motivated by political animus,\" the complaint reads.\n\n\"It is also apparently designed to reduce competition in the microblogging services market to the benefit of Twitter.\"\n\n\"There is no merit to these claims,\" it said.\n\n\"AWS provides technology and services to customers across the political spectrum, and we respect Parler's right to determine for itself what content it will allow. However, it is clear that there is significant content on Parler that encourages and incites violence against others, and that Parler is unable or unwilling to promptly identify and remove this content, which is a violation of our terms of service.\n\n\"We made our concerns known to Parler over a number of weeks and during that time we saw a significant increase in this type of dangerous content, not a decrease, which led to our suspension of their services Sunday evening.\"\n\nExamples Amazon had provided included posts calling for the killing of Democrats, Muslims, Black Lives Matter leaders, and mainstream media journalists.\n\nGoogle and Apple had already removed Parler from their app stores towards the end of last week saying it had failed to comply with their content-moderation requirements.\n\nHowever, it had still been accessible via the web - although visitors had complained of being unable to create new accounts over the weekend, without which it was not possible to view its content.\n\nParler has been online since 2018, and may return if it can find an alternative host.\n\nHowever, chief executive John Matze told Fox News on Sunday that \"every vendor from text message services to email providers to our lawyers all ditched us too\".\n\n\"We're going to try our best to get back online as quickly as possible, but we're having a lot of trouble because every vendor we talk to says they won't work with us because if Apple doesn't approve and Google doesn't approve, they won't,\" he added.\n\nAWS's move is the latest in a series of actions affecting social media following the rioting on Capitol Hill last week.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Capitol riots: ‘We would have been murdered’\n\nFacebook and Twitter have also banned President Trump's accounts on their platforms, citing concerns that he might incite further violence.\n\nParler's users included the Republican Senator Ted Cruz, who had led an effort in the Senate to delay certifying Joe Biden's electoral college victory.\n\nHe had about five million followers on the platform - more than his tally on Twitter.\n\nParler's app now shows an error message and its website is offline\n\n\"Why should a handful of Silicon Valley billionaires have a monopoly on political speech?\" he tweeted over the weekend.\n\nParler's downfall appears to have benefited Gab - another \"free speech\" social network that is popular with far-right commentators.\n\nIt has claimed to have \"gained more users in the past two days than we did in our first two years of existing\".\n\nParler has long been a home for what you might call untouchables, people who had been excluded from mainstream services for offences such as blatant racism or incitement to violence.\n\nDuring a brief excursion onto the site over the weekend, I observed plenty of examples of such behaviour, with users exhibiting vile anti-Semitism, displaying Nazi symbols such as the swastika and uttering incoherent threats against those they perceive to be enemies of America.\n\nBut as Amazon's deadline approached something like panic took hold, with users desperately urging their followers to join them on other platforms.\n\nMost seemed to accept that Parler was doomed, while vowing to continue their fight elsewhere.\n\n\"Well this is the end,\" wrote one user, who proclaimed his support for the American Nazi Party.", "An ambulance had to be lifted out of the mud\n\nRescuers searching for victims of a landslide in Indonesia were buried by a second mudslide just hours later, officials say.\n\nThe first landslide, in Cihanjuang village, West Java, was triggered by torrential rain.\n\nAnother struck as survivors were still being evacuated. At least 12 people died and dozens more are missing.\n\nLandslides are common in Indonesia during rainy season, and often blamed on deforestation.\n\nThe latest disasters hit the villagers in Sumedang regency, about 150km (95 miles) southeast of the capital Jakarta, three and a half hours apart on Saturday.\n\nThe first happened at 16:00 (09:00 GMT) and the second at 19:30 (12:30 GMT), disaster agency spokesman Raditya Jati said in a statement.\n\n\"The first landslide was triggered by high rainfall and unstable soil conditions. The subsequent landslide occurred while officers were still evacuating victims around the first landslide area,\" he added.\n\nRescuers are believed to be among those killed, he added. A six-year-old boy was also among the dead, according to AFP news agency.\n\nSome 27 people were believed to be missing late on Sunday, local media quoted Deden Ridwansah, the head of the local search and rescue agency as saying. About 46 were known to have survived.\n\nBad weather had forced the search to be suspended, he said, but it was expected to resume on Monday.\n\nIndonesia frequently suffers floods and landslides. Thousands of people had to be evacuated in the capital Jakarta this time last year as the city was inundated.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n• None The fastest-sinking city in the world", "There are concerns about the cost of education for families reliant on mobile connections\n\nCustomers using BT Mobile, EE, and Plusnet Mobile can use BBC Bitesize content from the end of January without eating into their data allowance.\n\nBitesize provides structured lessons in maths and English for all year groups, as well as offering other curriculum material.\n\nContent from other providers is likely to be made free in the coming days.\n\nMore mobile companies are expected to follow suit in making such content free to use.\n\nThe current UK lockdowns mean most children are now learning from home.\n\nEducation Secretary Gavin Williamson has mandated that schools must provide between three and five hours of online content per day.\n\nThis has led to concerns that children in families without access to broadband could fall behind.\n\nSchools remain open for children classed as vulnerable and those whose parents are key workers.\n\nAll contract and pay-as-you-go customers of BT Mobile, EE and Plusnet Mobile will be eligible and the free package will continue while schools remain closed. No registration is required - the free access will happen automatically.\n\nBT has also asked the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish administrations to each suggest one online resource for schoolchildren in its regions, which it will also zero-rate, as the curriculums differ from English schools.\n\nAccording to UK media watchdog Ofcom, some 880,000 families are reliant solely on mobile connections, and many of those will have data limitations.\n\nBBC director general Tim Davie said: \"With the pandemic forcing schools to close again, we should not allow a lack of digital access to further impact children's education.\n\n\"The BBC will continue to do all we can to ensure every child, whatever their circumstances, can continue to access vital educational materials during this time.\"\n\nThe corporation is also running three hours of curriculum-based TV programmes alongside the BBC Bitesize collection of educational resources. Primary school programming will be on CBBC, with two hours for secondary pupils on BBC Two.\n\nDuring the first lockdown, content was available on iPlayer, Red Button services and online, but not on regular TV channels, although viewers in Scotland did have some programming.\n\nBT said the move was part of its wider Lockdown Learning programme.\n\nBT consumer brands chief executive Marc Allera said: \"We want to ensure that no child is left behind in their education as a result of this pandemic and recognise that we all have a role we can play to help families and carers continue their children's education while schools are closed.\"", "Kay and Kenneth Hayward said they felt the journey was too unsafe\n\nPeople waiting to receive the Covid-19 vaccine say they are confused by NHS letters inviting them to travel to centres miles away from their homes.\n\nThe first 130,000 letters have been sent to people aged 80 or older who live about 30 to 45 minutes' drive away from one of seven new regional centres.\n\nBut patients, many of whom are shielding, questioned why they had to travel so far in a pandemic.\n\nLocal jabs are available to people if they wait, the NHS said.\n\nThe seven centres include Ashton Gate in Bristol, Epsom racecourse in Surrey, London's Nightingale hospital, Newcastle's Centre for Life, the Manchester Tennis and Football Centre, Robertson House in Stevenage and Birmingham's Millennium Point.\n\nPeople will not miss out on their vaccination if they do not use the letters to make an appointment at one of the centres, the NHS said.\n\nTwo Labour MPs tweeted about their concerns about the letters being delayed in getting out to people due to coronavirus affecting Royal Mail staff.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Sarah Jones MP This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nMary McGarry from Leamington Spa in Warwickshire told BBC News that her letter points to an NHS online booking page which suggests she would have to take her husband, who has cancer and a lung disease, 20 miles to Birmingham.\n\n\"We're very reluctant to go into Birmingham city centre,\" she said.\n\n\"If we can't get somebody to take us, we'd have to go on the train but we're shielding because my husband's got poor health.... we want to know why we've got to travel that far?\"\n\nKay Hayward, from Whitwick in Leicestershire, said she went online to book an appointment for her 85-year-old husband Kenneth and was offered five different places including Widnes in Cheshire and Stevenage in Hertfordshire.\n\n\"I thought they must be joking... we talked about it and we thought it was actually safer to stay here and for him not not have it.\n\n130,000 letters have been sent out by NHS England so far\n\n\"But we were worried if we turned this down, we'd be off the list.. the letter doesn't say anything about having the vaccines anywhere else locally.\"\n\nAndrea Eaton, from Coventry, said she was so angry that her 81-year-old mother, who has heart problems and leukaemia, was offered Birmingham for her appointment that she attempted to ring Downing Street on Saturday night to complain.\n\nShe said she reached the press office and said: \"I want you to give Boris a message please that he has lied to the British public.\n\n\"He has told them they never need to go more than 10 miles... they were really rude and just put the phone down on me.\"\n\nAndrea Eaton said she wanted to get a message to Boris Johnson so rang Downing Street on Saturday evening\n\nA spokesperson from Number 10 told BBC News that they did not wish to comment, but wanted to remind the public to use the government website to write to the prime minister or contact their constituency MP.\n\nCouncillor Shaun Davies, the Labour leader at Telford and Wrekin Council in Shropshire, said he had been contacted by dozens of people who have found the letters misleading, thinking this is their only chance to get the vaccine.\n\nHe said he had spoken to Trafford Council and was aware of people in Shropshire being sent to Manchester and residents there being directed to Birmingham to get their jabs.\n\n\"For many people they have been told consistently to wait for the NHS to contact you in order to get a vaccine and that's what they've had for the first time as a piece of communication.\n\n\"This is really, really concerning for people in their 80s or 90s because of the importance of getting the vaccine.\"\n\nThe letters are not \"going to the heart\" of the public health message which is staying home and staying local, he said.\n\nMore than 500,000 letters will be sent out to homes offering people appointments at the centres over the next seven days\n\nDr Sarah Raistrick, from Coventry and Rugby Clinical Commission group (CCG), said people did not have to travel to the centres but admitted the letter did not make that clear.\n\n\"You can wait and be contacted by your local GP service and have it locally if you'd prefer.\n\n\"If you sit tight, you will be contacted and I'm hopeful that if you're 80 or over, by the end of this month you will have had your vaccination whether that is locally or whether you have chosen to travel,\" she said.\n\nWork will be done with the NHS locally and nationally to make that message clearer, she added.\n\nThe seven centres were chosen to give a geographical spread covering as many people as possible and are capable of delivering thousands of jabs per week, NHS England has said.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Hancock: We are willing to tighten the rules\n\nThe health secretary stresses the importance of the public following the restrictions of the current lockdown. Asked by Emily Morgan of ITV whether it was time to make the rules stricter amid reports of people not sticking to them at the weekend, Matt Hancock says: \"We keep these things under review and we have demonstrated that we're willing to tighten the rules if they need to be tightened. \"But the thing that really matters right here, right now is that everybody follows the rules as they are today. \"And everybody can play their part in doing that.\" He adds he applauds the action supermarket Morrisons has taken in enforcing the wearing of masks by its customers unless they have a medical reason. \"I want to see all parts of society playing their part in this,\" he says.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Professor Whitty: \"We need to really double down – this is everybody’s problem\"\n\nThe UK will go through the \"most dangerous time\" of the pandemic in the weeks before vaccine rollout has an impact, England's chief medical officer has warned.\n\nProf Chris Whitty urged people to minimise all unnecessary contact with others.\n\nThe next few weeks will be \"the worst\" of the pandemic for the NHS, he said.\n\nThousands more people are due to receive a vaccine this week after seven mass centres opened across England.\n\nNHS England said hundreds more GP-led and hospital services would also open later this week.\n\nBut with all centres, people will need to wait until they receive an invitation.\n\nThe government is aiming to offer vaccinations to around 15 million people in the UK - the over-70s, older care home residents and staff, frontline healthcare workers and the clinically extremely vulnerable - by mid-February.\n\nHealth Secretary Matt Hancock will set out the government's vaccine delivery plan at a news conference later.\n\nHe said the proposals would be the \"keystone of our exit out of the pandemic\".\n\nOutlining the vaccine rollout in Scotland, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon confirmed that ministers aim to give all over-80s the first dose of the vaccine over the next four weeks.\n\nThe Welsh Government plans to offer a vaccine to all over-50s and everyone who is at greater risk by spring.\n\nMr Hancock said on Sunday about two million people in the UK had been vaccinated so far.\n\nOver the weekend, the UK passed the milestone of 80,000 deaths with coronavirus since the start of the pandemic.\n\nCurrently, around one in 50 people across the UK is infected and Prof Whitty told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: \"There's a very high chance that if you meet someone unnecessarily they will have Covid.\"\n\nIn a separate interview with BBC One's Breakfast, he said: \"This is everybody's problem. Any single unnecessary contact you have with someone is a potential link in a chain of transmission that will lead to a vulnerable person.\"\n\nHe said there were over 30,000 people [in English hospitals alone] with Covid-19 - compared to about 18,000 [in England] at the peak last April.\n\nHe added that \"anybody who is not shocked\" by the number of people in hospital \"has not understood this at all\".\n\n\"This is an appalling situation,\" he said.\n\nIn Essex, Southend Hospital has had to reduce the amount of oxygen used to treat patients after supply \"reached a critical situation\", according to a document shared with the BBC.\n\nIn Surrey, a temporary mortuary has been opened as hospital mortuaries have reached capacity.\n\nAlmost 200 bodies are being stored at the emergency site, which is a former military hospital, and other local authorities have told the BBC they expect to open similar facilities soon.\n\nProf Stephen Powis, NHS England national medical director, said \"this is much bigger than the first wave back in April\".\n\n\"I don't think anyone in the NHS has known anything like this, this is a once-in-a-century pandemic,\" he said.\n\nProf Rupert Pearse, an intensive care doctor, told BBC Breakfast that in a \"normal\" winter it would be \"unlikely\" that more than three of four flu patients would need intensive care at any one time, but his unit is now running 130 intensive care beds because of the effects of Covid.\n\n\"To compare this to a normal winter flu epidemic is out of all proportion, it's orders of magnitude larger,\" he said.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nUnder the national lockdown, people in England must stay at home and can go out only for limited reasons such as food shopping, exercise, or work if they cannot do so from home.\n\nSimilar lockdown measures are in place across much of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.\n\nMinisters held two meetings on Sunday to discuss how to enforce the current lockdown measures more strictly and whether even tighter restrictions may be needed.\n\nBBC political correspondent Iain Watson said no decisions on further restrictions were taken as there was a desire within government to wait until reliable data on existing measures becomes available in 10 days.\n\nHowever, he added there had been a discussion on better enforcement of existing regulations, including at shops and workplaces.\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer questioned why there are \"less restrictions in place\" now than there were last March.\n\nIn his first speech of the year, he said \"we need to see the evidence behind nurseries\" remaining open.\n\nAsked whether tighter restrictions were needed, he said: \"I do think it's time to hear from the scientists [about] what else could be done and that probably should be done in the next few hours\".\n\nThere is a lot of debate about whether the lockdown restrictions need to be tightened.\n\nThere are certainly some anomalies. For example, we are told to only leave the home for essential purposes, but coffee shops remain open for takeaways and retail shops for click-and-collect in England and Wales.\n\nHowever, even if those elements are tightened up, there is a limit to what the government can do. It is why, in his round of media interviews on Monday, Prof Whitty repeatedly talked about individual decision-making.\n\nThe mixing of different households continues. Some of it is allowed under the support bubble exemptions, but undoubtedly some of it is taking place outside of this. It is, after all, virtually impossible to police what goes on in people's homes.\n\nIt is why messaging is so important - and so ministers and officials are stressing the pressure the NHS is under. A further tightening of the restrictions could also help make the point.\n\nBut there is also a recognition this is hard. People are fatigued. A further crackdown could also erode goodwill.\n\nThe vaccination programme is described as the biggest in NHS history.\n\nThe seven mass testing sites, which NHS England said were chosen to give a geographical spread, are:\n\nThe new centres will each be capable of delivering thousands of vaccinations each week and will be followed by \"dozens more\" large-scale sites, NHS England said.\n\nThere will be about 1,200 vaccination sites when more GP-led and hospital services open later this week, along with the first pharmacy-led pilot sites, it added.\n\nSome vulnerable people have questioned why they have been asked to travel to centres miles away from their homes during a pandemic, but the NHS has said people would not miss out on their vaccination if they wait for an appointment at a centre closer to home in the coming weeks.\n\nVaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi said nobody should be asked to travel more than 10 miles to get a vaccine once more centres open.\n\nAsked on Today why the centres were not open 24 hours a day, he said it was \"more convenient\" for older people to attend during the day.\n\n\"If we need to go to 24-hour work we will absolutely go to 24 hours a day to make sure we vaccinate as quickly as we can,\" he said.\n\nBut he cautioned: \"We are limited by the amount of vaccine that is coming through the system.\"\n\nPharmaceutical firm Boots said its first vaccination site was due to open later this week to offer the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab to the people most vulnerable.\n\nIt said sites in Huddersfield and Gloucester were planned to open in the coming weeks.\n\nTwo vaccines - Pfizer-BioNTech and Oxford-AstraZeneca - are currently being administered in the UK.\n\nOn Friday a third coronavirus vaccine - made by US company Moderna - was approved for use, although supplies are not expected to arrive until spring.\n\nAre you due to have a vaccination today? What has been your experience of receiving a vaccination? Email: haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "US president-elect Joe Biden has been given his new official presidential Twitter account, but has been forced to start it with zero followers.\n\nThe Biden campaign is unhappy with the move, which marks a change from the previous transition from Barack Obama.\n\nThe new account, @PresElectBiden, will transform into the official @POTUS (President of the United States) one on inauguration day on 20 January.\n\nIn its first six hours online it gained nearly 400,000 followers.\n\nHis team has also registered new accounts - @FLOTUSBiden for the future first lady, Jill Biden, and for the first time, @SecondGentleman, for Ms Harris's husband Doug Emhoff.\n\nDonald Trump inherited the Potus account's 13 million or so followers when it moved to him from Mr Obama - but that will not happen this time.\n\nMr Biden's team was told about the move less than a month ago, and said it meant \"the administration will have to start from zero\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Rob Flaherty This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by President-elect Biden This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nTwitter has not explained why the decision was made, and said it had nothing further to add beyond an official blog post laying out transition plans.\n\nIn that post it said: \"These institutional accounts will not automatically retain the followers from the prior administration,\" without a reason why.\n\nBut it said that people who previously followed the official @POTUS and @VP (Vice-President) accounts, or the personal accounts of Mr Biden and Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris - would receive notifications giving them the option to follow the new official ones.\n\nMr Obama was the first US leader to have an official Twitter account. The @POTUS account was set up during his tenure in 2015.\n\nAt the end of his second term, a transition plan for handing over the official accounts to Mr Trump was drawn up - with @POTUS going to the new administration.\n\nAll of Mr Obama's official tweets were archived for posterity on a separate account, @POTUS44 (where they can still be read today).\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 3 by President Obama This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nTwitter said that the official @POTUS account under Mr Trump will be archived in a similar way, under @POTUS45. But Mr Trump rarely used that account, favouring his own Twitter handle.\n\nTwitter notably omitted any mention of the now-suspended @realDonaldTrump account, and declined to answer questions about whether its contents would be archived.\n\nThat is despite a declaration by the White House in 2017 that tweets from that account are considered official statements by the President.\n\nHowever, the US National Archives has already announced - through a tweet - that it will archive all social media content from that account, despite Twitter's lack of a commitment to doing so.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 4 by US National Archives This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. End of twitter post 4 by US National Archives\n\nIt said that the White House has been using a special archiving tool to capture all content, including deleted tweets, because of the Presidential Records Act.\n\nThat is likely to result in a record system similar to The Obama White House Social Media Archive, built after the last transition.\n\nA key goal of the Obama transition was to preserve social media posts \"on the platforms where they were created\".\n\nBut Twitter has permanently suspended Mr Trump from its platform and it remains unclear if it will ever archive his account for posterity.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. UK weather: Will it snow where you are?\n\nSnow and ice weather warnings are in place for much of England and Scotland after widespread recent snowfall.\n\nThe Met Office has issued yellow weather warnings across England and Scotland for Saturday and warned of possible travel disruption.\n\nParts of England and Scotland could see as much as 5-10cm of snow in higher areas, the weather service said.\n\nIt comes as hundreds of schools remain closed after heavy snow hit the north of England on Thursday.\n\nA snow warning is in place for south-east England, including London, the east of England and the East Midlands. The Met Office said East Anglia and parts of Kent and Sussex are most at risk of snow.\n\nSome 1-3 cm of snow may fall fairly widely over these areas, with 5-10 cm possible in places, mostly over parts of East Anglia and any higher ground.\n\nA snow and ice warning is in place for most of Scotland, north-west and north-east England, Yorkshire and Humber, the East Midlands and parts of the West Midlands.\n\nSnow is likely to fall to low levels over east Scotland and northern England.\n\nThe Met Office said 1-3 cm is possible at low levels in these areas but is more likely at higher elevations, where 5-10 cm of snow is possible above 200m - and even 20cm at the highest places.\n\nFog is also forecast for parts of the Midlands and the North, along with mist around Glasgow which may pose hazards for motorists.\n\nPolice forces in Yorkshire have urged people to stay at home unless their travel is essential\n\nTwo girls took their sledge to a golf course near Penicuik, Midlothian\n\nThe coronavirus vaccine rollout has been affected by the weather.\n\nOver-80s who were due to receive their jab at Newcastle's Centre for Life were told they could re-book rather than risk making a trip in the icy conditions.\n\nNewcastle Hospitals tweeted: \"There's enough vaccine for everyone, so don't worry about making a trip to Newcastle.\"\n\nAnd Leeds University has delayed the opening of its asymptomatic Covid-19 test centre.\n\nHeavy snowfall has already caused travel disruption across sections of northern England and Scotland.\n\nTemperatures were as low as -6C on Friday morning in parts of Yorkshire and Cumbria, with yellow warnings set to last through most of Friday.\n\nThere was a loss of gas supply to approximately 700 homes in the Hebden Bridge area after water got into the local gas network and froze.\n\nThe Met Office has published advice from the Department for Transport advising people to clear snow and ice from footpaths outside their homes, preferably in the morning.\n\n\"You can then cover the path with salt before nightfall to stop it refreezing overnight,\" the advice says.\n\nTemperatures in the Greater London area are expected to drop to 1C on Friday and parts of the South East could fall to -2C.\n\nIt comes after \"hazardous\" conditions on Thursday caused problems for the ambulance service in Yorkshire, which struggled to keep up with the high demand, while Covid vaccinations were also affected.\n\nMark Millins, of Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust, said the bad weather was having a \"severe impact\" on its operations and urged people to \"take extra care\" when out walking or driving.\n\nIn Scotland, heavy snow in some areas resulted in road closures.\n\nThe deepest snow on Thursday was in Bingley, West Yorkshire, and Strathallan in Perth, Scotland, both of which recorded 11cm.", "The Daily Telegraph must publish a correction over a \"significantly misleading\" column written by Toby Young, press regulator Ipso has ruled.\n\nThe July 2020 article claimed the common cold could provide \"natural immunity\" to Covid-19 and London was \"probably approaching herd immunity\".\n\nBut on Thursday Ipso found the paper had \"failed to take care not to publish inaccurate and misleading information\".\n\nIpso said the paper \"did not accept it has breached the [Editors] Code\".\n\nIt said the newspaper said that Young's comments on immunity referred to \"cross-reactive T-cells\" that work to combat the virus.\n\nHowever, the media watchdog sided with the complainant, James Whitehead, in its decision, who said that while these cells \"may lessen the impact of Covid-19\" after infection, they \"would not confer 'natural immunity'\"\n\nThe ruling added Young's statement \"misrepresented the nature of immunity\".\n\nIpso also found Young's suggestion that \"London is probably approaching herd immunity, even though only 17% tested positive [for antibodies] in the most recent seroprevalence survey\" could be misleading.\n\nThere is an antibody response and a cellular response to the coronavirus\n\nThe Telegraph referred to surveys listed in an article on Young's own Lockdown Sceptics website in its defence, but the Ipso committee judged these did not accurately reflect \"how herd immunity is reached and whether it exists in London\".\n\nThe ruling concluded that the paper had breached accuracy standards on a topic of \"public importance\", but deemed a correction an appropriate sanction, given the level of \"significant scientific uncertainty\" at the time of publication.\n\nYoung told the BBC: \"I think Ipso has been put in a difficult position because our scientific understanding of the virus is constantly evolving and there is a great deal about it that scientists still disagree about.\n\n\"While some of the things I wrote in that article would be contested by some scientists, they would be confirmed by others... Have we achieved herd immunity in London? I think that's an open question and the 'case' data is unreliable because of the well-documented shortcomings of the PCR test.\n\n\"I may have been over-emphatic in putting the anti-lockdown case, but it's not as if the advocates of a pro-lockdown position are any less emphatic.\n\n\"Don't forget the WHO initially estimated the global IFR [infection fatality rate] of Covid-19 at 3.4%. The consensus now is that it's less than 1% and almost certainly a lot less. Lots of journalists faithfully reported that alarmist figure. Why hasn't Ipso reprimanded them?\"\n\nLast week Young told BBC Newsnight that some of his claims from an article he wrote in June had been \"wrong\", where he had said a second spike of Covid-19 had \"refused to materialise\" and that one-metre rule is \"unnecessary\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by BBC Newsnight This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nAt the start of the year, Young, an associate editor at The Spectator and general secretary of the Free Speech Union, installed an app that auto-deletes tweets more than a week old.\n\nHe said he did so to protect against \"politically-motivated offence archaeologists\" - a move unrelated to the Ipso ruling.\n\nReacting to criticism of his past comments on coronavirus from Neil O'Brien, Conservative MP for Harborough, Oadby and Wigston, after the deletion, Young then tweeted a defence of his stance against lockdowns.\n\n\"This is an important public debate to have,\" he wrote, \"both because it helps us assess the present government's management of the pandemic and because it will help us prepare better for the next one.\"\n\nThe UK entered a second national lockdown last week in a bid to control spiralling virus infection rates. On Wednesday, the UK saw its biggest daily death figure since the start of the pandemic, with 1,564 deaths.\n\nFollow us on Facebook or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "The TikTok clip was reported to police by Network Rail\n\nA TikTok stunt featuring a car parked on a level crossing has been branded \"staggeringly stupid\".\n\nThe \"reckless\" social media post, recorded on the line at Bromley Cross, Bolton, showed a camera and tripod set up on the railway to record the scene.\n\nAn accompanying caption asked viewers: \"Would you take the risk to get the shot no-one else would?\"\n\nInsp Becky Warren, from British Transport Police, said: \"No picture or video is worth risking your life for.\"\n\nNetwork Rail, which reported the footage after it appeared on the video-sharing app, blasted the \"staggeringly stupid and dangerous\" clip.\n\nIt issued a reminder that trespassing on railway lines is against the law.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by ManchesterPiccadilly This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nNorth West route director Phil James said using the tracks \"as a backdrop for a photo shoot beggars belief\".\n\n\"Lives could so easily have been lost by this reckless behaviour,\" he said.\n\nInsp Warren added: \"There is simply no excuse for not following safety procedures at level crossings. The behaviour shown by the individuals in this video is incredibly dangerous and reckless.\"\n\nMany instances of trespass involve people using railway lines as backdrops for selfies and even wedding photos.\n\nLast year, Network Rail and British Transport Police launched a You vs. Train campaign to highlight the issue of young people trespassing.\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Pre-departure Covid-19 testing will now be required for everyone travelling to England from 04:00 GMT on Monday.\n\nThe rules had been due to come into force on Friday, but the government said people needed time \"to prepare\".\n\nThose arriving by plane, train or boat, including UK nationals, will have to take a test up to 72 hours before leaving the country they are in.\n\nAnyone arriving from places not on the UK's travel corridor list must still self-isolate for 10 days.\n\nThe Scottish government is planning to impose the same rules and has had to defer them coming into effect as a result of changes in England.\n\n\"This meant Scotland was also obliged to delay implementation as we need sight of their final regulations in order to properly draft and approve the relevant Scottish regulations,\" a spokeswoman said.\n\nIt is expected the requirement will come into force in Scotland at 04:00 GMT on Monday as well. Wales and Northern Ireland are expected to announce plans for pre-arrival testing in the coming days.\n\nAnnouncing the deferral on Twitter, Transport Secretary Mr Shapps said: \"To give international arrivals time to prepare, passengers will be required to provide proof of a negative Covid-19 test before departure to England from Monday 18 January at 4am.\"\n\nHe also reminded travellers to fill out the Passenger Locator Form - used in track and trace - and added that those without proof of a negative test faced a fine of £500.\n\nProblems with testing availability and capacity mean some countries will initially be exempt.\n\nFor instance, the requirement will not apply to travellers from St Lucia, Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda until 04:00 GMT on 21 January.\n\nTravellers from Falkland Islands, Ascension Islands and St Helena are exempted permanently.\n\nHauliers are exempt to allow the free flow of freight, as are air, international rail and maritime crew.\n\nThe government has said all forms of PCR test will be accepted, as will other forms of test with \"97% specificity, 80% sensitivity\".\n\nThe move comes as a further 1,564 people have died in the UK within 28 days of a positive Covid test - the biggest figure reported in a single day since the pandemic began.\n\nWednesday's figure brings the total number of deaths by that measure to 84,767.\n\nDr Yvonne Doyle, medical director at Public Health England, said there had now been more deaths in the second wave than the first.\n\nMeanwhile on Wednesday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he was \"concerned\" about a new coronavirus variant that is believed to have emerged in Brazil.\n\nHe acknowledged it was not yet clear how effective existing vaccines would be against the latest new variant.\n\nMr Johnson said the UK was taking steps to make sure it was not brought into the country.\n\nA government Covid committee is meeting on Thursday to discuss the possibility of stopping flights from Brazil.\n\nArrivals from Brazil already have to self-isolate for 10 days.\n\nAre you due to travel back to the UK from Brazil? Share your experience. Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "Post-primary schools have been given extra time to decide how they will admit pupils in 2021 following the cancellation of transfer tests.\n\nOn Wednesday the AQE said it would not hold any transfer tests in the 2020-21 school year.\n\nThey had originally planned to go ahead with a test in late February after cancelling tests in January.\n\nThe other test provider, PPTC, had also previously announced it would not hold tests this year.\n\nAttention will now focus especially on what criteria grammar schools will use to select pupils.\n\nSome have already published what criteria they would use in the event transfer tests were cancelled but it is not clear if those will now change.\n\nAll post-primaries were to submit their admissions criteria to the Education Authority (EA) by this Friday.\n\nBut following the AQE's move the Department of Education (DE) has written to schools to tell them they do not have to provide criteria to the EA until Friday 22 January.\n\n\"This will allow them to meet the statutory deadline for publication on their website of 2 February 2021,\" the DE letter said.\n\n\"I would also remind you that boards of governors should ensure that any admissions criteria are robust and are able to clearly and objectively rank order applicants.\"\n\nIt is unclear how most grammar schools who have used transfer tests to select pupils in previous years will admit children in 2021.\n\nPatrick Allen, principal of Foyle College in Londonderry, said his school's board of governors was now working to determine this year's admissions criteria.\n\n\"This is and continues to be an exceptional year. It is a very difficult circumstance,\" he said.\n\n\"We are trying to do the best and what is right for as many pupils as possible in looking at various permutations and combinations of criteria\".\n\nEducation Minister Peter Weir said it was \"a very disappointing day\" for many families.\n\n\"The transfer test, while it has never been about being compulsory for either a school or indeed an individual parent, does enable a level of parental choice and that has been dramatically reduced as a result of that,\" he told Radio Ulster's Good Morning Ulster programme.\n\n\"But sadly what we have seen is for this year, the pandemic has prevented those transfer tests taking place, and I am very disappointed and entirely understand the disappointment and frustration of many families today.\"\n\nMr Weir said there had been \"a lack of consistency\" from AQE.\n\n\"I don't think the way things have worked out from AQE's point of view, particularly over the last couple of weeks, have been particularly helpful,\" he said.\n\nThe minister also apologised for \"clumsy language\" in a statement he issued on Wednesday night.\n\nWriting on Twitter about the cancellation of the transfer test, Mr Weir said: \"This severely limits parental choice and children's opportunities.\"\n\n\"There was no adverse intention towards non-selective schools,\" he said in relation to his tweet.\n\n\"I think both selective and non-selective schools have got excellent records in Northern Ireland.\"\n\n\"But once the opportunities for entry to any school is reduced then that is a reduction in opportunities for all.\"\n\nUUP MLA Robbie Butler has proposed that pupils' results in tests in primary schools could be given to parents and then used by grammar schools to decide which children get a place.\n\nMr Butler said that he had some favourable responses from some grammars and some primary schools to that proposal.\n\n\"Whilst I don't think my solution is absolutely perfect I do believe it to be absolutely fair and absolutely compassionate,\" he told MLAs on the committee.\n\n\"We have the genesis of a solution for these P7 pupils.\"\n\nBut, speaking on Wednesday, Mr Weir replied that there were issues with that approach.\n\n\"There are very major problems, I'm being honest with you, in terms of the models that have been put forward for academic selection without the test,\" he said.\n\nThe minister said it would be difficult to get comparable information for pupils across all primaries.\n\n\"While it's not entirely ruling out those and there is the option for schools to do it, it does leave them in a very difficult position making comparability between pupils on a fair basis,\" he said", "Police said Graeme Perks had gone to investigate the sound of breaking glass when he was stabbed\n\nPlastic surgeons have expressed shock at the stabbing of \"one of the most highly regarded and respected surgeons\" in their profession.\n\nGraeme Perks, 65, was stabbed in his abdomen and chest during a break-in at his house in Halam, a village near Southwell in Nottinghamshire.\n\nPolice said the attack on Thursday morning had left him \"fighting for his life\" and left his family, who were upstairs at the time, \"extremely upset\".\n\nGraeme Perks has been described as \"one of the most highly regarded and respected surgeons in the profession\"\n\nMr Perks previously served as president of the British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (BAPRAS).\n\nCurrent president Ruth Waters said BAPRAS had been contacted by colleagues all around the world as news of the attack spread.\n\n\"All have expressed their shock at what has happened and also their deep concern for his wellbeing and their hope for his speedy recovery,\" she said.\n\n\"It has been my good fortune and honour to know Graeme for many years. I have benefited from his kindness, generosity and extensive knowledge throughout my career in plastic surgery.\"\n\nBAPRAS described him as \"one of the most highly regarded and respected surgeons in the profession\".\n\nAs well as being a leading plastic surgeon, Mr Perks and his wife have raised thousands of pounds for charity by opening their garden to visitors. They were previously featured on BBC Radio Nottingham after raising more than £34,000.\n\nPolice were still outside the house in Halam more than 24 hours later\n\nPolice said Mr Perks had gone to investigate the sound of breaking glass at about 04:15 GMT, after an intruder is believed to have smashed his way into the house.\n\nThey said Mr Perks was stabbed and the suspect ran off.\n\nMr Perks was taken to the Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham for surgery, where he remains in a serious condition.\n\nDet Insp Gayle Hart, who is leading the investigation, said: \"The swift arrest of this suspect we hope will provide some reassurance to local residents.\n\n\"This is a horrific incident which has left a man fighting for his life and his family who were upstairs at the time are extremely shocked and upset by the ordeal.\"\n\nMr Perks has served as president of the British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (BAPRAS)\n\nMr Perks has previously worked in London, Sheffield, Newcastle and Melbourne, Australia.\n\nHe returned to the UK in the mid-1990s and started working in Nottingham, with a special interest in microsurgical reconstruction after cancer surgery.\n\nHe later became head of the department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Burns Surgery at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust.\n\nOutgoing BAPRAS president Mark Henley said: \"Graeme is an amazing colleague who it has been my pleasure and privilege to work with over the last 26 years.\n\n\"His dedication to patients, family and friends is an inspiration to us all and with his wisdom, kindness and humanity he has enabled us to achieve many things that I would never have thought possible. We are all willing him on.\"\n\nFollow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Scottish fishermen have resorted to sailing to Denmark to land their catch as Brexit red tape continues to delay exports, an industry body has said.\n\nThe Scottish Fishermen's Federation, which campaigned to leave the EU, also said the Brexit trade deal was the worst of both worlds for the industry.\n\nMany fishermen \"now fear for their future\", it said.\n\nThe UK government said the deal would \"bring immediate gains to our fishermen and women across the whole UK\".\n\nLate last year, the Scottish Fishermen's Federation (SFF) said it was \"deeply aggrieved\" by the Brexit deal.\n\nFishing firms have also warned of impending bankruptcy as delays continue at ports following the introduction of post-Brexit regulations.\n\nOn Friday, the SFF kept up the pressure on the UK government.\n\nIn a letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, it said some fishermen \"are now making a 72-hour round trip to land fish in Denmark, as the only way to guarantee that their catch will make a fair price and actually find its way to market while still fresh enough to meet customer demands\".\n\nQuotas are used by many countries to manage shared fish stocks. They determine how many fish of each species each country's fleets are allowed to catch.\n\nThe SFF said that Brexit quota gains \"can hardly be claimed as a resounding success\" and that the Brexit deal \"actually leaves the Scottish industry in a worse position on more than half of the key stocks\".\n\n\"This industry now finds itself in the worst of both worlds,\" said SFF chief executive Elspeth Macdonald, accusing Prime Minister Boris Johnson of broken promises on quotas.\n\nThe \"desperately poor deal\" reached on quotas, under which the EU \"have full access to our waters\" means that the UK has \"no ability to leverage more fish from the EU\", she said.\n\n\"This, coupled with the chaos experienced since 1 January in getting fish to market, means that many in our industry now fear for their future, rather than look forward to it with optimism and ambition,\" Ms Macdonald added.\n\nThe Scottish National Party said the letter was \"an utterly devastating verdict on Brexit from Scotland's fishing industry\".\n\nAn SNP spokesperson said the Scottish fishing industry was \"right to be angry\" about the Brexit deal, which it said was costing Scotland's fishing communities millions of pounds.\n\nThe spokesman called on the prime minister to deliver \"a multi-billion pound package of Brexit compensation for Scotland\", adding: \"Communities across Scotland will never forgive the Tories for the damage they are doing to our country with their extreme Brexit obsession.\"\n\nA UK government spokesperson said the Prime Minister would respond to the SFF letter in due course.\n\nThe spokesperson said: \"We have now taken back control of our waters and the agreement we have reached with the EU secures a 25% transfer of quota from EU to UK vessels over five years, starting with 15% this year.\"\n\nThe spokesperson said the government was looking at providing additional financial support for the Scottish fishing industry, which it recognised was facing \"some temporary issues\".\n\n\"The Prime Minister has already committed to investing £100m in the UK's fishing industry and provided the Scottish government with nearly £200m to minimise disruption for businesses,\" the spokesperson added.", "A selection of your pictures of Scotland sent in between 8 and 15 January. Send your photos to scotlandpictures@bbc.co.uk. Please ensure you adhere to the BBC's rules regarding photographs that can be found here.\n\nPlease also ensure you follow current coronavirus guidelines and take your pictures safely and responsibly.\n\nConditions of use: If you submit an image, you do so in accordance with the BBC's terms and conditions.\n\nThe hills are alive: This impressive shot of 11-year-old Hamish at sunrise up the Pentland Hills, with the snow starting to be blown off the peak, was captured by dad Andy Dryden.\n\nMinus coo degrees: \"Hardy Highlander at Abriachan\" is how Gordon Bain described his photo.\n\nRed sky thinking: \"I always walk the dog to catch the sunrise and to gather my thoughts before attempting to juggle home schooling of my two primary school kids with working from home and looking after a toddler\", says Mairi Brittan at Cammo Estate, Edinburgh.\n\nRobin red brrr-east: Graham Laird spotted a little feathered friend not looking entirely delighted while taking a breather in the cold in his garden in Wishaw.\n\nUp at the crack of dawn: \"The Beveridge Park pond in Kirkcaldy looking rather icy\", says John Pow.\n\nAn uphill struggle: It's all downhill from here - but in a fun way - for three-year-old Zachary in King's Park, Glasgow.\n\nFire and ice: \"Taken at Dunbar harbour, East Lothian, in the snowfall on the way to work\", says Rowan Davies.\n\nAbbey thoughts: \"Jedburgh Abbey on a crisp January morning\", says Alan Morrison. \"The sun was captured just as it shone through\".\n\nSon rise: Jeanette Taylor says her two boys loved the adventure of getting up early to see the sun come up at Aberdeen beach. \"A chilly visit but oh so worth it\", she says.\n\nLight on her feet: \"As keen figure skaters my daughter Ada (pictured) and I have had an amazing week skating outdoors on our local frozen pond near Glasgow\", says Helen Campbell. \"I was very careful to check it is safe to skate on first; the ice was absolutely solid\".\n\nFlagging up a beautiful sunrise: An Aberdeen morning, from Finlay Gray.\n\nWell-trained eye: \"My husband Kris took this picture of our 12-year-old son Finlay at our local running track in a Falkirk park with the Ochils in the background\", says Emma Horne. \"Finlay can’t play his beloved rugby at the moment due to Covid but is keeping as fit as he can in other ways\".\n\nA strange light in the sky: Joe Gillies captured this Glasgow scene, complete with reflected light shade, on his phone.\n\nSmiles more fun: First sledging experience for the happy pair of 16-month-old Annabel and 21-month-old Hugh in granny's garden, Isle of Skye, courtesy of Hermione Lamond.\n\nThe gloves are off: \"A walk up Culter Fell (near Biggar), in near-Arctic conditions\", says Chris Green.\n\nPark life: Mark McGuire captured Queen's Park in Glasgow looking like a winter wonderland.\n\nSpecial branch: \"I have seen the Kingfisher darting by on the River Carron over the last two years\", says Paul Ross. \"This is the first time I have managed to get a sharpish image\".\n\nTrees frame: Carole Brunton captured this calming, if cold, scene at home in East Neuk, Fife.\n\nCold feet: \"A coot on one of Dundee's frozen Stobsmuir ponds\", from Sandy Forbes.\n\nHaving the foggiest idea: \"An image of atmospheric fog as it envelops Paisley\", says Gary Chittick. \"Hardly a single recognisable part of Glasgow could be seen\".\n\nSniffer dog: \"Ollie, our 12-week-old cockapoo pup, experiences snow for the first time\" says Iain Clow. \"Lockdown garden fun in East Kilbride\".\n\n... and it seems they never learn! \"Zizou enjoying his sunny snowy morning walk at the river Spey in Knockando\", says Colin Coutts.\n\nI love Arran: \"My wife and I stopped at the top of Fairlie Moor Road, looked back, and this is what we saw\", explains Phil Cowling.\n\nOutstanding in its field: \"Look who we spotted on our walk\", says Ruth Moss. \"He was very bold - wish we’d had something to feed him\".\n\nWatercolour art: \"This is a photo of the Ythan in the centre of Ellon\", says Andy Leonard. \"The colour of the sky is reflected in the water - I used a slow shutter speed to emphasise the water movement.\"\n\nHatman and robin: \"After an overnight fall of snow, Frosty and his friendly robin return to a Glasgow garden\", says John McQueeney.\n\nSmall wonder: \"These mini snowmen on the Prince of Wales Bridge in Kelvingrove Park brightened up a dull and foggy day\", says Geoff Der.\n\nOne man and his dog: \"Snowy walk with my husband and rescue dog Nico\", says Laura Johnstone in Airdrie.\n\nSpot the ball: \"Haggs Castle golf course is closed - maybe!\", says Alan Crozier.\n\nSolar energy: Robert Young's sunset shot from Chapelton looking towards Whitelee wind farm features all sorts of power.\n\nTwo for the price of one: \"Duck!\" could have been the cry from this heron in flight over a fellow bird at the River Avon, Hamilton, as seen by Wilma Phillips.\n\nRoom with a view: A nicely-framed sunset from Audrey Philpott of Skene, Aberdeenshire.\n\nBonnie picture: Sharon Donald was walking Bonnie the collie when she took this shot near Spean Bridge.\n\nKeep it in the family: Derek Warrander making sure lockdown learning is music to the ears of Jessica, 11, and three-year-old Matthew in Aberdeenshire, courtesy of Caseydee Warrander.\n\nFeeling on top of the world: The Cobbler sunset, from Tomasz Zajac.\n\nIce to see you: \"A photo of my husband, Stephen, and Sophie, through a sheet of ice which they then had great fun smashing\", says Leigh Titterington in Menstrie, Clackmannanshire.\n\nSpace station: All quiet outside Glasgow Central, courtesy of Eva Brodie.\n\nSnow angel: \"Exploring a winter wonderland with my daughter Cora at Tyrebagger woods just outside Aberdeen\", says Katherine Blum.\n\nTaps aff: \"Hope this brings a smile to your face\", says Stewart Paul in Cruden Bay. It certainly did!\n\nPlease ensure that the photograph you send is your own and if you are submitting photographs of children, we must have written permission from a parent or guardian of every child featured (a grandparent, auntie or friend will not suffice).\n\nIn contributing to BBC News you agree to grant us a royalty-free, non-exclusive licence to publish and otherwise use the material in any way, including in any media worldwide.\n\nHowever, you will still own the copyright to everything you contribute to BBC News.\n\nAt no time should you endanger yourself or others, take any unnecessary risks or infringe the law.\n\nYou can find more information here.\n\nAll photos are subject to copyright.", "Doctors fear the impact of the lockdown and school closures could worsen child obesity\n\nThe health board with the worst child obesity rates in Wales is setting up a unit to tackle the issue.\n\nData from the Child Measurement Programme showed 30.3% of four and five-year-olds in north Wales measured as overweight or obese.\n\nThe Welsh average is 26.4%, but doctors fear this could worsen in the pandemic.\n\nBetsi Cadwaladr University Health Board is recruiting a dietetic lead for a new children's healthy weight management service.\n\nThe service is not being launched directly because of the pandemic, but there are fears lockdowns and school closures could compound the problem.\n\nDr Naomi Simmons, consultant paediatrician at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd in Bodelwyddan, Denbighshire, said: \"I do fear that the pandemic will contribute to an exacerbation of what's already a really, really significant problem.\n\n\"Whilst we're pleased that children are not suffering the acute effects of Covid in the same way as older patients are, on the whole, it's the long-term effects of the country being in this pandemic that we're worried about in terms of the long-term health of these children.\n\n\"It's that lack of routine, it's being out of school, and not being able to access their usual forms of physical activity.\"\n\nDaniel, from Denbighshire - not his real name - is the father of a six-year-old girl who was referred to Dr Simmons's clinic when a GP became concerned about her weight two years ago. She is still under the care of the clinic.\n\nHe said: \"We presumed we were feeding her correctly. She was getting fruit, veg, home-cooked meals. But I think our issue was, we kind of let her have treats, like chocolates and sweets.\n\n\"To be told the news [that she was obese], it was horrible. We were very upset. We were kind of angry about it - we didn't see a problem in her, we didn't believe she was overweight or obese. We were both asking what we had done wrong as parents - we gave her fruit, vegetables, home-cooked meals... we were asking ourselves, 'how have we failed as parents?'\"\n\nWith support from Dr Simmons, his daughter made \"great progress\" and lost weight, he said. Previous signs of health issues such as liver problems had improved. Then the pandemic struck and the country went into its first lockdown, followed by the firebreak, then the current lockdown.\n\nExperts said they feared the impact of children not being able to take part in their usual physical activity\n\nDespite making efforts to keep active and eat healthily, Daniel has seen the gradual effects on his daughter, both physically and mentally.\n\n\"It had a bad effect on her, and not just the weight - mental health-wise it's also affected her. She's six years old and is worried about being around other people in the street,\" he said.\n\n\"In years to come, Covid will be gone, we'll have control of it. But obesity, that's the issue that's going to be prolonged.\n\n\"The long-term mental health impact really scares me - not just for my daughter, but for so many other children.\"\n\nDr Simmons said increasing rates of childhood obesity in recent years meant experts were treating more children with conditions normally associated with adults.\n\n\"Even children as young as primary school age, I'm seeing those children with fatty liver changes for example, as a result of their obesity. We're seeing them with high blood pressure and we're seeing children and young people developing type 2 diabetes and many more with pre-diabetic states because of their obesity.\"\n\nDoctors said they were seeing primary school children with high blood pressure\n\nShe revealed her youngest patient was only a year old and encouraged families to get their children \"used to being fit and healthy and consuming a healthy diet\".\n\n\"It's lack of exercise, it's the sedentary lifestyle that we as a nation are sadly embracing these days,\" she added.\n\nIf children remain overweight and remain obese into adolescence, they have an 80% chance of being obese into adulthood, said Dr Simmons.\n\nShe said she hoped the new service would give \"the very best chance of turning things around\".\n\nSteven Grayston, Betsi Cadwaladr health board's assistant area director of therapy services, said the health board had been working for the past five years to develop its obesity services.\n\n\"This is a specialist weight management service for children who are already obese,\" he said.\n\n\"We want to stop them becoming obese, therefore we want to develop preventative services as well as treatment services.\n\n\"We're very concerned about the impact of Covid and the pandemic on children's activity levels, certainly in terms of team-based sports and access to leisure facilities - particularly things like swimming, which we know children enjoy.\n\n\"We're concerned that children just aren't getting out of the house and doing things, and the impact that'll have and the knock-on effect on obesity levels in the future, as children are just less active and less interested in doing those activities.\"\n\nThe Welsh Government said: \"We will shortly be publishing a revised delivery plan for Healthy Weight: Healthy Wales for 2021-22, which will focus on the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on children and families.\"\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Gerry and Barbara Jarrett were admitted to hospital with Covid-19 two weeks ago\n\nAn elderly couple with coronavirus have been helped by a hospital to say their last goodbyes to each other after the wife's condition deteriorated.\n\nGerry and Barbara Jarrett, from Bracknell, Berkshire, are in separate wards at Frimley Park Hospital, Surrey.\n\nTheir daughter Chloe, who posted a picture of one reunion on Twitter, said her mother \"looked to be at the end\".\n\nShe said her parents had \"precious\" extra time together thanks to the hospital's \"incredible\" efforts.\n\nMrs Keljarrett said her 79-year-old father and mother, 76, who have been together for 50 years, were admitted to hospital with Covid-19 two weeks ago.\n\nOn Tuesday she posted: \"In the midst of a pandemic peak, staff (namely a consultant, a surgeon and a HCA) at FPH just made sure my dad saw my mum for what is likely the last time.\"\n\nShe said another meeting happened on Wednesday when \"mum looked to be at the end\".\n\nFrimley Park Hospital said the reunions were the sort of \"care that matters the most\"\n\nShe said: \"Dad was wheeled in, crying, touched her hand and her eyes flew open. She was awake and bright and could talk.\n\n\"We got a precious extra hour or two before her breathing got worse again and got to say what we wanted.\n\n\"All thanks to the staff who made these meetings possible. In current times I just find that incredible.\"\n\nMrs Keljarrett, a teacher at The Brakenhale School, said her father was \"showing signs of improvement but has a very long journey to complete\".\n\n\"He has a number of other health issues that will make recovery that bit trickier, but I have to remain positive that he will overcome this horrendous virus,\" she added.\n\nShe said she had met hospital workers who were \"pulling unexpected double shifts\" due to short-staffing.\n\n\"How they are managing such compassion when they are stretched to their emotional and physical limits I do not know,\" she added.\n\nResponding to Mrs Keljarrett's Twitter post, the hospital wrote: \"Our hearts go out to you and your family.\n\n\"We are so glad that our staff managed to make this time just a little bit easier for you all.\n\n\"This truly is some of the care we give that matters the most.\"\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "UK meat exporters have claimed post-Brexit customs systems are \"not fit for purpose\", with goods delayed for hours, sometimes days, at the border.\n\nThe British Meat Processor Association said even experienced exporters were struggling with the system.\n\nIt said meat exports to the EU were 25% of normal levels for this time of year.\n\nOne large French meat importer told the BBC that he and his competitors were starting to look at alternative suppliers in Spain and Ireland.\n\nThe BBC has contacted the government for comment.\n\nNick Allen, chief executive of the British Meat Processor Association, said: \"Fundamentally, this is not a system that was designed for a 24/7, just-in-time supply chain.\n\n\"The export health certification process was designed for moving containers of frozen meat around the world where you have a bit of leeway on time.\n\n\"No matter how much better we get at filling in the forms, it's really not fit for purpose. This is going back to the dark ages in terms of a process really, in this digital age.\"\n\nHe added \"It's going to be a problem for quite a time until we move forward and hopefully get a better digital system in place and can make it work a bit better, but until then, we've got to put up with all this paperwork and lorries arriving in Ireland with box files full of paper.\"\n\nRizvan Khalid, a lamb exporter based in Shropshire, cannot afford to get the paperwork wrong.\n\nHis company, Euro Quality Lambs, exports 70% of its meat to the EU, including France, Germany, Belgium and Portugal. He says what was once a once well-oiled machine now has a spanner in it.\n\n\"What used to take us 15 minutes is now taking us three or four hours on average before we can get the paperwork completed for one particular load,\" he says.\n\n\"It's taking them [on the French side] up to six hours to go through the health certificates, to open up the lorry and check the goods.\n\n\"All of that is adding time and costs. It's now an extra day before our product gets into the markets of Paris.\"\n\nMeanwhile, some buyers in the EU are losing patience and are beginning to consider other options.\n\nFrancis Ochoa's meat company, Fory Viandes, is based in one of the world's biggest fresh produce markets - the Rungis market, south of Paris.\n\n\"The delays and extra costs mean me and my competitors in the market are obliged to start looking for other solutions,\" he says.\n\n\"One of the solutions unfortunately is to try produce from other countries, Spain for instance. Some of our competitors are ordering lambs from Ireland instead of the UK, so the consequences for UK meat and UK lambs could be disastrous.\"\n\nDown at the international freight checkpoint in Ashford, near the entrance to the Eurotunnel, customs consultant Steve Cocks gave a downbeat assessment.\n\n\"The temporary border post lorry park is full, roads are being closed off and lorries are being sent back to the Covid testing site to hold them there,\" he said.\n\n\"Last week wasn't much to write home about as it was very quiet, but volumes are building and it's just going to get worse. Exports are grinding to a halt and that will affect imports, but if you are a haulier. you don't want to get a lorry stuck on this side of the Channel.\"\n\nAfter decades of friction-free trade, there are bound to be teething problems. Indeed, the government predicted that there would be \"significant additional disruption\" as traders, officials and customers became accustomed to new procedures.\n\nHowever, some things cannot \"bed in\" and will become permanent features. HMRC estimates the additional cost to UK business of bog-standard customs declarations alone at £7bn.\n\nWhen buyers and sellers want to trade, they will find a way, but significant additional cost and complexity is here to stay.", "Patients have been arriving in a steady flow at a community pharmacy in Llanbedrog, Gwynedd, the first in Wales to offer coronavirus vaccines by appointment.\n\nRosie Bennett, who lives in the village Pwllheli, said: “I’m 82 and don’t have a car, so it was a huge relief to know that I wouldn’t have to travel a long distance to have the vaccine.\n\n“Here in the village, we know the staff at the chemists. They’ve been doing a great job during the pandemic and it’s reassuring to have the vaccine from someone you know.\n\n“And it’s a huge relief to be vaccinated. The last few months haven’t been easy for any of us and hopefully today is another small step towards a better future.”\n\nSteffan John, pharmacist on duty, gave Rosie the vaccine and said: “as pharmacists, we give out flu vaccines regularly, so we’re used to organising clinics like this.\n\n“We’re really pleased to do our bit for our community.\n\n“We have had extra training for today, and we also have to make sure there are enough appointments on the list.\n\n\"The vaccine comes in vials of ten doses, so it’s important to vaccinate that many people at a time and not to waste any.”", "Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has denied reports that his department is planning to dilute UK workers' rights.\n\nIt comes after the Financial Times said some protections brought in under EU law - such as the 48-hour limit on the working week - could be scrapped.\n\nNew rules on rest breaks and changes to how holiday pay is calculated from overtime could be proposed, it added.\n\nBut Mr Kwarteng insisted he wanted to \"protect and enhance workers' rights going forward, not row back on them\".\n\nIn a social media post, he said that the UK \"has one of the best workers' rights records in the world - going further than the EU in many areas.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Kwasi Kwarteng This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nLabour said the newspaper report suggested the government was out of step with public feeling on workplace rules.\n\nShadow business secretary Ed Miliband said: \"These proposals are not about cutting red tape for businesses but ripping up vital rights for workers. They should not even be up for discussion.\"\n\nThe FT said the proposals were being drawn up with the approval of Downing Street, but that they hadn't yet been approved by ministers or cabinet.\n\nA government spokesperson said: \"We have absolutely no intention of lowering the standards of workers' rights.\n\n\"The UK has one of the best workers' rights records in the world, and it is well known that the UK goes further than the EU in many areas.\n\n\"Leaving the EU allows us to continue to be a standard setter and protect and enhance UK workers' rights.\"\n\nWhen the UK left the EU it retained many of its laws, but it is now able to change them.\n\nOne aspect of EU employment regulation is the EU's Working Time Directive.\n\nIt governs the hours employees in the EU can be asked to work. This must not exceed 48 hours on average, including any overtime.\n\nBut employees can choose to opt out of the 48-hour week, if they often work overtime in roles in the emergency services, for example.\n\nIn the 2019 Queen's Speech outlining the government's agenda for the coming parliamentary session, changes in employment law were promised.\n\nA new Employment Bill is expected to be published in 2021. One issue it is thought it will address is over the distribution of tips.\n\nTUC General Secretary Frances O'Grady urged the prime minister to \"make good on his promises to his voters\" on Friday.\n\n\"The best way to do that is to bring forward the long-awaited Employment Bill, to make sure everyone is treated fairly at work,\" she said.", "Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Friday morning. We'll have another update for you at 18:00 GMT.\n\nA ban on travellers from South America entering the UK has come into force, amid fears over a potentially more contagious coronavirus variant identified in Brazil. The ban also applies to Portugal and Cape Verde - off West Africa - because of their links to Brazil, along with Panama in southern Central America. British and Irish citizens, and foreign nationals with residence rights, are exempt but must isolate for 10 days on entering the UK. Find out which other countries are subject to a UK travel ban.\n\nThe UK economy shrank by 2.6% in November as lockdown restrictions reduced economic activity, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics. The closure of businesses such as pubs, hairdressers and many shops meant the services sector shrank by 3.4%. The setback came after sixth consecutive months of growth, with the ONS saying UK gross domestic product at the end of November was 8.5% below its pre-pandemic peak.\n\nConcerns over child poverty have been raised throughout the pandemic, with a focus on school food vouchers, holiday meal provision and food parcels. Now campaigning Manchester United footballer Marcus Rashford has been joined by celebrity chefs Jamie Oliver, Tom Kerridge and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, and actress Dame Emma Thompson, in backing charities' calls for a review to \"fix\" the free school meals policy. Downing Street insists \"no child will ever go hungry\" because of the pandemic.\n\nFalse claims are likely to be causing people from ethnic minorities to reject Covid vaccines, warns a doctor leading an NHS campaign. Dr Harpreet Sood says much of the disinformation surrounds the contents of the vaccines. \"We need to be clear and make people realise there is no meat in the vaccine, there is no pork in the vaccine, it has been accepted and endorsed by all the religious leaders and councils and faith communities,\" he says.\n\nA surprise delivery of pizza from sixth-formers who clubbed together left staff at a hospital critical care unit \"lost for words\". Nurse Tina Waltho says the gift came as a welcome boost to deflated staff at the Royal Stoke University Hospital. \"The nurse who had been in charge on the day shift was in tears,\" Mrs Waltho says. \"She had barely eaten all day and was a little emotional.\" While the act drew praise on social media, the identity and school of the pupils remains a mystery.\n\nIf you're wondering how concerned we should be about the new virus variants, our health editor Michelle Roberts examines what we know so far.\n\nYou can find more information, advice and guides on our coronavirus page.\n\nWhat questions do you have about coronavirus?\n\nIn some cases, your question will be published, displaying your name, age and location as you provide it, unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published. Please ensure you have read our terms & conditions and privacy policy.\n\nUse this form to ask your question:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or send them via email to YourQuestions@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any question you send in.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Prime Minister Boris Johnson: \"We will temporarily close all travel corridors from 0400 on Monday\"\n\nThe UK is to close all travel corridors from Monday morning to \"protect against the risk of as yet unidentified new strains\" of Covid, the PM has said.\n\nAnyone flying into the country from overseas will have to show proof of a negative Covid test before setting off.\n\nIt comes as a ban on travellers from South America and Portugal came into force on Friday over concerns about a new variant identified in Brazil.\n\nBoris Johnson said the new rules would be in place until at least 15 February.\n\nA further 1,280 people with coronavirus have died in the UK within 28 days of a positive test, taking the total to 87,291.\n\nThe latest government figures on Friday also showed another 55,761 new cases had been reported - up from 48,682 the previous day.\n\nMeanwhile, more than two million people around the world have now died with the virus since the pandemic began, according to figures from Johns Hopkins University.\n\nSpeaking at a Downing Street press conference, the prime minister said it was \"vital\" to take extra measures now \"when day by day we are making such strides in protecting the population\".\n\n\"It's precisely because we have the hope of that vaccine and the risk of new strains coming from overseas that we must take additional steps now to stop those strains from entering the country.\"\n\nAll travel corridors will close from 04:00 GMT on Monday. After that, arrivals to the UK will need to quarantine for up to 10 days, unless they test negative after five days.\n\nMr Johnson, who said the rules would apply across the UK after talks with the devolved administrations, added that the government would be stepping up enforcement at the border and in the country.\n\nTravel corridors were introduced in the summer to allow people travelling from some countries with low numbers of Covid cases to come to the UK without having to quarantine on arrival.\n\nTrade body Airlines UK said it supported the latest restrictions \"on the assumption\" that the government would remove them \"when it is safe to do so\".\n\nChief executive Tim Alderslade said travel corridors were \"a lifeline for the industry\" last summer but \"things change and there's no doubting this is a serious health emergency\".\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer said it was the \"right step\" but called the timing of the decision \"slow again\", adding that the public would be thinking \"why on earth didn't this happen before\".\n\nThe prime minister warned that the NHS was facing \"extraordinary pressures\", having had the highest number of hospital admissions on a single day of the pandemic earlier this week.\n\nHe said that came on Tuesday when there were 4,134 new admissions, while the UK currently has more than 37,000 Covid patients in hospitals.\n\nMr Johnson said that once the most vulnerable have been vaccinated by mid-February \"we will think about what steps we could take to lift the restrictions\".\n\nEngland is currently under a national lockdown, meaning people must stay at home and can go out only for limited reasons such as food shopping, exercise, or work if they cannot do so from home.\n\nSimilar measures are in place across much of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.\n\nAlso speaking at the No 10 briefing, England's chief medical officer Prof Chris Whitty said the restrictions would need to be lifted gradually by \"testing what works, and then if that works going the next step\".\n\nHe said the peak of people entering hospital would be in the next week to 10 days for most places, but \"we hope\" the peak of infections \"already has happened\" in the south-east, east and London.\n\n\"The peak of deaths I fear is in the future, the peak of hospitalisations in some parts of the country may be around about now and beginning to come off the very, very top,\" he said.\n\nA ban on travellers from South America, Portugal and Cape Verde entering the UK came into force on Friday morning as a result of a new, potentially more infectious variant of coronavirus linked to Brazil.\n\nThe government's chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance told the press briefing that some of the new variants may be able to \"get round\" the Covid vaccines but it was \"really quite easy\" to adjust the vaccines to deal with mutations in the virus.\n\nNew variants causing concern have previously been identified in the UK and South Africa, with many countries imposing restrictions on arrivals from both nations.\n\nPublic Health England said a total of 35 genomically confirmed and 12 genomically probable cases of the Covid-19 variant which originated in South Africa have been identified in the UK as of 14 January.\n\nEarlier, a leading scientist said one of the two variants first detected in Brazil had been found in the UK - but not the variant that was causing concern.\n\n\"I think it is likely that the vaccine we have now is going to protect against the UK variant and is going to provide protection I suspect against the other variants as well,\" said Sir Patrick. \"The question is to what degree.\"\n\nLatest figures show that more than three million people in the UK have now received the first dose of a vaccine - 3,234,946 - an increase of 316,694 from the previous day.\n\nSir Patrick said he expected the vaccines would reduce transmission of the virus but that \"we shouldn't go mad\" as jabs are rolled out because a risk would remain.\n\n\"Just because you've been vaccinated doesn't mean you can't catch this and pass it on, it means you're protected against severe disease,\" he added.\n\nMeanwhile, the latest estimate of the UK's R number - which is the number of people that one infected person will pass on a virus to on average - is 1.2 to 1.3, compared with 1-1.4 last week.\n\nBut in London, where tight restrictions came in earlier, the R number is lower - between 0.9 and 1.2.\n\nIn Wales, new laws for shoppers and staff are to be introduced after \"significant evidence\" coronavirus is being spread in supermarkets.\n\nAre you due to travel back to the UK from overseas? Share your experiences. Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "The guitarist also contributed songwriting and piano to the band's explosive debut album\n\nSylvain Sylvain, guitarist with trailblazing 1970s rock band New York Dolls, has died at the age of 69.\n\nOne of the group's founding members, his visceral riffs bridged the divide between punk and glam, and helped kick-start the punk and new wave movements.\n\n\"As most of you know, Sylvain battled cancer for the past two and 1/2 years,\" his wife, Wanda O'Kelley Mizrahi, wrote in a statement on his Facebook page.\n\n\"Though he fought it valiantly, yesterday he passed away.\"\n\nShe added: \"While we grieve his loss, we know that he is finally at peace and out of pain. Please crank up his music, light a candle, say a prayer and let's send this beautiful doll on his way.\"\n\nSylvain's death leaves only one surviving member of the New York Dolls' original line-up from their 1973 debut album, frontman David Johansen. The singer posted his own tribute on Instagram.\n\n\"My best friend for so many years, I can still remember the first time I saw him bop into the rehearsal space/bicycle shop with his carpetbag and guitar straight from the plane after having been deported from Amsterdam, I instantly loved him,\" he wrote.\n\n\"I'm gonna miss you old pal. I'll keep the home fires burning.\"\n\nThe New York Dolls bridged the gap between glam rock and punk\n\nBorn Sylvain Mizrahi in Cairo, Egypt, on Valentine's Day 1951, the musician lived in France as a child before moving to New York with his family.\n\nAfter playing in several bands as a teenager, he co-founded the New York Dolls in 1971, taking the name from a doll repair shop called the New York Doll Hospital (Sylvain had worked across the street before becoming a musician).\n\nLike the punk movement they helped inspire, the band wanted to shake up the self-indulgent state of 70s rock.\n\n\"The reason why the Dolls got together was because of the boredom with the norm of the day, which was like the stadium-rock era,\" Sylvain told Brooklyn Vegan in 2006. \"The 20-minute drum solos, songs that were a big operetta. They were sort of boring, they'd lost their sex appeal.\"\n\nThe Dolls cut through with urgent, punchy songs about sex, drugs, alienation and dysfunction.\n\nThe band's provocative and vulgar live shows gained them a huge following in New York, but many record labels were reluctant to sign them. That situation not helped by their androgynous look - shocking at the time - with their wardrobe sourced from cheap women's clothing stores on New York's Lower East Side.\n\nLate in 1972, tragedy struck when, during a tour of England, Dolls drummer Billy Murcia died in a drug-related accident. He was replaced by Jerry Nolan, after which the Dolls finally secured a contract with Mercury Records.\n\nTheir debut album, simply called New York Dolls, stalled at number 113 in the US chart but is now regarded as a classic, full of sleazy, raucous anthems like Personality Crisis and Trash.\n\nRolling Stone magazine recently named it one of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, writing: \"Glammed-out punkers the New York Dolls snatched riffs from Chuck Berry and Fats Domino and fattened them with loads of attitude and reverb.\n\n\"It's hard to imagine the Ramones or the Replacements or a thousand other trash-junky bands without them.\"\n\nSylvain worked in fashion before becoming a musician\n\nHowever, the band's lack of commercial success saw them dropped after two albums and, despite hiring Sex Pistols guru Malcolm McLaren as a manager, eventually fell apart.\n\nOutside the Dolls, Sylvain toured and recorded with several bands and led various solo projects as his former band's reputation grew.\n\nArtists from the Sex Pistols to Guns N' Roses cited them as an influence, and Morrissey was famously president of their UK fan club before forming The Smiths. In 2004, the singer reunited his idols for a show at London's Meltdown Festival, adding an unexpected second act to their career.\n\nOver the subsequent decade, Sylvain and Johansen, the only remaining members, released three well-received albums.\n\nIn 2019, Sylvain announced his cancer diagnosis, and a GoFundMe was set up to pay his medical bills, raising $79,500 (£58,000).\n\nThe band are cited as an influence by hundreds of musicians\n\nGuitarist Lenny Kaye, best known for playing with Patti Smith, paid tribute to Sylvain's \"heart, belief, and the way you whacked that E chord\".\n\n\"His onstage joy, his radiant smile as he chopped at his guitar, revealed the sense of wonder he must have felt at the age of 10, emigrating from his native Cairo with his family in 1961, the ship pulling into New York Harbor and seeing the Statue of Liberty for the first time.\n\n\"His role in the band was as lynchpin, keeping the revolving satellites of his bandmates in precision.\n\n\"Though he tried valiantly to keep the band going, in the end the Dolls' moral fable overwhelmed them, not before seeding an influence that would engender many rock generations yet to come.\"\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "Travellers from South America are no longer allowed to come into the UK, amid fears over a new coronavirus variant first identified in Brazil.\n\nThe UK's new travel ban - which also applies to Portugal and Cape Verde - came into force at 04:00 GMT on Friday.\n\nLike variants discovered in the UK and South Africa, it is thought the Brazil variant could be more contagious.\n\nVirologist Prof Wendy Barclay said one Brazilian variant had already been detected in the UK.\n\nHowever, she said this was not \"the variant of concern\", which is thought to be more infectious.\n\nProf Barclay, head of G2P-UK National Virology Consortium, which is studying the effects of emerging coronavirus mutations, said: \"There are two different types of Brazilian variants and one of them has been detected and one of them has not.\"\n\nShe added: \"The new Brazilian variant of concern, that was picked up in travellers going to Japan, has not been detected in the UK.\n\n\"Other variants that may have originated from Brazil have been previously found.\"\n\nEarlier, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps had told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the Brazilian variant of concern was not \"as far as we are aware\" already in the UK, adding that he did not believe there had been any flights from Brazil in the last week.\n\nIt comes as a further 1,248 people with coronavirus have died in the UK.\n\nLatest government figures on Thursday also showed another 48,682 new cases had been reported.\n\nMeanwhile, the number of people in the UK to have received the first dose of a vaccine is now approaching three million.\n\nThe UK's new travel ban applies to people who have travelled from, or through, Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela in the last 10 days.\n\nIt also applies to Portugal - because of its strong links to Brazil - and the former Portuguese colony of Cape Verde off the coast of west Africa, as well as Panama in central America.\n\nBritish and Irish citizens and foreign nationals with residence rights are still allowed to return - but must isolate for 10 days.\n\nAlso exempt are hauliers who are travelling from Portugal to transport essential goods.\n\nBrazil has seen more than 200,000 deaths and there is concern about the impact the new mutation could have on its health system.\n\nHowever, the UK's travel ban was prompted by fears of how quickly the new variant could spread through the region - since Brazil borders 10 countries.\n\nMr Shapps has said the ban is \"precautionary\", adding he \"can't provide an end date\" to the new rules.\n\n\"We're so close now, we've got three million of these vaccines in people's arms in the UK,\" he told BBC Breakfast.\n\n\"We want to make sure we don't fall at this last hurdle.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nBecause holidays are not currently allowed, Mr Shapps said he did not \"expect a large number of Brits to have jaunted off to South America\", and the government was \"not expecting to see a big repatriation issue as a result\".\n\nOne family, who live in Wolverhampton, told the BBC they feared being stuck out in Brazil.\n\n\"I don't know if the government will organise flights,\" said Jon Dent, 31. He and his wife Carla travelled to the Brazilian city of Goiania in October to introduce their baby daughter to Carla's family.\n\n\"I think it's a long shot,\" he said. \"I hope we can get home and not be stranded out here for months. We've got to be patient but at the same time flexible.\"\n\nJon, pictured here with wife Carla and daughter Luiza, said his initial reaction to the news was worry\n\nMany countries imposed travel restrictions after new variants of Covid-19 were identified in the UK and South Africa.\n\nSeveral Central and South American nations - including Brazil - had already restricted travel from the UK before the latest ban on arrivals.\n\nThere is currently no evidence to suggest that any of the variants cause more serious illness, and scientists are confident that vaccines should work against them.\n\nAccording to Felipe Naveca, deputy director of research at the Brazilian state-run Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, the new variant's origin was \"undoubtedly\" from the Amazon region.\n\nHe told the BBC's South America correspondent Katy Watson the new variant showed some of the same mutations as the UK and South Africa variants - and \"some of these mutations have been linked to increased transmission and that is of concern\".\n\nMr Shapps also announced Qatar and the Caribbean islands of Aruba, Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba were being removed from the UK's travel corridor list, meaning arrivals from those places will need to self-isolate for 10 days from 04:00 GMT on Saturday.\n\nMeanwhile, France has cracked down on the type of tests that travellers can take to show they are negative.\n\nFrom Monday, travellers will need to show a negative PCR test. Antigen tests - which are the rapid lateral flow tests - will no longer be accepted.\n\nHowever, Mr Shapps said arrangements allowing hauliers to use rapid lateral flow tests before crossing the border from the UK into France remained in place at the moment.\n\nFrom Monday, everyone travelling to England and Scotland will also have to show proof of a negative test. Wales and Northern Ireland are expected to announce their own plans in the coming days.\n\nHow have you been affected by the travel ban? Email: haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "Northern Ireland's statistics agency has recorded its highest weekly Covid-19 related registered deaths since the pandemic began.\n\nNisra said 145 deaths were registered in the first week of 2021, although administrative delays over Christmas may have affected the number.\n\nThat brings the agency's death toll to 1,976 by 8 January.\n\nThe figures come as the chief medical officers from NI and the Republic issued a joint stay-at-home plea.\n\nDr Michael McBride and Dr Tony Holohan said they were \"gravely concerned\" about the \"unsustainably high level of Covid-19 infection\" across the island of Ireland.\n\nConcern was raised in the Republic of Ireland this week as figures showed it has the world's highest number of confirmed new Covid-19 cases per million people.\n\nOn Friday evening, the Irish Department of Health reported 50 further deaths with Covid-19 and 3,498 new cases of the virus. More than half (54%) of those newly diagnosed are under the age of 45.\n\nNorthern Ireland is in the third week of a six-week lockdown, with ministers scheduled to review measures next week.\n\nHowever, health officials have warned that an extension of the restrictions could be required to reduce pressure on the health service.\n\nOf the 2,019 deaths recorded by Nisra by 8 January, 1,247 (62%) occurred in hospital, 622 (31%) in care homes, 12 (0.6%) in hospices and 138 (7%) at residential addresses or other locations.\n\nPeople aged 75 and over account for just over three-quarters of all Covid-19 related registered deaths (77.6%) between 19 March 2020 and 8 January 2021.\n\nJust over a fifth (22.2%) of all Covid-19 related registered deaths have been of people with an address in the Belfast council area.\n\nMeanwhile, the Department of Health reported 26 further Covid-related deaths on Friday.\n\nFive of these deaths did not occur in the past 24 hours.\n\nThe Department of Health bases its figures on a positive test result being recorded, whereas Nisra figures are based on mentions of the virus on death certificates, so people may or may not have been confirmed to have contracted the virus prior to death.\n\nA further 1,052 individuals have tested positive for Covid-19 and 63 patients are being treated in intensive care units, 47 of whom are on ventilators.\n\nThe chief medical officers warned the high infection rate was having a \"significant impact\" on the health of the population and the \"safe functioning\" of the healthcare systems.\n\nThey said the public should avoid all unnecessary journeys, including cross-border travel.\n\nPointing out that many of the patients admitted to hospital in January have been younger than 65, they warned coronavirus could affect anyone, \"regardless of age or underlying condition\".\n\n\"It highlights the need for us all to protect one another by staying at home,\" said the medical officers.\n\nNorthern Ireland's spike in infections has been put down to an easing of restrictions over Christmas.\n\nAsked if he regretted being part of the decision to ease restrictions, Health Minister Robin Swann said the executive had tried to be balanced in its approach.\n\n\"I regret the pressures we see now in our hospitals, but let's remember it's caused by this virus, we have it in our power to bring it back under control and get us back to where we were in the summer,\" he told BBC News NI on Friday.\n\nMr Swann pleaded with people to follow the current restrictions.\n\n\"We're in the middle of a very tough six-week scenario, and how we come out of this will be a more graduated approach to make sure we get the benefits of what we've already done, and also the benefits of the vaccine.\"", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Kim Jong-un has been overseeing a huge military showcase broadcast by state media in North Korea\n\nNorth Korea has unveiled a new type of submarine-launched ballistic missile, described by state media as \"the world's most powerful weapon\".\n\nSeveral of the missiles were displayed at a parade overseen by leader Kim Jong-un, reported state media.\n\nThe weapon's actual capabilities remain unclear, as it is not known to have been tested.\n\nThe show of military strength comes days before the inauguration of Joe Biden as US president.\n\nIt also follows a rare political meeting where Mr Kim decried the US as his country's \"biggest enemy\".\n\nImages released by North Korean state media showed at least four large black-and-white missiles being driven past flag-waving crowds.\n\nAnalysts noted it was a previously unseen weapon. \"New year, new Pukguksong,\" tweeted North Korea expert Ankit Panda, using the North Korean name for their submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs).\n\nClad in a leather coat and fur hat, Mr Kim is pictured smiling and waving as he watched the display in Pyongyang's Kim Il Sung Square, which also included infantry troops, artillery and tanks.\n\nThe missile was debuted at a military parade which came at the end of an important and rare political meeting\n\n\"The world's most powerful weapon, submarine-launch ballistic missile, entered the square one after another, powerfully demonstrating the might of the revolutionary armed forces,\" the official Korean Central News Agency said.\n\nThe event on Thursday did not showcase North Korea's largest intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), which was unveiled at a much larger military parade in October. That colossal weapon is believed to be able to deliver a nuclear warhead to anywhere in the US, and its size had surprised even seasoned analysts when it was put on show last year.\n\nThe country's latest display of its arsenal comes at the end of a five-yearly congress of the ruling Workers' Party.\n\nIn his address to members last week, Mr Kim had pledged to expand North Korea's nuclear weapons and military potential, outlining a list of desired weapons including long-range ballistic missiles capable of being launched from land or sea and \"super-large warheads\".\n\nHe also said that the US was Pyongyang's \"biggest obstacle for our revolution and our biggest enemy... no matter who is in power, the true nature of its policy against North Korea will never change\".\n\nUnder Mr Kim's leadership North Korea has made rapid progress in its weapons programme, which it says is necessary to defend itself against a possible US invasion.\n\nThe unveiling of the new missiles appears designed to send the incoming Biden administration a message of the North's growing military prowess, say experts.\n\n\"They'd like us to notice that they're getting more proficient with larger solid rocket boosters,\" Mr Panda tweeted, noting what appeared to be new solid-fuel short-range ballistic missiles on display too. These missiles can be launched more quickly than liquid-fuelled varieties.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un: From enemies to frenemies\n\nOver the last four years, Pyongyang has had an erratic relationship with the US under President Donald Trump's administration. Mr Kim and Mr Trump engaged in mutual insults and threats of war before an unprecedented summit in Singapore in 2018 and declarations of love by the outgoing US leader.\n\nDespite the apparent warming of relations, little concrete progress was made on negotiations over North Korea's nuclear programme and a second summit in Hanoi in 2019 broke down after the US refused Pyongyang's demands for sanctions relief.\n\nKim Jong-un has had a busy week. In this rare party congress at the start of a new year he's earned a new title, pledged to build new nuclear weapons and now he's shown the world some new missiles.\n\nThe general secretary, the title posthumously awarded to his father by which he is now known, had been pretty quiet in 2020 and appeared very few times in state media.\n\nBut 2021 is looking rather different. The party congress has offered him a grand daily domestic platform - even if it is not getting the international attention it may have done due to events in the United States and a global pandemic.\n\nThe parading vehicles include a new submarine-launched ballistic missile and new short-range ballistic missiles. This is a show of strength - flexing the military muscle once more to show the people of North Korea that despite the current bleak economic outlook, this impoverished country is capable of designing and building new strategic weapons.\n\nIt also offers a direct challenge to the incoming US administration.\n\nNorth Korea appears willing to continue with its self-imposed isolation and being subject to strict economic sanctions, and the state has vowed to continue to build nuclear weapons in defiance of the international community.\n\nDuring the transfer of power, President Obama told Donald Trump that North Korea should be his top national security concern.\n\nIn the last four years a combination of US and UN sanctions, so-called \"maximum pressure\" policies and three summits between Mr Trump and Mr Kim have done nothing to alleviate those concerns.\n\nKim Jong-un has shown the new US president this week that he faces the daunting prospect of coming up with new solutions for this decades-old problem.", "Craig Ross had been quoted making comments about food bank users on a podcast\n\nThe Scottish Conservatives have dropped a Holyrood candidate over what they called \"unacceptable comments\".\n\nCraig Ross recorded a podcast last year in which he described food bank users as being more at risk of diabetes than starvation.\n\nHe also questioned the influence footballer Marcus Rashford has on UK government welfare policy.\n\nThe Conservatives suspended Mr Ross, then later announced he was \"no longer a candidate or a member of the party\".\n\nThe party had launched an investigation after the comments came to light, saying: \"These unacceptable comments do not reflect the views of the party.\"\n\nJustice Secretary Humza Yousaf had called for Mr Ross to be thrown out the party and dropped as the Conservative candidate in Glasgow Pollok.\n\nThe Holyrood elections are due to be held on 6 May.\n\nMr Ross, a former lecturer at Langside College, runs a podcast in which he delivers reaction to pieces in The Guardian newspaper \"from the centre-right\".\n\nIn one episode recorded in June 2020, Mr Ross talked about the percentage of body fat of \"ordinary people\".\n\nOriginally reported in the Daily Record, his comments were in response to a Channel 4 News piece featuring foodbanks.\n\nHe said: \"We have no real grasp of just how ridiculously overweight the population is.\n\n\"I'm not saying that every single person who claims to be really hungry and is reliant on charity is also very overweight.\n\n\"But what I am saying is if Channel 4 News is having a reasonable go at showing the reality of food bank usage, then we know the people that they filmed are far from starving. If anything their biggest risk is not starvation, it's diabetes.\"\n\nOn Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford, who has called on Boris Johnson to review the UK government's free school meals policy, Mr Ross said: \"Has Marcus Rashford stood for election to anything? Not that I'm aware of.\"", "The government is assessing the impact of a \"technical issue\" that led to 150,000 records being deleted from police databases.\n\nThe error, first reported in the Times, saw data including fingerprint, DNA and arrest histories wiped after being accidentally flagged for deletion.\n\nThe Home Office said the lost entries related to people who were arrested and then released without further action.\n\nBut Labour said it presented \"huge dangers\" for public safety.\n\nThe data was lost from the Police National Computer - a system that stores and shares criminal records information across the UK.\n\nIt is used to help police investigations and provides real-time checks on people, vehicles and crimes, as well as whether suspects are wanted for any unsolved offences.\n\nA coding error resulted in records that had been flagged for deletion being lost from the database before checks had been carried out to determine whether they could be lawfully held or not.\n\nThe data loss could hinder future police investigations because the fingerprint or DNA evidence would not be able to be cross-checked against evidence from other crime scenes.\n\nPolicing minister Kit Malthouse said the problem had been identified and the process corrected so \"it cannot happen again\" - with the Home Office, National Police Chiefs' Council and other law enforcement partners working \"at pace\" to recover the data.\n\n\"While the loss relates to individuals who were arrested and then released with no further action, I have asked officials and the police to confirm their initial assessment that there is no threat to public safety,\" he said.\n\nThe Home Office said no records of criminal or dangerous persons had been deleted.\n\nThe records are linked to police investigations that were terminated before charge (No Further Action or NFA cases) or to those where an individual had been acquitted at court.\n\nIt is not yet known how many records of each type were lost and full extent of deletions is still being investigated.\n\nThe loss of the data means that officers on the ground may get an incomplete search result when interrogating the system.\n\nShadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds called on Home Secretary Priti Patel to take responsibility for the error and be clear about the impact it had had.\n\n\"She must urgently make a statement about what has gone wrong, the extent of the issue, and what action is being taken to reassure the public. Answers must be given.\"\n\n\"This is an extraordinarily serious security breach that presents huge dangers for public safety.\"\n\nFormer Cumbria Police chief constable Stuart Hyde told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the \"very large\" loss of arrest records presented a \"risk to public safety\".\n\nHe said: \"In order to understand the scale, if you think that about between 6-700,000 people are arrested every year in the UK, that's a very large proportion of those people.\"\n\nIt comes after around 40,000 alerts relating to European criminals were removed from the same database, the PNC, following Britain's post-Brexit deal with the EU.", "Despite the huge need to free up space in hospitals, some care homes say insurance issues make it impossible for them to accept Covid-19 patients.\n\nIn October, the government launched a scheme for designated care homes to take patients recovering from the virus but insurance is a stumbling block.\n\nSir David Behan, head of the UK's largest care home company, HC-One, says insurance has become a major concern.\n\nThe government says it is working to resolve the issue.\n\n\"We are aware the adult social care insurance market is changing in response to the pandemic, and recognise some care providers may encounter difficulties as their policies come up for renewal,\" said a Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson.\n\nOne Hampshire care home says it will have to stop taking patients within days because its insurance will expire.\n\nWaterside House in Netley, Hampshire usually provides holidays and respite care for people with disabilities.\n\nBut since the autumn it has been taking Covid-positive patients discharged from hospitals on the south coast.\n\nThey are looked after on a separate floor from other residents, and the home has had to meet high infection control standards.\n\nHome manager Sarah Knight said demand for the 31 beds is unparalleled and added: \"I've been in nursing a long, long time, and I have never known anything like this.\n\n\"People end up in an ambulance sat outside hospitals for hours and hours, or they end up on a trolley in A&E in a corridor for hours and hours.\n\n\"By offering the best that we've got here, we can reduce some of that burden.\"\n\nJan Tregelles is chief executive of the charity Revitalise which runs Waterside House\n\nThe government originally hoped there would be 500 designated care homes taking in Covid-positive patients.\n\nBut Waterside House is one of only 129 which have been set up to take those who have not completed 14 days in isolation.\n\nHowever, its public indemnity insurance protection, which it needs in case someone contracts Covid there, runs out at the end of January.\n\nWaterside House is run by the charity Revitalise, whose chief executive, Jan Tregelles, said they have tried everything, but will soon have to start turning away people.\n\n\"It's shocking,\" she says. \"We are truly helpless. We have a fantastic team of nurses and colleagues already.\n\n\"The facilities are here, everything's arranged and we can't step up to support our communities at this time.\"\n\nOne resident, Alan Washbourne, who has been living at Waterside House since he was discharged from hospital during the first wave of the pandemic, said: \"I feel quite safe here.\"\n\nHe is not on the Covid floor of the home, and added: \"If I were to go to somewhere else, which is possible, I might not feel quite so safe.\"\n\nAlan Washbourne has been at Waterside House since April last year\n\nAfter so many deaths last spring, many care homes will not consider taking patients who are Covid-positive, even with extra infection control measures.\n\nMeanwhile, growing numbers of staff are off sick or self-isolating, leaving care homes facing shortages.\n\nAnd many are also finding it difficult to get the public indemnity insurance.\n\nSir David Behan is chairman of HC-One, the UK's largest care home provider\n\nSince November, HC-One, which is the UK's largest care home provider, has had to cover its own Covid risks because it cannot get the insurance.\n\nSir David said it is one of the reasons why they have not taken part in the designated places scheme.\n\n\"You've got solicitors' firms advertising, taking cases up against care companies,\" he says.\n\n\"So, this isn't a theoretical risk that there may be proceedings, it's an actual risk, and therefore we need cover.\n\n\"The NHS wouldn't operate without similar liability cover and that's what we need to see, and I think governments have a role to play working with the insurance industry to work to find a solution.\"\n\nThe Department for Health and Social Care said it was making efforts to determine what actions it could take.\n\n\"Our priority is to ensure everyone receives the right care, in the right place, at the right time,\" said a spokesperson.", "The licence fee is the \"least worst\" way of funding the BBC, its incoming chairman Richard Sharp has said.\n\nBut Mr Sharp told MPs he had an \"open mind\" about how the corporation should be funded in the future, and it \"may be worth reassessing\" the current system.\n\nHe also said he didn't think the BBC's Brexit coverage was biased overall, but \"there were some occasions when the Brexit representation was unbalanced\".\n\nQuestion Time \"seemed to have more Remainers than Brexiteers\", he said.\n\nBBC Three's Normal People was one of the corporation's biggest hits last year\n\nThe £157.50 licence fee is due to stay in place until at least 2027, when the BBC's Royal Charter ends, with a debate about how the broadcaster should be funded after that.\n\nMr Sharp, who spent 23 years working as a banker for Goldman Sachs, told the House of Commons digital, culture, media and sport select committee: \"At 43p a day, the BBC represents terrific value.\"\n\nThe government is currently reviewing whether its cost should continue rising with inflation from 2022, and whether non-payment should remain a criminal offence. Mr Sharp said he was \"not in favour of decriminalisation\".\n\nHe said other possible options for funding the BBC in the future could include a household tax like the one used in Germany, \"which amounts to the same amount of money\".\n\nHe added: \"So when we next get the chance to review the structure of this then it may be worth reassessing.\"\n\nAsked whether he believed the BBC's coverage of Brexit had been unbalanced, he replied: \"No, actually I don't.\n\n\"I believe there were some occasions when the Brexit representation was unbalanced.\n\n\"So if you ask me if I think Question Time seemed to have more Remainers than Brexiteers, the answer is yes, but the breadth of the coverage I thought was incredibly balanced, in a highly toxic environment that was extremely polarised.\"\n\nQuestion Time has said it has robust processes in place to ensure balance on its panels.\n\nMr Sharp said he was \"considered to be a Brexiteer\" and had donated around £400,000 to the Conservative Party over the past 20 years.\n\nHe said the biggest issue now facing the BBC is impartiality, and that \"trust in leadership and trust in processes\" must be rebuilt after high-profile equal pay cases with journalists such as Carrie Gracie and Samira Ahmed.\n\n\"Clearly some of the problems it's had recently are really rather terrible and reflect a culture that needs to be rebuilt, so everybody who cherishes the BBC and works at the BBC feels proud and happy to work there,\" he said. \"Then in my view that would produce a better output inevitably.\"\n\nMr Sharp also told the committee he would give his £160,000 salary as BBC chairman to charity.\n\nWhen asked \"what's in it for you?\" Mr Sharp, whose heritage is Jewish, said: \"We're all a product of our upbringing and I was very fortunate with the parents I have, my great grandparents came to this country escaping tyranny.\n\n\"I think I won the lottery in life to be British and if I can make a contribution, I couldn't be happier to.\n\n\"The BBC is part of the fabric of all our national identities, it offers education and enrichment and is also important for our position in the world... It is a massive privilege to be chair of the BBC.\"\n\nSir David Clementi, the current BBC chairman, steps down in February. The post-holder is officially appointed by the Queen on the recommendation of the government.\n\nFollow us on Facebook or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "It's likely there are variants all over the world - Vallance\n\nITV's Libby Wiener asks if the move to put restrictions in at the borders is too late. The PM says the government is taking steps to protect against the new variants. \"We have a situation now where we have a very high rate of domestic infection in the UK combined with a vaccination programme,\" he says. \"There will come a point in the next weeks and months where the vaccination programme will take effect... and you will see a decline in the death rate. \"What you can't have is a situation where you have new variants with unknown qualities coming in from abroad and that's why we have set up the system to stop arrivals where new variants are a concern.\" Sir Patrick Vallance says the virus is changing all the time and he suspects there are variants \"all over the world of different types\". \"The countries which have detected them first have got good sequencing,\" he says.", "The UK economy shrank by 2.6% in November as England was placed in lockdown for a second time, official figures show.\n\nThe Office for National Statistics said it meant gross domestic product was 8.5% below its pre-pandemic peak.\n\nNovember's decline came after six consecutive months of growth.\n\nPubs and hairdressers were badly hit as the service sector suffered, the ONS said, but some manufacturing and construction activity improved.\n\nThe hit to the service sector - which accounts for about three-quarters of the UK economy - meant it contracted by 3.4% in November, and is now 9.9% below the level of February 2020.\n\nSome economists said the November figure was better than expected, and it appeared many companies were better prepared for the second lockdown, with some sectors staying open for business and many firms having already put in place plans to expand online operations.\n\n\"Steps taken by businesses earlier in the year to Covid-proof their operations - combined with the time-limited nature of the restrictions, and schools remaining open - meant more companies were able to continue trading safely,\" said Alpesh Paleja, lead economist at the CBI employers' group.\n\nChancellor Rishi Sunak said the figures showed \"it's clear things will get harder before they get better and today's figures highlight the scale of the challenge we face\".\n\nBut he said the vaccine roll-out and economic support measures meant there were reasons to be hopeful. \"With this support, and the resilience and enterprise of the British people, we will get through this,\" he said.\n\nShadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds said the figures showed the UK has an economic \"mountain to climb\".\n\nSpeaking to the BBC, she said it would be a \"serious mistake\" if Mr Sunak waited until the Budget in March before providing more support and confidence for business.\n\nONS director for economic statistics Darren Morgan said: \"The economy took a hit from restrictions put in place to contain the pandemic during November, with pubs and hairdressers seeing the biggest impact.\"\n\nHowever, he said many firms adjusted to the new pandemic working conditions, such as by expanding click and collect and other online operations.\n\nHe added: \"Manufacturing and construction generally continued to operate, while schools also stayed open, meaning the impact on the economy was significantly smaller in November than during the first lockdown.\n\n\"Car manufacturing, bolstered by demand from abroad, housebuilding and infrastructure grew and are now all above their pre-pandemic levels.\" Construction activity grew by 1.9% during the month.\n\nGross domestic product (GDP) is the sum (measured in pounds) of the value of goods and services produced in the economy.\n\nBut the measurement most people focus on is the percentage change - the growth of the country's economy over a period of time, typically a quarter (three months) or a year.\n\nIf the GDP measure is up on the previous three months, the economy is growing. That generally means more wealth and more new jobs.\n\nIf it is negative, the economy is shrinking.\n\nDespite the GDP figure being better than some analysts had forecast, there are still concerns that the UK could be heading back into recession.\n\nEconomists have warned the UK could see a double-dip recession if restrictions remain in place in the first three months of 2021.\n\nRory Macqueen, from the National Institute of Economic and Social Research, said the November figures confirm a significant slowdown in the last quarter of 2020, \"despite November's lockdown in England clearly having a far smaller effect than the first\".\n\nJames Smith, research director of the Resolution Foundation, said there would be a lot of comment about whether these figures point to the UK heading for only its second-ever double-dip recession on record.\n\nBut, he said, the real \"story of the year will be a vaccine-driven bounce back in economic activity for sectors like hospitality and leisure\".\n\n\"The chancellor must do everything he can to support that recovery once public health restrictions ease,\" he added.\n\nAnalysts at Capital Economics also said there was cause for optimism, saying that the current third lockdown could have less impact than feared.\n\n\"The economy has built up a fair bit of immunity to lockdowns, as November's lockdown was much less painful for the economy than the first lockdown.\n\n\"As a result, the Covid-19 economic hole is smaller than we thought, the economy may get back to its pre-crisis crisis level a bit sooner and it makes us more confident that the Bank of England probably won't resort to negative interest rates.\"\n\nThe fall in the economy in November was still considerable, but the figures show businesses adapting to difficult conditions. The hit was a fraction of what occurred in the first lockdown last April, and was mainly confined to the service sector, with pubs and hairdressing for example in sharp decline.\n\nManufacturing and construction largely remained open, as did previously shut public services such as schools. By November car manufacturing and house building were back above the level of output before the pandemic.\n\nThe trade figures also showed a £7bn increase in EU imports in the three months to November as traders stockpiled car parts, medicines and other goods ahead of the end of the Brexit transition period.\n\nThe renewed regional tiered restrictions in December, and more severe national lockdowns this month, still indicate a possible return to overall recession in this tough winter.\n\nBusiness groups continue to argue that extra support is required to support jobs and cash flow well before the Budget in March. But a more sustained lifting of restrictions as vaccines are rolled out should see growth return after the spring.", "Black people are four more times more likely than white people to be sectioned under the Mental Health Act, according to NHS figures.\n\nWhen Antonio Ferreira was sectioned he says he felt he was discriminated against because of his skin colour.\n\nNow a student at Essex University, he hopes to improve police understanding of mental health problems.\n\nIf you are experiencing emotional stress, help and support is available via BBC Action Line.", "The governor of Amazonas state warned of a \"critical\" moment and has implemented a curfew\n\nHospitals in the Brazilian city of Manaus have reached breaking point while treating Covid-19 patients, amid reports of severe oxygen shortages and desperate staff.\n\nThe city, in Amazonas state, has seen a surge of deaths and infections.\n\nHealth professionals, quoted by local media, warned \"many people\" could die due to lack of supplies and assistance.\n\nBrazil has recorded more than 205,000 virus deaths - the second-highest tally in the world, behind the US.\n\nA new coronavirus variant has recently emerged in Brazil, with several cases in travellers arriving in Japan traced back to the Amazonas region.\n\nAmazonas suffered heavy losses in the first wave of the pandemic but is also being badly hit by a new rise in infections.\n\nRefrigerated containers were brought to hospitals to help store bodies last week, as authorities declared a state of emergency.\n\nJessem Orellana, from the Fiocruz-Amazonia scientific investigation institute, told the AFP news agency that some hospitals in Manaus had \"run out of oxygen\" with some centres becoming \"a type of suffocation chamber\" for patients.\n\nThe researcher told Brazilian media she had received reports from the front-line of \"dramatic\" scenes playing out in some hospitals.\n\nReports in the daily Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper described desperate staff having to try to keep patients alive through manual ventilation.\n\nIn a widely shared video from the region, a female medical worker asks the internet for help: \"We're in an awful state. Oxygen has simply run out across the whole unit today.\"\n\n\"There is no oxygen and lots of people are dying,\" she says in the clip. \"If anyone has any oxygen, please bring it to the clinic. There are so many people dying.\"\n\nThe UK has banned travellers from much of Latin America over a new variant detected in Brazil\n\nAmazonas Governor Wilson Lima said the state was \"in the most critical moment of the pandemic\" and has announced a nightly curfew will begin at 19:00 local time (23:00 GMT) on Friday to try to stem the spread.\n\nMarcellus Campelo, a local health secretary, said the state needed three times the amount of oxygen it can produce locally and appealed for help.\n\nBrazil's vice-president shared images on Twitter of the air force transporting hospital supplies, including oxygen cylinders and stretchers, to the city as reports of the situation spread throughout the country.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by General Hamilton Mourão This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nHealth officials also say some patients will be airlifted to other states for treatment due to the demand for intensive care units, Reuters reports.\n\nFelipe Naveca, deputy director of research at the state-run Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, told the BBC's South America correspondent Katy Watson that the new variant had evolved separately from those in the UK and South Africa, but that it showed some of the same characteristics: \"Some of these mutations have been linked to increased transmission and that is of concern.\"\n\nMr Naveca said that they did not yet have any data to suggest that existing vaccines would be any less effective against the new variant. \"We have to do a lot more sequencing of samples to answer that question,\" he said.\n\nHowever, on Thursday UK officials announced a ban on travellers from South America, Portugal and Cape Verde due to the new strain.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. At Fullwell Cross Medical Centre, north London, they are now vaccinating almost 1,000 people a week\n\nFake news is likely to be causing some people from the UK's South Asian communities to reject the Covid vaccine, a doctor has warned.\n\nDr Harpreet Sood, who is leading an NHS anti-disinformation drive, said it was \"a big concern\" and officials were working \"to correct so much fake news\".\n\nHe said language and cultural barriers played a part in the false information.\n\nA GP in the West Midlands told the BBC some of her South Asian patients had refused the vaccine when offered it.\n\nDr Sood, from NHS England, said officials were working with South Asian role models, influencers, community leaders and religious leaders to help debunk myths about the vaccine.\n\nMuch of the disinformation surrounds the contents of the vaccine.\n\nHe said: \"We need to be clear and make people realise there is no meat in the vaccine, there is no pork in the vaccine, it has been accepted and endorsed by all the religious leaders and councils and faith communities.\"\n\n\"We're trying to find role models and influencers and also thinking about ordinary citizens who need to be quick with this information so that they can all support one another because ultimately everyone is a role model to everyone\", he added.\n\n\"There's a big piece of work happening where we're translating information, we're making sure the look and feel of it reaches the populations that matter.\"\n\nSome of the disinformation seen by the BBC on social media and on WhatsApp is religiously targeted. Messages falsely claim the vaccines contain animal produce - eating pork goes against the religious beliefs of Muslims, as does eating beef for Hindus.\n\nDr Samara Afzal has been vaccinating people in Dudley, West Midlands. She said: \"We've been calling all patients and booking them in for vaccines but the admin staff say when they call a lot of the South Asian patients they decline and refuse to have the vaccination.\n\n\"Also talking to friends and family have found the same. I've had friends calling me telling me to convince their parents or their grandparents to have the vaccination because other family members have convinced them not to have it\".\n\nWe need to be clear and make people realise there is no meat in the vaccine, there is no pork in the vaccine, it has been accepted and endorsed by all the religious leaders\n\nReena Pujara is a beauty therapist in Hampshire and a practising Hindu. She said she's been bombarded with false information.\n\n\"Some of the videos are quite disturbing especially when you actually see the person reporting is a medic and telling you that the vaccine is going to alter your DNA,\" she said.\n\n\"For a layman it is very confusing. And also when you read that the ingredients in the vaccine derive from a cow - and as Hindus the cow is sacred to us - it is disturbing.\"\n\nAbout 100 mosques have a joined a campaign to counter vaccine disinformation and persuade their communities to take the vaccine. They've said they'll use their Friday sermons to urge people to have the jab.\n\n\"There should be no hesitation in taking [the vaccine] from a moral perspective,\" said Qari Asim, chair of the Mosques and Imams National Advisory Board (MINAB), which has organised the campaign. \"It is our ethical duty to protect ourselves and others from harm.\"\n\nVaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi told the BBC's Asian Network that faith and community leaders had a big role to play in ensuring a high take-up of the vaccine. He said he had met with more than 150 leaders from Sikh, Hindu, Jewish and Muslim communities who were taking the message out \"that it's the right thing to do\".\n\nHe added that the government was taking steps to tackle online disinformation around the vaccine, as well as making sure vaccine guidance was available in many different languages.\n\nA recent poll, commissioned by the Royal Society of Public Health, suggested just over half of black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) people would be happy to have the coronavirus vaccine.\n\nIt found 57% said they would take the vaccine - compared with 79% of white people.", "Exam results are likely to appear before the end of the summer term\n\nExam results for A-levels and GCSEs in England could be published in early July this year, according to proposals for replacing cancelled exams.\n\nA consultation launched by the exams watchdog and the Department for Education confirmed that grades will be decided by teacher assessment.\n\nBut results this summer are likely to be released much earlier than usual.\n\nEducation Secretary Gavin Williamson said pupils would receive \"a grade that reflects their ability\".\n\nThere are also likely to be written test papers set by exam boards, but marked by teachers, with some later checks if there are concerns about fairness.\n\nFor vocational qualifications, exams which use mostly written papers are also likely to use teachers' grades - but qualifications which need a test of practical, hands-on skills will have separate arrangements.\n\nOfqual and the Department for Education have formally launched a two-week consultation on a system for how results will be decided, after disruption from the pandemic forced the cancellation of exams.\n\nThis is the second year of exam results being disrupted by the pandemic\n\nFor A-levels and GCSEs this could see the scrapping of the traditional results days in August, with a proposal to publish the results in \"early July\", increasing the time for appeals and adding more time before the start of the university term.\n\nLast year the process of replacement results ended with U-turns and confusion, as an algorithm initially used for deciding grades was abandoned and teachers' assessments used instead.\n\nThis time there will be no algorithm, but from the outset the process will rely on the judgement of teachers, who will be asked to use evidence such as coursework, essays, homework and mock exams.\n\nThere are also proposals for test papers, or mini-exams, which would be set by examiners but which would be likely to be marked within schools by teachers.\n\nThese would inform teachers' decisions rather than be a fixed proportion of the final grade - and could be used as evidence for any scrutiny of the reliability of a school's results or if there were appeals over grades.\n\nThere is also a recognition they might have to be taken by some pupils at home.\n\nBut it has still to be decided whether it would be mandatory to take these exams, and whether there would be a single paper per subject or the option to take more.\n\nThe Department for Education has said pupils will not face tests in subject areas they have not covered.\n\nGeoff Barton, leader of the ASCL head teachers' union, said the proposals seemed \"sensible\".\n\nBut he said the written tests would have to be \"exceptionally well designed\" to make them fair between students \"whose learning has been disrupted by the pandemic to greatly varying extents\".\n\n\"There are still many questions left unanswered,\" said the National Education Union's co-leader Kevin Courtney, about how tests could be flexible enough and how appeals will be decided.\n\nThere will be a process of training teachers in how the grading system will operate and be consistent between different schools.\n\nFor vocational qualifications, the proposals say those closer to written A-level and GCSE exams will be graded in a similar way to the academic exams, using teacher assessment to replace written papers.\n\nThere will be different approaches for qualifications requiring proof of practical skills, but there will be arrangements to make this possible.\n\nSome BTec exams have already gone ahead this month and IGCSE exams are still planned to continue this summer.\n\nA-levels and GCSEs have been cancelled in Wales and Northern Ireland, and in Scotland the Nationals, Highers and Advanced Highers have also been scrapped.\n\nEngland's Education Secretary, Mr Williamson, said: \"Fairness to young people has been and will continue to be fundamental to every decision we take on these issues.\"", "Men who had already had the virus were asked to donate blood plasma for the trial\n\nA potential treatment for Covid using blood plasma does not reduce deaths among hospital patients, trials show.\n\nThe results are a blow to researchers and the NHS, which led the drive to collect plasma donations.\n\nThis arm of the Recovery trial, which is investigating a number of promising Covid treatments, has now been closed.\n\nThe Oxford researchers involved say they are \"incredibly grateful\" for the contribution of patients across the country.\n\nDonations of plasma were temporarily suspended, according to NHS Blood and Transplant.**\n\nThere had been huge international interest in the role of convalescent plasma as a possible treatment for hospital patients with Covid-19.\n\nThe treatment involves blood plasma being taken from people who have recovered from the disease - which contains antibodies to coronavirus - and transfused into seriously ill patients.\n\nIt was hoped the plasma donation would give the recipient's struggling immune system a boost to fight off Covid.\n\nThe NHS had been urging people to donate, particularly men who are thought to have higher levels of antibodies in their blood.\n\nBut early analysis of 1,873 deaths in a study of 10,400 UK patients shows the treatment made \"no significant difference\".\n\nIn the group treated with convalescent plasma, 18% of patients died within 28 days - the same figure for the group given standard treatment.\n\nPatients in the study are still being followed up and the final results will be published shortly.\n\nEarlier this week, a separate study showed no evidence that the same treatment improved outcomes for patients in intensive care.\n\nMartin Landray, chief investigator and professor of medicine and epidemiology at the Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, said the Recovery trial showed \"the value of large randomised trials to properly assess the role of potential treatments\".\n\nThe trial is still investigating other treatments, including tocilizumab, aspirin and an antibody cocktail.\n\nProf Peter Horby, who also worked on the trial, said the largest ever trial of convalescent plasma \"was only possible thanks to the generous donation of plasma by recovered patients and the willingness of current patients to contribute to advancing medical care\".\n\n\"While the overall result is negative, we need to await the full results before we can understand whether convalescent plasma has any role in particular patient sub-groups,\" he said.\n\n**NHS Blood and Transplant restarted donations of blood plasma on 20 January. They could be used to see whether particular groups of patients, such as those with low antibody levels, could benefit.\n\nInternational trials are also testing if plasma helps people when it's used much earlier in the disease, before people get to hospital.", "One of two coronavirus variants first detected in Brazil has been found in the UK, says a leading scientist advising the government.\n\nBut the version discovered is not the \"variant of concern\", Prof Wendy Barclay clarified.\n\nThe \"variant of concern\" from Brazil, detected in travellers to Japan, is thought to be more infectious.\n\nIt led to travellers from South America and Portugal being banned from entering the UK on Friday.\n\nProf Wendy Barclay, who is heading a newly-launched project to study the effects of emerging coronavirus mutations called the G2P-UK National Virology Consortium, said: \"There are two different types of Brazilian variants and one of them has been detected and one of them has not.\"\n\nProf Barclay, who also sits on Nervtag, a committee which advises government on new and emerging respiratory virus threats, said the variant was \"probably introduced some time ago\" and it \"will be being traced very carefully\".\n\nShe added: \"The new Brazilian variant of concern, that was picked up in travellers going to Japan, has not been detected in the UK.\n\n\"Other variants that may have originated from Brazil have been previously found.\"\n\nThe body which collects and analyses the genomes of virus samples - Covid-19 Genomics UK Consortium (Cog-UK) - said this variant seen in the UK contained one of the mutations found in the Brazilian \"variant of concern\".\n\nThe mutation, also found in the South African variant, has been linked to a reduced antibody response meaning our bodies might be less able to fight it off.\n\nCog-UK said this alone was not enough to qualify it as a \"variant of concern\", thought it acknowledged \"no internationally agreed definition of a variant of concern has yet been agreed\".\n\nIn other variants of concern, the mutation sits alongside a \"constellation\" of others which together amount to a high chance of making the virus more transmissible.\n\nIt comes as a further 1,248 people with coronavirus have died in the UK.\n\nThe latest government figures on Thursday also showed another 48,682 new cases had been reported.\n\nMeanwhile, the latest estimate for the reproduction (R) number in the UK - which represents the average number of people that one infected person will pass on a virus to - is between 1.2 and 1.3.\n\nLast week it was estimated at between 1 and 1.4 by the government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies.\n\nWhen the figure is above 1, the number of cases increases exponentially.\n\nDespite other variants entering the country since, the Kent variant remains dominant in the UK and is believed to be 30-50% more infectious than the previous form of the virus.\n\nViruses acquire random changes to their genes constantly as they replicate.\n\nMany are neutral or even hurt the virus's ability to spread, but those that give it an advantage will become more common.\n\nMutations are being detected now because enough time has passed for those random changes to take hold.\n\nEven though there is no evidence any of these mutations make the virus more deadly, a virus that infects more people is likely to have a higher death toll.\n\nWhen the virus gets better at sticking onto and breaking into human cells, in theory someone exposed to the same dose is more likely to become ill.\n\nThe use of masks and personal protective equipment, social distancing and hand washing remain the best defences against the virus's spread.\n\nDowning Street said current evidence did not suggest the concerning Brazilian variant affected vaccines or treatment.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nMr Shapps described the travel ban, which came into force at 04:00 GMT on Friday, as a \"precautionary\" measure.\n\nIt covers people who have travelled from or through, Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela in the last 10 days.\n\nThe ban also applies to Portugal - because of its strong links to Brazil - and the former Portuguese colony of Cape Verde off the coast of west Africa, as well as Panama in central America.\n\nBritish and Irish citizens and foreign nationals with residence rights are still allowed to return - but must isolate for 10 days.\n\nAlso exempt are hauliers who are travelling from Portugal to transport essential goods.\n\nDr Mike Tildesley, an epidemiologist who is part of the government's Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling, said the travel ban should minimise the risk from a \"more transmissible\" variant.\n\n\"We always have this issue with travel bans, of course, that we're always a little bit behind the curve,\" he told BBC Breakfast.\n\n\"My understanding is that there haven't really been any flights coming from Brazil for about the past week, so hopefully the immediate travel ban should really minimise the risk.\"\n\nDowning Street said it acted \"as quickly as possible\" to impose the travel ban because the concerning Brazilian variant \"could pose a significant risk to the UK\".\n\nHowever, Portugal's government has described the ban as \"absurd\" and illogical\".\n\nThe country's minister of foreign affairs Augusto Santos Silva said he had requested a conversation with his British counterpart after the \"sudden and unexpected\" suspension of flights.\n\nHe added Portugal was already restricting flights from Brazil and there was \"no evidence\" the new variant existed in his country.", "Police investigations have been compromised by an error that led to hundreds of thousands of records being deleted from UK-wide databases, according to a letter seen by the BBC.\n\nThe National Police Chiefs' Council said 213,000 records were deleted - more than the 150,000 first reported.\n\nThis resulted in a couple of \"near misses\" for serious crimes when trying to identify an offender, it said.\n\nThe Home Office has said it is assessing the impact of the mistake.\n\nData including fingerprint, DNA, and arrest histories was wiped from the Police National Computer (PNC) - which stores and shares criminal records information across the UK - after being inadvertently flagged for deletion.\n\nThe PNC is used in police investigations and provides real-time checks on people, vehicles and crimes, as well as whether suspects are wanted for any unsolved offences.\n\nThe Home Office said the lost entries related to people who were arrested and then released without further action.\n\nBut the letter from the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) says officers are aware of at least one instance where the DNA profile from a suspect in custody did not generate a match to a crime scene as expected, potentially impeding the investigation.\n\nIt says that some of the records had been marked for indefinite retention following earlier convictions for serious offences.\n\nAnd it reveals that a \"weeding system\", developed and deployed by a Home Office PNC team, started to delete records wrongly last November.\n\nThe process was only brought to a halt at the start of this week.\n\nThe letter was sent on Friday afternoon by Deputy Chief Constable Naveed Malik of the NPCC to chief constables and police and crime commissioners.\n\nThe deletion of the records has been blamed on a coding error.\n\nThis resulted in records that had been flagged for deletion being lost from the database before checks had been carried out to determine whether they could be lawfully held or not.\n\nPolicing minister Kit Malthouse said the problem had been identified and the process corrected so \"it cannot happen again\".\n\nHe said the Home Office, National Police Chiefs' Council and other law enforcement partners were working \"at pace\" to recover the data.\n\nThe Home Office said no records of criminal or dangerous persons had been deleted.\n\nBut Labour shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds called on Home Secretary Priti Patel to take responsibility for the error and be clear about the impact it had had.\n\nSpeaking on BBC Breakfast, he described the situation as \"extraordinarily serious\", adding: \"Priti Patel will be responsible for criminals walking free. We're not going to be able to link suspects to crime scenes without the DNA and fingerprint evidence.\"\n\nA home office source said the accusation was \"scaremongering and irresponsible\".\n\nFormer Cumbria Police Chief Constable Stuart Hyde told BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Friday the \"very large\" loss of arrest records presented a \"risk to public safety\".\n\nThe records are linked to police investigations that were terminated before charge (No Further Action or NFA cases) or to those where an individual had been acquitted at court.\n\nIt is not yet known how many records of each type were lost and full extent of deletions is still being investigated. A minister is expected to update the House of Commons on Monday.\n\nIt comes after about 40,000 alerts relating to European criminals were removed from the PNC following the UK's post-Brexit security deal with the EU.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The pharmacy in Gwynedd is offering the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab\n\nA pharmacy has become the first in Wales to offer Covid jabs, as community vaccine trials begin.\n\nFifty people with appointments are to visit the pharmacy near Pwllheli, Gwynedd, on Friday to receive their first shot of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.\n\nThe pilot has begun in pharmacies in Betsi Cadwaladr health board.\n\nFirst Minister Mark Drakeford said community pharmacists can help with vaccinations \"in more than one way\".\n\nIt follows a letter from Community Pharmacy Wales to Wales' health minister which said there was an \"urgent need\" to use pharmacies in Wales to help roll out coronavirus vaccines.\n\nUK Government figures show 126,375 people in Wales, 4% of the population, have received their first coronavirus jab so far.\n\nThat compares with 4.1% (224,840) in Scotland, 4.9% in England (2,769,164) and 6% (114,567) in Northern Ireland.\n\nHundreds more pharmacies in Wales will offer the jab in the next two weeks.\n\nRosie Bennett, one of the patients to receive a vaccination at Fferyllwyr H L Taylor Pharmacy in Llanbedrog, said getting her vaccine was a \"small step to a better future\".\n\nThe 82-year-old said: \"I don't have a car, so it was a huge relief to know that I wouldn't have to travel a long distance to have the vaccine.\n\n\"Here in the village, we know the staff at the chemists. They've been doing a great job during the pandemic and it's reassuring to have the vaccine from someone you know.\"\n\nSteffan John, the pharmacist who administered the vaccine to Rosie, said the staff are \"really pleased to do their bit for the community\".\n\nPharmacist Llyr Hughes, who runs four pharmacies, including Fferyllwyr H L Taylor Pharmacy, said \"vaccinating at scale\" was the \"only way out of the pandemic\".\n\nSpeaking on BBC Radio Wales Breakfast, Mr Hughes said he expected the rollout to happen \"very quickly across all community pharmacies in Wales\".\n\n\"I don't forsee any big problems,\" he said.\n\n\"Community pharmacists have a wealth of experience in delivering flu vaccinations.\n\n\"We will tailor our work model to accommodate for this, as we did for the flu vaccine.\"\n\nMr Hughes said his pharmacy will have vaccinated in the region of more than 100 people by Saturday afternoon.\n\nHe added: \"If we can deliver locally we can provide easier access to older patients.\"\n\nHe explained local patients would be contacted about an appointment for the vaccine at the pharmacy.\n\nMr John said that the vaccine comes in vials of ten doses which means it's \"important to vaccinate that many people at a time and not to waste any\".\n\nLlyr Hughes who runs Fferyllwyr H L Taylor Pharmacy said 50 patients will be vaccinated today\n\nHowever, Mr Drakeford told Friday's Welsh Government press briefing that not all pharmacy premises would be suitable to deliver the Covid vaccines.\n\nHe said some community pharmacists could be asked to administer vaccinations at mass vaccination centres instead, in cases where spaces for vaccinations are small at pharmacies with high volumes of people.\n\nWales' Health Minister Vaughan Gething said the rollout was still in the \"early stages\" of the \"largest vaccination programme Wales has ever seen\".\n\n\"People can be expected to be asked to attend either a mass or community centre, hospital, GP practice, pharmacy or mobile unit,\" he added.\n\nMr Gething said a mix of vaccination sites and centres were chosen so \"everyone across the country has equal access to a vaccination\".\n\nHe added that people will be notified for an appointment, and before that they should not call GPs or health services to request a vaccine and \"add undue pressure\" to their workloads.\n\nPlaid Cymru's health spokesman Rhun ap Iorwerth said Wales' vaccination programme was \"improving far, far too slowly\".\n\n\"As important as it is that we have one pharmacy doing it, what's happening in all the others?\"\n\nPaul Davies, leader of the Conservatives in the Senedd, said it was clear Wales was \"lagging behind\" the rest of the UK on delivering the vaccinations.\n\n\"It's certainly not happening quickly enough, we need to see the Welsh Government stepping up to the plate,\" he said.\n\nThe Welsh Government has said more pharmacists and other primary care services, such as dentists and opticians - are being invited to help with the rollout, subject to vaccine supply.", "The UK's epidemic is still officially estimated to be growing, according to the latest R number, but data suggests new cases are beginning to fall.\n\nThe R number - which takes into account cases, hospitalisations and deaths - is estimated to be between 1.2 and 1.3, compared with 1 and 1.4 last week.\n\nThis suggests the total number of people with the virus is still rising across the UK.\n\nBut in London, where tight restrictions came in earlier, the R number is lower.\n\nIn the capital, the estimate - based on data up until 11 January - is between 0.9 and 1.2, compared with 1.1 and 1.4 the previous week.\n\nIt comes as a further 1,280 people with coronavirus have died in the UK within 28 days of a positive test, taking the total to 87,291.\n\nThe latest government figures on Friday also showed another 55,761 new cases had been reported.\n\nMeanwhile, more than three million people in the UK have now received the first dose of a vaccine - latest figures show the number at 3,234,946.\n\nAlthough the number of people sick with coronavirus is growing in the UK, data from various sources suggests new infections are declining.\n\nThis provides early signs that lockdown restrictions may be taking effect.\n\nThe government's scientific advisory group Sage, which calculates the R number, said areas that have been under tougher restrictions for a longer period of time - including east of England, London, and the south east - are showing \"a slight decline in the number of people infected\".\n\nHowever, they warned that regions such as north-west and south-west England continue to see infections rise, where the spread of the new UK variant may be playing a role.\n\nThe R number is a way of rating coronavirus or any disease's ability to spread. In theory, it describes the number of people that one infected person will pass the virus onto, on average.\n\nIn reality, though, the government's estimate of R gives a wider view of the epidemic's general trend since it also looks at what is happening in hospitals.\n\nCases, hospitalisations and deaths from Covid-19 have been alarmingly high since the beginning of the year and the latest estimate of the R number indicates that the pandemic is continuing to grow.\n\nBut because of the way the data to estimate R is collected - it reflects the situation a week ago. More up to date indicators suggest that there's a slight decline in infections in the east of England, London, and the South East.\n\nThese areas have had the highest prevalence and therefore the toughest restrictions the longest but infections are continuing to rise in the North West and South West probably because of the spread of the new variant of the virus.\n\nDespite this there's some relief at these figures among the government's scientific advisors. They were not sure whether the current restrictions would be enough to prevent the more contagious variant getting out of control. Now they expect Covid-related deaths to level off in a week or so and then decline as the benefits of the vaccine programme begin to take effect.\n\nCases should also begin to decrease in the coming weeks. But all this depends on people continuing to observe the government's social distancing guidelines - and come into contact with others only if it is essential.\n\nProf Sir David Spiegelhalter, a statistician at the University of Cambridge, said coronavirus deaths were likely to peak in the next week to 10 days.\n\nHe told BBC Radio 4's The World At One that the lockdown measures were having an impact, with the peak in infections having passed \"a good few days ago\" which would lead to a reduction in the numbers dying from the disease.\n\n\"They are likely to level off in a week - 10 days maybe - at a peak which is probably going to be bigger than the first wave peak of 1,000-a-day, but then should decline due the reductions in cases that we are seeing and, of course, the vaccine programme.\"\n\nData from the ZOE Covid Symptom Study app gives its own estimate of 0.9 for the virus's R or reproduction number. This is based on cases alone, rather than a wider number of data sources included in the official estimate.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. What is the R number and what does it mean?\n\nWhile this leaves out the fact that hospitals are still filling up, looking at cases on their own allows assessment of whether lockdown restrictions are working.\n\nBut the large number of infections recorded at the end of December and the beginning of January means, despite receding cases, hospitalisations and deaths will inevitably continue to rise for some time.\n\nMeanwhile, a ban on travellers from South America, Portugal and Cape Verde entering the UK came into force on Friday as a result of a new, potentially more infectious strain linked to Brazil.\n\nProf Wendy Barclay, a scientist at Imperial College London advising the government, said this \"variant of concern\" had not been detected in the UK but another variant from Brazil was already in circulation.\n\nIt is not clear whether this second strain is more contagious or not.", "Ambulances were lined up outside the Royal London Hospital on Thursday\n\nCovid patients have been transferred to hospitals in Newcastle from over-stretched London intensive care units.\n\nA small number, fewer than five, have been moved hundreds of miles from the south east, the BBC has been told.\n\nHospitals with the largest critical care capacity have been asked to take patients from other areas to ease pressures.\n\nHowever, NHS England has denied that patients have been transferred to Newcastle from London.\n\nThe patient transfers were first reported by The Guardian.\n\nIt is not uncommon for patients to be transferred from one busy hospital to another within the region, but moving the sick from out of their areas is unusual.\n\nThe North of England Critical Care Network, which co-ordinates provision in the North East, north Cumbria and North Yorkshire, confirmed patients had been moved from other parts of England.\n\nIn statement, director Lesley Durham said: \"During this pandemic and at these times of unprecedented pressures, we have ensured equity of patient access to critical care though mutual aid between units in the form of critical care patient transfers.\n\n\"We are also working with our colleagues and networks further afield.\n\n\"Whilst not ideal, it is correct to ensure that every person, regardless of location, has access to a critical care bed if they require one.\"\n\nOne medical expert described transferring people across the country as \"a challenge\"\n\nElsewhere, Northampton General Hospital - which is about 70 miles from London - has been receiving critical care patients from outside its area.\n\nA spokesman said: \"Some patients have been transferred to our critical care unit in recent weeks from other parts of the country, including London.\n\n\"We currently have one 'out-of-area' patient, but they are not from London.\"\n\nNHS England said in a statement: \"The NHS has tried and tested plans in place to manage significant pressure either from high Covid-19 infection rates and non-Covid winter demands and this has always included mutual aid practices whereby hospitals work together to manage admissions.\"\n\nIt added that no patients had been transferred from London to Newcastle, Birmingham, Northampton or Sheffield.\n\nAcross England in the week to 12 January, there were 32,202 patients in hospital with Covid-19, a rise of 5,735 on the previous week.\n\nIn the week up to 10 January there were 330,616 new cases.\n\nHospitals across the North East are already seeing many more patients than the first wave of the pandemic, and the next few weeks are likely to be the toughest yet.\n\nBut right now some - like Newcastle - have room in intensive care and are being asked to take patients from critical care units in the south which have become overwhelmed and run out of room.\n\nNewcastle and Northumbria NHS trusts have already been taking in patients from across their own patch - most notably from Cumbria where there are not nearly enough intensive care beds for the soaring numbers of Covid patients.\n\nBut patient numbers are growing in the North East's hospitals too, and many are already struggling.\n\nThey expect next week will be the worst week they have experienced yet.\n\nTo prepare, elective work is being postponed, wards are being cleared to take in new patients, and intensive care units are being expanded.\n\nConcerns have been raised about seriously-ill patients travelling such long distances.\n\nDr Uwe Franke, intensive care lead at Middlesbrough's James Cook Hospital, said: \"The critical care networks work regionally and nationally and are trying to spread the workload about the country without pushing other units to their limits or out of the durability of their capacity.\n\n\"But there is a difficulty in this; we know that Covid patients are incredibly ill, they are dependent on breathing machines, they are dependent on other machines that need organ support.\n\n\"To transfer these people across the country is quite a challenge.\"\n\nDr Franke added that while hospitals in the North were keen to support colleagues across the country, some - like his own - were already reaching their limit.\n\nHis hospital currently has in excess of 200 Covid patients, with 32 of those in intensive care.\n\nFollow BBC North East & Cumbria on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk.", "Dustin Diamond made his name as the studious \"Screech\" in the US sitcom Saved by the Bell\n\nSaved by The Bell actor Dustin Diamond has been diagnosed with cancer, his representative has said.\n\nThe 44-year-old, who played Samuel \"Screech\" Powers in the popular 1990s US school-based sitcom, fell ill last week and was taken to hospital.\n\nHis representative, Roger Paul, said the actor is now waiting for further details.\n\n\"We will know the severity of it when the tests are done,\" Paul said, adding they expect an update next week.\n\nSaved by the Bell ran for four seasons from 1989 to 1993 and followed a group of high school friends and their principal.\n\nDiamond reprised his role in follow-up series Saved by the Bell: The New Class, and Saved by the Bell: The College Years. But he did not appear in the recent revival series.\n\nThe American was also a contestant on Celebrity Big Brother in 2013.\n\nFollow us on Facebook or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "A 24m section of the bridge parapet collapsed one mile from where a fatal crash took place\n\nPart of a rail bridge has collapsed near the site of the fatal Stonehaven train derailment.\n\nA 24m (79ft) section of the side wall has fallen from the bridge, about a mile north of where three people died when a train left the track and crashed last August.\n\nNetwork Rail said it was a \"structural fault\" and not caused by a landslip.\n\nThe line between Aberdeen and Dundee remains closed while structural engineers assess the fault.\n\nThe structure is located three miles north of Carmont signal box. The collapse was discovered just before 10:00 on Friday.\n\nThe rail company said the damage to the parapet was \"extensive\" and that the line was expected to be closed for a \"significant\" period of time while repairs to the bridge take place.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Network Rail Scotland This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThe Network Rail Twitter account told followers engineers would be working around the clock to complete repairs.\n\nSpecialist staff are also checking similar bridges as a precaution.\n\nThe line between Aberdeen and Dundee had just reopened in November, nearly three months after the Stonehaven derailment.\n\nThe driver, a conductor and a passenger died when the Aberdeen to Glasgow service derailed near Stonehaven on 12 August after heavy rain.\n\nNetwork Rail Scotland carried out \"complex\" repairs at the scene of the derailment\n\nAn interim report said the train hit washed-out rocks and gravel.\n\nA Network Rail spokesman said: \"The line is currently closed while our engineers repair a damaged side wall on a bridge between Carmont and Stonehaven.\n\n\"Specialist structural engineers are currently assessing the fault and putting plans in place for its repair.\n\n\"Our engineers will be working around-the-clock to complete this work as quickly as possible.\"", "Passengers will need to provide a negative Covid-19 test taken within 72 hours before departure\n\nPassengers arriving into NI from outside the UK and Republic of Ireland will soon have to produce a negative Covid-19 test before departure.\n\nFirst Minister Arlene Foster confirmed the executive had agreed the plan on Thursday.\n\nPeople arriving from countries not on the government's travel corridors list will also still have to self-isolate for 10 days.\n\nThe move has already been agreed in the Republic of Ireland.\n\nPassengers arriving there will be subject to the new rules from Saturday, with the measure taking effect in England and Scotland from Monday.\n\nNegative tests 72 hours prior to arrival are already a requirement in the Republic of Ireland for passengers travelling from Great Britain and South Africa.\n\nSpeaking at Stormont's press conference on Thursday, the first minister said Northern Ireland's R-number had also fallen to between 0.7 and 0.9 for new cases of the virus.\n\nThe reproductive rate of the virus - known as the R rate, measures the infection rate of Covid-19 and had risen to about 1.8 due to Christmas relaxations.\n\nDeputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill said the drop showed the \"very real\" effect of lockdown restrictions imposed on 26 December, but she warned there was still \"no room for complacency\".\n\nShe said she still believed there needed to be an \"two-island approach\" to travel restrictions, including discussions with the British and Irish governments as a \"matter of urgency\".\n\nMrs Foster said Stormont ministers had also expressed frustration at the executive meeting over a lack of data-sharing from authorities in the Republic of Ireland, and called for it to be escalated.\n\nPSNI Chief Constable (centre) Simon Byrne attended Stormont's press briefing on Thursday with the first and deputy first ministers\n\nPSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne said 40 penalty notices a day are being handed out to those who breach the Covid-19 regulations.\n\nHe told the press briefing that if people continued flouting rules, they could expect \"firm and swift enforcement\".\n\n\"We won't turn a blind eye when people break the rules.\"\n\nOn Thursday, 16 more deaths related to Covid-19 were reported by the Department of Health in Northern Ireland, bringing its total to 1,533.\n\nThere have been 973 new cases diagnosed in the past 24 hours, while 58 Covid-19 patients are being treated in ICUs across Northern Ireland, of which 44 are on ventilators.\n\nMrs Foster said she found it \"incredible and frankly unbelievable\" that some people were still holding house parties and gatherings, despite the pandemic rates and the lockdown.\n\nOn Wednesday, health officials warned that levels of the new, more transmissible variant of the virus are rising.\n\nMr Swann said that meant more \"difficult decisions\" on lockdown restrictions could be required.\n\nNorthern Ireland is in the third week of a six-week lockdown to curb the spread of Covid-19.\n\nThe executive is due to review the current restrictions on 21 January.\n\nThe first and deputy first ministers said they would take evidence from health officials before deciding whether an extension of the lockdown would be required.\n\nMinisters have expressed concerns about keeping non-essential parts of businesses open\n\nMinisters have also expressed concerns about some larger retailers \"gaming\" the regulations and keeping open non-essential parts of their businesses.\n\nA meeting between the first and deputy first ministers and representatives of the retail sector is due to happen on Friday afternoon.\n\nElsewhere, the Chief Medical Officer has confirmed that unpaid carers looking after Clinically Extremely Vulnerable individuals should receive the first dose of their vaccine when phase two of the vaccination programme begins next month.\n\nDr Michael McBride told Stormont's Health Committee they are provided for on a list of prioritisation provided by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, which decides the order of vaccination delivery.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Department of Health This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. End of twitter post by Department of Health\n\nMr Swann was asked if his department was \"putting all its eggs in the vaccine basket\".\n\nHe said it was \"not the entirety of the answer\", adding: \"It will take time for the benefits of it to bed in.\n\n\"And while it is doing it, we still have to follow those restrictions that are in place.\n\n\"We may actually have to introduce more.\"\n\nOn Thursday afternoon the department tweeted that 121,711 vaccines have been administered in Northern Ireland.\n\nMrs Foster said that by end of this month, it is hoped all care home residents, health staff and those aged over 80 in Northern Ireland will have received their first vaccination.\n\nShe said that would be an \"incredible achievement\" and make Northern Ireland one of the top-performing countries in rolling out its vaccination programme.\n\nMeanwhile, the chairman of the Police Federation for NI (PFNI) has said officers need more powers to enforce Covid-19 regulations.\n\nAt present officers can only issue guidance and advice on the public health regulations.\n\nPFNI chairman Mark Lindsay said that puts officers in a \"difficult position\".\n\nThe federation represents thousands of rank and file PSNI officers.\n\n\"I think we are well past the stage where police officers are the people that should be giving advice around the guidance,\" Mr Lindsay told BBC Radio Foyle.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Rescuers pull a woman from the rubble after the 6.2 magnitude earthquake\n\nA powerful earthquake has rocked Indonesia's Sulawesi island, killing at least 42 people, with more feared dead as rescuers search for survivors.\n\nThe 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck on Friday morning, just hours after an earlier, smaller tremor.\n\nHundreds of people were injured and thousands displaced by the quake.\n\nIndonesia has a history of devastating earthquakes and tsunamis, with more than 2,000 killed in a 2018 Sulawesi quake.\n\nEight people died when the five-storey Mitra Manakarra Hospital in Mamuju partially collapsed on Friday, officials said. About 60 people were safely evacuated from the hospital.\n\n\"It happened so quickly, around 10 seconds,\" Syamsu Ridwan, a local police spokesman, told the BBC. He said the power in the hospital cut out during the earthquake.\n\nOfficials fear the death toll will increase as rescue efforts continue. Rescuers were still searching for survivors late on Friday, but they have been hampered by power cuts and poor mobile phone service.\n\nIndonesian President Joko Widodo offered condolences to the victims, urging people to stay calm and for the authorities to step up search efforts.\n\nThe epicentre of Friday's quake was six kilometres (3.73 miles) northeast of Majene city at a depth of 10km.\n\nVideo footage on social media showed collapsed houses and a girl pinned under rubble calling for help.\n\nThe situation was \"pretty bad\", Dr Gayatri Marliyani, of the geology department at Gajah Mada University in Yogyakarta, told the BBC. She said the governor's office was among the collapsed buildings and confirmed that several hospitals and one hotel had also been damaged.\n\nShe also warned that getting response teams to the area could be hampered by the coronavirus pandemic.\n\nTremors were felt at around 01:00 local time on Friday (17:00 Thursday GMT) for about seven seconds.\n\nNo tsunami warning was issued but thousands are reported to have left their homes, fleeing to safety.\n\nAuthorities have warned that strong aftershocks could follow the two main quakes and that they could still trigger a tsunami.\n\nIndonesia is prone to earthquakes because it lies on the so-called Ring of Fire - a line of frequent quakes and volcanic eruptions on the Pacific rim.\n\nIn 2004, a tsunami triggered by an earthquake off the Indonesian island of Sumatra killed 226,000 people across the Indian Ocean, including more than 120,000 in Indonesia.\n\nThe Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 killed 170,000 people on the Indonesian island of Sumatra after a quake of magnitude 9.1.\n\nAre you in the area? If it is safe to do so, share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "Police officers who were targeted by a pro-Trump mob have been speaking out about the \"medieval battle\" that unfolded on the steps of the Capitol and inside the halls of American democracy last week.\n\nPolice faced off against rioters equipped with clubs, shields, pitchforks, firearms, and metal poles stripped from seating set up for next week's inauguration.\n\nHere's what we've learned from their interviews with US media.\n\nMichael Fanone, a 40-year-old DC plainclothes narcotics detective who was told to wear his uniform that day, rushed to the West Terrace of the Capitol where he took turns holding back the crowd, and resting to rinse his face of the the chemical irritants that that crowd was spraying on police.\n\n\"We weren't battling 50 or 60 rioters in this tunnel,\" the MPD (Metropolitan Police Department of District of Columbia) veteran told the Washington Post. \"We were battling 15,000 people. It looked like a medieval battle scene.\"\n\nAfter he was grabbed by his helmet and dragged face-first down several steps, he said the crowd started stripping gear from his vest, including spare ammo, his radio and his badge - all while chanting \"USA!\".\n\nMichael Fanone, a DC detective, was dragged into the crowd and beaten\n\n\"We got one! We got one!\" Mr Fanone said he heard people shout, with others chanting: \"Kill him with his own gun!\"\n\nSome members of the crowd protected him after he started yelling that he has children, the father of four told CNN. He sustained only minor injuries but later found out in hospital that he had suffered a mild heart attack during the brawl.\n\nMPD Officer Daniel Hodges, 32, had already been on shift for several hours before the rioting began.\n\n\"We were battling, you know, tooth and nail for our lives,\" he told ABC News.\n\nIn one viral video, Mr Hodges is seen pinned in a glass doorway between officers and the crowd, as rioters strip his gas mask from his face and beat him with his own police-issued baton. One rioter tried to gouge his eyes.\n\n\"That was one of the three times that day where I thought: Well, this might be it,\" said Mr Hodges. \"This might be the end for me.\"\n\nAs he choked on tear gas, he is seen on video gasping for air to call out for help. Enough police were eventually able to push through the melee to extract him.\n\n\"I had conspiracy theorists and everyone you could think of yelling at me, saying, 'Why are you doing this, you're the traitor,'\" Mr Hodges told radio station WAMU.\n\n\"We're not the traitors. We're the ones who saved Congress that day, and we'll do it as many times as necessary.\"\n\nDespite fearing for his life, Mr Hodges says he decided not to use his gun on the crowd.\n\n\"I didn't want to be the guy who starts shooting, because I knew they had guns - we had been seizing guns all day,\" he told the Post.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nRobert Glover, the commander on scene for MPD, declared a riot at 13:50 local time, nearly two hours after Trump's speech at the White House where he instructed his followers to go to the Capitol.\n\nHe quickly told officers to retake the inauguration bleachers, to stop the crowd from raining down heavy objects on officers from above.\n\nMr Glover told the Post that some rioters may have been caught up in the moment, but others seemed to be moving in \"military formation\" as if they had prepared for the assault. He said that some appeared to be using hand signals to co-ordinate tactics.\n\nSeveral US military veterans, as well as off-duty police officers from Virginia, Maryland and Texas, have since been suspended or arrested for participating in the riot.\n\nMPD Officer Christina Laury, 32, was among the first city police officers to arrive on the scene. When she got to the Capitol, officers were already being brutally attacked by rioters attempting to storm the building.\n\n\"They had bear mace, which is literally used for bears. I got hit with it plenty of times that day and it just seals your eyes shut. You just would see officers going down trying to douse themselves with water, trying to open their eyes up so they can see again.\"\n\n\"The bravery and the heroism that I saw in these officers - the second they were able to open their eyes, they were back up front and they were just trying to stop these individuals from coming in.\"\n\nOne officer being lauded as a hero has yet to speak about his experience - Officer Eugene Goodman, a member of Congress' 2,100 member Capitol Police force.\n\nMr Goodman, an African American Iraq War veteran, was seen singlehandedly distracting a rampaging mob, giving lawmakers enough time to clear the chamber and get to safety.\n\nOn Thursday, a cross-party group of lawmakers introduced a bill calling for him to receive the Congressional Gold Medal for his effort to defend democracy.\n\nThe Capitol Police have been criticised over their response and preparation.\n\nSeveral top Capitol security officials, including the Capitol Police chief and the sergeants-at-arms for the House and Senate, resigned in the wake of the siege amid claims from lawmakers that they had not done enough to prepare for the mob.\n\nProtesters climbed the bleachers that were erected for Biden's inauguration\n\nOn Friday, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi announced General Russel Honoré would be leading an immediate investigation of the Capitol's security infrastructure.\n\nVideo footage has also emerged showing an officer taking a selfie with a rioter inside the Capitol. Some officers reportedly gave directions to rioters telling them how to get to the offices of Democratic lawmakers.\n\nSeveral Capitol Police officers have been suspended for allegedly violating policies as the agency conducts an internal probe.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nA respiratory doctor at Belfast's Mater Hospital has warned that hospital oxygen supplies are under \"extreme pressure\".\n\nDr Nick Magee also said more younger patients were now being treated in hospital than during the first and second waves of the Covid-19 pandemic.\n\nHe said in the past they did not have to consult other NI hospitals about how much oxygen they had.\n\n\"That was never a thing in previous January flu problems,\" he told the BBC.\n\n\"But that is something we are now having to think of,\" he added.\n\nEarlier this week Northern Ireland's Chief Medical Officer Dr Michael McBride said there is enough oxygen to cope with the current demand.\n\nBut according to Dr Magee the current level of oxygen being used in \"bays\" at the Mater means patients cannot charge their mobile phones by their bedside because of the \"fire risk\".\n\n\"It is all well controlled and we are making sure that we can share out that oxygen burden. That is something we are having to think about,\" he said.\n\n\"I can't say specifically about other regional hospitals but I know that they are under extreme pressure and it's just something we have to think of as a region.\n\n\"Can we supply oxygen adequately for the amounts of oxygen we are using in hospitals?\"\n\nThe number of Covid positive hospital in-patients has increased significantly since last week - up from 599 a week ago to 850 on Thursday.\n\nThe number of people in ICU has also risen from 44 to 58 in the past week.\n\nDr Magee said staff were concerned about having to cope with \"large volumes\" of patients requiring respiratory support.\n\nHe said the number of younger patients becoming increasingly sick with the virus was growing.\n\nOn Wednesday, the Mater Hospital moved six patients who had been on wards into ICU and also took patients from the Southern Health Trust.\n\n\"Recently I saw a 29-year-old patient, also three who were in their mid 30s that all required respiratory support on a ward,\" he told BBC News NI.\n\n\"They are frightened they are wearing specialist masks CPAP masks that help them breathe. They are scared.\"\n\nThe relentless pressure of the past 10 months and the prospect of a further surge in admissions over the next fortnight is weighing heavily on the minds of medics.\n\n\"We are really worried about next week,\" said Dr Magee.\n\n\"It's very busy this week, we are coping well but we are particularly concerned about next week.\n\n\"Normally, if we had somebody who needed a lot of respiratory support we would involve a high dependency unit but all the respiratory wards are becoming like high dependency units.\n\n\"Volume of sicker, younger patients is much greater and it's not something that I would [have] ever seen before,\" he added.\n\nThe Southern Health and Social Care Trust said its hospitals had limited infrastructure to manage high numbers of patients requiring oxygen so a regional agreement was in place to share resources across Trusts to support Covid-positive patients.\n\n\"As a result some patients have been diverted to Belfast or SE Trust to help reduce pressure on the Southern Trust hospital system,\" a statement said.\n\n\"Craigavon and Daisy Hill hospitals remain very busy with high numbers of Covid-19 positive patients who are dependent on oxygen therapy.\n\n\"These protocols are in place as part of regional surge planning to ensure that we can safely manage the current high volume of Covid-19 patients needing hospital care.\n\n\"Patients who are currently being treated in Craigavon and Daisy Hill have secure supplies of oxygen.\"", "Last updated on .From the section Derby\n\nChampionship side Derby County have appointed England's record goalscorer Wayne Rooney as their new manager on a two-and-a-half-year contract.\n\nThe 35-year-old, who had been in interim charge since Phillip Cocu was sacked on 14 November, has now also officially retired as a player.\n\nRooney has overseen nine games so far, winning three and drawing four.\n\n\"The opportunity to follow Brian Clough, Jim Smith, Frank Lampard and Phillip Cocu is an honour,\" he said.\n\n\"I knew instinctively Derby County was the place for me.\"\n\nLiam Rosenior takes up the role of assistant manager, with former England boss Steve McClaren continuing as technical director and advisor to the board of directors.\n\nShay Given will become first-team coach and Justin Walker will remain as first-team development coach.\n\nThe Rams are third from bottom in the Championship, level on points with fourth-from-bottom Sheffield Wednesday.\n\nA takeover for the club is expected to go through this week, with a deal between current owner Mel Morris and the Derventio Holdings Group having been agreed in November.\n\nRams chief executive Stephen Pearce said in an interview with BBC Radio Derby on Thursday that there were no problems with the takeover, despite the delays meaning players have not been paid their December wages.\n\n\"Our recent upturn in results under Wayne was married together with some positive performances, notably the 2-0 home win over Swansea City and the 4-0 victory at Birmingham City,\" said Pearce.\n\n\"During that nine-game run we also dramatically improved their defensive record and registered five clean sheets in the process, while in the attacking third we became more effective and ruthless too.\n\n\"Those foundations have provided a platform for the club to build on in the second half of the season.\"\n\nRooney made his professional debut for boyhood club Everton in August 2002 aged just 16 and became the Premier League's youngest scorer with a superb long-range goal against Arsenal before his 17th birthday.\n\nAfter a strong Euro 2004 he moved to Manchester United for £27m, then a world record fee for a teenager.\n\nDuring 13 years with United he won the Premier League five times, the Champions League, the FA Cup and three League Cups.\n\nHis time with England was less successful in terms of team honours, although he did break Sir Bobby Charlton's long-standing record of 49 goals before retiring from international football in August 2017.\n\nHe made a farewell appearance for the Three Lions against the United States in a friendly in November 2018 to finish with 53 goals in 120 appearances.\n\nAfter a second stint at Everton and a spell with American side DC United, Rooney joined Derby in January 2020 as a player-coach on an initial 18-month contract.\n\nHe retires as the second-highest goalscorer in Premier League history, with 208 goals.\n\nWayne Rooney's presence at Derby County was felt on that hot August evening in 2019 when Phillip Cocu won his first match as manager at Huddersfield, a result overshadowed by the announcement of his signing.\n\nRooney's ambition to become a manager was there for all to see when chairman Mel Morris afforded him the opportunity to be a player-coach on arrival in January. He in fact arrived a few months before that but was unable to play, and stayed low key, observing from the sidelines.\n\nA year ago this month he made an instant impact to Derby's fortunes on the field. Players who were underachieving and perhaps found the grind of the Championship a little hard to handle, were taken up a notch by his presence.\n\nSome would say Rooney saved the Rams' season, but this term he struggled on the field and so did Derby.\n\nI am told it was written into his contract that he would have a chance to take control one day and he has already shown in his nine games in interim charge that he can get the squad playing in his image. Gone is the side-to-side, slow build-up possession game, it is a better product to watch.\n\nThe people around him have good pedigree in the game. Shay Given, Liam Rosenior, Justin Walker and Jason Pearcey have experience at all levels - but his relationship with Steve McClaren will be the most important of all.\n\nDerby fans have been calling out for a positive piece of news. Rooney's appointment is the first duck in a row with the takeover expected to be completed any time now and then Championship survival is the hope.\n• None Hear how David Bowie always managed to stay ahead of his time\n• None Joe Wicks and guests are here to bring positivity to your day", "A man accused of allegedly tricking a 92-year-old woman out of £160 for a fake coronavirus vaccination has been charged with fraud and common assault.\n\nDavid Chambers is accused of administering the fake vaccine at her Surbiton home in London last month.\n\nThe 33-year-old, also from Surbiton, is charged with five offences including fraud and going outside in a tier four area without a good reason.\n\nHe denied the charges when he appeared before magistrates on Friday.\n\nMr Chambers was remanded in custody until a hearing on 12 February.\n\nIn the UK, coronavirus vaccines are free of charge and available via the NHS.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Marcus Rashford and a group of celebrity chefs and campaigners have called on Boris Johnson to review the government's free school meals policy.\n\nThe group, including Jamie Oliver, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Tom Kerridge, have written to the PM asking him to \"fix\" the system long-term.\n\nThey called for a strategy to help \"end child food poverty\" before the summer holidays.\n\nNo 10 said \"no child will ever go hungry\" because of the Covid pandemic.\n\nThe call for a wide review comes after another row over free school meals during February half-term.\n\nThe government has said food will be provided to children by councils under the Covid Winter Grant Scheme while schools are closed for the holiday.\n\nCouncils and unions say the government should provide food vouchers instead, with the Local Government Association's Councillor Richard Watts telling BBC Radio 4's PM programme the grant had already been allocated for other support.\n\nBut Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: \"We are down to semantics whether it is the school delivering the meal or whether it is the local authority - fortunately there is quite a lot of different support available.\"\n\nAs well as getting the backing of Rashford - who has led campaigns around child poverty over the course of the pandemic - the letter has been signed by chefs Oliver, Kerridge and Fearnley-Whittingstall, along with actor Dame Emma Thompson and over 40 charities and education leaders.\n\nOrganised by the Food Foundation charity, the letter said it was time to \"step back and review the policy in more depth\".\n\nThey called for an \"urgent comprehensive review into free school meal policy across the UK\" to feed into the government's next Spending Review, saying it should look at:\n\nThe signatories praised the Department for Education's \"swift response\" to reports earlier this week of inadequate food parcels sent to families, saying the \"robustness of the message from you and the secretary of state on this issue was very welcome\".\n\nBut, they added that \"following the series of problems which have arisen over school food vouchers, holiday provision and food parcels since the start of the pandemic\", now was the time for a review.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Tom Kerridge: There has to be a solution to free school meals\n\nAnna Taylor, executive director of the Food Foundation charity, said the last few months had seen \"crisis after crisis with the provision of free school meals\".\n\n\"The result of that is disadvantaged children have often paid the price,\" she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.\n\n\"Our view is that really unless we do a root and branch review these problems are going to still keep appearing.\"\n\nChef Fearnley-Whittingstall also called for a more consistent, long-term response to the issue of food poverty.\n\n\"We need to get out of this fire-fighting, highly reactive series of actions by the government,\" he told the same programme.\n\nThe signatories want a review to be published and debated in Parliament before the 2021 summer holidays.\n\n\"We are ready and willing to support your government in whatever way we can to make this review a reality and to help develop a set of recommendations that everyone can support,\" the letter said.\n\n\"School food is essential in supporting the health and learning of our most disadvantaged children.\n\n\"Now, at a time when children have missed months of in-school learning and the pandemic has reminded us of the importance of our health, this is a vital next step.\"\n\nAnti-poverty campaigner and food writer Jack Monroe welcomed the letter to the PM, but told the BBC: \"We need to be feeding children right now.\"\n\nShe added: \"While it is great to be looking longer term... having an underpinning strategy that means that children aren't put into poverty in the first place, we need to also immediately be putting resources in to ensure people aren't going hungry, today, tonight, next week and in the February half-term.\n\n\"This isn't a rhetorical thing. It isn't a dinner party discussion. We need to be doing this now.\"\n\nA Downing Street spokesperson said: \"It is great that celebrities and groups across society see the importance of school food. The PM thanks Marcus Rashford for his letter and will reply soon.\n\n\"School food is essential in supporting the health and learning of the most disadvantaged pupils. The prime minister has been clear that no child will ever go hungry as a result of the pandemic\".", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nRichard Leonard has resigned as Scottish Labour leader, saying it is in the best interests of the party for him to stand down.\n\nMr Leonard said he believed speculation about his leadership had become a \"distraction\".\n\nAnd he said he would be stepping down with immediate effect.\n\nHis resignation comes just months ahead of the Scottish Parliament election, which is scheduled to be held in May.\n\nMr Leonard had been leader of the party for three years after succeeding Kezia Dugdale.\n\nThe former union official had faced open calls to quit from some of his own MSPs last year amid concerns that his leadership style could damage the party in the forthcoming Scottish Parliament election.\n\nPolls have suggested that many Scottish Labour supporters struggle to recognise him, and he is closely associated with former UK Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.\n\nScottish Labour had dominated politics in Scotland for decades, but is currently the third largest party at Holyrood behind the SNP and Conservatives.\n\nAnd Mr Leonard's critics had questioned whether he was capable of turning the party's fortunes around.\n\nMr Leonard was seen as a close ally of former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn\n\nIn a statement, Mr Leonard said the decision to resign had not been easy - but he felt it was the right one for him and his party.\n\nHe said: \"I have thought long and hard over the Christmas period about what this crisis means, and the approach Scottish Labour takes to help tackle it.\n\n\"I have also considered what the speculation about my leadership does to our ability to get Labour's message across. This has become a distraction.\n\n\"I have come to the conclusion it is in the best interests of the party that I step aside as leader of Scottish Labour with immediate effect.\"\n\nHe also insisted that Scotland now needs a Labour government more than ever, and accused both the Scottish and UK governments of mishandling the coronavirus pandemic.\n\nMr Leonard added: \"While I step down from the leadership today, the work goes on - and I will play my constructive part as an MSP in winning support for Labour's vision of a better future in a democratic economy and a socialist society.\"\n\nHis decision leaves Scottish Labour looking for its fifth leader since the independence referendum in 2014 - with Johann Lamont, Jim Murphy and Kezia Dugdale all having held the job since then.\n\nA Procedures Committee, to oversee the election of Mr Leonard's successor, has been formed and will have its first meeting on Friday.\n\nMeanwhile, Labour's Scottish Executive Committee will also meet in the coming days to agree a timetable for the process.\n\nMSP Jackie Baillie, who was Scottish Labour's deputy leader, has taken charge of the party on an interim basis.\n\nThis sudden resignation four months from the Holyrood elections seems to have taken Scottish Labour by surprise.\n\nMSPs I've spoken to said they did not see it coming.\n\nThere have been times when Richard Leonard has been under severe pressure from some in his party to stand down.\n\nWhen several MSPs publicly called for him to quit because the party had gone backwards at successive elections on his watch, he stood firm.\n\nHis critics seemed to have accepted that he would lead them and a divided party into the Holyrood election.\n\nThat has now changed and interim leader Jackie Baillie has to quickly organise a contest to replace him.\n\nIt's a contest in which Anas Sarwar, if he stands, would be an obvious frontrunner - even although he lost last time to Mr Leonard, who was seen as much closer to the then UK party leader, Jeremy Corbyn.\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer said Mr Leonard should be \"very proud\" of his achievements as leader of the party in Scotland.\n\nSir Keir added: \"I would like to thank Richard for his service to our party and his unwavering commitment to the values he believes in.\n\n\"Richard has led Scottish Labour through one of the most challenging and difficult periods in our country's history, including a general election and the pandemic.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Neil Findlay MSP This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nMr Leonard had been due to face a confidence vote at the party's ruling Executive Committee last September - but the motion was withdrawn at the last minute.\n\nIt came after four Scottish Labour MSPs called for him to go, warning that the party faced \"catastrophe\" at the ballot box under his leadership.\n\nThey pointed to the party's dismal performance in previous elections under Mr Leonard.\n\nScottish Labour finished fifth in the European election in May 2019, and then lost all but one of its MPs in the general election in December of the same year.\n\nMr Leonard insisted at the time that he intended to lead the party into this year's Holyrood election, and accused his opponents of waging \"internal war\" against him.\n\nFirst Minister Nicola Sturgeon, who faced Mr Leonard in her weekly question session in the Scottish Parliament, tweeted that she had \"always liked Richard Leonard\" despite their political difference.\n\nShe added: \"He is a decent guy and I wish him well for the future.\"\n\nRuth Davidson, who quit as leader of the Scottish Tories in 2019 before returning to lead the party at Holyrood, said she had always found Mr Leonard to be a \"thoroughly decent man and a committed campaigner.\"\n\nAnas Sarwar, who was defeated by Mr Leonard in the leadership contest in 2017 and is seen as one of the favourites to replace him, said he was sure Mr Leonard would \"continue to fight for a fairer, more just and more equal society today, tomorrow and long into the future.\"\n\nBut Labour MSP Neil Findlay, an outspoken supporter of Mr Leonard, took aim at those who had sought to oust him last year - describing them as \"flinching cowards\" and \"sneering traitors\".", "A rejuvenated Northumberland Line will help connect local communities to Newcastle city centre, say supporters\n\nTwo railway lines, closed to passengers since the 1960s, are to get almost £800m funding from the government.\n\nEast West Rail, which will eventually connect Oxford and Cambridge, will get £760m to open new parts of the line.\n\nThe Northumberland Line, which still carries freight, will get £34m for initial work aimed at reintroducing passenger services.\n\nReopening closed lines like these would help connect \"left-behind\" communities, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said.\n\n\"Restoring railways helps put communities back on the map and this investment forms part of our nationwide effort to build back vital connections and unlock access to jobs, education and housing,\" he said.\n\nThese investments would return these routes \"to their former glory\" and was part of the government's \"levelling up\" agenda, Mr Shapps added.\n\nDiesel engines will initially run on the lines, but Mr Shapps said he hoped more environmentally friendly trains, for example powered by hydrogen or new battery technology, would replace them in the future.\n\nWhen asked by the BBC why the lines wouldn't be electrified, he said these lines might potentially bypass the overhead wire technology altogether.\n\n\"We're building it in such a way that we can use, probably, the very latest technology, potentially, in the future,\" he said.\n\n\"The most important thing is the infrastructure,\" he said. \"It's about building the stations, things you need to do no matter what kind of train you're going to run on there, if it's going to take passengers.\"\n\nBut Labour MP Daniel Zeichner, who represents Cambridge, said: \"Every rail expert will tell you it will cost more later to electrify a line.\"\n\n\"In a time of climate emergency, we really shouldn't be building railway lines for diesel, it's got to be electric.\"\n\nThe line connecting Oxford and Cambridge would serve new housing developments, he said, and rail was \"the right way to get people in and out of a city like Cambridge\".\n\n\"It's very important for the UK economy, but it's got to be done in an environmentally sustainable way,\" he said. \"It seems crazy to be building new railways which aren't electrified in the first place, and I really hope the government will reconsider.\"\n\nThe East West Rail investment will rebuild a train line between Bicester and Bletchley which was closed in 1968.\n\nThe project is being delivered by a publicly-owned body called the East West Company.\n\nThe first phase of East West Rail, which was completed in 2016, connected Oxford and Bicester.\n\nBut at the moment, rail passengers wishing to go from Oxford to Bletchley have to take a detour via Coventry.\n\nThe aim is to get trains running between Oxford and Bletchley by 2025, with new stations at Winslow and Bletchley.\n\nThe Department for Transport said the works will create 1,500 jobs, and have a wider economic benefit for the area.\n\nThe eventual aim of the project, which the government expects to be completed by the end of the decade, is to connect Oxford and Cambridge by rail via Bedford, taking in Milton Keynes and Aylesbury on branches.\n\nThe Northumberland Line was closed to passengers in 1964 as part of a rationalisation of the railway network known as the Beeching cuts.\n\nHenri Murison, director of the Northern Powerhouse Partnership, said the Northumberland Line was \"a really critical piece of local infrastructure\" that would help bring people in south east Northumberland and north Tyneside closer to Newcastle city centre, and closer to well-paid jobs.\n\nPassengers would be able to take the train between Ashington and Newcastle\n\n\"Having better connectivity will help attract businesses to that area, and it will help to deliver genuine levelling-up,\" he said.\n\nThe new £34m investment, which aims to reopen the line between Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Ashington, will include funds for preparatory works and land acquisition.\n\nThere are plans for new stations at at Ashington, Bedlington, Blyth, Bebside, Newsham, Seaton Delaval, and Northumberland Park, in North Tyneside, as well as upgrades to the track and changes to level crossings where new bridges or underpasses were needed, the Department for Transport said.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Supporters of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny protest against his arrest across Russia\n\nRussian police have detained more than 3,000 people in a crackdown on protests in support of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, monitors say.\n\nTens of thousands of people defied a heavy police presence to join some of the largest rallies against President Vladimir Putin in years.\n\nIn Moscow, riot police were seen beating and dragging away protesters.\n\nMr Navalny, President Putin's most high-profile critic, called for protests after his arrest last Sunday.\n\nHe was detained after he flew back to Moscow from Berlin, where he had been recovering from a near-fatal nerve agent attack in Russia last August.\n\nOn his return, he was immediately taken into custody and found guilty of violating parole conditions. He says it is a trumped-up case designed to silence him.\n\nOVD Info, an independent NGO that monitors rallies, said about 3,100 people had been detained, more than 1,200 of them in Moscow alone. The Kremlin has not commented.\n\nThe unauthorised demonstrations were held in about 100 cities and towns from Russia's Far East and Siberia to Moscow and St Petersburg. Protesters ranged from teenage students to elderly people who demanded Mr Navalny's release.\n\nAt least 40,000 people joined a rally in central Moscow, Reuters news agency estimated. But Russia's interior ministry put the number of protesters at 4,000.\n\nObservers say the scale of the demonstrations across the country was unprecedented while the protest in the capital was the largest in almost a decade.\n\nRiot police used batons against protesters in Moscow\n\nIn the city's Pushkin square, some protesters chanted \"Freedom to Navalny\" and \"Putin go away!\" One woman told the BBC she had decided to join the demonstration because \"Russia has been turned into a prison camp\".\n\nSergei Radchenko, a 53-year-old protester in Moscow, told Reuters: \"I'm tired of being afraid. I haven't just turned up for myself and Navalny, but for my son because there is no future in this country.\"\n\nLyubov Sobol, a prominent aide of Mr Navalny who had already been fined for urging Russians to join the protests, tweeted a video of police roughly pulling her away from an interview with reporters.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Соболь Любовь This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nMr Navalny's wife, Yulia, was briefly held at the rally. She posted an image on her Instagram account with the caption: \"Apologies for the poor quality. Very bad light in the police van.\"\n\nSome protesters marched on the high-security prison where Mr Navalny is being held, and many were arrested.\n\nMeanwhile, one independent news source, Sota, said at least 3,000 people had joined a demonstration in the city of Vladivostok, but local authorities there put the figure at 500.\n\nAFP footage showed riot police running into a crowd, and beating some of the protesters with batons.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Police used batons to break up protests in Vladivostok\n\nIn the Siberian city of Yakutsk, attendees at a small protest saw temperatures dip as low as -50C (-58F).\n\nPrior to the rallies, Russian authorities had promised a tough crackdown. Several of Mr Navalny's close aides, including his spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh, were arrested earlier in the week.\n\nHis supporters called for more protests next weekend.\n\nThere were reports of disruption to mobile phone and internet coverage on Saturday, though it is not known if this was related to the protests.\n\nThe social media app TikTok had been flooded with videos promoting the demonstrations and sharing viral messages about Mr Navalny.\n\nIn response, Russia's official media watchdog, Roskomnadzor, demanded that TikTok take down any information \"encouraging minors to act illegally\", threatening large fines. The education ministry had told parents not to allow their children to attend any demonstrations.\n\nProtesters ignored extreme cold and threats of arrest in Moscow and other cities and towns\n\nIn a push to gain support ahead of the protests, Mr Navalny's team released a video about a luxury Black Sea resort that they allege belongs to President Putin - an accusation denied by the Kremlin. The video has been watched by more than 65 million people.\n\nThe UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, condemned the \"use of violence against peaceful protesters and journalists\" on Saturday, calling on the authorities to release those detained during peaceful demonstrations.\n\nThe US state department condemned what it called \"harsh tactics\" used against protesters and journalists, saying: \"We call on Russian authorities to release all those detained for exercising their universal rights and for the immediate and unconditional release of Aleksey Navalny\".\n\nThe EU foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said the bloc's foreign ministers would discuss the Russian crackdown on Monday. \"I deplore widespread detentions, disproportionate use of force, cutting down internet and phone connections.\"", "Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic. We'll have another update for you on Sunday morning.\n\nSenior doctors have asked England's chief medical officer to halve the current 12-week gap between the first and second doses of the Pfizer-Biontech Covid-19 vaccine. The wait was originally three weeks but was then extended, a decision which Prof Chris Whitty said would double the number of people receiving jabs. But, in a letter seen by the BBC, the British Medical Association said the delay was \"difficult to justify\". It comes after the prime minister revealed the UK variant of Covid-19 may be more deadly.\n\nEfforts to distribute the jab in the European Union have faced another setback after UK drug-maker AstraZeneca warned of supply issues. Vaccinations have already been halted in some parts of Europe due to a cut in deliveries of the Pfizer vaccine. Cases in many European countries are surging. Germany has reached 50,000 Covid deaths and Spain has seen record infections in recent weeks.\n\nElizabeth Kerr and Simon O'Brien were engaged to be married when they were taken to hospital in the same ambulance with Covid-19. As his condition worsened, staff at Milton Keynes University Hospital rallied to arrange a wedding for them - and they were able to marry moments before he was sedated and put on a ventilator. Mrs Kerr said she was told it could be their only chance.\"Those are words I never, ever want to hear again,\" she said.\n\nElizabeth Kerr and Simon O'Brien were married moments before he was put on a mechanical ventilator\n\nOn 23 January last year, the Chinese authorities severed transport links out of Wuhan and confined the city's population to their homes. Wuhan has long since recovered from the world's first outbreak of Covid-19. Its streets are bustling again. A year on, John Sudworth explores how it is now being remembered not as a disaster but as a victory, and with an insistence that the virus came from somewhere - anywhere - else.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The BBC's Robin Brant visits the Wuhan market where Covid-19 was first traced\n\nMillions of us are less physically active than we were before Covid-19. For those working from home, days on end can be spent hunched over a laptop without ever leaving the house. A survey of people working remotely, by Opinium for the charity Versus Arthritis, found 81% of respondents were experiencing some back, neck or shoulder pain. Here are some tips that could help.\n\nYou can find more information, advice and guides on our coronavirus page.\n\nWondering when you might be able to get a vaccine? Health reporter Philippa Roxby takes you through what you need to know.\n\nWhat questions do you have about coronavirus?\n\nIn some cases, your question will be published, displaying your name, age and location as you provide it, unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published. Please ensure you have read our terms & conditions and privacy policy.\n\nUse this form to ask your question:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or send them via email to YourQuestions@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any question you send in.", "Questions should be asked if politicians who drank on Welsh Parliament premises during a pub alcohol ban can stand for re-election, an ex-standards official has said.\n\nSenedd Tory leader Paul Davies, Darren Millar and Labour's Alun Davies have apologised - they are not thought to have broken the rules, but the two Tories admitted it would not be seen as in their spirit.\n\nA fourth Senedd Member Nick Ramsay has denied being part of the gathering.", "Amy says her flat isn't worth anything until it is made safe\n\nThe government's fund to pay for the removal of dangerous cladding is woefully inadequate, oversubscribed and taking too long to make buildings safe, campaigners say.\n\nMore than three and a half years since the Grenfell Tower fire which killed 72 people, an estimated 700,000 people are still living in high-rise blocks with flammable cladding.\n\nThe £1.6bn Building Safety Programme was set up in 2019. Concerns have emerged about the contract that the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government requires applicants to the fund, usually managing agents or building owners, to sign.\n\nA clause in the contract, seen by the BBC, indicates applicants will be financially liable for any repair work not covered by the fund.\n\nThe BBC has learnt that some managing agents are refusing to sign the document, further delaying the repair work, and have written to the government asking ministers to clarify the position.\n\nChristian Hansen, a solicitor at Bindmans LLP specialising in housing law and fire safety claims, said the contract showed that \"there's going to be a significant shortfall between the costs of the [repair] works that are required and the funding provided under the scheme\".\n\n\"Someone is going to need to pick up the bill and pay the difference. This contract makes clear it's going to be the leaseholders and for many, this could be tens of thousands of pounds, potentially ruinous costs,\" he warned.\n\nMr Hansen said that leaseholders wanted the focus of government action \"to be on the manufacturers of the defective materials and construction companies who built these buildings\".\n\n\"At the moment, they are the ones profiting from putting people's lives at risk.\"\n\n\"It is absolutely terrifying knowing that you are stuck here,\" says Amy\n\nFirst-time buyer Amy Cottenden, who is 28, bought a one-bed flat in Metis Tower in the centre of Sheffield for £85,000 in 2017.\n\nInspections of the 14-storey building in the wake of the Grenfell Tower tragedy revealed it had the same type of flammable ACM cladding and other safety faults.\n\nWork to remove the cladding started last month, but Ms Cottenden, who is a frontline NHS health worker, is frustrated at what she describes as a lack of progress.\n\n\"The pace of work is extremely slow. So far, they've put scaffolding up and removed three panels. They have told us it's going to take between 12 and 24 months just to take the cladding off,\" she said.\n\n\"It is absolutely terrifying knowing that you are stuck here. With lockdown, they are saying not to go out, but you are in a building where all you want to do is not be in it. You can't leave. You can't sell. My flat isn't worth anything until it is made safe.\"\n\nWhile the government's Building Safety Fund is paying for the Grenfell-style cladding to be removed, the building has other fire safety faults, including missing fire breaks, that aren't covered by the scheme.\n\nIt could cost up to £6m to fix. Flat owners fear they may face huge bills of up to £50,000 each.\n\n\"We can't pay it and we shouldn't have to pay it. It is not our fault. We could all go bankrupt because of this,\" Ms Cottenden said.\n\nA spokesperson for Rendall & Rittner, the company which manages Metis Tower, said government funding to remove ACM cladding had been approved totalling £6.3m.\n\nHowever, an application to the same fund to pay for the removal of other types of unsafe cladding was rejected and the company has appealed against that decision.\n\nThe company added: \"We understand and sympathise with residents and owners about the uncertainty that this situation is causing and will do all we can to assist.\"\n\nWhat started as a cladding scandal has now become a much wider building safety crisis, exposing decades of regulatory failure.\n\nSafety inspections have revealed that many buildings have other serious faults, including missing fire breaks, flammable balconies and defective insulation. None of that is covered by the government's Building Safety Fund.\n\nDr Nigel Glen, the chief executive of ARMA, the trade association for residential leasehold management, said the additional costs that leaseholders were currently facing for non-cladding-related issues remained a huge concern.\n\n\"In the longer term, the draining of reserve funds will also mean that in the years to come, any major works that were being saved up for, such as a new roof or lift repairs, will have to be funded anew by the leaseholders,\" he added.\n\nA spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said that despite the pandemic, significant progress had been made to remove dangerous cladding, but \"building safety remains the responsibility of the building owner and we expect them to ensure any necessary work is carried out safely and effectively\".\n\n\"All applicants to the Building Safety Fund are told the amount of funding they have been awarded before being asked to sign contracts - this is clearly explained in the guidance,\" the spokesperson added.", "Scientists say signs a new coronavirus variant is more deadly than the earlier version should not be a \"game changer\" in the UK's response to the pandemic.\n\nBoris Johnson has said there is \"some evidence\" the variant may be associated with \"a higher degree of mortality\".\n\nBut the co-author of the study the PM was referring to said the variant's deadliness remained an \"open question\".\n\nAnother adviser said he was surprised Mr Johnson had shared the findings when the data was \"not particularly strong\".\n\nA third top medic said it was \"too early\" to be \"absolutely clear\".\n\nAt a Downing Street coronavirus news conference on Friday, the prime minister said: \"In addition to spreading more quickly, it also now appears that there is some evidence that the new variant - the variant that was first identified in London and the South East - may be associated with a higher degree of mortality.\"\n\nSpeaking alongside the PM, the government's chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance said there was \"a lot of uncertainty around these numbers\" but that early evidence suggested the variant could be about 30% more deadly.\n\nFor example, Sir Patrick said if 1,000 men in their 60s were infected with the old variant, roughly 10 of them would be expected to die - but this rises to about 13 with the new variant.\n\nThe announcement followed a briefing by scientists on the government's New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (Nervtag) which concluded there was a \"realistic possibility\" that the variant was associated with an increased risk of death.\n\nBut one of the briefing's co-authors, Prof Graham Medley, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: \"The question about whether it is more dangerous in terms of mortality I think is still open.\"\n\n\"In terms of making the situation worse it is not a game changer. It is a very bad thing that is slightly worse,\" added Prof Medley, who is a professor of infectious disease modelling at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.\n\nAnother 1,348 deaths within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test were reported in the UK on Saturday, in addition to 33,552 new infections, according to the government's coronavirus dashboard.\n\nThere is huge uncertainty in the evidence on how lethal the variant is.\n\nThe scientific experts that reviewed the data used a precise phrase saying it was a \"realistic possibility\" the new variant is more deadly.\n\nThat means there's a roughly 50-50 chance it will turn out to be true.\n\nWith time, and sadly more deaths, the picture will become clearer.\n\nWhile people debate the uncertainties though, we already know this variant has the ability to kill more people than the old ones.\n\nA virus that spreads faster (this one is 30-70% faster) will infect more people, more quickly, putting a greater strain on hospitals and leading to a sharper spike in deaths.\n\nIt is why viruses becoming more transmissible can be a bigger problem than ones becoming more deadly.\n\nNervtag's chairman Prof Peter Horby defended the government's \"transparency\" in making the announcement.\n\n\"Scientists are looking at the possibility that there is increased severity... and after a week of looking at the data we came to the conclusion that it was a realistic possibility,\" he said.\n\n\"We need to be transparent about that. If we were not telling people about this we would be accused of covering it up.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Sir Patrick Vallance: \"There is evidence that there's an increased risk for those who have the new variant\"\n\nBut Dr Mike Tildesley, a member of Sage subgroup the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling (Spi-M), agreed it was too early to draw \"strong conclusions\" as the suggested increased mortality rates were based on \"a relatively small amount of data\".\n\nHe told BBC Breakfast he was \"actually quite surprised\" Mr Johnson had made the early findings public rather than monitoring the data \"for a week or two more\".\n\n\"I just worry that where we report things pre-emptively where the data are not really particularly strong,\" Dr Tildesley added.\n\nPublic Health England medical director Dr Yvonne Doyle also said it was not \"absolutely clear\" the new variant was more deadly than the original.\n\n\"There is some evidence, but it is very early evidence. It is small numbers of cases and it is far too early to say,\" she told the Today programme.\n\nMeanwhile, senior doctors are calling on England's chief medical officer to cut the gap between the first and second doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine.\n\nThe British Medical Association told Prof Chris Whitty an extension to the maximum gap between jab from three weeks to 12 weeks, to get the first dose to more people, was \"difficult to justify\".", "In 2002 Julienne created a motor stunt show that ran for many years at Disney theme parks in Paris and Florida. Image caption: In 2002 Julienne created a motor stunt show that ran for many years at Disney theme parks in Paris and Florida.\n\nRémy Julienne, one of the world's best-known stuntmen, has died in France with coronavirus, aged 90.\n\nOver a 50-year career, Julienne devised the crashes, crunches and collisions witnessed in more than 1,400 films.\n\nHe also starred in many of them, albeit anonymously.\n\nThe legendary cascadeur (stunt performer) appeared as a body double for a host of stars, including Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Charles Bronson and Jean-Paul Belmondo.\n\nIn wig and appropriate clothing, he also took on the form of Sophia Loren, Carole Bouquet and Gina Lollobrigida.\n\nAmong his most famous works are the chase scenes in 1969's The Italian Job, in which a fleet of Mini-Coopers in Turin cross a river, dive into the metro and jump from the roof of the Fiat factory.\n\nHe also worked on six Bond films, notably going behind the wheel of a battered yellow Citroën 2CV in For Your Eyes Only.\n\nA life-long lover of motorbikes and anything driven at speed, Julienne specialised in spectacular destruction. But he was committed to the maximum elimination of risk and calculated his stunts with extreme precision.\n\n\"What is beautiful about the job is that you can never be 100% certain,\" he said. \"If you could, then frankly it wouldn't be interesting.", "Keon Lincoln died after being subjected to \"inconceivable violence\"\n\nA second boy has been arrested on suspicion of murdering a 15-year-old who was attacked by a group of youths.\n\nKeon Lincoln was \"set upon\" at about 15:30 GMT on Thursday on Linwood Road in Handsworth, Birmingham, and died later in hospital, police said.\n\nA 14-year-old boy was arrested at a Birmingham address on Friday and is in custody, said West Midlands Police.\n\nAnother 14-year-old, arrested earlier on Friday, also remains in custody.\n\nDet Ch Insp Alastair Orencas, who is leading a murder inquiry, said Keon died \"in the most violent of circumstances\".\n\nThe latest arrest was \"another step forward and Keon's family have been fully updated with this latest development,\" he said.\n\n\"This is a challenging investigation given the number of offenders we believe were involved, but I have a dedicated team of officers working 24/7 to identify those involved and we are making swift progress.\"\n\nKeon was attacked on Linwood Road, a residential street in the Handsworth area of Birmingham\n\nThe attackers fled the scene in a car which crashed into a house a short distance away. Police have seized the vehicle.\n\nCordons placed at the scene in Linwood Road and Wheeler Street, where the car was abandoned, have now been lifted, said the West Midlands force.\n\nPolice confirmed Keon, who lived locally, was attacked with weapons but did not specify which sort.\n\nDetectives say they are unable to say how he died before a post-mortem examination takes place.\n\nAnyone who could identify the attackers has been urged to contact the force.\n\nFollow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Police released body-worn camera footage of people streaming from the premises\n\nTwo officers were injured as they broke up an \"incredibly selfish\" party, involving about 200 people, in one of London's most expensive neighbourhoods.\n\nOfficers investigated an address on Beauchamp Place, Kensington, at about 03.30 GMT on 17 January, following reports of a mass gathering.\n\nAttendees became hostile and pushed through to avoid being fined, injuring two officers, police said.\n\nThe owner has previously been issued with a £1,000 fine, police said.\n\nPolice discovered about 200 guests at a party on Beauchamp Place, Kensington\n\nSupt Michael Walsh said: \"Attending or organising such parties during this critical period is an incredibly selfish decision to make.\n\n\"While the majority of breaches have been resolved without incident, it deeply saddens me that some individuals have chosen to assault police who are simply doing their part in the collective battle against this deadly virus.\"\n\nPolice said the event was one of a string of late-night parties uncovered in Kensington over the last month.\n\nOn 20 December, police shut down an illegal gathering at a commercial property on Montpelier Street. The property has since been closed.\n\nAn owner of a venue on Harrow Road is facing a £10,000 fine after police found more than 30 socialising during a raid on 16 January.\n\nOn Thursday, police also broke up a wedding party in north London.\n\nThe Met Police originally claimed about 400 guests were at the gathering, but then on Friday said 150 people were present at the Yesodey Hatorah Senior Girls' School.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "The number of coronavirus patients on mechanical ventilation in the UK has passed 4,000 for the first time in the pandemic.\n\nA total of 4,076 Covid patients were in ventilator beds as of Friday, according to government data.\n\nThat is higher than during the first wave, when the peak was 3,301 on 12 April.\n\nIt comes as another 1,348 deaths and 33,552 new infections were reported on Saturday.\n\nThe UK's chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, told a Downing Street news briefing on Friday: \"The death rate's awful and it's going to stay, I'm afraid, high for a little while before it starts coming down.\"\n\nMeanwhile, new figures show that a record number of seriously-ill Covid patients are being transferred from over-stretched hospitals because of a lack of bed space.\n\nAbout 1 in 10 patients admitted to intensive care are being sent to a different site, according to the body which audits critical care services.\n\nIn a series of reports in the past week, the BBC's Clive Myrie has been to a mortuary and the Royal London Hospital, where 12 out of 15 floors are occupied by Covid patients and staff are struggling to cope.\n\nMartin Freeborn's wife Helen, 64, died with Covid-19 at the hospital shortly before he spoke to the BBC.\n\nMr Freeborn urged people to \"be over-careful\" in taking precautions to stay safe from the virus because \"you don't want this to happen\".\n\n\"Nobody wants to go through this... Don't end up like us, please,\" he added.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Martin Freeborn's wife, Helen, died from Covid at the Royal London Hospital: 'Don't end up like us, please'\n\nThe number of people in mechanical ventilation beds has climbed every day since 18 December when it was 1,364 and now stands at 4,076.\n\nIt is one of the key figures the government considers when deciding its policy on when to ease coronavirus lockdown restrictions.\n\nWhen the pandemic first struck the UK, the government saw what had happened in hospitals in China and Italy and prioritised the provision of ventilators in British hospitals.\n\nIt set about buying as many ventilators as possible, and encouraged British manufacturers to design the machines to build stocks to cope with the worst-case Covid scenario. In September last year, a report found the NHS now had 30,000 ventilators available - about one for every 2,200 people in the UK.\n\nPeople in hospital are also being treated differently from the early days of the pandemic - which may explain why figures suggest slightly more people go on to recover after being on ventilation than back in March, April and May.\n\nA number of drugs are being tested as possible treatments for people with the disease, the BBC's health and science correspondent James Gallagher has said.\n\nThey include the steroid dexamethasone, which has been shown to reduce the risk of death by a third for ventilated patients and by a fifth for those on oxygen. Encouraging results have also been reported from two anti-inflammatory medications, tocilizumab and sarilumab.\n\nDr Ami Jones, intensive care consultant at Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, in Wales, said there had been \"carnage\" for the \"last few weeks\".\n\nSpeaking whilst on shift, she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: \"We're maybe at 150% capacity and I know London are much worse than that.\n\n\"We've a steady stream of fit, young patients requiring critical care and sadly we're losing some of those patients.\n\n\"We lost a patient overnight and I've replaced them with a patient of similar age.\n\n\"It's heartbreaking - and it's been going on for weeks and weeks and we haven't seen any kind of stop yet.\"\n\nDr Jones said the average Covid patient stays in hospital between two to four weeks \"and it really puts them through it\".\n\nShe added: \"You really want people who are going to be able to survive that three or four weeks and actually come out the other end and make a good recovery.\n\n\"We're not stopping people having care but we're giving it to the people we feel have the best chance of getting through what is a horrific situation we're going to put them through.\"\n\nDr Jones said nurses are \"broken\", both physically, from months of long shifts in personal protective equipment (PPE), and emotionally - partly due to the impact of the virus on them, their families and the community.\n\nDr Rupert Pearse, consultant in intensive care medicine at a London hospital, speaking on behalf of the Intensive Care Society, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that a \"huge number\" of patients were still attending hospital.\n\nHe said: \"Whilst we know the infection rate has probably now peaked, and we can be hopeful to soon be sure we've hit a hospital admissions peak, admissions to ICU [the intensive care unit] usually lag 48 hours behind that.\n\n\"So we're still very very worried that we're being pushed right up to the wire in terms of the resources we're able to deliver for patient care.\"\n\nDr Pearse added that there were three or four times more critical care beds in some hospitals than they would usually have.\n\nHe said: \"I can remember a time when it would take years for an intensive care unit to negotiate one extra bed on a complement of 14 or 15 beds.\n\n\"We, within a few weeks, have massively increased the number of beds and finding the staff - most importantly of all - to deliver that has been a huge logistical exercise.\"\n\nReacting to the ventilation figures, Dr Charlotte Hopkins, deputy chief medical officer for Barts Health NHS trust in east London, said on Twitter there had been a \"fast-paced increase\" since 18 December, and that more than a third of the 4,076 ventilated patients were in London.\n\nIt comes as some scientists said that signs a new Covid variant is more deadly than the earlier version should not be a \"game changer\" in the UK's response to the pandemic.\n\nPrime Minister Boris Johnson said on Friday that there was \"some evidence\" the variant that emerged in the UK may be associated with \"a higher degree of mortality\".\n\nBut Prof Graham Medley, the co-author of the study the PM was referring to, said the variant's deadliness remained an \"open\" question.\n\nDr Mike Tildesley, a member of Sage subgroup the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling (Spi-M), said he was \"surprised\" Mr Johnson had shared the findings when the data was \"not particularly strong\".\n\nPublic Health England medical director Dr Yvonne Doyle said it was \"too early\" to be \"absolutely clear\".\n\n\"There is some evidence, but it is very early evidence. It is small numbers of cases and it is far too early to say,\" she told the Today programme.\n\nUp to and including 22 January, 5,861,351 people have now had their first Covid jab and 468,617 have had their second dose.\n\nSenior doctors are calling on England's chief medical officer to cut the gap between the first and second doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine.\n\nThe British Medical Association told Prof Chris Whitty an extension to the maximum gap between jab from three weeks to 12 weeks, to get the first dose to more people, was \"difficult to justify\".\n\nThe UK's four chief medical officers have previously defended the delay to the second jab in a letter to medical staff, saying: \"unvaccinated people are far more likely to end up severely ill, hospitalised [or] in some cases dying\".", "Even while posted at the US Capitol, many troops have been seen sleeping on the floor\n\nUS President Joe Biden has apologised after some members of the National Guard stationed at the Capitol were pictured sleeping in a car park.\n\nMore than 25,000 troops were deployed to Washington DC for his inauguration after violence earlier this month.\n\nImages spread on Thursday showing them forced to rest in a nearby parking garage after lawmakers returned.\n\nThe conditions sparked anger among politicians, and some state governors recalled troops over the controversy.\n\nMr Biden called the chief of the National Guard Bureau on Friday to apologise and ask what could be done, according to US media reports.\n\nFirst Lady Jill Biden also visited some of the troops to thank them personally, bringing biscuits from the White House as a gift.\n\n\"I just wanted to come today to say thank you to all of you for keeping me and my family safe,\" she said.\n\nThe photographs showing hundreds of troops in a parking garage went viral on Thursday and sparked outrage, including from members of Congress.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Tim Scott This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nMany voiced concerns about the conditions, with guardsmen exposed to car fumes and without proper access to facilities like toilets after having been on alert for days.\n\nImages of the cramped conditions also sparked fears about the spread of coronavirus.\n\nA US official, speaking anonymously to Reuters news agency, said on Friday that between 100 and 200 of those deployed had tested positive for Covid-19. The figure - which would represent a small proportion of the more than 25,000 deployed, has not been publicly confirmed.\n\nChuck Schumer, a Democrat and the new Senate majority leader, said that the move was \"an outrage\" and pledged it \"will never happen again\".\n\nRon DeSantis, Florida's governor, was among those who said he had ordered guards from his state to return home following the controversy.\n\n\"This is a half-cocked mission at this point and the appropriate thing is to bring them home,\" he told Fox News on Friday.\n\nThe Senate Rules Committee is also investigating the issue, Senator Roy Blunt told Politico.\n\nThere are conflicting reports about why the troops were moved from the Capitol.\n\nA National Guard spokesman told US media they were moved on Thursday afternoon at the request of the Capitol Police because of \"increased foot traffic\" as Congress came back into session.\n\nThe acting chief of the Capitol Police, Yogananda Pittman, later said her agency \"did not instruct the National Guard to vacate the Capitol Building facilities\", while two officers contradicted her statement in comments to the Associated Press news agency.\n\nThe decision was reversed later on Thursday, when the troops were allowed to return to the Capitol.\n\nA joint statement from the US National Guard and US Capitol Police on Friday said they had worked together to make sure those in the Capitol Complex had \"appropriate spaces\" to take on-duty breaks.\n\nThey also said off-duty troops were being housed in hotel rooms or other accommodation and thanked members of Congress for their concern.\n\nSome 19,000 guardsmen will return to their home states in the coming days with about 7,000 expected to stay on in Washington, according to the New York Times.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Relatives of older people in Wales called the vaccinations \"poorly organised\"\n\nRural GPs are to run new community vaccination centres after concerns over the speed of the roll-out in Wales.\n\nFrom Saturday, three new vaccination hubs will open to give over-80s and those with mobility issues the jab.\n\nIt comes after some living in rural areas said they had been told to travel miles to get the jab or wait weeks to have their first dose.\n\nHealth Minister Vaughan Gething said it would help immunise hundreds of over-80s this weekend.\n\nThere has been criticism of the speed of the roll-out in Wales, with some telling the BBC elderly and housebound relatives had been told there would be a wait if they could not get to their GP surgery.\n\nA total of 212,317 people have been given their first dose of vaccine in Wales, up to 21 January - just over 6.7% of the population.\n\nThe Welsh Government hopes to have 70% of over-80s immunised by the end of this weekend.\n\nBy 21 January, 30% of the over-80s and 60% of care home residents had been given the first dose.\n\nOn Saturday, the Welsh Government announced doctors surgeries in rural areas would join forces to help administer the jab to the elderly and vulnerable.\n\nThe first of the new community centres, run by clusters of GP practices, are to open on the Llyn Peninsula, in Buckley in Flintshire, and Bridgend.\n\nThey will be able to administer both the Pfizer-BioNTech and the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccines.\n\nUntil now, the Pfizer vaccine could only be administered at special mass-vaccination centres, due to the low temperatures it needs to be stored at.\n\nThe Welsh Government said it hoped 3,000 people would get the vaccine administered at the centres this weekend.\n\nHealth Minister Vaughan Gething said: \"Vaccination is our top priority so I want to thank all the GP practices right across Wales that are working in unison to set up these new community vaccination centres.\n\n\"This enables GPs to use both of the vaccines available to us and will help more people to be vaccinated somewhere that is much closer to home than the large vaccination centres.\n\n\"Every week, our vaccination programme speeds up as more centres are opened and more vaccines are available for the small army of healthcare professionals administering vaccines.\"\n\nIn north Wales, a group of GPs have formed a group to deliver about 1,000 vaccines to elderly and vulnerable people.\n\nDr Eilir Hughes, a GP at Ty Doctor Surgery, Gwynedd, said rural GPs had faced a \"real challenge\" to get the most vulnerable patients vaccinated as soon as possible.\n\nThe surgery is about 50 miles away from the nearest vaccination centre in north-west Wales.\n\nHe said bringing three GP practices together to vaccinate hundreds of patients in two days was a \"Herculean effort\".", "Helen White's lighting business is struggling to absorb a six-fold increase in freight costs.\n\n\"We were paying £1,600 per container in November, this month we've been quoted over £10,000,\" says Helen White.\n\nThe founder of start-up Houseof.com, which imports lighting from China, says the rise in shipping costs means she's making a loss on what she sells.\n\nShe's one of many UK importers facing soaring freight costs amid a global shipping crisis that may last months.\n\nA shortage of empty shipping containers in Asia and bottlenecks at the UK's deep sea ports are behind the problems.\n\nIt was hoped the backlogs could be cleared during the Chinese New Year holiday in February, but instead a coronavirus outbreak in China is adding to the uncertainty facing firms.\n\nIn the UK the difficulties in international shipping have coincided with problems faced by businesses trading with the EU after Brexit.\n\nOne Manchester-based freight forwarder said the logistics industry is facing the most challenging conditions he's seen in the 17 years he's been in the business.\n\nCraig Poole from Cardinal Maritime said during lockdowns, people have been turning to online shopping, and that's causing a surge in demand for goods from China.\n\nFreight forwarder Craig Poole says the logistics industry is facing hugely challenging conditions\n\nBut some companies can't absorb the skyrocketing freight costs that shipping lines are charging. That could lead to higher prices for consumers or businesses having to close.\n\n\"The really unfortunate thing is, the small businesses who can't afford to pay those rates are going to go under as a result,\" Mr Poole said.\n\nHelen White's lighting range is designed in the UK and manufactured in Guangzhou, China.\n\nShe said the six-fold increase in shipping costs is hard to take, especially when getting hold of a container \"is like gold dust\".\n\n\"It's really hard for a small business to absorb those costs. We'll be making a loss on the goods we're selling.\"\n\nLighting seller houseof.com is struggling to import stock from China\n\nAt the other end of the supply chain, Chinese manufacturers and logistics firms say they are equally frustrated.\n\nJohnny Tseng is the owner and director of Hong Kong-based J&B Clothing Company Ltd., which manufactures garments for some of the UK's most popular fashion sites including Boohoo and Pretty Little Thing.\n\nHe's been supplying clothes to British retailers for more than 40 years, but he says his family-run firm won't be able to absorb inflated shipping rates for much longer.\n\n\"To be honest I don't even know how we can survive if we carry on shipping things at this kind of cost.\"\n\nJohnny Tseng says sky-high shipping rates are putting his business at risk.\n\nHe says he's now being quoted $14,000 to ship a container to the UK, when the usual price is $2,500.\n\nThe shortage of empty containers in China and congestion at UK ports caused some of his stock to miss the busy Christmas trading period. Now some customers are holding orders for their Autumn-Winter collections until next year.\n\n\"It's chaos,\" he said. \"We are making a loss. We take it as a loss leader and keep our fingers crossed it will go back to normal after Chinese New Year, but it is a major issue if it persists this way.\"\n\nUsually during the Chinese New Year holiday, factories in China shut down for two weeks. There were hopes the pause in production would give UK ports a chance to clear the backlog of ships waiting to dock, and encourage shipping lines to move more empty containers back to Asia, which is a less profitable journey.\n\nChinese workers usually travel home for the Chinese New Year holiday.\n\nBut rising numbers of coronavirus cases have prompted the Chinese authorities to stagger factory closing dates so that not all workers are travelling to their home regions at the same time. A worsening outbreak could lead to travel restrictions, in which case some factories may not stop production at all.\n\nCraig Poole says some companies have been caught out by factories closing earlier than planned.\n\n\"A lot of businesses that can't get those goods away are delaying orders until after Chinese New Year, so this situation could continue 'til March,\" he said.\n\nPatrick Lee from the Hong Kong-based Unique Logistics International said it could be even longer than that.\n\n\"Middle of the year at the earliest is what we're hearing from end customers in the UK, and also from some of our people in the industry. Some of the carriers as well,\" he said.\n\nMr Lee has called on the shipping lines to add more ships to help ease the backlog of stock orders building up at warehouses across China.\n\n\"They are increasing sailing but can increase a lot more. There are idle ships out there that they can reactivate without too much difficulty,\" he said.\n\nThe disruption could last for several months, according to logistics specialist Patrick Lee\n\nBut a spokeswoman for the World Shipping Council said carriers are using all available capacity.\n\n\"The demand for transportation service far exceeds supply. As in any free market, this puts upward pressure on rates,\" she said.\n\nShipping lines have been trying to drive down demand from British importers by charging a premium for deliveries to the UK, or bypassing the country's ports altogether.\n\nOne shipping line recently offered freight rates of $12,050 for a 40ft container from China to Southampton, but charged just $8,450 for the same container to travel from China to Rotterdam, Hamburg, or Antwerp.\n\nThe UK's largest container port at Felixstowe has been experiencing long delays since October. Congestion has also been a problem at the Port of Southampton, albeit to a lesser extent.\n\nThe bottlenecks were initially caused by a surge in imports as business activity picked up after the first wave of the pandemic. Huge shipments of PPE and the usual Christmas rush added to container volumes and ports struggled to cope.\n\nThe UK's largest container port at Felixstowe has been experiencing bottlenecks for months\n\n\"Most of the carriers just don't want UK cargo because of the issues when the vessels dock, so mainly they're favouring European ports and we are having to truck containers over,\" said freight forwarder Craig Poole.\n\nHe said that adds a cost of up to £2,000 per container, and takes an extra seven to ten days to reach the delivery point in the UK.\n\nFor business-owners like Helen White, the difficulties affecting the shipping industry can't be solved quickly enough.\n\n\"Lots of little start-ups are really hurting,\" she said. \"It has been paired with logistical nightmares across Europe as well. It just feels like logistics is falling apart at the moment. It's hard to see where the resolution is.\"", "Paul Davies had been preparing to lead his party's Senedd election campaign in the coming months\n\nPaul Davies has been something of an understated figure leading the Welsh Conservative group in Cardiff Bay since he won the race to succeed Andrew RT Davies in September 2018.\n\nThe Senedd member for Preseli Pembrokeshire tried to move the party group in the direction of being more sceptical of devolution.\n\nBut a row over drinking on Senedd premises ended his ambitions to be the first Conservative first minister of Wales.\n\nBorn in 1969, Paul Davies grew up in the village of Pontsian in Ceredigion.\n\nHe attended Llandysul Grammar School and Newcastle Emlyn Comprehensive School before working for a bank for 20 years.\n\nMr Davies entered Cardiff Bay politics in 2007 when he was elected to the then National Assembly for Wales. He was appointed deputy leader of the Welsh Conservative group in 2011 before becoming interim leader and then leader in 2018.\n\nPaul Davies backed Boris Johnson in the UK Conservative leadership campaign in 2019\n\nPresented as a safe pair of hands during his leadership campaign he has, at times, almost appeared to have been overshadowed by his predecessor Andrew RT Davies, who sometimes seems to enjoy media appearances more than his leader.\n\nFaced with the potential rise of the Abolish the Welsh Assembly Party, Paul Davies attempted to steer the Welsh Tories towards a more devo-sceptic, if not anti-devolution, approach.\n\nHe pledged a future Conservative Welsh Government would not \"tread on Westminster's turf\", and \"respect what is not devolved\" by \"unpicking\" the Welsh Government's international relations department.\n\nThere were also promises to halve the current number of Welsh ministers to seven, freeze civil servant recruitment and not increase the budget of the body which runs the Senedd if he became first minister.\n\nWelsh political structures need a \"dose\" of Dominic Cummings, Paul Davies has said\n\nBut the coronavirus pandemic has, arguably, made it even harder for opposition party leaders in the Senedd to cut through to the wider electorate.\n\nThe crisis has given Labour First Minister Mark Drakeford a much bigger profile, on a Wales and UK stage, making it more difficult for other Welsh party leaders to get onto the news agenda.\n\nLast July, there were raised eyebrows when Paul Davies suggested \"a dose of Dom\" was needed in Wales to \"shake up\" its governance.\n\nThe reference to the prime minister's now departed chief advisor and brutal political operator Dominic Cummings was interesting, given the criticism heaped on Mr Cummings a couple of months earlier for driving his family 260 miles from his London home to Durham during lockdown, and a subsequent 25-mile trip to check his eyesight before a return trip.\n\nBacking Remain at the 2016 referendum on EU membership, Paul Davies aimed to steer a steady course during a fractious period for a Conservative Party dealing with the polarising issue of Brexit.\n\nHe has been loyal to the UK party leader of the day, and often stuck to the Westminster line rather than try to carve an independent stance.\n\nDespite this, Mr Davies had wanted the Tory Senedd group leader to be given the title Welsh Conservative leader.\n\nIt is something the party has never formally agreed to do despite a review of its Welsh structures.", "Up to 500 new prison cells are to be built in women's jails, the Ministry of Justice has announced.\n\nThese will be built in existing women's prisons to increase the number of single cells available and improve conditions.\n\nThey will include in-cell showers, and some will enable women to have overnight visits with their children to prepare for life at home after release.\n\nIn future, older cells could also be shut if the prison population reduces.\n\nThe Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has also pledged almost £2m in funding to 38 charities so their \"vital work in steering women away from crime can continue\".\n\nThis may include addressing mental health problems and drug use, both of which affect around half of women in prison.\n\nPrisons minister Lucy Frazer said: \"This funding boost will allow frontline services to continue the incredible work they do with some of the most vulnerable women in our society to prevent them being drawn into crime.\"\n\nAnnouncing the funding, the government reiterated its promise to cut the number of women in custody and provide effective support to deal with problems which could lead to crime in the first place or reoffending.\n\nBut it admitted there could be a temporary rise of inmates in the near future as the number of investigations and prosecutions is expected to increase amid the hiring of 20,000 more police officers.\n\nIt added that the number of women in custody has fallen by 10% since 2010 and stressed that government investment in community services should see this trend continue in the long-term.\n\nIf the number of women in prison falls longer term, the MoJ says the new modern facilities will allow the Prison Service to close old accommodation.\n\nCampaigners largely welcomed the announcement, but warned the efforts do not go far enough to tackle longstanding problems.\n\nKate Paradine, chief executive of charity Women in Prison, said: \"This pledge and funding are just the start, and a far cry from what is needed in order to provide stability for women who face the sharp end of our society.\"\n\nShe called on the government in its upcoming Budget to safeguard the future of women's centres, which she described as an \"anchor that stop women being swept up into crime\" but warned were \"facing a funding cliff edge in April\".\n\nEmily Evison, policy officer at the Prison Reform Trust, said the plans would need to be backed up by \"action on the ground to prove effective\", adding: \"Instead of planning for a rise (in women prisoners), the government should redouble its efforts to ensure women are not being sent to prison to serve pointless short sentences.\"\n\nAndrew Neilson, director of campaigns at the Howard League for Penal Reform, said: \"If the goal is to reduce the number of women entering the criminal justice system, then today's announcement shows that ministers are looking at the issue down the wrong end of a telescope\", claiming the funding promised was \"dwarfed\" by the cost of the extra prison places.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Teresa Dalling says a river of orange water rushed through the village on Thursday\n\nFlood victims will not be able to return to their homes until their safety can be assured, a council leader has said.\n\nThe Coal Authority has said initial checks suggested water built up in a mine shaft causing a \"blow out\" that flooded properties in Skewen, Neath Port Talbot.\n\nAbout 80 people were evacuated as water rushed through the village on Thursday.\n\nCouncil leader Rob Jones said it was unlikely residents could return Monday.\n\nHe said underground investigations would begin on Saturday and the work could take two to three days.\n\n\"Safety is the paramount concern for us,\" he said.\n\n\"Because we can't guarantee the site safety - that's the reason why people will remain away from their properties until such time as we can give the all clear.\n\n\"We don't know what the water has done underground.\"\n\nThe fire service said on Saturday morning the pumping operation was \"making good progress\".\n\nMr Jones told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast people may be able to return next week but \"did not want to raise hopes\" it will be Monday.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nHe said the flooding was \"more than likely\" related to old mine workings with six mines known about in area. He said the industry dated back 300 years.\n\nSkewen resident John Thomas returned home from a funeral with wife Lynne on Thursday to find their house had turned into \"a lake\".\n\nHe said: \"The water was around the level of the bottom of the doors so we couldn't go in, so we just had to stand there and watch this orange-coloured water just piling up and up and up.\n\n\"Other people who were evacuated had the chance to move things upstairs, I didn't have a chance to do that because I couldn't get in to it.\"\n\nAt least 80 people had to leave their homes in the village after flooding\n\nLocal MP Stephen Kinnock said affected residents were staying in \"lots of different places\" across the region.\n\nAnd he praised the \"extraordinary\" generosity of the community and the support of the Salvation Army with donations of food, clothing and toiletries.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Stephen Kinnock This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nNatural Resources Wales (NRW) said officers were continuing to look at how to minimise the risk of pollution to nearby rivers, and investigating any impacts on the River Neath.\n\nThe Coal Authority, which manages the effects of past coal mining, is investigating the incident.\n\nChief executive Lisa Pinney said equipment, due on site on Saturday, would be used to drill into mine workings to \"fully investigate what has happened\".\n\n\"The blow out is likely to have been caused by a blockage underground which has caused water to back up and to break out using the easiest path,\" she said.\n\n\"The excessive rainfall of the past few days and the prolonged rainfall this winter, will have put additional pressure on the system.\n\n\"We know that people will want to get back to their homes and we will continue to progress these works as soon as possible, but public safety has to come first.\"\n\nThere are a number of historical mine workings in Skewen dating back beyond 1850.\n\nOn Saturday, Mr Jones said water was still pouring out of the affected site so workers were diverting it, while machines cleared gulleys and drains to give the water the chance to enter drainage systems.\n\nA residents' incident support centre has been set up at Abbey Primary School to offer help and information over the weekend, between 09:00-17:00 GMT.\n\nThe council has asked residents to be \"patient as the investigation continues\" and has set up a helpline. Tel. 01639 686868.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "It is not clear if anyone not entitled succeeded in getting a Covid jab\n\nA health board boss has criticised council staff for potentially sharing Covid vaccine invites with colleagues.\n\nThe board meeting in North Wales heard some council staff, not within groups currently being vaccinated, booked appointments by following a link in an email only intended for the recipient.\n\nBetsi Cadwaladr health board's chairman Mark Polin said such actions could deprive someone else of a jab.\n\nDenbighshire council said it had warned staff the emails were not to be abused.\n\nIt is not clear if anyone not entitled succeeded in getting a Covid jab, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.\n\nOnly front-line social care and health workers, those over 80 and 70 years old, care home residents and their carers are currently being vaccinated.\n\nIndependent member Jackie Hughes spoke about the matter at Thursday's monthly health board meeting.\n\nAnswering her query, Dr Chris Stockport, the health board's executive director of primary care and community services, said: \"We are very clear with our local authority partners and teams of what frontline means in the same way we are elsewhere.\n\n\"When you arrive [for a vaccine] there's a process of validation.\n\n\"The likelihood is they will experience some difficulties working through the booking system [if they try to get into a higher vaccination cohort].\n\n\"It adds complications for a busy team and I would ask them not to do that when it's a clear effort to circumvent the cohort.\"\n\nAt Thursday's daily press briefing the UK Government Home Secretary Priti Patel said people who jumped the queue for the vaccine were \"morally reprehensible\" as they were putting the lives of vulnerable people at risk.\n\nShe said all the UK Government's measures were under review but \"our focus is getting that vaccine to the most vulnerable to make sure we can protect them and obviously protect others in the community\".\n\nMr Polin added: \"Whilst we understand the concerns people should not be doing what they are doing.\n\n\"The priority groups have been identified with clear medical guidance and sound reasoning behind it.\n\n\"So people jumping the queue are depriving someone else, potentially, of receiving the vaccine at the point at which they should.\"\n\nHe said it was a temporary problem, adding: \"We are changing the booking system, so this opportunity is not going to last much longer.\"\n\nHe said staff were looking out for any inappropriate bookings.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Last updated on .From the section FA Cup\n\nNon-league Chorley were unable to emulate the heroes from 1986 by causing an FA Cup sensation against Wolves - but the National League North side came away with all the credit from their fourth-round tie at Victory Park.\n\nVitinha's superb 30-yard shot after 12 minutes proved enough to secure an all-Premier League tie against Arsenal or Southampton at Molineux in the fifth round.\n\nBut Nuno Espirito Santo's side were less than impressive against their part-time opponents.\n\nChorley had the first shot of the match through Elliot Newby, and after Vitinha had struck his first Wolves goal with the visitors' only shot on target, it was the hosts who had the best chances.\n\nCrucially, they also pocketed around £120,000 in prize money, plus TV fees, to sustain them through what could be a difficult period after their league was suspended for two weeks amid funding concerns earlier in the day.\n\n\"If you are going to lose, I would prefer to lose to a goal like that than a scruffy goal,\" said Chorley boss Jamie Vermiglio.\n\n\"I am proud of what we have done for our community, my kids at school will remember that their head teacher got this far in the FA Cup. Hopefully it can inspire some of them.\n\n\"We are approaching up to half a million [in earnings from the cup run], we have people who are isolating, and those players have given them a little bit of happiness.\n\n\"If it is 2-0 or 3-0 at half-time the game is done and people are turning their TVs off. That did not happen. I felt we were in the game. Every player was outstanding.\"\n• None How to follow FA Cup fourth round on the BBC\n\nIf this does end up being Chorley's last game of the season, it is one they will remember for some time, not only for the action on the pitch but also for the huge volley of fireworks that went off behind the main stand minutes into the contest.\n\nFor visiting Wolves, it was a step into the unknown. Their starting line-up got changed in the away dressing room, while their substitutes - European Championship winner Rui Patricio and Spain international Adama Traore among them - readied themselves in a sponsors' lounge.\n\nSeemingly those starting the game on the bench got the better deal.\n\nWolves boss Nuno paid Chorley the compliment of picking a strong starting line-up, including £35.6m record signing Fabio Silva and England international Conor Coady.\n\nAnd had this match been played in more imposing surroundings, it could have been mistaken for one of those Premier League games where one side sits back, challenges the opposition to break them down and then hits them on the counter.\n\nWolves' return of 76% possession and one shot on target, set against Chorley's five shots on target, suggests home manager Vermiglio got his tactics spot on.\n\nIndeed, had Andy Halls, a personal trainer by day, not had his goal-bound header tipped over by John Ruddy after an hour, Chorley might have forced a different outcome.\n\n\"The scene was set for us to lose this game,\" said Nuno. \"John Ruddy did his job, everybody knows his quality. He helped us to win the game.\"\n\nIt was nevertheless a typically English FA Cup tie, enlivened by Vermiglio yelling \"nothing wrong with that\" when two Wolves players went down under agricultural challenges, and then laughing in Traore's face amid a brief skirmish.\n\nIt was fantastic knockabout stuff. Sadly, the enduring disappointment was that other than staff, media and stewards, no-one was there in person to witness it.\n• None Wolves have reached the FA Cup fifth round in three of the last five seasons, as many as in the 21 seasons prior to this.\n• None Premier League teams have progressed from 45 of their 47 FA Cup ties against non-league teams (96%), with only Norwich vs Luton in 2013 and Burnley vs Lincoln in 2017 failing to progress.\n• None Separated by 120 years and 362 days, Chorley have lost both of their FA Cup games against top-flight opponents, losing against Notts County in January 1900 and Wolves.\n• None Vitinha became the 32nd different Wolves player to score a goal for Nuno Espirito Santo in all competitions and the 11th different Portuguese player to do so, with what was his third shot in his 12th appearance.\n• None Since the start of 2017-18, Wolves have had 11 different Portuguese scorers - more than twice as many as any other English league team in that time (Nottingham Forest, five).\n\nWolves are next in action against Chelsea in the Premier League at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, 27 January (18:00 GMT).\n• None Attempt blocked. Rayan Aït-Nouri (Wolverhampton Wanderers) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Rúben Neves.\n• None Harry Cardwell (Chorley) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.\n• None Attempt missed. Pedro Neto (Wolverhampton Wanderers) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Rúben Neves.\n• None Arlen Birch (Chorley) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.\n• None Attempt blocked. Fábio Silva (Wolverhampton Wanderers) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Pedro Neto. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page\n• None You can stream five fourth-round games live on the BBC this weekend, including Liverpool's trip to Manchester United. Find out more here.", "A restaurant worker in Lisbon, where benefits to those with symptoms, and those without, are generous\n\nThe idea of a flat £500 payment to anyone who tests positive for Covid-19 has been dismissed by the UK government. Health officials had come up with the suggestion in the hope of encouraging people with the illness to self-isolate.\n\nThere are concerns the virus is continuing to spread because some people are ignoring the instruction to stay home when they show symptoms or test positive. Downing Street has said there is already a £500 sum for those on low incomes who could not work from home and had to isolate. But this must be applied for and there have been high rejection rates in England at least, A behaviour expert who advises the government, told the BBC just 18% of people with symptoms were self-isolating for the full 10 days they were meant to.\n\nSo how do other countries handle the question of paying people to stay at home, or just trusting they will do the right thing? Here, BBC correspondents from Prague to New York, offer an insight.\n\nIn Portugal, even those who are just at-risk of contracting Covid - having been in direct contact with a confirmed case - are entitled to 100% of their basic salary, for 14 days, writes Alison Roberts, in Lisbon.\n\nFor those who show symptoms, or have tested positive, the same is available for up to 28 days. And the normal waiting times people are used to when claiming while ill have also been done away with - these Covid payments kick in on day one of isolation.\n\nThose not on permanent work contracts tend to be treated as self-employed and are eligible for benefits based on income declared. But there are a lot of people, including many immigrants, who lack the necessary paperwork, and are therefore not eligible to claim.\n\nNevertheless, it's perhaps not surprising that, because people are able to claim full basic pay, there hasn't been much, if any, debate about people obeying self-isolation. If there are reports of people not seeking tests, or not isolating, it seems to be more out of ignorance, which is certainly rather worrying.\n\nSlovenia has been offering compensation to people forced to self-isolate after exposure to coronavirus since it first introduced emergency measures in March, writes Guy De Launey in Ljubljana.\n\nDepending on the circumstances, this covers anything from 80% to the full amount of usual earnings. The payments may be made directly to people in quarantine, or as compensation to employers. A government official told the BBC that with its socialist past, it was normal for Slovenia to take care of people in quarantine by providing payments - and that without compensation, it would be impossible to deal with coronavirus.\n\nWhen the measures were first introduced, they enjoyed broad public support. But the second wave of the epidemic has seen case numbers skyrocket - Slovenia's per capita death-rate is now the third highest in the world - and public confidence overall has dipped.\n\nBy the end of 2020, market research company Valicon said that only 12% of Slovenians viewed the government's measures as \"appropriate\", adding that people were \"worried and dissatisfied with the social situation\", suggesting compensation is not a panacea.\n\nIn March last year, the US agreed to pay for some workers to stay at home - a big change for a country that had never paid sick leave requirement before, writes Natalie Sherman in New York.\n\nThe measure guaranteed up to 14 days of pay for workers forced to isolate because they had symptoms, had received medical advice to self-quarantine, or were under government lockdown orders. It also said it would guarantee two-thirds of pay for people caring for someone with the virus for up to two weeks. One study suggested it helped prevent hundreds of news cases a day.\n\nBut the assistance - paid by employers which were then reimbursed by the government via tax credits - expired on 31 December. And even before that, analysts estimated that loopholes meant roughly half of the country's workforce, including many grocery workers and medical staff were potentially excluded.\n\nAs part of his $1.9tn stimulus plan, President Joe Biden is pushing to renew the law, and end the exemptions. But the proposal - which his team estimates would expand the benefit to as many as 106 million more Americans - faces stiff resistance from Republicans and key business lobbies.\n\nIn Germany financial support is generous for people ordered to self-isolate by the authorities because of infection risk, writes Damien McGuinness in Berlin.\n\nAs a result there hasn't been a debate in Germany about breaking self-isolation rules because of financial need. Fines can be huge - tens of thousands of euros - and are strictly enforced. Overall there's no great issue with compliance and Germany's financial package has widespread cross-party backing, and is supported by voters.\n\nEmployees who are unable to work at home receive full pay for up to six weeks. This is paid by the employer, who is then reimbursed by the state. After that, workers may be eligible for sick-pay.\n\nFreelancers and self-employed people are generally also entitled to full pay for six weeks. But they would apply directly to their regional government. The exact rules and level of efficiency for payments vary from region to region. For those in the gig economy - Germany has it, though less so than Britain - this should be covered by state aid, based on tax returns.\n\nThe level of state support was agreed by Germany's national parliament in Berlin. But payments are administered and funded by regional governments.\n\nThere's been some discussion here about paying people to stay home if they test positive for Covid, writes Rob Cameron, in Prague.\n\nThe idea is advocated by at least one independent expert group. But it would be expensive, and the Czech state coffers are already stretched from keeping employees on furlough and paying compensation.\n\nInstead, salaried employees who receive a positive diagnosis are left with two choices: work from home - if they're up to it, if their job allows it and if their employer agrees, or go on sick leave for 10 days and receive 60% salary.\n\nFor the self-employed it's worse. Only those who have chosen to pay state sickness insurance will receive anything. Most opt out - the benefits are marginal. So most continue working from home - if their health and profession allows it.\n\nFor many workers, in other words, a positive Covid test can be a real blow to the wallet. It's an open secret that many people - especially freelancers in creative professions - beg friends and colleagues who test positive not to declare them as contacts, to avoid having to go into quarantine. For some the fear of losing work and money outweighs social responsibility.\n\nMoves to compensate people for taking time off work have largely been well received, writes Maddy Savage in Stockholm.\n\nTo encourage people to stay at home from the moment they develop coronavirus symptoms, the government changed the rules to allow Swedish employees and the self-employed to claim sick pay from the first day they are off, rather than the second. Employees receive about 80% of their salary while they isolate (capped at SEK 700 or £61.88 per day), and the self-employed are entitled to payments capped at 804 SEK or £71.05. The government has also introduced an allowance for people isolating because they live with someone who has coronavirus.\n\nWhile Sweden has largely kept primary schools open throughout the pandemic, parents have been able to make use of a pre-existing benefit which allows them to take state-funded time off work if their children are ill (with the virus or any other illness), and an additional benefit has been introduced for parents who are forced to take time off work to look after children affected by school closures as a result of a local outbreak.\n\nBut these measures have also stirred debates about welfare inequality. There are concerns that workers who are paid by the hour or on temporary contracts aren't entitled to the same level of sickness benefits as permanent staff - there are reports that this has encouraged some to keep working despite developing Covid-19 symptoms.", "Researchers have been tracking changes to the \"spike\" of the virus\n\nThe new variant of Covid-19 is \"hugely\" more transmissible than the virus's previous version, a study has found.\n\nIt concludes the new variant increases the Reproduction or R number by between 0.4 and 0.7.\n\nThe UK's latest R number has been estimated at between 1.1 and 1.3. It needs to be below 1.0 for the number of cases to start falling.\n\nProf Axel Gandy of London's Imperial College said the differences between the viruses types was \"quite extreme\".\n\n\"There is a huge difference in how easily the variant virus spreads,\" he told BBC News. \"This is the most serious change in the virus since the epidemic began,\" he added.\n\nThe Imperial College study suggests transmission of the new variant tripled during England's November lockdown while the previous version was reduced by a third.\n\nCases of Covid-19 have begun to increase rapidly during the second spike, and the number of cases recorded in a single day reached a new high on Thursday.\n\nEarly results indicated that the virus was spreading more quickly among under-20s, particularly among secondary school age children.\n\nBut the very latest data indicates that it was spreading quickly across all age groups, according to Prof Gandy who was a member of the research team.\n\n\"One possible explanation is that the early data was collected during the time of the November lockdown where schools were open and the activities of the adult population were more restricted. We are seeing now that the new virus has increased infectiousness across all age groups.\"\n\nProf Jim Naismith, of Oxford University, said he believed that the new findings indicated that even tougher restrictions would soon be needed.\n\n\"The data from Imperial represent the best analysis to date and imply that the measures we have employed to date, would - with the new virus - fail to reduce the R number to below 1.\n\n\"In simpler terms, unless we do something different the new virus strain is going to continue to spread, more infections, more hospitalisations and more deaths.\"\n\nThe R number is the average number of people an infected person infects. If it is above 1 the epidemic is growing.\n\nThe most chilling finding from this piece of research is that the November lockdown in England, hard though it was for many people, would not have stopped the variant form of the virus spreading. The same severe restrictions that saw cases of the previous version of the virus fall by a third, would see a tripling of the new variant. This is why there has been such a sudden tightening of restrictions across the country.\n\nIt is unclear whether the current restrictions will be enough to control the spread of the virus. Given the fact that it has taken two lockdowns to stop the earlier version of the virus overwhelming the NHS, many scientists fear that further tightening will be necessary.\n\nInfection levels will begin to drop as enough people are vaccinated. But until then it is now more important than ever for people to follow social distancing guidelines, wear masks where required and to regularly wash their hands.\n\nThe new year brings with it hope of a more normal life in the next few months but also a new form of the virus that all of us will have to combat in the coming days and weeks.\n\nProfessor Lawrence Young, of Warwick University, said early indications suggested that vaccines would be effective against the new form of the virus.\n\n\"Variants virus have been around since the beginning of the pandemic and are a product of the natural process by which viruses develop and adapt to their hosts as they replicate.\n\n\"Most of these mutations have no effect on the behaviour of the virus but very occasionally they can improve the ability of the virus to infect and/or become more resistant to the body's immune response.\"\n\nFurther research is needed to understand why the variant is spreading so quickly. But early indications are that vaccines should be effective against it.\n\nThe new virus has been designated \"Variant of Concern 202012/01\" or VOC by Public Health England.\n\nIt was detected in November and thought to have originated in the south-east England in September.\n\nThere is no evidence to suggest that it is more deadly, but it will increase the number of cases which in turn will add further pressure on the NHS.\n\nThe variant can now be found across the UK, except Northern Ireland, but it is heavily concentrated in London, as well as south-east and eastern England.", "The Black Country Living Museum normally gives visitors a taste of ordinary life in the Victorian era\n\nA venue that has doubled as a set for TV series Peaky Blinders is to operate as a Covid-19 vaccination centre.\n\nUsing Black Country Living Museum, a largely open-air site, to deliver jabs is said to be a \"game-changer\" for the local community.\n\nThe Dudley attraction, which is closed to tourists during lockdown, is expected to help administer thousands of injections a week.\n\nPeople are reminded they need an NHS letter of invitation before turning up.\n\nThe formal appointments will initially prioritise doses for people most at risk of complications from the virus.\n\nThe latest figures from NHS England showed 97,310 Covid jabs had been administered in Dudley and the surrounding area by Thursday - the second highest amount in the Midlands.\n\nBut rollout at the museum - which begins on Monday - will see it become Dudley's first vaccination centre.\n\nIt will complement existing GP-led vaccination services which are already up and running locally.\n\nCillian Murphy stars in Peaky Blinders, a Birmingham-set drama filmed in part at the museum\n\nThe museum normally gives visitors a taste of life in the Black Country during bygone days and has been used as a location for Peaky Blinders, the BBC TV series set in nearby Birmingham in the early 20th Century.\n\nSaying the step was a game-changer, Nicholas Barlow, Dudley Council member for health, said: \"Having the Black Country Living Museum on board as a vaccination centre will greatly increase the amount of jabs we can deliver, and the speed at which we can administer them.\n\n\"It will make people safer from this deadly virus more quickly.\"\n\nSally Roberts, Black Country and West Birmingham Clinical Commissioning Group chief nurse, said: \"Our progress [in the area] to date has been incredible and I am delighted that our first vaccination centre, which will be capable of delivering thousands more vaccines each week, is going live.\"\n\nFollow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Appointments were brought forward or rescheduled for safety reasons\n\nFour vaccination centres were shut as snow caused some travel disruption in Wales.\n\nSunday appointments in Bridgend, Rhondda, Abercynon and Merthyr Tydfil were rescheduled for safety reasons, but centres will reopen on Monday, the Cwm Taf Morgannwg health board said.\n\nThe Met Office has extended a yellow weather warning to midnight on Sunday for all of Wales except Anglesey.\n\nA yellow warning for ice runs from midnight until 11:00 GMT on Monday.\n\nPolice have warned of difficult conditions due to snow and ice.\n\nUp to 3cm of snow is forecast to fall in most areas, with 10 to 15cm expected in the Brecon Beacons and Snowdonia.\n\nCwm Taf Morgannwg health board urged anyone with queries about Sunday's vaccination appointments to call the number on their appointment letters.\n\nSnow volunteers cleared pathways so a Covid vaccine pilot in Maesteg could keep running\n\n\"We can confirm that no vaccines have been wasted as a consequence of this temporary Sunday closure and we are grateful to all those who were able to turn up at such short notice yesterday as we brought forward a significant number of Sunday appointments during the course of Saturday,\" it said.\n\n\"Additionally, our 4x4 arrangements are enabling us to continue to reach care homes to vaccinate the staff and residents there.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Traffic Wales South #KeepWalesSafe This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nNorth Wales Police tweeted there was \"widespread snow this morning, particularly in some higher areas, making driving conditions difficult\".\n\nAnd Dyfed-Powys Police said some roads were \"impassable\" and advised people to \"stay home\".\n\nIn Bridgend, officers from South Wales Police were pelted with snowballs as they helped an injured sledger on Heol y Nant.\n\nNorth Wales Police warned of difficult conditions due to \"widespread snow\", particularly on high ground.\n\nIt said the A499 near Pwllheli had received heavy snowfall overnight.\n\nWelsh Ambulance Service boss Jason Killens tweeted, thanking the public for helping crews continue to work despite the conditions.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Jason Killens 💙 This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nVillages were dusted with snow, such as in Llanfynydd, Carmarthenshire\n\nNick Rolfe shared this garden view in Nercwys, near Mold, Flintshire\n\nThe Met Office warned travellers that \"longer journey times by road, bus and train services\" could be expected, although Wales is in a level four lockdown with all but essential travel banned.\n\nIt also said the snow could lead to power cuts and other services, such as mobile phone coverage, may be affected.\n\nThose going out for daily exercise have been warned there could be icy patches on some untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths.\n\nIn Powys, this was the view over Newtown on Sunday\n\nThe hills around Llangollen, Denbighshire, were covered in snow on Saturday\n\nPower cuts and travel delays are possible, the Met Office says\n\nThe drop in temperatures is likely to exacerbate problems after widespread flooding caused by Storm Christoph.\n\nTwo flood warnings issued by Natural Resources Wales remain in place, meaning flooding is expected.\n\nThese cover the River Ritec at Tenby in Pembrokeshire, which could affect the Kiln Park caravan site, and the lower Dee Valley from Llangollen to Trevalyn Meadows.\n\nPretty as a picture... Suzy shared this garden view in Snowdonia\n\nSun up: Heath in Cardiff awakes to a covering of snow\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Larry King, giant of US broadcasting who achieved worldwide fame for interviewing political leaders and celebrities, has died at the age of 87.\n\nKing conducted an estimated 50,000 interviews in his six-decade career, which included 25 years as host of the popular CNN talk show Larry King Live.\n\nHe died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, according to Ora Media, a production company he co-founded.\n\nEarlier this month, he was treated in hospital for Covid-19, US media say.\n\nThe talk show host, famous for his braces and rolled-up sleeves, had faced several health problems in recent years, including heart attacks.\n\nKing was married eight times to seven women and had five children. Two of them died last year within weeks of each other - daughter Chaia died from lung cancer and son Andy of a heart attack.\n\nKing carried out interviews with every sitting US president from Gerald Ford to Barack Obama and a number of world leaders. His other high-profile guests included Dr Martin Luther King, the Dalai Lama, Nelson Mandela and Lady Gaga.\n\n\"For 63 years and across the platforms of radio, television and digital media, Larry's many thousands of interviews, awards, and global acclaim stand as a testament to his unique and lasting talent as a broadcaster,\" Ora Media said in a statement, without giving the cause of death.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Larry King: \"I like spontaneity. That's the kind of broadcaster I am\".\n\nBorn Lawrence Harvey Zeiger in Brooklyn, New York, in 1933, King rose to fame in the 1970s with his radio programme The Larry King Show, on the commercial network Mutual Broadcasting System.\n\nIn 1985 he launched Larry King Live on the fledgling CNN, and became one of the network's biggest stars. The programme, broadcast around the world, was a success with audiences, with King answering thousands of phone calls from viewers.\n\nHe earned a number of honours, including two Peabody awards, but was also criticised for his non-confrontational approach and open-ended questions. King boasted of not doing much research for the interviews so, he said, he could learn along with viewers.\n\nBy 2010 his ratings had dropped significantly, with critics saying King's approach felt outdated in an era of more aggressive interviewing styles. King then announced his retirement, saying: \"It's time to hang up my nightly suspenders.\"\n\nIn his final programme on CNN, he told his viewers: \"I don't know what to say, except to you, my audience, thank you. Instead of goodbye, how about so long?\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by CNN Communications This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nCNN replaced him with British journalist and broadcaster Piers Morgan, whose programme King criticised for being \"too much about him\".\n\nMorgan, whose programme was cancelled three years later, said on Twitter on Saturday: \"Larry King was a hero of mine until we fell out after I replaced him at CNN & he said my show was 'like watching your mother-in-law go over a cliff in your new Bentley.' (He married 8 times so a mother-in-law expert).\"\n\nIn a statement, CNN president Jeff Zucker said: \"The scrappy young man from Brooklyn had a history-making career spanning radio and television. His curiosity about the world propelled his award-winning career in broadcasting, but it was his generosity of spirit that drew the world to him.\"\n\nMost recently, King hosted another programme, Larry King Now, broadcast on Hulu and RT, Russia's state-controlled international broadcaster.\n\nA Kremlin spokesman was quoted as saying by state RIA Novosti news agency: \"King repeatedly interviewed Putin. The president has always appreciated his great professionalism and unquestioned journalistic authority.\"\n\nOutside broadcasting, King founded the Larry King Cardiac Foundation in 1988, a charity which helps to fund heart treatment for those with limited financial means or no medical insurance.", "Pavithra Wanniarachchi (L) has become the fourth Sri Lankan minister to test positive\n\nSri Lanka's health minister, who endorsed herbal syrup to prevent Covid, has tested positive for the virus.\n\nPavithra Wanniarachchi tested positive on Friday, a media secretary at the Ministry of Health told the BBC.\n\nShe had promoted the syrup, manufactured by a shaman who claimed it worked as a life-long inoculation against the virus.\n\nSri Lanka recorded 56,076 cases and 276 deaths since the pandemic began, with cases surging in recent months.\n\nMs Wanniarachchi is the fourth minister to test positive. A junior minister, who also took the potion, tested positive earlier this week.\n\nThe health minister had publicly consumed and endorsed the syrup as a way of stopping the spread of the virus. The shaman who invented the syrup, which contains honey and nutmeg, said the recipe was given to him in a visionary dream.\n\nDoctors in the country have quashed claims the herbal syrup works, but AFP news agency reports thousands have travelled to a village to obtain it.\n\nMs Wanniarachchi took two Covid-19 tests and both returned positive results, Viraj Abeysinghe, media secretary at the Ministry of Health told the BBC.\n\nThe minister has been asked to self-isolate and all of her immediate contacts have gone into isolation.\n\nNews of Ms Wanniarachchi's positive test came hours after Sri Lanka approved the emergency use of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine. The first doses are expected to arrive in the country next week.\n\nSri Lanka isn't the only place where people in positions of power have promoted unproven treatments for Covid.\n\nLast year, Madagascar's President Andry Rajoelina was criticised for promoting a herbal concoction that he claimed could prevent the virus. He was pictured distributing the tonic to poor communities in the capital.\n\nSince the pandemic began, a number of world leaders and cabinet members have contracted Covid. French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and former President Donald Trump all caught the virus at various points last year.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The people who think Coronavirus is caused by 5G", "Skewen in Neath Port Talbot has been badly hit by flooding over the past two days\n\nThere have been \"no adverse effects\" on the coronavirus vaccine roll-out caused by recent flooding, the Welsh Government has said.\n\nHomes were evacuated in Skewen, Neath Port Talbot, on Thursday as heavy rain caused issues across the country.\n\nSwansea Bay health board said none of its mass vaccination centres or GP surgeries had been affected by floods.\n\nIt added anyone struggling to get to a vaccination appointment because of the flooding would be able to rearrange.\n\nBetsi Cadwaladr University Health Board also said it was not aware of flooding in north Wales causing any issues for the vaccine roll-out.\n\nWrexham council leader Mark Pritchard said on Thursday that teams worked to ensure the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, made on Wrexham Industrial Estate, was not lost in the floods.\n\nThe latest figures released on Friday showed 212,317 people in Wales had received their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine, with a further 415 receiving a second dose.\n\nAs well as properties, vehicles were submerged in water\n\nAbout 80 people in Skewen had to be evacuated from their homes after streets were left under water.\n\nFire crews returned to the scene on Friday to continue to pump floodwater away from houses.\n\nMeanwhile, a family in Rossett, Wrexham county, had to be rescued by helicopter after their home became surrounded by floodwater on Thursday night.\n\nNorth Wales has also been hit by floods\n\nOn Friday, Health Minister Vaughan Gething told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast that efforts to rehouse those affected by the floods were being done in \"as Covid-secure a way as possible\".\n\nDorothy Edwards, Covid-19 vaccination programme director for Swansea Bay health board, said: \"None of our mass vaccination centres have been impacted by flooding and we're not aware of any particular issues in primary care.\n\n\"Of course we will be sympathetic if there are people struggling to get to their appointment and if they are booked in at an mass vaccination centres they need to ring the booking line and the appointment will be rearranged.\"\n\nThe Welsh Government said: \"There have been no adverse effects on the vaccine roll-out due to flooding.\"", "Mr Johnson raised the benefits of a UK-US trade deal during his phone call with Mr Biden\n\nPrime Minister Boris Johnson has spoken to Joe Biden for the first time since the new US president was inaugurated.\n\nMr Johnson said on Twitter that he looked forward to \"deepening the longstanding alliance\" between the UK and the US as they drove a \"green and sustainable recovery from Covid-19\".\n\nMr Biden was sworn in as president and Kamala Harris as vice-president in a ceremony in Washington on Wednesday.\n\nThe PM said their inauguration was a \"step forward\" for the US.\n\nA Downing Street spokesman said Mr Johnson \"warmly welcomed\" the president's decision to rejoin the Paris Agreement on climate change and the World Health Organization - both abandoned by Mr Biden's predecessor, Donald Trump.\n\n\"The prime minister praised President Biden's early action on tackling climate change and commitment to reach net zero by 2050,\" the spokesman said.\n\nThe spokesman added that, in building on the two nations' \"long history of cooperation in security and defence, the leaders \"re-committed to the Nato alliance and our shared values in promoting human rights and protecting democracy\".\n\nThe two leaders also talked about \"the benefits of a potential free trade deal\" between the UK and the US, with Mr Johnson reiterating his intention \"to resolve existing trade issues as soon as possible\".\n\nAfter the inauguration of any American president, a political spectator sport immediately begins: the order in which the new occupant of the White House speaks to other world leaders.\n\nIt is a crude metric of relative importance, but a metric nonetheless.\n\nI understand the call lasted for around 35 minutes and was the first conversation Joe Biden has had with a European leader as president.\n\nThe focus on climate change makes political and diplomatic sense. It's a topic where a Conservative prime minister and Democrat president can agree, and it matters particularly to the UK as the host of the COP26 UN Climate Change Summit in Glasgow in November.\n\nBut when you compare what Downing Street said about the call and what the White House said, one thing leaps out.\n\nNo 10's readout refers to a conversation about a trade deal. President Biden's does not.\n\nIt's widely expected there'll be no such agreement any time soon.\n\nMr Johnson and Mr Biden \"looked forward to to meeting in person as soon as the circumstances allow\" and to working together during the forthcoming G7, G20 and COP26 summits, the spokesman added.\n\nA White House statement said Mr Biden \"conveyed his intention to strengthen the special relationship\" between the US and UK and \"revitalize transatlantic ties\".\n\nCongratulating Mr Biden and Ms Harris - who is the first woman and first black and Asian-American person to serve as vice-president - the PM said earlier that their inauguration was a \"step forward\" for the US, which had \"been through a bumpy period\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Johnson: \"It's a big moment for us - we have things we want to do together.\"\n\nMr Johnson said it was a \"big moment\" for the UK and the US and their \"joint common agenda\".\n\nThe BBC's political editor, Laura Kuenssberg has said the Biden Presidency \"brings some hope to government\" because No 10 believes \"there is a lot of overlap\" between what Mr Biden and Mr Johnson want to do.\n\nThe US president has previously said that he does not want a \"guarded border\" between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland following Brexit, and that any UK-US post-Brexit trade deal had to be \"contingent\" on respect for the Good Friday Agreement.\n\nThe PM and Mr Biden have never met in real life, but the new US president once referred to Mr Johnson as a \"physical and emotional clone\" of Mr Trump.\n\nAfter winning the presidential election, Mr Biden phoned Mr Johnson ahead of other European leaders and expressed his desire to strengthen the historic \"special relationship\" between the two countries.", "Elizabeth Kerr and Simon O'Brien were married moments before he was put on a mechanical ventilator\n\nAn engaged couple taken to hospital in the same ambulance with Covid-19 were able to marry moments before the man was sedated and put on a ventilator.\n\nElizabeth Kerr, 31, and Simon O'Brien, 36, were taken to Milton Keynes University Hospital with breathing difficulties on 9 January.\n\nStaff rallied to arrange a wedding as the groom's condition worsened.\n\nThey held off intubating Mr O'Brien so the ceremony could go ahead. The couple are now recovering in hospital.\n\nMrs Kerr, a nurse, and Mr O'Brien had planned to marry in June.\n\nBoth contracted the disease and were taken to hospital together when their oxygen levels fell dangerously low.\n\nThey were placed on separate wards but when Mrs Kerr told nurse Hannah Cannon about their wedding plans, she asked her if they would like to marry in the hospital.\n\nMrs Kerr said she was told it could be their only chance.\n\n\"Those are words I never, ever want to hear again,\" she said.\n\nA photo on Mrs Kerr's phone shows the wedding took place in the beds of the intensive care unit\n\nHowever, while staff were securing the wedding licence, Mr O'Brien's condition further deteriorated and on 12 January he was placed on the intensive care unit, to be put on a ventilator.\n\nThey waited to intubate him just long enough for the ceremony to go ahead.\n\nMs Cannon said: \"With lots of teamwork... we were able to give them a wedding, not necessarily the wedding that they would have initially intended, but certainly something positive, remarkable and memorable for them to really hold on to.\"\n\nShe filmed the marriage for the couple's families and friends, and catering staff at the hospital provided a cake.\n\nShortly after saying \"I do\", Mr O'Brien was placed on the ventilator.\n\nThe couple have now been reunited on a recovery ward and were able to kiss for the first time since being married.\n\nMrs Kerr said having the wedding meant \"everything\" to them.\n\n\"If we hadn't had each other and we hadn't been given that opportunity to get married, I don't think both of us would be here now,\" she added.\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Early evidence suggests the variant of coronavirus that emerged in the UK may be more deadly, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said.\n\nHowever, there remains huge uncertainty around the numbers - and vaccines are still expected to work.\n\nThe data comes from mathematicians comparing death rates in people infected with either the new or the old versions of the virus.\n\nThe new more infectious variant has already spread widely across the UK.\n\nMr Johnson told a Downing Street briefing: \"In addition to spreading more quickly, it also now appears that there is some evidence that the new variant - the variant that was first identified in London and the south east - may be associated with a higher degree of mortality.\n\n\"It's largely the impact of this new variant that means the NHS is under such intense pressure.\"\n\nPublic Health England, Imperial College London, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the University of Exeter have each been trying to assess how deadly the new variant is.\n\nTheir evidence has been assessed by scientists on the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (Nervtag).\n\nThe group concluded there was a \"realistic possibility\" that the virus had become more deadly, but this is far from certain.\n\nSir Patrick Vallance, the government's chief scientific adviser, described the data so far as \"not yet strong\".\n\nHe said: \"I want to stress that there's a lot of uncertainty around these numbers and we need more work to get a precise handle on it, but it obviously is a concern that this has an increase in mortality as well as an increase in transmissibility.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Sir Patrick Vallance: \"There is evidence that there's an increased risk for those who have the new variant\"\n\nPrevious work suggests the new variant spreads between 30% and 70% faster than others, and there are hints it is about 30% more deadly.\n\nFor example, with 1,000 60-year-olds infected with the old variant, 10 of them might be expected to die. But this rises to about 13 with the new variant.\n\nThis difference is found when looking at everyone testing positive for Covid, but analysing only hospital data has found no increase in the death rate. Hospital care has improved over the course of the pandemic as doctors get better at treating the disease.\n\nThe new variant was first detected in Kent in September. It is now the most common form of the virus in England and Northern Ireland, and has spread to more than 50 other countries.\n\nThe Pfizer and Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine are both expected to work against the variant that emerged in the UK.\n\nHowever, Sir Patrick said there was more concern about two other variants that had emerged in South Africa and Brazil.\n\nHe said: \"They have certain features which means they might be less susceptible to vaccines.\n\n\"They are definitely of more concern than the one in the UK at the moment and we need to keep looking at it and studying this very carefully.\"\n\nThe prime minister said the government was prepared to take further action to protect the country's borders to prevent new variants from entering.\n\n\"I really don't rule it out, we may need to take further measures still,\" he said.\n\nLast week the government extended a travel ban to South America, Portugal and many African countries amid concerns about new variants, while all international travellers must now test negative ahead of departure to the UK and go into quarantine on arrival.", "An exhibition now celebrates Wuhan's success in controlling the outbreak\n\nWuhan has long since recovered from the world's first outbreak of Covid-19. It is now being remembered not as a disaster but as a victory, and with an insistence that the virus came from somewhere - anywhere - but here.\n\nFrom the moment a new, pandemic coronavirus emerged in the same city as a laboratory dedicated to the study of new coronaviruses with pandemic potential, Prof Shi Zhengli has found herself the focus of one of the biggest scientific controversies of our time.\n\nFor much of the past year she has met the suggestion that Sars-Cov-2 might have escaped from the Wuhan Institute of Virology with angry denial.\n\nNow though, she has offered her own thoughts on how the initial outbreak may have begun in the city.\n\nIn an article in this month's edition of Science Magazine she referred to a number of studies that, she said, suggest the virus existed outside of China before Wuhan's first known case in December 2019.\n\n\"Given the finding of Sars-Cov-2 on the surface of imported food packages, contact with contaminated uncooked food could be an important source of Sars-Cov-2 transmission,\" she wrote.\n\nFrom one of the world's leading experts on coronaviruses, even the discussion of such a possibility seems unusual.\n\nCould a spiralling outbreak of infection that almost destroyed Wuhan's health system, sparked the world's first Covid lockdown and spawned a global catastrophe really have arrived on imported food without any signs of similarly devastating outbreaks elsewhere?\n\n\"The virus came from America,\" this fishmonger told the BBC\n\nBut with the virus vanquished, the idea that it is a foreign import is repeated with almost unanimity across this city of 11 million people.\n\n\"It came here from other countries,\" one woman running a hotpot stall in a busy street tells me. \"China is a victim.\"\n\n\"Where did it come from?\" the next-door fishmonger repeats my question aloud, and then answers: \"It came from America.\"\n\nOn 23 January last year, the Chinese authorities severed transport links out of Wuhan and confined the city's population to their homes.\n\nThe tough lockdown coincided with the annual spring festival celebrations and came too late to prevent the global spread of the disease - five million people had already left the city ahead of the holiday.\n\nDoctors' warnings had gone unheeded and, in an outpouring of anger on the Chinese internet, the authorities stood accused of covering up the initial outbreak in the interests of political stability.\n\nOne year on, there's little sign of that anger in Wuhan today. In fact it's the humdrum normality that is striking - the traffic jams, the bustling markets and busy restaurants.\n\nIts success in eventually bringing the virus under control is now being celebrated in a giant exhibition hall, complete with models of medical workers in hazmat suits, installations of hospital beds and - everywhere you look - giant portraits of President Xi Jinping.\n\nThe accompanying texts mention his \"all-out war\" against the pandemic, his \"resolute decision making\" and how he has been willing to share \"China's solutions\" with the world.\n\nThere can be no doubting the success of China's mass testing programmes, its tracing apps and the widespread mask wearing.\n\nBut its strict enforcement of lockdowns, with little hand-wringing over the impact on individual rights, may be far less easy for democratic countries to emulate.\n\n\"The strategic success achieved in this battle fully manifested the strong leadership of the Communist Party of China and the significant advantages of the socialist system of our country,\" the exhibition proclaims.\n\nDespite China's promise of international co-operation, the world is still no closer to an answer to the biggest question of them all - where did the virus come from?\n\nMany prominent scientists believe that - based on past outbreaks - the most likely source of the coronavirus is a natural one, a \"zoonotic\" leap from bats - known to harbour such viruses - to humans, possibly via an intermediate species.\n\nBut China has produced very little evidence to show the work that's been done in its search for the source, in particular the testing of historic human samples stored by hospitals to determine where and when the virus really started spreading.\n\nThose scientists who argue that the possibility of an accident at the Wuhan Institute of Virology should also be included as part of any investigation are curious about this apparent silence.\n\n\"I find it very unlikely that such investigations would not have already occurred,\" Alina Chan, a molecular biologist at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, told me.\n\n\"It's a serious risk to resume life as usual without knowing where a dangerous human pathogen came from.\"\n\nWuhan's exhibition also has a display of hospital beds\n\nInstead of publishing its own evidence though, China appears to be taking an anywhere-but-Wuhan approach, with state media cheerleading the idea that the virus may have arrived in Wuhan on frozen food imports or talking cryptically of \"multiple origins\".\n\nAt a recent daily press briefing, I asked China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Hua Chunying, why such narratives were being promoted in the absence of real scientific evidence.\n\n\"Your question reveals your prejudice against China,\" she replied. \"Reports have emerged from Australia, Italy and many other countries that the coronavirus was found in multiple places in the autumn of 2019.\"\n\n\"Aren't these all facts?\" she asked.\n\nNot according to Alina Chan, who told me that such studies \"lack validation\" and some have been conducted without \"the most basic controls\".\n\n\"They do not present persuasive scientific evidence that the virus was circulating outside of China before the late 2019 outbreak in Wuhan,\" she said.\n\n\"The earliest detected cases and outbreak were in Wuhan. Early cases outside of China were found to have travelled from Wuhan. The most similar viruses have been found inside China.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The BBC's Robin Brant visits the Wuhan market where Covid-19 was first traced\n\nInterestingly, scientists who have found themselves disagreeing strongly about the likelihood of the lab-leak theory, suddenly find themselves very much aligned on whether the virus came from abroad.\n\n\"I do not find the data linking Sars-Cov-2 to frozen foods to be credible,\" Kristian Andersen, a professor of immunology and microbiology at the Scripps Research Institute in the US, told me.\n\nAs someone who is a firm supporter of China's insistence that the virus could not have escaped from a lab, he gives its latest position much shorter shrift.\n\n\"All the available evidence points to an emergence of the virus somewhere in China in late 2019,\" he said.\n\nChinese virologist Shi Zhengli, seen here inside the laboratory in Wuhan\n\nProf Shi Zhengli recently told the BBC in an exchange of emails that she'd welcome \"any form of visit\" by an inquiry team to the Wuhan Institute of Virology to rule out the possibility of a lab leak.\n\nBut to a follow-up email asking about the alignment of her discussion of possible foreign origins with the Chinese government's own narrative, she sent another reply.\n\n\"Your question is not friendly,\" she wrote.\n\nAfter months of delay and wrangling with China about access, a World Health Organization team has arrived in Wuhan to begin its inquiry into the origins of the virus.\n\nTheir terms of reference hint at the politics behind the scenes, with the document mentioning many of China's talking points, including foreign origins and food-chain transmission.\n\nLast year Wuhan endured one of the strictest lockdowns the world has seen\n\nDr Daniel Lucey, a physician and infectious disease professor at the Georgetown Medical Centre in Washington, suggests the stage is being set for a foregone conclusion.\n\n\"In my view, if you line up side-by-side the WHO's terms of reference with the Shi Zhengli Science article,\" he told me, \"then it is clear that the overarching strategic narrative is that the origin of the virus is outside of China.\"\n\nThe crisis that began in Wuhan is now the world's crisis and, with so many lives and livelihoods lost, answers are desperately needed.\n\nIf the virus came naturally from bats, an understanding of that pathway is important to protect humanity from the risk of repeated \"spillover\" events from the same source.\n\nIf it leaked from a lab, an urgent review of safety protocols is needed - not just in China but globally.\n\nBoards in Wuhan say the virus broke out \"in multiple places around the world\"\n\nScientists are beginning to wonder if those answers will ever be forthcoming.\n\n\"It's undeniable now that politics have gotten in the way of science,\" Alina Chan said.\n\n\"I just hope that the WHO team will relay the details of their experience so that the public can understand what the limitations of their investigation are.\"\n\nIn Wuhan's giant exhibition hall, the city's place in history is again called into question by one of the concluding sign boards which says Covid-19 broke out \"in multiple places around the world\".\n\nFor China, this city's past is now propaganda and the truth, like the virus, is being brought under tight control.", "Guests fled when officers arrived at the Stamford Hill school, where the windows had been covered\n\nPolice broke up a wedding party in north London, where they now say about 150 people had gathered.\n\nOfficers found the windows at the Yesodey Hatorah Senior Girls' School, in Stamford Hill, had been covered when they arrived at 21:15 GMT on Thursday.\n\nGuests fled from the strictly Orthodox Charedi Jewish school when the police arrived. The organisers face a £10,000 fine for breaking lockdown rules.\n\nThe Met originally claimed that about 400 guests were at the gathering.\n\nIn a statement, the school said its hall had been leased out.\n\nA spokesman for the school, whose principal Rabbi Avrahom Pinter died in April after contracting coronavirus, said \"we had no knowledge that the wedding was taking place\".\n\nHe added: \"We are absolutely horrified about last night's event and condemn it in the strongest possible terms.\"\n\nBoris Johnson supports the police for \"taking action against people who flagrantly and selfishly ignore the rules\", according to the prime minister's official spokesman.\n\nThe spokesman said: \"Large gatherings such as that pose a health risk, not just to those who attend but those who they live with or others who they may come into contact with.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Chief Rabbi Mirvis This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nChief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, meanwhile, said the \"overwhelming majority\" of the Jewish community would be appalled at the event.\n\nRabbi Mirvis, who serves as the head of the UK's orthodox Jewish community but is not the leader of the Charedi group, called the wedding party \"a most shameful desecration of all that we hold dear\".\n\nFive guests were issued with £200 fixed penalty notices, according to police, who said their inquiries had established those present at the school had gathered for a wedding.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. A video shared with the Jewish Chronicle shows officers in Stamford Hill\n\nVideo shared with the Jewish Chronicle shows officers in Stamford Hill speaking with a man to explain why they are there, although he is not accused of any wrongdoing.\n\nThey are then seen arriving at the Yesodey Hatorah Senior Girls' School.\n\nDet Ch Sup Marcus Barnett of the Met Police said: \"This was a completely unacceptable breach of the law.\n\n\"People across the country are making sacrifices by cancelling or postponing weddings and other celebrations and there is no excuse for this type of behaviour.\n\n\"My officers are working tirelessly with the community and we will not hesitate to take enforcement action if that is required to keep people safe.\"\n\nOn Friday morning, a security guard at the school told the BBC there were more like 100 guests at the party than the much higher number given out by police.\n\nThe Met later said in a statement: \"Although initial calls suggested some 400 people had attended the wedding, it is now believed that approximately 150 people were in attendance.\"\n\nStamford Hill is part of the borough of Hackney, which has a Covid-19 infection rate of 625.43 cases per 100,000 people. The England average rate is 471.31 per 100,000 people.\n\nThe mayor of Hackney, Philip Glanville, said he was \"deeply disappointed\" that the wedding party had taken place, despite \"the number of lives that have already been lost in the Charedi community and across the borough\".\n\nHe added: \"Unfortunately, similar events have taken place even at this venue before and we need to be really clear how unacceptable it is.\n\n\"We will be meeting with the Rabbinate and our community partners over the coming days to see how we can prevent further incidents of this nature.\"\n\nLondon is under an England-wide lockdown, which prevents social mixing between households.\n\nLondoners are asked to only leave home for limited reasons such as shopping, going to work, seeking medical assistance, or avoiding domestic abuse.\n\nFor more London news follow on Facebook, on Twitter, on Instagram and subscribe to our YouTube channel.\n\nDo you have any information to share about this incident? Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Senior doctors are calling on England's chief medical officer to cut the gap between the first and second doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine.\n\nProf Chris Whitty said extending the maximum wait from three to 12 weeks was a \"public health decision\" to get the first jab to more people across the UK.\n\nBut the British Medical Association said that was \"difficult to justify\" and should be changed to six weeks.\n\nIt comes as early evidence suggests the UK virus variant may be more deadly.\n\nPrime Minister Boris Johnson told a Downing Street briefing on Friday: \"In addition to spreading more quickly, it also now appears that there is some evidence that the new variant - the variant that was first identified in London and the south east - may be associated with a higher degree of mortality.\"\n\nPrevious work suggests the new variant spreads between 30% and 70% faster than others, and there are hints it is about 30% more deadly.\n\nFor example, the government's chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance said if 1,000 men in their 60s were infected with the old variant, roughly 10 of them would be expected to die - but this rises to about 13 with the new variant.\n\nAnother 1,348 deaths within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test were reported in the UK on Saturday, in addition to 33,552 new infections, according to the government's coronavirus dashboard.\n\nThe government's Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) says unpublished data suggests the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is still effective with doses 12 weeks apart - but Pfizer has said it has tested its vaccine's efficacy only when the two doses were given up to 21 days apart.\n\nThe World Health Organization has recommended a gap of four weeks between doses - to be extended only in exceptional circumstances to six weeks.\n\nGovernment minister Robert Jenrick said the current strategy ensured \"millions more people can get the first jab\" and the \"high level of protection\" which it offered.\n\nHe said the BMA's concerns would be taken into account but that the government was following the \"very clear advice\" of the medicines regulator and the UK's four chief medical officers who, he said, \"could not have been clearer that this is the right thing to do for this country\".\n\nA spokeswoman for the Department of Health and Social Care added: \"Our number one priority is to give protection against coronavirus to as many vulnerable people as possible, as quickly as possible.\"\n\nIn the letter to Prof Whitty, seen by the BBC, the British Medical Association (BMA) said it agreed that the vaccine should be rolled out \"as quickly as possible\" - but called for an urgent review and for the gap to be reduced.\n\nThe doctors' union said the UK's strategy \"has become increasingly isolated internationally\" and \"is proving evermore difficult to justify\".\n\n\"The absence of any international support for the UK's approach is a cause of deep concern and risks undermining public and the profession's trust in the vaccination programme,\" the letter said.\n\nDr Chaand Nagpaul, chair of the BMA, said there were \"growing concerns\" that the vaccine could become less effective with doses 12 weeks apart.\n\n\"Obviously the protection will not vanish after six weeks, but what we do not know is what level of protection will be offered [after that point],\" he told BBC Breakfast.\n\n\"We should not be extrapolating data when we don't have it.\"\n\nHe said while he understands the rationale behind the decision, \"no other nation has adopted the UK's approach\".\n\n\"We think the flexibility that the WHO offers of extending to 42 days is being stretched far too much to go from six weeks right through to 12 weeks,\" he added.\n\nThere has been understandable enthusiasm over a promising start to the hugely ambitious UK vaccination rollout.\n\nBut there has been some tension over the decision to lengthen the time between doses for the Pfizer vaccine to 12 weeks.\n\nProf Whitty and other health leaders and experts say this will allow many more people to get vaccinated quickly and the first dose gives most of the protection.\n\nBut critics argue this goes against Pfizer's recommendation of a three-week gap and there is no data to back up the long delay.\n\nThe intervention of the BMA is significant as it shows senior doctors now have widespread concerns, including worries about reliability of supplies if people have to wait longer for a second jab.\n\nThis is a private letter to Chris Whitty seen by the BBC and not a grandstanding press release. The BMA wants to have talks with the chief medical adviser about moving to six weeks.\n\nProf Whitty will no doubt restate his case, but it will be interesting to see whether the BMA argument gains traction in the wider medical world.\n\nThe BMA also suggested second doses might not be guaranteed after a 12-week delay \"given the unpredictability of supplies\".\n\nHowever, Public Health England's medical director said people would get their second dose.\n\nDr Yvonne Doyle told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that she backed the current strategy, saying it was \"about bearing down on transmission\" to reduce deaths and reduce the chance of more dangerous variants of the virus emerging.\n\n\"The more people that are protected against this virus, the less opportunity it has to get the upper hand,\" she said.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nOther issues highlighted in the letter include:\n\nThe UK's chief medical officers have said the \"great majority\" of initial protection comes from the first jab, while the second dose is likely to help that protection last longer.\n\nIn total, the UK has ordered 100 million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine and 40 million of the Pfizer vaccine.\n\nBoth vaccines are expected to work against the variant of Covid-19 that emerged in the UK.\n\nWhat has been your experience of receiving the vaccine? Are you waiting for your second dose? Email: haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "Nurses are calling for all UK staff to be given a higher grade of face mask to protect them against new variants of coronavirus.\n\nThe Royal College of Nursing warns that inadequate PPE may be putting the lives of nursing staff at risk.\n\nIt has written to the workplace safety watchdog detailing its concerns, soon after a similar appeal from doctors.\n\nEngland's Department of Health says there is no reason to change current guidance.\n\nIt follows a comprehensive review of all the evidence around the new variants and the impact on PPE.\n\nAt present, most nurses working outside of intensive care wear standard surgical masks.\n\nBut the RCN says they may not protect them against the new variant of the virus, and very small airborne viral particles spread in hospitals.\n\nInstead, it wants all NHS staff to be given the kinds of high-grade face masks used in intensive care units, called FFP2 or FFP3 masks.\n\nThe UK guidance on infection prevention and control has recently been updated, but nurses say it allows individual trusts to decide what PPE to use.\n\nAs a result, some hospitals are offering staff high-grade PPE while many are not - and that is leading to unequal levels of protection depending on where nurses work.\n\nMany nurses wear standard surgical masks outside of intensive care\n\nDame Donna Kinnair, chief executive and general secretary of the RCN, said: \"The government's silence on this issue is creating a postcode lottery for nursing staff.\n\n\"It must stop dragging its feet on this issue. Nursing staff need to have full confidence that they are protected.\"\n\nShe added: \"Staff picking up this virus at work are angered at any suggestion they have stopped following the rules - this is down to the new variant and the dangerous shortage of adequate protection.\"\n\nNHS England data shows a 22% rise in the average number of healthcare staff off sick because of Covid-19 in the first week of January, compared with the last week in December.\n\nA spokesman from the Department of Health and Social Care in England said the safety of NHS and social care staff was \"top priority\" but the current guidance did not need changing.\n\n\"In response to the new Covid-19 variants, the UK Infection Prevention Control Cell conducted a comprehensive review of all available evidence and concluded that current guidance and PPE recommendations remain the right ones.\n\n\"New and emerging evidence is continually scrutinised and evaluated by the government, in conjunction with our world-leading scientists,\" the spokesman said.\n\nThe Royal College of Nursing is asking the governments of the UK to:\n\nIt is also calling for the Health and Safety Executive to review the guidance on appropriate use of PPE in all health and care settings.", "Last updated on .From the section FA Cup\n\nCheltenham Town came within nine minutes of one of the biggest shocks in recent FA Cup history before Manchester City staged a dramatic late rally to crush the dreams of the gallant League Two side.\n\nThe Robins, 72 places below City who sit second in the Premier League, threatened huge embarrassment for Pep Guardiola's side after Alfie May put Cheltenham ahead on the hour after a trademark long throw from captain Ben Tozer caused chaos in the area.\n\nCity, who made ten changes to the team that beat Aston Villa in the Premier League on Wednesday, spared their embarrassment when Phil Foden, the game's outstanding player, arrived at the far post to turn in substitute Joao Cancelo's long cross in the 81st minute.\n\nAnd the turnaround was complete three minutes later when a rare moment of slackness in the outstanding Cheltenham defence, with goalkeeper Josh Griffiths superb, switched off and Gabriel Jesus scored from Fernandinho's delivery.\n\nFerran Torres scored Manchester City's third with the last kick of the game to give the scoreline a cruel reflection on Cheltenham's heroic efforts.\n\nIt was so cruel on manager Michael Duff and his players, who now go back the battle for promotion from League Two, while City will be away at Swansea in the fifth round.\n\n\"I'm incredibly proud,\" the Robins boss said of his side's display. \"The players they brought on from the bench and they way they celebrated the goals tells you something. They know they've been in a game. They've done that to better teams than us.\"\n\nThe sight of Manchester City manager Guardiola disputing where Cheltenham could take a throw-in said everything about the way the League Two underdogs gave their mighty opponents a serious fright.\n\nTozer's throw-ins were causing all manner of problems and led to Cheltenham's goal but there was so much more to their performance than that set-piece weapon, a threat any manager in the game would utilise.\n\nCheltenham tried to play football when they got the chance, with goalscorer May, who has done the hard yards in non-league before playing for Doncaster and now Cheltenham, a leading light.\n\nRobins keeper Griffiths, who suffered the ignominy of being beaten from 71 yards by his Newport County opposite number Tom King in midweek, was in defiant form as he saved well from Riyad Mahrez and Torres, showing command throughout. Tozer's headed goalline clearance from Benjamin Mendy in the first half was also symbolic of their 'they shall not pass' approach.\n\nThere may have been no fans inside this compact stadium but there was still a real sense of occasion, the game being halted in the first half because of a firework display nearby.\n\nIn the end this will be a bitter disappointment to Cheltenham but they can be rightly proud and take huge confidence into their League Two promotion battle.\n\nDuff highlighted how financially important the cup run was for his club.\n\n\"It's essential,\" he added. \"Every pound coming in is probably worth a tenner in normal times.\n\n\"These games don't come around very often. It's a shame because [with fans] the place would've been bouncing. Would that have seen us through in the last 10 minutes? I'm not so sure - but the key is to enjoy it.\"\n\nGuardiola made 10 changes to his line-up to give Manchester City's shadow squad a chance to impress.\n\nSome, like the erratic Mendy, did not take that opportunity and it was someone establishing himself in City's side that spared the blushes of this expensively assembled squad.\n\nFoden was magnificent, so light on his feet with glorious ball control, endless creativity and the man pulling the strings for City even when they were struggling to break down resilient Cheltenham.\n\nThe 20-year-old was head and shoulders above his City team-mates. He was the one who was going to pull them out of their grim predicament if anyone was, and so it proved when he popped up with the crucial late equaliser that lifted Guardiola's team and deflated Cheltenham.\n\nFoden had already carved out chances for Mahrez and Gabriel Jesus that were not taken so it was a case of 'do it yourself' when he was the player on target.\n\nThe fact Guardiola was forced to use three subs in Ruben Dias, Ilkay Gundogan and Joao Cancelo once Cheltenham went ahead proved how worried the Premier League giants were.\n\nThis was an unimpressive, scratchy display from City's much-changed team, with Guardiola resting so many of the players who are giving them such an ominous look in the Premier League - luckily they had the brilliance of Foden to pull them out of a deep hole.\n\nGuardiola praised the England attacking midfielder for his impressive performance.\n\n\"Foden is in a great moment and with great confidence,\" he said.\n\n\"He is clinical in front of goal and he had a similar chance to the goal we scored at [Chelsea's] Stamford Bridge - he is playing really well.\"\n\nThe City manager suggested he was confident in the players he put out on the pitch.\n\n\"I didn't have regrets even when we were 1-0 down, we had clear chances from the first minute,\" he added.\n\n\"When they take advantage it gets complicated, but we got it to 1-1 and it was tight. We came here with humility and had the quality to make the difference.\"\n• None Cheltenham have lost all nine of their competitive meetings with Premier League sides, by an aggregate score of 6-23.\n• None City have won 10 consecutive games in all competitions for the first time since a run of 11 from August to October 2017.\n• None May's opener for Cheltenham was the first goal City had conceded in 509 minutes of action in all competitions, since Callum Hudson-Odoi's strike for Chelsea at the start of the month.\n• None Foden is City's top scorer in all competitions this season with nine goals in 25 appearances, one more than he netted in 38 games last season.\n• None Jesus has been involved in 12 goals in 13 FA Cup appearances for City, scoring eight and assisting four.\n• None May has scored four goals in his four FA Cup games for Cheltenham, with each of his eight goals in total in the competition coming in home games.\n• None Goal! Cheltenham Town 1, Manchester City 3. Ferran Torres (Manchester City) right footed shot from very close range to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Ilkay Gündogan.\n• None Attempt missed. Matty Blair (Cheltenham Town) right footed shot from the right side of the box is too high following a corner.\n• None Goal! Cheltenham Town 1, Manchester City 2. Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Fernandinho with a through ball.\n• None Goal! Cheltenham Town 1, Manchester City 1. Phil Foden (Manchester City) left footed shot from very close range to the bottom left corner. Assisted by João Cancelo with a cross.\n• None Attempt missed. João Cancelo (Manchester City) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Assisted by Riyad Mahrez.\n• None Attempt missed. Phil Foden (Manchester City) header from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by João Cancelo with a cross. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page\n• None Hear from the former US president as he reflects on his time in office\n• None How can you eat well for £1 a portion?", "The 39 people who died in the back of a trailer as it crossed the North Sea between Zeebrugge and the UK\n\nFour men have been jailed for the manslaughter of 39 Vietnamese migrants found dead in a lorry trailer in Essex.\n\nThe migrants died \"excruciatingly painful\" deaths, having suffocated in the container en route from Belgium to Purfleet in October 2019, a judge said.\n\nRonan Hughes, 41, and Gheorghe Nica, 43, played \"leading roles\" in the smuggling conspiracy and were jailed for 20 and 27 years respectively.\n\nAt the Old Bailey, two lorry drivers were also jailed for manslaughter.\n\n[Left to right] Eamonn Harrison, Ronan Hughes, Gheorghe Nica and Maurice Robinson were all jailed for manslaughter\n\nEamonn Harrison, 24, who towed the trailer to the Belgian port of Zeebrugge before their journey to the UK, was sentenced to 18 years.\n\nMaurice Robinson, 26, was given 13 years and four months, having collected the trailer and opened it in an industrial estate to find the migrants dead.\n\nThree others members of the people-smuggling gang were also sentenced for conspiracy to facilitate unlawful immigration.\n\nChristopher Kennedy, 24, from County Armagh, was jailed for seven years; Valentin Calota, 38, of Birmingham, for four-and-a-half years; and Alexandru-Ovidiu Hanga, 28, of Hobart Road, Tilbury, Essex, was given a three-year sentence.\n\n[Left to right] Valentin Calota, Alexandru-Ovidiu Hanga and Christopher Kennedy were also sentenced on Friday\n\nSentencing, Mr Justice Sweeney said: \"I have no doubt that the conspiracy was a sophisticated, long-running and profitable one to smuggle mainly Vietnamese people across the channel.\"\n\nHe said on the fatal trip the temperature had been rising along with the carbon dioxide levels throughout, hitting 40C (104F) while the container was at sea on 22 October 2019.\n\n\"There were desperate attempts to contact the outside world by phone and to break through the roof of the container,\" the judge said.\n\n\"All were to no avail and, before the ship reached Purfleet, [the victims] all died in what must have been an excruciatingly painful death.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Video evidence showed how the trainer containing 39 Vietnamese migrants made its way to the UK\n\nThe victims had used a metal pole to try to punch through the roof but only managed to dent the interior.\n\nThe court heard some of their final desperate phone messages, including one where a man spoke with ragged breaths as he apologised to his family.\n\n\"I can't breathe,\" he said. \"I want to come back to my family. Have a good life.\"\n\nJustice Sweeney added: \"The willingness of the victims to try and enter the country illegally provides no excuse for what happened to them.\"\n\nThe bodies of 39 Vietnamese nationals were discovered in a refrigerated trailer on 23 October 2019\n\nDuring the trial, jurors were given a snapshot of the victims - who included a bricklayer, a university graduate and a nail bar technician - and their dreams of a better life.\n\nMany of their families borrowed heavily to fund their passage, relying on their potential future earnings once they got into the UK.\n\nThe father of Nguyen Huy Tung, one of two 15-year-olds in the container, later learned of his son's death via social media.\n\nHarrison, of Newry, County Down, claimed he did not know there were people in the trailer when he towed it to the Belgian port, and that he watched \"a wee bit of Netflix\" in bed as they were loaded on.\n\nAfter receiving this message from his boss, Robinson got out of his cab, opened the trailer door and discovered the bodies\n\nRobinson, from County Armagh, collected the trailer when it arrived on UK shores just after midnight on 23 October.\n\nHis boss, Hughes, had messaged him: \"Give them air quickly don't let them out.\"\n\nRobinson gave a thumbs-up in reply. When Robinson stopped on a nearby industrial estate, he found that the migrants were all dead.\n\nHis barrister said Robinson, who admitted manslaughter, being part of the trafficking plot and money laundering, was \"horrified by what he saw\".\n\nThe moment lorry driver Maurice Robinson opened the trailer door and discovered the bodies inside was captured on CCTV\n\nThe trial examined three smuggling attempts by the gang - two that were successful on 11 and 18 October, and the final trip on 23 October.\n\nOn all three runs, Nica, of Basildon, Essex, had arranged cars and a van to transport the migrants at the UK end.\n\nWhen Robinson discovered the bodies, there was a series of telephone conversations between him and Nica and Hughes, of Tyholland, County Monaghan, Ireland, before the driver eventually dialled 999.\n\nIn his evidence, Nica said Robinson told him: \"I have a problem here - dead bodies in the trailer.\"\n\nWhile Hughes admitted manslaughter, both Nica and Harrison were convicted by a jury.\n\nMr Justice Sweeney said that in the conspiracy \"two played leading roles, namely - in order of importance - Hughes and Nica\".\n\nHe accepted Hughes was \"not at the very top of the conspiracy\" but said his role was \"pivotal... in that he ran a haulage business and supplied the trailers and drivers used to transport the migrants\".\n\nThe judge said Nica \"recruited and paid the drivers whose job it was to collect the migrants when they reached the drop-off site in this country and to drive them to the safe house(s) where they were to be held until payment\".\n\nHe added at the top of the conspiracy was a Vietnamese man called \"Fong\", who was based in London.\n\nMr Justice Sweeney told the defendants jailed for manslaughter they would serve two-thirds of the term in custody, instead of the usual half.\n\nEarlier this month, Gazmir Nuzi, 43, of Barclay Road, Tottenham, north London, was sentenced, having admitted his limited role in the people-smuggling operation. It was accepted he was not a member of the organised crime group behind the smuggling operation.\n\nDet Ch Insp Daniel Stoten said: \"May this serve as a warning to those who think it's OK to prey on the vulnerabilities of migrants and their families, transporting them in a way worse than we would transport animals.\n\n\"My message to you is that we will find you and we will stop you.\"\n\nHe said the victims died in an \"unimaginable way, because of the utter greed of these criminals\".\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk", "Police warned that unsanctioned protests would be \"immediately suppressed\"\n\nRussian police have detained close aides of the jailed opposition politician Alexei Navalny, as a string of nationwide protests gets under way.\n\nPolice have broken up demonstrations in the eastern Khabarovsk region, amid stern warnings for people to stay home.\n\nMr Navalny's supporters flooded social media with calls to rally at protests expected in dozens of cities later.\n\nHe is Russian leader Vladimir Putin's most high-profile critic.\n\nHe was arrested last Sunday after he flew back to Moscow from Berlin, where he had been recovering from a near-fatal nerve agent attack in Russia last August.\n\nOn his return, he was immediately taken into custody and found guilty of violating parole conditions. He says it is a trumped-up case designed to silence him.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Alexei Navalny was filmed by the BBC saying goodbye to his wife and then being led away by authorities\n\nMore than 60m people have watched his new video about President Vladimir Putin's alleged luxury Black Sea palace.\n\nThe Kremlin denies the property belongs to the president.\n\nAmong those detained in Moscow on Thursday were his spokeswoman, Kira Yarmysh, and one of his lawyers, Lyubov Sobol. They face fines or short jail terms.\n\nMs Sobol, who has a young child, was later released. But Ms Yarmysh has now been jailed for nine days.\n\nProminent Navalny activists are also being held in the cities of Vladivostok, Novosibirsk and Krasnodar.\n\nUnauthorised rallies are being planned in more than 60 cities across Russia for Saturday. Moscow police say any unauthorised demonstrations and provocations will be \"immediately suppressed\".\n\nA thousand people were reported to have come onto the streets in the Khabarovsk region, with some of them already detained.\n\nMr Navalny's wife Yulia, who travelled back to Russia with him from Germany, said she would demonstrate in Moscow \"for myself, for him, for our children, for the values and the ideals that we share\".\n\nAlexei Navalny's Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) has drawn millions of followers on social media, through slickly produced videos alleging large-scale official corruption. He has long denounced Mr Putin's administration as \"feudal\" and full of \"crooks and thieves\".\n\nFor a long time the Russian authorities made out that Alexei Navalny was irrelevant. Just a blogger. With a tiny following. No threat whatsoever.\n\nRecent events suggest the opposite. First Mr Navalny was targeted with a nerve agent, allegedly by a secret group of FSB state security hitmen. Instead of investigating the poisoning, Russia is investigating him: on his return from Germany the Kremlin critic was arrested.\n\nHaving put Mr Navalny behind bars, the authorities are putting pressure on his supporters. The Kremlin's greatest fear is of a Ukraine-style revolution in Russia that would sweep away those in power.\n\nThere's no indication that such a scenario is imminent. But with economic problems growing, the Kremlin will worry that Mr Navalny could act as a lightning rod for protest sentiment. That explains the police crackdown on Navalny allies ahead of Saturday's potential protests.\n\nPlus, this is getting personal. Mr Navalny's video about \"Putin's Palace\" on the Black Sea was designed to cause maximum embarrassment to the Russian president.\n\nIn the \"Putin's palace\" video Mr Navalny alleges that rich businessmen close to Mr Putin paid for a sumptuous 17,691sq m (190,424sq ft) palace for him at Gelendzhik, by the Black Sea.\n\nIt is alleged to have a casino, a theatre and many other comforts, including a vineyard and tea house in the sprawling grounds. The Kremlin dismissed the YouTube video as a \"pseudo-investigation\" aimed at earning money for Mr Navalny.\n\nProsecutors have warned people against protesting in support of Mr Navalny on Saturday. Russia's education ministry has told parents not to allow their children to attend.\n\nSome Russian celebrities in the arts and sports have pledged support for Mr Navalny. They include ice hockey star Artemi Panarin.\n\nFormer world chess champion Garry Kasparov - now a leading anti-Putin activist based in the US - tweeted that pro-Navalny posts were being widely blocked in Russia.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Garry Kasparov This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nIn a phone call to President Putin on Friday, EU Council President Charles Michel voiced \"grave concern\" about the jailing of Mr Navalny.\n\nMr Michel said the EU was \"united in its call on Russia to swiftly release Mr Navalny and proceed with the investigation into the assassination attempt on him, in full transparency and without further delay\".\n\nIn October, the EU imposed sanctions on six top Russian officials and a Russian chemical weapons research centre over the Novichok poisoning of Mr Navalny.\n\nThe Kremlin retaliated with tit-for-tat sanctions, denying any role in the attack and rejecting the expert finding that the Russian nerve agent had been used.\n\nThe Black Sea palace allegedly features a casino, an ice rink and a vineyard\n\nThe social media app TikTok has a flood of videos from Russians promoting the protests planned for Saturday. The messages about Mr Navalny have been going viral for several days.\n\nA well-known Russian TikTok user, Slava Varfolomeyev, told BBC Russian: \"I go on TikTok and find that every third video is about 'Putin's palace', the detention of Navalny and the 23 January rally!\"\n\nHe said that on Thursday \"this swelled to a maximum: practically seven out of every 10 videos were on that topic [Navalny]\". TikTok's popularity is based on short-form videos.\n\nOn Wednesday Russia's official media watchdog, Roskomnadzor, demanded that TikTok take down any information \"encouraging minors to act illegally\", threatening large fines.", "Police said they had been in contact with the family before the funeral took place \"in an attempt to ensure safety\"\n\nA funeral director has been fined £10,000 after police were called to a funeral with close to 150 people in attendance.\n\nHertfordshire Police said the large gathering in Welwyn Garden City on Thursday was reported to them by members of the public.\n\nCoronavirus rules mean a maximum of 30 people can attend a funeral.\n\nA second person was fined, by Bedfordshire Police, for when the gathering was in Arlesey, Bedfordshire.\n\nSupt Nick Caveney, of Hertfordshire Police, said: \"This was a clear and blatant breach of the current restrictions.\"\n\nHe said the fine was given to the funeral director \"for not managing this event correctly and advising their clients of the rules\".\n\n\"We implore all business owners to ensure they are following the restrictions safely and responsibly,\" he said.\n\n\"Flagrant breaches such as this will not be tolerated.\"\n\nThe force said it had worked with other agencies and the family in advance of the funeral \"in an attempt to ensure the safety of those attending and that of the wider public\".\n\nBut when officers attended they found the large number of people at the church, and a 41-year-old man from Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, was handed the £10,000 fine after police served a fixed penalty notice.\n\nSeveral members of the public had contacted the force about the funeral at the Roman Catholic Church of Our Lady, Queen of Apostles on Woodhall Lane.\n\nBedfordshire Police said a man in his 30s was issued with the fine over the gathering.\n\nCh Supt John Murphy from the force said: \"Fines and enforcement are a last resort for us, and we will always engage and work with families in the first instance.\n\n\"But we need to take firm action against those who brazenly decide to go against the guidelines outlined by the government and put a large number of people at risk.\"\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk", "Ministers will discuss at a meeting on Monday whether to tighten restrictions at UK borders - including the possibility of hotel quarantines for travellers, the BBC has been told.\n\nAt a Downing Street news conference on Friday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson did not rule out taking further action.\n\nIt comes amid increased concerns over the spread of new coronavirus variants.\n\nUnder current travel curbs, almost all people arriving in the UK must test negative for Covid to be allowed entry.\n\nThe test must be taken in the 72 hours before travelling and anyone arriving without one faces a fine of up to £500.\n\nAll passengers are also required to quarantine for up to 10 days, although the isolation period can be cut short with a second negative test after five days in England.\n\nThe only people not subject to the conditions are children under 11, hauliers, air, international rail and maritime crew, and passengers from the Common Travel Area - comprised of the Republic of Ireland, the Channel Islands or the Isle of Man\n\nScotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own quarantine rules, which differ slightly.\n\nAs of Monday, travel corridors, which exempted passengers arriving from some countries from quarantine, were suspended throughout the UK.\n\nAsked whether the government would bring in further measures at UK borders, Mr Johnson said: \"I really don't rule it out, we may need to take further measures still.\n\n\"We may need to go further to protect our borders.\n\n\"We don't want to put that [efforts to control Covid] at risk by having a new variant come back in.\"\n\nOne more infectious variant , which was first identified in Kent, has already spread widely across the UK.\n\nAnd, at the briefing, the prime minister announced that early evidence suggests this variant may be more deadly.\n\nOther new variants causing concern have been identified in South Africa and Brazil in the weeks since the Kent variant was discovered.\n\nThose discoveries led to direct flights to the UK from all South American countries and several southern African countries being suspended.\n\nScientists fear these variants discovered in other countries may interfere with the effectiveness of vaccines and evade parts of the immune system.\n\nWhile those travelling into the UK are asked to abide by the 10-day isolation and told they can be subject to checks, London mayor Sadiq Khan is among those who have called for the UK to adopt the use of enforced quarantine in hotel rooms.\n\nThe policy is among the measures in Australia that has limited the country to just 28,750 positive cases during the entire pandemic, fewer than the UK currently has every day.\n\nTravellers who choose to go to Australia have to pay for their rooms at one of a number of selected quarantine facilities - and have all their meals delivered to their room throughout a stay of at least 14 days. They get tested twice for Covid during that period and if they test positive their quarantine is extended for a further 14 days.\n\nMeanwhile, passengers arriving into London's Heathrow airport this week have complained of queues at passport control and what they described as poor social distancing, after the latest travel restrictions - requiring travellers to show proof of their negative Covid tests - came into force.\n\nOn Friday, former British ambassador Peter Westmacott posted a picture on Twitter of long queues at the airport.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Peter Westmacott This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nA government spokesman said people \"should not be travelling unless absolutely necessary\".\n\nThe statement added: \"You must have proof of a negative test and a completed passenger locator form before arriving.\n\n\"Border Force have been ramping up enforcement and those not complying could be fined £500.\n\n\"It's ultimately up to individual airports to ensure social distancing on site.\"\n\nWith all parts of the UK under strict virus rules amid high levels of infection, only essential foreign travel is permitted in the current advice from the Foreign Office.\n\nA further 40,261 cases, and 1,401 deaths within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test were reported on Friday in the UK.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Some of the volunteers are working to prepare bodies for burial\n\nA mosque in east London has closed for all communal prayer. Instead it is serving two purposes - providing funerals and feeding the local community. Michael Buchanan finds a team of volunteers there battling to deal with the pandemic.\n\nThe family shuffled quietly past a crate of milk cartons. They came through the small porch, towards the open coffin. Inside was a woman - a loved one - who died of Covid two days ago. The coffin sat feet away from tins and packets to be distributed by the local food bank. The milk was the latest delivery.\n\nIt is impossible to capture the enormous consequences of the pandemic. But last Saturday lunchtime, this tragic image - one of grief and hardship coming together - came close, for me at least.\n\nCovid-19 has made extraordinary demands of so many different people, but what is currently happening at the Masjid Ibrahim and Islamic Centre in east London is truly remarkable. Situated on a busy road, with the noise of ambulance sirens regularly shattering its peaceful interior, the mosque has closed to communal prayer and is open for two other purposes - to provide a funeral service and a food bank to the local community. Both are inundated.\n\n\"We've had so many bodies coming in. It's quite shocking. It's one after another after another. We've never had that situation before,\" says Sofia Bhatti. Alongside her friend, Tabassum Khokhar - known as Tabs - the pair are unheralded heroes. They volunteer to wash the bodies of Covid-positive women prior to burial.\n\nThe practice, called Ghusl, is a sacred Islamic ritual and is usually performed by the deceased's relatives, who cleanse and shroud the body. But Covid restrictions mean families are currently denied that religious honour, so volunteers like Sofia and Tabs are taking on what they consider to be a privileged task.\n\n\"We actually believe that when we are shrouding here, that God is shrouding the soul at the same time,\" says Tabs, standing by a coffin. By day, she works as a teaching support worker in a local school, so the PPE that the mosque provides - bodysuit, footwear, two sets of gloves, masks and visors - is crucial for her. \"I make sure my PPE is secure because it's not just about me, it's about my family. I have an 81-year-old mother.\"\n\nThe women are seeing first hand - and in graphic detail - the pressure the NHS is under. \"Very often we see bodies coming in with a lot of medical equipment still attached to them,\" says Sofia. \"Tubes and pipes and catheters still attached. So it makes our job a little bit harder.\" One of the women they washed during my visit had died in the ambulance, never actually reaching hospital.\n\nVery often we see bodies coming in with a lot of medical equipment still attached to them. Tubes and pipes and catheters\n\nThere are far more bodies than during the first peak and there is a larger age range. One day this week, the mosque was handling seven bodies. A few days earlier they said they'd processed 10 funerals, all arranged for free and paid for by donations. Before the pandemic, they'd handled two to three funerals a week. The two local hospital trusts in east London have each had more than 1,000 Covid deaths since the start of the pandemic. More have died at home.\n\nThe borough of Newham, where the mosque sits, has suffered a disproportionate number of deaths. Home to the Olympic Park, the 2012 London games were meant to regenerate this area. Yet it retains high levels of poverty and overcrowded housing. Add in a diverse population, rich in south Asian culture, and large numbers of people who can't work from home and the virus has sadly ripped through its residents.\n\nIsfand Aslam said he's shocked by what's going on. His father, Mohammad, died on 3 January, a week after falling ill. His positive Covid test result arrived two days after his death. The 85-year-old was a committee member at the Masjid Ibrahim and despite his age had been in good health. \"It took a week between him passing away and getting buried. Initially I was getting a lot of condolences from friends. But by the end of that week I am giving condolences to three friends because their fathers had passed away. It's now got to the stage where everybody we know knows somebody who has passed away.\"\n\nThe sheer number of deaths is impacting the area's main Muslim cemetery. Normally, the Gardens of Peace buries three to four people each day. They're currently carrying out an average of 15 funerals daily. Overall, they are about 50% busier than usual. They can no longer promise burials within 24 hours, as per Muslim custom.\n\nDespite this, there is still a concerning number of people in the local area who either don't think Covid is real or are resistant to taking a vaccine. There was anger among some community leaders before Christmas when it emerged the Bangladeshi High Commission in London held a cultural evening to celebrate its independence. Photos from the event, on 16 December, showed a group - including the High Commissioner herself - standing close together with no masks or social distancing. The High Commission said performers had been Covid tested and it had issued 10 videos in Bangla urging British-Bangladeshis to adhere to UK government guidance.\n\nIt's now got to the stage where everybody we know knows somebody who has passed away\n\nTo counter disinformation among its members, an imam at the Masjid Ibrahim, Mohammad Ammar, filmed a short video of himself being injected with the vaccine and urged his congregation to follow suit. Imam Ammar has actually been furloughed by the mosque as it focusses all its resources on battling the pandemic, including feeding its local community.\n\nThe virus forced the mosque to open a food bank in March. It is still running 10 months on. On Monday night, I watched a steady stream of people gather in the gloom at the rear of the mosque to fill their bags. Most were collecting on behalf of a larger household, and the mosque says they're currently feeding 350 families each week, including students, refugees, people with no access to public funds and those who've lost income.\n\nAmong those collecting food on Monday was Mohammad Rahman. A 42-year-old chef, he lost his job in an Indian restaurant three months ago. The married father of two boys - aged eight and six - told me he was already in rent arrears and struggling to pay his energy bills. \"My son says 'where is the pizza'? But I have no money. He says '[can I have] chicken and chips'? But I have no money. The shops are open, but no money\", he adds, taking his hands from his pockets.\n\nIn normal times, the Masjid Ibrahim would attract about 1,100 worshippers over three floors for Friday prayers, and there has been some pressure on the leadership to reopen for communal worship. But Asim Uddin, chairman of the mosque, says now is not the time. \"Prayers, yes, it's important. But right now what is the need? The need of the community is they want to be fed and they want a place where they can respectfully bury their loved ones. And the demand is overwhelming. Right now, it's better they stay home, and they can pray at home until the situation goes back to normal.\"\n\nMichael Buchanan is the BBC's social affairs correspondent and has been reporting on the impact of the pandemic on communities in the UK. Last year, he visited the town of Pontypool to find out what impact coronavirus restrictions were having in Wales.", "Reports suggest AstraZeneca may have warned of a 60% cut to doses available\n\nA second coronavirus vaccine manufacturer has warned of supply issues to the European Union, compounding frustration in the bloc.\n\nAstraZeneca said a production problem meant the number of initial doses available would be lower than expected.\n\nThe fresh blow comes after some nations' inoculation programmes were slowed due to a cut in deliveries of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.\n\nThe EU Health Commissioner expressed \"deep dissatisfaction\" at the news.\n\nOfficials have not confirmed publicly how big the shortfall will be, but an unnamed EU official told Reuters news agency that deliveries would be reduced to 31m - a cut of 60% - in the first quarter of this year.\n\nThe drug firm had been set to deliver about 80 million doses to the 27 nations by March, according to the official who spoke to Reuters.\n\nThe AstraZeneca vaccine, developed with Oxford University, has not yet been approved by the EU's drug regulator but is expected to get the green light at the end of this month, paving the way for jabs to be given.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Stella Kyriakides This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nA spokesman for AstraZeneca said on Friday that \"initial volumes will be lower than originally anticipated\" without giving further details.\n\nHis written statement blamed the discrepancy on \"reduced yields at a manufacturing site within our European supply chain\" and said the firm was continuing to ramp up production volumes.\n\nNews of the delay comes amid criticism and frustration across the region about the speed of vaccination roll-outs.\n\nIsrael, the United Arab Emirates, the UK, and the US are all well ahead of EU nations in terms of doses given per capita so far.\n\nThe European Commission has co-ordinated orders for all member states, with vaccines then distributed based on their population size.\n\nVaccines are increasingly seen by experts as the only way out of the Covid-19 crisis, with many European nations struggling to cope with a deadly surge of the virus over the winter period.\n\nAustrian media have reported that only 600,000 of two million AstraZeneca doses promised by the end of March will arrive in the country on time, with the remaining 1.4m now being delivered in April.\n\nA delay would be \"completely unacceptable\", Austrian Health Minister Rudolf Anschober said on Friday.\n\nAs for Pfizer, the US firm said it had to cut shipments for the next few weeks while it worked to increase capacity at its Belgian processing plant. The EU has ordered 600 million doses from Pfizer.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Ursula von der Leyen This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nSome regions, including Germany's most populous state North-Rhine Westphalia and parts of Italy, said earlier this week that they were suspending giving first jabs of the two-dose vaccine because of the shortages.\n\nItaly and Poland have threatened to take legal action in response to the reduction in vaccine supply.\n\nMeanwhile Hungary's government, which has complained over the time it is taking EU regulators to approve the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, has reached a deal with Russia to buy up large quantities of its Sputnik V vaccine, even though it has not received EU approval.\n\nEuropean Council President Charles Michel, who led a call of EU leaders this week, said Thursday that officials were considering all ideas to try and stop future vaccine delays.\n\n\"All possible means will be examined to ensure rapid supply, including early distribution to avoid delays,\" he said.\n\nEuropean Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and Mr Michel both say they are still aiming for the target of 70% of the EU population being vaccinated by summer.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Covid vaccine safety: How does a vaccine get approved?\n\nThe total number of German Covid deaths climbed above 50,000 on Friday - a day after the country warned that it could close its borders if other EU countries were less strict in controlling the virus. Berlin sounded the alarm amid rising concern about new variants.\n\nEU leaders agreed late on Thursday to keep their internal borders open but warned non-essential travel might need to be restricted to curb the spread of the virus.\n\nMs von der Leyen said Thursday that more testing and \"targeted measures\" were needed throughout the EU in order to keep internal and external borders open.\n\nFor its part, France said it would impose tighter travel restrictions for European arrivals from Sunday, requiring a negative PCR Covid test within three days of travel.\n\nIn the Netherlands, a ban on all flights from the UK, South Africa and South American countries came into effect on Saturday to try and prevent new coronavirus variants gaining a foothold.\n\nLooking forward to the future, officials from EU nations reliant on tourism - including Spain and Greece - have floated the possibility of using vaccination certificates to allow for cross-border travel but there has been scepticism within the bloc.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Infection level \"very, very high\" and \"extremely precarious\" - Prof Whitty\n\nThe UK is at an \"extremely precarious\" point, according to the chief medical adviser, despite signs Covid infections are beginning to fall.\n\nThe virus's reproduction rate is estimated to be at or below one for the first time since early December.\n\nAnything below one means the epidemic is shrinking.\n\nBut cases are falling from a \"very, very high level\", Prof Chris Whitty said - and may still be increasing in some areas.\n\n\"A very small change and it could start taking off again from an extremely high base,\" he warned.\n\nSpeaking at a Number 10 press conference on Friday evening, the UK's chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, said the \"awful\" death rate would stay high \"for a little while before it starts coming down\".\n\n\"That was always what was predicted...and I think the information about the new variant doesn't change that\".\n\nEarly evidence suggests the variant of coronavirus that emerged in the UK may be more deadly, although findings are preliminary and there is a high level of uncertainty.\n\nDr Susan Hopkins at Public Health England said there was \"evidence from some but not all data sources which suggests that the variant of concern which was first detected in the UK may lead to a higher risk of death than the non-variant.\n\n\"Evidence on this variant is still emerging and more work is under way to fully understand how it behaves.\"\n\nThe Department of Health and Social Care said while the UK's R or reproduction number, might be below one - meaning a shrinking epidemic - overall, \"cases remain dangerously high and...it is essential that everyone continues to stay at home, whether they have had the vaccine or not.\"\n\nMeanwhile, Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures suggested cases were decreasing slightly or levelling off across Britain.\n\nBut infections are falling more slowly than they did during the first lockdown - by somewhere around a quarter every fortnight compared with a halving back in April.\n\nA further 40,261 cases, and 1,401 deaths were recorded on Friday in the UK.\n\nMore than five million people had been given a first dose of the vaccine by 21 January, and about half a million had received their second dose.\n\nPrime Minister Boris Johnson has previously said it is \"too early\" to say whether England's Covid restrictions will be able to end in the spring.\n\nWhile cases are falling or stable across the rest of the UK, in Northern Ireland cases have continued to rise and the new, more infectious strain has overtaken the older variant of the virus as of the start of January.\n\nDuring the week ending 16 January, about one in 55 people in England had the virus, the ONS estimated, with one in 35 in London testing positive.\n\nOne in 100 people had the virus in Scotland and one in 70 in Wales.\n\nBut in Northern Ireland infections have shot up from an an estimated one in 200 people testing positive in the week to 2 January, to one in 60 last week.\n\nONS statistician Sarah Crofts said while fewer people were testing positive in England, \"rates remain high and we estimate the level of infection is still over one million people\".\n\nAnd, she pointed out, \"the picture across the UK is mixed\".\n\nA survey by tech company ZOE and King's College London, based on swabs of people with and without symptoms, also suggested the R number could be at 0.8.\n\nAnd it estimated symptomatic cases had fallen by a quarter since last week.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. What is the R number and what does it mean?\n\nMeanwhile, the proportion of people testing positive for the new Covid variant has risen considerably in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, ONS data suggest.\n\nBut the new strain, which remains by far the main source of infections in England, has yet to overtake the old strain in Scotland and Wales.\n\nWithin England, the proportion of infections that appear to be due to the new variant remained stable, but the gap between the regions is narrowing.\n\nIn the figures covering 2 January, 80% of infections looked like the new variant in London compared to 30% in the North East.\n\nTwo weeks later, that gap had narrowed to 70% in London versus 50% in the North East.\n\nIt is not clear what is behind the small fall in London, but it may be down to behaviour change, or other variants like the South Africa strain now in circulation and diluting the numbers.", "Morriston is seeing \"unprecedented\" numbers of people die in intensive care\n\nAn intensive care consultant said as many as five patients are dying with Covid during a single 12-hour shift.\n\nDr John Gorst said the number was \"unprecedented\" at his unit in Swansea's Morriston Hospital that would normally only see one person die.\n\nHe said the second wave of the pandemic was more challenging with patients more severely unwell.\n\nIn Wales, there has been an average of about 34 deaths a day during the pandemic up to 19 January.\n\nNew Year's Day saw the most Covid-related deaths in a single day in Wales - 55 - since the pandemic began.\n\n\"In some 12-hour periods we have lost up to five coronavirus patients,\" said Dr Gorst.\n\n\"Usually we expect to see, on average, one patient a day dying in the intensive care unit. To have five die on one day is unprecedented.\n\n\"That's been a real struggle for their families and for the staff dealing with it.\"\n\nFour additional medical wards have opened to cope with the impact of coronavirus at Morriston, with about 300 patients being treated.\n\nDr John Gorst and senior matron Carol Doggett say Covid patients are sicker and younger in the second wave\n\nDr Gorst said: \"If it wasn't for the treatment given on the wards, intensive care would have been completely overwhelmed.\n\n\"However, when patients have failed on these treatments, sadly the safety net of the intensive care unit [and] getting them on an invasive ventilator, largely doesn't work.\n\n\"Most patients who come to intensive care to go on an intensive ventilator, sadly, will not survive.\n\n\"These patients are mostly of working age. They don't have any significant medical conditions.\"\n\n\"This is alien to us as an intensive care unit. We expect far more patients to survive. Now they are not.\"\n\nMorriston's senior matron Carol Doggett agreed that the \"number of sicker patients has definitely increased\", and she said they were younger than had been experienced in the first wave of the pandemic.\n\n\"That should be a stark warning to anyone not to take chances with this,\" she said.\n\nOn Friday, First Minister Mark Drakeford said there was cause for concern over new variants of Covid-19.\n\n\"We know the new highly contagious strain - sometimes called the Kent variant - is now widespread across Wales,\" he said.\n\nHe also said the government was closely monitoring three new variant variants: one from South Africa and two from Brazil.\n\nSix cases of the South African variant have been identified in Wales.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Police tweeted this photo, which appears to show the vehicle severely damaged in the crash\n\nFour ponies have been killed in a collision with a vehicle in the New Forest National Park.\n\nThe animals were hit on Thursday night while licking freshly laid salt on Roger Penny Way, Hampshire Constabulary said.\n\nThree ponies died at the scene while a fourth was found dead later a short distance away.\n\nIn December, three donkeys were killed on the road, which is a black spot for animal accidents.\n\nMark Ferrett, whose daughter owned the ponies, said the deaths were \"unacceptable\"\n\nThe crash happened at about 21:00 GMT on a 40mph (64km/h) section of the road north of Brook.\n\nThe car, a Land Rover Discovery, appears to have been severely damaged in the collision, according to a police tweet, which gave no further details.\n\nMark Ferrett, whose daughter owned the ponies, said the deaths were \"unacceptable\".\n\nHe said: \"I would favour a reduction in the speed [limit]. Please, everyone needs to slow down and stop this carnage.\"\n\nThe New Forest is one of the largest remaining areas of unenclosed land where commoners' cattle, ponies and donkeys roam throughout the open heath.\n\nIn 2019, 58 animals were killed and 32 were injured, according to the New Forest National Park Authority.\n\nThe crash happened on Roger Penny Way, where donkeys, cattle and horses roam freely\n\nAndrew Napthine, a New Forest Agister who helps manage the area's free-roaming animals, attended the scene of the crash, and said the male driver was not injured.\n\nHe said three of the ponies were killed on the road while a fourth fled the scene and died behind a bush.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "The UK has reported another 55,892 daily cases of coronavirus, the highest figure on record.\n\nAnd another 964 people died within 28 days of a positive test, only slightly down on the 981 on Wednesday.\n\nIt comes as Health Secretary Matt Hancock appealed to everyone to \"take personal responsibility this New Year's Eve and stay at home\".\n\nHe said he knew how much had been sacrificed this year but, with the NHS under pressure, \"we cannot let up\".\n\nOn Thursday, just after midnight, 20 million more people in England were placed under the toughest restrictions and told to stay at home.\n\nThe new restrictions mean 44 million people, or 78% of the population of England, are now in tier four, where non-essential shops, gyms, cinemas and hairdressers have to stay shut.\n\nPublic Health England medical director Dr Yvonne Doyle said Christmas week had seen a worrying rise in cases - particularly among adults in their 20s and 30s.\n\n\"We have all had to make huge sacrifices this year, but please ensure that you keep your distance from others, wash your hands and wear a mask,\" she said.\n\n\"A night in at new year will mean you are significantly reducing your social contacts and can help stop the spread of the virus.\"\n\nThe 981 deaths recorded on Wednesday was the highest daily figure since April.\n\nMuch of the rise in cases has been blamed on the spread of a new variant, which scientists believe is able to transmit more easily.\n\nIt was initially concentrated in the London, the South East and eastern England, but Mr Hancock has said it is now responsible for the \"majority\" of new cases across the UK.\n\nWith the number of Covid patients in hospitals increasing, some are being moved long distances for intensive care.\n\nDr Michael Marsh, NHS England medical director for the south-west region, said patients had come from Kent to Plymouth and Bristol, where services were \"less stretched\".\n\nThe latest NHS Test and Trace figures show 232,169 people tested positive for Covid in England at least once in the week to 23 December, up 33% on the previous week and the highest weekly rise on record.\n\nCovid case rates are continuing to rise in all regions of England - with London's rate at 735.5 per 100,000 people in the seven days to 27 December, up from 711.9 the previous week, the latest Public Health England report showed.\n\nEastern England saw the second highest rate, 551.3 up from 510.8, followed by south-east England at 450.6, up from 427.4.\n\nMeanwhile, Scotland recorded 2,622 new Covid cases in the past 24 hours - a record high for the third day in a row.\n\nPublic Health Wales reported a further 1,831 cases in Wales, with the highest case rates in Bridgend (825.6 for every 100,000 people) and Merthyr Tydfil (754.2).\n\nAnd Northern Ireland has seen another 1,929 cases in the last 24 hours, as hospitals come close to capacity with latest figures showing only six empty beds.\n\nSome hospital trusts in the south of England have also been reporting that they are under extreme pressure because of increasing numbers of Covid patients.\n\nOn Wednesday, Essex and Buckinghamshire declared major incidents, while an intensive care doctor at London's Whittington Hospital said they were facing a \"tsunami\" of Covid cases.\n\nProf Hugh Montgomery said people who did not follow social distancing rules or wear masks \"have blood on their hands\".\n\nThe NHS said London's Nightingale Hospital had been \"reactivated\" and was ready to admit patients, in anticipation of rising pressures from the spread of the new variant.", "Officers dispersed the party at the Grade II* listed church before midnight\n\nA 500-year-old church was damaged during an illegal New Year's Eve party at the venue.\n\nAll Saints' Church in East Horndon, near Brentwood, was broken into before crowds entered, Essex Police said.\n\nOfficers were threatened and had objects thrown at them as they dispersed hundreds of people and seized equipment, the force said.\n\nTwo men from Harlow, aged 27 and 22, and a 35-year-old from Southwark were arrested.\n\nThey were held on suspicion of public order and drugs offences.\n\nAstrid Gillespie, a volunteer with the Friends of All Saints', said event organisers had smashed a window to put in an extractor fan unit and wired sound equipment into the church's fuse box.\n\nShe said: \"It was a professional set-up, they'd hired portable loos, they had a bar area where you had to exchange tokens... obviously it's a mess.\n\n\"It's such a beautiful church, to find out it's been damaged is devastating.\"\n\nThe conservation group believes it will cost at least £1,000 to repair the Tudor building.\n\nEquipment was seized and fines issued over three illegal parties broken up by officers\n\nPolice later dispersed about 100 people at an illegal party at an abandoned warehouse in Brentwood and made two arrests.\n\nA woman was also fined £10,000 for organising a house party with 100 guests at Bury Road, Sewardstonebury, in Epping Forest.\n\nAssistant Chief Constable Andy Prophet said: \"Unfortunately, there were [those] who decided to blatantly flout the coronavirus rules and regulations and, ultimately, they decided that partying was more important than protecting other people.\n\n\"We've seized their equipment, arrested five people, and issued a large number of fines to those who think this behaviour is acceptable.\"\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk", "Father (left) and son have had divergent views on Brexit in the past\n\nThe father of UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he is applying for French citizenship now that Britain has severed ties with the European Union.\n\nStanley Johnson told France's RTL radio he had always seen himself as French as his mother was born in France.\n\nThe 80-year-old former Conservative Member of the European Parliament voted Remain in the 2016 Brexit referendum.\n\nHis son Boris spearheaded the Leave campaign and later took the UK out of the EU as prime minister.\n\nStanley Johnson explained his reasons for seeking French citizenship in an interview broadcast on Thursday, hours before the UK was due to leave EU trading rules.\n\n\"It's not about becoming French,\" he told RTL. \"It's about reclaiming what I already have.\"\n\nHe pointed out that his mother was born in France to a French mother. \"I will always be European,\" he added.\n\nStanley Johnson won a seat in the European Parliament when direct elections were first held in 1979, and later worked for the European Commission. As a result, Boris spent part of his childhood in Brussels.\n\nBrexit issues have divided the Johnson family. The prime minister's sister, the journalist Rachel Johnson, left the Conservative Party to join the Liberal Democrats ahead of the 2017 election in protest against Brexit.\n\nTheir brother, the Conservative MP Jo Johnson, resigned from the cabinet in 2018 to highlight his support for closer links with the EU.", "Tampon tax activist Laura Coryton says scrapping the tampon tax is an important move ‘ending a symptom of sexism’\n\nThe 5% rate of VAT on sanitary products - referred to as the \"tampon tax\" - will be abolished in the UK from 1 January.\n\nEU law required members to tax tampons and sanitary towels at 5%, treating period products as non-essential.\n\nChancellor Rishi Sunak committed to scrapping the tax in his March Budget.\n\nCampaigners welcomed the end to what they called a \"sexist tax\" with activist Laura Coryton saying it was \"about ending a symptom of sexism\".\n\nThe UK was able to get rid of the tax now because it is no longer subject to European Union rules on sanitary products.\n\nThe EU is itself in the process of abolishing the tampon tax. In 2018 the European Commission published proposals to change the VAT rules, which would give countries the right to stop taxing tampons and other period products, but the move has not yet been agreed by all members. The Republic of Ireland has zero VAT on sanitary products as the rate was in place prior to EU legislation imposing the 5% minimum VAT rate on EU members.\n\nMs Coryton, 27, who began campaigning to end the tampon tax when she was 21, told the BBC the move \"challenged the negative message that this tax sent to society about women\".\n\nThe move follows Scotland becoming the first in the world to make period products free in November.\n\nFelicia Willow, chief executive of women's rights charity the Fawcett Society, agreed, saying: \"It's been a long road to reach this point, but at last the sexist tax that saw sanitary products classed as non-essential, luxury items can be consigned to the history books.\"\n\nThe Treasury has estimated the move will save the average woman nearly £40 over her lifetime, with a cut of 7p on a pack of 20 tampons and 5p on 12 pads.\n\nIt's been a long road to getting the tampon tax abolished in the UK. Campaigning and debates in parliament by then-MP for Dewsbury Ann Taylor led to the Labour government moving sanitary products to a reduced rate of 5% from January 2001- the lowest rate possible under the EU's VAT rules.\n\nAnd following more campaigning in 2014 by Ms Coryton and lobbying in parliament by former Dewsbury MP Paula Sherriff in 2016, the Conservative government announced that all VAT collected on sanitary products would henceforth be given to charities working with vulnerable women and girls.\n\nAt the same time, the government enshrined in legislation that it would abolish the tampon tax.\n\n\"I'm just so happy and relieved and excited at the same time for this tax to finally be axed,\" said Ms Coryton.\n\n\"It will mean a reduction in prices for period products, and that reduction in cost will be important for the increasing number of people who are battling with poverty, especially due to the pandemic.\"\n\nGemma Abbott is a lawyer and campaigner with the Free Periods group, which successfully campaigned for the government to provide free sanitary products to schools and colleges across England in 2019. The scheme launched in January.\n\nGemma Abbott wants clarity from the government on why the free sanitary products for schools scheme is not mandatory\n\n\"I think it's great news and a real testament to the determined campaigning of many people, like Paula Sheriff and Laura Coryton,\" she said.\n\n\"I think we can agree that any tax that characterises period products as non-essential is absurd and it has no place in a society that is seeking genuine gender equality.\"\n\nFree Periods is now campaigning to ensure that schools and colleges know that the free sanitary products scheme exists and that they sign up for them.\n\nMs Abbott said: \"The latest statistics we have are from last term - at that point only 40% of schools had signed up for the scheme.\"\n\nMs Coryton has set up a social enterprise called Sex Ed Matters with her sister Julia, providing talks in schools and toolkits for teachers to help them deliver the mandatory new sex education curriculum for primary and secondary schools issued in early 2020.\n\nThey did an online survey of 150 teachers and students across the UK, and 100% of respondents said that there is still a stigma attached to periods.\n\n\"If there is a stigma attached to periods, then you're unlikely to speak up when you need period products, or to talk about the free sanitary products scheme that exists,\" stressed Ms Coryton.\n\nBut Free Periods' Ms Abbott is also concerned about the charities supporting women and girls, who will no longer benefit from the proceeds of the previous 5% tax on sanitary products.\n\n\"The tampon tax fund has provided much needed support and funding to a chronically underfunded area,\" she said.\n\n\"I'm worried that the removal of the tampon tax will spell the end of the ring-fenced funding for charities to address really vital issues like domestic violence and rape.\"", "Last updated on .From the section Olympics\n\nThe delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics will go ahead this summer despite concern over rising coronavirus cases, says Japan's prime minister.\n\nThe Olympics are due to begin on 23 July with the Paralympics following a month later from 24 August.\n\nCases have surged in Japan in recent days with Tokyo reporting over 1,000 daily infections for the first time.\n\nBut prime minister Yoshihide Suga said the \"Games will be held this summer\" and be \"safe and secure\".\n\nJapan is responding to cases of the new variant of coronavirus first found in the UK, with Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike warning the number of infections could \"explode\".\n\nThere were a record 1,337 cases in Tokyo on 31 December with 783 new infections announced on Friday.\n\nJapan has recorded 239,041 coronavirus cases and 3,337 deaths during the pandemic, according to Johns Hopkins University.\n\nCosts for the Games have increased by $2.8bn (£2.1bn) because of measures needed to prevent the spread of coronavirus but organisers have ruled out a delay.\n\nThe Games could be the most expensive summer Olympics in history.\n\nA poll by national broadcaster NHK showed that the majority of the Japanese general public oppose holding the Games in 2021, favouring a further delay or outright cancellation of the event.\n\nSuga said the Games going ahead could serve as a \"symbol of global solidarity\".", "The next few weeks will be \"nail-bitingly difficult\" for the NHS, hospital bosses have warned.\n\nStaff absences and the new Covid variant are creating a \"challenging situation\", Saffron Cordery, of NHS Providers, which represents hospital trusts in England, said.\n\nDoctors are urging the public to \"take it seriously and follow the rules\" to protect the health service.\n\nThe year started with 53,285 more Covid cases and 613 deaths being reported.\n\nThe day's figures do not include data from Northern Ireland or Wales, or the numbers of deaths from Scotland - as these are not being published on certain days during the Christmas and New Year period.\n\nIt comes after the UK reported its highest daily cases on Thursday, with a record 55,892 infections.\n\nOn Friday evening, the government confirmed that all primary schools in London would remain closed for the start of the new term, following a review of Covid transmission rates.\n\nFrom Monday, all schools in the capital will now be required to provide remote learning.\n\nPrimaries in nine London boroughs and the City of London district had been set to reopen - while those in the remaining 23 boroughs would have stayed closed from 4 January.\n\nMeanwhile, new analysis by Imperial College London has confirmed the new variant of coronavirus has a much quicker rate of transmission than the original strain.\n\nAnd an analysis of NHS England data from 23 hospital trusts by the Health Service Journal shows that Covid-19 is putting intense pressure on adult acute care and general beds, as well as those in intensive care.\n\nIt found that more than a third of these beds were occupied by patients with Covid-19 on Tuesday, and in three trusts - North Middlesex in London, and Medway and Dartford and Gravesham in Kent - the figure was more than half.\n\nBased on the recent rise in numbers, the analysis suggests that all acute and general beds might soon be filled with Covid-19 patients.\n\nSpeaking on BBC Breakfast, Ms Cordery said the surging transmission and death rates were \"incredibly hard to deal with\".\n\n\"When we are seeing major London trusts saying they are under pressure, that's when we know we're in a very challenging space,\" she said.\n\nA leading intensive care doctor has urged people to follow restrictions until the vaccination programme is fully rolled out.\n\nProf Anthony Gordon, of Imperial College, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: \"There is light at the end of the tunnel so I would urge people to hold on for these few more months while the vaccination programme makes that difference and then we can truly get back to normal.\n\n\"But we can't overrun the health service because this will just lead to thousands more deaths.\"\n\nAdrian Boyle, vice-president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, urged people to follow guidance on hand washing, social distancing and face coverings to stop the \"entirely preventable\" spread of the virus.\n\nDr Boyle said staff are \"tired\" and at risk of \"burnout\", having \"worked really hard over the summer\" and \"put up with a lot of disruption\".\n\n\"This time people are frustrated, this is now an entirely preventable disease, we know what we did in spring made a lot of this go away. There's also now a vaccine,\" he added.\n\nMore than three-quarters of England is currently under the strictest tier four - \"stay at home\" - coronavirus measures, and other parts of the country have joined higher tiers.\n\nMainland Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales are under lockdown.\n\nThere are also concerns the added pressures of rising numbers of Covid patients seen at London hospitals have begun to spread across the country.\n\nSpeaking on Today, Dr Alison Pittard, of the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine, said it was \"only a matter of time before it starts to spread to other parts of country\", adding that \"we're already starting to see that\".\n\nShe stressed it was \"really important that we try and stop the transmission in the community because that translates into hospital admissions\".\n\nIt comes as almost half the major hospital trusts in England are said to be dealing with more Covid-19 patients than at the peak of the first wave in April.\n\nAnd pressure has been so great on some hospitals in London and south-east England that some patients have been moved out of the area.\n\nLondon's Nightingale emergency hospital is ready to admit patients, the NHS has said, while other sites currently not in use are being readied.\n\nHowever, Mike Adams, director of the Royal College of Nursing, questioned whether there were the staff available to run the hospital.\n\n\"Nursing is already stretched beyond capacity so there is no magic pile of nurses we can call upon,\" he told BBC Radio 4's World at One programme.\n\n\"I think the real battle is reducing the spread of the virus and getting the vaccine rolled out.\"\n\nThe new coronavirus variant has driven a big rise in cases, with the worst effects felt so far in London.\n\nResearchers at Imperial College London have confirmed it increases the R number - the number of people that one infected person will pass on a virus to - by about 0.4 to 0.7.\n\nThe UK's latest R number has been estimated at between 1.1 and 1.3. It needs to be below 1.0 for the number of cases to start falling.\n\nProf Axel Gandy, from the statistic section of Imperial College London, told the Today programme this higher rate of infection means that transmission of the disease would have tripled even during England's November lockdown conditions.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. BBC's Laura Foster explains how to wear your mask correctly and help stop coronavirus spreading\n\nThe hunt is now on to find new ways to slow the spread of coronavirus, with the rules on mask wearing potentially coming up for review.\n\nBehavioural science group SPI-B (Scientific Pandemic Insights Group on Behaviours), which reports to the Sage group of government advisers, has said that mandatory face coverings may be necessary in a wider number of settings, such as in workplaces and possibly outdoors.\n\nHowever, Dr Simon Clarke, associate professor of cellular microbiology at the University of Reading, told BBC Radio 4's World at One he was not convinced a move towards making the wearing of face coverings mandatory outdoors would make \"much difference\" to transmission rates.\n\nHe said the \"bigger problem\" was people touching their face covering or wearing it incorrectly, adding ministers should focus on ensuring people knew how to wear them and to change and wash them regularly.\n\nThe rollout of the newly approved Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine will begin on Monday, almost a month after the Pfizer-BioNTech jab.\n\nSecond doses of either will now take place within 12 weeks rather than 21 days as had been initially planned with the Pfizer vaccine.", "After years of silence, The KLF have uploaded a selection of their most famous songs to streaming services like Spotify, YouTube and Apple Music.\n\nThe band's music has been officially unavailable since 1992, when they deleted their entire back catalogue.\n\nBut eight songs, including dance anthems like 3AM Eternal and What Time Is Love, are now available on an eight-track compilation, Solid State Logik.\n\nFly posters in London suggested The KLF would release more music this year.\n\nThis YouTube post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on YouTube The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts. Skip youtube video by KLF This article contains content provided by Google YouTube. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Google’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts.\n\nSolid State Logik collects all of the band's biggest hits - including the Tammy Wynette collaboration Justified & Ancient, and the Gary Glitter-sampling Doctorin' The Tardis.\n\nIt comes 29 years after founders Jimmy Cauty and Bill Drummond turned their backs on music, with a provocative performance at the 1992 Brit Awards - where they tied for best group with Simply Red.\n\nThe duo made their disdain for the industry clear by performing 3AM Eternal while firing blanks from a machine gun into the stunned audience, before an announcer said: \"The KLF have left the music business.\"\n\nDriving the point home, they later dumped a dead sheep on the steps of an after-show party with a note reading, \"I died for ewe\".\n\nCauty and Drummond later burned £1m of their royalties in bundles of £50 notes, on the remote Scottish island of Jura.\n\nIn recent decades the duo have concentrated on book and art projects, including plans to build a \"people's pyramid\", inspired by the death of Cauty's brother and constructed from bricks, each containing 23 grams of human ashes.\n\nBut fans have clamoured for their music - with bootleg clips of their videos and performances achieving tens of millions of views on YouTube, and several \"sound-alike\" versions of their biggest hits appearing on Spotify.\n\nThis YouTube post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on YouTube The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts. Skip youtube video 2 by KLF This article contains content provided by Google YouTube. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Google’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts.\n\nWhen other streaming holdouts like AC/DC and Neil Young relented and made their back catalogues available, The KLF still held out. In 2018, Billboard named their absence as one of the eight most significant gaps on streaming services, alongside records by De La Soul and Aaliyah.\n\nThe band announced their surprise resurrection in two posters pasted under a railway bridge in Shoreditch, East London, alongside graffiti referencing The KLF.\n\nThe Instagram account of Cauty's girlfriend showed a figure creating the graffiti creating the graffiti on New Year's Eve.\n\nThis Instagram post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Instagram The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip instagram post by sistersofperpetualresistance This article contains content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Meta’s Instagram cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nAccording to a statement on the band's YouTube page, Solid State Logik (named after the mixing desk the band used to create their biggest hits) is the first of five planned releases, covering all of the band's releases, under a variety of names.\n\nIt read: \"KLF have appropriated the work done between 1 January 1987 and 31 December 1991 by The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu, The Timelords [and] The KLF.\n\n\"This appropriation was in order to tell a story in five chapters using the medium of streaming. The name of the story is Samplecity Thru Transcentral.\"\n\nThe text goes on to name several projects that are being prepared for release, some of which have never been heard before, including Kick Out The Jams, the Pure Trance Series, and a second volume of Solid State Logik.\n\n\"If you need to know more about the work done by The Justified Ancients of Mu Mu, The Timelords or The KLF, you can find truths, rumours and half-truths scattered across the internet,\" the statement continued.\n\n\"From these truths, rumours and half-truths, you can form your own opinions.\n\n\"The actual facts were washed down a storm drain in Brixton some time in the late 20th Century.\"\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "The UK celebrated the start of 2021 with a fireworks and light display over London that included tributes to NHS staff and the Black Lives Matter movement.\n\nRevellers were not able to gather to celebrate the London mayor's display in the usual way because of the coronavirus pandemic, with people instead told to stay at home.\n\nThe new year celebrations also featured a message of hope from David Attenborough.\n\nWatch the full display on the BBC iPlayer", "The star started filming his role in secret last year\n\nComedian John Bishop is to join Jodie Whittaker for the 13th series of Doctor Who, the BBC has revealed.\n\nThe 54-year-old, who recently tested positive for coronavirus, said boarding the Tardis was a \"dream come true\".\n\nHe will play a character called Dan, who \"becomes embroiled in the Doctor's adventures\" and faces \"evil alien races beyond his wildest nightmares\".\n\nBishop fills the gap left by Bradley Walsh and Tosin Cole, who bowed out in a special New Year's Day episode.\n\nHe began filming his role last November, but the BBC kept the signing under wraps until the broadcast of Revolution Of The Daleks on Friday night.\n\nBishop, who grew up on a Merseyside council estate, had a brief career as a professional footballer before turning his hand to comedy.\n\nHe has previously acted in the Channel 4 drama Skins and the Ken Loach film Route Irish.\n\nEarlier this week, the comedian revealed that he and his wife had tested positive for Coronavirus over Christmas, saying he had been \"flattened\" by \"the worst illness I have ever had\".\n\nWriting on Instagram, he described his symptoms as including \"incredible headaches, muscle and joint point, no appetite, nausea, dizziness [and] chronic fatigue like I didn't know existed\".\n\nHe updated fans on New Year's Eve, saying he and his wife were \"getting a little stronger\" every day, and promising he would return to work in January.\n\nThis Instagram post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Instagram The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip instagram post by johnbish100 This article contains content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Meta’s Instagram cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nIt is not thought his illness will disrupt production on Doctor Who. The show is on a scheduled break for Christmas and not due to resume filming until later this month.\n\nThe 13th series of the rebooted sci-fi stalwart will see Whittaker return as the extra terrestrial Time Lord, alongside Mandip Gill, who returns as Yaz.\n\nIn a statement, Bishop said: \"If I could tell my younger self that one day I would be asked to step on board the Tardis, I would never have believed it.\n\n\"It's an absolute dream come true to be joining Doctor Who and I couldn't wish for better company than Jodie and Mandip.\"\n\nJodie Whittaker became the first female actress to play The Doctor in 2017\n\nProgramme boss Chris Chibnall added: \"It's time for the next chapter of Doctor Who, and it starts with a man called Dan. Oh, we've had to keep this one secret for a long, long time.\n\n\"Our conversations started with John even before the pandemic hit.\n\n\"The character of Dan was built for him, and it's a joy to have him aboard the Tardis.\"\n\nDoctor Who will return to BBC One later this year.\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson is one of five men who have been rebailed by police\n\nLiverpool Mayor Joe Anderson says he will not fight for re-election in May due to an ongoing bribery and witness intimidation investigation.\n\nMr Anderson, 62, made the announcement after Merseyside Police said he had been rebailed until February following his arrest earlier this month.\n\nHe tweeted he was \"disappointed\" with the police decision as he had \"provided all of the information they asked for\".\n\nHe said it was in the Labour Party's best interests to pick a new candidate.\n\nMr Anderson was arrested on 4 December, along with four other men, on suspicion of conspiracy to commit bribery and witness intimidation.\n\nThe year-long investigation, Operation Aloft, has focused on a number of building and development contracts in Liverpool.\n\nFollowing his arrest, Mr Anderson said he was \"stepping away from decision-making\" and would take unpaid leave while the police investigation continued.\n\nThe Labour Party also suspended Mr Anderson pending its outcome.\n\nMr Anderson said he would \"continue to fight to demonstrate that I am innocent of any wrongdoing [and] also to protect my legacy as mayor of this city of which I am proud\".\n\nHe said the timing of the police investigation meant \"it would be in the best interests of the Labour Party to select a new candidate for the mayoral election\".\n\nMr Anderson also wrote: \"I have dedicated my life to this city with loyalty and passion and I am not prepared to throw that away.\"\n\nRichard Kemp, leader of the Liberal Democrat opposition on Liverpool City Council, called on Mr Anderson to immediately resign from the local authority.\n\nMr Kemp said his Labour opponent was a \"lame duck mayor\" who was \"preventing the city from moving on\".\n\nMr Anderson said he hoped the police investigation would be completed \"long before\" the expiry of his term of office.\n\nHe said it would confirm he had \"done nothing wrong\" and his name and reputation \"will be exonerated\".\n\n\"I have never done anything that would harm this city,\" he said.\n\nEarlier, Merseyside Police said five men had been rebailed until 19 February.\n\nThe Labour Party has been contacted by the BBC for a comment.\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk", "Last updated on .From the section Football\n\nFormer Manchester United and Scotland manager Tommy Docherty has died at the age of 92 following a long illness.\n\nAs a player, Glasgow-born Docherty made more than 300 appearances for Preston and won 25 caps for Scotland.\n\nHe went on to manage 12 clubs, leading Chelsea to League Cup success in 1965 and United to a 2-1 win over Liverpool in the 1977 FA Cup final.\n\n\"Tommy passed away peacefully surrounded by his family at home,\" his family said in a statement.\n\n\"He was a much-loved husband, father and papa and will be terribly missed.\n\n\"We ask that our privacy be respected at this time.\"\n• None Docherty - manager of many clubs, quicks and one-liners\n\nDocherty - affectionately known by his nickname 'The Doc' - died at home in the north west of England on 31 December.\n\nAfter spells managing Chelsea, Rotherham, QPR, Aston Villa and Porto, he took over as Scotland boss in September 1971 on a temporary basis before getting the job full-time two months later.\n\nBut he was best known for his five-year spell at Manchester United, who approached him to succeed Frank O'Farrell in December 1972 while Scotland were on course to qualify for the 1974 World Cup finals.\n\nUnited were relegated in 1974 under Docherty but they kept the Scot and returned to the top flight at the first time of asking. Two years later, they won the FA Cup with victory over Bob Paisley's Liverpool, who had won the league and would go on to also win the European Cup that year.\n\nDocherty's time at Old Trafford also saw George Best fail to revive his United career, the retirement of Bobby Charlton, and the departure of Denis Law.\n\nIn 2014, he told the BBC he still regretted his decision to leave the Scotland job for United.\n\n\"I was stupid,\" he said. \"I should have stayed with Scotland. [It was] partly the money, I have to be honest about that.\"\n\nDocherty was sacked shortly after the Wembley triumph for having an affair with Mary Brown, the wife of United physiotherapist Laurie Brown.\n\nThe pair later married and they remained together until his death.\n\nDocherty returned to management with First Division side Derby in September 1977, then rejoined QPR two years later. A turbulent time at Loftus Road saw him sacked in May 1980, reinstated after just nine days, then sacked again the following October.\n\nSpells at Sydney Olympic, Preston, South Melbourne and Wolves followed, with Docherty's final managerial job coming at non-league Altrincham in 1987-88.\n\nPost-retirement, he worked as an after-dinner speaker and media pundit.\n\nDocherty was inducted into the Scottish Football Hall of Fame in November 2013.\n\n\"He was tenacious on the park and a great leader off it,\" Petrie added.\n\n\"Tommy was a regular in the Scotland side in the 1950s that qualified for two World Cups, and his record as Scotland manager was impressive, albeit cut short.\n\n\"Looking at the results and performances he inspired, it is hard not to wonder what might have been had he remained.\n\n\"His charisma and love for the game shone even after he stopped managing and it was entirely fitting Tommy should be inducted into the Scottish Football Hall of Fame for his lifelong service.\"", "Cases have reached record highs in the past week\n\nThe next few weeks could be the most dangerous period for Scotland since March in the fight against Covid, the first minister has warned.\n\nNicola Sturgeon said the new variant of the virus was \"accelerating spread\" across Scotland.\n\n\"If you first foot someone today, or hug/kiss/handshake them HNY, you are putting yourself, others and the NHS at risk,\" she tweeted.\n\nA further 2,539 cases of Covid-19 were confirmed on Friday.\n\nThe number is slightly down on Thursday's figure, but Ms Sturgeon said cases numbers were still \"worryingly high\".\n\nDaily confirmed cases have reached record highs on each of the previous three days, rising to to 2,622 on Thursday.\n\nThe percentage of positive cases also reached 14.4% on Wednesday - the highest it has been since the second wave of the pandemic began in the summer.\n\nMs Sturgeon tweeted: \"Today's case numbers are worryingly high again. The new variant is accelerating spread.\n\n\"PLEASE do not visit other people's homes just now, even today - if you first foot someone today, or hug/kiss/handshake them HNY, you are putting yourself, others & the NHS at risk.\"\n\nShe said the \"vaccine cavalry\" was on the way, offering \"real hope for 2021\", but she added: \"With this new variant, the next few weeks may be the most dangerous we've faced since Mar/April.\n\n\"We must act together to suppress it, to save lives and protect the NHS. Folded hands stick with it.\"\n\nThe number of daily confirmed cases has reached record highs this week\n\nA new study by London's Imperial College has found that the new variant of Covid-19 is \"hugely\" more transmissible than the virus's previous version.\n\nIt concludes the new variant increases the Reproduction or R number by between 0.4 and 0.7.\n\nThe UK's latest R number has been estimated at between 1.1 and 1.3. It needs to be below 1.0 for the number of cases to start falling.\n\nThe Scottish government's most recent estimate of the R number in Scotland has put it between 0.9 and 1.1.\n\nEmma Thomson, a professor of infectious disease at the University of Glasgow, said it was important to get people vaccinated quickly.\n\nThe professor, who has been working on the sequencing of the new Covid mutation, told the BBC that lockdown was not controlling the infection \"on its own\".\n\n\"At least we come in armed into the new year with two vaccines which are highly effective at preventing severe disease. We have that,\" she said.\n\n\"We need to roll it out now to add to the public health measures.\"\n\nParties, traditional \"first-footing\" and social events were banned this Hogmanay, with all of mainland Scotland and Skye being under the highest level of Covid restrictions.\n\nAll official events were cancelled, but police had to disperse a crowds of people who gathered at Edinburgh Castle and Calton Hill to see in the new year.\n\nIt has also emerged that 32 people were charged with reckless conduct after police found them gathered at a rented property in Aberfoyle on 27 December.\n\nA Scottish government spokesperson said: \"As the first minister has pointed out, the sharp rise in cases is evidence that the new strain seems to be speeding up transmission.\n\n\"This is why we are asking people to please stay at home as much as possible and avoid non-essential interaction with others.\n\n\"There is light at the end of the tunnel, but we ask everyone to be patient as we work our way through the vaccination programme, and continue to follow FACTS to keep us all safe.\"", "Last updated on .From the section Premier League\n\nManchester United moved level on points with Premier League leaders Liverpool as a Bruno Fernandes penalty saw off stubborn Aston Villa.\n\nFernandes drilled his 11th league goal this season - and his fifth from the spot - into the bottom corner to punish Douglas Luiz's clip on Paul Pogba and hand United an eighth win in 10 games.\n\nBertrand Traore's calm finish underneath David de Gea had deservedly drawn Villa level, cancelling out Anthony Martial's stooping first-half header for the hosts.\n\nBut Fernandes' penalty extended United's hold over Villa - they have now won 32 and lost just one of the past 44 league meetings between the sides - and leaves Liverpool top only by virtue of goal difference.\n\nThe spot-kick award angered Aston Villa boss Dean Smith who claimed Pogba \"tripped himself\" and that the video assistant referee should have asked on-pitch official Michael Oliver to review his decision.\n\n\"I don't see why Michael couldn't have looked at it. That's what VAR is for isn't it?\" Smith told BBC Sport.\n\n\"I thought it was a penalty at the time, but I looked at it after the game and saw he tripped himself. I don't think it's a penalty.\n\n\"I think there's enough doubt there to send the referee over to the screen.\"\n\nSmith's side were perhaps unfortunate not to have left Old Trafford with at least a point from a thoroughly entertaining game but they also needed several fine saves from Emiliano Martinez to keep them in it.\n\nAfter Fernandes' spot-kick put United back in front, Martinez superbly tipped a stinging 25-yarder from the Portuguese on to the crossbar as well as denying Martial a second.\n\nMartinez's counterpart David de Gea was just as busy, with a late save from Matty Cash's long-range strike preserving the points, not long after Tyrone Mings had headed wide a glorious chance to level.\n\nOle Gunnar Solskjaer's side have displayed their ability to grind out points at Old Trafford in recent weeks, as evidenced in 1-0 home wins over both West Bromwich Albion and Wolves.\n\nBut they have also shown a willingness to go toe-to-toe with teams who are happy to open up the game and, while this was not quite the shootout of the 6-2 win over Leeds, it was just as easy on the eye.\n\nA number of fluid first-half moves produced chances before Martial's opener as the France forward saw a curler tipped over by Martinez, while Fernandes and Wan-Bissaka were narrowly off target with similar efforts.\n\nMartial stole between Mings and Ezri Konsa to nod the Red Devils ahead from Wan-Bissaka's inviting cross for only his second league goal of the season on his return to Solskjaer's starting line-up.\n\nWhile Luiz was unfortunate to be penalised for what might have been an accidental clip on Pogba, there was enough contact for the penalty to be given and Fernandes continued his excellent record from the spot.\n\nUnited were nine points behind Liverpool after a 1-0 defeat by Arsenal at Old Trafford on 1 November but have made up that gap in just two months to set an intriguing title race into motion.\n\nA minute's silence before the game paid tribute to former boss Tommy Docherty, who famously prevented Liverpool claiming the treble by leading United to an FA Cup win over the Reds in 1977.\n\nAnd while talk of foiling a second successive Liverpool title might be premature, moving alongside them at the Premier League's summit will give Solskjaer's side even more confidence as they eye up a trip to Anfield on 17 January.\n\nWhile Villa were ultimately outgunned by their hosts, their brave display was further evidence of the progress Smith's side have made this season.\n\nThey held their own in the first half, causing United a number of problems down the flanks, with playmaker Jack Grealish prompting and probing to show why the hosts have long considered a move for the Villa captain.\n\nBut they were even more impressive in the early stages of the second period, Grealish crossing for an Ollie Watkins header that was saved by De Gea before collecting a quick free-kick and finding Traore to tuck home the equaliser.\n\nLuiz's foul on Pogba came with Villa very much in the ascendancy and while they then had to ride a storm the visitors still came close to pinching a point as Mings beat fellow England centre-half Harry Maguire to a free-kick only to nod wide.\n\nWith Ross Barkley's return from a hamstring injury imminent, this performance should keep Villa optimistic even if defeat halted a five-game unbeaten run and saw them slip a place to sixth, behind Chelsea on goal difference.\n\nAnd while their rotten record at Old Trafford continues - just one win in 34 visits since 1983, which came courtesy of a Gabriel Agbonlahor header in 2009 - they have still only conceded five times in eight away games this campaign.\n\n'We have improved a lot in a year' - what they said\n\nManchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer told BBC Sport: \"You are always delighted with three points. The performance was good and we created chances.\n\n\"It was maybe a little too open and we wasted chances. We tried to play the Hollywood pass instead of securing the first one and using the space that was there.\n\n\"We are happy with what we are doing. We have shown we have improved a lot in a year. We lost to Arsenal away last New Year's Day. We have improved immensely.\"\n\nAston Villa boss Dean Smith told BBC Sport: \"I wasn't happy with the first half. We were miles off the levels where we have been. It felt like a testimonial pace then they deservedly had the lead at half-time. I told the players we needed to be upping our levels.\n\n\"We competed a lot better [in the second half], showed more quality and created chances. I'd take the second-half performance all day long. A dubious penalty has lost us the game.\n\n\"When you look at our performances and results, it shows we are very competitive in this league now, which is what we wanted it to be.\"\n\nUnited's hold over Villa goes on - the stats\n• None Manchester United are unbeaten in their past 16 Premier League matches against Aston Villa (W12 D4).\n• None Aston Villa have lost 13 of their past 15 away Premier League games against Manchester United at Old Trafford (W1 D1).\n• None In Premier League history, the only player to be directly involved in more goals in their first 30 appearances in the competition than Bruno Fernandes (33 - 19 goals, 14 assists) is Andrew Cole (37 - 28 goals, nine assists).\n• None Anthony Martial has now scored on all seven days of the week in the Premier League for Manchester United, becoming the fifth player to do so, after Ryan Giggs, Andrew Cole, David Beckham and Wayne Rooney.\n• None Only Tottenham's Harry Kane (10) has assisted more Premier League goals this season than Jack Grealish (7), while the last Aston Villa player to assist more than seven Premier League goals in a season was Ashley Young in 2010-11 (10).\n• None Since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's first Premier League match in charge of Manchester United in December 2018, the Red Devils have taken (27) and scored (21) the most Premier League penalties.\n\nManchester United host local rivals Manchester City in the Carabao Cup semi-finals on Wednesday (19:45 GMT) and welcome Watford in the FA Cup on Saturday 9 January (20:00 GMT). Their next Premier League game is away at Burnley on Tuesday 12 January (20:15 GMT).\n\nAston Villa host Liverpool in the FA Cup next Friday (19:45 GMT) before returning to Premier League action at home to Tottenham on Wednesday 13 January (20:15 GMT).\n• None Attempt blocked. Keinan Davis (Aston Villa) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.\n• None Attempt blocked. Keinan Davis (Aston Villa) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Ollie Watkins with a cross.\n• None Offside, Manchester United. Paul Pogba tries a through ball, but Marcus Rashford is caught offside.\n• None Attempt saved. Matthew Cash (Aston Villa) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Jack Grealish.\n• None Nemanja Matic (Manchester United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.\n• None Luke Shaw (Manchester United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page\n• None A special and exclusive one-off chat with the music icon\n• None How has their rise come to define our culture?", "London's Nightingale Hospital is ready to admit patients as hospitals in the capital struggle, the NHS has said.\n\nThe Excel Centre site in east London has been \"reactivated\" amid a rise in the number of Covid-19 patients.\n\nOther Nightingale hospital sites across England are also being readied, with the UK recording a record daily rise in coronavirus cases.\n\nAn NHS spokesman said hospitals in London remain under \"significant pressure\".\n\nHe said: \"In anticipation of pressures rising from the spread of the new variant infection, NHS London were asked to ensure the London Nightingale was reactivated and ready to admit patients as needed, and that process is under way.\"\n\nSeveral NHS hospitals in London and the south-east are now reporting they are under extreme pressure as a result of a surge in the number of people falling seriously ill with Covid-19.\n\nAn email to staff at the Royal London Hospital says they are operating in disaster medicine mode - warning they can no longer provide high-standard critical care.\n\nNightingale hospitals in Manchester, Bristol and Harrogate are in use currently for non-Covid patients, the spokesman added.\n\nThe Exeter site received its first Covid patients in November when it began accepting those transferred from the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust, which was described as \"very busy\".\n\nHe said: \"Covid inpatient numbers are rising sharply so the remaining Nightingales are being readied to admit patients once again should they be needed, in line with best clinical practice developed over the first and second waves of coronavirus.\"\n\nSenior intensive care doctor Prof Hugh Montgomery warned those who fail to follow the rules on social distancing, hand washing and wearing a face covering \"have blood on their hands\".\n\nNHS England medical director Stephen Powis has described the Nightingale hospitals as \"our insurance policy, there as our last resort\".\n\nLondon's Nightingale hospital was built in nine days, with the help of hundreds of soldiers\n\nHe told a Downing Street press conference on Wednesday: \"We asked all the Nightingale hospitals a few weeks ago to be ready to take patients if that was required.\n\n\"Indeed, some of them are already doing that, in Manchester taking step-down patients, in Exeter managing Covid patients, and in other places managing diagnostics, for instance.\n\n\"Our first steps though, in managing the extra demands on the NHS, are to expand capacity within existing hospitals - that's the best way to use our staff.\"\n\nLondon's Nightingale Hospital was opened on 3 April and placed on standby weeks later after fewer than 20 patients were treated there.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nA £2,500 reward has been offered after a nativity scene was petrol-bombed on Christmas Eve.\n\nThe scene in Raglan, Monmouthshire, had been installed in a bus shelter for families to enjoy over Christmas.\n\nThe fire destroyed statues of a shepherd, Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus - with only the three wise men surviving as they stood outside the shelter.\n\nMiguel Santiago, of the Beaufort Hotel which funded the £10,000 scene, said the attack was \"really disappointing\".\n\n\"I was in the hotel when I saw the fire and I went into panic mode,\" he said.\n\n\"It was about 21:45 on Christmas Eve when it all happened and I ended up using nine extinguishers to put it out.\"\n\nThe wooden nativity was funded by the hotel and put together by retired theatre design lecturer Liz Friendship.\n\nMs Friendship said the festive scene had also been targeted by thieves in the past.\n\n\"In 2018 Mary was taken, in 2019 two shepherds were stolen and never came back, and in 2020 it's burnt down.\n\n\"It's now just three kings staring at the bus stop. It's very sad.\"\n\nThe scene was in ruins following the petrol bomb attack\n\nVillagers are now appealing for help to catch the suspects responsible for the Christmas crime.\n\nMr Santiago added: \"It's a shame because so much effort went into putting it together this year.\n\n\"We added three kings which really made it a great sight, we made sure the figures couldn't be taken by fixing them down.\n\n\"It's really disappointing that this has happened but the locals have been great and we will be back next year with a bigger and better nativity.\"\n\nA spokeswoman for Gwent Police said: \"Officers are investigating a report of criminal damage to a nativity scene on the High Street, in Raglan on Christmas Eve.\n\n\"It has been reported that fire damage was caused to the set at approximately 9.45pm on the evening of Thursday 24th December 2020.\n\n\"The scene that belonged to the Beaufort Hotel was totally damaged as a result.\"\n\nAnyone with information should contact police on 101, she said.", "The crowd at Edinburgh Castle dispersed after police arrived\n\nCrowds of several hundred people gathered at Edinburgh Castle to see in the new year despite police and government warnings to stay away.\n\nPeople sang and danced before dispersing when several police vans and cars drove on to the castle esplanade.\n\nMost Scots heeded warnings to hold Hogmanay celebrations at home with household members.\n\nThere were no midnight fireworks at the castle, but a display was held at the Wallace Monument in Stirling.\n\nA Police Scotland spokesperson said: \"We were aware of gatherings at Edinburgh Castle and Calton Hill around midnight on Hogmanay.\n\n\"Officers safely engaged with those in attendance and explained the current government regulations resulting in the groups dispersing without incident.\"\n\nFirst Minister Nicola Sturgeon said on Thursday that there should be \"no gatherings, no house parties and no first footing\" at Hogmanay.\n\nAll of mainland Scotland and Skye are under level four restrictions, while the other islands are in level three.\n\nDetails have meanwhile emerged of another police enforcement action against a group who gathered at a rented property in Aberfoyle during the festive period.\n\nPolice Scotland confirmed that 32 people were charged with culpable and reckless conduct after officers were called out on 27 December.\n\nAccording to the Scottish Sun, the group had travelled from Glasgow but police were tipped off by locals who spotted vehicles parked outside the property.\n\nPeople in Scotland were urged to stay at home and celebrate the new year with their families\n\nAt Edinburgh Castle, one Hogmanay tradition endured as a lone piper played in the new year at midnight.\n\nWith the capital's traditional new year party cancelled, the organisers of its annual Hogmanay celebration instead released a series of \"drone swarm\" videos titled Fare Well.\n\nThe display featured a swarm of 150 illuminated drones forming symbols and animals in a \"beautiful ode to Scotland\".\n\nEach video was narrated by actor David Tennant and included verses written by Scotland's official poet, makar Jackie Kay.\n\nWhile they appear to be flying above landmarks like Edinburgh Castle, the drones were flown elsewhere before being edited into other footage.\n\nDrones write a message in the sky above the Forth Bridge\n\nThe streets of central Edinburgh were quiet, in contrast to last year's Hogmanay celebrations when about 100,000 visitors attended the street party with live performances from Idlewild and Mark Ronson in Princes Street Gardens.\n\nElsewhere in the UK this year a fireworks and light display, including tributes to NHS staff, was held over the River Thames in London, but people were also told to stay at home rather than go out and celebrate.\n• None UK sees in 2021 with fireworks and light show", "All primary schools in London will remain closed for the start of the new term, the government has confirmed.\n\nLondon mayor Sadiq Khan said the government had \"finally seen sense and U-turned\" on its plan to allow pupils in some areas to return on Monday.\n\nLeaders of nine London local authorities had written to Education Secretary Gavin Williamson urging him to rethink the decision.\n\nMr Williamson said the city-wide closures were \"a last resort\".\n\nThe government said it had decided all primary schools in the capital would be required to provide remote learning after a further review of coronavirus transmission rates.\n\nVulnerable pupils and the children of key workers will continue to attend school, the government said.\n\nEarly years care, alternative provision and special schools will remain open, it added.\n\nSchools in nine London boroughs and the City of London district had been set to reopen - while those in the remaining 23 boroughs would have stayed closed from 4 January.\n\nThe decision was criticised and branded \"illogical\" by councillors and residents in the affected areas, who called for primary schools across the capital to move to online learning until 18 January.\n\nThey pointed out that Covid-19 infection rates were higher in some boroughs told to reopen schools than in others where they were not.\n\nIn a tweet, Mr Khan said a city-wide closure was \"the right decision\" and thanked education minister Nick Gibb for \"our constructive conversations over the past two days\".\n\n\"The government's original decision was ridiculous and has been causing immense confusion for parents, teachers and staff across the capital,\" Mr Khan said.\n\n\"It is right that all schools in London are treated the same, and that no primary schools in London will be forced to open on Monday\".\n\nDan Thorpe, leader of Greenwich council, said he was \"absolutely delighted\" to hear Mr Williamson had \"finally climbed down and reversed his decision\".\n\nKingston Council leader Caroline Kerr said she was \"dismayed\" at the government's handling of situation while a council statement added: \"It never made sense that neighbouring boroughs were being instructed to have different arrangements despite having similar rates of infection.\"\n\nIslington council leader Richard Watts said waiting until New Year's day to announce the further closures was \"unacceptable\".\n\nHe said the decision \"should have been made weeks ago, as the public health situation became clear\".\n\nMary Bousted, of the National Education Union, said the government was right to reverse its \"obviously nonsensical position\".\n\n\"What is right for London is right for the rest of the country,\" she said, and she called on ministers to \"do their duty\" by closing all primary and secondary schools nationwide for at least two weeks.\n\nPaul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders' union NAHT, accused the government of damaging public confidence with a \"confusing and last-minute approach\".\n\n\"Just at the moment when we need some decisive leadership, the government is at sixes and sevens,\" he said.\n\nShadow education secretary Kate Green said the move was \"yet another government U-turn creating chaos for parents just two days before the start of term\".\n\n\"Gavin Williamson must still clarify why some schools in tier 4 are closing and what the criteria for reopening will be,\" she said.\n\nGavin Williamson said closing schools across London was a \"last resort\"\n\nIn a statement, Mr Williamson said children's education and wellbeing remained \"a national priority\" and moving the whole of London to remote education \"really is a last resort and a temporary solution\".\n\n\"We will continue keep the list of local authorities under review, and reopen classrooms as soon as we possibly can,\" he said.\n\nHealth Secretary Matt Hancock said the situation in London had continued to worsen in the past week and infections and hospital admissions had risen sharply.\n\n\"While our priority is to keep as many children as possible in school, we have to strike a balance between education and infection rates and pressures on the NHS,\" he said.\n\nThe Department for Education had previously said decisions on school closures and openings were based on new infections, positivity rates, and pressures on the NHS.\n\nA spokeswoman for the department said: \"In response to concerning data about the spread of coronavirus, we have implemented the contingency framework for education in a small number of areas of the country, requiring schools to provide remote learning to all but vulnerable and critical worker children and exam years.\n\n\"Decisions on which areas will be subject to the contingency framework are based on close work with PHE, the NHS, the Joint Biosecurity Centre and across government.\"\n\nAre you a parent or teacher who will be affected by the London primary school closures? Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Bodycam footage shows the moments before a black man was killed by a police shooting in Minneapolis\n\nMinneapolis police have released bodycam footage of a fatal shooting by officers, the first death at the hands of police in the US city since that of George Floyd, a black man, in May.\n\nThe victim, Dolal Idd, 23, was a suspect in a felony and was stopped by police on Wednesday. He was also black.\n\nInitial witness statements and police say Mr Idd fired first and was shot dead when the officers returned fire.\n\nMinneapolis saw months of unrest after Mr Floyd's death in police custody.\n\nThe protests spread across the US amid allegations of police brutality.\n\nMr Floyd died after a police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes.\n\nThe footage from Wednesday's fatal shooting, from the bodycam of one of the officers involved, was released late on Thursday.\n\nIt shows the officers' cars blocking a white vehicle at a petrol station on the city's south side, not far from where Mr Floyd died.\n\nThe police are heard shouting \"Stop your car, hands up, hands up!\" before shots are fired, including by the officers.\n\nA female passenger in the car with Mr Idd was not hurt, police said, nor were the officers.\n\nMinneapolis police chief Medaria Arradondo said a gun was found at the scene.\n\n\"When I viewed the video that everyone else is viewing - and certainly the real-time slow-down version - it appears the individual inside the vehicle fired his weapon at the officers first,\" he said.\n\nPeople including Mr Idd's father Bayle Gelle gathered at the scene the following day, prompting fears of renewed protests.\n\n\"He was just sitting in the car, and bullets were shot at him, and no reason,\" he said, quoted by CBS News.\n\n\"Why are we here?... Because of colour. He is a black man. We want to know why my sweet son gets shot and killed.\"\n\nGeorge Floyd's death led to violent protests in the city, including this police station set on fire in May\n\nCity mayor Jacob Frey said he was committed to getting the facts and pursuing justice.\n\n\"We know a life has been cut short tonight and that trust between communities of colour and law enforcement is fragile,\" he said in a statement.\n\n\"Rebuilding that trust will depend on complete transparency.\"\n\nMr Floyd's death in May led to calls for reform or even abolition of the city's police department, but those efforts have stalled.", "Much of England has been placed in a new top tier of restrictions - tier four - as the new variant spreads Image caption: Much of England has been placed in a new top tier of restrictions - tier four - as the new variant spreads\n\nEarlier we reported that a study by Imperial College had concluded the new coronavirus variant is \"hugely\" more transmissible. Now some experts are saying that means even tougher restrictions will soon be needed.\n\nProf Jim Naismith, of Oxford University, said: \"The data from Imperial represent the best analysis to date and imply that the measures we have employed to date, would - with the new virus - fail to reduce the R number to below 1.\n\n\"In simpler terms, unless we do something different the new virus strain is going to continue to spread - more infections, more hospitalisations and more deaths.\"\n\nThe R number is the average number of people an infected person passes the virus onto. If it is above 1 the epidemic is growing.\n\nEarly data suggested that the virus was spreading more quickly among the under-20s, particularly among secondary school age children, but the latest results indicate that it is more infectious in all age groups.\n\nProf Axel Gandy, part of the research team, suggested that it may have appeared to spread more easily among school children simply because the early data was collected during the November lockdown, when adults' movements were restricted but schools remained open.", "Researchers have been tracking changes to the \"spike\" of the virus\n\nThe new variant of Covid-19 is \"hugely\" more transmissible than the virus's previous version, a study has found.\n\nIt concludes the new variant increases the Reproduction or R number by between 0.4 and 0.7.\n\nThe UK's latest R number has been estimated at between 1.1 and 1.3. It needs to be below 1.0 for the number of cases to start falling.\n\nProf Axel Gandy of London's Imperial College said the differences between the viruses types was \"quite extreme\".\n\n\"There is a huge difference in how easily the variant virus spreads,\" he told BBC News. \"This is the most serious change in the virus since the epidemic began,\" he added.\n\nThe Imperial College study suggests transmission of the new variant tripled during England's November lockdown while the previous version was reduced by a third.\n\nCases of Covid-19 have begun to increase rapidly during the second spike, and the number of cases recorded in a single day reached a new high on Thursday.\n\nEarly results indicated that the virus was spreading more quickly among under-20s, particularly among secondary school age children.\n\nBut the very latest data indicates that it was spreading quickly across all age groups, according to Prof Gandy who was a member of the research team.\n\n\"One possible explanation is that the early data was collected during the time of the November lockdown where schools were open and the activities of the adult population were more restricted. We are seeing now that the new virus has increased infectiousness across all age groups.\"\n\nProf Jim Naismith, of Oxford University, said he believed that the new findings indicated that even tougher restrictions would soon be needed.\n\n\"The data from Imperial represent the best analysis to date and imply that the measures we have employed to date, would - with the new virus - fail to reduce the R number to below 1.\n\n\"In simpler terms, unless we do something different the new virus strain is going to continue to spread, more infections, more hospitalisations and more deaths.\"\n\nThe R number is the average number of people an infected person infects. If it is above 1 the epidemic is growing.\n\nThe most chilling finding from this piece of research is that the November lockdown in England, hard though it was for many people, would not have stopped the variant form of the virus spreading. The same severe restrictions that saw cases of the previous version of the virus fall by a third, would see a tripling of the new variant. This is why there has been such a sudden tightening of restrictions across the country.\n\nIt is unclear whether the current restrictions will be enough to control the spread of the virus. Given the fact that it has taken two lockdowns to stop the earlier version of the virus overwhelming the NHS, many scientists fear that further tightening will be necessary.\n\nInfection levels will begin to drop as enough people are vaccinated. But until then it is now more important than ever for people to follow social distancing guidelines, wear masks where required and to regularly wash their hands.\n\nThe new year brings with it hope of a more normal life in the next few months but also a new form of the virus that all of us will have to combat in the coming days and weeks.\n\nProfessor Lawrence Young, of Warwick University, said early indications suggested that vaccines would be effective against the new form of the virus.\n\n\"Variants virus have been around since the beginning of the pandemic and are a product of the natural process by which viruses develop and adapt to their hosts as they replicate.\n\n\"Most of these mutations have no effect on the behaviour of the virus but very occasionally they can improve the ability of the virus to infect and/or become more resistant to the body's immune response.\"\n\nFurther research is needed to understand why the variant is spreading so quickly. But early indications are that vaccines should be effective against it.\n\nThe new virus has been designated \"Variant of Concern 202012/01\" or VOC by Public Health England.\n\nIt was detected in November and thought to have originated in the south-east England in September.\n\nThere is no evidence to suggest that it is more deadly, but it will increase the number of cases which in turn will add further pressure on the NHS.\n\nThe variant can now be found across the UK, except Northern Ireland, but it is heavily concentrated in London, as well as south-east and eastern England.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Parents and teachers have criticised the closure decisions\n\nNine London boroughs have written to the education secretary asking him to reverse plans to reopen primary schools in some areas.\n\nAbout a million primary school pupils will not return to lessons next week in a bid to cut Covid transmission rates.\n\nHowever, schools in 10 London boroughs are due to remain open.\n\nIn the letter, the leaders said they were \"struggling to understand the rationale\" behind the idea as pupils and teachers moved between boroughs.\n\nThe government has said the measure would be reviewed fortnightly.\n\nAll primary schools had been due to fully reopen on 4 January but under government plans those in 23 London boroughs will remain closed.\n\nHowever, schools in the City of London, Camden, Greenwich, Hackney, Haringey, Harrow, Islington, Kingston, Lambeth and Lewisham will open.\n\nThe letter to Gavin Williamson has been signed by leaders of all of those boroughs apart from Kingston. It has also been signed by the City of London's policy chair.\n\nIt calls for primary school pupils across the capital to \"move to online learning until 18 January\", apart from vulnerable children and those of key workers.\n\n\"The omission of 10 boroughs ignores the deep interconnectedness of our city, and the many thousands of teachers and students that study or teach in one borough and live in another,\" the letter states.\n\nThe councils also said they had received legal advice that omitting some councils from the list of areas told to take teaching online \"is unlawful on a number of grounds and can be challenged in court\".\n\nRichard Watts, leader of Islington Council, told the BBC there \"seems to be no reason at all to look at this on a borough by borough basis\".\n\n\"The entirety of the rest of the government's handling of the pandemic has rightly treated London as a single entity and this is the first time anyone... has tried to implement different public health measures in different boroughs,\" he said.\n\nIn a statement Dan Thorpe, leader of the Royal borough of Greenwich, accused the government of providing \"a lack of clarity and answers\", adding that the situation was \"causing uncertainty and concern among our schools, families, carers, and undoubtedly children and young people\".\n\nAlthough Kingston Council did not sign the letter, leader Caroline Kerr said reopening primary schools in the borough \"doesn't make any sense\" and that they were \"urgently seeking clarity on the reasoning for the decision\".\n\nMayor of London Sadiq Khan has called the plans \"nonsensical\" and has also written to the government calling for a \"delay to all London schools opening until mid-January\".\n\nKevin Courtney, joint leader of the National Education Union, said the education secretary \"must listen to the leaders of the community, he must listen to school staff and he must listen to the general public who are all telling him that it is not safe to reopen schools on Monday\".\n\nThe Department for Education has previously said decisions on school closures and openings were based on new infections, positivity rates, and pressures on the NHS.\n\nA spokeswoman for the department said: \"In response to concerning data about the spread of coronavirus, we have implemented the contingency framework for education in a small number of areas of the country, requiring schools to provide remote learning to all but vulnerable and critical worker children and exam years.\n\n\"Decisions on which areas will be subject to the contingency framework are based on close work with PHE, the NHS, the Joint Biosecurity Centre and across government.\"\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "The musician was known for his performances in which he always wore a mask\n\nHip-hop star MF Doom has died at the age of 49, his family confirmed on social media.\n\nThe London-born musician, real name Daniel Dumile, was known for his sharp, intricate rhymes and his signature mask, which he never removed in public.\n\nIn a post on the rapper's Instagram account on Thursday, his wife Jasmine confirmed that he died on 31 October.\n\nA number of artists have paid tribute to MF Doom including Run The Jewels and Tyler, The Creator.\n\nIn a note addressed to the rapper, his wife paid tribute to \"the greatest husband, father, teacher, student, business partner, lover and friend I could ever ask for\".\n\nHis representatives confirmed his death to Rolling Stone magazine. No cause of death was disclosed.\n\nThis Instagram post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Instagram The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip instagram post by mfdoom This article contains content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Meta’s Instagram cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nMF Doom was born in London but moved to New York as a child.\n\nAs a teenager he performed in hip-hop group KMD. Following the loss of his younger brother and bandmate DJ Subroc, he disappeared from music becoming, in his own words, \"damn near homeless\".\n\nBut in 1997, he remerged at open mic events in Manhattan, wearing tights over his face. He protected his anonymity for the rest of his career, adopting a mask based on the Marvel villain Doctor Doom for all his public appearances.\n\nHis debut as MF Doom, Operation: Doomsday, was released in 1999, and he followed it up with an almost non-stop outpouring of music.\n\nAs well as six solo albums, he produced a wealth of bootlegs, compilations, collaborations, mixtapes and instrumental albums - including the influential, 10-part Special Herbs series.\n\nHe may be best known for 2004's Madvillainy, which was recorded with crate-digging producer Madlib under the moniker Madvillain, and gave the rapper his first entry on the US album chart.\n\nAnother of his high-profile collaborations was Danger Doom alongside DJ Danger Mouse, and he appeared with Damon Albarn's Gorillaz on their UK number one album Demon Days. Other collaborators included Ghostface Killah, Flying Lotus, The Avalanches and Radiohead.\n\nOne of hip-hop's most respected MCs, he made appearances on BBC Radio 4 and Radio 1 in which he discussed his own music and projects with other artists.\n\nMany of them lined up to pay tribute after news of his death broke on New Year's Eve.\n\n\"RIP to another Giant, your favourite MC's MC... MF DOOM,\" wrote A Tribe Called Quest's Q-Tip on Twitter. \"Crushing news.\"\n\n\"He was a writer's writer,\" added El-P of Run The Jewels. \"Grateful I got to know you a little, king. Proud to be your fan. Thank you for keeping it weird and raw always. You inspired us all and always will.\"\n\n\"All u ever needed in hip-hop was this record,\" Flying Lotus tweeted alongside the album cover to Madvillainy. \"My soul is crushed.\"\n\nApple Music presenter Zane Lowe said: \"Rest In Peace to the great MF Doom. A true artist who gifted us with eternal innovation and creativity.\"\n\nWhile the Sleaford Mods said: \"RIP MF DOOM. Sleep well mate.\"\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. London's new year celebrations featured a message of hope from David Attenborough\n\nThe UK has seen off 2020 and celebrated the dawn of 2021 with a fireworks and light display over London that included tributes to NHS staff.\n\nRevellers were not able to ring in the New Year in the usual way because of the coronavirus pandemic, with people instead told to stay at home.\n\nPolice had to break up various parties and events across England overnight.\n\nForces have handed out hundreds of fines, with several issuing the maximum £10,000 to event organisers.\n\nMuch of the UK saw in the new year while under lockdown rules, with about 44 million people in England - or 78% of the population - in tier four, the top level of Covid restrictions.\n\nMainland Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales are also under lockdown.\n\nAlthough people were warned not to attend any parties outside their own homes, there were many around the country who ignored the rules.\n\nThe Metropolitan Police said police attended 58 parties and unlicensed music events in breach of tier four rules across London overnight, the vast majority of which ended when police intervened, they added.\n\nFixed penalty fines were given to 217 people while five others could be fined £10,000 for organising large gatherings. The police force said four other people were arrested for breaching Covid regulations by gathering in central London.\n\nElsewhere, other forces also broke up parties and handed out hundreds of fines. They included Greater Manchester Police, which issued 105 fixed penalty notices at house parties and larger gatherings. And Leicestershire Police had to issue six on-the-spot £10,000 fines to party organisers.\n\nIn Essex, hundreds of people were dispersed from an illegal New Year's Eve party at a church, while Lancashire Police broke up a party in Hyndburn, near Blackburn, attended by 80.\n\nMeanwhile, in Scotland, Edinburgh's traditional Hogmanay street party was cancelled, with videos of a drone display released instead.\n\nThe series of videos showed a swarm of 150 lit-up drones over the Scottish Highlands and Edinburgh were released, which organisers said it was the largest drone show ever produced in the UK.\n\nDespite the cancellation of Edinburgh's traditional Hogmanay celebration - which normally attracts 100,000 people on the city's streets - there were some people who ignored the pleas to stay at home.\n\nCrowds of several hundred people gathered at Edinburgh Castle to see in the new year. They sang Auld Lang Syne and danced before eventually dispersing when several police vans and cars pulled on to the castle esplanade.\n\nAn anti-lockdown protest and New Year's Eve celebration was also held in London\n\nPeople cross Hungerford Bridge in London on New Year's Eve\n\nOn New Year's Eve, Health Secretary Matt Hancock called on people to take \"personal responsibility\" and stay at home to avoid spreading Covid-19.\n\nLondon's 10-minute display over the Thames aired on the BBC at midnight, and began with a poem which addressed the pandemic, that said: \"In the year of 2020 a new virus came our way; We knew what must be done and so to help we hid away.\"\n\nLight projections lit up the sky over the O2 Arena, including the NHS logo in a heart accompanied by a child's voice saying: \"Thank you NHS heroes\".\n\nThe show also recognised Captain Sir Tom Moore, who raised £33m for the NHS by walking laps of his garden and the Black Lives Matter movement. One 2020 phenomena - working from home - was represented with a mute logo backed by a voiceover saying \"You're on mute\".\n\nThe display ended with a call from Sir David Attenborough about the need for action on climate change.\n\nLondon mayor Sadiq Khan said the display had reflected the resolve of Londoners to endure\n\n300 drones were used in the display to create images in the sky\n\nIn a speech being broadcast on BBC One between Doctor Who and EastEnders this evening, Sir David will say that this \"could be a year for positive change - for ourselves, for our planet and for the wonderful creatures with which we share it\".\n\nDespite the \"challenging\" times we live in, \"the reactions to these extraordinary times has proved that when we work together there is no limit to what we can accomplish\", he will say, as he looks ahead to the United Nations Climate Change Conference later this year.\n\nThe sounds of a video conference call starting up were played\n\nMuch of London was far quieter than usual\n\nEdinburgh's streets were largely empty, with Police Scotland warning against Hogmanay gatherings\n\nOfficial figures showed 10.75 million viewers watched the 2021 New Year celebrations on BBC One. It's down from the 11.18m who saw in the start of 2020 on the channel.\n\nMayor of London Sadiq Khan said he was proud of the show, which he said \"paid tribute to our NHS heroes and the way that Londoners continue to stand together\".\n\n\"We showed how our capital and the UK have made huge sacrifices to support one another through these difficult times, and how they will continue to do so as the vaccine is rolled out.\"\n\nUsually, around 100,000 people pack into the streets around Victoria Embankment to watch the New Year's Eve fireworks.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nIn his New Year's message, the Archbishop of Canterbury said he saw \"reasons to be hopeful for the year ahead\" despite the \"tremendous pain and sadness\" brought by 2020.\n\nThe Most Reverend Justin Welby spoke of his experience volunteering as an assistant chaplain at St Thomas' hospital during the pandemic, saying: \"Sometimes the most important thing we do is just sit with people, letting them know they are not alone.\"\n\nIn his message, filmed at the London hospital and broadcast on BBC One on Friday afternoon, he said: \"This crisis has shown us how fragile we are. It has also shown us how to face this fragility.\n\n\"Here at the hospital, hope is there in every hand that's held, and every comforting word that's spoken.\n\n\"Up and down the country, it's there in every phone call. Every food parcel or thoughtful card. Every time we wear our masks.\"\n\nDid you make a special effort to celebrate this New Year? How did you mark it? Share your experiences and pictures of what you got up to by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "For months, the government has been urging businesses to get ready for a new era in trading with the EU. But it was only on Boxing Day that details of all the new rules were actually published.\n\nBusiness groups are relieved that the threat of a no-deal Brexit, which would have meant tariffs (or taxes) on goods crossing the border with the EU, has been removed. But companies that trade with the EU are still facing a lot of new bureaucracy.\n\nAnd the disruption in mid-December, caused by border closures related to the new variant of Covid-19, was a reminder of how dependent the UK economy is on trade across the English Channel.\n\nFrom 1 January 2021, goods entering the EU from Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) face large amounts of new paperwork and checks, including:\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nHauliers will also need to make sure they have the right transportation paperwork before they drive to the border.\n\nThere is particular focus on the \"short straits\" route between Dover and Calais, and the nearby Channel Tunnel, which taken together handle about four million lorries a year.\n\n\"This is the biggest imposition of red tape that businesses have had to deal with in 50 years,\" says William Bain from the British Retail Consortium.\n\nFull controls on British exports to the EU began on 1 January. The first day of the new regime appears to have gone relatively smoothly.\n\nBut it's feared that later in the year, the new controls could cause disruption, even though new border infrastructure has been built at ports such as Calais, to help process vehicles more efficiently.\n\nThere are some mitigating measures though.\n\nIn response to the Covid crisis, the government is delaying full controls on goods entering Great Britain from the EU for a further six months.\n\nThere will be checks from 1 January on controlled substances such as alcohol and tobacco, and traders deemed to be a risk will also be asked to fill in customs declarations.\n\nBut most checks on goods coming in from the EU will be delayed until 1 July, a deadline that could in theory be extended.\n\n\"I think we will want to monitor it,\" the chief executive of HM Revenue and Customs, Jim Harra, told MPs in November. \"Hopefully we will not still be in a situation where Covid-19 is consuming as much of people's attention.\"\n\nOther measures to tackle potential disruption include diverting trade to other ports around the country and opening lorry parks in Kent, to avoid gridlock on the roads.\n\nSome of these contingencies were put into action early, to deal with the Covid border closures in December.\n\nOperation Brock, for example, involved changing the layout of a section of the M20, using a concrete barrier to allow lorries heading for mainland Europe to queue safely on the motorway.\n\nThousands of lorries were also diverted to temporary parking at a disused airport at Manston.\n\nFrom 1 January drivers of lorries weighing more than 7.5 tonnes will need to acquire a Kent Access Permit before they enter the county. They will have to show that they have all the paperwork they need to ferry goods to Europe.\n\nBut that doesn't deal with the challenge of the thousands of vans that cross the Channel every week.\n\n\"What has been serially misunderstood by various parts of government is the scale of the complexity for people on the ground dealing with the paperwork,\" says Duncan Buchanan, the Policy Director of the Road Haulage Association.\n\nThat could mean that instead of queues on motorways, many traders won't be able to leave their depots.\n\n\"Either they won't be able to get vets to sign off on their meat exports, or they won't be able to get their permit because they don't have the right bits of paper,\" says Shane Brennan, chief executive of the Cold Storage Federation.\n\n\"We might see a quite significant holding off of trading - people just not moving stuff in the first few weeks.\"\n\nEighty-five per cent of the volume of trade between the EU and Great Britain is carried by EU hauliers, who are often paid not by the hour, but by the kilometre. If they think there will be too many delays, many may simply not come.\n\nThe government says the readiness of traders to deal with the new system remains its biggest concern.\n\nLorries parked on the M20 in Kent\n\n\"The sheer scale of the overall operation means there are literally many millions of moving parts,\" permanent secretary of the cabinet office Alex Chisholm told MPs. \"Inevitably there are going to be some difficulties for some individual people as they adjust to the new regime.\"\n\nThe government has also announced a new Border Operations Centre as part of plans \"for the UK to have the world's most effective border by 2025\".\n\nQuestions have been asked about how changes at the border might affect food supply. The short answer is no-one can say for sure, but nearly 30% of all the food consumed in the UK is imported from the EU.\n\nThe good news is that there is a deal, which makes a big difference. But the challenge is particularly acute because the UK grows relatively small amounts of fruit and vegetables in January and February and is most dependent on supplies from southern Europe at this time of year.\n\nSo, if there are delays, they could cause some shortages on the shelves.\n\n\"Some gaps are possible but we're not going to run out of food - that's not going to happen\" says Ian Wright.\n\nWhen it comes to non-perishable items, there had been some stockpiling in preparation for either outcome, but extra supplies won't last forever.\n\n\"The crunch point is probably not going to be in the first few days or weeks of January,\" William Bain argues. \"Towards the end of the month, when new orders start being placed and delivered, we will start to see the processes in Kent and the other ports really tested.\"\n\nAnd it's not only about food.\n\nOther retailers, which are used to moving their stock freely around the EU customs union, have had to create separate supply chains for the UK. That is costing them more money, and their new systems have yet to be tested properly.\n\nIt's not just about trade across the English Channel.\n\nTrade across the Irish Sea between Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland will be subject to the same pressures, while Northern Ireland will be a special case under the terms of the Northern Ireland protocol in the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement.\n\nNorthern Ireland will remain in the EU single market for goods, and unlike the rest of the UK it will continue to enjoy frictionless trade with the EU with no checks of any kind at the land border with the Republic.\n\nBut there is a price to pay for that - new bureaucracy within the UK between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.\n\nThe EU, for example, has strict rules on products of animal origin: meat, milk, fish and eggs.\n\nThese products must enter the single market (and, from 1 January, Northern Ireland) through a border control post where paperwork is checked, and a proportion of goods physically inspected.\n\nThere will be a grace period of three months for supermarkets and their suppliers, but some smaller traders may have to get used to the new rules straight away.\n\nAll shipments from Great Britain to Northern Ireland will also need a safety and security declaration, and a customs declaration from a new IT system which none of the traders have used before.\n\nThe government has set up a Trader Support Service to help.\n\nThe details of the new trading arrangements for Northern Ireland were announced separately in early December, and provided some clarity. They include an agreement which means the vast majority of goods being shipped from GB to NI will not be at risk of having tariffs imposed.\n\nBut there are plenty of unresolved issues.\n\nTraders are seeking answers about how to send parcels from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, and some online retailers have already suspended deliveries.\n\nThe trade from British to Northern Irish ports often involves multiple small shipments on a single lorry - all of which will need the right paperwork.\n\n\"We need clear rules for everyone in the supply chain,\" says Duncan Buchanan, \"and when you scratch the surface it is just not ready.\"\n\nIt is expected that many checks will be carried out on a 'light touch' basis to begin with.\n\nBut anyone trading between Great Britain and Northern Ireland is going to have to get used to a new way of working very quickly.", "Nearly half a century of the UK's membership of the European Union and its predecessor organisations ended in January of course.\n\nWhat has now ended is the UK's economic membership of the bloc. Forty-eight years in the European customs union, basically the Common Market, and 28 years in the single market.\n\nThe Single Market was a creation for which the UK has paternity rights. It was Margaret Thatcher's rallying call for European reform, her calling card to unleash a wave of Japanese investment in post-industrial Britain and shepherded into existence by her appointee as commissioner Arthur Cockfield.\n\nIts creation served the UK's economic interests, as it grew the home domestic market available for British exporters without tariff or non-tariff barriers, eventually to nearly half a billion Europeans. It was not without irony that the tortuous negotiations of the past four years were made tougher by the EU's insistence on defending what it calls the \"internal market\", itself created by the British.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nIndeed the institutional underpinning of this huge marketplace became too much for Mrs Thatcher. Famously she became suspicious of Commission President Delors turning up to tell the TUC that through the European Union workers could reassert rights rolled back by the Conservative Government.\n\nAt her 1988 Bruges speech PM Thatcher replied: \"We have not successfully rolled back the frontiers of the state in Britain, only to see them re-imposed at European level, with a European super-state exercising a new dominance from Brussels.\"\n\nThe car industry was the prototype for the single market\n\nPerhaps this was the beginning of the path to Brexit, carried along by the push to monetary union and resentment at the overreach of the European Court of Justice and the considerable impact of the \"direct effect\" of community and then union law.\n\nThe car industry was the prototype for the single market. Mrs Thatcher's campaigning for EEC membership was quickly followed by a charm offensive that began as opposition leader to get Japanese investors to build high tech factories to sell cars tariff-free across Europe.\n\nFor the UK it would provide employment, technology, capital and competition for the languishing nationalised UK-owned auto sector.\n\nOngoing membership of the EEC, restrictions on union activity and investment tax breaks were part of the deal communicated in writing to the then chairman of Nissan.\n\nThe Datsun Bluebird was being developed in Sunderland and around the same time the Italians and the French threatened to slap tariffs on what they saw as a Japanese ruse to avoid tariffs and undercut their industry.\n\nThe UK government quickly communicated that it was willing to take this matter to the European Court of Justice. The attempt to kill the Nissan factory at birth was fended off.\n\nFrom this, the UK car industry and other advanced manufacturing prospered from being plugged into rapid continent-wide supply chains, delivering each part just in time and just in sequence.\n\nAll of that was enabled by conformity of regulations, standards, zero tariffs and the eradication of non-tariff barriers, for sale, but also within the manufacturing process.\n\nThe UK became the financial centre for the euro\n\nSimilar stories could be told about the pharmaceutical industry, chemicals, the food industry, aerospace, and financial services.\n\nWithin the EU, the UK even became the financial centre for a new currency, the euro, which it did not participate in.\n\nThe single market itself, with regulations set and enforced in Brussels, became a player on the world stage. And yet there was a balancing act. The UK could influence the direction of one of the biggest tankers in the sea but was restricted in acting more nimbly in new industries. In some sectors, the UK's trade dealings with the US or Asia were more important than with Europe.\n\nAnd so this tension led to breaking point. And for the Conservative Party in particular the single market's institutions it created and championed, became something akin to Frankenstein's monster.\n\nThe EU has agreed an investment deal with China\n\nSome Brexiteers had hoped that the edifice would collapse once the UK left. But it has proven more robust than that. Indeed, Brexit has proven a catalyst of the EU to sign trade and investment deals far more quickly, including even with China.\n\nSo now the UK finds itself outside of the machine it created as its strategic competitor. The trade negotiation wasn't primarily about trade. Great Britain has declared regulatory independence, or to be more specific, has declared as much regulatory independence as is compatible with a zero-tariff trade deal.\n\nThe EU retains levers and switches to turn off some of these tariff advantages should the UK use the deal to turn into an offshore tariff free assembly hub for US and Asian manufacturing to be traded into the single market. Unlike with Nissan four decades ago, the European Court of Justice will no longer be there.\n\nThe global pharmaceutical industry offers an opportunity for the UK\n\nThe PM wants regulatory competition but his own deal contains disincentives, if not actual restrictions, on competing \"unfairly\" or too much.\n\nSo the strategy matters. Britain is free, but to do what exactly? To level up? Well the regions that need levelling up are the ones that are actually most dependent on exports to Europe. Exports to Europe will be spared tariffs, thanks to the deal, but there will be literally millions of non-tariff barriers, that the economists calculate matter more, from health checks, customs formalities, origin paperwork, assessments of standards etc.\n\nEven to qualify for tariff-free treatment means, according to new government guidance on \"rules of origin\", analysis of how complicated is the process of grating cheese, of the shelling of nuts, and formalities on where the eyes of a doll come from. Most apply legally from tonight, having been absent for decades.\n\nThe sweet spot for UK will now be to deploy regulatory freedom in sectors that are truly global, where we are not already overly dependent on EU markets.\n\nCertain sub-sectors within technology, finance and pharmaceuticals, for example. In each of these sectors the UK is likely to have to offer more friendly regulation to the multinational private sector, than the EU.\n\nIt doesn't necessarily mean lower standards: It could be that UK medicines regulators, for example, build on the record of rapid approval for Covid vaccines in other medical areas.\n\nThe deployment of massive scientific networks within the National Health service, used for rapid clinical testing, could become the envy of the world.\n\nBrexit Britain is likely to become a laboratory for the global economy. Car companies will need to be attracted with more permissive rules on data and, say autonomous driving testing. Some tech companies are already porting their UK customers to be served under US data privacy laws rather than more restrictive EU ones.\n\nBut the government will also have to be very active and judicious. We are already \"picking winners\" again, at least in the satellite business. What about electric power, where the EU will fight aggressively, versus hydrogen power?\n\nThere are a number of structural economic problems, from poor training, declining productivity and low investment that were not caused by EU membership which, in terms of non-tariff barriers, are made immediately worse by this type of Brexit, for which the UK has no option but to deal with.\n\nNorthern Ireland is mostly left in the EU single market\n\nThat process of looking outwards may not come quickly. Holyrood and Stormont rejected the Brexit trade deal. The UK has replaced a single market of 500 million Europeans free of non-tariff barriers with a single market smaller than the size of the UK.\n\nThere is a trade border in the Irish Sea. Northern Ireland is mostly left in the EU single market. There are non-tariff barriers between Great Britain and Northern Ireland as a result of this deal.\n\nLastly there are some big unknowns and unknowables.\n\nThe inadvertent diplomatic consequences of changes in trade patterns can be profound. If, for example, the eminent historian RW Johnson is to be believed, the UK's accession to the EEC in the first place created the conditions for the fall of South Africa's apartheid regime which was \"hurt in several ways\".\n\nBritish trade was remodelled away from the Commonwealth to Europe, the EEC offered favourable trade with all of Africa except Pretoria. And then when Portugal followed its ally the UK into the EEC, its African colonies and white rule quickly lost to revolutions by black liberation movements in Angola and Mozambique.\n\n\"Thus the seeds of the 1976 Soweto uprising were sown\" in part by the UK joining the EEC. Which is obviously not to suggest the reverse would be true. It is merely to say that events such as these can have very unpredictable knock on effects.\n\nThe Prime Minister has succeeded in taking the UK out of the Single Market created by his heroes. The UK now stands outside a system that it helped invent. For now its new single market is not the size of the country.\n\nThe test of all of this, is to make the UK's new single market the size of the globe.", "Some lorries have been turned away for not having the correct paperwork\n\nPlans are in place to minimise disruption at Welsh ports - especially Holyhead - as the UK enters a post-Brexit new year.\n\nThe EU Brexit transition period is over, and lorry drivers heading to and from the Republic of Ireland require additional paperwork to travel.\n\nOfficials at Holyhead said some lorries have already been turned away because they had the wrong documentation.\n\nThe Welsh Government said it was doing what it could to \"protect\" the port.\n\nTransport Minister Ken Skates said it was \"imperative\" contingency plans were in place for the island, as it wakes up to the new customs regime.\n\nFerry operators in Wales will now require freight customers to link customs information to their booking as they head for the Irish Republic.\n\nWithout that paperwork, port access will be refused.\n\n\"We've had the first few rejects, which is not unexpected,\" said Stena Line's Head of UK Ports, Ian Davies.\n\nSpeaking to BBC Radio Wales from Holyhead on New Year's Day, he said it showed the new system was working.\n\n\"We've had people that have been passed and allowed to be shipped, and we've had a few failures as well, so it will be a learning curve for these customers.\"\n\nThe Welsh Government said a \"worst case scenario\" published by the UK suggested 40% to 70% of heavy goods vehicles arriving at ports after transition ended on New Year's Eve may not have the right documentation to travel.\n\nThe peak period for turning vehicles away is expected to be mid-January.\n\n\"We simply don't know whether things are going to work,\" said Rod McKenzie, who is managing director of policy for the body representing lorry drivers and operators, the Road Haulage Association.\n\n\"There is no question there will be problems, even if all the IT works, things could go wrong, and given traders' unfamiliarity with it there is the potential for a lot of mistakes to be made.\"\n\nA contraflow will allow lorries to be \"stacked\" on parts of the A55 if traffic builds\n\nThe association said it was more worried about \"invisible delays\" in the supply chain, rather than queues at ferry ports.\n\n\"Lorries might not leave their factory gate or depot because the paperwork isn't done,\" he said.\n\n\"It's really, really important that people try to get their paperwork right. The consequences of any mistakes will be a disruption of the supply chain.\"\n\nHe said the sector would know in about a week \"how it's going\".\n\nPembrokeshire council said it had been working to ensure any vehicles turned away from Pembroke Dock and Fishguard were dealt with away from the ports.\n\nIt has arranged overflow locations at Goodwick and Pembroke Dock for its own version of Dover's \"Operation Stack\", where lorries queue along the M20.\n\n\"The importance of Pembrokeshire's ports to the county, Wales and UK as a whole cannot be overestimated,\" said council leader David Simpson.\n\nHolyhead is the UK's second busiest roll-on roll-off ferry port\n\nOn Anglesey, a temporary contraflow is in force on the A55 expressway, eastbound between junctions two and four, allowing any traffic turned away from the port to be redirected back.\n\nIt will be moved to parking locations at Parc Cybi on the outskirts of the town, and if necessary, lorries will be parked on the cordoned-off A55 sections.\n\n\"We will monitor the situation carefully and as soon as it's safe to do so we will remove the temporary contraflow,\" said Mr Skates.\n\n\"While the next few days are expected to be quiet, we know it will become busier as we approach mid-January.\n\n\"Our aim is to do what we can to protect the port, town of Holyhead and wider community from any possible disruption.\"\n\nOn Friday, port authorities on Anglesey said freight traffic has been quiet, as expected over the bank holiday period.\n\nIt follows an steep rise in lorry crossings in the run up to Christmas and the end of the transition period.\n\nFerry operator Stena Line is also responsible for running Holyhead Port.\n\n\"We can't get complacent over the next few days,\" said a Stena spokesman.\n\n\"It's when freight levels come back up that we'll know whether the systems are really working and whether the hauliers are ready. That will be the real test.\"", "More than 35,000 people have received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in Wales\n\nThe Covid vaccine programme is at the \"very beginning\" and vaccination rates are increasing, Wales' Health Minister Vaughan Gething has insisted.\n\nIt follows concerns raised by some politicians over the speed of Welsh vaccine rollout.\n\nInitial figures on how many people have received the first Pfizer-BioNTech jab show Wales is slightly behind those vaccinated elsewhere in the UK.\n\nMr Gething said there were likely to be \"small differences between nations\".\n\n\"Comparisons are naturally being made on the number of vaccinations administered by the four nations of the UK,\" he said in a ministerial statement to Senedd members.\n\n\"Whilst I recognise the data indicates there are other nations ahead of us, the national data presented at this very early stage of the vaccination roll out should be considered provisional and a snapshot of ongoing activity.\"\n\nHe said there would be \"lags\" in data being entered, and local factors affecting vaccinations.\n\n\"For example the vaccination centre in Cardiff and the Vale was unable to operate for two days because of a virus outbreak linked to the site,\" he added.\n\nMore than 35,000 people have now received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in Wales, including healthcare workers who work in Wales but live over the border in England.\n\nAlmost 13,000 of these vaccines were given in the past week.\n\nThe number of vaccinations in Wales up until 27 December account for 1.12% of the Welsh population.\n\nIn England, 1.4% have received a jab, while in Scotland it is 1.7%, and 1.6% in Northern Ireland.\n\nThe Welsh Conservative health spokesman Andrew RT Davies flagged his concerns about the vaccine delivery programme on Thursday.\n\n\"Three weeks ago, the first Covid-19 vaccine was given in Wales, and since that time we have sadly seen confusion and hope drop away,\" he said.\n\n\"Many people over 80 in Wales were desperately waiting for their appointment to do their bit and have the vaccine but as we quickly learnt they would have to wait longer,\" he said.\n\nBut the health minister said daily vaccination rates were \"increasing across Wales\".\n\nThe focus is on delivering vaccines effectively and safely, says Vaughan Gething\n\n\"Looking ahead, all health boards are preparing for significant expansion in capacity from the beginning of January,\" added Mr Gething.\n\nHe said the new Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine approved earlier this week would be available from some GPs in Wales from Monday.\n\n\"This is only the very beginning of what will be a programme spanning many months,\" he said.\n\n\"Whilst the urgency and priority required is clear to all, we must also have some patience and allow the NHS to do what it does so well.\n\n\"My focus, and that of the NHS, is on delivering the vaccine programme quickly but also effectively, safely and equitably.\"\n\nThe Welsh Government has also confirmed it will be following the latest advice from medical advisers on introducing a 12-week gap between the two doses of vaccines needed, for both types of approved jabs.\n\nAll four chief medical officers in the UK have supported the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, which said the focus should be on giving at-risk people the first dose of whichever vaccine they receive.\n\n\"It will ensure that more at-risk people are able to get protection from a vaccine in the coming weeks and months, reducing deaths and starting to ease pressure on our NHS,\" said Mr Gething.\n\nVaccinations started earlier in December after regulators approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine\n\nPlaid Cymru has called on the Welsh Government to ask the UK government to publish evidence to justify increasing the period for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.\n\nIn a letter to Mr Gething, the party's health spokesman Rhun ap Iorwerth said the \"sudden switch\" represented \"a very significant departure\" from previous guidelines.\n\nHe added there were \"very real concerns\" that a longer delay between doses \"could significantly decrease the effectiveness of the vaccine\".", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. \"I wish I could switch place with my daughter\" - Odd Steinar Sørengen's daughter is missing\n\nA body has been found shortly after rescuers and dog handlers began a risky ground search for 10 people missing in a hillside collapse in Norway.\n\nInitially it was thought too dangerous to send rescuers on to the site, after flowing mud sent homes toppling into a giant chasm in the village of Ask.\n\nHelicopters and drones spent two days searching the scene.\n\nBut on Friday police commander Roy Alkvist said one or two houses appeared safe to enter.\n\nRescuers, who included a Swedish specialist team, began moving into the danger zone on Styrofoam boards. The bright orange boards were laid down on the mud in a domino-effect as rescuers tried to reach one of the wrecked homes, which are 25km (15 miles) north-east of the capital Oslo.\n\nA missing Dalmatian dog was rescued on Thursday and police believe there is still a chance survivors could be found.\n\nHowever, on Friday afternoon an air ambulance helicopter landed near the site and police said a body had been found at 14:30 (13:30 GMT) without giving further details.\n\nRescuers are using orange Styrofoam boards to move around the landslide area\n\nPrime Minister Erna Solberg said her thoughts went out to the victim's family, and to those waiting for news of the other nine people who were missing.\n\nIn Friday's operation the rescuers also prepared a giant army vehicle called a \"paver\", which has a giant steel bridge on which rescuers can move.\n\nHowever, conditions were not yet good enough for the 50-tonne machine to be deployed.\n\nThe plan is to deploy a Norwegian army bridge-laying vehicle as soon as conditions are good enough\n\nFriday's search was a race against time, as the rescuers only had a few hours of daylight in the Norwegian winter. Medics and geologists were reportedly part of the ground rescue team.\n\nThe ground search was called off for the night at 17:30 and police said drones and heat-seeking cameras would continue overnight until rescue crews could return on Saturday morning.\n\nAbout 1,000 people have been evacuated from Gjerdrum municipality, which contains Ask village. Dozens more were moved out of their homes on New Year's Eve.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Aerial footage shows the scale of the landslide\n\nAlthough police have not given details of the missing, they are believed to include men, women and children.\n\nAmong them is a woman who was talking to her husband on the phone while walking the dog when the line went dead, according to Bergens Tidende newspaper.\n\nFurther reports say a couple and their small child are also missing, as well as a woman in her 50s and her adult son.\n\nMore than 30 homes have been destroyed, but officials say more could be lost as the edges of the crater left by the landslide are still breaking away.\n\nThe conditions have proved challenging, with temperatures dropping to -1C (30F) and the clay ground proving too unstable for emergency workers to walk on.\n\nThe scale of the landslide is shown by this aerial view of the disaster site\n\nThe landslide began early on Wednesday, with residents calling emergency services and telling them that their houses were moving, police said.\n\n\"There were two massive tremors that lasted for a long while and I assumed it was snow being cleared or something like that,\" Oeystein Gjerdrum, 68, told broadcaster NRK.\n\n\"Then the power suddenly went out, and a neighbour came to the door and said we needed to evacuate, so I woke up my three grandchildren and told them to get dressed quickly.\"\n\nA spokeswoman for the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE) told AFP that the landslide was a so-called \"quick clay slide\" measuring about 300m by 700m (985ft by 2,300ft).\n\n\"This is the largest landslide in recent times in Norway, considering the number of houses involved and the number of evacuees,\" Laila Hoivik said.\n\nQuick clay is a kind of clay found in Norway and Sweden that can collapse and behave as a fluid when it comes under stress.\n\nBroadcaster NRK said heavy rainfall may have made the soil unstable, but questions have since emerged over why construction was permitted in the area.\n\nA 2005 geological survey labelled the area as at high risk of landslides, according to a report seen by the broadcaster TV2. Despite this, the homes were built three years later in 2008.", "Ontario Premier Doug Ford has announced the resignation of his finance minister who took a trip to the Caribbean while the province remained under lockdown.\n\nMr Ford on Thursday said Mr Phillips' departure showed his government \"takes seriously our obligation to hold ourselves to a higher standard\".\n\nCanada's most populous province has discouraged all non-essential travel amid record-high new case counts.\n\nMr Phillips, who is a member of the Progressive Conservative Party, had taken a personal trip to St Barts on 13 December and returned on Thursday morning.\n\nAhead of the holiday season, Ontario health officials had urged residents to stay at home when possible amid an ongoing rise in Covid-19 cases.\n\nPeople line up on Christmas Day at a Covid test site in Ontario\n\nMr Phillips told reporters when he arrived at Toronto Pearson Airport he hoped to keep his job, but would respect the premier's decision.\n\n\"Obviously, I made a significant error in judgment, and I will be accountable for that,\" Mr Phillips said. \"I do not make any excuses for the fact that I travelled when we shouldn't have travelled.\"\n\nLater on Thursday, Mr Ford said in a statement he had accepted Mr Phillips' resignation following a conversation with him. Mr Ford has asked Peter Bethlenfalvy, currently president of the treasury board, to step into the finance minister role.\n\nOn Wednesday, Mr Ford had said he learned of Mr Phillips travel two weeks ago, but said the minister \"never told anyone\" he was going to St Barts, according to CBC.\n\nOntario's New Democratic Party leader Andrea Horwath on Wednesday had pushed for Mr Phillip's firing, saying it was unacceptable for him to \"ignore public health advice\" while the government \"demands sacrifice from everyday Ontarians\".\n\n\"It's not believable that a senior member of cabinet didn't tell the premier's office he was leaving the country for weeks during the height of a global emergency,\" she said in a statement. \"If he didn't, that in itself would be enough reason to demote him.\"", "The UK's chief medical officers have defended the Covid vaccination plan, after criticism from a doctors' union.\n\nThe UK will give both parts of the Oxford and Pfizer vaccines 12 weeks apart, having initially planned to leave 21 days between the Pfizer jabs.\n\nThe British Medical Association said cancelling patients booked in for their second doses was \"grossly unfair\".\n\nBut the chief medical officers said getting more people vaccinated with the first jab \"is much more preferable\".\n\nThe Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was the first jab approved in the UK, and 944,539 people have had their first jab.\n\nThe first person to get the jab on 8 December, Margaret Keenan, has already had her second jab.\n\nPfizer has said it has tested the vaccine's efficacy only when the two vaccines were given up to 21 days apart.\n\nBut the chief medical officers said the \"great majority\" of initial protection came from the first jab.\n\n\"The second vaccine dose is likely to be very important for duration of protection, and at an appropriate dose interval may further increase vaccine efficacy,\" they said.\n\n\"In the short term, the additional increase of vaccine efficacy from the second dose is likely to be modest; the great majority of the initial protection from clinical disease is after the first dose of vaccine.\"\n\nThe decision to delay the second dose has, understandably, caused concern.\n\nThere is some evidence regulators say - at least for the Oxford vaccine - that it will actually boost immunity.\n\nBut for those who are due to get a second dose soon it will undoubtedly be upsetting that they now have to wait.\n\nBut the move is about practicalities. The UK is in the middle of a public health crisis and despite the fact that millions of doses are pre-ordered, there is concern the supply of the vaccine will not be as smooth as everyone would ideally want.\n\nThere is a global demand for these vaccines and there are bound to be times when supply does not meet demand.\n\nSo the logic of the move is that by spreading this thin resource the most widely, it will have the greatest benefit - not only to the vulnerable but to everyone.\n\nLives have been put on hold and livelihoods lost.\n\nThis is the quickest way back to some degree of normality.\n\nEven if it does leave some of the vaccinated susceptible to infection, it should in theory at least protect them from serious illness.\n\nGiven where we are now, the argument is that that is a price worth paying.\n\nAs well as approving the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine on Wednesday - the second approved for use in the UK - regulators also said that doctors could wait longer between the two courses.\n\nThis means more people will get the first jab sooner, even if they have to wait longer for their second jab.\n\nExperts advising the government, including the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), said the focus should be on giving at-risk people the first dose of whichever vaccine they receive.\n\nDefending the move, the UK's four chief medical officers - including England's Prof Chris Whitty - said in a statement released on New Year's Eve: \"In terms of protecting priority groups, a model where we can vaccinate twice the number of people in the next two to three months is obviously much more preferable.\"\n\nThey said they recognised that rescheduling second appointments was \"operationally very difficult\" and would \"distress patients who were looking forward to being fully immunised\".\n\nHowever, they said that for every 1,000 patients booked in for a second dose, which will \"gain marginally on protection from severe disease\", that would mean 1,000 more people missing out on \"substantial initial protection\".\n\nThe chief medics said that, while one million people had already been vaccinated, approximately 30 million UK patients and health and social care workers eligible in the first phase \"remain totally unprotected and many are distressed or anxious about the wait for their turn\".\n\nThey added that the JCVI was \"confident\" 12 weeks was a reasonable interval between doses \"to achieve good longer-term protection\".\n\n\"We have to follow public health principles and act at speed if we are to beat this pandemic which is running rampant in our communities, and we believe the public will understand and thank us for this decisive action.\"\n\nEarlier, the BMA's Dr Richard Vautrey said GPs were unhappy they were being asked to cancel appointments that had already been made for second doses.\n\nHe said the BMA would support practices who honour the existing appointments for the follow-up vaccination, calling for the government to do the same.", "The first lorries to transport freight under the new arrangements arrived in Belfast on Friday afternoon\n\nThe first goods have crossed the new trade border between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.\n\nThe 'Irish Sea border' is a consequence of Brexit and means that most commercial goods entering NI from GB require a customs declaration.\n\nAbout a dozen lorries arrived on a ferry from Cairnryan in Scotland to Belfast at 14:00 GMT on Friday.\n\nThey were met by officials, with some vehicles directed to new border control posts.\n\nMany food products from GB now have to enter NI through these border posts where they can be inspected by the Department of Agriculture.\n\nThese products also need health certificates, though some of the new certification processes will be phased in over the next three months.\n\nThe UK government also announced a three-month \"grace period\" for parcels, meaning those sent by online retailers will be exempt from customs declarations until at least April.\n\nIt said the grace period was necessary to avoid disruption to deliveries at a time when many shops are closed due to pandemic restrictions.\n\nMeanwhile the secretary of state for Northern Ireland has continued to insist the new range of checks, controls and paperwork is not actually a sea border.\n\nBrandon Lewis tweeted: \"There is no 'Irish Sea Border'. As we have seen today, the important preparations the government and businesses have taken to prepare for the end of the Transition Period are keeping goods flowing freely around the country, including between GB and NI.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Brandon Lewis This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nTransport companies are not expecting significant volumes of freight over the next few days.\n\nThere has been significant stockpiling ahead of the changes and it may take one or two weeks before freight volumes are at normal seasonal levels.\n\nSome businesses, particularly haulage companies, are anxious about the new IT systems which are necessary for the border to function.\n\nThey have had less than two weeks to familiarise themselves with the new systems.\n\nPolice officers carried out random vehicle checks near Larne Port on New Year's Eve\n\nSeamus Leheny from Logistics UK said: \"With any reconfiguration of supply chains and new systems there will be teething problems and we expect that.\"\n\nThere will be no new processes or checks for the vast majority of goods leaving NI for GB.\n\nThe new arrangements flow from the Northern Ireland Protocol, a deal reached by the UK and EU in 2019.\n\nIts purpose is to prevent a hard land border in Ireland.\n\nThat is achieved by keeping Northern Ireland in the EU's single market for goods and by having Northern Ireland apply EU customs rules at its ports.\n\nThis will allow goods to flow from NI to the Republic of Ireland and the rest of the EU as they do now, without customs checks or new paperwork.\n\nThe Protocol is opposed by Northern Ireland's unionist parties who fear it will weaken Northern Ireland's position in the UK.\n\nThe arrangement does not change Northern Ireland's constitutional position.\n\nHowever, it does mean a significant new economic barrier within the UK.\n\nUnionist parties fear the sea border will weaken NI's position in the UK\n\nThe UK government has allocated more than £300m for a Trader Support Service to help businesses deal with the new customs arrangements.\n\nThe government is also covering the costs of the new certification requirements for food products.\n\nA Movement Assistance Scheme will pay vets up to £150 to complete the Export Health Certificates which will need to accompany all live animals and products of animal origin entering Northern Ireland from Great Britain.\n\nTrucks pass through a customs post at Dublin Port on Friday morning\n\nThere are also new checks and controls on freight arriving at Dublin Port from GB.\n\nOn Friday morning, the first ferry to arrive in Dublin from Holyhead had about 12 lorries on board.\n\nWhile they all cleared customs checks for the first time without delays, Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney said the change in trading arrangements with the UK would inevitably cause disruption.\n\n\"We have avoided the kind of dramatic disruption of a no trade deal Brexit, but that doesn't mean that things aren't changing very fundamentally, because they are,\" he said.\n\n\"We're now going to see the €80b (£71.2bn) worth of trade across the Irish Sea between Britain and Ireland disrupted by an awful lot more checks and declarations, and bureaucracy and paperwork, and cost and delay.\"\n\nOn Saturday new freight sailings will begin between Rosslare in the Republic of Ireland and Dunkirk in France, allowing cargo to bypass GB and go straight to mainland Europe.\n\nThe six-times weekly service will take 24 hours, which is longer than the \"landbridge\" route via GB.", "A new era has begun for the United Kingdom after it completed its formal separation from the European Union.\n\nThe UK stopped following EU rules at 23:00 GMT, as replacement arrangements for travel, trade, immigration and security co-operation came into force.\n\nBoris Johnson said the UK had \"freedom in our hands\" and the ability to do things \"differently and better\" now the long Brexit process was over.\n\nBut opponents of leaving the EU maintain the country will be worse off.\n\nScottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, whose ambition it is to take an independent Scotland back into the EU, tweeted: \"Scotland will be back soon, Europe. Keep the light on.\"\n\nBBC Europe editor Katya Adler said there was a sense of relief in Brussels that the Brexit process was over, \"but there is regret still at Brexit itself\".\n\nThe first lorries arriving at the borders entered the UK and EU without delay.\n\nOn Friday evening, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps tweeted that border traffic had been \"low due to [the] bank holiday\" but there had been no disruption in Kent as \"hundreds\" of lorries crossed the Channel with a \"small\" number turned back.\n\nSix freight loads travelling from Holyhead in Wales to Ireland had to be turned away due to not having the correct paperwork, the Stena Line ferry and port group said on Friday morning.\n\nBut later on Friday, the group said freight traffic was flowing well through its ports and government customs systems were working well.\n\nIt added that the fall in freight traffic after the Christmas and Brexit stockpiling period meant \"it is too early to draw any conclusions\", but the company remained \"cautiously optimistic that, as freight volumes begin to rise again, we will be able to ensure the continued free movement of goods\".\n\nUK ministers have warned there will be some disruption in the coming days and weeks, as new rules bed in and British firms come to terms with the changes.\n\nBut officials have insisted new border systems are \"ready to go\".\n\nAs the first customs checks were completed after midnight, Eurotunnel spokesman John Keefe said: \"It all went fine, everything's running just as it was before 11pm.\"\n\nNorthern Ireland has different arrangements from other parts of the UK, meaning there will be some customs checks on goods moving between Great Britain and the province.\n\nOn Friday afternoon, the first ferry from Great Britain operating under the terms of Northern Ireland trading protocol docked in Belfast, on schedule at 13:45 GMT.\n\nSeamus Leheny, policy manager at Logistics UK, said six out of the 15 lorries that were on the first ship to arrive into Belfast were brought in for inspection, with one being kept at the port for more than three hours.\n\n\"Inevitably there are going to be teething problems because with such a new, complex system as this there are going to be issues in the first few days,\" he told BBC Radio 4's PM programme.\n\nThe first lorry loads on to the Eurotunnel shuttle after the UK left the single market and customs union\n\nMandy Ridyard, whose aerospace components company makes daily shipments to Northern Ireland, told BBC Radio 4's World at One programme she was \"filling in the same declaration to send goods to the Philippines that I am sending them within the UK\".\n\n\"And obviously that all adds a lot of cost to my business.\"\n\nThe UK officially left the 27-member political and economic bloc on 31 January, three and half years after the UK public voted to leave in the 2016 Brexit referendum.\n\nBut it stuck to the EU's trading rules for 11 months while the two sides negotiated their future economic partnership.\n\nA treaty was finally agreed on Christmas Eve, and became law in the UK on Wednesday.\n\nUnder the new arrangements, UK manufacturers will have tariff-free access to the EU's internal market, meaning there will be no import taxes on goods crossing between Britain and the continent.\n\nBut it does mean more paperwork for businesses and people travelling to EU countries, while there is still uncertainty about what will happen to banking and services.\n\nThe UK and Spain have also reached an agreement meaning the border between Gibraltar and Spain will remain open.\n\nFabian Picardo, Gibraltar's chief minister, said the deal still needed to be formalised, but by abolishing controls between Gibraltar and the EU's passport-free Schengen area, he said it would prevent queues at the border \"which make people's lives a misery and make business difficult\".\n\nIt is a moment that some will regard with huge optimism, others with deep regret.\n\nAnd while this historic move happens at a moment in time, the impact, in some areas, may be less instant or obvious than others - for example, it's expected there'll be relatively little traffic at Dover on the first day of 2021 as new border checks kick in.\n\nNevertheless, significant changes are here - whether on trade, travel, security or immigration - and those changes could well become more apparent in the months ahead.\n\nMr Johnson - who took the UK out of the EU in January six months after becoming prime minister - said it was an \"amazing moment\" for the UK in his New Year message.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nWriting in the Daily Telegraph, he added that the combination of the Brexit deal and rollout of the Oxford vaccine means \"we are creating the potential trampoline for the national bounceback\".\n\nLord Frost, the UK's chief negotiator, tweeted that Britain had become a \"fully independent country again\".\n\nAnd the deputy chairman of the pro-Brexit European Research Group of Tory backbench MPs, David Jones, told the BBC: \"We can now say clearly Britain is a sovereign and independent state.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by David Frost This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nBut opponents of Brexit say the country will be worse off than it was while it was a member of the EU.\n\nIreland's Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said it was \"not something to celebrate\" and the UK's relationship with Ireland will be different from now on, but \"we wish them well\".\n\nFrench President Emmanuel Macron said the UK remained a \"friend and ally\", but he added that the choice to leave the EU was \"the child of European malaise and many lies and false promises\".\n\nIn Brussels, there is a sense of relief the Brexit process is over, but there is regret still at Brexit itself.\n\nBasically, the European Union thinks that Brexit makes it - the EU - and the UK weaker.\n\nBut the EU view is this is less bye-bye Britain and more au revoir, because there are so many loose ends between the two sides.\n\nFor example, there are the ongoing practicalities surrounding Gibraltar, the UK is still waiting to find out what access Brussels is going to give its financial services to the single market, there is cooperation on climate change, and there is a reviewal mechanism written into the treaty for every five years.\n\nFor all of those reasons and more, this is not the end of the EU-UK conversation for the foreseeable future.\n\nThe culmination of the Brexit process means major changes in different areas. These include:", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Countries around the world welcomed 2021 with fireworks, but crowds were only allowed at some displays\n\nMillions around the world have been seeing out 2020 and marking the start of 2021, although the coronavirus pandemic has forced many celebrations to take place in muted form behind closed doors.\n\nWith lockdowns or other restrictions in place in many countries, would-be New Year partygoers were told to have a quiet night in.\n\nOthers have attended ceremonies or festivals wearing masks or taking other precautions.\n\nIn Tokyo, below, people visited the Kanda Myojin Shrine to offer prayers. The popular Shinto shrine reduced the number of visitors allowed, as Japan faces another wave of Covid-19 infections.\n\nIn Wuhan, China, crowds gathered in the city with balloons and festive outfits to count down to midnight on New Year's Eve.\n\nFireworks lit up the night sky in Taiwan to mark the beginning of 2021, witnessed by thousands of spectators who gathered in the centre of Taipei.\n\nLike this family in Seoul, South Korea, many globally have marked the celebration in a small way and often at home.\n\nIt was a chilly celebration in Yekaterinburg, Russia, as people gathered at the city hall, waving sparklers in the 1905 Square.\n\nWhile in the United Arab Emirates, one of the largest New Year fireworks displays saw spectacular colours light up the sky over the emirate of Ras al-Khaimah.\n\nPyrotechnics also illuminated the sky around the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa, as the clock struck midnight in Dubai.\n\nThe New Year's Eve party at Brandenburg Gate in Berlin is usually one of Europe's biggest street parties. But this year revellers were told to stay at home and watch the fireworks and music performances on TV or online instead.\n\nThese worshippers in Abuja, Nigeria, marked the end of 2020 with a gospel service.\n\nMeanwhile, people in the city of Abidjan in the Ivory Coast were able to watch the fireworks display outside with friends and family.\n\nBut in New York City, just a handful of people were allowed into Times Square to watch confetti rain down and the traditional crystal ball drop.\n\nBrazilian authorities closed Copacabana Beach, in Rio de Janeiro, but that did not stop some people enjoying celebrations.\n\nA fireworks and light show was held across various locations in London. A number of drones filled the sky close to the O2 Arena in East London forming messages referencing the pandemic, including the NHS logo.", "The Archers returned to BBC Radio 4 in May with \"a new style\" forced upon the show by the coronavirus lockdown\n\nBBC Radio 4 will mark 70 years of The Archers with a series of features across its output on Friday.\n\nAs well as broadcasting episode number 19,343 of the world's longest-running serial drama, stars from it will appear on the station's other programmes.\n\nThis will include inserts into Woman's Hour, Farming Today, and a quiz.\n\nThe Archers, set in the fictional village of Ambridge, began in 1951 with the original purpose of educating farmers on modern agricultural methods.\n\nThe show's editor, Jeremy Howe, said its achievements over the years, coming up to the modern day, are incomparable.\n\n\"Almost daily and in real time The Archers has tracked life in the village of Ambridge across years and more than 19,000 episodes,\" he said.\n\n\"No work of fiction or drama can truly compare to that. As I look back on this incredible legacy, I am looking forward to the next 70 years of The Archers.\"\n\nBack in May, The Archers returned to BBC Radio 4 on Monday, with a \"new style\" forced upon the show by the coronavirus lockdown.\n\nLarge cast recordings with interaction between multiple characters were scrapped in favour of monologues recorded at the actors' homes.\n\nThe storyline of Friday's anniversary episode remains a secret, but celebratory programming on Radio 4 on the day will also include a special edition of With Great Pleasure at Christmas, where cast members from the series share their favourite prose and poetry.\n\nHowe, meanwhile, will appear alongside actor Timothy Bentinck (David Archer) and agricultural story advisor Sarah Swadling in an Archers-flavoured edition of Farming Today.\n\nWoman's Hour will focus on the female characters and storylines that have shaped the show.\n\nFinally, on the day, listeners will be invited to head over to The Bull pub - not literally of course - for the The Archers Anniversary Quiz, hosted by landlords Jolene (Buffy Davis) and Kenton Archer (Richard Attlee).\n\nOn Saturday 2 January, historian David Kynaston will then delve into the history of the programme further documentary feature entitled A Social History of The Archers.\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "Spain has reached a deal with the UK to maintain free movement to and from Gibraltar once the UK formally leaves the EU on Friday.\n\nTo avoid a hard border, Gibraltar will join the EU's Schengen zone and follow other EU rules, while remaining a British Overseas Territory.\n\nThe deal was announced by Spanish Foreign Minister Arancha González Laya, just hours before the UK exits the EU.\n\nThe Rock voted Remain in 2016 and about 15,000 Spanish workers go there daily.\n\n\"With this [agreement], the fence is removed, Schengen is applied to Gibraltar... it allows for the lifting of controls between Gibraltar and Spain,\" said Ms González Laya.\n\nThe Gibraltar deal will mean the EU sending Frontex border guards to facilitate free movement to and from Gibraltar. Their role is planned to last four years.\n\nGibraltarians are British citizens. They elect their own representatives to the territory's parliament, while the British monarch appoints a governor.\n\nThe territory - home to a British military garrison and naval base - is self-governing in all areas except defence and foreign policy.\n\nMs González Laya did not say whether Spanish border guards would eventually be posted at Gibraltar's airport and/or seaport which, under the deal, will be de facto part of the EU's external border.\n\nThe Gibraltar deal would also mean the territory complying with EU fair competition rules in areas such as financial policy, the environment and the labour market, Ms González Laya said.\n\nTwenty-two EU states are in the passport-free Schengen zone, as are Norway, Switzerland, Iceland and Liechtenstein, but the UK has never been in it.\n\nOnce Gibraltar joins it, EU citizens arriving from Spain or another Schengen country will avoid passport checks, while arrivals from the UK will have to go through passport control, as is already the case.\n\nUK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab called Thursday's deal a \"political framework\" to form the basis of a separate treaty with the EU regarding Gibraltar.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Why Gibraltar is British - in 60 secs\n\nThe deal does not address the thorny issue of sovereignty. Spain has long disputed British sovereignty over the Rock which was ceded to Britain in 1713 and which is now home to about 34,000 people. The Remain vote there was an overwhelming 96% in the 2016 EU referendum.\n\nThe plan is to have a six-month transition period and then formalise the new arrangements with a treaty.\n\nUnder the current tight Covid rules, there are restrictions on UK citizens arriving via Gibraltar's airport, the UK Foreign Office says.\n\nDominic Raab said \"all sides are committed to mitigating the effects of the end of the [Brexit] Transition Period on Gibraltar, and in particular ensure border fluidity, which is clearly in the best interests of the people living on both sides.\n\n\"We remain steadfast in our support for Gibraltar, and its sovereignty is safeguarded.\"", "Omar Elabdellaoui is receiving treatment in hospital after an accident with a firework\n\nNorway and Galatasaray footballer Omar Elabdellaoui has been injured by a firework during a New Year's Eve celebration.\n\nThe Norwegian vice-captain's club said he was taken to hospital after \"an unfortunate accident at his home\".\n\nHe suffered burns to his face and damage to his eyes, the club said, adding that further tests would assess the extent of his injuries.\n\nThe New Year's Eve incident was one of many involving fireworks in Europe.\n\nIn Elabdellaoui's case, Turkish reports say a firework exploded in the hand of the 29-year-old defender.\n\nTurkish newspaper Hurriyet said the former Manchester City player may have lost vision, without giving further details.\n\nBut in a statement cited by the newspaper, Galatasaray said Elabdellaoui was conscious, in a stable condition and had not undergone surgery.\n\nGalatasaray's manager Fatih Terim and the team captain Arda Turan went to the hospital to visit Elabdellaoui, who joined the club in 2020 from the Greek side Olympiacos FC.\n\nTurkish clubs - including Galatasaray's Turkish Super Lig rivals Fenerbahce, Besiktas and Trabzonspor - took to social media to wish Elabdellaoui a speedy recovery.\n\nTurkish reports say a firework exploded in the hand of 29-year-old Omar Elabdellaoui\n\nElsewhere in Europe, at least four people were killed by fireworks during events to mark the new year.\n\nPolice in Alsace in eastern France said a 25-year-old man died after being hit by a rocket in the village of Boofzheim.\n\nA statement said the device beheaded him and severely injured the face of another young man standing next to him.\n\nA similar incident cost the life of a 28-year-old man in Pulle, a village east of Antwerp in Belgium.\n\nFireworks exploded over Berlin's landmark Brandenburg Gate to usher in the new year\n\nMeanwhile in Italy's north-western province of Asti, a 13-year-old boy died shortly after midnight of injuries to his abdomen caused by a firecracker.\n\nThere were fireworks casualties in Germany as well. In the state of Brandenburg, police said a 24-year-old man died after setting alight \"self-made pyrotechnics\" while a 63-year-old man lost his hand when handling a firecracker.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Countries around the world welcomed 2021 with fireworks, but crowds were only allowed at some displays\n\nInjuries and deaths from fireworks are not unknown over the New Year period. But fewer public fireworks displays than usual were held on New Year's Eve 2020, as coronavirus restrictions placed limits on gatherings worldwide.\n\nSome European countries had moved to limit the use of fireworks ahead of 31 December, with Germany imposing a ban on the sale of pyrotechnics.", "Rachael Powell is \"angry and upset\" about her daughter Emmeline missing out during lockdown Image caption: Rachael Powell is \"angry and upset\" about her daughter Emmeline missing out during lockdown\n\nNew parents missing baby classes and playdates due to lockdown say their children's development has been hit by the impact of coronavirus.\n\nWhen Rachael Powell's one-year-old daughter Emmeline met her grandparents for the first time she \"absolutely screamed the place down\" as she \"didn't know who they were\".\n\n\"I was really looking forward to going to coffee shops, meeting other mums and going to baby classes and then everything stopped,\" says the 39-year-old from Greater Manchester.\n\n\"I felt guilty that she didn't get any of that and have that interaction.\"\n\nEducation consultant and child psychologist Paul Kelly says Covid is having a \"massive impact\" on babies.\n\n\"We are social creatures, social beings - it is pre-programmed in our brains,\" he says. \"When children's brains are stimulated, they grow.\"\n\nDr Kelly says there is also an impact on parents, who are missing out on \"mutual support\".\n\nHe says people should \"grab what they can, when they can\" during these uncertain times and focus on \"how you can enhance [your baby's] development... rather than spending time thinking about how your child might be behind\".", "The number of people being treated in Scotland's hospitals for coronavirus has reached another record daily high.\n\nLatest Scottish government figures show a total of 1,596 people are in hospital with recently confirmed Covid.\n\nThis is up from Friday's figure of 1,530 patients.\n\nThe deaths of a further 93 people who had tested positive for the virus have been recorded in the past 24 hours, the same tally as Friday which was the highest daily figure of the pandemic.\n\nIt is the second day in a row there has been a record figure for Covid hospital patients.\n\nOf the 1,596 people in hospital, a total of 109 are in intensive care, up seven on Friday's figure.\n\nNational clinical director Prof Jason Leitch said Scotland's hospitals were \"very busy and fragile\" but coping so far.\n\nHe said: \"People should not be worried we have reached capacity but the best way of getting those numbers down is to reduce the prevalence of the virus.\"\n\nProf Leitch said the NHS could create more intensive care capacity if needed but \"all of that has a cost in what we won't be able to do\" elsewhere in the health service.\n\nThe NHS Louisa Jordan temporary hospital in Glasgow can be used to care for the sickest of Covid patients if the spike in admissions continues, but officials are trying to avoid this \"if we can manage without it\", Prof Leitch added.\n\nThis is because it is better for patients and staff for Covid patients to be in traditional intensive care units, he explained.\n\nFirst Minister Nicola Sturgeon has described the latest Covid figures as \"a big concern\".\n\nOn Twitter, she said: \"Covid case numbers still a big concern and putting huge pressure on the NHS, as hospital and ICU cases increase.\n\n\"Also, 93 further deaths remind us just how dangerous the virus can be - my thoughts are with all those grieving.\"]\n\nThe Scottish government data shows a further 1,865 new cases of Covid have been reported in the last 24 hours, down from the 2,309 cases reported on Friday.\n\nHowever, the daily test positivity rate is 8.7%, up from 8.1% on the previous day.\n\nThis breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.\n\nYou can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on Twitter to get the latest alerts.", "North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said US policy towards his country would \"never change\"\n\nNorth Korean leader Kim Jong-un has said the US is his country's \"biggest enemy\" and that he does not expect Washington to change its policy toward Pyongyang - whoever is president.\n\nAddressing a rare congress of his ruling Workers' Party, Mr Kim also pledged to expand North Korea's nuclear weapons arsenal and military potential.\n\nHe said that plans for a nuclear submarine were almost complete.\n\nHis comments come as US President-elect Joe Biden prepares to take office.\n\nAnalysts suggest Mr Kim's remarks are an effort to apply pressure on the incoming government, with Mr Biden set to be sworn in on 20 January.\n\nMr Kim enjoyed a warm rapport with outgoing US President Donald Trump, even if little concrete progress was made on negotiations over North Korea's nuclear programme.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nIn his latest address to the Workers' Party - only the eighth congress in its history - Mr Kim said Pyongyang did not intend to use its nuclear weapons unless \"hostile forces\" were planning to use them against North Korea first.\n\nHe said the US was his country's \"biggest obstacle for our revolution and our biggest enemy... no matter who is in power, the true nature of its policy against North Korea will never change,\" state news agency KCNA reported.\n\nHis speech outlined a list of desired weapons including long-range ballistic missiles capable of being launched from land or sea and \"super-large warheads\".\n\nNorth Korea has managed to significantly advance its arsenal despite being subject to strict economic sanctions.\n\nEarlier this week, Mr Kim admitted that his five-year economic plan for the isolated country failed to meet its targets in \"almost every sector\".\n\nNorth Korea closed its borders last January to prevent Covid from entering the country.\n\nIts authorities say the country has not had a single Covid case since the pandemic began but experts say this is highly unlikely due to North Korea's cross-border trade with China.\n\nTrade with China has plummeted by about 80%. Typhoons and floods have devastated homes and crops in North Korea, which remains under strict international sanctions, including over its nuclear programme.\n\nThe speech is likely to be Mr Kim's way of setting the stage for talks with President-elect Joe Biden who will take office in less than two weeks' time.\n\nThe aim is perhaps to put pressure on Washington to show that Pyongyang has no intention of being cowed by sanctions and will continue to expand its nuclear arsenal.\n\nMr Kim had three summits with Donald Trump - but they failed to reach a deal. However, North Korea is in a difficult and bleak economic position caused by strict sanctions, border blockades to prevent the spread of Covid-19 and devastating floods.\n\nThis message may seem threatening, but some analysts believe that there is still room for diplomacy.", "Jessica Allen (left) and Eliza Moore are now sticking to walks nearer their homes\n\nA police force that was criticised for its \"intimidating\" approach to two walkers is to review its lockdown fines policy.\n\nJessica Allen and Eliza Moore said they were surrounded by police after driving five miles from their home for a walk on Wednesday, and fined £200 each.\n\nDerbyshire Police initially said driving to exercise was \"not in the spirit\" of lockdown.\n\nBut it now says new national guidelines mean it will review its position.\n\nIn a statement, the force said all of its fixed penalties issued during the new national lockdown will be reviewed.\n\nMs Allen, from Ashby-de-la-Zouch in Leicestershire, said she assumed \"someone had been murdered\" when she arrived at Foremark Reservoir on Wednesday afternoon.\n\nWhen she and her friend were questioned by police, they were also told by officers the hot drinks they had brought along were not allowed as they were \"classed as a picnic\".\n\nShe said: \"The next thing, my car is surrounded. I got out of my car thinking 'There's no way they're coming to speak to us'. Straight away they start questioning us.\n\n\"I said we had come in separate cars, even parked two spaces away and even brought our own drinks with us. He said 'You can't do that as it's classed as a picnic'.\"\n\nMs Allen said the experience was \"very intimidating\" and had left her feeling scared of police in general.\n\nForemark Reservoir is five miles away from where Jessica Allen and Eliza Moore live\n\nHer friend, Ms Moore, said she was \"stunned at the time\" so did not challenge police and gave her details so they could send a fixed penalty notice.\n\nAt the time Derbyshire Police said that driving to a location to exercise \"is clearly not in the spirit of the national effort to reduce our travel, reduce the possible spread of the disease and reduce the number of deaths\".\n\nThe force added: \"Where there are cases of blatant breaches of the regulations then fines will be issued by officers.\"\n\nDerbyshire Police has also been giving fixed penalty notices to people who visit Calke Abbey and Elvaston Castle.\n\nFixed penalty notices have been given to people who visit Calke Abbey, a National Trust property\n\nBut in a statement, the force said further guidance issued by the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) had \"clarified the policing response concerning travel and exercise\".\n\nThe guidance said: \"The Covid regulations which officers enforce and which enables them to issue FPNs [fixed penalty notices] for breaches, do not restrict the distance travelled for exercise.\"\n\nThe NPCC added that rather than issue fines for people who travel out of their local area \"but are not breaching regulations, officers will encourage people to follow the guidance\".\n\nThe force has now said it will be \"aligning to adhere to this stance\".\n\nAssistant Chief Constable Kem Mehmet said: \"We are grateful for the guidance from the NPCC.\n\n\"The actions of our officers continues to be to protect the public, the NHS and to help save lives.\"\n\nIt is not the first time the force has been accused of being overzealous in enforcing alleged lockdown breaches.\n\nIn the country's first lockdown in March the use of a drone to film people walking in the Peak District was labelled \"nanny policing\".\n\nFollow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Andy Stonely is not eligible for the UK government Covid support scheme\n\nA father who has lived on Universal Credit since the Covid-19 pandemic started has called on the UK government to be \"more flexible\" with its support.\n\nDriving instructor and dad-of-three Andy Stonely is not eligible for the government's Covid support scheme.\n\nThe Federation of Small Businesses Wales has also asked for changes ahead of the next round of grants.\n\nThe Treasury said its Self-Employment Income Support Scheme was \"one of the most generous in the world\".\n\nThis scheme requires claimants to show accounts for the 2018-19 year as well as 2019-20.\n\nHowever, Mr Stonely from Newport hasn't been self-employed for long enough to qualify - so the 35-year-old has had to rely on financial support from his parents.\n\n\"I count myself somewhat lucky because I have been able to claim for Universal Credit,\" he said.\n\n\"But obviously it's minimal and luckily through the help of parents I've been able to keep afloat.\n\n\"It's been tough. It would have been ideal if the government was just slightly more flexible.\"\n\nMr Stonely, who hasn't been able to work for much of the past year due to lockdown restrictions, said Universal Credit was worth \"less than half\" of his normal earnings.\n\nDriving school firm owner Gareth Denny said almost a quarter of his drivers can't claim Covid help\n\nThe coronavirus crisis forced his wife to give up her job to look after their three children, aged three, six and 17, when Mr Stonely was able to work for a short period at the end of the initial lockdown period.\n\nAsked how much longer his family could sustain itself if the current restrictions continue, Mr Stonely told the BBC's Politics Wales show: \"Not too much longer… we're going to be in a very tough situation.\"\n\nMr Stonely is part of a local driving school franchise managed by Gareth Denny, who said 11 of his 43 instructors were in this position.\n\n\"If you imagine that somebody lives their life to their income and suddenly there's absolutely no income to pay their mortgage and their bills, Universal Credit simply doesn't pay most people's mortgage,\" Mr Denny said.\n\nRecent research commissioned by the Community and Prospect trade unions and the Federation of Small Businesses found 53% of self-employed people across the UK had lost more than 60% of their income since the pandemic began.\n\nIn addition, 64% of people said they were now either \"unsure\" or \"less likely\" to want to be self-employed or freelance in the future.\n\n\"These are normal people who have mortgages, families to support, who've just had to fund a Christmas for the families,\" said Ben Francis of Federation of Small Businesses Wales.\n\n\"All those bills are now mounting up the other side of Christmas, and after having an already extremely difficult 12 months, they've now got to see how they manage through the months ahead.\n\n\"We would ask UK government to be flexible in their approach to verifying the statuses of these newly self-employed businesses.\"\n\nThe Community union warns with small businesses \"struggling to get back on their feet\", more people will leave self-employment.\n\nAll non-essential businesses shut in Wales just before Christmas\n\n\"That will be a disaster for our economy, for local economies, for their livelihoods and their families,\" said Kate Dearden of Community.\n\n\"This section of the UK workforce plays a fundamental role and should be properly supported to continue to do so.\"\n\nThe Treasury has already committed to extending the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme until April 2021, although the eligibility criteria for the next round of grants is yet to be published.\n\nA spokesman said the scheme had \"helped more than 2.7 million people so far, claiming over £13.7bn\".\n\nHe added: \"Funding is designed to target those who need it most and protect the taxpayer against fraud and abuse.\n\n\"Those not eligible may still be able to access our loans schemes, tax deferrals, mortgage holidays and business support grants.\"\n• None What extra help will the self-employed get?", "The US is reeling after supporters of President Trump stormed the Capitol building in Washington DC on the day Congress was meeting to confirm Joe Biden's election victory.\n\nLawmakers were forced to take shelter, the building was put into lockdown and four people died in the chaos that followed a pro-Trump rally near the White House.\n\nHere's a breakdown of how events unfolded on Wednesday.\n\nJust before midday local time (17:00 GMT) thousands of people gather at the Ellipse, near the White House, to hear the president speak at a \"Save America\" rally.\n\nHe tells them: \"We're going to walk down Pennsylvania Avenue... and we're going to the Capitol and we're going to try and give… our Republicans, the weak ones... the kind of pride and boldness that they need to take back our country.\"\n\nAs the speech ends, crowds start to drift towards the Congress building, about a mile and a half away, where they are met by police barriers.\n\nThe Capitol is home to the two chambers of the US government that make up Congress - the House of Representatives and the Senate.\n\nChanting crowds start to gather on both sides of the building at around 13:10, grappling with police at the metal barricades.\n\nTear gas and pepper spray are used to try to keep the protesters at bay.\n\nPolice officers struggle to maintain control of the situation as protesters advance on the building on multiple fronts.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Police place US Capitol Building on lockdown after Trump supporters breached security lines\n\nOn the east side, the crowd force their way through barricades on the Capitol Plaza and move on the main entrance, quickly gaining access to the Great Rotunda.\n\nOnce inside, they head for the House and Senate chambers.\n\nIgor Bobic, a journalist for the Huffington Post, captures a group of men forcing a police officer to retreat up a set of stairs as they continue their advance.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Igor Bobic This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nSenators are forced to abandon the process of confirming President-elect Biden's victory and the building goes into lockdown.\n\nThe doors of the House chamber are locked and a makeshift barricade is erected in front of them. Security officials guard the entrance, guns drawn.\n\nWithin an hour, protesters have also broken police lines on the west side of the Capitol, scaling walls to reach the building itself before smashing windows and forcing doors open.\n\nOther videos and images show rioters storming through the building's ornately-decorated corridors and chambers chanting \"USA!\" and \"Stop the steal\".\n\nShortly before 15:00, gunshots are reportedly heard inside the building.\n\nPhotos and video footage later show a female protester being shot as she tries to break through the barricaded doors of the Speakers' Lobby.\n\nDespite efforts by police and others at the scene to save her, she is later reported to have died.\n\nOn the other side of the building, protesters break into the Senate chamber, one taking seat in the Speaker's chair.\n\nAnother protester is photographed nearby sitting in Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office, with his foot on the table.\n\nAfter growing condemnation of the riots, President Trump eventually calls for calm, telling the protesters to leave peacefully: \"Go home. We love you, you're very special.\"\n\nBy 17:40, the building is cleared and made secure ahead of the 18:00 curfew ordered by DC Mayor Muriel Bowser.\n\nSeveral thousand National Guard troops, FBI agents and US Secret Service are deployed to help.\n\nMore than six hours after the storming of the building, senators return and resume the day's business of certifying the results of the 2020 presidential election.\n\nAt 03:41 on Thursday, Congress confirms President-elect Joe Biden will succeed President Trump on 20 January.", "Vincent Kane - pictured with his grandson Sonny - is facing uncertainty about his operation\n\nThe son of a man with pancreatic cancer has said the last-minute cancellation of his surgery has been \"devastating\".\n\nJodie Kane said his father Vincent was due to have his operation on Friday.\n\nHowever, that procedure was cancelled by the Belfast Health Trust on Tuesday as the worsening coronavirus crisis increases the pressure on hospitals.\n\nThe trust apologised, saying it had faced an 80% rise in the number of patients with Covid-19 admitted to hospitals since Christmas Day.\n\nSpeaking on BBC Radio Ulster's Nolan Show, Jodie said that there was now \"no guarantee\" his 68-year-old father would get the treatment.\n\n\"To be told we had the chance of a very successful surgery on offer and then to have it taken away at the last minute is pretty devastating,\" he said.\n\n\"Even the surgeon himself said they would be concerned if it was to go on more than four weeks.\n\n\"There is an uncertainty hanging over us now that we don't know when he'll actually get that surgery or what the impact on his health is going to be.\"\n\nVincent Kane - pictured with his with wife Karen - has been suffering other health issues arising from his cancer\n\nVincent, from Newtownards, County Down, did not receive treatment for some of his other symptoms as it was planned that the surgery would help with those.\n\n\"Because they were hoping to get him straight into surgery he hasn't had the blockage in his gall bladder addressed so he's jaundiced, he's covered in a rash, can't sleep, he's lost a lot of weight,\" Jodie said.\n\n\"Undoubtedly there are people worse off than us out there but it is still a critical illness that he has got and it is one that we don't have an end in sight for, in terms of treatment.\n\n\"There must be a way of helping all those in need, or I suppose if you were being really honest about it those who stand the best chance of surviving - making the decisions for the benefit of them.\n\n\"There's no guarantee that in six weeks' time surgery is going to be an option because who knows what's going to happen with Covid?\"\n\nThe Belfast Health Trust said it had to reduce the number of ill patients on wards to protect them from coronavirus\n\nJodie called on those who were breaking Covid-19 regulations to think about the the \"direct and indirect impacts\" of their actions.\n\n\"We've every sympathy for anyone who has a loved one who needs [intensive] care because of Covid but cancer and Covid are both life-and-death situations.\n\n\"We can minimise the risks of one of them as a collective society just by taking the necessary precautions.\n\n\"It could be someone they love or their neighbour or someone in their community that's in the same situation as us in the very near future.\"\n\nFlo McClements, who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in December, found out on Tuesday that her surgery - scheduled for Thursday - had been cancelled by the Belfast Health Trust.\n\nSpeaking to BBC Radio Foyle, her son Gregg said the pressure was \"mounting day by day\" on the the 72-year-old from Ballymoney, County Antrim.\n\n\"She had waited all through Christmas for the date and due to the Covid-19 restrictions we as a family had stayed away from her,\" he added.\n\nFlo McClements' family wants to \"give her a hug\" after her operation was cancelled\n\n\"We left her on her own with my dad just to make sure she didn't catch Covid and risk the operation.\n\n\"When you get the date you like to think it's the next step to recovery but unfortunately that didn't happen.\"\n\nGregg said his mother was \"putting on a brave face\" but it was difficult for the family to not be with her in person during what was a difficult time.\n\n\"That's actually the hardest part that we can't go up and have a cup of tea with her or give her a hug to make her feel a bit better even for a few minutes.\"\n\nThe Belfast Health Trust said it \"would like to sincerely apologise\" to those affected by the postponement of surgeries.\n\nIt said the decision was taken to reduce the number of ill patients on wards that would be more at risk from the virus than others.\n\n\"This was an incredibly difficult decision to make and we did not take it without considering all the information available to us,\" said the trust.\n\n\"We do not underestimate the anxiety and distress this causes the patients and families affected and we deeply regret this.\n\nIt said it would do \"everything in our power\" to reschedule their operations \"as soon as possible\".", "The company offered to pay surgeries a £5,000 charitable donation \"or to the staff member directly\" in emails\n\nThe Hacking Trust's medical division approached surgeries in Bristol and Worthing offering to pay the money to charity \"or the staff member directly\".\n\nRobyn Clark, from the Institute of General Practice Management, said it was \"just appalling\".\n\nThe company, based in London, has apologised, saying its \"good intentions\" were \"misinterpreted\".\n\nNHS England said people \"will rightly take a dim view of anyone who tries to jump the queue\".\n\n\"The NHS is free at the point of access for everyone who needs it,\" said Mrs Clark.\n\n\"What we felt this company was trying to do was jump the queue.\"\n\nThe Bristol-based manager said she worried it could \"create more health inequality\".\n\nShe said: \"The JCVI [Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation] is trying to prioritise the vaccine based on the vulnerability to Covid.\"\n\nThe e-mail sent to the GP surgery in Worthing said The Hacking Trust was aware that \"many appointments\" for vaccinations are not kept, and that it would be interested in being informed of \"any no-shows\".\n\nA donation of £5,000 would be paid to a staff member or given to charity for each dose it could secure, the e-mail said.\n\nIn a statement, the Battersea-based company said it \"offered charitable donations to staff or surgeries in this difficult time for any vaccines which were unused\".\n\nIt added: \"We had heard that some vaccines were being unused due to missed appointments. We would apologise that our good intentions have been misinterpreted.\"\n\nNHS England said it knew \"these particular emails were received across the country\".\n\nDr Nikki Kanani, GP and NHS medical director for primary care, said hundreds of NHS teams across the country were \"working hard to deliver vaccines quickly to those who would benefit most\".\n\n\"NHS staff will never ask for, or accept, cash for vaccines,\" she said.\n\nThe Department of Health and Social Care said vaccinations were available from the NHS \"for free\" and \"cannot be sold privately in the UK\".\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nA nurse felt \"overwhelming fear\" as 13 ambulances queued at her hospital's A&E department - in the Welsh region currently hardest hit by Covid deaths.\n\nTo date Cwm Taf Morgannwg health board, which runs Royal Glamorgan Hospital, has reported 1,091 deaths of patients with coronavirus.\n\nBBC Wales was granted access to A&E at the hospital in Rhondda Cynon Taf.\n\nSenior doctor Amanda Farrow said the whole hospital had faced \"unrelenting\" pressure last Saturday.\n\nSarah Fogarasy was the senior nurse on duty as 13 ambulances queued up outside her A&E department\n\nSenior A&E nurse Sarah Fogarasy, who was on shift as the ambulances arrived, said there was no capacity at the unit - a situation that left her wanting \"to leave\".\n\n\"We had to escalate it to our site manager and deputy head of nursing who were liaising with the executive team on call,\" she said.\n\n\"And then it got to 13 patients outside - I had no capacity in this unit, no resuscitation capacity, no capacity to put a patient on CPAP [continuous positive airway pressure] should they require that and no physical areas to put a patient in.\n\nOn Saturday, 13 ambulances queued outside the hospital's A&E department\n\nShe said she found it hard to keep going.\n\n\"This bit makes me quite emotional… for the first time I was sat trying to coordinate this department and I had that overwhelming fear that I just wanted to leave,\" Ms Fogarasy continued.\n\n\"I was just - 'I'm done. I'm done with this'... and it's scary, it fills you full of fear when you have got 13 ambulances outside, queuing around the carpark. Where do you go from that?\"\n\nShe said it was the team that kept her going: \"I started looking around to all the staff working tirelessly and just trying to remember what we're here for and why I became a nurse.\n\n\"I know it sounds soppy but it's literally the humanitarian effort that has gone into [fighting] this pandemic that has kept people going.\n\n\"It's the sheer determination and guts of the staff working in these times that is so powerful, that keeps the shift going.\"\n\nEmergency Medicine Consultant Amanda Farrow said it was a \"very emotional time for everyone\"\n\nDr Farrow, emergency medicine consultant, said staffing and bed numbers were of particular concern.\n\n\"In the emergency department the challenge we have is with regards to flow, so that is our daily challenge,\" she explained.\n\n\"And we say it's like playing a game of Tetris trying to work out which patient you can put where.\"\n\nStaff reported feeling overwhelmed as they work through the second Covid wave\n\nShe said the second wave of the virus had also seen more staff off sick with Covid and isolating - with some becoming very ill.\n\n\"We've had staff in as patients and one of my colleagues - I saw them when they were critically ill and ended up going to intensive care,\" continued Dr Farrow.\n\n\"So it's very emotional time for everyone as well you know, looking after the sick patients and looking after your colleagues.\n\n\"There's a level of anxiety still around - will you be the next person to get this disease?\"\n\nShe said although fewer people were attending A&E, they were seeing more people arriving by ambulance and presenting with more complex needs.\n\n\"The group of patients we are seeing this time I think is different, we're definitely having more younger people with Covid that are becoming sick, the volume is very high in the community.\n\n\"I think people are afraid of come into the hospital as well, so there are still quite a lot of patients who leave it maybe a bit too late before they're seeking hospital attention.\"\n\nSpeaking from her intensive care bed, Helen Whatmore said she was extremely grateful to staff\n\nHelen Whatmore, 45, from Beddau, has been hospital since early December after developing Covid symptoms.\n\nSpeaking from her intensive care bed, she said she had been unwell in February so assumed she had already caught the virus.\n\n\"I honestly didn't believe it was as bad until I caught [Covid] this time,\" she said.\n\n\"This time it's absolutely knocked the socks off me. It's nearly killed me.\n\n\"A friend of mine passed away as I came into hospital and I came down very rapidly with Covid, kidney problems and pneumonia.\"\n\nShe said she was grateful for the care she had received: \"The nurses are coming in [working] all shifts, they're fighting for your loved ones, from the time they enter right until the time they leave, then they're changing over and doing the same again.\n\n\"People are passing away… how much more have they got to do? We're asking them to protect our children and our families. Why are we not protecting them ourselves? Saving our families and our own children.\"", "People in England are being told to act like they have got Covid as part of a government advertising campaign aimed at tackling the rise in infections.\n\nBoris Johnson said the public should \"stay at home\" and not get complacent.\n\nOn Friday 1,325 deaths within 28 days of a positive Covid test were recorded in the UK - the highest daily figure yet - along with 68,053 new cases.\n\nGovernment sources say there is likely to be more focus from police on enforcing rather than explaining rules.\n\n\"With over 1,000 people dying yesterday it's more important than ever everyone sticks to rules,\" a source told the BBC.\n\nAs cases and deaths soar, the government is releasing its advertising campaign, which will be shared across television, radio, newspapers and on social media.\n\nEngland's chief medical officer, Prof Chris Whitty, says in the advert: \"Vaccines give clear hope for the future, but for now we must all stay home, protect the NHS and save lives.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Department of Health and Social Care This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. End of twitter post by Department of Health and Social Care\n\nPrime Minister Boris Johnson says hospitals are \"under more pressure than at any other time since the start of the pandemic\", with infection rates increasing at an \"alarming rate\" across the country and the NHS under \"severe strain\".\n\nIt comes after London's mayor Sadiq Khan said the spread of coronavirus was \"out of control\" as he declared a \"major incident\" in the capital on Friday.\n\nSuch an incident is an emergency that requires the implementation of special arrangements by one or all of the emergency services, the NHS or the local authority.\n\nIt means the emergency services and hospitals cannot guarantee their normal level of response.\n\nWhile the government seeks to reinforce its \"stay at home\" message, some police forces have faced criticism for their approaches to tackling potential breaches of coronavirus restrictions.\n\nDerbyshire Police has said it will review fixed penalties issued during the new national lockdown after two women were ordered to pay £200 each after driving five miles from their home for a walk on Wednesday.\n\nSusan Michie, a professor of health psychology at University College London, said \"more support and enablement\" was needed for people to adhere to the regulations, for example support to help people self-isolate, rather than punishment.\n\nProf Michie, who sits on a subcommittee of the government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, also said the current restrictions were \"too lax\".\n\n\"When you look at the data, it shows that almost 90% of people are overwhelmingly adhering to the rules despite the fact that we're also seeing more people out and about,\" she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.\n\nHowever, she said in comparison to the first lockdown last spring the restrictions were less strict, with more people allowed to go out to work and children's nurseries open, meaning public transport is busier.\n\nThe number of people travelling by public transport in London has decreased since the latest national lockdown began, with tube journeys now at 18% pre-pandemic demand and bus journeys at 30%, according to figures from Transport for London.\n\nHowever, during the first lockdown passenger numbers fell below 10% at some points.\n\nProf Michie added that the winter season posed extra challenges because the virus survives longer in the cold and people spend more time indoors, where the virus can spread more easily.\n\nCombined with the more transmissible new variant, she said \"we should have a stricter rather than less strict lockdown than we had back in March\".\n\nDr Adam Kucharski, another scientist advising the government and an associate professor of infectious disease epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said that because the new variant was more transmissible \"each interaction we have has become riskier than it was before\".\n\n\"So even if we went back to that kind of last spring level of reduction in contacts we couldn't be confident that we would see the same effect that we saw last year because of this increased transmission,\" he said.\n\nEngland, much of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland continue to be under strict national measures, with stay-at-home orders in place for most people.\n\nThere is considerable concern in government about the continued spread of the virus.\n\nNo 10 believes more needs to be done to emphasise how severe the current situation is - which is why we are getting some very stark warnings from the medical experts.\n\nMinisters continue to praise the public - but there is also more emphasis on people taking the rules seriously, as was the case last spring when the first lockdown was imposed.\n\nThe prime minister warns people against complacency, saying: \"Your compliance is now more vital than ever\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Staff at Portsmouth's Queen Alexandra Hospital are struggling to cope with an increase in the number of Covid-19 patients\n\nLatest figures from Public Health England reveal the coronavirus infection rate in London has exceeded 1,000 per 100,000 people.\n\nThe Office for National Statistics recently estimated as many as one in 30 Londoners has coronavirus.\n\nLondon councils have urged places of worship to close and the bishop of London Sarah Mullally said churches should \"consider the seriousness of the situation\" before holding in person services this weekend.\n\nDr Simon Walsh, an emergency care doctor in London, told BBC Breakfast all London hospitals had \"effectively been working in major incident mode for the last couple of weeks\".\n\n\"Most hospitals have expanded their intensive care capacity to somewhere in the region of three times their normal capacity. Obviously we don't have three times the number of staff so our staff are being spread more thinly,\" he said.\n\nHospitals in other parts of the UK are also under pressure.\n\nIn Wales, senior A&E nurse Sarah Fogarasy said she felt \"overwhelming fear\" as 13 ambulances queued at Royal Glamorgan Hospital last Saturday, with no capacity at the unit.\n\nAnd Dr Justin Varney, director of public health in Birmingham, said he was \"very worried\" about the situation in the city, where hospital bosses have warned they don't have enough intensive care nurses to deal with the growing case load.\n\nHe warned the NHS had still not seen the impact of the rise in cases following the relaxation of restrictions over Christmas \"so it is going to get a lot, lot worse unless we really get this under control\".", "Marks & Spencer has temporarily stopped selling hundreds of items in its Northern Ireland stores due to Brexit red tape.\n\nThe retailer said it feared its food would be blocked due to new rules governing shipments between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.\n\nA growing number of firms have spoken out about paperwork delays at ports.\n\nThe government said traders and hauliers need to take steps to comply with new border rules.\n\nM&S took the decision to temporarily drop hundreds of products, including chocolate fudge pudding and sweet and sour chicken, from its Northern Ireland stores after it saw competitors' lorries barred from travelling between the mainland and Northern Ireland.\n\nAn entire consignment in a lorry can be held up if only one item in the truck doesn't have the correct customs forms filled out.\n\nThe retailer said it aimed to get the products back up for sale soon.\n\nAn M&S spokesperson said: \"We have served customers in Northern Ireland for over 50 years and our priority is to make sure we continue to deliver the same choice and great quality range that our loyal customers have always enjoyed.\n\n\"Stores have been receiving regular deliveries this week, however following the UK's recent departure from the EU, we are transitioning to new processes and we're working closely with our partners and suppliers to ensure customers can continue to enjoy a great range of products.\"\n\nIn addition to problems shipping goods internally in the UK, the new Brexit trade rules are creating problems for exporters and traders transporting goods to and from the EU, say firms.\n\nThe UK sealed a trade deal with the European Union (EU) on 24 December that was billed as preserving its zero-tariff and zero-quota access to the bloc's single market.\n\nBut in addition to red tape causing delays, major retailers that use the UK as a distribution hub for European business could face possible tariffs if they re-export goods to the EU.\n\nOn Friday, M&S chief executive Steve Rowe warned of more red tape and a rise in export costs to some countries.\n\n\"The best example I can give you of that is Percy Pig,\" he said,\n\n\"Percy Pig is actually manufactured in Germany. If it comes to the UK and we then send it to Ireland, in theory it would have some tax on it,\" he added.\n\nM&S said it was \"actively working to mitigate\" the effects of the \"rules of origin\" regulations, under which products are taxed differently depending on which country they come from.\n\nOther firms have also been hit by the confusion caused by new Brexit trading rules.\n\nParcels giant DPD has suspended some services, while seafood exporter John Ross said the chaos was like being \"thrown in the cold Atlantic without a lifejacket\".\n\nShane Brennan, chief executive of the Cold Chain Federation, which represents chilled transport and storage companies, said the emerging problems had come despite the amount of cross-border traffic still being quite low.\n\n\"Trade flows are still only about 50% of what we would expect, but even at those levels we are seeing levels of confusion and delays,\" he told the BBC's Today programme. \"The feeling is we are building to quite a significant potential disruption.\"\n\nA government spokesman acknowledged that there had been \"some issues\", but said ministers had always been clear there would be some disruption at the end of the transition period.\n\nThe Cabinet Office said in a statement that the volume of border crossings had been low so far this year, but that it expected crossings to steadily increase to normal levels.\n\nThis brings the potential for \"significant disruption if traders and hauliers have not taken the necessary steps to comply with the new rules,\" the Cabinet Office said.\n\nOut of about 1,500 lorries per day trying to get from Great Britain to the EU in the new year, 700 have been turned away - mainly due to a lack of a negative Covid test for drivers, it said.\n\n\"We have always been clear there would be changes now that we are out of the customs union and single market, so full compliance with the new rules is vital to avoid disruption,\" said Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove.\n\nHowever, anger is growing among companies whose livelihoods depend on export trade.\n\nIn a letter on Friday to Business Secretary Alok Sharma, Scottish salmon producer John Ross Jr launched a stinging attack on the government's handling of the situation.\n\nThe firm's sales director, Victoria Leigh-Pearson, wrote that the company had in recent months \"had to endure the government issuing a barrage of useless information\" and an \"absence of factually correct information from all government agencies.\" It amounted, she said, to \"gross incompetence\".\n\nJohn Ross exports to 36 countries and has won the Queen's Award twice\n\nPart of the letter to Alok Sharma:\n\nAs I write, perishable goods that were dispatched from our facility five days ago, headed for France following a process that your department advised, have still not crossed the border. This usually takes only 24 hours because they are consolidated with the produce of other companies, which have not been able to follow the correct procedures due to a knowledge gap directly attributable to your department.\n\nEntire trucks are currently being rejected without explanation by the French customs authority. Our hauliers have now pulled their services as such a backlog has been created. Other hauliers are not taking on new customers. Today, we've even had confirmation that the IT systems of the UK and France are incompatible. After four years you only establish this now?\n\nYour so-called 'deal' is worthless if this situation is not fixed immediately, and unless you put in place measures to address the issues that continue to unfold on a daily basis. Moreover, as a seafood exporter, it feels as though our own government has thrown us into the cold Atlantic waters without a lifejacket.\n\nJohn Ross is not the only Scottish seafood exporter suffering. The industry says it has been hit by a \"perfect storm\" of Brexit disruption, which could sink a centuries-old industry.\n\n\"These businesses are not transporting toilet rolls or widgets. They are exporting the highest quality, perishable seafood which has a finite window to get to markets in peak condition,\" said Donna Fordyce, chief executive of Seafood Scotland.\n\n\"If the window closes, these consignments go to landfill.\"\n\nShe said the sector has already been weakened by Covid-19, the closure of the French border before Christmas as well as \"layer upon layer\" of problems associated with Brexit.\n\nThe group fears that without exports, the fishing fleet will have little reason to go out.\n\n\"In a very short time, we could see the destruction of a centuries-old market which contributes significantly to the Scottish economy,\" added Ms Fordyce.\n\nUK government Minister for Scotland David Duguid blamed Scottish leaders for the issues.\n\n\"The Scottish Government has persistently refused to accept the democratic vote to leave the EU, but that does not allow them to abdicate their responsibilities to Scottish businesses,\" he said.\n\n\"Over the past 18 months they have assured the fishing industry that the systems they were putting in place would be adequate. They clearly are not.\"\n\nParcel delivery service DPD UK said it had paused its European Road Service because of the '\"increased burden\" of customs paperwork for packages heading to the EU, including the Republic of Ireland.\n\nDPD said 20% of parcels had \"incorrect or incomplete data attached\", which meant they would have to be returned.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. What Brexit means for Britons travelling, shopping, studying or owning properties in the EU.\n\nIn an email to its business customers, the company said that it had been a \"challenging few days\" for its international operation, and that it would \"pause and review\" its service. It plans to restart on 13 January.\n\n\"It has now become evident that we have an increased burden with the new, more complex processes, and additional customs data we require from you for your parcels destined to Europe\" the firm wrote.\n\nThe boss of one of Wales' largest hauliers said logistical problems have emerged at the Irish border too.\n\nAndrew Kinsella, managing director of Gwynedd Shipping, said his company has a backlog of 60 lorries waiting to be shipped to Dublin.\n\nHe said many hauliers are finding that their customers are not able to generate the special declarations that are needed to ultimately enable a lorry to get onto a ferry.\n\n\"Whilst you don't see queues at ports and terminals the reality is that these queues are developing elsewhere in our depot in Holyhead, in our depot in Deeside and in our depot in Newport in South Wales, and lots of hauliers have depots in the proximity of ports,\" he said.\n\n\"There are a lot of issues about demarcation about who is going to arrange the export declaration with the UK revenue authorities, who's going to arrange the import declaration, the hauliers then trying to arrange the import safety and security declaration to create an ENS number which helps you generate a PBN number so there has been a lot of everyone finding their feet\".\n\nCorrection 9th April 2021: An earlier version of this article included a photo showing queues of lorries at Dover Port. This photo was replaced in the hours after publication after it was established that it had been taken months earlier.", "The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh have received Covid-19 vaccinations, Buckingham Palace has said.\n\nA royal source said the vaccinations were administered on Saturday by a household doctor at Windsor Castle.\n\nThe source added the Queen decided to let it be known she had the vaccination to prevent further speculation.\n\nThe Queen, 94, and Prince Philip, 99, are among around 1.5 million people in the UK to have had at least one dose of a Covid vaccine so far.\n\nPeople aged over 80 in the UK are among the high-priority groups who are being given the vaccine first.\n\nThe couple have been spending the lockdown in England at their Windsor Castle home after deciding to have a quiet Christmas at their Berkshire residence, instead of the traditional royal family gathering at Sandringham.\n\nLast month, the Queen appeared alongside several other senior members of the royal family for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic began.\n\nIn 2020 she went seven months - between March and October - without carrying out public engagements outside of a royal residence.\n\nDuring that time, her eldest child, Prince Charles, 72, contracted coronavirus and displayed mild symptoms.\n\nPalace sources also told the BBC that her grandson Prince William tested positive in April - although Kensington Palace refused to comment officially.\n\nThe Queen made a private pilgrimage to the grave of the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Abbey in November\n\nThe Queen used her Christmas Day message to reassure anyone struggling without friends and family this year that they \"are not alone\".\n\nShe said the pandemic had \"brought us closer\" despite causing hardship, adding that the Royal Family has been \"inspired\" by people volunteering in their communities.\n\nOn Friday a third coronavirus vaccine - made by US company Moderna - was approved for use in the UK, joining the Pfizer-BioNTech and Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines already approved by UK regulators.\n\nIt is not known which vaccine the Queen and Prince Philip have received.\n\nAll the approved vaccines require two doses to provide the best possible protection, with the second dose being given up to 12 weeks after the first.\n\nPrime Minister Boris Johnson has said the aim is to vaccinate 15 million people in the UK by mid-February, including care home residents and staff, frontline NHS staff, everyone over 70 and those who have been categorised as clinically extremely vulnerable.", "The Welsh Government is in discussions about bringing in \"more visible\" coronavirus regulations.\n\nStricter enforcement of coronavirus rules could return to supermarkets in Wales, Mark Drakeford has said.\n\nThe first minister said he had heard concerns from people \"expressing anxiety\" about a lack of \"visible protections\" in supermarkets.\n\nThe Welsh Government is now in talks with stores about social-distancing measures.\n\nMr Drakeford said he wanted to see stores policed as they were during the first lockdown.\n\nAmong the measures previously used was a strict limit of the numbers of people allowed in a store however Mr Drakeford said people were worried the rules \"don't appear to be there this time\".\n\n\"Given the fact the new variant is so much easier to catch... we are looking at supermarkets and other places where people leave their homes, to make sure they are organised in a way that keeps their staff and customers safe,\" he said.\n\nHe said previously sanitising arrangements had been \"very visible\", one-way markings were prominently displayed, regular reminders were announced to customers and staff were also posted at the front entrance of supermarkets\n\n\"That person was carefully controlling the numbers of people going in, to make sure that they were no more than a certain number of people in the store at any one time,\" he said.\n\n\"There was somebody directing people to the checkout, to make sure people weren't queuing next to each other over prolonged periods, and markings on the floor so people kept at a two-metre distance\".\n\nHowever the first minister said some of those measures are no longer as apparent to people.\n\n\"I want to make sure that those visible signs of the protections that are being offered to the public and the shop workers are in place again.\"\n\nFederation of Small Businesses Wales said has called for clarity on what support would be available and the possible new measures required of shops.\n\nPolicy Chair, Ben Francis, said: \"We've already asked to see more information on the technical data that informs the decisions that Welsh Government are making.\n\n\"It seems clear that businesses will require funding support for longer than was originally anticipated if they are to survive this troubling period.\n\n\"Welsh Government should urgently give clarity on what additional funding will be made available to support businesses beyond this next three week period to allow them to plan.\"", "Some Covid restrictions are being reintroduced in response to the Omicron variant.\n\nCheck what the rules are in your area by entering your postcode or council name below.\n\nA modern browser with JavaScript and a stable internet connection is required to view this interactive. What are the rules in your area? Enter a full UK postcode or council name to find out\n\nIf you cannot see the look-up, click here.\n\nThe rules highlighted in the search tool are a selection of the key government restrictions in place in your area.\n\nAlways check your relevant national and local authority website for more information on the situation where you live. Also check local guidance before travelling to others parts of the UK.\n\nAll the guidance in our search look-up comes from national government websites.\n\nFor more information on national measures see:\n\nFind out how the pandemic has affected your area and how it compares with the national average by following this link to an in depth guide to the numbers involved.", "A further 1,325 people have died in the UK within 28 days of a positive Covid test - the biggest figure reported in a single day since the pandemic began.\n\nIt means there have been just short of 80,000 deaths by that measure - as another 68,053 new cases were recorded.\n\nPublic Health England (PHE) said the number of deaths would \"continue to rise until we stop the spread\".\n\nIt comes as the government launches a new campaign in England urging people to \"act like you've got\" the virus.\n\nThe campaign, including an advert fronted by England's chief medical officer, Prof Chris Whitty, is intended to remind the public Covid is spreading fast, with large numbers showing no symptoms.\n\nIn the advert, Prof Whitty says: \"Covid-19, especially the new variant, is spreading quickly across the country.\n\n\"This puts many people at risk of serious disease and is placing a lot of pressure on our NHS.\n\n\"Once more, we must all stay home. If it is essential to go out remember, wash your hands, cover your face indoors and keep your distance from others.\"\n\nPrime Minister Boris Johnson said: \"Our hospitals are under more pressure than at any other time since the start of the pandemic, and infection rates across the entire country continue to soar at an alarming rate.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Department of Health and Social Care This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. End of twitter post by Department of Health and Social Care\n\nHospital leaders have warned of stretched staffing with 31,624 coronavirus patients in UK hospitals on Wednesday - 46% above the peak during the first wave last year.\n\nDr Ian Higginson, vice president of Royal College of Emergency Medicine, said the situation in London and south-east England was \"pretty dire\" and would get worse in the rest of the country before long.\n\n\"We're heading for some really dark times, I fear, in this phase of the pandemic,\" he said.\n\nRichard Mitchell, chief executive of Sherwood Forest Hospitals NHS Trust, said the increase in patients seen in London was now affecting his area in Nottinghamshire.\n\nHe said: \"Critical care is exceptionally busy and the colleagues who work here are tired, they're fatigued and they're worn out.\"\n\nMeanwhile, a third Covid vaccine received emergency approval for use in the UK with 17 million doses of the jab, made by US firm Moderna, pre-ordered by the UK.\n\nThe vaccine joins the Pfizer-BioNTech and Oxford-AstraZeneca jabs in being approved, with close to 1.5 million people now vaccinated in the UK.\n\nDr William Welfare, Covid-19 response director at PHE, said: \"Each life lost to this virus is a tragedy, but sadly we can expect the death toll to continue to rise until we stop the spread.\n\n\"Approximately one in three people who have coronavirus have no symptoms and could be spreading it without realising it.\n\n\"To protect our loved ones it is essential we all stay at home where possible. This will reduce new infections, ease the pressure on the NHS and save lives.\"\n\nLondon Mayor Sadiq Khan said the spread of Covid in the capital was now \"out of control\", as he declared a \"major incident\".\n\nThis means the emergency services and hospitals cannot guarantee their normal level of response, and allows special arrangements to be implemented.\n\nThe previous highest daily death toll - 1,224 - was recorded on 21 April 2020 during the UK's first lockdown. Daily deaths were in the single figures as recently as September.\n\nThe UK has recorded the fifth-highest number of deaths behind the United States, Brazil, India and Mexico, according to Johns Hopkins University.\n\nWe are now seeing the record numbers of cases over the Christmas period translate into record numbers of deaths.\n\nAnd with new infections rising rapidly - more than 1.1 million people in England estimated to be infected with Covid-19 last week - these tragic numbers are set to continue for some time.\n\nAnd that is mainly because of the new variant form of the virus which is thought to be between 30-70% more transmissible.\n\nThe administration of the vaccines to at-risk groups should see a reduction in the numbers dying by the end of the month and the numbers having to go into hospital going down sometime after that.\n\nThat is the other way around from what you normally hear - but that it because a successful vaccine programme will initially remove those most likely to die from the path of the virus.\n\nFitter or younger people - who are less likely to die but could still end up occupying hospital beds - won't be getting their jabs for some time yet.\n\nThe advent of spring's better weather should also help cases to fall, but ministers will have to decide what level of risk - and deaths - society is prepared to tolerate.\n\nFriday saw 619,941 tests conducted in the 24 hours to 09:00 GMT - also a new record.\n\nEngland, much of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland continue to be under strict national measures, with stay-at-home orders in place for most people.\n\nThe R number - the rate at which an infected person passes on the virus to someone else - is now estimated to be between 1.0 to 1.4, meaning the epidemic is growing between 0% and 6% per day.\n\nCovid infections rose by almost a third between Boxing Day and 3 January, reaching 70,000 new cases a day according to a major study.\n\nIn a different piece of research, an estimated 1.2 million people in total had Covid over a similar time period, the Office for National Statistics said.\n\nBoris Johnson pledged on Thursday to use England's lockdown to implement an \"unprecedented national effort\" to offer vaccination to those at the highest risk from Covid by 15 February.\n\nHe said the Army would be drafted in to use \"battle preparation techniques\" to achieve the goal, which could see up to 15 million people offered a vaccine by the middle of next month.\n\nIn another development, from next week all travellers to the UK will need to show a recent negative test result before they arrive.\n\nHave you been affected by the issues raised in this story? You can share your experience by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "Bernard Thomas was interviewed by BBC Wales at the time of the 50th anniversary of the Aberfan disaster\n\nA survivor of the Aberfan disaster has died after contracting Covid-19.\n\nAs a nine-year-old Bernard Thomas was rescued from the rubble of Pantglas primary school after one of the biggest tragedies in Welsh history.\n\nA total of 144 people were killed in the disaster on 21 October, 1966, after thousands of tonnes of coal slurry slid from a tip. Of those 116 were primary school pupils.\n\nLater Bernard was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress.\n\nHe told S4C he \"still heard the sounds of children screaming.\"\n\nPaying tribute to Mr Thomas, 63, who died on Wednesday, his brother Andrew told BBC's Newyddion: \"Bernard was a real character and his death has come as a shock to us as a family and the community of Aberfan.\"\n\n\"We can't be sure where he caught Covid, but he had an eye appointment at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital on 21 December.\n\n\"A few days later, he became ill and at Prince Charles Hospital, he tested positive for Covid-19.\"\n\n\"Although he had been receiving oxygen through a mask, we spoke regularly on the phone and he told us he was getting better.\n\n\"But on Wednesday morning he removed his mask to eat his breakfast, and 10 minutes after eating he faded away.\"\n\n\"It's a huge shock but I don't blame anybody.\"\n\nOn the 50th anniversary of the disaster Bernard told the BBC: \"I still wonder what the others would have been doing if it hadn't happened. Who would have got married to who, you know.\"\n\nBernard is survived by his 90-year-old mother Gwen, with whom he shared a home, and brothers Andrew and Robert.", "Three people were found inside the gym in Stean Street in Hackney on Friday\n\nThe owners of a London gym have been fined for breaching Covid-19 rules by remaining open during lockdown.\n\nPolice were called to the fitness centre in Stean Street, Hackney, on Friday to reports of a regulation breach.\n\nThree people were found inside the gym at 09:30 GMT. The owners were given a £1,000 fixed penalty notice.\n\nIt comes as a \"major incident\" was declared as the spread of Covid-19 threatens to \"overwhelm\" its hospitals.\n\nCity Hall said Covid-19 cases in London had exceeded 1,000 per 100,000, while there are 35% more people in hospital with the virus than in the peak of the pandemic in April.\n\nNHS England figures published on Friday showed the number of Covid patients in London hospitals stands at 7,277, up 32% on the previous week.\n\nCh Insp Pete Shaw said: \"Whilst there are certain rules around people being allowed to exercise in public under this lockdown, nowhere in the legislation does it allow people to go to gyms to work out.\n\n\"Those found to be flouting the rules, as with this instance, should expect necessary enforcement action to be taken against them.\"\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Jessica Allen (left) and Eliza Moore said their cars were \"surrounded\" by police\n\nTwo women who criticised a police force for its \"intimidating\" approach to lockdown fines have welcomed a review.\n\nJessica Allen and Eliza Moore were walking at a reservoir five miles from their home when they were stopped by officers and fined £200 each.\n\nDerbyshire Police insisted driving to exercise was \"not in the spirit\" of lockdown but later said new guidance meant it would look again at the issue.\n\nBoth women said they were pleased the force had decided to think again.\n\nDerbyshire Police and Crime Commissioner Hardyal Dhindsa said an \"urgent review\" was under way about how fines had been issued.\n\nLongstanding guidance from the College of Policing says officers should follow the \"Four Es\" and only give fixed penalty notices as a last resort.\n\nJessica Allen and Eliza Moore said their cars were surrounded by police when they arrived\n\nMs Allen said: \"We are happy to hear that Derbyshire Police have been told to not be so heavy handed with fines and return to the Four Es they were originally doing.\n\n\"We are yet to hear anything regarding our fine but if we have managed to save somebody the worry of going for a walk and fearing they would be fined then we have done what we set out to do.\"\n\nMs Allen and Ms Moore drove separately from Ashby-de-la-Zouch in Leicestershire the five miles to Foremark Reservoir on Wednesday afternoon.\n\nThey said their cars were \"surrounded\" by police, questioned on why they were there and told the hot drinks they had brought along were not allowed as they were \"classed as a picnic\".\n\nMs Allen said the experience was \"very intimidating\" and had left her feeling scared of police in general.\n\nInitially Derbyshire Police defended its actions, saying legislation said trips should be \"local\" and driving to a location to exercise \"is clearly not in the spirit of the national effort to reduce our travel, reduce the possible spread of the disease and reduce the number of deaths\".\n\nDerbyshire police also fined visitors to other beauty spots like Calke Abbey\n\nDerbyshire Police has also been giving fixed penalty notices to people who visit beauty spots at Calke Abbey and Elvaston Castle.\n\nBut later, the force said new guidance from the National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) had \"clarified the policing response concerning travel and exercise\".\n\nThe guidance said: \"The Covid regulations which officers enforce and which enables them to issue FPNs [fixed penalty notices] for breaches, do not restrict the distance travelled for exercise.\"\n\nMr Dhindsa said: \"It would appear that the force has been a little over-zealous in its interpretation of the guidance.\n\n\"While the police can enforce the regulations, guidance is just that which can make this a very challenging and complex situation to police.\"\n\nThe chief constable of neighbouring Nottinghamshire, Craig Guildford, said: \"We are not out and about telling people they have gone too far from home. We trust the public to take these regulations seriously.\n\n\"Derbyshire to be fair to them have some unique places that people may want to go to from a load of counties.\n\n\"But our approach is around reasonableness. If someone has gone 50 miles, we will take action, if someone has gone a couple of miles we are very sensible.\"\n\nFollow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Harley Watson's mother Jo described him as a \"kind, caring, selfless, intelligent and comical young man\"\n\nA man who killed a 12-year-old boy by driving into schoolchildren in a \"deliberate\" hit and run has been detained in a secure hospital.\n\nHarley Watson died after he was hit by a car outside Debden Park High School in Loughton, Essex, on 2 December 2019.\n\nTerence Glover, 52, pleaded guilty to manslaughter by diminished responsibility at an earlier hearing.\n\nHe also admitted 10 counts of attempted murder and has been detained under the Mental Health Act indefinitely.\n\nAt the sentencing hearing at Snaresbrook Crown Court, Harley's mother Jo described her son as a \"kind, caring, selfless, intelligent and comical young man\".\n\nHe was hit by Glover's Ford Ka as he left school with friends and died later in Whipps Cross University Hospital.\n\nTerence Glover has been sentenced indefinitely under the Mental Health Act\n\nChristine Agnew, prosecuting, said eye-witnesses saw Glover's car \"ploughing through and hitting children from behind\".\n\nShe said he \"deliberately mounted the pavement... and drove directly at a group of people, mostly children, intending to kill them\".\n\nGlover, previously of Newmans Lane, Loughton, also pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of 23-year-old Raquel Jimeno and six boys and three girls aged between 12 and 16 who were outside the school.\n\nThe court heard he suffered from paranoid schizophrenia and medical experts agreed his \"significant\" mental illness \"provided an explanation for his conduct\".\n\nHe was given a hospital order under the Mental Health Act 1983, meaning if his illness was treated successfully, he would be transferred to prison.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Harley Watson's classmates paid tribute to him in 2019\n\nJudge Andrew Edis said if transferred, Glover must serve a life sentence with a minimum of 15 years.\n\nIn his sentencing statement, Judge Edis noted his history of mental illness and cocaine use, but said Glover's actions were \"appalling\".\n\n\"He caused the death of a much-loved and admired 12-year-old boy who had done no harm to anyone,\" he said.\n\nHe added that Glover's behaviour \"requires punishment as well as treatment\" and there was \"no doubt that this defendant is dangerous\".\n\nHe also ordered that Glover be banned from driving for life and that the car should be destroyed.\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "9 January A Boeing 737, operated by Sriwijaya Air, crashes into the Java Sea minutes after taking off from Jakarta. All 62 people on board are killed, including seven children and three babies. Officials say a problem with the aircraft's autothrottle had been reported a few days before the crash.\n\n22 May An Airbus A320 carrying 91 passengers and eight members of crew crashes in a residential area of the southern Pakistani city of Karachi, killing more than 90 people. At least two passengers survive the crash.\n\nFlight PK8303 crashed just short of the perimeter at Karachi's Jinnah International Airport\n\n8 January Ukraine International Airlines flight PS752 crashes shortly after taking off from the Iranian capital Tehran, killing all 176 passengers and crew members on board. The incident took place amid escalating tensions between the US and Iran, and the Iranian government eventually admitted it had downed the plane \"unintentionally\".\n\n10 March An Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 Max crashes six minutes after take-off from Addis Ababa. All 157 people onboard are killed. The victims come from more than 30 countries.\n\n29 October A Boeing 737 Max, operated by Lion Air, crashes into the Java Sea shortly after taking off from Jakarta, Indonesia. All 189 passengers and crew are killed, and a volunteer diver dies in the subsequent recovery operation. Investigators said the plane - which had had technical problems on previous flights - should have been grounded.\n\n18 May A Boeing 737 passenger plane crashes shortly after take-off from Jose Marti International Airport in Havana, killing 112 people. One passenger survives.\n\n11 April A military plane crashes shortly after take-off near the Algerian capital Algiers, killing all 257 people on board, including 10 crew members. Most of the dead are soldiers and their families.\n\n12 March A plane carrying 71 passengers and crew crashes on landing at Kathmandu airport. More than 50 people are killed when the Bombardier Dash 8 turboprop comes down.\n\n18 February A passenger plane crashes into the Zagros mountains in Iran killing all 66 people on board. The Aseman Airlines ATR turboprop crashes about an hour after taking off in the capital, Tehran, heading for the south-western city of Yasuj.\n\n11 February A Russian passenger plane crashes minutes after leaving Moscow's Domodedovo airport with 71 people on board. The Antonov An-148 belonging to Saratov Airlines was en route to the city of Orsk in the Ural mountains when it crashed near the village of Argunovo, about 80km (50 miles) south-east of Moscow.\n\nThere were no passenger jet crashes in 2017 - the safest year in the history of commercial airlines.\n\n25 December A Russian military Tu-154 jet airliner crashes in the Black Sea, with the loss of all 92 passengers and crew. The plane came down soon after take-off from an airport near the city of Sochi. It was carrying artistes due to give a concert for Russian troops in Syria, along with journalists and military.\n\nBereaved residents of the Black Sea resort of Sochi must now come to terms with the latest air disaster\n\n7 December All 48 people on board a Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) plane were killed when it crashed in the north of the country. The national airline - accused of safety failures in the past - insisted this time that strict checks on Flight PK-661 from Chitral to Islamabad left \"no room for any technical error\".\n\nAll 48 people on board the Pakistan International Airlines plane were killed when it crashed in the north of the country on 7 December\n\n28 November The plane carrying the football team of the Brazilian club Chapecoense runs out of fuel and crashes near Medellin, Colombia, killing 71 people, including most of the players and management. Three players were among the six survivors, while nine did not travel.\n\n19 May French President Francois Hollande confirms that an EgyptAir flight reported missing between Paris and Cairo has crashed, with 66 people on board.\n\n19 March A FlyDubai Boeing 737-800 crashes in Rostov-on-Don, Russia, killing all 62 people on board.\n\n31 October An Airbus A321, operated by Russian airline Kogalymavia, crashes over central Sinai some 22 minutes after taking off from Sharm el-Sheikh, killing all 224 people on board. The Islamic State group's local affiliate later says it brought down the plane in response to Russian intervention in Syria.\n\n30 June Indonesian Hercules C-130 military transport plane crashes into a residential area of Medan. The army says all 122 people on board died, along with at least 19 on the ground.\n\n24 March: Germanwings Airbus A320 airliner crashes in the French Alps near Digne, on a flight from Barcelona to Dusseldorf. All 148 people on board were feared dead.\n\n28 December: AirAsia QZ8501 flying from Surabaya in Indonesia to Singapore goes missing over the Java sea. The pilot radioed for permission to divert around bad weather but no mayday alert was issued. There were 162 passengers and crew on board.\n\n24 July: Air Algerie AH5017 disappears over Mali amid poor weather near the border with Burkina Faso. The McDonnell Douglas MD-83 was operated by Spain's Swiftair, and was heading from Ouagadougou to Algiers carrying 116 passengers - 51 of them French. All are thought to have died.\n\n23 July: Forty-eight people die when a Taiwanese ATR-72 plane crashes into stormy seas during a short flight. TransAsia Airways GE222 was carrying 54 passengers and four crew to the island of Penghu. It made an abortive attempt to land before crashing on a second attempt.\n\nMalaysia Airlines Flight MH17 was travelling from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it was believed to have been shot down over conflict-hit Ukraine\n\n17 July: Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 crashes near Grabove in eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 people on board, 193 of them Dutch. Pro-Russian rebels are widely accused of shooting the plane down using a surface-to-air missile - they deny responsibility.\n\n8 March: The disappearance of Malaysia Airlines MH370 during a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing leads to the largest and most expensive search in aviation history. Despite vast effort, notably in the hostile South Indian Ocean, nothing was found until July 2015, when an aircraft wing part washed up on Reunion Island. French officials confirmed the debris was from MH370.\n\n11 February: A military transport plane - a Hercules C-130 - carrying 78 people crashes in a mountainous part of north-eastern Algeria. Reports suggest there is one survivor from among the military personnel, family members and crew.\n\n17 November: Tatarstan Airlines Boeing 737 crashes on landing in Kazan, Russia, killing all 50 people on board.\n\n16 October: Forty-nine people, including foreigners from some 10 countries as well as Laotian nationals, die when a Lao Airlines ATR 72-600 plunges into the Mekong River as it came in to land.\n\n3 June: A Dana Air passenger plane with about 150 people on board crashes in a densely populated area of Nigeria's largest city, Lagos.\n\n20 April: A Bhoja Air Boeing 737 crashes on its approach to the main airport in the Pakistani capital Islamabad, killing all 121 passengers and six crew.\n\n26 July: Some 78 people are killed when a Moroccan military C-130 Hercules crashes into a mountain near Guelmim in Morocco. Officials blamed bad weather.\n\nThe pilot of the IranAir Boeing 727 which crashed near the north-western city of Orumiyeh reported a technical failure before trying to land\n\n8 July: A Hewa Bora Airways plane crash-lands in bad weather in Democratic Republic of Congo, killing 74 of the 118 people on board.\n\n9 January: An IranAir Boeing 727 breaks into pieces near the city of Orumiyeh, killing 77 of the 100 people on board. The pilots had reported a technical failure before trying to land.\n\n5 November: An Aerocaribbean passenger turboprop crashes in mountains in central Cuba, killing all 68 people on board.\n\n28 July: A Pakistani plane on an Airblue domestic flight from Karachi crashes into a hillside while trying to land at Islamabad airport, killing all 152 people on board.\n\n22 May: An Air India Express Boeing 737 overshot a hilltop airport in Mangalore, southern India, and crashed into a valley, bursting into flames and killing 158.\n\n12 May: An Afriqiyah Airways Airbus 330 crashes while trying to land near Tripoli airport in Libya, killing more than 100 people.\n\n10 April: A Tupolev 154 plane carrying Polish President Lech Kaczynski crashes near the Russian airport of Smolensk, killing more than 90 people on board.\n\n25 January: Ethiopian Airlines passenger jet crashes into the sea with 89 people on board shortly after take-off from Beirut.\n\n15 July: A Caspian Airlines Tupolev plane crashes in the north of Iran en route to Armenia. All 168 passengers and crew are reported dead.\n\n30 June: A Yemeni passenger plane, an Airbus 310, crashes in the Indian Ocean near the Comoros archipelago. Only one of the 153 people on board survives.\n\n1 June: An Air France Airbus 330 travelling from Rio de Janeiro to Paris crashes into the Atlantic with 228 people on board. Search teams later recover some 50 bodies in the ocean.\n\nAll 168 passengers and crew were reported dead when a Caspian Airlines Tupolev plane crashed in the north of Iran en route to Armenia\n\n20 May: An Indonesian army C-130 Hercules transport plane crashes into a village on eastern Java, killing at least 97 people.\n\n12 February: A passenger plane crashes into a house in Buffalo, New York, killing all 49 people on board and one person on the ground.\n\n14 September: A Boeing-737 crashes on landing near the central Russian city of Perm, killing all 88 passengers and crew members on board.\n\n20 August: A Spanair plane veers off the runway on take-off at Madrid's Barajas airport, killing 154 people and injuring 18.\n\n30 November: All 56 people on board an Atlasjet flight are killed when it crashes near the town of Keciborlu in the mountainous Isparta province, about 12km (7.5 miles) from Isparta airport.\n\n16 September: At least 87 people are killed after a One-Two-Go plane crashed on landing in bad weather at the Thai resort of Phuket.\n\n17 July: A TAM Airlines jet crashes on landing at Congonhas airport in Sao Paulo, in Brazil's worst-ever air disaster. A total of 199 people are killed - all 186 on board and 13 on the ground.\n\n5 May: A Kenya Airways Boeing 737-800 crashes in swampland in southern Cameroon, killing all 114 on board. The official inquiry is yet to report on the cause of the disaster.\n\n1 January: An Adam Air Boeing 737-400 carrying 102 passengers and crew comes down in mountains on Sulawesi Island on a domestic Indonesian flight. All on board are presumed dead.\n\n29 September: A Boeing 737 carrying 154 passengers and crew crashed into the Amazon rainforest in Brazil, killing all on board, after colliding with a private jet in mid-air.\n\n22 August: A Russian Tupolev-154 passenger plane with 170 people on board crashes north of Donetsk, in eastern Ukraine.\n\n9 July: A Russian S7 Airbus A-310 skids off the runway during landing at Irkutsk airport in Siberia. A total of 124 people on board die, but more than 50 survive the crash.\n\n3 May: An Armavia Airbus A-320 crashes into the Black Sea near Sochi, killing all 113 people on board.\n\n10 December: A Sosoliso Airlines DC-9 crashes in the southern Nigerian city of Port Harcourt, killing 103 people on board.\n\n6 December: A C-130 military transport plane crashes on the outskirts of the Iranian capital Tehran, killing 110 people, including some on the ground.\n\nA mass funeral was held for those who died when a Mandala Airlines plane with 112 passengers and five crew on board crashed after take-off in the Indonesian city of Medan\n\n22 October: A Bellview airlines Boeing 737 carrying 117 people on board crashes soon after take-off from the Nigerian city of Lagos, killing everyone on board.\n\n5 September: A Mandala Airlines plane with 112 passengers and five crew on board crashes after take-off in the Indonesian city of Medan, killing almost all on board and dozens on the ground.\n\n16 August: A Colombian plane operated by West Caribbean Airways crashes in a remote region of Venezuela, killing all 160 people on board. The airliner, heading from Panama to Martinique, was packed with residents of the Caribbean island.\n\n14 August: A Helios Airways flight from Cyprus to Athens with 121 people on board crashes north of the Greek capital Athens, apparently after a drop in cabin pressure.\n\n16 July: An Equatair plane crashes soon after take-off from Equatorial Guinea's island capital, Malabo, west of the mainland, killing all 60 people on board.\n\n3 February: The wreckage of Kam Air Boeing 737 flight is located in high mountains near the Afghan capital Kabul, two days after the plane vanished from radar screens in heavy snowstorms. All 104 people on board are feared dead.\n\n21 November: A passenger plane crashes into a frozen lake near the city of Baotou in the Inner Mongolia region of northern China, killing all 53 on board and two on the ground, officials say.\n\n3 January: An Egyptian charter plane belonging to Flash Airlines crashes into the Red Sea, killing all 141 people on board. Most of the passengers are thought to be French tourists.\n\n25 December: A Boeing 727 crashes soon after take-off from the West African state of Benin, killing at least 135 people en route to Lebanon.\n\n8 July: A Boeing 737 crashes in Sudan shortly after take-off, killing 115 people on board. Only one passenger, a small child survived.\n\nThe Benin air crash happened when a Boeing 727 dropped out of the sky soon after take-off, killing at least 135 people travelling to Lebanon\n\n26 May: A Ukrainian Yak-42 crashes near the Black Sea resort of Trabzon in north-west Turkey, killing all 74 people on board - most of them Spanish peacekeepers returning home from Afghanistan.\n\n8 May: As many as 170 people are reported dead in DR Congo after the rear ramp of an old Soviet plane, an Ilyushin 76 cargo plane, apparently falls off, sucking them out.\n\n6 March: An Algerian Boeing 737 crashes after taking off from the remote Tamanrasset airport, leaving up to 102 people dead.\n\n19 February: An Iranian military transport aircraft carrying 276 people crashes in the south of the country, killing all on board.\n\n8 January: A Turkish Airlines plane with 76 passengers and crew on board crashes while coming in to land at Diyarbakir.\n\n23 December: An Antonov 140 commuter plane carrying aerospace experts crashes in central Iran, killing all 46 people aboard. The delegation had been due to review an Iranian version of the same plane built under licence.\n\n27 July: A fighter jet crashes into a crowd of spectators in the west Ukrainian town of Lviv, killing 77 people, in what is the world's worst air show disaster.\n\n1 July: Seventy-one people, many of them children die when a Russian Tupolev 154 aircraft on a school trip to Spain collides with a Boeing 757 transport plane over southern Germany.\n\n25 May: A Boeing 747 belonging to Taiwan's national carrier - China Airlines - crashes into the sea near the Taiwanese island of Penghu, with 225 passengers and crew on board.\n\n7 May: China Northern Airlines plane carrying 112 people crashes into the sea near Dalian in north-east China.\n\n7 May: On the same day, an EgyptAir Boeing 735 crash lands near Tunis with 55 passengers and up to 10 crew on board. Most people survive.\n\n4 May: A BAC1-11-500 plane operated by EAS Airlines crashes in the Nigerian city of Kano, killing 148 people - half of them on the ground.\n\n15 April: Air China flight 129 crashes on its approach to Pusan, South Korea, with over 160 passengers and crew on board.\n\n12 February: A Tupolev 154 operated by Iran Air crashes in mountains in the west of Iran, killing all 117 on board.\n\n29 January: A Boeing 727 from the Ecuadorean TAME airline crashes in mountains in Colombia, killing 92 people.\n\n12 November: An American Airlines A-300 bound for the Dominican Republic crashes after takeoff in a residential area of the borough of Queens, New York, killing all 260 people on board and at least five people on the ground.\n\n8 October: A Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) airliner collides with a small plane in heavy fog on the runway at Milan's Linate airport, killing 118 people.\n\nThe crashed American Airlines flight of November 2000 left much of the Rockaway neighbourhood of New York enveloped by smoke\n\n4 October: A Russian Sibir Airlines Tupolev 154,en route from Tel Aviv to Novosibirsk in Siberia, explodes in mid-air and crashes into the Black Sea, killing 78 passengers and crew.\n\n3 July: A Russian Tupolev 154,en route from Yekaterinburg in the Ural mountains to the Russian port of Vladivostok, crashes near the Siberian city of Irkutsk, killing 133 passengers and 10 crew.\n\n30 October: A Singapore Airlines Boeing 747 bound for Los Angeles crashes after take-off from Taipei airport in Taiwan, killing 78 of the 179 people on board.\n\n23 August: A Gulf Air Airbus crashes into the sea as it comes in to land in Bahrain, killing all 143 people on board.\n\n25 July: Air France Concorde en route for New York crashes into a hotel outside Paris shortly after takeoff, killing 113 people, including four on the ground.\n\nThe Singapore Airlines Boeing 747 heading for Los Angeles crashed soon after take-off from Taipei airport in Taiwan\n\n17 July: Alliance Air Boeing 737-200 crashes into houses attempting to land at Patna, India, killing 51 people on board and four on the ground.\n\n19 April: Air Philippines Boeing 737-200 from Manila to Davao crashes on approach to landing, killing all 131 people on board.\n\n31 January: Alaska Airlines MD-83 from Mexico to San Francisco plunges into ocean off southern California, killing all 88 people on board.\n\n30 January: Kenya Airways A-310 crashes into Atlantic Ocean shortly after takeoff from Abidjan, Ivory Coast, en route for Lagos, Nigeria. All but 10 of the 179 people on board die.\n\n31 October: EgyptAir Boeing 767 crashes into Atlantic Ocean after taking off from John F. Kennedy Airport in New York on flight to Cairo, Egypt, killing all 217 on board.\n\n24 February: China Southwest Airlines plane crashes in a field in China's coastal Zhejiang province after a mid-air explosion. All 61 people on board the Russian-built TU-154 flying from Chongqing to the south-eastern city of Wenzhou are killed.\n\n11 December: Thai Airways International A-310 crashes on a domestic flight during its third attempt to land at Surat Thani, Thailand, killing 101 people.\n\n2 September: Swissair MD-11 from New York to Geneva crashes in the Atlantic Ocean off Canada killing all 229 people on board.\n\n16 February: Airbus A-300 owned by Taiwan's China Airlines crashes near Taipei's Chiang Kai-shek airport while trying to land in fog and rain after a flight from Bali, Indonesia. All 196 on board and seven people on ground are killed.\n\n2 February: Cebu Pacific Air DC-9 crashes into mountain in southern Philippines, killing all 104 people aboard.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Last updated on .From the section West Ham\n\nFootballers \"can get things wrong\" but must not be \"picked on\" despite several breaches of coronavirus guidelines, says West Ham manager David Moyes.\n\nHammers midfielder Manuel Lanzini was one of numerous Premier League players to attend a party over Christmas.\n\nMore than 60 games in England have been called off because of coronavirus outbreaks at clubs.\n\n\"We have to be careful that everybody isn't picking on football players,\" said Moyes.\n\n\"We will all know people who have broken the rules in their own way.\n\n\"The players have followed the protocols. Every day at the training ground they have to go through rituals just to get into the building. They know what their job is. Like most human beings at times, they can get things wrong.\"\n\nArgentina international Lanzini was reminded of his responsibilities by the club and later apologised for his actions on Twitter.\n\nOn Friday, he announced he would be donating to a local foodbank as he wanted \"something good\" to come of his actions.\n\nMoyes praised Lanzini for his \"really good gesture\" but does not want to see players treated unfairly.\n\n\"If you are going to take tough measures on players, then you might as well take on the government people as well who have broken the rules because it's certainly not just football players who have done it,\" he said.\n\n\"You have got to be careful. A lot of people are throwing stones in glass houses at the moment regarding this. We all know what the protocols are, we all know we have to be ever-vigilant and make sure we're doing the right things.\"\n\nThe Premier League has implemented stronger coronavirus protocols in light of a recent surge in cases, including reminding players and managers to avoid handshakes and high fives.\n\nCompliance officers will also apply more robust policies to reporting breaches of protocols and will be tasked with checking hotel stays, travel plans and behaviour in dressing rooms.\n\nThe number of staff attending training grounds will also be reduced, social distancing will be enforced more strictly and the use of canteens will be further limited.\n\nStricter matchday protocols include avoiding unnecessary contact at all times, and substitutes wearing face masks.\n\nIn a note sent to clubs, the Premier League has warned it may take disciplinary action if they fail to to ensure people who breach the rules are \"appropriately investigated and sanctioned\".", "Kevin Hughes was treated at Wrexham Maelor Hospital before he died with coronavirus\n\nA man has died with Covid-19 less than a month after the funeral of his mother, who also died with the virus.\n\nFlintshire councillor Kevin Hughes, 63, was being treated at Wrexham Maelor Hospital but died on Friday morning, the authority said.\n\nHe had previously spoken of his sadness at missing his mother's funeral last month after he tested positive for coronavirus.\n\nCouncil colleague Chris Dolphin said he was a \"big man with a big heart\".\n\nThe independent councillor, also a former policeman and journalist, sat with the Liberal Democrat group.\n\nHe said missing the funeral of his mother, June Margaret Hughes, was one of the \"darkest days\" of his life.\n\nGroup leader, Mr Dolphin, called him a \"friend, fellow councillor, above all, a good man. Not one to stand on the side-lines - a doer. A man of enthusiasm, who was in life to be really involved.\"\n\nCouncil chief executive, Colin Everett, said: \"Kevin was a wonderful person with a big heart. Kevin was one of the most thoughtful and generous people I have worked with in my long career.\n\n\"I will miss him so much as both a councillor and as a friend.\"\n\nThe politician (left) will be remembered by the council at a meeting on 26 January\n\nAuthority leader, Ian Roberts, called Mr Hughes a \"special person and friend who will be very sadly missed by all\".\n\nHe added: \"His contribution as a councillor has been considerable and he was highly respected by his community, members of the council and officers.\n\n\"He was an active local member and represented his community with integrity and in a positive and engaging way.\"\n\nMr Hughes will be remembered by the council at a meeting on 26 January.\n\nThe authority's chairwoman, Marion Bateman, said: \"Our sincere condolences go to his wife Sally, along with his family and friends, at this very sad time.\"", "Mike Pompeo said the US-Taiwan relationship should not be \"shackled\" (file photo)\n\nThe US is lifting long-standing restrictions on contacts between American and Taiwanese officials, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says.\n\nThe \"self-imposed restrictions\" were introduced decades ago to \"appease\" the mainland Chinese government, which lays claim to the island, the US state department said in a statement.\n\nThese rules are now \"null and void\".\n\nThe move is likely to anger China and increase tensions between Washington and Beijing.\n\nIt comes as the Trump administration enters its final days ahead of the inauguration of Joe Biden as president on 20 January.\n\nThe Biden transition team have said the president-elect is committed to maintaining the long-standing US policy towards Taiwan.\n\nAnalysts say they will be unhappy with such a policy decision being made in the final days of the Trump administration, but that the move could be reversed easily by Mr Pompeo's successor Antony Blinken.\n\nChina regards Taiwan as a breakaway province, but Taiwan's leaders argue that it is a sovereign state.\n\nRelations between the two are frayed and there is a constant threat of a violent flare up that could drag in the US, an ally of Taiwan.\n\nIn a statement on Saturday, Mr Pompeo said the US state department had introduced complicated restrictions limiting the communication between American diplomats and their Taiwanese counterparts.\n\n\"Today I am announcing that I am lifting all of these self-imposed restrictions,\" he said. \"Today's statement recognises that the US-Taiwan relationship need not, and should not, be shackled by self-imposed restrictions of our permanent bureaucracy.\"\n\nHe added that Taiwan was a vibrant democracy and a reliable US partner, and that the restrictions were no longer valid.\n\nFollowing the announcement, Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu thanked Mr Pompeo, saying he was \"grateful\".\n\n\"The closer partnership between Taiwan and the US is firmly based on our shared values, common interests and unshakeable belief in freedom and democracy,\" he wrote in a tweet.\n\nLast August, US Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar became the highest-ranking US politician to hold meetings on the island for decades.\n\nIn response, China urged the US to respect what it calls its \"one China\" principle.\n\nThe US also sells arms to Taiwan, though it does not have a formal defence treaty with the country, as it does with Japan, South Korea and the Philippines.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nChina and Taiwan have had separate governments since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949.\n\nBeijing has long tried to limit Taiwan's international activities and both have vied for influence in the Pacific region.\n\nTensions have increased in recent years and Beijing has not ruled out the use of force to take the island back.\n\nAlthough Taiwan is officially recognised by only a handful of nations, its democratically-elected government has strong commercial and informal links with many countries.", "Lockdowns have worked before, but can we expect the new one to do the same?\n\nIt feels like we are back in March or April last year, when the strict controls on all our lives led to a fairly quick decline in levels of coronavirus.\n\nBut one of the crucial differences this time is the new variant, which is thought to spread between 50 and 70% faster than previous forms of the virus.\n\nExperts warn there are now no guarantees that lockdown will be enough to bring the variant under control.\n\n\"It still would not have been easy, but it would have been a much easier situation if it had not been for the new variant,\" Prof Neil Ferguson, from Imperial College London, told Inside Health.\n\n\"That really pushes the bounds of our ability to control the spread of the virus, even with measures that were previously relatively quite effective.\"\n\nThe coronavirus spreads when we come into contact with each other so moving classrooms online, telling people to stay at home and closing shops breaks many of those opportunities for human contact.\n\nIf we consider the R number - the average number of people each infected person passes the virus on to - it was about 3.0 in the run up to the first lockdown and anything above 1.0 means cases are climbing.\n\nR fell to 0.6 during the first lockdown.\n\nThen every 1,000 infected people passed the virus on to 600 others, who passed it on to 360 others and so on.\n\nBut if the new variant is 50% more transmissible then the R number, in the same lockdown conditions, would be about 0.9.\n\nThen 1,000 infected people would pass the virus onto 900 others, then 810 and so on.\n\nAs you can see this leads to far slower decline.\n\nAnd that assumes lockdown can get R down to 0.9 in areas where the new variant has become the most common form of the virus.\n\nIf, as some studies suggest, the variant is about 70% more transmissible then R may stay above 1.0 and cases may not fall at all.\n\n\"We'd at best flatten the curve, keep numbers at a roughly constant level, and that's frankly why there is so much emphasis on getting vaccine into people's arms as quickly as possible,\" said Prof Ferguson.\n\nIt is hard to lock down even harder as there are some parts of society - hospitals, supermarkets - that need to be kept open.\n\nWhat happens to the number of cases over the coming weeks will be closely monitored. If this lockdown is less effective then we will have to live with it for longer.\n\nThere have been some encouraging signs over the Christmas break, which was a bit like a lockdown due to school holidays and other restrictions.\n\n\"We are in a very difficult situation here, but my initial assessment of the last few days is that the rate is slowing which is good news,\" Prof John Edmunds, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, told the BBC.\n\nHe added: \"It looks likes those restrictions should be sufficient to stop the increase, whether they will be sufficient to bring cases down sufficiently we are yet to see.\"\n\nEventually the vaccine will give people immunity so we do not need the same controls on our lives.\n\nNow more than ever this is a race between the virus and the vaccine.", "Google has suspended \"free speech\" social network Parler from its Play Store over its failure to remove \"egregious content\".\n\nParler styles itself as \"unbiased\" social media and has proved popular with people banned from Twitter.\n\nBut Google said the app had failed to remove posts inciting violence.\n\nApple has also warned Parler it will remove the app from its App Store if it does not comply with its content-moderation requirements.\n\nOn Parler, the app's chief executive John Matze said: \"We won't cave to politically motivated companies and those authoritarians who hate free speech!\"\n\nLaunched in 2018, Parler has proved particularly popular among supporters of US President Donald Trump and right-wing conservatives. Such groups have frequently accused Twitter and Facebook of unfairly censoring their views.\n\nWhile Mr Trump himself is not a user, the platform already features several high-profile contributors following earlier bursts of growth in 2020.\n\nTexas Senator Ted Cruz boasts 4.9 million followers on the platform, while Fox News host Sean Hannity has about seven million.\n\nIt briefly became the most-downloaded app in the United States after the US election, following a clampdown on the spread of election misinformation by Twitter and Facebook.\n\nHowever, both Apple and Google have said the app fails to comply with content-moderation requirements.\n\nFor months, Parler has been one of the most popular social media platforms for right-wing users.\n\nAs major platforms began taking action against viral conspiracy theories, disinformation and the harassment of election workers and officials in the aftermath of the US presidential vote, the app became more popular with elements of the fringe far-right.\n\nThis turned the network into a right-wing echo chamber, almost entirely populated by users fixated on revealing examples of election fraud and posting messages in support of attempts to overturn the election outcome.\n\nIn the days preceding the Capitol riots, the tone of discussion on the app became significantly more violent, with some users openly discussing ways to stop the certification of Joe Biden's victory by Congress.\n\nUnsubstantiated allegations and defamatory claims against a number of senior US figures such as Chief Justice John Roberts and Vice-President Mike Pence were rife on the app.\n\nGoogle and Apple say they are taking necessary action to ensure violent rhetoric is not promoted on their platforms.\n\nHowever, to those increasingly concerned about freedom of speech and expression on online platforms, it represents another example of draconian action by major tech companies which threatens internet freedom.\n\nThis is a debate which is certain to continue beyond the Trump presidency.\n\nIn a statement, Google confirmed it had suspended Parler from its Play Store, saying: \"Our longstanding policies require that apps displaying user-generated content have moderation policies and enforcement that removes egregious content like posts that incite violence.\n\n\"In light of this ongoing and urgent public safety threat, we are suspending the app's listings from the Play Store until it addresses these issues.\"\n\nApple has warned Parler it will be removed from the App Store on Saturday in a letter published by Buzzfeed News.\n\nIt said it had seen \"accusations that the Parler app was used to plan, coordinate, and facilitate\" the attacks on the US Capitol on 6 January.\n\nMr Matze said Parler had \"no way to organise anything\" and pointed out that Facebook groups and events had been used to organise action.\n\nBut Apple said: \"Our investigation has found that Parler is not effectively moderating and removing content that encourages illegal activity and poses a serious risk to the health and safety of users in direct violation of your own terms of service.\"\n\n\"We won't distribute apps that present dangerous and harmful content.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Swedenborg This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nIn a related development, Google has kicked Steve Bannon's War Room podcast off YouTube, saying it had repeatedly violated the platform's rules.\n\nThe ex-White House aide's channel had more than 300,000 subscribers.\n\nSteve Bannon served as President Trump's chief strategist for eight months in 2017\n\n\"In accordance with our strikes system, we have terminated Steve Bannon's channel 'War room' and one associated channel for repeatedly violating our Community Guidelines,\" Google said in a statement.\n\n\"Any channel posting new videos with misleading content that alleges widespread fraud or errors changed the outcome of the 2020 US Presidential election in violation of our policies will receive a strike, a penalty which temporarily restricts uploading or live-streaming. Channels that receive three strikes in the same 90-day period will be permanently removed from YouTube.\"\n\nThe action was taken shortly after the channel posted an interview with Donald Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani, in which he blamed the Democrats for the rioting on Capitol Hill on Wednesday.\n\nOne anti-misinformation group said the action was long overdue after \"months of Steve Bannon calling for revolution and violence\".\n\n\"The truth is YouTube should have taken down Steve Bannon's account a long time ago and they shouldn't rely on the labour of extremism researchers to moderate the content on their platform,\" said Madeline Peltz, Senior Researcher at Media Matters for America.", "A 78-year-old French woman received the first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in France\n\nA global race is on to vaccinate people against Covid-19 - and with infections soaring in Europe many have complained that the roll-out is too slow in the EU.\n\nMember states decide individually who to vaccinate, when and where, but the EU is coordinating strategy and buying vaccines in bulk. On Friday, the EU Commission agreed to buy an extra 300 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine - that would give the EU nearly half of the firm's global output for 2021.\n\nBBC reporters in seven European capitals explain how the vaccinations are going on their patch.\n\nIn an election year, the vaccine has become a political battleground, writes Jenny Hill, in Berlin.\n\nThe fact it was German scientists who developed the first effective Covid vaccine has been the source of great national pride. And, by and large, Germans appear to be reasonably comfortable with the idea of immunisation.\n\nA recent survey found 65% were prepared to have the vaccine. Other research indicates that less than a quarter of those surveyed would not. But politically - and perhaps unsurprisingly, given this is an election year - Germany's vaccination programme has become a battleground.\n\nVaccinations began here just under two weeks ago and prioritise the over 80s and care home workers. By Thursday evening, more than 477,000 first doses had been administered.\n\nGermany's share of the EU order amounts to 56 million doses. So far, 1.3 million doses have been delivered.\n\nBut some of the hundreds of specially prepared vaccination centres are still not in use and even the government has admitted there simply isn't enough to go around. Angela Merkel and her health minister Jens Spahn have been accused of failing to secure enough doses.\n\nMuch of the criticism has come from Mrs Merkel's own coalition partners but some within the scientific community have echoed their concerns - that Germany put European interests above its own by insisting on a joint EU procurement process. The scientists who developed the vaccine have said publicly that the EU originally turned down an offer for a further order.\n\nGermany's share of the EU order amounts to 56 million doses. So far, 1.3 million doses have been delivered and it's thought that by the end of the month a further 2.68 million will have followed.\n\nMr Spahn, whose assured performance through the pandemic led some to wonder whether he might be a potential successor to Mrs Merkel, has blamed the shortage on the inability of the manufacturers of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to meet global demand.\n\nGermany has now ordered an extra 30 million doses and, following the recent European approval of the Moderna vaccine, expects to start rolling that out next week. The government is sticking to its pledge that the vaccination programme will be complete by the end of the summer.\n\nThe Czech prime minister has hit out at apparent delays in distributing the vaccine, writes Rob Cameron, in Prague.\n\nThe Czech vaccination effort began on 27 December, when the prime minister, Andrej Babis, became the first person in the country to receive the jab. Mr Babis, who is 66, had previously questioned whether he would be eligible, as he'd had his spleen removed as a teenager.\n\nBut the country's programme has got off to a sluggish start. Mr Babis - a billionaire businessman who has been dogged by both European and Czech investigations into alleged misuse of EU funds - has lost no time venting his (figurative) spleen at the European Commission over the delay. \"We believed when we contributed €12m to the European fund in November that we'd receive the vaccine,\" he told a newspaper this week.\n\nThe health minister conceded this week that immunising the higher-risk groups will take months.\n\nThe country has received 30,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine. So far, it has managed to administer it to 19,918 people. The government says it is ready to roll out the jab en masse as soon as supplies arrive from the manufacturers.\n\nIt has also published a strategy, which envisages a three-stage process. The first will see targeted vaccination of high-risk groups. This will gradually give way to mass vaccination in 31 centres, using an online reservation system that will be open to all from 1 February. And the final stage will see the country's GPs deployed, hopefully to administer the Oxford-AstraZeneca and other jabs, which unlike the previous two can be stored and transported at fridge temperature.\n\nHowever, the timing in the original strategy document now appears optimistic. The health minister conceded this week that immunising the higher-risk groups - all health and social care staff, teachers, everyone over 65, all those with serious health conditions - will take months. GPs may not begin vaccinating young, healthy members of society until late spring, or summer.\n\nA sluggish start is being blamed on bureaucracy and vaccine scepticism, writes Hugh Schofield, in Paris.\n\nFrance's boast of a big, effective state apparatus has been badly exposed by the sluggish start to the Covid vaccination programme. After the first week, when neighbouring Germany had inoculated around 250,000 people, France was on a mere 530. By Friday, the figure had gone up to 45,500 - still so small as to be statistically meaningless.\n\nSo why has it taken so long for France to put the plan into action? It is not as if the authorities did not have time to prepare. And it is certainly not a question of a lack of vaccine. In fact, more than a million Pfizer doses are already in cold storage, waiting to be used.\n\nPolls suggest as many as 58% of the public do not want to be given the jab.\n\nThe primary reason for the delay seems to be the cumbersome, over-centralised nature of France's health bureaucracy. A 45-page dossier of instructions issued by the ministry in Paris had to be read and understood by staff at old people's homes.\n\nEach recipient then had to give informed consent in a consultation with a doctor, held no less than five days before injection. The lengthy procedure is in theory to save lives - those of patients who might have an adverse reaction. But as the critics have been arguing, delay in inoculating the population is also costing lives.\n\nAnother problem in France is the high level of scepticism towards vaccination - product of a more general suspicion of government. Polls suggest as many as 58% of the public do not want to be given the jab. The effect - critics say - has been to make the government unduly cautious. When urgency was required, the authorities were reluctant to move fast for fear of galvanising the anti-vaxxers.\n\nAfter President Emmanuel Macron communicated his anger at the delays at the weekend, the pace is picking up. The procedure for consent is being simplified. By the end of January, the plan is to have 500-600 vaccination centres open across the country - either in hospitals or other big public buildings.\n\nPolitically a lot is at stake. The government has already come under fire for failings in providing masks and tests. With opposition voices calling the vaccine delay a \"state scandal\", President Macron needs a roll-out that is fast and problem-free.\n\nNational pride accelerated Russia's rollout, but one man is conspicuously absent from the list of people vaccinated, writes Sarah Rainsford, in Moscow.\n\nRussia registered its main Covid vaccine for domestic use way back in August, before mass safety and efficacy trials had even begun. In December, with those trials still underway, it began rolling out Sputnik V to the public ahead of mass vaccination launches everywhere else in Europe. The rush was driven by national pride as well as medical necessity.\n\nSputnik was initially offered to front line health and education workers but early take-up of the two-dose vaccination was slow and the list of those eligible soon expanded.\n\nA poll by the Levada Centre in late December showed only 38% of respondents were willing to get the jab: wary of domestic healthcare and medicines, Russians were sceptical of bold early claims made for the vaccine and nervous about possible adverse reactions. Even so, and despite similar delays scaling-up production as in other countries, Sputnik's backers announced this week that more than a million people had been vaccinated.\n\nRussia began rolling out its Sputnik V vaccine in December\n\nBut one man still conspicuously absent from the list of the vaccinated is Vladimir Putin, despite the Kremlin saying he will - eventually - get the jab. In the meantime, those who meet him in person are obliged to test for Covid first and even quarantine. The president may need to lead by example, though. Mr Putin has said repeatedly that protecting the economy is his priority so he's banking on mass vaccination to avoid a return to national lockdown.\n\nRussia has built giant, temporary hospitals since the start of the pandemic and the health minister said this week that 25% of Covid beds remain free. There's also been a fall in the number of new daily cases reported - around 25,000 for the past 5 days. But that's not down to the vaccine yet. The country is nearing the end of a 10-day New Year holiday period and the number of Covid tests has also dropped.\n\nAs infection rates grow in a country praised by many for its no-lockdown approach, a successful vaccine programme is crucial writes Maddy Savage, in Stockholm.\n\nAlmost two weeks since 91-year-old care home resident Gun-Britt Johnsson became the first Swede to get the initial dose of a Pfizer jab, there is still no official tally of how many others have received the vaccination.\n\nThe Public Health Agency of Sweden says it's in the process of compiling data from the country's 21 regional health authorities tasked with vaccinating the entire adult population - around eight million people - by 26 June. The date isn't arbitrary, it's the biggest public holiday weekend of the year, when Swedes traditionally hold Midsummer celebrations. Karin Tegmark, a senior manager at the agency, says the date remains \"feasible\". But she says it depends on the delivery of vaccines to the country.\n\nAfter months of high trust levels in the country's no-lockdown approach, support for the health agency has dwindled.\n\nAlongside 4.5 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, Sweden has ordered 3.6 million jabs from Moderna, the first of which are expected to arrive next week. The country also plans to roll-out the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine as soon as possible after it is approved by the EU - ideally by February.\n\nSwedes initially appeared lukewarm to the idea of taking a speedily-developed coronavirus vaccine, although a poll at the end of December found 71% would take one. A key driver of the initial scepticism is thought to be the failure of a voluntary mass vaccination programme for swine flu in 2009. Hundreds of Swedish children and young adults under 30 developed the sleeping disorder narcolepsy, which was found to be a side effect of the Pandemrix vaccine.\n\nA successful vaccination programme will be crucial, not least because it comes at a time when Swedish authorities are struggling to maintain public confidence. After months of high trust levels in the country's no-lockdown approach, support for the health agency has dwindled as Sweden has struggled with the second wave of coronavirus.\n\nMeanwhile, several high profile officials have faced heavy criticism for breaching their own recommendations - including the head of the civil contingencies agency (pictured), who resigned after spending Christmas with his daughter in the Canary Islands.\n\nA new government in Belgium seems unified on the vaccine rollout - for now at least, writes Nick Beake, in Brussels.\n\nIt seemed fitting that the first person in Belgium to receive a Covid jab lives in the place where the world's first approved Covid vaccine is being produced. Jos Hermans, a 96-year-old from the municipality of Puurs, was given the injection on 28 December, in his care home. A further 700 elderly residents were also administered a dose in what was a small, initial trial.\n\nThe mass vaccination programme in Belgium began on 5 January, but has been criticised for starting slowly. Federal Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke had promised in November that the rollout would be \"seamless and fast\", tweeting: \"If that does not work, shoot me.\"\n\nThe first phase looks to vaccinate up to 200,000 nursing home residents by the end of this month, or early February. Healthcare professionals will be next in line and the aim was for the whole population to be inoculated by the end of September.\n\nJos Hermans, a 96-year-old from Puurs, was given the injection on 28 December\n\nYou may think the country would be at an advantage being the epicentre of the Pfizer-BioNTech production. While this clearly helps with distribution, Belgium cannot receive more doses - relative to its population - than other EU countries under strict Commission rules. That didn't stop the minister-president of the Flanders region, who admitted this week that he had contacted Pfizer directly in the hope of procuring more doses, only to be rebuffed.\n\nAfter getting a guarantee from Pfizer over supply of the jab, the federal Belgian authorities have adapted their strategy: they now propose giving as many available doses to as many people as they can - and no longer reserving vials for patients' second dose, given three weeks after the first. In general, the federal government, rather than the European Commission has faced any criticism for a delay and has defended its \"careful\" approach.\n\nAnd there appears to be an interesting regional or cultural discrepancy when it comes to whether people are willing to take the vaccine. Of the Flemish population interviewed in a poll, half have said they wanted the vaccine as soon as possible. Among French speakers - it was 20% fewer, which chimes with the deeper scepticism over the border in France.\n\nIn a country where politics are notoriously complicated and fractious - they've only recently agreed a government, after a 500-day vacuum - the Federal Coalition appears unified on its Covid vaccine strategy. For now, at least.\n\nRegional variances and political rows have marked the beginning of Spain's vaccination programme writes Guy Hedgecoe, in Madrid.\n\nSpain started administering the vaccine on 27 December. So far, 743,925 doses have been distributed to regional administrations, with 277,976 people vaccinated, according to the health ministry. The objective of the coalition government is to immunise 2.3 million people within 12 weeks. Priority is being given to elderly residents of care homes, those who look after them, and healthcare personnel.\n\nEach of the country's 17 regions has a high degree of control over healthcare and should receive the number of doses that corresponds to their populations. However, already there has been substantial geographical disparity.\n\nGovernment data showed, for example, that while the northern region of Asturias had used 55% of the doses it had received by 3 January, the Madrid region had only administered 5% by the same date. Some regions are holding back doses to administer a second follow-up jab to the same person in several weeks' time, and some have been vaccinating on national holidays while others have not.\n\nThe pandemic has been the cause of constant political conflict, with the right-wing opposition accusing the leftist government of incompetence.\n\nAlthough vaccination is voluntary, the government has said it is making a register of those who do not wish to be inoculated. That initiative has generated controversy, although the government has insisted the register will merely seek to clarify why people refuse the vaccination.\n\nHowever, the pandemic has been the cause of constant political conflict, with the right-wing opposition accusing the leftist government of Pedro Sánchez of incompetence, lack of transparency and using coronavirus to accumulate power.\n\nThe arrival of a vaccine has not stopped the rancour. Alberto Núñez Feijóo, the conservative Popular Party (PP) president of Galicia, warned the number of doses being distributed to each region was being dictated by \"political affiliations or parliamentary needs\", a claim the central government has rejected.", "Dozens of demonstrators were walking and chanting along Clapham High Street as police attempted to keep them contained to the area\n\nSixteen people have been arrested during an anti-lockdown protest in south London.\n\nPolice officers clashed with some of the maskless protesters who arrived in Clapham Common, some shouting \"take your freedom back\".\n\nSix police vans were deployed to the scene while officers moved the crowd of about 30 people away from the area.\n\nGathering for the purpose of a protest is not an exemption to the rules, the Met Police said.\n\nOne woman shouted from her car at the protesters \"there's a pandemic going\", while another bystander shouted \"idiots\".\n\nOne anti-lockdown protester, who was detained at Clapham Common park, said \"I stand under common law, not maritime law and this is assault\" as he was put into handcuffs by police officers.\n\nA large police presence remains around Clapham Common station, but almost all protesters had left the area as of 14:00 GMT.\n\nIt comes as a \"major incident\" was declared as the spread of Covid-19 threatens to \"overwhelm\" London hospitals.\n\nCity Hall said Covid-19 cases in the capital had exceeded 1,000 per 100,000, while there were 35% more people in hospital with the virus than in the peak of the pandemic in April.\n\nPolice could be seen questioning several people at the demonstration\n\nPolice battled to disperse the protestors gathering in Clapham Common\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. One floral tribute had Dame Barbara's photograph in the centre\n\nThe funeral of EastEnders and Carry On actress Dame Barbara Windsor has taken place in London.\n\nRoss Kemp, who played her on-screen son in the soap, was among the 30 mourners and gave a reading, as did actor and friend Christopher Biggins.\n\nDame Barbara died in December at the age of 83, having had dementia.\n\nThere were floral arrangements spelling Babs, The Dame and Saucy, and a mock pub sign showing her as The Queen Peggy in the style of the soap's Queen Vic.\n\nDame Barbara played pub landlady Peggy Mitchell in EastEnders for more than two decades.\n\nA version of the EastEnders Queen Vic pub sign was painted in tribute\n\nScott Mitchell, who was married to Dame Barbara for 20 years, was joined at Golders Green Crematorium by family and friends including comedians Matt Lucas and David Walliams.\n\n\"As Covid has denied so many of Barbara's family, friends and fans a chance to say farewell properly, I wanted to share the order of service to let people be a small part of it,\" Mr Mitchell told the PA news agency.\n\n\"My heart goes out to every family who have experienced the same restrictions at their loved ones' funerals.\"\n\nLeft-right: Christopher Biggins, Ross Kemp and David Walliams were among the mourners\n\nHe added: \"I would again like to thank my family, friends, the media and the public for their incredible support and well wishes since Barbara's passing.\"\n\nDame Barbara's coffin was brought into the crematorium to sound of Frank Sinatra's On The Sunny Side Of The Street, and the service featured a recording of Sparrows Can't Sing from the actress's 1963 film of the same.\n\nIt finished with the famous topless photo of Dame Barbara from the film Carry On Camping, alongside her quote: \"That picture will follow me to the end.\"\n\nLong-time friend Anna Karen, who played Dame Barbara's on-screen sister Aunt Sal in EastEnders, also paid tribute during the service.\n\nThe funeral was also attended by Loose Women's Jane Moore and EastEnders actor Jamie Borthwick. However, the numbers were limited due to coronavirus social distancing.\n\nAlzheimer's Research UK recently said it had seen a spike in donations since Dame Barbara's death, and a JustGiving page set up as a tribute to her and in aid of the charity has raised more than £150,000 (including Gift Aid).\n\nMr Mitchell said that was \"beyond anything we may have dreamed of\".\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "Ben Jackson said the closure of the farm's bulk-buyers like hotels and schools has left thousands of eggs unsold\n\nA fall in bulk egg orders due to the lockdown could lead to chickens being culled, a poultry-farmer has warned.\n\nFluffetts Farm near Fordingbridge had been supplying free range eggs to 350 Hampshire schools, but orders stopped when schools suddenly closed.\n\nFarm owner, Ben Jackson said: \"If you can't sell the eggs you can't still keep feeding the chickens and therefore something has to give.\"\n\nHe said he hoped to work out a local delivery system to avoid culling birds.\n\nMr Jackson, who has been selling some of the surplus eggs off on social media, has more than 13,000 chickens laying 12,000 eggs each day.\n\nThe cancellation of his school orders has left him with about 4,000 spare eggs a day. The farm has also been hit by restaurants and pubs closing again.\n\nThe farm has a surplus of about 4,000 eggs each day from its 13,000 chickens\n\nHe said: \"If we can't find a home for the eggs the worst-case scenario is that we may have to look to get rid of some of our chickens, but that's what we're trying to avoid.\n\n\"Other chicken farmers are in the same situation - they are talking about potentially having to cull birds in the next week or so - it's not a decision that anyone wants to make.\n\n\"We just want to get through this dark time - we're just taking it a day at time.\"\n\nChickens at the farm are currently in a bird lockdown.\n\nSince 14 December strict biosecurity regulations have been in place following a number of outbreak of avian influenza throughout England.\n• None 'I'll have to throw away £6,000-worth of milk'", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The Duke of Cambridge asked how staff were coping during the pandemic and thanked them for their sacrifice\n\nThe Duke of Cambridge has said he talks to his three children about NHS staff \"every day\" to help them to understand the \"sacrifices\" made during Covid.\n\nPrince William's comments were part of a video call to London hospital staff.\n\n\"Catherine and I and all the children talk about all of you guys every day, so we're making sure the children understand all of the sacrifices that all of you are making,\" he said.\n\nIt comes after the London mayor said the virus was \"out of control\".\n\nSadiq Khan declared a major incident on Friday - meaning the emergency services and hospitals cannot guarantee their normal level of response - after the number of Covid patients in the capital's hospitals surpassed 7,000.\n\nStaff at Homerton University Hospital in east London told the Duke of Cambridge that queues of people waiting to be vaccinated at the hospital offered hope, but that the way out of the crisis was for the public to \"stay at home\" during lockdown.\n\nIn recent days the hospital has seen its highest number of admissions since the pandemic began.\n\nDuring the UK's first national lockdown, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their three children Prince George (left), Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis joined in with the weekly Clap for Carers event\n\nThe duke, who is joint patron of NHS Charities Together, said: \"A huge thank you for all the hard work, the sleepless nights, the lack of sleep, the anxiety, the exhaustion and everything that you are doing, we are so grateful.\n\n\"Good luck, we are all thinking of you.\"\n\nHis video call, which took place on Thursday, is one of many he and the duchess have made to NHS staff during the pandemic.\n\nPrince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis have also shown their support for the health service by getting involved with the weekly Clap for Carers applause during the UK's first national lockdown.\n\nAnd on Saturday, the Duchess's birthday, Kensington Palace said the family's thoughts \"continue to be with all those working on the front line at this hugely challenging time\".\n\nChief nurse Catherine Pelley told the prince her hospital had used funds from NHS Charities Together to set up various support initiatives such as a \"wobble room\" for colleagues to relax in.\n\n\"For us this week, starting vaccinating has been one of the single most significant impacts on people feeling that there is a future out of this, and the queues out the door here where they have been vaccinating have been really hopeful for people,\" she said.\n\n\"But the support we need is stay at home, help us. Because that will get us all out of this, whatever our role is, and we will get society out of this.\"\n\nAfter speaking to Ms Pelley and her colleagues about how they supported one another, the prince said: \"It's good that you and your team are keeping your spirits high and I always find that having some sort of sense of humour through everything is very important, otherwise we all go mad.\"\n\nThe Duke of Cambridge said he wants his children to appreciate the sacrifices made by NHS staff during the pandemic", "Ms Sturgeon has rejected claims made by former first minister Alex Salmond\n\nAlex Salmond has accused Nicola Sturgeon of misleading parliament, calling evidence she gave to an inquiry into the handling of sexual harassment claims against him \"simply untrue\".\n\nMr Salmond's comments emerged in a written submission to a separate investigation into whether the first minister breached the ministerial code.\n\nThe submission has been shared with the Holyrood committee.\n\nMs Sturgeon says she \"entirely rejects Mr Salmond's claims\".\n\nIn the submission, the former first minister said that Ms Sturgeon had misled parliament and broken the ministerial code with breaches including failing to inform the civil service in good time of her meetings with him.\n\nHe claimed she allowed the Scottish government to contest a civil court case against him despite having had legal advice that it was likely to collapse.\n\nMs Sturgeon told the Holyrood inquiry she had become aware of allegations at a meeting with Mr Salmond at her home.\n\nIt since emerged she met his former chief of staff in the days before, but she said she had forgotten about that meeting.\n\nMr Salmond said that claim was untenable.\n\nHis submission said that she misled parliament, and that amounted to a breach of the code. He also said she breached the code by failing to to inform civil servants of the nature of the meetings that took place between the two of them at her home where the allegations were discussed.\n\nAlex Salmond walked free from court in March having been cleared of charges of sexual assault\n\nMr Salmond's statement read: \"The pre-arranged meeting in the Scottish Parliament of 29 March 2018 was \"forgotten\" about because acknowledging it would have rendered ridiculous the claim made by the first minister in parliament that it had been believed that the meeting on 2 April was on SNP Party business and thus held at her private residence.\"\n\nBoth Mr Salmond and Ms Sturgeon are expected to give evidence to the committee in the coming weeks.\n\nScottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross responded to the claims, saying: \"Nobody ever bought Nicola Sturgeon's tall tales to have suddenly turned forgetful, especially about the devastating moment she found out of sexual harassment allegations against her friend and mentor of 30 years.\n\n\"What has been revealed are allegations of shocking, deliberate and corrupt actions at the heart of government. There is now clear evidence of Nicola Sturgeon abusing her power to deceive the Scottish public.\n\n\"If this proves to be correct, it is a resignation matter. No first minister, at any time, can be allowed to get away with repeatedly and blatantly lying to the Scottish Parliament and breaking the ministerial code.\"\n\nScottish Labour deputy leader Jackie Baillie said Alex Salmond's explosive allegations demanded answers from the first minister to the committee.\n\nShe said: \"The bombshell accusation that Nicola Sturgeon has broken the ministerial code has the potential to end her political career and demands a robust and honest answer from the first minister.\n\n\"This committee demands truthfulness and honesty from every witness it calls - it is vital that the first minister tells the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth when she appears.\"\n\nMs Sturgeon has repeatedly dismissed any notion of a conspiracy against Mr Salmond.\n\nHer spokeswoman said: \"The first minister entirely rejects Mr Salmond's claims about the ministerial code.\n\n\"We should always remember that the roots of this issue lie in complaints made by women about Alex Salmond's behaviour whilst he was first minister, aspects of which he has conceded. It is not surprising therefore that he continues to try to divert focus from that by seeking to malign the reputation of the first minister and by spinning false conspiracy theories.\n\n\"The first minister is concentrating on fighting the pandemic, stands by what she has said, and will address these matters in full when she appears at committee.\"\n\nSpeaking on BBC Radio 4's Any Questions on Friday evening, SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford MP said he did not believe the accusations about the first minister were correct.\n\nHe said: \"I believe that the first minister has acted in an honourable way, she's someone that I've every faith and trust in.\n\n\"I can tell you that the approval ratings for the first minister, the respect that she has right up and down the country of Scotland is enormous and this is something that will pass, when she appears in front of the committee these matters will be dealt with.\"\n\nAlex Salmond has just turned up the heat on his successor with a submission that presents a direct and serious challenge to the reputation of Nicola Sturgeon - who was once his closest political ally.\n\nWhat he no doubt considers as an attempt to secure justice, some others will see as a case of deflection and revenge.\n\nAllegations of breaking the ministerial code of conduct and misleading parliament are serious and, if upheld, potentially career threatening.\n\nYet even some of Ms Sturgeon's fiercest critics at Holyrood do not expect the inquiries into the Scottish government's mishandling of harassment complaints against Mr Salmond to force her from office.\n\nMr Salmond seems to expect the review of the first minister's actions under the ministerial code of conduct to remain narrow enough that it could not possibly find against her.\n\nThe first minister herself appears confident of persuading all comers, including a cross-party committee of MSPs (before which both she and Mr Salmond are due to appear in the coming weeks) that she has acted properly throughout.", "Fishing \"clears the mind of other worries\" says John Ellis from the Canal and Rivers Trust\n\nAnglers have hailed the mental health benefits of the sport after it was given the all-clear to continue, despite lockdown.\n\nThe government said it would be treated as a form of exercise, but subject to restrictions such as social distancing.\n\nRegulations mean people in England must stay at home except for specific purposes, including exercise, shopping for essentials and childcare.\n\nFigures show thousands more people have taken up fishing during the pandemic.\n\nJohn Ellis, national fisheries and angling manager for the Canal and Rivers Trust, said rod licence sales increased by 17% over the last year, the equivalent of about 100,000 people - some new to the sport and others returning.\n\nHe said, despite the colder weather which usually causes a drop in fishing, there are more people out than in a typical January.\n\n\"It is certainly one of few things people can do legally, can do locally,\" he said.\n\nSpencer Moore said it was easy to maintain social distance while fishing\n\nUnder current restrictions in England, anglers must fish alone, or with members of their household, and must not travel outside their local area.\n\nThe government regulations permit people to meet for exercise, but not \"for recreational or leisure purposes\".\n\nThe Department for Culture Media and Sport told the BBC while angling could continue, overarching government guidance meant people should minimise time spent outside their homes.\n\nMr Ellis said he had received emails from parents pleased their children could go fishing at the weekend, adding that for some people it was linked to their mental wellbeing.\n\n\"When you are focussing on fishing, it is very hard to think about anything else, it clears the mind of other worries, at least temporarily,\" he said.\n\nHeadway said fishing was one of its most popular sporting activities for clients\n\nHeadway Birmingham & Solihull, a charity which helps people living with brain injuries, runs regular fishing sessions, which were very popular with its clients.\n\n\"It encourages them to be more active and get some fresh air out in the countryside,\" she said.\n\n\"It also helps their motivation and mental wellbeing, giving them something to look forward to each week, something to talk about and a chance to form friendships with others who enjoy fishing too.\"\n\nSpencer Moore, a bailiff for Blackfords Progressive Angling Society, based in South Staffordshire, said the sport was perfect for social distancing.\n\n\"There are people furloughed, sitting in their house or working from home, but at least they can fish and can get out and wind down,\" he said.\n\n\"Being a fisherman, you are on your own on your peg. Someone might be on another peg, but they can be 20 to 30ft away, so you are nowhere near anyone else.\"\n\nChris Wood advised people to speak to their local angling club before going fishing for the first time\n\nChris Wood, from Shrewsbury Anglers Club, said the group had seen a definite \"upsurge\" in interest during the pandemic.\n\nBut, he said, it had also seen an increase in illegal fishing by people who were not aware of the proper permits needed.", "Edwin Poots said he has asked senior UK government figures to consider unilaterally revoking the NI Protocol\n\nThe Stormont minister whose officials are responsible for the new Irish Sea border has said some food will be unavailable if changes are not made.\n\nDUP Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots has also said jobs could be at risk.\n\nHe said problems at the ports were being caused by new rules applied on imports of food and other products from Britain to Northern Ireland.\n\nEarlier Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove said trade from GB to NI \"will get worse before it gets better\".\n\nMr Gove said that \"work is ongoing\" and it is \"all part of the process of leaving the European Union\".\n\nHe added that he had spoken to ministers from all parties in the Northern Ireland Executive.\n\nAfter speaking with hauliers, supermarkets and processors this week, Mr Poots predicted the loss of jobs and rising costs.\n\n\"A wide range of frozen and chilled foods will be unavailable after the temporary exemption period ends,\" he tweeted.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Edwin Poots MLA This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThat exemption period applies to supermarkets and other food importers and runs out in April.\n\nAfter that they will have to comply with all the paperwork required to ship food in, or find suppliers on the island of Ireland or elsewhere in the EU.\n\nNew rules - called the Northern Ireland Protocol - were introduced because while the UK has left the EU, Northern Ireland has remained in the Single Market for goods and is continuing to apply EU customs rules.\n\nThe arrangement was agreed between the UK and the EU to prevent a hard border on the island of Ireland.\n\nMr Poots said he had spoken to senior UK government figures to ask them to consider unilaterally revoking the protocol as it was \"damaging Northern Ireland at the economic and societal level\".\n\nAnd he hit out at members of Sinn Fein, the SDLP, and Alliance Party who he claimed had supported it.\n\nMembers of those parties have countered similar claims from other DUP politicians in recent days.\n\nThey said DUP MPs had voted against alternative arrangements that would have been simpler to manage before the government pushed ahead with the protocol plan.\n\nResponding to Mr Poot's tweet on Friday evening, SDLP leader Colum Eastwood wrote: \"You broke it, you own it.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Colum Eastwood This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nSinn Féin MLA Martina Anderson accused Mr Poots of being \"asleep at the wheel\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 3 by Martina Anderson MLA This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThe Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) has called for the assembly to be recalled to discuss difficulties over trading between Great Britain and Northern Ireland due to Brexit.\n\nUUP MLA Roy Beggs said: \"The impact of the Irish Sea border is causing horrendous difficulties for hauliers and this is being seen in shops and businesses across Northern Ireland.\n\n\"It is damaging the Northern Ireland economy and the situation is escalating.\"\n\nEarlier on Friday, Michael Gove said it had been expected that there would be \"some initial disruption\" to trade between GB and NI, but that the government is \"ironing\" issues out.\n\nHe said discussions with the executive in Northern Ireland were \"in order to make sure that the [Northern Ireland] protocol works\".\n\n\"[To make sure] that businesses in Northern Ireland can continue to have access to the rest of the UK market, and that Northern Ireland businesses can have the goods that they need on the shelves, that they have access to at the moment,\" he said.\n\nNorthern Ireland has remained a part of the EU's single market for goods while the rest of the UK has left.\n\nThis means food products from Great Britain are subject to checks when they enter Northern Ireland.\n\nSimilar processes and checks also apply when moving food products from Great Britain into the Republic of Ireland.\n\nMeanwhile, an organisation representing haulage firms has called on the UK and Irish government to relax some of the new Irish Sea trade border rules.\n\nThe Road Haulage Association (RHA) said there is serious disruption to freight movements into the island of Ireland.\n\nThe RHA said relaxing the controls on food products and customs declarations \"would help traders to ship goods that have struggled to move over recent days.\"\n\n\"The problems have led to gaps in supermarket shelves and lorries delayed at ports because of problems with red-tape and the situation is worsening,\" the organisation added.\n\n\"We are facing an inflexible, cumbersome and time consuming process just to move goods.\"\n\nThe UK government said the flow of goods \"between GB and NI has been smooth overall and arrivals of freight have continued to increase substantially over this week\".\n\n\"There are no significant queues at NI ports and supermarkets are reporting healthy supplies into their Northern Ireland stores,\" a spokesperson added.\n\n\"We recognise the need to provide as much support to the haulage sector as possible as industry adapts to new processes. That's why hauliers can benefit from the Trader Support Service, which provides free advice and support to businesses of all sizes moving goods under the Northern Ireland Protocol.\n\n\"We have been engaging intensively with the Irish authorities and hauliers on the issues that have been encountered for goods transiting through Dublin port.\"\n\nOn Thursday customs authorities in the Republic of Ireland announced a temporary relaxation of one customs process.\n\nHauliers will be able to use an override code to complete a piece of administration known as ENS.\n\nThe letters ENS refer to an entry summary declaration, an online form which goods carriers are now legally obliged to submit to Irish customs when transporting goods from Great Britain into Ireland.\n\nLorries arriving in Ireland from Great Britain have faced new checks since 1 January\n\nOn Thursday night the Irish Revenue Commissioners said it recognised that \"some businesses are experiencing difficulties on lodging their safety and security ENS declarations\".\n\nIt said that in response it was providing a \"temporary easement\" which would allow an ENS to be produced without all the normally required information.\n\nAn Irish government spokesperson said it is \"absolutely essential that Ireland fulfils its obligations as a member of the EU and that we protect the integrity of the single market and the customs union\".\n\n\"We appreciate that the new requirements and customs formalities present significant challenges and impose additional burdens on businesses.\"\n\nMeanwhile Stena, the ferry company, said it was cancelling a dozen sailings between Wales and Ireland next week due to \"a decline in freight volumes during the first week of Brexit.\"", "Covid infections rose by almost a third between 26 December and 3 January, reaching 70,000 new cases a day according to a major study.\n\nIn a different piece of research, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimated 1.2 million people in total had Covid over a similar time period.\n\nDaily infections are understood to have risen to about 150,000 since then.\n\nThat would bring daily coronavirus cases above the first peak.\n\nThe R or reproduction number for the virus is now between 1 and 1.4 for the UK, reflecting the sharp rise in cases in recent weeks.\n\nSeparate ONS data suggests just under half (44%) of British adults formed a Christmas bubble.\n\nThese temporary rules let up to three households mix indoors on 25 December - unless they were living in a Tier 4 area.\n\nThe ONS estimated how much of the population had Covid in the week of 27 December- 2 January:\n\nThe ONS data suggests cases rose by three-quarters between its two most recent study periods: 12-18 December and 27 December - 2 January.\n\nThe ZOE Covid Symptom Study was able to track more recent changes since there was no pause in its research for Christmas.\n\nIt found the epidemic is growing throughout the UK.\n\nResearchers estimate the virus's reproduction or R number is currently 1.2 across the UK.\n\nBoth sources indicate London has the most severe epidemic with the highest number of cases.\n\nConfirmed cases, published on the government's dashboard, are always lower than those in surveys because they mainly reflect the test results of people coming in with symptoms.\n\nBoth the ONS and ZOE also look at asymptomatic cases - people who may not otherwise get tests.\n\nSome asymptomatic testing is now available in the community but it is not being widely taken up.\n\nAbout a fifth of people responding to a separate ONS survey looking at the social impacts of the pandemic, said they had found it difficult to follow the Christmas rules.\n\nAnd half of those gave the fact that they had already made plans as the reason.\n\nRules, which were set to allow everyone in the UK to mix in a five-day window, were changed at the last minute, on 19 December.\n\nIn England, people living in Tiers 1-3 were allowed to form a one-day Christmas bubble with a maximum of two other households.\n\nThose in Tier 4, including about 10 million people in Greater London, were not permitted to mix at all.\n\nMixing was permitted in Scotland and Wales for Christmas Day only.\n\nHow has coronavirus affected you? Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nOr use this form to get in touch:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your comment or send it via email to HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any comment you send in.", "The president says he hates Big Tech. Yet he has loved using Twitter.\n\nHe's used it as a way, for more than 10 years, to bypass the media and speak directly to voters.\n\nThe 280 characters fits neatly with his style of political engagement - broad brushstrokes rather than details.\n\nAnd Twitter has undoubtedly benefited from President Trump too, the place to go to hear the latest musings from the most powerful person on the planet.\n\nThat decade-long symbiosis has been ended with a shuddering halt.\n\nImmediately after the deadly riots, Twitter locked the President's Twitter feed and asked Mr Trump to delete three tweets for violations around its Civic Integrity policy., which he promptly did.\n\nAfter the suspension he tweeted as a new man, the nonsense claims of mass voter fraud replaced with a more conciliatory tone.\n\nPrivately though Twitter was pondering whether it had gone far enough. Facebook had already acted, banning Donald Trump \"indefinitely\".\n\nAfter more than 48 hours of consideration, Twitter acted. It made unquestionably the most important moderation decision in its history. It banned the president of the United States.\n\nSome have asked why he wasn't kicked off sooner.\n\nMr Trump or one of his associates appears to have deleted some of his most recent tweets\n\nWell, Twitter has very specific rules about world leaders.\n\n\"We recognise that sometimes it may be in the public interest to allow people to view tweets that would otherwise be taken down,\" Twitter's rules say.\n\n\"At present, we limit exceptions to one critical type of public-interest content - tweets from elected and government officials.\"\n\nChief executive Jack Dorsey had felt it was in the public interest to keep the account active, albeit with warning messages.\n\n\"No one is turning a blind eye,\" a senior source told the BBC before the ban.\n\nIn short, Mr Trump had been allowed to remain on Twitter - despite numerous breaches of its rules - because he is the president.\n\nWith less than two weeks to go of Trump's presidency, many social media companies have now decided enough is enough.\n\nCritics say the outgoing president's words on social media, for years, helped to incite Wednesday's storming of Capitol Hill.\n\nAll the big social media companies have made it clear that - as a private citizen - if you continually look to peddle conspiracy theories and promote extremism, you should expect to be kicked out. With just a few days of his presidency left, Mr Trump is already being held to a different standard - his privileges stripped.\n\nWhat's driving this? To be cynical, social media companies are acutely aware that President-elect Joe Biden believes Big Tech hasn't done enough to quell fake news and hate speech on their platforms.\n\nRioters broke into Congress after a speech by Mr Trump on Wednesday\n\nThey are now desperate to show that they can, in fact, police their own platforms without the need for stringent legal reforms.\n\nWhat better way to show you're serious than to act on Mr Trump's misinformation?\n\nWhat will Mr Trump do next? Well he's already said he's looking into the possibility of building his own platform in the future.\n\nBut for now he's consigned to the fringes of the internet. Can Trumpism survive without Big Tech? We're about to find out.\n\nJames Clayton is the BBC's North America technology reporter based in San Francisco. Follow him on Twitter @jamesclayton5.", "Fashion student Mhari Thurston-Tyler posted an advert for the \"crop top\" (right) on Depop after she says she found some discarded Chiltern Railways seat covers (like those on the left)\n\nA fashion student has been warned not to sell prohibited items on the clothes app, Depop, after she posted an advert for a top made from a train seat cover.\n\nMhari Thurston-Tyler made the bandeau out of a Chiltern Railways seat cover designed to promote social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic.\n\nThe 20-year-old sold the top for £15 but later refunded her customer and took the advert down.\n\nDepop said the item \"clearly violates our terms of service\".\n\nThe app for buying and selling second-hand clothes said the sale of stolen goods was banned - but Ms Thurston-Tyler denied stealing.\n\nShe told BBC News she found two of the blue seat covers \"balled up on the floor\" outside Marylebone station in London in September.\n\nMs Thurston-Tyler, who is a fashion student at Central Saint Martins, re-sewed one of the covers to make it fit her, before deciding to advertise the second cover on Depop.\n\n\"I have no money at the moment so decided to put the second one on Depop to see if anyone would buy it,\" she said, adding that the app had become her main source of income as she has struggled to find other work during the pandemic.\n\n\"I have to resort to little things like this to make ends meet, to pay the bills.\"\n\nMs Thurston-Tyler's advert went viral on social media after being shared by Depop Drama's Instagram and Twitter accounts.\n\nMhari Thurston-Tyler said she has been unable to find a job during the coronavirus pandemic and sells clothes on Depop \"to make ends meet\"\n\nIn the advert, Ms Thurston-Tyler models the seat cover and describes it as a \"social distancing crop\", adding: \"Got a few of these can do different sizes.\"\n\nMs Thurston-Tyler, from Kenilworth in Warwickshire, said a Depop customer paid her £15 and ordered a crop top \"in extra small\".\n\nBut realising she should not be making money out of Chiltern Railways' property, Ms Thurston-Tyler refunded the customer 15 minutes later and took the advert down shortly afterwards.\n\n\"I didn't steal it but I understand it's not right to re-sell it,\" she said.\n\nA Depop spokesperson said Ms Thurston-Tyler would be banned from the platform if she listed any other prohibited goods.\n\n\"We explicitly prohibit the sale of illegal and unlawful content on the app, including any stolen goods,\" they said.\n\n\"This item clearly violates our terms of service, but as it has been removed by the seller and is no longer for sale on the platform, we will not be taking immediate steps to ban this user.\"\n\nMs Thurston-Tyler said she hopes to make her own line of crop tops with the words \"children railways\" on the design, while \"the hype\" of the viral moment continues.\n\nChiltern Railways said it has been using the social distancing \"seat sashes\" since the beginning of the UK's Covid epidemic.\n\nA spokeswoman added: \"Whilst we appreciate this new take on railway memorabilia, these items are there to help customers travel with confidence and we would respectfully ask that they are left in place.\"", "A former Labour MP has quit the party before disciplinary proceedings against him concerning sexual harassment could be concluded, Labour has said.\n\nKelvin Hopkins was suspended by the party in 2017 after a Labour activist, Ava Etemadzadeh, accused him of inappropriate physical contact.\n\nMs Etemadzadeh said the ex-MP's exit from the party was \"disappointing\".\n\nThe BBC has attempted to contact Mr Hopkins, 79, for a response, but he has previously denied the accusations.\n\nA Labour spokesperson said it \"takes all complaints of sexual harassment extremely seriously and they are fully investigated in line with our rules and procedures, and any appropriate disciplinary action is taken.\n\n\"We are disappointed that the party's disciplinary processes did not reach a conclusion due to Kelvin Hopkins' decision to resign his membership,\" they added.\n\n\"We are establishing an independent process to investigate complaints, including sexual harassment, to ensure complainants can feel confident that in coming forward they will be heard and get the justice they deserve.\"\n\nMr Hopkins, who first won the seat of Luton North from the Conservatives in 1997, stood down ahead of the 2019 election - a decision, he said, which was to do with his wife's health, not the accusations.\n\nHe had originally been referred to the party's National Constitutional Committee following the allegations in 2017 and had expressed frustration at the length of time the hearing was taking.\n\nResponding to his decision to leave the party, Ms Etemadzadeh tweeted: \"This is very disappointing news. I hope Keir Starmer listens to my concerns and fixes this broken system.\"", "Film director Michael Apted, best known for the Up series of TV documentaries following the lives of 14 people every seven years, has died aged 79.\n\nHe also directed Coal Miner's Daughter, Gorillas In The Mist and the 1999 Bond movie The World Is Not Enough.\n\nThe original 7 Up in 1964 set out to document the life prospects of a range of children from all walks of life.\n\nThe show was inspired by the Aristotle quote \"give me a child until he is seven and I will show you the man\".\n\nThe first 7 Up show was followed by 14 Up at the start of the next decade, which interviewed the same children as teenagers - and the pattern was set right up until 63 Up in 2019.\n\nThroughout all those intervening years ITV viewers became engrossed with the stories of private school trio Andrew, Charles and John, of Jackie who went through two divorces, of Neil who went from jobless and homeless to Liberal Democrat councillor, and of working class chatterbox Tony, whose life ambition was to become a jockey.\n\nApted's shows - which won three Bafta awards - have often been described as the forerunner of modern-day reality TV series, giving its participants the time to tell their own stories on screen.\n\nBut unlike their modern counterparts, the original Up children tended to fade away from the limelight in the seven years between each chapter.\n\nIn 2008, Apted was made a companion of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George in the Queen's Birthday Honours for services to the British film and television industries.\n\nThomas Schlamme, president of the Directors Guild of America, said Apted was a \"fearless visionary\" whose legacy would live on.\n\nHe said Apted, who was born in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, \"saw the trajectory of things when others didn't and we were all beneficiaries of his wisdom and lifelong dedication\".\n\nITV's managing director Kevin Lygo said the director's six-decade career was \"in itself truly remarkable\".\n\nHe said the Up series \"demonstrated the possibilities of television at its finest in its ambition and its capacity to hold up a mirror to society and engage with and entertain people while enriching our perspective on the human condition\".\n\nApted directed the 19th James Bond film The World Is Not Enough\n\n\"The influence of Michael's contribution to film and programme-making continues to be felt and he will be sadly missed,\" Lygo added.\n\nMichael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, producers of the James Bond film franchise, said Apted \"was a director of enormous talent\" and \"beloved by all those who worked with him\".\n\n\"We loved working with him on The World Is Not Enough and send our love and support to his family, friends and colleagues,\" they said.\n\nA post on the Twitter account of the band Garbage, who performed the theme for The World Is Not Enough, labelled Apted a \"delightful, charming soul\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Garbage This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nComposer David G Arnold, who composed the Bond theme and worked with Apted on three other non-Bond movies, said he felt \"lucky\" to work with him.\n\n\"A more trusting, funny, friendly and, most importantly, kind, person you'd never meet. So pleased to have known him and so sad that he's gone,\" Arnold wrote on Twitter.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Eva's father, Paul Slapa, says the generosity of strangers has been \"amazing\"\n\nA 10-year-old girl who needed to travel to the United States for treatment on an inoperable brain tumour has died.\n\nFamily of Eva Williams raised £250,000 needed for a new life-extending trial.\n\nBut the schoolgirl, from Marford, Wrexham, was unable to travel due to coronavirus lockdown measures.\n\nAt the start of 2020, she was diagnosed with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) and died on Friday. Her father said in a tribute: \"We love you Eva - more than you'll have ever known.\"\n\nPaul Slapa, said on social media that his daughter was surrounded by all of her family when she died.\n\nHe posted: \"Over the past week, Eva had lost the ability to speak, eat and swallow fluids, and she has suffered more than any child should ever have to suffer.\n\n\"Watching her still fight each day has been heart-breaking.\n\n\"Eva is an inspiration to many, certainly to me, and I cannot begin to imagine how we will go forward from here.\n\n\"How do we wake up each day and go on? How do we face the world without our baby girl with us? Why did this happen to the most caring and loving of little girls?\n\n\"Every single part of us is in pain and I can't see how that can change. We love you Eva - more than you'll have ever known - and we will keep you with us every day for the rest of our lives.\"\n\nAfter Eva was diagnosed with a high-grade DIPG she had been undergoing radiotherapy treatment to shrink the tumour.\n\nHer father and mother Carran Williams started a fundraising campaign to access the trial treatment in the US, and managed to raise the money in the space of three weeks.\n\nThey had been originally due to take part in the trial in New York in April.\n\nBut then Covid-19 measures saw international flight bans and travel restrictions imposed.\n\nHer plight was raised by the Wrexham MP Sarah Atherton during Prime Minister's Questions in July and Boris Johnson said he would look at what help can be offered to get her to the United States.\n\nEva also had radiotherapy as part of her treatment", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Madrid has been hit by heavy snowfall after Storm Filomena\n\nStorm Filomena has blanketed parts of Spain in heavy snow, with half of the country on red alert for more on Saturday.\n\nRoad, rail and air travel has been disrupted and interior minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said the country was facing \"the most intense storm in the last 50 years\".\n\nMadrid, one of the worst affected areas, is set to see up to 20cm (eight inches) of snow in the next 24 hours.\n\nFurther south the storm caused rivers to burst their banks.\n\nFour deaths have been reported so far as a result of Filomena. Officials said two people had been found frozen to death - one in the town of Zarzalejo, north-west of Madrid, and the other in the eastern city of Calatayud. Two people travelling in a car were swept away by floods near the southern city of Malaga.\n\nAs snow fell on Madrid on Friday evening, a number of vehicles became stranded on a motorway near the capital.\n\nThe city's Barajas airport has closed, along with a number of roads, and all trains to and from Madrid have been cancelled.\n\nFirefighters were called in to assist drivers who had become stuck. In some areas the military were called in to help clear roads.\n\nSpanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez urged people to stay at home and to follow the instructions of emergency services. King Felipe and Queen Letizia took to Twitter to urge \"extreme caution against the risks of accumulation of ice and snow\".\n\nThe country's AEMET weather agency said the snowfall was \"exceptional and most likely historic\".\n\nA number of people were seen making the most of the snowy scenery, walking through Madrid's Puerta del Sol square.\n\nLarge parks in Madrid have since been closed as a precaution, AFP news agency reports.\n\nOne man was pictured skiing along the Gran Via, the capital's famous shopping street.\n\nIn Cañada Real, the largest shanty town in western Europe, residents were seen creating a bonfire to keep warm.\n\nThe cold weather is set to continue beyond the weekend with temperatures in Madrid predicted to hit -12C on Thursday.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.", "Bez in training for his new exercise classes in a park in Manchester\n\nHappy Mondays star Bez is to launch his own lockdown fitness classes to inspire the nation like Joe Wicks.\n\nThe former maraca-shaking dancer, 56, wants to rival Joe Wicks with his online YouTube classes \"Get Buzzin' With Bez\" to be launched on 17 January.\n\nBez, whose on-stage \"freaky dancing\" made him an icon of the 'Madchester' music scene, has admitted he also wants to budge his own lockdown bulge.\n\nHe won Celebrity Big Brother in 2005 and even made a bid to become an MP.\n\nBez, whose real name is Mark Berry, will be shown being trained in the fitness classes rather than acting as the instructor himself.\n\nHe said: \"I'd like to think I'm somewhere between Joe Wicks and Mr Motivator.\n\n\"I've started this new year seriously unfit, with a fat belly and creaky hips, and I can't stop eating chocolate.\n\n\"Last lockdown I got unfit, fat, lazy and into some seriously bad eating habits.\n\nBez being put through his paces with a personal trainer\n\n\"This year, this lockdown, I need to sort it out sharpish.\"\n\nHe said that people can join him on \"on this mad journey or just sit on the sofa and have a good laugh at me\".\n\nBez said he has \"started this new year seriously unfit, with a fat belly and creaky hips\"\n\nThe former dancer added: \"At the very least, I know I'll be making people smile, at best I'll be helping people get fit and mentally happier alongside me.\"\n\nThe Happy Mondays, along with bands like The Stone Roses and Inspiral Carpets, spearheaded the indie music 'Madchester' scene of the late 80s and early 90s.\n\nBez dancing with his maraca on BBC One's Top of the Pops as the band perform Step On in 1989\n\nBez's bug-eyed dance routines were said to have inspired the group's song Freaky Dancin' and made him one of the best-known members of the group, alongside frontman Shaun Ryder.\n\nTheir hits included Step On, Kinky Afro, Hallelujah and 24 Hour Party People.\n\nHowever, serious drug habits and infighting led to the Salford band's breakup in 1993.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Lockdown measures in England need to be stricter to achieve the same impact as the March shutdown, scientists advising the government have said.\n\nProf Robert West said the current rules were \"still allowing a lot of activity which is spreading the virus\".\n\nProf Susan Michie also said the spread of the new more infectious variant meant the restrictions were \"too lax\".\n\nThe government said it had adapted its approach and taken \"swift action\" to try and stop the spread of the virus.\n\nThe warnings come after ministers launched a new campaign urging people to act like they have the virus.\n\nMeanwhile, Buckingham Palace has said the Queen, 94, and the Duke of Edinburgh, 99, received Covid-19 vaccinations on Saturday.\n\nUnder the national lockdown, people in England must stay at home and can only go out for essential reasons. Similar measures are in place across much of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.\n\nProf West, a participant in the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Behaviours (SPI-B), which advises the government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), said the new variant of Covid is around 50% more infectious compared to the virus that infected people last March.\n\n\"That means that if we were to achieve the same result as we got in March we would have to have a stricter lockdown, and it's not stricter,\" he said\n\nThe professor of health psychology at University College London, also told the BBC more children were going to school, compared to the first lockdown and he said schools were \"a very important seed of community infection\".\n\nMore people are in schools, after the Department for Education has widened the categories of vulnerable and key worker pupils allowed to attend, with attendance rates surging to 50% in some places.\n\nProf Michie, who is also a member of Sage, agreed the current lockdown was \"too lax\".\n\n\"When you look at the data, it shows that almost 90% of people are overwhelmingly adhering to the rules - despite the fact that we're also seeing more people out and about,\" she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.\n\nShe said in comparison to the first lockdown last spring more people were allowed to go out to work and children's nurseries were open, making public transport busier.\n\nThe number of people travelling by public transport in London has decreased since the latest national lockdown began, with tube journeys now at 18% of the pre-pandemic demand and bus journeys at 30%, according to figures from Transport for London.\n\nHowever, during the first lockdown passenger numbers fell below 10% at some points.\n\nProf Michie, a professor of health psychology at University College London, added that the winter season posed extra challenges because the virus survives longer in the cold and people spend more time indoors, where the virus can spread more easily.\n\nCombined with the more transmissible new variant, she said \"we should have a stricter rather than less strict lockdown than we had back in March\".\n\nScientists believe the new variant spreads between 50 and 70% faster compared to previous forms of the virus.\n\nDr Adam Kucharski, another scientist advising the government and an associate professor of infectious disease epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, said that because the new variant was more transmissible \"each interaction we have has become riskier than it was before\".\n\nHe said that even if people reduced their contacts to levels seen last spring, it would not have the same effect on virus transmission.\n\nProf Kevin Fenton, London regional director for Public Health England, said there were \"things we could do better\" to reduce the number of infections, including greater compliance with mask wearing and social distancing when shopping and using public transport.\n\nOn Friday 1,325 deaths within 28 days of a positive Covid test were recorded in the UK - the highest daily figure yet - along with 68,053 new cases.\n\nAs cases and deaths soar, the government has launched an advertising campaign, which will be shared across television, radio, newspapers and on social media, urging people to stay at home and not to get complacent.\n\nGovernment sources say there is also likely to be more focus from police on enforcing rather than explaining rules.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Department of Health and Social Care This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. End of twitter post by Department of Health and Social Care\n\nPrime Minister Boris Johnson says hospitals are \"under more pressure than at any other time since the start of the pandemic\", with infection rates increasing at an \"alarming rate\" across the country and the NHS under \"severe strain\".\n\nIt comes after London's mayor Sadiq Khan said the spread of coronavirus was \"out of control\" as he declared a \"major incident\" in the capital on Friday.\n\nDr Simon Walsh, an emergency care doctor in London, told BBC Breakfast the \"unprecedented\" numbers of patients requiring intensive care treatment meant staff were spread \"more and more thinly\".\n\nHospitals in other parts of the UK are also under pressure.\n\nDr Justin Varney, director of public health in Birmingham, said he was \"very worried\" about the situation in the city, where hospital bosses have warned they do not have enough intensive care nurses to deal with the growing case load.\n\nHe warned that the NHS had still not seen the impact of the rise in cases following the relaxation of restrictions over Christmas and added: \"It is going to get a lot, lot worse unless we really get this under control\".\n\nA government spokesperson said: \"Our priority from the outset has been to protect the NHS to save lives and we have taken advice from scientific and medical experts throughout. As new evidence has emerged, we have adapted our approach and taken swift action to try and stop the spread of the virus.\"\n\nTell us how you have been affected by coronavirus by emailing: haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "More than 80,000 people have died in the UK within 28 days of a positive Covid test since the start of the pandemic, official figures have shown.\n\nA further 1,035 deaths in the UK were reported on Saturday, taking the total by that measure to 80,868.\n\nThe number of daily cases of people who tested positive for coronavirus increased by 59,937.\n\nOnly the US, Brazil, India and Mexico have recorded more Covid deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.\n\nIt is the fourth day in a row that the UK has reported more than 1,000 daily deaths.\n\nIt comes as scientists advising the government have warned that lockdown measures in England need to be stricter to achieve the same impact as the March shutdown.\n\nMinisters have launched a new campaign urging people to act like they have the virus.\n\nMeanwhile, Buckingham Palace has said the Queen, 94, and the Duke of Edinburgh, 99, received Covid-19 vaccinations on Saturday.\n\nThe Office for National Statistics recently estimated as many as one in 50 people in England had coronavirus between 27 December and 2 January, while in London it was one in 30.\n\nOn Friday, mayor Sadiq Khan said the spread of Covid in the capital was \"out of control\".\n\nOfficial figures from Public Health England showed London had the highest regional case rate in the UK, exceeding 1,000 per 100,000 people.\n\nUnder the national lockdown, people in England must stay at home and can only go out for essential reasons. Similar measures are in place across most of Scotland, in Wales and Northern Ireland.\n\nProf Robert West, a participant in the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Behaviours (SPI-B), which advises the government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), said the current rules were \"still allowing a lot of activity which is spreading the virus\".\n\nHe said the new variant of Covid was around 50% more infectious compared to the virus that infected people last March.\n\n\"That means that if we were to achieve the same result as we got in March we would have to have a stricter lockdown, and it (the current regime) is not stricter,\" he added.\n\nThe professor of health psychology at University College London also told the BBC more children were going to school, compared to during the first lockdown.\n\nHe said schools were \"a very important seed of community infection\".\n\nMore children are at school, after the Department for Education widened the categories of vulnerable and key worker pupils allowed to attend. Attendance rates have risen to 50% in some places.\n\nProf Susan Michie, who is also a member of Sage, said the spread of the new, more infectious variant meant current restrictions were \"too lax\".\n\n\"When you look at the data, it shows that almost 90% of people are overwhelmingly adhering to the rules - despite the fact that we're also seeing more people out and about,\" she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.\n\nShe said, in comparison to the first lockdown in spring 2020, more people were allowed to go out to work and children's nurseries were open, making public transport busier.\n\nThe number of people travelling by public transport in London has decreased since the latest national lockdown began, with tube journeys now at 18% of the pre-pandemic demand and bus journeys at 30%, according to figures from Transport for London.\n\nHowever, during the first lockdown passenger numbers fell below 10% at some points.\n\nScientists believe the new variant spreads between 50 and 70% faster compared to previous forms of the virus.\n\nProf Kevin Fenton, London regional director for Public Health England, said there were \"things we could do better\" to reduce the number of infections, including greater compliance with mask wearing and social distancing when shopping and using public transport.\n\nTorsten Bell, chief executive of the Resolution Foundation think tank, told BBC Radio 4's PM programme that the UK's statutory sick pay system was \"not fit for purpose for a pandemic\" and more effective measures to encourage people to isolate were needed.\n\nAs cases and deaths soar, the government has launched an advertising campaign, which will be shared across television, radio, newspapers and on social media, urging people to stay at home and not to get complacent.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Department of Health and Social Care This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. End of twitter post by Department of Health and Social Care\n\nPrime Minister Boris Johnson said: \"I know the last year has taken its toll - but your compliance is now more vital than ever.\"\n\nGovernment sources say there is also likely to be more focus from police on enforcing rather than explaining rules.\n\nOn Saturday afternoon, 12 people were arrested during an anti-lockdown protest in south London.\n\nIf you would like to send us a tribute to a friend or family member who died after contracting coronavirus, please use the form below.\n\nPlease remember to include a photo of your loved one and their name. Upload your pictures here. Don't forget to include your contact details, so we can get in touch with you.\n\nWe would like to respond to everyone individually and include every tribute in our coverage, but unfortunately that may not be possible. Please be assured your message will be read and treated with the utmost respect.\n\nPlease note the contact details you provide will never be published. Please ensure you have read our terms & conditions and privacy policy.\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your tribute.\n• None Lockdown needs to be stricter, scientists warn", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. London mayor Sadiq Khan: \"Unless the virus reduces... we could run out of beds\"\n\nThe spread of Covid in London is \"out of control\" according to Sadiq Khan, who has declared a \"major incident\".\n\nThe coronavirus infection rate in London has exceeded 1,000 per 100,000 people, based on the latest figures from Public Health England.\n\nHowever, the Office for National Statistics recently estimated as many as one in 30 Londoners has coronavirus.\n\nMr Khan told BBC political reporter Karl Mercer that the figure is as high as one in 20 in some parts of London.\n\nMajor incidents have previously been called for the Grenfell Tower fire in June 2017 and the terror attacks at Westminster Bridge and London Bridge.\n\nA major incident is any emergency that requires the implementation of special arrangements by one or all of the emergency services, the NHS or the local authority.\n\nIt means the emergency services and hospitals cannot guarantee their normal level of response.\n\nCurrently, there are more than 7,000 people in hospital with Covid-19, the mayor said.\n\nThis is a 35% increase compared to last April's peak of the pandemic, he added.\n\nDr Samantha Batt-Rawden, an ICU registrar and President of the Doctors' Association UK, tweeted: \"We tried. We really tried. NHS staff pleaded with people that Christmas is not worth it. Now one in 30 people in London have Covid and ICUs are overwhelmed. My heart is broken.\"\n\nAn analysis of Public Health England figures show in the week to 3 January, the number of cases rose across all of the London's boroughs compared with the previous week, with 17 individually recording more than 1,000 cases per 100,000 people.\n\nTesting increased in parts of the city after a drop over the Christmas period but positivity was high among people taking lab-based tests - suggesting more testing is needed to find undiagnosed cases in the community.\n\nIn the past week, many parts of the capital saw a rise in deaths where a person had tested positive for coronavirus in the previous 28 days - with some areas recording more than double the number of deaths compared with the previous week.\n\nHowever, reporting over the Christmas period may have affected this.\n\nOut of the 18 acute hospital trusts in London providing figures to the government, all of them recorded having more beds being filled by coronavirus patients than in the previous week.\n\nBarts NHS Health, one of London's largest trusts, saw a 30% increase in coronavirus patients between 29 December and 5 January, to 830.\n\nThe London Ambulance Service is now taking up to 8,000 emergency calls a day, the mayor says\n\nThe mayor of London's announcement comes after the counties of Sussex and Surrey declared similar major incidents on Thursday.\n\nHe said the London Ambulance Service was currently taking up to 8,000 emergency calls a day, compared to 5,500 on a typical busy day.\n\nThe London Fire Brigade said more than 100 firefighters had been drafted in to drive ambulances to help cope with the demand.\n\nEvery frontline agency involved in protecting the public has a legal duty to prepare for emergencies by devising and testing major incident plans.\n\nThese public bodies declare a major incident when the situation they're confronting is so big or terrible that it's not only likely to cause serious harm, but it will also compromise their ability to respond effectively.\n\nIn general terms, that means public bodies can legally stop delivering some everyday services, so that their personnel, attention and resources can be diverted to the emergency confronting them.\n\nAt other times, the plans will lead to the military sending soldiers to aid the civilian effort, as we have seen already during the pandemic.\n\nPrevious major incidents include the Grenfell Tower disaster in London, the Salisbury Novichok poisonings and the 2017 terrorism attacks.\n\nLondon's regional director for Public Health England Kevin Fenton said the current wave of coronavirus was \"the biggest threat\" the capital has faced in this pandemic to date.\n\nHe added: \"The emergence of the new variant means we are setting record case rates at almost double the national average, with at least one in 30 people now thought to be carrying the virus.\n\n\"We know this will sadly lead to large numbers of deaths, so strong and immediate action is needed.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. What does it mean if the NHS is overwhelmed?\n\nMr Khan is warning that London is \"at crisis point\".\n\n\"If we do not take immediate action now, our NHS could be overwhelmed and more people will die,\" he said.\n\n\"Londoners continue to make huge sacrifices and I am today imploring them to please stay at home unless it is absolutely necessary for you to leave. Stay at home to protect yourself, your family, friends and other Londoners and to protect our NHS.\"\n\nHe said he had written to Prime Minister Boris Johnson asking for more financial support for Londoners who need to self-isolate and are unable to work, and for daily vaccination data.\n\nMr Khan also called for the closure of places of worship and for face masks to be worn routinely outside the home, including in crowded places and supermarket queues, in a bid to curb case numbers.\n\nTwo hospital trusts in London have recorded more than 1,000 coronavirus deaths\n\nThe mayor of London was in a sombre mood when I spoke to him earlier this afternoon. One in 20 Londoners in some areas now has Covid, and there is a real fear that hospitals will simply be overwhelmed in the next two weeks.\n\nDeclaring a major incident is a real indication of the levels of concern felt not just at City Hall but across London's emergency services and the NHS.\n\nMore Londoners are now in hospital with coronavirus than at the peak of the first wave last April - and those numbers are growing by more than 800 every day.\n\nIt's believed the last mayor to declare a London-wide major incident was Boris Johnson in response to the 2011 riots.\n\nThe coming days will be some of the most challenging in the city's recent history.\n\nKatie Sanderson, a junior doctor working in London, said she is worried how long medical staff can cope with the surge of patients.\n\n\"[Staff] are working on wards and spending long amounts of time with patients who need high-intensive oxygen therapy,\" she said.\n\n\"It is technically challenging and the emotional burden is enormous. I see it in a flatness in their demeanour, like we've all got used to doing things which before were totally inconceivable.\"\n\nGeorgia Gould, chair of London Councils, described London's rising coronavirus rate as \"dangerous\".\n\nShe added: \"One in 30 Londoners now has Covid. This is why public services across London are urging all Londoners to please stay at home except for absolutely essential shopping and exercise.\n\n\"This is a dark and difficult time for our city but there is light at end of the tunnel with the vaccine rollout. We are asking Londoners to come together one last time to stop the spread - lives really do depend on it.\"\n\nEarlier this week as the prime minister introduced an England-wide lockdown, the Met Police said officers were going to be \"more inquisitive\" towards Londoners seen outside.\n\nThe Met handed out 1,761 fines for breaches of coronavirus laws between 27 March and 20 December.\n\nDeputy Assistant Commissioner Matt Twist said the major incident was a \"stark reminder\" of the point London is at in the pandemic.\n\nHe said: \"These rule-breakers cannot continue to feign ignorance of the risk that this virus poses or listen to the false information and lies that some promote downplaying the dangers.\n\n\"Every time the virus spreads it increases the risk of someone needlessly losing their life.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. 'One of the worst shifts of my life - it's overwhelming'\n\nIn response to Mr Khan's announcement the government said the NHS is continuing to \"face a huge challenge\"\n\nA spokeswoman added: \"It is absolutely paramount people in London, and the rest of the country, follow the rules and stay at home to protect the NHS and save lives.\n\n\"We are working closely with NHS England to support hospitals in the capital, including additional bed capacity at the London Nightingale.\n\n\"Financial support is in place for workers who need to self-isolate - including a £500 payment for those on the lowest incomes who have been contacted by NHS Test and Trace.\"\n\nFor more London news follow on Facebook, on Twitter, on Instagram and subscribe to our YouTube channel.\n\nHave any of the issues raised in this article had an impact on you? You can share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "This car was one of many turned away by police at Moel Famau on Saturday\n\nPeople are \"blatantly\" ignoring rules on lockdown restrictions despite repeated warnings, police have said.\n\nMore than 100 cars had been turned away from Moel Famau on the Flintshire border by Saturday lunchtime, with some driving past \"road closed\" signs.\n\nIn Snowdonia, Gwynedd, a warden said a group from Leicester would have \"probably ignored our advice\" if police had not arrived and told them to leave.\n\nLevel four restrictions mean travelling for exercise is not allowed in Wales.\n\nKeith Ellis, a warden at Pen y Pass in Snowdonia, said while it had been much quieter this weekend, people were still travelling, despite the restrictions.\n\n\"We've had three from Leicester first thing this morning and if the police hadn't turned up they would have probably ignored our advice and carried on up the mountain,\" he said.\n\n\"What they were wearing was totally inappropriate and they would have probably got into danger.\n\n\"We've had people also from Liverpool and some locals turning up knowing full well what the rules are, but just trying it on.\n\n\"Luckily there are a lot more police officers around and all these people have been spoken to and advised by the police as well.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by NWP Rural Crime Team /Tîm Troseddau Cefn Gwlad HGC This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nA Welsh Government spokesman said: \"Cases of coronavirus are very high in Wales at the moment and there is a new strain of the virus circulating, which is highly infectious and moving quickly.\n\n\"At alert level four, exercise should always be undertaken from home, unless you have special circumstances which requires some flexibility - such as disability or autism.\n\n\"The more people gather, the greater the risk of spreading or catching the virus.\"", "A further 1,610 people have died in the UK within 28 days of a positive Covid test - the biggest figure reported in a single day since the pandemic began.\n\nIt means the total number of deaths by that measure is now above 90,000.\n\nA total of 4,266,577 people have now received the first dose of a vaccine, according to the latest government figures.\n\nAnother 33,355 positive Covid cases have been recorded - less than half the peak figure of 68,053 on 8 January.\n\nIt is the lowest number of daily cases seen since 27 December - before the start of England's third nationwide lockdown.\n\nDr Yvonne Doyle, medical director at Public Health England, said: \"Whilst there are some early signs that show our sacrifices are working, we must continue to strictly abide by the measures in place.\"\n\nShe said reducing contact with others and staying at home will lead to \"a fall in the number of infections over time\".\n\nThe figures come as new estimates from the Office for National Statistics show about one in 10 people across the UK tested positive for Covid-19 antibodies in December - roughly double the October figure.\n\nThe rising number of deaths was to be expected, sadly, after the surge in cases during December.\n\nAnd it is likely that the coming weeks will see figures even higher than this.\n\nToday's numbers are, though, inflated by the fact that delays in registering deaths over the weekend tends to lead to higher figures being reported on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.\n\nOn average, the UK is recording more than 1,100 deaths a day.\n\nTo put that in context, at Christmas it was less than half of that.\n\nBut there are two rays of hope in the daily update.\n\nFirstly, the number of cases is below 40,000 for a third day in a row. Just two weeks ago we saw a few days above 60,000.\n\nThat means in the coming weeks we should start to see fewer people in hospital and eventually fewer deaths.\n\nThe number of vaccinations also continues to rise.\n\nIt seems unlikely the NHS will manage its target of two million doses a week just yet.\n\nBut each increase at least takes us one step closer to getting on top of the virus.\n\nMeanwhile, NHS England said 400 military personnel were now assisting in hospitals in London and the Midlands, as wards face \"unprecedented pressure\".\n\nOn Monday, Prof Stephen Powis, national medical director for NHS England, said it would be \"some time\" before the vaccination programme begins to reduce pressures on hospitals.\n\nAnd in other developments, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said he is self-isolating after being alerted by the UK's NHS Covid-19 app .that he had been in close contact with somebody who tested positive.\n\nHe said self-isolation was \"perhaps the most important part of all the social distancing\" and urged others to do the same if contacted.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Martin Freeborn's wife, Helen, died from Covid at the Royal London Hospital: 'Don't end up like us, please'\n\nThe previous highest number of daily deaths was last Wednesday, when 1,564 deaths were recorded.\n\nTuesday's figure brings the total number of deaths recorded during the pandemic in the UK to 91,470.\n\nThese government figures count people who died within 28 days of testing positive, but there are other ways of measuring the total number of deaths.\n\nAnother method is to count all deaths where coronavirus is mentioned on the death certificate. That figure has now officially reached 95,829, although that is only measured up to 8 January.\n\nThe UK has recorded the fifth-highest number of deaths globally, according to Johns Hopkins University - behind the US, Brazil, India and Mexico.\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer tweeted: \"British people are paying the price for the government's serial incompetence.\"", "In 2009, Spector was convicted of the 2003 murder of Hollywood actress Lana Clarkson\n\nThe BBC has apologised for the original headline in its reporting of the death of the convicted murderer Phil Spector.\n\nThe former music producer died on Saturday at the age of 81, while serving a prison sentence for the murder of Lana Clarkson in 2003.\n\nThe first version on the breaking news story on the BBC News website carried the headline: \"Talented but flawed producer Phil Spector dies aged 81\".\n\nThe BBC said the headline \"did not meet our editorial standards\".\n\nThe text was quickly changed to: \"Pop producer jailed for murder dies at 81.\"\n\n\"This was changed within minutes and we also deleted a tweet that had gone out automatically with the original headline,\" a statement issued by the BBC read.\n\n\"We apologise for this error.\"\n\n\"Our coverage of the story across BBC News has been clear that Phil Spector was convicted of the murder of Lana Clarkson and had a long history of violence and abuse,\" it continued.\n\nSpector was convicted of murdering Clarkson, an actress, in 2009.\n\nHis death was confirmed by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.\n\nReacting to the original version of the BBC's story, pop star Lily Allen tweeted: \"Rolling eyes at all the journos deliberately downplaying Phil Spector being a murderer in their headlines, so everyone points this out while linking to their articles resulting in lots of clicks.\"\n\n\"How about 'Murderer, Phil Spector dies aged 81'?\" offered author and historian Hallie Rubenhold.\n\nThe headline was also discussed on TV and radio programmes on Monday, including Loose Women and Radio 4's Woman's Hour, and prompted an article in the Guardian.\n\nThe phrasing of the BBC's article - and others like it - were \"a reflection of how a man's 'genius' is often viewed as more important than a woman's humanity,\" said columnist Arwa Mahdawi.\n\nSpector, who transformed pop with his \"wall of sound\" recordings, worked with The Beatles, The Righteous Brothers and Tina Turner.\n\nBut after the commercial failure of Tina Turner's River Deep, Mountain High, he largely withdrew from public life, and entered a long decline, marked by erratic behaviour, heavy drinking, and a fondness for guns.\n\nHis turbulent marriage to Ronettes singer Veronica Bennett, known as Ronnie Spector, ended in divorce.\n\n\"Unfortunately Phil was not able to live and function outside of the recording studio,\" she wrote after his death was announced. \"Darkness set in, many lives were damaged.\"\n\nSinger Darlene Love, who sang on several songs Spector produced, said he \"changed the sound of rock 'n' roll\" but likened their relationship to \"a bad marriage\".\n\n\"The problem I have with Phil is that he wanted to control Darlene Love's talent,\" she told Variety. \"If he couldn't do that, he was going to do everything in his power to keep my talent from shining.\"\n\nWeeks before Lana Clarkson was shot dead, Spector gave a rare interview to British broadsheet The Telegraph.\n\n\"I would say I'm probably relatively insane, to an extent,\" he told the paper, adding that he had \"devils inside that fight me\".\n\nFollow us on Facebook or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "In Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, residents have prepared their homes and businesses ahead of the heavy rain\n\nEmergency services in the north of England are preparing for widespread flooding caused by Storm Christoph.\n\nThe Environment Agency has warned of a \"volatile situation\" as heavy rain combines with melting snow, while police in South Yorkshire and Greater Manchester declared major incidents.\n\nAn amber rain warning is in place for Yorkshire, the North West, East Midlands and the east of England.\n\nA yellow rain warning was issued for the rest of the country.\n\nGreater Manchester Police Assistant Chief Constable Nick Bailey said the force had declared a major incident to ensure it was \"as prepared as possible\".\n\n\"The safety of the public is our number one priority and we're continuing to work alongside partner agencies across the region,\" he said.\n\nA government spokesperson said it had provided additional advice to local agencies to help them manage any evacuations and shelter provision in a Covid-secure way.\n\n\"The government has robust plans in place to support any areas affected by extreme weather this winter,\" they added.\n\nSandbags were laid in at-risk areas, with up to 70mm (2.75in) of rain due.\n\nIn isolated spots, particularly in the northern Peak District and parts of the southern Pennines, 200mm (7.87in) could be possible.\n\nNorthern Rail said buses were being used instead of trains on services between Bolton and Blackburn due to flooding at Darwen.\n\nSome motorists attempted to drive through floodwater on Derby Road in Hathern, Leicestershire\n\nIn the amber warning area, the Met Office said there was a \"danger to life\" due to fast-flowing or deep floodwater, and told some communities they might be \"cut off\" by flooded roads.\n\nIt also predicted delays and cancellations to public transport, with the amber warning in place until 12:00 GMT on Thursday.\n\nRos Jones, mayor of Doncaster, said key risk areas had been inspected over the past 36 hours, with the delivery of sandbags continuing on Tuesday.\n\n\"I do not want people to panic, but flooding is possible so please be prepared,\" she said.\n\nResidents of Fishlake, South Yorkshire, which saw severe flooding hit 160 homes and businesses in November 2019, said they felt much better prepared this time round.\n\nFlood warden and parish councillor Peter Trimingham said the arrival of sandbags had been a welcome sight.\n\n\"It gives us confidence,\" he said.\n\nResidents in Fishlake, near Doncaster, say they are better prepared than when flooding hit in 2019\n\nMr Trimingham added: \"We're absolutely hoping it doesn't rise to the same level. But, if it does, we're reasonably comfortable we've still got a chance because the Environment Agency have done tremendous work here along with Doncaster Council.\"\n\nHe said new defences had been built and their team of flood wardens had been expanded to 22 people.\n\nOn Yarlborough Terrace in Bentley, Doncaster, many residents were out of their homes for months after the 2019 floods.\n\nAnna Booth, 37, who was forced to live in a caravan on her drive, said residents were worried about it happening again.\n\n\"Being in the pandemic doesn't help either. Morale's a bit down but I think we'll all pull together again like last time,\" she said.\n\n\"It breaks your heart, it's really sad, but we can't stop the weather.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe Environment Agency issued more than 30 flood warnings, meaning flooding is expected and immediate action required, covering parts of Yorkshire, Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, Merseyside, Staffordshire and Northamptonshire as of 03:00 GMT on Wednesday.\n\nThere are also more than 150 flood alerts, meaning flooding is possible, issued across northern England, the Midlands and the east.\n\nRiver levels in the Ouse, which flows through York in North Yorkshire, are high before the arrival of Storm Christoph\n\nCatherine Wright, acting executive director for flood and coastal risk management at the Environment Agency, said: \"That rain is falling on very wet ground and so we are very concerned that it's a very volatile situation and we are expecting significant flooding to occur on the back of that weather.\"\n\nShe said the agency would be working with local authorities to help with evacuation efforts should a severe flood warning be issued, adding: \"If you do need to evacuate then that is allowed within the Covid rules.\"\n\nWork took place on Tuesday morning to increase defences near the River Ouse\n\nDiscussing the different levels of flood warnings, she said: \"If you receive a flood alert, please pack valuables like medicines and insurance documents in a bag ready to go.\n\n\"If you receive a flood warning, please move valuables and precious possessions upstairs and be ready to turn off gas, electricity and water.\n\n\"If you receive a severe flood warning, which means you will be evacuated, please listen out and take heed of the advice from the local emergency services.\"\n\nSandbags have been used to help defend homes in Fishlake, Doncaster, which suffered devastating floods in November 2019\n\nBarry Greenwood, from the Upper Calder Valley Flood Prevention Group in West Yorkshire, has been \"sick\" with worry.\n\n\"I went round after the last [flood], people were there with their heads in their hands, thinking 'what am I going to do now?',\" he said.\n\nFlood sirens were sounded in Walsden on Tuesday evening after a flood warning was issued for the area.\n\nIn a tweet, Calderdale Council asked residents to put their flood plan into action and move valuables to a safe place.\n\n\"River levels across the Upper River Calder have risen and are now approaching levels where we expect properties to flood,\" it warned.\n\nEarlier it had said staff were on standby to respond overnight.\n\nThe amber rain warning is in place until Thursday, with yellow warnings covering most of the UK coming in over the next three days\n\nA yellow rain alert is also in place for Wales, Northern Ireland, central and northern England and southern Scotland on Tuesday.\n\nThis yellow warning extends to the rest of England from Wednesday, with a yellow alert for snow and ice in north east Scotland.\n\nHighways England advised drivers to take extra care on motorways and major A roads, while the RAC breakdown service said motorists should only drive if absolutely necessary.\n\nDrivers faced wet road conditions and reduced visibility on the A1(M) near Boston Spa, West Yorkshire, on Tuesday morning\n\nHebden Bridge's volunteer flood warden Keith Crabtree has been monitoring the river levels of Hebden Beck closely\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Sheku Bayoh death: Eyewitness says stamping attack on officer 'never happened'\n\nTwo police officers involved in the death of a black man they were restraining may have provided false statements, the BBC can reveal.\n\nThey said Sheku Bayoh carried out a stamping attack on a female PC before he was brought to the ground and restrained by up to six officers.\n\nBut now an eyewitness has spoken publicly for the first time about the 2015 incident.\n\nHe told a Panorama investigation that the stamping attack \"never happened\".\n\nThe Scottish Police Federation said its officers had cooperated truthfully with investigators.\n\nMr Bayoh, a 31-year-old father of two, died in the incident in the Fife town of Kirkcaldy in 2015.\n\nA public inquiry into the circumstances surrounding his death has recently got under way. One of its tasks is to examine whether his race was a factor.\n\nSheku Bayoh was restrained on the ground for five minutes before falling unconscious\n\nOn the night of 2 May 2015, Sheku Bayoh had taken drugs, which friends said dramatically altered his behaviour.\n\nPolice were called early the following morning after he was spotted behaving erratically with a knife in the streets of his home town.\n\nAccording to police statements, by the time the officers arrived at the scene Mr Bayoh no longer had the knife but he failed to obey instructions to get down on the ground.\n\nEach of the officers used force on Mr Bayoh within seconds of encountering him, including CS Spray and batons.\n\nHe then punched PC Nicole Short, who went to the ground.\n\nTwo officers, PCs Craig Walker and Ashley Tomlinson, would later tell investigators that Mr Bayoh then carried out a violent stamping attack on PC Short while she lay on the ground, a claim reported widely in the media.\n\nThe stamping attack was widely reported in the newspapers\n\nPC Walker told investigators: \"I had a clear view of him… he had his arms raised up at right angles to his body and brought his right foot down in a full-force stamp on to her lower back.\"\n\nPC Tomlinson said: \"I thought he had killed her. He stomped on her back again.\"\n\nNow, evidence obtained by Panorama suggests these accounts may be false.\n\nMr Bayoh was restrained on the ground for five minutes before falling unconscious. He was pronounced dead at hospital a short time later.\n\nA post-mortem examination report revealed 23 separate injuries to Mr Bayoh's body, including a broken rib and gashes to his head. The cause of death was recorded as \"sudden death in a man intoxicated [with drugs] whilst under restraint\".\n\nIn 2018, the Crown Office in Scotland decided there would be no prosecutions against any officers involved.\n\nKevin Nelson gave evidence to investigators two days after the incident\n\nKevin Nelson was in a nearby house and saw events unfold over a garden hedge.\n\nHe gave his account to investigators from Pirc (Police Investigations and Review Commissioner), which investigates deaths in custody, two days after the incident.\n\nSpeaking publicly for the first time, Mr Nelson told Panorama he saw Mr Bayoh attempt to walk away from the officers, ignoring their commands, before being sprayed with CS spray. He said Mr Bayoh retaliated and punched PC Short.\n\nAsked if there had been any further contact with PC Short, he said, \"No. He was running off… after the punch, there was no more attack on her at all.\"\n\nMr Nelson said Mr Bayoh ran off from where PC Short went down and was quickly intercepted by the other officers.\n\nAsked about PC Walker's claim that Mr Bayoh had \"his arms raised up… and brought his right foot down in a full force stamp\", Mr Nelson said: \"That never happened. I didn't see him stamping at all or, other than the punch, any raised arms.\n\n\"After the punch, that was it. There was no more attack on her at all. That's not right.\"\n\nThe officers provided their accounts to investigators 32 days after Mr Bayoh's death.\n\nMr Nelson said no-one from Pirc returned to ask about the discrepancy between their account and his.\n\nThe eyewitness said he decided to speak out because it was unfair on Mr Bayoh's family that the officers had \"made the incident worse than it actually was to justify what had happened and… that's not right\".\n\nMr Nelson's account is supported by CCTV footage of the incident, obtained by the BBC.\n\nIt is poor quality but appears to show that once PC Short is knocked down by Mr Bayoh, the action moves away from her, and he is brought down within five seconds.\n\nPC Short did not mention in her statement she had been stamped on. Now retired, she later said she was unsure if she was conscious, and only learned about the alleged stamping attack when her colleagues told her about it afterwards.\n\nIn the CCTV, PC Short appears to get to her feet a few seconds after Mr Bayoh is brought down.\n\nMike Franklin says conflicts of evidence should have been resolved\n\nMike Franklin, former commissioner for the body which investigated police complaints in England and Wales, looked at Panorama's evidence.\n\nHe said: \"I think there's nothing more serious than a police officer who gives false information in an investigation where somebody has died. So without accusing them of lying, I simply say that there's a big conflict.\n\n\"Two officers who were there say that it did happen. The person to whom it happened didn't mention it. And an eyewitness says it didn't happen.\n\n\"I would've been reluctant to sign off the investigation as complete, without resolving those… conflicts of evidence.\"\n\nMr Bayoh's sister, Kadi Johnson, told Panorama the new allegations had made her \"really angry\".\n\nShe said the way her brother was \"painted\" by the accounts given after his death was not who he was.\n\nMr Bayoh's sister, Kadi Johnson, said the new allegations had made her really angry\n\nA spokesman for the Scottish Police Federation, which represents rank and file officers, said serving officers were unable to comment on matters \"to which they may be called upon to give sworn evidence\" but that they had \"co-operated fully and truthfully with the investigations that have taken place\".\n\nIt added it had seen \"compelling material that Mr Bayoh did violently stamp on the back of a policewoman as she lay unconscious\".\n\nThe BBC asked for this material to be produced but was told the inquiry was the \"proper forum\" for such matters.\n\nThe Crown Office, which directed the Pirc Inquiry, told Panorama it had examined \"eye-witness accounts of police and civilian witnesses\" and instructed \"appropriate investigation\".\n\nIt said after careful consideration it was decided there should be no prosecutions but reserved the right to prosecute should evidence become available.\n\nPirc told Panorama its investigation was \"detailed and extensive\" but could not comment further because of the public inquiry.\n\nPolice Scotland Chief Constable Iain Livingstone expressed his condolences to the Bayoh family and said the force would \"participate fully\" in the inquiry.\n\nKevin Clarke died after being restrained in London by up to nine officers\n\nPanorama's \"I Can't Breathe: Black and Dead in Custody\" also investigates the case of Kevin Clarke, 35, who died in 2018 after being restrained in London by up to nine officers.\n\nAn inquest into his death resulted in a damning verdict on the police and ambulance services.\n\nMr Clarke's sister Tellecia told the programme that if the officers \"hadn't used excessive force he would still be here today… treat him like a human being, and not just see him as a big scary black man\".\n\nMetropolitan Police Commander Bas Javid apologised to Mr Clarke's family and accepted the restraint had not been appropriate.", "Protests against China's alleged abuse of the Muslim Uighur community\n\nThe government has narrowly seen off a rebellion by 33 Tory MPs, who want to outlaw trade deals with countries judged to be committing genocide.\n\nMPs voted by 319 to 308 to remove an amendment to the Trade Bill which would have forced ministers to withdraw from deals with nations the UK High Court ruled guilty of mass killings.\n\nIt comes amid condemnation of China's treatment of the Uighur people.\n\nThe rebels believe they have enough support to secure another vote soon.\n\nAmong those to defy the government were ex-Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith, former cabinet ministers David Davis and Damian Green and Tom Tugendhat, chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee.\n\nThe rebellion is one of the largest on an issue not related to the Covid-19 pandemic during Boris Johnson's time as prime minister.\n\nThe government has a Commons majority of 80 but this was whittled down to just 11 as prominent ex-ministers such as Tobias Ellwood, Caroline Nokes and Nusrat Ghani, as well as a number of MPs first elected last year, sided with the opposition.\n\nMPs have been debating proposals, tabled by cross-bench peer Lord Alton, to give British courts the right to decide if a country is committing genocide, a decision currently left to the jurisdiction of international courts.\n\nThe proposals, also backed by Labour, would mean that ministers would have to revoke post-Brexit trade deals with countries that were ruled to be carrying out systematic mass killings.\n\nThe issue is expected to resurface when the Trade Bill returns to the House of Lords.\n\nEarlier on Tuesday, Conservative rebels, led by former leader Iain Duncan Smith, were unable to force a vote on a separate amendment they had proposed.\n\nEvery speaker in today's debate - from the front and back benches - said genocide was abhorrent. The worst of crimes. There was united criticism of China's brutal treatment of the Uighurs too.\n\nBut the question Parliament has been wrestling with is whether the High Court should have the right to decide if a country is committing genocide. And if they did judge a country has been carrying out mass killings, should the High Court be able to compel the government to revoke any trade treaty it has with that country?\n\nMinisters insist it should be the job of elected governments, not judges, to determine trade policy. But opposition parties and a large cohort of Tory backbenchers argue it's essential the High Court can rule on genocide and ensure the UK's new trade-making freedom has an obligation to uphold human rights too.\n\nThis also is an argument about where power lies after Brexit and what role Parliament should have in shaping trade policy after decades in the EU.\n\nBut BBC Newsnight political editor Nick Watt said that by securing large, but not overwhelming, support for Lord Alton's amendment in the Commons, the rebels hope the government will accept Mr Duncan Smith's own amendment - which would give the Commons the right to debate whether trade deals can be halted if genocide is proven.\n\nThe debate came as the US government formally declared that China was committing genocide in its repression of Uighur muslims in Xinjiang.\n\nThe UK government has been critical of China's treatment of the Uighurs and last week announced measures to cut UK business links with forced labour camps in the region.\n\nBut some MPs suspect the government is pulling its punches to avoid antagonising Beijing.\n\nMr Duncan Smith said the debate was \"all about simply shining a light of hope to all those out there who have failed to get their day in court and failed to be treated properly\".\n\n\"If this country doesn't stand up for that then I want to know what would it ever stand up for again?,\" he added.\n\nBut Trade Minister Greg Hands said it was unprecedented and unacceptable to give the courts powers to revoke trade deals agreed by elected governments.\n\nAnd he argued that no one would benefit from the proposal because the UK currently had no free trade deal with China.", "Lisbet Stone is stranded at Madrid Airport due to having an out-of-date coronavirus test result\n\nPassenger Lisbet Stone says she is stuck in Madrid Airport after airline officials said her coronavirus test result was out of date.\n\nFrom Monday, travellers arriving in the UK, whether by boat, train or plane, have to show proof of a negative Covid-19 test to be allowed entry.\n\nThe test must be taken in the three days before travelling.\n\nFor those with connecting flights, the test must be 72 hours before your final departure point to England.\n\nAnyone arriving without one faces a fine of up to £500.\n\nMrs Stone originally travelled to Cuba in February 2020 to see family. The British Cuban dual national was unable to fly home to the UK when Cuba closed its borders in March.\n\nThe family say she had several previous flights cancelled before finally being able to leave this weekend. She hasn't been able to see her four children or her husband Trevor in 11 months.\n\nThe government are understood to be speaking to Air Europa to try to get Mrs Stone home. Carriers have been told that they should permit stranded passengers to board and will not be fined for doing so.\n\nWhile Mrs Stone has been caught out by the new restrictions for incoming travellers, the first day of the new regulations appeared to go smoothly.\n\nMrs Stone left Jose Marti International Airport in Havana, Cuba, on Sunday night to fly back to the UK via Madrid.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Coronavirus: How to fly during a global pandemic (this video reflects the rules before the hotel quarantine was introduced in the UK)\n\nShe took a Covid test on Thursday to be guaranteed a result by Saturday. It was negative and Mrs Stone was able to board the plane from Cuba.\n\nHowever, on arrival at Madrid-Barajas Airport, Mrs Stone says she was stopped from boarding the next leg of her journey to London Gatwick by Air Europa staff, because her test had been taken more than 72 hours before the final flight.\n\n\"She's crying her eyes out,\" says Trevor Stone, her husband. \"I feel absolutely helpless. She doesn't have any Euros as she wasn't meant to stay in Spain. The authorities have given her no help whatsoever, we are just trying to understand what to do.\n\n\"She took her test 72 hours before the start of her journey, but had to take a connecting flight onwards. There would be no other way to do it, it is not physically possible.\"\n\nIn the meantime, Mr Stone says he has been home-schooling their four children on his own through the pandemic.\n\nTrevor Stone (left) has been caring for the couple's four children on his own for 11 months since Lisbet Stone was unable to leave Cuba\n\n\"We are just desperate to get her home - I'm so worried about her and after 11 months, she really wants to see her children,\" he added. \"We haven't done anything wrong, I don't know what to do or who to turn to.\"\n\nA Department for Transport spokesman said: \"Passengers travelling to the UK must provide proof of a negative coronavirus test which meets the performance standards set out by the government in the guidance published on gov.uk.\n\n\"The type of test could include a PCR test or antigen test, including a lateral flow test. Anyone who cannot provide the necessary documentation may not be allowed to board their flight.\"\n\nAir Europa and Madrid Airport have been approached by the BBC for comment.", "US tariffs have hit the Scotch whisky industry hard\n\nThe UK and US have failed to do a much hoped for \"mini-deal\" over trade in the last days of the Trump administration.\n\nThere were hopes the US would lift tariffs on imports of Scotch whisky and cashmere imposed last year as part of the Boeing-Airbus trade dispute.\n\nBut those duties will now stay in place while President-elect Biden awaits confirmation of his trade team.\n\nThe talks were revealed in a BBC interview with US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer in December.\n\nAt the time he said he was hopeful that he and his UK counterpart, International Trade Secretary Liz Truss, could \"get some kind of an agreement out\".\n\nBut the BBC understands that a broad offer from the US was rejected last week by the UK after concerns were expressed by the Business Department about the impact on Airbus' business in the UK.\n\nSince 2019, the EU and US have both imposed tariffs on each others' goods amid a long-running trade dispute between the planemakers Boeing and Airbus.\n\nThe tariffs centre on a long-running dispute between Boeing and Airbus\n\nEarlier last month the UK's Trade Department announced it would unilaterally break from the EU's position of levying tariffs on imports of Boeing aeroplanes, after the end of the Brexit transition period.\n\nIt was, said Ms Truss, an attempt to create goodwill to solve the 16-year old dispute.\n\nBut the UK aerospace industry was furious with what it saw as the government reneging on promises made in early 2020 to support Airbus in the dispute, even after Brexit.\n\nThese concerns were the main block to a deal, but the chaos in Washington DC over the past week also played a part.\n\nThe US was also looking for tariffs on its exports of bourbon to the UK - part of a separate trade dispute over steel - to be settled.\n\nA government source said: \"Ultimately we came close to resolving an intractable 16-year dispute, but didn't quite get there. Any deal must be balanced and work for the whole UK and all of UK industry.\"\n\nThey added: \"No one has fought harder on this than Liz, and she's going to continue pushing it with the Biden administration. She absolutely understands the pain of affected businesses and is determined to get these tariffs lifted and support jobs.\"\n\nThe source said the government had pursued a \"clear de-escalation strategy\" with the Trump administration over the dispute which meant it had avoided being hit with further US tariffs, unlike the EU.\n\nMs Truss still hopes to settle the dispute quickly and has committed to meet Katherine Tai, the new US Trade Representative, in Washington DC as soon as she assumes office, the source added.\n\nKaren Betts, head of the Scotch Whisky Association, said her industry was \"very frustrated\" a deal was not reached.\n\n\"There is deep disappointment across the Scotch whisky industry that distillers are still paying the price for an aerospace dispute that has nothing to do with us.\n\n\"The tariff on single malt Scotch whisky, now in place for 15 months, has caused us to lose over £450m in exports to the US, and our losses continue to mount.\"", "Marion Dawson is the third oldest person in Scotland to be given the vaccine.\n\nA 108-year-old woman has received the Covid vaccination on her birthday.\n\nMarion Dawson, from Houston in Renfrewshire, is the third oldest person in Scotland to be given the vaccine.\n\nShe received her jab at Houston and Killellan Kirk, which is being used by the local GP surgery to deliver vaccinations to the community.\n\nBorn in 1913, Mrs Dawson has lived through two world wars and the Spanish flu pandemic.\n\nDr Diane Fisher, who gave the injection said: \"We are so excited to be starting vaccinations of our over-80s, and that our first patient to be vaccinated is doing so on her birthday.\"\n\nMrs Dawson is the most senior person in NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde to be given the vaccine.\n\nAfter receiving her injection, she said: \"I'm glad it's passed. I never felt a thing.\"\n\nKirk minister, Rev Gary Noonan said: \"Mrs Dawson is a local treasure in Houston, until the lockdown she never missed a week at church.\n\n\"It's fitting she can get her vaccine in the Kirk, a place she loves.\"\n\nDr Mark Storey, partner at Strathgryffe Medical Practice, added: \"It's been a very difficult year in general practice and society as a whole.\n\n\"In our practice we have a family of 10,000 patients, so we are delighted to start vaccinating, especially with Mrs Dawson.\"", "The pace of Europe's Covid-19 vaccination campaign has picked up and in many countries infection rates have been falling.\n\nLockdowns are gradually being eased as the summer tourist season gets under way, and there are plans for an EU-wide digital vaccination certificate to be in place by 1 July.\n\nNationwide curfew ended on 20 June, 10 days earlier than planned. Face masks are no longer required outdoors.\n\nRestaurants, cafes and bars can serve customers indoors, with 50% capacity and up to six people per table.\n\nStanding concerts will resume on 30 June and nightclubs on 9 July (with 75% capacity). People attending will need a health pass which shows either full vaccination, a negative test within the previous 72 hours, or else a previous coronavirus infection.\n\nMedical grade masks are compulsory in shops and on public transport.\n\nFrom 30 June, working from home will no longer be compulsory.\n\nOn 21 June, Italy's curfew was scrapped and the whole country, except for the northwest region of Valle d'Aosta, became \"white zone\" - the country's lowest-risk category.\n\nAmong the measures still in place are social distancing (1m) and the wearing of masks indoors (and in crowded outdoor places), and a ban on house parties and large gathering.\n\nNightclubs and discos are also closed.\n\nAll indoor businesses, with the exception of nightclubs, are open.\n\nThe government introduced a \"corona pass\" in April, the first to do so in Europe.\n\nThis shows - either on a phone or on paper - that you have been vaccinated, previously infected or that you have had a negative test within 72 hours.\n\nPeople need to show it for entry to cinemas, museums, hairdressers or indoor dining.\n\nThe Greek government is welcoming tourists from many countries, if they are fully vaccinated or can provide a negative coronavirus test.\n\nFace coverings must be worn in all public places and there is a curfew from 01:30-05:00, but bars, restaurants, museums and archaeological sites are all open.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The Greek island of Milos is aiming to become \"Covid-free\" so it can welcome back tourists\n\nCinemas, theatres, museums and restaurants are open at 50% capacity. From 26 June, this increases to 75%.\n\nNightclubs and discos will also be allowed to reopen, with a limit of 150 people.\n\nFace coverings must be worn in enclosed spaces and 1.5m social distancing observed.\n\nShops, bars, restaurants and museums are open, although face coverings remain compulsory in most public places.\n\nNightclubs can now reopen in parts of Spain with low infection rates.\n\nIn Barcelona, they are restricted to 50% of capacity and can stay open until 03:30 - dancers have to wear masks.\n\nSpain began welcoming vaccinated tourists from 7 June. Most European travellers still have to present a negative Covid test on arrival.\n\nBrussels: Outdoor dining resumed in Belgium on 8 May\n\nShops, cinemas, gyms, cafes and restaurants are open, with restrictions. Households can invite up to four people inside.\n\nFrom 1 July, working from home will no longer be mandatory, if the situation continues to improve.\n\nCultural performances, shows and sports competitions can also go ahead, with limited numbers, and more people will be allowed at weddings and other ceremonies and parties.\n\nPortugal has lifted many of its restrictions but face coverings must still be worn in indoor public spaces and some outdoor settings.\n\nBars and nightclubs remain closed, and it's illegal to drink alcohol outdoors in public places, except for pavement cafés and restaurants.\n\nAlcohol cannot be sold after 21:00 unless it is with a meal.\n\nRestaurants, cafes and cultural venues have to close at 01:00 and have capacity limits.\n\nA weekend travel ban is in force in the Lisbon area, starting at 15:00 on Friday, with residents only allowed to leave for essential journeys.\n\nIn Lisbon and in Albufeira (Algarve), cafes, restaurants and non-essential shops have to close by 15:30 at the weekend and 22:30 on weekdays.\n\nPortugal's summer season looks uncertain, yet its Covid figures have improved\n\nRestaurants, cafes, museums and historic buildings have reopened with capacity limits.\n\nFrom 26 June, a number of restrictions are being lifted.\n\nAlcohol can be sold after 22:00, and nightclubs can open, with an entry pass system.\n\nEvents held in public venues such as cinemas, conference centres and concert halls will be allowed, subject to social distancing.\n\nMasks will no longer be compulsory except on public transport, airports and in secondary schools.\n\nOutdoor services in restaurants and bars returned in June. Theme parks, funfairs, cinemas and theatres, gyms and swimming pools, have reopened as well.\n\nFrom 5 July, restaurants and bars will be able to serve customers indoors. Weddings and other indoor events for up to 50 people will be permitted and the numbers at outdoor organised events will increase.\n\nSince June, pubs have been able to stay open until 22:30 and more people are now allowed at sports events, outdoor concerts, cinemas and markets.\n\nOn 1 July, limits on private gatherings will be raised, and the recommendation to interact with a small circle of people removed.\n\nFurther easing is planned on 15 July and in September.", "'Paul' was accused of committing a domestic burglary in June 2018.\n\nIn early 2019 he was told by police that no further action would be taken against him. However, he was subsequently charged.\n\nLast week - over two years since the alleged offence - he appeared at Inner London Crown Court.\n\nBut his barrister told the court that the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) had still not served the sole evidence - DNA - in the case on the defence.\n\nPaul (not his real name) is on bail and had his trial put on provisional \"warned\" list - for December 2021.\n\nIt means there is no guarantee it will take place at that time - just that it might.\n\nThe judge explained apologetically that priority is being given to cases where defendants are being held in custody.\n\nSo, three and a half-years from the date of the alleged offence, there has been no justice for the alleged burglary victim - or the accused.\n\nPaul's was one of a number of cases I saw on a visit to Inner London with the chair of the Criminal Bar Association (CBA) James Mulholland QC. He told me it was typical.\n\n\"This is justice 2020, but it has been like this for the last 10 years, delay after delay, inbuilt into the system. These cases are being pushed back continuously.\n\n\"Lack of investment is at the heart of it and government needs to understand that you don't create a proper justice system without proper investment.\n\n\"What we are seeing here are the fruits of a lack of interest.\"\n\nThat apparent \"lack of interest\" is reflected in the state of some court buildings. Outside Inner London I saw a dead pigeon decaying on netting, vast weeds growing up the side of the building and old pipes leaking water.\n\nMeanwhile, a court official told me that some court centres are now listing trials for 2023.\n\nThe delays are caused by a range of factors.\n\nLawyers point to huge cuts to the police, CPS and other agencies such as probation.\n\nThere are a range of things malfunctioning within the system. They include long initial delays caused by police \"releasing suspects under investigation\" - sometimes for years - before a charging decision is made.\n\nSystemic problems continue with the CPS serving evidence late on the defence, meaning lawyers cannot advise their clients in a timely manner.\n\nAnd perhaps most significantly - the decisions by government to cut thousands of crown court sitting days. That has meant that courts have been mothballed while trials stack up in a growing backlog.\n\nNone of these problems are caused by the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown, but they are of course exacerbated by it. Pre-lockdown the crown court backlog in England and Wales stood at some 37,000.\n\n\"Adam\" - not his real name - was accused of rape in March 2018. He denies the charge. His trial has been put back twice, once because of the pandemic.\n\nHe is now on a \"warned\" list for November, while his chosen career in one of the public services is on hold.\n\n\"I have suffered really bad with my mental health through it,\" he says. \"I've had to up my dosage of anti-depressants. It's affected my potential career.\n\n\"The hard work I have done at university and everything to get me there it's all basically going out of the window now. I haven't got any trust or hope that it will be anywhere near the end of this year.\n\n\"I think it will be more like April next year.\"\n\nThe next case I saw involved two young men charged with possession of drugs with intent to supply. The alleged offence took place in December 2017.\n\nNo one in court could explain the delay.\n\nIt was followed by a case in which the judge needed a pre-sentence report from the probation service in order to sentence the defendant. Despite repeated requests, no one was available.\n\nIn order to achieve a conclusion of the case, the judge had to devise a sentence which did not require a report. It was not ideal, but it showed professionals trying to do their best in the face of a lack of resources.\n\n\"Defendants are suspended from their jobs with trial dates one to two years away. Some are losing university places with dates from the alleged offence to trial of four years.\n\n\"And some who are awaiting trial for 18-24 months on bail, can be on electronic tagged curfew from 7-7 every day, for up to two years.\"\n\nTo help deal with the situation, the government has announced that the period of time an accused person can be held before a trial - known as the Custody Time Limit (CTL) - will be increased from six to eight months.\n\nBut the government admitted - in response to a Freedom of Information request from the group Fair Trials - that it did not know how many people had been held in prison beyond the time limit since lockdown.\n\nLawyers fear some accused will spend more time in custody awaiting trial than the sentence they would eventually receive if they pleaded guilty - and that some might falsely plead guilty simply to bring an end to their case.\n\nLife is bleak for those in custody awaiting trial, says Ms Fenn,\n\n\"There are often no visits from family or in-person visits from lawyers. Defendants can be locked up for 23.5 hours a day, education classes and courses are suspended, jobs within the prison restricted, and there are reports of showers being limited to 1-2 a week.\"\n\nCovid has also removed a \"huge amount of mental health, drug and alcohol agency support\", she says.\n\nA Ministry of Justice spokesperson said justice had been kept moving \"despite the unprecedented challenges posed by the pandemic\" and overall, cases are falling.\n\nHowever, they acknowledged that \"more needs to be done\".\n\nThe government has launched an £80 million Criminal Courts Recovery plan which includes:\n\nHowever, only three of the new Nightingale Courts are dealing with crime.\n\nI visited one, Prospero House, a short walk from Inner London. It is a state of the art commercial building with three large courtrooms allowing ample room for social distancing. Every desk has hand sanitiser and protective gloves.\n\nBut Mr Mulholland says: \"We need 60 criminal Nightingale Court buildings. At the moment we have just three.\"\n\nThe CBA says there are around 460 crown courtrooms in England and Wales. Currently around 100 are able to hear trials, though not all are hosting them.\n\nThe government says its plan will bring on stream another 250 of the existing rooms to hear jury trials by the end of October. The CBA believes that simply will not cut into the backlog.\n\nLawyers believe that the Treasury has long seen justice as a poor relation to health and education in terms of public spending.\n\n\"Investing in the criminal justice system is investing in the wealth and prosperity of the country,\" says Mr Mulholland.\n\n\"It is an empty and insulting promise for any minister to declare a war on crime if a government can't fund a system that keeps us safe - and ensures crimes are swiftly investigated and cases come to court on time.\"", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Aerial footage shows the 130-car pile-up on the Tohoku Expressway\n\nA huge snowstorm has struck a highway in Japan, causing a 130-vehicle pile-up, killing one person and injuring 10.\n\nThe storm blanketed a stretch of the Tohoku Expressway in Miyagi prefecture at around noon (03:00 GMT) on Tuesday.\n\nSome 200 people have been caught up in the pile-up and rescuers are currently at the scene, officials said.\n\nJapan has been hit by severe snow storms in recent weeks with some parts of the country seeing double the average expected snowfall.\n\nImages from the expressway in the north of the country show the sheer scale of the pile-up.\n\nOne person died and at least 10 were injured after the vehicles collided\n\nAuthorities had already enforced a 50km/h (31mph) speed limit on the road due to visibility.\n\nThere was a maximum wind speed of about 100km/h (62mph) at the time of the incident, local weather officials said.\n\nThose who were involved have been given drinking water and food, and have been provided with blankets to keep warm, NHK News reports (in Japanese).\n\nThose stuck behind the vehicles have been given food, water and blankets\n\nThe snow has affected some of Japan's high-speed railway network, with a number of train services in the Tohoku region cancelled.\n\nAccording to local media, the region is expected to record up to 40cm (15 inches) of snow in the next 24 hours.\n\nThe country has been experiencing a large amount of snowfall this winter.\n\nLast month, heavy snow left more than 1,000 vehicles stranded on the Kanetsu expressway for two days.\n\nThe weather was so bad that an emergency meeting was called and the country's Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga called on members of the public to be cautious.", "Pupils are currently learning remotely from home\n\nSchools in England may reopen region by region after half term, the government's deputy chief medical officer Jenny Harries has said.\n\nSpeaking to the Commons education committee, Dr Harries suggested there would be different rates of infection across the country when lockdown ends.\n\nThis would mean a \"differential application\" of restrictive measures would be required, she said.\n\nSchools were closed at the start of January to stem the spread of Covid-19.\n\nAlthough schools remain open to vulnerable children and those of keyworkers, all others are due to learn remotely from home until after the February half term holiday.\n\nBut the Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, has suggested they may not return fully then.\n\nA Department for Education spokesperson said the department was continuing to keep plans for the return to school under review and that it would inform schools, parents and pupils of the plans ahead of February half term.\n\nCommittee chairman Robert Halfon said he suspected schools would be closed for quite \"a few weeks yet\", but there has been no formal confirmation of this.\n\nMedical and science advisers were warning the government before Christmas that the NHS would not be able to manage the number of Covid-19 cases if schools remained open.\n\nThe new, more transmissible variant of the virus had been increasing exponentially in London and the south-east before Christmas.\n\nBut in some parts of the north and north-east saw rates of increase were reducing.\n\nDr Harries said: \"It is highly likely that when we come out of this national lockdown we will not have consistent patterns of infection in our communities across the country.\n\n\"And therefore, as we had prior to the national lockdown, it may well be possible that we need to have some differential application.\"\n\nBut Dr Harries said schools would be at the top of the priority to ensure that the balance of education and wellbeing were \"right at the forefront\" of consideration.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Deputy chief medical officer Jenny Harries says schools in England might reopen ''region by region''\n\nGeoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: \"Although the government intends that schools will fully reopen after the February half-term holiday, it is clearly in the balance when this happens and whether there will be any sort of regional approach.\n\n\"We expect that it will depend on coronavirus infection rates and the pressure on the NHS, and that the government will make a call on this issue nearer the time.\n\n\"What is important is that when schools fully reopen, everything possible is done to keep them open and to keep disruption to a minimum.\n\n\"This is why we are calling for education staff to be prioritised for vaccinations as soon as possible, and for schools to be given more support in the use of rapid turnaround mass testing.\"\n\nPaul Whiteman, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said if the government was planning to stagger opening of schools by region, it needed to \"provide clarity sooner rather than later\".\n\n\"This will give vital time to prepare for a smoother reopening of schools and business,\" he said.\n\nOn calls for vaccination of teachers, Dr Harries suggested the safe re-opening of schools did not depend on this.\n\nBut members of the committee suggested education would be less disrupted by teachers needing to go home and isolate when infected.\n\nThe vaccination programme had been worked out in order of vulnerability to the disease, she stressed.\n\nAnd Dr Harries added that although pupils could and did transmit the virus, she did not have evidence of them being \"a significant driver\" of \"large-scale community infections\".", "The publication of a letter from the Duchess of Sussex to her father was a \"triple-barrelled invasion\" of her privacy, the High Court has been told.\n\nMeghan is suing the publisher of the Mail on Sunday and Mail Online over articles that reproduced parts of the private handwritten letter.\n\nShe claims her privacy and copyright were breached by the newspaper group.\n\nHer lawyers are asking for summary judgement - a dismissal of Associated Newspapers' defence instead of a trial.\n\nMeghan's lawyers argue Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) has \"no prospect\" of defending the privacy and copyright claims being brought against them.\n\nThey claim the publication of extracts from the private, handwritten letter to Thomas Markle was \"self-evidently... highly intrusive\".\n\nMeghan, 39, sent the letter to her father in August 2018, following her marriage to Prince Harry in May that year, which Mr Markle did not attend. The couple are now living in the US with their son Archie.\n\nThe five articles, published in February 2019, were a \"triple-barrelled invasion\" of the duchess's privacy, correspondence and family, the lawyers claim.\n\nMr Markle said in a witness statement provided to the remote hearing, which started on Tuesday, that he wanted the letter published to \"set the record straight\" about his relationship with his daughter - but one of Meghan's lawyers described this claim as \"ridiculous\".\n\nMeghan is seeking damages from the newspaper group for alleged misuse of private information, copyright infringement and breach of the Data Protection Act over the articles.\n\nThe Duke and Duchess of Sussex now live in the US with their son\n\nHer lawyers told the court the letter was written in sorrow rather than anger and was an attempt to get her father to stop talking to the press.\n\nBut the newspaper group said in its response to the court that Meghan had written the letter \"with a view to it being disclosed publicly at some future point\" in order to \"defend her against charges of being an uncaring or unloving daughter\".\n\nIn written submissions, the newspaper group's barrister Antony White said \"she must, at the very least, have appreciated that her father might choose to disclose it\" and pointed out that the Kensington Palace communications team had been shown the letter before it was sent.\n\n\"No truly private letter from daughter to father would require any input from the Kensington Palace communications team,\" said Mr White.\n\nBut Meghan's lawyers also pointed out the articles themselves had emphasised the private nature of the correspondence - and dismissed any argument that it was in the public interest for the newspaper to reproduce the letter, saying the public interest was at the \"very end of the bottom end of the scale\".\n\nJustin Rushbrooke, representing the duchess, described the handwritten letter as \"a heartfelt plea from an anguished daughter to her father\".\n\nHe said the \"contents and character of the letter were intrinsically private, personal and sensitive in nature\" and that Meghan \"had a reasonable expectation of privacy in respect of the contents of the letter\".\n\nThe effect of publishing the letter was \"self-evidently likely to be devastating for the claimant\", said Mr Rushbrooke.\n\nThe barrister argued that, even if ANL was justified in publishing parts of the letter, \"on any view the defendant published far more by way of extracts from the letter than could have been justified in the public interest\".\n\nMr White said that the newspaper group would argue that Meghan's status as a member of the royal family was relevant to the case.\n\nIn response to that point, Mr Rushbrooke said: \"Yes, she is in some senses a public figure, but that does not reduce her expectation of privacy in relation to information of this kind.\"\n\nIn Thomas Markle's evidence, he said the letter \"signalled the end\" of his relationship with his daughter, and instead of a reconciliation attempt, the letter was a \"criticism\" of him.\n\nHe said that he had to \"defend himself\" against an article in People magazine. It carried an interview with a \"long-time friend\" of his daughter, who suggested Meghan sent the letter to repair her relationship with her father - something he claimed was false.\n\nThe People article, he claimed, made him appear \"dishonest, exploitative, publicity-seeking, uncaring and cold-hearted\".\n\nHe said he had \"never intended to talk publicly about Meg's letter\" until he read the People magazine piece which, he claimed, suggested he was \"to blame for the end of the relationship\".\n\nThe full trial of the duchess's claim had been due to be heard at the High Court this month, but last year the case was adjourned until autumn 2021.\n\nThis interim remote hearing - to consider the request for summary judgement - is due to last two days. Mr Justice Warby, who is hearing the case, is expected to reserve his judgement to a later date.", "Most people who have had Covid-19 are protected from catching it again for at least five months, a study led by Public Health England shows.\n\nPast infection was linked to around a 83% lower risk of getting the virus, compared with those who had never had Covid-19, scientists found.\n\nBut experts warn some people do catch Covid-19 again - and can infect others.\n\nAnd officials stress people should follow the stay-at-home rules - whether or not they have had the virus.\n\nProf Susan Hopkins, who led the study, said the results were encouraging, suggesting immunity lasted longer than some people feared, but protection was by no means absolute.\n\nIt was particularly concerning some of those reinfected had high levels of the virus - even without symptoms - and were at risk of passing it on to others, she said.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Prof Susan Hopkins from Public Health England said immunity from having Covid-19 is \"not 100% protective\"\n\n\"This means even if you believe you already had the disease and are protected, you can be reassured it is highly unlikely you will develop severe infections but there is still a risk that you could acquire an infection and transmit to others,\" she added.\n\n\"Now more than ever, it is vital we all stay at home to protect our health service and save lives.\"\n\nFrom June to November 2020, almost 21,000 healthcare workers across the UK were regularly tested to see whether they:\n\nOf those who had no antibodies to the virus, suggesting they may have never had it, 318 developed potential new infections within this timeframe.\n\nBut among the 6,614 with antibodies, this figure was just 44 potential new infections.\n\nResearchers received various different pieces of evidence suggesting these people had become re-infected - including new symptoms more than 90 days after their first infection, new positive swab tests and blood tests.\n\nSome tests are still being run and researchers say their results will be updated as they come in.\n\nScientists will continue to monitor the healthcare workers for 12 months to see how long immunity lasts.\n\nThey will also look closely at cases with the new variant - which was not widespread at the time of this first analysis - and observe the immunity of participants who receive the vaccine.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Can you become immune to coronavirus?\n\nDr Julian Tang, a virus expert at the University of Leicester, said the results were reassuring for healthcare workers.\n\n\"Having the vaccine after recovering from Covid-19 is not an issue... and will likely boost the natural immunity,\" he added.\n\n\"We also see this with the seasonal flu vaccine.\n\n\"So hopefully the results from this paper will reduce the anxiety of many healthcare-worker colleagues who have concerns about getting Covid-19 twice.\"\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Only 155 out of more than 23,000 university professors in the UK are black, according to official figures.\n\nIt remains below 1%, the same as for the past five years, and is an increase of only 50 posts despite the number of professorships rising by more than 3,000 in that time.\n\nAt this senior academic level, women hold 28% of professorships, up from 23% five years ago.\n\n\"The pace of change is glacial,\" said lecturers' union leader Jo Grady.\n\n\"Universities must do more to ensure a more representative mix of staff at a senior level and stop this terrible waste of talent,\" said Dr Grady, general secretary of the UCU university union.\n\nThe figures on black professors were \"disappointing\" and \"inexplicable\", said Halima Begum, chief executive of the Runnymede Trust race equality think tank, \"given the symbolic importance of education as the foundation of our values.\"\n\n\"Around a quarter of British postgraduates are from ethnic minorities, there is clearly no shortage of qualified black and minority academics seeking elevation to senior teaching and research roles in our universities,\" said Dr Begum.\n\nShe called on vice chancellors to take action over a problem they can \"literally discern with their own eyes every single day they are on campus\".\n\nThe annual figures, published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency, provide a breakdown of the UK's academic workforce - and show while there has been a focus on widening access for students, there are still few black academic staff.\n\nAt the level of professor, the number of black professors rose from 105 to 155 between 2014-15 to 2019-20.\n\nBut new higher education providers included in the figures meant an additional 3,200 staff at professor grade, with the proportion of black professors only increasing marginally from 0.5% to 0.7% over five years.\n\nThis compared to 7% of professors who are Asian and 89% white in the figures for 2019-20.\n\nKehinde Andrews, professor of black studies at Birmingham City University, said that rather than universities being \"progressive dreamlands\", the \"make-up of professors is the perfect reflection of the narrow Eurocentric views still produced by universities\".\n\n\"I have seen very few genuine attempts to address the issues of racism at any level across the sector,\" said Prof Andrews.\n\nAmong all academic staff, 2% are black, 10% are Asian, 75% are white, with the remainder under categories of \"mixed\", \"other or not known\".\n\nThere is still a significant gender gap in professorships, among a group that is also heavily skewed to older age groups, with most in their fifties, sixties and above.\n\nFive years ago, more than 4,500 professors were women, which has risen to 6,300 - from 23% to 28% of these senior posts.\n\nThis is despite women representing 46% of all academic staff.\n\nBaroness Amos, who was the UK's first black female university head, has previously warned of \"deep-seated prejudices and stereotypes which need to be overcome\" in the recruitment of senior staff in higher education.\n\nUniversities UK said \"the evidence is clear that black and minority ethnic staff continue to be under-represented\" at these senior academic levels.\n\n\"More needs to be done to address this inequality which exists within higher education, which mirrors inequalities evident in wider UK society and which will require an unequivocal commitment to change,\" said the universities' organisation.", "Many think the courts system needs to invest more in technology\n\nWhen Louise Westra and her partner decided to adopt a child in November 2018, they were aware of the long process that was ahead of them, but they were not to know that the coronavirus pandemic would hold them back from completing the adoption of their son.\n\nOn 27 March, their petition was due in court. As lockdown had taken effect, telephone conferencing would be used instead of going to court.\n\nHowever, after the phone call, Ms Westra received an email from her solicitor explaining that the papers had not been served to the biological parents of the child. This continued every month after lockdown, as it wasn't possible for the papers to be physically served.\n\n\"It's farcical because one of them is the biological father who lives with the biological mother who has had her petition but the biological father hasn't and they live in the same premises,\" Ms Westra says.\n\nServing papers has to be completed by post via Royal Mail or in some cases lawyers would instruct a process server to physically take the papers and hand them to the person.\n\n\"It sounds very archaic but if [the person] won't take them by hand, the processor can drop the papers near them and tell them what the document contains and that's technically counted as full service,\" says Rebecca Ranson, a solicitor for Maguire Family Law.\n\nUnless a judge approves it, emailing or any other forms of digital communication are not considered valid - even though the majority of people in the UK have access to email and the internet. It is this kind of process, in need of a digital upgrade, that is frustrating for Ms Westra.\n\nMs Westra's case is one of many that have been delayed. The number of outstanding Crown court cases was 43,676 on 26 July, and the entire backlog across magistrates' and Crown courts is more than 560,000. The Commons Justice Committee has announced an inquiry into how these delays could be addressed.\n\nThe reality, however, is that there was already a huge backlog back in December, and Covid-19 has just exacerbated an existing problem. Cases like Ms Westra's have been affected by the pandemic, but many lawyers believe that the legal system could have been better prepared through technology investment over the years.\n\n\"We've got people being held for longer than they otherwise would be, and for every person in custody waiting for trial or waiting on bail for trial, there are witnesses, and complainants and their families awaiting a resolution. Whether it's the lack of technology links in prison, using Skype and improvising or not having enough Nightingale courts - it all boils down to a lack of investment,\" says Joanna Hardy, a London-based barrister.\n\nIn 2016 HM Courts & Tribunals Service began a £1bn court reform programme. This included a video-conferencing tool called the Cloud Video Platform (CVP), which allows for a dedicated private conference area, so criminal lawyers can speak to their clients without visiting prison.\n\nA programme for testing and adopting video technology was planned out until 2022, but in the pandemic, the government had to get CVP up and running in 10 weeks. This has since been extended to civil courts. But this implementation has been challenging, as there are only a restricted number of physical video links allowed.\n\n\"As we weren't ready for this huge technological revolution no-one had manned the tech rooms or built enough rooms on the other end in the prison. We can have as many laptops as we like, as much software as we like but if we can't put a prisoner into a room with a screen, the other end is pointless,\" Ms Hardy says.\n\nAccording to Ms Hardy, the waiting times to get these slots have been \"completely unacceptable\", and it has meant that sometimes hearings had to go ahead without the defendant present.\n\n\"It's like human beings failing where technology could have bridged the gap,\" she says.\n\nA Ministry of Justice spokesperson said that it had offered more than 400 CVP meeting rooms since the outbreak of coronavirus, but added that it is taking steps to increase the available capacity of video conferencing at some locations by extending operating hours. The spokesperson said that the MoJ is also undertaking urgent action to increase the physical number of video link outlets at critical sites.\n\nAt the moment, criminal trials are going ahead using social distancing - meaning sometimes a second courtroom is linked by technology, but this is creating further backlogs, as it means one case is occupying the same space as two.\n\nJustice, the all-party law reform and human rights organisation, has trialled a virtual jury trial with a mock case, and suggested it should be considered as a possible option, but this hasn't been taken on by the courts.\n\nThe issue with virtual jury trials is whether or not they could affect the outcome of a trial. Some lawyers feel like juries should see a witness, feel an exhibit and dispense justice to a fellow human being in the confines of a court room.\n\nJodie Hill says it is more difficult to cross-examine people in video hearings\n\n\"You can lose the impact of cross examination. When you're challenging their evidence in person it's easier to get them to trip up if they're not being honest, whereas if they're on video it might be easier for them to cover it up,\" says Jodie Hill, solicitor and managing director of Thrive Law, an employment law specialist.\n\nFor smaller hearings, online alternatives could be here for the long term, as it means lawyers don't have to travel all over the UK unnecessarily. This doesn't mean that every hearing that can be done remotely, should be done remotely.\n\n\"We don't want overkill. We think some cases still need to be in the room, particularly if you're dealing with vulnerable people or sensitive cases. It has to be a balancing act of harnessing the benefits of technology and thinking about the specific case,\" says Ms Hardy.", "The UK is forging its post-Brexit path as a \"confident, independent nation - and an energetic force for good\", according to the government.\n\nIt's free to set trade on its own terms, pursue opportunities and higher living standards. But can it square profit with principle?\n\nIs turning a blind eye to human rights violations worth it to have a trade deal that knocks a couple of quid off the price of an imported shirt?\n\nThat New Year's resolution is already being tested, as China falls increasingly out of favour.\n\nForeign Secretary Dominic Raab has referred to conditions, under which over a million Uighur Muslims are being held in camps and forced into work, as \"at the worst... torture and inhumane and degrading treatments\".\n\nHe warned that British companies will face fines, if they can't show that their supply chains are free from forced labour.\n\nIn December, a BBC investigation revealed thousands of Uighurs and other minorities have been compelled to toil in the cotton fields of Xinjiang. The region accounts for a fifth of the world's crop - it's not always easy to tell where your t-shirt hails from.\n\nThe UK and Canada have led the charge here, but one wonders how much further can it go.\n\nMr Raab told the BBC that the UK should not be engaging in free trade negotiations with countries whose record was \"well below the level of genocide\".\n\nThere are several issues with this: first, working out who gets to decree human rights abuses.\n\nAmendments to the Trade Bill currently going through Parliament would oblige the government to assess the human rights records of potential partners.\n\nIn July, Dominic Raab accused China of \"gross and egregious\" human rights abuses against its Uighur population\n\nOne amendment proposes allowing the High Court to declare a genocide in other countries, and forcing the immediate cancellation of trade deals with said nations.\n\nMr Raab, however, says the decision to declare a genocide can't, and shouldn't be, delegated to the courts. Rather, it's for MPs to hold the government to account over trade deals.\n\nBut Labour MPs, who have written to their Conservative counterparts urging them to support the amendments, say they've already been denied powers of scrutiny.\n\nThey highlight trade deals rolled over with Egypt, Cameroon and Turkey, with whom the UK previously enjoyed similar deals the EU had struck.\n\nThese three countries, they argue, have questionable records on human rights.\n\nAnd then there's China. The UK is not planning a deal with Beijing and has indicated it won't do a deal with countries that don't share its democratic values.\n\nBut both nations have their eye on joining the wider Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement.\n\nWith imports and exports worth almost £80bn in 2019, China already scores as one of the UK's largest trading partners, and it's not just about frocks and financial services crossing borders.\n\nSince Xi Jinping and David Cameron famously sipped a pint in a Buckinghamshire pub in 2015, Chinese investment in the UK has exploded, backing everything from football clubs to restaurant chains.\n\nNow China's appeal has soured, but it may not be easy to back away from encouraging investment, or a trade deal which touts lower import prices and greater opportunities for exporters, when the UK economy is already reeling.\n\nThe Wolverhampton Wanderers are owned by Chinese investors Fosun International\n\nTake textiles - a free trade deal would do away with a 12% tariff on clothes hailing from China. Ultimately, trade deals build on an existing - in this case very lucrative - relationship.\n\nCritics argue it's not enough to refrain from boosting ties with nations with chequered records - they should be lessened.\n\nBut it's even harder to snub countries that are already providing jobs for thousands, or items from the frivolous, such as smartphones, to the vital, like billions of PPE items.\n\nSome say the UK has its own issues elsewhere. It resumed the sales of arms to Saudi Arabia last year, after the government said the method for licensing had been reformulated to ensure they wouldn't be used in Yemen. Human rights groups are less sure.\n\nBalancing its quest to be a responsible citizen, together with exploring fresh fortunes, is just one dilemma the UK faces, as it shapes its new identity on the global stage.", "Boris Johnson will be glad Donald Trump has not been re-elected for a second term as US president, ex-Civil Service head Lord Sedwill has suggested.\n\nWriting in the Daily Mail, Lord Sedwill said those who believed Boris Johnson would have preferred Mr Trump to win again were \"mistaken.\"\n\nHe said he \"would not have been to the benefit\" of British or European security, trade or environment issues.\n\nDowning Street said Mr Johnson looked forward to working with Joe Biden.\n\nThis month he said Mr Trump was \"completely wrong\" to cast doubt on the US election and encourage supporters to storm the Capitol.\n\nAnd in 2015, when he was Mayor of London, Mr Johnson accused him of \"stupefying ignorance\" over his comments about violence in the city.\n\nBut after Mr Trump's victory in the US election in 2016, then Foreign Secretary Mr Johnson said there was a \"lot to be positive about\", and while running for the Conservative leadership in 2019, he said the President had \"many good qualities\".\n\nMr Trump later praised Mr Johnson, saying: \"they call him Britain Trump\".\n\nMr Johnson congratulated Mr Biden in a phone call after his US election win, saying he looked forward to \"strengthening the partnership\" between the US and UK.\n\nBut BBC political correspondent Chris Mason said Lord Sedwill's remarks would not be unhelpful to Downing Street as any perception in Washington that Mr Johnson was like Mr Trump becomes a liability with the arrival of President Biden.\n\nIn his Daily Mail article, Lord Sedwill, who was the UK's most senior civil servant until he stood down in September, said there was \"relief in Western capitals\" that normal diplomatic relationships will be restored once Mr Biden is inaugurated on Wednesday.\n\nThe former Cabinet Secretary said: \"Those of us who regard ourselves as close American allies have badly missed US leadership over the past four years.\n\n\"Based on my time working for Boris Johnson in Downing Street, I believe those who have said he would have preferred a second Trump term are mistaken. That would not have been to the benefit of British or European security, to transatlantic trade, let alone the environmental agenda to which the prime minister is so committed.\"\n\nLord Sedwill added: \"With Brexit accomplished and the Biden administration ready to re-engage, this is the moment for Global Britain to step up.\"", "Evelyn Jones was one of the care home residents whose family raised concerns\n\nSix care home residents died after suffering dehydration and malnourishment because of alleged neglect, an inquest has been told.\n\nStanley James, 89, June Hamer, 71, Stanley Bradford, 76, Edith Evans, 85, Evelyn Jones, 87, and William Hickman, 71 all died between 2003 and 2005.\n\nThey were residents at Brithdir Nursing Home in New Tredegar, Caerphilly.\n\nThe inquest in Newport follows Operation Jasmine, an £11.6m inquiry into alleged neglect at six homes.\n\nOne of Wales' biggest inquiries, it was launched after the death of an 84-year-old patient at a nursing home in Newbridge, Caerphilly.\n\nOpening the inquest, Assistant Coroner for Gwent Geraint Williams said police started investigating in 2005 following the death of an 84-year-old \"mentally infirm\" woman at another care home in Newbridge.\n\nMr Williams said it led to officers uncovering a \"pattern of concerns linked to other deaths in other care homes\".\n\nJune Hamer went into Brithdir in 2003\n\nIn relation to the Brithdir inquiry, Mr Williams said: \"Operation Jasmine uncovered evidence suggesting poor care of residents, including allegations of poor pressure sore and peg [percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy] feed management, malnourishment, and general neglect of the residents' long-term needs, together with deficient standards of care and nursing practice.\"\n\nThe inquest heard resident Mr James, who had dementia and was not mobile, developed several pressure sores in the 18 months before he died in August 2003.\n\nMr Bradford, who had schizophrenia, was admitted to the Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil on several occasions for complaints of \"dehydration, chest and urine infections\".\n\nBefore he died in August 2005 he was \"observed to be seriously malnourished\", by doctors.\n\nDementia patient Mrs Evans was admitted to the same hospital in September 2005, where nurses found the site around her feeding tube \"infected\", while broken skin was found on her buttocks and she appeared \"unkempt and dirty, and her mouth and lips were dry and her tongue was thick\".\n\nThe trial of the late Dr Prana Das for care home neglect collapsed after he suffered brain damage in an attack\n\nDr Prana Das, who owned and ran the nursing home along with several other facilities in Wales, faced a string of charges relating to failings in care.\n\nHe suffered a brain injury during a burglary at his home in 2012 and was declared medically unfit to stand trial.\n\nDr Das died in January 2020 aged 73, but his widow and co-owner of the home, Dr Nishebita Das, who is said not to have taken part in running it, is expected to give evidence at the inquest.\n\nMr Williams told the hearing that, even before the couple purchased the home in April 2002 under their company Puretruce Health Care Limited, \"serious concerns\" were raised by state agencies regarding the number of residents who had suffered pressure ulcers.\n\n\"Those issues continued, even after Dr Das assumed ownership of the home,\" he said.\n\nMr Williams said the inquest will consider the actions of nurses and carers at the home, \"many of whom came to this country from abroad to work and have since returned there, and are now not available to participate in the inquest\".\n\nThe inquest is set to last until March.\n\nA hearing into the death of a seventh resident, Matthew Higgins, 86, will be held following the conclusion of this inquest.", "Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said he is self-isolating after being alerted by the UK's NHS Covid-19 app.\n\nThe West Suffolk MP said self-isolation was \"perhaps the most important part of all the social distancing\" and urged others to do the same if contacted.\n\nIn a tweet, Mr Hancock said he would be working from home until Sunday, adding \"we all have a part to play in getting this virus under control\".\n\nHe contracted coronavirus in March 2020 and suffered \"mild symptoms\".\n\nMr Hancock said he learned from the app he had been \"in close contact with somebody who's tested positive\" and so self-isolating was \"how we break the chains of transmission\".\n\n\"So you must follow these rules like I'm going to,\" he said. \"I've got to work from home for the next six days, and together, by doing this, by following this, and all the other panoply of rules that we've had to put in place, we can get through this and beat this virus.\"\n\nMr Hancock said he was alerted by the app on Monday night, having earlier led a Downing Street press conference alongside NHS England medical director Prof Stephen Powis and Public Health England's Dr Susan Hopkins.\n\nThe NHS app tells a person if they have been in close contact with someone who has later tested positive for coronavirus and tells them to isolate for 10 full days from their last contact.\n\nWhile it is not clear from Mr Hancock's statement if his isolation ends on Sunday or Monday, his period of quarantine suggests he was last in contact with the person who was infected on Wednesday or Thursday.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Matt Hancock This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nDowning Street confirmed that Mr Hancock would not receive the vaccine early because he is leading the pandemic response.\n\nThe prime minister's official spokesman said: \"The PM and the rest of the cabinet will take the vaccine when it's their turn to do so based on the priority lists that have been published.\n\n\"We don't think it's right that the PM or other members of cabinet take the vaccine in place of somebody who is at higher clinical risk.\"\n\nIn March, the health secretary revealed he had tested positive for Covid-19 shortly after Prime Minister Boris Johnson had confirmed he too had the virus.\n\nWhile the health secretary recovered fairly swiftly, and was able to work from home during his illness, Mr Johnson required hospital treatment.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Covid symptoms: What are they and how long should I self-isolate for?\n\nSelf-isolation, which means staying at home and not leaving, is a legal requirement for anybody who has Covid symptoms, has tested positive for the virus, lives with someone who has symptoms, has arrived from abroad or has been contacted by NHS Test and Trace.\n\nIn December, the self-isolation period required was cut from 14 days to 10 days.\n\nUsing Bluetooth technology the NHS app makes contact between mobile phones when they are near each other, if an owner of a phone later tests positive for the virus and shares that with the app, alerts are sent to anyone who is deemed to have been a close contact.", "More than 127,000 people in the UK who contracted coronavirus have lost their lives - with the pandemic claiming more than 3.4 million deaths worldwide. As the UK marks a year since the first coronavirus lockdown was called, it's a time for reflection.\n\nWe have gathered tributes to more than 770 of those who have died. Below are words of remembrance from friends, family and colleagues.\n\nPlease enable JavaScript or upgrade your browser to see this interactive\n\nThe tributes are displayed at random, which means that you will see different faces each time you visit this page.\n\nIf we have used your tribute to your friend or family member, it will appear in the carousel above, or you can find it by entering their name in the search box below.\n\nA modern browser with JavaScript and a stable internet connection is required to view this interactive. Enter a name to search the tributes\n\nFor more on NHS and healthcare workers, please see this page dedicated to 100 people who died while helping to look after others.\n\nFor more on how it has affected people's lives, from family tragedy to its impact on everyday life, we have a collection of personal stories about life in lockdown.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Britain's climate change leadership is being undercut by a government decision to allow a new coal mine in Cumbria, MPs have warned.\n\nThe UK is hosting a UN climate summit in November, where it will urge other nations to phase out fossil fuels.\n\nThe MPs say the government's decision to allow a new colliery at home will make it harder to secure a deal.\n\nThe Woodhouse mine was approved by Cumbria County Council because it will create jobs in an area of high unemployment.\n\nThe planning minister Robert Jenrick could have overruled it, but said the issue was best decided at a local level.\n\nThat verdict was derided by environmentalists, who pointed out that climate change from fossil fuel burning is a global problem.\n\nAlok Sharma, who is leading the COP26 climate summit and who co-ordinates UK policies on climate change, was asked by the Commons business select committee whether the mine approval was \"an embarrassment\". He replied: \"I take your point\".\n\nBusiness Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng told the committee there was a \"slight tension\" between approving the mine, near Whitehaven, and broader attempts to clean up the economy.\n\nBut he said ministers decided to allow the pit because it will produce coking coal for steel-making, which otherwise would have to be imported.\n\nHe said: \"There's a slight tension between the decision to open this mine and our avowed intention to take coal off the grid… there was a debate in the government about what we could do about this, but this was a local planning decision.\n\n\"If we don't have sources of coking coal in the UK we would be importing those anyway\".\n\nThis appears to run counter to advice from the Climate Change Committee which has said all coal - including coking coal - should be phased out by 2035. Doubts have been raised about investors in the mine being left with a \"stranded asset\" if the pit is forced to close on climate grounds.\n\nThe mine approval is even more poignant because the UK founded the 'Powering Past Coal Alliance\" - a global club to persuade nations to leave coal in the ground.\n\nA source close to the Alliance secretariat told BBC News that staff were enraged by the decision. They believed the decision had been made to help secure so-called \"Red Wall\" votes in areas which previously voted Labour .\n\nMohamed Adow, from a pressure group, Powershift Africa, told BBC News: \"It is quite bizarre that the UK government, in the year it hosts the biggest global climate talks since the signing of the Paris Agreement, has approved a new coal mine.\"\n\nThe young campaigner Greta Thunberg said the decision showed pledges to achieve net zero emissions targets by 2050 \"basically mean nothing\".\n\nDarren Jones, chair of the business committee, told BBC News it would be hard for the UK to persuade countries like Poland to abandon coal whilst building a mine.\n\nHe argued that the government should have found another way to bring jobs to Cumbria. He said: \"Carbon-intensive industries are looking to the government for leadership on the transition to a green future.\n\n\"Backing coal at home doesn't look in line with the recent Energy White Paper and certainly makes our efforts to secure international agreement on ambitious decarbonisation harder to achieve.\"\n\nThe Environmental Audit Committee Chairman, Philip Dunne, told BBC News: \"If the UK is to achieve its ambition to be an environmental world leader, the government must offer clear guidance on how we can take every industry to net-zero, and offer a pipeline of investable projects.\n\n\"The steel sector needs to develop alternatives to importing coking coal. This could also support the next generation of green jobs - which are urgently needed.\"\n\nThe cross-bench peer Baroness Worthington told BBC News: \"This decision is real laziness of thinking from the government. Just think of signal it sends to all those countries who want to cling on to coal.\n\n\"The government doesn't yet have a cohesive strategy that makes sense. It's crazy. Absolute madness.\"", "Medical staff are expected to \"face pressures unlike any other they have faced before\" as NI approaches its toughest week so far in the pandemic.\n\nThe British Medical Association has said while its doctors are \"coping\", many feel they are unable to give care to the \"standard they would want\".\n\nThe peak in intensive care is predicted to happen next weekend.\n\nThe head of the BMA in NI, Dr Tom Black has been critical of the way this wave of the pandemic has been managed.\n\nHe said: \"Staff will do their best in a very difficult situation, where many decisions in this pandemic were made too late.\"\n\nWhile it is expected the number of hospital admissions will peak sometime over the next eight to 10 days, the number requiring intensive care treatment is likely to continue increasing for at least another fortnight.\n\nDr Black said he was concerned for both patients and staff.\n\nHe said: \"It is likely that over the next few weeks doctors will be asked to work in a new location or provide support to areas that are already overstretched.\n\n\"Many have already had planned annual leave cancelled.\"\n\nThere were a further 19 virus-related deaths and 640 more Covid-19 cases reported in Northern Ireland on Monday.\n\nThe latest figures from the Department of Health bring the total number of deaths to 1,625, while 96,001 people have tested positive for the virus since the pandemic began.\n\nSome 65 patients are in ICU, down two from the last report, and 51 patients are being ventilated.\n\nSince the vaccine rollout began in NI, 146,733 people have been vaccinated, according to the Department of Health.\n\nOf that number, 125,717 were first doses and 21,016 were second jabs.\n\nA total of 31,393 people from the over-80 age group have been vaccinated.\n\nEarlier the BMA told BBC News NI that more than 90,000 doses the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine had arrived in Northern Ireland but the Department of Health has said it is anticipated separate deliveries will arrive by this weekend.\n\nDr Black said many staff members had reported feeling \"exhausted and demoralised\" and he warned that when it came to reviewing how the pandemic was handled \"this phase will stand out as one where we could have planned better\".\n\nHealth Minister Robin Swann said the next seven days is \"when we will see that real intense pressure coming on our inpatients and intensive care units\".\n\n\"Our worst case scenario has modelling up to 1,200 inpatients - and that's a serious pressure that comes on our system,\" he told Radio Ulster's Evening Extra programme.\n\n\"We can go up into nearly 200 ICU capacity but that comes at a stretch, that comes with putting our staff under severe pressure in ICU units.\n\n\"It also comes by having to shift the ICU specialist nurse from a ratio of one-to-one to a ratio of one-to-two or even one-to-three in extreme pressures.\n\n\"That's not something we want to do,\" he added.\n\nThe past week saw hospitals across Northern Ireland coming together in order to cope with the strain.\n\nOn 10 January, the Southern Health Trust was on the cusp of declaring a major incident amid the mounting pressures across the health service.\n\nThat was avoided as many off-duty staff answered a call to come into work and the health trusts pulled together to provide a regional response to the crisis.\n\nPatients were diverted to those hospitals which could take them and where infrastructure could cope with supplying additional oxygen to the very ill.\n\nOver the weekend of 9/10 January the Southern Health Trust - the smallest of the health trusts - was dealing with the highest number of patients who required oxygen.\n\nIn the past week the Northern and Southern Health Trusts have seen the highest number of patients.\n\nThat reflects the high rate of community transmission in some areas those trusts cover.\n\nMeanwhile, no resolution has been reached between Stormont leaders and the Irish Government over the sharing of passenger data.\n\nLast week, First Minister Arlene Foster and Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill criticised Dublin for failing to share information on travellers arriving there during the pandemic.\n\nMichelle O'Neill said it was \"regrettable\" the issue has not been resolved\n\nFirst Minister Arlene Foster said repeated efforts to access data on passenger locator forms filled out by people arriving in the Republic of Ireland had failed.\n\nMrs Foster and Ms O'Neill indicated on Thursday that they planned to raise the matter directly with Taoiseach (Irish prime minsiter) Micheál Martin.\n\nMs O'Neill told the Northern Ireland Assembly on Monday that no resolution has been found yet.\n\nShe told MLAs the issue had been raised \"on every occasion we have had the opportunity\" and that it was \"regrettable\" that the issue had not been resolved.\n\nThe travel issue will be discussed at a meeting on Wednesday involving the first minister, the deputy first minister, Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney and NI Secretary of State Brandon Lewis.\n\n\"I hope that perhaps Wednesday's meeting will allow some opportunity for there to be a way forward,\" the deputy first minister added.\n\nIt was announced on Sunday that all travellers who have returned from Portugal or transited through 16 South American countries in the past 14 days will have to - along with their household - self-isolate for 10 days upon return to Northern Ireland.\n\nThis includes travellers who entered these countries en route to another destination. All travellers returning home from South America are advised to be tested, whether or not they have symptoms.\n\nFrom Thursday, all international travellers will be required to present a negative Covid-19 test result before arriving in Northern Ireland.\n\nThis rule comes into effect in England, Scotland and Wales on Monday.\n\nOn Monday, the Department of Health in the Republic of Ireland reported eight more coronavirus-related deaths.\n\nIt brings its death toll to 2,616.\n\nThe department said 2,121 new cases of the virus had been reported, with a cumulative total of 174,843 infections.\n\nIt said that as of 14:00 local time on Monday, 1,975 Covid-19 patients are in hospital, of which 200 are in ICU (intensive care units).\n\nIrish Chief Medical Officer, Dr Tony Holohan, said: \"This third wave of the pandemic has seen higher level of hospitalisations across all age groups.\n\n\"There are now more sick people in hospital than any time in the course of this pandemic\".", "Staff gathered outside a supermarket to pay their respects to a colleague who died with coronavirus.\n\nJohn Deacy, 81, worked the Christmas Eve shift at the Tesco Extra store in Gabalfa, Cardiff, died just two weeks later.\n\nFriends and colleagues clapped as the funeral procession went by the store.\n\nFormer members of a jazz band, formed by Mr Deacy in the 1970s, marched in front of the hearse.\n\nHis son, Wayne, 56, said: “My dad put everyone above himself. He’d do anything for anyone.\n\n\"He’d help anyone and would never speak badly of people.”\n\nMr Deacy was in the Royal Marines for seven years and was a semi-professional boxer before starting a career at the industrial gas company BOC.\n\nHe went on to work for the supermarket for 16 years.\n\n“We’ve had loads and loads of messages from hundreds of staff who said he will leave a massive gaping hole,\" his son said.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Covid in Scotland: Schools to stay closed until mid-February at least\n\nScotland's Covid-19 lockdown has been extended until at least the middle of February, with most school pupils to continue learning from home.\n\nFirst Minister Nicola Sturgeon told MSPs that transmission of the virus appeared to be declining but was still too high to ease restrictions.\n\nBut she hopes schools will be able to at least begin a phased return to the classroom in the middle of next month.\n\nThe level four restrictions have been in place since Boxing Day.\n\nMeanwhile the islands of Barra and Vatersay are being moved into the top level of restrictions due to a \"significant outbreak\" there.\n\nThe current restrictions, which have closed non-essential shops and seen a \"stay at home\" message put down in law, had been due to expire at the end of this month.\n\nBut Scottish government ministers agreed they should be extended after a cabinet meeting on Tuesday morning.\n\nMs Sturgeon told MSPs that lockdown was \"beginning to have an impact\" on the number of new infections, but said Scotland remained in a \"very precarious position\".\n\nShe added: \"We need to be realistic that any improvement we are seeing is down, at this stage, to the fact that we are staying at home and reducing our interactions.\n\n\"Any relaxation of lockdown while case numbers, even though they might be declining, nevertheless remain very high, could quickly send the situation into reverse.\"\n\nThe vast majority of Scottish pupils have been home learning since the Christmas holiday\n\nThe announcement came as 1,165 new cases of Covid-19 were registered in Scotland, representing 11.1% of tests carried out.\n\nA total of 1,989 people are in hospital with the virus while a further 71 deaths of people who recently tested positive have been logged.\n\nMs Sturgeon said there was \"real and severe\" pressure on health services, with around 30% more patients in hospital than at the peak of the first wave in April 2020, and that this was \"almost certain to rise for a further period yet\".\n\nSchool buildings and nurseries have been closed to most pupils since the start of term, with all but the children of some key workers and vulnerable pupils learning from home.\n\nNot only will schools remain closed to most pupils until at least mid-February, they are unlikely to return to normal at that point.\n\nThe first minister has indicated that her aim is to begin a phased return, if coronavirus allows. So what might that mean?\n\nThe groups that will get back into class first are likely to include secondary school exam year pupils, the youngest primary school children and those in P7 getting ready to move to high school.\n\nFor others, online learning is likely to last a bit longer.\n\nBoth the return to school and the continuation of the wider lockdown will be reviewed again in a fortnight on 2 Feb.\n\nBy that week, first doses of vaccine should have been offered to all over 80s in Scotland as well as frontline NHS and social care staff and care home residents.\n\nWith only 15-20% of the over 80s reached so far, opposition parties think the programme is slipping behind schedule, which the first minister denies.\n\nMs Sturgeon said she knew how \"challenging and stressful\" home schooling was for families, but said community transmission was \"too high\" to allow a safe return to classrooms.\n\nShe said: \"If it is at all possible, as I very much hope it will be, to begin even a phased return to in-school learning in mid-February, we will.\n\n\"But I also have to be straight with families and say that it is simply too early to be sure about whether and to what extent this will be possible.\"\n\nStatistics released on Monday showed that Scotland had vaccinated 6% of its adult population so far - the same percentage as Wales, but lower than the 8% that have been vaccinated in England and 8.7% in Northern Ireland.\n\nEngland has also given a second dose of the vaccine to 427,386 people, compared to only 3,698 in Scotland.\n\nMs Sturgeon said approximately 100,000 people were being vaccinated per week in Scotland, and that health teams were \"on track\" to expand this to 400,000 per week by the end of February.\n\nStatistics have suggested the vaccination programme in Scotland is currently lagging behind England\n\nMore than 90% of care home residents have now been given a first dose, along with 70% of care home staff and 70% of all frontline health and care workers.\n\nThe first minister said the focus on care homes - where it is \"time consuming and labour intensive\" to give out jabs - was \"why overall figures are at this stage lower than in England\", where more over-80s have received the vaccine.\n\nShe said the \"pace of progress in the over-80s group is also now picking up\", and that the government remained on track to hit its target of completing everyone on the priority list by early May.\n\nScottish Conservative group leader Ruth Davidson said the Scottish government were \"lagging behind their own targets\" on vaccination, saying the focus on care homes \"doesn't explain how slowly the vaccine is reaching GP surgeries and the public\".\n\nShe read out a series of letters from elderly people who had not been contacted about getting a jab, saying they were \"anxious they don't get left behind\".\n\nMs Sturgeon said she would not apologise for \"prioritising the most vulnerable first\", saying all four UK nations were \"working to the same targets\".\n\nScottish Labour's interim leader Jackie Baillie asked if Ms Sturgeon was confident the government could hit its \"critical\" targets, saying GPs were still complaining about \"patchy\" distribution of vaccines.\n\nThe first minister replied that her government would hit its goals, saying it was \"always the intention\" to increase the pace of vaccination as infrastructure and supplies became available.\n\nThis would see care home residents, healthcare staff and all over-80s get a first dose by the start of February, with over-70s and those deemed \"extremely vulnerable\" by mid-February and all over-65s by the beginning of March.", "Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Tuesday evening. We'll have another update for you on Wednesday morning.\n\nScotland's Covid-19 lockdown has been extended until at least the middle of February, with most school pupils to continue learning from home at least until then. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said transmission of the virus appeared to be declining but was still too high to ease restrictions, which have been in place since Boxing Day. It comes as England's deputy chief medical officer said schools may reopen region by region after February half term.\n\nHealth Secretary Matt Hancock has said he is self-isolating after being alerted by the UK's NHS Covid-19 app. He urged others to do the same if \"pinged\" by the app and said self-isolation was \"perhaps the most important part of all the social distancing\". Mr Hancock, who is MP for West Suffolk, suffered \"mild symptoms\" when he contracted coronavirus in March 2020.\n\nA group of politicians drank alcohol on Welsh Parliament premises, days after a coronavirus rule banning pubs from serving drinks took effect. BBC Wales has been told Conservative Senedd leader Paul Davies, Darren Millar and Nick Ramsay were drinking together in early December, with Labour Senedd member Alun Davies also involved. Senedd authorities said they are investigating an \"incident\". Elsewhere, an internal investigation has began after railway workers allegedly held a surprise baby shower in a closed Patisserie Valerie bakery at London's Marylebone station during lockdown.\n\nHeadlines about footballers and Covid have been hard to miss lately - with questions about dressing room distancing, off-pitch partying and all those post-goal hugs. But what's football in lockdown actually like for players and their families? BBC Newsbeat has found out by speaking to Wycombe Wanderers footballer Joe Jacobson and his wife Louise.\n\nYou can find more information, advice and guides on our coronavirus page.\n\nWhat questions do you have about coronavirus?\n\nIn some cases, your question will be published, displaying your name, age and location as you provide it, unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published. Please ensure you have read our terms & conditions and privacy policy.\n\nUse this form to ask your question:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or send them via email to YourQuestions@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any question you send in.", "Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has confirmed the government is looking at scrapping some EU labour laws now it is no longer bound by the bloc's rules.\n\nBut he promised there would be no dilution of workers' rights.\n\nMeasures under consideration include relaxing the working time directive which enshrines a 48-hour week.\n\nShadow business secretary Ed Miliband warned the government wanted to take a \"wrecking ball\" to hard-won rights.\n\nEarlier this week Mr Kwarteng said he wanted to \"protect and enhance\" labour law after the Financial Times reported that some rules could be weakened.\n\nThe minister later told business leaders the UK had an opportunity to reform regulation derived from EU law, but would not deliberately antagonise the EU - its biggest trading partner - immediately after the Brexit deal.\n\nConfirming the review on Tuesday, Mr Kwarteng told MPs there would be no \"bonfire of rights\".\n\n\"I think the view was that we wanted to look at the whole range of issues relating to our EU membership and examine what we wanted to keep, if you like,\" he said.\n\nBut he said \"the idea that we are trying to whittle down standards, that's not at all plausible or true\".\n\nAppearing before MPs, the business secretary said: \"I'm very struck as I look at EU economies how many EU countries - I think it's about 17 or 18 - have essentially opted out of the working time directive.\n\n\"So even by just following that we are way above the average European standard and I want to maintain that. I think we can be a high-wage, high-employment economy, a very successful economy, and that's what we should be aiming for.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Kwasi Kwarteng This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nMr Miliband said that after denying the FT's report, Mr Kwarteng had now \"let the cat out of the bag\" in admitting the government was conducting a review.\n\nHe warned that opting out of the 48-hour week would harm workers in key sectors like the NHS, road haulage and airlines from working excessive hours.\n\n\"A government committed to maintaining existing protections would not be reviewing whether they should be unpicked. This exposes that the government's priorities for Britain are totally wrong.\"\n\nDrew Hendry, the SNP's business spokesman, echoed the criticism, accusing the government of planning an \"assault\" on workers' rights.\n\nMeanwhile the boss of the UK's biggest recruitment firm, Reed, told the BBC's Today programme that there was \"no wish\" among employers to see \"a so-called bonfire of workers' rights.\n\n\"They must be protected because fair treatment is the bedrock of good workplace relations,\" James Reed said.\n\nThe chairman of the firm said the government should instead focus on lower-paid workers and measures that could be taken to improve unemployment, which is set to rise further into mid-2021.\n\n\"I would suggest two things are looked at before any EU rules: The apprenticeship levy, which is clearly failing... and also National Insurance on jobs. It's a tax on jobs - how can that be improved? Especially to help the low-paid back into work.\"\n\nUnder the post-Brexit trade deal with the EU, the UK has agreed to conditions that maintain fair competition, or a level playing field, between the two sides.\n\nHowever, the EU's ambassador to the UK, Joao Vale de Almeida, said Brussels could retaliate if Boris Johnson's government went too far in with deregulation.\n\n\"It will be for us to judge the extent to which it violates this principle of 'level playing field' and if that is the case there are mechanisms in the treaty, in the agreement, that allow us to discuss and eventually to come to an understanding,\" he said on Tuesday.\n\n\"If no understanding there are retaliation measures that can be applied on both sides.\"", "The death happened in the alpine resort of Verbier, in Switzerland\n\nA British man has been killed in an avalanche in the Swiss Alps, police have said.\n\nThe man was among 10 people swept away at the alpine resort of Verbier, to the east of Geneva, on Monday morning.\n\nPolice said the skier, who has not been named, lived in Verbier and died at the scene.\n\nOne person was flown to hospital with serious injuries, while eight others were uninjured, local police said.\n\nA police spokesman said: \"The avalanche occurred outside the piste between the Verbier ski area and 'Les Attelas'.\n\n\"At around 10:20, a skier was driving down a corridor below the 'Attelas' area.\n\n\"A snow drift came loose and carried the skier as well as another person who had been further down at the time.\"\n\nAn investigation has been launched.\n\nThe Foreign Office said it was offering support to the British man's family and was in contact with the authorities in Switzerland.\n\nThe death comes after several days of heavy snowfall across Switzerland, which led to the death of another skier who was killed in an avalanche while skiing in Gstaad.\n\nIt takes the total deaths due to avalanches in the country to seven since last weekend.\n\nMore than 200 British skiers left the popular Verbier resort in December after Switzerland imposed a coronavirus quarantine following the discovery of a new variant of the virus.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Lorry drivers have been holding up the traffic in Westminster.\n\nBoris Johnson has pledged £23m to help businesses affected by Brexit delays amid protests by fishing firms.\n\nDemonstrations took place outside government departments in central London by exporters who are warning their livelihoods are under threat.\n\nExports of fresh fish and seafood have been severely disrupted by new border controls since the UK's transition period ended earlier this month.\n\nThe PM said firms would be compensated for delays that were not their fault.\n\nIndustry associations have complained that extra paperwork has made it difficult to deliver fresh produce to mainland Europe before it goes off.\n\nThey have warned that if the situation continues, jobs could soon be at risk.\n\nPressed on what he would do in response, Mr Johnson said the government would step in to support firms which \"through no fault of their own have experienced bureaucratic delays, difficulties getting their goods through, where there is a genuine willing buyer on the other side of the channel\".\n\n\"There's a £23m compensation fund we've set up and we'll make sure they get help,\" he said.\n\nDetails of the scheme are expected later this week.\n\nAfter a day of protests in central London, which saw 20 lorries drive up Whitehall, the Metropolitan Police said 14 people had been reported for Covid-related offences, but no arrests were made.\n\nMark Moore, manager of the Dartmouth Crab Company, said his business and others were protesting to \"raise awareness\" of the impact of new border checks.\n\nHe told BBC Radio 5 Live his company had faced delays of up to eight and a half hours when delivering produce into the European Union.\n\nHe added that the situation was \"especially difficult\" for the shellfish sector, where goods were at risk of going off before reaching customers.\n\n\"It's not about the increased documentation per se,\" he said.\n\n\"We have taken that on board, and we ourselves - and I know many others - have had no issues with producing the actual paperwork.\n\n\"It's the volume required and the timeframe in which to produce it, which doesn't lend itself to live shellfish and fish generally.\"\n\nThere are 24 lorries in total, overwhelmingly from seafood exporters in Scotland. Businesses taking part say the Brexit trade deal has left their industry high and dry.\n\nAnd although one haulier from Aberdeenshire I spoke to was keen to stress that their coordinated protest was peaceful, it is clear that they all feel that direct action is now necessary to make the government sit up and take notice.\n\nGood natured though their action was, it did for a time cause serious traffic congestion along Whitehall and Parliament Square.\n\nHowever, low levels of traffic perhaps caused by the Covid lockdown meant the roads around Whitehall didn't grind to a complete halt.\n\nAt stake, they believe, is an industry, but also thousands of livelihoods. Exporters say they are backed by fishermen who are struggling to land their catches.\n\nAnd although the rural Scottish communities which are sustained by fishing might seem like a long way from the streets of SW1, the hauliers certainly made their presence felt this morning.\n\nHaving left the EU's customs union and the single market, UK exports are subject to new customs and veterinary checks which have caused problems at the border.\n\nSome Scottish fishermen have been landing their catch in Denmark to avoid the \"bureaucratic system\" involved in exporting to Europe, according to Scotland's rural economy secretary.\n\nLast week, Boris Johnson told a committee of MPs that fishing firms impacted by disruption would be compensated for \"temporary frustrations\".\n\nBut the BBC was told that the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) did not know about the promise of compensation before it was made by Mr Johnson.\n\nSpeaking to reporters, the prime minister said he understood the \"frustrations\" of the fishing industry, noting its plight had been \"exacerbated by the Covid pandemic\".\n\n\"Unfortunately, the demand in restaurants on the continent for UK fish has not been what it was before the pandemic, just because the restaurants have been closed for so long,\" he added.\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer accused ministers of trying to \"blame fishing communities\" for problems \"rather than accepting it's their failure to prepare\".\n\n\"The government has known there would be a problem with fishing and particularly the sale of fish into the EU for years,\" he told reporters.\n\nMuch media attention has been focussed on Scotland as this export crisis has unfolded.\n\nBut exactly the same problem is rearing its head in the UK's other great fishing stronghold - at the other end of the UK in Devon and Cornwall.\n\nA virtual Who's Who of South West fishing leaders wrote to the environment secretary back in November warning that the new post-Brexit export requirements would have a \"seriously detrimental effect\" on the industry, claiming this \"could be the final straw for many businesses\".\n\nHere, too, many fish exports have now ground to a halt and others have encountered obstacles and long delays.\n\nAnd exporters have reacted angrily to the government's repeated insistence that the issues they've been experiencing over the last two weeks are just \"teething problems\".", "Not all parents have found it easy to home school their children during coronavirus lockdowns\n\nLevels of stress, depression and anxiety among parents and carers have increased with the pressures of the lockdowns, suggests research from the University of Oxford.\n\nMany parents, especially those of secondary-age pupils, say they are worried about their children's futures.\n\nThe government has said it is aware how challenging it is for parents to support children with home learning.\n\nThe research, based on responses from 6,246 parents and carers between mid-March and the end of December 2020, found problems including:\n\nOn an established scale of depression, anxiety and stress, parents' depression scores increased from April through to June from an average of 9.03 to 9.71, says the study funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.\n\nWhile these average scores decreased over the summer, when Covid-19 restrictions were eased, to a low of 8.23 in September, they rose again over the course of the autumn term to a high of 10.1 points in December.\n\nParents' stress scores were at their lowest in August and September at 11.4 points, but increased to a high of 13.2 in December, following the pre-Christmas lockdown.\n\nThe researchers said higher levels of stress were detected particularly in low-income families, as well as single-parent households and those with children with special educational needs.\n\nWhile average anxiety scores were relatively stable throughout the whole period - ranging from a 4.71 points in April to 4.24 in July - they hit a high of 5 points in December.\n\nThe study also found just over a third (36%) of parents with young children (10 years or younger) said they were \"substantially worried\" about their children's behaviour, in contrast to just over a quarter (28%) of parents who had older children only (11 years or older).\n\nHowever, nearly half (45%) of those with secondary-age children were worried about their children's education and future, compared to 32% of those with young children.\n\nLeticea, a parent who took part in the study, said: \"I think that UK leaders should have access to this data to see what is going on with the mental health of families and how they are being affected by Covid-19 with increased levels of stress, depression and anxiety - we need something to look forward to.\n\n\"I am also worried that the next three months will show a sharper increase in anxiety and stress where parents are having to do more teaching at home.\n\n\"Children are more worried as their teachers are becoming ill - the 'new variant' sounds more scary, my daughter keeps commenting on an increasing worry of catching Covid-19 which she didn't do so much before.\"\n\nAnother parent, Madiha, said: ''Current times are hard enough as they are.\n\n\"As a working parent, the most important thing for me is to ensure my family's wellbeing, their safety, and their continued development.\n\n\"Prolonged screen time, disruption to daily routine, frequent arguments, lack of exercise, and stress of exams have all been contributing factors to our mental health and wellbeing.\n\nMadiha said she hoped the study would play a part in informing policy and developing interventions to help families.\n\nCathy Creswell, professor of clinical developmental psychology at Oxford University and co-leader of the study, said the findings showed parents were particularly vulnerable to distress during the first lockdown.\n\n\"Our data highlight the particular strains felt by parents during lockdown when many feel that they have been spread too thin by the demands of meeting their children's needs during the pandemic, along with home-schooling and work commitments.\"\n\nSchools were first closed to most pupils in March\n\nJohn Jolly, head of the charity Parentkind, said the research highlighted \"the additional stress and pressure that partial school closures place on parents\".\n\n\"Given the disruption to family life, it is vital that policymakers consult and listen to the concerns of parents on issues that directly impact them and their children's futures.\n\n\"This includes the safety and reopening of schools, the fair allocation of grades in the absence of exams, and remote learning provision.\"\n\nThe Oxford researchers are tracking children's and parents' mental health throughout the current crisis, to help them identify what protects young people from deteriorating mental health and how this may vary according to child and family characteristics.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Ms Davies-Jones wanted to highlight how \"vitally important\" smear tests are\"\n\nAn MP has described how she had to have most of her cervix removed after putting off a smear test for several months.\n\nPontypridd MP Alex Davies-Jones, 31, said she was invited for her first routine screening in December 2015 and \"like so many others, I put it off\".\n\nFollowing a reminder in April 2016 she went for the cervical screening.\n\nShe wrote in the i newspaper it led to her being diagnosed with CIN3, abnormal cells and had to have surgery.\n\nIf left untreated, CIN3 can have a high chance of becoming cancerous.\n\nMs Davies-Jones wrote in the paper she was left \"without the majority of my cervix\" after the surgery.\n\nShe said she used her article to urge others \"don't delay in booking\" and said she felt compelled to write about her experiences for Cervical Cancer Prevention Week.\n\nA cervical screening checks the health of your cervix.\n\nA small sample of cells is taken from the cervix and checked for certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV) that can cause changes to the cells.\n\nIf present the sample is then checked for any changes in the cells which can be treated before they get a chance to turn into cervical cancer.\n\nThe NHS advises women between the ages of 25 to 49 to have a smear test every three years.\n\nAlex Davies-Jones became the Labour MP for Pontypridd in the 2019 General Election\n\nShe wrote: \"I used all of the usual excuses that you may have heard before.\n\n\"I was simply too busy, I couldn't get an appointment and I had no symptoms or abnormalities that were worrying me.\"\n\nMs Davies-Jones wrote she thought the routine screening would \"just be five minutes of awkward conversation with the nurse at my local GP whilst taking my knickers off\".\n\n\"I didn't ever think that there could be a chance that my cells would be 'abnormal' and that the next few months of my life would leave me terrified and constantly contemplating my own mortality.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Chloe Delevingne had a smear test live on the Victoria Derbyshire programme to show what the procedure involved\n\nIf she had put off the screening any longer \"the situation could have been different\", the MP wrote.\n\nShe said she first received a type of laser treatment to \"burn off the abnormal cells from my cervix\" but more treatment was needed after the doctor told her the abnormal cells on her cervix were \"embedded deeper and looked more challenging than expected\".\n\nThen she had to have surgery, a \"cold knife biopsy\".\n\n\"I was without the majority of my cervix, but my life was saved. It was over,\" she wrote.\n\n\"Sadly, for many this isn't the case. For the next few years, I attended screenings every six months to ensure the abnormal cells didn't return.\n\n\"My last screening was in April 2018. Thankfully again all was fine but the anxiety and fear that surrounded me as I awaited those results has stayed with me even now.\"\n\nShe went on to give birth to her son Sullivan in March 2019.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Expert’s report finds eight-year-old Saffie \"could have been saved\" if treated properly for her injuries\n\nA man has described how he tried to help the youngest victim of the Manchester Arena attack as she lay badly injured after the explosion.\n\nPaul Reid, 46, was the first person to reach eight-year-old Saffie-Rose Roussos after the bomb was detonated.\n\nHe said she asked for her mum and said he tried to keep her awake by talking about the Ariana Grande gig.\n\nIt comes after a new report found Saffie could have survived if she had received better medical help.\n\nTwenty-two people were murdered and hundreds more injured when Salman Abedi detonated a bomb in the arena foyer as fans left the concert on 22 May 2017.\n\nMr Reid, who was selling posters at the concert, told the BBC he ran into the foyer seconds after the bomb went off.\n\n\"There was a big bang and I could see up on to the foyer, and there was smoke and you could hear things pinging off the wall,\" he said.\n\n\"I still had the posters in my hand. It was mad because it was like I wasn't there, like I was watching myself.\n\n\"People were just screaming and running in every direction you could think of.\"\n\nSaffie-Rose Roussos was the youngest victim of the Manchester Arena bombing\n\nMr Reid said he tried to help two other people before he noticed Saffie lying on the floor.\n\n\"She was still conscious. I asked her her name and I thought she said Sophie,\" he said.\n\n\"She just got a little bit upset. She asked me for her mum and I said not to worry, we're going to find her in a minute.\n\n\"And I sat there trying to keep her calm. I had to talk to her about the concert, and did she enjoy it.\n\n\"All the time I was sat there, I just thought hundreds of people are just going to come running in here and help us. And, well, hardly anybody came in.\"\n\nThe public inquiry into the attack, which started in September, began to examine the emergency response to the atrocity on Monday.\n\nMr Reid said he began watching the inquiry but said some details given in the opening days did not marry up with his recollection of what happened, and he switched it off.\n\nHe told the BBC after a while another person came to help, but after cutting away some of Saffie's clothing they left and went to the aid of someone else.\n\n\"I gave her [Saffie] a sip of water, because in all this madness there's somebody handing water out,\" he said.\n\n\"So you can imagine in the foyer now, all this is going on and there's a man walking about with water.\"\n\nPaul Reid said he was still haunted by what happened that night\n\nMr Reid said a police officer suggested moving Saffie out of the foyer, but with no stretchers to lift her they had to use a piece of plastic hoarding.\n\n\"The policeman came and said 'she's got to go, I'll take her in my car',\" he added.\n\n\"There was a plastic sheet under somebody's leg who was injured, I started pulling the sheet from under his leg. We put her on it and I started to carry her out, but the board was slippy.\"\n\nHe said they could not get the makeshift stretcher into the officer's car, so they flagged down an ambulance.\n\nMr Reid said he then returned to the foyer, where he went back to the man who he had taken the hoarding from.\n\n\"He had a gash in his stomach, and a paramedic was sitting there holding something against his stomach,\" he said.\n\n\"I held his hand. He had a Liverpool accent so I talked to him about football to take his mind off things, and my mind off things.\"\n\nMr Reid said he was still haunted by what happened that night.\n\n\"It's like yesterday. I can still smell the smoke in that foyer. Still hear the alarms when I go to sleep, when I close my eyes,\" he said.\n\n\"I'm first aid trained, but the most I'd done is put a plaster on.\n\n\"To step in that foyer, it was carnage. It was a war zone.\"\n\nSaffie's parents have said they would not have expected member of the public to have known how to treat her injuries.\n\nHer father Andrew Roussos told the BBC: \"There was a member of the public with her, I can't expect him to tourniquet her, splint her legs and so on.\n\n\"But the medically trained people that were with her, and were with her throughout and didn't apply basic first aid to give Saffie a chance.\"\n\nThe inquiry has previously heard it is important to acknowledge the enormous pressure which those who responded that night came under.\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "News of the extended lockdown has not been welcomed by business leaders.\n\nLast month, the Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC) estimated that each week of lockdown meant non-essential stores missing out on £135m of lost sales.\n\nSince then, garden centres and homeware shops have been compelled to close too, and the government has placed curbs on retailers’ click and collect services.\n\nThe SRC says today's extension is a further blow to non-food stores who have already borne a lot during the pandemic.\n\nIt said Scottish stores were set to miss out on almost £950m of lost revenues during the current lockdown period.\n\nQuote Message: The extended lockdown will serve to make it harder for some retailers to emerge from this crisis. Even when we do eventually emerge from enforced hibernation the stark reality is that shops will be unable to trade at capacity due to physical distancing restrictions and caps on the number of customers in stores. This means that April’s abrupt ‘reverse cliff edge’ - which is set to see a 100% re-instatement of business rates – is simply not sustainable. from David Lonsdale Director of the Scottish Retail Consortium The extended lockdown will serve to make it harder for some retailers to emerge from this crisis. Even when we do eventually emerge from enforced hibernation the stark reality is that shops will be unable to trade at capacity due to physical distancing restrictions and caps on the number of customers in stores. This means that April’s abrupt ‘reverse cliff edge’ - which is set to see a 100% re-instatement of business rates – is simply not sustainable.", "On his final full day in office, outgoing president Donald Trump delivered a farewell speech from the White House.\n\nCurrently locked out of his personal social media accounts, Trump struck a concilatory yet defiant tone in the video released via the government's official social media accounts.\n\n\"We did what we came here to do - and so much more,\" he said. \"I took on the tough battles, the hardest fights, the most difficult choices – because that’s what you elected me to do.\"\n\nHe warned that \"the greatest danger\" now facing the country was \"a loss of confidence in our national greatness\".\n\nThe 45th president ran through actions taken by his administration - from \"stand[ing] up to China like never before\" to \"a series of historic peace deals in the Middle East\".\n\nHe added: \"I am especially proud to be the first president in decades who has started no new wars.\"\n\nReferring to the riot at the US Capitol on 6 January, he said: \"All Americans were horrified by the assault on the Capitol... It can never be tolerated.\"\n\nTrump acknowledged that a new administration would take office, but said: \"I want you to know that the movement we started is only just beginning.\"", "It is not known when the artwork was taken as no one reported it missing\n\nA 500-year-old painting has been discovered in a flat in Italy and returned to a museum - where staff were unaware it had even been stolen.\n\nThe copy of Salvator Mundi, which is believed to have been painted by Leonardo da Vinci, was found in a bedroom cupboard in Naples on Saturday.\n\nThis copy is thought to have been painted by one of da Vinci's students.\n\nThe 36-year-old owner of the flat was arrested on suspicion of receiving stolen goods, police said.\n\n\"The painting was found on Saturday thanks to a brilliant and diligent police operation,\" Naples prosecutor Giovanni Melillo told the AFP news agency.\n\nThe artwork is usually part of the Doma Museum collection at the San Domenico Maggiore church in the city.\n\nBut Mr Melillo said officials were not aware it had been stolen because \"the room where the painting is kept has not been open for three months\" due to the coronavirus pandemic.\n\nIt is not known when the artwork was taken as no one had reported it missing, but the museum said it was in its possession as recently as last January.\n\nSome experts believe Leonardo's student Giacomo Alibrandi may have painted the artwork\n\nPolice are now investigating the circumstances of the theft, but there was no sign of a break-in at the museum.\n\n\"It is plausible that it was a commissioned theft by an organisation working in the international art trade,\" Mr Melillo said.\n\nIt is not known who painted the artwork, but some experts believe Leonardo's student Giacomo Alibrandi may have done so in the early 1500s.\n\nIt shows Christ with one hand raised, with the other holding a glass sphere.\n\nAnd to add to the mystery - whether or not the original painting is an authentic Leonardo da Vinci is disputed. Leonardo died in 1519 and there are fewer than 20 of his paintings in existence.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The original painting was cleaned and restored from the image on the left to the one on the right\n\nThe original Salvator Mundi has had major cosmetic surgery - its walnut panel base has been described as \"worm-tunnelled\" and at some point it seems to have been split in half. Efforts to restore it have also resulted in abrasions.\n\nThis did not detract buyers, however, and the painting became the most expensive ever sold when it was auctioned for a record $450m (£341m) in 2017.\n\nThe unidentified buyer was involved in a bidding contest, via telephone, that lasted nearly 20 minutes.", "A refusal to accept cash is \"creeping into the wider UK economy\", an expert has said, after a survey suggested coronavirus had hastened a shift towards a cashless society.\n\nConsumer group Which? said that 34% of people asked said they had been unable to pay with cash at least once since March when trying to buy something.\n\nGrocery stores, pubs and restaurants were most likely to refuse.\n\nNatalie Ceeney, who wrote a report on the issue, called for ministers to act.\n\n\"The figures show that it's not simply the odd coffee shop going cashless, but this is creeping into the wider economy,\" said Ms Ceeney, who wrote the Access to Cash Review.\n\n\"We can't just blame individual businesses - many are going cashless because they can't easily bank cash takings because their local branch is closed or some distance away. The government needs to urgently legislate to protect the viability of cash - as it promised to do so last year. Time is running out.\"\n\nWhich? said the lack of cash access was a problem for those who relied on notes and coins - such as people with certain health conditions or without computer access.\n\nSome shops are still keen to accept cash\n\nJenny Ross, Which? Money editor, said: \"We have repeatedly warned about the consequences that coronavirus will have on what was an already fragile cash system, but nowhere near enough action has been taken by the government or the regulator to understand the scale of this issue.\"\n\nThe Treasury has proposed giving the City regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority, control of overseeing future access to cash and has thrown its weight behind the idea of cashback in shops, without the requirement to buy anything.\n\nDavid Fagleman, director at financial consultancy Enryo, said: \"Our own research shows that despite a decline in use for day-to-day purchases, nearly three-quarters of people think the move to a cashless society is happening too fast and risks leaving some people, particularly the vulnerable, behind.\"", "Cillian Murphy stars in Peaky Blinders, a drama which follows Tommy Shelby and his family\n\nPeaky Blinders creator Steven Knight has confirmed the hit BBC crime drama will conclude with a film following the show's final TV series.\n\nOn Monday, Knight said the upcoming sixth series would be the last but teased that \"the story will continue in another form\".\n\nHe has now confirmed to Deadline: \"My plan from the beginning was to end Peaky with a movie.\n\n\"This is what is going to happen,\" he added.\n\nHe explained that \"Covid had changed our plans\" but did not elaborate.\n\nHelen McCrory, who plays Polly, is the Shelby family matriarch\n\nThe final BBC TV series has resumed filming after being hit by Covid-related production delays.\n\nOn Monday, Knight described the show as being \"back with a bang\" and warned fans that the mobsters would face \"extreme jeopardy\" in the sixth season.\n\nKnight had previously planned for a seven-season run of the drama, which is set in post-World War One Birmingham.\n\n\"My ambition is to make it a story of a family between two wars,\" he said in 2018 ahead of season five. \"I've wanted to end it with the first air raid siren in Birmingham in 1939. It'll take three more series to reach that point.\"\n\nIt now looks like the film might be replacing his plan for series seven.\n\nKnight, an Oscar-nominated screenwriter, previously revealed he had been \"approached\" to take the Shelby crime family universe to the big-screen.\n\nSam Claflin as Tommy's political rival Oswald Mosley was a central figure in series five\n\nThe sixth series of the show, which follows Tommy Shelby and his family, will see Anthony Byrne return as director and Nick Goding produce.\n\nTommy Bulfin, executive producer for the BBC, said he was \"very excited\" filming had begun and promised a \"truly remarkable... fitting send-off that will delight fans\".\n\nHe added he was \"so grateful to everyone for all their hard work to make it happen\".\n\nThe production team have developed comprehensive safety protocols to ensure that the series will be produced responsibly and in accordance with government guidelines during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.\n\nExecutive producer Caryn Mandabach said the \"safety of our cast and crew is always our priority\" and that they had been \"working diligently\" to get safely back into production since filming was halted last March.\n\n\"Thank you to all the Peaky fans who have been so unwaveringly supportive and patient,\" she added.\n\nPeaky Blinders, which stars Cillian Murphy, first aired on BBC Two eight years ago to widespread critical acclaim.\n\nRatings quickly grew from over two million for the first series to over four million by series four and it found further popularity on Netflix.\n\nIt made the transition to BBC One for the fifth series in 2019, achieving audiences of over five million.\n\nThroughout its run, a host of awards have followed, including NTAs, which are voted for by the public, and a Bafta for best drama series in 2018.\n\nFollow us on Facebook or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "Scientists are a step closer to being able to reverse the damage caused by motor neurone disease (MND).\n\nUniversity of Edinburgh experts have found a problem with MND patients' nerve cells which could be repaired by repurposing drugs approved for other diseases.\n\nThe study has been welcomed by charities including the foundation set up by Scots rugby legend Doddie Weir.\n\nMy Name'5 Doddie foundation described it as \"a very exciting breakthrough\".\n\nMore than 1,500 people are diagnosed with the degenerative condition in the UK every year.\n\nThere is no known cure and more than half die within two years of diagnosis.\n\nThe research found that the damage to nerve cells caused by MND could be repaired by improving the energy levels in mitochondria - the power supply to the motor neurons.\n\nThey discovered in human stem cell models of MND, the axon - the long part of the motor neuron cell that connects to the muscle - was shorter than in healthy cells.\n\nAnd the movement of the mitochondria, which travel up and down the axons, was impaired\n\nThe scientists showed that this was caused by a defective energy supply from the mitochondria and that by boosting the mitochondria, the axon reverted back to normal.\n\nDr Arpan Mehta, who led the study at Euan MacDonald Centre for MND research said: \"The importance of the axon in motor nerve cells cannot be overstated.\n\n\"Our data provides hope that by restoring the cell's energy source we can protect the axons and their connection to muscle from degeneration.\n\n\"Work is already under way to identify existing licensed drugs that can boost the mitochondria and repair the motor neurons. This will then pave the way to test them in clinical trials.\"\n\nThe research centre was established by Euan MacDonald, who was 29 years old when he was diagnosed with MND in 2003\n\nCraig Stockton, the chief executive of MND Scotland, said the \"exciting\" results of the research were another piece of the puzzle to finding an effective treatment for the degenerative condition.\n\n\"We look forward to seeing if these positive results can be replicated for patients,\" he said.\n\n\"Once researchers have identified a drug they believe could have the desired effect, this treatment could then be fast-tracked for human trials using the pioneering MND-SMART clinical trial platform - into which MND Scotland has invested £1.5m.\n\n\"Researchers, clinicians, charities and supporters are all working hard to take us closer to finding a cure and by joining together we'll get to that day even sooner.\"\n\nThe researchers used stem cells taken from people with the C9orf72 gene mutation that causes both MND and frontotemporal dementia.\n\nThey used the stem cells to generate motor neuron cells in the lab.\n\nThe study also used human post-mortem spinal cord tissue from people with MND.\n\nAlthough the research focused on the people with the commonest genetic cause of MND, the researchers said they were hopeful the results would also apply to other forms of the disease.\n\nThe results of the study are now being used to look for existing drugs that boost mitochondrial function.\n\nThe study was funded by the Medical Research Council, Motor Neurone Disease Association, Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research, My Name'5 Doddie Foundation, UK Dementia Research Institute and Anne Rowling Regenerative Neurology Clinic.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Protests against China's alleged abuse of the Muslim Uighur community\n\nThe government is facing a rebellion over the Trade Bill, and opposition proposals to give British courts the right to decide if a country is committing genocide.\n\nRebel Tory MPs want to allow Parliament to debate ending trade deals with countries responsible for genocide.\n\nThe government says trade policy should not be set by the courts.\n\nBut some MPs think the proposal would be a good way of targeting China and its treatment of the Uighur people.\n\nOn Tuesday, America's top diplomat Mike Pompeo, in his last day in the role, said the US had determined that China's persecution of the Muslim group and other minorities in Xinjiang province represented genocide and crimes against humanity under international law.\n\nThe UK has repeatedly condemned the actions of the Chinese authorities but stopped short of describing them as genocide - saying only international courts should determine this.\n\nAnd ministers also argue that trade deals are matters for governments, not the courts, to decide upon.\n\nThe MPs' amendment to the Trade Bill is a watered-down version of an earlier proposal from the House of Lords, which would force the government to withdraw from any free trade agreement with any country found guilty of genocide by the High Court of England and Wales.\n\nThe new proposal is signed by 10 Conservative MPs, one of whom described their amendment as \"tidier\" than the Lords version and designed to attract more support.\n\nSpeaking in the Commons, Sir Edward Leigh asked \"is there any way we can acknowledge that genocide is taking place in a discussion on a trade deal\".\n\nIn response, International Trade minister Greg Hands said ministers were prepared to have further discussions but not within the scope of the current legislation.\n\nHe told MPs the government was \"answerable to Parliament, not the courts\" and the Lords version would have led to an \"unacceptable erosion\" of its authority.\n\nThe UK, he added, had \"no plans\" to negotiate a bilateral trade agreement with China due to concerns about its human rights record, particularly its persecution of the Muslim Uighur community.\n\nNusrat Ghani urged ministers to consider the \"compromise\" proposal, which she said recognised the \"separation of powers\" between the executive, Parliament and the courts.\n\nThe Conservative ex-minister said the UK should \"never let economic concerns trump ethical ones by dealing with genocidal states\".\n\n\"Why would we want to use our newfound freedom to trade with states that commit and profit from genocide? Britain is better than that.\"\n\nSpeaking to Politics Live, former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said it is currently \"impossible\" for international courts to rule on whether there has been genocide, as other countries can block hearings in the UN.\n\nHe argued it is therefore important to allow British courts to make the judgement.\n\nThe MP insisted he is not \"anti-China\" but said the Chinese government need to be \"reasonable and behave in a way that is acceptable\" if it wanted to be part of global trading organisations.\n\nShadow international trade secretary Emily Thornberry said Labour would be supporting the new amendment arguing that the government \"does not consider human rights abuses enough before signing up to trade deals\".\n\nThis is an interesting story in its own right because of the issues involved but it's also a neat metaphor for Brexit.\n\nThe government has taken back control of trade policy from the EU but is already having to share it with the House of Lords, Tory MPs and potentially with the High Court.\n\nDuring the passage of the Trade Bill, the government also had to beef up the powers of the Trade and Agriculture Commission - an independent body of experts - in response to lobbying from farmers who were worried about the dilution of food standards.\n\nSoon trade disputes with other countries will partly be overseen by the new Trade Remedies Authority, another organisation that reports to ministers but is independent of them.\n\nAnd of course, everything has to be compatible with World Trade Organisation rules, anyway.\n\nThe government has control of trade. It's just not total.", "19 January is a special day for Orthodox Christians across Russia, including President Vladimir Putin. It's a day reserved for commemorating the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan, and it's called Epiphany. Though temperatures are as low as -20 Celsius, some celebrated this by submerging themselves in ice-cold water.", "A team of Nepalese climbers has become the first ever to summit the world’s second highest mountain, K2, in winter.\n\nK2, along the Pakistan-China border, is notoriously challenging - with high winds and sub-zero temperatures.\n\nOne of the leading members of the team is a former Gurkha and British special forces soldier, Nirmal Purja. He spoke to BBC Pakistan correspondent Secunder Kermani.", "Theresa May has accused her successor Boris Johnson of \"abandoning\" the UK's moral leadership on the world stage.\n\nThe ex-prime minister said Mr Johnson's decision to cut the overseas aid budget below 0.7% of national income had reduced the UK's global \"credibility\".\n\nShe wrote in the Daily Mail the UK had to \"live up to its values\" and would be judged by its actions not its rhetoric.\n\nMr Johnson said the UK was \"embarking on a quite phenomenal year\" of global leadership.\n\nQuestioned about Mrs May's comments by the SNP's Westminster leader Ian Blackford at Prime Minister's Questions, Mr Johnson said: \"I think it's very important the prime minister of the UK has the best possible relationship with the president of the United States.\n\n\"That's part of the job description.\"\n\nHe cited the UK's hosting of a global vaccine summit, the upcoming COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, as well as the G7 summit of leading industrial nations, in Cornwall, and his pledge to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050 as examples of the UK's global leadership.\n\nMr Blackford called on the PM to reverse \"his cruel policy of cutting international aid for the world's poorest\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The SNP Westminster leader called in the PM to reverse his \"cruel\" international aid policy\n\nLater on Wednesday, Joe Biden will be inaugurated as the 46th president of the United States, succeeding Donald Trump.\n\nIn advance of the event, Mr Johnson said he looked forward to working \"hand-in-hand\" with the new administration and that post-Covid challenges could only be tackled by \"international co-operation\".\n\nBut, in an article in the Daily Mail, Mrs May suggested Mr Johnson had squandered international goodwill by choosing not to meet the longstanding UN target of spending 0.7% of income on international development.\n\nThe government says it cannot meet the figure - enshrined in UK law - this year because of the strain placed on the public finances by the pandemic.\n\nTheresa May has made these criticisms - on overseas aid and the threat by the government to override international law - before.\n\nQuite often she gets a dig in when she stands up in the House of Commons.\n\nBut packaging it all up in this way, on this day, is, in the words of one of her close former advisers, \"quite punchy\".\n\nThe government would rather focus on the relationship it is going to forge with the new US president.\n\nMinisters feel they have quite a lot in common with Joe Biden when it comes to working together on the world stage, fighting climate change and co-operating on global security.\n\nMrs May also criticised Mr Johnson's support for legislation which could have allowed the UK to go back on parts of its Withdrawal Agreement with the EU, had it been passed.\n\nControversial clauses were ultimately removed from the Internal Market Bill in December, after the UK and EU reached an agreement.\n\nBut Mr Johnson's threat to break international law was criticised in Europe and the US - where Mr Biden warned it could imperil peace in Northern Ireland.\n\nMrs May said the UK was \"well placed to play a decisive role in shaping this more co-operative world but to lead we must live up to our values\".\n\n\"Other countries listen to what we say not simply because of who we are, but because of what we do. The world does not owe us a prominent place on its stage,\" she added.\n\n\"Whatever the rhetoric we deploy, it is our actions which count. So, we should do nothing which signals a retreat from our global commitments.\"\n\nMrs May suggested the end of the Trump presidency could be a catalyst for a change in world politics\n\nMrs May, who had a sometimes strained relationship with Mr Trump, said Mr Biden's election presented the UK with a \"golden opportunity\" for Western democracies to reverse the trend towards \"absolutism\" - and a \"few strongmen facing off against each other\" - in global affairs.\n\nThe UK holds the presidency of the G7 this year and hosts the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow.\n\nMr Johnson said he looked forward to welcoming Mr Biden to the UK at least twice in 2021.\n\n\"In our fight against Covid and across climate change, defence, security, and in promoting and defending democracy, our goals are the same and our nations will work hand-in-hand to achieve them,\" he added.", "LAS received almost 200,000 calls in December - up 50,000 on November, when London was in the second national lockdown\n\nLast week London exceeded the grim milestone of 10,000 deaths linked to Covid-19. Thousands of people are critically ill in hospital, and as many as 5% of Londoners are thought to have the virus in some parts of the city. As coronavirus continues to circulate silently around the capital, staff at the London Ambulance Service (LAS) are under immense pressure.\n\nThe service is currently taking up to 8,500 calls a day, compared with a pre-Covid figure of 5,000 to 6,000, according to its chief executive Garrett Emmerson.\n\nLizzie Cooke is one of the workers at LAS's south London headquarters who are dealing with strangers at what is a distressing time.\n\nI covered the London Bridge terror attacks and Grenfell but this is a different scale\n\nCalmly, the 30-year-old answers the phone and usually asks first if the patient is breathing.\n\n\"In the first wave we were getting a lot of calls of [people seeking] reassurance,\" Lizzie says. \"But now there are more and more who have symptoms, and family members are really frightened.\"\n\nIt is a fear that Lizzie knows all too well, having been hospitalised with Covid-19 in March. She spent a week receiving treatment for the virus.\n\n\"I was at work taking calls and struggling to concentrate,\" the call-handling supervisor says. \"At times I would just have my head on the desk in between calls.\n\n\"I started to develop chest pains five days later so my parents took me to Royal County Hospital, in Hampshire, and an X-ray showed a lot of fluid in my lungs. It was quite horrible.\n\n\"Luckily, I wasn't on a ventilator but I had the oxygen hood, and the nurses were so rushed off their feet. I didn't have my phone with me or know my parents' numbers off by heart so for that week I was quite alone and isolated.\n\n\"It was just a mixture of the unknown and not knowing when it was going to stop that was so daunting.\"\n\nThe unprecedented volume of calls means waiting times for patients are increasing\n\nLizzie's personal battle with coronavirus has helped her to empathise with people who call up with breathing problems.\n\nIt's something she says she's having to do more and more.\n\n\"Just before Christmas we were getting a lot of respiratory and cardiac arrest calls,\" she says. \"You could just hear colleagues counting to four [for chest compressions] and it was echoing around the room. It has been tough.\n\n\"We are getting calls from family members who are really frightened. I covered the London Bridge terror attacks and Grenfell but this is a different scale.\n\n\"I did get one call for toothache, but that's part of the job.\"\n\nLizzie, who lives in Hampshire, says that because the coverage of coronavirus is everywhere, it is \"difficult to escape\".\n\nWhen she's not at work she binge-watches Line of Duty on Netflix, but she says winding down isn't easy.\n\nLizzie sometimes thinks about the people who aren't following the rules aimed at helping stop the spread of the virus, and those who deny Covid-19 even exists.\n\n\"It's a kick in the teeth,\" she says. \"It is frustrating on the way to work when you see people not wearing masks or even posting stuff on social media not believing the virus is real.\n\n\"I just don't know where the disconnect is coming from; there are many people in hospital, many people dying, and I don't know what more needs to be said to make them realise how dangerous the illness is.\"\n\nSorry, your browser cannot display this map\n\nSitting a few metres away from Lizzie is 24-year-old Louise Essam, who has been in the job for two years.\n\n\"Every call we take at the moment is coronavirus,\" she says. \"My record was 108 calls in a day back in March during the first wave.\n\n\"But easily in the last few weeks I've been taking around 100 a day at times,\" Louise adds.\n\n\"We are just doing the best we can,\" says emergency call co-ordinator Louise Essam\n\n\"Sometimes I'll come in for a shift and can just hear colleagues counting one, two, three, four, for the compressions, and you just know what kind of shift it is going to be.\n\n\"It has been tough and quite frustrating, really. We are trying to help people. We are under so much pressure as there are high waiting times, but we are just doing the best we can.\"\n\nHelp is at hand though from the LAS workers' fellow emergency services personnel.\n\nMet Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick visited Wembley Stadium on Wednesday, where her officers are being trained to drive ambulances\n\nSeventy-five Met Police officers are currently being trained at Wembley Stadium to drive ambulances.\n\nThey will start work as drivers from 20 January, joining the 200 firefighters who are already helping LAS.\n\n\"It came as a huge relief when they announced it,\" says 37-year-old paramedic Ben West.\n\nBen West has been with the London Ambulance Service for 13 years\n\nAs is the case with many frontline workers, Ben says he is concerned about the dangers of exposure to coronavirus.\n\nHe has lost four colleagues to Covid-19, including Ian Reynolds, a paramedic based in Croydon, and Melonie Mitchell, a member of the NHS 111 team. They both died during the first wave in April.\n\n\"I wouldn't be a normal person if I said I wasn't scared,\" he says.\n\n\"I am scared and I do worry but we take every day as it comes, take our precautions and we just see where we go with that.\n\n\"We know the virus is out there in the community and we are not immune.\"", "A non-binding Labour motion calling for the universal credit top-up to be kept in place beyond 31 March passed by 278 votes to none after a Commons debate.\n\nSix Tory MPs defied party orders to abstain and voted with Labour, adding to the pressure on the PM on the issue.\n\nThe prime minister said the government had provided £280bn worth of support during the pandemic but all measures would be kept under \"constant review\".\n\nThe motion, which will not automatically lead to a change in policy, was put forward by Labour as a way to put additional pressure on the government to continue the increase, worth £1,000 a year.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Carl, a roofer, describes going from \"not having enough to barely having enough\" on universal credit.\n\nFormer Work and Pensions Secretary Stephen Crabb was among six Conservative MPs to rebel, along with Peter Aldous, Robert Halfon, Jason McCartney, Anne Marie Morris and Matthew Offord.\n\nAhead of the vote, Mr Crabb told the BBC that although there were \"difficult pressures on the chancellor\" extending the increase for 12 months was \"the right thing to do\".\n\nBBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg said there were dozens of Conservative MPs who were \"deeply uneasy\" about ending the £20 weekly increase to universal credit.\n\nShe added that it was also understood the cabinet minister with responsibility for benefits, Therese Coffey, was arguing that the uplift should not be dropped in April.\n\nCharities and anti-poverty campaigners are pleading with the government to keep the support in place, describing it as a lifeline for more than 5.5 million families who receive the standard universal credit allowance.\n\nFood poverty campaigner and chef Jack Monroe told the BBC that the £20 increase \"has been a lifeline\" for millions of people who have needed to top up their income or rely on universal credit payments in order to get by.\n\nSir Keir said the increase was a vital safety net for those who had lost their jobs, seen their working hours slashed or who were not eligible for the government's wage subsidy furlough scheme.\n\n\"If we don't give a helping hand to families through this pandemic, then we are going to slow our economic recovery as we come out it.\n\n\"We urge Boris Johnson to change course and give families certainty today that their incomes will be protected.\"\n\nSix billion pounds of the benefits bill - the difference between poverty or not for 1.2 million families, according to a think tank.\n\nThe £1,040 a year increase to universal credit is a very emotive issue.\n\nThere's even a battle over what to call it.\n\nTo the government, its introduction was a one-off boost to cope with a crisis. For Labour, taking it away is a cut.\n\nMinisters would prefer we looked at the overall level of support they've provided for workers and businesses during the pandemic. The opposition say the £20 a week boost is a powerful symbol of the state's willingness to help.\n\nEven the act of debating it today is disputed. Labour say they've got the right occasionally to set the agenda in Parliament. Boris Johnson said his MPs risk abuse from campaigners and protestors if they engage.\n\nThe Joseph Rowntree Foundation has suggested about 16 million people will be directly affected if the £20 is rolled back.\n\nIt says 500,000 more people will be driven into poverty, including 200,000 children, while a further 500,000 of those already in poverty will find themselves in even worse hardship.\n\nHowever, free market think tank the Institute for Economic Affairs has argued that \"across-the-board benefit increases are a wasteful use of taxpayers' money\" at a time when the government is borrowing \"a hair-raising amount of money\".\n\nUniversal credit is a single payment replacing old benefits such as housing benefit and child tax credits.\n\nYou can claim universal credit if you are on a low income or are out of work.\n\nThe standard allowance varies from around £340 to just under £600 a month, depending on your age or whether you are single.\n\nYou may be eligible to receive more money on top of the standard allowance if, for example, you have children or a health condition.\n\nSpeaking on behalf of the Northern Research Group, Conservative MP John Stevenson said the £1,000 increase had been \"a real life-saver for people throughout this pandemic\".\n\n\"To end it now would be devastating for the 6 million individuals and families who are already struggling to stay afloat,\" he added.\n\nWhile the vote is not binding, and will not lead to a change in policy, it will increase pressure on the government to keep the increase or come up with an alternative.\n\nLabour said the Conservatives' decision to abstain created \"unnecessary uncertainty\" but minister Nadhim Zahawi described the vote as \"a political stunt\".\n\nThe government says it has strengthened the welfare system with an extra £7bn of funding during the pandemic while families struggling with food and household bills can get help through the £170m Winter Grant Scheme.\n\nMinisters also point to extra support for housing costs, through an increase in local housing allowance for those on housing benefits and hardship payments worth £670m next year for those unable to pay their council tax bills.", "How has the justice system responded to the pandemic? Stories from inside prisons and courts, where lawyers fear delays are creating miscarriages of justice. Helen Grady reports.\n\nAre court backlogs creating miscarriages of justice? When the UK locked down, so did its court system, adding to a backlog that’s left defendants, witnesses and victims facing long waits for trials. Helen Grady speaks to people inside the justice system to find out how it’s coped with the pandemic - from delays in making courts covid-secure to a lack of PPE and overcrowding in prisons. We hear stories from prisons under lockdown and talk to lawyers who fear delays are leading to abuses of the criminal justice system.\n\nProducer: Rob Cave", "New legislation has been passed to protect Scottish shop workers from abuse from customers.\n\nThe Protection of Workers Bill will make it a new specific offence to assault, abuse or threaten staff.\n\nIncidents involving an age-restricted product, such as alcohol or cigarettes, could be treated more seriously.\n\nThe MSP behind the bill, Labour's Daniel Johnson, said attacks on retail workers had increased during the Covid pandemic.\n\nHe told Holyrood: \"Shop staff have been spat at for asking customers to socially distance, and stock has been smashed in retaliation for item limits being imposed.\n\n\"Violence, threats and abuse should not be just part of anyone's job.\"\n\nMr Johnson said that staff requesting age ID could be a \"trigger factor\" in many incidents of abuse.\n\nThe new legislation will also cover people working in bars, restaurants and hotels, and those delivering items bought online who may have to ask for proof of age.\n\nThe bill was supported by all parties at Holyrood, despite the government initially arguing that its provisions were already covered by existing criminal laws.\n\nThe Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service told MSPs that further legislation was not needed, noting that \"violence, threats and abuse against retail workers, or indeed any other person, are prosecuted every day in the courts in Scotland using offences which are commonly understood\".\n\nPolice Scotland meanwhile said there would be \"no significant change in how we go about our business\" as a result of it.\n\nCommunity safety minister Ash Denham said that while there was a \"wide range of existing criminal laws\" currently in place to protect staff, the new legislation could \"make the general public think more about their behaviour when they interact with retail workers\".\n\nThe Scottish Conservatives also backed the bill, although they argued that the presumption against short sentences in Scotland meant anyone convicted under the new law would ultimately not be jailed.\n\nPaul Gerrard, public affairs director for the Co-Op, told BBC Radio Scotland's Drivetime that the retailer had seen a 450% rise in violent incidents in the last few years.\n\n\"It is a huge problem,\" he said. \"We've seen an explosion in violence and abuse toward my colleagues.\n\n\"Now across 350 stores in Scotland we have someone attacked every day. And 10 colleagues are threatened or abused every day.\n\n\"Increasingly we have seen knives, syringes and axes all used against shopworkers.\"\n\nMr Gerrard added that previous incidents were centred on shoplifting or age-restricted sales, but staff were now facing more abuse around enforcing Covid shopping rules.\n\nThe new legislation was passed by 118 votes to 0 in the Scottish Parliament.\n\nThe Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (Usdaw) is now urging the UK government to introduce similar legislation to protect retail staff in England - something Labour MP Alex Norris is pursuing at Westminster.\n\nUsdaw general secretary Paddy Lillis said: \"It is a great result for our members in Scotland, who will now have the protection of the law that they deserve.\n\n\"So we are looking for MPs to support key workers across the retail sector and help turn around the UK government's opposition.\"", "Last updated on .From the section Cricket\n\nIndia pulled off an astonishing run-chase to inflict Australia's first defeat at the Gabba since 1988, win the fourth Test by three wickets and take one of the all-time great series. Needing 328, a Brisbane record run-chase, the injury-hit tourists got home with three overs to spare. Shubman Gill made 91 and Rishabh Pant was unbeaten on 89. They win the series 2-1, keeping the Border-Gavaskar they won in Australia two years ago. It is perhaps one of the finest Test series wins by any away side, especially given the list of players unavailable to India by the time the final match was played. That included captain and talisman Virat Kohli, who only played in the first Test before departing to be at the birth of his first child, a host of fast bowlers and first-choice spin pair Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. In addition to the absent players, India somehow recovered from being bowled out for 36 - their lowest total in Test cricket - in losing the series opener by eight wickets. What followed were three Tests of the highest quality and drama, with India producing a stunning comeback to win the second Test by eight wickets, then defiantly batting through the final day to earn a draw in the third. But they saved their best performance for last, a superb contest that ensured the series went down to the final hour of the last day, with the shadows lengthening and a near-empty Gabba filled with the sound of a smattering of raucous India supporters. The tourists were 4-0 overnight and, for them to even get to the point where victory might be possible, Cheteshwar Pujara had to come through a barrage of hostile bowling from the Australia quicks - he was hit 10 times in his 56. He added 114 for the second wicket with the free-scoring Gill, while stand-in captain Ajinkya Rahane, who has presided over India's fightback, signalled their intent with 24 off only 22 balls. Tireless Australia fast bowler Pat Cummins was a threat throughout, removing Pujara, Rahane and Rohit Sharma. Fast bowler Pat Cummins took four wickets for Australia Still, even though India knew a draw would see them retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, they never lost sight of the chance of victory and promoted wicketkeeper Pant to number five. At the beginning of the final hour, India were 259-4, meaning they needed 69 runs and Australia six wickets from the final 15 overs. Though Cummins had Mayank Agarwal caught at cover for his fourth wicket, Pant attacked in the company of debutant Washington Sundar. Runs came with increasing freedom and, although Sundar was bowled trying to reverse-sweep Nathan Lyon and Shardul Thakur miscued Josh Hazlewood, Pant could not be stopped. The left-hander's drive down the ground off Hazlewood secured a famous win and sparked joyous India celebrations. 'One of the top three series of all time' - reaction India captain Rahane: \"I don't know how to describe this victory. I'm really proud of all the boys. We didn't talk about anything after Adelaide, we just wanted to show good character and express ourselves. It was all about a team effort.\" Australia captain Tim Paine: \"In the key moments we were found wanting and completely outplayed by India, who fully deserved their series win.\" Man of the match Pant: \"This is one of the biggest things in my life. It has been a dream series.\" Player of the series Cummins: \"The whole India side played fantastically and deserved to win. The game was there for to win, but we didn't take the wickets.\" Former Australia fast bowler Stuart Clark on ABC: \"What a victory that is by India. They have been absolutely outstanding. The man of the moment is Rishabh Pant. He played some of the most insane shots you will ever see. Australia bowled their hearts out, but it wasn't enough.\" Former Australia captain Ian Chappell: \"It had everything. It was an absolutely amazing day. This has been one of top three Test series of all time.\"\n• None Can this British team make an impact on the global scene?\n• None The show must go on in lockdown:", "Nicola Sturgeon is to announce later whether Scotland's Covid-19 lockdown is to continue past the end of January.\n\nThe first minister said Tuesday's statement at Holyrood would concern the \"duration\" of restrictions rather than whether any new ones would be imposed.\n\nMinsters will also decide at a cabinet meeting whether schools will be allowed to re-open in full from 1 February.\n\nEducation Secretary John Swinney has suggested it would be a \"tall order\" for pupils to return to classrooms.\n\nMs Sturgeon said on Monday that she did not want to \"raise parents' expectations\", saying transmission of the virus \"is still higher than we would want it to be\".\n\nThe whole Scottish mainland and several islands have been in a strict lockdown since early January, with a \"stay at home\" message in force.\n\nThis was initially due to run until February, but this will be reviewed by ministers on Tuesday morning with a view to having the restrictions last longer.\n\nWhile Ms Sturgeon has warned that the government would consider further measures if necessary, she said \"it is the duration rather than the content of restrictions that we will be looking at\" on Tuesday.\n\nThe outcome of this review will then be announced to MSPs in a statement at Holyrood in the afternoon.\n\nNicola Sturgeon will announce the result of the latest review in a Holyrood statement\n\nThe review will also cover the situation in schools, with the majority learning remotely from home and only some children of key workers and vulnerable pupils being allowed into school buildings.\n\nOn Monday, the first minister said she did not want to \"raise expectations\" about classes returning to normal, but added that she was \"not going to make any assumptions\" ahead of the cabinet meeting.\n\nShe said: \"I am not going to raise parents' expectations, you can see from the numbers we are seeing some positive signs in the numbers that lockdown is starting to stabilise things and tip them into decline, but transmission is still higher than we would want it to be.\n\n\"We want to get schools back as quickly as we possibly can, it is not in the interests of kids to be out of school for any longer than is absolutely necessary, but community transmission has always been a key factor in these decisions.\"\n\nThis echoed comments from Mr Swinney, who had previously said it would be \"a tall order\" for schools to fully re-open with \"the virus still at a very high level in general within society\".\n\nI am expecting continuity rather than change from today's announcement on coronavirus restrictions.\n\nThe continuation of the current lockdown and presumably the extension of remote learning for most school pupils into the February break at least.\n\nBoth decisions are likely to be reviewed again next month. But it's not clear if the first minister will feel able to suggest a target date for restrictions to ease.\n\nCabinet will also be giving special attention to the serious Covid outbreak on Barra and considering if the level three restrictions that apply in the Western Isles remain appropriate.\n\nWhile there are signs the pace at which the current wave of coronavirus is spreading is starting to slow, evidence of much greater suppression will be required before the stay at home lockdown in place across mainland Scotland is lifted.\n\nThe review comes less than a week after restrictions in Scotland were tightened, with some click and collect services ordered to close and outdoor alcohol consumption banned.\n\nThe entire Scottish mainland has been in the top level of restrictions - level four - since Boxing Day, with level three measures in place in Orkney, Shetland, the Western Isles and some islands in Argyll and Bute and the Highlands.\n\nScots are subject to a legal requirement not to leave home for anything other than essential purposes, such as shopping for essentials, exercise and caring responsibilities.\n\nThe number of new cases reported each day on average has begun to fall, but the number of people in hospital with the virus continues to rise and is now \"significantly\" above that seen in the first wave in 2020.\n\nMs Sturgeon said the \"position overall is very precarious, very concerning in terms of the level of transmission\", but said there were \"some early signs to be optimistic that measures are having an effect\".\n\nThe first minister will take questions from opposition leaders following her statement.\n\nThe Scottish Conservatives have voiced concerns that Covid-19 vaccines are not being rolled out quickly enough, saying the Scottish government are \"trailing their own targets\".\n\nStatistics released on Monday showed that Scotland has vaccinated 264,991 people so far - 6% of its adult population.\n\nThis is lower than the figure for England, where 8% of the adult population - 3,520,056 people - have been vaccinated, and Northern Ireland, which has the highest vaccination rate in the UK at 8.7%.\n\nWales has a similar figure to Scotland at 6%.\n\nEngland has also given a second dose of the vaccine to 427,386 people, compared to only 3,698 in Scotland.\n\nHowever, Ms Sturgeon has insisted that all parts of the UK are \"working to the same targets\" to vaccinate priority groups, and said her government is \"on track\" to hit them subject to supplies arriving.\n\nThis would see care home residents, healthcare staff and all over-80s get a first dose by the start of February, with over-70s and those deemed \"extremely vulnerable\" by mid-February and all over-65s by the beginning of March.\n\nBy that time the government aims to be vaccinating up to 400,000 people a week on average, with all priority groups getting a first jab by early May and the rest of the adult population in line thereafter.", "About one in 10 people across the UK tested positive for Covid-19 antibodies in December, roughly double the October figure, data has shown.\n\nEstimates from the Office for National Statistics suggest between 8% of people in Northern Ireland and 12% of people in England showed signs of past Covid infection.\n\nIn October, antibody positivity ranged from 2% to 7% around the UK.\n\nAnd 6,586 Covid deaths were registered in the UK in the week to 8 January.\n\nThat brings the total registered so far close to 96,000.\n\nNearly a quarter of deaths were people living in care homes - a disproportionate impact on a group of people which accounts for less than 1% of the population.\n\nBack in July, though, care home residents accounted for 40% of deaths.\n\nThe ONS regularly tests a representative sample of the population, both for current infection and for antibodies indicating a past infection.\n\nPeople taking part in the survey are tested whether or not they have had symptoms.\n\nThis is used to estimate how common both the virus and antibodies are in the population as a whole.\n\nAntibodies are proteins in the blood which fight off specific infections.\n\nThey are developed if somebody catches an infection and their body fights it off, or if they have been vaccinated.\n\nYorkshire and the Humber topped the chart with 17% of people having positive antibodies, followed by London.\n\nProf Lawrence Young, a virologist at Warwick Medical School, said: \"This study shows that infection with the Sars-Cov-2 virus is much more widespread in the UK than previously realised, with around 1 in 10 people estimated to have been infected by December 2020.\n\n\"The implications are that infection rates increased significantly between November and December.\"\n\nBut Scotland had a considerably smaller growth in antibodies than the rest of the UK, rising from 7% to 9% of the population.\n\nThe fact that more people show signs of having at least some protection against Covid-19 is consistent with the dramatic rise in infections during that period.\n\nBut we know that antibodies from natural infection can fade.\n\nIn England, the ONS said, positive antibody tests equated to 5.4 million people aged over 16 having signs of past infection.\n\nThat does not tell you the total number of people infected, however, but acts as a snapshot in time.\n\nIn London, about 16% of people had antibodies in December, up from 11% in October. But at the last peak in May, an estimated 15% of the population had antibodies. This proportion fell, as detectable antibodies recede with time.\n\nExactly what this means for someone's likelihood to become infected again, however, is not fully known.\n\nIt also remains to be seen how long vaccines will protect people for, before they need a booster jab.\n\nBut Public Health England data suggests natural immunity provides at least five months' protection on average, and vaccines often give better protection than natural immunity.\n\nMore than 4 million people in the UK have been given their first dose of the vaccine.\n\nProf Janet Lord, director of the Institute of Inflammation and Ageing at the University of Birmingham, urged caution among those who have already been vaccinated.\n\nAsked whether people who have received the jab can hug their children, she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: \"I would certainly advise not to do that at the moment because, as you probably know, with the vaccines they take several weeks before they are maximally effective.\n\n\"It's really important that people stay on their guard even if they've had that first vaccination.\"", "Alexandru Murgeanu (l) and Jason Mercer were killed in the crash on the M1 in South Yorkshire\n\nA coroner has called for a review of smart motorways after an inquest heard the deaths of two men on a stretch of the M1 could have been avoided.\n\nJason Mercer, 44, and Alexandru Murgeanu, 22, died when Prezemyslaw Szuba crashed his lorry into their vehicles near Sheffield on 7 June 2019.\n\nCoroner David Urpeth said smart motorways without a hard shoulder carry \"an ongoing risk of future deaths\".\n\nHighways England said it was \"addressing many of the points raised\".\n\nMr Urpeth recorded a verdict of unlawful killing at Sheffield Town Hall. He added he would be writing to Highways England and the transport secretary asking for a review.\n\nThe inquest heard the deaths of the two men may have been avoided had there had been a hard shoulder.\n\nOn the stretch of the M1 where the crash took place, the hard shoulder has been replaced by an active lane.\n\nSzuba, 40, from Hull, was jailed last year after admitting causing their deaths by careless driving.\n\nHe was speaking from prison to the inquest.\n\nPrezemyslaw Szuba was jailed over the deaths\n\nAnswering questions over the phone, Szuba told the hearing he accepted he was driving without paying proper attention.\n\n\"I have already accepted that at my trial,\" he said, but added: \"If there had been a hard shoulder on this bit of motorway, the collision would have been avoidable.\n\n\"I would have driven past these two cars as it would be safer and they would have been able to come home safely and I would be able to come back home.\"\n\nSzuba said he had only three to five seconds to react, and asked if he would have avoided the crash had he been paying attention, he said: \"It's difficult to say after everything now.\"\n\nSgt Mark Brady, who oversees major collision investigations for South Yorkshire Police, told the hearing: \"Had there been a hard shoulder, had Jason and Alexandru pulled on to the hard shoulder, my opinion is that Mr Szuba would have driven clean past them.\"\n\nBut he accepted the primary cause of the crash was Szuba's inattention to the road.\n\nThe crash happened after a collision between a Ford Focus driven by Mr Mercer, from Rotherham, South Yorkshire, and a Ford Transit driven by Mr Murgeanu, who was living in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, but was originally from Romania.\n\nWhen Mr Mercer and Mr Murgeanu got out to exchange details they were hit by the lorry, and both died at the scene.\n\nMr Mercer's wife Claire has campaigned against smart motorways since her husband's death, and was at the hearing on Monday.\n\nClaire Mercer has campaigned against the use of smart motorways since her husband's death\n\nIn a statement, Highways England said it was \"determined\" to do everything it could to make roads as safe as possible and was already addressing many of the points raised by the coroner \"as published in the Government's Smart Motorway Evidence Stocktake and Action Plan of March 2020\".\n\n\"We will carefully consider any further comments raised by the coroner once we receive the report,\" it added.\n\nFollow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Today's rising number of UK deaths was to be expected, sadly, after the surge in cases during December.\n\nAnd it is likely that the coming weeks will see figures even higher than this.\n\nToday’s numbers are, though, inflated by the fact that delays registering deaths over the weekend tend to lead to higher figures being reported on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.\n\nOn average, the UK is recording more than 1,100 deaths a day.\n\nTo put that in context, at Christmas it was less than half that.\n\nBut there are two chinks of light in the daily update.\n\nFirstly, the number of cases is below 40,000 - for a third day in a row. At the turn of the year it was touching 60,000 new diagnoses.\n\nThat means, in the coming weeks, we should start to see fewer hospitalisations and, eventually, deaths.\n\nThe number of vaccinations also continues to rise.\n\nIt seems unlikely the NHS will manage its target of two million doses a week just yet.\n\nBut each increase at least takes us one step closer to getting on top of the virus.", "Campaigners are bringing a judicial review for indirect sexual discrimination on Thursday.\n\nThey say the way the self-employed income support scheme or SEISS is calculated- by averaging out profits between 2016 to 19 - is unfair to to around 75,000 women who’ve taken time off in that period for maternity leave. The government insists using a three-year average is the best way of reflecting a self-employed worker’s income.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Health workers can book an appointment at seven vaccination centres in operation across NI\n\nDoctors have insisted there is no postcode lottery when it comes to rolling out the coronavirus vaccines.\n\nNorthern Ireland's vaccination plan means all those over 80 should receive their first dose by the end of January.\n\nMore than 154,000 doses of a vaccine have now been administered, health officials said.\n\nDr Frances O'Hagan, deputy chairwoman of NI's GP committee, said practices had their own rollout plans but she expected them to meet official targets.\n\n\"As soon as we get the vaccine, we will get it to you,\" she told BBC News NI. \"But please, please wait until we contact you.\"\n\n\"We tailor our programmes to our individual patients and to our geography and to our surroundings.\n\n\"It's not actually a postcode lottery. It's the best way of doing it because we know what suits our patients.\"\n\nDr O'Hagan said she had not heard reports of some practices holding back vaccines until they received bigger amounts to allow for a larger number of vaccinations to be done.\n\nShe said rolling out the programme was a logistical challenge which fell on top of an already heavy workload but the jab would be given out in a \"safe and timely\" fashion.\n\nSinn Féin MP Órfhlaith Begley said doctors in her West Tyrone constituency were working above and beyond to administer the vaccine to as many people as possible.\n\n\"But unfortunately I am hearing that some GPs cannot access supplies of the vaccine,\" she said.\n\n\"There does appear to be, and it is a consistent message from GPs in my own constituency, a feeling the distribution of the vaccine has been unequal to date.\"\n\nMeanwhile, Health Minister Robin Swann has welcomed a further delivery of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine into Northern Ireland on Tuesday morning.\n\nIn a tweet, Robin Swann said: \"We now have the supply to complete all our over 80s and when that group is finished, there will be enough to start into the over 75 programme.\"\n\nPatricia Donnelly, the head of NI's vaccination programme said there had been 154,436 doses of the vaccine administered here, with 132,857 of those being first doses.\n\nOn Tuesday, she said three quarters of care home residents had already received both doses.\n\n\"With the arrival of additional vaccine today, which have been issued this afternoon and tomorrow to GPs, there will be enough to complete the over 80 population and to commence in the over 70 population,\" she added.\n\nA further 24 virus-related deaths and 713 more Covid-19 cases were reported in Northern Ireland on Tuesday.\n\nIt brings the total number of deaths recorded by the Department of Health to 1,649.\n\nThere are currently 842 people in hospital with the virus, 70 people in intensive care units (ICU) and 57 being ventilated.\n\nIn the Republic of Ireland, a further 93 Covid-19 related deaths were reported on Tuesday, bringing the country's death toll to 2,708.\n\nA further 2,001 positive cases were also recorded in the latest figures from the Republic's Department of Health.\n\nNorthern Ireland's rate of Covid-19 infection is now below one and has been at that level for a couple of weeks, according to the chief medical officer.\n\nHowever, Dr Michael McBride warned the reproduction (R) number for hospital transmission remains above one.\n\nDr McBride said new variants of the virus had made the job of curtailing the spread even more difficult, and warned he did not foresee any relaxation of restrictions any time soon.\n\n\"We need to ensure that we have as many people who remain at risk of severe disease vaccinated and prioritised with the first dose as possible before we consider significant relaxations in the current restrictions,\" he said.\n\nMeanwhile concerns have been raised that \"social media myths\" are encouraging some care home staff to reject the Covid vaccine.\n\nPauline Shepherd, from the Independent Health and Care Providers, said young women were especially vulnerable to misinformation about the vaccine and fertility.\n\nLast week, the Department of Health said there had been an uptake level of about 80% among care home staff.\n\n\"We are very keen obviously that everyone takes the vaccine, that is really the only way that we are going to get through this,\" she told BBC Radio Foyle.\n\n\"Obviously there are myths going around on social media about the vaccine and some are opting not to take it.\n\n\"Particularly younger females seem to have the view through social media that it may impact fertility\".\n\nA consultant anaesthetist says there is a \"reluctance\" among members of the black, Asian and minority ethnic communities to take Covid-19 vaccines\n\nThere are currently 139 confirmed Covid-19 outbreaks in NI's 483 care homes.\n\nThe Public Health Agency (PHA) and Department of Health were now exploring how \"to dispel the myths\", Ms Shepherd added.\n\nDr Mukesh Chugh, a consultant anaesthetist at Altnagelvin Hospital in Londonderry, said there had been a \"reluctance\" among black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) people to take Covid-19 vaccines.\n\nDr Chugh says this is because of \"anti-vaccine messages\" posted across various social media platforms and messenger apps \"targeted at certain ethnic and religious groups\".\n\n\"I encourage them not to believe the messages they are getting on WhatsApp - these are not scientific messages,\" he said.\n\nOn Tuesday, Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots said a number of groups of key workers should be given priority access to vaccinations.\n\nPrioritisation was decided by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), which advises UK health departments on immunisation.\n\nEdwin Poots said meat plant workers should be among those given priority vaccine access\n\nAsked if he supported prioritisation for food workers in meat plants, Mr Poots told the assembly he did and had raised it with the executive.\n\n\"It's been identified as an essential service - those people working in them are there in cold, wet conditions where we have had a number of outbreaks,\" he said.\n\n\"We should seek to introduce those people somewhat earlier than is currently the case - I will continue to endeavour to press that case.\"\n\nHe said other groups of workers who should be prioritised included \"teachers and police officers\".", "An Instagram post said the alleged baby shower was a \"lovely surprise\"\n\nA rail company has begun an internal investigation after staff allegedly held a surprise baby shower in a closed Patisserie Valerie bakery at London's Marylebone station during lockdown.\n\nChiltern Railways workers told BBC News up to 20 colleagues, including some who were on shift, attended the gathering.\n\nThey claim some party-goers then had positive Covid tests, forcing most of the team to self-isolate.\n\nChiltern said \"appropriate action\" would be taken after its investigation.\n\nMembers of Chiltern Railways customer services staff based at the station told BBC News that about 30 people had been invited to the baby shower on the afternoon of 23 November - both via WhatsApp before the alleged gathering, and face to face on the day of the event.\n\nA national coronavirus lockdown was in place in England in November, so people were banned from meeting anyone indoors who was not part of their household.\n\nOne worker, David [not his real name], said he declined an invitation to the event but walked past the bakery later in his shift to see about 20 colleagues gathered inside.\n\nHe said he was \"shocked and alarmed\" to see people hugging each other, with most of them not wearing masks.\n\nPhotos of the alleged gathering, seen by the BBC, show a table inside a Patisserie Valerie outlet covered with dozens of cupcakes, mince pies, crisps and sandwiches, bunting saying \"it's a boy!\" and handmade flags reading \"happy baby shower\".\n\nOne photo appears to show a group of eight colleagues posing in front of the table of party food, without socially distancing from one another.\n\nSome images were shared on Instagram on 23 November with the caption: \"What a lovely surprise being thrown a baby shower at work today!\"\n\nA Patisserie Valerie spokesman said the company had not been informed of any such event and that none of its team members had access to the Marylebone station cafe, which has remained closed since March due to Covid restrictions.\n\nHe added it was normal for a member of station staff to have keys to the premises for \"security reasons\".\n\nDavid and another colleague claimed three people who allegedly attended the event tested positive over the following four days.\n\nThe positive tests meant 16 members of staff out of the team of about 26 people had to self-isolate for 14 days, David said.\n\nHe said colleagues who lived with, or cared for, vulnerable people were \"petrified\" to hear there had been a staff outbreak, with some \"scared to go home\" for fear of endangering loved ones.\n\nDavid added that he had been caring for his elderly grandmother so self-isolation was \"a real nightmare\" as he had to arrange alternative care for her.\n\nChiltern Railways confirmed a \"small number\" of workers tested positive for Covid or had to self-isolate in the 14-day period after 23 November, but a spokeswoman said \"none of the staff who were alleged to have attended [the baby shower] tested positive\".\n\nShe said Chiltern Railways was investigating and was \"making every effort\" to maintain a Covid-secure environment for staff and customers.\n\nChiltern Railways staff members congratulated their colleague using information boards at the station\n\nIn an email seen by the BBC, which was sent to Chiltern Railways employees on 24 November, a manager said one team member had tested positive and added: \"It is disappointing that social distancing measures do not appear to have been followed and I will be investigating this further.\"\n\nDavid's colleague Peter (not his real name) said he was one of about 10 team members who had to work while the rest of the team was self-isolating.\n\nPeter said the outbreak left those at work feeling \"stretched\" and \"raised the anxiety levels of everyone\" as they worried they might have caught Covid as a result of having worked alongside the alleged party's attendees.\n\n\"A lot of us don't want to be at work during this time, for obvious reasons. We're doing a job where we do come into contact with a lot of people - it's stressful enough with your own family, who are a bit worried about you going in to work at a train station and asking if you're getting the proper protection,\" Peter said.\n\nHe added he felt \"demoralised\" to hear about the alleged party when he spends his shifts encouraging customers to wear masks and socially distance.\n\nThe Department for Transport said it had been made aware of the incident and had contacted Chiltern Railways for a \"full explanation\".\n\nA spokesman for the Office of Rail and Road - which protects the interests of rail and road users - said it had investigated \"an issue relating to Covid-19 concerns\" and had taken action, jointly with Westminster City Council, to \"ensure Chiltern Railways tightens its risk assessment for workers and to revise working arrangements\".", "When Amelia Strike, 21, was logged out of her Depop social shopping app account in October, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.\n\n\"I thought I had just forgotten my password when I couldn't get back in, but a couple of days passed and I realised something wasn't right,\" says the Birmingham-based law student.\n\nShe then received a message from a stranger on Instagram, alerting her to the fact that her account had been taken over by a scammer advertising Apple AirPod headphones for £50.\n\nShe immediately used her brother's Depop account to comment on the offending post and contact the app. It was removed by the firm in a few hours and her password was reset.\n\nBut when Ms Strike logged back in, she was shocked by what she found.\n\n\"I felt sick - I scrolled and scrolled through hundreds of messages people had sent the scammer,\" she says.\n\nThe fraudster had been instructing shoppers to pay them directly through PayPal's \"Friends and Family\" option, which sidesteps Depop's fees and doesn't offer any protection for buyers.\n\nThe scammer sent messages like this one to other Depop users from Amelia's account\n\nMs Strike counted at least three Depop users who made unauthorised payments of £50 to the scammer.\n\nIn Ms Strike's situation, to get users to trust scam listing, the hacker had also uploaded a photo of her name on a post-it note next to the headphones that were supposedly for sale.\n\nThis is a common tactic used by people selling second-hand items online, to prove that the photos were not stolen from another listing.\n\n\"I just felt so violated,\" she says.\n\nShe is not alone - 14 other users have told BBC News that their Depop accounts have been hacked in recent months. In all cases, the fraudsters demanded to be paid directly, rather than through the app.\n\nBlending the look and social elements of Instagram with the buy-and-sell format of eBay, 90% of Depop's users are aged 26 or under.\n\nEmily Goold, 21, a journalism student in Tewkesbury, was scared when her account was hacked and a fraudster posted a listing for a £350 jacket.\n\nEmily Goold, 21, told the BBC a fraudster hacked her Depop account and advertised a £350 Moncler jacket\n\nDepop took the listing down within 12 hours and reset her password, but Ms Goold says such incidents are becoming commonplace.\n\n\"You always know somebody who's had a Depop horror story. It's such a widespread problem now.\"\n\nScammers have continued to plague many online services through the pandemic.\n\nOne \"have a go\" method called \"credential stuffing\" involves using automated tools to repeatedly log into accounts, entering usernames and password information previously exposed from data breaches of other popular online services.\n\nIf a user doesn't use the same password on multiple services or has changed their passwords after being exposed in a data breach, this won't work.\n\nAccording to Liv Rowley, a threat intelligence analyst at cyber-security firm Blueliv, cyber criminals are now targeting Depop accounts on an \"industrial scale\" using this method, capitalising on the fact that people often use similar passwords.\n\nBlending the look and social elements of Instagram with the buy-and-sell format of eBay, 90% of Depop's users are aged 26 or under\n\nDepop told the BBC that the safety and security of its community is its \"number one priority\", and that the service has never had a data breach or had its infrastructure compromised.\n\nThe firm confirmed that credential stuffing is a big part of the problem.\n\n\"Weak passwords and the use of the same password across multiple accounts is the greatest source of account takeover, which is why we have initiated a campaign in the second half of 2020 to force some users to strengthen their passwords and to remind others of the importance of strong and unique passwords,\" says Depop's chief operating officer Dominic Rose.\n\nDepop has started resetting passwords for some 12 million users that have not changed them in over a year and told the BBC it had sent reminders to a similar number to make sure their log-in details are unique.\n\n\"We will continue to remind our community about the importance of account security and updating their passwords.\"\n\nThe firm, founded in 2011, told the BBC that although the number of its users increased nearly two-fold to 26 million last year, it had seen a 50% decrease in account \"takeovers\" since its campaign began.\n\nBut Blueliv found that login details for several thousand hacked Depop accounts are being advertised for as little as $1.05 (77p) each on the dark web - a part of the internet that is only accessible using specialised tools.\n\nWhile a Vice investigation first highlighted the problem in May, there is now evidence that account logins are being sold across multiple dark web \"marketplaces\".\n\nThe information for sale includes usernames and passwords, with extra charged for details such as follower count, the number of sales completed by a user and their ratings by other shoppers.\n\nOn the dark net marketplace White House Market, \"premium\" Depop accounts are being sold for $5\n\n\"The accounts are being compromised and that definitely is concerning,\" Ms Rowley says. \"While it's not a Depop-specific problem, I think [credential stuffing] is one we're going to see expand in the next five years.\"\n\nOne Depop user told the BBC they would feel \"much more comfortable\" if the app introduced two-factor authentication, where users enter a one-time code sent to them via email or text, for example, after attempting to sign in.\n\nDepop confirmed that it intends to implement multi-factor authentication in 2021.\n\nBut Aman Johal, director at law firm Your Lawyers, which specialises in consumer action claims, says the platform needs to act urgently, \"particularly given its relatively young user base, where the duty of care is greater\".\n\n\"The fact that this has been going on for months...is unacceptable. Given the volume of compromised accounts for sale, the horse has already bolted,\" he added.\n\nFor some users, trust in the company has been dented.\n\n\"I feel like their security measures need to be amped up because it's just not good enough,\" says Ms Strike, who has been a Depop user since 2015.\n\n\"I've used [Depop] for a long time but I'm reluctant to continue because it just doesn't feel safe anymore.\"", "HSBC is to close 82 branches in the UK between April and September this year, claiming customers are turning to digital banking.\n\nThe company will have 511 branches across the country following the closure programme.\n\nManagers said they did not expect to make any redundancies, with staff moved to nearby branches instead.\n\nCoronavirus and changing customer habits have altered the way we bank, but there are concerns over closures.\n\nCampaigners say that local branches provide a lifeline for those who need access to cash and face-to-face services, and allow small businesses to bank without too much disruption to their own trade.\n\nHSBC said all but one of the branches earmarked for closure were within one mile of a Post Office, where these day-to-day transactions could be carried out.\n\nIt said - even stripping out the effects of the pandemic - the number of customers using branches had fallen by a third in the past five years, and 90% of all customer contact was over the phone, internet or smartphone, in addition to contacts on social media.\n\nJackie Uhi, HSBC UK's head of network, said: \"The Covid-19 pandemic has emphasised the need for the changes that we are making.\n\n\"It hasn't pushed us in a different direction but reinforces the things that we were focusing on before and has crystallised our thinking. This is a strategic direction that we need to take to have a branch network fit for the future.\"\n\nThis would include changing some branches to concentrate on cash access, as well as the use of \"pop-up\" branches in some areas by the end of the year. It means some remaining branches will offer fewer services.\n\nThe branches to close are:\n\nMay: Brighton, Ditchling Road; Hull, Merit House; Wednesbury; Sutton Coldfield, Four Oaks; Hull, Holderness Road; Pontyclun, Talbot Green; London, Fleet Street; London, Fenchurch Street; London, Old Broad Street; London, Charing Cross; Sheffield, Darnall; Oxford, Summertown; Leeds, Chapel Allerton; Cardiff, Rumney; Torquay, Strand; Staines", "The Met Office warned heavy rain combined with melting snow on higher ground was likely to cause flooding\n\nAn amber rain warning has been issued for parts of northern and central England as Storm Christoph approaches.\n\nThe Met Office told people in Yorkshire and the Humber, the North West, East Midlands and the east of England to expect heavy rain and potential floods.\n\nYellow warnings have been issued for England, Wales, Northern Ireland and southern Scotland.\n\nUp to 70mm (2.75in) of rain is forecast to fall within 48 hours in the worst-hit areas from Tuesday.\n\nThe Met Office said the downpours, set to last throughout Tuesday and Wednesday, were likely to cause flooding when combined with melting snow on higher ground.\n\nIt said there was a \"danger to life\" due to fast-flowing or deep floodwater, and warned some communities there was a good chance they would be \"cut off\" by flooded roads.\n\nIt also predicted delays and cancellations to public transport, with the amber warning in place until 12:00 GMT on Thursday.\n\nCouncils and emergency services have warned people to prepare for potential flooding.\n\nMayor of Doncaster Ros Jones declared a major incident in South Yorkshire ahead of possible flooding.\n\nIn a tweet, she said emergency protocols were instigated on Sunday, with sandbags handed out in flood-risk areas, and told people not to panic but to be prepared.\n\nCalderdale councillor Scott Patient urged residents and businesses to \"take all the steps they can to protect themselves and their property\".\n\nDue to Covid-19 restrictions, Mr Patient said, the authority was preparing \"virtual community support hubs\" to help people if there was flooding.\n\n\"The virtual hubs work similarly to the physical ones, but everything will be done remotely to reduce the need for face-to-face contact and to protect staff, volunteers, those affected by flooding and vulnerable people in our communities,\" he said.\n\nThe Environment Agency has 14 flood warnings - meaning \"immediate action\" is required - in place across England, stretching from the south east to the north east.\n\nThe Met Office amber rain area initially covered parts of the north, but has since been expanded to include some central areas\n\nMet Office forecaster Jon Griffiths said about 40-70mm (1.57-2.75 in) of rain was expected in the north-west over three days, potentially rising to 100-120mm (3.93-4.72 in) in hilly areas.\n\nMr Griffiths said river systems in some areas were already close to capacity.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Prime Minister Boris Johnson has condemned the \"disgraceful scenes\" in the US, after supporters of President Donald Trump stormed Congress and clashed with police.\n\nRioters breached the Capitol building where lawmakers met to confirm Joe Biden's presidential election victory.\n\nThe PM said it was \"vital that there should be a peaceful and orderly transfer of power\".\n\nAnd Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said it was a \"direct attack on democracy\".\n\n\"The United States stands for democracy around the world and it is now vital that there should be a peaceful and orderly transfer of power,\" Mr Johnson tweeted.\n\nScottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, meanwhile, called the events \"utterly horrifying\".\n\nFriend of President Trump and leader of Reform UK - formerly the Brexit Party - Nigel Farage tweeted: \"Storming Capitol Hill is wrong. The protesters must leave.\"\n\nThe US Congress has now reconvened after the violence - spurred on by Mr Trump's unproven claims of electoral fraud - to certify Mr Biden's victory in the US election in November\n\nHundreds of the president's supporters stormed the Capitol, and staged an occupation of the building in Washington DC.\n\nBoth chambers of Congress were forced into recess, as protesters clashed with police and tear gas was released.\n\nFour people died on Capitol grounds during the violence, including a woman shot by police and three others, who died as a result of \"medical emergencies\", local police said.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Police place US Capitol Building on lockdown after Trump supporters breached security lines\n\nUK MPs from across the political spectrum have criticised the events in the US.\n\nForeign Secretary Dominic Raab said there was \"no justification for these violent attempts to frustrate the lawful and proper transition of power\", while Home Secretary Priti Patel called the scenes \"unacceptable and undemocratic\".\n\nShe added: \"There is no justification for this violence and Donald Trump must condemn it.\"\n\nHer Conservative colleague, and former Foreign Secretary, Jeremy Hunt directly addressed President Trump for telling the crowd to march on Congress, tweeting: \"He shames American democracy tonight and causes its friends anguish - but he is not America.\"\n\nLabour's deputy leader, Angela Rayner said: \"The violence that Donald Trump has unleashed is terrifying, and the Republicans who stood by him have blood on their hands.\"\n\nAnd shadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy said the events were \"the legacy of a politics of hate that pits people against each other and threatens the foundations of democracy\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Boris Johnson This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nMeanwhile, Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey has defended the prime minister's response to the rioting.\n\nAsked on ITV's Peston programme why Mr Johnson hadn't criticised Mr Trump, she said: \"The prime minister has been clear tonight that we need a peaceful and orderly transition.\"\n\nMs Coffey added that events in the US were a \"reminder that democracy is something precious - and will only continue to thrive as long as we protect institutions that make this country important and not demean each other when the majority of what we want to achieve is similar outcomes\".\n\nDonald Trump and Boris Johnson at a Nato summit in 2019\n\nMeanwhile, the SNP's leader in Westminster, Ian Blackford, said the end of Mr Trump's presidency \"cannot come quick enough\".\n\nHe tweeted: \"What a legacy the events of today are to his time in office. Shameful, shocking, an affront to democracy.\"\n\nLeader of the Liberal Democrats, Ed Davey, called the scenes \"absolutely horrendous\", while his party's foreign affairs spokeswoman, Layla Moran, said: \"The scenes coming out of Washington tonight are an attack on democracy.\"", "An ambulance service has experienced its busiest day of calls on record.\n\nOn Monday, West Midlands Ambulance Service dealt with 5,383 calls in 24 hours. The previous record was 5,001 calls in March 2018.\n\nSeven hundred of those calls came from London as its calls system struggled, according to BBC health correspondent Michele Paduano.\n\nThe ambulance service said Covid-19 and winter weather had resulted in hospitals being \"extremely busy\".\n\nAt the hosptials, the longest a patient waited was five hours and 39 minutes, with two of the longest waits at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and Heartlands Hospital in Birmingham.\n\nA combination of Covid-19 and winter weather has resulted in hospitals being \"extremely busy\"\n\nAt one point on Monday night, 15 ambulances were waiting to hand over patients outside New Cross Hospital in Wolverhampton.\n\nA source told the BBC it was \"a very challenging day\" and in total, handovers had accounted for 759 hours of crews' time, equivalent to taking 63 ambulances off the road.\n\nWhile another said at 06:00 GMT on Tuesday, ambulances were still responding to emergency calls from the night before.\n\nTraditionally, the first Monday after New Year is always busy. GP surgeries have been closed and people wait until after the festivities to get medical treatment.\n\nThis year, the number of calls was exacerbated by the service taking about 700 calls for the London ambulance service after its system struggled.\n\nThere was also the perfect storm of snow and ice coupled with coronavirus - made worse because many of our trusts, particularly University Hospitals Birmingham have been struggling with capacity for many months. Usually hospitals would put patients on corridors, they can't because of Covid risks.\n\nThey also have fewer beds due to wider spacing to prevent infection and fewer staff on duty. Hence patients left for hours on ambulances outside.\n\nWest Midlands Ambulance Service is the best performing in the country, but even with near to 500 ambulances a day on the road, it cannot keep up with demand.\n\nProf David Loughton, the chief executive of the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, warned its capacity would \"soon be compromised\".\n\n\"The numbers are ramping up enormously and I don't think we've seen the full impact of what happened on Christmas Day yet, that will take time to come through,\" Prof Loughton said.\n\nHe added a two-week \"lag\" meant things could get worst before they get better.\n\n\"As I always say today's Covid rate is my order book for intensive care in two weeks' time.\"\n\nA West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: \"A combination of Covid-19 and winter weather has resulted in hospitals being extremely busy which unfortunately resulted in hospital handover delays.\n\n\"We work closely with the hospitals to try and ensure our crews are able to handover patients quickly and safely, but due to the extremely high demand some patients did wait longer to be handed over than we would normally see.\"\n\nIn a statement London Ambulance Service NHS Trust said : \"As is standard practice during periods of high demand and high levels of staff sickness, ambulance services provide support for each other, which includes answering 999 calls.\"\n\nFollow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk\n\nHave you been affected by the issues raised in this story? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Dickey emerged during a boom for African-American literature in the 1990s\n\nAuthor Eric Jerome Dickey, whose novels of romance, mystery and adventure were best-selling page-turners over more than 20 years, has died aged 59.\n\nThe US writer wrote 30 novels about breathless relationships and thrilling adventures involving young African American characters.\n\nThey included Friends & Lovers, Milk In My Coffee, Cheaters and Finding Gideon.\n\nHe also wrote a series of Marvel comics about a love story between Storm from the X-Men and the Black Panther.\n\n\"His work has become a cultural touchstone over the course of his multi-decade writing career, earning him millions of dedicated readers around the world,\" his publicist Becky Odell told USA Today in a statement.\n\nWriter Roxane Gay was among those paying tribute, describing him as \"a great storyteller\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by roxane gay This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nOther authors to add their voices included Luvvie Ajayi, who described him as \"a literary legend\", and ReShonda Tate Billingsley, who said he was \"an amazing author and an even better friend\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Luvvie is the #ProfessionalTroublemaker This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. End of twitter post 2 by Luvvie is the #ProfessionalTroublemaker\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 3 by ReShonda Tate Billingsley This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 4 by Wesley This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nBorn in Memphis, Tennessee, Dickey started out as a software developer in the aerospace industry. Being laid off from that job gave him a chance to take writing classes and see whether he could make it as an author.\n\nHe emerged during a boom for African-American literature in the 1990s, and his 1996 debut Sister, Sister - about the lives and loves of three siblings - was recently named one of the 50 Most Impactful Black Books of the Last 50 Years by Essence magazine.\n\nHe was particularly praised for his ability to write \"believable\" female characters, and many of his readers were women.\n\nWhen the New York Times profiled him in 2004, it billed him as the \"chick lit king\". Patrik Henry Bass, Essence's books editor, told the paper: \"He is singular in the way he is tapping into the African-American female psyche.\"\n\nAnd Calvin Reid, an editor at trade magazine Publishers Weekly, said: \"He captures black language and black middle-class characters with more depth than you often see in commercial fiction.\"\n\nBy that time, he was selling 500,000 books a year. He was nominated four times for the NAACP Image Award for best work of fiction, winning in 2015 for A Wanted Woman.\n\nBy then, he had branched out into stories of crime, suspense, thrills and spills as well as the steamy and tangled relationships with which he made his name.\n\nHe had four daughters, but said he never based his plots on his own life. \"I avoid my life,\" he once said. \"It bores me. Trust me. A book about me would be a snoozefest.\"\n\nHis final novel, The Son of Mr Suleman, will be published in April.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Boris Johnson: \"We've now vaccinated over 1.3m people across the UK\"\n\nSome 1.3 million people in the UK have now received their first dose of a Covid vaccine, says the government.\n\nIn England, that includes nearly a quarter of the most elderly, vulnerable patients.\n\nPrime Minister Boris Johnson said it meant that within a two to three weeks they should have a \"significant degree of immunity\" to the virus.\n\nHe said there would be a ramping up to get more people immunised - up to 2 million a week.\n\nThe ambition is to vaccinate all the over-70s, the most clinically vulnerable and front-line health and care workers by mid-February. That will require around 13 million vaccinations.\n\nHe defended the UK's policy of immunising more people with one dose immediately - rather than holding some stock back to give people a second booster shot - in order to save \"the most lives the fastest\".\n\nUS regulators have questioned the policy, saying it is premature without more trial evidence, but the UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency says it is a pragmatic decision to protect more people.\n\nBoth the Pfizer and Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines require two doses to provide the best possible protection.\n\nInitially, the strategy for the Pfizer vaccine was to offer people the second dose 21 days after their initial jab - full immunity starts seven days after the second dose.\n\nBut when approval was announced for the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine on 30 December, it was also announced that the policy would now change - the new priority would be to give as many people a first shot of either vaccine, rather than providing the required two doses in as short a time as possible.\n\nEveryone will still receive their second dose, but this will now be within 12 weeks of their first.\n\nEngland's chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty told the Downing Street press conference that extending the gap between the first and second jabs would mean the number of people vaccinated can be doubled over three months.\n\n\"If over that period there is more than 50% protection then you have actually won. More people will have been protected than would have been otherwise.\n\n\"Our quite strong view is that protection is likely to be lot more than 50%.\"\n\nAsked whether the longer gap could lead to an increase risk of the virus mutating into a version that could escape the vaccine, he said it was a worry, but a small one.\n\nChief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance said vaccines would probably need to be changed further down the line to continue to be a good match for the virus - but that this was relatively quick to do.\n\nOne of the exciting things about the science of the RNA vaccines is that they are incredibly fast to make in response to new mutations, he said.", "Former Goldman Sachs banker Richard Sharp is set to be named the BBC's next chairman, the corporation's media editor Amol Rajan says.\n\nMr Sharp spent 23 years working for the banking giant and was reportedly Chancellor Rishi Sunak's boss there.\n\nHe has recently been acting as an unpaid economic adviser to Mr Sunak during the coronavirus pandemic.\n\nHis new role will see him lead negotiations with the government over the future of the licence fee.\n\nThe licence fee is due to stay in place until at least 2027, when the BBC's Royal Charter ends, with a debate about how the broadcaster should be funded after that.\n\nThe government is currently reviewing whether its cost, currently £157.50, should continue rising with inflation from 2022, and whether non-payment should remain a criminal offence.\n\nMr Sharp's career at Goldman Sachs culminated as chairman of its principal investment business in Europe before his departure in 2007. He was then on the Bank of England's Financial Policy Committee for six years until 2019.\n\nAs an advisor to the Treasury about its pandemic response, the 63-year-old reportedly played a key role in the £1.57bn arts rescue package, and the film and television production restart scheme.\n\nMr Sharp is a former donor to the Conservative party.\n\nHe was chairman of the Royal Academy of Arts from 2007 to 2012, and founded the charity London Music Masters.\n\nSir David Clementi, the current BBC chairman, steps down in February. The post-holder is officially appointed by the Queen on the recommendation of the government.\n\nJulian Knight, the chair of the DCMS Committee, said in a statement: \"It is disappointing to see this news about the next BBC chairman has leaked out ahead of a formal announcement from the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. The Committee previously expressed some concerns over the appointments process, calling for it to be fair and transparent.\n\n\"The DCMS Committee looks forward to questioning the preferred candidate for the post in a pre-appointment hearing next week on their views at a critical time for the BBC about its role and the future of public service broadcasting more generally.\"\n\nHis views on the BBC itself are unknown. But like new director general Tim Davie, who he met a few weeks before Christmas, he has a commercial background. Just as the relationship between Lord Hall, Davie's predecessor, and Sir David was strong, so the bond between the new DG and chair will be critical.\n\nWhether Sharp supports the licence fee as the pillar of a future BBC settlement is unclear.\n\nThe last time the BBC's future was negotiated with a sceptical Conservative government, the relationship between the director general and the chancellor - then George Osborne - was critical, as Lord Hall explained to me in his exit interview.\n\nThis time, Davie will go into that negotiation with a very close ally of the current chancellor - though Sharp's first duty is to support Davie, and the BBC, and not his old mentee.", "New car registrations fell to their lowest level in nearly three decades last year, according to preliminary figures from the industry's trade body.\n\nIt was also the biggest one-year fall since World War Two, when factories were being turned over to military production, the Society for Motor Manufacturers and Traders said.\n\nAbout 1.63 million new cars were registered in 2020, compared with 2.3 million in 2019 - a decline of 29%.\n\nIt was the lowest total since 1992.\n\nThe bulk of the lost sales occurred during the first lockdown in the Spring, when showrooms were forced to close, and factories shut down.\n\n\"We lost half a million units from March, April, May - and we never recovered them,\" said the SMMT's chief executive, Mike Hawes.\n\nThe restrictions introduced later in the year were less damaging, largely because dealers were able to sell cars remotely, using 'click and collect' services.\n\nThat remains the case during the new lockdown, announced on Monday.\n\n\"We can still do click and collect, which is important, because that's the very minimum we need,\" said Mr Hawes. \"Not just to keep retail going, but also to keep manufacturing going.\"\n\nOverall, the SMMT said the Covid crisis has cost the car industry some £20bn - and cost the exchequer nearly £2bn in lost VAT.\n\nThere are also serious questions about the extent to which the car market can recover this year. Previous forecasts, which had suggested new registrations could rise to about 2 million in 2021, have been thrown into doubt by the latest restrictions.\n\nBut while the market as a whole has suffered over the past year, sales of electric cars have risen dramatically, increasing their share of the market from 1.5% to 6.5%. Sales of plug-in hybrids also rose sharply.\n\nCar showrooms re-opened from the first lockdown in June\n\n\"If we see this continued level of uptake in electric vehicles, then we anticipate that sales of new EVs and plug-in hybrids will overtake diesel cars in 2021,\" said Ian Plummer, commercial director of motoring website Auto Trader. \"Then, pure EVs will overtake those of their internal combustion engine counterparts in 2026.\"\n\nWith the pandemic continuing to inflict serious damage on the industry, Mr Hawes says the trade deal between the UK and the EU came as a \"massive relief\".\n\nIt confirmed that cars and car parts could continue to move between the two regions, without tariffs - or taxes - being imposed, provided certain conditions are met.\n\nThe SMMT had previously warned that failing to reach a deal could have cost the industry £55bn over five years - and add £2,000 to the cost of each vehicle\n\nBut manufacturers still face potentially significant additional costs due to so-called non-tariff barriers - including border formalities, and the need to obtain extra regulatory approvals for new designs.\n\n\"This is not a free deal\", said Mr Hawes.\n\nAnother consequence of the trade deal is that the UK will need to focus on battery production, if it is to maintain its car industry while phasing out petrol and diesel engines.\n\nThat's because in order to qualify for tariff-free access to the European market, the value of car components made outside the UK and the EU will have to be strictly limited.\n\nSpecific rules relating to batteries effectively mean that from 2027, they themselves will have to be made in the EU or the UK.\n\nThe SMMT believes that, based on current investment plans, UK battery factories will have a capacity of 15 gigawatt-hours (GWh) by 2024.\n\nThat is more than seven times the current level, and would be enough to produce 250,000 electric cars per year.\n\nBut the SMMT insists much more is needed: 60GWh in order to produce 1 million cars per year by 2030, and 120GWh to produce 2mby 2040.\n\nThat, says Mr Hawes, will require \"massive investment\".", "Greggs expects up to a £15m loss for the year, which would be its first annual loss since it listed its shares on the stock exchange in 1984.\n\nThe bakery chain said it does not expect profits to return to pre-Covid levels until 2022 at the earliest.\n\nIt has been battling a sales slump due to the coronavirus pandemic, but sales declines have been lessening.\n\nGreggs made 820 job cuts at the end of last year, after its sales were hit by coronavirus lockdowns and restrictions.\n\nChief executive Roger Whiteside said the impact of the Covid-19 crisis had been \"enormous\" and that a fresh lockdown meant \"significant uncertainties remain in the near term\".\n\nCoronavirus restrictions towards the end of last year led to \"variable trading conditions across the UK\", he said.\n\nSales in the final three months of the year fell by nearly a fifth, but this decline was less than its sales slump in the third quarter.\n\nIn September, Greggs, which is based in Newcastle, said it was in talks with staff to cut hours in an effort to minimise job losses.\n\nBut it still decided to cut 820 jobs because of \"lockdown levels of business\" as High Streets were hit by the crisis.\n\n\"Looking ahead, the significant uncertainty over the duration of social restrictions, along with the impact of higher unemployment levels, makes it difficult to predict performance,\" the firm said.\n\n\"However, we do not expect that profits will return to pre-Covid levels until 2022 at the earliest.\"\n\nGreggs said on Wednesday that total sales for the year were down nearly a third to £811m, but government support had helped to limit pre-tax losses.\n\nIt said it had developed its takeaway business and a delivery tie-up with Just Eat, and had also seen \"strong sales\" through its partnership with retailer Iceland.\n\n\"We have taken action to position Greggs to withstand further short-term shocks and are optimistic about our prospects for growth once social restrictions are lifted,\" Mr Whiteside added.\n\nGreggs wants to open about 100 new stores, on a net basis, over the year ahead.\n\nJulie Palmer, a partner at insolvency consultants Begbies Traynor, said: \"The latest national lockdown will be unwelcome news for Greggs, which has operated shrewdly during the past year in spite of a lack of footfall, with non-essential stores forced to close and millions working from home.\n\n\"The bakery chain has had to adapt its business model and invest digitally to accommodate for the rapid change in shopping habits, offering click-and-collect purchases, as well as a nationwide delivery service through its partnership with Just Eat.\n\n\"This should provide a solid base for the business to expand when government restrictions are eased and the world returns to some normality.\"", "US intelligence agencies have said they believe Russia was behind the \"serious\" cyber compromise revealed in December.\n\nPresident Trump had previously suggested China might have been behind the hack, although other members of his administration had pointed the finger at Moscow.\n\nIn a joint statement, the intelligence bodies say they currently believe fewer than 10 US government agencies saw their data compromised, although other organisations outside of government were also affected.\n\nThey say work is still going on to understand the scope of the incident, which appears to have been aimed at gathering intelligence and which they say is \"ongoing\" a month after details first emerged.\n\nThe update on the investigation came in a statement from a task force called the Cyber Unified Coordination Group which was set up to deal with the incident. It comprises intelligence and law enforcement agencies including the FBI and NSA.\n\nThe group said it was still working to understand the scope of what had taken place.\n\nEighteen thousand customers who used Orion product from the company Solar Winds were exposed but US intelligence says it believes a much smaller number saw follow-on activity from the hackers in which they stole data. The US Treasury was among those which previously acknowledged being targeted.\n\n\"This is a serious compromise that will require a sustained and dedicated effort to remediate,\" the statement said. Many organisations are having to scour their systems for signs that they may have been compromised.\n\nThe incident sent shockwaves across the US partly because the breach was undiscovered for many months and was potentially far-reaching in terms of who it might have affected. It also suggested a degree of sophistication and stealth which was widely seen as a trademark of hackers from the SVR, Russia's foreign intelligence agency.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Experts have been warning for years that it's not a matter of if, but when, hackers will kill somebody\n\nSoon after the incident was revealed, President Trump raised the possibility that China might be responsible, but members of his own administration including the secretary of state and attorney general pointed the finger at Moscow. The latest statement shows the assessment of US intelligence agencies is that Russia was behind it, although it does not go so far as accusing the Russian state itself, saying only that the actor was \"likely Russian in origin\". Moscow has denied playing any part.\n\nPresident-elect Joe Biden has previously said it was important to take \"meaningful steps\" to hold those responsible to account. It is not yet clear, though, what that might involve. While some US politicians suggested the breach might even be compared to an \"act of war\", most cyber-experts disputed this and the US intelligence community has now played down suggestions that it could have had destructive impact.\n\n\"At this time, we believe this was, and continues to be, an intelligence-gathering effort,\" the latest statement says. This is significant since it suggests no evidence has been found that this was preparatory activity for a more destructive cyber-attack which might switch off systems. This may limit the US response since espionage operations do not breach the cyber norms the US itself promotes (largely because it too carries out such intelligence-gathering operations against other nations).\n\nIn December UK officials say they believed a small number of UK organisations were affected but said they did not believe they were in the public sector.", "South Vietnam flags were seen during the unrest Image caption: South Vietnam flags were seen during the unrest\n\nOn Wednesday, as protesters gathered outside before swarming the Capitol building, the yellow flags of the old South Vietnam regime could be seen.\n\nIn fact, the yellow flags of the former South Vietnam are a common sight at pro-Trump rallies across the United States.\n\nVietnamese Americans, especially those of the older generation who fled Vietnam after Saigon fell in 1975, are known for their support for the Republican party and Donald Trump.\n\nA pre-election survey by the group Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote found that Vietnamese Americans are the only major East Asian ethnic community that favoured Trump over Biden . Trump’s anti-China and anti-communist rhetoric resonated greatly with the former refugees who risked their lives to escape communism.\n\nBut the support for President Trump has also become an increasingly divisive issue amongst the Vietnamese American community.\n\nHours after the Capitol riot, there are still calls on pro-Trump internet forums like the \"ABC Trump\" Facebook page for Vietnamese Americans to “take to the streets in support of President Trump” as “the battle continues”.\n\nBut there have also been condemnations.\n\n“This is embarrassing,” one young Vietnamese American wrote on Twitter, adding: “They’ve brought shame to the flag”.", "The US is facing another huge election - one that could define how much new president Joe Biden can get done in his first term.\n\nMore than 100 people are gathered in the grey and damp cold in Stone Mountain.\n\nIt's a miserable start to the New Year but this city near Georgia's capital, Atlanta, feels anything but sleepy or hung over.\n\n\"The energy we get here in Georgia is something I've never seen before,\" says Mr Gardner, who was born and raised in local DeKalb County.\n\n\"We've had other Senate races and I'm just excited.\"\n\nHe is joined by fellow Democratic supporters who are singing and dancing outside a house-turned-campaign centre.\n\nIt's to rally support for the two men who are probably President-elect Joe Biden's most important friends right now: Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock.\n\nThis traditionally Republican state was won by Mr Biden in November's election - but there were no clear winners for the state's two Senate seats. Now there is a run-off between the top candidates in each race.\n\nIf the two Democrats, Mr Ossoff and Rev Warnock, beat incumbent Republicans David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, Mr Biden's party effectively controls the Senate.\n\nShirley Shepphard is handing out stickers, with a smile and confidence.\n\n\"The Democrats can win! Yes we can, yes we can, yes we can!\" she says.\n\nThere's a huge cheer as Mr Ossoff's large blue bus makes its way down the road and pulls up opposite the house.\n\nHe is only 33 years old and, in case his youth wasn't clear enough, he makes a point of jogging on to the small stage.\n\nDuring a polished speech he exclaims: \"The place we demand better is at the ballot box.\"\n\nIf Mr Ossoff wins, he'd be the youngest member of the Senate - a title once held by Joe Biden himself.\n\nNo pressure, but I put to him that the fate of Mr Biden's presidency is in his hands.\n\nIf he loses, is Mr Biden a weakened president before he's even begun?\n\nWithout missing a beat, Mr Ossoff says: \"We will win.\"\n\nFellow Democrat and Senate candidate Mr Warnock could make history alongside him.\n\nHe could become Georgia's first black senator, in a state that has a higher proportion of black people than any other in the US.\n\nRallies have been held for all four candidates, including this one featuring the US vice-president\n\nGeorgia has also found itself becoming the final battleground for an aggrieved President Donald Trump.\n\nThe Republican Senate candidates here - Mr Perdue and Ms Loeffler - are his last foot soldiers.\n\nBoth appeared at his rally the previous night, where he focused on repeating his unsubstantiated claims of election fraud.\n\n\"There's no way we lost Georgia, that was a rigged election,\" were the first words out of his mouth.\n\n\"We run all over the world telling people how to run their elections and we don't even know how to run ours.\"\n\nMr Trump has also gone after Georgia's Republican governor and begged another official here, in an astonishing phone call, to find votes to overturn Mr Biden's victory.\n\nThe president has also called the Georgia Senate races \"invalid and illegal\" without any evidence.\n\nThere are concerns from some Republicans he's putting people off voting on Tuesday.\n\nI asked supporters at Trump's rally why they would take part in an election process if they didn't believe it was fair. Some hesitated and suggested it was their civic duty.\n\nFor those who won't vote, it's an advantage that may work for the Democrats.\n\nWhen I ask two Ossoff and Warnock supporters about the claims of election fraud, both women throw their heads back, burst into a long laugh in perfect unison and shake their heads bemused: \"Yeah, that's a good one.\"\n\nThere's another factor in this runoff - teenagers.\n\nSince the 3 November presidential election, more than 23,000 people will have turned 18 in the state and can now vote in this Senate race.\n\nMany young voters have been holding live-streaming events in counties across Georgia.\n\nValerie Ponomarev just turned 18 and is very excited at getting to vote. She was upset she couldn't cast a ballot in the recent presidential election.\n\n\"I did the math in my head and was short by a month as I was born in December,\" she says.\n\n\"I was mad at my mum that I hadn't been born sooner!\"\n\nShe said at first, she didn't even realise the Senate runoff was so crucial in Georgia.\n\nShe's voting for the Democrats, Ms Ponomarev says, adding that a lot of younger people have shown support for Mr Ossoff.\n\n\"I think the youth finally want representation in government because we're so often underrepresented and now that we have Jon Ossoff who is closer to our age,\" she says.\n\nMichael Guisto found himself in the same situation as Ms Ponomarev - too young to cast a ballot in November - and says missing out on that vote was painful.\n\n\"It feels like a redemption,\" he says of this Senate race.\n\nThe polls are suggesting it's a very tight race. But this state knows that whatever it decides, it will have an impact on the country as a whole.\n\nMr Guisto says even though he missed out on the November election, this vote matters.\n\n\"I get to in some ways influence the country but this time it's a bit closer to home.\"", "The deaths of a further 68 people who tested positive for Covid have been recorded in Scotland in the past 24 hours.\n\nIt comes as official figures show 33,381 people received their first dose of the coronavirus vaccine in the week to 27 December.\n\nThat takes the total number of people to get a vaccine in Scotland since 8 December to 92,188.\n\nPatients in hospital with coronavirus rose from 1,347 on Tuesday to 1,384.\n\nHospital admissions have been rising sharply but are still 136 short of the peak figure of 1,520 recorded on 20 April last year.\n\nThe latest statistics show 2,039 new cases of the virus, which is 10.5% of those recently tested, a slightly lower figure than in recent days.\n\nA total of 95 people are in intensive care - a slight increase but significantly lower than the April peak of 208.\n\nHealth officials have expressed concern about the situation in Inverclyde, Dumfries & Galloway and the Scottish Borders, in particular, which have seen sharp rises in positive tests.\n\nWeekly figures show Inverclyde recorded 538.5 cases per 100,000, Dumfries & Galloway 538.1 and the Scottish Borders 435.5.\n\nThere were a further 603 confirmed coronavirus cases in the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde area in the past 24 hours, with an additional 296 in NHS Lanarkshire, 206 in NHS Grampian and 164 in the NHS Lothian area.\n\nSince the start of the pandemic, there have been 141,066 cases in Scotland, with a total of 4,701 people dying within 28 days of first testing positive.\n\nThe latest vaccine figures were released after doctors in Scotland raised concerns about plans to delay the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine.\n\nAll four UK nations will now leave up to 12 weeks between the first and second doses of the jab rather than giving both within 21 days.\n\nDr Lewis Morrison, head of the BMA in Scotland, said members had concerns about the potential impact of leaving such a big gap between the two doses.\n\nBut the UK's chief medical officers have defended the move, saying the first dose will give people substantial protection against the virus within two to three weeks.", "Doctors are calling for a significant ramping up of the vaccination programme following approval of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.\n\nThe first patients are expected to receive the jab - the second approved for use in the UK - on Monday.\n\nBut with just over 500,000 doses available to use next week, experts are worried there may be a bottleneck in the system.\n\nThere are more than 25m people in the nine priority groups identified so far.\n\nThis includes all those over 50 and younger adults with health conditions, as well as frontline health and care staff.\n\nMeanwhile, GPs have questioned the wisdom of cancelling patients already booked in for their second doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, the first jab that was approved and has been used since early December.\n\nAs well as approving the Oxford vaccine on Wednesday, regulators also said that doctors could wait longer between the two courses needed, to ensure faster rollout of vaccination.\n\nBut the British Medical Association's Dr Richard Vautrey said GPs were unhappy they were being asked to cancel appointments that had already been made for second doses. The original advice said they should be given three weeks apart.\n\nHe said it was \"grossly unfair\" and would waste staff time.\n\nOne of those who has been affected is Stella Joseph, who is 82 and has a chronic lung condition.\n\n\"The thing I feel most is utterly helpless, that there's nobody to appeal to, that you can't get any assistance with this at all.\n\n\"I think it is so hard that those of us who were in this first wave were obviously people who are at high risk and we're the ones who have been left high and dry.\"\n\nThe move has also prompted some debate about how strong the evidence is for delaying the second dose.\n\nProf Peter Openshaw, of Imperial College London, said there was \"pretty convincing\" data showing it would enhance the effect of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.\n\nBut he said because the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine had not been tested in the same way, there was no comparable evidence.\n\nSo far nearly 950,000 people have received a first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.\n\nThe hope was that when the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine was approved, it would lead to a significant increase in the rate of vaccination.\n\nThe jab is easier to store and distribute as it can be kept at normal fridge temperature, unlike the Pfizer-BioNTech one that has to be kept in ultra-cold storage.\n\nThere are thought to be more than five million doses of the Oxford vaccine in the UK, but only just over 500,000 are ready for use.\n\nThat is because vaccines have to be put into vials and batched and certified.\n\nSources at the NHS expressed frustration at the situation. \"The NHS is ready to go, but we can only go as quickly as supply allows,\" one said.\n\nQueen Mary University epidemiologist Deepti Gurdasani said there appeared to be a \"bottleneck\", and the government looked like it was still going to be under its target of two million doses a week.\n\n\"We really need to speed up rollout,\" she said.\n\nThere are currently more than 700 vaccination sites up and running, with several hundred more thought to be ready to go once vaccines are available.\n\nBut the limited supply of the Pfizer vaccine, which has to be shipped in from Belgium, has meant some centres have not been able to vaccinate people every week.\n\nDame Clare Gerada, a former chair of the Royal College of GPs, said: \"We really now need a massive operational system. We need a 24/7 system with GPs, mass vaccination centres and hospitals - this needs to be scaled up.\n\n\"It's got to be football stadia, all these large venues that we've got currently lying dormant.\n\n\"If we can really get a mass operational system up and running, then I can't see why we can't be getting the whole population immunised by the spring.\"\n\nNHS England's medical director for primary care, Dr Nikki Kanani, promised there would be a significant expansion of the vaccination programme in the coming weeks.\n\nShe predicted the majority of care home residents would be protected by the end of January, and frontline staff would start to get a vaccination in large numbers.\n\nShe also praised the progress made so far, thanking the \"tireless efforts of staff\".\n\nEngland Health Secretary Matt Hancock also praised staff, adding the numbers being vaccinated would \"rapidly increase in the months ahead\".", "The 19-year-old victim was attacked on Canonbury Road in Islington shortly before 19:00 GMT on 29 December\n\nA man was left partially blind after he was repeatedly hit in the face during a street robbery in north London.\n\nThe 19-year-old had been walking along Canonbury Road in Islington on 29 December when he was approached by two men, one of whom stole his bag and hit him with a \"baton-style weapon\".\n\nThe Met said he had suffered \"life-changing injuries\" in the \"vicious and unprovoked attack\".\n\nNo arrests have been made and the detectives have appealed for witnesses.\n\nThe attacker has been described by police as black, aged in his late teens with spikey hair and of a skinny build.\n\nDet Con Faisal Issaouni said the 19-year-old victim had been \"left with injuries that will affect him for the rest of his life\".\n\n\"We're reviewing CCTV from the area and have spoken to a number of witnesses as we try to track down the man responsible,\" he added.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Clap for Carers is to return under a new name of Clap for Heroes, the initiative's founder has said.\n\nThe weekly applause for front-line NHS staff and other key workers ran for 10 weeks during the UK's first coronavirus lockdown last spring.\n\nFounder Annemarie Plas tweeted that it would return at 20:00 GMT on Thursday.\n\nMs Plas said she hoped the initiative would \"lift the spirit of all of us\" including \"all who are pushing through this difficult time\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Annemarie This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThe idea of clapping and banging pots from doorsteps originally began as a one-off to support NHS staff on 26 March - three days after the UK went into lockdown for the first time.\n\nAfter proving popular it was expanded to cover all key workers and continued every Thursday for 10 weeks, with millions of people across the UK taking part.\n\nMembers of the Royal Family and politicians including Prime Minister Boris Johnson also joined in with the show of support.\n\nHowever, the event later faced criticism for becoming politicised, with some suggesting the NHS would benefit more from extra funding than applause.\n\nLast May, Ms Plas, a Dutch national living in south London, said the weekly applause should end after its 10th week and instead become an annual event.\n\nAt the time, she said the public had \"shown our appreciation\" and it was now up to ministers to \"reward\" key workers.\n\n\"Without getting too political, I share some of the opinions that some people have about it becoming politicised,\" she told the PA news agency ahead of the final clap in May.\n\n\"I think the narrative is starting to change and I don't want the clap to be negative.\"", "YouTuber JoJo Siwa has said she had \"no idea\" that \"gross\" and \"inappropriate\" questions were featured in a board game bearing her image.\n\nIt follows a parental backlash about the Nickelodeon-branded game, marketed to children aged six and over.\n\nThe \"Truth or Dare\" category contained questions like: \"Have you ever gone outside without underwear?\" and \"Have you ever been arrested?\".\n\nParents have expressed disapproval on social media in recent days.\n\nIn response to the online outcry, the 17-year-old internet star said she was \"really upset\" to discover the content of the game, which is called JoJo's Juice.\n\nShe added she was working with Nikelodeon to have removed it from the shops.\n\n\"Over the weekend, it has been brought to my attention by my fans and followers on TikTok that my name and my image have been used to promote this board game that has some really inappropriate content,\" said Siwa, in an Instagram video message.\n\nThis Instagram post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Instagram The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip instagram post by itsjojosiwa This article contains content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Meta’s Instagram cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\n\"When companies make these games, they don't run every aspect by me and so I had no idea of the types of questions that were on these playing cards.\"\n\nShe added: \"Now when I first saw this, I was really really really upset at how gross these questions were. And so I brought it to Nickelodeon's attention immediately and since then, they have been working to get this game stopped being made, and also pulled from all shelves wherever it's being sold.\"\n\nShe went on to say that she would have \"never approved or agreed to be associated with this game,\" if she had seen the cards beforehand.\n\nOther questions featured in the board game included: \"Have you ever stolen from a store?\" and \"Have you ever walked in on someone naked?\"\n\nThe US teenager posts videos of her day-to-day life on her YouTube channel, Its JoJo Siwa.\n\nShe is also a singer and dancer, having appeared on the reality TV series Dance Moms, alongside her mother, Jessalynn Siwa.\n\nHer musical offerings so far include the singles Boomerang and Kid in a Candy Store.\n\nLast year, she was included on Time magazine's annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world.\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "Teachers' estimated grades will be used to replace cancelled GCSEs and A-levels in England this summer, says Education Secretary Gavin Williamson.\n\nHe told MPs he would \"trust in teachers rather than algorithms\", a reference to the U-turn over last year's exams.\n\nFor primaries, he confirmed there would be no Year 6 Sats tests this year.\n\nMr Williamson promised parents it would be \"mandatory\" for schools to provide \"high-quality remote education\" of three to five hours per day.\n\nHe said this would be \"enforced\" by Ofsted, with inspections where there were \"serious concerns\" about what was provided for children now studying at home.\n\nLabour's Shadow Education Secretary, Kate Green, accused Mr Williamson of \"chaos and confusion\" - and said he had failed to listen to the \"expertise of professionals on the front line\".\n\nShe said he had given a \"cast-iron commitment\" that exams would go ahead - and Ms Green said: \"At that moment, we should have known they were doomed to be cancelled.\"\n\nMr Williamson, in a statement to the House of Commons, said there would be \"training and support\" for teachers in estimating grades, \"to ensure these are awarded fairly and consistently\".\n\nHe also told MPs there would be no Sats tests for those at the end of primary school.\n\n\"I can absolutely confirm that we won't be proceeding with Sats this year. We do recognise that this will be an additional burden on schools\n\nGeoff Barton, leader of the ASCL head teachers' union, said rather than a \"vague statement\" of how A-levels and GCSEs would be graded, ministers should already have a system ready in place - and it was a \"dereliction of duty\" that it was not already prepared.\n\nAnd he warned against repeating the \"shambles\" of last summer's cancelled exams.\n\nThe education secretary confirmed to MPs that GCSEs and A-levels are not going ahead - after this week's decision that it was no longer feasible with so much time lost in the Covid pandemic and the latest lockdown.\n\nThe exams watchdog Ofqual will draw up proposals for an alternative way of deciding results, for qualifications that could be used for jobs, staying on in school or university places.\n\nSimon Lebus, the watchdog's interim head, said evidence for replacement grades could include tests, homework, mock exams and teachers' observations - and would take into account how much of the syllabus had been covered.\n\nA consultation is expected to begin next week, with plans to be decided by the end of February or possibly sooner.\n\nLast year's attempts to find an alternative approach to exam results, which initially used an algorithm, descended into chaos - and eventually switched to using teachers' grades.\n\nAnd without any exam papers or standardised mock exams, the use of teachers' assessments, with some process of moderation between schools, will be used for this summer's candidates.\n\nOn vocational qualifications, Labour's Ms Green said the education secretary was \"failing to show leadership on exams in January\".\n\nVocational exams, such as BTecs, are carrying on, if schools and colleges decide to continue with them - but college leaders had complained that there needed to be a national decision to avoid confusion.\n\nIf students cannot take BTec exams this month as planned, they will still be awarded a grade, if they have \"enough evidence to receive a certificate that they need for progression\", says the awarding body Pearson.\n\nAn Ofqual spokeswoman said they would consider options for replacement exam results, academic and vocational, \"to ensure the fairest possible outcome in the circumstances\".\n\nThe exams watchdog's decisions will face much scrutiny - with the previous head of Ofqual resigning after last summer's U-turns over grades.\n\nMr Williamson's statement in the Commons came as all GCSE, AS and A-level exams in Northern Ireland were cancelled due to the Covid-19 crisis.\n\nEducation Minister Peter Weir announced the decision in the Stormont assembly on Wednesday.\n\nScotland has already cancelled its Nationals, Highers and Advanced Highers.\n\nGCSEs and A-levels in Wales were scrapped in November.", "Dr Dre, seen here in 2018, is one of hip-hop's most successful stars\n\nRapper and producer Dr Dre, one of hip-hop's most successful and influential stars, is being treated in hospital after suffering a brain aneurysm.\n\nThe 55-year-old was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles on Monday, TMZ reported.\n\nIn a post on Instagram, he said: \"I'm doing great and getting excellent care from my medical team.\"\n\nHe is \"resting comfortably\" after the aneurysm, his lawyer told Billboard.\n\nIn his post, Dr Dre also wrote: \"I will be out of the hospital and back home soon. Shout out to all the great medical professionals at Cedars. One Love!!\"\n\nThis Instagram post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Instagram The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip instagram post by drdre This article contains content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Meta’s Instagram cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nFriends and fellow stars have sent their well wishes after the reports of his ill health emerged.\n\nIce Cube, his former bandmate in trailblazing 1980s hip-hop group NWA, tweeted: \"Send your love and prayers to the homie Dr. Dre.\"\n\nSnoop Dogg, who was discovered by Dr Dre in the early 1990s, wrote on Instagram: \"GET WELL DR DRE WE NEED U CUZ.\"\n\nMissy Elliott wrote: \"Prayers up for Dr. Dre and his family for healing & Strength over his mind & body.\" And singer Ciara tweeted: \"Praying for you Dr. Dre. Praying for a full recovery.\"\n\nWith NWA and then as a solo artist, leading producer and record label mogul, Dr Dre shaped west coast rap and was instrumental in the careers of other stars like Eminem, 50 Cent and Kendrick Lamar.\n\nAn aneurysm is a bulge in a weakened blood vessel where the blood pressure causes a small area to bulge outwards.\n\nMost brain aneurysms only cause noticeable symptoms if they burst, leading to bleeding on the brain, which can cause a very serious condition and can be fatal.", "(L-R) David Wails, Joe Ritchie-Bennett and James Furlong were pronounced dead at the scene\n\nA man who stabbed three people to death in a Reading park was suffering from psychosis \"right up to the day\" of the killings, a court has heard.\n\nKhairi Saadallah, 26, attacked James Furlong, 36, David Wails, 49, and Joseph Ritchie-Bennett, 39, in the Forbury Gardens in June.\n\nA hearing to decide if he was motivated by a religious or ideological cause has been told he was \"no radical Islamist\".\n\nThe hearing at the Old Bailey is part of his sentencing.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. CCTV cameras captured Khairi Saadallah before and after the stabbing\n\nSaadallah, of Basingstoke Road, Reading, has pleaded guilty to three murders and three attempted murders.\n\nAn examination of his mobile phone revealed extremist material, including an image of the Islamic State flag and the 9/11 Twin Towers attack, the court was told.\n\nThe prosecution is seeking a whole-life prison order, meaning he would never be considered for release.\n\nRossano Scamardella QC, defending, said the sentence should be one of life imprisonment with a starting point of 30 years, due to a lack of serious premeditation, the \"fleeting\" strength of his commitment to Islamist jihad, and his mental health issues.\n\nKhairi Saadallah previously admitted three counts of murder and three counts of attempted murder\n\nHe said while the attack in Reading was \"terrifying\" and \"senseless\", it did not justify the failed Libyan asylum seeker being jailed for more than 30 years.\n\nHe added that \"as brutal as these killings were\", the suggestion they were \"ruthlessly efficient\" had been \"exaggerated\".\n\nSaadallah took \"certain steps to facilitate the killings\", he said, but \"significant planning or premeditation simply does not exist\".\n\nHe told the hearing Saadallah had \"come to the attention of the authorities on hundreds of occasions\", and had a history of frequent interactions with the police, criminal justice system and mental health services.\n\nHe said Saadallah had developed an emotionally unstable and anti-social personality disorder and \"right up until the day of killing he was plainly suffering from episodes of psychosis\".\n\nMr Scamardella said there is no suggestion this caused his offending but insisted his \"culpability [for the attack] is reduced\".\n\nThe court heard earlier that a psychiatrist has since concluded the attack on June 20 was \"unrelated to the effects of either mental disorder or substance misuse\".\n\nKhairi Saadallah was visited and filmed by police during a welfare check the day before the attack\n\nThe court was shown CCTV footage of Saadallah in Morrisons buying the knife he used in the attack\n\nSaadallah had described himself in interview as \"part Muslim and part Catholic\", said Mr Scamardella, adding: \"No radical Islamist would countenance adoption of another faith, it's inconceivable.\"\n\nHe said portraying Saadallah as a committed jihadist was a \"superficially attractive proposition\" based on \"pieces of evidence that exist that demonstrate or at least might demonstrate a fleeting interest\".\n\nThree others - Stephen Young, Patrick Edwards and Nishit Nisudan - were also injured by Saadallah.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Epsom Racecourse in Surrey will be one of seven mass vaccination hubs announced by the government\n\nSeven new mass Covid vaccination hubs across England have been announced by the government.\n\nCentres in London, Newcastle, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Surrey and Stevenage are due to begin operations next week.\n\nVarious venues will be converted into regional centres in a bid to meet the government's target of vaccinating 14 million people in the UK by February.\n\nIt is expected the hubs will be staffed by NHS staff and volunteers.\n\nThe seven sites announced by Downing Street are:\n\nAshton Gate Stadium, home to Bristol City FC, will be used to help the government meet its vaccination target\n\nSupermarket chain Morrisons has confirmed car parks at its stores in Yeovil, Wakefield and Winsford would be used to drive-through vaccinations from Monday. It has also offered an additional 47 sites to the government.\n\nPremier League club Tottenham Hotspur has also offered the use of its stadium to the NHS as a venue to provide the coronavirus vaccine.\n\nThe sites across England will begin operations next week", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nI'm standing in what should be an operating theatre - but instead it's been converted into an intensive care unit for Covid-19 patients on ventilators.\n\nThis is the first time I have seen it full of patients like this. Normally this theatre would be busy with major cancer surgery, but that's been transferred to another building.\n\nA children's recovery area, still decorated with colourful stickers of cartoons, is once again filled with desperately sick adults. Every day, more wards are being transformed into ICU - ready for the next influx of patients.\n\nWe have been given access to University College Hospital, in central London. This is the same intensive care unit that I first visited in April, during the first peak.\n\nIt is one of the busiest hospitals in the capital and intensive care here is expanding across a hospital that is under pressure like never before, from a relentless rise in Covid admissions.\n\nI am struck by the toll the pandemic is taking on staff. It's immense - both physically and mentally. They are shell-shocked. \"My emotions are all over the place. Scared, sad, petrified, worried,\" one ICU nurse tells me.\n\nI asked one of the consultants who I've met several times in the last year, Dr Jim Down, how long they can keep going like this - and the answer was stark. \"At this rate, about a week. After that we really need to see it slow down or we're going to see the care we can deliver suffering.\"\n\nThey have got three times as many critically ill patients in the hospital as normal. The number of Covid admissions to London hospitals has doubled in just two weeks - they're more stretched now than at the peak last April. Senior staff are worried.\n\nDr Alice Carter compares it to an elastic band that is close to snapping. \"It gets to a point where you stretch so far it never returns back to its baseline. I think that's probably where we are now. It's not going to take much more for that elastic band to break, and that's the real fear for us at the moment.\"\n\nDr Alice Carter: 'It's not going to take much more for that elastic band to break'\n\nThat could have very serious consequences, she adds. \"If we get to that point, we can't offer anyone ICU, not just Covid patients, but anyone who has a traffic accident or a heart attack or a stroke - whatever it is, to take them in.\"\n\nFor 38-year-old Rachel Arfin, one of the three pregnant women in intensive care with Covid-19, treatment is more complicated. Her baby is due in five weeks and the staff have to monitor them both.\n\n\"They can't do anything that will harm the baby,\" she says. \"All the time [they are] checking, monitoring the baby.\" She is reassured by the \"beautiful sound\" of her baby's heartbeat.\n\n\"They are looking after two people in one. They're saving lives,\" says Rachel. But her children - she has seven - keep asking when she's coming home.\n\nRachel Arfin's baby is due in five weeks - both are doing well\n\nI've reported from here several times during the pandemic and am always struck by the professionalism and dedication of staff. It's always quiet and calm, but that belies what's actually happening. This is a system under strain like never before.\n\nThe warning signs are clear, the NHS is on the brink. Unless infection rates fall, soon it will have a serious impact. The pressure on staff is unrelenting. I saw two nurses in tears.\n\nCompared to when I visited in April, it's a lot busier. In some ways, it's more structured - they now know what they're dealing with. They've got new treatments, such as the drug dexamethasone, which they didn't have last time. And many of the staff have now had the first dose of the vaccine.\n\nBut other aspects don't get any easier, such as the emotional burden of breaking bad news over a telephone or video call. It is very different to being able to hold someone's hand.\n\nStaff say they don't know which patients to help first\n\nICU staff have incredibly high standards. They're used to doing everything meticulously and perfectly. And they're doing all they can. But sometimes they go home and feel guilty that they can't do more. The impact on nurses - the bedrock of care in intensive care - is visible.\n\nThe highly specialised staff are usually one-to-one with patients. Deputy sister Ashleigh Shillingford is looking after three or four ventilated patients at a time, with one other junior member of staff. It's emotional and often devastating work.\n\n\"We are so stretched we have to prioritise and prioritising care is not the NHS that I grew up in - we shouldn't have to choose which patient gets what care first.\" She says she's never had to make decisions like these before.\n\n\"You just don't know who to help first. The patients are losing their lives at a dramatic speed, we're not just getting old people,\" she says, \"these are young people that we're getting.\"\n\nGerald Williams, 58, is awaiting chemotherapy for lung cancer and had been shielding, but he still caught coronavirus. \"All of a sudden, out of the blue, Covid came knocking on my door and it's frightening - you don't know how you're getting your next breath,\" he says.\n\nGerald Williams had been shielding but he still caught coronavirus\n\nHe wants to get home to his daughters, the youngest of whom is 13. And he's annoyed at those who don't take it seriously. \"People are moaning and groaning. Even in A&E. They need to get a life. Don't be idiots, forget about meeting your mate, stay home. No-one is invulnerable.\"\n\nFor now the Trust is coping better than many others in London and is still taking Covid patients from other hospitals. But the next few weeks could be the biggest challenge the NHS has ever faced - and it will be its doctors and nurses who will bear the brunt for all of us.\n\nAs the BBC's medical editor, Fergus Walsh has been reporting on the Covid-19 pandemic and its immense impact on the UK.", "Kate Thistleton will front new content from Bitesize Daily\n\nBBC TV is to help children keep up with their studies during the latest lockdown by broadcasting lessons on BBC Two and CBBC, as well as online.\n\nSchools have been closed to most children across the UK as part of tougher measures to control Covid-19.\n\nThe BBC will show curriculum-based programmes on TV from Monday.\n\nThey will include three hours of primary school programming every weekday on CBBC, and at least two hours for secondary pupils on BBC Two.\n\nDuring the first lockdown in the spring, lessons were available on iPlayer, red button and online, but not on regular TV channels.\n\nThe move comes amid concerns that low-income families may struggle to afford data packages for their children to take part in online learning.\n\nPrime Minister Boris Johnson praised the BBC's \"fantastic\" plans on Tuesday. BBC Director-General Tim Davie said \"education is absolutely vital\".\n\nHe continued: \"The BBC is here to play its part and I'm delighted that we have been able to bring this to audiences so swiftly.\"\n\nThe primary programmes, which will be broadcast on CBBC from 09:00 every day, will include BBC Live Lessons and BBC Bitesize Daily as well as Our School, Celebrity Supply Teacher, Horrible Histories and Operation Ouch.\n\nBBC Two will cater for secondary students with programming to support the GCSE curriculum, including adaptations of Shakespeare plays alongside science, history and factual titles.\n\nBitesize Daily primary and secondary will also air every day on the red button as well as episodes being available on demand on iPlayer.\n\nCulture Secretary Oliver Dowden said the BBC \"has helped the nation through some of the toughest moments of the last century\".\n\n\"And for the next few weeks it will help our children learn whilst we stay home, protect the NHS and save lives,\" he added. \"This will be a lifeline to parents and I welcome the BBC playing its part.\"\n\nFollow us on Facebook or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "Two US police officers linked to a notorious raid in which young black medic Breonna Taylor was fatally shot have been fired, authorities have said.\n\nDetectives Myles Cosgrove and Joshua Jaynes are the latest officers to be dismissed over the shooting in March last year.\n\nThe incident in Kentucky caused outrage, spurring protests against racism and police brutality.\n\nMs Taylor, 26, died when police raided her home in connection to a drug case.\n\nThe FBI said Mr Cosgrove fired the shot that killed Ms Taylor at her home in Louisville.\n\nLouisville police dismissed Mr Cosgrove for violating procedures for use of force and failing to use a body camera during the search, the Louisville Courier Journal reported on Wednesday.\n\nMr Jaynes, the newspaper said, was fired for violating the police force's policy for truthfulness and search warrant preparation.\n\nDuring the raid, Ms Taylor's boyfriend fired at the officers who he said he believed were attackers breaking into their home.\n\nPolice say they knocked on the door to announce their presence before breaking down the door with a battering ram.\n\nMs Taylor's boyfriend said police did not make their presence known, and he fired out of self-defence. Three officers returned fire with 32 shots, six of which hit Ms Taylor.\n\nMs Taylor's name became a global rallying cry as people demanded a thorough investigation into her death.\n\nBlack Lives Matter activists in the US have demanded that Louisville police take stronger action against the officers in the case and say that police too often escape unpunished after killing members of the public.\n\nBut despite the outcry against Ms Taylor's shooting, no criminal charges were sought relating to her death.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. \"Questions still aren't answered\": Breonna Taylor's family are worried about a \"cover-up\"", "Paul Trauberman from Rainbow Smiles said it was hard to give reassurance without knowing the facts about the new variant\n\nNursery staff say they are being \"treated like the bottom of the rung\" after schools in England were told to shut to reduce the virus transmission.\n\nPaul Trauberman, of Rainbow Smiles in Weston-super-Mare, said despite his staff being \"scared\" about the new Covid-19 variant they had come to work.\n\nThe government announced a strict lockdown across the country on Monday.\n\nIt was after the UK moved to Covid-19 threat level five, meaning there is a risk the NHS could be overwhelmed.\n\nMr Trauberman, who took over Rainbow Smiles nursery in 2016, said he felt conflicted.\n\n\"I've come in this morning and I've got staff crying and saying they are scared of this new variant.\"\n\n\"We don't have PPE, we can't social distance, on the other hand we still have a business that is operational and we are not going bankrupt.\"\n\nHe said prolonged closure also carried the risk of going out of business but it was difficult to reassure staff when \"you don't have any of the facts\".\n\n\"One minute it is fine and the schools are going back, and two days later they are sending everyone home.\n\n\"It makes the staff feel insecure and... they just feel like they are being treated like the bottom of the rung.\n\nSchools are expected to remain closed until after the February half-term\n\n\"With this new variant ... they are having to deal with very close contact with children, with a virus around, which they are saying is very, very bad, but with no more information than that.\"\n\nA Department for Education spokesperson said: \"Early years settings remain low risk environments for children and staff and there is no evidence that the new variant of coronavirus disproportionately affects young children.\"\n\nIt said keeping nurseries open supported parents and delivered crucial education for children as Bristol mother-of-three Eleni Franklin has found.\n\nShe said she \"really valued\" Acorns Nursery in Henbury Hill, being open as she and her husband are both key workers - so their children, Allegra, five, Aria, two and Rafe nine-months-old, will attend school and nursery throughout the lockdown.\n\n\"I can see that nurseries are different to schools. There has been one case at Aria's nursery during this whole period, whereas in school there has been quite a few,\" she said.\n\nEleni Franklin said she could see why nurseries were being treated differently to schools\n\n\"The nursery have been pretty good and although I understand there is a risk to staff, they have put a lot of measures in place to keep people safe.\"\n\nOne of the biggest challenges for nurseries - with some staff now unable to work because of their own childcare responsibilities - is maintaining child-to-staff ratios.\n\nMr Trauberman said they worked on a basis of one-to-three for babies, one-to-four for under-three's and one-to-eight with under five-year-olds.\n\n\"We are trying to maintain these bubbles, but normally we would move staff around to accommodate highs and lows of staff and children, to balance it out, but we are unable to do that to enable these bubbles,\" he said.\n\nHis nursery is now identifying families that could potentially keep their children at home if they were unable to meet those ratios.\n\nMr Trauberman, who is a member of an online group for nursery owners, said some people were calling for nurseries to shut, but said if that happened they risked \"not having a business to come back to\".\n\n\"Small businesses are the backbone of the country and if a lot of those go under, the financial implications for the whole country are going to be catastrophic.\"\n\nMother-of-two Kara Willetts, from Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire, said she felt it was important her daughter Isobel continued going to nursery as she noticed her behaviour had changed when she had to stop going during the first lockdown in March.\n\n\"Isobel is a really sociable, outgoing child and she really suffered with not going in and seeing her friends during the first lockdown. Her mental health suffered and she displayed behaviour I had never seen from her before,\" she said.\n\nKara Willetts said her daughter Isobel's mental health suffered when nurseries closed during the first lockdown\n\nMrs Willetts said she had full confidence in the measures introduced at the nursery three-and-a-half-year-old Isobel attends in Cheltenham.\n\nShe said that with her husband working from home and a seven-month-old son also at home, the option of Isobel going to nursery was \"beneficial to the whole family\".\n\n\"It is quite difficult for my husband to concentrate on work with two kids at home. Transmission rates in young children are very low and if I had any safety concerns I wouldn't send Isobel there,\" she added.\n\nTom Shea, a former advisor to the Early Year's minister, said: \"The biggest issue is that as a society we regard childcare as something like babysitting, rather than the start of the early year's development of learning.\n\n\"Sadly it seems the main reason for keeping us open is for protecting employment rather than protecting children.\"\n\nMr Shea owns Child First Nursery in Worksop and said he thought there was a \"hierarchy\" among key workers in terms of vaccination priorities. He said \"sensibly\" the first priority was NHS staff, followed by social carers for the elderly. He said teachers ranked a \"reasonable\" third, but that Early Years workers did not feature at all.\n\n\"They are expected just to work, and I am not sure if the government thinks that we are invisible,\" he said.\n\nHe called for early vaccination of Early Years workers to allow them to stay open and be protected.\n\n\"The irony now is that we are being told to keep open even though we are private businesses, we are dictated to about the funding we can receive and how we receive it… and if parents are frightened of their children going into the childcare setting then suddenly we don't get paid for that, so you find nurseries half empty being forced to open and it is not economical to do that.\"\n\nA Department for Education spokesperson said: \"We are funding nurseries as usual and all children are able to attend their early years setting in all parts of England.\n\n\"Working parents on coronavirus support schemes will still remain eligible for childcare support even if their income levels fall below the minimum requirement.\"", "An investment firm has bought 50% of the rights to all Neil Young's songs.\n\nHipgnosis Songs Fund spent an estimated $150m (£110m) on 1,180 songs written by the Canadian folk rocker.\n\nThe fund, which lets people invest in hit songs, has previously splashed out about £1bn snapping up rights to songs from the likes of Mark Ronson, Chic, Barry Manilow and Blondie.\n\nFounded by music industry veteran Merck Mercuriadis, Hipgnosis turns music royalties into an income stream.\n\n\"This is a deal that changes Hipgnosis forever,\" said Mr Mercuriadis.\n\n\"I bought my first Neil Young album aged seven. Harvest was my companion and I know every note, every word, every pause and silence intimately.\n\n\"Neil Young, or at least his music, has been my friend and constant ever since.\"\n\nHipgnosis has been listed on the London Stock Exchange since July 2018. When songs owned by the fund get played on the radio or placed in a film or TV show, it makes money.\n\nBefore setting up Hipgnosis, Mr Mercuriadis managed artists such as Beyoncé, Elton John, Iron Maiden and Guns 'N' Roses.\n\nIn his view, songs are \"as investible as gold or oil\".\n\nHe says hit songs are a stable investment because their revenue is unaffected by fluctuations in the economy.\n\nThe sale of song catalogues has become a booming business during the Covid-19 pandemic, with investors seeing music as a relatively stable asset in an otherwise turbulent market.\n\nEarlier this week, Hipgnosis bought 100% of the rights to Lindsey Buckingham's 161 songs for an undisclosed amount.\n\nThe songs include hits that Buckingham wrote or co-wrote for Fleetwood Mac, including Go Your Own Way and The Chain.\n\nThe group's Stevie Nicks sold 80% of her publishing rights last year to Hipgnosis rival Primary Wave for about $80m.\n\nLast month, Universal Music Group announced it had bought 100% of Bob Dylan's 600 songs for between an estimated $200m and $450m (£150m-£340m).\n\nThe singer-songwriter was the latest of a number of artists to join up with the Los Angeles-based Universal, following other big names such as Bruce Springsteen, Billie Eilish, Kendrick Lamar and Post Malone.\n\nNeil Young rose to prominence in the 1960s and 70s and is one of the most influential songwriters of all time.\n\nHe is known not only for his work as a solo artist, but also with the bands Buffalo Springfield, Crazy Horse and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.\n\nYoung has released almost 50 studio albums and more than 20 live albums, of which 18 have been certified gold, seven are platinum and three are multi-platinum.\n\nSeven of his albums were included on Rolling Stone Magazine's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time chart: Everybody Knows This is Nowhere, After The Gold Rush, Déjà Vu (with Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young) Harvest, On The Beach, Tonight's the Night and Rust Never Sleeps.\n\n\"I built Hipgnosis to be a company Neil would want to be a part of,\" said Mr Mercuriadis.\n\n\"We have a common integrity, ethos and passion born out of a belief in music and these important songs.\n\n\"There will never be a 'Burger of Gold', but we will work together to make sure everyone gets to hear them on Neil's terms.\"", "US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order banning transactions with eight Chinese apps.\n\nThe apps include popular payments platform Alipay, as well as QQ Wallet and WeChat Pay.\n\nThe order, which takes effect in 45 days, says that the apps are being banned because they are a threat to US national security.\n\nIt flags the possibility that the apps could be used to track and build dossiers on US federal employees.\n\nTencent QQ, CamScanner, SHAREit, VMate and WPS Office are also included within the order, which only kicks in after Mr Trump has left office.\n\n\"The United States must take aggressive action against those who develop or control Chinese connected software applications to protect our national security,\" the order said.\n\nPresident Trump's order says \"by accessing personal electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets, and computers, Chinese connected software applications can access and capture vast swaths of information from users, including sensitive personally identifiable information and private information.\"\n\nThe Trump administration has ratcheted up pressure on Chinese companies in its final months in office, including those it considers a national security risk.\n\nPresident Trump has signed executive orders against a range of Chinese firms arguing they could share data with the Chinese government.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Panorama: How safe is TikTok for young users?\n\nChinese social media app TikTok and telecoms giant Huawei have been among the casualties of Washington's crackdown.\n\nLast month, the Commerce Department added dozens of Chinese companies, including the country's top chipmaker SMIC and drone manufacturer DJI Technology, to a trade blacklist.\n\nThe administration also restricted a number of Chinese and Russian companies with alleged military ties from buying sensitive US goods and technology.\n\nChina has consistently denied claims that these firms share their data with the Chinese government and has responded by imposing its own export laws restricting the export of military technology.\n\nIn August, the US ordered ByteDance, the owner of social media app TikTok, to either shut down or sell off its US assets.\n\nDespite missing a deadline to complete the sale, the US is yet to shut down the app and negotiations continue over its future.\n\nThe latest ban comes as the White House quietly pushed the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) to consider a second U-turn on its decision to delist three Chinese telecoms giants.\n\nLast week the NYSE announced it would delist the China Mobile, China Telecom and China Unicom in line with another executive order.\n\nOn Monday, however, the NYSE reversed that decision, announcing it had decided not to delist the three companies after further consultation with US regulators.\n\nThe NYSE made the decision based on ambiguity about whether the securities were actually covered by the order.\n\nHowever, the exchange has come under pressure over its decision.\n\nThe US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin called the NYSE President Stacey Cunningham to tell her he disagrees with the decision, according to Reuters.\n\nRepublican Senator and China hardliner Marco Rubio has also spoken out, saying that the NYSE's refusal to delist the companies was an \"outrageous effort\" to undermine the President's executive order.\n\nThe NYSE is owned by Atlanta-based Intercontinental Exchange (ICE), which is run by billionaire Jeffrey Sprecher.\n\nHis wife Kelly Loeffler is one of two Republican senators facing run-off elections on Tuesday in Georgia.", "The new \"highly infectious\" variant of coronavirus is spreading rapidly throughout Wales, the health minister has said.\n\nGiving the first coronavirus briefing of the year, Vaughan Gething said cases of the virus remained very high.\n\nHowever, the case rate across Wales has fallen from a high of 636 per 100,000 people on 17 December to 446 on Monday.\n\nBut cases are rising quickly in north Wales, which Mr Gething believed was due to the new variant.", "This video can not be played\n\nTo play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.", "Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Wednesday morning. We'll have another update for you at 18:00 BST.\n\nThe measures announced on Monday have now become law, but MPs will actually vote retrospectively to approve them later today. They're expected to pass with ease - Labour has pledged its support, but said ministers must deliver a round-the-clock vaccination programme. The regulations allow restrictions to potentially be in place until mid-March. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have all imposed lockdowns too, but will they be enough? An estimated one in 50 people in private households in England had coronavirus last week - one in 30 in London, while the number of daily confirmed cases topped 60,000 for the first time. Our health correspondent has more - as we've come to understand, the R number is everything. This graph shows how the R number could drop this time (in red), compared with how it fell during the first lockdown - the slower decline is down to the new, more transmissible variant.\n\nStudents have been anxiously waiting for news after the cancellation of A-Level and GCSE exams in England - not least because of the chaos that surrounded last year's results. Exams had already been cancelled elsewhere in the UK. Education Secretary Gavin Williamson will reveal more in a statement to MPs later. He'll also give more details of support for pupils following the switch by schools and colleges to remote learning. There are fears a digital divide will mean some children are excluded. We've got some advice for parents on virtual learning, and BBC Bitesize will be broadcasting lessons on BBC Two, CBBC and online from Monday.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Parents spoke to the BBC after Monday's announcement about school closures in England\n\nPeople arriving in the UK from abroad could soon be required to prove they've had a negative coronavirus test before setting off. The Department for Transport says it's one of several measures being considered to prevent new cases arriving from abroad. Full details are still to be agreed, but it's thought hauliers coming through ports would be exempt. Currently, arrivals from countries not exempt under the travel corridor programme have to isolate for 10 days. See more on the existing rules. Travel firms have been cancelling trips since the latest lockdowns were imposed.\n\n2020 was a dreadful year for the UK car industry and preliminary figures from the industry's trade body show just how bad it was. New car registrations dropped to levels not seen since 1992, and saw the biggest one-year fall since World War Two when factories were turned over to military production. Showrooms and even factories were forced to close in the spring, and the switch to working from home means fewer of us need a vehicle on a daily basis. The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said firms were desperately trying to minimise redundancies.\n\nUnable to leave Taiwan due to the pandemic, Peter Lowe decided to get a boat to pass the time. A leisurely hobby soon turned into a quest to clear the country's waterways, river banks and mangrove forests of plastic. His efforts have inspired local volunteers to join in the clean-up, and even prompted the government to take notice. Peter has some advice for all of us feeling trapped right now: \"Do something positive, do something meaningful, particularly towards saving and protecting the earth.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nFind more information, advice and guides on our coronavirus page.\n\nPlus, when lockdown was imposed last Spring, some of life's most basic household tasks suddenly got a lot harder. What are they like now?\n\nWhat questions do you have about coronavirus?\n\nIn some cases, your question will be published, displaying your name, age and location as you provide it, unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published. Please ensure you have read our terms & conditions and privacy policy.\n\nUse this form to ask your question:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or send them via email to YourQuestions@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any question you send in.", "A Joint Session of Congress to certify the election of Joe Biden has gone into an unexpected recess, and the Capitol building into lockdown, after Trump supporters breached security lines.\n\nEarlier, President Trump addressed supporters at a rally outside the White House and encouraged them to protest the election result.", "It was initially believed that Covid-19 originated at a market in Wuhan\n\nA World Health Organization (WHO) team due to investigate the origins of Covid-19 in the city of Wuhan has been denied entry to China.\n\nTwo members were already en route, with the WHO saying the problem was a lack of visa clearances.\n\nHowever, China has challenged this, saying details of the visit, including dates, were still being arranged.\n\nThe long-awaited probe was agreed upon by Beijing after many months of negotiations with the WHO.\n\nThe virus was first detected in Wuhan in late 2019, with the initial outbreak linked to a market.\n\nWHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he was \"very disappointed\" that China had not yet finalised the permissions for the team's arrivals \"given that two members had already begun their journeys and others were not able to travel at the last minute\".\n\n\"I have been assured that China is speeding up the internal procedure for the earliest possible deployment,\" he told reporters in Geneva on Tuesday, explaining that he had been in contact with senior Chinese officials to stress \"that the mission is a priority for WHO and the international team\".\n\nChinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told the BBC \"there might be some misunderstanding\" and \"there's no need to read too much into it\".\n\n\"Chinese authorities are in close co-operation with WHO but there has been some minor outbreaks in multiple places around the world and many countries and regions are busy in their work preventing the virus and we are also working on this,\" she said.\n\n\"Still we are supporting international co-operation and advancing internal preparations. We are in communication with the WHO and as far as I know with dates and arrangements we are still in discussions.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Covid-19: How everyday life has changed in Wuhan\n\nThe WHO has been working to send a 10-person team of international experts to China for months with the aim of probing the animal origin of the pandemic and exactly how the virus first crossed over to humans.\n\nLast month it was announced that the investigation would begin in January 2021.\n\nThe two members of the international team that had already departed for China had set off early on Tuesday, said the WHO. According to Reuters news agency, WHO emergencies chief Mike Ryan said one had turned back and one was in a third country.\n\nCovid-19 was first detected in the Chinese city of Wuhan in central Hubei province in late 2019.\n\nIt was initially believed the virus originated in a market selling exotic animals for meat. It was suggested that this was where the virus made the leap from animals to humans.\n\nBut the origins of the virus remain deeply contested. Some experts now believe the market may not have been the origin, and that it was instead only amplified there.\n\nSome research has suggested that coronaviruses capable of infecting humans may have been circulating undetected in bats for decades. It is not known, however, what intermediate animal host transmitted the virus between bats and humans.", "US President Donald Trump and others have made new unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud following the rerun of two crucial Senate races in the state of Georgia.\n\nWith the Democrats looking likely to win both seats and with them control of the US Senate, we've debunked some of the theories that have been widely shared on social media.\n\nSince the November election, the president has repeatedly made baseless allegations that Dominion voting machines have been manipulated to engineer electoral fraud.\n\nReferring to the vote in Georgia, Mr Trump said these machines had stopped working in Republican strongholds for \"over an hour\".\n\nThe official in charge of Georgia's voting systems, Gabriel Sterling, said there has been an issue in one county due to \"a programming error on security keys\" but that it was resolved hours before the president made his comments.\n\nMr Sterling tweeted: \"The, votes of everyone will be protected and counted. Sorry you received old intel Mr President.\"\n\nGeorgia's Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger also clarified in a statement that there had been some issues but they did not stop people from voting, Reuters news agency reports.\n\n\"At no point did voting stop as voters continued casting ballots on emergency ballots, in accordance with the procedures set out by Georgia law,\" said Mr Raffensperger.\n\nAn image that has been shared thousands of times on Twitter purported to show a pile of destroyed ballots in Georgia on election day.\n\n\"Our team is in Georgia. They took a little walk. They found shredded ballots in Dell boxes,\" the tweet said.\n\nAlthough the post provided no detail as to where exactly the picture had been taken, we were able to geolocate it to the absentee ballot processing centre at the Georgia World Congress Center in Fulton County, which includes Atlanta.\n\nFulton County elections director Richard Barron told the BBC that the papers in the picture were \"definitely not ballots\", but waste from a letter-opening machine used to cut ballot envelopes.\n\nWe've reported on similar claims about alleged ballot shredding in Georgia before.\n\nIn November, an investigation into the shredding of papers in Cobb County concluded that it was part of a \"routine clean-up operation\" and the documents disposed of were not actual votes \"relevant to the election or the re-tally\".\n\nIn a tweet generating some 300,000 likes and retweets, President Trump claimed there was a \"voter dump\" planned against Republican candidates.\n\nBut there's no evidence of wrongdoing.\n\nIt's not clear exactly what he means by a \"voter dump\", but he may be referring to the fact that large batches of votes are released at once.\n\nThis is standard practice and a valid part of the vote-counting process.\n\nIn Georgia, as in the presidential elections, larger districts, often including cities that may lean Democrat, take longer to report their results.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nMr Trump has falsely claimed on multiple occasions that millions of genuine votes in November's presidential election that were counted after polls closed were \"fake\".\n\nIn Georgia, election official Gabriel Sterling noted after the polls closed that some 171,000 early, in-person ballots from DeKalb County, which is Democrat-leaning, were yet to be counted.\n\nAuthorities knew how many of these \"advanced\" votes were coming.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Gabriel Sterling This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nA number of Republican officials and activists, including White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany and the founder of conservative activist group Turning Point USA, claimed workers at the Chatham county count had suddenly stopped counting for the rest of the night and gone home, raising the prospect of foul play.\n\n\"They're doing this again. You can't make this up,\" Charlie Kirk tweeted.\n\nSimilar claims of fraud or suspicious activity were made during the presidential election count in the county, after it took a few days for all the absentee and mail-in ballots to be tabulated.\n\nBut Gabriel Sterling, Georgia's voting systems implementation manager, took to Twitter to say the count \"didn't just stop\".\n\nWorkers had finished counting all the ballots they had except absentee ballots received on election day, Mr Sterling, a Republican, added.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Gabriel Sterling This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThe county's board of elections chairman, Tom Mahoney, confirmed later that about 3,000 to 4,000 election day absentee ballots were left to count.", "Protesters in support of US President Donald Trump swarmed the Capitol building, forcing officials to order lawmakers to shelter in place and halting debate in both the House and Senate. Congress was meeting to confirm President-elect Joe Biden's electoral college victory.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Keir Starmer: \"If we pull together as a nation, we can win\"\n\nSir Keir Starmer has called for a \"round the clock\" vaccination programme to tackle the rise in Covid cases.\n\nAs part of a televised speech, the Labour leader said the government needed to deliver \"millions of doses a week by the end of the month\".\n\nHe said there were \"serious questions for the government to answer\" over the timing of the lockdown in England, but Labour would support the restrictions.\n\nBoris Johnson said daily vaccination figures would be published from Monday.\n\nThe prime minister has also said the four most vulnerable groups of people across the UK should receive their first dose by mid-February.\n\nBoth the PM and Scotland's First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, have announced lockdowns this week.\n\nWales has been in a national lockdown since 20 December and Northern Ireland entered a six-week lockdown on 26 December.\n\nEngland's lockdown will become law from 00:01 GMT Wednesday and MPs will return to the Commons later that day to vote on the measures retrospectively.\n\nThe restrictions come into force as the number of new daily confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK topped 60,000 for the first time since the pandemic started.\n\nOn Tuesday, 60,914 had tested positive in the previous 24 hours and a further 830 people had died within 28 days of a positive test.\n\nIn an address to the nation on BBC One, in response to Boris Johnson's televised address on Monday, Sir Keir said the UK had reached a \"critical moment in our fight against coronavirus\".\n\nThe Labour leader said people were \"angry at the mistakes the government has made\" and ministers needed to answer questions on why they did not act sooner over locking down England.\n\nHe stressed that Labour would continue to hold the government to account, but added: \"Whatever our quarrels with the government and with the prime minister, the country now needs us to come together.\n\n\"At this darkest of moments, we need a new national effort to re-kindle the spirit of last March - to come together and to do everything possible to stay at home [and] to protect the NHS and save lives.\"\n\nSir Keir reiterated that Labour would support the new lockdown when it comes to the retrospective Commons vote on Wednesday and \"join in this national effort\".\n\nBut he called for the government to use the lockdown to establish \"a massive, immediate, and round the clock vaccination programme\" to \"deliver millions of doses a week by the end of the month in every village and town, every high street and every GP surgery\".\n\nThe Labour leader added: \"This is now a race between the virus and the vaccine and if we pull together as a nation, we can win.\n\n\"We need a new contract between the government and the British people: The country stays at home, the government delivers the vaccine.\"\n\nEarlier at a Downing Street press conference, Mr Johnson said more than 1.3 million people across the UK had now been vaccinated with either the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines.\n\nThe figure included 23% of over-80s in England - part of a programme Mr Johnson said aimed to save \"the most lives the fastest\".\n\nThe PM said there will \"still be long weeks ahead\", but that he wanted to give \"maximum possible transparency\" about the vaccination roll-out.\n\nMore details will be announced on Thursday, with daily updates starting on Monday, \"so that you can see day by day and jab by jab how much progress we are making\", he added.\n\nAsked whether the target could be met, Chief Medical Officer for England, Professor Chris Whitty, said the timetable was \"realistic but not easy\".", "Fraudsters are sending out bogus text messages about the coronavirus vaccine in an attempt to steal bank details.\n\nThe scam tells recipients they are \"eligible to apply for your vaccine\" with a link to a bogus NHS website, trading standards officers have warned.\n\nThat, in turn, asks for personal information and - crucially - bank details \"for verification\".\n\nThe warning comes the same day as MPs heard that Covid is leading some people into the net of pension fraudsters.\n\nThe fake NHS message is one of a range of scams which have sought to take advantage of the pandemic and the isolation and legitimate worries of potential victims, according to the Chartered Trading Standards Institute.\n\nOthers have included people travelling door-to-door selling counterfeit or useless protection equipment, or fraudsters claiming to be from the official test and trace service and demanding payments.\n\nThe latest scam is preying on those elderly or vulnerable people who are fully expecting to receive legitimate information about their vaccine.\n\nHealth authorities have stressed they would never ask for an individual's banking details.\n\nKatherine Hart, lead office at the CTSI, said: \"I have been tracking and warning the public about Covid-related scams since the beginning of the pandemic, and at every stage of response, unscrupulous individuals have modified their campaigns to defraud the public.\n\n\"The vaccine brings great hope for an end to the pandemic and lockdowns, but some only wish to create even further misery by defrauding others. The NHS will never ask you for banking details, passwords, or PIN numbers and these should serve as instant red flags.\"\n\nShe urged people to report the scams to Action Fraud or Police Scotland.\n\nPensions have been stolen or put into high-risk schemes\n\nThe warning came as MPs on the Work and Pensions Select Committee heard how fraudsters were seizing on victims' financial uncertainty during the pandemic to draw them into pension scams.\n\nRules allowing people to withdraw cash from their pension pot from the age of 55 have led some people to move money into investment schemes which look generous, but are simply vehicles to steal money.\n\n\"Household finances are stretched and so the temptations to use savings or to be tempted by offers of 'free pension reviews', for example, which we've warned about, are very real,\" Mark Steward, from the Financial Conduct Authority told the committee.\n\n\"Of course, a 'free pension review' is hardly free. It is the first step on a process that will lead someone to investing in something that is too good to be true.\"\n\nHe said that fraudsters had used social media advertising to \"industrialise\" this kind of fraud.\n\nWhereas previously, fraudsters had to produce sophisticated glossy brochures and office fronts, they could now operate in anonymity on social media, sending fake information to millions of people.\n\nMillions of pounds have been lost to pension scams in recent years, but it is a crime considered to be widely under-reported by victims and pension companies.\n\nGraeme Biggar, director general of the National Economic Crime Centre, told the committee that fraudsters were continuing to use new avenues to reach potential victims.\n\n\"What we're looking to do next is to move on to fake comparison websites, which is this new gateway into investment frauds, to spot those and take them down at source,\" he said.", "Dr Anil Mehta, a GP at Fullwell Cross Medical Centre in North London, told the BBC that staff were working from 7 in the morning until 10pm at night during the three days of their weekly Covid-19 vaccine rollout, describing the process as a 'full team effort.\n\nDr Mehta was also keen to encourage people who might be nervous about the vaccine to take up the offer, emphasising that the evidence behind the vaccine 'was very strong'.\n\nThis message was echoed by Zahin Ahmed, whose grandfather Shafiquz Zaman has now received both doses of the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine at the clinic. Mr Ahmed, who is from the Bangladeshi community, also said it was important that minority communities took up the offer of the vaccine when called upon to do so.", "Albert Roux pictured in the kitchen of Le Gavroche in 1989\n\nChef and restaurateur Albert Roux, who brought great French cooking to the UK with his brother Michel, has died at the age of 85.\n\nThe pair made gastronomic history in 1982 when their London restaurant, Le Gavroche, became the first in Britain to earn three Michelin stars.\n\nAlbert's death comes almost a year after Michel died at the age of 78.\n\nGordon Ramsay, one of many leading chefs who earned their stripes in Le Gavroche's kitchen, led the tributes.\n\n\"So so sad the hear about the passing of this legend, the man who installed Gastronomy in Britain,\" Ramsay wrote on Instagram.\n\nMarco Pierre White, Marcus Wareing, Pierre Koffman and Monica Galetti are among the other chefs who rose through the ranks at Le Gavroche.\n\nIn his tribute, TV chef James Martin described Albert Roux as \"a true titan of the food scene in this country [who] inspired and trained some of the best and biggest names in the business\".\n\nA family statement said: \"The Roux family has announced the sad passing of Albert Roux, OBE, KFO, who had been unwell for a while, at the age 85 on 4th January 2021.\n\n\"Albert is credited, along with his late brother Michel Roux, with starting London's culinary revolution with the opening of Le Gavroche in 1967.\"\n\nHis son Michel Roux Jr, who now runs Le Gavroche and is a former judge on MasterChef: The Professionals, said: \"He was a mentor for so many people in the hospitality industry, and a real inspiration to budding chefs, including me.\"\n\nFood critic Jay Rayner described Albert Roux as \"an extraordinary man who left a massive mark on the food story of his adopted country\".\n\nHe added: \"The roll call of chefs who went through the kitchens of Le Gavroche alone, is a significant slab of a part of modern UK restaurant culture.\"\n\nChef Tom Kitchin wrote that \"one of the true culinary greats has left us\", and baker and food writer Dan Lepard said it was the \"end of an era\".\n\nAlbert and Michel Roux came from a family of butchers in eastern France, and trained to be patissiers before moving to the UK.\n\nAlbert arrived in the mid-1950s, and in 1967 put his £3,000 savings with money borrowed from friends to open the first Gavroche off Sloane Square in Chelsea.\n\nWith uncompromising standards, elaborate presentation and first-rate service, it raised the standards of haute cuisine in a then-limited English restaurant scene.\n\nIt moved to Mayfair in 1981, and soon became the first British-based establishment to carry the maximum three Michelin stars.\n\n\"An Olympic gold medal,\" Albert said at the time. \"I have had no other ambition.\"\n\nThe Roux dynasty (left-right): Alain Roux, Michel Roux Jnr, Michel Roux and Albert Roux in 2009\n\nIts kitchen would also become the training ground for a new, enlightened generation of British chefs.\n\n\"If cooking is an art form, Le Gavroche was the Royal College of Music, Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design, Rada and the Courtauld and Warburg institutes all rolled up into one, poached, wrapped in a puff pastry shell with foie gras and served with truffle sauce,\" The Guardian wrote in 2010.\n\nThe brothers also launched the Roux Scholarship, an annual chef competition, in 1983, with many scholars having gone on to win Michelin stars themselves.\n\nAlbert and Michel opened a string of other restaurants, fronted a 13-part TV series on BBC Two in 1990, and published a series of best-selling books about French cookery.", "Shows like Tiger King kept people entertained during the first UK lockdown\n\nNetflix is raising the cost of some of its UK subscriptions from next month, its customers have been told.\n\nThe streaming service said the price rises reflected money spent on content.\n\nIts standard monthly package will go up from £8.99 to £9.99 and its premium one will rise from £11.99 to £13.99, but its basic plan remains at £5.99.\n\nHowever, comparison site Uswitch said the timing of the price rises was unfortunate with UK citizens living under new national lockdowns.\n\nThe streaming service's subscriber numbers have jumped during the pandemic, with almost 16 million new customers added worldwide in the first three months of 2020 alone.\n\nIn the UK, during the first national lockdown which started in March 2020, the amount of streaming content watched by consumers rose by a third compared with the previous year.\n\nBut Netflix faces tough competition from rivals, such as Disney+, which has also announced price rises of £2 per month up to £7.99 or £79.90 for a full year.\n\nNetflix said: \"This year we're spending over $1bn [£736m] in the UK on new, locally-made films, series and documentaries, helping to create thousands of jobs and showcasing British storytelling at its best - with everything from The Crown, to Sex Education and Top Boy, plus many, many more.\n\n\"Our price change reflects the significant investments we've made in new TV shows and films, as well as improvements to our product.\"\n\nA standard Netflix subscription gives users HD streaming on two devices at the same time with the ability to download to two phones or tablets. The premium service allows streaming on up to four screens at once, as well as offering 4K streaming and downloading to four phones or tablets.\n\nSubscribers who do not want to pay the extra can cancel their plan at any time without penalty or simply shift to the basic package, which allows users to watch movies and TV shows in standard definition on one device only and download to one mobile or tablet.\n\nNick Baker, streaming and TV expert at Uswitch.com, said: \"Netflix has been a lifeline for many people during lockdown, so this price rise is an unwanted extra expense for households feeling the financial pressure.\n\n\"It's unfortunate timing that this price hike coincides with another national lockdown, when all of us will be streaming more television and films than ever.\"", "The number of new daily confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK has topped 60,000 for the first time since the pandemic started.\n\nAccording to government figures on Tuesday, the number of people who tested positive was 60,916.\n\nOne in 50 people in private households in England had Covid last week - and one in 30 in London, according to estimates based on the latest data.\n\nA further 830 people have also died within 28 days of a positive test.\n\nIt comes as England and Scotland announced new strict lockdowns, with people told to stay at home.\n\nAt a press conference at Downing Street on Tuesday, Boris Johnson said 1.3 million people had now been vaccinated in the UK - including 23% of over 80s in England, some 650,000 people.\n\nBut he said more than one million people were currently infected - with the number of patients in hospitals 40% higher than in the first peak.\n\nThe government's chief medical adviser Prof Chris Whitty cited the Office for National Statistics' random sampling data for England as showing how widespread the virus is.\n\n\"We're now into a situation where across the country as a whole, roughly one in 50 people have got the virus, higher in some parts of the country, lower in others,\" he said.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Professor Chris Whitty: \"No evidence\" the new variant is \"more dangerous\"\n\nThe number of new daily cases has consistently been above 50,000 since 29 December.\n\nBack in the first peak of the pandemic in the spring, the number of daily confirmed cases never went above 7,000.\n\nHowever, it is thought the true number of cases then was much higher but not picked up because testing capacity was limited. It was estimated there were about 100,000 new infections a day at the end of March - but there was not the testing to detect it.\n\nHospital admissions of people with Covid-19 in England also reached another record high on Tuesday, NHS England figures show.\n\nAt a hospital in Lincolnshire, a \"critical\" incident has been declared after a sharp rise in patients requiring admission.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. How NHS nurses and doctors are struggling to cope with Covid as cases continue to rise in England\n\nAnd potentially life-saving cancer operations have been put on hold at a major London NHS trust because of the number of beds taken by Covid patients.\n\nHowever, Cancer Research UK said such cancellations did not appear to be widespread across the country.\n\nIn a statement after the case numbers were released, Public Health England medical director Yvonne Doyle said the rapid rise in cases was \"highly concerning and will sadly mean yet more pressure on our health services in the depths of winter\".\n\nAfter seven consecutive days of more than 50,000 cases being confirmed, the fact that more than 60,000 have been recorded should not come as a surprise.\n\nIt will take a week, if not more, for the impact of lockdown to be felt.\n\nAnd all the evidence suggests the new variant of coronavirus, which is more transmissible than previous ones, means the impact is likely to be more limited than it was in previous ones.\n\nThe figures are also a warning about what the NHS is facing.\n\nSome of this week's infections are next week's hospital admissions.\n\nAbout three in 10 beds are now occupied by Covid patients. In some hospitals more than six in 10 are.\n\nHospitals are now busy making more spaces on their wards - that means cancelling planned work, including in some places cancer treatment.\n\nBoris Johnson and Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon both announced new lockdowns on Monday.\n\nWales has been in a national lockdown since 20 December and Northern Ireland entered a six-week lockdown on 26 December.\n\nRestrictions are also being tightened further in Northern Ireland, and an order for people to stay at home will become legally enforceable from Friday.\n\nIn a televised address to the nation, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer urged the government to use the lockdown to create a \"round the clock\" vaccination programme.\n\nHe also called on people to \"recapture the spirit\" of the beginning of the pandemic.\n\nAt the press conference on Tuesday, Mr Johnson repeated his suggestion that there is a \"prospect\" of the lockdown being eased in mid-February.\n\n\"But you will also appreciate there are a lot of caveats, a lot of ifs built into that, the most important of which is that we all now follow the guidance,\" he said.\n\nEarlier, Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove told Sky News he could not say exactly when the lockdown in England would end, but \"as we enter March we should be able to lift some of these restrictions but not necessarily all\".\n\nMr Whitty said the virus \"is not going to go away, just as flu doesn't go away, just as many other viruses don't go away\".\n\n\"We shouldn't kid ourselves that this just disappears with spring,\" he said.\n\nMr Whitty said although hopefully there would be nearly no measures needed from the spring onwards, the government might have to bring in a few restrictions next winter.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Boris Johnson: \"We've now vaccinated over 1.3m people across the UK\"\n\nOn Monday the UK's chief medical officers recommended the Covid threat level be increased to five - its highest level.\n\nAlthough the new variant is now spreading more rapidly than the original version, it is not believed to be more deadly.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. BBC's Laura Foster explains the order in which the Covid vaccine will be given", "Lockdowns have worked before, but can we expect the new one to do the same?\n\nIt feels like we are back in March or April last year, when the strict controls on all our lives led to a fairly quick decline in levels of coronavirus.\n\nBut one of the crucial differences this time is the new variant, which is thought to spread between 50 and 70% faster than previous forms of the virus.\n\nExperts warn there are now no guarantees that lockdown will be enough to bring the variant under control.\n\n\"It still would not have been easy, but it would have been a much easier situation if it had not been for the new variant,\" Prof Neil Ferguson, from Imperial College London, told Inside Health.\n\n\"That really pushes the bounds of our ability to control the spread of the virus, even with measures that were previously relatively quite effective.\"", "Supermarkets are seeking to reassure shoppers that there is no need to bulk-buy products as new lockdown restrictions come into force.\n\nAsda asked its customers to \"continue to shop considerately and not buy more than they normally would.\"\n\nThere was a surge in online grocery shopping after new lockdown restrictions were announced on Monday, but demand has since dropped back.\n\nStores said they have good availability and have increased delivery slots.\n\nTesco and Sainsbury's have doubled the number of delivery slots since March.\n\nWhen fresh lockdown restrictions were announced on Monday there was a rush online by supermarket shoppers to book delivery slots.\n\nThat surge has since calmed down, but big supermarkets were keen on Wednesday to reassure customers that there is no need to bulk-buy, as stores would like to avoid a repeat of the panic-buying that was triggered by the first lockdown.\n\nAsda said it \"currently has strong product availability across its stores and depots and its colleagues are working around the clock to keep the shelves stocked.\"\n\nSainsbury's said it had \"good availability and encourage customers to shop as normal. We aren't currently restricting products.\"\n\nTesco has had buying limits on various products since the first lockdown, and most recently limited items including eggs, rice, soap and toilet roll after freight delays in December as ports got snarled up.\n\nTesco said on Wednesday that it had \"good availability in stores and online, with plenty of stock to go round, and we would encourage our customers to shop as normal.\"\n\nDuring the first lockdown supermarkets saw a huge spike in demand for online shopping as people tried to avoid mixing in shops.\n\nThe big chains have all increased their capacity to deliver food.\n\nTesco, the biggest UK supermarket chain, has more than doubled the number of online delivery slots available since the start of the crisis, and now has 1.5 million slots per week.\n\nNot all of these get used across the UK at present, so Tesco has no plans at the moment for further slots.\n\nSainsbury's, the second biggest, has also more than doubled the number of its online delivery slots since March, and can meet more than 800,000 orders per week.\n\nAsda, the third biggest chain, has upped the number of available weekly slots by 90% since March to 850,000, and by the start of April it's planning to offer 900,000 slots per week.\n\nMorrison's, the fourth largest UK supermarket chain, said it had increased its online operation fivefold since March.\n\nAsda said on Wednesday that it was also doubling the size of its partnership with Uber Eats. From February Asda will offer a 30-minute delivery service from 200 stores.\n\nAsda is also stepping-up Covid safety measures, including doubling safety marshal hours, more sanitation stations, increasing cleaning, and \"adding a protective antimicrobial coating to customer 'touch points' in stores such as fridge and freezer handles, checkout areas, plus all trolley and basket handles\".\n\nThe chain also has a virtual queueing app called \"Quidini\" whereby customers can sit in their car to wait for a slot in a store if it is busy.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The twins' father says what they have achieved is a 'herculean achievement'\n\nConjoined twins who were expected to die within days when they were born are nearly four years later said to be settling in at their Cardiff school.\n\nMarieme and Ndeye Ndiaye were brought to the UK from Senegal in 2017 by their father Ibrahima for treatment at London's Great Ormond Street Hospital.\n\nThe girls, now four, are learning to stand and their father said their progress was \"a Herculean achievement\".\n\nTheir head teacher said the girls had made friends and were \"laughing a lot\".\n\nThe girls, who have separate hearts and spines but share a liver, bladder and digestive system, have conditions which put them at higher risk of complications from Covid.\n\nHowever, Mr Ndiaye said he had wanted them to start school for their development.\n\n\"When you look in the rear view mirror, it was an unachievable dream,\" he said.\n\n\"From now, everything ahead will be a bonus to me. My heart and soul is shouting out loud, 'Come on! Go on girls! Surprise me more!'.\"\n\nMr Ndiaye brought the girls to the UK through funding from a charitable foundation run by Senegal's first lady Marieme Faye Sall, before he sought asylum.\n\nIn March 2018, the family were moved by the Home Office to Cardiff as asylum seekers can be moved anywhere in the UK and they now have discretionary leave to remain.\n\nIn 2019, Great Ormond Street surgeons considered attempting separation but it was something Mr Ndiaye did not want because of the risks involved.\n\nThe girls have such complex circulatory systems medics now believe they would not survive being separated\n\nSince then, doctors have found the girls' circulatory systems to be more closely linked than previously thought and neither would survive without the other, making separation now impossible.\n\nThe girls' head teacher Helen Borley said they were learning well since starting reception in September and had made new friends.\n\nShe said: \"Children either say, 'I'm Marieme's friend' or 'I'm Ndeye's friend' - they don't say, 'I'm the twins' friend'. Children very much identify as being one person's friend or another - because the girls are very different characters.\n\n\"They are laughing a lot - which is always a good sign, isn't it? Any child that is laughing a lot is a happy child.\"\n\nMarieme receives oxygen from Ndeye's stronger heart and food via their linked stomachs\n\nFor the twins, school needs to fit around hospital visits.\n\nIn October, the girls needed surgery at Great Ormond Street Hospital.\n\nDr Gillian Body, a paediatric consultant at the Children's Hospital for Wales in Cardiff, said the procedure was important, despite the risks.\n\nShe said: \"The girls have complex anatomies and that makes them prone to infections and potentially sepsis.\n\n\"One of the challenges we had was getting antibiotics into them quickly, and this tube or cannula they've had fitted, means we can get them into them more quickly with less distress to the girls.\"\n\nThe girls have been experiencing the feeling of standing, at children's hospice Ty Hafan\n\nShe said Marieme's heart was complex with lots of abnormalities that cause her problems with doing exercise and can lead to breathlessness.\n\nAt children's' hospice Ty Hafan in Sully, Vale of Glamorgan, the girls have been learning what it feels like to stand.\n\nA special frame gives them the experience of being upright, helping build strength in their legs.\n\nPhysiotherapist Sara Wade-West said it had been hard for them.\n\n\"It's a really different sensation when you're used to being sat down, to be upright can be scary,\" she said.\n\n\"To start with, particularly Ndeye wasn't very keen. We try and sneak the therapy in around the play, encouraging them to reach for toys to make them work a bit harder, but if they know it's therapy it's not so fun.\n\n\"Because of their cardiac function we can't push them too much so it's finding that balance - challenging them to get stronger but not exhausting them.\"\n\nThe twins' father Ibrahima Ndiaye said they were his \"warriors\"\n\nWatching his daughters stand is more than just a breakthrough for their father.\n\n\"They are showing that they don't only want to live, but be active and play their part in society,\" he said.\n\n\"All these achievements bring light and hopes for the future. But I know how fragile, complex and unpredictable their lives can be.\"\n\nMr Ndiaye said his hopes were \"parallel to my fears\" as the girls had \"so many times come close to the worst\".\n\n\"But the very least I can do for the girls is figure out my hopes for them,\" he said.\n\n\"The most I can do is to be beside them and live inside that hope and never allow anything to take that hope away.\n\n\"They are my warriors. They have proved they will never surrender without fighting. It is not yet over.\"", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. A BBC team came across roadblocks as they tried to report on research into viruses that bats carry\n\nA Chinese scientist at the centre of unsubstantiated claims that the coronavirus leaked from her laboratory in the Chinese city of Wuhan has told the BBC she is open to \"any kind of visit\" to rule it out.\n\nThe surprise statement from Prof Shi Zhengli comes as a World Health Organization team prepares to travel to Wuhan next month to begin its investigation into the origins of Covid-19.\n\nThe remote district of Tongguan, in China's south-western province of Yunnan, is hard to reach at the best of times. But when a BBC team tried to visit recently, it was impossible.\n\nPlain-clothes police officers and other officials in unmarked cars followed us for miles along the narrow, bumpy roads, stopping when we did, backtracking with us when we were forced to turn around.\n\nWe found obstacles in our way, including a \"broken-down\" lorry, which locals confirmed had been placed across the road a few minutes before we arrived.\n\nAnd we ran into checkpoints at which unidentified men told us their job was to keep us out.\n\nAt first sight, all of this might seem like a disproportionate effort given our intended destination, a nondescript, abandoned copper mine in which, back in 2012, six workers succumbed to a mystery illness that eventually claimed the lives of three of them.\n\nBut their tragedy, which would otherwise almost certainly have been largely forgotten, has been given new meaning by the Covid-19 pandemic.\n\nThose three deaths are now at the centre of a major scientific controversy about the origins of the virus and the question of whether it came from nature, or from a laboratory.\n\nAnd the attempts of Chinese authorities to stop us reaching the site are a sign of how hard they're working to control the narrative.\n\nFor more than a decade, the rolling, jungle-covered hills in Yunnan - and the cave systems within - have been the focus of a giant scientific field study.\n\nChinese virologist Shi Zhengli is seen here inside the laboratory in Wuhan\n\nIt has been led by Prof Shi Zhengli from the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV).\n\nProf Shi won international acclaim for her discovery that the illness known as Sars, which killed more than 700 people in 2003, was caused by a virus that probably came from a species of bat in a Yunnan cave.\n\nEver since, Prof Shi - often referred to as \"China's Batwoman\" - has been in the vanguard of a project to try to predict and prevent further such outbreaks.\n\nBy trapping bats, taking faecal samples from them, and then carrying those samples back to the lab in Wuhan, 1,600km (1,000 miles) away, the team behind the project has identified hundreds of new bat coronaviruses.\n\nBut the fact that Wuhan is now home to the world's leading coronavirus research facility, as well as the first city to be ravaged by a pandemic outbreak of a deadly new one, has fuelled suspicion that the two things are connected.\n\nI would personally welcome any form of visit, based on an open, transparent, trusting, reliable and reasonable dialogue. But the specific plan is not decided by me.\n\nThe Chinese government, the WIV, and Prof Shi have all angrily dismissed the allegation of a virus leak from the Wuhan lab.\n\nBut with scientists appointed by the World Health Organization (WHO) scheduled to visit Wuhan in January for an inquiry into the origin of the pandemic, Prof Shi - who has given few interviews since the pandemic began - answered a number of BBC questions by email.\n\n\"I have communicated with the WHO experts twice,\" she wrote, when asked if an investigation might help rule out a lab leak and end the speculation. \"I have personally and clearly expressed that I would welcome them to visit the WIV,\" she said.\n\nTo a follow-up question about whether that would include a formal investigation with access to the WIV's experimental data and laboratory records, Prof Shi said: \"I would personally welcome any form of visit based on an open, transparent, trusting, reliable and reasonable dialogue. But the specific plan is not decided by me.\"\n\nThe BBC subsequently received a call from the WIV's press office, saying that Prof Shi was speaking in a personal capacity and her answers had not been approved by the WIV.\n\nThe BBC denied a request to send the press office a copy of this article in advance.\n\nDr Peter Daszak: \"I've yet to see any evidence at all of a lab leak or a lab involvement in this outbreak\"\n\nMany scientists believe that by far the most likely scenario is that Sars-Cov-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, jumped naturally from bats to humans, possibly via an intermediary species. And despite Prof Shi's offer, for now there appears to be little chance of the WHO inquiry looking into the lab-leak theory.\n\nThe terms of reference for the WHO inquiry make no mention of the theory, and some members of the 10-person team have all but ruled it out.\n\nPeter Daszak, a British zoologist, has been chosen as part of the team because of his leading role in a multimillion dollar, international project to sample wild viruses.\n\nIt has involved close collaboration with Prof Shi Zhengli in her mass sampling of bats in China, and Dr Daszak previously called the lab-leak theory a \"conspiracy theory\" and \"pure baloney\".\n\n\"I've yet to see any evidence at all of a lab leak or a lab involvement in this outbreak,\" he said. \"I have seen substantial evidence that these are naturally occurring phenomena driven by human encroachment into wildlife habitat, which is clearly on display across south-east Asia.\"\n\nAsked about seeking access to the Wuhan lab to rule the lab-leak theory out, he said: \"That's not my job to do that.\n\n\"The WHO negotiated the terms of reference, and they say we're going to follow the evidence, and that's what we've got to do,\" he added.\n\nThe Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan was linked to early cases of the new coronavirus\n\nOne focus of the inquiry will be a market in Wuhan which was known to be trading in wildlife and was linked to a number of early cases, though the Chinese authorities appear to have already discounted it as a source of the virus.\n\nDr Daszak said the WHO team would \"look at those clusters of cases, look at the contacts, look at where the animals in the market have come from and see where that takes us\".\n\nThe deaths of the three Tongguan workers following exposure to a mineshaft full of bats raised suspicions that they'd succumbed to a bat coronavirus.\n\nIt was exactly the kind of animal-to-human \"spillover\" that was driving the WIV to sample and test bats in Yunnan.\n\nIt is no surprise then that, following those deaths, the WIV scientists began sampling bats in the Tongguan mineshaft in earnest, making multiple visits over the next three years and detecting 293 coronaviruses.\n\nBut apart from one brief paper, very little was published about the viruses they collected on those trips.\n\nIn January this year, Prof Shi Zhengli became one of the first people in the world to sequence Sars-Cov-2, which was already spreading rapidly through the streets and homes of her city.\n\nShe then compared the long string of letters representing the virus's unique genetic code with the extensive library of other viruses collected and stored over the years.\n\nAnd she discovered that her database contained the closest known relative of Sars-Cov-2.\n\nRaTG13 is a virus whose name has been derived from the bat it was extracted from (Rhinolophus affinis, Ra), the place it was found (Tongguan, TG), and the year it was identified, 2013.\n\nSeven years after it was found in that mineshaft, RaTG13 was about to become one of the most hotly contested scientific subjects of our time.\n\nChina imposed tough restrictions on Wuhan to stop the spread of the virus\n\nThere have been many well-documented cases of viruses leaking from labs. The first Sars virus, for example, leaked twice from the National Institute of Virology in Beijing in 2004, long after the outbreak had been brought under control.\n\nThe practice of genetically manipulating viruses is also not new, allowing scientists to make them more infectious or more deadly, so they can assess the threat and, perhaps, develop treatments or vaccines.\n\nAnd from the moment it was isolated and sequenced, scientists have been struck by the remarkable ability of Sars-Cov-2 to infect humans.\n\nThe possibility that it acquired that ability as a result of manipulation in a laboratory was taken seriously enough for an influential group of international scientists to address it head on.\n\nIn what has become the definitive paper ruling out the possibility of a lab leak, RaTG13 has a starring role.\n\nPublished in March in the magazine Nature Medicine, it suggests that if there had been a leak, Prof Shi Zhengli would have found a much closer match in her database than RaTG13.\n\nWhile RaTG13 is the closest known relative - at 96.2% similarity - it is still too distant to have been manipulated and changed into Sars-Cov-2.\n\nSars-Cov-2, the authors concluded, was likely to have gained its unique efficiency through a long, undetected period of circulation in humans or animals of a natural and milder precursor virus that eventually evolved into the potent, deadly form first detected in Wuhan in 2019.\n\nMedics and scientists in Wuhan battled to control the early stages of the pandemic\n\nWhere though, some scientists are beginning to wonder, are those reservoirs of earlier natural infection?\n\nDr Daniel Lucey is a physician and infectious disease professor at the Georgetown Medical Centre in Washington DC and a veteran of many pandemics - Sars in China, Ebola in Africa, Zika in Brazil.\n\nHe is certain that China has already conducted thorough searches for evidence of precursor viruses in stored human samples in hospitals and in animal populations.\n\n\"They have the capability, they have the resources and they have the motivation, so of course they've done the studies in animals and in humans,\" he said.\n\nFinding the origin of an outbreak was vital, he said, not just for wider scientific understanding, but also to stop it emerging again.\n\n\"We should search until we find it. I think it's findable and I think it's quite possible it's already been found,\" he said. \"But then the question arises, why hasn't it been disclosed?\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Covid-19: How everyday life has changed in Wuhan\n\nDr Lucey still believes that Sars-Cov-2 is most likely to have a natural origin, but he does not want the alternatives to be so readily ruled out.\n\n\"So here we are, 12, 13 months out since the first recognised case of Covid-19 and we haven't found the animal source,\" he said. \"So, to me, it's all the more reason to investigate alternative explanations.\"\n\nMight a Chinese laboratory have had a virus they were working on that was genetically closer to Sars-Cov-2, and would they tell us now if they did? \"Not everything that's done is published,\" Dr Lucey said.\n\nIt's a point I put to Peter Daszak, the member of the WHO origins study team.\n\n\"You know, I've worked with the WIV for a good decade or more,\" he said. \"I know some of the people there pretty well and I have visited the labs frequently, I've met and had dinner with them over 15 years.\n\n\"I'm working in China with eyes wide open, and I'm racking my brain back in time for the slightest hint of something untoward. And I've never seen that.\"\n\nAsked if those friendships and funding relationships with the WIV presented a conflict of interest with his role on the inquiry, he said: \"We file our papers; it's all there for everyone to see.\"\n\nAnd his collaboration with the WIV, he said, \"makes me one of the people on the planet who knows the most about the origins of these bat coronaviruses in China\".\n\nThe conclusion [of the Kunming Hospital University thesis] is neither based on evidence nor logic. But it’s used by conspiracy theorists to doubt me\n\nChina may have provided only limited data about its hunt for the origin of Sars-Cov-2, but it has begun to promote a theory of its own.\n\nBased on a few inconclusive studies conducted by scientists in Europe that suggest Covid-19 may have been circulating earlier than previously thought, state propaganda is full of stories suggesting the virus didn't start in China at all.\n\nIn the absence of proper data, speculation is only likely to grow, much of it focused on RaTG13 and its origins in a Tongguan mineshaft. Old academic papers have been dug up online that appear to differ from the WIV's statements about the sick mine workers - among them a thesis by a student at the Kunming Hospital University.\n\n\"I've just downloaded the Kunming Hospital University student's masters thesis and read it,\" Prof Shi told the BBC.\n\n\"The narrative doesn't make sense,\" she said. \"The conclusion is neither based on evidence nor logic. But it's used by conspiracy theorists to doubt me. If you were me, what you would do?\"\n\nProf Shi has also faced questions about why the WIV's online public database of viruses was suddenly taken offline.\n\nShe told the BBC that the WIV's website and the staff's work emails and personal emails had been attacked, and the database taken offline for security reasons.\n\n\"All our research results are published in English journals in the form of papers,\" she said. \"Virus sequences are saved in the [US-run] GenBank database too. It's completely transparent. We have nothing to hide.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Can you become immune to coronavirus?\n\nThere are important questions to be asked in the Yunnan countryside, not just by scientists, but by journalists too.\n\nAfter a decade of sampling and experimenting on viruses collected from bats, we now know that back in 2013 the closest known ancestor was discovered of a future threat that would claim well over a million lives and devastate the global economy.\n\nYet the WIV, according to the published information, did nothing with it, except sequence it and enter it into a database.\n\nOught that to call into question the very premise on which the expensive, and some would say risky, mass sampling of wild viruses is based?\n\n\"To say that we didn't do enough is absolutely correct,\" Peter Daszak told the BBC. \"To say that we failed is not fair at all. What we should have been doing is 10 times the amount of work on these viruses.\"\n\nBoth Dr Daszak and Prof Shi are adamant that pandemic prevention research is vital, urgent work.\n\n\"Our research is forward-looking, and it's difficult for non-professionals to understand,\" Prof Shi wrote by email. \"In the face of countless micro-organisms that exist in nature, we humans are very small.\"\n\nThe WHO is promising an \"open-minded\" inquiry into the origins of the novel coronavirus, but the Chinese government is not keen on questions, at least not from journalists.\n\nAfter leaving Tongguan, the BBC team tried to drive a few hours north to the cave where Prof Shi carried out her ground-breaking research on Sars almost a decade ago.\n\nStill being followed by several unmarked cars, we hit another roadblock, and were told there was no way through.\n\nA few hours later, we discovered that local traffic had been diverted onto a dirt track that skirted the obstruction, but as we attempted to use the same route, we met yet another \"broken down\" car in our path.\n\nWe were trapped in a field for over an hour, before finally being forced to head for the airport.", "The low temperature was recorded at Loch Glascarnoch\n\nThe UK has had its coldest night of the winter so far after a temperature of -12.3C was recorded in the north west Highlands.\n\nThe temperature was recorded at Loch Glascarnoch, near Garve, south of Ullapool in Wester Ross.\n\nThe record lowest temperature in the UK is -27.2C, which was recorded in Braemar, Aberdeenshire, in 1895 and 1982.\n\nThe same temperature was recorded at Altnaharra in the Highlands in 1995.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Carol Kirkwood This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThe coldest night of the winter so far has come amid days of freezing temperatures in Scotland, and more widely across the UK.\n\nThe Met Office has issued yellow \"be aware warnings\" for snow and ice for Scotland for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.\n\nForecasters said a band of sleet and snow was expected arrive across north west Scotland on Wednesday afternoon and move south east across most parts of Scotland overnight.\n\nThe Met Office said up to 2cm, almost an inch, of snow was likely to settle at low levels \"quite widely\" with up to 6cm (2in) above 200m (656ft) and as much as 10cm (4in) above 300m (984ft).", "Last updated on .From the section Man City\n\nManchester City legend Colin Bell has died, aged 74, after a short illness, the Premier League club have announced.\n\nThe former England midfielder made 501 appearances for City between 1966 and 1979, scoring 153 goals. He won 48 caps for his country.\n\n\"Few players have left such an indelible mark on City,\" said a club statement on Tuesday.\n\nIn 2004, Manchester City fans voted to name one of the stands at Etihad Stadium in Bell's honour.\n\n\"Colin Bell will always be remembered as one of Manchester City's greatest players and the very sad news today of his passing will affect everybody connected to our club,\" said City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak.\n\n\"I am fortunate to be able to speak regularly to his former manager and team-mates, and it's clear to me that Colin was a player held in the highest regard by all those who had the privilege of playing alongside him or seeing him play.\n\n\"The passage of time does little to erase the memories of his genius.\"\n• None 'Bell will always be king of Man City' - tributes paid after death of club great\n\nAfter starting his career at Bury, Bell moved to Manchester City - then in the second tier - midway through the 1965-66 season in a £47,500 deal.\n\nHe helped Joe Mercer's team win promotion that season and was instrumental in the Blues winning the First Division title two years later.\n\nDuring his 13 years as a player at Maine Road, he also won the FA Cup, League Cup and Cup Winners' Cup.\n\nHowever, his career was hampered by a serious knee injury he suffered in a League Cup tie against Manchester United in November 1975, when he was 29.\n\nAfter making a comeback later that season, he was injured again against Arsenal and out for another 18 months.\n\nBell regained fitness and received an emotional ovation on his return at Maine Road on 26 December 1977.\n\nHowever, he did not have the same freedom and mobility as he had done and played only a handful more games.\n\nBell finished his career with a brief spell in the United States playing for San Jose Earthquakes.\n\nIn 2004, he was awarded an MBE for his services to football and remained a regular presence at City games in recent seasons.\n\n'De Bruyne reminds me a lot of Colin' - tributes pour in for the 'King of the Kippax'\n\nFormer City team-mate Mike Summerbee, who was part of their 'Holy Trinity' alongside Bell and Francis Lee in the 1960s and 1970s, described Bell as \"just the greatest footballer\" the club has had.\n\n\"Colin was a lovely, humble man. He was a huge star for Manchester City but you would never have known it,\" said ex-forward Summerbee, 78.\n\n\"He was quiet, unassuming and I always believe he never knew how good he actually was.\n\n\"[Current City midfielder] Kevin de Bruyne reminds me a lot of Colin in the way he plays and the way he is as a person.\"\n\nFormer England forward Lee says he thinks the knee injury curtailed Bell's career \"by a good four or five years\".\n\n\"Colin had tremendous stamina. He was a very good player technically and had the ability to score goals,\" said Lee, 76.\n\n\"He goes into the top five City players of all time - only in the last 10, 15 years has anyone else come along who can take that mantle.\"\n\nSummerbee and Lee were among a number of former and current City players to pay tribute to Bell, along with celebrity fans including former Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher.\n\nBell would \"always have a smile\" and \"meet and greet everyone\" he knew, said former City midfielder Michael Brown.\n\n\"He's done lots of charity work and always tried to help people,\" added Brown, who first met Bell as a youngster having come up through City's academy.\n\n\"It's a huge loss. To have done so much and be so low key was admirable.\"\n\nEx-City defender Micah Richards said Bell was \"one of the nicest men ever\", while their former full-back Pablo Zabaleta added he was \"absolutely devastated\" by the news.\n\nFormer England striker Gary Lineker said Bell was one of his favourite players when he was growing up.\n\n\"Terrific box to box midfielder. A real gem for Manchester City and England,\" added the Match of the Day host.\n\nThe Times' chief football writer Henry Winter said Bell \"oozed class, skill and glamour\" as he was \"flowing across rutted pitches, taking people on, creating and scoring\".", "A polar bear cub playing in a snow drift in the area of the proposed oil lease sales\n\nThe Trump administration is pushing ahead with the first sale of oil leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.\n\nThe giant Alaskan wilderness is home to many important species, including polar bears, caribou and wolves.\n\nNow, after decades of dispute, the rights to drill for oil on about 5% of the refuge will go ahead.\n\nOpponents have criticised the rushed nature of the sale, coming just days before President Trump's term ends.\n\nCovering some 19 million acres (78,000 sq km) the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) is often described as America's last great wilderness.\n\nIt is a critically important location for many species, including polar bears.\n\nIn the winter months, pregnant bears build dens in which to give birth.\n\nAs temperatures have risen and sea ice has become thinner, these bears have started building their dens on land.\n\nMany indigenous groups with strong links to the ANWR have opposed oil exploration\n\nThe coastal plain of the ANWR now has the highest concentration of these dens in the state.\n\nThe refuge is also home to Porcupine caribou, one of the largest herds in the world, numbering around 200,000 animals.\n\nIn the spring, the herd moves to the coastal plain region of the ANWR as it is their preferred calving ground.\n\nThe same coastal plain is now the subject of the first ever oil lease sale in the refuge.\n\nThe push for exploration in the park has been a decades long battle between oil companies supported by the state government and environmental and indigenous opponents.\n\nMany of Alaska's political representatives believe that drilling in the refuge could lead to another major oil find, like the one in Prudhoe Bay, just west of the ANWR.\n\nPrudhoe Bay is the largest oil field in North America and supporters believe the ANWR shares the same geology, and potential reserves of crude oil.\n\nOil revenues are critical for Alaska, with every resident getting a cheque for around $1,600 every year from the state's permanent fund.\n\nIn 2017, the Trump administration's tax cutting bill contained a provision to open up the ANWR coastal plain for drilling. It was seen as a way of offsetting the costs of the tax cuts.\n\nThe US Bureau of Land Management is now selling the drilling rights to 22 tracts of land covering about one million acres. These oil and gas leases last for 10 years.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Bernadette Demientieff This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nA last-minute attempt to stop the sale in the courts failed but opponents say it will not be the end of their efforts to protect the refuge from drilling.\n\n\"The Trump administration is barrelling forward without doing the careful, legally required analyses of the impacts such activity will have on the environment or the Gwich'in people who have relied on this land for millennia,\" said Kristen Monsell, a senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity, which is headquartered in Tucson, Arizona, who had sought an injunction against the sale.\n\n\"That's why we've taken them to court. We can't let Trump turn this amazing landscape into an oil field.\"\n\nReports indicate that interest in the lease sales has been low.\n\nThinning ice has seen more polar bears make their dens on land\n\nWhile estimates suggest around 11 billion barrels of oil lie under the refuge, it has no roads or other infrastructure, making it a very expensive place to drill for oil.\n\nSeveral large US banks have said they will not fund oil and gas exploration in the area.\n\nThere is also the matter of a change of leadership in the White House. The Biden team have nominated Deb Haaland as Secretary of the Interior. She is on record as being strongly opposed to drilling in the ANWR.\n\nWith climate change set to be a central focus for the Biden administration, it's likely that efforts to extract new fossil fuels in Alaska will be subject to review and delay.\n\nThis could ultimately limit the interest and opportunity for oil exploration in the refuge.\n\nYou might also be interested in:\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Climate change: The woman watching the ice melt from under her feet", "Stephen Stennett had a head on collision with a van on the B9157 near Kirkcaldy in Fife\n\nA driver who caused a crash in Fife that led to his passenger losing her baby has admitted causing death by dangerous driving.\n\nStephen Stennett, 23, had a head-on collision with a van on the B9157 near Kirkcaldy on 3 October 2018.\n\nThe High Court in Glasgow heard he had attempted a \"dangerous\" overtaking manoeuvre.\n\nJudge Lady Stacey deferred sentence until next month for background reports.\n\nPassenger, Shannon Myers, 18, who was 30 weeks pregnant, had to have an emergency caesarean section due to her injuries in the crash.\n\nHowever, her son Luke Myers died 32 minutes later.\n\nProsecutor Murdoch McTaggart said: \"The accused pulled out and drove into the path of an oncoming van.\n\n\"The accused's vehicle ended up in a ditch on the side of the road.\"\n\nMs Myers, who was in the front passenger seat, complained about pain in her abdomen and was taken to hospital.\n\nA scan showed the baby had a heartbeat of 60 beats per minute.\n\nMr McTaggart said this was regarded as low and gave cause for concern, prompting doctors to perform an emergency C-section.\n\nLuke's cause of death was recorded as \"complications of traumatic abruption due to road traffic collision\".\n\nPathologists said the baby had red marks on his face as well as fractures to his collarbone and four ribs.\n\nA 15-year-old girl, who was also a passenger in the car, sustained a fractured spine, collarbone and sternum.\n\nA fourth passenger, a boy also aged 15, suffered a fractured spine and eye bone as well as a minor head injury.\n\nVan driver Ian Baker, his wife Clara and their 10-year-old daughter had minor injuries.\n\nThe baby's mother paid tribute to Luke on Facebook shortly after his death.\n\nShe said: \"I love you so much my handsome little boy.\"\n\nThe judge Lady Stacey said: \"You will understand you pleaded guilty to a serious crime which had tragic results.\n\n\"When a life is lost, the court will almost always impose a period of imprisonment.\"\n\nStennett said: \"I'm sorry\" before being bailed.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Former Bond actress and Charlie's Angel Tanya Roberts has died in hospital in Los Angeles at the age of 65.\n\nRoberts appeared with Sir Roger Moore in his final Bond film, 1985's A View To A Kill, and had a recurring role in That '70s Show.\n\nShe also starred in the final series of Charlie's Angels on TV in 1980.\n\nHer death was prematurely announced on Monday, only for doctors to say she was still alive. However, her death was then confirmed on Tuesday.\n\nRoberts had collapsed while walking her dogs on 24 December and was admitted to Los Angeles' Cedars-Sinai Medical Centre.\n\nHer partner Lance O'Brien mistakenly thought she had died on Sunday after visiting her in hospital. After getting a call from doctors to say she was deteriorating quickly, he went to her bedside, her eyes closed and she \"faded\", TMZ reported.\n\nDevastated, he walked out of the room and then the hospital without speaking to medical staff before informing Roberts' agent that he had \"just said goodbye to Tanya\".\n\nBut while being interviewed for US TV show Inside Edition on Monday, Mr O'Brien got a call from the hospital to say she was alive.\n\nThe moment was captured on film, as he picked up his phone and said: \"Now you're telling me she's alive? Thank the Lord.\" However, she died on Monday night.\n\nShe appeared in A View To A Kill alongside Sir Roger Moore and singer Grace Jones\n\nBorn Victoria Leigh Blum in 1955, Roberts grew up in New York before moving to Hollywood in 1977.\n\nHer big break came when she replaced Shelly Hack in Charlie's Angels, joining Jaclyn Smith and Cheryl Ladd as third 'Angel' Julie.\n\nAfter the show's cancellation, she appeared in such fantasy adventure films as The Beastmaster and Hearts and Armour.\n\nShe also played comic book heroine Sheena in a 1984 film that saw her nominated for a Golden Raspberry award for worst actress.\n\nRoberts received another Razzie nomination for her role as geologist Stacey Sutton in 1985 Bond film A View to a Kill.\n\nRoberts in the title role in Sheena: Queen of the Jungle\n\nShe admitted being \"a little cautious\" about taking the role, but said it would have been \"ridiculous\" to have turned it down.\n\nRoberts' subsequent films included Night Eyes and Inner Sanctum, erotic thrillers that did little to advance her career.\n\nShe went on to play Midge Pinciotti in more than 80 episodes of That '70s Show between 1998 and 2004.\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "The former president posts that he has been told to report to a grand jury, \"which almost always means an Arrest\".", "Julian Assange will remain in jail as he continues to fight against extradition to the United States.\n\nDistrict Judge Vanessa Baraitser said there were substantial grounds to believe he would abscond.\n\nOn Monday, she ruled the Wikileaks founder cannot be extradited to the US because he might kill himself.\n\nThe US is now appealing that decision - and had opposed releasing the 49-year-old from a maximum security prison before the case is heard.\n\nMr Assange, who was wearing a dark suit and face mask, was not seen to react to the decision at Westminster Magistrates Court.\n\nHe's been held in prison since 2019, after hiding for seven years inside the Ecuadorian Embassy to avoid extradition.\n\nUS prosecutors want to put him on trial for hacking and disclosing classified information - including the identities of informants who were helping intelligence agencies in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere.\n\nIn her ruling, DJ Baraitser said Mr Assange still had the incentive to abscond.\n\n\"He is willing to flout the order of this court,\" she said. \"As a matter of fairness, the US must be allowed to challenge my decision and if Mr Assange absconds during this process they will lose the opportunity to do so.\"\n\nDuring the bail application, Mr Assange's barrister Ed Fitzgerald QC said his client had been offered a London home by a supporter, where he could be with his partner and their two young children - but also compelled to remain under the strictest bail conditions.\n\n\"Your decision [on Monday] changes everything and it certainly changes any motive to abscond,\" said Mr Fitzgerald.\n\n\"On any view... [Mr Assange] would be safer isolating with his family in the community, subject to severe restrictions, than if he were in Belmarsh which has, very recently, had a severe outbreak...(of coronavirus). He wishes to live a sheltered life with his family.\"\n\nBut Clair Dobbin, for the USA, told the court Mr Assange had the \"resources, abilities and the sheer wherewithal\" to secretly arrange a flight to another country.\n\n\"[Mr Assange] regards himself as above the law and no cost is too great, whether that cost be to himself or others,\" said the barrister.\n\nJulian Assange's partner, Stella Moris, was among a large group of his supporters who had gathered at court.\n\n\"This a huge disappointment,\" she said. \"Julian should not be in Belmarsh prison in the first place. I urge the [US] Department of Justice to drop the charges and the President of the United States to pardon Julian.\"\n\nDistrict Judge Baraitser blocked Julian Assange's extradition on Monday, ruling that that while he had a case to answer, he was so mentally unwell that the US authorities could not guarantee he would not kill himself once inside a maximum security prison in the country.\n\nThe USA's appeal against that ruling - which will go to more senior judges later this year - will challenge that finding.", "McDonald's is pausing walk-in takeaway services in the UK as new lockdown restrictions come into force.\n\nDine-in meals and walk-in takeaways will not be available temporarily while it reviews safety procedures, it said.\n\nIts UK boss said it will be testing \"additional measures that may further enhance the safety of our takeaway service.\"\n\nRival food chains Burger King, Subway, KFC and Pret A Manger are still offering takeaways in-store.\n\nMcDonald's UK and Ireland chief executive Paul Pomroy said that safety measures across the firm's 1,300 restaurants will be reviewed by an independent health and safety body.\n\nHe added that customers would be kept updated via the restaurant's app and its website. Drive-through and delivery services across the fast food chain will remain open.\n\nUnder new lockdown restrictions which came into force in England and Scotland this week, hospitality firms are allowed to offer takeaways and deliveries.\n\nBut rules which previously allowed takeaways or click-and-collect services for alcoholic drinks have been scrapped.\n\nWales and Northern Ireland were already in lockdown, which meant that pubs, restaurants and cafes were restricted to takeaway-only too.\n\nAfter the first nationwide lockdown in March, many chains including McDonald's, Burger King and Pret closed their doors to hungry customers.\n\nThey gradually reopened with additional safety measures in place, such as plastic screens in front of the tills, hand sanitiser dispensers and restrictions on the number of customers allowed in at any one point. Some also pared back the number of dishes on offer.\n\nA Burger King spokesperson said that takeaway was still available in some branches and that it would continue to offer click-and-collect and delivery services \"in line with guidance issued\".\n\nSandwich chain Pret A Manger told the BBC that it is keeping some outlets open for both takeaways and delivery, but it would keep the number under review in the coming months.\n\n\"Last year we shifted our business to focus on delivery and expanded our delivery platform partnerships, to make Pret available to a wider customer base\", a spokesperson said.\n\n\"Since then, we have seen a significant increase in the use of delivery.\"\n\nSubway and KFC also confirmed that they remain open for in-store takeaways, deliveries and click-and-collect orders across the UK.\n\nFast food firm Leon, which has 65 outlets, said that 28 of their sites will remain open for takeaways and deliveries.\n\n\"We will continue to keep as many restaurants open as possible, as we did in the previous two lockdowns in line with government guidelines,\" a spokesperson said.\n\nDespite adapting their business models, many casual dining chains have been forced to make job cuts in the last year as lockdown restrictions hit sales. Pret, for example, announced 3,000 job cuts in August, while Greggs made 820 job cuts at the end of 2020.", "There are warnings that replacement grades must avoid the problems that saw protests and U-turns last summer\n\nHead teachers have warned a replacement system for cancelled exams in England must avoid the \"shambles\" of last year's results.\n\nEducation Secretary Gavin Williamson is to make a statement on \"alternative arrangements\" for GCSE and A-level exams cancelled in the pandemic.\n\nThis could include using teachers' estimated grades.\n\nA replacement system must not \"inflict further disadvantage on students\", says the exams watchdog Ofqual.\n\nGeoff Barton, leader of the ASCL head teachers' union, said there were \"no easy answers\" in picking an approach - but it had to avoid repeating the \"disaster\" of last summer's cancelled exam season.\n\nHe said there was a \"real need for urgency\" to allow schools time to plan - and that any system for grading had to show \"fairness and consistency\".\n\nWritten papers for GCSEs and A-levels are not going ahead - after this week's decision that it was no longer feasible with so much time lost in the Covid pandemic and the latest lockdown.\n\nMr Williamson will instruct the exams watchdog to come up with proposals for an alternative way of deciding results, which could be used for jobs, staying on in school or university places.\n\nLast year's attempts to find an alternative approach to exam results, which initially used an algorithm, descended into chaos - and eventually switched to using teachers' grades.\n\nAnd without any exam papers or standardised mock exams, the use of teachers' grades, with some process of moderation, is likely to be a key option once again.\n\nVocational exams, such as BTecs, are carrying on, if schools and colleges decide to continue with them.\n\nBut if students cannot take BTec exams this month as planned, they will be able to take them at a later date or otherwise still be awarded a grade, if they have \"enough evidence to receive a certificate that they need for progression\", says the awarding body Pearson.\n\nAn Ofqual spokeswoman said they could consider options for replacement exam results, academic and vocational, \"to ensure the fairest possible outcome in the circumstances\".\n\nAlthough the process is only formally beginning, with a consultation likely on proposals, it is understood that contingency planning had already started to find a back-up if exams were cancelled.\n\nThe exams watchdog's decisions will face much scrutiny - with the previous head of Ofqual resigning after last summer's U-turns over grades.\n\n\"We are discussing alternative arrangements with the Department for Education. We know that many are seeking clarity as soon as possible,\" said Simon Lebus, Ofqual's interim chief regulator.", "Supporters of US President Donald Trump stormed the US Capitol on Wednesday\n\nWorld leaders have condemned violent scenes in Washington after supporters of US President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol building on Wednesday.\n\nThe riot forced the suspension of a joint session of Congress to certify Joe Biden's electoral victory.\n\nMany leaders called for peace and an orderly transition of power, describing what happened as \"horrifying\" and an \"attack on democracy\".\n\n\"The United States stands for democracy around the world and it is now vital that there should be a peaceful and orderly transfer of power,\" he wrote on Twitter.\n\nOther UK politicians joined him in criticising the violence, with opposition leader Sir Keir Starmer calling it a \"direct attack on democracy\".\n\nHome Secretary Priti Patel told the BBC that Mr Trump's comments \"directly led\" to his supporters storming Congress and clashing with police.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Home Secretary Priti Patel says Donald Trump was wrong for not condemning the violence\n\nScotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted that the scenes from the US Capitol were \"utterly horrifying\".\n\nIn Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel said those who stormed the US legislature were \"attackers and rioters\" and that she felt \"angry and also sad\" after seeing pictures from the scene.\n\nShe told a meeting of German conservatives: \"I regret very much that President Trump has still not admitted defeat, but has kept raising doubts about the elections.\"\n\nChina meanwhile attempted to draw comparisons between the rioters who entered Congress to try and subvert the US election result and pro-democracy protesters who stormed Hong Kong's Legislative Council last year.\n\nForeign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying claimed events in Hong Kong were more \"severe\" than those in Washington but \"not one demonstrator died\".\n\nThe comparisons between the two incidents has caused outrage among Hong Kong's pro-democracy activists and their supporters.\n\nRussia blamed the \"archaic\" US electoral system and the politicisation of the media for Wednesday's unrest in Washington.\n\n\"The electoral system in the United States is archaic, it does not meet modern democratic standards, creating opportunities for numerous violations, and the American media have become an instrument of political struggle,\" foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said.\n\nElsewhere in Europe, a chorus of leaders condemned the scenes in Washington as an attack on democracy.\n\nSpanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said: \"I have trust in the strength of US democracy. The new presidency of Joe Biden will overcome this tense stage, uniting the American people.\"\n\nIn a video on Twitter, French President Emmanuel Macron said: \"When, in one of the world's oldest democracies, supporters of an outgoing president take up arms to challenge the legitimate results of an election, a universal idea - that of 'one person, one vote' - is undermined.\n\n\"What happened today in Washington DC is not American, definitely. We believe in the strength of our democracies. We believe in the strength of American democracy\" he added.\n\nSwedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven described the incident as \"worrying\" and said it was \"an assault on democracy\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by SwedishPM This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nTop EU leaders have also made their views known. European Council President Charles Michel said he trusted the US \"to ensure a peaceful transfer of power\" to Mr Biden, while European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she looked forward to working with the Democrat, who \"won the election\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Charles Michel This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nLike many other global figures, the Secretary-General of the Nato military alliance, Jens Stoltenberg, said that the outcome of the election \"must be respected\".\n\nFor his part, UN Secretary-General António Guterres was \"saddened\" by the events at the US Capitol, his spokesman said.\n\nThe events also shocked America's close ally and neighbour to its north. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Canadians were \"deeply disturbed and saddened by the attack on democracy\".\n\n\"Violence will never succeed in overruling the will of the people. Democracy in the US must be upheld - and it will be,\" he wrote on Twitter.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. When a mob stormed the US capitol\n\nFrom New Zealand, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, tweeted that \"democracy - the right of people to exercise a vote, have their voice heard and then have that decision upheld peacefully - should never be undone by a mob\".\n\nMeanwhile Prime Minister Scott Morrison of Australia - another close US ally - condemned the \"distressing scenes\" and said he looked forward to a peaceful transfer of power.\n\nIn India, the world's largest democracy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi - who has enjoyed a good relationship with President Trump - said he was \"distressed to see news about rioting and violence\" in Washington.\n\n\"Orderly and peaceful transfer of power must continue,\" he tweeted.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 3 by Narendra Modi This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nTurkey, an ally through Nato, said it invited \"all parties\" to show \"restraint and common sense\".\n\nThe Venezuelan government, which the US does not recognise as legitimate, said \"with this regrettable episode, the United States suffers the same thing that it has generated in other countries with its policies of aggression\".\n\nIn statements on Twitter, Argentina's President Alberto Fernández and Chile's President Sebastián Piñera also condemned the scenes in Washington. Mr Piñera said Chile \"trusts in the solidity of US democracy to guarantee the rule of law\".\n\nIn Japan, one of America's closest allies and partners, Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato said the government hoped for a \"peaceful transfer of power\" in the United States.\n\nFrom Fiji, Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama, who led a coup in 2006, also expressed outrage at the events that took place.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 4 by Frank Bainimarama This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nAnd in Singapore, Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean said he had watched as the \"shocking\" scenes took place, adding: \"Its a sad day.\"", "YouTube has reinstated TalkRadio's channel on its platform hours after saying it had been \"terminated\" for breaking the tech firm's rules.\n\nIt said the broadcaster had posted material that contradicted expert advice about the coronavirus pandemic.\n\nBut it explained its U-turn saying it sometimes made exceptions to guidelines that state repeat offenders face a permanent ban.\n\nTalkRadio said it had yet to be given a full explanation for the affair.\n\nThe decision to ban TalkRadio had appalled digital rights campaigners, with one group - Big Brother Watch - claiming it was evidence that \"big tech censorship is spiralling out of control\".\n\nThe Google-owned service has issued a brief statement explaining its actions.\n\n\"TalkRadio's YouTube channel was briefly suspended, but upon further review, has now been reinstated,\" it said.\n\n\"We quickly remove flagged content that violate our community guidelines, including Covid-19 content that explicitly contradict expert consensus from local health authorities or the World Health Organization. We make exceptions for material posted with an educational, documentary, scientific or artistic purpose, as was deemed in this case.\"\n\nYouTube has not published details of the offending posts.\n\nBut independent fact-checkers have repeatedly challenged some of the claims made by interviewees featured by the London-based radio station.\n\nYouTube operates a \"three strikes\" policy, whereby channels that break its community guidelines three times within a 90-day period can be permanently banned, but other infractions lead to temporary restrictions.\n\nProhibited content includes \"medically unsubstantiated claims\" relating to Covid-19, and videos that contradict expert consensus from local health authorities such as the NHS.\n\n\"YouTube is making decisions about which opinions the public are allowed to hear, even when they are sourced to responsible and regulated new providers,\" TalkRadio said in a statement this evening.\n\n\"This sets a dangerous precedent and is censorship of free speech and legitimate national debate.\"\n\nThe broadcaster tweeted the statement minutes after YouTube's change of heart. It did not appear to be aware that its channel had been reinstated at the time, but has since acknowledged the move.\n\nTalkRadio has about 424,000 listeners, according to the latest figures from market research provider Rajar.\n\nIt uses YouTube as a means to livestream shows from its studios and to provide an archive of past broadcasts.\n\nIts channel on the platform has 242,000 subscribers.\n\nYouTube's action had meant that TalkRadio's website had featured articles featuring broken embedded clips for most of the day, and that users who had shared its clips would have been unable to view them.\n\nThe US firm has previously imposed a permanent ban against conspiracy theorist David Icke, and a one-week video suspension of right-wing outlet One America News Network's ability to publish new clips - in both cases for breaches of its Covid rules.\n\nIt's pretty clear something has gone wrong at YouTube in the last 24 hours.\n\nIt appeared as though TalkRadio had been banned for good on YouTube - or \"terminated\" as the company put it.\n\nYouTube is now saying it was a short suspension, which certainly seems like a backtrack.\n\nEven now, it's not obvious what the offending material was that caused this action. The whole process reinforces the idea that YouTube's moderation policies - where it draws the line between freedom of expression and clamping down on misinformation - can be messy and inconsistent.\n\nAnd when YouTube takes such an action without giving full details, it rains controversy down on its own head.\n\nThis plays to a broader movement by YouTube and other social media companies to take a harder line on disinformation.\n\nJoe Biden is about to become US President - and he wants social media companies to do more to remove fake news.\n\nBut as they are increasingly finding out, refereeing their own platforms can be hugely difficult, and this highlights the need for greater transparency about moderation decisions.", "Helen Mort was told no action could be taken over the deepfake porn images\n\nA woman who has been the victim of deepfake pornography is calling for a change in the law.\n\nLast year, Helen Mort discovered that non-sexual images of her had been uploaded to a porn website.\n\nUsers of the site were invited to edit the photos, merging Helen's face with explicit and violent sexual images.\n\nSpeaking to BBC Radio 5 Live's Mobeen Azhar, Helen said she wanted to see the creation and distribution of these images made an offence.\n\n\"This is a crime which in many cases is going on invisibly,\" Helen said. \"Those images of me had been out there for years and I didn't know about them, and I'm still having nightmares about some of them now. It's an incredibly serious form of abuse.\"\n\nDeepfakes are realistic computer-generated images or video, based on a real person.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Actress Bella Thorne opens up about her experience of deepfake abuse\n\nHelen, a poet and writer from Sheffield, was alerted to the deepfake images by an acquaintance.\n\nThe original images were taken from her social media and included holiday pictures and photos from her pregnancy.\n\nShe said although some of the images were clearly manipulated, there were a few more \"chilling\" examples that were a \"lot more plausible'.\n\n\"You go through different phases with things like this,\" she said. \"There was one point where I was just trying to laugh about the almost ridiculous nature of some of it.\n\n\"But obviously, the underlying feeling was shock and actually I initially felt quite ashamed, as if I'd done something wrong. That was quite a difficult thing to overcome. And then for a while I got incredibly anxious about even leaving the house.\"\n\nShe alerted the police to the images but was told that no action could be taken.\n\nDr Aislinn O'Connell, a lecturer in law at Royal Holloway University of London, explained that Helen's case fell outside the current law.\n\n\"In England and Wales, under section 33 of the Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015, it is an offence to non-consensually distribute a private sexual photograph or film with the intent to cause distress to the person depicted,\" she said.\n\n\"But this only applies where the original photo or video was private and sexual.\n\n\"In Helen's situation, where non-sexual photos were merged with sexual photos, this isn't covered by the criminal offence.\n\n\"Furthermore, as the photos were not shared with Helen directly, nor did the intention seem to be to cause distress to Helen, the second element is not fulfilled - even though it did, evidently, cause distress. The other potential criminal offence would be harassment, but given the perpetrator here did not direct it at Helen herself, this didn't apply either.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Deepfake videos: Can you really believe what you see?\n\nThe independent Law Commission is currently reviewing the law as it applies to taking, making and sharing intimate images without consent. The outcome of the consultation is due to be published later this year.\n\nHowever, Dr O'Connell said the process of changing the law would take years which she says is \"too long\".\n\nHelen hopes to use her experience to raise awareness around deepfake pornography and has launched a petition calling for a change in the law.\n\nIt has received more than 3,400 signatures.\n\nShe has also written a poem in response to the images.\n\n\"I'm a writer by trade,\" she said. \"And I thought the only thing that is going to allow me to reclaim any sense of agency here is to say something about it using my art form. That's the only power that I have.\n\n\"The intention of this person, as they said in their post, was to humiliate. They said they wanted to see this person humiliated, and I thought well actually I'm not humiliated, and I'm going to speak out about it because I shouldn't be the one who feels ashamed.\"\n\nThe Home Office said it was taking steps to tackle new and emerging forms of violence against women and girls, including intimate image abuse, \"whether this be cyber flashing, revenge porn or deep fake videos.\"\n\n\"We are currently consulting on the development of our new strategy to tackle violence against women and girls and we encourage people to give their views,\" a spokesperson said.\n\n\"This new strategy will ensure victims and survivors are supported, and that perpetrators are identified and brought to justice.\"", "Vocational exams, including BTEcs, are to go ahead this month in England - despite calls for them to be cancelled alongside GCSEs and A-levels.\n\n\"Schools and colleges can continue with the vocational and technical exams that are due to take place in January, where they judge it right to do so,\" said a Department for Education spokeswoman.\n\nFurther education college leaders had complained this was unfair to students.\n\nThey said students would face \"stress\" from taking exams in the lockdown.\n\nThe Association of Colleges warned the decision, giving schools and colleges the option on whether to carry on with BTecs, would create more confusion.\n\nChief executive David Hughes said some colleges would cancel exams and others would continue - but without any clarity about what would happen to \"students in colleges which do cancel for safety reasons\".\n\n\"A national decision would have allowed for more fairness,\" said Mr Hughes.\n\nThe announcement from the Department for Education has left it open for schools and colleges to decide whether to go ahead with vocational and technical exams.\n\n\"Schools and colleges have already implemented extensive protective measures to make them as safe as possible,\" said the DFE's spokeswoman.\n\nThe Department for Education said it recognised \"this is a difficult time\" but wanted to allow students who had prepared for exams and assessments to continue, including those who needed to take hands-on practical tests for qualifications for jobs.\n\nA joint statement from the mayors of Manchester and Liverpool said it was wrong to go ahead with these vocational exams when other academic exams had been cancelled.\n\n\"It is unfair to ask these students to go into colleges when everyone else is being told to stay at home.\n\n\"This will cause unnecessary anxiety and concern just when they need to be able to focus,\" said the statement from Andy Burnham and Steve Rotheram.\n\nThe mayors highlighted that students taking BTecs were more likely to be from \"working-class backgrounds and ethnic minority communities\" and they should not be treated any less well than those following an \"academic route\" in exams.\n\nHow will you be affected by the latest developments? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "Travellers to the UK from abroad could soon be required to prove they have had a negative coronavirus test.\n\nThe Department for Transport (DfT) said the measure is one of several being considered to \"prevent the spread of Covid-19 across the UK border\".\n\n\"Additional measures, including testing before departure, will help keep the importation of new cases to an absolute minimum,\" the department added.\n\nIt is thought that haulage drivers coming through ports would be exempt.\n\nHowever, the DfT said full details are still to be agreed and will be set out in \"due course\".\n\nAny such measure would be a devolved issue, so the the DfT would need to agree a path forward with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to make it UK-wide.\n\nA spokesperson said: \"With a new strain of the virus on the loose in South Africa and a more infectious variant already widespread in the UK we need to do more.\"\n\nThe measures were being discussed as Boris Johnson imposed the third national lockdown in England to prevent the NHS being overwhelmed.\n\nThe prime minister has faced some calls to strengthen border protections to prevent the arrival of new cases, particularly of new and concerning strains.\n\nHowever, there was no mention of tougher border controls during his address to the nation on Monday, or press conference on Tuesday.\n\nEarlier on Tuesday, Cabinet Office Secretary Michael Gove said announcements will come in the days ahead on \"how we will make sure that our ports and airports are safe\".\n\n\"It is already the case that there are significant restrictions on people coming into this country and of course we're stressing that nobody should be travelling abroad,\" he told ITV.\n\nCurrently, international arrivals from countries that are not exempt under the travel corridor programme have to isolate for 10 days.\n\nBut under the test and release scheme introduced in December, this can be shortened if they have a private test five days after their departure and it comes back negative.\n\nIt is possible lorry drivers could be exempt, but no final decision has been made\n\nDuring the first lockdown, the government argued against introducing border restrictions while the prevalence was so high in the UK, with experts arguing it would do little to bring down infection rates.\n\nA quarantine period, however, was introduced in June after the first peak, when cases were more under control.\n\nEarlier, Home Secretary Priti Patel was accused of leaving the \"nation's doors unlocked\" to new coronavirus variants coming to Britain from overseas.\n\nLabour shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds wrote to Ms Patel calling for an \"urgent review and improvement plan\" as he raised concerns over checks on the arrival of people who are meant to go into quarantine.\n\nHe wrote: \"It is especially worrying given the concerns regarding mutation of the virus that emerged in South Africa, which the health secretary rightly said is 'incredibly worrying'.\n\n\"However, the lack of a robust quarantine system as a result of shortcomings from the government mean that it is virtually impossible to keep a grip on this spread or other variants that may come from overseas, leaving the UK defenceless, and completely exposed, with the nation's doors unlocked to further Covid mutations.\"\n\nThe Home Office defended its \"stringent measures\", and pointed to its move to stop direct flights from South Africa to the UK amid concerns over a new coronavirus variant in high prevalence there.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nEveryone in England must stay at home except for permitted reasons during a new coronavirus lockdown expected to last until mid-February, the PM says.\n\nAll schools and colleges will close to most pupils and switch to remote learning from Tuesday.\n\nBoris Johnson warned the coming weeks would be the \"hardest yet\" amid surging cases and patient numbers.\n\nHe said those in the top four priority groups would be offered a first vaccine dose by the middle of next month.\n\nAll care home residents and their carers, everyone aged 70 and over, all frontline health and social care workers, and the clinically extremely vulnerable will be offered one dose of a vaccine by mid-February.\n\nSchools in Northern Ireland will have an \"extended period of remote learning\", the Stormont Executive said.\n\nSpeaking from Downing Street, Mr Johnson told the public to follow the new lockdown rules immediately, before they become law in the early hours of Wednesday.\n\nAll the new measures in England will then last until at least the middle of February, he said, as a new more infectious variant of the virus spreads across the UK.\n\nThe PM added that he believed the country was entering \"the last phase of the struggle\".\n\nHospitals were under \"more pressure from Covid than at any time since the start of the pandemic\", he said.\n\nAnd he reiterated the slogan used earlier in the pandemic, urging people to immediately \"stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives\".\n\nOn Monday, the UK recorded more than 50,000 new confirmed Covid cases for the seventh day in a row.\n\nA further 58,784 cases and an additional 407 deaths within 28 days of a positive test result were reported, though deaths in Scotland were not recorded.\n\nAs of 08:00 GMT, there were 26,626 Covid-19 patients in hospital in England, according to the latest figures.\n\nThis is a week-on-week increase of 30%, and a new record high.\n\nThose who are clinically extremely vulnerable will be contacted by letter and should now shield once more, Mr Johnson said.\n\nSupport and childcare bubbles will continue under the new measures - and people can meet one person from another household for outdoor exercise.\n\nCommunal worship and life events like funerals and weddings can continue, subject to limits on attendance.\n\nWhile Mr Johnson said end-of-year exams would not take place as normal in the summer, he said alternative arrangements would be announced separately.\n\nThe government has published a 22-page document outlining the new rules in detail.\n\nThe House of Commons has been recalled to allow MPs to vote on the new restrictions on Wednesday.\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer said his MPs would \"support the package of measures\", saying \"we've all got to pull together now to make this work\".\n\nOnce again it is the threat to the NHS that has forced the hand of ministers.\n\nIn England there has been a 50% rise in the number of patients in hospital with Covid since Christmas day.\n\nTo put that into context, it equates to 18 hospitals being filled.\n\nCurrently around three out of 10 beds are occupied by patients with the disease.\n\nIn some hospitals it is more than six in 10.\n\nBut what is worrying ministers and NHS leaders is that the number is just going to increase.\n\nIn the spring it took nearly three weeks after lockdown for hospital cases to peak.\n\nThe last six days have seen in excess of 50,000 new infections confirmed each day across the UK - a number of these infections are next week's hospital admissions.\n\nIt is why the UK's chief medical officers were warning there was a \"material risk\" of some hospitals being overwhelmed if something did not change.\n\nMr Johnson spoke after UK chief medical officers recommended the Covid threat level be increased to five - its highest level.\n\nLevel five means the NHS may soon be unable to handle a further sustained rise in cases, the medical officers said in a joint statement.\n\nNHS Providers, which represents health service trusts, said hospitals were at a \"critical point\" and that \"immediate and decisive action\" was needed.\n\nAnnouncing tougher measures in Scotland, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: \"It is no exaggeration to say that I am more concerned about the situation we face now than I have been at any time since March last year.\"\n\nFor pupils who returned for their first day of the new term at primary school on Monday, it's turned out to be an extremely short-lived visit.\n\nBoris Johnson's announcement will see primary, secondary and further education colleges closed for at least the next six weeks, except for vulnerable and key workers' children.\n\nIt's a much bigger shift in policy than had been anticipated, even a few days ago.\n\nEven the return date will depend on the progress in tackling the virus.\n\n\"I hope we can steadily move out of lockdown, reopening schools after the February half term,\" said the prime minister.\n\nKeeping schools open was the government's most definite of red lines, a few weeks ago they were threatening councils that wanted to close them - but it's now been overtaken by the spiking lines on the Covid infection charts.\n\nEven after the chaos of last year's replacement grades, GCSEs and A-levels are being cancelled again - with a replacement system still to be decided. Vocational exams are to continue.\n\nFor parents dreading home schooling, there are plans for it to be better supported this time - with more computer devices available and suggestions that Ofsted inspectors will check what schools are offering.\n\nBut there's no escaping that this will feel like another sudden and chaotic change of direction for schools and parents.\n\nMr Johnson's pledge on vaccinations comes after an 82-year-old retired maintenance manager became the first person in the UK to receive the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 jab\n\nSome 13.9 million people are among the four priority groups who will receive a vaccine dose by about 15 February, vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi said.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. BBC's Laura Foster explains the order in which the Covid vaccine will be given\n\nHow will you be affected by the latest developments? What questions do you have? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "Lockdowns have worked before, but can we expect the new one to do the same?\n\nIt feels like we are back in March or April last year, when the strict controls on all our lives led to a fairly quick decline in levels of coronavirus.\n\nBut one of the crucial differences this time is the new variant, which is thought to spread between 50 and 70% faster than previous forms of the virus.\n\nExperts warn there are now no guarantees that lockdown will be enough to bring the variant under control.\n\n\"It still would not have been easy, but it would have been a much easier situation if it had not been for the new variant,\" Prof Neil Ferguson, from Imperial College London, told Inside Health.\n\n\"That really pushes the bounds of our ability to control the spread of the virus, even with measures that were previously relatively quite effective.\"\n\nThe coronavirus spreads when we come into contact with each other so moving classrooms online, telling people to stay at home and closing shops breaks many of those opportunities for human contact.\n\nIf we consider the R number - the average number of people each infected person passes the virus on to - it was about 3.0 in the run up to the first lockdown and anything above 1.0 means cases are climbing.\n\nR fell to 0.6 during the first lockdown.\n\nThen every 1,000 infected people passed the virus on to 600 others, who passed it on to 360 others and so on.\n\nBut if the new variant is 50% more transmissible then the R number, in the same lockdown conditions, would be about 0.9.\n\nThen 1,000 infected people would pass the virus onto 900 others, then 810 and so on.\n\nAs you can see this leads to far slower decline.\n\nAnd that assumes lockdown can get R down to 0.9 in areas where the new variant has become the most common form of the virus.\n\nIf, as some studies suggest, the variant is about 70% more transmissible then R may stay above 1.0 and cases may not fall at all.\n\n\"We'd at best flatten the curve, keep numbers at a roughly constant level, and that's frankly why there is so much emphasis on getting vaccine into people's arms as quickly as possible,\" said Prof Ferguson.\n\nIt is hard to lock down even harder as there are some parts of society - hospitals, supermarkets - that need to be kept open.\n\nWhat happens to the number of cases over the coming weeks will be closely monitored. If this lockdown is less effective then we will have to live with it for longer.\n\nThere have been some encouraging signs over the Christmas break, which was a bit like a lockdown due to school holidays and other restrictions.\n\n\"We are in a very difficult situation here, but my initial assessment of the last few days is that the rate is slowing which is good news,\" Prof John Edmunds, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, told the BBC.\n\nHe added: \"It looks likes those restrictions should be sufficient to stop the increase, whether they will be sufficient to bring cases down sufficiently we are yet to see.\"\n\nEventually the vaccine will give people immunity so we do not need the same controls on our lives.\n\nNow more than ever this is a race between the virus and the vaccine.", "I'm standing in what should be an operating theatre - but instead it's been converted into an intensive care unit for Covid-19 patients on ventilators. This is the first time I have seen it full of patients like this.\n\nNormally this theatre would be busy with major cancer surgery, but that's been transferred to another building.\n\nA children's recovery area, still decorated with colourful stickers of cartoons, is once again filled with desperately sick adults. Every day, more wards are being transformed into ICU - ready for the next influx of patients.\n\nWe have been given access to University College Hospital, in central London. This is the same intensive care unit that I visited in April, during the first peak.\n\nIt is one of the busiest hospitals in the capital and intensive care here is expanding across a hospital that is under pressure like never before, from a relentless rise in Covid admissions.\n\nI am struck by the toll the pandemic is taking on staff. It's immense - both physically and mentally. They are shell-shocked. \"My emotions are all over the place. Scared, sad, petrified, worried,\" one ICU nurse tells me.\n\nThey have got three times as many critically ill patients in the hospital as normal. The number of Covid admissions to London hospitals has doubled in just two weeks - they're more stretched now than at the peak last April. Senior staff are worried.", "Bosses of Britain's biggest companies will earn more in the first three days of this week than the average worker's annual wage, research claims.\n\nBy 17:30 GMT on Wednesday, the pay of FTSE 100 chiefs will have overtaken the £31,461 annual median wage for full time workers, the High Pay Centre says.\n\nBosses' pay was flat last year, while average wages generally rose slightly.\n\nThat meant that FTSE chief executives had to work 34 hours to beat median annual pay, not the 33 hours in 2020.\n\nThe High Pay Centre think-tank based its annual calculations on analysis of disclosures in companies' annual reports, combined with government statistics.\n\nHigh Pay Centre director Luke Hildyard said chief executive pay is about 120 times that of the typical UK worker, up significantly from two decades ago.\n\n\"Estimates suggest it was around 50 times at the turn of the millennium or 20 times in the early 1980s,\" he said.\n\n\"Factors such as the increasing role played by the finance industry in the economy, the outsourcing of low-paid work and the decline of trade union membership have widened the gaps between those at the top and everybody else over recent decades.\"\n\nHe said the figures should raise concern about the governance of Britain's biggest companies. \"They should also prompt debate about the effects that high levels of inequality can have on social cohesion, crime, and public health and wellbeing,\" he said.\n\nMedian FTSE 100 chief executive pay was £3.61m in 2019, the last year for which a full set of data is available, the High Pay Centre said.\n\nThe centre said its analysis was based on chief executives' average working day being 12 hours.\n\nHowever, critics said such analysis just fuels the politics of envy without looking at why chief executives matter and the contribution they make.\n\nDaniel Pryor, head of programmes at the Adam Smith Institute, said: \"Good management is more important than ever in a globalised world and small differences in top talent make a big impact on a business' bottom line.\n\n\"That bottom line makes a big difference to workers across the UK, anyone with a private pension, and shareholders.\"\n\nHe pointed out that there is strong, if morbid, evidence about chief executive deaths that shows why the corporate and investment world believe leadership makes a huge difference to the fortunes of their companies.\n\n\"In the past 60 years, unexpected CEO deaths have consistently affected stock price, profitability, investment and sales growth - for better or worse,\" he said, adding: \"Which is why it makes sense for firms to open their wallets to attract the best talent.\"", "Doctors in Scotland have raised concerns about plans to delay the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine.\n\nAll four UK nations will now leave up to 12 weeks between the first and second doses of the jab rather than giving both within 21 days.\n\nDr Lewis Morrison, head of the BMA in Scotland, said members had concerns about the potential impact of leaving such a big gap between the two doses.\n\nBut the UK's chief medical officers have defended the move.\n\nThey said that the first dose of either the Pfizer or the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccines - the only two so far approved for use in the UK - will give people substantial protection against the virus within two to three weeks of being administered.\n\nAnd they said that the second dose was \"likely to be very important for duration of protection, and at an appropriate dose interval may further increase vaccine efficacy\".\n\nThe Joint Committee of Vaccination and Immunisation, which advises UK health departments and recommended the new strategy, said data showed that one dose of the Pfizer vaccine would be \"90% effective\".\n\nBut the World Health Organization (WHO) has said it would not recommend following the UK's decision to delay giving the second Pfizer dose, saying there was no evidence to support the decision.\n\nPfizer has said it has tested the vaccine's efficacy only when the two doses were given up to 21 days apart.\n\nThe Pfizer vaccine was the first to be approved for use in the UK, with more than a million people having already been given the first dose.\n\nThe change to the vaccination strategy has meant health boards have had to change plans and cancel people booked in for their second doses of the Pfizer jabs.\n\nThis includes medics who are among the priority groups for Covid vaccinations.\n\nDr Lewis Morrison, chairman of the British Medical Association's Scottish Council, raised concerns about the logistical impact of changing the vaccination strategy\n\nDr Morrison told the BBC's Good Morning Scotland programme that some doctors had told him they would have waited for the AstraZeneca jab, which has been proven to work in the longer timetable, if they had known the second Pfizer dose was going to be delayed.\n\nHe said: \"We are concerned because there's clearly disagreement about the effectiveness of the second dose of Pfizer after that period of time.\n\n\"Furthermore I think if you give more people the first dose when you don't know what vaccine supplies are going to be within that 12-week window, that's a worry that has been expressed to me by a lot of doctors.\n\n\"If we give more people the first dose, do we definitely know that the second one is coming?\n\n\"The announcement about this before a four-day NHS holiday weekend left many places with great difficulty in reorganising vaccinations, with a real risk that vaccination numbers might perversely drop because of the organisational issues.\"\n\nOpposition parties want the Scottish government to publish daily figures for how many people have been vaccinated\n\nIt comes as NHS staff were left queueing for hours outside Glasgow Royal Infirmary on Tuesday after an \"scheduling error\" meant vaccination staff did not turn up.\n\nNHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has apologised to those affected and said it was rearranging the appointments.\n\nThe Scottish government has said it aims to have given at least one vaccine dose to everyone over the age of 50 and younger people with underlying health conditions by the start of May.\n\nFirst Minister Nicola Sturgeon said on Tuesday that the timetable could be accelerated if there were sufficient supplies of the jab.\n\nThe Scottish government is being pressured to provide daily figures on the number of people being vaccinated, as the UK government has already pledged to do.\n\nScottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said: \"There are now no excuses left for the SNP government to dodge publishing daily vaccination rates alongside the daily infection numbers as soon as possible.\n\n\"The SNP's evasion to try and avoid scrutiny is nothing new but on something so important, the Scottish public must have the same information as will be provided across the UK.\"\n\nHis call was echoed by Scottish Labour health spokeswoman Monica Lennon, who added: \"It is simply unacceptable that scores of NHS staff were left queueing outside in the cold for hours, and well into the evening.\n\n\"It's time for Health Secretary Jeane Freeman to get to grips with the vaccination programme, publish daily figures on the number of vaccinations available and administered, and ensure that our NHS staff do not pay the price of a bungled rollout.\"\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The prime minister says schools will be the first places to reopen\n\nThe end of England's lockdown will not happen with a \"big bang\" but will instead be a \"gradual unwrapping\", Boris Johnson has told MPs.\n\nThe prime minister made the comments in the Commons ahead of a retrospective vote later on the lockdown measures.\n\nHe said the legislation runs until 31 March to allow a \"controlled\" easing of restrictions back into local tiers.\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the government's decisions \"have led us to the position we're now in\".\n\nHealth Secretary Matt Hancock said there were now 30,074 patients with coronavirus in UK hospitals.\n\nAll of the UK is now under strict virus curbs, with Wales, Northern Ireland and most of Scotland also in lockdown.\n\nIt came as the UK reported a further 1,041 people have died with coronavirus, the highest daily death toll since April.\n\nIn a statement to the Commons, Mr Johnson said the new variant had \"led to more cases than we've seen ever before\" and that this had left the government with \"no choice but to return to national lockdown\".\n\nHe said the legislation ran until the end of March \"not because we expect the full national lockdown to continue until then, but to allow a steady, controlled and evidence-led move down through the tiers on a regional basis\".\n\nHe said this would happen \"brick-by-brick... without risking the hard-won gains that protections have given us\".\n\nBut in response to MPs' questions, he said there was a \"cautious presumption\" that restrictions could start being eased from mid-February.\n\n\"And as was the case last spring, our emergence from the lockdown cocoon will be not a big bang but a gradual unwrapping,\" he added.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. \"We need a plan\", Keir Starmer told MPs while declaring Labour would support new lockdown\n\nUnder the measures, which came into force legally on Wednesday, people in England will only be able to go out for essential reasons, for exercise outdoors only once a day, and outdoor sports venues must close.\n\nPolice have the powers to enforce the new restrictions with a £200 fine for each breach, doubling on every offence up to a maximum of £6,400 - and a £10,000 penalty for mass gatherings.\n\nOfficers in London arrested at least a dozen people in Parliament Square after a protest against the new measures on Wednesday.\n\nThe need to debate and vote on the restrictions means the Commons has been recalled from its Christmas break for the second time - the first being for the post-Brexit trade deal with the EU.\n\nWith Sir Keir saying Labour will support the motion, the measures are expected to pass with ease.\n\nThe restrictions will be kept under \"continuous review\", Mr Johnson added, with a statutory requirement to reconsider them every two weeks.\n\nAddressing the closure of schools, the PM said \"we did everything in our power to keep them open as long as possible\" and that was why schools were the \"very last thing to close\".\n\nThey would be the \"very first thing to reopen\" after lockdown - that could be after the February half term - but \"we must be very cautious\" about the timetable, he said.\n\nMeanwhile, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson told the Commons that GCSEs, A-level and AS-level exams would be cancelled this year in England, replaced by a form of teacher-assessed grades.\n\n\"This year, we're going to put our trust in teachers, rather than algorithms,\" he said, referencing controversy over the way exam grades were awarded to some students last year.\n\nAll national curriculum tests for primary school children, often known as Sats, are now cancelled, Mr Williamson confirmed.\n\nHe said every school will be expected to provide between three and five hours of virtual teaching each day and that 750,000 laptop and tablet devices will have been distributed by the end of next week.\n\nThe prime minister wasted no time in emphasising the \"fundamental difference\" between this and previous lockdowns.\n\nTo keep opposition from his own MPs at bay he needs to demonstrate that the government's aim to vaccinate the most at-risk groups by mid-February is viable.\n\nHe is also under pressure to give a sense of how quickly restrictions might be lifted after that.\n\nThe course of the pandemic has changed swiftly at times, though, and may do so again, so it's unlikely we'll get any firm new timelines from Boris Johnson today.\n\nMost Conservative backbenchers seem resigned to the need for this new national lockdown and agree the prime minister had \"no choice\" but to act.\n\nBut MPs on all sides are impatient to hear how soon things may start returning to something like life as normal at last.\n\nMr Johnson said unlike in March last year, during the first lockdown, vaccines offered \"the means of our escape\".\n\nBut he said there was now a race to vaccinate vulnerable people quickly, with the government setting a target of immunising the four most vulnerable groups - some 13 million people - by mid-February.\n\n\"After the marathon of last year, we are indeed now in a sprint, a race to vaccinate the vulnerable faster than the virus can reach them,\" Mr Johnson said.\n\n\"Every needle in every arm makes a difference.\"\n\nEarlier, Covid vaccine deployment minister Nadhim Zahawi said he was \"confident\" the government would meet its \"ambitious\" target, adding that community pharmacies would be brought in to assist the vaccination programme.\n\nHe told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that new daily vaccination figures for the UK - which will be released for the first time on Monday - will show there has been a \"significant increase\" in the number of people who have received the jab.\n\nOn Tuesday, Mr Johnson said 1.3 million people in the UK had been vaccinated so far.\n\nMr Zahawi also said nursery schools presented \"very little risk\", are Covid-safe and he defended the decision to keep them open during England's lockdown.\n\nResponding to the prime minister's statement, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said his party will support the new restrictions and urged people to comply with them.\n\n\"The virus is out of control, over a million people in England now have Covid, the number of hospital admissions is rising, tragically so are the numbers of people dying,\" he said.\n\n\"It's only the early days of January and the NHS is under huge strain. In those circumstances, tougher restrictions are necessary.\"\n\nBut he added \"this is not just bad luck, it's not inevitable, it follows a pattern\" of the government being slow to respond.\n\n\"These are the decisions that have led us to the position we're now in - and the vaccine is now the only way out and we must all support the national effort to get it rolled out as quickly as possible.\"\n\nHow have you been affected by Covid? What will lockdown mean for you? Please get in touch by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Police raided an illegal rave in a railway arch attended by 300 people.\n\nPolice have issued more than £15,000 in fines after 300 people attended an illegal rave in a railway arch.\n\nOfficers raided an unlicensed music event in Nursery Road, Hackney, at 01.30 GMT on Sunday.\n\nMany people fled the scene, while organisers padlocked the doors from the inside to stop officers getting in, police said.\n\nNo arrests were reported, but 78 fines of up to £200 for breaching lockdown restrictions were issued.\n\nA dog unit and helicopter were deployed to the scene, with police saying they made numerous attempts to contact the organisers.\n\nOrganisers padlocked the door from the inside to prevent officers getting in, police said\n\nCh Supt Roy Smith said: \"This was a serious and blatant breach of the public health regulations and the law.\n\n\"Officers were forced, yet again, to put their own health at risk to deal with a large group of incredibly selfish people who were tightly packed together in a confined space - providing an ideal opportunity for this deadly virus to spread.\n\n\"Not just organisers, but all those present at such illegal parties can expect to be issued a fine.\"\n\nOfficers surrounded the property as dozens of guests scaled fences at the rear of the arch to escape\n\nThere is an England-wide lockdown in place which prevents any social mixing between households.\n\nUnder these restrictions people are asked to only leave home for limited reasons such as shopping, going to work, seeking medical assistance or avoiding domestic abuse.\n\nThe Met Police has broken up several large gatherings in London over the last month including a 150-person wedding at a north London school.\n\nTwo officers were injured as police broke up a party involving about 200 people in Kensington on 17 January.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Former Brexit Party MEP Robert Rowland was described as a larger than life character\n\nA former Brexit Party MEP has died in a diving accident near his home in the Bahamas.\n\nRobert Rowland, 54, represented the south east of England at the European Parliament from July 2019 until January 2020.\n\nNigel Farage paid tribute to the \"larger than life character\" and \"enthusiastic\" Brexit supporter.\n\nHe announced the death of his former colleague in a statement on Sunday.\n\nThe Royal Bahamas Police Force said it had \"received reports of a drowning incident\" on Saturday and was \"conducting inquires\".\n\nMr Farage said: \"It is with great sadness that I have to announce the death of Robert Rowland, after a diving accident near his home in the Bahamas.\n\n\"Following a successful career in the City, Robert was an enthusiastic Brexit Party MEP and larger than life character.\"\n\nHe said he wished to extend his \"sincerest condolences\" to Mr Rowland's family, including his wife and four children.\n\nFormer Brexit Party MEP David Bull said he was \"beyond devastated,\" adding: \"Robert was a wonderful friend and colleague.\"\n• None Farage's Brexit Party officially changes its name\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Nicola Sturgeon: 'It's right that I am properly scrutinised'\n\nScotland's first minister has insisted she did not mislead parliament about when she learned harassment allegations had been made against her predecessor Alex Salmond.\n\nNicola Sturgeon said \"false conspiracy theories were being spun\" about her involvement by Mr Salmond's supporters.\n\nA Holyrood inquiry into how the government handled the allegations against Mr Salmond is under way.\n\nShe said she expects to give evidence to the inquiry in the coming weeks.\n\nThe BBC's Andrew Marr asked Ms Sturgeon how she responded to Mr Salmond saying that parliament had been repeatedly misled, and that evidence she gave to the inquiry was \"simply\" and \"manifestly untrue\".\n\nMs Sturgeon replied that she would \"refute that vigorously\".\n\nHer interview came after the inquiry announced it would use legal powers to seek documents from the Crown Office.\n\nIn response to Ms Sturgeon's interview, a spokeswoman for Mr Salmond said: \"The evidence, if published, will speak for itself\".\n\nA committee of MSPs is investigating the government's handling of two harassment claims against the former first minister, after he successfully challenged the complaints process in court.\n\nShe said it was right that she was scrutinised and that she had hoped to appear before the committee on Tuesday but that this had been delayed by \"a couple of weeks\".\n\nAsked if Alex Salmond was \"spinning false conspiracy theories\", Nicola Sturgeon said: \"There are false conspiracy theories being spun about this... by Alex Salmond, by people around him - you can draw your own conclusions around that.\"\n\nShe added: \"What I certainly reflect on is that at times I appear to be simultaneously accused of colluding with Mr Salmond to somehow cover up accusations of sexual harassment on the one hand.\n\n\"And then on the other hand, being part of some dastardly conspiracy to bring him down.\n\n\"Neither of those are true.\"\n\nMs Sturgeon added: \"I didn't collude with Alex Salmond and I didn't conspire against him.\"\n\nThe first minister reiterated that Mr Salmond had told her about the allegations during a meeting at her home on 2 April 2018.\n\nHowever, Mr Salmond has insisted that she already knew about the allegations as she had been told about them four days earlier by one of his aides.\n\nNicola Sturgeon has previously acknowledge that she initially \"forgot\" about this meeting.\n\nIn evidence to the Holyrood inquiry which was published in October, she said: \"From what I recall, the discussion [with Mr Salmond's aide] covered the fact that Alex Salmond wanted to see me urgently about a serious matter, and I think it did cover the suggestion that the matter might relate to allegations of a sexual nature.\"\n\nSpeaking to The Andrew Marr Show, she added: \"I, at the time I became aware of all of this, just tried hard not to interfere with what was going on and not to do anything that would see these swept aside rather than properly investigated.\"\n\nMs Sturgeon conceded that the Scottish government had made mistakes in how it handled the allegations.\n\n\"What I will never do is apologise for doing everything I could to make sure that complaints about sexual harassment were investigated, and not simply swept under the carpet because of the seniority and powerful position of the person who was subject to them,\" she added.\n\nLast March, Mr Salmond was cleared of 13 charges of sexual assault at the High Court in Edinburgh.\n\nA spokeswoman for Mr Salmond said: \"The two inquiries under way are into why Nicola Sturgeon's government acted unlawfully.\n\n\"Alex has submitted his evidence as requested and the parliamentary committee is now challenging the Crown Office to produce some of the text messages which they believe are being suppressed.\n\n\"The evidence, if published, will speak for itself\"", "Asos says it is in \"exclusive\" talks to buy Topshop, Topman, Miss Selfridge and HIIT brands out of administration.\n\nBut the online retailer said it only wanted the brands, not their shops, suggesting any deal would cost jobs.\n\nThe current owner of the brands, Sir Philip Green's Arcadia Group, fell into administration last November putting 13,000 jobs at risk.\n\nAsos said it was \"a compelling opportunity\" to buy \"strong brands that resonate well with its customer base\".\n\n\"However, at this stage, there can be no certainty of a transaction and Asos will keep shareholders updated as appropriate,\" it added.\n\nLast week, a consortium including fashion chain Next dropped its bid to buy Topshop and Topman because it could not meet the price tag.\n\nOthers interested in some or all of Arcadia - which also owns Dorothy Perkins and Burton - include Mike Ashley's Frasers Group, a consortium including JD Sports, and the online retailer Boohoo.\n\nIn addition, the Issa brothers, who recently bought supermarket chain Asda, and Chinese fast fashion giant Shein are said to have made bids for Topshop.\n\nAsos has seen strong sales in the pandemic and is already one of the biggest wholesalers for Topshop, Topman, Burton and Miss Selfridge.\n\nAdministrators from Deloitte requested that final bids be submitted last Monday, with the auction expected to conclude at the end of January.\n\nSir Philip Green is under pressure to use his own money to plug an estimated £350m hole in Arcadia's pension fund, which has about 10,000 members.\n\nLast year the retail tycoon had an estimated fortune of £930m, according to the Sunday Times Rich List.\n\nArcadia employed about 13,000 people and had 444 shops at the time of its collapse.", "27 of the 29 miners that died in tragedy\n\nThe Pike River mining disaster was a tragedy that shocked the world. Twenty-nine men who were in the New Zealand coal mine died when it collapsed in a series of explosions. The BBC's Phil Mercer covered the accident 10 years ago and has been talking to families of victims still coming to terms with their loss.\n\nThe day after his 17th birthday, Joseph Ray Dunbar began his first shift underground at the Pike River coal mine in New Zealand.\n\nHe was a \"strong-minded boy\" who wanted to carve his own path in life, but on that day in November 2010 he became the youngest victim of a mining disaster that killed 29 men.\n\nTheir bodies have never been recovered, and a decade later the teenager's father Dean is still looking for answers.\n\n\"In a modern society you don't wipe out 29 men and just walk away,\" he told the BBC. \"Joseph's legacy is righting the wrongs of the past whether it be by government agencies, police or politicians.\"\n\nJoseph Dunbar was the youngest among the victims\n\nIn 2012, a Royal Commission found the miners and contractors were exposed to \"unacceptable risk\" and that \"there were numerous warnings of a potential catastrophe at Pike River,\" but there have been no prosecutions.\n\nThe inquiry concluded the men \"died immediately, or shortly afterwards\" from a methane gas blast or the \"toxic atmosphere\". Two workers did manage to escape the blast and survived.\n\nNews of an accident at the mine in the Paparoa Ranges began to emerge in the middle of the afternoon on Friday, 19 November, 2010.\n\nFamily members soon gathered, and in the hours and days that followed, there was hope that the men might still be alive, although the authorities said a rescue mission was too dangerous. A nation prayed for another mining miracle.\n\nOn the right, the tags of the 29 miners who never made it out\n\nA few months earlier, 33 miners in Chile's Atacama Desert had been pulled out alive after being trapped underground for 69 days.\n\n\"That was totally on my mind the whole time,\" explained Anna Osborne, whose husband, Milton, died at Pike River.\n\n\"I saw how successfully those Chilean miners were rescued and I thought if they can all come out alive, it can happen to us. But little did I know that that mine (in Chile) wasn't a gassy one.\"\n\nFor five long days the families waited. As a reporter sent to cover the story at the time, it was excruciating for me to watch their anguish and frustration grow.\n\nThere would be no rescue, and on 24 November another explosion ripped through the mine, and all hope was gone.\n\nFire at the entrance to the mine\n\nMs Osborne told the BBC that she is \"still fighting to get the truth and still wondering why our guys were allowed underground when the mine was so volatile (and) was a ticking time bomb.\"\n\nNot all of the families want the men's remains to be recovered, but she said it would be a great comfort to bring her husband home.\n\n\"He was working in the south (part of the mine), which was flooded. My husband couldn't swim, so he hated the water and I close my eyes every night and visualise him floating in this water that he hated so much and I just thought I can't have him down there. If we can, I would like as many men to be retrieved,\" she added.\n\nI close my eyes every night and visualise him floating in this water\n\nThe Pike River Recovery Agency is a government department that has re-entered the so-called drift, a 2.3km (1.4 miles) tunnel that connects the entrance of the mine to the working areas and coal seams.\n\nIt is looking for clues that might help explain the explosions and to \"help prevent future mining tragedies.\" Re-entering the mine was delayed by safety concerns.\n\nThe end of the drift is blocked by a huge mass of fallen rock. This roof collapse was caused by the ignition of methane, and there are no plans for the agency to move further into the mine where most, if not all, of the bodies remain.\n\nRecovery teams only made it into an initial tunnel but not the mine proper\n\n\"The Agency's mandate from the government did not include recovering beyond the drift access tunnel,\" said a PRRA spokesperson. \"It remains less likely that we will recover human remains.\"\n\n\"That rockfall is impenetrable,\" said Tony Kokshoorn, the former mayor of the local Grey District. \"The 29 miners are in the coal mine proper. At least they are all together and that is their final resting place.\"\n\n\"Many of the families want them to be together in there because it would have been pretty tough on a lot of families if some had come out and the others couldn't come out.\"\n\nThe police inquiry into the disaster is continuing, with a spokesperson saying they \"remain committed to a full and thorough investigation into events\" and will everything they can to \"provide answers\".\n\nThe grief was felt far beyond New Zealand's rugged West Coast by bereaved families in Australia, Scotland and South Africa.\n\nThe mine will almost certainly never reopen, but Bernie Monk, whose 23-year old son Michael died in the disaster, wants one, final push to bring the men out.\n\n\"The times that I went up to the mine portal with anniversaries, I swore and declared and I looked down that tunnel, and I said to them, 'we're coming to get you guys out'. It was an emotional day for me when I first went down into the mine,\" he said.\n\n\"We're are only 50 to 100 metres away from them. I think we've got a right to go and get those men,\" Mr Monk told the BBC.\n\nOut of tragedy comes pain, anger and calls for accountability and change. It is 10 years since Anna Osborne's husband, affectionately known as Milt, never came home, and she continues to agitate for stronger health and safety laws, and for employers to be prosecuted when things go wrong.\n\n\"We have had 700 people lose their lives in workplace accidents since Pike River. That is like a Pike River every five months in New Zealand,\" she said.\n\nBut above all else there is a sadness that may never fade.\n\n\"I love him so much. It still hurts. It is still very, very raw.\"", "National Museum of the Royal New Zealand Navy Philip Gannaway (left) on the SS Demosthenes in 1916, when it was being used as a troop ship\n\nAn appeal has been made to trace the family of a sailor from New Zealand buried more than a century ago on an island off Anglesey.\n\nLt Philip Gannaway had recently married his wife Muriel when he enlisted during World War One.\n\nHe joined the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, serving on motor launches on the Menai Strait.\n\nBut he died aged 32 during the Spanish flu pandemic in 1918, and is buried on Church Island in the strait.\n\nLocal historian Bridget Geoghegan says she has already had responses following a story about Lt Gannaway on the New Zealand news website Stuff.\n\nHowever, she is still waiting to hear from his direct relatives.\n\n\"I have met family members of some people I have researched, and that is always a delight - a bonus,\" she said.\n\nThe grave notes Lt Gannaway's military service with the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve\n\nLt Gannaway's funeral took place on 9 November 1918 with full naval honours, just two days before the armistice that brought fighting to an end.\n\nNewspaper reports found by Ms Geoghegan said more than 200 men and officers joined the procession, with shipyard work pausing as a mark of respect.\n\n\"I found he had married his sweetheart not long before volunteering and coming over to UK,\" she said.\n\n\"It seemed like a bitter end to a love story.\"\n\nHe is buried at St Tysilio's on Church Island, which is linked to the rest of Anglesey by a short causeway.\n\nThe Australian and New Zealander are both remembered on the war memorial\n\nBut Lt Gannaway is not the only man on the island buried so far from home.\n\nRemembered alongside him on the war memorial is William Connington, a 23-year-old corporal in the Australian Flying Corps who died with flu in Buckinghamshire.\n\n\"Connington had family in the area - his father must have emigrated to Australia,\" Ms Geoghegan said.\n\n\"His aunt and cousin lived in Menai Bridge. I think it likely that he had been up to stay with the family and when he died his aunt brought him back to Menai Bridge from Aylesbury so that he would be buried amongst friends.\"\n\nSt Tysilio's sits on Church Island in the Menai Strait\n\nFor several years Ms Geoghegan has joined others in researching and commemorating the people named on local war memorials and graves.\n\nBefore the latest lockdown restrictions, she created a walk for Church Island with the stories behind the names.\n\n\"I devised a walk round St Tysilio to include the graves of those lost and the family commemorations for their loved-ones buried elsewhere or lost at sea - the pain is almost palpable,\" she said.\n\nThe inscription from Lt Gannaway's parents to their \"beloved son\" reads simply: \"In peace he lived, in peace he died\".\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Supporters of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny protest against his arrest across Russia\n\nRussian police have detained more than 3,000 people in a crackdown on protests in support of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, monitors say.\n\nTens of thousands of people defied a heavy police presence to join some of the largest rallies against President Vladimir Putin in years.\n\nIn Moscow, riot police were seen beating and dragging away protesters.\n\nMr Navalny, President Putin's most high-profile critic, called for protests after his arrest last Sunday.\n\nHe was detained after he flew back to Moscow from Berlin, where he had been recovering from a near-fatal nerve agent attack in Russia last August.\n\nOn his return, he was immediately taken into custody and found guilty of violating parole conditions. He says it is a trumped-up case designed to silence him.\n\nOVD Info, an independent NGO that monitors rallies, said about 3,100 people had been detained, more than 1,200 of them in Moscow alone. The Kremlin has not commented.\n\nThe unauthorised demonstrations were held in about 100 cities and towns from Russia's Far East and Siberia to Moscow and St Petersburg. Protesters ranged from teenage students to elderly people who demanded Mr Navalny's release.\n\nAt least 40,000 people joined a rally in central Moscow, Reuters news agency estimated. But Russia's interior ministry put the number of protesters at 4,000.\n\nObservers say the scale of the demonstrations across the country was unprecedented while the protest in the capital was the largest in almost a decade.\n\nRiot police used batons against protesters in Moscow\n\nIn the city's Pushkin square, some protesters chanted \"Freedom to Navalny\" and \"Putin go away!\" One woman told the BBC she had decided to join the demonstration because \"Russia has been turned into a prison camp\".\n\nSergei Radchenko, a 53-year-old protester in Moscow, told Reuters: \"I'm tired of being afraid. I haven't just turned up for myself and Navalny, but for my son because there is no future in this country.\"\n\nLyubov Sobol, a prominent aide of Mr Navalny who had already been fined for urging Russians to join the protests, tweeted a video of police roughly pulling her away from an interview with reporters.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Соболь Любовь This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nMr Navalny's wife, Yulia, was briefly held at the rally. She posted an image on her Instagram account with the caption: \"Apologies for the poor quality. Very bad light in the police van.\"\n\nSome protesters marched on the high-security prison where Mr Navalny is being held, and many were arrested.\n\nMeanwhile, one independent news source, Sota, said at least 3,000 people had joined a demonstration in the city of Vladivostok, but local authorities there put the figure at 500.\n\nAFP footage showed riot police running into a crowd, and beating some of the protesters with batons.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Police used batons to break up protests in Vladivostok\n\nIn the Siberian city of Yakutsk, attendees at a small protest saw temperatures dip as low as -50C (-58F).\n\nPrior to the rallies, Russian authorities had promised a tough crackdown. Several of Mr Navalny's close aides, including his spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh, were arrested earlier in the week.\n\nHis supporters called for more protests next weekend.\n\nThere were reports of disruption to mobile phone and internet coverage on Saturday, though it is not known if this was related to the protests.\n\nThe social media app TikTok had been flooded with videos promoting the demonstrations and sharing viral messages about Mr Navalny.\n\nIn response, Russia's official media watchdog, Roskomnadzor, demanded that TikTok take down any information \"encouraging minors to act illegally\", threatening large fines. The education ministry had told parents not to allow their children to attend any demonstrations.\n\nProtesters ignored extreme cold and threats of arrest in Moscow and other cities and towns\n\nIn a push to gain support ahead of the protests, Mr Navalny's team released a video about a luxury Black Sea resort that they allege belongs to President Putin - an accusation denied by the Kremlin. The video has been watched by more than 65 million people.\n\nThe UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, condemned the \"use of violence against peaceful protesters and journalists\" on Saturday, calling on the authorities to release those detained during peaceful demonstrations.\n\nThe US state department condemned what it called \"harsh tactics\" used against protesters and journalists, saying: \"We call on Russian authorities to release all those detained for exercising their universal rights and for the immediate and unconditional release of Aleksey Navalny\".\n\nThe EU foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said the bloc's foreign ministers would discuss the Russian crackdown on Monday. \"I deplore widespread detentions, disproportionate use of force, cutting down internet and phone connections.\"", "British employers made plans to cut 795,000 jobs last year, a record number, as Covid lockdowns took their toll on the economy.\n\nMore than 10,000 firms planned job cuts, however the pace of planned cuts slowed at the end of the year.\n\nWithout the government's furlough scheme, designed to protect jobs, the numbers might have been higher still.\n\nThe figures were obtained in response to a BBC Freedom of Information request to the Insolvency Service.\n\nEmployers must notify the Insolvency Service when they plan to cut 20 or more jobs, giving an earlier indication of changes in the labour market than waiting for official joblessness statistics.\n\nLarge parts of the British economy were brought to a standstill for weeks on end during 2020 by the measures imposed to contain Covid-19, and many employers were forced to cut staff as a result.\n\nThe number of job cuts proposed through the year was well above the 530,000 seen the last time the UK was in recession, in 2010, and higher than any year in the records which go back to 2006.\n\nHowever, in recent months the pace of layoffs has slowed, even though the new Covid variant has seen surging case numbers and new lockdowns imposed across the UK.\n\nLast month employers notified government of plans to cut 23,100 job cuts, which is the lowest monthly figure for 2020, though still a third higher than December 2019.\n\nThe decision to extend the furlough scheme, where government pays most of a worker's wages if their employer can't, will have enabled more firms to keep their staff, believes Tony Wilson, Director of the Institute for Employment Studies.\n\n\"The question now though is where redundancy figures go next,\" he says.\n\n\"If they start to stabilise around these levels, then [job cuts] would be at least one third higher than what we've seen over most of the last decade, and it's possible that a combination of this lockdown and then furlough unwinding from May could see numbers creeping up.\"\n\nDespite that, Mr Wilson sees the situation as \"pretty positive\".\n\nEmployers planning to cut 20 or more staff have to notify the Insolvency Service of their plans at the start of the process.\n\nThese notifications give an earlier indication of the state of the labour market than data published by the Office for National Statistics, which appear with a time lag of a few months.\n\nInsolvency Service figures showed record levels in redundancies in June and July, which was confirmed when the ONS published its own figures three months later.\n\nThe latest figures, for the period from August to October, saw a new record of 370,000 redundancies across the UK.\n\nAs redundancy processes covering fewer than 20 workers aren't included, the total number of job cuts planned will be higher than the Insolvency Service totals.\n\nBut individual firms often make fewer cuts than the number they first propose to government.\n\nEmployers in Northern Ireland file HR1 forms with the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency and they are not included in these figures.", "Boohoo is set to buy the Debenhams brand and website, the BBC understands.\n\nHowever, the fast fashion retailer will not be taking on any of the company's remaining 118 High Street stores or its workforce.\n\nThe announcement could come as early as Monday morning.\n\nThe 242-year-old chain is already in the process of closing down, after administrators failed to secure a rescue deal for the business, with the likely loss of 12,000 jobs.\n\nA closing down sale at 124 Debenhams stores began in December, as administrators continued to seek offers for all, or parts of the business.\n\nIn the last week or so, the company announced that six shops would not reopen after lockdown, including its flagship department store on London's Oxford Street.\n\nBoohoo has already bought a number of High Street brands out of administration. It snapped up Oasis, Coast and Karen Millen, but not the associated stores.\n\nDebenhams has struggled for years with falling profits and rising debts, as more shopping has moved online. It called in administrators twice in two years, most recently in April.\n\nMike Ashley has bought other struggling businesses including House of Fraser and Evans Cycles\n\nHowever, its position became untenable during the coronavirus pandemic as non-essential retailers were forced to close for prolonged periods.\n\nThe firm had already trimmed its store portfolio and cut about 6,500 jobs since May, as it struggled to stay afloat.\n\nBusinessman Mike Ashley, who founded Sports Direct and also owns House of Fraser, had already made an offer for Debenhams after it was initially put up for sale in April.\n\nHowever the takeover offer, thought to be in the region of £125m, was rejected as being too low, leaving JD Sports as the last remaining bidder.\n\nMr Ashley had previously built up a 29% stake in the chain, but saw his £150m holding wiped out in 2019, when the company fell into administration and then ended up in the hands of its lenders - a consortium led by hedge fund Silverpoint.\n\nIn early December, the Frasers Group confirmed that it was working on a possible last minute rescue of Debenhams.\n\nThe announcement came five days after staff were informed and liquidators moved in to Debenhams' stores to start clearing stock, after a potential rescue deal with JD Sports fell through.\n\nBut Frasers said there was \"no certainty\" it could save the chain.\n\nOne of the biggest issues, it said, was the collapse into administration last week of another High Street giant, Arcadia, which is the biggest concession holder in Debenhams department stores.", "The UK has identified 77 cases of the coronavirus variant first detected in South Africa, the health secretary has said.\n\nCases are linked to travellers arriving in the UK, rather than community transmission, Matt Hancock added.\n\nHe told the BBC's Andrew Marr cases were under \"very close\" observation and enhanced contact tracing was under way.\n\nMinisters are due to meet on Monday to consider imposing tougher restrictions on people arriving from abroad.\n\nScientists have said there is a chance the South African variant may harm the effectiveness of current vaccines.\n\nMeanwhile, Mr Hancock said that \"three quarters of all the 80-year-olds in the country and a similar number of care homes\" have received their first doses of the vaccine.\n\nBoth the Pfizer-BioNTech and Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines require two doses, and figures so far reflect those given the first dose.\n\nMr Hancock said that it was \"far too early to say\" what proportion of the population needed to be vaccinated before lockdown restrictions could be eased.\n\nAll viruses, including the one that causes Covid-19, mutate, and variants have been first located in the UK, South Africa and Brazil.\n\nThe South Africa variant has been found in at least 20 other countries, including the UK.\n\nMr Hancock said that all the South Africa variant cases in the UK were linked to travel.\n\n\"That's why we have got such stringent border measures in place against movement from South Africa,\" he added.\n\nThe UK closed all travel corridors last week until at least 15 February, with almost all travellers arriving in the country now required to show proof of a negative Covid-19 test to be allowed entry.\n\nPrime Minister Boris Johnson has not ruled out bringing in tougher measures at UK borders, telling a Downing Street news conference on Friday: \"We don't want to put that (efforts to control Covid) at risk by having a new variant come back in.\"\n\nMinisters are set to discuss whether to tighten border restrictions further, including the possibility of hotel quarantines for travellers.\n\nMr Hancock said: \"We have got to be cautious at the borders.\"\n\nAsked for a date on when lockdown restrictions might end, Mr Hancock said it was \"one of the many things that we don't yet know the answer to\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Matt Hancock on easing restrictions: \"We don't know the answer\"\n\nGovernment data on 14 January showed there were 35 confirmed cases of the South Africa variant identified in the UK, and a further 12 \"probable\" cases.\n\nMr Hancock said nine cases of the Brazil variant had been found in the UK, adding \"we are monitoring each and every one very closely\".\n\nShadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show that Labour had been \"pushing the government to take tougher measures at the border since last spring\".\n\nShe said: \"We would fully expect the government to bring in tougher quarantine measures, we would expect them to roll out a proper testing strategy and we would expect them as well to start checking up on the people who are quarantining.\n\n\"Only three out of every hundred people who are asked to quarantine when they arrive into the UK actually face any checks at all - that's just simply not sufficient.\"\n\nOn Friday, Mr Johnson said there was \"some evidence\" the UK variant may be associated with \"a higher degree of mortality\".\n\nThe UK government's chief scientific officer, Sir Patrick Vallance, said there was \"a lot of uncertainty around these numbers\" but that early evidence suggested the variant could be about 30% more deadly.\n\nThe PM said on Friday that there was evidence that both the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine and Oxford-AstraZeneca jab were effective against the variant first detected in the UK.\n\nSir Patrick has warned that the variants in South Africa and Brazil might \"have certain features which means they might be less susceptible to vaccines\".\n\nBut he said \"there is no evidence\" that the two variants have transmission advantages over those already in the UK and so having cases here doesn't mean \"they will take off\".\n\nMeanwhile, England's deputy chief medical officer warned that people who have received a Covid-19 vaccine could still pass the virus on to others and should continue following lockdown rules.\n\nWriting in the Sunday Telegraph, Prof Jonathan Van-Tam stressed that scientists \"do not yet know the impact of the vaccine on transmission\".\n\nHe said vaccines offer \"hope\" but infection rates must come down quickly.\n\nIt's a key question but the fact is that no one can be sure.\n\nThat's because the trials of the vaccines explored the safety of the drugs and how well they prevent people from becoming ill - with good results for both.\n\nBut they did not investigate whether vaccination also stops infection and therefore whether people who've been immunised can still spread the virus to others.\n\nIf a vaccinated person did become infected, they probably wouldn't realise because they wouldn't have any symptoms. That's why health officials and ministers are so concerned.\n\nIt's possible that the antibodies boosted by the vaccine suppress the effects of the virus but don't eliminate it from the upper airway.\n\nMany scientists are cautiously hopeful that in this scenario, the amount of virus would be reduced but they're waiting for the results of studies under way now.\n\nAnd until there's an answer, it's difficult to calculate how and when it's safe to ease restrictions and allow people to mix again.\n\nA further 610 deaths within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test were reported in the UK on Sunday - down from 671 deaths last Sunday - in addition to 30,004 new infections.\n\nThe number of positive cases has fallen for the fourth day in a row and is the lowest figure since before Christmas.\n\nThe death figures tend to be lower on a Sunday and Monday because of weekend lags in reporting of the data.\n\nMeanwhile, more than six million people have had their first dose of a Covid vaccine - with the figure now standing at 6,353,321.\n\nNadhim Zahawi, the minister responsible for the vaccine rollout, said on Twitter that 6,353,321 of the \"most vulnerable and frontline heroes\" had received a first dose of the vaccine, but there was still \"much more to do\".\n\nThere were 4,076 Covid patients in mechanical ventilation beds in UK hospitals as of Friday, according to government data.\n\nThat is higher than during the first wave, when the peak was 3,301 on 12 April.", "Simon Spurrell (C) from the Cheshire Cheese Company says he was advised to set up an EU hub\n\nUK firms that export to the EU say they are being encouraged by the government to set up subsidiaries in the bloc to avoid disruption under new trade rules.\n\nFirms have been hit by extra charges, taxes and paperwork, leading some to stop exporting to the EU altogether.\n\nBut several say they have been told that setting up hubs in Europe would minimise the disruption, even if it means moving investment out of the UK.\n\nThe Department for International Trade said it was \"not government policy\".\n\n\"The Cabinet Office have issued clear guidance, available at www.gov.uk/transition, and we encourage all businesses to follow that guidance.\"\n\nThe Cheshire Cheese Company said it had been advised by an official to set up in the EU after it was forced to stop its exports to the bloc due to trade rules that came in on 1 January.\n\nThe firm, which sold £180,000 of cheese to the EU last year, found that every £25-30 gift box of cheese it sends to consumers on the Continent now needs a veterinary-approved health certificate costing £180.\n\n\"I spoke to someone at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for advice. They told me setting up a fulfilment centre in the EU where we could pack the boxes was my only solution,\" co-founder Simon Spurrell told the BBC.\n\nThe firm, which had been optimistic about Brexit, is now looking at setting up a hub in France where it would \"test the water\".\n\nBut it has also scrapped plans to build a new £1m warehouse in Macclesfield employing 20-30 people.\n\n\"Instead we might end up employing French workers and paying tax to the EU,\" Mr Spurrell said.\n\n\"I left the EU as a UK citizen but now they are suggesting I rejoin my company to the EU, so what was Brexit for?\"\n\nThe issue, he said, was that the under the post-Brexit trade deal, a vet must approve every consignment of fresh food that his company ships to the EU.\n\nIt is a complex and costly process that has hit exporters of fresh meat and fish as well, and was partly why the government set up a £23m support fund for UK fishing companies.\n\nUK retailers who export to the EU have also complained about being hit with unsustainable costs when customers in the bloc return goods bought online. This is due to new customs clearance charges incurred by shipping firms.\n\nSome retailers have even warned they could burn clothes stuck at borders as it is cheaper than bringing them home.\n\nUlla Vitting Richards, who runs her sustainable fashion brand Vildnis from the UK, told the BBC last week she had stopped exporting to the EU, which was her fastest growing market, because of the new processes.\n\nShe also said that she had been advised - this time by a Department for International Trade (DIT) representative - that setting up a subsidiary distribution hub might help.\n\n\"He told me we'd be best off moving stock to a warehouse in Germany and get them to handle it,\" she said.\n\nAs early as last October, trade consultants Blick Rothenberg warned that thousands of UK businesses might need to set up an EU presence in order to keep exporting to European markets.\n\nHowever, experts say EU firms exporting to the UK - which currently enjoy a grace period over the imposition of some rules - will soon face the same issues.\n\nIndeed, some EU exporters have already stopped deliveries to the UK because of new VAT related charges.\n\nThe DIT said it was not government policy to advise UK firms to set up EU hubs and that it was \"ensuring all officials are properly conveying\" the right information.", "Scientists say signs a new coronavirus variant is more deadly than the earlier version should not be a \"game changer\" in the UK's response to the pandemic.\n\nBoris Johnson has said there is \"some evidence\" the variant may be associated with \"a higher degree of mortality\".\n\nBut the co-author of the study the PM was referring to said the variant's deadliness remained an \"open question\".\n\nAnother adviser said he was surprised Mr Johnson had shared the findings when the data was \"not particularly strong\".\n\nA third top medic said it was \"too early\" to be \"absolutely clear\".\n\nAt a Downing Street coronavirus news conference on Friday, the prime minister said: \"In addition to spreading more quickly, it also now appears that there is some evidence that the new variant - the variant that was first identified in London and the South East - may be associated with a higher degree of mortality.\"\n\nSpeaking alongside the PM, the government's chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance said there was \"a lot of uncertainty around these numbers\" but that early evidence suggested the variant could be about 30% more deadly.\n\nFor example, Sir Patrick said if 1,000 men in their 60s were infected with the old variant, roughly 10 of them would be expected to die - but this rises to about 13 with the new variant.\n\nThe announcement followed a briefing by scientists on the government's New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (Nervtag) which concluded there was a \"realistic possibility\" that the variant was associated with an increased risk of death.\n\nBut one of the briefing's co-authors, Prof Graham Medley, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: \"The question about whether it is more dangerous in terms of mortality I think is still open.\"\n\n\"In terms of making the situation worse it is not a game changer. It is a very bad thing that is slightly worse,\" added Prof Medley, who is a professor of infectious disease modelling at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.\n\nAnother 1,348 deaths within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test were reported in the UK on Saturday, in addition to 33,552 new infections, according to the government's coronavirus dashboard.\n\nThere is huge uncertainty in the evidence on how lethal the variant is.\n\nThe scientific experts that reviewed the data used a precise phrase saying it was a \"realistic possibility\" the new variant is more deadly.\n\nThat means there's a roughly 50-50 chance it will turn out to be true.\n\nWith time, and sadly more deaths, the picture will become clearer.\n\nWhile people debate the uncertainties though, we already know this variant has the ability to kill more people than the old ones.\n\nA virus that spreads faster (this one is 30-70% faster) will infect more people, more quickly, putting a greater strain on hospitals and leading to a sharper spike in deaths.\n\nIt is why viruses becoming more transmissible can be a bigger problem than ones becoming more deadly.\n\nNervtag's chairman Prof Peter Horby defended the government's \"transparency\" in making the announcement.\n\n\"Scientists are looking at the possibility that there is increased severity... and after a week of looking at the data we came to the conclusion that it was a realistic possibility,\" he said.\n\n\"We need to be transparent about that. If we were not telling people about this we would be accused of covering it up.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Sir Patrick Vallance: \"There is evidence that there's an increased risk for those who have the new variant\"\n\nBut Dr Mike Tildesley, a member of Sage subgroup the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling (Spi-M), agreed it was too early to draw \"strong conclusions\" as the suggested increased mortality rates were based on \"a relatively small amount of data\".\n\nHe told BBC Breakfast he was \"actually quite surprised\" Mr Johnson had made the early findings public rather than monitoring the data \"for a week or two more\".\n\n\"I just worry that where we report things pre-emptively where the data are not really particularly strong,\" Dr Tildesley added.\n\nPublic Health England medical director Dr Yvonne Doyle also said it was not \"absolutely clear\" the new variant was more deadly than the original.\n\n\"There is some evidence, but it is very early evidence. It is small numbers of cases and it is far too early to say,\" she told the Today programme.\n\nMeanwhile, senior doctors are calling on England's chief medical officer to cut the gap between the first and second doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine.\n\nThe British Medical Association told Prof Chris Whitty an extension to the maximum gap between jab from three weeks to 12 weeks, to get the first dose to more people, was \"difficult to justify\".", "The number of coronavirus patients on mechanical ventilation in the UK has passed 4,000 for the first time in the pandemic.\n\nA total of 4,076 Covid patients were in ventilator beds as of Friday, according to government data.\n\nThat is higher than during the first wave, when the peak was 3,301 on 12 April.\n\nIt comes as another 1,348 deaths and 33,552 new infections were reported on Saturday.\n\nThe UK's chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, told a Downing Street news briefing on Friday: \"The death rate's awful and it's going to stay, I'm afraid, high for a little while before it starts coming down.\"\n\nMeanwhile, new figures show that a record number of seriously-ill Covid patients are being transferred from over-stretched hospitals because of a lack of bed space.\n\nAbout 1 in 10 patients admitted to intensive care are being sent to a different site, according to the body which audits critical care services.\n\nIn a series of reports in the past week, the BBC's Clive Myrie has been to a mortuary and the Royal London Hospital, where 12 out of 15 floors are occupied by Covid patients and staff are struggling to cope.\n\nMartin Freeborn's wife Helen, 64, died with Covid-19 at the hospital shortly before he spoke to the BBC.\n\nMr Freeborn urged people to \"be over-careful\" in taking precautions to stay safe from the virus because \"you don't want this to happen\".\n\n\"Nobody wants to go through this... Don't end up like us, please,\" he added.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Martin Freeborn's wife, Helen, died from Covid at the Royal London Hospital: 'Don't end up like us, please'\n\nThe number of people in mechanical ventilation beds has climbed every day since 18 December when it was 1,364 and now stands at 4,076.\n\nIt is one of the key figures the government considers when deciding its policy on when to ease coronavirus lockdown restrictions.\n\nWhen the pandemic first struck the UK, the government saw what had happened in hospitals in China and Italy and prioritised the provision of ventilators in British hospitals.\n\nIt set about buying as many ventilators as possible, and encouraged British manufacturers to design the machines to build stocks to cope with the worst-case Covid scenario. In September last year, a report found the NHS now had 30,000 ventilators available - about one for every 2,200 people in the UK.\n\nPeople in hospital are also being treated differently from the early days of the pandemic - which may explain why figures suggest slightly more people go on to recover after being on ventilation than back in March, April and May.\n\nA number of drugs are being tested as possible treatments for people with the disease, the BBC's health and science correspondent James Gallagher has said.\n\nThey include the steroid dexamethasone, which has been shown to reduce the risk of death by a third for ventilated patients and by a fifth for those on oxygen. Encouraging results have also been reported from two anti-inflammatory medications, tocilizumab and sarilumab.\n\nDr Ami Jones, intensive care consultant at Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, in Wales, said there had been \"carnage\" for the \"last few weeks\".\n\nSpeaking whilst on shift, she told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: \"We're maybe at 150% capacity and I know London are much worse than that.\n\n\"We've a steady stream of fit, young patients requiring critical care and sadly we're losing some of those patients.\n\n\"We lost a patient overnight and I've replaced them with a patient of similar age.\n\n\"It's heartbreaking - and it's been going on for weeks and weeks and we haven't seen any kind of stop yet.\"\n\nDr Jones said the average Covid patient stays in hospital between two to four weeks \"and it really puts them through it\".\n\nShe added: \"You really want people who are going to be able to survive that three or four weeks and actually come out the other end and make a good recovery.\n\n\"We're not stopping people having care but we're giving it to the people we feel have the best chance of getting through what is a horrific situation we're going to put them through.\"\n\nDr Jones said nurses are \"broken\", both physically, from months of long shifts in personal protective equipment (PPE), and emotionally - partly due to the impact of the virus on them, their families and the community.\n\nDr Rupert Pearse, consultant in intensive care medicine at a London hospital, speaking on behalf of the Intensive Care Society, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that a \"huge number\" of patients were still attending hospital.\n\nHe said: \"Whilst we know the infection rate has probably now peaked, and we can be hopeful to soon be sure we've hit a hospital admissions peak, admissions to ICU [the intensive care unit] usually lag 48 hours behind that.\n\n\"So we're still very very worried that we're being pushed right up to the wire in terms of the resources we're able to deliver for patient care.\"\n\nDr Pearse added that there were three or four times more critical care beds in some hospitals than they would usually have.\n\nHe said: \"I can remember a time when it would take years for an intensive care unit to negotiate one extra bed on a complement of 14 or 15 beds.\n\n\"We, within a few weeks, have massively increased the number of beds and finding the staff - most importantly of all - to deliver that has been a huge logistical exercise.\"\n\nReacting to the ventilation figures, Dr Charlotte Hopkins, deputy chief medical officer for Barts Health NHS trust in east London, said on Twitter there had been a \"fast-paced increase\" since 18 December, and that more than a third of the 4,076 ventilated patients were in London.\n\nIt comes as some scientists said that signs a new Covid variant is more deadly than the earlier version should not be a \"game changer\" in the UK's response to the pandemic.\n\nPrime Minister Boris Johnson said on Friday that there was \"some evidence\" the variant that emerged in the UK may be associated with \"a higher degree of mortality\".\n\nBut Prof Graham Medley, the co-author of the study the PM was referring to, said the variant's deadliness remained an \"open\" question.\n\nDr Mike Tildesley, a member of Sage subgroup the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling (Spi-M), said he was \"surprised\" Mr Johnson had shared the findings when the data was \"not particularly strong\".\n\nPublic Health England medical director Dr Yvonne Doyle said it was \"too early\" to be \"absolutely clear\".\n\n\"There is some evidence, but it is very early evidence. It is small numbers of cases and it is far too early to say,\" she told the Today programme.\n\nUp to and including 22 January, 5,861,351 people have now had their first Covid jab and 468,617 have had their second dose.\n\nSenior doctors are calling on England's chief medical officer to cut the gap between the first and second doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine.\n\nThe British Medical Association told Prof Chris Whitty an extension to the maximum gap between jab from three weeks to 12 weeks, to get the first dose to more people, was \"difficult to justify\".\n\nThe UK's four chief medical officers have previously defended the delay to the second jab in a letter to medical staff, saying: \"unvaccinated people are far more likely to end up severely ill, hospitalised [or] in some cases dying\".", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Video filmed in Tacoma, Washington, shows a police car apparently ploughing through a crowd of people\n\nA police officer is under investigation in the US after his vehicle ploughed into a group of people, running over at least one, in Tacoma, Washington.\n\nNobody was killed in the incident, although one person was rushed to hospital with injuries.\n\nA video shows a large group of people surrounding the police car as it revs its engine in an apparent effort to drive off.\n\nThe group refuses to move, and police say people started hitting the car.\n\nThe police officer then speeds through the group, hitting numerous people. One person is dragged under the car.\n\nTacoma Police Department said multiple vehicles and approximately 100 people were blocking an intersection when officers arrived on the scene. The group was apparently watching street racers doing \"burnouts\".\n\n\"During the operation, a responding Tacoma police vehicle was surrounded by the crowd. People hit the body of the police vehicle and its windows as the officer was stopped in the street,\" police said in a statement.\n\n\"The officer, fearing for his safety, tried to back up, but was unable to do so because of the crowd,\" it said.\n\n\"While trying to extricate himself from an unsafe position, the officer drove forward striking one individual and may have impacted others,\" it said.\n\nThe person who was run over was rushed to hospital. Their condition is as yet unclear.\n\nThe Pierce County Force Investigation Team is investigating the incident, the statement said. The police officer has not been identified.\n\n\"I am concerned that our department is experiencing another use of deadly force incident,\" Interim Police Chief Mike Ake said in the statement.\n\n\"I send my thoughts to anyone who was injured in tonight's event, and am committed to our department's full co-operation in the independent investigation and to assess the actions of the department's response during the incident.\"\n\nThe incident comes at a time of rising anger over the use of excessive force by police in the US.\n\nPeople across the world took to the streets last year to demonstrate their anger at the death of George Floyd, a black man who died in police custody in Minneapolis, and to demand an end to police brutality and what they see as systemic racism.", "It is hoped that vaccinating teenagers will allow them to sit exams\n\nIsrael has started vaccinating 16 to 18-year-olds against Covid-19, in an effort to enable them to sit exams.\n\nMore than a quarter of Israel's population of nine million have received at least one dose of the Pfizer vaccine since 19 December, its health ministry says.\n\nIt started with the elderly and others at high risk, but people aged 40 and over can also now get the jab.\n\nIsrael hopes to start reopening its economy in February.\n\nThe inclusion of 16 to 18-year-olds - with parental permission - is meant \"to enable their return (to school) and the orderly holding of exams\", an education ministry spokeswoman said.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe matriculation exams that Israeli students sit at the end of high school play an important role in deciding where they will go to university. Their results can also affect their placement in the military, where many young Israelis do compulsory service.\n\nThe education ministry has said it is too early to say whether schools will reopen next month.\n\nIsrael started its rapid vaccination drive - the fastest in the world - on 19 December, reaching 10% of its population by the end of 2020.\n\nIsrael has recorded more than 596,000 cases and 4,392 deaths with Covid-19, according to data collected by Johns Hopkins University.\n\nOn Sunday, the government said it would ban passenger flights in and out of the country from Monday night for the rest of January, in an effort to halt the spread of new virus variants.\n\n\"Other than rare exceptions, we are closing the sky hermetically to prevent the entry of the virus variants and also to ensure that we progress quickly with our vaccination campaign,\" Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.\n\nForeigners have largely been blocked from entering Israel during the pandemic.", "The Department for Transport said \"smart motorways are as safe as, or safer than, the conventional ones\"\n\nA police and crime commissioner (PCC) has written to the government to say smart motorways are \"inherently unsafe and dangerous and should be abandoned\".\n\nSouth Yorkshire PCC Dr Alan Billings wrote his open letter to Grant Shapps, the Secretary of State for Transport.\n\nHis comments come after a coroner found two men had been unlawfully killed on a \"smart\" section of the M1.\n\nThe Department for Transport said \"smart motorways are as safe as, or safer than, the conventional ones\".\n\nOn 19 January coroner David Urpeth called for a review of the road schemes.\n\nMr Urpeth said smart motorways without a hard shoulder carry \"an ongoing risk of future deaths\".\n\nHe was speaking following the inquests for Jason Mercer, 44, from Rotherham and Alexandru Murgeanu, 22, of Mansfield, who died when a lorry crashed into their vehicles near Sheffield on 7 June 2019.\n\nNow Labour's Dr Billings has told Grant Shapps: \"I believe smart motorways of this kind - where what would be a hard shoulder is a live lane with occasional refuges - are inherently unsafe and dangerous and should be abandoned.\n\n\"The relevant test for us is whether someone who breaks down on this stretch of the motorway, where there is no hard shoulder, would have had a better chance of escaping death or injury had there still been a hard shoulder - and the coroner's verdict makes it clear that the answer to that question is - Yes.\"\n\nAlexandru Murgeanu (l) and Jason Mercer were killed in the crash on the M1 in South Yorkshire\n\nJason Mercer's widow, Claire, had previously told Nicky Campbell on BBC Radio 5Live she considered a government review of the smart motorway system \"was just a paperwork exercise and a PR exercise.\"\n\nTalking to BBC Look North Yorkshire after publishing the letter on Sunday, Dr Billings said: \"The Department for Transport and Highways England have argued all along that these sorts of motorways are actually safe, they even go as far as to say they are safer than ordinary motorways, now I think that whatever formula they are using to come to that conclusion is wrong.\n\n\"The coroner in his verdict has made it pretty clear that these two particular lives in South Yorkshire would not have come to such a sad end if there had been a hard shoulder there, so I think this is new evidence they have to take into account.\"\n\nHe added: \"If they thought this type of motorway was even smarter, or safer, than a conventional motorway, then why not convert the entire system to smart motorways, making it safer? As soon as you say it, I think you realise it's absurd.\n\n\"I think they (smart motorways) were done originally not because it was a safer way of doing a motorway, I think it was done in order to expand the capacity, get the traffic flowing by having an extra lane, but to do it cheaply, and I think we're trading cost - cheapness - for other people's lives.\"\n\nIn response to Dr Billings' open letter, the Department for Transport said: \"The stocktake [of smart motorways] showed that in most ways smart motorways are as safe as, or safer than, the conventional ones.\n\n\"The Transport Secretary has tasked Highways England with delivering an 18-point action plan to ensure they are safer still, and he has called an urgent meeting with the company to discuss their progress.\"\n\nFollow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk.", "As high risk groups continue to be immunised there are growing concerns that people with learning disabilities have been missed out.\n\nDespite a recent Public Health England report warning they are six times more likely to die from coronavirus, as a group, they have not been prioritised for a vaccine.\n\nLegal action is being taken against the Department of Health and Social Care, which says it is working hard to vaccinate all those at risk.", "A Covid outbreak was declared at the DVLA's contact centre in December\n\nStaff are scared to work at the UK vehicle licensing agency's contact centre in Swansea where 500 workers have contracted coronavirus since the pandemic began, a union says.\n\nThe PCS union has urged ministers to intervene and described the numbers as a \"scandal\".\n\nA DVLA spokesperson insisted safety was a priority and it followed guidance to \"help keep our offices Covid secure\".\n\nThe Welsh Government said it had been \"worried about the DVLA for a while\".\n\nFirst Minister Mark Drakeford said he has repeatedly raised concerns over case numbers at the offices.\n\nMinister Eluned Morgan said the decision to introduce tougher Covid regulations for workplaces in Wales was made, in part, due to the situation at the DVLA.\n\nIn December, a coronavirus outbreak was declared at the centre at Swansea Vale in Llansamlet after 352 cases of Covid-19 in the space of four months.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe DVLA has about 6,000 staff based in Swansea but said it was currently operating on a \"far reduced capacity\".\n\nA DVLA worker, who did not want to be identified, told BBC Wales News that close contacts of people testing positive are not always sent home to self-isolate, social-distancing is not being followed and homeworking is not always possible because of \"archaic\" systems.\n\n\"There are certain elements within management who are trying to bend the rules and regulations,\" they said.\n\n\"It has been mentioned that you don't need your track and trace [contact tracing app] on. If someone's off with Covid, the people who haven't had their app on haven't been sent home.\n\n\"They'll say 'your app hasn't pinged, you're not going home'.\"\n\nThe worker said it was difficult for staff to adhere to the two-metre distancing rule because of the way the office was laid out and some staff had resigned.\n\n\"The atmosphere sucks, people are scared. I have heard of some people walking out,\" they said.\n\nOne worker said two-metres distancing was not always being observed\n\n\"I think they have been raising concerns. They probably didn't get the answer they wanted. It's not necessarily the manager's fault, the managers are struggling too.\"\n\nPCS General Secretary Mark Serwotka said: \"It is a scandal that DVLA are not doing more to reduce numbers in the workplace when Covid infections are on the rise.\n\n\"Our members are telling us they are scared to enter the workplace for fear of catching Covid 19.\n\n\"Minsters must intervene and ensure DVLA are doing their utmost to enable staff to work from home and temporarily cease non-critical services.\"\n\nEluned Morgan told Radio Cymru the Welsh Government has been keeping an eye on the situation at the Swansea offices.\n\nEluned Morgan said the Welsh Government has been concerned at the situation at the DVLA for \"some time\".\n\nThe wellbeing minister said: \"We've been worried about the DVLA for a while, now. We've been putting pressure on them.\n\n\"It comes up time and again from the people who represent Swansea, and we're worried the pressure on people working there hasn't helped.\n\n\"The situation is one of the reasons why we've introduced new rules, new legislation, to tighten the restrictions on people at work.\"\n\nHealth Minister Vaughan Gething added: \"We're concerned about anecdotal reports we've heard from the trade union side, individuals, that all of the requirements weren't being followed.\"\n\nHe said there would be questions for management to answer if there had been a breach of the rules.\n\nThe DVLA said some staff have been able to work from home \"in line with government advice\", though others were required to be in the office due to their roles\n\n\"In view of the essential nature of the public services we provide, some operational staff are required to be in the office where their role means they cannot work from home,\" said a spokesman.\n\nThe DVLA said it has worked closely with Public Health Wales, Swansea council's environmental health staff and union officials to try to make its buildings Covid safe, including opening an additional site in Swansea.\n\nHowever, there were currently four Covid cases across its estate, with none at its contact centre.\n\n\"Before Christmas, when transmission infection rates were extremely high in the local community where most of our staff live, we saw a rise in staff testing positive for Covid,\" he said.\n\nSwansea MP Carolyn Harris said, during the first lockdown, she was in \"constant contact\" with the DVLA due to concerns raised by workers.\n\n\"Since Christmas, I've not been able to get hold of anyone from the DVLA,\" she told BBC Radio Wales' Sunday Supplement.\n\n\"Last night I spent a long time trying to hold of the chief executive.\n\n\"Some of the stuff that I am now reading, and some of the stuff I've had in over the last 24 hours, really worries me.\"\n\nThe Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said its inspector had been tackling \"a series of concerns\" since August and had spoken to the PCS, which it said was \"broadly supportive of DVLA's approach\".\n\nA spokesperson added: \"Most recently HSE joined Swansea Environmental Health Officers and Public Health Wales for some joint visits to premises, in our role to assist public health to assess the potential of work place transmission as part of their wider work to contain outbreaks.\"\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "It is not clear if anyone not entitled succeeded in getting a Covid jab\n\nA health board boss has criticised council staff for potentially sharing Covid vaccine invites with colleagues.\n\nThe board meeting in North Wales heard some council staff, not within groups currently being vaccinated, booked appointments by following a link in an email only intended for the recipient.\n\nBetsi Cadwaladr health board's chairman Mark Polin said such actions could deprive someone else of a jab.\n\nDenbighshire council said it had warned staff the emails were not to be abused.\n\nIt is not clear if anyone not entitled succeeded in getting a Covid jab, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.\n\nOnly front-line social care and health workers, those over 80 and 70 years old, care home residents and their carers are currently being vaccinated.\n\nIndependent member Jackie Hughes spoke about the matter at Thursday's monthly health board meeting.\n\nAnswering her query, Dr Chris Stockport, the health board's executive director of primary care and community services, said: \"We are very clear with our local authority partners and teams of what frontline means in the same way we are elsewhere.\n\n\"When you arrive [for a vaccine] there's a process of validation.\n\n\"The likelihood is they will experience some difficulties working through the booking system [if they try to get into a higher vaccination cohort].\n\n\"It adds complications for a busy team and I would ask them not to do that when it's a clear effort to circumvent the cohort.\"\n\nAt Thursday's daily press briefing the UK Government Home Secretary Priti Patel said people who jumped the queue for the vaccine were \"morally reprehensible\" as they were putting the lives of vulnerable people at risk.\n\nShe said all the UK Government's measures were under review but \"our focus is getting that vaccine to the most vulnerable to make sure we can protect them and obviously protect others in the community\".\n\nMr Polin added: \"Whilst we understand the concerns people should not be doing what they are doing.\n\n\"The priority groups have been identified with clear medical guidance and sound reasoning behind it.\n\n\"So people jumping the queue are depriving someone else, potentially, of receiving the vaccine at the point at which they should.\"\n\nHe said it was a temporary problem, adding: \"We are changing the booking system, so this opportunity is not going to last much longer.\"\n\nHe said staff were looking out for any inappropriate bookings.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "More than five million people in the UK have now received the first dose of a coronavirus vaccine - thanks to an army of more than 80,000 volunteers and NHS workers who have been trained to give the jabs.\n\nMany of the vaccine volunteers have had no previous medical training and come from all walks of life. So why did they sign up? And how does it feel to stick a needle into a stranger's arm?\n\nYou could see their relief. A lot of them have been waiting 10 months without leaving the house\n\nCallum Finnegan, 23, has been juggling his 40-hour week as a Tesco delivery driver with giving Covid jabs at Manchester's Etihad tennis centre. A St John Ambulance volunteer, he completed extensive online and face-to-face training, which included practising administering jabs on silicon arms before giving them to patients. He says he'd never given an injection before.\n\nThe biomedical science graduate wanted to get involved in the vaccination effort as soon as the call was put out and says he feels \"grateful and privileged\" to be helping the rollout - an effort he hopes will save as many lives as possible.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by BBC Radio 5 Live This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nCallum, who volunteered for four weeks at London's Nightingale hospital at the beginning of the pandemic, says his first shift giving jabs was \"one of the best days\" he's had since Covid hit.\n\n\"They were incredibly emotional,\" he says of the people he has given the jab to. \"You could see their relief. A lot of them have been waiting 10 months without leaving the house, or seeing only one or two people. One of those could have been a Tesco delivery driver - there's a lot of people I deliver to who tell me that I'm the only person they're seeing face-to-face at the minute.\"\n\nIt just makes me feel better about the world, especially when it can get you down. It's nice to do something good for other people\n\nKate Donaghy, who runs an IT team for a travel company, was inspired to train as a vaccinator after seeing the impact of the disease first hand. A St John Ambulance volunteer for four years, Kate, 28, spent time at a London hospital last year helping to care for recovering Covid patients - before volunteering at an A&E department.\n\nAfter seeing just how desperate the situation was, she switched her focus to becoming a vaccinator. \"I just thought how can we stop this happening to people in the first place? If we can vaccinate people, that feels like a better way forward to solve the problem, and a great use of my time.\"\n\nShe says she overcame her initial nerves in giving the jabs thanks to some supportive colleagues and has already signed up for shifts at London's ExCel centre most weekends going forward.\n\nHer elderly patients were \"so happy it was the beginning of the end to their isolation\". \"It just makes me feel better about the world, especially when it can get you down. It's nice to do something good for other people.\"\n\nIt did feel good - it felt good to be fighting back\n\nDr Andy Bates, a 57-year-old dentist from North Yorkshire, recently gave his first vaccinations at Long Lee surgery, in Keighley. He is used to giving injections - albeit in the mouth - but he says helping to protect people against this virus \"did feel good - it felt good to be fighting back\".\n\nDr Bates is working as a paid vaccinator alongside a four-day week at his dental practice. He says both roles have served as a reminder that he could be the first person a patient has seen for months. And he says his day job - particularly calming people who are nervous about lying back in his dentist's chair - has helped him.\n\nHe says he managed to relax a \"very nervous\" lady in her 90s, who hadn't left the house since last March, by talking about their shared love of alpine cycling.\n\nAnd it's not just Dr Bates and his fellow vaccinators that have stepped up. He says after a \"huge dump\" of snow in the area, the community sprang into action to ensure elderly patients could safely come for their jabs - with a local farmer towing the van delivering the vaccines up the hill to the surgery, and volunteers clearing snow and ice from the car park.\n\nI just thought this is enough, this has got to stop. I wanted to help all the other elderly people who are so vulnerable to this virus\n\nWhen theatres closed last year, Amanda Baldwin's career as a full-time chorus member at London's Royal Opera House came to a \"heartbreaking\" standstill.\n\nStuck at home in south-east London with nothing to do, Amanda and her husband Julian Johnson, 55 - a freelance theatre stage manager - decided to volunteer for the NHS through the GoodSam app, which later connected them with the vaccinator training run by St John Ambulance.\n\nAmanda applied shortly after her 84-year-old mother tested positive for the virus - just before she was due to have the vaccine. \"Luckily she came through it, and she wasn't hospitalised. But I just thought this is enough, this has got to stop. I wanted to help all the other elderly people who are so vulnerable to this virus.\"\n\nAmanda recently passed her full SJA training in London and is now waiting for her first shift as a vaccinator. She thinks her performance background will help keep her nerves in check for when she administers her first jabs - joking that she hopes her patients \"don't wriggle about as much\" as her pet cat did when she had to give it injections for its diabetes.\n\nAfter feeling \"like a part of [her] soul was missing\" when theatres closed, she says training as vaccinator has given her a \"purpose\" again. \"I feel like I've now got [another] skill that can really help people.\"", "Researchers have been tracking changes to the \"spike\" of the virus\n\nThe new variant of Covid-19 is \"hugely\" more transmissible than the virus's previous version, a study has found.\n\nIt concludes the new variant increases the Reproduction or R number by between 0.4 and 0.7.\n\nThe UK's latest R number has been estimated at between 1.1 and 1.3. It needs to be below 1.0 for the number of cases to start falling.\n\nProf Axel Gandy of London's Imperial College said the differences between the viruses types was \"quite extreme\".\n\n\"There is a huge difference in how easily the variant virus spreads,\" he told BBC News. \"This is the most serious change in the virus since the epidemic began,\" he added.\n\nThe Imperial College study suggests transmission of the new variant tripled during England's November lockdown while the previous version was reduced by a third.\n\nCases of Covid-19 have begun to increase rapidly during the second spike, and the number of cases recorded in a single day reached a new high on Thursday.\n\nEarly results indicated that the virus was spreading more quickly among under-20s, particularly among secondary school age children.\n\nBut the very latest data indicates that it was spreading quickly across all age groups, according to Prof Gandy who was a member of the research team.\n\n\"One possible explanation is that the early data was collected during the time of the November lockdown where schools were open and the activities of the adult population were more restricted. We are seeing now that the new virus has increased infectiousness across all age groups.\"\n\nProf Jim Naismith, of Oxford University, said he believed that the new findings indicated that even tougher restrictions would soon be needed.\n\n\"The data from Imperial represent the best analysis to date and imply that the measures we have employed to date, would - with the new virus - fail to reduce the R number to below 1.\n\n\"In simpler terms, unless we do something different the new virus strain is going to continue to spread, more infections, more hospitalisations and more deaths.\"\n\nThe R number is the average number of people an infected person infects. If it is above 1 the epidemic is growing.\n\nThe most chilling finding from this piece of research is that the November lockdown in England, hard though it was for many people, would not have stopped the variant form of the virus spreading. The same severe restrictions that saw cases of the previous version of the virus fall by a third, would see a tripling of the new variant. This is why there has been such a sudden tightening of restrictions across the country.\n\nIt is unclear whether the current restrictions will be enough to control the spread of the virus. Given the fact that it has taken two lockdowns to stop the earlier version of the virus overwhelming the NHS, many scientists fear that further tightening will be necessary.\n\nInfection levels will begin to drop as enough people are vaccinated. But until then it is now more important than ever for people to follow social distancing guidelines, wear masks where required and to regularly wash their hands.\n\nThe new year brings with it hope of a more normal life in the next few months but also a new form of the virus that all of us will have to combat in the coming days and weeks.\n\nProfessor Lawrence Young, of Warwick University, said early indications suggested that vaccines would be effective against the new form of the virus.\n\n\"Variants virus have been around since the beginning of the pandemic and are a product of the natural process by which viruses develop and adapt to their hosts as they replicate.\n\n\"Most of these mutations have no effect on the behaviour of the virus but very occasionally they can improve the ability of the virus to infect and/or become more resistant to the body's immune response.\"\n\nFurther research is needed to understand why the variant is spreading so quickly. But early indications are that vaccines should be effective against it.\n\nThe new virus has been designated \"Variant of Concern 202012/01\" or VOC by Public Health England.\n\nIt was detected in November and thought to have originated in the south-east England in September.\n\nThere is no evidence to suggest that it is more deadly, but it will increase the number of cases which in turn will add further pressure on the NHS.\n\nThe variant can now be found across the UK, except Northern Ireland, but it is heavily concentrated in London, as well as south-east and eastern England.", "Appointments were brought forward or rescheduled for safety reasons\n\nFour vaccination centres were shut as snow caused some travel disruption in Wales.\n\nSunday appointments in Bridgend, Rhondda, Abercynon and Merthyr Tydfil were rescheduled for safety reasons, but centres will reopen on Monday, the Cwm Taf Morgannwg health board said.\n\nThe Met Office has extended a yellow weather warning to midnight on Sunday for all of Wales except Anglesey.\n\nA yellow warning for ice runs from midnight until 11:00 GMT on Monday.\n\nPolice have warned of difficult conditions due to snow and ice.\n\nUp to 3cm of snow is forecast to fall in most areas, with 10 to 15cm expected in the Brecon Beacons and Snowdonia.\n\nCwm Taf Morgannwg health board urged anyone with queries about Sunday's vaccination appointments to call the number on their appointment letters.\n\nSnow volunteers cleared pathways so a Covid vaccine pilot in Maesteg could keep running\n\n\"We can confirm that no vaccines have been wasted as a consequence of this temporary Sunday closure and we are grateful to all those who were able to turn up at such short notice yesterday as we brought forward a significant number of Sunday appointments during the course of Saturday,\" it said.\n\n\"Additionally, our 4x4 arrangements are enabling us to continue to reach care homes to vaccinate the staff and residents there.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Traffic Wales South #KeepWalesSafe This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nNorth Wales Police tweeted there was \"widespread snow this morning, particularly in some higher areas, making driving conditions difficult\".\n\nAnd Dyfed-Powys Police said some roads were \"impassable\" and advised people to \"stay home\".\n\nIn Bridgend, officers from South Wales Police were pelted with snowballs as they helped an injured sledger on Heol y Nant.\n\nNorth Wales Police warned of difficult conditions due to \"widespread snow\", particularly on high ground.\n\nIt said the A499 near Pwllheli had received heavy snowfall overnight.\n\nWelsh Ambulance Service boss Jason Killens tweeted, thanking the public for helping crews continue to work despite the conditions.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Jason Killens 💙 This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nVillages were dusted with snow, such as in Llanfynydd, Carmarthenshire\n\nNick Rolfe shared this garden view in Nercwys, near Mold, Flintshire\n\nThe Met Office warned travellers that \"longer journey times by road, bus and train services\" could be expected, although Wales is in a level four lockdown with all but essential travel banned.\n\nIt also said the snow could lead to power cuts and other services, such as mobile phone coverage, may be affected.\n\nThose going out for daily exercise have been warned there could be icy patches on some untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths.\n\nIn Powys, this was the view over Newtown on Sunday\n\nThe hills around Llangollen, Denbighshire, were covered in snow on Saturday\n\nPower cuts and travel delays are possible, the Met Office says\n\nThe drop in temperatures is likely to exacerbate problems after widespread flooding caused by Storm Christoph.\n\nTwo flood warnings issued by Natural Resources Wales remain in place, meaning flooding is expected.\n\nThese cover the River Ritec at Tenby in Pembrokeshire, which could affect the Kiln Park caravan site, and the lower Dee Valley from Llangollen to Trevalyn Meadows.\n\nPretty as a picture... Suzy shared this garden view in Snowdonia\n\nSun up: Heath in Cardiff awakes to a covering of snow\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "DUP leader Arlene Foster said people in NI need to \"come together to fight against Covid\"\n\nDUP leader Arlene Foster has said a potential vote on a united Ireland would be \"absolutely reckless\".\n\nShe was speaking after a poll commissioned by the Sunday Times in NI found 51% of people want a referendum on Irish unity in the next five years.\n\nSpeaking to Sky News, the first minister said \"we all know how divisive a border poll would be\".\n\nSinn Féin's Michelle O'Neill said there was an \"unstoppable conversation under way\" on the issue.\n\nThe deputy first minister called on the Irish government \"to step up preparations\" for a border poll.\n\nProvisions for a possible border poll on Irish reunification are included in the the Good Friday Agreement - the deal which led to peace in Northern Ireland after decades of violence.\n\nIt states that the Northern Ireland Secretary must call a border poll if it at any time it appears \"likely\" to that a majority of people in Northern Ireland would vote for a united Ireland.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Michelle O’Neill This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nMrs Foster said she thought it was \"very disappointing\" that some nationalist parties in the UK were focusing on \"constitutional politics\" during the Covid-19 pandemic.\n\n\"We all know how divisive a border poll would be, and for us in Northern Ireland what we have to do is come together to fight against Covid, and not be distracted by what would be absolutely reckless at this time,\" she said.\n\nShe added if there was a vote on Irish unity, the arguments for the union are \"rational, logical, and they will win through\".\n\nThe polling was carried out by Lucidtalk in Northern Ireland, with similar polling in England, Scotland and Wales to gauge attitudes towards the union.\n\nIt found that in Northern Ireland, 47% still want to remain in the UK, with 42% in favour of a united Ireland and 11% undecided.\n\nHowever for those aged under 45, supporters of Irish reunification outnumber those who want to stay in the UK by 47% to 46%.\n\nRespondents also said they believed there would be a united Ireland within 10 years, by a margin of 48% to 44%.\n\nPolls like this come with the usual health warning - they are a snapshot in a moment in time.\n\nNonetheless there is some interesting reading here - not least the fact that it paints a picture of a disunited kingdom.\n\nWe shouldn't really be surprised about that because we have had very different approaches to the global Covid-19 pandemic with different outcomes.\n\nWe know that Brexit is starting to bite and there is a lot of frustration out there and uncertainty and that, I'm sure, has fed into these figures.\n\nThe big question for NI, unsurprisingly, is around constitutional change.\n\nIt shows that 51% of those polled would want to see a border poll within the next five years, compared to 44% who would not.\n\nHowever, if they flip that question around it's interesting to see that 42% would want to see a united Ireland, but 47% would want to remain, with 11% of don't knows.\n\nSo according to these figures there may be an appetite for a border poll - but if that question was posed the majority are saying they would stay in the UK.\n\nSDLP leader Colum Eastwood said the poll placed a \"solemn obligation\" on those seeking a united Ireland \"to engage with every community, sector and generation\".\n\n\"The United Kingdom may be coming to an end but we are all called to build a new future together. That's the work the SDLP is engaged in,\" said the Foyle MP.\n\nThe polling found 47% of people in Northern Ireland wish to remain in the UK, with 42% in favour of a united Ireland, and 11% undecided\n\nUlster Unionist leader Steve Aiken said \"all political energy should be focused on making Northern Ireland a better place to live and work rather than a divisive border poll\".\n\n\"We need to concentrate on the here and now, fostering better relationships and plotting a way through and out of the Covid-19 pandemic,\" he added.\n\n\"As Northern Ireland enters its second century, we should be talking about recovery, renewal and reconciliation.\"\n\nThe polls also found across the UK, respondents believed Scotland would become independent within the next 10 years.\n\nIn Scotland, it found a large poll lead for the Scottish National Party, with them potentially being on course to win 70 of 129 seats in Holyrood.\n\nThe SNP is set to reveal its 'roadmap to a referendum' to its national assembly on Sunday.\n\nIt outlines plans to pursue a vote after the pandemic if there is a pro-independence majority at Holyrood following May's election.\n\nThe research was carried out by Lucidtalk in Northern Ireland, Panelbase in Scotland, and YouGov in England and Wales.\n\nThe polling was carried out between 15 and 22 of January, with 2,392 people polled in Northern Ireland, 1,206 in Scotland, 1,416 in England, and 1,059 in Wales.", "Larry King, giant of US broadcasting who achieved worldwide fame for interviewing political leaders and celebrities, has died at the age of 87.\n\nKing conducted an estimated 50,000 interviews in his six-decade career, which included 25 years as host of the popular CNN talk show Larry King Live.\n\nHe died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, according to Ora Media, a production company he co-founded.\n\nEarlier this month, he was treated in hospital for Covid-19, US media say.\n\nThe talk show host, famous for his braces and rolled-up sleeves, had faced several health problems in recent years, including heart attacks.\n\nKing was married eight times to seven women and had five children. Two of them died last year within weeks of each other - daughter Chaia died from lung cancer and son Andy of a heart attack.\n\nKing carried out interviews with every sitting US president from Gerald Ford to Barack Obama and a number of world leaders. His other high-profile guests included Dr Martin Luther King, the Dalai Lama, Nelson Mandela and Lady Gaga.\n\n\"For 63 years and across the platforms of radio, television and digital media, Larry's many thousands of interviews, awards, and global acclaim stand as a testament to his unique and lasting talent as a broadcaster,\" Ora Media said in a statement, without giving the cause of death.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Larry King: \"I like spontaneity. That's the kind of broadcaster I am\".\n\nBorn Lawrence Harvey Zeiger in Brooklyn, New York, in 1933, King rose to fame in the 1970s with his radio programme The Larry King Show, on the commercial network Mutual Broadcasting System.\n\nIn 1985 he launched Larry King Live on the fledgling CNN, and became one of the network's biggest stars. The programme, broadcast around the world, was a success with audiences, with King answering thousands of phone calls from viewers.\n\nHe earned a number of honours, including two Peabody awards, but was also criticised for his non-confrontational approach and open-ended questions. King boasted of not doing much research for the interviews so, he said, he could learn along with viewers.\n\nBy 2010 his ratings had dropped significantly, with critics saying King's approach felt outdated in an era of more aggressive interviewing styles. King then announced his retirement, saying: \"It's time to hang up my nightly suspenders.\"\n\nIn his final programme on CNN, he told his viewers: \"I don't know what to say, except to you, my audience, thank you. Instead of goodbye, how about so long?\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by CNN Communications This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nCNN replaced him with British journalist and broadcaster Piers Morgan, whose programme King criticised for being \"too much about him\".\n\nMorgan, whose programme was cancelled three years later, said on Twitter on Saturday: \"Larry King was a hero of mine until we fell out after I replaced him at CNN & he said my show was 'like watching your mother-in-law go over a cliff in your new Bentley.' (He married 8 times so a mother-in-law expert).\"\n\nIn a statement, CNN president Jeff Zucker said: \"The scrappy young man from Brooklyn had a history-making career spanning radio and television. His curiosity about the world propelled his award-winning career in broadcasting, but it was his generosity of spirit that drew the world to him.\"\n\nMost recently, King hosted another programme, Larry King Now, broadcast on Hulu and RT, Russia's state-controlled international broadcaster.\n\nA Kremlin spokesman was quoted as saying by state RIA Novosti news agency: \"King repeatedly interviewed Putin. The president has always appreciated his great professionalism and unquestioned journalistic authority.\"\n\nOutside broadcasting, King founded the Larry King Cardiac Foundation in 1988, a charity which helps to fund heart treatment for those with limited financial means or no medical insurance.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nA new world record has been set for the number of satellites sent to space on a single rocket.\n\nThe 143 payloads, of all shapes and sizes, rode to orbit on a SpaceX Falcon rocket that launched out of Florida.\n\nThe number beats the previous record of 104 satellites carried aloft by an Indian vehicle in 2017.\n\nIt's further evidence of the major structural changes taking place in space activity that are allowing many more actors to get involved.\n\nThis shift is the result of a revolution in robust, miniaturised, low-cost components - many taken direct from consumer electronics such as smartphones - that mean pretty much anyone can now build a capable satellite in a very small package.\n\nAnd with SpaceX offering to transport those packages to orbit for just $1m, the commercial opportunities will continue to open up.\n\nGuatemala's Santa María volcano: Planet is imaging the entire Earth daily with its Dove satellites\n\nSpaceX itself had 10 satellites on the Falcon - the latest additions to its Starlink telecommunications mega-constellation, which is going to deliver broadband internet connections around the globe.\n\nSan Francisco's Planet company had the most satellites of all on the flight - 48.\n\nThese were another batch of its SuperDove models that image the Earth's surface daily at a resolution of 3-5m. The new spacecraft take the firm's operational fleet now in orbit to more than 200.\n\n\"Internet of things\": SpaceBees will connect to all manner of objects on the ground\n\nThe SuperDoves are the size of a shoebox. Many of the other payloads on the Falcon rocket were little bigger than a coffee mug, however; and some were smaller even than a paperback book.\n\nSwarm Technologies is rolling out what it calls the SpaceBees. They're just 10cm by 10cm by 2.5cm.\n\nThey'll act as telecommunications nodes to connect devices that are attached to all manner of objects on the ground, from migrating animals to shipping containers.\n\nThe satellites were mounted on a dispenser that ejected them in sequence\n\nSome of the larger items on the Falcon rocket were suitcase-sized. Among these were several radar satellites. Radar has been one of the major beneficiaries of the revolution in componentry.\n\nTraditionally, radar satellites were big, multi-tonne objects that cost hundreds of millions of dollars to fly, which essentially meant only the military or major space agencies could afford to operate them.\n\nBut the adoption of new materials and compact \"off the shelf\" parts have dramatically shrunk the size (to under 100kg) and price (a couple of million dollars) of these spacecraft.\n\niQPS artwork: The radar satellites unfurl large antennas once they are in space\n\nIceye from Finland, Capella from the US, and iQPS of Japan all took the ride to orbit on Sunday. These start-ups are establishing constellations in the sky that will return rapid, repeat imagery of the Earth.\n\nRadar has the advantage over standard optical cameras of being able to pierce cloud, and to sense the Earth's surface whether it is day or night. We're entering an age when any change on the planet, wherever it happens, will be picked up almost immediately.\n\nThe Falcon carried the 143 satellites into a 500km-high path that runs from pole to pole. This is one of the drawbacks of a big rideshare mission: you go where the rocket goes, and for some that might not be ideal.\n\nA number of satellite missions will want an orbit that's higher or lower in the sky, or on a different inclination to the equator.\n\nThis can be achieved by mounting the satellites on \"space tugs\" which, after coming off the top of the rocket, modify the final parameters for their \"passengers\" over the course of several weeks. Sunday's Falcon carried two such tugs.\n\nBut for some missions a bespoke ride is going to be the only satisfactory solution. It's why we're now witnessing a rush to produce small rockets that can run dedicated flights.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Virgin Orbit's LauncherOne rocket blasts its way to space\n\nThese smaller rockets will not be able to compete on cost with the big vehicles, such as SpaceX's Falcon-9, but they should attract the custom of those with very specific or urgent needs.\n\nDan Hart, the CEO of Virgin Orbit, which has developed a small rocket that can be launched from under the wing of a Boeing 747, says the start-ups are becoming more discerning.\n\n\"These small satellites used to be points of fascination and interest, and it was a case of finding the cheapest way possible to get into space,\" he explained.\n\n\"That's rapidly changing. These are now businesses with critical missions that risk losing revenue if they have to wait on others or go into an unsuitable orbit. And that's why you're going to see people who will pay that little bit more to get to where they want to go when they absolutely need to go there,\" he told BBC News.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Will Marshall: \"Our satellites 'phoned home' and they are healthy\"\n\nWith the roll call of satellites going into orbit now accelerating rapidly, the issue of traffic management is becoming a hot topic.\n\nFull-on collisions are currently rare, but a surprisingly large number (10%) of satellites will even now experience sudden, unexpected momentum changes, most probably the result of being hit by some small fragment from a previous mission.\n\nThe space sector needs to find smarter ways to track objects in orbit and to command timely avoidance manoeuvres, otherwise certain altitudes could ultimately become unusable because of the presence of dangerously dense debris fields.\n\nJonathan McDowell from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics is a noted historian of astronautics.\n\nHe commented: \"There are now over 3,000 working satellites in orbit. The number of satellites launched last year at over 1,200 is over twice as many as in any previous year. And the ones launched today - that used to be the number you'd launch in a whole year. So it's getting really crowded up there.\"\n\nWill Marshall, the CEO of Planet, said his company, and indeed all of the companies on Sunday's flight, were accutley aware of the issue.\n\n\"We are seeing crowded areas in certain orbits,\" he told BBC News.\n\n\"Most of the crowded piece that is in danger of what they call Kessler Syndrome (runaway collisions) is quite high up. So one of the tricks that all of these satellites that were launched today use is to just stay really low where there's still a lot of atmospheric drag and eventually those satellites just come down.\"", "Pavithra Wanniarachchi (L) has become the fourth Sri Lankan minister to test positive\n\nSri Lanka's health minister, who endorsed herbal syrup to prevent Covid, has tested positive for the virus.\n\nPavithra Wanniarachchi tested positive on Friday, a media secretary at the Ministry of Health told the BBC.\n\nShe had promoted the syrup, manufactured by a shaman who claimed it worked as a life-long inoculation against the virus.\n\nSri Lanka recorded 56,076 cases and 276 deaths since the pandemic began, with cases surging in recent months.\n\nMs Wanniarachchi is the fourth minister to test positive. A junior minister, who also took the potion, tested positive earlier this week.\n\nThe health minister had publicly consumed and endorsed the syrup as a way of stopping the spread of the virus. The shaman who invented the syrup, which contains honey and nutmeg, said the recipe was given to him in a visionary dream.\n\nDoctors in the country have quashed claims the herbal syrup works, but AFP news agency reports thousands have travelled to a village to obtain it.\n\nMs Wanniarachchi took two Covid-19 tests and both returned positive results, Viraj Abeysinghe, media secretary at the Ministry of Health told the BBC.\n\nThe minister has been asked to self-isolate and all of her immediate contacts have gone into isolation.\n\nNews of Ms Wanniarachchi's positive test came hours after Sri Lanka approved the emergency use of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine. The first doses are expected to arrive in the country next week.\n\nSri Lanka isn't the only place where people in positions of power have promoted unproven treatments for Covid.\n\nLast year, Madagascar's President Andry Rajoelina was criticised for promoting a herbal concoction that he claimed could prevent the virus. He was pictured distributing the tonic to poor communities in the capital.\n\nSince the pandemic began, a number of world leaders and cabinet members have contracted Covid. French President Emmanuel Macron, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and former President Donald Trump all caught the virus at various points last year.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The people who think Coronavirus is caused by 5G", "Mr Johnson raised the benefits of a UK-US trade deal during his phone call with Mr Biden\n\nPrime Minister Boris Johnson has spoken to Joe Biden for the first time since the new US president was inaugurated.\n\nMr Johnson said on Twitter that he looked forward to \"deepening the longstanding alliance\" between the UK and the US as they drove a \"green and sustainable recovery from Covid-19\".\n\nMr Biden was sworn in as president and Kamala Harris as vice-president in a ceremony in Washington on Wednesday.\n\nThe PM said their inauguration was a \"step forward\" for the US.\n\nA Downing Street spokesman said Mr Johnson \"warmly welcomed\" the president's decision to rejoin the Paris Agreement on climate change and the World Health Organization - both abandoned by Mr Biden's predecessor, Donald Trump.\n\n\"The prime minister praised President Biden's early action on tackling climate change and commitment to reach net zero by 2050,\" the spokesman said.\n\nThe spokesman added that, in building on the two nations' \"long history of cooperation in security and defence, the leaders \"re-committed to the Nato alliance and our shared values in promoting human rights and protecting democracy\".\n\nThe two leaders also talked about \"the benefits of a potential free trade deal\" between the UK and the US, with Mr Johnson reiterating his intention \"to resolve existing trade issues as soon as possible\".\n\nAfter the inauguration of any American president, a political spectator sport immediately begins: the order in which the new occupant of the White House speaks to other world leaders.\n\nIt is a crude metric of relative importance, but a metric nonetheless.\n\nI understand the call lasted for around 35 minutes and was the first conversation Joe Biden has had with a European leader as president.\n\nThe focus on climate change makes political and diplomatic sense. It's a topic where a Conservative prime minister and Democrat president can agree, and it matters particularly to the UK as the host of the COP26 UN Climate Change Summit in Glasgow in November.\n\nBut when you compare what Downing Street said about the call and what the White House said, one thing leaps out.\n\nNo 10's readout refers to a conversation about a trade deal. President Biden's does not.\n\nIt's widely expected there'll be no such agreement any time soon.\n\nMr Johnson and Mr Biden \"looked forward to to meeting in person as soon as the circumstances allow\" and to working together during the forthcoming G7, G20 and COP26 summits, the spokesman added.\n\nA White House statement said Mr Biden \"conveyed his intention to strengthen the special relationship\" between the US and UK and \"revitalize transatlantic ties\".\n\nCongratulating Mr Biden and Ms Harris - who is the first woman and first black and Asian-American person to serve as vice-president - the PM said earlier that their inauguration was a \"step forward\" for the US, which had \"been through a bumpy period\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Johnson: \"It's a big moment for us - we have things we want to do together.\"\n\nMr Johnson said it was a \"big moment\" for the UK and the US and their \"joint common agenda\".\n\nThe BBC's political editor, Laura Kuenssberg has said the Biden Presidency \"brings some hope to government\" because No 10 believes \"there is a lot of overlap\" between what Mr Biden and Mr Johnson want to do.\n\nThe US president has previously said that he does not want a \"guarded border\" between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland following Brexit, and that any UK-US post-Brexit trade deal had to be \"contingent\" on respect for the Good Friday Agreement.\n\nThe PM and Mr Biden have never met in real life, but the new US president once referred to Mr Johnson as a \"physical and emotional clone\" of Mr Trump.\n\nAfter winning the presidential election, Mr Biden phoned Mr Johnson ahead of other European leaders and expressed his desire to strengthen the historic \"special relationship\" between the two countries.", "Keon Lincoln died from a gunshot and stab wounds police said\n\nThree more teenagers have been arrested on suspicion of murdering a 15-year-old who was attacked by a group of youths.\n\nKeon Lincoln was \"set upon\" at about 15:30 GMT on Thursday on Linwood Road in Handsworth, Birmingham, and died later in hospital, police said.\n\nA post mortem examination has revealed Keon died from a gunshot and stab wounds.\n\nDetectives have been granted extra time to question a 14-year-old boy arrested on Friday morning.\n\nAnother 14-year-old boy arrested later on Friday has been released under investigation.\n\nA boy, also aged 14, was arrested from his home in Birmingham on Saturday night, the force said.\n\nTwo other boys aged 15 and 16 were arrested from an address in Walsall in the early hours of Sunday.\n\nThe attackers fled the scene in a car which crashed into a house a short distance away\n\nDet Ch Insp Alastair Orencas, who is leading the murder inquiry, described the arrests as \"significant\".\n\n\"We are gathering a substantial amount of evidence which will take time to analyse, but we must be thorough to get justice for Keon's family.\n\n\"They have been fully updated with the latest developments.\"\n\nFollow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Andrew RT Davies has taken over as leader of the Welsh Conservatives for the second time\n\nAndrew RT Davies has been named as the new leader of the Welsh Conservatives in the Senedd for a second time.\n\nMr Davies succeeds Paul Davies who resigned from his post on Saturday after drinking with other politicians in the Senedd, four days into a Wales-wide alcohol ban in licensed premises.\n\nIn a statement, Andrew RT Davies said it was \"a great honour and privilege\".\n\nHe has already announced his shadow cabinet, which includes four women.\n\nThere are no responsibilities for Paul Davies or Darren Millar, who also previously apologised for being part of the group who were drinking at the Senedd.\n\nMr Davies said his party \"will put forward a positive plan to get Wales moving again\" and \"unleash our country's potential\" at the Senedd election, scheduled for May.\n\n\"I'm pleased to have moved quickly this afternoon and announce my Welsh Conservative shadow cabinet which is built on the strong foundations of experience, talent and vision,\" he said.\n\n\"We are in a moment like no other, and the Covid-19 pandemic has sadly only served to shine a spotlight on the challenges in people's everyday lives.\n\n\"We shouldn't doubt our country's potential. Wales is full of ambitious people and communities that crave the opportunity to succeed.\"\n\nThe Conservatives' shadow cabinet reshuffle sees Angela Burns MS replace the new leader as shadow health minister and Mark Isherwood MS replace Darren Millar MS as chief whip.\n\nDavid Melding MS has been appointed shadow minister for mental health, wellbeing, culture and sport.\n\nJanet Finch-Saunders MS remains as shadow minister for environment, energy and rural affairs, and Suzy Davies MS in education, skills and Welsh language.\n\nLaura Anne Jones MS stays as shadow minister for equalities, children and young people, but with extra responsibilities for housing and local government.\n\nRussell George MS remains in the shadow cabinet, responsible for the economy, transport and mid Wales.\n\nIn 2018, Mr Davies, the Member of the Senedd for South Wales Central, quit as leader of the Conservative group after seven years in charge.\n\nHe was given the unanimous backing of fellow Welsh Conservatives in the Senedd.\n\nWelsh secretary Simon Hart, MP for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, tweeted his congratulations to \"a formidable campaigner\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Simon Hart This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Welsh Labour Press This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nAndrew RT Davies faced criticism earlier this month from former Tory politicians and Labour after comparing rioting in the US Congress to people who backed a second referendum on Brexit.\n\nThe deputy leader of the UK Labour Party said it was was a \"disgrace that the Welsh Conservatives\" had appointed \"this Donald Trump tribute act\" as leader.\n\nAngela Rayner MP said: \"Just weeks ago, Labour called on the Conservatives to suspend Andrew RT Davies and remove him as a candidate over his disgraceful and dangerous comments equating peaceful democratic debate in the UK with deadly violence at the US Capitol.\n\n\"The Conservative Party failed to act and he has refused to apologise.\n\n\"It is a disgrace that the Welsh Conservatives have just appointed him leader and their candidate for first minister of Wales.\n\n\"The people of Wales deserve so much better than this Donald Trump tribute act.\"\n\nPlaid Cymru leader Adam Price MS said: \"After a car crash the backseat driver returns to put Wales in reverse.\n\n\"Once rejected by his own Senedd team, he will now embark on his pet project of stripping our Senedd of powers and setting Welsh democracy back decades.\"\n\nHis appointment comes just a day after Paul Davies stood down along with Tory MS Darren Millar, who was chief whip, in connection with the same incident.\n\nBoth have apologised for drinking alcohol with their meals on 8 and 9 December but both deny having broken the Covid-19 rules in place at the time.\n\nWelsh Conservatives chairman Glyn Davies said: \"They've both been friends of mine a long time but I could see the way the story was developing and I must say I think it was inevitable in the end.\n\n\"Obviously, I've been pretty disappointed with the position that we find ourselves in but this is politics and it's a challenge.\"\n\nAn investigation by the Senedd's authorities found five people, including four members of the Welsh Parliament, drank alcohol on its premises during the Wales-wide alcohol ban.\n\nA third member of the Senedd, Labour's Alun Davies, apologised earlier in the week and has been suspended by his party.\n\nBBC Wales has asked for clarification as to the identity of the fourth Senedd member investigators have referred to.\n\nPaul Smith, the Tory group chief of staff, was the fifth person involved.\n\nThe Senedd has referred the \"possible breach\" of Covid rules to Cardiff council and its own standards watchdog.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Last updated on .From the section Mixed Martial Arts\n\nDustin Poirier (left) has had nine mixed martial arts fights since November 2016, while Conor McGregor has had just three Former two-weight world champion Conor McGregor was left stunned on his return to the UFC as Dustin Poirier claimed victory in their rematch at UFC 257. McGregor came out of retirement for a third time to face fellow 32-year-old Poirier at Abu Dhabi's Fight Island. And although the Irishman edged the first round, Poirier unleashed a flurry of punches to seal a technical knockout two minutes 32 seconds into round two. \"I'm gutted, it's a tough one to swallow,\" said McGregor. \"I felt stronger than him, but his leg kicks were good. I didn't adjust. My leg was badly compromised, I've never experienced those low calf kicks, and I wasn't as comfortable as I needed to be. \"I have no excuses. It was a phenomenal performance by Dustin. I have to dust it off and come back. I need activity, you don't get away with being inactive in this business.\"\n• None Trilogies, Pacquiao or YouTuber - what next for beaten McGregor?\n• None UFC 257 - All the action as it happened When the pair first met in a featherweight bout in September 2014, McGregor stopped the American inside 106 seconds, setting \"the Notorious\" on course for global stardom. He became the UFC's first simultaneous two-weight champion before facing Floyd Mayweather in one of the richest bouts in boxing history in 2017. Poirier, meanwhile, had to gradually work his way back into title contention and is now the number-two ranked lightweight contender, losing just two of his 13 fights since 2014. McGregor now has a 22-5 mixed martial arts record having lost three of his past six UFC fights McGregor has been relatively inactive though. Since losing to Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2018, he has had just 40 seconds in the octagon - beating Donald 'Cowboy' Cerrone in style last January. But McGregor seemed to start well in front of about 2,000 fans at the new 18,000-capacity Etihad Arena. He survived an early takedown and pinned Poirier against the fence for most of the first round, landing a few shoulder strikes like those that did so much damage against Cerrone. McGregor said before the fight that what motivates him now is building a \"highlights reel like a movie\", and he tagged Poirier with a couple of right-hand shots. But, unlike their first fight, Poirier was unmoved. Poirier admitted McGregor won the mind games before they met in 2014. This time round, instead of swapping verbal barbs before the fight, McGregor pledged to donate $500,000 (£367,000) to Poirier's charity and at the weigh-in Poirier presented McGregor with a bottle of his own brand of Louisiana hot sauce. And it was the American southpaw that brought the heat midway through the second round. Having replied to that early pressure with a series of leg kicks, he pounced to inflict the first TKO/KO defeat of McGregor's MMA career and take his own record to 27-6. \"It was a lot of things, but it wasn't payback. That wasn't the driving force,\" said Poirier. \"The first time I was a deer in the headlights. This time I was just fighting another man who bleeds like me. \"The goal was to be technical, pick my shots and not brawl at all. Then I had him hurt so I went a little crazy.\" What now for Poirier? Poirier's first world title shot - against Nurmagomedov - came 31 fights into his MMA career Since beating McGregor in 2018, lightweight champion Nurmagomedov won unification bouts against Poirier and Justin Gaethje to stay undefeated, announcing his retirement immediately after beating Gaethje in October. Nurmagomedov's title is yet to be vacated and UFC president Dana White said this week that the Russian may consider returning for a rematch with McGregor or Poirier if he \"saw something spectacular\". But speaking after UFC 257, White said: \"He said to me, 'be honest with yourself, I'm so many levels above these guys. I've beaten these guys'. \"I don't know, it doesn't sound very positive, but he won't hold the division up.\" In the co-main event, former Bellator world champion Michael Chandler marked his UFC debut with an impressive first-round knockout of sixth-ranked lightweight Dan Hooker, who Poirier beat last time out. Poirier said: \"It was a great win, but to come in and beat a guy I just beat and get a title shot? I've had more than 20 UFC fights, fighting the toughest of the toughest guys to get my hands on gold [a belt]. \"Let Chandler and Charles Oliveira go at it. That [Chandler] doesn't interest me at this point - or I'll go and sell hot sauce. A rematch with Conor interests me, and I've always wanted to beat Nate Diaz.\" \"Conor McGregor's not an old dog, he's definitely ready to keep going. \"Going around doing other things is not what Conor needs. He's young, fit and still ready to go. He'll 100% be back.\"\n• None All the goals, highlights and drama from Saturday's fourth-round ties are", "Watch: Vaccine plea to prioritise those with learning disabilities\n\nAs high risk groups continue to be immunised, there are growing concerns that people with learning disabilities have been missed out. \"Just because we've got a learning disability, doesn't mean we should sit in the corner and rot,\" says Amanda. \"We need help now.\" \"There are so many people that are going to die, and it's not fair.\" \"Even before Covid, more than four in 10 people with a learning disability died of a lung condition like pneumonia,\" says Professor Tuffney-Wijne, of Kingston University. \"As a group of people, they really are at risk.\" Legal action is being taken against the Department of Health and Social Care, which says it is working hard to vaccinate all those at risk. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation said it had made \"a clinical decision to prioritise those with profound and severe learning disabilities within our first six categories\".", "Last updated on .From the section FA Cup\n\nBruno Fernandes' superb 78th-minute free-kick gave Manchester United victory in a thrilling FA Cup tie with old rivals Liverpool at Old Trafford.\n\nLiverpool led a fantastic contest through Mohamed Salah, who then equalised after Mason Greenwood and Marcus Rashford had struck for the hosts either side of the break.\n\nBut in a game which had everything last week's drab stalemate between this pair at Anfield lacked, Fernandes came off the bench to have the final word after Fabinho had fouled Edinson Cavani on the edge of the area.\n• None Don't worry about us, says Reds boss Klopp\n\nFernandes might have been slightly off the pace in recent games but when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer needed his £47m inspiration to come up with another special moment, the Portuguese delivered, bending his shot round the wall and beyond Allison's reach.\n\nThe victory earns United a home meeting with an in-form West Ham side managed by former boss David Moyes in the fifth round.\n\nBut the search for form goes on for Liverpool, whose only win in seven games since that seven-goal hammering of Crystal Palace came against Aston Villa's kids in the last round, and who have a meeting with Jose Mourinho's Tottenham looming on Thursday.\n• None Watch all the goals from the FA Cup fourth round\n\nIt was not quite the ending Solskjaer served up when he won a previous fourth-round meeting between these sides but, as in 1999, they had to come from behind.\n\nAnd while Fernandes applied the devastating finish, that goal should not be allowed to overshadow Rashford's contribution to United's victory.\n\nSo much has been said about the England forward as a social crusader it is sometimes easy to forget he also needs to be judged as a footballer.\n\nAt only 23, he is still a long way off his prime but he is developing into an outstanding forward, with vision to match his speed and finishing ability.\n\nThe pass that created Greenwood's equaliser was superb. Taking possession just inside his own half, Rashford delivered a 60-yard pass with such accuracy all Greenwood needed to do was take one touch to control with his chest before drilling low into the far corner.\n\nRashford's raw pace put Liverpool's defence under constant stress and the delicate touch that took him past Rhys Williams by the touchline in a move that ended with Paul Pogba curling wide was sensational.\n\nAnd then there was his goal, which needed a perfectly-timed run to go beyond the Liverpool defence and reach Greenwood's through ball, and then a cool head to apply the finish.\n\nAt that point, it seemed United had the game under control. It did not quite work out that way and once again, Fernandes, who has won four Premier League player of the month awards out of the seven he has been eligible for since leaving Sporting Lisbon less than 12 months ago, underlined his credentials as English football's most influential player at present.\n\nSalah's effort was the first time Liverpool had been ahead at Old Trafford since January 2017, since when Liverpool have won both the Champions League and Premier League, a clear indication that whatever issues Jurgen Klopp is wrestling with at the moment, they are not insurmountable.\n\nThe finish for the striker's 18th goal of the season did not hint at a lack of confidence as he raced on to Roberto Firmino's precise through ball, having escaped the attentions of Victor Lindelof, and lifted his shot beyond the reach of Dean Henderson.\n\nEvidently, what Klopp needs is to find a solution in defence. Williams was shaky and at fault for Rashford's goal, while Fabinho was exposed by United in this game and Cavani exploited the Brazilian's defensive inexperience to earn the free-kick that won the game.\n\nEven so, after Salah equalised from close range after United had lost possession to James Milner and never recovered their position after working their way up-field from a short goal-kick, the visitors did have chances to win it themselves.\n\nBut Dean Henderson saved from Trent Alexander-Arnold and Salah before Fernandes struck - so Liverpool's wait for a first FA Cup win since 1921 at Old Trafford, and Jurgen Klopp's for a first win at United full stop, goes on.\n\nManchester United are next in action against Sheffield United in the Premier League at Old Trafford on Wednesday, 27 January (20:15GMT). Liverpool play at Tottenham on Thursday, 28 January (20:00GMT).\n• None Manchester United have eliminated Liverpool from the FA Cup proper for the 10th time; in the competition's history, only Liverpool themselves (12 v Everton) have knocked a particular side out more times (including finals).\n• None Liverpool have won just one of their past 15 matches at Old Trafford in all competitions (D4 L10), and are winless in their last eight at the ground (D4 L4).\n• None Manchester United have won each of their past eight home games in the FA Cup; only from 1908 to 1912 have they had a better winning run on home soil in the competition (9 games).\n• None Liverpool are the first reigning Premier League champion to be eliminated from the FA Cup as early as the fourth round since Manchester City in 2014-15.\n• None Liverpool have lost back-to-back games in all competitions for the first time since March 2020.\n• None Roberto Firmino has assisted Mohamed Salah for 18 goals in all competitions for Liverpool, the most any player has set up another for the Reds under Jurgen Klopp. Since they first played together in 2017-18, this is the most one player has assisted another for all Premier League sides in all competitions.\n• None Mason Greenwood scored his first goal for Man Utd in 11 appearances in all competitions, ending his longest run of games without a goal for the club. Aged 19 years and 115 days, he was the youngest Man Utd player to score against Liverpool since Wayne Rooney in January 2005 in the Premier League (19y 83d).\n• None Marcus Rashford has scored more goals at Old Trafford against Liverpool than he has against any other opponent on home soil for Manchester United (4).\n• None Since his Man Utd debut in February 2020, Bruno Fernandes has scored more goals than any other player for Premier League clubs (28).\n• None No player has scored more goals for Premier League clubs in all competitions this season than Salah for Liverpool (19, level with Harry Kane).\n• None Attempt missed. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) left footed shot from the right side of the box misses to the right following a set piece situation.\n• None Paul Pogba (Manchester United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.\n• None Victor Lindelöf (Manchester United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.\n• None Edinson Cavani (Manchester United) hits the right post with a header from the centre of the box. Assisted by Bruno Fernandes with a cross.\n• None Attempt saved. Marcus Rashford (Manchester United) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the top left corner. Assisted by Aaron Wan-Bissaka.\n• None Goal! Manchester United 3, Liverpool 2. Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United) from a free kick with a right footed shot to the bottom right corner. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page\n• None All the goals, highlights and drama from Saturday's fourth-round ties are", "A protester holds a poster that reads \"One for all and all for one\" in support of opposition leader Navalany\n\nTens of thousands of people rallied across Russia on Saturday in some of the largest demonstrations held against President Vladimir Putin in years.\n\nCrowds defied police to show support for opposition leader Alexei Navalny - who was arrested last weekend after returning to the country following a near-fatal nerve agent attack last year.\n\nMonitors say more than 3,000 were arrested for taking part in rallies in dozens of cities across the country.\n\nReuters estimated that some 40,000 gathered in Moscow alone, but authorities played down the figure and said only a tenth of that number showed up.\n\nRiot police were pictured dragging away and beating some protesters. The US and UK have condemned the heavy-handed response and called for the release of peaceful protesters.\n\nJosep Borrell, the EU foreign policy chief, also expressed concern and said foreign ministers would discuss \"next steps\" on Monday.\n\nOVD Info, an independent NGO that monitors rallies, said more than 1,200 had been detained in Moscow alone.\n\nDemonstrations, held from Russia's Far East to St Petersburg, were some of the biggest seen in years.\n\nIn Omsk protesters braced freezing temperatures of almost -30C (-22F) to protest against Mr Navalny's detention.\n\nAnd conditions were even colder, -52C (-62F), at another protest held in Yakutsk in Siberia.\n\nMr Navalny, a lawyer and blogger, has long been a thorn in the side of the Kremlin. He forged reputation as an anti-corruption campaigner and has become the most prominent face of the country's opposition.\n\nHe was arrested immediately on arrival into the country last Sunday after flying home from Germany, where he had been recovering from an attempted assassination attempt which he and investigative journalists have blamed on Russian authorities - a claim officials deny.\n\nPolice said Mr Navalny had violated parole conditions and have kept him in custody pending further hearings.\n\nMuch of the international community have condemned his arrest and called for his immediate release.\n\nMr Navalny called for street protests and his team further galvanised support this week after releasing an investigative documentary about an opulent Black Sea property allegedly owned by President Putin.\n\nThe investigation, now watched more than 70m times, alleges the property cost £1bn ($1.37bn) and was paid for \"with the largest bribe in history\" but the Kremlin denies it belongs to the president.\n\nRussian authorities had warned in advance of Saturday that any unauthorised demonstrations would be \"immediately suppressed\".\n\nSome demonstrators were pictured with injuries, including wounds to the head, following the promised crackdown.", "Vaccination appointments for people aged 70-79 are being delivered from Monday - but plans to use distinctive blue envelopes in some parts of the country have been delayed.\n\nThe aim is to have this group receive their first dose by mid-February.\n\nOn Sunday morning, the Scottish government said some letters would be sent out in blue envelopes and given Royal Mail priority.\n\nBut in a statement published later it said the envelopes were not yet ready.\n\nIt added that the change has no impact on the vaccination programme timetable.\n\nVaccinations for over-80s are continuing, with Nicola Sturgeon revealing on Sunday that about 40% of this age group had received a first dose of the vaccine.\n\nAll appointments will initially be sent out in white envelopes which will have a window and a black NHS logo on the right hand side.\n\nThe blue envelopes were due to be sent out in Fife, Forth Valley, Ayrshire and Arran, Lanarkshire, Greater Glasgow and Clyde, and Lothian as part of a new booking system.\n\nUnder the system, patients are scheduled in order of priority and more boards are expected to make use of the technology as the vaccination programme expands.\n\nA Scottish government spokesman said the blue envelopes would be introduced \"as quickly as possible\".\n\nHe added: \"The blue envelopes we hoped to use were not ready in time for the first tranche of vaccine appointment invitations so distinctive NHS branded white envelopes are being used as a temporary measure.\n\n\"The absolute priority remains the roll-out of vaccinations and this temporary change to the envelope colour has absolutely no impact to our timetable.\n\n\"We continue to strongly urge everyone in the 70-79 age group to check all their post in the coming weeks and take up the offer of the vaccine when it is received,\" he added.\n\nAccording to the Scottish government's vaccine deployment plan, the 470,000 people aged in the 70 and 79 age bracket should receive their first dose by mid-February.\n\nSome patients may receive a phone call from their local health board as part of the appointment process.\n\nAnd all patients aged 75 to 79 in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde will be invited via phone.\n\nA Royal Mail spokesman said \"clearly marked envelopes\" would be used to make it easier for the postal service to identify and prioritise this mail during sorting and delivery process.\n\nHe added: \"We are poised to make these letters even more noticeable in the coming weeks as we have agreed.\"\n\nMeanwhile, the Scottish government has said it is on track for all those aged 80 and over to have received their first dose of the vaccine by the end of the first week in February.\n\nThis age group are being contacted by telephone or another form of letter.\n\nMinisters have faced criticism over the pace of the vaccine rollout, and accusations that Scotland is \"lagging behind\" England on the vaccine roll-out.\n\nOpposition parties say vaccines are not being supplied to GPs' surgeries fast enough.\n\nAnd they point to the latest official figures which show that 13% of over 80s in Scotland had their first dose by Sunday 17 January, while 56.3% of same age group had been vaccinated in England.\n\nMs Sturgeon told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show that, a week on, the figure had reached about 40%.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Nicola Sturgeon says the over 70s are to receive their vaccine date\n\nThe UK government Health Secretary Matt Hancock told Andrew Marr on Sunday that 75% of over-80s and three-quarters of UK care homes had received a first Covid vaccine in England.\n\nAbout 95% of Scottish care home residents have received their first dose, Ms Sturgeon told the Scottish government briefing on Friday.\n\nShe said the over-80s roll-out has been slower because the Scottish government has \"very deliberately\" concentrated on vaccinating care home residents first, which is \"more time consuming and labour intensive\".\n\nThis was designed to target the most vulnerable and was in line with the priority list compiled by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), which advises on vaccine rollout across the UK, she said.\n\nScotland's national clinical director Prof Jason Leitch has defended the plan, which has been challenged by the British Medical Association (BMA) for not getting second doses out quickly enough.\n\nProf Leitch told the BBC's Good Morning Scotland programme: \"The difficulty with the BMA's position is that we would have to de-prioritise another group, either care home residents or the over-80s, in order to give a second dose to younger people.\n\n\"And that's what the Joint Committee on Vaccination have told us not to do.\n\n\"They have told us in very clear terms - give the first dose to as many vulnerable people as you can and that gives us the best chance of saving the most lives.\"\n\nMeanwhile, Deputy First Minister John Swinney told Politics Scotland that the Scottish government was \"actively exploring\" the possibility of stricter rules around facemasks.\n\nHe said the issue was being \"looked at\" after new rules announced in Germany last week required people to wear medical-grade facemasks on public transport and in shops.\n\nMr Swinney said progress was being made in reducing cases but hospitals were still under \"enormous pressure\" and it would be \"foolish\" to rule out strengthening restrictions further in the future.", "Last updated on .From the section FA Cup\n\nCheltenham Town came within nine minutes of one of the biggest shocks in recent FA Cup history before Manchester City staged a dramatic late rally to crush the dreams of the gallant League Two side.\n\nThe Robins, 72 places below City who sit second in the Premier League, threatened huge embarrassment for Pep Guardiola's side after Alfie May put Cheltenham ahead on the hour after a trademark long throw from captain Ben Tozer caused chaos in the area.\n\nCity, who made ten changes to the team that beat Aston Villa in the Premier League on Wednesday, spared their embarrassment when Phil Foden, the game's outstanding player, arrived at the far post to turn in substitute Joao Cancelo's long cross in the 81st minute.\n\nAnd the turnaround was complete three minutes later when a rare moment of slackness in the outstanding Cheltenham defence, with goalkeeper Josh Griffiths superb, switched off and Gabriel Jesus scored from Fernandinho's delivery.\n\nFerran Torres scored Manchester City's third with the last kick of the game to give the scoreline a cruel reflection on Cheltenham's heroic efforts.\n\nIt was so cruel on manager Michael Duff and his players, who now go back the battle for promotion from League Two, while City will be away at Swansea in the fifth round.\n\n\"I'm incredibly proud,\" the Robins boss said of his side's display. \"The players they brought on from the bench and they way they celebrated the goals tells you something. They know they've been in a game. They've done that to better teams than us.\"\n\nThe sight of Manchester City manager Guardiola disputing where Cheltenham could take a throw-in said everything about the way the League Two underdogs gave their mighty opponents a serious fright.\n\nTozer's throw-ins were causing all manner of problems and led to Cheltenham's goal but there was so much more to their performance than that set-piece weapon, a threat any manager in the game would utilise.\n\nCheltenham tried to play football when they got the chance, with goalscorer May, who has done the hard yards in non-league before playing for Doncaster and now Cheltenham, a leading light.\n\nRobins keeper Griffiths, who suffered the ignominy of being beaten from 71 yards by his Newport County opposite number Tom King in midweek, was in defiant form as he saved well from Riyad Mahrez and Torres, showing command throughout. Tozer's headed goalline clearance from Benjamin Mendy in the first half was also symbolic of their 'they shall not pass' approach.\n\nThere may have been no fans inside this compact stadium but there was still a real sense of occasion, the game being halted in the first half because of a firework display nearby.\n\nIn the end this will be a bitter disappointment to Cheltenham but they can be rightly proud and take huge confidence into their League Two promotion battle.\n\nDuff highlighted how financially important the cup run was for his club.\n\n\"It's essential,\" he added. \"Every pound coming in is probably worth a tenner in normal times.\n\n\"These games don't come around very often. It's a shame because [with fans] the place would've been bouncing. Would that have seen us through in the last 10 minutes? I'm not so sure - but the key is to enjoy it.\"\n\nGuardiola made 10 changes to his line-up to give Manchester City's shadow squad a chance to impress.\n\nSome, like the erratic Mendy, did not take that opportunity and it was someone establishing himself in City's side that spared the blushes of this expensively assembled squad.\n\nFoden was magnificent, so light on his feet with glorious ball control, endless creativity and the man pulling the strings for City even when they were struggling to break down resilient Cheltenham.\n\nThe 20-year-old was head and shoulders above his City team-mates. He was the one who was going to pull them out of their grim predicament if anyone was, and so it proved when he popped up with the crucial late equaliser that lifted Guardiola's team and deflated Cheltenham.\n\nFoden had already carved out chances for Mahrez and Gabriel Jesus that were not taken so it was a case of 'do it yourself' when he was the player on target.\n\nThe fact Guardiola was forced to use three subs in Ruben Dias, Ilkay Gundogan and Joao Cancelo once Cheltenham went ahead proved how worried the Premier League giants were.\n\nThis was an unimpressive, scratchy display from City's much-changed team, with Guardiola resting so many of the players who are giving them such an ominous look in the Premier League - luckily they had the brilliance of Foden to pull them out of a deep hole.\n\nGuardiola praised the England attacking midfielder for his impressive performance.\n\n\"Foden is in a great moment and with great confidence,\" he said.\n\n\"He is clinical in front of goal and he had a similar chance to the goal we scored at [Chelsea's] Stamford Bridge - he is playing really well.\"\n\nThe City manager suggested he was confident in the players he put out on the pitch.\n\n\"I didn't have regrets even when we were 1-0 down, we had clear chances from the first minute,\" he added.\n\n\"When they take advantage it gets complicated, but we got it to 1-1 and it was tight. We came here with humility and had the quality to make the difference.\"\n• None Cheltenham have lost all nine of their competitive meetings with Premier League sides, by an aggregate score of 6-23.\n• None City have won 10 consecutive games in all competitions for the first time since a run of 11 from August to October 2017.\n• None May's opener for Cheltenham was the first goal City had conceded in 509 minutes of action in all competitions, since Callum Hudson-Odoi's strike for Chelsea at the start of the month.\n• None Foden is City's top scorer in all competitions this season with nine goals in 25 appearances, one more than he netted in 38 games last season.\n• None Jesus has been involved in 12 goals in 13 FA Cup appearances for City, scoring eight and assisting four.\n• None May has scored four goals in his four FA Cup games for Cheltenham, with each of his eight goals in total in the competition coming in home games.\n• None Goal! Cheltenham Town 1, Manchester City 3. Ferran Torres (Manchester City) right footed shot from very close range to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Ilkay Gündogan.\n• None Attempt missed. Matty Blair (Cheltenham Town) right footed shot from the right side of the box is too high following a corner.\n• None Goal! Cheltenham Town 1, Manchester City 2. Gabriel Jesus (Manchester City) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Fernandinho with a through ball.\n• None Goal! Cheltenham Town 1, Manchester City 1. Phil Foden (Manchester City) left footed shot from very close range to the bottom left corner. Assisted by João Cancelo with a cross.\n• None Attempt missed. João Cancelo (Manchester City) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Assisted by Riyad Mahrez.\n• None Attempt missed. Phil Foden (Manchester City) header from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by João Cancelo with a cross. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page\n• None Hear from the former US president as he reflects on his time in office\n• None How can you eat well for £1 a portion?", "Some of the party-goers have travelled from Newcastle and London, police said\n\nA student party that attracted people from up to 200 miles away has been broken up by police.\n\nSome of the guests were found hiding in cupboards when officers raided the gathering in Lower Loveday Street, Birmingham, on Friday night.\n\nOne officer was assaulted as one guest made off but was not hurt, West Midlands Police said.\n\nParty-goers had travelled to the event from places such as Newcastle, Nottingham and London.\n\nThe flats are private accommodation but predominantly used by students from Aston University and University College Birmingham, West Midlands Police said.\n\nInsp Steve Barnes added: \"We understand that young people are frustrated at not being able to enjoy themselves and I do feel their pain, but we have to stick to the rules so that we can get back to some sort of normality sooner rather than later.\n\n\"People are dying and we have to prevent the spread of this virus.\"\n\nOfficers were also called to a party on Soho Road where shop owners had set up a sound system, and a 30th birthday party attended by about 20 people in Kingstanding.\n\nAcross 32 breaches of Covid-19 lockdown rules on Friday night, the force issued 58 fines of £200 and five of £1,000.\n\nThe West Midlands is under an England-wide lockdown with people not allowed to leave home to meet others socially.\n\nOn Thursday, the government said fines of £800 would be introduced in England this week for anyone attending a house party of more than 15 people.\n\nFollow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "People made the most of the snowy slopes of Gold Hill in Shaftesbury, Dorset\n\nSevere weather warnings are in place across much of the UK after large parts of the country saw heavy snowfall.\n\nThe blanket of snow drew people outside for sledging and winter walks, but motorists have been warned to take extra care on icy roads with sub-zero temperatures forecast overnight.\n\nSeveral coronavirus vaccination and testing centres were closed in England and Wales due to the conditions.\n\nPolice reminded the public to keep to lockdown rules while out in the snow.\n\nOfficers in Wandsworth, south-west London, encouraged people with gardens to play in the snow at home.\n\nAnd police in Rutland, Leicestershire, were among several forces questioning why people were leaving their homes to go sledging.\n\nContinuing coronavirus lockdowns across the four UK nations mean most of the population must stay at home, except for a limited number of reasons.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. For cats Bonny and Freddy, the snow is a chance to explore. Credit: Rachel Prew\n\nAs well as four vaccination centres in Wales, six Covid testing centres in the West Midlands had to close due to heavy snow on Sunday.\n\nHighways England warned that the snow had caused collisions on the M3, M27 and M25 in southern England, with the agency urging drivers to only travel if absolutely necessary.\n\nThose using the roads for essential journeys have been urged to allow plenty of extra time for their travel and pedestrians and cyclists are also advised to be cautious.\n\nThe Met Office put a yellow weather warning for snow in place on Sunday, stretching from coast to coast in southern England and ending just south of Manchester.\n\nIt is also in place for western and northern areas of Scotland, most of Northern Ireland and all of Wales apart from Anglesey.\n\nAn amber warning for snow in Nottingham and Stoke meant travel disruption and power cuts were likely on Sunday evening.\n\nYellow weather warnings for ice are in place until 11:00 GMT Monday for all of Wales and Northern Ireland, northern and eastern Scotland and much of southern England and the Midlands.\n\nMany people swapped their usual daily bout of exercise for sledging on Parliament Hill on Hampstead Heath, north London, but police urged people to stay at home\n\nGritters leapt into action near Touchen-end in Berkshire\n\nIn Wales, appointments at the Bridgend, Rhondda, Abercynon and Merthyr Tydfil coronavirus vaccination centres were rescheduled for safety reasons, the Cwm Taf Morgannwg health board said.\n\nUp to 1in (3cm) of snow was forecast to fall in most areas of Wales, with 4-6in (10-15cm) expected in the Brecon Beacons and Snowdonia.\n\nIn the West Midlands, coronavirus testing centres at Castle Vale Stadium, the Arcadian Centre and Maypole Youth Centre were closed, Birmingham City Council said.\n\nFacilities in Moat Street, Coventry and The Place in Oakengates in Shropshire also closed, along with one in Lichfield, Staffordshire, local MP Michael Fabricant said.\n\nAnd in Devon, a gritting lorry overturned on Dartmoor. Devon County Council urged people to avoid travel unless it was absolutely essential and not to travel to find snow.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Devon County Council This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nMet Office forecaster Simon Partridge said a band of hail, sleet, snow and rain moved in through Wales and south-west England in the early hours before sweeping across the UK and stalling over the Midlands, which saw some of the heaviest snow.\n\nColeshill, near Birmingham, had seen had 3.5in (9cm) by Sunday lunchtime.\n\nThe snow clouds eased away on Sunday evening but overnight temperatures could be as low as -4C to -6C (25F to 21F) for a lot of the south of the UK, the forecaster added.\n\n\"Some localised spots, likely in the Midlands, could see it as low as -10C (14F),\" he said.\n\nSnowmen popped up in the grounds of Guildford Castle, Surrey\n\nAs shown on the M1 in Bedfordshire, the wintry showers have caused hazardous driving conditions\n\nChris Fawkes of BBC Weather said some stretches of the M4 and M5 had been completely covered in snow at some points on Sunday morning.\n\nHe said this was partly because traffic has been low due to lockdown restrictions - and vehicles are needed to help grit mix into snow to make it melt.", "People who have received a Covid-19 vaccine could still pass the virus on to others and should continue following lockdown rules, England's deputy chief medical officer has warned.\n\nWriting in the Sunday Telegraph, Prof Jonathan Van-Tam stressed that scientists \"do not yet know the impact of the vaccine on transmission\".\n\nHe said vaccines offer \"hope\" but infection rates must come down quickly.\n\nMatt Hancock said 75% of over-80s in the UK have now had a first virus jab.\n\nBoth the Pfizer-BioNTech and Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccines require two doses, and figures so far reflect those given the first dose.\n\nThe health secretary told the BBC's Andrew Marr that around three quarters of care homes had also been vaccinated.\n\nProf Van-Tam said \"no vaccine has ever been\" 100% effective, so there is no guaranteed protection.\n\nIt is possible to contract the virus in the two- to three-week period after receiving a jab, he said - and it is \"better\" to allow \"at least three weeks\" for an immune response to fully develop in older people.\n\n\"Even after you have had both doses of the vaccine you may still give Covid-19 to someone else and the chains of transmission will then continue,\" Prof Van-Tam said.\n\n\"If you change your behaviour you could still be spreading the virus, keeping the number of cases high and putting others at risk who also need their vaccine but are further down the queue.\"\n\nLast week, the person coordinating Israel's Covid response reportedly suggested a single dose of the Pfizer vaccine might not be as effective as reported.\n\nIsrael has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world against coronavirus, with scientists keenly watching data shared by the country for signs of how effective the vaccine is when given to the whole population.\n\nThe country's health minister Yuli Edelstein told the Andrew Marr Show that some people \"still get sick\" with coronavirus after getting the first dose of the vaccine, but said there were \"some encouraging signs of less severe diseases, less people hospitalised after the first dose\".\n\nSenior doctors have called on health officials in England to cut the gap between the first and second doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.\n\nThe maximum wait was extended from three to 12 weeks in order to get the first jab to more people across the UK.\n\nBut the British Medical Association said the policy was \"difficult to justify\" and the gap should be reduced to six weeks.\n\nIts chair, Dr Chaand Nagpaul, told the BBC there were \"growing concerns\" that the vaccine could become less effective with doses 12 weeks apart.\n\nResponding to the criticism, Prof Van-Tam said: \"What none of these (who ask reasonable questions) will tell me is: who on the at-risk list should suffer slower access to their first dose so that someone else who's already had one dose (and therefore most of the protection) can get a second?\"\n\nA further 32 vaccine sites are set to open across England this week.\n\nMore than 5.8 million people in the UK have received their first dose of a vaccine, according to the government's coronavirus dashboard.\n\nNHS England said new vaccine sites were preparing to open across England from Monday.\n\nThey include Dudley's Black Country Living Museum, which doubled as a set for TV series Peaky Blinders, Plymouth Argyle FC's stadium Home Park and an old Ikea store in Stratford, London.\n\nThe 32 sites will prioritise health and social care staff on Monday, and other priority patients from Tuesday.\n\nThey will bring the number of mass vaccination sites across England to 49 - as well as 70 pharmacies, more than 1,000 GP surgeries and 250 hospitals offering the jab.\n\nScotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said on Friday that more than a third of over-80s had received their first dose of a vaccine.\n\nMore than half of over-80s in Northern Ireland have had the jab, though Health Minister Robin Swann said \"it will take time\" for the programme to have a \"major effect.\"\n\nIn Wales, four vaccination centres have been shut as officials brace for more snowy weather.\n\nProf Van-Tam stressed that the UK needs to \"bring the number of cases down as soon as we can whilst we vaccinate our most vulnerable\".\n\nAnother 1,348 deaths within 28 days of a positive coronavirus test were reported in the UK on Saturday, in addition to 33,552 new infections.\n\nThere were 4,076 Covid patients were on hospital ventilators in the UK as of Friday, according to government data.\n\nThat is higher than during the first wave, when the peak was 3,301 on 12 April.\n\nHow has coronavirus affected you? What have been your experiences of vaccination, lockdown, work or travel? Email: haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "Rescuers in China have freed the first of a group of miners who have been trapped 600m underground for two weeks, state media report.\n\nAn explosion closed the entrance tunnel to the Hushan gold mine in Shandong province on 10 January.\n\nTV footage from China has shown the first miner being brought to the surface, as emergency workers applaud.", "Jim Haynes was both an icon and a relic of the Swinging Sixties, an American in Paris who was famous for inviting hundreds of thousands of strangers to dinner at his home. He died this month.\n\nLast February, I took my last trip abroad before lockdown closed in on us. I bought a last-minute ticket and jumped on the Eurostar to Paris, motivated by a sudden urge to have dinner with a friend. Jim Haynes had entered his late 80s and his health was declining, yet I knew he would welcome a visit. Jim always welcomed visitors.\n\nThe essence of that trip now feels like the antithesis of Covid times. I was far from the only guest wandering into the warm glow of his atelier in the 14th arrondissement on a wet winter's night. Inside, people were squeezing, shoulder to shoulder, through the narrow kitchen. Strangers struck up conversations, bunched together in groups, balancing their dinners on paper plates and reaching over each other to press the plastic spout on a communal box of wine.\n\nJim had operated open-house policy at his home every Sunday evening for more than 40 years. Absolutely anyone was welcome to come for an informal dinner, all you had to do was phone or email and he would add your name to the list. No questions asked. Just put a donation in an envelope when you arrive.\n\nThere would be a buzz in the air, as people of various nationalities - locals, immigrants, travellers - milled around the small, open-plan space. A pot of hearty food bubbled on the hob and servings would be dished out on to a trestle table, so you could help yourself and continue to mingle. It was for good reason that Jim was nicknamed the \"godfather of social networking\". He led the way in connecting strangers, long before we outsourced it all to Silicon Valley.\n\nA ballet dancer staying with Jim in the late 1970s suggested cooking for him and friends to repay the hospitality; the dinners became weekly for 40-plus years\n\nI only knew Jim in his later years, but his entire life was extraordinary. Born in Louisiana in 1933, he had lived in Venezuela as a teenager; founded the alternative culture centre Arts Lab in London, where he mixed with David Bowie, John Lennon and Yoko Ono; ran a sexual liberation magazine in Amsterdam, and all before becoming a university lecturer in sexual politics in Paris, his home since 1969.\n\nAnd yet he was often seen as a son of Scotland, following an influential stint there in the late '50s and late '60s, when he established Edinburgh's first paperback bookshop, co-founded the Traverse Theatre and helped kickstart the Fringe festival.\n\nWhen Jim died, at 87, earlier this month, a Herald obituary called him \"the unofficial agent for the beat generation in Scotland\".\n\nWhile a lot of highly regarded people tend to retreat into their own circles after finding success, Jim never stopped reaching out to new people. The first time I heard from him was an email out of the blue in 2008.\n\nI had written a newspaper article from Barcelona - not the one in Spain but the one on the coast of Venezuela - and it had brought back memories for him. His father worked in the oil business and had moved the family there when Jim was in his early teens.\n\nMy article was about meeting people through the Couchsurfing website, where locals opened their homes to strangers for free around the world. This was before AirBnB worked out how to monetise the idea, and the concept of non-commercial cultural exchange was right up Jim's street. \"When you are back in Europe, come to dinner,\" he wrote, promising to tell me about an old travel project of his own that he thought I might like.\n\nIntrigued, I headed to Paris soon after my return. I had imagined some sort of intimate dinner party with cultural elites, but what I found was more like a student house party - albeit with more mature attendees and only moderate alcohol consumption. (Jim was teetotal and proceedings ended strictly by 23:00.)\n\nJim never cooked himself, instead he invited guest cooks\n\nJim instantly greeted me like an old friend and, as we chatted, he reached up on to his living room shelves to offer me a book. People to People read the cover line. It was the project he had wanted to tell me about.\n\nHe explained that, in the late 1980s, he had founded a guidebook series for countries behind the Iron Curtain. Instead of the standard descriptions of sights and hotel listings, the format was like an address book, including the contact details for hundreds of in-country hosts. The idea was that if people could not easily see the Western world themselves, he would bring it to them via travellers. It was \"couchsurfing\", but offline.\n\nThe hand-sized copy he pressed into my palm centred on Poland. I loved it and decided to travel there to see if the participants were still up for receiving random visitors, even though so much had changed.\n\nJim created the People to People guidebooks for multiple Eastern European countries\n\nEach person was filed under the town where they lived, followed by two or three lines, including their address, date of birth, phone number and hobbies. Through a combination of Google and snail-mail, I managed to get hold of several of them. Most had all known Jim either personally or through friends of friends. All had fond memories of the project and all were still willing to act as local guides to show me around.\n\nIn Gdansk, I asked civil servant Krystyna Wróblewska why she had signed up originally. She told me she had been working as a media fixer, helping reporters cover the anti-communist shipyard strikes. \"They [the media] went looking for women with handkerchiefs on their heads and horses with carts, perpetuating the same old picture. I suppose I wanted to meet people to subvert stereotypes and show that not all the pictures you have in your head are real.\"\n\nKrystyna Wroblewska signed up in the late 1980s to show travellers around Gdansk\n\n\"It surprised me how easy it was,\" Jim insisted to me. He produced guides for Romania, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, the Baltics and Russia, featuring thousands upon thousands of locals. Some of his contacts came from his personal, multi-volume address books, and he got new sign-ups after placing interviews in local papers and jazz magazines.\n\n\"Some of the older people in Russia were scared about being put on a Western list, because they thought it would be easier to be rounded up and carted away,\" he said. \"But a lot of younger people wanted to be in the book… I was getting sackfuls of mail. I'm sure the local postman wondered what the hell was going on.\"\n\nOver the years, the authorities often wondered what was going on at Jim's place. Not least during the period when he started issuing fake passports. It was back in the 1970s, after he had caught wind of an American traveller, who, 20 years before, had renounced his American citizenship and created his own \"world passport\".\n\nFor Jim, non-national passports seemed to encapsulate his ideals of peace and global freedom. So he turned his home into an \"embassy\" and started producing world passports for anyone who wanted one. The documents were so convincing that some people used them to cross borders.\n\n\"Look, you can't do this any more. You have to stop making passports,\" exasperated French police would say when they came to his door. But Jim continued until he ended up in court. Though he was eventually acquitted of fraud and counterfeiting, he was found guilty of \"confusing the public\".\n\nJim always dismissed the idea that it was a naïve undertaking, but he was trusting to a fault, according to some of his friends, and this led to financial mistakes and legal troubles over the years. He wouldn't deal with problems, waiting until they blew up instead.\n\n\"I often had to stop him signing things. Sometimes he didn't even read them,\" says Jesper, his son, who was born during Jim's marriage to Viveka Reuterskiold in the 1960s.\n\nJesper grew up in Stockholm after they separated, but visited Paris every summer from the age of 10.\n\n\"There were mattresses on every spare bit of floor, people sleeping everywhere,\" he says, as he recalls his earlier visits. \"It was exciting and fun, but sometimes I felt jealous. Lots of people did. People were very possessive of him. People wanted to claim him, but he was unclaimable.\"\n\nJesper credits his father with opening the world to him. He used Jim's contacts books extensively as he travelled and he is currently living with his own family in Bangkok, where he briefly replicated the Sunday dinners. \"Just for six months... It was a lot of work.\"\n\nDuring the 1990s, the crowds started to dwindle at the Paris dinners, as the original hippy crowd aged. But then a new wave of younger visitors started to get in touch. The bloggers had discovered him.\n\n\"The internet both ruined and saved the dinners,\" says Seamas McSwiney, a close friend who helped on Sunday evenings for decades. \"It became less spontaneous as people tried to book six months ahead - which was anathema to how Jim travelled and also annoying as those people were more likely to do a no-show - but at the same time, these online articles re-energised the idea. There was a younger crowd and new momentum.\"\n\nAt the dinners' peak, Jim would welcome up to 120 guests, filling his atelier and spilling out into the cobbled back garden. An estimated 150,000 people have come over the years.\n\n\"The door was always open,\" says Amanda Morrow, an Australian journalist who stayed with Jim for a year-and-a-half. \"It was a revolving door of guests - some who wanted to stay over, and others who just wanted to say hello. Jim never said no to anyone.\"\n\nThe only thing that really got Jim down was people leaving,\" says Jesper. \"He struggled with that. He didn't like being on his own... Though fortunately there was usually a new person to distract him.\"\n\nIn the final years, Jim would sit quietly, as others gravitated into his orbit. On my last visit, he looked frail and pained by his various ailments, but he also had an air of contentment, clearly never tiring of being the conduit for human interactions.\n\n\"I was wondering when you'd come back,\" he said to me, in the rasping American accent he somehow had never lost.\n\nHere was a man who had spent time with Lennon and Bowie, who was once friends with Sonia Orwell and used to walk round Paris with Samuel Beckett. And yet he made everyone feel special. Every connection mattered.\n\n\"It felt like politician's trick, but it was natural,\" says Seamas.\n\nIn very recent times, Covid restrictions reduced the dinners' clockwork schedule, but his friends say he was not depressed by the pandemic. He had figured the get-togethers would resume and, until then, had enjoyed a smaller stream of visiting carers and, whenever possible, friends.\n\nAmid the outpouring of online tributes since his death in his sleep on 6 January, these words from Jesper stand out: \"His goal from early on was to introduce the whole world to each other. He almost succeeded.\"\n\nYou may also be interested in:", "The EHIC card is making way for the GHIC card under a new agreement with the EU\n\nUK residents can apply for a Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC) to access emergency medical care in the EU when their current EHIC card runs out.\n\nUnder a new agreement with the EU, both cards will offer equivalent healthcare protection when people are on holiday, studying or travelling for business.\n\nThis includes emergency treatment as well as treatment needed for a pre-existing condition.\n\nThe new GHIC card is free and can be obtained via the official GHIC website.\n\nCurrent European Health Insurance Cards (EHIC) are valid as long as they are in date, and can continue to be used when travelling to the EU.\n\nYou don't need to apply for a GHIC until your current EHIC expires.\n\nPeople should apply at least two weeks before they plan to travel to ensure their card arrives on time.\n\nHealth Minister Edward Argar said: \"Our deal with the EU ensures the right for our citizens to access necessary healthcare on their holidays and travels to countries in the EU will continue.\n\n\"The GHIC is a key element of the UK's future relationship with the EU and will provide certainty and security for all UK residents.\"\n\nIf a UK resident is travelling without a card, they are still entitled to necessary healthcare, and should contact the NHS Business Services Authority (which covers the whole of the UK), which can arrange for payment should they require treatment when abroad.\n\nEHICs from EU member states will continue to be accepted by the NHS.\n\nIt is advised that anyone travelling overseas, whether to the EU or elsewhere in the world, should take out comprehensive travel insurance.", "A video featuring footage of a County Mayo man being consumed by fits of laughter while trying to record a birthday message for his son, has gone viral.\n\nVincent McDonnell was sending the message to his son David, who was celebrating his 40th birthday in Australia.\n\nHis younger son Paul got the video rolling, but the pair could not contain their laughter as they racked up the attempts.\n\nThe video has been viewed more than 1.5m times on Paul's Twitter account.", "The UK economy will \"get worse before it gets better\" as the country battles the pandemic, Chancellor Rishi Sunak has warned.\n\nThe chancellor told MPs the new national restrictions were necessary to control the spread of coronavirus.\n\nHowever, he said they would have a further significant economic impact,\n\n\"Even with the significant economic support we've provided, over 800,000 people have lost their job since February,\" he said.\n\n\"Sadly, we have not and will not be able to save every job and every business.\n\n\"But I am confident that our economic plan is supporting the finances of millions of people and businesses.\"\n\nThe chancellor said \"the road ahead will be tough\", but maintained that the government was \"taking the difficult but right long-term decisions for our country\".\n\nHe said that fiscal stimulus provided so far amounted to more than £280bn, while 1.2 million employers had furloughed almost 10 million employees.\n\nAt the same time, three million people had benefited from self-employment grants.\n\nMr Sunak said he would \"bear in mind\" calls to extend business rate relief and provide further support for the hospitality sector at the Budget in March.\n\nShadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds accused Mr Sunak of being \"out of ideas\" and providing \"nothing new\".\n\nShe said: \"The purpose of an update is to provide us with new information, not to repeat what we already know.\"\n\nThe chancellor's words reflect the fact that with a widespread lockdown, the first months of 2021 are likely to see a further contraction in the UK economy and probably an official double-dip recession. This reflects the physical shutdown nationwide of hospitality and retail, as well as the effect in the data of school shutdowns too.\n\nIn addition, consumers and workers are likely to be more cautious as the vaccine starts to be rolled out. So this is a very odd sort of economic tripwire. The challenge in the next weeks and months gets bigger, although not as big as it was last April. But beyond that, there is the hope of something normal.\n\nThe implication for the chancellor as he prepares a vital early March Budget, however, is further delay to the measures, such as tax rises, to deal with historic levels of pandemic government borrowing.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe UK is at the \"worst point\" of the pandemic, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has warned, but said the actions of the public \"could make a difference\".\n\nAt a No 10 briefing, Mr Hancock pleaded with people to follow the government's Covid rules until the vaccine could provide a \"way out\" of the pandemic.\n\nThe government earlier published its plan to immunise tens of millions of people by spring.\n\nSo far 2.3 million people in the UK have had a first Covid vaccine shot.\n\nAnd a total of 2.6 million doses have been given out across the country, with some people having received both doses.\n\nMr Hancock said the new variant of coronavirus was putting the NHS under \"significant pressure\", adding it was \"imperative\" that people limit their social contacts.\n\n\"The NHS, more than ever before, needs everybody to be doing something right now - and that something is to follow the rules,\" he said.\n\n\"I know there has been speculation about more restrictions, and we don't rule out taking further action if it is needed, but it is your actions now that can make a difference.\"\n\nThe health secretary said he could \"rule out\" tightening restrictions by removing support and childcare bubbles, however.\n\nHis comments follow similar warnings from Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and England's chief medical officer Prof Chris Whitty, who said that the next few weeks will be \"the worst\" of the pandemic for the NHS.\n\nAccording to the latest figures, there have been another 529 deaths within 28 days of a positive test in the UK, and another 46,169 cases reported. There are also more than 32,000 people in hospital with coronavirus, data shows.\n\nMatt Hancock has previously said he's learned to rule nothing out when it comes to dealing with the pandemic.\n\nBut today he took the unusual step of doing just that.\n\nSupport bubbles and childcare bubbles, hugely valued by so many, will stay.\n\nSenior Whitehall sources have previously told me bubbles were \"untouchable\" but for a minister to say as much, so explicitly and on the record, means there's now very little wriggle room for the government to change its mind.\n\nMinisters will know that scrapping bubbles, for those that rely on them, could have proved deeply unpopular. But this certainty is a rarity.\n\nWhilst the current emphasis is on compliance, the idea of toughening up controls in other areas is not being ruled out.\n\nThe vaccine delivery plan says it is expected to take until spring to give a first dose to all 32 million people in the UK's priority groups, including everyone over 55 and those who are clinically vulnerable.\n\nUnder the plan, the government has pledged to carry out at least two million vaccinations in England per week by the end of January, which it says will be made possible by rolling out jabs at 206 hospital sites, 50 vaccination centres and around 1,200 local vaccination sites.\n\nIt also reiterates the government's aim of offering vaccinations to around 15 million people in the UK - the over-70s, older care home residents and staff, frontline healthcare workers and the clinically extremely vulnerable - by mid-February.\n\nAccording to Mr Hancock, two fifths of over-80s have now received their first dose, and almost a quarter of care home residents have received theirs.\n\nAlso at the briefing, NHS England's national medical director, Prof Stephen Powis, said the NHS was aiming to vaccinate the rest of the top nine priority groups by April, with a final push to offer all adults over 18 a jab by the autumn.\n\nHe stressed it would take until February before there were \"early signs\" that vaccination was leading to a drop in hospitalisations.\n\nThe country has still not seen the full impact of the Christmas loosening of lockdown restrictions, Prof Powis added, although he noted there are now 13,000 more Covid patients in hospital than there were on Christmas Day.\n\nSpeaking in Bristol earlier, Mr Johnson warned the vaccination programme was in a \"race against time\" because of pressure on the NHS.\n\nHe said it was \"a very perilous moment because everyone can sense the vaccine is coming in - my worry is that will breed false complacency\".\n\nThe newly-published vaccination plan also says ministers are aiming to offer jabs at more than 2,700 sites across the UK.\n\nAnd it says that daily vaccination figures for England will be published from now on - showing the total number vaccinated to date, including first and second doses.\n\nEarlier, NHS England's chief executive, Sir Simon Stevens, told MPs that there was a \"strong case\" for asking the the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) to consider prioritising \"teachers and other key workers\" for vaccination after the \"first nine [priority] groups have been vaccinated\".\n\nA quarter of coronavirus admissions to hospital are for people under the age of 55, he added.\n\nIn the first four weeks of the vaccination campaign, the NHS did 1.3 million vaccinations.\n\nNews that in the past week almost the same again has been done shows progress is being made - even though there has been some concern rollout to care home residents has been slower than hoped.\n\nHitting two million doses a week is the next target - and is something the NHS is aiming to get close to this week.\n\nWith more vaccination sites opening by the day, it should be achievable as long as there is good supply.\n\nThere is already enough vaccine in the country to vaccinate all 15 million people in the highest at-risk groups that have been promised an offer of a vaccine by mid-February.\n\nHowever, not all of it has been through the final safety checks or been packaged up ready for distribution.\n\nChallenges remain, but even at this early stage it is clear there is growing optimism that the programme is on track.\n\nAs seven mass vaccination centres opened across England on Monday, NHS England said hundreds more GP-led and hospital services would also open later this week.\n\nBut with all centres, people will need to wait until they receive an invitation.\n\nTwo vaccines - Pfizer-BioNTech and Oxford-AstraZeneca - are currently being administered in the UK.\n\nOn Friday, a third coronavirus vaccine - made by US company Moderna - was approved for use, although supplies are not expected to arrive until spring.\n\nVaccine programmes are also progressing in the UK's devolved nations.\n\nAll over-50s and everyone who is at greater risk from Covid in Wales will be offered a vaccine by spring, under new plans.\n\nAnd Scotland's health secretary has said every aged over 80 or over in the nation will be offered a jab by February, while care workers in Northern Ireland who provide services to ill or elderly patients living at home can now book an appointment to get a Covid-19 vaccine.\n\nEngland is currently under a national lockdown, meaning people must stay at home and can go out only for limited reasons such as food shopping, exercise, or work if they cannot do so from home.\n\nSimilar lockdown measures are in place across much of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer has questioned why there are \"less restrictions in place\" now than there were last March.\n\nIn his first speech of the year, he said: \"I do think it's time to hear from the scientists [about] what else could be done and that probably should be done in the next few hours\".\n\nMeanwhile, the United Arab Emirates is being removed from the UK list of travel corridors amid a spike in Covid cases.\n\nAnd England's Test and Trace scheme has revised one of its definitions of a \"close contact\" - the people who need to be reached if they have been near to someone who has tested positive for Covid.\n\nThis now refers to anyone who has been within two metres of someone for more than 15 minutes, whether in a single period or cumulatively over the course of one day.\n\nPreviously the definition was just a single period of at least 15 minutes.", "Rani has co-hosted BBC One's Countryfile since 2015\n\nCountryfile host Anita Rani is to join Emma Barnett as a presenter of BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour.\n\nShe will present the Friday and Saturday editions of the long-running programme, beginning on 15 January.\n\nRani, 43, said she had \"long been a fan\" of the programme and that she was \"really looking forward to getting to know the listeners and discussing issues that matter to them the most\".\n\nLong-time hosts Jane Garvey and Dame Jenni Murray left the show last year.\n\nBarnett, 35, who made her name on Radio 5 Live and Newsnight, made her Woman's Hour debut on 4 January. She hosts the show from Monday to Thursday.\n\nWriting on Twitter, Rani said it was \"an honour\" to be joining Radio 4's \"mothership\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by anita rani This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nRani joined the BBC's Asian Network in 2005 and is a regular presenter on BBC Radio 2. She is also known for her appearances on The One Show and Watchdog, and for competing on the 2015 series of Strictly Come Dancing.\n\n\"Woman's Hour has always given a voice to people who may not be heard elsewhere and I want to continue that important tradition,\" she said.\n\nRadio 4 controller Mohit Bakaya said he wanted the station to \"better reflect and be relevant to the audience across the UK\". Rani will bring \"a wealth of broadcasting experience\" as well as a \"valuable\" perspective and insight, he added.\n\nComedian Shappi Khorsandi was among those to welcome her new role, saying she would be \"listening even more\".\n\nRani's appointment means the new Woman's Hour presenters are considerably younger than their predecessors. Dame Jenni was 70 when she left on 1 October, while Garvey was 56 when she signed off last month.\n\nEmma Barnett took the reins of Woman's Hour earlier this month\n\nBefore leaving, Garvey expressed a hope that whoever joined Barnett would be closer to her own age.\n\n\"Emma is in her 30s and that's great,\" she told the Daily Telegraph. \"It will give the programme a real energy, which I think is brilliant.\n\n\"So I think the person working alongside her should be somebody nearer my age to make sure we give the audience as broad a range of life experience and interests as possible. I would prefer it if the other presenter were in her 50s.\"\n\nBarnett had an eventful first week on the Radio 4 institution, opening her stint by reading out a message from The Queen.\n\nTwo days later, one of her guests dropped out of a discussion after objecting to remarks the presenter made about her off air.\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "A twenty-year-old from Cambridgeshire who spent a week in intensive care with Covid-19 says he can't believe so many young people are in denial about the virus.\n\nJay Clack fell ill on December 27th and within five days, 80% of his lungs has stopped functioning.\n\nWhile in intensive care he had a goodbye phone call with his family.\n\nBut now, he's showing signs of recovery and spoke to the BBC's Jon Ironmonger.", "The police are stepping up enforcement because they believe many people breaking the Covid regulations are doing so because they are stubborn, not because they don’t understand what is allowed.\n\nThe public, police, and legal experts do struggle to keep up with the ever-changing rules.\n\nBut the organisers of a party on a boat in Hertfordshire, the passengers on a minibus heading for Wales, and the couple who travelled 120 miles to \"watch seals\" would have struggled to explain to the officers issuing them with fines that they were confused.\n\nThose were clear breaches. More complicated is the fine line between the law - which police officers can enforce - and the government guidance, which they can’t.\n\nNo law says exercise can only be conducted once a day, or for a specific duration. These are pieces of firm guidance, along with the request to \"stay local\", which resulted in criticism of the prime minister after his bike ride in east London.\n\nIt would be difficult to set a distance limit which would work for both people living in rural areas and inner cities. Impossible to prove that a 65-minute run was in breach of the law.\n\nWhich is why the success of the measures will rely on personal responsibility in the end.\n\nAnd why some experts are saying that different messages such as \"act like you’ve got it\" or \"thanks for doing the right thing\" might cut through better than a list of regulations to be obeyed.", "Seven new mass vaccination centres have opened up across England to help deliver the Coronavirus vaccine, as the Prime Minister says we are facing a \"perilous moment\" in the fight against the virus.\n\nThe Centre of Life in Newcastle is home to one of them, with others in Bristol, Epsom, London, Manchester, Stevenage and Birmingham.\n\nInitially they will be used to vaccinate the over 80's, alongside NHS staff and health and social care workers. It's part of a drive that the government hopes will see 15 million people vaccinated against the virus by mid-February.", "But it delivered a fascinating look behind the scenes at two cutting-edge ways the firm is creating video content.\n\nThe first involved the use of a giant screen which is matched with movement-sensors on a camera to create a fake backdrop that shifts in turn with the lens.\n\nA similar technique was pioneered by Industrial Light & Magic and used in the Star Wars spin-off series The Mandalorian, but this opens the door to other filmmakers.\n\nThe screens involved use Sony's Crystal LED technology, which the firm first unveiled at CES in 2012, but has been unable to bring low down enough in price to take mainstream.\n\nIn effect, this is its version of micro-LED tech, using millions of tiny light emitting diodes (LEDs) to match the number of pixels. The result is much greater brightness and contrast than a normal LCD or OLED display would be capable of.\n\nThe background footage moves in time with the camera to aid the illusion Image caption: The background footage moves in time with the camera to aid the illusion\n\nUntil now, the firm has marketed the tech at building owners wanting the ultimate video walls. But this has the potential to help film and advert-makers place actors within environments they can see, rather than relying on greenscreen effects.\n\nThe second innovation was the creation of an \"immersive reality\" performance, which uses body sensors to create a highly-detailed animated version of an artist.\n\nIt was demoed by the singer-songwriter Madison Beer.\n\nMotion capture has been used for years to add special effects to characters in movies and to place real-world actors into video games.\n\nBut the aim here is to create a lifelike representation of a performer on stage at a concert.\n\nThe footage shown didn't quite escape the \"uncanny valley\" - there's still some way to go before we can't tell the difference between a real person and even a highly detailed avatar.\n\nBut it's easy to imagine that the tech being more impressive when viewed in virtual reality, where users can move about and choose their view.\n\nThe computer-generated image looks less real the closer you get to the performer Image caption: The computer-generated image looks less real the closer you get to the performer\n\nUntil now, VR apps of concerts have either offered a pick of different static camera locations or involved much lower-resolution characters.\n\nWith Covid meaning it's impossible for artists to tour, this second-best experience could be very timely when it's offered to PlayStation VR headsets and other devices soon.", "John Lewis is suspending its click and collect services and tightening safety measures after a \"change in tone\" from the government over the virus.\n\nThe department store will also pause in-home services, unless they are \"essential to customers' wellbeing\".\n\nThe retailer said it felt the changes were right with the country at a \"critical point in the pandemic\".\n\nHowever customers will be able to collect John Lewis orders from Waitrose stores.\n\nWaitrose, which belongs to the John Lewis Partnership, is also tightening rules over face coverings, following moves from the other supermarkets to make face masks mandatory for shoppers unless they have a medical exemption.\n\n\"We've listened carefully to the clear change in tone and emphasis of the views and information shared by the UK's governments in recent days,\" said Andrew Murphy, Executive Director, Operations.\n\n\"While we recognise that the detail of formal guidance has not changed, we feel it is right for us - and in the best interests of our Partners and customers - to take proactive steps to further enhance our Covid-security and related operational policies.\"\n\nJohn Lewis said click and collect from its department stores would be switched off for new orders from the end of Tuesday.\n\nExisting orders and bookings for services, such as installing washing machines, will still be carried out, if customers wish to proceed, but there will be no further bookings for non-essential services.\n\nMany other shops from coffee chains to craft suppliers are offering click and collect services. However, with the continued rise in coronavirus cases the government is examining ways to reduce social contact further.\n\nThe book chain Waterstones stopped offering click and collect services from its shops at the start of the current lockdown.\n\nMarks and Spencer said it was continuing to offer customers the opportunity to collect other items at its food halls, which are still open for grocery shopping.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Gary Furlong described his son as \"an amazing, kind boy\"\n\nThe father of one of three men murdered in a park terror attack has called on the home secretary to \"tell us why\" the killer was deemed safe to be free.\n\nGary Furlong, whose son James, 36, was killed in Reading's Forbury Gardens attack in June, said it was \"beyond\" him why Khairi Saadallah was considered \"not a danger to the public\".\n\nSaadallah was jailed for the rest of his life over the murders.\n\nThe Home Office has not yet responded to a BBC request for comment.\n\nAt the time of the attack Home Secretary Priti Patel said: \"We must learn the lessons from what has happened... to prevent anything like this from happening again.\"\n\nDuring his trial, London's Old Bailey heard Saadallah \"executed\" James Furlong, David Wails, 49, and Joe Ritchie-Bennett, 39, as an \"act of religious jihad\" on the afternoon of 20 June.\n\nHe was jailed on Monday having previously admitted the three murders and the attempted murders of three other men.\n\nKhairi Saadallah admitted three counts of murder and three of attempted murder\n\nThe Ministry of Justice said a Serious Further Offence (SFO) review had been completed into how Saadallah was managed by the National Probation Service.\n\nThe victims' families would be offered a meeting to discuss the findings of the review, it added.\n\nIt comes after the killer had been subject to licence conditions at the time of the attack.\n\nThe court previously heard on the 18 June, two days before the attack, Saadallah's probation officer had emailed his mental health team as he had been talking about \"magic\".\n\nSaadallah also contacted the mental health crisis team himself, but he did not not open the door when they visited on 19 June.\n\nThe court heard Saadallah, who arrived in Britain from Libya in 2012, had previously been involved with militias who had been part of the uprising against Muammar Gaddafi, and was pictured handling weapons, including firearms.\n\nSince seeking asylum in Britain, he had been repeatedly arrested and convicted of various offences, including theft and assault, between 2013 and 2020.\n\nAnalysis of Saadallah's phone revealed an interest in extremist material and the court heard while at HMP Bullingdon in 2017, he was seen to associate with radical preacher Omar Brookes, who has connections with banned terrorist organisation Al-Muhajiroun.\n\nSpeaking after the sentencing, Gary Furlong, from Liverpool, said Ms Patel needed to \"tell us why this guy wasn't put into some form of detention centre before they could deport him\".\n\n\"He was not safe to be released back on the streets,\" he added.\n\nSaadallah, 26, had been told just before his release from prison that the Home Office wanted to deport him, but it was not legally possible due to the situation in Libya.\n\nIn law, what are known as the Hardial Singh principles place certain limits on the government's power to detain people ahead of deportation.\n\nThe Prime Minister's spokesman said the government \"always tries to remove foreign national offenders where possible\".\n\nHe was released from custody on 5 June, and proceeded to research the location for his attack online and carry out reconnaissance in the park.\n\n(L-R) David Wails, Joe Ritchie-Bennett and James Furlong were pronounced dead at the scene\n\nFollowing concerns from his brother, police visited the killer on 19 June, but he told officers he was \"alright\" while he stood near to a knife he bought from a supermarket.\n\nSaadallah's brother, Aiman, said he had asked for police to detain him under the Mental Health Act, and added \"lives would have been saved\" if more had been done.\n\nThames Valley Police has been contacted for comment.\n\nReading Refugee Support Group's (RRSG) also said it had raised concerns about his potential for radicalisation over three years and the possibility of a \"London Bridge\" scenario.\n\nIn a statement, it said Saadallah had a \"known, significant mental health problem\".\n\n\"This in no way excuses what he did. He murdered three innocent people. But there must be accountability on the part of services that should have supported him,\" it said.\n\nBut passing sentence Mr Justice Sweeney said it was \"clear that the defendant did not, and does not, have any major mental illness\".\n\nGary Furlong said: \"Given the volume of crimes he's committed and the information that they had on him, for an assessment to be done the night before to say that he's not a danger to the public - it is beyond me.\n\n\"How was he ever allowed to stay in this country? How was he allowed in, in the first place?\"\n\nHistory teacher James Furlong and pharmaceutical manager Mr Ritchie-Bennett each died from a single stab wound to the neck, while scientist Mr Wails was stabbed once in the back.\n\nDespite treatment from paramedics and doctors, all three friends, who were members of the LGBT community, died at the scene.\n\nGary Furlong described his son as \"an amazing, kind boy\" who was loved by family, friends and students.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Royal Mail has published a list of areas where there have been delivery delays due to its workforce being affected by the Covid pandemic.\n\nThe postal service said some areas will see a reduced service due to workers being off sick or self-isolating.\n\nRoyal Mail listed 28 areas where post might be late, with 27 in England and one in Northern Ireland.\n\nProblems with deliveries over Christmas had prompted shoppers to complain about parcels not arriving on time.\n\nRoyal Mail said: \"Despite our best efforts and significant investment in extra resource, some customers may experience slightly longer delivery timescales than our usual service standards.\n\n\"This is due to the exceptionally high volumes we are seeing, exacerbated by the coronavirus-related measures we have put in place in local mail centres and delivery offices to keep our people and customers safe.\"\n\nMany of the affected areas are in or near London, while others include Chelmsford in Essex, Leeds in West Yorkshire, Margate in Kent, and Widnes in Cheshire.\n\nLabour MP Wes Streeting, whose Ilford constituency is one of the areas affected, tweeted on Sunday that he was concerned about vaccination invitations getting caught up in Royal Mail delays.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Wes Streeting MP This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nBut Covid vaccine deployment minister Nadhim Zahawi replied that the government would work with Royal Mail to ensure that vaccine invitations were prioritised.\n\nCustomers have taken to Twitter to complain about delays to their postal service.\n\n\"Unfortunately I live in one of these areas.,\" wrote Matt S. \"N8 has been receiving an absolutely dreadful service since April 2020 - @RoyalMail what are you going to do to improve the situation?\"\n\nMark Harrison wrote: \"We could manage and expect a bit of disruption - but we've had only 2 deliveries in a month. Nothing for a fortnight. SE11 not even on the list of disrupted areas. Royal Mail need to get a grip.\"\n\nIn a service update on Tuesday, Royal Mail said: \"Due to resourcing issues, deliveries in the following areas are likely to be limited.\"", "Khairi Saadallah admitted three counts of murder and three counts of attempted murder\n\nA killer who stabbed three men to death in a Reading park has been handed a whole-life jail term.\n\nKhairi Saadallah murdered James Furlong, 36, David Wails, 49, and 39-year-old Joe Ritchie-Bennett, in June last year in Forbury Gardens.\n\nLondon's Old Bailey previously heard the 26-year-old \"executed\" the men as an \"act of religious jihad\".\n\nPassing sentence Judge Mr Justice Sweeney said it was a \"ruthless and brutal\" terror attack.\n\nSaadallah, who admitted the murders, had also pleaded guilty to the attempted murders of three other men who were also in the park.\n\nThe judge said the victims \"had no chance to react, let alone defend themselves\".\n\n(L-R) David Wails, Joe Ritchie-Bennett and James Furlong were pronounced dead at the scene\n\nHe said he was sure the attack \"involved a substantial degree of premeditation or planning\" and was carried out \"for the purpose of advancing a political, religious, or ideological cause\".\n\nBBC News correspondent Helena Wilkinson, who was in court, said the families of James Furlong and David Wails were present, while Joseph Ritchie-Bennett's loved ones watched via a link from America.\n\nSaadallah showed no emotion as Mr Justice Sweeney went through his sentencing remarks.\n\nOn the afternoon of 20 June, the park was busy due to the first lockdown restrictions being relaxed in England.\n\nAndrew Cafe, who witnessed the stabbings, said he saw Saadallah wielding the \"biggest kitchen knife\" and charging towards him shouting \"Allahu Akbar\".\n\nPharmaceutical manager Mr Ritchie-Bennett and teacher Mr Furlong died from single stab wounds to their necks, while scientist Mr Wails was stabbed once in the back.\n\nDespite treatment from paramedics and doctors, all three friends, who were members of the LGBT community, died at the scene.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Witness Andrew Cafe visited Forbury Gardens for the first time since the attack\n\nThree other people - Nishit Nisudan, Patrick Edwards and Stephen Young - were also injured, before Saadallah threw away the knife and fled the scene, pursued by police.\n\nFollowing his arrest, Saadallah initially said he wanted to plead guilty to the \"jihad that I done\", but the prosecution claimed he later feigned mental illness in police interviews.\n\nAt a previous hearing, the court heard he had developed an emotionally unstable and anti-social personality disorder, with his behaviour worsened by alcohol and cannabis misuse.\n\nBut the judge said it was \"clear that the defendant did not, and does not, have any major mental illness\".\n\nAn examination of Saadallah's phone revealed an interest in extremist material, including images of the flag of Islamic State and Jihadi John, the court previously heard.\n\nWhile at HMP Bullingdon in 2017, he was seen to associate with radical preacher Omar Brookes, who has connections with banned terrorist organisation Al-Muhajiroun.\n\nThe court heard Saadallah, who arrived in Britain from Libya in 2012, had previously been involved with militias who had been part of the uprising against Muammar Gaddafi, and was pictured handling weapons, including firearms.\n\nSince seeking asylum in Britain, he had been repeatedly arrested and convicted of various offences, including theft and assault, between 2013 and 2020.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. CCTV cameras captured Khairi Saadallah before and after the stabbing\n\nHe briefly came to the attention of MI5 in 2019, but the information provided did not meet the threshold of investigation.\n\nSaadallah had been released from prison on 5 June, days before the attack, the court heard.\n\nOn 17 June, he researched the location for his attack online and carried out reconnaissance in the park.\n\nThe following day his probation officer alerted his mental health team over comments he made about magic.\n\nA day later, Saadallah contacted the crisis team himself, but when they visited he did not answer.\n\nFollowing concerns from his brother, police visited the killer the same day, but he told officers he was \"alright\" while he stood near a knife he bought from a supermarket.\n\nAndrew Wails said losing his brother had been devastating\n\nAfter the sentencing, James Furlong's father, Gary, said: \"The secretary of state needs to tell us why this guy wasn't put into some form of detention centre before they could deport him.\n\n\"He was not safe to be released back on the streets.\"\n\nReferring to the fact that Saadallah had been visited by police the night before the attack, Mr Furlong said: \"Given the volume of crimes he's committed and the information that they had on him, for an assessment to be done the night before to say that he's not a danger to the public - it is beyond me.\"\n\nHe described Mr Furlong, originally from Liverpool, as \"a lovely man, loved by his family, idolised by his mother\".\n\nDavid Wails' brother Andrew said: \"For us as a family it's been devastating to lose our much loved son, brother and uncle.\"\n\nIn a statement, the Bennett family described Mr Ritchie-Bennett as a \"devoted and loving husband\" and \"a man who cared strongly about family\".\n\nThe park had been busy due to the first lockdown restrictions being relaxed in England\n\nDet Ch Supt Kath Barnes, head of Counter Terrorism Policing South East, described Saadallah as \"a committed jihadist\".\n\nShe said: \"He has caused unspeakable hurt and distress to the families of the three men who were brutally murdered as they were relaxing and enjoying socialising with friends on a Saturday evening.\n\n\"I'm sure there will also be lasting effects on those who were injured in the attack, who were fortunate not to have been even more seriously harmed.\"\n\nReading Borough Council leader Jason Brock described the attacks as \"horrific\" and \"senseless\" and said a permanent memorial to the victims was planned.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Vogue editor Anna Wintour said images of Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris were meant to celebrate her achievements\n\nUS Vogue editor Anna Wintour has defended the magazine following criticism of its front-cover portrait of Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris.\n\nThe image shows Ms Harris wearing an informal outfit including jeans and a pair of Converse trainers.\n\nSocial media users have criticised Vogue for the photo's \"washed out\" lighting and styling, saying it does not reflect Ms Harris's achievements.\n\nBut Ms Wintour said the photos were intended to highlight her success.\n\n\"We want nothing but to celebrate Vice-President-elect Harris's amazing victory and the important moment this is for America's history and particularly women of colour all over the world,\" Ms Wintour said in a statement to the New York Times' Kara Swisher.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Vogue Magazine This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nShe also defended Vogue's decision to use the picture for the print cover of its February issue, rather than an alternative portrait of her in a more formal suit.\n\nA member of Ms Harris's team told AP news agency that Vogue staff, including Ms Wintour, agreed to feature the blue-suited image on cover. But Ms Wintour denied that any formal agreement had been made.\n\n\"All of us felt very, very strongly that the less formal portrait of the vice-president-elect really reflected the moment that we were living in,\" said Ms Wintour.\n\n\"We felt to reflect this tragic moment in global history, a much less formal picture... really reflected the hallmark of the Biden/Harris campaign and everything they were trying to - and I'm sure they will - achieve,\" the editor - herself an influential supporter of the Democratic Party - added.\n\nSources at Vogue told the New York Times that the second, more formal image may be used as a cover for a separate print edition.\n\nBoth pictures were taken by Tyler Mitchell who, in 2018, became the first black photographer to shoot a Vogue cover.\n\nThe magazine has been criticised in the past over issues relating to race.\n\nSeveral former employees previously shared experiences of alleged racism in the workplace with the New York Times.\n\nEarlier this year, British Vogue editor Edward Enninful spoke out after he was allegedly \"racially profiled\" by a security guard at the magazine's UK offices.\n\nYou might also be interested in:\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. HBO's Insecure is making sure lighting people of colour is not an afterthought", "A deal has been agreed for the sale of the Edinburgh Woollen Mill, Ponden Home and Bonmarché chains, which were on the brink of closure.\n\nThe businesses went into administration last year after a collapse in sales due to the pandemic.\n\nAlmost 2,000 staff will be kept on but as many as 260 stores could close.\n\nThe buyers are a consortium of international investors who will inject fresh funds into the business, led by the existing management team.\n\nEdinburgh Woollen Mill, which sells mid-price knitwear and other clothing to older shoppers, is part of a stable of retail brands owned by billionaire businessman, Philip Day.\n\nIt is understood that Mr Day will effectively lend the group the money to buy the businesses which will be paid back over a number of years.\n\nThe deal also covers two other brands in the group, value retailer Bonmarché, and Ponden Home, an interiors chain based in the south east of England.\n\nThe new owners plan to operate 246 stores across both the Edinburgh Woollen Mill and Ponden Home brands, retaining 1,453 staff in those stores, the head office and distribution centres in Carlisle.\n\nHowever, 85 Edinburgh Woollen Mill stores and 34 Ponden Home stores have been closed permanently, with the loss of 485 jobs.\n\nWakefield-based Bonmarché will retain 72 of its stores and 531 staff including head office and distribution centre staff.\n\nThe majority of its stores, 148 outlets, remain under review with staff on furlough.\n\nAdministrators representing Edinburgh Woollen Mill and Ponden Home said the deal represented the best chance to save stores and jobs, given the difficult outlook for UK retail.\n\n\"We regret that not all of Edinburgh Woollen Mill and Ponden Home could be rescued,\" said Tony Wright, partner at FRP. \"This has resulted in a significant number of redundancies at a particularly challenging time of year and period of economic uncertainty.\"\n\nRetail has been particularly hard hit by measures to curb the spread of Covid-19. Even when shops have been open many shoppers stayed away, wary of the health risks.\n\nThe British Retail Consortium said consumers bought 5% less last year than the year before (not including food). Much of that custom switched from the High Street to online, making it harder for chains whose customers usually shop in person. Physical stores saw sales drop by a quarter, the BRC said.\n\nOther major brands including Topshop-owner Arcadia and Debenhams have also gone into administration, costing hundreds of jobs.\n\n\"Lockdowns have proved hugely damaging for mid-range fashion chains like Edinburgh Woollen Mill and Bonmarché whose traditional customer base has not adapted so quickly to online shopping as younger shoppers,\" said Susannah Streeter, analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown.\n\n\"The backers of this rescue deal clearly believe there is pent-up demand amongst core customers which will be released once the doors are flung open once more,\" she added.\n\nOn Monday, Marks & Spencer announced it was buying Jaeger, another brand that had belonged to Philip Day's portfolio.\n\nPeacocks, another High Street fashion brand in the EWM group remains in administration.", "As major social media platforms crack down on accounts promoting US election conspiracy theories, many conspiracy and far-right groups in the US are looking for a new home online.\n\nTwitter hasn’t just kicked the president off the platform. It’s also closed down some 70,000 accounts associated with the QAnon conspiracy, while Facebook said it is continuing efforts to shut down “Stop the Steal” groups which allege, with no evidence, that Donald Trump was cheated of the presidency.\n\nOne of the most popular alternatives had been the self-styled “free speech” social media outlet Parler, but then over the weekend that was banned too for posts inciting violence.\n\nThen there’s Gab, a Twitter-like platform popular with right-wing groups, which is awash with extreme content and welcomes QAnon followers with open arms. It claims to have added 600,000 new users since the riots.\n\nIt’s thought Gab’s user base is far smaller than that of the now-closed Parler, which had around 16m users.\n\nOthers seem to be moving to MeWe, which is similar to Facebook.\n\nThere are some parallels with online jihadists, who also found their voices silenced after the rise of Islamic State in the Middle East.\n\nThe Islamic State group and al-Qaeda frequently have to re-establish their online presence after social media companies identify and close their accounts, leading to a nomadic online existence.\n\nThey have already adapted to life outside the big social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook and have exploited less well known platforms and apps to get their messages out.\n• 65 days that led to chaos at the Capitol", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Covid in Scotland: Lockdown likely to extend to February\n\nScotland's first minister has said the country's current lockdown is \"very unlikely\" to be lifted at the end of the month.\n\nNicola Sturgeon was speaking as she confirmed that more than 5,000 people have now died after testing positive for the virus.\n\nA review of the current restrictions is due to be carried out at the end of January.\n\nMs Sturgeon said it was possible that there would be no easing at that point.\n\nA further 54 deaths have been recorded in the past 24 hours - bringing the total by that measure to 5,023.\n\nBut the most recent figures from the National Records of Scotland - which record all deaths registered in Scotland where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate - put the total at 6,686.\n\nMs Sturgeon told her daily briefing that the figures were a reminder of the toll the virus had taken.\n\nAnd she said every death had caused heartbreak to friends, families and loved ones across the country.\n\nThe first minister also said Scotland's NHS would be under far greater pressure if the current restrictions had not been put in place on Boxing Day.\n\nAnd she urged people not to raise their expectations about what will be announced when the lockdown review is completed in a fortnight as wholesale lifting of the restrictions was \"very unlikely\".\n\nShe added: \"There may not even be any lifting of these restrictions as soon as the end of January - we will have to consider all of that carefully and set it out in due course.\"\n\nAll of mainland Scotland and some islands were placed into level four restrictions on 26 December, with schools remaining closed to most pupils until at least the end of the month.\n\nA further 1,875 positive cases of the virus were recorded on Monday, bringing the total since the pandemic began to 153,423.\n\nThe number of people in hospital with the virus stands at 1,717 - an increase of 53 since yesterday and higher than the peak of about 1,500 in the first wave in April.\n\nOf these, 133 patients are intensive care units, with Ms Sturgeon saying that the virus was putting \"very acute pressure\" on hospitals.\n\nThe first minister also said that 175,942 people in Scotland had received their first vaccine dose by Monday.\n\nOpposition parties have claimed that the rollout of the vaccine has been \"sluggish\" in Scotland compared to south of the border - a charge that the government denies.\n\nAnd they have called for greater transparency over how many people are being given the jab every day.\n\nHealth Secretary Jeane Freeman said on Monday that the government was aiming to vaccinate about 560,000 people in Scotland by 31 January.\n\nNon-essential shops have been closed in Scotland since 26 December\n\nThe Scottish government has previously said it is concerned that too many people have not been following the \"stay at home\" rules that are in place across the whole of the mainland and some islands.\n\nMinisters have been discussing the possibility of imposing tougher rules on click and collect shopping and takeaway food, with an announcement expected to be made on Wednesday.\n\nRetail industry representatives have described click and collect services as a \"lifeline\" for struggling businesses amid the forced closure of all non-essential shops.\n\nAnd they said they had not been shown any evidence that click and collect was driving transmission of the virus.\n\nMs Sturgeon told her daily coronavirus briefing that the government may not stop click and collect services altogether.\n\nBut she added: \"If we are saying to people right now that you should not be out of your home for shopping unless it is essential, then do we need to have click and collect for non-essential services instead of having that for delivery?\"\n\nScottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross told BBC Scotland that he did not want to see further restrictions put in place unless there was evidence that they would have the desired effect.\n\nHe also suggested that restricting click and collect would simply result in more people going back into supermarkets to do their shopping.\n\nThe Scottish government is also under pressure to lift the the current ban on public Sunday worship, with a group of 500 church leaders from across the UK - including 200 in Scotland - insisting that there is \"no evidence of any tangible contribution to community transmission through churches in Scotland\".\n\nIn a letter to the first minister, they claim that the ban may be unlawful and accuse the government of failing to understand that \"Christian worship is an essential public service, and especially vital to our nation in a time of crisis\".\n\nA Scottish government spokeswoman said: \"Test and Protect tells us where people were in their 48-hour infectious period.\n\n\"So we know that on one day last week the seven-day number for places of worship was 120, and data from yesterday shows the seven-day number for places of worship is 38, underlining the essential decision to require places of worship to close for public health reasons.\"\n\nMeanwhile, it has been confirmed that everyone arriving in Scotland from overseas will need to show proof of a negative test from Friday.\n\nThe test will need to be \"highly reliable\", the first minister said, and will need to have been from the previous three days - although young children may be exempt from the restriction.\n\nThose travelling from countries not on the quarantine exemption list will still need to self-isolate on arrival.\n\nThe new rules, which will also come into force in England, were first outlined last week.", "Sir David Attenborough has previously spoken of his support for the Covid-19 vaccines\n\nSir David Attenborough has become the latest well-known name to receive the Covid-19 vaccine, his representative has confirmed.\n\nThe news about the 94-year-old natural historian comes a few days after it was revealed the Queen had been vaccinated.\n\nIt's not known which vaccine Sir David has been given or exactly when he had it.\n\nThe Perfect Planet host is one of several stars to receive the first of two doses of the vaccine.\n\nThey include The Great British Bake Off's Prue Leith, actor Sir Ian McKellen, choreographer Lionel Blair, actor Brian Blessed and actress Dame Joan Collins.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThere are currently three vaccines approved for administration in the UK - Oxford-AstraZeneca, Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, although supplies of the latter are not expected to arrive until spring.\n\nSir David, who has been isolating at his London home, has previously talked about his support for the work in developing a means of protection from Covid-19.\n\nIn an interview with The Telegraph last month he said he would definitely accept an invitation to be vaccinated when his time came.\n\n\"At 94, I think I'm entitled!\" he told the newspaper.\n\n\"I'm sufficient of a scientist still, I hope, to realise this is the thing to do.\"\n\nHe added that the work that had gone into developing the vaccines showed the positive effects of international cooperation in combating global problems, such as the climate crisis.\n\n\"It (the virus) has drawn attention to the fact we aren't as omnipotent and all-controlling as we think we are,\" he told the paper.\n\nFollow us on Facebook or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "The United Arab Emirates is being removed from the UK list of travel corridors amid a spike in Covid cases.\n\nThat means anyone who arrives from the UAE after 04:00 GMT on Tuesday now needs to self-isolate for 10 days, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said.\n\nUK officials say Covid cases have risen 52% in the UAE in the last seven days and cite \"a significant acceleration in the number of imported cases\".\n\nIt comes after Scotland removed the UAE city Dubai from its safe travel list.\n\nThe Foreign Office has also updated its advice to advise against all but essential travel to the emirates.\n\nThe recent lockdown restrictions imposed across the UK mean leisure travel is currently banned.\n\nBut the UAE has been in particular focus in recent weeks after a number of UK reality TV and social media stars posted photographs of themselves holidaying there before the rules came into place.\n\nAnd a Celtic footballer tested positive for Covid-19 after the club took a trip to Dubai for a winter training camp.\n\nCeltic were allowed to go as a group under exemptions for elite athletes. As a result,15 playing and coaching staff are now required to self-isolate.\n\nDubai was added to Scotland's travel quarantine list from 04:00 GMT on Monday - with the rule also applying retrospectively for passengers who have arrived in Scotland from the city since January 3.\n\nThe Department for Transport said the removal of the whole of the UAE from the travel corridor is being adopted by all four UK nations.\n\nArrivals to the UK from most destinations now have to quarantine for 10 days.\n\nHowever, arrivals from some countries are exempt from the rules. Those countries make up the so-called travel corridor list.\n\nFrom this week, passengers arriving by boat, train or plane, including UK nationals, must also take a Covid test up to 72 hours before leaving the country of departure.\n\nAre you affected by the government decision to remove UAE from the UK travel corridor list? Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "A Scottish earl has pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a woman at his ancestral home in Angus.\n\nThe Earl of Strathmore, Simon Bowes-Lyon, forced his way into the sleeping woman's room during a weekend event he was hosting at Glamis Castle.\n\nHe repeatedly assaulted the 26-year-old victim and tried to pull off her nightdress during the 20-minute attack.\n\nBowes-Lyon, 34 - who is the Queen's first cousin twice removed - has been placed on the sex offenders register.\n\nHe was granted bail at Dundee Sheriff Court and sentence was deferred.\n\nSheriff Alistair Carmichael also ordered Glamis Castle be assessed for its suitability to house Bowes-Lyon while under a tagging order.\n\nThe court heard the woman fled the castle the morning after the attack on 13 February last year and flew home to report the matter to police.\n\nBoth Police Scotland and the Metropolitan Police were involved in the investigation.\n\nGlamis Castle was the childhood home of the Queen Mother\n\nOutside court, Bowes-Lyon said he was \"greatly ashamed\" of his actions.\n\nHe added: \"Clearly I had drunk to excess on the night of the incident. I should have known better. I recognise, in any event, that alcohol is no excuse for my behaviour.\n\n\"I did not think I was capable of behaving the way I did but have had to face up to it and take responsibility.\n\n\"My apologies go, above all, to the woman concerned, but I would also like to apologise to family, friends and colleagues for the distress I have caused them.\"\n\nGlamis Castle, near Forfar, has been the seat of the Bowes-Lyon family since 1372.\n\nIt was the childhood home of the Queen Mother, and the Queen's sister Princess Margaret was born there.\n\nBowes-Lyon was a great-great nephew of the Queen Mother.", "Some Covid restrictions are being reintroduced in response to the Omicron variant.\n\nCheck what the rules are in your area by entering your postcode or council name below.\n\nA modern browser with JavaScript and a stable internet connection is required to view this interactive. What are the rules in your area? Enter a full UK postcode or council name to find out\n\nIf you cannot see the look-up, click here.\n\nThe rules highlighted in the search tool are a selection of the key government restrictions in place in your area.\n\nAlways check your relevant national and local authority website for more information on the situation where you live. Also check local guidance before travelling to others parts of the UK.\n\nAll the guidance in our search look-up comes from national government websites.\n\nFor more information on national measures see:\n\nFind out how the pandemic has affected your area and how it compares with the national average by following this link to an in depth guide to the numbers involved.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Covid lockdown: Are supermarkets following the rules?\n\nSupermarket workers are facing abuse for challenging shoppers not wearing masks during the pandemic, staff say.\n\nOne Mold supermarket worker said she was challenging people every day and seeing \"loads of people walking around\" the store without masks and in groups.\n\nThe Welsh Government has hinted rules will be tightened amid concerns Covid-19 rules are not being followed.\n\n\"This is not a social event, come in on your own, not as a family of five,\" the supermarket worker said.\n\nSupermarket workers spoke to BBC Radio Wales as Health Minister Vaughan Gething said the \"onus\" was on supermarkets to make sure shoppers abided by the rules.\n\nThere has been an \"escalation of abuse\" towards supermarket staff in the last nine months, and the role of policing such rules must not fall on those on the shop floor, Nick Ireland Divisional Officer of the Union of Shop Distributive and Allied Workers (Usdaw) said.\n\nHe said measures in stores had \"rolled back\", with many no longer enforcing systems, and people walking the wrong way down one-way systems, and \"whole families\" shopping with just one basket.\n\nMeanwhile Bally Auluk, an area organiser in Cardiff and Barry for Usdaw, said abuse towards shopworkers was happening on \"a daily and weekly basis\".\n\nHe said retailers and the Welsh Government should \"start protecting shop workers\" after dealing with members himself who were \"threatened with physical violence and spat on\".\n\n\"Customers now are treating it almost like it was last year, that it's not a problem, that is where the big issues arises,\" he said.\n\nThe Welsh Government is in discussions about bringing in \"more visible\" coronavirus regulations.\n\nMorrisons and Sainsbury's had pledged to challenge shoppers not wearing face coverings in store, unless they have a medical exemption.\n\nTesco, Asda and Waitrose are the latest supermarkets to follow the move and challenge those who flout the rules.\n\nUnder coronavirus rules, people must wear face coverings in order to enter shops across the UK, while supermarkets should have social distancing and strict hygiene measures in place.\n\nThe Welsh Government has been in talks with retailers on how to improve safety and return to the strict observance of social distancing from the first lockdown, although no new guidance has been issued.\n\nFirst Minister Mark Drakeford said he had heard concerns from people \"expressing anxiety\" about a lack of \"visible protections\" in supermarkets, such as limited numbers allowed in store, hand sanitiser and security on doors.\n\nThe Mold supermarket worker said staff had been told not to challenge people not wearing masks, and had seen people being yelled at.\n\nJane, who did not give her last name, told BBC Wales customers were offered a mask on the way in, but many did not want them.\n\n\"You do see a lot of customers walking around without a mask on,\" she said.\n\n\"Of course there are people with hidden disabilities who can't wear a mask but there can't be that many of them.\"\n\nJane said enforcement needed to be greater, but it should not be led by the shopfloor staff.\"We're told not to challenge people as we don't know someone's personal situation and we don't want to face any abuse if they don't want to wear it or don't agree with it,\" she said.\n\n\"At the moment people will ask politely, but I have witnessed quite a few occasions where customers have been verbally abusive to the person greeting them on their way in.\n\n\"There needs to be someone enforcing this, it can't be left to retail staff: whether its a police officer or a security guard.\"\n\nSupermarket aisles carrying non-essential items are closed off again, as they were during the firebreak lockdown\n\nOne security guard at a supermarket in Aberdare said he had had more \"hassle\" working in the past 10 months at the store, than from drinkers while working as a nightclub doorman for more than 20 years.\n\n\"The attitude towards yourself... they don't appreciate that you're standing there for 12 hours a day, they don't understand how hard it is to try and keep people distancing,\" he told Dot Davies on BBC Radio Wales.\n\n\"When they go inside the shop it all goes out the window... we keep the two metres outside, but we've got people coming outside to tell us we should be in there sorting it out.\"\n\nOne supermarket manager said the lengths people were going to in order to shop together were \"ridiculous\", with families coming in with a number of trolleys or baskets in order not to be challenged.\n\n\"We've seen families turning up to go shopping for a basket shop, it's just not on,\" said Mr Ireland, who called on supermarket staff to be prioritised for vaccines.\n\nHe suggested those who do not observe the rules should be banned and fined.\n\nBut one mother said that she had no choice but to shop with her children, and she had been unable to get a click and collect or delivery slot.\n\n\"It's easy to get caught up in the fear of it, but some people are at the shops as they have no choice,\" she said.\n\nOthers have spoken of shop staff themselves not wearing masks.\n\nJames Lowman, chief executive of the Association of Convenience Stores, said it was \"everyone's responsibility\" to abide by the rules, rather than for shop workers to enforce.\n\n\"Doing that [enforcement of rules] in a small store, where you don't have lots of colleagues around, has been a trigger for more abuse and even violence,\" he said.\n\nMr Lowman said making businesses Covid secure was down to the local authority, while individuals' behaviour was a matter for police, but \"in practicality\" it is everyone's responsibility.\n\nBut Mr Gething said the \"onus\" for getting shoppers to follow Covid-19 rules, such as wearing masks, social-distancing and cordoning off non-essential items, was on the supermarket managers.\n\n\"[It needs to be made] clear that you do need to wear a mask unless you can demonstrate that you have a particular exemption,\" he said.\n\n\"I don't think there's any lack of understanding. We've been through this before and I do think a number of supermarkets are going to go and make clear there are a range of items that are off-limits for shoppers coming in.\n\n\"Supermarkets understand what they need to do.\"", "London's Nightingale hospital was built in nine days, with the help of hundreds of soldiers\n\nLondon's Nightingale hospital has been reopened and is admitting patients to help with the coronavirus spread in the capital.\n\nMedical director Dr Vin Diwakar said the facility at London's ExCeL Centre also had a vaccination centre on site.\n\nIt was placed on standby in May after fewer than 20 patients were treated following a grand opening on 3 April.\n\nDr Diwakar said the Nightingale was being used to treat non-coronavirus patients.\n\nIn the Downing Street press conference, he explained it was taking non-Covid patients to help free up beds in London's hospitals.\n\nHe said: \"This means that hospitals have more beds to care for Covid-19 patients and for our very sickest patients. We cannot do this indefinitely.\n\n\"There comes a point where if the infection gets further out of control, more and more patients from London will need to be transferred elsewhere.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. What does it mean if the NHS is overwhelmed?\n\nAt the start of November, he said, London had 1,000 Covid-19 patients.\n\nThis increased four-fold to 4,000 on Christmas Day and has doubled to just under 8,000 today, with more than 1,000 of those on critical care, he told the press conference.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by BBC News (UK) This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nBut Dr Diwakar said there was \"hope\", with one hall of the ExCel Centre having opened as London's first mass vaccination centre.\n\n\"I can tell you Covid-19 is a horrible, horrible disease that leaves so many, including young people, breathless and gasping for life,\" he said.\n\nOn Friday, the Mayor of London declared a \"major incident\" as he described the coronavirus spread in the capital as \"out of control\".\n\nMore than 120 firefighters and 75 Met Police officers have been drafted in to help the London Ambulance Service cope with demand.", "The data showed men were more likely to be admitted to intensive care units\n\nAround half of patients admitted to Welsh intensive care units during the second wave of the pandemic have died, a study has found.\n\nThe Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre (ICNARC) found men aged in their 60s were more likely to need intensive care.\n\nIt also found those from Asian backgrounds and deprived areas were disproportionately affected.\n\nBut a leading doctor said, overall, people were more likely to survive now.\n\nIntensive care consultant Matt Morgan said new treatments meant only the sickest patients were reaching intensive care, where outcomes were poorer.\n\nICNARC collected information on 431 Welsh patients who were critically ill with coronavirus from 1 September to 31 December 2020 as part of a UK-wide audit of intensive care patients.\n\nOf the patients who were admitted, 68% were men and 32% women. The average age of a patient was 59.5 years.\n\nIntensive care consultant Matt Morgan said, overall, patients were more likely to survive Covid now\n\nWhile the vast majority of patients were white (91.6%), the number of patients of Asian ethnicity was more than double the proportion of the Asian population, with 6.3% of patients recorded as being Asian, compared to an average of 2.4% in their local population.\n\nThe audit of patients found that, excluding those still being treated at the unit, half had died while half had been discharged.\n\nAlthough the numbers of patients surveyed is relatively low for statistical purposes, Dr Morgan said the survival rate reflected the situation in hospitals.\n\n\"We are putting fewer people, who are in the first stage of their illness, on to life support machines. And that is because we have treatments now that we know can help,\" he said.\n\n\"Overall, you are more likely now to survive Covid than ever before, and that is in every age group - sometimes by as much as 10% more.\n\n\"What we do know is that overall, out of every ten people who come to intensive care with Covid about six of them will survive and will leave the intensive care unit. Which means sadly four of them won't, four of them will die.\n\n\"That's similar overall to the first wave but that data is based on some patients who are still in the intensive care unit. So that may change and it's more likely to get worse rather than better.\"\n\n\"We also know patients who are on life support machines in the intensive care unit will do worse than those who come to the intensive care unit and are not on life support machines.\n\n\"For those people, it's probably five out of 10 people who will survive and five who will sadly die and that may be worse when we have the data on those who are still there.\n\n\"And there's a big effect of age. So for those over the age of 70 it may be as little as four people out of 10 who survive, maybe less. And for those over the age of 80 it may be as low as one or two people out of ten who survive.\n\nThe figures from ICNARC also highlight how people from poorer backgrounds were more likely to need treatment in intensive care.\n\nUsing a deprivation score from 1 to 5, more than half of patients scored 4 or 5, representing the most deprived postcodes in Wales.\n\nDr Morgan said: \"Sadly, disease is an illness of deprivation.\n\n\"And so that's why we feel it, particularly in Wales where the industrial scars of our past are still very much there - and our health is there.\"", "The men were arrested on suspicion of causing a public nuisance at hospitals in Birmingham and Worcestershire\n\nFour men have been arrested on suspicion of causing a public nuisance at hospitals in the West Midlands.\n\nThe men, aged between 31 and 37, were held in relation to incidents in Birmingham and Worcestershire between 31 December and 9 January.\n\nEarlier this month, police said they were investigating after people posted videos of supposedly empty hospital corridors on social media.\n\nThe videos claiming Covid-19 was a hoax sparked an outcry from medical workers.\n\nWest Mercia Police launched a joint investigation with West Midlands Police, after incidents were reported at Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital and the Alexandra in Redditch.\n\nHospitals in Worcester and Kidderminster also featured, before the footage was deleted.\n\nThe West Mercia force confirmed it had arrested two men from Bromsgrove aged 31 and 34 as well as a 37 year-old man from Kidderminster and a fourth man, aged 34, from Droitwich.\n\nThey were also detained relating to incidents in a park in Bromsgrove as well as the town centre.\n\nAll four men have since been bailed with conditions not to enter any hospital in England unless they have a medical reason to do so.\n\nFollow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Birmingham has one of the largest intensive care capacities in the whole country\n\nTwo hundred doctors will be redeployed to one of England's largest intensive care units amid fears it could be \"overwhelmed\".\n\nA leaked memo warned hospitals in Birmingham were \"in a position of extremis\" as Covid-19 cases rise.\n\nElective surgeries at the city's main Queen Elizabeth Hospital will stop as staff move to critical care duties.\n\nA spokesperson said the approach ensured \"the greatest good for the greatest numbers of people\".\n\nThe trust's decision to redeploy doctors was revealed in a leaked email to the Health Service Journal, which has been verified by the BBC.\n\nSent by consultant Peter Hewins, it said hospitals in Birmingham risked being \"overwhelmed\" amid a \"period of absolute emergency\".\n\nThe University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB) said there were 873 patients with Covid-19 across its sites, with 125 in intensive care.\n\nThis was significantly more than in April 2020, it said, as it announced plans to double its intensive care capacity to more than 250 beds.\n\nTime-critical surgery, including cancer operations, will continue, the trust said, but elective procedures at the Queen Elizabeth will be paused, and reduced elsewhere.\n\nThere will also be a \"further reduction of outpatient activity\", a spokesperson said, adding: \"Every member of staff will be supported by the Trust in delivering the best care wherever they are working.\"\n\nThere are currently 873 Covid-19 patients being treated at the trust\n\nNeighbouring University Coventry and Warwickshire Hospitals Trust confirmed it had started taking Covid patients from Birmingham.\n\nUniversity Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust (UHB) is one of the largest teaching hospital trusts in England.\n\nIt runs several hospitals, including Birmingham Heartlands, the Queen Elizabeth, Solihull Hospital and Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield. It also runs Birmingham Chest Clinic.\n\nFollow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Boris Johnson - pictured here in 2013 - has long been a fan of cycling\n\nBoris Johnson has been criticised for travelling seven miles from Downing Street to go cycling during lockdown.\n\nThe Evening Standard reported the prime minister had been spotted in the Olympic Park in East London on Sunday.\n\nGovernment advice allows people to exercise outside, but says you should not travel outside your local area.\n\nA No 10 spokesman would not confirm if Mr Johnson had been driven to the park or cycled there, but said the PM had complied with Covid-19 guidelines.\n\nLabour's Andy Slaughter said: \"Once again it is do as I say, not as I do, from the prime minister.\"\n\nThe Hammersmith MP added: \"London has some of the highest infection rates in the country. Boris Johnson should be leading by example.\"\n\nIn response to the criticism, a Downing Street source told the BBC: \"The PM has exercised within the Covid rules and any suggestion to the contrary is wrong.\"\n\nA woman told the PA news agency she had seen the prime minister in the park: \"He was leisurely cycling with another guy with a beanie hat and chatting, while around four security guys, possibly more, cycled behind them.\n\n\"Considering the current situation with Covid I was shocked to see him cycling around looking so care-free.\n\n\"Also, considering he's advising everyone to stay at home and not leave their area, shouldn't he stay in Westminster and not travel to other boroughs?\"\n\nHealth Secretary Matt Hancock was asked at Monday's Downing Street press conference whether travelling seven miles for a cycle ride was within the rules.\n\nMr Hancock said: \"It is OK, if you went for a long walk and ended up seven miles from home, that is OK, but you should stay local.\n\n\"It is OK to go for a long walk or a cycle ride or to exercise, but stay local.\"\n\nThe issue of travelling for exercise was highlighted at the weekend after two women said they were surrounded by police and fine £200 after driving five miles from home to take a walk.\n\nDerbyshire Police have now dropped the fine and apologised to the women, but the incident led to a debate over the guidance.\n\nGovernment advice for England says you can leave your home to exercise, but adds: \"This should be limited to once per day, and you should not travel outside your local area.\"\n\nThe guidance adds: \"Stay local means stay in the village, town, or part of the city where you live.\"\n\nIn Scotland, the advice is more precise, saying exercise can be taken if it \"starts and finishes at the same place, which can be up to five miles from the boundary of your local authority area\".\n\nFormer Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron, who represents a constituency in the Lake District, has written to the PM calling for clearer guidance on exercise similar to that in Scotland.\n\nHe wrote: \"On the one hand, our local police force here in Cumbria are reporting that people... have travelled hundreds of miles to take their exercise in the Lake District.\n\n\"And on the other hand, I have constituents writing to me, worried whether they will be punished for driving five minutes up the road to go for a walk in their local park.\"\n\nMr Farron added: \"We need a solution that clearly deters people from making lengthy trips and potentially spreading the virus, but also that doesn't discourage people from keeping fit and healthy.\"", "Retailers suffered their worst annual sales performance on record in 2020, driven by slump in demand for fashion and homeware products, figures show.\n\nWhile food sales growth rose 5.4% on 2019, non-food fell about 5%, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) said.\n\nIt meant an overall fall of 0.3% in a year dominated by the Covid-19 impact, the worst annual change since the BRC began collating the figures in 1995.\n\nChristmas offered little cheer, with much of the High Street still closed.\n\n\"Physical non-food stores, including all of non-essential retail, saw sales drop by a quarter compared with 2019,\" said Helen Dickinson, BRC chief executive.\n\n\"Christmas offered little respite for these retailers, as many shops were forced to shut during the peak trading period,\" she said.\n\nThe 5.4% rise in food sales was fuelled by shoppers flocking to supermarkets and online grocers to ensure they were stocked up during the pandemic.\n\nIn December, total retail sales increased by 1.8% as shoppers spent more in the run-up to Christmas. Like-for-like sales for the month were up 4.8% as overall shop takings were still affected by restrictions and temporary closures.\n\nOnline non-food sales jumped by 44.8% in December, according to the new figures, as a higher proportion of shopping took place online.\n\nThe BRC's sales monitor is collated with the consultancy KPMG, whose UK head of retail, Paul Martin, said: \"In the most important month for the retail industry, there was some positive growth due to the ongoing shift of expenditure from other categories such as travel and leisure.\n\n\"Once again we saw big swings in the types of products being purchased and the channels used for shopping, with much of the growth taking place online, where nearly half of all non-food purchases were made.\"\n\nBut he warned that the new lockdown would worsen conditions for many non-essential shops and the High Street generally.\n\nLast week, a report from the Centre for Retail Research (CRR) said that 2020 was the worst for High Street job losses in more than 25 years, as the coronavirus accelerated the move towards online shopping.\n\nNearly 180,000 retail jobs were lost last year, up by almost a quarter from 2019, the CRR said.", "The Covid pandemic has caused excess deaths to rise to their highest level in the UK since World War Two.\n\nThere were close to 697,000 deaths in 2020 - nearly 85,000 more than would be expected based on the average in the previous five years.\n\nThis represents an increase of 14% - making it the largest rise in excess deaths for more than 75 years.\n\nWhen the age and size of the population is taken into account, 2020 saw the worst death rates since the 2000s.\n\nThis measure - known as age-standardised mortality - takes into account population growth and age.\n\nThe data is only available until November - so the impact of deaths in December have not yet been taken into account - but it shows the death rate at that stage was at its highest in England since 2008.\n\nThe data on deaths can be confusing.\n\nOn one hand, excess deaths are at their highest since World War Two, while on the other, death rates, once age and size of population are taken into account, are at their worst level for a little over a decade 'only'.\n\nHow should that be interpreted?\n\nExcess deaths are basically a measure of how many more people are dying than would be expected based on the previous few years.\n\nClearly, 2020 saw a huge and unexpected rise in deaths because of the pandemic, just as World War Two led to a sudden jump.\n\nBut in determining how much those jumps affected the chances of dying, a measure known as age-standardised mortality, which takes into account the age and size of the population, is important.\n\nIt shows the pandemic has undone the progress made in the last decade or so. That is significant - especially given this has happened despite lockdowns and social-distancing measures to stop the spread of the virus.\n\nBut it also helps put the death toll over the past 12 months in a wider context.\n\nKing's Fund chief executive Richard Murray said the picture was likely to worsen, given Covid deaths were rising following the surge in infections over recent weeks.\n\n\"The UK has one of the highest rates of excess deaths in the world, with more excess deaths per million people than most other European countries or the US,\" he said.\n\n'It will take a public inquiry to determine exactly what went wrong, but mistakes have been made.\n\n\"In a pandemic, mistakes cost lives. Decisions to enter lockdown have consistently come late, with the government failing to learn from past mistakes or the experiences of other countries.\n\n\"The promised 'protective ring' around social care in the first wave was slow to materialise and often inadequate, a contributing factor to the excess deaths among care home residents last year.\n\n'Like many countries, the UK was poorly prepared for this type of pandemic.\"\n\nMatthew Reed, of the end-of-life care charity Marie Curie said the focus on Covid should not hide the fact there has been a \"silent crisis\" of deaths at home.\n\nHe said people have died prematurely in 2020 from other causes - with a big jump in deaths at home.\n\n\"We are concerned many have not had the care they needed,\" he added.\n• None Lockdown needs to be stricter, scientists warn", "Officer Eugene Goodman is being celebrated for his heroics\n\nCapitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman is being called a hero for a second time after footage shown at the impeachment trial shows him directing Mitt Romney away from an advancing mob.\n\nIn the video, the officer is seen notifying Mr Romney that the rioters were heading in his direction and guiding him away.\n\nThe Utah senator, an unpopular figure among Trump supporters, said he looked forward to thanking the police officer for his actions.\n\nOfficer Goodman was already being praised for his bravery that day, after singlehandedly steering a mob away from the Senate chambers.\n\nVideo footage showed him just steps ahead of rioters as they chase him up a flight of stairs.\n\nMr Goodman is then seen glancing towards the Senate entrance before luring the men in the opposite direction.\n\nFive people, including a police officer, died as a result of the riots.\n\nThe officer was seen confronting a pro-Trump rioter during the attack\n\nMembers of the 2,000-person Capitol police department are tasked with protecting the Capitol building and those inside, it.\n\nA group of senators has introduced a bill to award Officer Goodman with the Congressional Gold Medal.\n\nNews of his additional heroics involving Senator Romney will only amplify calls for him to be recognised.\n\nThe senator said he was unaware of the danger he was in until he saw the footage at the trial on Wednesday.\n\nSenator Mitt Romney said he was looking forward to thanking Officer Goodman\n\nIt formed part of the Democratic prosecution in trying to underline the peril the heart of US government was under as Trump supporters ransacked the Capitol.\n\nSenator Romney said it was \"overwhelmingly distressing and emotional\" to see the violence again, six weeks after the attack.\n\nAnd reflecting on his own narrow escape, he added he was looking forward to thanking Officer Goodman \"when I next see him\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. See how close the mob got to Mike Pence, Mitt Romney and other lawmakers\n\nNew York Law School criminal law professor and 20-year veteran of the New York City Police Department Kirk Burkhalter called Mr Goodman's response to the rioters \"tremendous\".\n\n\"I don't think there was any type of training that would prepare you for that situation,\" Mr Burkhalter told the BBC, speaking days after the attack.\n\nIn the video shot by Huffington Post reporter Igor Bobic, Mr Goodman, who is black, is antagonised by the group of Trump supporters - who are all white men.\n\nThe man at the front of the pack, wearing a QAnon T-shirt, has been identified as Doug Jensen of Iowa. He was later arrested by local police and the FBI for his role in the riots.\n\nFootage shows Mr Jensen leading the mob that chased Mr Goodman up a flight of stairs - just a few feet away from the entrance to the Senate floor. As he is pursued, Mr Goodman shouts \"second floor!\" into his radio, seemingly alerting other officers of the group approaching the chamber.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Igor Bobic This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nAfter Mr Goodman glances toward the Senate chamber entrance, he shoves Mr Jensen - a move seemingly designed to draw attention on to himself, luring the mob away from the chambers and those hiding inside.\n\nThe image of Mr Goodman trailed by a mob - some armed with Confederate flags, others with allusions to the Nazi flag - was extremely disturbing, Mr Burkhalter said.\n\n\"Police officer, not a police officer, to see a black man being chased by someone carrying a Confederate flag - there is something wrong with that picture. That should never happen again,\" he said.\n\n\"It just reeks of everything we need to correct.\"\n\nMr Goodman's standoff with the mob came just minutes before authorities were able to seal the chamber, according to reporting from the Washington Post.\n\nHis heroics were noted at the highest level - he was invited to the inauguration as a guest of Vice-President Kamala Harris.", "Naomi Campbell and Kenyan Tourism Minister Najib Balala sealed the deal over the weekend\n\nThe appointment of British supermodel Naomi Campbell as Kenya's tourism ambassador has caused a Twitter storm in the East African nation.\n\nMany queried why it had not been given to a prominent Kenyan like Hollywood actress Lupita Nyong'o.\n\nOthers leapt to her defence, saying the debate already justified her role.\n\nKenya's tourism sector has been badly hit by coronavirus, with visitor numbers down by 72% between January and October last year.\n\n\"The sector hence lost over 110bn Kenyan shillings [$1bn, £738m] of direct international tourists' revenue due to the Covid-19 pandemic,\" Kenya's Tourism Research Institute reported last month.\n\nThe country is famous for its wildlife safaris and beach resorts.\n\nKenyan Tourism Minister Najib Balala said the deal with Ms Campbell was done over the weekend after he met the model, who is currently on holiday in Kenya.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Ministry of Tourism & Wildlife-Kenya This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. End of twitter post by Ministry of Tourism & Wildlife-Kenya\n\nThe 50-year-old style icon and philanthropist has been posting images of her stay on Instagram, where she has 10 million followers.\n\n\"We welcome the exciting news that Naomi Campbell will advocate for tourism and travel internationally for the Magical Kenya brand,\" Mr Balala said, without giving further deals of the contract.\n\nBut the statement, posted on Twitter on Tuesday, prompted instant outrage from some, and the supermodel's name has since been trending in the country.\n\nOne tweeter cited other Kenyan celebrities better suited to the ambassadorial role, including models Ajuma Nasenyana and Debra Sanaipei, as well as Nyong'o.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Syombua A. Kibue 🇰🇪 This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nOne tweeter said the backlash revealed an unhealthy attitude in Kenya: \"At the end of the day, it's all about who will get the job done. This mentality is what causes nepotism and tribalism in Kenyan institutions, it should be about the most suitable candidate not 'one of our own' thing.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nMs Campbell's defenders praised her for visiting Kenya several times and said it was not only the model's social media following that made her the perfect appointment.\n\nHer circle of friends were equally important as she would attract wealthy tourists willing to spend money.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 3 by Mlolwa🐬 This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThe tourism industry usually contributes about 8.8% to Kenya's annual Gross domestic product (GDP), according to Kenya's East African newspaper.\n• None The supermodel and the warlord", "Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Tuesday morning. We'll have another update for you at 18:00 BST.\n\nPolice patrols were stepped up around the Scotland-England border around Christmas\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. How to wear your mask. Hint: it's not any of these three options\n\nSo many of us are spending more time staring at a screen right now and an eye health charity is recommending we learn the \"20-20-20\" rule to protect our sight. Fight for Sight advises looking at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds, every 20 minutes you're working at a screen, in order to reduce eye strain. The charity also commissioned a survey of 2,000 people which found more than a third believed their eyesight had worsened in the past year. It says the number of us getting regular eye tests is also down and is urging people not to miss their appointments.\n\nIt sadly comes as no surprise to learn that 2020 was the worst year on record for UK retailers, especially those focused on clothing and homeware. Food bucked the trend, particularly over Christmas, with the highest ever festive spending on groceries. But overall, retail sales declined by 0.3% across the year, and non-food by nearly a quarter, the biggest annual dip since the British Retail Consortium began collating the figures in 1995. The BRC says many retailers are struggling to survive and the government should extend the business rates holiday to save jobs.\n\nA father who'd campaigned for a change in the coronavirus rules to make life easier for non-resident parents to see their children has welcomed a government rethink. Previously, parents could visit children they don't live with during lockdown, but restrictions prevented them from staying overnight in a hotel. Ex-BBC journalist Tom De Castella said the ban \"had a massive bearing on seeing my daughter\", who lives a three-and-a-half hour drive away from his home. Now the rules have been rewritten, he's relieved. \"This is about building a bond with your child, it's crucial to their development,\" he added.\n\nTom De Castella said the rethink was \"great news\" for parents like him\n\nFind more information, advice and guides on our coronavirus page.\n\nPlus, three vaccines are now approved for use in the UK, but there are many differences between them. BBC health correspondent Laura Foster explains.\n\nWhat questions do you have about coronavirus?\n\nIn some cases, your question will be published, displaying your name, age and location as you provide it, unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published. Please ensure you have read our terms & conditions and privacy policy.\n\nUse this form to ask your question:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or send them via email to YourQuestions@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any question you send in.", "Lockdown rule-breakers are more likely to be fined as Covid laws will be enforced \"more quickly\", the UK's most senior police officer has said.\n\nLondon's Metropolitan Police commissioner Dame Cressida Dick said her officers have had to break up parties, despite hospitals struggling to cope with rising patient numbers.\n\nA minister confirmed her pledge that fines were \"increasingly likely\".\n\nKit Malthouse said people have a \"duty\" to make this lockdown \"the last one\".\n\n\"We are urging the small minority of people who aren't taking this seriously to do so now, and [are illustrating] to them that if they don't they are much more likely to get fined by the police,\" Mr Malthouse, the policing minister, told BBC Breakfast.\n\n\"These current measures should in theory, if we all stick by them, be enough to drive the numbers down so that we can start to move through the gears of tiers from mid-February,\" he added.\n\nAsked if tighter restrictions for England were on the way - something the health secretary has refused to rule out - Mr Malthouse said ministers were \"on tenterhooks\" watching the daily figures for Covid deaths, new cases and hospital admissions, as rules continue to be kept under review.\n\nHe said the government's ramped-up efforts to give vulnerable people the coronavirus vaccine should help the UK to \"get back to some sort of normality later this year\".\n\nThe BBC's political editor Laura Kuenssberg said there was currently no expectation that Westminster will impose more extensive restrictions.\n\nScotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she discussed possible tighter restrictions with members of her cabinet on Tuesday morning.\n\nHome Secretary Priti Patel and chair of the National Police Chiefs' Council, Martin Hewitt, will hold a coronavirus press conference at Downing Street later.\n\nThe latest figures on Monday showed a further 529 people had died within 28 days of a positive test in the UK, while another 46,169 cases were reported.\n\nThere are also more than 32,200 people in hospital in the UK with coronavirus, data shows.\n\nDame Cressida told BBC Radio 4's Today programme some 75 police officers are joining 185 firefighters in being trained to drive ambulances in the capital, to help London Ambulance Service as the number of cases of the virus continues to rise.\n\nAnd writing in the Times, she said her officers had found people hosting raves, house parties and basement gambling events, despite clear laws that ban social gatherings.\n\n\"It is preposterous to me that anyone could be unaware of our duty to do all we can to stop the spread of the virus,\" she said, adding that people breaking Covid laws were \"increasingly likely to face fines\".\n\nPolice chiefs in other parts of England have also warned \"patience is running out\" with rule-breakers, with the public increasingly willing to report alleged rule breaches.\n\nSince March, some 32,000 penalties for breaching Covid laws have been issued in England and Wales - with a sharp rise in penalties during England's November lockdown.\n\nAlmost 6,500 penalty tickets were handed out in the weeks up to Christmas as police began moving more quickly from \"engage\", \"explain\" and \"encourage\" to the fourth \"e\" - \"enforcement\".\n\nExpect the rate of fines to continue upwards during January, given the scale of the emergency and the pressure from government on constabularies to enforce the law.\n\nBut there is also a tension here. Police chiefs have told their officers they will often have to use their own judgement because the list of \"reasonable excuses\" in the law for why someone can be outside is not fixed in stone.\n\nThere is a lot of wriggle room in the law to allow daily lives to continue.\n\nWhile ministers, scientists and health experts are all hammering home the message that people should stay at home as much as possible, the law is more liberal - for instance, there is no restriction on exercise in England.\n\nAnd that's why some police officers believe they are stuck between a rock and a hard place as people who don't want to be locked down find more and more creative ways to stretch the rules to breaking point.\n\nFines start at £200 in England and Northern Ireland, and £60 in Wales and Scotland. Large parties can be shut down by the police, with fines of up to £10,000.\n\nDame Cressida told the Today programme the move towards greater enforcement was \"common sense\" rather than a show of \"dictatorial policing\".\n\nShe also said Prime Minister Boris Johnson's cycle in east London at the weekend was \"not against the law\", but added the \"stay local\" guidance on exercise for England could be made more clear.\n\nUnder Scotland's lockdown restrictions, people must start and finish their exercise in the same place - and to do so, they may travel up to five miles from the boundary of their local authority area. People in Wales should start and finish exercising from their home, while those in Northern Ireland are advised not to go more than 10 miles from home when exercising.\n\nAsked if she would like to see similar detail in England's guidance, Dame Cressida said: \"That is certainly something the government could consider.\n\n\"Anything that brings greater clarity, for officers and the public, in general, will be a good thing.\"\n\nDame Cressida also said she was delighted that a proposal to prioritise frontline officers for vaccines was being discussed\n\nPolice chiefs have been under increasing pressure to enforce the lockdown laws - with a number of news reports about breaches of Covid rules in recent days.\n\nIn one case, Derbyshire Police withdrew penalties for two women who had been fined £200 each when they drove five miles for a walk together - following widespread media attention.\n\nHome Secretary Priti Patel has defended the way police have handled breaches, saying there is a need for \"strong enforcement\".\n\nFour people were arrested in Edinburgh on Monday after anti-lockdown protesters clashed with police\n\nEngland is currently under a national lockdown, meaning people must stay at home and can go out only for limited reasons such as food shopping, exercise, or work if they cannot do so from home.\n\nSimilar lockdown measures are in place across much of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland - which are in charge of making their own coronavirus restrictions.\n\nIn her article, Dame Cressida said she was \"delighted to hear\" that a proposal to prioritise frontline officers to get vaccinated was being \"actively discussed\", as the rate of officers self-isolating has risen.\n\nSo far 2.3 million people in the UK have had a first dose of the coronavirus vaccine, as part of the government's plan to vaccinate tens of millions of people by the spring.\n\nDefence Secretary Ben Wallace said members of the armed forces were working \"hand in hand with the NHS\" to help with the response to the UK's epidemic.\n\nSome 5,300 members of the armed forces are currently involved in the Covid response including personnel to help with vaccinations and community testing across the UK, he said.", "Rules governing the import of personal goods from the UK to the EU changed after Brexit formally came into effect\n\nA Dutch TV network has filmed border officials confiscating ham sandwiches and other foods from drivers arriving in the Netherlands from the UK, under post-Brexit rules.\n\nThe officials were shown explaining import regulations imposed since the UK formalised its separation from the EU.\n\nUnder EU rules, travellers from outside the bloc are banned from bringing in meat and dairy products.\n\nThe rules appeared to bemuse one driver.\n\n\"Since Brexit, you are no longer allowed to bring certain foods to Europe, like meat, fruit, vegetables, fish, that kind of stuff,\" a Dutch border official told the driver in footage broadcast by TV network NPO 1.\n\nIn one scene, a border official asked the driver whether several of his tin-foil wrapped sandwiches had meat in them.\n\nWhen the driver said they did, the border official said: \"Okay, so we take them all.\"\n\nSurprised, the driver then asked the officials if he could keep the bread, to which one replied: \"No, everything will be confiscated - welcome to the Brexit, sir. I'm sorry.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe UK officially finished its formal separation from the EU on 31 December, 2020.\n\nFrom 23:00 GMT on that date, the UK stopped following EU rules, with new arrangements for travel, trade, immigration and security co-operation coming into force.\n\nA trade deal with the EU was agreed on 24 December, and a week later, UK lawmakers voted in favour of the agreement.\n\nThe UK's departure means big changes for business - with the UK and EU forming two separate markets - the end of free movement, and new regulations, including those governing the import of personal goods.\n\nThe UK government has issued guidance to commercial drivers travelling to the EU, warning them to \"be aware of additional restrictions to personal imports\".\n\n\"You cannot bring POAO (products of an animal origin) such as those containing meat or dairy (e.g. a ham and cheese sandwich) into the EU,\" the guidance says. \"There are exceptions to this rule for certain quantities of powdered infant milk, infant food, special foods, or special processed pet feed.\"\n\nOn its website, the European Commission says the ban is necessary because such goods \"continue to present a real threat to animal health throughout the Union\".\n\n\"It is known, for example, that dangerous pathogens that cause animal diseases such as Foot and Mouth Disease and classical swine fever can reside in meat, milk or their products,\" the Commission says.\n\nSeparately, the Dutch customs agency shared a picture of foodstuffs it had confiscated from motorists in the ferry terminal the Hook of Holland.\n\n\"Since 1 January, you can't just bring more food from the UK,\" the agency said. \"So prepare yourself if you travel to the Netherlands from the UK and spread the word. This is how we prevent food waste and together ensure that the controls are speeded up.\"\n\nThe BBC's economics editor Faisal Islam described the confiscation of ham sandwiches and other foodstuffs at the EU's borders with the UK as \"a standard implication of [the] Brexit deal\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Faisal Islam This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "The NHS Louisa Jordan was built in two weeks in April response to concerns over hospital capacity\n\nA shortage of NHS staff could prevent the opening of the NHS Louisa Jordan to Covid patients if capacity is exceeded elsewhere, a leading doctor has said.\n\nPresident of the Royal College of Surgeons in Edinburgh, Prof Mike Griffin, said the increasing numbers off work was a \"major problem\".\n\nThe Scottish government says the NHS is not being \"overwhelmed\" and staffing plans are in place to deal with demand.\n\nThe NHS Louisa Jordan is currently being used for outpatient services.\n\nThe temporary hospital at the SEC in Glasgow was set up in April in response to concerns over hospital capacity.\n\nIt was not used for Covid care during the first surge of the pandemic and has since been made available for outpatient services, such as orthopaedics, plastic surgery and dermatology.\n\nIt is also being used for Covid vaccinations.\n\nProf Mike Griffin told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme that the pressure on the NHS workforce was particularly acute in the west of Scotland, where the number of cases was high.\n\n\"Particularly in Glasgow and Lanarkshire, there's been significant increases recently because of the new variant. Without any doubt, that new variant is increasing transmissibility, and therefore increasing infection rates and increasing hospital admissions,\" he said.\n\n\"But it's not just the admissions that's the problem. Our doctors, surgeons, nurses and everyone are really working extremely hard - but there is an increase in absenteeism because of illness and because of self-isolation amongst nursing staff.\"\n\nTwo of Scotland's health boards - NHS Ayrshire and Arran and NHS Lanarkshire - are currently over their capacity for Covid patients.\n\nNHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has reached 85% capacity and NHS Tayside is at 81% capacity, according to the latest Scottish government figures.\n\nThe NHS Louisa Jordan has capacity for 1,000 Covid patients if it is needed, but Prof Griffin said that using it as a Covid facility could be dependent on retired or former staff returning to work for NHS Scotland.\n\n\"Opening the Louisa Jordan as a Covid institution without staff is impossible,\" he said.\n\n\"It is equipped to be able to do it. And if the staffing is there, if we get returners and so on, then perhaps that might happen.\"\n\nThe number of Covid patients in hospital across Scotland is now higher than it was in April, although the numbers in intensive care are lower.\n\nNumbers initially appeared to be declining in November, but never reached low levels and began to climb sharply again at the end of the year.\n\nProf Griffin added that it was likely that better treatments for Covid patients were also reducing mortality and so keeping those patients in hospital for longer.\n\nNHS Scotland has an overall capacity for 13,000 beds, with 2,400 assigned to Covid patients.\n\nThis is down from a capacity of about 3,600 in the autumn because of additional seasonal pressures on the NHS, including weather-related issues and increased staff absence.\n\nScotland's national clinical director, Prof Jason Leitch, accepted that having around 1,500 patients in hospital with Covid had forced the cancellation of procedures such as cataract operations and hip replacements.\n\nBut he said that ability to \"flex\" within the system meant that the NHS remained within capacity.\n\nProf Leitch also pointed to the situation in England where there have been reports of limits being put on the amount of oxygen that patients can receive and some intensive care patients having to be treated in non-ICU beds.\n\nSpeaking at the first minister's coronavirus briefing, he said: \"People shouldn't be scared that the health service is full or overwhelmed - it isn't.\n\n\"It is fragile, and you just have to look a few hundred miles south to see what happens when it is even more fragile.\n\n\"So we need to avoid that as much as we can in Scotland.\"", "The Northern Lights from Munlochy on the Black Isle in the Highlands\n\nDisplays of the Aurora Borealis were visible from north and north east Scotland overnight.\n\nAlso known as the Northern Lights, the aurora appear as shimmering waves of light when atoms in the Earth's high-altitude atmosphere collide with energetic charged particles from the sun.\n\nBBC Weather Watchers photographed the \"lights\" from Shetland, the Highlands and Moray.\n\nBrae, Shetland, was among the vantage points for observing the aurora overnight on Monday into Tuesday\n\nA view of the aurora from Hopeman on the Moray Firth coast\n\nA colourful scene at Nairn on the Highlands' Moray Firth coast\n\nThe aurora from Glenelg in the west Highlands\n\nThis stunning image was captured at Durness by Andy Walker\n\nClear skies over Moray offered opportunities to see the lights, including from Elgin\n\nFreck Fraser's image of the aurora from a snowy Belladrum near Beauly\n\nThe green glow of the aurora from Portmahomack in the Highlands\n\nAnother image of the aurora from Brae in Shetland\n\nBright lights of the aurora from Uig in the Highlands", "Meddyg Care Dementia Home was due to receive vaccinations last week\n\nA care home manager is \"frightened\" for the residents after its delivery of Covid vaccinations failed to arrive.\n\nLorna Jones said Meddyg Care Dementia Home in Criccieth, Gwynedd, was due to have a delivery of the new Oxford-AstraZeneca jab a week ago.\n\nHowever the vaccine has not arrived amid claims other people in the area have already had the jab.\n\nBetsi Cadwaladr University Health Board admitted there had been \"logistical problems\" in north west Wales.\n\nThe health board insisted it is \"committed\" to vaccinating those most vulnerable.\n\nOn Monday, it was announced that all over-50s in Wales are to be offered jab by spring, after criticism the rollout of the vaccine in Wales has been slower than in other parts of the UK.\n\nWith family visits suspended, the care home has not recorded a single Covid-19 case and a phone call on New Year's Eve to say it was to receive the vaccine was met with \"glee and happiness\".\n\nUnder the Welsh Government's vaccination rollout plan, care home residents and staff are first in line to get the immunisation - or priority one - ahead of elderly people within communities across Wales.\n\nHowever the vaccine has not arrived while, the home claimed, local GP surgeries have been administering the vaccine to over 80s in the community.\n\nLorna Jones is demanding answers as to why the vaccine has not arrived\n\nMs Jones said: \"I can't understand why Betsi Cadwaladr have veered away from the priority list.\n\n\"It's very clear. If there are vaccines coming into the local community, which there are, why have our residents not been vaccinated?\n\n\"I know some care homes have had it in Caernarfon, so why haven't we. What's the difference?\"\n\nMs Jones said the delay is causing concern among staff, residents and families.\n\n\"I'm frightened for our residents. I'm getting a lot of contact from families and I just can't give them anything,\" she said.\n\nThe home's owner said he had now taken matters into his own hands.\n\nKevin Edwards, managing director of Meddyg Care, said he had spent hours ringing around GP surgeries \"begging\" for spare vaccines.\n\nHe said the residents would now be vaccinated on Tuesday.\n\n\"We're a specialist dementia home, you can't just turn up one day and give the vaccine to the residents, there needs to be an element of preparation,\" he told BBC Radio Wales.\n\nBetsi Cadwaladr health board said it was working to ensure those with the highest priority are vaccinated.\n\nTeresa Owen, the health board's executive director of public health, said: \"Last week we vaccinated nearly 10,000 people in north Wales.\n\n\"This week, staff from primary care practices will be going into the local nursing and residential homes to administer the Oxford-Astra Zeneca vaccination to residents.\n\n\"The initial supply of vaccinations to the west of BCUHB has caused some logistical problems with commencing this programme, but vaccines have now been allocated for all the nursing and residential homes in the locality.\"", "Boris Johnson - pictured here in 2013 - is a keen cyclist\n\nDowning Street has defended Boris Johnson for riding his bicycle seven miles from home, saying he complied with Covid rules during his trip.\n\nLabour accused the prime minister of having double standards, after it was reported he had been spotted in the saddle at east London's Olympic Park.\n\nGovernment guidance says daily outdoor exercise is allowed but people should not travel outside their local area.\n\nThe PM's spokesman said any suggestion he had broken the rules was \"wrong\".\n\nBut he did not confirm whether Mr Johnson had been driven to the Olympic Park from Downing Street or cycled there.\n\nMetropolitan Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the trip had not been \"against the law - that's for sure\".\n\nPeople should go for exercise \"from your front door and come back to your front door\", she said, adding: \"That's my view of local.\"\n\nThe prime minister's press secretary said the Commissioner's words were \"wise\".\n\n\"The instruction is to stay local and for her a reasonable interpretation was to exercise from their front door but for some people it's more complicated. Everyone needs to exercise their own judgement\", she added.\n\nThe Evening Standard reported that the prime minister had been seen in the Olympic Park, with his security detail, on Sunday.\n\nThere's nothing in English lockdown law that says Boris Johnson shouldn't have pedalled around London's Olympic park on Sunday, seven miles from Downing Street.\n\nBut this comes at a time when the government is desperately pleading with people to take Covid-19 seriously and follow the rules.\n\nIn England that means leaving home only for essential work, shopping and exercise. The guidance also says \"stay local\" without defining how far people can roam.\n\nTravel for exercise is allowed \"a short distance within your area\" to access an open space.\n\nNumber 10 will insist that's precisely what Mr Johnson did.\n\nBut his ride highlights the problem everyone faces trying to interpret rules, and relying on people using common sense.\n\nThe outing certainly doesn't help ministers straining to tell the public - in clear, consistent, easy-to-understand terms - to stay at home.\n\nAndy Slaughter, Labour MP for Hammersmith, west London, criticised the prime minister for having a \"do-as-I-say, not-as-I-do\" attitude.\n\nSpeaking to Today, Policing Minister Kit Malthouse said: \"What we are asking people to do is when they exercise to stay local.\n\n\"Now local is, obviously, open to interpretation, but people broadly know what local means.\n\n\"If you can get there under your own steam and you are not interacting with somebody... then that seems perfectly reasonable to me.\"\n\nThe PM's official spokesman added: \"We have always trusted the public to exercise good judgement. We did throughout the first lockdown and continue to do so.\"\n\nDame Cressida Dick said Boris Johnson had not broken the law\n\nThe issue of travelling for exercise was highlighted at the weekend after police in Derbyshire fined two women £200 after they drove five miles from home to take a walk - a penalty that was later dropped.\n\nGovernment advice for England says people can leave home to exercise, but adds: \"This should be limited to once per day, and you should not travel outside your local area.\"\n\nThe guidance adds: \"Stay local means stay in the village, town, or part of the city where you live.\"\n\nThe government also states: \"The law is what you must do; the guidance might be a mixture of what you must do and what you should do.\"\n\nIn Scotland, the advice is that exercise can be taken if it \"starts and finishes at the same place, which can be up to five miles from the boundary of your local authority area\".\n\nIn Wales, exercise also has to start from and finish at home. There no limits on distance travelled, although the advice is that \"the nearer you stay to your home, the better\".\n\nPeople in Northern Ireland are advised not to go more than 10 miles from home when exercising.", "Fans of the University of Alabama football team gathered in the streets of Tuscaloosa in Alabama, ignoring social distancing.\n\nThey were celebrating the university's third national championship in the past six years.", "More than 12,500 people have died with coronavirus, since the first reported death in Scotland on 13 March 2020.\n\nHere are the stories of some of those who have lost their lives.\n\nIf you would like to pay tribute to a loved one lost to Covid, please use the form below or email newsonline-scotland@bbc.co.uk and ensure you have read our terms and conditions and privacy policy.\n\nJean was born in 1937 Maryhill and spoke often and fondly of her childhood in \"the Butney\". This involved real hardships - including war-time evacuation to Holytown - though Jean's memories were all good and Maryhill became a touchstone when dementia became a factor in recent years.\n\nWorking at Rolls-Royce Hillington, Jean was transferred to its Derby HQ where, as a young woman, she made small component parts for jet engines. Even in her 80s, Jean could still perform all the machinist actions (with sound effects).\n\nShe loved to paint landscapes and had a life-long passion for music, especially jazz (with Frankie and Ella being constants). She was a great singer and dancer, always up for fun and laughs, brightening up any party.\n\nHer family said Jean was a fabulous mum to two daughters, a brilliant friend, and a warm-hearted women with kindness for everyone and anyone. She died on 27 October 2020.\n\nRashelle Baird's family describe her as \"kind, bubbly, and always the life and soul of the party\".\n\nThe 27-year-old mother-of-three from Brechin had put off appointments to get the vaccine because she was busy with her children.\n\nHer family stressed she was not anti-vaccine. \"She wanted to get her vaccine but she put her kids first,\" her father Stephen said.\n\nRashelle, who had asthma, initially thought she had caught a cold from her children, but her symptoms worsened and she was admitted to hospital.\n\nShe died in November 2021 after several days in Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, having been placed in an induced coma in the intensive care unit.\n\nDavid Trower worked as a clerical officer in the A&E department of University Hospital Monklands in Airdrie before retiring in 2016.\n\nBut he was committed to the NHS and even in retirement he chose to continue to work shifts, through NHS Lanarkshire's staff bank, right up until February. He died on 9 March 2021, aged 67.\n\nHis colleagues thought highly of him, saying: \"We have many happy memories of shifts together, laughs, nights out, and listening to all his stories of his many holidays abroad. We will miss him.\"\n\nBernadette White, his sister, said he was a caring, gentle and loving man with a wicked sense of humour.\n\nShe added: \"The last seven years, I would say, is when David started to live his life, doing the things that made him happy without having to worry about anyone else.\"\n\nStephen Stewart met his future wife, Heather, at a youth club when he was just 14. They got engaged on his 17th birthday and he had just turned 20 when they married.\n\nThe couple, who lived in Motherwell, came from \"very different\" backgrounds but they grew up together during their 25-year marriage while raising their only child.\n\nStephen took pride in his work for concrete manufacturer FP McCann, latterly as a lab technician working out what strength the concrete needed to be for certain projects.\n\nOutside work, he loved fishing, computer games, gadgets and during the first lockdown he managed to build a hot tub shelter with the help of a series of YouTube videos.\n\nHe died of Covid pneumonia at University Hospital Wishaw on 19 February 2021, aged 45.\n\nNan Douglas worked her way up from shorthand typist to headteacher during a remarkable career.\n\nShe was already a mother of three when she left her job as a school secretary at West Calder High School to enrol at Moray House in Edinburgh where she qualified as a primary school teacher.\n\nAfter losing her husband John when she was just 43, she found solace in working with disabled children and went on to be appointed head of Pinewood Special School in Blackburn, West Lothian.\n\nFollowing a spell living in Cornwall during her retirement, she returned to Scotland where she hosted a \"living wake\" with 80 friends and family on her 90th birthday.\n\nShe lived independently in Milnathort, Kinross, and was admitted to hospital for a minor issue just before Christmas 2020. But she picked up Covid and never left. She died on 19 February 2021, aged 95.\n\nGraeme McGrath's greatest passions were rowing and the River Clyde.\n\nOn the day of his funeral, fellow rowers held oars in a guard of honour at Glasgow Green in a tribute appreciated by his wife Anne and their three sons.\n\nFor 40 years Graeme volunteered with the Glasgow Humane Society and was often called on to row rescue boats on the Clyde, or to help evacuate families during floods.\n\nAfter undergoing a kidney transplant in his 50s, he was unable to get out on the river as much. He retired from his job as a Thomas Cook travel agent and moved to Prestwick in Ayrshire.\n\nBut he still felt the pull of the Clyde and regularly returned to the city to meet friends and row safety boats at regattas.\n\nHe died with Covid on 15 February 2021 at Crosshouse Hospital in Kilmarnock, aged 66, after being admitted for an infection affecting his heart.\n\nTommy Morrow spent most of his life in the Maryhill area of Glasgow, where he met his partner Jackie and raised their children, Demi and Mark.\n\nHis family described him as a character and not a day went by without them laughing at his jokes.\n\nHe loved camping and fishing in places like Stornoway with his friends but the most important people in his life were his family, including grandchildren, Lacey and Louden.\n\nDuring his career he worked in various well-known hotels and restaurants in Glasgow but he had not worked for some years due to poor health, including COPD.\n\nHe died with Covid on 15 February 2021, aged 53. \"It was so cruel - he was so close to getting the vaccine,\" his family said.\n\nTommy Rooney was a bus driver for 36 years and hugely popular with colleagues at First Bus in Larbert.\n\nOn the day of his funeral they were among dozens of people who lined the streets and applauded as his cortege passed the depot.\n\nFirst Bus operations manager Jason Hackett told the Falkirk Herald that Tommy was the \"heart and soul\" of the Larbert station.\n\nMarried to Margaret, the Bonnybridge man had two daughters and a granddaughter who described him as a \"humble but proud family man who put everyone else's needs before his own\".\n\nAn avid Celtic fan, he spent much of the pandemic driving key workers to their essential duties. He died on 12 February 2021, aged 57.\n\nDavid Gray's first grandchild - a girl called Islay - was born in July 2020. The proud \"papa\" used to say that she was the love of his life and she gave him a reason to wake up in the morning.\n\nTragically, the 62-year-old only got to spend five months with her before falling ill with Covid. He died on 3 February 2021.\n\nDavid lived in Erskine and worked for BAE Systems for 20 years, first as a mechanical fitter then as records manager dealing with secret files for the Ministry of Defence.\n\nHis family describe him as \"music daft\" - he played guitar and he was performing a gig with his band in Glasgow when he met his wife, Joyce, 40 years ago.\n\nThey went on to have two children - Darren and Danielle - as well as his beloved Cocker Spaniels, Buster and Shimmer, who he described as his \"bairns\".\n\nHarry Osborne was a Dunkirk veteran whose life was full of adventures - his daughter said he was still able to recall stories until just a few days before he died.\n\nMr Osborne was deployed to France months after joining the Territorial Army in Glasgow, served with the 77th Highland Field Regiment of the Royal Artillery and later became a surveyor.\n\nFriends recall how upon joining, he promised his mother he would not swear and instead would say \"cricky jings\", which became his nickname in the forces.\n\nHe was also known as a keen golfer with a \"wicked sense of humour\".\n\nMr Osborne died from Covid-19 on 25 January, nine months after celebrating his 100th birthday.\n\nConnie Simpson's grandchildren say she was more like a pal than a granny - she was full of fun and laughter, and was always the first up to dance at a party.\n\nBorn in Kinning Park, Glasgow, she moved to the east end after marrying John who she met at the Barrowlands when they were teenagers.\n\nWhile John was away with the Merchant Navy, she brought up their four children in a house \"surrounded by love\", before taking work as a curtain consultant.\n\nShe was fabulous even in her 80s - she loved getting her hair, eyebrows and manicure done, meeting friends at Mecca Bingo in Parkhead and at a local pensioners' club.\n\nConnie died on 23 January 2021 at Stobhill Hospital in Glasgow, aged 82.\n\nSheila Gartly was as \"bright as a button\" and the \"heart of our family\", her loved ones said.\n\nShe was born and brought up in Deskford, Moray, before marrying and moving to Keith in 1954. Widowed in 1975, she remarried but lost her second husband in 2005.\n\nDuring her working life she had jobs in a florist and in a fish shop - both of which she thoroughly enjoyed.\n\nShe loved to watch the birds in her garden, read her daily newspaper, listen to traditional Scottish music, and the spring and summer when the nights were lighter and flowers bloomed.\n\nIn 2019 she had surgery on a broken leg but she was recovering well. She died with Covid on 19 January 2021, aged 86.\n\nAlex Goldie was an electrical engineer who latterly worked as a lecturer at Stow College in Glasgow before his retirement.\n\nHis family said he was a gregarious man, always interested in other people, who took great delight and pride in the antics and education of his two great-grandsons, Charlie and Joe.\n\nDuring his long life he enjoyed skiing, tennis, pottery, sailing, golf, holidays in Europe, Australia and North America, single malts and red wine.\n\nHe had been well cared for by Randolph Hill nursing home in Dunblane for 19 months after developing dementia. Covid restrictions meant he had not seen his family, other than by Skype, for a year.\n\nHe is thought to have contracted the virus on a trip to A&E after a fall. He died on 14 January, aged 100.\n\nVincent Logan became one of the youngest bishops in the world when he was ordained Bishop of Dunkeld in 1981, aged 39.\n\nHe served the Roman Catholic diocese for almost 32 years before his retirement in 2012.\n\nThe Scottish Catholic Church said he was \"dedicated and energetic\" and had \"an energy and zeal in all he did\".\n\nBorn in Bathgate in 1941, he was ordained a priest in Edinburgh in 1964. He died on 14 January, aged 79, the day after his friend the Archbishop of Glasgow, Philip Tartaglia.\n\n\"Both bishops succumbed to the lethal effects of the coronavirus,\" the current Bishop of Dunkeld, Stephen Robson, added.\n\nThe Archbishop of Glasgow, the Most Reverend Philip Tartaglia, died suddenly at his home in the city on 13 January - the Feast of St Mungo, the Patron Saint of Glasgow.\n\nHe had been self-isolating after testing positive for Covid shortly after Christmas.\n\nBorn in Glasgow in 1951, he was ordained a priest in 1975 and had served as leader of Scotland's largest Catholic community since 2012.\n\nScotland's Catholic bishops described Archbishop Tartaglia as a \"gentle, caring and warm-hearted pastor who combined compassion with a piercing intellect\".\n\nAmong those who paid tribute were First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Glasgow City Council leader Susan Aitken, who described the archbishop as \"a true Glaswegian\".\n\nLiz Shingleston was a well-known figure in the village of Dunragit and her death on 13 January had a big impact on the small community near Stranraer.\n\n\"Her hearse passed the bottom of the village and the amount of people who turned out to pay their respects was overwhelming,\" said her daughter, Lisa.\n\nLiz spent her early childhood in New Luce but moved to the railway station cottage in Dunragit where her father worked as a signalman.\n\nDuring a varied working life, Liz left school to work in the laboratory of the nearby Nestle factory and later replaced her own mother as the local school's dinner lady.\n\nThe 73-year-old was devoted to her grandchildren and great-grandson but she also liked to treat herself to afternoon tea (with Prosecco) at Trump Turnberry.\n\nHugh Polland, who was known as Shug to his friends and family, was born and raised in Glasgow's Easterhouse.\n\nHe was well known in the area where he ran the Casbah Pub for many years during the 1980s and early 90s.\n\nA huge Celtic fan, he loved to play golf and took up photography later in life - becoming \"unofficial photographer\" at many friends' weddings, christening and parties.\n\n\"Everyone wanted him at their party not just to take photos but because of his personality,\" said his son, Tony McAllister. \"Everyone loved him because what you seen is what you got.\"\n\nShug died at Glasgow Royal Infirmary on 5 January, aged 70. His sudden death has left his family heartbroken.\n\nFor more than 75 years George Wight lived on his dairy farm in the village of Drumoak in Aberdeenshire.\n\nBut he had more than one string to his bow - as well as being a dairy farmer, for 25 years he was also the publican of his local, the Irvine Arms.\n\nA loyal Aberdeen FC fan, he was one of the lucky ones - he was in Gothenburg in 1983 to see the his beloved Dons lift the European Cup Winners Cup.\n\nHe was devoted to his family, including wife Claire and their four children, and despite suffering a series of bereavements and health setbacks, he always bounced back.\n\n\"He was an inspiration and a hardy soul who kept going no matter what life threw at him,\" they said. George died at a nursing home on 4 January 2021, aged 85.\n\nHugh Bell loved to dance. As a young man, when he doing his national service with the RAF, he was a regular at the dancing at the YMCA in Paisley.\n\nIt was there he met the love of his life, Margaret. They were married for 63 years and had two children Alan and Stuart. Margaret passed away in 2013.\n\nA keen ballroom dancer, Hugh was often first on the dance floor and in his later years he enjoyed dancing to the entertainment at Southerness caravan park, near Dumfries, where Stuart and his friend had a holiday home.\n\nHe was a bright, bubbly sociable man who spent a career in logistics before working as a lollipop man in his retirement.\n\nHugh died on 31 December at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley, aged 92.\n\nDavid Warnock was a keen sportsman who loved squash, tennis, rugby, football, cycling and climbing munros.\n\nIn fact, it was on the tennis courts in Aberdeen that he met his teenage sweetheart, Zena. He was 17 and she was 14 - they were married for 62 years.\n\nAn electrical engineer, he worked for Pye Communications, moving first to Cambridge and then Edinburgh.\n\nHe was a quiet man who never complained about anything and was happiest around his family - including four children, 11 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.\n\nHis second great-grandchild was born shortly after he died in Edinburgh Royal Infirmary on 31 December. He was 85.\n\nHenry Anderson, an SNP councillor on Perth and Kinross Council, died with Covid on 27 December.\n\nHe had represented the Almond and Earn ward since 2012 and colleagues said he would be \"hugely missed\".\n\nAmong those who paid tribute to the 68-year-old was Deputy First Minister John Swinney, who described him as \"a good, decent man and a faithful councillor\".\n\nMurray Lyle, the leader of Perth and Kinross Council, said Mr Anderson was an excellent advocate for his ward and \"passionate about local issues\".\n\n\"I had the pleasure of working with Henry for several years on the Local Review Body and always his enjoyed his company, good humour and sense of fun when we were out visiting planning sites.\"\n\nTeenage sweethearts Bryson Mitchell and his wife Irene were due to celebrate their diamond wedding anniversary in January,\n\nThey met when he was an 18-year-old apprentice electrician and was assigned to a contract with the company where Irene, who was 16, was working.\n\nAfter marrying in 1961, Bryson spent his adult life in Paisley and 35 years working as an aircraft electrician with British Airways.\n\nThe couple had two children and four grandchildren, who described him as a quiet man with a great sense of humour. \"He was kind and generous, very hardworking, and he lived for his family,\" they said.\n\nHe was in hospital being treated for an acute illness when he contracted Covid. He died on Christmas Eve, aged 82.\n\nAs a child, Sandy Adam survived pioneering surgery to remove his voice box - an operation that left him unable to speak normally.\n\nInstead he learned a different way to communicate - oesophageal speech (swallowing air) - by drinking lots of lemonade. He had a life-long hatred of the fizzy drink after that.\n\nAfter training to be a dentist in Dundee, he returned to his hometown of Aberdeen. In addition to surgeries around the city, at one time he worked at Craiginches Prison one afternoon a week.\n\nA father and a grandfather, he loved tinkering with cars, pranking his two children and sitting in the sun with a glass of red wine.\n\nThe 81-year-old, who had dementia, died on 16 December, shortly after testing positive for Covid.\n\nDavid Barr was born and grew up in Paisley and for more than 40 years he worked in the town's Anchor Mill.\n\nAs well as being a keen bowler, a church elder, and an active member of Martyrs Church Men's Club, he had a gift for carpentry.\n\nThe dolls houses and garages that he made for his children and grandchildren were much loved and they are still treasured.\n\nHis favourite place in the world was the East Neuk of Fife, where he spent many happy holidays.\n\nDavid had an underlying respiratory condition and he was admitted to hospital with shortness of breath in December. He died within days of being diagnosed with Covid on 16 December, aged 86.\n\nAna Lisa Sayson was a nurse who moved from the Philippines to work for the NHS in Scotland.\n\nShe was a staff nurse at Stobhill Hospital in Glasgow before she moved to Glasgow Royal Infirmary during the Covid crisis. The mother-of-two died on 15 December after testing positive for the virus.\n\n\"Ana Lisa was a much-loved member of the team and an incredibly compassionate nurse who was devoted to the care of her patients,\" said John Stuart, the chief nurse at Glasgow Royal Infirmary.\n\n\"Ana Lisa came to our country from the Philippines to care for our loved ones and my heart goes out to her family and especially her husband and children.\n\n\"My thoughts, and the thoughts of all of her NHS family here in Glasgow, are with them at this terribly sad time.\"\n\nBilly and May Fannin were married for 62 years after meeting at a ballroom in Glasgow in 1955.\n\nMay was a bookkeeper who gave up her job to look after her grandchildren in the 1980s. \"Her life revolved around her four grandchildren,\" their younger daughter Jennifer told BBC Scotland.\n\nBilly was a joiner by trade but his real passion was singing, performing under the name Scott Allan. And as a member of Equity, he also took on work as an extra on TV programmes like Take the High Road and Taggart.\n\nHe loved being the centre of attention and \"if he was chocolate he would have eaten himself\", Jennifer joked.\n\nWhen the couple from Barrhead caught Covid, their two daughters also fell ill with the virus and had to self-isolate. They were heartbroken they could not be with their 84-year-old mother when she died in hospital on 6 December.\n\nBut they chose not tell their 88-year-old father about her death, as he was also in hospital and had dementia. Jennifer was able to visit him to say goodbye before he slipped away just eight days after the passing of his wife.\n\nShe was president of the city's Bangladesh Association, a civil servant at Glasgow City Council and, according to her family, \"a pillar of the community\".\n\nThey said she was a \"devoted mother, daughter, aunt and friend [but] she would prefer to be remembered as a social activist, volunteer and community advocate\".\n\nBoth Mridula and her husband, Sarwar Hassan, were admitted to hospital with Covid in November. He was discharged but Mridula was moved to Aberdeen for specialist treatment.\n\nHer husband and two sons were able to spend time with her before she died at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary on 12 December, aged 50.\n\nBridget Turner and her husband Alan worked for years in the window blinds industry before setting up their own business, A&B Window Blinds, in 1992.\n\nThey lived next door to the shop in Paisley, where Bridget worked in the office and Alan went out to do the measuring. Their years of hard work paid off and the family business remains successful.\n\nThe mother-of-three \"loved a good gab and a good catch-up with friends\", according to her daughter, Lisa. \"She was amazing, such a good friend to lots of people.\"\n\nWhen the children were young, family holidays were spent at the Isle of Whithorn but later the couple, who moved to Greenock, spent winters in Gran Canaria where they made friends from around the world.\n\nBridget was treated for Covid at Inverclyde Royal Hospital, where she received \"amazing care\". She died, aged 71, on 7 December after saying goodbye to her family.\n\nAndrew Slorance was a civil servant in charge of the Scottish government's planning and response to crisis situations - including the coronavirus pandemic.\n\nHe grew up in Hawick and became a journalist before joining the Scotland Office. He led the new Scottish Parliament's media team when it opened in 1999, then became the official spokesman for First Minister Alex Salmond.\n\nA father-of-five, he was diagnosed with Mantle Cell Lymphoma in 2015. He documented his experience of the rare cancer - including six rounds of chemotherapy - in a blog he called \"The fight of my life\".\n\nHe relapsed in 2019 and a stem cell transplant scheduled for Easter 2020 was delayed by Covid. While shielding at home in Edinburgh, he spent the first part of the pandemic working on the government's response from a spare room.\n\nMr Slorance was finally admitted to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Glasgow for his stem cell transplant in October. He tested positive for Covid shortly after that and died on 5 December, aged 49.\n\nTributes from across the political spectrum, including First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, have been paid to Mr Slorance. His wife, Louise, told BBC Scotland: \"He was a proud family man who was the life and soul of any party, loving and loyal.\"\n\nAllan Harper was a salesman at Topps Tiles for 23 years, mainly in the Hillington branch.\n\nHe met Caroline through a dating website 21 years ago. They were due to celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary in July.\n\nA father-of-one, he lived in Craigton, in the south-west of Glasgow, where he enjoyed computer games and playing pool with work colleagues.\n\nCaroline said they would spend their days off and holidays together with their three cats \"who sometimes got more attention than me\".\n\nHe was a kind man, a \"true gentleman\" and her \"forever love\", she added. He died on 1 December 2020, aged 60.\n\nEileen Terry was born and brought up in Renfrew before marrying Bob and moving to Milngavie in 1968.\n\nHe was a keen golfer and when their sons, Robert and David, reached secondary school she decided the time was right to join him on the golf course.\n\nIt led to a lifetime's love of the sport and she became the ladies captain of Clober Golf Club in 2001 - the club's centenary year.\n\nHer family say she was a kind and generous lady who was well-known in her local community, where she worked as a home help until her retirement.\n\nShe spent her final years in Mavisbank Nursing Home in Bishopbriggs after developing vascular dementia. She died in hospital on 25 November 2020, aged 84.\n\nDavie Burgess was one of 10 siblings born in the Townhead area of Glasgow, but he had a lifelong love of the fresh air and the scenery of the Scottish countryside.\n\nAs a young man, he worked as a fireman on the steam train to Crianlarich - a trip which included a two-hour stopover allowing him to explore the hills.\n\nLater in life he loved driving up to Acharacle to visit his son and his family, where he could go for long walks with his grandchildren and their dog, Mac.\n\nMarried for 60 years to May, the father-of-three worked for the Milk Marketing Board at Hogganfield Loch. He was a hard worker who even after he \"retired\" took on three jobs, including running a caravan park.\n\nHis family described him as a \"gentleman\" and a \"man of pride\". He died on 25 November, aged 86.\n\nRod Moore spent 40 years with the ambulance service, working as a technician, a paramedic, a trainer and then in managerial roles before returning to the front line and the job he loved.\n\nThe football fan from Falkirk was married to Clare for 31 years and they had a son, Craig.\n\n\"He was my best friend, he was always happy, joking around all the time, he was so funny... he made me laugh every day,\" Clare told BBC Scotland.\n\nAnd he was so close to their son \"you wouldn't have got a sheet of paper between them\", she added.\n\nAlthough they were not able to see Rod for four weeks while he was treated in hospital for Covid, they we allowed one final visit to say goodbye before he died on 21 November, aged 63.\n\nTom Kenmure was a manager at the Tesco distribution centre in Livingston, where he had worked for 28 years.\n\nThe 51-year-old was a friendly, sociable man and in normal times he liked nothing better than driving around the country exploring \"any little shop he could find\".\n\nAfter the restrictions came into force, the father-of-two from Carluke did everything he could to keep himself and his family safe from Covid.\n\nBut on the 6 October he felt a tightness in his chest on his way to work and had to get tested. It came back positive the next day.\n\nHe spent two weeks in Wishaw General before being transferred to an ECMO machine at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. He died on 17 November.\n\nAndrew, or \"Andra\", Kettrick was a porter at Stirling Royal Infirmary for 28 years.\n\nHe would take patients out on \"mystery tours\" in a \"big blue hospital ambulance bus\" his son, also Andrew, told BBC Scotland.\n\n\"The old people loved my dad as he would often stop and buy them all fish and chips or ice cream - all this was paid for out of his pocket,\" he said.\n\nMr Kettrick's work was recognised by hospital bosses and they put him forward for a British Empire Medal which he received in 1991.\n\nThe father-of-three, from Cowie, Stirling, died at Caledonia Court care home in Larbert on 17 November. He was 86.\n\nJim - Flocky - Flockhart was the public face of the firefighters' strike in Glasgow in 1973.\n\nA leading figure in the Fire Brigade Union, he regularly appeared on TV and in newspapers during the controversial 10-day strike over pay.\n\nFirefighting was a dangerous - sometimes fatal - job in the \"tinderbox city\" and Jim was hailed a hero by colleagues after the dispute ended with a famous victory for the strikers.\n\nHe retired to Darvel in Ayrshire where he enjoyed a pint in the Black Bull and spent many years driving friends and local elderly men on trips around Scotland and to Ireland.\n\nA father and grandfather, he died with Covid on 13 November with his daughters Yvonne and Julie by his side. He was 77.\n\nTom Maley never wanted for anything, but after enduring months of Covid restrictions this year the 73-year-old retired joiner set his heart on a big Christmas tree.\n\nIt had been a tough year for the normally sociable pensioner who was renowned for his jokes (good and bad) and was devoted to his wife of 53 years, Georgina, and their family.\n\nThey usually decorate a small table-top tree for the festive season, but this year Mr Maley ordered a 5ft showstopper illuminated with multi-coloured stars to fill the window of their Grangemouth home.\n\nThe great-grandfather will never get to see the tree in its full glory. He died at Forth Valley Royal Hospital in Larbert on 12 November, shortly after falling ill with Covid-19.\n\nHis granddaughter Claire Taylor told BBC Scotland, said: \"My gran has made sure that the tree he ordered will go up and it will shine bright for Granda.\"\n\nTracey Donnelly was born and brought up in Edinburgh but she moved to the north-east of England after meeting her husband, George.\n\n\"I loved her the first time I saw her, and I always will,\" he said. \"She was so loving and kind - just an extra-special person in every way.\"\n\nTracey had four children, three step-children and eight grandchildren, and she worked as a support worker for the North East Autism Society.\n\nCare manager Michael Ross, said: \"She loved her family, and she loved the service-users in her care. This tragic news has ripped the heart out of the team and her colleagues are absolutely devastated.\"\n\nShe died at Sunderland General Hospital in mid-November after testing positive for coronavirus. She was 53.\n\nJim Grant was originally from Bo'ness but he spent most of his life in Grangemouth where he brought up two daughters, Margaret and Senga, with his wife Mary.\n\nHe worked as a labourer at BP before taking early retirement when he was 60.\n\nThe 88-year-old great-grandfather spent his last months at the Caledonian Court care home in Larbert before his death on 8 November. He was one of 20 residents who died in the space of a month after testing positive for Covid-19.\n\nHis granddaughter, Nicole Ritchie, said he was a gentleman who always had a huge smile on his face, and his death had had a huge impact on the family.\n\nShe told BBC Scotland \"As a family, we would like to thank Caledonian Court from the bottom of our hearts. They looked after my grandad for the last 11 months of his life and they couldn't have done a better job, he was so happy and very well looked after.\"\n\nFor more than 20 years until her retirement in February 2020, Liz Khan was a support worker for adults with learning and physical disabilities.\n\nShe also ran a drama group for them - it was always more than a job to her, her family said.\n\nLiz was also an elder at her local church, St Margaret's Parish Church in the Muirhouse area of Motherwell, North Lanarkshire.\n\n\"She devoted her life to her work, church and family,\" her children Stephen, Sonia and Lorraine told BBC Scotland.\n\nLiz died in hospital with Covid on 26 October 2020, aged 67 - eight months into her retirement.\n\nWhen Marie Ward broke her wrist in 2019, she asked her consultant whether she would be able to play the piano once it had healed.\n\nHe assured her she would, but when she replied \"that's great because I couldn't before\", the previously serious and solemn medic cracked up.\n\nShe was always laughing and joking, according to her granddaughter, Abby McNicol, and she enjoyed nothing more than knitting, shopping and a \"good blether\".\n\nMarried to Robert for 53 years, they started life together in a single-end tenement in Househillwood in Glasgow. Moving to a three-bedroom council house in Johnstone was \"like winning the lottery\".\n\nThe mother-of-three and grandmother-of-11 died on 18 October 2020, aged 83.\n\nFrances Brown spent lockdown shielding in her room in the Glasgow care home where she had lived for almost 10 years.\n\nAfter months of keeping in touch via video calls, the 76-year-old was finally able to meet up with her sister, Anne Turnbull, in August.\n\nMs Turnbull said her sister, who had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and bi-polar disorder, had a special bond with staff at the David Cargill care home.\n\nAnd she praised the home which remained Covid-free until a staff member tested positive on 4 October. Frances contracted the virus and died in hospital on 13 October.\n\nIn a statement, the care home described Frances as \"the most incredible woman, a real character, and an absolute pleasure to know and care for\".\n\nAfter a long battle against illness throughout the year, great grandfather Charlie Armstrong died on 10 October.\n\nThe 82-year-old retired property manager from Kirkintilloch, East Dunbartonshire, had been allowed home after receiving treatment at Glasgow Royal Infirmary for chest problems.\n\nEight days later he was readmitted to the hospital and tested positive for coronavirus. The family say they were told he must have contracted Covid during his earlier stay at the Infirmary.\n\nHis wife, Joyce, who was also treated in hospital for the virus, said: \"He was very generous, very loving and very funny and he hated seeing anybody being put down. He didn't like to see injustice. He would stand up for people.\n\n\"We were together for 40 years and he was a very good father and a very good husband to me.\"\n\nMargaret Kerrigan was a \"force to be reckoned with\", according to her family - a matriarch who commanded respect.\n\nShe was born in Plymouth but her family moved to Glasgow when she was young. Growing up in Govan in the 1950s, she learned to be a \"tough cookie\".\n\nIt meant she must have been perfectly suited to her job as bar manager at Curlers in Byres Road in the 1960s. And it was there she met Joe, a customer at the pub, who she married in 1970.\n\nHe worked as a school janitor during many of their 50 years of marriage, and they had four sons, 12 grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.\n\nClydebank Bowling Club provided Joe with a good social life, while Margaret loved having her family around her and going to the bingo.\n\nJoe had dementia and he died at Hill View care home in Dalmuir on 19 April 2020, aged 78. Margaret fell ill during the second wave and died in hospital on 8 October, aged 73.\n\nFormer ambulance technician George Cairns was a resident at LittleInch Care Home in Inchinnan, Renfrewshire.\n\nHis family said the move from his Renfrew flat to the home in January had reinvigorated him and brought out his mischievous sense of humour.\n\nDuring the lockdown period Mr Cairns, who was bipolar, even joked about topping up his tan in the garden.\n\nThe 71-year-old tested positive for Covid-19 on 8 May despite displaying no symptoms, but his condition deteriorated and he died in the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley nine days later.\n\nHis daughter, Gillian, paid tribute to his caring nature, saying: \"Even if you only met him once he would tell you a story, a terrible joke or offer a supportive ear when you needed it the most.\"\n\nRetired farmer Jock Brown was a keen ice hockey player in his youth, and he represented Scotland for six years in the 1950s.\n\nHe told his family that he was selected for the team because he was the only Scotsman who played as goal tender (goalkeeper) at the time. They insist this is not true.\n\nMarried to Mary for 48 years, they had two children and four grandchildren.\n\nHe farmed near Falkirk - on land next to what is now home to The Kelpies - until his retirement in the 1980s.\n\nMr Brown's family said he was a quiet man with a great sense of humour. He had dementia and he died with Covid-19 at Burnbrae care home in Falkirk on 14 May. He was 89.\n\nIna Beaton was a well-known figure on the Isle of Skye and she lived in her own home in Balmaqueen until two years ago.\n\nShe died on 11 May aged 103, the seventh resident of Home Farm care home in Portree to die after contracting Covid-19.\n\nIna lived through the Great War and the 1919 Spanish Flu outbreak. During World War Two she moved to Glasgow to work as a conductress on the trams and survived the Clydebank blitz.\n\nHer grandson, Ailean Beaton, said his loss was shared across the island, especially the north end \"where she was mum, granny, friend to more than just the Beatons.\n\n\"Her crystal memory and broad experience of life in Skye over several generations meant that she contributed to our shared knowledge of the place we're from, its language and culture,\" he added.\n\nBetty Steele grew up in Paisley but later moved to Corby, Northamptonshire - the town known as \"little Scotland\".\n\nShe had seven children, 11 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren, and she lived for her family, according to her granddaughter, Debbie Smiley.\n\nHer house was always the meeting point, and she was the life and soul of the party.\n\n\"She had such a zest for life, and anything she did it was done with care and love for others,\" Debbie added.\n\nJohn Angus Gordon, 83, spent the last few years of his life at the Home Farm care home in Portree on Skye.\n\nHe had dementia and the sense of touch reassured him - he liked to shake a hand or hold the hand of the person he was talking to.\n\nUnable to visit the home, his family spoke to him for the last time in a video-call a few hours before he died on 5 May.\n\nAs he listened to their voices, he reached out to the hand of the carer sitting with him, dressed in full personal protective equipment.\n\n\"We found it quite poignant that my dad put out his hand to hers and she was wearing these blue protective gloves,\" said his son, John.\n\nPaul McCaffrey was an \"amazing dad\" of two children and two step-children who was always busy, according to his partner Caroline McNultry.\n\n\"He was always helping someone, whether he was in someone's house helping them out or just on-the-go in work all the time,\" she said.\n\nThe healthy 49-year-old from Glasgow fell ill after returning home from work at a care home where he was a highly-regarded maintenance manager.\n\nRather than the traditional coronavirus symptoms, he complained of a headache and aching limbs but he was eventually admitted to hospital in Glasgow where he tested positive for Covid-19.\n\nHe was transferred to Aberdeen Royal Infirmary where he could be hooked up to an ECMO machine, which performs the tasks of the lungs. After three weeks, he died on 4 May.\n\nHGV driver Jim Russell kept his lorries so spotlessly clean he was known as \"Big Gorgeous\" by colleagues who joked that he must have worn his slippers in his cab.\n\nHe was a big character who loved cars, trucks, motorbikes, lorries and going to Truckfest with his fiancée Connie McCready, who he affectionately nicknamed \"Isa\" after the Still Game character.\n\nThis photograph was taken at the last concert the couple attended together on 8 March 2020.\n\nThey met online in 2014 and were due to get married last summer but Mr Russell fell ill with Covid three weeks after the concert. He died on 4 May, aged 51.\n\n\"Everyone is talking about life getting back to normal when coming out of lockdown, however for myself and many many others we are terrified as our lives will never be normal again,\" Connie said.\n\nClive Andrews was born in Trinidad and in 1967 he moved to Edinburgh where he \"immediately felt like he belonged\", according to his daughter, Nadine.\n\nThe father-of-six worked as a senior lecturer in ergonomics at Napier College, but he was also committed to the arts.\n\nDevoted to promoting and supporting artists and musicians, he held committee roles with groups including Theatre Alba and the Scottish Arts Council.\n\nHe helped establish the Edinburgh International Harp Festival and volunteered every year for decades with the Edinburgh International Jazz Festival.\n\nClive was a lover of life (and of salsa dancing), his family said. He died at The Elms Care Home in Edinburgh on 3 May 2020, aged 86.\n\nRobert Black was a paramedic but he was also a talented musician and part of the team behind Argyll FM.\n\nPaying tribute to him on social media, the community radio station said he was \"a genuine good guy... everyone was his pal\".\n\nThe Mull of Kintyre Music Festival described him as \"one of our pals\" and a \"true gent, wonderful musician\".\n\nHe was a well-known and loved character in Campbeltown, according to Kintyre Community Resilience Group.\n\nThe father-of-two died in hospital in Glasgow on 2 May.\n\nKaren Hutton was a \"much-loved\" care home nurse who died with coronavirus days after her granddaughter was born.\n\nThe 58-year-old was a staff nurse in the dementia unit at Lochleven Care Home in Broughty Ferry, Dundee.\n\nHer only daughter, Lauren, gave birth to a girl just two weeks ago, according to care home operators Thistle Healthcare.\n\nCare home manager Andrew Chalmers-Gall said: \"Karen was a tenacious advocate for her residents and she always put their needs first.\"\n\nShe died at home in Carnoustie, Angus, on 28 April after testing positive for Covid-19.\n\nMark McCarron Gillan bought his wife, Jan, flowers every Friday - a small gesture but something that she still misses following his death on 27 April.\n\nThey were married for 23 years, after first meeting as teenagers, and they have three daughters - twins Ebony and Hope, who are 20, and Brenna, 19.\n\nWhen his colleagues at a soap factory in Queenslie, Glasgow, learned of his death, they stopped production for the first time since opening.\n\nThey were among dozens of people - including friends and neighbours - who lined the streets on the day of his funeral to say a final farewell to the 53-year-old.\n\nMark loved golf, football and hill walking but he was also a family man. \"There is a such a void left in each of us and every life that he touched,\" his wife said.\n\nAlastair Sinclair split his younger years between Reay in Caithness and Lanark before being called up for national service.\n\nBut his army career was cut short when he stood on a mine in Korea and lost a foot.\n\nHis son told BBC Scotland that he was persuaded to pursue a career in developing artificial limbs as he was being fitted for his own prosthetic.\n\nIn retirement, the father-of-three moved with his wife from Newtown Mearns in East Renfrewshire to Wishaw in North Lanarkshire.\n\nHe moved into Erskine Park care home in Bishopton shortly before lockdown and died, aged 87, five weeks later on 27 April.\n\nPearl Paterson grew up in Dennistoun in the east end of Glasgow and was just 10 years old when World War II broke out.\n\nShe was a teenager when she joined the Women's Land Army but it wasn't until she was in her 80s that she received official recognition - and a badge - for her efforts from the UK government.\n\nPearl spent much of her working life employed as a domestic assistant in hotels across Scotland, before settling in Largs, Ayrshire, with her daughter, Fiona.\n\nAn animal lover, she had a special Chihuahua called Flash, and she read the People's Friend magazine every week.\n\nOn her 91st birthday in March, her family was able wave to her in the conservatory at her care home in Glasgow. She died with Covid-19 on 26 April.\n\nAnnie Munro's home was always filled with people - her husband, six children and many nieces and nephews who would often come to visit.\n\nHer family used to joke that the house in Eaglesham must have \"rubber walls\" and they often had to share beds and would \"wake up with somebody's feet up their nose\".\n\nShe was a real homemaker who could as easily run up a set of curtains as make a batch of jam from fruit she had grown in her own garden. She never turned anyone away who needed help.\n\nA mild-mannered woman, she never had any need to raise her voice - a look over the top of her spectacles was enough to keep her children under control.\n\nIn later life she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's and her daughter, Linda, became her main carer before she moved into a care home. Annie died on 25 April, aged 84.\n\nKnown to all as Gogs, Gordon Reid was a taxi driver from Edinburgh who loved football, played golf, enjoyed a pint and doted on his grandchildren.\n\nHe stopped working as a precaution four days before the lockdown came into force but within a week had fallen ill with Covid-19.\n\nHis wife, Elaine, and daughter Leemo Goudie, were able to spend some time with him in Edinburgh Royal Infirmary before he died on 24 April, aged 68.\n\nLeemo said: \"My dad was a normal guy, no health issues, a non-smoker, fairly fit. It can happen to anyone.\"\n\nAs only a small number of mourners could attend his funeral, people stood and applauded as his hearse passed some of his favourite places in the city.\n\nDavid Allan joined a local running club in Edinburgh in retirement, after spending 36 years as a science technician at the city's Trinity Academy.\n\nThe fit and healthy 64-year-old was training for a half marathon and was planning to take part in some Park Runs in Sydney during a trip to visit his nephew in Australia this year.\n\nWhen the holiday - including a trip to Fiji - was cancelled due to coronavirus restrictions, David was pragmatic and told his wife, Glenda, they could rearrange for a later date.\n\nIt was a shock when he tested positive for Covid-19 after being admitted to hospital with a chest infection. He died on 24 April after more than four weeks in ICU.\n\nGlenda took comfort from the funeral, when neighbours lined the streets, running club friends and former colleagues stood outside the crematorium, and hundreds watched the service online.\n\nAngie Cunningham worked for NHS Borders for more than 30 years before her death.\n\nThe 60-year-old from Tweedbank was a much-respected and valued colleague who provided \"amazing care\" to her patients, the health board said.\n\nAs well as being a much-loved mother, sister, granny and great-granny, she was proud to be a nurse, her family added.\n\nShe died in the intensive care unit at Borders General Hospital from Covid-19 on 22 April, NHS Borders confirmed.\n\nKirsty Jones, a healthcare support worker with NHS Lanarkshire, was a bubbly, larger than life character, according to her colleagues.\n\nShe joined the health board after leaving school at 17 and spent much of her career working with older patients.\n\nBut the 41-year-old recently took up a role on the frontline of the pandemic, working at an assessment centre in Airdrie.\n\nHer husband, Nigel, said she devoted her life to caring for others and was a wonderful wife and mother to their two sons.\n\nAndy McGinley used to say he didn't need to win the lottery - his family meant he was already a millionaire.\n\nHe was brought up by adoptive parents in Glasgow's Maryhill area during World War Two and went on to become a carpenter at John Brown's Shipyard.\n\nAlthough he first met his wife, Margaret, at primary school they lost touch and got together after meeting at the Barrowland Ballroom years later.\n\nThey spent almost all of their 62 years of married life in the same house in Barmulloch, where they had five children. They also had 15 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.\n\nHe loved his garden, bowls, and a sing-song at family gatherings - his party piece was \"I'm glad that I was born in Glasgow\". He died on 29 April 2020, aged 84.\n\nEvelyn Brown dedicated her life to her family and her community. Born and bred in Peterhead, she was married to Charles for 50 years and they had two children.\n\nShe gave up her job as a bank manager to care for her son Craig after he was born with Down's syndrome in the 1970s.\n\nHer daughter Emma, who was born two years later, said her mother was a selfless woman who loved spoiling her grandchildren with \"gifts and love\".\n\nMrs Brown was an adult Guide leader and later a district commissioner, she volunteered with Barnardo's and was an active member of the Church of Scotland.\n\nAfter her death at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary on 19 April, aged 75, her family raised £3,000 in her name for the hospital's staff garden.\n\nWaqar Hussain Choudhry was a popular shopkeeper in the north of Glasgow.\n\nThe 65-year-old ran a convenience store on Skerray Street in Milton where he was affectionately known as Wacca.\n\nFollowing his death on 17 April 2020, well-wishers left flowers outside the shop he ran for almost 40 years.\n\nThey told The Glasgow Times that the father-of-three served generations of school children and put an extra sweet in their bags.\n\nHis son Zeeshan Chaudhry told the BBC: \"My beloved father was the most amazing hardworking human and parent.\"\n\nJane Murphy was known as \"Mama Murphy\" by close friends and colleagues at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.\n\nShe worked at the city hospital for almost 30 years, first as a cleaner before retraining as a clinical support worker.\n\nThe 73-year-old, from Bonnyrigg, was placed on sick leave due to her age when the pandemic broke out.\n\nIt's understood the mother-of-two died on 16 April.\n\nHer friend Gerry Taylor said: \"She wasn't afraid to tell nurses, doctors or consultants if they were not pulling their weight and they loved her for it.\"\n\nMary McCann, 70, was a \"strong, wonderful woman\" who was dedicated to her family, according to her son, David.\n\nShe spent the last three months of her life in an East Kilbride care home, having being diagnosed with cancer last year.\n\nThe grandmother was doing well in the Whitehills home, where she was putting on weight and smiling again, David said.\n\nBut in early April she developed a urinary tract infection. Her condition deteriorated quickly and within days she was struggling to breathe.\n\nShe died in the care home on 16 April with her son, Derek, by her side.\n\nVerity Watson met her husband Adam (Adie) in a bible class and together they raised three sons, Alan, Gordon and Adam.\n\nThey lived in South Africa for a few years but returned to their beloved home of Rutherglen in 1970.\n\nShe worked at the local Coulls Bakers until retiring aged 72 but in her spare time she enjoyed bowls, knitting and - best of all - a cream cake with a cup of tea.\n\nHer family were unable to be with her when she died at Roger Park Care Home on 15 April 2020, after a short stay in hospital.\n\nHer son Adam said he couldn't thank staff enough for their \"invaluable support\", sitting with his mother in her final moments. She was 98.\n\nDavid Whittick joined the Royal Navy as a pilot on his 18th birthday in the midst of World War Two. Aged 19, as part of 835 Naval Air Squadron, he was flying off aircraft carrier HMS Nairana in the Arctic.\n\nAlmost 70 years later he received the Arctic Star for his role in Arctic Convoys - described by Sir Winston Churchill as \"the worst journey in the world\".\n\nHe survived two serious accidents during his long civilian career with Scottish Airways and later British Airways, before dedicating himself to supporting the Riding for the Disabled charity in his retirement.\n\nHis work - including helping to raise funds for a purpose-built facility at Summerston in Glasgow - led to him being appointed an OBE by the Queen for his services to charity.\n\nHe was married to Joyce for more than 60 years and they had four children. His son, Peter, said he lived a full and active life, even enjoying a trip on a seaplane in January this year. He died at Erskine care home in Bishopton on 14 April, aged 95, after falling ill with coronavirus.\n\nHer daughter Linda, a lawyer for the BBC, had hoped she would survive the virus as she was from \"strong stock\".\n\nShe last saw her mother in March when she travelled from London to warn her they may not be able to visit her during the pandemic.\n\nThe pensioner had been \"extremely distressed\" afterwards, Ms Duncan said.\n\nShe was taken to Edinburgh's Western General Hospital on 12 April and died three days later.\n\nDerek Wilkie worked for 27 years as a firefighter before retiring in December 2017.\n\nHe had senior roles in Badenoch and Strathspey, and Shetland before becoming station commander for Inverness and Nairn District.\n\nColleagues said he was a \"diligent and capable firefighter... with a larger than life personality\".\n\nHis wife and two sons - who all work for the NHS - thanked those who cared for Mr Wilkie and urged people to stay at home.\n\nHe died at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness on 12 April.\n\nFormer Merchant Navy engineer Bill Campbell died of suspected Covid-19 at Erskine Park care home in Bishopton.\n\nThe 86-year-old had dementia and carers initially thought he had a chest infection but he developed a cough and a high temperature.\n\nHis condition deteriorated and he died on Easter Sunday, with his daughter, Linda Verlaque - in full protective clothing - by his side.\n\nShe praised the work of carers at the home but she said his death was \"horrific\" as undertakers came to take away his body in full hazmat gear and goggles.\n\n\"Instead of having people surrounding me and giving me a hug to say everything was all right, everyone was just standing there and we were watching my dad being taken away, which was traumatic,\" she said.\n\nProud Welshman Glyn Edwards did not learn to speak English until he was five years old, but in adulthood he made Edinburgh his home.\n\nA contemporary of Neil Kinnock at Cardiff University, he worked as a civil servant in London before marrying and moving to Scotland.\n\nHe was a regular at Robbie's Bar on Leith Walk where he was known as \"McTaffy\" but he could be a solitary character who could easily lose himself in a book or a concert.\n\nClassical music, politics and poetry were his passions - as a teenager he won a major Welsh poetry contest and his daughter, Mhairi Jarvie, treasures a ring-binder full of his poems.\n\nShe affectionately described her father as a cross between Coronation Street's Ken Barlow and Victor Meldrew - \"intelligent, opinionated, political, but grumpy and a tad anti-social\".\n\nMaths teacher Gerry McHugh was a \"true gentleman\", able to inspire every single student who walked through his door.\n\nHis death would have a \"devastating effect\" on the Notre Dame High School community in Greenock, head teacher Katie Couttie said.\n\nUnable to attend his funeral due to the lockdown, past and current pupils found a unique way to pay tribute to the 58-year-old.\n\nThey wore red and posted images on social media in memory of the lifelong Manchester United fan.\n\nEileen McCarron died in Glasgow Royal Infirmary less than 24 hours after falling ill. She had no underlying health concerns.\n\nA mother of three daughters, she spent 18 years working as a nursery teacher at Save the Children's Charles Street playgroup in Glasgow's Germiston.\n\nShe gave up the job to look after her only grandson, Patrick. Her husband of more than 35 years, also Patrick, died suddenly in 1997, aged just 57.\n\nAs well as volunteering at a Barnardo's charity shop, she liked shopping, knitting, going out for coffees and lunches, and holidays with her family.\n\nShe was 79 when she died on 9 April, leaving her family devastated and unable to comfort each other during lockdown. They had still not been able to hold a memorial service nine months later.\n\nHelen McMillan was 10 days short of her 85th birthday when she died at Almond Court care home in Glasgow's Drumchapel on 9 April.\n\nShe spent most of her life in Summerston, where she widely known as \"Auntie Ellen\" - even to those she wasn't related to.\n\n\"Everybody loved my mum,\" her daughter, Jackie Marlow, told BBC Scotland. \"She knew everybody in the community and was the life and soul of the party.\"\n\nHelen worked in McLellan's rubber factory in Maryhill until she was in her 50s.\n\nA grandmother to Hayley and Josh, she developed dementia in later life but she was still \"pretty agile and loving life\", her daughter said.\n\nMary Martin and her husband, Alex, were keen ballroom dancers.\n\nAlthough their roots were firmly in Glasgow, they spent seven years in Dunblane where they were tasked with encouraging people on to the dancefloor at the Dunblane Hydro.\n\nBefore that, Mrs Martin brought up her family in Mount Vernon, later moving to Bearsden. She had three children, six grandchildren, three great-grandchildren and a great-great grandchild.\n\nHer daughter, Sandra O'Neill, told BBC Scotland she was \"just a wonderful person - gentle and kind\".\n\nIn her later years she had vascular dementia and she lived at the Almond Court care home in Drumchapel. She died there on 8 April, aged 88.\n\nVic and Maureen Sharp, who were both 74, had been together since they were teenagers.\n\nUnderlying health conditions meant the couple from Oakley in Fife were both asked to shield themselves during lockdown.\n\nBut their daughter, Yvonne Sharp, believes the letter came too late and they caught the virus during a weekly trip to the supermarket.\n\nMaureen died in hospital on 8 April and then, Yvonne said, her father \"just gave up\". He died the following day.\n\nOnly six members of the family could attend their funeral but a piper led the funeral cortege through Oakley, where locals lined the streets.\n\nWhen Ann Tonner left the Nazareth House orphanage in Glasgow as teenager, she was one of the few women of colour in the city, according to her son, Tony McCaffery.\n\nShe was \"exotic-looking and quite glamourous\" and was soon in demand as a model for local shops and boutiques before working as a celebrated hot-dog girl in an Odeon cinema.\n\nHer first husband tragically died and her second was largely absent, leaving her to bring up six children and - at times - hold down five jobs at once.\n\nShe was a \"remarkable, formidable woman with a strong work ethic\", Mr McCaffery told BBC Scotland, but she was also a \"gentle soul with an incredibly child-like sense of humour\".\n\nA grandmother and great-grandmother, Mrs Tonner died at a nursing home in Glasgow where she was living with Alzheimer's, on 8 April. She was 84.\n\nMary Nixon was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis when she was just 18 but she was determined to never let it hold her back.\n\nBorn and raised in Greenock, she was a lone parent to four children who described her as a \"strong, independent woman who lived life to the full\".\n\n\"My mum made being a single parent look easy\", her daughter Alexis said. \"We were very happy kids growing up. Everyone loved her and always said she was a 'wee gem'.\"\n\nWhen she fell seriously ill in 2014, her family was told to prepare for the worst, but their \"invincible\" mum rallied, though she lost her mobility.\n\nShe died with Covid on 7 April 2020, aged 66. After everything she had been through in life, her family said they felt \"robbed... that this awful virus has taken her from us\".\n\nJanice Graham was the first NHS worker to die with coronavirus in Scotland.\n\nThe health care support worker and district nurse died at Inverclyde Royal Hospital on 6 April.\n\nOne colleague said she had a \"bright and engaging personality and razor sharp wit\".\n\nAnother said the 58-year-old was the \"most kind, caring and compassionate HCA I have had the privilege to work with\".\n\nHer son, Craig, told STV News he would miss everything about her.\n\nNewly-wed Andy Wyness developed a high temperature and a cough following a trip to Wales.\n\nWhen his symptoms worsened the 53-year-old drove himself from his Wishaw home to an appointment at an assessment centre.\n\nThat was the last time his wife, Sandra, saw him.\n\nThe grandfather, who was a keen bowler, was taken straight to hospital by ambulance. He died on 6 April.\n\n\"Even walking out the house that night, although I knew he wasn't well, I never imagined he would never walk back in,\" Sandra said.\n\nRita Hawthorn spent the first 35 years of her life in Hamilton, where she was born, grew up and had her own family.\n\nBut when her husband, Robert, lost his job as a miner the couple and their three children re-located from the west of Scotland to the far north in 1973.\n\nWhile Robert took up a new job at the Scottish Instruments Factory in Wick, she worked as a cleaner at a nearby job centre and became secretary of the Highlands and Islands Civil Service Union.\n\nShe was sadly widowed at 51 but she was \"fiercely independent\" and went on to fulfil her dreams of travelling - a trip up the Nile, a safari in South Africa, and solo bus tours to Austria and Paris.\n\nRita, who was a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, fell ill during the first week of lockdown. She died at Caithness General Hospital on 6 April, aged 82.\n\nBill Paul grew up in Giffnock on the south side of Glasgow and did his national service as a radar operator with the RAF in Malta.\n\nIn his youth he was an extremely accomplished tennis player and it was through the sport that he met his first wife, Frances, who died in 1984.\n\nWith his second wife, Liz, he loved to play golf and travel - hobbies that he continued after her death in 2012.\n\nAn extremely active man, he loved to go on cruises with a group of like-minded friends. However his last cruise to the Caribbean was cut short by the pandemic in March.\n\nHe returned home to Arran and fell ill with Covid within a week. He died at Lamlash Hospital on 5 April, aged 81.\n\nMofizul Islam was beginning a new life in Scotland after relocating from Bangladesh when he fell ill with coronavirus.\n\nHis family believe the 49-year-old caught the virus on his daily three-hour journeys between their Edinburgh home and his job at a pizza outlet in Midlothian.\n\nHe died on 5 April and was buried in the Muslim section of a city cemetery but his wife and children were in isolation and unable to attend.\n\nHis death has left the family \"completely helpless\", according to a family friend as they have no documents, no bank account and they are struggling for money.\n\n\"We are very worried about our future because we don't have our father,\" said Mofizul's 19-year-old son, Azahural. \"He was everything for us. And now we are just hopeless.\"\n\nCatherine Sweeney was a \"wonderful mother, sister and beloved aunty\", her family said after her death on 4 April.\n\nBorn and raised in Dumbarton, she worked as a home carer for more than 20 years.\n\nHer family said she would be sorely missed after a \"lifetime of service\" to the community.\n\nAnd they praised the medics at the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley who \"heroically\" looked after her in her final days.\n\nJimmy Andrews was 17 years old when began his career in Glasgow Corporation's finance department in 1955.\n\nBy the turn of the century, he had risen to become chief executive of Glasgow City Council and in 2001 he was appointed CBE for services to local government - a \"career highlight\".\n\nHe was born in Kilsyth but spent much of his life living in Strathblane, Stirlingshire, with his wife of 52 years, Mary.\n\nIn retirement, he \"enjoyed life to the full\", spending time with his three children and six grandchildren, and visiting horse racing courses throughout the country.\n\nA gentle, intelligent man with a great sense of humour, he died at Glasgow Royal Infirmary on 3 April 2020, aged 81.\n\nLord Gordon of Strathblane was a former political editor of STV and he founded Radio Clyde.\n\nHe died at Glasgow Royal Infirmary on 31 March after contracting coronavirus, Radio Clyde reported. He was 83.\n\nHis family paid tribute to his \"generosity, his kindness and his enthusiasm for life\".\n\nFormer First Minister Jack McConnell said Lord Gordon had \"an outstanding career in business and public service\".\n\nRyan Storrie was in Scotland to celebrate his 40th birthday with a trip to a Rangers match when he fell ill.\n\nThe father-of-two was from Ardrossan but lived in Dubai.\n\nWhen he developed symptoms, the asthmatic isolated in his hotel room and waited for the virus to run its course.\n\nHis condition deteriorated but he wouldn't let his wife, Hilary, phone 999 as he was convinced he would recover and didn't want to bother the NHS.\n\nShe found him dead in his room on 31 March.\n\nMary and Andy Leaman began self-isolating at the end of March after falling ill with flu-like symptoms.\n\nTheir son, Andy, told the Glasgow Evening Times the couple were married 50 years and doted on their only granddaughter, nine-year-old Anna.\n\nMrs Leaman died at home in Castlemilk on 30 March - four days after the death of Anna's maternal grandfather, Dougie Chambers.\n\nThe schoolgirl lost her third grandparent almost three weeks later when Mr Leaman died in hospital on 19 April.\n\nHer mother, Lynsey Chalmers, told BBC Scotland: \"For a nine-year-old girl whose three grandparents were her world... why does a wee girl need to get punished like that over and over again?\"\n\nRobert Tarbet was \"self-opinionated and witty\", according to his daughter, Paula Karoly, but also \"hardworking, loyal and beautiful\".\n\nHe spent his working life as a plumber with Glasgow City Council before retiring in the early 2000s.\n\nIn his spare time, the sociable man was a mason who was a keen follower of Rangers FC. He loved country and western music and watching musicals in the theatre.\n\nA father and a grandfather-of-three, he was being treated for cancer when he contracted coronavirus.\n\nHe died on 29 March at Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley, aged 76.\n\nSchool janitor Ian Wilson was at home in Coatbridge for two weeks with a high temperature and delirium before being admitted to hospital.\n\nDespite his worsening condition, doctors initially told his wife, Sandra, she would not be able to visit the 72-year-old who had a heart condition and diabetes.\n\nStaff eventually granted access provided she wore protective equipment - a decision which meant she could be at her husband's side when he died on 29 March.\n\nAlthough nurses were unable to comfort her with a hug due to social distancing protocols, Mrs Wilson is grateful they allowed her to be with her partner at the end.\n\n\"I was able to talk to him and just say goodbye. I've got strength from that,\" she said.\n\nDougie Chambers was one of several people who fell ill after the 40th birthday party of his daughter, Wendy, on 7 March.\n\nWithin days, the 66-year-old, who had an underlying health condition, went into hospital and tested positive for Covid-19.\n\nMr Chambers, who was from Castlemilk in Glasgow, died two weeks later, on 26 March.\n\nTwo other members of his extended family - Andy and Mary Leaman - also contracted the virus and later died.\n\nWendy said: \"If we knew then what we know now, we wouldn't have had the party. It wouldn't have happened.\"\n\nDanny Cairns was a healthy 68-year-old before he fell ill with coronavirus, according to his brother, Hugh.\n\nWhen he developed a cough and sore throat at the end of March, he isolated at home in Greenock.\n\nBut within days he was so ill he had to be taken to hospital by ambulance.\n\nIn a video call from his hospital bed, his last words to his brother were: \"I'm on my way out, mate\".\n\nHe died on 26 March, three days after arriving in hospital.\n\nMargaret Innes lived with her daughter, Sally McNaught, in Edinburgh for four years before her death at the very beginning of the pandemic.\n\nShe was housebound and very frail but she loved sitting with their pet cat and dog, doing crosswords and watching quiz shows.\n\nHer favourite soap was Neighbours and she used to say \"I'm off to Australia now\".\n\nMs McNaught said they stopped visitors coming to the house a week before lockdown, they washed their hands, cleaned everything and thought they would be safe.\n\nBut Ms Innes woke up on Mother's Day with severe breathing difficulties. She died on 25 March, three days after going into hospital. She was 93.\n\nHas one of your loved ones died recently after contracting Covid? We would like to pay tribute to some of them on the BBC Scotland website.\n\nIf you would like to see your relative or friend featured, use the form below to send us your details and we could be in touch.\n\nIn some cases your details will be published, unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published. Please ensure you have read the terms and conditions.\n\nIf you are reading this page on the BBC News app, you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question on this topic.", "England is currently under a third national lockdown, in an attempt to keep hospitals from being overwhelmed by coronavirus cases.\n\nBut there has been speculation that ministers could be considering tightening restrictions, amid concerns the \"stay-at-home\" message isn't being followed by enough people.\n\nAt Monday evening's Downing Street briefing, Health Secretary Matt Hancock urged people to follow the existing rules but added, \"we won't rule out taking further action if it's needed\". Other ministers have struck a similar tone.\n\nBut what is the case for more changes?\n\nIn March, nurseries closed to all but vulnerable children and those whose parents were key workers.\n\nBut so far this lockdown, early-years provision has remained open in England.\n\nScotland and Northern Ireland have chosen to keep nurseries closed to most children for now.\n\nBut England's chief medical officer, Prof Chris Whitty, said keeping them open \"would allow people who need to go to work, or need to do particular activities, to do so\".\n\nYounger children carry a lower risk of transmission than adolescents, scientists say.\n\nBut according to Public Health England, 10% of coronavirus outbreaks or clusters in educational settings since September have been in early-years provision.\n\nEngland's three main nursery organisations have called on the government to provide clear scientific evidence on the risks to early-years staff now there is a more transmissible variant of Covid-19.\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show he too would like to hear more from scientists about the risks - and nurseries should \"probably\" close.\n\nGoing out to exercise once a day is one of the \"reasonable excuses\" for leaving home during lockdown.\n\nPeople can walk, run, cycle or swim with those they live - or are in a support bubble - with.\n\nIn addition, they can exercise, on their own, with one person, each time, from another household - as long as they stay 2m (6ft) apart.\n\nHowever, Mr Hancock said, \"we've been seeing large groups and that is not acceptable\" and warned that, \"if too many people keep breaking this rule, then we are going to have to look at it\".\n\nThe rules say exercise should be \"local\" - in the village, town, or part of the city where you live - but do not currently specify how far people can travel.\n\nDerbyshire Police recently fined two women £200 each for driving five miles to meet for a walk, saying driving for exercise was \"not in the spirit\" of lockdown. They were told the hot drinks they had brought along were not allowed, either, as they were \"classed as a picnic\".\n\nThe penalties have now been withdrawn.\n\nProf Whitty, meanwhile, has urged people to \"double down\", avoid unnecessary contact and stick to the rules.\n\nSpeaking on BBC Radio 5 Live about coffee shops remaining open for takeaways, he advised against meeting up there.\n\n\"Really, please don't,\" he said.\n\nFace coverings must be worn in almost all public indoor settings - including shops - unless people are exempt.\n\nPremises \"should take reasonable steps to promote compliance with the law\", government guidance says.\n\nLast summer, when customer face coverings became law, many supermarkets said they would not make their staff responsible for enforcing the rules.\n\nHowever, Morrisons has now updated its policy to bar shoppers who refuse to cover their faces, unless they are medically exempt. Sainsbury's says security guards at its stores will challenge customers who do not comply.\n\nTesco, Asda and Waitrose have followed suit and say they too will deny entry to shoppers who do not wear face masks unless they have an exemption.\n\nThere have been suggestions face coverings should be required in outdoor public places.\n\nHowever, Sage has previously suggested it would have a \"very low impact\" on community transmission\n\nProf Whitty told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the risk posed by joggers, for example, was \"very low\" - but there \"might be some logic\" to people wearing masks in a busy outdoor queue or crowded around a market stall.\n\nOne change the government has ruled out is to support bubbles - which allow people living alone and single, or new parents to mix with another household of any size, without having to socially distance.\n\nAt the government briefing, Mr Hancock said: \"I can rule out removing the bubbles.\"\n\nThe official guidance says it's best if a support bubble is formed with a household who live locally.\n\nBut there is currently no limit to how far people can travel to visit their bubble, meaning they could go from areas with high infection rates to those with lower ones, potentially spreading the virus.\n\nWhen \"bubbling\" was first suggested, in May, Sage rejected it as too dangerous, because the reproduction (R) number - the average number of people each infected person passes the virus on to - was close to one.\n\nCurrently, the R number in England is between 1.1 and 1.4. Sage says stopping all indoor contact between different households could lower this by as much as 0.2.\n\n\"Active contract tracing should be a precondition of introducing bubbling\", Sage added.\n\nUnlike in March, places of worship are allowed to open in England, although they are closed in Scotland.\n\nThey provide spiritual leadership for many and bring communities together - but their \"communal nature\" also makes them \"vulnerable to the spread of coronavirus\", the government guidance for England says.\n\nWhen the latest lockdown was announced, the Archbishop of Canterbury tweeted: \"The government hasn't suspended public worship - but some may feel it better not to attend in person and some parishes are expected to offer online services only for now.\"\n\nSage has previously suggested places of worship pose a high risk to vulnerable groups but closing them would have a low to moderate impact on overall coronavirus transmission.", "Isabella Curry urged others to get the jab and said it was just a little \"prick in the arm\"\n\nA woman has celebrated her 100th birthday by getting a covid vaccination at home.\n\nIsabella Curry, known as Ella, from Cramlington, was among some of the most vulnerable people in Northumberland to receive the vaccine.\n\nMs Curry, who lives alone, urged others not to be afraid to get the jab and said it was just a little \"prick in the arm\" and she now felt safe.\n\nHer birthday was also marked by the arrival of a card from the Queen.\n\nShe said: \"This vaccine means I'll be able to go out, meet my friends soon and feel safe.\"\n\nIsabella Curry's nephew Neil Curry thanked the \"army\" of helpers who cared for his aunt\n\nMs Curry's nephew, Neil Curry from Bristol, said he was delighted she had had the vaccination but sad the whole family could not get together for the milestone birthday.\n\n\"We had a family reunion for Ella's 90th - we all got together in Newcastle. We would have all got together again to mark this occasion, but we couldn't,\" he said.\n\nHe also said he wanted to thank the \"army\" of people who looked after his aunt including Noreen and Jim Hutchinson, who did her shopping and cut her grass.\n\nHe also thanked June and Peter Marshall and all the other people who collected her prescriptions and mobile library books.\n\nKate Fraser, the community nurse who administered the vaccination, said: \"It's been an emotional time being able to give Isabella her vaccination.\"\n\nFollow BBC North East & Cumbria on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk.", "People's reaction to a sonic boom heard across the East of England has been caught on camera.\n\nIt happened after a Typhoon aircraft took off from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire to escort a plane to Stansted Airport because it had lost communications at about 13:05 GMT.\n\nPeople in Cambridgeshire, Essex and parts of London posted videos on social media, with one person heard asking if it was thunder.\n\nHeather Eastlake, who was filming herself exercising near Cambridge, described her reaction as being like \"a deer in the highlights\".", "The three main Covid-19 vaccines are from Pfizer-BioNTech, the University of Oxford and Astra-Zeneca and Moderna.\n\nThe Pfizer, Oxford and Moderna vaccines each require two doses and you are not fully vaccinated until you have had both shots.\n\nBut there are many differences between them.\n\nThe BBC's Laura Foster looks at how much immunity they give, how they prevent infection and how they compare.", "Jessica Allen and Eliza Moore said their cars were surrounded by police when they arrived at the reservoir\n\nTwo women who were fined £200 each when they drove five miles for a walk have had the penalties withdrawn.\n\nJessica Allen and Eliza Moore were walking at Foremark Reservoir, Derbyshire, when they were \"surrounded\" by officers.\n\nAt the time Derbyshire Police insisted driving to exercise was \"not in the spirit\" of the most recent lockdown.\n\nBut new national guidance for police has led the force to quash the fines, and apologise to the women.\n\nChief Constable Rachel Swann said the fines \"have been withdrawn and we have notified the women directly, apologising for any concern caused\".\n\nThe two friends travelled the short distance to the reservoir from their homes in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire, on Wednesday afternoon.\n\nThey said their cars were \"surrounded\" by police. They were then questioned on why they were there and told the hot drinks they had brought along were not allowed as they were \"classed as a picnic\".\n\nIn a statement, the women said: \"This afternoon we both received a phone call from Derbyshire Police.\n\n\"After reviewing our case, our fines have been rescinded and we have received an apology on behalf of the constabulary for the treatment we received.\n\n\"We welcomed this apology and we are pleased to draw a line under this event.\"\n\nAfter the incident gained media attention, the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) \"clarified the policing response concerning travel and exercise\".\n\nThe guidance said: \"The Covid regulations which officers enforce and which enables them to issue FPNs [fixed penalty notices] for breaches, do not restrict the distance travelled for exercise.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Covid: Fined women 'could have been dealt with differently'\n\nDerbyshire Police said: \"Having received clarification of the guidance issued by the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) on Friday, these FPNs as well as a small number of others issued, were reviewed in line with that latest advice, and so it is right that we have taken this action.\"\n\nThe county's police and crime commissioner Hardyal Dhinsda said: \"While the police are doing their absolute best to protect public safety during what is a critical time of the pandemic, the public should rightly expect a proportionate and balanced approach, taking full consideration of individual circumstances.\n\n\"We recognise that errors will occur in the face of complex guidance and legislation and it is important such situations are resolved quickly and fairly, as has been the case here.\"\n\nFollow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Rhondda Cynon Taf has the highest death rate from coronavirus in Wales - with another 34 hospital deaths in the latest week\n\nThere have now been more than 5,100 deaths in Wales involving Covid-19 since the pandemic began.\n\nThe latest weekly figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show 310 deaths in the week ending 1 January, which is 32 more than the week before.\n\nThis is nearly 42.6% of all deaths.\n\nCwm Taf Morgannwg saw the highest numbers of weekly deaths in Wales, the most since the end of April at the peak of the first wave of the pandemic.\n\nThere were 76 deaths in the area - including 66 in hospitals and six in care homes.\n\nLooking at council areas, Rhondda Cynon Taf had the second highest number of hospital deaths across England and Wales, with 34. The London borough of Newham had 35.\n\nThe ONS again urged caution when interpreting this week's figures, due to the Christmas and new year holidays, which will affect the number of registrations.\n\nThe total number of Covid deaths in Wales, up to and registered by 1 January, was 4,963.\n\nBut when deaths registered over the following few days are included, there was a total of 5,169.\n\nThe Aneurin Bevan health board, with 68 deaths registered involving Covid, also had its highest number in a single week since the end of April.\n\nHywel Dda health board reported 37 deaths - its highest weekly figure since the pandemic began. Of these, 18 were patients in hospital from Carmarthenshire and 10 were hospital patients from Pembrokeshire.\n\nSwansea Bay health board had 61 deaths in this week. The Swansea council area itself had the seventh highest number of hospital deaths across England and Wales.\n\nThere were 36 deaths in Cardiff and Vale, 25 deaths in Betsi Cadwaladr in north Wales - 10 of which were hospital deaths in Wrexham - and seven in Powys.\n\nAll counties recorded at least one death involving Covid-19.\n\nThis map shows three valleys areas in south Wales among the highest for crude mortality rates involving Covid in the pandemic so far\n\nRhondda Cynon Taf, with 685 deaths, has the largest number of Covid-19 deaths in Wales up to the latest week, followed by Cardiff with 578.\n\nWhen looking at crude death rates - based on the number of deaths compared to local populations - Wales has three of the five worst across England and Wales.\n\nRhondda Cynon Taf has 283 deaths per 100,000 in total so far in the pandemic.\n\nMerthyr Tydfil is second with 253.6 and Blaenau Gwent is ranked fourth.\n\nSo-called excess deaths, which compare all registered deaths with previous years, continue to be above the five-year average.\n\nLooking at the number of deaths we would normally expect to see at this point in the year is seen as a useful measure of how the pandemic is progressing.\n\nIn Wales, the number of deaths fell from 825 to 727 in the latest week, but this was still 209 deaths (40.3%) higher than the five-year average for that week. This is the second highest proportion after London.\n\nThe ONS figures report where doctors mention Covid-19 on death certificates, including confirmed and suspected cases.\n\nThey include deaths occurring in all places, not only hospitals and care homes but also people's own homes.\n\nIt has been estimated that Covid is the underlying cause in around 90% of these deaths and not just a contributory factor.", "An eye health charity is recommending people learn the \"20-20-20\" rule to protect their sight, as lockdown has increased people's time using screens.\n\nFight for Sight advises looking at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds, every 20 minutes you look at a screen.\n\nOut of 2,000 people, half used screens more since Covid struck and a third (38%) of those believed their eyesight had worsened, a survey suggested.\n\nOpticians remain open for those who need them, the charity said.\n\nThe representative survey of 2,000 adults suggested one in five were less likely to get an eye test now than before the pandemic, for fear of catching or spreading the virus.\n\nRespondents reported difficulty reading, as well as headaches and migraines and poorer night vision.\n\nThe research charity, which commissioned a survey from polling company YouGov, said it wanted to emphasise the importance of having regular eye tests and to remind people \"the majority of opticians are open for appointments throughout lockdown restrictions\".\n\nFight for Sight chief executive Sherine Krause said: \"More than half of all cases of sight loss are avoidable through early detection and prevention methods. Regular eye tests can often detect symptomless sight-threatening conditions.\"\n\nBut even simple screen breaks can help to prevent eye strain, the charity suggested.\n\nGovernment guidance states that under lockdown people can leave home for medical appointments and to \"avoid injury, illness or risk of harm\".\n\nThe College of Optometrists said its members should continue to provide eye care under lockdown for people who experience any eyesight changes or problems.\n\nOptometrists are the professionals who will carry out your eye test when you visit an optician's practice.\n\nRoutine appointments can also be provided \"if capacity permits, and if it is in the patients' best interests\", the guidance states.\n\nClinical adviser Paramdeep Bilkhu said the college's own research suggested just under a quarter of people noticed their vision deteriorate during the first lockdown.\n\n\"Our research showed us that many people believe that spending more time in front of screens worsened their vision,\" he said.\n\n\"The good news is that this is unlikely to cause any permanent harm to your vision. However, it is very important that if you feel your vision has deteriorated or if you are experiencing any problems with your eyes, such as them becoming red or painful, you contact your local optometrist by telephone or online.\"\n\nUK health and safety legislation states employers must pay for eye tests for their employees if they have to use a screen for work for more than one hour a day.\n\nIn the summer, the UK Ophthalmology Alliance and the Royal College of Ophthalmologists calculated that at least 10,000 people had missed out on essential eye care in Britain.\n\nIn the most extreme cases, the Royal National Institute of Blind People said it feared some people were at risk of losing their sight because of a fear of attending hospital during the coronavirus pandemic.\n\nA Royal College of Ophthalmologists spokesperson said: \"It is important that people who have found significant changes in their vision seek the advice of an optometrist who will examine, and determine if the changes require further investigation by an ophthalmologist - a medically-trained eye doctor.\"", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Home Secretary Priti Patel: \"Our selfless police officers... will enforce the regulations and I will back them to do so\"\n\nPeople have been urged to \"play your part\" and follow Covid rules by Home Secretary Priti Patel, who says she will back police to enforce laws.\n\nAt a No 10 briefing, Ms Patel said a minority were \"putting the health of the nation at risk\" by flouting rules.\n\nPolice are \"moving more quickly to issuing fines\", she added, with nearly 45,000 fixed penalty notices issued across the UK.\n\nAnother 1,243 people have died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid.\n\nAnd there have been a further 45,533 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the UK.\n\nMeanwhile, another 145,076 people have received a first dose of a coronavirus vaccine, and 20,768 a second dose, bringing the totals respectively to 2,431,648 and 412,167.\n\nAt the briefing, Ms Patel said: \"My message today to anyone refusing to do the right thing is simple: if you do not play your part, our selfless police officers - who are out there risking their own lives every day to keep us safe - they will enforce the regulations.\n\n\"And I will back them to do so, to protect our NHS and to save lives.\"\n\nIt comes after the UK's most senior police officer said lockdown rule-breakers were more likely to be fined as Covid laws would be enforced \"more quickly\".\n\nMetropolitan Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick said her officers had been forced to break up parties, despite hospitals in London struggling to cope with rising patient numbers.\n\nChairman of the National Police Chiefs' Council Martin Hewitt, who also spoke at the Downing Street briefing, said people should be asking themselves whether their reason for leaving home was \"truly essential\".\n\nHe stressed that police officers had been \"putting themselves at risk in order to keep people safe\", and said it had been \"disappointing\" to see some of the behaviour by rule-breakers.\n\nHe said examples of recent breaches included:\n\nMr Hewitt said he made \"no apology\" for police issuing fines, and warned people breaking rules - such as by organising parties or not wearing face coverings on public transport - to \"expect\" a fine.\n\nAsked if there needed to be more clarity on the guidance around exercise and staying local, Mr Hewitt said it would be wrong to put a \"particular distance\" on how far people could exercise from their home - as it would be too difficult for police to enforce.\n\nHe said it was right there was an exception to allow people to exercise, but insisted it was the public's responsibility to make sure they were doing so safely.\n\nThere is a big focus on adherence to lockdown rules. But what has almost gone unnoticed is the fact that cases may have actually started falling.\n\nThere has now been two consecutive days where newly diagnosed cases have hovered around the 46,000 mark. Up to the weekend, the average was close to 60,000.\n\nThe drop has largely been driven by falls in new cases in London, the south east and east of England.\n\nIn some regions, cases are still going up. The north west of England is causing particular concern.\n\nIt is too early for the vaccination programme to be having any significant impact, so a combination of the national lockdown on top of the tier four restrictions that were imposed in some areas before Christmas look like they may be beginning to have an impact.\n\nCare must be taken in reading too much into a couple of days' data.\n\nHospital cases are still rising - patients being admitted at the moment are the ones who were infected a week or so ago - but it does at least offer a glimmer of hope.\n\nLater in the news conference, NHS medical director for London Dr Vin Diwakar said the capital's Nightingale hospital has reopened and was admitting patients to help with the coronavirus spread.\n\nHe told reporters it was taking non-Covid patients to help free up beds in London's hospitals.\n\nDr Diwakar warned that if levels of hospitalisation in the capital continued to rise then more patients would need to be transferred out of London, adding that the NHS across the country was under pressure.\n\nIn Birmingham, 200 doctors are being redeployed to one of the country's largest intensive care units as it nears capacity.\n\nThe University Hospitals Birmingham Trust said there were 873 patients with Covid-19 in their hospitals, with 125 in intensive care.\n\nEarlier, crime and policing minister Kit Malthouse said people have a \"duty\" to make this lockdown \"the last one\".\n\n\"We are urging the small minority of people who aren't taking this seriously to do so now, and [we say] to them that, if they don't, they are much more likely to get fined by the police,\" he told BBC Breakfast.\n\nDame Cressida told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the move towards greater enforcement was \"common sense\" rather than a show of \"dictatorial policing\".\n\nFines start at £200 in England and Northern Ireland, and £60 in Wales and Scotland. Large parties can be shut down by the police, with fines of up to £10,000.\n\nEngland is currently under a national lockdown, meaning people must stay at home and can go out only for limited reasons such as food shopping, exercise, or work if they cannot do so from home.\n\nSimilar lockdown measures are in place across much of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland - all of which are in charge of deciding and enforcing their own coronavirus restrictions.\n• None Could I be fined for exercising?", "New England Patriots's Bill Belichick is considered one of the most successful coaches in NFL history\n\nTop NFL coach Bill Belichick says he will not accept President Donald Trump's offer of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, citing the US Capitol riot.\n\nBelichick, of the New England Patriots, said he was flattered when he was first offered the medal - the top award given to civilians in the US.\n\nBut he said he changed his mind after a mob of Trump supporters stormed Congress last week. Five people died.\n\nThe celebrated coach had previously spoken of his friendship with Mr Trump.\n\n\"Recently, I was offered the opportunity to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which I was flattered by out of respect for what the honour represents and admiration for prior recipients,\" Belichick said in a statement.\n\n\"Subsequently, the tragic events of last week occurred and the decision has been made not to move forward with the award.\"\n\nBelichick, who has won a record six Super Bowl titles, is considered one of the most successful coaches in NFL history.\n\nThe Presidential Medal of Freedom recognises individuals who have made outstanding contributions to \"the security or national interests of America\".\n\nIn 2019 Mr Trump gave the award to golfer Tiger Woods, as well as radio personality Rush Limbaugh and posthumously Elvis Presley.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Super Bowl: How Tom Brady and Bill Belichick built a New England Patriots dynasty\n\nDonald Trump may only have recently made a career of politics, but he's always loved sport.\n\nHe owns 17 golf courses and once bought and ran the New Jersey Generals of the US Football League.\n\nJust last week, he awarded three presidential medals of freedom to professional golfers. This week he was planning to honour the most successful professional football coach in modern times, Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots.\n\nThe president seems to particularly enjoy the company of sport figures and revel in their achievements and prowess.\n\nSo for Belichick, a personal friend of the president's, to decline the award is a stinging rebuke.\n\nThe coach's decision reflects the depth of the political crisis president has created in the past week. It also highlights the troubled relationship Trump has had with the National Football League and its players, who he has disparaged for Black Lives Matter protests during the US national anthem.\n\nBelichick, a sometimes bristling, controversial figure with more than a few detractors, is used to public animosity. A coach can't win without the commitment of his players, however, and Belichick clearly believed his relationship with his team would be jeopardised by associating himself with Trump at this point.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nHundreds of people have joined a march organised following claims a man died hours after being released by police in Cardiff.\n\nThe family of Mohamud Mohammed Hassan, 24, claim he was assaulted in custody.\n\nMore than 300 people took part in a march from the city centre to Cardiff Bay police station.\n\nSouth Wales Police said it found no evidence of excessive force. The police watchdog said initial tests showed Mr Hassan was not killed by any injuries.\n\nThe Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said toxicology tests were now being carried out and it was awaiting the full post-mortem results.\n\nEarlier, First Minister Mark Drakeford said the reports of Mr Hassan's death were \"deeply concerning\".\n\nMr Hassan was arrested at his Roath home on Friday on suspicion of breach of the peace but released without charge on Saturday morning.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nMr Hassan's aunt Zainab Hassan told BBC Wales she had seen Mr Hassan within an hour of his release.\n\n\"He was released on Saturday morning with lots of wounds on his body and lots of bruises,\" she said.\n\n\"He didn't have these wounds when he was arrested and when he came out of Cardiff Bay police station, he had them.\"\n\nIn a virtual session of the Welsh Parliament on Monday, Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price said: \"Every effort should be made to seek the truth of what happened.\"\n\nHe said he wanted to know why Mr Hassan was arrested and what happened during his arrest.\n\nMr Hassan's aunt Zainab Hassan said she saw him after his release\n\n\"Why did this young man die?,\" he added.\n\nMr Price said any inquiry should not be prejudged, but asked if the first minister would \"help the family find those answers\".\n\nIn response, Mr Drakeford said reports of the story were \"deeply concerning\".\n\n\"Our thoughts must be with the family of a young man who was... a fit and healthy individual,\" the Cardiff West MS said.\n\nMark Drakeford said he was deeply concerned by the reports\n\nMr Drakeford, who said the death must be \"properly investigated\", said the first step in any inquiry would be to allow the IOPC to carry out their work, which he said he expected \"to be done rigorously and with full and visible independence\".\n\nHe added that if there were things the Welsh Government could do \"I will make sure that we attend properly to those\".\n\nProtesters on Tuesday afternoon chanted \"no justice, no peace\" and called for the police force to release CCTV of Mr Hassan's time in custody.\n\nProtesters on Tuesday afternoon marched from the city centre to Cardiff Bay\n\nIn a statement on Monday, South Wales Police said Mr Hassan was arrested at his home in Newport Road on Friday night and taken to Cardiff Bay police station.\n\nHe was released at 08:30 GMT on Saturday and officers returned to the property at about 22:30 following his death.\n\nIt added: \"As part of the South Wales Police investigation CCTV and body-worn video has already been, and will continue to be, examined.\n\n\"This will assist in establishing and understanding the events that took place.\n\n\"Early findings by the force indicate no misconduct issues and no excessive force.\"\n\nProtesters were heard chanting \"no justice, no peace\"\n\nCatrin Evans, the IOPC's director for Wales, said its investigation would focus on Mr Hassan's arrest, the journey in a police van to custody and his time at Cardiff Bay police station, including whether relevant assessments were made before he was released.\n\nShe said they would be \"urgently examining the extensive relevant CCTV footage and body-worn video\" and would be speaking to the officers involved as well as witnesses who saw his arrest on Friday evening and his movements the next day after leaving custody.\n\nShe added: \"I send my condolences to Mr Hassan's family and friends, and to everyone affected by his sad death.\n\n\"We are aware of concerns being expressed and questions being asked about use of force by police officers. We will look carefully at the level of force used during the interaction and I would urge people show patience while our inquiries, which will take some time, are made.\"\n\nMs Evans added: \"An interim report from a post-mortem examination is awaited.\n\n\"Preliminary indications are that there is no physical trauma injury to explain a cause of death, and toxicology tests are required.\"\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "A 78-year-old French woman received the first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in France\n\nA global race is on to vaccinate people against Covid-19 - and with infections soaring in Europe many have complained that the roll-out is too slow in the EU.\n\nMember states decide individually who to vaccinate, when and where, but the EU is coordinating strategy and buying vaccines in bulk. On Friday, the EU Commission agreed to buy an extra 300 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine - that would give the EU nearly half of the firm's global output for 2021.\n\nBBC reporters in seven European capitals explain how the vaccinations are going on their patch.\n\nIn an election year, the vaccine has become a political battleground, writes Jenny Hill, in Berlin.\n\nThe fact it was German scientists who developed the first effective Covid vaccine has been the source of great national pride. And, by and large, Germans appear to be reasonably comfortable with the idea of immunisation.\n\nA recent survey found 65% were prepared to have the vaccine. Other research indicates that less than a quarter of those surveyed would not. But politically - and perhaps unsurprisingly, given this is an election year - Germany's vaccination programme has become a battleground.\n\nVaccinations began here just under two weeks ago and prioritise the over 80s and care home workers. By Thursday evening, more than 477,000 first doses had been administered.\n\nGermany's share of the EU order amounts to 56 million doses. So far, 1.3 million doses have been delivered.\n\nBut some of the hundreds of specially prepared vaccination centres are still not in use and even the government has admitted there simply isn't enough to go around. Angela Merkel and her health minister Jens Spahn have been accused of failing to secure enough doses.\n\nMuch of the criticism has come from Mrs Merkel's own coalition partners but some within the scientific community have echoed their concerns - that Germany put European interests above its own by insisting on a joint EU procurement process. The scientists who developed the vaccine have said publicly that the EU originally turned down an offer for a further order.\n\nGermany's share of the EU order amounts to 56 million doses. So far, 1.3 million doses have been delivered and it's thought that by the end of the month a further 2.68 million will have followed.\n\nMr Spahn, whose assured performance through the pandemic led some to wonder whether he might be a potential successor to Mrs Merkel, has blamed the shortage on the inability of the manufacturers of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to meet global demand.\n\nGermany has now ordered an extra 30 million doses and, following the recent European approval of the Moderna vaccine, expects to start rolling that out next week. The government is sticking to its pledge that the vaccination programme will be complete by the end of the summer.\n\nThe Czech prime minister has hit out at apparent delays in distributing the vaccine, writes Rob Cameron, in Prague.\n\nThe Czech vaccination effort began on 27 December, when the prime minister, Andrej Babis, became the first person in the country to receive the jab. Mr Babis, who is 66, had previously questioned whether he would be eligible, as he'd had his spleen removed as a teenager.\n\nBut the country's programme has got off to a sluggish start. Mr Babis - a billionaire businessman who has been dogged by both European and Czech investigations into alleged misuse of EU funds - has lost no time venting his (figurative) spleen at the European Commission over the delay. \"We believed when we contributed €12m to the European fund in November that we'd receive the vaccine,\" he told a newspaper this week.\n\nThe health minister conceded this week that immunising the higher-risk groups will take months.\n\nThe country has received 30,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine. So far, it has managed to administer it to 19,918 people. The government says it is ready to roll out the jab en masse as soon as supplies arrive from the manufacturers.\n\nIt has also published a strategy, which envisages a three-stage process. The first will see targeted vaccination of high-risk groups. This will gradually give way to mass vaccination in 31 centres, using an online reservation system that will be open to all from 1 February. And the final stage will see the country's GPs deployed, hopefully to administer the Oxford-AstraZeneca and other jabs, which unlike the previous two can be stored and transported at fridge temperature.\n\nHowever, the timing in the original strategy document now appears optimistic. The health minister conceded this week that immunising the higher-risk groups - all health and social care staff, teachers, everyone over 65, all those with serious health conditions - will take months. GPs may not begin vaccinating young, healthy members of society until late spring, or summer.\n\nA sluggish start is being blamed on bureaucracy and vaccine scepticism, writes Hugh Schofield, in Paris.\n\nFrance's boast of a big, effective state apparatus has been badly exposed by the sluggish start to the Covid vaccination programme. After the first week, when neighbouring Germany had inoculated around 250,000 people, France was on a mere 530. By Friday, the figure had gone up to 45,500 - still so small as to be statistically meaningless.\n\nSo why has it taken so long for France to put the plan into action? It is not as if the authorities did not have time to prepare. And it is certainly not a question of a lack of vaccine. In fact, more than a million Pfizer doses are already in cold storage, waiting to be used.\n\nPolls suggest as many as 58% of the public do not want to be given the jab.\n\nThe primary reason for the delay seems to be the cumbersome, over-centralised nature of France's health bureaucracy. A 45-page dossier of instructions issued by the ministry in Paris had to be read and understood by staff at old people's homes.\n\nEach recipient then had to give informed consent in a consultation with a doctor, held no less than five days before injection. The lengthy procedure is in theory to save lives - those of patients who might have an adverse reaction. But as the critics have been arguing, delay in inoculating the population is also costing lives.\n\nAnother problem in France is the high level of scepticism towards vaccination - product of a more general suspicion of government. Polls suggest as many as 58% of the public do not want to be given the jab. The effect - critics say - has been to make the government unduly cautious. When urgency was required, the authorities were reluctant to move fast for fear of galvanising the anti-vaxxers.\n\nAfter President Emmanuel Macron communicated his anger at the delays at the weekend, the pace is picking up. The procedure for consent is being simplified. By the end of January, the plan is to have 500-600 vaccination centres open across the country - either in hospitals or other big public buildings.\n\nPolitically a lot is at stake. The government has already come under fire for failings in providing masks and tests. With opposition voices calling the vaccine delay a \"state scandal\", President Macron needs a roll-out that is fast and problem-free.\n\nNational pride accelerated Russia's rollout, but one man is conspicuously absent from the list of people vaccinated, writes Sarah Rainsford, in Moscow.\n\nRussia registered its main Covid vaccine for domestic use way back in August, before mass safety and efficacy trials had even begun. In December, with those trials still underway, it began rolling out Sputnik V to the public ahead of mass vaccination launches everywhere else in Europe. The rush was driven by national pride as well as medical necessity.\n\nSputnik was initially offered to front line health and education workers but early take-up of the two-dose vaccination was slow and the list of those eligible soon expanded.\n\nA poll by the Levada Centre in late December showed only 38% of respondents were willing to get the jab: wary of domestic healthcare and medicines, Russians were sceptical of bold early claims made for the vaccine and nervous about possible adverse reactions. Even so, and despite similar delays scaling-up production as in other countries, Sputnik's backers announced this week that more than a million people had been vaccinated.\n\nRussia began rolling out its Sputnik V vaccine in December\n\nBut one man still conspicuously absent from the list of the vaccinated is Vladimir Putin, despite the Kremlin saying he will - eventually - get the jab. In the meantime, those who meet him in person are obliged to test for Covid first and even quarantine. The president may need to lead by example, though. Mr Putin has said repeatedly that protecting the economy is his priority so he's banking on mass vaccination to avoid a return to national lockdown.\n\nRussia has built giant, temporary hospitals since the start of the pandemic and the health minister said this week that 25% of Covid beds remain free. There's also been a fall in the number of new daily cases reported - around 25,000 for the past 5 days. But that's not down to the vaccine yet. The country is nearing the end of a 10-day New Year holiday period and the number of Covid tests has also dropped.\n\nAs infection rates grow in a country praised by many for its no-lockdown approach, a successful vaccine programme is crucial writes Maddy Savage, in Stockholm.\n\nAlmost two weeks since 91-year-old care home resident Gun-Britt Johnsson became the first Swede to get the initial dose of a Pfizer jab, there is still no official tally of how many others have received the vaccination.\n\nThe Public Health Agency of Sweden says it's in the process of compiling data from the country's 21 regional health authorities tasked with vaccinating the entire adult population - around eight million people - by 26 June. The date isn't arbitrary, it's the biggest public holiday weekend of the year, when Swedes traditionally hold Midsummer celebrations. Karin Tegmark, a senior manager at the agency, says the date remains \"feasible\". But she says it depends on the delivery of vaccines to the country.\n\nAfter months of high trust levels in the country's no-lockdown approach, support for the health agency has dwindled.\n\nAlongside 4.5 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, Sweden has ordered 3.6 million jabs from Moderna, the first of which are expected to arrive next week. The country also plans to roll-out the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine as soon as possible after it is approved by the EU - ideally by February.\n\nSwedes initially appeared lukewarm to the idea of taking a speedily-developed coronavirus vaccine, although a poll at the end of December found 71% would take one. A key driver of the initial scepticism is thought to be the failure of a voluntary mass vaccination programme for swine flu in 2009. Hundreds of Swedish children and young adults under 30 developed the sleeping disorder narcolepsy, which was found to be a side effect of the Pandemrix vaccine.\n\nA successful vaccination programme will be crucial, not least because it comes at a time when Swedish authorities are struggling to maintain public confidence. After months of high trust levels in the country's no-lockdown approach, support for the health agency has dwindled as Sweden has struggled with the second wave of coronavirus.\n\nMeanwhile, several high profile officials have faced heavy criticism for breaching their own recommendations - including the head of the civil contingencies agency (pictured), who resigned after spending Christmas with his daughter in the Canary Islands.\n\nA new government in Belgium seems unified on the vaccine rollout - for now at least, writes Nick Beake, in Brussels.\n\nIt seemed fitting that the first person in Belgium to receive a Covid jab lives in the place where the world's first approved Covid vaccine is being produced. Jos Hermans, a 96-year-old from the municipality of Puurs, was given the injection on 28 December, in his care home. A further 700 elderly residents were also administered a dose in what was a small, initial trial.\n\nThe mass vaccination programme in Belgium began on 5 January, but has been criticised for starting slowly. Federal Health Minister Frank Vandenbroucke had promised in November that the rollout would be \"seamless and fast\", tweeting: \"If that does not work, shoot me.\"\n\nThe first phase looks to vaccinate up to 200,000 nursing home residents by the end of this month, or early February. Healthcare professionals will be next in line and the aim was for the whole population to be inoculated by the end of September.\n\nJos Hermans, a 96-year-old from Puurs, was given the injection on 28 December\n\nYou may think the country would be at an advantage being the epicentre of the Pfizer-BioNTech production. While this clearly helps with distribution, Belgium cannot receive more doses - relative to its population - than other EU countries under strict Commission rules. That didn't stop the minister-president of the Flanders region, who admitted this week that he had contacted Pfizer directly in the hope of procuring more doses, only to be rebuffed.\n\nAfter getting a guarantee from Pfizer over supply of the jab, the federal Belgian authorities have adapted their strategy: they now propose giving as many available doses to as many people as they can - and no longer reserving vials for patients' second dose, given three weeks after the first. In general, the federal government, rather than the European Commission has faced any criticism for a delay and has defended its \"careful\" approach.\n\nAnd there appears to be an interesting regional or cultural discrepancy when it comes to whether people are willing to take the vaccine. Of the Flemish population interviewed in a poll, half have said they wanted the vaccine as soon as possible. Among French speakers - it was 20% fewer, which chimes with the deeper scepticism over the border in France.\n\nIn a country where politics are notoriously complicated and fractious - they've only recently agreed a government, after a 500-day vacuum - the Federal Coalition appears unified on its Covid vaccine strategy. For now, at least.\n\nRegional variances and political rows have marked the beginning of Spain's vaccination programme writes Guy Hedgecoe, in Madrid.\n\nSpain started administering the vaccine on 27 December. So far, 743,925 doses have been distributed to regional administrations, with 277,976 people vaccinated, according to the health ministry. The objective of the coalition government is to immunise 2.3 million people within 12 weeks. Priority is being given to elderly residents of care homes, those who look after them, and healthcare personnel.\n\nEach of the country's 17 regions has a high degree of control over healthcare and should receive the number of doses that corresponds to their populations. However, already there has been substantial geographical disparity.\n\nGovernment data showed, for example, that while the northern region of Asturias had used 55% of the doses it had received by 3 January, the Madrid region had only administered 5% by the same date. Some regions are holding back doses to administer a second follow-up jab to the same person in several weeks' time, and some have been vaccinating on national holidays while others have not.\n\nThe pandemic has been the cause of constant political conflict, with the right-wing opposition accusing the leftist government of incompetence.\n\nAlthough vaccination is voluntary, the government has said it is making a register of those who do not wish to be inoculated. That initiative has generated controversy, although the government has insisted the register will merely seek to clarify why people refuse the vaccination.\n\nHowever, the pandemic has been the cause of constant political conflict, with the right-wing opposition accusing the leftist government of Pedro Sánchez of incompetence, lack of transparency and using coronavirus to accumulate power.\n\nThe arrival of a vaccine has not stopped the rancour. Alberto Núñez Feijóo, the conservative Popular Party (PP) president of Galicia, warned the number of doses being distributed to each region was being dictated by \"political affiliations or parliamentary needs\", a claim the central government has rejected.", "The US has placed Cuba back on a list of state sponsors of terrorism, citing the communist country's backing of Venezuela.\n\nPresident Donald Trump's administration made the announcement just days before he leaves the White House.\n\nPresident-elect Joe Biden, who takes office on 20 January, has previously said he wants to improve US-Cuban relations.\n\nMr Biden has said he is seeking closer ties between the long-term adversaries but Mr Trump's decision is likely to hinder a quick repair of relations.\n\nCuba's place on the list will require a formal review that could take months, analysts say.\n\nThe Caribbean island was removed from the list by President Barack Obama in 2015, but Mr Trump has taken a harder line towards the country.\n\nIn 2016 Barack Obama became the first US president to visit Cuba since 1928\n\nWhen explaining the decision, officials cited Cuba's support of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro who the US refuses to recognise.\n\n\"With this action, we will once again hold Cuba's government accountable and send a clear message: the Castro regime must end its support for international terrorism and subversion of US justice,\" US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement on Monday.\n\nIn response, Cuban Foreign Affairs Minister Bruno Rodriguez tweeted: \"We condemn the cynical and hypocritical qualification of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism, announced by the United States.\"\n\nIn advance of the announcement, House Democrat Gregory Meeks called it \"another stunt by President Trump and Pompeo, trying to tie the hands of the incoming Biden administration on their way out the door.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nPresident Obama began to normalise relations with Cuba in 2015. He called the decades-long US efforts to isolate the country \"a failure\".\n\nSince the Cold War era, the US had pursued various policies to undermine Cuba which it saw as a great threat.\n\nCuba now rejoins countries including Iran and North Korea on the list of sponsors of terrorism. The impact on the island country include severe limits on foreign investment.", "Mr Williamson says his department is doing all it can to support remote learning\n\nAn extra 300,000 laptops and tablets have been bought to help disadvantaged children in England learn at home, says Education Secretary Gavin Williamson.\n\nMr Williamson said the devices would be delivered to schools.\n\nHe also pledged to publish a remote education framework to support schools and colleges with delivering lessons during the latest national lockdown.\n\nIt comes as research says children from poorer families are likely to struggle more with remote learning.\n\nThe Department for Education said its data showed that over 700,000 devices had been delivered to schools in England so far during the pandemic - 100,000 of which were delivered last week.\n\nThe department says the additional 300,000 laptops and tablets lifts government investment by another £100m, meaning over £400m will have been invested in supporting disadvantaged children who need help with access to technology during the pandemic.\n\nBut the department has faced mounting criticism over huge percentages of pupils not having access to digital devices, nine months into the pandemic.\n\nMr Williamson said the DfE was \"doing everything in our power to support schools with high-quality remote education\".\n\nHe said: \"These additional devices, on top of the 100,000 delivered last week, add to the significant support we are making available to help schools deliver high-quality online learning, as we know they have been doing.\"\n\nOn top of this, the remote education framework would support schools and colleges with delivering education for pupils who are learning from home, he said.\n\nThe frameworks, which are voluntary and should be adapted for schools' individual circumstances, will \"help them to identify the strengths and areas for improvement in the lessons and teaching they provide remotely\".\n\nBut Geoff Barton, head of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: \"While we welcome the extra laptops and tablets announced, it is pretty poor that nearly a year after this crisis began we are only now inching up to the number of devices that are needed.\n\n\"The reality is that this extra provision is coming when we are already well into the new lockdown and after a heavily disrupted autumn term in which many children had to self-isolate in line with coronavirus protocols,\" he said.\n\n\"The government was slow off the mark to address the digital divide early in the crisis and is now trying to make up for lost time.\"\n\nMr Williamson's laptop announcement comes as research by the University of Sussex found that nearly one in five less advantaged parents said they struggled with home-learning during the first lockdown.\n\nThe research surveyed 3,409 parents in the UK between 5 May until 31 July last year and found families of lower socioeconomic status were more likely to report their home environment made it harder for pupils to complete schoolwork from home.\n\nThe study says secondary school pupils eligible for free school meals (39%) were more likely to report that a lack of technology - such as laptops and computers - made learning from home more difficult, compared to 19% of pupils who are not eligible for free school meals.\n\nThere are concerns poorer children will fall further behind\n\nPrimary school pupils from struggling households were found to be more likely to find home learning learning harder than their more comfortable off peers due to the environment - such as noise levels (59% to 50%), lack of space (45% to 22%), lack of technology (45% to 26%) and lack of internet (35% to 16%).\n\nThe researchers warned that educational inequalities were likely to increase due to further school closures this year.\n\nLead researcher Dr Matthew Easterbrook said: \"These results show that school closures disproportionately disrupt the education of those who are most economically disadvantaged, suggesting that educational inequalities are likely to rise because of the pandemic.\n\n\"The results show that parents of pupils from disadvantaged families - those who are eligible for free school meals, who have lower levels of education, or who are financially struggling - are much more likely to report that learning from home is challenging.\"\n\nReport co-author Lewis Doyle, doctoral researcher at the University of Sussex, added: \"School closures, while clearly necessary during this public health crisis, risk entrenching inequality.\"\n\nOn Tuesday the government also published figures on how many pupils were physically in schools across England before the Christmas holidays.\n\nThe data shows 79% of pupils in state schools were in class on Wednesday16 December - down from 85% on Thursday 10 December.\n\nIn secondary schools, attendance fell from 80% to 72% on 16 December, while pupil attendance in primary schools fell from 89% to 86%, the figures show.\n\nBetween 9% and 11% of pupils - up to 872,000 children - did not attend school for Covid-19 related reasons on 16 December.", "Tesco, Asda and Waitrose have become the latest supermarkets to say they will deny entry to shoppers who do not wear face masks unless they are medically exempt.\n\nIt follows a similar move by Morrisons, while Sainsbury's says it will challenge those who flout the rules.\n\nRetailers have been criticised for not doing enough to stop people breaking Covid rules as infections spread.\n\nBut enforcement of face coverings is officially a police responsibility.\n\nHowever, supermarkets can deny entry to their premises which is private property, and can call the police if someone refuses to follow the rules or becomes abusive.\n\nSenior police figures have reportedly said there is little officers can do to enforce the rules in shops because they are so busy.\n\nBut policing minister Kit Malthouse said that they would offer \"backup if things go seriously wrong\".\n\n\"What we hope is that in the vast majority of cases the enforcement, or the reminders if you like, put in place by the store owners will be enough,\" he told BBC News.\n\nA Tesco spokeswoman said the supermarket chain had decided to strengthen its policies.\n\n\"To protect our customers and colleagues, we won't let anyone into our stores who is not wearing a face covering, unless they are exempt in line with government guidance,\" she said.\n\n\"We are also asking our customers to shop alone, unless they're a carer or with children. To support our colleagues, we will have additional security in stores to help manage this.\"\n\nAn Asda spokesman said if customers had forgotten their face coverings, it would continue to offer them one free of charge.\n\nBut he added: \"Should a customer refuse to wear a covering without a valid medical reason and be in any way challenging to our colleagues about doing so, our security colleagues will refuse their entry.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. How to wear your mask. Hint: it's not any of these three options\n\nAndrew Murphy, executive director of operations at Waitrose, said: \"We've listened carefully to the clear change in tone and emphasis of the views and information shared by the UK's governments in recent days.\n\n\"By insisting on the wearing of face coverings, over and above the social distancing measures we already have in place, we aim to make our shops even safer for customers.\"\n\nOn Tuesday, Sainsbury's told the BBC it did not have the power to deny entry to shoppers without masks. However, trials showed customers complied more when asked to wear masks by security guards at the door, it said.\n\nIn an interview with the BBC, Sainsbury's boss, Simon Roberts, said \"we are not going to ban customers\".\n\nBut he urged shoppers to wear a mask and shop alone.\n\n\"By doing that we will help keep everybody safe,\" he said.\n\nThe Co-op also said it would not ban shoppers without masks from entering, and instead urged customers to take responsibility for wearing a face covering when visiting its stores, as it was mandatory by law.\n\nBoss of Co-op Food Jo Whitfield said: \"We've increased our in-store messaging to remind customers and government guidance does state that the police can take measures if members of the public don't comply with this law.\"\n\nIceland said it would take a similar approach, adding the vast majority of its customers continued to shop in compliance with the law.\n\n\"In view of the rising tide of abuse and violence being directed at our store colleagues, we do not expect them to confront the small minority of customers who aggressively refuse to comply with the law,\" a spokesman added.\n\nIn England, the police can issue a £200 fine to someone breaking the face covering rules. In Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, a £60 fine can be imposed. Repeat offenders face bigger fines.", "Many hospitals are still under intense pressure with the increasing number of Covid patients arriving.\n\nDoctors say they are seeing more younger patients in their thirties and forties compared to the first wave.\n\nThe overall pattern of those at risk of becoming seriously ill or dying has not changed significantly and the older someone is, the greater their risk from Covid-19 - particularly those over the age of 65.\n\nThe BBC's Health Editor Hugh Pym was given access to film at Croydon University Hospital in South London.", "Morrisons will bar customers who refuse to wear face coverings from its shops amid rising coronavirus infections.\n\nFrom Monday, shoppers who refuse to wear face masks offered by staff will not be allowed inside, unless they are medically exempt.\n\nSainsbury's also said it would challenge those not wearing a mask or who were shopping in groups.\n\nThe announcements come amid concerns that social distancing measures are not being adhered to in supermarkets.\n\nVaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi said the government is \"concerned\" shops are not enforcing rules strictly enough.\n\n\"Ultimately, the most important thing to do now is to make sure that actually enforcement - and of course the compliance with the rules - when people are going into supermarkets are being adhered to,\" Mr Zahawi told Sky News.\n\n\"We need to make sure people actually wear masks and follow the one-way system,\" he said.\n\nMorrisons said it had \"introduced and consistently maintained thorough and robust safety measures in all our stores\" since the start of the pandemic.\n\nBut it said: \"From today we are further strengthening our policy on masks.\"\n\nSecurity guards at the UK's fourth-biggest supermarket chain will be enforcing the new rules.\n\nMorrisons' chief executive, David Potts, said: \"Those who are offered a face covering and decline to wear one won't be allowed to shop at Morrisons unless they are medically exempt.\n\n\"Our store colleagues are working hard to feed you and your family, please be kind.\"\n\nFollowing Morrisons' announcement, Sainsbury's said that it was also putting trained security guards at the front of its stores to challenge shoppers who did not comply.\n\nChief executive Simon Roberts said: \"I've spent a lot of time in our stores reviewing the latest situation over the last few days and on behalf of all my colleagues, I am asking our customers to help us keep everyone safe.\n\n\"The vast majority of customers are shopping safely, but I have also seen some customers trying to shop without a mask and shopping in larger family groups.\n\n\"Please help us to keep all our colleagues and customers safe by always wearing a mask and by shopping alone. Everyone's care and consideration matters now more than ever.\"\n\nEarlier on Monday, Mr Zahawi stopped short of saying that supermarket staff should be responsible for enforcing rules on face masks.\n\nEnforcement of face coverings is the responsibility of the police, not retailers. Wearing face masks in supermarkets and shops is compulsory across the UK.\n\nIn England, the police can issue a £200 fine to someone breaking the face covering rules. In Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, a £60 fine can be imposed. Repeat offenders face bigger fines.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. How to wear your mask. Hint: it's not any of these three options\n\nHowever, retail industry body the British Retail Consortium said that, workers have faced an increase in incidents of violence and abuse when trying to encourage shoppers to put them on.\n\nAndrew Opie, director of food and sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, added: \"Supermarkets continue to follow all safety guidance and customers should be reassured that supermarkets are Covid-secure and safe to visit during lockdown and beyond.\n\n\"Customers should play their part too by following in-store signage and being considerate to staff and fellow shoppers.\"\n\nUnder current lockdown restrictions across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, people must only leave home for essential reasons, such as buying food or medicine.\n\nIn a bid to contain the spread of coronavirus, supermarkets introduced social distancing measures during the UK's first nationwide lockdown last March. They included limits on the numbers of customers in the shops at any one time, protective plastic screens at tills and \"marshals\" to ensure shoppers were maintaining a two-metre distance.\n\nBut amid rising numbers of infections, some have expressed concerns about a \"lack of visible protections\" implemented by supermarkets in recent weeks.\n\nThe First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford, said on Saturday that he wanted to see stores policed as they were during the first lockdown as people were worried the strict enforcement of rules did not \"appear to be there this time\".\n\n\"Given the fact the new variant is so much easier to catch... we are looking at supermarkets and other places where people leave their homes, to make sure they are organised in a way that keeps their staff and customers safe,\" he said.\n\nSupermarket Waitrose said that it was taking a \"cautious approach\" to the virus, with marshals checking that customers are wearing face coverings on the door, hand sanitiser stations at its entrances and written communications to shoppers reminding them to maintain their distance.\n\nTesco said it was limiting the number of customers in store and was also reminding customers to wear masks.\n\n\"We have clear signage explaining this, and we have packs of face coverings available for purchase near the front of our stores for any customers who have forgotten them.\"\n\nMeanwhile, Asda announced last week that it would extend its marshals' hours to 08:00 to 20:00 and increase how often baskets and trollies are cleaned.\n\nShop workers' union Usdaw has also called for firms to apply more stringent measures again.\n\nThe union's general secretary, Paddy Lillis, said that it had received reports that \"too many customers are not following necessary safety measures like social distancing, wearing a face covering and only shopping for essential items\".\n\n\"It is going to take some time to roll out the vaccine and we cannot afford to be complacent in the meantime, particularly with a new strain sweeping the nation,\" Mr Lillis said.\n\nThe trade union also suggested that \"'one-in one-out\" policies and proper queuing systems should be reintroduced in supermarkets.\n\nIt added that these systems should be managed by trained security staff where necessary.", "Parler has hit back after Amazon pulled support for its so-called \"free speech\" social network.\n\nParler is suing the tech giant, accusing it of breaking anti-trust laws by removing it.\n\nParler had been reliant on the tech giant's Amazon Web Services (AWS) cloud computing service to provide its alternative to Twitter.\n\nThe platform was popular among supporters of Donald Trump, although the president is not a user.\n\nAmazon took the action after finding dozens of posts on the service that it said encouraged violence.\n\nIn response, the platform has asked a federal judge to order Amazon to reinstate it.\n\n\"AWS's decision to effectively terminate Parler's account is apparently motivated by political animus,\" the complaint reads.\n\n\"It is also apparently designed to reduce competition in the microblogging services market to the benefit of Twitter.\"\n\n\"There is no merit to these claims,\" it said.\n\n\"AWS provides technology and services to customers across the political spectrum, and we respect Parler's right to determine for itself what content it will allow. However, it is clear that there is significant content on Parler that encourages and incites violence against others, and that Parler is unable or unwilling to promptly identify and remove this content, which is a violation of our terms of service.\n\n\"We made our concerns known to Parler over a number of weeks and during that time we saw a significant increase in this type of dangerous content, not a decrease, which led to our suspension of their services Sunday evening.\"\n\nExamples Amazon had provided included posts calling for the killing of Democrats, Muslims, Black Lives Matter leaders, and mainstream media journalists.\n\nGoogle and Apple had already removed Parler from their app stores towards the end of last week saying it had failed to comply with their content-moderation requirements.\n\nHowever, it had still been accessible via the web - although visitors had complained of being unable to create new accounts over the weekend, without which it was not possible to view its content.\n\nParler has been online since 2018, and may return if it can find an alternative host.\n\nHowever, chief executive John Matze told Fox News on Sunday that \"every vendor from text message services to email providers to our lawyers all ditched us too\".\n\n\"We're going to try our best to get back online as quickly as possible, but we're having a lot of trouble because every vendor we talk to says they won't work with us because if Apple doesn't approve and Google doesn't approve, they won't,\" he added.\n\nAWS's move is the latest in a series of actions affecting social media following the rioting on Capitol Hill last week.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Capitol riots: ‘We would have been murdered’\n\nFacebook and Twitter have also banned President Trump's accounts on their platforms, citing concerns that he might incite further violence.\n\nParler's users included the Republican Senator Ted Cruz, who had led an effort in the Senate to delay certifying Joe Biden's electoral college victory.\n\nHe had about five million followers on the platform - more than his tally on Twitter.\n\nParler's app now shows an error message and its website is offline\n\n\"Why should a handful of Silicon Valley billionaires have a monopoly on political speech?\" he tweeted over the weekend.\n\nParler's downfall appears to have benefited Gab - another \"free speech\" social network that is popular with far-right commentators.\n\nIt has claimed to have \"gained more users in the past two days than we did in our first two years of existing\".\n\nParler has long been a home for what you might call untouchables, people who had been excluded from mainstream services for offences such as blatant racism or incitement to violence.\n\nDuring a brief excursion onto the site over the weekend, I observed plenty of examples of such behaviour, with users exhibiting vile anti-Semitism, displaying Nazi symbols such as the swastika and uttering incoherent threats against those they perceive to be enemies of America.\n\nBut as Amazon's deadline approached something like panic took hold, with users desperately urging their followers to join them on other platforms.\n\nMost seemed to accept that Parler was doomed, while vowing to continue their fight elsewhere.\n\n\"Well this is the end,\" wrote one user, who proclaimed his support for the American Nazi Party.", "The disease is still spreading. There are more people in hospital with Covid-19 in the UK than at any other point in the pandemic.\n\nProf Chris Whitty, England's chief medical officer, hit the airwaves on Monday morning to tell us it's \"everyone's problem\".\n\nAnd a possible further increase in the numbers from those get-togethers that did take place over Christmas is yet to filter through.\n\nIt is cheering, and crucial, to see the elderly and vulnerable attending vaccine super-centres in huge numbers for their injections.\n\nBut there is no getting away from it: at this moment, the coronavirus situation seems pretty dire. And there is real concern in government that the public, this time round, is just not paying attention to the rules as closely as they did back in the spring.\n\nWhat is the government's answer? It is not, at least not yet, despite calls from the opposition, another big clampdown.\n\nIt might not feel like it, but it is only seven days since Boris Johnson took what used to be the rare step of making a national address, live on primetime TV, telling us, across the UK, once more to \"stay at home\".\n\nThere is hardly any political appetite to go even further.\n\nAs one senior minister said today: \"We have gone as far as we possibly can in terms of shutting things down\".\n\nThe prime minister was reluctant to go this far, only moving back to a lockdown in England when the evidence put forward by the government's top medics got worse, and worse and worse.\n\nThere are in fact even more limits that ministers, not just in Westminster but in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast too, could introduce.\n\nSchools could be forcibly closed to all pupils. Nurseries could shut.\n\nGovernment sources say the nurseries policy isn't going to change. Number 10 firmly denies they would ever take such a drastic step on schools which have always been open to key workers' children and it is hard to imagine that ever happening.\n\nIn extremis though there are measures that could be taken - in theory the government does not want to do any of this, but in practice there are other potential steps.\n\nBuilding sites could be made to lock their gates. Factories where machines are still whirring because they are operating under Covid guidelines could be made to pause.\n\nEngland, Scotland and Northern Ireland could follow Wales and ban people from seeing anyone they don't live with even outdoors.\n\nPlaygrounds, launderettes and chiropractors, could, along with many others on the list of premises allowed to stay open, have to shut up shop after all.\n\nBut while ministers have talked about squeezing the advice for takeaways to try to prevent big queues gathering at popular places, encouraged the supermarkets to make sure they are doing as much as they can to be safe, and even discussed the prospect of asking for masks to be worn outdoors, there is no expectation, at least at the start of this week, that a more extensive clampdown is coming from Westminster.\n\nAlthough, it's worth noting that the Scottish cabinet will discuss restrictions again on Tuesday.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. On Monday Matt Hancock ruled out getting rid of support bubbles.\n\nOne reason for the reluctance to go much further is that every step that affects a business affects jobs and livelihoods too.\n\nThe chancellor told MPs on Monday that 800,000 people have lost their jobs since February, admitting the economy will get worse before it gets better.\n\nSo trying to preserve activity that can be done safely matters to the government too.\n\nThere's also a question in government circles about whether cranking up different rules bit by bit is really what would help.\n\nChris Whitty this morning bluntly suggested there was limited value in \"tinkering\" with the rules, and what is required instead is for all of us to realise how grave the situation really is.\n\nInstead of worrying about whether we are allowed to sit on a park bench at all, (and yes, this has been a lively conversation in Westminster today) , perhaps we should be asking ourselves whether we really need to be out at all.\n\nThe NHS has been under huge pressure dealing with a surge in Covid cases this winter.\n\nBut when what happens next will be in large part shaped by our behaviour as individuals, working out the dos and don'ts can get sticky fast.\n\nTwo women who hit the headlines for driving five miles to go for a snowy walk with a takeaway cuppa had their fines withdrawn today, just as the prime minister caused a stir when a newspaper revealed he'd gone seven miles to the other side of London for a cycle in the Olympic Park.\n\nYou might be a reader who feels, 'so what?'. In both cases they were exercising outside, within the law, so who cares?\n\nBut you might feel when the firm instruction is to stay at home, and stay local, that is pushing the rules.\n\nFor now though, with grimmer and grimmer medics' warnings ringing in our ears, and reminders about enforcement from the police coming too, ministers seem resolved to encourage the public to comply rather than crack down further.\n\nBut it is however, only a week since the lockdown the prime minister had so hoped to avoid returned. By now, it's not surprising, Boris Johnson would never quite rule anything out.\n\nP.S. In all the gloom, the cheerier news is that the vaccination programme across the UK is certainly getting going, with 2.3 million people having had their first jab.\n\nThe number of people getting vaccinated has been added to the list of statistics that the government publishes every day. The targets the government has set are tough, but the numbers so far, are growing fast.", "RAF Typhoons, similar to the aircraft pictured, took off from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire and escorted the civilian aircraft to London Stansted Airport\n\nA sonic boom has been heard across the East of England after RAF Typhoon aircraft were launched to intercept a plane that had lost communications.\n\nThe Typhoons took off from RAF Coningsby and \"safely escorted\" the civilian aircraft to Stansted Airport in Essex, an RAF spokesman said.\n\nThe boom, at about 13:05 GMT, was reported by people across social media.\n\n\"The Typhoon aircraft were authorised to transit at supersonic speed for operational reasons,\" the RAF said.\n\nPeople in Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire and parts of London heard the boom.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. People's reaction to the sonic boom was caught on camera\n\n\"We have received numerous calls from the public with reports of a sonic boom... between Huntingdon and Cambridge,\" Cambridgeshire police said, in a Facebook post.\n\n\"Nobody has been injured. Some callers reported the incident had shaken properties but no major damage is thought to have occurred.\"\n\nAn image from a police officer's body-worn camera captured the RAF Typhoon aircraft flying over Cambridgeshire\n\nCommunications with the aircraft were re-established after the Typhoons were launched and it was intercepted before being escorted to Stansted.\n\nA spokesman for the airport said the \"private jet\" was believed to have been flying from Germany to Birmingham.\n\nHe confirmed the plane had been brought into land at about 13:40.\n\nWhen an aircraft approaches the speed of sound, the air in front of the nose of the plane builds up a pressure front because it has \"nowhere to escape\", said Dr Jim Wild of Lancaster University.\n\nA sonic boom happens when that air \"escapes\", creating a ripple effect which can be heard on the ground as a loud thunderclap.\n\nThe speed of sound varies. It is about 770mph (1,200km/h) at sea level, but slower at higher altitudes. A plane flying at 30,000ft would reach the speed of sound at about 675mph (1,085km/h), according to NASA's educational website.\n\nIt can be heard over such a large area because it moves with the plane, rather like the wake of a boat spreading out behind the vessel.\n\nRAF jets are only given permission to go supersonic over populated areas in emergencies, usually when they are required to intercept another aircraft.\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk", "Last updated on .From the section Premier League\n\nLeicester City climbed to second in the Premier League as they won a keenly contested encounter with fellow top-four hopefuls Southampton at King Power Stadium.\n\nJames Maddison fired in from a tight angle after 37 minutes, the Foxes midfielder instructing his team-mates to stand back as he performed a socially distanced celebration, before Harvey Barnes added a second deep into second-half stoppage-time.\n\nVictory takes Leicester within one point of leaders Manchester United, who travel to third-placed Liverpool on Sunday, while Southampton are eighth, three points outside the top four.\n• None How Leicester followed guidance on celebrations - and others didn't\n• None Reaction to Leicester v Southampton, plus the rest of Saturday's Premier League action\n\nThe Saints dominated in the opening stages and created the first opening when Che Adams stretched the home defence on the counter-attack, while Leicester's Barnes' powerful drive forced Alex McCarthy into action with the game's first shot after 19 minutes.\n\nThe visitors, without talisman Danny Ings after the striker tested positive for Covid-19 last week, went close to a response through Ryan Bertrand and Will Smallbone either side of half-time but neither could find a way past Kasper Schmeichel.\n\nIn an entertaining conclusion, Stuart Armstrong rattled the Leicester crossbar with an excellent strike from the edge of the penalty area, while Jan Bednarek produced a superb goalline clearance to deny Barnes and the returning McCarthy saved from Jamie Vardy as both sides pushed for a late goal.\n\nIt took Leicester until the 95th minute to seal the three points, Barnes calmly slotting past McCarthy on the break.\n\nLeicester manager Brendan Rodgers challenged his side to \"disrupt the Premier League hierarchy\" after a 2-1 win over Newcastle in their last league outing maintained their top-four hopes.\n\nVictory in this stern test ensured they continue to do just that.\n\nEnjoying their longest unbeaten run of the season, their streak now at six matches in all competitions since defeat by Everton a month ago, Rodgers' side delivered an assured performance to remain firmly in contention at the top.\n\nDespite their lofty position as the halfway stage approaches, Leicester have struggled at home this campaign - their four defeats at King Power Stadium in 2020-21 is as many as they suffered in the entirety of last season.\n\nThough largely frustrated in the early exchanges as the visitors retained possession, Leicester's superior quality in attack eventually ensured that record was improved with Maddison turning sharply to meet Youri Tielemans' through-ball before drilling home.\n\nThe in-form Barnes once again impressed and eventually got the goal his performance deserved to equal his best season tally of 10 after just 24 games.\n\nUnlike last season's post-Christmas collapse, the Foxes are yet to show signs of falling away. Maddison - involved in six of Leicester's last 12 league goals - and Barnes are easing the pressure on Vardy to deliver every week and there appears the strength in depth to better maintain this challenge.\n\nThe only concern for Rodgers at the end of a pleasing night was the sight of Vardy appearing to limp off as he was replaced by Kelechi Iheanacho in the final minutes.\n\nWhen Southampton claimed victory in the corresponding fixture last January, the 2-1 win marked a remarkable short-term recovery from a club-record defeat by the Foxes less than three months earlier.\n\nOne year on, this match served as another reminder of how quickly the Saints are progressing under Ralph Hasenhuttl.\n\nThey were, however, unable to set a club top-flight record of seven consecutive away games without defeat in the absence of frontman Ings. That was despite their relative freshness, having not played for 12 days after their FA Cup tie against Shrewsbury Town was postponed last weekend because of a Covid-19 outbreak at the League One club.\n\nFollowing their impressive 1-0 victory over Liverpool on 4 January, a triumph which left Hasenhuttl with tears in his eyes, Southampton once again applied themselves with commendable determination but ultimately failed to produce in the final third.\n\nAdams ran out of space at the byeline after breaking clear from the halfway line in the game's first opening, and neither Bertrand nor Smallbone were able to place past Schmeichel as the equaliser their hard work perhaps deserved evaded them.\n\nAt the back, Bednarek produced the heroics to keep his side in the game and full-back Kyle Walker-Peters provided a regular outlet on the right, but Southampton, who named four teenagers on their bench because of an injury crisis, have now scored only once in five league games.\n\nThat is an obvious concern for Hasenhuttl as he looks to ensure his side do not fade after their promising start.\n\n'We took social distancing to the letter' - what the managers said\n\nLeicester boss Brendan Rodgers told BBC Sport: \"It's a very good win against a good team. We were too passive at the start, we took social distancing to the letter and didn't get close to them. After that we had some sustained attacks and ended up getting a brilliant goal.\n\n\"At half-time we had to reiterate the importance of fighting, you have to fight for every result and Southampton keep going. We were outstanding second half and should have scored more goals. We did the dirty work much better and Harvey Barnes showed again that he is a finisher now.\"\n\nOn Maddison's celebration: \"I said to them there is lots of negativity around it but see it as a positive and be creative. Supporters still want to see players celebrate, the happiness, so be creative with it.\"\n\nSouthampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl said: \"It's never nice to lose a game but we had chances. We hit the bar, we fought with everything we have. We are definitely a team that is never giving up. The quality of the opponent was better than ours today.\n\n\"The first goal, you don't shoot at goal like that every day, it was fantastic from Maddison. We had good chances but we couldn't finish and that was the difference.\n\n\"It doesn't look good at the moment, we have a lot of injuries and not many alternatives. The good news is we have 29 points and they don't take them away from us. We did our best with the options we have. We have nine injured but we are fighting for everything.\"\n• None Leicester earned their first home league victory against Southampton since April 2016, ending a run of four without a win against the Saints at King Power Stadium.\n• None Southampton's first 12 Premier League games in 2020-21 witnessed 41 goals (24 scored) at an average of 3.4 per game. Their past six games have seen just six goals (two scored).\n• None Jamie Vardy had seven shots for Leicester, his highest tally without scoring in a single Premier League match in his career.\n• None Vardy has faced Southampton seven times at home in the Premier League, more than any other side at King Power Stadium without scoring in the competition.\n• None James Maddison scored in consecutive Premier League games for Leicester for the first time since October 2019, matching his goal tally at home from each of the previous two campaigns (three).\n\nBoth sides return to action on Tuesday. Leicester host Chelsea in the Premier League at 20:15 GMT, while Southampton welcome Shrewsbury to St Mary's in their postponed FA Cup third-round tie (20:00).\n• None Goal! Leicester City 2, Southampton 0. Harvey Barnes (Leicester City) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Youri Tielemans following a fast break.\n• None Attempt missed. Stuart Armstrong (Southampton) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right following a corner.\n• None Offside, Leicester City. Marc Albrighton tries a through ball, but Ayoze Pérez is caught offside.\n• None Attempt missed. Wilfred Ndidi (Leicester City) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Marc Albrighton.\n• None Attempt saved. Jamie Vardy (Leicester City) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by James Justin.\n• None Attempt missed. Daniel N'Lundulu (Southampton) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Kyle Walker-Peters with a cross.\n• None Offside, Leicester City. Timothy Castagne tries a through ball, but Ayoze Pérez is caught offside.\n• None Attempt blocked. Jamie Vardy (Leicester City) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Ayoze Pérez with a cross.\n• None Marc Albrighton (Leicester City) wins a free kick on the right wing.\n• None Attempt missed. James Ward-Prowse (Southampton) right footed shot from the centre of the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Stuart Armstrong. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page\n• None Hear how David Bowie always managed to stay ahead of his time\n• None Joe Wicks and guests are here to bring positivity to your day", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Health workers are the first in line to get Covid jabs\n\nA sanitation worker became the first Indian to receive a Covid vaccine as the country began the world's largest inoculation drive.\n\nPrime Minister Narendra Modi launched the programme, which aims to vaccinate more than 1.3 billion people against Covid.\n\nHe paid tribute to front-line workers who will be the first to receive jabs.\n\nIndia has recorded the second-highest number of Covid-19 infections in the world after the United States.\n\nMillions of doses of two approved vaccines - Covishield and Covaxin - were shipped across the country in the days leading up to the start of the drive.\n\n\"We are launching the world's biggest vaccination drive and it shows the world our capability,\" Mr Modi, said, addressing the country on Saturday morning.\n\nA sanitation worker is the first Indian to receive a Covid vaccine\n\nHe added that India was well prepared to vaccinate its population with the help of an app, which would help the government track the drive and ensure that nobody was left out.\n\nMr Modi spoke at length about doctors, nurses and other front-line workers \"who showed us the light\" in \"dark times\".\n\n\"They stayed away from their families to serve humanity. And hundreds of them never went home. They gave their life to save others. And that is why the first jabs are being given to healthcare workers - this is our way of paying respect to them.\"\n\nDoctors and medical staff at Delhi's Max hospital tell me a lot of hope is being pinned on the vaccination drive. One official described it \"as a new dawn\" and said \"it's the beginning of Covid's end\".\n\nInside the waiting room, there are posters on the wall with information about the documents one needs to bring, how safe the vaccine is, and the precautions that need to be taken even after one's been vaccinated. Among those being vaccinated on Saturday are doctors, nurses and front-office staff from all departments.\n\nThe names have been been chosen alphabetically so those getting jabs are mostly those with names starting with the letter A.\n\n\"The pandemic has played havoc in the country. I hope the vaccine will rid us of the fears and we will be able to breathe easy,\" Dr Anil Dass said after getting the jab.\n\nAshutosh Chaturvedi, a 31-year-old male nurse described as a \"Covid warrior\" by hospital officials, became the first recipient of the vaccine at Max.\n\n\"I'm fine, I feel good,\" he told reporters as he came down the hospital ramp, which has been decorated with blue, green and white balloons.\n\nSince April, he told me, he's worked in the emergency wing of the Covid ward, tending to those afflicted with the coronavirus.\n\n\"I haven't seen my wife and nine-month-old daughter since then. A month later, once I've received the second dose, I'll visit my family,\" he said.\n\nMr Modi also appealed to people to continue adhering to Covid-19 safety protocols like wearing masks and following social distancing. He said the country cannot afford to be complacent as vaccinating the entire population will take time.\n\nHe also urged people not to believe any \"propaganda and rumours about the safety of the vaccines\".\n\n\"I want to tell people that the approval to these vaccines was given only after scientists and experts were satisfied about its safety,\" he said.\n\nAn estimated 10 million health workers will be vaccinated in the first round, followed by policemen, soldiers, municipal and other front-line workers.\n\nHealth workers have been queuing up at vaccination centres for their turn\n\nNext in line will be people aged over 50 and anyone under 50 with serious underlying health conditions. India's electoral rolls, which contain details of some 900 million voters, will be used to identify eligible recipients.\n\nThe government plans to vaccinate 300 million people by early August. This will happen in state-run health care centres, schools, colleges, community halls, municipal offices and wedding halls.\n\nSeveral hospitals across India are giving the first doses of the vaccine.\n\nThe government plans to vaccinate 300 million people by early August\n\nDr Atul Peters was among those who got the jab at Max hospital.\n\n\"It's a very big day. I'm grateful to those who worked hard to make this a reality. I was very very happy when I got a call informing me that my name was on the list.\n\n\"We worked hard during the pandemic to save lives and we are also taking the jab first to dispel fears in people's minds that the vaccine is not safe,\" he told the BBC.\n\nMillions of vaccine doses have been shipped across India\n\nIndia's drug regulator has given the green light to two vaccines - Covishield (the local name for the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine developed in the UK) and Covaxin, locally-made by pharma company Bharat Biotech.\n\nBut concerns have been raised over the efficacy of Covaxin because the regulator's emergency approval came before the completion of Phase 3 clinical trials. The regulator and the manufacturer have said the vaccine is safe, and that the efficacy data would be available by February.\n\nBoth vaccines will be given as two injections, 28 days apart, with the second dose being a booster. Immunity would begin to kick in after the first dose but reaches its full effect 14 days after the second dose.\n\nThe status of the vaccines and recipients will be electronically tracked in real time - some 8 million people who will receive the early jabs have been already registered. More than 600,000 people have been trained for the drive.\n\nThe jabs will be voluntary, and recipients will be given a certificate of vaccination after they complete both doses.\n\n\"I expect India's vaccination programme will be run much better than most countries because of the considerable government investment and early preparedness,\" Dr Gagandeep Kang, one of India's best-known vaccine experts, told the BBC.\n\nWith more than 10 million cases, India has recorded the second-highest number of Covid-19 infections in the world, after the US.\n\nThe largest vaccination drive in the country, however, begins at a time when infections have fallen sharply, and much of life has returned to normal. A limited availability of doses in the initial phase, therefore, is not likely to pose a problem.\n\nMost scientists feel India is primed for the challenge as it is a vaccine-making powerhouse and has run, for decades, a well-oiled immunisation programme for tens of millions of new-borns and mothers-to-be.\n\nBut the real challenges will begin when the general population starts receiving the jabs.\n\nIndia will use its formidable election machinery to deliver and track doses to recipients in far corners of the country. It is also likely to use digital platforms and apps to enable people to register for the doses.\n\nHowever, not every Indian owns a smart phone or knows how to operate an app, so it will be interesting to see what the government does to make sure that there are no inadvertent exclusions.\n\nVaccine hesitancy is the other concern.\n\nHealth activists Seema Pal and Rama Negi say they have been busting misinformation about the vaccine\n\nThe recent controversy over the hurried approval of Covaxin, many feel, could undermine confidence. There's a history of hesitancy about receiving the polio vaccine in parts of northern India, triggered by rumours about vaccines being impure and affecting fertility. Similar disinformation is now circulating about Covid vaccines on social networking apps, such as WhatsApp.\n\nThe government will need consistent, clear-eyed communication to bolster vaccine acceptance and community perception of the programme.\n\nVaccines come with side effects for some people. India has a 34-year-old surveillance programme for monitoring such \"adverse events\" following immunisation.\n\nBut researchers have found that benchmarks for reporting side effects still remain weak. A failure to transparently report adverse effects could easily lead to fear-mongering around vaccines.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.", "The number of reported incidents of children dying or being seriously harmed after suspected abuse or neglect rose by a quarter after England's first lockdown last year, figures indicate.\n\nThe Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel received 285 serious incident notifications from April to September.\n\nThis is an increase of 27% from 225 in the same period the previous year.\n\nThe data also includes children who were in care and died, regardless of whether abuse or neglect was suspected.\n\nThe Children's Society described the figures as \"shocking\".\n\nThe serious incident notification system requires councils in England to report all incidents of death or serious harm involving children in their area to the Department for Education, which publishes the data.\n\nThey are also required to inform the education secretary and Ofsted if a looked-after child dies, regardless of whether they suspect abuse or neglect.\n\nChild deaths increased from 89 to 119 and those seriously harmed rose from 132 with 153 compared with the same period in 2019, according to the data.\n\nThe number of serious incidents involving children under one increased by 30% as did the harm suffered by those aged 16 and over.\n\nThe majority (54%) of incidents related to boys, and almost two thirds related to white children.\n\nIn two-thirds of the 285 cases reported, the harm occurred while children were living at home.\n\nThe number of serious incident notifications had fallen in 2019-20 compared with 2018-19 when there were 274 such notifications.\n\nIryna Pona, policy manager at the Children's Society, said the increase in incidents last year happened at a time when Covid-19 was having a \"huge impact on the well-being of children and families and disrupted help available to those who needed it most\".\n\nEngland's first lockdown began at the end of March last year and ended on 4 July.\n\nMs Pona said: \"During the first lockdown many vulnerable children were stuck at home in difficult, sometimes dangerous situations, often isolated from friends and support networks.\n\n\"Sadly, children also continued to be targeted and groomed by people outside their families for sexual and criminal exploitation like county lines drug dealing operations, which can lead to serious violence or death.\n\n\"At the same time, they were often hidden from view of professionals like social workers and teachers who are best placed to spot the signs if they may be in danger.\"\n\nShe added that in the current lockdown it was \"vital\" that social care and schools work together closely to ensure all vulnerable children, including those in care, have regular contact with a trusted professional.\n\nA government spokeswoman said: \"Every single incident of this nature is a tragedy and we are working to understand the impact the pandemic may be having.\n\n\"Throughout the past months, we have prioritised the most vulnerable children and their families and put in place support to protect babies.\n\n\"We've maintained vital frontline services because we know it has been a challenge for many, especially for new parents, and we've invested thousands of pounds in charities working with vulnerable children and their families.\n\n\"Today we have launched a wholescale review of children's social care to reform the system and think afresh about how we support the most vulnerable. This data will provide important information to the care review to help address major challenges.\"", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. UK weather: Will it snow where you are?\n\nSnow and ice weather warnings are in place for much of England and Scotland after widespread recent snowfall.\n\nThe Met Office has issued yellow weather warnings across England and Scotland for Saturday and warned of possible travel disruption.\n\nParts of England and Scotland could see as much as 5-10cm of snow in higher areas, the weather service said.\n\nIt comes as hundreds of schools remain closed after heavy snow hit the north of England on Thursday.\n\nA snow warning is in place for south-east England, including London, the east of England and the East Midlands. The Met Office said East Anglia and parts of Kent and Sussex are most at risk of snow.\n\nSome 1-3 cm of snow may fall fairly widely over these areas, with 5-10 cm possible in places, mostly over parts of East Anglia and any higher ground.\n\nA snow and ice warning is in place for most of Scotland, north-west and north-east England, Yorkshire and Humber, the East Midlands and parts of the West Midlands.\n\nSnow is likely to fall to low levels over east Scotland and northern England.\n\nThe Met Office said 1-3 cm is possible at low levels in these areas but is more likely at higher elevations, where 5-10 cm of snow is possible above 200m - and even 20cm at the highest places.\n\nFog is also forecast for parts of the Midlands and the North, along with mist around Glasgow which may pose hazards for motorists.\n\nPolice forces in Yorkshire have urged people to stay at home unless their travel is essential\n\nTwo girls took their sledge to a golf course near Penicuik, Midlothian\n\nThe coronavirus vaccine rollout has been affected by the weather.\n\nOver-80s who were due to receive their jab at Newcastle's Centre for Life were told they could re-book rather than risk making a trip in the icy conditions.\n\nNewcastle Hospitals tweeted: \"There's enough vaccine for everyone, so don't worry about making a trip to Newcastle.\"\n\nAnd Leeds University has delayed the opening of its asymptomatic Covid-19 test centre.\n\nHeavy snowfall has already caused travel disruption across sections of northern England and Scotland.\n\nTemperatures were as low as -6C on Friday morning in parts of Yorkshire and Cumbria, with yellow warnings set to last through most of Friday.\n\nThere was a loss of gas supply to approximately 700 homes in the Hebden Bridge area after water got into the local gas network and froze.\n\nThe Met Office has published advice from the Department for Transport advising people to clear snow and ice from footpaths outside their homes, preferably in the morning.\n\n\"You can then cover the path with salt before nightfall to stop it refreezing overnight,\" the advice says.\n\nTemperatures in the Greater London area are expected to drop to 1C on Friday and parts of the South East could fall to -2C.\n\nIt comes after \"hazardous\" conditions on Thursday caused problems for the ambulance service in Yorkshire, which struggled to keep up with the high demand, while Covid vaccinations were also affected.\n\nMark Millins, of Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust, said the bad weather was having a \"severe impact\" on its operations and urged people to \"take extra care\" when out walking or driving.\n\nIn Scotland, heavy snow in some areas resulted in road closures.\n\nThe deepest snow on Thursday was in Bingley, West Yorkshire, and Strathallan in Perth, Scotland, both of which recorded 11cm.", "CBBC star Archie Lyndhurst, the son of Only Fools and Horses actor Nicholas Lyndhurst, died in his sleep from a brain haemorrhage, his mother has said.\n\nLucy Lyndhurst said a second post-mortem exam had revealed his death was caused by a condition called Acute Lymphoblastic Lymphoma/Leukaemia.\n\nShe described Archie as \"the most magical human being we have ever met\".\n\nThe 19-year-old's death on 22 September had had a \"catastrophic effect\" on their family, she wrote on Instagram.\n\nArchie with his father Nicholas and mother Lucy Smith in 2017\n\nLucy said she and husband Nicholas were assured by the doctor who explained the post-mortem results to them that there \"wasn't anything anyone could have done as Archie showed no signs of illness\". She said it was \"not leukaemia as we know it\" and that acute in medical terms meant \"rapid\".\n\nThe couple were \"utterly floored\" to think something like this could happen, she wrote, adding: \"It's very rare and around only 800 people a year die from it.\"\n\nShe said that just days earlier he had been celebrating his birthday with \"the love of his life Nethra\".\n\n\"Life is fragile, precious and sometimes incredibly cruel,\" Lucy wrote.\n\nShe also criticised some media outlets for attempting to garner information about how her son had died from the coroner, before they knew the results of the post mortem themselves.\n\n\"To have a coroner call you a few days after your child has died to say the press have been calling for the results of Archie's post mortem, I think stoops to an all time low for us,\" she noted.\n\n\"What gives the press the right to badger a coroner's office solely to find the cause of death before the parents? The complete lack of empathy is astounding. We released no information at the time as we had no idea what he had died from.\"\n\nNicholas appeared alongside his son in an episode of So Awkward in 2019\n\nArchie began his acting career at the Sylvia Young Theatre School at the age of 10 and was best known for playing Ollie Coulton in the CBBC comedy show So Awkward.\n\nHe appeared in the sitcom, which followed the lives of a group of friends in secondary school, from its first series in 2015.\n\nNicholas appeared alongside his son in a 2019 episode of the programme.\n\nArchie's other roles included recurring appearances as a younger incarnation of comedian Jack Whitehall in various TV programmes.\n\nThese included BBC Three sitcom Bad Education, in which he was seen as a younger version of Whitehall's Alfie Wickers character.\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "Irish hauliers have been bypassing ports in Wales because of Brexit, say industry leaders\n\nIrish hauliers are bypassing Welsh ports to avoid Brexit bureaucracy, industry leaders say.\n\nSo-called \"teething problems\" with new export rules are causing \"enormous strain on staff\", according to one haulage company.\n\nBut others warn of a longer-term shift by truck firms from using Holyhead, Fishguard and Pembroke Dock.\n\nGwynedd Shipping said it was operating at 65% normal volumes and the pressure of extra paperwork was challenging.\n\nAndrew Kinsella, the firm's managing director, said: \"It's an enormous strain on our staff in terms of processing bookings.\n\n\"We process around 400 or 500 bookings a week, the reality is we're operating at 65-70% of previous volumes.\n\n\"Whilst we see recovery in the number of clients and we're starting to get to a better pattern in terms of shipments I still think it's going to take several weeks for things to return to normal. Whether things return to pre-Christmas, pre-Brexit volumes remains to be seen.\"\n\nMr Kinsella thinks there will be long-term consequences for the ports.\n\nStena Line is among firms that have made changes to the routes its uses\n\n\"You can already see the shift in terms of the number of sailings,\" he said.\n\n\"I think you're seeing a shift away from Holyhead particularly in terms of weekend, off-peak traffic. I think longer term, the viability of all of these services will be something those ferry services will continue to scrutinise.\"\n\nThis week Stena Line moved its new ship to the route from Rosslare, in the Republic of Ireland, to Cherbourg, France.\n\nAccording to Irish public broadcaster RTÉ, a new weekend sailing from Dublin to Cherbourg will also begin on 23 January, resulting in a temporary reduction in weekend capacity on the Dublin to Holyhead route.\n\nIt also intends to sail the Belfast-to-Liverpool route.\n\n\"Due to the current Brexit-related shift for direct routes and increasing customer demand, Stena Line has decided to temporarily deploy the Stena Embla on Rosslare-Cherbourg,\" Stena Line said.\n\nAt Rosslare Europort, business is booming, says general manager Glenn Carr.\n\n\"We've seen unprecedented demand in the first two weeks of trading compared to last year,\" Mr Carr said.\n\n\"On our European routes there's a 500% increase in freight volume going through the port compared to last year.\"\n\nHe added that 18 months ago they would have had three sailings a week directly to mainland Europe from Rosslare Europort: \"Today we have 15.\"\n\nMr Carr says his customers want to bypass the UK because of Brexit.\n\n\"I think that's testament to demand, particularly from our exporters and importers, on the island of Ireland and the need to unfortunately bypass the UK because of Brexit to trade directly with the EU,\" he added.\n\nHe believes this change in operations will not be temporary.\n\nHe said decisions by ferry companies and businesses who trade with the EU to re-direct freight, have been made based on market analysis.\n\n\"The business case for the extra services out of Rosslare were not based on the first two weeks of this year,\" Mr Carr said.\n\n\"They were based on analysis of the market and conversations with our exporters and importers who were switching.\n\n\"So there is a genuine switch and we foresee services being maintained out of Rosslare.\"\n\nUK government ministers have played down concerns about the long term viability of Welsh ports.\n\nGiving evidence to the Welsh Affairs Select Committee this week, Wales Office Minister David TC Davies MP, said former haulage industry colleagues referred to the issues as \"teething problems\".\n\nSecretary of State for Wales Simon Hart MP, said: \"There is some evidence that things aren't looking necessarily, permanently bleak.\n\n\"It's one of those areas where we have to keep a very wary eye on it, but I think and hope that it is a temporary dip in the graph.\"\n\nBut transport expert Prof Stuart Cole, of the University of South Wales, thinks Brexit delays will be the incentive Irish companies needed to switch permanently to trading directly with the European mainland.\n\nProf Cole said the EU wanted to reduce congestion and pollution in parts of Europe.\n\nOne solution was to move freight by sea rather than road.\n\nThere have been problems with paperwork for drivers travelling to the European mainland\n\nUntil now there was no reason for Irish hauliers to move from using Welsh ports and Dover, Prof Cole said.\n\n\"The route worked perfectly, there was a predictable journey time and that's important for food and component parts going to factories,\" he said.\n\n\"That kind of change required a significant shift, and that's what's there now.\"\n\nBangor University economics lecturer, Dr Edward Thomas Jones, believes it is too soon to predict longer term changes.\n\n\"Because businesses stockpiled before Christmas in anticipation of Brexit, there is of course less use of the port [at Holyhead] since Brexit,\" he said.\n\n\"On top of that, coronavirus means there are fewer tourists going on holiday to Ireland.\n\n\"We'll have a better idea of the future of the port in six months when these businesses who have stockpiled start buying again.\n\n\"Hopefully, by the second half of the year coronavirus will have been resolved and tourists will once again be able to travel back and forth.\"\n\nPlaid Cymru warned if traffic continued to be diverted away from the UK then Wales would suffer.\n\n\"I urge the UK government to work with the Welsh Government to provide substantial investment into Welsh ports to secure their viability into the future,\" said MP Hywel Williams, Plaid's Cabinet Office spokesman.\n\n\"If the trend of rerouting traffic through direct routes continues, I fear that our local economies both in the north west and south west of Wales will suffer enormously.\"", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The four main engines were fired in unison for the first time, but had to be shut down early\n\nA critical engine test for Nasa's new \"megarocket\" has ended early, but the agency denied it amounted to a failure.\n\nShortly before 22:30 GMT (17:30 EST) on Saturday, the four engines ignited, burning for more than a minute before the event was aborted.\n\nThe core stage of the Space Launch System (SLS) was being evaluated at Stennis Space Center, in Mississippi.\n\nThe engines were supposed to fire for eight minutes to simulate the rocket's climb to orbit.\n\nThe SLS is part of Nasa's Artemis programme, which aims to put Americans back on the lunar surface in the 2020s.\n\nWhen it makes its maiden flight - possibly later this year - the SLS will become the most powerful rocket ever to have flown to space.\n\nTeams at Stennis are still poring over the data to find out what happened. John Honeycutt, SLS program manager at Nasa's Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama, said there were \"a lot of dynamics going on\" when the engine shut down.\n\nThe engines' power levels were being throttled down and up again; they were also being prepared to pivot - or gimbal. This movement allows the rocket to be steered during flight.\n\nThe RS-25 engines are the same type that powered the space shuttle orbiter\n\n\"We did see a little bit of a flash come from around the interface between the thermal protection blanket on engine four at the time when we had initiated the gimbal,\" Honeycutt told reporters at a post-test briefing at Stennis.\n\nThe as-yet unknown problem triggered what Nasa calls a failure identification (Fid), followed by a major component failure (MCF). As a result of the fault, an onboard computer known as the engine controller sent a message to another computer called the core stage controller, which took a decision to shut down the vehicle.\n\n\"Any parameter that went awry on the engine could have sent that failure ID,\" said John Honeycutt.\n\nIt was the first time all four RS-25 engines had been ignited together, in a test known as a \"hotfire\".\n\nThe core stage of the rocket was anchored to a massive steel structure called the B-2 test stand on the grounds of the Stennis facility.\n\nTo prepare the core stage, engineers filled its tanks with more than 700,000 gallons (2.6 million litres) of super-cold liquid hydrogen and oxygen propellant.\n\nThis was the eighth and final test in the Green Run, a programme of evaluation carried out by engineers from Nasa and Boeing - the rocket's prime contractor.\n\nAlthough the test was intended to run for eight minutes, engineers would have received all the data required to certify the rocket for flight after 250 seconds.\n\nThey wanted to iron out any problems before the core stage is used for the first SLS launch, in which it will send Nasa's next-generation Orion spacecraft on a loop around the Moon.\n\nNasa's outgoing administrator Jim Bridenstine declined to call Saturday's event a failure: \"This is why we test,\" he said, adding: \"Before we put American astronauts on American rockets, that's when we need it to be perfect.\"\n\nOfficials have not yet decided whether to re-run the hotfire, or proceed with shipping the core stage to Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida to prepare it for the rocket's uncrewed maiden flight, a mission called Artemis-1.\n\n\"It depends what the anomaly was and how challenging it's going to be to fix it,\" said Bridenstine.\n\nNasa administrator Jim Bridenstine said perfection wasn't a realistic expectation for the first engine test\n\nAsked whether a launch this year was still feasible, he added: \"I think it's too early to tell. As we figure out what went wrong, we're going to know what the future holds.\"\n\nHowever, if one or more of the engines needs to be replaced, there are spares waiting to be used at Stennis Space Center.\n\nThe Artemis-1 mission will evaluate how both the SLS and Orion capsule perform prior to Nasa staging a repeat of this lunar loop with astronauts in 2023.\n\nThis will be followed by the first landing on the Moon by humans since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972.\n\nThe SLS consists of the 65m (212 ft) -long core stage with two smaller solid rocket boosters (SRBs) attached to the sides. Engineers at KSC have begun stacking the individual SRB segments for Artemis-1.\n\n\"This powerful rocket is going to put us in a position to be ready to support the agency and the country in deep space missions to the Moon and beyond,\" John Honeycutt said during a media briefing on Tuesday.\n\nArtwork: The initial version of the SLS - known as Block 1 - during the climb to orbit\n\nOfficials have been planning to ship the core stage to Florida in February.\n\nIts engines are of the same type that powered the spaceplane-like shuttle orbiter - America's crewed space vehicle for 30 years from 1981-2011.\n\nNasa is re-using flown hardware: the RS-25 engines used in this test helped launch 21 shuttle missions. Two were used on the last shuttle flight - STS-135 in 2011.\n\nThe four RS-25s can generate 1.6 million lbs (7 Meganewtons) of thrust - the force that propels a rocket through the air.\n\nWhen the solid rocket boosters are added to the core stage, the combined system will produce 8.8 million pounds (39.1 Meganewtons) of thrust. This will make it 15% more powerful than the giant Saturn V rocket that sent astronauts to the Moon in the 1960s and 70s.\n\nPrior to Saturday's test, John Shannon, vice president and SLS program manager at Boeing praised teams at Stennis for keeping the Green Run on track despite the pandemic and this year's particularly active hurricane season.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nHomes have been evacuated as Storm Christoph batters Wales with a three-day rainstorm.\n\nNorth Wales Police were called to help some residents in Ruthin who were being told to leave their homes.\n\nThey tweeted that \"people who do not live locally are driving to the area to 'see the floods'\".\n\nA rain warning issued by the Met Office is in place until midday on Thursday, with an ice warning for parts of north and mid Wales.\n\nSouth Wales fire crews pumped out water from homes in Pontypridd and Porth, in Rhondda, and roads were blocked in Powys and Flintshire.\n\nVehicles were pulled from floods by firefighters in Tenby, Llandovery, Llandeilo and Whitland, Mid and West Wales fire service said.\n\nUp to 20cm (8in) of rain is expected to fall, with the heaviest rain forecast for the north west of Wales.\n\nThere were flood warnings in 58 areas as forecasters warned heavy rain and melting snow could affect roads. There were also 57 flood alerts - meaning flooding is possible.\n\nA yellow warning for ice was issued for the north and parts of mid Wales, starting at 01:00 on Thursday and lasting until 10:00, as rain clears.\n\nA minor landslip was reported on the mountainside above Pentre in Rhondda Cynon Taf. Natural Resources Wales, who have responsibility for the land, said there is no immediate threat after an initial inspection, but the council urged residents to keep away from the area.\n\nThe River Taf at Llanglydwen in Carmarthenshire\n\nFlood warnings are in Carmarthenshire - the River Towy and isolated properties between Llandeilo and Abergwili, the River Gwendraeth Fawr at Pontyates and Ponthenry, the River Hydfron at Llanddowror and the River Taf at Trevaughan in Whitland.\n\nThe other flood warnings cover the River Ely at Peterston-Super-Ely in Vale of Glamorgan, the River Vyrnwy in the Meifod area in Powys, the River Rhyd Hir at Riverside Terrace in Gwynedd, two for the River Wye at Glasbury and Builth Wells, the Lower Dee Valley from Llangollen to Trevalyn Meadows, the River Dyfi at Pont ar Dyfi, the River Usk from Brecon to Glangrwyne, two at the River Severn at Abermule to Fron and Aberbechan and the River Lower Clydach at Clydach Bridge, Swansea.\n\nIn River Aeron at Aberaeron, in Ceredigion, the River Loughor at Ammanford and Llandybie and the River Wye at Builth Wells, Powys, are also covered by the warning.\n\nA person had to be saved from a car stuck in floodwater in Corwen, Denbighshire, North East Wales Search and Rescue tweeted.\n\nRest centres have been opened in St Asaph and Ruthin after some localised flooding following heavy rainfall throughout the day. Denbighshire council invited affected residents to use the facilities at the towns' main leisure centres.\n\nAnd Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service said crews were called to help a motorist whose vehicle had become stuck in 3ft of water in Machynlleth.\n\nThe waters lapped the doors of Ruthin's Ocean Pearl restaurant\n\nIn Broughton, Flintshire, Ray and Jacqui Littler said they and their daughter waited all afternoon for help at their flooded bungalow after emergency services told them they were \"flat out\".\n\nThey eventually decided to leave their home on Main Road, which was under 10 inches of water, to stay with friends.\n\nNeighbours blamed a blocked culvert on the fields opposite the road. Police closed the road at about 16:00 GMT and Flintshire council attended, after three houses were affected, with the gardens of two pensioners' bungalows also under water.\n\nOverflowing banks of the River Usk at Brecon\n\nSouth Wales Fire and Rescue Service said it had been called to two incidents overnight with reports of water entering properties in Pontycymmer in Bridgend and Tredegar, Blaenau Gwent.\n\nOn Wednesday morning, it dealt with flooding at properties in Tyfica Road, Pontypridd, and Trebanog Road in Porth, Rhondda, where a crew was helping residents divert and pump out water.\n\nFirefighters also had to rescue 46 sheep from land surrounded by water at Merthyr Road, Llanfoist, Monmouthshire.\n\nCrews from Abergavenny and Ebbw Vale were called to help the stricken animals near the River Usk.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by South Wales Fire and Rescue Service This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. End of twitter post by South Wales Fire and Rescue Service\n\nIn Rhondda Cynon Taf, there were also reports of flooding in properties at Pembroke Street, Aberdare and Clydach Vale, Tonypandy.\n\nA tweet from Pontypridd Plaid Cymru councillor Heledd Fychan showed fast-flowing water in the River Taff which runs through the town.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. 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The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nWater in the grounds of Gwydir Castle in Llanrwst\n\nJudy Corbett, owner of 16th Century Gwydir Castle in Llanrwst, Conwy, which flooded last year, told BBC Radio Wales things were \"looking pretty dire here this morning\".\n\nShe said: \"We've been obviously monitoring the levels overnight so we've had another sleepless night worrying about the weather but the levels are rising and the water is very violent this morning and of course, we've got another a whole day ahead of us.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 3 by Sabrina Lee This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nSeveral roads have been hit by flooding, including the B5106 between Llanrwst and Trefriw\n\nThe Met Office warned spray and flooding could lead to \"difficult driving conditions and some road closures\" and the downpours could cause delays.\n\nTraffic Wales said restrictions were in place on the M48 Severn Bridge where traffic is coming off eastbound at junction two or westbound at junction one before being directed back on to cross the bridge, which remains open.\n\nIn Flintshire, the A548 Coast Road has been closed at Tan Lan and Mostyn, the A5118 at Padeswood, the A541 between Llong to Pontblyddyn, Bagillt High Street and the B5101 between Treuddyn and Llanfynydd.\n\nThe A485 in Garreg is also closed from the Brondaw Arms to Pont Aberglaslyn.\n\nThe Dyfi Bridge near Machynlleth is closed\n\nIn Powys, the A487 over the Dyfi Bridge, near Machynlleth, is closed while the A458 at Llanfair Caereinion is blocked in both directions from Bridge Street to Guilsfield turn-off because of flooding.\n\nThe A483 in Builth Wells at the station is also closed along with the bridge over the River Wye.\n\nCapel Bangor in Ceredigion has temporary traffic lights on the A44 at Lovesgrove Roundabout due to flooding, which is affecting traffic between Aberystwyth and Llangurig.\n\nIn Bridgend, New Inn Road has been closed in both directions at The Dipping Bridge, affecting traffic between Ewenny village and the A48.\n\nSouth Wales Police warned people not to attempt driving through floodwater after the A4118 at Llanddewi on Gower became blocked.\n\nIn Gwynedd, the council tweeted that Ffordd Siliwen, Bangor, had been closed following a landslip.\n\nA section of the A470 Dolgellau Bypass has also been closed along with the A4085 at Garreg.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 4 by South Wales Police Swansea This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nNational Rail said some lines between North Llanrwst, Conwy, and Blaenau Ffestiniog in Gwynedd were blocked due to heavy rain while services were also disrupted between Shrewsbury and Machynlleth in Powys.\n\nAlterative road transport will run in place of cancelled services, it said.\n\nThe Met Office said 56mm (2.2in) of rain had fallen at Capel Curig in Snowdonia by 18:00 GMT on Tuesday.\n\nA yellow warning for rain is in place for virtually the whole of Wales until Thursday\n\nForecasters also said fast flowing and deep floodwater \"could cause a danger to life\".\n\nThe Met Office warned flooding could lead to some communities being cut off and possible power cuts.\n\nStrong winds will also follow the torrential rain, with forecasters predicting this may cause \"travelling difficulties across areas higher and more exposed routes\".\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Douglas Jones was fulfilling a lifelong dream when he became a pilot\n\nThe aviation industry has been among those hardest hit by the Covid pandemic.\n\nPilot Douglas Jones was working for Aegean Airlines, flying out of Athens, when it began.\n\nIt cost him his job and also prompted him to return to the small Scottish town where he grew up.\n\nNow he is now turning his hand to a very different line of work producing PPE, in a sector which is enjoying something of a boom.\n\nMr Jones saw much of Europe in his work with Easyjet and Aegean Airlines\n\nThe 27-year-old, who was born in Haywards Heath in Sussex but raised in Moffat in Dumfries and Galloway, was enjoying his dream job at the start of 2020.\n\nHaving gained a commercial pilot's licence, he was based in Berlin with Easyjet before landing a position in Greece.\n\n\"It is definitely what I have always wanted to do,\" he said.\n\n\"With Aegean I have flown a good way across all the major airports of Europe.\"\n\nHowever, life changed \"very quickly\" as coronavirus spread across the continent.\n\n\"I flew to Copenhagen and I flew back from Copenhagen and I was on unpaid leave when I landed back in Athens,\" he explained.\n\nFearing being stranded in Greece, he booked a flight home to Scotland and within a couple of weeks he received confirmation that his job was gone.\n\nMr Jones returned to Moffat amid fears of being stranded in Greece\n\nMr Jones said it took some time for him to fully appreciate that he would not be returning to the skies any time soon.\n\n\"Half of my stuff is still in Greece because we came back to our home countries thinking this will only be three to six months and that will be that,\" he said.\n\n\"We had just no concept of how bad this was ever going to be.\"\n\nIt meant he was back home in a region where he admits there are \"not a huge amount of options career-wise in normal times\".\n\n\"When you have been used to living in Berlin and Athens and you move back to Moffat, living with your dad, it is a bit of slowdown,\" he said.\n\n\"I was just desperate to do something, to have work.\"\n\nAlpha Solway is producing millions of masks for NHS Scotland\n\nIt was a relative of a friend who spotted south of Scotland firm Alpha Solway was hiring new workers to meet demand for personal protective equipment (PPE).\n\nAfter interview, he was offered a job in June which proved to be something of a change of pace from day one.\n\n\"I came in and I sat and cut elastic for visors for most of the day - I think I cut like something like 3km worth of elastic because one of the machines had a fault,\" he said.\n\nSince then he has helped make filter units for masks, developed standard work procedures and become a \"jack of all trades\" for the business.\n\nMr Jones said of his abilities as a pilot were useful at the PPE factory\n\nHe said he had been \"surprised\" by what parts of his old job he could bring to his new post.\n\n\"A lot in commercial aviation is about awareness - situational awareness - and a lot of that can be built into manufacturing as well,\" he said.\n\n\"When you are talking health and safety around large automated machinery you have to be aware of what things are doing and when and who is doing what.\n\n\"As a pilot - as you might like to think - we have quite a logical way of looking at things. The way we are trained to look at problems is very applicable to manufacturing.\"\n\nAn \"incredible\" summer helped ease the transition from Greece to Moffat\n\nSo how has the transition back to rural Scotland gone?\n\n\"We are so lucky that the summer we had here was quite incredible,\" said Mr Jones.\n\n\"To be out in Moffat, even during lockdown, you can access the hills, you don't have to drive outside a five-mile radius.\n\n\"You can just go out and walk and you will never see a soul.\"\n\nSome things, however, take more getting used to, like his more conventional nine to five day.\n\n\"I think that has probably been the biggest shock to my system, getting into that working routine,\" he said.\n\nAlpha Solway is taking in large numbers of new staff to cope with demand\n\nAlpha Solway secured a major contract to supply the NHS in Scotland earlier this year which has helped to keep Mr Jones \"extremely busy\".\n\nHowever, flying gets \"into your blood\" and he hopes to get back into a plane at some time in the future.\n\n\"My goal is when the jobs start to come - which they will - I will return to the sky in some capacity,\" he said.\n\n\"But it will be a double-edged sword in that I have learned a huge amount here and I have met a lot of very good people.\n\n\"I'm working with a really good team of people here - there are good people here doing a good job and I am helping at least with that.\"", "Disabled workers at one of the UK's oldest charitable enterprises, Clarity, have allegedly been denied £200,000 in wages by the new owner.\n\nThe company produces toiletries and beauty products under the Clarity, Beco and Soap Co brands.\n\nActress Joanna Lumley and Sir Iain Duncan Smith MP have spoken out strongly over the claims.\n\nNicholas Marks, who bought the company last year, says all currently employed staff have been paid.\n\nCommunity, the union which represents Clarity's workers, claims that a number of disabled employees at the firm have not been paid wages and furlough payments.\n\nStephen Steppens says he has received no money since September\n\nStephen Steppens, 60, has been blind since birth, and has worked at Clarity since 1985. He is officially on furlough until his redundancy is completed at the end of January.\n\nHe says he has received no money since September and has been relying on his savings to get by.\n\n\"I loved it,\" he says of working there. Losing the job, and the fight over the organisation's future, have taken a toll on his mental health, he says.\n\n\"I want to see justice done, not just for me, but also for my friends who are visiting food banks.\"\n\nA number of employees have brought successful employment tribunal claims for unauthorised deduction of wages against Clarity, including Mr Steppens. Clarity was ordered to pay him £706. A number of other employment tribunal claims are ongoing, according to Community.\n\nJoanna Lumley, who had been a supporter of Clarity, called it \"the best of the best\" and said she was \"shocked\" to learn of the allegations over treatment of workers. \"Justice must be done as soon as possible,\" she told BBC News.\n\nClarity was founded in 1854 by a wealthy blind woman, Elizabeth Gilbert, as the Association for Promoting the General Welfare of the Blind, to provide opportunities for workers whom other employers overlooked because of their disabilities. Before the takeover, three-quarters of its staff were disabled people.\n\nA factory in London run by General Welfare of the Blind, about 1901\n\nIts supporters and patrons in the past have included Winston Churchill, Charles Dickens and Queen Victoria.\n\nClarity went into administration last year, as it was losing money and unable to fund the hole in its pension scheme, according to a spokesman for the administrators, FRP. In January, it was bought by Nicholas Marks.\n\nSir Iain Duncan Smith, whose London constituency is home to Clarity's headquarters, raised the issue in the House of Commons on 12 January.\n\n\"Staff have failed to receive national insurance contributions, with many failing to receive their wages or support while undertaking childcare,\" he told MPs.\n\n\"The total amount that these decent but very vulnerable people have failed to receive is now around £200,000. They cannot claim benefits because they are essentially employed.\"\n\nCommunity estimates that about 60 former employees of Clarity are still awaiting payment of their wages and furlough payments, most of them disabled workers.\n\nA spokesman for Nicholas Marks said that Sir Iain's remarks were \"highly inaccurate\" and the company \"does not recognise\" the £200,000 figure.\n\n\"The grievances echoed by Sir Iain Duncan Smith simply reflect disgruntled ex-employees. All employees currently working have been paid in full up-to-date and the company is dealing with redundancies and gross misconduct of former employees,\" he said.\n\nCommunity says it is not aware of any staff who have been dismissed for gross misconduct.\n\nThe spokesman for Mr Marks said that Mr Marks had \"saved this historic company from permanent failure\".\n\nHowever, other bids for Clarity were made, including one from the well-known social entrepreneur, Cemal Ezel, who runs the Change Please coffee business, which creates opportunities for homeless people.\n\nHe is still interested in buying the brands, he told BBC News.\n\nThough Mr Ezel's final bid was slightly higher, the administrators' report says they chose to sell to Mr Marks because he was in a better position to complete the deal by 31 January.\n\nMr Marks's spokesman said that he had to make \"some sensible commercial decisions to place it on to a proper business footing and regrettably some staff had to be let go\".\n\nOn Wednesday, Clarity's website was still running the Certified Social Enterprise mark, denoting an organisation devoted to \"creating positive social change\".\n\nThe spokesman said Clarity Products was not a social enterprise and was not \"purporting to clients\" that it was, though it retained the \"social enterprise ethos through the continued employment of fully paid disabled staff\".\n\nWrongly using the logo for nearly a year was \"simply an oversight\", and it is being removed. On Thursday morning, the website was unavailable - the company spokesman said he was not aware why.\n\nIn a response to Sir Iain's query, Treasury Minister Jesse Norman wrote that he had \"specifically asked HMRC to note the circumstances you describe, and to consider whether and how there may be a case for early intervention\".\n\nAnother company owned by Mr Marks, a Preston-based caravan maker called Lunar Automotive, was reported to HMRC by the local MP, Sir Mark Hendrick, for allegedly refusing to pay wages and pension contributions for its workers.\n\nThis company was also bought out of an administration run by FRP.\n\nMr Marks's spokesman was not able to comment in detail on the Lunar Automotive case, but said the company had not heard back from HMRC.", "The Daily Telegraph must publish a correction over a \"significantly misleading\" column written by Toby Young, press regulator Ipso has ruled.\n\nThe July 2020 article claimed the common cold could provide \"natural immunity\" to Covid-19 and London was \"probably approaching herd immunity\".\n\nBut on Thursday Ipso found the paper had \"failed to take care not to publish inaccurate and misleading information\".\n\nIpso said the paper \"did not accept it has breached the [Editors] Code\".\n\nIt said the newspaper said that Young's comments on immunity referred to \"cross-reactive T-cells\" that work to combat the virus.\n\nHowever, the media watchdog sided with the complainant, James Whitehead, in its decision, who said that while these cells \"may lessen the impact of Covid-19\" after infection, they \"would not confer 'natural immunity'\"\n\nThe ruling added Young's statement \"misrepresented the nature of immunity\".\n\nIpso also found Young's suggestion that \"London is probably approaching herd immunity, even though only 17% tested positive [for antibodies] in the most recent seroprevalence survey\" could be misleading.\n\nThere is an antibody response and a cellular response to the coronavirus\n\nThe Telegraph referred to surveys listed in an article on Young's own Lockdown Sceptics website in its defence, but the Ipso committee judged these did not accurately reflect \"how herd immunity is reached and whether it exists in London\".\n\nThe ruling concluded that the paper had breached accuracy standards on a topic of \"public importance\", but deemed a correction an appropriate sanction, given the level of \"significant scientific uncertainty\" at the time of publication.\n\nYoung told the BBC: \"I think Ipso has been put in a difficult position because our scientific understanding of the virus is constantly evolving and there is a great deal about it that scientists still disagree about.\n\n\"While some of the things I wrote in that article would be contested by some scientists, they would be confirmed by others... Have we achieved herd immunity in London? I think that's an open question and the 'case' data is unreliable because of the well-documented shortcomings of the PCR test.\n\n\"I may have been over-emphatic in putting the anti-lockdown case, but it's not as if the advocates of a pro-lockdown position are any less emphatic.\n\n\"Don't forget the WHO initially estimated the global IFR [infection fatality rate] of Covid-19 at 3.4%. The consensus now is that it's less than 1% and almost certainly a lot less. Lots of journalists faithfully reported that alarmist figure. Why hasn't Ipso reprimanded them?\"\n\nLast week Young told BBC Newsnight that some of his claims from an article he wrote in June had been \"wrong\", where he had said a second spike of Covid-19 had \"refused to materialise\" and that one-metre rule is \"unnecessary\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by BBC Newsnight This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nAt the start of the year, Young, an associate editor at The Spectator and general secretary of the Free Speech Union, installed an app that auto-deletes tweets more than a week old.\n\nHe said he did so to protect against \"politically-motivated offence archaeologists\" - a move unrelated to the Ipso ruling.\n\nReacting to criticism of his past comments on coronavirus from Neil O'Brien, Conservative MP for Harborough, Oadby and Wigston, after the deletion, Young then tweeted a defence of his stance against lockdowns.\n\n\"This is an important public debate to have,\" he wrote, \"both because it helps us assess the present government's management of the pandemic and because it will help us prepare better for the next one.\"\n\nThe UK entered a second national lockdown last week in a bid to control spiralling virus infection rates. On Wednesday, the UK saw its biggest daily death figure since the start of the pandemic, with 1,564 deaths.\n\nFollow us on Facebook or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "Police said Graeme Perks had gone to investigate the sound of breaking glass when he was stabbed\n\nPlastic surgeons have expressed shock at the stabbing of \"one of the most highly regarded and respected surgeons\" in their profession.\n\nGraeme Perks, 65, was stabbed in his abdomen and chest during a break-in at his house in Halam, a village near Southwell in Nottinghamshire.\n\nPolice said the attack on Thursday morning had left him \"fighting for his life\" and left his family, who were upstairs at the time, \"extremely upset\".\n\nGraeme Perks has been described as \"one of the most highly regarded and respected surgeons in the profession\"\n\nMr Perks previously served as president of the British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (BAPRAS).\n\nCurrent president Ruth Waters said BAPRAS had been contacted by colleagues all around the world as news of the attack spread.\n\n\"All have expressed their shock at what has happened and also their deep concern for his wellbeing and their hope for his speedy recovery,\" she said.\n\n\"It has been my good fortune and honour to know Graeme for many years. I have benefited from his kindness, generosity and extensive knowledge throughout my career in plastic surgery.\"\n\nBAPRAS described him as \"one of the most highly regarded and respected surgeons in the profession\".\n\nAs well as being a leading plastic surgeon, Mr Perks and his wife have raised thousands of pounds for charity by opening their garden to visitors. They were previously featured on BBC Radio Nottingham after raising more than £34,000.\n\nPolice were still outside the house in Halam more than 24 hours later\n\nPolice said Mr Perks had gone to investigate the sound of breaking glass at about 04:15 GMT, after an intruder is believed to have smashed his way into the house.\n\nThey said Mr Perks was stabbed and the suspect ran off.\n\nMr Perks was taken to the Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham for surgery, where he remains in a serious condition.\n\nDet Insp Gayle Hart, who is leading the investigation, said: \"The swift arrest of this suspect we hope will provide some reassurance to local residents.\n\n\"This is a horrific incident which has left a man fighting for his life and his family who were upstairs at the time are extremely shocked and upset by the ordeal.\"\n\nMr Perks has served as president of the British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (BAPRAS)\n\nMr Perks has previously worked in London, Sheffield, Newcastle and Melbourne, Australia.\n\nHe returned to the UK in the mid-1990s and started working in Nottingham, with a special interest in microsurgical reconstruction after cancer surgery.\n\nHe later became head of the department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Burns Surgery at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust.\n\nOutgoing BAPRAS president Mark Henley said: \"Graeme is an amazing colleague who it has been my pleasure and privilege to work with over the last 26 years.\n\n\"His dedication to patients, family and friends is an inspiration to us all and with his wisdom, kindness and humanity he has enabled us to achieve many things that I would never have thought possible. We are all willing him on.\"\n\nFollow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "The international community has missed previous deadlines on ensuring access to school\n\nBoris Johnson says it is his \"fervent belief\" that improving girls' education in developing countries is the best way to \"lift communities out of poverty\".\n\nThe prime minister has announced MP Helen Grant as a special envoy for efforts to support girls' education.\n\nIt is expected to be a key theme of the UK's presidency this year of the G7 group of major industrial countries.\n\n\"It can change the fortunes of not just individual women and girls, but communities and nations,\" says the PM.\n\nEven before the pandemic, millions of children in developing countries did not have any access to school - and girls from disadvantaged families are particularly vulnerable to missing out on education. whether through poverty or prejudice.\n\nThe Covid pandemic has created even more barriers to education, with a peak of 1.6 billion children around the world having faced school closures.\n\nBoris Johnson wants girls' education to be a focus of the UK's G7 presidency\n\nMr Johnson, as foreign secretary and prime minister, has previously highlighted girls' education as a key to improving the health, wealth and security of the poorest countries.\n\nHe once described it as the \"Swiss army knife\" of development, as getting girls to stay in education could avoid early marriage, improve their chances of getting a job and provide more income for children to be better fed.\n\nThe prime minister said the international target of ensuring all girls can have 12 years of good quality education would be the \"simplest and most transformative thing we can do\" to tackle poverty and to \"end the scourge of gender-based violence\".\n\n\"The benefits of educating girls are enormous - a child whose mother can read is 50% more likely to live past the age of five and twice as likely to attend school themselves. With just one additional school year, a woman's earnings can increase by up to a fifth,\" said Mr Johnson.\n\nHelen Grant, now the special envoy for girls' education, said: \"High quality female education empowers women, reduces poverty and unleashes economic growth.\n\n\"I will be making it my mission to encourage a more ambitious approach to girls' education from the international community.\"\n\nThere has been a series of pledges from the international community over the past three decades to provide at least a primary school education for all children - all of which have been missed.\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer said hosting the G7 should be a chance for the UK to act as a \"moral force for good in the world\", but accused the Conservatives of engaging in \"a decade of global retreat\".\n\n\"We need to seize this chance to lead again, just as Blair and Brown did over global poverty and the financial crisis.\"", "Everyone has heard about doctors and nurses catching Covid-19 but some of the worst affected hospital staff have been cleaners and porters. Dr John Wright of Bradford Royal Infirmary tells the story of a cleaner who became ill, and is now stricken with guilt for taking the virus home.\n\nThe first person I see early each morning when I arrive at the hospital is our cleaner, Karen Smith. During 10 months of uncertainty, Karen has been the one constant, apart from a few weeks in spring, when she was ill with Covid-19.\n\nUsually Karen cleans the offices of the hospital's Institute for Health Research, but in the first wave of the pandemic she was called to the Covid wards. It was a frightening time for everyone, but Karen volunteered for an extra shift on Good Friday as there was a staff shortage - and on that day she thinks she was infected.\n\nWe know that working in hospitals increases your risk of infection by a factor of three, but this risk is not evenly spread. Antibody tests carried out in many NHS hospitals over the summer showed it was not the ICU consultants or infectious \"red zone\" clinical staff who had the highest rate of infection, but porters and cleaners working in those areas. Their risk of infection was double that of their clinical colleagues.\n\nThis heightened risk for hospital staff also applies to their household contacts.\n\nAs she cleaned the hospital in April, Karen was scared not for herself, but for her family. She and her husband, Mal, had moved into a caravan in Mal's parents' garden, while his mother was ill with cancer - and they stayed on after she died, to support Mal's 80-year-old father, Malcolm. Mal, a hospital porter, was shielding because he has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and Malcolm senior was clearly vulnerable because of his age.\n\nStopping work, however, was not a luxury Karen could afford. And unlike some hospital staff who were housed in hotels to protect their families, she went back home every night.\n\nShe became ill towards the end of April, followed by Mal at the beginning of May. The weather was hot, she remembers, as they coughed and wheezed in the caravan.\n\n\"It was like being in a tin box,\" she says. \"I got Covid and couldn't get over it properly. And then Mal got it and his was on another level compared to mine - and then his dad got ill, and that was a different ball game altogether.\"\n\nProf John Wright, a doctor and epidemiologist, is head of the Bradford Institute for Health Research, and a veteran of cholera, HIV and Ebola epidemics in sub-Saharan Africa. He is writing this diary for BBC News and recording from the hospital wards for BBC Radio.\n\nThe couple had to go inside the house to cook and to use the bathroom but did their best to keep away from the elderly Malcolm, who would go into a different room whenever they entered.\n\n\"We tried so, so hard not to give it to him - but then he got ill and he just went to his bed. Honestly, he was just like a little child, under the quilt looking all bewildered. He started with the shivers and we rang 111. They said to bring him to Accident and Emergency to get him tested, and we couldn't believe it when it came back positive,\" Karen says.\n\nLater, he was brought into hospital. I have fond memories of meeting Malcolm on the ward after he was admitted, acutely struggling with symptoms of cough and shortness of breath from his Covid infection. He was a kind and gentle man, stoical and patient.\n\nHe was adamant that he had been careful to keep his distance from Karen and Mal in the house, but admitted wandering over to show them articles in the Telegraph and Argus - Bradford's daily newspaper - whenever I was mentioned in it. I felt strangely culpable that I might have been the cause of the transmission.\n\nMalcolm made a good recovery and was eager to be discharged. But Covid is an unpredictable illness, and it can happen that improvements in a patient's condition are followed by a sharp deterioration. And this is what happened with Malcolm soon after he arrived home.\n\n\"He didn't want to go back into hospital - he said to get him some Tunes because they would help him breathe,\" says Karen. \"But nothing could help him, he was so, so ill. We had to say to him, 'No, you've got Covid and you need proper medical care.' He was such a lovely man, bless him.\"\n\nMalcolm was readmitted after two nights at home and died on 28 May.\n\nMalcolm as he turned 80, visiting his brother in Canada\n\nKaren returned to work. But like many people who have had this illness, she has been suffering the after-effects, both physically and mentally. She's now on an inhaler for breathlessness, can barely taste anything seven months later, and is constantly tired. She is also receiving medication for anxiety because of the fear that she will have to return to the Covid wards, where potentially she could get ill again.\n\nAnd in her case there is the added pain of having lost a loved one, mixed with feelings of guilt.\n\n\"When I start to think about him the tears come and sometimes I'll be crying almost all day - cleaning and crying. If I'm having a bad day, I won't be able to talk,\" she says.\n\n\"The guilt is always there, as I'll never know for sure where he picked it up. Mal's dad didn't set foot out of the door, and so in my head I feel such guilt, because we had to go into the house, we didn't have any choice. I go over it all but it's hard to escape from, because I got it, Mal got it and then his Dad got it. Deep down I think that's what's happened, and it will take time to come to terms with.\"\n\nKaren has been referred for counselling, but there is a long waiting list.\n\nBoth Karen and Mal also had to wait for the vaccine, though both had it on Wednesday. This was a huge relief for Karen, as anything that reduces her chance of reinfection also helps her cope with her anxiety. If NHS trusts are serious about following the science then arguably they should be vaccinating cleaners and porters first.\n\nThe fear of transmitting the virus to our loved ones at home is the ghost that haunts all front-line staff. Many went into isolation during the first wave, but this was never a sustainable approach, and with a virus that is so contagious and an environment in which it is so prevalent, transmission to family members is unfortunately common.\n\nKaren and Mal personify this occupational risk, and its potential deadly impact.", "Doctors and nurses need protection from prosecution over Covid-19 treatment decisions made under the pressures of the pandemic, medical bodies have said.\n\nGroups including the British Medical Association have written to ministers saying medical workers fear they could be at risk of unlawful killing charges.\n\nIt comes as the UK's chief medical officers said the NHS could be overwhelmed in weeks.\n\nThe government said staff should not have to fear legal action.\n\nThe letter from the health organisations points out that the prime minister warned in November that the NHS being overwhelmed would be a \"medical and moral disaster\", where \"doctors and nurses could be forced to choose which patients to treat, who would live and who would die\".\n\nIt said: \"With the chief medical officers now determining that there is a material risk of the NHS being overwhelmed within weeks, our members are worried that not only do they face being put in this position but also that they could subsequently be vulnerable to a criminal investigation by the police.\"\n\nCo-ordinated by the Medical Protection Society (MPS), the letter was signed by the British Medical Association, the Doctors' Association UK, the Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association, the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, the British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin and Medical Defence Shield.\n\nIt calls for emergency legislation to protect doctors and nurses from \"inappropriate\" legal action when dealing with circumstances outside their control.\n\nExisting guidance for doctors and nurses on when to administer or withdraw treatment does not give legal protection, the letter says.\n\nIt also says the guidance does not consider the circumstances of the pandemic where demand for healthcare may outstrip supply.\n\n\"The first concern of a doctor is their patients and providing the highest standard of care at all times,\" the medical bodies said.\n\n\"We do not believe it is right that healthcare professionals should suffer from the moral injury and long-term psychological damage that could result from having to make decisions on how limited resources are allocated, while at the same time being left vulnerable to the risk of prosecution for unlawful killing.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. What does it mean if the NHS is overwhelmed?\n\nThe medical organisations said no healthcare professional should be \"above the law\" and that the emergency legislation should only apply to decisions made \"in good faith\" and \"in circumstances beyond their control and in compliance with relevant guidance\".\n\nThey said the change in the law should be temporary and should apply retrospectively from the start of the pandemic.\n\nMedical staff in the NHS are protected financially from clinical negligence claims by indemnity schemes where the state pays the costs of claims.\n\nBut if someone dies as a result of a lack of treatment, doctors and nurses fear prosecutors could bring charges such as gross negligence manslaughter, which can carry a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.\n\nEarlier this month, a survey by the MPS of 2,420 of its members found that 61% were concerned about facing an investigation following a decision made in a high-pressure situation.\n\nAbout 36% were concerned about being investigated for a decision to withdraw or withhold life-prolonging treatment due to pressure on resources during the pandemic.\n\nA Department of Health and Social Care spokesman said: \"Dedicated frontline NHS staff should be able to focus on treating patients and saving lives during the pandemic without fear of legal action.\"\n\nNHS staff have been told that existing indemnity arrangements will continue and will cover \"the vast majority of liabilities\", the spokesman said.", "Scottish fishermen have resorted to sailing to Denmark to land their catch as Brexit red tape continues to delay exports, an industry body has said.\n\nThe Scottish Fishermen's Federation, which campaigned to leave the EU, also said the Brexit trade deal was the worst of both worlds for the industry.\n\nMany fishermen \"now fear for their future\", it said.\n\nThe UK government said the deal would \"bring immediate gains to our fishermen and women across the whole UK\".\n\nLate last year, the Scottish Fishermen's Federation (SFF) said it was \"deeply aggrieved\" by the Brexit deal.\n\nFishing firms have also warned of impending bankruptcy as delays continue at ports following the introduction of post-Brexit regulations.\n\nOn Friday, the SFF kept up the pressure on the UK government.\n\nIn a letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, it said some fishermen \"are now making a 72-hour round trip to land fish in Denmark, as the only way to guarantee that their catch will make a fair price and actually find its way to market while still fresh enough to meet customer demands\".\n\nQuotas are used by many countries to manage shared fish stocks. They determine how many fish of each species each country's fleets are allowed to catch.\n\nThe SFF said that Brexit quota gains \"can hardly be claimed as a resounding success\" and that the Brexit deal \"actually leaves the Scottish industry in a worse position on more than half of the key stocks\".\n\n\"This industry now finds itself in the worst of both worlds,\" said SFF chief executive Elspeth Macdonald, accusing Prime Minister Boris Johnson of broken promises on quotas.\n\nThe \"desperately poor deal\" reached on quotas, under which the EU \"have full access to our waters\" means that the UK has \"no ability to leverage more fish from the EU\", she said.\n\n\"This, coupled with the chaos experienced since 1 January in getting fish to market, means that many in our industry now fear for their future, rather than look forward to it with optimism and ambition,\" Ms Macdonald added.\n\nThe Scottish National Party said the letter was \"an utterly devastating verdict on Brexit from Scotland's fishing industry\".\n\nAn SNP spokesperson said the Scottish fishing industry was \"right to be angry\" about the Brexit deal, which it said was costing Scotland's fishing communities millions of pounds.\n\nThe spokesman called on the prime minister to deliver \"a multi-billion pound package of Brexit compensation for Scotland\", adding: \"Communities across Scotland will never forgive the Tories for the damage they are doing to our country with their extreme Brexit obsession.\"\n\nA UK government spokesperson said the Prime Minister would respond to the SFF letter in due course.\n\nThe spokesperson said: \"We have now taken back control of our waters and the agreement we have reached with the EU secures a 25% transfer of quota from EU to UK vessels over five years, starting with 15% this year.\"\n\nThe spokesperson said the government was looking at providing additional financial support for the Scottish fishing industry, which it recognised was facing \"some temporary issues\".\n\n\"The Prime Minister has already committed to investing £100m in the UK's fishing industry and provided the Scottish government with nearly £200m to minimise disruption for businesses,\" the spokesperson added.", "Louis Godwin said receiving the vaccine was \"no trouble at all\" and encouraged others to have it as soon as they could\n\nSalisbury Cathedral has been transformed into a vaccination centre with an RAF veteran being one of the first to receive the Covid-19 jab.\n\nFormer Flight Sergeant Louis Godwin, 95, gave a thumbs-up after being vaccinated in the cathedral, which dates back more than 800 years.\n\n\"I was so pleased to get it, especially in a setting like this,\" he said.\n\nOrganisers were aiming to vaccinate 1,000 people aged over 80 with the Pfizer/BioNTech jab on Saturday.\n\nPeople queuing to receive their vaccines at Salisbury Cathedral on Saturday\n\nMr Godwin, a great-grandfather of 12, joined the RAF aged 18 in 1943 and served as an air gunner during World War Two.\n\n\"I've had many jabs in my time, especially in the RAF. After the war, I was sent to Egypt and I had a couple of jabs which knocked me over for a week,\" he said.\n\n\"This one, the doctor said to me 'well that's done' and I thought he hadn't started. So it's no trouble at all and no pain.\"\n\nA health worker prepares the vaccine to be administered at the cathedral\n\nStella Bennett, 88, said she felt \"safer\" after receiving the jab.\n\n\"It was easy. I live on my own so it has been hard but I've managed. At least I'm at home and not in hospital with it,\" she said.\n\nDerek Burnett was also among those inoculated against the virus on Saturday.\n\n\"I feel unbelievably relieved as lockdown has been a big strain. It takes a big weight off my mind,\" said the 81-year-old.\n\nOrganisers hoped to vaccinate 1,000 people aged over 80 during the day\n\nThe Very Rev Nicholas Papadopulos, Dean of Salisbury described the vaccines as \"a real sign of hope for us at the end of this very, very difficult year\".\n\n\"I doubt that anyone is having a jab in surroundings that are more beautiful than this so I hope it will ease people as they come into the building,\" he said.\n\nThe Very Rev Nicholas Papadopulos, Dean of Salisbury, described hosting the event as \"absolutely wonderful\"\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Parts of the UK were blanketed in snow on Saturday as forecasters warned of the potential for disruption.\n\nEast Anglia woke up to a thick layer that had settled overnight and there were warnings that rural communities could be \"cut off\", with up to 8cm (3in) of snow forecast.\n\nPeople in eastern England were warned to expect power cuts and travel delays.\n\nHowever, by midday snow had stopped falling across most parts of the UK, replaced by rain and sleet in places.\n\nSome further light snow is still expected in the hills and mountains of Scotland.\n\nParts of Wales and Northern Ireland were mostly cloudy, with some bands of rain in the northern regions.\n\nThe Met Office had predicted between 4-8cm (1.5-3in) of snow could fall in the worst-affected regions, and warned drivers to accelerate their cars \"gently\" and leave a large gap between surrounding vehicles.\n\nBut the worst of the wintry weather has passed and earlier amber and yellow weather warnings have been cancelled.\n\nA man trekking through the snow at a golf course in Gleneagles\n\nGreg Dewhurst, a Met Office forecaster, said earlier that Saturday was expected to be the colder of the two days over the weekend.\n\nHe said: \"Temperatures are unlikely to rise above 10C, with a lot of areas closer to freezing.\"\n\nThere were also 25 flood warnings across England on Saturday\n\nLuke Miall, meteorologist at the Met Office, said earlier patches of snow could reach parts of Greater London.\n\nHe said the snow had the potential to cause some \"fairly significant disruption\".\n\nThere were also 22 flood warnings across England on Saturday, stretching from the South East to the North East, meaning \"immediate action is required\", according to the Environment Agency.\n\nThis is expected to clear up in the evening, going into Sunday, when southern and eastern parts of the UK will see dry, sunny spells.\n\nNorth-western regions are expected to see showers, with a \"spell of more persistent rain\" later on in the day.\n\nThe coronavirus vaccine rollout has been affected by the weather.\n\nOn Friday, over-80s who were due to receive their jab at Newcastle's Centre for Life were told they could rebook rather than risk making a trip in the icy conditions.\n\nAnd Leeds University has delayed the opening of its asymptomatic Covid-19 test centre.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Prime Minister Boris Johnson: \"We will temporarily close all travel corridors from 0400 on Monday\"\n\nThe UK is to close all travel corridors from Monday morning to \"protect against the risk of as yet unidentified new strains\" of Covid, the PM has said.\n\nAnyone flying into the country from overseas will have to show proof of a negative Covid test before setting off.\n\nIt comes as a ban on travellers from South America and Portugal came into force on Friday over concerns about a new variant identified in Brazil.\n\nBoris Johnson said the new rules would be in place until at least 15 February.\n\nA further 1,280 people with coronavirus have died in the UK within 28 days of a positive test, taking the total to 87,291.\n\nThe latest government figures on Friday also showed another 55,761 new cases had been reported - up from 48,682 the previous day.\n\nMeanwhile, more than two million people around the world have now died with the virus since the pandemic began, according to figures from Johns Hopkins University.\n\nSpeaking at a Downing Street press conference, the prime minister said it was \"vital\" to take extra measures now \"when day by day we are making such strides in protecting the population\".\n\n\"It's precisely because we have the hope of that vaccine and the risk of new strains coming from overseas that we must take additional steps now to stop those strains from entering the country.\"\n\nAll travel corridors will close from 04:00 GMT on Monday. After that, arrivals to the UK will need to quarantine for up to 10 days, unless they test negative after five days.\n\nMr Johnson, who said the rules would apply across the UK after talks with the devolved administrations, added that the government would be stepping up enforcement at the border and in the country.\n\nTravel corridors were introduced in the summer to allow people travelling from some countries with low numbers of Covid cases to come to the UK without having to quarantine on arrival.\n\nTrade body Airlines UK said it supported the latest restrictions \"on the assumption\" that the government would remove them \"when it is safe to do so\".\n\nChief executive Tim Alderslade said travel corridors were \"a lifeline for the industry\" last summer but \"things change and there's no doubting this is a serious health emergency\".\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer said it was the \"right step\" but called the timing of the decision \"slow again\", adding that the public would be thinking \"why on earth didn't this happen before\".\n\nThe prime minister warned that the NHS was facing \"extraordinary pressures\", having had the highest number of hospital admissions on a single day of the pandemic earlier this week.\n\nHe said that came on Tuesday when there were 4,134 new admissions, while the UK currently has more than 37,000 Covid patients in hospitals.\n\nMr Johnson said that once the most vulnerable have been vaccinated by mid-February \"we will think about what steps we could take to lift the restrictions\".\n\nEngland is currently under a national lockdown, meaning people must stay at home and can go out only for limited reasons such as food shopping, exercise, or work if they cannot do so from home.\n\nSimilar measures are in place across much of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.\n\nAlso speaking at the No 10 briefing, England's chief medical officer Prof Chris Whitty said the restrictions would need to be lifted gradually by \"testing what works, and then if that works going the next step\".\n\nHe said the peak of people entering hospital would be in the next week to 10 days for most places, but \"we hope\" the peak of infections \"already has happened\" in the south-east, east and London.\n\n\"The peak of deaths I fear is in the future, the peak of hospitalisations in some parts of the country may be around about now and beginning to come off the very, very top,\" he said.\n\nA ban on travellers from South America, Portugal and Cape Verde entering the UK came into force on Friday morning as a result of a new, potentially more infectious variant of coronavirus linked to Brazil.\n\nThe government's chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance told the press briefing that some of the new variants may be able to \"get round\" the Covid vaccines but it was \"really quite easy\" to adjust the vaccines to deal with mutations in the virus.\n\nNew variants causing concern have previously been identified in the UK and South Africa, with many countries imposing restrictions on arrivals from both nations.\n\nPublic Health England said a total of 35 genomically confirmed and 12 genomically probable cases of the Covid-19 variant which originated in South Africa have been identified in the UK as of 14 January.\n\nEarlier, a leading scientist said one of the two variants first detected in Brazil had been found in the UK - but not the variant that was causing concern.\n\n\"I think it is likely that the vaccine we have now is going to protect against the UK variant and is going to provide protection I suspect against the other variants as well,\" said Sir Patrick. \"The question is to what degree.\"\n\nLatest figures show that more than three million people in the UK have now received the first dose of a vaccine - 3,234,946 - an increase of 316,694 from the previous day.\n\nSir Patrick said he expected the vaccines would reduce transmission of the virus but that \"we shouldn't go mad\" as jabs are rolled out because a risk would remain.\n\n\"Just because you've been vaccinated doesn't mean you can't catch this and pass it on, it means you're protected against severe disease,\" he added.\n\nMeanwhile, the latest estimate of the UK's R number - which is the number of people that one infected person will pass on a virus to on average - is 1.2 to 1.3, compared with 1-1.4 last week.\n\nBut in London, where tight restrictions came in earlier, the R number is lower - between 0.9 and 1.2.\n\nIn Wales, new laws for shoppers and staff are to be introduced after \"significant evidence\" coronavirus is being spread in supermarkets.\n\nAre you due to travel back to the UK from overseas? Share your experiences. Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "The French government has imposed a nationwide curfew from 6pm - 6am to fight the surge in cases of coronavirus.\n\nWhile some departments were already under these restrictions, the majority of France was under an 8pm - 6am curfew.\n\nFrench Prime Minister Jean Castex said the measures would be in place for at least 15 days.", "Northern Ireland's statistics agency has recorded its highest weekly Covid-19 related registered deaths since the pandemic began.\n\nNisra said 145 deaths were registered in the first week of 2021, although administrative delays over Christmas may have affected the number.\n\nThat brings the agency's death toll to 1,976 by 8 January.\n\nThe figures come as the chief medical officers from NI and the Republic issued a joint stay-at-home plea.\n\nDr Michael McBride and Dr Tony Holohan said they were \"gravely concerned\" about the \"unsustainably high level of Covid-19 infection\" across the island of Ireland.\n\nConcern was raised in the Republic of Ireland this week as figures showed it has the world's highest number of confirmed new Covid-19 cases per million people.\n\nOn Friday evening, the Irish Department of Health reported 50 further deaths with Covid-19 and 3,498 new cases of the virus. More than half (54%) of those newly diagnosed are under the age of 45.\n\nNorthern Ireland is in the third week of a six-week lockdown, with ministers scheduled to review measures next week.\n\nHowever, health officials have warned that an extension of the restrictions could be required to reduce pressure on the health service.\n\nOf the 2,019 deaths recorded by Nisra by 8 January, 1,247 (62%) occurred in hospital, 622 (31%) in care homes, 12 (0.6%) in hospices and 138 (7%) at residential addresses or other locations.\n\nPeople aged 75 and over account for just over three-quarters of all Covid-19 related registered deaths (77.6%) between 19 March 2020 and 8 January 2021.\n\nJust over a fifth (22.2%) of all Covid-19 related registered deaths have been of people with an address in the Belfast council area.\n\nMeanwhile, the Department of Health reported 26 further Covid-related deaths on Friday.\n\nFive of these deaths did not occur in the past 24 hours.\n\nThe Department of Health bases its figures on a positive test result being recorded, whereas Nisra figures are based on mentions of the virus on death certificates, so people may or may not have been confirmed to have contracted the virus prior to death.\n\nA further 1,052 individuals have tested positive for Covid-19 and 63 patients are being treated in intensive care units, 47 of whom are on ventilators.\n\nThe chief medical officers warned the high infection rate was having a \"significant impact\" on the health of the population and the \"safe functioning\" of the healthcare systems.\n\nThey said the public should avoid all unnecessary journeys, including cross-border travel.\n\nPointing out that many of the patients admitted to hospital in January have been younger than 65, they warned coronavirus could affect anyone, \"regardless of age or underlying condition\".\n\n\"It highlights the need for us all to protect one another by staying at home,\" said the medical officers.\n\nNorthern Ireland's spike in infections has been put down to an easing of restrictions over Christmas.\n\nAsked if he regretted being part of the decision to ease restrictions, Health Minister Robin Swann said the executive had tried to be balanced in its approach.\n\n\"I regret the pressures we see now in our hospitals, but let's remember it's caused by this virus, we have it in our power to bring it back under control and get us back to where we were in the summer,\" he told BBC News NI on Friday.\n\nMr Swann pleaded with people to follow the current restrictions.\n\n\"We're in the middle of a very tough six-week scenario, and how we come out of this will be a more graduated approach to make sure we get the benefits of what we've already done, and also the benefits of the vaccine.\"", "Holiday firms say they are expecting more people to take holidays in the UK this year\n\nStaycations are expected to boom in 2021 after lockdown ends, UK holiday firms have said.\n\nBosses at the Caravan and Motorhome Club said the lifting of restrictions would be like \"a cork popping from a bottle\".\n\nDirector general Nick Lomas said although coronavirus had hit the industry hard, they were optimistic about the coming season.\n\nOther firms said they also expected more people to holiday in the UK.\n\nMr Lomas said: \"2020 was a very difficult year for the tourism and hospitality sector.\"\n\nThe West Sussex-based Caravan and Motorhome Club had suffered \"significant financial losses\", he said.\n\nHowever, he added: \"When our campsites were allowed to be open last year we actually saw record levels of bookings, with new memberships up by 14%.\n\n\"Sadly, this surge does not make up for the losses we suffered during nearly six months of lockdown.\"\n\nDuring the first lockdown popular resorts like Skegness were largely deserted\n\nBut, despite the current restrictions, Mr Lomas said he had every reason to believe this year could finish as one of \"the best and busiest yet\", due to the appetite for outdoor UK holidays.\n\n\"In fact, we think that 2021 is going to be like a cork popping from a bottle,\" he said.\n\nOperators say people are keen to experience the \"great outdoors\" once restrictions are lifted\n\nExperience Freedom, which operates glamping holidays in the UK, said bookings for 2021 were already up as people looked to spend more time in the \"great outdoors\".\n\nLincoln-based Anne's Vans said they were expecting a \"bumper year\"\n\nSmaller operators such as Anne's Vans, based in Lincoln, are also expecting to benefit.\n\nOwner Anne Davies said so far they had no bookings, saying \"uncertainty over when lockdown will end\" was putting people off at the moment.\n\nHowever, she said: \"Based on last year's experience we are expecting a bumper year in 2021... once this latest lockdown is over.\"\n\nThe Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority said it was inundated with visitors after restrictions were lifted last year\n\nThe chief executive of the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, David Butterworth, said visitor numbers after the first lockdown ended were \"unprecedented\".\n\n\"The challenge for 2021 is to capitalise on this trend, and capture the hearts and minds of the people who have experienced the Dales for the first time to make sure they keep coming back,\" he added.", "Boris Johnson has said there is still a very substantial risk of intensive care units in hospitals being overwhelmed by the spread of the coronavirus.\n\nIt comes on a day when the UK has recorded the highest number of deaths in a single day in Europe.\n\nFergal Keane last visited the Imperial Healthcare Trust’s St Mary’s and Charing Cross hospital in London last April.\n\nHe's been back to see how they're coping.", "Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Saturday morning. We'll have another update for you on Sunday.\n\nThe UK will face short-term delays in delivery of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine, as the pharmaceutical company makes modifications to its plant in Belgium. But the government says it still plans on achieving its target of vaccinating all top four priority groups by 15 February. Six EU nations have called the situation \"unacceptable\" and warned it \"decreases the credibility of the vaccination process\". Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia urged the EU to apply pressure on Pfizer-BioNTech. Pfizer says the reduced deliveries are a temporary issue, and the changes being made to its plant will speed up production in the longer term. So will a vaccine give us our old lives back?\n\nNew tighter Covid restrictions have come into force in Scotland with changes for takeaway outlets and click and collect shopping. Among the six new rules announced by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, customers buying takeaway food and coffee are no longer allowed inside premises, and staff must serve from a hatch or doorway. Plus, only retailers selling essential items - clothing, footwear, baby equipment, homeware and books - can now provide click and collect services. Customer collections can only be made outdoors, with staggered pick-up times to avoid queues.\n\nEveryone has heard about doctors and nurses catching Covid-19, but some of the worst affected hospital staff have been cleaners and porters. Dr John Wright of Bradford Royal Infirmary tells the story of a cleaner who became ill while doing her job, and is now stricken with guilt for taking the virus home.\n\nIt is almost a month since Christmas was \"downsized\" across the country. But in most parts of the UK, people did meet in Christmas \"bubbles\" if only for just one day. So what impact did this have? The overall picture shows a sharp increase in cases around this time. However, a closer look at the numbers suggests this trend was already happening and was probably caused by the new, more infectious variant of the virus rather than increased contact between people. Take a closer look at what happened over Christmas.\n\nYou can find more information, advice and guides on our coronavirus page.\n\nAnd if you're wondering whether you can catch the virus outside, our science editor David Shukman considers the risks.\n\nWhat questions do you have about coronavirus?\n\nIn some cases, your question will be published, displaying your name, age and location as you provide it, unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published. Please ensure you have read our terms & conditions and privacy policy.\n\nUse this form to ask your question:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or send them via email to YourQuestions@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any question you send in.", "Louis Godwin descibed the vaccine as \"no trouble at all\" Image caption: Louis Godwin descibed the vaccine as \"no trouble at all\"\n\nAn RAF veteran has been among hundreds of people over 80 to receive the Covid-19 vaccine at Salisbury Cathedral, in Wiltshire, today.\n\nFormer Flight Sergeant Louis Godwin described receiving the Pfizer/BioNTech jab as \"absolutely marvellous\".\n\nThe landmark cathedral is hosting a vaccination hub for five GP surgeries in the area, with the aim of vaccinating more than 1,000 elderly residents and staff.\n\nMr Godwin recalled having jabs in Egypt after the war \"which knocked me over for a week\".\n\n\"This one, the doctor said to me 'well that's done' - and I thought he hadn't started!\"\n\nThe veteran pilot, who has 12 great-grandchildren, said the pandemic could not be compared to the war.\n\n\"It was entirely different because this has divided people.\n\n\"The vaccine is nothing, you don't feel a thing... so anybody that needs one and can get one, I would say go ahead and do it quickly.\n\n\"It's the only way we're going to beat the virus.\"\n\nPatients queued for a short time around the cloisters on Saturday, before going into the cathedral where they were treated to a programme of music on the famous Father Willis organ.\n\n\"It is a bonus to be in such a iconic, wonderful place,\" said Dr Dan Henderson, co-clinical director for the Sarum South Primary Care Network.\n\n\"It's great to be getting the vaccine out there and getting them in people's arms and knowing that this is hopefully the start of some sort of normality again.\"", "Last updated on .From the section Cricket\n\nLahiru Thirimanne's unbeaten 76 frustrated England as Sri Lanka fought back on the third day of the first Test in Galle.\n\nBowled out for 135 in the first innings, Sri Lanka showed great spirit to reach 156-2 - trailing by 130 - after England had posted 421.\n\nJoe Root progressed to a magnificent fourth Test double century before he was last man out for 228 as England lost their last six wickets for 49 runs.\n\nSam Curran and Jack Leach took a wicket apiece in Sri Lanka's second innings, but off-spinner Dom Bess rarely threatened on a pitch that has offered assistance to spin since day one.\n\nKusal Perera contributed 62 to an opening stand of 101 with the patient Thirimanne, who was dropped on 51 by Dom Sibley at gully as he compiled his highest Test score since 2013.\n\nThe left-hander will resume alongside nightwatchman Lasith Embuldeniya at 04:15 GMT on Sunday.\n\nEngland all-rounder Moeen Ali, who tested positive for coronavirus upon arrival in Sri Lanka, spent time at the ground in the afternoon after finishing his quarantine period.\n\nFor the first time in two years, England failed to take a wicket in the first 30 overs - with seamers Curran, Stuart Broad and Mark Wood finding the going tough given the minimal swing or seam movement on offer.\n\nHowever, credit must be paid to the Sri Lanka openers. Thirimanne and Perera were criticised for their first-innings failures, but their century stand was the first time in six Tests that a Sri Lanka opening pair had survived longer than 10 overs.\n\nPerera showed restraint - he scored at a strike-rate of 57, compared to 74 over his Test career - but hit Leach over mid-wicket for six and swept and also drove well before slapping a Curran long hop to wide third man.\n\nThirimanne, who averaged 22 in 70 Test innings before this match, was happy to play second fiddle to Perera, although he did find the leg-side boundary with flicks and sweeps.\n\nHaving taken 5-30 in the first innings, Bess failed to maintain a consistent length and allowed Thirimanne and Perera to play off the back foot too often.\n\nLeft-arm spinner Leach, who bowled more accurately, failed with a review for lbw against Thirimanne on 61 before having Kusal Mendis caught behind off a beautiful delivery that turned and bounced in what proved to be the penultimate over of the day.\n\nResuming on 168, Root reached his fourth Test double century with the minimum of fuss.\n\nHe showed more intent than on day two - when he was happy for debutant Dan Lawrence to take more risks - hitting the third ball of the day to the cover boundary before driving down the ground for six.\n\nIt was almost fitting that Root reached 200 with a sweep for four - it was a productive shot throughout his innings, with 88 runs coming via sweeps and reverse sweeps.\n\nIn his 321-ball innings Root became the eighth Englishman to pass 8,000 Test runs - in 178 innings, two more than Kevin Pietersen, who holds the record.\n\nEngland passed 400 in the first innings for the sixth time in their past 12 Tests, having failed to do so in their previous 23.\n\nBut they lost their last six wickets in 13 overs as they chased quick runs, possibly with an eye on the rain forecast later in the game.\n\nSri Lanka were much more disciplined than on the previous two days, with pace bowler Asitha Fernando impressing, while off-spinner Dilruwan Perera mopped up the tail to finish with 4-109.\n• 372-6: Sam Curran is bowled first ball as Fernando gets one to nip back and crash into off stump.\n• 382-7: Dom Bess disagrees and is well short of his ground, a third wicket to fall in 12 balls.\n• 398-8: Jack Leach is trapped lbw for four by Dilruwan Perera.\n• 406-9: Mark Wood toe-ends a sweep straight up in the air to be caught by Niroshan Dickwella off Dilruwan Perera.\n• 421 all out: Joe Root holes out on the mid-wicket boundary.\n\n'Chasing anything will be tricky' - reaction\n\nEngland captain Joe Root on BBC Test Match Special: \"It feels good to be in the position we are.\n\n\"It would have been nice to get a couple more wickets tonight but that one late on is a real bonus for us.\n\n\"It gives us a great opportunity in morning to apply a lot of pressure and hammer home what is a strong advantage in this game.\"\n\nEngland all-rounder Sam Curran: \"It is a strange looking wicket. It played a bit better than we thought this evening.\n\n\"It didn't offer much for the seamers and there was real slow turn for the spinners. The two openers played really well.\"\n\nFormer England captain Michael Vaughan: \"Sri Lanka came back really well - they have shown fight and discipline.\n\n\"If Sri Lanka bat the whole day tomorrow things will get interesting. Chasing anything on last day becomes tricky.\n\n\"I expect England will take eight wickets tomorrow and win the game.\"\n\nFormer England batter Ebony Rainford-Brent: \"Sri Lanka really have fought back well. It is good to see.\n\n\"If weather plays a factor and there is some resistance from the lower order this could bubble into an exciting finish.\"\n• None Hear how David Bowie always managed to stay ahead of his time\n• None Joe Wicks and guests are here to bring positivity to your day", "The funeral of Gerry and the Pacemakers singer Gerry Marsden has been held at a church near his beloved River Mersey.\n\nMarsden died, aged 78, in hospital on 3 January following a blood infection.\n\nAs the frontman in the band Gerry and the Pacemakers, his hits included Ferry Cross The Mersey and a cover version of You'll Never Walk Alone.\n\nEx-Liverpool boss Sir Kenny Dalglish was among the mourners at the funeral which had to remain small because of Covid restrictions.\n\nSir Kenny managed the club at the time of the 1989 Hillsborough disaster, which led to the deaths of 96 fans who were attending an FA Cup game between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest.\n\nGerry Marsden sings You'll Never Walk Alone before an Anfield match in 2010\n\nSir Kenny said: \"You'll Never Walk Alone has huge meaning to the lives of Liverpool supporters around the world and is synonymous with the club.\n\n\"He will be sadly missed by those who knew him and the millions he never got to meet.\"\n\nYou'll Never Walk Alone became a football terrace anthem for Marsden's hometown club soon after it topped the charts in 1963.\n\nThe song was played during the funeral by a guitarist while a version of Marsden singing Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying, a song he wrote for his wife Pauline, also featured.\n\nShe said: \"We, his family, are totally devastated and have been so moved and amazed at the extent of the respect, love and affection received from all over the world.\n\n\"When the time is right and we have come out of this terrible pandemic we hope a fitting memorial can be held for him in the city he loved so much.\"\n\nGerry and the Pacemakers was one of the biggest British bands in the 1960s\n\nReferring to the lyrics from Ferry Cross the Mersey, close friend Arthur Johnson said: \"He lived close to the banks of the Mersey for all his life and as the words of his song say: 'This land's the place I love and here I'll stay'.\"\n\nLiverpool City Region mayor Steve Rotheram said: \"I feel privileged he let me into his life, although that makes his passing even more painful.\"\n\nIn 1962, Beatles manager Brian Epstein signed up Gerry and the Pacemakers and, a year later, they became the first band to have their first three songs top the charts - How Do You Do It, I Like It and You'll Never Walk Alone.\n\nA flag on the Royal Iris Mersey ferry flew at half mast after the death of Gerry Marsden\n\nThey were one of the successes of the Merseybeat era, with former Beatles star Sir Paul McCartney saying at the time of Marsden's death that: \"Gerry was a mate from our early days in Liverpool\".\n\n\"He and his group were our biggest rivals on the local scene.\"", "Work to restore hundreds of thousands of fingerprint, DNA and arrest records accidentally wiped from police databases is ongoing, the Home Office has said.\n\nAround 400,000 records were lost, according to The Times, which first reported the story.\n\nThe Home Office did not comment on how many records were likely to be restored, or how long it would take.\n\nHome Secretary Priti Patel said the issue was \"a result of human error\".\n\nData was wiped from the Police National Computer (PNC) - which stores and shares criminal records information across the UK - after being inadvertently flagged for deletion.\n\nThe PNC is used in police investigations and provides real-time checks on people, vehicles and crimes, as well as whether suspects are wanted for any unsolved offences.\n\nThe coding that caused the problem was introduced in November 2020, and the deletions started earlier this week.\n\nInitially, it was thought some 150,000 records were lost, but it since has emerged the number could be significantly higher.\n\nCommenting on the error, Ms Patel said: \"Engineers continue to work to restore data lost as a result of human error during a routine housekeeping process earlier this week.\n\n\"I continue to be in regular contact with the team, and working with our policing partners, we will provide an update as soon as we can.\"\n\nEarlier, Labour shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds called on Ms Patel to take responsibility for the error and be clear about the impact it had had.\n\nSpeaking on BBC Breakfast, he described the situation as \"extraordinarily serious\", adding: \"Priti Patel will be responsible for criminals walking free.\n\n\"We're not going to be able to link suspects to crime scenes without the DNA and fingerprint evidence.\"\n\nThe National Police Chiefs' Council said the lost data had resulted in a couple of \"near misses\" for serious crimes when trying to identify an offender.\n\nPolicing minister Kit Malthouse insisted the affected records \"apply to cases where individuals were arrested and then released with no further action\".\n\nHe added: \"We are working to recover the affected records as a priority. While we do so, the Police National Computer is functioning and the police are taking steps to mitigate any impact.\"", "Mr Laschet is now in a good position to stand for German chancellor\n\nCentrist Armin Laschet has been elected leader of Germany's Christian Democrats (CDU), the party of Chancellor Angela Merkel.\n\nMr Laschet, premier of North Rhine-Westphalia state, defeated two rivals in the party's virtual conference.\n\nHe is now in a good position in the race to succeed Mrs Merkel when she steps down as German chancellor in September, after 16 years in office.\n\nBut he faces a changed political landscape following the Covid pandemic.\n\nMr Laschet, 59, defeated conservative businessman Friedrich Merz in a run-off vote by 521 votes to 466. A third candidate, Norbert Röttgen, was eliminated in the previous round.\n\nHe replaces as chair of the party Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, who failed to live up to her billing as Mrs Merkel's appointed successor after taking office more than two years ago.\n\nGermany goes to the polls in September, but the CDU leader is not guaranteed to become its candidate for chancellor.\n\nHealth Minister Jens Spahn, who has been elected as one of Mr Laschet's deputies, and Markus Söder, leader of the CDU's Bavarian sister party the CSU, could also step into the ring, though neither has yet said that they want the job.\n\nA final decision will be made in the spring.\n\nMr Laschet is a loyal supporter of Mrs Merkel, and said during the campaign that a change of direction for the party would \"send exactly the wrong signal\".\n\nIn his victory speech, he said: \"I want to do everything so that we can stick together through this year... and then make sure that the next chancellor in the federal elections will be from the [CDU/CSU] union.\"\n\nArmin Laschet is a short, cheerful chap. The popular premier of Germany's most populous state, North Rhine-Westphalia, he throws himself with gusto into traditional carnival celebrations.\n\nHe touts himself as a continuity candidate and, for a time at least, was thought to have been Angela Merkel's preferred candidate. He defended her stance during the 2015 refugee crisis and is known for his liberal politics, passion for the EU and ability to connect with immigrant communities.\n\nBut his call for an early relaxation of Covid restrictions last spring surprised many and reportedly infuriated Mrs Merkel. He has since retreated from that position but he's had to work to repair the damage to his political credibility.\n\nThe big question now is whether the CDU will put him up as their chancellor candidate in September's general election.\n\nGerman Health Minister Jens Spahn - who supported Mr Laschet in his leadership bid - is thought to harbour ambitions to the chancellory. And recent opinion polls suggest that Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder would be a popular choice too.", "The US is in a race to vaccinate its population amid a winter surge\n\nA highly contagious coronavirus variant first detected in the UK could become the dominant strain in the US by March, health officials have said.\n\nThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned of \"rapid growth\" of the variant in coming weeks.\n\nIt said such a spike could further threaten health systems already strained by a winter Covid surge.\n\nThe warning came on Friday as President-elect Joe Biden unveiled an ambitious plan to ramp up vaccinations.\n\nTo meet his target of inoculating 100 million Americans within his first 100 days in office, Mr Biden said his administration would take a more active role in accelerating the distribution of vaccines.\n\nHe outlined a plan to set up new mass vaccination centres, hire extra health workers, and ensure the shot is available to everyone, including minority communities that have been hit hardest by the epidemic.\n\nOfficial data shows that, so far, 12.2 million vaccine doses of have been administered in the US - a figure Mr Biden has criticised as insufficient. More than 30 million doses have been distributed to states.\n\nIn a speech on Friday, Mr Biden told Americans that \"we remain in a very dark winter\", admitting that \"things will get worse before they get better\".\n\n\"This is going to be one of the most challenging operational efforts ever undertaken by our country,\" Mr Biden, who takes office on 20 January, said of the vaccination drive.\n\nHis address came a day after he announced a $1.9tn (£1.4tn) stimulus package for the battered US economy that included a further $20bn for the vaccine roll-out. The plan will need to pass Congress.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Biden: \"I promise we will not forget you\"\n\nThe US has recorded the highest number of confirmed coronavirus infections - 23.5 million - of any country in the world. At about 391,000, the country's coronavirus deaths account for a fifth of the global total, which passed the two-million mark on Friday.\n\nThe crisis is particularly acute in the state of California, where deaths have surged by more than 1,000% since November.\n\nIn its report, the CDC said that the UK variant would spread quickly in the coming weeks.\n\nThe latest research by Public Health England (PHE) suggests the variant - now dominant in much of Britain - is between 30% and 50% more transmissible than previous strains. There is currently no evidence to suggest it causes any more serious illness.\n\nExperts have also played down the possibility that the current vaccines will not be as effective against it.\n\nSo far, 76 people from 10 US states have been confirmed to have been infected with the UK variant, known as B.1.1.7.\n\nBut the CDC said: \"The modelled trajectory of this variant in the US exhibits rapid growth in early 2021, becoming the predominant variant in March.\"\n\nTwo other variants - one from South Africa and one from Brazil - are also thought to be more contagious than the original one that started the pandemic. Studies are under way to assess the threat they pose.", "Exam results are likely to appear before the end of the summer term\n\nExam results for A-levels and GCSEs in England could be published in early July this year, according to proposals for replacing cancelled exams.\n\nA consultation launched by the exams watchdog and the Department for Education confirmed that grades will be decided by teacher assessment.\n\nBut results this summer are likely to be released much earlier than usual.\n\nEducation Secretary Gavin Williamson said pupils would receive \"a grade that reflects their ability\".\n\nThere are also likely to be written test papers set by exam boards, but marked by teachers, with some later checks if there are concerns about fairness.\n\nFor vocational qualifications, exams which use mostly written papers are also likely to use teachers' grades - but qualifications which need a test of practical, hands-on skills will have separate arrangements.\n\nOfqual and the Department for Education have formally launched a two-week consultation on a system for how results will be decided, after disruption from the pandemic forced the cancellation of exams.\n\nThis is the second year of exam results being disrupted by the pandemic\n\nFor A-levels and GCSEs this could see the scrapping of the traditional results days in August, with a proposal to publish the results in \"early July\", increasing the time for appeals and adding more time before the start of the university term.\n\nLast year the process of replacement results ended with U-turns and confusion, as an algorithm initially used for deciding grades was abandoned and teachers' assessments used instead.\n\nThis time there will be no algorithm, but from the outset the process will rely on the judgement of teachers, who will be asked to use evidence such as coursework, essays, homework and mock exams.\n\nThere are also proposals for test papers, or mini-exams, which would be set by examiners but which would be likely to be marked within schools by teachers.\n\nThese would inform teachers' decisions rather than be a fixed proportion of the final grade - and could be used as evidence for any scrutiny of the reliability of a school's results or if there were appeals over grades.\n\nThere is also a recognition they might have to be taken by some pupils at home.\n\nBut it has still to be decided whether it would be mandatory to take these exams, and whether there would be a single paper per subject or the option to take more.\n\nThe Department for Education has said pupils will not face tests in subject areas they have not covered.\n\nGeoff Barton, leader of the ASCL head teachers' union, said the proposals seemed \"sensible\".\n\nBut he said the written tests would have to be \"exceptionally well designed\" to make them fair between students \"whose learning has been disrupted by the pandemic to greatly varying extents\".\n\n\"There are still many questions left unanswered,\" said the National Education Union's co-leader Kevin Courtney, about how tests could be flexible enough and how appeals will be decided.\n\nThere will be a process of training teachers in how the grading system will operate and be consistent between different schools.\n\nFor vocational qualifications, the proposals say those closer to written A-level and GCSE exams will be graded in a similar way to the academic exams, using teacher assessment to replace written papers.\n\nThere will be different approaches for qualifications requiring proof of practical skills, but there will be arrangements to make this possible.\n\nSome BTec exams have already gone ahead this month and IGCSE exams are still planned to continue this summer.\n\nA-levels and GCSEs have been cancelled in Wales and Northern Ireland, and in Scotland the Nationals, Highers and Advanced Highers have also been scrapped.\n\nEngland's Education Secretary, Mr Williamson, said: \"Fairness to young people has been and will continue to be fundamental to every decision we take on these issues.\"", "Men who had already had the virus were asked to donate blood plasma for the trial\n\nA potential treatment for Covid using blood plasma does not reduce deaths among hospital patients, trials show.\n\nThe results are a blow to researchers and the NHS, which led the drive to collect plasma donations.\n\nThis arm of the Recovery trial, which is investigating a number of promising Covid treatments, has now been closed.\n\nThe Oxford researchers involved say they are \"incredibly grateful\" for the contribution of patients across the country.\n\nDonations of plasma were temporarily suspended, according to NHS Blood and Transplant.**\n\nThere had been huge international interest in the role of convalescent plasma as a possible treatment for hospital patients with Covid-19.\n\nThe treatment involves blood plasma being taken from people who have recovered from the disease - which contains antibodies to coronavirus - and transfused into seriously ill patients.\n\nIt was hoped the plasma donation would give the recipient's struggling immune system a boost to fight off Covid.\n\nThe NHS had been urging people to donate, particularly men who are thought to have higher levels of antibodies in their blood.\n\nBut early analysis of 1,873 deaths in a study of 10,400 UK patients shows the treatment made \"no significant difference\".\n\nIn the group treated with convalescent plasma, 18% of patients died within 28 days - the same figure for the group given standard treatment.\n\nPatients in the study are still being followed up and the final results will be published shortly.\n\nEarlier this week, a separate study showed no evidence that the same treatment improved outcomes for patients in intensive care.\n\nMartin Landray, chief investigator and professor of medicine and epidemiology at the Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, said the Recovery trial showed \"the value of large randomised trials to properly assess the role of potential treatments\".\n\nThe trial is still investigating other treatments, including tocilizumab, aspirin and an antibody cocktail.\n\nProf Peter Horby, who also worked on the trial, said the largest ever trial of convalescent plasma \"was only possible thanks to the generous donation of plasma by recovered patients and the willingness of current patients to contribute to advancing medical care\".\n\n\"While the overall result is negative, we need to await the full results before we can understand whether convalescent plasma has any role in particular patient sub-groups,\" he said.\n\n**NHS Blood and Transplant restarted donations of blood plasma on 20 January. They could be used to see whether particular groups of patients, such as those with low antibody levels, could benefit.\n\nInternational trials are also testing if plasma helps people when it's used much earlier in the disease, before people get to hospital.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The Duke of Cambridge shared his own experiences of seeing \"death and so much bereavement\"\n\nThe Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been told the pandemic will leave many emergency workers \"broken\".\n\nMany police and NHS workers are too concerned with battling the pandemic to look after their mental health, they were told.\n\nInsp Phil Spencer from Cleveland Police said staff did not engage enough with counselling \"because we don't want to take anybody else's valuable time\".\n\nPrince William said he \"really worries\" about the effect on front-line workers.\n\n\"When you're surrounded by that level of intense trauma and sadness and bereavement, it really does, it stays with you at home, it stays with you for weeks on end,\" he said.\n\nInsp Spencer said emergency workers \"run towards danger, run towards a terrorist attack, we run towards the pandemic\".\n\n\"Perhaps further down the line when all this is gone we're going to have some broken police officers and emergency services staff, because we're too busy focusing on protecting the most vulnerable,\" he said.\n\nThe couple also spoke to counsellors from Hospice UK's Harrogate-based Just B support line for NHS staff, social care workers, carers and emergency services, which their foundation helps financially.\n\nThe prince said he feared \"you're all so busy caring for everyone else that you won't take enough time to care for yourselves\".\n\nHe and Catherine said the stigma surrounding seeking help for mental health issues must end.\n\nFollow BBC North East & Cumbria on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk.\n• None The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Police investigations have been compromised by an error that led to hundreds of thousands of records being deleted from UK-wide databases, according to a letter seen by the BBC.\n\nThe National Police Chiefs' Council said 213,000 records were deleted - more than the 150,000 first reported.\n\nThis resulted in a couple of \"near misses\" for serious crimes when trying to identify an offender, it said.\n\nThe Home Office has said it is assessing the impact of the mistake.\n\nData including fingerprint, DNA, and arrest histories was wiped from the Police National Computer (PNC) - which stores and shares criminal records information across the UK - after being inadvertently flagged for deletion.\n\nThe PNC is used in police investigations and provides real-time checks on people, vehicles and crimes, as well as whether suspects are wanted for any unsolved offences.\n\nThe Home Office said the lost entries related to people who were arrested and then released without further action.\n\nBut the letter from the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) says officers are aware of at least one instance where the DNA profile from a suspect in custody did not generate a match to a crime scene as expected, potentially impeding the investigation.\n\nIt says that some of the records had been marked for indefinite retention following earlier convictions for serious offences.\n\nAnd it reveals that a \"weeding system\", developed and deployed by a Home Office PNC team, started to delete records wrongly last November.\n\nThe process was only brought to a halt at the start of this week.\n\nThe letter was sent on Friday afternoon by Deputy Chief Constable Naveed Malik of the NPCC to chief constables and police and crime commissioners.\n\nThe deletion of the records has been blamed on a coding error.\n\nThis resulted in records that had been flagged for deletion being lost from the database before checks had been carried out to determine whether they could be lawfully held or not.\n\nPolicing minister Kit Malthouse said the problem had been identified and the process corrected so \"it cannot happen again\".\n\nHe said the Home Office, National Police Chiefs' Council and other law enforcement partners were working \"at pace\" to recover the data.\n\nThe Home Office said no records of criminal or dangerous persons had been deleted.\n\nBut Labour shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds called on Home Secretary Priti Patel to take responsibility for the error and be clear about the impact it had had.\n\nSpeaking on BBC Breakfast, he described the situation as \"extraordinarily serious\", adding: \"Priti Patel will be responsible for criminals walking free. We're not going to be able to link suspects to crime scenes without the DNA and fingerprint evidence.\"\n\nA home office source said the accusation was \"scaremongering and irresponsible\".\n\nFormer Cumbria Police Chief Constable Stuart Hyde told BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Friday the \"very large\" loss of arrest records presented a \"risk to public safety\".\n\nThe records are linked to police investigations that were terminated before charge (No Further Action or NFA cases) or to those where an individual had been acquitted at court.\n\nIt is not yet known how many records of each type were lost and full extent of deletions is still being investigated. A minister is expected to update the House of Commons on Monday.\n\nIt comes after about 40,000 alerts relating to European criminals were removed from the PNC following the UK's post-Brexit security deal with the EU.", "A 24m section of the bridge parapet collapsed one mile from where a fatal crash took place\n\nPart of a rail bridge has collapsed near the site of the fatal Stonehaven train derailment.\n\nA 24m (79ft) section of the side wall has fallen from the bridge, about a mile north of where three people died when a train left the track and crashed last August.\n\nNetwork Rail said it was a \"structural fault\" and not caused by a landslip.\n\nThe line between Aberdeen and Dundee remains closed while structural engineers assess the fault.\n\nThe structure is located three miles north of Carmont signal box. The collapse was discovered just before 10:00 on Friday.\n\nThe rail company said the damage to the parapet was \"extensive\" and that the line was expected to be closed for a \"significant\" period of time while repairs to the bridge take place.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Network Rail Scotland This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThe Network Rail Twitter account told followers engineers would be working around the clock to complete repairs.\n\nSpecialist staff are also checking similar bridges as a precaution.\n\nThe line between Aberdeen and Dundee had just reopened in November, nearly three months after the Stonehaven derailment.\n\nThe driver, a conductor and a passenger died when the Aberdeen to Glasgow service derailed near Stonehaven on 12 August after heavy rain.\n\nNetwork Rail Scotland carried out \"complex\" repairs at the scene of the derailment\n\nAn interim report said the train hit washed-out rocks and gravel.\n\nA Network Rail spokesman said: \"The line is currently closed while our engineers repair a damaged side wall on a bridge between Carmont and Stonehaven.\n\n\"Specialist structural engineers are currently assessing the fault and putting plans in place for its repair.\n\n\"Our engineers will be working around-the-clock to complete this work as quickly as possible.\"", "Police officers who were targeted by a pro-Trump mob have been speaking out about the \"medieval battle\" that unfolded on the steps of the Capitol and inside the halls of American democracy last week.\n\nPolice faced off against rioters equipped with clubs, shields, pitchforks, firearms, and metal poles stripped from seating set up for next week's inauguration.\n\nHere's what we've learned from their interviews with US media.\n\nMichael Fanone, a 40-year-old DC plainclothes narcotics detective who was told to wear his uniform that day, rushed to the West Terrace of the Capitol where he took turns holding back the crowd, and resting to rinse his face of the the chemical irritants that that crowd was spraying on police.\n\n\"We weren't battling 50 or 60 rioters in this tunnel,\" the MPD (Metropolitan Police Department of District of Columbia) veteran told the Washington Post. \"We were battling 15,000 people. It looked like a medieval battle scene.\"\n\nAfter he was grabbed by his helmet and dragged face-first down several steps, he said the crowd started stripping gear from his vest, including spare ammo, his radio and his badge - all while chanting \"USA!\".\n\nMichael Fanone, a DC detective, was dragged into the crowd and beaten\n\n\"We got one! We got one!\" Mr Fanone said he heard people shout, with others chanting: \"Kill him with his own gun!\"\n\nSome members of the crowd protected him after he started yelling that he has children, the father of four told CNN. He sustained only minor injuries but later found out in hospital that he had suffered a mild heart attack during the brawl.\n\nMPD Officer Daniel Hodges, 32, had already been on shift for several hours before the rioting began.\n\n\"We were battling, you know, tooth and nail for our lives,\" he told ABC News.\n\nIn one viral video, Mr Hodges is seen pinned in a glass doorway between officers and the crowd, as rioters strip his gas mask from his face and beat him with his own police-issued baton. One rioter tried to gouge his eyes.\n\n\"That was one of the three times that day where I thought: Well, this might be it,\" said Mr Hodges. \"This might be the end for me.\"\n\nAs he choked on tear gas, he is seen on video gasping for air to call out for help. Enough police were eventually able to push through the melee to extract him.\n\n\"I had conspiracy theorists and everyone you could think of yelling at me, saying, 'Why are you doing this, you're the traitor,'\" Mr Hodges told radio station WAMU.\n\n\"We're not the traitors. We're the ones who saved Congress that day, and we'll do it as many times as necessary.\"\n\nDespite fearing for his life, Mr Hodges says he decided not to use his gun on the crowd.\n\n\"I didn't want to be the guy who starts shooting, because I knew they had guns - we had been seizing guns all day,\" he told the Post.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nRobert Glover, the commander on scene for MPD, declared a riot at 13:50 local time, nearly two hours after Trump's speech at the White House where he instructed his followers to go to the Capitol.\n\nHe quickly told officers to retake the inauguration bleachers, to stop the crowd from raining down heavy objects on officers from above.\n\nMr Glover told the Post that some rioters may have been caught up in the moment, but others seemed to be moving in \"military formation\" as if they had prepared for the assault. He said that some appeared to be using hand signals to co-ordinate tactics.\n\nSeveral US military veterans, as well as off-duty police officers from Virginia, Maryland and Texas, have since been suspended or arrested for participating in the riot.\n\nMPD Officer Christina Laury, 32, was among the first city police officers to arrive on the scene. When she got to the Capitol, officers were already being brutally attacked by rioters attempting to storm the building.\n\n\"They had bear mace, which is literally used for bears. I got hit with it plenty of times that day and it just seals your eyes shut. You just would see officers going down trying to douse themselves with water, trying to open their eyes up so they can see again.\"\n\n\"The bravery and the heroism that I saw in these officers - the second they were able to open their eyes, they were back up front and they were just trying to stop these individuals from coming in.\"\n\nOne officer being lauded as a hero has yet to speak about his experience - Officer Eugene Goodman, a member of Congress' 2,100 member Capitol Police force.\n\nMr Goodman, an African American Iraq War veteran, was seen singlehandedly distracting a rampaging mob, giving lawmakers enough time to clear the chamber and get to safety.\n\nOn Thursday, a cross-party group of lawmakers introduced a bill calling for him to receive the Congressional Gold Medal for his effort to defend democracy.\n\nThe Capitol Police have been criticised over their response and preparation.\n\nSeveral top Capitol security officials, including the Capitol Police chief and the sergeants-at-arms for the House and Senate, resigned in the wake of the siege amid claims from lawmakers that they had not done enough to prepare for the mob.\n\nProtesters climbed the bleachers that were erected for Biden's inauguration\n\nOn Friday, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi announced General Russel Honoré would be leading an immediate investigation of the Capitol's security infrastructure.\n\nVideo footage has also emerged showing an officer taking a selfie with a rioter inside the Capitol. Some officers reportedly gave directions to rioters telling them how to get to the offices of Democratic lawmakers.\n\nSeveral Capitol Police officers have been suspended for allegedly violating policies as the agency conducts an internal probe.", "A man accused of allegedly tricking a 92-year-old woman out of £160 for a fake coronavirus vaccination has been charged with fraud and common assault.\n\nDavid Chambers is accused of administering the fake vaccine at her Surbiton home in London last month.\n\nThe 33-year-old, also from Surbiton, is charged with five offences including fraud and going outside in a tier four area without a good reason.\n\nHe denied the charges when he appeared before magistrates on Friday.\n\nMr Chambers was remanded in custody until a hearing on 12 February.\n\nIn the UK, coronavirus vaccines are free of charge and available via the NHS.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Nóra Quoirin went missing from her room on 4 August 2019\n\nAn inquest into the death of a teenager who went missing during a holiday in Malaysia has left several questions unanswered, her family has said.\n\nNóra Quoirin, whose mother is from Belfast, disappeared from her room at the Dusun resort on 4 August 2019.\n\nHer body was found 10 days later about 1.6 miles (2.5km) away.\n\nEarlier this month a coroner ruled that she died as a result of misadventure, but her family said they were \"utterly disappointed\" with the verdict.\n\nIn an interview with Irish broadcaster RTÉ, Nóra's mother Meabh said there is \"compelling evidence\" that her daughter was abducted.\n\nSearch and rescue teams were deployed in an effort to locate Nóra\n\nNóra, who was born to Irish-French parents, lived with her family in London and was understood to be in Malaysia on an Irish passport.\n\nShe was born with holoprosencephaly, a disorder which affects brain development.\n\nSince her disappearance, her parents have believed that she was abducted. They have always maintained that wandering off was not something they could imagine their daughter doing.\n\nMeabh Quoirin told RTÉ: \"One of the most compelling things that we found out was that in a relatively small area, the plantation where Nóra was eventually found, there was vast numbers of specialist personnel deployed to find Nóra.\n\n\"Not only that, on four different occasions, trained personnel went to the plantation area and searched it and, in fact, some officers were even in the precise location Nóra's body was recovered.\n\n\"They had all reported that there were no signs of human life at any point. That for us is compelling evidence to say that she was not there by herself.\"\n\nNóra went missing the day after she and her family arrived in Malaysia in August 2019\n\nMrs Quoirin added that \"there was a lack of evidence around DNA and prints\".\n\nShe said that when the family went to the inquest, \"we had a lot of unanswered questions and while many of those questions cannot be answered, we actually found out a great deal about what went on during those 10 days when Nóra was missing\".\n\nMeabh and Sebastien Quorin, pictured during the search for Nóra\n\n\"In fact we felt it really strengthened our case, our belief, that Nóra was abducted and we found some compelling evidence to support our view on that.\"\n\nMrs Quoirin added that her daughter \"was not physically or mentally capable\" of leaving the chalet via the window.\n\n\"Not only that - we also learned that none of her fingerprints could be found on the window and yet other unidentifiable prints were found on that window.\"", "Smoke rises from Mount Semeru, the highest volcano on the Indonesian island of Java\n\nIndonesia's Mount Semeru has erupted, pouring ash an estimated 5.6km (3.4 miles) into the sky above Java, the country's most densely populated island.\n\nNo evacuation orders have so far been issued, and no casualties reported.\n\nThe National Disaster Mitigation Agency (NDMA) warned villagers living on the mountain's slopes to be alert for ongoing volcanic activity.\n\nFootage showed ash from the 3,676m (12,060ft) volcano looming over homes.\n\n\"The villages of Sumber Mujur and Curah Koboan [in Lumajang municipality] are located in the trajectory of the hot clouds,\" local official Thoriqul Haq said on Saturday.\n\nResidents of the Curah Kobokan river basin have been urged to watch for possible \"cold lava\" mudflow, which can be triggered by intense rainfall combining with volcanic material.\n\nMount Semeru erupted at about 17:24 local time (10:24 GMT), authorities said.\n\nA picture from the Indonesian National Board for Disaster Management shows ash rolling over the landscape\n\nIndonesia sits on the Pacific \"Ring of Fire\" where tectonic plates collide, causing frequent volcanic activity as well as earthquakes.\n\nSemeru - also known as \"The Great Mountain\" - is the highest volcano in Java and one of the most active. It is also one of Indonesia's most popular tourist hiking destinations.\n\nThe volcano previously erupted in December, when about 550 people were evacuated.", "A further 1,295 deaths within 28 days of a positive Covid test have been reported in the UK, the third-highest daily total since the pandemic began.\n\nIt brings the total number of deaths by this measure to 88,590.\n\nThere have also been a further 41,346 lab-confirmed cases, and 4,262 more people have been admitted to hospital.\n\nDr Yvonne Doyle, medical director for Public Health England, said the \"continuous rise in cases and deaths should be a bitter warning for us all\".\n\n\"We must not forget the basics,\" she added. \"The lives of our friends and family depend on it.\n\n\"Keep your distance from others, wash your hands and wear a mask.\"\n\nThe latest figures come ahead of Monday's change in travel rules for the UK, with all travel corridors closing, meaning arrivals from every country will have to quarantine.\n\nPrime Minister Boris Johnson announced the changes at Downing Street on Friday, saying they would \"protect against the risk of as yet unidentified new strains\" of Covid.\n\nWhile daily figures can fluctuate due to delays in reporting, the seven-day average of Covid deaths in the UK has now risen slightly to 1,103.\n\nFor cases, however, there has been a drop in the seven-day average, with the figure now at 48,565.\n\nThere are currently 37,475 people in hospital with the virus, government figures show, while a further 324,233 people have received their first vaccine dose.\n\nThe government has promised all the over-70s, the extremely clinically vulnerable and front-line health and care workers - about 15 million people - will be offered a jab by mid February.\n\nCurrently, just over 3.5 million doses have been administered.\n\nThe government has also announced £120m in funds for the social care sector to be used by local authorities to increase staffing levels.\n\nStaff absence rates have risen in care homes and among home care staff, due to them testing positive or having to self-isolate.\n\nHealth Secretary Matt Hancock said the money would bolster staffing numbers in a \"controlled and safe way, whilst ensuring people continue to receive the highest quality of care\".\n\nA further £149m funding was announced in December to support rapid testing of care home staff.\n\nSpeaking alongside the PM on Friday, England's chief medical officer, Prof Chris Whitty, said the number of patients being admitted to hospital with coronavirus was set to peak within the next 10 days, while the peak for deaths was also yet to come.\n\nHe added, however, that he hoped the peak in infections had already happened in the South East, East and London, where there was a surge in the new, more transmissible variant.\n\n\"The peak of deaths I fear is in the future, the peak of hospitalisations in some parts of the country may be around about now and beginning to come off the very, very top,\" he said.\n\n\"Because people are sticking so well to the guidelines we do think the peaks are coming over the next week to 10 days for most places in terms of new people into hospital.\"\n\nHowever, chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance stressed it was a \"suppressed peak\" that would \"boil over for sure\" if controls were eased.\n\nHe said: \"This is not the natural peak that's going to come down on its own, it's coming down because of the measures that are in place.\n\n\"Take the lid off now and it's going to boil over for sure and we're going to end up with a big problem.\"\n\nMeanwhile, on Saturday, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer suggested he would back further coronavirus measures, as \"the tougher the restrictions now the quicker we get the virus back under control\".\n\nSir Keir said he was \"still worried\" by the number of infections, despite signs they are falling - and that the \"sense that we are through the worst\" of the third wave was wrong.\n\n\"Nobody likes restrictions but the tougher the restrictions now the quicker we get the virus back under control, the quicker we reduce the number of hospital admissions and the quicker we get that number of deaths, tragically, down,\" he added.", "A further 1,610 people have died in the UK within 28 days of a positive Covid test - the biggest figure reported in a single day since the pandemic began.\n\nIt means the total number of deaths by that measure is now above 90,000.\n\nA total of 4,266,577 people have now received the first dose of a vaccine, according to the latest government figures.\n\nAnother 33,355 positive Covid cases have been recorded - less than half the peak figure of 68,053 on 8 January.\n\nIt is the lowest number of daily cases seen since 27 December - before the start of England's third nationwide lockdown.\n\nDr Yvonne Doyle, medical director at Public Health England, said: \"Whilst there are some early signs that show our sacrifices are working, we must continue to strictly abide by the measures in place.\"\n\nShe said reducing contact with others and staying at home will lead to \"a fall in the number of infections over time\".\n\nThe figures come as new estimates from the Office for National Statistics show about one in 10 people across the UK tested positive for Covid-19 antibodies in December - roughly double the October figure.\n\nThe rising number of deaths was to be expected, sadly, after the surge in cases during December.\n\nAnd it is likely that the coming weeks will see figures even higher than this.\n\nToday's numbers are, though, inflated by the fact that delays in registering deaths over the weekend tends to lead to higher figures being reported on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.\n\nOn average, the UK is recording more than 1,100 deaths a day.\n\nTo put that in context, at Christmas it was less than half of that.\n\nBut there are two rays of hope in the daily update.\n\nFirstly, the number of cases is below 40,000 for a third day in a row. Just two weeks ago we saw a few days above 60,000.\n\nThat means in the coming weeks we should start to see fewer people in hospital and eventually fewer deaths.\n\nThe number of vaccinations also continues to rise.\n\nIt seems unlikely the NHS will manage its target of two million doses a week just yet.\n\nBut each increase at least takes us one step closer to getting on top of the virus.\n\nMeanwhile, NHS England said 400 military personnel were now assisting in hospitals in London and the Midlands, as wards face \"unprecedented pressure\".\n\nOn Monday, Prof Stephen Powis, national medical director for NHS England, said it would be \"some time\" before the vaccination programme begins to reduce pressures on hospitals.\n\nAnd in other developments, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said he is self-isolating after being alerted by the UK's NHS Covid-19 app .that he had been in close contact with somebody who tested positive.\n\nHe said self-isolation was \"perhaps the most important part of all the social distancing\" and urged others to do the same if contacted.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Martin Freeborn's wife, Helen, died from Covid at the Royal London Hospital: 'Don't end up like us, please'\n\nThe previous highest number of daily deaths was last Wednesday, when 1,564 deaths were recorded.\n\nTuesday's figure brings the total number of deaths recorded during the pandemic in the UK to 91,470.\n\nThese government figures count people who died within 28 days of testing positive, but there are other ways of measuring the total number of deaths.\n\nAnother method is to count all deaths where coronavirus is mentioned on the death certificate. That figure has now officially reached 95,829, although that is only measured up to 8 January.\n\nThe UK has recorded the fifth-highest number of deaths globally, according to Johns Hopkins University - behind the US, Brazil, India and Mexico.\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer tweeted: \"British people are paying the price for the government's serial incompetence.\"", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Video footage showed the aftermath of the deadly explosion\n\nAt least three people have died following an explosion that caused a building to partially collapse in centre of the Spanish capital, Madrid.\n\nA fourth person was missing and several others were hurt, officials said.\n\nCity officials said the blast, which destroyed four floors of the building, had been caused by a gas leak.\n\nMayor José Luis Martínez Almeida told reporters after the blast that a fire was raging inside the building, which belongs to the Catholic Church.\n\nThe blast happened shortly before 15:00 local time (14:00 GMT) as gas workers were repairing a boiler at the back of the building in the central Puerta de Toledo area of Madrid.\n\nAn 85-year-old woman passer-by and two men were killed while a third man who had been working on the boiler was missing, Spanish media reported. One of the injured was in a serious condition and taken to hospital, according to officials.\n\nSpanish reports said the upper floors affected were being used to house local priests.\n\nRescue workers evacuated more than 50 people from a care home next-door to the building in Caille de Toledo, but a school on the other side was closed at the time of the blast.\n\nFour floors of the building were destroyed in the explosion, which could be heard in many areas of Madrid. Images shared on social media showed billowing smoke and debris strewn along the street.\n\nEmergency services said nine fire crews and 11 ambulances were at the scene and some of those caught up in the blast were treated on the street.\n\nFour floors of the building were destroyed in the explosion\n\nPolice officers cleared the area, closing it to all traffic and pedestrians, and appealed to local residents not to come near.\n\n\"The noise was very loud, very loud, really,\" Lorenzo Fomento, who was working from home at a nearby apartment, told AFP news agency. \"I never heard anything so loud before,\" he added.\n\nThe director of the nursing home, Antonio Berlanga, said all the elderly residents were fine and places were being found for them to spend the night.", "In Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, residents have prepared their homes and businesses ahead of the heavy rain\n\nEmergency services in the north of England are preparing for widespread flooding caused by Storm Christoph.\n\nThe Environment Agency has warned of a \"volatile situation\" as heavy rain combines with melting snow, while police in South Yorkshire and Greater Manchester declared major incidents.\n\nAn amber rain warning is in place for Yorkshire, the North West, East Midlands and the east of England.\n\nA yellow rain warning was issued for the rest of the country.\n\nGreater Manchester Police Assistant Chief Constable Nick Bailey said the force had declared a major incident to ensure it was \"as prepared as possible\".\n\n\"The safety of the public is our number one priority and we're continuing to work alongside partner agencies across the region,\" he said.\n\nA government spokesperson said it had provided additional advice to local agencies to help them manage any evacuations and shelter provision in a Covid-secure way.\n\n\"The government has robust plans in place to support any areas affected by extreme weather this winter,\" they added.\n\nSandbags were laid in at-risk areas, with up to 70mm (2.75in) of rain due.\n\nIn isolated spots, particularly in the northern Peak District and parts of the southern Pennines, 200mm (7.87in) could be possible.\n\nNorthern Rail said buses were being used instead of trains on services between Bolton and Blackburn due to flooding at Darwen.\n\nSome motorists attempted to drive through floodwater on Derby Road in Hathern, Leicestershire\n\nIn the amber warning area, the Met Office said there was a \"danger to life\" due to fast-flowing or deep floodwater, and told some communities they might be \"cut off\" by flooded roads.\n\nIt also predicted delays and cancellations to public transport, with the amber warning in place until 12:00 GMT on Thursday.\n\nRos Jones, mayor of Doncaster, said key risk areas had been inspected over the past 36 hours, with the delivery of sandbags continuing on Tuesday.\n\n\"I do not want people to panic, but flooding is possible so please be prepared,\" she said.\n\nResidents of Fishlake, South Yorkshire, which saw severe flooding hit 160 homes and businesses in November 2019, said they felt much better prepared this time round.\n\nFlood warden and parish councillor Peter Trimingham said the arrival of sandbags had been a welcome sight.\n\n\"It gives us confidence,\" he said.\n\nResidents in Fishlake, near Doncaster, say they are better prepared than when flooding hit in 2019\n\nMr Trimingham added: \"We're absolutely hoping it doesn't rise to the same level. But, if it does, we're reasonably comfortable we've still got a chance because the Environment Agency have done tremendous work here along with Doncaster Council.\"\n\nHe said new defences had been built and their team of flood wardens had been expanded to 22 people.\n\nOn Yarlborough Terrace in Bentley, Doncaster, many residents were out of their homes for months after the 2019 floods.\n\nAnna Booth, 37, who was forced to live in a caravan on her drive, said residents were worried about it happening again.\n\n\"Being in the pandemic doesn't help either. Morale's a bit down but I think we'll all pull together again like last time,\" she said.\n\n\"It breaks your heart, it's really sad, but we can't stop the weather.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe Environment Agency issued more than 30 flood warnings, meaning flooding is expected and immediate action required, covering parts of Yorkshire, Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, Merseyside, Staffordshire and Northamptonshire as of 03:00 GMT on Wednesday.\n\nThere are also more than 150 flood alerts, meaning flooding is possible, issued across northern England, the Midlands and the east.\n\nRiver levels in the Ouse, which flows through York in North Yorkshire, are high before the arrival of Storm Christoph\n\nCatherine Wright, acting executive director for flood and coastal risk management at the Environment Agency, said: \"That rain is falling on very wet ground and so we are very concerned that it's a very volatile situation and we are expecting significant flooding to occur on the back of that weather.\"\n\nShe said the agency would be working with local authorities to help with evacuation efforts should a severe flood warning be issued, adding: \"If you do need to evacuate then that is allowed within the Covid rules.\"\n\nWork took place on Tuesday morning to increase defences near the River Ouse\n\nDiscussing the different levels of flood warnings, she said: \"If you receive a flood alert, please pack valuables like medicines and insurance documents in a bag ready to go.\n\n\"If you receive a flood warning, please move valuables and precious possessions upstairs and be ready to turn off gas, electricity and water.\n\n\"If you receive a severe flood warning, which means you will be evacuated, please listen out and take heed of the advice from the local emergency services.\"\n\nSandbags have been used to help defend homes in Fishlake, Doncaster, which suffered devastating floods in November 2019\n\nBarry Greenwood, from the Upper Calder Valley Flood Prevention Group in West Yorkshire, has been \"sick\" with worry.\n\n\"I went round after the last [flood], people were there with their heads in their hands, thinking 'what am I going to do now?',\" he said.\n\nFlood sirens were sounded in Walsden on Tuesday evening after a flood warning was issued for the area.\n\nIn a tweet, Calderdale Council asked residents to put their flood plan into action and move valuables to a safe place.\n\n\"River levels across the Upper River Calder have risen and are now approaching levels where we expect properties to flood,\" it warned.\n\nEarlier it had said staff were on standby to respond overnight.\n\nThe amber rain warning is in place until Thursday, with yellow warnings covering most of the UK coming in over the next three days\n\nA yellow rain alert is also in place for Wales, Northern Ireland, central and northern England and southern Scotland on Tuesday.\n\nThis yellow warning extends to the rest of England from Wednesday, with a yellow alert for snow and ice in north east Scotland.\n\nHighways England advised drivers to take extra care on motorways and major A roads, while the RAC breakdown service said motorists should only drive if absolutely necessary.\n\nDrivers faced wet road conditions and reduced visibility on the A1(M) near Boston Spa, West Yorkshire, on Tuesday morning\n\nHebden Bridge's volunteer flood warden Keith Crabtree has been monitoring the river levels of Hebden Beck closely\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Israel is currently in its third lockdown since the pandemic began there last year Image caption: Israel is currently in its third lockdown since the pandemic began there last year\n\nA nationwide lockdown in Israel is to be extended until the end of the month amid a spike in cases - despite an intense vaccination campaign, with more than two of the nine million population already having received their first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.\n\nIt takes time for immunity to build up, so its expected to take several weeks for vaccines to have an impact on cases\n\nThe man coordinating Israel’s pandemic response, Nachman Ash, has warned that a single dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in the country has been “less effective than we thought”.\n\nAccording to Israeli Army Radio, Prof Ash told cabinet members on Tuesday the data on the protective effect of a first dose against the virus was “lower than Pfizer presented”. Pfizer said its vaccine was roughly 52% effective two weeks after the first dose and reaches maximum efficacy of 95% after the second.\n\nIt’s not clear what data he is referring to, but a not-yet published study from Israel’s largest healthcare provider suggested a 33% fall in infections by day 14, at which point, full immunity would not have been reached.\n\nInfections continued to fall in the following days but the numbers were too small to put a percentage on it.\n\nIsrael saw its highest daily case figure on Monday with 10,000 new infections Image caption: Israel saw its highest daily case figure on Monday with 10,000 new infections\n\nThe health ministry said on Tuesday more than 12,400 Israelis had tested positive for Covid-19 ten days after being vaccinated – 69 of these had already received a second dose.\n\nThis was 6.6% of the 189,000 people who took Covid tests after being vaccinated, roughly tallying with the reported efficacy.\n\nHealth experts say they are analysing the new Israeli data closely but warn it may be too early to draw any conclusions on the single dose efficacy of the vaccine based on the initial data gathered in Israel, which began vaccinating its population on 19 December.", "Drug treatment services in England are to receive an extra £80m as part of government's efforts to cut crime.\n\nThis will mean more places for people released from prison and criminals handed community sentences.\n\nIt comes after warnings last year over government cuts to help for addicts.\n\nA further £40m is being earmarked for law enforcement to target drug gangs including so-called county lines operations in which young and vulnerable people act as couriers.\n\nThe investment will also see another £28m put into a three-year pilot project called ADDER - Addiction, Diversion, Disruption, Enforcement and Recovery - which will combine policing with treatment and recovery services.\n\nThe funding will see police target dealers, and local councils and health services help people with addictions, in five areas with high rates of drug use - Blackpool, Hastings, Middlesbrough, Norwich and Swansea Bay.\n\nAnnouncing the £148m package, Home Secretary Priti Patel said: \"The government's work to tackle county lines drugs gangs has already resulted in thousands more people being arrested and hundreds more vulnerable people being safeguarded, but we must do more to tackle the underlying drivers behind serious violence.\"\n\nHealth Secretary Matt Hancock added: \"Addiction and crime are inextricably linked and to truly break the cycle we must make sure people can access the help they need to get their lives back on track for good.\"\n\nMs Patel told BBC Breakfast the government wanted to focus on rehabilitation and treatment for drug addicts as well as law enforcement, saying this was \"something we've not been doing enough of\".\n\n\"We have to do much more to support individuals whose lives have been blighted by years and years of drug abuse,\" she said.\n\nA Home Office-commissioned review into the drugs trade by Prof Dame Carol Black released last February put the total cost to society of illegal drugs at about £20bn a year in England and said treatment services have been curtailed by local government funding cuts.\n\nDame Carol welcomed the funding, saying: \"Drug treatment has a vital role to play in helping people to come off drugs and thereby reduce crime, from minor acquisitive crime right through to homicide.\"", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Johnson: \"It's a big moment for us - we have things we want to do together.\"\n\nThe inauguration of President Joe Biden is a \"step forward\" for the United States, which has \"been through a bumpy period\", Boris Johnson has said.\n\nCongratulating Mr Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris, the UK PM said it was a \"big moment\" for the UK and the US and their \"joint common agenda\".\n\nMr Johnson said he looked forward to working with the US on tackling climate change and the coronavirus pandemic.\n\nMaking his inaugural address, Mr Biden said \"democracy has prevailed\".\n\nHe promised to be a president \"for all Americans\" and said his \"whole soul is in putting America back together again\".\n\nOutgoing President Donald Trump, who has not formally conceded to Mr Biden, did not attend the ceremony.\n\nPresident Biden began work straight away on reversing a number of his predecessor's policies, including rejoining the Paris climate change agreement - gaining the praise of Mr Johnson.\n\nThe PM tweeted it was \"hugely positive news\", adding: \"I look forward to working with our US partners to do all we can to safeguard our planet.\"\n\nEarlier this week the former head of the civil service Lord Sedwill suggested Mr Johnson would be glad Mr Trump had not been re-elected for a second term as US president.\n\nWriting in the Daily Mail, Lord Sedwill said those who believed Boris Johnson would have preferred Mr Trump to win again were \"mistaken\".\n\nThe former cabinet secretary - who stepped down in September - said a second term for Mr Trump \"would not have been to the benefit of British or European security, to transatlantic trade, let alone the environmental agenda to which the prime minister is so committed\".\n\nBoris Johnson with Donald Trump at the G7 summit in 2019\n\nMr Johnson's public stance toward the former president has varied over the years.\n\nIn 2015, when he was Mayor of London, Mr Johnson accused Mr Trump of \"stupefying ignorance\" over his comments about violence in the city.\n\nBut as foreign secretary, following Mr Trump's election as president, he said there was a \"lot to be positive about\", and in 2019, praised his \"many good qualities\".\n\nFor his part, Mr Trump has appeared largely supportive of Mr Johnson, backing his flagship Brexit policy and at one point saying of the British PM: \"They call him Britain Trump.\"\n\nAnd echoing his predecessor, in 2019 Mr Biden described the UK prime minister as a \"physical and emotional clone\" of Mr Trump.\n\nAfter winning the presidential election Mr Biden phoned Mr Johnson ahead of other European leaders and expressed his desire to strengthen the historic \"special relationship\" between the two countries.\n\nSpeaking on Wednesday, Mr Johnson said it was the job of all UK prime ministers to have a \"good, close working relationship\" with US presidents but, right now, there were many things the two countries \"wanted to do together\".\n\n\"When you look at the issues which unite me and Joe Biden, the UK and the US right now, there is a fantastic joint common agenda,\" he said. \"For us and America, it is a big moment.\"\n\nHe said he hoped the UK could help the US commit to a target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050 in the run up to the climate change conference COP 26, to be held in Glasgow this year.\n\nUK prime ministers like to consider American presidents as their best diplomatic friend.\n\nThat relationship, particularly when it comes to security and defence, is unusually close.\n\nWhen, as with Donald Trump, that friend has been unpredictable and unconventional, that has made for some very awkward political moments.\n\nSo for the government, this a really important and positive turning of the page.\n\nThe terribly over-used phrase the 'special relationship', which provokes neurotic behaviour on this side of the Atlantic, has meant the most when there has been a genuine personal chemistry between the two leaders - whether Thatcher and Reagan, or Bush and Blair.\n\nThere is nothing automatic about Mr Biden and Mr Johnson developing that kind of political friendship.\n\nBut in the words of one former senior minister, for the UK Biden means \"we will lose exclusivity but gain predictability: easier to work with, less cringeworthy and more dependable, but we may not be the only girlfriend on speed dial\".\n\nSpeaking to the Guardian, shadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy described Mr Biden as \"a woke guy\".\n\nAsked if he agreed, Mr Johnson said: \"I can't comment on that. What I know is that he's a firm believer in the transatlantic alliance and that's a great thing.\"\n\nHe added that there was \"nothing wrong with being woke - I put myself in the category of people who believe that it's important to stick up for your history, your traditions and your values, the things you believe in.\"\n\nOpposition leader Sir Keir Starmer also sent his congratulations to the new president and vice-president.\n\n\"The US begins a new chapter in its history, one of hope, decency, compassion and strength,\" the Labour leader said, adding \"together, our two nations can build a better, more optimistic future for our world.\"\n\nAnd First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon tweeted: \"Warm congratulations and best wishes to President Biden and Vice President Harris.\n\n\"Scotland and the USA share long-standing bonds of friendship and co-operation. We look forward to building on these in the years ahead.\"\n\nWriting in the Daily Mail, former UK Prime Minister Theresa May said Mr Biden's election presented the UK with a \"golden opportunity\" for Western democracies to reverse the trend towards \"absolutism\" - and a \"few strongmen facing off against each other\" - in global affairs.\n\nThe Queen sent a private message to Mr Biden before his inauguration, Buckingham Palace has said.", "Marion Dawson is the third oldest person in Scotland to be given the vaccine.\n\nA 108-year-old woman has received the Covid vaccination on her birthday.\n\nMarion Dawson, from Houston in Renfrewshire, is the third oldest person in Scotland to be given the vaccine.\n\nShe received her jab at Houston and Killellan Kirk, which is being used by the local GP surgery to deliver vaccinations to the community.\n\nBorn in 1913, Mrs Dawson has lived through two world wars and the Spanish flu pandemic.\n\nDr Diane Fisher, who gave the injection said: \"We are so excited to be starting vaccinations of our over-80s, and that our first patient to be vaccinated is doing so on her birthday.\"\n\nMrs Dawson is the most senior person in NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde to be given the vaccine.\n\nAfter receiving her injection, she said: \"I'm glad it's passed. I never felt a thing.\"\n\nKirk minister, Rev Gary Noonan said: \"Mrs Dawson is a local treasure in Houston, until the lockdown she never missed a week at church.\n\n\"It's fitting she can get her vaccine in the Kirk, a place she loves.\"\n\nDr Mark Storey, partner at Strathgryffe Medical Practice, added: \"It's been a very difficult year in general practice and society as a whole.\n\n\"In our practice we have a family of 10,000 patients, so we are delighted to start vaccinating, especially with Mrs Dawson.\"", "That's where we'll end our coverage of this week's PMQs.\n\nAs events get underway in Washington DC ahead of the Joe Biden's swearing in as the 46th President of the USA, our colleagues will bring you all the details of the inauguration here.\n\nOur coverage of this week's PMQs was brought to you by Gavin Stamp, Justin Parkinson, and Sinead Wilson. The editor was Johanna Howitt.\n\nThanks for joining us.", "The publication of a letter from the Duchess of Sussex to her father was a \"triple-barrelled invasion\" of her privacy, the High Court has been told.\n\nMeghan is suing the publisher of the Mail on Sunday and Mail Online over articles that reproduced parts of the private handwritten letter.\n\nShe claims her privacy and copyright were breached by the newspaper group.\n\nHer lawyers are asking for summary judgement - a dismissal of Associated Newspapers' defence instead of a trial.\n\nMeghan's lawyers argue Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) has \"no prospect\" of defending the privacy and copyright claims being brought against them.\n\nThey claim the publication of extracts from the private, handwritten letter to Thomas Markle was \"self-evidently... highly intrusive\".\n\nMeghan, 39, sent the letter to her father in August 2018, following her marriage to Prince Harry in May that year, which Mr Markle did not attend. The couple are now living in the US with their son Archie.\n\nThe five articles, published in February 2019, were a \"triple-barrelled invasion\" of the duchess's privacy, correspondence and family, the lawyers claim.\n\nMr Markle said in a witness statement provided to the remote hearing, which started on Tuesday, that he wanted the letter published to \"set the record straight\" about his relationship with his daughter - but one of Meghan's lawyers described this claim as \"ridiculous\".\n\nMeghan is seeking damages from the newspaper group for alleged misuse of private information, copyright infringement and breach of the Data Protection Act over the articles.\n\nThe Duke and Duchess of Sussex now live in the US with their son\n\nHer lawyers told the court the letter was written in sorrow rather than anger and was an attempt to get her father to stop talking to the press.\n\nBut the newspaper group said in its response to the court that Meghan had written the letter \"with a view to it being disclosed publicly at some future point\" in order to \"defend her against charges of being an uncaring or unloving daughter\".\n\nIn written submissions, the newspaper group's barrister Antony White said \"she must, at the very least, have appreciated that her father might choose to disclose it\" and pointed out that the Kensington Palace communications team had been shown the letter before it was sent.\n\n\"No truly private letter from daughter to father would require any input from the Kensington Palace communications team,\" said Mr White.\n\nBut Meghan's lawyers also pointed out the articles themselves had emphasised the private nature of the correspondence - and dismissed any argument that it was in the public interest for the newspaper to reproduce the letter, saying the public interest was at the \"very end of the bottom end of the scale\".\n\nJustin Rushbrooke, representing the duchess, described the handwritten letter as \"a heartfelt plea from an anguished daughter to her father\".\n\nHe said the \"contents and character of the letter were intrinsically private, personal and sensitive in nature\" and that Meghan \"had a reasonable expectation of privacy in respect of the contents of the letter\".\n\nThe effect of publishing the letter was \"self-evidently likely to be devastating for the claimant\", said Mr Rushbrooke.\n\nThe barrister argued that, even if ANL was justified in publishing parts of the letter, \"on any view the defendant published far more by way of extracts from the letter than could have been justified in the public interest\".\n\nMr White said that the newspaper group would argue that Meghan's status as a member of the royal family was relevant to the case.\n\nIn response to that point, Mr Rushbrooke said: \"Yes, she is in some senses a public figure, but that does not reduce her expectation of privacy in relation to information of this kind.\"\n\nIn Thomas Markle's evidence, he said the letter \"signalled the end\" of his relationship with his daughter, and instead of a reconciliation attempt, the letter was a \"criticism\" of him.\n\nHe said that he had to \"defend himself\" against an article in People magazine. It carried an interview with a \"long-time friend\" of his daughter, who suggested Meghan sent the letter to repair her relationship with her father - something he claimed was false.\n\nThe People article, he claimed, made him appear \"dishonest, exploitative, publicity-seeking, uncaring and cold-hearted\".\n\nHe said he had \"never intended to talk publicly about Meg's letter\" until he read the People magazine piece which, he claimed, suggested he was \"to blame for the end of the relationship\".\n\nThe full trial of the duchess's claim had been due to be heard at the High Court this month, but last year the case was adjourned until autumn 2021.\n\nThis interim remote hearing - to consider the request for summary judgement - is due to last two days. Mr Justice Warby, who is hearing the case, is expected to reserve his judgement to a later date.", "Low-deposit mortgages have made a return as the market emerges from a Covid-related slowdown.\n\nMortgage products for homeowners with a deposit of 10% of their property's value have risen more than fourfold compared with last summer's low.\n\nThe increase, based on figures from financial information service Moneyfacts, could offer some relief to first-time buyers.\n\nBut the cost of mortgages will remain an issue for many.\n\nIn early September last year, there were only 44 mortgage products available for those able to offer a 10% deposit. At the same time, first-time buyers putting money aside for a deposit were faced with pressures of poor savings rates and rising house prices.\n\nThat choice has now risen to 197 products, according to the Moneyfacts figures, with some big lenders returning in recent weeks.\n\nMortgage products for those able to offer a 15% deposit have also risen sharply, although the choice was already much greater.\n\n\"First-time buyers who may have been concerned that with record low savings rates and increasing house prices, their homeownership dreams may have had to be shelved, may have been pleased to note that we are now seeing some providers return products for those with 10% deposits,\" said Eleanor Williams, from Moneyfacts.\n\nLenders had been grappling with the practical effects that the coronavirus pandemic brought to their business.\n\nWhile some new businesses targeted first-time buyers on social media, many traditional lenders withdrew products from the market.\n\nStaff shortages, and employees working from home, meant they were unable to process applications as fast as they had before the pandemic.\n\nThere were also concerns among lenders that, despite strong activity in the housing market, riskier - and younger - first-time buyers could find it difficult to make mortgage repayments during an economic slowdown caused by the pandemic.\n\nResearch has shown that younger workers are more at risk of redundancy.\n\nAaron Strutt, from mortgage broker Trinity Financial, said lenders were now working more efficiently despite staff still being at home.\n\nHe said that some of the biggest mortgage lenders had returned to the market. Some of the mortgage rates they were offering were not as attractive as they had been, but competition would help push down costs.\n\n\"If you are planning to purchase a property and have a 10% deposit the mortgage rates are not as cheap as they used to be, but they are getting better,\" he said.\n\nMany thousands of existing mortgage-holders who had struggled to make their repayments during the pandemic had taken payment \"holidays\", which are deferrals on payments.\n\nThe latest figures from UK Finance, which represents lenders, show that 130,000 mortgage payment holidays were in place at the end of December 2020, down from a peak of 1.8 million in June last year.", "Mr Trump referred to his \"complete power to pardon\" in a tweet\n\nUS President Donald Trump has insisted he has the \"complete power\" to pardon people, amid reports he is considering presidential pardons for family members, aides and even himself.\n\nThe US authorities are probing possible collusion between the Trump team and Russia. Intelligence agencies think Russia tried to help Mr Trump to power.\n\nRussia denies this, and the president says there was no collusion.\n\nThe Washington Post reported on Thursday that Mr Trump and his team were looking at ways to pardon people close to him.\n\nPresidents can pardon people before guilt is established or even before the person is charged with a crime.\n\nDescribing the reports as disturbing, Senator Mark Warner, a Democrat who sits on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, said \"pardoning any individuals who may have been involved would be crossing a fundamental line\".\n\nOn Saturday, Mr Trump tweeted: \"While all agree the U. S. President has the complete power to pardon, why think of that when only crime so far is LEAKS against us. FAKE NEWS.\"\n\nMr Trump also attacked \"illegal leaks\" following reports his attorney general discussed campaign-related matters with a Russian envoy.\n\nThe Washington Post gave an account of meetings Attorney General Jeff Sessions held with the Russian ambassador to the US, Sergey Kislyak. The newspaper quoted current and former US officials who cited intelligence intercepts of Mr Kislyak's version of the encounter to his superiors.\n\nOne of those quoted said Mr Kislyak spoke to Mr Sessions about key campaign issues, including Mr Trump's positions on policies significant to Russia.\n\nDuring his confirmation hearing earlier this year, Mr Sessions said he had no contact with Russians during the election campaign. When it later emerged he had, he said the campaign was not discussed at the meetings.\n\nAn official confirmed to Reuters the detail of the intercepts, but there has been no independent corroboration.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Commander in tweets: What we can learn from Trump's Twitter\n\nThe officials spoken to by the Post said that Mr Kislyak could have exaggerated the account, and cited a Justice Department spokesperson who repeated that Mr Sessions did not discuss interference in the election.\n\nBut the Post's story was the focus of one of many tweets the US president fired off on Saturday morning.\n\n\"A new INTELLIGENCE LEAK from the Amazon Washington Post, this time against A.G. Jeff Sessions. These illegal leaks, like Comey's, must stop!\" Mr Trump said.\n\nThe Washington Post is owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who has been an occasional sparring partner for Mr Trump. \"Comey\" refers to James Comey, the former FBI boss Mr Trump fired.\n\nEarlier this week, Mr Trump told the New York Times he regretted hiring Mr Sessions because he had stepped away from overseeing an inquiry into alleged Russian meddling in the US election.\n\nMr Sessions recused himself in March amid pressure over his meetings with Mr Kislyak. He says he plans to continue in his role as attorney general.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Sessions said he loved the job and the department\n\nSeveral other regular targets for Mr Trump featured in his series of tweets.\n\nHe accused the \"failing\" New York Times of foiling an attempt to assassinate the leader of the Islamic State group, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.\n\nIt is not clear what Mr Trump was referring to, but on Saturday a US general complained on Fox News that a \"good lead\" on Baghdadi was leaked to a national newspaper in 2015.\n\nA New York Times report at the time revealed that valuable information had been extracted from a raid, but the paper stressed on Saturday that no-one had taken issue with their reporting until now.\n\nAnd Mr Trump again urged Republicans to \"step up to the plate\" and repeal and replace President Obama's healthcare reforms, a key campaign pledge of his that has collapsed in Congress.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Donald J. Trump This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nDoris Hobday and her twin sister Lilian Cox, known as the Tipton Twins, were admitted to hospital after testing positive earlier this month.\n\nHer family said Mrs Hobday had died on 5 January, adding they were \"totally heartbroken to lose Doris in this way\".\n\nMrs Cox has since been discharged from hospital and is continuing to recover, the family said. The siblings were among the UK's oldest living twins.\n\nDoris Hobday died in hospital on 5 January, her family has announced\n\n\"We are so grateful for all the special memories we have created and got to share with you all,\" the family said in a statement.\n\nThe twins, from Tipton, West Midlands, became popular figures online with their positive outlook on life and sense of humour.\n\nTipton Twins Doris and Lilian both tested positive for Covid-19 earlier this month\n\nThey appeared on BBC Breakfast, ITV's Good Morning Britain and This Morning, charming presenters with jokes about wearing their drawers inside out and their love for actor Jason Statham.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Dan Walker This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Piers Morgan This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter���s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nLilian and Doris said they did everything together. They lived in the same street after getting married, worked together at an ale-making factory in Birmingham and more recently lived next to one another at sheltered accommodation in Tipton.\n\nSpeaking to the BBC on their 95th birthday, Lilian revealed her sister's secret to a long life was \"no sex and plenty of Guinness\" - her own being simply \"lemonade\".\n\nDoris Hobday's family said she had passed away peacefully and they were grateful for all their memories with her\n\n\"Doris will be laid to rest with her husband who she lost 11 years ago after 65 years of happy marriage,\" her family said.\n\nA crowdfunding page has been set up in Mrs Hobday's memory, with funds raised being donated to The Beacon Centre for the Blind, which supported her late husband Raymond for 20 years.\n\nDoris will be buried next to her husband Ray, who, along with half a Guinness, was \"her favourite thing\"\n\nThe family said Mrs Cox had only been told of her sister's death on Monday, \"once she was strong enough to take the news\".\n\n\"She is now being comforted by family and staying with her daughter Vivien while she fully regains her strength.\"\n\n\"Both were determined to live until 100, they had so much to look forward to,\" their family said. \"It's just so cruel that Covid has stopped Doris like this.\"\n\nFollow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Mr Bannon was once considered among the most influential men in Mr Trump's administration\n\nPresident Trump's former top advisor, Steve Bannon, has been suspended from Twitter over the \"glorification of violence\" amid the election aftermath.\n\nMr Bannon said a re-elected Mr Trump should fire the top infectious disease expert and the FBI director, and called for violence against them.\n\nIt comes as the tech firms continue a clampdown on misinformation.\n\nFacebook has shut down a large group which alleges fraud, and announced new measures to amplify genuine results.\n\nMr Bannon, once widely thought of as one of the most powerful men in Washington, served as the boss of Mr Trump's 2016 campaign, and as a top presidential advisor for the first several months of his presidency.\n\nOn Thursday, he posted a video podcast to Facebook, YouTube and Twitter, in which he said both Dr Anthony Fauci - the face of the country's fight against coronavirus - and FBI Director Christopher Wray, should be fired after Mr Trump's re-election, but also said they should be subjected to violence.\n\nPresident Trump has expressed frustration with both men, clashing with Dr Fauci over the pandemic, and with Mr Wray over what he sees as a failure to investigate his opponent, Joe Biden.\n\nFacebook and YouTube both removed the video, but Twitter issued an outright suspension of Mr Bannon's \"war room pandemic\" account, for violating its policy on the glorification of violence.\n\nThe account has been permanently suspended, rather than banned for a limited amount of time, Twitter said in a statement.\n\nPresident Trump, meanwhile, had another of his tweets hidden and labelled by Twitter after falsely claiming victory and alleging the existence of \"illegal votes\".\n\nThe President responded by tweeting: \"Twitter is out of control\".\n\nThe Stop the Steal Facebook group had about 350,000 members when the social media giant removed it, something the social network admitted was an \"exceptional\" measure. It did so because it was \"creating real-world events\" and \"we saw worrying calls for violence from some members of the group\", Facebook said.\n\nThe social network is now taking further measures to restrict the flow of \"inaccurate claims\" in order \"to keep this content from reaching more people\".\n\n\"These include demotions for content on Facebook and Instagram that our systems predict may be misinformation, including debunked claims about voting. We are also limiting the distribution of live videos that may relate to the election on Facebook,\" the firm said in a statement.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Facebook Newsroom This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nAs President Trump continues to allege, without evidence, that widespread voter fraud took place, Facebook also said it would alter its election banner notifications and spread news of the projected winner, once a majority of independent outlets projected the result.\n\nThe same notice will be put on posts from both candidates.\n\nSeparately, Bloomberg reports that Twitter will remove the \"special treatment\" it affords President Trump as a world leader, in the event of Joe Biden winning the presidency.\n\nTwitter has specific rules for world leaders, which means it will not ordinarily ban them for the same offences for which it would ban ordinary users. Twitter argues that such posts - even when violating its rules - are sufficiently newsworthy to stay up, with a handful of exceptions.\n\nInstead, Twitter can label the post of a world leader, hiding it from view and restricting engagement - but leaving it viewable to anyone who clicks through a warning message about the content.\n\nIt has repeatedly done this to Mr Trump's tweets, leading to high-profile arguments with the president and his supporters.\n\nBut Mr Trump would return to the status of a regular user if he loses the election, Bloomberg reported - meaning that his tweets could be deleted outright or his account suspended, for policy violations.", "Liam Gallagher, Sir Elton John and Nicola Benedetti have put their names to the letter\n\nSome of the UK's biggest music stars have written to the government demanding action to ensure visa-free touring in the European Union.\n\nSir Elton John, Liam Gallagher and Nicola Benedetti are among 110 artists who have signed the open letter.\n\nIt said they had been \"shamefully failed\" by the government over post-Brexit travel rules for UK musicians.\n\nThe government said the signatories should be asking the EU why they \"rejected the sensible UK proposal\".\n\nCulture Secretary Oliver Dowden will meet music industry representatives on Wednesday to address their concerns.\n\nEarlier this week, culture minister Caroline Dinenage said the EU's \"very broad\" offer \"would not have been compatible with the government's manifesto commitment to take back control of our borders\".\n\nHowever, she said \"the door is open\" if the EU was willing to consider the UK's proposals to reach an agreement for musicians.\n\nIn the meantime, she confirmed, musicians and artists touring the continent \"will be required to check domestic immigration and visitor rules for each member state in which they intend to tour\".\n\nThat may require them to have multiple visas or work permits, which some industry experts say will be expensive and potentially prohibitive - especially for musicians at the start of their careers.\n\nOther names on the open letter include Ed Sheeran, Sir Simon Rattle, Sting, Radiohead, Sheku Kanneh-Mason, Kim Wilde, Roger Daltrey, Glastonbury organisers Michael and Emily Eavis, and Judith Weir, Master of the Queen's Music.\n\nThe letter was organised by the Incorporated Society of Musicians and the Liberal Democrats, and published in The Times.\n\n\"The reality is that British musicians, dancers, actors and their support staff have been shamefully failed by their government,\" it said.\n\n\"The deal done with the EU has a gaping hole where the promised free movement for musicians should be. Everyone on a European music tour will now need costly work permits for many countries they visit and a mountain of paperwork for their equipment.\"\n\nThe extra costs will \"tip many performers over the edge\", it claimed.\n\n\"We call on the government to urgently do what it said it would do and negotiate paperwork-free travel in Europe for British artists and their equipment,\" it added.\n\n\"For the sake of British fans wanting to see European performers in the UK and British venues wishing to host them, the deal should be reciprocal.\"\n\nThe Who frontman Daltrey signed despite telling the BBC Radio 4's Front Row programme in 2018: \"It's nothing that can't be solved. I mean, we used to work in Europe before the EU was even thought about. We had the golden period of the 60s and the 70s.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The Who frontman Roger Daltrey gave his take on Brexit in 2018\n\nOn Wednesday, the veteran rocker said the two positions were compatible. \"I have not changed my opinion on the EU,\" he said in a statement to the PA news agency. \"I'm glad to be free of Brussels, not Europe.\n\n\"I would have preferred reform, which was asked for by us before the referendum and was turned down by the then president of the EU. I do think our government should have made the easing of restrictions for musicians and actors a higher priority.\n\n\"Every tour, individual actors and musicians should be treated as any other 'goods' at the point of entry to the EU with one set of paperwork. Switzerland has borders with five EU countries, and trade is electronically frictionless. Why not us?\"\n\nDeborah Annetts, chief executive of the Incorporated Society of Musicians, said: \"World-renowned performers, emerging artists from every genre and the most respected figures from leading organisations within our sector are now sending a clear message.\n\n\"It is essential for the government to negotiate a new reciprocal agreement that allows performers to tour in Europe for up to 90 days, without the need for a work permit.\"\n\nResponding to the letter, a UK government spokesperson said that musicians' concerns were being taken seriously.\n\n\"We absolutely agree that musicians should be able to work across Europe,\" they said in a statement.\n\n\"The UK Government put forward a proposal, based on feedback from the music sector, that would have allowed musicians to tour - but the EU repeatedly rejected this.\n\n\"The EU's offer in the negotiations would not have worked for touring musicians: it did not deal with work permits at all, and would not have allowed support staff to tour with artists. The signatories of this letter should be asking the EU why they rejected the sensible UK proposal.\"\n\nCulture Secretary Oliver Dowden is due to host a roundtable discussion with representatives from the music industry, addressing their concerns, on Wednesday.\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "Joe Biden has spent 50 years in politics working towards this moment, but he could never have expected such huge challenges would be facing him on his first day at the helm. What are his priorities?\n\nHe'll get started with a 10-day flurry of executive orders.\n\nThese are presidential directives that don't require congressional approval.\n\nTop of the list are rescinding a controversial travel ban, imposed by his predecessor Donald Trump against countries he viewed as a security threat, and rejoining the Paris climate deal.\n\nHere's what else we know about what will demand the new president's immediate attention.\n\nThe coronavirus has killed more than 400,000 people in the US - and the pandemic and its wide-ranging impact will be the new administration's top priority.\n\nMr Biden has called it \"one of the most important battles our administration will face\" and has vowed to implement his Covid strategy straight away.\n\nOne of his first moves will be executive action requiring social distancing and the wearing of masks on federal property nationwide and by federal employees and contractors.\n\nStill, there's no guarantee the state governors who've so far opposed mask mandates will suddenly change their minds - there appears to be no legal authority that grants a president the power to bring in a nationwide mask rule.\n\nMr Biden seems to have conceded that point, and says he'll personally try to persuade governors to come around.\n\nIf they're not receptive, he's vowed to make calls to mayors and municipal officials to recruit them to the cause. There's also no word yet on how a mandate will be enforced.\n\nMr Biden wants to speed up the vaccine rollout with the ultimate goal of vaccinating 100 million people with at least a first dose against Covid in his first 100 days in office.\n\nOne part of the acceleration plan is to release all available vaccine doses instead of holding some in reserve for the necessary second jab.\n\nHe is also expected to take executive action on efforts to develop and deploy rapid testing and to put in place a national supply chain for equipment, medications and personal protective equipment, or PPE.\n\nOn his agenda is a pledge to reverse the decision to have the US leave the World Health Organization (WHO).\n\nMr Trump announced plans over the summer to pull the country out of the WHO, accusing it of mismanaging Covid after the virus emerged in China and saying it failed to make \"greatly needed reforms\".\n\nMr Biden's team has said he has immediate plans to extend a moratorium on evictions and on foreclosures on home mortgages - both of which were paused early in the pandemic - as well as the current pause on federal student loan payments and interest.\n\nMr Biden's transition team said he plans to direct Cabinet agencies this week to \"take immediate action to deliver economic relief to working families\", though they did not offer more detail.\n\n$1.9tn for the US coronavirus economy\n\nLast week, Mr Biden announced a $1.9tn (£1.4tn) stimulus plan for the coronavirus-sapped US economy, saying that \"a crisis of deep human suffering is in plain sight and there's no time to waste\".\n\nIf passed by Congress, it would include direct payments of $1,400 to all Americans. He has also included funding to help schools safely reopen, which he wants to happen in the first 100 days.\n\nIt'll be in addition to a long-awaited $900bn stimulus package Congress passed in December, which Mr Biden had called a \"down payment\" on the larger proposed package.\n\nRepublicans lawmakers are likely to object to parts of the bill, which will add more debt to what the US has already spent dealing with the pandemic - and Mr Biden will need bipartisan support for the plan.\n\nDemocrats currently control both chambers of Congress, but only by narrow margins.\n\nCovid aid isn't the only priority on the incoming president's economic agenda. He has pledged to get rid of Mr Trump's signature tax cuts as soon as he takes office.\n\nMr Trump passed the cuts in 2017, early in his presidency, and the Biden team says they unfairly reward the wealthiest Americans and favour corporations over small businesses.\n\nMr Biden has also said he would swiftly double the taxes that US firms pay on foreign profits - part of his Made in America push - which would come in addition to a rise in corporate taxes.\n\nHis tax policy legislation will need to pass Congress.\n\nAnother move Mr Biden says he will make on his first day in office is to rejoin the Paris climate agreement, a global accord that includes the goal to keep temperatures below 2.0C (3.6F) above pre-industrial times and \"endeavour to limit\" them even more, to 1.5C.\n\nHis predecessor pulled the US out of the 2015 accord - it became official on 4 November - making it the first nation in the world to do so.\n\nThe US will officially be part of the agreement again within 30 days.\n\nMr Biden has also pledged to \"up the ante\" and aim for higher standards on climate mitigation measures, and to convene a climate world summit within the first 100 days in office.\n\nMr Biden has said he wants to work with Congress to enact legislation this year that will allow the US to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.\n\nIn a move that has already sparked alarm with his northern neighbours, Mr Biden is reportedly planning to immediately rescind the cross-border permit for the controversial Keystone XL pipeline, a planned project from the oil sands of Canada's Alberta province, through Montana and South Dakota, to rejoin an existing pipeline to Texas.\n\nA further agenda item is a U-turn on much of Mr Trump's legacy of climate and energy deregulation, like the easing of vehicle emissions targets.\n\nMr Biden has said he will negotiate \"rigorous\" new emissions limits on cars and heavy-duty vehicles, to conserve 30% of US lands and waters by 2030, to ban new drilling on public lands, and to close the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling.\n\nThe new administration says it plans also to bring in \"aggressive\" methane pollution limits for oil and gas operations and to ban new oil and gas leasing on public lands and waters.\n\nThe travel ban, signed by Mr Trump just seven days after taking office in January 2017, will be among the first policies to be discarded.\n\nThe ban initially excluded people from seven majority-Muslim countries, but the list was modified following a series of court challenges.\n\nIt now restricts citizens of Iran, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, Venezuela and North Korea.\n\nIn another major immigration pledge, Mr Biden has said he'll swiftly send a bill to Congress laying out a pathway to citizenship for over 11 million undocumented immigrants.\n\n\"And all of those so-called dreamers, those Daca [Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals programme] kids, they're going to be immediately certified again to be able to stay in this country and put on a path to citizenship,\" he said in late October.\n\nLate in the election, the campaign announced Mr Biden would create a task force to reunite some 545 migrant children separated from their parents at the US southern border.\n\nIn December, the Biden team conceded it would need more time to roll back one of Mr Trump's policies, the Migrant Protection Protocols that force thousands of asylum seekers to wait in Mexico for US immigration court hearings.\n\nOnce a \"Day One\" pledge, officials now say it could take about six months to address.\n\nMr Biden has vowed to halt construction of a project synonymous with Mr Trump's presidency - the border wall between the US and Mexico. His campaign had called it \"a waste of money\" that \"diverts critical resources away from the real threats\".\n\nThe administration says it will instead divert the federal funds towards efforts like new border screening measures.\n\nUS President Donald Trump tours and signs a section of the US-Mexico border wall\n\nThe national reckoning with race is the fourth crisis - alongside Covid, the economy and climate - Mr Biden says he must tackle quickly.\n\nSome of those policies - like addressing racial disparities in housing and healthcare - overlap with his other plans.\n\nMr Biden will sign an executive order on racial equality and call on all US agencies to create a plan to tackle any unequal barriers to opportunity. It will also rescind Mr Trump's executive order limiting the ability of federal government agencies to implement diversity and inclusion training.\n\nMr Biden has promised to set up a national police oversight body to assist in reforming police departments in his first 100 days in office, though details of that plan are scarce.\n\nHe has said he wants swift passage by Congress of the \"Safe Justice Act\", which includes measures on reforming mandatory minimum sentences and increasing funding for community based policing.\n\nHe has made commitments to the LGBT community as well, like directing resources towards helping prevent violence against transgender people, ending the ban on transgender people serving in the military, and restoring guidance for transgender students in schools.\n\nOne other priority is passing the Equality Act, which would add sexual orientation and gender identity to existing federal civil rights laws, though how fast he can pass that legislation remains unclear.\n\nThe incoming president says he plans to quickly reach out to US allies to smooth ruffled feathers and promise that \"America has your back\", saying the US must \"prove to the world that [it] is prepared to lead again - not just with the example of our power but also with the power of our example\".\n\nHe has said on his first day in the Oval Office he would reach out to Nato allies with the message \"we're back and you can count on us again\".\n\nThough Mr Trump was not the first president to pressure other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation members to spend more on defence, he threatened at times to withdraw from the alliance that Mr Biden has called the \"bulwark of the liberal democratic ideal\".", "More than 127,000 people in the UK who contracted coronavirus have lost their lives - with the pandemic claiming more than 3.4 million deaths worldwide. As the UK marks a year since the first coronavirus lockdown was called, it's a time for reflection.\n\nWe have gathered tributes to more than 770 of those who have died. Below are words of remembrance from friends, family and colleagues.\n\nPlease enable JavaScript or upgrade your browser to see this interactive\n\nThe tributes are displayed at random, which means that you will see different faces each time you visit this page.\n\nIf we have used your tribute to your friend or family member, it will appear in the carousel above, or you can find it by entering their name in the search box below.\n\nA modern browser with JavaScript and a stable internet connection is required to view this interactive. Enter a name to search the tributes\n\nFor more on NHS and healthcare workers, please see this page dedicated to 100 people who died while helping to look after others.\n\nFor more on how it has affected people's lives, from family tragedy to its impact on everyday life, we have a collection of personal stories about life in lockdown.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Many were taken by surprise by the events in Washington, but to those who closely follow conspiracy and extreme right groups online, the warning signs were all there.\n\nAt 02:21 Eastern Standard Time on election night, President Trump walked onto a stage set up in the East Room of the White House and declared victory.\n\n\"We were getting ready to win this election. Frankly, we did win this election.\"\n\nHis speech came an hour after he'd tweeted: \"They are trying to steal the election\".\n\nHe hadn't won. There was no victory to steal. But to many of his most fervent supporters, these facts didn't matter, and still don't.\n\nSixty five days later, a motley coalition of rioters stormed the US Capitol building. They included believers in the QAnon conspiracy theory, members of \"Stop the Steal\" groups, far-right activists, online trolls and others.\n\nOn Friday 8 January - some 48 hours after the Washington riots - Twitter began a purge of some of the most influential pro-Trump accounts that had been pushing conspiracies and urging direct action to overturn the election result.\n\nThen came the big one - Mr Trump himself.\n\nThe president was permanently banned from tweeting to his more than 88 million followers \"due to the risk of further incitement of violence\".\n\nThe violence in Washington shocked the world and seemed to catch the authorities off guard.\n\nBut for anyone who had been carefully watching the unfolding story - online and on the streets of American cities - it came as no surprise.\n\nThe idea of a rigged election was seeded by the president in speeches and on Twitter, months before the vote.\n\nOn election day, the rumors started just as Americans were going to the polls.\n\nA video of a Republican poll watcher being denied entry to a Philadelphia polling station went viral. It was a genuine error, caused by confusion about the rules. The man was later allowed into the station to observe the count.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Will Chamberlain This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. End of twitter post by Will Chamberlain\n\nBut it became the first of many videos, images, graphics and claims that went viral in the days that followed, giving rise to a hashtag: #StopTheSteal.\n\nThe message behind it was clear - Mr Trump had won a landslide victory, but dark forces in the establishment \"deep state\" had stolen it from him.\n\nIn the early hours of Wednesday 4 November, while votes were still being counted and three days before the US networks called the election for Joe Biden, President Trump claimed victory, alleging \"a fraud on the American public\".\n\nMr Trump did not provide any evidence to back up his claims. Studies carried out for previous US elections have shown that voter fraud is extremely rare.\n\nBy mid-afternoon a Facebook group called \"Stop the Steal\" was created and quickly became one of the fastest-growing in the platform's history. By Thursday morning, it had added more than 300,000 members.\n\nMany of the posts focused on unsubstantiated allegations of mass voter fraud, including manufactured claims that thousands of dead people had voted and that voting machines had somehow been programmed to flip votes from Mr Trump to Mr Biden.\n\nBut some of the posts were more alarming, speaking of the need for a \"civil war\" or \"revolution\".\n\nBy Thursday afternoon, Facebook had taken down Stop the Steal, but not before it had generated nearly half a million comments, shares, likes, and reactions.\n\nDozens of other groups quickly sprang up in its place.\n\nThe idea of a stolen election continued to spread online and take hold. Soon, a dedicated Stop the Steal website was launched in a bid to register \"boots on the ground to protect the integrity of the vote\".\n\nOn Saturday 7 November, major news organisations declared that Joe Biden had won the election. In Democratic strongholds, throngs of people took to the streets to celebrate. But the reaction online from Mr Trump's most ardent supporters was one of anger and defiance.\n\nThey planned a rally in Washington DC for the following Saturday, dubbed the Million MAGA (Make America Great Again) March.\n\nTrump tweeted that he might try to stop by the demonstration and \"say hello\".\n\nPrevious pro-Trump rallies in Washington had failed to attract large crowds. But thousands gathered at Freedom Plaza that sunny morning.\n\nOne extremism researcher called it the \"debut of the pro-Trump insurgency\".\n\nAs Trump's motorcade drove through the city, supporters screaming with delight rushed to catch a glimpse of the president, who beamed at them wearing a red MAGA hat.\n\nWhile mainstream conservative figures were present, the event was dominated by far-right groups.\n\nDozens of members of the far-right, anti-immigrant, all-male group Proud Boys, who have repeatedly been involved in violent street protests and were among those who would later break into the US Capitol, joined the march. Militia groups, far-right media figures and promoters of conspiracy theories were also there.\n\nAs night fell, clashes between Trump supporters and counter-protesters broke out, including a brawl about five blocks from the White House.\n\nThe violence - although largely contained by police on this occasion - was a clear sign of things to come.\n\nBy now, President Trump and his legal team had invested their hopes in dozens of legal cases.\n\nAlthough a number of courts had already dismissed fraud allegations, many in the pro-Trump online world became fascinated with two lawyers with close ties to the president - Sidney Powell and L Lin Wood.\n\nMs Powell and Mr Wood promised they were preparing cases of voter fraud so comprehensive that when released, they would destroy the case for Mr Biden having won the presidency.\n\nMs Powell, 65, a conservative activist and former federal prosecutor, told Fox News that the effort would \"release the Kraken\" - a reference to a gigantic sea monster from Scandinavian folklore that rises up from the ocean to devour its enemies.\n\nThe \"Kraken\" quickly became an internet meme, representing sprawling, unsubstantiated claims of widespread election fraud.\n\nMs Powell and Mr Wood became heroes to followers of the QAnon conspiracy theory - who believe President Trump and a secret military intelligence team are battling a deep state made up of Satan-worshipping paedophiles in the Democratic Party, media, business and Hollywood.\n\nThe lawyers became a conduit between the president and his most conspiracy-minded supporters - a number of whom ended up inside the Capitol on 6 January.\n\nMs Powell and Mr Wood were successful in whipping up sound and fury online, but their legal efforts came to nothing.\n\nWhen they released almost 200 pages of documents in late November, it became clear that their lawsuit consisted predominantly of conspiracy theories and debunked allegations that had already been rejected by dozens of courts.\n\nThe filings contained simple legal errors - and basic misspellings and typos.\n\nStill, the meme lived on. The terms \"Kraken\" and \"Release the Kraken\" were used more than a million times on Twitter before the Capitol riot.\n\nDeath threats were made against a Georgia election worker, and Republican officials in the state - including Governor Brian Kemp, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and the official in charge of the state's voting systems, Gabriel Sterling - were branded \"traitors\" online.\n\nMr Sterling issued an emotional and prescient warning to the president in a press conference on 1 December.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. \"This has to stop... someone's gonna get killed\": Mr Sterling calls on President Trump to condemn the threats\n\n\"Someone's going to get hurt, someone's going to get shot, someone's going to get killed, and it's not right,\" he said.\n\nIn Michigan in early December, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, a Democrat, had just finished trimming her Christmas tree with her four-year-old son when she heard a commotion outside her Detroit home.\n\nAbout 30 protesters with banners stood outside, shouting \"Stop the steal!\" through megaphones.\n\n\"Benson, you are a villain,\" one person yelled.\n\nOne of the demonstrators live-streamed the protest on Facebook, stating that her group was \"not going away\".\n\nIt was just one of a rash of protests targeting people involved in the vote.\n\nIn Georgia, a constant stream of Trump supporters drove past Mr Raffensperger's home, honking their horns. His wife received threats of sexual violence.\n\nIn Arizona, demonstrators gathered outside of the home of Secretary of State Katie Hobbs, a Democrat, at one point warning: \"We are watching you.\"\n\nOn 11 December, the Supreme Court rejected an attempt by the state of Texas to throw out election results.\n\nAs the president's legal and political windows continued to close, the language in pro-Trump online circles became increasingly violent.\n\nOn 12 December, a second Stop the Steal rally was held in the capital. Once again, thousands attended, and once again prominent far-right activists, QAnon supporters, fringe MAGA groups and militia movements were among the demonstrators.\n\nMichael Flynn, Mr Trump's former national security advisor, likened the protesters to the biblical soldiers and priests breaching the walls of Jericho. This echoed the rally organisers' call for \"Jericho Marches\" to overturn the election result.\n\nNick Fuentes, the leader of Groypers, a far-right movement that targets Republican politicians and figures they deem too moderate, told the crowd: \"We are going to destroy the GOP!\"\n\nThe march once again turned violent.\n\nThen two days later, the Electoral College certified Mr Biden's victory, one of the final steps required for him to take office.\n\nOn online platforms, supporters were becoming resigned to the view that all legal avenues were dead ends, and only direct action could save the Trump presidency.\n\nSince election day, alongside Mr Flynn, Ms Powell and Mr Wood, a new figure had rapidly gained prominence among pro-Trump circles online.\n\nRon Watkins is the son of Jim Watkins, the man behind 8chan and 8kun - message boards filled with extreme language and views, violence and extreme sexual content. They gave rise to the QAnon movement.\n\nIn a series of viral tweets on 17 December, Ron Watkins suggested President Trump should follow the example of Roman leader Julius Caesar, and capitalise on \"fierce loyalty of the military\" in order to \"restore the Republic\".\n\nRon Watkins encouraged his more than 500,000 followers to make #CrossTheRubicon a Twitter trend, referring to the moment when Caesar launched a civil war by crossing the Rubicon river in 49BC. The hashtag was also used by more mainstream figures - including the chairwoman of Arizona Republican Party, Kelli Ward.\n\nIn a separate tweet, Ron Watkins said Mr Trump must invoke the Insurrection Act, which empowers the president to deploy the military and federal forces.\n\nMr Trump met Ms Powell, Mr Flynn and others at a strategy meeting at the White House the following day, 18 December.\n\nDuring the meeting, according to the New York Times, Mr Flynn called on Mr Trump to impose martial law and deploy the military to \"rerun\" the election.\n\nThe meeting further stoked online chatter about \"war\" and \"revolution\" in far-right circles. Many came to see the joint session of Congress on 6 January, normally a formality, as a last roll of the dice.\n\nA wishful story began to take hold among QAnon and some MAGA supporters. They hoped that Vice-President Mike Pence, who was set to preside over the 6 January ceremony, would ignore the electoral college votes.\n\nThe president, they said, would then deploy the military to quell any unrest, order the mass arrest of the \"deep state cabal\" who had rigged the election and send them to Guantanamo Bay military prison.\n\nBack in the land of reality, none of this was remotely feasible. But it launched a movement for \"patriot caravans\" to organise ride shares to help transport thousands from around the country to Washington DC on 6 January.\n\nLong processions of vehicles flying Trump flags and sometimes towing elaborately decorated trailers gathered in car parks in cities including Louisville, Kentucky, Atlanta, Georgia, and Scranton, Pennsylvania.\n\n\"We are on our way,\" one caravaner posted on Twitter with a picture of about two dozen supporters.\n\nAt an Ikea parking lot in North Carolina, another man showed off his truck. \"The flags are a little tattered - we'll call them battle flags now,\" he said.\n\nAs it became clear that Mr Pence and other key Republicans would follow the law and allow Congress to certify Mr Biden's win, the language towards them became vicious.\n\n\"Pence will be in jail awaiting trial for treason,\" Mr Wood tweeted. \"He will face execution by firing squad.\"\n\nOnline discussion reached boiling point. References to firearms, war and violence were rife on self-styled \"free speech\" social platforms such as Gab and Parler, which are popular with Trump supporters, as well as on other sites.\n\nIn Proud Boys groups, where members had once supported police, some turned against authorities, whom they deemed to no longer be on their side.\n\nHundreds of posts on a popular pro-Trump site, TheDonald, openly discussed plans to cross barricades, carry firearms and other weapons to the march in defiance of Washington's strict gun laws. There was open chatter about storming the Capitol and arresting \"treasonous\" members of Congress.\n\nOn Wednesday 6 January, Mr Trump addressed a crowd of thousands at the Ellipse, a park just south of the White House, for more than an hour.\n\nEarly on he encouraged supporters to \"peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard\", but he ended with a warning. \"We fight like hell, and if you don't fight like hell, you're not going to have a country anymore.\n\n\"So we're going to, we're going to walk down Pennsylvania Avenue… and we're going to the Capitol.\"\n\nTo some observers, the potential for violence that day was clear from the outset.\n\nMichael Chertoff, former secretary of homeland security under President George W Bush, blamed the Capitol Police, who reportedly turned down offers of assistance from the much larger National Guard ahead of time. He characterised it as \"the worst failure of a police force I can think of\".\n\n\"I think it was a very foreseeable potential negative turn of events,\" Mr Chertoff said.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\n\"To be blunt, it was obvious. If you read the newspaper and were awake, you understood that you've got a lot of people who have been convinced there was a fraudulent election. Some of them are extremists, and violent. Some of the groups openly said, 'Bring your guns'.\"\n\nStill, many Americans were astonished by Wednesday's scenes, like James Clark, a 68-year-old Republican from Virginia.\n\n\"I find it absolutely shocking. I didn't think it would come to this,\" he told the BBC.\n\nBut the signs were there for weeks. A hodgepodge of extreme and conspiratorial groups were convinced that the election was stolen. Online, they repeatedly talked about arming themselves, and violence.\n\nPerhaps the authorities didn't think their posts were serious, or specific enough to investigate. They now face pointed questions.\n\nFor Joe Biden's inauguration on 20 January, Mr Chertoff is expecting a \"much stronger showing\" by security services than last Wednesday night.\n\nBut that hasn't stopped many on extreme platforms calling for further violence and disruption on the day.\n\nThere are questions, too, for the major social media platforms, which enabled conspiracy theories to reach millions of people.\n\nLate on Friday, Twitter deleted the accounts of Mr Flynn, the former Trump advisor, the \"Kraken\" lawyers Ms Powell and Mr Wood, and Mr Watkins. Then Mr Trump himself.\n\nArrests of those who stormed the Capitol continue. But most of the rioters still live in a parallel online universe - a subterranean world filled with alternative facts.\n\nThey have already come up with fanciful explanations to dismiss Mr Trump's video statement, posted on Twitter the day after the riots, in which he acknowledged for the first time that \"a new administration will be inaugurated on 20 January\".\n\nHe can't possibly be giving up, they contend. Among their new theories - it's not really him in the video but a computer-generated \"deep fake\". Or perhaps the president is being held hostage.\n\nMany still believe Mr Trump will prevail.\n\nThere's no evidence behind any of this, but it does prove one thing.\n\nNo matter what happens to Donald Trump, the rioters who stormed the US Capitol are not backing down anytime soon.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Covid in Scotland: Schools to stay closed until mid-February at least\n\nScotland's Covid-19 lockdown has been extended until at least the middle of February, with most school pupils to continue learning from home.\n\nFirst Minister Nicola Sturgeon told MSPs that transmission of the virus appeared to be declining but was still too high to ease restrictions.\n\nBut she hopes schools will be able to at least begin a phased return to the classroom in the middle of next month.\n\nThe level four restrictions have been in place since Boxing Day.\n\nMeanwhile the islands of Barra and Vatersay are being moved into the top level of restrictions due to a \"significant outbreak\" there.\n\nThe current restrictions, which have closed non-essential shops and seen a \"stay at home\" message put down in law, had been due to expire at the end of this month.\n\nBut Scottish government ministers agreed they should be extended after a cabinet meeting on Tuesday morning.\n\nMs Sturgeon told MSPs that lockdown was \"beginning to have an impact\" on the number of new infections, but said Scotland remained in a \"very precarious position\".\n\nShe added: \"We need to be realistic that any improvement we are seeing is down, at this stage, to the fact that we are staying at home and reducing our interactions.\n\n\"Any relaxation of lockdown while case numbers, even though they might be declining, nevertheless remain very high, could quickly send the situation into reverse.\"\n\nThe vast majority of Scottish pupils have been home learning since the Christmas holiday\n\nThe announcement came as 1,165 new cases of Covid-19 were registered in Scotland, representing 11.1% of tests carried out.\n\nA total of 1,989 people are in hospital with the virus while a further 71 deaths of people who recently tested positive have been logged.\n\nMs Sturgeon said there was \"real and severe\" pressure on health services, with around 30% more patients in hospital than at the peak of the first wave in April 2020, and that this was \"almost certain to rise for a further period yet\".\n\nSchool buildings and nurseries have been closed to most pupils since the start of term, with all but the children of some key workers and vulnerable pupils learning from home.\n\nNot only will schools remain closed to most pupils until at least mid-February, they are unlikely to return to normal at that point.\n\nThe first minister has indicated that her aim is to begin a phased return, if coronavirus allows. So what might that mean?\n\nThe groups that will get back into class first are likely to include secondary school exam year pupils, the youngest primary school children and those in P7 getting ready to move to high school.\n\nFor others, online learning is likely to last a bit longer.\n\nBoth the return to school and the continuation of the wider lockdown will be reviewed again in a fortnight on 2 Feb.\n\nBy that week, first doses of vaccine should have been offered to all over 80s in Scotland as well as frontline NHS and social care staff and care home residents.\n\nWith only 15-20% of the over 80s reached so far, opposition parties think the programme is slipping behind schedule, which the first minister denies.\n\nMs Sturgeon said she knew how \"challenging and stressful\" home schooling was for families, but said community transmission was \"too high\" to allow a safe return to classrooms.\n\nShe said: \"If it is at all possible, as I very much hope it will be, to begin even a phased return to in-school learning in mid-February, we will.\n\n\"But I also have to be straight with families and say that it is simply too early to be sure about whether and to what extent this will be possible.\"\n\nStatistics released on Monday showed that Scotland had vaccinated 6% of its adult population so far - the same percentage as Wales, but lower than the 8% that have been vaccinated in England and 8.7% in Northern Ireland.\n\nEngland has also given a second dose of the vaccine to 427,386 people, compared to only 3,698 in Scotland.\n\nMs Sturgeon said approximately 100,000 people were being vaccinated per week in Scotland, and that health teams were \"on track\" to expand this to 400,000 per week by the end of February.\n\nStatistics have suggested the vaccination programme in Scotland is currently lagging behind England\n\nMore than 90% of care home residents have now been given a first dose, along with 70% of care home staff and 70% of all frontline health and care workers.\n\nThe first minister said the focus on care homes - where it is \"time consuming and labour intensive\" to give out jabs - was \"why overall figures are at this stage lower than in England\", where more over-80s have received the vaccine.\n\nShe said the \"pace of progress in the over-80s group is also now picking up\", and that the government remained on track to hit its target of completing everyone on the priority list by early May.\n\nScottish Conservative group leader Ruth Davidson said the Scottish government were \"lagging behind their own targets\" on vaccination, saying the focus on care homes \"doesn't explain how slowly the vaccine is reaching GP surgeries and the public\".\n\nShe read out a series of letters from elderly people who had not been contacted about getting a jab, saying they were \"anxious they don't get left behind\".\n\nMs Sturgeon said she would not apologise for \"prioritising the most vulnerable first\", saying all four UK nations were \"working to the same targets\".\n\nScottish Labour's interim leader Jackie Baillie asked if Ms Sturgeon was confident the government could hit its \"critical\" targets, saying GPs were still complaining about \"patchy\" distribution of vaccines.\n\nThe first minister replied that her government would hit its goals, saying it was \"always the intention\" to increase the pace of vaccination as infrastructure and supplies became available.\n\nThis would see care home residents, healthcare staff and all over-80s get a first dose by the start of February, with over-70s and those deemed \"extremely vulnerable\" by mid-February and all over-65s by the beginning of March.", "The last vestiges of the Trump presidency will be swept away on Wednesday, as the Bidens move into the White House. Desks will have been cleared out, rooms scrubbed clean and the president's aides will be replaced by a new team of political appointees. It's part of the massive transformation that a new presidency brings to the heart of government.\n\nOne evening last week, Stephen Miller, a policy adviser and central figure in the Trump White House, was lounging in the West Wing.\n\nMiller, who has crafted speeches and policies for the president since his early days in office, is also one of the few members of the president's initial team still with him at the end.\n\nLeaning against a wall and chatting with colleagues about a meeting scheduled for later that day, he seemed in no hurry to leave.\n\nThe West Wing usually hums with activity but it seemed deserted. The phones were quiet. Desks in empty offices were cluttered with papers and unopened letters, as if people had left in a hurry and would not be coming back. Dozens of senior officials and aides quit in the wake of the Capitol riots on 6 January. A handful of loyalists, like Miller, remain.\n\nAs the conversation began to wind down, he broke away from his colleagues. When I asked him where he was headed next, he smiled. \"Back to my office,\" he said and sauntered down the hall.\n\nOn inauguration day, Miller's office will have been cleaned out, swept of signs that he and his colleagues had ever been there, ready for the Biden team to move in.\n\nThe cleaning out of West Wing offices, and the transition between presidents, is part of a tradition that dates back centuries. It's a process that has not always been imbued with warmth.\n\nAnother impeached president, Andrew Johnson, a Democrat, snubbed Republican Ulysses S Grant in 1869 and skipped the inauguration. Grant, who had backed Johnson's removal from office, was hardly surprised.\n\nStaff have started moving paperwork and pictures out of the White House\n\nThis year, however, the transition stands out for its acrimony. The process usually starts straight after the election, but it started weeks late after Trump refused to accept the result. And the president has said he will not attend the inauguration. Most likely, he will instead travel to his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida.\n\nStill, the handover is taking place, just as it has in the past. \"The system is holding,\" says Sean Wilentz, a professor of American history at Princeton University. \"It's very rocky, it's very bumpy, but nevertheless the transition is going to occur.\"\n\nEven in the best of times, the logistics of a transition are daunting, involving the transfer of knowledge and employees on a massive scale.\n\nStephen Miller is just one of 4,000 political appointees hired by the Trump administration who will lose their job and be replaced by individuals hired by Mr Biden.\n\nDuring an average transition, between 150,000-300,000 people apply for these jobs, according to the Center for Presidential Transition, a nonpartisan organisation based in Washington. About 1,100 of the positions also require Senate confirmation. Filling all of these positions takes months, even years.\n\nFour years of policy papers, briefing books and artefacts relating to the president's work will be carted off to the National Archives where they will be kept secret for 12 years, unless the president himself decides that portions may be released early.\n\nOn a weekday evening during Trump's last week in office, the door to the office of Kayleigh McEnany, the president's press secretary, was partly open.\n\nMcEnany has been one of the president's most high-profile defenders. Impeccably groomed, she is a precise speaker who maintains her composure amidst chaos.\n\nKayleigh McEnany has packed up her office in the White House\n\nHer office, too, was organised in a meticulous manner, even as she prepared to leave. A mirror stood on her desk, and several fireplace logs were wrapped in clear plastic and packed up.\n\nGenerally, the last few days are \"controlled chaos,\" says Kate Andersen Brower, who has written a book about the White House, The Residence.\n\nFurniture in the White House, such as the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, most of the artwork, china and other objects, belong to the government and will remain on the premises.\n\nBut other items, like photos of the president that hang in the hallway, will be taken down as the White House is transformed for its new occupants.\n\nStaffers are already moving some items out of the building. One White House staffer, a woman in sturdy heels, was lugging several images of First Lady Melania Trump out of the East Wing. The pictures are known as \"jumbos\" because of their extra-large size, she says, and they will be taken to the National Archives.\n\nThe Trumps' personal belongings, such as clothes, jewellery, and other items will be moved to their new residence, most likely at Mar-a-Lago in Florida.\n\nAnd this year, the place will be deep cleaned.\n\nPresident Biden is expected to make decorative changes to the Oval Office\n\nThe president, as well as Mr Miller and dozens of others at the White House, were infected with the coronavirus over the past several months, and the six-floor building, with its 132 rooms, will be thoroughly scrubbed down. Everything from handrails to elevator buttons to restroom fixtures will be wiped and sanitised, according to a spokeswoman for the General Services Administration, the federal agency that oversees the housekeeping effort.\n\nIncoming first families usually do some redecoration. Within days of arriving at the White House, Mr Trump had chosen a portrait of populist president Andrew Jackson for the Oval Office. He also replaced the drapes, couches and a rug in the office with ones that were gold-coloured.\n\nOn inauguration day, Vice-President Pence and his wife will also make way for Kamala Harris, and her husband, Doug Emhoff. They will be settling into their official residence, a 19th Century residence on the Naval Observatory grounds, a couple of miles from the White House.\n\nPolicy adviser Stephen Miller may have lingered in the West Wing, but others were ready to go. At the White House, people were lugging thick manila envelopes, framed photos and bags from a gift shop. \"It's my last day,\" says one man, smiling as he took a photo of his sons on the north lawn. A bulging backpack was slung over his shoulder.\n\nA group of National Security officials posed in front of the West Wing, asking me to take their picture. \"Make sure you get the marine guard,\" says one of the officials, referring to a marine who stands in front of the doorway when the president is in the Oval Office. The officials were in high spirits, joking and vamping for the camera.\n\nThe political appointees at the White House were in a good mood for a reason. For weeks, they had been caught in an in-between world. Their boss was denying the validity of the election, but they knew that their days were numbered. Now they could plan openly for their future, and they seemed almost giddy.\n\nOne political appointee, a man dressed in a dark suit, was already making plans. He ran into a colleague outside the Palm room, a reception area on the ground floor. \"See you on the flip side,\" he said, brightly. He was referring to the time after the inauguration, when they will both be out of their White House jobs. He mused about where they might meet again. \"Hopefully in the Greek isles or somewhere.\"\n\n\"Oh, yes. That is for sure,\" said his colleague, laughing. They smacked a high-five and then parted ways.", "Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has confirmed the government is looking at scrapping some EU labour laws now it is no longer bound by the bloc's rules.\n\nBut he promised there would be no dilution of workers' rights.\n\nMeasures under consideration include relaxing the working time directive which enshrines a 48-hour week.\n\nShadow business secretary Ed Miliband warned the government wanted to take a \"wrecking ball\" to hard-won rights.\n\nEarlier this week Mr Kwarteng said he wanted to \"protect and enhance\" labour law after the Financial Times reported that some rules could be weakened.\n\nThe minister later told business leaders the UK had an opportunity to reform regulation derived from EU law, but would not deliberately antagonise the EU - its biggest trading partner - immediately after the Brexit deal.\n\nConfirming the review on Tuesday, Mr Kwarteng told MPs there would be no \"bonfire of rights\".\n\n\"I think the view was that we wanted to look at the whole range of issues relating to our EU membership and examine what we wanted to keep, if you like,\" he said.\n\nBut he said \"the idea that we are trying to whittle down standards, that's not at all plausible or true\".\n\nAppearing before MPs, the business secretary said: \"I'm very struck as I look at EU economies how many EU countries - I think it's about 17 or 18 - have essentially opted out of the working time directive.\n\n\"So even by just following that we are way above the average European standard and I want to maintain that. I think we can be a high-wage, high-employment economy, a very successful economy, and that's what we should be aiming for.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Kwasi Kwarteng This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nMr Miliband said that after denying the FT's report, Mr Kwarteng had now \"let the cat out of the bag\" in admitting the government was conducting a review.\n\nHe warned that opting out of the 48-hour week would harm workers in key sectors like the NHS, road haulage and airlines from working excessive hours.\n\n\"A government committed to maintaining existing protections would not be reviewing whether they should be unpicked. This exposes that the government's priorities for Britain are totally wrong.\"\n\nDrew Hendry, the SNP's business spokesman, echoed the criticism, accusing the government of planning an \"assault\" on workers' rights.\n\nMeanwhile the boss of the UK's biggest recruitment firm, Reed, told the BBC's Today programme that there was \"no wish\" among employers to see \"a so-called bonfire of workers' rights.\n\n\"They must be protected because fair treatment is the bedrock of good workplace relations,\" James Reed said.\n\nThe chairman of the firm said the government should instead focus on lower-paid workers and measures that could be taken to improve unemployment, which is set to rise further into mid-2021.\n\n\"I would suggest two things are looked at before any EU rules: The apprenticeship levy, which is clearly failing... and also National Insurance on jobs. It's a tax on jobs - how can that be improved? Especially to help the low-paid back into work.\"\n\nUnder the post-Brexit trade deal with the EU, the UK has agreed to conditions that maintain fair competition, or a level playing field, between the two sides.\n\nHowever, the EU's ambassador to the UK, Joao Vale de Almeida, said Brussels could retaliate if Boris Johnson's government went too far in with deregulation.\n\n\"It will be for us to judge the extent to which it violates this principle of 'level playing field' and if that is the case there are mechanisms in the treaty, in the agreement, that allow us to discuss and eventually to come to an understanding,\" he said on Tuesday.\n\n\"If no understanding there are retaliation measures that can be applied on both sides.\"", "At 12:01, in the midst of his inaugural address, Joe Biden officially became the 46th president of the United States.\n\nHe was already well into outlining exactly how daunting a task he - and the nation - have ahead in what he called its \"winter of peril\".\n\nAmerica is facing a devastating pandemic which has resulted in massive job losses and business closures, a threatened environment, urgent cries for racial justice and resurgence in \"political extremism, white supremacy and domestic terrorism\".\n\nHis speech was not a laundry list of proposals and solutions. Those were reserved for his first 17 executive actions as president - on immigration, climate change, transgender rights and public health, among others.\n\nThe Biden administration has also frozen all of Trump's last-minute regulations pending further review.\n\nInstead, Biden used his speech to offer hope - and to argue, at times forcefully, that the nation must be united in facing the challenges ahead; that it has to move past its current \"uncivil war\".\n\n\"Without unity, there is no peace, only bitterness and fury,\" he said. \"No progress, only exhausting outrage. No nation, only a state of chaos.\"\n\n\"This is our historic moment of crisis and challenge,\" he continued. \"And unity is the path forward\".\n\nAt times, Biden's speech seemed a direct rebuttal to his predecessor's administration, although he did not mention Donald Trump by name.\n\nWhere Trump frequently spoke of American greatness and glorified its founders, Biden noted that the nation's history has been a \"constant struggle\" between its ideals and sometimes harsh realities.\n\nWhere Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway spoke of \"alternative facts\" almost four years ago, Biden said: \"There is truth and there are lies - lies told for power and for profit.\"\n\nBiden wrapped up his inaugural address by warning that America must not \"turn inward\" - both as individuals retreating into \"competing factions\" and as a nation on the world stage.\n\n\"We will repair our alliances and engage with the world once again,\" he said.\n\nRhetorically, Biden turned the page from Trump's days of \"America first\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe first 100 days of any administration are always important to a new president. What are his priorities? What will he try to accomplish when his political capital is at its highest?\n\nJoe Biden and his presidential team have had nearly three months to plan out his first actions upon taking the oath of office, but executive action is the (relatively) easy part.\n\nHis speech reflected the reality that he enters office with his top priorities already determined for him.\n\nHis government will be responsible for distributing the coronavirus vaccine in an efficient and equitable way. After that, he will have to focus on the societal and economic disruptions caused by the pandemic.\n\nThe virus has exacerbated income inequality and pushed many households to the brink of economic ruin. It's devastated the travel and hospitality industries and placed incredible strain on the finances of state and local governments.\n\nHis pledge to seek unity will be tested early, as he pushes a sharply divided Congress to pass another, massive round of pandemic stimulus aid. If he wants to enact it quickly, he will need Republican support in the Senate, and already there are signs that some on the right may be lining up in opposition to more spending.\n\nThen there's Trump's Senate impeachment trial, which will present yet another challenge to national unity. It will keep Trump's name in the news for weeks, as his defenders rally to his side and his detractors call for consequences for his actions.\n\nAfter that, Biden's potential political paths diverge. He has said he wants to improve healthcare in the US, address growing college debt, make new investments in infrastructure and tackle climate change.\n\nHe's pledged to push immigration reform legislation that includes a pathway to citizenship for undocumented migrants - a political lightning rod that helped fuel Trump's first presidential run.\n\nWhat he prioritises, and how successful his first efforts are, could determine the overall success of his administration. To make lasting change - policies that can't be undone by future presidents - he will have to work with Congress.\n\nThe inauguration ceremony is over. But, as Biden noted in his speech, the American people face one of the most challenging times in their nation's history.\n\n\"We will be judged by how we resolve these cascading crises of our era,\" he said.\n\nBiden campaigned against Trump for the opportunity to face those crises. Now he has his chance.", "Anyone going on a Saga holiday or cruise in 2021 must be fully vaccinated against Covid-19, the tour operator has said.\n\nSaga, which specialises in holidays for the over-50s, said it wanted to protect customers' health and safety.\n\nThe firm said it would delay restarting its travel packages until May to give customers enough time to get jabs.\n\nPeople over 50 in the UK have been rushing to book holidays as vaccinations boost confidence.\n\n\"The health and safety of our customers has always been our number one priority at Saga, so we have taken the decision to require everyone travelling with us to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19,\" Saga said in a statement.\n\n\"Our customers want the reassurance of the vaccine and to know others travelling with them will be vaccinated too.\"\n\nThe firm's holidays were due to restart in March and its cruises in April after a long hiatus, but they will now both be delayed.\n\nSaga said that meant all trips before May would no longer go ahead as planned, acknowledging it would be \"a huge disappointment\" to customers.\n\n\"We will be contacting all guests affected to discuss their options,\" it said.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Singapore's 'cruises to nowhere' set back by Covid scare\n\nThe firm said its vaccination policy added to stronger safety processes already planned for when its holidays resume.\n\nThese include requiring cruise passengers to have a Covid-19 test before their trip, as well as a full medical screening.\n\nCapacity on its ships will also be kept to a maximum of 800 people.\n\nThere were some severe covid outbreaks on cruise ships early on the pandemic, before coronavirus restrictions were imposed.\n\nBritish-registered ship the Diamond Princess, owned by the company Carnival, was quarantined for nearly a month in February in the Port of Yokohama in Japan.\n\nMore than 700 of its 3,711 passengers and crew were infected, and 14 died.\n\nThe UK has embarked on a mass vaccination programme as Covid-19 cases surge.\n\nPeople in England are being vaccinated at a rate of 140 jabs per minute, NHS England boss Sir Simon Stevens said this week.\n\nExperts believe in future that airlines, concert venues and restaurants could routinely ask customers to prove that they have been vaccinated.\n\nAnd last week, London plumbing firm Pimlico Plumbers said that all of its staff would be contractually obliged to get the jab.", "The government does not know how many cases might be affected by hundreds of thousands of police records being accidentally wiped, the PM has said.\n\nBoris Johnson told the House of Commons the police were working \"round the clock\" to rectify the error.\n\nAround 400,000 fingerprint, DNA and arrest records were deleted from the police database.\n\nEarlier, Home Secretary Priti Patel said it was not yet known whether any of the data had been permanently lost.\n\nSpeaking during Prime Minister's Questions, Mr Johnson said: \"The Home Office is actively working to assess the damage and... they believe that they will be able to rectify the results of this complex incident and they hope very much that they'll be able to restore the data in question.\"\n\nAsked by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer how many convicted criminals had had their records wrongly deleted, Mr Johnson said: \"We don't know how many cases might be frustrated as a result of what has happened.\"\n\nHe added: \"Of course it is outrageous that any data should have been lost.\"\n\nLast week it was revealed that the information was wiped from the Police National Computer (PNC) - which stores and shares criminal records information across the UK - after being inadvertently flagged for deletion.\n\nThe PNC is used in police investigations and provides real-time checks on people, vehicles and crimes, as well as whether suspects are wanted for any unsolved offences.\n\nAn estimated 213,000 offence records, 175,000 arrest records and 15,000 records on people were potentially incorrectly deleted as a result of a defective code.\n\nMs Patel, who has launched an internal investigation, told ITV's Good Morning Britain that criminals would not get away with serious crimes as a result of the error.\n\n\"It is not about serious criminals getting away with anything. Multiple records are held on the same individuals on the same crimes on other profiling systems as well.\"\n\nShe told the BBC that officials could be instructed to re-submit the entries manually.\n\n\"I'm also clear with Home Office engineers and technicians that if we have to do manual uploads from other systems, that is effectively what we will do and that will potentially take time, but that is another option for us right now.\n\n\"We will absolutely provide updates once we know what has happened in terms of retrieving data. This will take time because it is a coding error.\"\n\nThe Home Office previously said that the faulty script was introduced in November 2020, but it did not run until earlier this month when the error within it immediately became apparent.", "After vowing to uphold and defend the Constitution of United States, Joe Biden has been officially sworn in as the 46th US president.\n\nThe new president's oath of office was administered by Chief Justice John G Roberts.\n\nRead more:Joe Biden becomes the 46th US president", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The Hill We Climb: Watch 22-year-old Amanda Gorman's poem reading at Joe Biden's inauguration\n\nAmanda Gorman has become the youngest poet ever to perform at a presidential inauguration, calling for \"unity and togetherness\" in her self-penned poem.\n\nThe 22-year-old delivered her work The Hill We Climb to both the dignitaries present in Washington DC and a watching global audience.\n\n\"When day comes, we ask ourselves where can we find light in this never-ending shade?\" her five-minute poem began.\n\nShe went on to reference the storming of the Capitol earlier this month.\n\n\"We've seen a force that would shatter our nation rather than share it, would destroy our country if it meant delaying democracy,\" she declared.\n\n\"And this effort very nearly succeeded. But while democracy can be periodically delayed, it can never be permanently defeated.\"\n\nThe poet was applauded by Vice President Kamala Harris\n\nIn her poem, Gorman described herself as \"a skinny black girl descended from slaves and raised by a single mother [who] can dream of becoming president, only to find her self reciting for one\".\n\nAmerica's first-ever National Youth Poet Laureate did her job, which was to find the right words at the right time.\n\nIt was a beautifully paced, well-judged poem for a special occasion, but it will live long beyond the time and space of the moment.\n\nAmanda Gorman delivered her piece with grace, the words it contained will resonate with people the world over: today, tomorrow, and far into the future.\n\nThe writer and performer, who became the country's first National Youth Poet Laureate in 2017, followed in the footsteps of such famous names as Robert Frost and Maya Angelou.\n\n\"I really wanted to use my words to be a point of unity and collaboration and togetherness,\" Gorman told the BBC World Service's Newshour programme before the ceremony.\n\n\"I think it's about a new chapter in the United States, about the future, and doing that through the elegance and beauty of words.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nUS broadcaster and actress Oprah Winfrey tweeted that she had \"never been prouder to see another young woman rise\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Oprah Winfrey This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nAlso on Twitter, Joanne Liu, the former head of aid agency Médecins Sans Frontières, described the poem as \"the most inspiring 5:43 minutes for the longest time\".\n\nFormer First Lady Michelle Obama praised Gorman's \"strong and poignant words\" adding: \"Keep shining, Amanda!\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Michelle Obama This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nUS politician and rights activist Stacey Abrams said the poem was \"an inspiration to us all\".\n\nFormer presidential candidate Hillary Clinton tweeted that Gorman had promised to run for president in 2036 and added: \"I for one can't wait.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 3 by Hillary Clinton This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nIllinois poet laureate Angela Jackson said the recitation was \"so rich and just so filled with truth\".\n\n\"I was stunned that she was so young and so wise,\" Jackson told the Chicago Sun-Times.\n\nGorman said she \"screamed and danced her head off\" when she found out she had been chosen to read at President Biden's swearing-in ceremony.\n\nShe said she felt \"excitement, joy, honour and humility\" when she was asked to take part, \"and also at the same time terror\".\n\nAnd she added that she hoped her poem, completed on the day supporters of former President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol, would \"speak to the moment\" and \"do this time justice\".\n\nGorman, pictured with actor Morgan Freeman in 2018, became LA's youth poet laureate at 16\n\nBorn in Los Angeles in 1998, Gorman had a speech impediment as a child - an affliction she shares with America's new president.\n\n\"It's made me the performer that I am and the storyteller that I strive to be,\" she said in a recent interview with the Los Angeles Times.\n\n\"When you have to teach yourself how to say sounds [and] be highly concerned about pronunciation, it gives you a certain awareness of sonics, of the auditory experience.\"\n\nGorman became LA's youth poet laureate at 16. Three years later, while studying sociology at Harvard, she became National Youth Poet Laureate.\n\nShe published her first book, The One for Whom Food Is Not Enough, in 2015 and will publish a picture book, Change Sings, later this year.\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Kamala Harris was sworn into office by Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor.\n\nKamala Harris has made history as the first female, first black and first Asian-American US vice-president.\n\nShe was sworn in just before Joe Biden took the oath of office to become the 46th US president.\n\nMs Harris, who is of Indian-Jamaican heritage, initially ran for the Democratic nomination.\n\nBut Mr Biden won the race and chose Ms Harris as his running mate, describing her as \"a fearless fighter for the little guy\".\n\nPrior to taking the oath at the US Capitol, Ms Harris paid tribute to the women who she says came before her.\n\n\"I stand on their shoulders,\" she said in a video.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Kamala Harris This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nEugene Goodman, the Capitol police officer who was hailed as a hero for steering a pro-Trump mob away from Senate chambers during the 6 January riot, escorted Ms Harris at the inauguration.\n\nMs Harris, 56, was born in Oakland, California, to two immigrant parents: an Indian-born mother and Jamaican-born father.\n\nKamala, left, as child with her mother and younger sister Maya\n\nShe went on to attend Howard University, one of the nation's preeminent historically black colleges and universities. She has described her time there as among the most formative experiences of her life.\n\nMs Harris says she's always been comfortable with her identity and simply describes herself as \"an American\".\n\nAfter four years at Howard, Ms Harris went on to earn her law degree at the University of California, Hastings, and began her career in the Alameda County District Attorney's Office.\n\nShe became the district attorney - the top prosecutor - for San Francisco in 2003, before being elected the first female and the first African American to serve as California's attorney general, the top lawyer and law enforcement official in America's most populous state.\n\nIn her nearly two terms in office as attorney general, Ms Harris gained a reputation as one of the Democratic party's rising stars, using this momentum to propel her to election as California's junior US senator in 2017. She was only the second black woman ever elected to the US senate.\n\nShe launched her candidacy for president to a crowd of more than 20,000 in Oakland at the beginning of 2019.\n\nBut Ms Harris failed to articulate a clear rationale for her campaign, and gave muddled answers to questions in key policy areas like healthcare.\n\nShe was also unable to capitalise on the clear high point of her candidacy: debate performances that showed off her prosecutorial skills, often placing Mr Biden in the line of attack, most notably criticising his praise for the \"civil\" working relationship he had with former senators who favoured racial segregation.\n\nShe dropped out of the presidential race in December 2019.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nBut Mr Biden chose her as his number two in August, calling her \"one of the country's finest public servants\".\n\nAfter Mr Biden was announced as the next president in November, Ms Harris tweeted a video of her congratulating her running mate.\n\n\"We did it, we did it Joe. You're going to be the next president of the United States!\" she beamed.", "Sophie Davies, from Shropshire, recovering from cervical cancer, says delays to screening could be a matter of life and death\n\nSmear-test delays during lockdown have prompted calls for home-screening kits.\n\nCervical cancer screening has restarted across the UK - but some women say they will not attend their appointments for fear of catching Covid.\n\nJo's Cervical Cancer Trust is urging \"faster action\" on home tests for HPV, which causes 99% of cervical cancers.\n\nAn NHS official said GP practices should continue screening throughout lockdown, and \"anyone invited for a cervical smear test should attend\".\n\nCancer Research UK said it was not yet known how effective and accurate self-sampling could be in cervical screening.\n\nScreenings in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have restarted after being halted during the first lockdown.\n\nIn England, the NHS told GPs and clinics not to halt smear tests - but, as the prime minister heard last week, some patients were experiencing cancellations and long waiting times.\n\nAbout 600,000 tests had failed to go ahead in the UK in April and May, Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust said, in addition to a backlog of 1.5 million appointments missed annually.\n\nIn March, Sophie Davies was told she needed a hysterectomy \"within the month\" but had to wait until December for surgery\n\nA survey by gynaecological cancer charity the Eve Appeal indicates nearly one in three missed smear tests are the result of people being \"put off\" by coronavirus.\n\nAnd a Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust survey during the pandemic suggests the same proportion would prefer to take their own human-papillomavirus (HPV) test rather than go to a GP.\n\nActing chief executive Rebecca Shoosmith said coronavirus had added \"more barriers\" to going for a smear test.\n\n\"Sadly those who found it difficult before are likely to be no closer to getting tested,\" she said.\n\nBoth charities emphasise smear tests are for \"women and anyone with a cervix\" and transgender and non-binary people may have additional barriers to going.\n\nJo's Cervical Cancer Trust said DIY tests could also help people who had been sexually assaulted and those with disabilities or from backgrounds where smear tests were taboo.\n\nSamantha Renke felt anxious about catching coronavirus when she went for her smear test\n\nSamantha Renke had received an abnormal test result and needed to go for a follow-up test during the pandemic.\n\nThe broadcaster and campaigner, who has brittle bones and uses a wheelchair, said a home-testing kit would have made things easier.\n\n\"I am at very high risk of getting seriously ill from Covid-19,\" the 35-year-old, from Lancashire, said.\n\n\"So I was incredibly anxious sitting in the waiting room for my test.\n\n\"Women with a physical disability are so much more likely to find cervical screening difficult, to the point where it can sometimes be impossible just to get through the door.\n\n\"We shouldn't have to fight to get this life-saving test.\n\n\"Self-sampling would be so much easier for people like me.\n\n\"It would allow me to take my health into my own hands.\"\n\nIshita Ranjan said talk of smear tests was taboo in traditional South Asian families\n\nIshita Ranjan finally went for her smear test in August, having put it off for a \"really long time\".\n\n\"In most traditional South Asian families, women's sexual health is not something you talk about openly,\" the 31-year-old, from London, said.\n\n\"Young women are left to figure this stuff out.\n\n\"Until you get married, older female relatives find it problematic to share that kind of information.\"\n\nA fear of catching coronavirus could be also stopping people belonging to ethnic minorities attending appointments.\n\n\"We have seen high Covid infection and death rates and people are genuinely scared,\" Ms Ranjan said.\n\n\"And it's really important that you do still go and do it.\n\n\"I was in and out in five minutes, no sitting around waiting rooms.\"\n\nHelen Austin founded At your Cervix, a support network for people who find smear tests difficult\n\nAfter experiencing sexual violence, it took Helen Austin 10 years to work up the courage to go for her smear test.\n\n\"When my first invite arrived through the post, years ago, my body froze, and I then ripped it up,\" she said.\n\nSelf-sampling would have given her time and privacy, the 35-year-old, from Lincolnshire, said.\n\n\"If my appointment had been during the pandemic and I could not have brought someone I trust with me to help me, I would never have gone,\" she said.\n\n\"Other trauma survivors I speak to find wearing a mask triggering and are putting off attending their test partly for this reason too.\"\n\nSophie Davies, 32, saw in the new year alone in hospital, after having a hysterectomy\n\nAfter developing a rare form of cervical cancer, Sophie Davies had a trachelectomy to remove her cervix, in April 2018, allowing doctors to save her ovaries and two-thirds of her womb.\n\nBut in March 2020, she was told the risk of cancer coming back meant she needed a hysterectomy and the removal of both ovaries.\n\n\"I was advised the operation needed to be done 'the sooner the better' and 'within the month',\" the 32-year-old, from Shropshire, said.\n\nAnd she had an \"agonising\" wait, until 30 December, for her surgery.\n\n\"I'm still awaiting my results, more than three weeks on, and praying I have not been left for the best part of a year with cancer growing inside me,\" Ms Davies said.\n\n\"These months of delay could be the difference in saving fertility or losing fertility.\n\n\"It could be the difference in needing chemotherapy or radiotherapy or not needing it, or could be the difference of life or death.\"\n\nCancer Research UK early diagnosis head Dr Jodie Moffat said research was under way to understand how effective and accurate self-sampling could be in cervical screening.\n\nBut getting more people screened \"is not the only hurdle to overcome\".\n\n\"The NHS is under immense pressure and would need more staff and equipment to ensure patients receive their results and any follow-up treatment as quickly as possible,\" she said.\n\nAn NHS official said: \"The NHS guidance that cervical screening should continue has not changed, which has been communicated to GP practices, which have adjusted the way they work to remain open and safe, while local NHS services across the country have put extra measures in place to protect people from coronavirus and so anyone invited for a cervical smear test should attend.\"", "The government has unveiled details of a £23m fund to support fishing firms as it tries to quell industry anger over Brexit border delays.\n\nThe money will help firms whose exports to the EU have fallen sharply since rules changed on 1 January.\n\nFishing firms say extra paperwork has made it difficult to deliver fresh produce to the EU before it goes off, hammering their businesses.\n\nOne trade group called the fund \"welcome\" but a \"sticking plaster\".\n\nOn Monday, fish exporters held demonstrations outside government departments in central London, warning their livelihoods were under threat.\n\nPrime Minister Boris Johnson admitted many had experienced \"bureaucratic delays [and] difficulties getting their goods through\" to buyers on the other side of the channel.\n\nHaving left the EU's customs union and the single market, UK exports are subject to new customs and veterinary checks which have caused problems at the border.\n\nCovid has worsened the issue, with the industry also facing lower market prices and demand from restaurants due to the pandemic.\n\nThe government said the scheme would be targeted at small and medium-sized fishing businesses who will be able to claim a maximum of £100,000 to cover losses.\n\nChief Secretary to the Treasury Steve Barclay said: \"This further £23m package of support will help our hardworking fishing sector navigate the challenges of the next few months.\n\n\"It is vital that no community nor region within our United Kingdom is left behind as we continue to support British jobs and build back better from the coronavirus pandemic.\"\n\nIn addition to funding, the government will provide further training to help fishing businesses adapt to the new export processes.\n\nSeparately, the prime minister committed to providing a further £100m to help modernise UK fishing fleets and the fish processing industry.\n\nDonna Fordyce, chief executive of Seafood Scotland, said: \"After almost three weeks of voicing their concerns and frustrations, we welcome the fact that the Scottish seafood sector has been heard and action is being taken.\n\n\"This [fund] will offer a ray of light to some small and medium-sized companies that have experienced crippling losses over the past few weeks.\"\n\nHowever, while the money was \"a much-needed sticking plaster\", she said it would not \"completely staunch the wound\".\n\n\"The sector still needs a period of grace during which the [new trade] systems must be overhauled so they are fit for purpose.\"", "Under current rules, cafes and restaurants are only allowed to provide a takeaway service.\n\nNine Met Police officers have been fined for breaching lockdown rules to meet at a cafe while on duty.\n\nPictures emerged online showing the officers, from the South East Basic Command Unit, eating at The Chef House Kitchen Cafe, Greenwich, on 9 January.\n\nAll nine officers have been issued with a £200 fixed penalty notice.\n\nCh Supt Rob Atkin, said: \"It is right that they will pay a financial penalty and that they will be asked to reflect on their choices.\n\n\"Police officers are tasked with enforcing the legislation that has been introduced to stop the spread of the virus and the public rightly expect that they will set an example through their own actions.\n\n\"It is disappointing that on this occasion, these officers have fallen short of that expectation.\"\n\nThe group were spotted by a member of the public in the Greenwich cafe while their patrol vehicles were parked outside.\n\nUnder current rules, cafes and restaurants are only allowed to provide a takeaway service.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Last updated on .From the section Premier League\n\nPaul Pogba scored a superb winner as Manchester United reclaimed top spot in the Premier League by coming from behind for a club-record equalling away win at Fulham.\n\nIn what is becoming a familiar pattern for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side outside Manchester this season, they fell behind early in the game, with Ademola Lookman beating the offside trap before firing in an angled drive.\n\nBut for the seventh time away from Old Trafford in 2020-21, United found a winning response - taking their run to 17 games unbeaten away in the Premier League - courtesy of a gift from their opponents and a bit of magic from their French midfielder.\n\nGoalkeeper Alphonse Areola has been a good addition for the Cottagers but in dropping Bruno Fernandes' cross at the feet of Edinson Cavani, he gifted his former Paris St-Germain team-mate the simplest of equalisers.\n\nAnd on the hour mark, Pogba stepped up to decide the contest, firing a superb angled drive across the diving Areola and into the far corner from 20 yards.\n\nThe France international has come in for criticism at times this season but received nothing but praise from his manager after his winner.\n\n\"I am very happy with his performances,\" said Solskjaer.\n\n\"I know what he can do. He does everything. Now he is putting all the elements together in his performances and it is great to see.\n\n\"It was about getting him fit. He is enjoying his football, he is happy and physically in a good shape.\"\n\nThe win takes United to 40 points, two more than both Leicester and Manchester City, who had briefly taken top spot from the Foxes with a 2-0 win over Aston Villa on Wednesday.\n\nSolskjaer, though, was reluctant to get drawn into discussing his side's title credentials with so much of the campaign to go.\n\n\"It is always going to be talked about that when you are halfway through and top of the league, but we are not thinking about this, we just have to go one game at a time,\" he added. \"It is such an unpredictable season.\"\n\nFulham remain in the bottom three, four points behind 17th-placed Burnley.\n• None Man Utd or Man City to end day top? Cassia bassist Lou Cotterill takes on Lawro\n\nSolskjaer felt his side missed a big opportunity to fully assert their title credentials in failing to make the most of their chances in Sunday's 0-0 draw at champions Liverpool.\n\nUnited were clearly in no mood to repeat such a mistake at a wet and windy Craven Cottage on Wednesday against a less daunting and defining opposition, but one that is far more robust now than they were in the season's first month.\n\nThe visitors fell behind, but this is par for the course for this side, who once again did not panic, wrestled control of the game away from their opponents and took the win.\n\nIt is a handy trick for a title-challenging side to have in their locker, although one they would rather not have to repeatedly pull.\n\nIn truth, they should have won more handsomely.\n\nThey had the far greater share of possession and territory and were well ahead of their opponents on shots taken until a frantic finale in which the Cottagers threw in all they had in pursuit of a point.\n\nFred felt he should have had a penalty in the first half courtesy of being caught in the box by a loose challenge from Ruben Loftus-Cheek, but both on-field and VAR officials disagreed.\n\nHarry Maguire twice headed wide from corners, the first from a far less forgivable, unmarked position than the second.\n\nEqually, though, it is a game that could have seen them drop points, especially in light of Fulham's late barrage, which saw David de Gea save superbly with his legs to deny Loftus-Cheek, and the ball pinballing around the United box on more than one occasion.\n\nThe Cottagers demonstrated that they are no pushover, but they are making of habit of being on the rough end of fine margins.\n\nFive straight draws followed by two defeats by a single goal suggests their battle against the drop will go right down to the wire.\n\n\"I'm really pleased but I'm disappointed at the same time, which shows how far we've come,\" said Cottagers boss Scott Parker.\n\n\"I saw a team today that looked threatening and tried their hardest to get back into the game, but we go again. The next challenge is to maintain where we are and don't let defeat sink us.\n\n\"No doubt we can win and operate in this division and we just need to push on and keep improving.\"\n\nUnited lead the way in early concessions\n• None No side has conceded more goals in the opening five minutes of Premier League games this season than Manchester United (4). Manchester United have won seven Premier League games having gone behind this season - only Newcastle in 2001-02 (10) and Man Utd themselves in 2012-13 (9) have done so more in a single campaign.\n• None Manchester United are unbeaten in their last 17 Premier League away games (W13 D4), equalling their longest ever unbeaten run on the road in top-flight history (17 between December 1998 and September 1999).\n• None This was the 41st different game in which Fulham had led in all competitions under Scott Parker, but the first time they had lost such a game (W34 D6).\n• None Edinson Cavani became the first Man Utd player whose first four Premier League goals for the club were all scored away from home.\n• None Since his return to the club in 2016, no Man Utd player has scored more league goals from outside the box than Paul Pogba (6).\n• None Ademola Lookman has been involved in more Premier League goals than any other Fulham player this season (6 - 3 goals, 3 assists).\n• None Bruno Fernandes has gone three Premier League games without a goal or assist for the first time since his Manchester United debut in February 2020.\n\nFulham's next game is in the FA Cup, against Burnley on Sunday (14:30 GMT). Their next league fixture, an away game on Wednesday, 27 January, is a big one. Opponents Brighton are two places and five points above them in the table.\n\nManchester United host Liverpool in the FA Cup on Sunday at 17:00, live on the BBC. They are also in league action the following Wednesday hosting the league's bottom club Sheffield United in a 20:15 kick-off.\n• None Attempt missed. Aleksandar Mitrovic (Fulham) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Kenny Tete with a cross following a corner.\n• None Attempt blocked. Ademola Lookman (Fulham) left footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Mario Lemina.\n• None Offside, Fulham. Aboubakar Kamara tries a through ball, but Kenny Tete is caught offside.\n• None Attempt missed. Mario Lemina (Fulham) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Aboubakar Kamara.\n• None Attempt blocked. Joe Bryan (Fulham) left footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked.\n• None Attempt missed. Ruben Loftus-Cheek (Fulham) right footed shot from the centre of the box is high and wide to the right following a fast break.\n• None Attempt blocked. Fred (Manchester United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Harry Maguire with a headed pass. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page\n• None You can stream five fourth-round games live on the BBC this weekend, including Liverpool's trip to Manchester United. Find out more here.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThis is America's day. This is democracy's day. A day of history and hope, of renewal and resolve. Through a crucible for the ages, America has been tested anew and America has risen to the challenge. Today we celebrate the triumph not of a candidate but of a cause, a cause of democracy. The people - the will of the people - has been heard, and the will of the people has been heeded.\n\nWe've learned again that democracy is precious, democracy is fragile and, at this hour my friends, democracy has prevailed. So now on this hallowed ground where just a few days ago violence sought to shake the Capitol's very foundations, we come together as one nation under God - indivisible - to carry out the peaceful transfer of power as we have for more than two centuries.\n\nAs we look ahead in our uniquely American way, restless, bold, optimistic, and set our sights on a nation we know we can be and must be, I thank my predecessors of both parties for their presence here. I thank them from the bottom of my heart. And I know the resilience of our Constitution and the strength, the strength of our nation, as does President Carter, who I spoke with last night who cannot be with us today, but who we salute for his lifetime of service.\n\nI've just taken a sacred oath each of those patriots have taken. The oath first sworn by George Washington. But the American story depends not on any one of us, not on some of us, but on all of us. On we the people who seek a more perfect union. This is a great nation, we are good people. And over the centuries through storm and strife in peace and in war we've come so far. But we still have far to go.\n\nWe'll press forward with speed and urgency for we have much to do in this winter of peril and significant possibility. Much to do, much to heal, much to restore, much to build and much to gain. Few people in our nation's history have been more challenged or found a time more challenging or difficult than the time we're in now. A once in a century virus that silently stalks the country has taken as many lives in one year as in all of World War Two.\n\nMillions of jobs have been lost. Hundreds of thousands of businesses closed. A cry for racial justice, some 400 years in the making, moves us. The dream of justice for all will be deferred no longer. A cry for survival comes from the planet itself, a cry that can't be any more desperate or any more clear now. The rise of political extremism, white supremacy, domestic terrorism, that we must confront and we will defeat.\n\nTo overcome these challenges, to restore the soul and secure the future of America, requires so much more than words. It requires the most elusive of all things in a democracy - unity. Unity. In another January on New Year's Day in 1863 Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation. When he put pen to paper the president said, and I quote, 'if my name ever goes down in history, it'll be for this act, and my whole soul is in it'.\n\nMy whole soul is in it today, on this January day. My whole soul is in this. Bringing America together, uniting our people, uniting our nation. And I ask every American to join me in this cause. Uniting to fight the foes we face - anger, resentment and hatred. Extremism, lawlessness, violence, disease, joblessness, and hopelessness.\n\nWith unity we can do great things, important things. We can right wrongs, we can put people to work in good jobs, we can teach our children in safe schools. We can overcome the deadly virus, we can rebuild work, we can rebuild the middle class and make work secure, we can secure racial justice and we can make America once again the leading force for good in the world.\n\nI know speaking of unity can sound to some like a foolish fantasy these days. I know the forces that divide us are deep and they are real. But I also know they are not new. Our history has been a constant struggle between the American ideal, that we are all created equal, and the harsh ugly reality that racism, nativism and fear have torn us apart. The battle is perennial and victory is never secure.\n\nThrough civil war, the Great Depression, World War, 9/11, through struggle, sacrifice, and setback, our better angels have always prevailed. In each of our moments enough of us have come together to carry all of us forward and we can do that now. History, faith and reason show the way. The way of unity.\n\nWe can see each other not as adversaries but as neighbours. We can treat each other with dignity and respect. We can join forces, stop the shouting and lower the temperature. For without unity there is no peace, only bitterness and fury, no progress, only exhausting outrage. No nation, only a state of chaos. This is our historic moment of crisis and challenge. And unity is the path forward. And we must meet this moment as the United States of America.\n\nIf we do that, I guarantee we will not failed. We have never, ever, ever, ever failed in America when we've acted together. And so today at this time in this place, let's start afresh, all of us. Let's begin to listen to one another again, hear one another, see one another. Show respect to one another. Politics doesn't have to be a raging fire destroying everything in its path. Every disagreement doesn't have to be a cause for total war and we must reject the culture in which facts themselves are manipulated and even manufactured.\n\nMy fellow Americans, we have to be different than this. We have to be better than this and I believe America is so much better than this. Just look around. Here we stand in the shadow of the Capitol dome. As mentioned earlier, completed in the shadow of the Civil War. When the union itself was literally hanging in the balance. We endure, we prevail. Here we stand, looking out on the great Mall, where Dr King spoke of his dream.\n\nHere we stand, where 108 years ago at another inaugural, thousands of protesters tried to block brave women marching for the right to vote. And today we mark the swearing in of the first woman elected to national office, Vice President Kamala Harris. Don't tell me things can't change. Here we stand where heroes who gave the last full measure of devotion rest in eternal peace.\n\nAnd here we stand just days after a riotous mob thought they could use violence to silence the will of the people, to stop the work of our democracy, to drive us from this sacred ground. It did not happen, it will never happen, not today, not tomorrow, not ever. Not ever. To all those who supported our campaign, I'm humbled by the faith you placed in us. To all those who did not support us, let me say this. Hear us out as we move forward. Take a measure of me and my heart.\n\nIf you still disagree, so be it. That's democracy. That's America. The right to dissent peacefully. And the guardrail of our democracy is perhaps our nation's greatest strength. If you hear me clearly, disagreement must not lead to disunion. And I pledge this to you. I will be a President for all Americans, all Americans. And I promise you I will fight for those who did not support me as for those who did.\n\nMany centuries ago, St Augustine - the saint of my church - wrote that a people was a multitude defined by the common objects of their love. Defined by the common objects of their love. What are the common objects we as Americans love, that define us as Americans? I think we know. Opportunity, security, liberty, dignity, respect, honour, and yes, the truth.\n\nRecent weeks and months have taught us a painful lesson. There is truth and there are lies. Lies told for power and for profit. And each of us has a duty and a responsibility as citizens as Americans and especially as leaders. Leaders who are pledged to honour our Constitution to protect our nation. To defend the truth and defeat the lies.\n\nLook, I understand that many of my fellow Americans view the future with fear and trepidation. I understand they worry about their jobs. I understand like their dad they lay in bed at night staring at the ceiling thinking: 'Can I keep my healthcare? Can I pay my mortgage?' Thinking about their families, about what comes next. I promise you, I get it. But the answer's not to turn inward. To retreat into competing factions. Distrusting those who don't look like you, or worship the way you do, who don't get their news from the same source as you do.\n\nWe must end this uncivil war that pits red against blue, rural versus urban, conservative versus liberal. We can do this if we open our souls instead of hardening our hearts, if we show a little tolerance and humility, and if we're willing to stand in the other person's shoes, as my mom would say. Just for a moment, stand in their shoes.\n\nBecause here's the thing about life. There's no accounting for what fate will deal you. Some days you need a hand. There are other days when we're called to lend a hand. That's how it has to be, that's what we do for one another. And if we are that way our country will be stronger, more prosperous, more ready for the future. And we can still disagree.\n\nMy fellow Americans, in the work ahead of us we're going to need each other. We need all our strength to persevere through this dark winter. We're entering what may be the darkest and deadliest period of the virus. We must set aside politics and finally face this pandemic as one nation, one nation. And I promise this, as the Bible says, 'Weeping may endure for a night, joy cometh in the morning'. We will get through this together. Together.\n\nLook folks, all my colleagues I serve with in the House and the Senate up here, we all understand the world is watching. Watching all of us today. So here's my message to those beyond our borders. America has been tested and we've come out stronger for it. We will repair our alliances, and engage with the world once again. Not to meet yesterday's challenges but today's and tomorrow's challenges. And we'll lead not merely by the example of our power but the power of our example.\n\nFellow Americans, moms, dads, sons, daughters, friends, neighbours and co-workers. We will honour them by becoming the people and the nation we can and should be. So I ask you let's say a silent prayer for those who lost their lives, those left behind and for our country. Amen.\n\nFolks, it's a time of testing. We face an attack on our democracy, and on truth, a raging virus, a stinging inequity, systemic racism, a climate in crisis, America's role in the world. Any one of these would be enough to challenge us in profound ways. But the fact is we face them all at once, presenting this nation with one of the greatest responsibilities we've had. Now we're going to be tested. Are we going to step up?\n\nIt's time for boldness for there is so much to do. And this is certain, I promise you. We will be judged, you and I, by how we resolve these cascading crises of our era. We will rise to the occasion. Will we master this rare and difficult hour? Will we meet our obligations and pass along a new and better world to our children? I believe we must and I'm sure you do as well. I believe we will, and when we do, we'll write the next great chapter in the history of the United States of America. The American story.\n\nA story that might sound like a song that means a lot to me, it's called American Anthem. And there's one verse that stands out at least for me and it goes like this:\n\n'The work and prayers of centuries have brought us to this day, which shall be our legacy, what will our children say?\n\nLet me know in my heart when my days are through, America, America, I gave my best to you.'\n\nLet us add our own work and prayers to the unfolding story of our great nation. If we do this, then when our days are through, our children and our children's children will say of us: 'They gave their best, they did their duty, they healed a broken land.'\n\nMy fellow Americans I close the day where I began, with a sacred oath. Before God and all of you, I give you my word. I will always level with you. I will defend the Constitution, I'll defend our democracy.\n\nI'll defend America and I will give all - all of you - keep everything I do in your service. Thinking not of power but of possibilities. Not of personal interest but of public good.\n\nAnd together we will write an American story of hope, not fear. Of unity not division, of light not darkness. A story of decency and dignity, love and healing, greatness and goodness. May this be the story that guides us. The story that inspires us. And the story that tells ages yet to come that we answered the call of history, we met the moment. Democracy and hope, truth and justice, did not die on our watch but thrive.\n\nThat America secured liberty at home and stood once again as a beacon to the world. That is what we owe our forbearers, one another, and generations to follow.\n\nSo with purpose and resolve, we turn to those tasks of our time. Sustained by faith, driven by conviction and devoted to one another and the country we love with all our hearts. May God bless America and God protect our troops.", "Father Lee Taylor said people have \"really missed communal singing\"\n\nOnline \"Pimm's and Hymns\" singalong sessions at a north Wales church have attracted people from as far away as South Africa, Brazil and Canada.\n\nFather Lee Taylor, from St Collen's Church, Llangollen, set up the Facebook Live shows when his pews fell silent due to Covid restrictions.\n\nThe former bartender said: \"People started to share it and the online audience just exploded.\"\n\nIt adds \"a real light in the darkness\" of lockdown and a \"few drinks\".\n\nThe sessions, which have been running since last March, are a homage to the summer garden party known as 'Pimm's and Hymns' Mr Taylor, 43, hosts each year.\n\n\"I get phone calls, emails and letters from people all over the world, saying, 'You've lifted my spirits', and asking me to pray for their loved ones who are sick with the virus,\" he said.\n\n\"I started the sessions as I was trying to think of ways to bring comfort reassurance and cheer to people at home.\n\n\"While I can't hear people joining in, I feel them there with me in the room.\"\n\nFather Lee Taylor hosted annual 'Pimm's and Hymns' garden parties before Covid restrictions came in last March\n\nBelting out everything from Abide With Me to Pack Up Your Troubles, the vicar, who lives with his partner of 14 years, Fabiano Duarte, is known for pouring a glass of wine or a cocktail before performing for his Facebook congregation.\n\n\"I like to keep a libation on the piano,\" he said.\n\n\"When we started, people tuning in could see a glass of wine one week and a gin and tonic the next, so began to join in and have a drink with me.\n\n\"Soon, this became a discussion in the Facebook comments and people would send in photos of themselves with a tipple, singing along.\n\n\"I've got a bit carried away on the piano after a few drinks and played all the wrong notes a couple of times - which is always quite funny. It's joyful, really.\"\n\nHe said \"losing the churches and restricting the number at funerals\" was painful and people were \"missing communal singing\".\n\n\"[So] I got some elderly people set up on the internet and sent out instructions via email, so they could watch the live stream singalongs,\" he said.\n\n\"People were soon chatting through the comments and it felt like we were all connected.\n\n\"I wanted to raise spirits through music and it's been a real light in the darkness.\"", "Louise worries about her prospects for the next 12 months\n\nFreelance TV and film sound editor Louise Burton is one of those who are unable to benefit from government pandemic support schemes, despite being out of work.\n\nLouise, 28, of St Albans, in Hertfordshire, has not had a single penny of assistance since her last job ended eight months ago.\n\n\"With the last production that I was on, I was hired as a PAYE freelancer, which means that I essentially do exactly the same job as what I do as a freelancer, but I was paying tax at source,\" she told the BBC.\n\n\"What often happens with film is that production companies are made for the sole purpose of the film. So they create these companies and everything goes through the company - and then once the film is completed, they then shut the company.\"\n\nThat means Louise fell foul of tax rules relating to self-employed people. And she could not go on furlough, because the company that had employed her no longer existed.\n\n\"I always feel guilty saying that I am one of the people who is suffering, because actually, I still have a roof over my head and I can just about put food on my table, but it's not easy,\" she says, adding that she fears for her prospects in the next 12 months.\n\nAccording to MPs, whole groups of people like Louise are falling through the cracks of Covid-19 support schemes because of out-of-date tax systems.\n\nSome freelancers and self-employed people have been particularly excluded, despite lockdowns and restrictions meaning they cannot work, the Public Accounts Committee said.\n\nOthers, meanwhile, are able to abuse the system, it said.\n\nThe government said its \"top priority\" was helping those who are struggling.\n\nSince March, HM Revenue and Customs has provided more than £80bn in support to companies and individuals through government coronavirus support schemes, the committee said.\n\nThey are also supporting the incomes of many of the self-employed.\n\nBut despite this, a report from the MPs says \"quirks in the tax system\" have meant that groups of workers - including freelancers and self-employed people who recently moved onto company payrolls or work on a series of short-term employment contracts with gaps in between - have been ineligible for furlough payments.\n\n\"As public spending balloons to unprecedented levels in response to the pandemic, out-of-date tax systems are one of the barriers to getting help to a significant number of struggling taxpayers who should be entitled to support,\" said MP Meg Hillier, chair of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).\n\nBy contrast, she said some large companies that had used government support schemes had continued to pay dividends to shareholders and high salaries to executives.\n\nShe added that HMRC was in many cases failing \"to capture or deal with those wrongly claiming\" support.\n\nThe tax agency should explain to freelancers and other groups why they have been excluded from receiving support and set out steps to fix the problem within six weeks, the MPs said.\n\nThe PAC also said that a lack of certainty about government coronavirus support schemes had made it difficult for businesses to plan effectively.\n\nFor example, HMRC could not provide clarity on whether the Job Retention Bonus scheme had been delayed or scrapped, the committee said.\n\nThe scheme was meant to pay employers an incentive for every worker they brought back from furlough and kept in employment until January.\n\n\"Such lack of clarity may lead to unnecessary hardships for some businesses, who in good faith were relying on the payments from the scheme to meet some of their needs,\" the MPs said.\n\nA government spokesperson said it had done \"all it can to help as many people as possible\".\n\n\"HMRC delivered Covid-19 support schemes at unprecedented speed, protecting the livelihoods of millions of people.\n\n\"We do not underestimate the challenges faced by individuals and businesses during the pandemic, and our top priority is getting financial support to those struggling... while protecting the taxpayer against fraud.\n\n\"Those not eligible for support through these schemes can still benefit from the strengthened welfare safety net, accessing help like universal credit.\"\n• None What extra help will the self-employed get?", "19 January is a special day for Orthodox Christians across Russia, including President Vladimir Putin. It's a day reserved for commemorating the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan, and it's called Epiphany. Though temperatures are as low as -20 Celsius, some celebrated this by submerging themselves in ice-cold water.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Dame Louise Casey: \"The country has been torn to shreds by the pandemic\"\n\nThe government has been urged by its former homelessness adviser to extend benefit increases worth £20 a week beyond the end of March.\n\nDame Louise Casey said ending the universal credit top-up, introduced during the Covid pandemic, would be \"too punitive a policy right now\".\n\nShe said people would view the Tories as the \"nasty party\" if they did so.\n\nThe government said it was committed to supporting the lowest-paid families through the pandemic and beyond.\n\nA government spokesperson said: \"No decisions have yet been made on a range of Covid support measures that run through until the end of March and April, and it is right to wait until we know more about where we are in the vaccination process before making any decisions.\"\n\nLabour and anti-poverty campaigners are pressing for the increase, worth £1,000 a year, to remain in place beyond its scheduled end date of 31 March.\n\nOn Monday they were joined by six Conservative MPs, who defied party orders to abstain and backed a symbolic motion calling for an extension.\n\nIn an interview with BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg, Dame Louise said the £20-a-week increase had proved a \"lifeline\" to poorer families.\n\n\"The Treasury need to step back and not feel this constant responsibility to close the books all the time, and fight and fight and fight,\" she said.\n\nOn the idea the top-up could end in March, she added: \"It's not the right thing to do.\"\n\nReferencing a phrase coined by Theresa May in 2002 about how the Conservatives were sometimes perceived, she added they would \"go back to being the nasty party\" if they did so.\n\nDame Louise added that the country had been \"torn to shreds\" by the pandemic, with an impact \"far deeper and greater than anything I've ever seen in my lifetime\".\n\n\"I think we will have to have a big plan to deal with the wounds inflicted by this pandemic once everybody's vaccinated,\" she added.\n\n\"And I think the government needs to turn its attention to that now, and not leave it until the summer.\"\n\nDame Louise, who was made a crossbench peer by the prime minister in July, also urged ministers to think about long-term reforms to the welfare system.\n\n\"Everybody is focused on the NHS and vaccinations, that I think everything else we see is incredibly reactive,\" she said.\n\nShe called on the government to take inspiration from the World War Two-era Beveridge report, which laid the foundations for the UK's welfare state, and draw up a long-term strategy for recovery after the pandemic.\n\n\"We're all in this storm, everybody's experienced it, just some people are in decent boats and some people are in rafts that are sinking.\n\n\"And that gives the prime minister the moment to say 'I am going to step into the shoes of a Beveridge moment'.\n\n\"If there's any reason for government to decide to actually rebuild Britain, so the divide between the rich and the poor isn't as big as it is... it's this pandemic\".\n\nUniversal credit can be claimed by both people who are in and out of work\n\nUniversal credit is a working-age benefit claimed by around 6m people, replacing six benefits and merging them into a single payment.\n\nPoverty campaign charity the Joseph Rowntree Foundation says 500,000 more people will be driven into poverty if the temporary £20 top-up is rolled back.\n\nHowever the Institute for Economic Affairs think tank has argued that \"across-the-board benefit increases are a wasteful use of taxpayers' money\".\n\nThe top-up, estimated to cost around £6bn a year, was brought in at the start of the pandemic as a temporary response due to lockdown.\n\nA government spokesperson said that support was being targeted by raising the living wage, spending on the furlough scheme, boosting welfare spending and introducing the £170m Covid Winter Grant Scheme.", "There is a photograph of Kamala Harris, taken in 1986, while she was a student at Howard University.\n\nShe and two other friends, all shoulder pads and plaid, are smiling and laughing, a crowd behind them. It's a picture brimming with energy and hope.\n\nIt's been used a lot in telling the extraordinary story of her rise to become the first black and Asian American woman to be vice-president and the first person who attended one of America's HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) to get to such a position.\n\nBut this is the story of the other women in the photograph, her two best friends - Valarie Pippen and Karen Gibbs - as well as of others who might have been milling about in the background there.\n\nThis was the 1980s, when the children of America's civil rights generation came of age. Being at Howard University, an HBCU at a time when solidarity with the global anti-apartheid movement was reaching fever pitch and at the height of Reaganism, was a formative experience for many of them.\n\nNow they are about to witness one of their own become vice-president. What have their journeys been like and what does this moment feel like?\n\nHistorically Black Colleges, like Howard University, were founded in order to educate African Americans who were otherwise prohibited from attending college, after slavery.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nAlthough that has now changed, a core part of the Howard message remains its focus on cultivating black leaders - it is not just about academic achievement, but social activism too.\n\nKamala Harris has made clear the influence Howard University had on her career and life goals. Last week, on the anniversary of her sorority's founding date, she posted on Instagram, paying homage to her Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, and referring to her days at Howard, attending anti-apartheid marches and being part of the debate team: \"Howard taught me that while you will often find that you're the only one in the room who looks like you, or who has had the experiences you've had, you must remember: you are never alone.\"\n\nLike Ms Harris, I also went to Howard University and became a member of that same sorority decades later.\n\nI became intrigued by the stories of the other women and graduates who ventured out into the same world during the same time as Kamala.\n\nIn that photograph, Valarie Pippen is on the right and smiling with confidence at the camera.\n\nHer parents attended historically black colleges after moving north with the great migration, which was the movement over decades of millions of African Americans to the North from the South, where economic uncertainty and segregation prevailed. They settled in the Chicago region and forged successful careers.\n\nShe was led to Howard, specifically, after her older brother attended and brought home a yearbook that intrigued her.\n\nHoward had a festive celebratory atmosphere that the friends made the most of while they were there\n\n\"The culture was festive and lively yet focused on academic and cultural advancement of oppressed people,\" says Ms Pippen. \"We knew that our generation would make a difference with our success.\"\n\nMs Pippen says that at Howard University \"we all had more of a striving to do well, a striving to live with integrity and to make your mark on the world\".\n\nComing from a high-achieving and proud black family with high expectations of their children, she was brought up knowing that her college experience was going to be important.\n\nShe is now a healthcare consultant, and after graduating from Howard she attended medical school at Yale.\n\nShe recalls the commitment to academic excellence, the need to prove your worth out there in the world and how that also translated into many nights studying with her good friend Kamala.\n\n\"There was one year at Howard, we both stayed for summer school. We worked during the day, did night classes and we studied together afterwards. We did that for the whole summer and we had fun.\n\n\"She was born for the job. Her dedication - like mine - was to academics, being an all around good person and to integrity.\"\n\nIn the 1990s, 52% of black pharmacy recipients, 30% of dentistry degree recipients, and 27% of theology degree recipients were all educated at HBCUs.\n\nToday, the two oldest HBCU medical schools - Meharry Medical College and Howard University - are responsible for more than 80% of black doctors and dentists practising in the US.\n\nHBCUs have educated three-quarters of all black people holding a doctorate; three-quarters of all black officers in the armed forces; and four-fifths of all black federal judges, according to the US Department of Education.\n\nThe culture they fostered was hugely important for many ambitious and successful middle- and upper-class class black families going out into a world to become leaders in their field, within one generation of getting the right to vote.\n\nKaren Gibbs, pictured on the left in that photo, remains best friends with the vice-president elect and Valarie Pippen.\n\nShe is now an attorney and speaks of her time at Howard in the same way Kamala Harris has in the past.\n\nThere was \"a lot of black pride and a lot of black love\" in the Howard community, says Ms Gibbs.\n\n\"We had black professors who loved us. That was the beauty of going to Howard. They nurtured us, they groomed us. They were realistic to tell us what we would confront when we left Howard - but they equipped us to realise and achieve our dreams.\"\n\nThat environment was especially important as an escape from the realities of society.\n\n\"I was raised in a rural area in Delaware, and the people there were really racist. I had been called bad names by a lot of people, despite having a black family and smaller community filled with educators and proud of their roots,\" says Ms Gibbs.\n\nThat is one of the reasons that she wanted to attend Howard University, to become a civil rights lawyer. She made the move so that she could be surrounded by \"love\" and \"support\".\n\n\"It was never a matter if I would go to an HBCU,\" it was just a matter of which she would go to.\n\nMs Gibbs and Ms Pippen's experience at Howard University strikes a chord with others who were also there in the 1980s.\n\nThey speak of the open fostering of social awareness and political activism in movements happening off campus.\n\nBeing in the nation's capital, Howard in particular had a front-row seat to some memorable episodes in politics.\n\nThe debate team in 1981 at Howard University. Kamala Harris was one of the few women to join the club.\n\nDexter Cole, a Howard alumnus and now top executive at TV One, told the BBC that \"our parents actively participated in the civil rights movements and were at the forefront, and we came to Howard with a sense of commitment to not only improve the lives of ourselves, but others as well\".\n\nAcross the nation, HBCUs were training a generation who would have a large impact on the world, and the progression of the broader African-American community.\n\n\"We understood that we were agents of change.\"\n\nMr Cole explained that \"social unrest was very prevalent, but as a student body we knew that we had a seat at the table because of those we saw who went before us\".\n\n\"I remember marching on Capitol Hill on the National Mall. There was a group of students going to protest to make Martin Luther King Jr's birthday a national holiday, and now I look there is a memorial just where I marched.\n\n\"We knew what our rights were and we were determined to invoke our right. That's why there were so many of us active in the anti-apartheid movement - we saw it play out in the US,\" says Ms Gibbs.\n\n\"It was a time when a lot of people from the era transcended into important places in different parts of society,\" says Lita Rosario-Richardson.\n\nMs Rosario-Richardson is currently an entertainment lawyer. On campus, she recruited Ms Harris on to the debate team.\n\n\"The election of Kamala Harris has really made crystal clear that Howard prepares you for anything,\" she adds.\n\nAlthough it is no surprise to those who knew Kamala Harris that she is now the vice-president of the United States, it feels like a vindication for their own personal journeys and the philosophy they took forward with them into the wider world.\n\n\"It was instilled that with your education comes a responsibility to improve the world - specifically our own people. And, we see that that has benefited everyone in America.\n\n\"Kamala is a child of desegregation, like myself. Her nomination seemed historically fit, and she's the right person for it,\" Ms Rosario-Richardson adds.\n\nDexter Cole is now a top executive at TV One\n\n\"Alumni like Thurgood Marshall - the first black Supreme Court Justice - who attended Howard laid the framework.\"\n\nEven during their time as students, these alumni felt that they were connected to greatness and expected to make big strides in the world.\n\nIt was not a feeling confined to Kamala Harris. The stories of these women show many have become movers and shakers in their own fields.\n\n\"All this has come full circle,\" says Andrea Holmes, a graduate who is now a marketing executive.\n\n\"The vice-presidency is where she belongs. She is the role model of the world and to all women and little girls.\"\n\nThe original photograph of Kamala, Valarie and Karen was taken in 1986 at Howard University's famous Homecoming.\n\nAt most schools in the US, homecoming is an annual tradition marked by an American football game and partying. At Howard University, homecoming is marked by a football game as well as a week of events where all generations come back to meet and celebrate. Notable graduates as well as celebrities and artists come to perform, join discussions, and be part of the week.\n\nAs a graduate, I know Homecoming remains a highly anticipated annual event, an experience like no other. That picture captures the energy, friendship and ambition of a group of women, at Howard in an electric era, who felt capable of anything.\n\nValarie Pippen remembers the moment: \"The weekend was truly exhilarating, and you can see from the looks and smiles on our faces we were having the time of our lives.\"", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nMore than 2,000 homes in parts of Manchester are being evacuated due to flooding caused by Storm Christoph.\n\nThe Environment Agency (EA) has issued two severe flood warnings, which means danger to life, for the Didsbury and Northenden areas.\n\nAssistant Chief Constable Nick Bailey of Greater Manchester Police has warned some of those affected would \"be Covid-positive or isolating at home\".\n\nHe said the government was working to ensure it was \"totally prepared\" for floods \"in every part of the UK\".\n\nA major incident was earlier declared for the Greater Manchester area where up to 3,000 properties were feared to be at risk.\n\nMr Johnson urged people not to stay in their homes if they were told to evacuate.\n\n\"If you are told to leave your home then you should do so.\n\n\"People may think this is a minor issue at the moment, still relevantly minor by standards of previous floods, but never underestimate the suffering, the misery, that floods can cause people.\"\n\nUnder government restrictions due to the current national lockdown people are allowed to leave their homes to escape harm.\n\nIn an alert to those affected, ACC Bailey said: \"A basin at Didsbury to take water from the Mersey is full. It will over-top in the next few hours. As a result we will be issuing a flood warning to homes.\n\n\"This will be through texted flood alerts to some people, and police officers, PCSOs, firefighters, and volunteers will be knocking on doors.\"\n\nHe said police will be supported by North West Ambulance, the British Red Cross and St John Ambulance.\n\n\"I think it's important to stress that if you are contacted and advised to evacuate then we would strongly urge you to do so,\" he added.\n\nWater levels in the area were expected to peak at about 23:00 GMT on Wednesday.\n\nA major incident has also been declared in Derbyshire, where authorities believe a small number of evacuations are \"likely\" on Thursday morning, when the River Derwent is expected to peak.\n\nCounty council leader Barry Lewis said it could rival levels seen in November 2019, depending on the weather overnight.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The PM says the government is making sure it is “totally prepared in every part of the UK” for flooding after Storm Christoph.\n\nSpeaking after a Cobra emergency meeting on Wednesday, Mr Johnson said work was under way to ensure transport and energy networks, and local council services, were prepared.\n\nHe added that work was also taking place to ensure the necessary numbers of sandbags were available.\n\n\"We want to make sure that we are totally prepared in every part of the UK for flooding, because it is coming on top of the stress people are already under fighting Covid,\" he said.\n\n\"We looked at particularly Manchester, we've got a situation potentially developing there,\" Mr Johnson said.\n\n\"We are looking at a pattern of rainfall possibly not as bad at the end of this week, maybe worse next week.\"\n\nPeople in Greater Manchester have also been advised not to travel.\n\nStephen Rhodes, from Transport from Greater Manchester, said there was disruption across the network.\n\n\"Let's work together and not put our emergency services and the NHS - who are already working extremely hard due to the Covid-19 pandemic - under any more pressure,\" he said.\n\nIn Merseyside, the M57 has been closed in both directions between junction 6 and 7 due to flooding.\n\nThe Environment Agency has issued more than 100 flood warnings, meaning flooding is expected and immediate action required, while there are also more than 200 flood alerts, meaning flooding is possible.\n\nRiver levels have risen rapidly in parts of northern England\n\nThe North West, Yorkshire and the Midlands have been preparing for widespread flooding following the Met Office's amber weather warning for heavy rain until midday Thursday.\n\nThe Met Office said some isolated areas could see up to 200mm (7.8in).\n\nSandbags have been distributed as Storm Christoph batters parts of England\n\n\"Once again the government's response to inevitable flood events has been slow and uncoordinated,\" the Barnsley East MP said.\n\n\"We must ensure councils are supported to protect people, businesses, and local communities, and that all of the necessary precautions are also in place to protect those fighting the floods in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.\"\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "The Gender Identity Service is based at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust\n\nThe NHS's child gender-identity service has been rated \"inadequate\" after inspectors identified \"significant concerns\".\n\nThe Care Quality Commission inspected the Gender Identity Development Service (Gids) at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust in October.\n\nMore than 4,600 young people were on the waiting list and some had waited over two years for a first appointment.\n\nThe trust said it took the CQC report \"very seriously\".\n\nEngland and Wales' only children's gender-identity service was inspected after healthcare professionals and the children's commissioner for England raised concerns around \"clinical practice, safeguarding procedures, and assessments of capacity and consent to treatment\".\n\nThe children's commissioner had been provided evidence of staff concerns by BBC Newsnight.\n\nThe CQC's previous inspection, in 2016, had resulted in an overall \"good\" rating.\n\nBut in the latest inspection at clinics run by the trust in north London and Leeds, Gids was rated:\n\nOverall, the service is now rated as \"inadequate\".\n\nAnd the CQC has begun enforcement action, demanding monthly updates of the numbers on the waiting list and actions to reduce them.\n\nThe inspectors found Gids \"difficult to access\" and raised concerns over managing the risk to those on the waiting list, saying many of those waiting for or receiving a service were \"vulnerable and at risk of self-harm\".\n\n\"The size of the waiting list meant that staff were unable to proactively manage the risks to patients waiting for a first appointment,\" they added.\n\nRecord-keeping at Gids was also criticised, with the CQC noting that \"staff had not consistently recorded the competency, capacity and consent of patients referred for medical treatment before January 2020\".\n\nThis had changed since, but the CQC noted that in an audit of 10 records of young people referred for hormone blockers in March 2020, \"only three contained a completed consent form and checklist for referral\".\n\nA rating of inadequate is the lowest a healthcare provider can receive from the Care Quality Commission. It means that a service is \"performing badly\".\n\nGids had been rated good at its last inspection in 2016, but since then a number of concerns have been raised about the service.\n\nThe number of young people referred to Gids has increased significantly in recent years - leading to some of the delays in care highlighted by the inspection.\n\nBBC Newsnight has explored the standard of healthcare received by young people questioning their gender identity for the last 18 months.\n\nIn that time, NHS England has changed its guidance on the use of puberty blockers to treat gender dysphoria, saying little is known about the long-term side effects, and an independent review of this area of health is under way.\n\nLast June we revealed how some Gids staff had raised serious concerns about safeguarding at the service, the speed of assessments, and whether patients' traumatic backgrounds and other difficulties were always adequately explored.\n\nThe comments were made as part of an official internal review into Gids, which also described how staff felt they had been \"shut down\". We also discovered that some of these concerns dated back to 2005.\n\nFurthermore, it was not possible to clearly understand why clinical decisions had been made.\n\nAfter reviewing 35 care records, the CQC found there was \"no clearly defined assessment process\" and \"many records did not demonstrate good practice\".\n\nThe records also appeared to be \"insufficient\" in considering the needs of young people with autism spectrum disorders.\n\nIn a sample of 22 records, the CQC found more than half mentioned autistic spectrum disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but \"records did not demonstrate consideration of the relationship between autistic spectrum disorder and gender dysphoria\".\n\nSignificant variation in the clinical approach of different staff members was also noted. Assessments of young people ranged from \"two or three sessions\" in some cases to over 25, or even more than 50.\n\nCQC deputy chief inspector of hospitals Kevin Cleary said his team continued to monitor the trust \"extremely closely\" and inspected the service again because \"we were extremely clear that there were improvements needed in providing person-centred care, capacity and consent, safe care and treatment, and governance\".\n\n\"In addition, vulnerable young people were not having their needs met as they were waiting too long for treatment.\"\n\nThe leadership at the trust knew \"exactly what improvements are needed\", he added.\n\nThe trust said: \"We take the CQC's report very seriously and would like to say sorry to patients for the length of time they are waiting to be seen, which was a critical factor in arriving at this rating.\"\n\nAccepting there was a \"need for improvements in our assessments, systems and processes\", the trust said it agreed with the CQC that the \"growth in referrals has exceeded the capacity of the service\".\n\nIt added improvements were being made, saying: \"We are already finalising plans to bring in senior clinical and operational expertise from outside the service to help us implement the necessary changes and consider how we can improve on current processes and practice - including how we standardise our assessment process.\"\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Prime Minister Boris Johnson has warned there will be \"tough weeks to come\" as the UK reported another all-time high of daily coronavirus deaths.\n\nA further 1,820 people have died within 28 days of a positive Covid test, according to government figures.\n\nIt means the total number of deaths by that measure is now 93,290.\n\nMr Johnson said there was now a \"race against time\" to vaccinate the vulnerable but he hoped there would be a \"real difference\" by spring.\n\nIn an interview with broadcasters, he said the high number of deaths was \"appalling\" and a reflection of the peak infection rates seen a couple of weeks ago.\n\nHe said: \"I must warn people there will be tough weeks to come, but as the vaccine goes in and that programme accelerates, there will be, I think, a real difference by spring.\"\n\nJust under half of the newly reported deaths occurred on Tuesday, while a further quarter took place on Monday or Sunday with the remainder last week or even earlier.\n\nThe previous highest number of daily deaths was the 1,610 reported on Tuesday.\n\nSome 4,609,740 people have now received the first dose of a vaccine - a rise of 343,163 from yesterday.\n\nThere were also a further 38,905 cases, with 3,887 more patients admitted into hospital.\n\nIt is the second consecutive day deaths have hit a new high.\n\nThat, sadly, was to be expected as it is a reflection of the surge in cases seen during December.\n\nIt takes a week or two from the point of infection for someone to become seriously ill - and they can then spend some time in hospital. The high number is also a result of delays reporting deaths - a quarter happened last week or even before.\n\nBut make no mistake the death toll is going up. If you look at the average over the course of a week, the numbers being reported at the moment are twice what they were just two weeks ago.\n\nHowever, we also know they should soon start coming down. Daily infections are falling, with signs lockdown is taking effect. For four days in a row new diagnoses have been below 40,000 - after averaging 60,000 at the start of year.\n\nIt could be another week or so before we start to see the impact of that in the death figures. The hope then would be that within a few weeks we could start seeing a more rapid fall as the impact of the vaccination programme begins to bite.\n\nBut before that happens the daily totals reported could, sadly, go even higher.\n\nNew coronavirus cases are down by 21.5% over the last seven days. But the number of patients being admitted into hospital in the same period has not yet fallen (up by 0.5%).\n\nThe prime minister said it looked as though infection rates across the country overall might now be peaking or flattening, but he cautioned that \"they're not flattening very fast\".\n\nAsked if daily deaths would continue to rise, he said it was \"difficult to predict\".\n\nHe added: \"We must hope that by getting the numbers of daily infections down in the way that perhaps has been happening since the lockdown that will feed through into a reduction in deaths as well.\n\n\"But I must stress that we have tough weeks to come now as we roll out the vaccine.\n\n\"The light will only really begin to dawn as we get those vaccination numbers up.\"\n\nEarlier, the government's chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, told Sky News: \"This is very, very bad at the moment, with enormous pressure, and in some cases it looks like a war zone in terms of the things that people are having to deal with.\"\n\nHe said there was \"light at the end of the tunnel\" in the form of the vaccination programme.\n\nBut he said vaccines were \"not going to do the heavy lifting for us at the moment, anywhere near it\".\n\nMilitary personnel are going to be deployed to a number of hospitals to help staff cope with high numbers of cases, including in Northern Ireland and Exeter.\n\nAnd this week 10 hospital trusts across England consistently reported having no spare adult critical care beds.\n\nIn other developments, Home Secretary Priti Patel said ministers were working to ensure police and other frontline workers were moved up the priority list for the Covid vaccine.\n\nMr Johnson said the government must rely on advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, but wanted front-line workers to be immunised \"as soon as possible\".\n\nHe also said the vaccination programme remained \"on track\" despite \"constraints on supply\".", "Theresa May has accused her successor Boris Johnson of \"abandoning\" the UK's moral leadership on the world stage.\n\nThe ex-prime minister said Mr Johnson's decision to cut the overseas aid budget below 0.7% of national income had reduced the UK's global \"credibility\".\n\nShe wrote in the Daily Mail the UK had to \"live up to its values\" and would be judged by its actions not its rhetoric.\n\nMr Johnson said the UK was \"embarking on a quite phenomenal year\" of global leadership.\n\nQuestioned about Mrs May's comments by the SNP's Westminster leader Ian Blackford at Prime Minister's Questions, Mr Johnson said: \"I think it's very important the prime minister of the UK has the best possible relationship with the president of the United States.\n\n\"That's part of the job description.\"\n\nHe cited the UK's hosting of a global vaccine summit, the upcoming COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, as well as the G7 summit of leading industrial nations, in Cornwall, and his pledge to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050 as examples of the UK's global leadership.\n\nMr Blackford called on the PM to reverse \"his cruel policy of cutting international aid for the world's poorest\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The SNP Westminster leader called in the PM to reverse his \"cruel\" international aid policy\n\nLater on Wednesday, Joe Biden will be inaugurated as the 46th president of the United States, succeeding Donald Trump.\n\nIn advance of the event, Mr Johnson said he looked forward to working \"hand-in-hand\" with the new administration and that post-Covid challenges could only be tackled by \"international co-operation\".\n\nBut, in an article in the Daily Mail, Mrs May suggested Mr Johnson had squandered international goodwill by choosing not to meet the longstanding UN target of spending 0.7% of income on international development.\n\nThe government says it cannot meet the figure - enshrined in UK law - this year because of the strain placed on the public finances by the pandemic.\n\nTheresa May has made these criticisms - on overseas aid and the threat by the government to override international law - before.\n\nQuite often she gets a dig in when she stands up in the House of Commons.\n\nBut packaging it all up in this way, on this day, is, in the words of one of her close former advisers, \"quite punchy\".\n\nThe government would rather focus on the relationship it is going to forge with the new US president.\n\nMinisters feel they have quite a lot in common with Joe Biden when it comes to working together on the world stage, fighting climate change and co-operating on global security.\n\nMrs May also criticised Mr Johnson's support for legislation which could have allowed the UK to go back on parts of its Withdrawal Agreement with the EU, had it been passed.\n\nControversial clauses were ultimately removed from the Internal Market Bill in December, after the UK and EU reached an agreement.\n\nBut Mr Johnson's threat to break international law was criticised in Europe and the US - where Mr Biden warned it could imperil peace in Northern Ireland.\n\nMrs May said the UK was \"well placed to play a decisive role in shaping this more co-operative world but to lead we must live up to our values\".\n\n\"Other countries listen to what we say not simply because of who we are, but because of what we do. The world does not owe us a prominent place on its stage,\" she added.\n\n\"Whatever the rhetoric we deploy, it is our actions which count. So, we should do nothing which signals a retreat from our global commitments.\"\n\nMrs May suggested the end of the Trump presidency could be a catalyst for a change in world politics\n\nMrs May, who had a sometimes strained relationship with Mr Trump, said Mr Biden's election presented the UK with a \"golden opportunity\" for Western democracies to reverse the trend towards \"absolutism\" - and a \"few strongmen facing off against each other\" - in global affairs.\n\nThe UK holds the presidency of the G7 this year and hosts the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow.\n\nMr Johnson said he looked forward to welcoming Mr Biden to the UK at least twice in 2021.\n\n\"In our fight against Covid and across climate change, defence, security, and in promoting and defending democracy, our goals are the same and our nations will work hand-in-hand to achieve them,\" he added.", "(From left to right) Janet Yellen, Lloyd Austin, Deb Haaland\n\nPresident Joe Biden's first cabinet is being described as the most diverse ever. The latest historic first is an openly gay cabinet secretary.\n\nWhen George Washington convened the first cabinet meeting two centuries ago - though he didn't call it by that name - he enshrined the idea of promoting diverse perspectives at the heart of US government. Of course, back in 1791, all the voices in the room were white and male.\n\nYou won't find the cabinet mentioned in the lines of the Constitution, but the first president saw the value of advisers who could guide him on major issues while bringing different viewpoints to the table.\n\nIn 2021, America has seen its first openly gay cabinet secretary in Pete Buttigieg - the latest Biden confirmation - as well as its first female treasury secretary, first black Pentagon chief and more.\n\nMr Biden has been under pressure from all sides to deliver on his promises of a cabinet that truly reflects the country rather than a line-up of familiar political faces.\n\nThe graphic above shows all of Mr Biden's nominees - those with black and white photos are white men, while those with colour photographs are in one or more of these categories: women; people belonging to ethnic minorities; member of the LGBT community.\n\n\"This cabinet will be more representative of the American people than any other cabinet in history,\" Mr Biden told reporters in December.\n\nIf approved by the Senate, it will include Congresswoman Deb Haaland as the first Native American cabinet secretary in US history and Miguel Cardona, who is of Puerto Rican heritage, as his education chief.\n\nMr Biden's first cabinet is even more diverse than that put together by Barack Obama, who came close to truly reflecting the country but fell short with seven women to 16 men, and just one black secretary.\n\nBut not everyone has been pleased with his choices. When Mr Biden chose General Lloyd Austin to lead the Pentagon - the first black man to do so - other activists were upset that the position was yet again denied to a woman. And Mr Biden picked two white men to head the state and agriculture agencies - Anthony Blinken and Tom Vilsack - when progressive groups would rather have seen him nominate black women to the roles.\n\nProgressive liberals have also criticised Mr Biden's selections as too safe, too moderate, too establishment and too old. For many of the supporters who delivered Mr Biden the presidency, he's not there just yet.\n\nSince 1933, only 11 presidents have named women to cabinet-level positions. No cabinets have ever matched the gender or racial balance of the country.\n\nThe cabinet size can vary depending on administration, but they're roughly composed of around 15 executives. In the last 30 years, the trend has been towards greater representation - or at least it was, until the Trump administration.\n\nOn the day of President Bill Clinton's inauguration, the Washington Post wrote that the new Democratic leader had assembled \"the most diverse Cabinet in history: five women, four blacks and two Latinos\".\n\nMr Clinton's small business administrator Aida Alvarez was the first-ever Latina appointed to a cabinet-level position.\n\nPresident George W Bush's first cabinet was lauded by the New York Times as \"a governing team every bit as ethnically and racially diverse as President Clinton's\".\n\nMr Bush chose Colin Powell, the son of Jamaican immigrants, to become the country's first black secretary of state. He also tapped Norman Mineta - a Democrat who became the first Asian American to hold a cabinet-level spot under Mr Clinton - to head his transportation department.\n\nLater on, the Bush administration made history again with the appointment of Condoleezza Rice: the first black woman to serve as secretary of state and then as national security adviser. Mr Bush also placed the first Pacific Islander and Asian American woman, Elaine Chao, in a cabinet role as labour secretary.\n\nPresident Barack Obama's history-making first cabinet was dubbed a \"majority-minority\". Mr Obama's inner circle had seven women, nine minorities and just eight white men.\n\nUnder Mr Obama, Susan Rice became the first black woman to serve as US ambassador to the United Nations, and Eric Holder became the first black US attorney general.\n\nIn a throwback to the Reagan era, President Donald Trump's inner circle was notably white, affluent and male - though he had more women in his White House than previous Republicans.\n\nAnd Mr Trump did appoint women to other roles in the administration. He named the first Indian-American, Nikki Haley, as UN ambassador.\n\nBut why has it taken this long for women and minorities to make it into the room where decisions happen?\n\n\"When we think about how you get to these roles, one way is to come through elected office,\" says Professor Kelly Dittmar of the Rutgers University Center for American Women and Politics.\n\n\"So if you have a dearth of women and women of colour in elective office, and that's where presidents are looking, in part, to identify cabinet officials, then you already start with an uneven pool.\"\n\nWe saw the first woman in US Congress in 1916, she explains, but it took nearly two more decades before President Franklin Roosevelt appointed the first woman to a cabinet role (that was Labor Secretary Frances Perkins).\n\nThe story for black and other ethnic minority Americans has taken even longer. The first black man took a seat in Congress in 1870, but we didn't see a black man in the cabinet until President Lyndon Johnson appointed Robert Weaver in 1966. It took until 1968 for the first black woman to be elected to Congress. The first black woman in the cabinet followed in 1977 (Patricia Roberts Harris, Housing Secretary).\n\nThe US has no formal rules requiring equal representation for these groups in government, either.\n\nCountries with quotas in government or at the political party level have made strides towards equality at leadership levels. For example, Rwanda in 2018 saw 61% women in its lower chamber.\n\nIn three key posts, the Defence, Treasury, and Veteran's Affairs departments, there has never been a woman in the job - until now.\n\nOn 25 January, Janet Yellen was confirmed as Treasury Secretary, breaking that particular glass ceiling.\n\nOld time stereotypes have given way in this sector. Surveys show people nowadays are more likely to rate the genders equal when it comes to handling the economy.\n\nProf Dittmar says there are more persistent stereotypes about men versus women's expertise when it comes to defence and national security matters, and public opinion polls have shown this divide. Women weren't allowed in the military until 1948.\n\n\"Even though we have certainly seen greater diversification, these fields are among the most male dominant, especially at the highest levels,\" says Prof Dittmar. \"There's all sorts of biases going on within those structures to prevent women's advancement, I'm sure. That helps explain why those gaps have been there at least historically.\"\n\nOhio State University political science and gender studies Professor Wendy Smooth says these appointments are a way of signalling broader initiatives and values - inextricably tied to policy, but also indicators of identity.\n\n\"One of the early ways that a presidential administration expresses that willingness to be accountable is through cabinet picks,\" Prof Smooth says.\n\n\"These are the first acts that demonstrate the will of the administration, the spirit of the administration, the values of the administration. It's an identity moment. It's going to be the who we are as the Biden administration and who we are interested in connecting with in the American public.\"\n\nIt may be difficult to directly measure the importance of symbolism, but turning preconceived notions of leadership upside down can have very tangible implications.\n\n\"If you see a woman as secretary of defence for the first time, does that start to disrupt expectations that men are better and more expert in areas of defence? Yes, inevitably it does,\" Prof Dittmar says.\n\nShe says the same is true for Vice-President Kamala Harris and her history-making appointment.\n\n\"I hope that after her tenure as vice-president, the next time we have women running for president that these questions about electability or qualifications or capability will be at least fewer than they were.\"\n\nAnd research from an increasingly diverse Congress has shown that women bring priorities and issues to the table that may otherwise have been ignored. \"And that, ultimately, is better for making policy that better speaks to the experiences of the population that they serve,\" Prof Dittmar explains.\n\n\"Unless you can tell me that living your life as a woman or as a black woman or as a South Asian woman in the United States is the same as living your life as a white man, then I don't at all understand why we wouldn't expect that to make a difference in the lens through which they see policy.\"", "Joy Morgan was a second year midwifery student at the University of Hertfordshire\n\nA student murdered by a fellow church member may have been given drugs without her knowing, an inquest heard.\n\nThe body of Joy Morgan, 20, was found in Hertfordshire woodland in October 2019, two months after Shohfah-El Israel was convicted of her murder.\n\nTraces of MDMA were found in her body and the inquest was told there was no evidence that Ms Morgan would have taken the drug herself voluntarily.\n\nIsrael, of Fordwych Road, north-west London, was jailed for life and ordered to serve a minimum term of 17 years for Ms Morgan's murder in August 2019, despite the fact her body had not been found.\n\nDuring sentencing, Judge Michael Soole said Israel's \"cruel and cowardly\" refusal to reveal her whereabouts caused \"continuing distress and suffering\" to her family.\n\nShohfah-El Israel was convicted by a jury at Reading Crown Court\n\nTwo months later, the remains of Ms Morgan were found in woodland off Chadwell Road, Norton Green, near Stevenage.\n\nPart of the police evidence showed the killer had been in the area of the woods shortly after Ms Morgan's disappearance in December 2018.\n\nShe was reported missing on 7 February 2019 after failing to return to her studies.\n\nBoth Israel and Ms Morgan, who was in her second year at the University of Hertfordshire studying midwifery, were worshippers at the Israel United in Christ Church in Ilford.\n\nAn inquest at Hatfield Coroner's Court heard her body was found badly decomposed, and wrapped in black plastic bin liners and gaffer tape.\n\nThe court heard toxicology tests showed MDMA in her body, and Det Insp Justine Jenkins said there was no evidence to indicate she would have voluntarily or knowingly taken illegal drugs.\n\n\"She was a church-goer, there is nothing to suggest [she took drugs] at all.\n\n\"We did, however, find MDMA in Israel's car, and it is likely that he was responsible for giving her these drugs.\"\n\nJoy Morgan's remains were found in woodland at Norton Green\n\nForensic pathologist Dr Charlotte Randall said there were three possible minor bruises on Ms Morgan's limbs. She added there was no evidence that Ms Morgan had been stabbed or shot, or restrained or suffered injuries consistent with a sexual assault.\n\nShe found evidence of a possible fracture to her hyoid bone, but there was nothing to suggest she had suffered compression of the neck.\n\nDr Randall said there was no evidence the student had suffered a head injury, but said she could have been rendered unconscious by a blow to the head that was \"non-fatal\".\n\nShe could not rule out suffocation as a cause of death, potentially following milder blunt force trauma to the head.\n\nCoroner Geoffrey Sullivan said: \"[The MDMA] is not something that she would have taken and one can't exclude that she was given that, and it in some way rendered her incapable or unconscious.\"\n\nHe said the cause of Ms Morgan's death could not be ascertained.\n\nAfter the inquest, her mother Carol Morgan described her daughter as \"an amazing person\".\n\n\"She's been cremated, I haven't decided where to put her ashes so at the moment she's still at home with me,\" she said.\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk", "In the end, the master provocateur ended up provoking the wrong person in the wrong way at the wrong time.\n\nUntil August 2017, Steve Bannon was arguably the second most powerful man in Washington. The president's one-time chief strategist was the puller of strings, the Trump-whisperer, revelling in his role as an agent of chaos.\n\nAfter the 2016 election, he was among \"the best talent in politics\" - in Trump's words.\n\nThen he became \"Sloppy Steve\", a derogatory nickname used by the US president after Bannon was quoted in a book saying several things that appear to have made his former boss unhappy.\n\nOne example that made headlines was that the president's son, Donald Trump Jr, had committed a \"treasonous\" act in talking to Russians.\n\nBannon's backers cut their ties with him, he left the powerful right-wing media empire Breitbart, and the future of the man behind some of Trump's most headline-grabbing policies was left up in the air.\n\nAnd then in August 2020, more bad news. Bannon was arrested and charged with fraud over an online fundraising scheme to build a wall on the US-Mexico border.\n\nProsecutors said he received more than $1m - and used some of it to pay off personal expenses. He pleaded not guilty.\n\nEven in a White House where political careers have the life expectancy of a house fly, Bannon's sudden rise and fall over four years is remarkable. Here's how it came about.\n\nAs executive chairman of Breitbart - a combative conservative site with an anti-establishment agenda - Bannon was an early cheerleader for Trump and Trumpism.\n\nBut it was not until 15 months into the property tycoon's presidential race that Bannon joined his team.\n\nBy that point he was already, according to a profile on the Bloomberg website, \"the most dangerous political operative in America\", a man with Democrats and establishment Republicans in his crosshairs, and a knack for well-timed confrontation. A disruptive Trump presented Bannon with a golden opportunity.\n\nWithout Seinfeld, there is no Steve Bannon - it will become clear, don't worry\n\nBannon was born into a family of Irish Catholics - all Kennedy Democrats - in Virginia in November 1953.\n\nHe was not political, he said, until an eight-year stint with the Navy starting in 1977, when he became a Reagan Republican in response to President Carter's handling of the Iran conflict.\n\nA master of reinvention, he went on to work as an executive with the Goldman Sachs bank, before helping finance and produce Hollywood films and later emerging as a political Svengali.\n\nHis record in Hollywood can be described as patchy at best (\"The business runs on talent relationships,\" one former colleague told the New Yorker. \"He had this real will-to-power vibe that was so off-putting.\")\n\nBut Bannon did strike gold in one big way - by negotiating a share of the profits in a new television show, Seinfeld, in 1993. The show ran for nine seasons and was widely syndicated - in November 2016, Forbes estimated that Bannon, if he owned only a 1% share in the show's profits, would have earned $32.6m (£24m) by that point.\n\nAfter returning to the US from the Chinese city of Shanghai in 2008 feeling the Bush administration was a \"disaster\", Bannon was struck by what he described to the New Yorker as \"this phenomenon called Sarah Palin\". Bannon warmed to the brand of populism employed by the Alaskan governor picked as John McCain's Republican running mate in the 2008 presidential race.\n\nThat populist wave would come crashing to shore with Trump's participation in the 2016 election, a wave Bannon proudly rode the whole way. In Trump, he recognised a willing outlet for his idea that, according to Wolff, \"the new politics was not the art of compromise, but the art of conflict\".\n\nBannon had long talked up Trump's chances on Breitbart News Network, which he took over in 2012 after the death of its founder, Andrew Breitbart. Bannon considered Trump, according to Wolff's book, \"a big warm-hearted monkey\".\n\nLike many of the businessman's cheerleaders, Bannon was eventually invited into his inner circle, becoming the CEO of the Trump campaign in August 2016.\n\nDishevelled, regularly unshaven, and prone to wearing two shirts at the same time, he was an unlikely candidate to work closely with Trump, who places a high value on appearance. But somehow it worked.\n\nBannon's economic nationalist outlook and his eagerness for a \"deconstruction of the administrative state\" - a tearing apart of the system of taxes and regulations that he believed had hindered the US over years - chimed with Trump's \"Make America Great Again\" plea.\n\nTwo days after his arrival, Bannon replaced Paul Manafort as campaign chairman.\n\nBannon's counterpart in the Democratic camp, Robby Mook, responded furiously: \"Donald Trump has decided to double down on his most small, nasty and divisive instincts by turning his campaign over to someone who is best known for running a so-called news site that peddles divisive, sometimes racist... sometimes anti-Semitic conspiracy theories.\"\n\nThe provocateur in Bannon will almost certainly have enjoyed the reaction to his appointment. Less than three months later, he'd have even more to celebrate.\n\nTrump and Bannon thought as one in the last weeks of the campaign, to the extent that the Republican candidate would often demand: \"Where's my Steve? Where's my Steve?\", according to one former Trump aide.\n\nIn interviews after the event, Bannon said he always believed Trump would win. But not everyone else did, according to Michael Wolff's book. Indeed, in the weeks after the billionaire won, \"he had come to credit Bannon with something like mystical powers\" for having predicted the victory.\n\nWhite House appointments aren't often met with wide protests - but then Steve Bannon's was no ordinary appointment\n\nDays after the election, Trump named his trusted lieutenant as \"chief strategist\" - a newly created role - in his cabinet.\n\nThere were wide protests against the decision, and 169 members of the House - all Democrats - sent a letter to the president-elect asking him to withdraw Bannon's nomination, saying \"bigotry, anti-Semitism, and xenophobia should have no place in our society, and they certainly have no place in the White House\".\n\nBannon's vision was made clear in Trump's bleak inaugural address, which he wrote. Wolff says in his book it was \"a Bannon-driven message to the other side that the country was about to undergo profound change... his take-back-the-country, America-first, carnage-everywhere vision of the country\".\n\nThe \"American carnage\" speech painted a vision of a US with \"mothers and children trapped in poverty in our inner cities, rusted-out factories scattered like tombstones across the landscape of our nation\".\n\nThe full ramifications of Bannon's America First policy were made clear a week later, with Trump signing an executive order dreamt up by his chief strategist that banned people from seven Muslim-majority countries from travelling to the US. It caught many White House staff unaware.\n\nBannon, Wolff writes, was \"satisfied\" at the move and the subsequent outrage. \"He could not have hoped to draw a more vivid line between the two Americas - Trump's and liberals',\" Wolff writes, adding that the timing of its release before a busy weekend was deliberate - so it could cause as much chaos as possible.\n\nOne word that regularly features in interviews with Bannon is \"war\". Trump HQ on election night was \"the war room\", the same name he gave to the Oval Office when Trump took over. When Bannon would go on to leave the White House, he said he was going to \"war\" on Trump's behalf.\n\nFor Bannon, disorder was the new order in the White House. He and Trump were creating conflict and confusion, and that suited Bannon just fine.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Steve Bannon's three goals for the Trump presidency\n\nA day after Trump's executive order on immigration was signed, there was another controversial announcement - the US president downgraded military chiefs of staff from his National Security Council and gave a regular seat to Bannon instead.\n\nOnly career diplomats and generals usually join the council, the main group advising the president on national security and foreign affairs. By being invited to be a member, Bannon - in his first government job, aged 63 - was allowed to join high-level discussions about national security.\n\nThe reaction was, predictably, one of shock.\n\nDemocrat former presidential candidate Bernie Sanders called the move \"dangerous and unprecedented\", and Obama's former national security adviser Susan Rice tweeted: \"This is stone-cold crazy. After a week of crazy.\"\n\nThe White House, of course, defended their man as being more than capable enough to be on the council, pointing out his Navy service.\n\nBut in retrospect, this promotion is about as good as it got for Bannon in the White House.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Some of the people who have resigned or been fired under President Trump\n\nIn the end, Bannon lasted a little over two months on the National Security Council, leaving in April.\n\nIt was not a demotion, White House officials said, but the reasons for the change were not clear. Perhaps, just by shaking up the old order, the appointment had done its job.\n\nBut this change in his responsibilities became an indication of what was to come.\n\nAfter a summer of reports that Bannon was less and less visible in a White House suffering infighting and leaks, he left his position last August.\n\nIt was sold as a strategic move - Bannon would head back to Breitbart, where he would fight for Trump's agenda. \"I've got my hands back on my weapons,\" he said. \"It's Bannon the Barbarian.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Donald J. Trump This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nBreitbart welcomed back what it called its \"populist hero\", with editor-in-chief Alex Marlow saying Bannon had \"his finger on the pulse of the Trump agenda\".\n\nBut his departure from the White House came at the end of a week in which Bannon had come under fire from a number of quarters, and amid reports of tension with key aides including National Security Adviser HR McMaster.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Charlottesville was the culmination of months of protests by white supremacists\n\nClashes had taken place the previous weekend between far-right and counter-protesters in Charlottesville, Virginia, after which Trump blamed \"both sides\" for the violence - Bannon had once said his Breitbart site was \"a platform for the alt-right\" who were responsible for the violence.\n\nTwo days before he left his job, an interview with Bannon in the American Prospect, a liberal magazine, reportedly infuriated the president. Bannon was quoted as dismissing the idea of a military solution in North Korea, undercutting Trump.\n\nThen, a day later, a BuzzFeed report that said that Trump was unhappy with the credit his adviser was taking for the election victory.\n\n\"He undermined Trump's ego,\" Joshua Green, the author of a book on Bannon's relationship with Trump, Devil's Bargain, told the BBC.\n\n\"Trump can't abide the thesis of my book and Michael Wolff's book, which is that Bannon is the brains of the operation and Trump is an erratic charlatan. That's what Trump won't abide.\"\n\nBannon backed Roy Moore in the Alabama senate race - it didn't end well for them\n\nNow on the outside looking in, Bannon was more than happy to tell Trump where he thought he was going wrong. He attacked him through Breitbart for reversing course and sending more troops to Afghanistan, and called Trump's firing of FBI director James Comey the biggest mistake in \"modern political history\".\n\nBut Bannon was back in his natural habitat as he gunned for the Republican establishment, putting his weight behind ultra-conservative populist candidate Roy Moore in a senate race in Alabama.\n\nMoore comfortably won the primary against Luther Strange, the incumbent backed by Trump and the Republican machine.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nBut Moore went on to face allegations of sexual misconduct with teenage girls, which he denied, and in December he lost the race to Doug Jones, who became the first Democrat to win a Senate seat in Alabama in 25 years.\n\nBannon's man, one eventually backed by Trump and the Republican party, had suffered a humiliating loss in what was supposed to be Bannon's first big victory. A win would have given him momentum in his campaign to field populist candidates against Republican senators in the 2018 mid-terms. A loss made that much harder.\n\nBannon - humbled, surprised - credited Democrats for having worked hardest, but the defeat risked grounding his populist movement to a halt.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Trump harsher on Bannon than he is on his 'worst enemies'\n\nTrump may once have been Bannon's \"big warm-hearted monkey\". But even cuddly monkeys can bite.\n\nAs details of Michael Wolff's book emerged, one key line stood out - Bannon described a meeting Donald Trump Jr held in New York with a Russian lawyer during the 2016 presidential election campaign as \"treasonous\".\n\n\"They're going to crack Don Junior like an egg on national TV,\" he told Wolff.\n\nThe reaction from the White House - reeling from a special-counsel investigation into possible collusion between the Trump team and Russia - was swift. Bannon had \"lost his mind\" after losing his White House position, the president said.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Donald J. Trump This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nSoon after, Rebekah Mercer, a wealthy benefactor of Bannon's, said she had ended her support for his political efforts.\n\nBannon, left with fewer and fewer allies, insisted his comments were not directed at Mr Trump's son but at another former aide, Paul Manafort, who was also present at the meeting in Trump Tower.\n\nBut there was only one way left to go. The goodbye from Breitbart was polite, and Bannon was out.\n\nSomewhere, somehow, Bannon the master string-puller will re-emerge - possibly in a different guise.\n\nCould he and Trump ever reconcile?\n\n\"Trump has fired people before and then let them back in,\" Joshua Green, the author of Devil's Bargain, said.\n\n\"But I've never seen Trump bury somebody as forcefully as he did Bannon, both in his statement and the parade of White House officials who have come out to heap scorn and derision on Bannon.\n\n\"It's awfully hard to imagine how Bannon could recover from that.\"\n\nAn unexpected twist unfolded ahead of the November 2020 election when Bannon and three other people were arrested and charged with fraud over a fundraising campaign to build a wall on the US-Mexico border.\n\nYou'll remember that building this wall was a key pledge of Trump's 2016 campaign, which Bannon played a leading role in.\n\nBannon, Brian Kolfage, Andrew Badolato and Timothy Shea defrauded hundreds of thousands of donors in connection with the \"We Build the Wall\" campaign, which raised $25m (£19m), the Department of Justice (DoJ) said.\n\nBannon received more than $1m, at least some of which he used to cover personal expenses, the DoJ said.\n\nEach of the two charges - conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering - carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.", "New legislation has been passed to protect Scottish shop workers from abuse from customers.\n\nThe Protection of Workers Bill will make it a new specific offence to assault, abuse or threaten staff.\n\nIncidents involving an age-restricted product, such as alcohol or cigarettes, could be treated more seriously.\n\nThe MSP behind the bill, Labour's Daniel Johnson, said attacks on retail workers had increased during the Covid pandemic.\n\nHe told Holyrood: \"Shop staff have been spat at for asking customers to socially distance, and stock has been smashed in retaliation for item limits being imposed.\n\n\"Violence, threats and abuse should not be just part of anyone's job.\"\n\nMr Johnson said that staff requesting age ID could be a \"trigger factor\" in many incidents of abuse.\n\nThe new legislation will also cover people working in bars, restaurants and hotels, and those delivering items bought online who may have to ask for proof of age.\n\nThe bill was supported by all parties at Holyrood, despite the government initially arguing that its provisions were already covered by existing criminal laws.\n\nThe Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service told MSPs that further legislation was not needed, noting that \"violence, threats and abuse against retail workers, or indeed any other person, are prosecuted every day in the courts in Scotland using offences which are commonly understood\".\n\nPolice Scotland meanwhile said there would be \"no significant change in how we go about our business\" as a result of it.\n\nCommunity safety minister Ash Denham said that while there was a \"wide range of existing criminal laws\" currently in place to protect staff, the new legislation could \"make the general public think more about their behaviour when they interact with retail workers\".\n\nThe Scottish Conservatives also backed the bill, although they argued that the presumption against short sentences in Scotland meant anyone convicted under the new law would ultimately not be jailed.\n\nPaul Gerrard, public affairs director for the Co-Op, told BBC Radio Scotland's Drivetime that the retailer had seen a 450% rise in violent incidents in the last few years.\n\n\"It is a huge problem,\" he said. \"We've seen an explosion in violence and abuse toward my colleagues.\n\n\"Now across 350 stores in Scotland we have someone attacked every day. And 10 colleagues are threatened or abused every day.\n\n\"Increasingly we have seen knives, syringes and axes all used against shopworkers.\"\n\nMr Gerrard added that previous incidents were centred on shoplifting or age-restricted sales, but staff were now facing more abuse around enforcing Covid shopping rules.\n\nThe new legislation was passed by 118 votes to 0 in the Scottish Parliament.\n\nThe Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (Usdaw) is now urging the UK government to introduce similar legislation to protect retail staff in England - something Labour MP Alex Norris is pursuing at Westminster.\n\nUsdaw general secretary Paddy Lillis said: \"It is a great result for our members in Scotland, who will now have the protection of the law that they deserve.\n\n\"So we are looking for MPs to support key workers across the retail sector and help turn around the UK government's opposition.\"", "Donald Trump won a surprise victory in 2016 partly because he promised to shake things up. He leaves office with two impeachments and the nation on edge. But his supporters say he kept his promises.", "More than 100 medically-trained military personnel will be deployed\n\nMembers of the military are to be brought in to help medical staff in Northern Ireland in the fight against Covid-19.\n\nHealth Minister Robin Swann has asked the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to help out, primarily at a number of hospitals across NI.\n\nMore than 100 medically-trained military personnel will be deployed.\n\nThose brought in will assist nursing staff and help on the wards in a move designed to ease the pressure on staff.\n\nIn the past, the use of the military in Northern Ireland has provoked controversy.\n\nWhile military help has already been used during the pandemic to transport equipment and patients, this is the first time military staff will be used in hospitals.\n\nIt is thought the first military staff will be made available as early as next week.\n\nMr Swann said it would have been an abdication of responsibility if he did not avail of help from the military.\n\nHe said while coronavirus cases were lower than two weeks ago, the challenge posed remained \"intense\" and intensive care pressures were expected to increase further in the next eight to 10 days.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Brandon Lewis This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nHe confirmed that a request for military assistance for NI's health service had been accepted by the MoD.\n\nThe health minister thanked the MoD for the Military Aid to the Civil Authorities agreement, which is being provided in other UK regions.\n\n\"The armed forces have provided invaluable support in this pandemic, including aeromedical evacuation, real-estate and ongoing logistical planning,\" he said.\n\n\"Our hospitals are under immense pressure and an additional staffing complement will be very welcome on the front line.\n\n\"This is a health decision and I am confident it will be supported on that basis.\"\n\nNI Secretary Brandon Lewis tweeted: \"Battling #COVID19 is a national effort. I'm pleased that 110 medically-trained personnel from our Armed Forces will support health and social care teams across Northern Ireland in their vital work on the frontline against coronavirus.\"\n\nThe move has been welcomed by the Democratic Unionist Party.\n\nWhen it was announced last April that the health minster had made requests for military help, Sinn Féin's Michelle O'Neill said Mr Swann had taken that decision unilaterally.\n\nHowever, she later said her party would not rule out any measure necessary to save lives.\n\nReacting to the latest request for help, Sinn Féin said its priority throughout the pandemic had been to save lives, keep people safe and protect the health service.\n\n\"The Minister of Health has made a request for staffing support from the British Ministry of Defence,\" the party said.\n\n\"We do not rule out any measures to do so, and any effort to make the threat posed by Covid-19 into a green and orange issue is divisive and a distraction.\"\n\nAs of Wednesday, there were 832 people in hospital in Northern Ireland with coronavirus, of whom 67 were in intensive care, with 57 ventilated.\n\nA further 22 people with coronavirus died, bringing the Department of Health's total to 1,671 while there were 905 new cases.\n\nIn the Republic of Ireland, 61 new Covid-19-related deaths were recorded on Wednesday, bringing the country's death toll to 2,768.\n\nA further 2,488 new cases of the virus were also confirmed by the Irish Department for Health.\n\nSpeaking at Stormont's press briefing on Wednesday, Mr Swann confirmed the executive would review the current lockdown regulations on Thursday.\n\nNorthern Ireland began a six-week lockdown on 26 December, in a bid to bring the virus under control.\n\nMinisters promised to review the regulations after four weeks.\n\nMr Swann said he would not pre-empt the outcome of Thursday's meeting but confirmed he would bring recommendations from his officials to the meeting.\n\n\"This is not the time to open floodgates or take premature decisions that would lead to another spike in cases,\" he added.\n\n\"We must stay the course.\"\n\nThe minister also provided the latest update on the number of vaccinations - 160,396 doses have now been administered in NI, with 21,690 of those second doses.\n\nHe said he understood the frustration of some people that they were still waiting to hear when their elderly or vulnerable relatives would receive their vaccine, but he urged patience.\n\n\"We cannot go faster than supplies allow,\" he said.", "The National Audit Office has had full access to the BBC's accounts since 2010\n\nThe BBC faces \"significant\" uncertainty over its financial future due to changes in viewing habits, a National Audit Office report has found.\n\n\"While the BBC remains the most used media brand in the UK, its share of younger audiences has been under pressure,\" the spending watchdog said.\n\n\"Falling audience share poses a financial risk as people are less likely to pay the licence fee.\"\n\nThe BBC said it had already set out plans for \"urgent\" reforms.\n\nAccording to the NAO report, the BBC has seen \"a notable drop\" in audience viewing while its income from the licence fee has also declined.\n\nThe BBC \"faces considerable uncertainty\" about its licence fee income and should produce \"a long-term financial plan... as soon as possible\", it states.\n\nSuch a plan, the report recommends, should \"set out the detail for the next stage of its savings, and how it will fund its new strategic priorities\".\n\nIn 2019-20, the BBC generated total income of £4.94bn, of which £3.52bn was public funding from the licence fee. That was £310m less than the corporation received from the licence fee between 2017-18.\n\nThe current cost of an annual television licence is £157.50\n\nThe report also highlighted a 30% decline in BBC TV viewing over the past decade. On average, the amount of time an adult spent watching broadcast BBC television fell from 80 minutes a day in 2010 to 56 minutes in 2019.\n\nAnd the NAO said the BBC's financial health had been \"unexpectedly weakened\" by the impact of the coronavirus response.\n\nLast November, the BBC began negotiations with the government about the future funding it will receive from the licence fee. The fee, which is currently £157.50 annually, is due to stay in place until at least 2027, when the BBC's Royal Charter ends.\n\nIn response, the BBC said it had made \"significant savings and increased efficiencies, while maintaining our spending on content, and continuing to be the UK's most-used media organisation\".\n\nIt added: \"We have set out plans for urgent reforms focused on providing great value for all audiences and we will set out further detail on this in the coming months.\n\n\"The report also stresses the importance of stable funding for the future, which we welcome as we begin negotiations with government over the licence fee.\"\n\nThe National Union of Journalists said the report's findings \"come as no surprise\" and that the BBC needs \"a financially secure long-term deal that will guarantee its future.\"\n\nThe NAO scrutinises the finances of government departments and other public sector bodies. Last week Richard Sharp, the BBC's incoming chairman, said the licence fee was the \"least worst\" way of funding the corporation, but it \"may be worth reassessing\" in future.\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "At noon on Wednesday, President Donald Trump's term will end. It's been a whirlwind four years, so what might the legacy be of such a history-making president?\n\nThere's a lot to consider, so we asked the experts to break it down for us.\n\nResponses have been edited for length and clarity.\n\nMatthew Continetti is a fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, focusing on the development of the Republican Party and the American conservative movement.\n\nDonald Trump will be remembered as the first president to be impeached twice. He fed the myth that the election was stolen, summoned his supporters to Washington to protest the certification of the Electoral College vote, told them that only through strength could they take back their country, and stood by as they stormed the US Capitol and interfered in the operation of constitutional government.\n\nWhen historians write about his presidency, they will do so through the lens of the riot.\n\nThey will focus on Trump's tortured relationship with the alt-right, his atrocious handling of the deadly Charlottesville protest in 2017, the rise in violent right-wing extremism during his tenure in office, and the viral spread of malevolent conspiracy theories that he encouraged.\n\nWhat else stands out to you?\n\nIf Donald Trump had followed the example of his predecessors and conceded power graciously and peacefully, he would have been remembered as a disruptive but consequential populist leader.\n\nA president who, before the pandemic, presided over an economic boom, re-oriented America's opinion of China, removed terrorist leaders from the battlefield, revamped the space program, secured an originalist (conservative) majority on the US Supreme Court, and authorised Operation Warp Speed to produce a Covid-19 vaccine in record time.\n\nLaura Belmonte is a history professor and dean of the Virginia Tech College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences. She is a foreign relations specialist and author of books on cultural diplomacy.\n\nHis attempt to surrender global leadership and replace it with a more inward-looking, fortress-like mentality. I don't think it succeeded, but the question is how profound has the damage to America's international reputation been - and that remains to be seen.\n\nThe moment I found jaw-dropping was the press conference he had with Vladimir Putin in 2018 in Helsinki, where he took Putin's side over US intelligence in regard to Russian interference in the election.\n\nI can't think of another episode of a president siding full force with a non-democratic society adversary.\n\nIt's also very emblematic of a larger assault on any number of multilateral institutions and treaties and frameworks that Trump has unleashed, like the withdrawal from the Paris climate accord, the withdrawal of the Iranian nuclear framework.\n\nWhat else stands out to you?\n\nTrump's applauding Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and meeting with North Korea's Kim Jong Un, really turning himself inside out to align the US with regimes that are the antithesis of values that the US says it wants to promote. That is something that I think was really quite distinctive.\n\nAnother aspect is extricating the US from any really assertive role in promoting human rights throughout the world, and changing the content of the annual human rights reports from the State Department and not including many topics, like LGBT equality, for instance.\n\nKathryn Brownell is a history professor at Purdue University, focusing on the relationships between media, politics, and popular culture, with an emphasis on the American presidency.\n\nBroadly speaking: Donald Trump, and his enablers in the Republican Party and conservative media, have put American democracy to the test in an unprecedented way. As a historian who studies the intersection of media and the presidency, it is truly striking the ways in which he has convinced millions of people that his fabricated version of events is true.\n\nWhat happened on 6 January at the US Capitol is a culmination of over four years during which President Trump actively advanced misinformation.\n\nJust as Watergate and the impeachment inquiry dominated historical interpretations of Richard Nixon's legacy for decades, I do think that this particular post-election moment will be at the forefront of historical assessments of his presidency.\n\nWhat else stands out to you?\n\nKellyanne Conway's first introduction of the notion of \"alternative facts\" just days into the Trump administration when disputing the size of the inaugural crowds between Trump and Barack Obama.\n\nPresidents across the 20th Century have increasingly used sophisticated measures to spin interpretation of policies and events in favourable ways and to control the media narrative of their administrations. But the assertion that the administration had a right to its own alternative facts went far beyond spin, ultimately foreshadowing the ways in which the Trump administration would govern by misinformation.\n\nTrump harnessed the power of social media and blurred the lines between entertainment and politics in ways that allowed him to bypass critics and connect directly to his supporters in an unfiltered way.\n\nFranklin Roosevelt, John F Kennedy, and Ronald Reagan also used new media and a celebrity style to connect directly to the people in this unfiltered way, ultimately transforming expectations and operations of the presidency that paved the path for Trump.\n\nMary Frances Berry is a professor of American history and social thought at the University of Pennsylvania, focusing on legal history and social policy. From 1980 to 2004, she was a member of the US Commission on Civil Rights.\n\nIn what he did with judges, Trump has made a long lasting change over the next 20 years, 30 years in how policies will stand up to legal tests and how they're able to be implemented - no matter what any particular president or administration proposes.\n\nThe courts are controlled by the Republican appointees. Sometimes judges surprise us, but for the most part, the historical evidence is that they pretty much do what their politics and their backgrounds say they will do.\n\nWhat else stands out to you?\n\nWhen he supported that package of measures that helped particular people in the black community, like First Step, pardoning people at the same time that he supported an amendment in the appropriations bill that gave a whole bunch of money to historically black colleges and universities for the first time.\n\nHe put all of these things together, as well as having the first stimulus programme making sure that black businessman and entrepreneurs get some of those loans they've had trouble getting before.\n\nThe effect of all of that, which we will see over time, was in the midterms, a lot more young black men voted for Trump than before. And if that's a trend, it may help the Republican party.\n\nTrump also made egregious comments about black people and other people of colour, tried to have protests against police abuse disrupted and in other ways appealed to his white supremacist base.\n\nHis lasting impact on race relations depends on what the Biden administration does on policy, and on healing and how long the pandemic and economic downturn lasts.\n\nMargaret O'Mara is history professor at the University of Washington, focusing on the political, economic, and metropolitan history of the modern US.\n\nContesting a very constitutionally and numerically clear election victory by Joe Biden.\n\nWe've had plenty of really unpleasant transitions. Herbert Hoover was incredibly unpleasant about his loss, but he still rode in that car down Pennsylvania Avenue at inauguration. He didn't talk to Franklin Roosevelt the whole time, but there still was a peaceful transfer of power.\n\nTrump is a manifestation of political forces that have been in motion for a half century or more. A culmination of what was not only going on in the Republican party, but also the Democratic party and more broadly in American politics - a kind of disillusionment with government and institutions and expertise.\n\nWhat else stands out to you?\n\nTrump is exceptional in many ways, but one of the things that really makes him stand out is that he is one of the rare presidents who was elected without having held any elected office before.\n\nTrump may go away, but there is this great frustration with the establishment, broadly defined. When you feel powerless, you vote for someone who's promising to do everything differently and Trump indeed did that.\n\nA presidency is also made by the people that the president appoints, and a great deal of experienced Republican hands were not invited to join the administration the first go round.\n\nOver time, his administration has diminished to a band of loyalists who are really not very experienced and are ideologically uninterested in wise governance of the bureaucracy. What has happened within the bowels of the bureaucracy is going to be a slow slog to rebuild.\n\nSaikrishna Prakash is a University of Virginia Law School professor focusing on constitutional law, foreign relations law and presidential powers.\n\nThe last gasps of his administration are the most consequential, as he exerts a control over his most devoted followers and he's talking about running again.\n\nHe forced people to consider what the presidency has become in a way that wasn't true I think either during the Bush or Obama administrations. Issues like the 25th Amendment and impeachment hasn't been thought of since Bill Clinton, really.\n\nIt's possible that people now when they think of the presidency are perhaps going to adopt a different stance going forward, knowing that someone like Trump could come along.\n\nIt's possible that Congress will delegate less to the president and take away some authority.\n\nWhat else stands out to you?\n\nThe president has demonstrated that there's a constituency who's opposed to a lot of these trade deals and that there are people willing to vote for those who will either extricate us from these trade deals or \"make them fairer\".\n\nThe president has also suggested that China has been taking advantage of the United States in ways that are deleterious to our economic and national security - and I think there's a consensus behind this view. No one wants to be accused of being soft on China, whereas no one cares if you're \"soft\" on Canada, right?\n\nI think people are going to fall all over themselves to be tougher or at least say they're tougher on China.\n\nDomestically the president had a populous tone to him. It wasn't ever fully realised in his policies, but we see more Republicans adopting populist ideas.", "Testing of close contacts of identified cases was due to start in secondary schools and colleges in England\n\nThe government has paused plans to roll out rapid daily coronavirus testing of close contacts, in all but a small number of secondary schools and colleges.\n\nTesting close contacts of a positive case as an alternative to isolation showed some benefits in trials.\n\nBut the emergence of a new variant means the risk of missing infections has risen, health officials say.\n\nRegular testing of staff will now increase to twice a week.\n\nMore research is needed on how daily contact testing would work given the new, more transmissible, coronavirus variant, Public Health England and NHS Test and Trace say.\n\nIn the meantime, routine testing to pick up asymptomatic cases in staff and pupils remains a key part of the government's plans.\n\nMass testing in schools, using pregnancy-style lateral flow tests to detect the virus, had been due to start in January.\n\nHowever, under new lockdown restrictions, schools have had to switch to providing online teaching until February - although children of key workers are still allowed to attend - and plans were postponed.\n\nHow testing of pupils will be organised once schools reopen is still not clear.\n\nThe original plan for rapid Covid testing in all secondary schools and colleges included:\n\nThe aim was to keep as many children in schools as possible by avoiding a whole bubble, class or year having to be sent home, and to reduce disruption from staff having to isolate.\n\nBut some scientists have consistently expressed concerns about the accuracy of the rapid tests, which do not need to be sent to a lab for the results.\n\nThey say the high number of false negatives means close contacts may wrongly think they are not infectious and go on to mix with more vulnerable people.\n\nAnd now PHE and NHS Test and Trace say the new variant, which \"increases the risk of transmission everywhere, including in school settings\", has made this a risk no longer worth taking.\n\n\"The balance between the risks (transmission of virus in schools and onward to households and the wider community) and benefits (education in a face-to-face and safe setting) for daily contact testing is unclear,\" their statement adds.\n\nA government spokesman said: \"NHS Test and Trace and Public Health England have reviewed their advice and concluded that, in light of the higher prevalence and rates of transmission of the new variant, further evaluation work is required to make sure it is achieving its aim of breaking chains of transmission and reducing cases of the virus in the community.\n\n\"There is no change to the main rollout of regular testing using rapid lateral flow tests in schools and colleges, which is already proving beneficial in finding teachers and students with coronavirus who do not have symptoms.\"", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. 'You wouldn’t want to give this to anybody'\n\nI was last here at University Hospital Monklands on 1 May when those dealing with the first wave of an unknown disease were already tired.\n\nAt that time, the deaths of 29,059 people had been registered in the UK within 28 days of a positive test for Covid-19.\n\nI returned 259 days later with the number of deaths at 89,230 to find that the staff are exhausted.\n\n\"We're all physically, mentally and emotionally drained now,\" says Fiona Bauld, an intensive care unit (ICU) staff nurse.\n\nIn the first wave, the Lanarkshire hospital was almost empty except for patients being treated for Covid or other critical and emergency needs.\n\nThis time there are just a handful of spare beds in the entire building. Staff who had helped out with critical care last year are back in their own departments, and the ICU specialists are alone once more.\n\n\"There's not really enough extra nurses to account for the extra patients so the amount of work everyone is doing is much more,\" says intensive care consultant Daniel Silcock.\n\nThe patients are changing too.\n\nIn the first wave, most patients were old and often ill before they contracted the virus, says ICU ward manager Margaret Harkins.\n\n\"This time the patients are a much younger age group and some have no underlying health conditions,\" she adds.\n\n\"We are getting people in in their 20s, 30s and 40s,\" Ms Bauld says. \"Younger people are catching this virus and becoming really critically ill with it.\"\n\nMae Mamaril (right) and her parents Jaramias and Sonia tested positive\n\nMae Mamaril is one of them. She is 26 and has no underlying health conditions.\n\nMae and her parents Jaramias and Sonia, from Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire, tested positive for Covid within days of being vaccinated for their jobs.\n\nAll three ended up in Monklands but Mae was the sickest and the only member of her family admitted to intensive care.\n\nShe had to wear an oxygen mask and lie face down on a bed for three days, a treatment called proning which medics say can improve lung function in many patients.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Mae Mamaril, 26, was moved to intensive care at the start of the year\n\n\"I couldn't breathe,\" she says. \"It was really bad because they moved so quickly to give me oxygen and told me to lie on my stomach.\n\n\"All I could think about was wanting to come home, but then at the same time, I knew that if I didn't have enough oxygen, even if I went home, I would never survive.\"\n\nNot only is the hospital busy with younger people in this wave but senior doctors say a third of all patients here now have the virus.\n\nThere is another big difference outside the building.\n\nIn May, when I drove from Glasgow to the hospital in Airdrie the roads were empty, the streets silent.\n\nThat is no longer the case. Heading east to Monklands again, the M8 is the busiest I have seen it since the pandemic began.\n\nDoctors and nurses have noticed the increase in traffic too - and they are worried.\n\n\"Without a lockdown, I think it would just be a disaster,\" Dr Silcock says.\n\n\"We've had twice as many admissions this time as we did in the first wave.\"\n\nDr Sanjiv Chohan, who runs the intensive care department, says he too is worried.\n\nBut what about the many harmful side effects of lockdown - on other medical conditions, especially mental health, as well as the impact on education and the economy?\n\n\"I sympathise completely,\" says Dr Chohan, pointing out that the ICU staff are also affected by these issues.\n\n\"It's a really difficult balancing act. It's choosing the least harmful options,\" he says, adding: \"We have to preserve some ability to have functioning hospitals.\"\n\nAt times, Monklands has not been able to function normally.\n\nSince the autumn, around a third of all intensive care patients here have had to be transferred out of the hospital to other facilities — primarily to Wishaw and Hairmyres but sometimes out of Lanarkshire entirely.\n\nChief nurse Karen Goudie says she is worried about the coming weeks\n\nThe chief nurse at Monklands, Karen Goudie, says that was necessary to reduce pressure and create capacity for incoming patients.\n\nThere has not yet been a point when all Scotland's hospitals have been overwhelmed at the same time.\n\n\"No, not yet but we're worried about the coming weeks,\" says Ms Goudie. \"The projections look - scary, I guess, is the right word to use. \"\n\nStaff here believe a current increase in cases is attributable to families mixing at Christmas and to people not sticking to the current lockdown rules.\n\nStill, they have coped. Patients are now less likely than in the first wave to need the dangerous intervention of a ventilator as knowledge of how to treat the disease develops.\n\nFor many though, a Covid diagnosis can remain frightening and perilous.\n\nJim McShane, 56, works for a gas company in Motherwell. I leave intensive care to meet him on the Covid ward where he is being treated.\n\n\"You just don't know what's ahead,\" he tells me. \"It just destroys you sometimes. Brings you right down.\"\n\n\"I would tell people to stay out the road of one another,\" he says.\n\nAfter I leave, Jim is transferred to intensive care. He is now on a ventilator.\n\nThere may be some signs that Scotland's latest surge in hospital admissions may be easing.", "Gabriel is an ardent 'Latino for Trump' who is active in New York Republican circles. He wishes the Biden/Harris administration well but doesn't believe Democrats really want unity and thinks they'll reverse a lot of good Trump policies.\n\nHow did Joe Biden's inaugural speech on unity sit with you?\n\nI caught bits and pieces of the inauguration, but I did not watch the speech. I'll give it a watch when I'm not as busy. Hopefully, his message is not like what we saw on 6 January, when he tried to lambast people as white supremacists for showing up at the Capitol, because that will just alienate people.\n\nThis country has come a long way in terms of race relations and, if we really want unity, let's regain the sense of what an American is. An American isn't white, black or Jewish; it is a person within the United States that takes part in our republic.\n\nWhat do you think of the executive actions he is taking today?\n\nI knew Biden would come out swinging while he stills holds the majority in the legislative branch. It's certainly a statement in the same vein as President Trump's first few days of office, but I think it's horrible. As someone of Hispanic descent, the idea of potentially granting 11 million immigrants citizenship is a slap in the face to everyone who came through the legal process.\n\nJoining the Paris climate agreement again is widely regarded as a farce, even by some ecologists, because nations that are members in the agreement didn't actually hit their targets. The removal of the Keystone Pipeline is not only going to cost people jobs but it could potentially increase our carbon footprint. When it comes to the WHO, they failed us during the Covid pandemic. It's all just smoke and mirrors to undo what President Trump did and stick it in the face of Republicans.", "The former Western Daily Press journalist lived in the property from 1970 until 1994\n\nAn \"inspiring\" house previously owned by fantasy writer Sir Terry Pratchett has been put on the market.\n\nThe creator of the Discworld series lived in the 18th Century property, called Gaze Cottage, in the village of Rowberrow, Somerset, from 1970 until 1994.\n\nSir Terry died aged 66 in 2015, eight years after being diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.\n\nHe wrote more than 70 books during his career and completed his final book in 2014.\n\nAt the turn of the century, Sir Terry was Britain's second most-read author, beaten only by JK Rowling.\n\nIn August 2007, it was reported he had suffered a stroke, but the following December he announced that he had been diagnosed with a very rare form of early-onset Alzheimer's disease.\n\nThe fitted kitchen is in the older half of the house\n\nRuth Treasure-Smith, from Robin King Estate Agent, said: \"He wrote most of his most famous novels in that house in the 80s.\n\n\"The house must have been inspiring. The current owner purchased the property from Terry Pratchett and has lived at the house since.\"\n\nShe said he had received letters to the house addressed to the \"Hogfather\", a quirky and satirical character from the Death collection in the Discworld series.\n\nThe sitting room has an inglenook fireplace complete with bread oven\n\nThe house is being sold at a guide price of £800,000\n\nThe first floor houses the master bedroom which overlooks the garden\n\nThe property has four bedrooms\n\nThe cottage sits on a plot comprising almost a third of an acre\n\nFollow BBC West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: bristol@bbc.co.uk", "The driver sat on his overturned van until rescuers arrived\n\nA supermarket delivery driver had to be rescued from his overturned van after he careered off the road and ended up in a fast-flowing ford, police said.\n\nFirefighters and police were called to the River Wear, Westgate, in Weardale, after reports that a Morrisons van was stuck at 17:00 GMT on Tuesday.\n\nPolice said the van had \"careered\" off the road and the man sat on top of the vehicle before being rescued.\n\nCounty Durham Fire and Rescue Service said the rescue was \"challenging.\"\n\nWater specialists from the fire service braved the river in a raft attached to a nearby footbridge and gave the man a life jacket.\n\nPolice said the driver was not injured but was taken to hospital as a precaution.\n\nThe fire service tweeted a video of the scene, and said they were \"so proud\" of the water rescue team.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by County Durham & Darlington Fire & Rescue Service This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nScott Bisset, who lives nearby, went to see if he could help after he was called by people who heard the driver shouting for help.\n\nMr Bisset, a member of the local mountain rescue team, said he thought the driver may have ended up there after being directed by his sat-nav.\n\nHe said: \"There's not a vehicle in the world that could have got through.\n\n\"The river was in flood - the snow here has melted and there was rain, so there was a lot of water in the river.\n\n\"The van was washed off and turned over on its side, luckily the front was pointing upstream, so it acted like a boat.\n\n\"If the water had been hitting the side of the van or the back, the driver would unfortunately have drowned.\n\n\"When I got there the driver was extremely distressed.\"\n\nThe van has not yet been recovered from the water\n\nHe also said that rescuers had put their lives at risk.\n\n\"I know they practice for this but in those conditions, with that freezing water travelling at great speed, in the dark and the pouring rain, it was very dangerous and they were very brave,\" he said.\n\nThe van has not yet been recovered from the water.\n\nFollow BBC North East & Cumbria on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "US President Joe Biden has officially announced his bid for re-election, asking Americans to help him \"finish the job\" he started more than two years ago.\n\nMr Biden, 80, faced a turbulent first two years in office marked by the Covid-19 pandemic, economic woes and geopolitical challenges including the US pull-out from Afghanistan and Russia's invasion of Ukraine.\n\nOn the campaign trail, Mr Biden - who served as Vice-President under Barack Obama - is likely to focus on his efforts to prop up the US economy after the pandemic, as well as his successes pushing through legislation focused on infrastructure, climate change and prescription drugs.\n\nBut a key argument for a second term will be what he has described as a turn towards authoritarianism from Donald Trump and his supporters in the \"Make America Great Again\" movement.\n\n\"The question we are facing is whether in the years ahead we have more freedom or less freedom, more rights or fewer,\" he said in a video launching his new campaign. \"I know what I want the answer to be. This is not a time to be complacent. That's why I'm running for re-election.\"\n\nThe President, however, is also likely to face questions about his age and ability to serve, as well as about his handling of inflation, immigration and other issues that worry Americans.\n\nThe upcoming campaign is likely the last in a career in politics that has spanned more than four decades, and may again see him square off against Donald Trump.\n\nSo who is Joe Biden and how did he get to the White House?\n\nMr Biden ran for the Democratic 2008 nomination before dropping out and joining the Obama ticket.\n\nHis eight years in the Obama White House - where he frequently appeared at the president's side - has allowed Mr Biden to lay claim to much of Mr Obama's legacy, including passage of the Affordable Care Act, as well as the stimulus package and reforms enacted in response to the financial crisis.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. A look back at Joe Biden's life and political career\n\nAs a long-time Washington insider, Mr Biden had solid foreign affairs credentials, and helped balance Mr Obama's comparative lack of executive experience.\n\nThe so-called \"Middle Class Joe\" was also brought on board to help woo the blue-collar white voters who had proved a difficult group for Mr Obama to win over.\n\nHe made headlines in 2012 by saying he was \"absolutely comfortable\" with same-sex marriage, comments that were seen to undercut the president, who had yet to give full-throated support for the policy. Mr Obama ultimately did so, just days after Mr Biden.\n\nMr Biden's two terms supporting the first black president followed a long political career.\n\nThe six-term senator from Delaware was first elected in 1972. He ran for president in 1988 but withdrew after he admitted to plagiarising a speech by the then leader of the British Labour Party, Neil Kinnock.\n\nHis lengthy tenure in the nation's capital has given critics ample material for attacks.\n\nEarly in his career, he sided with southern segregationists in opposing court-ordered school bussing to racially integrate public schools.\n\nAnd, as chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee in 1991, he oversaw Clarence Thomas's Supreme Court confirmation hearings and has been sharply criticised for his handling of Anita Hill's allegations that she was sexually harassed by the nominee.\n\nIn 1974, Biden was the youngest US senator\n\nMr Biden was also a fierce advocate of a 1994 anti-crime bill that many on the left now say encouraged lengthy sentences and mass incarceration.\n\nThe record made Mr Obama's moderate vice-president a sometimes uncomfortable fit for the modern Democratic Party.\n\nMr Biden's life has been dogged by personal tragedy.\n\nIn 1972, shortly after he won his first Senate race, he lost his first wife, Neilia, and baby daughter, Naomi, in a car accident. He famously took the oath of office for his first Senate term from the hospital room of his toddler sons Beau and Hunter, who both survived the accident.\n\nIn 2015, Beau died of brain cancer at the age of 46. The younger Biden was seen as a rising star of US politics and had intended to run for Delaware state governor in 2016.\n\nMr Biden garnered considerable goodwill following Beau's death, which served to highlight one of Mr Biden's central strengths: a reputation as a kind and relatable family man.\n\nThis perceived warmth is not without its pitfalls. After entering the 2020 race, he faced accusations of unwelcome physical contact during interactions with female voters - complete with uncomfortable accompanying footage.\n\nBut the avuncular politician responded by saying he was an empathetic person, though he accepted standards had changed. The episode, however, stoked a perception for some that he was out of touch.\n\nMr Biden's return to the White House came at a difficult time in US politics, with the country still reeling from the Covid-19 pandemic.\n\nJust two weeks before his inauguration, the country had also seen supporters of former President Donald Trump storm Congress in a bid to thwart the certification of his election victory after Mr Trump falsely claimed that the election had been rigged.\n\nMr Biden's new campaign is likely to focus heavily on the fight against the ideology on display during the 6 January riot. The video announcing his re-election bid opens with images of a mob of Trump supporters storming the Capitol.\n\n\"Every generation of Americans has faced a moment when they've had to defend democracy,\" he said. \"This is ours. Let's finish the job.\"\n\nAs he campaigns, Mr Biden is likely to point to a number of accomplishments during his tenure, including job creation, efforts to prop up the economy in the wake of the pandemic and the passing of a bipartisan infrastructure law billed as a \"once-in-a-generation\" investment by the White House.\n\nBut he will face tough questions on his handling of immigration and the US-Mexico border, as well as on the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan.\n\nMr Biden has also acknowledged that many Americans have raised \"legitimate\" questions about his age and ability to serve as President.\n\n\"And the only thing I can say is, watch me,\" he said earlier this year.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Health workers can book an appointment at seven vaccination centres in operation across NI\n\nDoctors have insisted there is no postcode lottery when it comes to rolling out the coronavirus vaccines.\n\nNorthern Ireland's vaccination plan means all those over 80 should receive their first dose by the end of January.\n\nMore than 154,000 doses of a vaccine have now been administered, health officials said.\n\nDr Frances O'Hagan, deputy chairwoman of NI's GP committee, said practices had their own rollout plans but she expected them to meet official targets.\n\n\"As soon as we get the vaccine, we will get it to you,\" she told BBC News NI. \"But please, please wait until we contact you.\"\n\n\"We tailor our programmes to our individual patients and to our geography and to our surroundings.\n\n\"It's not actually a postcode lottery. It's the best way of doing it because we know what suits our patients.\"\n\nDr O'Hagan said she had not heard reports of some practices holding back vaccines until they received bigger amounts to allow for a larger number of vaccinations to be done.\n\nShe said rolling out the programme was a logistical challenge which fell on top of an already heavy workload but the jab would be given out in a \"safe and timely\" fashion.\n\nSinn Féin MP Órfhlaith Begley said doctors in her West Tyrone constituency were working above and beyond to administer the vaccine to as many people as possible.\n\n\"But unfortunately I am hearing that some GPs cannot access supplies of the vaccine,\" she said.\n\n\"There does appear to be, and it is a consistent message from GPs in my own constituency, a feeling the distribution of the vaccine has been unequal to date.\"\n\nMeanwhile, Health Minister Robin Swann has welcomed a further delivery of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine into Northern Ireland on Tuesday morning.\n\nIn a tweet, Robin Swann said: \"We now have the supply to complete all our over 80s and when that group is finished, there will be enough to start into the over 75 programme.\"\n\nPatricia Donnelly, the head of NI's vaccination programme said there had been 154,436 doses of the vaccine administered here, with 132,857 of those being first doses.\n\nOn Tuesday, she said three quarters of care home residents had already received both doses.\n\n\"With the arrival of additional vaccine today, which have been issued this afternoon and tomorrow to GPs, there will be enough to complete the over 80 population and to commence in the over 70 population,\" she added.\n\nA further 24 virus-related deaths and 713 more Covid-19 cases were reported in Northern Ireland on Tuesday.\n\nIt brings the total number of deaths recorded by the Department of Health to 1,649.\n\nThere are currently 842 people in hospital with the virus, 70 people in intensive care units (ICU) and 57 being ventilated.\n\nIn the Republic of Ireland, a further 93 Covid-19 related deaths were reported on Tuesday, bringing the country's death toll to 2,708.\n\nA further 2,001 positive cases were also recorded in the latest figures from the Republic's Department of Health.\n\nNorthern Ireland's rate of Covid-19 infection is now below one and has been at that level for a couple of weeks, according to the chief medical officer.\n\nHowever, Dr Michael McBride warned the reproduction (R) number for hospital transmission remains above one.\n\nDr McBride said new variants of the virus had made the job of curtailing the spread even more difficult, and warned he did not foresee any relaxation of restrictions any time soon.\n\n\"We need to ensure that we have as many people who remain at risk of severe disease vaccinated and prioritised with the first dose as possible before we consider significant relaxations in the current restrictions,\" he said.\n\nMeanwhile concerns have been raised that \"social media myths\" are encouraging some care home staff to reject the Covid vaccine.\n\nPauline Shepherd, from the Independent Health and Care Providers, said young women were especially vulnerable to misinformation about the vaccine and fertility.\n\nLast week, the Department of Health said there had been an uptake level of about 80% among care home staff.\n\n\"We are very keen obviously that everyone takes the vaccine, that is really the only way that we are going to get through this,\" she told BBC Radio Foyle.\n\n\"Obviously there are myths going around on social media about the vaccine and some are opting not to take it.\n\n\"Particularly younger females seem to have the view through social media that it may impact fertility\".\n\nA consultant anaesthetist says there is a \"reluctance\" among members of the black, Asian and minority ethnic communities to take Covid-19 vaccines\n\nThere are currently 139 confirmed Covid-19 outbreaks in NI's 483 care homes.\n\nThe Public Health Agency (PHA) and Department of Health were now exploring how \"to dispel the myths\", Ms Shepherd added.\n\nDr Mukesh Chugh, a consultant anaesthetist at Altnagelvin Hospital in Londonderry, said there had been a \"reluctance\" among black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) people to take Covid-19 vaccines.\n\nDr Chugh says this is because of \"anti-vaccine messages\" posted across various social media platforms and messenger apps \"targeted at certain ethnic and religious groups\".\n\n\"I encourage them not to believe the messages they are getting on WhatsApp - these are not scientific messages,\" he said.\n\nOn Tuesday, Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots said a number of groups of key workers should be given priority access to vaccinations.\n\nPrioritisation was decided by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), which advises UK health departments on immunisation.\n\nEdwin Poots said meat plant workers should be among those given priority vaccine access\n\nAsked if he supported prioritisation for food workers in meat plants, Mr Poots told the assembly he did and had raised it with the executive.\n\n\"It's been identified as an essential service - those people working in them are there in cold, wet conditions where we have had a number of outbreaks,\" he said.\n\n\"We should seek to introduce those people somewhat earlier than is currently the case - I will continue to endeavour to press that case.\"\n\nHe said other groups of workers who should be prioritised included \"teachers and police officers\".", "Four royal aides say they do not wish to \"take sides\" over a letter from the Duchess of Sussex to her father, the High Court has been told.\n\nIn a letter lawyers for the four said they believed their clients could \"shed some light\" on the letter's drafting but the four were \"strictly neutral\".\n\nMeghan is suing the Mail on Sunday and Mail Online publisher over articles that reproduced parts of the letter.\n\nShe claims her privacy and copyright were breached by the newspaper group.\n\nHer lawyers are asking for summary judgement - a dismissal of Associated Newspapers' (ANL) defence instead of a trial.\n\nThe five articles, published in February 2019, were a \"triple-barrelled invasion\" of the duchess's privacy, correspondence and family, the lawyers claim.\n\nShe is seeking damages from the newspaper group for alleged misuse of private information, copyright infringement and breach of the Data Protection Act over the articles.\n\nANL claims Meghan wrote her letter \"with a view to it being disclosed publicly at some future point\" in order to \"defend her against charges of being an uncaring or unloving daughter\", which she denies.\n\nOn the second day of the hearing on Wednesday, ANL's barrister Antony White QC told the court that a letter from the so-called \"palace four\" showed that \"further oral evidence and documentary evidence is likely to be available at trial which would shed light on certain key factual issues in this case\".\n\nHe said it was \"likely\" there was also further evidence about whether Meghan \"directly or indirectly provided private information\" to the authors of an unauthorised biography of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Finding Freedom.\n\nThe four aides are: Jason Knauf, former communications secretary to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Christian Jones, their former deputy communications secretary, Samantha Cohen, formerly the Sussexes' private secretary, and Sara Latham, their ex-director of communications.\n\n\"None of our clients welcomes his or her potential involvement in this litigation, which has arisen purely as a result of the performance of his or her duties in their respective jobs at the material time,\" their lawyers said in a letter sent on their behalf.\n\n\"Nor does any of our clients wish to take sides in the dispute between your respective clients. Our clients are all strictly neutral.\n\n\"They have no interest in assisting either party to the proceedings. Their only interest is in ensuring a level playing field, insofar as any evidence they may be able to give is concerned.\"\n\nTheir letter said that their lawyers' \"preliminary view is that one or more of our clients would be in a position to shed some light\" on \"the creation of the letter and the electronic draft\".\n\nIt also said they may be able to shed light on \"whether or not the claimant anticipated that the letter might come into in the public domain\" and whether or not the duchess \"directly or indirectly provided private information, generally and in relation to the letter specifically, to the authors of Finding Freedom\".\n\nBut Justin Rushbrooke QC, representing the duchess, said the letter from the four \"contains no information at all that supports the defendant's case on alleged co-authorship (of Meghan's letter), and no indication that evidence will be forthcoming that will support the defendant's case should the matter proceed to trial\".\n\nMeghan, 39, sent a handwritten letter to her father in August 2018, following her marriage to Prince Harry in May that year, which Mr Markle did not attend. The couple are now living in the US with their son Archie.\n\nThe full trial of the duchess's claim had been due to be heard at the High Court this month, but last year the case was adjourned until autumn 2021.\n\nAt the conclusion of the hearing on Wednesday afternoon, Mr Justice Warby reserved his judgement, which he said he would deliver \"as soon as possible\".", "When Joe Biden becomes US president on 20 January plenty of change is expected under his new administration.\n\nFor those who want to put Donald Trump in the rear view mirror, there's a lot to look forward to.\n\nOthers are not sure if he can bring unity to a divided country and enact lasting change.\n\nHere's what members of our BBC voter panel told us.\n\nPeyton Forte is a recent college graduate who now works as a reporter. She was not the big supporter of Biden and Kamala Harris, but says getting rid of Donald Trump is an urgent and necessary first step towards change.\n\nWhat are you hopeful the Biden administration can accomplish?\n\nFor starters, easing the pandemic and ensuring more collaboration between federal and state governments on vaccine distribution. I'm looking forward to his stimulus packages to kickstart the economy and make sure people are actually alive to reap the benefits of it. We can also look forward to a president whose main mode of communication is not Twitter. The biggest thing is undoing the damage of the prior administration, from immigration laws to our relationships with foreign allies.\n\nWhat are your fears for the Biden presidency?\n\nTo be honest, I haven't really gotten to that point because I'm so ready for the Trump administration to be gone. So ask me that question again in a few weeks. I'm really encouraged by Biden's financial and economic cabinet picks because I think he is trying to stunt the racial wealth gap. There will be a time and place to nitpick his choices, but not yet. As somebody who is black, I know he rejected calls to defund the police. The phrase is inflammatory, but that money is redirected into our communities, so I'd like for him to take another look at it and maybe he'll reconsider.\n\nWith so much talk of the need for unity and healing, where does the country go from here?\n\n'Unity and healing' is the new 'thoughts and prayers'. I know it has been kind of a calling card for Biden to contrast himself with Trump, but I'm going to have to see it to believe it. Are you just faking it or are you doing the work to actually unify people? Time will tell if people actually want unity or if some are just mad that their candidate lost.\n\nJim is a property manager and conservative Republican who no longer supports President Trump since his refusal to accept the results of the election. He wants the incoming administration to find common ground rather than be too left wing.\n\nWhat are your hopes for Biden?\n\nI'm hopeful for some stability and less drama. America's standing in the world, particularly in the last couple of weeks, has really diminished and I would hope they would be able to return us to our traditional position in the world. I would like to see the bill he puts forward on Covid relief. If we're going to put money into people's hands, we need to make sure it actually makes a difference. Six hundred dollars is a slap in the face when you look at how we're giving away billions of dollars to other countries.\n\nWhat are your fears about his presidency?\n\nI am worried they're going to overreach and placate the progressive wing of the Democratic Party, and create deeper polarisation. I worry they will try to pack the Supreme Court. I am concerned about immigration policy. I would hope they have the courage to be more moderate in tone, action and policy, at least for the first few years. That way, things can level off and then we can have reasonable debate about issues on a case-by-case basis. One side is really having a hard time accepting the reality of [Trump's] loss; that's too many people to just ignore and it seems like there's a real mood for retaliation.\n\nCompromises will need to happen and both sides on the extreme right and left will not be happy with it. In the immediate moment, we need to have a good tone from the top that is conciliatory and respectful. I'm looking for Biden to reassure Americans their vote was secure and legitimate, restore a sense of public confidence and competence to the US government and spend serious time on rebuilding unity.\n\nLesley is a small business owner and an immigrant from Canada. Joe Biden was not her first choice for president by a long shot, but she now says he is \"the best person\" for this moment in the country's history and she hopes he can follow through.\n\nWhat are your hopes for Biden?\n\nI'm looking forward to real leadership and an administration that actually cares about getting things done. We need to get the virus under control. They have an actual plan; I hate that it's going to cost another $2tn, but it wouldn't have cost that if we had taken the time to do the hard work early. From climate change and fire management to infrastructure and renewable energy, they'll get us back on track. From a civil rights perspective, we have the greatest opportunity. The administration is diverse and he's trying to give everyone a seat at the table.\n\nWhat are your fears about his presidency?\n\nNothing comes to mind. I feel like this administration is going to reset, refocus and prioritise things that should be prioritised. There's so much that needs to be addressed at once, but like the rest of the world, they have to learn to multitask and do their jobs.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. What do countries around the world want from Joe Biden?\n\nWe need our elected officials, when doing their jobs, to not just represent one segment of the population. They can see what has happened by turning a blind eye and not listening. For the Democrats, they need to find a way to communicate so the concerns they've raised are taken seriously but without turning off the other side. For the Republicans, they need to pay attention not just to the loudest people - just being loud doesn't mean they're right. Moving forward, everybody has to do their part to prioritise what is best for the country. We're never going to get rid of the element that attacked the Capitol, but it's like herd immunity. The only people who were surprised by what happened last week were the ones who were not paying attention.\n\nJazmin is a writer and youth voting rights activist who says the past four years have damaged the psyche of young people. She wants the new administration to rebuild trust and show people like her that government can be a force for good in their lives.\n\nWhat are your hopes for Biden?\n\nI hope that the Biden administration is bold on climate, an equitable Covid economic recovery and racial justice. Personally though, I think we fundamentally need to look at our broken system. Restoring voting rights, stronger ethics and anti-corruption measures, as well as campaign finance reform can restore balance and transparency within our government, so we can trust in our elections and elected officials.\n\nWhat are your fears about his presidency?\n\nI've been thinking a lot about the pace of change. There's so much that needs to be done but we're also looking at departments that have been gutted. The damage of the past three years has been so deep and the rolling back of it will take a lot of time, so we have to practise patience and we have to be realistic.\n\nOur government only works when people decide not to disengage and be cynical, but instead step up and figure out how to get involved. The events of the Capitol work were horrific and traumatising for so many people, but the day before it was a Georgia election with incredibly high youth voter turnout. There is a lot of vitriol and hate, but the majority of folks believe in working to ensure our country is serving the best interests of everyone.\n\nGabriel is a writer and the activism chair for the New York Young Republicans. He wishes the Biden administration good luck, but is concerned it will sow more division in a vulnerable moment for the country.\n\nWhat are your hopes for Biden?\n\nAs an American, I am hopeful that things go well under this administration. I don't wish for Joe Biden to fail because the president is like the pilot of a plane: if he goes down, so do we. I hope he can answer the renewable energy debate, create more nuclear power plants and allow the United States to remain the number one exporter of energy. Hopefully, we'll see some sort of voter ID laws enforced, for greater election integrity. I hope he doesn't fuel more divisions.\n\nWhat are your fears about his presidency?\n\nMy fear is that he will listen to people like AOC [Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez] and Bernie Sanders, who are trying to push him to accept more far left policies that will do more harm than good to the US in an economic sense. He may continue the harsh lockdowns and ignore censorship of conservatives. Under the Trump administration, we decreased our presence in the Middle East and were stopping the forever wars, so I really hope we don't return there.\n\nAfter what happened at the Capitol, Biden came out and started very well, then devolved into race-baiting rhetoric - that's not something our country needs right now. There are millions of people who feel as though they were cheated and did not get a fair election, and some of them might not even recognise Biden as president, so it's very important that he treads lightly and focuses on unity. Don't lump them together as insurgents or other labels because you're going to further alienate people. Speak to every American and say that it is time to come together.", "As Donald Trump comes towards the end of his presidency, we've put together a selection of striking moments from his four years in office.\n\nCrowds are seen gathered at Mr Trump's inauguration ceremony on 20 January 2017.\n\nJust days later, the new president accused the media of lying about the attendance. He was said to be angry that images appeared to show the crowds were lower than for Barack Obama's first inauguration in 2009.\n\nWhite House Press Secretary Sean Spicer told the media it had been \"the largest audience to ever see an inauguration, period\".\n\nFar-right supporters and white nationalists took part in a torch-lit rally through Charlottesville, Virginia, in August 2017.\n\nThe following day a woman was killed and 19 were injured when a car ploughed into a crowd of counter-protesters in the city.\n\nIn response, President Trump condemned violence by \"many sides\", prompting a wave of criticism. Some 48 hours later, he denounced far-right extremists calling \"KKK, neo-Nazis and white supremacists repugnant to everything we hold dear\".\n\nJoe Biden has said it was the president's response to the tragedy that prompted his own decision to run against him.\n\nMr Trump's attendance at the G7 summit in Canada in June 2018 did not get off to a good start, when prior to the event, the president announced import tariffs on steel and aluminium from the EU, Mexico and Canada.\n\nOther images from the meeting showed more friendly relations between the leaders - but this photo was considered by many to reflect the underlying tensions of the gathering.\n\nMr Trump left the summit before other leaders and claimed that America was \"like the piggy bank that everybody is robbing\".\n\nFirst Lady Melania Trump is pictured wearing a jacket in June 2018 which reads \"I really don't care, do you?\" on the back, during a trip to a migrant child detention centre.\n\nThere was speculation over what message Mrs Trump intended to send by wearing the jacket on that trip, which came as the president was under fire for his policy of separating children from their parents at the border.\n\nThe First Lady later admitted it had been a message \"for the people and for the left-wing media who are criticising me. I want to show them I don't care. You could criticise whatever you want to say. But it will not stop me to do what I feel is right\".\n\nMr Trump called for compromise in politics during his State of the Union address in February 2019 but Nancy Pelosi was pictured giving what many saw as a sarcastic clap.\n\nHe broke protocol by not waiting for the customary introduction from the House Speaker before beginning his speech.\n\nThe image, termed the \"Pelosi clap\" quickly went viral and appeared to show the political rivalry between the two.\n\nMr Trump walks into the northern side of the military demarcation line that divides North and South Korea in June 2019. In doing so, he became the first US sitting president to cross the line.\n\nHis decision to meet Kim Jong-un without pre-conditions stunned the world.\n\nDespite the apparent warming of relations, little concrete progress was made on negotiations over North Korea's nuclear programme.\n\nKim Kardashian West speaks at a White House event about prison reform in June 2019.\n\nIn 2018, the celebrity activist lobbied the Trump administration on behalf of a grandmother jailed for life. Alice Johnson was later granted clemency in a high-profile decision by Mr Trump.\n\nPresident Trump has already given pardons to 94 people and there is speculation he may pardon 100 others before he leaves office.\n\nMr Trump holds a bible in front of St John's Episcopal Church, just across the road from the White House in June 2020.\n\nPeaceful anti-racism demonstrators had been cleared from nearby Lafayette Square with pepper spray and flash-bang grenades so that the president and his entourage could walk to the church.\n\nHis actions prompted shock and anger from many religious leaders, who accused him of using religion for political purposes.\n\nThe Trump family watch as Donald Trump debates with Joe Biden at their first presidential debate in Cleveland, Ohio, on 29 September 2020.\n\nThey broke debate rules that all spectators wear masks - sparking the same criticism often aimed at their father for taking a cavalier attitude to the virus.\n\nA few days after the debate, the president tested positive himself.\n\nHe spent three nights in a hospital receiving treatment before returning to the White House and declaring he felt \"really good\" and urging others not to be afraid of the virus.\n\nCrowds of Trump supporters climb on the US Capitol in DC earlier this month following a \"Stop the Steal\" rally.\n\nIt followed a 70-minute address by the president in which he exhorted them to march on Congress where politicians were meeting to certify Democrat Joe Biden's win. The mob ransacked the Capitol building and attempted to enter the chambers where lawmakers were hiding.\n\nMr Trump has since been impeached, becoming the first president ever to be impeached twice. But he denies charges that he incited the mob to attack the Capitol.", "A tearful President-elect Joe Biden says goodbye to his home state before departing for Washington on the eve of his inauguration.", "Joe Biden has been sworn in as the 46th president of the United States, at a low key inauguration ceremony outside the US Capitol in Washington DC.\n\nIn his maiden speech as president, Mr Biden said: \"We've learned again that democracy is precious, democracy is fragile, and at this hour, my friends, democracy has prevailed.\"\n\nRead more: Joe Biden replaces Trump as US president", "More than 60 flood warnings remain in place in northern, central and eastern England\n\nResidents have been evacuated, roads closed and rail services were suspended as Storm Christoph batters England.\n\nHouseboat residents were moved from Northwich, Cheshire, for their safety as Prime Minister Boris Johnson plans to hold an emergency meeting later.\n\nNorthern, central and eastern England are braced for flooding which will be discussed at the Cobra meeting.\n\nMore than 60 flood warnings remain in place and three police forces have declared major incidents.\n\nThe North West, Yorkshire and the Midlands have been preparing for widespread flooding following the Met Office's amber weather warning for heavy rain until midday Thursday.\n\nPeople living in houseboats in Cheshire have been moved to hotels for their safety, say police\n\nCheshire Police has declared a major incident - along with forces in Greater Manchester and South Yorkshire - and moved 33 people from Hayhurst Marina for their safety as water levels rise.\n\nIn Greater Manchester up to 3,000 properties could be affected by flooding near the River Mersey where a peak is expected at 23:00 GMT.\n\nDowning Street said Covid-secure evacuation centres would be made available to those forced to leave their homes as a result of flooding.\n\n\"Preparations to create Covid-secure rest centres have been made by relevant agencies as a precautionary measure,\" the Prime Minister's official spokesman said.\n\n\"The important message for the public now is to continue to monitor the information the Environment Agency are providing and sign-up for flood alerts if they haven't already.\"\n\nThe River Eden has flooded Rickerby Park in Carlisle\n\nMore than 120mm (nearly 5in) of rain has already fallen in some parts of England, with 123.4mm at Honister Pass in Cumbria in the 24 hours up to 06:00 GMT on Wednesday.\n\nNearby Seathwaite saw the second highest total, with 107.2mm (4.2in), and some isolated spots could see up to 200mm (7.8in), the Met Office said.\n\nThe Environment Agency has issued more than 60 flood warnings, meaning flooding is expected and immediate action required, while there are also more than 180 flood alerts, meaning flooding is possible.\n\nA road in Lancashire was shut by police after six vehicles got stuck in surface water\n\nIn North Yorkshire, York is currently predicting the River Ouse could rise above 4m (13.1ft) but that is a level the defences can cope with.\n\nHowever, if people are forced out of their homes due to flooding they can stay with friends or family without the risk of a Covid fine during Storm Christoff, North Yorkshire Police has said.\n\nGreater Manchester Police Assistant Chief Constable Nick Bailey said the force declared it a major incident on Tuesday to ensure it was \"as prepared as possible\".\n\nHe believes up to 3,000 properties in the region could be affected by flooding in Didsbury, Northenden and Sale near the River Mersey.\n\nFlood sirens were sounded in Walsden, Todmorden on Tuesday\n\n\"This is a significant incident in terms of disruption to people and those people have been advised with regard to action to take,\" he said.\n\nThe Prime Minister's spokesman added: \"The Environment Agency is on the ground now working with local partners and stand ready to respond to any flooding.\n\n\"They have already ensured there are 40km (25 miles) of temporary barriers, which they are ready to deliver anywhere in the country and that is alongside high-powered pumps and trained staff who are ready to assist and provide information to local communities.\"\n\nWhen asked if local authorities would be given further financial support to deal with flooding, the Prime Minister's spokesman said: \"We have a number of flood recovery schemes that can be made available to those who are affected by flooding.\"\n\nFlood warden Keith Crabtree from Todmorden, West Yorkshire, said he was hoping improved flood defences had \"done the trick\" after checking river levels in Mytholmroyd.\n\n\"There appears to be plenty of rain about but it does not seem to be having and serious impact on the river levels,\" he said.\n\n\"We will see over the years to come how it performs in reducing the flood risk for the village. Things can change very quickly in the Calder Valley and we are not out of the woods yet.\"\n\nHow have you been affected by the floods? Email your experiences: haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Mr Biden took his oath on a Bible that has been in his family since 1893 and was also used each time he was sworn in as Delaware senator. The book itself is five inches (12.5cm) thick with a Celtic cross on the cover", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe fluttering flight patterns of butterflies have long inspired poets but baffled scientists.\n\nResearchers have struggled to understand how these delicate creatures can fly with their large but inefficient wings.\n\nNow, a new study shows that butterflies evolved an effective way of cupping and clapping their wings to generate thrust.\n\nThe scientists say that this ability helps them avoid dangerous predators.\n\nFlying species have evolved various methods of evading death. Some have developed powerful and efficient wings to speed them to safety.\n\nOthers survive by tasting awful when eaten.\n\nBut what about the slow-moving, meandering butterfly?\n\nThe problem for these creatures is that they have unusually large wings relative to their body size, which are aerodynamically inefficient for flight.\n\nBack in the 1970s, researchers developed a theory that their big wings allowed the butterfly to clap them together on the upstroke to power their take off.\n\nBut no one has shown how this works in natural flying conditions.\n\nNow, Swedish scientists, using a wind tunnel and high-speed cameras, have captured the butterfly's unique flying skill.\n\n\"The wings are behaving in quite an interesting way,\" co-author Dr Per Henningsson, from Lund University, in Sweden, told BBC News.\n\n\"The leading and the trailing edge are meeting before the central part, forming this pocket shape.\n\n\"We think that sort of behaviour is going to improve the clap because it forms an air pocket between the wings which, when the wings collapse, that makes the jet even stronger and more efficient.\"\n\nA butterfly in the wind tunnel for the experiment\n\nAs well as recording slow-motion video of the butterflies in flight, the researchers constructed two simple pairs of mechanical clappers to test their ideas. One was rigid, the other flexible and more akin to the butterfly wings observed in the wind tunnel tests.\n\nThe team found that the flexible wings dramatically increased the force created by the clap.\n\nIt also improved the efficiency by 28%, which the authors describe as a huge amount for a flying animal.\n\nThis leads them to conclude that the large wings and cupped, clapping action were an evolutionary advantage for butterflies when faced with predators.\n\n\"If you are a butterfly that is able to take off quicker than the others, that gives you an obvious advantage,\" said Per Henningsson.\n\n\"It's a strong selective pressure then, because it's a matter of life and death.\"\n\nA silver washed fritillary , one of the creatures used to show the mechanics of butterfly flight\n\n\"I don't really know if they use it in free flight, but I think they typically don't flap their wings together.\n\n\"But in the take-off phase, they definitely do it a lot.\"\n\nThe authors believe that their research might prove useful in other spheres.\n\nSome drone devices and underwater vehicles already use propulsion systems based on wing clapping motion, but with limitations.\n\nThe incorporation of the approach used by butterflies might bring major improvements, the scientists say.\n\n\"We're suggesting that the people that are working on these designs, they should look into this cup-shape behaviour, since there are lots of efficiency and effectiveness to be gained from it,\" said Per Henningsson.\n\n\"It's certainly something that would be worthwhile looking into.\"\n\nThe report has been published in the journal of the Royal Society Interface.", "Last updated on .From the section Premier League\n\nRelegation-threatened Fulham lost some of the momentum built up by their win at Everton but showed battling qualities to claim a point at Burnley.\n\nOf the three sides currently adrift at the bottom of the Premier League, the Cottagers seem the most capable of clawing their way to safety, as illustrated by their impressive win at Goodison Park on Sunday.\n\nBut they failed to repeat that bright and incisive display at Turf Moor against a typically hard-working and competitive Clarets side, who married their industry with the game's main moments of attacking ingenuity.\n\nIt was the visitors, though, who took the lead, as much through fortune as design, with Ola Aina's chested effort from a corner finding the net despite an attempted clearance from Robbie Brady on the line.\n\nCrucially, the visitors were denied the time to draw confidence from the opener, with Burnley hitting back three minutes later through a well-taken Ashley Barnes finish, following a superb low ball from Jay Rodriguez.\n\nThe same two strikers had both narrowly failed to get a goal-bound touch on a superb low cross from James Tarkowski in the first half, while Rodriguez saw a low drive kicked away by Alphonse Areola shortly after his side had levelled the score.\n\nThe draw represents an opportunity missed for Burnley to put further ground between themselves and the London side, with the gap between the two a sizeable but not yet entirely comfortable eight points.\n\nScott Parker's side remain six points shy of safety, with Newcastle the 17th-placed side most in danger of being reeled in.\n• None Follow live text commentary of Burnley v Fulham in the Premier League\n\nA point gained, or two lost for Fulham?\n\nEarning a result at Burnley against a side built to expose the mental and physical weaknesses in an opponent, especially a newly promoted one, is not an easy task.\n\nIn doing so, Fulham have further demonstrated their growth into a top-flight side, after claiming a number of creditable draws earlier in the campaign and then dispatching an aspiring big-hitter in Everton last weekend.\n\nUnfortunately, the Cottagers' development could have come too late.\n\nOnly wins will really eat into the gap between themselves and safety and they cannot afford to let one slip from their grasp when it is there to be had.\n\nIt is why Parker and his side will be so disappointed at the speed and manner with which they conceded the equaliser at Turf Moor, throwing away the lead and momentum they had seized by allowing Barnes a free run in on goal to finish.\n\nThey had been on the back foot for large periods before that and were indebted to a bit of fortune for their goal, but aesthetics come a distant second to actual points right now.\n\nThe biggest positive for Burnley will be that their advantage over the Cottagers remains the same as it was before kick-off.\n\nWith the likes of Newcastle and Palace in far worse form than they are, and Brighton a point worse off, they will feel relatively calm about their situation.\n\nWhat will worry manager Dyche is further injuries to his already depleted squad, with Johan Berg Gudmundsson having to depart, and his replacement Robbie Brady also needing to be replaced.\n\nThere is no respite for either side, with both facing further important fixtures at the weekend.\n\nBurnley host West Brom, the side a place below Fulham in the table, while Parker's men welcome bottom club Sheffield United to Craven Cottage.\n\n'When we get ahead we need to weather something'\n\nBurnley boss Sean Dyche talking to Sky Sports: \"Another point on the board, we are stripped to the bare bones. A committed performance.\n\n\"The reaction to their goal was excellent and I thought we defended well. It's remarkably unfortunate how many injuries we have had.\"\n\nFulham boss Scott Parker talking to Sky Sports: \"It is a tough place to come, the ball is in play not a lot, it is scrappy. We got our noses in front and disappointed with the goal we have conceded.\n\n\"We take the point though. That is four points so far this week. When we get ahead we need to weather something. There were a couple of mistakes for their goal.\n\n\"I thought we were solid, dealt with the threat of balls coming in but were not able to get our identity on it.\n\n\"We regroup, it has been a busy week. Every game is big for us. Six points. This team has honest belief and confidence.\"\n• None Burnley are unbeaten in their past 31 home meetings with Fulham in all competitions (W25 D6), extending their longest ever unbeaten run against an opponent at Turf Moor in their history. Their last such defeat was back in April 1951 (2-0).\n• None Fulham's 31-game winless streak away from home against Burnley in all competitions is their longest run without a victory on the road against an opponent in their history.\n• None There have been just 24 Premier League goals scored at Turf Moor this season (Burnley scoring 10 and conceding 14) - the joint-lowest total at a top-flight ground in 2020-21 (level with Craven Cottage).\n• None Fulham have gone six consecutive away games without defeat in the Premier League (W1 D5), their joint longest such run in the competition (also in August 2004 under Chris Coleman).\n• None Burnley have conceded the first goal of the game in eight of their 12 Premier League matches at Turf Moor this season, including each of the past five - only Sheffield United (10) have done so more often on home soil in the competition this campaign.\n• None There were just 224 seconds between Ola Aina's opener for Fulham and Ashley Barnes' equaliser for Burnley.\n• None Burnley's Jay Rodriguez has assisted in back-to-back Premier League games for the first time in his career, with this his 196th appearance in the competition.\n• None Burnley's Robbie Brady is the only player to have been substituted on and off in two separate Premier League games this season.\n• None Attempt missed. Ashley Barnes (Burnley) header from very close range misses to the left following a corner.\n• None Attempt missed. Ademola Lookman (Fulham) right footed shot from the left side of the box is close, but misses the top right corner. Assisted by Josh Maja.\n• None James Tarkowski (Burnley) wins a free kick on the right wing.\n• None Attempt missed. Josh Maja (Fulham) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Ruben Loftus-Cheek with a cross.\n• None Attempt missed. Ruben Loftus-Cheek (Fulham) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Ivan Cavaleiro with a cross. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page\n• None Lifting the lid on the former president's 'America First' foreign policy\n• None Romesh returns with celebrity guests, a virtual nation and his mum...", "The editor of the British Medical Journal has asked the New York Times to correct an article that says UK guidelines allow two Covid-19 vaccines to be mixed.\n\nThe US publication reported that UK health officials would allow patients to be given a second dose that is a different vaccine to their first.\n\nFiona Godlee pointed out in her letter to the NYT that it was not a recommendation.\n\nShe said the NYT's headline claiming UK guidelines say such substitutions \"may happen\" was \"seriously misleading\".\n\nThe UK has approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab - but both require two doses which are now to be administered 12 weeks apart\n\nMs Godlee said the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) does not make any recommendation to mix and match - in other words, having a shot of one vaccine and then a different one 12 weeks later.\n\nDr Mary Ramsay, Public Health England's head of immunisations, said: \"We do not recommend mixing the Covid-19 vaccines - if your first dose is the Pfizer vaccine you should not be given the AstraZeneca vaccine for your second dose and vice versa.\"\n\nDr Ramsay added that on the \"extremely rare occasions\" where the same vaccine is unavailable or it is unknown which jab the patient received, it is \"better to give a second dose of another vaccine than not at all\".\n\nMs Godlee urged the New York Times to print a \"highly visible correction\" as soon as possible.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The Princess Royal Hospital at Haywards Heath was among the hospitals receiving a delivery\n\nMeanwhile, health staff have criticised the paperwork needed to gain NHS approval to give the coronavirus vaccine, with some medics being asked for proof they are trained in areas such as preventing radicalisation.\n\nThe first doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine are due to be given on Monday after the jab was approved for use in the UK last week.\n\nThe Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was the first vaccine approved in the UK, and 944,539 people have had their first jab.", "Police tweeted this photo, which appears to show the vehicle severely damaged in the crash\n\nFour ponies have been killed in a collision with a vehicle in the New Forest National Park.\n\nThe animals were hit on Thursday night while licking freshly laid salt on Roger Penny Way, Hampshire Constabulary said.\n\nThree ponies died at the scene while a fourth was found dead later a short distance away.\n\nIn December, three donkeys were killed on the road, which is a black spot for animal accidents.\n\nMark Ferrett, whose daughter owned the ponies, said the deaths were \"unacceptable\"\n\nThe crash happened at about 21:00 GMT on a 40mph (64km/h) section of the road north of Brook.\n\nThe car, a Land Rover Discovery, appears to have been severely damaged in the collision, according to a police tweet, which gave no further details.\n\nMark Ferrett, whose daughter owned the ponies, said the deaths were \"unacceptable\".\n\nHe said: \"I would favour a reduction in the speed [limit]. Please, everyone needs to slow down and stop this carnage.\"\n\nThe New Forest is one of the largest remaining areas of unenclosed land where commoners' cattle, ponies and donkeys roam throughout the open heath.\n\nIn 2019, 58 animals were killed and 32 were injured, according to the New Forest National Park Authority.\n\nThe crash happened on Roger Penny Way, where donkeys, cattle and horses roam freely\n\nAndrew Napthine, a New Forest Agister who helps manage the area's free-roaming animals, attended the scene of the crash, and said the male driver was not injured.\n\nHe said three of the ponies were killed on the road while a fourth fled the scene and died behind a bush.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Officers dispersed the party at the Grade II* listed church before midnight\n\nA 500-year-old church was damaged during an illegal New Year's Eve party at the venue.\n\nAll Saints' Church in East Horndon, near Brentwood, was broken into before crowds entered, Essex Police said.\n\nOfficers were threatened and had objects thrown at them as they dispersed hundreds of people and seized equipment, the force said.\n\nTwo men from Harlow, aged 27 and 22, and a 35-year-old from Southwark were arrested.\n\nThey were held on suspicion of public order and drugs offences.\n\nAstrid Gillespie, a volunteer with the Friends of All Saints', said event organisers had smashed a window to put in an extractor fan unit and wired sound equipment into the church's fuse box.\n\nShe said: \"It was a professional set-up, they'd hired portable loos, they had a bar area where you had to exchange tokens... obviously it's a mess.\n\n\"It's such a beautiful church, to find out it's been damaged is devastating.\"\n\nThe conservation group believes it will cost at least £1,000 to repair the Tudor building.\n\nEquipment was seized and fines issued over three illegal parties broken up by officers\n\nPolice later dispersed about 100 people at an illegal party at an abandoned warehouse in Brentwood and made two arrests.\n\nA woman was also fined £10,000 for organising a house party with 100 guests at Bury Road, Sewardstonebury, in Epping Forest.\n\nAssistant Chief Constable Andy Prophet said: \"Unfortunately, there were [those] who decided to blatantly flout the coronavirus rules and regulations and, ultimately, they decided that partying was more important than protecting other people.\n\n\"We've seized their equipment, arrested five people, and issued a large number of fines to those who think this behaviour is acceptable.\"\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk", "Last updated on .From the section European Football\n\nFormer Tottenham and Southampton boss Mauricio Pochettino has been appointed head coach of Paris St-Germain.\n\nThe Argentine, 48, who succeeded Thomas Tuchel, has signed a deal until 30 June 2022, with the option of an extra year.\n\nPochettino, who played for PSG between 2001 and 2003, has been out of work since being sacked by Spurs in November 2019.\n\nPSG are third in Ligue 1 and will face Barcelona in the last 16 of the Champions League in February and March.\n\nGerman Tuchel was sacked on 29 December after two and a half years in charge.\n• None Pochettino is back - but why has he chosen PSG? Read Guillem Ballague's column\n\nPochettino will take his first training session on Sunday following the French league's winter break.\n\nHe said he was \"happy and honoured\" to take on the role and that the club \"has always held a special place in my heart\".\n\n\"I return to the club today with a lot of ambition and humility, and am eager to work with some of the world's most talented players,\" said Pochettino.\n\n\"This team has fantastic potential and my staff and I will do everything we can to get the best for Paris St-Germain in all competitions. We will also do our utmost to give our team the combative and attacking playing identity that Parisian fans have always loved.\"\n\nPSG chairman and chief executive Nasser Al-Khelaifi said Pochettino's return \"fits perfectly with our ambitions\", adding: \"It will be another exciting chapter for the club and one I am positive the fans will enjoy.\"\n\nPochettino began his managerial career at Espanyol and spent 18 months at Southampton before joining Tottenham in May 2014.\n\nHe guided them to the League Cup final in his first full season, while two third-placed finishes sandwiched a runners-up spot in the Premier League in 2016-17.\n\nA former Argentina defender, Pochettino led Spurs to the Champions League final in 2019, where they lost to Liverpool.\n\nHe was sacked five months later, with the club 14th in the Premier League, and replaced by Jose Mourinho.\n\nTuchel's final game in charge of PSG was a 4-0 win over Strasbourg on 23 December, which moved the reigning champions to within a point of Ligue 1 leaders Lyon and second-placed Lille before a two-week winter break.\n\nPSG have been linked with a January loan move for Tottenham's Dele Alli, who made his Premier League debut under Pochettino.\n\nWe all wanted to see him back and we all thought he was waiting for the Manchester United job. PSG is a massive job. There's a massive expectation there.\n\nWith the squad he can pick from and the players he can attract, it's a match made in heaven.\n\nPochettino has got the best out of Dele Alli in the past and it would probably be a clever move all round to get him out there with with the Euros looming.\n\nYou have to have success [at PSG]. They have moved Thomas Tuchel on because PSG are actually in a title race rather than winning at a canter. It's a great opportunity for Pochettino.\n• None A special and exclusive one-off chat with the music icon\n• None How has their rise come to define our culture?", "Arwel Morris said national park staff and police had been engaging with visitors\n\nBeauty spots have been \"disappointingly busy over the last few days\" despite restrictions meaning all but essential travel should be avoided.\n\nSnowdonia park warden Arwel Morris reiterated the message that people should not be driving to visit places.\n\nOn Saturday, police stopped people from Milton Keynes attempting to walk up Snowdon in breach of Covid rules.\n\nMr Morris blamed a \"perfect storm\" of good weather and people being off work for the number of visitors in the area.\n\n\"We try and enforce the fact that exercise should begin and end at home, meaning people should not try and drive to a location where they plan to exercise,\" he told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast.\n\n\"And this has been really difficult over the last few days.\n\n\"We have dealt with people from London, Birmingham… numerous people from north Wales travelling to beauty spots.\"\n\nMr Morris, a warden for Snowdonia National Park, said police had been doing their \"absolute best\" dealing with visitors despite other pressures, as wardens could not enforce breaches in lockdown rules.\n\nA breach of Covid rules can incur a £60 fine, which rises to £120 for a second breach.\n\nOn Saturday, North Wales Police said officers had \"turned away\" people who wanted to walk up Snowdon in breach of stay-at-home rules, including some some from Milton Keynes and London.\n\nOn New Year's Day, the force tweeted to say people had been reported for breaching travel restrictions.\n\nWales has been in a nationwide level four lockdown since 20 December.\n\nWales is in a tier four lockdown\n\nTravelling is only allowed for essential purposes, such as for work and for caring responsibilities. International travel is also not allowed.\n\nPeople are still allowed out of their homes to exercise for unlimited periods each day, but must maintain social distancing and not exercise with anyone outside their household.\n\nMore than three quarters of England is also under the strictest tier four coronavirus measures, putting restrictions on people's daily lives.", "The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine has started to arrive in hospitals, with the first doses due to be given on Monday.\n\nThe Princess Royal Hospital at Haywards Heath in West Sussex was one of the hospitals taking a delivery on Saturday.\n\nThe UK has ordered 100 million doses of the new vaccine - enough to vaccinate 50 million people.", "Last updated on .From the section Olympics\n\nThe delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics will go ahead this summer despite concern over rising coronavirus cases, says Japan's prime minister.\n\nThe Olympics are due to begin on 23 July with the Paralympics following a month later from 24 August.\n\nCases have surged in Japan in recent days with Tokyo reporting over 1,000 daily infections for the first time.\n\nBut prime minister Yoshihide Suga said the \"Games will be held this summer\" and be \"safe and secure\".\n\nJapan is responding to cases of the new variant of coronavirus first found in the UK, with Tokyo governor Yuriko Koike warning the number of infections could \"explode\".\n\nThere were a record 1,337 cases in Tokyo on 31 December with 783 new infections announced on Friday.\n\nJapan has recorded 239,041 coronavirus cases and 3,337 deaths during the pandemic, according to Johns Hopkins University.\n\nCosts for the Games have increased by $2.8bn (£2.1bn) because of measures needed to prevent the spread of coronavirus but organisers have ruled out a delay.\n\nThe Games could be the most expensive summer Olympics in history.\n\nA poll by national broadcaster NHK showed that the majority of the Japanese general public oppose holding the Games in 2021, favouring a further delay or outright cancellation of the event.\n\nSuga said the Games going ahead could serve as a \"symbol of global solidarity\".", "The next few weeks will be \"nail-bitingly difficult\" for the NHS, hospital bosses have warned.\n\nStaff absences and the new Covid variant are creating a \"challenging situation\", Saffron Cordery, of NHS Providers, which represents hospital trusts in England, said.\n\nDoctors are urging the public to \"take it seriously and follow the rules\" to protect the health service.\n\nThe year started with 53,285 more Covid cases and 613 deaths being reported.\n\nThe day's figures do not include data from Northern Ireland or Wales, or the numbers of deaths from Scotland - as these are not being published on certain days during the Christmas and New Year period.\n\nIt comes after the UK reported its highest daily cases on Thursday, with a record 55,892 infections.\n\nOn Friday evening, the government confirmed that all primary schools in London would remain closed for the start of the new term, following a review of Covid transmission rates.\n\nFrom Monday, all schools in the capital will now be required to provide remote learning.\n\nPrimaries in nine London boroughs and the City of London district had been set to reopen - while those in the remaining 23 boroughs would have stayed closed from 4 January.\n\nMeanwhile, new analysis by Imperial College London has confirmed the new variant of coronavirus has a much quicker rate of transmission than the original strain.\n\nAnd an analysis of NHS England data from 23 hospital trusts by the Health Service Journal shows that Covid-19 is putting intense pressure on adult acute care and general beds, as well as those in intensive care.\n\nIt found that more than a third of these beds were occupied by patients with Covid-19 on Tuesday, and in three trusts - North Middlesex in London, and Medway and Dartford and Gravesham in Kent - the figure was more than half.\n\nBased on the recent rise in numbers, the analysis suggests that all acute and general beds might soon be filled with Covid-19 patients.\n\nSpeaking on BBC Breakfast, Ms Cordery said the surging transmission and death rates were \"incredibly hard to deal with\".\n\n\"When we are seeing major London trusts saying they are under pressure, that's when we know we're in a very challenging space,\" she said.\n\nA leading intensive care doctor has urged people to follow restrictions until the vaccination programme is fully rolled out.\n\nProf Anthony Gordon, of Imperial College, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: \"There is light at the end of the tunnel so I would urge people to hold on for these few more months while the vaccination programme makes that difference and then we can truly get back to normal.\n\n\"But we can't overrun the health service because this will just lead to thousands more deaths.\"\n\nAdrian Boyle, vice-president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, urged people to follow guidance on hand washing, social distancing and face coverings to stop the \"entirely preventable\" spread of the virus.\n\nDr Boyle said staff are \"tired\" and at risk of \"burnout\", having \"worked really hard over the summer\" and \"put up with a lot of disruption\".\n\n\"This time people are frustrated, this is now an entirely preventable disease, we know what we did in spring made a lot of this go away. There's also now a vaccine,\" he added.\n\nMore than three-quarters of England is currently under the strictest tier four - \"stay at home\" - coronavirus measures, and other parts of the country have joined higher tiers.\n\nMainland Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales are under lockdown.\n\nThere are also concerns the added pressures of rising numbers of Covid patients seen at London hospitals have begun to spread across the country.\n\nSpeaking on Today, Dr Alison Pittard, of the Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine, said it was \"only a matter of time before it starts to spread to other parts of country\", adding that \"we're already starting to see that\".\n\nShe stressed it was \"really important that we try and stop the transmission in the community because that translates into hospital admissions\".\n\nIt comes as almost half the major hospital trusts in England are said to be dealing with more Covid-19 patients than at the peak of the first wave in April.\n\nAnd pressure has been so great on some hospitals in London and south-east England that some patients have been moved out of the area.\n\nLondon's Nightingale emergency hospital is ready to admit patients, the NHS has said, while other sites currently not in use are being readied.\n\nHowever, Mike Adams, director of the Royal College of Nursing, questioned whether there were the staff available to run the hospital.\n\n\"Nursing is already stretched beyond capacity so there is no magic pile of nurses we can call upon,\" he told BBC Radio 4's World at One programme.\n\n\"I think the real battle is reducing the spread of the virus and getting the vaccine rolled out.\"\n\nThe new coronavirus variant has driven a big rise in cases, with the worst effects felt so far in London.\n\nResearchers at Imperial College London have confirmed it increases the R number - the number of people that one infected person will pass on a virus to - by about 0.4 to 0.7.\n\nThe UK's latest R number has been estimated at between 1.1 and 1.3. It needs to be below 1.0 for the number of cases to start falling.\n\nProf Axel Gandy, from the statistic section of Imperial College London, told the Today programme this higher rate of infection means that transmission of the disease would have tripled even during England's November lockdown conditions.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. BBC's Laura Foster explains how to wear your mask correctly and help stop coronavirus spreading\n\nThe hunt is now on to find new ways to slow the spread of coronavirus, with the rules on mask wearing potentially coming up for review.\n\nBehavioural science group SPI-B (Scientific Pandemic Insights Group on Behaviours), which reports to the Sage group of government advisers, has said that mandatory face coverings may be necessary in a wider number of settings, such as in workplaces and possibly outdoors.\n\nHowever, Dr Simon Clarke, associate professor of cellular microbiology at the University of Reading, told BBC Radio 4's World at One he was not convinced a move towards making the wearing of face coverings mandatory outdoors would make \"much difference\" to transmission rates.\n\nHe said the \"bigger problem\" was people touching their face covering or wearing it incorrectly, adding ministers should focus on ensuring people knew how to wear them and to change and wash them regularly.\n\nThe rollout of the newly approved Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine will begin on Monday, almost a month after the Pfizer-BioNTech jab.\n\nSecond doses of either will now take place within 12 weeks rather than 21 days as had been initially planned with the Pfizer vaccine.", "The star started filming his role in secret last year\n\nComedian John Bishop is to join Jodie Whittaker for the 13th series of Doctor Who, the BBC has revealed.\n\nThe 54-year-old, who recently tested positive for coronavirus, said boarding the Tardis was a \"dream come true\".\n\nHe will play a character called Dan, who \"becomes embroiled in the Doctor's adventures\" and faces \"evil alien races beyond his wildest nightmares\".\n\nBishop fills the gap left by Bradley Walsh and Tosin Cole, who bowed out in a special New Year's Day episode.\n\nHe began filming his role last November, but the BBC kept the signing under wraps until the broadcast of Revolution Of The Daleks on Friday night.\n\nBishop, who grew up on a Merseyside council estate, had a brief career as a professional footballer before turning his hand to comedy.\n\nHe has previously acted in the Channel 4 drama Skins and the Ken Loach film Route Irish.\n\nEarlier this week, the comedian revealed that he and his wife had tested positive for Coronavirus over Christmas, saying he had been \"flattened\" by \"the worst illness I have ever had\".\n\nWriting on Instagram, he described his symptoms as including \"incredible headaches, muscle and joint point, no appetite, nausea, dizziness [and] chronic fatigue like I didn't know existed\".\n\nHe updated fans on New Year's Eve, saying he and his wife were \"getting a little stronger\" every day, and promising he would return to work in January.\n\nThis Instagram post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Instagram The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip instagram post by johnbish100 This article contains content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Meta’s Instagram cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nIt is not thought his illness will disrupt production on Doctor Who. The show is on a scheduled break for Christmas and not due to resume filming until later this month.\n\nThe 13th series of the rebooted sci-fi stalwart will see Whittaker return as the extra terrestrial Time Lord, alongside Mandip Gill, who returns as Yaz.\n\nIn a statement, Bishop said: \"If I could tell my younger self that one day I would be asked to step on board the Tardis, I would never have believed it.\n\n\"It's an absolute dream come true to be joining Doctor Who and I couldn't wish for better company than Jodie and Mandip.\"\n\nJodie Whittaker became the first female actress to play The Doctor in 2017\n\nProgramme boss Chris Chibnall added: \"It's time for the next chapter of Doctor Who, and it starts with a man called Dan. Oh, we've had to keep this one secret for a long, long time.\n\n\"Our conversations started with John even before the pandemic hit.\n\n\"The character of Dan was built for him, and it's a joy to have him aboard the Tardis.\"\n\nDoctor Who will return to BBC One later this year.\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "Last updated on .From the section Premier League\n\nArsenal continued their Premier League resurgence with a ruthless victory over strugglers West Brom at The Hawthorns.\n\nDefender Kieran Tierney's excellent solo run and curling finish put the Gunners in front in the first half, before the impressive Bukayo Saka rounded off a stunning passing move to make it 2-0.\n\nAlexandre Lacazette added the third and fourth goals after the break - smashing in a rebound from Emile Smith Rowe's shot before he was set up by Tierney.\n\nIt was Arsenal's third league victory in a row after they had failed to win their previous seven.\n\nWest Brom, playing their fourth match under new manager Sam Allardyce, remain second from bottom and six points from safety.\n• None Confidence? Youth? How have Arsenal turned relegation talk into European hopes?\n\nArsenal boss Mikel Arteta said he wanted his players to \"show confidence\" at The Hawthorns, and they certainly did that in a dominant and eye-catching display.\n\nHector Bellerin forced Sam Johnstone into a save within two minutes after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang broke down the left, and Saka tormented full-back Dara O'Shea on the opposite wing constantly during the opening half.\n\nIt was Saka's ball that fizzed past the back post, inches away from the toe of Aubameyang, after the 19-year-old had got the better of O'Shea and hit it straight at Johnstone.\n\nWest Brom were being suffocated and Tierney's burst of pace to get around Darnell Furlong, before bending it into the far corner, was the perfect way to open the scoring.\n\nSaka made it 2-0 by rounding off a slick, one-touch passing move that former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger would have been proud of.\n\nWest Brom could offer no response after the break either and Arsenal were 3-0 up on the hour when Lacazette eventually blasted in the rebound from a catalogue of errors by defender Semi Ajayi.\n\nThat was game over but Lacazette was allowed to add a fourth when he was left unmarked to divert Tierney's cross into the roof of the net four minutes later.\n\nArteta, knowing the job was done, was able to bring off Saka and Emile Smith Rowe following impressive performances from both youngsters, while Arsenal continued to create chances to round off a very enjoyable evening in the snow.\n\nAllardyce's first match in charge of West Brom - a 3-0 drubbing by Aston Villa after captain Jake Livermore had been sent off - was a sign of just how tough this job was going to be.\n\nThen that 1-1 draw with Liverpool at Anfield provided hope. The Baggies were resilient, organised and tireless.\n\nBut heavy back-to-back defeats by Leeds United and now Arsenal at home have brought things back down to earth.\n\nWest Brom were overawed in defence, out-run in midfield and frustrated by a lack of opportunities in attack throughout this confidence-crushing defeat.\n\nTheir rare sniffs at goal came from a Granit Xhaka error in the first half - Matheus Pereira chipping it through to Matt Phillips who struck it straight at Bernd Leno - before Callum Robinson's finish was ruled out for offside in the second half.\n\nSubstitute Rekeem Harper's long-range strike deep in stoppage time was also comfortably turned behind by Leno.\n\nIt was West Brom's third home loss in three under Allardyce and they have conceded 12 goals with no reply in those games.\n\n'Everything looks much better' - what they said\n\nWest Brom manager Sam Allardyce: \"Another game gone by where we learn more about the players we have. We have learnt an awful lot about what we can and cannot do.\n\n\"We need to work out a way of not trying to be as sloppy as we have been at conceding goals. It appears when we try to open up we leave opportunities for the opposition and we cannot cope.\"\n\nArsenal manager Mikel Arteta: \"We had a big week, three games in seven days, and we managed to win them and everything looks much better. It was difficult conditions but the team looked sharp from the start. It's a big win.\n\n\"After the results we had before we had to lift things straight away. Now we have got some discipline back. We look more creative in the final third and we look solid at the back.\"\n\nThe best of the stats\n• None West Brom are the first side to lose consecutive home Premier League games by at least four goals since Wigan in August 2010.\n• None Arsenal have scored in all 25 of their Premier League meetings with West Brom, the best 100% scoring record by one side against an opponent in the competition's history.\n• None There were 20 passes in the build-up to Arsenal's first goal scored by Kieran Tierney - since Mikel Arteta's first game in charge on Boxing Day 2019, the Gunners have scored more goals following a sequence of 20+ passes than any other Premier League side (3).\n• None Tierney became the first Scottish player to score an away Premier League goal for Arsenal and the first to do so in the top flight since Charlie Nicholas against Ipswich Town in March 1986.\n• None Alexandre Lacazette has scored five away Premier League goals in 2020-21, his best such tally in a single season in the competition.\n\nWest Brom travel to Blackpool for an FA Cup third-round tie on Saturday, 9 January (15:00 GMT kick-off), before returning to Premier League action on Saturday, 16 January against Wolves (12:30 GMT).\n\nArsenal host Newcastle in their FA Cup match on the same day (17:30 GMT), before facing Crystal Palace at home in the league on Thursday, 14 January (20:00 GMT).\n• None Offside, West Bromwich Albion. Charlie Austin tries a through ball, but Kyle Bartley is caught offside.\n• None Attempt saved. Rekeem Harper (West Bromwich Albion) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Matheus Pereira.\n• None Attempt saved. Willian (Arsenal) left footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Dani Ceballos.\n• None Attempt missed. Joseph Willock (Arsenal) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Willian with a cross.\n• None Attempt saved. Conor Gallagher (West Bromwich Albion) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Callum Robinson.\n• None Attempt blocked. Charlie Austin (West Bromwich Albion) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Dara O'Shea.\n• None Dani Ceballos (Arsenal) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.\n• None Attempt saved. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Kieran Tierney.\n• None Attempt missed. Charlie Austin (West Bromwich Albion) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Matt Phillips. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page\n• None A special and exclusive one-off chat with the music icon\n• None How has their rise come to define our culture?", "Last updated on .From the section Premier League\n\nManchester United moved level on points with Premier League leaders Liverpool as a Bruno Fernandes penalty saw off stubborn Aston Villa.\n\nFernandes drilled his 11th league goal this season - and his fifth from the spot - into the bottom corner to punish Douglas Luiz's clip on Paul Pogba and hand United an eighth win in 10 games.\n\nBertrand Traore's calm finish underneath David de Gea had deservedly drawn Villa level, cancelling out Anthony Martial's stooping first-half header for the hosts.\n\nBut Fernandes' penalty extended United's hold over Villa - they have now won 32 and lost just one of the past 44 league meetings between the sides - and leaves Liverpool top only by virtue of goal difference.\n\nThe spot-kick award angered Aston Villa boss Dean Smith who claimed Pogba \"tripped himself\" and that the video assistant referee should have asked on-pitch official Michael Oliver to review his decision.\n\n\"I don't see why Michael couldn't have looked at it. That's what VAR is for isn't it?\" Smith told BBC Sport.\n\n\"I thought it was a penalty at the time, but I looked at it after the game and saw he tripped himself. I don't think it's a penalty.\n\n\"I think there's enough doubt there to send the referee over to the screen.\"\n\nSmith's side were perhaps unfortunate not to have left Old Trafford with at least a point from a thoroughly entertaining game but they also needed several fine saves from Emiliano Martinez to keep them in it.\n\nAfter Fernandes' spot-kick put United back in front, Martinez superbly tipped a stinging 25-yarder from the Portuguese on to the crossbar as well as denying Martial a second.\n\nMartinez's counterpart David de Gea was just as busy, with a late save from Matty Cash's long-range strike preserving the points, not long after Tyrone Mings had headed wide a glorious chance to level.\n\nOle Gunnar Solskjaer's side have displayed their ability to grind out points at Old Trafford in recent weeks, as evidenced in 1-0 home wins over both West Bromwich Albion and Wolves.\n\nBut they have also shown a willingness to go toe-to-toe with teams who are happy to open up the game and, while this was not quite the shootout of the 6-2 win over Leeds, it was just as easy on the eye.\n\nA number of fluid first-half moves produced chances before Martial's opener as the France forward saw a curler tipped over by Martinez, while Fernandes and Wan-Bissaka were narrowly off target with similar efforts.\n\nMartial stole between Mings and Ezri Konsa to nod the Red Devils ahead from Wan-Bissaka's inviting cross for only his second league goal of the season on his return to Solskjaer's starting line-up.\n\nWhile Luiz was unfortunate to be penalised for what might have been an accidental clip on Pogba, there was enough contact for the penalty to be given and Fernandes continued his excellent record from the spot.\n\nUnited were nine points behind Liverpool after a 1-0 defeat by Arsenal at Old Trafford on 1 November but have made up that gap in just two months to set an intriguing title race into motion.\n\nA minute's silence before the game paid tribute to former boss Tommy Docherty, who famously prevented Liverpool claiming the treble by leading United to an FA Cup win over the Reds in 1977.\n\nAnd while talk of foiling a second successive Liverpool title might be premature, moving alongside them at the Premier League's summit will give Solskjaer's side even more confidence as they eye up a trip to Anfield on 17 January.\n\nWhile Villa were ultimately outgunned by their hosts, their brave display was further evidence of the progress Smith's side have made this season.\n\nThey held their own in the first half, causing United a number of problems down the flanks, with playmaker Jack Grealish prompting and probing to show why the hosts have long considered a move for the Villa captain.\n\nBut they were even more impressive in the early stages of the second period, Grealish crossing for an Ollie Watkins header that was saved by De Gea before collecting a quick free-kick and finding Traore to tuck home the equaliser.\n\nLuiz's foul on Pogba came with Villa very much in the ascendancy and while they then had to ride a storm the visitors still came close to pinching a point as Mings beat fellow England centre-half Harry Maguire to a free-kick only to nod wide.\n\nWith Ross Barkley's return from a hamstring injury imminent, this performance should keep Villa optimistic even if defeat halted a five-game unbeaten run and saw them slip a place to sixth, behind Chelsea on goal difference.\n\nAnd while their rotten record at Old Trafford continues - just one win in 34 visits since 1983, which came courtesy of a Gabriel Agbonlahor header in 2009 - they have still only conceded five times in eight away games this campaign.\n\n'We have improved a lot in a year' - what they said\n\nManchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer told BBC Sport: \"You are always delighted with three points. The performance was good and we created chances.\n\n\"It was maybe a little too open and we wasted chances. We tried to play the Hollywood pass instead of securing the first one and using the space that was there.\n\n\"We are happy with what we are doing. We have shown we have improved a lot in a year. We lost to Arsenal away last New Year's Day. We have improved immensely.\"\n\nAston Villa boss Dean Smith told BBC Sport: \"I wasn't happy with the first half. We were miles off the levels where we have been. It felt like a testimonial pace then they deservedly had the lead at half-time. I told the players we needed to be upping our levels.\n\n\"We competed a lot better [in the second half], showed more quality and created chances. I'd take the second-half performance all day long. A dubious penalty has lost us the game.\n\n\"When you look at our performances and results, it shows we are very competitive in this league now, which is what we wanted it to be.\"\n\nUnited's hold over Villa goes on - the stats\n• None Manchester United are unbeaten in their past 16 Premier League matches against Aston Villa (W12 D4).\n• None Aston Villa have lost 13 of their past 15 away Premier League games against Manchester United at Old Trafford (W1 D1).\n• None In Premier League history, the only player to be directly involved in more goals in their first 30 appearances in the competition than Bruno Fernandes (33 - 19 goals, 14 assists) is Andrew Cole (37 - 28 goals, nine assists).\n• None Anthony Martial has now scored on all seven days of the week in the Premier League for Manchester United, becoming the fifth player to do so, after Ryan Giggs, Andrew Cole, David Beckham and Wayne Rooney.\n• None Only Tottenham's Harry Kane (10) has assisted more Premier League goals this season than Jack Grealish (7), while the last Aston Villa player to assist more than seven Premier League goals in a season was Ashley Young in 2010-11 (10).\n• None Since Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's first Premier League match in charge of Manchester United in December 2018, the Red Devils have taken (27) and scored (21) the most Premier League penalties.\n\nManchester United host local rivals Manchester City in the Carabao Cup semi-finals on Wednesday (19:45 GMT) and welcome Watford in the FA Cup on Saturday 9 January (20:00 GMT). Their next Premier League game is away at Burnley on Tuesday 12 January (20:15 GMT).\n\nAston Villa host Liverpool in the FA Cup next Friday (19:45 GMT) before returning to Premier League action at home to Tottenham on Wednesday 13 January (20:15 GMT).\n• None Attempt blocked. Keinan Davis (Aston Villa) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.\n• None Attempt blocked. Keinan Davis (Aston Villa) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Ollie Watkins with a cross.\n• None Offside, Manchester United. Paul Pogba tries a through ball, but Marcus Rashford is caught offside.\n• None Attempt saved. Matthew Cash (Aston Villa) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Jack Grealish.\n• None Nemanja Matic (Manchester United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.\n• None Luke Shaw (Manchester United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page\n• None A special and exclusive one-off chat with the music icon\n• None How has their rise come to define our culture?", "London's Nightingale Hospital is ready to admit patients as hospitals in the capital struggle, the NHS has said.\n\nThe Excel Centre site in east London has been \"reactivated\" amid a rise in the number of Covid-19 patients.\n\nOther Nightingale hospital sites across England are also being readied, with the UK recording a record daily rise in coronavirus cases.\n\nAn NHS spokesman said hospitals in London remain under \"significant pressure\".\n\nHe said: \"In anticipation of pressures rising from the spread of the new variant infection, NHS London were asked to ensure the London Nightingale was reactivated and ready to admit patients as needed, and that process is under way.\"\n\nSeveral NHS hospitals in London and the south-east are now reporting they are under extreme pressure as a result of a surge in the number of people falling seriously ill with Covid-19.\n\nAn email to staff at the Royal London Hospital says they are operating in disaster medicine mode - warning they can no longer provide high-standard critical care.\n\nNightingale hospitals in Manchester, Bristol and Harrogate are in use currently for non-Covid patients, the spokesman added.\n\nThe Exeter site received its first Covid patients in November when it began accepting those transferred from the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust, which was described as \"very busy\".\n\nHe said: \"Covid inpatient numbers are rising sharply so the remaining Nightingales are being readied to admit patients once again should they be needed, in line with best clinical practice developed over the first and second waves of coronavirus.\"\n\nSenior intensive care doctor Prof Hugh Montgomery warned those who fail to follow the rules on social distancing, hand washing and wearing a face covering \"have blood on their hands\".\n\nNHS England medical director Stephen Powis has described the Nightingale hospitals as \"our insurance policy, there as our last resort\".\n\nLondon's Nightingale hospital was built in nine days, with the help of hundreds of soldiers\n\nHe told a Downing Street press conference on Wednesday: \"We asked all the Nightingale hospitals a few weeks ago to be ready to take patients if that was required.\n\n\"Indeed, some of them are already doing that, in Manchester taking step-down patients, in Exeter managing Covid patients, and in other places managing diagnostics, for instance.\n\n\"Our first steps though, in managing the extra demands on the NHS, are to expand capacity within existing hospitals - that's the best way to use our staff.\"\n\nLondon's Nightingale Hospital was opened on 3 April and placed on standby weeks later after fewer than 20 patients were treated there.", "Owen Thomas says metal detecting has been his escape from the stresses of the pandemic.\n\nThe writer from Tongwynlais, Cardiff started metal detecting after bumping into his long-time friend Bob Wiseman - an avid detectorist - during lockdown.\n\nAside from his first outing, when he followed his metal toe cap boots thinking he had found treasure, he has discovered artefacts dating back to the 13th Century.\n\nOwen says he has fallen in love with his new-found hobby and it is \"the link with a life that's gone” that appeals to him so much.", "A UK ticket-holder has started the new year by winning the EuroMillions jackpot of nearly £40m.\n\nOne ticket matched all five regular numbers and two lucky stars in the draw on Friday night to win the £39,774,466.40 prize.\n\nCamelot's Andy Carter, senior winners' adviser at the National Lottery, said: \"What an amazing start to 2021 for UK EuroMillions players.\"\n\nA ticket-holder has now come forward to claim their prize.\n\nCamelot, which operates the lottery, said checks were being made on the claim.\n\nMr Carter said: \"It is fantastic news that the jackpot winning lucky ticket-holder has now claimed this enormous prize. We will now focus on supporting the ticket-holder through the process.\"\n\nThe winning numbers were 16, 28, 32, 44 and 48 with the lucky stars 01 and 09.\n\nTen other ticket-holders each won £1m in the UK Millionaire Maker New Year's Day event.\n\nIn 2019, a UK ticket-holder won the full £170m EuroMillions jackpot, making them Britain's richest ever lottery winner.\n\nAnd last year, a £57m EuroMillions prize claim was validated just before the deadline. The ticket had been bought in South Ayrshire.\n\nThe winning ticket holder's newfound cash means they are now wealthier than former One Direction singer Zayn Malik, who is worth £36m, according to the 2020 Sunday Times Rich List.\n\nAnd if they have a bit more money in the bank, they could buy one of the UK's most expensive homes, which went on the market last year.\n\nNobody won the EuroMillons Hotpicks jackpot on Friday, which uses the same numbers as the main draw, but one winner scooped the Thunderball top prize of £500,000.\n\nThe Thunderball numbers were 13, 17, 30, 34, 35 and the Thunderball was 01.", "Lisa Montgomery is scheduled for execution in January 2021\n\nA US appeals court has lifted a stay of execution on the only woman awaiting a federal death penalty.\n\nLisa Montgomery strangled a pregnant woman in Missouri before cutting out and kidnapping the baby in 2004.\n\nIf the execution goes ahead, she will be the first female federal inmate to be put to death in almost 70 years.\n\nMontgomery's execution date was originally set for last month but a stay was put in place after her attorneys contracted Covid-19.\n\nIt was then rescheduled for 12 January by the Justice Department. But Montgomery's lawyers argued that the date could not be set while a stay was in place.\n\nA court sided with her attorneys, stopping an order from the director of the Bureau of Prisons scheduling her death.\n\nBut on Friday, a panel of judges concluded that the director had acted under the law, allowing the execution to take place.\n\nMontgomery's legal team said they will file a petition for the judges to reconsider their ruling.\n\nThe last woman to be executed by the US government was Bonnie Heady, who died in a gas chamber in Missouri in 1953, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.\n\nFederal executions had been on pause for 17 years before President Donald Trump ordered them to resume earlier last year.\n\nIf the remaining executions go ahead, Mr Trump will have overseen the most executions by a US president in more than a century.\n\nMontgomery's execution date is just days before President-elect Joe Biden takes office.\n\nMr Biden, who for decades was a fierce supporter of the death penalty as a Delaware senator, has now said he will seek to end federal executions once he takes office.\n\nIn December 2004, Montgomery drove from Kansas to the home of Bobbie Jo Stinnett, in Missouri, purportedly to purchase a puppy, according to a Department of Justice press release.\n\n\"Once inside the residence, Montgomery attacked and strangled Stinnett - who was eight months pregnant - until the victim lost consciousness,\" it says.\n\nMontgomery cut into Stinnett's body to remove the baby, which she took with her in an attempt to pass it off as her own.\n\nIn 2007, a jury found Montgomery guilty of federal kidnapping resulting in death, and unanimously recommended a death sentence.\n\nBut Montgomery's lawyers say she experienced brain damage from beatings as a child and is mentally unwell, so should not face the death penalty.\n\nUnder the US justice system, crimes can be tried either in federal courts, at a national level, or in state courts, at a regional level.\n\nCertain crimes, such as counterfeiting currency or mail theft, are automatically tried at a federal level, as are cases in which the US is a party or those which involve constitutional violations.\n\nThe death penalty was outlawed at state and federal level by a 1972 Supreme Court decision that cancelled all existing death penalty statutes.\n\nA 1976 Supreme Court decision allowed states to reinstate the death penalty and in 1988 the government passed legislation that made it available again at federal level.\n\nAccording to data collected by the Death Penalty Information Center, 78 people were sentenced to death in federal cases between 1988 and 2018 but only three were executed.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. What's in store for US President-elect Biden in 2021? Senior North America reporter Anthony Zurcher looks ahead\n\nThe latest in a series of attempts by allies of President Donald Trump to overturn the November US election result has failed.\n\nA Texas judge rejected the case, brought by Republican Louie Gohmert, seeking to stop Vice-President Mike Pence from certifying the final result.\n\nLawyers for Mr Pence had asked for the case to be thrown out on Thursday.\n\nPresident-elect Joe Biden is due to take office on 20 January. Mr Trump is yet to concede.\n\nMr Gohmert, a Republican congressman, told Newsmax TV that he planned to appeal against the verdict.\n\nMr Trump's friends and colleagues in the Republican party have presented dozens of legal challenges to the November outcome which delivered a decisive win to Mr Biden.\n\nHis victory was announced after days of vote-counting that took longer than in recent years because of the huge number of postal ballots cast due to the coronavirus pandemic.\n\nMr Trump has made numerous unsubstantiated claims that Mr Biden's win, which saw the president-elect gain 306 electoral college votes to his rival's 232, was fraudulent.\n\nThe electoral college is a system whereby each US state has an allocated number of points that is granted to the overall winner in each state. The candidate who gains the majority wins the presidency.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Explaining the Electoral College and which voters will decide who wins\n\nCongressman Gohmert's case sought to allow Vice-President Mike Pence to reject some electoral college votes when they are ratified by Congress on 6 January.\n\nThe vice-president presides over the vote certification in Congress in a ceremonial role that involves opening and tallying the envelopes containing electoral college votes before announcing the result.\n\nMr Gohmert's case aimed to expand that role to allow Mr Pence to cast judgement on the validity of the votes and potentially replace votes for Mr Biden with ones for Mr Trump.\n\nBut Judge Jeremy Kernodle, who was appointed to the Texas court in 2018 by Mr Trump, rejected the case, saying it was based on speculative events.\n\nOn Thursday a lawyer from the US Justice Department representing Mr Pence urged Mr Gohmert to drop the case, suggesting that it was not the vice-president's office that should be scrutinising the outcome.\n\nAlthough most Republicans in Congress are expected to vote in favour of certifying the results, a small number including Senator Josh Hawley, say they plan to object. But their vote is not expected to change the outcome.\n\nMr Biden is due to be sworn in as president on 20 January at a scaled-back ceremony with just 1,000 tickets available due to Covid-19 precautions.", "All primary schools in London will remain closed for the start of the new term, the government has confirmed.\n\nLondon mayor Sadiq Khan said the government had \"finally seen sense and U-turned\" on its plan to allow pupils in some areas to return on Monday.\n\nLeaders of nine London local authorities had written to Education Secretary Gavin Williamson urging him to rethink the decision.\n\nMr Williamson said the city-wide closures were \"a last resort\".\n\nThe government said it had decided all primary schools in the capital would be required to provide remote learning after a further review of coronavirus transmission rates.\n\nVulnerable pupils and the children of key workers will continue to attend school, the government said.\n\nEarly years care, alternative provision and special schools will remain open, it added.\n\nSchools in nine London boroughs and the City of London district had been set to reopen - while those in the remaining 23 boroughs would have stayed closed from 4 January.\n\nThe decision was criticised and branded \"illogical\" by councillors and residents in the affected areas, who called for primary schools across the capital to move to online learning until 18 January.\n\nThey pointed out that Covid-19 infection rates were higher in some boroughs told to reopen schools than in others where they were not.\n\nIn a tweet, Mr Khan said a city-wide closure was \"the right decision\" and thanked education minister Nick Gibb for \"our constructive conversations over the past two days\".\n\n\"The government's original decision was ridiculous and has been causing immense confusion for parents, teachers and staff across the capital,\" Mr Khan said.\n\n\"It is right that all schools in London are treated the same, and that no primary schools in London will be forced to open on Monday\".\n\nDan Thorpe, leader of Greenwich council, said he was \"absolutely delighted\" to hear Mr Williamson had \"finally climbed down and reversed his decision\".\n\nKingston Council leader Caroline Kerr said she was \"dismayed\" at the government's handling of situation while a council statement added: \"It never made sense that neighbouring boroughs were being instructed to have different arrangements despite having similar rates of infection.\"\n\nIslington council leader Richard Watts said waiting until New Year's day to announce the further closures was \"unacceptable\".\n\nHe said the decision \"should have been made weeks ago, as the public health situation became clear\".\n\nMary Bousted, of the National Education Union, said the government was right to reverse its \"obviously nonsensical position\".\n\n\"What is right for London is right for the rest of the country,\" she said, and she called on ministers to \"do their duty\" by closing all primary and secondary schools nationwide for at least two weeks.\n\nPaul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders' union NAHT, accused the government of damaging public confidence with a \"confusing and last-minute approach\".\n\n\"Just at the moment when we need some decisive leadership, the government is at sixes and sevens,\" he said.\n\nShadow education secretary Kate Green said the move was \"yet another government U-turn creating chaos for parents just two days before the start of term\".\n\n\"Gavin Williamson must still clarify why some schools in tier 4 are closing and what the criteria for reopening will be,\" she said.\n\nGavin Williamson said closing schools across London was a \"last resort\"\n\nIn a statement, Mr Williamson said children's education and wellbeing remained \"a national priority\" and moving the whole of London to remote education \"really is a last resort and a temporary solution\".\n\n\"We will continue keep the list of local authorities under review, and reopen classrooms as soon as we possibly can,\" he said.\n\nHealth Secretary Matt Hancock said the situation in London had continued to worsen in the past week and infections and hospital admissions had risen sharply.\n\n\"While our priority is to keep as many children as possible in school, we have to strike a balance between education and infection rates and pressures on the NHS,\" he said.\n\nThe Department for Education had previously said decisions on school closures and openings were based on new infections, positivity rates, and pressures on the NHS.\n\nA spokeswoman for the department said: \"In response to concerning data about the spread of coronavirus, we have implemented the contingency framework for education in a small number of areas of the country, requiring schools to provide remote learning to all but vulnerable and critical worker children and exam years.\n\n\"Decisions on which areas will be subject to the contingency framework are based on close work with PHE, the NHS, the Joint Biosecurity Centre and across government.\"\n\nAre you a parent or teacher who will be affected by the London primary school closures? Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Bodycam footage shows the moments before a black man was killed by a police shooting in Minneapolis\n\nMinneapolis police have released bodycam footage of a fatal shooting by officers, the first death at the hands of police in the US city since that of George Floyd, a black man, in May.\n\nThe victim, Dolal Idd, 23, was a suspect in a felony and was stopped by police on Wednesday. He was also black.\n\nInitial witness statements and police say Mr Idd fired first and was shot dead when the officers returned fire.\n\nMinneapolis saw months of unrest after Mr Floyd's death in police custody.\n\nThe protests spread across the US amid allegations of police brutality.\n\nMr Floyd died after a police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes.\n\nThe footage from Wednesday's fatal shooting, from the bodycam of one of the officers involved, was released late on Thursday.\n\nIt shows the officers' cars blocking a white vehicle at a petrol station on the city's south side, not far from where Mr Floyd died.\n\nThe police are heard shouting \"Stop your car, hands up, hands up!\" before shots are fired, including by the officers.\n\nA female passenger in the car with Mr Idd was not hurt, police said, nor were the officers.\n\nMinneapolis police chief Medaria Arradondo said a gun was found at the scene.\n\n\"When I viewed the video that everyone else is viewing - and certainly the real-time slow-down version - it appears the individual inside the vehicle fired his weapon at the officers first,\" he said.\n\nPeople including Mr Idd's father Bayle Gelle gathered at the scene the following day, prompting fears of renewed protests.\n\n\"He was just sitting in the car, and bullets were shot at him, and no reason,\" he said, quoted by CBS News.\n\n\"Why are we here?... Because of colour. He is a black man. We want to know why my sweet son gets shot and killed.\"\n\nGeorge Floyd's death led to violent protests in the city, including this police station set on fire in May\n\nCity mayor Jacob Frey said he was committed to getting the facts and pursuing justice.\n\n\"We know a life has been cut short tonight and that trust between communities of colour and law enforcement is fragile,\" he said in a statement.\n\n\"Rebuilding that trust will depend on complete transparency.\"\n\nMr Floyd's death in May led to calls for reform or even abolition of the city's police department, but those efforts have stalled.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. More than 2,500 people take part in an illegal rave in northern France, despite the nationwide curfew\n\nAn illegal warehouse rave that began on New Year's Eve in France in defiance of coronavirus precautions has been shut down by police after arrests and clashes.\n\nSome of the 2,500 ravers in Lieuron near Rennes in Brittany had planned to party until Tuesday.\n\nPolice issued fines to revellers found leaving and the organisers were being identified as the party ended.\n\nA number of party-goers were from the UK and Spain, police said.\n\nAttendees clashed with police, setting fire to a car and throwing objects at officers attempting to shut the event down. At least three officers were injured.\n\nPolice broke up the three-day party that defied a nationwide curfew\n\nA driver was apprehended with turntables, speakers and a generator in the boot of the vehicle, according to French TV station BFM TV.\n\nPolice trying to stop the event faced \"fierce hostility from many partygoers\", a statement from local authorities said.\n\nBut at 05:30 local time on Saturday the ravers began to accept the party was over and started to leave the two disused warehouse hangars, the local prefecture said.\n\nSome revellers said they were hoping to stay until Tuesday\n\nInterior Minister Gérald Darmanin said on Twitter that trucks, sound equipment and generators were seized at the scene and an investigation has been opened.\n\nMore than 1,200 fines were issued for non-compliance with the curfew, not wearing a mask and attending an illegal gathering, Mr Darmanin said.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Gérald DARMANIN This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nOn Friday authorities said they had opened a sanitary cordon around the party and anyone leaving the event was urged to self-isolate for seven days.\n\nOne of the party-goers, who gave his name as Jo, told the AFP news agency that \"very few had respected social distancing\" at the event.\n\nA number of people slept in their cars before returning to dance, Le Monde newspaper reports.\n\nOne reveller told Le Monde that the rave was \"very well organised\" with food stalls inside.\n\nAnother, who came with four friends from Finisterre in north-west France, told the newspaper that she had wanted to \"escape\" for a few hours.\n\nOn Friday an interior ministry crisis meeting was held and all vehicle exits from the rave were blocked as police sought to shut down the party.\n\nFrance introduced strict rules ahead of the New Year including a curfew from 20:00 until 06:00.\n\nMore than 100,000 police officers were deployed across the country to break up parties and enforce the curfew.\n\nOfficers were instructed to break up underground parties as soon as they were reported, fine participants and identify the organisers.\n\nFrance has recorded more than 2.6 million coronavirus cases and 64,892 deaths since the pandemic began.\n\nOfficers elsewhere in Europe have also had to break up events in recent days.\n\nPolice dispersed a mass gathering near the Spanish city of Barcelona on Saturday where 300 people had been partying for more than 40 hours.\n\nThree footballers from London-based football team Tottenham Hotspur were photographed at a Christmas party last week in breach of coronavirus regulations.\n\nAnd in Essex, an illegal New Year's Eve party damaged All Saints Church near Brentwood. Church authorities have since received hundreds of pounds to pay for repairs.\n\nOfficers in Spain broke up the rave near Barcelona, which had been going on for more than 40 hours", "Officers dispersed the party at the Grade II* listed church before midnight\n\nThousands of pounds has been raised to pay for repairs to a 500-year-old church that was \"trashed\" during an illegal New Year's Eve party.\n\nHundreds of revellers attended the party at All Saints Church in East Horndon, near Brentwood, after the building was broken into.\n\nThree people were arrested on suspicion of public order and drugs offences.\n\nVolunteer group Friends of All Saints said it was \"completely overwhelmed\" by peoples' \"support and generosity\".\n\nChurch volunteer Astrid Gillespie said the damage was \"devastating\"\n\nThe fundraising page was set up on Friday and aimed to raise £2,000, but in less than 24 hours it had raised more than £8,700.\n\nIt said a \"massive clean-up\" was needed at the \"much-loved\" church after \"hundreds of revellers trashed the place\".\n\nEquipment was seized by police at the illegal party\n\nAstrid Gillespie, a volunteer with the Friends of All Saints, said event organisers had smashed a window to put in an extractor fan unit and wired sound equipment into the church's fuse box.\n\nShe said: \"It was a professional set-up. They had a bar area where you had to exchange tokens.\n\n\"It's such a beautiful church. To find out it's been damaged is devastating.\"\n\nReferring to the money that was raised, she said: \"Faith in humanity restored\".\n\nThe church, which is owned and maintained by the Churches Conservation Trust, has not been used for religious services since 1970, but regularly houses community events.\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk", "Researchers have been tracking changes to the \"spike\" of the virus\n\nThe new variant of Covid-19 is \"hugely\" more transmissible than the virus's previous version, a study has found.\n\nIt concludes the new variant increases the Reproduction or R number by between 0.4 and 0.7.\n\nThe UK's latest R number has been estimated at between 1.1 and 1.3. It needs to be below 1.0 for the number of cases to start falling.\n\nProf Axel Gandy of London's Imperial College said the differences between the viruses types was \"quite extreme\".\n\n\"There is a huge difference in how easily the variant virus spreads,\" he told BBC News. \"This is the most serious change in the virus since the epidemic began,\" he added.\n\nThe Imperial College study suggests transmission of the new variant tripled during England's November lockdown while the previous version was reduced by a third.\n\nCases of Covid-19 have begun to increase rapidly during the second spike, and the number of cases recorded in a single day reached a new high on Thursday.\n\nEarly results indicated that the virus was spreading more quickly among under-20s, particularly among secondary school age children.\n\nBut the very latest data indicates that it was spreading quickly across all age groups, according to Prof Gandy who was a member of the research team.\n\n\"One possible explanation is that the early data was collected during the time of the November lockdown where schools were open and the activities of the adult population were more restricted. We are seeing now that the new virus has increased infectiousness across all age groups.\"\n\nProf Jim Naismith, of Oxford University, said he believed that the new findings indicated that even tougher restrictions would soon be needed.\n\n\"The data from Imperial represent the best analysis to date and imply that the measures we have employed to date, would - with the new virus - fail to reduce the R number to below 1.\n\n\"In simpler terms, unless we do something different the new virus strain is going to continue to spread, more infections, more hospitalisations and more deaths.\"\n\nThe R number is the average number of people an infected person infects. If it is above 1 the epidemic is growing.\n\nThe most chilling finding from this piece of research is that the November lockdown in England, hard though it was for many people, would not have stopped the variant form of the virus spreading. The same severe restrictions that saw cases of the previous version of the virus fall by a third, would see a tripling of the new variant. This is why there has been such a sudden tightening of restrictions across the country.\n\nIt is unclear whether the current restrictions will be enough to control the spread of the virus. Given the fact that it has taken two lockdowns to stop the earlier version of the virus overwhelming the NHS, many scientists fear that further tightening will be necessary.\n\nInfection levels will begin to drop as enough people are vaccinated. But until then it is now more important than ever for people to follow social distancing guidelines, wear masks where required and to regularly wash their hands.\n\nThe new year brings with it hope of a more normal life in the next few months but also a new form of the virus that all of us will have to combat in the coming days and weeks.\n\nProfessor Lawrence Young, of Warwick University, said early indications suggested that vaccines would be effective against the new form of the virus.\n\n\"Variants virus have been around since the beginning of the pandemic and are a product of the natural process by which viruses develop and adapt to their hosts as they replicate.\n\n\"Most of these mutations have no effect on the behaviour of the virus but very occasionally they can improve the ability of the virus to infect and/or become more resistant to the body's immune response.\"\n\nFurther research is needed to understand why the variant is spreading so quickly. But early indications are that vaccines should be effective against it.\n\nThe new virus has been designated \"Variant of Concern 202012/01\" or VOC by Public Health England.\n\nIt was detected in November and thought to have originated in the south-east England in September.\n\nThere is no evidence to suggest that it is more deadly, but it will increase the number of cases which in turn will add further pressure on the NHS.\n\nThe variant can now be found across the UK, except Northern Ireland, but it is heavily concentrated in London, as well as south-east and eastern England.", "Amanda Quinn, who has early onset dementia, is cared for by her 23-year-old daughter Bethany\n\n\"It feels like you're being punished for something you didn't do.\"\n\nAmanda Quinn describes living through lockdown with early onset dementia as \"scary\" and \"feeling lost\".\n\nTwo years ago, she was diagnosed with the condition aged 49, and said the disease was a \"ticking time bomb\" for her husband and four children.\n\nAlzheimer's Society Cymru support worker Lorraine Davies said lockdown had brought a \"great sense of loss\" to many families.\n\nSince her diagnosis, Amanda says she has lost her sense of what day it is, her concentration, and she struggles with speech occasionally and suffers more with incontinence.\n\nWhen Wales went into a UK national lockdown on 23 March, Amanda said she did not leave her home in Treorchy, Rhondda Cynon Taf, for weeks.\n\nShe said her children have noticed a \"big change\" in her.\n\n\"I used to have a wicked sense of humour - I still have one, but it's not how I used to be,\" she said.\n\nBut for Amanda one of the worst parts of her condition is \"losing so many friends\" whom she said \"would rather cross the road\" than talk to her.\n\n\"They don't know how to interact with me anymore,\" she said.\n\nAmanda says her children have noticed a \"big change\" since she was diagnosed aged 49\n\nHer 23-year-old daughter Bethany Kingsley, who cares for her, said the pandemic has caused caring work to increase ten-fold.\n\n\"I have to keep an eye on mum a lot more now, because she doesn't know what to do with herself.\n\n\"But I have also got to look after my mental health side of it as well. There are days where I'm struggling,\" she said.\n\nNow Amanda does activities at home such as adult colouring books, baking with Bethany, and watches movies.\n\n\"It is like being a child,\" Amanda explained.\n\n\"My daughter says it's like we've switched roles and she has become the adult as she holds my hand when we cross the road.\n\n\"Although I can see a car, it doesn't register to me that it is not safe to walk out, all I can think is that I need to be on the other side of the road.\"\n\nBefore the pandemic, she attended dementia support groups in person, such as Memoria, a theatrical group of people with dementia and carers, whereas now she does this virtually.\n\nBethany says Covid has had a big impact on caring for her mother\n\nLast year, before the pandemic, Bethany put off moving away to study midwifery at university in Bristol.\n\nAlthough she said it was a \"difficult\" decision as she had wanted to do it for years, she said she was glad she was home to care for her mother during the pandemic.\n\nInstead she chose to study for an Open University course in health and social care from home.\n\n\"I thought my mother is the only person I've got at the end of the day and I would rather make sure she is safe and happy, rather than go off and leave her,\" she said.\n\nBut Amanda said she was concerned about how her condition will progress and affect her family more.\n\nThe 51-year-old said it was \"not fair\" that her daughter had to stay home because of her condition.\n\n\"It worries me how it will affect my children. I'm fortunate, I suppose, that I'm not going to know.\n\n\"I say I don't want to go into a care home but that wouldn't be fair on them - they have still got their whole lives to lead\".\n\nAmanda was still in her 40s when she was diagnosed\n\nAlzheimer's Society Cymru support adviser for younger people Lorraine Davies said there was a stigma attached to younger people with the disease and a \"lack of public awareness\".\n\n\"Some have mortgages, some have young families, and often they also care for older adults - so it has a different impact on them, and their social network of people.\n\n\"A lot of people living with dementia don't always feel they will have next year, so 2020 has been a great sense of loss to them because of the lockdown and restrictions,\" she said.\n\nThe charity estimates that there are between 2,000 to 3,000 people with young onset dementia in Wales, according to 2018 figures from the first Welsh Government national dementia action plan.\n\nHowever Lorraine said the figure was likely to be higher as getting a dementia diagnosis can be harder for younger people, and can take more than a year to have it confirmed.\n\n\"It is also more common for younger people to have rarer forms of dementia, so rather than being a typical Alzheimer's disease, associated with memory loss, a patient might have behavioural changes, but you might just think they are upset, stressed, or put it down to mood swings.\n\n\"Some people have been accused of being drunk, because they have slurred speech, but actually that is a symptom.\"\n\nShe said the Alzheimer's Society has organised virtual support groups for people with the condition and their carers during lockdown.\n\n\"Often younger people want to meet people like them, because it helps them not to feel so alone in this. Knowing that brings people comfort.\"\n\nSimon Hatch, the director of Carers Trust Wales, said the pandemic had highlighted the \"crucial role unpaid carers play both in providing exceptional, expert care to family and friends\".\n\nMr Hatch said the trust found that 44% of young adult carers it spoke to felt overwhelmed by the pressures they were facing.\n\nHe said although there was support available to carers they would need \"sustainable\" forms of this in the future.\n\nThere are about 45,000 people with dementia in Wales, according to the Alzheimer's Society.\n\nThe disease is considered \"early onset\" when it affects people under 65, according to Young Dementia UK.\n\nLorraine said the age distinction was made to mark the difference in financial support, as 65 was state pension age at the time.\n\nDementia itself refers to a set of symptoms caused by many diseases of the brain. The most common symptom is memory loss and difficulty concentrating.\n\nOther symptoms can include struggling to remember recent events, changes to behaviour, mood, becoming lost in familiar places or being unable to find the right word in a conversation.\n\nSpecific symptoms will depend on the parts of the brain that are damaged and the disease that is causing the dementia.", "Police made 17 arrests at the demonstration in Hyde Park\n\nPolice have made arrests at an anti-lockdown demonstration in central London.\n\nCrowds of between 200 to 300 people began to gather in Hyde Park, which is in a tier four coronavirus area, at about 13:30 GMT on Saturday, the Metropolitan Police said.\n\nSeventeen people were arrested on suspicion of breaching public health regulations.\n\nMost demonstrators had left the park by 16:45, police said.\n\nThe Met tweeted: \"Officers continue to engage with groups of people who have gathered in the Hyde Park area.\n\n\"A number of people have been arrested under health protection regulations and taken into custody.\n\n\"We urge those in the area to leave immediately.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Metropolitan Police Events This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nMore than two people are generally not allowed to meet in public under tier four rules.\n\nThe police force added: \"Officers will take enforcement action where we see clear breaches of the tier four rules.\n\n\"It's up to all of us to make the right choices and slow the spread of the virus.\"\n\nA group called The People's Lockdown, Stand For Your Human Rights, had said it was going to hold a event at Hyde Park on Saturday afternoon.\n\nIn an online post, it called on people to \"stand with your loved ones\".\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. \"I wish I could switch place with my daughter\" - Odd Steinar Sørengen's daughter is missing\n\nA body has been found shortly after rescuers and dog handlers began a risky ground search for 10 people missing in a hillside collapse in Norway.\n\nInitially it was thought too dangerous to send rescuers on to the site, after flowing mud sent homes toppling into a giant chasm in the village of Ask.\n\nHelicopters and drones spent two days searching the scene.\n\nBut on Friday police commander Roy Alkvist said one or two houses appeared safe to enter.\n\nRescuers, who included a Swedish specialist team, began moving into the danger zone on Styrofoam boards. The bright orange boards were laid down on the mud in a domino-effect as rescuers tried to reach one of the wrecked homes, which are 25km (15 miles) north-east of the capital Oslo.\n\nA missing Dalmatian dog was rescued on Thursday and police believe there is still a chance survivors could be found.\n\nHowever, on Friday afternoon an air ambulance helicopter landed near the site and police said a body had been found at 14:30 (13:30 GMT) without giving further details.\n\nRescuers are using orange Styrofoam boards to move around the landslide area\n\nPrime Minister Erna Solberg said her thoughts went out to the victim's family, and to those waiting for news of the other nine people who were missing.\n\nIn Friday's operation the rescuers also prepared a giant army vehicle called a \"paver\", which has a giant steel bridge on which rescuers can move.\n\nHowever, conditions were not yet good enough for the 50-tonne machine to be deployed.\n\nThe plan is to deploy a Norwegian army bridge-laying vehicle as soon as conditions are good enough\n\nFriday's search was a race against time, as the rescuers only had a few hours of daylight in the Norwegian winter. Medics and geologists were reportedly part of the ground rescue team.\n\nThe ground search was called off for the night at 17:30 and police said drones and heat-seeking cameras would continue overnight until rescue crews could return on Saturday morning.\n\nAbout 1,000 people have been evacuated from Gjerdrum municipality, which contains Ask village. Dozens more were moved out of their homes on New Year's Eve.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Aerial footage shows the scale of the landslide\n\nAlthough police have not given details of the missing, they are believed to include men, women and children.\n\nAmong them is a woman who was talking to her husband on the phone while walking the dog when the line went dead, according to Bergens Tidende newspaper.\n\nFurther reports say a couple and their small child are also missing, as well as a woman in her 50s and her adult son.\n\nMore than 30 homes have been destroyed, but officials say more could be lost as the edges of the crater left by the landslide are still breaking away.\n\nThe conditions have proved challenging, with temperatures dropping to -1C (30F) and the clay ground proving too unstable for emergency workers to walk on.\n\nThe scale of the landslide is shown by this aerial view of the disaster site\n\nThe landslide began early on Wednesday, with residents calling emergency services and telling them that their houses were moving, police said.\n\n\"There were two massive tremors that lasted for a long while and I assumed it was snow being cleared or something like that,\" Oeystein Gjerdrum, 68, told broadcaster NRK.\n\n\"Then the power suddenly went out, and a neighbour came to the door and said we needed to evacuate, so I woke up my three grandchildren and told them to get dressed quickly.\"\n\nA spokeswoman for the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE) told AFP that the landslide was a so-called \"quick clay slide\" measuring about 300m by 700m (985ft by 2,300ft).\n\n\"This is the largest landslide in recent times in Norway, considering the number of houses involved and the number of evacuees,\" Laila Hoivik said.\n\nQuick clay is a kind of clay found in Norway and Sweden that can collapse and behave as a fluid when it comes under stress.\n\nBroadcaster NRK said heavy rainfall may have made the soil unstable, but questions have since emerged over why construction was permitted in the area.\n\nA 2005 geological survey labelled the area as at high risk of landslides, according to a report seen by the broadcaster TV2. Despite this, the homes were built three years later in 2008.", "Hospitals across the UK are being told to prepare to face the same Covid pressures as the NHS in London and south-east England.\n\nSenior doctor Prof Andrew Goddard said the virus's highly infectious new variant was spreading nationwide.\n\nCase numbers were \"mild\" compared with where he expected them to be next week, he said, with doctors \"really worried\".\n\nIt comes as a further 57,725 people have tested positive for Covid - a new daily high.\n\nThis is the fifth day in a row new daily cases have been over 50,000 and brings the total number of cases to 2,599,789.\n\nAnother 445 deaths, of people who had tested positive within the previous 28 days, were reported on Saturday - bringing the total number of deaths to 74,570, according to government figures.\n\nThe UK-wide total for people in hospital with Covid has already passed the spring peak.\n\nHalf of the major hospital trusts in England are said to be dealing with more Covid-19 patients than at the worst point of the first wave in April, with the NHS facing its \"busiest winter ever\".\n\nProf Goddard, of the Royal College of Physicians, told BBC Breakfast: \"There's no doubt that Christmas is going to have a big impact, the new variant is also going to have a big impact, we know that is more infectious, more transmissible, so I think the large numbers that we're seeing in the South East, in London, in south Wales, is now going to be reflected over the next month, two months even, over the rest of the country.\"\n\nHe said: \"It seems very likely that we are going to see more and more cases, wherever people work in the UK, and we need to be prepared for that.\"\n\nPressure has been so great on hospitals in London and south-east England that some patients have been moved out of the area.\n\nLondon's weekly rate of coronavirus cases is 858 per 100,000 people, double the UK figure.\n\nDominic Harrison, director of public health for Blackburn and Darwen, said a decision on a new lockdown had to be decided \"in the next week\" - instead of waiting for the North to get to the same rates as the capital \"and 'call it late' which has been our pattern of response too often\".\n\nThe most recent UK-wide statistics, from 28 December, showed there were 23,823 people in hospital with Covid. That was already significantly higher than the spring peak, which saw 21,683 in hospital on 12 April.\n\nOnly English hospitals have released figures for the final three days of December - and these show that a further 2,302 Covid patients were occupying hospital beds on 31 December.\n\nLondon's Nightingale emergency hospital is ready to admit patients, the NHS has said, while other sites currently not in use are being readied.\n\nSorry, your browser cannot display this map\n\nProf Goddard said it was vital the public did not \"let their guard down\" and continued to follow government guidelines, including wearing a face mask, maintaining social distancing and washing hands.\n\n\"Until the vaccination hits and does its job - that's what our best defence is going to be,\" he said.\n\nDr Ami Jones, an intensive care consultant in Wales, told BBC Breakfast that \"hospitals are absolutely bursting\", adding that a quarter of her staff were currently off sick or self-isolating, making managing patients even more challenging.\n\n\"When we see the daily figures - we know that will sting us in about 10-12 days' time in the hospital,\" she said. \"We are not even at day 10 post-Christmas yet and it's already exceedingly busy.\n\n\"We are going to get to the point where we physically don't have the staff to look after people safely anymore.\"\n\nDr Jones also urged the public to \"please just obey the rules\", adding: \"Stop mixing with other households because it is spreading like wildfire - and we haven't got much more space in the hospitals left.\"\n\nDo you work in a hospital? Have you recently been treated in a hospital, or due to be treated? Email your experiences: haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "Last updated on .From the section Tottenham\n\nTottenham manager Jose Mourinho says he is \"disappointed\" after three of his players breached coronavirus rules by attending a party over Christmas.\n\nA picture on social media showed Argentina forward Erik Lamela, Spain defender Sergio Reguilon and Argentina midfielder Giovani lo Celso at a party.\n\n\"We are not happy - it was a negative surprise for us,\" said Mourinho.\n\nIn a statement, Tottenham said they were \"extremely disappointed\" and \"the matter would be dealt with internally\".\n\nWest Ham reminded Argentina forward Manuel Lanzini, who also attended the party, of his responsibilities.\n\nLanzini apologised in a tweet on Saturday, saying he made a \"bad mistake\".\n\n\"I take full responsibility for my actions,\" he said. \"I know people have made difficult sacrifices to stay safe and I should be setting a better example.\"\n\nLamela and Lo Celso were not involved in Saturday's 3-0 Premier League win at home to Leeds, while Reguilon, who joined from Real Madrid in September, was on the bench.\n\n\"I gave an amazing gift to Reguilon - Portuguese piglet,\" Mourinho said. \"Amazing for Portuguese and Spanish. I was told he would spend Christmas on his own. He was not alone as you could see.\n\n\"We, the club, feel disappointed because we gave the players all the education and conditions. We know what we are internally. We don't need to open the door to you and let you know what is going on internally.\n\n\"What are going to be the consequences and how deeply we approach that negative surprise? I feel disappointed.\"\n\nThe Spurs statement added: \"We strongly condemned the image showing some of our players with family and friends together at Christmas, particularly as we know the sacrifices everybody around the country made to stay safe over the festive period.\n\n\"The rules are clear, there are no exceptions, and we regularly remind all our players and staff about the latest protocols and their responsibilities to adhere and set an example.\"\n\nLamela has made two league starts and Lo Celso four this season.\n\nLanzini has featured in nine of West Ham's 17 league games, coming on as a substitute in Friday's 1-0 win at Everton.\n\nA West Ham spokesperson said: \"The club has set the highest possible standards with its protocols and measures relating to Covid-19 so we are disappointed to learn of Manuel Lanzini's actions.\n\n\"The matter has been dealt with internally and Manuel has been strongly reminded of his responsibilities.\"\n\nTottenham's home league game with Fulham, scheduled to take place on 30 December, was called off three hours before kick-off after a number of Fulham players tested positive for coronavirus or showed symptoms.\n\nMeanwhile, Fulham told BBC Sport they are looking into claims Aleksandar Mitrovic broke coronavirus rules by attending a New Year's party with Crystal Palace midfielder Luka Milivojevic.\n\nImages on social media, reported in the Sun , allegedly show the Serbia team-mates celebrating in London with at least seven other adults.\n\nThe mixing of households indoors is banned in London under the UK government's tier four restrictions.\n\n'Mourinho must be so angry'\n\nMourinho has been so critical and vocal of how the Premier League handled their situation [the Fulham postponement], which I totally disagree with him.\n\nYou have to accept we're in strange and difficult times - if it has to be called off at whatever time then it has to be called off.\n\nTo then see some of his players breaking the rules and laws, particularly when millions of people are sacrificing so much not only in this country but around the world, Mourinho must be so angry.\n• None A special and exclusive one-off chat with the music icon\n• None How has their rise come to define our culture?", "Liam Reilly fronted Bagatelle for more than 40 years\n\nIrish Eurovision singer and frontman of the rock band Bagatelle, Liam Reilly, has died aged 65.\n\nA family statement confirmed that Mr Reilly \"passed away suddenly but peacefully at his home\" on 1 January.\n\nMr Reilly fronted Bagatelle for more than 40 years and they had success with songs including Summer in Dublin and Second Violin.\n\nHe also came joint second at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1990 with the song Somewhere in Europe.\n\nThe song finished on 132 points, joint with France's entry sung by Joëlle Ursull, in the contest in Zagreb.\n\nMr Reilly, from Dundalk, County Louth, also composed Ireland's Eurovision entry for the contest in Rome in 1991, when Kim Jackson performed his song Could It Be That I'm In Love, which was placed 10th.\n\n\"We know that his many friends and countless fans around the world will share in our grief as we mourn his loss, but celebrate the extraordinary talent of the man whose songs meant so much to so many.\" the family statement added.\n\nJoe Gallagher, the band's promoter from Strabane, County Tyrone, told BBC Radio Ulster \"the talent that Liam brought to the music industry in Ireland is second to none\".\n\n\"Some of the songs that he has written are up there with some of the better songs written in Ireland,\" he said.\n\n\"He is one of the best singer-songwriters Ireland has ever seen or produced.\"\n\nMr Reilly also wrote songs for others, including The Wolfe Tones. The Irish group paid tribute to him on social media, describing him as \"a master songwriter\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by The Wolfe Tones 🇮🇪 This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. End of twitter post by The Wolfe Tones 🇮🇪\n\nStephen Travers, a member of the Miami Showband, said Mr Reilly was a \"national treasure\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Stephen Travers This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Bitcoin's value has soared over the past year\n\nBitcoin's value surged above $34,000 (£24,850) for the first time on Sunday as the leading cryptocurrency continued to soar.\n\nIt put the gain this year at almost $5,000, although by 17:00 GMT the price had drifted lower to about $33,000, according to the Coindesk website.\n\nThe rise was put down to interest from big investors seeking quick profits.\n\nIt comes after Bitcoin soared 300% last year, with the price of many other digital currencies also rising sharply.\n\nEthereum, the second biggest cryptocurrency, gained 465% in 2020\n\nSome analysts think Bitcoin's value could rise even further as the US dollar drops further.\n\nWhile the value of the US currency rose in March at the start of the coronavirus pandemic as investors sought safety amid the uncertainty, it has since dropped due to major stimulus from the US Federal Reserve. The currency ended last year with its biggest annual loss since 2017.\n\nBitcoin is traded in much the same way as real currencies like the US dollar and pound sterling.\n\nRecently it has won growing support as a form of payment online, with PayPal among the most recent adopters of digital currencies.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nBut the cryptocurrency has also proved to be a volatile investment.\n\nThe soaring price has raised concerns that Bitcoin is due for a dramatic correction, as happened three years ago when the value collapsed after a bull run.\n\nDuring the rally in 2017 Bitcoin came close to breaking through the $20,000 level, only to hit extreme lows and fall below $3,300.\n\nIt passed $19,000 in November last year before dropping sharply again.\n\nIn October, Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey cautioned over Bitcoin's use as a payment method.\n\n\"I have to be honest, it is hard to see that Bitcoin has what we tend to call intrinsic value,\" he said. \"It may have extrinsic value in the sense that people want it.\"\n\nMr Bailey added that he was \"very nervous\" about people using Bitcoin for payments pointing out that investors should realise its price is extremely volatile.", "The aftermath of an attack in August in Niger, which has suffered a number claimed by jihadist groups\n\nSuspected Islamist militants have attacked two villages in Niger, with reports of dozens of civilians killed.\n\nAround 49 died and 17 were injured in the village of Tchombangou, while another 30 died in Zaroumdareye - both near Niger's western border with Mali, Reuters reports.\n\nThere have been several recent violent incidents in Africa's Sahel region, carried out by militant groups.\n\nFrance said on Saturday that two of its soldiers were killed in Mali.\n\nHours earlier, a group with links to al-Qaeda said it was behind the killing of three French troops in a separate attack in Mali on Monday.\n\nFrance has been leading a coalition of West African and European allies against Islamist militants in the Sahel.\n\nBut the region continues to be affected by ethnic violence, banditry, and human and drug trafficking.\n\nIn light of Saturday's attacks, Interior Minister Alkache Alhada said soldiers had been sent to the area, according to French outlet RFI. But Mr Alhada did not say how many casualties there had been across the two villages.\n\nA local official, quoted by AFP news agency, said many people were killed, and a local journalist spoke of up to 50 deaths.\n\nNiger's Tillabéri region, where the villages are situated, lies within the so-called tri-border area between Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso, which has been plagued by jihadi attacks in recent years.\n\nTravel by motorbike has been banned in the region for a year, as part of efforts to stop incursions by Islamic militants, who often launch attacks from the vehicles.\n\nAreas of Niger are also facing repeated attacks by jihadists from Nigeria, where the government is fighting an insurgency by Boko Haram.\n\nLast month, members of the group killed at least 27 people in Niger's south-eastern Diffa region.\n\nThe latest attacks in Tillabéri come amid national elections in Niger, as President Mahamadou Issoufou steps down after two five-year terms.\n\nElection officials announced provisional results on Saturday, showing a lead for Mohamed Bazoum - a former minister and a member of Niger's ruling party.\n\nA second round of votes is expected to be held on 21 February, once ballots have been validated by the country's constitutional court.", "The former president posts that he has been told to report to a grand jury, \"which almost always means an Arrest\"."], "link": ["http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-55732301", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-55742664", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-55752373", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-55738183", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-55741990", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-55747064", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-55736160", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-55746745", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-55743084", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-55750944", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-55735178", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-england-manchester-55745825", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-55733527", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-55752056", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-55742569", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-55745714", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-55718070", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-55741985", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-55746293", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-54373904", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-55656823", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-55738918", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-55738564", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-55738741", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-55736239", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-55753606", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-55755159", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55757807", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-55734277", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-55688932", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55642375", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-55656824", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55751915", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-55750776", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-55751598", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-us-canada-55745861", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-northern-ireland-55753796", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-55739974", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-55757934", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55657090", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-55690001", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-55740965", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55748645", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55738174", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-55742583", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-55735237", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-55739973", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-55749175", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-us-canada-55730500", 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"http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-55521541", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-55523137", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-55520915", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-55523587", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-55515455", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/horse-racing/55522152", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55450393", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-55508141", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-55520658", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-55525269", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55514792", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-54373904", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-55523447", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-55503852", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-55521732", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55524795", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-55521687", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-55507012", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-55497274", 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"http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-55660807", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42636667", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-55726381", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-55683896", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-55735237", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-55731099", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-55640427", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-55733327", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-55718525", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-us-canada-55730500", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-55739271", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-55732938", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-51682000", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-55719860", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55740365", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-55683899", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-55708411", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-55727445", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-55739803", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-55730322", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-55730480", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-55719955", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55456854", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55519042", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-55506891", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-55506681", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55466395", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-55514504", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55515831", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/olympics/55506388", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55505722", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-55509582", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55450393", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55444188", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-55503536", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-55506661", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55514792", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-55513158", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-55514153", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-55511169", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-55509694", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-55513167", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-55514853", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-55507012", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-55396492", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-55518304", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-55506734", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55514363", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55515555", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-55515455", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-55515529", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-55497274", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election/us2020"]}
\ No newline at end of file
+{"title": ["Shares fall as new Covid strain spooks investors - BBC News", "Refunds pledge for scrapped Christmas travel plans - BBC News", "Covid: Case for recalling MPs over emergency, says Sir Keir Starmer - BBC News", "Rosalind Knight: Friday Night Dinner and Carry On actress dies aged 87 - BBC News", "Grace Millane murder: Jesse Kempson guilty of attacking two more women - BBC News", "Russian agent 'tricked into detailing Navalny assassination bid' - BBC News", "Marcus Rashford given Expert Panel Special Award at Sports Personality of the Year 2020 - BBC Sport", "Brexit: No trade deal unless 'substantial shift' from EU, UK says - BBC News", "Essex lorry deaths: Two found guilty of killing 39 migrants - BBC News", "Covid-19: NI Executive meeting over GB-NI travel ban - BBC News", "Covid outbreak declared at Swansea DVLA contact centre - BBC News", "Covid-19: Tighter restrictions likely, Sir Patrick Vallance warns - BBC News", "Harrods mega-spender loses Supreme Court challenge - BBC News", "Brexit: Johnson resists calls to extend transition into 2021 - BBC News", "European regulator says Boeing's 737 Max is safe - BBC News", "Covid: Cases rise as Christmas rules come into force - BBC News", "Sir Keir Starmer promises to shift power from Westminster - BBC News", "Coronavirus tier 4 restrictions: Aerial footage shows queues and empty streets - BBC News", "Covid-19: 'Serious disruption' feared as Dover halts traffic to France - BBC News", "Coronavirus as it happened: UK working to unblock border 'as fast as possible' - BBC News", "Sports Personality of the Year 2020: Lewis Hamilton crowned winner - BBC Sport", "Mocked drive-through Santa's grotto now 'magical' - BBC News", "Brexit: Hugo Boss and Zalando suspend NI deliveries - BBC News", "Covid-19: Christmas 'in jeopardy' after ban on UK travellers - BBC News", "Covid-19: Visitors from tier 4 and Wales 'must self-isolate' - BBC News", "Cardiff family split for Christmas after 'visa bungle' - BBC News", "Boy accidentally drowned in River Tees, inquest rules - BBC News", "Covid: Passengers stranded as countries ban UK travel - BBC News", "Halle synagogue attack: Germany far-right gunman jailed for life - BBC News", "Covid: Policing Christmas rule-breakers in Wales 'difficult' - BBC News", "Quarantine rules to be relaxed for business travellers - BBC News", "NHS workers: 'Vaccine is a game changer' - BBC News", "Avonmouth explosion: Four dead in Bristol water works blast - BBC News", "Covid: Jersey to enter 'hospitality circuit breaker' - BBC News", "Where and why earthquakes occur in Scotland - BBC News", "Piers Corbyn guilty of lockdown protest restrictions breach - BBC News", "Baby girl born from record-setting 27-year-old embryo - BBC News", "Chinese step up attempts to influence Biden team - US official - BBC News", "Fans return to English Football League matches after nine-month absence - BBC Sport", "Dune and Matrix 4 streaming plan prompts urgent talks from AMC cinemas - BBC News", "Ken Maginnis: Peer faces 18-month ban over homophobic bullying claims - BBC News", "As it happened: Covid-19 - UK first in Europe to pass 60,000 Covid deaths - BBC News", "Can cloud computing save money? - BBC News", "Covid rules: What are the restrictions in your area? - BBC News", "US revokes visas for 1,000 Chinese students deemed security risk - BBC News", "Covid rules on hospital visits and maternity appointments relaxed - BBC News", "Covid: First batch of vaccines arrives in the UK - BBC News", "Rapid Covid test: Daughter and mum, 95, hug for first time since March - BBC News", "Coronavirus: Much of NI lockdown to end next Friday - BBC News", "Fauci apologises for saying UK 'rushed' vaccine - BBC News", "Being a Chinese student in the US: ‘Neither the US nor China wants us’ - BBC News", "'Ditch 4K video and new tech to fight climate change' - BBC News", "Defund the Police: Obama says 'snappy slogan' risks alienating people - BBC News", "Asda joins rivals to pay back Covid rates relief - BBC News", "Brexit: EU and UK at odds over approval for food exports - BBC News", "Two Covid tests for students in England before quick Christmas exit - BBC News", "Brexit: Are both sides running out of road to make a deal? - BBC News", "Giscard d'Estaing: France mourns ex-president, dead at 94 - BBC News", "Avonmouth: Four dead in 'tragic' explosion - BBC News", "Covid: Unpaid carers 'should be prioritised for vaccine' - BBC News", "Coronavirus: US hits record Covid cases and hospitalisations - BBC News", "Cardiff Airport: Wizz Air base to create 40 new jobs - BBC News", "Brexit: 'Prospect of breakthrough receding' in UK-EU talks - BBC News", "Boeing 737 Max sees first firm order since crashes - BBC News", "Channel crossings: Suspected people-smuggling gang arrested in raids - BBC News", "Premier League and EFL agree rescue package amounting to £250m - BBC Sport", "Covid in Scotland: No extension to Scottish school Christmas holidays - BBC News", "Mad Max star Hugh Keays-Byrne dies aged 73 - BBC News", "Live animal exports to be banned in England and Wales - BBC News", "Covid: Some students not back until February next term - BBC News", "Coronavirus: Hackers targeted Covid vaccine supply 'cold chain' - BBC News", "Madeleine McCann still a missing person case - Dame Cressida Dick - BBC News", "As it happened: Four dead after silo tank blast - BBC News", "BBC Radio 1 announces Christmas guest presenter line-up - BBC News", "Covid-19 vaccine: First jabs 'could cut 99% of deaths' - Jonathan Van-Tam - BBC News", "GCSEs and A-levels: Extra measures 'to ensure fair exams next summer' - BBC News", "Matt Hancock 'thrilled' with Covid vaccine approval news - BBC News", "How machine learning is allowing thousands of students to sit exams at home - BBC News", "Covid-19: Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine judged safe for use in UK - BBC News", "'Multiple casualties' after Avonmouth explosion - BBC News", "Student Covid testing begins for Christmas exodus - BBC News", "Obama, Bush and Clinton pledge to film themselves getting Covid vaccine - BBC News", "Covid-19: Shoppers return to stores under England's new tier system - BBC News", "Top teacher wins $1m and gives half away - BBC News", "Engineering firm BiFab goes into administration - BBC News", "Ofsted points to total school disruption in some areas - BBC News", "Climate change: You've got cheap data, how about cheap power too? - BBC News", "Manchester United 1-3 Paris St-Germain: Neymar scores twice for Parisians - BBC Sport", "'We've just moved to a remote island we'd never visited' - BBC News", "Coronavirus: UK got vaccine first because it's 'a better country', says Gavin Williamson - BBC News", "Prince Charles 'praying' that more entertainment venues can reopen - BBC News", "Daryl Bunn death: Man guilty of one-punch killing in Maldon - BBC News", "Covid-19: 'Do not resuscitate' decisions complaints up - BBC News", "Topshop owner Arcadia limits gift cards to 50% of purchase - BBC News", "Enniskeen pipe bomb: Man is arrested after explosion - BBC News", "Covid-19: Millions to enter toughest tier and furlough extended - BBC News", "Port of Dover facing 'unnecessary holdups' on 1 January - BBC News", "MI6 'may be committing crimes in UK' - BBC News", "Covid cases in schools 'reflect community levels' - BBC News", "Covid: Toughest rules extended in south of England - BBC News", "Covid rules: What are the restrictions in your area? - BBC News", "Dangerous cladding: 'Fire patrols at our flats cost us £500,000' - BBC News", "Covid: Areas in England await Covid tier changes - BBC News", "Covid: 11,000 positive tests delayed in Welsh figures - BBC News", "Trump Twitter ‘hack’: Police accept attacker's claim - BBC News", "Covid-19: Patient waits 28 hours as hospitals struggle - BBC News", "Future of economy 'unusually uncertain', warns Bank of England - BBC News", "Tom Cruise: Recording emerges of star 'shouting at film crew' over Covid - BBC News", "Cancelling Christmas: 'They said they understood' - BBC News", "BA drops 15 long-haul routes including Seoul and Seychelles - BBC News", "China's Chang'e-5 mission returns Moon samples - BBC News", "As it happened: Millions move into tier 3 of virus rules in England - BBC News", "Staggered return for England's secondary schools next term - BBC News", "Brexit: Trade talks in 'a serious situation' says Boris Johnson - BBC News", "Bobby Storey: Funeral investigation completed by police - BBC News", "Covid vaccine: More than 130,000 vaccinated in UK in first week - BBC News", "Dominic Cummings: Politicians too focused on Twitter and gossip - BBC News", "Royal Christmas card: Prince William and Kate release family photograph - BBC News", "Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah: Air pollution a factor in girl's death, inquest finds - BBC News", "Nicola Sturgeon says Scottish drug deaths record 'indefensible' - BBC News", "Liverpool 2-1 Tottenham: Roberto Firmino's late winner sends Reds clear of Spurs at top - BBC Sport", "£30m fund for flats with dangerous cladding - BBC News", "Coronavirus: Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf says coronavirus approach 'has failed' - BBC News", "Timeline: Lockerbie bombing - BBC News", "Rail fare rise a ‘kick in the teeth’ for passengers - BBC News", "EU data law row threatens child abuse investigations - BBC News", "Equality debate can't be led by fashion, says minister Liz Truss - BBC News", "Covid: 'Miracle' survivor Mal Martin feared his life was over - BBC News", "'I've lost £20,000 in sales because of shipping delays' - BBC News", "Lockerbie - BBC News", "Concussion in sport: More former rugby union players prepare to take action - BBC Sport", "Serco: Test-and-trace firm hands £5m bonus to workers - BBC News", "Chancellor Rishi Sunak reveals date of next Budget - BBC News", "Brexit: 'Narrow path' in view for trade deal - EU chief - BBC News", "Jacob Rees-Mogg accuses Unicef of 'playing politics' over UK food campaign - BBC News", "Atlantic City to auction off demolition of former Trump casino - BBC News", "Google ad practices under fire in new lawsuit - BBC News", "Star Wars' Boba Fett actor Jeremy Bulloch dies aged 75 - BBC News", "Canary Islands: Holidaymakers react as quarantine deadline passes - BBC News", "Covid-19 in Wales: Mass testing a 'waste of resources' - BBC News", "Live: The Andrew Marr Show - BBC News", "Newham stabbing: Murder arrest after boy dies - BBC News", "Brexit: Any deal better than no deal, first minister says - BBC News", "Britons told not to stockpile food ahead of January - BBC News", "Energy bills: Automatic switching plan for fairer tariffs - BBC News", "Anthony Joshua knocks out Kubrat Pulev to raise hope of Tyson Fury bout - BBC Sport", "Merlin's beard! Harry Potter first edition sells for £68k - BBC News", "Brexit: What are the UK and EU doing to prepare for no deal? - BBC News", "Ikea sorry after port disruption causes stock shortage - BBC News", "Charley Pride: Country music singer dies of Covid-19 - BBC News", "Brexit: No-deal navy threat 'irresponsible', says Tobias Ellwood - BBC News", "Suspected gas explosion causes Lincolnshire house collapse - BBC News", "Brexit: Are chances of a trade deal rising again? - BBC News", "'Not enough' climate ambition shown by leaders - BBC News", "US Covid vaccination: 'The mission begins' - BBC News", "Covid: More tier 3 areas to get mass testing from Monday - BBC News", "Teenage glider pilot flies solo for first time on 14th birthday - BBC News", "Brexit trade talks: UK and EU to 'go the extra mile' in effort to agree deal - BBC News", "Boy and man arrested after teenager found dead in Lincolnshire - BBC News", "Brexit talks: UK and EU 'still very far apart on key issues', says PM - BBC News", "Covid: Public must think carefully about Christmas risk, NHS bosses warn - BBC News", "Rape investigation into Tory MP dropped by police - BBC News", "Coronavirus: US starts huge vaccine delivery operation - BBC News", "Marr challenges Raab on broken promises over free trade deal - BBC News", "US election: Pro-Trump rallies see scuffles in US cities - BBC News", "US Election 2020 - BBC News", "Brexit trade talks: ‘Political will’ needed for deal, says Dominic Raab - BBC News", "Covid in Scotland: Care home vaccinations to begin on Monday - BBC News", "Newborn baby found dead in Weston-super-Mare garden - BBC News", "Covid: Health board sees 'alarming' rise in cases - BBC News", "Paolo Rossi: Italian World Cup hero's home burgled during funeral - BBC News", "Covid: Christmas five-day relaxation period 'a mistake' - BBC News", "Peter Alliss: Legendary BBC golf commentator dies at 89 - BBC Sport", "Coronavirus: Vaccine rollout 'marathon not a sprint' - Powis - BBC News", "Manchester Arena bomber's brother Hashem Abedi admits involvement - BBC News", "Isle of Wight monolith: 'Magical' structure appears on beach - BBC News", "Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani admitted to hospital with Covid-19 - BBC News", "BBC Sound of 2021 longlist includes Griff, Girl In Red and Greentea Peng - BBC News", "Ikea scraps traditional catalogue after 70 years - BBC News", "South Africa v England: ODI series called off after Covid-19 tests - BBC Sport", "Ella Kissi-Debrah death: Family 'didn't know about toxic air' - BBC News", "As it happened: UK makes final preparations for mass vaccination - BBC News", "ITV broke Ofcom competition rules over postal votes - BBC News", "Flood inquiry 'would untangle' who is responsible, Plaid Cymru says - BBC News", "Ursula Von Der Leyen: 'Significant differences remain' in Brexit trade deal - BBC News", "Brexit: UK and EU make one last push for trade deal - BBC News", "What will climate change look like in your area? - BBC News", "Nottingham's Christmas market closes for the rest of the year - BBC News", "Covid-19: Welsh Government update - BBC News", "Rita Ora apologises for second breach of Covid lockdown restrictions - BBC News", "Covid forces Davos forum to move to Singapore - BBC News", "Salisbury Novichok-poisoned police officer 'fighting for pension' - BBC News", "Climate change: Snowy UK winters could become thing of the past - BBC News", "'Kevin's identity was stolen by police after he died' - BBC News", "Murder probe begins after woman, 48, dies in hospital - BBC News", "Covid-19: Vaccine preparations, care home tests and Trump's lawyer - BBC News", "School photo is viral internet meme, Adrian Smith finds - BBC News", "Covid in Scotland: Sturgeon confirms level 4 restrictions will end on Friday - BBC News", "Brexit: Are the borders ready? - BBC News", "Derby v Millwall: Man arrested over 'racist' Facebook posts - BBC News", "Coronavirus: Vaccine rollout could be 'decisive turning point' says health boss - BBC News", "Scotland: World Cup 2022 draw pairs Scots with Denmark, Austria, Israel, Faroe Islands & Moldova - BBC Sport", "Nottingham house party with 'up to 150 guests' raided by police - BBC News", "Covid: Scottish Care homes trial rapid tests for visitors - BBC News", "Fifa World Cup Qatar 2022: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland & Wales discover qualifying groups - BBC Sport", "Australia shark attack: Surfer survives mauling that was like 'being hit by a truck' - BBC News", "Roald Dahl family sorry for author's anti-Semitic remarks - BBC News", "London Gateway: £100m cocaine stash hidden in banana pulp - BBC News", "As it happened: Brexit talks fail to break deadlock - BBC News", "Paris 2024 Olympics: Breaking confirmed in Games programme - BBC Sport", "Covid: Military could be used to transport Covid vaccine - BBC News", "Brexit: Toyota says no-deal outcome will be 'very negative' - BBC News", "Zalando boss to quit 'to prioritise wife's career' - BBC News", "Mike Ashley's Frasers Group in Debenhams rescue talks - BBC News", "Coronavirus Italy: Man walks 450km after lockdown row with wife - BBC News", "Brexit: Can the PM's dash to Brussels save a deal? - BBC News", "Coronavirus: Weekend shopping returns but numbers down on 2019 - BBC News", "Millwall and QPR players to stand arm-in-arm in 'show of solidarity' before Tuesday's match - BBC Sport", "Beer and crisps used to help tackle climate change - BBC News", "Ex-judge Sir Peter Gross to head human rights law review - BBC News", "Civil partnership conversion for landmark gay couple - BBC News", "David Bowie coin launched towards space by Royal Mint - BBC News", "The Crown: Netflix has 'no plans' for fiction warning - BBC News", "Hayabusa-2: Japan asteroid sample lands safely on Earth - BBC News", "Brexit: Boris Johnson hails free trade deal with EU - BBC News", "Russian historian jailed for dismembering partner - BBC News", "Covid: Sharp rises in infection levels in England, says ONS - BBC News", "Covid-19: Sandringham Royal Family fans left 'disappointed' - BBC News", "Spain's King Felipe VI makes veiled dig at self-exiled father - BBC News", "UK white Christmas declared after overnight snow - BBC News", "Covid: Queen spends Christmas apart from family - BBC News", "Nashville explosion: Camper van blows up in 'intentional act' on Christmas morning - BBC News", "Withernsea: Whales stranded on beach die - BBC News", "Kent lorry chaos: More military support deployed for driver tests - BBC News", "Coronavirus doctor's diary: 'We turned 90, moved in together - then got the vaccine' - BBC News", "UK flooding: Bungay and Wainford homes evacuated and leisure centre shut - BBC News", "Covid: US parties wrangle in Congress after Trump shuns stimulus bill - BBC News", "Brexit: Selling it as a big win on both sides of the Channel - BBC News", "Norfolk flooding: 'Christmas miracle' as couple rescued in flash floods - BBC News", "Johnson gets the deal both sides wanted to achieve - BBC News", "Queen’s Christmas message 2020: ‘You are not alone’ - BBC News", "Covid: Heroic response praised in religious leaders' Christmas messages - BBC News", "Queen and Prince Philip to celebrate Christmas 'quietly' at Windsor - BBC News", "Mam Tor Christmas marriage proposal photographed by chance - BBC News", "Brexit deal: What is in it? - BBC News", "Brexit: How European leaders reacted to EU-UK trade deal - BBC News", "Covid-19: UK coronavirus deaths pass 70,000 - BBC News", "LadBaby bags third straight Christmas number one - BBC News", "Covid-19: US imposes tests on UK airline passengers - BBC News", "UK flooding: Billing Aquadrome park in Northampton evacuated - BBC News", "Bedfordshire flooding: More than 1,300 told to evacuate - BBC News", "Brexit: Firms warn 'clock is ticking' to keep goods moving - BBC News", "Brexit: EU diplomats briefed on Brexit trade deal - BBC News", "BBC receives 266 complaints over Vicar of Dibley - BBC News", "Kent lorry chaos: Thousands of lorry drivers spend Christmas in cabs - BBC News", "Queen's Christmas speech: 'You are not alone' - BBC News", "What Boris Johnson's mistake tells us about our future - BBC News", "Brexit deal 'will make UK safer', Priti Patel says - BBC News", "Puberty blockers: Parents' warning as ruling challenged - BBC News", "As it happened: Lorry numbers stranded at border continue to rise - BBC News", "Coronavirus: Hairdressers and restaurants in ROI to close on Christmas Eve - BBC News", "Covid-19: Can face masks make communal singing safe enough? - BBC News", "UK government 'likely to miss' broadband and 5G targets - BBC News", "Haulier ran Europe-wide drug ring from living room - BBC News", "Tesco puts buying caps on several products - BBC News", "Grace Millane murder: Jesse Kempson guilty of attacking two more women - BBC News", "Russian agent 'tricked into detailing Navalny assassination bid' - BBC News", "Royal Mail ends two-year dispute with union in 'landmark' deal - BBC News", "Covid in Scotland: Marquess of Bute charged with breaking travel laws - BBC News", "Ports chaos 'bad for trust and post-Brexit trade' - BBC News", "Essex lorry deaths: Two found guilty of killing 39 migrants - BBC News", "Covid-19: NI Executive meeting over GB-NI travel ban - BBC News", "Peter Cruddas: PM overrules watchdog with Tory donor peerage - BBC News", "Covid-19: UK sees over 80,000 excess deaths during pandemic - BBC News", "High death rate 'may be starting to fall' - BBC News", "Covid: How is Europe lifting lockdown restrictions? - BBC News", "Covid in Scotland: Scottish level four rules 'may be strengthened' - BBC News", "Covid-19: Tighter restrictions likely, Sir Patrick Vallance warns - BBC News", "Brexit: Johnson resists calls to extend transition into 2021 - BBC News", "Coronavirus: Impact of new variant on children investigated - BBC News", "Margaret Tebbit: Ex-minister's wife who survived IRA bomb dies aged 86 - BBC News", "Covid-19 pressure 'making Morriston Hospital unsafe' - BBC News", "Essex lorry deaths: Trial was halted after Priti Patel tweet - BBC News", "Covid-19: Christmas 'in jeopardy' after ban on UK travellers - BBC News", "Tashaun Aird: Family of murdered boy critical of school exclusion - BBC News", "Covid-19: Visitors from tier 4 and Wales 'must self-isolate' - BBC News", "Covid jab 'very likely' to protect against new variant - BBC News", "Covid in Scotland: Fears of level 1 businesses heading for lockdown - BBC News", "Covid-19: UK border latest, children's role and Biden's jab - BBC News", "Boy accidentally drowned in River Tees, inquest rules - BBC News", "'I was in the wrong' over Covid rules breach - Sturgeon - BBC News", "EU and UK in 'final push' for post-Brexit trade deal - BBC News", "Covid-19: French agree to ease virus travel ban - BBC News", "Covid: Wuhan scientist would 'welcome' visit probing lab leak theory - BBC News", "PSNI chief 'sorry' over policing at Black Lives Matter protests - BBC News", "Covid-19: Almost 3,000 lorries stuck in Kent as UK and France aim to restart freight - BBC News", "Covid vaccine: GPs in England to begin offering Pfizer jab - BBC News", "Boston death: Third teenager arrested on suspicion of murder - BBC News", "Coronavirus: Greenwich Council told 'keep schools open' - BBC News", "Gerard Houllier: Former Liverpool manager dies aged 73 - BBC Sport", "Cyberpunk 2077 makers apologise for game glitches - BBC News", "Suspected gas explosion causes Lincolnshire house collapse - BBC News", "Brexit: Are chances of a trade deal rising again? - BBC News", "Covid-19: Welsh Government update - BBC News", "The moment landmark hotel demolished in Virginia - BBC News", "Covid-19: London council tells schools to teach online - BBC News", "Brexit: UK and EU restart trade talks after leaders' call - BBC News", "Covid rules: What are the restrictions in your area? - BBC News", "People in Scotland told to 'cut down contacts' before Christmas - BBC News", "Covid: Man jailed for Scotland-Isle of Man water scooter crossing - BBC News", "US Election 2020 - BBC News", "Esther Dingley: Missing Briton was 'experienced hiker and loved life' - BBC News", "Brexit: Tentative progress made as EU hints at concessions - BBC News", "Britons told not to stockpile food ahead of January - BBC News", "All Windrush victims to get at least £10,000 - BBC News", "Gerard Houllier: Liverpool fans remember ex-manager who died, aged 73 - BBC News", "Covid-19: New Zealand and Australia agree on quarantine-free travel bubble - BBC News", "John le Carré: Tributes paid to 'a writer of immense quality' - BBC News", "Brexit trade talks: UK and EU to 'go the extra mile' in effort to agree deal - BBC News", "Boy and man arrested after teenager found dead in Lincolnshire - BBC News", "Covid in Scotland: First care home resident receives vaccine - BBC News", "'New variant' of coronavirus identified in England - BBC News", "Coronavirus: Hancock warns 'it's not over yet' as London heads for tier 3 - BBC News", "Leeds man who 'begged' for MRI scan dies from cancer - BBC News", "US election: Pro-Trump rallies see scuffles in US cities - BBC News", "First case of coronavirus detected in wild animal - BBC News", "New York cathedral gunman shot dead by police - BBC News", "Covid PPE: Hospital gowns that cost £122m never used - BBC News", "Covid: Christmas coronavirus rules easing 'makes no sense' - BBC News", "Covid: Public must think carefully about Christmas risk, NHS bosses warn - BBC News", "Coronavirus: US starts huge vaccine delivery operation - BBC News", "Justin Bieber teams up with NHS choir for Christmas number one race - BBC News", "Exeter attack victim used silent code on 999 call - BBC News", "Ikea sorry after port disruption causes stock shortage - BBC News", "Sizewell C: Government in talks to fund £20bn nuclear plant - BBC News", "Coronavirus: Your tributes to those who have died - BBC News", "Jesy Nelson leaves Little Mix: 'The constant pressure is very hard' - BBC News", "Covid-19: London joins tier 3, a virus variant and an artist's NHS tribute - BBC News", "London theatres 'devastated' to close again under tier 3 restrictions - BBC News", "Covid: Health board sees 'alarming' rise in cases - BBC News", "Covid-19: London mayor calls for schools to close early - BBC News", "Australia storms: Dog rescued and beaches damaged as extreme weather hits coast - BBC News", "Stargazers watch the total eclipse in Argentina's Neuquen province - BBC News", "Human-made objects to outweigh living things - BBC News", "Police weapons scheme offers £2 per knuckle-duster - BBC News", "Covid: NHS faces 'difficult choices', says health minister - BBC News", "Greater Manchester Police 'failed to record 80,000 crimes in a year' - BBC News", "Joe Biden's son Hunter says he is under investigation over taxes - BBC News", "Covid: Christmas fears sees parents pull children from school - BBC News", "Tesco and Morrisons defy call to shut on Boxing Day - BBC News", "Paolo Rossi: Italy's 1982 World Cup hero dies aged 64 - BBC Sport", "Coronavirus updates: London, Essex and Kent see 'worrying' rise in cases, says Hancock - BBC News", "Paolo Rossi, Italy's 1982 World Cup hero, dies aged 64 - BBC News", "Elderly couple 'happily married' before dementia killing, report finds - BBC News", "Brexit: Trade talks 'unlikely' to go beyond Sunday, says Dominic Raab - BBC News", "Mahalia and Nines win big at MOBOs 2020 - BBC News", "Brexit: Trade deal now looking remote - BBC News", "Thirty-two men charged with sex abuse of eight girls - BBC News", "Court finds UK war crimes but will not take action - BBC News", "Vulnerable teen given tent to live in, watchdog report finds - BBC News", "TV Host Ellen DeGeneres tests positive for Covid-19 - BBC News", "Covid-19 tests for secondary school pupils in parts of London, Kent and Essex - BBC News", "Extinction: Conservation success set against 31 lost species - BBC News", "Translink: Belfast bus driver praised for care home visit detour - BBC News", "Kay Burley: Sky News presenter off air during Covid breach inquiry - BBC News", "As it happened: Brexit trade talks end without decision - BBC News", "Home sales rise but slowdown expected next year - BBC News", "Google fined £91m over ad-tracking cookies - BBC News", "Black hair code launched to tackle racial discrimination - BBC News", "Brexit: 'Large gaps' remain after trade talks with Ursula von der Leyen - BBC News", "Kay Burley: Sky News presenter off air for six months after Covid breach - BBC News", "Royal Mail delays blamed on 'exceptional' volumes of post - BBC News", "Covid-19: France moves to night-time curfew from 15 December - BBC News", "Asian honeybees 'defend hives from hornets with faeces' - BBC News", "Shropshire hospital 'blamed' mothers for babies' deaths - BBC News", "US Covid vaccine: Three key questions answered - BBC News", "Covid-19: Man gets vaccine days after wife's virus death - BBC News", "Covid Wales: Secondary schools 'move online' from Monday - BBC News", "Coronavirus: NHS Covid-19 app starts offering self-isolate payments - BBC News", "Covid: NHS long waits 100 times higher than before - BBC News", "Liverpool mayor Joe Anderson steps aside amid bribery probe - BBC News", "Brexit: 'Strong possibility' of no trade deal with EU - PM - BBC News", "Taylor Swift announces second surprise album of 2020 - BBC News", "Elon Musk's Starship prototype makes a big impact - BBC News", "US election: YouTube to ban videos alleging widespread voter fraud - BBC News", "Media and tech firms join forces to tackle harmful Covid vaccine myths - BBC News", "London councillor accidentally causes fire during virtual meeting - BBC News", "Covid-19: Canary Islands added to UK quarantine list - BBC News", "Covid-19 rules leave shops on a 'knife edge' - BBC News", "Brexit food supply fears grow: 'It's too late, baby' - BBC News", "Britons could be barred from EU entry on 1 January - BBC News", "Artemis: Nasa picks astronauts for new Moon missions - BBC News", "MSPs call for further changes to Hate Crime Bill - BBC News", "Covid patients in Wales' hospitals at highest levels yet - BBC News", "Avonmouth explosion: Four dead in Bristol water works blast - BBC News", "Covid: Nurses fear for vaccine delay over booking problem - BBC News", "Covid-19: Welsh Government update - BBC News", "Avonmouth explosion: Boy, 16, among four workers killed - BBC News", "Virus levels falling across most of England, says ONS - BBC News", "Lidl joins shops in repaying Covid rates relief - BBC News", "Dune and Matrix 4 streaming plan prompts urgent talks from AMC cinemas - BBC News", "Sir Ian McKellen backs bid to buy JRR Tolkien house - BBC News", "Call for probe into 'missing' £50bn of UK cash - BBC News", "Covid-19: UK 'confident' of having 800,000 vaccine doses by next week - BBC News", "Covid: Wedding cancelled as venue becomes vaccination centre - BBC News", "Plane makes emergency landing on US highway - BBC News", "Covid: First batch of vaccines arrives in the UK - BBC News", "Covid: Pub alcohol ban sees barrels of beer poured away - BBC News", "Christmas singles flood UK top 40 chart - BBC News", "'Tsunami of grief' warning over Covid deaths - BBC News", "Fauci apologises for saying UK 'rushed' vaccine - BBC News", "Primark predicts rising sales despite Covid hit - BBC News", "Coronavirus: NI businesses welcome relaxed rules for Christmas - BBC News", "Brexit: Have trade talks taken a turn for the worse? - BBC News", "As it happened: R number for UK Covid transmission falls slightly to between 0.8 and 1 - BBC News", "Brexit: Are the borders ready? - BBC News", "Lightwater Valley fined £350k over boy's rollercoaster fall - BBC News", "Emily Jones: Bolton child's killer cleared of murder - BBC News", "Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson arrested in bribery probe - BBC News", "Coronavirus vaccine: First doses of Pfizer jab arrive in NI - BBC News", "I'm A Celebrity brings in over £1m for Welsh economy - BBC News", "Covid-19: Care home vaccinations to start 'within two weeks' - BBC News", "Three die and two in hospital after Bothwell crash - BBC News", "Brexit: 'Prospect of breakthrough receding' in UK-EU talks - BBC News", "Government to cut £1bn from rail budget - BBC News", "Disruption after 'thundersnow' hits Scotland - BBC News", "Brexit talks: What comes next as negotiators hit pause button? - BBC News", "Esther Dingley: Search halted due to bad weather - BBC News", "Time Kid of the Year Gitanjali Rao aims to ‘solve world’s problems’ - BBC News", "Joe White: UK appoints entrepreneur as first tech envoy to US - BBC News", "Cyber-warning for festive shoppers - BBC News", "Madeleine McCann still a missing person case - Dame Cressida Dick - BBC News", "John O'Groats-Land's End 'record speed' driver cleared - BBC News", "Government to 'redefine treasure finds' in England and Wales - BBC News", "Coronavirus: Peter Corry challenges MLAs on theatre reopening plans - BBC News", "Germany to wipe Nazi traces from phonetic alphabet - BBC News", "Obama, Bush and Clinton pledge to film themselves getting Covid vaccine - BBC News", "Post-Brexit trade talks paused amid 'significant divergences' - BBC News", "British Airways' souvenir sale hits snag as demand soars - BBC News", "Shukri Yahye-Abdi: Schoolgirl's river death 'was an accident' - BBC News", "Coronavirus: UK got vaccine first because it's 'a better country', says Gavin Williamson - BBC News", "Covid: First people to be vaccinated in Wales on Tuesday - BBC News", "GCSE and A-level exam replacements in Wales must 'stand test of time' - BBC News", "Arsenal 3-1 Chelsea: Gunners end winless run in Premier League - BBC Sport", "Russian historian jailed for dismembering partner - BBC News", "Covid-19: Sandringham Royal Family fans left 'disappointed' - BBC News", "UK white Christmas declared after overnight snow - BBC News", "Covid: Boxing Day sales expected to plummet amid pandemic - BBC News", "Nashville explosion: Camper van blows up in 'intentional act' on Christmas morning - BBC News", "Bedfordshire flooding: Water levels pass 'peak' but warnings remain - BBC News", "Nashville explosion: Businesses and celebrities pledge $315,000 reward - BBC News", "Brexit: UK and EU can have 'special relationship', says Michael Gove - BBC News", "Queen’s Christmas message 2020: ‘You are not alone’ - BBC News", "Queen and Prince Philip to celebrate Christmas 'quietly' at Windsor - BBC News", "Brexit deal: What is in it? - BBC News", "George Blake: Soviet Cold War spy and former MI6 officer dies in Russia - BBC News", "Covid-19: UK coronavirus deaths pass 70,000 - BBC News", "LadBaby bags third straight Christmas number one - BBC News", "Covid-19: US imposes tests on UK airline passengers - BBC News", "Covid-19: Tougher Covid rules begin for millions in UK - BBC News", "Erdington murder probe after man 'deliberately' driven at by car - BBC News", "Chinese economy to overtake US 'by 2028' due to Covid - BBC News", "Bedfordshire flooding: More than 1,300 told to evacuate - BBC News", "Bryony Frost creates history on Frodon in King George VI Chase at Kempton - BBC Sport", "Covid: Festive charity dips cancelled due to pandemic - BBC News", "Mainland Scotland moves into level 4 lockdown - BBC News", "Covid rules: What are the restrictions in your area? - BBC News", "Aerial footage shows flooding in Bedfordshire - BBC News", "Storm Bella: Gusts of more than 100mph recorded in UK - BBC News", "Lewis Hamilton says Black Lives Matter gave him 'extra drive' in 2020 - BBC Sport", "Queen's Christmas message returns to top of TV ratings - BBC News", "737 Max: Air Canada flight in unscheduled landing after engine issue - BBC News", "Coronavirus: EU countries begin mass vaccination - BBC News", "Kent lorry chaos: Thousands of lorry drivers spend Christmas in cabs - BBC News", "Queen's Christmas speech: 'You are not alone' - BBC News", "Storm Bella: Weather warnings in force on Boxing Day - BBC News", "Brexit deal 'will make UK safer', Priti Patel says - BBC News", "Covid: Post-exposure antibody protection trialled - BBC News", "SolarWinds Orion: More US government agencies hacked - BBC News", "Covid: US Vice-President Mike Pence receives vaccine live on TV - BBC News", "Alex Rodda death: Murder accused 'embarrassed about sexuality' - BBC News", "Covid: Welsh Government briefing on Friday 18 December - BBC News", "Covid: Pandemic 'exposes' UK security planning gaps - BBC News", "As it happened: PM repeats 'little Christmas' plea as Covid infections rise - BBC News", "Electric cars will leave hole in tax revenues, says Treasury - BBC News", "Cyberpunk 2077: Sony pulls game from PlayStation while Xbox offers refunds - BBC News", "Japan snowstorm: 'I had to eat snow' - BBC News", "Coronavirus: UK R number back above one - BBC News", "Greater Manchester Police failings: Andy Burnham 'should resign' - BBC News", "Burnley's Pastor Mick - from dangerous drug dealer to lifesaver - BBC News", "RNLI sells two Ferraris to buy Pwllheli lifeboat station - BBC News", "Wildfire smoke may spread infectious disease - BBC News", "Coronavirus: Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf says coronavirus approach 'has failed' - BBC News", "Localised flooding as heavy rain hits parts of Wales - BBC News", "Chef 'comes of age' to win Masterchef: The Professionals title - BBC News", "Chickens culled after bird flu confirmed in Orkney - BBC News", "Dog theft: Organised crime driving ‘epidemic’ of dog snatching - BBC News", "Covid: Child abuse referrals up nearly 80%, says NSPCC - BBC News", "Covid-19: PM hopes to avoid third lockdown in England, and school staff 'broken' - BBC News", "Jacob Rees-Mogg accuses Unicef of 'playing politics' over UK food campaign - BBC News", "Christmas post delays blamed on 'high demand' - BBC News", "Property site listings exclude renters on benefits - BBC News", "'Just a few hours' left to agree Brexit trade deal, says Michel Barnier - BBC News", "Covid: Boris Johnson 'hoping to avoid' national lockdown - BBC News", "Covid patient urges people not to visit family at Christmas - BBC News", "Atlantic City to auction off demolition of former Trump casino - BBC News", "Hampshire 'toxic' police unit officers guilty of gross misconduct - BBC News", "Covid: Toughest rules extended in south of England - BBC News", "Covid in Scotland: Most councils are in level 3 - is yours one of them? - BBC News", "Japan: Snow traps 1,000 drivers in frozen traffic jam - BBC News", "Google sued again over anti-competitive search practices - BBC News", "Pre-Christmas lockdown restrictions hit retail sales - BBC News", "'Appalling' safety at Asda buyers' former company - BBC News", "Covid rules: What are the restrictions in your area? - BBC News", "Staggered return for England's secondary schools next term - BBC News", "Brexit: Trade talks in 'a serious situation' says Boris Johnson - BBC News", "Star Wars' Boba Fett actor Jeremy Bulloch dies aged 75 - BBC News", "Pressure on hospitals 'at a really dangerous point' - BBC News", "Covid: Warning crisis in hospitals will get 'worse' - BBC News", "Greater Manchester Police chief Ian Hopkins stands down amid force failures - BBC News", "Your pictures of Scotland 11 - 18 December - BBC News", "Covid: 'I worked on Priscilla - now I'm a bin man' - BBC News", "Meghan settles case over Archie photos with Splash UK agency - BBC News", "School staff 'broken' by England's late Covid test plan - BBC News", "Encrypted messaging puts children at risk, commissioner warns - BBC News", "Covid: Royal visit during pandemic questioned by minister - BBC News", "Manchester Arena bomber's brother Hashem Abedi admits involvement - BBC News", "Covid-19 vaccination: Needle phobia - it's the jab, not the vaccine, some fear - BBC News", "South Africa v England: Tourists' 'unconfirmed' coronavirus cases declared false - BBC Sport", "Honda pauses production after UK port woes - BBC News", "Covid-19 vaccine: 'Others deserve it before me' - BBC News", "Ella Kissi-Debrah death: Family 'didn't know about toxic air' - BBC News", "Venice floods as weather catches city off-guard - BBC News", "Brexit: UK and EU reach deal on Northern Ireland border checks - BBC News", "Safety data on Pfizer jab released by US - BBC News", "Oxford Covid vaccine 'safe and effective' study shows - BBC News", "Cold water swim 'obliterated' woman's short-term memory - BBC News", "PSG v Istanbul Basaksehir: Both teams walk off pitch as match abandoned - BBC Sport", "Brexit food supply fears grow: 'It's too late, baby' - BBC News", "Under-18s banned from lottery scratchcards in crackdown - BBC News", "Covid forces Davos forum to move to Singapore - BBC News", "Isle of Wight monolith: Designer claims responsibility for structure - BBC News", "'Brother against brother' in Trump country - BBC News", "School photo is viral internet meme, Adrian Smith finds - BBC News", "Brexit: Are the borders ready? - BBC News", "Shakespeare gets Covid vaccine: All's well that ends well - BBC News", "Coronavirus: Vaccine rollout could be 'decisive turning point' says health boss - BBC News", "Vaccine rumours debunked: Microchips, 'altered DNA' and more - BBC News", "Fifa World Cup Qatar 2022: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland & Wales discover qualifying groups - BBC Sport", "Kay Burley: Sky News presenter apologises for Covid breach - BBC News", "'Covid killed my wife - so I'm taking part in a vaccine trial' - BBC News", "Steve Thompson in group of ex-rugby union internationals to sue for brain damage - BBC Sport", "Madeleine McCann: Public 'would reach same conclusion' on suspect - BBC News", "Paris 2024 Olympics: Breaking confirmed in Games programme - BBC Sport", "Uber sells self-driving cars to focus on profits - BBC News", "Louise Smith death: Shane Mays guilty of murdering teenager in woods - BBC News", "Brexit: Will Brussels dinner prove to be the last supper? - BBC News", "RB Leipzig 3-2 Man Utd: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side knocked out of Champions League - BBC Sport", "Covid: Christmas comes early as grocery sales 'hit record' in November - BBC News", "Queen seen with family for first time during Covid-19 pandemic - BBC News", "Covid: UK vaccination programme getting under way - BBC News", "'Mix-and-match' coronavirus vaccines to be tested - BBC News", "Coronavirus Italy: Man walks 450km after lockdown row with wife - BBC News", "Brexit: Can the PM's dash to Brussels save a deal? - BBC News", "Millwall and QPR players to stand arm-in-arm in 'show of solidarity' before Tuesday's match - BBC Sport", "Covid-19 vaccine: First person receives Pfizer jab in UK - BBC News", "Coronavirus: Your tributes to those who have died - BBC News", "Civil partnership conversion for landmark gay couple - BBC News", "As it happened: 'End is in sight' as UK Covid vaccinations under way, says Matt Hancock - BBC News", "Millwall fans applaud as players unite behind anti-racism banner before QPR match - BBC Sport", "Coronavirus: Londoners 'must stick to rules' amid tier 3 fears - BBC News", "Lloyd Austin: Biden picks ex-general as defence secretary - BBC News", "Scotland's toughest Covid restrictions to be eased - BBC News", "Post-Brexit trade talks paused amid 'significant divergences' - BBC News", "Facebook: Woman's social media search for kidney donor amid pandemic - BBC News", "Brexit talks: What comes next as negotiators hit pause button? - BBC News", "Chelsea 3-1 Leeds United: Blues go top after comeback win in front of fans - BBC Sport", "Liverpool mayor Joe Anderson bailed in bribery inquiry - BBC News", "British Airways' souvenir sale hits snag as demand soars - BBC News", "Daca: Judge orders Trump to restore undocumented immigrants scheme - BBC News", "Covid: Argentina passes tax on wealthy to pay for virus measures - BBC News", "Obama and Jordan basketball vests sell for record sums - BBC News", "World's biggest iceberg captured by RAF cameras - BBC News", "Bullying: Schoolmates 'told me to die' in online posts - BBC News", "Millwall 'dismayed and saddened' by fans' booing of players taking a knee - BBC Sport", "Covid in Scotland: First vaccine arrives in Scotland - BBC News", "Erlestoke Prison guard: Drug smuggler has jail term increased - BBC News", "Jamaica flight: Prisoner tests positive for Covid-19 - BBC News", "Covid: NHS rapid test use defended amid accuracy concerns - BBC News", "Avonmouth explosion: Boy, 16, among four workers killed - BBC News", "Hayabusa-2: Capsule with asteroid samples in 'perfect' shape - BBC News", "Sir Keir Starmer self isolates after staff member tests positive for virus - BBC News", "Brexit: Are the borders ready? - BBC News", "South Africa v England: ODI series to start on Sunday after negative coronavirus tests - BBC Sport", "Covid: Pub alcohol ban sees barrels of beer poured away - BBC News", "Millwall 0-1 Derby: Game overshadowed by fans booing players taking a knee before kick-off - BBC Sport", "Lightwater Valley fined £350k over boy's rollercoaster fall - BBC News", "Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson arrested in bribery probe - BBC News", "Bird flu: All captive birds in Britain to be kept indoors amid outbreak - BBC News", "Coronavirus vaccine: First doses of Pfizer jab arrive in NI - BBC News", "Illingworth explosion: Three people taken to hospital - BBC News", "Covid: Wedding cancelled as venue becomes vaccination centre - BBC News", "Covid: Second phase of mass testing starts in Lower Cynon Valley - BBC News", "Fort Bragg: Foul play suspected in two soldiers' deaths - BBC News", "As it happened: Brexit - UK and EU leaders agree to resume trade talks - BBC News", "Ursula Von Der Leyen: 'Significant differences remain' in Brexit trade deal - BBC News", "Covid-19: Care home vaccinations to start 'within two weeks' - BBC News", "Man charged with murdering two women in Kent in 1987 - BBC News", "Brexit stalemate: Boris Johnson and Ursula Von Der Leyen seek to break trade deal deadlock - BBC News", "Christmas singles flood UK top 40 chart - BBC News", "Severe flooding disrupts trains and trams in parts of Scotland - BBC News", "Italy: Police arrest 19 suspected people smugglers - BBC News", "Arsenal 3-1 Chelsea: Gunners end winless run in Premier League - BBC Sport", "Brexit: PM vows to focus on 'levelling up country' after securing deal - BBC News", "Covid: South Africa passes one million infections as cases surge - BBC News", "Covid-19: London Ambulance Service receives as many 999 calls as first wave - BBC News", "Climate change: Extreme weather causes huge losses in 2020 - BBC News", "Covid in Scotland: Health leaders warn NHS could be 'overwhelmed' - BBC News", "Drakeford: Wales has less influence on Johnson - BBC News", "Iran: Climbers die in blizzards and avalanche - BBC News", "Covid: Boxing Day sales expected to plummet amid pandemic - BBC News", "Brodie Lee: AEW and ex-WWE Wrestler Jon Huber dies age 41 - BBC News", "Tesco: Brexit impact on food prices 'very modest' - BBC News", "Nashville explosion: Businesses and celebrities pledge $315,000 reward - BBC News", "Andy Murray awarded wildcard for February's delayed Australian Open - BBC Sport", "George Blake: Soviet Cold War spy and former MI6 officer dies in Russia - BBC News", "Covid-19: US imposes tests on UK airline passengers - BBC News", "Covid-19: Tougher Covid rules begin for millions in UK - BBC News", "Seven killed in knife attack in China's Liaoning province - BBC News", "Black Lives Matter: My year as an accidental anti-racism activist - BBC News", "Chinese economy to overtake US 'by 2028' due to Covid - BBC News", "Teen critically injured in Stockport police vehicle crash - BBC News", "Covid: Cardiff health board plea for critical care help - BBC News", "Bryony Frost creates history on Frodon in King George VI Chase at Kempton - BBC Sport", "Covid rules: What are the restrictions in your area? - BBC News", "Covid: Citizens Advice contacted by '12 people a minute' - BBC News", "Storm Bella: Gusts of more than 100mph recorded in UK - BBC News", "Covid-19: UK records 30,000 new cases and 316 deaths - BBC News", "UK's oldest postmistress Kay White retires after 80 years - BBC News", "Margaret Thatcher: Ex-PM described euro as a 'rush of blood to the head' - BBC News", "Liverpool 1-1 West Bromwich Albion: Semi Ajayi scores dramatic late equaliser - BBC Sport", "Coronavirus: EU countries begin mass vaccination - BBC News", "Irish state papers: IRA 'wanted to exclude Sinn Féin from talks' - BBC News", "Covid-19: Ireland intends to start vaccinations on Tuesday - BBC News", "Cobra bite Isle of Wight charity worker returns home - BBC News", "Covid-19: Welsh Government update - BBC News", "TV Host Ellen DeGeneres tests positive for Covid-19 - BBC News", "Dame Barbara Windsor urges Johnson to 'sort out' dementia care - BBC News", "Church treasurer jailed for £455,000 charity theft - BBC News", "UK banks can weather pandemic, says Bank of England - BBC News", "Barbara Windsor: How she inspired people with dementia - BBC News", "Two children die in house fire in St Neots - BBC News", "Covid-19: France moves to night-time curfew from 15 December - BBC News", "Covid: MPs will not get expected pay rise amid economic woe - BBC News", "Deschamps defamation case against Cantona ruled void - BBC News", "Brexit food supply fears grow: 'It's too late, baby' - BBC News", "Charity that helped Grenfell victims 'institutionally racist', review says - BBC News", "Dame Barbara Windsor: Carry On and EastEnders actress dies aged 83 - BBC News", "Brexit: PM and EU say trade deal unlikely by Sunday - BBC News", "Disney ramps up Star Wars and Marvel franchises - BBC News", "Covid: Secondary school pupils in London, Kent and Essex hotspots urged to get tested - BBC News", "Mariah Carey's All I Want For Christmas tops the UK charts after 26 years - BBC News", "Brexit: Malcolm Turnbull tells UK 'be careful what you wish for' over EU trade - BBC News", "Obituary: Dame Barbara Windsor - BBC News", "Covid-19: UK self-isolation time cut, and New Zealand's film industry boom - BBC News", "Covid testing of students finds few positive cases - BBC News", "Mike Lee: Lone US senator blocks women's and Latino museums - BBC News", "Covid-19: More than 50 schools urge Peter Weir to rethink early closing - BBC News", "'Offensive' Empire honours titles must go, says Labour's Kate Green - BBC News", "Translink: Belfast bus driver praised for care home visit detour - BBC News", "Tavistock puberty blocker study published after nine years - BBC News", "Shropshire hospital 'blamed' mothers for babies' deaths - BBC News", "US Covid vaccine: Three key questions answered - BBC News", "London councillor accidentally causes fire during virtual meeting - BBC News", "New Year fire survivor Bex Williams says charity saved her life - BBC News", "Biden and Harris named Time's Person of the Year - BBC News", "Canary Islands: Thousands of Britons face Christmas isolation - BBC News", "Covid: Record deaths in Germany and Russia - BBC News", "In pictures: Dame Barbara Windsor - BBC News", "Albanian protesters burn Christmas trees over police killing - BBC News", "Prince William and Kate make red carpet debut with royal children - BBC News", "Your pictures of Scotland 4 - 11 December - BBC News", "Brexit: What are the UK and EU doing to prepare for no deal? - BBC News", "Covid: Limit reached on government 'telling people what to do' - BBC News", "Osama Bin Laden's 'spokesman' Adel Abdul Bary returns to UK - BBC News", "Covid Wales: Aneurin Bevan health board halts non-urgent care - BBC News", "Kay Burley: Sky News presenter off air for six months after Covid breach - BBC News", "Covid: UK isolation period shortened to 10 days - BBC News", "Royal Mail delays blamed on 'exceptional' volumes of post - BBC News", "Austria court overturns primary school headscarf ban - BBC News", "Harrison Ford returns as Indiana Jones for fifth and final episode - BBC News", "Black workers at Lloyds Bank earn a fifth less than other colleagues - BBC News", "Dame Barbara Windsor: EastEnders' Mitchell brothers actors pay tribute - BBC News", "Plaid Cymru pledges independence vote if it wins Senedd election - BBC News", "Covid-19 tests for secondary school pupils in parts of London, Kent and Essex - BBC News", "Coronavirus: Russia and Oxford to test combining their vaccines - BBC News", "Climate change: Covid drives record emissions drop in 2020 - BBC News", "Pound falls on the prospect of a no-deal Brexit - BBC News", "Reynhard Sinaga: Serial rapist 'abused 206 men' - BBC News", "Covid: Genes hold clues to why some people get severely ill - BBC News", "Serial rapists receive longer minimum jail terms after appeal - BBC News", "Covid-19: Restrictions ease for some, while university finds few positive cases - BBC News", "Covid: London's coronavirus levels rising, ONS says - BBC News", "Brexit: 'Strong possibility' of no trade deal with EU - PM - BBC News", "Taylor Swift announces second surprise album of 2020 - BBC News", "Covid-19: Canary Islands added to UK quarantine list - BBC News", "Gabrielle Friel: Man guilty of weapons haul terrorism charge - BBC News", "Where does the Republican Party go after Trump? - BBC News", "Drug deaths: Surge in fatalities of female cocaine users - BBC News", "'Surprise and disappointment' at UK drug response - BBC News", "'Game changer' Covid tests for secondary schools in January - BBC News", "Mark Drakeford not ruling out tax rises in next Senedd term - BBC News", "Coronavirus: Greenwich Council told 'keep schools open' - BBC News", "High death rate 'may be starting to fall' - BBC News", "Jack Grealish: Aston Villa captain banned from driving - BBC News", "Electoral college affirms Joe Biden as president-elect - BBC News", "LGBT-owned kilt maker denounces kilt-clad Proud Boys - BBC News", "Brexit: UK and EU restart trade talks after leaders' call - BBC News", "Covid rules: What are the restrictions in your area? - BBC News", "Covid: Man jailed for Scotland-Isle of Man water scooter crossing - BBC News", "US Election 2020 - BBC News", "Covid-19: Ambulance queues 'at all NI emergency departments' - BBC News", "Dominic Cummings: PM's former aide got £45,000 pay rise - BBC News", "Coronavirus: Redbridge Council suggests schools teach online - BBC News", "Redundancies: Over 10,000 fewer on NI payrolls since March - BBC News", "All Windrush victims to get at least £10,000 - BBC News", "Unemployment: Wales sees highest rise across UK - BBC News", "Covid: New coronavirus strain present in Wales - BBC News", "New Covid strain: How worried should we be? - BBC News", "'New variant' of coronavirus identified in England - BBC News", "Prue Leith receives 'painless' Covid vaccination - BBC News", "Coronavirus: Greenwich Council backs down on school closures - BBC News", "Covid-19: Christmas row, schools testing plan and a Bake Off vaccination - BBC News", "Nine cases of new Covid strain reported in Scotland - BBC News", "First case of coronavirus detected in wild animal - BBC News", "Covid-19: A-level students to sit fewer exams in 2021 - BBC News", "'Unconscious bias training' to be scrapped by ministers - BBC News", "Scotland's drug deaths rise to new record - BBC News", "Covid in Scotland: Pre-Christmas review of restriction levels - BBC News", "Covid: Chaotic start for travellers' Covid testing system - BBC News", "Barclays fined £26m for poor treatment of customers - BBC News", "Blackpool baby death: Man charged with murdering daughter - BBC News", "EU reveals plan to regulate Big Tech - BBC News", "Covid: 'Rash' Christmas rules 'will cost many lives' - BBC News", "Jack Grealish: CCTV shows motoring offences that lead to ban - BBC News", "Covid: Christmas safety advice 'set to be strengthened' - BBC News", "Covid-19: Schools row, record redundancies and Oxford vaccine story - BBC News", "Exeter attack victim used silent code on 999 call - BBC News", "Covid Christmas plans: UK nations to hold further talks on Wednesday - BBC News", "Hackney triple shooting: Man critical and two injured - BBC News", "Covid in Scotland: Tougher virus restrictions for three council areas - BBC News", "Beware Christmas parcel delivery scams, banks warn - BBC News", "Jesy Nelson leaves Little Mix: 'The constant pressure is very hard' - BBC News", "Ghislaine Maxwell: Jeffrey Epstein associate seeks $28.5m bail deal - BBC News", "London theatres 'devastated' to close again under tier 3 restrictions - BBC News", "Covid-19 isolation 'detrimental for children' - Ofsted - BBC News", "Ingrid Messenger death crash: Tony Packenham jailed - BBC News", "Stargazers watch the total eclipse in Argentina's Neuquen province - BBC News", "Covid: France rewards frontline immigrant workers with citizenship - BBC News", "Covid-19: Lorry drivers stuck at UK border for another night - BBC News", "Covid-19: Can face masks make communal singing safe enough? - BBC News", "Nigella Lawson reveals why she will not be cooking turkey this Christmas - BBC News", "Tesco puts buying caps on several products - BBC News", "Haulier ran Europe-wide drug ring from living room - BBC News", "Covid vaccine: Older people's commissioner warns of 'confusion' - BBC News", "Covid breach jet-skier freed from Isle of Man jail - BBC News", "UK has two cases of variant linked to South Africa - BBC News", "Covid-19: Truckers who tested negative board ferries for France - BBC News", "Covid: New dads share fatherhood experiences - BBC News", "Twitter to wipe Trump's followers before Biden handover - BBC News", "Ports chaos 'bad for trust and post-Brexit trade' - BBC News", "Peter Cruddas: PM overrules watchdog with Tory donor peerage - BBC News", "Stella Tennant: Model dies days after 50th birthday - BBC News", "Land transaction tax: 'Chaos' over changes for second homes - BBC News", "Covid: Baby girl becomes Scotland's youngest death - BBC News", "Covid-19: More areas of England could be moved to tier 4 restrictions - BBC News", "Covid in Scotland: Scottish level four rules 'may be strengthened' - BBC News", "Flooding: Firefighters receive 500 calls as heavy rain causes chaos - BBC News", "Covid: Shielders in Wales advised to stay home again - BBC News", "Deepfake queen to deliver Channel 4 Christmas message - BBC News", "As it happened: New variant from South Africa identified in UK - BBC News", "Covid-19: Six million more people to enter tier 4 on Boxing Day - BBC News", "Covid: Marston's to run Brains pubs, saving 1,300 jobs - BBC News", "France police shootings: Three officers killed by gunman who is later found dead - BBC News", "Brexit: EU-UK trade deal expected, as cabinet briefed - BBC News", "Whitbread: Premier Inn owner asks landlords for rent cut - BBC News", "Eileen Pollock: TV sitcom Bread's Lilo Lil actress dies at 73 - BBC News", "Cygnet Woodside in special measures over 'patient safety risks' - BBC News", "Helen's Law: Killers could still be freed despite new law - BBC News", "Covid-19: 'Living with 50 people has been a blessing' - BBC News", "Coronavirus: Vaccinate more people with one dose, urges Tony Blair - BBC News", "Octopuses filmed punching fish in the Red Sea - BBC News", "Covid-19: Charities send food to stranded truckers - BBC News", "Covid: Johnson and Starmer thank 'very best' at Christmas - BBC News", "'I was in the wrong' over Covid rules breach - Sturgeon - BBC News", "Diego Maradona: Autopsy reveals no drink or illegal drugs at time of Argentina legend's death - BBC Sport", "Kernowite: New mineral found on rock mined in Cornwall - BBC News", "Covid-19: Border opening, Sturgeon apology and Christmas kindness - BBC News", "Queen's art experts leave as Covid hits royal finances - BBC News", "EU and UK in 'final push' for post-Brexit trade deal - BBC News", "Brexit: UK cabinet to discuss deal, as trade talks continue - BBC News", "Covid-19: French agree to ease virus travel ban - BBC News", "Sports Personality of the Year: Contenders revealed for 2020 BBC award - BBC Sport", "National Theatre launches paid streaming service for filmed plays - BBC News", "Covid rules: What are the restrictions in your area? - BBC News", "Has Topshop boss Philip Green done anything wrong? - BBC News", "US Election 2020 - BBC News", "UK climate targets too low, economists say - BBC News", "Trier: Five die as car ploughs through Germany pedestrian zone - BBC News", "Covid-19: Tiers vote, vulnerable children and Christmas tree boom - BBC News", "Covid tiers: MPs back tougher system for England, despite Tory rebellion - BBC News", "Covid tier rules: Tory rebellion fails to defeat government on new system for England - BBC News", "Lastminute.com to pay £7m in holiday refunds - BBC News", "Grenfell Tower: Firm's ex-manager sorry for safety query reaction - BBC News", "Elliot Page: Juno star announces he is transgender - BBC News", "Coronavirus: Covid-19 related death toll in NI passes 1,000 - BBC News", "Queen and Prince Philip to celebrate Christmas 'quietly' at Windsor - BBC News", "Covid: Families with negative test can visit care homes in England - BBC News", "Covid: Alcohol ban for pubs 'an insult' to industry - BBC News", "UK house price growth 'fastest for almost six years' - BBC News", "Debenhams boss: 'Our stores aren't on a cliff edge' - BBC News", "Brazil's Amazon: Deforestation 'surges to 12-year high' - BBC News", "Debenhams hires liquidator in contingency plan - BBC News", "Covid-19: Man admits damaging Tesco covers during lockdown - BBC News", "Price of first class stamps to rise 9p to 85p - BBC News", "Esther Dingley: Partner says police 'looking at non-accident options' - BBC News", "Coronavirus: Ireland's shops reopen as restrictions eased - BBC News", "Facebook News will pay UK outlets for content in 2021 - BBC News", "Covid-19: Lung damage 'identified' in study - BBC News", "Debenhams faces uncertain future as JD Sports quits rescue talks - BBC News", "Burnley: ‘Children ripping bags open for food’ during pandemic - BBC News", "Londonderry: Van set on fire in 'reckless' pipe bomb explosion - BBC News", "Buckingham Palace: Catering assistant stole medals and photos - BBC News", "Indonesia: Thousands flee after volcano erupts - BBC News", "China's Chang'e-5 Moon mission probe touches down - BBC News", "Vulnerable children in lockdown 'national concern' - BBC News", "Coronavirus: Government publishes data behind stricter tiers - BBC News", "Covid: Daily Mail gave NHS masks linked to Chinese Uighur factory - BBC News", "Rita Ora 'sorry' for breaking lockdown rules to attend birthday party - BBC News", "Ofsted points to total school disruption in some areas - BBC News", "Covid vaccine: Wales 'ready' to start vaccination programme - BBC News", "Covid-19: Steve Aiken calls for executive unity on vaccine - BBC News", "Arcadia: Buyers to 'pick over carcass' of Topshop owner, says former boss - BBC News", "Covid: Dr Scott Atlas - Trump's controversial coronavirus adviser - resigns - BBC News", "Slack sold to business software giant for $27.7bn - BBC News", "Pat Finucane: No public inquiry into Belfast lawyer's murder - BBC News", "Brexit: Dairy giant Arla warns of price rise if no deal - BBC News", "Lewis Hamilton to miss Sakhir GP after testing positive for coronavirus - BBC Sport", "Wales Air Ambulance to fly around the clock - BBC News", "Why is my area in a higher tier? - BBC News", "Covid: What do pub-goers think of Wales' alcohol ban? - BBC News", "Topshop owner Arcadia goes into administration - BBC News", "Coronavirus: NHS Covid-19 app to gain self-isolation payments - BBC News", "Covid: Poor public health made pandemic worse - Sally Davies - BBC News", "What went wrong at Debenhams? - BBC News", "Doctor Who: Bradley Walsh and Tosin Cole to leave companion roles - BBC News", "Mohsen Fakhrizadeh: Iran 'makes arrests' over scientist's killing - BBC News", "Honda pauses production after UK port woes - BBC News", "Grenfell inquiry halted for weeks after Covid case - BBC News", "Brexit: 'Large gaps' remain after trade talks with Ursula von der Leyen - BBC News", "Venice floods as weather catches city off-guard - BBC News", "Uber sells off flying taxi unit - BBC News", "Safety data on Pfizer jab released by US - BBC News", "Covid-19: Man gets vaccine days after wife's virus death - BBC News", "Oxford Covid vaccine 'safe and effective' study shows - BBC News", "PSG v Istanbul Basaksehir: Both teams walk off pitch as match abandoned - BBC Sport", "Human-made objects to outweigh living things - BBC News", "Currys PC World agrees to honour Black Friday prices of cancelled orders - BBC News", "As it happened: 'Gradual retreat' from Covid-19 life - Whitty - BBC News", "Court finds UK war crimes but will not take action - BBC News", "Cambridge University votes to safeguard free speech - BBC News", "Rich countries hoarding Covid vaccines, says People's Vaccine Alliance - BBC News", "As it happened: Brexit trade talks end without decision - BBC News", "Avonmouth explosion: Families pay tribute to four killed in blast - BBC News", "Supreme Court rejects bid to overturn Pennsylvania result - BBC News", "Zara Tindall: Queen's granddaughter expecting third child - BBC News", "Student mental health: 'I am living in a bubble of one' - BBC News", "Joe Biden's son Hunter says he is under investigation over taxes - BBC News", "Brexit: Boris Johnson to meet Ursula von der Leyen for trade deal talks - BBC News", "Climate change: Low-carbon revolution 'cheaper than thought' - BBC News", "Currys PC World asked to honour cancelled Black Friday sales - BBC News", "Paris St-Germain 5-1 Istanbul Basaksehir: Kylian Mbappe proud of teams walking off pitch - BBC Sport", "Fort Hood: Soldiers fired and suspended after Vanessa Guillen probe - BBC News", "Mahalia and Nines win big at MOBOs 2020 - BBC News", "Steve Thompson in group of ex-rugby union internationals to sue for brain damage - BBC Sport", "Kay Burley: Sky News presenter off air during Covid breach inquiry - BBC News", "As it happened: Brexit - PMQs and Gove statement - BBC News", "Edward Colston statue: Four charged with criminal damage - BBC News", "Covid-19: London tier warning and 2020's most-searched terms - BBC News", "Scotland's toughest Covid restrictions to be eased - BBC News", "Brexit: Will Brussels dinner prove to be the last supper? - BBC News", "Brexit: PM says deal 'still there to be done' ahead of crunch trip - BBC News", "Queen seen with family for first time during Covid-19 pandemic - BBC News", "Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani receiving same Covid drugs as president - BBC News", "'Mix-and-match' coronavirus vaccines to be tested - BBC News", "Covid-19 vaccine: First person receives Pfizer jab in UK - BBC News", "Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine docs hacked from European Medicines Agency - BBC News", "Lost key to Norman St Leonard's Tower returned 50 years on - BBC News", "Coronavirus: Your tributes to those who have died - BBC News", "Louise Smith death: Shane Mays jailed for murdering niece in woods - BBC News", "Artemis: Nasa picks astronauts for new Moon missions - BBC News", "Fraud risk warning: 'I was desperate for a job' - BBC News", "Epstein ex-associate Jean-Luc Brunel placed under formal investigation - BBC News", "School staff 'broken' by England's late Covid test plan - BBC News", "Covid: US Vice-President Mike Pence receives vaccine live on TV - BBC News", "Alex Rodda death: Murder accused 'embarrassed about sexuality' - BBC News", "737 Max: Boeing 'inappropriately coached' pilots in test after crashes - BBC News", "Vladimir Ivic: Watford sack head coach after four months - BBC Sport", "Met Police officer sues over 'sexual and racist' texts - BBC News", "Covid: Lockdown looms as Scotland tightens Christmas rules - BBC News", "Cyberpunk 2077: Sony pulls game from PlayStation while Xbox offers refunds - BBC News", "Brexit: No trade deal unless 'substantial shift' from EU, UK says - BBC News", "PDC World Championship: Deta Hedman loses on debut to Andy Boulton - BBC Sport", "Covid anxiety: Child 'asking if he's going to die' - BBC News", "Coronavirus: UK R number back above one - BBC News", "Flooding: Homes evacuated after South West downpours - BBC News", "Strictly Come Dancing: 7 memorable moments from this series - BBC News", "Coronavirus: What are Scotland's level 4 restrictions? - BBC News", "Employers back requirement for large firms to disclose ethnicity pay gaps - BBC News", "Covid: Ministers meet amid rising infection rates in England - BBC News", "Covid: Boris Johnson 'hoping to avoid' national lockdown - BBC News", "Covid patient urges people not to visit family at Christmas - BBC News", "'Just a few hours' left to agree Brexit trade deal, says Michel Barnier - BBC News", "Covid: NHS staff sickness has 'huge impact' on care - BBC News", "Covid in Scotland: Most councils are in level 3 - is yours one of them? - BBC News", "New Covid strain: How worried should we be? - BBC News", "Covid-19: Fake 'immunity booster' found on sale in London shops - BBC News", "Strictly Come Dancing: Bill Bailey crowned 2020 winner - BBC News", "Covid rules: What are the restrictions in your area? - BBC News", "As it happened: Tighter rules for Christmas outlined amid surge in cases - BBC News", "Covid: Boris Johnson 'to tighten rules' in London and south-east England - BBC News", "Brexit: UK-EU trade talks enter critical 48-hour period - BBC News", "'Creepy' drive-through grotto 'an absolute fiasco' - BBC News", "Pressure on hospitals 'at a really dangerous point' - BBC News", "Covid: Warning crisis in hospitals will get 'worse' - BBC News", "Your pictures of Scotland 11 - 18 December - BBC News", "Greater Manchester Police chief Ian Hopkins stands down amid force failures - BBC News", "Landslip warning and flooding follow heavy rain in Wales - BBC News", "Meghan settles case over Archie photos with Splash UK agency - BBC News", "Brexit: UK and EU make one last push for trade deal - BBC News", "Covid in Scotland: Freeman 'backtracks' over level four restrictions - BBC News", "South Africa v England: First ODI called off again after positive Covid tests - BBC Sport", "Peter Alliss: Legendary BBC golf commentator dies at 89 - BBC Sport", "Coronavirus: Vaccine rollout 'marathon not a sprint' - Powis - BBC News", "Chelsea 3-1 Leeds United: Blues go top after comeback win in front of fans - BBC Sport", "Liverpool mayor Joe Anderson bailed in bribery inquiry - BBC News", "Nottingham's Christmas market closes for the rest of the year - BBC News", "Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani admitted to hospital with Covid-19 - BBC News", "Millwall 'dismayed and saddened' by fans' booing of players taking a knee - BBC Sport", "Climate change: Snowy UK winters could become thing of the past - BBC News", "Roald Dahl family sorry for author's anti-Semitic remarks - BBC News", "Covid: NHS rapid test use defended amid accuracy concerns - BBC News", "Coronavirus: Weekend shopping returns but numbers down on 2019 - BBC News", "London Gateway: £100m cocaine stash hidden in banana pulp - BBC News", "Marcus Rashford-inspired 'donate-a-sheep' appeal launches - BBC News", "Cardiac arrest survivor backs defibrillator bill - BBC News", "Hayabusa-2: Capsule with asteroid samples in 'perfect' shape - BBC News", "Climate change: Lower Thames Crossing CO2 impact figures revealed - BBC News", "Sir Keir Starmer self isolates after staff member tests positive for virus - BBC News", "Brexit: Are the borders ready? - BBC News", "Derby v Millwall: Man arrested over 'racist' Facebook posts - BBC News", "Jeane Freeman 'backtracks' over level four restrictions - BBC News", "The Crown: Netflix has 'no plans' for fiction warning - BBC News", "US Election 2020 - BBC News", "South Africa v England: Tour party return two 'unconfirmed positive' Covid tests - BBC Sport", "Bird flu: All captive birds in Britain to be kept indoors amid outbreak - BBC News", "Hayabusa-2: Japan asteroid sample lands safely on Earth - BBC News", "What will happen to closed High Street shops? - BBC News", "Ursula Von Der Leyen: 'Significant differences remain' in Brexit trade deal - BBC News", "Man charged with murdering two women in Kent in 1987 - BBC News", "Brexit: Sheep farmers 'will get help' if UK-EU trade talks fail - BBC News", "Shana Grice murder: Parents lose stalker High Court bid - BBC News", "Coronavirus: More than 2% of Londoners now thought to have virus - BBC News", "Covid breach jet-skier freed from Isle of Man jail - BBC News", "The celebrity hairdresser with a secret of his own - BBC News", "Stella Tennant: Model dies days after 50th birthday - BBC News", "Airline fires pilot blamed for Taiwan's first Covid case in months - BBC News", "Customers furious as E.On takes payments too early - BBC News", "Deepfake queen to deliver Channel 4 Christmas message - BBC News", "Brexit: Firms warn 'clock is ticking' to keep goods moving - BBC News", "Brexit: EU-UK trade deal expected, as cabinet briefed - BBC News", "EU to allow post-Brexit UK farm produce exports - BBC News", "Kay Purcell of Emmerdale and Tracy Beaker Returns dies at 57 - BBC News", "Spain's King Felipe VI makes veiled dig at self-exiled father - BBC News", "Brexit: How European leaders reacted to EU-UK trade deal - BBC News", "Covid-19: South Africa travel ban and carols from the doorstep - BBC News", "Covid-19: Six million more people to enter tier 4 on Boxing Day - BBC News", "Brexit: Are the borders ready? - BBC News", "Covid-19: UK bans travel from South Africa over variant - BBC News", "UK and EU agree post-Brexit trade deal - BBC News", "BBC receives 266 complaints over Vicar of Dibley - BBC News", "Diego Maradona: Autopsy reveals no drink or illegal drugs at time of Argentina legend's death - BBC Sport", "Kent lorry chaos: More military support deployed for driver tests - BBC News", "Covid: US parties wrangle in Congress after Trump shuns stimulus bill - BBC News", "Johnson gets the deal both sides wanted to achieve - BBC News", "Are presidential pardons Trump's secret weapon? - BBC News", "Everton 0-2 Manchester United: Edinson Cavani stunner helps visitors into Carabao Cup semi-finals - BBC Sport", "Brexit: Boris Johnson set to unveil trade deal with EU - BBC News", "Coronavirus: Vaccinate more people with one dose, urges Tony Blair - BBC News", "Pete Evans: Facebook removes celebrity chef's page over conspiracies - BBC News", "Covid-19: Charities send food to stranded truckers - BBC News", "Covid: Johnson and Starmer thank 'very best' at Christmas - BBC News", "Queen's art experts leave as Covid hits royal finances - BBC News", "What Boris Johnson's mistake tells us about our future - BBC News", "Brexit: UK cabinet to discuss deal, as trade talks continue - BBC News", "Kent lorry chaos: Truckers warned of Christmas in their cabs - BBC News", "Brexit: Boris Johnson hails free trade deal with EU - BBC News", "Covid-19: Lorry drivers stuck at UK border for another night - BBC News", "Covid: Sharp rises in infection levels in England, says ONS - BBC News", "Alibaba being investigated by China over monopoly tactics - BBC News", "UK has two cases of variant linked to South Africa - BBC News", "Withernsea: Whales stranded on beach die - BBC News", "Five families, five Christmases: A festive season like no other around Europe - BBC News", "Norfolk flooding: 'Christmas miracle' as couple rescued in flash floods - BBC News", "UK terror plots: Durham teenager asks to remain anonymous - BBC News", "Brexit deal: What is in it? - BBC News", "European Commission announces ‘fair’ post-Brexit trade deal - BBC News", "UK flooding: Billing Aquadrome park in Northampton evacuated - BBC News", "Covid: Navy crew isolates after suspected outbreak - BBC News", "Chrissy Teigen 'sad she will never be pregnant again' - BBC News", "Flooding dampens Christmas spirit as homes and shops hit - BBC News", "Portugal outrage after Spanish hunters massacre 500 wild animals - BBC News", "Stella Tennant: Stella McCartney, Naomi Campbell and more pay tribute - BBC News", "Canary Islands: Holidaymakers react as quarantine deadline passes - BBC News", "Alfred Bourgeois: Second death row inmate executed in two days - BBC News", "Bristol Banksy house owners 'have not pulled out of sale' - BBC News", "Brexit: EU leaders close ranks as no-deal talk mounts - BBC News", "Mariah Carey's All I Want For Christmas tops the UK charts after 26 years - BBC News", "Met Police appeal over 'fake nude game show' - BBC News", "Where does the Republican Party go after Trump? - BBC News", "Brexit: Malcolm Turnbull tells UK 'be careful what you wish for' over EU trade - BBC News", "Canary Islands: Holidaymakers react as quarantine deadline passes - BBC News", "Canary Islands: Thousands of Britons face Christmas isolation - BBC News", "'Test and dine' proposed to support Birmingham restaurants - BBC News", "Prince William and Kate make red carpet debut with royal children - BBC News", "Your pictures of Scotland 4 - 11 December - BBC News", "Mike Lee: Lone US senator blocks women's and Latino museums - BBC News", "Covid-19: More than 50 schools urge Peter Weir to rethink early closing - BBC News", "Texas election case: A week in Trump and Biden's split-screen America - BBC News", "Blakeney Point little terns have best season in 26 years - BBC News", "Merlin's beard! Harry Potter first edition sells for £68k - BBC News", "Brexit: What are the UK and EU doing to prepare for no deal? - BBC News", "Covid vaccine: Thousands in Wales have had jab since Tuesday - BBC News", "Brexit: No-deal navy threat 'irresponsible', says Tobias Ellwood - BBC News", "'Offensive' Empire honours titles must go, says Labour's Kate Green - BBC News", "'Not enough' climate ambition shown by leaders - BBC News", "What is climate change? - BBC News", "Tavistock puberty blocker study published after nine years - BBC News", "Covid: More tier 3 areas to get mass testing from Monday - BBC News", "Covid: UK isolation period shortened to 10 days - BBC News", "Barbara Windsor: How she inspired people with dementia - BBC News", "Zodiac Killer: Code-breakers solve San Francisco killer's cipher - BBC News", "Reynhard Sinaga: Serial rapist 'abused 206 men' - BBC News", "Covid pandemic: South Korea sees record rise in daily cases - BBC News", "Klarna plans to tell credit agencies if repayments fail - BBC News", "M1 closed overnight after man dies in crash - BBC News", "Covid: Public must think carefully about Christmas risk, NHS bosses warn - BBC News", "First same-sex religious wedding in Northern Ireland - BBC News", "Monkeys could be banned as pets, says government - BBC News", "Covid: Genes hold clues to why some people get severely ill - BBC News", "Austria court overturns primary school headscarf ban - BBC News", "Aztec skull tower: Archaeologists unearth new sections in Mexico City - BBC News", "Covid: London's coronavirus levels rising, ONS says - BBC News", "Space tourism: Virgin space plane to fly above new base - BBC News", "Newborn baby found dead in Weston-super-Mare garden - BBC News", "Covid: MPs will not get expected pay rise amid economic woe - BBC News", "Brexit: UK-EU talks continue as Navy boats put on standby - BBC News", "Covid: Christmas five-day relaxation period 'a mistake' - BBC News", "Newham stabbing: Murder arrest after boy dies - BBC News", "Brexit: PM and EU say trade deal unlikely by Sunday - BBC News", "Trump Twitter ‘hack’: Police accept attacker's claim - BBC News", "Facebook to move all UK users onto US agreements - BBC News", "Heathrow wins court battle to build third runway - BBC News", "Post-Grenfell cladding inspections find other fire risks - BBC News", "Drayton Manor theme park damaged in fire - BBC News", "Covid-19: Patient waits 28 hours as hospitals struggle - BBC News", "Nine cases of new Covid strain reported in Scotland - BBC News", "Birkenhead ferry Covid-19 outbreak: Passengers stranded overnight - BBC News", "Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah: Air pollution a factor in girl's death, inquest finds - BBC News", "WhatsApp rumours fear over BAME Covid vaccine take up - BBC News", "Tom Cruise: Recording emerges of star 'shouting at film crew' over Covid - BBC News", "Brexit: 'Narrow path' in view for trade deal - EU chief - BBC News", "Liverpool 2-1 Tottenham: Roberto Firmino's late winner sends Reds clear of Spurs at top - BBC Sport", "Covid: Christmas safety advice 'set to be strengthened' - BBC News", "Jack Grealish: CCTV shows motoring offences that lead to ban - BBC News", "MI6 'may be committing crimes in UK' - BBC News", "Clothing and food price falls drive down UK inflation - BBC News", "Great Pyramid: Lost Egyptian artefact found in Aberdeen cigar box - BBC News", "Covid: Two household rule in Wales 'a single message' - BBC News", "Rail fare rise a ‘kick in the teeth’ for passengers - BBC News", "Allow pregnant women partner support 'at all times' - BBC News", "Prince Harry and Meghan sign Spotify podcast deal - BBC News", "Glastonbury 2021: Emily Eavis says 'we're doing everything we can' - BBC News", "Covid: Chaotic start for travellers' Covid testing system - BBC News", "Covid in Scotland: Tougher virus restrictions for three council areas - BBC News", "Julie Burchill's book about cancel culture cancelled over Twitter row - BBC News", "Cancer treatment gives terminally ill mother all clear - BBC News", "LGBT-owned kilt maker denounces kilt-clad Proud Boys - BBC News", "New Covid strain: How worried should we be? - BBC News", "Paris mayor mocks 'absurd' fine for hiring too many women - BBC News", "Covid rules: What are the restrictions in your area? - BBC News", "Boris Johnson answers last PMQs of the year - BBC News", "Prue Leith receives 'painless' Covid vaccination - BBC News", "PC Andrew Harper: Appeals against killers' sentences rejected - BBC News", "US Election 2020 - BBC News", "Covid vaccine: More than 130,000 vaccinated in UK in first week - BBC News", "Brexit: Hornby stops non-UK orders due to price confusion - BBC News", "Housing: Formula for locating new homes revised after Tory backlash - BBC News", "Covid: 11,000 positive tests delayed in Welsh figures - BBC News", "Covid-19: Ambulance queues 'at all NI emergency departments' - BBC News", "Coronavirus: Redbridge Council suggests schools teach online - BBC News", "MacKenzie Scott gives away $4.2bn in four months - BBC News", "Dominic Cummings: PM's former aide got £45,000 pay rise - BBC News", "As it happened: PM urges 'little Christmas' as Wales limits bubbles - BBC News", "Hyde Park bomb family awarded £715k damages - BBC News", "Covid: Tui cancels flights out of Luton Airport - BBC News", "Callum Smith v Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez: Mexican dominates British fighter - BBC Sport", "Vladimir Ivic: Watford sack head coach after four months - BBC Sport", "Covid in Sydney: New restrictions announced as outbreak grows - BBC News", "Rosalind Knight: Friday Night Dinner and Carry On actress dies aged 87 - BBC News", "Covid: Lockdown looms as Scotland tightens Christmas rules - BBC News", "Cornwall Eden Project closes after heavy rain causes floods - BBC News", "Marcus Rashford given Expert Panel Special Award at Sports Personality of the Year 2020 - BBC Sport", "Brexit: No trade deal unless 'substantial shift' from EU, UK says - BBC News", "Flooding: Homes evacuated after South West downpours - BBC News", "Boudicca revolt: Essex dig reveals 'evidence of Roman reprisals' - BBC News", "UK hit by travel bans as Christmas Covid lockdown starts - BBC News", "Grenfell Tower inquiry: 'Whistleblower' refusing to give evidence - BBC News", "Covid: Cases rise as Christmas rules come into force - BBC News", "Coronavirus: What are Scotland's level 4 restrictions? - BBC News", "Watch live: The Andrew Marr Show - BBC News", "Sir Keir Starmer promises to shift power from Westminster - BBC News", "Covid: Christmas will bring 'pain' but there is hope for the future - Welby - BBC News", "Covid: 'We organised our wedding in two hours to beat tier 4' - BBC News", "Coronavirus tier 4 restrictions: Aerial footage shows queues and empty streets - BBC News", "Covid-19: 'Serious disruption' feared as Dover halts traffic to France - BBC News", "Covid: Furlough companies list should be published, MPs urge - BBC News", "Covid: Border police patrols to double after travel ban - BBC News", "New Covid strain: How worried should we be? - BBC News", "Sports Personality of the Year 2020: Lewis Hamilton crowned winner - BBC Sport", "Joe Biden says 'no time to waste' as climate team unveiled - BBC News", "Strictly Come Dancing: Bill Bailey crowned 2020 winner - BBC News", "Mocked drive-through Santa's grotto now 'magical' - BBC News", "Covid rules: What are the restrictions in your area? - BBC News", "'Creepy' drive-through grotto 'an absolute fiasco' - BBC News", "Landslip warning and flooding follow heavy rain in Wales - BBC News", "Covid-19: St Pancras crowds 'totally irresponsible' - BBC News", "NHS workers: 'Vaccine is a game changer' - BBC News", "Sports Personality of the Year: Contenders revealed for 2020 BBC award - BBC Sport", "Covid: No Senedd vote allowed before pub alcohol ban - BBC News", "Supermarkets repay rates relief after backlash - BBC News", "Piers Corbyn guilty of lockdown protest restrictions breach - BBC News", "Baby girl born from record-setting 27-year-old embryo - BBC News", "Fans return to English Football League matches after nine-month absence - BBC Sport", "Brexit trade: 'Serious disruption' risk at Channel post-transition period - BBC News", "What went wrong at Debenhams? - BBC News", "Covid rules: What are the restrictions in your area? - BBC News", "US Election 2020 - BBC News", "Trier: Five die as car ploughs through Germany pedestrian zone - BBC News", "Rapid Covid test: Daughter and mum, 95, hug for first time since March - BBC News", "WW2 mine found in Firth of Clyde had 350kg of explosives - BBC News", "Covid tiers: MPs back tougher system for England, despite Tory rebellion - BBC News", "Burnley stabbing: Marks & Spencer worker and shopper hurt - BBC News", "Dua Lipa and other Spotify artists' pages hacked by Taylor Swift 'fan' - BBC News", "Elliot Page: Juno star announces he is transgender - BBC News", "Queen and Prince Philip to celebrate Christmas 'quietly' at Windsor - BBC News", "Two Covid tests for students in England before quick Christmas exit - BBC News", "Keeping pools closed 'a catastrophe for health and wellbeing' - BBC News", "Covid: Families with negative test can visit care homes in England - BBC News", "Giscard d'Estaing: France mourns ex-president, dead at 94 - BBC News", "Debenhams website overwhelmed as shoppers swoop on sales - BBC News", "Vaccine rumours debunked: Microchips, 'altered DNA' and more - BBC News", "Covid-19: Man admits damaging Tesco covers during lockdown - BBC News", "Dame Jenni Murray on why she's taking her clothes off on TV - BBC News", "Humans waging 'suicidal war' on nature - UN chief Antonio Guterres - BBC News", "Covid vaccine: Pfizer says '94% effective in over-65s' - BBC News", "Esther Dingley: Partner says police 'looking at non-accident options' - BBC News", "Gavin and Stacey Christmas Day show to air on BBC Radio Wales - BBC News", "As it happened: UK regulator approves Covid vaccine use - BBC News", "Covid-19: Vaccine breakthrough, care home visits and lockdown entrepreneurs - BBC News", "Covid: Some students not back until February next term - BBC News", "Christmas: Shops offer early festive discounts in battle for survival - BBC News", "Matt Hancock 'thrilled' with Covid vaccine approval news - BBC News", "Amazon's Panorama box lets firms check if staff follow coronavirus rules - BBC News", "Covid-19: Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine judged safe for use in UK - BBC News", "Student Covid testing begins for Christmas exodus - BBC News", "Covid-19: Shoppers return to stores under England's new tier system - BBC News", "Bonmarché collapses into administration - BBC News", "Manchester Arena Inquiry: Stewards 'not trained properly' - BBC News", "Manchester United 1-3 Paris St-Germain: Neymar scores twice for Parisians - BBC Sport", "Otters find 'fairytale' love in lockdown - BBC News", "Slack sold to business software giant for $27.7bn - BBC News", "Brexit: Dairy giant Arla warns of price rise if no deal - BBC News", "NHS Covid-19 and Zoom top Apple's iPhone 2020 app charts - BBC News", "Why is my area in a higher tier? - BBC News", "Daryl Bunn death: Man guilty of one-punch killing in Maldon - BBC News", "Covid: Lack of domestic abuse support 'will lead to deaths', charities warn - BBC News", "As it happened: Prime Minister's Questions - BBC News", "Flaw allowed iPhone hacking remotely through wi-fi - BBC News", "Enniskeen pipe bomb: Man is arrested after explosion - BBC News", "Covid-19: PM hails vaccine approval and grassroots sport returns - BBC News", "Small waters 'can help address biodiversity crisis' - BBC News"], "published_date": ["2020-12-21", "2020-12-21", "2020-12-21", "2020-12-21", "2020-12-21", "2020-12-21", "2020-12-21", "2020-12-21", "2020-12-21", "2020-12-21", "2020-12-21", "2020-12-21", "2020-12-21", "2020-12-21", "2020-12-21", "2020-12-21", "2020-12-21", "2020-12-21", "2020-12-21", "2020-12-21", "2020-12-21", "2020-12-21", "2020-12-21", "2020-12-21", "2020-12-21", "2020-12-21", "2020-12-21", 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["https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews"], ["https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews"], ["https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews"], ["https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews"], ["https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews"], [], ["https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews"], ["https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews"], ["https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews"], ["https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews"], ["https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews"], ["https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews"], [], ["https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews"], ["https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews"], ["https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews"], ["https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews"], ["https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews"], ["https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews"], ["https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews"], ["https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews"], ["https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews"], ["https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews"], ["https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews"], ["https://www.facebook.com/bbcnews"]], "description": ["Wall Street slips after Europe markets fall over the UK's new Covid-19 variant.", "All cancelled rail or coach journeys over Christmas in England will be refunded, the government says.", "The Labour leader also urges the PM to give daily updates, amid cross party calls for Parliament's return.", "The TV, film and theatre actress played \"Horrible Grandma\" in the Channel 4 comedy.", "Grace Millane's killer can now be named after he was convicted of sex attacks on two more women.", "A new recording purports to reveal how Russian state agents poisoned Putin critic Alexei Navalny.", "England and Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford is given the Expert Panel Special Award at the BBC Sports Personality show.", "With a decision expected before Christmas, UK sources say it is increasingly likely there will be no deal.", "Prosecutors said the victims died in \"unbearable\" heat in a lorry container in October 2019.", "An executive meeting is under way to consider proposals from Robin Swann on travel between Britain and NI.", "There has now been 352 cases of Covid at the vehicle agency's contact centre in Swansea.", "Sir Patrick Vallance also predicts there will be a spike in cases after Christmas.", "Supreme Court says jailed banker's wife Zamira Hajiyeva can't appeal against Unexplained Wealth Order.", "Boris Johnson says his position is \"unchanged\", as time for the UK and EU to reach a deal runs short.", "Executive Director Patrick Ky said his organisation had \"left no stone unturned\" in its review.", "The number of daily infections in the UK reaches an all-time high, as new restrictions come into force.", "In a key policy speech, the Labour leader set out plans for the \"boldest devolution project in a generation\".", "London and large parts of the south of England face their first day of tougher coronavirus restrictions.", "France will stop lorries arriving from the UK for 48 hours amid concerns about a new coronavirus variant.", "Boris Johnson says he and President Macron hope to ease the flow of trade \"in the next few hours\".", "Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton is voted Sports Personality of the Year 2020.", "The event was described as \"shambolic\" and but organisers say improvements have been made.", "Some online retailers step back from NI deliveries as the new Irish Sea border begins to operate.", "Many have had their plans to visit loved ones dashed, as countries implement a UK travel ban.", "Areas of England outside the South East say the new variant of Covid-19 is likely to be circulating.", "Rosie Brown can only update her visa in the US, but is not allowed to fly there without it.", "Anas El-Rafai and his brother were with friends at a popular beauty spot known as Broken Scar.", "One woman is stuck in Holyhead as she tries to go to Ireland to spend Christmas with her children.", "The attacker tried to shoot Jewish worshippers - then killed two people outside a synagogue in Halle.", "Bodies representing police say trying to break up celebrations will put officers at risk of harm.", "The business trips must result in a deal which secures 50 jobs or leads to a £100m investment.", "NHS workers have been giving their reaction to the news the vaccine will be rolled out in the UK from next week.", "Another person was hurt when a \"very loud explosion\" was heard from a silo at the site in Bristol.", "Pubs, restaurants and other hospitality outlets on the island are expected to close until 4 January.", "Most tremors go unnoticed but larger events in the past have caused damage, forcing engineers to factor in the risk.", "The 73-year-old hails a \"tremendous result\" after he learns he will face no further punishment.", "One-month old Molly Gibson has broken the record set by her own sister, Emma, now three years old.", "A US intelligence official says Beijing is targeting people close to the incoming US president.", "Luton and Wycombe fans return to their home grounds for the first time since February as Football League clubs welcome back supporters following the easing of coronavirus restrictions.", "Odeon owner AMC is alarmed by Warner Bros' plan to stream films in US as soon as they hit cinemas.", "Lord Maginnis rejects request to take \"behaviour training\" after claims he used homophobic slurs.", "The UK's death figures only include people who died within 28 days of testing positive for coronavirus.", "Cloud computing is a growing industry, but can the technology bring down the costs of doing business for firms?", "Use our search tool to find out about coronavirus rules and restrictions where you live.", "The move follows a proclamation aimed at Chinese nationals suspected of having ties to the military.", "Women in areas with low Covid rates may be able to attend maternity appointments with partners.", "The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines are being kept in a central hub ahead of distribution.", "Christine Colburn embraces her mum for the first time in months after taking a rapid Covid test.", "No more restrictions will be imposed before Christmas, according to the first minister.", "After apparent criticism from the US expert, the UK defended the safety and efficacy of the vaccine.", "Amid a global pandemic and diplomatic tensions, Chinese students in the US are feeling anxious.", "Scientists are urging people and firms to change the way they use technology to reduce emissions.", "His comments drew a backlash from progressive Democrats who want to see police funds diverted.", "The UK's biggest supermarkets will return £1.7bn after facing criticism for taking state support.", "The UK says it would be \"very unusual\" if products of animal origin were blocked after EU raised concerns.", "For Christmas break, students will leave university within 24 hours of two negative Covid tests.", "We hear of little movement but Belgium's leader refers to the \"last minutes of a football match\".", "The former president of France, who has died aged 94, was a force for greater European integration.", "An investigation is under way into a fatal blast at a waste water treatment works in Avonmouth, Bristol.", "A charity wants unpaid carers to get the Covid-19 vaccine at the same time as health and social workers.", "Two records are reached on Wednesday, amid fears the pace will not slow leading up to Christmas.", "Budget airline Wizz Air is making Cardiff Airport its fourth UK base with flights to Europe.", "Talks continue, as a source tells the BBC that Brussels are \"bringing new elements into the negotiation\".", "Irish airline Ryanair's purchase is a boost for the Max, which was grounded after two deadly crashes.", "The group is alleged to have helped 600 migrants - mainly from Syria - cross the Channel in small boats.", "The Premier League and EFL agree a rescue package amounting to £250m to help ease the financial challenge faced by EFL clubs as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.", "The country's education secretary confirms that the Christmas holiday dates will not change.", "Tributes have been paid to the actor, who played the villain Toecutter opposite Mel Gibson.", "The environment secretary says the ban could be in place by the end of 2021 in a move away from EU rules.", "Universities in England are staggering the return of students after Christmas over five weeks.", "IBM says organisations involved in moving coronavirus vaccines at chilled temperatures were targeted.", "The Met's position has not changed, Dame Cressida Dick says, despite German police's belief she is dead.", "Police say that the tank exploded on Thursday killing four and injuring a fifth.", "From Boxing Day until New Year's Day, 33 new DJs and presenters will take over the airwaves.", "It is key to deploy the vaccine \"as fast\" as possible, England's deputy chief medical officer says.", "There will be more generous grading in next year's GCSEs and A-levels in England to help those age groups.", "The health secretary says the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine will be rolled out in the UK \"from next week\".", "Machine learning is helping firms across many industries more quickly solve difficult challenges.", "The UK is the first country to approve the Pfizer vaccine - with 800,000 doses due to arrive soon.", "A large explosion has taken place at a waste treatment works in Avonmouth, Bristol.", "Universities open mass testing centres for students so they can travel home safely for Christmas.", "Barack Obama, George W Bush and Bill Clinton want to promote confidence in Covid vaccine safety.", "Non-essential shops, gyms and hairdressers can open their doors as a national lockdown ends.", "An Indian village school teacher wins the Global Teacher Prize and shares the award with runners-up.", "The steel fabrication firm, with plants in Fife and Lewis, blamed the government for failing to secure any new contracts.", "Regional Ofsted bosses say schooling has been 'completely disrupted' by Covid-19 in some areas.", "The iPhone transformed mobile phones in just 10 years. Could green energy see a similar revolution?", "Manchester United's Champions League campaign is hanging in the balance as two goals from Neymar help Paris St-Germain win at Old Trafford.", "Alex and Buffy dropped everything to start a new life on the Isle of Rum, which they had only seen in pictures.", "The EU says vaccines are not a \"football competition\" after Education Secretary Gavin Williamson's comment.", "Prince Charles and Camilla visit a theatre and a club as London venues begin to reopen after lockdown.", "Daryl Bunn was attacked after a meeting about best man speeches at a friend's wedding, police say.", "These orders may have been used inappropriately when care services were under extreme pressure, the care watchdog says.", "People with vouchers will only be able to use them for half of their order, the company says.", "Police say that he was injured after a device partially exploded in Craigavon on Tuesday night.", "Five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Thursday evening.", "The company managing the port says lack of government support will make the transition \"more challenging\".", "A watchdog discloses the ruling despite government attempts to keep the matter secret.", "Pupils and staff have infection rates which mirror rates outside the school gates, a study found.", "It means more than two-thirds of the nation's population will be in tier three from Saturday.", "Use our search tool to find out about coronavirus rules and restrictions where you live.", "Years after flammable cladding issues emerged, more flat owners are facing costly 24-hour patrols.", "NHS bosses express concern about \"prematurely\" easing restrictions in some areas.", "Public Health Wales warns IT maintenance has led to \"significant under-reporting\" of cases.", "Victor Gevers was acting ethically when he guessed the president's password, \"MAGA2020!\", police say.", "One patient at the Ulster Hospital waited more than 28 hours to be given a bed.", "The Bank of England says trying to predict economic progress is hampered by a lack of a Brexit deal.", "A recording emerges of the Mission: Impossible star apparently letting fly about social distancing.", "As infections rise, these people say they've decided to call off their festive plans.", "The news comes as many airlines cut staff and drop routes as passengers cut travel amid the pandemic.", "A capsule lands in Inner Mongolia with the first lunar rock to be brought to Earth in 44 years.", "Millions in southern England move into tier three, while only two areas move down a tier.", "Secondary school pupils could face a first week of term online as schools set up Covid testing.", "The PM and the EU Commission head speak again by phone, and acknowledge differences remain.", "Police say the investigation into the funeral of the IRA veteran is over and a file will be sent to the PPS.", "Health Minister Nadhim Zahawi says it is a \"really good start\" to the UK's programme.", "The PM's outgoing aide says \"existential\" threats such as nuclear safety are \"largely ignored\".", "Charles and Camilla also release an annual photo, showing the couple smiling in their garden.", "Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah was \"living on a knife edge\" before her fatal asthma attack, the inquest heard.", "The first minister apologises to bereaved families as Scotland again records the highest drug death rate in Europe.", "Roberto Firmino puts Liverpool clear at the top of the Premier League table with a last-gasp winner against Tottenham.", "The new fund will help pay for fire alarms to remove the need for 24-hour patrols in high-rise buildings.", "Sweden has been criticised for its more relaxed approach to handling the pandemic.", "Key moments in the story of the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie in 1998.", "Fares will rise more than expected next year, although the 2.6% increase will be delayed until March.", "Global internet firms could be banned from detecting images, amid planned changes to privacy laws.", "UK equality law is too focused on race, age, religion and disability, says Liz Truss.", "Mal Martin's family were told there was almost zero chance of survival after he contracted Covid-19.", "As Christmas looms, popular lines including Lego, dolls and puzzles are out of stock at some toy stores.", "The town scarred by Pan Am flight 103", "There are now nine former players preparing to take legal action against the game's authorities for alleged negligence.", "The company will award £100 each to 50,000 worldwide staff and plans to return UK furlough payments.", "The Budget had been set to happen in Autumn 2020 but was ditched due to the coronavirus pandemic.", "The president of the EU Commission says the \"next few days\" will be decisive for trade negotiations.", "He says the charity should be \"ashamed\" after launching a campaign to feed UK children.", "Atlantic City hopes to raise a million dollars from someone keen to send off the hotel with a bang.", "Ten US states accuse the tech firm of illegally trying to preserve its online advertising monopoly.", "The actor was best known for playing the bounty hunter Boba Fett in the original trilogy.", "Holidaymakers in the Canary Islands react as new quarantine rules come into force.", "A public health expert says there is little evidence to suggest it helps cut transmission rates.", "On this week: Foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, Labour's Ed Miliband and Irish PM Micheál Martin", "A 25-year-old man is arrested on suspicion of murder following the death in east London.", "A no-deal exit from the European Union will be \"catastrophic for Wales\", Mark Drakeford says.", "Retailers tell shoppers they have enough supplies as uncertainty remains over the terms of Brexit.", "Consumers could be automatically switched to cheaper deals when their contracts end.", "Unified world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua floors Kubrat Pulev four times on his way to a knockout win.", "The first editions of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone initially sold for £10.99 in 1997.", "With no deal looking increasingly likely, how have both sides been getting ready?", "Customers have been venting their anger after congestion at ports led to stock shortages.", "The Grammy-winning artist was one of the greatest black country music stars with a string of hits.", "A senior Conservative says deploying gunboats to patrol UK waters after 31 December is \"undignified\".", "Police said the male occupant suffered minor injuries and was a \"little shaken\".", "A Brexit trade deal is still far from certain, but the ground may have shifted in its favour.", "UK minister Alok Sharma says world leaders are failing to show the necessary level of ambition.", "Gen Gustave Perna says he is confident of the safe distribution of the \"precious commodity\" across the US.", "Some 67 local authorities in England are taking part in the community testing schemes.", "Alex Westgate completed the flight in Leicestershire after he started training in March.", "Ursula von der Leyen says talks were \"constructive\", but Boris Johnson warns no deal is \"most likely\".", "A 14-year-old boy and a 19-year-old man are arrested on suspicion of murder after a teenager died.", "Negotiations will continue but Boris Johnson warns the UK must \"get ready to trade on WTO terms\".", "NHS bosses say they are worried about January, after the US saw a spike in cases after Thanksgiving.", "Police say the allegations against a former minister did not meet the \"evidential test\".", "The US has started distributing the vaccine to hundreds of locations across the country.", "Dominic Raab says that the EU has 'shifted the goalposts' which has forced the UK into the position it is in.", "\"Stop the Steal\" marchers gathered to back President Trump's push to reverse his election defeat.", "All the latest news and results for the US Election 2020 from the BBC.", "Boris Johnson and his EU counterpart are due to make a decision on the future of talks shortly.", "Both staff and older residents will begin receiving the Pfizer/ BioNTech vaccine from the start of this week.", "A woman believed to be the baby's mother has been found following an appeal, and taken to hospital.", "First Minister Mark Drakeford warns the NHS risks becoming the \"national coronavirus service\".", "A watch and cash are among items reported stolen from the late World Cup winner's home on Saturday.", "The warning from a public health expert comes as the UK reports a further 519 deaths.", "Peter Alliss, the legendary BBC golf commentator, dies at the age of 89.", "Prof Stephen Powis says the jab is the \"beginning of the end\", as hospitals start to take deliveries.", "Hashem Abedi, who was jailed for murdering 22 people, admits his involvement for the first time.", "A similar structure found in the US last month caused wild speculation online and apparent copycats.", "Rudy Giuliani has been leading the Trump campaign's legal challenges to the 2020 election results.", "They rising musicians are among 10 acts tipped for success on the annual BBC talent list.", "The end of the catalogue is “emotional but rational” as fewer people are reading it, the company says.", "England's tour of South Africa is abandoned after a number of positive coronavirus tests.", "Pollution likely contributed to the fatal asthma attack of Ella Kissi-Debrah, 9, an inquest hears.", "The UK will begin a mass vaccination on Tuesday, beginning with the elderly, health workers, and carers.", "Some viewers who posted off competition entries for various shows \"had no chance of winning\".", "Plaid Cymru is calling for an independent public inquiry into severe flooding earlier this year.", "Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen have spoken as they try to break the post-Brexit trade deal stalemate.", "The two sides are still stuck over the fundamental, political question - who really calls the shots.", "The BBC and the Met Office have looked at the country's changing climate in detail.", "The market in Nottingham closes for the rest of the year, following \"unprecedented high footfall\".", "Details and reaction to a briefing by Health Minister Vaughan Gething.", "The pop star should have been isolating at home after a trip to Egypt when she threw a party.", "The World Economic Forum says the pandemic makes it hard to guarantee participants would stay safe in Europe.", "Det Sgt Nick Bailey, who was contaminated with the nerve agent, left Wiltshire Police in October.", "By the 2040s most of southern England may no longer get sub-zero days, new Met Office data suggests.", "The Met Police faces legal action after undercover officers used four dead children's identities.", "Helen Bannister died in hospital following a serious assault on 1 December.", "Five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Monday morning.", "Adrian Smith discovered a photo of him taken when he was eight years old had a life of its own.", "Nicola Sturgeon says 11 councils in west and central Scotland will come out of the highest tier of restrictions.", "With a Brexit deal done, we look at the challenges to come at British borders.", "Derbyshire Police says \"comments of an abusive nature\" were reported during Saturday's game.", "The coronavirus vaccine will begin to be administered at hospitals across the UK on Tuesday.", "Scotland have been drawn to face Denmark and Austria in their qualifying group for the 2022 World Cup.", "The organiser of the illegal gathering in Nottingham is facing a fine of up to £10,000.", "The lateral flow tests will be trialled among visitors to 14 care homes in five local authority areas.", "England will face Poland while Wales meet Belgium as the qualifying draw for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar is made.", "A surfer who survived a great white attack in Australia is said to be lucky to be alive.", "The family have apologised for \"prejudiced remarks\" made by the writer, who died 30 years ago.", "The one tonne find is \"a significant hit to the organised crime groups involved\", investigators say.", "The UK prime minister and the European Commission president are to meet in Brussels to discuss the sticking points.", "Breaking is confirmed as part of the Paris 2024 Olympic programme by the IOC, but parkour misses out.", "Military personnel could transport doses of virus vaccine to ensure supplies, a minister says.", "The carmaker's European boss tells the BBC its UK plants could become uncompetitive if no deal is struck.", "The co-chief executive of Europe's largest online fashion platform is cutting short his contract.", "Mr Ashley's Frasers Group eyes a bid for the chain but says there is \"no certainty\" it will happen.", "Italian media dub him \"Forrest Gump\", after a movie hero who ran across the US.", "It seems more than a nip and tuck will be required to break the deadlock in UK-EU trade talks.", "Christmas shoppers returned to stores in England this weekend, but footfall was down 25% on last year.", "Millwall and Queens Park Rangers players will stand arm-in-arm before Tuesday's Championship fixture in a \"show of solidarity for football's fight against discrimination\".", "Crisps firm Walkers will make fertiliser by mixing potato waste with CO2 from beer fermentation.", "Sir Peter Gross will look at whether 22-year-old legislation is working properly today.", "Chris and Henry Flanagan-Kane say they finally have equality, 15 years after civil partnership.", "The coin featuring the Starman singer was sent to an altitude of more than 35,000m.", "The streaming giant says it \"sees no need\" to warn viewers that some scenes are invented.", "Material from a space rock called Ryugu could provide an ''exciting key'' to the origins of the Solar System.", "The deal between the UK and EU ends months of arguments over business rules and fishing rights.", "Oleg Sokolov, an expert on Napoleon, was sentenced to 12 and a half years in prison.", "London now has the highest percentage of people testing positive in the UK, ONS figures suggest.", "About 5,000 people usually spend their Christmas morning watching the Royal Family arrive at church - but not this year.", "Many had wondered if he would mention the former king's scandals in his Christmas speech.", "\"We've just had official confirmation that this Christmas is a white one!\" the Met Office tweets.", "The monarch will reflect on the hardships of the pandemic in her Christmas speech at 15:00 GMT.", "Three people are injured in the blast and possible human remains are later found near the site.", "A marine expert says the loss of 10 young males found on the East Yorkshire coast is \"catastrophic\".", "A further 800 personnel are to be sent to Kent on Christmas Day to help test drivers for Covid-19.", "The year 2020 was an eventful one for two dancing partners who began co-habiting at the age of 90, then had their Covid jabs.", "Police praise residents for \"compassion\" shown to officers while being told to leave their homes.", "The president wants changes to the federal spending bill, but Congress cannot agree on which ones.", "The post-Brexit trade deal will not be faultless but both sides are now hoping to sell it at home.", "A couple are rescued by fire crews from a car submerged by flash floods in Norfolk.", "The UK-EU trade agreement will be followed by claim and counter-claim over who gave most ground.", "The monarch makes her annual address in the Christmas Message to the Nation and Commonwealth.", "The Christmas messages reflect on the impact of the pandemic - and people's responses.", "The monarch and the Duke of Edinburgh usually spend Christmas with other royals at Sandringham.", "A marriage proposal is caught by a keen photographer who was walking in the Peak District.", "A post-Brexit agreement has been announced. Here are 10 key questions.", "The post-Brexit trade deal has been met with a mixture of relief, sadness and optimism in Europe.", "A further 570 deaths are reported on Christmas Day, as confirmed cases rise by 32,725.", "The charitable sausage roll singer is now on a par with The Beatles and the Spice Girls.", "The new rule will begin on 28 December amid concerns over the new variant of coronavirus.", "Occupants of about 500 caravans at Billing Aquadrome in Northampton are urged to seek shelter.", "Police warn of a \"really serious situation\" in Bedfordshire as they urge people to leave their homes.", "Businesses give a relieved welcome to the Brexit trade deal, but warn there is more work to be done.", "The BBC has seen the 1,246-page document, which includes about 800 pages of annexes and footnotes.", "The sitcom included a scene which referenced the Black Lives Matter movement.", "Hundreds of military personnel have been deployed to help clear the backlog of about 5,000 lorries.", "She says that while all many people want is \"a squeeze of the hand\", there is \"hope in the new dawn\".", "There is no precedent for the avalanche of new trade barriers that is coming after 1 January.", "The home secretary says border controls will be \"fairer\" but there are concerns over data access.", "NHS gender identity service seeks an appeal against puberty blockers ban and doctors call for change.", "Eurotunnel says it expects hundreds more lorries to arrive in Kent, as the UK and France thrash out a plan to restart trade and travel.", "No inter-county travel will be allowed after 26 December under new restrictions.", "Communal singing is against Covid guidelines in the UK but could a new scientific study change that?", "More must be done if the UK is to be future-proofed rather than playing catch-up, say MPs.", "Thomas Maher used an encrypted phone to arrange the movement of drugs and cash.", "The move by Britain's biggest supermarket comes amid shortage fears due to disruption at UK ports.", "Grace Millane's killer can now be named after he was convicted of sex attacks on two more women.", "A new recording purports to reveal how Russian state agents poisoned Putin critic Alexei Navalny.", "The postal service agrees a deal with unions to end a bitter dispute over pay and conditions.", "The 62-year-old Marquess of Bute is one of seven people charged with allegedly breaking travel rules.", "The food industry says port disruption makes it hard for foreign firms to trust UK exporters post-Brexit.", "Prosecutors said the victims died in \"unbearable\" heat in a lorry container in October 2019.", "An executive meeting is under way to consider proposals from Robin Swann on travel between Britain and NI.", "Boris Johnson says former party treasurer Peter Cruddas has a \"long track record\" of political service.", "The UK is continuing to see more deaths than expected for this time of year, ONS data shows.", "Total deaths in the UK have been 20% above normal in recent weeks, but that figure has now dropped.", "Europe is gradually easing lockdown measures ahead of the tourist season.", "Nicola Sturgeon warns that the current top level of restrictions may need to be tightened further.", "Sir Patrick Vallance also predicts there will be a spike in cases after Christmas.", "Boris Johnson says his position is \"unchanged\", as time for the UK and EU to reach a deal runs short.", "Experts urgently assess whether the mutation of coronavirus spreads more easily among the young.", "Lady Margaret Tebbit was paralysed after an IRA bombing at the Conservative Party conference in 1984.", "A consultant at Morriston says the standard of care suffers when the hospital becomes overwhelmed.", "Jurors were warned to ignore comments from politicians following Priti Patel's post on Twitter.", "Many have had their plans to visit loved ones dashed, as countries implement a UK travel ban.", "Tashaun Aird was stabbed to death in Hackney almost two years after he was excluded from school.", "Areas of England outside the South East say the new variant of Covid-19 is likely to be circulating.", "If it doesn't, the boss of BioNTech says its vaccine could be refined very quickly.", "Restrictions will jump from level one to level four in the south of Scotland, Highland and Moray on Boxing Day.", "Five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Tuesday morning.", "Anas El-Rafai and his brother were with friends at a popular beauty spot known as Broken Scar.", "Scotland's first minister says there are \"no excuses\" for removing her face covering at a wake.", "Talks are continuing in Brussels, with less than 10 days to go until the UK leaves EU trading rules.", "EU nationals and those transporting goods internationally can return - if they have a recent negative test.", "A top Chinese scientist addresses claims the coronavirus leaked from her lab in the city of Wuhan.", "Simon Byrne apologises after the policing of NI protests is found to be unfair and discriminatory.", "Politicians are in talks to resume freight, after France closed the border because of the new variant.", "Surgeries in more than 100 locations are receiving their first deliveries of the Pfizer jab.", "Roberts Buncis, 12, was found dead in Lincolnshire on Saturday, two days before his birthday.", "Education secretary threatens legal action after classes move online due to a rise in infections.", "Former Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier has died at the age of 73.", "Players are reporting performance issues and the game crashing on PS4 and Xbox One.", "Police said the male occupant suffered minor injuries and was a \"little shaken\".", "A Brexit trade deal is still far from certain, but the ground may have shifted in its favour.", "Details and reaction as Health Minister Vaughan Gething gives a live televised briefing.", "The former Holiday Inn offered views of Washington DC, but was brought down without a hitch in a controlled implosion.", "The leader of one council writes to head teachers and parents warning of \"extreme risk\" of rising cases.", "A final decision on a deal was expected on Sunday, but the two sides sent negotiators back to the table.", "Use our search tool to find out about coronavirus rules and restrictions where you live.", "Nicola Sturgeon says Scots planning to meet up at Christmas should cut down on \"unnecessary contacts\" now.", "Dale McLaughlan travelled across the Irish Sea on a water scooter to see his girlfriend, a court hears.", "All the latest news and results for the US Election 2020 from the BBC.", "Esther Dingley's partner and family say she was content with life as they dismiss media speculation.", "EU sources say talks are constructive, with both sides keen to avoid blame for a no-deal Brexit.", "Retailers tell shoppers they have enough supplies as uncertainty remains over the terms of Brexit.", "People wrongly threatened because of immigration policy changes previously received a minimum of £250.", "Liverpool fans remember Gerard Houllier as the manager \"who brought the good times back\".", "Both countries have very few cases and will allow travellers to go back and forth without quarantine.", "Writers including Robert Harris and Ian Rankin remember an author \"who transcended his genre\".", "Ursula von der Leyen says talks were \"constructive\", but Boris Johnson warns no deal is \"most likely\".", "A 14-year-old boy and a 19-year-old man are arrested on suspicion of murder after a teenager died.", "Annie Innes, 90, from South Lanarkshire, is the first person to be be vaccinated in a care home.", "The new strain may be growing faster in some parts of the country, Health Secretary tells MPs.", "Health Secretary Matt Hancock warns people to be vigilant as London is set to move into tier three.", "Sherwin Hall made 13 hospital visits before he was given an MRI scan which revealed several tumours.", "\"Stop the Steal\" marchers gathered to back President Trump's push to reverse his election defeat.", "Experts are calling for greater surveillance of wildlife for the virus after the discovery in a wild mink.", "Witnesses say the man yelled \"Kill me\" as he opened fire near the Cathedral of St John the Divine.", "Medical safety gear worth millions of pounds has yet to be distributed months after it was bought.", "Front-line staff warn relaxing rules for the festive period is not a \"luxury\" the NHS can afford.", "NHS bosses say they are worried about January, after the US saw a spike in cases after Thanksgiving.", "The US has started distributing the vaccine to hundreds of locations across the country.", "The Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Choir join forces with Justin Bieber to go for Christmas number one.", "The code indicates to police that someone is in distress but unable to speak.", "Customers have been venting their anger after congestion at ports led to stock shortages.", "Officials will hold discussions with France's EDF about funding the Sizewell C project in Suffolk.", "A collection of your tributes to some of the thousands of people in the UK who have died with coronavirus.", "Jesy Nelson says being in the chart-topping girl group has \"taken a toll on my mental health\".", "Five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Monday evening.", "Shows like Les Miserables, Six the Musical and Pantoland at the Palladium are among those affected.", "First Minister Mark Drakeford warns the NHS risks becoming the \"national coronavirus service\".", "Sadiq Khan wants all secondary schools and colleges to close early ahead of Christmas across London.", "Hazel disappeared under a sea of foam at Byron Bay as wild weather battered the coast.", "Tourists and scientists gathered at an observation site in Argentina to witness the total eclipse.", "The mass of human-made objects will for the first time likely exceed that of living things in 2020.", "Knives, firearms, blowpipes and other weapons can be traded in for amounts ranging up to £5,105.", "Outpatient and non-urgent cancer treatments may be postponed due the 'alarming' rise in Covid rates.", "Greater Manchester Police \"let down\" crime victims and closed cases prematurely, a report finds.", "US media say the inquiry relates to his business dealings with foreign countries including China.", "Some parents decide to keep their children at home in case they catch Covid before Christmas.", "The supermarkets will open but Asda gives staff the day off for working during the pandemic.", "Italy's 1982 World Cup hero Paolo Rossi, who finished top scorer at the tournament and got the opening goal in the final, has died aged 64.", "Health Secretary Matt Hancock says the fastest rise has been in secondary-school aged children.", "The striker's hat-trick eliminated Brazil on the way to Italy's triumph in the competition in Spain.", "Hilda and Michael Hubbard had been happy together before his dementia took hold, a report says.", "The EU has set out the measures it would take if no trade deal is agreed with the UK.", "After three years away, the MOBOs return to celebrate the best of black music and culture.", "Failing to reach an agreement is not what the EU or Boris Johnson wants, but the signs are not good.", "The abuse is alleged to have happened in Kirklees, Bradford and Wakefield between 1999 and 2012.", "The International Criminal Court says Iraqi detainees were abused by UK soldiers between 2003 and 2009.", "A report reveals a litany of damaging and unlawful decisions made about children in care.", "Production on her popular programme, the Ellen DeGeneres Show, will be suspended until January.", "All 11 to 18-year-olds in the worst-hit areas told to get tested, whether they have symptoms or not.", "European bison take a step back from the brink, but there is bad news for other animals and plants.", "A driver helps a distraught passenger who fears she will miss 30-minute slot to see her mother.", "The TV journalist and Sky News political editor Beth Rigby are among four people taken off air.", "UK PM Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen agreed a firm decision should be taken by Sunday.", "Demand from buyers is \"losing a bit of steam\" in some areas of the UK, surveyors report.", "France's data privacy watchdog said it was the largest fine it had ever issued.", "Campaigners have created a black hair code to try and end discrimination in schools and workplaces.", "Sunday becomes the new deadline for a decision on trade talks, after the PM and EU chief meet in Brussels.", "Sky News political editor Beth Rigby will also be absent for three months.", "Despite \"exhaustive planning\", some customers may experience delayed deliveries, the postal group says.", "A stay-at-home rule will still end on 15 December, but the new curfew will begin - and include New Year's Eve.", "The finding is thought to be the first to document the use of tools by Asian honeybees.", "A large number of women also died in labour, a review into a scandal-hit maternity unit finds.", "How will Americans receive the vaccine? Will it be free? And will enough people take it?", "Rae Whitehead, 79, died on 1 December after testing positive for Covid-19 at her care home.", "Mixed reaction as secondary schools and FE colleges in Wales are told to close on Friday.", "Users of the app in England and Wales can now apply for £500 if eligible.", "Nearly 163,000 people had been waiting over a year at the end of October, compared with 1,600 in February.", "Joe Anderson was arrested by police investigating the awarding of building contracts.", "Boris Johnson says negotiations with the EU will continue, but are \"not yet there at all\".", "A “sister album” to July's Folklore will be released at midnight, the singer announces on Twitter.", "The US entrepreneur's latest Starship rocket prototype impresses in flight, but crashes on landing.", "The world's largest streaming site said the ban would affect any posts uploaded from Wednesday", "A coalition of news and tech companies join forces to tackle harmful Covid vaccine misinformation.", "Tom Sleigh was trying to light a candle when his notepad went up in flames during an online meeting.", "UK tourists travelling from the islands will have to self-isolate for two weeks.", "Retailers are facing a \"make or break\" Christmas according to the Welsh Retail Consortium.", "The industry tells MPs it has not had enough time to prepare for the end of the Brexit transition period.", "EU pandemic rules and Brexit may restrict travellers from entering the European Union.", "Nasa has announced 18 astronauts who will travel to the Moon under the agency's Artemis programme.", "Holyrood's Justice Committee said it believes additional changes are needed to the controversial bill.", "The numbers of patients in Wales include record numbers still in hospital recovering from the virus.", "Another person was hurt when a \"very loud explosion\" was heard from a silo at the site in Bristol.", "All the vaccine slots were taken within five hours, with many front line nurses unable to secure one.", "Details of the first minister's briefing as tighter rules on pubs and restaurants take effect.", "The teenager and three men were killed in the blast at a water treatment works in Bristol.", "Infection levels are down among all age groups and all regions apart from one, data suggests.", "Retailers have so far committed to handing back £1.9bn after some faced criticism from MPs.", "Odeon owner AMC is alarmed by Warner Bros' plan to stream films in US as soon as they hit cinemas.", "Tolkien is believed to have written The Hobbit and The Lords of the Rings at the house in Oxford.", "The money has disappeared from circulation and is unaccounted for, say MPs and auditors.", "Alok Sharma says he expects the doses to arrive for the start of the UK's vaccination programme.", "The \"heartbreaking\" news came six months after lockdown postponed their first effort to tie the knot.", "A light aircraft is forced to make an emergency landing on an interstate in Minnesota, but no injuries are reported.", "The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines are being kept in a central hub ahead of distribution.", "The new restrictions have been described as \"a devastating hammer blow\" to the hospitality industry.", "Festive songs account for more than half of this week's top 40, led by Mariah Carey.", "\"The only thing we could do was talk to her on FaceTime\", a woman who lost her daughter to Covid told the BBC.", "After apparent criticism from the US expert, the UK defended the safety and efficacy of the vaccine.", "The chain says recent lockdowns cost it £430m in sales, but trading since reopening has been strong.", "Many businesses can reopen from next Friday, but drink-only pubs must remain closed.", "UK sources said the talks had \"gone back 24 hours\", while the EU warns of difficulties.", "It is the second week running that the reproduction number of virus transmission has been below 1.", "With a Brexit deal done, we look at the challenges to come at British borders.", "A seven-year-old boy fell from the Twister ride at Lightwater Valley in May last year.", "Eltiona Skana admitted the manslaughter of Emily Jones on the grounds of diminished responsibility.", "Joe Anderson and four others are being investigated over the awarding of building contracts in the city.", "The first coronavirus vaccines will be administered in Northern Ireland on Tuesday morning.", "As many as 50 local businesses have enjoyed a timely boost from the production at Gwrych Castle.", "The medicines regulator says doses will have to be delivered to homes within 12 hours of unpacking.", "Two men and a woman died at the scene in Bothwell and two other men were taken to hospital.", "Talks continue, as a source tells the BBC that Brussels are \"bringing new elements into the negotiation\".", "The cut comes at a time when the industry is suffering from low passenger numbers due to the pandemic.", "Hundreds of residents reported hearing explosions in the early hours of Friday caused by the weather phenomenon.", "Is this really the end of the road - or is a trade deal just around the corner?", "Officers are treating it as a missing person inquiry and have circulated posters of Ms Dingley.", "Gitanjali Rao, 15, says she proves that you don't have to look like a \"typical scientist\".", "Joe White will also act as consul-general to San Francisco when he takes on the role later this year.", "Online shoppers are being warned of the risks of cyber-fraud during the festive season.", "The Met's position has not changed, Dame Cressida Dick says, despite German police's belief she is dead.", "Thomas Davies told a jury he had been exaggerating about how quickly he drove the 841-mile journey.", "Changes to the 1996 Treasure Act are aimed at protecting new finds in England and Wales.", "Peter Corry says artists and audiences are struggling due to the cancellation of performances.", "The Nazis removed Jewish names from the German phonetic alphabet - now a reform is coming.", "Barack Obama, George W Bush and Bill Clinton want to promote confidence in Covid vaccine safety.", "Boris Johnson and European Commission chief Ursula Von Der Leyen will seek to break deadlock on Saturday.", "The airline's sale of surplus stock - crockery, blankets, slippers - sparked delight and dismay.", "There is \"no evidence whatsoever\" that Shukri Yahye-Abdi was pushed in a river, a coroner says.", "The EU says vaccines are not a \"football competition\" after Education Secretary Gavin Williamson's comment.", "Supplies of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine have already started to arrive in the UK.", "Pupils and teachers should get details of what assessments in Wales will look like by January.", "Arsenal beat Chelsea to end a seven-game winless run in the Premier League and ease the pressure on boss Mikel Arteta.", "Oleg Sokolov, an expert on Napoleon, was sentenced to 12 and a half years in prison.", "About 5,000 people usually spend their Christmas morning watching the Royal Family arrive at church - but not this year.", "\"We've just had official confirmation that this Christmas is a white one!\" the Met Office tweets.", "Many city centres were left bare as coronavirus restrictions prevented shops from opening.", "Three people are injured in the blast and possible human remains are later found near the site.", "Some residents form makeshift defences in a bid to hold back the floodwater.", "The FBI says it has received 500 tips about the incident that injured three people on Christmas Day.", "The Cabinet Office minister says he has lost friends over Brexit and admits it turned UK politics \"ugly\".", "The monarch makes her annual address in the Christmas Message to the Nation and Commonwealth.", "The monarch and the Duke of Edinburgh usually spend Christmas with other royals at Sandringham.", "A post-Brexit agreement has been announced. Here are 10 key questions.", "Blake was one of the Cold War's most notorious double agents and betrayed dozens of MI6 personnel.", "A further 570 deaths are reported on Christmas Day, as confirmed cases rise by 32,725.", "The charitable sausage roll singer is now on a par with The Beatles and the Spice Girls.", "The new rule will begin on 28 December amid concerns over the new variant of coronavirus.", "More areas in England enter tier four, as lockdowns begin in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.", "A murder inquiry begins after the man suffered fatal head injuries in Erdington, Birmingham.", "A UK-based think tank says the pandemic has caused economic momentum to shift further in favour of Asia.", "Police warn of a \"really serious situation\" in Bedfordshire as they urge people to leave their homes.", "Bryony Frost becomes the first female jockey to win the King George VI Chase as she rides Frodon to victory at Kempton.", "Organisers have pulled the plug on people taking the plunge this year due to the pandemic.", "The highest level of restrictions are now in force for millions of people to curb the spread of a new strain of coronavirus.", "Use our search tool to find out about coronavirus rules and restrictions where you live.", "Thousands of people have left their homes near the River Great Ouse amid \"severe\" flood warnings.", "A warning for snow and ice is in place for Northern Ireland and parts of England, Wales and Scotland.", "Lewis Hamilton tells the Today programme that the Black Lives Matter movement helped drive him on to his seventh world title.", "A total of 8.14 million watched her address, and it was also a good day for channel-hopping Bradley Walsh.", "The plane with three crew landed safely after rerouting on a flight from the US to Canada.", "Countries across the EU received their first shipments of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccines.", "Hundreds of military personnel have been deployed to help clear the backlog of about 5,000 lorries.", "She says that while all many people want is \"a squeeze of the hand\", there is \"hope in the new dawn\".", "Homes are without power and 80mph gusts are forecast for south and west Wales.", "The home secretary says border controls will be \"fairer\" but there are concerns over data access.", "If it proves effective, the jab could protect vulnerable people who haven't or can't be vaccinated.", "The list of known victims is growing, as SolarWinds says about 18,000 customers may be affected.", "\"I didn't feel a thing,\" says Mr Pence after he receives his first dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.", "Matthew Mason admits beating 15-year-old Alex Rodda to death with a spanner but denies murder.", "Updates and reaction from Friday's press conference with mental health minister Baroness Morgan.", "The response to Covid was \"inadequate\" and more could have been done to prepare, a report says.", "The prime minister says he hopes to avoid a third lockdown in England during a visit to Greater Manchester on 18 December.", "The Treasury says taxes must rise or services cut to compensate for the loss of fuel tax income.", "The unprecedented move comes as players say the game is riddled with bugs and glitches.", "Hundreds of drivers were stranded when heavy snow blanketed part of the Kanetsu expressway.", "Office for National Statistics figures suggest one in every 95 people in England has the virus.", "Andy Burnham is facing a call to stand down as Greater Manchester Police is put in special measures.", "Pastor Mick - who helps the poor on streets of Burnley - was once a violent dealer, covering up painful childhood memories.", "The two classic cars were donated to the charity by Richard Colton, who died in 2015.", "Smoke from wildfires could be a surprising new route for the spread of microbes, experts believe.", "Sweden has been criticised for its more relaxed approach to handling the pandemic.", "Amber and yellow rain warnings are in place and flood alerts are issued.", "The winner of this year's Masterchef: The Professionals series says \"it is the best feeling ever\".", "A six-mile control zone is set up after Scotland's first serious case of avian flu since 2016 is confirmed.", "Dog theft: Organised crime driving ‘epidemic’ of dog snatching.", "The NSPCC says calls to its helpline resulted in 923 referrals in Wales between April and November.", "Five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Friday evening.", "He says the charity should be \"ashamed\" after launching a campaign to feed UK children.", "Fears remain over Christmas deliveries as online shopping balloons amid Covid restrictions.", "Some property websites are hosting rental listings that may discriminate against people on benefits.", "Michel Barnier says it is now \"the moment of truth\", while Boris Johnson warns of \"difficult\" talks.", "No 10 sources said the PM chaired meetings on Friday amid \"growing concerns\" about Covid infection rates.", "From his hospital bed, 60-year-old Chris Lea says \"it is not worth losing an aunt, uncle or grandparent\".", "Atlantic City hopes to raise a million dollars from someone keen to send off the hotel with a bang.", "Investigators secretly recorded \"offensive\" conversations between members of the unit.", "It means more than two-thirds of the nation's population will be in tier three from Saturday.", "More people in Scotland are to face level three rules. So, is your council area entering the second strictest tier?", "Heavy snow has left drivers stranded on a highway in Japan, some of them since Wednesday night.", "US states accuse Google of unfairly abusing monopolies to dominate new tech like voice assistants.", "Sales fell by 3.8% last month, bringing to an end a six-month streak of rising trade.", "Packaging firm co-owned by Mohsin and Zuber Issa was prosecuted after a series of injuries", "Use our search tool to find out about coronavirus rules and restrictions where you live.", "Secondary school pupils could face a first week of term online as schools set up Covid testing.", "The PM and the EU Commission head speak again by phone, and acknowledge differences remain.", "The actor was best known for playing the bounty hunter Boba Fett in the original trilogy.", "Nearly 90% of hospital beds in England are full as hospitals try to cope with the demands of Covid.", "The number of people in hospital with Covid-19 is the highest since the pandemic began in March.", "Ian Hopkins says he will step down from Greater Manchester Police with immediate effect.", "A selection of your pictures of Scotland sent in between 11 and 18 December.", "Pressure on industries hit by Covid restrictions is forcing many people to change careers.", "The Duchess of Sussex took legal action against a news agency that photographed her and her son.", "Last minute plans for mass testing in England's secondary schools to be run by teachers anger staff.", "Encryption could make it harder to police online grooming, England's children's commissioner warns.", "As the royal tour arrives in Wales, a minister says he would \"rather no one was having unnecessary visits\".", "Hashem Abedi, who was jailed for murdering 22 people, admits his involvement for the first time.", "Up to one in 10 of the population are anxious about injections - so what can they do?", "Two members of England's touring party who gave \"unconfirmed positive\" coronavirus tests will return to the UK after testing and analysis shows they are not infected.", "The Japanese carmaker temporarily stops production at its Swindon plant after UK ports congestion.", "Laura Nuttall, who has terminal brain cancer, says older people should be ahead of her in the queue.", "Pollution likely contributed to the fatal asthma attack of Ella Kissi-Debrah, 9, an inquest hears.", "Flood barriers were rolled out too late, causing heavy rain to flood the city.", "The UK will drop plans to override the Brexit divorce deal, removing a potential obstacle to a trade deal.", "American regulators are yet to approve the vaccine, despite the UK pushing ahead with mass rollout.", "The peer-reviewed work in the Lancet medical journal confirms the vaccine is 'safe and protects'.", "Sue Hodge lost seven hours and has no memory of going in the sea or even driving to Newquay.", "The Champions League match between Paris St-Germain and Istanbul Basaksehir will resume on Wednesday after being abandoned on Tuesday.", "The industry tells MPs it has not had enough time to prepare for the end of the Brexit transition period.", "The ban from next October is part of \"a major review\" of laws to protect children and vulnerable people.", "The World Economic Forum says the pandemic makes it hard to guarantee participants would stay safe in Europe.", "Designer Tom Dunford says he put the pillar up for \"fun\" and plans to remove it in a few days.", "What's it like to be a Biden voter in a Trump heartland where many believe the election was rigged?", "Adrian Smith discovered a photo of him taken when he was eight years old had a life of its own.", "With a Brexit deal done, we look at the challenges to come at British borders.", "William Shakespeare was the second to receive the Covid-19 jab - and there was no shortage of puns.", "The coronavirus vaccine will begin to be administered at hospitals across the UK on Tuesday.", "We've looked at four false Covid vaccine claims that won’t go away.", "England will face Poland while Wales meet Belgium as the qualifying draw for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar is made.", "The TV journalist has said sorry for an \"error of judgement\" while celebrating her 60th birthday.", "The death of Nigel Demaline's wife, Pauline, of Covid-19, prompted him to help test a new vaccine.", "A group of eight former rugby union players - including World Cup winner Steve Thompson - are claiming the sport has left them with brain damage.", "Prosecutor says if public \"knew the evidence we had\" they would think Madeleine McCann was killed.", "Breaking is confirmed as part of the Paris 2024 Olympic programme by the IOC, but parkour misses out.", "Driverless cars were once seen as core to the company's future but lately it's focused on rides and food.", "Shane Mays repeatedly punched Louise Smith in the face before defiling and burning her body.", "Boris Johnson's trip to Brussels must produce at least a statement of intent for a deal to be done.", "Manchester United's season suffers a huge blow as they are knocked out of the Champions League after being outclassed by RB Leipzig.", "Spending surged last month as eating out was restricted by England's national lockdown, figures suggest.", "The monarch gathers with family members at a distance to enjoy Christmas carols at Windsor Castle.", "About 70 hospital hubs in the UK are gearing up to give the Pfizer/BioNTech jab to over-80s and some health and care staff, after regulators approved the vaccine's use last week.", "Trials are being planned in the UK to see if combining Covid vaccines might give the best protection.", "Italian media dub him \"Forrest Gump\", after a movie hero who ran across the US.", "It seems more than a nip and tuck will be required to break the deadlock in UK-EU trade talks.", "Millwall and Queens Park Rangers players will stand arm-in-arm before Tuesday's Championship fixture in a \"show of solidarity for football's fight against discrimination\".", "Margaret Keenan, who turns 91 next week, becomes the first person in the world to get the jab as part of a mass vaccination programme, calling it the \"best early birthday present\".", "A collection of your tributes to some of the thousands of people in the UK who have died with coronavirus.", "Chris and Henry Flanagan-Kane say they finally have equality, 15 years after civil partnership.", "Health Secretary Matt Hancock hails the start of the UK's mass Covid-19 immunisations programme.", "Millwall fans applaud as their team and Queens Park Rangers players held an anti-racism banner before Tuesday's Championship match.", "Rising Covid-19 cases, especially in outer boroughs, could see tighter restrictions imposed.", "Lloyd Austin, who oversaw US forces in the Middle East, would be the first African-American in the job.", "All 11 council areas currently under level four restrictions are to be downgraded to level three on Friday.", "Boris Johnson and European Commission chief Ursula Von Der Leyen will seek to break deadlock on Saturday.", "\"All I want for Christmas is a gift of life, that would be an absolute miracle,\" says Diana Isajeva.", "Is this really the end of the road - or is a trade deal just around the corner?", "Chelsea go top of the Premier League as they come from behind to beat Leeds United in front of 2,000 fans at Stamford Bridge.", "He was arrested with four other people in an investigation into the awarding of building contracts.", "The airline's sale of surplus stock - crockery, blankets, slippers - sparked delight and dismay.", "The Trump administration is told to resume a programme that protects immigrants from deportation.", "Dubbed the \"millionaire's tax\", the one-off levy will fund relief measures and health supplies.", "Sports shirts worn by the former president and the Chicago Bulls star were auctioned in Los Angeles.", "A reconnaissance flight in the South Atlantic obtains spectacular imagery of the giant iceberg A68a.", "One in five children aged 10-15 experience bullying online, according to new figures.", "Millwall say they are \"dismayed and saddened\" after some of their fans booed players taking a knee at the start of Saturday's game against Derby.", "It comes as a further 22 people who tested positive for coronavirus die in the past 24 hours.", "Hannah Gaves hid crack cocaine and cannabis in her underwear and smuggled it into a prison.", "The man is being held under quarantine in a hospital in the Jamaican capital, Kingston.", "The tests introduced in England's tier-three areas are a \"game-changer\", a senior NHS adviser says.", "The teenager and three men were killed in the blast at a water treatment works in Bristol.", "A team retrieves a capsule carrying the first significant quantities of rock from an asteroid.", "A member of the Labour leader's office has tested positive for coronavirus so he must stay at home.", "With a Brexit deal done, we look at the challenges to come at British borders.", "England's one-day international series against South Africa will begin on Sunday after the hosts' players tested negative for Covid-19.", "The new restrictions have been described as \"a devastating hammer blow\" to the hospitality industry.", "The start of Millwall's home game with Derby - which the Rams win 1-0 - is overshadowed by some fans booing the teams taking a knee.", "A seven-year-old boy fell from the Twister ride at Lightwater Valley in May last year.", "Joe Anderson and four others are being investigated over the awarding of building contracts in the city.", "The virus - said to be \"low risk\" to humans - has been identified at sites across Great Britain.", "The first coronavirus vaccines will be administered in Northern Ireland on Tuesday morning.", "A man and woman are seriously injured as a home in Illingworth, Halifax, is \"completely destroyed\".", "The \"heartbreaking\" news came six months after lockdown postponed their first effort to tie the knot.", "Lower Cynon Valley follows a pilot in Merthyr Tydfil with testing for up to 27,000 people from Saturday.", "The bodies of William Lavigne and Timothy Duma were discovered at the army base on Wednesday.", "UK PM Boris Johnson and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen have spoken by phone.", "Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen have spoken as they try to break the post-Brexit trade deal stalemate.", "The medicines regulator says doses will have to be delivered to homes within 12 hours of unpacking.", "Police appeal for information about the deaths of Wendy Knell and Caroline Pierce in Kent.", "EU and UK negotiators call in leaders in last ditch effort to secure a trade deal.", "Festive songs account for more than half of this week's top 40, led by Mariah Carey.", "The line between Huntly and Keith is closed due to a landslip and flooding affects rail and tram lines.", "The smugglers allegedly transported migrants from Asia to Italy and then on to northern Europe.", "Arsenal beat Chelsea to end a seven-game winless run in the Premier League and ease the pressure on boss Mikel Arteta.", "Boris Johnson promises \"big changes\" after Brexit, but fishermen's leaders accuse him of \"caving in\".", "The rise in cases comes after a new variant of coronavirus is identified in the country.", "Patient demand is equal \"and now arguably greater\" than at the first wave's peak, the service says.", "Hurricanes, floods and wildfires wreaked havoc, causing deaths and a huge financial impact.", "Doctors warn the NHS may not be able to cope with a surge in cases after restrictions were eased at Christmas.", "Relations between the four UK nations were closer under Theresa May, Wales' first minister says.", "At least 10 climbers are killed and seven others are missing in the Alborz mountains near Tehran.", "Many city centres were left bare as coronavirus restrictions prevented shops from opening.", "The wrestling world pays tribute to Jon Huber, who was known to fans as Brodie Lee or Luke Harper.", "The deal means any changes would \"hardly be felt\" by shoppers, says the supermarket's chairman.", "The FBI says it has received 500 tips about the incident that injured three people on Christmas Day.", "Andy Murray gets a wildcard for February's Australian Open, two years after what looked like his final appearance.", "Blake was one of the Cold War's most notorious double agents and betrayed dozens of MI6 personnel.", "The new rule will begin on 28 December amid concerns over the new variant of coronavirus.", "More areas in England enter tier four, as lockdowns begin in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.", "At least seven people are killed in a stabbing frenzy in the city of Kaiyuan, with a suspect in custody.", "Covid and Black Lives Matter take wedding photographer Tash Jones in an unexpected direction.", "A UK-based think tank says the pandemic has caused economic momentum to shift further in favour of Asia.", "Officers say they were heading to a report of a domestic disturbance when the boy, 15, was struck.", "Its position has since improved but the health board says it is \"extremely busy\" due to Covid-19.", "Bryony Frost becomes the first female jockey to win the King George VI Chase as she rides Frodon to victory at Kempton.", "Use our search tool to find out about coronavirus rules and restrictions where you live.", "The charity says 75% of people seeking advice over benefits and jobs had never contacted it before.", "A warning for snow and ice is in place for Northern Ireland and parts of England, Wales and Scotland.", "Another 316 people have died within 28 days of a positive test, as hospitals come under pressure.", "Kay White started working at Claverley Post Office in Shropshire at the age of 14.", "Evidence of the former UK prime minister's Euroscepticism is revealed in newly released archives.", "Semi Ajayi scores a dramatic late equaliser against leaders Liverpool to earn struggling West Brom their first point since Sam Allardyce took charge.", "Countries across the EU received their first shipments of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccines.", "Irish government papers from 1990 suggest some IRA bosses did not share the party's socialist views.", "The process will start a day earlier than planned, says the head of the country's health service.", "Ian Jones was treated in intensive care after being bitten by a cobra in an Indian village.", "Details and reaction as the first minister warns of post-Christmas restrictions if cases keep rising.", "Production on her popular programme, the Ellen DeGeneres Show, will be suspended until January.", "The ex-EastEnders star has Alzheimer's and says her \"heart goes out\" to those struggling to get care.", "Craig McCulloch spent most of the money on fast food, eBay purchases and rental cars, police say.", "Most risks to financial stability posed by Covid and a no-deal Brexit have been mitigated, the Bank says.", "Dame Barbara became a campaigner for those living with dementia, after her diagnosis in 2014.", "Fire crews described how they tried to find the children inside the burning house.", "A stay-at-home rule will still end on 15 December, but the new curfew will begin - and include New Year's Eve.", "The body that sets MPs' pay says a rise would be \"inconsistent\" with the wider economic picture.", "The French manager sued Cantona for suggesting his Euro 2016 squad selection was racially motivated.", "The industry tells MPs it has not had enough time to prepare for the end of the Brexit transition period.", "A review finds the London-based Westway Trust \"lost sight of the reason for its establishment\".", "She was best known for her role as Peggy Mitchell in EastEnders and parts in the Carry On films.", "Boris Johnson urges Brussels to make a \"big change\" as the deadline set by the two sides approaches.", "The expansion marks another industry shift away from cinema to streaming.", "Secondary schools in the worst-affected parts of London, Kent and Essex will be offered tests.", "\"We are keeping the Christmas spirit alive, despite how dismal the year’s been,\" says the star.", "Malcolm Turnbull tells BBC Question Time his country's arrangement with the EU has \"large barriers\".", "Bubbly, blonde Carry On pin-up who became the matriarch of the Queen Vic.", "Five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Friday evening.", "First results of mass Covid testing of students report \"low numbers\" of positive cases.", "The move to create two new Smithsonian museums was otherwise unanimously supported by the Senate.", "The west Belfast schools write a letter to Peter Weir warning of \"a tsunami of cases\" in the new year.", "Kate Green says the association of CBEs and other medals with the empire is \"hurtful to people\".", "A driver helps a distraught passenger who fears she will miss 30-minute slot to see her mother.", "The study by the Tavistock gender clinic shows all but one child was also later given cross-sex hormones.", "A large number of women also died in labour, a review into a scandal-hit maternity unit finds.", "How will Americans receive the vaccine? Will it be free? And will enough people take it?", "Tom Sleigh was trying to light a candle when his notepad went up in flames during an online meeting.", "Rebecca Williams was asleep when Blair Logan set his brother Cameron alight in their family home.", "The US president-elect and his running mate beat three other finalists, including Donald Trump.", "Tourists already on holiday say new quarantine rules risk ruining their festive plans in the UK.", "Germany is facing calls for a second lockdown before Christmas.", "Dame Barbara Windsor, who has died at the age of 83, had an acting career spanning decades in TV and film.", "Protesters are angry after a man was allegedly killed by police for breaking a coronavirus curfew.", "The family watches a pantomime organised to thank key workers for their efforts during the pandemic.", "A selection of your pictures of Scotland sent in between 4 and 11 December.", "With no deal looking increasingly likely, how have both sides been getting ready?", "Wales' top doctor says more coronavirus restrictions before Christmas are being considered.", "Adel Bary is set free after serving 21 years for involvement in the bombing of two US embassies.", "Aneurin Bevan University Health Board tells patients it is postponing all non-urgent appointments.", "Sky News political editor Beth Rigby will also be absent for three months.", "The change will apply to contacts of coronavirus cases and people quarantining after travel.", "Despite \"exhaustive planning\", some customers may experience delayed deliveries, the postal group says.", "The constitutional court rules that the law, brought in last year, breached rights on religious freedom.", "The film is to be the 78-year-old actor's fifth and final instalment in one of his most famous roles.", "The banking group says it will \"take action\" to resolve the discrepancy among its staff.", "Ross Kemp and Steve McFadden remember Dame Barbara Windsor and what she meant to them.", "It is the first time the party has promised such a vote if it forms a government.", "All 11 to 18-year-olds in the worst-hit areas told to get tested, whether they have symptoms or not.", "It is hoped that mixing two similar vaccines could lead to a better immune response in people.", "The world has seen the biggest annual fall in CO2 emissions since World War Two, say researchers.", "Prime Minister Boris Johnson said it is 'very, very likely' the UK will not secure terms with the EU.", "Reynhard Sinaga, described as Britain's most prolific rapist, is thought to have attacked 206 men.", "A study has identified genes that provide clues about why some people get seriously ill from Covid-19.", "But one victim says it is \"not enough\" as she still has to \"live with that fear I felt on that day\".", "Five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Friday morning.", "But infections kept falling in most English regions as the second lockdown ended.", "Boris Johnson says negotiations with the EU will continue, but are \"not yet there at all\".", "A “sister album” to July's Folklore will be released at midnight, the singer announces on Twitter.", "UK tourists travelling from the islands will have to self-isolate for two weeks.", "Gabrielle Friel is found guilty of possessing weapons but he is cleared of planning a \"spree killing\".", "What places like Ohio reveal about President Donald Trump's legacy on the Republican Party.", "Drug-related fatalities reach record levels as deaths of women involving cocaine rise by 26.5%.", "A group of MPs accuses the UK government of the almost \"wholesale rejection\" of moves to tackle Scotland's drug crisis.", "Secondary-school pupils in England who have been in contact with a positive case will have daily tests.", "Mark Drakeford has not ruled out tax rises in the next Senedd term if Welsh Labour retains power.", "Education secretary threatens legal action after classes move online due to a rise in infections.", "Total deaths in the UK have been 20% above normal in recent weeks, but that figure has now dropped.", "The England and Aston Villa player has also been hit with an £80,000 fine.", "Electors across the US have cast their votes and while some met virtually, others received police escorts.", "The LGBT-owned business says it has pulled its now-infamous yellow kilts from shelves.", "A final decision on a deal was expected on Sunday, but the two sides sent negotiators back to the table.", "Use our search tool to find out about coronavirus rules and restrictions where you live.", "Dale McLaughlan travelled across the Irish Sea on a water scooter to see his girlfriend, a court hears.", "All the latest news and results for the US Election 2020 from the BBC.", "There were long queues at Antrim Hospital but the situation has now improved.", "Labour says the increase earlier this year was an \"insult\" to millions whose pay is being frozen.", "Redbridge Council says it will back schools that close due to rising Covid-19 cases in the capital.", "More than 10,000 redundancies have been proposed by NI firms since the pandemic began.", "People wrongly threatened because of immigration policy changes previously received a minimum of £250.", "However the rate of unemployment is now 4.6% in Wales and 4.9% across the UK as a whole.", "There have been at least 10 confirmed cases of the new variant in Wales, the Welsh Government says.", "Scientists will keep a close eye on this variant to see if it is a better spreader than others.", "The new strain may be growing faster in some parts of the country, Health Secretary tells MPs.", "The 80-year-old Great British Bake Off judge has shared her experience of getting the new jab", "It comes as the government ordered the council to keep schools open until the end of term.", "Five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Tuesday evening.", "Nicola Sturgeon says people should not \"prematurely overreact\" to news of a new variant of Covid-19.", "Experts are calling for greater surveillance of wildlife for the virus after the discovery in a wild mink.", "NI's education minister insists exams will go ahead next year, as he outlines changes to the assembly.", "The government scraps anti-bias training for civil servants and wants it to end across public sector.", "The much-delayed figures show 1,264 people in Scotland died of drug misuse last year.", "All 32 local authority areas in the country will be assessed by politicians and public health officials.", "The Test to Release programme is supposed to cut quarantine times for people arriving in England.", "The City watchdog says that the bank acted unfairly towards people, including the bereaved.", "Four-month-old Willow Lee was found seriously injured on 3 December and died three days later.", "Facebook, Google and others face yearly checks and limits on what they can do with users' data.", "Officials from the four UK nations discuss the plans, as top medical journals call them a \"blunder\".", "The Aston Villa captain was given a nine month ban and fined following two motoring offences.", "However it is unlikely that agreed rules allowing up to three households to form a bubble will change.", "Five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Tuesday morning.", "The code indicates to police that someone is in distress but unable to speak.", "UK leaders earlier discussed travel over the festive period but no decisions were made.", "Three men were rushed to hospital with \"gunshot injuries\" after the shooting in Hackney.", "Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and East Lothian will all move up to level three of the country's tiered system.", "Criminals are looking to steal financial details by posing as well-known delivery companies.", "Jesy Nelson says being in the chart-topping girl group has \"taken a toll on my mental health\".", "Ms Maxwell denies charges that she helped the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein groom young girls.", "Shows like Les Miserables, Six the Musical and Pantoland at the Palladium are among those affected.", "Periods of repeated isolation have \"chipped away\" at pupils' progress pupil , says the head of Ofsted.", "Tony Packenham was driving at nearly 80mph when his Land Rover struck a car, killing a 13-year-old.", "Tourists and scientists gathered at an observation site in Argentina to witness the total eclipse.", "Immigrants naturalised for services during the pandemic include cleaners and shop workers.", "Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the government is using \"every tool we can\" to clear the backlog.", "Communal singing is against Covid guidelines in the UK but could a new scientific study change that?", "The celebrity cook says following traditions without her family will make her \"feel what's missing\".", "The move by Britain's biggest supermarket comes amid shortage fears due to disruption at UK ports.", "Thomas Maher used an encrypted phone to arrange the movement of drugs and cash.", "A commissioner calls for clarity from ministers on when over-80s will get the jab in Wales.", "Dale McLaughlan says he is \"happy to be going home\" after part of his sentence on the Isle of Man.", "Travel restrictions and quarantine rules have been introduced to limit the spread.", "Those with a negative test result can now leave the UK, but it could take days to clear the backlog.", "Three men talk of becoming fathers and being unable to go to many appointments because of Covid.", "The social media giant previously allowed President Trump to inherit Barack Obama's followers.", "The food industry says port disruption makes it hard for foreign firms to trust UK exporters post-Brexit.", "Boris Johnson says former party treasurer Peter Cruddas has a \"long track record\" of political service.", "One of Britain's best-known models of the past 30 years dies suddenly, days after her birthday.", "A solicitor says one client saved about £2,500 by completing ahead of the changes.", "The death of the child under the age of one was registered last week, official figures show.", "Ministers meet to discuss how to stem the spread of a new fast-spreading variant of the coronavirus.", "Nicola Sturgeon warns that the current top level of restrictions may need to be tightened further.", "Homes are flooded, roads closed and rail transport hit as heavy rain hits parts of Wales.", "A growth in cases, possibly linked to a new coronavirus variant, has prompted the change of advice.", "Channel 4 will use deepfake technology for its alternative to the traditional Christmas broadcast.", "Two cases of a \"highly concerning\" new virus strain are discovered in the UK, the health secretary says.", "The areas facing tougher restrictions have seen a \"significant number\" of the new fast-spreading variant.", "The Welsh brewery chain says the coronavirus pandemic has put the business under \"financial pressure\".", "Police were investigating domestic violence in a village, and the suspect has now been found dead.", "Officials continue to thrash out final details, after weeks of argument over fishing and business rules.", "Trading at Whitbread, which also owns the Beefeater chain, has been hit by pandemic restrictions.", "The 73-year-old starred as Freddie Boswell's brassy mistress in the hit 1980s TV sitcom.", "Mental health hospital Cygnet Woodside is being investigated by police over allegations of abuse.", "The mother of Helen McCourt, who the law is named after, says it could have \"gone further\".", "A community living in the same large house say their way of life has thrived in a year of lockdowns.", "The ex-PM says the UK could exit Covid restrictions earlier if stocks were not held back for a second jab.", "Scientists have filmed octopuses in the Red Sea lashing out at fish during a group hunt.", "Charities drive from Maidenhead and Coventry to take food and water to lorry drivers stuck in Kent.", "The PM and Labour leader both salute the armed forces and key workers in their festive messages.", "Scotland's first minister says there are \"no excuses\" for removing her face covering at a wake.", "Diego Maradona's autopsy reveals that the Argentina legend had no signs of alcohol or narcotics consumption at the time of his death.", "The dark green mineral has been called kernowite as the rock comes from a mine in Cornwall.", "Five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Wednesday morning.", "The two men in charge of the Queen's art collection leave after the pandemic hit royal finances.", "Talks are continuing in Brussels, with less than 10 days to go until the UK leaves EU trading rules.", "UK and EU negotiating teams are still in talks to finalise a post-Brexit trade deal.", "EU nationals and those transporting goods internationally can return - if they have a recent negative test.", "A shortlist of six contenders is announced for the 2020 BBC Sports Personality of the Year award.", "The closed venue's pay-per-view platform hosts filmed plays starring the likes of Dame Helen Mirren.", "Use our search tool to find out about coronavirus rules and restrictions where you live.", "Every generation has its business pantomime villain - what's the real story with Philip Green?", "All the latest news and results for the US Election 2020 from the BBC.", "The prime minister's recent climate plan won’t do enough to curb UK emissions, an analysis says.", "Officials say there is no sign the incident in Trier, Germany, was politically motivated.", "Five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Tuesday morning.", "The restrictions will start at 00:01 GMT, despite 55 Tory MPs voting against the government.", "MPs back new Covid rules which come into effect at midnight - despite a sizeable Tory rebellion.", "More than 9,000 customers have yet to be repaid for cancelled package holidays amid the Covid crisis.", "Philip Heath apologises for dismissing a legitimate fire test query email using strong language.", "The Oscar-nominated actor says he feels lucky \"to have arrived at this place in my life\".", "The health service is \"primed\" and \"ready\" to deliver a vaccine safely, the health minister announces.", "The monarch and the Duke of Edinburgh usually spend Christmas with other royals at Sandringham.", "More than a million tests will be sent to care homes in England to allow safe indoor visits.", "The boss of Wales' biggest brewery says a ban on alcohol sales is an 'insult'.", "Property price rises accelerated last month, the Nationwide says. but growth is set to slow next year.", "Debenhams boss Mark Gifford says the business will keep going well beyond the end of September.", "Destruction of the rainforest increased by 9.5% compared to the previous 12 months, new data shows.", "The department store chain appoints specialist firm Hilco Capital but says it is \"trading strongly\".", "Gwilym Owen must pay the supermarket £200 in compensation for damaging covers on \"non-essential\" goods.", "The price rise will take effect on 1 January when the cost of a second class stamp will rise 1p to 66p.", "Missing walker's partner says the \"prevailing opinion\" among police is she is not in the mountains.", "The Republic of Ireland opens all retail, hairdressers, museums and libraries after six-week closure.", "Starting in January, Facebook will pay UK publishers for some - but not all - of their content.", "Researchers are to investigate whether young people and those not in hospital could be affected.", "The move leaves the chain on the brink of collapse, with the possible loss of up to 12,000 jobs.", "The \"unprecedented need\" for help during the pandemic seen by a church in Burnley.", "Police say the device detonated in a residential area and \"could have injured or killed\".", "Adamo Canto, from Scarborough, took medals, signed photographs and other valuables.", "Authorities have warned people of \"poisonous gas\" after Indonesia's Ile Lewotolok volcano erupted.", "The robotic Chang'e-5 probe makes a picture-perfect soft landing on the lunar nearside.", "Ofsted's annual report warns of children out of sight and in danger during the pandemic.", "Some Conservative backbenchers have threaten to vote against the plan for England on Tuesday.", "A PPE delivery is believed to have come from a Chinese factory suspected of using a labour scheme.", "The singer says her actions were 'irresponsible' and she takes 'full responsibility' for the event.", "Regional Ofsted bosses say schooling has been 'completely disrupted' by Covid-19 in some areas.", "Speculation mounts the first Covid vaccines could be approved for use in days in Wales.", "UUP leader asks parties to work together as three further coronavirus-related deaths are confirmed.", "Breaking up the Arcadia empire is \"the only way\" forward, former chief executive Lord Rose says.", "Dr Atlas clashed with other scientists after questioning the need for masks and other measures.", "The workplace messaging app's sale comes as the pandemic has increased the focus on remote work.", "Government decides against public inquiry at this time into collusion in murder of Pat Finucane in Belfast.", "The dairy farmers' co-operative, which owns Cravdendale and Lurpak, imports about 15% of its products.", "World champion Lewis Hamilton will miss this weekend's Sakhir Grand Prix after testing positive for coronavirus.", "The UK's largest air ambulance service is now operating 24 hours a day for the first time.", "The government's new approach to determining tiers bundles together low- and high-rate local authorities.", "There was no shortage of opinions from customers seated between Covid safety screens at one pub.", "Although the fall of the retail group puts 13,000 jobs at risk, there will be no immediate redundancies.", "An update due as soon as next week will let users on low incomes get support if told to stay at home.", "The former chief medical officer says high rates of obesity, deprivation and overcrowding have cost lives.", "The pandemic pushed the retailer into liquidation, but its problems go back much further.", "The comedian and game show host will make his final appearance in the New Year's Day special.", "A parliamentary adviser says some individuals involved in Mohsen Fakhrizadeh's death are being held.", "The Japanese carmaker temporarily stops production at its Swindon plant after UK ports congestion.", "Hearings will be paused until at least 11 January after a member of staff tested positive.", "Sunday becomes the new deadline for a decision on trade talks, after the PM and EU chief meet in Brussels.", "Flood barriers were rolled out too late, causing heavy rain to flood the city.", "Elevate is the second business Uber has sold off this week as the company seeks profitability.", "American regulators are yet to approve the vaccine, despite the UK pushing ahead with mass rollout.", "Rae Whitehead, 79, died on 1 December after testing positive for Covid-19 at her care home.", "The peer-reviewed work in the Lancet medical journal confirms the vaccine is 'safe and protects'.", "The Champions League match between Paris St-Germain and Istanbul Basaksehir will resume on Wednesday after being abandoned on Tuesday.", "The mass of human-made objects will for the first time likely exceed that of living things in 2020.", "Shoppers said they had earlier been told to pay full price to re-order items cancelled due to a fault.", "England's chief medical officer Chris Whitty says easing measures now would be \"the wrong thing to do\".", "The International Criminal Court says Iraqi detainees were abused by UK soldiers between 2003 and 2009.", "Cambridge University changes guidelines to protect free speech and allow controversial speakers.", "Poorer nations will miss out despite steps to ensure access is fair, campaigners warn.", "UK PM Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen agreed a firm decision should be taken by Sunday.", "The three men and a teenage boy died in the explosion at the Wessex Water site last week.", "Republicans in Pennsylvania wanted to overturn certification of Joe Biden's victory in the state.", "The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh are \"delighted\", a Buckingham Palace spokesman says.", "Students' mental health has declined amid the isolation of the Covid pandemic, a survey suggests.", "US media say the inquiry relates to his business dealings with foreign countries including China.", "Boris Johnson will meet Ursula von der Leyen for talks over dinner, as time runs out to reach a trade deal.", "The UK can make major cuts to carbon emissions more cheaply than previously thought.", "Shoppers say they are being charged full price to re-order products cancelled because of a fault.", "Paris St-Germain striker Kylian Mbappe says he was proud his team-mates and Istanbul Basaksehir players walked off the pitch on Tuesday.", "The US Army launched an investigation into the base after soldier Vanessa Guillen was killed there.", "After three years away, the MOBOs return to celebrate the best of black music and culture.", "A group of eight former rugby union players - including World Cup winner Steve Thompson - are claiming the sport has left them with brain damage.", "The TV journalist and Sky News political editor Beth Rigby are among four people taken off air.", "Cabinet office minister Michael Gove outlines deal for supermarkets \"grace period\" to ensure food supplies are not disrupted", "The bronze statue of the slave trader was pulled down during a Black Lives Matter protest in June.", "Five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Wednesday evening.", "All 11 council areas currently under level four restrictions are to be downgraded to level three on Friday.", "Boris Johnson's trip to Brussels must produce at least a statement of intent for a deal to be done.", "Boris Johnson says the UK must be able to follow its own rules, as he arrives in Brussels for talks.", "The monarch gathers with family members at a distance to enjoy Christmas carols at Windsor Castle.", "Rudy Giuliani revealed his treatment during a call to his radio show from his hospital room.", "Trials are being planned in the UK to see if combining Covid vaccines might give the best protection.", "Margaret Keenan, who turns 91 next week, becomes the first person in the world to get the jab as part of a mass vaccination programme, calling it the \"best early birthday present\".", "The EMA, which is assessing two Covid-19 vaccines, launches a \"full investigation\" after the attack.", "The mystery sender, who said they \"borrowed\" the key in 1973 wrote: \"Sorry for the delay.\"", "A collection of your tributes to some of the thousands of people in the UK who have died with coronavirus.", "Shane Mays repeatedly punched Louise Smith in the face and defiled and burned her body.", "Nasa has announced 18 astronauts who will travel to the Moon under the agency's Artemis programme.", "One victim's tells of \"pushy\" fraudsters as a charity says mental health issues leave people exposed to scams.", "Modelling agent Jean-Luc Brunel is accused of rape and sexual harassment by French authorities.", "Last minute plans for mass testing in England's secondary schools to be run by teachers anger staff.", "\"I didn't feel a thing,\" says Mr Pence after he receives his first dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.", "Matthew Mason admits beating 15-year-old Alex Rodda to death with a spanner but denies murder.", "US Senate investigators find problems with tests conducted in the wake of two deadly crashes.", "Watford sack head coach Vladimir Ivic after just four months in charge.", "The ex-officer is suing her former colleague after he used racist and sexual language in his messages.", "Rules will only be relaxed for one day at Christmas and mainland Scotland will then be placed under tighter restrictions.", "The unprecedented move comes as players say the game is riddled with bugs and glitches.", "With a decision expected before Christmas, UK sources say it is increasingly likely there will be no deal.", "Deta Hedman is beaten on her debut at the PDC World Darts Championship, losing 3-1 to Andy Boulton in the first round.", "Nearly half of children surveyed say they are suffering from anxiety due to coronavirus.", "Office for National Statistics figures suggest one in every 95 people in England has the virus.", "Firefighters and rescue teams have been pumping water out of homes throughout the night.", "Bill Bailey, HRVY, Maisie Smith and Jamie Laing will compete for the glitterball trophy on Saturday.", "From Boxing Day mainland Scotland will be in the country's toughest tier of restrictions for at least three weeks", "A government report seen by the BBC suggests strong support for large firms having to publish the data.", "The PM is \"hoping to avoid\" another national lockdown as millions more enter England's toughest tier.", "No 10 sources said the PM chaired meetings on Friday amid \"growing concerns\" about Covid infection rates.", "From his hospital bed, 60-year-old Chris Lea says \"it is not worth losing an aunt, uncle or grandparent\".", "Michel Barnier says it is now \"the moment of truth\", while Boris Johnson warns of \"difficult\" talks.", "One in 10 staff at some Welsh health boards are off sick or isolating, the BBC has been told.", "More people in Scotland are to face level three rules. So, is your council area entering the second strictest tier?", "Scientists will keep a close eye on this variant to see if it is a better spreader than others.", "Tests carried out for the BBC show herbal remedy Coronil offers no protection from coronavirus.", "Bill Bailey, Maisie Smith, HRVY and Jamie Laing competed to lift the glitterball trophy.", "Use our search tool to find out about coronavirus rules and restrictions where you live.", "The relaxation of Christmas rules is scrapped for much of south-east England and cut to just Christmas Day for the rest of England, Wales and Scotland.", "London and the South East are to be put in a new tier four of restrictions, cabinet sources tell the BBC.", "The EU says the \"moment of truth\" has arrived as disagreements with the UK over fishing rights continue.", "Some people said they queued for hours, to be confronted by sinister performers and a bored Santa.", "Nearly 90% of hospital beds in England are full as hospitals try to cope with the demands of Covid.", "The number of people in hospital with Covid-19 is the highest since the pandemic began in March.", "A selection of your pictures of Scotland sent in between 11 and 18 December.", "Ian Hopkins says he will step down from Greater Manchester Police with immediate effect.", "A landslip at a coal tip is being investigated as flood alerts remain in place following heavy rain.", "The Duchess of Sussex took legal action against a news agency that photographed her and her son.", "The two sides are still stuck over the fundamental, political question - who really calls the shots.", "The health secretary had said some areas of Scotland could remain in level four of Covid restrictions after 11 December.", "England's one-day series opener in South Africa is again called off because of positive coronavirus tests, this time from members of hotel staff.", "Peter Alliss, the legendary BBC golf commentator, dies at the age of 89.", "Prof Stephen Powis says the jab is the \"beginning of the end\", as hospitals start to take deliveries.", "Chelsea go top of the Premier League as they come from behind to beat Leeds United in front of 2,000 fans at Stamford Bridge.", "He was arrested with four other people in an investigation into the awarding of building contracts.", "The market in Nottingham closes for the rest of the year, following \"unprecedented high footfall\".", "Rudy Giuliani has been leading the Trump campaign's legal challenges to the 2020 election results.", "Millwall say they are \"dismayed and saddened\" after some of their fans booed players taking a knee at the start of Saturday's game against Derby.", "By the 2040s most of southern England may no longer get sub-zero days, new Met Office data suggests.", "The family have apologised for \"prejudiced remarks\" made by the writer, who died 30 years ago.", "The tests introduced in England's tier-three areas are a \"game-changer\", a senior NHS adviser says.", "Christmas shoppers returned to stores in England this weekend, but footfall was down 25% on last year.", "The one tonne find is \"a significant hit to the organised crime groups involved\", investigators say.", "Farmers are asked to donate a sheep to help those struggling due to the pandemic.", "A Cushendall man, who was treated with a defibrillator, supports bill calling for UK-wide access.", "A team retrieves a capsule carrying the first significant quantities of rock from an asteroid.", "Campaigners accuse Boris Johnson of mocking his own promises on climate change and emissions.", "A member of the Labour leader's office has tested positive for coronavirus so he must stay at home.", "With a Brexit deal done, we look at the challenges to come at British borders.", "Derbyshire Police says \"comments of an abusive nature\" were reported during Saturday's game.", "The health secretary had said some areas of Scotland could remain in level four of Covid restrictions after 11 December.", "The streaming giant says it \"sees no need\" to warn viewers that some scenes are invented.", "All the latest news and results for the US Election 2020 from the BBC.", "England players are self-isolating after two unnamed members of the tour party in South Africa return \"unconfirmed positive tests\" for coronavirus.", "The virus - said to be \"low risk\" to humans - has been identified at sites across Great Britain.", "Material from a space rock called Ryugu could provide an ''exciting key'' to the origins of the Solar System.", "As retail chains fade, town centres may have to find other ways to attract custom.", "Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen have spoken as they try to break the post-Brexit trade deal stalemate.", "Police appeal for information about the deaths of Wendy Knell and Caroline Pierce in Kent.", "Welsh farmers are told financial support will be available if a trade deal with the EU cannot be agreed.", "Shana Grice reported her killer five times before her death but was fined for wasting police time.", "One in 85 people across England and one in 60 in Wales also has the virus, latest ONS data shows.", "Dale McLaughlan says he is \"happy to be going home\" after part of his sentence on the Isle of Man.", "John Harding was a hairdresser to the stars - but there was a reason he rarely answered the phone.", "One of Britain's best-known models of the past 30 years dies suddenly, days after her birthday.", "A contact of the pilot tested positive - the first local case in the island since April.", "About 1.5 million customers are hit as direct debits are taken on Christmas Eve owing to an IT error.", "Channel 4 will use deepfake technology for its alternative to the traditional Christmas broadcast.", "Businesses give a relieved welcome to the Brexit trade deal, but warn there is more work to be done.", "Officials continue to thrash out final details, after weeks of argument over fishing and business rules.", "While this is a \"critical step forward\", seed potatoes are not included because of EU regulatory fears.", "The actress also appeared in Coronation Street, So Awkward and Waterloo Road.", "Many had wondered if he would mention the former king's scandals in his Christmas speech.", "The post-Brexit trade deal has been met with a mixture of relief, sadness and optimism in Europe.", "Five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Thursday morning.", "The areas facing tougher restrictions have seen a \"significant number\" of the new fast-spreading variant.", "With a Brexit deal done, we look at the challenges to come at British borders.", "The rule reflects the \"increased risk\" from a variant linked to two cases in England, officials say.", "\"We have taken back control\" Boris Johnson says while EU chief negotiator calls it \"a day of relief, but tinged by some sadness\".", "The sitcom included a scene which referenced the Black Lives Matter movement.", "Diego Maradona's autopsy reveals that the Argentina legend had no signs of alcohol or narcotics consumption at the time of his death.", "A further 800 personnel are to be sent to Kent on Christmas Day to help test drivers for Covid-19.", "The president wants changes to the federal spending bill, but Congress cannot agree on which ones.", "The UK-EU trade agreement will be followed by claim and counter-claim over who gave most ground.", "The US President has even floated the idea of pardoning himself - but is that legal?", "Captain Harry Maguire said Manchester United \"have to start lifting trophies\" after they set up a Carabao Cup semi-final against rivals Manchester City with a late win at Everton.", "Officials on both sides are hammering out the final details ahead of an expected announcement.", "The ex-PM says the UK could exit Covid restrictions earlier if stocks were not held back for a second jab.", "Australian celebrity chef Pete Evans has been criticised for spreading misinformation to his followers.", "Charities drive from Maidenhead and Coventry to take food and water to lorry drivers stuck in Kent.", "The PM and Labour leader both salute the armed forces and key workers in their festive messages.", "The two men in charge of the Queen's art collection leave after the pandemic hit royal finances.", "There is no precedent for the avalanche of new trade barriers that is coming after 1 January.", "UK and EU negotiating teams are still in talks to finalise a post-Brexit trade deal.", "Transport Secretary Grant Shapps says it could take days to clear the backlog of lorries in Kent.", "The deal between the UK and EU ends months of arguments over business rules and fishing rights.", "Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the government is using \"every tool we can\" to clear the backlog.", "London now has the highest percentage of people testing positive in the UK, ONS figures suggest.", "The Chinese tech giant is face a probe by regulators into locking merchants into its platform.", "Travel restrictions and quarantine rules have been introduced to limit the spread.", "A marine expert says the loss of 10 young males found on the East Yorkshire coast is \"catastrophic\".", "Families in five countries explain how their plans have changed and how they're staying upbeat.", "A couple are rescued by fire crews from a car submerged by flash floods in Norfolk.", "The teenager, convicted of neo-Nazi terror offences, cannot currently be named because of his age.", "A post-Brexit agreement has been announced. Here are 10 key questions.", "The President of the European Commission announces the end of negotiations between the UK and EU.", "Occupants of about 500 caravans at Billing Aquadrome in Northampton are urged to seek shelter.", "HMS Northumberland had been on call to protect UK waters over Christmas but has returned to port.", "The US model lost the baby she was expecting with husband John Legend earlier this year.", "People are ripping ruined carpets from their homes and trying to salvage belongings.", "Officials seek a criminal probe after photos of 540 deer and boar corpses are shared on social media.", "Big-name fashion designers and models pay tribute to the late star, who has died aged 50.", "Holidaymakers in the Canary Islands react as new quarantine rules come into force.", "President Donald Trump has planned three more executions before he leaves office on 20 January.", "The family say the artwork - entitled \"Aachoo!!\" - should \"be protected and stay where it is\".", "A no-deal Brexit weighs on EU minds but Europe's leaders will not intervene in the current impasse.", "\"We are keeping the Christmas spirit alive, despite how dismal the year’s been,\" says the star.", "Two men were duped into being filmed carrying out naked challenges in hotel rooms, the Met says.", "What places like Ohio reveal about President Donald Trump's legacy on the Republican Party.", "Malcolm Turnbull tells BBC Question Time his country's arrangement with the EU has \"large barriers\".", "Holidaymakers in the Canary Islands react as new quarantine rules come into force.", "Tourists already on holiday say new quarantine rules risk ruining their festive plans in the UK.", "Many of Birmingham's hospitality businesses have been forced to close since the second lockdown.", "The family watches a pantomime organised to thank key workers for their efforts during the pandemic.", "A selection of your pictures of Scotland sent in between 4 and 11 December.", "The move to create two new Smithsonian museums was otherwise unanimously supported by the Senate.", "The west Belfast schools write a letter to Peter Weir warning of \"a tsunami of cases\" in the new year.", "It was yet another rough week for the president's efforts to reverse the results of November's election.", "Rangers believe the national lockdown contributed to little terns fledging more than 200 chicks.", "The first editions of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone initially sold for £10.99 in 1997.", "With no deal looking increasingly likely, how have both sides been getting ready?", "Front-line NHS staff, care workers and people over 80 are among the first to receive the jab.", "A senior Conservative says deploying gunboats to patrol UK waters after 31 December is \"undignified\".", "Kate Green says the association of CBEs and other medals with the empire is \"hurtful to people\".", "UK minister Alok Sharma says world leaders are failing to show the necessary level of ambition.", "Countries are to set out how they intend to cut their emissions, but what's brought us to this point?", "The study by the Tavistock gender clinic shows all but one child was also later given cross-sex hormones.", "Some 67 local authorities in England are taking part in the community testing schemes.", "The change will apply to contacts of coronavirus cases and people quarantining after travel.", "Dame Barbara became a campaigner for those living with dementia, after her diagnosis in 2014.", "A three-strong amateur team decodes one of several messages attributed to a US serial killer.", "Reynhard Sinaga, described as Britain's most prolific rapist, is thought to have attacked 206 men.", "The country has been praised as a model of how to deal with coronavirus but cases have surged.", "The Buy Now, Pay Later firm Klarna tells Money Box it plans to start reporting missed payments to credit referencing agencies.", "The southbound carriageway of the motorway has since reopened after the crash near Leicester.", "NHS bosses say they are worried about January, after the US saw a spike in cases after Thanksgiving.", "Chris McNaghten and Jon Swan wed in \"a dream come true\" religious ceremony in Larne, County Antrim.", "Many of the thousands of primates kept in homes in England are said to be living in misery.", "A study has identified genes that provide clues about why some people get seriously ill from Covid-19.", "The constitutional court rules that the law, brought in last year, breached rights on religious freedom.", "A further 119 skulls of men, women and children are found near a famous Aztec temple in Mexico City.", "But infections kept falling in most English regions as the second lockdown ended.", "Sir Richard Branson's tourist rocket plane will make a first flight above its new spaceport home.", "A woman believed to be the baby's mother has been found following an appeal, and taken to hospital.", "The body that sets MPs' pay says a rise would be \"inconsistent\" with the wider economic picture.", "Four Navy boats get ready to patrol UK fishing waters in event of no deal, as negotiations resume.", "The warning from a public health expert comes as the UK reports a further 519 deaths.", "A 25-year-old man is arrested on suspicion of murder following the death in east London.", "Boris Johnson urges Brussels to make a \"big change\" as the deadline set by the two sides approaches.", "Victor Gevers was acting ethically when he guessed the president's password, \"MAGA2020!\", police say.", "The move could allow the social media giant to avoid strict EU privacy laws being introduced.", "In a blow to campaigners, judges say ministers' decision to approve the runway was legitimate.", "Hundreds of tower blocks have been discovered with faulty fire prevention measures, the BBC finds.", "The blaze happened in a changing block in the Thomas Land area of the theme park.", "One patient at the Ulster Hospital waited more than 28 hours to be given a bed.", "Nicola Sturgeon says people should not \"prematurely overreact\" to news of a new variant of Covid-19.", "The vessel was not allowed to leave Birkenhead after six crew members tested positive for Covid-19.", "Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah was \"living on a knife edge\" before her fatal asthma attack, the inquest heard.", "Conspiracy theories are blamed for reluctance among ethnic minorities to take Covid vaccine.", "A recording emerges of the Mission: Impossible star apparently letting fly about social distancing.", "The president of the EU Commission says the \"next few days\" will be decisive for trade negotiations.", "Roberto Firmino puts Liverpool clear at the top of the Premier League table with a last-gasp winner against Tottenham.", "However it is unlikely that agreed rules allowing up to three households to form a bubble will change.", "The Aston Villa captain was given a nine month ban and fined following two motoring offences.", "A watchdog discloses the ruling despite government attempts to keep the matter secret.", "Lower prices for clothing and food push down the UK's inflation rate to 0.3% in November.", "The 5,000-year-old piece of wood, originally found in the Great Pyramid in 1872, is said to be \"hugely significant\".", "The first minister said people in Wales should 'do the least you need to do this Christmas'.", "Fares will rise more than expected next year, although the 2.6% increase will be delayed until March.", "Midwives question the timing of the NHS England guidance, saying safety is paramount.", "In a trailer, the couple promise \"different perspectives\" and interviews with \"amazing people\".", "But \"we're a long way from being able to say we're confident 2021 will go ahead,\" Emily Eavis says.", "The Test to Release programme is supposed to cut quarantine times for people arriving in England.", "Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and East Lothian will all move up to level three of the country's tiered system.", "Julie Burchill's publisher says the writer \"crossed a line with regard to race and religion\".", "Helen Hughes was the first woman in Wales given a pioneering cancer treatment on the NHS.", "The LGBT-owned business says it has pulled its now-infamous yellow kilts from shelves.", "Scientists will keep a close eye on this variant to see if it is a better spreader than others.", "City mayor Anne Hidalgo mocks the \"absurd\" penalty for breaking equal employment rules.", "Use our search tool to find out about coronavirus rules and restrictions where you live.", "Boris Johnson tells MPs people should be \"extremely cautious\" when coronavirus restrictions are eased over Christmas", "The 80-year-old Great British Bake Off judge has shared her experience of getting the new jab", "Judges reject an application by the attorney general to increase his killers' \"lenient\" sentences.", "All the latest news and results for the US Election 2020 from the BBC.", "Health Minister Nadhim Zahawi says it is a \"really good start\" to the UK's programme.", "The model train maker says it's in a difficult position and has paused all international orders until January 2021.", "Urban developments in the Midlands and north of England will now be prioritised in government U-turn.", "Public Health Wales warns IT maintenance has led to \"significant under-reporting\" of cases.", "There were long queues at Antrim Hospital but the situation has now improved.", "Redbridge Council says it will back schools that close due to rising Covid-19 cases in the capital.", "The ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has been focusing on women, people of colour and food banks.", "Labour says the increase earlier this year was an \"insult\" to millions whose pay is being frozen.", "The PM says \"a shorter Christmas is a safer Christmas\" at his press conference on 16 December.", "The ruling follows a civil case brought against John Downey, who was involved in the 1982 attack.", "The holiday firm says Luton is now in tier four, but flights will continue from Stansted and Gatwick.", "Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez dominates Callum Smith with a near-flawless display to inflict the first defeat of the British fighter's career.", "Watford sack head coach Vladimir Ivic after just four months in charge.", "Curbs on gatherings are announced as authorities urge people to stay at home.", "The TV, film and theatre actress played \"Horrible Grandma\" in the Channel 4 comedy.", "Rules will only be relaxed for one day at Christmas and mainland Scotland will then be placed under tighter restrictions.", "The botanical gardens shut after heavy rain caused landslips over the weekend.", "England and Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford is given the Expert Panel Special Award at the BBC Sports Personality show.", "With a decision expected before Christmas, UK sources say it is increasingly likely there will be no deal.", "Firefighters and rescue teams have been pumping water out of homes throughout the night.", "Archaeologists link the destruction of a \"high status\" village to the uprising in Roman Britain.", "A growing number of countries are stepping up restrictions on British travel after the government announced more restrictions.", "Claude Wehrle is one of at least two cladding firm workers holding out, a letter seen by the BBC reveals.", "The number of daily infections in the UK reaches an all-time high, as new restrictions come into force.", "From Boxing Day mainland Scotland will be in the country's toughest tier of restrictions for at least three weeks", "Today's guests include Health Secretary Matt Hancock and Shadow Foreign Secretary Lisa Nandy.", "In a key policy speech, the Labour leader set out plans for the \"boldest devolution project in a generation\".", "The Archbishop of Canterbury urges people to plan for proper celebrations in the future.", "Chloe and Jamie Collins say it was \"a miracle\" they reorganised the wedding at such short notice.", "London and large parts of the south of England face their first day of tougher coronavirus restrictions.", "France will stop lorries arriving from the UK for 48 hours amid concerns about a new coronavirus variant.", "Staff could be continuing to work as companies claim grants, the government is told.", "More officers are deployed but there are no plans for checkpoints or road blocks.", "Scientists will keep a close eye on this variant to see if it is a better spreader than others.", "Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton is voted Sports Personality of the Year 2020.", "The US president-elect says the team will lead his \"ambitious plan\" to combat climate change.", "Bill Bailey, Maisie Smith, HRVY and Jamie Laing competed to lift the glitterball trophy.", "The event was described as \"shambolic\" and but organisers say improvements have been made.", "Use our search tool to find out about coronavirus rules and restrictions where you live.", "Some people said they queued for hours, to be confronted by sinister performers and a bored Santa.", "A landslip at a coal tip is being investigated as flood alerts remain in place following heavy rain.", "Large crowds were filmed at the London station hours before tier-four restrictions came into force.", "NHS workers have been giving their reaction to the news the vaccine will be rolled out in the UK from next week.", "A shortlist of six contenders is announced for the 2020 BBC Sports Personality of the Year award.", "Calls for a debate before Friday, when pubs across Wales must stop serving alcohol, are rejected.", "Morrisons follows Tesco's lead, with both supermarkets announcing plans to hand back a total £850m.", "The 73-year-old hails a \"tremendous result\" after he learns he will face no further punishment.", "One-month old Molly Gibson has broken the record set by her own sister, Emma, now three years old.", "Luton and Wycombe fans return to their home grounds for the first time since February as Football League clubs welcome back supporters following the easing of coronavirus restrictions.", "Ministers are \"taking limited responsibility\" for readiness ahead of the transition period ending, MPs say.", "The pandemic pushed the retailer into liquidation, but its problems go back much further.", "Use our search tool to find out about coronavirus rules and restrictions where you live.", "All the latest news and results for the US Election 2020 from the BBC.", "Officials say there is no sign the incident in Trier, Germany, was politically motivated.", "Christine Colburn embraces her mum for the first time in months after taking a rapid Covid test.", "Bomb disposal experts carried out a controlled explosion after the German mine was found in the water near Wemyss Bay.", "The restrictions will start at 00:01 GMT, despite 55 Tory MPs voting against the government.", "Police praise passers-by who detained a man suspected of injuring two women at the Burnley branch.", "An apparent Taylor Swift fan defaced the artist pages for Lana Del Ray and Dua Lipa, among others.", "The Oscar-nominated actor says he feels lucky \"to have arrived at this place in my life\".", "The monarch and the Duke of Edinburgh usually spend Christmas with other royals at Sandringham.", "For Christmas break, students will leave university within 24 hours of two negative Covid tests.", "More than 200 council-run pools will stay closed despite the easing of lockdown restrictions.", "More than a million tests will be sent to care homes in England to allow safe indoor visits.", "The former president of France, who has died aged 94, was a force for greater European integration.", "The 242-year-old department has started a clearance sale after it said it would permanently close.", "We've looked at four false Covid vaccine claims that won’t go away.", "Gwilym Owen must pay the supermarket £200 in compensation for damaging covers on \"non-essential\" goods.", "The former Women's Hour presenter will appear on ITV's The Real Full Monty On Ice.", "Secretary General Antonio Guterres says our \"war\" on the natural world will come back to haunt us.", "The jab works equally well in people of all ages and ethnicities, further data suggests.", "Missing walker's partner says the \"prevailing opinion\" among police is she is not in the mountains.", "Although we won't be treated to another TV special, it promises to go some way to filling that void.", "But Boris Johnson warns it will take time for vaccines to roll out, after Pfizer/BioNTech jab is deemed safe on 2 December.", "Five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Wednesday morning.", "Universities in England are staggering the return of students after Christmas over five weeks.", "Shop prices are falling in the run-up to Christmas as retailers race to clear stock, a report says.", "The health secretary says the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine will be rolled out in the UK \"from next week\".", "AWS Panorama adds a range of employee monitoring powers to existing workplace camera systems.", "The UK is the first country to approve the Pfizer vaccine - with 800,000 doses due to arrive soon.", "Universities open mass testing centres for students so they can travel home safely for Christmas.", "Non-essential shops, gyms and hairdressers can open their doors as a national lockdown ends.", "More than 1,500 jobs are at risk following the collapse of the women's fashion chain.", "Stewards on duty on the night of the Manchester bombing were \"hardly briefed\", an inquiry hears.", "Manchester United's Champions League campaign is hanging in the balance as two goals from Neymar help Paris St-Germain win at Old Trafford.", "The pair were brought together in Scarborough after both losing their partners.", "The workplace messaging app's sale comes as the pandemic has increased the focus on remote work.", "The dairy farmers' co-operative, which owns Cravdendale and Lurpak, imports about 15% of its products.", "The contact-tracing app was downloaded more times than TikTok and WhatsApp via Apple's store.", "The government's new approach to determining tiers bundles together low- and high-rate local authorities.", "Daryl Bunn was attacked after a meeting about best man speeches at a friend's wedding, police say.", "Domestic abuse support groups say they have struggled with a surge since schools reopened.", "Boris Johnson says people should \"not get their hopes up too soon” about when they will be vaccinated", "The vulnerability has been fixed in an update since May this year.", "Police say that he was injured after a device partially exploded in Craigavon on Tuesday night.", "Five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Wednesday evening.", "Experts call for urgent action to protect England's smallest freshwater sites, from ponds to streams."], "section": ["Business", "Business", "UK Politics", "UK", "Essex", "Europe", null, "UK Politics", "Essex", "Northern Ireland", "Wales", "UK", "UK", "UK Politics", "Business", "UK", "Scotland politics", null, 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"Scotland", null, "Scotland politics", "UK", "London", null, "Business", "UK Politics", "South Scotland", "Health", null, "US & Canada", "Entertainment & Arts", "Norfolk", "UK", "Norfolk", "Wales", "London", "Newsbeat", null, "Wales politics", "Business", "London", "US & Canada", null, "UK Politics", "Business", "UK", "US Election 2020", "Europe", "Devon", "Glasgow & West Scotland", "UK Politics", "Lancashire", "Technology", "US & Canada", "UK", "Family & Education", "England", "UK", "Europe", "Business", "Reality Check", "Wales", "Entertainment & Arts", "Science & Environment", "Health", "Tyne & Wear", "Wales", "UK", "UK", "Family & Education", "Business", null, "Technology", "Health", "Family & Education", "UK", "Business", "Manchester", null, "Cornwall", "Business", "Business", "Technology", "Health", "Essex", "Wales", "UK Politics", "Technology", "Northern Ireland", "UK", "Science & Environment"], "content": ["Shares in London dropped and the pound lost ground after several EU countries closed their borders to the UK, which has reported a new variant of coronavirus.\n\nLondon's FTSE 100 index fell as much as 3%, before recovering slightly and ending 1.7% lower, as travel firms and others saw big declines.\n\nThe main German market fell 2.8%, while in France the key bourse dropped 2.4%.\n\nUS markets were more mixed, amid relief over progress on a virus aid package.\n\nAfter falling in opening trade, the Dow ended the day up 0.1%, while the S&P 500 dropped 0.4%. The Nasdaq fell 0.1%.\n\nEarlier, the pound fell more than 1% against the euro and dropped 1.6% against the dollar.\n\nTravel curbs hit airline stocks, with British Airways' owner IAG sinking nearly 8% and EasyJet tumbling 7.2%. Aircraft engine maker Rolls-Royce was also badly hit, falling more than 3%.\n\nThe rout was replicated on other European markets. Air France-KLM shares dropped 4%, while planemaker Airbus was down roughly 3%.\n\n\"Investors' rosy expectations for 2021 have suddenly vanished,\" said Kazuhiko Saito, chief analyst at commodities broker Fujitomi Co.\n\nAs well as renewed concern about Covid-19 cases, UK investors were reacting to another missed deadline in trade talks with the EU.\n\nLondon and Brussels are trying to reach a trade deal before the Brexit transition period ends on 31 December.\n\nThe talks are set to continue on Monday between negotiators.\n\nThe stalled negotiations have been partly responsible for the pound fluctuating over recent weeks. Optimism that a deal would be struck had triggered a four-day winning streak for sterling, pushing it back up to just under $1.36 before it reversed course again.\n\nEarlier on Monday, the pound fell towards $1.32, with the dollar also being buoyed after a $900bn (£660bn) plan to help the US economy weather the coronavirus pandemic was agreed.\n\nHowever, the pound later regained some of those losses, rising above $1.33.\n\n\"The US got its stimulus package through, but it seems that was largely priced in and investors are more concerned with the new strain of Covid-19,\" said Craig Erlam, analyst at Oanda trading group.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Barnier: Negotiations have \"just a few hours\"\n\nEuropean nations have begun to impose travel bans on the UK after it reported a more-infectious and \"out of control\" coronavirus variant over the weekend.\n\nIreland, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands and Belgium are all halting flights.\n\nOn Saturday, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson introduced a new tier four level of restrictions for London and South East England.\n\n\"The lockdown news and the stalemate on Brexit is keeping the market nervous,\" National Australia Bank's senior currency strategist Rodrigo Catril told Reuters.\n\nThe prime minister will chair a meeting of the government's emergency committee later after France closed its border with the UK for 48 hours.\n\nOne major sticking point in the Brexit talks is access to the UK's water for fishing. While the fishing industry accounts for just 0.1% of gross domestic product, (GDP) it is of high political significance.\n\nIf a trade agreement is not reached by the end of the month, British firms will revert to trading with the EU under rules established by the World Trade Organization (WTO).\n\nThis will mean imports and exports to the EU would be subject to WTO-negotiated tariffs, essentially a tax on goods.\n\nCurrency experts have warned that the pound could fall to $1.25 by the middle of next year if no trade agreement is agreed.", "Everyone who has had to cancel a rail or coach journey in England between 23 and 27 December will be able to get a refund, the government has announced.\n\nIt comes after the planned easing of Covid rules for Christmas was scrapped for large parts of south-east England.\n\nFor the rest of the UK, the relaxation of the rules now applies only to Christmas Day.\n\n\"Passengers will not be left out of pocket for complying with the new Christmas rules,\" the government said.\n\nThe policy was announced by the Department for Transport following Prime Minister Boris Johnson's announcement on Saturday of new Covid rules for Christmas.\n\nTransport Secretary Grant Shapps said: \"It is imperative that we all follow the new measures and play our part in tackling this virus, protecting others and safeguarding our NHS.\n\n\"If you booked a coach or rail journey between 23 and 27 December, you are entitled to a cash refund. This ensures no one is left out of pocket for doing the right thing - staying home in tier four, and elsewhere staying local and only meeting your Christmas bubble on Christmas day.\"\n\nThe government will provide cash refunds for domestic rail and coach tickets. This will apply to journeys in England booked on or after 24 November, when the now-scrapped Christmas travel window was announced.\n\nOperators will be able to issue refunds immediately and passengers are advised to check the website of their operator for how to claim.\n\nThe government urged people to \"be patient\", as rail and coach operators will be processing high numbers of refunds over the coming weeks.\n\n\"This is the right call for rail and coach passengers - they will be relieved that they will not be penalised financially for following the rules,\" said Anthony Smith, chief executive of independent watchdog Transport Focus.\n\n\"Operators now need to make sure that their websites are crystal clear on how passengers can claim refunds, travel vouchers or make fee-free changes, depending on when they were due to travel.\"", "Boris Johnson should consider recalling MPs to debate the Covid \"emergency\" facing the UK, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has said.\n\nBut he added that it was more important for the prime minister to give the public daily updates on measures to limit the spread of infection.\n\nMPs from across the parties have urged the government to reopen Parliament so they can debate new Covid restrictions.\n\nThe government says MPs will return if a Brexit trade deal is agreed.\n\nBut it has ruled out recalling Parliament to debate the Covid situation - and tier 4 restrictions, which were introduced two days after Parliament had gone into Christmas recess, meaning a vote could not take place.\n\nA government spokesperson said: \"Whenever possible we have committed to allowing Parliament to vote on matters of national significance but we cannot hold up urgent regulations needed to control the virus and save lives.\"\n\nSir Keir has backed the recall of Parliament to ratify any Brexit deal.\n\nAsked at a press conference in London, where he was making a speech about Labour's devolution policies, if he would also back a recall to debate Covid, he said: \"I think there is a case to look at whether we should recall Parliament\".\n\nBut he said it was more important that the prime minister gives daily updates on the crisis, as \"people need to know the way forward\".\n\n\"We cannot be in any doubt the virus is now out of control\" he added.\n\n\"Make no mistake, this is now a real emergency.\n\nParliament closed for the Christmas break on Thursday, but events over the weekend have prompted MPs from across the parties to demand a return to Westminster.\n\nOn Saturday, Mr Johnson announced that areas in London, Kent, Essex and Bedfordshire would be put into a new set of tier four restrictions - meaning people can not mix indoors with anyone not from their household.\n\nHe also scrapped a planned relaxation of the rules over Christmas in the south-east of England, while restrictions were toughened up elsewhere in the UK.\n\nSome MPs want to debate the border situation, particularly in Kent, and others may want to call for an extension of the Brexit transition period; but wishes don't recall Parliament, ministers do.\n\nSpecifically, a minister of the Crown must request the Speaker to recall MPs.\n\nThe Speaker then considers whether this would be in the public interest (it's hard to imagine a situation where a minister would ask for a recall and the Speaker denied them).\n\nBut the gaping hole in this process is that there is no mechanism for anybody but the government to bring Parliament back from a recess early.\n\nConservative MP Mark Harper - chair of the Covid Recovery Group, which is made up of around 50 Tory backbenchers - said the changes in England should \"be put to a vote in the Commons at the earliest opportunity, even if that means a recall of the House\".\n\nA number of other Conservatives called for a recall including Steve Baker, Tim Loughton and John Redwood, although others have not backed the idea.\n\nWriting on the Conservative Home website, Conservative William Wragg said \"The plain fact is this: Parliament debated and voted on the original rules that were to be in place to govern Christmas, along with the revamped tier system. Parliament should do the same for these new rules and additional tier.\"\n\nThis would mean the changes carried \"greater legitimacy among the public\", he added.\n\nPeople at St Pancras station in London, waiting to board the last train to Paris on Sunday\n\nRecall demands have also been driven by France's decision to close its border with the UK for 48 hours over fears of the spread of a new coronavirus variant\n\nNo lorries or ferry passengers have been able to sail from the port of Dover, causing long queues.\n\nIt comes as EU and UK negotiators struggle to agree a post-Brexit trade deal, with 10 days to go before the UK leaves EU trading rules. The government has repeatedly said it will not extend Brexit trade negotiations beyond the current 31 December deadline.\n\nIn 2016 MPs were recalled to Parliament following the murder of Jo Cox, whose empty seat was marked with two roses\n\nLiberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey and Plaid Cymru's leader at Westminster Liz Saville Roberts both said Parliament should be recalled following these developments - and that the Brexit talks should be extended beyond 31 December deadline.\n\nResponding to demands to recall Parliament, Mike Clancy, general secretary of Prospect - the union which represents parliamentary staff - expressed concern that his members' safety would be put at risk if large numbers of MPs returned to Parliament amid rising coronavirus cases.\n\nCommons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle is understood to have been pushing for more use of remote working for MPs, to combat the spread of infection and keep staff safe.\n\nMr Rees-Mogg confirmed on Monday that, when Parliament returns, the government would introduce measures allowing all MPs to contribute to \"substantive\" Commons debates via video link.\n\nAt the moment, they are only allowed to take part in question times, statements and urgent questions from home, not debates on legislation.\n\nWriting to the Procedure Committee, Mr Rees-Mogg said the change to the rules had been taken with the \"aim of reducing physical attendance\" at Westminster, which is under tier four restrictions following the emergence of a new variant of the Covid virus.\n\nMany MPs have urged the government to allow online voting, but Mr Rees-Mogg said the system of proxy votes - with MPs present in the chamber voting on behalf ones that that can't be there - would continue in its current form.", "Actress Rosalind Knight - whose credits include early Carry on films and Channel 4's Friday Night Dinner - has died aged 87, her family has said.\n\nThe TV, film and theatre actress appeared in Carry On Teacher and Carry On Nurse in the 1950s.\n\nMore recently, she played the character known as \"Horrible Grandma\" in Channel 4 comedy show Friday Night Dinner.\n\nIn a statement, her family said the \"well-loved\" actress who had a \"glorious career\" died on Saturday.\n\nHer other screen credits include 1957's Blue Murder At St Trinian's, where she played a schoolgirl and a teacher in The Wildcats Of St Trinian's in 1980.\n\nShe also starred as retired prostitute Beryl in BBC sitcom Gimme, Gimme, Gimme, which ran from 1999 to 2001, with Kathy Burke and James Dreyfus.\n\nKnight's family said in their statement: \"She was known to so many generations, for so many different roles, and will be missed as much by the kids today who howl at Horrible Grandma in Friday Night Dinner as by those of us who are old enough to remember her in the very first Carry On films.\"\n\nHer daughters, theatre director Marianne Elliott and actress Susannah Elliott, said she would be remembered for her \"immense spirit and sense of fun, and her utter individuality\".", "Grace Millane's family described her as \"our sunshine\"\n\nThe man who murdered British backpacker Grace Millane in New Zealand has been convicted of sex attacks on two more women.\n\nJesse Kempson, 28, can now be named after a court order banning his identification was lifted.\n\nIn February, he was jailed for a minimum of 17 years for murdering Miss Millane in his hotel room in Auckland in December 2018.\n\nThe Millane family said they \"do not think about him or speak his name\".\n\nIn October, Kempson was convicted of eight charges relating to various attacks including using a knife against a woman between November 2016 and April 2017.\n\nThe woman said \"something inside of him snapped\" when he \"got angry\" and said he had held a knife \"to my throat\".\n\nIn November, Kempson was convicted by a separate judge sitting alone of raping another woman on their first and only date in April 2018.\n\nShe told the court: \"I was just frozen and I let him do what he needed to do so I could try and go to sleep or go home as soon as possible.\"\n\nJesse Kempson was seen buying a suitcase he used to conceal Miss Millane's body\n\nKempson, who had worked in various sales jobs, met both of the women through the dating app Tinder, as he had Miss Millane.\n\nThe 11-year jail term for these nine offences - all committed while he was living in Auckland - will be served concurrently with his sentence for Miss Millane's murder.\n\nOn Friday, Kempson's appeal against his conviction and sentence for Miss Millane's murder was dismissed\n\nNow those cases are complete, the Court of Appeal has been able to lift an order banning Kempson from being identified.\n\nKempson can now be identified after a court order was lifted\n\nConcern had grown for the welfare of Miss Millane, from Wickford in Essex, in December 2018 when she failed to respond to friends and family wishing her a happy 22nd birthday.\n\nWithin days of her disappearance, police had identified Kempson as the prime suspect and managed to track his movements by trawling through CCTV.\n\nMiss Millane's body was discovered in the mountainous Waitākere Ranges, having been stuffed into a suitcase by Kempson and buried.\n\nThe killing prompted New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to apologise to Ms Millane's parents David and Gillian, saying: \"Your daughter should have been safe here; she wasn't and I'm sorry for that.\"\n\nDuring the murder trial in Auckland in 2019, the 12-person jury was shown footage of Miss Millane and Kempson seemingly enjoying each others' company around the city on a date.\n\nThey were seen on CCTV returning to his hotel, CityLife, where Kempson later strangled Miss Millane in his room.\n\nWhen Miss Millane did not respond to birthday messages, her family issued an appeal on social media\n\nIn a statement, the Millane family said the suppression of Kempson's name had \"allowed people to remember Grace - a young, vibrant girl who set out to see the world, instead of the man who took her life\".\n\n\"To use his name shows we care and gives him the notoriety he seeks,\" they added.\n\n\"We instead choose to speak Grace's name.\"\n\nMiss Millane's murder prompted an outpouring of grief in New Zealand\n\nFor much of his three-week trial for the murder of Grace Millane, Jesse Kempson looked stony-faced, occasionally glancing down at the court papers in the dock and turning a page.\n\nAt times, when the evidence was particularly graphic, he would hold his head in his hands.\n\nWhen the verdict was delivered, Kempson stared straight ahead, before being sent out of the courtroom for a few minutes.\n\nHe returned, red-faced and rubbing his eyes as if he had been crying - a rare glimpse of emotion, perhaps.\n\nBut part of you could not help feel it was all a performance.\n\nIn his police interviews he had reeled off a litany of lies, about not just about his own actions but those of Miss Millane, until he was confronted with evidence to the contrary.\n\nThe jury's verdict was the rejection of his ultimate lie - one he had hoped to get away with.\n\nNew Zealand law expert Chris Gallavin said \"name suppression\" was more often used to protect victims or the families of defendants.\n\n\"In this circumstance, it's actually name suppression to protect the fair trial rights of the accused,\" he said.\n\nThe order remained in place because of the further accusations faced by Kempson, and was only lifted after his appeal was rejected.\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk", "Mr Navalny is recovering after weeks in intensive care\n\nRussian opposition leader Alexei Navalny duped a Russian FSB state agent into revealing details of an attack on him with the nerve agent Novichok, the investigative group Bellingcat reports.\n\nMr Navalny reportedly impersonated a security official to call the agent.\n\nThe agent, Konstantin Kudryavtsev, told him the Novichok had been placed in a pair of Mr Navalny's underpants.\n\nMr Navalny, who is still recovering in Berlin, posted a recording of the long conversation on his YouTube channel.\n\nHe collapsed on board a Russian airliner in August in the attack, which nearly proved fatal.\n\nAs part of Mr Navalny's ruse to elicit more details of the assassination attempt, Bellingcat says the call to Mr Kudryavtsev was set up to indicate it was coming from a Federal Security Service (FSB) landline.\n\nIn the conversation, Mr Navalny posed as a senior official seeking details for a report on the FSB operation.\n\nMr Kudryavtsev told him the swift response of the airline pilot and the emergency medical team in Omsk, Siberia - where Mr Navalny was first treated - could have been the reason for the failure to kill him.\n\nMr Kudryavtsev said he had been sent to Omsk later to seize Mr Navalny's clothes and remove all traces of Novichok from them.\n\nThe BBC's Steven Rosenberg, in Moscow, says publication of the recording will be a huge embarrassment for the Kremlin, which continues to deny any link between the Russian state and poisoning of President Putin's most vocal critic.\n\nLast week Mr Putin told a huge TV audience that the Bellingcat investigation - carried out with other Western media partners - was a \"trick\" invented by US intelligence.\n\nBut he added that it was right for the FSB to be shadowing Mr Navalny.\n\nThe Bellingcat report last week named several FSB agents - chemical weapons specialists - who, it alleged, had been tailing him for years before the attempt on his life.\n\nMr Navalny has millions of followers on social media, where he denounces Mr Putin's United Russia party as deeply corrupt and full of \"crooks and thieves\". He says Mr Putin runs a \"feudal\" system of patronage \"sucking the blood out of Russia\".\n\nIn the summer, before the August poisoning, Mr Navalny campaigned to get several of his supporters elected to councils in Siberia.", "Last updated on .From the section Football\n\nEngland and Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford has been honoured for his work to raise awareness of child food poverty in the UK.\n\nHe was given the Expert Panel Special Award at the Sports Personality show.\n\nRashford successfully campaigned for the government to extend free school meals during the Covid-19 pandemic.\n\nIt resulted in about 1.3 million children in England being able to claim free school meals vouchers during the summer holidays.\n\nAnother policy change in November saw the government announce more than £400m to support poor children and their families in England, following further campaigning by Rashford.\n\nThe footballer has spoken of going without food as a child and the sacrifices his family had to make.\n\nHe became an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours and has continued to lobby for further help for poorer families.\n\nRashford has also launched a book club to help children enjoy the escapism of reading.\n• None Moments of triumph: Your personal stories and videos from 2020\n\nThe BBC Sports Personality show's judging panel unanimously agreed that Rashford's accomplishments off the pitch should be commended with a special award as the criteria for the main award shortlist is based around sporting achievements.\n\nOn Monday, a documentary - Marcus Rashford: Feeding Britain's Children - going behind the scenes of the footballer's free school meals campaign will air on BBC One.", "The EU's chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, said it was \"the moment of truth\" for the talks\n\nThere will be no post-Brexit trade deal between the UK and EU unless there is a \"substantial shift\" from Brussels in the coming days, a government source has told the BBC.\n\nIt is understood there is likely to be a decision before Christmas on whether or not a deal can be reached.\n\nThe two sides have been in negotiations about how many years it will take to phase in new fisheries arrangements.\n\nThe EU's Michel Barnier said any deal must be \"balanced and reciprocal\".\n\nThe talks are expected to continue on Monday, a UK government source has said.\n\nWriting on Twitter on Sunday, Mr Barnier, the EU's chief negotiator, said the talks were at a \"crucial moment\" and the two sides were working \"hard\" to try to narrow their differences.\n\n\"We respect the sovereignty of the UK and we expect the same. Both the EU and Britain must have the right to set their own laws and control their own waters. And we should both be able to act when our interests are at stake.\"\n\nWhitehall sources say it is increasingly likely the UK will end its post-Brexit transition period without a free trade agreement with the EU, meaning that on 1 January the two sides will rely on World Trade Organization (WTO) rules to govern exports and imports.\n\nThis could see tariffs introduced on goods being sold and bought - which may lead to increased prices for certain products.\n\nA government source told the BBC the EU was \"still struggling to get the flexibility needed from member states\" to make a deal possible.\n\n\"We need to get any deal right and based on terms which respect what the British people voted for.\n\n\"We're continuing to try every possible path to an agreement, but without a substantial shift from the [European] Commission we will be leaving on WTO terms on 31 December.\"\n\nHealth Secretary Matt Hancock said an agreement was in both sides' interests \"given all the problems that are going on on the continent as well as here\" with Covid, but the EU needed to give ground.\n\n\"I hope the EU moves on its unreasonable demands, that I don't think anybody could reasonably accept, and then we can get a trade deal,\" he told the BBC's Andrew Marr.\n\n\"But we are ready, whatever's necessary.\"\n\nPrime Minister Boris Johnson has vowed to keep talking, but warned gaps had yet to be bridged.\n\nSenior MEPs in the European Parliament have said they will not be \"rushed\" into signing off a deal on their side and want to see the text of any agreement by Sunday if they are to approve it by the end of the year.\n\nA senior EU source told the BBC's Brussels correspondent Nick Beake: \"The Member States are the EU. And as a former member state, the UK knows well that the EU negotiator is there to protect the interest of Europeans.\n\n\"We believe it is in both sides' interest to reach a fair deal, which cannot be the case without a level playing field and sustainable arrangements for fisheries.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Michel Barnier says negotiations have \"just a few hours\"\n\nThe two sides have been at odds over the length of time it will take to introduce new arrangements once the UK leaves the bloc's Common Fisheries Policy.\n\nThe UK, led by its chief negotiator, David Frost, has insisted its sovereign rights over its waters must be respected from day one and its fleets must be able to keep a much larger share of their own catch.\n\nThe EU is insisting on a much longer transition period, with guarantees on access and how catches are distributed.\n\nThe two sides are reported to have made progress in recent days on the issues of fair competition and what to do if the UK is deemed to get an unfair competitive advantage by moving away from EU rules and standards.\n\nIf a deal is reached between the two sides, it would need to be agreed by parliaments in the UK and the European Union's member states.\n\nUK MPs have now finished for the Christmas break, but Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove said on Thursday that they could be called back to ratify a deal in the coming days, were one to be agreed.", "Gheorghe Nica and Eamonn Harrison were both found guilty of manslaughter\n\nTwo men have been found guilty of the manslaughter of 39 Vietnamese migrants found dead in a lorry trailer in Essex.\n\nThe migrants suffocated in the sealed container en route from Zeebrugge to Purfleet in October 2019.\n\nEamonn Harrison, 24, who dropped off the trailer at the Belgian port, and people-smuggler Gheorghe Nica, 43, were convicted by an Old Bailey jury.\n\nTwo others were convicted of being part of a wider people-smuggling conspiracy.\n\nThe 39 people who died in the back of a trailer as it crossed the North Sea between Zeebrugge and the UK\n\nThe trial examined three smuggling attempts by the gang - two that were successful on 11 and 18 October, and the final trip on 23 October.\n\nLorry driver Christopher Kennedy, 24, from County Armagh, collected the trailers from Purfleet on the earlier two runs, claiming he thought he was transporting cigarettes.\n\nBut the jury found Kennedy and Valentin Calota, 38, of Birmingham, guilty of conspiring to assist illegal immigration.\n\nDuring the trial, jurors were given a snapshot of the victims - who included a bricklayer, a university graduate and a nailbar technician - and their dreams of a better life.\n\nMany of their families borrowed heavily to fund their passage, relying on their potential future earnings once they got into the UK.\n\nDet Ch Insp Daniel Stoten, from Essex Police, said: \"If you look at the method, the way they transported human beings... we wouldn't transport animals in that way.\"\n\nAnother two men - Irish haulage boss Ronan Hughes, 41, of Tyholland, County Monaghan, Ireland, and 26-year-old lorry driver Maurice Robinson - had previously admitted manslaughter.\n\nHome Secretary Priti Patel described the deaths as a \"truly tragic incident\".\n\nChristopher Kennedy was found guilty of conspiring to assist illegal immigration\n\nProsecutors said in the fatal run, the container became a \"tomb\" as temperatures in the unit reached an \"unbearable\" 38.5C (101F).\n\nThe migrants, aged 15 to 44, were sealed inside for at least 12 hours.\n\nThey had used a metal pole to try to punch through the roof, but only managed to dent the interior.\n\nProsecutor Bill Emlyn Jones said: \"There was no way out, and no-one to hear them; no-one to help them.\"\n\nBoth Maurice Robinson (l) and Ronan Hughes (r) admitted 39 counts of manslaughter in connection with the case\n\nHarrison, of Newry, County Down, towed the trailer to Zeebrugge, from where it was transported to Purfleet.\n\nDuring the 10-week trial, he claimed he did not know there were people in the trailer and that he watched \"a wee bit of Netflix\" in bed as they were loaded on.\n\nHe also said he had no idea there were migrants in two other trailers that he had dropped off at the same port in the previous 12 days.\n\nRobinson, from County Armagh, collected the trailer when it arrived on UK shores just after midnight on 23 October.\n\nHis boss, Hughes, had messaged him: \"Give them air quickly don't let them out.\". Robinson gave a thumbs-up in reply.\n\nBut when Robinson stopped on a nearby industrial estate, he found that the migrants were all dead.\n\nThe bodies of 39 Vietnamese nationals were discovered in a refrigerated trailer on 23 October last year\n\nThere was a series of telephone conversations between him and Hughes and Nica, of Basildon, Essex, before Robinson eventually dialled 999.\n\nIn his evidence, Nica said Robinson told him: \"I have a problem here - dead bodies in the trailer.\"\n\nDet Ch Insp Stoten said that many of the police officers who attended \"were really young in service\" and it was possibly the first time some had ever seen a dead person.\n\nHe said he believed the \"absolutely horrendous scene\" would stay with those officers \"for the rest of their career and, quite probably, the rest of lives\".\n\nOn all three runs, Nica had arranged cars and a van to transport the migrants at the UK end.\n\nJurors were shown CCTV footage of him carrying a holdall of cash to Hughes's room at the Ibis hotel, Thurrock, early on 19 October.\n\nNica admitted to conspiring to assist illegal immigration in the first two runs, but he insisted that he believed the third run was all to do with smuggling cigarettes.\n\nThe mechanic told jurors he had been roped into people-smuggling, and said: \"I never wanted to be involved in this kind of job.\"\n\nThe day after the bodies were found, Nica travelled to Romania, claiming he was \"scared\" of a \"big, big investigation\", but prosecutors said the defendant's version of events was \"ridiculous\".\n\nDet Ch Insp Stoten said the gang stood to make between £10,000 and £12,000 per person transported, \"the lion's share of which would have gone to Ronan Hughes and Gheorghe Nica\".\n\nCCTV footage from Orsett Golf Club of a lorry on 11 October 2019\n\nThe jury had heard that on 14 October, between the two successful runs, Kennedy was found at the French end of the Channel Tunnel with 20 Vietnamese migrants in his trailer.\n\nAt least two of those people ended up dying in the fatal run.\n\nPolice believe the smugglers had \"doubled-up\" the load on 23 October because of the problem on 14 October, and that was what led to the deaths.\n\nThis gang had been smuggling people for months and months, the Old Bailey heard.\n\nOn the first of several successful runs on the same route, a couple, Marie Andrews and Stewart Cox, saw people getting out of a van on a country lane in Orsett, Essex, and dialled 999.\n\nPolice attended but did not seize CCTV footage from the nearby golf course, in which a lorry and other vehicles were seen on the lane.\n\nIf, perhaps, Essex Police had managed to get to that footage, follow it up and identify some of the vehicles before the fatal run 12 days later, then this gang might possibly have been disrupted before these 39 people died.\n\nAsked about that, the force said it could only allocate the resources available at the time.\n\nBut it says that now, if there are ever reports of people in the back of a lorry and the driver is present, the driver will be arrested.\n\nDinh Dinh Binh - from Hai Phong - was one of two 15-year-olds to die in the container\n\nAlexandru-Ovidiu Hanga, 28, of Hobart Road, Tilbury, Essex, and Gazmir Nuzi, 43, of Barclay Road, Tottenham, north London, had earlier admitted assisting unlawful immigration linked to the case.\n\nMr Justice Sweeney adjourned sentencing of all the defendants to 7, 8 and 11 January.\n\nMs Patel said her \"thoughts remain with those affected by this tragedy\".\n\n\"Today's convictions only strengthen my resolve to do all I can to go after the people-smugglers who prey on the vulnerable and trade in human misery,\" she added.\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk", "A NI Executive meeting is under way to consider a paper on whether to impose a travel ban from GB.\n\nEarlier, the deputy first minister said the executive must meet to agree a ban as \"we are facing a grave situation\".\n\nThe health minister took advice from the Attorney General and set out that in a paper to the executive.\n\nIt is understood Robin Swann has recommended issuing guidance advising against non-essential travel between NI and GB, and NI and the Irish Republic.\n\nThe minister has also advised that people arriving into Northern Ireland should self-isolate for 10 days.\n\nIt is understood Sinn Féin Finance Minister Conor Murphy has now written to Mr Swann expressing \"dismay and astonishment\" that he is not moving immediately to instigate a ban on travel between Northern Ireland and Great Britain.\n\nHe has called on Mr Swann to reconsider his approach.\n\nMr Swann's paper also makes the case for progressing work regarding any changes in the law needed to impose a ban - Mr Murphy has called on the minister to \"move urgently\" to complete this, in order to introduce a ban.\n\nMore than 40 countries, including the Republic of Ireland, have banned UK arrivals because of concerns about the spread of a new variant of coronavirus.\n\nEarlier the first minister said it is \"probable\" the variant is already in NI.\n\nArlene Foster said four cases in NI were being tested to determine if they are the new highly infectious variant.\n\nThe executive was already scheduled to meet on Tuesday morning to discuss the end of the EU exit transition period on 31 December.\n\nOn Sunday, the executive agreed so-called Christmas bubbles should be limited to one day.\n\nThe move followed action in England, Scotland and Wales on Saturday, cutting the previously agreed five days to just one..\n\nAnother seven coronavirus-related deaths were reported in Northern Ireland on Monday.\n\nThe Department of Health's death toll is 1,203. There were also a further 555 cases of Covid-19 diagnosed.\n\nThere are 446 people with Covid-19 in hospital. Thirty are in intensive care, with 24 on ventilators.\n\nA new six-week lockdown for Northern Ireland comes into force at 00:01 GMT on 26 December.\n\nMinisters met remotely on Sunday night to discuss the impact of the variant on Christmas rules.\n\nThe executive said there would be flexibility on which day between 23 and 27 December people come together, to accommodate those working on Christmas Day.\n\nThat meeting also discussed travel from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, but nothing was agreed.\n\nIrish Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan said the ban on travel from Britain to the Republic of Ireland was initially for 48 hours, but added he did not want to give anyone \"false hope that there is likely to be any major change\".\n\nNo border controls would be set up on the Irish border, he added.\n\nEuropean nations have begun to impose travel bans on the UK after it reported a more-infectious and \"out of control\" coronavirus variant\n\nMr Ryan said his government would be making concerns about the lack of a GB-NI travel ban known, although it would be up to Stormont to decide what to do.\n\nOn Monday, the Irish government said there would be at least two consular flights departing on Tuesday evening to bring Irish residents home.\n\nBBC News NI has asked if this would include people in Northern Ireland who have an Irish passport.\n\nIn a statement, the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs said \"two specific and limited categories of people\" were included.\n\nThese are international travellers to Ireland who are transiting through Great Britain and Irish people \"currently on short trips to Great Britain\" or who have travelled to Great Britain for \"emergency medical treatment\".\n\nIn the Republic of Ireland, there were 727 new cases reported on Monday.\n\nThe number of deaths linked to the virus is unchanged at 2,158.\n\nAt Sunday's executive meeting, Sinn Féin had proposed prohibiting travel from Great Britain into Northern Ireland, and said this should be a priority.\n\nThe party wants the health minister to use powers from the 1967 Public Health Act to impose a ban on people entering from Great Britain.\n\nBut Mrs Foster said such a blanket ban was not a simple matter, would have \"downside consequences\" and that the executive would take legal advice from the attorney general on it.\n\nShe also said those living in the most infected areas are already prohibited from travelling, although she recognised some would try to \"game\" the regulations.\n\n\"There is a travel ban in place - it covers about 17m people in England, those people can't come to Northern Ireland,\" she told the BBC's Good Morning Ulster programme.\n\nMrs Foster said the new bubble rules would be placed in law, but added that she did not expect police to be \"knocking on people's doors on Christmas Day or Boxing Day to check they are abiding by the law\".\n\nShe said the four possible cases of the new variant under examination had \"different sequencing\" from other cases.\n\nIf you are reading this page on the BBC News app, you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question on this topic.\n\nOn Sunday, four of the five main Stormont parties asked for an urgent executive meeting.\n\nSinn Féin, the SDLP and Alliance sent a joint letter to the first and deputy first ministers asking to meet.\n\nIn the letter, the parties said they must satisfy themselves that the Christmas restrictions and the six-week lockdown from 26 December were sufficiently robust to safeguard public health.\n\nIt is understood health minister and UUP member Robin Swann sent a separate letter with similar concerns.", "The Swansea contact centre has seen more than 300 Covid cases since September\n\nA coronavirus outbreak has been declared at the UK vehicle licensing agency's contact centre in Swansea.\n\nPublic Health Wales says there have been 352 cases of Covid-19 at the DVLA centre at Swansea Vale in Llansamlet since September.\n\nSixty-two cases have been identified at the call centre since the beginning of December.\n\nStaff are being asked to get tested for the virus at the site over the next two days.\n\nHealth officials said it was \"inevitable\" to see spread in the workplace as cases of Covid in the community increased.\n\nBut the level of infections at the centre has prompted intervention.\n\nThe Swansea Bay University Health Board has set up a testing facility at the Sandringham Park site, and is continuing to work with the DVLA to manage the outbreak.\n\n\"We would like to encourage all staff at the contact centre to take up the offer of testing available on the site until Wednesday, 23 December,\" said Siôn Lingard from Public Health Wales.\n\n\"Finding cases early is key to reducing transmission and risks to those around you.\n\n\"But workers in any workplace may be at risk from infection in social or household settings.\"", "Further restrictions are likely to be needed in more areas of England to control a new variant of Covid-19, the UK's chief scientific adviser has said.\n\nSir Patrick Vallance said measures could \"need to be increased in some places, in due course, not reduced\".\n\nLondon and large swathes of south-east England were placed in the highest tier four restrictions over the weekend.\n\nSir Patrick predicted there would be spike in cases after an \"inevitable period of mixing\" over Christmas.\n\nIt comes as more than 40 countries including France, Spain, India and Hong Kong have banned UK flights because of concerns about the spread of the variant.\n\nSpeaking at a Downing Street briefing, Sir Patrick said he believed the variant would help cases \"spread more\".\n\nAsked why tougher measures were not in place across the country following the introduction of the tier four level, Sir Patrick added: \"The evidence on this virus is that it spreads easily. It's more transmissible. We absolutely need to make sure we have the right level of restrictions in place.\"\n\nBut he said there was no reason to think the new variant is more dangerous than the existing strain.\n\n\"The transmission is increased. We can't say exactly by how much, but it is clearly substantially increased, so it is more transmissible.\n\n\"Which is why we see it growing so fast and spreading to so many areas.\"\n\nThe government scrapped plans to relax rules at Christmas in the areas put under tier four rules. Some 17 million people in England and Wales affected are being told to stay at home, while non-essential shops and businesses have to close.\n\nBut in other regions of England - in tiers one to three - Christmas mixing is being allowed on 25 December.\n\nSir Patrick said the tier four rules were \"important\"\n\nSir Patrick Vallance said the variant of the virus had to be taken \"incredibly seriously\".\n\nHe said: \"It's really important to follow the rules carefully and make an assumption that you could be infectious.\n\n\"You could be the person spreading it to somebody else, and [you should] behave accordingly.\"\n\nHe added: \"The doubling time of this infection with a new variant is quite fast, it is more transmissible, it does require more action in order to keep it down and that's why tier four is important.\"\n\nThe latest figures released on Monday reveal that another 33,364 people in the UK have tested positive for coronavirus.\n\nThere were also a further 215 deaths within 28 days of testing positive, bringing the UK total to 67,616.\n\nFrance has also shut its border with the UK for 48 hours, causing delays to lorries carrying freight across the Channel, but Boris Johnson told the briefing both sides wanted to resolve \"these problems as fast as possible\".\n\nThe prime minister said he had an \"excellent\" call with French President Emmanuel Macron and \"both understand each other's positions\".\n\nHe added the delays only affected a very small percentage of food entering the UK and supermarket supply chains were \"strong and robust\".\n\nThere is no evidence to suggest this new variant is causing more serious disease or will hamper the effectiveness of the vaccine.\n\nBut there is now a high degree of confidence that it is leading to faster transmission.\n\nWith hospitals already under huge pressure - the number of patients will soon pass the spring peak on the current trajectory - it seems only a matter of time before more areas will be placed into tier 4, which is essentially a lockdown.\n\nQuestions are also being asked about schools. The prime minister could only say he wanted to keep them open \"if we possibly can\".\n\nThe race to vaccinate the most vulnerable, which will have a huge impact on reducing deaths and relieving pressure on the NHS, just got more pressing.\n\nAround 500,000 people have got their first dose in the past two weeks.\n\nBut there are 12 million over 65s. More vaccination centres and approval of the Oxford University vaccine, of which there are already millions of doses in the country ready to go, is essential.", "The Supreme Court has rejected an attempt by a woman who spent £16m in Harrods to overturn the UK's first Unexplained Wealth Order (UWO).\n\nZamira Hajiyeva, wife of a jailed banker, may now lose her £12m London home - and a separate golf course - if she can't explain her riches.\n\nThe court said her challenge to the UWO raised no arguable point of law.\n\nMrs Hajieyva's husband is in jail in Azerbaijan for embezzling millions of pounds from a state bank.\n\nOffshore companies connected to the family own Mrs Hajiyeva's home on an exclusive street in Knightsbridge, as well as the Mill Ride golf course in Berkshire. Together they were worth more than £22m when the legal battle began in February 2018.\n\nOver the course of a decade, Mrs Hajiyeva spent £16m in Harrods - spending that formed part of the NCA's investigation into the sources of her wealth.\n\nUnder a UWO, if a person cannot explain how they became legitimately rich, the courts can fast-track the seizure of their property, without investigators having even proven a crime.\n\nMrs Hajiyeva has denied any wrongdoing and has not been charged with an offence in the UK. Last year a court blocked her potential extradition to Azerbaijan, saying she would not get a fair trial.\n\nHer lawyers had petitioned the Supreme Court to consider her case, saying she had not been lawfully targeted by the NCA.\n\nThat application has now been rejected without the court hearing the case at all - meaning that all her rights of appeal are now exhausted.\n\nGraeme Biggar, head of the National Economic Crime Centre at the NCA, said: \"This is a significant result which is important in establishing Unexplained Wealth Orders as a powerful tool for financial investigations.\n\n\"There are no further routes for Mrs Hajiyeva to appeal against the order. She will now be required to provide the NCA with the information we are seeking in connection with these assets.\"\n\nThe NCA would have set a strict timetable for Mrs Hajiyeva to comply with that demand - but the Christmas period and the pandemic mean she may have until the end of the winter to provide full answers.\n\nUnexplained Wealth Orders, created in 2017, were trumpeted by the government as a major new tool in the fight against corrupt cash in the UK.\n\nOne of the targets - a man believed to be money laundering for a major drugs gang - gave up fighting the NCA and handed over his property empire.\n\nAnother family, part of Kazakhstan's ruling elite, won their case against the NCA.", "Boris Johnson has ruled out extending the deadline for reaching a post-Brexit trade deal into 2021, amid a deadlock in talks and a growing Covid crisis.\n\nSNP leader Nicola Sturgeon and London mayor Sadiq Khan want the UK to follow EU trading rules beyond 31 December to allow more time for an agreement.\n\nBut the prime minister said his stance was \"unchanged\" and the UK would \"cope with any difficulties\" encountered.\n\nUK-EU talks continue, with nine days left to reach and ratify any agreement.\n\nThe EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier is expected to update diplomats from the bloc's 27 member states later on Tuesday, although there is no sign of an imminent breakthrough.\n\nEU sources said sticking points remained over member states' access to UK fishing waters, competition rules and how any agreement would be enforced and disputes resolved.\n\nThe UK has continued following EU regulations since it left the bloc on 31 January, but it will exit its internal market and customs union when this \"transition\" period finishes at the end of the year.\n\nWithout a trade deal, both sides could place import taxes on each other's goods, potentially affecting prices.\n\nFishing rights are a major point of contention in UK-EU trade talks\n\nOn Monday, Ms Sturgeon, Scotland's First Minister, said the spread of a new Covid variant - which has led to more than 40 countries banning people travelling from the UK - \"demands our 100% attention\".\n\nIt would be \"unconscionable\" to compound the UK's problems by not leaving more time to agree a trade deal, she added.\n\nAnd Labour's Mr Khan urged Mr Johnson to extend the deadline, saying the UK \"should be concentrating on... fighting the virus\".\n\nFishing rights are a major point of contention in UK-EU trade talks, with France in particular raising concerns about its fleets being denied access to UK waters.\n\nMr Johnson, who has promised a return of sovereignty over territorial waters, said on Monday he had had a \"great conversation\" with French President Emmanuel about restarting travel from the UK to France, following the Covid-related ban imposed by Paris.\n\nBut he added that they had \"vowed to stick off Brexit because that negotiation is being conducted via the European Commission, and that's quite proper\".\n\n\"And the position is unchanged,\" Mr Johnson said. \"There are problems. It's vital that everyone understands that the UK has got to be able to control its own laws completely, and also that we have got to be able to control our own fisheries.\"\n\nHe predicted the UK would \"prosper mightily\", whatever the outcome of the UK-EU talks, in Brussels.\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer has rejected calls to extend the transition period, saying \"further dithering\" would not help.\n\n\"I think that it would be far better for the government to get a deal over the line, either today, tomorrow or certainly next week,\" he said.\n\nMembers of the European Parliament met on Monday to discuss the situation, after warning time had run out for it to ratify a deal by 31 December.\n\nOne potential option, should the two sides reach agreement soon, would be for the European Parliament to approve it in principle by 31 December and complete formal ratification early next year.\n\nIf this happened, short-term measures could potentially be put in place to minimise disruption to cross-Channel trade before new legally binding rules come into force.", "The head of Europe's aviation safety agency, EASA, has told the BBC he is \"certain\" Boeing's 737 Max is now safe to fly.\n\nExecutive Director Patrick Ky said his organisation had \"left no stone unturned\" in its review of the aircraft and its analysis of design changes made by the manufacturer.\n\nThe plane was grounded in March 2019.\n\nThat was after it was involved in two catastrophic accidents, in which a total of 346 people died.\n\nIt has already been cleared to resume flights in the US and Brazil. EASA expects to give permission for it to return to service in Europe in mid-January.\n\nThe plane's first accident occurred in October 2018, when a Lion Air jet came down in the sea off Indonesia.\n\nThe second involved an Ethiopian Airlines version that crashed shortly after takeoff from Addis Ababa, just four months later.\n\nBoth have been attributed to flawed flight control software, which became active at the wrong time and prompted the aircraft to go into a catastrophic dive.\n\nSince the Ethiopian crash, EASA has been carrying out a root-and-branch review of the 737 Max's design, independently from a similar process undertaken by the US regulator, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).\n\nThe review, says Mr Ky, went well beyond the immediate causes of the two accidents and the modifications proposed by Boeing.\n\nThe Boeing 737 Max was grounded in March 2019 following two deadly crashes\n\n\"We went further and reviewed all the flight controls, all the machinery of the aircraft\", he explains.\n\nThe aim, he says, was to look at anything which could cause a critical failure.\n\nIn order to return to service, existing planes will now have to be equipped with new computer software, as well as undergoing changes to their wiring and cockpit instrumentation.\n\nPilots will need to undergo mandatory training, and each plane will have to undergo a test flight to ensure the changes have been carried out correctly.\n\nUS regulators have set out similar conditions.\n\nAs a result, Mr Ky insists, \"We are very confident that it is now a very safe aircraft.\"\n\nMost of the initial safety certification work on the 737 Max was carried out by the FAA, and simply endorsed by EASA under the terms of a long-standing international agreement.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Zipporah Kuria's father Joseph Waithaka was one of 157 people killed when a Boeing 737 Max crashed in March 2019\n\nBut with the FAA now facing intense criticism for allowing an apparently flawed aircraft into service, Mr Ky says in future, things will be done differently.\n\n\"What is certain is that there were lessons learned from this, which will trigger new actions from our side\", he explains.\n\nIn particular, where EASA is not the primary authority carrying out safety work, it will examine other people's decisions much more closely.\n\n\"We will perform our own safety assessment, which is going to be much more comprehensive than it used to be\", he says.\n\nBut have regulators lost credibility and public confidence since the disasters?\n\n\"I hope not\", says Mr Ky. \"I think we have made a lot of progress in assessing what went wrong and what can be made better\n\n\"I hope the public trusts in us when we say we think, we are certain, that the aircraft is safe to fly\".", "Oxford Street, in central London, was virtually deserted on Sunday\n\nCoronavirus cases in the UK have risen by 35,928 - nearly double the number recorded last Sunday, figures show.\n\nPublic Health England medical director Yvonne Doyle said the \"sharp\" rise in cases was of \"serious concern\".\n\nIt comes as Health Secretary Matt Hancock warned that a new variant of the virus was \"getting out of control\".\n\nChristmas plans have been scrapped or restricted for millions across the UK amid warnings the variant is up to 70% more transmissible than previous types.\n\nThe number of new UK infections on Sunday is an all-time high for recorded cases and nearly double the 18,447 cases reported a week ago.\n\nHowever, it is thought the infection rate was higher during the first peak in the spring, with testing capacity too limited at the time to detect the true number of daily cases.\n\nProf Doyle said most of the new cases in England were concentrated in London and the South East, although it was too early to say if this was linked to the new variant.\n\nThe government's New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (Nervtag) estimates the variant could increase the R number by between 0.4 and 0.9, minutes released on Sunday show.\n\nThe R number is how many other people one person will infect on average; an epidemic is growing if it rises above 1.\n\nA growing number of countries have banned travel from the UK as a result of this variant, including Ireland, France, Belgium, Italy and the Netherlands.\n\nEurotunnel is suspending access to its Folkestone terminal from 22:00 GMT for traffic and freight heading to Calais due to the 48-hour travel ban introduced by France.\n\nSpeaking on the BBC's Andrew Marr programme, Mr Hancock said the news about the new variant \"has been an incredibly difficult end to frankly an awful year\".\n\nHe said: \"Of course we don't want to cancel Christmas... we don't want to take any of these measures, but it's our duty to take them when the evidence is clear.\"\n\nSusan Hopkins, from Public Health England, told Andrew Marr there was evidence that people with the new strain had \"higher viral loads\", which meant they were more infectious.\n\nSome 21 million people in England and Wales who entered new restrictions at midnight are being told to stay at home, while non-essential shops and businesses have to close.\n\nThose living under the newly-created tier four restrictions in England will now be unable to mix with other households indoors at Christmas, unless they are part of their existing support bubble.\n\nThe health secretary said it was not clear how long the tier four measures would be in place, but it could be for months, \"until we can get the vaccine going\".\n\nHe added that people in tier four should act as if they may have the virus.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Starmer: Boris Johnson \"has once again been caught behind the curve\"\n\nIn the rest of England, Scotland and Wales, relaxed indoor mixing rules will only apply on Christmas Day.\n\nCovid rules had been relaxed across the UK to allow up to three households to mix indoors for five days over the Christmas period.\n\nA ban on travel between Scotland and the rest of the UK will also apply over the festive period. Police Scotland said it would be doubling its patrols on the borders but it would not be introducing check points.\n\nMainland Scotland is being placed under the tightest restrictions from Boxing Day.\n\nWales has also entered a new shutdown, with the health minister saying the new variant was \"seeded\" in every part of the country.\n\nIn Northern Ireland, where the planned relaxation of rules for Christmas is going ahead unchanged, four of the five main parties have called for an urgent meeting to discuss the restrictions.\n\nNorthern Ireland is already due to enter a six-week lockdown on Boxing Day.\n\nNurse Rachel Adams said she was potentially missing the last Christmas with her parents\n\nPeople whose Christmas plans were affected as a result of the changes have told the BBC of their anguish at being unable to see loved ones.\n\nNurse Rachel Adams had been planning to see her parents, who are in their 70s. Her father has prostate cancer.\n\nShe lives with her husband and two daughters, aged 18 and 21, in Thame, Oxfordshire, which is in tier two, and her parents live five hours away in Northumberland, which is in tier three.\n\n\"I am absolutely heartbroken,\" she said.\n\n\"I am missing potentially the last Christmas with my parents.\"\n\nGaynor Cawood said she couldn't believe the short notice given to cancel plans\n\nGrandmother Gaynor Cawood, who lives near Loughborough in Leicestershire, was expecting to see her son, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren for Christmas.\n\nBut she lives in tier three and they live in London, which is now in tier four - meaning a ban on travel to other tiers.\n\n\"I can't believe the short notice the government have given us to cancel plans,\" she says.\n\n\"Not only am I now unable to get our Christmas presents to my son, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren - how do you explain to a five-year-old that all the exciting plans we made will now not happen?\"\n\nBut not everyone will be obeying the restrictions over Christmas.\n\nAlex, a teacher from Huddersfield, which is in tier three, said: \"I will be continuing with my plans and meeting family on three days over Christmas.\"\n\nHe said he had recently recovered from Covid-19 and his family are being careful by taking tests and self-isolating.\n\n\"As a teacher I'm expected to work till the last day, mixing with 70 random households in an early years bubble, most of which I know do not follow the rules outside of school, or face legal action from [Education Secretary] Gavin Williamson.\n\n\"Therefore for three days, when I'm probably safest, as I know we are all OK, I'll continue as normal.\"\n\nThe PM's announcement on Saturday of new restrictions came just days after he defended plans to relax restrictions for five days during the festive period - despite calls by some in the medical profession to scrap the change.\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer said his party supported the latest restrictions, but he accused Boris Johnson of \"gross negligence\" in failing to act earlier.\n\nSir Keir told an online press conference that it was \"blatantly obvious last week\" that Mr Johnson's plans to relax the rules over Christmas was \"a risk too far\", adding that his claim that \"this is all down to a new form of the virus that has just emerged does not stand up to scrutiny\".\n\nLondon Mayor Sadiq Khan told BBC Breakfast the \"11th-hour announcement is a bitter blow\" for families and businesses, saying it is the \"chop-change, stop-start, that's led to so much anguish, despair, sadness and disappointment\".\n\nSimilar to England's second national lockdown - tier four applies to Kent, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Surrey (excluding Waverley), Gosport, Havant, Portsmouth, Rother and Hastings.\n\nIt also applies in London (all 32 boroughs and the City of London) and the east of England (Bedford, Central Bedford, Milton Keynes, Luton, Peterborough, Hertfordshire and Essex (excluding Colchester, Uttlesford and Tendring).\n\nThe measures will be reviewed on 30 December.\n\nHow will these latest restrictions affect your plans for Christmas? Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.\n• None 'Our duty' to act over Christmas plans - Hancock", "Sir Keir Starmer said he was \"under no illusion about the scale of the task Labour faces\" in Scotland\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer has committed his party to delivering the \"boldest devolution project in a generation\" in a policy speech.\n\nHe is to set up a constitutional commission to offer a \"positive alternative to the Scottish people\".\n\nSir Keir said leaders had a \"shared duty\" to \"rebuild together\" across the UK in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis.\n\nBut First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has argued that independence is \"essential\" to rebuilding Scotland post-pandemic.\n\nThe SNP have dismissed the plans as \"constitutional tinkering\" while the Scottish Conservatives said Labour were offering nothing new to challenge the SNP's dominance of Scottish politics.\n\nSir Keir used his speech on Monday - delivered online due to physical distancing - to confirm the setting up of a UK-wide constitutional commission, advised by former prime minister Gordon Brown, to deliver a \"fresh and tangible offer\" to the Scottish people.\n\nHe said the pandemic had put \"rocket boosters\" under the case for decentralisation of power, saying his party must \"grasp the nettle and offer real devolution of power and resources\" if it is to have any hope of preserving the future of the union.\n\nHe said: \"It is Labour's duty to offer a positive alternative to the Scottish people. To show that you don't have to choose between a broken status quo and the uncertainty and divisiveness of separatism.\n\n\"The United Kingdom is much more than that, more than any individual. It has been before - and can be again - a great force for social justice, for security and for solidarity.\"\n\nThe independence campaign has regained momentum in the polls following defeat in 2014\n\nWith polls suggesting support for independence is on the rise, Sir Keir argued that the shared \"history, values and identity\" of the people of the UK mean there should be no place for internal borders.\n\nHe said Labour's offering must be \"every bit as bold and radical\" as the devolution delivered in the 1990s, saying the constitutional commission would target \"real and lasting political and economic devolution\" to local communities in all parts of the UK.\n\nSir Keir said this was about more than shifting powers from one parliament to another or transferring \"a few jobs out of London\", adding: \"There's a yearning across the United Kingdom for politics and power to be much closer to people.\"\n\nThe project is to start with a listening exercise, with the party looking to \"hear from as many people as possible across the UK\".\n\nThe UK leader said he was \"under no illusion about the scale of the task Labour faces\" ahead of May's Scottish Parliament election, with Scottish Labour having been in opposition at Holyrood since 2007.\n\nThe party has also struggled in other elections north of the border, being reduced to a single Westminster seat in 2019 and finishing fifth in that year's European Parliament elections.\n\nThe MP said Labour would argue \"passionately\" against a new independence referendum saying it was \"entirely the wrong priority\" to hold a new vote in the teeth of a recession and \"when there is such uncertainty about how Brexit and coronavirus will affect us\"\n\nHe attacked the SNP's record in power, saying: \"It's no wonder that Nicola Sturgeon wants to make May's election a referendum on another referendum, because on education, health and social justice the SNP have no story to tell.\"\n\nThe next Holyrood election is due in May 2021, with Labour currently the parliament's third party\n\nThe SNP's deputy Westminster leader Kirsten Oswald dismissed Labour's plans, saying the system was \"broken\" and \"not working for Scotland\".\n\n\"No amount of constitutional tinkering of the kind proposed by Labour will protect Scotland from Brexit or the Tory power grab being imposed upon us against our will,\" she said.\n\nShe said that even Labour supporters doubted their ability to oust the Conservatives from Westminster for another decade at least.\n\nThe MP added: \"It's clear that only with the full powers of independence will we be able to properly protect our interests and secure our place in Europe - and that decision lies solely with the people of Scotland, not an out-of-touch Westminster system.\"\n\nThe Scottish Conservatives insisted they were the only party capable of taking on the SNP and championing the union.\n\nScottish Tory leader Douglas Ross said: \"This isn't leadership from Labour on the union, this is the same old tired argument that they've made before and they're offering nothing to challenge the SNP.\n\n\"Scottish Labour won't work with unionist parties to stop the nationalists, and they won't stand up to Nicola Sturgeon's demand for another independence referendum as early as next year.\n\n\"Only the Scottish Conservatives have the strength to take on the SNP right across Scotland and the determination to stop their push for indyref2 again.\"\n\nThe Scottish Liberal Democrats, however, said they are willing to work with Labour on a \"third way\" forward.\n\nLeader Willie Rennie said: \"Liberal Democrats support a new federalist settlement that means we can find a better way to agree a common future across the United Kingdom.\"\n\nDevolution is pretty straightforward when national and devolved leaders agree. When they don't, it becomes a lot harder.\n\nNowhere has that been more obvious than in Scotland - and his speech was Sir Keir's first major foray into the independence debate.\n\nFor years, many believe Labour in Scotland has been in a constitutional no man's land; stuck between the pro-independence SNP and the strongly unionist Conservatives.\n\nLabour has flirted with different positions - and has taken a hammering at the polls as a result.\n\nToday's speech was intended to give more clarity on exactly where Sir Keir stands ahead of May's Holyrood election. He has adopted a similar position to the UK government on calls for another independence vote; not now, but not quite ruling it out forever.\n\nLabour is open to more powers for Holyrood, presents itself as the party which introduced devolution in the first place, and will oppose what it sees as attacks on devolution from the current UK government.", "Aerial footage filmed on the first day of new restrictions in England shows queues, full car parks and quiet streets.\n\nMillions of people had their Christmas plans disrupted after tier four was announced for London and parts of east and south-east England on Saturday.\n\nThe government changed the plans in an effort to stop the spread of a new coronavirus variant.", "The government and trade groups have warned of \"serious disruption\" after France blocked arrivals of UK passengers for 48 hours over concerns about the new coronavirus variant.\n\nFreight lorries cannot cross by sea or through the Eurotunnel and the Port of Dover has closed to outbound traffic.\n\nAbout 10,000 lorries a day travel between Dover and Calais during peak periods such as Christmas.\n\nUK ministers will discuss the move at a Cobra emergency committee on Monday.\n\nOn Sunday, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps urged the public and hauliers not to travel to ports in Kent, saying \"significant disruption\" was likely in the area.\n\nKent Police have mobilised Operation Stack - a system to park lorries on the M20 motorway in Kent at times of disruption - to deal with the build-up of traffic.\n\nRichard Burnett, head of the Road Haulage Association, told the BBC's Today programme that the ban could deter EU hauliers from coming to the UK over fears they will end up being stranded.\n\n\"The retailers have done a good job of stocking up on ambient products [for Christmas] - there will be plenty of stock,\" he added.\n\n\"But the fresh food supply, where it's short shelf life and there will be product on its way now, that's where the challenge comes from.\n\n\"The retailers will absolutely be assessing their inbound flows this morning and understanding whether or not those flows are on their way into the retail distribution centres around the country and I'm sure there will be further reassurance given today that those things are in control.\"\n\nKent Police said it had implemented the closure of the coast-bound carriageway of the motorway between Junctions 8 and 11 as a \"contingency measure\".\n\nThe Department for Transport has said that Manston Airport in Kent is being readied to take up to 4,000 lorries to ease congestion in the county.\n\nThe Port of Dover is closed to traffic leaving the UK \"until further notice\" due to border restrictions in France, port authorities said in a statement.\n\n\"Both accompanied freight and passenger customers are asked not to travel to the port,\" it said. \"We understand that the restrictions will be in place for 48 hours from midnight.\"\n\nFreight coming to Britain from France will be allowed, but there are fears lorry drivers will not travel to avoid being stuck in the UK.\n\nUnaccompanied freight, such as containers or lorry trailers on their own can still be transported, but outbound vans, lorries and trucks are banned. Hauliers are advised to find other routes into the continent.\n\nBorder restrictions could mean disruption to food supplies, as well as difficulties in meeting orders of British goods in continental Europe.\n\n\"Tonight's suspension of accompanied freight traffic from the UK to France has the potential to cause serious disruption to UK Christmas fresh food supplies - and exports of UK food and drink,\" Food and Drink Federation (FDF) chief executive Ian Wright warned on Sunday.\n\n\"The government must very urgently persuade the French government to exempt accompanied freight from its ban.\"\n\nFreight industry lobby group Logistics UK said it was concerned about the welfare of drivers going from the UK to France, and said they should have access to regular testing.\n\nIt appealed for calm from shoppers, and said it was \"maintaining close contact with UK government to ensure that supplies of fresh produce are available throughout Christmas and the new year\".\n\nThe British Retail Consortium (BRC) joined the FDF in appealing to the government to find a solution, but also added that there should be no immediate shortages.\n\n\"Retailers have stocked up on goods ahead of Christmas which should prevent immediate problems,\" the BRC said.\n\nThe government does not think the restrictions will affect the delivery of Covid-19 vaccines to the UK, according to BBC political correspondent Nick Eardley.\n\nScotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has called on the government to extend the Brexit transition period as it deals with the new coronavirus variant, saying it was a \"profoundly serious situation\" which \"demands our 100% attention\".\n\nThe current transition period is due to expire at the end of the year and the EU and UK are still negotiating a trade deal.\n\nWithout it both sides will have to collect expensive tariffs that the Office for Budget Responsibility says could harm the UK's economy.\n\nLabour's Rachel Reeves, shadow minister for the Cabinet Office, called the development \"deeply worrying\".\n\n\"The country needs to hear credible plans and reassurance that essential supplies will be safeguarded, including our NHS, supermarkets and manufacturers with crucial supply chains,\" she said.\n\nThe block on freight traffic into France came as a number of European countries banned flights and other travel from the UK over fears about VUI - a mutation of the coronavirus that is spreading rapidly in the UK.\n\nFrance, Italy, Ireland, Germany, Belgium the Netherlands and Turkey are among those to have banned flights from the UK while other nations are considering the move.", "The quick approval of the vaccine was a real historic achievement, EMA CEO Emer Cooke said Image caption: The quick approval of the vaccine was a real historic achievement, EMA CEO Emer Cooke said\n\nThe European Medicines Agency (EMA) has given the green light for the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine to be rolled out within the EU. The Amsterdam-based regulator brought the decision forward by eight days under pressure from EU states, after the UK and the US approved the jab more quickly.\n\nThis is not a silver bullet, EMA Director Emer Cooke conceded, but she said recommending the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for use across the EU was \"a step in the right direction... providing citizens have enough confidence to get vaccinated\".\n\nWith millions of people's health at stake, the EMA described the approval of a vaccine within 11 weeks rather than a year as an historic achievement.\n\nSome 43,000 people were involved in one of the largest trials ever conducted; the EMA's human medicines committee concluded the benefits of the vaccine outweighed the risks.\n\nWith regards to the effectiveness against mutated strains of the virus, EMA scientists say it is very likely the vaccine will retain protection against the new variant detected in England.\n\nThe decision paves the way for EU countries to start rolling out their mass vaccination programmes within days.", "Last updated on .From the section Sports Personality\n\nFormula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton has been voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2020.\n\nOne of F1's all-time great drivers, he equalled Michael Schumacher's record of seven world titles with his fourth consecutive championship in 2020.\n\nThe 35-year-old, from Stevenage, also surpassed Schumacher's total of 91 grand prix wins.\n\nIn a public vote, Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson finished second while jockey Hollie Doyle was third.\n\nBoxer Tyson Fury, England cricketer Stuart Broad and snooker great Ronnie O'Sullivan were also shortlisted for the main award.\n\n\"I want to say congratulations to all the incredible nominees,\" said Hamilton. \"I'm so proud of what they have achieved and I want to say thank you to everyone that has voted for me.\n\n\"I wasn't expecting this knowing there's so many great contenders.\n\n\"I want to say Merry Christmas to everyone - it's been such an unusual year and I want to mention all the front line workers and all the children round the world, I want you to try and stay positive through this difficult time, I'm sending you all positivity. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.\"\n• None How the night unfolded in our live text\n• None Moments of triumph: Your personal stories and videos from 2020\n\nIt is the second time Hamilton has been crowned Sports Personality of the Year, having first won the award in 2014.\n\nHe is also a four-time runner-up, most recently in 2019.\n\nHamilton, who holds the record for most pole positions, won 11 of the 17 grands prix during the 2020 season, which started four months late because of the coronavirus pandemic. He achieved three further podium finishes.\n\nSpeaking to BBC Breakfast's Sally Nugent, Hamilton also paid tribute to Captain Sir Tom Moore, who was honoured with the Helen Rollason Award for his incredible fundraising efforts during lockdown, Young Unsung Hero winner Tobias Weller, and Manchester United and England footballer Marcus Rashford, who won a special award.\n\n\"There's so many great stories out there,\" said Hamilton. \"And so I truly wasn't expecting it.\n\n\"Your heart's always pumping in those last few seconds when they're announcing because you have absolutely no idea who was called in. But I am so, so, so grateful to the British public.\n\n\"This definitely goes a long way to giving me the best Christmas that I can have given the circumstances.\"\n\nHenderson's runner-up spot came after his Liverpool side were named top team while manager Jurgen Klopp won coach of the year.\n\nAfter picking up the trophy for finishing third, Doyle said: \"It felt unbelievable but felt like it wasn't for myself but for our industry as a whole, which I'm proud to be part of.\"\n\nThe Sports Personality of the Year 2020 was broadcast live from MediaCityUK, Salford, in front of a 1,000-strong virtual audience and millions of BBC One viewers.\n\nFootball pundit Alex Scott joined the presenting line-up alongside Gary Lineker, Clare Balding and Gabby Logan to look back on a truly unusual year of sport.\n• None Stream all the goals and highlights from Saturday's Premier League action now", "A Scrooge character who gave one youngster nightmares has been deemed to be an unsuitable sight for little children\n\nOrganisers of a drive-through Santa's grotto described as \"shambolic\" have blamed \"teething problems\" and insisted that improvements have been made.\n\nThe event in the grounds of Taverham Hall, near Norwich, opened on Friday.\n\nLater that day, the event's Facebook page contained complaints about traffic chaos and \"creepy\" performers.\n\nBut Ollie George, from organisers We Make Events, said the feedback was now \"much more positive\". Saturday grotto visitors found it \"magical\", he added.\n\nPeople commenting on social media on Friday said they queued for up to three hours in rush-hour traffic, having bought tickets for a time slot.\n\nMany turned away with tired, upset children, with one parent stating: \"Would've been quicker to get to the North Pole.\"\n\nThe \"festive magic\" that was originally promised is now on offer, organisers claim\n\nMr George said a Scrooge-like character had since been removed after being deemed \"too frightening for very young children\".\n\nLouise Purdy, who visited on Friday, previously said: \"The Scrooge guy called us all mutants, said Santa has crashed his sleigh and the presents are in the mud, and there was a man in chains by a tree just staring at the car.\"\n\nMr George also said the entry system had been altered to alleviate the traffic issues, although he pointed out that some customers had not arrived at their allotted time and this had caused congestion.\n\nLouise Purdy said she told her three-year-old son the inflatables were having a sleep\n\nHe said the organisers had \"taken on board the complaints and concerns that we have received\" and were still making improvements.\n\n\"We're asking everyone who didn't have a great experience to get in contact and we are in the process of refunding people who are eligible.\"\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk", "The issue is that, from January, commercial goods entering NI from GB will need a customs declaration\n\nSome online retailers are suspending delivery to Northern Ireland.\n\nThe move is to give them time to adapt their systems to the new Irish Sea border, which begins operating in January.\n\nZalando, a clothes retailer, stopped delivering on Friday. It said this was \"in preparation for new requirements from our carrier partner in the region.\"\n\nFashion brand Hugo Boss said delivery to NI would be temporarily unavailable\n\nIt said this was \"due to system upgrades\" and there would be no deliveries from 23 December until 7 February.\n\nThe issue facing companies is that, from January, commercial goods entering NI from GB will need a customs declaration.\n\nIn theory, that means every parcel will need its own declaration though the government is working with delivery firms to find a way to minimise the impact of these changes.\n\nOn Monday the furniture and homeware firm made.com told customers it would no longer be shipping to Northern Ireland.\n\nIt said it had been \"working hard\" to find a way to continue deliveries but had been unable find a solution.\n\nLast week, Amazon warned Northern Ireland customers they could face delays and unavailability of some products when the Irish Sea border starts operating.\n\nRetailers want time to adapt their systems to the new Irish Sea border which begins operating in January\n\nThe delivery firm, DPD Ireland, says it will be temporarily suspending its collection service from Great Britain into Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland from 23 December.\n\nThe company said it would only affect a small part of their business and not parcels travelling from Northern Ireland to Great Britain.\n\nParcels to the EU will be routed directly \"avoiding congestion we are already seeing at Dover and Calais\".\n\nAnother firm, Parcel Motel, which uses a \"virtual address\" in County Antrim allowing shoppers in the Republic of Ireland to avoid added costs through international shipping restrictions, is also suspending that service.\n\nIn a statement it said: \"As of 31 December, our virtual address services in the UK will be temporarily suspended, until such time as a final Brexit decision has been implemented and our services have been adapted to meet the new requirements.\n\n\"As a result, all parcels crossing the new border between Britain and Ireland will be subject to customs formalities affecting the cost and transit time of your shipment.\"\n\nParcel Motel said it was working on a new offering to meet post-Brexit requirements and will consider the reintroduction of the service.\n\nOnline plant retailers face particular difficulties from the sea border as they face new certification requirements for their products as well as customs declarations.\n\nLast week Sienna Hosta, a specialist plant nursery in Surrey, told customers it would no longer sell to Northern Ireland by mail order.\n\nOn Twitter it said this was because: \"New rules would mean Northern Ireland is essentially treated as an EU country so would require the same plant health checks etc., which for large orders are possible but small orders make it too expensive. We wish this wasn't the case.\"\n\nThe UK and European Union had previously announced a formal agreement on how the new Irish Sea border would operate in January.\n\nSeparate negotiations to reach a post-Brexit trade deal are still taking place.\n\nA special deal for Northern Ireland, known as the protocol, formed part of the Withdrawal Agreement which took the UK out of the EU earlier this year.\n\nThe protocol will keep Northern Ireland in the EU single market for goods even as the rest of the UK leaves it at the end of this month.\n\nThe two sides had been negotiating on how the protocol should be implemented.", "Nicola Smith with her husband Steve who died in July this year\n\nAfter a particularly tough year, Nicola Smith was planning to spend Christmas abroad with her daughter and granddaughter to create \"new memories\".\n\nHer husband, Steve, died in a motorbike accident in July - and the toy shop she owns had to shut for huge parts of 2020 due to the Covid-19 lockdowns.\n\nNicola, 60, from Morecambe, was due to fly to Canada on Monday to visit her daughter Philippa, and three-year-old granddaughter Martha.\n\nIt would have been the first time she had seen Philippa since she suffered her own trauma: Philippa's partner, Tom, died in a white-water-rafting accident last year.\n\nBut her hopes of seeing her family were dashed on Monday morning when Canada brought in a 72-hour ban on flights from the UK.\n\n\"I just wanted to go away where we could make new memories,\" said Nicola.\n\n\"I haven't seen Philippa since Tom drowned, and she's having such a hard time so far away from her family with a lockdown.\n\n\"She was trying to work from home with a three-year-old, with no family within thousands of miles.\n\n\"She was so looking forward to just having her mum there.\"\n\nNumerous countries have introduced travel bans amid concerns over the new coronavirus variant\n\nCanada is one of several countries to have banned arrivals from the UK because of concerns about the spread of a new variant of coronavirus.\n\nNicola said this year had been \"horrendous\", and when she woke up to the news of the travel ban she was in \"disbelief\".\n\nChristmas Day will be exactly five months after Steve's death, so she was looking forward to getting away to somewhere she hadn't spent the festive season before.\n\nNicola also hasn't seen her granddaughter since she was a baby - so the Christmas trip was going to be an extra special time for the family.\n\n\"I speak on Facebook Messenger to her but it's not the same,\" Nicola said. \"She doesn't really know who I am, but she's been getting excited for grandma coming.\"\n\nIt's not yet clear when the UK travel ban to Canada will be lifted - or whether Nicola will be able to rebook her flight.\n\n\"You come so far and then it's taken away again,\" she said. \"If there's a flight on Christmas Eve I'll go. But nobody knows what's going to happen\".\n\nNick Kennedy and his family were looking forward to hosting his parents in France this Christmas\n\nNicola is one of many people who have had their plans to go abroad for Christmas disrupted at the last minute.\n\nCanada, India, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, the Republic of Ireland, Italy and Austria are some of the more than 40 countries that have blocked UK arrivals.\n\nBritish man Nick Kennedy, who lives in France, was looking forward to sharing Christmas with his parents who were due to travel there from Swindon on Tuesday.\n\n\"We don't get enough time together as a family, so we wanted to make the most of it.\" he said. \"We want our son to spend as much time as possible with his English grandparents.\n\n\"It's a big disappointment as a family. All I can hope for is that the borders reopen very, very quickly. We've got to wait until Tuesday to see if there's any possibility of movement before Christmas.\n\n\"Many people, including my family, don't believe the borders will be open.\"\n\nLes hasn't seen his family since August\n\nLes Banks Irvine was due to fly back to the UK from Monrovia in Liberia - where he works - to spend three weeks with his family this Christmas.\n\nBut when he turned up at the airport on Sunday he was told at the check in-desk: \"Sorry, because you're going to the UK, you can't go.\"\n\n\"I was hoping to be spending some time with my two children and three grandchildren in mid-Wales, but it now looks like I am stranded here in Monrovia,\" he said.\n\n\"I've been here for about nine months this year. I last saw my family at the end of August.\n\n\"I know its difficult times for everyone, but I do wish national air carriers would keep us informed.\"\n\nFlights from the UK are being suspended to countries across the world including Italy, Slovakia and India\n\nMaria Kovacsova, who is from Slovakia but lives in London, is due to fly home to see her family on Christmas Eve - but her trip is looking unlikely now.\n\n\"I have spent so much money on a private Covid test in order to go home,\" she said. \"I haven't seen my family for a year. My heart is broken.\n\n\"I was last at home a year ago. I couldn't go after that because the big lockdown started in March. I had to work as well.\n\n\"I'm going to do nothing for Christmas. You can't do anything basically, you can't see your friends or family.\n\n\"I live in shared accommodation with five people in Tooting. We are basically five strangers living together; five professionals in one house and we're not able to leave the house.\"\n\nGary Fearon and his partner Abigail Brown, who have lived in Spain since January, are facing the prospect of Christmas in a Northampton hotel.\n\nThe couple own a pet transport company and had arrived in the UK on Friday to deliver pets from Spain.\n\nThey were due to pick up other customers' pets from the UK and travel back with them to Spain on Tuesday. But their plans are now up in the air.\n\n\"We have no information as to when and how we will get to Spain,\" said Gary.\n\n\"Customers who are ready to fly to Spain are now having to decide what to do with their pets as we cannot guarantee when we can leave.\"\n\nThe couple are unable to stay with family as Gary's relatives live in Ireland and Abigail's family are in Covid high-risk groups.\n\n\"The hotel we're in at the minute doesn't know for definite if they're open on Christmas Day,\" said Gary. \"We have our own pets in Spain that are being minded by a neighbour.\n\n\"We've been lucky to get a hotel room. I feel sorry for the lorry drivers in Dover.\"", "The new rules apply to people travelling from Wales and tier-four areas\n\nPeople travelling from tier-four areas to other parts of England are being asked to \"assume\" they have the new coronavirus variant and self-isolate.\n\nHealth officials said anyone who has come from a tier-four area or Wales to parts of the West Midlands and North West should stay at home for 10 days.\n\nNo visitors are allowed to a house where someone is isolating, even on Christmas Day, the statement said.\n\nPeople who test negative are also being told to self-isolate.\n\nStatements were issued by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and the West Midlands Conurbation Local Resilience Forum, the latter of which said it applied to people travelling to the region on or since 18 December.\n\nThey said the new advice followed the emergence of the new variant of coronavirus, which had seen a \"very rapid increase in cases in London and parts of the South East and East of England\".\n\n\"Although our region is not in tier four, rates are increasing and it is highly likely that the new variant is circulating,\" the West Midlands statement said.\n\nIt also told people to change Christmas plans as much as possible and only to meet with those in their bubble.\n\n\"Other people who live in the house do not need to self-isolate unless they get symptoms but no visitors should be allowed in that house at all, even on Christmas Day.\"\n\nDominic Harrison, director of public health for the Lancashire authority of Blackburn with Darwen, told BBC Lancashire that anyone who had travelled from a tier-four area since Wednesday should self-isolate for at least five days.\n\nThe guidance also calls on those who have symptoms to get tested and self-isolate for 10 days, without waiting for results.\n\nDr Jeanelle de Gruchy, the director of public health in Tameside, Greater Manchester, said the variant's spread was \"extremely worrying\".\n\nOther parts of England, including Doncaster and Telford, have issued similar guidance.\n\nWales entered lockdown on Sunday, with new restrictions covering the Christmas period. Hundreds of people are thought to have contracted the new variant, First Minister Mark Drakeford said.\n\nAnyone who has arrived from tier four or Wales since Friday is being asked to self-isolate immediately\n\nThe rate of coronavirus hospital admissions in the West Midlands has been among the highest in the country - and the last thing the region needs is a more transmissible strain on the rampage.\n\nPublic health bosses admit, though, it's already here. Today's message is about trying to mitigate the impact of that.\n\nThat message is basically that if you've come from a tier-four area in recent days, act like you've got the virus. And stay at home.\n\nHow far people will follow this is another matter. It's not a legal requirement, but it's been described to me as \"the strongest possible advice\".\n\nOf course Christmas plans are already in the balance for many. This is another blow, but one that it's felt is entirely necessary as this Covid winter really kicks in.\n\nChief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance, said public health directors in Greater Manchester and the West Midlands \"need to make decisions\" as they have a \"role to make sure their local population is looked after\" and they're \"doing a fantastic job.\"\n\nHe also warned it was \"likely measures will need to be increased in some places in due course.\"\n\nMuch of the West Midlands and North West is in tier three, with Burnley in Lancashire having the highest rate of infection in the two areas, with 437.5 new cases per 100,000 people in the week up to 17 December.\n\nStoke-on-Trent has the highest rate of infection in the West Midlands, with 340.5 new infections.\n\nAnyone arriving in the Liverpool city region has been told to get a coronavirus test, which is available in all six local authority areas.\n\nA deserted Oxford street in London, which is currently subject to tier-four restrictions\n\nIf you live in a tier-four area, you must not leave or be outside of the place you are living unless you have a reasonable excuse.\n\nYou cannot meet other people indoors, including over the Christmas period, unless you live with them, or they are part of your support bubble.\n\nOutdoors, you can only meet one person from another household. These rules will not be relaxed for Christmas for tier four - you cannot form a Christmas bubble in tier four.\n\nFollow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Rosie Brown's two youngest children are stranded with her in the UK\n\nA family face Christmas separated by the Atlantic Ocean in what their lawyer says is a terrible bureaucratic bungle.\n\nRosie Brown and her two youngest children are stranded in the UK while her US-born husband and four other children are 4,000 miles away in Ohio.\n\nThey ended the lease on their Cardiff home expecting to move to the US.\n\nBut her permanent residency card to live there is out of date, and a new one cannot be sent because she needs to provide her fingerprints - in the US.\n\nThe Department of Homeland Security and the US Citizenship and Immigration Service said they could not discuss individual cases.\n\nJoshua Brown is in the US with the pair's four eldest children\n\nJoshua, 37, and Rosie, 35, married 16 years ago in Texas but returned to the UK six years ago for Joshua's postgraduate studies with their four children, and had two more in Wales.\n\nBut when Joshua's mother was diagnosed with breast cancer earlier this year, the family decided to return to the US.\n\n\"Rosie applied for permanent residency when we got married, but it's just been pending, we've been waiting for her to be approved for her green card,\" Joshua said.\n\nAfter being told she would be allowed back into the US, Rosie booked a flight for herself and her two youngest children.\n\nBut she was told at the airport she was not allowed on the flight as her green card was out of date - but the only way to update it is to provide her fingerprints in the US.\n\n\"I just feel so heartbroken and defeated right now,\" Rosie said.\n\n\"I miss my children so much, and my husband.\"\n\nJoshua, who was waiting for her at the airport, had to drive home and tell the four eldest children their mother and sisters were not allowed to fly.\n\nJoshua's mother's breast cancer is now stage four and terminal, meaning the family longed to be together over Christmas.\n\n\"For her this has been especially terrible. She very much wanted us all to be together this Christmas, that was really important for her,\" Joshua said.\n\nThe family, expecting to be leaving for the US, ended the lease on their Cardiff house, packed up their belongings to be shipped to the US and gave away toys and books.\n\nRosie and the two girls were left with just a few bags, but four months later they are still in the UK.\n\n\"I keep hoping for a miracle,\" Rosie said.\n\n\"I can't think that I won't be with my children and my husband for Christmas.\n\n\"There are days when I burst into tears a lot, I'm sobbing, looking at Christmas decorations thinking I don't know how I'm going to get through today. I just miss the kids so much.\"\n\nShe says trying to be a mother to four children thousands of miles away is difficult, even with video conferencing.\n\n\"I've got daughters who are teenagers with complex emotions who are struggling,\" she said.\n\n\"I've missed birthdays, Thanksgiving, they've had Covid. As a mum you just want to be there for that.\n\n\"I want to wake up and my children be there. I want to watch Christmas films with them and sing Christmas carols.\n\nRosie described how she longs to clean up her children's messes again\n\n\"I want to clean up their messes, I want to wash their dishes. That would be the biggest Christmas present for them this year, to be together.\"\n\nThe family's friends in Cardiff and around the UK have donated to a campaign fund to help the Browns pay for a US lawyer to fight their case.\n\nLawyer Margaret Wong, who specialises in immigration cases, described the situation as \"terrible\".\n\n\"This is very cruel, but they are not the only family being denied entry,\" she said.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "The coroner said Anas had acted selflessly and his actions should be commended\n\nA \"selfless\" teenage boy drowned trying to save his brother who had got into difficulties during a river swim, an inquest has heard.\n\nAnas El-Rafai, 15, died on 17 August trying to help his brother in the River Tees at Darlington.\n\nThe pair were among a group of friends who had gone to swim at a popular beauty spot known as Broken Scar.\n\nThe group had visited the river to take photographs and had apparently gone into the water to cool down, the hearing was told.\n\nAnas was swept away after managing to push his 13-year-old sibling, Jamal, to safety.\n\nMr Thompson said the tragedy \"reinforced the dangers of playing in rivers and in open water\".\n\nHe said \"People should take extreme care and need to understand the power of nature.\"\n\nFlowers were attached to railings at the site of the accident\n\nThe inquest was told recent heavy rain had left river levels high and that the undercurrent was strong and the water cold and fast-flowing.\n\nMr Thomson said Anas had acted \"selflessly\" and his actions should be commended.\n\nHe added: \"Anas had a few seconds to think and he simply acted - there was nothing more his friends or the emergency services could do.\"\n\nAnas's family fled the civil war in Syria in 2011, initially going to Lebanon, then moving to the UK in 2018.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Only freight traffic is being allowed to cross the Irish Sea from Wales\n\nPassengers have been left stranded attempting to get in and out of Wales after several countries banned most UK travel over a new coronavirus variant.\n\nBukola Sokunbi-Walton, from Galway, was travelling from London to spend Christmas with her children when her ferry from Holyhead was cancelled.\n\nMeanwhile, another man has been unable to return to mid Wales from the Liberian capital Monrovia.\n\nAfter it finished, the Welsh Government said: \"On the impact of the travel bans imposed by European partners, the first minister updated the meeting on the current situation at Welsh ports.\n\n\"While traffic management plans are not needed at this point, the first minister made clear that arrangements with the Irish Republic were very important in sustaining that position.\"\n\nMeanwhile, Toyota said it would close its engine factory in Deeside, Flintshire, two days earlier than planned for Christmas.\n\nIt will now shut on Tuesday with bosses anticipating parts shortages because of disruption caused at ports.\n\nEuropean Union member states are due to meet in Brussels to discuss a co-ordinated response to the new coronavirus variant in the UK.\n\nThe Republic of Ireland, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, France and Canada, have all suspended flights from the UK.\n\nStena Line and Irish Ferries, which run routes from Wales to Ireland, have both banned passengers on Monday and Tuesday due to the Irish government's ban, with only freight and essential workers allowed to cross.\n\nMs Sokunbi-Walton said she only found out about the ban when she arrived at Holyhead ferry terminal on Monday morning and said she was \"utterly gutted\" that she cannot get home for at least two days.\n\nFerries have been running from Holyhead on Monday morning - but for freight and essential workers only\n\nShe said: \"I just expected to get on the ferry as usual and go home because I have three children at home waiting for me, but it's very upsetting and disappointing that I can't do that right now.\n\n\"They [the Irish government] should have given us ample time to prepare for that, at least given us information so that we would know what to do. If we had found out earlier we wouldn't have driven all the way [from London] - we would've waited for the 48 hours before coming here.\n\n\"It's very tiring. We don't have any accommodation here, we're sitting out in the car, it's cold… it's really a tough time.\"\n\nWhile Ms Sokunbi-Walton is trying to leave Wales, others are struggling to get back as a result of the new restrictions.\n\nLes Banks Irvine, who lives in Monrovia, Liberia, was trying to get back to mid Wales where his two children and three grandchildren live.\n\nBut he said he was told he could not board his flight to Belgium, as his connecting flight was taking him to the UK.\n\nLes Banks Irvine has been unable to return to Wales to see his family\n\nHe said: \"There's a great deal of not-knowing. I'm sure it is for everybody.\n\n\"I was hoping to be spending some time with my two children and three grandchildren in mid Wales, but it now looks like I am stranded here in Monrovia.\n\n\"I'm working for a company who bottle Coca-Cola. I've been here for about nine months this year. I last saw my family at the end of August.\"\n\nIrish Ferries, which has passenger routes between Holyhead and Dublin, and Pembroke Dock and Rosslare, said essential travel \"is permitted\", but travellers are \"advised to keep all necessary stops to a minimum and minimise contact with people as much as possible\".\n\nStena Line has imposed similar rules on its crossings between Holyhead and Dublin, as well as Fishguard to Rosslare.\n\nA spokesman said that the company had managed to contact almost all passengers since the travel restrictions were imposed, meaning very few had turned up at the ports.\n\n\"The ferries are still operating and freight isn't affected by the restrictions. We're in close contact with any affected passengers,\" he said.\n\nThe Irish government said: \"Arrangements are being put in place to facilitate the repatriation of Irish residents on short trips to Great Britain and planning to return in the coming days, as well as international travellers to Ireland who are transiting through Great Britain.\"", "Stephan Balliet (C) also fired at police during the attack in Halle\n\nA German court has jailed a far-right gunman for life for his deadly attack on a synagogue in the eastern city of Halle last year.\n\nStephan Balliet, 28, shot and killed a female passer-by and a man at a kebab shop after failing to break into the synagogue on 9 October 2019.\n\nOnly a heavy, bolted door kept him from firing at 52 Jewish worshippers marking the Yom Kippur festival inside.\n\nIt nearly became Germany's worst anti-Semitic atrocity since the Nazi era.\n\nBalliet expressed no remorse for the attack on the synagogue.\n\nDuring his five-month trial, Balliet denied the Holocaust in open court - a criminal offence in Germany. He laughed when the Holocaust was mentioned in court.\n\nHe said that \"attacking the synagogue was not a mistake, they are my enemies\". He espoused a racist, misogynist ideology.\n\nHe wore combat fatigues on the day of the attack and filmed the shooting, broadcasting it for 35 minutes on the internet. His home-made gun repeatedly jammed.\n\nPolice pictured at the kebab shop after the shootings\n\nThe cantor who was leading prayer in the synagogue saw the gunman on a surveillance TV and quickly moved the congregation out of the main hall.\n\nDuring the trial in Magdeburg, near Halle, American rabbi Jeremy Borovitz said \"we are not afraid, we stand together\".\n\nBased in Berlin, he was visiting Halle for Yom Kippur - Judaism's holiest day - and was among dozens of Jewish witnesses who gave testimony at the trial.\n\nJudges said Balliet was \"seriously culpable\", effectively barring him from early release. He was convicted of two counts of murder and multiple counts of attempted murder.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Christina Feist describes being inside the synagogue as the Halle gunman attempted to attack it\n\nBalliet said his attack was inspired by Brenton Tarrant, the far-right gunman who killed 51 Muslim worshippers at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand.\n\nIn August, a New Zealand court sentenced Tarrant to life without parole for the killings - the first such sentence in the country's history.\n\nIn court, Balliet apologised only for shooting a woman passing by, saying he \"didn't want to kill whites\".\n\nPsychiatrist Norbert Leygraf said of Balliet, in an evaluation, that he had symptoms of schizophrenia, paranoia and autism preventing him from having \"empathy with others\" while feeling \"superior to others\", AFP news agency reported.\n\nThe synagogue's thick wooden door was all that stood in the way of the gunman", "From Sunday people are being warned to \"stay-at-home\" with it being illegal to leave unless for essential reasons\n\nTrying to enforce lockdown laws over Christmas could put police at risk of harm and in \"difficult\" situations, the Welsh Police Federation has warned.\n\nWales entered the highest level of coronavirus restrictions on Sunday, with two households only allowed to meet on Christmas Day.\n\nHealth Minister Vaughan Gething has said he wants to see an \"enforcement-first approach\" to rule-breakers.\n\nBut the body representing police said officers were \"under immense pressure\".\n\nMark Jones, of the North Wales Police Federation, said passions would be high at Christmas and officers were trying to balance compassion and enforce laws, while putting themselves at risk of abuse and catching the virus themselves.\n\nCoronavirus laws on travel and meeting others had been due to be relaxed from 23 to 27 December, to allow people to celebrate the festive period with loved ones.\n\nBut after concern over a new variant of the virus, Wales was placed in a level four \"stay-at-home\" lockdown at midnight on Sunday, and festivities cut to just one day - Christmas Day.\n\nUnder the law, people will only be able to travel on 25 December to see one other household - plus a single person household - and must return on the same day.\n\nThose in breach of rules face being told to go home or be returned home by officers, and issued with a £60 fine, which rises to £120 for a second breach.\n\nOn Sunday, Mr Gething said there was \"growing unhappiness and anger\" towards people who were \"flagrant rule-breakers\" during recent months.\n\nUntil now, Welsh police forces had focussed on engaging and educating first time offenders, with fines only happening if people were found in breach of rules on multiple occasions.\n\nBut Mr Gething said the Welsh Government had spoken to councils and the police, and he wanted to now see an enforcement-first approach.\n\nHe told BBC Wales catching people who break the two household limit would be difficult unless they made a lot of noise or neighbours spied on them.\n\n\"Where it comes to house parties and more egregious breaches, yes I do expect enforcement to take place. I do expect people to get fined,\" he said.\n\n\"If you go into a house party with 20 different people you know damn well that you're breaking the rules.\"\n\nMr Jones, general secretary for the Police Federation in north Wales, said enforcing the rules would be \"difficult\" as there were no extra officers to deal with new laws under a time of \"immense pressure\".\n\nHe said officers were responding to serious crimes and increased pressures over the festive period - such as a rise in domestic violence - and many officers were already working on rest days and holidays to cover for sick colleagues.\n\nMr Jones said the majority of the public were supportive of the rules and co-operated with police, but a small minority were \"flouting\" the law, putting themselves and officers who had to intervene at risk.\n\n\"By virtue of the fact they are already disregarding the regulations they are invariably not very happy or compliant with police when being dealt with,\" he said, adding officers had been deliberately coughed on and spat at.\n\n\"These police officers are people, and they are having to get up close and personal and deal with these individuals.\"\n\nPolice in Wales have been called on to enforce sometimes \"unpopular\" Covid rules, say front-line officers\n\nHe added that the Christmas rules meant officers would be put \"in very difficult\" positions as they also wanted to see their loved ones and so understood people's desperation.\n\n\"Police don't create the law, they just have to enforce them, which puts them in a no-win situation,\" he said.\n\n\"Officers are human beings, they are doing their very best to walk that tightrope of enforcing the laws of the land, but also trying to balance human compassion and people's feelings, and strong views on the regulations.\n\n\"I speak to officers who are really, really worried about bringing this silent killer back into their homes, but they understand they have a duty as a police officer.\n\n\"Suddenly it's a police officer who will have no choice but to deal with those people in the most appropriate way, and that will inevitably involve them putting themselves at risk of being assaulted or being attacked.\"\n\nDyfed-Powys Police officers pulled over motorists on the A477 between Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire during Wales' firebreak lockdown\n\nChief Constable Pam Kelly, of Gwent Police, told BBC Radio Wales that officers would not be \"knocking on people's doors asking how many people are in a house\", but would be enforcing the laws.\n\nShe said: \"Police officers have had to be going in and out of people's houses throughout this entire pandemic, dealing with assaults, domestic abuse and of course investigating crime, and then they go home to their families.\n\n\"So let's reduce the pressure on all services by being really careful over Christmas, let's respect agencies, respect each other so that we reduce the spread of the virus over Christmas.\n\n\"If they don't, and they flout the law, of course we will have to enforce the law, but we'd rather not do that.\"\n\nDyfed-Powys Police and Crime Commissioner Dafydd Llywelyn said trying to keep an eye on people's movements would be \"difficult\" over the Christmas break.\n\nMr Llywelyn said police would not be going \"house to house to check\" how many people were celebrating together, and emergency and high-risk calls would be a priority over any calls concerning rules being broken.\n\nHe told BBC Wales police would be visible in communities and on roads, to provide reassurance, and would be able to stop cars, but this was like any other year, where officers would be focussing on preventing speeding and drink driving.\n\n\"The key message here is for people to take personal responsibility in relation to their movements... the guidance is there for a reason, it's to stop the spread of coronavirus,\" he said.\n\n\"Where we do get information that people are flouting the rules, maybe house parties are taking place, the police will be there to respond.\"\n\nA modern browser with Javascript and a stable internet connection is required to view this interactive.", "Quarantine rules are set to be eased for business travellers in England.\n\nThe rules will be relaxed for top bosses of foreign multinational firms visiting English branches and bosses at firms planning to invest.\n\nReturning executives will also be exempt from quarantine.\n\nIn each case, the business trips must result in a deal which creates or preserves 50 jobs or leads to a £100m investment or order, according to the Department for Transport.\n\nThe new rule will allow business people to travel to England from countries that are not on the UK's list of travel corridors without having to isolate for 14 days on arrival.\n\nThe move was announced in a tweet by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nTravellers will have to demonstrate in an exemption letter that they are delivering these business benefits to the UK.\n\nThis letter will be checked by police or Border Force.\n\nWhen in England, the government said, executives will be exempt from the normal quarantine rules only in the course of a \"specific business activity\" that will benefit the UK economy.\n\n\"And [they] will only be able to meet with others as required by that specific activity,\" it said.\n\nPerforming arts workers, TV production staff, journalists and recently signed sports professionals will also be exempt, the government said.\n\nCurrently, people arriving in the UK from most countries - including British nationals - must self-isolate for 14 days or face fines of up to £1,000. But that can increase to £10,000 for repeat offenders.\n\nExceptions are made for people coming from the Common Travel Area - the Republic of Ireland, the Channel Islands, or the Isle of Man - or countries in travel corridors with England.\n\nThe government said that Public Health England did not expect the new rules for business travellers to increase the risk of coronavirus transmission in the UK.\n\nNevertheless, it said the measures would remain under review.", "\"This vaccine is more than good news, it's a game changer,\" Dr Mohammed Khaki tells Newsbeat.\n\nToday it was announced the Covid-19 vaccine could be rolled out as early as next week - with NHS staff among the first to get it.\n\nIt's after the UK approved the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine for widespread use.\n\nDr Khaki, who works as a GP and in A&E, says for doctors it'll hopefully mean the return to a normal situation.\n\n\"Hopefully we'll be able to see patients face-to-face and hold their hands again,\" he says.\n\nThe British regulator, the MHRA, says the jab offers up to 95% protection against Covid-19.\n\n\"It hopefully means we're able to move away from lockdowns, a world restricted by masks where conversation is difficult, where movement is difficult and working is stifled,\" Mohammed says.\n\nHe's looking forward to a world where we can travel and see friends again.\n\nFor many NHS workers, a vaccine will mean they can see vulnerable family members and friends again.\n\n\"I've been isolating from vulnerable family members since the beginning of March,\" Dr Sara Otung, who's been treating Covid patients in Cardiff, tells Newsbeat.\n\n\"The hope of getting a vaccine and getting that extra layer of protection is really exciting. Vaccines can save lives,\" the 27-year-old junior doctor says.\n\n\"It feels like a glimmer hope on what's been such a difficult year.\"\n\n\"I was ecstatic to hear the news a vaccine is now becoming possible and we're getting closer to it,\" Dr Daniel Olaiya tells Newsbeat.\n\nThe 28-year-old works at a busy hospital in London treating Covid patients.\n\nDr Daniel Olaiya says the rollout of the vaccine is \"monumental progress\"\n\n\"For clinical staff working in Covid areas, you can wear as much PPE as possible and be as careful as possible, but at the end of the day we are at risk.\n\n\"Having another barrier of protection, a weapon of armoury, is exactly what we need.\"\n\n\"We needed a glimmer of hope and it's come at the best time - Christmas, New Year and new beginnings.\"\n\nLucy works as nurse administering the flu jab to NHS colleagues.\n\nThe 23-year-old says she expects to be on the frontline giving fellow NHS workers the Covid-19 vaccine in the next few weeks.\n\nAround 50 hospitals are on standby and vaccination centres in venues such as conference centres are being set up now.\n\n\"If you're asymptomatic, you don't know if you've got the Covid virus ,so it's a really good way to stop the spread and protect those vulnerable around you.\"\n\nThis is the order people will get the vaccine in its first phase\n\nListen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Ch Insp Mark Runacres of Avon and Somerset Police: \"Sadly... there have been four fatalities\"\n\nFour people have died and another has been injured in a large explosion at a waste water treatment works.\n\nFirefighters were called to Wessex Water's premises in Avonmouth, Bristol, at about 11:20 GMT.\n\nThree of the people who died worked for the firm, and the other was a contractor. The injured person's condition is not life-threatening.\n\nThe blast happened in a silo containing treated biosolids and was not terror related, police said.\n\nA witness reported hearing a \"very loud explosion\" that \"shook buildings\", and another said they saw about 10 ambulances driving to the scene.\n\nPolice declared a major incident and are investigating the circumstances of the blast.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nCh Insp Mark Runacres, from Avon and Somerset Police, said the explosion happened in a chemical tank at a water recycling centre.\n\n\"The fire service led the rescue operation but sadly, despite the best efforts of all those involved, there were four fatalities.\n\n\"This is a tragic incident and our thoughts and sympathies go out to them.\"\n\nThe families of those who died have been contacted.\n\nPolice and paramedics were sent to the scene\n\nLuke Gazzard from Avon Fire and Rescue Service said the four people died at the scene and there was no report of a fire.\n\nHe said emergency services had dealt with \"a very, very challenging incident\".\n\nPrime Minister Boris Johnson said in a tweet he was \"deeply saddened\" to learn of the loss of life in the explosion.\n\n\"Our hearts go out to the victims and their families. Thank you to the emergency services who attended the scene,\" he said.\n\nColin Skellett, chief executive of Wessex Water, said the company's \"thoughts are with the families, friends and colleagues of those involved\".\n\nHe said they were \"absolutely devastated that the tragic incident at our site earlier today has resulted in four fatalities\".\n\nThe company is working with the Health and Safety Executive as part of the investigation.\n\nThe silo holds treated biosolids before it is recycled as an organic soil conditioner, Ch Insp Runacres said.\n\nHe said a \"thorough investigation involving a number of agencies\" would be carried out.\n\n\"I can reassure people living in the nearby area that there is not believed to be any ongoing public safety concerns.\"\n\nBiosolids are \"treated sludge\", a by-product of the sewage treatment process.\n\nAccording to Wessex Water, the sludge is treated in anaerobic digesters, oxygen-free tanks, to produce agricultural fertiliser and renewable energy.\n\nPeople have been urged to avoid the area.\n\nAn emergency services helicopter landed near the site\n\nJawad Burhan, who took a photo appearing to show a tank that had exploded, said there was a \"helicopter looking for missing people\".\n\n\"I heard the sound, I'm working beside the building in another warehouse.\n\n\"After 10 minutes I saw the helicopter coming and the police.\"\n\nKieran Jenkins, who works nearby, said he was inside a warehouse when he heard a \"big bang\".\n\n\"The whole warehouse was shaking and we literally stood there in shock,\" he said.\n\n\"We thought everything was going to fall and we came out and all we could see was people running - it was a bit of a shock, really.\"\n\nBristol Waste, which runs the nearby Avonmouth recycling centre, tweeted it had closed the site temporarily.\n\nLorry driver Ronan Doyle said he was parked off Kings Weston Lane about to enter the recycling plant when he heard the explosion.\n\n\"There was a quieter 'whoosh' first, followed by a much louder and more intense noise,\" he said.\n\n\"It sounded like someone had driven into the lorry - the noise was so loud it didn't sound like anything I've ever heard before and it was followed by a loud bang.\n\n\"I continued into the recycling centre and we have just locked ourselves in purely because our way out is blocked.\"\n\nSean Nolan, who witnessed the aftermath of the explosion, said he initially thought the noise was from a crash.\n\n\"I heard what I thought may have been two trucks colliding by the way it shook the ground... it was big.\n\n\"It was quite short-lived, I'd say about two or three seconds. Sort of a boom and echo and then it just went quiet.\n\n\"That was it. There was no smoke, there was no after-effects of it.\"\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer gave his condolences on Twitter, writing: \"My thoughts are with all those who tragically lost their lives today in Avonmouth. My heart goes out to their friends and family.\"\n\nDarren Jones, MP for Bristol North West, said: \"My family and I are keeping those affected in our thoughts and prayers, following the tragic consequences of the explosion in Avonmouth.\"\n\nHe was \"pleased that the situation has been contained and that there is no further risk to local people\".\n\nBristol Mayor Marvin Rees said: \"This has already been such a challenging year, and this news of further loss of life is another terrible blow.\n\n\"As a city we will mourn for them.\"\n\nAre you in the area? Did you witness what happened? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Hospitality outlets will be forced to close from 00:01 on Friday\n\nPubs, bars and restaurants in Jersey are set to close from 00:01 GMT on Friday for up to a month in order to tackle a surge in Covid cases.\n\nThe \"hospitality circuit breaker\" announced on Wednesday comes amid fears health services could be overwhelmed.\n\nFood and hospitality outlets, except takeaways, will have to shut.\n\nAll shops can stay open, but indoor sport and fitness classes and gyms must close and the 2m (6.6ft) distancing law is to be brought back into force.\n\nChief Minister John Le Fondre said the recent rise in cases on the island presented \"a real and immediate risk to health services... and islanders' lives\".\n\nThe circuit-breaker measures are expected to remain in place until 4 January.\n\nOne pub owner said measures should have been introduced sooner to try to save jobs and Christmas trade for the hospitality industry.\n\nThere are currently 331 active cases on Jersey with the majority - 231 - symptomatic and eight cases being treated in hospital.\n\nOn Wednesday, 56 new Covid cases were identified, the biggest daily total of new infections recorded so far.\n\nSenator Le Fondre said Jersey's R number was currently between 1.4 and 1.9, which \"means each case is, on average, passing the infection on to more than one other person\".\n\n\"This is too much and we need to introduce more stringent restrictions to protect islanders.\"\n\nJersey \"now stands at an important crossroads in our pandemic response\", Senator Le Fondre said, adding: \"I know that collectively these measures represent a significant restriction...particularly at this time of year, when we want to be celebrating and spending time with loved ones and friends.\n\n\"But we need to prevent our health services from being overwhelmed, and ensure we are still able to celebrate during the festive period.\"\n\nSupport for affected businesses would be provided under the co-funded payroll scheme, according to the chief minister.\n\nSean Murphy, who runs the Lamplighter Pub in St Helier, said the move should have come \"a lot earlier to try save Christmas\".\n\nHe said having to close over Christmas and the new year would cost people their jobs and the industry thousands of pounds.\n\n\"Everybody in hospitality understands the reasoning of it because of Covid, but it's the timing of the closure,\" Mr Murphy said.\n\nWhen Jersey's politicians agreed in July to reopen the borders, there were no known active cases of the virus.\n\nAnd while the numbers increased in the following months, many felt the situation was under control - largely thanks to a system of rapid border testing.\n\nBut within days, the mood has changed significantly.\n\nThe number of cases has more than doubled since 25 November, with a series of parties and social events blamed.\n\nAmid growing concerns about the ability of the health service to cope, these restrictions were announced just 48 hours after a previous tightening of the rules, and the day after masks were made mandatory in shops and supermarkets.\n\nThe government insists it has acted decisively.\n\nBut many have criticised ministers' reaction, with one prominent backbencher arguing they have \"dithered since late October\".\n\nAnd while some will see the closure of hospitality as an over-reaction, with Christmas just three weeks away, others believe it is too little, too late.\n\nRules on households mixing over Christmas will be announced in the next few days.\n\nHealth Minister Deputy Richard Renouf warned the island would need to open its Nightingale hospital if cases continued to rise.\n\nJersey's General Hospital closed to all visitors at 17:00 on Wednesday, while high-risk islanders have been told to adopt \"extra measures\", including avoiding visits to other people's homes.\n\nDeputy Renouf also said officials were in \"close discussions\" with the UK following its approval of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid vaccine.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Inverness Town Steeple, which rises from the city's centre, was damaged by an earthquake in 1816\n\nEarthquakes are rare in Scotland and when they do occur they usually pass unnoticed, but the potential for a large damaging quake is taken seriously.\n\nIn August 1816 an earthquake shook Scotland from the Pentland Firth coast in the north to Coldstream in the Borders.\n\nA man walking in the hills near Relugas in Moray told of hearing a sound like a \"rushing wind\".\n\nFurniture moved across floors in homes in Fraserburgh in Aberdeenshire while elsewhere church bells rang out and dogs started howling.\n\nInverness bore the brunt of the quake. Chimney tops and pieces of masonry fell from buildings and the Town Steeple was twisted out of shape. Ferrymen at a crossing between North Kessock at Inverness and the Black Isle told of their boat being rocked up and down as if by waves.\n\nBut Scotland's largest known earthquake came 64 years later, in November 1880.\n\nThe 5.2 local magnitude (ML) quake in Argyll was felt along the west coast of Scotland and out east as far as Perthshire.\n\nLighthouse keepers in Lewis and Barra in the Western Isles and from Cape Wrath in Sutherland to the Mull of Galloway reported feeling it.\n\nAugust 1974 saw a 4.4ML earthquake which had its epicentre in Kintail in the north west Highlands.\n\nThe quake was the largest in a \"swarm\" of more than 20 seismic events that occurred for several months into the following year.\n\nThe Kessock Bridge at Inverness was designed to be \"quake-proof\"\n\nBritish Geological Survey (BGS), which records seismic activity across the world, detects up 300 quakes every year in the UK.\n\nOnly about three of these events are usually felt by people or are heard as a deep rumbling sound or a loud bang.\n\nIn August last year, people reported windows rattling and house beams creaking during a small earthquake on the Isle of Skye.\n\nOn Tuesday this week people in the west of Scotland were shaken by an earthquake in the early hours of the morning.\n\nThe earthquake, with a magnitude of 3.3, according to British Geological Survey (BGS), happened just before 02:00.\n\nBGS said its epicentre was at Achnamara west of Lochgilphead in Argyll and Bute.\n\nMore than 30 people reported the tremor, from as far away as Edinburgh and across Ireland.\n\nBGS said larger quakes with the potential to cause minor damage, such as those in the past, occur about every 38 years.\n\nIn the UK, the most recent of these was a 5.2 magnitude earthquake was in February 2008 which was felt across England and parts of Wales. A man suffered a broken pelvis when a chimney collapsed in South Yorkshire.\n\nAnd precautions are taken for these larger earthquakes.\n\nFor the first time in 10 years BGS has updated its seismic hazard maps for the UK.\n\nIt has been able to draw on larger data sets than have been previously available along with some new tools and methods to improve on its previous maps.\n\nThe maps show where seismic events of varying strength may happen, and with what probability. They are used by engineers to help them decide whether buildings and other structures need to be designed to be \"earthquake resistant\".\n\nIn Scotland, the Kessock road bridge and a nearby waste water pipe laid by Scottish Water have been designed to be \"quake-proof\".\n\nLoch Ness lies along part of the Great Glen Fault, an area linked to earthquakes in the Highlands\n\nBut why do earthquakes occur in Scotland?\n\nQuakes are associated with a geological feature called a fault, which is a fracture or an area of fractures between two huge blocks of rock. During an earthquake there is a sudden movement between these blocks, such as one slipping down or up against the other.\n\nIn Scotland, these faults can run for hundreds of miles.\n\nAccording to BGS, most Scottish earthquakes occur in western Scotland with events felt in places such as Islay in the Inner Hebrides and also Fort William and, in November last year, in Glen Coe.\n\nIn the Highlands, one of the most active areas, seismic activity is related to what are known as the Highland Boundary Fault Zone, Great Glen Fault Zone, Strathconon Fault, Kinlochhourn Fault and the Loch Maree Fault.\n\nThe Great Glen Fault is probably the best known of the fault zones. At least 300 miles (483 km) in length it cuts diagonally across the Highlands from Inverness to Fort William and has its origins in events that happened about 400 million years ago.\n\nIt is home to the world-famous Loch Ness, just down the road from Inverness and its now long repaired earthquake-hit town steeple.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Corbyn addressed supporters outside the court after the judgement was handed down\n\nPiers Corbyn has been found guilty of breaching coronavirus restrictions at an anti-lockdown gathering.\n\nThe 73-year-old brother of former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was arrested when he refused to leave the event in Hyde Park, London, on 16 May.\n\nHe was given an absolute discharge after Westminster Magistrates' Court heard he had spent 12 hours in police custody after his arrest.\n\nAddressing supporters outside, Corbyn said it had been \"a tremendous result\".\n\nDistrict Judge Sam Goozee dismissed a second count of the same charge - linked to a protest on 30 May - after hearing police had issued a fixed penalty notice earlier that day.\n\nProsecutor David Povall had described Corbyn as a \"poster boy for disparate groups\" attending both events near Speakers Corner.\n\nHe told the court there was no reasonable excuse for \"breaching clear and emphatic regulations that were in force at the time\".\n\nCorbyn's defence had argued his arrest on 16 May was a \"disproportionate and unnecessary\" contravention of his right to peaceful protest.\n\nReturning his decision, judge Mr Goozee said Corbyn's actions would have been lawful if lockdown regulations had not been in force at the time.\n\nBut their enforcement had been necessary for public health, he said, concluding that police \"took a measured response\".\n\n\"You, however, didn't engage with police - police action in arresting you was necessary and proportionate,\" he said.\n\nAddressing around two dozen supporters outside the court after the verdict, Corbyn raised his fist in the air and said: \"We've had a tremendous result.\"\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Not yet two months old, Molly Gibson has already set a record\n\nWhen Molly Gibson was born in October of this year, it was 27 years in the making.\n\nHer embryo was frozen in October 1992, and stayed that way until February 2020, when Tina and Ben Gibson of Tennessee adopted it.\n\nMolly is believed to have set a new record for the longest-frozen embryo to have resulted in a birth, breaking a record set by her older sister, Emma.\n\n\"We're over the moon,\" Ms Gibson said. \"I still get choked up.\"\n\n\"If you would have asked me five years ago if I would have not just one girl, but two, I would have said you were crazy,\" she said.\n\nThe family struggled with infertility for nearly five years before Ms Gibson's parents saw a story about embryo adoption on a local news station.\n\n\"That's the only reason that we share our story. If my parents hadn't seen this on the news then we wouldn't be here,\" Ms Gibson, 29, said. \"I feel like it should come full-circle.\"\n\nMs Gibson, an elementary school teacher and her husband, a 36-year-old cyber security analyst, connected with the National Embryo Donation Center (NEDC), a Christian non-profit in Knoxville that stores frozen embryos that in vitro fertilisation patients decided not to use and chose to donate instead.\n\nFamilies like the Gibsons can then adopt one of the unused embryos and give birth to a child that is not genetically related to them. There are an estimated one million frozen human embryos stored in the US right now, according to the NEDC.\n\nMark Mellinger, the NEDC's marketing and development director, said that experience with infertility is common among families who seek embryo donations.\n\n\"I'd say probably 95% have encountered some sort of infertility\", he said. \"We feel honoured and privileged to do this work\", and help these couples grow their families.\n\nAfter their first embryo adoption, Ms Gibson gave birth to Emma in 2017, swapping sleepless nights praying for children with the sleepless nights of motherhood. \"It's the best kind of tired and it's the best kind of exhausted,\" she said.\n\nFounded 17 years ago, the NEDC has facilitated more than 1,000 embryo adoptions and births, and now conducts around 200 transfers each year. Similar to a traditional adoption process, couples can decide if they would like a \"closed\" embryo adoption or an \"open\" one - allowing for some form of contact with the donor family.\n\nThis contact ranges between a couple of emails each year to a cousin-like relationship, Mr Mellinger said.\n\nCouples are presented with 200-300 donor profiles, complete with the donor family's demographic history. The Gibsons had wanted a child for so long, the options were overwhelming.\n\n\"We did not care what this baby looked like, where it came from,\" Ms Gibson said. She sought advice from the NEDC where an employee told her to pick something \"silly\" and go from there.\n\n\"My husband and I are smaller people, and so we went through and narrowed it down by height and weight and looked for something similar to ours. That narrowed it down at ton,\" she said.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. After years searching, I found my sister next door\n\nThe Gibson's children, Molly and Emma, are genetic siblings. Both embryos were donated and frozen together in 1992, when Tina Gibson was around a year old. According to the NEDC, Emma's 24-year-old embryo was the oldest in history to have been born, until Molly came along this year.\n\nEmma loves her new little sister, Ms Gibson said. \"She introduces her to anyone that sees her as 'my little sister Molly.'\" And Ms Gibson has loved seeing the similarities between her girls, including a tiny wrinkle between their eyebrows when they're mad or upset.\n\nAccording to the NEDC, the shelf-life for frozen embryos is infinite. The time-frame is limited, however, by the age of the technology - the first baby born from an embryo frozen after IVF was born in Australia in 1984.\n\n\"It's entirely possible that there will someday be a 30-year-old embryo that comes to birth,\" Mr Mellinger said.", "The US and China have clashed repeatedly in recent months, over trade, coronavirus and Hong Kong\n\nChinese agents have stepped up their efforts to influence President-elect Joe Biden's incoming administration, a US intelligence official has said.\n\nWilliam Evanina, from the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence, said the Chinese were also focusing on people close to Mr Biden's team.\n\nMr Evanina said it was an influence campaign \"on steroids\".\n\nSeparately, a justice department official said more than 1,000 suspected Chinese agents had fled the US.\n\nIn Wednesday's virtual discussion at the Aspen Institute think tank, Mr Evanina, chief of the Director of National Intelligence's counter-intelligence branch, said China had been attempting to meddle in the US efforts to develop a coronavirus vaccine and recent American elections.\n\nHe continued: \"We've also seen an uptick, which was planned and we predicted, that China would now re-vector their influence campaigns to the new [Biden] administration.\n\n\"And when I say that, that malign foreign influence, that diplomatic influence plus, or on steroids, we're starting to see that play across the country to not only the folks starting in the new administration, but those who are around those folks in the new administration.\n\nPresident Donald Trump accused President Xi Jinping's China of unleashing coronavirus on the United States\n\n\"So that's one area we're going to be very keen on making sure the new administration understands that influence, what it looks like, what it tastes like, what it feels like when you see it.\"\n\nBoth Mr Biden and President Donald Trump traded bitter accusations during the recent White House campaign of being influenced by Beijing.\n\nMr Trump focused on business dealings by his rival's son Hunter Biden in China, while the Democratic candidate highlighted Mr Trump's Chinese bank account.\n\nDuring the same think tank discussion on Wednesday, John Demers, chief of the justice department's national security division, said hundreds of Chinese researchers with ties to their country's military had been identified by FBI investigators over the summer.\n\nMr Demers said the inquiry began when US authorities arrested five or six Chinese researchers who had hidden their affiliation with the People's Liberation Army (PLA).\n\n\"Those five or six arrests were just the tip of the iceberg and honestly the size of the iceberg was one that I don't know that we or other folks realised how large it was,\" he said.\n\nHe told the discussion that after the FBI conducted dozens of interviews with other individuals, \"more than 1,000 PLA-affiliated Chinese researchers left the country\".\n\nMr Demers said \"only the Chinese have the resources and ability and will\" to conduct such alleged political and economic espionage and \"other malign activity\".\n\nHe told the discussion these researchers were in addition to a group to 1,000 Chinese students and researchers whose visas were revoked by the US back in September.\n\nThe US state department said back then it would only welcome Chinese students \"who do not further the Chinese Communist Party's goals of military dominance\".\n\nIn July, the state department also closed China's consulate in Houston, Texas, accusing Beijing of stealing intellectual property.\n\nBeijing hit back by accusing the US of racial discrimination, but Mr Demers denied on Wednesday that the American authorities were racially profiling Chinese students.\n\nSino-US relations have hit rock bottom after outgoing President Trump's disputes with Beijing over issues ranging from trade to Hong Kong to the pandemic.", "Last updated on .From the section Sport\n\nFans returned to English Football League grounds on Wednesday for the first time in more than nine months as coronavirus restrictions were eased.\n\nLuton and Wycombe, who had not played in front of fans at their home grounds since February, were permitted capacities of 1,000 for their matches.\n\nOther EFL teams playing on Wednesday were in tier three areas, which prohibits supporters at elite level.\n\nLuton and Wycombe were only permitted capacities of 1,000 but Charlton, Shrewsbury, Cambridge and Carlisle, who all staged test event matches earlier in the season, were all able to house 2,000.\n\nNo away fans were allowed and no supporter was able to attend if they live in a tier three area.\n\nArsenal will be the first Premier League club permitted to host home supporters, when they play Rapid Vienna in the Europa League on Thursday.\n\nThe first Premier League fixture to welcome fans since March will be West Ham's game at home to Manchester United on Saturday, before Chelsea host Leeds later that day.\n\nWith the exception of two pilot events at Warwick and Doncaster in September, horse racing has also been without crowds since March, but racegoers were able to return on Wednesday with Lingfield Park in Surrey, among the tracks able to welcome back spectators.\n\nSnooker remains without spectators as the UK Championship continues in Milton Keynes, but on Wednesday plans were announced for up to 1,000 fans to attend each session of the PDC World Darts Championship, which starts at London's Alexandra Palace on 15 December.", "Odeon owner AMC is in \"urgent talks\" with Warner Bros after the film maker said all releases would be available to stream instantly in the US.\n\nThe move will enable film fans to watch the forthcoming sci-fi epic Dune and the Matrix sequel on HBO Max at the same time as their cinema release.\n\nIt has escalated tensions between Hollywood and US movie theatres.\n\nBoth studios and chains are desperate to rebuild revenues after virus control measures closed cinemas.\n\nThe new releases will be available on the service, which is not yet available in the UK, for one month after release. HBO Max is set to launch in Europe in the second half of next year, according to its global boss Andy Forssell.\n\nThe releases are also expected to include Godzilla vs Kong, Mortal Kombat and The Suicide Squad.\n\nEarlier this year, assertive action by AMC successfully curbed a similar screening plan by rival Hollywood studio, Universal.\n\nCinemas are desperate for content to lure viewers back with new entertainment that can initially only be seen on their screens.\n\nTypically, new releases are shown exclusively at cinemas for months.\n\nAMC had agreed to allow one film, Wonder Woman 1984, to be shown simultaneously on HBO Max, the streaming service owned by its ultimate parent company AT&T.\n\nAMC boss Adam Aron, said: \"These coronavirus-impacted times are uncharted waters for all of us, which is why AMC signed on to an HBO Max exception to customary practices for one film only, Wonder Woman 1984, being released by Warner Brothers at Christmas when the pandemic appears that it will be at its height.\"\n\nKeanu Reeves will reprise his role as Neo in The Matrix 4\n\nIt accused Warner Bros of subsidising its HBO Max by its move: \"We will do all in our power to ensure that Warner does not do so at our expense. We will aggressively pursue economic terms that preserve our business.\n\n\"We have already commenced an immediate and urgent dialogue with the leadership of Warner on this subject.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. As ever more people sign up to streaming services, are fewer going to the movies?\n\nAnn Sarnoff, chair and chief executive of WarnerMedia Studios, said the pandemic called for \"creative solutions\".\n\n\"No one wants films back on the big screen more than we do,\" she said.\n\n\"We know new content is the lifeblood of theatrical exhibition, but we have to balance this with the reality that most theatres in the US will likely operate at reduced capacity throughout 2021.\"\n\nAMC banned all Universal films after the studio said it would release new movies at home and on the big screen on the same day.\n\nThe two firms eventually agreed that Universal films can go to digital services after just 17 days of viewing in cinemas.\n\nExplaining Warner Bros' decision, Ms Sarnoff said the \"unique one-year plan\" would give \"moviegoers who may not have access to theatres, or aren't quite ready to go back to the movies, the chance to see our amazing 2021 films\".\n\n\"We see it as a win-win for film lovers and exhibitors, and we're extremely grateful to our filmmaking partners for working with us on this innovative response to these circumstances.\"", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Lord Maginnis is not going to take part in “behaviour training\" after using “homophobic and offensive\" language\n\nLord Maginnis of Drumglass should be suspended from the Lords for at least 18 months over bullying and harassment claims, a standards watchdog has said.\n\nThe independent Ulster Unionist broke the rules in his conduct towards four people and used \"homophobic and offensive\" language, it was found.\n\nThe Lords Conduct Committee ordered the ex-MP and soldier to take \"behaviour training\" or face a longer ban.\n\nBut he told the BBC he would refuse to do so.\n\nAsked if that would mean a greater punishment, he said: \"So be it.\"\n\nLord Maginnis denied bullying and harassment and called the committee's report \"ridiculous\", adding that he was the victim of a campaign against him, involving the LGBT rights charity Stonewall.\n\nBut Stonewall said he should \"step up and accept responsibility for his behaviour and apologise to those he has hurt\".\n\nDefending his stance, Lord Maginnis told BBC Radio Ulster: \"I've held responsible positions all my life,.\n\n\"At 83 years of age, I'm not going to be dictated to in this way.\"\n\nComplaints against Lord Maginnis were made by Parliamentary security officer Christian Bombolo, SNP MP Hannah Bardell and Labour MPs Luke Pollard and Toby Perkins.\n\nHe was accused of verbally abusing Mr Bombolo when asked to show his security pass in January, with Ms Bardell saying he became rude and aggressive when she intervened.\n\nMs Bardell later told the House of Commons it was \"one of the worst cases of abuse of security staff\" she had witnessed.\n\nAt the time, The Huffington Post website quoted Lord Maginnis as saying in response: \"Queers like Ms Bardell don't particularly annoy me.\"\n\nIt was also claimed that, in February, he sent an email about other parliamentarians containing a homophobic subject line.\n\nAnd he was accused of making homophobic remarks about Ms Bardell and Mr Pollard at a breakfast meeting hosted by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Armed Forces in March.\n\nThe Lords Commissioner for Standards, Lucy Scott-Moncrief, who carried out an investigation into Lord Maginnis, previously recommended a ban of nine months.\n\nHe appealed against this, but the committee found he had shown \"very little insight into the impact of his behaviour on the complainants, and no remorse for the upset he had caused\".\n\nInstead, it added, he had \"portrayed himself as a victim of a conspiracy… and continued to refer to the complainants in a disobliging and sometimes offensive manner\".\n\nFollowing the publication of the report, Ms Bardell told BBC Scotland's Drivetime with John Beattie that she had received death threats after speaking in the Commons about Lord Maginnis's behaviour.\n\nShe added that it was \"total nonsense\" to suggest she was behind a \"conspiracy\" against the peer.\n\nMs Bardell also said she was \"disappointed\" by the recommendation of a ban for Lord Maginnis and that \"in any normal workplace anywhere in the UK, this would be a sackable offence\".\n\nLord Maginnis, who was the Ulster Unionist MP for Fermanagh and South Tyrone from 1983 to 2001 having previously served in the Ulster Defence Regiment, became a life peer in 2001.\n\nThe House of Lords will decide on 7 December whether to bring the recommended ban into force.", "An exasperated sigh sums up the reaction from a number of European capitals to the vaccine victory proclamations of some British government ministers. Education Secretary Gavin Williamson’s sweeping assessment that the UK is a “better” country than many of its allies was seen as particularly bold.\n\nOne senior diplomat told me he was delighted Britons would soon be receiving the vaccine, but that “someone should remind Mr Williamson that the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine was created by a German company, founded by scientists of Turkish origin, in partnership with an American distributor, and is being manufactured in Belgium before being transported across France to reach the UK”.\n\nThe claim that Brexit allowed the UK to approve the vaccine faster than other Europe countries has been disproved, but it does reflect once again a different path the UK is taking.\n\nAll EU countries have the option to follow the UK example and let their domestic drug regulator issue emergency approval, but the bloc says it wants to wait for the European Medicines Agency to give the green light on all their behalf.\n\nBut if the Europe-wide delivery of a vaccine which promises to end the coronavirus misery for millions is pushed back, there will likely be more voices asking: “Why can’t we have what the Brits have already got?”.", "Cloud computing is a growing industry that allows businesses and individuals to store data that can be accessed from everywhere.\n\nCompanies that provide cloud storage services in Asia say the technology could bring down the cost of doing business for many firms.\n\nPuneet Pal Singh spoke to Ajit Melarkode, from cloud storage firm Rackspace, about the benefit and potential risks of opting for cloud storage.", "Some Covid restrictions are being reintroduced in response to the Omicron variant.\n\nCheck what the rules are in your area by entering your postcode or council name below.\n\nA modern browser with JavaScript and a stable internet connection is required to view this interactive. What are the rules in your area? Enter a full UK postcode or council name to find out\n\nIf you cannot see the look-up, click here.\n\nThe rules highlighted in the search tool are a selection of the key government restrictions in place in your area.\n\nAlways check your relevant national and local authority website for more information on the situation where you live. Also check local guidance before travelling to others parts of the UK.\n\nAll the guidance in our search look-up comes from national government websites.\n\nFor more information on national measures see:\n\nFind out how the pandemic has affected your area and how it compares with the national average by following this link to an in depth guide to the numbers involved.", "The US says it has revoked the visas of more than 1,000 Chinese students and researchers who are deemed to be a security risk.\n\nThe move follows a proclamation by President Donald Trump in May aimed at Chinese nationals suspected of having ties to the military. He said some had stolen data and intellectual property.\n\nChina has accused the US of racial discrimination.\n\nNearly 370,000 students from China enrolled at US universities in 2018-19.\n\nA state department spokeswoman described those whose visas were revoked as \"high-risk graduate students and research scholars\".\n\nShe said they were a \"small subset\" of the total number of Chinese students.\n\n\"We continue to welcome legitimate students and scholars from China who do not further the Chinese Communist Party's goals of military dominance,\" the spokeswoman said.\n\nThe Chinese foreign ministry denounced the move at a daily media briefing in Beijing.\n\n\"This is outright political persecution and racial discrimination. It seriously violates the human rights of these Chinese students,\" spokesman Zhao Lijian said, adding that China reserved the right to \"further respond\".\n\nThe proclamation of 29 May accused China of engaging in a \"wide-ranging and heavily resourced campaign to acquire sensitive United States technologies and intellectual property\" and said it was using some students \"to operate as non-traditional collectors of intellectual property\".\n\nSome Chinese students in the US say they are facing increased hostility and suspicion on university campuses, and their reasons for studying being questioned.\n\nThough hardly unexpected, this move still comes as a bombshell for nearly 370,000 Chinese nationals studying in the US.\n\nMany of them have been anxious about US-China tensions, especially Washington's increased scrutiny of Chinese students in America over technology theft and economic espionage.\n\nUS Assistant Secretary of State David Stilwell told me last month that, against Chinese nationals who concealed military ties and came to the US \"masquerading\" as students, \"we have to defend ourselves\". The US authorities have indicted several Chinese nationals for visa fraud and theft of trade secrets.\n\nBut many Chinese students see Washington's move as unreasonable, fearing that they are being used as a pawn in the escalating US-China competition.\n\nAccording to an online spreadsheet collecting self-reporting information from affected students, Washington's scope of visa revocation appears to go beyond Chinese graduate students in advanced scientific fields, also targeting undergraduate students and those studying economics and finance.\n\nEducation used to be low-hanging fruit for US-China co-operation but now it has turned into a new front in the bilateral conflict.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. \"My partner had to leave 20 minutes after I gave birth\"\n\nNew Covid guidance for hospitals could see more patients receiving face-to-face visits from loved ones.\n\nNHS Wales has given health boards and hospices flexibility to allow visits based on local levels of Covid-19.\n\nUntil now accompanying people to medical appointments and hospital visits have not been allowed, with a few exceptions.\n\nIt also allows for pregnant women in low Covid rate areas to take their partners to maternity appointments.\n\nThe Welsh Government said the new flexibility was \"due to the changing picture of coronavirus transmission across Wales, with significant variations in community transmission across different parts of the country and differences in the rate of nosocomial transmission\".\n\nRoom sizes, the ability to social distance and infection prevention and control will all be considered when considering visits to maternity wards.\n\nChief nursing officer for Wales, Jean White, said for women in very low areas of transmission \"it would almost be like it was before Covid\".\n\nAngharad Phillips from Cardiff was on a maternity ward waiting to give birth to her first child as the first lockdown in Wales was announced in March.\n\n\"I just remember lots of women breaking down and crying quite loudly and wailing,\" she said.\n\nThe mum of eight month old Eli Gwen considers herself lucky to have had partner Gareth present at the birth but said it was both emotionally and physically difficult when he had to leave 20 minutes after she came out of surgery.\n\n\"I had an epidural and so I was immobile and having to pick baby up, shuffle to the edge of the bed, pick her up for feeding and changing when I was struggling already myself,\" she said.\n\nThe 37-year-old, who discharged herself after three days on the ward, said leaving was also surreal.\n\n\"It was very much like a chemical warzone. I remember being escorted down off the ward and my partner waiting outside...we looked at each other through the glass,\" she said.\n\n\"I remember thinking this is really bizarre and emotional, I just wanted to run and hug him.\"\n\nShe said she was hugely relieved to learn there will be more flexibility for other families so they can \"go through that special moment together\".\n\nNew mother Angharad Phillips says she is hugely relieved there will be more flexibility for other families\n\nMs White said the most noticeable changes would be to maternity services.\n\n\"So for a very high risk (area) you may say the woman would only have support during childbirth and the very limited amount of contact with partner in the various stages,\" she said.\n\n\"In a very low area you would almost be like it was before Covid, you would have partner at most appointments and they would be able to stay longer...and allow more visiting and interaction.\"\n\nIn other health areas, Ms White said the biggest change was the introduction of essential support assistants.\n\n\"If you're coming into hospital for appointments or you're going to be an inpatient, you can have somebody with you, whether that's because you have difficulty understanding information if you need an interpreter, or if you actually need some psychological support for you to cope, you're able to nominate that person.\n\n\"It could be a family member.\"\n\nHealth Minister Vaughan Gething said he recognised that the restrictions on visiting has a huge impact on patients, their families and loved ones.\n\n\"It is important to remember that the virus has not gone away and the health, safety and wellbeing of patients, communities and NHS staff remain an absolute priority for both the Welsh Government and health care providers,\" he added.\n\nThe director of the Welsh NHS Confederation Darren Hughes said it was \"only right that we have the flexibility based on local circumstances in terms of visitors to hospitals where it is safe to do so\".\n\nEli Gwen's father had to leave the hospital shortly after she was born\n\nHe added: \"This change gives our members the opportunity to take sensible, evidence-based precautions where necessary and it will also be a boost to patients and families who are desperate to support their loved ones.\"\n\nNadia Higson, from the maternity charity AIMS, said any relaxation was going to be \"very welcome\".\n\n\"We've had a lot of calls and a lot of emails from people feeling extremely stressed about the fact that they are having to attend appointments on their own,\" she said.\n\n\"And the kind of situations [they discuss] are potentially going along and hearing bad news about their baby, potentially hearing that the sonographer can't hear the baby's heartbeat.\"\n\nShe added: \"The more that partners are able to be involved to be supporting the women, and be involved themselves in the pregnancy, that can only be good.\"\n\nAngharad Phillips, with baby Eli Gwen, missed her partner who had to leave 20 minutes after the birth", "The vaccine is made in Belgium and has to be stored at around -70C\n\nThe first consignment of the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine has arrived in the UK.\n\nIt has been taken to a central hub at an undisclosed location, and will now be distributed to hospital vaccination centres around the UK.\n\nThe UK has ordered 40 million doses - enough to vaccinate 20 million people.\n\nEngland's deputy chief medical officer said the first wave of vaccinations could prevent up to 99% of Covid-19 hospital admissions and deaths.\n\nSpeaking to BBC News, Prof Jonathan Van-Tam said that would be possible if everyone on the first priority list took the vaccine and it was highly effective.\n\nHe said it was key to distribute the vaccine \"as fast\" and at the \"highest volume\" as possible, but he acknowledged there would need to be some flexibility in the list.\n\nThe Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines are made in Belgium and have travelled to the UK via the Eurotunnel.\n\nThe order in which people will get the jab is recommended by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) and decided by the government.\n\nElderly people in care homes and care home staff have been placed top of the priority list, followed by over-80s and health and care staff.\n\nHowever, because hospitals already have the facilities to store the vaccine at the necessary -70C, the very first vaccinations are likely to take place there - for care home staff, NHS staff and patients - to lower the risk of wasting doses.\n\nProf Van-Tam told BBC News: \"If we can get through phase one [of the priority list] and it is a highly effective vaccine and there is very, very high up take, then we could in theory take out 99% of hospitalisations and deaths related to Covid 19.\n\n\"That is why the phase one list is what it is, that is the primary ambition.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. How will the new Pfizer vaccine work?\n\nThe UK became the first country in the world to approve the Pfizer vaccine on Wednesday.\n\nDr Anthony Fauci, the top US infectious disease expert, has apologised for remarks that seemed to criticise the UK's vaccine approval process.\n\nHe initially told Fox News: \"The UK did not do it as carefully. If you go quickly and you do it superficially, people are not going to want to get vaccinated.\"\n\nBut the UK defended its process, and said the jab is safe and effective.\n\nAnd speaking later to the BBC, Dr Fauci said: \"There really has been a misunderstanding, and for that I'm sorry, and I apologise for that.\n\n\"I have a great deal of confidence in what the UK does both scientifically and from a regulator standpoint.\n\n\"Our process is one that takes more time than it takes in the UK. And that's just the reality. I did not mean to imply any sloppiness even though it came out that way.\"\n\nThe Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine offers up to 95% protection against Covid-19.\n\nThe UK's 40 million doses will be distributed as quickly as they can be made by Pfizer in Belgium, with the first load rolled out next week and then \"several millions\" throughout December, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said.\n\nBut the bulk of the roll-out across the UK will be next year.\n\nAnd it could take until April for all those deemed most at-risk to receive the new vaccine, according to NHS England chief executive Sir Simon Stevens.\n\nThe arrival of the vaccines comes after the UK became the first country in Europe to surpass 60,000 coronavirus deaths\n\nOfficial figures show a further 414 deaths within 28 days of a positive test were recorded on Thursday, taking the total to 60,113.\n\nTwo other ways of measuring deaths - where Covid is mentioned on the death certificate, and the number of \"excess deaths\" for this time of year - give higher total figures.\n\nOnly the US, Brazil, India and Mexico have recorded more deaths than the UK, according to Johns Hopkins University.\n\nHowever, the UK has had more deaths per 100,000 people than any of those nations.\n\nIn terms of deaths per 100,000 people, the UK is the seventh-highest country globally, behind Belgium, San Marino, Peru, Andorra, Spain and Italy.", "Christine Colburn said embracing her mother, Audrey Cornell, was \"just like the old days\"\n\nA daughter has hugged her elderly mother at a care home for the first time in nine months.\n\nChristine Colburn had a rapid lateral flow Covid test, which produces results in 30 minutes, at the home in Bampton, Devon, so she could embrace her 95-year-old mother, Audrey Cornell.\n\nThe home is one of several across the South West taking part in a pilot scheme for rapid testing.\n\nMs Colburn said it felt \"amazing\" to hug her mother again.\n\n\"It's really exciting,\" she said. \"Just like the old days, just brilliant.\n\n\"It'll be even nicer when we can touch skin [without PPE] but this is pretty good.\"\n\nMs Cornell said it was \"grand\" to be able to hug her daughter again\n\nSince the pandemic started, Ms Colburn has only be able to call her mother on Skype or talk to her through a screen - travelling the one hour and 45 minute journey from her home in Dorchester.\n\nMs Cornell said it was \"grand\" to be able to hug her daughter again.\n\nThe manager of Castle Grove care home, Lucy Bull, said the pilot scheme has gone well but they \"do worry about getting enough tests and the added costs, especially for smaller homes\".\n\n\"I think it will be expensive because we'll have to up-skill our staff,\" she said. \"It's also quite hard to recruit care staff at the moment.\"\n\nThe lateral flow testing that Ms Colburn had involves a swab of the nose and throat to collect a sample, which is then inserted into a tube of liquid for a short time.\n\nDrops of liquid are added to the test strip and after about half an hour a result will be shown.\n\nMass testing with lateral flow tests began in Liverpool on 6 November.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "All non-essential retail has been closed since last Friday\n\nNon-essential retail and some parts of the hospitality sector in Northern Ireland can reopen next Friday, the Stormont executive has agreed.\n\nMinisters met on Thursday to decide what restrictions should remain after a two-week lockdown ends on 11 December.\n\nMany hospitality businesses, including restaurants, cafes and hotels, can resume trading then but must be closed at 23:00 GMT each day.\n\nPubs that do not serve food will have to remain shut.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. No further restrictions before Christmas - Foster\n\nFirst Minister Arlene Foster said the executive would not impose any further restrictions before Christmas.\n\nDeputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill said the decisions had received \"collective agreement\" across the executive and had the endorsement of the chief medical officer and the chief scientific adviser.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nSpeaking on BBC Newsline to confirm the relaxations, Mrs Foster said: \"We're trying to make sure people have a good Christmas and can come together in a safe way.\"\n\nThose already in a support bubble with one household will still be allowed to join with two other households between 23 and 27 December.\n\nMinisters had already approved the UK-wide plan, which will allow three households to mix for five days over Christmas.\n\nMrs Foster also said guidance would be issued for several sectors so that they could operate safely, and said there was a need to provide more financial support to drink-only pubs.\n\nThe localised coronavirus restrictions financial support scheme would \"roll on\" to support those firms that cannot open, she added.\n\nRestaurants in Northern Ireland have been closed since 16 October\n\nMs O'Neill described the relaxations as \"measured\" and would allow people to move around \"a bit more freely\" but she acknowledged it all came with a risk.\n\n\"We're still in the middle of a pandemic and we need people to work with us,\" she told BBC Newsline.\n\nDr Tom Black, the Northern Ireland chair of the British Medical Association, said the easing of the restrictions appeared to be a \"pragmatic decision\".\n\n\"It is a calculated risk because... when you have a holiday period and people meet up the transmission of the virus increases,\" he told BBC News NI's The View programme.\n\n\"We will have in the health service in Northern Ireland a very busy time in the first three weeks in January - that seems inevitable.\n\n\"We will be sitting down to a banquet of consequences with increased admissions to hospital and more people in intensive care.\"\n\nColin Neill, the chief executive of Hospitality Ulster, which represents pubs and restaurants, said the decision to keep drink-only pubs closed was \"simply unfair and unjust\".\n\n\"This is nothing but terrible news for owners and staff in traditional pubs who have once again been unfairly singled out to bear the brunt of the Covid lockdown for the greater good,\" he said.\n\n\"Our traditional pubs have only been open for three weeks since March so they cannot be responsible for the spread of the virus.\"\n\nGlyn Roberts, the chief executive of the trade body Retail NI, said it was \"welcome news\" that the non-essential retail sector could reopen on 11 December.\n\n\"In saying that, these retailers will struggle to make up the losses from the two-week circuit breaker in the last few weeks of Christmas shopping,\" he said.\n\nOn Thursday, the Department of Health announced the deaths of 11 more people in Northern Ireland who had tested positive for coronavirus.\n\nAnother 456 people have tested positive for the virus.\n\nThe latest medical and scientific advice given to ministers indicates that the R-number - the average number of people that one infected person will pass the virus to - is about one.\n\nA vaccine will be available in Northern Ireland from next week, after the UK drugs regulator gave approval in record time.\n\nPrevious decisions about whether to extend some restrictions have led to heated exchanges between the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), which had voiced opposition to harsher measures, and the rest of the executive parties.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Dr Fauci told the BBC: \"I have a great deal of confidence in what the UK does both scientifically and from a regulator standpoint\"\n\nDr Anthony Fauci, the top US infectious disease expert, has apologised for remarks that seemed to criticise the UK's vaccine approval process.\n\n\"I have a great deal of confidence in what the UK does both scientifically and from a regulator standpoint,\" Dr Fauci told the BBC on Thursday.\n\nThe UK on Wednesday became the first country in the world to approve the Pfizer vaccine for the coronavirus.\n\nIt has defended the rapid approval and said the jab is safe and effective.\n\nDr Fauci on Wednesday had told Fox News that the UK did not review the vaccine \"as carefully\" as US health regulators, although he implied that the US would quickly also be in a position to approve a vaccine. \"We'll be there. We'll be there very soon,\" he added.\n\nHe later told CBS News that the UK had \"rushed\" the approval, but on Thursday he walked back the comments, and said there was \"no judgement on the way the UK did it\".\n\n\"Our process is one that takes more time than it takes in the UK. And that's just the reality,\" Dr Fauci told the BBC. \"I did not mean to imply any sloppiness even though it came out that way.\"\n\nThe UK medicines regulator - MHRA - said it had \"rigorously assessed the data in the shortest time possible, without compromising the thoroughness of our review\" - adding that it reviewed preliminary data on the vaccine trials dating back to June and had been running a \"rolling review\" since October which helped speed the process.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. How will the new Pfizer vaccine work?\n\nThe regulator said that Covid vaccines were being developed \"in a coordinated in a way that allows some stages of this process to happen in parallel to condense the time needed\" adding that it did not mean that \"the expected standards of safety, quality and effectiveness\" had been bypassed.\n\n\"Any vaccine must undergo robust clinical trials in line with international standards, with oversight provided by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency,\" it said.\n\n\"No vaccine would be authorised for supply in the UK unless the expected standards of safety, quality and efficacy are met,\" the MHRA added.\n\nOn Thursday, the UK's deputy chief medical officer Prof Jonathan Van-Tam told the BBC he was \"very confident\" in the MHRA.\n\nHe said there was more than \"100 years of medical experience\" between the UK regulator and the committee advising which groups of people are vaccinated first.\n\nDr Fauci's remarks came as the US surpassed 14 million Covid-19 infections in total, with a recorded 276,325 deaths.\n\nA woman waits for a Covid-19 test in California, as cases mount across the US\n\nAmerica's Food and Drug Administration does have a different approach to other regulators around the world - it often asks vaccine makers for their raw data, which it then spends time re-analysing.\n\nThe UK's medicines regulator in London, on the other hand, relies more heavily on the companies' own reports as does the European Medicines Agency, based in Amsterdam.\n\nPolitics may also explain why the FDA hasn't yet given the green light. Back in October, President Trump pressured health officials to approve the first vaccine candidates before election day on 3 November but they pushed back, fearing it might become a political football.\n\nThe FDA said it wanted to see two months' extra safety data from the final phase vaccine trials before pharmaceutical companies could apply for emergency approval.\n\nThat has inevitably left some arguing the US has got bogged down in a much more detailed review than might have been necessary.\n\nThe head of the European Medicines Agency also appeared to raise eyebrows yesterday at the truncated timetable in London.\n\nBut officials in the UK believe the US and EU are likely to approve the vaccine soon.\n\nThe UK has ordered 40 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine - enough to vaccinate 20 million people, and the first consignment of that vaccine has now arrived.\n\nIt has been taken to a central hub at an undisclosed location, and will now be distributed to hospital vaccination centres around the UK.\n\nEngland's deputy chief medical officer said the first wave of vaccinations could prevent up to 99% of Covid-19 hospital admissions and deaths.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Dr June Raine from the MHRA: \"The safety of the public will always come first\"\n\nThe US FDA plans to meet on 10 December to discuss approval for the UK-approved vaccine, and will meet again on 17 December to discuss a second vaccine - Moderna.\n\nDr Fauci had described the US Food and Drug Administration's approval process, slower than the UK, as the \"gold standard\". On Thursday he clarified, saying the US does \"things a little differently\" than the UK.\n\n\"That's all,\" he said. \"Not better, not worse, just differently.\"\n\nAn independent UK expert on the use and effects of drugs in populations - Prof Stephen Evans of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said the approvals processes carried out by the FDA and the MHRA were \"basically very similar\".\n\n\"The only major difference is that the FDA may reproduce all the tables submitted by a company by re-analysing the data,\" he said.\n\n\"It is very clear that the UK assessment of this has followed all the usual processes, but has been working incredibly long hours and seven days a week both with MHRA staff and with their academic advisors for quite a long time on initial and interim data before the final data were submitted.\"\n\nDr Fauci has led the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIH) for more than 30 years - covering five presidential transitions - and has become the most visible member of the White House's coronavirus task force.\n\nThe EU, meanwhile, is eyeing a 29 December meeting of the European Medicines Agency to determine if there is adequate safety data on the vaccine for it to be approved in Europe. This timeline puts the EU weeks behind both the UK and US. After the agency approves the vaccine, it will probably also need a sign-off from the EU Commission.", "The US-China relationship is now at one of it lowest points in years\n\nStranded abroad by the coronavirus pandemic and squeezed by political tensions, Chinese students in the United States are rethinking their attitudes to their host and home countries.\n\nEight years ago, Shizheng Tie, then aged 13, moved alone from China to rural Ohio for one sole purpose: education. She once had a budding American dream, but now she says she is facing hostility in that country.\n\n\"As a Chinese living in the US, I am very scared now,\" she says. Tie, now a senior student at Johns Hopkins University, describes America as \"anti-China\" and \"chaotic\".\n\nSome 360,000 Chinese students are currently enrolled in schools in the US. In the past months, they have experienced two historical events - a global pandemic and unprecedented tensions between the US and China, which have reshaped their views of the two nations.\n\nThe majority of Chinese students in the US are self-funded and hope their western education will lead to a good career.\n\nMeanwhile, Washington has warned that not all students from China are \"normal\", claiming some are Beijing's proxies who conduct economic espionage, orchestrate pro-China views and monitor other Chinese students on American campuses.\n\nThe Trump administration recently cancelled visas for 3,000 students they believe have ties to the Chinese military. One US senator even suggested that Chinese nationals should be banned from studying math and science in America.\n\nAmid the harsh rhetoric, many Chinese students fear that they are being turned into a political target for Washington.\n\nIn July, the US ordered China to close its consulate in Houston, Texas\n\nTie, majoring in environmental science, says she is pessimistic about her academic future in the US, given the growing scrutiny over Chinese students and scholars in science and technology.\n\n\"I used to think I'd pursue my PhD in the US and perhaps settle down here, but now I see myself returning to China after obtaining a master's degree,\" Tie says.\n\nYingyi Ma, associate professor of sociology at Syracuse University, says Chinese students in the US are now \"politicised and marginalised at an unprecedented level\", as Washington is sending \"very unfriendly signals\".\n\nThe strained bilateral relations have swayed public opinion, as a recent survey found that 73% of American adults have an unfavourable view of China - an historic high.\n\nProf Ma published a book called Ambitious and Anxious this January, focusing on Chinese students' experience in America.\n\n\"If I write the book now, I will only keep 'anxious' in the title,\" she says.\n\nAs the coronavirus continues to spread in the US, Tie prefers to return to China, where the outbreak appears to be largely under control.\n\nBut the country has ordered sharp cuts in international flights to prevent imported cases, leaving many Chinese students overseas, stranded thousands of miles away from their families.\n\nOn Chinese social media, some comments portrayed these students as spoiled brats, who had fled from the country's fiercely competitive education system and now may imperil its success in containing the virus.\n\n\"America wants to kick us out, while China doesn't allow us to return,\" Tie says.\n\nThis sentiment is commonly shared among Chinese students in the US.\n\nIris Li, a 20-year-old junior student from China at Emory University in Atlanta, describes the students as \"being kicked like a ball\" between the two countries.\n\n\"We are getting the short end of the stick from both sides,\" Li says.\n\nAfter worrying about the outbreak in their home country from afar, these young Chinese are now witnessing the coronavirus crisis in the US.\n\nThey were perplexed by the cultural differences regarding mask-wearing. They were unsettled by President Trump's use of the phrases \"kung flu\" and \"China virus\". Some have even experienced racial harassment firsthand.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Tracy Win Liu says she bought a gun after being faced with coronavirus-related racism\n\nRacial discrimination during the pandemic has \"burst their bubble,\" Prof Ma says.\n\nA new paper stated that anti-Chinese racism boosts support for Beijing's authoritarian rule among Chinese students in the US.\n\nJennifer Pan, co-author of the paper and assistant professor of Communications at Stanford University, says there is a general belief that Chinese students overseas are indoctrinated to wholeheartedly support the Chinese Communist Party.\n\n\"That's not the case,\" Prof Pan says, \"What does change their political views is racism.\"\n\nThe research found that college freshmen from China who read derogatory comments against Chinese people are more likely to support Beijing, while general criticism against the government's coronavirus handling did not produce the same effects.\n\nProf Pan says the findings suggest that Chinese students in the US, whose survey responses are \"mature, sophisticated and thoughtful for their age\", can rationally process criticism against China.\n\nDespite her frustration over China's travel restrictions, Tie says she has become more patriotic since living aboard.\n\n\"I had believed America to be a wonderland of dreams, equality and tolerance for all. I certainly don't believe it anymore,\" she wrote in her school newspaper in June, criticising America's \"Sinophobia\".\n\nIn February, she penned an online petition, protesting against her university hosting a panel with Hong Kong democracy activists.\n\nBut Tie says she's not a \"little pink\", a somewhat disparaging term for nationalistic Chinese youth active on the internet.\n\n\"I am patriotic in a rational way, not as a result of brainwashing,\" Tie says, adding that she views both Washington and Beijing critically, citing the lack of freedom of speech in China.\n\n\"Both countries let me down many times,\" Tie says, \"but China is my motherland, so I am more willing to endure that frustration.\"\n\nSimilar to Tie, Li plans to return to China after her study, with transformed understandings of her home and host countries.\n\nIn early July, Washington announced a policy barring foreign students from staying in the country, but the decision was rescinded after receiving waves of criticism.\n\n\"It made me feel hopeful about the US,\" Li says, \"This would not happen in China.\"\n\nThe sociology and religious studies student thinks the pandemic has laid bare the advantages and weaknesses of both political systems. While the Chinese government seems to act more effectively, the US allows dissent, and at times, it is able to correct its own mistakes.\n\nAmerican education has made her \"more anti-China,\" Li says with a laugh.\n\nHarvard and MIT sued over the reversed decision to strip international students of visas if all their courses were online\n\nShe recalls feeling \"very uncomfortable\" when she first arrived in America six years ago and saw her fellow students waving Taiwanese flags, which are seen in mainland China as a symbol for Taiwan independence.\n\nBut after getting to know the Taiwanese students, she realised that though their views may have been completely different, they could discuss issues respectfully, which is encouraged in American classrooms.\n\n\"Studying in the US is an important experience in my life,\" one that she says she'd never regret. \"But I am eager to help change China, where my work may be more meaningful.\"", "Streaming a television show in standard definition can shave a little off your carbon emissions, scientists at the UK's Royal Society says.\n\n4K video streaming - also know as Ultra HD - on a phone generates about eight times more in emissions than standard definition (SD), it says.\n\nAnd, on a small screen, the viewer might not even notice the difference.\n\nPlatforms and regulators should limit streaming resolution and default to SD, the authors urged.\n\nThe scientists' report says digital technology’s estimated contribution to global emissions ranges from 1.4% to 5.9% of the global total.\n\nAnother simple way to save energy is for people streaming music to turn off any accompanying video if they’re just listening, not watching, the authors say.\n\nThey estimate such small moves could save up to 5% of the emissions from a streaming service – a reduction comparable to what’s achieved by running YouTube’s servers on renewable energy.\n\nThe report also suggests owning and using devices for longer before trading them in, because the emissions created in making a new device are significant.\n\nSome of the numbers in the report are contested.\n\nBut it says that if you change your mobile phone every two years, the manufacturing represents about half of all the emissions it will generate through its lifetime.\n\nBut if individuals keep their phones for four years instead of two, that contribution is significantly reduced.\n\nFor the same reason, the report says buying a device second-hand - or sharing equipment - also reduce the share of so-called \"embodied emissions\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch: Puneet Pal Singh spoke to Ajit Melarkode, from the cloud storage firm Rackspace, about the benefit and potential risks of the technology.\n\nMoving computing from home or business desktops and on to the cloud can also help, because the cloud allows more efficient patterns of server use - so they don’t consume energy while idle.\n\nTech firms must also play a part, by providing transparent information about the energy consumption of their digital products and services, the report recommends.\n\n“There are many routes to net zero [carbon emissions], but digital technology has a central role to play,” said lead author Prof Andy Hopper from Cambridge University.\n\n“We must stay alert to digital demand outpacing the carbon emission reductions this transition promises.”\n\nAnother co-author of the report, Prof Corinne Le Querre from the University of East Anglia, told BBC News: “To be honest, digital tech is a small fraction of your emissions compared with, say flying even once a year – but every bit of CO2 saving is significant.\n\n\"What’s more, we’re trying to prompt people to harness the power of digital to help tackle climate change.\n\n\"The way we heat our homes, for instance, is a nonsense. We occupy part of house but heat the whole thing. We can cure that by using digital technology.\n\n“We have to make sure that the digital revolution supports the climate revolution – and we’re failing to do that at the moment.”\n\nCorrection 10 December 2020: A previous version of this story said HD video streaming generated eight times the emissions of standard definition streams. This should have read \"Ultra HD video streaming\".", "There have been renewed calls for defunding, after the death of George Floyd in May\n\nFormer President Barack Obama has cautioned young Democrat activists against using snappy slogans such as \"defund the police\" if they want to bring about genuine reforms in the US.\n\nDefund the Police became a widely-used phrase after the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police in May.\n\nMr Obama said \"you lost a big audience the minute you say it\", making it \"a lot less likely\" to effect change.\n\nHis comments received a backlash from some key black progressive Democrats.\n\nMinnesota congresswoman Ilhan Omar tweeted \"it's not a slogan but a policy demand... for equitable investments and budgets for communities across the country\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Ilhan Omar This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nCori Bush, a newly-elected congresswoman in Missouri, tweeted that the slogan was a \"mandate for keeping our people alive\", while Charles Booker, Kentucky's youngest black state lawmaker, tweeted: \"Instead of conceding this narrative, let's shape out own\".\n\nMr Obama made his comments while speaking to the Snapchat political show Good Luck America about the importance of word choice in marketing ideas.\n\n\"If you believe, as I do, that we should be able to reform the criminal justice system so that it's not biased and treats everybody fairly, I guess you can use a snappy slogan, like Defund the Police, but, you know, you lost a big audience the minute you say it,\" he said.\n\n\"If you instead say, 'Hey, you know what Let's reform the police department so that everybody's being treated fairly,' suddenly a whole bunch of folks who might not otherwise listen to you are listening to you.\"\n\nDefund the Police became part of the call for change during mass Black Lives Matter protests following the killing of Mr Floyd, and Breonna Taylor in Kentucky in March, at the hands of the police.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\n\"Defunding\" advocates want to see police departments' budgets slashed and funds diverted to social programmes to avoid unnecessary confrontation and heal the racial divide.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. In June Panorama spoke to local people to piece together the moments leading up to George Floyd's death\n\nPresident-elect Joe Biden has previously said he does not support defunding the police, but wants to invest in community projects and social programmes to lessen the burden on the police.\n\nIn the same interview, Mr Obama said it was important to ensure that progressive members of the Democratic party have their voices heard, saying \"new blood is always good\".\n\nWith reference to New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, he said: \"She speaks to a broad section of young people who are interested in what she has to say, even if they don't agree with everything she says. You give her a platform.\"", "Asda has announced it will repay £340m of business rates relief it has received during the pandemic.\n\nIt follows similar moves by Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons and Aldi and means the grocers will collectively return more than £1.7bn.\n\nSupermarkets, whose sales have boomed in the crisis, have been criticised for taking government help while paying dividends to shareholders.\n\nAsda said its costs of dealing with Covid had outweighed any state support.\n\nBut its president and chief executive, Roger Burnley, said: \"As the hope of a vaccine and a more 'normal' life returning in 2021 grows, we have confidence that we are in a strong position to again do the right thing for the communities we serve.\"\n\nEarlier on Thursday, Sainsbury's said it would hand back £440m of rates relief it had received, followed by Aldi which pledged to repay £100m.\n\nIt was followed by discount retailer B&M, which said it would forgo £80m of rates relief.\n\nOn Wednesday, Tesco and Morrisons promised to repay £850m between them.\n\nBoth Sainsbury's and Aldi said the decision reflected the fact they had been allowed to stay open in lockdown while non-essential shops had to close.\n\nLabour said big supermarkets had \"done the decent thing\" but urged the government to pass on the £1.7bn handed back already to hard-hit businesses such as pubs and restaurants operating under the new tier system.\n\nThe Treasury said any funds returned would \"support the ongoing efforts to protect people's jobs and incomes\".\n\nAsda has recently been bought by the UK-based billionaire Issa brothers and private equity firm TDR Capital from Walmart of the US in a deal valuing the supermarket chain at £6.8bn.\n\nMr Burnley said: \"Almost half our customers are telling us they expect their financial position to worsen in the next 12 months and we recognise that there are other industries and businesses for whom the effects of Covid-19 will be much more long lasting and whose survival is essential to thousands of jobs.\"\n\nHe said Asda would discuss with the government and devolved authorities the best way to return the money \"to ensure the relief we have received can go towards helping those that need it most\".\n\nSainsbury's said that its sales had been \"stronger than originally expected\", despite it facing \"significant costs\" in the crisis.\n\n\"With regional restrictions likely to remain in place for some time, we believe it is now fair and right to forgo the business rates relief that we have been given on all Sainsbury's stores,\" boss Simon Roberts said.\n\n\"We are very mindful that non-essential retailers and many other businesses have been forced to close again in the second lockdown and we hope that this goes some way towards helping them.\"\n\nGiles Hurley, boss of Aldi UK, said returning the full value of its business rates was \"the right decision to help support the nation\".\n\nIn March, all retail, hospitality and leisure businesses in England were given a business rates holiday for 12 months to help them get through the crisis.\n\nBut MPs have criticised supermarkets for taking around £1.9bn in help while paying dividends to shareholders, calling it an \"absolute scandal\".\n\nThe UK's supermarkets have seen a sales boom during the pandemic, albeit with higher costs.\n\nThe big four grocers - Tesco, Sainsbury's, Asda and Morrisons - are also receiving an estimated £1 in every £6 of all the business rates relief offered by the government.\n\nThey have come under political fire amid concerns that this help from the taxpayer could've been given to other parts of the retail or hospitality sectors that are still in survival mode - especially since some of the supermarket groups have also been paying dividends to shareholders.\n\nTesco went first and that piled the pressure on its main rivals to immediately follow suit.\n\nIt says it is simply doing the right thing but some suspect Tesco's move will also help smooth the way for a bumper £5bn special dividend pay-out following the sale of its Asian business.\n\nAnd for all of them, there may have been fears about being hit by a possible government windfall tax in the future.\n\nEarlier this month, Mr Roberts defended Sainsbury's decision to pay out £230m to investors at a time when the chain is also cutting 3,500 jobs and vowing to close 420 Argos stores as part of a restructuring plan.\n\nThe company pointed out it had taken no money from the government's furlough wage support scheme.\n\nHowever, it will hang on to a further £40m of business rates relief for its Argos stores, which as non-essential shops had to close in the lockdowns.\n\nTesco announced on Wednesday it would repay rates relief\n\nOn Wednesday, Tesco said it would repay £585m after it had been criticised over investor payouts.\n\nMorrisons also announced it had \"brought forward\" a decision on rates relief and would pay back £274m.\n\nKathleen Brooks, of financial analysts Minerva, told the BBC that supermarkets had faced \"a lot of political and media pressure to follow suit\".\n\nSome would also see it as a way to avoid having to \"answer to government\", as banks had to after being bailed out in the 2008 financial crisis.\n\nHowever, other grocers have said they will not repay the rates relief.\n\nMarks and Spencer, which reported a half year loss and has cancelled its dividend for 2020, said the government support had been \"much-needed\" during \"incredibly challenging circumstances\".\n\nWhile the retailer sells food, most of its clothing and homeware store space has had to close during the lockdowns.\n\nOn Wednesday, the Co-op said the amount it had spent on protecting staff and customers outweighed the savings from rates relief. But the retailer added it would consider its position on government support again at the end of the year.\n\nWaitrose-owner the John Lewis Partnership said the relief would help offset the \"significant\" sales lost while its John Lewis shops were closed, as well as money spent on staying secure from Covid.\n\n\"The outlook remains incredibly uncertain and government support remains crucial to help us navigate the crisis,\" it said.", "The UK has said it would be \"very unusual\" for the EU to seek to block post-Brexit food imports amid a growing dispute over the issue.\n\nThe EU has cast doubt on whether it would grant Britain a \"third-country listing\" for exports of products of animal origin, citing \"uncertainties\" over its biosecurity controls.\n\nSuch exports are worth £5bn to the UK.\n\nA government spokesman said the right to export was the foundation of any kind of agricultural relationship.\n\nUK firms exporting goods to mainland Europe will face extra checks when the country leaves the single market and customs union on 1 January at the end of the post-Brexit transition period.\n\nTalks over a free trade agreement, which it is hoped will eliminate nearly all tariffs and minimise other barriers to trade, are continuing.\n\nBut the two sides remain far apart over several key issues and the process risks being derailed by an acrimonious row over UK plans to pass legislation giving it the right to over-ride aspects of the withdrawal agreement.\n\nThe European Commission is due to decide in the coming months on whether to allow British exports of live animals, products of animal origin, such as meat, fish, eggs and dairy products, and animal by-products to continue.\n\nThe granting of a \"third country\" licence to the whole of the UK had been seen as something of a formality, given the EU's similar arrangements with other nations.\n\nThe two sides have already agreed that Northern Ireland will remain in the EU's sanitary and phyto-sanitary \"zone\".\n\nBut speaking after the latest round of talks concluded on Thursday, the EU's chief negotiator said \"more clarity\" was needed about Britain's own hygiene and disease control procedures before an \"assessment\" could take place.\n\nMichel Barnier said \"many uncertainties\" remained about how they would operate after 31 December.\n\nA Downing Street spokesman said: \"It would be very unusual for the EU to go down this route and deny the UK listing.\n\n\"The right to export is the absolute basis for a relationship between two countries that trade agricultural goods. It is a licence to export and entirely separate from the issue of food standards.\"\n\nThe EU accounted for about 60% of all UK food and drink exports in 2019, although this figure has fallen from more than 70% five years ago.", "Students in England will be urged to take two Covid tests three days apart, to cut the risk of spreading infection when they travel home for Christmas.\n\nThese are lateral flow tests with rapid results - with those testing negative expected to leave university within the following 24 hours, according to the latest guidelines seen by the BBC.\n\nThe pre-Christmas testing will start in many universities early next week.\n\nBut testing will remain voluntary - and not all universities will offer tests.\n\nThe National Union of Students said there should be capacity for all students who wanted a test to get one before Christmas.\n\nMore than a million students in England will leave their university addresses to spend the Christmas holidays in another part of the country - and plans for testing are intended to stop this migration from spreading coronavirus.\n\nIt is understood that most universities, but not all, are taking part in the government's plans for the mass testing of students using lateral flow tests, starting on 30 November.\n\nStudents will be encouraged to take two tests\n\nDurham University, which has piloted testing, says about 2,000 students have already booked tests ahead of the Christmas departures.\n\nThe government guidelines recommend a double test to increase accuracy, three days apart, in the form of swab tests administered by the students themselves, at centres being set up by universities.\n\nThe results will be sent by text or email - with students who are not infected expected to leave their term-time accommodation \"immediately\", which is defined as within 24 hours of the second negative test.\n\nGetting students to leave soon after they get results is intended to cut the risk of infections post-testing.\n\n\"The closer to your travel time the better,\" says Professor Jacqui Ramagge, who is leading on testing for Durham University. And at her university, the two tests will be seven days apart rather than three.\n\nMinisters are urging students to take Covid tests before travelling, as a way of protecting their families, but it is not compulsory and not all universities will offer the testing.\n\nThose who do not take tests, or only have one test, will still be able to leave at the same time - with an encouragement to \"travel home as safely as possible\" during the \"travel window\" of 3 to 9 December, which the government has identified as when it expects most students to leave university for Christmas.\n\nThis will be after the current lockdown ends on 2 December, and ahead of universities switching to online teaching for the end of term.\n\nStudents who test positive will be directed towards taking another type of test - a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test to confirm whether they are infected - and will have to stay and self-isolate while waiting for the result.\n\nBut those who test positive from this PCR test will be required to stay in their term-time accommodation for 10 days of self-isolation - which should still leave enough time to get back before Christmas.\n\nThe \"window\" for students to travel home begins from 3 December\n\nTeesside University is among those opening testing centres from 30 November - and is encouraging students to book for two lateral flow tests at its Middlesbrough campus.\n\nPro Vice-Chancellor Professor Mark Simpson said it would provide a \"quick and easy testing option to our students and enable them to make an informed decision about returning home for the upcoming Christmas break\".\n\nHe said it would help to address the \"considerable anxiety and a need for reassurance\" about the safety of travel ahead of the end of term.\n\nUniversities Minister Michelle Donelan said: \"Testing will offer further assurances that students can keep their families safe this winter, and I urge all students who can to take the tests on offer.\"", "The EU's chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, was said to be in good spirits when he updated EU ambassadors on Wednesday\n\nThese are unsettling days for those of us watching, waiting and occasionally nail-nibbling, constantly calling sources, perpetually checking social media, for hints that an EU-UK trade security deal is nigh - or off the table completely this year.\n\nNews could come at any moment.\n\nThe EU - infamously talented at the old goalpost-moving - has admitted that not only does the European Parliament not need to ratify an agreement for it to be provisionally applied as of 1 January, but that EU leaders don't even need to sign off on the treaty in person. An approved member of their government could do that instead, from the comfort of their own home.\n\nCould a deal come between Christmas and New Year, then, is the horrified question in EU capitals.\n\nBoris Johnson doesn't seem in a hurry to make up his mind, is the broad sentiment in Brussels. EU leaders don't view the prime minister as a details man.\n\nEU officials do not see Boris Johnson as in a rush to make big compromises\n\nThey don't think he's waiting to hear about the finer points of mackerel, herring or cod quotas before deciding what is politically more expedient for him. Declare a firm resolve and no deal and face the music from the opposition and many UK businesses? Or compromise to get a deal and be accused by ardent Brexit supporters of \"betraying the Leave vote\"?\n\nAs always, the EU is only too happy to point out that there's no win-win here. The prime minister can't have his Brexit cake and eat it.\n\nFor now, though, we're told there's little movement in talks, even though Belgium's prime minister noted the two sides \"are in the last minutes of a football match\".\n\nMichel Barnier the EU's chief negotiator, was reportedly in good spirits when he reported on the negotiations to representatives of the 27 EU countries on Wednesday morning. But he emphasised that the key outstanding issues remained very much the same:\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. BBC Reality Check explains why the level playing field matters in Brexit talks\n\n\"This is the painful part,\" one EU diplomat told me, meaning that it's now time for difficult concessions. But frankly this has been the case for weeks. And as far as I and other observers can make out, both the EU and UK are still busy looking into the whites of each other's eyes, rather than holding their nose and jumping.\n\nEU diplomats insisted on Wednesday that the EU had gone pretty much as far as it could.\n\n\"Michel Barnier didn't ask us today for more flexibility in his negotiating mandate,\" one source told me. \"If he had, our answer would have been clear.\"\n\nNo EU possibility to compromise at all any more, I asked. \"Only millimetres,\" came the reply.\n\nOf course, the EU would say that. It wants the UK to make the big concessions. For a while now, EU countries - particularly those geographically closest to the UK, like France, Belgium and the Netherlands, have been nervous that Mr Barnier might concede \"too much\" in these negotiations.\n\nThere's little appetite in the EU of wanting to do \"whatever it takes\" to get a deal. At five minutes to midnight, or otherwise.\n\nAngela Merkel noted that some EU countries were becoming impatient. France's Emmanuel Macron insisted on Tuesday that France would not sign up to anything that wasn't in its long-term interest.\n\nBut, of course, the UK government says the same.\n\nWhy leave the EU if only to tie yourself a few months later to Brussels' regulatory apron strings? Why break free from EU rules, with the dream of becoming a nimbler, more competitive sovereign economy, if you're then constrained by an EU trade deal in how much the government can invest in UK industries?\n\nAnd there, it seems, we are still stuck - provoking anxiety in businesses both sides of the Channel.\n\nThe Dutch government is using a Brexit muppet to highlight the changes to cross-border trade from 1 January\n\nThe government and the European Commission insist companies were given plenty of warning. Whether a deal is agreed or not by the year's end, with the UK leaving the single market and customs union, big changes lie ahead.\n\nYet the details of the deal are important for business.\n\nAnd a no-deal situation would probably further complicate and/or delay a decision on other impactful issues, separate from these negotiations. Like UK financial services' access to the Single Market after Brexit, or the flow of data between the EU and UK.\n\nAs for people's holiday plans, there's pet travel permissions and EU and UK access to each other's healthcare systems still to sort out.\n\nEU countries are trying to pile pressure on a reluctant European Commission to be more open about contingency measures in case there's no deal - for example on transport, air traffic control and aviation safety. But Brussels doesn't want to give the UK the impression that it can benefit from a series of \"mini deals\" without signing up to a mutually agreed treaty.\n\nAfter months of these circular negotiations on the same sticking points, EU attention is now re-focusing on Brexit - with a sense of weary resignation and tension.\n\n\"It's still feasible that we'll get a deal this month,\" one contact told me. \"Or it could be next month. Or next year.\"\n\nIf that's the case, both sides admit, the road will be bumpy and costly from 1 January, at least in the short to medium term.", "Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, France's president from 1974 to 1981, has died at the age of 94.\n\nHe died of complications from coronavirus, surrounded by his family at his estate in central France.\n\nA centre-right, pro-Europe politician, Giscard d'Estaing also liberalised laws on divorce, abortion and contraception during his seven years in power.\n\nPresident Emmanuel Macron said his presidency had transformed France and his direction still guided its way.\n\n\"A servant of the state, a politician of progress and freedom, his death has plunged the French nation into mourning,\" he said in a statement.\n\nThe late president's family said his funeral would take place amid \"strict intimacy\".\n\nIn later life, Giscard d'Estaing liked to portray himself as the grand old man of French politics.\n\nAs one of France's youngest presidents - he was 48 when he came to power, he had a longer career in politics after he left high office than he had enjoyed on his way to the Élysée Palace.\n\nHe was seen by many as arrogant and aloof; his presidential popularity was short-lived and he was eventually squeezed out of office by a strengthening of opposition from both the left and the right.\n\nHe was also caught up in a scandal surrounding his support for a corrupt African dictator.\n\nValéry Marie René Georges Giscard d'Estaing was born on 2 February 1926 in Koblenz, in what was then French-occupied Germany.\n\nHis father was a civil servant who worked for the French occupying forces, while his mother was descended from King Louis XV of France via one of his mistresses.\n\nGiscard d'Estaing's education was disrupted by World War Two. He was just a teenager when he joined a French resistance group in occupied Paris before enlisting in a tank battalion in 1944, earning the Croix de Guerre in the last months of the war.\n\nHe worked for a while as a teacher in Montreal before graduating from the Ecole Nationale d'Administration and joining the tax and revenue service.\n\nIn 1955 he spent some time on the staff of prime minister Edgar Faure before winning the seat of Puy-de Dome in the National Assembly, the area from which his mother's family came.\n\nPolitical allies in 1969, Giscard d'Estaing (l) and Jacques Chirac would later become rivals for the presidency\n\nHe became secretary of state for finances in 1959, a post he held for almost four years until his party broke with the ruling Gaullists with whom they were in a coalition. However, Giscard d'Estaing refused to leave the government and founded the Independent Republicans, which allied itself to the majority Gaullists.\n\nHe was sacked from the cabinet in 1966 but, as chairman of the National Assembly committee that scrutinised the country's finances, he remained a powerful voice, latterly increasingly critical of the De Gaulle government.\n\nThrown out of his chairmanship by the Gaullists in 1968, he gained his revenge by supporting Georges Pompidou in the 1969 presidential elections, whereupon he was reappointed to the finance ministry.\n\nWhen Pompidou died suddenly in 1974, Giscard d'Estaing announced he would run for the Élysée Palace, presenting himself as a modern and moderate alternative to the austere conservatism of Gaullism.\n\nHe successfully gained the support of the centre while, at the same time, taking advantage of divisions among the Gaullists, some of whom - notably Jacques Chirac - announced their support for Giscard d'Estaing as the only hope of defeating the left.\n\nGiscard d'Estaing narrowly defeated the socialist François Mitterrand in the second round of voting with just 50.7% of the poll, becoming the third youngest president in French history.\n\nAfter years of Gaullist stagnation, he made his intentions plain: \"You want a deep political, a deep economic and a deep social change. You will not be disappointed,\" he said.\n\nAt home, he made several reforms early on in his term in office. The voting age was lowered from 21 to 18, while divorce and abortion laws were relaxed, in spite of fierce opposition from the Catholic Church.\n\nThe newly elected French president was committed to European unity\n\nHe also saw through laws on equal pay and opportunities for women, reduced the retirement age to 60 and allowed Paris to elect its own mayor.\n\nAlthough he voiced his opposition to the death penalty, he refused to commute three of the death sentences passed during his term, and the last use of the guillotine in France took place in 1977.\n\nA fan of technology, Giscard d'Estaing was a strong advocate of the French high-speed train network, the TGV, construction of which began in earnest in 1976.\n\nHe was also an enthusiastic supporter of the drive to increase France's dependence on nuclear power, following the oil crisis of 1973.\n\nGiscard d'Estaing was committed to the European ideal and developed a close relationship with Germany's Chancellor Helmut Schmidt. Together they turned their dream of a more integrated Europe into reality.\n\nHis main contribution was the formation of the European Council in 1974 - bringing together the heads of states of all member countries - which, in 1979, pushed forward a European monetary system.\n\nHowever, his domestic reforms worried his more conservative political allies, with Jacques Chirac resigning as prime minister in 1976. His successor, Raymond Barre, introduced a programme of austerity and unemployment began to rise.\n\nThe right won a majority in the 1978 coalition elections and Giscard d'Estaing responded by founding the Union for French Democracy (UDF).\n\nGiscard d'Estaing was heavily criticised for his support of Jean-Bedel Bokassa.\n\nGiscard d'Estaing's popularity began to wane. His standing was not enhanced after he was accused of accepting a gift of diamonds from the self-styled Emperor of the Central African Republic, Jean-Bedel Bokassa.\n\nBokassa's brutal dictatorial regime had received a great deal of support from the French government, with Giscard D'Estaing declaring in 1975 that he was a \"friend and family member\" of Bokassa.\n\nFrance played a major part in Bokassa's lavish coronation ceremony in 1977, which cost more than the annual gross domestic product of the impoverished country.\n\nIn 1979, the French satirical magazine, Le Canard enchaîné, alleged that Giscard d'Estaing had received the diamonds in 1973, when he was finance minister.\n\nHis initial explanation that he had sold them and given the proceeds to a number of charities was undermined when one of the alleged recipients, the Red Cross, denied having received any funds.\n\nGiscard d'Estaing lost the 1981 presidential election to Francois Mitterrand. He defeated Jacques Chirac in the first round of voting, but Chirac's failure to call on his supporters to support Giscard d'Estaing in the second round widened the gulf between the former allies.\n\nSubsequently, he based himself in his political heartland - the Auvergne region of central France - delivering regular pronouncements to newspapers and on television about the state of the nation.\n\nHis national standing sank so low that he became known as Monsieur Ex in Parisian political circles.\n\nHe lost the 1981 presidential election to his socialist rival Francois Mitterrand\n\nHis hopes of becoming prime minister under Mitterrand in 1986 were dashed and he refused to support either right-wing candidate in the 1988 presidential elections.\n\nBetween 1989 and 1993, he served as a member of the European Parliament and seemed destined to end his days in political obscurity.\n\nBut, in 2002, he returned to the limelight when he was chosen to head up the convention tasked with drawing up a constitution for the European Union\n\nHis selection for the job was the result of intensive lobbying by French President Jacques Chirac, who is said to have insisted on it at the EU's summit in the Belgian town of Laeken in December 2001.\n\nMany criticised the choice of a man in his late 70s for a job designed to bring the EU closer to the people, and especially the young.\n\nThere was also criticism over Giscard d'Estaing's reported demands for a salary in excess of €20,000 per month, plus expenses. He is said to have asked for a luxury suite of rooms in a Brussels hotel for a year and for a handpicked private staff.\n\nHowever, he denied that he was being greedy. \"It is simply that things should be comfortable,\" he told Le Monde newspaper.\n\nIn 2004, European heads of state signed a European Constitution that was based primarily on the work carried out by Giscard d'Estaing's convention.\n\nHis somewhat aloof nature did not endear him to ordinary people\n\nA year later, and to Giscard d'Estaing's profound embarrassment, the constitution was roundly rejected by the French people. He later complained that \"the rejection of the Constitutional treaty by voters in France was a mistake that should be corrected\".\n\nIn 2005, he and his brother purchased the castle of Estaing in the French district of Aveyron, which had previously been owned by Admiral d'Estaing. Giscard d'Estaing's family had no direct connection with the deceased naval officer and there was much criticism that he was attempting to buy his way into the nobility.\n\nIn 2009, he published a novel about a relationship between a fictional French president and the fictional Princess of Cardiff. It led to speculation that it was based on a relationship between Giscard d'Estaing and Diana, Princess of Wales, although he eventually poured cold water on those suggestions.\n\nEarlier this year, he was accused of groping a German reporter during a 2018 interview - charges he denied.\n\nValery Giscard d'Estaing was something of an enigma. Intellectually gifted, he lacked the common touch and never became popular with the French people.\n\nHis single-minded approach to greater European integration was not to everyone's taste and his aloof nature meant he often fell out with his allies.\n\nBitterly disappointed that Britain decided to leave the European Union in 2016, he described it as a \"backward step\". But the enthusiastic architect of European unity was, by now, in his nineties. He felt, he said, inclined to take the long view.\n\n\"We functioned without Britain during the first years of the European Union,\" he said, with a Gallic shrug. \"So we will rediscover a situation that we have already known.\"", "Four people have died following a large explosion at a waste water treatment works near Bristol.\n\nFirefighters were called to Wessex Water's premises in Avonmouth, Bristol, at about 11:20 GMT.\n\nThree of the people who died worked for the firm and the other was a contractor.\n\nCh Insp Mark Runacres of Avon and Somerset Police told reporters an investigation was under way into the \"tragic incident.\"", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nUnpaid carers should have the Covid-19 vaccine at the same time as health and social care workers, a charity said.\n\nCarers Wales warned 680,000 carers in Wales would be \"really disappointed\" not to be among those prioritised for the approved Pfizer/BioNTech jab.\n\nIt wants Wales to follow Scotland in prioritising unpaid carers for the jab.\n\nThe Welsh Government said the Joint Committee on Vaccine and Immunisation (JCVI) would \"probably\" announce an acceleration of vaccines for carers.\n\nThe UK became the first country in the world to approve the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine for widespread use on Wednesday.\n\nThe jab offers up to 95% protection against Covid-19 illness and the Welsh Government hopes the first vaccines will be given within seven to 14 days.\n\nPriority groups include health and social care workers and over-80s while everyone aged over 50 will be offered the vaccine in the coming months.\n\nBeth Evans, policy manager for Carers Wales, said unpaid carers felt undervalued and under-recognised, despite having \"sacrificed so much\" to keep loved ones safe.\n\nShe said the charity's research showed unpaid carers saved the NHS and statutory services £33m every day in Wales.\n\n\"Within all Welsh Government policies and everything else, [it says] carers should be treated on an equal basis and actually respected,\" Ms Evans added.\n\n\"As an organisation, we're really disappointed that carers are not at the top of the first tranche of the Covid vaccines coming out.\"\n\nShe said receiving the vaccine would enable carers to take a break from their roles without the fear of transmitting the disease.\n\nWill unpaid carers such as Matthew Williams be among the first for the vaccine?\n\nMatthew and Lisa Williams are full-time carers in Swansea for their nine-year-old son Macsen who has a rare genetic disorder and suffers multiple daily seizures.\n\nMr Williams, 39, has a heart condition which he thinks might mean he meets the criteria for vaccination as a clinically vulnerable person.\n\nBut he fears his wife might not get it until the vaccine is rolled out to the wider population.\n\n\"We feel we're a group that's missing completely from the whole schedule of who will have this and when,\" he said.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. How will the vaccine work and who gets it first?\n\n\"They're not giving the vaccine to children - understandably. But to keep Macsen safe, everyone around him needs to be vaccinated - us, carers, everyone in school - and that would enable him to go back to school and some kind of normal life.\n\n\"But we don't know if there are any plans for vaccinating home carers like us at the moment.\n\n\"We fear it'll be a case of 'computer says no, you don't fit the criteria'.\"\n\nMacsen attends Ysgol Crug Glas special school in Swansea, but has not been since February due to his vulnerability.\n\n\"Macs loves school but he's missed so much of it,\" said Mr Williams.\n\n\"Anything about carers always seems to relate to adult carers - they don't consider carers of children and how it impacts on us.\n\n\"What are their plans for parents of vulnerable children who won't themselves be vaccinated?\n\n\"We're not saying we should be the first priority - it's right that they look at older people and care homes first - but we don't think we should be last.\"\n\nDr Gill Richardson, chairwoman of the Welsh Government's Covid-19 vaccine programme board, said unpaid carers were extremely important not just to the people they care for, but society in general.\n\n\"This is something the JCVI is acutely aware of and probably they'll be making announcements about carers and about them being accelerated so they wouldn't have to wait for their particular age group to be called.\n\n\"So expect further announcements on that and others.\"", "The number of people in hospital with coronavirus has more than doubled since early November\n\nRecord-high Covid infections and hospitalisations have been reported in the US, with fears they will not slow in the run-up to Christmas.\n\nThe number of people in hospital passed 100,000 for the first time, a figure that has doubled since early November.\n\nNew cases rose by a record 195,695 on Wednesday, and the daily death toll of 2,733 was close to a new high.\n\nThe city of Los Angeles has reacted to an unprecedented surge there by ordering residents to stay at home.\n\nNationwide, infections have now surpassed 14 million, with more than 274,000 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.\n\nFigures have continued to soar in recent weeks, with around a million new infections reported every week in November. - equivalent to 99 every minute.\n\nIn response to surging numbers, US authorities have warned that the country's healthcare system faces an unprecedented strain this winter.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\n\"The reality is that December, January and February are going to be the most difficult time in the public health history of this nation,\" said Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).\n\nCalifornia, Texas and Florida - the three most populous US states - are among the worst-affected areas of the country, and have each registered more than one million cases.\n\nCalifornia Governor Gavin Newsom on Thursday issued a stay-at-home order for much of his state, saying he was pulling an \"emergency brake\" as the virus surge threatens to overwhelm hospitals. Regions with less than 15% intensive care capacity - including Southern California and the Sacramento area - will be on lockdown for at least three weeks.\n\nIn the city of Los Angeles, Mayor Eric Garcetti issued an emergency order for residents to stay home with immediate affect, following an unprecedented surge of infections. \"It's time to cancel everything. If it isn't essential, don't do it,\" Mr Garcetti said.\n\nA similar order is already in place in Los Angeles county - the current epicentre of America's outbreak - where some hospitals are already approaching full capacity. Authorities reported 5,987 cases on Tuesday, bringing the county's total to 414,185.\n\nUS officials have said they expect infection numbers to continue rising over the next few days because many people travelled over the Thanksgiving holiday, ignoring government advice.\"Travel volume was high over Thanksgiving,\" said Cindy Friedman, chief of the travellers' health branch at the CDC.\n\n\"Even if only a small percentage of those people were carrying the disease and passed it on to other people, that can translate into hundreds of thousands of additional infections.\"\n\nThe CDC has urged people to refrain from travel over Christmas.\n\nBut the public health body has also relaxed its guidelines for how long people should quarantine after coming into contact with an infected person - shortening it from 14 days to between seven and 10.\n\nAlthough the number of deaths is still rising, one set of brighter figures is that of deaths in relation to infections.\n\nThe CDC says the share of cases resulting in death fell from 6.7% in April to 1.9% in September, reflecting that health workers are now more successful in treating the disease.\n\nUS regulators will discuss approvals for two coronavirus vaccines this month\n\nUS regulators are expected to meet on 10 December to discuss emergency approval for a vaccine developed by Moderna. They will meet again on 17 December to address another one made by Pfizer, which was approved this week in the UK.\n\nFederal officials at the CDC have agreed that the nation's 21 million healthcare workers should be prioritised, as well the three million elderly Americans living in long-term care homes. But there is less consensus on how states should distribute it to other groups.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Five challenges of distributing a Covid-19 vaccine around the world.\n\nThere are also concerns regarding how many Americans are willing to get vaccinated. A recent Gallup poll found that 58% said they would be willing, although this is up from a low of 50% in September.\n\nMeanwhile, on Wednesday top Democratic lawmakers signalled support for a $908bn (£677bn) coronavirus relief framework - a major concession following months of deadlock with Republicans over policy disagreements.\n\nExact details of the framework have yet to be publicly disclosed, but it broadly includes funding for state and local governments, unemployment benefits, small businesses and other areas of the economy impacted by the outbreak.\n• None 'Stay home,' says US mayor at Mexico beach resort", "The airline carried 40 millions passengers in the last financial year 2019-20\n\nBudget airline Wizz Air UK is to create 40 jobs with a permanent base at Cardiff Airport.\n\nThe airline will service nine routes from the airport across Europe and seasonal flights to Egypt.\n\nIt comes as a major boost for the airport following the loss of Flybe, which collapsed in March.\n\nTransport Minister Ken Skates said: \"This is a positive step for the airport to emerge from the impact of Covid-19.\"\n\nCardiff Airport will become the airline's fourth base in the UK, following Luton, Gatwick and Doncaster Sheffield.\n\nThe move will also indirectly create 250 further jobs in the supply chain, the airline said.\n\nIt is to launch nine new routes to resorts such as Alicante, Faro and Tenerife as well as seasonal routes during the summer to Corfu and Palma de Mallorca as well as Lanzarote and Sharm El Sheikh during the winter.\n\nManaging Director Owain Jones said: \"This reflects Wizz Air's continued commitment to serving the UK market and generating economic growth, as we create local jobs, stimulate the tourism and hospitality industries and deliver on our promise of providing affordable, direct flights to exciting holiday destinations.\"\n\nThe budget airline said it will increase the annual capacity of Cardiff Airport by over 350,000 seats\n\nThe crisis in the global aviation industry caused by the coronavirus pandemic has seen job losses across Wales.\n\nSpencer Birns, Cardiff Airport's interim chief executive, said the new arrival was \"fantastic news for Wales\".\n\nHe added: \"We know many people living in Wales are craving a well-deserved holiday after such a challenging year and these new flights will give so many more opportunities for holidays to be planned now that will give us all something to look forward to for next year.\"\n\nRussell George MS, Welsh Conservative transport spokesman, welcomed the news as a \"shot in the arm\" for the sector.\n\n\"State-owned Cardiff Airport is by no means out of the woods yet, but this might be a step on a long road to recovery,\" he said.\n\nIt's been a turbulent year for Cardiff Airport, losing Flybe in March just as the Covid pandemic struck, making to difficult to find a replacement carrier.\n\nIts terminal was closed due to travel restrictions, which cost the Welsh government owned airport £2 million a month.\n\nBosses and ministers will hope this new carrier, delivering new routes and 40 new jobs is a sign of better days ahead.\n\nPassenger numbers have been largely decimated by the pandemic but Wizz Air UK means a boost of 350,000 seats for travellers a year.", "EU negotiator Michel Barnier has been in London since face-to-face talks resumed\n\nThe prospect of a breakthrough in post-Brexit trade negotiations between the UK and EU is \"receding\", according to a senior UK government source.\n\nThey told BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg that the EU team were \"bringing new elements into the negotiation\" at the \"eleventh hour\".\n\nBut the source said a breakthrough was \"still possible in the next few days\".\n\nTalks were continuing into the night in London. Current trading rules expire on 31 December.\n\nBoth sides are urgently seeking compromises in key areas, including fishing rights and competition rules.\n\nAn EU source told the BBC's political editor that talks were \"extremely sluggish\" around the so-called level playing field for competition rules and standards.\n\nBut another source from Brussels said there were \"never any surprises or new demands from the EU side\".\n\nLaura Kuenssberg said both sides were suggesting to her that the real sticking point was over how those rules would be policed.\n\nThe UK and EU have been locked in talks since March to determine their future relations once the UK's Brexit transition period ends in less than four weeks' time.\n\nThe BBC's political editor said: \"The stumbling blocks certainly aren't new, but the sense on the UK side is that talks have gone backwards 24 hours\".\n\nShe added that there were \"still real problems to solve\".\n\nEarlier, Ireland's foreign affairs minister Simon Coveney told Irish broadcaster RTE that talks were \"at the very end\".\n\nSpeaking ahead of Brexit meetings in Paris with his French counterpart on Thursday, he said efforts were under way to close negotiations \"in the next few days\".\n\nBoris Johnson has said the UK remains \"absolutely committed\" to \"getting a deal if we can\".\n\nSpeaking on Wednesday, the prime minister said the EU side \"know what the UK bottom line is,\" as talks continued in what is seen as a crucial week.\n\nFace-to-face talks between negotiators have been ongoing since the weekend after a week-long pause.\n\nThe EU's chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, is expected to return to Brussels on Friday to brief the bloc on the state of play, but Laura Kuenssberg said he may come straight back to join the four new negotiators who arrived on Thursday night.\n\nTo do business with each other from January, the UK and the EU agree there will have to be some shared rules.\n\nIt's called the level playing field, if you want to use the jargon, and you can read about it in all the detail you want here.\n\nBut again and again, the two sides have clashed over who should be in charge of the rules and, particularly, what happens if things go wrong.\n\nLate on Wednesday, there were signs that a deal was nearly concluded.\n\nBut after another day of talks on Thursday, just before 19:00 GMT, things seemed to take a turn for the worse.\n\nIt's true that both sides want a deal. It's also true that both sides can see the shape of a possible deal.\n\nBut when there is so much at stake, taking it for granted that it will happen is quite an assumption to make.\n\nRead more from Laura here.\n\nOn Thursday, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer told reporters: \"If the choice is a deal or no deal, then a deal is obviously in the national interest.\"\n\nHe said he was \"consulting across the Labour Party\" on whether the party's MPs should back a deal if it comes to a vote in the Commons, and would decide after examining the contents of the deal.\n\nHe denied Labour was split over the issue, after reports he was planning to ask his MPs to vote in favour but some shadow cabinet members want to abstain.\n\n\"We've pulled together incredibly over the last few months through difficult decisions, and we'll do so on this decision again,\" he added.\n\nThe government has not confirmed how it intends to ratify a deal in Parliament.\n\nBut the UK's chief negotiator Lord David Frost has said he assumed MPs would have to approve a law to implement \"at least some elements\" of a deal.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe negotiations are continuing ahead of a politically sensitive moment next week, when a controversial piece of Brexit legislation returns to the Commons.\n\nThe Internal Market Bill, which would allow ministers to override sections of the UK's withdrawal agreement, will come back before MPs next Monday.\n\nThe publication of the bill in September sent shockwaves through the talks, and led to the EU Commission beginning legal proceedings against the UK.\n\nBut on Thursday, Commons leader Jacob Rees-Mogg said the government intends to reinsert contentious clauses taken out of the bill by the House of Lords.\n\nThe PM's spokesman added the bill was a \"legal safety net\" to protect the UK internal market, in case talks about detailed arrangements for the Irish border break down.\n\nOn Wednesday, MPs are also set to vote on a new taxation bill that will reportedly contain similar powers to override the withdrawal agreement over the issues of customs and VAT.\n\nEU leaders are due to meet next Thursday in Brussels for a scheduled summit.", "Irish airline Ryanair has placed an order for 75 more Boeing 737 Max aircraft as the plane is set to return to the skies after two fatal crashes.\n\nRyanair had already agreed to buy 135 jets. The extra planes take the list value of the order to $22bn (£16.3bn).\n\nThe US Federal Aviation Administration recently certified the Boeing 737 Max for a return to service after it had been grounded since March 2019.\n\nRyanair said it would take delivery of the planes early next year.\n\nThe European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is yet to give the Boeing 737 Max the go-ahead to return to service.\n\nEASA is in charge of re-certification for EU member states, as well as the UK.\n\nIf Boeing wanted to appoint a new chief salesman, it should just call in Ryanair's boss Michael O'Leary.\n\nThe 737 Max, he said, was a wonderful aircraft. A game-changer. More efficient than older planes. More environmentally friendly. Passengers would love it.\n\nExcept he didn't call it the 737 Max. He repeatedly referred to the \"737 8200\".\n\nA sly rebranding exercise? Not according to Mr O'Leary. The plane was brilliant, and whatever you called it, passengers would want to fly on it.\n\nBoeing's more world-weary Dave Calhoun also insisted there was no rebranding going on.\n\nAnd yet... his company was once heartily proud of the Max, and liked to flaunt the new name at every opportunity. Today, he was eager to downplay it as just another run-of-the-mill member of the 737 family.\n\nBoeing was forced to take the 737 Max out of service following two crashes within five months of each other, which together killed 346 people.\n\nIts clearance to fly again comes after Boeing implemented a series of modifications including updating flight control software, revising crew procedures and rerouting internal wiring.\n\nAt a news conference in Washington to announce the deal, Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary described the 737 Max as \"a fabulous aircraft\".\n\nBoeing's chief executive, David Calhoun, said it was \"the beginning of the fulfilment of a more robust order book\".\n\nNeither side disclosed the exact price that Ryanair will pay for the planes, but the airline will benefit from what the firms described as a \"modest\" discount on the cost.\n\nMr Calhoun said Boeing did not expect to have to slash prices to bring back customers.\n\n\"We believe strongly in the recovery and therefore we will stay patient,\" Mr Calhoun said. \"We don't feel a need to discount our way into the marketplace.\"\n\nMick Ryan, a married father of two, died when a Boeing 737 Max crashed in Ethiopia last year\n\nNews of the deal was greeted with dismay by Naoise Ryan, of Cork in Ireland, whose husband Mick Ryan died when Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 - a 737 Max - crashed in March 2019.\n\n\"Ryanair's purchase of the Max is an endorsement of Boeing's disregard of safety and human life. Like Boeing, they are prepared to gamble with people's lives in order to sell cheap flights on 'bargain-binned' planes,\" she said.\n\n\"It is horrific that Boeing can once again profit from this dangerous plane while still hiding documents and have not been held to account for the deaths of 346 people. Boeing's attitude and dismissiveness should give everyone pause before ever boarding a Max.\"\n• None Boeing's 737 Max wins approval to fly in the US", "Immigration Enforcement broke into a block of flats in north-west London to detain a 36-year-old British Syrian man\n\nA suspected people-smuggling gang accused of bringing hundreds of people to the UK in small boats has been broken up, the Home Office says.\n\nA 36-year-old British Syrian man was detained at his flat in north-west London on Thursday morning, bringing the total number of arrests to 14.\n\nThe group is alleged to have helped more than 600 people cross the Channel in May alone.\n\nAbout 80% of the people they are thought to have smuggled were Syrian.\n\nHome Secretary Priti Patel, who watched the raid being carried out, said she had \"repeatedly and unapologetically\" pointed out that smuggling people by illegal means put lives at risk.\n\n\"We have seen people die this year in the Channel,\" she said. \"It is absolutely right that we do everything, we use all the tools we have from a law enforcement perspective, to go after them.\"\n\nThe rest of the group were arrested in raids in London and Sheffield over several months.\n\nChannel crossings by migrants increased sharply from April, with more than 8,200 people making the journey in small boats so far in 2020, compared to 1,844 last year and 299 in 2018.\n\nMost claim asylum on arrival in the UK, but the overall numbers doing so have fallen in 2020 as the pandemic has meant other routes - by road and air - have been less accessible.\n\nCampaigners say asylum seekers - most of whom have fled places such as Iran, Iraq and Syria before making the Channel crossing - have no choice but to enter the UK illegally, as it is not possible to apply for asylum outside the country and there are no safe and legal routes.\n\nPriti Patel said French authorities were successfully preventing crossings in small boats\n\nThe home secretary praised the French authorities for taking stronger action to prevent boats from departing, saying that on one day when 20 people made it across, more than 200 had been stopped from leaving the beaches of Normandy.\n\nThese interventions have contributed to a 65% fall in the number of crossings on days when the sea is calm, the Home Office said. The number of crossings peaked at 1,868 for the month of September.\n\n\"They have actually been going into the waters to stop boats from listing and sinking to save lives and it's absolutely the right thing to do,\" Ms Patel said. \"These routes are dangerous. Lives have been put at risk.\"\n\nBoth the French and UK governments were committed to making this route \"unviable\", she said. \"We want to cut this route completely and we will stop at nothing to try and do that.\"\n\nShe said people should seek asylum in the first safe country they can get to, adding that \"European member states are safe countries\".\n\nAt the raid attended by the home secretary and the media, one 36-year-old man was arrested\n\nUnder a new agreement with France which began at the weekend, the UK is paying £28m towards doubling the number of police officers on beaches and on surveillance technology such as drones, radar and cameras.\n\nMs Patel said when the Brexit transition period ends in January, the UK government will negotiate agreements with individual EU countries such as France to return people who could have claimed asylum earlier in their journeys through Europe.\n\n\"We will start negotiating bilaterally, country by country, and we are already making that very, very clear to EU member states. Bilateral relations matter,\" she said.\n\nExisting agreements on returning asylum seekers will expire with the Brexit transition period and negotiations with the EU have so far failed to produce an agreement.", "Last updated on .From the section Football\n\nThe Premier League and English Football League have agreed a £250m rescue package to help ease the financial challenge faced by EFL clubs as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.\n\nThe EFL will be assisted in getting a £200m loan for Championship clubs.\n\nA £50m grant has been agreed for League One and Two clubs.\n\nEFL chairman Rick Parry said it was a \"welcome, tangible commitment to the professional game at a time when it has needed it most\".\n\nHow will it work?\n\nThe Premier League will pay up to £15m to help the EFL secure a £200m loan which it will then lend to Championship clubs interest free.\n\nLoans are capped at £8.33m per club and must be repaid by June 2024.\n\nThe £50m rescue package for Leagues One and Two is split into two parts - £30m will be paid to the 48 clubs as a grant based on missed gate receipts from the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons.\n• None League One clubs will receive a minimum payment of £375,000\n• None League Two clubs will receive a minimum payment of £250,000\n• None The remaining £15m will be distributed using a lost gate revenue share calculation\n\nA further £20m monitored grant will be provided and clubs can apply based on need. A joint Premier League and EFL panel will determine club eligibility.\n\nClubs receiving a monitored grant will be subject to restrictions with respect to transfer spend and player wages.\n\n\"Our over-arching aim throughout this process has been to ensure that all EFL clubs survive the financial impact of the pandemic,\" said Parry.\n\n\"I am pleased that we have now reached a resolution on behalf of our clubs and, as we have maintained throughout, this will provide much-needed support and clarity following months of uncertainty.\"\n\nPremier League chief executive Richard Masters said: \"The Premier League is a huge supporter of the football pyramid and is well aware of the important role clubs play in their communities. Our commitment is that no EFL club need go out of business due to Covid-19.\n\n\"We are very pleased to have reached this agreement and we stand together with the EFL in our commitment to protect all clubs in these unprecedented times.\"\n\nHow did we get here?\n\nSince March, football has been played behind closed doors until restrictions were lifted in some areas of England this week, meaning clubs have missed out on vital matchday revenue.\n\nIn October, EFL clubs rejected the Premier League's proposed £50m rescue package for League One and Two clubs, saying it \"falls some way short\" of the required amount.\n\nTop-flight clubs made the offer after deciding not to pursue Project Big Picture.\n\nBut in November, clubs \"agreed in principle\" for those in League One and Two to receive the package from the Premier League.\n\nThe agreement came two days after after a parliamentary committee heard that 10 EFL clubs were struggling to pay wages.\n\nThe EFL board approved the deal on Thursday before Premier League shareholders then gave their final approval to the agreement.\n\n\"I warmly welcome this deal between the Premier League and the EFL which provides up to £250m support to help clubs through Covid,\" said culture secretary Oliver Dowden.\n\n\"Fans are starting to return and we look forward to building on this as soon as it's safe.\n\n\"With a £250m support package for men's elite football and £300m government funding for women's football, the National League and other major spectator sports, we have fuel in the tank to get clubs and sports through this.\"\n\nJulian Knight MP, chair of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, said he welcomed the rescue package but criticised the delay in agreeing the deal, adding: \"This fiasco is evidence of a lack of accountability within football's governance structure.\"\n\nAmid an unprecedented financial crisis after nine months without gate receipts, this will come as a major relief to many cash-strapped clubs in Leagues One and Two, and to the government, which had been applying pressure on the Premier League to do more to support the rest of the game ever since it was allowed to resume last season.\n\nWith no money given to professional men's football in the government's recent £300m bailout, and several clubs facing ruin, the fear was that the league structure faced collapse if a deal was not agreed, so after the return of fans for the first time in nine months this week, this news represents another positive step.\n\nSome will note that given the billions of pounds the top-flight clubs generate from TV deals, it can easily afford a contribution of £65m, and could have done more to help their counterparts on whom they often rely for talent. Others will question how Championship clubs will be able to pay back the millions they are now able to borrow.\n\nBut at a time when Premier League clubs are also losing significant amounts as a result of Covid, persuading them to give away vast sums was never going to be simple. Many in the game have questioned why football clubs should be expected to help poorer businesses in a way not seen in other industries.\n\nOthers, however, will welcome a hugely significant agreement after months of unedifying deadlock between leagues and politicians that has done little for the reputation of the sport.\n\nA number of Premier League managers have complained about being restricted to using three substitutes, saying the number should be raised to five, in line with all major European leagues, Uefa club competitions and the EFL.\n\nLiverpool boss Jurgen Klopp said last week that on a recent manager's call, 15 top-flight bosses were in favour of a change, with only five against - enough to get it passed.\n\nHowever, with two votes having already gone against the proposal, the Premier League did not put the matter up for debate at Thursday's shareholders' meeting and no club put it forward, so the rule will remain as it is until at least the next meeting.\n• None Fast-living, expensive exploits and fallouts await in this hit new drama\n• None The former president on his cautious optimism for the future and more", "There will be no extension to Scotland's school Christmas holidays, the country's education secretary has confirmed.\n\nTalks had been held about potentially shutting all schools on 18 December and reopening them again on 11 January.\n\nBut there had been concern about the impact on teaching time and the difficulties it could cause parents.\n\nThe EIS, Scotland's largest teaching union, said the decision not to extend the holidays would anger many teachers.\n\nAnd it accused the government of \"once again showing a complete disregard for the concerns and welfare of teachers\".\n\nThe union had wanted schools to move to remote learning in the final week of term to ensure senior staff did not find themselves having to deal with Covid outbreaks during the holidays.\n\nThis would also have minimised the risk of staff, pupils and parents having Christmas ruined by infections, the union had argued.\n\nHoliday dates in Scotland vary between different council areas, with many schools due to finish on 22 or 23 December before returning between 5 and 7 January.\n\nA memo that was leaked to the Daily Record newspaper last week suggested that the government was considering a national extension to the holidays.\n\nIt would have seen schools either remaining closed or introducing remote learning for a temporary period.\n\nThe proposal was designed to limit the spread of Covid after families get together for Christmas.\n\nMr Swinney said the health advice he had been given suggested that pupils would be safer in school\n\nOpposition parties had accused the government of \"dithering\" over the decision, which they said was causing uncertainty for pupils, staff and parents.\n\nIn a letter to the Scottish Parliament's education committee on Thursday morning, Education Secretary John Swinney said: \"I have reached the decision not to make any changes to the planned Christmas and new year holiday dates\".\n\nMr Swinney said there had been a \"range of views\" when the proposal was discussed at the Education Recovery Group, which includes councils, teaching unions and other organisations.\n\nHe added: \"The public health advice that I received is to keep schools open as planned as the controlled school environment is more preferable to social mixing outside of school if schools are closed early.\n\n\"In addition, vulnerable children may be at greater risk if they are out of school for an extended period.\"\n\nMr Swinney also said he had taken into account the need to provide childcare for key workers, and the \"significant difficulties\" an extension to the holidays could cause for working parents.\n\nAnd he said the advice he had received continued to be that there is no evidence that schools and early learning settings are driving transmission of the virus, and that there is \"no clear rationale for disrupting children's education.\"\n\nMr Swinney is facing calls to cancel next year's Higher and Advanced Higher exams\n\nMr Swinney also confirmed that there would be a staggered return for university students after the holidays, and that students would not be returning in the \"congested period\" directly after Christmas and new year.\n\nHe said he was still in discussions on the precise nature of the return and that he would set out the details as soon as possible.\n\nMeanwhile, the Scottish Greens have repeated their call for the government to cancel Higher and Advanced Higher exams next year and replace them with a \"robust system of continuous assessment\".\n\nThe government has already cancelled next year's National 5s, with a final decision on whether or not to have Higher and Advanced Higher exams due to be made by the February break.\n\nThe party's co-leader Patrick Harvie said it was clear that the academic year was being severely disrupted, and highlighted the case of a pupil who has already had to self-isolate three times yet faces prelim exams early next year.\n\nHe added: \"It's long past time the first minister gave teachers and young people the clarity they need and accepted that Higher and Advanced Higher exams cannot go ahead in the coming year.\"\n\nFirst Minister Nicola Sturgeon told the Scottish Parliament on Thursday that the government was considering \"very, very carefully\" whether the exams should go ahead, and appeared to suggest a decision could be made sooner than February.", "Hugh Keays-Byrne appeared in Mad Max and Fury Road - the 2015 re-boot\n\nTributes have been paid to Mad Max star Hugh Keays-Byrne, who has died aged 73.\n\nThe late actor played the villain Toecutter, opposite Mel Gibson, in the 1979 post-apocalyptic, dystopian action movie.\n\nBritish filmmaker Brian Trenchard-Smith confirmed on Facebook that he had died on Tuesday.\n\nCharlize Theron, who appeared with him in the fourth instalment and 2015 re-boot, Fury Road, said he would be \"deeply missed\".\n\n\"It's amazing you were able to play an evil warlord so well cause you were such a kind, beautiful soul,\" Theron posted online.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Charlize Theron This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nKeays-Byrne was born in India to British parents and moved to England as a child.\n\nA production of A Midsummer Night's Dream took him to Australia in 1973, where he settled.\n\nAfter appearing in the original Mad Max, which was made Down Under, director George Miller brought him back for Fury Road, where he played the antagonist Immortan Joe.\n\nIn a 2015 interview with The Independent, he said he had been \"pleasantly surprised\" to get the call again.\n\nAnd explained that while his original character, Toecutter, had been a member of an \"oppressed nomadic minority\", Immortan Joe was \"a renaissance man\".\n\n\"He's simply trying to bring order into an apocalyptic world\" said Keays-Byrne.\n\nTrenchard-Smith, who directed him in the 1975 action film, The Man From Hong Kong, called him \"a fine actor and a good friend\".\n\n\"Hugh had a generous heart, offering a helping hand to people in need, or a place to stay to a homeless teenager,\" he posted.\n\n\"He cared about social justice and preserving the environment long before these issues became fashionable.\"\n\nHe added: \"His life was governed by his sense of the oneness of humanity. We will miss his example and his friendship.\"\n\nThe stars of Mad Max: Fury Road turned out for its Hollywood Premiere in 2015\n\nKeays-Byrne also appeared in the 1974 biker movie Stone and the 1986 drama, For Love Alone.\n\nThe Guardian's movie critic Luke Buckmaster described him as an actor \"of visceral, wall-rattling force and underrated talent\".\n\n\"Every role he took was a revelation,\" he wrote.\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "Sending live animals abroad for slaughter and fattening will be banned in England and Wales under new plans.\n\nEnvironment Secretary George Eustice said the ban could be in force by the end of 2021 in a post-Brexit break from EU trade rules.\n\nThe RSPCA welcomed the move, saying it would be \"a landmark achievement for animal welfare\".\n\nBut the National Farmers Union is calling for improvements to export rules, rather than an outright ban.\n\nThe government is launching an eight-week consultation on the plan - which includes measures to cut the amount of time animals spend in trucks within the UK.\n\nA package of reforms is then expected to come to Parliament next summer.\n\nCurrent EU trading rules allow for animals to be transported abroad for slaughter.\n\nOne local authority in Kent tried to ban the exports in 2012 after a lorry full of lame sheep was found at the local port and the animals had to be put down.\n\nBut the High Court overturned the ban, saying it was a breach of EU free trade rules.\n\nOnly a few thousand of the millions of animals bred for meat in the UK end up being shipped to Europe for slaughter.\n\nBut the government said now the UK has left the EU - and will stop following its rules after the post-Brexit transition period ends on 31 December - a ban can be introduced.\n\nIts consultation will also look at further elements of animal welfare in transport, such as reducing maximum journey times, giving animals more space and headroom during transport, and stricter rules on transporting animals in extreme temperatures or by sea.\n\nAfter months of taking a battering on issues like food standards in future trade deals - chlorinated chicken and the like - here is a strong push from the government on animal welfare issues.\n\nAn outright ban of this kind on live animal exports is stronger than some animal welfare experts had expected the government to propose - although one MP who's campaigned on this issue for years (and was delighted) told me he didn't care how the practice ended, just that it did.\n\nAnnouncing the measure just weeks before the transition period ends sends a strong signal.\n\nThe government has long maintained that exporting live animals was a practice which could be ended as a result of Brexit - a good example of where leaving the EU would bring benefits.\n\nNo surprise then that it is keen to deliver on it fully.\n\nBut included in this consultation are some measures which will limit how far animals can travel within the UK, and it could well be that those measures prove a bumpier ride for the government.\n\nThe Conservative Party made the pledge to ban live animal exports in its election manifesto.\n\nThere had been fears a ban may not be possible under global trade rules, but ministers are confident its plans are inline with them.\n\nMr Eustice said the government had \"struck the right balance\" with its plan, saying it would \"remove the trade that most people are concerned about - predominantly the export of lambs for slaughter to continental Europe - but would enable high value breeding stock still to be traded, as they are usually transported in very good conditions\".\n\nThe move has the support of the RSPCA, which has campaigned on the issue for more than 50 years.\n\nThe charity's chief executive officer, Chris Sherwood, said: \"There is absolutely no reasonable justification to subject an animal to an unnecessarily stressful journey abroad simply for them to be fattened for slaughter.\n\n\"Ending live exports for slaughter and further fattening would be a landmark achievement for animal welfare.\"\n\nBut the NFU is instead calling for improvements to export regulations.\n\nThe union's livestock board chairman, Richard Findlay, said: \"The NFU has developed a solution to raise the standards for live exports for slaughter.\n\n\"We believe that an assurance scheme which goes beyond the current regulation would be best to ensure all animals travel in the best possible conditions and that they arrive at the approved and final destination in the best possible health.\"\n\nHe added: \"Significant regulatory changes could potentially have a massive impact on the UK food supply chain.\"\n\nHowever, the chief policy adviser for campaign group Compassion in World Farming, Peter Stevenson, urged farmers not to oppose the plans.\n\nInstead he called on the industry to \"recognise that this is an important part of moving forward to a high welfare future\".", "Students have been taking Covid tests this week ahead of leaving for Christmas\n\nStudents will have staggered starting dates for returning to universities in England after Christmas - with some not back until 7 February.\n\nThe government's plan will mean students taking hands-on courses such as medicine or performing arts returning from 4 to 18 January.\n\nOther subjects would be taught online at the start of term, with students back between 25 January and 7 February.\n\nStudents are being promised Covid tests when they return next term.\n\nIt means some students heading home in the next few days will not be in university again for nine weeks.\n\nThe National Union of Students said students would still have to pay rent on \"properties they are being told not to live in\".\n\nThe plan, to avoid a surge of students and the risk of spreading coronavirus, will see a staggered return for students over five weeks in the new year - with most courses starting online before a return to in-person teaching.\n\nThe first students returning will be for practical courses which are difficult to teach solely online - which will include medicine, nursing and dentistry; sciences which need to use laboratories; or music, dance and drama.\n\nCourses are going to be online at the start of next term for many students\n\nThose starting later will include subjects such as English literature, history and maths.\n\nStudents will be offered two lateral-flow Covid tests when they arrive back - similar to the process for their departure.\n\n\"This plan will enable a safer return for all students,\" Universities Minister Michelle Donelan said, who also announced a £20m student hardship fund.\n\nThe UCU lecturers' union, which has called for teaching to be online to avoid the spread of infection, said the plan for a delayed start to in-person teaching was a \"step forward\".\n\nVanessa Wilson, leader of the University Alliance group, welcomed the \"clarity\" about next term - and also the recognition that campus facilities would have to be kept open for students not going home at Christmas.\n\nEmma Hardy, Labour's shadow universities minister, said \"the delay in providing this guidance has caused huge, unnecessary stress for students and universities\".\n\nThe arrangements have been announced on the eve of students being able to return home for Christmas - with the \"travel window\" for students opening on Thursday.\n\nLouis will be part of the logistical challenge to get students home this week\n\nLouis Chambers, a first year studying geology at the University of Hull, will be among the students heading home this week.\n\nHIs parents are coming to take him back to Norfolk - and the university is running a system of one-hour slots for students to be collected, which he says will mean \"not so many leaving at once\".\n\n\"It will be a relief to get back home,\" he says, as he has been able to see his family only once this term, because of Covid restrictions.\n\nBut he thinks the Covid testing and \"travel window\" have been uncomplicated so far - and he has enjoyed his first term.\n\nAnd many students will already have left. Out of the six in Louis's flat, he says, three have already gone home.\n\nThe \"window\" for students to travel home begins on Thursday\n\nUniversity of Hull student services director Anji Gardiner has been organising the staggered departures through the Christmas \"travel window\".\n\nAs well as slots for those being collected by car - which run from 07:00 to 20:00 - there are coaches being laid on and a booking system for the limited capacity on trains, with the numbers travelling spread out across the week.\n\n\"We want to keep it safe - we didn't want a logjam of people trying to get home,\" Dr Gardiner says.\n\nThe mass Covid testing of students began in universities on Monday - with temporary testing centres set up in sports halls and in rooms on campus.\n\nBefore leaving for Christmas, students have been encouraged to have two tests three days apart - and to travel within 24 hours of receiving a second negative test result.\n\nThe \"travel window\", in which students are expected to move out of university, will run from 3 to 9 December.\n\nIn England, about 1.2 million students will be travelling from a university to a home address in another part of the country, including:\n\nUniversities UK welcomed the plans for more testing for students when they returned after Christmas.\n\n\"The high demand for tests from students shows they understand the important role testing can play in keeping themselves and their communities safe,\" said a spokesman.", "The international vaccine supply chain has been targeted by cyber-espionage, according to IBM.\n\nThe company says it tracked a campaign aimed at the delivery \"cold chain\" used to keep vaccines at the right temperature during transportation.\n\nThe attackers' identity is unclear - but IBM said the sophistication of their methods indicated a nation state.\n\nIt follows warnings from governments - including the UK's - of countries targeting aspects of vaccine research.\n\nIBM says it believes the campaign started in September 2020.\n\nIt says phishing emails were sent out across six countries, which targeted organisations linked to the Cold Chain Equipment Optimisation Platform (CCEOP) of Gavi, the international vaccine alliance.\n\nGavi's partners include the World Health Organization, Unicef, the World Bank and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. They help distribute vaccines around the world to some of the poorest regions.\n\nFor example, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine - which was not the specific target of this campaign - will need to be kept at a temperature of about -70C as it is moved about.\n\nThe attackers impersonated a business executive from a legitimate Chinese company involved in CCEOP's supply cold chain to make it more likely the targets would engage with the email.\n\nThey then sent phishing emails to organisations that provided transportation, which contained malicious code and asked for people's log in credentials.\n\nThat could have allowed them to understand the infrastructure that governments intended to use to distribute vaccines.\n\n\"Advanced insight into the purchase and movement of a vaccine that can impact life and the global economy is likely a high-value and high-priority nation-state target,\" IBM says.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Five challenges of distributing a Covid-19 vaccine around the world.\n\nIBM says the campaign was uncovered by a security team it set up at the start of the pandemic to track down Covid-19 cyber-threats.\n\n\"The precision targeting and nature of the specific targeted organisations potentially point to nation-state activity,\" the US company said.\n\n\"Without a clear path to a [pay]out, cyber-criminals are unlikely to devote the time and resources required to execute such a calculated operation.\"\n\nIBM says it has notified those targeted as well as law-enforcement authorities.\n\nIn July, the UK warned Russian intelligence had targeted UK vaccine research, including at Oxford.\n\nThe US also warned of Chinese hacking, while, more recently, Microsoft said it had seen North Korean and Russian hackers targeting vaccine research.\n\nOfficials suggested the activity so far had been about intelligence gathering rather than disruption of any research.", "Madeleine McCann was three when she went missing in 2007\n\nScotland Yard is still treating Madeleine McCann as a missing person, the Met Commissioner has said, despite the belief of German prosecutors that she is dead.\n\nDame Cressida Dick said the force was working with German investigators but had not seen all of their evidence.\n\nMadeleine disappeared in 2007 aged three on holiday in Portugal.\n\nProsecutors previously said they have evidence a German child sex offender named as Christian B killed her.\n\nBut although Christian B, 43, was identified as a suspect in June, prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters said the evidence is not strong enough to charge him.\n\nSuspects' surnames are not usually revealed in Germany for privacy reasons.\n\nDame Cressida said that the Met's position had not changed since the summer, when the force said its investigation - Operation Grange - remained a missing person inquiry as there is no \"definitive evidence whether Madeleine is alive or dead\".\n\nShe said a small team of Met Police investigators continued to work \"very closely\" with police in Germany and Portugal.\n\n\"We will continue until the time that it is right, either because much more light has been thrown on this or somebody has been brought to justice,\" she said.\n\n\"Or if we feel we have exhausted all possible opportunities. We're not at any of those stages at the moment, and the team continues.\"\n\nDespite the close co-operation, she said she did not expect \"every single piece of material to be shared with us\".\n\n\"I'm sure they're sharing the relevant things at the relevant times with us,\" Dame Cressida said.\n\nMadeleine, from Rothley in Leicestershire, went missing from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, on 3 May 2007, shortly before her fourth birthday.\n\nOfficial records show Christian B has 17 previous convictions, including for rape and sexual abuse of children\n\nChristian B is currently serving a prison sentence for drug offences in Germany and lost an appeal last month against a further seven-year sentence for rape.\n\nHe attacked a 72-year-old American woman in 2005 in the same area from where Madeleine disappeared about 18 months later.\n\nPolice believe he was regularly living in this part of Portugal between 1997 and 2007, staying in a camper van at the time he is suspected of abducting Madeleine.", "Four people have died following an explosion at a waste water treatment works in Bristol, police have confirmed.\n\nFirefighters were called to Wessex Water's premises in Avonmouth, Bristol, at about 11:20 GMT.\n\nEmergency services are leading a rescue operation. The blast is thought to have involved a chemical tank, police said.\n\nChief Inspector Mark Runacres told a press conference at the scene three employees of Wessex Water and one contractor died in the incident.\n\n“Emergency services were called at approximately 11.20am to reports of a large explosion involving one of the chemical tanks at the site off Kings Weston Lane,” he said.\n\n“The fire service led the rescue operation but sadly, despite the best efforts of all those involved, we can confirm there have been four fatalities. This includes three employees of Wessex Water and one contractor.\n\n“Specially trained officers have this afternoon made contact with each of the families of those individuals and informed them of the sad news.\n\n“This is a tragic incident and our thoughts and sympathies go out to them.”", "Radio 1 has announced its guest presenters for the festive period.\n\nFrom Boxing Day until New Year's Day, 33 new faces will take over the airwaves in the station's second guest-presenter takeover.\n\nThe station put the call out for DJs and presenters in October.\n\n\"I can't wait to hear our latest batch of presenters on air over the festive period, and I look forward to seeing what 2021 has in store for them all,\" says Head of Radio 1 Aled Haydn Jones.\n\nMany of the selected presenters have taken an unconventional route to their first slot on Radio 1, including Will Kirk from Sheffield, whose day job is in marketing.\n\nWill Kirk was diagnosed with hearing loss when he was seven months old\n\nWill, 22, has severe-to-profound hearing loss in both ears and wears hearing aids - he will be Radio 1's first deaf or hard-of-hearing DJ.\n\n\"I got my first hearing aid at 11 months old. It's something I've always known, that's always been a part of me.\n\n\"I like to make a good joke because I can't change it so I might as well make people laugh about it.\"\n\nIn terms of music, there are \"a few hiccups\", Will admits, such as headphones.\n\nHe says there's lots of experimenting to try and get into the best position.\n\n\"Even now, the solutions I've got aren't perfect, but you have to keep trying to find new things and new ways of doing things.\"\n\nWill hopes to be able to inspire people by presenting on Radio 1.\n\n\"To come up and have DJing as a hobby when you are deaf just seems like a ridiculous combination - but just go for it.\"\n\nHe adds there's always ways to work around it.\n\n\"I'm sure anybody that's disabled will say you can find a way to get things done and don't let anything pull you down - including yourself. Don't pull yourself down about anything, just go out there and do it.\"\n\nJevanni Letford, from East London, qualified as a lawyer before moving into a career in radio and music - and is now the official tour DJ for KSI.\n\n\"It feels amazing and I am absolutely honoured. Having been DJing for over 10 years and putting in the work, this makes all of the journey to date feel worthwhile,\" the 31-year-old says.\n\nNels will become the first black broadcaster to present the Radio 1 Rock Show\n\nSeveral of the presenters began their journeys in student, local, community or hospital radio, including 24-year-old Nels Hylton, who has previously volunteered at the University of Portsmouth's Pure FM and at community station Transmission Roundhouse.\n\nHe will become the first black presenter to host Radio 1's Rock Show.\n\n\"It's really humbling to be selected as part of Radio 1's Christmas line-up, even more so to be the first black broadcaster to present the Radio 1 Rock Show. I can't wait to host the show and prove that rock music is for everybody,\" he said.\n\nThe first Christmas takeover took place in 2019, with three of the presenters securing roles on Radio 1.\n\nSian Eleri will become the new host of BBC Music Introducing on Radio 1 in January, and Joel Mitchell and Fee Mak will each take a turn at hosting Radio 1's Early Breakfast on Fridays in the new year.\n\nThe initiative has \"proven to be a fantastic springboard,\" Aled adds.", "Up to 99% of Covid-19 hospitalisations and deaths could be avoided with the first wave of vaccinations, England's deputy chief medical officer Prof Jonathan Van-Tam has said.\n\nSpeaking to BBC News, he said that would be possible if everyone on the first priority list took the vaccine and it was highly effective.\n\nHe said it was key to go \"as fast\" and at the \"highest volume\" as possible.\n\nBut he acknowledged there would need to be some flexibility in the list.\n\nOn Wednesday the UK became the first country in the world to approve the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for use.\n\nThe BBC understands that some of the first delivery of the Pfizer vaccine is travelling via the Eurotunnel to the UK on Thursday.\n\nProf Van-Tam, who was taking viewers' questions on the BBC News channel and Radio 5 Live, said that due to technical issues around the vaccine - particularly the need to store it at very low temperatures - it would be difficult to take the vaccine to individual people's homes.\n\nThe order in which people will get the jab is recommended by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) and decided by the government.\n\nElderly people in care homes and care home staff have been placed top of the priority list, followed by over-80s and health and care staff.\n\nBut because hospitals already have the facilities to store the vaccine at -70C, as required, the very first vaccinations are likely to take place there - for care home staff, NHS staff and patients - so none of the vaccine risks being wasted.\n\nProf Van-Tam told BBC News: \"If we can get through phase one [of the priority list] and it is a highly effective vaccine and there is very, very high up take, then we could in theory take out 99% of hospitalisations and deaths related to Covid 19.\n\n\"That is why the phase one list is what is, that is the primary ambition.\"\n\nProf Van-Tam said the government would need to make further decisions on how to continue with the second part of the programme, while reviewing how the vaccine performs in the coming months.\n\nMeanwhile, Prof Anthony Harnden, deputy chairman of the JCVI, said patience was required over the rollout of the Pfizer vaccine.\n\nProf Harnden said the JCVI's \"clear remit was to decide on prioritisation groups\" but it always understood \"there were going to be vaccine product storage, transport and administration constraints\".\n\n\"We have advised in our statement that there is flexibility at an approach to this list according to what was actually feasible and logistical on the ground, so this is not wholly unexpected - but the clear list that we have drawn out is a list of priority in terms of vulnerability,\" he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.\n\nProf Harnden said he understood delays in delivering the vaccine to care homes would be disappointing for residents and their families.\n\nBut he added: \"I think just a very small degree of patience is required because I think we are at the forefront here in the UK.\n\n\"I think the very short-term practical difficulties of getting this out from a storage point of view should not let us all lose sight of the fact that these care home residents and their staff are our utmost priority - and it may well be possible to get the care home staff to be immunised within a local hospital setting,\" he said.\n\nThe Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine offers up to 95% protection against Covid-19.\n\nThe UK has already ordered 40 million doses - enough to vaccinate 20 million people.\n\nThese will be rolled out as quickly as they can be made by Pfizer in Belgium, with the first load next week and then \"several millions\" throughout December, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said.\n\nBut the bulk of the roll-out across the UK will be next year.\n\nAnd it could take until April for all those most at-risk to receive the new vaccine, according to NHS England chief executive Sir Simon Stevens.", "GCSE and A-level students missed time in school and continue to face disruption\n\nExtra measures to \"boost fairness and support students\" will be used for next summer's GCSE and A-level exams in England, ministers have announced.\n\nMore generous grading, advance notice of exam topics and additional papers are promised by the Department for Education to make up for the disruption faced by students during the pandemic.\n\nThose who cannot sit exams due to self-isolation rules will still get a grade.\n\nHeads said it was \"a reasonable package\" of measures for the situation.\n\nThe DfE says it has had \"extensive engagement\" with exams watchdog Ofqual, exam boards and senior leaders across the education sector.\n\nIn extreme cases, where a student misses all their papers, a teacher-assessed grade will be given.\n\nThose young people taking vocational and technical qualifications will also see adaptations to their exams to ensure fairness.\n\nEducation Secretary Gavin Williamson said exams were the best way of measuring performance, and that it was \"so important\" they took place next summer.\n\n\"But this isn't business as usual. I know students are facing unprecedented disruption to their learning.\n\n\"That's why exams will be different next year, taking exceptional steps to ensure they are as fair as possible.\"\n\nMr Williamson later told the BBC that students have had an \"incredibly difficult\" year and he speaks \"as a father\" as well as education secretary.\n\nHe told BBC Breakfast: \"I know as a father of a 16-year-old who is taking GCSEs this year, who's been in a situation where she's had to self-isolate and her friends have, that we have to take extra measures, have to take extra steps, to make sure there's as much fairness for them.\"\n\nHe also told Sky News he could \"absolutely\" give a cast-iron guarantee that exams will not be cancelled next year.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. COVID-19: The students at school in a pandemic\n\nA-level and GCSE students in England were this year given grades estimated by their teachers, in a government u-turn, after exams were cancelled because of the pandemic.\n\nIt followed uproar after about 40% of A-level results were downgraded from students' predicted grades by exams regulator Ofqual, which used an algorithm based on schools' prior marks.\n\nJulia: \"I have lots of worries about GCSEs\"\n\nJulia, a Year 11 GCSE student at Herne Bay High School in Kent, says the learning lost because of Covid-19 has caused a lot of anxiety.\n\n\"I have a lot of worries about GCSEs, because I really feel there's not much being done about the amount of time we missed.\n\n\"I'm especially worried about English and maths because those are a must-have for any sixth form. \"\n\nEdward, also in Year 11, agrees that the disruption for his year group should be recognised.\n\n\"It should be taken into account, everyone should have the same chance as everyone else as we are sitting the same exam.\"\n\nHe says knowing which topics will be coming up will help with revision.\n\n\"That would be extremely helpful so that I know what I should prioritise my time on.\"\n\nJessica Petherick says she feels \"almost forgotten about by the government\"\n\nJessica Petherick, a Year 13 A-level student from Essex, says she feels \"almost forgotten about by the government\".\n\nThe 17-year-old adds: \"It's taken them a long time to come up with a plan, and I feel uncertain about what's going to happen. I know there's a plan, but as everyone knows they've made plenty of u-turns.\"\n\nIn primary schools, Year 6 national tests, known as Sats, will go ahead \"to assist with pupils' transition to secondary schools\" and teacher assessment in English reading, writing and mathematics at Key Stage 1 will remain.\n\nBut the Key Stage 1 tests in reading and maths, and the grammar, punctuation, and spelling tests at Key Stage 1 and 2 will be cancelled for this academic year.\n\nGeoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said the measures were \"a reasonable package\" to mitigate the damaging impact of the pandemic and made exams \"as fair as they can be in the circumstances\".\n\nMr Barton said advanced notice of exam topics and exam aids would \"help pupils know where to focus their energies in the time that remains\" before exams take place.\n\n\"It is not perfect - nothing can be given the fact that learning has been so disrupted by coronavirus and that pupils have been affected to vastly different extents.\n\n\"But various options have been discussed exhaustively, and, frankly, schools and colleges just need a decision - the uncertainty has gone on for much too long.\"\n\nIn Wales, A-levels and GCSE exams have been cancelled and Nationals in Scotland have also been cancelled, but Highers and Advanced Highers will be taken, two weeks later than usual.\n\nIn Northern Ireland, GCSEs and A-levels are going ahead, but will start a week later than usual.\n\nThe DfE also announced that school inspections by Ofsted inspectors, which were suspended in March, will not resume until after Easter.\n\nIn the meantime, Ofsted will conduct \"supportive monitoring inspections\" to schools and colleges currently judged to be \"inadequate\" and some that \"require improvement\".\n\nTest and exam results will not be included in school performance tables - instead the tables will be replaced by other information such as attendance information and student destinations.\n\nLabour's shadow education secretary, Kate Green, welcomed the government's announcement but said it had come \"very late\".\n\nShe told ITV's Good Morning Britain: \"We're nearly at the Christmas holidays and students have been very, very anxious ever since September, and teachers uncertain about what they should be preparing their students for.\"\n\nPaul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders' union NAHT, said the announcement brought some \"much needed relief to school leaders who have been operating in 'emergency mode' for most of this year\".\n\nBut Robin Bevan, headteacher of Southend High School for Boys and National Education Union president, said schools did not yet know how many topics their students would be told about in advance.\n\nHe said: \"Not knowing this until next year means that the students and teachers may now be 'misusing' their time, catching up on content that may be of educational value but isn't required for the exam. It's a form of curriculum bingo.\"", "The UK has become the first country in the world to approve the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine for widespread use.\n\nHealth Secretary Matt Hancock said he was \"thrilled\" with the news and that the vaccine would be rolled out \"from next week\".", "Better Examinations' technology keeps an eye on exam-sitters via their webcams\n\nThe phones began ringing off the hook at Piero Tintori's company Better Examinations back in April.\n\nHis tech business allows tens of thousands of students to remotely sit exams at the same time, with each needing just a laptop, a webcam and an internet connection.\n\nThe firm's software uses machine learning (ML), an advanced form of artificial intelligence, to detect patterns in user behaviour that could indicate attempts to cheat. Its technology can also automatically mark multiple-choice answers and mathematics exams.\n\nIn addition, it checks each exam-sitter's identity using the webcam, to ensure that no-one else is sitting the test for them. The Better Examinations program also temporarily restricts access to the internet, or certain websites and applications on each person's computer.\n\n\"We had 60 organisations from all over the world contact us out of the blue, who wanted to run exams online in May and June,\" says Mr Tintori. \"Everything from universities, to professional organisations, to schools.\"\n\nPiero Tintori says he was even contacted directly by a number of governments\n\nWith the firm's headquarters in Dublin, plus offices in the US, Australia and Poland, it uses Amazon's cloud computing system Amazon Web Services, to allow everything to work online.\n\nMr Tintori says he was also contacted directly by five governments (whom he declines to name), who were keen for school exams to go ahead.\n\nBetter Examinations is just one example of the increased use of ML in response to this year's pandemic, with the technology being used to do work far more quickly than humans, such as marking exam papers.\n\nBut what exactly is ML? It is a method of data analysis, whereby computer algorithms are used to speedily process vast amounts of data, to make predictions, identify patterns and replicate actions that humans do in their day-to-day jobs.\n\nThe use of ML is expected to grow so much over the next four years that its estimated global economic value is expected to rise from $7.3bn (£5.7bn) this year, to $30.6bn in 2024, according to one study.\n\nMachine learning aims to allow computers to be able to make more human-like decisions\n\nGlobal law firm DWF, which helps the in-house legal teams of large corporations, is another business now increasingly using the technology.\n\nIt was approached by a large real estate company that had an \"impossible\" task. The client wanted 10,000 property lease documents, stored on paper and electronically, and in different locations, to be digitalised into a central database.\n\nThis firm also wanted to know the exact terms of each of the leases, to discover new commercial opportunities.\n\n\"Traditionally, you would get paralegals under supervision to plough through the documents. But from a cost point of view it doesn't work, and also it's inconsistent,\" says Mark Qualter, chief executive of DWF's managed services division.\n\nDWF designed an ML system to classify each lease document into categories, identify specific types of details, and then extract data from the document.\n\nDWF's Mark Qualter says that ML technology can be far quicker than using humans to do the same job\n\nThe banking sector is also embracing ML. UK building society Nationwide had asked US computer giant IBM to build an artificial intelligence \"chatbot\" called Arti for it, to help first-time buyers understand how to get a mortgage.\n\nBut when the UK went into its first lockdown in March, and mortgage holidays were announced, the lender was instead inundated with queries about them.\n\nIn just four days, Arti - powered by AI platform IBM Watson - was retrained to answer mortgage holiday questions. The virtual agent also dealt with other questions as Nationwide saw online banking registrations jump by 89%.\n\n\"In just over two months, Arti had responded to more than 10,000 queries, and a further 350 per day since, freeing up hundreds of hours for frontline teams to focus their time handling more complex requests from members,\" says Michael Conway, UK lead for artificial intelligence at IBM Services.\n\n\"Put simply, it allowed Nationwide to focus its resources on those who needed the most help, without ignoring the needs of everyone else.\"\n\nNationwide has seen registrations for online banking jump during the pandemic\n\nMeanwhile, another UK retail bank has been using ML algorithms to identify customers who are showing indications of financial difficulty, so that they can be contacted automatically, and then offered support before matters get out of hand.\n\nThis has been provided to the lender by BJSS, a multinational technology engineering consultancy headquartered in Leeds.\n\nSri Harsha Tharkabhushanam, head of data science for BJSS, says that previously of those in arrears, 30% had got to a severe position where \"there was very little the bank could do for them at that point\".\n\nBut after implementing the ML model, the automated prompts meant fewer people were getting into severe difficulties, with the figure falling to 10%.\n\nBusiness intelligence gathering using AI is also becoming a big deal.\n\nFor instance, a large European pharmaceutical firm, which wants to remain anonymous, wanted to make sure that if there was a new product launched, or start-up bought, by any of their competitors, it knew about it quickly.\n\nNew Tech Economy is a series exploring how technological innovation is set to shape the new emerging economic landscape.\n\nThe company employed Filament AI, a machine-learning software firm in London, to build it a bespoke ML system that could monitor 1,000 websites, 200 story feeds, and roughly 200,000 news articles a day round the clock.\n\nMichael Osborne, a professor of machine learning at Oxford University, says that companies across many industries are now \"desperately trying to get their hands on ML\", as many more things are now being quantified digitally, making it easier to analyse them to gain insights.\n\nMartha White, associate professor of computing science at the University of Alberta in Canada, agrees that the use of ML is growing fast.\n\n\"The combination of more data, and more powerful computers, and a focus on leveraging both has really propelled the field forward,\" she says.\n\n\"The prevalence will continue to grow for a few reasons. Firstly, there is still lots of low-hanging fruit, and the ability to monetise with the existing technology. Secondly, we are going to get better at improving our own decision making, using predictions from machine-learning systems.\"\n\nBut although ML is becoming increasingly popular, there are concerns it has been oversold as a \"magic wand\", and the public's distrust of it is only rising, warns Prof Osborne.\n\n\"ML is not this all-singing, all-dancing solution to our woes,\" he says. \"Instead it's something that delivers value only when working hand-in-hand with humans, and having humans tailor it to their specific needs.\n\n\"ML is powerful, but not a fully general-purpose technology. It needs a lot of careful tweaking to get it to work for any new application.\"", "The UK has become the first country in the world to approve the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine, paving the way for mass vaccination.\n\nBritain's medicines regulator, the MHRA, says the jab, which offers up to 95% protection against Covid-19 illness, is safe to be rolled out.\n\nThe first doses are already on their way to the UK, with 800,000 due in the coming days, Pfizer said.\n\nHealth Secretary Matt Hancock said the NHS will contact people about jabs.\n\nElderly people in care homes and care home staff have been placed top of the priority list, followed by over-80s and health and care staff.\n\nBut because hospitals already have the facilities to store the vaccine at -70C, as required, the very first vaccinations are likely to take place there - for care home staff, NHS staff and patients - so none of the vaccine is wasted.\n\nA further 648 deaths within 28 days of a positive Covid-19 test were recorded in the UK on Wednesday, with another 16,170 cases reported.\n\nPrime Minister Boris Johnson urged the public not to get \"carried away with over optimism or falling into the naive belief that our struggle is over\".\n\nHe told a Downing Street news conference that, while the \"searchlights of science\" had created a working vaccine, significant logistical challenges remained.\n\nThe Pfizer/BioNTech jab is the fastest vaccine to go from concept to reality, taking only 10 months to follow the same steps that normally span 10 years.\n\nThe UK has already ordered 40 million doses of the jab - enough to vaccinate 20 million people.\n\nThe doses will be rolled out as quickly as they can be made by Pfizer in Belgium, Mr Hancock said, with the first load next week and then \"several millions\" throughout December.\n\nScottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the first people in Scotland will be immunised on Tuesday.\n\nWelsh Health and Social Care Minister Vaughan Gething said the rollout of the Pfizer jab to care homes would be particularly difficult because of how it needs to be stored.\n\nMr Gething said that it was not possible to transport the Pfizer vaccine to more than 1,000 care homes across Wales.\n\nThe bulk of the rollout across the UK will be next year, Mr Hancock said, adding: \"2020 has been just awful and 2021 is going to be better.\"\n\nThere is a clear priority list for who gets the vaccine first - and care home residents and staff are top of it.\n\nBut operational complexities mean the reality will be somewhat different.\n\nWhen the vaccines arrives, it will be sent straight to major hospitals who have the ultra-cold facilities to store it.\n\nFrom there it can be moved just once - and when it is, it must be kept in batches of 1,000.\n\nThat means sending it out to care homes, where there may be only a few dozen residents in some places, would lead to a huge amount of vaccine being wasted.\n\nBecause of that, the NHS, which is in charge of distributing the vaccine, will run clinics from hospitals at first.\n\nThis will allow NHS and care home staff to get immunised first as well as, perhaps, some of the older age groups who come into hospital.\n\nIt looks like it will not be until much more of the Pfizer vaccine is available or the Oxford University one, which is easier to distribute, is approved that care home residents will be able to get it.\n\nWhile Mr Hancock said that the government does not yet know how many people need to be vaccinated before restrictions can start being lifted, he added: \"I'm confident now, with the news today, that from spring, from Easter onwards, things are going to be better. And we're going to have a summer next year that everybody can enjoy.\"\n\nMr Johnson added: \"It's the protection of vaccines that will ultimately allow us to reclaim our lives and get the economy moving again.\"\n\nDowning Street press secretary Allegra Stratton said Mr Johnson would not rule out receiving the vaccine jab live on television, though she said he would not want to take a jab meant for someone more vulnerable.\n\nThe free vaccine will not be compulsory and there will be three ways of vaccinating people across the UK:\n\nAround 50 hospitals are on stand-by and vaccination centres - in venues such as conference centres or sports stadiums - are being set up now.\n\nIt is thought the vaccination network could start delivering more than one million doses a week once enough doses are available.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Health Secretary Matt Hancock: \"This is a day to remember and, frankly, a year to forget\"\n\nNHS England chief executive Sir Simon Stevens said the health service was preparing for \"the largest-scale vaccination campaign in our country's history\".\n\nBut experts said people still need to remain vigilant and follow rules to stop the virus spreading - including with social distancing, face masks and self-isolation.\n\n\"We can't lower our guard yet,\" said the government's chief medical adviser Prof Chris Whitty.\n\nThe order in which people will get the jab is recommended by the Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisations and decided by the government.\n\nMass immunisation of everyone over 50, as well as younger people with pre-existing health conditions, can happen as more stocks become available in 2021.\n\nPfizer confirmed that the first stocks of the vaccine will be for the NHS, which will give them out for free based on clinical need. People in the UK will not be able to bypass this and buy the vaccine privately to jump the queue.\n\nThe vaccine is given as two injections, 21 days apart, with the second dose being a booster. Immunity begins to kick in after the first dose but reaches its full effect seven days after the second dose.\n\nMost of the side effects are very mild, similar to the side effects after any other vaccine and usually last for a day or so, said Prof Sir Munir Pirmohamed, the chairman of the Commission on Human Medicine expert working group.\n\nThe vaccine was 95% effective for all groups in the trials, including elderly people, he said.\n\nThe head of the MHRA, Dr June Raine, said that - despite the speed of approval - no corners have been cut.\n\nBatches of the vaccine will be tested in labs \"so that every single vaccine that goes out meets the same high standards of safety\", she said.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Dr June Raine from the MHRA: \"The safety of the public will always come first\"\n\nGiving the analogy of climbing a mountain, she said: \"If you're climbing a mountain, you prepare and prepare. We started that in June. By the time the interim results became available on 10 November we were at base camp.\n\n\"And then when we got the final analysis we were ready for that last sprint that takes us to today.\"\n\nThe Pfizer/BioNTech was the first vaccine to publish positive early results from final stages of testing.\n\nIt is a new type called an mRNA vaccine that uses a tiny fragment of genetic code from the pandemic virus to teach the body how to fight Covid-19 and build immunity.\n\nAn mRNA vaccine has never been approved for use in humans before, although people have received them in clinical trials.\n\nBecause the vaccine must be stored at around -70C, it will be transported in special boxes of up to 5,000 doses, packed in dry ice.\n\nOnce delivered, it can be kept for up to five days in a fridge. And once out of the fridge it needs to be used within six hours.\n\nOther coronavirus vaccines are also being developed:\n\nThe World Health Organization's Dr David Nabarro said the Pfizer vaccine would not replace the other measures \"for a number of months, even a year, so we'll have to keep doing physical distancing, mask wearing, hygiene and isolating ourselves when we're sick\".\n\nHe told BBC Radio 4's World at One programme \"the vaccine will only start to dent the size of the pandemic somewhat later in the year\".\n\nThe pace has been breathtaking.\n\nFrom an unknown virus at the start of the year to a vaccine approved by the regulator and ready to use in early December is an unprecedented timescale.\n\nAt the Downing Street briefing, the MHRA's chief executive said it was like climbing Everest, with preparations starting in June and a team working \"night and day\" assessing early data and reaching \"base camp\" by early November when Pfizer/BioNtech published the trial results.\n\nAt the same time, the MHRA was adamant that the process had been robust with safety considerations paramount. A rapid emergency approval process was used by the UK regulator.\n\nThe European Medicines Agency is taking longer to reach a view and there has been some sniping from European politicians arguing their processes are more reliable and authoritative.\n\nBut the MHRA is an internationally respected independent watchdog and for now those about to receive the first jabs will rely on its ruling.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "A large explosion has taken place at a waste treatment works in Avonmouth, Bristol.\n\nAvon Fire & Rescue have said there are 'multiple casualties' so far.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. How will I travel home in time for Christmas?\n\nThe mass Covid testing of students, so they can go home safely for the Christmas break, is starting at many universities across the UK.\n\nUniversities are opening temporary testing centres where hundreds of thousands of students will be checked for Covid this week before they leave.\n\nStudents have been asked to take two tests, three days apart.\n\nIf they test negative, many students will leave university in the \"travel window\" starting from 3 December.\n\nBut testing is voluntary and it will not be available in all universities.\n\nThe UCU lecturers' union has warned about the reliability of the testing plans and says there could be \"chaos\".\n\nInshaal says students in Bradford are concerned about bringing back the virus to elderly relatives\n\nCaleb Shaw, a journalism student at the University of the West of England in Bristol, is taking a test on Monday.\n\n\"I know I'm less likely to get seriously ill with it,\" he says, but he wants to get a test to protect his family.\n\n\"If I get a test then I can make sure I don't bring it home to them. It would be stupid to not take advantage of it,\" Caleb says.\n\nThe university is using its sports centre as a temporary testing site until 6 December with 90 staff and students helping with the testing process.\n\nInshaal Ahmad, a students' union sabbatical officer at the University of Bradford, says most students seem supportive of the testing.\n\nA student taking a swab sample at the University of St Andrews\n\nHe says many students at Bradford live in multi-generational households, including older relatives, and want to \"be on the safe side\" and not risk bringing the virus back from university.\n\nTesting at Bradford will continue until 6 December and as with other universities, booking slots for tests will also be a way of staggering the times when students can leave, within the \"travel window\" that ends on 9 December.\n\nThe mass testing is intended to reduce the risk of spreading coronavirus as students travel away from their term-time addresses.\n\nSports halls and rooms on campus are being converted into testing centres, where students will take \"lateral flow\" swab tests, which will provide results within an hour, with the outcome sent by email or text.\n\nCaleb will be among the students taking the Covid test on Monday\n\nTwo tests are recommended to increase accuracy - and students will be expected to travel soon after a second negative result, with students in England and Wales encouraged to leave within 24 hours.\n\nIf students get a positive result, they will have to take another test to confirm - and if they have coronavirus they will have to stay and self-isolate.\n\nMost universities are providing testing - 130 \"expressed an interest\" in taking part in the scheme, according to the Department for Health and Social Care.\n\nBut the National Union of Students says there should be capacity for all students who want a test to get one before Christmas.\n\n\"We are not aware of how universities will decide which students are tested if testing is oversubscribed,\" says the NUS.\n\nThe UCU lecturers' union says the approach to testing has been rushed and confused and the last-minute arrangements will be a \"recipe for chaos\".\n\nThe union said it had \"grave concerns\" and \"testing so many people and following necessary safety measures would be an extremely challenging operation\".\n\nBut not all universities in Northern Ireland are planning to offer testing.\n\n\"Testing will help to break the line of transmission amongst students, especially when they are infected but are not aware of it,\" said Professor Steve West, vice chancellor at the University of the West of England.\n\nBradford's vice chancellor, Professor Shirley Congdon, told students the tests \"offer extra assurance to you, your families, friends and community\".", "Former US presidents Barack Obama, George W Bush and Bill Clinton have volunteered to have their Covid-19 vaccinations be publicly televised.\n\nThe trio of two Democrats and one Republican said they would get the jab once it has been approved by regulators and recommended by US health officials.\n\nThe move is intended to boost public confidence in the safety and efficacy of coronavirus vaccines.\n\nPolls indicate large swathes of the US public are reluctant to get the jab.\n\nA Gallup poll - conducted in October before the results of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine trials were released - showed roughly six in 10 Americans would be willing to take the vaccine, up from a low of 50% in September.\n\nNo vaccination has yet been approved in the US, but government regulators will be examining Pfizer and Moderna's vaccines in the coming weeks.\n\n\"I promise you that when it's been made for people who are less at risk, I will be taking it,\" Mr Obama said in a SiriusXM radio interview on Wednesday.\n\n\"I may end up taking it on TV or having it filmed, just so that people know that I trust this science, and what I don't trust is getting Covid.\"\n\nRepresentatives for Mr Bush and Mr Clinton told CNN that the former presidents - who have banded together in the past - pledged to take the vaccine \"as soon as available\" to them and urged all Americans to do the same.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Not everyone is a fan of injections\n\nPublic health experts have said mass inoculation against the virus could result in herd immunity, an essential step in curbing the spread of the disease.\n\nThe public vaccinations may play into a broader awareness campaign once a vaccine is formally approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.\n\nIn the UK - where the Pfizer vaccine has already been approved - the press secretary to Prime Minister Boris Johnson has suggested he may take the vaccine live on TV to convince others to get it too.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nShoppers have returned to the High Street in England, after non-essential retailers opened their doors at the end of a four-week national lockdown.\n\nA three-tiered system of Covid-19 rules has now come into force in the nation, with gyms and businesses such as hairdressers also able to open.\n\nMore than 55 million people are in the strictest two tiers and cannot mix indoors with those in other households.\n\nThe government said it would \"safeguard the gains made during the past month\".\n\nAt a Downing Street briefing, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he accepted that the tiered system was \"tough\", but insisted that regional restrictions and mass testing were the way to \"keep the virus under control\".\n\nHe said he hoped that places would be able \"to come down the tiers\" before Easter, while stressing that the tier restrictions would continue to be a \"very important\" part of battling coronavirus.\n\nThere were queues outside stores across England early on Wednesday as shoppers returned to High Street giants such as Primark.\n\nAnd people arrived promptly to take advantage of a stock clearance sale at Debenhams department store from 07:00 GMT.\n\nSome retailers are extending their trading hours to try to recoup the loss in sales over the lockdown.\n\nFootfall at UK shops was up by 64.5% compared to last week, but down by 24.1% on the same day last year, according to analyst Springboard.\n\nQueues were seen outside Primark in Birmingham early on Wednesday\n\nA swimmer takes to the water at London's Serpentine Swimming Club as outdoor swimming pools are also allowed to reopen\n\nJordan Roberts, 19, was among a dozen people queuing outside Selfridges in London's Oxford Street before the department store opened its doors - and shoppers were welcomed by store workers dressed as elves on roller skates.\n\nShe said she was there to do her Christmas shopping, adding: \"It feels more enjoyable being in a store and things run out of stock online.\"\n\nAnother London shopper, Tamara Rass, 44, said she hit the stores early as she expected they would be busy.\n\n\"For me, it's a little bit of light at the end of the tunnel and getting back to normality,\" she said.\n\n\"There are things in store that I can't get online and I like to treat my daughter once a month.\"\n\nElsewhere, there were also reports of \"steady\" footfall in England's town centres.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Helen Mole This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Peter Gordon This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nTransport for London said 760,000 journeys were made on the London Underground network on Wednesday from the start of service until 10:00 GMT - up 14% on last week, but only 31% of normal demand.\n\nThere were 970,000 bus journeys made. This was up 8% on last week and 57% of pre-pandemic levels.\n\nBritish Retail Consortium chief executive Helen Dickinson said businesses were looking forward to welcoming back customers, with billions lost in sales during the lockdown, adding \"every purchase we make is a retailer helped, a job protected and a local community supported\".\n\nThe government has also announced that people living in care homes in England will be able to have visits from family and friends by Christmas, if the visitors test negative for coronavirus.\n\nAnd later on Wednesday about 10,000 fans will be allowed into six games in the English Football League for the first time, other than a few pilot games, since March.\n\nEngland's new tiered system was backed by MPs in a Commons vote just hours before it came into effect, despite 55 Tories voting against PM Boris Johnson's plan.\n\nThe latest restrictions are tougher than the previous tier system that was in place before the lockdown was introduced on 5 November.\n\nUnder the system every area of the country is in one of three tiers - medium (one), high (two) and very high (three) - with the vast majority of the population in the higher two tiers.\n\nIn tier two, people are not allowed to mix with anyone outside their household or support bubble indoors, although they can socialise in groups of up to six outdoors.\n\nAnd in tier three, people must also not mix with anyone outside their household or support bubble indoors, or at most outdoor venues.\n\nOn Wednesday, a further 16,170 people tested positive for Covid-19 in the UK, while a further 648 deaths were reported within 28 days of a positive test.\n\nHow are the new tiers affecting you? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch the moment Ranjitsinh Disale found out he'd been named the world's most exceptional teacher\n\nA teacher from a village school in India, praised for improving the education of girls, has won this year's Global Teacher Prize.\n\nBut Ranjitsinh Disale has already given away half of the $1m (£750,000) - sharing it with runners-up in the competition.\n\nA special Covid Hero prize was won by Jamie Frost, a UK teacher who ran a free maths tuition website.\n\nThe winners were announced by Stephen Fry in an online ceremony.\n\nMr Disale, who teaches in the Zilla Parishad Primary School, in the drought-prone village of Paritewadi, in the western Indian state of Maharashtra, was named the world's most exceptional teacher, ahead of 12,000 other nominations.\n\n\"In this hard time, teachers are giving their best to make sure every student has access to their birthright of a good education,\" said Mr Disale, aged 32.\n\nThe prize was announced online by Stephen Fry\n\nTeachers \"always believe in giving and sharing\", he said, and as such was sharing half his prize money among the other teachers shortlisted in the top 10.\n\nMr Disale was praised by the competition's judges for his work to ensure disadvantaged girls went to school and achieved high results - rather than missing out on school and facing early marriage.\n\nHe also provides online science lessons for pupils in 83 countries and runs an international project building connections between young people in conflict zones.\n\nThe Indian teacher runs a project to bring people together across conflict zones\n\n\"The Covid pandemic has dealt a severe blow to education systems around the world… but it is the contribution of teachers during these difficult times that is making the difference,\" said Stefania Giannini, assistant director general of Unesco, a partner in the competition.\n\nSunny Varkey, founder of the Varkey Foundation that set up the teachers' competition, said \"by sharing the prize you teach the world the importance of giving\".\n\nMr Disale's decision to split the prize will mean over £40,000 each for runners-up from countries including Italy, Brazil, Vietnam, Malaysia, Nigeria, South Africa, South Korea, the US and also Jamie Frost from the UK.\n\nJamie Frost's maths website helped pupils studying at home in the lockdown\n\nMr Frost, a teacher from Tiffin School in Kingston-upon-Thames, was commended for his work running the DrFrostMaths online learning platform, which helped families with children trying to study from home during the lockdowns.\n\nHe also won a special one-off Covid Hero prize worth about £34,000.\n\nThe maths teacher warned that the pandemic had widened educational inequalities.\n\n\"That is why I have spent every hour I could adapting my free online learning platform to help students across the globe shut out of their classrooms,\" said Mr Frost.\n\nPrime Minister Boris Johnson praised the \"creativity and ingenuity\" of Mr Frost and the winning teachers.\n\n\"Although I'm speaking to you in difficult and sometimes heartbreaking circumstances, it's right that we take time to recognise the enormous contribution and sacrifice of the world's teachers during this pandemic,\" said Mr Johnson.\n\nNext year there will also be a prize for students, run with the US educational technology firm, Chegg.", "Struggling engineering firm BiFab has been put into administration after failing to secure any new contracts.\n\nIt comes despite the firm, which has plants in Fife and Lewis, receiving £52m from the Scottish government.\n\nHowever, BiFab said it had been unable to compete with yards owned or subsidised by governments in and outside the EU.\n\nThe firm had been seen as the best hope for offshore wind manufacturing in Scotland.\n\nIn a statement, the firm said: \"BiFab can confirm that the board has agreed to place the company in administration following the Scottish government's decision to remove contract assurances.\n\n\"The company has worked tirelessly to bring jobs into Fife and Lewis with some success.\n\n\"However, the absence of supply chain protections in Scotland and the wider UK have consistently undermined our ability to compete with government-owned and government-supported yards outside and inside the European Union.\n\n\"We would urge the Scottish and UK governments to address these structural challenges as a matter of urgency in order to ensure that the benefits of offshore renewables are shared more widely with communities across the country.\"\n\nThe steel fabrication firm, which has yards in Methil and Burntisland in Fife, and Lewis, was rescued by the Scottish government in 2017 and was acquired by Canada-based JV Driver the following year, with the company believing the Scottish government would be the \"primary financiers\".\n\nHowever, a £2bn deal to manufacture eight wind turbine jackets at its yards in Methil as part of the Neart Na Gaoithe (NnG) project collapsed last month, and the UK and Scottish governments said they had no legal route to provide further financial support to the company.\n\nA joint statement by trade unions GMB Scotland and Unite said BiFab's administration exposed the \"myth of Scotland's renewables revolution as well as a decade of political hypocrisy and failure, in Scotland and the rest of the UK.\"\n\nGMB Scotland secretary Gary Smith and Unite Scotland secretary Pat Rafferty added that the workers and communities dependent on the yards had \"fought so hard for a future\".\n\n\"Shamefully the Scottish government has buried these hopes just in time for Christmas and they have worked together with UK government in doing so,\" they said.\n\n\"A decade on from the promise of a 'Saudi Arabia of renewables' and 28,000 full time jobs in offshore wind manufacturing, we've been left with industrial ruins in Fife and Lewis.\"\n\nEconomy Secretary Fiona Hyslop said the Scottish government had worked for more than three years to support BiFab and remained committed to securing a future for the yards and the workforce.\n\nShe acknowledged that it was \"extremely worrying\" for workers and said the government would continue to do everything possible to support them.\n\nShe added that as a minority shareholder, the Scottish government had been \"exhaustive\" in its considerations of support options and said there was no legal route for either the Scottish or UK governments to provide further financial support.\n\n\"In order to successfully secure and deliver new contracts, BiFab required working capital, the provision of appropriate assurance packages by the shareholders, and plans for investment at the sites,\" she said. \"Despite commitments made at the time of acquisition, this is something the majority shareholder JV Driver was not willing to provide to secure future work.\"\n\nAt First Minister's Questions, Nicola Sturgeon said she \"deeply regretted\" and was \"deeply disappointed\" by the developments.\n\n\"We were not able to legally provide the additional support BiFab was seeking,\" she said. \"Had the majority shareholder been prepared to invest, that may have been different.\"\n\nThe best that can be said of BiFab going bust is that few workers stand to lose their jobs, as the yards have spent three years getting little more than necessary maintenance.\n\nSo not many hurt? Well, this goes much deeper than immediate job losses, and beyond 400-plus jobs that could have come from the contract it won.\n\nThe yards are totemic: they have been a vital sign that Scotland could gain from manufacturing for the green energy revolution. Without factories to build turbines or towers, though they were promised, there's now little prospect for steel fabrication - one product Scots made well for the offshore oil industry. If there was a strategy, it failed, repeatedly.\n\nFor platforms and turbines to be located off the coast of Fife, Angus and Aberdeenshire, it's cheaper to build in Asia, the Middle East and Spain. Scottish yards lacked the government support and subsidy that their rivals get. But that's too easy an excuse. They also lack the scale and efficiency of competitors, which required investment - public, private or both.\n\nSo what's being done about that? We're due to get a new manufacturing strategy from the Scottish government, imminently. The UK government has been talking about industrial strategy, with its focus on the north of England. Both will have a lot of heavy lifting to do if they're to raise the Scottish and UK game in industrial competitiveness.\n\nLast week, BiFab said the Canadian owner had repeatedly offered to offload shares to the government at no cost. It said this would give the Scottish government - which owns a third of the company - more flexibility to back it.\n\nIt said ministers' statements about it had been inaccurate or untruthful and JV Driver had agreed to become involved on the understanding that ministers would provide most of the finance required to win new contracts.\n\nA joint working group has been set up with the UK government to explore how existing policy measures can be used to strengthen the renewables and clean energy supply chain in Scotland.\n\nOn Wednesday, MSPs voted to \"condemn\" the Scottish government's decision to withdraw financial guarantees and to call on them to \"act now to secure the future\" of the yards.\n\nThe motion, which was passed by 61-60, said the government was \"risking Scotland's reputation as a green investment hub\".\n\nSTUC general secretary Roz Foyer said the announcement was the latest stage in a \"sorry saga of government and corporate failure with the victims being workers and their families from Fife to the Islands\".\n\nScottish Greens energy spokesman Mark Ruskell said the news showed a \"major dereliction of the Scottish government's duties on jobs and a green recovery\" and made \"a mockery\" of their claims to have saved BiFab eight months ago.\n\nScottish Labour economy spokesman Alex Rowley said: \"This terrible news will come as a hammer blow to workers across Scotland and exposes the fraud that is the SNP's claims of a renewables revolution.\"\n\nScottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie said: \"The SNP government's incompetence has left an industrial wasteland. This was a golden opportunity to connect our battle against climate change with jobs in industrial communities across the country, but the government has wasted over £52m creating a couple of hundred temporary jobs.\"", "Education has been \"completely disrupted\" by the sheer scale of Covid absences in some schools in some areas, Ofsted regional bosses have warned.\n\nThe regional directors for North-West England and the West Midlands say the impact of rules around self-isolation has significantly impacted attendance.\n\nThey highlight areas where hundreds of pupils are absent and self-isolating at a time, some again and again.\n\nOfsted says some areas will have seen relatively little impact this term.\n\nThe latest official figures for overall attendance in England show 22% of pupils in secondary schools were absent last Thursday.\n\nThis was the same as the previous week, when figures also showed at least some pupils being sent home in 75% of schools.\n\nThe comments from these regional directors working with schools in hard-hit areas, come days before England's ministers are due to set out plans for public exams in the summer of 2021.\n\nJames McNeillie, who oversees West Midlands for Ofsted, meets regularly with groups of head teachers.\n\nHe said: \"I had one head teacher with schools in Dudley and Sandwell. Across three schools, there were 1,000 pupils self-isolating and 14 members of staff self-isolating.\n\n\"And he told me he had dealt with four Covid cases by 10 in the morning.\n\n\"That's the kind of messages we are getting about the impact on pupils and teachers.\"\n\nAndrew Cook, who overseas North-West England which has had some of the highest Covid rates in the country, said there were significant concerns about attendance in areas around Liverpool. Oldham and Greater Manchester.\n\n\"There are schools where 40% of staff are off - either self-isolating or having tested positive. The huge impact of self-isolation has a significant impact on attendance.\n\n\"Schools are struggling because the number of staff they have had to send home - that impacts their ability to keep schools open.\n\n\"Attendance was fairly stable at the beginning of term but its started to decline,\" he said.\n\nMr Cook added that there was one local authority where the whole of Year 11 (GCSE year) had only been in school for two weeks before half term because they were repeatedly having to isolate as a bubble.\n\nIt would be extremely difficult to keep lessons flowing in such a situation, he said.\n\nHe added that those pupils who were persistently absent - often those who were most vulnerable before the pandemic - were starting to stay away again.\n\nAnd that parental confidence in school safety was often being shaken when cases or suspected cases emerged.\n\nHe added: \"The impact on education is going to be significant. There will be some schools that have been hit hardest and with repeated episodes and that is going to completely disrupt their learning.\"\n\nBut he said schools had worked incredibly hard to provide learning online.\n\nLooking forward to the way public exams are to be held this year, both directors said it had to be fair.\n\nMr McNeillie said: \"Whatever it is that's decided by central government and Ofqual [the exams watchdog] - it has to be something that is fair for all.\"\n\nMr Cook agreed, adding that schools and head teachers were very focussed on exam groups and were trying to support them as much as possible.\n\nBoth directors paid tribute to teaching staff and heads, saying they had been doing an amazing job.\n\nData which I've seen exclusively suggests that even across the north of England some areas are recovering better than other.\n\nSo the proportion of schools with cases is lower in Blackpool at below 30%, than Oldham or Rochdale where it remained above 40% last week.\n\nOther places have suddenly been hit by the impact of the virus, with 16 schools in Kent reported closed recently. All of this makes it much harder to find a way of recognising lost learning for those facing exams.\n\nGeoff Barton, head of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: \"The health secretary yesterday said the national lockdown had helped to bring coronavirus back under control.\n\n\"It will not feel like that in many schools which continue to operate under very difficult circumstances because of the impact of the pandemic.\n\n\"We are particularly concerned about the final week of term when any positive cases will result in many children and staff having to self-isolate over Christmas in line with Covid protocols.\n\n\"We are pressing the government to allow schools to move to partial or full remote learning during that week if they feel this would help address the situation.\"\n\nBut a Department for Education spokesperson said it was a national priority to keep education settings open full-time.\n\nThis was supported by the Chief Medical Officer, Chris Whitty, who has highlighted the damage caused by not being in education to children's learning, development and mental health, he said.\n\n\"Schools, colleges and early years settings across the country have worked extremely hard to remain open, implementing safety measures and scaling up remote education provision for those children who are self-isolating, with approximately 99% of schools open each week since the start of term.\"\n\nHowever, National Association of Head Teachers general secretary Paul Whiteman said pupils and teacher attendance figures was fluctuating massively and head teachers were doing their best to help pupils catch up whilst keeping their schools running.\n\nBut he said they were \"operating largely in the dark\" because the government was dragging its heals on crucial announcements.", "Can the smartphone revolution help us predict what impact new green technology will have?\n\nYou're probably reading this on your phone. If not, take it out your pocket and look at it.\n\nIt's a smartphone, isn't it? Think how often you use it and all the useful things it helps you do. Now, think back. How long since you bought your first smartphone?\n\nIt will be about 10 years, most likely a bit less. Not long. Yet they are now ubiquitous: virtually everyone, everywhere has one and uses it for hours every day.\n\nIt shows how quickly new technology can take off. The original iPhone was only introduced in 2007 and - bizarre as it now seems - it wasn't regarded as revolutionary back then.\n\nCheck out this Forbes magazine cover published nine months after the iPhone was released.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by @mikko This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nAnd Forbes wasn't alone. The iPhone was just \"one more entrant into an already very busy space,\" according to the boss of the company that made Blackberrys. Remember them?\n\nNot only have smartphones crushed all other phone technologies, they have upended dozens of other industries too. They've killed the camera and powered the rise of social media and dating apps. They've decimated the traditional taxi industry.\n\nSo what has this got to do with energy?\n\nIt proves an important point about all successful new technologies: it is easy to see why they were so transformative in hindsight, much harder to predict how they will reshape our world in advance.\n\nWhich brings me to green technology - wind turbines, electric vehicles, solar panels and batteries, that kind of thing.\n\nIf you still think adopting these new technologies will be an expensive chore, think again.\n\nGreen tech is at a tipping point where it could take off explosively - just like the smartphone did. And, just like the smartphone, it could bring a revolution in how we do much more than just create energy.\n\nGreen technologies, such as solar, are at a tipping point\n\nSo why did the smartphone do so well?\n\nIts success was down to a unique convergence of technologies. For the first time, touchscreens, batteries, data networks, compact computer chips, micro-sensors and more were cheap, reliable and small enough to make a $600 (£460) smartphone possible.\n\nAnd as demand for smartphones picked up, manufacturers learned how to make those technologies even cheaper and better too.\n\nSomething similar is now happening with green tech.\n\nAfter years of development, it is becoming much cheaper and more effective. The world's best solar power schemes are now the \"cheapest source of electricity in history\", the International Energy Agency (IEA), which analyses energy markets, said this month.\n\n\"Renewable energy is likely to penetrate the energy system more quickly than any fuel ever seen in history,\" predicts Spencer Dale, the chief economist at the oil giant BP.\n\nAnd BP is putting its money where Mr Dale's mouth is. It's pledged to cut its oil and gas production by 40% in the next 10 years, and to plough money into developing its low-carbon business instead.\n\nMeanwhile, Boris Johnson, the UK Prime Minister, announced a £160m investment that he said would see offshore wind producing more than half of current UK electricity demand by 2030.\n\nThat's right. An investment of just £160m in offshore wind when the new nuclear plant at Hinkley Point, in Somerset, is costing at least £22.5 billion.\n\nHow is it so cheap? Because the UK government won't be paying for the new wind turbines, the private sector will.\n\nIn the UK, offshore wind will soon be profitable without subsidy. Indeed, developers may soon have to pay for access to our continental shelf.\n\nThink what that means. You don't need governments offering inducements for companies to build new renewable power, they'll be paying us for the privilege of doing so.\n\nChina has said it will cut carbon emissions to net zero by 2060\n\nBut that is just the beginning. What happens when the world doubles down on cutting carbon?\n\nThe European Union has already signed up to a €1tn-plus green stimulus plan. China says it is on board too.\n\nAt the United Nations' General Assembly meeting in New York this month, Chinese President Xi Jinping made an unconditional commitment that China would cut its carbon emissions to net zero by 2060.\n\nJapan and South Korea both announced a 2050 net zero pledge this week, and if Joe Biden wins the American presidential election, he has similarly ambitious carbon cutting plans.\n\nBoth Biden and the EU have warned they will introduce carbon tariffs to penalise countries that haven't abated emissions selling high-carbon products in their markets.\n\nThat'll be a powerful encouragement for the rest of the world to follow suit. But even if they don't, we'd have America, China and Europe - half of world emissions and more than half of world GDP - doubling down on cutting carbon.\n\nThat means even more investment in wind, solar, batteries, electric cars, electrolysis, carbon capture and storage, and any other green technology you can think of.\n\nJust like with the smartphone, it becomes a virtuous cycle.\n\n\"What we've seen up to now is called a learning curve,\" explains Spencer Dale. \"The more you produce something, the better you get at producing it.\"\n\nAs the amount of solar and wind capacity in the world has doubled and doubled again, the costs have steadily fallen - something documented by the clean tech advocate Ramez Naam.\n\n\"And at the moment there doesn't seem to be any sign that those learning curves are flattening out,\" says Mr Dale.\n\nIf he's right, then costs will continue to fall, making renewables increasingly competitive, which in turn will lead to more investment and more renewable power. You get the idea.\n\nThe big challenge with renewables is what they call in the trade \"intermittency\" - the fact that you don't get any power when the sun doesn't shine or the wind doesn't blow. It is a big problem. Nobody wants the power to go off.\n\nRethinkX, an American think tank specialising in blue-skies thinking on the future of industries, says we need to change our whole mindset about how we generate power.\n\nWe are used to worrying about the costs of overcapacity - producing more power than is needed. That's because the fuel used to generate power is expensive.\n\nNot so with renewables. Once you've built them, the power they generate from the wind and sun comes virtually free of charge.\n\nRethinkX says this will do to energy what the internet and smartphones have done to data. Thirty years ago there was an inherent physical cost to every newspaper printed or photo taken. Now that everything is digital, the only limit on how much we read or post on Instagram is the number of hours in our day.\n\nRethinkX argues that instead of simply replacing existing fossil fuel plants with wind and solar - and then worrying about the cost of plugging those big intermittency gaps - we should just build more and more and more wind and solar, perhaps several times the capacity of the existing electricity grid.\n\nRemember, the more we build, the cheaper it gets. So long as we spread them over a wide enough area we'll always get some power. And we can plug the few small gaps remaining with batteries or other power plants.\n\nAnd here's the thing. On sunny and windy days we'll have a huge surplus of electricity at pretty much no extra cost.\n\nWhat could you do with huge amounts of cheap power?\n\nYou'll certainly want to use it to make more wind turbines and solar panels. But what about electrolysing water to produce hydrogen that can heat homes, power trucks and ships, or make steel? You could power machines to take carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.\n\nOr how about a plant to make carbon-neutral aviation fuel from that hydrogen and carbon dioxide? Or a desalination plant to irrigate a desert? RethinkX even suggests the power could be used to mine for cryptocurrencies.\n\nThe point is this: the cost of energy is a key constraint in virtually everything we do. So new industries are likely rise up to make use of this plentiful power.\n\nObviously they'll have to pay something for this bounty and that'll mean the power that boils your kettle and charges your electric car will be cheaper too.\n\nOf course, we are a long way from this utopia. The chances are this vision of unlimited, virtually cost-free energy, may not come to pass - or at least not in the 10-year timeframe they predict.\n\nThe sheer physical challenge of building so much new infrastructure means it will take time to build up the supply chains and raw materials needed, and there may be limits to how much solar and wind some countries can harness.\n\nBut the central point remains: there are powerful forces driving down the cost of renewable technologies that upend the traditional narrative of decarbonisation.\n\nContrary to what we are normally told, switching to low-carbon energy doesn't have to be an onerous obligation that will impoverish us and make life less exciting.\n\nInstead, it could open up a world of new opportunities, new businesses and livelihoods. And what's more, this could all happen quite soon.\n\nSpencer Dale quotes the eminent German economist, Rudi Dornbusch who said: \"In economics, things take longer to happen than you think they will, and then they happen faster than you thought they could.\"\n\nAnd if you don't believe that, just think about all the changes your smartphone has helped bring about in the world.\n\nI've travelled all over the world for the BBC and seen evidence of environmental damage and climate change everywhere. It's the biggest challenge humanity has ever faced. Tackling it means changing how we do virtually everything. We are right to be anxious and afraid at the prospect, but I reckon we should also see this as a thrilling story of exploration, and I'm delighted to have been given the chance of a ringside seat as chief environment correspondent.", "Last updated on .From the section European Football\n\nManchester United's Champions League campaign is hanging in the balance as two goals from Neymar helped Paris St-Germain secure victory at Old Trafford.\n\nMarcus Rashford had cancelled out the Brazilian's early opener with his third goal in four games against the French outfit.\n\nBut Marquinos' excellent second-half finish put the visitors back in front and after United midfielder Fred had been sent off for a foul on Ander Herrera, Neymar tapped home his 38th Champions League goal.\n\nThe result leaves United level with PSG and RB Leipzig on nine points in Group H and knowing they need a draw away to the German side next Tuesday to progress to the last 16.\n• None 'Maybe I should have taken off Fred'\n• None Who needs what to reach Champions League knockout stage?\n\nIn the build-up to the game, PSG boss Thomas Tuchel admitted Rashford had become \"a little bit annoying\".\n\nThe sentiment was perfectly understandable given two seasons ago the England forward scored the injury-time penalty that knocked PSG out, even though they had won the first leg of their last-16 tie 2-0 at Old Trafford.\n\nRashford was also responsible for United's 87th-minute winner in the French capital on matchday one.\n\nSo it is fair to assume Tuchel's view only hardened when Rashford's shot - after Kaylor Navas had pushed away an Anthony Martial effort - completely wrong-footed the keeper and ended up in the bottom corner.\n\nThe goal equalised Neymar's well-taken sixth-minute effort and took Rashford's tally in this season's competition to six, level with the likes of Erling Haaland and former United team-mate Romelu Lukaku.\n\nHad Martial not blazed over when presented with an open goal when the second half was still in its infancy, or had he finished off the rebound when Edinson Cavani's delicate chip came back off the crossbar, rather than blast it into Marquinos, PSG might have had the life sucked out of them.\n\nAs it was, they were the ones building up a head of steam when Ander Herrera's off-target shot was turned into Marquinos' path and he put them back in front.\n\nUnited did push for an equaliser and substitute Paul Pogba came close when he volleyed over from the edge of the area but, with an extra man, PSG always had the edge and after Kylian Mbappe had fired wide, Neymar finished the hosts off.\n\nWith 38 goals he is now two behind Sergio Aguero, who is the second highest South American goalscorer in the competition.\n\nMajor question marks will hang over Solskjaer after this result.\n\nWhile the United boss can legitimately argue the caution that got Fred sent off was debatable - he screamed for a VAR check but they do not intervene on yellow card decisions - he can barely claim the Brazilian did not deserve to be sent off at some point in the game.\n\nThe biggest flashpoint came when he clashed with Leandro Paredes shortly before Rashford's equaliser.\n\nAs the pair faced off, Fred appeared to push his head towards Paredes, who went down clutching his face. Italian referee Daniele Orsati went to the screen to check what had happened but, to Tuchel's disbelief, only issued a yellow card.\n\nWhen the same pair came together again shortly afterwards, Orsati ruled Paredes was the aggressor and cautioned him, even though Fred ended up standing on his opponent.\n\nGiven an angry Neymar went to the referee for a long chat at half-time, after he was pulled away from Scott McTominay, it felt an obvious decision to replace Fred, particularly as Solskjaer had five substitutes at his disposal.\n\nInstead, Fred returned for the second period, leaving his manager to face the consequences, with PSG's official Twitter feed announcing 'finally' as the Brazilian made his way prematurely to the dressing rooms.\n• None The away side have won all four Uefa Champions League matches between Manchester United and Paris St-Germain. Excluding games played at neutral venues, it's the first fixture in the competition's history to see the first four meetings all won by the away side.\n• None Manchester United have now lost more of their eight home games in all competitions this season (4) than they did in 28 matches at Old Trafford last term (3).\n• None Manchester United have lost four of their past seven Champions League home games (W3), as many as in their previous 52 matches beforehand.\n• None PSG have won both of their past two away matches against English opposition in all competitions (both v Man Utd); they had only won one of their first 10 such visits before this (D4 L5).\n• None Both of Manchester United's last two Champions League red cards have come at home to PSG (Pogba the other in February 2019) - their only two such meetings with the French side.\n• None Man Utd's Fred was the 49th different Brazilian player to receive a Champions League red card; only France has had more different players sent off in the competition's history (55).\n• None At 05:45, Neymar's opener for PSG was the earliest Champions League goal conceded by Manchester United since September 2015, when Daniel Caligiuri scored against them after 03:53 for Wolfsburg.\n• None Since his Uefa Champions League debut in 2013, only Cristiano Ronaldo (79), Robert Lewandowski (60) and Lionel Messi (59) have more goals in the competition than PSG's Neymar (38). However, his double was the Brazilian's first goals in his six Champions League matches away to English clubs.\n• None Marcus Rashford has scored more goals in five Uefa Champions League games for Man Utd this season (6) than he managed in 18 appearances in the competition across his two previous seasons, 2017-18 and 2018-19 (5).\n• None Rashford is the first Man Utd player to score in all three of their home games in a single group stage in the Uefa Champions League since Ruud van Nistelrooy in 2004-05. Indeed, he is just the second Englishman to score six Champions League goals in a single group stage for any side, after Harry Kane in both 2017-18 and 2019-20 (six in both).\n\nManchester United travel to West Ham in the Premier League on Saturday (17:30 GMT). That game is set to be the first top-flight match to have fans since March.\n• None Goal! Manchester United 1, Paris Saint Germain 3. Neymar (Paris Saint Germain) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Rafinha.\n• None Substitution, Paris Saint Germain. Idrissa Gueye replaces Abdou Diallo because of an injury.\n• None Attempt missed. Kylian Mbappé (Paris Saint Germain) left footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Ander Herrera following a fast break.\n• None Attempt blocked. Harry Maguire (Manchester United) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Alex Telles with a cross.\n• None Attempt saved. Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United) header from the left side of the six yard box is saved in the top left corner.\n• None Offside, Paris Saint Germain. Mitchel Bakker tries a through ball, but Kylian Mbappé is caught offside. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page\n• None Fast-living, expensive exploits and fallouts await in this hit new drama\n• None The former president on his cautious optimism for the future and more", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The couple spoke to BBC Scotland's The Nine about moving to the island\n\nIt is a bold move to set up home in a new place but it takes real bravery to throw your belongings in a van and set out for life on a remote island you have never even visited.\n\nBristol couple Alex Mumford and Buffy Cracknell have dropped everything to start a new adventure living and working in a tiny community on the Isle of Rum, 30 miles off the Scottish mainland.\n\nBack in August the Isle of Rum Community Trust made a call for new residents and the pair were among hundreds who applied.\n\nThis week they finally made it to the place they had only ever googled.\n\nFour days after arriving on the island and mastering the log burner, the couple were still smiling\n\n\"Both of us have always enjoyed being in the middle of nowhere, and when we went away to New Zealand last year we knew it was something we wanted to do long-term and when this came up, we knew this would be something we could enjoy,\" Alex told BBC Scotland's The Nine.\n\n\"Life on Rum will be wet, but there will also be a lot of community life which is something we are really looking forward to,\" said Buffy.\n\n\"Nature, being able to go on long walks, see lots of wildlife and being able to go out the door and walk without having to get into the car.\n\n\"Because its a small community there will be a nice aspect of knowing everyone. In Bristol we didn't get to know people.\"\n\nAlex and Buffy's eco house is in a development of four properties which have all been filled with young families\n\nRum, one of the Small Isles in the Inner Hebrides, has a population of between 30 and 40, depending on the time of year and seasonal workers.\n\nJust two children attend its primary school.\n\nLife on the island is literally \"off-grid\" and small hydro-electric schemes provide power.\n\nFor many years it has been difficult for potential settlers to consider moving there without a job offer and a home to move into.\n\nThe community trust decided to change that by sourcing funding to build four new eco homes with high quality fibre broadband in the village of Kinloch, and then invited people to come and rent them.\n\nThe appeal asked for \"individuals or families keen to fit in to the island way of life\" and people with a trade, a skill or other business which would help diversify and grow the local economy.\n\nFamilies with children were particularly welcome, with the two school pupils keen to make new friends.\n\nMore than 4,000 inquiries came, and 440 serious applications were made.\n\nRum has a population of between 30 and 40 with more people in the summer months, but that has now been boosted with 14 new arrivals\n\nFrom the massive response, four couples were selected, three from England and one from Scotland, with six children between them.\n\nThe project, five years in the making, saw three of the new families move in this week and one more to arrive over the weekend.\n\nSteve Robertson, the island's development officer, said: \"We have six new kids, all under eight which is wonderful. They are all starting to find their feet and things are starting to slot into place.\n\n\"We desperately needed new people to help Rum become a outward-looking, dynamic island and it is great to have these little bright sparks running around.\n\n\"The new young families will play a crucial role in sharing the load in the future of the island.\n\n\"There are challenges - the ferry and the remoteness, but there are lots of positives to living on an island.\"\n\nAlex and Buffy tried to visit but, as they started their journey north, the second English lockdown was called. Their final decision to move was based on a lot of internet research.\n\nAlex said: \"During lockdown we were stuck in the Bristol flat thinking we should be doing more than that. And the opportunity to live somewhere like this, we found it and we just went for it.\n\n\"Life's too short to hold back. Take that step and go for it. If it doesn't work we'll do something else, we have each other. We have put the hard work in and we are coming to it wholeheartedly.\"\n\nJust the general view on way to the local store\n\nThe couple have been on the island for less than a week and tried to be as prepared as they could.\n\nThey arrived with 27 tins of beans and 12 tins of chopped tomatoes.\n\nAlex, a qualified childcare worker, is hoping to work in the school and get involved in a new nursery next year. Buffy will continue her work in content, websites and marketing.\n\nBoth are preparing to turn their hobbies - cooking, baking and knitting - into ways to generate income.\n\nAnd the long-term plan is to boost the school roll.\n\nAlex and Buffy have enjoyed exploring their new home\n\nAlex said: \"I think children - if we are going to have them - it's going to be in a place like this. We are looking at that long term. We hope this is a long-term move, I have flitted about places for too long.\"\n\nBuffy agrees: \"Now we are here the reality has set in - what we need to do. But we know we can do it. We are not prepared for the midges yet but we still have time.\"\n\nAnd she is still in awe at her new surroundings\n\n\"Literally right now there are two stags about 100m away from the window,\" she said.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Williamson: 'We are a much better country' for approving vaccine\n\nThe UK is getting a coronavirus vaccine first because it is a \"much better country\" than France, Belgium and the US, says the education secretary.\n\nSome UK ministers claim Brexit speeded the process up - but Gavin Williamson said it was down to having superior medical experts.\n\nOn Wednesday the UK's medical regulator was the first to approve the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for use.\n\nThe EU said it was \"definitely not in the game of comparing regulators\".\n\nA source close to Mr Williamson said that his intention had been to \"praise the scientific brilliance of the regulator, but he is known to be enthusiastically patriotic and that enthusiasm clearly shone through in what was a broadly light-hearted conversation with the studio host\".\n\nThe Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency's decision means the vaccine will start to be rolled out to the most vulnerable people from next week.\n\nPeople will need two doses, three weeks apart, so the vaccination project is expected to take several months to complete.\n\nSpeaking to LBC radio on Thursday, Mr Williamson said: \"I just reckon we've got the very best people in this country and we've obviously got the best medical regulator, much better than the French have, much better than the Belgians have, much better than the Americans have.\n\n\"That doesn't surprise me at all, because we're a much better country than every single one of them.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. BBC's Laura Foster explains the order in which the Covid vaccine will be given\n\nHe said the UK had a \"real competitive advantage, but do you know who it's down to? It's down to those brilliant, brilliant clinicians in the regulator who've made it happen so fast, so our thanks go out to them because by doing what they've done, they're going to have saved lives.\"\n\nBut European Commission spokesman Eric Mamer said the MHRA's experts are \"very good\" but \"we are definitely not in the game of comparing regulators across countries, nor on commenting on claims as to who is better\".\n\n\"This is not a football competition, we are talking about the life and health of people,\" he said.\n\nConservative peer Lord Forsyth said it was \"disappointing to see some folk trying to make political capital out of the brilliant vaccine news\".\n\n\"Frankly it's just unseemly and we should just be united in our thanks to those responsible for this breakthrough and the hope it brings to every person on the planet,\" the former Scotland Secretary wrote in a tweet.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Michael Forsyth This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nAnd some have expressed concern that the UK approved the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine too quickly.\n\nDr Anthony Fauci, who is leading the response to the pandemic in the US, told Fox News that the US Food and Drug Administration was being more careful. and suggested the UK's process had been \"rushed\".\n\n\"The way the FDA is, our FDA is doing it, is the correct way,\" Dr Fauci said. \"We really scrutinize the data very carefully to guarantee to the American public that this is a safe and efficacious vaccine.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Dr Fauci told the BBC: \"I have a great deal of confidence in what the UK does both scientifically and from a regulator standpoint\"\n\nBut he later rowed back on his claims, saying he had a \"great deal of confidence\" in the UK's scientific and regulatory standards and he had not meant to \"imply any sloppiness even though it came out that way\".\n\n\"Our process is one that takes more time than it takes in the UK,\" he told the BBC. \"And that's just the reality.\"\n\nBoth the MHRA and the EU have rejected Health Secretary Matt Hancock's claim that Brexit allowed the UK to \"speed up\" doing \"all the same safety checks and the same processes\" as the EU.\n\nThe MHRA's chief executive, Dr June Raine, said on Wednesday that \"we have been able to authorise the supply of this vaccine using provisions under European law, which exist until 1 January\".", "The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall visited the Soho Theatre\n\nThe Prince of Wales has said he is \"praying\" more entertainment venues can reopen soon, after a theatre visit to watch an actress perform in a break from her day job in a supermarket.\n\nPrince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall visited Soho Theatre to show their support for London's arts scene.\n\nSome venues in the capital are now reopening after the latest lockdown.\n\nThe royal couple saw Natasha Marshall perform part of her play Half Breed, still wearing her Morrisons uniform.\n\n\"I've got to go back later, so it was easier to keep it on, I'll be in such a rush,\" Marshall told the prince and the duchess.\n\n\"It's such a pleasure to meet you. The theatre has supported me so much I jumped at the chance to perform today.\"\n\nNatasha Marshall's play Half Breed had a run at the Soho Theatre in 2017\n\nPrince Charles replied: \"That's marvellous, such dedication. I really enjoyed the performance and I am praying all of you can open soon. I wish you every success.\"\n\nSoho Theatre is where Fleabag's Phoebe Waller-Bridge began her career, and is the setting for a series of new stand-up comedy specials on Amazon Prime.\n\nPrince Charles and Camilla also visited one of London's most famous music venues, the 100 Club, where acts like the Rolling Stones, the Sex Pistols and Oasis have performed over the years.\n\nSome gig venues and theatres are beginning to reopen for socially-distanced performances after London went into tier two following the lifting of England's lockdown on Wednesday.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. \"We're starting to come back!\" – actress Jenny Seagrove told BBC Breakfast she's excited to return to the stage\n\nOne of the first West End plays to open is Love Letters starring Martin Shaw and Jenny Seagrove, which begins at the Theatre Royal Haymarket later.\n\nThe two-hander had a short run in Windsor before the latest lockdown, when Seagrove said it felt \"so emotional\" to be back on stage.\n\n\"It's just so exciting because it means we're starting to come back,\" she told BBC Breakfast on Thursday.\n\n\"And not just actors and performers and directors, but the make-up girls, the hair girls, the costume people, the technicians - everybody who's just been sitting there for however many months. It feels like a lifetime.\"\n\nPrince Charles and Camilla added their signatures to the 100 Club dressing room's wall\n\nOther West End shows opening this week include a staged concert version of Les Miserables starring Michael Ball, Alfie Boe and Carrie Hope Fletcher; and A Christmas Carol with Brian Conley, Jacqueline Jossa and a 24-piece orchestra.\n\nThis weekend will also see the return of Six the Musical and the opening of Death Drop, which is described as a \"Dragatha Christie murder mystery\", starring drag artist Courtney Act.\n\n\"It's exciting. We have been rehearsing for the last couple of weeks,\" Act told the PA news agency.\n\n\"I know everybody has been locked at home but we have been being nasally penetrated twice a week and temperature checked every day in our little rehearsal bubble.\"\n\nVinegar Strokes and Courtney Act will star in Death Drop at the Garrick Theatre in London\n\nThe production has faced challenges like how to portray a murder on stage while maintaining social distancing.\n\nAct said: \"Murder from 1.5m is challenging. There is a slapping scene where we ask the audience to further suspend their disbelief.\"\n\nFurther planned openings next week include The Play That Goes Wrong, Everybody's Talking About Jamie and Pantoland at the Palladium.\n\nMany theatres in tier two areas are also opening their festive shows, but venues in tier three areas are not allowed to open. Tier three covers many big cities like Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle, Sheffield, Bristol and Leeds.\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "Daryl Bunn's family and fiancée have been left devastated by his death, police said\n\nA man who launched an unprovoked attack on a husband-to-be has been convicted of his manslaughter.\n\nDaryl Bunn, 27, was attacked in Maldon, Essex, after a meeting to discuss best man speeches at another friend's wedding.\n\nChelmsford Crown Court heard Sonny Hazell, 25, knocked him to the ground with a single punch, inflicting a traumatic brain injury.\n\nHazell was found guilty of the 29 June 2019 killing after a trial.\n\nMr Bunn had met his friend and fellow best man earlier that afternoon before meeting up with another group at two pubs.\n\nAs the men made their way home they \"became involved in an altercation\" outside a branch of Iceland, the force said.\n\nMr Bunn hit his head on the ground, causing a traumatic brain injury.\n\nHe was airlifted to hospital in Cambridge where he died eight days later.\n\nDet Ch Insp Lee Morton said: \"The case shows that any act of violence can lead to someone being seriously injured and even killed.\n\n\"Daryl Bunn's death was needless and completely avoidable, and his family and fiancée have been left devastated.\n\n\"They have been in court throughout the trial and heard how Daryl did nothing to instigate or provoke the incident that led to him losing his life.\"\n\nMr Bunn's family previously said they had been left \"totally heartbroken\".\n\n\"Everyone who knew him would say what a lovely, beautiful soul he had inside and out, with a heart of gold, and he will be truly missed,\" they said in a statement.\n\nHazell and Jordan Hooper, 24, of Princes Avenue, Southminster were cleared of a grievous bodily harm charge in relation to Mr Bunn's friend, who suffered a broken jaw.\n\nHazell, of Waterside Road, Southminster, near Maldon, is due to be sentenced on 8 January.\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Doctors may have made \"do not resuscitate\" decisions on a blanket basis in the first wave of the pandemic, the care watchdog has warned.\n\nThe Care Quality Commission (CQC) said it saw a jump in complaints between March and September.\n\nDo not attempt resuscitation (DNAR) decisions may have been used inappropriately when care services were under extreme pressure, it found.\n\nBlanket use of DNARs was \"totally unacceptable\", an NHS spokeswoman said.\n\nDNAR orders refer to cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), so do not cover any other type of treatment someone needs for their condition or care that helps people feel comfortable and pain-free.\n\nOnly 15% to 20% of those who undergo in hospital survive, with survival rates dropping to between 5% and 10% outside of a hospital setting.\n\nAlthough it can cause punctured lungs, fractured ribs and severe bruising, failing to fully appraise a patient or their loved ones of their options is a breach of their human rights, the CQC warned.\n\nThe watchdog's guidance states decisions on DNARs must never be dictated by blanket policies, must be free from discrimination, and not made on a clinician's \"subjective view of a person's quality of life\".\n\nBut despite reminding care providers of their obligations, the CQC said it received evidence from staff and patients' families that DNARs had been applied without consultation.\n\nThe number of complaints it received about the orders jumped to 40 between March and September, compared to just nine similar complaints in the previous six months.\n\nOne carer told the CQC an on-call doctor had informed care home staff that if a resident were to catch Covid-19, a DNAR would automatically be put in place.\n\nAnother witness said some care homes and learning disability services had been told by GPs to place blanket orders on everyone in their care.\n\nSome families of patients said they were not made aware such an order was in place until their relative was quite unwell.\n\nOthers said they had been told their loved one had agreed to a DNAR, but they had concerns over their understanding due to factors such as a lack of English or deafness.\n\nThe CQC also found examples of routine care not being provided in homes, such as an ambulance or doctor not being called, due to the existence of the do not resuscitate order.\n\nInappropriate DNARs may still be on people's files, the CQC said.\n\nRosie Benneyworth, chief inspector of primary medical services and integrated care at the CQC, said: \"It is unacceptable for clinical decisions - decisions which could dictate whether someone's loved one gets the right care when they need it most - to be applied in a blanket approach to any group of people.\"\n\nAn NHS spokeswoman said: \"The NHS has repeatedly instructed local clinicians that the blanket application of DNARs would be totally unacceptable and that access to treatment and care for people with learning disabilities and autism should always be made on an individual basis and in consultation with family and carers.\"\n\nThe CQC is undertaking further fieldwork across seven clinical commissioning groups to understand the extent to which DNARs may have been misused during the pandemic.\n\nIts final report is due to be published in February 2021.", "Shoppers at Topshop and other Arcadia brands will only be able to use gift cards for half of their order, the embattled company has said.\n\nArcadia collapsed into administration on Monday and shoppers have been unable to use gift cards online since.\n\nThe company and its administrators said the card shutdown was a temporary technical issue which would be resolved by early next week.\n\nBut they said the cards would only be valid for 50% of a purchase.\n\nThat means, for example, only £25 in card value could be redeemed on a £50 order, or someone wanting to use the whole of their £10 gift card would need to spend £20 in total.\n\nThe rule is now in place in stores, where gift cards can be used.\n\nAdministrators for the business are not obliged to accept gift cards but, with stores and websites still trading, many shoppers hoped and expected that they would still be able to use them.\n\nAbi Vedder says she will have to spend a lot\n\nAbi Vedder, 39, from London, received a gift of £100 to spend in Topshop vouchers when she left her job as a social worker two weeks ago.\n\n\"Social workers are not rich and it is infuriating that all my colleagues' money may be wasted, as I would now need to buy something worth £200 to claim the voucher, which I'm not sure I can,\" she said.\n\n\"I'm worried I won't be able to get anything to remember my job by now, because I left during this ridiculous year.\"\n\nA spokesman for Arcadia's administrators, Deloitte, said: \"The full value of a gift card can be put towards up to 50% of a purchase.\n\n\"Gift cards are currently being accepted in all stores and customers will be able to use them online from early next week. There is currently maintenance on the site impacting the use of gift cards. This should be fixed by early next week.\"\n\nThe company told shoppers: \"Gift cards have been temporarily switched off until further notice. I can confirm you are still able to use gift cards in store, you will only be able to apply 50% of the gift card to your purchase.\n\n\"Apologies for the inconvenience that has been caused.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Chloe Louise Davies✨ This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by char This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThe Arcadia group runs 444 stores in the UK and 22 overseas, and includes the Topshop, Dorothy Perkins, and Burton brands.\n\nThe administration will give Arcadia breathing space from creditors, such as landlords for its shops or clothing suppliers, while a buyer is sought for all or parts of the company.\n\nArcadia executives will still hold day-to-day control over the business.\n\nHowever, the jobs of the company's 13,000 employees are at risk.\n\nIf no buyer is found and the company folds, then gift cards are likely to be worthless as cardholders would be near the back of a queue of creditors with claims for a payout from any remaining assets that are sold.\n\nDebenhams, which said on Tuesday that it expected to close its doors after the failure to find a buyer for the business, said it was still accepting payment by gift card, but it had not sold any new ones for many months.\n\nEarlier this week, Currys PC World apologised after a website glitch wiped hundreds of pounds off gift cards and left Black Friday bargain hunters without their shopping.\n\nDo you have a gift card for an Arcadia brand? Get in touch by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "A resident from the Enniskeen estate described hearing a \"very large bang\" on Tuesday evening\n\nA man injured after a pipe bomb partially exploded in Craigavon has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, police have said.\n\nThe incident happened at about 21:30 GMT in the Enniskeen area on Tuesday.\n\nThe man suffered non-life threatening injuries to his chest and hands and had to be taken to hospital for treatment.\n\nA number of homes were evacuated, but residents have since been allowed to return.\n\nDet Insp Simpson said the alert was triggered after police received a report of an explosion at the rear of a house in the estate.\n\n\"Upon arrival officers found a man in the vicinity of where the explosion was reported to have occurred being treated by paramedics for injuries received after the device exploded,\" he said.\n\n\"The injured man, who has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and possession of an explosive device with intent to endanger life, currently remains in hospital receiving treatment for his injuries which are described as not life threatening.\"\n\nRemnants of a pipe bomb-type device have been taken away for forensic examination, the officer added.\n\nThe security alert is now over and police thanked local residents for their patience during the incident.\n\nAn Enniskeen estate resident described hearing a \"very large bang\" shortly before 21:30 on Tuesday, which he believed was a pipe bomb explosion.\n\nHe added that a while later, the police helicopter flew over the area.\n\nPolice at the scene of the incident\n\nUpper Bann MP Carla Lockhart told BBC News NI the people of Enniskeen had been subjected to attacks for quite some time and did not want them to continue.\n\nMs Lockhart described the explosion as \"a very worrying development\".\n\nThe Democratic Unionist Party politician praised St Saviour's Church for providing shelter to people whose homes were evacuated and called on anyone with information about the attack to contact police.\n\n\"Obviously information is key to answering all the questions as to what happened in Enniskeen,\" she said.\n\n\"Those who cause hurt and disruption in our communities must be brought to justice.\"\n\nLocal representatives said the Enniskeen estate was a \"close-knit community\"\n\nSDLP councillor Thomas Larkham said: \"This is the last thing that anyone in Enniskeen wants or needs.\n\n\"This is a close-knit community full of people trying to get on with their lives during a difficult time for us all.\"\n\nAlliance Party councillor Eóin Tennyson said: \"The patience of residents who have had to leave their homes as police work to make the area safe is greatly appreciated.\n\n\"Those behind this have nothing to offer only misery and destruction.\"\n\nMr Tennyson added: \"These kinds of devices have no place in our streets, there's no support in the community for this kind of activity.\n\n\"I would utterly condemn those responsible, they've been reckless in their behaviour and have shown total disregard for local residents.\"", "Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Thursday evening. We'll have another update for you on Friday morning.\n\nThe toughest coronavirus restrictions are to be extended across a wide area of east and south-east England from Saturday, bringing the total number of people under tier three in England to 38 million. Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Hertfordshire are among them, as are parts of Surrey, East Sussex, Cambridgeshire and Hampshire, while swathes of the nation already in tier three will remain there. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: \"We've come so far, we mustn't blow it now.\" But Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said he was concerned the current tiered system wasn't \"strong enough to control the virus\". See all the places moving in to tier three here. Not sure which tier you're in? Our postcode checker can help.\n\nThere will be a gradual return into secondary schools after the Christmas break, for pupils in England and Wales , with many years doing online classes at first. In England, only students in Years 11 and 13, who face exams next summer, will be allowed to go back on the first day of term, along with the children of key workers and those deemed vulnerable. The government said it needed to allow schools to set up a Covid testing scheme.Wales anticipates a full return to the classroom by 18 January. Scotland and Northern Ireland have not announced any changes to the start of the January term yet.\n\nChancellor Rishi Sunak has extended the furlough scheme for one month until the end of April next year, saying it would provide \"certainty for millions of jobs and businesses\". It means the government will continue to pay up to 80% of the salary of UK employees for hours not worked, with a cap of £2,500 a month. See whether you might be eligible for furlough here.\n\nHome Secretary Priti Patel has said a fellow Conservative broke Covid rules by giving a speech at a dinner in London and could be fined. Tory MP Tobias Ellwood defended his attendance at the \"fully Covid compliant\" event as being \"well intentioned\", and apologised if he had \"muddled\" the government's message.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. A Conservative MP who attended a business dinner was in “breach of the regulations” the home secretary says.\n\nIt's not just Santa who'll be supping on the sherry this Christmas, it seems. After years of being out of fashion, the Spanish aperitif has made a comeback, with sales up 17.6% in the 12 weeks to 5 December, says market research firm Nielsen. Analysts say the renewed interest began during the first coronavirus lockdown, when both young people and old started trying different tipples and even mixing their own cocktails.\n\nFind more information, advice and guides on our coronavirus page.\n\nAnd, as we all continue to grapple with how to spend Christmas, check the latest rules on bubbles and when you can get together.\n\nWhat questions do you have about coronavirus?\n\nIn some cases, your question will be published, displaying your name, age and location as you provide it, unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published. Please ensure you have read our terms & conditions and privacy policy.\n\nUse this form to ask your question:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or send them via email to YourQuestions@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any question you send in.", "The government has turned down a request from the port of Dover for financial support, which could lead to delays after 1 January, its chief executive has told the BBC.\n\n\"Without this funding it's going to make the transition more challenging than it is today,\" said Doug Bannister.\n\nThe government said it had already made \"unprecedented\" new investments in port infrastructure.\n\nSeveral UK ports, including Dover, are facing congestion already.\n\nAnd in two weeks' time, new rules will govern trade and travel between the UK and the EU.\n\n\"The port is as prepared as we can be. We've been at this for four years now,\" said Mr Bannister.\n\nHe added that questions remained over how ready businesses were to trade under the new conditions.\n\n\"That is going to be the unknown... until we see it happening,\" he said.\n\nMr Bannister said the port is facing \"the greatest period of uncertainty\" it had seen\n\nAround 9,000 trucks pass through the port of Dover every day, transporting nearly 20% of all the goods sold in the UK.\n\nCongestion and delays around the UK's ports have already caused concern there could be serious disruption when Britain's trading relationship with the EU changes at the end of this year.\n\nHowever Mr Bannister said that January was typically a slow period which might allow new systems to bed in before cargo volumes started to pick up again.\n\n\"We are trying to move ourselves through the greatest period of uncertainty that this facility has seen,\" he said.\n\nOn Wednesday, the government turned down a request for £33m of funding to facilitate extra French passport checks on people travelling out of Dover.\n\nDover had requested the extra support as part of the Port Infrastructure Fund, which is designed to smooth the switch to the new rules.\n\nAfter 1 January, anyone travelling from the UK to France will face stricter checks and stamps in their passports.\n\n\"Being denied the funding for this programme - what that does mean is that we could see increased friction and increased hold ups while we get through the opening period of the transition,\" said Mr Bannister.\n\nHowever, Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove, responding to a question in the House of Commons, said: \"The funding in the port infrastructure fund was specifically available for projects that were due to be delivered by July next year, when full import controls will be in place. Dover was bidding for some infrastructure that would be complete by 2023.\"\n\nThe government has made \"an unprecedented\" £470m available for new infrastructure in and around the UK's ports, a spokesperson said.\n\nCurrent congestion around the port of Dover was due to the extra pressure of the Christmas trading period, firms stockpiling ahead of the end of the Brexit transition period, and overspill from problems in other ports including Felixstowe, Mr Bannister said.\n\nThe UK and the EU are still locked in talks over a trade deal to take effect at the end of this year.\n\nAlthough the UK left the EU in January, an 11-month-long transition period was agreed during which previous trade relations would continue.", "MI6 has its headquarters in Vauxhall, London\n\nMI6 agents and informants may be committing crimes in the UK, a watchdog has revealed.\n\nThe Investigatory Powers Tribunal disclosed the ruling despite government attempts to keep the matter secret.\n\nIt also said questions raised should be disclosed to campaigners, who have been asking for greater legal clarity over what the intelligence agencies can do.\n\nIt comes a day after the intelligence services watchdog raised its own questions about some MI6 activities.\n\nSince 1994, MI6 - the UK's foreign intelligence service - has been able to authorise people that it recruits to help the UK overseas to commit crimes as part of its targeting of threats to the UK.\n\nThat power has long-been dubbed the \"James Bond clause\" - but it does not explicitly permit criminal operations in the UK.\n\nUnprecedented legislation that clarifies how agencies recruiting undercover informants can authorise them to commit crimes is reaching its final stages in Parliament.\n\nThe disclosure of crimes potentially committed by people supplying MI6 with intelligence has come amid a long-running court battle over whether such secret undercover activity can ever be legal.\n\nWhile the legal battle has revealed details of how MI5, the domestic security service, authorises crimes by its informants, Wednesday's disclosure by the Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT) is the first indication that MI6 may be doing the same.\n\nIn the ruling, the IPT rejected secret submissions from the government to keep the entire matter behind closed doors.\n\nThe disclosure came the day after the annual report of the Investigatory Powers Commissioner, the watchdog that oversees the secret agencies, revealed that one of MI6's agents overseas may have gone rogue and committed serious crimes.\n\nThe report says that in 2019 the secret agency had recruited a potential agent overseas and had sought a standard authorisation from the foreign secretary for the individual to potentially commit crimes as part of their work for the UK.\n\nThe report does not state which foreign secretary it was.\n\n\"The Secret Intelligence Service [MI6] identified a risk that the agent may be involved in serious criminality overseas,\" said the report. \"SIS did not encourage, condone or approve any such criminality on the part of their agent.\n\n\"In their submission, SIS set out that they had secured the agent's cooperation on terms of full transparency about the activities in which the agent was involved.\n\n\"It included some clear 'red lines', setting out conduct that was not authorised and would result in the termination of SIS's relationship with the agent.\"\n\nSix months later, when the authorisation had to be reviewed, it appeared that MI6 had concluded the asset had probably crossed those red lines - but they did not tell the foreign secretary, who had to sign off the continuing operation.\n\n\"We concluded that the renewal did not provide a comprehensive overview of available information which we believe would have provided the Secretary of State with a fuller and more balanced picture,\" said the watchdog. \"SIS immediately responded to these concerns by updating the FCO.\"\n\nCampaigners behind the legal action say both revelations prove the public are being kept in the dark.\n\nBut ministers say legislation going through Parliament will provide clear safeguards for agents to commit crimes while undercover.", "Covid cases in schools reflect virus levels in the local community, a study of 100 schools across England suggests.\n\nIn tests on nearly 10,000 staff and pupils in November, 1.24% of pupils and 1.29% of staff tested positive for coronavirus in schools.\n\nThis is a combined analysis from Public Health England, Office for National Statistics and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.\n\nThe researchers suggest school closures have only a temporary effect on cases.\n\nAnd they add driving down infections in wider society is the best way to keep schools open and safe.\n\nThe Schools Infection Survey will continue to track cases and transmission in schools over the coming months.\n\nThe first round of survey results are based on tests of more than 6,000 pupils and nearly 5,000 staff from 105 schools - 63 secondary and 42 primary - in areas of England where the virus was spreading quickly at the start of the school year.\n\nChildren and staff had to be in school to be given a nasal swab test, and so are unlikely to have had symptoms.\n\nThe survey found a higher percentage of staff and pupils testing positive for the virus in secondary schools than primary schools - around 1.47% compared to around 0.8%.\n\nRoughly 1.2% of the general population is estimated to have had the coronavirus during the same period, according to the ONS.\n\nDr Shamez Ladhani, the study's chief investigator and a consultant at Public Health England, said: \"While there is still more research to be done, these results appear to show that the rate of infection among students and staff attending school closely mirrors what's happening outside the school gates.\n\n\"That's why we all need to take responsibility for driving infections down if we want to keep schools open and safe for our children.\"\n\nThe researchers are trying to find out more about the role of schools in the spread of the virus - something that has been a challenge so far.\n\nThe key is to discover whether infections are more likely to be brought into school from outside, or are starting in school and moving into households in the community.\n\nData from PHE so far suggests infections in school year groups are being introduced from different sources rather than being spread between pupils in schools, but genetic analysis of virus strains is needed to confirm this, Dr Ladhani says.\n\nThis would give more detailed information on the order in which the virus had passed from person to person.\n\nAfter schools reopened in the autumn, Dr Ladhani said the rate of infections in all year groups had been rising every week, with older pupils seeing the biggest increases.\n\nHe explained that lockdowns have a greater impact on adult infection rates rather than children's, but there is often a delayed effect in children a week later than seen in adults. Closing schools would only have a \"temporary effect\", Dr Ladhani added.\n\nProf James Hargreaves, co-chief investigator of the study from LSHTM, said the more information collected within schools \"the better understanding we have of their role in transmission within the wider community and how to minimise SARS-CoV2 transmission\".\n\n\"We hope to answer questions to ensure children's education can continue in the safest way possible,\" he said.\n\nAs part of the study, pupils and staff will be tested for the virus and also for antibodies - signs they have had it in the past - throughout the school year.\n\nThe aim is to detect new cases, monitor absences from school and find out how well measures to control the virus work in schools.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The health secretary announces several more counties in southern and eastern England will face stronger restrictions\n\nMore than two-thirds of England's population will be living under the toughest Covid-19 rules from Saturday.\n\nBedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Hertfordshire will move to tier three, as will parts of Surrey, East Sussex, Cambridgeshire and Hampshire.\n\nAnd swathes of the nation already in tier three will remain there.\n\nAnnouncing the changes, Health Secretary Matt Hancock told MPs: \"We've come so far, we mustn't blow it now.\"\n\nBristol and North Somerset will move from tier three to tier two, and Herefordshire will move from tier two into tier one.\n\nThe changes come into effect at 00:01 on Saturday.\n\nIt comes as the UK recorded a further 532 coronavirus deaths, taking the total number of people who have died within 28 days of testing positive for the virus to 66,052.\n\nA further 35,383 cases were also recorded on Thursday, up from 25,161 on the previous day.\n\nThis figure includes 11,000 positive cases from Wales that were not previously recorded in official figures due to maintenance work on Public Health Wales' computer systems at the end of last week.\n\nThe announcement on tiers means that 68% of England's population - 38 million people - will be living under the toughest restrictions of tier three from the weekend. Some 30% of the population will be in tier two, while just 2% will be in tier one.\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer said he was concerned the tier system was \"just not strong enough to control the virus\".\n\n\"We've been seeing the numbers going in the wrong direction across the country in the last seven days in particular,\" he added.\n\nIn Greater Manchester, which was first placed in tier three on 23 October, mayor Andy Burnham said he was \"not surprised but very disappointed\" that the region was staying in tier three, having called for some parts to be downgraded.\n\nHe told BBC Radio 4's World at One that Greater Manchester has lower infection rates than Liverpool and London had \"when they were originally put into\" tier two.\n\n\"It feels like if... London and the South East has rising cases, everyone stays under restrictions,\" he said.\n\nAnnouncing the outcome of the first formal review of the new tier system in England, Mr Hancock told MPs \"no-one wants tougher restrictions any longer than necessary\".\n\nHowever, he said \"these are always the most difficult months for people's health\" and we \"must keep suppressing this virus\".\n\nCases have risen by 46% in the past week in the south-east of England, he told MPs, and were up by two-thirds in the east of England.\n\nMeanwhile, the government has announced the return to school in January will be staggered for secondary pupils in England, with some starting term online rather than in class.\n\nIt will allow schools to set up a Covid testing scheme - but exam-year pupils will start term as usual.\n\nThere will also be a staggered return for schools in Wales after the Christmas break.\n\nThe health secretary said from 00:01 Saturday 19 December:\n\nWith the majority of the country in the highest tier, many will be wondering how long it will be before the rules are relaxed.\n\nThe trajectories are quite different across the tier three areas.\n\nLarge parts of the North have seen cases fall and now have lower than average infection rates, although there are signs those decreases have stalled.\n\nOther areas, particularly large parts of the home counties, have relatively low rates that are rising.\n\nThen there are places - east London and the surrounding areas - that have high rates that are rising.\n\nThe fact that they are all facing the tightest restrictions is a sign of how cautious ministers are being.\n\nThat, of course, is because of the Christmas relaxation - and fear it could lead to a spike in cases.\n\nIf that happens, tier three could become the norm for months - maybe accompanied by a third lockdown.\n\nThat would leave the government and public pinning everything on the vaccine programme.\n\nEarlier this week, ministers said a good start had been made with 137,000 people vaccinated.\n\nBut there are more than 25 million in the priority groups - 12 million of them over the age of 65.\n\nIn theory, two million could be vaccinated every week, but that depends on multiple things going right.\n\nThis could become the status quo for many until the spring.\n\nAround 34 million people have already been living under tier three rules.\n\nLondon, most of Essex and parts of Hertfordshire were placed under the strictest curbs on social contacts on Wednesday.\n\nThey joined much of the Midlands, north-west England and north-east England.\n\nThe news Greater Manchester would remain in tier three provoked anger from some of the area's MPs, including Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the influential 1922 Committee of Conservative backbenchers.\n\n\"The statement will be greeted with dismay in Greater Manchester where we have had severe restrictions for nine months, where in nine of the 10 boroughs rates are below the national average,\" he said.\n\nAnd the West Midlands' Conservative mayor Andy Street called for more government funding to support businesses in tier three areas.\n\nLeaders in areas moving from tier two to tier three also expressed their concerns.\n\nStephen McPartland, Conservative MP for Stevenage in Hertfordshire, tweeted that it was \"ridiculous\" the town is \"being dragged into\" tier three.\n\nHe said tiers \"should be imposed on a district basis instead of this unbalanced county-wide approach\".\n\nGerald Vernon-Jackson, the Liberal Democrat leader of Portsmouth City Council, said the decision to introduce the toughest measures there was \"bizarre\".\n\nHe said he was \"slightly surprised\" because he had been told that \"the problem\" was with the city's Queen Alexandra Hospital.\n\nHowever, the hospital also serves nearby local authorities, such as Fareham and Winchester City, which were not being moved up.\n\n\"The government has made a number of bizarre decisions, so it's no surprise they have made another one,\" he said.\n\nElsewhere in the UK, ministers in Northern Ireland have agreed a six-week lockdown from 26 December, in an attempt to curb the spread of the virus.\n\nIn Wales, non-essential shops will close from the end of trading on Christmas Eve, with an alert level four lockdown starting four days later.\n\nAnd in Scotland, the deputy first minister warned that tougher restrictions - including a potential lockdown - after the festive period cannot be ruled out.\n\nWhat are your plans for Christmas? How will you be affected by the rule changes? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "Some Covid restrictions are being reintroduced in response to the Omicron variant.\n\nCheck what the rules are in your area by entering your postcode or council name below.\n\nA modern browser with JavaScript and a stable internet connection is required to view this interactive. What are the rules in your area? Enter a full UK postcode or council name to find out\n\nIf you cannot see the look-up, click here.\n\nThe rules highlighted in the search tool are a selection of the key government restrictions in place in your area.\n\nAlways check your relevant national and local authority website for more information on the situation where you live. Also check local guidance before travelling to others parts of the UK.\n\nAll the guidance in our search look-up comes from national government websites.\n\nFor more information on national measures see:\n\nFind out how the pandemic has affected your area and how it compares with the national average by following this link to an in depth guide to the numbers involved.", "Ritu Saha and fellow residents in Bromley organised their own fire patrols but still had to pay £500,000 between them\n\nThree years after the Grenfell fire, many buildings with dangerous cladding still have 24-hour fire safety patrols - introduced originally as a temporary measure. Now, thousands more homeowners are being forced to pay for \"waking watches\" with no end in sight.\n\nIn November 2017, when people in high-vis jackets arrived at Ritu Saha's block in Bromley, south-east London, she was told not to worry: they'd be gone by January.\n\nThree years and about £500,000 of charges to flat owners in the block later, they are still there.\n\nMost of the cladding - the type that caused the Grenfell fire to spread so fast, killing 72 people - has been removed from Ritu's flat.\n\nBut entire walls would need to be demolished to clear it away entirely, Ritu says.\n\nThe contractors suggest the task is too difficult, and the remaining cladding may have to stay, along with other safety measures to prevent a deadly fire. The fire brigade says that could mean the waking watch has to stay.\n\n\"Will we have these fire wardens for the rest of our lives?\" Ritu asks. The patrols have already cost her, on average, more than £300 a month for the last three years, totalling £11,700.\n• None £14average hourly rate earned by fire warden - though some earn up to £30p/h\n\nA university administrator and one of the founders of the UK Cladding Action Group, she says she cannot bear the cost much longer - \"I will be ruined, basically, if that happens.\"\n\nCosts for the fire patrols vary hugely, with flat owners often saying they are imposed with little notice or consultation.\n\nGovernment research suggests the typical flat owner pays £137 a month, or £256 in London - about £11,000 to £15,000 per block each month. Fire wardens are mostly paid around £14 an hour - but some earn up to £30 an hour, the government says.\n\nAnd the number of affected buildings continues to rise: in London, 573 blocks now have the patrols, up from 286 in March.\n\nOne flat owner in east London tells the BBC the waking watch introduced at his block in July costs the equivalent of £1,300 per flat every month. At the moment, the bill is being paid by the housing association, but he says if the costs cannot be recovered from the original developer or through the building warranty, leaseholders will be charged.\n\nThe leasehold system in England and Wales means many flat owners do not own their property outright, but instead buy the right to use it for a fixed period of time - often between 99 and 125 years.\n\nTheir buildings are owned by a freeholder, who charges them a small annual rent, plus money for repairs - which can mean huge bills for issues such as cladding.\n\nAfter three years, contractors say some of the flammable material on this building may be to difficult to remove\n\n\"The buck keeps being passed between each body,\" the flat owner says. \"What are they trying to do to leaseholders? Are they really trying to bankrupt us?\"\n\nSome residents have organised their own waking watch to reduce the cost, with volunteers covering many of the shifts, sometimes in the face of opposition from insurers.\n\nRitu says she would rush home from work to start her 19:00 to midnight shift. A retired woman in her block would take some of the night shifts, staying up from midnight to 07:00 three nights a week to watch for signs of a blaze.\n\nA fire alarm can be fitted for the same average cost as just seven weeks of waking watch, government research suggests. But in practice it rarely works out that way: many leaseholders are required by the National Fire Chiefs Council to maintain patrols so they can help evacuate the building in the event of a fire.\n\nRitu now has eight highly sensitive smoke and heat detectors scattered around her one-and-a-half bedroom flat, frequently setting off false alarms.\n\nBut fitting the system - which cost leaseholders £120,000 - only allowed residents to reduce their waking watch from two people to one, still leaving them a £12,000 monthly bill between them.\n\nMatt Browne and Lizzie Bennett are among thousands of flat owners who discovered in the last year they lived in a dangerous block that would require 24-hour fire patrols when they tried to sell.\n\nTheir estate agent told them their building, in Birmingham city centre, had failed its external wall fire review, known as EWS1.\n\nBirmingham flat owners Lizzie Bennett and Matt Browne say the costs are \"unfathomable\"\n\nThe review process - demanded by lenders - was extended to many more buildings in January this year with a change of government guidance. Blocks that fail because of dangerous cladding, like Matt and Lizzie's, are valued at £0, cannot be mortgaged and are almost impossible to sell.\n\nSince then, their building's service charge has risen from £950 every six months to £4,629 to pay for a £17,000-a-month waking watch, a £150,000 alarm system (not yet installed) and a 300% increase in insurance bills.\n\n\"It's unfathomable, you can't really wrap your head around the idea that it costs this much to live in a one-bedroom flat,\" says Lizzie, a primary school teacher.\n\nShe has suffered anxiety and sleeplessness over the mounting costs, but says: \"It's been a constant battle of trying to keep it together because I can't show emotion at work, I have to be there for the children.\"\n\nLike many leaseholders, they hope their building wins some of the £1.6bn of government funding to remove dangerous cladding when applications close this month. But Matt says the Building Safety Fund is \"nowhere near big enough\" to meet demand.\n\nThe 26-year-old video producer has been exhausted by the process after six months. \"I know people have been fighting this for years already,\" he says. \"We are at a stage now where in the next year you will start seeing people go bankrupt and people will start losing their homes.\"\n\nIn 2019, solicitor Peter Tolson signed up to help run his block's management company in order to push forward some minor repairs.\n\nHe's seen the impact the charges have had on fellow residents - some have lost their jobs in the pandemic - since the flats in east London failed their EWS1 earlier this year.\n\n\"We had people literally banging on our doors, crying, banging the door down at this thought of paying a grand or two grand a month to pay for waking watch on top of insurance costs,\" he says.\n\nThey have since reduced the costs by arguing they did not need such extensive patrol coverage. But residents have nicknamed the waking watch \"the Wombles\" and don't regard them as a serious safety measure.\n\nResidents complain the wardens just sit around, Peter says. He questions the likelihood of them being in just in the right spot at the right time when a fire is visible behind a flat door with time still to evacuate.\n\nPeter Tolson said residents who lost their jobs in the pandemic have been in tears at the bills\n\nMeanwhile, each week more flat owners discover they are in the same situation. Olivia Hill, a PhD student, helped form the Sheffield Cladding Action Group after discovering her block had failed its assessment last month.\n\nShe says residents face an uncomfortable choice between protection from the dangers of fire and letting strangers into their building. \"I live on my own, I'm a young woman, it's easy to feel unsafe,\" Olivia says.\n\nHaving done all the due diligence when she purchased it last year, she was shocked to discover potentially deadly faults are still being discovered in buildings more than three years after Grenfell.\n\n\"It's been going on so long and potentially there's no end in sight,\" Olivia says. \"It could keep going on that long for us.\"\n\nThe Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said waking watches should only be used \"as an interim measure\", adding: \"They are not a substitute for the swift removal of unsafe cladding.\n\n\"Where leaseholders have concerns about waking watch costs they should speak to their building owner, who is responsible for putting safety measures in place. Leaseholders can also challenge excessive costs at the First Tier Tribunal.\"\n\nThe government on Thursday announced a £30m fund to help pay for the installation of common fire alarms in affected buildings, to end what it called the \"scandal\" of excessive waking watch costs.", "Regions in England will find out later whether they will be moved to a different tier of Covid restrictions.\n\nHealth Secretary Matt Hancock is due to announce the outcome of the latest review of the three-tier system, after government officials met on Wednesday.\n\nIn several areas of northern England, leaders say they have met the criteria to move from tier three to two, after a drop in infection rates.\n\nLeaders in Lancashire have been told it will stay, as expected, in tier three.\n\nMore than 34 million people - or 61% of England's population - are living under tier three rules, the highest level of restrictions, including large parts of the Midlands, Yorkshire, the North East and the North West.\n\nOn Wednesday, London and parts of Essex and Hertfordshire moved to tier three amid a rise in infection rates.\n\nMr Hancock is expected to make a statement at 11:30 GMT.\n\nGreater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham said \"the evidence would support\" parts of the region being moved from tier three to tier two, but he feels \"less and less hopeful\".\n\nHe previously said there had been \"steady decreases\" across all of the region's 10 boroughs and its average rate is around 150 cases per 100,000 - below the England-wide average of 194.\n\nIn an interview on BBC Breakfast, he said the relaxation of the rules between 23 and 27 December was \"a mistake\" and ministers could try to \"overcompensate with the decisions on the tiers\".\n\nHe added that requiring hospitality venues to close as part of tier three measures at this time of year creates \"a substantial risk of many more gatherings in the home.. and that is where most of the virus spreads\".\n\nMeanwhile, the leader of Preston City Council, Cllr Matthew Brown said he believed Lancashire will remain in tier three.\n\nHe said he remained \"gravely concerned\" about the impact of restrictions on the hospitality and culture sectors.\n\n\"However, while case numbers in Preston and throughout Lancashire remain high, especially in the over 60s, it is unlikely that we will be placed into tier two before Christmas,\" he said.\n\nIt is understandable those on the front line of the NHS would want tighter restrictions - they see the impact of severe Covid first hand.\n\nBut that is just one part of the equation.\n\nCouncils in areas where cases are falling are torn - they don't want to see their progress in containing the virus reversed.\n\nBut the impact on the economy disproportionately affects young people, who are more likely to work in hospitality, and that widens health inequalities.\n\nWhat will the government do? It seems very unlikely many areas will move down a tier.\n\nThere is certainly a big call to be made about Manchester, which is in tier three but has continued to see progress, after Liverpool was moved down into tier two following lockdown.\n\nIn the South East, there are areas around London that have rates below the national average, but they are rising.\n\nWill the government move them into tier three as a preventative measure, or wait and see if the tighter restrictions in London curbs the rising rates in this part of the country?\n\nWe are about to find out.\n\nChris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, which represents hospital trusts in England, said there was \"a ring of areas around London - for example, in the home counties - where trusts are alarmed at the rise in infection rates and hospital admissions\".\n\nIn a statement, he said the government must \"urgently consider\" adding other areas to tier three, where infection rates are \"similarly worrying\".\n\nMr Hopson also said there was \"real concern in many trusts in the northern half of the country about leaving tier three prematurely\".\n\n\"It is good news that infection rates are dropping, in some cases significantly,\" he said.\n\n\"But we can't afford to let up. As soon as infection rates rise, excess death rates rise too.\"\n\nHe warned hospitals in the north of England still had \"very high levels\" of Covid-19 patients and \"even a small increase\" would \"put those hospitals under significant pressure\".\n\nAbout 99% of England's population are currently in tiers two and three, with only the Isle of Wight, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly in tier one.\n\nThe placing of areas in each tier is reviewed every 14 days. Decisions are based on an examination of coronavirus cases across all age groups and specifically among the over-60s, who are more vulnerable to the virus.\n\nOfficials also look at whether infection rates are rising or falling in an area and the positivity rate - meaning the number of positive cases detected as a percentage of tests taken - as well as the pressure on the NHS.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nIt comes after Prime Minister Boris Johnson urged people to keep Christmas celebrations \"short\" and \"small\" to reduce the risk of spreading Covid over the festive period.\n\nRestrictions will still be relaxed between 23 and 27 December, allowing three households to form a \"Christmas bubble\" and mix indoors and stay overnight.\n\nHowever, in Wales, the law will change to limit bubbles to two households.\n\nA joint statement by the governments of the UK, Scotland and Wales urged people to think very carefully before forming a bubble and \"strongly recommended\" people spend Christmas with their own household if possible.\n\nIn Northern Ireland, First Minister Arlene Foster said the public must take \"all and every precaution\" over the festive period and proposals for further restrictions would be brought forward on Thursday.\n\nHome Secretary Priti Patel told BBC Breakfast there would be no changes to the enforcement of measures over Christmas, but that the \"public are part of\" upholding the law and are \"working together\" with the police.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe UK recorded a further 25,161 coronavirus cases on Wednesday, along with 612 deaths within 28 days of a positive test.\n\nPublic Health Wales said that an extra 11,000 positive Covid tests are missing from its official figures, meaning cases in Wales in the last week could be twice as high as previously thought.\n\nMeanwhile, Minister Nadhim Zahawi, who is in charge of the UK's vaccination rollout, said more than 130,000 people were vaccinated in the first week of the programme.\n\nSir Ian McKellen, 81, said he felt \"euphoric\" as he became the latest celebrity to be photographed receiving the vaccine.\n\n\"Anyone who has lived as long as I have is alive because they have had previous vaccinations,\" said the veteran actor.", "A delay in reporting an extra 11,000 positive Covid tests in Wales has led to a big jump in case rates.\n\nPublic Health Wales (PHW) said planned IT maintenance meant there was a \"significant under-reporting\" but anyone who tested positive had been contacted in the usual way.\n\nThe delayed results came from Lighthouse Laboratories, which process about 70% of Wales' tests.\n\nThe Welsh Conservatives said the news was \"staggering\".\n\nThe 11,000 extra positive tests were taken between 9 and 15 December. PHW said the \"vast majority\" have been added to its dashboard, which records the figures, on Thursday.\n\nThe figures show an additional 4,221 cases have been added to the total for the week ending 11 December, an adjustment to what was reported on Wednesday.\n\nA total of 11,250 - including the usual daily cases - have been added, meaning the latest weekly case rates have increased as a result.\n\nWales, already at its highest case rate so far, saw a jump to 530.2 cases per 100,000 for the most recent seven days, to 12 December.\n\nThe case rate stood at 377.8 on Wednesday, although PHW warned this was an underestimation of what we should expect.\n\nThe new figures showed the case rate for Merthyr Tydfil - already the highest in the UK - is now 1,032.7 cases per 100,000 - with 623 positive tests in the past seven days.\n\nEight council areas in Wales are in the 10 hardest-hit areas in the UK for case rates in latest comparison.\n\nThere are 14 out of 22 council areas which have their highest case rates so far - including Denbighshire, Flintshire and Wrexham.\n\nThree others would have reported their highest figures on Wednesday, had all the figures been available.\n\nPHW said its previous data collection system was \"on its last legs\".\n\n\"The system would collapse very frequently and it was proving to be unsustainable to run with its existing system,\" said PHW incident director Dr Giri Shankar.\n\n\"This was not an unplanned activity. We knew it was going to have an impact, therefore we constantly communicated before it actually happened and while it was happening and even after it had happened, to say that this is affecting the results.\"\n\nThe planned maintenance of the NHS Welsh Laboratory Information Management System (WLMS) \"has not affected individuals receiving their results\", PHW insisted.\n\nFirst Minister Mark Drakeford told BBC Radio Wales: \"The story is not about missing data or computer problems, it's about the seriousness of the situation.\n\n\"You were told in advance that this was going to happen. The data was never missing it was always there, waiting to be uploaded into the system.\"\n\nPlaid Cymru health spokesman Rhun ap Iorwerth said: \"With positive cases in Wales rising to record levels it is crucial that the reporting of data is both timely and robust.\n\n\"The public need a complete and current picture of the situation to realise the gravity of what we are facing.\n\n\"We need urgent reassurance that the failings have been addressed.\"\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Dutch prosecutors have found a hacker did successfully log in to Donald Trump's Twitter account by guessing his password - \"MAGA2020!\"\n\nBut they will not be punishing Victor Gevers, who was acting \"ethically\".\n\nMr Gevers shared what he said were screenshots of the inside of Mr Trump's account on 22 October, during the final stages of the US presidential election.\n\nBut at the time, the White House denied it had been hacked and Twitter said it had no evidence of it.\n\nIn reference to the latest development, Twitter said: \"We've seen no evidence to corroborate this claim, including from the article published in the Netherlands today. We proactively implemented account security measures for a designated group of high-profile, election-related Twitter accounts in the United States, including federal branches of government.\"\n\nThe White House has not responded to a request for further comment.\n\nMr Gevers had previously shared this screenshot that appeared to show him editing Donald Trump's Twitter profile information\n\nMr Gevers said he was very happy with the outcome.\n\n\"This is not just about my work but all volunteers who look for vulnerabilities in the internet,\" he said.\n\nThe well respected cyber-security researcher said he had been conducting a semi-regular sweep of the Twitter accounts of high-profile US election candidates, on 16 October, when he had guessed President Trump's password.\n\nVictor Gevers has been discovering security flaws in software and websites for 22 years\n\nDutch police said: \"The hacker released the login himself.\n\n\"He later stated to police that he had investigated the strength of the password because there were major interests involved if this Twitter account could be taken over so shortly before the presidential election.\"\n\nThey had sent the US authorities their findings, they added.\n\nMr Gevers had told officers he had substantially more evidence of the \"hack\".\n\nIn theory, he would have been able to see all the president's data, including:\n\nThe president's account, which has 89 million followers, is now secure.\n\nBut Twitter has refused to answer direct questions from BBC News, including whether the account had extra security or logs that would have shown an unknown login.\n\nEarlier this year, Mr Gevers also claimed he and other security researchers had logged in to Mr Trump's Twitter account in 2016 using a password - \"yourefired\" - linked to another of his social-network accounts in a previous data breach.", "There were queues of ambulances outside Antrim Area Hospital on Tuesday night\n\nHospitals in Northern Ireland are continuing to face severe pressures after a night which saw queuing ambulances outside hospitals across NI.\n\nOn Wednesday morning there were 48 people in the emergency department at Antrim Area hospital.\n\nOn Tuesday night, doctors treated patients in ambulances with 17 vehicles outside the hospital at one point.\n\nAn emergency department consultant from the Ulster Hospital said one patient there had waited 28 hours for a bed.\n\nSpeaking on BBC's Evening Extra, Sean McGovern, said: \"That patient is still waiting, they're waiting within the emergency department.\n\n\"People are maybe waiting on a bed in a designated area within the emergency department, or waiting on a trolley.\"\n\nAt 11:25 GMT, there were 34 people waiting to be admitted to the Ulster Hospital, with 30 waiting more than 12 hours, according to a spokesperson for the South Eastern Trust.\n\nThe spokesperson said there were 59 patients at the hospital's emergency department, with one waiting outside in an ambulance.\n\nFive of the patients had been in the department for between four and 12 hours.\n\nThere have also been long waits at Antrim Hospital on Wednesday, with 48 people in the emergency department at 07:00 GMT.\n\nOf these, 43 were waiting to be admitted, with 29 of those people who have been waiting for more than 12 hours.\n\nHundreds of hospital staff from across NI are also isolating for Covid-related reasons\n\nIn a statement, the trust said it was \"not a situation that anyone wants to see\", adding that the hospital remained under \"severe pressure\".\n\n\"We sincerely apologise to the patients affected and their families. Staff are working very hard to try to manage the situation and maintain flow,\" the trust said.\n\nAt hospitals in Belfast, 39 were awaiting admission - 29 more than 12 hours.\n\nIn the Western Trust, 34 were awaiting admission - all 34 waiting more than 12 hours.\n\nIn the Southern Trust hospitals, 60 were waiting admission but no figure for length of wait is known.\n\nThe British Medical Association in Northern Ireland said the pressures on hospitals were \"extremely concerning\".\n\nA spokesperson said: \"I have spoken to many secondary care colleagues over the past few days who are very worried as to how hospitals are going to cope over the next few days and weeks, and the decisions they may have to take over how people are cared for.\"\n\nMedical Director with the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service Dr Nigel Ruddell said there had been 30 to 35 ambulances outside Emergency Departments across Northern Ireland on Tuesday night.\n\nHe said they were \"the most significant queues\" he had seen in the 12 years he had worked for the ambulance service.\n\n\"What we are seeing reflects the pressure of the normal increase in illness, particularly among the elderly and, of course, the pressures of Covid,\" he told BBC's Good Morning Ulster programme.\n\nDr Ruddell thanked the hospital and ambulance staff, and said it had taken a \"massive effort overnight\" to clear queues outside hospitals.\n\nSpeaking to RTÉ's Morning Ireland programme on Wednesday, Wendy Magowan, the Northern Health Trust operations director, said \"whilst it has improved dramatically overnight we are still starting out this morning with a very low base rate\".\n\nThere are also hundreds of staff isolating for Covid-related reasons.\n\nSo far, 366 staff from the Southern Trust are isolating as are 681 from Belfast Trust, 324 from the Western Trust, 307 from the South Eastern Trust and 289 from the Northern Trust.\n\nHealth Minister Robin Swann is to bring new proposals about Covid restrictions to Thursday's executive meeting.\n\nThe meeting will see ministers look at options to manage the spread of Covid-19 in Northern Ireland.\n\nThere were 17 ambulances queued at Antrim Hospital at 17:00 GMT on Tuesday\n\nDeputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill said Sinn Féin \"will support any proposals brought forward by the health minister to tackle the current situation.\"\n\nStronger guidance has been issued by London and the devolved governments about how people should celebrate Christmas this year.\n\nRelaxed rules between 23 December and 27 December are to stay in place.\n\nMrs Foster and Ms O'Neill spoke to leaders from the other governments earlier and more guidance from the executive is expected later in the week.\n\nThe big issue is not so much what they agree when it comes to restrictions, but the fact that compliance is not where it should be.\n\nThe health service has stepped forward and they're hoping that they're going to listen to the voices that we heard last night with ambulances queued outside the hospitals.\n\nHealth Minister Robin Swann is going to be bringing recommendations to the executive on Thursday for a decision around restrictions and the likelihood is that we will see, perhaps, an partial lockdown started after Christmas.\n\nWe could be looking at, maybe, 28 December.\n\nThe key concern is that we may be heading for a third wave at a point when our hospitals are saturated.\n\nIf you are reading this page on the BBC News app, you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question on this topic.", "The future of the UK's economy is \"unusually uncertain\", the Bank of England has said, as it held interest rates at record lows.\n\nIt said new coronavirus vaccines boded well for long-term growth, but that a recent jump in cases would drag on the recovery.\n\nUncertainty over the future UK-EU trading relationship also clouded the outlook, it added.\n\nThe central bank held rates 0.1% and left its stimulus programme unchanged.\n\n\"The outlook for the economy remains unusually uncertain,\" the Bank said.\n\n\"It depends on the evolution of the pandemic and measures taken to protect public health, as well as the nature of, and transition to, the new trading arrangements between the European Union and the United Kingdom.\"\n\nThe Office for Budgetary Responsibility, the government's independent forecaster, predicts the UK economy will shrink by 11.3% this year - the biggest decline in 300 years. It expects unemployment to peak at 9.7%.\n\nThe Bank said the successful trialling of some Covid vaccines and plans to roll them out next year were likely to \"reduce the downside risks to the economic outlook\".\n\nHowever, it said recent global activity had been affected by the increase in Covid cases and re-imposition of tougher than expected restrictions.\n\n\"The successful rollout of vaccines should support the gradual removal of restrictions and rebound in activity,\" it said, \"although it is less clear how this prospect will affect the immediate economic behaviour of households and businesses.\"\n\nAt 0.3% in November, inflation remains a long way below the central bank's 2% target.\n\nHowever, it said it was ready to accept inflation above 2% if a no-deal Brexit caused sterling to fall sharply, pushing up prices of imports.\n\nThe Bank also said it planned to keep the pace of its purchases of British government bonds broadly unchanged in early 2021 as it tries to shore up the economy.\n\nBut it said it was ready to increase them again if the outlook soured.\n\nSamuel Tombs at Pantheon Macroeconomics said this was the \"clearest indication yet that it would ease monetary policy further, in the event of no-deal\".", "A recording has emerged of Tom Cruise apparently shouting at workers on the set of Mission: Impossible 7 and threatening to fire them if they broke Covid-19 guidelines.\n\nThe Sun published the expletive-laden audio in which Cruise said: \"If I see you doing it again, you're... gone.\"\n\nThe paper said Cruise had seen two crew members \"standing too close to one another in front of a computer screen\".\n\nVariety and Reuters quoted sources confirming the audio was genuine.\n\nFilming is currently taking place in the UK. The Sun did not say when the incident happened, but film-makers returned to the country in early December, according to Reuters.\n\nThe Mission: Impossible franchise is hugely successful at the box office, starring Cruise as Ethan Hunt. Cruise is also a producer on the series.\n\nThe seventh movie had to pause filming in Italy in February due to concerns about the coronavirus outbreak, and The Sun said the actor had \"personally tried to ensure there are no more delays\".\n\nIn the recording, Cruise can be heard shouting: \"They're back there in Hollywood making movies right now because of us. We are creating thousands of jobs.\n\n\"That's it. No apologies. You can tell it to the people that are losing their... homes because our industry is shut down.\n\n\"We are not shutting this... movie down. Is it understood? If I see it again, you're... gone.\"\n\nCruise wore a mask during recent shooting of Mission: Impossible 7 in Rome\n\nHe is starring in the film with Hayley Atwell (pictured in Rome in October)\n\nVariety said the film is scheduled for release in November 2021. BBC News has asked for comment from Cruise's representatives and the Mission: Impossible studio and producers.\n\nThe audio quickly spread around the internet. Nick Murphy, who directed last year's A Christmas Carol for BBC TV and Save Me for Sky Atlantic, praised the star's actions, writing: \"Tom Cruise was right.\"\n\nUS radio host John Rocha also voiced his support, writing: \"I wish MORE people in charge would react like this to people who violate protocols or not wearing masks. If only more people saw the bigger picture that Tom is highlighting here.\"\n\nDennis Tseng from movie site Collider added: \"Tom Cruise ain't wrong. Now he just needs to come back to America and yell at every single anti-masker.\"\n\nAnd British actress Rebecca Front joked: \"The one thing missing from that #TomCruise audio is the distant sound of a lone drill and an anguished 1st AD [assistant director] shouting 'Can we PLEASE hold the work?!\"\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "Mick and Debbie Thompson hope next Christmas will look more like life before the pandemic\n\nWith infections rising and worries about the festive period growing, some families have decided Christmas isn't worth the risk and are either cancelling their plans or making last-minute changes.\n\nMick Thompson is still annoyed about placing third with his wife, Debbie, in the family Zoom quiz at the weekend. Perhaps that's an understatement - \"quite distraught\" is how he puts it. But when the initial red mist cleared, the pair had to address another issue that came up during the call: the annual Boxing Day get-together.\n\nMick's family is one of hundreds across the country weighing up whether or not to go ahead with plans over Christmas, amid a growing number of coronavirus infections across the UK. The usual restrictions on social contact are being relaxed between 23 and 27 December, allowing up to three households to mix indoors over the five-day period.\n\nBut Mick and Debbie still decided to call off the Boxing Day buffet at their home in Chineham, Hampshire, this week. \"Everyone was saying 'I'll bring desserts' and 'I'll bring this' and 'I'll bring that',\" says Mick, 59, who owns a travel PR company. \"But over the last couple of days... there's been so much talk about this Christmas relaxation that I think for one year only, the sensible thing to do is just not to bother. We can do it any old time, you know?\"\n\nHe and Debbie broke the news to her sisters in a text message (a method he recommends, by the way, because \"you don't get the opportunity to get emotional on the phone\").\n\n\"What I'm worried about is that I could be asymptomatic, catching it from somebody else, and then spreading it afterwards. My conscience wouldn't let me do that,\" he says. \"They said that they understood and didn't want to put us under any pressure.\"\n\nMore than 200 miles away in Lancashire, Nicole Cobb, 30, had to have the same conversation with her family.\n\nShe, her partner and children usually spend the festive period flitting between her relatives' homes in Aberdeen. This year they had planned a gathering within the relaxed rules but, given that her job as a youth and family worker involves meeting so many people, she decided it was not worth the risk of unknowingly passing on the virus.\n\nShe made the \"difficult decision\" just before the second national lockdown was introduced in England last month.\n\nNicole says her elderly gran is one of her closest family members\n\n\"There is that thought that my gran's older and am I missing a special Christmas with her?\" she says, adding that she would love to also see her sister, who is having chemotherapy, and her new niece.\n\nAlthough she'll miss seeing her family, she is also looking forward to a \"much more relaxed\" Christmas at home. \"There's no pressure to run around this year,\" she laughs.\n\nInstead, the family will do a virtual quiz on Christmas Day and will meet up next year. \"If you've got the family around the table, it doesn't need to be 25 December, it can be any date that you pick. It's just about getting together as family, isn't it?\"\n\nJames Downs, 31, from Cambridge, says he would rather find alternative things to do on Christmas Day \"than face the idea of risking my loved ones\".\n\nHe works in mental health policy but also teaches dance and yoga, so also comes into contact with a lot of people. He had plans to go to to Cardiff to see his family, including his clinically vulnerable dad, but he's called them off.\n\n\"The idea of giving my dad the virus and him being very unwell is something I'm not prepared to risk for the sake of a few months, by which time he might have the vaccine,\" he explains.\n\nHe says anyone worried about having difficult conversations with family members should focus on \"the reasons why you might not want to meet this year - because you care about and love them\".\n\nJames had been looking forward to spending time with his mum over Christmas\n\nOn Wednesday, the four UK nations agreed that restrictions will still be relaxed between 23 and 27 December, but guidance would be strengthened.\n\nBoris Johnson warned \"a smaller Christmas is going to be a safer Christmas\", saying people should \"think hard\" before meeting friends and family.\n\nThree households will still be able to meet - apart from in Wales where a law change will allow just two households. And in Scotland people are being asked to meet on just one of the five days. An announcement on Northern Ireland is expected on Thursday.\n\nA YouGov survey this week suggested 57% of people think the plans to relax coronavirus rules over Christmas should be scrapped. Around 31% of the 3,856 adults who were asked said the easing should go ahead as planned, and 12% said they were unsure.\n\nDiva Fanning, 71, a retired midwife in Herefordshire, always looks forward to spending time over Christmas with her daughters, no matter how grown up they are.\n\nShe had been planning to host her daughters and their families on Boxing Day. But after a friend told her that a man in her local village had died from coronavirus following a get-together - and with infection rates rising - she decided to change course.\n\n\"I didn't want to say 'I'm not doing it' because I didn't want to sound like a killjoy, so I just said 'perhaps it's best',\" she says. In any case, she and her husband will still host one daughter who is in her bubble, and can see other family members outside.\n\n\"It wasn't a difficult conversation really. It came together on its own... everybody was thinking the same anyway,\" she says. \"We've all come to that agreement that it's silly, really, to take the risk.\"\n\nDiva Fanning's Boxing Day this year will be a bit quieter than usual\n\nBack in Chineham, Mick and Debbie will spend Christmas and Boxing Day at home with the dogs. The whole family plans to meet up in the spring, instead. \"I'm very disappointed, but I think it's the only sensible thing to do,\" he says.\n\nUntil then, another virtual quiz on Christmas Day will have to suffice - and he's got some swotting up to do. \"One of my sister-in-law's sons and his girlfriend put the quiz together and all the oldies sit round and compete, it's quite good fun,\" he says. \"We normally win.\"", "British Airways has cancelled services to more than 15 long-haul destinations next year.\n\nThe news comes as many airlines cut staff and drop routes as passengers cut travel amid the pandemic.\n\nRoutes to cities in North America such as Pittsburgh, Calgary and Charleston have gone, alongside flights to Seoul, Kuala Lumpur and Osaka.\n\nThe Seychelles, a popular winter holiday destination, has also been removed.\n\nMuscat, Jeddah and Abu Dhabi routes are axed, and BA will also temporarily suspend flights to Sydney, Bangkok and San Jose during the summer of 2021.\n\nPassengers have contacted the BBC to say they have had trips cancelled in 2021 and are waiting for advice from BA on whether they will receive a refund or a flight voucher.\n\nBA said it was sorry and that customers on cancelled flights are entitled to a full refund.\n\nLike other airlines, the pandemic meant global travel restrictions had forced it to operate a reduced and dynamic schedule, it said.\n\nIt advised customers on affected flights to check the BA website for the latest flight information.\n\nBA has said previously that the pandemic has hit it harder than anything ever before, with losses that outstrip the financial crisis of 2008 and the September 2001 terror attacks on the World Trade Center in New York.\n\nLosses totalled almost £4bn in the first half of this year.\n\nThe airline controversially made about 10,000 staff redundant in the summer, as it fought to save money and limit burning through cash reserves as passenger numbers collapsed.\n\nPreviously, BA has said it does not expect international travel to return to pre-pandemic levels until 2023.", "The capsule touched down on snow-covered grassland\n\nChina's Chang'e-5 mission has returned to Earth with the cargo of rock and \"soil\" it picked up off the Moon.\n\nA capsule carrying the materials landed in Inner Mongolia at 01:59 local time on Thursday (17:59 GMT, Wednesday).\n\nIt's more than 40 years since the American Apollo and Soviet Luna missions brought their samples home.\n\nThe new specimens should provide fresh insight on the geology and early history of Earth's satellite.\n\nFor China, the successful completion of the Chang'e-5 venture will also be seen as another demonstration of the nation's increasing capability in space.\n\nRecovery teams were quick to move in on the returned capsule. It was first spotted by helicopters using infrared cameras. Support staff following up in SUVs planted a Chinese flag in the snow-covered grassland next to the module.\n\nA high-speed re-entry (L) followed by a parachute journey to the ground (R)\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by ESA Operations This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThe Chang'e-5 venture was launched at the end of November.\n\nA probe comprising several elements was sent into orbit around the Moon. These elements then separated, with one half going down to the lunar surface.\n\nThe lander system used a scoop and a drill to dig up samples. It's not clear how much, but possibly in the range of 2-4kg.\n\nAn ascent vehicle subsequently carried the materials back into lunar orbit where they were transferred to an Earth-return module. This was shepherded home by a fourth element and released just before it had to make the fiery descent through Earth's atmosphere.\n\nThe mission spent only two days on the Moon's surface gathering samples\n\nThe capsule's contents will be removed in a dedicated laboratory\n\nReturning from the Moon, the Chang'e-5 module would have been moving much faster than, say, a capsule coming back from the International Space Station.\n\nEngineers had chosen to scrub some of this extra energy by doing an initial \"skip\" in the atmosphere. This saw the module briefly dip into the gases that shroud our planet, before then plunging much deeper to try to reach Earth's surface.\n\nThe Chang'e-5 capsule was targeted to float down on parachute to Siziwang Banner in Inner Mongolia. This is the same location used to bring Chinese astronauts home.\n\nAgain, infrared cameras were on hand to follow the action by detecting the heat of the module.\n\nA total of just under 400kg of lunar surface materials were collected by American Apollo astronauts and the Soviets' robotic Luna landers.\n\nBut all these samples were very old - more than three billion years in age. Chang'e-5's rock and dust should be quite different.\n\nThe Chinese mission targeted a high volcanic region called Mons Rümker in the northwest of the nearside of the Moon.\n\nSamples from this terrain may be no more than 1.2 or 1.3 billion years old, and, as such, should provide additional information on how the Moon is constructed internally.\n\nThe samples will also allow scientists to more precisely calibrate the \"chronometer\" they use to age surfaces on the inner Solar System planets.\n\nThis is done by counting craters (the more craters, the older the surface), but it depends on having some definitive dating at a number of locations, and the Apollo and Soviet samples were key to this.\n\nChinese space officials have said the new samples will be shared with the UN and international partners. The Chinese public will also get to see some of the materials when they are put on display in a national museum.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch the moment the Chang'e-5 mission launches from Earth\n\nThe Moon is once again in vogue. America is planning on returning astronauts to the surface in the middle of this decade. A series of robotic spacecraft will land ahead of these human explorers to do reconnaissance.\n\nSome of these probes will be from national space agencies; some will be sent by commercial enterprises - including from the UK.\n\nTony Azzarelli, director and co-founder of the UK industry space body Access Space Alliance, said exciting times lay ahead, and highlighted the start-up Spacebit's quest to put a rover on the lunar surface next year.\n\n\"It'll be the first time that a legged robot will walk on another celestial world. Of course, all of these lunar missions are just a prelude to the return of humans to the Moon in the not-too-distant future,\" he told BBC News.\n\nJonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmos", "A US congressman announced that he tested positive for coronavirus hours after giving an address to fellow lawmakers on the floor of the US House of Representatives in Washington.\n\nSouth Carolina Republican Joe Wilson spoke on Wednesday to praise President Donald Trump for his role in the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine rollout, which began this week.\n\n“The life-saving Covid-19 vaccine that he promised to deliver has arrived in record time. Hallelujah,” he said.\n\nHe later said in a statement that he would be quarantining over Christmas. \"Thankfully I feel fine and do not have any symptoms,\" he said. \"It is so important that we all do our part to help prevent the spread of this virus.\"\n\nUS Interior Secretary David Bernhardt - who oversees US national parks and federal lands - also tested positive on Wednesday. He was tested before a cabinet meeting with President Trump, and did not attend the meeting as a result of his infection.\n\nSecretary of State Mike Pompeo also skipped the meeting. He is currently isolating after he was exposed to someone who was infected.", "The return to secondary school in January will be staggered in England, with some pupils starting online rather than in class, says the government.\n\nIt will allow schools to set up a Covid testing scheme - but exam-year pupils will start term as usual.\n\nThe National Education Union said making the announcement right at the end of the school term showed \"panic\".\n\nEducation Secretary Gavin Williamson said testing would \"clamp down\" on the virus after the Christmas break.\n\n\"Armed forces personnel\" will support the planning for testing in schools, says the Department for Education.\n\nApart from those taking GCSEs, A-levels and vocational exams next year, secondary school pupils will study online for the first week back in January.\n\nThis is to allow schools to make preparations for mass Covid testing - which will offer school staff a test each week and a daily test for seven days for pupils in contact with a positive case.\n\nThose exam year pupils returning for face-to-face lessons will also be offered tests, with all testing to be on a voluntary basis and requiring parental consent.\n\nFace-to-face learning is expected to re-start for all by 11 January.\n\nA similar scheme has been announced for Wales, where schools went online on Monday. A full return to the classroom is expected by 18 January at the latest.\n\nBut school leaders have reacted angrily at having to set up and manage such a testing system with so little notice - with the National Association of Head Teachers calling it a \"shambles\".\n\n\"They have handed schools a confused and chaotic mess at the eleventh hour,\" said the union's leader Paul Whiteman.\n\nJules White, head of Tanbridge House School in Horsham, said: \"The government has spent £22bn on a mass testing programme for test and trace.\n\n\"Schools are being asked to deliver mass testing for staff and students during the Christmas period with no funding, an 'idiot's guide' handbook and barely any notice.\"\n\nThe government is insisting the change to the start of term is not an extension to the school holidays and primary schools will not be affected by the move.\n\nBut it comes after the Department for Education instructed all local authorities to keep schools open in the final days of term, despite several initially telling parents that schools would close early and head teachers calling for more flexibility for online study.\n\nTeaching unions have challenged the practicality of being expected to train and deploy an \"army of volunteers\" to run the testing.\n\nThe National Education Union has now written to Education Secretary Gavin Williamson saying the plans for a school testing system are \"inoperable\".\n\nIt said: \"Telling school leaders, on the last day of term [for many schools], that they must organise volunteers and parents, supported by their staff, to test pupils in the first week of term, whilst Year 11 and 13 pupils are on site for in-school teaching, is a ridiculous ask.\"\n\nTeachers were already \"exhausted by the unreasonable demands, backed by legal threats, that they have been subjected to this term\", said the union's letter.\n\nIt added that running such medical procedures was \"significantly outside the experience and job description\" of school staff, highlighting expert advice that tests carried out by non-specialists were less likely to be effective.\n\nPatrick Roach, general secretary of the NASUWT teachers' union said: \"Yet again the government is announcing significant changes affecting schools with little or no time to prepare before the Christmas closure period.\"\n\nHe said it was not the responsibility of teachers or school leaders to undertake testing of pupils or employees.\n\n\"The government has to ensure that it puts into place all the necessary resources needed to deliver the practical and financial support to schools to ensure safety in schools,\" said Dr Roach.\n\nAssociation of School and College Leaders general secretary Geoff Barton said: \"We are very concerned about the feasibility of setting up a testing programme at the scale envisaged.\"\n\nHe added: \"The profession is very willing to work with the government over how to roll-out mass testing, but ministers must understand that chaotic, last-minute announcements do not constitute a collaborative approach.\"\n\nAs the plans for January have been announced, an official study suggests virus rates in schools reflect the levels in their local communities.\n\nVirus rates have been growing fast in some areas, including London and south-east England, in recent weeks, with many schools affected.\n\nThe analysis of tests on 10,000 staff and pupils from Public Health England, Office for National Statistics and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine found 1.24% of pupils and 1.29% of staff tested positive for coronavirus in schools.\n\nHowever, the impact of those cases will have been felt by many more, as close contacts were required to go home and self-isolate.\n\nThe governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have not announced any changes to the start of the January term, but schools in Wales moved online last Monday.", "Talks to reach a post-Brexit trade deal are in a \"serious situation\", Boris Johnson said after a call with the EU Commission head Ursula von der Leyen.\n\nHe warned that \"time was short\" and that a no deal scenario was \"very likely\" unless the EU position changed \"substantially\".\n\nMrs von der Leyen said it would be \"very challenging\" to bridge the \"big differences\", particularly on fish.\n\nHowever, she also welcomed \"substantial progress on many issues\".\n\nTalks in Brussels will continue on Friday, with two weeks to go before the UK leaves EU trading rules.\n\nIn a statement issued after the phone call, No 10 said: \"He [Mr Johnson] said that we were making every effort to accommodate reasonable EU requests on the level playing field, but even though the gap had narrowed some fundamental areas remained difficult.\n\n\"On fisheries he stressed that the UK could not accept a situation where it was the only sovereign country in the world not to be able to control access to its own waters for an extended period and to be faced with fisheries quotas which hugely disadvantaged its own industry.\n\n\"The EU's position in this area was simply not reasonable and if there was to be an agreement it needed to shift significantly.\"\n\nThe UK's chief negotiator David Frost echoed the prime minister's tone, tweeting: \"The situation in our talks with the EU is very serious tonight. Progress seems blocked and time is running out.\"\n\nEuropean Parliament leaders have set Sunday as a deadline for them to see the text of any deal agreed by the negotiating teams.\n\nThe senior MEPs said they would \"not be rushed\" into approving an agreement at their end, and would have to see the text by the end of the week if they were to sign it off by 31 December.\n\nThe call came after minister Michael Gove warned talks may go on until after Christmas. He said that while Christmas Day would be \"sacrosanct\", it was possible that Parliament could be recalled to approve a Brexit deal.\n\nParliament closed for the Christmas break on Thursday evening.\n\nMr Gove also said that although the European Parliament has said it would not have time to ratify a deal if it was not concluded by Sunday, they could \"apply provisional application of the treaty\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Michael Gove said Brexit talks 'may go on after Christmas'\n\nHe told the Commons Brexit Committee the \"most likely outcome\" was that the current transition period would end on December 31 without a deal.\n\nAsked how likely a deal is, he replied \"I think, regrettably, the chances are more likely that we won't secure an agreement. So at the moment less than 50%.\"\n\nIt's long been predicted that competition rules and fishing would be the last areas where compromise is found.\n\nFor Boris Johnson's government, being tied to EU regulations in perpetuity defeats the purpose of Brexit and makes a mockery of \"taking back control\".\n\nFor the European Union, it will not allow its internal market to be undermined by offering the UK unfair access.\n\nUrsula von der Leyen has claimed the two sides have made a significant step by agreeing to a \"strong mechanism\" to ensure neither side lowers their environmental or social standards, but are yet to agree on how each could diverge from these levels in the future.\n\nA good number of EU diplomats were quietly confident it was a matter of when, not if, EU access to UK fishing waters could be sorted. But it's proving trickier than they thought.\n\nSources tell me that Michel Barnier explained to EU ambassadors at the start of this week that if fishing is resolved, then a wider deal would quickly fall into place.\n\nBut there's no sign of a meeting of minds on fish, with the EU warning openly it may prove to be impossible.\n\nBut let's remember this is the most intense of negotiations and that every public proclamation from London or Brussels will be chosen to strengthening their respective hands in what are the final days and hours of talks.\n\nAlthough there is only 14 days until the deadline, Mr Gove said he believed there was enough time for the necessary legislation to pass before 31 December \"to give businesses legal certainty\".\n\nBut a number of opposition MPs raised issues already facing businesses waiting to discover the outcome of talks.\n\nOne Welsh MP, Jonathan Edwards, said: \"I was contacted late last night by a businessman in my constituency who is reliant on imports from the continent and he can't find a haulage firm willing to carriage on his behalf due to the current delays at the ports.\n\n\"He's very concerned unless this issue was resolved his business would not survive into the new year.\"\n\nMr Gove said he would get in touch with the business concerned.", "The police say an investigation into potential breaches of restrictions at the funeral of senior IRA figure Bobby Storey is now completed.\n\nA file will be submitted to the Public Prosecution Service tomorrow.\n\nTwenty-four people were interviewed as part of the investigation, including Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill.\n\nIt began after almost 2,000 people attended the funeral in west Belfast in June at a time when numbers at gatherings were severely restricted.\n\nSinn Féin was criticised for the attendance of many of its senior members, including Ms O'Neill and party president Mary Lou McDonald.\n\nThe PSNI brought in the deputy chief constable of Cumbria, Mark Webster, to oversee and direct inquiries.\n\nIn a statement on Thursday he said: \"I was appointed to independently examine the sequence of events surrounding the funeral of Bobby Storey on 30 June this year and alleged breaches of the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2020.\n\n\"We have now interviewed 24 individuals suspected of having breached the regulations and a file will be submitted to the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) on Friday 18 December 2020.\n\n\"I will not be making any further comment so as not to prejudice any future decision made by the PPS.\"\n\nUnionists had been critical at the pace of the investigation.\n\nThey have also raised questions about what was agreed between Sinn Féin and the PSNI ahead of the funeral.\n\nPolice largely stayed away and allowed Sinn Féin to steward proceedings.\n\nMs O'Neill later admitted the public health message had been undermined.\n\nSpeaking to BBC News NI last week, PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne defended how it was handled and said the investigation into potential breaches of health regulations was \"in its end stages\".\n\nSinn Féin's leader Mary-Lou McDonald (left) and deputy leader Michelle O'Neill (right) attended Mr Storey's funeral, along with former leader Gerry Adams (centre)\n\nEarlier, Mr Byrne said it was \"not appropriate\" to comment on what the police and Sinn Féin had discussed in advance of the funeral.\n\nSinn Féin president Ms McDonald had previously said it had been \"meticulously\" planned with the PSNI.\n\nThis story was amended on 27 January 2021 to remove the phrase 'IRA veteran'.", "More than 130,000 people have been vaccinated in the first week of the UK's vaccination programme.\n\nMinister Nadhim Zahawi, who is in charge of vaccine rollout, tweeted 137,897 people had been given their first doses of the Pfizer / BioNTech jab between 8 and 15 December.\n\nHe described it as a \"really good start\" for the programme.\n\nThe figure only captures the start of the community vaccination programme run by GPs which launched on Monday.\n\nAbout 200 of these local vaccination clinics are expected to be up and running by the end of the week.\n\nThey will be followed by another 1,000 in the coming weeks.\n\nThe government wants to offer everyone over 50 and younger adults with health conditions a vaccine - about 25 million people.\n\nBut the National Audit Office has warned \"complex logistical challenges\" remain.\n\nIt said thousands of extra staff would be needed to deliver vaccinations on the scale being talked about - the government has committed to offering all over 50s and younger adults with health conditions a vaccine.\n\nIt said hospitals and GP-run local clinics would not be able to do this on their own.\n\nBut it added the government had worked \"quickly and effectively\" to secure access to vaccines - contracts have been signed giving priority access to five different jabs.\n\nIt estimated the vaccination programme, including manufacturing, purchasing and delivering the jabs, could cost up to £12bn.\n\nDuring the first week, more than 70 hospitals took part in the vaccination programme - with another 10 starting this week.\n\nMr Zahawi said the figures were provisional and from next week there would be published data available.\n\n\"Transparency is vital as we deliver vaccines across the UK,\" Mr Zahawi added.\n\nHealth Secretary Matt Hancock said: \"This is just the start and we will steadily expand our vaccination programme - ultimately helping everyone get back to normal life.\"\n\nThe over-80s have been invited for vaccination first, along with some health and care staff.\n\nBut the highest priority group, care-home residents, have only just started to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech jab.\n\nIt has to be kept in in large batches in ultra-cold storage.\n\nAnd the NHS had been waiting for guidance on how it can be safely taken into care homes.", "Boris Johnson's outgoing aide Dominic Cummings has attacked a system which he says \"incentivises politicians to focus more on Twitter and gossip-column stories about their dogs\" while ignoring \"existential threats\".\n\nIn the Spectator, he also warned that parts of the UK's \"nuclear enterprise have rotted from years of neglect\".\n\nAnd he called for more focus on \"low-probability, high-impact events\".\n\nMr Cummings is leaving No 10 following a fractious internal power struggle.\n\nHis departure was announced last month and he has been working out his notice from home.\n\nOn Thursday, government figures revealed that his salary rose during 2020 from between £95,000-£99,999 to £140,000-£144,999, making him among the highest-earning special advisers in government.\n\nBy the conventional literary standards of Dominic Cummings, this is an unquestionably pithy contribution.\n\nHis blog posts traditionally demand a long train journey and a lot of scrolling to reach their destination.\n\nBut rather like his personally published reflections, this nugget in The Spectator combines a sweep of history with a few sharp political jabs.\n\nNo names mentioned, of course, but which prominent resident of Downing Street combines a love of dogs and social media?\n\nAh yes, the Prime Minister's fiancee Carrie Symonds, frequently pictured in the company of Dilyn, her Jack Russell cross.\n\nAnd who was seen as particularly influential in Mr Cummings' departure from No 10? You guessed it....\n\nDilyn the dog has his own instagram page\n\nIn a feature for the Spectator Magazine, contributors were asked to nominate their \"highlights of history\".\n\nMr Cummings chose a moment in 1983 when a Soviet Union officer, Stanislav Petrov, potentially averted nuclear war by ignoring his country's nuclear weapons alert system.\n\nThe satellite system suggested that the US had launched a nuclear-armed missile strike, but Mr Petrov decided it was a false alarm and chose not to inform his superiors, thereby preventing a retaliatory attack.\n\nPraising his reaction, Mr Cummings wrote: \"It was only because of his intensive training and quick wits that many millions of lives weren't lost.\"\n\nHe added that there have been many such near-misses since the 1960s and that \"protocols combined with flawed early warning systems remain a huge danger today\".\n\n\"In Britain parts of the nuclear enterprise have rotted from years of neglect, though thankfully the new cabinet secretary knows and cares and is acting to remedy this.\n\n\"As Covid has shown, far greater intellectual and material resources ought to be deployed on such apparently low-probability, high-impact events.\"\n\nEarlier this year Lord Sedwill stepped down as cabinet secretary - the top job in the civil service - to be replaced by Simon Case.", "The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have shared an image from their Norfolk home on their official Christmas card.\n\nTaken at Anmer Hall - a Georgian house on the Queen's Sandringham Estate - the photograph shows the couple and Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis posing on some bales of straw.\n\nThe festive card is sent to friends, associates and their charities.\n\nThe Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall have also released the image on their card - taken in their garden.\n\nPrince Charles and Camilla posed for a photograph at their home in Birkhall, Aberdeenshire.\n\nThe photo of Charles and Camilla was taken by a member of staff in the autumn\n\nIt has become an annual tradition for the royals to reveal which of their favourite photographs they have chosen for the cards they send out each Christmas.\n\nLast year, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's Christmas card featured their baby son Archie for the first time.\n\nIn this year's photograph, Prince William and Kate sit with their children George, seven, Charlotte, five, and two-year-old Louis on a hay bale.\n\nIt was taken by Matt Porteous, who has received royal commissions in the past from Prince William and Kate, including for behind the scenes moments from Louis's christening.\n\nHe also captured the family playing in a garden that Kate had created for last year's Chelsea Flower Show.\n\nThe picture's release comes after the Cambridges took part in their first red carpet engagement as a family of five, as they went to the London Palladium theatre to watch a performance of Pantoland.\n\nLess than a week later, the pantomime run was forced to close as London entered tier three, the top level of coronavirus restrictions.\n\nEarlier this month the duke and duchess travelled around Great Britain on the royal train to thank key workers for their efforts during the pandemic.", "Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah lived 25 metres from the South Circular Road in south-east London\n\nA nine-year-old girl who died following an asthma attack has become the first person in the UK to have air pollution listed as a cause of death.\n\nElla Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, who lived near the South Circular Road in Lewisham, south-east London, died in 2013.\n\nAt the conclusion of the two-week inquest, coroner Philip Barlow said Ella had been exposed to \"excessive\" levels of pollution.\n\nThe inquest heard that in the three years before her death, she had multiple seizures and was admitted to hospital 27 times.\n\nDelivering a narrative verdict, Mr Barlow said levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) near Ella's home exceeded World Health Organization and European Union guidelines.\n\nHe added: \"There was a recognised failure to reduce the levels of nitrogen dioxide, which possibly contributed to her death.\n\n\"There was also a lack of information given to Ella's mother that possibly contributed to her death.\"\n\nGiving his conclusion over almost an hour, the coroner said: \"I will conclude that Ella died of asthma, contributed to by exposure to excessive air pollution.\"\n\nRosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah said she did not know how dangerous local levels of pollution were before her daughter's death\n\nElla's mother Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, said: \"We've got the justice for her which she so deserved.\n\n\"But also it's about other children still, as we walk around our city of high levels of air pollution.\"\n\nMs Adoo-Kissi-Debrah said she was \"shocked\" by how \"decisive and comprehensive\" the findings were.\n\nElla was first taken to hospital in 2010 after a coughing fit, Ms Adoo-Kissi-Debrah had told the inquest.\n\nAs a six-year-old, she had to be placed in a medically induced coma for three days to try to stabilise her condition.\n\nBy the summer of 2012, Ella was classified as disabled and her mother said she often had to carry her by piggyback to get her around.\n\nMs Adoo-Kissi-Debrah said: \"I think people need to understand when Ella was rushed into hospital, a lot of the time she was barely breathing.\n\n\"It was an emergency, cardiac arrest.\"\n\nElla died in the early hours of 15 February 2013, following a severe asthma attack.\n\nElla was classified as disabled due to her respiratory problems\n\nA 2018 report found unlawful levels of pollution, which were detected at a monitoring station one mile from Ella's home, contributed to her fatal asthma attack.\n\nThe report's author Prof Sir Stephen Holgate said Ella had been \"living on a knife edge\" in the months before her death.\n\nThe inquest heard Ella's family did not know of the risks posed by air pollution.\n\nThis is an historic verdict.\n\nTypically, experts refer to air pollution being \"associated\" with premature deaths because they can't be sure any one individual's death was caused or partly caused by dirty air.\n\nThis case pins Ella's untimely death partly on to the air she breathed.\n\nIt will heighten the debate about social equity in the UK.\n\nThe poorest tend to suffer the worst air, whilst - on a national basis - the richest tend to drive furthest.\n\nCampaigners now want emergency action - including expanding London's clean-air zone for vehicles out to the M25 and making Britain's streets better for walking and cycling.\n\nBut there are myriad sources of pollution. Gas boilers, construction equipment, paint and dust from brakes and tyres all contribute.\n\nUltimately, it won't be possible to completely clean the air in some of the UK's big cities.\n\nAhead of the conclusion of the inquest, Arnold Schwarzenegger wrote to Ms Adoo-Kissi-Debrah calling her \"a hero\".\n\nThe Hollywood actor and former governor of California, who has long been an advocate for better clean-air standards, thanked her for \"exposing air pollution for the killer it is\".\n\nProf Shaddick, who leads Exeter University's data science department, said he hoped the inquest ruling \"makes improving the air we breathe easier to achieve in the future\".\n\n\"It's just regrettable it's taken this case to achieve it,\" he added.\n\nSadiq Khan, who as mayor of London was named as an interested party in the inquest, called the result \"a landmark moment\".\n\nMr Khan said: \"Today must be a turning point so that other families do not have to suffer the same heartbreak as Ella's family.\n\n\"Ministers and the previous mayor have acted too slowly in the past, but they must now learn the lessons from the coroner's ruling.\"\n\nElla lived 25 metres from the South Circular Road, one of the capital's busiest roads\n\nSarah Woolnough, chief executive of Asthma UK and the British Lung Foundation, called on the government to outline a public health plan to protect against \"toxic air\" immediately.\n\nShe said: \"Our hearts go out to Ella's family who have fought tirelessly for today's landmark outcome.\n\n\"Today's verdict sets the precedent for a seismic shift in the pace and extent to which the government, local authorities and clinicians must now work together to tackle the country's air pollution health crisis.\"\n\nResponding to the verdict, a government spokesman said: \"Our thoughts remain with Ella's family and friends.\n\n\"We are delivering a £3.8bn plan to clean up transport and tackle NO2 pollution and going further in protecting communities from air pollution.\"\n\nThe mayor of Lewisham, Damien Egan, said Ms Adoo-Kissi-Debrah's campaign for clean air had been \"hugely impactful\".\n\nHe added: \"Our hope is that today's ruling is the evidence needed to effect lasting change, to finally secure a national commitment to tackling air pollution in a meaningful way.\"\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Scotland's drug death rate is three and a half times higher than England and Wales\n\nScotland's record on drug deaths is \"indefensible\" and the government must do more to save lives, the country's first minister has admitted.\n\nThe number of deaths rose to a record 1,264 in 2019 - double the number in 2014 and the worst rate in Europe.\n\nThe first minister said she was \"sorry for every family that has suffered grief\", saying they had been let down.\n\nAnd she said she would chair a meeting of the drugs taskforce in January over what \"immediate steps\" could be taken.\n\nOpposition parties said the government had cut rehabilitation services \"to the bone\" and repeated their calls for Public Health Minister Joe FitzPatrick to be sacked.\n\nMs Sturgeon said she wanted to work with Mr FitzPatrick \"to make sure we collectively accept this responsibility and take the actions required to fix the problem\".\n\nThe number of drug-related deaths in Scotland has set a new record six years in a row, and now stands far in advance of the figures recorded in any European country per head of population - and is three and a half times worse than in England and Wales.\n\nMs Sturgeon said the figures were \"completely unacceptable\" and \"indefensible\", and said her government had \"much to do to sort this out\".\n\nShe apologised to families who had been \"let down\", adding: \"This is difficult and complex, but that is not an excuse - these figures tell us that we need to do more and do it quickly\".\n\nShe said she would chair a meeting of the drug deaths taskforce in January, and would report back to MSPs later that month to set out what \"immediate steps\" could be taken.\n\nNicola Sturgeon said she was not going to try to \"defend the indefensible\"\n\nThe first minister was pressed by opposition leaders about the availability of rehab beds and the amount of money the government commits to drug and alcohol partnerships.\n\nScottish Conservative group leader Ruth Davidson said rehabilitation was \"not a panacea\", but that \"it can work and does save lives\".\n\nShe said services had been \"cut to the bone\" by the Scottish government, saying more funding must be committed to avoid a repeat of the \"horrendous\" figures in future.\n\nThere are currently 365 rehab beds available in facilities across Scotland, but Ms Sturgeon confirmed that about 100 were being taken up by patients from other countries.\n\nShe said the government was \"not satisfied\" that the number of rehab beds available was \"necessarily sufficient or that they are being used sufficiently\".\n\nAnd she said funding for drug and alcohol partnerships had gone up in all but two of the 13 years the SNP has been in power.\n\nShe said: \"This should not be comfortable. I am not going to stand here and defend the indefensible, these lives matter too much.\n\n\"We owe it to the lives which can still be saved that people like me do not engage in the usual political defensiveness, but redouble our efforts.\"\n\nMs Sturgeon has pledged to work with Mr FitzPatrick to solve the problem despite opposition calls for him to be replaced\n\nScottish Labour leader Richard Leonard reiterated calls for Ms Sturgeon to \"fire her minister for public health\" over the figures, saying Mr FitzPatrick's response had been \"woeful\".\n\nThis was echoed by Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie, who said \"real leadership\" was needed that that Mr FitzPatrick was not capable of \"driving change\".\n\nMr FitzPatrick told BBC Scotland on Tuesday that the high number of deaths \"stem from a long-standing and complex set of challenges\" and that there \"really is no shortcut to suddenly solve this\".\n\nHe also said one of the biggest challenges was the large number of people in the 35-54 age group who have been taking opioid drugs for many years, but who were not engaging with services to help them.\n\nAnd Mr FitzPatrick, who has been in the role since 2018, pledged to \"keep doing the job I am doing\".\n\nThe UK government, which has power over drug laws, has refused repeated requests from the Scottish government to allow so-called safe consumption rooms to be set up.\n\nIt has described consumption rooms as a \"distraction\" from efforts to tackle the problem, and says it is not convinced that they work.\n\nCritics also argue that the Scottish government could do more with the powers over health and justice that it does have, and point out that England's drug death rate is far lower despite the country also not having consumption rooms.", "Last updated on .From the section Premier League\n\nRoberto Firmino's last-minute header broke Tottenham's stubborn resistance at Anfield and sent Liverpool to the top of the Premier League table.\n\nAn entertaining encounter looked set to end in stalemate before - with the game entering stoppage time - Firmino soared to flash a header high past Spurs keeper Hugo Lloris from Andrew Robertson's corner.\n\nLiverpool flew at Spurs in the opening exchanges and went ahead when Mohamed Salah's shot took a big deflection off Eric Dier and looped over Lloris.\n\nSpurs had barely left their own half but struck with a counter punch seven minutes later when Son Heung-min raced clear to slip a composed finish past Alisson.\n\nSpurs actually had the better chances in the second half, with Steven Bergwijn firing wide then hitting a post when clean through and Harry Kane heading over from point-blank range.\n\nManager Jose Mourinho was left to regret those missed opportunities as a late Liverpool surge ended with Firmino's winner to send the defending champions three points clear at the top of the table and inflict Spurs' first Premier League loss since the opening weekend home defeat against Everton.\n\nThis was the night Anfield paid tribute to former manager Gerard Houllier who died aged 73 this week.\n\nThere were poignant moments with a minute's applause before kick-off and those fans gathered on The Kop sang the songs they used to sing to celebrate the Frenchman's success.\n\nLiverpool's players paid their own tribute with a display that started in blistering fashion as a succession of chances were created, then showed grit and resilience to fashion the three points as Spurs threatened after the break.\n\nLiverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was animated, even by his standards, raging at the officials on numerous occasions before celebrating wildly with his players and The Kop at the final whistle.\n\nAfter a lacklustre performance at Fulham, this was the perfect response as they returned to familiar territory at the top of the table.\n\nSpurs were left bitterly disappointed and deflated as they were sunk by a late goal at Anfield once again - their frustration made even more acute by the golden chances they missed to secure a statement victory and end a Liverpool unbeaten home sequence in the league that now stretches to 66 games.\n\nBergwijn squandered two opportunities to score with only Alisson to beat then Kane somehow directed a header down and over the top at The Kop end, holding his head in disbelief.\n\nWhen the dust settles, Mourinho will feel Spurs showed why they are currently one of the top two sides in the country as they survived that Liverpool assault to open up the opportunities to actually win.\n\nThe last time Mourinho managed a side at Anfield, a 3-1 defeat when he was in charge of Manchester United in December 2018 saw him sacked 24 hours later. Here at Spurs, he is in charge of a developing side that will certainly contest places at the top end of the table this season.\n\n'Jose told me that the better team lost' - what they said\n\nLiverpool boss Klopp: \"It was just a really good game against a counter-attacking monster, the possession we had we did incredibly well. The best way to defend Tottenham is to keep the ball all the time.\n\n\"Yes, they have scored a goal and had two chances. Apart from that, we controlled the game and it is a massively deserved three points. I am happy. For me, it [the Spurs goal] is offside. They watch it 20 times, but when I saw it, it is offside.\n\n\"I am so happy we scored that goal because it felt like 70% of the ball against a top side. Bobby [Firmino], what a header. I am over the moon for him. What a game he played, those movements, he opens up all the other gaps.\"\n\nOn exchange with Mourinho after the final whistle: \"Jose told me 'the better team lost'. I thought he was joking, but he wasn't.\"\n\nSpurs boss Mourinho: \"We were playing to win, we were not playing to get a point. A point would have been quite a fair result but we played to win and had the biggest chances to win it. The moment of the occasions and the reaction they had, they were in trouble.\n\n\"I feel it was a very undeserved result, but that's football. At half-time we move the pieces a little bit, but overall the game was always under control and I am very pleased with the performance.\n\n\"The changes were to find counter-attack situations which we did immediately, but with Gio's [Lo Celso] yellow card and the incredible pressure these guys on the touchline put on the officials, I was afraid of the yellow card and I had to take him off. I am not the one to speak to my colleagues about their behaviour on the touchline.\"\n• None Tottenham have won just one of their past 27 Premier League away games against Liverpool (D8 L18), last winning there in May 2011.\n• None Tottenham have only conceded more Premier League goals against Chelsea (102) than they have against Liverpool (97).\n• None This was Tottenham's first Premier League defeat in 12 Premier League games (W7 D4), since a 0-1 loss to Everton in September.\n• None Mourinho has never won away against Klopp in six attempts in all competitions (D2 L4), with Klopp being the manager he's faced the most away from home without ever tasting victory.\n• None Son has scored 11 goals in 13 Premier League appearances this season, equalling his goal tally from the entire 2019-20 campaign (11 in 30).\n• None Twenty of Tottenham's 25 Premier League goals this season have been scored by either Son (11) or Kane (9).\n• None Salah now has eight goals against Tottenham in all competitions - against no other side has he scored more in his club career in European football (level with Bournemouth and Watford).\n\nLiverpool visit Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Saturday (12:30 GMT) while Tottenham host Leicester City on Sunday (14:15).\n• None Goal! Liverpool 2, Tottenham Hotspur 1. Roberto Firmino (Liverpool) header from the centre of the box to the top left corner. Assisted by Andrew Robertson with a cross following a corner.\n• None Attempt saved. Eric Dier (Tottenham Hotspur) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.\n• None Attempt blocked. Curtis Jones (Liverpool) left footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Sadio Mané.\n• None Attempt missed. Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur) right footed shot from the left side of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Toby Alderweireld. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page\n• None A mega mixtape of the very best indie floorfillers\n• None Former England cricketer on his desire to coach at the highest level", "The government has announced a new £30m fund to help pay for the installation of fire alarms in high-rise buildings with dangerous cladding.\n\nThe money will reduce the need for round-the-clock fire patrols known as 'waking watch'.\n\nThree years since the Grenfell Tower fire, hundreds of buildings across the UK still have 24-hour safety patrols.\n\nHousing Secretary Robert Jenrick said the money will \"help relieve financial pressure on residents\".\n\nWaking watches were introduced by the National Fire Chiefs Council as a temporary measure to keep residents safe but some buildings have had wardens in place for years costing leaseholders tens of thousands of pounds every month.\n\nRecent guidance from the Council advised building owners should move to install common fire alarm systems as quickly as possible to reduce or remove the need for the 24-hour warden patrols.\n\nMr Jenrick said \"rip-off waking watch costs\" were bringing misery to leaseholders in tower blocks with cladding problems and the new fund will \"make a real difference to worried leaseholders\" and \"ensure they are safe\".\n\nIt comes as residents told the BBC they were paying thousands of pounds for fire wardens to patrol their blocks.\n\nRitu Saha, who lives in Bromley, south-east London, said patrols had cost her more than £300 a month for the last three years, totalling £11,700, and she couldn't bear the cost much longer.\n\nCampaigners representing residents said the fund was \"a glimmer of light in the ongoing uncertainty and dark times that our residents face\".\n\nBut in a statement welcoming the announcement, the Manchester and Liverpool Cladiators said: \"After months of waiting for a full and fair solution, we hoped for more detail and more funding.\"\n\nThe group said it had calculated that the fund would cover up to 300 buildings, adding: \"Given there are up to 1,000 buildings in the country, where a Waking Watch is in place, we remain concerned that this new funding will help less than a third of the residents affected.\n\n\"Many will be left unable to benefit from this announcement. In effect, another safety lottery has been created.\"\n\nThe government says leaseholders have on average been paying £137 per month for the patrols, and will collectively save over £3m per month, when the fund will opens in January.\n\nImmediate emergency support will also be provided to Wicker Riverside Apartments in Sheffield.\n\nThirty five families, who were recently evacuated from the building because of fire safely faults, should be able to return to their homes before Christmas.\n\nA six-month extension to the deadline for building owners to complete their applications to the government's £1bn Building Safety Fund (BSF) has also been announced, with a new deadline for submissions of 30 June 2021.\n\nThe BSF was set up to pay for the removal of unsafe combustible cladding on buildings that are 18 metres or higher.\n\nMr Jenrick also said he will be writing to Trading Standards to ask them to use their powers to investigate evidence of disproportionate charges for waking watch.", "Sweden's king has said his country \"failed\" to save lives with its relatively relaxed approach to the coronavirus pandemic.\n\nKing Carl XVI Gustaf made the remarks as part of an annual TV review of the year with the royal family.\n\nSweden, which has never imposed a full lockdown, has seen nearly 350,000 cases and more than 7,800 deaths - a lot more than its Scandinavian neighbours.\n\nPrime Minister Stefan Lofven said he agreed with the king's remarks.\n\n\"Of course the fact that so many have died can't be considered as anything other than a failure,\" Mr Lofven told reporters.\n\nReferring to the government's strategy, Mr Lofven added that \"it's when we are through the pandemic that the real conclusions can be drawn\".\n\nIn the programme, the king says: \"I think we have failed. We have a large number who have died and that is terrible.\n\n\"The people of Sweden have suffered tremendously in difficult conditions. One thinks of all the family members who have happened to be unable to say goodbye to their deceased family members. I think it is a tough and traumatic experience not to be able to say a warm goodbye.\"\n\nWhen asked if he was afraid of being infected with Covid-19, the king - who is 74 - said: \"Lately, it has felt more obvious, it has crept closer and closer. That's not what you want.\"\n\nInstead of relying on legal sanctions, Sweden appeals to citizens' sense of responsibility and civic duty, and issues only recommendations. There are no sanctions if they are ignored.\n\nSweden has never imposed a nationwide lockdown or the wearing of masks, and bars and restaurants have remained open.\n\nHowever, earlier this week, schools across the Stockholm region were asked to switch to distance learning for 13 to 15-year-olds for the first time as soon as possible. The measure was announced in response to rising Covid-19 cases.\n\nThis came a week after a nationwide decision on 7 December to switch to remote learning for those over 16.\n\nAnd on Monday, new nationwide social-distancing recommendations for the Christmas period came into force, replacing similar region-specific guidelines.\n\nSwedes are advised to meet a maximum of eight people, gather outdoors if possible and avoid travelling by train or bus.\n\nA formal ban on public gatherings of more than eight people remains, affecting events such as concerts, sports matches and demonstrations.\n\nSweden's state epidemiologist, Anders Tegnell, in November explained the strategy relied on a combination of legal and voluntary measures.\n\nHe told the BBC that this was, in the Swedish context, \"the combination that we really believe is the best one\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Tegnell: \"Not yet possible to say which country has right strategy\" (November 2020 interview)\n\nAccording to an official report released earlier this week, the strategy failed in its effort to protect the elderly in care homes - for which the government has admitted responsibility.\n\nOver 90% of Covid-related deaths have been among those aged 70 and over, and nearly half of all Covid deaths have been in care homes, the government says.\n\nMr Tegnell said his agency (Sweden's Public Health Agency) was not responsible for directing the elderly care system, and added all stakeholders needed to help to improve the situation to make sure the elderly did not get infected.\n\nHe said he thought Sweden had become better at protecting older people, and that no country had succeeded entirely in that area - even Germany was being hit hard right now, he told Swedish radio on Wednesday.\n\nSweden has had more deaths than the rest of the Nordic countries combined. This has led to criticism from the country's neighbours, Norway, Denmark and Finland, that its less strict approach is putting their own measures at risk.\n\nOn Tuesday, Prime Minister Lofven also said he felt many experts had underestimated the second wave.\n\n\"I think most in the profession did not see such a wave incoming. There was instead talk of different clusters,\" he said in an interview with daily Aftonbladet.", "A Libyan man accused of making the bomb which destroyed Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie has been taken into United States custody.\n\nThe explosion on board the Boeing 747 on 21 December 1988 left 270 people dead, making it the deadliest terrorist incident to have taken place on British soil.\n\nAnother Libyan, Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, is the only man ever convicted in connection with the atrocity.\n\nHe was found guilty of the murders in 2001, but always protested his innocence. He died in 2012 after being allowed to return home when it emerged that he had terminal cancer.\n\nHere is a timeline of the key developments in the case.\n\nAbdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi and Al Amin Khalifa Fhimah were accused of carrying out the bombing\n\n21 December 1988: Pan Am Flight 103 from London to New York explodes 31,000 feet over Lockerbie, 38 minutes after take-off from London.\n\nThe 259 people on board the Boeing 747 are killed, along with 11 people on the ground.\n\n13 November 1991: US and British investigators indict Libyans Abdelbaset al-Megrahi and Al Amin Khalifa Fhimah on 270 counts of murder, conspiracy to murder and violating Britain's 1982 Aviation Security Act.\n\nThe men were accused of being Libyan intelligence agents.\n\n15 April 1992: The UN Security Council imposes sanctions on air travel and arms sales over Libya's refusal to hand the suspects over for trial in a Scottish court.\n\nAugust 1998: Britain and the United States propose trying the suspects in the Netherlands under Scottish law.\n\n5 April 1999: The suspects are taken into Dutch custody after flying from Tripoli to an airbase near the Hague and are formally charged with the bombing. UN sanctions against Libya are suspended as agreed.\n\nThe Scottish court at Camp Zeist in the Netherlands\n\n3 May 2000: The trial of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, 48, and Al Amin Khalifa Fhimah, 44, opens at Camp Zeist, a specially convened Scottish court sitting in the Netherlands. Both of the accused deny murder.\n\n31 January 2001: Megrahi is found guilty of murder after the historic trial under Scottish law in the Netherlands.\n\nThe judges recommend a minimum of 20 years \"in view of the horrendous nature of this crime\".\n\nMegrahi's co-accused, Al Amin Khalifa Fhimah, is found not guilty and told he is free to return home.\n\n14 March 2002: Megrahi loses his appeal against the conviction.\n\n15 March 2002: Megrahi spends his first night at a prison in Glasgow after being flown by helicopter to HMP Barlinnie.\n\n14 August 2003: Lawyers acting for families of the Lockerbie bombing victims say they have reached agreement with Libya on the payment of compensation.\n\nThe deal to set up a $2.7bn (£1.7bn) fund was struck with Libyan officials after negotiations in London.\n\n24 November 2003: Megrahi is told he must serve at least 27 years in jail.\n\nHis sentence was increased after a change in the law meant he had to again come before the Scottish courts so that the punishment period could be set.\n\n28 June 2007: The Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission, which has been investigating the case since 2003, recommends Megrahi is granted a second appeal against his conviction.\n\n21 October 2008: Megrahi's lawyer reveals the 56-year-old former Libyan intelligence agent has been diagnosed with \"advanced stage\" prostate cancer.\n\n31 October 2008: The father of one of the victims of the Lockerbie bombing reiterates his call for Megrahi to be released.\n\nJim Swire, whose daughter was killed, criticised the slow appeal process faced by the man convicted of the attack and said the question of whether Megrahi should be released was one of \"common humanity\".\n\n14 November 2008: A court rules that Megrahi will remain in jail while he appeals against his conviction.\n\n25 July 2009: Megrahi asks to be released from jail on compassionate grounds due to his illness.\n\n18 August 2009: Judges accept an application by the Lockerbie bomber to drop his second appeal against conviction.\n\nThe permission of the High Court in Edinburgh was required before the proceedings could be formally abandoned.\n\nMegrahi was met on his return to Libya by Muammar Gaddafi's son Seif al-Islam\n\n20 August 2009: The Scottish government releases Megrahi on compassionate grounds. He returns home to Libya aboard a jet belonging to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.\n\n24 August 2009: The Scottish Parliament is recalled to discuss the release of the Lockerbie bomber.\n\nJustice Secretary Kenny MacAskill faces questioning from MSPs over his decision but says he stands by his decision and will \"live with the consequences\".\n\n29 August 2011: Megrahi falls into a coma at his Tripoli home with CNN reporting he appeared to be \"at death's door\".\n\n20 October 2011: Libyan leader Colonel Gaddafi is overthrown by an uprising in Libya, and is killed by rebels.\n\n20 May 2012: Abdelbaset al-Megrahi dies at his home in Tripoli, aged 60.\n\nEleven people were killed on the ground in Lockerbie\n\n20 December 2014: Scotland's top prosecutor, Lord Advocate Frank Mulholland, reaffirms his belief that Megrahi is guilty of the Lockerbie bombing and says no Crown Office investigator or prosecutor ever raised concerns about the evidence used to convict him.\n\nHe also pledges to continue tracking down Megrahi's accomplices.\n\n3 July 2015: Scottish judges rule that relatives of the Lockerbie bombing victims should not be allowed to pursue an appeal on Megrahi's behalf. Courts had previously ruled that only next of kin could proceed with a posthumous application.\n\n4 July 2017: The family of Lockerbie bomber Megrahi lodges a new bid to appeal against his conviction, five years after his death.\n\n11 March 2020: The Scottish Criminal Case Review Commissionrules that there can be a fresh appeal and refers the case to the High Court of Justiciary.\n\nThe commission says it considered six grounds of review and concluded that a miscarriage of justice may have occurred by reason of \"unreasonable verdict\" and \"non-disclosure\".\n\nThe family of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi attenpted to appeal against his conviction\n\n22 December 2020: On the 32nd anniversary of the atrocity, the US announces it has filed charges against a Libyan suspected of making the bomb.\n\nAttorney General William Barr says Abu Agila Mohammad Masud was accused of terrorism-related crimes.\n\n15 January 2021: Scottish judges reject the appeal from the family of Abdelbaset al-Megrahi as the Court of Criminal Appeal upholds the verdict of the original trial.\n\nThe court rejected the argument that the original trial had come to a verdict that no reasonable court could have reached.\n\n11 December 2022: It emerges that Abu Agila Mohammad Masud, the Libyan man accused of making the bomb which destroyed Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, is in United States custody.", "Rail fares will rise more than expected next year - although the new inflation-busting 2.6% increase is being delayed until 1 March.\n\nRegulated fares were expected to increase by 1.6% in January, as successive governments linked annual rises to July's RPI inflation rate.\n\nRail minister Chris Heaton-Harris said the rise reflected \"unprecedented taxpayer support\" for rail this year.\n\nBut unions said the rise was a \"kick in the teeth\" for passengers.\n\nAn average increase of 2.6% across all fares will still be the lowest since 2017, and it will only last nine months, until the end of 2021.\n\nHad the rise come in in January it would have equated to a 1.95% jump across the whole year.\n\nUntil 28 February season tickets holders can renew at existing prices and the cost of daily fares will stay the same.\n\nRail travel has been badly hit during the coronavirus crisis, and Mr Heaton-Harris said delaying the price rise from January \"ensures passengers who need to travel have a better deal this year\".\n\nRegulated fares make up about half of fares and include season tickets on most commuter routes. But operators are expected to match their rises for unregulated fares.\n\nIt means, for example, a Brighton-to-London annual season ticket going up by about £129 to £5,109, and a Manchester-to-Glasgow off-peak return rising by £2.30 to £90.60.\n\nThe rail minister said: \"By setting fares sensibly, and with the lowest actual increase for four years, we are ensuring that taxpayers are not overburdened for their unprecedented contribution, ensuring investment is focused on keeping vital services running and protecting frontline jobs.\"\n\nThe government took over rail franchise agreements from train operators in March, following the collapse in demand for travel caused by the virus crisis. This is expected to have cost about £10bn by mid-2021.\n\nThe rise will help recover some of the significantly increased costs met by taxpayers to keep services running during the pandemic, Mr Heaton-Harris said.\n\nJacqueline Starr, chief executive of the Rail Delivery Group, representing train operators, acknowledged that \"passengers will be disappointed\" about the fares rise, adding that \"governments must ultimately decide the balance between how much farepayers and taxpayers pay to run the railway\".\n\nShe added that industry was committed to working with the government to make the fares and ticketing system easier to use.\n\nThe department has written to all operators telling them to begin immediate work on developing flexible season tickets, allowing people who travel two or three days a week to save money compared with buying daily tickets. Firms have been told these must be introduced across England by the end of next year.\n\nAnthony Smith, chief executive of consumer watchdog Transport Focus, said: \"This fare increase makes it even more important that, when travel restrictions start to be lifted, the industry is able to attract people back by offering fares that match how we know people hope to live, work and travel in future.\"\n\nUnion leaders condemned the rise, with Manuel Cortes, general secretary of the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association calling it a \"kick in the teeth for passengers\".\n\nHe continued: \"Ministers are well aware that millions have suffered this year with the uncertainty of employment, a changing picture on furlough provision, pay cuts, wages freezes and lost jobs. So, to reach for a hike in fares of this size is both extortionate and plain daft.\"\n\nMick Cash, general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union, said ticket prices were being \"forced up to subsidise private profit. The time is right for a publicly-owned railway system that delivers reasonable fares for our people as the public and the economy tries to recover and shake off the Covid crisis next year.\"\n\nUpdate 8 January 2021: This story has been amended to remove an example of a season ticket price increase faced by one passenger. The example of a first class ticket was considered to be unrepresentative of the situation faced by the average commuter.", "Global internet firms could be banned from automatically detecting child abuse images on their systems from as early as next Monday, amid a row over privacy laws within the European Union.\n\nThe companies voluntarily assist police across the UK and Europe but face being forced to stop the work.\n\nTalks are ongoing to try and create an exemption for the tech giants.\n\nChild safety experts say if the row is unresolved the law will inadvertently make it easier for abusers.\n\nThe threat to the investigations has been triggered by attempts in the European Parliament to protect private online communications from monitoring by internet companies.\n\nHowever, the new rules could prevent those same companies using software to automatically scan for child sexual abuse material going through their systems.\n\nThe tools developed over a decade can identify:\n\nOn Thursday, talks in Brussels between the European Parliament, Commission officials and representatives of the member states will attempt to agree how to exempt the internet companies from the incoming privacy law.\n\nIf those talks fail, the law will ban the use of the most automated tools that sweep through million of communications, before passing leads and patterns on to law enforcement agencies.\n\nJohn Carr, secretary of the UK Children's Charities' Coalition on Internet Safety and a globally-recognised expert in the field, warned that time was running out to ensure all of the detection work would continue.\n\n\"If Brussels does not change this law or put it on hold... sexual predators will have an easier time contacting children,\" said Mr Carr.\n\n\"There will be more videos of children being raped available for people to view or download.\n\n\"The latter not only does further harm to the children depicted in the videos, to the extent such material also encourages or sustains paedophile behaviour, it puts children as yet unharmed in danger in every country in the world.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. WATCH: In June the BBC spoke to an internet safety campaigner and investigator who poses as a 14-year-old girl online\n\nExperts estimate that if the most controversial privacy measures become law, there could be a 70% drop in reports from internet companies to law enforcement agencies across the world.\n\nThe US-based National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children received almost 17m reports from internet companies in 2019, including alerts about potential abusers and victims operating across Europe.\n\nThe UK's National Crime Agency has not commented on the stand-off in Brussels - but it is part of a global group of law enforcement organisations that has lobbied Europe because it believes there is a risk to investigations and protection work.\n\nThe outgoing US Attorney General William Barr is the latest to raise concerns, saying the plans in the EU risked undermining the global response to a global crime.\n\nAnd MEP David Lega, co-president of the European Parliament's child safety group, said the privacy measures demanded by campaigners could set back the fight against online abuse 10 years.\n\n\"The cooperation between the tech companies and the law-enforcement authorities has proven instrumental in rescuing children in the EU and globally from child sexual abuse,\" he said.\n\n\"By introducing [privacy] conditions, we will just give companies the perfect excuse to stop the voluntary use of these technologies.\"", "Liz Truss says \"right-thinking people\" must fight for \"fairness\"\n\nThe government is promising to focus more on people's social class and individual \"character\", as it overhauls its equality policy.\n\nEqualities minister Liz Truss said the discrimination debate should not focus solely on race, religion, sexual orientation and disability.\n\nDiscussion had too often been dominated by \"fashion\" and not \"facts\", she said.\n\nLabour accused Ms Truss of \"gratuitous provocation\" and ignoring the \"devastating impact\" of discrimination.\n\nThe government is launching an Equality Data Programme to gather information on people's backgrounds, social mobility and inequality between regions.\n\nSpeaking at the Centre for Policy Studies think tank, Ms Truss said: \"To make our society more equal, we need the equality debate to be led by facts, not by fashion.\n\n\"Time and time again, we see politicians making their own evidence-free judgements.\"\n\nShe also said discussion had \"been dominated by a small number of unrepresentative voices, and by those who believe people are defined by their protected characteristic and not by their individual character\".\n\nThe Equalities and Human Rights Commission lists protected characteristics - over which it is illegal to discriminate - as age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.\n\nMs Truss argued that data based solely on these characteristics is not fit for purpose when it comes to setting equality policy.\n\nThe equalities minister said: \"Underlying this [approach] is the soft bigotry of low expectations, where people from certain backgrounds are never expected or considered able enough to reach high standards.\n\n\"This diminishes individual humanity and dignity, because when you choose on the basis of protected characteristics, you end up excluding people.\"\n\nMs Truss added that it was \"appalling\" that pregnant women suffer discrimination at work\", that women may \"be encouraged to dress in a certain way to get ahead\", and that \"some employers overlook the capabilities of people with disabilities\".\n\nDebates on equality must be \"rooted\" in \"real concerns people face\", she said, adding: \"It is our duty to deliver, because if right-thinking people do not lead the fight for fairness, then it will be led by those whose ideas do not work.\"\n\nFor Labour, shadow equalities minister Marsha de Cordova said: \"This is gratuitous provocation from a government that consistently refuses to face up to its responsibilities and the widening inequality it has caused.\n\n\"When Liz Truss dismisses 'fashionable' causes, she actually dismisses the devastating impact of discrimination and unfairness in people's day-to-day lives.\"\n\nHalima Begum, chief executive of the Runnymede Trust, a racial equality think tank, said: \"Liz Truss's attempts to 'overhaul' the equalities work in the UK is nothing short of a whitewashing of British history and its relationship with race.\"\n\nShe also said: \"It is time that equalities ministers in this government are held accountable for their words.\"\n\nThe government announced on Wednesday that its report into racial inequality will be delayed until next year, citing problems caused by the coronavirus pandemic.\n\nIt is looking at health, education and criminal justice, but also \"wider inequalities\" such as issues faced by working-class white boys.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Friends and family line the street in an emotional homecoming\n\nA man who was given \"almost zero\" chances of surviving after contracting Covid-19 has spoken of how his world has been \"turned upside down\".\n\nMal Martin, 58, was taken to Bridgend's Princess of Wales Hospital in March, a week after \"feeling unwell\" and placed on a ventilator for 61 days.\n\nHis wife and children even said their goodbyes before he was put into an induced coma.\n\nBut Mr Martin's recovery was described by doctors as a \"miracle\".\n\n\"Basically it's turned my world upside down but at the same time, I'm getting stronger,\" he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.\n\n\"I can only walk so far, I'm having lots of dizziness, I've got problems with my lungs, I've got major problems with my kidneys.\n\nOn Mal Martin's seventh day in hospital, his family were told to prepare for the worst\n\n\"My kidneys are only running at 12% at the moment and it's just been horrific really. I need to either go on dialysis for the rest of my life, or a kidney transplant.\n\n\"I've lost vision in my right eye which I'll never get back and I've had amputations on my hands - I've lost my thumb from on my one hand and I've lost a forefinger and a half a finger and my thumb is going to come off my right hand.\"\n\nMr Martin was taken to hospital just before the UK went into a national lockdown in March.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Sue Martin spoke to the BBC about Mal in April\n\nMr Martin is diabetic, which is genetic, not life-style related. Four years ago he'd had a heart attack and had three stents fitted. He recovered well, did park runs regularly and never drank heavily or smoked. Doctors reassured his family that his diabetes was controlled and that he was fit and healthy.\n\nHe said he does not remember the first two weeks, describing them as \"a blank\", and after that he \"honestly felt it was over\", as did his doctors.\n\nHe added: \"My consultant said to me my wife and my children came in to say goodbye - he wasn't supposed to have said that to be fair - but he did it and that really sort of got to me at the time.\n\n\"Under the ventilation I was having a lot of hallucinations and things, and some scary moments and seeing masks all the time around me.\n\n\"I remember one of the nurses saying to me that she held my hand all night... and she wouldn't let go.\n\n\"I thought just how amazing the NHS has been and everybody involved really has been fantastic.\"\n\nThe coronavirus pandemic has claimed more than 1.6 million deaths from more than 73 million confirmed cases around the world.\n\nThere is hope of an end in sight with vaccinations starting to be rolled out.\n\nBut Mr Martin, who has been recovering at home since July, said there were still people out there who were not taking the virus seriously.\n\nFrom his hospital bed, Mr Martin told his wife Sue \"I want to come home\"\n\n\"It's a horrible, horrible, horrible disease to have and I think if I could have any wish, it would be that it would all go away,\" he said.\n\n\"But I suppose the biggest wish is for people to understand I was healthy.\n\n\"It astounds me really that there's so many people losing their lives, there's so many people in the same position I'm in and in worse positions than I'm in and people are still not taking heed and not understanding.\n\n\"I think once somebody gets it in their family, then it really hits home and it's certainly hitting my family.\"", "Toy store owner Hellen Stirling-Baker says container delays have cost her £20,000 in sales so far - 40% of her annual turnover\n\nDelays at UK ports mean a number of toy orders will now miss Christmas, according to the British Toy and Hobby Association (BTHA).\n\nThe industry body has called on the government to help \"save the festive season\" by easing port congestion.\n\nHellen Stirling-Baker, who runs a Sheffield shop, says she has lost £20,000 in sales because of container delays, or 40% of her annual turnover.\n\nOther shops say it is impossible to order some popular toys including Lego.\n\nMs Stirling-Baker has been told that her order of cotton Dinkum Dolls, made in China, won't arrive in England until 7 January. The British company that designs the dolls told her their container is held up in customs, but it's already experienced seven weeks of delays due to the pandemic, port congestion and other logistics issues.\n\nOther toy orders from Ms Stirling-Baker has made have arrived incomplete.\n\n\"I just received an order today which I placed three weeks ago, and only part [of it] has come. The rest is stuck in ports,\" she said. \"Demand has been really high but stock levels are low.\"\n\nWhile many UK importers are struggling with the congestion issues at Felixstowe and Southampton, the toy sector has been particularly hard hit, since the problems have coincided with the peak Christmas season.\n\nThe Leeds-based toy designer Boxer Gifts, which manufacturers its products in China, estimates a loss in sales of up to £1m this year due to stock delays.\n\nManaging director Thomas O'Brien says one of his containers is currently stuck in the Belgian port of Zeebrugge and there's no way it will get to the UK in time for Christmas.\n\n\"Some of the ships are bypassing the UK and tipping off at European ports, but others are just slowing down because they've got nowhere to unload,\" he said.\n\n\"Various games and stocking-filler toys such as Grow-a-Sloth are hugely popular, but we've had stock outages for months because shipments are delayed and that's costing us sales.\n\n\"More importantly it's reducing availability for consumers to find fun gifts. There's less about.\"\n\nToy designer Boxer Gifts says lost sales from shipping delays will mean less money for innovation next year.\n\nLike many importers, Mr O'Brien has also had to contend with a sharp rise in shipping costs, as shipping firms hike up freight rates in response to port congestion and a shortage of empty containers in Asia.\n\nHe says containers shipped from Qingdao, China to Felixstowe are costing him $10,000 (£7,492.03), rather than the normal rate of $2,500.\n\nBTHA has called on the government to help where it can.\n\n\"We would urge the government to help at this crucial time for business, to save the festive season and alleviate blockages now ahead of the UK's departure from the EU,\" said a spokesman.\n\nAdding to the calls for government to intervene at the ports are the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and the Food and Drink Federation (FDF). The two trade bodies have written to MPs to request an urgent inquiry into the ongoing disruption at UK ports and skyrocketing shipping rates.\n\nA spokesman for the Department for Transport (DfT) said: \"This is not a problem unique to the UK, with ports around the globe experiencing similar container capacity issues. The government is working closely with the freight industry to work through the challenges some of our ports are facing.\n\n\"Ports are employing more staff, as well as working with hauliers to improve container collection and with shipping lines to maximise efficient utilisation of port capacity. We will do everything we can to resolve the situation as quickly as possible.\"\n\nWhile many small toy shops are struggling, some larger toy retailers say they've managed to avoid problems at the ports by stockpiling early in the year. Many have also benefitted from booming toy sales as families spent more time at home during coronavirus lockdowns.\n\nToyTown, which has 30 outlets across the UK, says it has had a bumper year with especially high orders of puzzles and games.\n\n\"We took a decision to load up pre-Brexit - if companies run a 'just-in-time' model, they'll suffer,\" explains managing director Alan Simpson.\n\nHe says it is typical for some toy lines to run-out of stock before Christmas, but this year's port problems are \"limiting choice\" for retailers, and he's had to closely monitor his supply chain.\n\nCharlotte Khan and her husband Naveed run a toy store in Folkestone\n\nCharlotte Khan from children's boutique Moo Like a Monkey in Folkestone, Kent, says her business has had to be \"more resilient than ever this year\".\n\nAfter losing thousands of pounds due to shipping problems that have left her having to hold onto late-arriving stock for next year, she is planning to refocus on stockists much closer to home.\n\n\"I'm going to look much more locally for suppliers now, they're the ones who've kept us in more reliable stock,\" she said.\n\n\"Even though we've taken a hit on our Christmas turnover, we've dealt with worse this year, and at least we've been able to trade during our peak season. I'm grateful to still be in business.\"", "Today Lockerbie is a neat, handsome town which appears to be doing rather well. It stands beside the motorway linking Glasgow and Carlisle, and it is a market town for the surrounding farms. Home to 4,000 residents, it was never a remote, isolated village - but it never expected to be the centre of global terrorism and tragedy. It has changed a lot in three decades, with new factories and housing estates contributing to a slight population increase.\n\nI’m very proud to say that I live in Lockerbie, and that the town reacted the way it did\n\nWhere families were wiped out, lives cut short and homes destroyed, there are memorials - but there is also new life. In Sherwood Crescent - the epicentre of the devastation - houses have been rebuilt alongside a modest stone of remembrance. To the west of the town is Dryfesdale Cemetery, where a visitor centre tells the story of Pan Am 103 and the Lockerbie Air Disaster Memorial stands in silent testimony to the 270 dead.\n\nThe other lasting memorial is the scholarship which every year gives two students from Lockerbie Academy the chance to study at Syracuse University. The university’s motto is “Look Back, Act Forward”. It could speak for the whole town and all those whose lives were touched by the murders. Marjory McQueen says the scholarship proves that good can come out of terrible tragedy. “I’m very proud to say that I live in Lockerbie, and that the town reacted the way it did,” she says. “I think, in a way, when something like this happens, it’s a terrible tragedy. It’s dreadful. But if you wait long enough, good comes out of it. “And anyone who comes to Lockerbie, I’m very pleased to say that they are met and are shown round. And Lockerbie will never, never forget their relatives, and how they died here.”\n\nVisitors to the town pay tribute to the victims of flight 103\n\nJosephine Donaldson is typical of the people in Lockerbie - proud of the way they came together, but reluctant to take credit for the part she played. Twice a year, she visits the memorial in a small act of remembrance for Nicole and Amy Elizabeth, two young women she never met but still refers to as “my girls”. “I always put the flowers on there for their birthday and the 21 December. I never told anyone, I never signed the card, I just put ‘JD’. “I just felt I had to do it. I had a son, and if that had happened in America and I never got him home, I would have hoped someone would have done the same.”", "Last updated on .From the section Rugby Union\n\nMore former rugby players have joined the legal process against the game's authorities for alleged negligence.\n\nFormer Wales Under-20 centre Adam Hughes, 30, is the youngest to claim he has suffered permanent brain damage.\n\nEx-England Under-21 back row Neil Spence is also one of those involved while four former England and Wales players remain anonymous.\n\nLegal action is being prepared against the Rugby Football Union (RFU), Wales Rugby Union (WRU) and World Rugby.\n\nIt means there are now nine players included in preparing the action - although the law firm representing the group says more than 100 players have come forward.\n\nThose additional players will now be tested for early onset dementia and their details added to the potential claim involving the existing nine when it is ready.\n\nA letter of claim, setting out their intention to sue, was delivered to the governing bodies on Thursday.\n\nIn response, the RFU, WRU and World Rugby have issued a joint statement to confirm they have received the letter, and are \"deeply saddened\" to hear personal accounts from the players.\n\nThey also say player welfare is taken \"extremely seriously\" and it \"continues to be our number one priority\".\n\nWorld Rugby chairman and former England captain Sir Bill Beaumont said in an open letter his \"thoughts are with\" those who are struggling and that the organisation will \"continue to welcome\" the views of former players.\n\nHe added the area of concussion is \"extremely complex\" but that as \"the science continues to evolve\" rugby will \"evolve with it\".\n\nEvery member of the group of nine, including England's World Cup-winning hooker Steve Thompson, has recently been diagnosed with early signs of dementia.\n\nThe former players say repeated blows to the head are to blame.\n\nSpence says he used to be \"the fun guy at the party\" but that his condition has \"taken my personality\".\n\n\"If I knew I was going to feel like this I wouldn't have signed up,\" Spence told BBC Sport.\n\n\"We knew we were signing up to broken arms, broken legs and knee replacements, but not being neurologically impaired and a degenerative disease.\n\n\"I still love the game, and what we are trying to get from this is ideally some change. The change should be potentially limiting some contact during the training.\"\n\nMeanwhile, 42-year-old Thompson played in every England match when they won the 2003 World Cup, but says: \"I can't remember any of those games. It's frightening.\"\n\nIt is the first legal move of its kind in world rugby and, if successful, could change the way the game is played.\n\nRylands Law, which is representing the group, says the risks of concussion injuries were \"known and foreseeable\", and list 24 alleged failures on the part of World Rugby, the RFU and the WRU.\n\n\"We know senior figures in the game have been discussing the issue of head injuries since the 1970s, and yet here we are, more than 40 years later, with so many players, and at such an early stage in their lives, finding themselves in this awful position,\" said Richard Boardman of Rylands Law.\n\n\"I sincerely hope World Rugby, RFU and WRU will now face up to their responsibilities.\"\n\n'The human body is the same the world over'\n\nMeanwhile NFL medical experts say they are in regular communication with rugby authorities about how to reduce concussion in the sport.\n\nNFL chief medical officer Dr Allen Sills says his sport is trying to \"share knowledge in a more rapid fashion\" with World Rugby and other contact sports.\n\nIn 2011, the NFL paid out £700m to former players who had suffered brain damage.\n\n\"We do share regularly with each others sporting groups across the world,\" Sills told the BBC.\n\n\"If there are silver linings with the Covid-19 situation, I would say that this has strengthened our communication further.\"\n\nSills says there are some differences with technique and training between American football and rugby union, but admits the internal damage can be similar because \"the human body is the same the world over\".\n\n\"We talk at least every couple of weeks with World Rugby, Australian Football, and a number of these other contact sports, and we're sharing the learnings that we have,\" he added.\n\n\"We share what we're finding in our research, we share what our rules changes are and we're learning from each other and I think we all share the same goal.\"\n\nWhat is CTE & how can it be diagnosed?\n\nEach player to have come forward so far has been diagnosed by neurologists at King's College London with early onset dementia and probable Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE).\n\nCTE is the disease discovered by Dr Bennet Omalu in American football player Mike Webster, and the subject of the film Concussion starring Will Smith. In 2011, a group of former American football players started a class action against the NFL and won a settlement worth about $1bn (£700m).\n\nCTE can develop when the brain is subjected to numerous small blows or rapid movements - sometimes known as sub-concussions - and is associated with symptoms such as memory loss, depression and progressive dementia.\n• None A mega mixtape of the very best indie floorfillers\n• None Former England cricketer on his desire to coach at the highest level", "Serco, one of the UK companies which runs the coronavirus test-and-trace scheme, has said it will award bonuses totalling £5m to its staff.\n\nIt said 50,000 workers would be given £100 each to recognise \"the extraordinary efforts of our staff around the world during the pandemic\".\n\nSerco will also hand back £3m in furlough payments to the government and has returned £38m in deferred taxes.\n\nThe NHS Test and Trace programme has faced criticism over its effectiveness.\n\nSome call handlers tasked with tracking down people who have tested positive for Covid and getting in touch with their close contacts say they have spoken to hardly anyone.\n\nHowever, other contact tracers say that some members of the public are refusing to engage with the scheme.\n\nSerco's chief executive, Rupert Soames, said: \"In what will be remembered as one of the most challenging periods for businesses since the Second World War, Serco's people have proved themselves to be resilient, flexible and dedicated to ensuring the delivery of public services.\"\n\nThe outsourcing company reiterated its guidance on sales and profits for this year.\n\nRevenues are expected to rise 19% to £3.9bn, while underlying profit is set to grow by around 35% to between £160m and £165m.\n\nSerco said organic revenue growth, not including contributions from acquisitions, continued to accelerate during the second half of its financial year and is expected to reach 17%.\n\nIt said growth was driven by a number of factors, including providing \"Covid-19 related services\" in the UK as well as running the immigration removal centres at Gatwick on behalf of the Home Office.\n\nThe company said it has deferred making a decision on whether to pay a dividend to its shareholders as well as paying the cash element of its directors' bonuses.\n\nSerco was criticised for considering making the payment to investors. \"This is grim beyond belief,\" shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Rachel Reeves said in October. \"While Serco is raking in the profits, people are paying the price for its failure on contact tracing.\"\n\nIn Thursday's trading update, Serco said that following the \"second wave\" of Covid-19 infections the board believes \"this is not the right time to make a decision on the resumption of payments of dividends, and will reconsider the position again at the time of the publication of our final results for 2020\".\n\n\"Likewise, payment of the cash element of executive director bonuses earned in respect of 2019 performance, which was deferred when we announced the withdrawal of the final 2019 dividend, will be further deferred and also reconsidered at the time of our 2020 final results,\" it added.", "The next Budget will be held on 3 March 2021, Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced.\n\nHe said it would \"set out the next phase of the plan to tackle the virus and protect jobs\".\n\nA budget had been expected to take place in Autumn, but this was scrapped due to the coronavirus pandemic.\n\nMr Sunak also announced that the furlough scheme, which subsidises the wages of workers hit by the virus, will be extended from March to April 2021.\n\nGovernments usually use the Budget to outline the state of the country's finances and propose tax changes.\n\nThis will be Mr Sunak's second budget since he became chancellor.\n\nThe budget will come at a difficult time for the UK economy as it faces the fallout from the pandemic.\n\nOfficial forecasts have predicted the biggest economic decline in 300 years with the UK's national income expected to shrink by 11.3% in 2020 and not return to pre-crisis levels until the end of 2022.\n\nGovernment borrowing will also rise to its highest level outside of wartime - and unemployment is predicted to increase to 2.6 million, according to the Office for Budget Responsibility.\n\nSpeaking in Parliament earlier this year, Mr Sunak warned that \"our economic emergency has only just begun.\"\n\nHe said that, although the high levels of borrowing were justified in order to deal with the virus, \"the situation is clearly unsustainable over the medium term.\"\n\nThe Institute for Fiscal Studies think tank has warned that tax rises of more than £40bn a year are \"all but inevitable\" to stop debt from spinning out of control.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Ursula von der Leyen: \"I cannot tell you whether there will be a deal or not\".\n\nA \"narrow path\" has opened up for the UK and EU to strike a post-Brexit trade deal, the president of the European Commission has said.\n\nUrsula von der Leyen said the \"next few days are going to be decisive\", with just two weeks left before the UK quits EU trading rules.\n\nShe said differences over enforcing a deal are \"largely being resolved,\" but talks over fishing remain \"difficult\".\n\nPM Boris Johnson told MPs there was \"every opportunity\" to reach a deal.\n\nOfficials from both sides are continuing talks in Brussels, as they race to strike a deal before the UK's post-Brexit transition period ends on 31 December.\n\nDespite weeks of intensive talks, they have remained stuck over fishing rights and how far the UK should be able to depart from EU rules.\n\nUpdating the European Parliament on an EU leaders' summit last week, Mrs von der Leyen said: \"As things stand, I cannot tell you whether there will be a deal or not.\n\n\"But there is a path to an agreement now - the path may be very narrow, but it is there.\"\n\nShe said that negotiators had agreed a \"strong mechanism\" to ensure neither side lowers their environmental or social standards, which was a \"big step forwards\".\n\nBut she added differences remained over how to \"future proof\" rules in this area, although disagreements over how to enforce a deal \"by now are largely being resolved\".\n\nOn Wednesday Mr Johnson's spokesman said: \"We have made some progress in some areas, but it still remains that there are some significant gaps.\"\n\nHe added that it is \"still the case\" the prime minister views no deal as \"the most likely outcome\".\n\nSpeaking after Mrs von der Leyen, Mr Johnson said: \"There's every opportunity, every hope I have, that our friends and partners across the Channel will see sense and do a deal.\n\n\"All that it takes is for them to understand that the UK has a natural right, like every other country, to be able to want to control its own laws and its own fishing grounds.\"\n\nHe told MPs at Prime Minister's Questions that \"whatever happens in the next few days,\" the UK will \"prosper mightily\" whether a deal is found or not.\n\nMrs von der Leyen also reported progress in another area which has proved contentious - agreed rules on how and when each side can give government subsidies to private firms.\n\nShe confirmed the two sides were now trying to agree \"common principles\" for when subsidies could be offered.\n\nAt an earlier stage in talks, the EU had insisted the UK should follow its current and future \"state aid\" rules in this area - a demand rejected by the UK.\n\nThe German politician added that there had been progress on \"guarantees of domestic enforcement\" of the rules, as well as allowing both sides to \"autonomously\" take action where disagreements arise.\n\nHowever, she was more downbeat on fishing, where the two sides are haggling over access to each other's waters for their fishermen after 1 January.\n\n\"In all honesty, it sometimes feels that we will not be able to resolve this question,\" she said, but added that continuing the talks was the \"only responsible\" course of action.\n\nShe added the EU respected British \"sovereignty\" over its waters, but needed \"predictability and stability\" for European fishing fleets.\n\nMeanwhile, it has been announced that both Houses of Parliament will begin their Christmas recess at the end of Thursday's sitting.\n\nBut No 10 said MPs and peers could be recalled to Westminster to vote on legislation to implement a deal before the end of the Brexit transition.\n\nOn Tuesday, Commons leader Jacob-Rees Mogg said Parliament would ideally need six days to pass any such law, but this period could be \"truncated\" if required.\n\nAny potential deal would also need to be voted on by the European Parliament and potentially EU national parliaments before it can fully come into force.\n\nEU leaders can in theory decide to provisionally apply any agreement and hold these votes after 31 December, but it would be unpopular among MEPs.", "Commons leader Jacob Rees Mogg has accused Unicef of \"playing politics\" after the charity launched a campaign to help feed children in the UK.\n\nThe Tory MP said the charity was meant to look after people in the poorest countries and should be \"ashamed\".\n\nIt comes after Unicef said it would pledge £25,000 to a south London charity to help supply breakfast boxes over the Christmas holidays.\n\nUnicef said every child deserves to \"thrive\" no matter where they are born.\n\nThe grant to the charity School Food Matters in Southwark aims to help vulnerable children and families during the coronavirus crisis.\n\nUnicef said the initiative was its first emergency response in the UK in its 70-year history.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. \"It is a real scandal that Unicef should be playing politics in this way.\"\n\nMr Rees-Mogg was responding to a question from Labour MP Zarah Sultana in the House of Commons.\n\n\"For the first time ever, Unicef, the UN agency responsible for providing humanitarian aid to children, is having to feed working-class kids in the UK,\" she said. \"But while children go hungry, a wealthy few enjoy obscene riches.\"\n\nShe asked if Mr Rees-Mogg would \"give government time to discuss the need to make him and his super-rich chums pay their fair share so that we can end the grotesque inequality that scars our society\".\n\nResponding, Mr Rees-Mogg said Unicef \"should be ashamed of itself\".\n\n\"I think it is a real scandal that Unicef should be playing politics in this way when it is meant to be looking after people in the poorest, the most deprived, countries of the world where people are starving, where there are famines and where there are civil wars, and they make cheap political points of this kind, giving, l think, £25,000 to one council,\" he said.\n\n\"It is a political stunt of the lowest order.\"\n\nHe said the number of children in absolute poverty across the country had gone down by 100,000 over the past decade, which he described as \"a record of success\".\n\nIn response, Anna Kettley, Unicef UK's director of programmes and advocacy, said: \"Unicef UK is responding to this unprecedented crisis and building on our 25 years' experience of working on children's rights in the UK with a one-off domestic response, launched in August, to provide support to vulnerable children and families around the country during this crisis period.\"\n\nShe said more than £700,000 was being granted to community groups around the country to help tackle food insecurity during the pandemic.\n\n\"Unicef will continue to spend our international funding helping the world's poorest children. We believe that every child is important and deserves to survive and thrive no matter where they are born,\" she added.", "The casino once formed a key part of Atlantic City's skyline\n\nA casino formerly owned by Donald Trump is set to be demolished, and you can push the button for the right price.\n\nThe Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City went bankrupt and shut in 2014. Now, the city is auctioning off the chance to dynamite it for charity.\n\nThe property was one of three Trump-branded casinos that once formed the centrepiece of the world-famous resort city nicknamed \"America's playground\".\n\nBut as revenues plummeted, Mr Trump cut his losses and his ties with the city.\n\nCity officials have called several times for the idle building to be torn down after chunks of the crumbling landmark repeatedly broke off and fell onto surrounding streets.\n\nA bidding process that began on Thursday will determine who gets the right to count down and hit the button that will raze the 39-floor casino.\n\nProceeds from the auction will fund the local chapter of the Boys & Girls Club of America, a youth development organisation.\n\n\"I want to raise at least a million dollars and I think we can accomplish that,\" said Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small Sr, in a press conference.\n\nThe mayor said his office has already been \"bombarded\" with phone calls about the auction, from Arkansas to Canada.\n\nThe building was shut in 2014 and is now considered a safety hazard\n\nA noted hotspot of the \"Roaring Twenties'', Atlantic City resurfaced in the 1980s as the de facto casino capital of the US east coast.\n\nTouting it as a counterweight to Las Vegas, Donald Trump opened Trump Plaza at the centre of its famed boardwalk in 1984, then two more casinos, including the Trump Taj Mahal (which marketed itself as \"the eighth wonder of the world\").\n\nHowever, as gambling laws eased in neighbouring states, out-of-state gamblers stayed away and casino revenues dried up. Meanwhile, Mr Trump took on mountains of debt and endured negative press.\n\nHe distanced himself from the failing casinos and each one was sold off as his company filed for bankruptcy.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nAtlantic City's Mayor Small has been critical of Mr Trump's past, saying: \"He said he took advantage of the bankruptcy laws, took advantage of a lot of people, made a lot of money and then got out, so it's extremely important that we do something worthwhile with this [demolition]\".\n\nHowever, Mr Trump has held up his Atlantic City exploits as a success, once tweeting: \"Does anyone notice that Atlantic City lost its magic after I left years ago?\"\n\nThe demolition - originally set for January but postponed by inclement weather - will take place sometime in February.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Atlantic City down on its luck\n• None Why is gambling so addictive?", "Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is leading the latest lawsuit against Google\n\nTen US states, led by Texas, are suing Google, accusing it of taking illegal steps to preserve its monopoly over the online advertising market.\n\nThe alleged moves include striking a deal with Facebook to manipulate online advertising auctions, the states said.\n\nThis is the latest legal complaint facing the tech giant, which is under pressure from regulators globally.\n\nGoogle rejected the claims, saying it would be \"strongly\" defending itself in court.\n\n\"We've invested in state-of-the-art ad tech services that help businesses and benefit consumers. Digital ad prices have fallen over the last decade. Ad tech fees are falling too. Google's ad tech fees are lower than the industry average,\" a company spokesperson said in response to Wednesday's lawsuit. \"These are the hallmarks of a highly competitive industry.\"\n\nThe lawsuit takes aim at Google's control of the online advertising market, which it says was cemented in 2008 with its purchase of DoubleClick, the main software that publishers use to sell online advertising.\n\nGoogle's advertising sales account for over 80% of its revenues.\n\nThe 10 states suing Google are Texas, Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Mississippi, South Dakota, North Dakota, Utah and Idaho, all of which have Republican prosecutors.\n\nThe states claim Google used its new role to benefit other parts of its business, for example by forcing publishers to license its advertising servers. The lawsuit also says the firm took steps to secretly undercut innovations that were circumventing its fees.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Texas Attorney General This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThe lawsuit also accuses Google of giving Facebook advantages in online advertising markets, in exchange for the firm dropping some of its plans to compete.\n\n\"Google repeatedly used its monopolistic power to control pricing, engage in market collusion to rig auctions in a tremendous violation of justice,\" said Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in a video announcing the lawsuit, posted on Twitter.\n\n\"Right now, when you visit the website of a news outlet you know and trust, like the Wall Street Journal or your favourite local paper, you'll see advertisements likely placed there by Google. But Google doesn't tell you - the public - that they manipulate the advertising auctions, and they continually illegally profit by taking money away from those web pages and putting it in their own pockets.\"\n\nHe added that the tech giant was a \"Goliath of a company\" using its power to manipulate the market, and that this was causing harm to every US citizen.\n\n\"It isn't fair that Google can harm the web pages you visit and read,\" said Mr Paxton.\n\n\"Let me put it this way - if the free market were a baseball game, Google positioned itself as the pitcher, the batter and the umpire.\"\n\nThe lawsuit adds to the scrutiny facing Google's operations, in which it serves as both a search engine serving up results, as well as a broker of online advertising sales.\n\nIn October, the US Department of Justice (DoJ) filed a landmark anti-monopoly lawsuit against the firm, focusing on the billions of dollars Google pays each year to ensure its search engine is installed as the default option on browsers and devices like mobile phones.\n\nGoogle has maintained that it is operating in a competitive market, with new threats emerging from Amazon and others.\n\nBut it is not the only tech firm to find itself in regulators' crosshairs - in the UK and Europe in recent weeks, officials have announced plans for new rules aimed at regulating Big Tech.\n\nFacebook this month was hit by lawsuits from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and nearly all 50 US states, also over monopoly abuse.\n\nAnd over time, internet giants are increasingly being criticised for their impact on the global media industry and content publishers.\n\nMany news providers say they are struggling to survive and feel tech giants and social networks have thrived by reposting and aggregating news content.\n\nEarlier this month, Facebook announced that it would begin paying UK news publishers for some articles in January, following a similar move in the US.", "Actor Jeremy Bulloch, who played Boba Fett in the original Star Wars trilogy, has died aged 75.\n\nHe died in hospital on Thursday from health complications after living with Parkinson's disease for many years, his agent said.\n\n\"He had a long and happy career spanning more than 45 years,\" a statement said.\n\n\"He was devoted to his wife, three sons, and 10 grandchildren and they will miss him terribly.\"\n\nBulloch was best known for playing bounty hunter Boba Fett in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.\n\nThe character has since featured in the second season of Star Wars spin-off series, The Mandalorian.\n\nBorn in Market Harborough, Leicestershire, Bulloch's first major role was in the musical film Summer Holiday in 1963, aged 17. He starred alongside Sir Cliff Richard, who played Don, as Edwin, one of Don's friends.\n\nBulloch also appeared in James Bond film Octopussy in 1983, and the BBC TV series Doctor Who in the 1970s.\n\nStar Wars creator George Lucas said Bulloch \"brought the perfect combination of mystery and menace to his performance of Boba Fett\".\n\nHe added: \"Jeremy was a true gentleman who was very supportive of Star Wars and its fans, and I'm very grateful for his contributions to the saga and its legacy.\"\n\nMark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker in the original Star Wars trilogy, described Bulloch as the \"quintessential English gentleman\".\n\n\"A fine actor, delightful company and so kind to everyone lucky enough to meet or work with him,\" he wrote on Twitter.\n\n\"I will deeply miss him and am so grateful to have known him.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Mark Hamill This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nBilly Dee Williams, best-known as Lando Calrissian in the Star Wars franchise, wrote on Twitter: \"Today we lost the best bounty hunter in the galaxy.\"\n\nA post from the official Star Wars Twitter account said Bulloch's \"unforgettable performance\" as Boba Fett \"captivated audiences since he first appeared\".\n\n\"He will be remembered not only for his iconic portrayal of the legendary character, but also for his warmth and generous spirit which have become an enduring part of his rich legacy,\" the post said.\n\nDaniel Logan, who took over from Bulloch to play the role of Boba Fett in the 2002 film Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones, paid tribute to the actor on Instagram.\n\n\"RIP Legend I'll never forget all you've taught me. I'll love you forever,\" he wrote.\n\n\"Conventions won't be the same without you. May the force be with you always.\"\n\nThis Instagram post cannot be displayed in your browser. 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The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThe Boba Fett Fan Club, which was established in 1996, posted filmed interviews with Bullock on their website, and said he \"set the tone and stance\" in the Star Wars films, \"inspired by Clint Eastwood's A Fistful of Dollars less-is-more approach\".", "A smiling Steve in Gran Canaria before the government's travel corridor announcement\n\n\"We have paid the best part of £2,000, we thought it was worth the investment for a relaxing week in the sun but we're flying back stressed,\" says Steve Jennings, from Liverpool.\n\nThe retired chief executive was on holiday in Gran Canaria when he heard the news that the government had changed the quarantine rules for the Canary Islands.\n\nFrom Saturday morning, anyone returning to the UK from the islands has to self-isolate. Although the quarantine period is being cut to 10 days from next week, anyone who doesn't get back in the next few days could see their Christmas plans at risk.\n\nFor Steve, 61, the news left him anxious as he scrabbled to find out how he and his partner Lynn - who has hospital appointments booked next week - could avoid the quarantine.\n\n\"It leaves us totally confused and anxious,\" he said. \"It tends to ruin the end of the holiday.\"\n\nLike many, Steve is pinning his hopes on the government's new testing scheme which lets travellers to England cut their quarantine by half if they pay for a Covid test after five days.\n\nBut the scheme - called test-to-release - doesn't launch until Tuesday and the list of approved providers has not been published yet.\n\n\"The thing that brasses me off [is] you like to be proud of your government and civil service,\" he says. \"This [scheme] is due to be launched on Tuesday, here we are still with no details.\"\n\nFor other Brits in the Canaries, the pressure is on to make sure they're back in the UK with enough time to quarantine before Christmas, so their festive plans aren't ruined.\n\n\"I was extremely stressed on Thursday,\" says David Evans, 23, a DJ living and working in Fuerteventura.\n\n\"From when I got home from work at 6/7pm, I didn't do anything until 1am except talk to family members, talking to work, to my housemate, trying to work out what to do.\"\n\nDavid DJs in clubs and on the beach, and says he has around five gigs next week\n\nHe is due to fly back to Brighton next week and plans to get a test, ahead of hopefully seeing his parents and nan at Christmas. \"I already have some gigs lined up so can't come back any earlier,\" he says.\n\nDavid says he thinks the Canary Islands should be treated individually by the UK government when it comes to quarantine rules.\n\nThe government has said data suggests cases are rising in the Canaries, but David points out the number of cases in Fuerteventura is lower than in other islands.\n\n\"I'd like to see them separate the islands as Tenerife seems to be the problem,\" he says. \"They've done this with the Greek islands, why not the same for the Canaries?\"\n\nKeith Baldwin, from Liverpool, agrees and has emailed Transport Secretary Grant Shapps to ask why the islands aren't being treated separately.\n\n\"Tenerife is right off the scale with Covid. Lanzarote's a bit high. But Gran Canaria is right down,\" says Keith, who is in Gran Canaria.\n\n\"Work's not going to be happy [if I have to isolate]. I'm a support worker and we're short as it is.\"\n\nThe Foreign Office has not changed its travel advice for the Canary Islands, meaning many holidaymakers who were due to go on holiday may be unable to seek refunds or claim on their travel insurance policies as companies will not cancel bookings.\n\nOne such holidaymaker was Kathy Hemingway, from East Yorks, who was due to fly to Fuerteventura on Saturday.\n\nShe paid £170 to get Covid tests done on top of her holiday, which she can't get a refund for from Tui as the FCO have not changed the travel advice rules.\n\n\"We can move our booking,\" she adds. \"We have to pluck a date out of the air. We have no idea when it will be safe to travel.\"\n\nKathy had already changed her holiday destination twice, from Mexico to Lanzarote, then to Fuerteventura\n\nOther holidaymakers have highlighted how safe they feel in the Canaries. Everyone aged six and over must provide a negative test when arriving into Spain, and when checking in to tourist accommodation in the Canaries.\n\n\"I feel safer in Tenerife than I do back in Scotland,\" says Philip Knight, who has been on holiday with his partner Luke in Tenerife, but flew back two days early on Friday.\n\nPhilip says he fears the impact this will have on the local economy\n\n\"I, and every other holiday-maker had to get a Covid-19 test before coming here,\" he says. \"Everyone must wear a mask at all times (in the street etc), there are no exemptions unless a doctor provides a certificate. Everyone obeys this.\n\n\"There is a curfew at 11pm which is enforced strictly by the police and respected by the residents and tourists. Everyone must be in their property and remain there till 6am.\n\n\"The island is quiet with no crowds and only groups of four.\n\n\"The UK government has therefore made me return to the UK which has a higher rate of infection with less protection (i.e. no masks and no curfew),\" adds Philip, a partner in an Edinburgh law firm.\n\nLee Rowell-Burton, from Manchester, says he and his wife \"have had no personal contact with anyone\" since arriving in Fuerteventura to fix a problem at their apartment.\n\n\"We took a private PCR test on 7 December to get here, costing £120 each, which both came back negative.\n\n\"Now we have to either self-isolate or take another test, at our own expense, after five days. Another test? That's another £120 we don't have. I'm supposed to be back to work on Monday.\"\n\n\"It's so safe here,\" says Lee, in Fuerteventura\n\nHe adds: \"We are both extremely careful as we both have lost relatives to Covid-19 and are on one of the safest Canary Islands to visit, and only for five nights, yet still are having to self-isolate on our return? Ridiculous.\"\n\nThe news of the quarantine change came on Thursday, in a tweet by Mr Shapps who said data indicated weekly cases and positive tests were increasing.\n\nThe government has previously said that decisions about which places go on or off the list are based on a range of factors, not just case rates.\n\nThe Department for Transport said in a statement on Saturday the government had been \"consistently clear\" that it would take action rapidly if the public health risk became too high.\n\n\"Throughout the outbreak, all our decisions have been based on the best scientific evidence,\" it said. \"Any emerging evidence is continually monitored and considered in the government's policy making.\"\n\nWhen the test-to-release scheme opens on Tuesday, anyone already self-isolating after travelling to the UK is able to book in a test.", "Test centres in the Lower Cynon Valley in Rhondda Cynon Taf will run until 20 December\n\nContinuing mass testing in Wales could be a \"massive-scale of waste of resources\", a leading public health expert has said.\n\nFigures show less than 1.5% of people were testing positive as part of pilots in Merthyr Tydfil and the lower Cynon Valley.\n\nDr Angela Raffle said there was little evidence to suggest it helped cut transmission.\n\nFirst Minister Mark Drakeford said mass testing \"has a part to play\".\n\nDr Raffle, a senior lecturer in population sciences at Bristol University, said mass testing was \"incredibly resource intensive\".\n\n\"We simply don't know whether you'll find enough cases who would have transmitted a lot, and who don't [transmit Covid-19] simply because you found them,\" she said.\n\n\"And we don't know whether telling lots of people they're negative could actually undermine any potential benefit.\n\n\"It could be the most massive scale of waste of resources.\"\n\nDr Raffle said there were also concerns around the accuracy of the lateral flow tests, which are being used within mass testing schemes and produce results in as little as 20 minutes.\n\nNearly 1,000 people were tested in the first day the scheme was held in Merthyr Tydfil in November\n\nIn labs, lateral flow tests were found to be about 70% effective at detecting positive cases, but Dr Raffle said pilots, such as one in Liverpool, found them to be much lower.\n\n\"The UK government said, initially, that the test had been extensively evaluated,\" she told Politics Wales.\n\n\"What we know from Liverpool is that the test centres there only picked up half of the positives.\"\n\nHowever, executive director of public health at Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board, Dr Kelechi Nnoaham, said the pilots in Wales had been a success so far\n\n\"We've been delighted at the amount of engagement we've had,\" he said.\n\n\"In our pilot we found about 70% sensitivity, which means that if you have 10 people who are actually infected, the test will pick up seven of them.\"\n\nDr Nnoaham added there was \"a risk around false negatives\" which affected the health board's messaging around the tests.\n\nIn Liverpool, the introduction of mass testing was cited by both Prime Minister Boris Johnson and UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock as being behind a sharp drop in case rates.\n\nMerthyr Tydfil has seen some of the highest rates of Covid-19 in the UK\n\nIn Merthyr Tydfil, the number of coronavirus cases per 100,000 people has risen from 245.3, when mass testing was introduced, to 808.9.\n\nDr Raffle said if mass testing was \"really breaking the chain\" then, in theory, cases should start to fall.\n\nBut Dr Nnoaham said the increase in cases was reflective of rises across the whole of Wales and the impact of mass testing would not be evident \"for another few weeks\".\n\nMr Drakeford said: \"We are sure that mass testing has a part to play. We will evaluate what we have done in Merthyr, we will learn from what is going on in the Cynon Valley, we will see how best to use it.\n\n\"But the idea that it is not a useful tool in the armoury is one that simply doesn't bear examination.\n\n\"I hope that we will be able to take the positive learning from Merthyr. Merthyr has been a fantastic effort by the local council, by the local health board, by the local population.\n\nLisa Mytton, deputy leader of Merthyr Council, said mass testing was \"definitely working\" and would be extended by a week to 19 December.\n\nShe said any rise in Covid figures was concerning but the numbers were \"positive in some lights as it shows people have come to the testing and shown they were asymptomatic but were actually carrying the virus around\".\n\n\"It is still vitally important to keep the message going\" in regards to social distancing as \"this virus knows no regulations and it knows no boundaries,\" she added.\n\n\"We will learn a lot about how to do it elsewhere and to use those lateral flow devices in the most effective way.\"\n\nPlaid Cymru's spokesman on health, Rhun ap Iorwerth, said mass testing should be expanded across Wales.\n\nHe said Slovakia was the \"best example\", where he said they tested 97% of the population aged 10-65 years old and reduced infection rates by 60%.\n\n\"We would like to see Welsh Government looking at what the practicalities would be of running that kind of system in Wales,\" he said.\n\nAndrew RT Davies, Conservative spokesman on health in the Senedd, said mass testing was \"an important tool\" to suppress the virus, but not \"the only solution\".\n\n\"The battle with the testing regime is being won,\" he added.\n\n\"What we've got to do is complement it with the vaccine regime and make sure that the resources don't get put into the wrong places.\"", "This video can not be played.", "The teenager was found in Woodman Street, North Woolwich\n\nA man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a 15-year-old boy was stabbed to death in east London.\n\nThe teenager was found fatally injured in Woodman Street, near the Royal Docks in Newham, at 18:50 GMT on Friday.\n\nHe was treated by paramedics but was pronounced dead at the scene. His next of kin has been informed.\n\nThe Met said a 25-year-old man had been arrested at a property in Newham in the early hours of the morning. He remains in custody.\n\nThe force added that while an arrest had been made, \"the investigation is still in its early stages\".\n\nA 25-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder\n\nLawrence Adu said he was a friend of the boy's uncle and had known him \"all his life\".\n\n\"I just got home, I'm so shocked,\" Mr Adu, who is also the boy's neighbour, said.\n\n\"He's a nice young man, very handsome and always laughing.\"\n\nDet Supt Paul Whiteman described the death as \"a tragic loss of a young life\".\n\n\"Local officers will step up patrols in the area in the coming days to reassure the public and continue to target violent crime,\" he said.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Mark Drakeford: \"If they strike a deal they will be able to go back and build on it\"\n\nA no-deal exit from the European Union would be \"catastrophic for Wales\", First Minister Mark Drakeford has said.\n\nBoris Johnson and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen have agreed to extend Brexit trade talks past Sunday's deadline.\n\n\"Any deal is better than no deal,\" said Mr Drakeford.\n\nForeign Secretary Dominic Raab said \"political will\" was needed for the UK and EU to agree a post-Brexit trade deal.\n\nParliament's Welsh Affairs Committee said this week that there was a \"significant risk\" neither Holyhead nor Fishguard ports would have facilities ready for new customs checks needed from 1 January.\n\nMr Drakeford told BBC Politics Wales: \"If they strike a deal they will be able to go back and build on it because they will find that the things that are not resolved will continue to be profoundly important to the United Kingdom and to the people who live here in Wales.\"\n\nThe former leader of the Vote Leave campaign in Wales, David Jones, has said the negotiators should \"by all means negotiate, if necessary, until the stroke of 11 o'clock on New Year's Eve\".\n\nWriting in the Sunday Telegraph, the Conservative MP for Clwyd West added: \"[Boris Johnson] must keep faith with the British people and resist any temptation to accept a sub-optimal deal that would cheat them of the sovereignty for which they voted.\n\n\"If the EU still refuses a deal that fully respects our hard-won independence, he should leave the table in the knowledge that he has the full support of his countrymen and women.\"\n\nMr Drakeford said the Welsh Government would \"stand up our emergency co-ordination centre in Wales over the next few days\".\n\n\"I signed off a rota on Friday where there will be a minister on duty day and night throughout the month of January,\" he added.\n\n\"We are working very hard on our responsibilities for traffic around the ports here in Wales.\n\n\"We will make sure that we have the best advice we can give businesses and others, but this is a disaster that is made in London, made by the Conservative Party.\"\n\nThe main sticking point in the talks is how close the UK should stick to EU economic rules in the future.\n\nThe EU is determined to prevent the UK from gaining what it sees as an unfair advantage of having tariff-free access to its markets - not paying taxes on goods being bought and sold - while setting its own standards on products, employment rights and business subsidies.\n\nFishing rights is another major area of disagreement, with the EU warning that without access to UK waters for EU fleets, UK fishermen will no longer get special access to EU markets to sell their goods.\n\nBut the UK argues that what goes on in its own waters, and its wider business rules, should be under its control as a sovereign country.\n\nMr Raab said that, at this stage of negotiations, \"what really matters is the political will\".\n\nHe told the BBC's Andrew Marr programme: \"The bar is quite high for us to be able to keep talking. We would need at a political level a commitment to move on those two key issues.\n\n\"Never say never because EU negotiations can often drag and drift. But actually we do need finality and therefore we need at the political level of Ursula von der Leyen that there is clarity the EU will move on those two key issues.\n\n\"If we get that then there are still talks to be processed.\"\n\nPlaid Cymru's Westminster leader Liz Saville Roberts accused the prime minister of \"playing fast and loose with people's jobs, and seems insensible to the harm his brinkmanship is causing\".\n\nShe added: \"There is still time to offer some mature compromise ahead next week. Our farmers, manufacturers, our ports and others depend on him to show leadership.\"", "Households have been warned not to stockpile food and toilet roll ahead of 1 January when the UK stops trading under EU rules.\n\nOn Sunday, the UK and the EU agreed to extend a deadline aimed at reaching a deal on post-Brexit trade.\n\nThe British Retail Consortium (BRC) said ongoing uncertainty made it harder for firms to prepare for the New Year.\n\nBut it said shops had plenty of supplies and shoppers must not buy more food than usual.\n\n\"Retailers are doing everything they can to prepare for all eventualities on 1 January - increasing the stock of tins, toilet rolls and other longer life products so there will be sufficient supply of essential products,\" said BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson.\n\n\"While no amount of preparation by retailers can entirely prevent disruption there is no need for the public to buy more food than usual as the main impact will be on imported fresh produce, such as fresh fruit and vegetables, which cannot be stored for long periods by either retailers or consumers.\"\n\nSupermarkets are now used to dealing with anxious shoppers.\n\nSupermarkets had to impose limits on some goods during coronavirus lockdowns this year\n\nDuring the first lockdown earlier this year to stop the spread of the coronavirus, grocers introduced limits on goods such as toilet roll, dried pasta and UHT milk after panic buying by Britons.\n\nThere are fears shoppers might think disruption at ports after 31 December could lead to shortages in shops as the UK transitions to new trading rules with the EU.\n\nThe UK and the EU have agreed to carry on trade talks past Sunday's deadline.\n\nIn a joint statement, Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said it was \"responsible at this point to go the extra mile\".\n\nBut Mr Johnson told the BBC the two sides are \"still very far part on some key things\", and said the \"most likely\" course is an Australian-style trade deal with the EU.\n\nHe admitted that this type of deal \"it is not where we wanted to get to but if we have to end up with that solution the UK is more than prepared\".\n\nHowever, Ms Dickinson warned: \"Without a deal, the British public will face over £3bn in food tariffs and retailers would have no choice but to pass on some of these additional costs to their customers who would see higher prices filter though during 2021.\"\n\nOther business groups welcomed the extension to trade talks but also cautioned that it was imperative that the UK avoid a no deal Brexit with the EU.\n\n\"The news that talks will continue gives hope,\" said Tony Danker, director-general of the CBI business lobby group. \"A deal is both essential and possible.\"\n\nThis torture is better than no deal. The fact that talks are ongoing is a good thing. Business groups are unanimous in their view that if a deal is at all possible, it should be pursued with every last effort.\n\nHowever, the problem with this uncertainty is two-fold.\n\nFirst, political and business timetables are getting increasingly misaligned by the day. Businesses need to know whether tariffs are coming or not as it effects pricing of products and services for next year. How can firms place or take an order if they don't know what that price needs to be?\n\nSecond, there is a danger that businesses who watch this process being dragged out will take their eye off the ball while waiting for some rabbit to appear out of the hat.\n\nNo deal is very bad but a deal still leaves an awful lot of work to do in preparing for new procedures, for example customs, that will change in any event.\n\nBut the fact remains that while this may be torture, it could be worse. No deal would not put UK business out of its misery - it could put some sectors out of business.\n\nWhile Mr Danker said that \"ongoing delays are frustrating and cost businesses,\" he urged the government to \"make use of the time\".\n\n\"Government must move with even more determination to avoid the looming cliff edge of 1 January.\"\n\nBritish Chambers of Commerce director general Adam Marshall said it is a \"very frustrating time for business\".\n\nBut he added: \"If a few more hours or days makes the difference, keep going and get an agreement that delivers clarity and certainty to businesses and trade on both sides. Businesses will need time and support to adjust in a New Year like no other - whatever the eventual outcome.\"\n\nMike Hawes, head of the motor industry's trade body, the SMMT, said that although it was good the two sides will continue to talk, they must now \"finish the job\". A no-deal \"would be nothing less than catastrophic for the automotive sector, its workers and their families and represent a stunning failure of statecraft. Quite simply, it has to be ruled out,\" he said.\n\nAnd Make UK, the manufacturers' trade body, said that after more than four years of uncertainty \"UK manufacturers are now facing the most challenging start to the New Year, dealing with a pandemic and the risk of having no trading arrangement with our largest market\".\n\nNews that talks will continue pushed sterling higher against the euro and dollar, although trading on Sunday would have been limited. Against the dollar, the pound rose 1.1% to $1.3360, compared with Friday's close. Against the euro, it strengthened 1% to 90.58 pence.\n\nSterling fell to a one-month low last week on fears Britain would leave the EU without a deal.", "Consumers could be automatically switched to better value energy tariffs under a plan to make the system fairer.\n\nThe government says it wants to stop suppliers putting loyal customers on to the worst deals when their current contracts come to an end.\n\nIt will be part of a wider plan to create a greener energy system, due to be unveiled next week.\n\nBut one switching site warned the tariff proposals risked \"lulling people into a false sense of security\".\n\nAccording to some estimates, millions of households are currently stuck on their energy supplier's standard variable tariff, likely paying hundreds of pounds more than they should be.\n\nThe government says it wants to crack down on this so-called \"loyalty penalty\" through two possible routes it plans to test:\n\n\"We do not believe that energy companies should be able to roll over contracts indefinitely or punish long standing, loyal customers,\" a Whitehall source said.\n\n\"That's why we're going to make it even easier for people to switch to cheaper tariffs and drive down bills so they can keep more money in their back pocket.\"\n\nSwitching website comparethemarket.com said the plans could offer a \"radical shake-up\" of the energy system which \"could be hugely beneficial\" for many households.\n\nBut Peter Earl, head of energy at the site, said he was sceptical about an opt in/opt out system for switching tariffs with the same supplier.\n\n\"It might detract people from shopping around for a better deal with alternative and more competitive suppliers,\" he said.\n\n\"If these changes are not implemented properly they risk lulling people into a false sense of security that they are on the cheapest tariff, despite better offers being available elsewhere.\"\n\nThe government will also offer further protections for vulnerable energy customers, with the Warm Home Discount Scheme set to be extended to 2026 to cover an extra 750,000 households.\n\nIt means nearly three million households would be eligible for the discount which cuts the electricity bills of eligible pensioners and low-income households by £140.\n\nThe proposals are part of a new plan to make Britain's energy system greener as the country tries to become carbon neutral by 2050.\n\nIt is expected to see major investment in offshore wind, clean hydrogen, carbon capture and storage and advanced nuclear.\n\nA Whitehall source said this would support up to 220,000 high-skilled jobs in the UK's \"industrial heartlands\".", "Unified world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua mixed power and patience as he knocked out Kubrat Pulev to raise hopes that a historic fight against Tyson Fury could soon be a reality.\n\nThe Briton smashed home a hard right hand in round three that forced his mandatory challenger to face a count and then sent him to the canvas with an uppercut seconds later.\n\nJoshua, perhaps fatigued by the chaos, stepped off the gas and allowed Pulev to at least offer some mild threat, but a barrage of uppercuts in the ninth dropped the Bulgarian and a straight right hand wiped him out.\n\nMoments after this fine blend of poise and heavy punching, the 1,000 fans granted access to Wembley Arena roared at the prospect of the IBF, WBA and WBO champion facing WBC title-holder Fury next.\n\n\"Whoever has the belts I want to compete with. If that is Tyson Fury, let it be Tyson Fury,\" said Joshua, 31.\n\nFellow Briton Fury quickly went on social media and posted: \"I want the fight. I want the fight next. I will knock him out inside three rounds. I can't wait to knock him out.\"\n• None Joshua v Fury - what obstacles stand in the way?\n• None 'At last I can get him in the ring' - Joshua responds to Fury knockout taunt\n• None Joshua v Pulev: All the action as it happened\n• None Listen to BBC Radio 5 Live commentary highlights of the fight\n\nJoshua, in a white sleeveless hoodie for his ring walk, was smart from start to finish on a night when the widespread anticipation of a fight with Fury - in which all four world heavyweight titles could be contested for the first time - dominated the narrative.\n\nIn his past two outings, Joshua has stood up to immense pressure. A second defeat by Andy Ruiz Jr in December would have left his career in tatters. He was punch perfect on that night.\n\nA loss on Saturday would have made him the instant fall guy amid public demand for the Fury bout. Once again he was emphatic.\n\nHe found his range early on with flicked jabs as 39-year-old Pulev boxed cautiously and struggled to throw anything fast or crisp.\n\nWhen the challenger did throw a jab in the third, a counter right landed on his jaw and stunned him. Pulev briefly tried to smile and roar in the face of adversity but eventually turned his back while under attack and faced a count. In a frenzied spell, an uppercut then sent him to the canvas before the round was out.\n\nThe pair punched one another after the bell, exchanged glares before the fifth and, while Pulev gained at least a footing in the following rounds, he was never able to land anything that would allow him to dictate.\n\nSome will ask why Joshua was unable to end things more quickly, but after a year out of the ring, he controlled a fight against a man who had just one loss - to Wladimir Klitschko - on his record.\n\nHe could not miss with the right uppercut all night and the shot dropped the game Pulev in the ninth, before a jolting straight right to the chin left him unable to answer the count as the champion swaggered away, aware his night's work was over.\n\nIt is testament to Joshua that he continues to rise to such mental challenges.\n\nFury will move better than Pulev, punch with far greater variety, believe in himself more and set far more traps in the ring.\n\nHe will also inevitably bring a whole new level of mental warfare to any build-up should the fight happen.\n\nHope has never been higher that it will.\n\nNo sooner had Pulev regained his footing, Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn said efforts to make the Fury fight would start \"tomorrow\", adding: \"It's the only fight to be made in boxing. It is the biggest fight in British boxing history.\"\n\nFury's co-promoter Bob Arum - one of several key power brokers involved - said he would work from Monday to make the \"biggest fight since Muhammad Ali v Joe Frazier in 1971\".\n\nThat such integral figures seem so positive, coupled with the fact an agreement over a financial split is said to already be in place, offers real hope the two could appear in what Fury's UK promoter Frank Warren repeatedly says will be the \"biggest UK sporting event since the 1966 World Cup final\".\n\nThere are many issues to resolve before a date is in place - complex television broadcast deals and a venue among them. The sight of 1,000 fans singing Sweet Caroline before Joshua's ring walk showed a return to packed out arenas - which will be a necessity for this event - is closer.\n\nIn the ring, the pair are both showing signs of improvement. Fury moved from elusive fighter to front-foot aggressor in beating Deontay Wilder last time out. Joshua - on Saturday and in beating Ruiz - has shown he too can do more than just wield knockout punches.\n\nThis was defence number one of his second reign as champion. A small cluster of men - Ali, Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson among them - have had the chance to take the heavyweight world champion journey a second time.\n\nFury is in the select bunch too. The plot lines are endless.\n\nIt is time to make the fight of a generation.\n\nBBC Radio 5 Live analyst Steve Bunce: Tyson Fury will be seeing that and saying if he fights like that against me I will walk right through him. Joshua kept flipping between styles and tactics.\n\nBritish heavyweight Dillian Whyte on BBC Radio 5 Live: Joshua did what he had to do, which was worry about winning today, not worry about what he will do tomorrow. He looked good. He boxed well, he moved well, he punched well. Obviously, Pulev was not much of a threat, but Joshua showed he is a champion.\n\nBBC Sport boxing correspondent Mike Costello on BBC Radio 5 Live: In the end a devastating performance. Destructive hitting from Anthony Joshua. Everything is set for now for Fury v Joshua - one of the greatest sporting occasions Britain has ever known.\n• None Missed all the action from the Manchester derby and Saturday's goals? Match of the Day is streaming now", "The first editions initially sold for £10.99 when printed in 1997\n\nA first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone has fetched a magical £68,000 at auction.\n\nThe issue was among 500 hardback copies printed in 1997, before JK Rowling's fantasy saga soared to global success.\n\nAnother first edition, which nearly sold for 50p in a car boot sale, drew £50,000 in an online auction at Hansons Auctioneers in Staffordshire on Friday.\n\nA library copy featuring date stamps sold for £19,000, while a fourth sold for £17,500.\n\nThe issues were among the first 500 hardback copies printed, of which 300 were sent to schools and libraries. At the time those copies were selling for £10.99.\n\nCharlotte Rumsey initially put a copy found in her mother's box of unwanted things in a 50p box for a car boot sale in July.\n\nBut after watching Antiques Roadshow, she asked her mother, from Blackpool, to check the copy with Hansons Auctioneers.\n\nRupert Grint, Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe appeared in the films between 2001 and 2011\n\nOn finding out the book was a first edition, a \"delighted\" Ms Rumsey said she \"couldn't stop hopping about\".\n\nThe copy was one of the rarer 200 that went to shops and sold for £50,000.\n\nThe bride-to-be has previously said she plans to split the money between her wedding and her mother's new home.\n\nOne auctioned copy was stocked in a library in JK Rowling's adopted home of Edinburgh\n\nIn October, another first edition sold for a hammer price of £60,000.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "The UK has been in a transition period with the EU since last January, during which rules and trade have stayed the same. But all of this will come to an end on 1 January 2021.\n\nWith just a few weeks left for the UK and the EU to negotiate a trade agreement, both sides are now talking about the prospect of a no-deal outcome. If there's no trade agreement in place, they will have to adjust quickly to doing things very differently.\n\nSo how are both sides preparing?\n\nFor the first six months from 1 January, the British government will bring in only minimal checks on goods coming in to the UK, but the EU will have full border checks on goods coming into the EU from the UK straight away.\n\nThe UK government has warned that a reasonable worst-case scenario could see queues of 7,000 trucks clogging up the roads around Dover and the Channel Tunnel.\n\nThe UK government has two contingency plans for this: Operation Brock and Operation Fennel.\n\nOperation Brock is a traffic management plan, which it is hoped will prevent more than 10,000 lorries a day from clogging up roads in Kent.\n\nUnder the scheme, drivers of very large lorries will need to get a special permit - a Kent Access Permit - before they enter the county, and permits will only be issued if they have completed the correct paperwork for exporting goods.\n\nOther traffic will be kept flowing around them, in what is known as a contraflow system. Highways England is trialling the moveable road barrier, which makes the contraflow system possible, on the M20 over four nights from 11 December.\n\nIf there are more than 2,000 lorries queued up, the government has made plans for several temporary lorry parks - it bought a 27-acre site in Ashford in Kent. There is also a plan called Operation Fennel in which as many as 7,000 heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) could be diverted to the disused Manston airfield, near Ramsgate.\n\nThis is part of the government's plans for building facilities away from ports.\n\nIf further capacity is needed, a \"last resort\" would be to turn the 10-mile M26 motorway into a temporary lorry park.\n\nThe UK government has also set up the Border Operations Centre to co-ordinate the response to any further disruption.\n\nQueuing at ports is not the only problem for lorry drivers.\n\nIf no further steps are taken, UK lorry drivers would need to apply for documents called ECMT permits to be allowed to enter EU countries. The European Commission has warned that there are not enough of these permits available, which would mean not enough UK lorries being able to travel to the EU to pick up goods to bring back to the UK.\n\nThe European Commission said this could result in serious disruptions, \"potentially even threatening public order\".\n\nTo prevent this, it proposed allowing UK lorries and buses into the EU for six months without special permits, as long as EU drivers are also allowed into the UK.\n\nThe proposals would also allow regular bus services that pick up and drop off passengers on either side of the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland to continue to do so.\n\nThe UK has not been clear yet on whether it plans to continue to allow EU operators to enter the country.\n\nA similar proposal is on the table for aviation. In the event of no deal, the UK would no longer be a member of the European Common Aviation Area, which allows British airlines to fly to destinations in the EU, and vice versa.\n\nThe European Commission is proposing a six month regulation to allow flights to continue until a new agreement is in place, but it would require the UK government to offer the same to operators from EU countries. The UK has not yet responded to the proposal.\n\nThe UK government has told pharmaceutical companies to stockpile and plan alternative supply routes in case of border problems. It has also arranged extra freight capacity for pharmaceutical companies should they need it.\n\nIn a memo, seen by the BBC in June, pharmaceutical companies warned the government that some stockpiles of medicines have been \"used up entirely\" by the coronavirus pandemic and said these could not be replenished in time for the UK's exit from the EU.\n\nThe head of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry warned that not having any sort of deal would cause \"increased complexity, duplication and cost\" in the middle of a pandemic. The government insisted, however, that \"robust contingency plans are in place\".\n\nFor the coronavirus vaccine, the government says there are contingency plans for making sure the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine made in Belgium can be shipped to the UK if border problems arise. These include alternative sea routes and the use of freight or even military aircraft.\n\nThe European Commission has also proposed extending the deadline to reach an agreement on fishing until the end of December 2021.\n\nThis would allow European fishing vessels to continue fishing in British waters and vice-versa for another year, or until an agreement is reached.\n\nBut a Downing Street spokesman said the UK \"would never accept arrangements and access to UK fishing waters which are incompatible with our status as an independent coastal state\".\n\nThe Ministry of Defence has said it will make four patrol boats available to monitor UK waters and added that it would have \"robust enforcement measures in place\".\n\nAs things stand, if nothing is agreed then non-UK boats will not be allowed to fish in UK waters from January.\n\nBut without a deal, the UK fishing industry would find its extensive exports to EU countries being hit by tariffs (import taxes) and regulatory hurdles.\n\nThe French government has said it would hand out compensation to trawlers if they were not able to fish in UK waters.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Ikea has apologised to customers after facing stock shortages due to the current congestion at UK ports.\n\nAngry shoppers complained they faced delays to orders and could not get through on the retailer's helpline.\n\nPorts have been hit by surging demand for imports caused by countries reopening after lockdown, Brexit stockpiling and the Christmas rush.\n\nIkea said it made orders for its flat-pack furniture harder to fulfil at a time of \"unprecedented demand\".\n\nOn Twitter, one angry customer said: \"My order is over a week late and @IKEAUKSupport will not reply to anything or update me on the status of the delivery.\"\n\nAnother said: \"@IKEAUKSupport Still waiting for a response for something broken when I opened my delivery... Been trying to sort this for 16 days and no response at all.\"\n\nSales at the Swedish retailer have boomed in lockdown as people spend more on doing up their homes.\n\nBut a spokeswoman said its supply chain - including the ports where its products are received - had been hit by the effects of Covid-19 and product availability had been impacted.\n\n\"These continue to be extraordinary times and we apologise unreservedly for the inconvenience caused to our customers,\" she added.\n\n\"We fully understand their frustration and want to assure them that we are working intensively to resolve these challenges as soon as possible.\"\n\nImports ranging from building materials to toys and fresh food have been held up due to the issues at ports, causing headaches for businesses.\n\nCarmaker Honda even had to pause production last week due to a shortage of components.\n\nOn Saturday, the British Ports Association said the issues were now \"cascading\", with long queues of traffic outside lorry ports becoming increasingly common.\n\nIts boss Richard Ballantyne blamed a \"perfect storm\" of surging global container movements, the busy pre-Christmas period and people moving more goods before the UK's Brexit transition ends.\n\n\"This is putting pressure on the logistics and storage sectors both in the UK and abroad,\" he said.\n\nSome have warned price rises are likely due to the problems.\n\nRyan Clark, director of the Essex-based freight forwarder Westbound Logistics Services, told the BBC last week: \"The increase in freight is either creating more expensive prices for the consumer, or unsustainability for businesses that will be forced to close where the onward price cannot be increased.\"", "Charley Pride, the first African-American to enter the Country Music Hall of Fame, has died aged 86, his website has announced.\n\nPride, who rose to fame in the 1960s, passed away on Saturday from complications of Covid-19.\n\nWhile Pride was not the first black singer in country music, he became one of its biggest stars during a period of division in the US.\n\nHe won three Grammy Awards, followed by a lifetime achievement award in 2017.\n\nCountry star Dolly Parton, who described Pride as \"one of my dearest and oldest friends, said she was \"heartbroken\" at the news of his death.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Dolly Parton This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThe son of a sharecropper on a cotton farm in Mississippi, Pride was born in 1934 and served in the army, played baseball and worked in a smelting plant before later turning to music.\n\nFifty-two of his songs reached the country Top 10, including the hits All I Have to Offer You (Is Me) and Kiss An Angel Good Mornin'.\n\nAnother - Crystal Chandeliers - is still popular in Northern Ireland thanks to concerts he staged there when touring was difficult due the conflict in the 1970s.\n\n\"We're not colour-blind yet, but we've advanced a few paces along the path and I like to think I've contributed something to that process,\" he wrote in his memoir.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nPride was awarded the Country Music Association's Lifetime Achievement Award in Nashville, Tennessee, on 11 November, in what would be his last public performance.\n\nFellow singers have paid tribute, with Reba McEntire writing: \"Charley Pride will always be a legend in Country music.\"\n\nBilly Ray Cyrus, meanwhile, calling Pride a \"gentleman... legend and true trail blazer\", adding: \"He took down walls and barriers meant to divide.\"", "Deploying Royal Navy gunboats to protect UK fishing waters under a no-deal Brexit would be \"undignified\", a former Conservative minister has said.\n\nTory MP Tobias Ellwood described the threat as \"irresponsible\" after the Ministry of Defence said four ships were ready for \"robust enforcement\" when the transition period ends.\n\nUK-EU trade talks are continuing ahead of a mutual deadline on Sunday.\n\nThe MoD said it was prepared for a \"range of scenarios\" after 31 December.\n\nNavy vessels are already deployed to enforce UK and European fishing laws for large parts of the year.\n\nA major sticking point in negotiations has been access to UK fishing waters, with the EU warning that without access to UK waters for its fleets, UK fishermen will no longer get special access to EU markets to sell their goods.\n\nA UK government source said talks were continuing overnight \"but as things stand the offer on the table from the EU remains unacceptable\".\n\nMr Ellwood, who chairs the Commons Defence Committee, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that headlines highlighting the threat to deploy the navy risked distracting from the ongoing talks and were \"absolutely irresponsible\".\n\n\"This isn't Elizabethan times anymore, this is global Britain - we need to be raising the bar much higher than this,\" he said.\n\n\"Being ready for the worst-case scenario and using this final 48 hours to actually get a deal, they are two very different things,\" he added.\n\nHe said the focus should be on what is \"already in the bag\" and that outstanding issues like access to fishing waters could be sorted once a trade deal is signed.\n\nFormer Tory party chairman Lord Patten accused Prime Minister Boris Johnson of being on a \"runaway train of English exceptionalism\".\n\nHumza Yousaf, the Scottish government justice minister, told the BBC: \"This UK government gunboat diplomacy is not welcome in Scottish waters.\n\n\"We will protect our fisheries where necessary. Police Scotland and Marine Scotland have primacy to do that. But we won't do that by threatening our allies, our Nato allies in fact, by threatening to sink their vessels.\"\n\nBut Admiral Lord West, a former chief of naval staff, defended the threat of using the Royal Navy to protect UK waters from foreign fishing vessels if asked to do so in a no-deal Brexit scenario.\n\n\"It is absolutely appropriate for the navy to do as it is told by the government,\" he said, adding that additional powers would allow Naval officers to deal with \"stormy\" altercations with foreign fishermen.\n\nThe MoD has said it has conducted \"extensive planning and preparation\" to ensure it is ready for a range of scenarios at the end of the transition period, including having 14,000 personnel on standby to support the government over the winter with the EU transition.\n\nIt said four offshore patrol boats will be available to monitor UK waters and added that it would have \"robust enforcement measures in place to protect the UK's rights as an independent coastal state\".\n\nAn expansion of powers for the Royal Navy Police, enabling officers to potentially board foreign boats and arrest those breaking the law, is one proposal in the MoD's no-deal contingency planning, a spokesman confirmed.\n\nAccording to the MoD's website, three River Class patrol ships with a crew of 45 sailors already work \"at least 275 days a year at sea enforcing British and European fisheries law\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Johnson: No-deal Brexit now \"very, very likely\"\n\nThe Sunday deadline was set by Mr Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen after the pair met in Brussels on Wednesday, after months of talks failed to achieve an agreement.\n\nMr Johnson said the EU needed to make a \"big change\" over the main sticking points on fishing rights and business competition rules, while Mrs von der Leyen said no deal was the most probable end to \"difficult\" talks.\n\nThe EU has rejected Mr Johnson's request to bypass the European Commission and speak directly to French President Emmanuel Macron and Germany's Angela Merkel about the unresolved issues.\n\nAccording to EU officials, he was told discussions could only take place through the bloc's chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, who is meeting with his UK equivalent in Brussels.\n\nSpeaking on Friday, the PM said a no-deal Brexit was now \"very, very likely\" and that planning for that outcome was ramping up.\n\nMrs von der Leyen told reporters that the two sides were still \"apart on fundamental issues\".\n\nMeanwhile, tests of a motorway barrier system designed to deal with potential traffic disruption in Kent once the transition period ends on New Year's Eve have been carried out.\n\nThe EU has set out contingency measures to ensure UK and EU air and road connections still run after 31 December.", "A house has collapsed after a gas explosion is believed to have ripped through the property.\n\nThe explosion happened in Holly Drive in Bourne, Lincolnshire, at about 09:10 GMT causing severe damage.\n\nA male occupant suffered minor injuries and is a \"little shaken\", Lincolnshire Police said.\n\nA spokesperson said the scene had been assessed and it had been deemed that there was no need to evacuate any other properties.\n\nThe force said: \"Whilst a full investigation is to be conducted, we believe it is probably a gas explosion.\"\n\nPolice, fire and gas services were called to the scene\n\nNo other properties were evacuated\n\nFollow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk or send video here.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Johnson: 'Whatever happens, the UK will do very, very well'\n\nWhen is a deadline not a deadline? When it's anything to do with Brexit, perhaps.\n\nBoth sides in this long, long process, have agreed to go on rather than pull the plug today.\n\nA joint statement emerged just before noon with a much more positive tone than anything that's come out of late, and did not feature the usual kind of warning of big gaps between the two sides.\n\nThe froideur from Thursday and Friday seems to be thawing a little. It's also worth noting no new time limit was put on the talks, although of course there is one hard deadline of 31 December, when the status quo runs out.\n\nIt's also worth noting that the prime minister was loath to show much sign of optimism when he appeared in front of a camera shortly after the joint statement emerged.\n\nStripping away the spin on both sides, there is little question that the prospects of a deal felt slim at the end of the week.\n\nThe prime minister moved repeatedly to start warning the public and business that leaving without an agreement felt increasingly likely, unless there was some shift in the EU position.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nRemember it's not that long ago that a deal had seemed within reach, before some countries started pushing for a more robust approach.\n\nIt seems now that in the last couple of days the negotiators have taken some small steps back towards that position with suggestions that Brussels has softened its position on how the two sides sort out disputes over common rules in the years to come.\n\nThere are whispers that they have pulled back from trying to include the \"ratchet clause\", a major UK gripe explained by my colleague Faisal Islam.\n\nThis was the problem described by Mr Johnson on Thursday using a rather bizarre metaphor about twins.\n\nHowever you describe it, it was clear the UK just wasn't willing to accept that the EU could take punitive action on its own, so the negotiators have been trying to sort out how to fix it together.\n\nIndeed one diplomatic source suggested that the \"ratchet clause\" approach had been abandoned some time ago, and the political narratives on both sides have been running behind what's been happening in the negotiating room.\n\nThe circle around the talks is extremely tight so it is very hard to know precisely what is going on. It is possible that both sides are dangling concessions.\n\nOne Cabinet minister on the call with the prime minister said even they weren't told about the details of where any movement has been going on.\n\nBut there is the sense now that the ground has shifted enough to make the chance of a deal worth pursuing.\n\nAs the Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told the BBC this morning, there is always the possibility of \"creative contours in the drafting\".\n\nIn other words - the political imperatives to make this happen are so strong that even tricky issues at this late stage can still potentially be fudged.\n\nIt's far from certain that the talks will end in agreement, but the chances of resolution are once again on the rise.", "Mr Sharma said progress had been made, but it was not enough yet to avoid dangerous warming this century\n\nThe UK minister tasked with leading UN climate talks says world leaders are failing to show the necessary level of ambition.\n\nAlok Sharma was speaking at the conclusion of a virtual climate summit organised by the UK, UN and France.\n\nHe said \"real progress\" had been made and 45 countries had put forward new climate plans for 2030.\n\nBut these were not enough to prevent dangerous warming this century, Mr Sharma explained.\n\nTaking place on the fifth anniversary of the Paris climate agreement, the summit heard the UN Secretary General warn that every country needed to declare a climate emergency.\n\nAround 70 heads of state and government took part in the meeting, which was organised by the UK, UN and France. They outlined new pledges and commitments to curb carbon.\n\nChina's contribution was eagerly awaited, not just because it is the world's biggest emitter, but because it has recently promised to reach net zero emissions by 2060.\n\nAchieving net zero means that emissions have been cut as much as possible and any remaining releases are balanced by removing an equivalent amount from the atmosphere,\n\nBut while President Xi Jinping outlined a range of new targets for 2030, many analysts felt these did not go far enough.\n\nIndia brought little in the way of new commitments but Prime Minister Narendra Modi said his country was on track to achieve its goals under the Paris agreement and promised a major uptick in wind and solar energy.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Climate change: How 1.5C could change the world\n\nAccording to the UK, some 24 countries had outlined net zero commitments and 20 had now set out plans to adapt and become more resilient to rising temperatures and their impacts.\n\nBut despite these commitments, Mr Sharma said not enough had been achieved.\n\n\"Have we made any real progress at this summit? And the answer to that is: yes,\" he said.\n\n\"But they will also ask, have we done enough to put the world on track to limit warming to 1.5C, and protect people and nature from the effects of climate change? To make the Paris Agreement a reality.\n\n\"Friends, we must be honest with ourselves, the answer to that, is currently: no. As encouraging as all this ambition is. It is not enough.\"\n\nMr Sharma re-stated a commitment made last year to double the UK's international climate finance spend. This will bring it to at least £11.6bn over the next five years.\n\nEarlier on Saturday, UK Prime Minister Mr Johnson said advances in renewable energy technologies would \"save our planet and create millions of high-skilled jobs\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nHe added: \"Together we can use scientific advances to protect our entire planet - our biosphere - against a challenge far worse, far more destructive even than the coronavirus. And by the promethean power of our invention, we can begin to defend the Earth against the disaster of global warming.\"\n\nMeanwhile, UN Secretary General António Guterres criticised rich countries for spending 50% more of their pandemic recovery cash on fossil fuels compared to low-carbon energy.\n\nMr Guterres said that 38 countries had already declared a climate emergency and he called on leaders worldwide to now do the same.\n\nOn Covid recovery spending, he said that this is money being borrowed from future generations.\n\n\"We cannot use these resources to lock in policies that burden future generations with a mountain of debt on a broken planet,\" he said.\n\nThe meeting is taking place after the pandemic caused the postponement of the annual Conference of the Parties (COP) meeting, which had been due to take place in Glasgow this year.\n\nThe UK has announced an end to support for overseas fossil fuel projects, and has today deposited a new climate plan with the UN.\n\nIt's the first time that Britain has had to do this, as it was previously covered by the European Union's climate commitments.\n\nThe UK pointed to its new commitment on overseas fossil fuel projects as well as a new carbon cutting target of 68% by 2030, announced last week by the prime minister.\n\nThe EU presented a new 2030 target of a 55% cut in emissions, agreed after all-night negotiations this week. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, said: \"It is the go-ahead for scaling up climate action across our economy and society.\"\n\nChina's President Xi Jinping announced that the country would reduce its carbon emissions per unit of gross domestic product (GDP) by over 65% compared with 2005 levels. China will also increase the share of non-fossil fuels in primary energy consumption by about 25%. And President Xi pledged to increase forest cover and boost wind and solar capacity.\n\nHurricane Iota was one of a record number of storms to wreak havoc on the Americas this year\n\nBut Manish Bapna, managing director of the World Resources Institute (WRI) said: \"The strengthened renewable energy, carbon intensity, and forest targets are steps in the right direction, but recent WRI analysis shows that China would benefit more economically and socially if it aims higher, including by peaking emissions as early as possible.\"\n\nAlthough President Donald Trump pulled the US out of the Paris pact, the summit saw statements from the Republican governor of Massachusetts, Charlie Baker, and the Democrat governor of Michigan, Gretchen Whitmer, who said the US was \"all-in\" on tackling climate change.\n\nPope Francis said the Vatican had committed to reaching net zero emissions, similar to carbon neutrality, before 2050. \"The time has come to change course. Let us not rob future generations of the hope for a better future,\" he said.\n\nA number of big emitters, including Australia, Saudi Arabia, Russia and Mexico, did not take part, as their climate actions were not deemed ambitious enough.\n\nSome observers believe this hard line on some countries is justified.\n\n\"From a kind of symbolic procedural point of view, it's good to have everybody on board,\" said Prof Heike Schroeder from the University of East Anglia.\n\n\"But from a proactive, creating some kind of sense of urgency approach, it also makes sense to say we only get to hear from you if you have something new to say.\"\n\nThe five years since the Paris agreement was adopted have been the warmest on record, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), and emissions have continued to accrue in the atmosphere.\n\nBut many countries and businesses have started the process of decarbonisation in that time.\n\nThe progress they've made now needs to be acknowledged and encouraged, says former UN climate chief Christiana Figueres.\n\n\"That progress that's been seen in the real economy has to be reflected and incentivised further by those additional commitments,\" she said.\n\nOne area that yielded little progress at this meeting was the question of finance. Rich countries had promised to mobilise $100bn a year from 2020 under the Paris agreement - but the commitments on cash are not forthcoming.", "The US public will start receiving the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine from Monday after it was authorised for emergency use.\n\nGen Gustave Perna, speaking for the US government's vaccination campaign Operation Warp Speed, told reporters that doses of the vaccine would be packed for transportation \"within the next 24 hours\".\n\nHe said it was the beginning of a mission to \"defeat the enemy\" of Covid-19.", "The rapid tests have already been used by universities before students head home for Christmas\n\nMass testing programmes like the one trialled in Liverpool are to be rolled out in 67 tier three areas of England, with the first starting on Monday.\n\nMore than 1.6 million of the rapid lateral flow tests will be delivered for community testing this month, the government said.\n\nThe programme will last six weeks.\n\nBut concerns have previously been raised about the lateral flow tests, with experts warning they can give false negative results.\n\nMore areas will be involved in the rollout of testing in the new year.\n\nThose involved in this first wave will receive government support for at least six weeks, the Department for Health and Social Care said.\n\nIt is hoped the testing initiative, along with existing measures, could help lead to an easing of restrictions in tier three areas.\n\nThe community testing is in addition to schemes run by local directors of public health. They have been able to request a set number of lateral flow tests to be used in their area, regardless of tier, since early November.\n\nHealth Secretary Matt Hancock said the enhanced testing programmes follow the mass testing pilot in Liverpool and were a \"vital additional tool\" in finding asymptomatic cases. It is thought as many as one in three cases of coronavirus could be in people who have no symptoms.\n\nHowever, preliminary data released on Friday by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) suggested the rapid coronavirus tests rolled out in Liverpool missed about 51% of all Covid-19 cases.\n\nA separate mass testing scheme for secondary school-aged pupils in London, Essex and Kent was announced earlier this week.\n\nLiverpool has taken part in a mass testing programme\n\nEarlier this month, Dr Susan Hopkins, senior medical adviser to NHS Test and Trace, said the tests were a \"game changer\" and had helped find Covid-19 infections in people that would otherwise have been missed, because they had no symptoms.\n\nAn evaluation by Oxford University and Public Health England workers at Porton Down previously concluded the test has an overall sensitivity of 76.8%. It detects almost all cases where patients have a high viral load, however.\n\nAmong the 67 areas taking part in the testing programme is Oldham, Greater Manchester, where the increased access to testing will initially focus on schools and colleges, along with those in higher-risk supported living accommodation, and health and social care staff.\n\nIn Kirklees, West Yorkshire, high-risk workplaces will be among those focused on first. And in Lancashire, large manufacturing sites and workplaces with staff of more than 200 will be prioritised.\n\nLocal authorities in Kent - said to be seeing a \"worrying\" rise in cases - are also in the first wave of areas taking part in the testing.\n\nA full list of the areas involved in this first rollout can be found here.\n\nMr Hancock said: \"Community testing will be very important in helping the areas where levels of the virus are highest to drive down infection rates and, ultimately, will help areas ease tougher restrictions.\n\n\"This is just the start, and we are working quickly to roll out community testing more widely as soon as more local teams are ready. I urge all those living in areas where community testing is offered to come forward and get tested.\"", "Alex Westgate said he spent most of the flight coaching himself along\n\nA teenager has become one of the youngest people to fly a glider plane solo on his 14th birthday.\n\nAlex Westgate took to the air on his own on Wednesday at Husbands Bosworth airfield in Leicestershire.\n\nThe young pilot, who began training during the first lockdown, said he felt \"very calm\" behind the wheel and coached himself along.\n\n\"It really felt amazing flying the glider and being up in the air all by myself,\" he said.\n\n\"I was talking to myself a lot because I was the only one there and I wanted to get everything perfect and land safely.\"\n\nAlex, from Storrington, West Sussex, began learning to fly gliders in his spare time in March.\n\nHelpfully his father, Guy, is a commercial pilot and instructor in Leicestershire, so was able to carry out the training.\n\n\"One of the most amazing things has been watching him develop and blossom... over the last six months,\" said Mr Westgate.\n\n\"The training has given him an opportunity of taking responsibility, taking instructions, planning ahead and thinking in an emergency situation.\"\n\nGuy Westgate trained his son Alex to fly over the summer\n\nMr Westgate said luckily the second lockdown was lifted before Alex's birthday and airfields under tier three restrictions were able to open for individual flying and training.\n\n\"I don't know who was more nervous,\" added Mr Westgate.\n\n\"He is a typical teenager. I had to remind him to take his coat and do up his shoelaces that morning and now he is taking responsibility for [a glider].\n\n\"It's really odd to see your own son flying a glider solo at such a young age.\"\n\nIt is legal to fly solo from aged 14 but Pete Stratten, from the British Gliding Association, (BGA) said not everyone had the chance to do it on their 14th birthday.\n\n\"It's great they were able to do that training during the Covid lockdown, being from the same household,\" he added\n\nFollow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Johnson: 'Whatever happens, the UK will do very, very well'\n\nThe UK and EU have agreed to carry on post-Brexit trade talks after a call between leaders earlier on Sunday.\n\nIn a joint statement, Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said it was \"responsible at this point to go the extra mile\".\n\nThe pair discussed \"major unresolved topics\" during their call.\n\nThe two sides had said Sunday was the deadline for a decision on whether to continue with talks, with the UK set to leave EU rules at the end of the month.\n\nThe leaders agreed to tell negotiators to carry on talks in Brussels \"to see whether an agreement can even at this late stage be reached\".\n\nThey did not say how long these latest talks would continue, but the ultimate deadline is 31 December, and time must be allowed for the UK and European Parliaments to vote on any deal that emerges before then.\n\nMrs von der Leyen said Sunday's call with Mr Johnson had been \"constructive and useful\".\n\nBut Mr Johnson repeated his warning from earlier in the week that a no deal scenario was \"most likely\".\n\nThe UK and EU have been carrying out negotiations for a post-Brexit trade deal since March and are attempting to secure one before the so-called transition period end on 31 December - when the two sides would move to trading on World Trade Organization (WTO) rules.\n\nWithout a trade deal, tariffs - charges on goods being bought and sold between the two sides - could be introduced and, in turn, prices on certain products may go up.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nReading out the joint statement, Mrs von der Leyen said: \"Despite the exhaustion after almost a year of negotiations, despite the fact that deadlines have been missed over and over, we think it is responsible at this point to go the extra mile.\"\n\nMr Johnson later said \"where there is life, there is hope\", and that the UK \"certainly won't be walking away from the talks\".\n\nBut he added: \"I've got to repeat the most likely thing now is of course that we have to get ready for WTO terms.\n\n\"As far as I can see, there are some serious and very difficult issues that currently separate the UK from EU and the best thing to do now for everybody… [is to] get ready to trade on WTO terms.\"\n\nLabour's Rachel Reeves welcomed the continuation of the talks and said the worst outcome would be to \"crash out with no deal whatsoever on 1 January\".\n\nShe added: \"I hope that they [the talks] will swiftly conclude, but I also hope on behalf of all British businesses and workers, and our security as well, that the government deliver the promise they made to the British people and come back with a deal.\"\n\nTalks will now continue in Brussels, with a focus expected on how close the UK should stick to EU economic rules in the future.\n\nThe EU is determined to prevent the UK from gaining what it sees as an unfair advantage of having tariff-free access to its markets - not paying taxes on goods being bought and sold - while setting its own standards on products, employment rights and business subsidies.\n\nThe EU is reported to have dropped the idea of a formal mechanism to ensure both sides keep up with each other's standards and is now prepared to accept UK divergence - provided there are safeguards to prevent unfair competition.\n\nFishing rights is another major area of disagreement, with the EU warning that without access to UK waters for EU fleets, UK fishermen will no longer get special access to EU markets to sell their goods.\n\nBut the UK argues that what goes on in its own waters, and its wider business rules, should be under its control as a sovereign country.\n\nBusiness lobby group the CBI said the continuation of talks \"gives us hope\", and that a deal was \"both essential and possible\" for the UK economy.\n\nWhen is a deadline not a deadline? When it's anything to do with Brexit, perhaps.\n\nBoth sides in this long, long process, have agreed to go on rather than pull the plug.\n\nThe circle around the talks is extremely tight so it is very hard to know precisely what is going on. It is possible that both sides are dangling concessions.\n\nBut there is the sense now that the ground has shifted enough to make the chance of a deal worth pursuing.\n\nThe political imperatives to make this happen are so strong that even tricky issues at this late stage can still potentially be fudged.\n\nIt's far from certain that the talks will end in agreement, but the chances of resolution are once again on the rise.\n\nRead more from Laura here.\n\nThe National Farmers' Union has warned there will be \"significant disruption\" to the sector if the UK fails to reach a trade deal with the EU.\n\nAnd the British Retail Consortium warned the public would face \"over £3bn in food tariffs [meaning] retailers would have no choice but to pass on some of these additional costs to their customers\".\n\nTaoiseach (Irish prime minister) Micheál Martin said he believed a no-deal scenario \"would be very bad news for all of us\" and \"an appalling failure of statecraft\" on both sides.\n\nSpeaking to the BBC's Andrew Marr, he called for the teams \"with any bit of energy we have left [to] focus on negotiating a deal\".\n\nA number of Conservative MPs welcomed the continuation of talks, with former minister Damian Green, who backed Remain in the 2016 EU referendum, saying it was \"good news\" and that \"no deal would be terrible\".\n\nBut leading Tory Brexiteer Sir John Redwood tweeted: \"A long complex legal agreement that locks the UK back into many features of the EU that hinder us is not the Christmas present the UK needs.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Speaking to Andrew Marr, Micheál Martin stressed the importance of reaching a good Brexit deal", "The boy's body was found on common land\n\nA 14-year-old boy and a 19-year-old man have been arrested on suspicion of murdering a teenager found dead in Lincolnshire.\n\nThe boy was discovered on a patch of common land behind Alcorn Green in Fishtoft, near Boston on Saturday.\n\nPolice said final identification was yet to take place, but it was believed he was of secondary school age.\n\nDet Supt Martyn Parker said: \"This is a devastating incident in which a young boy has lost his life.\"\n\nPolice have appealed for anyone with external facing CCTV covering the junction of Freiston Road and Woodthorpe Avenue between 20:00 GMT on Friday and 10:20 GMT on Saturday to get in touch.\n\nThey also have asked for footage covering the entire length of Wing Drive and Alcorn Green between the same times.\n\nDet Supt Parker added: \"This type of incident is not what we would expect to see within our communities.\n\n\"I want to reassure the public that we will do all in our power to meticulously investigate the circumstances of this young boy's death.\"\n\nFollow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk or send video here.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "This torture is better than no deal.\n\nThe fact that talks are ongoing is a good thing. Business groups are unanimous in their view that if a deal is at all possible, it should be pursued with every last effort.\n\nHowever, the problem with this uncertainty torture is two-fold.\n\nFirst, political and business timetables are getting increasingly misaligned by the day. Businesses need to know whether tariffs are coming or not as it effects pricing of products and services for next year. How can I place or take an order if I don’t know what that price needs to be?\n\nSecond, there is a danger that businesses who watch this process being dragged out will wait for some rabbit to appear out of the hat and take their focus away from preparing for a deal. No deal is very bad - a deal still leaves an awful lot of work to do in preparing for new procedures, for example customs, that will change whether we get a deal or not.\n\nBut the fact remains that while this may be torture, it could be worse.\n\nNo deal would not put UK business out of its misery – it could put some sectors out of business.", "People must think \"really carefully\" about the risk of more social contact over Christmas, NHS bosses have warned.\n\n\"I don't want to be the Grinch who stole Christmas,\" said Chris Hopson, the head of NHS Providers.\n\nBut he pointed out that the US saw \"record numbers\" of cases and deaths after the Thanksgiving holiday - and said the NHS was worried about January.\n\nThe government's Dominic Raab said people needed the five-day relaxation of Covid rules on \"an emotional level\".\n\nMeanwhile, the chances of the Oxford University vaccine being rolled out by the end of the year are \"pretty high\", the vaccine's architect Prof Sarah Gilbert has told the BBC.\n\nA further 18,447 cases were recorded across the UK on Sunday, along with another 144 deaths within 28 days of a positive test.\n\nThe number of deaths recorded tends to be lower over the weekend because of reporting delays.\n\nBetween 23 and 27 December, coronavirus restrictions are being relaxed across the UK, allowing three households to form a \"bubble\" and mix indoors and stay overnight.\n\nBut NHS Providers - which represents hospital trusts in England - has written to the PM urging him to \"personally lead a better public debate about the risks inherent in the guidance\" - although it stopped short of calling for a review of the rules over Christmas.\n\n\"There seems to be a sense at the moment that, 'hey because the government's put these rules down, there's no risk to people having more social contact over Christmas',\" Mr Hopson told BBC Breakfast.\n\n\"Of course, part of it is about sticking to the rules but any kind of extra social contact over Christmas - particularly with those who are vulnerable to the virus - actually is very risky.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. How you and your family can celebrate Christmas and minimise the spread of coronavirus\n\n\"I don't want to be the Grinch who stole Christmas, I really don't, but I think everybody needs to think really, really carefully what are they going to do over Christmas,\" he said.\n\n\"It's not, 'is what we're going to be doing sticking within the rules?' It's 'how much risk are we going to cause to the people we interact with?'\"\n\nThe rise in infections in the US after the Thanksgiving holiday was also highlighted by NHS Providers.\n\nThe NHS is worried about the potential pressure on hospital beds, and its ability to treat all the patients it needs to in December, January and February, Mr Hopson said.\n\n\"At the same time you've got rising infections in places like London, Essex, parts of Kent, parts of Lincolnshire,\" he added.\n\nForeign Secretary Dominic Raab ruled out any possibility that the government would review the Christmas relaxation of rules.\n\nSpeaking to Sky News's Sophy Ridge programme on Sunday, he said: \"I think people do need that five-day window over Christmas to spend a bit of time with their loved ones and I think at a mental health level, an emotional level, people do need it.\"\n\nIt comes after public health expert Prof Linda Bauld said loosening Covid restrictions over Christmas was \"a mistake\".\n\nWales' health minister Vaughan Gething said the rules around Christmas could be changed - but it could affect trust in the government.\n\nNHS Providers also warned that relaxing Covid rules when they are reviewed in England could trigger a third wave of the virus during the busiest time of year for hospitals.\n\nEngland's three-tier system is due to be reviewed on Wednesday 16 December.\n\nIt urged the PM against moving any area to a lower tier and said areas should be moved into tier three - the highest level of restrictions - \"as soon as this is needed, without any delay\".\n\nEarlier this week, some health experts called for London to be placed in tier three \"now\" after official figures showed Outer London had a higher infection rate than some areas already in the top tier.\n\nThe government said it \"will not hesitate to take necessary actions to protect local communities\".\n\nDecisions on tiers are made by ministers, based on the latest available data and advice from public health experts, a spokesperson added.\n\n\"We have introduced strengthened local restrictions to protect the progress gained during national restrictions, reduce pressure on the NHS and ultimately save lives,\" they said.\n\n\"On top of our record NHS investment, this winter we are providing an extra £3bn to maintain independent sector and Nightingale hospital surge capacity and a further £450m to upgrade and expand A&Es.\"\n\nMeanwhile, Prof Sarah Gilbert, lead researcher on the Oxford University/AstraZeneca vaccine, was upbeat when asked about the possibility of people receiving the Oxford jab by the end of the year.\n\nThe vaccine has not yet been approved by the UK's regulator, but a study this week showed it was safe and effective.\n\n\"I think the chances are pretty high,\" she told the BBC's Andrew Marr. \"But we do need multiple vaccines, all countries need multiple vaccines, the world needs multiple vaccines and we need vaccines made using different technologies, if that's possible.\"", "Police have dropped their investigation into a Conservative MP and former minister who was accused of rape.\n\nThe MP, who has not been named, was arrested on 1 August and later released on bail.\n\nThis followed the Metropolitan Police receiving allegations the previous day of sexual offences and assault relating to four separate incidents at addresses in London, including Westminster.\n\nBut the Met said the case had not met \"the evidential test\".\n\nA spokeswoman said \"no further action\" would be taken, following a \"thorough investigation\", adding: \"The complainant has been made aware of the decision.\"\n\nThe MP, in his 50s, did not return to the House of Commons after the parliamentary recess ended on 1 September.\n\nThe Conservative Party faced calls to suspend him, but Chief Whip Mark Spencer said it was for the police to investigate.\n• None MP accused of rape will not attend Commons", "The US has begun delivering the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine \"across all states\" with the aim of inoculating more than 100 million people by the end of March, officials say.\n\nThe first doses, packed in containers with dry ice to keep them refrigerated, were transported across the country on trucks and planes early on Sunday.\n\nUS Army Gen Gustave Perna, who is overseeing distribution, said the vaccine would be delivered to 145 locations on Monday, and a further 491 sites on Tuesday and Wednesday. The initial delivery will cover about three million people.\n\nThe Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, which offers up to 95% protection against Covid-19, received emergency use authorisation from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Friday following intense pressure from the Trump administration.", "Secretary of State Dominic Raab was challenged by Andrew Marr on a promise he made during the Vote Leave campaign in 2016 that free trade would never stop between the UK and the EU.\n\nOn Sunday he said that no deal would mean we don't get the advantages of a free trade agreement.\n\nHe said that if the UK is \"forced\" into a no-deal position, it will be because the EU has changed its mind on key issues.\n\nIt's \"absurd\" that the EU would allow German carmakers and French farmers to \"suffer\" because of this, he added.", "Thousands of Donald Trump supporters alleging electoral fraud converged on several US cities and towns on Saturday and there were isolated scuffles with counter-demonstrators.\n\nIn Washington DC, more than 20 people were arrested and four people were stabbed, police said.\n\nMr Trump lost the 3 November election to Joe Biden but is yet to concede.\n\nThe Electoral College, the system which elects US presidents, is due to endorse Mr Biden's victory on Monday.\n\nMr Biden won 306 votes to Mr Trump's 232 in the Electoral College, and gained over seven million more votes than his Republican rival in the popular vote.\n\nIn the nation's capital, police sought to keep the two sides apart, a strategy that included sealing off Black Lives Matter Plaza where counter-demonstrators had gathered.\n\nPro-Trump demonstrators, rallying under the banner of \"Stop the Steal\", were joined by members of the far-right Proud Boys, dressed in yellow and black, many wearing bullet-proof vests.\n\nMr Trump caused controversy by saying the group should \"stand back and stand by\" during a September presidential debate, though he later condemned \"all white supremacists\".\n\nAs night fell, Proud Boys and Antifa counter-demonstrators, mostly separated by police lines, yelled insults at each other. But sporadic violence broke out.\n\nThe stabbings took place near the downtown Harry's Bar, but it was not clear which group those injured belonged to, according to the Washington Post.\n\nEight people were taken to hospitals, including two police officers, according to CNN.\n\nMake America Great Again (MAGA) protesters, who support Mr Trump, were captured on video tearing down a Black Lives Matter sign from a church, pouring petrol on it and setting it alight.\n\nOn Sunday the Ashbury church pastor compared the actions to cross burnings.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Jack Jenkins This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\n\"Seeing this act on video made me both indignant and determined to fight the evil that has reared its ugly head,\" Rev Ianther Mills said in a statement.\n\nCounter-demonstrators were kept at a distance from Trump supporters by Washington DC police\n\nFar-right Proud Boys made gestures symbolising white supremacy as they gathered near the Washington Monument\n\nRallies also took place in Olympia, the capital of Washington state, Atlanta and St Paul, Minnesota. Police in Olympia said one person had been shot and three arrested as rival groups clashed.\n\nThe Washington DC rally attracted several thousand Trump-supporters but it was smaller than a similar event on 14 November. Few participants wore masks despite Covid-19 restrictions.\n\nThere were speeches by Mr Trump's now pardoned former National Security Advisor, Michael Flynn, and Sebastian Gorka, another former White House official.\n\nMr Trump's pardoned former National Security Advisor, Michael Flynn, was among those making speeches\n\nMr Gorka urged the president not to give up his legal campaign - based on debunked allegations of electoral fraud - to reverse the election result.\n\nThe president's latest legal defeat came on Friday when the Supreme Court rejected an unprecedented attempt to throw out results in four battleground states which Mr Biden won. Mr Trump has now lost more than 50 cases linked to the election.\n\nCheers erupted as the presidential helicopter, Marine One, flew over the Washington rally carrying Mr Trump to the Army-Navy football game at West Point, New York.\n\nThe president had earlier tweeted his support.\n\nSorry, we're having trouble displaying this content. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nGeneral Flynn likened the protesters to soldiers and priests breaching the walls of Jericho, echoing the rally organisers' call for \"Jericho Marches\" to overturn the election result.\n\nThat refers to a story in the bible where an army peacefully conquer the city of Jericho, which God has promised them, after marching around its walls for six days. It is considered symbolic of a test of faith.", "The former president posts that he has been told to report to a grand jury, \"which almost always means an Arrest\".", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Raab: The conversation between Ursula von der Leyen and Boris Johnson is really important\n\n\"Political will\" is needed for the UK and EU to agree a post-Brexit trade deal, says Dominic Raab.\n\nThe foreign secretary said the situation was \"finely balanced\" after negotiations between the two sides carried on through the night.\n\nBut he said the EU would need to change its position for progress to be made.\n\nBoris Johnson and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen have been speaking on the phone to decide if a deal can be done.\n\nThe PM is now holding a call with his cabinet to discuss the outcome, and a statement is expected shortly.\n\nEarlier this week, Mr Johnson and Mrs von der Leyen set a deadline of Sunday to decide whether to abandon negotiations or keep them going.\n\nBut both sides have warned they are unlikely to reach an agreement.\n\nTaoiseach (Irish prime minister) Micheál Martin said he believed a no-deal scenario \"would be very bad news for all of us\" and \"an appalling failure of statecraft\" on both sides.\n\nThe main sticking point in the talks is how close the UK should stick to EU economic rules in the future.\n\nThe EU is determined to prevent the UK from gaining what it sees as an unfair advantage of having tariff-free access to its markets - not paying taxes on goods being bought and sold - while setting its own standards on products, employment rights and business subsidies.\n\nFishing rights is another major area of disagreement, with the EU warning that without access to UK waters for EU fleets, UK fishermen will no longer get special access to EU markets to sell their goods.\n\nBut the UK argues that what goes on in its own waters, and its wider business rules, should be under its control as a sovereign country.\n\nMr Raab said that at this stage of negotiations, \"what really matters is the political will\".\n\nHe told the BBC's Andrew Marr programme: \"The bar is quite high for us to be able to keep talking. We would need at a political level a commitment to move on those two key issues.\n\n\"Never say never because EU negotiations can often drag and drift. But actually we do need finality and therefore we need at the political level of Ursula von der Leyen that there is clarity the EU will move on those two key issues.\n\n\"If we get that then there are still talks to be processed.\"\n\nBut Labour's Ed Miliband accused the government of being \"ideological\" over its position in the talks, and warned leaving without a trade deal would be \"disastrous for the country\".\n\nHe told Andrew Marr: \"[The prime minister] has been cavalier with our national interests and is playing Russian roulette with jobs and livelihoods of people up and down the land.\"\n\nPhilip Rycroft, who was a civil service head at the UK Department for Exiting the European Union between 2017 and 2019, told BBC Breakfast things were \"looking a bit grim\" for a trade deal.\n\n\"Frankly, the energy seems to be draining out of this,\" he said. \"I think if we were heading for a deal you'd be seeing a lot more diplomatic activity - there would be signs of a lot more conversations going on.\"\n\nBut Irish PM Mr Martin told Andrew Marr the fact talks had gone overnight gave him \"hope\" there would be agreement.\n\nHe called for the teams \"with any bit of energy we have left [to] focus on negotiating a deal\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nMeanwhile, the National Farmers' Union have warned there will be \"significant disruption\" to the sector if the UK fails to reach a trade deal with the EU.\n\nThe EU is the largest trading partner for British farmers - but without a deal by the end of the Brexit transition period on 31 December, farmers could lose free access to the bloc \"overnight\", the union said.\n\nElsewhere, Labour warned that staffing levels in the government's tax and customs agency had barely been scaled up since the Brexit vote, despite widespread customs changes expected even if the UK is able to secure a deal.\n\nThe party said its analysis suggested the number of UK customs officials had been boosted by just 16, despite a pledge from ministers in 2018 to recruit between 3,000 and 5,000 extra officials.", "There were concerns about administering the vaccine in care homes because it must be stored at ultra low temperatures\n\nCovid-19 vaccinations will begin in care homes on Monday, the Scottish government has said.\n\nStaff and older residents will be next to receive the Pfizer/ BioNTech vaccine after more than 5,000 NHS staff and vaccinators got the jab last week.\n\nThere had been fears that homes would not be able to receive the first batch of doses due to logistical challenges.\n\nIt comes as the Conservatives called for vaccination plans to be published for each health board in Scotland.\n\nHealth Secretary Jeane Freeman said older care home residents had been prioritised to receive the vaccine along with care staff.\n\nHowever she also warned that the pace of the vaccination programme remained dependent on the supply of the vaccine, which is manufactured in Belgium.\n\nThe first consignment of the vaccine arrived in the UK last week and was distributed to vaccination centres across the four nations.\n\nThey were initially stored in packs of 997 doses in specialist freezers because the Pfizer vaccine must be kept at a temperature of at least -70C.\n\nThe Scottish government said it had received confirmation the vaccine could be \"packed down\" by health boards into smaller sizes, which meant the programme could be rolled out to care homes.\n\nThe go-ahead was given by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.\n\nThe vaccine will be taken directly to care homes or to nearby vaccination centres in 195 five-dose vials, which Ms Freeman said would result in \"minimal wastage\".\n\nThese vials will need to be diluted before use.\n\nThey can also be transported in an unfrozen state for up to 12 hours and can be stored undiluted for up to five days, the Scottish health secretary said.\n\nMs Freeman said: \"We are providing the vaccine to people in care homes according to the order of priority set out by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation and we will work through that order of priority as quickly as vaccine supply allows.\"\n\nShe said that ministers were hopeful that \"subject to further stringent approvals\", other vaccines, such as those being developed by AstraZeneca and Moderna, would be available soon.\n\nIt follows comments to BBC radio's Good Morning Scotland programme by Westminster Health Secretary Matt Hancock earlier this week that the speed of the vaccination programme over the coming weeks would be determined by how quickly the Pfizer/BioNtech vaccine could be manufactured in Belgium.\n\nHe said: \"We've got a broad schedule and there'll be several millions for the UK as a whole and so several hundred thousand for Scotland over the remainder of this month.\n\n\"We've got that as a broad delivery schedule, but obviously the manufacturing process itself is complicated so we've got to get the stuff in the country.\"\n\nThe Scottish Conservatives have called for each individual health board in Scotland to publish its vaccination plans to prevent what they described as a \"postcode lottery\" from developing.\n\nThe party's health spokesman Donald Cameron, said: \"Opposition MSPs seeking to scrutinise plans and get answers for their constituents are struggling to get information from the SNP and health boards.\n\n\"The answers we do get are frequently sluggish and incomplete.\n\n\"The public needs to know every detail has been covered. Secrecy will not benefit anyone.\"\n\nThe Scottish government said talk of a lottery was \"irresponsible\" and said Jeane Freeman had offered to meet with opposition parties to discuss details of how the vaccine was being delivered.", "A member of the public found the body at a property in Victoria Quadrant\n\nA newborn baby has been found dead in a garden.\n\nThe body was discovered by a member of the public in a private garden of a property in Victoria Quadrant, Weston-super-Mare, at about 08:50 GMT.\n\nA woman police believe is the mother was found following an appeal - she has been taken to hospital where she is receiving \"expert medical attention\".\n\nPolice are treating the baby's death as unexplained. Det Ch Insp Mike Buck said it was \"very sad and distressing\".\n\nPart of Victoria Quadrant was sealed off\n\nHe added: \"During the course of our enquiries, information has been received which has helped us locate who we believe is the baby's mother.\n\n\"This woman has been taken immediately to hospital where she'll receive the expert medical attention and professional support she needs.\"\n\nFollow BBC West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: bristol@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Coronavirus cases in one part of Wales are increasing at an \"alarming rate\", a health board has said.\n\nAneurin Bevan health board said its hospitals were under \"significant\" pressure due to Covid patient numbers.\n\nIt had already announced it would be halting outpatient appointments and non-urgent planned surgery from Monday.\n\nThe stark warning comes as First Minister Mark Drakeford said Wales' NHS was in danger of becoming the \"national coronavirus service\".\n\nOn Saturday, the day the number of positive Covid-19 tests passed 100,000 in Wales, the family of Ted Edwards, 73, from Monmouthshire, said they were \"really concerned\" after he spent more than 19 hours in an ambulance outside the Grange University Hospital in Cwmbran.\n\nThe Welsh Ambulance Service said it was \"facing high demand\" across the country \"with acute pressure\" around the hospital leading to \"some long delays with patients on our ambulances\".\n\nThe health board said: \"The number of Covid positive patients in our communities is increasing at an alarming rate and we need everyone to play their part to ensure our services are available for when our sickest patients need them.\"\n\nWeekly infection rates across the five south Wales counties the health board covers averaged about 550 cases for every 100,000 people.\n\nMeanwhile, Swansea Bay University Health Board tweeted that it now has nearly 240 Covid-19 patients in its hospitals, with a warning infection rates in its communities were \"exceptionally high\".\n\nSpeaking about the threat faced by the NHS, Mr Drakeford said unless \"we take all the action we can [not just] as a government, but as a population\", even more restrictions would be \"unavoidable\".\n\n\"The huge danger here is that we transform our National Health Service into a national coronavirus service.\n\n\"If the numbers continue to go up as they are, then we will end up diverting our staff resources away from all the things that we expect and need them to do, simply to take care of an ever-rising number of people who are so ill with this dreadful disease that they have to be looked after in hospital.\n\n\"We need our health service to be able to respond to all those other things that happen in people's lives in Wales.\n\n\"If the numbers continue to escalate in the way they are then, even more restrictions straight after Christmas seem to me to be unavoidable,\" he told BBC Radio Wales' Sunday Supplement.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. This map shows how cases per 100,000 people across the 22 council areas in Wales have changed by day over the last two months\n\nHe has previously said the coronavirus situation was \"very difficult\" but not out of control.\n\nLast month, a senior doctor said in an email, seen by BBC Wales, that she had \"huge concerns\" about patient safety ahead of the Grange hospital opening four months ahead of schedule.\n\nBut Mr Drakeford told BBC Politics Wales \"it was the right thing to open a hospital that was ready to open\".\n\n\"Imagine what it would be like in Aneurin Bevan [health board area] if we didn't have all the beds that are available today in the Grange hospital in addition to what is available,\" he added.\n\nMultiple ambulances were parked outside the Grange hospital on Sunday morning", "Paolo Rossi, who led Italy to their 1982 World Cup title, died on Thursday at the age of 64\n\nThe home of Italy's 1982 World Cup hero Paolo Rossi was burgled during his funeral service on Saturday, local reports say.\n\nThe footballer's funeral was held in the north-eastern city of Vicenza after he died on Thursday at the age of 64.\n\nItaly's Ansa news agency said Rossi's wife, Federica Cappelletti, returned home from the ceremony to find their home in Tuscany had been broken into.\n\nA watch belonging to Rossi and cash were among the items reported stolen.\n\nThe break-in has been reported to the police and an investigation is under way.\n\nRossi and his family lived in a farmhouse in Poggio Cennina, a resort overlooking the Val d'Ambra southeast of Florence, where Rossi ran an organic farming company.\n\nItalian reports say Rossi's wife Federica Cappelletti discovered the burglary after returning home from the funeral\n\nHis death triggered an outpouring of grief in Italy, where he is widely regarded to be one the country's best attacking players of all time.\n\nHe scored 20 goals in 48 appearances for the Italian national side, including six during the team's World Cup triumph in 1982.\n\nAt club level he was a prolific scorer for Vicenza and Juventus, with whom he won two Serie A league titles.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nVicenza was where thousands of mourners gathered to say their last goodbyes to Rossi on Saturday.\n\nHis coffin was carried to the Santa Maria Annunciata cathedral by his teammates from the 1982 World Cup-winning side, including Marco Tardelli, Giancarlo Antognoni, Antonio Cabrini and Fulvio Collovati.\n\n\"I have not only lost a team mate, but also a friend and a brother,\" said Cabrini during the service.\n\n\"Together we fought, we won and we sometimes lost, always picking ourselves up even in the face of disappointment. We were part of a group, that group, our group. I didn't think he would leave so soon.\"\n\nFans of Rossi gathered outside the cathedral to pay their respects\n\nPlayers gathered for a minute of silence to commemorate the death of Rossi\n\nBefore the funeral, Rossi's coffin was placed at the Stadio Romeo Menti in Vicenza, where supporters could lay flowers and pay their respects.\n\nMeanwhile, football players wore black armbands in memory of Rossi for Saturday's fixtures in Italy.\n\nA minute's silence was observed before kick-offs, with Rossi's photo projected on large screens with the words \"Heroes never die\" and \"Ciao Paolo\".", "Professor of Public Health Linda Bauld said the UK loosening rules over Christmas is a mistake\n\nLoosening Covid restrictions across the UK over Christmas is a \"mistake,\" a public health expert has said.\n\nEdinburgh University's Prof Linda Bauld said there was concern about people travelling from \"high to low prevalence areas\" to see their loved ones.\n\nWales' Health Minister Vaughan Gething said changes would cause \"huge issues about trust\", but could happen if case rates stayed high.\n\nThe UK has recorded another 519 deaths within 28 days of a positive test.\n\nThe latest government figures also include 21,502 new positive cases in the UK, taking the total number in the past seven days to 124,988.\n\nUp to three households can stay together and form a \"Christmas bubble\" from 23 to 27 December, as agreed by all four UK nations.\n\nProf Bauld told BBC Breakfast that \"from a public health perspective, I have to be perfectly honest, I think this is a mistake and I think people, even though we're permitted to do this, I think people have to think very carefully whether they can see loved ones outside or do it in a very, very modest way\".\n\nShe added there was \"nothing to stop\" governments reversing the rules, \"but the problem is they've made that commitment to people across the UK, and that may affect trust in government if they roll back on that\".\n\nMr Gething said \"of course we could\" change the rules around Christmas, but \"much of what we have done during the course of the pandemic is because people have trusted the government - when we said things we kept our word\".\n\nHe said was concerned a change in rules now would have people \"completely ignoring the rules\", and was worried that may be the case even with the current five-day relaxation agreement in place.\n\n\"That's why we are anticipating an increase after Christmas, we expect there'll be an increase after New Year's Eve as well,\" he added.\n\nProf Chris Whitty, England's chief medical officer, earlier this week warned people to be \"very, very sensible\" and not go \"too far\" over Christmas, which he called a \"very risky period\".\n\nAccording the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) - which feeds into UK government decision-making - just because people can meet up, it does not mean they should.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. This map shows how cases per 100,000 people across the 22 council areas in Wales have changed by day over the last two months\n\nMr Gething said he would not rule out another lockdown if cases continued to rise, echoing a warning made by First Minister Mark Drakeford on Friday.\n\nHe added: \"But the agreement around the Christmas period isn't just a political settlement. It really is because we understand that sort of shape to that period of time, we might see many people make up their own rules with the real potential of even greater harm.\n\n\"So it isn't as simple as saying 'this is just a political choice, and you could make it safer' because actually a lot of people invest lots of time, energy and effort in Christmas in travelling around the UK to see family when they don't do that in the rest of the year.\n\n\"Now we have to take account of the reality of the position as well and what would like to happen, how we want people to behave.\"\n\nA UK government spokesperson said this year won't be \"a 'normal' Christmas\", but people would want to be with loved ones.\n\n\"Meeting with friends and family over Christmas will be a personal judgement, and we must be mindful of the risks, particularly to vulnerable individuals,\" the spokesperson said.\n\n\"Everyone has a role to play by remembering hands, face, space and keeping indoor spaces well ventilated to limit the spread of the virus and protect our loved ones.\"", "Last updated on .From the section Golf\n\nPeter Alliss, the legendary BBC golf commentator, has died at the age of 89.\n\nAlliss, known as 'the voice of golf' to fans around the world, has been synonymous with the BBC's golf coverage for more than half a century.\n\nHaving first appeared on the BBC in 1961, he was made lead golf commentator in 1978 after retiring as a player.\n\n\"It is with great sadness we announce the passing of golfing and broadcast legend Peter Alliss,\" said Alliss' family.\n\nIn a statement, they described his death as \"unexpected but peaceful\".\n\nThey added: \"Peter was a devoted husband, father and grandfather and his family ask for privacy at this difficult time.\"\n\nAlliss provided the soundtrack to many of golf's most memorable moments, with November's Masters the last tournament he covered.\n\n\"Peter was the voice of golf. He was an absolute master of his craft with a unique ability to capture a moment with a magical turn of phrase that no one else could match,\" said Barbara Slater, director of BBC Sport.\n\nAs a player, Alliss won 31 tournaments and he and his father Percy were the first father-son duo to compete in the Ryder Cup, when it was a contest between Great Britain and the United States.\n\nIn 2012, he was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in the Lifetime Achievement category.\n• None Alliss reflects on the tales behind Great Britain's Ryder Cup wins\n\n'One of the greatest broadcasters of his generation' - Alliss as commentator\n\nAfter retiring from playing golf - in a professional sense, at least - Alliss moved into the commentary booth, where his descriptive and dead-pan style became the soundtrack to the BBC's coverage of major golf events.\n\n\"His inimitable tone, humour and command of the microphone will be sorely missed. His often legendary commentaries will be long remembered,\" said the BBC.\n\nAlliss' first experience behind the microphone came at the 1961 Open Championship, remarkably, in the same tournament he was challenging Arnold Palmer on the course.\n\nBetween trying to stop the American great claiming victory, with Alliss eventually finishing seven shots adrift of Palmer, the Englishman also cut his teeth analysing his fellow competitors.\n\nIn 1978 he was appointed the BBC's chief golf commentator following the death of his co-host and great friend Henry Longhurst.\n\n\"I'm there as an old player, a lover of the game and a good weaver of stories,\" is how Alliss once described his television role.\n\nTo the majority of British golf fans - and many more across the world - his soothing voice became synonymous as the audio accompaniment to the likes of Seve Ballesteros, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods winning the sport's biggest prizes.\n\nOnly a few weeks ago, Alliss described the moment when world number one Dustin Johnson won the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club.\n\n\"After six decades behind the microphone, he was just a month ago at the incredible age of 89 doing what he loved - commentating for the BBC on the Masters,\" said Slater.\n\n\"He transcended his sport as one of the greatest broadcasters of his generation.\"\n• None \"What on earth are you doing? He's gone ga-ga. To attempt to hit the ball out of there is pure madness.\" - his iconic description of Frenchman Jean van de Velde taking off his shoes and socks and wading into the Barry Burn on the final hole of the 1999 Open at Carnoustie.\n• None \"It's like turning up to hear Pavarotti sing and finding out he has laryngitis.\" - reflecting on Tiger Woods shooting a third-round 81 at the 2002 Open.\n• None \"Looks a bit like Jurassic Park in there.\" - describing the rough on the 14th at Royal St George's, host of the 2003 Open.\n• None \"One of the good things about rain in Scotland is that most of it ends up as scotch.\" - on poor weather during a tournament in Scotland.\n• None \"That really is a settler. Better than Alka Seltzer.\" - after watching Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke sink an early final-round putt on his way to winning the 2011 Open.\n\nFollowing in his father's footsteps & teaching James Bond - Alliss as a player\n\nWith his father Percy established as one of England's leading professional players in the 1920s and 1930s, it was perhaps inevitable the golf genes were passed down to Alliss.\n\nAlliss was born in Berlin, where his father was the professional at the glamorous Wannsee club, and apparently weighed a European record 14lbs 11oz when he arrived in 1931.\n\nThose hereditary blessings helped him blossom into a fine ball striker himself, establishing Alliss as one of the brightest young players of the time.\n\nBetween 1954 and 1969, he won 21 professional tournaments - including three British PGA Championships - and was twice winner of the Harry Vardon Trophy, given to the leading European player of the year.\n\nThe biggest title evaded him, however. Alliss came within four shots of lifting the Claret Jug in 1954, one of five top-10 finishes he had at the Open Championship.\n\nPart of the reason he did not claim more of the biggest individual prizes seemed to be his infamously unreliable putting.\n\n\"I began to twitch on the short putts,\" he said after his decision to retire from the international game aged 38.\n\nYet, with the same self-deprecating humour he would bring to his commentary, Alliss made light of his deficiency.\n\nEach of his luxury cars - one of the things his princely golf earnings of £30,000 allowed him to indulge - was said to have been fitted with a personalised number plate: '3 Put'.\n\nHe won more than 30 tournaments at home and abroad including the Spanish, Italian and Portuguese Opens. But it is for his broadcasting skills that he will be most remembered.\n\nGolf gravitas was supplemented by sharp wit and whimsy that made his a uniquely charming voice. It brought him millions of fans on both sides of the Atlantic.\n\nAs golf grew ever more popular, he became one of Britain's most famous figures, hosting the highly successful Pro-Celebrity Golf programme on BBC television and his own chat show 'Around with Alliss', which attracted many of the biggest entertainment stars of the 1970s and '80s.\n\nHis influence on golf stretched far and wide. He had a course architecture business with Dave Thomas that included among its commissions The Belfry, which has hosted four Ryder Cups. Alliss also wrote several books on the game.\n\nHe was a traditionalist who enjoyed the peculiarities of golf club life and he remained a brilliant and buoyant raconteur until the very end. But above all, he was still interested and fascinated by the sport. He was determined to carry on commentating, looking forward to being there for the 150th Open at St Andrews in 2022.\n\n'Golf will never be the same' - Lineker & Cleese among those paying tribute\n\nFollowing the news on Sunday of Alliss' death, tributes poured in from former and current players, golf's governing bodies, celebrities, journalists and fans.\n\nDenmark's Thomas Bjorn, who captained Europe to Ryder Cup victory in 2019, said Alliss was a \"great man\".\n\nFive-time major winner Phil Mickelson, who in 2012 was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame with Alliss and Britain's first Masters champion, Sandy Lyle, paid an affectionate tribute.\n\nThe European Tour said it was \"deeply saddened\" at his death, describing him as \"truly one of golf's greats\".\n\n\"Peter made an indelible mark on everything he did in our game, but especially as a player and a broadcaster, and he leaves a remarkable legacy,\" said Keith Pelley, European Tour chief executive.\n\nMatch of the Day presenter Gary Lineker, who has also fronted the BBC's Masters and Open coverage in the past, and Monty Python actor John Cleese were among the first to mourn Alliss' passing.\n\nBBC director general Tim Davie said Alliss' commentary \"brought the game to life\" for millions of people.\n\n\"Nobody told the story of golf quite like Peter Alliss,\" he added.\n\n\"He captured golf's drama with insight, wisdom, and humanity. He was a legendary commentator.\"", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Fifty hospitals in England have been chosen as hubs for administering the vaccine\n\nThe coronavirus vaccine is the \"beginning of the end\" of the epidemic in the UK, Prof Stephen Powis has said, as vaccinations begin on Tuesday.\n\nBut the NHS England medical director warned the distribution of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine would be a \"marathon not a sprint\".\n\nIt will take \"many months\" to vaccinate everybody who needs it, he said.\n\nFrontline health staff, those over 80, and care home workers will be first to get the Covid-19 vaccine.\n\nIn England, 50 hospitals have been initially chosen to serve as hubs for administering the vaccine.\n\nScotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland will also begin their vaccination programmes from hospitals on Tuesday.\n\nProf Powis was speaking outside Croydon University Hospital in south London, which became one of the first hospitals in the UK to take delivery of the vaccine on Sunday.\n\nVaccines were delivered to Croydon University Hospital on Sunday\n\nIt comes as a further 231 deaths within 28 days of a positive test were reported in the latest UK government figures, and a further 17,272 cases.\n\nHealth Secretary Matt Hancock described the start of the vaccination scheme as \"a historic moment\".\n\n\"I urge everybody to play their part to suppress this virus and follow the local restrictions to protect the NHS while they carry out this crucial work,\" he said.\n\nRefrigerated containers holding the vaccine doses have been arriving in the UK from Belgium, and are being prepared to be moved from secure locations to the hospitals.\n\nProf Powis said despite \"huge complexities\", the first doses would arrive at hospitals on Monday, to be ready to administer from Tuesday.\n\n\"As a doctor this is a really exciting moment,\" he said.\n\n\"NHS staff around the country at vaccination hubs have been working tirelessly to make sure that we are prepared to commence vaccination on Tuesday.\"\n\nHe added: \"The NHS has a strong record of delivering large scale vaccination programmes - from the flu jab, HPV vaccine and lifesaving MMR jabs.\"\n\nAbout 800,000 doses of the vaccine are expected to be available in the UK from next week.\n\nSo far the government has ordered a total of 40 million doses - enough to vaccinate 20 million people, with two shots each, 21 days apart.\n\nWith limited quantities initially available, elderly people who are already attending hospital as an outpatient, as well as those who are being discharged home after a hospital stay, will be among the first to receive the jab.\n\nOthers over the age of 80 will be invited to attend the hospital to receive a jab, and care home providers will be able to book their staff into vaccination clinics.\n\nAny appointments not used for these groups will be used for healthcare workers who are at highest risk of serious illness from the virus.\n\nDr June Raine, chief executive of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), said people could have \"real confidence\" in the vaccine, adding: \"The highest standards of scrutiny, of safety and of effectiveness and quality have been met, international standards.\"\n\nShe also said the MHRA would also be \"following up all the safety issues after rollout incredibly carefully. Our job doesn't end when rollout starts.\"\n\nSpeaking on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show, Dr Raine vowed the vaccine will reach everyone in the UK who needs it - whatever the outcome of post-Brexit trade talks, saying officials were \"fully prepared\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. How will the new Pfizer vaccine work?\n\nBecause the Pfizer vaccine needs to stored and moved carefully each container is being inspected to ensure the vaccine vials have reached the UK in perfect condition.\n\nTracking data covering every box's journey from Belgium is being downloaded to check that the vials have been kept well below freezing.\n\nThe boxes each contain five packs of 975 doses, and will be split into smaller packs to be distributed around the country and defrosted.\n\nThe vaccine is made in Belgium and has to be stored at around -70C\n\nAlthough care home residents and staff are top of the priority list agreed by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), they may not get the vaccine first \"for operational reasons\".\n\nProf Anthony Harnden - deputy chair of the JCVI - told the BBC on Friday said the committee would \"closely monitor\" delivery and stressed he still expected care home residents \"to be prioritised\".\n\nMr Hancock said the government was doing everything it could to overcome \"significant challenges\" to ensure care home residents were vaccinated as soon as possible.\n\nSpeaking to the Sunday Telegraph, the health secretary said fast-track approval of the Covid jab meant restrictions might be relaxed before the end of March next year.\n\nAs well as the challenge of delivering the vaccine, health experts are also conscious that the public needs to be educated and persuaded to support the vaccination programme.\n\nA host of famous faces including chat show host Sir Michael Parkinson and the singer Lulu, have told the Sunday Mirror that they will take the coronavirus vaccine without hesitation.\n\nIt follows concerns that online misinformation about vaccines could turn some people against being vaccinated.\n\nThe Mail on Sunday reports that the Queen is expected to receive the vaccine \"within weeks\" before revealing she has had it to boost public take-up of the jab.\n\nThe paper quotes senior sources who say the 94-year-old monarch and her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, 99, will not get \"preferential treatment\" and will \"wait in line\" during the first wave of jabs reserved for the over-80s and care home residents.", "Top row (left to right): Alison Howe, Martyn Hett, Lisa Lees, Courtney Boyle, Eilidh MacLeod, Elaine McIver, Georgina Callander, Jane Tweddle - Middle row (left to right): John Atkinson, Kelly Brewster, Liam Curry, Chloe Rutherford, Marcin Klis, Angelika Klis, Megan Hurley, Michelle Kiss - Bottom row (left to right): Nell Jones, Olivia Campbell-Hardy, Philip Tron, Saffie-Rose Roussos, Sorrell Leczkowski, Wendy Fawell\n\nThe brother of the Manchester Arena bomber has admitted his involvement in planning the attack for the first time.\n\nHashem Abedi, 23, was jailed for murdering the 22 people who were killed in the bombing at the end of an Ariana Grande concert in May 2017.\n\nDuring his trial, he denied helping his brother Salman, 22, plan the attack that also left hundreds more injured.\n\nBut a public inquiry into the bombing heard Hashem Abedi had made the admission in prison in October.\n\nDuring an interview with inquiry lawyers, he admitted he had \"played a full part and a knowing part in the planning and preparation for the arena attack\", in which his brother also died, the inquiry heard.\n\nFigen Murray, whose son Martyn, 29, was killed in the bombing, said \"it would have been more bearable for all of us if he told the truth\" during the trial.\n\n\"We wanted to put that chapter behind us but focus our energies on the inquiry, which continues to be a gruelling and long process,\" she added.\n\nAbedi's admission was confirmed to the inquiry by Det Ch Supt Simon Barraclough, from Greater Manchester Police, who was the senior investigating officer on the case.\n\nPaul Greaney QC, counsel to the inquiry, said to him: \"You are aware, on 22 October this year, in prison serving his sentence, Hashem Abedi was interviewed by members of the inquiry legal team?\"\n\nMr Barraclough told the inquiry he knew of the admission during the interview and agreed it was a \"fair summary\" to say 23-year-old Abedi admitted he had played \"a full part and a knowing part\".\n\nThe detective added that there was \"no doubt in my mind\" that the prosecution of Abedi was \"entirely well founded\".\n\nMr Greaney said: \"So the point you are making is that it didn't need him to tell you that you had got it right?\"\n\nMr Barraclough responded: \"I think we had got there with the trial.\"\n\nNo further details of the prison interview were provided.\n\nThe court heard how the brothers spent months ordering, stockpiling and transporting the materials required for the attack.\n\nThey joined their parents in Libya the month before the blast, but Salman Abedi returned to the UK on 18 May.\n\nHe bought the final components needed for the bomb before carrying out the attack as fans left the arena on the evening of 22 May 2017.\n\nSalman Abedi in the foyer of the Manchester Arena, seconds before he blew himself up\n\nAbedi was arrested shortly afterwards and extradited to Britain.\n\nHe did not give evidence during his trial, providing only a statement in which he denied 22 counts of murder, attempted murder and plotting to cause an explosion likely to endanger life.\n\nAbedi originally claimed he did not hold extremist views and had been \"shocked\" by what his brother had done.\n\n\"Had I any idea of it I would have reported it to my mother initially and then to other family members to prevent it from happening,\" he said in his statement.\n\nBut Abedi, formerly of Fallowfield, Manchester, was convicted by a jury at the Old Bailey and jailed for life in August with a minimum term of 55 years.\n\nTwenty-two people were killed and hundreds more injured in the explosion\n\nA forensic link to Ismail Abedi, the elder brother of Salman and Hashem Abedi, was found in a car that was used to store explosives prior to the attack, the inquiry also heard.\n\nThe Nissan Micra was bought by Salman and Hashem Abedi about 40 hours before they flew to Libya with their parents in April 2017.\n\nWhen Salman Abedi arrived back in the UK on 18 May 2017, he went straight to the car and returned the following morning to collect explosives from the vehicle, the inquiry heard.\n\nIt was previously revealed that Ramadan Abedi, father of Salman and Hashem Abedi, is wanted for questioning after his fingerprints were found inside the Micra.\n\nDuring evidence by Mr Barraclough, the link to Ismail Abedi emerged.\n\nMr Barraclough agreed when questioned by Nicholas de la Poer QC, counsel to the inquiry, that \"the fingerprints and/or DNA of Ismail Abedi and Ramadan Abedi, brother and father respectively, [had been] discovered\".\n\nThe BBC recently sought to question Ismail Abedi about his refusal to assist the inquiry, which has heard he is citing a claimed privilege against self-incrimination.\n\nThe Manchester Arena inquiry, which is being chaired by Sir John Saunders, started in September and is expected to last until the spring.\n\nIt aims to explore the circumstances leading up to and surrounding the attack and whether it could have been prevented.\n\nThe inquiry is being held at Manchester Magistrates' Court, less than a mile away from where the bombing happened.\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "The National Trust, which owns the beach, said it was investigating the shiny pillar\n\nA monolith has mysteriously appeared in Britain - just days after similar ones were spotted in the US and Romania.\n\nThe unusual mirrored structure was discovered on the Isle of Wight, an island off the south coast of England.\n\nResident Alexia Fishwick said she \"was dumbstruck\" when she came across it during a beach walk on Sunday and described it as \"really quite magical\".\n\nA monolith found in Utah last month created wild speculation on social media and apparent copycats.\n\nMany observers have presumed they were art installations left by sculptors.\n\nThe metal edifice in Utah was found planted in the ground before it disappeared just days later.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The unusual object in the desert in the US state of Utah was found by a helicopter crew while conducting a count of big horn sheep in the area\n\nTwo other shining metal towers later appeared in Romania and southern California.\n\nMs Fishwick said: \"I'd read about the one in Utah and then Romania, so I knew the significance. Many people took no notice of it.\"\n\nShe said people first thought she had photoshopped the images when she put them online.\n\nLee Peckham, a lawyer living on the island, said: \"I saw it and wondered what it was and thought it a rather strange thing to see on the beach. I wondered who put it there and why.\"\n\nDJ Rob da Bank, another island resident, was also among those who took a stroll to see the sight for themselves.\n\nHe mused: \"I'm not sure if it's aliens, a Coldplay PR stunt or a local mirror dealer drumming up trade, but it got us all down the beach anyway.\"\n\nThe National Trust, which owns the site, said it had no immediate plans to remove the monolith, which it said was erected without permission.\n\nA spokesman said: \"We were unaware of the monolith's presence until this morning, but we've now visited Compton Beach and it seems secure on a wooden plinth and is made from mirrored sections of plastic or perspex material.\n\n\"We need to monitor over the next few days to ensure the beach remains safe and does not become overcrowded.\"\n\nAlexia Fishwick described the monolith as \"incredibly graceful\"\n\nAn anonymous collective called The Most Famous Artist has taken credit for the monoliths in Utah and California.\n\nIt posted an image of the Utah monolith on Instagram, with a 45,000 US dollar (£34,000) price tag.\n\nHowever, when asked about the Isle of Wight structure, it said: \"The monolith is out of my control at this point. Godspeed to all the aliens working hard around the globe to propagate the myth.\"\n\nNews of the monolith on the island has caused a stir on social media with some posting in jest - that the monolith - which already has its own Instagram page - could be a portal to another dimension.\n\nIn 2001: A Space Odyssey - the 1968 film directed by Stanley Kubrick - imposing black monoliths created by an unseen alien species appear in the movie, based on the writings of novelist Arthur C Clarke.\n\nMost observers reflecting on their trip to the mysterious monolith suspected it was left by an artist rather than an alien species.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Rob da Bank This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThis Instagram post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Instagram The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip instagram post by crewer62 This article contains content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Meta’s Instagram cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nFollow BBC South on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to south.newsonline@bbc.co.uk.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The witness chose to keep her face mask on after Mr Giuliani made the request\n\nPresident Donald Trump's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, has tested positive for Covid-19 and is being treated in hospital.\n\nMr Giuliani, who has led the Trump campaign's legal challenges to the election results, is the latest person close to the president to be infected.\n\nSince November, he has been on a cross-country tour in an effort to convince state governments to overturn the vote.\n\nLike other Trump officials, he has been criticised for shunning face masks.\n\nMr Trump, who was ill with the virus in October, announced the diagnosis in a tweet, writing: \"Get better soon Rudy, we will carry on!\"\n\nMr Giuliani, 76, was admitted to the Medstar Georgetown University Hospital in Washington DC on Sunday.\n\nThe news came after Mr Giuliani had visited Arizona, Georgia and Michigan all in the past week - where he spoke to government officials while not wearing masks.\n\nFollowing news of Mr Giuliani's diagnosis, the Arizona legislature announced sudden plans to shut down for one week. Several Republican lawmakers there had spent over 10 hours with the former New York mayor last week discussing election results.\n\nFollowing Mr Giuliani's visit to Phoenix, Arizona, the state's Republican party tweeted a photo of him with other mask-less state lawmakers.\n\nIn a tweet, Mr Giuliani thanked well-wishers for their messages, and said he was \"recovering quickly\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Rudy W. Giuliani This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nHis son, Andrew Giuliani, who works at the White House and tested positive for the virus last month, tweeted that his father was \"resting, getting great care and feeling well\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Andrew H. Giuliani This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nIt is not clear if Mr Giuliani is experiencing symptoms or when he caught the virus.\n\nNearly 14.6 million people have been infected with Covid-19 in the US, according to Johns Hopkins University, and 281,234 people have died - the highest figures of any country in the world.\n\nOn Sunday, Dr Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus task force co-ordinator, criticised the Trump administration for flouting guidelines and peddling \"myths\" about the pandemic.\n\n\"I hear community members parroting back those situations, parroting back that masks don't work, parroting back that we should work towards herd immunity,\" Dr Birx told NBC.\n\n\"This is the worst event that this country will face,\" she said.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. \"Grow up, mask up\": Tensions in US Covid hotspot of North Dakota\n\nSince the 3 November election, Mr Giuliani has travelled the country as part of unsuccessful efforts to overturn Mr Trump's election defeat. During many of his events, he was seen without a face mask and ignoring social distancing.\n\nLast Wednesday, he appeared at a hearing on alleged election fraud in Michigan where he asked a witness beside him if she would be comfortable removing her face mask.\n\n\"I don't want you to do this if you feel uncomfortable, but would you be comfortable taking your mask off, so we can hear you more clearly?\" said Mr Giuliani, who was not wearing a face mask. The witness chose to keep her mask on after asking the panel if she could be heard.\n\nOn Thursday Mr Giuliani travelled to Georgia where he repeated unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud at a Senate committee hearing about election security.\n\nDozens of people in Mr Trump's orbit are said to have tested positive for Covid-19 since October.\n\nBoris Epshteyn, another Trump adviser, tested positive shortly after appearing alongside Rudy Giuliani at a news conference on 25 November.\n\nOthers include the president's chief of staff Mark Meadows and press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, along with his wife Melania and sons Donald Jnr and Baron.\n\nMr Trump's own diagnosis and hospital stay upended his campaign for a second term in office, less than a month before he faced Joe Biden in the presidential election.\n\nMr Trump has refused to concede, insisting without evidence that the election was stolen or rigged. Attorney General William Barr said last week that his department had not seen any evidence of widespread voter fraud that would change the result.\n\nMr Biden will be sworn in as president on 20 January.", "Griff, Girl In Red and Greentea Peng are among the rising music stars being tipped for success\n\nThe longlist for the BBC's Sound of 2021 has been revealed, with a strong showing for DIY pop artists and UK rap.\n\nNorway's Girl In Red is the most prominent name on the list, with seven million fans playing her lo-fi tales of teenage angst on Spotify every month.\n\nNow in its 19th year, the list looks at the best rising talent in music. Former winners include Adele and Celeste.\n\nThis year's longlist was compiled by a panel of 161 industry experts, including former nominees Billie Eilish and Stormzy. The winner will be announced in January on BBC News and BBC Radio 1.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch clips from all the artists on the BBC's Sound Of 2021 list.\n\nThe 10 acts in the running are:\n\nThe Covid-19 pandemic has made launching a music career trickier than ever - and to date, only four of the acts on the Sound of 2021 longlist have played a headline gig.\n\nSome, like Wigan indie band The Lathums, had built a sizeable live following before the lockdown. The quartet were due to tour with Paul Weller this summer. Instead, they ended up livestreaming a concert from the circus ring at Blackpool Tower, with two clowns as special guests.\n\nPa Salieu is one of the most talked-about up-and-coming British rappers\n\nCoventry-based rapper Pa Salieu played his first ever full show to a camera in an otherwise-deserted studio earlier this year, but says the lockdown also gave him space to make his debut album without distractions from the outside world.\n\nThe 23-year-old is one of several artists on the longlist whose music defies categorisation, combining dancehall, drill and the hand-drum sounds of his Gambian heritage on the recent mixtape Send Them To Coventry. The Guardian called the collection \"too fresh to ignore\", while NME simply dubbed him the \"UK's next star\".\n\nEast London's Bree Runway has a similar disregard for convention, drawing on elements of trap, R&B and hardcore metal on songs like ATM and Little Nokia.\n\nThe rapper and singer describes her music as \"genre fluid and destructive\" and has recently collaborated with kindred spirit Missy Elliot.\n\nHailing from Grantham in Lincolnshire, Holly Humberstone is one of seven artists on the longlist who got their break by uploading songs to BBC Introducing.\n\nPraised by Variety magazine for her \"Olympic-level pop ability\", the 20-year-old's dark, moody ballads will appeal to fans of Lorde and Maggie Rogers.\n\nMulti-instrumentalist Alfie Templeman is another BBC Introducing graduate, and his easy-going indie pop feels destined for daytime radio.\n\nThe 17-year-old started making music by banging pots and pans in his family kitchen in Bedfordshire, inspired by a televised Rush concert. After mastering the saucepans, he taught himself another 10 instruments, including guitar, violin, harmonica and bass.\n\nGirl In Red,meanwhile has built up a huge fanbase with songs that reflect on boredom, depression and making sense of her sexuality.\n\nAfter scoring a viral hit with her first ever song, I Wanna Be Your Girlfriend, the singer, whose real name is Marie Ulven, was called \"a teenage queer icon for queer teenagers\". But she is looking forward to a day when her sexuality won't be a talking point.\n\n\"We need queer art to make it normal,\" she told the New York Times. \"We need protagonists who are just, like, living their best life and gay - that's just part of their character.\"\n\nOther nominees included hotly-tipped MC Dutchavelli, the younger brother of rapper Stefflon Don; and soul poet Berwyn, whose evisceratingly candid ballads draw on his experiences of homelessness and neglect.\n\nTo be eligible, musicians must not have been the lead artist on a UK top 10 album, or more than one top 10 single, by 30 October 2020. Artists who have appeared on TV talent shows within the last three years are also ineligible.\n\nThe top five will be revealed in the New Year on BBC Radio 1 and BBC News, with one artist announced each day from Sunday 3 January until the winner is unveiled on Thursday 7 January.\n\nLast year's winner Celeste had plans for her debut album delayed by the pandemic, but has slowly built up her profile through buzzworthy singles like Stop This Flame and Little Runaway.\n\nShe was also chosen to record the song for this year's John Lewis Christmas advert - becoming the first singer ever to record an original song for the retailer's festive campaign. Her debut album, Not Your Muse, will now come out in February.\n\nThis YouTube post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on YouTube The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts. Skip youtube video by Celeste This article contains content provided by Google YouTube. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Google’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts.\n\nRead profiles of last year's top five acts:\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "The 2021 edition will be the catalogue's final\n\nFurniture giant Ikea has announced it will stop printing its traditional catalogue, one of the world's biggest annual publications, after 70 years.\n\nThe company said \"fewer people\" were reading the printed catalogue as customers moved to digital alternatives to shop and look for inspirations.\n\nThe publication reached a peak in 2016 when around 200 million copies were distributed in more than 50 markets.\n\nThe last edition to be printed is the 2021 version with 40 million copies.\n\nThe catalogue's first edition was put together by Ikea founder Ingvar Kamprad himself in 1951. It featured the MK wing chair, had 285,000 copies and was distributed in southern Sweden, where the company was created.\n\nIn a statement, Ikea said the catalogue had become an \"iconic and beloved publication\" and an \"important success factor for Ikea to reach and inspire\" customers.\n\n\"Turning the page with our beloved catalogue is emotional but rational,\" said Konrad Gruss, managing director at Inter Ikea Systems, a division of brand owner Inter Ikea Group.\n\n\"For both customers and co-workers, the Ikea Catalogue is a publication that brings a lot of emotions, memories and joy. For 70 years it has been one of our most unique and iconic products.\"\n\nThe company has already increased digital investments, Mr Gruss said, as media consumption and customer behaviours change. Ikea said online sales had increased by 45% worldwide last year.\n\nHowever, the company - which has 445 stores - announced in October it planned to open dozens of new stores, including in the UK.\n\nThe first catalogue was printed in 1951\n\nIn 2012, the catalogue sparked controversy when images of women were missing in a version distributed in Saudi Arabia. The company then attributed the gaffe to the fact its Saudi operation was run by a franchisee.\n\nThe company is working on a smaller print publication about inspiration for home furnishing to be available in stores next year, Reuters news agency reports.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. From 2018: Five things to know about Ingvar Kamprad, founder of Ikea\n• None How Ikea's Billy took over the world", "Last updated on .From the section Cricket\n\nEngland's tour of South Africa has been abandoned after a number of a positive coronavirus tests.\n\nA South Africa player and two members of hotel staff tested positive, while England say two members of their party returned \"unconfirmed positive tests\".\n\nA three-match Twenty20 series was completed, but a three-match one-day series has been postponed.\n\nA statement said the tour was called off to \"ensure the mental and physical health and welfare of players\".\n• None What next for England and cricket's bio-bubbles?\n• None TMS podcast: The tour is cancelled – so what next?\n\nEngland are still waiting for ratification of their positive tests, with the two people affected set to be tested again on Monday.\n\nThe results will not come before Tuesday at the earliest and the tourists will not leave South Africa before they have been received.\n\nThe England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Cricket South Africa (CSA) said they will look to reschedule the ODIs, which form part of the International Cricket Council Super League.\n\nECB chief executive Tom Harrison said: \"We have always maintained that the welfare of our players and management is paramount.\n\n\"We were concerned about the potential impact that recent developments might have on the wellbeing of the touring party, and so after consultation with Cricket South Africa, we have jointly made the decision to postpone the remaining matches in this series, in the best interest of the players' welfare.\"\n\nActing CSA chief executive Kugandrie Govender said: \"The concern over the mental health impact of recent events on all involved is not one that we as CSA or the ECB take lightly, and the decision to postpone the tour is the most responsible and reasonable course of action for us.\"\n\nAshley Giles, managing director of England men's cricket, is with the team in South Africa and says extra steps will be taken before future assignments abroad.\n\nAsked if players would be asked if they wished to travel, Giles said: \"Absolutely. On the back of this an important part of it will be mental health screening.\n\n\"These are very difficult environments, those layers of bio-security just add a different level of anxiety.\n\n\"These guys have been living in bubbles for long periods of time and their mental health and wellbeing is the absolute priority for us.\n\n\"If we consistently say that's the most important thing for us, when we're tested we can't move away from that.\"\n\nEngland also released a statement rejecting any suggestion that their use of nets at Newlands in Cape Town was a factor in the outbreak, saying their decision to practise in the nets came as a result of \"unacceptable\" facilities.\n\nEngland used the nets on Thursday, the day before Friday's first ODI, which was called off after a South Africa player tested positive for coronavirus.\n\nThe nets are next to a building site at the Kelvin Road End of the ground and were not designated for use during the series.\n\n\"On arrival at Newlands on 3 December, we advised the venue the three nets provided on the main pitch were not of a standard for conducive practice,\" read an England statement.\n\n\"We requested with Cricket South Africa we would like to use the practice nets and that we would create a security cordon to ensure the players and coaches could enter the facility safely, as done previously on 28 November.\n\n\"This was confirmed by England's security team, the team operations manager and the team doctor. We were satisfied with this outcome and we were able to practise in the net facility safely.\"\n\nFrom positive tests to abandoned tour - how it all unfolded\n\nAs of Monday morning, the two unnamed members of the England party who tested positive for Covid-19 were self-isolating in their rooms at their hotel in Cape Town.\n\nWhereas there was a time on Sunday when all players and staff were in isolation, those with negative tests were allowed to use the open spaces of the hotel's grounds on Monday.\n\nThe hotel forms part of the 'bubble' in which the series was being held, with players only leaving to train and play.\n\nAll three matches in the T20 series were unaffected, despite two South Africa players testing positive for coronavirus and another two being placed in isolation.\n\nHowever, Friday's first one-day international was postponed when it emerged an unnamed South Africa player had returned a positive test, with Sunday's game called off after the hotel staff tested positive.\n\nLater on Sunday, England announced two members of their touring party had given positive tests.\n\nAt the time, England said a decision on the rest of the matches in the series would be taken after the positive tests had been independently ratified.\n\nHowever, Monday's game was cancelled on Sunday, and the tour was abandoned on Monday.\n\nThis was England's first overseas trip since their tour of Sri Lanka was cut short in March because of the spread of the pandemic.\n\nEngland were able to fulfil their entire home summer schedule by playing matches in a bio-secure environment at grounds in Manchester and Southampton.\n\nThey are due to tour Sri Lanka and India in the new year, with the squad for Sri Lanka departing the UK on 2 January.", "Ella Kissi-Debrah lived 25 metres from the South Circular Road in south-east London\n\nThe mother of a nine-year-old girl who died following an asthma attack says she \"would have moved\" if she had known how dangerous local air pollution was.\n\nElla Kissi-Debrah, who lived near the South Circular Road in Lewisham, south-east London, died in 2013.\n\nA 2018 report found unlawful levels of pollution likely contributed to a fatal asthma attack.\n\nAt a new inquest into Ella's death Rosamund Adoo Kissi-Debrah said her daughter was \"the centre of our world\".\n\nMs Kissi-Debrah said \"moving would have been the first thing\" the family would have done if they had known the risks air pollution posed to Ella.\n\nShe told the inquest she knew about car fumes but had never heard of nitrogen oxides (NOx) - one of the most dangerous forms of air pollution.As they did not know of the risks posed by air pollution Ms Kissi-Debrah said she never spoke to doctors about moving.\n\nMs Kissi-Debrah branded air pollution \"a public health emergency\", and called for more education about its dangers.\n\nElla was classified as disabled due to her respiratory problems\n\nElla was first taken to hospital in 2010 after a coughing fit and subsequently admitted to hospital 27 times.\n\nMs Kissi-Debrah said that by the summer of 2012, Ella was classified as disabled. She often had to carry Ella by piggyback to get her around.\n\nElla was seen by consultants at six different hospitals in the years before her death.\n\nOn the day before Ella died Ms Kissi-Debrah described her daughter \"screaming\" as she left her with paramedics.\n\n\"When I saw her in the ambulance I knew she was going to have a seizure, she was so bad,\" Ms Kissi-Debrah said.\n\nDescribing the efforts of doctors to resuscitate Ella on the night of her death, she said: \"They tried and they tried and they tried.\"\n\nRosamund Adoo Kissi-Debrah said she did not know how dangerous local levels of pollution were before her daughter's death\n\nAn inquest in 2014, which focused on Ella's medical care, concluded her death was caused by acute respiratory failure and severe asthma.But a 2018 report said it was likely unlawful levels of pollution, which were detected at a monitoring station one mile from Ella's home, contributed to her fatal asthma attack.\n\nElla may become the first person in the UK for whom air pollution is listed as the cause of death.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Restaurants and most shops in Portugal were ordered to close early today on what is the eve of a national holiday as the government attempts to curb the spread of the virus over the second long weekend in two weeks.\n\nTraders were obliged to close by 15:00 and the government gave employees the day off in addition to tomorrow's holiday - as it did a week ago, on the eve of the 1 December national holiday.\n\nA domestic travel ban has been in place since 23:00 Friday, and runs to 05:00 Wednesday, with people barred from leaving their municipality of residence except for work or emergencies.\n\nRemote working is mandatory - where feasible - in areas deemed to be at high, very high, or extremely high risk of transmission of the virus - affecting the vast majority of Portugal's population.\n\nIn most of these areas - those deemed at very high or extremely high risk, which include Lisbon and Porto - there is also a 13:00 curfew tomorrow. The restrictions are in place under the state of emergency that parliament on Friday voted to renew until 23 December.\n\nPortugal yesterday reported 3,834 new confirmed coronavirus cases - well down from the 19 November peak of 6,994 - and 87 deaths associated with Covid. Since the start of the epidemic, the country has reported 322,474 confirmed cases and 4,963 Covid-19 deaths.", "ITV breached broadcasting rules with several of its viewer competitions, media watchdog Ofcom has ruled.\n\nSome viewers who participated in competitions using a postal entry had \"no chance of being selected to win\", Ofcom said.\n\nCompetitions on shows like Good Morning Britain, Lorraine, This Morning, Loose Women and Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway were all involved.\n\nMore than 41,000 entries between 2016 and 2019 were affected.\n\nCompetitions on La Vuelta and X Factor: The Band were also found to be in breach of the broadcasting code.\n\nITV said it has put in place plans to improve its postal entry procedures and it intended to donate a sum of money to charity as a \"mark of its sincere regret\".\n\nAn Ofcom spokeswoman said: \"Our investigation found that people who entered these competitions by post were excluded from the draw, with no chance of winning.\n\n\"ITV failed to follow proper procedures and this led to a clear breach of our rules, which require all broadcast competitions to be conducted fairly.\"\n\nThe broadcaster said the problem was a result of \"human error by ITV staff\" putting information on to a spreadsheet.\n\nCompetitions on ITV usually invite viewers to enter by phone, text message, the channel's website or by post.\n\nViewers are charged £2 to enter its competitions via text message, phone or online. Postal entries are usually free, although some require the purchase of a postage stamp.\n\nThis Morning was one of the shows investigated\n\nITV reviewed every broadcast competition it had conducted since 2014 after it discovered there had been an issue. This included competitions broadcast on sister networks like ITV2 and ITV4.\n\nThe broadcaster then referred itself to Ofcom, prompting the regulator to investigate.\n\nITV said it \"deeply regretted\" the errors and that the number of affected competitions represented fewer than 1% since 2014.\n\nOfcom said it recognised \"the proactive way in which ITV dealt with the issue by notifying Ofcom and immediately setting about to determine the extent and cause of the problem\".\n\nBut it said the broadcaster \"failed to take reasonable care through its processes to ensure the competitions were conducted in such ways as to provide fair and consistent treatment of all eligible entries\".\n\nIt's not the first time the broadcaster has found itself in hot water over its competitions.\n\nITV came in for criticism in 2007 after it was revealed that premium rate competitions and phone votes on series such as Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway were rigged.\n\nOfcom subsequently ordered ITV to pay £5.7m, a record sanction imposed on a broadcaster by the watchdog at the time.\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nRenewed calls have been made for an independent public inquiry into severe flooding in the south Wales valleys.\n\nStorms Ciara, Dennis and Jorge in early 2020 led to record rainfall and river flows across Wales and the most widespread flooding seen since 1979.\n\nA debate over holding an inquiry will take place in the Senedd after nearly 6,000 people signed a petition.\n\nThe Welsh Government said it had taken \"significant steps\" to learn from this year's flooding.\n\nPlaid Cymru also wants more money spent on flood prevention and a single body being responsible for flooding.\n\nRhondda Cynon Taf (RCT) was one of the worst-hit areas, where almost 1,500 homes and businesses were affected, with people forced to leave their homes.\n\nPlaid has also said compensation should be available for flood victims.\n\nThe calls come in a report by the party into the flooding across the county.\n\nLeanne Wood, Member of the Senedd (MS) for Rhondda, said: \"Having a multi-agency approach, each with their own different take on what happened and their own agenda, has created a scenario whereby lines of responsibility are blurred.\n\n\"A public inquiry would untangle this confusion and get to the heart of what happened and what needs to happen to stand the best chance of preventing it from happening again.\n\nStreets in RCT were left under water during February's storms\n\n\"This is much needed in the Rhondda, as we have seen successive floods this year and they have mainly been in places with no real history of flooding.\"\n\nChris Bryant, Rhondda's Labour MP, criticised the renewed calls and said lawyers would be the \"only people who will make money out of an inquiry\".\n\nHe added: \"I'm focused on delivering hundreds of floodgates and more robust flood prevention measures now and getting the money RCT needs - and was promised - from Westminster to pay for the repair bill.\"\n\nPlaid previously criticised a Labour Party report written by Pontypridd MP Alex Davies-Jones and MS Mick Antoniw, which called for flood emergency drills to be carried out to check areas are protected.\n\nMs Wood said the failure to support an independent public inquiry into the floods was a \"glaring omission\" from the report.\n\nA Welsh Government spokeswoman said: \"We recognise the devastating impact of the flooding earlier this year on residents' well-being as well as the effect on their homes and businesses and have taken significant steps to learn the lessons from this year's floods.\"", "Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen have spoken as they try to break the post-Brexit trade deal stalemate.\n\nUrsula Von Der Leyen says 'significant differences remain' in the Brexit trade deal.\n\nThese sticking points include fishing rights, rules on state subsidies for business and arrangements for policing any deal.", "Boris Johnson and Ursula von der Leyen when they met earlier this year\n\nThe two sides in this complicated and drawn out process have agreed that it is worth trying one last time to find a way through their profound differences.\n\nBut the statements from the prime minister and the EU chief, Ursula von der Leyen, signal clearly that a trade deal is out of reach right now - spelling out that if no-one budges in the next few days, it's simply not going to happen.\n\nA feature of Brexit negotiations has often been the last minute stand off, the political emergency, before suddenly, lo and behold, a deal emerges from the wreckage.\n\nBy Monday night, that tradition may have been proven again.\n\nYet it seems there is a lot more to be done than ironing out a few last minute glitches.\n\nThe UK believes that after months of talks, the EU - pushed by some member states - has hardened its stance on the same old stumbling blocks.\n\nAnd that's pushed a deal that was in reach just a few days ago, further away.\n\nFor both sides, not reaching a deal would be a political failure.\n\nThe prime minister has warned that it might not come to pass and has tried to assure the public about what would happen if it can't be done.\n\nBut the UK and the EU have both said on repeated occasions that a deal is what they want - eager to avoid the disruption of leaving the transition period at the end of this year without arrangements in place.\n\nAnd their negotiating teams have worked for months on the mechanics of how the conundrums over our departure from the trading bloc could be resolved.\n\nBut the two sides are still stuck over the fundamental, political question - who really calls the shots.\n\nIt was Theresa May who coined the phrase, \"no deal is better than a bad deal\".\n\nIn the next 48 hours, Boris Johnson and the European Union have to decide if they want to test if she was right.", "What will climate change look like near me?\n\nHow high might temperatures climb and how much rain might fall in your area and how? The BBC and the Met Office have looked at the UK's changing climate in detail to find out.\n\nTemperatures in the UK exceeded 40C for the first time on record earlier this summer, and extreme weather events are likely to become even more frequent.\n\nThe Met Office climate projections cover different levels of global warming. When, or if, these levels are reached will depend on the concentration of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere.\n\nThe data is measured in 12km-square (7.5-mile-square) grids across the UK. The results for your postcode represent an average for the grids closest to you and the mid-point of a range of future possibilities, which come from the Met Office’s most recent major climate modelling data.\n\nHow could the climate change near you?\n\nDon't feel under the weather because you can't play with our interactive. Upgrade your browser or enable JavaScript to have a go!\n\n. Button active, text has been loaded below The hottest summer day in the 30 years from 1991 to 2019 near you was {{beginHighlight}}{{current_hottest_day}}C{{endHighlight}}. If global average temperatures increase 2C above pre-industrial levels, the hottest summer day could be about {{beginHighlight}}{{medium_hottest_day}}C{{endHighlight}}. If global temperatures rise by 4C, it could be about {{beginHighlight}}{{high_hottest_day}}C{{endHighlight}}. The warmest winter day in the 30 years from 1991 to 2019 near you was {{beginHighlight}}{{current_hottest_day}}C{{endHighlight}}. If global average temperatures increase 2C above pre-industrial levels, the warmest winter day could be about {{beginHighlight}}{{medium_hottest_day}}C{{endHighlight}}. If global temperatures rise by 4C, it could be about {{beginHighlight}}{{high_hottest_day}}C{{endHighlight}}. The hottest day recorded in the UK came in July 2022, with 40.3C measured in at Coningsby in Lincolnshire. Human activity has increased carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and caused rising temperatures worldwide since the growth of industrialisation in the 19th Century. If global average temperatures rise by 2C above pre-industrial levels, days at least as hot the 2019 record could be more frequent and widespread. And with a 4C rise, parts of the UK could see temperatures above 42C. Urgent cuts in emissions are needed to keep the rise in global average temperatures in check. The Glasgow Climate Pact, reached at the COP26 summit in 2021, agreed countries will meet this year to pledge further cuts to emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2). This is to try to keep temperature rises within 1.5C - which scientists say is required to prevent a \"climate catastrophe\". Current pledges, if met, will only limit global warming to about 2.4C. In the the 30 summers from 1991 to 2019, there were {{beginHighlight}} {{current_summer_days}} days{{endHighlight}} above 25C per month on average. If global temperatures rise by 2C, there could be {{beginHighlight}}{{medium_summer_days}} days{{endHighlight}}. With a 4C rise, there could be {{beginHighlight}}{{high_summer_days}} days{{endHighlight}}. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) defines any day with a maximum temperature above 25C as a \"summer day\". In the 30 summers from 1991 to 2019, even the warmest places in the UK, located in the South, had no more than seven days a month above 25C on average. If global average temperatures rise by 2C, southern parts of the country could see more than 11 days per summer month go beyond 25C. If the rise is 4C, those places could have 20 or more summer days per month, and higher likelihood of hot spells triggering public-health warnings. The cooler, northern parts of the UK, which may not see many days above 25C even with a 4C rise, can nonetheless expect average daytime temperatures in summer to increase by at least 2.5C. Enter your postcode above to reveal how hot it could get near you The average daytime temperature in the UK in summer currently ranges from about 14C in northern Scotland to 22C in southern England.\n\n\n\nBut summers have been getting warmer, with four of the 10 hottest summers up to 2019 recorded in the past two decades. Even if countries cut emissions and the world warms by 2C, the whole UK could see higher summer temperatures.\n\n\n\nIn some northern locations, the increase could be small. In southern areas, average summer temperatures could reach 24C. If emissions continue to increase and average global temperatures rise by 4C, summers will be even hotter.\n\n\n\nNearly a third of the UK could see average summer temperatures above 25C. The Met Office climate projections for the UK indicate significant temperature rises in the decades ahead for both winter and summer, with the greatest increases in the already warmer South. Extreme weather could become more frequent and intense. Not every summer will be hotter than the last – but temperature records are expected to be regularly broken, while heatwaves are likely to be longer and happen more often. . Button active, text has been loaded below In the 30 years from 1991 to 2019, there were {{beginHighlight}} {{current_rainy_days}} rainy days{{endHighlight}} on average per month in summer. If global average temperatures rise by 2C, this could be {{beginHighlight}}{{medium_rainy_days}} days{{endHighlight}} per month. At a 4C rise it could be about {{beginHighlight}}{{high_rainy_days}} days{{endHighlight}}. In the 30 years from 1991 to 2019, there were {{beginHighlight}}{{current_rainy_days}} rainy days{{endHighlight}} on average per month in winter. At both 2C and 4C rises, the number of rainy days per month could be roughly the same. As the world warms, fewer rainy days in summer are expected. Currently, over a quarter of the UK has 20 or more days without rain each summer month. This could grow to more than half the country if we reach 4C global warming. Winter rains could remain as likely as they are now. The number of days will vary from year-to-year, but rainy days in a warmer future could be wetter than today with total rainfall expected to rise. . Button active, text has been loaded below In warmer winters the heaviest rains are likely to get more intense. If global average temperatures rise by 4C above pre-industrial levels, half the country could expect at least 20% more rainfall on the wettest winter days. Summer rains may also become heavier in many places, although total rainfall is expected to decline. Of course, not all of the heaviest rains will necessarily fall in these two seasons. The current wettest day on record was 3 October 2020, when enough rain fell across all four nations to fill Loch Ness. Scroll up and enter your postcode above to see how rainy it could get near you Currently, the wettest areas of the UK dominate the west coast, with nearly all of Wales and western Scotland receiving most rain in winter months. So how much will change in future winters? With a 2C rise, very little compared to what we've seen recently. \n\n\n\nBut winters over the past 30 years have been rainier on average than previously, and the pattern of wetter winters could continue. The exact amount of change in rainfall at 2C global warming will vary across the country. Most places could have slightly wetter winters than in the 20th Century. If global average temperatures were to rise by 4C, more than half the country could see at least 10% more rain over the winter months. The UK climate projections suggest increases in winter rainfall in most parts of the country, as well as drier summers. Not every winter will necessarily be rainier than the one before, and not every summer will be dry, but both trends could have big impacts.\n\nAs the world warms, the UK is likely to have hotter, drier summers and warmer, wetter winters, according to the Met Office.\n\nExtreme weather events such as heatwaves and heavy downpours could become more frequent and more intense. Many scientists are concerned.\n\n\"I think it’s really frightening,” says Dr Lizzie Kendon, a senior Met Office scientist. “It's just a wake-up call really as to what we’re talking about here.”\n\nWe are already seeing the impacts of climate change, but the level of global warming we reach and by when will depend primarily on the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.\n\nTo some, warming weather may not seem like such a big deal. But even the smallest incremental changes in climate can have far-reaching effects.\n\nTemperatures above 30C for two or more days can trigger a public-health warning. In the 1990s, this happened about once every four years for locations in the South. By the 2070s, projections suggest it could be as frequently as four times per year - 16 times more often, if we do not curb our emissions.\n\nThe Met Office projects rainy winters, which keep the soil wet into spring, and dry summers of infrequent rainfall will become the norm.\n\nSummer rain is likely to become less frequent but could be heavier. Without regular rainfall, the ground has a harder time absorbing water when it finally does come, leading to a greater risk of flash flooding.\n\nFloods will likely become a staple of warming winters as well.\n\nSteady rain, which is currently a feature of winter months, will probably continue, and total rainfall is expected to increase.\n\nWhen the ground is already saturated, waterways tend to rise. Bridges and sewers designed for historical rainfall levels may come increasingly under pressure.\n\nWarming temperatures could also mean cold spells become less frequent.\n\nAnd snowy UK winters could become thing of the past as climate change affects the UK, according to Met Office analysis shared with BBC Panorama.\n\nTemperatures below freezing during the day and areas with considerable amounts of snow on the ground may be limited to parts of Scotland by the end of the century if emissions continue to rise.", "The market is a popular annual tradition in the city\n\nA Christmas market which sparked concerns over the spread of coronavirus has closed - one day after it opened.\n\nNottingham's Winter Wonderland opened on Saturday despite objections from residents in the city, which is under tier three restrictions.\n\nOn Sunday, the city council said it had made a joint decision with the organisers not to reopen this year.\n\nThe market was set to run from 10:00 to 21:00 GMT every day until Christmas Eve.\n\nCrowds forced it to close at 18:00 on Saturday.\n\nSimilar annual events in cities including Birmingham and Manchester were cancelled this year due to the pandemic.\n\nConcerns have been raised over the levels of social distancing observed at the Christmas market in Nottingham\n\nJo Cox-Brown, from Night Time Economy Solutions, said she had been in the city centre to support Small Business Saturday and witnessed crowds where people were close together and not wearing masks.\n\nShe said she worried the market could cause a spike in local coronavirus cases.\n\n\"It wasn't being well-managed it wasn't being very well-controlled,\" she said.\n\n\"People were defecating in doorways because there's no toilets open.\"\n\nMs Cox-Brown said many people who had been in touch were \"really angry\" the event went ahead and felt organisers were \"putting their Christmas at risk\".\n\nSimon Bonsai said he was \"hugely disappointed\" to see the market closed\n\nTrader Simon Bonsai said he was \"hugely disappointed\" by the closure after a brisk day of trading on Saturday, but said the decision was \"obvious\".\n\n\"It was so busy last night, there were too many people about,\" he said.\n\nIn a joint statement, Mellors Group and the city council said it implemented a \"wide range of measures\" to ensure compliance with tier three restrictions.\n\n\"However, numbers were too large to implement these effectively,\" they said.\n\n\"We're sorry it has not worked out.\"\n\nMellors previously said there had been \"pent-up demand\" for city-centre shopping after the second nationwide lockdown, which ended on Wednesday.\n\nFollow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk.", "Choices made by the public will influence how many people die of Covid over the Christmas period, according to Health Minister Vaughan Gething.\n\nHe confirmed ministers were considering whether any new restrictions would be needed after relaxation for a five-day window allowing family get-togethers over the holidays.\n\n“We’re in very odd position of a much more contested environment, and rising harm being seen,” said Mr Gething, referring to new Covid infections.\n\n“We know that this is much more about the choices we’re making about who we see, how long we see them for.\n\n“We’re actively considering each day whether the measures we have are the right ones in place or not.\n\n\"We’re committed to review the regulations in the next week and a half or so and we will then have to consider what we do... we’re actively considering what we are going to need to do, what we may need to do after the Christmas period.\n\n“So, if we’re going to be able to get through not just to the end of the year but into the next year with the minimum amount of harm, it’s not just the choices we make in government, it’s the choices each of us make about how we’re living our lives that will determine how many of us are here in the New Year and beyond.”", "Pop star Rita Ora has apologised for a second breach of the UK's Covid-19 restrictions, after failing to self-isolate following a trip to Egypt.\n\nThe 30-year-old flew to Egypt for a private performance on 21 November. On her return the following day, she should have isolated for two weeks.\n\nInstead, she threw a birthday party in London, which was itself in violation of lockdown rules.\n\nThe star apologised for the party last week, and offered to pay a fine.\n\nDetails of her trip to Egypt subsequently emerged in the Mail On Sunday.\n\nThe newspaper said the singer, whose hits include I Will Never Let You Down, Your Song and Let You Love Me, had played an exclusive set at Cairo's W Hotel for a six-figure sum.\n\nAn unverified source also told the Mail that Egyptian President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi was among those in attendance, although the claim has been disputed.\n\nIn response, Ora said she \"deserved criticism\" for her actions, and would donate her fee from the concert to charity.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. How do I quarantine after returning from abroad?\n\nIn a statement, she said: \"I recently flew to Egypt to perform at a corporate event for a private company, where my travel party followed protocol and presented negative Covid tests upon entry, as required by Egyptian authorities.\n\n\"Upon my return to Britain, I should have followed government advice and isolated myself for the required period. As you know, I didn't follow government advice and for that I apologised earlier this week. I apologise again, unreservedly.\"\n\nAfter reassuring fans she had tested negative for Covid-19, she continued: \"While I realise the apologetic words of a pop star might not carry much weight, especially one who has broken the rules like I have, I do realise that some might seek to follow my example. My message to them is simple: Please don't.\n\n\"The guilt and shame I've carried this week for my mistake aren't worth it. Instead, continue to listen to the government advice and the voices of the heroes of the NHS and take the required precautions. I will take the criticisms coming my way because I deserve them.\"\n\nShe added that she hoped \"to one day make it up to the public who have given me so much support over the years and, in particular, make it up to the heroes of the NHS\".\n\nRita Ora pictured at the MTV Europe Music Awards earlier this year\n\nMeanwhile, Kensington and Chelsea Council has denied that Ora paid a £10,000 fine over the party she held in Notting Hill's Casa Cruz restaurant, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.\n\nUp to 30 people were at the event, according to reports, although the pop star herself described it as a \"small gathering\".\n\nSome press outlets claimed she had handed over a five-figure sum, but on Friday 4 December, a council spokesperson said no such fine had been paid.\n\nThey added that the council was investigating the premises for a potential breach of licensing and Covid regulations, and that it was not in their power to investigate an individual.\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "Singapore is a long way from the snow-capped peaks of the Swiss Alps\n\nThe World Economic Forum, which usually hosts a glitzy annual meeting for political and business leaders in the Swiss ski resort of Davos, has moved next year's event to Singapore.\n\nThe forum says it's making the change to safeguard health and safety.\n\n\"In light of the current situation with regards to Covid-19 cases, it was decided that Singapore was best placed to hold the meeting,\" it said.\n\nSingapore has largely been seen as managing the crisis successfully.\n\nIts health ministry says there are currently 28 people being treated in hospital for the coronavirus, but none are in intensive care, and there are no cases in the community. Singapore's death toll for Covid-19 stands at 29.\n\nBut the country remains under \"phase two\" restrictions, which means gatherings are capped at five people and working from home is still the default for most companies.\n\nSingapore's Trade Minister Chan Chun Sing said the Forum's decision to hold the meeting in the country was \"an affirmation of Singapore's ability to provide a safe, neutral and conducive venue for global leaders to meet\".\n\nSafety measures could include tests on arrival and contact tracing of attendees, the government said.\n\nBreakfast panels are a staple of the Davos summit\n\nThe in-person World Economic Forum annual meeting is planned to take place in Singapore from 13-16 May, before returning to Switzerland in 2022.\n\nIt will be only the second time the event has been held outside Davos in its history. In 2002, the forum was organised in New York to show solidarity with the US after the 9/11 terror attacks.\n\nKlaus Schwab, who founded the forum in the 1970s, said a global leadership summit would be crucial to address the global recovery from the pandemic.\n\n\"Public-private co-operation is needed more than ever to rebuild trust and address the fault lines that emerged in 2020,\" he said.", "Det Sgt Nick Bailey was contaminated at the home of Sergei and Yulia Skripal in 2018\n\nA police officer who was poisoned in the Salisbury Novichok attack is \"fighting for part of his pension\", his wife has said.\n\nDet Sgt Nick Bailey, who was contaminated with the nerve agent at the home of Sergei and Yulia Skripal, left Wiltshire Police in October.\n\nHis wife Sarah responded to comments by Wiltshire Police Federation's chairman about support her husband had received.\n\nWiltshire Police said it would be \"inappropriate\" to comment.\n\nIn the latest issue of the Police Federation of England and Wales magazine, Wiltshire chairman Mark Andrews wrote about how the force had supported officers affected by the Novichok attack in March 2018.\n\n\"We... helped Nick to get the compensation package he deserved and supported him with insurance and his legal claim for injury at work,\" he said.\n\n\"Support will continue for as long as he needs it.\"\n\nIn a tweet responding to the article, Mrs Bailey said her husband \"retired 7 weeks ago and he's still fighting for part of his pension\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Sarah Bailey This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nResonding to Mrs Bailey's tweet, Mr Andrews said the federation had \"supported Nick and his family since this terrible incident and our door is always open to help him in the future\".\n\n\"What happened to Nick is unprecedented and I hope will never happen to any other police officer or any other British citizen again,\" he said.\n\n\"I can only hope that one day the offenders will be brought to justice and Nick will be able to rest knowing that.\"\n\nA spokesman for Wiltshire Police said the force had worked with Mr Bailey and his family \"to provide continuing support to help them deal with the impact of this terrible incident and assist him to try and return to active police duties\".\n\n\"It was with great sadness that regrettably this was not possible and Nick left the force with our very best wishes for the future,\" he added.\n\n\"It would be wholly inappropriate for us to further comment publicly on private matters relating to a former police officer.\"\n\nMr Bailey returned to duty last year but left Wiltshire Police in October, saying the aftermath \"took so much from me\" and he could \"no longer do the job\".\n\nHe and two colleagues were sent to Mr Skripal's home after the former Russian spy and his daughter, who was staying with him, were found seriously ill on a bench in Salisbury.\n\nMr Bailey was contaminated when he touched the door handle of Mr Skripal's home in the city.\n\nThe Skripals survived the attack, and in the months two Russian nationals were accused of travelling to the UK to try to murder Mr Skripal with Novichok.\n\nThe pair - known by their aliases Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov - were caught on CCTV in Salisbury the day before the attack.\n\nThe Skripals survived the attack after spending several weeks in hospital\n\nFollow BBC West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: bristol@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "The end of sledging and snowball fights in the UK?\n\nSnowy winters could become a thing of the past as climate change affects the UK, Met Office analysis suggests.\n\nIt is one of a series of projections about how UK's climate could change, shared with BBC Panorama.\n\nIt suggests by the 2040s most of southern England could no longer see sub-zero days. By the 2060s only high ground and northern Scotland are still likely to experience such cold days.\n\nThe projections are based on global emissions accelerating.\n\nIt could mean the end of sledging, snowmen and snowball fights, says Dr Lizzie Kendon, a senior Met Office scientist who worked on the climate projections.\n\n\"We're saying by the end of the century much of the lying snow will have disappeared entirely except over the highest ground,\" she told Panorama.\n\nIf the world reduces emissions significantly the changes will be less dramatic, the Met Office says.\n\nThe average coldest day in the UK over the past three decades was -4.3 Celsius.\n\nIf emissions continue to accelerate, leading to a global temperature rise of 4C, then the average coldest day in the UK would remain above 0 Celsius across most of the country throughout winter.\n\nEven if global emissions are reduced dramatically and world temperatures rise by 2C, the average coldest day in the UK is likely be 0 Celsius.\n\nThe Met Office says these temperatures are subject to variation and some years may see days colder than the average. Its projections explore how the UK's climate might change.\n\n\"The overarching picture is warmer, wetter winters; hotter, drier summers,\" Dr Kendon says.\n\n\"But within that, we get this shift towards more extreme events, so more frequent and intense extremes, so heavier rainfall when it occurs.\"\n\nThe Met Office says we are already seeing dramatic changes in the UK climate.\n\nPicture postcard: Snow covered houses in Gold Hill in Shaftesbury, Dorset in 2019\n\n\"The rate and nature of the climate change that we're seeing is unprecedented,\" says Dr Mark McCarthy of the Met Office's National Climate Information Centre.\n\nMost of the country has already seen average temperatures rise by 1C since the Industrial Revolution and we should expect more of the same, he warns.\n\nThat may not sound like much, but even these small changes in our climate can have a huge impact on the weather and on many plants and animals.\n\nThe Met Office says there could be significant temperature rises in the decades ahead for both winter and summer.\n\nIt says the biggest increases will be in the already warmer southern parts of the UK. At the same time extreme weather is expected to become more frequent and more intense.\n\nHeatwaves are likely to become more common and last longer, with record temperatures being exceeded regularly.\n\nThe average hottest day could reach a sweltering 40C the data suggests\n\nNot every summer will be hotter than the last, the Met Office says, but the long-term trend is steadily upwards, particularly if emissions remain unabated.\n\nThat high-emissions scenario shows peak summer temperatures could rise by between 3.7 C and 6.8 C by the 2070s, compared with the period 1981 to 2000.\n\nIf the world succeeds in reducing emissions, these temperature rises will be considerably smaller.\n\nThe level of detail in the models mean it is possible to see how the climate might change in neighbourhoods across the country.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The Wingfields' home in South Yorkshire has only just recovered after floods in 2019.\n\nHayes in west London, for example, is likely to see some of the most dramatic temperature rises of all, the new data suggests.\n\nThe average hottest day in Hayes was 32C around 20 years ago. If emissions continue to accelerate, the new Met Office data suggests the average hottest day could reach a sweltering 40C by around 2070.\n\nIf global emissions reduce, this temperature rise will not be so severe.\n\n\"I mean, I think it's really frightening. That's a big change, and we're talking about in the course of our lifetime. It's just a wake-up call really as to what we're talking about here,\" says Dr Kendon.\n\nSummers might not just be hotter, they could be drier too, the Met Office predicts. Summer rain could become less frequent, but when it does rain it is likely to be more intense.\n\nThe combination of longer dry periods with sudden heavy downpours could increase the risk of flooding because dry ground doesn't absorb water as well as damp ground.\n\nRainfall is expected to increase in many parts of the country in winter too, the Met Office says.\n\nThe projections suggest western parts of the UK may get even wetter under a high-emissions scenario.\n\nOf course, some years will always buck the trend by being wetter or cooler than others - and there will be significant regional variations.\n\nThis pattern of wetter winters and more intense summer downpours across much of the country risks putting infrastructure under greater strain.\n\nRoads, railways, reservoirs, sewers, bridges and other infrastructure is all designed for the sort of rainfall we have had in the past and much of it may need to be upgraded or even rebuilt to cope with the storms and floods to come.\n\nLast week, the UK government announced ambitious new targets for tackling climate change.\n\nThe new goal is to cut the UK's greenhouse gas emission by 68% by the end of the decade, based on 1990 levels.\n\nBoris Johnson hopes the new targets will set an example to other nations, which will join a virtual climate pledges summit on 12 December.\n\nThis virtual event will occur in place of annual UN climate talks, which were set to have taken place in Glasgow this year, but were postponed because of Covid-19.\n\nYou can see more on Panorama: Britain's Wild Weather on BBC One at 19:00 GMT.", "Kevin Crossland pictured with his grandmother in 1961, the year he was born\n\nDavid Crossland's whole family died beside him on a holiday flight to Yugoslavia in September 1966. His wife Daphne, and their young children Kevin and Lynne were killed when their plane crashed in woods as it was approaching the airport in Ljubljana. David, who was sitting across the aisle from his wife and children, crawled to safety from the burning wreckage.\n\nIn the decades that followed, David suffered from long-term leg injuries and survivor guilt, but managed to build a new life. He remarried and had another son and daughter. He met his second wife, Liisa, when she was helping to nurse him as he recovered in hospital in London.\n\nDavid died of cancer in 2001. He never knew that at that time an undercover police officer was using the name Kevin Crossland - the five-year-old son David had lost in the plane crash.\n\nLiisa Crossland remembers her husband once telling her that he had heard from his police acquaintances that some officers would adopt the identities of dead children. It was a practice used by the assassin in the 1970s Fredrick Forsyth thriller, The Day of the Jackal, later a film.\n\nLiisa says she has felt enormous anger for the two years since the family was first informed about the use of Kevin's name by police.\n\n\"How can someone stoop so low? My husband is not here to fight for the truth. But on behalf of him and my family, I want to get to the bottom of the way Kevin's identity was used,\" she said.\n\nLiisa and David's son, Mark - whose middle name is Kevin in memory of the brother he never knew - describes it as \"the most irresponsible thing the officer could have done. I really don't know how my dad would have dealt with this if he had still been alive. We are looking for a proper apology from someone who actually means it.\"\n\nThe Crosslands are one of four families who have begun legal action against the Metropolitan Police over the use of their dead children's identities by undercover officers between the 1980s and early 2000s.\n\nThe other children whose identities were used were:\n\nThe practice of taking dead children's identities has been exposed as a tactic used by police officers from two units, the Special Demonstration Squad and the National Public Order Intelligence Unit, who infiltrated protest groups and political movements over a 40-year period from 1968.\n\nThey would use the children's birth certificates to apply for passports and driving licences to allow them to build a back story or \"legend\".\n\nThe families of Kevin, Rod, Neil and Michael are claiming for misuse of private information, negligence and personal injury - and are calling on the Met to apologise and admit liability.\n\nIn a statement the Met said it was investigating the claims and was \"unable to comment further at this time\".\n\nThis photo of Kevin was taken not long before he was killed\n\nIt comes at the end of a year which has seen the much-delayed public inquiry into undercover policing finally get under way. It's examining the role of police spies over a 40-year period from the late 1960s.\n\nDuring opening statements last month, Heather Williams QC, representing the families of Kevin, Rod, Neil and Michael, as well as other families, denounced the use of dead children's identities by officers as an \"abhorrent practice\".\n\n\"It has caused our clients' memories of their loved ones to be forever tarnished. The intensity of their original grief has been brought back with full force,\" she said.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Faith Mason‘s son, Neil, died in 1969. An undercover officer used his identity\n\nA \"tradecraft manual\" for the Special Demonstration Squad (SDS) is among a cache of documents released to the inquiry. It reads: \"By tradition the aspiring SDS officer's first major task was to spend hours and hours at St Catherine's House leafing through death registers in search of a name he could call his own.\"\n\nAnd it goes on: \"The SDS officer would assume squatters' rights over the unfortunate's identity for the next four years.\"\n\nIn some cases officers are believed to have visited the graves of children whose names they were using. They also researched their families, described in the manual as establishing their respiratory status and \"if they were still breathing, where they were living\".\n\nThe officers who used the identities of Kevin, Rod, Neil and Michael infiltrated groups including the Animal Liberation Front, Class War and the Revolutionary Communist Party. Their true identities, like most of their colleagues', remain secret, as do even the cover names of more than 50 other police. More than 40 officers are said to have taken the names of dead children.\n\nThe officer who used Kevin's identity did not appear to have been authorised to do this, according to a statement from the inquiry in 2018.\n\nHe had been given permission to use his second undercover name, James Straven, but not the identity of a dead child.\n\nThe inquiry has heard that he was known as James Straven when he had relationships with two female activists. This is another practice used by a number of officers which is under scrutiny by the public inquiry, which had its initial hearings last month and will resume next year.\n\nLiisa says she is grateful for the difficult work done by the police generally, but her family is now in torment as a result of the undercover tactics.\n\n\"Kevin's memory belongs to us. He was laid to rest. Why was his identity stolen?\"\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Mother-of-two Helen Bannister died in hospital following a serious assault\n\nA murder investigation has begun following the death of a 48-year-old woman who was seriously assaulted.\n\nMother-of-two Helen Bannister would be \"dearly missed by her heartbroken family\", police said.\n\nSouth Wales Police attended an address in Mayhill, Swansea, on 1 December, when Ms Bannister was taken to hospital.\n\nMs Bannister's family have requested privacy and continue to be supported by specialist officers.\n\nA 37-year-old man had previously been remanded by a court after being charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent.\n\nSouth Wales Police has urged the public to take care over any comments made on social media.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Monday morning. We'll have another update for you at 18:00 GMT.\n\nHundreds of thousands of doses of coronavirus vaccine are being distributed around the UK in time to begin the immunisation programme on Tuesday. Hospitals in all four nations will serve as hubs, but NHS England's medical director warned the process would be a \"marathon, not a sprint\". So far the government has ordered a total of 40 million doses - enough to vaccinate 20 million people with two shots each, 21 days apart - read more on how the system of prioritisation will work. The government is working to ease safety concerns, but we've spoken to some people confronting a different fear right now - needles.\n\nRapid coronavirus testing is being made available in care homes in parts of Scotland to allow relatives to visit their loved ones. Fourteen care homes in five areas are taking part in the trial, but concern about the accuracy of the lateral flow tests has prompted some homes in England to stop using them. A pilot scheme in Liverpool showed they missed half of all cases. Scotland's Health Minister Jeane Freeman said it was \"a positive step\", but other infection control measures, like wearing PPE, also remained vital to protect care home residents.\n\nShoppers were back in England's high streets and shopping malls this weekend, but numbers were well below pre-pandemic levels. Hard-pressed retailers are pinning their hopes on the run-up to Christmas after a torrid year, but, on average, shopper numbers were a quarter below 2019 levels, according to the market researcher Springboard. Across the UK as a whole, footfall was down by 30%, it said. BBC business correspondent Katie Prescott says overall, retail sales are above pre-pandemic levels, but that masks big shifts in what we're buying and from where. Meanwhile, one Christmas market found itself with the opposite problem on Saturday - too many visitors.\n\nRegent Street in central London has been pedestrianised to encourage shoppers, but footfall was still well down\n\nPresident Donald Trump's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, has been admitted to hospital after testing positive for Covid-19. The 76-year-old former New York mayor has led the legal challenges to the election result - travelling the country without a face mask and often ignoring social distancing. He tweeted that he was \"recovering quickly\", while Mr Trump tweeted: \"Get better soon Rudy, we will carry on!\" On Sunday, Dr Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus task force co-ordinator, criticised the administration for flouting guidelines and peddling \"myths\" about the pandemic.\n\nDozens of people in President Trump's orbit are said to have tested positive for Covid-19 since October\n\nBBC correspondent Ashley John-Baptiste grew up in south London and has been back to catch up with old school friend Xavier Leopold, who found a positive - artistic - way of looking after his mental health during a very difficult year. Painting has also allowed Xavier to make a difference to a cause that's important to him, and he recently held his first exhibition. Watch the film - the first in a new series called Our Lives, telling stories from parts of the UK that sometimes fall under the radar.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. BBC correspondents are revisiting places they grew up, to see how the pandemic has affected people\n\nFind more information, advice and guides on our coronavirus page.\n\nPlus, as many parents have struggled with childcare issues during the pandemic, a number of tech firms have been offering solutions. Enter the Zoom nannies...\n\nWhat questions do you have about coronavirus?\n\nIn some cases, your question will be published, displaying your name, age and location as you provide it, unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published. Please ensure you have read our terms & conditions and privacy policy.\n\nUse this form to ask your question:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or send them via email to YourQuestions@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any question you send in.", "Adrian Smith was shocked to find that a photo of him as an eight-year-old had become an internet meme.\n\nHe stumbled upon the picture on Instagram, but it had come from a Tumblr blog in which his image was being used as the stepson of a fictional \"teenage stepdad\".\n\nHe said he was amused by it, but admitted that as a child he would have found it \"confusing and sad\".\n\nMr Smith's discovery has now gone more viral than the original meme.\n\nHe has been in touch with its original creator, and said he was happy that the image has not been used in a \"mean spirit\".\n\n\"Teenage Stepdad\" offered to kill the character off, but Mr Smith is happy for him to carry on with it if he wishes, he said.\n\nThe character which went with the photo was not a part of him, Mr Smith said.\n\n\"I had options - I could ignore it, I could get mad about it, or I could embrace it and make it part of my story now, and have it out there as an example of the chaotic randomness that happens with stuff on the internet that we put there,\" he said.\n\nMr Smith, who lives in North Carolina, had contributed the photograph to a Tumblr blog in about 2007 where people were sharing school photos with laser backgrounds. It was taken in 1992.\n\nHe said he remembered being very proud of the picture, having managed to find a top that matched the background, for which he had paid an additional $2.\n\n\"I'd like to say it's me pre-glasses, pre-braces, and 100% raw power as an eight-year-old,\" he said.\n\n\"My grin in the picture is one of smug satisfaction.\"\n\nMr Smith is himself a parent of two very young children - and said it would be a while before they understood what a meme was. But he did not wish to put them off sharing their lives online.\n\n\"The lesson is that what you put in the internet might last forever and have a life of its own, but also the internet doesn't define you, it doesn't have to be you,\" he said.\n\n\"Figure out who you are first, and if the stuff out there is part of how you want to define yourself then use it for that, if it's not, then don't.\"\n\nHis alter-ego has had a lively few years, sported some interesting hairstyles and made some questionable decisions, like the time he took up smoking. But Mr Smith thinks the fictional boy would also approve of his own career as an entomologist who \"puts videos about bugs on YouTube\".\n• None Viral dad on the trials of working from home", "Glasgow is one of the areas which are subject to the highest level of restrictions\n\nThe 11 Scottish council areas which are subject to the highest tier of Covid-19 restrictions will exit level four on Friday, Nicola Sturgeon has confirmed.\n\nThe first minister said a decision on the levels that each region will be placed in will be taken on Tuesday.\n\nHealth Secretary Jeane Freeman had said on Sunday that \"all options are on the table\" for the areas, before revising her comments later in the day.\n\nMs Sturgeon confirmed the councils \"will all come out of level four\".\n\nShe said it was likely that most of the areas would drop into level three, with the government taking a \"cautious\" approach to alert levels.\n\nThe 11 council areas in west and central Scotland', including Glasgow, were placed in the top tier of restrictions on 20 November in a \"short and sharp\" effort to contain the spread of the virus.\n\nThis was described as a three-week measure which would come to an end on 11 December.\n\nHowever, some doubt appeared to be cast on this when the health minster was interviewed on the BBC's Sunday Politics programme.\n\nAsked whether some of the level four areas \"will remain so after the end of next week\", and whether they could still be in the top tier at Christmas, Ms Freeman replied that \"all options are on the table\".\n\nShe later clarified that the 11 councils would come out of level four on Friday, and that her comments were intended to be about \"what level below four they'll go into\".\n\nSpeaking at her daily coronavirus briefing on Monday, Ms Sturgeon reiterated: \"We've always said that those authorities would move out of that level on Friday and that remains the case.\"\n\nThe first minister said she would not pre-empt the review, as the levels for each council are due to be signed off by her cabinet on Tuesday morning.\n\nHowever, she said she would continue to take a \"cautious\" approach.\n\nShe added: \"The one thing that we are being firm about is that the level four areas will all come out of level four.\n\n\"Whether they go to level three, which I think is probably likely, or whether any of them might go to a lower level, that's something we will look at over the course of the day.\"\n\nThe council areas currently subject to level four restrictions are: East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Glasgow, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire, Stirling, West Dunbartonshire and West Lothian.\n\nThe rest of the country is in levels one to three of the five-tier system. Ms Sturgeon said the government would also be looking at whether any other areas should either move up or down a level.\n\nMeanwhile, the first Covid-19 vaccines are to be administered in Scotland on Tuesday.\n\nMs Sturgeon said this was \"extremely positive news\" - but that it was \"important we not drop our guard.\"\n\nShe said: \"Now we can see the prospect of the return to a more normal way of life, that should give us all the more incentive to stay safe and keep each other safe.\"\n\nThe first doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine - which offers up to 95% protection against Covid-19 illness - arrived in Scotland over the weekend, and have now been delivered to local health boards.\n\nStaff who will administer the vaccine will be the first to receive it, with the more elderly and vulnerable groups of the population next in line.\n\nMs Sturgeon said: \"Vaccination is a major logistical exercise and it will take us time to work through the programme. The recent news doesn't remove the need for caution during this winter period.\"", "For months, the government has been urging businesses to get ready for a new era in trading with the EU. But it was only on Boxing Day that details of all the new rules were actually published.\n\nBusiness groups are relieved that the threat of a no-deal Brexit, which would have meant tariffs (or taxes) on goods crossing the border with the EU, has been removed. But companies that trade with the EU are still facing a lot of new bureaucracy.\n\nAnd the disruption in mid-December, caused by border closures related to the new variant of Covid-19, was a reminder of how dependent the UK economy is on trade across the English Channel.\n\nFrom 1 January 2021, goods entering the EU from Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) face large amounts of new paperwork and checks, including:\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nHauliers will also need to make sure they have the right transportation paperwork before they drive to the border.\n\nThere is particular focus on the \"short straits\" route between Dover and Calais, and the nearby Channel Tunnel, which taken together handle about four million lorries a year.\n\n\"This is the biggest imposition of red tape that businesses have had to deal with in 50 years,\" says William Bain from the British Retail Consortium.\n\nFull controls on British exports to the EU began on 1 January. The first day of the new regime appears to have gone relatively smoothly.\n\nBut it's feared that later in the year, the new controls could cause disruption, even though new border infrastructure has been built at ports such as Calais, to help process vehicles more efficiently.\n\nThere are some mitigating measures though.\n\nIn response to the Covid crisis, the government is delaying full controls on goods entering Great Britain from the EU for a further six months.\n\nThere will be checks from 1 January on controlled substances such as alcohol and tobacco, and traders deemed to be a risk will also be asked to fill in customs declarations.\n\nBut most checks on goods coming in from the EU will be delayed until 1 July, a deadline that could in theory be extended.\n\n\"I think we will want to monitor it,\" the chief executive of HM Revenue and Customs, Jim Harra, told MPs in November. \"Hopefully we will not still be in a situation where Covid-19 is consuming as much of people's attention.\"\n\nOther measures to tackle potential disruption include diverting trade to other ports around the country and opening lorry parks in Kent, to avoid gridlock on the roads.\n\nSome of these contingencies were put into action early, to deal with the Covid border closures in December.\n\nOperation Brock, for example, involved changing the layout of a section of the M20, using a concrete barrier to allow lorries heading for mainland Europe to queue safely on the motorway.\n\nThousands of lorries were also diverted to temporary parking at a disused airport at Manston.\n\nFrom 1 January drivers of lorries weighing more than 7.5 tonnes will need to acquire a Kent Access Permit before they enter the county. They will have to show that they have all the paperwork they need to ferry goods to Europe.\n\nBut that doesn't deal with the challenge of the thousands of vans that cross the Channel every week.\n\n\"What has been serially misunderstood by various parts of government is the scale of the complexity for people on the ground dealing with the paperwork,\" says Duncan Buchanan, the Policy Director of the Road Haulage Association.\n\nThat could mean that instead of queues on motorways, many traders won't be able to leave their depots.\n\n\"Either they won't be able to get vets to sign off on their meat exports, or they won't be able to get their permit because they don't have the right bits of paper,\" says Shane Brennan, chief executive of the Cold Storage Federation.\n\n\"We might see a quite significant holding off of trading - people just not moving stuff in the first few weeks.\"\n\nEighty-five per cent of the volume of trade between the EU and Great Britain is carried by EU hauliers, who are often paid not by the hour, but by the kilometre. If they think there will be too many delays, many may simply not come.\n\nThe government says the readiness of traders to deal with the new system remains its biggest concern.\n\nLorries parked on the M20 in Kent\n\n\"The sheer scale of the overall operation means there are literally many millions of moving parts,\" permanent secretary of the cabinet office Alex Chisholm told MPs. \"Inevitably there are going to be some difficulties for some individual people as they adjust to the new regime.\"\n\nThe government has also announced a new Border Operations Centre as part of plans \"for the UK to have the world's most effective border by 2025\".\n\nQuestions have been asked about how changes at the border might affect food supply. The short answer is no-one can say for sure, but nearly 30% of all the food consumed in the UK is imported from the EU.\n\nThe good news is that there is a deal, which makes a big difference. But the challenge is particularly acute because the UK grows relatively small amounts of fruit and vegetables in January and February and is most dependent on supplies from southern Europe at this time of year.\n\nSo, if there are delays, they could cause some shortages on the shelves.\n\n\"Some gaps are possible but we're not going to run out of food - that's not going to happen\" says Ian Wright.\n\nWhen it comes to non-perishable items, there had been some stockpiling in preparation for either outcome, but extra supplies won't last forever.\n\n\"The crunch point is probably not going to be in the first few days or weeks of January,\" William Bain argues. \"Towards the end of the month, when new orders start being placed and delivered, we will start to see the processes in Kent and the other ports really tested.\"\n\nAnd it's not only about food.\n\nOther retailers, which are used to moving their stock freely around the EU customs union, have had to create separate supply chains for the UK. That is costing them more money, and their new systems have yet to be tested properly.\n\nIt's not just about trade across the English Channel.\n\nTrade across the Irish Sea between Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland will be subject to the same pressures, while Northern Ireland will be a special case under the terms of the Northern Ireland protocol in the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement.\n\nNorthern Ireland will remain in the EU single market for goods, and unlike the rest of the UK it will continue to enjoy frictionless trade with the EU with no checks of any kind at the land border with the Republic.\n\nBut there is a price to pay for that - new bureaucracy within the UK between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.\n\nThe EU, for example, has strict rules on products of animal origin: meat, milk, fish and eggs.\n\nThese products must enter the single market (and, from 1 January, Northern Ireland) through a border control post where paperwork is checked, and a proportion of goods physically inspected.\n\nThere will be a grace period of three months for supermarkets and their suppliers, but some smaller traders may have to get used to the new rules straight away.\n\nAll shipments from Great Britain to Northern Ireland will also need a safety and security declaration, and a customs declaration from a new IT system which none of the traders have used before.\n\nThe government has set up a Trader Support Service to help.\n\nThe details of the new trading arrangements for Northern Ireland were announced separately in early December, and provided some clarity. They include an agreement which means the vast majority of goods being shipped from GB to NI will not be at risk of having tariffs imposed.\n\nBut there are plenty of unresolved issues.\n\nTraders are seeking answers about how to send parcels from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, and some online retailers have already suspended deliveries.\n\nThe trade from British to Northern Irish ports often involves multiple small shipments on a single lorry - all of which will need the right paperwork.\n\n\"We need clear rules for everyone in the supply chain,\" says Duncan Buchanan, \"and when you scratch the surface it is just not ready.\"\n\nIt is expected that many checks will be carried out on a 'light touch' basis to begin with.\n\nBut anyone trading between Great Britain and Northern Ireland is going to have to get used to a new way of working very quickly.", "A man has been arrested over \"abusive\" Facebook posts made during a football match where players were booed for taking the knee.\n\nPolice said \"a number of comments of an abusive nature\" were reported as Derby County faced Milwall on Saturday.\n\nMilwall said it was \"dismayed and saddened\" after its fans were heard jeering players before kick-off.\n\nDerbyshire Police said a 25-year-old was arrested on suspicion of racially aggravated public order offences.\n\nThe booing of players before the match - the first time Millwall fans had been allowed at matches since attendance was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic - drew condemnation from figures across the football world.\n\nDerby boss Wayne Rooney said it was \"disappointing and upsetting\", while Millwall boss Gary Rowett said the incident overshadowed the long-awaited return of fans to stadiums.\n\nFollow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. NHS chief Sir Simon Stevens: This could be a \"decisive turning point\" in Covid-19 fight\n\nThe first vaccinations will mark a \"decisive turning point in the battle against coronavirus\", NHS England's chief executive has said on the eve of the jab being rolled out.\n\nPeople in the UK will begin to receive the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine on Tuesday.\n\nNHS England boss Sir Simon Stevens said vaccinations would continue \"at least until next spring\" and warned people to be \"very careful\" in the meantime.\n\nHealth Secretary Matt Hancock tweeted all parts of the UK had vaccine doses.\n\nOn Monday, the government announced a further 14,718 people had tested positive for the virus, while a further 189 people had died within 28 days of a positive test - taking the total by that measure to 61,434.\n\nFront-line health staff, those aged over 80, and care home workers will be first in line for the vaccine.\n\nIn England, 50 hospitals have been initially chosen to serve as hubs for administering it.\n\nScotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland will also begin their vaccination programmes from hospitals on Tuesday.\n\nSpeaking at the Royal Free Hospital in London ahead of the Covid-19 vaccine rollout, Sir Simon said: \"Tomorrow is the beginning of the biggest vaccination campaign in our history, building on successes from previous campaigns against conditions [and] diseases like polio, meningitis, and tuberculosis.\n\n\"Hospitals, and then GPs and pharmacists, as more vaccine becomes available, are going to be vaccinating at least until next spring.\"\n\nRefrigerated containers holding the vaccine doses, which need to be kept at -70C, have been arriving in the UK from Belgium, where it is made, and are being prepared to be moved from secure locations to the hospitals.\n\nThe UK has ordered 40 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech jab. It is enough to vaccinate 20 million people because two doses are needed.\n\nThere are 800,000 doses in the first tranche, meaning 400,000 people will be vaccinated initially.\n\nAlthough care home residents were placed at the top of the priority list agreed by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), they are not getting the very first vaccinations.\n\nThe government has explained this is because the chosen hospital hubs already have the facilities to store the vaccine at the required temperature. But Mr Hancock said the government was doing everything it could to overcome \"significant challenges\" to ensure care home residents were vaccinated as soon as possible.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The health secretary said care homes could get vaccines “by the end of next week”\n\nChris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, said people aged over 80 should not be worried if they are not called for the vaccine this month as the vast majority will have to wait until the new year to receive the jab.\n\nWhen asked about potential disruption to supply if there is a no-deal Brexit, Foreign Office minister James Cleverly said the vaccine was a \"top priority product\" and the government would consider using the armed forces to ensure supply \"if we need to\".\n\nThe Ministry of Defence said 60 military planners are working with the government's vaccine task force, with a further 56 personnel helping to construct vaccination centres.\n\nEarlier, Welsh health minister Vaughan Gething warned that potential delays at ports from Brexit changes could disrupt medical supplies.\n\nBut for medication like the Covid vaccine, which could become ineffective if it was delayed, \"the UK government have made arrangements to fly those into different parts of the UK,\" he said.\n\nDo you have an appointment to be vaccinated? Get in touch by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "Last updated on .From the section Scotland\n\nScotland are \"certainly not going to take anything for granted\", says Steve Clarke after his side was drawn to face Denmark and Austria in their World Cup qualifying group.\n\nThe Scots emerged from pot three and also take on familiar foes Israel, Faroe Islands and Moldova in group F.\n\nThe Scots received a favourable draw, avoiding seven of the top Fifa ranked sides in pot one.\n\n\"Denmark and Austria deserve to be in pot one and pot two,\" said Clarke.\n\n\"Their recent record is good. Both strong teams, good players. We can expect a really tough time in the four matches against both countries. Israel we know inside out, it'll be nice to play them again.\n\n\"The trips to Faroe Islands and Moldova, being Scottish we have to be aware because we know that we're pretty good at getting tripped up in games that we're expected to win. We're certainly not going to take anything for granted.\"\n• None World Cup 2022 qualifying: The draw as it happened\n\nThe campaign to qualify for Qatar begins in March, with the tournament commencing in November 2022.\n\nScotland have not qualified for a World Cup campaign since France '98, but go into the forthcoming campaign high in confidence after ending the wait for an appearance at a major tournament by qualifying for Euro 2020 next summer.\n\nDenmark, the group's top seeds, have not played Scotland in a competitive match since the World Cup in 1986, a match the Danes won 1-0 in Mexico. In contrast, Clarke's players have faced Israel five times in the past two years, including a penalty shootout victory to set up a Euro 2020 play-off final with Serbia.\n\n\"The supporters can get carried away, they're allowed to get carried away, they're allowed to be optimistic,\" Clarke told BBC Radio Scotland's Sportsound.\n\n\"And the fact that they're optimistic means that we must have done some good things in recent matches.\n\n\"But inside the camp, the players, myself and my staff, we know Denmark, Austria and Israel are going to give us a really tough time in qualifying.\"\n\nA total of 55 European countries will be whittled down to 13 who go to Qatar.\n\nThe 55 are split split into 10 qualification groups - five of six teams and five of five. Only the group winners are guaranteed to progress, but three further spots are up for grabs.\n\nThe 10 runners-up join the two best Nations League winners who have not finished in the top two of their World Cup group. Those 12 teams are drawn into three play-off paths to determine the final three sides.\n\nScotland's hopes of a Nations League lifeline were extinguished by successive defeats by Slovakia and Israel last month, which allowed Czech Republic to clinch top spot.", "Police said they found between 100 and 150 people inside the property in Lace Street\n\nA house party with up to 150 guests has been broken up by police in Nottingham.\n\nThe 20-year-old organiser of the illegal gathering, in Lace Street, is facing a fine of up to £10,000 after officers arrived at about 00:30 GMT.\n\nSeveral guests were given £200 penalties for breaking Covid-19 rules and a 19-year-old man was charged with obstructing a police officer.\n\nNottingham is currently subject to tier three restrictions, which bans different households mixing indoors.\n\nThe 19-year-old was also fined £200 and bailed to appear at Nottingham Magistrates' Court on 26 January.\n\nMeanwhile, the party host has been reported for summons and could be given the maximum fine under Covid-19 regulations.\n\nA student who lives nearby, who asked to remain anonymous, said she was woken at about 01:00 by voices and shouting.\n\nShe said: \"I saw loads and loads of people. People were pouring out of the house and more police arrived.\n\n\"I was really, really angry because me and all my friends have been abiding by the rules, not seeing people we would want to see and there are people doing that.\"\n\nInsp Amy English, of Nottinghamshire Police, said: \"It is deeply disappointing that so many people decided to disobey the rules on this occasion and increase the risk of transmission of this deadly virus.\n\n\"The very last thing we want to be doing as police officers is to be punishing people for gathering together and having fun but there really are no excuses for this kind of behaviour where people are blatantly ignoring rules in such large numbers.\"\n\nFollow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Visitors to 14 care homes will be offered faster Covid tests in a trial across five local authority areas.\n\nIt will take place in homes in North Ayrshire, Fife, Argyll and Bute, Inverclyde and Aberdeenshire.\n\nTesting kits will then be sent out to all care homes in Scotland from 14 December.\n\nThe lateral flow tests do not need to go to labs and can give results in under an hour. Visitors who test negative will still have to wear PPE.\n\nIf there is a positive result the visitor will be advised to leave the home, self-isolate and book a PCR test at a coronavirus testing centre.\n\nA separate pilot in Liverpool showed the rapid tests missed half of all cases, raising questions about whether they are worthwhile.\n\nHealth Minister Jeane Freeman has called the move a positive step for care homes, residents and their families and friends.\n\nShe said: \"This will provide another important layer of protection against Covid, alongside the essential PPE and infection prevention and control measures already in place.\n\n\"I'm very pleased to say we will be able to significantly accelerate the delivery of testing kits to all care homes from 14 December, following the necessary trial phase to ensure we have the right guidance and training in place.\"\n\nThe vaccination programme will begin on Tuesday\n\nShe added: \"This will require a significant amount of work from care homes, and we will continue to work closely with Health and Social Care Partnerships, Scottish Care, CCPS and Cosla as test kits are rolled out to ensure they have the support they need to deliver testing for designated visitors.\n\n\"However, it's important to remember that testing does not replace the other vital layers of protection we have against Covid, and all of these - reducing contacts, keeping our distance, wearing face coverings, and vaccines when they come - work most effectively to stop the virus when they are used together.\"\n\nNot all care homes are expected to be able to offer the tests to visitors by Christmas, so the government has confirmed PCR tests will be available for visitors at coronavirus testing centres.\n\nLateral flow tests are not as sensitive as traditional PCR testing but do not need to be analysed in a laboratory so they can produce same-day results.\n\nDesignated visitors will be able to take the test to indicate whether they have the virus ahead of seeing friends, relatives and loved ones in care homes.\n\nOn Saturday, Ms Freeman announced that the new Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine had arrived in Scotland and that vaccinations would begin on Tuesday.\n\nThe first groups to receive them will include the elderly, care home residents and staff, and frontline health and social care workers.\n\nThe UK government has already ordered 40 million doses - enough to vaccinate 20 million people, with two shots each.\n\nAbout 800,000 doses of the vaccine are expected to be available in the UK next week, with about 65,500 being made available for Scotland.\n\nHalf of the initial supplies of the vaccine that arrive in Scotland in December will be held back for the second dose.\n\nThe Scottish government has bought 23 ultra-low temperature freezers to store the vaccine.\n\nThey will be based at all major acute hospitals across the country and on Scotland's islands.\n\nThere had been fears that homes would not be able to receive the first batch of doses due to logistical challenges caused by the vaccine having to be stored at -70C.\n\nBut Ms Freeman said on Thursday that confirmation on how the vaccine could be transported and stored meant it would now be possible to deliver them to care homes.", "Last updated on .From the section Football\n\nThe qualifiers take place between March and November 2021 England will face Robert Lewandowski's Poland in qualification for the Fifa World Cup Qatar 2022. They will also play Hungary, Albania, Andorra and San Marino in Group I. Wales will meet Belgium, who they knocked out of Euro 2016, in Group E. Northern Ireland have been drawn with Italy, Switzerland, Bulgaria and Lithuania in Group C. The Republic of Ireland will come up against Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal in Group A, as well as Serbia, Luxembourg and Azerbaijan. The qualifiers will take place between March and November 2021, with play-offs scheduled for March 2022. Who the home nations will play See the complete draw here England have faced Poland in qualifying for the 1974, 1990, 1994, 2006 and 2014 World Cups. The two sides also met in the finals in Mexico in 1986. Poland have arguably the best striker in world football right now in Lewandowski, who has scored 70 goals in 61 appearances for Bayern Munich since the start of last season. England last met Poland in qualifying for the 2014 World Cup, when the Three Lions won 2-0 \"There is a great history with that fixture,\" said England manager Gareth Southgate. \"There was a spell when we seemed to draw them all the time.\" The group also sees England take on three sides they have beaten every time they have played them - Albania (four wins), Andorra (four) and San Marino (six). \"Poland are obviously a very good side,\" Southgate added. \"Hungary just got promoted into the Nations League top division - so those two in particular will be games that will be tough. \"The rest, whenever I have played for England or managed them, are complicated games to navigate.\" England's meeting with San Marino will stir memories of a World Cup qualifier between the two in 1993 when the Three Lions conceded after just 8.3 seconds - but they went on to win 7-1. Ryan Giggs' Wales side may have been drawn against the word's top-ranked side, but the famous triumph over the Belgians at the European Championship four years ago will still be fresh in their minds. The Welsh came back from a goal down to win 3-1 and reach the semi-finals of a major tournament for the first time. Scotland beat Serbia on penalties in their qualifying play-off final last month to reach Euro 2020 Scotland, who will play at next year's delayed Euro 2020, have been drawn in arguably the easiest group of the four home nations as they seek to qualify for a World Cup for the first time since 1998. They have never lost to the Faroe Islands or Moldova and have a good record against the group's toughest opponents Denmark, triumphing in 10 of their 16 previous meetings. Northern Ireland's group sees them renew hostilities with Switzerland, who controversially beat them in a play-off for the 2018 tournament. Italy, whose last World Cup triumph came in the 2006 tournament, are 10th in the latest Fifa rankings, with the Swiss occupying 16th spot. Thirty-two teams will take part in the World Cup in Qatar, of which 13 will be from Europe. The 10 group winners in qualifying will secure their place at the tournament while the 10 group runners-up will go through to the play-offs, along with the two best Nations League group winners who do not finish in the top two of their World Cup qualifying group. The 12 play-off teams will be drawn into three separate play-off paths, each of which will comprise semi-finals and final, with the three winners heading to Qatar. When are the World Cup qualifying group matches? And when are the World Cup finals themselves? Because of Qatar's intense summer heat, this World Cup will be held from 21 November to 18 December 2022, making it the first not to be held in May, June, or July. It is set to be played in a reduced timeframe of 28 days. Thirty-two teams will compete in eight venues in five host cities to succeed reigning champions France.\n• None Missed out on the weekend's Premier League action? All the goals and highlights are streaming now", "The surfer said he had been enjoying a \"normal day's surfing\" when he was attacked by a great white shark\n\nA surfer in Australia who was attacked by a great white shark has described the experience as like being \"hit by a truck\".\n\nThe 29-year-old was surfing in waters around Kangaroo Island off the Adelaide coast, when he was attacked on Sunday.\n\nHe suffered serious injuries and was said to be lucky to be alive.\n\nAfter the attack at remote D'Estrees Bay, he managed to swim back to shore, before walking another 300 metres (328 yards) to get help.\n\nDescribing his ordeal in a handwritten letter, he said he believed he would make a full recovery.\n\nHe had, he said, been sitting on his board when he felt a hit on his left side: \"It was like being hit by a truck.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Patrick James This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\n\"It bit me around my back, buttock and elbow, and took a chunk out of my board,\" he said in the letter.\n\nHe \"got a glimpse of the shark as it let go and disappeared\", after which he paddled back to the beach still holding his board.\n\nThe surfer sustained serious lacerations to his back, backside and legs, and minor lacerations to his arm during the attack.\n\nOne paramedic who treated him said the extent of the man's injuries had been \"catastrophic\" and that it was \"quite remarkable\" he had been able to swim to shore and then walk to seek help.\n\nHe was \"very lucky that he was able to do that\", Michael Rushby told local newspaper The Advertiser, noting shark attacks locally remained rare.\n\nD'Estrees Bay beach has now been closed, and members of the public have been asked to avoid the area.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Drones used to spot sharks on Australian beaches", "Roald Dahl's family has apologised for anti-Semitic comments made by the best-selling author, who died in 1990.\n\nA statement condemning Dahl's controversial comments, made in two interviews in 1983 and 1990, was published on his official website.\n\nIn a discreet part of the website, his family and the Roald Dahl Story Company \"deeply apologise for the lasting and understandable hurt caused\".\n\nIt said his \"prejudiced remarks stand.. in marked contrast to the man we knew\".\n\nThe statement, which is undated, was spotted by the Sunday Times.\n\n\"The Dahl family and the Roald Dahl Story Company deeply apologise for the lasting and understandable hurt caused by some of Roald Dahl's statements.\n\n\"Those prejudiced remarks are incomprehensible to us and stand in marked contrast to the man we knew and to the values at the heart of Roald Dahl's stories, which have positively impacted young people for generations.\n\n\"We hope that, just as he did at his best, at his absolute worst, Roald Dahl can help remind us of the lasting impact of words.\"\n\nA spokesperson for the Campaign Against Antisemitism said it was \"disappointing\" Roald Dahl's family \"waited 30 years to make an apology\".\n\n\"It is a shame that the estate has seen fit merely to apologise for Dahl's anti-Semitism rather than to use its substantial means to do anything about it,\" the spokesperson said.\n\n\"The apology should have come much sooner and been published less obscurely, but the fact that it has come at all - after so long - is an encouraging sign that Dahl's racism has been acknowledged even by those who profit from his creative works.\"\n\nAnne Hathaway stars as the Grand High Witch in a new film version of Roald Dahl's The Witches\n\nRoald Dahl, who was born in Wales to Norwegian immigrant parents, remains one of the most popular children's authors in the world - with novels including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda and The BFG all adapted for the big screen.\n\nIn an interview with the New Statesman in 1983, he said he believed that there was \"a trait in the Jewish character that does provoke animosity\".\n\nSeven years later, in a piece in the Independent, the author acknowledged he had \"become anti-Semitic\".\n\nThe remarks, for which the writer refused to apologise, have continued to cause upset among the Jewish community.\n\nIn 2018, the Royal Mint chose not to issue a commemorative coin on the 100th anniversary of his birth because of his anti-Semitic views.\n\nAt the time, Wes Streeting, Labour MP, applauded the decision by the Royal Mint, citing the author's \"classic, undeniable, blatant anti-Semitism\".\n\nWith the enduring popularity of his novels, Roald Dahl's estate continues to be highly lucrative, posting annual pre-tax profits of £12.7m in 2018 - largely thanks to film and television deals.\n\nIn October this year, a new film version of The Witches was released starring Anne Hathaway, and in March Netflix announced a forthcoming adaptation of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.\n\nThe Roald Dahl Story Company later added: \"Apologising for the words of a much-loved grandparent is a challenging thing to do, but made more difficult when the words are so hurtful to an entire community.\n\n\"We loved Roald, but we passionately disagree with his anti-Semitic comments. This is why we chose to apologise on our website.\"", "Cocaine with an estimated value of £100m has been found in a banana pulp shipment, the Home Office has said.\n\nThe drugs, which weighed more than a tonne, were discovered during routine inspections at London Gateway, Thurrock in Essex, on 12 November.\n\nThey originated in Colombia and were headed for Antwerp in Belgium, according to customs officials.\n\nThe National Crime Agency (NCA) said the find was \"a significant hit to the organised crime groups involved\".\n\nThe parcels were discovered hidden in a shipping container docked at the port\n\nIt follows the discovery by UK Border Force officers of 1,155kg (2,550lb) of cocaine at the port in September.\n\nNCA branch commander Jacque Beer said: \"While the UK wasn't the end destination for either shipment, it is likely that at least a proportion would have ended up being sold on our streets.\n\n\"These were substantial seizures and will represent a significant hit to the organised crime groups involved, meaning less profit for them to reinvest.\"\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk", "We've had the same big three sticking points between the two sides for months now.\n\nMany trade negotiators were wondering what the point was of sending negotiators back into the room when they are so well rehearsed in each other's arguments.\n\nWhat is needed to break the deadlock right now is the political will from both sides - and that need to come from the bosses.\n\nIt will be European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen who will sit with Boris Johnson - because EU countries have tasked the Commission with negotiating on their behalf.\n\nBut she does not have a free hand here - because the Commission is the conduit for the interests of the member states.\n\nWhen it's come to Brexit, they have kept a sense of unity you do not see normally. But now that we're getting to five to midnight, that unity is beginning to fray at the edges.", "Last updated on .From the section Olympics\n\nBreaking - a competitive form of breakdancing - has been confirmed as part of the final line-up for the Paris 2024 Olympics.\n\nIt will join surfing, skateboarding and climbing, which will be retained after debuts at the delayed Tokyo Games in 2021.\n\nHowever, parkour will not be part of the 2024 event after missing out.\n\nThe street sport typically involves running, jumping and climbing over obstacles.\n\n\"It's going to be great for breaking as it gives us more recognition as a sport,\" British breakdancer Karam Singh told BBC Sport.\n\n\"And for the Olympics, it will attract young people who may not follow some of the traditional sports.\"\n\nSquash campaigned unsuccessfully for inclusion in the Paris Games, as did billiard sports and chess.\n\nBreaking blends artistry and athleticism with key elements including top rocks - typically a competitor's introductory dance moves -footwork, power moves and freezes.\n\nPower moves are explosive displays such as spins, while freezes are when a performer sticks a pose.\n\nCompetitors - known as b-boys and b-girls - are not only judged on technical skill but also creativity and style, with strength, speed, rhythm and agility all considered.\n\nLast year, the Paris 2024 organising committee had proposed breaking, surfing, skateboarding and climbing for inclusion and were waiting for a final review by the executive board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).\n\nThe IOC has insisted that new events would only be included if they used existing Paris 2024 venues, and priority would be given to those with youth appeal or that would help achieve gender equality.\n\nGames organisers said they wanted to include sports in the programme which were popular with new and younger audiences.\n\nUnder new IOC rules first introduced for the Tokyo Games, Olympic host cities can hand-pick sports and propose them for inclusion in those Games if they are popular in that country and add to the Games' appeal.\n\nCost-cutting measures will see athlete numbers drop from 11,238 at Rio 2016 to under 10,500 by 2024, which will be achieved despite the addition of new disciplines and the removal of only baseball/softball and karate.\n• None Missed out on the weekend's Premier League action? All the goals and highlights are streaming now", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Fifty hospitals in England have been chosen as hubs for administering the vaccine\n\nThe armed forces could help transport further stocks of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine from Belgium to the UK, with vaccinations due to begin on Tuesday.\n\nAsked if a no-deal Brexit could delay supplies, James Cleverly said it was a \"top priority\" and the government would look to ensure supplies were available \"in whatever circumstance\".\n\nMilitary personnel are already helping to construct vaccination centres.\n\nHealth Secretary Matt Hancock tweeted all parts of the UK had vaccine doses.\n\nFront-line health staff, those over 80, and care home workers will be first in line for the vaccine.\n\nIn England, 50 hospitals have been initially chosen to serve as hubs for administering it.\n\nScotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland will also begin their vaccination programmes from hospitals on Tuesday.\n\nOn Monday, the government announced a further 14,718 people had tested positive for the virus, while a further 189 people had died within 28 days of a positive test - taking the total by that measure to 61,434.\n\nThe Ministry of Defence said 60 military planners are working with the government's vaccine task force, with a further 56 personnel helping to construct vaccination centres.\n\nArmed Forces minister James Heappey said around 13,500 military personnel were on \"high readiness\" - with more than 2,000 deployed so far to help with testing and the government's Covid response.\n\nRefrigerated containers holding the vaccine doses, which need to be kept at -70C, have been arriving in the UK from Belgium, where it is made, and are being prepared to be moved from secure locations to the hospitals.\n\nAsked whether the armed forces would be used to help transport the vaccine to the UK, Mr Cleverly told BBC Breakfast: \"Potentially - we are looking at non-commercial flight options.\"\n\nIn response to concerns a no-deal Brexit could cause delays in getting the vaccine into the UK, he said: \"This is such an important product, it's probably perhaps the most important product, so we will look to ensure that those supplies are available in the UK in whatever circumstance.\"\n\nAsked to confirm if this meant the armed forces would be used if needed, he said: \"If we need to.\"\n\nIt comes as talks between the UK and the EU continue in a bid to reach a post-Brexit trade deal.\n\nDowning Street did not deny that RAF flights could be used to bring supplies of the vaccine over from other European countries if there were problems at ports caused by a no-deal Brexit.\n\nThe prime minister's official spokesman would not comment on specific plans for \"security reasons\".\n\nBut he said \"the military will have a role to play in what's been an enormous logistical challenge and I'm sure they will continue to do so as we move forward\".\n\nVaccines were delivered to Croydon University Hospital on Sunday\n\nAbout 800,000 doses of the vaccine are expected to be available in the UK from next week.\n\nSo far the government has ordered a total of 40 million doses - enough to vaccinate 20 million people, with two shots each, 21 days apart.\n\nWith limited quantities initially available, elderly people who are already attending hospital as an outpatient, as well as those who are being discharged after a hospital stay, will be among the first to receive the jab.\n\nOthers over the age of 80 will be invited to attend the hospital to receive a jab, and care home providers will be able to book their staff into vaccination clinics.\n\nAny appointments not used for these groups will be used for healthcare workers who are at highest risk of serious illness from the virus.\n\nChris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers - which represents hospitals and other NHS trusts in England - said people over 80 should not be concerned if they did not receive a letter calling them to be vaccinated this month, as the \"vast majority\" of people would have to wait until next year.\n\nThe Mail on Sunday reported that the Queen, who is 94, is expected to receive the vaccine \"within weeks\" - and then reveal she has had it to boost public take-up of the jab.\n\nThe paper quoted senior sources who said the monarch and her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, 99, will not get \"preferential treatment\" but will wait their turn in the priorities list.\n\nAsked whether the Queen would receive the vaccination this week, the prime minister's official spokesman said it was a matter for Buckingham Palace.\n\nHowever, he added: \"It is obviously a statement of fact that the Queen and Prince Philip are over 80 and are in a priority group.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. How will the new Pfizer vaccine work?\n\nAlthough care home residents and staff were placed at the top of the priority list agreed by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), they are not getting the very first vaccinations.\n\nThe government has explained this is because the chosen hospital hubs already have the facilities to store the vaccine at the required temperature of -70C. But Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the government was doing everything it could to overcome \"significant challenges\" to ensure care home residents were vaccinated as soon as possible.\n\nDo you have an appointment to be vaccinated? Get in touch by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "Johan van Zyl said Brexit and Covid were a \"double whammy\" for Toyota\n\nThe boss of Toyota's European business has warned that a no-deal Brexit could make its UK plants uncompetitive.\n\nDr Johan van Zyl said such an outcome would create a \"very negative investment environment\" in Britain and be \"very, very negative\" for his business.\n\nHe told the BBC the combination of Brexit and the Covid crisis was a \"double whammy\" for the carmaker.\n\nToyota has two plants in the UK, which employ about 3,000 people in total.\n\nBut Mr van Zyl said no decisions on the future of its UK plants - a car factory at Burnaston in Derbyshire and an engine facility at Deeside in North Wales - could be taken until the outcome of trade talks was known.\n\nLike other manufacturers, Toyota has been badly affected by the Covid outbreak. Both its UK plants were forced to suspend production during the spring lockdown, while showrooms were also forced to close.\n\nNow the company is forecasting a strong recovery for its European business. But according to Dr van Zyl, its UK recovery could be made more difficult by Brexit.\n\n\"We have Brexit, and we have Covid, and this is a double whammy which is happening to us\", he said during an online media event.\n\n\"When it comes to the recovery… it's going to be more difficult if Brexit of course is negative, or a hard Brexit\".\n\nThe company has, he said, already taken steps to mitigate the impact of a no-deal scenario - but there is a limit to what it can do.\n\n\"What we could put in place, we have done - in terms of adjusting our systems, looking at customs procedures which will be required, looking at increasing stock levels.\n\n\"Up to a point we can do it. But you can't do a huge amount of that - it's only a limited few days.\n\n\"So it can be very, very negative for our business if we have a no-deal scenario. Very negative. And even if there is a deal, we need to know the content of the deal. We need to get those details to really be able to establish what is the real impact. We haven't seen those yet\".\n\nIt is not yet clear what the future holds for Toyota's UK plants. The company recently invested £240m in equipping the Burnaston factory to build its latest vehicle platforms.\n\nDr van Zyl insists that: \"We have confidence in our colleagues in the UK. They're doing an excellent job so far\".\n\nBut the longer-term outlook may be bleaker, in an industry where product cycles tend to last around seven years.\n\n\"We have always said that if, for instance Brexit, is very negative, it will be a very negative investment environment, so we need first to see the outcome before we can judge what we are really going to do\", he says.\n\nTariffs on cross channel trade, he explains, could make a big difference.\n\n\"If 90% of what you produce in the UK is exported to the EU, and you've got to do it at a duty, then you're not competitive. You will not be able to compete with plants in Europe. So it is a very difficult situation\n\n\"But let's see what the outcome of the negotiations is, then we can really decide what we're going to do.\"", "A chief executive of Europe's largest online fashion site has announced plans to step down from his role, saying his wife's \"professional ambitions should take priority\".\n\nRubin Ritter has been co-chief executive of Zalando since 2010.\n\nThe company, which began as a Berlin-based start-up 12 years ago, now has 36 million customers and recorded revenue of €6.5bn (£5.8bn) last year.\n\nHe will step down in May, cutting short a contract that runs to late-2023.\n\n\"My wife and I have agreed that for the coming years, her professional ambitions should take priority,\" Mr Ritter said in a statement.\n\n\"I want to devote more time to my growing family. After more than 11 amazing years where Zalando has been my priority, I feel that it is time to give my life a new direction.\"\n\nThe company declined to name Mr Ritter's wife or her occupation. But it said the couple had one child and were expecting another in early 2021.\n\nMr Ritter, 38, earned €6.8m in 2019 and €20.2m in 2018, making him one of Germany's highest paid executives.\n\nZalando's other two bosses, Robert Gentz and David Schneider, will continue to lead the company, the firm said.\n\nMr Ritter has been spearheading efforts to improve equality at Zalando, which sells fashion and beauty products in 17 countries.\n\nCurrently no women sit on its management board and its gender pay gap is 22% in favour of men, slightly wider than the national average in Germany.\n\nHowever, in November Mr Ritter said the retailer was progressing towards its goal of achieving balanced representation in its top tiers of management by 2023.\n\n\"While transformation takes time, and we are still at the beginning of our journey, our progress indicates that we are moving in the right direction,\" Mr Ritter said.\n\nThe executive has been in charge of strategy and communications on the three-way management team, but he was also finance chief until last year.\n\nCommenting on Mr Ritter's decision, Mr Gentz said: \"When we started to ship the first shoes to our customers from the basement of our office, we did not know where the journey would lead us.\n\n\"It is impossible to overstate Rubin's impact on Zalando's success.\"\n\nZalando's customers are spread across 17 countries. The online platform sells accessories and beauty products alongside fashion.\n\nHave you taken a step back from your own career to help your partner progress at work? Email your story to: haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.\n• None Boohoo dropped by Next, Asos and Zalando", "Mike Ashley has bought other struggling businesses including House of Fraser and Evans Cycles\n\nMike Ashley's Frasers Group has confirmed it is working on a possible last minute rescue of Debenhams.\n\nThe department store chain is currently set to shut all its stores by the end of next March, putting 12,000 jobs at risk, after administrators failed to find a buyer for the business.\n\nMr Ashley has bought other struggling High Street businesses and used to be a major shareholder in Debenhams.\n\nBut Frasers said there was \"no certainty\" it could save the chain.\n\nOne of the biggest issues, it said, was the collapse into administration last week of another High Street giant, Arcadia, which is the biggest concession holder in Debenhams department stores.\n\nLiquidators moved in to Debenhams' stores on Wednesday to start clearing stock after a potential rescue deal with JD Sports fell through.\n\nMike Ashley, who founded Sports Direct and also owns House of Fraser, had already made an offer for Debenhams after it was initially put up for sale in April.\n\nBut this approach, thought to be in the region of £125m, was rejected as too low, leaving JD Sports as the last remaining bidder.\n\nIt is understood Mr Ashley was only interested in taking on about 30 stores out of 124.\n\nIn a statement issued on Monday, Frasers Group said that while it \"hopes that a rescue package can be put in place and jobs saved, time is short and the position is further complicated by the recent administration of the Arcadia Group\".\n\n\"There is no certainty that any transaction will take place, particularly if discussions cannot be concluded swiftly.\"\n\nMr Ashley has made no secret of his desire to acquire Debenhams in the past.\n\nHe built up a 29% stake in the chain, but saw his £150m holding wiped out last year when the company fell into administration and then ended up in the hands of its lenders, a consortium led by hedge fund Silverpoint.\n\nFor Mike Ashley this is the final throw of the dice in his efforts to own Debenhams.\n\nThe big question now is how much will he up his offer and will it be credible enough for the administrators and ultimately Debenhams' lenders?\n\nHe's up against what sum the administrators think they can recover from liquidating the chain. Harsh as it may sound, in these situations, the priority is to secure as much value for creditors as possible as opposed to saving jobs and stores.\n\nMike Ashley should never be underestimated, but his is by no means a done deal. If he can clinch an 11th-hour agreement then Debenhams lives on, but ultimately the chain is likely to have far fewer stores.\n\nStockbroker Shore Capital said the latest bid could be Mike Ashley's \"last play\" on the retailer.\n\nIn a note, it said any potential rescue deal would centre on the chain's \"current and future stock position\" and that it was unclear how many Debenhams stores would survive given many were located near to House of Fraser shops.\n\n\"Frasers is known to be a hard negotiator and will probably walk away rather than over pay,\" it added.\n\nBefore Debenhams went into liquidation, the business had called in administrators twice in two years, most recently in April.\n\nThe 242-year-old retailer has struggled for years with falling profits and rising debts as more shopping moved online. But its position became untenable in the pandemic as non-essential retailers were forced to close for prolonged periods.\n\nThe firm had already trimmed its store portfolio and cut about 6,500 jobs since May as it struggled to stay afloat.", "An Italian man stepped outside to cool off after quarrelling with his wife - and ended up walking 450km (280 miles).\n\nItalians have nicknamed him \"Forrest Gump\" on social media, after the slow-witted hero of a 1994 movie, played by Tom Hanks, who runs thousands of miles across the United States.\n\nPolice stopped the Italian's epic walk at 2am in Fano on the Adriatic coast, a week after he left Como in the north.\n\nThe man, 48, got a €400 (£362; $485) police fine for breaching the curfew.\n\nThe story was first reported by the Bologna-based newspaper Il Resto del Carlino but quickly went viral in Italian media.\n\nSome comments on social media presented the man as heroic and criticised the fine. One said he should have been rewarded - not fined - and given a new pair of shoes. Another praised him for walking off to cool his anger, rather than resorting to violence.\n\nThe man told police \"I came here on foot, I didn't use any transport\". He said \"along the way I met people who offered me food and drink\". \"I'm OK, just a bit tired,\" he said, having averaged 60km daily.\n\nPolice found him wandering aimlessly and cold at night on a coastal highway.\n\nAfter checking his ID in their database they found that his wife had reported him missing, so they contacted her and she travelled to Fano to collect him.\n\nThe Italian reports did not say how she reacted upon learning that he had picked up a €400 fine.\n\nWATCH: How Italians struggled with lockdown in April:\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The mental health toll as Italians struggle to cope with Europe's strictest and longest-running lockdown", "There is nothing surprising about the prime minister going to Brussels in the closing throes of a negotiation that's lasted many months.\n\nThat's a standard piece of political choreography - essentially, the bosses get to sign it off, and get their \"grip and grin\" moment.\n\nThe big headlines of drama, before the last-minute victory.\n\nIt was only the personal chemistry/diplomatic charm/tough muscle-flexing of the politician at the top of the tree (delete as applicable) that got his almost impossible deal over the final line.\n\nThe saga may well follow that well-worn script in the end.\n\nIt is still possible that by the end of the week, Boris Johnson will head to Brussels and return the conquering hero to his supporters, proving the naysayers who told him a deal couldn't be done wrong, again.\n\nMaking his many detractors gnash their teeth, he would prove the politician who seems to court disaster, but whose toast always lands butter side up in the end.\n\nBut as I write tonight, it just doesn't feel that way.\n\nFirst off, Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen have spent a significant amount of time talking in the last few days.\n\nYes, it's been virtual. And yes, the chemistry in the room does matter, of course.\n\nBut the two principals here have had two very lengthy private individual exchanges that don't seem to have resulted in any willingness on either side to compromise, or new instructions to their negotiators to budge.\n\nWhat is it that they will suddenly be able to realise or discover in the meeting - perhaps on Wednesday or Friday this week - that they haven't yet?\n\nBoris Johnson rang Ursula von der Leyen for the second time in a week on Monday.\n\nNext, as their official statement makes plain, their conversations have not been about a few pesky details that need to be ironed out.\n\nThey have made plain that the official negotiations have basically been exhausted and there are still big gaps.\n\nTrue, there is only a tiny circle of people who know exactly what is going on.\n\nBut the messages coming out from the centre are that much more than a nip and tuck is required to get this done.\n\nThey haven't asked their negotiators to have another go. They've asked them to sit down and make a list of all the things that are wrong.\n\nIn tone, it's very different to previous such moments, when the leaders were required to put the icing on a cake that was very nearly baked.\n\nAnd lastly, the expectations regarding an agreement have really shifted since this time last week. Even former strong Remainers now in the cabinet totally accept the notion of no agreement being reached.\n\nOne of them told me: \"If it fails, it wouldn't be fair to point the finger at London as the villain of the piece. The uniform approach of the EU suddenly looks very ropey, and they have been left exposed.\"\n\nAnother said \"everyone is just so fed up\" of \"EU game playing\".\n\nInside the government, it doesn't seem there would be an effort to stop the prime minister if he decides to walk away.\n\nOn the EU side, hopes aren't high about what can be achieved by the two leaders when they meet.\n\nOne source said: \"It feels like Saint Nick didn't bring you what you wanted, and we keep hoping every day he may after all.\"\n\nNow, before you scream, the two sides both still want a deal of course. And it makes sense to the EU and the UK to find an agreement.\n\nNot to do so would affect the economy, security, Northern Ireland, and so much more.\n\nAnd for the vast majority of those involved, to fail in this endeavour would be a historic political accident.\n\nBut sentiment is drifting away from a happy conclusion.\n\nIt's not obvious that a face-to-face meeting between two very different politicians will turn that back.\n• None What does Australia have to do with Brexit?", "Shoppers flocked to High Streets and shopping malls across England this weekend, but in numbers well below pre-pandemic levels.\n\nIt was the first weekend since stores in England reopened on Wednesday.\n\nMany business owners are pinning their hopes on a curtailed pre-Christmas trading period, having endured two national lockdowns already this year.\n\nBut on average, shopper numbers were a quarter below 2019 levels, according to market research firm Springboard.\n\nIt says across the UK as a whole, footfall was down by 30% compared to the same December weekend last year.\n\nIt comes on the back of a dreadful week for the retail industry with Topshop-owner Arcadia falling into administration and Debenhams saying it would be closing its 124 stores by March after it failed to find a buyer.\n\nCentral London remains far emptier than usual because of the coronavirus pandemic, despite some crowds flocking to specially pedestrianised shopping areas in Regent Street on Saturday.\n\nOn Sunday, shopper numbers in the capital were half what they would normally be weeks out from Christmas, Springboard reported.\n\nBoutique-owner Rowena Howie says her central London store had far fewer shoppers than a normal December weekend\n\nRowena Howie, who runs a womenswear boutique called Revival Retro in central London, said there were far fewer shoppers in her store than she would normally expect in the lead up to Christmas.\n\n\"We definitely wouldn't have been as busy in the shop as we might have been in a normal year, particularly in the first weekend of December,\" she said.\n\nAlthough Ms Howie - who took part in a campaign promoting small businesses on Saturday - said strong online sales meant she was able to record a good day's trading, the first since before Covid-19.\n\n\"We're in Fitzrovia, having a bricks and mortar store, our takings have been really impacted,\" she said.\n\nAnna Blackburn, managing director of jewellery chain Beaverbrooks, said footfall had increased by about 10% in its 70 High Street stores this weekend.\n\n\"There has been a trend of reducing footfall for sometime, but an increase in the average transaction size. People coming to the High Street are definitely spending more money,\" she told the BBC's Today programme.\n\nMs Blackburn said there had also been a spike in wedding and engagement ring sales. \"It's been a tough year, people want to treat their loved ones.\"\n\nShoppers appear more eager to visit retail parks than malls and High Streets. On Saturday, footfall numbers for England's retail parks were slightly higher than they were this time last year, but on Sunday they fell back and were 10% below last year's figure.\n\nShoppers queue up outside Primark in Coventry this weekend.\n\nWe are still a nation of shoppers. Overall, retail sales are above pre-pandemic levels, according to the ONS.\n\nBut that number masks a mixed picture of what we're buying and how we are buying it.\n\nClothing sales for example are down by 25%. And there has been a dramatic shift to online, accelerating a growing trend.\n\nIt's this dramatic change that has been so devastating for the High Street.\n\nSome of the pictures from this weekend might seem to show a bounce back.\n\nBut the figures show that the numbers of people out and about are well down on last December. That comes on top of lengthy closures for non-essential shops.\n\nThe Centre for Retail Research predicts more than 20,000 shops will close compared to 16,000 last year - and that job losses will rise to 235,000 people compared to 143,000 last year.\n\nThe cost of running a shop is just too much for many. One independent retailer in central London told me she couldn't see herself still in bricks and mortar next year.\n\nDespite a 12-month break from business rates offered by the government, the rent, coupled with falling shopper numbers, is just too much to bear.\n\nIn one encouraging sign for retailers and small business owners, shoppers seem far more comfortable returning to public shopping areas after the second national lockdown than they did after the first.\n\nFootfall across England was 60% higher this weekend than on 20-21 June, the first weekend shops were allowed to reopen after the country's first lockdown, which began in March.\n\n\"Part of this is timing - the proximity to Christmas means there is huge pent up demand amongst consumers to shop in store to purchase gifts,\" said Diane Wehrle, Springboard's marketing director.\n\n\"However, it is also an indicator of 'lockdown fatigue', whereby after many months of being restricted to their homes, consumers are keen to visit retail stores again, particularly to experience the excitement of Christmas.\n\n\"They have become accustomed to the 'new normal' that involves wearing face masks in stores and queuing in order to adhere to social distancing rules which we were not all comfortable with in June.\"", "Millwall and QPR players to stand arm-in-arm in 'show of solidarity' before Tuesday's match Last updated on .From the section Millwall\n\nMillwall players were booed when they took a knee before Saturday's match against Derby Millwall players will not take a knee before Tuesday's Championship fixture against QPR but will stand arm-in-arm in a \"show of solidarity for football's fight against discrimination\". It comes after some Millwall fans booed the players taking a knee before Saturday's defeat by Derby at The Den. Players of both teams will collectively hold up an anti-racism banner. Millwall's regular shirt sponsor will be replaced with the logo of anti-discrimination body Kick It Out. In a statement, Millwall said: \"Millwall believe that this gesture, which the club hopes to repeat with other visiting teams in the coming weeks and months, will help to unify people throughout society in the battle to root out all forms of discrimination. \"Millwall have a zero-tolerance policy against racial and all other forms of discrimination and want to again make clear to anybody who holds such views that you are not welcome at this football club. Millwall's stance, as always, is that anybody found guilty of racial abuse is banned for life.\" The decision came after a meeting on Monday between both clubs, Kick It Out, Show Racism The Red Card, the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA), the Football Association (FA) and the English Football League (EFL). In a statement, the EFL welcomed the decision of both clubs to \"continue to raise awareness of inequality and discrimination facing society\". \"Discrimination in any form is unacceptable and not welcome within our game or our communities - not today or any day,\" the statement said. \"Players often receive widespread criticism and negativity for merely doing their jobs but here they are leading the way, trying to effect positive change and they should be applauded for taking a stand, showing solidarity and setting an example for others to follow.\" Taking the knee is showing solidarity, not a political statement - Southgate Some QPR players will take the knee before Tuesday's game at The Den, despite having stopped the gesture earlier this season after director of football Les Ferdinand said its impact had \"been diluted\". Players, officials and staff at Premier League and EFL games have been taking a knee pre-match since football restarted in June in order to show their support for the Black Lives Matter movement for racial equality. The Den was able to host 2,000 home fans for the first time this season after the second national lockdown was lifted but the return of spectators was overshadowed by the booing, with which Millwall said they were \"dismayed and saddened\". The Millwall Supporters' Club said the booing was not motivated by racism, but instead in opposition to the political views held by the Black Lives Matter organisation. The FA has confirmed it is investigating the incident at Millwall, and a similar one at Colchester United's League Two game against Grimsby Town. If it finds that the actions were discriminatory, the clubs could face fines. Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club, former England defender Micah Richards said booing is \"not acceptable\". \"Millwall fans, from their point of view, this whole movement is becoming political. They're saying they don't think the players at their club should want to kneel because of what Black Lives Matter represents in their mind,\" he said. \"If they're booing that, it's not acceptable, but it's free speech and that is their opinion, but I think people are taking Black Lives Matter in a different context and changing the actual narrative of what it's all about. \"When the players are taking the knee they are not saying black lives matter and they are any better than white lives, they are trying to say it's a stand for equality and unity and that is why they are taking the knee.\" Sources described this evening's meeting as \"difficult but productive\". It is understood the PFA was critical of the EFL's perceived lack of involvement, a feeling many at the club share, having told it beforehand of what they feared was likely to happen at The Den on Saturday. There are many unanswered questions for football and Millwall in particular and evidently solutions will not be easy. However, the sense of desperation hanging round the club on Monday has now been replaced by a mixture of trepidation and optimism. No-one at the club can be entirely sure of what will happen when the QPR players take a knee as planned before kick-off but the noises among fans on social media who backed the booing on Saturday is that these measures should be supported. Millwall can only hope this is what happens. Because if what happened on Saturday is repeated, even insiders know the damage to the club will be catastrophic.\n• None Missed out on the weekend's Premier League action? All the goals and highlights are streaming now", "The much-loved combination of beer and crisps is being harnessed for the first time to tackle climate change.\n\nCrisps firm Walkers has adopted a technique it says will slash CO2 emissions from its manufacturing process by 70%.\n\nThe technology will use CO2 captured from beer fermentation in a brewery, which is then mixed with potato waste and turned into fertiliser.\n\nIt will then be spread on UK fields to feed the following year's potato crop.\n\nCreating fertiliser normally produces high CO2 emissions, but the technology adopted by Walkers makes fertiliser without generating CO2.\n\nIt stops the emission of brewery CO2 into the atmosphere – and it saves on the CO2 normally generated by fertiliser manufacture.\n\nThis ingenious double whammy was developed with a grant from the UK government by a 14-employee start-up called CCm.\n\nThe fertiliser was trialled on potato seed beds this year, and next year Walkers will install CCm equipment at its Leicester factory to prepare for its 2022 crop.\n\nA decision has not yet been made on which brewery Walkers will work with on this.\n\nThe new technology adds to carbon-saving techniques already under way.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Sir David Attenborough has been a staunch defender of the planet and its biodiversity\n\nThe firm has installed an anaerobic digester, which feeds potato waste to bacteria to produce useful methane.\n\nThe methane is burned to make electricity for the crisp-frying process – so this saves on burning fossil fuel gas.\n\nThe new system will go a step further by taking away potato “cake” left after digestion - and stirring the brewery CO2 into it to make an enriched fertiliser which will help put carbon back into the soil as well as encouraging plant growth.\n\nIt’s an example of scientists finding ways to use CO2 emissions which otherwise would increase the over-heating of the planet.\n\nThe CCm Technologies falls into the industrial category of Carbon Capture and Usage (CCU).\n\nRelated inventions are already being harnessed in novel ways to create fuels, polymers, fertilisers, proteins, foams and building blocks.\n\nCCU is currently at a tiny scale, though - partly because the technologies are new, and partly because production of waste CO2 from society vastly outweighs demand for it.\n\nCCU is a sister technology to the better-established Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) which catches emissions from chimneys, compresses them and pumps them into underground rocks where they can’t heat the climate.\n\nThe prime minister is keen on CCS, which can be used on a large scale.\n\nFertiliser plants like this one using CO2 in Swindon can help solve the problem of climate change\n\nKaty Armstrong, manager of the Carbon Utilisation Centre at Sheffield University, previously told BBC News: “We need products for the way we live - and everything we do has an impact.\n\n\"We need to manufacture our products without increasing CO2 emissions, and if we can use waste CO2 to help make them, so much the better.”\n\nMany of the young carbon usage firms are actually carbon-negative: that means they take in more CO2 than they put out.\n\nThese firms are pioneers in what’s known as the circular economy, in which wastes are turned into raw materials.\n\nThe EU is trying to prompt all industries to adopt this principle, because firms will need to emit zero emissions by 2050.\n\nWalkers brand owner, PepsiCo, is looking to extend the CCm project by feeding oats and corn with the “circular” fertiliser.\n\nDavid Wilkinson from PepsiCo’s said: “This innovation could provide learnings for the whole of the food system, enabling the agriculture sector to play its part in combating climate change.\n\n“This is just the beginning of an ambitious journey, we’re incredibly excited to trial the fertiliser on a bigger scale and discover its full potential.”\n\nCCm says it produces CO2-based fertiliser at roughly the same price as the conventional product.\n\nCO2 from the production of conventional fertilisers has been a large factor in keeping emissions from agriculture static as most other emissions across society have been falling.\n\nPeter Hammond from CCm told BBC News: “There has been an increase in public awareness that we should get something done about the climate – and lot of baby steps have come together to make something significant.\n\n“The key challenge for us as a business wasn’t getting down the cost – it was marketing the fertiliser. This link with PepsiCo takes care of that for us.”\n\nPepsiCo has a mixed record on the environment.\n\nIt has long been among the leaders in tackling carbon emissions, and it recently committed to eliminating all virgin plastic from its bottles sold in nine European states by 2022.\n\nBut a recent survey from by the Break Free From Plastic Campaign ranked it second highest (after Coke) in the amount of plastic pollution it creates.\n\nSome environmentalists consider Pepsi to be among the symbols of the throwaway culture, with its plastic waste found in 43 countries.", "Former Court of Appeal judge Sir Peter Gross has been appointed to lead an independent review of the Human Rights Act.\n\nThe government wants to examine whether the 1998 act - which allows UK nationals to rely on the European Convention of Human Rights in domestic courts - is working effectively.\n\nA panel of eight is expected to report its findings by next summer.\n\nJustice Secretary Robert Buckland insisted that \"human rights are deeply rooted in our constitution and the UK has a proud tradition of upholding and promoting them at home and abroad.\"\n\nWhile previous Conservative governments had promised to replace the existing act entirely with a new Bill of Rights, the 2019 Conservative Party manifesto said it would only be \"updated\".\n\nThe government insists it remains committed to the European Convention - which includes articles on fair trials, freedom of expression, free elections and privacy - but wants to look at its application in the UK.\n\nIt says the case law of the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg has evolved over time and it is right to look at how UK courts respond.\n\nThe panel, led by Sir Peter, is expected to evaluate whether UK judges are being drawn into policy matters, traditionally decided by politicians.\n\nMinisters see the review as part of a wider constitutional reappraisal, examining the relationship between the judiciary, the executive and Parliament.\n\nMr Buckland recently described prisoner votes - mandated by the court in Strasbourg but opposed by the government - as a \"difficult case\" relating to the Human Rights Act.\n\nAnd writing in the Telegraph, he said the Human Rights Act allowed courts to rewrite laws passed in Parliament to ensure they comply with the European Convention on Human Rights. He said this had \"not always been limited to minor, uncontroversial technical changes\".\n\nHe said it \"is surely worth asking whether...such important and controversial decisions should be returned to Parliament\".\n\nA separate panel is already looking at whether there is a need to reform the process of judicial review - where a judge decides the lawfulness of a decision or action made by a public body, in response to a challenge over the way the decision was made.\n\nCampaigners say the government is already trying to place limitations on the Human Rights Act through other proposed legislation.\n\nThe civil liberties campaigning group Liberty said it was concerned the review would focus on \"limiting our ability\" to challenge governments \"when they make bad decisions\".\n\nFor Labour, shadow justice secretary David Lammy said: \"It is bonkers that the government is prioritising launching an attack on human rights in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic.\"\n\nHe added: \"There is no need for a review into the rights and freedoms that underpin our democracy and all of us enjoy.\"\n\nThe European Convention predates the European Union and is separate to it.", "Chris and Henry Flanagan-Kane are one of 1,300 same-sex couples in Northern Ireland who can now convert their civil partnerships into marriages\n\nChris and Henry Flanagan-Kane were the first gay men in the UK to get a civil partnership back in 2005.\n\nBut they were left in a legal limbo when the laws were changed to allow same-sex couples to get married in NI.\n\nThose already in civil partnerships were denied the retrospective right to marriage, sparking a long legal battle.\n\nAs of Monday, more than 1,300 same-sex couples in Northern Ireland can convert their civil partnerships into marriages.\n\nThe Flanagan-Kanes were among the first going through the process.\n\nFinance Minister Conor Murphy said 17 couples were expected to convert their civil partnerships to marriages on Monday, with a total of 32 planned for this week.\n\nMr Murphy said that as \"a gesture of support\", he had waived the conversion fee for those couples and for all couples who wish to convert their civil partnership to a marriage for a year.\n\nLooking forward to their ceremony, Chris said it was worth the court case to finally have their love recognised as equal.\n\n\"Love is love,\" he said. \"If you fall in love, you want to get married and want the same rights as our heterosexual brothers and sisters.\n\n\"But in Northern Ireland we were denied the right to have equal marriage.\"\n\nChris and Henry Flanagan-Kane with their son Aodhan\n\nIn 2005, they initially thought they would only be able to get a blessing as a recognition they were a couple.\n\nBut a chance phone call revealed they could actually be the first to use the new rights to a same-sex civil partnership.\n\n\"We come from a strong family unit and we always grew up believing that when you met somebody and you fall in love you go and get married,\" said Chris.\n\n\"Unfortunately we couldn't, but the next best thing then was to get a civil partnership so we waited for that.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. 'This is just a day of equality' - civil partnerships can now be converted to marriages in NI\n\nAnother important thing for the Flanagan-Kanes was to become parents together - but adoption for same-sex couples in Northern Ireland was banned until 2013.\n\nWhen the ban was lifted and they successfully adopted their two children - Aodhan, eight, and Evelyn, two - Chris said they found there was still \"discrimination\" around civil partnerships.\n\nHe said: \"When we were filling in primary school forms and ticking a civil partnership box, you were kind of setting yourself up for discrimination before anyone had even met you.\n\n\"We were going in somewhere with a big flashing sign saying 'I'm gay' - so other people with opinions on that or who were prejudiced against that, they were forming them already before they had even met you.\n\n\"So that was a big thing for us as well, about getting full, equal marriage rights.\"\n\nThat experience meant the new parents increasingly felt they needed to be married as opposed to being in a civil partnership.\n\nChris said they did not want their children to grow up feeling their family was not worth as much as other families.\n\n\"It was for the kids and for the future,\" he said.\n\n\"We don't want our kids growing up thinking we're not equal to everyone else in the world, that we're lesser people or we're doing something wrong.\n\n\"We'll have been in a civil partnership 15 years next month, we've got two kids - you know what, we're doing better than some heterosexual couples and we've lasted a lot longer too.\"\n\nThey teamed up with a lesbian couple in the same predicament, crowdfunded legal fees and took the NI Office to court over the decision not to allow conversions.\n\nChris and Henry Flanagan-Kane at their civil partnership ceremony in 2005\n\nNew regulations to allow conversions from 7 December were introduced to Parliament in October by Northern Ireland minister Robin Walker.\n\nSo on Monday, the Flanagan-Kanes will be able to hold their marriage ceremony at Belfast City Hall, which will be retrospectively applied back to 2005.\n\nThat means they can celebrate their 15th anniversary on 19 December as an officially married couple.\n\n\"It's been a long, long slog,\" he said.\n\n\"It's been through a lot of people fighting behind the scenes to try and get these rights.\n\n\"We're not asking for anything special - we're just looking for the same human rights as everyone else.\"", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The Space Oddity singer's image headed for the stars\n\nThe Royal Mint has - quite literally - launched a commemorative coin celebrating the career of David Bowie.\n\nThe Mint, based in Llantrisant, sent the coin to an altitude of 35,656m (116,982ft) as it revealed the third edition of its Music Legends series.\n\nThe Starman, Life on Mars? and Space Oddity singer follows Queen and Elton John in being honoured with a coin.\n\nOne of the most influential musicians of his era, Bowie died of cancer in 2016 aged 69.\n\nThe coin reached an altitude of 35,656m (116,982ft)\n\nThe one ounce silver proof coin journeyed for 45 minutes before safely descending and is being offered as a competition prize.\n\nThere are a number of versions, ranging in price from £13 for a £5 coin to £72,195 for a £1,000 denomination coin.\n\nThe coins range in price from £13 to £72,195\n\nThe Mint said the design had been inspired by an image of Bowie from his time spent living and recording in Berlin. It features the iconic lightning bolt motif from Aladdin Sane, and captures Bowie's career journey.\n\nThanks to \"the latest innovative technology and manufacturing techniques\", the Mint said the lightning bolt that features on a number of the special edition coins appears to be laced with stardust to create a glitter effect.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\n\"In recognition of Bowie's first hit single Space Oddity, we felt it was fitting to send his coin into space and celebrate the Starman in his own pioneering fashion,\" said Clare Maclennan, from the Mint.\n\n\"David Bowie's music has inspired and influenced generations of musicians and we hope this commemorative coin will be cherished by fans around the world.\"", "The relationship between Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales, is covered in series four\n\nNetflix says it will not warn viewers of The Crown some scenes are fiction.\n\nResponding to calls for a warning from Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden, the streaming giant said the series has always been billed as a drama.\n\n\"As a result we have no plans, and see no need, to add a disclaimer,\" it said.\n\nMr Dowden earlier said younger viewers \"may mistake fiction for fact\" when watching the fourth series, which shows the breakdown of the marriage between the Prince and Princess of Wales.\n\nThe Crown's creator Peter Morgan has called the show \"an act of creative imagination\" with a \"constant push-pull\" between research and drama.\n\nIts latest series has attracted criticism from some quarters for its depiction of royal events - in particular the breakdown of the marriage of Prince Charles and Diana.\n\nThe culture secretary said last week Netflix should make clear the show was fiction.\n\n\"I fear a generation of viewers who did not live through these events may mistake fiction for fact,\" Oliver Dowden told the Mail on Sunday.\n\nHe said Netflix's \"beautifully produced work of fiction... should be very clear at the beginning it is just that\".\n\nBut the streaming giant said in a statement, first reported by the Mail: \"We have always presented The Crown as a drama - and we have every confidence our members understand it's a work of fiction that's broadly based on historical events.\n\n\"As a result we have no plans - and see no need - to add a disclaimer.\"\n\nEarl Spencer, brother of the late Diana, Princess of Wales, previously told ITV's Lorraine Kelly he was worried some viewers would take the storylines \"as gospel\".\n\n\"I think it would help The Crown an enormous amount if, at the beginning of each episode, it stated that: 'This isn't true but it is based around some real events',\" he said.\n\nEmma Corrin successfully transforms her character into the glamorous Princess Diana overshadowing Prince Charles, played by Josh O'Connor\n\nFormer Buckingham Palace press secretary Dickie Arbiter has accused the show of \"stretching dramatic licence to the extreme\".\n\n\"It's a hatchet job on Prince Charles and a bit of a hatchet job on Diana,\" Mr Arbiter told the BBC.\n\nMeanwhile, ex-royal correspondent Jennie Bond told the BBC Newscast podcast she feared some viewers might treat the show \"as a documentary\".", "A space capsule containing the first significant quantities of rock from an asteroid has arrived safely on Earth after being launched from Japanese spacecraft Hayabusa-2.\n\nThe container with material from a space rock called Ryugu parachuted down near Woomera in South Australia, amidst excitement and applause.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Prime Minister Boris Johnson announces new deal between UK and EU\n\nThe EU and UK have reached a post-Brexit trade deal, ending months of disagreements over fishing rights and future business rules.\n\nAt a Downing Street press conference, Boris Johnson said: \"We have taken back control of our laws and our destiny.\"\n\nThe text of the agreement has yet to be released, but the PM claimed it was a \"good deal for the whole of Europe\".\n\nThe UK is set to exit EU trading rules next Thursday - a year after officially leaving the 27 nation bloc.\n\nIt will mean big changes for business, with the UK and EU forming two separate markets, and the end of free movement.\n\nBut the trade deal will come as a major relief to many British businesses, already reeling from the impact of coronavirus, who feared disruption at the borders and the imposition of tariffs, or taxes on imports.\n\nAs the deal was announced, Mr Johnson - who had repeatedly said the UK would \"prosper mightily\" without a deal - tweeted a picture of himself smiling with both thumbs lifted in the air.\n\nIn a press conference in Brussels, European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen said: \"This was a long and winding road but we have got a good deal to show for it.\"\n\nShe said the deal was \"fair\" and \"balanced\" and it was now \"time to turn the page and look to the future\". The UK \"remains a trusted partner,\" she added.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nAt his press conference, Boris Johnson said the £668bn a year agreement would \"protect jobs across this country\" and \"enable UK goods to be sold without tariffs, without quotas in the EU market\".\n\nHe acknowledged he had been forced to give ground on his demands on fishing.\n\n\"The EU began with I think wanting a transition period of 14 years, we wanted three years, we've ended up at five years,\" he said.\n\nAnd he said the UK had not got all it wanted on financial services, a vital part of the UK economy, but he insisted the deal was \"nonetheless going to enable our dynamic City of London to get on and prosper as never before\".\n\nMost of the UK - except from Northern Ireland - will no longer participate in the Erasmus student exchange scheme, which Mr Johnson said was because it is \"extremely expensive\" - but a British option called the Turing Scheme will provide an alternative, he added.\n\nStudents in NI will still be able to take part thanks to an arrangement with the Irish government.\n\nThe UK's chief trade negotiator Lord Frost said the full text of the free trade agreement would be published soon.\n\nThe UK Parliament will be recalled on 30 December to vote on the deal - it will also need to be ratified by the European Parliament.\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer - who campaigned against Brexit - said his party would vote for the deal in the Commons, ensuring it will pass.\n\nHe said it was \"a thin agreement\" that \"does not provide adequate protections\" for jobs, manufacturing, financial services or workplace rights and \"is not the deal the government promised\".\n\nBut with no time left to renegotiate, the only choice was between \"this deal or no deal,\" he added.\n\nNo deal would have \"terrible consequences for this country and the Labour Party cannot allow that to happen\", said the Labour leader, and that was why he had decided to back it.\n\nWales First Minister Mark Drakeford said a deal was better than no deal but criticised the timing just a week before the UK exits the EU single market and customs union.\n\nScotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: \"Brexit is happening against Scotland's will - and there is no deal that will ever make up for what Brexit takes away from us.\n\n\"It's time to chart our own future as an independent, European nation.\"\n\nTaoiseach (Irish prime minister) Micheál Martin said he would study the text of the deal but added: \"From what we have heard today, I believe that it represents a good compromise and a balanced outcome.\"\n\nBrexit Party leader Nigel Farage - who played a leading role in the campaign to get the UK out of the EU in the 2016 referendum - told the BBC the deal was \"far from perfect\" and that for fisheries in particular it was a \"rotten deal\" - but added: \"It's a lot better off than we were five years ago.\"\n\nOne fishing industry representative said the UK had made \"significant concessions on fish\", and \"there will be a lot of disappointed and frustrated fishermen tonight\".\n\n\"There will certainly be those that see this as selling out \", said Barrie Deas, the head of the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations.\n\nNegotiations in Brussels went down to the wire over what EU fishing boats are allowed to catch in UK waters. Fishing makes up just 0.12% of the UK's economy.\n\nIt is a massive achievement for both sides that they have done such a huge trade deal on the timetable that was said to be impossible at the start.\n\nWhatever your personal view, there's a sense of vindication in the camp of those who campaigned to leave the EU - they got a free trade deal with zero quotas and zero tariffs (although there may be some before you scream) but the UK will not be under European law.\n\nIt's no coincidence that David Frost's number two, Oliver Lewis, wrote the Vote Leave manifesto. No 10 believes the PM, who was propelled to his position by the Vote Leave tribe, has been able to keep his central Brexit promises.\n\nLook out for the \"rebalancing clause\" when the deal finally emerges - the mechanism where either side can request a change to the deal, or seek to punish the other side if they believe they are breaking the agreement.\n\nIn short, the UK side believes it means they have been able to achieve two clear objectives: the deal applies to both sides, it's reciprocal, but there is the possibility of exit if things go wrong, without collapsing the whole shebang.\n\nBut it's Christmas Eve, so I suspect you agree that's enough for now. The vote in Parliament is set for the 30th. The result is not in doubt, but the theory that's been agreed tonight, will only be tested in years to come.\n\nRead more from Laura on Twitter and her latest blog here.\n\nThe government's economic watchdog, the Office for Budget Responsibility, had warned that leaving without a deal would have shrunk the national income by 2% next year and led to major job losses.\n\nThere were also concerns it would lead to higher prices in the shops for many imported goods.\n\nThere are still big question marks about what the deal will mean for the rest of British business.\n\nFirms that trade with the 27 member states have carried on as normal for the past year during the so-called transition period that kicked in when Britain left the EU.\n\nThey will still face extra paperwork when the country leaves the EU single market and customs union next week.\n\nBut the threat of tariffs - import taxes - between the UK and its biggest trading partner will be removed.\n\nHow will Brexit affect you? Do you have any questions about the trade deal? Get in touch by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "Anastasia Yeschchenko was described as a brilliant student\n\nA Russian historian who admitted shooting and dismembering his student partner in St Petersburg has been jailed for 12 and a half years.\n\nOleg Sokolov, 63, an expert on the Napoleonic wars, pleaded guilty to the murder of Anastasia Yeshchenko, 24.\n\nHe was found drunk in a river in November 2019 with Ms Yeshchenko's severed arms in his backpack.\n\nWomen's rights activists say the case shows indifference towards harassment and domestic violence in Russia.\n\nAn online petition with more than 7,500 signatures accused St Petersburg State University of ignoring previous complaints from students against Sokolov.\n\nHe has now been dismissed from the university and from another academic post in France.\n\nIn court Sokolov admitted shooting Ms Yeshchenko four times with a sawn-off shotgun, before chopping up her body with a saw and kitchen knife. A stun pistol was also found in the backpack.\n\nPolice later found other body parts further downstream and in Sokolov's flat.\n\nHe is said to have planned to get rid of the body before publicly taking his own life while dressed as Napoleon.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Oleg Sokolov broke down in court and confessed to the killing\n\nMs Yeshchenko had moved to St Petersburg to study from Krasnodar region in southern Russia, and was a postgraduate student at the time of her death.\n\n\"She was quiet, sweet and always the ideal student,\" an acquaintance told Russia's RIA news agency in November 2019.\n\nRussian media reported that her mother is a police lieutenant colonel and her father a school PE teacher. A brother once played as a goalkeeper for the national junior football team.\n\nA lawyer for the Yeshchenko family, Alexandra Baksheeva, said \"no jail term would bring [her] back\" but that they accepted the court's decision.\n\nSokolov had been living with Ms Yeshchenko for at least three years. He organised Napoleonic re-enactments - in which he played the part of Napoleon and she also took part.\n\nHe wrote dozens of historical research papers, some of them co-authored with Ms Yeshchenko.\n\nAccording to students quoted by AFP, Sokolov enjoyed speaking French and did impressions of Napoleon. They said he called Ms Yeshchenko \"Josephine\", after Napoleon's consort, and asked to be addressed as \"Sire\".\n\nIn court Sokolov alleged that Ms Yeshchenko had attacked him with a knife during a blazing row. It was then that he shot her.\n\nRussian media say he also blamed persecution by an academic rival for his actions.", "Levels of coronavirus are continuing to rise with one in 85 people in England infected, according to the Office for National Statistics.\n\nFigures for the week to 18 December estimate nearly 650,000 people have the virus, up from 570,000 the week before.\n\nLondon now has the highest percentage of people testing positive - more than 2%.\n\nIn Wales, the virus is infecting one in 60 people - a sharp increase. Infection levels are also up in Northern Ireland.\n\nIn Scotland, the percentage of people testing positive has decreased, equating to one in 140 people there with the virus, the ONS suggests.\n\nIt comes as a total of 521,594 people have been vaccinated against coronavirus in England over the two weeks since roll-out started, with thousands more across the UK nations. People aged 80 and over received 70% of these doses.\n\nIn Scotland 56,676 people have received the vaccine, in Wales the figure is 22,595 and in Northern Ireland it is 16,068.\n\nAccording to the ONS figures, there are sharp rises in levels of positive tests in the capital, the east of England, and the South East, where a new variant of the virus is spreading at a dangerous rate, according to government ministers.\n\nAbout two-thirds of people testing positive in these areas could have the new variant - but this is only an estimate, the ONS says.\n\nMeanwhile, case rates in London have doubled in one week, figures from Public Health England show, to 602 per 100,000 people.\n\nDr Yvonne Doyle, medical director at PHE, said: \"This will not be a normal Christmas for any of us.\n\n\"By continuing to reduce your contacts you can help to slow the spread of Covid-19. Remember that about one in three people may never experience any symptoms so could infect others without realising it.\"\n\nThere are two variants causing concern at the moment - the first, which emerged in Kent, is thought to be driving a rapid growth in cases and hospital admissions in the south and east of England in recent weeks.\n\nScientists advising government are worried the rest of the UK could experience the same thing, as the number of patients in hospital with Covid approaches levels of the spring peak.\n\nThis has led to strict rules being imposed on six million more people in England from 26 December when 40% of the country will be living under tier 4 restrictions.\n\nScientists say the new variant spreads more easily than other forms of the virus although they don't believe it causes more serious disease.\n\nThe second variant, which originated in South Africa and is causing a spike in cases there, was detected in two cases in the UK on Tuesday, prompting a ban on travel from the country.\n\nThe R, or reproduction number of the virus, is now between 1.1 and 1.3 for the UK, with regions in the south and east of England even higher, signalling that the epidemic is growing fast.\n\nThe ONS figures are based on tests of people in thousands of households across the UK whether they have symptoms or not, giving an accurate estimate of how many people are infected with the virus.\n\nProf Kevin McConway, emeritus professor of applied statistics at The Open University, says the figure of one in 85 people with the virus in England is \"worryingly high\".\n\nBut there is some good news - infection rates in the north of England have been falling in recent weeks.\n\n\"I hope that the new virus variant and any extra mixing of people over Christmas does not reverse the positive trends in those parts of the country,\" Prof McConway says.\n\nDaily UK government figures show there were 39,036 confirmed new cases on Thursday, slightly down from yesterday's record of 39,237. The total number of cases reported in the last week is nearly 50% higher than the week before.\n\nOn the same day, the deaths of another 574 people were reported within 28 days of a positive test for Covid-19.\n\nIt is almost inevitable that this figure will rise in the coming weeks as small numbers of those infected become seriously ill with the disease.\n\nThe latest figures show 21,286 people in hospital with Covid-19 as of Tuesday. The first wave peak was 21,683 people in hospital on 12 April.", "The Queen will not be making her annual trip to Sandringham this Christmas\n\nFor the past 32 years the Queen and other members of the Royal Family have spent Christmas at her estate in Sandringham, Norfolk. But this year, because of the coronavirus, the Queen has chosen instead to celebrate \"quietly\" at Windsor Palace. What will this mean for the Christmas regulars who gather at Sandringham?\n\nThis snap of the Royals in 2017 provided Karen Anvil with an income to carry out home renovations and help her daughter\n\nKaren Anvil and her daughter Rachel are regular Christmas Day visitors to church in Sandringham.\n\nMs Anvil shot to fame three years ago after her mobile telephone snap of the 'Fab Four' - The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Sussex - was bought by agencies and used worldwide. She describes the money she made from it as being \"like a lottery win\".\n\nKaren Anvil, with her daughter Rachel, captured images of the Royal Family used around the world\n\nHer good fortune was repeated in 2018 when she took and sold a photo of a pregnant Meghan.\n\n\"I would have liked to have gone this year but would probably have just got pictures of them in their face masks,\" says Ms Anvil.\n\nBut she admits seeing the Royal Family at Sandringham this year would have brought some much needed \"normality\" to her life.\n\nMs Anvil works as a nursing auxiliary at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge, where her daughter is also employed.\n\nShe says they might volunteer to work Christmas Day instead.\n\nSuper Royalist Mary Relph has spoken regularly with the Queen over the decades\n\nMary Relph, from Shouldham in Norfolk, is one of those Royal fans who gets her Christmas Day started by joining the throngs hoping to catch a glimpse, a wave or a chat with the Queen and members of her family.\n\nShe is known to the Queen by her first name, which, for someone who is not an aristocrat, politician or celebrity, is no mean feat.\n\nMrs Relph has been turning out each year to greet Her Majesty on Christmas morning since 1988.\n\n\"Ooh it's one of the biggest events Norfolk ever has, isn't it?\" she says.\n\nShe is disappointed by the cancellation of this year's gathering, but thinks the Queen has set an example to others by not going to Sandringham.\n\n\"I wasn't expecting them to come, not really, not after all the trouble with the [Covid-19] virus,\" says Mrs Relph.\n\n\"I think she's wise. I think we sort of knew with events she wouldn't come.\"\n\nFor her Sandringham visits, Mrs Relph is usually accompanied either by a friend from Dereham or with a Glaswegian friend she made one year amongst the crowd.\n\nShe says she normally gets her own \"spot\" from which she can watch and speak to members of the Royal Family.\n\n\"I'm one of the chosen few, I think, because I've been going for so many years,\" she says. \"I don't have to stand and queue at the gates like I used to. It's wonderful.\n\n\"We spoke to Kate last year and we always ask her about the children and what they're doing.\"\n\nPrincess Beatrice and Eugenie usually spend Christmas with the Queen\n\nPeter Gray, 61, and his wife Stella, 60, live on the Sandringham estate in the hamlet of Babingley.\n\nTurning out to watch the Royals has been part of their Christmas morning routine for the past eight years.\n\n\"It just makes our Christmas,\" says Mrs Gray. \"It's a good start to the day. We're up there by 07:00 GMT, take a flask, mince pies, sometimes brandy!\"\n\nHer husband Peter is a keen photographer and loves snapping the Royal Family.\n\nHe says his relatives in Australia wait for him to post his photos online.\n\n\"The rest of the family are going to be disappointed not to get my Royal photos this year,\" says Mr Gray.\n\n\"We get there and start queuing, start talking to people from all around the world. It's not just about seeing the royals, it's about the people from China, Canada, Australia and the US too.\n\n\"We stand by the same place each year to ensure a good spot, by the gate, as they come through. They don't normally talk to you heading into church but they do afterwards.\"\n\nPeter Gray captured the Duchess of Cornwall at a previous service\n\nPrince Philip and Prince Andrew among the crowds at Sandringham\n\nMrs Gray says she has been a royal fan \"forever\".\n\n\"I've spoken to Camilla, she's come up and said 'Merry Christmas'. Prince William has come up and said 'hello', too,\" she says.\n\n\"Prince Andrew has come up and been err, 'what are you all doing here? You should be at home'. He's quite abrupt!\n\n\"I don't think he understands why we're all out there in the freezing cold wanting to look round and see him, but we enjoy it.\"\n\nShe says things will be \"different\" this year, and a \"bit strange\".\n\n\"I suppose there are people for whom the day is their whole lives,\" she says. \"It's certainly a big part of our Christmas Day. But we're realists and it is what it is.\n\nUp to 5,000 people turn out to greet the Royal Family every Christmas Day at Sandringham\n\nAlso wondering how he will fill his Christmas morning is hair salon owner Tom Tokelove, 31, who lives in Dersingham, Norfolk, with his husband Ashley.\n\nThe couple and their three poodles have spent the past four Christmases \"freezing\" outside St Mary Magdalene Church.\n\n\"Why? It's such a magical morning,\" says Tom Tokelove. \"Everybody is happy.\n\n\"Even if you're not a massive royalist, it brings everyone together and it's just some way of keeping some sort of tradition.\"\n\nThe couple start the day with a glass of champagne before walking the 20 minutes to the estate.\n\n\"Last year we left at seven in the morning just to make sure we got there in the front of the queue,\" he says.\n\n\"We really, really wanted to see Kate and Wills. Kate said 'good morning' to myself as she glided by, looking very elegant with the children, too.\n\n\"And Charles waved and said 'Merry Christmas'.\"\n\nTom Tokelove caught the Royals including Prince George walking from church to Sandringham House last Christmas\n\nThe Tokeloves usually only stop to watch the Royal Family head into church.\n\nBut last year they stayed on and joined in with the carols as the service was broadcast to those outside.\n\n\"It will be a much different dog walk this year - obviously there'll be no Royals about to celebrate with,\" says Mr Tokelove.\n\n\"[We'll] probably drink much more champagne in the morning and have a more relaxed day.\"\n\nAshley and Tom Tokelove (right) say they will miss their annual walk to Sandringham\n\nThe Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are among those who turn out to greet the public\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "King Felipe VI delivered the traditional annual speech from Zarzuela Palace in Madrid\n\nSpain's King Felipe VI made a veiled allusion to his self-exiled father's scandals in his Christmas address, saying \"ethics are above family ties\".\n\nIt was a small interlude in a speech centring on the coronavirus pandemic, where the king thanked health workers.\n\nThe former king, Juan Carlos, fled to Abu Dhabi in August as corruption allegations mounted.\n\nJuan Carlos has denied wrongdoing but his departure heightened debate about the future of the country's monarchy.\n\nThere has been much speculation as to whether Felipe VI would reference the controversy in the annual speech.\n\nAccording to El Pais newspaper, many felt it would be impossible to ignore in an end-of-year address, though no-one was sure how he would go about acknowledging the \"elephant in the room\".\n\nThough he did not specifically mention his father, many felt the connection was clear.\n\n\"In 2014, during my induction into parliament, I referred to the moral and ethical principles that citizens expect of us. Principles that apply to us all without exception, and that prevail over all considerations, whatever their nature may be, personal or familial,\" said the monarch.\n\nHe recognised that many families were dealing with grief and spending the holidays apart. And he spoke of a \"great national effort\" was needed to overcome the difficulties Covid-19 had caused.\n\nHe ruled for close to 40 years, before handing power to his son in 2014.\n\nThis decision came after a corruption investigation involving his daughter's husband and a controversial elephant-hunting holiday in the middle of Spain's financial crisis.\n\nIn June this year, Spain's Supreme Court launched a further investigation into Juan Carlos's alleged involvement in a high-speed rail contract in Saudi Arabia, after the ex-king lost his immunity from prosecution following his abdication.\n\nThen in August, the ex-king made the shock announcement that he was leaving Spain.\n\nHe has denied all allegations against him and said he would be available for interviews with prosecutors.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. King Juan Carlos, 76, has had health problems in recent years", "Parts of the UK have woken up to snowy scenes, with a \"white Christmas\" officially declared by the Met Office.\n\nSnowfall was spotted from Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to East Riding of Yorkshire and Northumberland.\n\nMost of the country will have clear and dry weather for Christmas Day but eastern parts of England have seen a light scattering of snow.\n\nIt came as more than 1,300 people were urged to leave their homes amid flooding in Bedfordshire.\n\n\"We've just had official confirmation that this Christmas is a white one!\" the Met Office tweeted just before 06:00 GMT.\n\nA family took the sledge for a spin near Hexham in Northumberland\n\nMany woke up to a frost covering their cars, streets and gardens on Christmas morning.\n\nAn early morning dusting of snow spotted in County Durham\n\nIt doesn't have to be deep and crisp and even to count as a white Christmas. Pictures from Richmond in North Yorkshire and Skidby in the East Riding of Yorkshire\n\nIn some places, a scattering of snow had settled overnight.\n\nAndy Brunning took a selfie with the \"sprinkling of snow\" in Ely, Cambridgeshire\n\nThe Met Office said most areas would see a dry and cold day, but there was a chance of more snow showers across eastern parts of England.\n\nSnow dusted cars in Hessle in East Yorkshire on Christmas morning\n\nElsewhere in the UK, people have been dealing with the fallout from heavy rain that led to flooding.\n\nHomes have been evacuated and a leisure centre shut after flooding in Suffolk.\n\nPolice in Northamptonshire said the emergency services evacuated more than 1,000 people from the Billing Aquadrome holiday park on Thursday night and water had reached up to 5ft deep in some places.\n\nSouth Wales Fire and Rescue Service dealt with 500 calls in a matter of hours between Wednesday night and Thursday morning.\n\nA couple were rescued from a submerged car on Christmas Eve near Norwich in what onlookers called a \"Christmas miracle\", while heavy rainfall in Cambridgeshire left some roads impassable.\n\nOn Boxing Day, Storm Bella is forecast to bring further downpours and winds of up to 70mph in some coastal locations.\n\nAn amber warning for wind has been issued for parts of southern Wales and across southern England from 22:00 GMT on 26 December.\n\nA yellow warning for wind will also apply for the whole of England and Wales from 15:00 GMT on Boxing Day.\n\nThere will also be a yellow warning for rain in place for Wales, parts of the south-west and north-west of England, and north-west Scotland.\n\nHave you woken up to a white Christmas? Get in touch with your photos at haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nOr use this form to get in touch:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your comment or send it via email to HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any comment you send in.", "Royal Christmases are usually spent at Sandringham, but the Queen will stay at Windsor Castle this year\n\nThe Queen will reflect on the hardships of the pandemic in her Christmas speech later, as she and the Duke of Edinburgh spend the day apart from their family.\n\nThey will celebrate Christmas at Windsor Castle and not Sandringham, as is their usual tradition.\n\nThe Royal Family usually spends the day together, but will not visit each other this year because of restrictions.\n\nThe Queen will also forgo her usual church service and worship privately to avoid crowds, it is understood.\n\nHer Christmas Day speech will be broadcast at 15:00 GMT.\n\nThe Queen, 94, and Prince Philip, 99, have been living at Windsor Castle during the pandemic with a small household staff.\n\nIt is thought to be the first time the couple have not spent Christmas at their Sandringham home since the mid-1980s.\n\nA quiet Christmas at home with no visits by the family.\n\nThat's Christmas 2020 and the Royal Family are following the restrictions like people across the country.\n\nIn their case, of course, the \"homes\" are rather grand.\n\nThe Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh are at Windsor Castle with a small number of staff.\n\nOther members of the Royal Family are at their homes: the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall in Gloucestershire: the Cambridges in Norfolk.\n\nFor the Queen, there won't be the normal Christmas morning excursion to church, though she is expected to share a moment of Christmas worship in the private chapel inside the castle.\n\nNo details about her Christmas speech have been made public in advance, but the focus of the broadcast will inevitably be the pandemic.\n\nOn Christmas Day, the Royal Family tweeted a video of St George's Chapel choir singing.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by The Royal Family This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. End of twitter post by The Royal Family\n\nThe Duke and Duchess of Cambridge acknowledged those going through a particularly difficult time this year because of the pandemic, tweeting pictures of people working through the festive season.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. End of twitter post 2 by The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge\n\nMeanwhile, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall sent their Christmas wishes on social media, telling followers, \"Here's to a better new year.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 3 by The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. End of twitter post 3 by The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall\n\nThe Queen's address will mark the end of a year that saw her go for seven months - March to October - without carrying out public engagements outside of a royal residence.\n\nDuring that time, her son, the Prince of Wales, 72, contracted coronavirus and displayed mild symptoms.\n\nPalace sources also told the BBC that the Duke of Cambridge tested positive in April - though Kensington Palace refused to comment officially.\n\nThe Queen spoke animatedly to Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall at a socially-distanced carol concert this month\n\nThe royals have spent some time together during the pandemic.\n\nThe Queen and several other senior royals attended a socially-distanced Christmas carol concert at Windsor Castle this month.\n\nShe was also joined by family members at a scaled-back Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph in London's Whitehall in November.\n\nThe Christmas broadcast will be the Queen's third televised address this year, which is unusual for the monarch.\n\nIn April, as the first wave of the pandemic saw people across the country told to stay at home, she vowed that the the UK \"will succeed\" in its fight against the virus.\n\nIn a rallying message, she lamented the \"painful sense of separation from their loved ones\" that social distancing was causing people - but said it was \"the right thing to do\".\n\nIn April, the Queen said: \"We will be with our friends again, we will be with our families again, we will meet again\"\n\nThe following month, in a poignant address to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day, she said people's response to the virus had filled empty streets with \"love\".\n\nIn last year's Christmas speech, she described 2019 - which saw intense political debate over Brexit and a number of personal events affecting the Royal Family - as \"quite bumpy\".\n\nShe said the path is never \"smooth\" but \"small steps\" can heal divisions.\n\nThis year's message will be broadcast on the BBC and ITV.\n\nShortly afterwards, Channel 4 will air its alternative Christmas message - which will be delivered by a deepfake of the Queen.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch the aftermath of the explosion in Nashville\n\nA parked camper van exploded in the US city of Nashville, Tennessee, early on Christmas morning, injuring three people and knocking out communications systems across the state.\n\nPossible human remains were later found near the blast site, US media report.\n\nPolice believe the powerful blast was caused deliberately.\n\nOfficers responding to reports of gunshots just before 06:00 (12:00 GMT) found a camper van broadcasting a warning message to leave the area.\n\nThe van exploded a few minutes later.\n\nA police officer was knocked off their feet by the force of the blast, officials said.\n\nPolice have now released this image of the van - described by Nashville police as a recreational vehicle (RV) - arriving at the scene early on Friday.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Metro Nashville PD This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThe van blew up outside a building belonging to the telecoms giant AT&T, which also occupies an office tower nearby.\n\nBuildings suffered structural damage, windows were blown out, and trees were felled. Videos posted on social media showed water from damaged pipes running down walls as alarms howled in the background.\n\nPolice emergency systems were knocked out across much of Tennessee. Flights out of Nashville International Airport were briefly halted as a result of damage done by the blast but have now resumed.\n\nNo motive has yet been established, nor do police know who was behind the incident.\n\nA number of people have been taken to the central police precinct for questioning, a spokesman told the Associated Press.\n\nIt was not clear whether anyone was inside the vehicle at the time of the explosion, police said.\n\nThe FBI is leading the investigation. Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are also involved.\n\nThe blast was caused by a parked camper van, police say\n\nResident Buck McCoy said he had been woken up by the blast. He posted a video on Facebook, showing some of the damage done, with alarms howling in the background.\n\n\"All my windows, every single one of them got blown into the next room. If I had been standing there, it would have been horrible,\" Mr McCoy told AP. \"It felt like a bomb. It was that big.\"\n\nThe explosion hit an area of Nashville known for its restaurants and nightlife.\n\n\"To this point, we do believe that the explosion was an intentional act,\" police spokesman Don Aaron told reporters.\n\nCCTV footage posted on YouTube appeared to show the moments before the explosion, when a warning was broadcast, saying, \"If you can hear this message, evacuate now\". A loud bang follows and flames and smoke fill the screen.\n\n\"It looks like a bomb went off,\" Nashville Mayor John Cooper said, urging people to stay away from the area.\n\n\"This morning's attack on our community was intended to create chaos and fear in this season of peace and hope, but the spirit of our city cannot be broken,\" he said.\n\nThe explosion hit an area known for its restaurants and nightlife\n\nIn a tweet Tennessee Governor Bill Lee pledged to supply \"all of the resources needed\" to investigate what happened and who was behind it.\n\nPresident Donald Trump has been briefed on the matter.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Up to 10 sperm whales have been stranded on the East Yorkshire coast\n\nTen sperm whales found washed up on the North Sea coast have died.\n\nThe pod was first spotted on a beach between Tunstall and Withernsea, near Hull, at about 08:30 GMT.\n\nMembers of the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) said poor weather conditions and the size of the whales meant it was impossible to save them.\n\nA spokesperson said the young whales were \"in very poor nutritional condition\" and had most likely suffered a \"navigation error\".\n\nThey rarely survive long once stranded, the group said.\n\nThe BDMLR has been involved in the rescue of marine wildlife since its formation in 1988\n\nAccording to the BDMLR the size of the sperm whales - which can reach 65ft (20m) in length and weigh up to 80 tonnes - meant there were no safe methods for lifting and moving them.\n\nA member of the public called 999 to report the stranding, and the coastguard was despatched to the scene.\n\nCh Supt Darren Downs, of Humberside Police, urged people to stay away from the area \"to allow teams from HM Coastguard to manage what is an extremely distressing scene\".\n\nHe warned that gathering in groups posed a risk of spreading Covid-19.\n\nMarine expert Robin Petch said younger males can end up \"confused in shallower water off the east coast\"\n\nRobin Petch, a marine expert and Sea Watch Foundation ambassador, said: \"Sperm whales are a species that shouldn't come into this part of the North Sea, but a few come down that way.\n\n\"They are a deep-water animal that feed on squid and dive in the deep waters of the continental shelf. Often younger males can end up confused in the shallower water off the east coast.\n\n\"Once they are ashore, chances of survival are very slim, none of the rescue equipment can deal with whales that big.\n\n\"The loss of a large group, probably of young males, is catastrophic,\" Mr Petch added.\n\nThe whales on the beach are sperm whales, according to the BDMLR\n\nFollow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk.", "The additional numbers will come from the UK's high readiness Standby Battalions\n\nAn additional 800 military personnel are to be sent to Kent on Christmas Day to help clear a backlog of lorries waiting to cross to France.\n\nAbout 4,000 lorries are still waiting to cross the English Channel after the French closed their border with the UK.\n\nDrivers must test negative for Covid-19 before boarding a train or ferry.\n\nThe extra support will take the number of military personnel delivering testing to drivers in Kent to about 1,100.\n\nFrench firefighters have been supporting the testing effort, while the Polish defence minister said in a tweet that a team of territorial army soldiers would be sent to Kent.\n\nA group of Polish medics was deployed to the UK on Thursday to help test drivers. the Polish news website TVN24 has reported.\n\nTransport Secretary Grant Shapps said that of the 2,367 drivers tested by 12:00 GMT on Christmas Eve, three have tested positive.\n\nFerries will continue to operate from Dover over Christmas, but Mr Shapps said it could take several days to clear the backlog.\n\nThe military will organise welfare facilities and the distribution of food and water.\n\n\"Our aim is to get foreign hauliers home with their families as quickly as we can,\" Mr Shapps said.\n\n\"I know it's been hard for many drivers cooped up in their cabs at this precious time of year, but I assure them that we are doing our utmost to get them home,\" he added.\n\nVolunteers have delivered thousands of meals and food parcels to drivers parked up at Manston Airport and along the M20 as many spend Christmas Day in their vehicles.\n\nThe Department for Transport says: \"Free food, water and hot drinks are being provided to all.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Dept for Transport This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. End of twitter post by Dept for Transport\n\nSussex Police said dozens of lorry drivers who had been caught in disruption at Newhaven had arrived back in mainland Europe.\n\nFollow BBC South East on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk.\n• None Lorry drivers warned of Christmas in their cabs\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "The UK's Covid vaccination programme has begun, with the over-80s and some health and care staff first in line. Two dancing partners who only became a co-habiting couple at the age of 90 were among the first in the queue in Bradford, where Dr John Wright of Bradford Royal Infirmary got to hear about them.\n\nAs with so many great romances, it all started for Lily Abbot and Trevor Hirst on the dance floor. They first met through Bradford's sequence dancing circuit 30 years ago, became good friends and would travel to events around the country together - Lily partnered by her husband, Wilf, Trevor with his wife, Rita.\n\nTrevor gave up after Rita died six years ago. But eventually friends persuaded him to give it another try. And whenever he turned up at the church hall, Lily would be there. She'd lost Wilf in 2006 after 55 years of marriage.\n\n\"I'd get her up to dance,\" says Trevor, \"and all the rest is history.\"\n\nAt the start of 2020, the year they both turned 90 - Lily, who is six days older than Trevor, calls him her \"toy boy\" - they were still living separately. \"Some of our friends said, 'Why don't you two get married?'\" she says.\n\n\"I said: 'We don't want to get married, we've both been married, we don't need to be married, we're all right.'\" Trevor has four grown-up children, Lily has two. Both are grandparents and Trevor is a great-grandparent.\n\nThen Covid arrived. \"We didn't realise the seriousness of it at first but it's been horrendous,\" says Lily. One day early on in lockdown, she and Trevor went out for a walk together and Lily fell and cracked a rib.\n\n\"Trevor said he'd come and live here because both my children and his wanted us to do that - I was frightened by my fall and he came here and I said, 'You might as well stay, rather than go home at night,'\" says Lily. Now they are \"living over the brush\", as Lily puts it. \"It's just worked out great and we are so compatible.\"\n\nThe race to develop a vaccine has been won, though there are still plenty of runners and riders racing around the track. Now the race to vaccinate the population is firmly under way.\n\nIn Bradford we have set up four vaccine hubs across the city, one at Bradford Royal Infirmary and three in primary care.\n\nLily and Trevor were two of our first happy customers.\n\nWe know that we will need to vaccinate around 70% of the population to reach herd immunity to stop the chain of viral transmission. That will take many months and so the initial priority is to protect the most vulnerable.\n\nProf John Wright, a doctor and epidemiologist, is head of the Bradford Institute for Health Research, and a veteran of cholera, HIV and Ebola epidemics in sub-Saharan Africa. He is writing this diary for BBC News and recording from the hospital wards for BBC Radio.\n\nAge is by far the biggest predictor of severity of disease and death, so the vaccine strategy is focused on the over-80-year-olds to start with, moving then to over-70s and so on. Care home and healthcare staff are also important as they are much more likely to catch the infection and then spread it to their residents or patients.\n\nIn the hospital we have been getting our weekly delivery of one tray or \"pizza box\" of 195 Pfizer vaccine vials every week. The national guidance recommended five doses per vial, allowing us to vaccinate 975 people every week. However, this is precious stuff, and it is quite possible to squeeze a sixth dose from the vials, increasing our coverage to 1,170 people every week. From next week we will ramp up to two trays and 2,340 vaccines per week.\n\nEvery day our carefully choreographed vaccine hub receives the over-80s, care home workers and frontline staff. There are always some no shows, so hanging around at the end of the day for any leftover vaccine is a good strategy for staff in the hospital.\n\nQueuing for her Covid vaccination brought back memories for Lily, who has lived in Bradford all her life.\n\nShe was born in Undercliffe and her parents worked in the mills. \"Bradford was wonderful in those days, the mills and the shops,\" she says. \"We didn't have a lot but it was good.\" Hers was a large extended family - she had nine sisters and a brother.\n\n\"I see some similarities with the Asian families now as they have a similar thing with many relatives together,\" she says.\n\nAfter leaving school at 14 she took a job as a machinist. It was at work that she met Wilf, a tailor's cutter.\n\nLily remembers Bradford's 1962 smallpox outbreak, which led to more than 200,000 people in the city being vaccinated against the disease. \"It was awful at the time but the vaccine cleared it up,\" she says.\n\n\"Having the vaccine now reminds me of that. I think people who won't go and get the vaccine are foolish, it's not fair if they don't get it but it's a personal choice.\"\n\nTrevor, who worked as a wool sorter in Bradford's mills, remembers getting his smallpox vaccine, too. But he preferred the 2020 experience.\n\n\"This time round we queued with some of the others from our dancing groups and that was much more fun - we were all so excited, as it means we will be soon together again,\" he says.\n\nLily is also crossing her fingers that the vaccine will allow them all to get together and dance. \"We are hoping that dancing will start up again, we will all be learners, having to learn again!\" she says.\n\nSadly, that may not be possible for a while, even if all the dancers in the groups get vaccinated quickly.\n\nWhen someone is infected with SARS-CoV-2 they develop antibodies of one type (IgG) in their blood, and antibodies of a different type (IgA) in the mucosal membranes of their nose and throat.\n\nVaccines administered into the arm tend to be very good at protecting us from illness, thanks to the antibodies in the blood, but may not stop transmission of the virus - for this you also need the antibodies in the nose and throat. So even after their second injection, we can't be sure that Lily and Trevor will not catch and pass on the virus to others.\n\nWith the flu vaccine there is also a tendency for immunity in older people not to last a long time, and it's likely the same will be true with this vaccine. Furthermore, some of the dancers may be among the 5% of recipients not protected by the vaccine (though we hope it will reduce symptoms).\n\nI am confident that Lily and Trevor will get back on their dancing feet as herd immunity eclipses the virus and eases it out from our daily lives.\n\nAfter that, I am quietly hoping to see them on Strictly.", "Police advised people to avoid the Bungay area after flooding was reported\n\nHomes have been evacuated and a leisure centre shut after flooding in Suffolk.\n\nSome people were asked to leave properties in Bungay and Wainford late on Christmas Eve.\n\nPolice said Staithe Road, in Bungay was closed on Christmas Day, while the town's leisure centre has also been affected by flooding.\n\nOfficers praised residents in the affected areas for the \"compassion\" shown to officers while they were being told to leave their homes.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Lowestoft Police This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nIn a tweet on Christmas Eve, it said: \"Firefighters, police and council staff are currently in Bungay and Wainford managing flooding caused by heavy rainfall. Some properties evacuated and residents being supported.\"\n\nIt said the incident has since been \"scaled down\".\n\nSuffolk was hit by heavy rain on Christmas Eve, which was followed by snow in some parts of the county on Christmas Day.\n\nThe Met Office said snow flakes had fallen in Wattisham on Christmas morning.\n\nThe Environment Agency tweeted pictures of flooding around Rattlesden River, near Stowmarket, on Christmas Eve to highlight the impact of the heavy rain.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by EnvAgencyAnglia This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nFlood warnings remain in place for six parts of the county.\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk", "Speaker Nancy Pelosi asked the House to vote on the stimulus measures on Monday\n\nDemocrats and Republicans have blocked each other's attempts to amend a vital $900bn (£665bn) stimulus package after President Donald Trump sent it back to Congress demanding changes.\n\nThe coronavirus economic relief, which comes with a $1.4tn federal budget attached, was agreed by both sides.\n\nBut Mr Trump said one-off payments to Americans should increase from $600 to $2,000, and foreign aid should be cut.\n\nWithout the bill in force, many Americans face an uncertain Christmas.\n\nUnemployment benefits are due to expire on Saturday if the bill is not enacted, and a moratorium on evictions may not be extended.\n\nLegislators could pass a stopgap bill by Monday to prevent a partial government shutdown looming a day later, but this would not include coronavirus aid and Mr Trump would still have to sign it.\n\nMeeting on Thursday in response to Mr Trump's intervention, Democrats in the House of Representatives blocked Republican attempts to cut foreign aid from the federal spending bill, while Republicans refused to allow the increase in coronavirus payments to $2,000.\n\nHouse Republican leader Kevin McCarthy said in a letter to colleagues: \"House Democrats appear to be suffering from selective hearing.\"\n\nWhile the haggling continues on Capitol Hill, the president is spending Christmas at his resort in Palm Beach, Florida. A White House memo said he was working \"tirelessly\" with \"many meetings and calls\", though he was spotted at his golf course on Thursday morning.\n\nHouse Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, said the lower chamber would meet again next Monday to vote on the stimulus payments for Americans.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nOn the same day, the House is also expected to vote on an unrelated, $740bn defence spending bill, which Mr Trump vetoed on Wednesday instead of signing into law. Lawmakers plan to override the president's veto and enact the legislation anyway, but to do so they need two-thirds of votes in both the House and Senate.\n\nMr Trump is objecting to provisions in the defence bill that limit troop withdrawals from Afghanistan and Europe and remove Confederate leaders' names from military bases.\n\nThe $900bn coronavirus aid relief bill - with the larger budget bill rolled in - overwhelmingly passed the House of Representatives and Senate on Monday but a day later Mr Trump issued an implied veto threat, describing the package in a video statement as a \"disgrace\" full of \"wasteful\" items.\n\nHe baulked at the annual aid money for other countries in the federal budget, arguing that those funds should instead go to struggling Americans.\n\nMr Trump's decision to bat the measure back to Capitol Hill stunned lawmakers since he has largely stayed out of negotiations for a coronavirus aid bill that had stalled since last July.\n\nHis top economic adviser, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, had proposed the $600 payments early this month, and many have questioned why the president waited until now to object.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. \"I'm not sure how we're going to survive\"\n\nThe one-off payments of $600 and the federal jobless benefits are half the sum provided by the last major coronavirus aid bill in March, which contained $2.4tn in economic relief.\n\nMr Trump's call for more generous one-off payments to Americans has found him in rare agreement with some liberal Democrats who are usually his sworn political foes.\n\nCongresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tweeted: \"Glad to see the President is willing to support our legislation.\"\n\nBut many of the president's fellow Republicans are said to be dismayed that Democrats will now depict them as Scrooges for rejecting higher spending.\n\nOn a conference call Wednesday, House Republicans said Mr Trump had thrown them under a bus, according to the Associated Press news agency.\n\nMany of them now face the dilemma of choosing between the president and party.\n\nThough conservatives are protesting over the spiralling trillion-dollar US deficit, they and the president enacted tax cuts in 2017 that added to America's overdraft.\n\nThe congressional gridlock comes amid runoff votes in Georgia for two Senate seats that will determine the balance of power in Washington next year.\n\nRepublican Senators David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler are fighting for their political lives in the 5 January special election. Both had backed the aid bill spurned by Mr Trump.\n\nIf Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock can flip these two seats, their party will control all of Congress and the White House once President-elect Joe Biden takes office later next month.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\n\"The clock is no longer ticking.\"\n\nThese were pretty much the first words out of the mouth of the EU's chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, as he announced the just sealed EU-UK trade and security agreement on Thursday.\n\nNo more looming \"no-deal\" threats; no more almost painful uncertainty about future relations across the Channel. This was a historic moment.\n\nA fair and balanced deal for both sides, said the European Commission.\n\nBut you'd have to have been half-asleep (or halfway through a bottle of eggnog, cava or pint of Glühwein) to miss the stark difference in tone between UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson's triumphalist announcement on Thursday afternoon and the sombre statement by the European Commission.\n\nFor Mr Johnson, 1 January heralds some kind of rebirth for the UK outside the EU.\n\nFor Brussels, this whole negotiating process has been - as summed up today by Finland's Europe minister - a damage limitation exercise.\n\nThe 2016 Brexit vote, leading to the loss of such a key member state, was a huge slap in the face for the EU.\n\nIts aim since then has been to sign a deal with the UK that protects EU business and security interests - but not so advantageous as to tempt other member states to leave the bloc.\n\nFrench President Emmanuel Macron commented on Thursday that the EU was right to have remained \"steadfast and united\" since the Brexit vote. He said they could all now proudly look to the future instead.\n\nAnti-Brexit signs at the gates of Downing Street in London\n\nBut this is by no means the end of the EU-UK conversation.\n\nThe treaty must still be ratified. And it's not only the UK parliament that wants a peek.\n\nSpare a thought for the 27 ambassadors who represent EU member states in Brussels. They're being dragged to a meeting on Christmas morning with Mr Barnier to discuss the details of the deal.\n\nThe text must be approved by EU capitals before the year's end. Each country has a veto, though they're not expected to use it. Mr Barnier and team kept them on board and in the loop every step of the way, throughout the negotiations.\n\nThe same goes for the European Parliament. It's expected to ratify the deal early next year.\n\nUntil that moment, the agreement will be adopted provisionally, as allowed under EU law.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Prime Minister Boris Johnson announces new deal between UK and EU\n\nThe new year is when we start to find out what Brexit really means. We don't really know what it feels like yet, what impact it will have on all our lives.\n\nThe transition period kept EU-UK relations pretty much the same in practical terms but that all ends on 31 December.\n\nA far cry from the \"friction-free\" trade deal once promised by former Prime Minister Theresa May, this is the \"hardest\" of Brexits - not the costly chaos of no deal at all - but nonetheless it means out of the EU's customs union and single market. There will be considerable non-tariff barriers from 2021.\n\nRemember, the UK is a service-based economy, yet this agreement hardly deals with services at all.\n\nUK financial services must wait, possibly for months yet, for the EU to decide unilaterally what access they can have to the single market.\n\nThe UK also impatiently awaits a ruling from the EU on data adequacy - how free the flow of data can be between the two sides.\n\nDespite the relief expressed by a number of EU leaders on Thursday that this trade deal was finally agreed, the bloc begins its new relationship with the UK in quite a defensive, wary frame of mind.\n\nEU leaders have not forgotten the controversial clauses the UK government introduced into its Internal Market Bill this autumn, contravening the Brexit Divorce Deal, signed with them less than a year before.\n\nIt was because of that, the EU said it pushed so hard for tough retaliation mechanisms in this trade deal - in case the UK doesn't keep to its part of the bargain (and vice versa, of course).\n\nBrussels' assumption is that the UK will be keen to diverge and yank away from the EU's gravitational pull as soon as it sees fit.\n\nIt was quite a remarkable achievement of both negotiating teams that they managed to marry the two sides' very different priorities. For the government: to be able to say it had protected national sovereignty after Brexit, avoiding signing up to a new Brussels rule book in exchange for a trade deal.\n\nThe EU's main focus was protecting the single market from what they feared could be unfair competition from UK businesses, aggressively undercutting their European rivals.\n\nOven-ready and cooked to perfection? Rushed to completion in a record-breaking nine months, this deal clearly won't be faultless.\n\nAll those devils in the 1,800 pages of detail, some allowing different interpretations on issues by both sides, will become apparent in the coming days and months.\n\nBut frankly, neither the UK nor the EU would have completed the agreement if they hadn't felt they could sell it to their domestic audiences as a big win.\n\nAnd that is what they are now busy doing. On both sides of the Channel.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The rescue of the car-trapped couple from \"freezing\" flood water was \"touch and go\" say eyewitnesses\n\nA couple have been rescued from a submerged car in what onlookers called a \"Christmas miracle\".\n\nFootage showed fire crews removing a man and a woman from the vehicle at about 10:44 GMT on Christmas Eve near Norwich.\n\nNorfolk Police said they were investigating, and the couple were taken to hospital by ambulance.\n\nThe county saw almost two inches of rain (50mm) causing major flash floods across south Norfolk.\n\nAlex and Matt Emmerson witnessed the drama unfold in the flooded lane next to their house\n\nEyewitnesses Matt and Alex Emmerson, aged 42 and 44, noticed the car from their bathroom window about 15 minutes before the emergency services arrived.\n\nThey had assumed the vehicle was empty until crews began their rescue.\n\n\"Whoever this poor couple were, they were in there for a long time - close to two hours. The water must have been freezing,\" said Mr Emmerson.\n\nThe East of England Ambulance Service said both patients were transported to hospital for \"further assessment and treatment.\"\n\nMrs Emmerson said flooding near their home in Green Lane, Thorpe End, was a regular occurrence during heavy rain.\n\n\"I just assumed that there would be nobody in there,\" she added. \"Because normally people leap out and wade to safety before it gets to that point.\"\n\nHer husband - who called the rescue a \"Christmas miracle\" - said a firefighter went straight into the water and smashed a car window to gain access \"despite the water coming up to his chin\".\n\nThe couple said permanent signs, rather than temporary ones, were needed to warn drivers about the regular risk of flooding.\n\nOne of the submerged car's occupants was believed to be aged 70\n\nTwo cars were found submerged under the bridge at Thorpe End, Norwich; one was empty\n\nNorfolk Fire and Rescue Service said it had received more than 300 calls about flooding since Wednesday afternoon, as some areas received a month of rainfall in 24 hours.\n\nTim Edwards of Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service said a major incident had been declared and advised people to stay away from flooded areas.\n\n\"It's very difficult to know exact depths. Do not enter flooded water at any point,\" he said.\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "1,645 days after the UK voted to leave the EU, 328 days after we actually departed, the shape of our relationship with our nearest neighbours has been drawn and agreed - only days before the status quo will disappear.\n\nThe deal that will determine how we do business with our biggest trading partner.\n\nThe deal that both sides desperately wanted to achieve.\n\nBut the deal that was not, even though political logic suggested it, inevitable.\n\nCertainly the prime minister always said he would be willing to walk away, claiming repeatedly that the UK would \"prosper mightily\" if there was no agreement in the end.\n\nIt is true that he and his allies sometimes scoffed at the nature of the widespread warnings about the potential damage abandoning the status quo without a deal could wreak.\n\nIt is also true that some of the positions the EU was putting forward even in the closing weeks of the talks were seen as intolerable by the UK side, which was even in some moments surprised by what appeared to be a hardening of attitudes late in the day.\n\nBut it is also true that the prime minister, the vast majority of ministers and MPs were concerned about the risk of taking a step into the unknown.\n\nThey wanted to avoid the disruption of leaving a relationship that has lasted four decades without a ready replacement.\n\nTo rip off the tentacles spread into almost every feature of how the country is run overnight could have caused major pain.\n\nEven with a deal, changes are on the way that may not feel smooth. But a sudden no-deal departure from the EU's rules could have been a disruptive at best, disastrous at worst, for some very concerned industries, adding to the country's difficulties during a pandemic that has caused so much pain.\n\nThe 1,500 or so pages of the deal (if you're stuck for Christmas reading, there'll be plenty to keep you busy!) have not yet been published, far less has there been time to comb through the actual detail.\n\nIn the coming days, without doubt, there will be a rhetorical bidding war over which side has given more ground, \"lost\" or \"won\".\n\nThere will have been compromises on both sides. But both the UK and the EU have put pragmatism over firm principle, and agreed an historic accord that will affect so many aspects of how we live.\n\nBoris Johnson has so often been accused of failing to keep the promises that he has made. The details of the deal may well contain more evidence that some of his vows on Brexit will be broken.\n\nBut he has managed to keep perhaps his biggest commitment after taking us out of the European Union - securing a deal - a huge political and personal relief, perhaps, for the man whose name and reputation will be forever linked with the UK's decision to leave the EU.", "The Queen has broadcast her annual address in the Christmas Message to the United Kingdom and Commonwealth.\n\nShe acknowledged the “difficult and unpredictable times” of the past year, saying “there is hope in the new dawn.”\n\nShe also paid thanks to the efforts of health workers and community volunteers in the UK and around the world.", "The leaders of the Church of England and the Catholic Church in England and Wales have reflected on the \"darkness\" of Covid-19 - as well as selfless and heroic responses to the pandemic.\n\nArchbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby referred to a \"year of anxiety\" in his Christmas message.\n\nAt Midnight Mass at Westminster Cathedral, Cardinal Vincent Nichols talked of a \"quiet heroism\".\n\nDespite enhanced rules, communal acts of worship are being allowed in the UK.\n\nHowever, some churches have chosen to live-stream their Christmas Day services without a congregation.\n\nMidnight Mass at Westminster Cathedral is normally one of the highlights of the liturgical calendar but this year, the service was held online only and started at 22:00 GMT.\n\nIn his sermon, Cardinal Nichols, the Archbishop of Westminster, said: \"In the darkness of this pandemic so many of our comfortable assumptions are being shaken.\n\n\"Here we are, celebrating Christmas, yet deprived of the greetings, hugs, kisses and handshakes that normally fill this day.\"\n\nHe said the pandemic had tested family bonds, and that some people in care homes and hospitals who longed to see loved ones \"fade away from sheer loneliness\".\n\nThe Archbishop of Canterbury during the Christmas Day service at Canterbury Cathedral in Kent\n\nBut Cardinal Nichols maintained that countless acts of kindness had \"penetrated the darkness\".\n\n\"Have we not seen these months of difficulty marked by countless acts of random kindness, quiet heroism, selfless service, remarkable community efforts, all directed towards those most in need?\"\n\nThe Archbishop of Canterbury delivered his Christmas message at Canterbury Cathedral in Kent, saying this year has changed a cough and a fever into a \"genuine threat\".\n\nBut he asked Christians to resist the temptation to view the virus as the pivot of their lives, a kind of \"before and after\".\n\nMeanwhile, Pope Francis used his Christmas Day address to call on world leaders to ensure unfettered access to coronavirus vaccines for everyone, warning against putting up \"walls\" to treatments.\n\n\"In the face of a challenge that knows no borders, we cannot erect walls. All of us are in the same boat,\" the Pope said during his online address.", "The Queen and other members of the royal family usually attend a Christmas Day service at St Mary Magdalene church in Sandringham\n\nThe Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will spend Christmas at Windsor Castle and not Sandringham as is their usual tradition, Buckingham Palace has said.\n\nA spokeswoman said after considering \"all the appropriate advice\" the royal couple had opted to celebrate \"quietly\" at their Berkshire residence.\n\nThey usually spend Christmas with other royals at the Queen's Norfolk estate.\n\nThe Queen, 94, and the duke, 99, have been living at Windsor during the pandemic with a small household staff.\n\nIt is thought to be the first time the couple have not spent Christmas at their Sandringham home since the mid 1980s.\n\n\"Like everyone they hope things will get back to normal in 2021,\" a palace spokesman said.\n\nThe announcement follows earlier speculation about where the Queen and the duke would spend the festive period, in light of Christmas coronavirus guidance that people should form \"bubbles\" of three households over a five-day period.\n\nThe Queen and other members of the Royal Family usually attend a Christmas Day service at St Mary Magdalene church in Sandringham, where large crowds gather to greet them.\n\nLast year, Prince George and Princess Charlotte went to the service for the first time.\n\nThe Queen will not be attending church on Christmas Day to avoid large crowds of well-wishers gathering, it is understood.\n\nThe Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall will spend 25 December at Highgrove, their estate in Gloucestershire, but are expected to see the Queen and Prince Philip at Windsor over the festive period. The duchess will also visit her family.\n\nLast month, the Queen and Prince Philip, who has retired from public duties, marked their 73rd wedding anniversary by releasing a photograph showing them opening a card from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's children.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The couple have been together for two-and-a-half years, after meeting at the school where they both teach\n\nA marriage proposal at a Peak District beauty spot was captured by chance when a keen-eyed photographer spotted the special moment.\n\nNaomi Watson had walked up Mam Tor to take photos on Christmas Eve, while Jake Albon had gone there to propose to his girlfriend Chantal Percival.\n\nNaomi quickly started snapping when she saw Jake get down on one knee.\n\nThe couple, from Derby, only realised the photos existed when Naomi posted on Facebook in a bid to identify them.\n\nJake Albon proposed to his girlfriend Chantal Percival, a fellow teacher, at the top of Mam Tor\n\nJake, 28, said it was \"unreal\" to discover the photos, after one of his friends tagged him in the Facebook post to say congratulations.\n\n\"It's so nice that someone managed to capture it. It's a great way to end such a strange year,\" he said.\n\n\"We've spent more time than ever together this year, at work and at home, and it's been incredible having Chan with me along the way. I really don't know what I would have done without her.\"\n\nJake Albon said he did not know what he would have done without his girlfriend Chantal Percival this year\n\nThe couple have been together for two and a half years. They met through work as they are both teachers at the same school.\n\nChantal, 35, said the proposal was a \"complete surprise\".\n\n\"It was freezing cold and Jake took me to Mam Tor because I like walking,\" she said.\n\n\"Despite being with Jake the whole time throughout the lockdowns and difficult year we have had, I still said yes and I am very happy that I did.\"\n\nNaomi Watson started photographing the couple when she saw Jake get down on one knee\n\nJake managed to capture the proposal on video by pretending he was taking a selfie with his mobile phone.\n\n\"He managed to trick me by saying it was a photo, then I realised he had done the video,\" said Chantal.\n\nThe couple plan to get married in 2022, and hope that the coronavirus pandemic will be over by then.\n\nFollow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk.", "A post-Brexit agreement on trade and other issues has been agreed, just a week before the transition period between the UK and the EU comes to an end.\n\nIt avoids the disruption of a no-deal Brexit in the middle of the Covid pandemic, and marks a new era after more than 40 years of UK membership of the European Union.\n\nWe've now seen a copy of the text - more than 1,000 pages of dense legal text which outline how the relationship will operate in the future. Here are 10 initial questions and answers:\n\nOne of the most difficult issues in the negotiations: how many fish will EU boats be able to catch in UK waters in future, and how long will any transition period last before new measures come into full force? Officials involved in the negotiations say the UK initially wanted an 80% cut in the value of the fish caught by EU boats in UK waters, while the EU initially proposed an 18% cut. Who has given more ground?\n\nAnswer: The value of the fish caught by the EU in UK waters will be cut by 25% - which is a lot less than the UK initially asked for. The cut will be phased in over a transition period lasting five-and-a-half years - which is a lot shorter than the EU initially asked for. Once the transition period is over, the UK will fully control access to its waters, and could make much deeper cuts. If it decides to exclude EU fishing boats they can be compensated for their losses, either through tariffs on UK fishing products (or other goods) exported to the EU, or by preventing UK boats from fishing in EU waters.\n\nFishing was one of the most difficult areas of the negotiations\n\nWhat will the rules on fair competition look like, to ensure that businesses on one side don't gain an unfair advantage over their competitors on the other? The definition of what constitutes reasonable levels of state aid, or government subsidies for business, will be important.\n\nAnswer: There are level playing field measures which commit both the UK and the EU to maintain common standards on workers' rights, as well as many social and environmental regulations. This was a key EU demand. They don't have to be identical in the future, so the UK does not have to follow EU law, but they do have to be seen to protect fair competition.\n\nThe UK has also agreed to stick to common principles on how state aid regimes work, and to an independent competition agency which will assess them. But it can choose to develop a system which only makes decisions once evidence of unfair competition is presented. That is different from the EU system which assesses the likely impact of subsidies before they are handed out.\n\nThis will be the subject of years of negotiations to come. How will the deal actually be enforced if either side breaks any of the terms and conditions? If the UK chooses to move away more radically from EU rules in the future, how quickly can the EU respond? Will it have the ability to impose tariffs (or taxes on UK exports) in one area (for example on cars) in response to a breach of the agreement in another (fish, for example)?\n\nAnswer: If either side moves away from common standards that exist on 31 December 2020, and if that has a negative impact on the other side, a dispute mechanism can be triggered which could mean tariffs (taxes on goods) being imposed. It is based around a \"rebalancing\" clause which gives both the EU and the UK the right to take steps if there are significant divergences. This clause is much stricter than measures found in other recent EU trade deals, and was a key demand on the European side. It is a mechanism we may hear a lot more about in the coming years.\n\nThe overall policing of the trade agreement also means that tariffs can be targeted at a specific sector as a result of a dispute in another. There will be a binding arbitration system involving officials from both sides. It means that even though this is a tariff-free agreement, the threat that tariffs can be introduced as a result of future disputes will be a constant factor in UK-EU relations.\n\nThe EU's highest court will remain the ultimate arbiter of European law. But the UK government has said the direct jurisdiction of the ECJ in Britain will come to an end. So, will the European court play any role in overseeing the future relationship agreement?\n\nAnswer: The EU has dropped its demand that the ECJ should play a direct role in policing the governance of the agreement in future. That was a clear British red line. One place where the ECJ will still play a role is Northern Ireland, which has a special status under the terms of the Brexit withdrawal agreement. It will remain subject to EU single market and customs union rules, which means the European Court will remain the highest legal authority for some disputes in one part of the UK.\n\nWhat will the rules be for British people who want to travel to the EU from 1 January 2021? We already know some of the details but will there be any additional agreements on things like social security or vehicle insurance? And will there be any detail on any arrangement to replace the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)?\n\nAnswer: UK nationals will need a visa if they want to stay in the EU more than 90 days in a 180-day period. They will still be able to use their EHICs which will remain valid until they expire. The UK government says they will be replaced by a new UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC), but there are no further details yet on how to obtain it.\n\nIts advice is to take out travel insurance with healthcare cover before going on holiday - especially if you have a pre-existing medical condition.\n\nEU pet passports will no longer be valid, but people will still be able to travel with pets, following a different and a more complicated process.\n\nThe two sides agreed to co-operate on international mobile roaming, but there is nothing in the agreement that would stop UK travellers being charged for using their phone in the EU and vice versa.\n\nThe government also says British citizens will not need an International Driver's Permit to drive in the EU (unless they still have a paper licence or a licence from the Isle of Man, Guernsey, Jersey or Gibraltar). But they will need to carry a green card to prove they have the right vehicle insurance.\n\nThe trade agreement is primarily about the rules for goods crossing borders. It will say far less about the trade in services. Is there going to be a separate statement from the EU which will recognise UK rules governing financial services as roughly \"equivalent\" to EU rules? That would make it much easier for UK firms which export services to continue doing business in the EU market.\n\nAnswer: There is, as expected, not a lot in this agreement for service companies to cheer about. The UK will still be hoping that the EU issues \"equivalence\" decisions on financial services in the near future, but service companies in general have not got as much help in this deal as the British government had been pushing for.\n\nThe European Commission says a series of \"further clarifications\" will be needed from the UK, including more information on how it will diverge from EU rules after 31 December, before any decisions on equivalence can be made.\n\nThere is an agreement to continue talking about financial services regulation in the future, but some companies may have to apply to specific EU countries to be allowed to operate there. The guaranteed access that UK companies had to the EU single market is over.\n\nThis is a really important issue. What will the data protection rules be for UK companies which deal with data from the EU? Again, the UK is hoping the EU will issue separately what's known as a data adequacy decision recognising UK rules as equivalent to its own. But the detail will need to be scrutinised carefully.\n\nAnswer: Both sides say they want data to flow across borders as smoothly as possible, but the agreement also stresses that individuals have a right to the protection of personal data and privacy and that \"high standards in this regard contribute to trust in the digital economy and to the development of trade\".\n\nThat's why an EU decision to recognise formally that UK data rules are roughly the same as its own is so important - and we're still waiting for that. In the meantime the EU has agreed to a \"specified period\" of four months, extendable by a further two months, in which data can be exchanged in the same way it is now, as long as the UK makes no changes to its rules on data protection.\n\nWe know there will be more bureaucracy and delays at borders in the future, for companies trading between the UK and the EU. But will the two sides agree any measures to make things a little easier? There's something called \"mutual recognition of conformity assessment\" which would mean checks on products standards would not need to be nearly as intrusive as they otherwise might be.\n\nAnswer: There's no agreement on conformity assessment, even though the UK government had hoped there would be. It's just one reminder of how many new barriers to trade there are going to be. In future, if you want to sell your product in both the UK and the EU, you may have to get it checked twice to get it certified.\n\nOn other border issues, there is also no agreement on recognising each other's sanitary and safety standards for exporting food of animal origin, which means there will have to be pretty intrusive and costly checks for products going into the EU single market.\n\nThere will however be some measures which cut technical barriers to trade, and the mutual recognition of trusted trader schemes which will make it easier for large companies to operate across borders.\n\nA lot of people, from accountants to chefs, work in different EU countries and didn't have to worry about crossing borders multiple times while the UK was part of the EU. But will UK professional qualifications be recognised across the EU in the future, and what restrictions will there be?\n\nAnswer: The short answer is no - they won't be recognised automatically. That will make it harder for UK citizens supplying any kind of service to work in the EU. They will often have to apply to individual countries to try to get their qualifications accepted, with no guarantee of success. There is a framework in the deal for the UK and EU to agree on mutually recognising individual qualifications but that's weaker than what professionals have now.\n\nIt's not just about trade. The UK will lose automatic and immediate access to a variety of EU databases which the police use every day - covering things such as criminal records, fingerprints and wanted persons. So what kind of access will they have, and how will security co-operation work in the future?\n\nAnswer: The UK loses access to some very key databases but will have continued access to others, including the system which cross-checks fingerprints across the continent. But overall, security co-operation will no longer be based on \"real time\" access. And in some cases, such as access to data on which flights people take, that data will only be made available under much stricter conditions.\n\nAn agreement has been reached on extradition, and the UK's role in Europol, the cross-border security agency, allows it to sit in on meetings but not have a direct say in decisions. Both of these are positive, and on a par with the best other countries have achieved.\n\nDisagreements over data will be dealt with by a new committee, not by the European Court of Justice - again, a red line for the UK. But taken together, the speed with which the UK gets important data, and the influence it has on decisions, has been reduced.\n\nThere are many other questions to answer - this agreement will form the basis for UK-EU relations for years if not decades to come. And the two sides will have to continue to talk about how to implement it most effectively.\n\nThe team will continue to read through the text of the agreement and will add more to this story if necessary.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nA post-Brexit trade deal has been agreed between the EU and the UK, prompting relief, sadness and optimism for the future.\n\nEuropean leaders have been reacting to the announcement. Here's what some of them have said.\n\n\"It was a long and winding road. But we have got a good deal to show for it. It is fair, it is a balanced deal, and it is the right and responsible thing to do for both sides.\n\n\"To all Europeans, I say: It's time to leave Brexit behind. Our future is made in Europe.\"\n\n\"The clock is no longer ticking.\n\n\"Today is a day of relief, but tinged by some sadness as we compare what came before with what lies ahead.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. 'Today is a day of relief', says EU chief negotiator, Michel Barnier\n\n\"The federal government will now carefully check the text of the agreement. But we're not starting at zero. The European Commission has closely included the member states throughout the entire negotiating process.\n\n\"We will thus be able to quickly judge if Germany can support today's outcome. I am very optimistic that we will have a good result.\n\n\"With the deal we create the basis for a new chapter of our relationship. The UK will continue to be an important partner for Germany and the EU outside of the European Union.\"\n\n\"There is no such thing as a 'good Brexit' for Ireland.\n\n\"But we have worked hard to minimise the negative consequences.\n\n\"I believe the agreement reached today is the least bad version of Brexit possible, given current circumstances.\"\n\nMr Martin said the deal was a \"good compromise\"\n\n\"The unity and strength of Europe paid off.\n\n\"The agreement with the United Kingdom is essential to protect our citizens, our fishermen, our producers. We will make sure that this is the case.\"\n\n\"Good news: deal between the EU and the UK has been agreed.\n\n\"Interests and rights of European businesses and citizens guaranteed. The UK will be a central partner and ally for the EU and Italy.\"\n\n\"We welcome the agreement between the EU and the UK. Congratulations to Michel Barnier, Ursula von der Leyen and their teams.\n\n\"The Member States and the EU Council will examine it in the next few days.\n\n\"Spain and the UK will continue dialogue to reach an agreement on Gibraltar.\"\n\nMr Sánchez (L) and Mr Macron (R) both welcomed the Brexit deal\n\n\"I welcome that an agreement could be reached by the negotiators on the EU's future relationship with the UK.\n\n\"We warmly welcome the agreement reached with the United Kingdom on the relationship with the EU from 1 January.\n\n\"UK will remain, in addition to our neighbour and ally, an important partner.\"\n\n\"Excellent news that an agreement on a new EU-UK partnership has been reached after tough negotiations.\n\n\"This is of great importance to us all. We will now study it carefully.\n\nMr Rutte (L) said he would examine the Brexit deal \"carefully\"\n\n\"I welcome the agreement that Michel Barnier and Ursula von der Leyen have negotiated with the UK. It offers perspective to maintain our strong relationship with the UK after Brexit.\n\n\"In the end, there is only one thing that matters to me: ensuring the best possible protection for Belgium's economic interests. We must protect our Belgian companies from unfair British competition.\n\n\"Initial reports seem to indicate that this agreement will give us this crucial guarantee.\"\n\n\"This agreement will protect the interests of Romanian companies and citizens - Romania's key objectives during these negotiations.\n\n\"Very few believe but Christmas can make miracles happen.\n\n\"Good news from both sides of the Channel. Big thanks go to Ursula von der Leyen and Michel Barnier.\n\n\"They secured a deal on our future relations between EU and UK. We will now look at it with great confidence so it can work from January.\"\n\n\"Very happy that the negotiations have finally led to a result. A deal between EU and UK is an important foundation for our future relationship.\"\n\nMr Löfven (R) said he was pleased with the outcome of the negotiations\n\n\"We welcome the agreement on the future relationship between the EU and the UK after intensive negotiations a week before the end of the transitional period, and we hope to continue a strong partnership with the UK.\"\n\n\"After long negotiations, the EU and the UK reached an agreement on the future partnership. Congratulations. This happened at the last minute, since the transition period ends at the end of this year.\n\n\"The agreement is mutually beneficial and issues of crucial importance to the EU, such as level playing field, have been taken into account. Nevertheless, this is damage control, since the new relationship lacks the benefits of the single market.\n\n\"This was the will of the UK.\"\n\n\"Finally a historic and unprecedented deal in the interest of all is reached.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Guy Verhofstadt This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\n\"I hope future UK politicians will build on this partnership so we can regain the close relationship the EU and the UK deserve.\n\n\"It will be a first step in the return of the UK into the European family.\"", "More than 70,000 people in the UK have now died within 28 days of a positive Covid-19 test, official figures show.\n\nA further 570 deaths in the UK were reported on Christmas Day, taking the total by that measure to 70,195.\n\nAccording to Johns Hopkins University, only the US, Brazil, India, Mexico and Italy have recorded more deaths from coronavirus.\n\nThe number of people who tested positive for Covid-19 in England and Scotland increased by 32,725 on Friday.\n\nIt came as the number of tests conducted over the last seven days rose by more than 25% compared to the previous week.\n\nThe government explained that the amount of data available will vary over the Christmas holiday period, with any unreported deaths and cases recorded on the following days.\n\n\"As a result, any changes to published data should be interpreted with caution during this period, as they may be a result of changes to reporting schedules,\" it said.\n\nAccording to Office for National Statistics data there have been than 81,361 excess deaths, those over and above what would usually be expected for the time of year, up to 11 December.\n\nLevels of infection are continuing to rise in England, the ONS has said, with figures for the week to 18 December estimating nearly 650,000 people have the virus, up from 570,000 the week before.\n\nThe rising number of deaths came as the UK marked a different Christmas with people under the toughest restrictions in England prevented from meeting other households indoors, while elsewhere planned relaxations of restrictions were cut to just one day on 25 December.\n\nIn England, six million more people are due to enter the highest level of restrictions on Boxing Day while other areas will move up into higher tiers after Downing Street warned the old system was not enough to control a new variant of the virus.\n\nAnd from Monday, all airline passengers arriving in the US from the UK will be required to test negative for Covid-19 within 72 hours of departure, amid concerns over the new variant.\n\nSo far, the UK has approved the use of the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine, with more than 500,000 people having been given the first dose, and Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on Wednesday the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine had now submitted full data to the medicines regulator for approval.", "On a roll: LadBaby is again joined by his wife Roxanne and their children on his latest festive hit\n\nLadBaby has become only the third act in UK chart history, after The Beatles and the Spice Girls, to score three straight Christmas number one singles.\n\nThe charitable sausage roll singer fended off competition from a Mariah Carey classic, and a protest song about Prime Minister Boris Johnson.\n\nSir Paul McCartney, meanwhile, topped the festive album chart, on Friday.\n\n\"I can't believe we've done it once, never mind three times,\" LadBaby told BBC Radio 1 presenter Katie Thistleton.\n\nHis latest offering, Don't Stop Me Eatin', which is raising money for The Trussell Trust food bank charity, was a pastry take on Journey's Don't Stop Believin'.\n\nIt followed his previous successful efforts, 2018's We Built This City... On Sausage Rolls; and I Love Sausage Rolls, from last year.\n\nThis YouTube post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on YouTube The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts. Skip youtube video by LadBaby This article contains content provided by Google YouTube. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Google’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts.\n\n\"We know the British public love a sausage roll,\" the hat-trick hero continued.\n\n\"And I think after the year we've all had we just wanted to come back and make everyone smile.\"\n\nHis new song, which was helped along by the release of a surprise alternative version with Ronan Keating earlier this week, became the fastest selling UK single in more than three years, since Artists For Grenfell's Bridge Over Troubled Water.\n\nIt also dislodged Carey's All I Want For Christmas Is You at the summit.\n\nAll I Want for Christmas Is Two: You got it Mariah\n\nThe diva's ubiquitous hit had reigned supreme for the past fortnight, remarkably for the first time since its release 26 years ago.\n\nLadBaby now finds himself in exalted company, alongside The Beatles, who dominated the Christmas number one spots between 1963-65, with I Want To Hold Your Hand, I Feel Fine, and the double A-side Daytripper / We Can Work It Out.\n\nAs well as the Spice Girls, who had three in a row from 1996-98, with 2 Become 1, Too Much, and Goodbye.\n\nYouTube comedian LadBaby, whose real name is Mark Hoyle, described 2020 as \"our most important year yet\" to help people, due to the impact of coronavirus.\n\nHe spoke to BBC News last week about why he and his band - aka wife Roxanne and their children - changed their minds after previously saying they wouldn't go for a third. \"We'd run out of songs with rock 'n' roll in the title, because that's been our go-to - you find a song with rock 'n' roll in the title and it's a good change [to sausage roll],\" he said.\n\n\"We wanted to choose a song that people love and can sing to,\" he continued. \"The best way is to look at karaoke songs, and Don't Stop Believin' always features highly on most karaoke lists.\n\n\"We felt like after the year everyone's had, it's a sentiment everyone needs - don't stop believing things are going to get better. It felt very fitting, so we had to weave some sausage roll magic into the lyrics.\"\n\nElsewhere in the singles chart, an expletive-laden song about PM Boris Johnson, by an Essex synth-pop outfit (whose name we can't really mention here without losing our jobs) also made the festive top five; and was at one-point the UK's second most-downloaded song of the week.\n\nJustin Bieber's cover of Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree [number eight] and Liam Gallagher's All You're Dreaming Of [24], which raised money for Action for Children, also proved popular this year.\n\nMcCartney III, the \"fun\" lockdown album by former Beatle Sir Paul, gave him his first number one LP in 31 years - since 1989's Flowers In The Dirt.\n\n\"I just want to say happy Christmas, happy New Year, and a big thank you to everyone who helped get my record to number one in the album charts,\" the rock 'n' roll knight of the realm told the Official Charts Company.\n\nTaylor Swift's surprise new album, Evermore, was close behind him in second.\n\nSir Paul McCartney recorded his Christmas number one album in isolation while spending lockdown with his daughter Mary, who took these photographs\n\nAlso on Christmas Day, it was announced by music licensing company PPL that The Pogues' widely-debated track, Fairytale Of New York was officially the UK's most-played Christmas track of the 21st Century.\n\nLast month, Radio 1 decided to stop playing the original version of the song in full, because its audience may be offended by some of the lyrics.\n\nAll I Want For Christmas Is You had to settle for second place once again in that poll of the past 20 years, while Wham!'s Last Christmas finished third overall - just as it did in this week's singles chart too.\n\nYou can listen to Radio 1's Christmas No.1 show, and Radio 2's 40 Most-Played Christmas Songs of the 21st Century now on BBC Sounds.\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "All airline passengers arriving in the US from the UK are to be required to test negative for Covid-19 within 72 hours of departure amid concerns about a new coronavirus variant.\n\nFrom 28 December travellers will need to provide written documentation of their test result to airlines.\n\nOther countries have shut their borders to UK flights because of the variant.\n\nBut its rapid spread has also led to stricter rules in the UK, including a ban on overseas trips for many Britons.\n\nAnd US airlines have drastically scaled back flying to the UK and Europe, after the entry of most foreign nationals was suspended at the start of the pandemic.\n\nHealth officials say there is no evidence the new variant is more deadly, or would react differently to vaccines, but it is proving to be up to 70% more transmissible.\n\nThe decision by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to require testing came after New York City introduced quarantine rules for international travellers in response to the variant.\n\nThe CDC said passengers must test negative via either a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) or an antigen test.\n\nSince Thursday, passengers travelling with Delta Air Lines and Virgin Atlantic on UK flights to the US have already been required to provide a negative test taken within 72 hours before departure.\n\nUnited Airlines will introduce similar requirements for passengers travelling from the UK to the US from 28 December.\n\nAs the new variant has spread quickly in London and south-east England, rules have been tightened across the UK, meaning more than 85% of the population - 48 million people - will be in the top two tiers after 26 December.\n\nThe UK reported 39,036 Covid cases on Thursday and another 574 deaths within 28 days of a positive test.", "Heavy rain has left standing water up to 5ft (1.5m) in places\n\nMore than 1,000 people are being evacuated from a flooded holiday park.\n\nOccupants of 500 caravans have been forced to leave the Billing Aquadrome park in Northampton, where heavy rain left water up to 5ft (1.5m) deep.\n\nPolice, who were helped by firefighters and lowland search and rescue teams, said some of those stranded were suffering from hypothermia.\n\nAt least two leisure centres in Northampton are set to be turned into emergency accommodation.\n\nMembers of the Northamptonshire Search and Rescue have helping in the operation\n\nResidents have been told to find accommodation with friends and family where possible, and assured that they would not be breaching Covid-19 regulations in such \"exceptional circumstances\".\n\nHowever Ch Supt Mick Stamper, of Northamptonshire Police, urged people to avoid homes where others are shielding or self-isolating.\n\n\"This is an exceptionally challenging situation and emergency services, working with partners and volunteers working flat out to resolve the situation and safeguard those affected on site,\" he said.\n\nTemperatures in the area are due to drop below freezing in the early hours of Friday, and police said waters are set to keep rising for another four to five hours.\n\nBilling Aquadrome describes itself as a \"place you can come to relax and recharge whenever you like, and for as long as you like (during our 11-month season)\".\n\nIn November 2012 the park was evacuated also due to flooding.\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have been affected by the flooding, email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Flood warnings have been issued in Bedfordshire as water levels rise\n\nPeople in more than 1,300 properties have been urged to leave their homes as flood levels rise in Bedfordshire.\n\nPolice warned of a \"really serious situation\" and have contacted people living along the River Great Ouse.\n\nFire crews used boats to rescue people throughout Christmas Day. Nine people and three dogs were among those led to safety in the village of Harrold.\n\nSupt Steve Ashdown said: \"River levels are extremely high and we are expecting this to have a significant impact.\"\n\nA severe flood warning has been issued for areas along the River Great Ouse by the Environment Agency.\n\nRescue teams have been working to help residents in Harrold to evacuate from their homes\n\nAt Bromham, near Bedford, the river was reported to be flowing at its highest recorded level.\n\n\"The fact this is happening on Christmas Day makes the situation even worse, especially after the disruption so many of us have had to our plans already and I really do sympathise with people,\" Supt Ashdown, of Bedfordshire Police, said.\n\n\"But this is a really serious situation and we need people to take action in order to keep themselves safe.\"\n\nEmergency assistance centres have been set up at Bedford International Athletic Stadium and Bromham Village Hall for those with nowhere else to go.\n\nBedford Borough Council said it had set up Covid-safe emergency assistance centres at the Bedford International Athletic Stadium and Bromham Village Hall\n\nBedford Mayor Dave Hodgson said the floods were set to be the worst seen in Bedfordshire for several years.\n\n\"The Environment Agency is expecting this to be the highest level of flooding seen in Bedford borough in a number of years and, working with partners, we are strongly encouraging people who are at risk of flooding and have been contacted to leave if they can do so safely,\" he said.\n\nIn a tweet, he praised council staff and emergency services who are \"working hard to protect residents\".\n\nThe council said people who had been contacted and asked to evacuate were \"permitted to go to other people's homes\".\n\nBedfordshire is currently under \"tier four - stay at home\" Covid restrictions which bans household mixing.\n\nBedfordshire Police said the flooding situation \"over-rides the current Covid-19 regulations\".\n\nBefore leaving their homes, people were being urged to turn off gas, water and electricity and move any valuables upstairs.\n\nThe county was hit by heavy rainfall on Christmas Eve that saw many roads left under water.\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk\n\nHave you been affected by the flooding in Bedfordshire? If it is safe to do so please share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Businesses have given a relieved welcome to the Brexit trade deal, but warned there was more work to be done.\n\nIn a statement, Number 10 said: \"The deal is fantastic news for businesses in every part of the UK.\"\n\nBut Jonathan Geldart, director general of the Institute of Directors, said \"the clock is still very much ticking\" for firms and called for guidance.\n\nThe CBI called for urgent confirmation of grace periods to give firms time to adapt to new rules from 1 January.\n\n\"We need to ensure we keep goods moving across borders,\" said Tony Danker, CBI director-general.\n\nHe said the deal \"will come as a huge relief to British business at a time when resilience is at an all-time low\".\n\n\"But coming so late in the day, it is vital that both sides take instant steps to keep trade moving and services flowing while firms adjust.\"\n\nMr Geldart echoed the CBI's concerns and said digesting the practical changes required and adapting \"in the middle of a pandemic and the festive season, while border disruptions continue, is a huge ask\" for firms.\n\nAfter a last-minute titanic struggle over the economic minnow that is fish, a deal has finally been landed.\n\nThe relief of avoiding no-deal is the perfect Christmas present for UK business. Having avoided what they considered the calamity of no-deal, minds will now turn to the detail in nearly 2,000 pages of text.\n\nAnd those who do business with the EU will not have long to peruse it. Even though a deal has been done, UK traders face a new raft of paperwork and cost. More than 200 million additional customs forms will need completing at a cost of more than £7bn a year.\n\nHaulage companies warn that many businesses are not ready for this new normal. That is perhaps understandable when you consider they have had several previous false alarms when they've stockpiled for no reason. They've been dealing with the worst health and economic disaster in living memory and have had precious little detail on exactly what they are facing until the very last minute.\n\nThe elephant not in the room and barely mentioned in the deal is services. There is no automatic access to a market worth £100bn to UK firms last year. A huge sigh of relief, yes - but any celebrations may be brief.\n\nHelen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, urged the EU and UK governments to work to implement the new arrangement as soon as possible.\n\n\"They must ensure there are no tariffs from Day One and find new ways to reduce the checks and red tape that we'll see from 1 January,\" she said.\n\n\"Businesses are undoubtedly relieved to hear that a deal has been agreed and will be hoping that it will now be ratified by respective parliaments across Europe,' said Richard Burge, chief executive of the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry.\n\n\"However, in on-the-ground terms for business, there are likely to still be questions unanswered and operational detail missing.\"\n\nBusiness group Logistics UK was optimistic about the deal.\n\n\"It removes the risk of tariffs being placed on almost every item imported from the EU, which would have raised prices and slowed the rate of economic growth,\" said Elizabeth de Jong, the group's policy director.\n\nBut TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady was scathing. \"This deal is better than nothing, but not by much. It won't protect jobs and puts hard-won workers' rights on the line.\"\n\nShe called on the prime minister to \"make good on his promise to level up Britain\", saying: \"He needs to act fast. There can be no more pointing the finger at the EU.\"\n\nConcerns were raised over the fact that financial services did not form part of the trade deal.\n\n\"The agreement should be less criticised for what it contains than what it does not contain - namely the future of financial services,\" said Daniel Pinto, chief executive of Stanhope Capital Group.\n\nHe said the City now needed to take its future in its own hands. \"Post-Brexit, it should lure international companies and revamp its regulatory framework to make it much more flexible.\"\n\nNicolas Mackel, chief executive of Luxembourg for Finance, said the deal was positive news for financial services.\n\n\"While financial services has never been covered by the trade negotiations, this vital breakthrough bodes well for the conversations happening around equivalences and delegation,\" he said.\n\n\"Until now, the souring negotiating mood on the future relationship was putting these important financial footbridges across the Channel under great pressure and there was a risk of collapse.\"", "EU ambassadors have received a Christmas Day briefing on the post-Brexit trade deal reached with the UK.\n\nEU chief negotiator Michel Barnier updated them on the agreement, reached after months of fraught talks on fishing rights and business rules.\n\nMPs will vote on the deal in Parliament on 30 December, with the UK set to exit existing trading rules on 31 December.\n\nThe 1,246-page document, which includes about 800 pages of annexes and footnotes, has been seen by the BBC.\n\nA 34-page summary of the deal has been published on the UK government's website, but not the complete text.\n\nLabour said it was a \"thin agreement\" but they would back it as the only alternative to no deal, meaning it should win approval.\n\nThe European Parliament needs to ratify the deal but it is unlikely to do so until the new year, meaning its application will formally be provisional until then.\n\nEuropean ambassadors during the briefing of European Union member states in Brussels on 25 December\n\nSebastian Fischer, a spokesman for the German presidency of the Council of the EU, joked ahead of the EU diplomats' meeting that he was looking forward to it \"because nothing is more fun than to celebrate Christmas among socially distanced colleagues\".\n\nMeanwhile, French Europe minister Clement Beaune said it was a \"good agreement\", adding that the EU had not accepted a deal \"at all costs\".\n\nIn a Christmas video message, posted on Twitter on Thursday evening, Prime Minister Boris Johnson brandished a draft copy of the document.\n\nBoris Johnson held up a draft of the Brexit deal in a video published by No 10\n\nHe said: \"Tonight, on Christmas Eve, I have a small present for anyone who may be looking for something to read in that sleepy post-Christmas lunch moment, and here it is, tidings, glad tidings of great joy because this is a deal.\n\n\"A deal to give certainty to business, travellers, and all investors in our country from January 1. A deal with our friends and partners in the EU.\"\n\nEuropean Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described the agreement as \"fair\" and \"balanced\", saying it was now \"time to turn the page and look to the future\". The UK \"remains a trusted partner,\" she added.\n\nStruck four and a half years after the UK voted to leave the EU, the deal will define the future relationship for decades.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nAccording to the text of the deal, those issued with a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) before the end of 2020 can use it before its expiry date, after which, the UK will issue a new card - called the UK Global Health Insurance Card.\n\nSimilar to the EHIC - which entitles people to state-provided medical treatment if they fall ill or have an accident in any EU country, or in Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein - the new card will cover chronic or existing illnesses and routine maternity care as well as emergencies.\n\nThe agreement says any specialised treatment, such as dialysis or cancer treatment, \"must be subject to a prior agreement between the insured person and the unit providing the treatment\" to ensure the treatment is available.\n\nMeanwhile, goods will continue to be traded free of tariffs and quotas and there will be independent arbitration to resolve future disputes.\n\nIt will mean big changes for business, with the UK and EU forming two separate markets, and the end of free movement.\n\nBut it will have come as a major relief to many British businesses, already reeling from the impact of coronavirus, who feared disruption at the borders and the imposition of tariffs, or taxes on imports.\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer - who campaigned against Brexit - said the deal did not provide adequate protections for jobs, manufacturing, financial services or workplace rights and was \"not the deal the government promised\".\n\nBut with no time left to renegotiate, the only choice was between \"this deal or no deal,\" he added.\n\nEd Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats, said his party needed to see the full text, but would not support a \"bad deal\".\n\nMichel Barnier leaves the EU Commission for a meeting of the Permanent Representatives Committee in Brussels, Belgium, on 25 December\n\nParliament will sit on 30 December to vote on the trade deal.\n\nDr Joelle Grogan, senior lecturer in law at Middlesex University London, told BBC News: \"To put this in real context, if I spend the next five days before Parliament is recalled on Wednesday spending 10 hours a day just reading that document, I will have a maximum of two minutes and 30 seconds to fully understand, analyse and comment on it.\"\n\n\"The clock is no longer ticking.\"\n\nThese were pretty much the first words out of the mouth of the EU's chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, as he announced the just sealed EU-UK trade and security agreement on Thursday.\n\nNo more looming \"no-deal\" threats; no more almost painful uncertainty about future relations across the Channel. This was a historic moment.\n\nA fair and balanced deal for both sides, said the European Commission.\n\nBut you'd have to have been half-asleep (or halfway through a bottle of eggnog, cava or pint of Glühwein) to miss the stark difference in tone between UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson's triumphalist announcement on Thursday afternoon and the sombre statement by the European Commission.\n\nAt a press conference on Thursday, Mr Johnson said the agreement would \"protect jobs across this country\".\n\nHe said the UK had not got all it wanted on financial services, a vital part of the UK economy, but insisted the deal was \"nonetheless going to enable our dynamic City of London to get on and prosper as never before\".\n\nThe prime minister also acknowledged he had been forced to give ground on his demands on fishing.\n\nFishing makes up 0.12% of the UK's economy but the negotiations went down to the wire over what EU boats were allowed to catch in UK waters.\n\nIn future, 25% of EU boats' fishing rights in UK waters will be transferred to the UK fishing fleet, over a period of five-and-a-half years.\n\nBarrie Deas, the head of the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations, said \"significant concessions\" meant there would be \"a lot of disappointed and frustrated fishermen\".\n\nScotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said fishing got a \"bad deal\", adding: \"Brexit is happening against Scotland's will... It's time to chart our own future as an independent, European nation.\"\n\nWales First Minister Mark Drakeford said a deal was better than no deal but said it was \"thin\" and not what Wales was promised.\n\nThe deal also means that, except for Northern Ireland, the UK will no longer participate in the Erasmus student exchange scheme. Mr Johnson said it was being replaced with the Turing Scheme, which will include universities outside the EU.\n\nIn another development following the deal announcement, the UK Mission to the EU said people with a driving licence issued in the UK would not need to use an International Drivers Licence in the EU.", "The BBC has received 266 complaints about a scene in The Vicar Of Dibley, referencing the Black Lives Matter movement.\n\nIn last week's Christmas episode, Dawn French's character, Reverend Geraldine Granger, took the knee and delivered a sermon about racism.\n\nThe corporation has previously defended the sitcom scene.\n\nIt said in a statement it \"was in keeping with the character and the theme of the show\".\n\nFrench's character is shown being filmed by parishioner and farmer Owen Newitt as she tells the audience she has been preoccupied with the \"horror show\" of the death of George Floyd, who died while in US police custody.\n\nMr Floyd, an unarmed black man, was killed in May while being arrested by police in Minneapolis, Minnesota, sparking anti-racism protests around the world.\n\nIn the scene, the vicar noted that Dibley, the fictional Oxfordshire village, is \"not the most diverse community\", and encouraged its residents to get behind the anti-racism campaign, which gained pace around the real world following Mr Floyd's death.\n\nSome viewers of the episode criticised it on social media.\n\n\"A lovely calm day, full of humanity, compassion and support all round...\" responded French, at the time on Twitter.\n\nThe comic actor later clarified in the comments that she was being \"a tad ironic\".\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "Drivers are being tested before being allowed to make the crossing to France\n\nThousands of lorry drivers waiting to cross the English Channel to France are spending Christmas Day in their cabs in Kent.\n\nHundreds of military personnel have been deployed to help clear the backlog of about 5,000 lorries, which are waiting at Manston Airport.\n\nDrivers are allowed to travel on the condition they test negative for Covid-19 before boarding a train or ferry.\n\nTransport Secretary Grant Shapps said more than 10,000 tests had been done.\n\nHe said out of those lorry drivers who had been tested, 24 were positive for coronavirus.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nFrance closed its border after the UK warned of a fast-spreading variant of coronavirus but ended its ban on Wednesday, providing people tested negative before travelling.\n\nMore than 700 hauliers have been cleared for departure since France reopened its border.\n\nBut about 5,000 remain unable to get home and are waiting at Manston Airport, on a closed section of the M20, and in Dover.\n\nFreight traffic has started moving through the Port of Dover\n\nFrench firefighters have been supporting the testing effort, and a group of Polish medics was deployed to the UK on Thursday to help test drivers. the Polish news website TVN24 has reported.\n\nSome lorry drivers have already spent nearly a week stranded following the closure of the border on Sunday.\n\nMr Shapps said: \"We need to get the situation in Kent, caused by the French government's sudden imposition of Covid restrictions, resolved as soon as possible.\n\n\"I know it's been hard for many drivers cooped up in their cabs at this precious time of year, but I assure them that we are doing our utmost to get them home.\"\n\nThe UK's border with France was closed on Sunday and reopened on Wednesday\n\nThe government said catering vans were providing hot food and drinks to stranded hauliers at Manston, with Kent Council and volunteer groups providing refreshments to those stuck on the M20.\n\nHM Coastguard said its teams in the Dover area had so far delivered 3,000 hot meals, 600 pizzas, 2,985 packed lunches and 17 pallets of water to those waiting.\n\nSoutheastern Railway and Network Rail arranged for food to be delivered to lorry drivers stuck in Operation Stack on the M20.\n\nSeven trains carrying crates of food for the hauliers have left London in the past 48 hours, with the Salvation Army distributing the items.\n\nThere are more than 250 toilets at Manston, with a further 32 portable toilets added to existing facilities already along the M20.\n\nA Port of Dover spokesman said ferry services had run throughout Christmas Eve night and would continue on Christmas Day to help ease congestion.\n\nDuncan Buchanan, from the Road Haulage Association, said: \"The most reassuring thing is that food is getting through at Manston, and I have to say a big thank you to everyone who volunteered to help.\"\n\nAre you a lorry driver waiting to cross the English Channel to France? Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nOr use this form to get in touch:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your comment or send it via email to HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any comment you send in.\n\nFollow BBC South East on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe Queen has used her Christmas Day message to reassure anyone struggling without friends and family this year that they \"are not alone\".\n\nShe said what many people want \"for Christmas is a simple hug or a squeeze of the hand\" - but \"even on the darkest nights there is hope in the new dawn\".\n\nThe 94-year-old praised acts of kindness, saying the pandemic \"brought us closer\" despite causing hardship.\n\nThe Queen, like so many, is spending the day apart from her family.\n\n\"Remarkably, a year that has necessarily kept people apart has, in many ways, brought us closer,\" the monarch said in the broadcast, adding that the Royal Family has been \"inspired\" by people volunteering in their communities.\n\n\"In the United Kingdom and around the world, people have risen magnificently to the challenges of the year, and I am so proud and moved by this quiet, indomitable spirit.\"\n\nShe lamented that \"people of all faiths have been unable to gather as they would wish for their festivals\", but said \"we need life to go on\".\n\nThe Queen highlighted Diwali celebrations last month in Windsor - where she is spending Christmas with the Duke of Edinburgh for the first time in decades - as an example of \"joyous moments of hope and unity despite social distancing\".\n\n\"Of course for many, this time of year will be tinged with sadness - some mourning the loss of those dear to them and others missing friends and family members distanced for safety, when all they really want for Christmas is a simple hug or a squeeze of the hand,\" she added.\n\n\"If you are among them, you are not alone, and let me assure you of my thoughts and prayers.\"\n\nShe gave particular thanks to young people, to frontline workers, and to \"good Samaritans [who] have emerged across society, showing care and respect for all\".\n\nThe Queen made a private pilgrimage to the grave of the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Abbey last month\n\n\"We continue to be inspired by the kindness of strangers and draw comfort that even on the darkest nights there is hope in the new dawn,\" she said.\n\nReferring to the centenary of the Unknown Warrior's burial in Westminster Abbey, she said: \"The Unknown Warrior was not exceptional, that's the point. He represents millions like him who, throughout our history, have put the lives of others above their own and will be doing so today.\n\n\"For me, this is a source of enduring hope in difficult and unpredictable times.\"\n\nThis year's message was recorded in mid-December with a pared-back film crew and in accordance with government guidance.\n\nShe did not utter the words \"pandemic\", \"coronavirus\" or \"Covid-19\" but they were the dominant theme of this year's Christmas speech broadcast by the Queen.\n\nHer words conveyed three particular messages. She spoke of the gratitude owed to all those who'd \"risen magnificently to the challenges of the year\", in particular to young people, frontline workers and the \"amazing achievements of modern science.\"\n\nShe found hope in the actions of so many \"Good Samaritans\" who'd emerged across society to offer care.\n\nThere was hope too from the example of the \"Unknown Warrior\" buried at Westminster Abbey a century ago. He symbolised selfless duty: a source of \"enduring hope\" the Queen said.\n\nAnd finally there was reassurance for all those who are mourning or missing friends or family. This was the most touching part of the broadcast. These were people who just wanted \"a hug or a squeeze of the hand\" the Queen said.\n\nThat is not language she often uses in public.\n\nShe added: \"Let the light of Christmas, the spirit of selflessness, love and above all, hope, guide us in the times ahead.\"\n\nThe Queen and Prince Philip, 99, have been living at Windsor Castle during the pandemic with a small household staff.\n\nIt is thought to be the first year the couple have not spent Christmas at their Sandringham home since the mid-1980s.\n\nThe Royal Family usually spends Christmas Day together, but will not visit each other this year because of coronavirus restrictions.\n\nThe Queen also worshipped privately rather than attending a church service, as she usually does - in order, it is understood, to avoid crowds of well-wishers congregating.\n\nOn Christmas Day, the Royal Family tweeted a video of St George's Chapel choir singing.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by The Royal Family This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. End of twitter post by The Royal Family\n\nThe Duke and Duchess of Cambridge acknowledged those going through a particularly difficult time this year because of the pandemic, tweeting pictures of people working through the festive season.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. End of twitter post 2 by The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge\n\nMeanwhile, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall sent their Christmas wishes on social media, telling followers, \"Here's to a better new year.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 3 by The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. End of twitter post 3 by The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall\n\nThe Queen's address marks the end of a year that saw her go for seven months - March to October - without carrying out public engagements outside of a royal residence.\n\nDuring that time, her eldest child, Prince Charles, 72, contracted coronavirus and displayed mild symptoms.\n\nPalace sources also told the BBC that the Prince William tested positive in April - though Kensington Palace refused to comment officially.\n\nThe royals have spent some time together during the pandemic.\n\nThe Queen and several other senior royals attended a socially-distanced Christmas carol concert at Windsor Castle this month.\n\nShe was also joined by family members at a scaled-back Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph in London's Whitehall in November.\n\nThe Christmas broadcast was the Queen's third televised address this year, which is unusual for the monarch.\n\nIn April, as the first wave of the pandemic saw people across the country told to stay at home, she vowed that the the UK \"will succeed\" in its fight against the virus.\n\nIn a rallying message, she lamented the \"painful sense of separation from their loved ones\" that social distancing was causing people - but said it was \"the right thing to do\".\n\nIn April, the Queen said: \"We will be with our friends again, we will be with our families again, we will meet again\"\n\nThe following month, in a poignant address to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day, she said people's response to the virus had filled empty streets with \"love\".\n\nIn last year's Christmas speech, she described 2019 - which saw intense political debate over Brexit and a number of personal events affecting the Royal Family - as \"quite bumpy\".\n\nShe said the path is never \"smooth\" but \"small steps\" can heal divisions.\n\nChannel 4's alternative Christmas message will be delivered by a deepfake of the Queen this year.", "This is a political victory for the prime minister with up front control \"taken back\" in a deal struck in a very short time.\n\nIn economic terms, it prevents the equivalent of a low level tariff trade war with our biggest trading partner breaking out, in the middle of an historic recession and health crisis.\n\nThe UK has stayed in a free trade zone stretching from Iceland to Russia, as Vote Leave promised ahead of the referendum.\n\nBut his manifest error in declaring there are \"no non-tariff barriers\" for trade with the EU had business leaders falling off their chairs.\n\nThis is patently not the case. The government has entire websites informing the public and businesses of tens of millions of new customs declarations, export health checks, regulatory checks, rules of origin checks, conformity assessments.\n\nBut while we wait for 2,000 pages of legal detail, that quote might help both explain a lot about the last four years, and map out some rocky moments ahead.\n\nIt is possible that the prime minister has a different definition of what the phrase means. He seemed, when questioned to confuse them with technical standards for plugs.\n\nBut any government confusion about this is about to meet a brick wall of reality from January. Industries are having to replicate regulatory processes for the UK market that previously existed only for the EU, doubling the cost.\n\nThe deal mitigates the impact of some of this. But there is no precedent for the avalanche of new trade barriers that is coming. As retailers have said \"it is the biggest imposition of red tape in 50 years\".\n\nMore than that, not only will those barriers now exist between the UK and EU, but some will also now occur within the UK between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, as the news about seed potatoes shows.\n\nThe government indeed is currently trying to advertise to thousands of business that these changes need to be prepared for, and urgently so. Failure to do so, still risks problematic congestion on key freight routes.\n\nBut it also shows up the strategy of negotiators. Typically they carve up into defensive asks, where you manage your trade partners' access to your markets, and demand offensive asks about your access to their markets.\n\nThe UK had few offensive asks. This was not a typical trade deal. For the UK, this was a means through which to establish regulatory independence, not to further share it and therefore increase trade, by reducing barriers.\n\nDetails really matter here. A key question will be whether the most important exports qualify for tariff free status. The government claims a win here.\n\nThe car companies are the ones best placed to judge that. The EU was playing hardball on this issue, even against the wishes of its own carmakers. Certainly, it has rejected the UK wish to count Japanese and Turkish parts as effectively \"made in Britain\".\n\nAccepting that means that there will be new trade barriers with the EU, though thankfully not actual tariffs. The challenge really is about whether the new freedoms the prime minister has won, can help more than make up for more trade friction with what is currently our main market.\n\nIt means significant change, winners and losers. It means the government needs a proper strategic economic plan. This deal makes that process easier at an already challenging time. But it does not eliminate the economic challenge from this political win.", "The post-Brexit deal will make the UK safer, Home Secretary Priti Patel says, despite concerns from police chiefs about a lack of access to data.\n\nShe said the UK would be \"more secure through firmer and fairer border controls\" after 31 December.\n\nThe deal allows cooperation on security and policing, but Brussels said the UK will no longer have \"direct, real-time access\" to sensitive information.\n\nThis includes a major database on people and items such as stolen guns.\n\nThe UK-EU trade deal - a 1,246-page document which has been seen by the BBC but not published by the government - will be voted on in Parliament on 30 December, with the UK set to exit existing trade rules the next day.\n\nIn the run-up to the UK's separation from the European Union, police chiefs raised concerns about losing access to databases and the European Arrest Warrant.\n\nMs Patel said the UK would continue to be \"one of the safest countries in the world\" and she was \"immensely proud\" of the package agreed with the EU.\n\nShe said: \"It means both sides have effective tools to tackle serious crime and terrorism, protecting the public and bringing criminals to justice.\n\n\"But we will also seize this historic opportunity to make the UK safer and more secure through firmer and fairer border controls.\"\n\nThe Home Office said the post-Brexit agreement included streamlined extradition arrangements, fast and effective exchange of national DNA, fingerprint and vehicle registration data and continued transfers of Passenger Name Record data.\n\nFrom July 2021, the UK will receive advance data on goods arriving from the EU into Great Britain, something which was not previously possible under EU rules.\n\nBut the UK will lose access to the EU's Schengen Information System II (SIS II) database of alerts about people and items such as stolen firearms and vehicles.\n\nThe EU has said it is legally impossible to offer SIS access to the UK.\n\nEarlier this month Steve Rodhouse, director general of operations for the National Crime Agency, warned that losing access to the database would mean alerts relating to around 400,000 investigations in European countries would disappear from the UK's national computer on 31 December.\n\n\"Investigations could take longer, and it could mean that serious criminals are not held to account as quickly,\" he said.\n\nBBC home affairs correspondent Dominic Casciani said that while the agreement did appear to protect continued security and policing cooperation it \"downgrades what British police can achieve - and how quickly\".\n\n\"As expected, the UK will have to unplug its connection to an enormous real-time database that shares alerts on wanted or missing people,\" he said.\n\nIn November, National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) lead for Brexit, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Richard Martin told peers that while contingency plans were being made the loss of access to SIS was \"still a capability gap and it will have a massive impact on us\".\n\nHe said his team had checked the system 603 million times last year.\n\nFollowing the announcement of the deal, the NPCC said while it welcomed a deal between the UK and EU it was working with the government to \"fully understand the detail of the security agreement and how it will be implemented, and ensure we are prepared for any changes to the way we currently operate\".\n\nBBC Reality Check correspondent Chris Morris said while the UK has reached an agreement on extradition and will be able to sit in on meetings of Europol - the cross-border security agency - \"on a par with the best other countries have achieved\", the speed at which the UK gets important data and the influence it has on decisions has been reduced.", "Theo, a trans boy, tried to take his life last year while waiting for an NHS referral\n\nThe NHS gender identity service is seeking leave to appeal against a High Court ruling that restricts children under 16 from accessing \"puberty-blocking\" drugs.\n\nThe NHS service says the move harms young people with gender dysphoria.\n\nGender dysphoria is when a mismatch between a person's sex assigned at birth and their gender identity causes them distress.\n\nAccessing puberty blockers is currently one of the first steps in treatment for young people wishing to transition.\n\nEarlier this month, three High Court judges ruled that children under 16 with gender dysphoria are \"unlikely to be able to give informed consent to undergo treatment with puberty-blocking drugs\".\n\nDame Victoria Sharp, sitting with Lord Justice Lewis and Mrs Justice Lieven, said: \"It is highly unlikely that a child aged 13 or under would be competent to give consent to the administration of puberty blockers.\n\n\"It is doubtful that a child aged 14 or 15 could understand and weigh the long-term risks and consequences of the administration of puberty blockers,\" she added.\n\nAs a result, trans children under the age of 16 will now need a clinician to apply to the High Court to be able to access puberty blockers, and all current referrals and appointments have been paused.\n\nThe BBC understands that clinicians may also seek guidance from the High Court for all trans young people under 18.\n\nThe Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust, which runs England and Wales' only children's gender identity service, is now seeking leave to appeal the High Court decision, along with University College Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Leeds Teaching Hospital NHS Trust.\n\nSome trans young people have been giving their reaction to the ruling, with one calling it \"honestly terrifying\".\n\nTheo, a 14-year-old trans boy who suffers from extreme gender dysphoria, came out as trans when he was 11. He is still waiting to see a gender specialist, and last year he tried to take his own life.\n\nHe wanted to \"disappear\", he said, after being left to go through female puberty while stuck on a \"never-ending\" NHS waiting list.\n\n\"I felt like I wanted to be dead rather than waiting. I spend a lot of time wishing I could be a normal boy and there is no help for me.\n\n\"I have support around me, but my gender dysphoria feels like I'm not me in my own body,\" he says.\n\n\"It can make me really depressed. I hate seeing my body, so I can barely have a shower or a bath.\"\n\nTheo's mum, Loreto, says that even when Theo was lying in intensive care \"connected to pumps and with tubes through his nose\", she could not secure him any gender identity support from the NHS.\n\n\"I still have a child who can't go outside. I have to constantly check how he's dealing with life, and tell him to focus on the positives.\"\n\nThe NHS Gender Identity Development Service is based at the Tavistock and Portman Trust\n\nDr Adrian Harrop, a GP from Liverpool who has defended the right of children to begin transitioning, says trans young people have now had \"the rug pulled from underneath them\".\n\n\"It makes me terribly worried that there is now nothing there for those children, and nothing that can be done to help them.\n\nBut one claimant in the High Court case, the mother of a 15-year-old girl who is awaiting treatment, said before the outcome that \"It is distressing to have to wait and to try and convince someone that your identity warrants medical intervention.\n\n\"However, I think the downside of getting it wrong, the outcomes of getting it wrong, are also catastrophic.\"\n\nThe NHS Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS) website states: \"This judgment and the revised NHS England service specifications for GIDS raise a lot of questions and may be the cause of anxiety and distress for our patients and their families/guardians.\n\n\"We also appreciate that this comes at a time when our waiting times have never been longer, and amidst a pandemic.\"\n\nWhile the NHS gender identity service says that access to any medication will not be \"automatically withdrawn\" as a result of the ruling, they confirmed that no new referrals are being accepted.\n\nA spokesperson for the NHS Trusts involved told the BBC this is a \"temporary pause\".\n\nEmma (left) supports her trans daughter Emily (right) at LGBT Pride events\n\nEmily, a 12-year-old trans girl from Liverpool, was first referred to the Tavistock by her GP in May 2017.\n\nAfter being assessed over 12 appointments, across two years, involving Emily and her parents, she had just been recommended for puberty blockers by the service.\n\nEmily's mother, Emma, fears her daughter \"will not make it through\" male puberty. \"Emily is running out of time. We will have to figure something out, and fast,\" she says.\n\n\"She's already so uncomfortable in the body she's got, and if it becomes more male, she won't be able to tolerate it.\"\n\nIn October 2020, Emily's NHS psychotherapist wrote: \"I am satisfied that Emily, with the ongoing support and guidance of her parents, has a good understanding about the potential side-effects of this treatment.\"\n\nBut Keira Bell, who at 20 had a double mastectomy, has begun de-transitioning and now reflects \"It was heartbreaking to realise I'd gone down the wrong path.\"\n\nClarification and update 23 December: We have made some changes to this article which include amending its opening line to make clear that the NHS gender identity service has not appealed against the High Court ruling but is seeking leave to do so. We have also added a paragraph which provides further background information on GenderGP and included links to the BBC Action Line.\n\nCorrection 8th July 2021: This article has been amended following a complaint to the BBC's Executive Complaints Unit.\n\nIf you are in the UK, you can call the Samaritans on 116123\n\nFor information and support on mental health and suicide, you can access the BBC Action Line", "Is the mutant Covid variant already in the US?\n\nPublic health experts in the US have been weighing in on the UK's discovery of a new mutant variant of Covid-19, with many saying that there is a solid likelihood that the virus is already present in the US. Dr Anthony Fauci, the top US disease researcher, told ABC News this morning that it is \"certainly possible\" that the mutant strain is already present in the US. \"I mean, when you have this amount of spread within a place like the UK that you really need to assume that it's here already,\" he said. \"It may not - and certainly it's not the dominant strain, but I would not be surprised at all if it was already here.\" The former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the regulator tasked with approving vaccines and medicines, said the new strain “is already in the US.” “I don’t think a travel ban [on the UK], at this point, is going to prevent this mutated strain from coming into the United States,” Scott Gottlieb told CNBC.", "Restaurants and gastro pubs to close at 15:00 GMT on Christmas Eve\n\nRestaurants, hairdressers and gastro pubs in the Republic of Ireland will close on Christmas Eve when new restrictions are introduced.\n\nPeople in Ireland may travel beyond their own county until the end of Stephen's Day, the Irish Cabinet has announced.\n\nThere will be no new inter-county travel allowed after 26 December.\n\nHousehold visits will be reduced to one other household from 27 December.\n\nHowever, three households will still be allowed to mix on Christmas Day.\n\nTravel restrictions from Britain will remain until 31 December under the new rules, and the number of wedding guests in Ireland will be reduced to six, from 2 January, RTÉ reports.\n\nThe new restrictions will be reviewed on 12 January, however Tánaiste (deputy prime minister) Leo Varadkar has warned those businesses affected that they should operate on the assumption they will be closed until the end of February or early March, when a critical mass of the population should be vaccinated.\n\nThe Irish Foreign Ministry has set up a GB emergency travel helpline for Irish people who are finding it difficult to get home for Christmas.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Irish Foreign Ministry This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nTaoiseach (Irish PM) Micheál Martin said coronavirus in Ireland may be increasing at a rate of 10% per day, but added that the most vulnerable Irish citizens will begin receiving the vaccine next week.\n\nMr Martin said he is certain the Irish vaccination programme will allow the virus to be managed in the new year.\n\n\"The way to show love and respect for others is to comply with guidelines,\" he added.\n\nIrish schools will remain open under the new measures\n\nMr Martin said the measures equated to Level 5 on Ireland's Covid-19 response plan with a few adjustments, including non-essential retail remaining open, with guidance that shops do not run January sales.\n\nHe said gyms, leisure centres and swimming pools could remain open for individual exercise.\n\nSchools will also stay open but no sports matches can take place apart from those at elite level.\n\nHis deputy prime minister, Mr Varadkar added: \"One of the real concerns that we have is that unlike the second wave, the virus seems to be affecting older people in quite high numbers and that is causing us enormous concern.\n\n\"Because what is very likely to happen over the next couple of days is that younger people who have been out socialising, perhaps carrying the virus, will then mix with older people over Christmas and that is a recipe for disaster.\"\n\nMinister for Transport, Eamon Ryan earlier said there will be a series of \"staggered dates\" regarding changes to restrictions over the holiday period.\n\nMr Ryan said the cabinet sub-committee had been briefed by the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) on Monday evening on the latest situation with coronavirus.\n\nMeanwhile in the Republic of Ireland on Monday, there were no new coronavirus-linked deaths reported.\n\nThere have been a total of 2,158 coronavirus-related deaths in Ireland and a total of 80,267 confirmed cases since the outbreak began.", "Communal signing isn't allowed in the UK under coronavirus guidelines but researchers are hoping to find the evidence needed to bring it back.\n\nUniversity College London has been analysing how wearing a face mask could make communal singing safe enough.", "There are still places throughout the UK without adequate coverage\n\nThe UK will fail to achieve a target of offering gigabit-capable broadband to 85% of the UK by 2025, MPs have warned.\n\nInitially, the government had aimed for nationwide coverage within five years.\n\nBut targets were scaled back when it emerged that only 25% of the promised £5bn funding would be available.\n\nThe Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee said the cuts, paired with a \"lack of effective planning\" meant the UK could end up playing catch-up to other countries.\n\nThe report said there was \"no genuine belief\" from within the sector that the government's current goals were possible within its current timeframe.\n\n“The government’s decision to abandon its 2025 gigabit-capable broadband target within weeks of ministers reassuring us of their commitment to it was a belated recognition that it was unrealistic and unachievable, underlining concerns we’d heard from industry,\" said committee chairman Julian Knight.\n\nOn the same day as the committee's scathing report, the government also laid out the next steps in its plan.\n\nIt said homes and businesses that did not yet have access to gigabit-capable broadband would be prioritised in the ongoing roll-out.\n\nLloyd Felton, of County Broadband, said this would be crucial in making sure the UK's broadband was fit for future generations.\n\n“Continued growth in the rollout of full-fibre broadband is much-needed, as a recent Ofcom report revealed only 18% of the UK can access full-fibre services.\n\n\"It is vital that we take the opportunities to invest in full-fibre infrastructure now, to ensure Britain’s broadband is accessible to all UK properties,\" he added.\n\nThe committee also echoed concerns from within the telecoms industry that the government would fall short of its 5G coverage target, leaving some areas without connectivity.\n\nThe government had previously announced its target for majority 5G coverage in the UK by 2027 as part of its £5bn plan.\n\nHowever, the DCMS said the plans in their current state failed to address problems with coverage in hard-to-reach rural areas.\n\nAbout 9% of the UK has little or no access to 4G networks from any provider.\n\n“The government’s target to deliver to the majority of the population, rather than the majority of the country, risks repeating the same errors that led to mobile ‘not-spots’,\" said Mr Knight.\n\n\"If investors cherry-pick areas of high population, it leaves people in remote rural areas without a hope.\"\n\nMr Knight added that current plans risked \"embedding digital inequality rather than solving it\".\n\nHonest Mobile founder Andy Aitken urged the government to put addressing the UK's current coverage issues ahead of its 5G plans.\n\n\"Even people in central London - where coverage is best - still find themselves in not-spots and without a connection during rush hour,\" said Mr Aitken.\n\nHe added: \"Lockdown has only highlighted the importance of giving high-quality internet access to everyone wherever they live in the UK.\"\n\nFollowing a ruling in July, the UK's mobile providers are banned from using Huawei 5G equipment after 31 December.\n\nThey must also remove all the Chinese firm's 5G kit from their networks by 2027.\n\nThe legislation is expected to result in a delay of at least two years to 5G roll-out, with additional costs of up to £2bn.", "Posh cars on the driveway of his suburban house gave clues to Maher's lifestyle\n\nA UK-based haulier shipped drugs for gangs across Europe from his Warrington living room in lockdown.\n\nThomas Maher, originally from Ireland, has been sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court to more than 14 years in jail after pleading guilty to drugs and money-laundering charges.\n\nHe made thousands of pounds a week, using an encrypted Encrochat phone to fix the movement of drugs and money.\n\nHe is the first major crime boss jailed using messages obtained when French police cracked the Encrochat network.\n\nThe phones were considered mandatory for high-end organised crime, and more than a thousand suspects have been arrested on the strength of the evidence their messages contain.\n\nMaher, 39, used the Encrochat handles \"Satirical\" and \"Snacker\" as he did deals with organised crime networks in the UK, Ireland, Denmark, the Netherlands, Spain, Turkey and Bulgaria.\n\nThe National Crime Agency says he was \"hugely influential\" among Europe's drug cartels.\n\nSentencing him, Judge Aubrey QC said Maher was \"a high-ranking facilitator... a go-between for criminal networks needing to transport their drugs between Holland and Ireland\".\n\nPassing a sentence of 14 years and eight months, the judge told Maher: \"You were an extremely important cog in the wheel of a sophisticated network.\"\n\nMaher would arrange for lorries to move massive loads of drugs hidden alongside legitimate cargoes such as fruit or wine in one direction and then to bring cash in the other direction.\n\nThe NCA kept Maher under surveillance after French police passed on details of his activities\n\nPolice found out about his operation after he was arrested in connection with the deaths of 39 Vietnamese migrants while they were being transported to the UK in October 2019. He had previously owned the trailer in which they were found.\n\nThe NCA put him under surveillance in an attempt to identify the scale of his criminal activities.\n\nHowever, the cracking of the Encrochat network by French intelligence and the Gendarmerie provided the National Crime Agency with thousands of his encrypted messages.\n\nThey were able to watch, almost in real time, as he did deals with crime bosses around Europe.\n\nMartin Clark, from the NCA, said he posed as an \"honest haulier\", but was in fact \"very much a professional facilitator and he's done it all remotely sitting in his living room\".\n\n\"He's never personally been anywhere near any of it.\"\n\nIn fact, the NCA said he had been scrupulous about social distancing during the pandemic while communicating via Encrochat with dozens of criminals.\n\nThe evidence the agency has uncovered shines a new light on the way in which a smuggling network operates.\n\nMaher would be contacted by clients wanting to move hundreds of kilos of drugs.\n\nThe messages were written in criminal slang. He would discuss deals involving shipments of \"tops\" (top shelf drugs such as cocaine), or \"Colo\" (the purest form from Colombia).\n\nHeroin, which he deemed a more downmarket drug, was known as \"bottoms\".\n\nShipments might come from \"The Flat\" (The Netherlands) and the lorry returned with \"paper\" (cash).\n\nOfficers working on Encrochat cases are having to develop skills in understanding the slang suspects are using in their messages. In this message Thomas Maher (Satirical) is telling an alleged co-conspirator that they're not doing too badly despite the lockdown.\n\nHelpfully for police he sets out the network of drug transportation routes he is currently operating:\n\n\"Taxi ways are working out OK at the minute with this fella from flat to ours and Belgium to ours am other that's two - and plus a driver with [redacted] for Poly's sun to flat and we still have [redacted] turk to flat and and his men [redacted] to here where I am. Once we get this travel ban lifted m8 we be on the pigs bk that alone is a lot of taxi plus we have the receiver here from Asia so m8 we have a lot more than others... that's why I'm not stressing yet\n\nThe police translation reads: \"Our HGV drug courier business is working out OK at the moment. Someone is bringing shipments from Holland and Belgium to the UK. There's a driver for ecstasy from Spain to Holland, and we still have Turkey to Holland, and [redacted] is bringing shipments to the UK. Once the travel ban is lifted we will be doing rather well. That alone is a lot of shipments plus we have someone bringing drugs in from Asia. So, we have a lot more than other gangs... that's why I'm not stressing yet.\n\nHowever, like many users of the Encrochat network, Maher believed his messages could not be read, so he didn't bother trying to communicate in code.\n\nCrucial evidence was obtained from pictures on his phone. His drivers would photograph the shipments to prove they had been picked up.\n\nThey would sometimes use a \"token\" during the handover.\n\nThis involved showing a particular Euro bank note, with digits previously agreed as evidence of identity.\n\nWhen Maher was moving drugs he would earn around £3,500 each time. For money, transported for laundering in consignments of 300,000 euros at a time, he would \"skim\" 1% of the total as his payment\n\nHe was \"always showing £50 notes in the pub\", Martin Clark said, and people were suspicious that he was a criminal.\n\nMaher lived in a \"fairly modest\" Cheshire home, but police surveillance spotted luxury cars including a Range Rover, Porsche Cayenne, Mercedes GLS and Corvette parked on the drive.\n\nWhen they raided his house they found evidence he had spent hundreds of thousands of pounds on Rolex and Hublot watches.\n\nHe had taken holidays in Dubai, Mexico and New York where he liked to buy pricey modern art, including a map of the world created from bullets.", "Tesco has introduced purchasing limits on some products including eggs, rice, soap and toilet roll.\n\nThe move is to make sure everyone has access to the products, it said in an email to customers.\n\nCustomers are allowed to buy up to three of each item.\n\nThe move comes as almost 3,000 lorries remain stranded in Kent after restrictions on travel and freight between the UK and France were introduced.\n\nThe supermarket giant also encouraged customers to shop alone to ensure social distancing in stores.\n\nTesco said it has \"good stock levels\" and customers should \"shop as you normally would\".\n\nTesco introduced limits on some products in September in a bid to prevent a repeat of the panic-buying that led to shortages in March.\n\nFrance shut its UK border for 48 hours on Sunday amid fears of a new coronavirus variant.\n\nTransport Secretary Grant Shapps has since announcedthat some travel can resume, although lorry drivers are still advised not to travel to Kent after days of disruption.\n\nDozens of other countries have banned UK arrivals, including India, Iran and Canada.\n\nAny solution would probably include testing for lorry drivers, BBC Paris correspondent Hugh Schofield said.\n\nFrench authorities say some journeys will be allowed for residents and nationals with a recent negative test. Hauliers are expected to be updated later on Tuesday.\n\nMeanwhile, the EU Commission has urged other countries to drop their travel bans.\n\nIn a recommendation to all member states, it said flight and train bans should be discontinued to avoid supply chain disruption.\n\nPeople should be allowed to travel to their country of residence, provided they take a Covid-19 test or self-isolate, it said.\n\nBut the commission added that non-essential travel should still be discouraged.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nOn Monday, Tesco and Sainsbury's warned that some fresh items could run short if no way is found to get freight moving again.\n\nMuch of the UK's fresh vegetable stock comes from continental Europe in the winter, including tomatoes and cabbages.\n\nTesco anticipated that produce such as lettuces and citrus fruit could be hit.\n\nSainsbury's told the BBC that it did not currently have any product caps in place, and said it had \"good availability\".\n\nAndrew Opie, director of food and sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, pointed out that retailers have stocked up on goods ahead of Christmas, which should prevent immediate problems.\n\nHowever, he said that if testing is required to reopen borders \"we need to ensure it is quick to avoid adding friction to the supply chain.\n\n\"We have stressed to government there is no alternative to reopening the channel ports, given that it is a key supply route for fresh produce at this time of year.\"\n\nThe Channel is a vital trade route, with about 10,000 lorries a day travelling between Dover and Calais at Christmas, often bringing in the freshest produce.", "Grace Millane's family described her as \"our sunshine\"\n\nThe man who murdered British backpacker Grace Millane in New Zealand has been convicted of sex attacks on two more women.\n\nJesse Kempson, 28, can now be named after a court order banning his identification was lifted.\n\nIn February, he was jailed for a minimum of 17 years for murdering Miss Millane in his hotel room in Auckland in December 2018.\n\nThe Millane family said they \"do not think about him or speak his name\".\n\nIn October, Kempson was convicted of eight charges relating to various attacks including using a knife against a woman between November 2016 and April 2017.\n\nThe woman said \"something inside of him snapped\" when he \"got angry\" and said he had held a knife \"to my throat\".\n\nIn November, Kempson was convicted by a separate judge sitting alone of raping another woman on their first and only date in April 2018.\n\nShe told the court: \"I was just frozen and I let him do what he needed to do so I could try and go to sleep or go home as soon as possible.\"\n\nJesse Kempson was seen buying a suitcase he used to conceal Miss Millane's body\n\nKempson, who had worked in various sales jobs, met both of the women through the dating app Tinder, as he had Miss Millane.\n\nThe 11-year jail term for these nine offences - all committed while he was living in Auckland - will be served concurrently with his sentence for Miss Millane's murder.\n\nOn Friday, Kempson's appeal against his conviction and sentence for Miss Millane's murder was dismissed\n\nNow those cases are complete, the Court of Appeal has been able to lift an order banning Kempson from being identified.\n\nKempson can now be identified after a court order was lifted\n\nConcern had grown for the welfare of Miss Millane, from Wickford in Essex, in December 2018 when she failed to respond to friends and family wishing her a happy 22nd birthday.\n\nWithin days of her disappearance, police had identified Kempson as the prime suspect and managed to track his movements by trawling through CCTV.\n\nMiss Millane's body was discovered in the mountainous Waitākere Ranges, having been stuffed into a suitcase by Kempson and buried.\n\nThe killing prompted New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to apologise to Ms Millane's parents David and Gillian, saying: \"Your daughter should have been safe here; she wasn't and I'm sorry for that.\"\n\nDuring the murder trial in Auckland in 2019, the 12-person jury was shown footage of Miss Millane and Kempson seemingly enjoying each others' company around the city on a date.\n\nThey were seen on CCTV returning to his hotel, CityLife, where Kempson later strangled Miss Millane in his room.\n\nWhen Miss Millane did not respond to birthday messages, her family issued an appeal on social media\n\nIn a statement, the Millane family said the suppression of Kempson's name had \"allowed people to remember Grace - a young, vibrant girl who set out to see the world, instead of the man who took her life\".\n\n\"To use his name shows we care and gives him the notoriety he seeks,\" they added.\n\n\"We instead choose to speak Grace's name.\"\n\nMiss Millane's murder prompted an outpouring of grief in New Zealand\n\nFor much of his three-week trial for the murder of Grace Millane, Jesse Kempson looked stony-faced, occasionally glancing down at the court papers in the dock and turning a page.\n\nAt times, when the evidence was particularly graphic, he would hold his head in his hands.\n\nWhen the verdict was delivered, Kempson stared straight ahead, before being sent out of the courtroom for a few minutes.\n\nHe returned, red-faced and rubbing his eyes as if he had been crying - a rare glimpse of emotion, perhaps.\n\nBut part of you could not help feel it was all a performance.\n\nIn his police interviews he had reeled off a litany of lies, about not just about his own actions but those of Miss Millane, until he was confronted with evidence to the contrary.\n\nThe jury's verdict was the rejection of his ultimate lie - one he had hoped to get away with.\n\nNew Zealand law expert Chris Gallavin said \"name suppression\" was more often used to protect victims or the families of defendants.\n\n\"In this circumstance, it's actually name suppression to protect the fair trial rights of the accused,\" he said.\n\nThe order remained in place because of the further accusations faced by Kempson, and was only lifted after his appeal was rejected.\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk", "Mr Navalny is recovering after weeks in intensive care\n\nRussian opposition leader Alexei Navalny duped a Russian FSB state agent into revealing details of an attack on him with the nerve agent Novichok, the investigative group Bellingcat reports.\n\nMr Navalny reportedly impersonated a security official to call the agent.\n\nThe agent, Konstantin Kudryavtsev, told him the Novichok had been placed in a pair of Mr Navalny's underpants.\n\nMr Navalny, who is still recovering in Berlin, posted a recording of the long conversation on his YouTube channel.\n\nHe collapsed on board a Russian airliner in August in the attack, which nearly proved fatal.\n\nAs part of Mr Navalny's ruse to elicit more details of the assassination attempt, Bellingcat says the call to Mr Kudryavtsev was set up to indicate it was coming from a Federal Security Service (FSB) landline.\n\nIn the conversation, Mr Navalny posed as a senior official seeking details for a report on the FSB operation.\n\nMr Kudryavtsev told him the swift response of the airline pilot and the emergency medical team in Omsk, Siberia - where Mr Navalny was first treated - could have been the reason for the failure to kill him.\n\nMr Kudryavtsev said he had been sent to Omsk later to seize Mr Navalny's clothes and remove all traces of Novichok from them.\n\nThe BBC's Steven Rosenberg, in Moscow, says publication of the recording will be a huge embarrassment for the Kremlin, which continues to deny any link between the Russian state and poisoning of President Putin's most vocal critic.\n\nLast week Mr Putin told a huge TV audience that the Bellingcat investigation - carried out with other Western media partners - was a \"trick\" invented by US intelligence.\n\nBut he added that it was right for the FSB to be shadowing Mr Navalny.\n\nThe Bellingcat report last week named several FSB agents - chemical weapons specialists - who, it alleged, had been tailing him for years before the attempt on his life.\n\nMr Navalny has millions of followers on social media, where he denounces Mr Putin's United Russia party as deeply corrupt and full of \"crooks and thieves\". He says Mr Putin runs a \"feudal\" system of patronage \"sucking the blood out of Russia\".\n\nIn the summer, before the August poisoning, Mr Navalny campaigned to get several of his supporters elected to councils in Siberia.", "Royal Mail has agreed what unions have called a \"landmark\" deal to settle a long-running dispute over pay and conditions.\n\nUnion members will vote on a 2.7% pay increase for this year, a 1% increase next year and a shorter working week.\n\nThe Communication Workers Union called it an \"excellent\" deal, marking the end of an \"adversarial\" two-year dispute.\n\nUnder the agreement, Royal Mail will be able to prioritise investment in its fast-growing parcels division.\n\nIt will also allow Royal Mail to modernise the business with investment in more automation. This will include replacing the handwritten signing-in sheets at sorting sites with swipe-and-scan technology.\n\nRoyal Mail's interim executive chairman Keith Williams said: \"We have a window of opportunity to focus Royal Mail on what our customers want today - an ever-growing need for more parcels, whilst providing a sustainable letters service.\n\n\"This agreement provides a framework to do just that, but the proof will be in the pudding. We have been far too slow to adapt in the past and now need to deliver change much more quickly.\"\n\nThe restructuring plan was proposed by Royal Mail's former chief executive, Rico Black. Union resistance to the overhaul contributed to Mr Black's resignation in May.\n\n\"This agreement marks the end of our two year dispute with Royal Mail Group and brings closure to one of the most adversarial periods of our history,\" CWU said.\n\nThe union added that the circumstances brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic have \"massively advanced the change anticipated in our previous agreements in parcel growth\".\n\nRoyal Mail's revenue in the eight months to November was £380m higher, thanks to growth in parcel demand.\n\nOn Monday, Royal Mail suspended mail services to mainland Europe. Deliveries to Ireland are unaffected it said.\n\nParcels it already has will be \"held securely\" until it can transport them it said.", "The group travelled to Bute in contravention of Covid rules\n\nThe Marquess of Bute has been charged with allegedly breaking coronavirus laws after reportedly travelling to Scotland from London.\n\nPolice Scotland launched an investigation following reports on Monday that he and six others travelled to the Isle of Bute.\n\nThe marquess has a home in London as well as his ancestral home of Mount Stuart on Bute.\n\nScotland's cross border travel curbs have been in place since November.\n\nAlso known as John Colum Bute, the 62-year-old marquess is a former F1 driver who raced under the name Johnny Dumfries.\n\nA Police Scotland spokeswoman said the force received reports of a group of people travelling to the Isle of Bute in contravention of the coronavirus legislation.\n\nShe added: \"Inquiries were carried out and three men, aged 32, 62 and 69 years, and four women, aged 21, 29, 60 and 90, have been charged and will be subject of a report to the procurator fiscal.\"\n\nThe Bute family has been contacted for comment.", "No lorries are leaving the Port of Dover or Eurotunnel for France\n\nChaos at ports caused by EU border closures has set back the UK's efforts to reassure foreign customers post-Brexit, the food industry has said.\n\nFood and Drink Federation boss Ian Wright said UK exporters wanted to make sure foreign firms could rely on their supply chains after 1 January.\n\nBut the current crisis had harmed their cause, he told MPs.\n\n\"We've just proved... that you can't trust British products,\" he said. \"And that's really unhelpful.\"\n\nMr Wright was giving evidence to an emergency hearing of the Commons business committee, called to examine the impact of the border delays on UK business and security of supply.\n\nFrance shut its UK border for 48 hours on Sunday amid fears of a new coronavirus variant in the UK. More than 50 countries have now banned UK arrivals.\n\nAt the same time, UK-EU talks on a post-Brexit trade deal are continuing, with nine days left to reach and ratify any agreement.\n\nMr Wright said the current scenes at Dover, where the number of lorries stranded and unable to cross to France has continued to rise, could be \"replicated at any point\".\n\n\"I think we will see this happen particularly if we get a no-deal Brexit,\" he added.\n\nMr Wright said there were thought to be 4,000 trucks on their way to Dover at various points. He warned that the number could grow by the end of the day to possibly as high as 6,000 or 7,000.\n\nHe also criticised the government's handling of the announcement at the weekend and urged it to compensate those who had lost out.\n\nThe committee also heard that there were concerns over the welfare of lorry and van drivers caught up in the disruption, as the facilities provided for them are considered inadequate.\n\n\"We have no confidence, we have never had any confidence drivers will be looked after,\" said Duncan Buchanan of the Road Haulage Association.\n\n\"This is a very serious problem - whether you have moved trucks from one place to another, it is irrelevant.\"\n\nMr Buchanan said it was the start of supply chain disruption \"of the like we have probably never experienced\".\n\n\"Many of the retailers are saying that we are up until Christmas, we will be fine until Christmas at least, but we must recover very fast to keep the shops fully stocked after Christmas. It's a big worry,\" he added.\n\nAndrew Opie, of the British Retail Consortium, agreed, saying that if lorries were not moving within 24 hours, there could be problems with the availability of fresh food products from 27 December.", "Gheorghe Nica and Eamonn Harrison were both found guilty of manslaughter\n\nTwo men have been found guilty of the manslaughter of 39 Vietnamese migrants found dead in a lorry trailer in Essex.\n\nThe migrants suffocated in the sealed container en route from Zeebrugge to Purfleet in October 2019.\n\nEamonn Harrison, 24, who dropped off the trailer at the Belgian port, and people-smuggler Gheorghe Nica, 43, were convicted by an Old Bailey jury.\n\nTwo others were convicted of being part of a wider people-smuggling conspiracy.\n\nThe 39 people who died in the back of a trailer as it crossed the North Sea between Zeebrugge and the UK\n\nThe trial examined three smuggling attempts by the gang - two that were successful on 11 and 18 October, and the final trip on 23 October.\n\nLorry driver Christopher Kennedy, 24, from County Armagh, collected the trailers from Purfleet on the earlier two runs, claiming he thought he was transporting cigarettes.\n\nBut the jury found Kennedy and Valentin Calota, 38, of Birmingham, guilty of conspiring to assist illegal immigration.\n\nDuring the trial, jurors were given a snapshot of the victims - who included a bricklayer, a university graduate and a nailbar technician - and their dreams of a better life.\n\nMany of their families borrowed heavily to fund their passage, relying on their potential future earnings once they got into the UK.\n\nDet Ch Insp Daniel Stoten, from Essex Police, said: \"If you look at the method, the way they transported human beings... we wouldn't transport animals in that way.\"\n\nAnother two men - Irish haulage boss Ronan Hughes, 41, of Tyholland, County Monaghan, Ireland, and 26-year-old lorry driver Maurice Robinson - had previously admitted manslaughter.\n\nHome Secretary Priti Patel described the deaths as a \"truly tragic incident\".\n\nChristopher Kennedy was found guilty of conspiring to assist illegal immigration\n\nProsecutors said in the fatal run, the container became a \"tomb\" as temperatures in the unit reached an \"unbearable\" 38.5C (101F).\n\nThe migrants, aged 15 to 44, were sealed inside for at least 12 hours.\n\nThey had used a metal pole to try to punch through the roof, but only managed to dent the interior.\n\nProsecutor Bill Emlyn Jones said: \"There was no way out, and no-one to hear them; no-one to help them.\"\n\nBoth Maurice Robinson (l) and Ronan Hughes (r) admitted 39 counts of manslaughter in connection with the case\n\nHarrison, of Newry, County Down, towed the trailer to Zeebrugge, from where it was transported to Purfleet.\n\nDuring the 10-week trial, he claimed he did not know there were people in the trailer and that he watched \"a wee bit of Netflix\" in bed as they were loaded on.\n\nHe also said he had no idea there were migrants in two other trailers that he had dropped off at the same port in the previous 12 days.\n\nRobinson, from County Armagh, collected the trailer when it arrived on UK shores just after midnight on 23 October.\n\nHis boss, Hughes, had messaged him: \"Give them air quickly don't let them out.\". Robinson gave a thumbs-up in reply.\n\nBut when Robinson stopped on a nearby industrial estate, he found that the migrants were all dead.\n\nThe bodies of 39 Vietnamese nationals were discovered in a refrigerated trailer on 23 October last year\n\nThere was a series of telephone conversations between him and Hughes and Nica, of Basildon, Essex, before Robinson eventually dialled 999.\n\nIn his evidence, Nica said Robinson told him: \"I have a problem here - dead bodies in the trailer.\"\n\nDet Ch Insp Stoten said that many of the police officers who attended \"were really young in service\" and it was possibly the first time some had ever seen a dead person.\n\nHe said he believed the \"absolutely horrendous scene\" would stay with those officers \"for the rest of their career and, quite probably, the rest of lives\".\n\nOn all three runs, Nica had arranged cars and a van to transport the migrants at the UK end.\n\nJurors were shown CCTV footage of him carrying a holdall of cash to Hughes's room at the Ibis hotel, Thurrock, early on 19 October.\n\nNica admitted to conspiring to assist illegal immigration in the first two runs, but he insisted that he believed the third run was all to do with smuggling cigarettes.\n\nThe mechanic told jurors he had been roped into people-smuggling, and said: \"I never wanted to be involved in this kind of job.\"\n\nThe day after the bodies were found, Nica travelled to Romania, claiming he was \"scared\" of a \"big, big investigation\", but prosecutors said the defendant's version of events was \"ridiculous\".\n\nDet Ch Insp Stoten said the gang stood to make between £10,000 and £12,000 per person transported, \"the lion's share of which would have gone to Ronan Hughes and Gheorghe Nica\".\n\nCCTV footage from Orsett Golf Club of a lorry on 11 October 2019\n\nThe jury had heard that on 14 October, between the two successful runs, Kennedy was found at the French end of the Channel Tunnel with 20 Vietnamese migrants in his trailer.\n\nAt least two of those people ended up dying in the fatal run.\n\nPolice believe the smugglers had \"doubled-up\" the load on 23 October because of the problem on 14 October, and that was what led to the deaths.\n\nThis gang had been smuggling people for months and months, the Old Bailey heard.\n\nOn the first of several successful runs on the same route, a couple, Marie Andrews and Stewart Cox, saw people getting out of a van on a country lane in Orsett, Essex, and dialled 999.\n\nPolice attended but did not seize CCTV footage from the nearby golf course, in which a lorry and other vehicles were seen on the lane.\n\nIf, perhaps, Essex Police had managed to get to that footage, follow it up and identify some of the vehicles before the fatal run 12 days later, then this gang might possibly have been disrupted before these 39 people died.\n\nAsked about that, the force said it could only allocate the resources available at the time.\n\nBut it says that now, if there are ever reports of people in the back of a lorry and the driver is present, the driver will be arrested.\n\nDinh Dinh Binh - from Hai Phong - was one of two 15-year-olds to die in the container\n\nAlexandru-Ovidiu Hanga, 28, of Hobart Road, Tilbury, Essex, and Gazmir Nuzi, 43, of Barclay Road, Tottenham, north London, had earlier admitted assisting unlawful immigration linked to the case.\n\nMr Justice Sweeney adjourned sentencing of all the defendants to 7, 8 and 11 January.\n\nMs Patel said her \"thoughts remain with those affected by this tragedy\".\n\n\"Today's convictions only strengthen my resolve to do all I can to go after the people-smugglers who prey on the vulnerable and trade in human misery,\" she added.\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk", "A NI Executive meeting is under way to consider a paper on whether to impose a travel ban from GB.\n\nEarlier, the deputy first minister said the executive must meet to agree a ban as \"we are facing a grave situation\".\n\nThe health minister took advice from the Attorney General and set out that in a paper to the executive.\n\nIt is understood Robin Swann has recommended issuing guidance advising against non-essential travel between NI and GB, and NI and the Irish Republic.\n\nThe minister has also advised that people arriving into Northern Ireland should self-isolate for 10 days.\n\nIt is understood Sinn Féin Finance Minister Conor Murphy has now written to Mr Swann expressing \"dismay and astonishment\" that he is not moving immediately to instigate a ban on travel between Northern Ireland and Great Britain.\n\nHe has called on Mr Swann to reconsider his approach.\n\nMr Swann's paper also makes the case for progressing work regarding any changes in the law needed to impose a ban - Mr Murphy has called on the minister to \"move urgently\" to complete this, in order to introduce a ban.\n\nMore than 40 countries, including the Republic of Ireland, have banned UK arrivals because of concerns about the spread of a new variant of coronavirus.\n\nEarlier the first minister said it is \"probable\" the variant is already in NI.\n\nArlene Foster said four cases in NI were being tested to determine if they are the new highly infectious variant.\n\nThe executive was already scheduled to meet on Tuesday morning to discuss the end of the EU exit transition period on 31 December.\n\nOn Sunday, the executive agreed so-called Christmas bubbles should be limited to one day.\n\nThe move followed action in England, Scotland and Wales on Saturday, cutting the previously agreed five days to just one..\n\nAnother seven coronavirus-related deaths were reported in Northern Ireland on Monday.\n\nThe Department of Health's death toll is 1,203. There were also a further 555 cases of Covid-19 diagnosed.\n\nThere are 446 people with Covid-19 in hospital. Thirty are in intensive care, with 24 on ventilators.\n\nA new six-week lockdown for Northern Ireland comes into force at 00:01 GMT on 26 December.\n\nMinisters met remotely on Sunday night to discuss the impact of the variant on Christmas rules.\n\nThe executive said there would be flexibility on which day between 23 and 27 December people come together, to accommodate those working on Christmas Day.\n\nThat meeting also discussed travel from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, but nothing was agreed.\n\nIrish Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan said the ban on travel from Britain to the Republic of Ireland was initially for 48 hours, but added he did not want to give anyone \"false hope that there is likely to be any major change\".\n\nNo border controls would be set up on the Irish border, he added.\n\nEuropean nations have begun to impose travel bans on the UK after it reported a more-infectious and \"out of control\" coronavirus variant\n\nMr Ryan said his government would be making concerns about the lack of a GB-NI travel ban known, although it would be up to Stormont to decide what to do.\n\nOn Monday, the Irish government said there would be at least two consular flights departing on Tuesday evening to bring Irish residents home.\n\nBBC News NI has asked if this would include people in Northern Ireland who have an Irish passport.\n\nIn a statement, the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs said \"two specific and limited categories of people\" were included.\n\nThese are international travellers to Ireland who are transiting through Great Britain and Irish people \"currently on short trips to Great Britain\" or who have travelled to Great Britain for \"emergency medical treatment\".\n\nIn the Republic of Ireland, there were 727 new cases reported on Monday.\n\nThe number of deaths linked to the virus is unchanged at 2,158.\n\nAt Sunday's executive meeting, Sinn Féin had proposed prohibiting travel from Great Britain into Northern Ireland, and said this should be a priority.\n\nThe party wants the health minister to use powers from the 1967 Public Health Act to impose a ban on people entering from Great Britain.\n\nBut Mrs Foster said such a blanket ban was not a simple matter, would have \"downside consequences\" and that the executive would take legal advice from the attorney general on it.\n\nShe also said those living in the most infected areas are already prohibited from travelling, although she recognised some would try to \"game\" the regulations.\n\n\"There is a travel ban in place - it covers about 17m people in England, those people can't come to Northern Ireland,\" she told the BBC's Good Morning Ulster programme.\n\nMrs Foster said the new bubble rules would be placed in law, but added that she did not expect police to be \"knocking on people's doors on Christmas Day or Boxing Day to check they are abiding by the law\".\n\nShe said the four possible cases of the new variant under examination had \"different sequencing\" from other cases.\n\nIf you are reading this page on the BBC News app, you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question on this topic.\n\nOn Sunday, four of the five main Stormont parties asked for an urgent executive meeting.\n\nSinn Féin, the SDLP and Alliance sent a joint letter to the first and deputy first ministers asking to meet.\n\nIn the letter, the parties said they must satisfy themselves that the Christmas restrictions and the six-week lockdown from 26 December were sufficiently robust to safeguard public health.\n\nIt is understood health minister and UUP member Robin Swann sent a separate letter with similar concerns.", "Peter Cruddas won a libel case against the Sunday Times in 2013\n\nBoris Johnson has nominated businessman Peter Cruddas for a peerage, despite his rejection by the honours watchdog.\n\nThe Lords Appointments Commission did not support ennobling the businessman, who quit as Tory co-treasurer in 2012 following cash-for-access allegations.\n\nMr Cruddas later won a libel case against a newspaper over its claims.\n\nMr Johnson rejected the commission's recommendation, becoming the first PM to ignore its advice on a nomination since it was set up in 2000.\n\nLabour accused Mr Johnson - who received £50,000 from Mr Cruddas for his campaign to become Conservative leader in 2019 - of \"cronyism\".\n\nFormer Archbishop of York John Sentamu and ex-MI5 boss Sir Andrew Parker are also among those given peerages in the political honours list.\n\nMr Cruddas, who has donated more than £3m to the Conservatives since 2007, resigned as party co-treasurer in 2012 after a newspaper story suggested he was offering access to then Prime Minister David Cameron for a donation of £250,000 a year.\n\nBut the following year he won £180,000 in damages in a libel victory against the Sunday Times, which had published the claims. The damages were later reduced to £50,000 on appeal.\n\nIn a letter to the Lords appointment commission, Mr Johnson said its rejection of Mr Cruddas's nomination for a peerage related \"to historic concerns in respect of allegations\" made during his time as co-treasurer.\n\nBut he added that these had been found to be \"untrue and libellous\" and that an internal Conservative Party investigation had discovered \"no intentional wrongdoing\" on Mr Cruddas's part.\n\nMr Johnson also said the committee had found \"no suggestion of any matters of concern\" before or since the 2012 allegations.\n\nFormer Archbishop of York John Sentamu is among those honoured\n\nMr Cruddas, the founder of financial services company CMC Markets and a prominent Brexit supporter, had a \"long track record of committed political service\" and was one of the UK's \"most successful business figures\", the prime minister argued.\n\nThe commission provides advice but appointments to the Lords are ultimately a decision for the prime minister.\n\nLabour deputy leader Angela Rayner said: \"After months of revelations about the cronyism at the heart of this government, it's somehow appropriate the prime minister has chosen to end the year with a peerage to Peter Cruddas.\"\n\nShe added that there was \"one rule for the Conservatives and their chums, another for the rest of the country\".\n\nFormer environment minister Sir Richard Benyon; former MEPs Dame Jacqueline Foster, Syed Kamall and Daniel Hannan; Cerebral Palsy Scotland chief executive Stephanie Fraser; and Dean Godson, director of the Policy Exchange think tank, have also been nominated for Conservative seats in the Lords.\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer chose Leeds City Council leader Judith Blake; former MPs Vernon Coaker and Jennifer Chapman, who chaired his Labour leadership campaign; former MEP Wajid Khan; and Gillian Merron, chief executive of the Board of Deputies of British Jews and a former Labour MP.\n\nAs well as Mr Sentamu and Sir Andrew, the nominations for crossbench - non-party - peerages are former judge Sir Terence Etherton and Sir Simon McDonald, former permanent under-secretary at the Foreign Office.\n\nThe Lord Speaker, Lord Fowler, criticised the number of new peers, which will bring the total membership of the House of Lords to more than 830, accusing Mr Johnson of a \"massive U-turn\" on his predecessor Theresa May's policy of reducing it in size.\n\nIt added \"insult to injury\" that the appointments had been announced while Parliament was in recess, he said.\n\n\"It may also now be the time to review the role and the powers of the House of Lords Appointments Commission,\" Lord Fowler added.", "The number of excess deaths - those above expected levels - since the start of the pandemic has passed 81,000.\n\nData from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows the UK saw nearly 14,000 deaths in the week of 11 December.\n\nThis was 13% above the expected levels for this time of year, down from 15% the week before.\n\nOf these deaths, 3,062 involved Covid-19, also slightly lower than the preceding week.\n\nExcess deaths are the difference between the total number of deaths registered (the height of the shaded area in the chart below) and the average over the previous five years for the same weeks (shown by the dashed line).\n\nThis average level rises each week in a normal winter as cold weather, flu and other factors lead to more deaths.\n\nIn recent weeks, the total number of deaths in the UK has been largely steady.\n\nThe rises seen throughout October and early November stalled, largely due to the falls in coronavirus infections, hospitalisations and deaths seen during November and early December.\n\nAs a result, the gap between the total number of deaths seen and the expected levels has narrowed.\n\nBut the gap has not disappeared and in the week of 11 December, the total excess deaths seen since the pandemic started in March passed 81,300.\n\nNearly 524,000 deaths have been registered in total compared to just over 442,000 seen in the same weeks, on average, in the last five years.\n\nThis total is larger than that recorded in the daily figures because it includes people whose Covid-19 was not confirmed by a positive test and people who died because of the strain the pandemic has put on the NHS and society.\n• None High death rate 'may be starting to fall'", "The higher numbers of deaths seen in the UK recent weeks may be starting to fall, figures suggest.\n\nIn the week ending 4 December there were 13,956 deaths - 15% above the five-year average.\n\nBut that is down on the previous week when deaths were 20% higher.\n\nJust over 3,100 of the deaths involved Covid - down by 200 on the week before. It brings the total excess deaths seen since the pandemic started close to 80,000.\n\nThese are a measure of all deaths above what would normally be expected.\n\nIt is a different way of measuring the death toll from the pandemic from the daily figures, which look at the numbers of people dying 28 days after a positive Covid test.\n\nPeople dying from Covid in this period are likely to have caught the infection in the first half of November after cases peaked.\n\nSince then cases continued to drop, before starting to climb again over the last week or so, particularly in the south east, which prompted the government to move London and some surrounding areas into tier three.\n\nThat suggests the next few weeks could see Covid deaths going down and then up again in the coming weeks.", "The pace of Europe's Covid-19 vaccination campaign has picked up and in many countries infection rates have been falling.\n\nLockdowns are gradually being eased as the summer tourist season gets under way, and there are plans for an EU-wide digital vaccination certificate to be in place by 1 July.\n\nNationwide curfew ended on 20 June, 10 days earlier than planned. Face masks are no longer required outdoors.\n\nRestaurants, cafes and bars can serve customers indoors, with 50% capacity and up to six people per table.\n\nStanding concerts will resume on 30 June and nightclubs on 9 July (with 75% capacity). People attending will need a health pass which shows either full vaccination, a negative test within the previous 72 hours, or else a previous coronavirus infection.\n\nMedical grade masks are compulsory in shops and on public transport.\n\nFrom 30 June, working from home will no longer be compulsory.\n\nOn 21 June, Italy's curfew was scrapped and the whole country, except for the northwest region of Valle d'Aosta, became \"white zone\" - the country's lowest-risk category.\n\nAmong the measures still in place are social distancing (1m) and the wearing of masks indoors (and in crowded outdoor places), and a ban on house parties and large gathering.\n\nNightclubs and discos are also closed.\n\nAll indoor businesses, with the exception of nightclubs, are open.\n\nThe government introduced a \"corona pass\" in April, the first to do so in Europe.\n\nThis shows - either on a phone or on paper - that you have been vaccinated, previously infected or that you have had a negative test within 72 hours.\n\nPeople need to show it for entry to cinemas, museums, hairdressers or indoor dining.\n\nThe Greek government is welcoming tourists from many countries, if they are fully vaccinated or can provide a negative coronavirus test.\n\nFace coverings must be worn in all public places and there is a curfew from 01:30-05:00, but bars, restaurants, museums and archaeological sites are all open.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The Greek island of Milos is aiming to become \"Covid-free\" so it can welcome back tourists\n\nCinemas, theatres, museums and restaurants are open at 50% capacity. From 26 June, this increases to 75%.\n\nNightclubs and discos will also be allowed to reopen, with a limit of 150 people.\n\nFace coverings must be worn in enclosed spaces and 1.5m social distancing observed.\n\nShops, bars, restaurants and museums are open, although face coverings remain compulsory in most public places.\n\nNightclubs can now reopen in parts of Spain with low infection rates.\n\nIn Barcelona, they are restricted to 50% of capacity and can stay open until 03:30 - dancers have to wear masks.\n\nSpain began welcoming vaccinated tourists from 7 June. Most European travellers still have to present a negative Covid test on arrival.\n\nBrussels: Outdoor dining resumed in Belgium on 8 May\n\nShops, cinemas, gyms, cafes and restaurants are open, with restrictions. Households can invite up to four people inside.\n\nFrom 1 July, working from home will no longer be mandatory, if the situation continues to improve.\n\nCultural performances, shows and sports competitions can also go ahead, with limited numbers, and more people will be allowed at weddings and other ceremonies and parties.\n\nPortugal has lifted many of its restrictions but face coverings must still be worn in indoor public spaces and some outdoor settings.\n\nBars and nightclubs remain closed, and it's illegal to drink alcohol outdoors in public places, except for pavement cafés and restaurants.\n\nAlcohol cannot be sold after 21:00 unless it is with a meal.\n\nRestaurants, cafes and cultural venues have to close at 01:00 and have capacity limits.\n\nA weekend travel ban is in force in the Lisbon area, starting at 15:00 on Friday, with residents only allowed to leave for essential journeys.\n\nIn Lisbon and in Albufeira (Algarve), cafes, restaurants and non-essential shops have to close by 15:30 at the weekend and 22:30 on weekdays.\n\nPortugal's summer season looks uncertain, yet its Covid figures have improved\n\nRestaurants, cafes, museums and historic buildings have reopened with capacity limits.\n\nFrom 26 June, a number of restrictions are being lifted.\n\nAlcohol can be sold after 22:00, and nightclubs can open, with an entry pass system.\n\nEvents held in public venues such as cinemas, conference centres and concert halls will be allowed, subject to social distancing.\n\nMasks will no longer be compulsory except on public transport, airports and in secondary schools.\n\nOutdoor services in restaurants and bars returned in June. Theme parks, funfairs, cinemas and theatres, gyms and swimming pools, have reopened as well.\n\nFrom 5 July, restaurants and bars will be able to serve customers indoors. Weddings and other indoor events for up to 50 people will be permitted and the numbers at outdoor organised events will increase.\n\nSince June, pubs have been able to stay open until 22:30 and more people are now allowed at sports events, outdoor concerts, cinemas and markets.\n\nOn 1 July, limits on private gatherings will be raised, and the recommendation to interact with a small circle of people removed.\n\nFurther easing is planned on 15 July and in September.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Covid in Scotland: Advice moving to 'stay local, stay at home'\n\nThe top level of Covid-19 restrictions in Scotland may need to be strengthened further to contain the new strain of the virus, Nicola Sturgeon has warned.\n\nThe whole Scottish mainland is to move into level four from Boxing Day due to concerns about the new Covid variant.\n\nThe first minister said this was \"essential\" to protect the NHS and contain the faster-spreading virus.\n\nAnd she said consideration must be given to whether the current level four rules were sufficient to do the job.\n\nThe government is to narrow the definition of \"essential retail\" - forcing homeware shops and garden centres to close - while guidance urging people to stay at home as much as possible may be put down in law.\n\nMs Sturgeon told MSPs that the current rate of new cases in Scotland was currently \"significantly lower\" than in other parts of the UK, but said the new variant of Covid-19 necessitated \"real action\" and \"significant countermeasures\".\n\nThe move to level four will see blanket travel restrictions in place between every council area in Scotland, with people barred from leaving their local area other than for essential reasons.\n\nHospitality venues will have to close, as will \"non-essential\" shops - with this definition being expanded to include even more premises.\n\nSchools are to stay closed until 11 January, and most pupils will learn from home until at least 18 January - a situation Ms Sturgeon said would remain \"under review\".\n\nThe government is also examining whether the current level four measures will be enough to contain the new strain of the virus, which studies suggest can spread up to 70% faster than previous variants.\n\nMs Sturgeon said a decision on whether this was necessary would be taken as more evidence about the new variant became available.\n\nShe said: \"The current level four restrictions are not as stringent as the March lockdown, and up to now that has been a good thing.\n\n\"However it seems we may be facing a virus that spreads much faster now than in March, so we must consider whether the current level four restrictions are sufficient to suppress it in the weeks ahead.\"\n\nThe first minister said failing to take strong action quickly would see \"another period of exponential growth\" of the virus in the new year.\n\nShe said: \"This is preventative action, because we see a train coming rapidly down the track at us and we're trying to get out of its way.\"\n\nScottish Conservative group leader Ruth Davidson said \"most people understand\" the need for tighter curbs, but said \"in return they are demanding as much clarity from government as conceivably possible\".\n\nShe said people were tired of \"supposedly time-limited firebreaks stretching into months\", asking whether parents should start \"preparing now for a long haul of blended learning at home\".\n\nMs Sturgeon hinted that tighter measures might be introduced in a bid to see schools open again full time, saying that \"continues to be a priority\" for the government.\n\nShe said the intention was to reopen schools fully on 18 January \"if it is at all possible\", adding: \"If that means the rest of us living under more severe restrictions we will not shy away from that.\"\n\nScottish Green co-leader Patrick Harvie also asked about schools, calling for \"widespread routine testing\" for teachers and expanded use of remote learning.\n\nMeanwhile Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard said the government had \"abandoned\" the levels system for a blanket lockdown, saying that \"three weeks does not sound like three weeks, but considerably longer\".\n\nHe said if the new strain of the virus was 70% more transmissible, the government should commit to a 70% increase in business support and virus testing and a similar acceleration of the vaccination programme.\n\nMs Sturgeon said she would seek to get back to the local levels system \"as quickly as possible\", adding that the vaccine was being rolled out as quickly as possible and there were no \"simple equations\" around boosting support.\n\nLib Dem leader Willie Rennie voiced concerns about NHS boards cancelling \"ever greater numbers\" of non-urgent procedures, with the first minister saying the return of elective treatment relied on suppressing the virus as far as possible.", "Further restrictions are likely to be needed in more areas of England to control a new variant of Covid-19, the UK's chief scientific adviser has said.\n\nSir Patrick Vallance said measures could \"need to be increased in some places, in due course, not reduced\".\n\nLondon and large swathes of south-east England were placed in the highest tier four restrictions over the weekend.\n\nSir Patrick predicted there would be spike in cases after an \"inevitable period of mixing\" over Christmas.\n\nIt comes as more than 40 countries including France, Spain, India and Hong Kong have banned UK flights because of concerns about the spread of the variant.\n\nSpeaking at a Downing Street briefing, Sir Patrick said he believed the variant would help cases \"spread more\".\n\nAsked why tougher measures were not in place across the country following the introduction of the tier four level, Sir Patrick added: \"The evidence on this virus is that it spreads easily. It's more transmissible. We absolutely need to make sure we have the right level of restrictions in place.\"\n\nBut he said there was no reason to think the new variant is more dangerous than the existing strain.\n\n\"The transmission is increased. We can't say exactly by how much, but it is clearly substantially increased, so it is more transmissible.\n\n\"Which is why we see it growing so fast and spreading to so many areas.\"\n\nThe government scrapped plans to relax rules at Christmas in the areas put under tier four rules. Some 17 million people in England and Wales affected are being told to stay at home, while non-essential shops and businesses have to close.\n\nBut in other regions of England - in tiers one to three - Christmas mixing is being allowed on 25 December.\n\nSir Patrick said the tier four rules were \"important\"\n\nSir Patrick Vallance said the variant of the virus had to be taken \"incredibly seriously\".\n\nHe said: \"It's really important to follow the rules carefully and make an assumption that you could be infectious.\n\n\"You could be the person spreading it to somebody else, and [you should] behave accordingly.\"\n\nHe added: \"The doubling time of this infection with a new variant is quite fast, it is more transmissible, it does require more action in order to keep it down and that's why tier four is important.\"\n\nThe latest figures released on Monday reveal that another 33,364 people in the UK have tested positive for coronavirus.\n\nThere were also a further 215 deaths within 28 days of testing positive, bringing the UK total to 67,616.\n\nFrance has also shut its border with the UK for 48 hours, causing delays to lorries carrying freight across the Channel, but Boris Johnson told the briefing both sides wanted to resolve \"these problems as fast as possible\".\n\nThe prime minister said he had an \"excellent\" call with French President Emmanuel Macron and \"both understand each other's positions\".\n\nHe added the delays only affected a very small percentage of food entering the UK and supermarket supply chains were \"strong and robust\".\n\nThere is no evidence to suggest this new variant is causing more serious disease or will hamper the effectiveness of the vaccine.\n\nBut there is now a high degree of confidence that it is leading to faster transmission.\n\nWith hospitals already under huge pressure - the number of patients will soon pass the spring peak on the current trajectory - it seems only a matter of time before more areas will be placed into tier 4, which is essentially a lockdown.\n\nQuestions are also being asked about schools. The prime minister could only say he wanted to keep them open \"if we possibly can\".\n\nThe race to vaccinate the most vulnerable, which will have a huge impact on reducing deaths and relieving pressure on the NHS, just got more pressing.\n\nAround 500,000 people have got their first dose in the past two weeks.\n\nBut there are 12 million over 65s. More vaccination centres and approval of the Oxford University vaccine, of which there are already millions of doses in the country ready to go, is essential.", "Boris Johnson has ruled out extending the deadline for reaching a post-Brexit trade deal into 2021, amid a deadlock in talks and a growing Covid crisis.\n\nSNP leader Nicola Sturgeon and London mayor Sadiq Khan want the UK to follow EU trading rules beyond 31 December to allow more time for an agreement.\n\nBut the prime minister said his stance was \"unchanged\" and the UK would \"cope with any difficulties\" encountered.\n\nUK-EU talks continue, with nine days left to reach and ratify any agreement.\n\nThe EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier is expected to update diplomats from the bloc's 27 member states later on Tuesday, although there is no sign of an imminent breakthrough.\n\nEU sources said sticking points remained over member states' access to UK fishing waters, competition rules and how any agreement would be enforced and disputes resolved.\n\nThe UK has continued following EU regulations since it left the bloc on 31 January, but it will exit its internal market and customs union when this \"transition\" period finishes at the end of the year.\n\nWithout a trade deal, both sides could place import taxes on each other's goods, potentially affecting prices.\n\nFishing rights are a major point of contention in UK-EU trade talks\n\nOn Monday, Ms Sturgeon, Scotland's First Minister, said the spread of a new Covid variant - which has led to more than 40 countries banning people travelling from the UK - \"demands our 100% attention\".\n\nIt would be \"unconscionable\" to compound the UK's problems by not leaving more time to agree a trade deal, she added.\n\nAnd Labour's Mr Khan urged Mr Johnson to extend the deadline, saying the UK \"should be concentrating on... fighting the virus\".\n\nFishing rights are a major point of contention in UK-EU trade talks, with France in particular raising concerns about its fleets being denied access to UK waters.\n\nMr Johnson, who has promised a return of sovereignty over territorial waters, said on Monday he had had a \"great conversation\" with French President Emmanuel about restarting travel from the UK to France, following the Covid-related ban imposed by Paris.\n\nBut he added that they had \"vowed to stick off Brexit because that negotiation is being conducted via the European Commission, and that's quite proper\".\n\n\"And the position is unchanged,\" Mr Johnson said. \"There are problems. It's vital that everyone understands that the UK has got to be able to control its own laws completely, and also that we have got to be able to control our own fisheries.\"\n\nHe predicted the UK would \"prosper mightily\", whatever the outcome of the UK-EU talks, in Brussels.\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer has rejected calls to extend the transition period, saying \"further dithering\" would not help.\n\n\"I think that it would be far better for the government to get a deal over the line, either today, tomorrow or certainly next week,\" he said.\n\nMembers of the European Parliament met on Monday to discuss the situation, after warning time had run out for it to ratify a deal by 31 December.\n\nOne potential option, should the two sides reach agreement soon, would be for the European Parliament to approve it in principle by 31 December and complete formal ratification early next year.\n\nIf this happened, short-term measures could potentially be put in place to minimise disruption to cross-Channel trade before new legally binding rules come into force.", "Scientists are urgently investigating hints the new variant of coronavirus spreads more easily in children.\n\nIf proven, this could account for \"a significant proportion\" of the increase in transmission, they say.\n\nThe claim comes from members of the government's New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats advisory group (Nervtag).\n\nOn Monday, Boris Johnson said he wanted to open schools in January \"if we possibly can\".\n\nThere are no suggestions the new form of the virus is a greater threat to children's health.\n\nChildren almost universally shrug off the virus, but the variant could alter the role they, and schools, play in spreading the virus.\n\nEarlier strains of coronavirus found it harder to infect children than adults.\n\nOne explanation is children have fewer of the doorways (the ACE2 receptor) the virus uses to enter our body's cells.\n\nA recent study of infections in schools in England found that levels of the virus in school-age children reflected levels in the local community, suggesting that closing schools would only have a temporary effect.\n\nProf Wendy Barclay, from Nervtag and Imperial College London, said the mutations to the virus appeared to be making it easier to walk through the doorways that were there.\n\nShe said this could be putting children on a \"more level playing field\" with adults as the virus was \"less inhibited\" in children.\n\nProf Barclay said: \"Therefore children are equally susceptible, perhaps, to this virus as adults, and therefore given their mixing patterns, you would expect to see more children being infected.\"\n\nWork to understand the new variant is taking place at lightning speed and there is still much uncertainty.\n\nIt is now thought the new variant spreads 50% to 70% faster than other forms of the virus.\n\nEarly analysis of how and where it is spreading have also given \"hints that it has a higher propensity to infect children\", according to Prof Neil Ferguson from the MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, who also sits on Nervtag.\n\nHe stressed the link was still being investigated and was not yet proven.\n\n\"If it were true, then this might explain a significant proportion, maybe even the majority, of the transmission increase seen,\" he added.\n\nBut Prof Julian Hiscox, chair in infection and global health, from the University of Liverpool, told the BBC there wasn't any evidence \"at the moment\" that the new variant is able to infect children more efficiently.\n\nHe said this would be looked at closely by scientists over Christmas.\n\nScientists involved in COG-UK, the Covid-19 Genomics UK Consortium, which detected the rapid increase in the variant, said they were not aware of any increased incidence in children.\n\nThe data are continuing to be analysed, but it is thought the variant continued spreading even during the lockdown in November.\n\nThe R number - the average number of people each infected person passes the virus onto - for this variant during the tight restrictions has been estimated at 1.2, which meant cases were increasing.\n\nAt the same time the R number was 0.8 for the other forms of the virus during lockdown and they were in decline.\n\nProf Ferguson said he expected the number of infections to fall as schools closed and people hunkered down for Christmas.\n\nHe added: \"The real question then is - how much are we able to relax measures in the new year, and still retain control?\"\n\nPrime Minister Boris Johnson said: \"We want, if we possibly can, to get schools back in a staggered way at the beginning of January, in the way that we have set out.\n\n\"But obviously the common sensical thing to do is to follow the path of the epidemic and, as we showed last Saturday, to keep things under constant review.\"", "Lady Margaret Tebbit, a former nurse and wife of ex-Conservative minister Norman Tebbit, has died, aged 86.\n\nShe was paralysed by the IRA's October 1984 bombing of the Grand Hotel in Brighton, during the Conservative Party conference.\n\nLady Tebbit is understood to have died at the couple's home in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, in the early hours of Saturday morning.\n\nShe had been suffering from Lewy Body Dementia.\n\nPrime Minister Boris Johnson described Lady Tebbit as \"a brave woman who showed enormous fortitude in her suffering after the 1984 Brighton bombing\".\n\n\"My thoughts are with Norman and their family at this difficult time,\" he added in a Twitter message.\n\nThe Irish Republican Army (IRA) was a paramilitary organisation fighting for Northern Ireland to be a part of the Republic of Ireland, rather than the United Kingdom.\n\nThe target of the IRA's Brighton bomb was Margaret Thatcher, who was prime minister at the time.\n\nShe survived the blast but five people were killed and many more injured, including the then Trade Secretary Lord Tebbit and his wife.\n\nThe couple were lying in bed when their ceiling collapsed, leaving Lady Tebbit with spinal injuries.\n\nThe explosion ripped through several floors of the Grand Hotel in Brighton.\n\nIn 1995, Lady Tebbit appeared on Desert Island Discs and spoke about the bombing.\n\nShe said: \"I don't blame people, I don't completely forget or forgive, but one has to completely look forward.\"\n\nLord Tebbit, 89, previously said there was \"no possibility of any forgiveness\" for the people behind the bombing. He added: \"One can hope that there's a particularly hot corner of hell reserved for them and they can repent in their own time there.\"\n\nThe bomb had been planted in the hotel by Patrick Magee. He received eight life sentences but was later released under the Good Friday peace agreement in 1999.\n\nHe now regularly appears alongside Jo Berry - a daughter of one of the victims - discussing peace and reconciliation.\n\nLady Tebbit was born in the Fens in 1934 as one of nine children.\n\nShe was training to be a nurse when she met her future husband, then a pilot in the RAF. She described him as \"great company - life was never dull\".\n\nFor 20 years, Lady Tebbit was vice president of the spinal cord injury charity Aspire. The organisation's chief executive Brian Carlin said she would be \"deeply missed,\" describing her as \"an incredible ambassador and role model for people with spinal cord injuries\".\n\nChair of the Association of Conservative Peers, Lord Hunt of Wirral, said Lady Tebbit was \"a courageous and brave woman,\" adding \"our thoughts are with Norman at this difficult time\".", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Covid patients speak of their frightening experiences at people not following lockdown rules\n\nStaff at one of Wales' biggest hospitals said the emergency department had at times not been a safe place due to a sudden increase in coronavirus patients.\n\nAndrew McNab, a consultant at Morriston Hospital's A&E, said staff were \"relieved\" new restrictions had come into force over Christmas.\n\nThere has been an increase in younger patients spending \"months\" in hospital.\n\nThis has caused bed shortages, Mr McNab said.\n\n\"We know just looking at the patients coming through the doors and the way the curve is going that actually we were going to be overwhelmed.\n\n\"We were having days here, maybe four out of the last 10, when we felt the department was no longer a safe place to be looking after people, but there was nowhere else to look after them.\"\n\nHe warned that the standard of care would suffer should the pressure continue to mount.\n\n\"We don't like to drop the standard of care but ultimately when you're having to make decisions about who can fit in and who can't, people wait longer than they would do and sometimes the care they get isn't as good as you would like to give.\"\n\nMr McNab warned the impact of the virus on staff was also taking its toll.\n\n\"We've got colleagues who had Covid in the first wave who are still not back to normal, and people who've had it early in the second wave who still haven't come back to work because they can't walk more than 15 yards because they're short of breath.\"\n\nDr Keith Reid, the director of public health for the hospital's health board, warned: \"The virus is running rampant in all communities in the Swansea Bay region.\n\n\"That is why we welcomed the move to tier four restrictions on Saturday.\n\n\"It's that kind of population-level approach that is going to have the biggest impact, reducing it, getting people to keep themselves to themselves, and that is what will interrupt the transmission of the disease.\"\n\nMargaret Powell, from Townhill, who is being treated on one of the hospital's Covid wards, said she had \"never been so ill\".\n\n\"I can't get any rest,\" she told BBC Wales between coughs.\n\n\"I just wish to God sometimes I was just dying, but no, I will fight it, I will.\n\n\"I just wish all these fools and idiots would stop going around, just wear their masks, cover themselves up, put visors on whatever they want, anything.\n\n\"Cover themselves from head to toe if they've got to.\"\n\nLeighton Smith, 72, from Gorseinon, said he had been ill for a while before his family found him collapsed 10 days ago, shaking and aching.\n\n\"I was feeling very, very, very bad. Very scared. I've never been so scared in all my life.\n\nLeighton Smith says having Covid-19 has made him realise what is important\n\n\"Gradually now I've got stronger and stronger and I'm off oxygen, feeling stronger all the time. I'm still quite emotional. It's frightening to me.\n\n\"It's made me realise how important life is and how important your family is, and to be safe, and keep away and not to do anything stupid, it's just not worth it. There'll always be Christmas again next year.\"\n\nMr Smith was supportive of the government's change to the plans for Christmas mixing with other households.\n\n\"I wish they'd done it sooner to be honest, you can't mess around with things like this.\n\n\"You've got to give up a little bit now to have a longer and better future.\"\n\nEleri D'Arcy says even younger people are \"knocked for six\" by the virus\n\nEleri D'Arcy, who works as an occupational therapist in the intensive care unit, said she was taken aback by how young some patients are.\n\n\"We're not talking about little, old, frail people here, we're talking about people in their 40s and 50s who were previously completely independent. Mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, it's knocked them for six.\n\n\"Even for the fittest people that haven't had bouts of Covid strong enough to warrant an ICU stay, members of my team who have had Covid who didn't even have a hospital admission are still recovering weeks and months later, and that's affecting their work and obviously it's affecting the entire workforce then as well.\n\n\"The intensity of rehab required to get people back to some level of function has been really quite astounding.\"\n\nMs D'Arcy said the pandemic was having a significant effect on staff morale too.\n\n\"People are tired from a personal perspective and through work. It's relentless.\n\n\"There is only so far people can go and this has been a really long year, and when you see people just flouting the rules and having parties and seemingly not having any grip on the reality of the situation, it's upsetting, it's frustrating.\"\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Priti Patel tweeted about the deaths of 39 Vietnamese migrants, during a trial linked to them\n\nA Twitter post by the home secretary about the deaths of 39 Vietnamese migrants led to the trial of alleged people-smugglers being halted.\n\nThe migrants were found dead in a lorry trailer in Essex on 23 October 2019.\n\nOn the anniversary, Priti Patel tweeted they died \"at the hands of ruthless criminals\" and jurors were warned to ignore comments from politicians.\n\nThe Home Office said the tweet was quickly deleted and \"not intended to reference\" those involved in the trial.\n\nFollowing the Old Bailey trial which ended on Monday, two men were found guilty of manslaughter and two others were convicted of being part of a wider people-smuggling conspiracy.\n\nOn 23 October, Ms Patel, MP for Witham, Essex, posted: \"One year ago today, 39 people lost their lives in horrific circumstances at the hands of ruthless criminals.\"\n\nThe trial was temporarily halted as lawyers in the case discussed what action should be taken.\n\nIn the absence of the jury, Alisdair Williamson QC, who was defending lorry driver Eamonn Harrison, complained about the description of \"ruthless criminals\".\n\nHe said: \"It is unhelpful to say the least and a lot worse could be said.\"\n\nThe 39 people who died in the back of a trailer as it crossed the North Sea between Zeebrugge and the UK\n\nThe judge in the case, Mr Justice Sweeney, brought the jury back and warned them of comments made about the case outside of the court room.\n\n\"No doubt the anniversary will be commented on whether in mainstream media or social media,\" he said.\n\n\"And whether by politicians, likewise journalists or others, inevitably there is a risk that such comments may assert or imply guilt of amongst others the men who are in your charge, two of whom are charged with the manslaughter of the victims.\n\n\"You must ignore any such comments.\"\n\nThe tweet was live for more than an hour before it was deleted.\n\nThe bodies of 39 Vietnamese nationals were discovered in a refrigerated trailer on 23 October last year\n\nA Home Office spokesperson said: \"The Home Secretary's tweet intended to refer to individuals who were involved in the incident and had already entered guilty pleas.\n\n\"The tweet was not intended to reference individuals involved in the ongoing trial. However, as soon as concerns were raised, the tweet was deleted.\"\n\nMr Justice Sweeney adjourned sentencing of all the defendants to 7, 8 and 11 January.\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk", "Nicola Smith with her husband Steve who died in July this year\n\nAfter a particularly tough year, Nicola Smith was planning to spend Christmas abroad with her daughter and granddaughter to create \"new memories\".\n\nHer husband, Steve, died in a motorbike accident in July - and the toy shop she owns had to shut for huge parts of 2020 due to the Covid-19 lockdowns.\n\nNicola, 60, from Morecambe, was due to fly to Canada on Monday to visit her daughter Philippa, and three-year-old granddaughter Martha.\n\nIt would have been the first time she had seen Philippa since she suffered her own trauma: Philippa's partner, Tom, died in a white-water-rafting accident last year.\n\nBut her hopes of seeing her family were dashed on Monday morning when Canada brought in a 72-hour ban on flights from the UK.\n\n\"I just wanted to go away where we could make new memories,\" said Nicola.\n\n\"I haven't seen Philippa since Tom drowned, and she's having such a hard time so far away from her family with a lockdown.\n\n\"She was trying to work from home with a three-year-old, with no family within thousands of miles.\n\n\"She was so looking forward to just having her mum there.\"\n\nNumerous countries have introduced travel bans amid concerns over the new coronavirus variant\n\nCanada is one of several countries to have banned arrivals from the UK because of concerns about the spread of a new variant of coronavirus.\n\nNicola said this year had been \"horrendous\", and when she woke up to the news of the travel ban she was in \"disbelief\".\n\nChristmas Day will be exactly five months after Steve's death, so she was looking forward to getting away to somewhere she hadn't spent the festive season before.\n\nNicola also hasn't seen her granddaughter since she was a baby - so the Christmas trip was going to be an extra special time for the family.\n\n\"I speak on Facebook Messenger to her but it's not the same,\" Nicola said. \"She doesn't really know who I am, but she's been getting excited for grandma coming.\"\n\nIt's not yet clear when the UK travel ban to Canada will be lifted - or whether Nicola will be able to rebook her flight.\n\n\"You come so far and then it's taken away again,\" she said. \"If there's a flight on Christmas Eve I'll go. But nobody knows what's going to happen\".\n\nNick Kennedy and his family were looking forward to hosting his parents in France this Christmas\n\nNicola is one of many people who have had their plans to go abroad for Christmas disrupted at the last minute.\n\nCanada, India, Denmark, France, the Netherlands, the Republic of Ireland, Italy and Austria are some of the more than 40 countries that have blocked UK arrivals.\n\nBritish man Nick Kennedy, who lives in France, was looking forward to sharing Christmas with his parents who were due to travel there from Swindon on Tuesday.\n\n\"We don't get enough time together as a family, so we wanted to make the most of it.\" he said. \"We want our son to spend as much time as possible with his English grandparents.\n\n\"It's a big disappointment as a family. All I can hope for is that the borders reopen very, very quickly. We've got to wait until Tuesday to see if there's any possibility of movement before Christmas.\n\n\"Many people, including my family, don't believe the borders will be open.\"\n\nLes hasn't seen his family since August\n\nLes Banks Irvine was due to fly back to the UK from Monrovia in Liberia - where he works - to spend three weeks with his family this Christmas.\n\nBut when he turned up at the airport on Sunday he was told at the check in-desk: \"Sorry, because you're going to the UK, you can't go.\"\n\n\"I was hoping to be spending some time with my two children and three grandchildren in mid-Wales, but it now looks like I am stranded here in Monrovia,\" he said.\n\n\"I've been here for about nine months this year. I last saw my family at the end of August.\n\n\"I know its difficult times for everyone, but I do wish national air carriers would keep us informed.\"\n\nFlights from the UK are being suspended to countries across the world including Italy, Slovakia and India\n\nMaria Kovacsova, who is from Slovakia but lives in London, is due to fly home to see her family on Christmas Eve - but her trip is looking unlikely now.\n\n\"I have spent so much money on a private Covid test in order to go home,\" she said. \"I haven't seen my family for a year. My heart is broken.\n\n\"I was last at home a year ago. I couldn't go after that because the big lockdown started in March. I had to work as well.\n\n\"I'm going to do nothing for Christmas. You can't do anything basically, you can't see your friends or family.\n\n\"I live in shared accommodation with five people in Tooting. We are basically five strangers living together; five professionals in one house and we're not able to leave the house.\"\n\nGary Fearon and his partner Abigail Brown, who have lived in Spain since January, are facing the prospect of Christmas in a Northampton hotel.\n\nThe couple own a pet transport company and had arrived in the UK on Friday to deliver pets from Spain.\n\nThey were due to pick up other customers' pets from the UK and travel back with them to Spain on Tuesday. But their plans are now up in the air.\n\n\"We have no information as to when and how we will get to Spain,\" said Gary.\n\n\"Customers who are ready to fly to Spain are now having to decide what to do with their pets as we cannot guarantee when we can leave.\"\n\nThe couple are unable to stay with family as Gary's relatives live in Ireland and Abigail's family are in Covid high-risk groups.\n\n\"The hotel we're in at the minute doesn't know for definite if they're open on Christmas Day,\" said Gary. \"We have our own pets in Spain that are being minded by a neighbour.\n\n\"We've been lucky to get a hotel room. I feel sorry for the lorry drivers in Dover.\"", "Tashaun Aird was stabbed nine times during a planned attack\n\nThe family of a murdered teenager say the system of school exclusion has to change, or more children will be lost like their son.\n\nTashaun Aird, 15, was killed in Hackney, east London, in May 2019 after being permanently excluded in 2017 and sent to an Alternative Provision.\n\nA Serious Case Review said his exclusion \"was a catalyst to the deterioration in his behaviour\".\n\nHackney Council accepted \"opportunities were missed\" to help Tashaun.\n\nThe 15-year-old, who wanted to be a professional musician and producer, was stabbed nine times during a planned attack and died in an alleyway. The stabbing came three months after an earlier one, which left Tashaun in hospital for weeks.\n\nIn December last year, a 16-year-old boy was found guilty of his murder and two other teenagers were convicted of manslaughter.\n\nTashaun was \"like a giant walking teddy bear\", his mother Michelle said\n\nThe Old Bailey heard the killers believed Tashaun was a member of the Red Pitch gang, but he denied he was. Police endorsed this, adding he was not a gang member or associate.\n\nHis sister Tashoya said: \"He associated with friends who were from a specific area, just down the road from his own house.\n\n\"Tashaun's not a fighter, he's not one to carry a weapon, Tashaun's not one to have issues with anybody.\"\n\nThe family believe Tashaun's behaviour worsened due to his exclusion.\n\nTashaun was \"a peacemaker\" and had no links to gangs, his family said\n\nTashaun had been a pupil at Hackney New School, a free school, but at the end of the 2017 summer term he was permanently excluded after a prank involving a teacher's coat.\n\nHis mother Michelle Tan-Ming appealed against the decision, and months later that exclusion was quashed by an Independent Review Panel. However, the school refused to reinstate him.\n\nThe Serious Case Review, published this month, criticised this decision, saying: \"It appeared that the school was determined to PEX (permanently exclude), without consideration of the wider implications to his safety, well-being or his education.\"\n\nThe family say when Tashaun was moved to the Alternative Provision - called Inspire! - he began smoking cannabis and his behaviour changed.\n\n\"It wasn't instant,\" said his sister. \"It was learned behaviour. If there are few rules, if you can walk out of school, you'll do it. He became a product of his environment.\"\n\nTashaun's mother works in the education sector and said Inspire! did not share her ethos or educational values.\n\n\"Pupils were allowed to smoke with teachers,\" she told the BBC. \"They were allowed to leave the classroom unattended.\n\n\"There was nothing the children could get recognised for. It was like they were just there doing nothing.\n\n\"I felt this was no place for my son. This was the next step to prison.\"\n\nA post-mortem examination revealed Tashaun suffered nine wounds, including a fatal 11cm-deep wound to the chest\n\nThe Serious Case Review noted that Inspire! had a \"chaotic environment\" that made it \"impossible to deliver intervention\".\n\nIn the months before his murder, Tashaun's family were already very worried about his safety.\n\nIn January 2019 a pupil from another school walked in, armed with a screwdriver, and tried to attack a pupil.\n\nThen in early February, Tashaun was attacked for the first time when he was stabbed as he left Hackney Youth Hub, where the school had taken boys for recreation.\n\nTashaun took weeks to recover in hospital and his family refused to let him return to Inspire! and he was tutored at home instead.\n\nBut he missed his friends, and on 1 May he spent some time \"chilling\" with a small group in local parks.\n\nHe promised his mother he'd be home by 21:00, but instead, she had a call, saying he'd been attacked at Somerford Grove.\n\nTashaun \"was that piece that held the family together\", his sister says\n\nThe Serious Case Review into Tashaun's death has made 15 recommendations for improvement, raising particular concern about Tashaun's exclusion and how it put him at risk.\n\nIt criticised the current government guidance, saying \"despite the clear imperative for safeguarding risk to be an active component of decision-making, the statutory guidance falls short in emphasising this with sufficient clarity\" and said the Department for Education (DfE) should review this.\n\nThe DfE said it was currently revising this guidance and added that \"no child should face the kind of violence Tashaun Aird experienced\".\n\nHis family insist Tashaun's exclusion was the crucial issue.\n\n\"That's the genesis,\" his stepfather Kevin said. \"You tell a child he's going to amount to nothing, you keep telling him. You're going to break him down.\n\n\"That's what they're telling these young men and women: 'You're nothing'.\"\n\nTashaun was found injured in the Somerford Grove area of Hackney\n\nHackney Council is still sending excluded pupils to Inspire!, which it said was under new leadership and had strengthened its safeguarding procedures.\n\nAnne Canning, the council's group director for Children and Education, said Tashaun's case was \"tragic and complex\".\n\nShe added: \"We are sorry for the missed opportunities that could have helped make a difference at an earlier stage.\n\n\"We fully accept the findings of this review and will work with all agencies involved to implement its recommendations in full.\"\n\nHackney New School is now run by the Community Schools Trust, which took over after poor Ofsted reports.\n\nThe prosecution said the gang which attacked Tashaun were \"intent on serious, if not fatal violence\"\n\nDespite not being at the school when Tashaun was kicked out, the new head teacher Charlotte Whelan said she wanted to work with Tashaun's family to answer their outstanding questions surrounding his exclusion.\n\nBut for Tashaun's family the abiding trauma continues, 19 months after he was murdered.\n\nTashaun's mother Michelle said: \"It just gets harder. We're forever grieving and I think we'll do that for the rest of our lives.\"\n\nHis sister Tashoya added: \"Since he's been gone, it hasn't been the same.\n\n\"I think Tashaun was that piece that held the family together. You know when something's missing, and we feel it every day.\"\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "The new rules apply to people travelling from Wales and tier-four areas\n\nPeople travelling from tier-four areas to other parts of England are being asked to \"assume\" they have the new coronavirus variant and self-isolate.\n\nHealth officials said anyone who has come from a tier-four area or Wales to parts of the West Midlands and North West should stay at home for 10 days.\n\nNo visitors are allowed to a house where someone is isolating, even on Christmas Day, the statement said.\n\nPeople who test negative are also being told to self-isolate.\n\nStatements were issued by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and the West Midlands Conurbation Local Resilience Forum, the latter of which said it applied to people travelling to the region on or since 18 December.\n\nThey said the new advice followed the emergence of the new variant of coronavirus, which had seen a \"very rapid increase in cases in London and parts of the South East and East of England\".\n\n\"Although our region is not in tier four, rates are increasing and it is highly likely that the new variant is circulating,\" the West Midlands statement said.\n\nIt also told people to change Christmas plans as much as possible and only to meet with those in their bubble.\n\n\"Other people who live in the house do not need to self-isolate unless they get symptoms but no visitors should be allowed in that house at all, even on Christmas Day.\"\n\nDominic Harrison, director of public health for the Lancashire authority of Blackburn with Darwen, told BBC Lancashire that anyone who had travelled from a tier-four area since Wednesday should self-isolate for at least five days.\n\nThe guidance also calls on those who have symptoms to get tested and self-isolate for 10 days, without waiting for results.\n\nDr Jeanelle de Gruchy, the director of public health in Tameside, Greater Manchester, said the variant's spread was \"extremely worrying\".\n\nOther parts of England, including Doncaster and Telford, have issued similar guidance.\n\nWales entered lockdown on Sunday, with new restrictions covering the Christmas period. Hundreds of people are thought to have contracted the new variant, First Minister Mark Drakeford said.\n\nAnyone who has arrived from tier four or Wales since Friday is being asked to self-isolate immediately\n\nThe rate of coronavirus hospital admissions in the West Midlands has been among the highest in the country - and the last thing the region needs is a more transmissible strain on the rampage.\n\nPublic health bosses admit, though, it's already here. Today's message is about trying to mitigate the impact of that.\n\nThat message is basically that if you've come from a tier-four area in recent days, act like you've got the virus. And stay at home.\n\nHow far people will follow this is another matter. It's not a legal requirement, but it's been described to me as \"the strongest possible advice\".\n\nOf course Christmas plans are already in the balance for many. This is another blow, but one that it's felt is entirely necessary as this Covid winter really kicks in.\n\nChief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance, said public health directors in Greater Manchester and the West Midlands \"need to make decisions\" as they have a \"role to make sure their local population is looked after\" and they're \"doing a fantastic job.\"\n\nHe also warned it was \"likely measures will need to be increased in some places in due course.\"\n\nMuch of the West Midlands and North West is in tier three, with Burnley in Lancashire having the highest rate of infection in the two areas, with 437.5 new cases per 100,000 people in the week up to 17 December.\n\nStoke-on-Trent has the highest rate of infection in the West Midlands, with 340.5 new infections.\n\nAnyone arriving in the Liverpool city region has been told to get a coronavirus test, which is available in all six local authority areas.\n\nA deserted Oxford street in London, which is currently subject to tier-four restrictions\n\nIf you live in a tier-four area, you must not leave or be outside of the place you are living unless you have a reasonable excuse.\n\nYou cannot meet other people indoors, including over the Christmas period, unless you live with them, or they are part of your support bubble.\n\nOutdoors, you can only meet one person from another household. These rules will not be relaxed for Christmas for tier four - you cannot form a Christmas bubble in tier four.\n\nFollow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "The vaccine made by Pfizer-BioNTech is currently being given to the most vulnerable in the UK\n\nThe company behind the Covid-19 vaccine being given to people in the UK says it is \"highly likely\" the vaccine will protect people against the new variant of the virus.\n\nBut if necessary, the vaccine could be re-engineered in a matter of weeks, BioNTech's boss said.\n\nUK scientists discovered the variant after analysing a sharp rise in cases in the south-east of England.\n\nThey say it could spread up to 70% more quickly than other forms of the virus.\n\nThe new variant is thought to be present in many parts of the UK but is particularly concentrated in cases in Kent, Essex and London.\n\nThis is where the fastest rise in cases is being detected, with some areas seeing cases double in the past week.\n\nThe daily figures released by the government showed 36,804 cases reported in the UK - a record since mass testing began in the summer. Some 691 deaths within 28 days of a positive test were also recorded.\n\nThe new variant has also been found in Denmark, the Netherlands and South Africa - countries which, like the UK, are experienced at carrying out genome sequencing - and is likely to be present in many more.\n\nCalled VOC-202012/01, the variant contains 23 mutations - an unusually large number all at once - which can cause it to behave differently, although it's unclear yet exactly how.\n\nThere are no signs the new variant causes more a more severe form of Covid-19 and no evidence it spreads more easily in children, although this is something being investigated.\n\nBioNTech, in partnership with drug firm Pfizer, developed the first vaccine against Covid-19 to be approved by an internationally recognised regulatory body - the UK's, in early December.\n\nMore than 500,000 people in the UK have now been given their first dose of the vaccine.\n\nThe vaccine has also been approved by the US regulator, the FDA, and the European Medicines Agency for use in the EU.\n\nAt a news conference in Germany, Ugur Sahin, chief executive of BioNTech, said \"scientifically, it is highly likely that [the] immune response by this vaccine also can deal with the new virus variant\".\n\nAnd he added that the company had the technology to refine its vaccine very quickly if it needed to.\n\n\"The beauty of the Messenger RNA technology is that we can directly start to engineer a vaccine which completely mimics this new mutation - we could be able to provide a new vaccine technically within six weeks, so that means a vaccine which contains this information,\" Mr Sahin said.\n\nHe confirmed that he didn't know \"at the moment\" if their vaccine was able to provide protection against this new variant.\n\nGenomics experts from the Covid-19 Genomics UK Consortium (COG-UK) which discovered the new variant after examining a cluster of cases in Kent, also say it should not affect how well the Covid vaccine works.\n\nThey believe that antibodies, which build up in the body to defend it against future infections, will still target the virus despite some mutations affecting its infamous spike protein.\n\nBut they warned the virus may develop more mutations in the future.", "Donald Begg said there is understanding but also frustration about the move to tighter restrictions\n\nBusinesses in parts of the north and south of Scotland face moving into the country's toughest Covid restrictions on Boxing Day - despite currently operating under level one rules.\n\nThey say they are frustrated by the decision to put the whole of mainland Scotland into level four restrictions.\n\nIt includes Highland, Moray, Dumfries and Galloway and the Borders which have been in level one for several weeks.\n\nPubs, cafes and non-essential shops close from Saturday for three weeks.\n\nNicola Sturgeon announced the introduction of the toughest level four rules at the weekend, saying \"firm preventative action\" was needed following the emergence of a faster-spreading strain of coronavirus.\n\nDonald Begg, managing director of family-owned Begg Shoes, said there was an \"element of understanding\" but also of \"an element of frustration\" about the development.\n\nThe firm has shops in Inverness in the Highlands and Elgin in Moray.\n\nMr Begg said: \"The phones have been going mad with everybody wondering 'what do we do?' Staff have been wondering and suppliers panicking about what they do with deliveries.\"\n\nHe added: \"I think it is just about us all working together right now.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by The Bookshop This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. End of twitter post by The Bookshop\n\nThe Highlands and Moray have been in level one of Scotland's coronavirus tiered system of restrictions since it was introduced at the end of October.\n\nRestrictions eased in Dumfries and Galloway and the Borders earlier this month. It meant limits on hospitality, some spectator sports and soft play were relaxed.\n\nThe number of positive cases in the regions have been relatively low although there has been concern recently about rising infection rates in the Borders.\n\nInverness beautician Zoe Kinnear-McIntyre said efforts to control the spread of Covid were needed, but had hoped areas with low transmission rates could remain at level one.\n\nShe fears months-long restrictions similar to the lockdown earlier this year.\n\n\"From a self employed perspective it's devastating,\" she said.\n\nBeautician Zoe Kinnear-McIntyre worries about how long Scotland's toughest restrictions will remain in place\n\n\"The last time we were told it would be for three weeks it went on for three months.\n\n\"We don't really know when it is ending. It is really unnerving.\"\n\nIn her announcement on Saturday, the first minister also confirmed that the relaxation of rules for Christmas would last only one day.\n\nEmmanuel Moine, who runs the Glen Mhor Hotel in Inverness and is chairman of the Inverness Hotel Association, said the short notice of the move to level four had added to the stress for business owners and staff.\n\nHe said: \"Everybody was ready to celebrate Christmas - buying food, preparing menus and making dinners.\n\n\"We have had hundreds of cancellations. People are upset. It means a loss of money and jobs.\"\n\nHotelier Emmanuel Moine said the latest developments had caused added stress for businesses and staff\n\nLee-Anne Gillie, who chairs the Borders Chamber of Commerce, said it was a tough setback for the region.\n\n\"I think it is a body blow for the Borders, for these rural locations,\" she said.\n\n\"We had just seen that glimmer of light, that light at the end of the tunnel with the vaccine and going into tier one.\n\n\"It does feel tough right now thinking that here we go again.\"\n\nHowever, she said the region had got through similar circumstances before and it was \"hopefully\" only for three weeks this time.\n\n\"I think as a community we can all rally, look after each other, support each other and we will get through this.\"\n\nOn Monday, the first minister has said she understood \"how upsetting Saturday's announcements were in particular for so many of you\".\n\nMs Sturgeon said: \"None of the actions I announced on Saturday were taken lightly.\"\n\nShe said the analysis of the new variant of Covid-19 gave \"real cause for concern\".", "Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Tuesday morning.\n\nOne possible solution could involve testing lorry drivers before they depart\n\nThe World Health Organization says there's no evidence the new variant of coronavirus increases the severity of disease. Scientists, though, are urgently investigating whether it may spread more easily in children. Earlier variants found it harder to infect children than adults and any evidence this new one is different could alter the role they, and crucially schools, play in spreading the virus. On Monday, the prime minister said he wanted to open schools in January \"if we possibly can\". Here's everything we know about the new variant at this point.\n\nThe new variant has plunged much of southern England into a tier four lockdown, and prompted Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland to introduce their own tougher measures. On Monday night, the Stormont Executive voted against imposing a travel ban from Great Britain into Northern Ireland. But it backed plans to issue new guidance against all but essential travel between NI, GB and the Irish Republic. The UK's top scientist has warned the new variant is now \"everywhere\" and more areas may need to enter the highest level of restrictions. A reminder of what tier four and its equivalents outside England mean in practice.\n\nThe president-elect received his first dose of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine in front of the cameras, saying he wanted to show Americans it is \"safe to take\". He joins a growing number of senior US politicians to receive the jab. The Biden team has set a goal of 100 million vaccinations during the new administration's first 100 days, and on Sunday, the roll-out began for a second vaccine, created by Moderna. So far in the UK only the Pfizer jab has been approved. We're especially eager to see the version from Oxford University and AstraZeneca get the green light - find out more on that process.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nFour-year-old Eliana created a fairy garden outside her California home at the start of the pandemic, and got a wonderful surprise when a \"fairy\" started writing back. Neighbour Kelly Kenney was, as she puts it, \"going through a pretty rough time\" and decided on a whim to write a note pretending to be Sapphire, the fairy who came to live in the garden. Eliana was delighted, and she and \"Sapphire\" have now been sending letters and gifts back and forth for months. Kelly says it gave her a sense of connection at a very lonely time, and recently, the friends got to meet in person.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nFind more information, advice and guides on our coronavirus page.\n\nPlus, can pregnant women receive a coronavirus vaccine? Well, it depends. Let us explain.\n\nWhat questions do you have about coronavirus?\n\nIn some cases, your question will be published, displaying your name, age and location as you provide it, unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published. Please ensure you have read our terms & conditions and privacy policy.\n\nUse this form to ask your question:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or send them via email to YourQuestions@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any question you send in.", "The coroner said Anas had acted selflessly and his actions should be commended\n\nA \"selfless\" teenage boy drowned trying to save his brother who had got into difficulties during a river swim, an inquest has heard.\n\nAnas El-Rafai, 15, died on 17 August trying to help his brother in the River Tees at Darlington.\n\nThe pair were among a group of friends who had gone to swim at a popular beauty spot known as Broken Scar.\n\nThe group had visited the river to take photographs and had apparently gone into the water to cool down, the hearing was told.\n\nAnas was swept away after managing to push his 13-year-old sibling, Jamal, to safety.\n\nMr Thompson said the tragedy \"reinforced the dangers of playing in rivers and in open water\".\n\nHe said \"People should take extreme care and need to understand the power of nature.\"\n\nFlowers were attached to railings at the site of the accident\n\nThe inquest was told recent heavy rain had left river levels high and that the undercurrent was strong and the water cold and fast-flowing.\n\nMr Thomson said Anas had acted \"selflessly\" and his actions should be commended.\n\nHe added: \"Anas had a few seconds to think and he simply acted - there was nothing more his friends or the emergency services could do.\"\n\nAnas's family fled the civil war in Syria in 2011, initially going to Lebanon, then moving to the UK in 2018.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. \"I am kicking myself very hard\" - Nicola Sturgeon apologises for mask rule breach\n\nScotland's first minister has apologised for breaching Covid rules by taking her face mask off at a wake.\n\nThe Scottish Sun has published a photograph of Nicola Sturgeon standing talking to three people at a social distance, but with her face uncovered.\n\nShe was attending a wake after the funeral of a Scottish government civil servant who died with Covid.\n\nMs Sturgeon had been wearing a tartan mask and is said to have taken it off briefly as she was leaving the venue.\n\nThe Scottish government's Covid regulations say that customers in hospitality venues must wear a face covering except when seated - including when they are entering, exiting and moving around.\n\nAnyone who breaches the face covering rules can be punished by a fixed penalty notice of £60.\n\nHowever Police Scotland said they would not be taking any action, saying the first minister had apologised and \"acknowledged this inadvertent breach\" of the regulations.\n\nIn a statement, Ms Sturgeon said she had \"briefly\" removed her face mask while attending a wake, calling it a \"stupid mistake\".\n\nAddressing MSPs at Holyrood, the first minister said she wanted to express \"how sorry I am for my breach of rules that I ask all of us to follow\".\n\nMs Sturgeon said: \"I want to be clear that regardless of the circumstances, I was in the wrong. There are no excuses.\n\n\"These rules do apply to me, just as they do to everyone else, and the rules really matter.\n\n\"I am kicking myself very hard - possibly harder than my worst critic ever could - but more importantly I'll be making sure I don't drop my guard again.\"\n\nMs Sturgeon is understood to have been at the wake in the Stable Bar and Restaurant in Edinburgh after attending a service at nearby Mortonhall Crematorium.\n\nThe first minister regularly uses her daily coronavirus briefings to remind people to cover their faces to limit the risk of spreading the virus.\n\nScotland's national clinical director Jason Leitch told Good Morning Scotland he had spoken to Ms Sturgeon last night and she was \"furious with herself\".\n\n\"She is absolutely mad at this little lapse in concentration - it's so easily done,\" he said. \"We live in a completely different world from a year ago.\n\n\"She was leaving a funeral of a colleague of ours - a wonderful, wonderful individual who did a huge amount of work during the pandemic. It was an awfully sad day for many of us in the government who knew him and his family well.\n\n\"It just reinforces again to all of us, the nature of these instructions and this virus.\"\n\nWhen you make and promote coronavirus rules, it is not a good idea to break them.\n\nNo-one understands that better than Nicola Sturgeon, who has already parted company with an MP and a medical adviser for past breaches.\n\nThe first minister has not taken a train journey having tested positive for the virus as MP Margaret Ferrier did.\n\nShe had not made unnecessary trips to a holiday home during lockdown as her former chief medical officer, Catherine Calderwood, did.\n\nNor has she taken a drive to Barnard Castle as the prime minister's former adviser Dominic Cummings did.\n\nNicola Sturgeon's breach - removing her face mask briefly to talk to people at a funeral wake - is relatively minor. But it is a breach.\n\nThat's why the first minister has put her hands up and apologised for what she calls a \"stupid mistake\".\n\nIt is a mistake that anyone could make but when you're fronting the campaign to get the public to obey coronavirus rules, it does not make that job any easier.\n\nA Scottish Conservative spokesman said: \"The first minister should know better. By forgetting the rules and failing to set a proper example, she's undermining essential public health messaging.\n\n\"It's a blunder that an ordinary member of the public wouldn't get away with. There cannot be one rule for Nicola Sturgeon and another for everyone else.\"\n\nScotland's Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf said in a tweet that Ms Sturgeon had been \"upfront\" from the very beginning of the pandemic.\n\n\"She has apologised for [the] accidental lapse (which I suspect most of us have had one over last 9 months),\" he wrote.\n\nHe said the FM was her own harshest critic and that \"most people\" would accept her apology and move on.\n\nJillian Evans, head of health intelligence at NHS Grampian, said high-profile breaches of Covid rules \"matter a lot\" to the public.\n\nShe told the BBC's Good Morning Scotland programme: \"There are clear breaches and then there are indiscretions.\n\n\"I'm not passing comment on anyone in particular, but some of us are prone to lapses now and again.\n\n\"The main thing is how honest and trustworthy our leaders are. I don't doubt anyone in Scotland's dedication to the cause but it really does matter, because everybody must follow the rules at all times as much as they possibly can.\"", "The EU and UK are making a \"final push\" for a post-Brexit trade deal, EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier has said.\n\nBut he told diplomats from the bloc's 27 member states there was little time left to reach agreement before the 31 December deadline.\n\nThe UK will leave the EU trading rules at that point.\n\nTalks have been taking place round the clock to try to settle differences over fishing, competition rules and how future disputes will be resolved.\n\nIf there is no trade deal by 31 December, both sides could place import taxes on each other's goods, potentially affecting prices.\n\nSpeaking in Brussels, where the talks are happening, Mr Barnier said: \"We are really in a crucial moment and we are giving it a final push. In 10 days, the UK will leave the single market.\"\n\nOne EU diplomat told the BBC Mr Barnier had said that, while most issues had been agreed or were close to being settled, differences on fishing access and quotas \"remain difficult to bridge\".\n\nHe said the EU thought the UK was \"not moving enough yet to clinch a fair deal on fisheries\".\n\nWhile progress on other issues has been made in recent days, there has been little sign of a breakthrough on fish.\n\nThe UK insists that, as a sovereign state, it must have control of its waters from 1 January and retain a larger share of the catch from them than it does under the current quota system.\n\nThe EU wants to phase in a new system over a much longer period and retain significant access to UK waters for boats from France, Spain and other countries with large fleets.\n\nDowning Street sources said Boris Johnson was in \"close contact\" with European President Commission Ursula von der Leyen and the pair were \"speaking from time to time\".\n\nBut, on Monday, the prime minister said the state of the talks remained \"unchanged\" and there were still \"problems\".\n\nEU diplomats have suggested the bloc would be willing to continue negotiations beyond 1 January if necessary.\n\nMr Johnson suggested the UK would \"prosper mightily\", whatever the outcome of the talks.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nFrance is starting to let traffic from the UK back in after the nations reached agreement over their shared border, closed amid concerns over a new coronavirus variant.\n\nFreight drivers and some passengers, including EU citizens, will be among those allowed to return - if they have a recent negative test for the virus.\n\nSome 2,850 lorries have been stuck in Kent since the border shut on Sunday.\n\nNHS Test and Trace staff and the military will be deployed for testing.\n\nPlanes, boats and Eurostar trains are due to resume on Wednesday morning.\n\nUnder the agreement between the two countries, admittance to France will be granted to those travelling for urgent reasons, including hauliers, French citizens, and British citizens with French residency.\n\nBut in order to travel, they will need to have received a negative test result less than 72 hours before departure.\n\nRapid lateral flow tests, which can detect the new strain and give a result in about 30 minutes, will be used rather than the 24 hours required for so-called PCR tests.\n\nThe drivers will receive the result by text message, and this message would give them the right to cross the Channel.\n\nA \"protocol is still being finalised\" to work out what to do with those drivers who test positive, a government source told the BBC.\n\nIn an interview with broadcasters, Mr Shapps said enough tests had been sent to Kent to test all those who wanted to return by Christmas, but suggested it could take until Christmas for congestion to be relieved near ports.\n\nMr Shapps warned hauliers against travelling to Kent until further notice to alleviate congestion at ports.\n\nHe said: \"I am pleased that we have made this important progress with our French counterparts this evening. This protocol will see the French border reopen to those travelling for urgent reasons, provided they have a certified negative Covid test.\n\n\"We continue to urge hauliers not to travel to Kent until further notice as we work to alleviate congestion at ports.\"\n\nThe arrangement agreed with the French government will be reviewed on the 31 December, but could run until 6 January, the Department for Transport said.\n\nThe French government will also carry out sample testing on incoming freight to the UK.\n\nThe announcement comes after the EU Commission urged member states to drop their travel bans to avoid supply chain disruption.\n\nMore than 50 countries have banned UK arrivals following widespread concern about the spread of the new variant.\n\nNo lorries have been leaving the Port of Dover or Eurotunnel to France.\n\nKent County Council leader Roger Gough told the BBC on Tuesday afternoon that 2,220 vehicles were at the temporary lorry park at Manston, while 632 were still being held on the M20.\n\nIt comes as Tesco said it would be reintroducing temporary purchasing limits on some essential products, including toilet rolls, eggs, rice and hand wash.\n\nThe British Retail Consortium warned that trucks needed to be able to start travelling again in the next 24 hours to \"avoid seeing problems on our shelves\".\n\nAndrew Opie, its director of food and sustainability, told the Commons business, energy and industrial strategy committee: \"What we've been told by members is that unless those trucks can start travelling again and go back to Spain and Portugal and other parts of Europe, we will have problems with fresh produce from 27 December.\"\n\nThe Channel is a vital trade route, with about 10,000 lorries a day travelling between Dover and Calais at Christmas, largely bringing in the freshest produce.\n\nA further 36,804 people in the UK have tested positive for coronavirus and there were 691 deaths within 28 days of a positive test, according to Tuesday's government figures.\n\nIt is the largest daily number of cases recorded yet, though it is thought the infection rate was higher during the first peak in spring when testing was much more limited.\n\nMeanwhile, truck drivers stranded in Kent have called for immediate help from the government, with hundreds facing a third night sleeping in their cabs.\n\nTruck driver Laszlo Baliga, 51, from London, spent Tuesday delivering food and water to those lined up at Manston Airport, a disused airfield.\n\nHe began taking supplies after Hungarian drivers stranded in the lorry park posted on Facebook asking for help, with one telling him the only toilet on the site had been blocked.\n\nHe said he and friends had so far spent more than £500 on food and water for drivers at the site.\n\nMr Baliga said: \"We have got ready-to-eat sausages, bread, tomatoes, lettuce, coffee. Basic foods for now for the drivers.\n\n\"We like to help because this is a difficult time.\"\n\nRonald Schroeder, 52, from Hamburg in Germany, said: \"I am now staying in a hotel, but in front of the hotel there are thousands of people without any rooms waiting to come over the Channel crossing.\n\n\"I feel a little bit like Robinson Crusoe on an island.\"\n\nThe government defended the facilities for stranded drivers, saying there were \"more than adequate health and welfare provisions available\".\n\nAre you a lorry driver? Have you been affected by the restrictions? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. A BBC team came across roadblocks as they tried to report on research into viruses that bats carry\n\nA Chinese scientist at the centre of unsubstantiated claims that the coronavirus leaked from her laboratory in the Chinese city of Wuhan has told the BBC she is open to \"any kind of visit\" to rule it out.\n\nThe surprise statement from Prof Shi Zhengli comes as a World Health Organization team prepares to travel to Wuhan next month to begin its investigation into the origins of Covid-19.\n\nThe remote district of Tongguan, in China's south-western province of Yunnan, is hard to reach at the best of times. But when a BBC team tried to visit recently, it was impossible.\n\nPlain-clothes police officers and other officials in unmarked cars followed us for miles along the narrow, bumpy roads, stopping when we did, backtracking with us when we were forced to turn around.\n\nWe found obstacles in our way, including a \"broken-down\" lorry, which locals confirmed had been placed across the road a few minutes before we arrived.\n\nAnd we ran into checkpoints at which unidentified men told us their job was to keep us out.\n\nAt first sight, all of this might seem like a disproportionate effort given our intended destination, a nondescript, abandoned copper mine in which, back in 2012, six workers succumbed to a mystery illness that eventually claimed the lives of three of them.\n\nBut their tragedy, which would otherwise almost certainly have been largely forgotten, has been given new meaning by the Covid-19 pandemic.\n\nThose three deaths are now at the centre of a major scientific controversy about the origins of the virus and the question of whether it came from nature, or from a laboratory.\n\nAnd the attempts of Chinese authorities to stop us reaching the site are a sign of how hard they're working to control the narrative.\n\nFor more than a decade, the rolling, jungle-covered hills in Yunnan - and the cave systems within - have been the focus of a giant scientific field study.\n\nChinese virologist Shi Zhengli is seen here inside the laboratory in Wuhan\n\nIt has been led by Prof Shi Zhengli from the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV).\n\nProf Shi won international acclaim for her discovery that the illness known as Sars, which killed more than 700 people in 2003, was caused by a virus that probably came from a species of bat in a Yunnan cave.\n\nEver since, Prof Shi - often referred to as \"China's Batwoman\" - has been in the vanguard of a project to try to predict and prevent further such outbreaks.\n\nBy trapping bats, taking faecal samples from them, and then carrying those samples back to the lab in Wuhan, 1,600km (1,000 miles) away, the team behind the project has identified hundreds of new bat coronaviruses.\n\nBut the fact that Wuhan is now home to the world's leading coronavirus research facility, as well as the first city to be ravaged by a pandemic outbreak of a deadly new one, has fuelled suspicion that the two things are connected.\n\nI would personally welcome any form of visit, based on an open, transparent, trusting, reliable and reasonable dialogue. But the specific plan is not decided by me.\n\nThe Chinese government, the WIV, and Prof Shi have all angrily dismissed the allegation of a virus leak from the Wuhan lab.\n\nBut with scientists appointed by the World Health Organization (WHO) scheduled to visit Wuhan in January for an inquiry into the origin of the pandemic, Prof Shi - who has given few interviews since the pandemic began - answered a number of BBC questions by email.\n\n\"I have communicated with the WHO experts twice,\" she wrote, when asked if an investigation might help rule out a lab leak and end the speculation. \"I have personally and clearly expressed that I would welcome them to visit the WIV,\" she said.\n\nTo a follow-up question about whether that would include a formal investigation with access to the WIV's experimental data and laboratory records, Prof Shi said: \"I would personally welcome any form of visit based on an open, transparent, trusting, reliable and reasonable dialogue. But the specific plan is not decided by me.\"\n\nThe BBC subsequently received a call from the WIV's press office, saying that Prof Shi was speaking in a personal capacity and her answers had not been approved by the WIV.\n\nThe BBC denied a request to send the press office a copy of this article in advance.\n\nDr Peter Daszak: \"I've yet to see any evidence at all of a lab leak or a lab involvement in this outbreak\"\n\nMany scientists believe that by far the most likely scenario is that Sars-Cov-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, jumped naturally from bats to humans, possibly via an intermediary species. And despite Prof Shi's offer, for now there appears to be little chance of the WHO inquiry looking into the lab-leak theory.\n\nThe terms of reference for the WHO inquiry make no mention of the theory, and some members of the 10-person team have all but ruled it out.\n\nPeter Daszak, a British zoologist, has been chosen as part of the team because of his leading role in a multimillion dollar, international project to sample wild viruses.\n\nIt has involved close collaboration with Prof Shi Zhengli in her mass sampling of bats in China, and Dr Daszak previously called the lab-leak theory a \"conspiracy theory\" and \"pure baloney\".\n\n\"I've yet to see any evidence at all of a lab leak or a lab involvement in this outbreak,\" he said. \"I have seen substantial evidence that these are naturally occurring phenomena driven by human encroachment into wildlife habitat, which is clearly on display across south-east Asia.\"\n\nAsked about seeking access to the Wuhan lab to rule the lab-leak theory out, he said: \"That's not my job to do that.\n\n\"The WHO negotiated the terms of reference, and they say we're going to follow the evidence, and that's what we've got to do,\" he added.\n\nThe Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market in Wuhan was linked to early cases of the new coronavirus\n\nOne focus of the inquiry will be a market in Wuhan which was known to be trading in wildlife and was linked to a number of early cases, though the Chinese authorities appear to have already discounted it as a source of the virus.\n\nDr Daszak said the WHO team would \"look at those clusters of cases, look at the contacts, look at where the animals in the market have come from and see where that takes us\".\n\nThe deaths of the three Tongguan workers following exposure to a mineshaft full of bats raised suspicions that they'd succumbed to a bat coronavirus.\n\nIt was exactly the kind of animal-to-human \"spillover\" that was driving the WIV to sample and test bats in Yunnan.\n\nIt is no surprise then that, following those deaths, the WIV scientists began sampling bats in the Tongguan mineshaft in earnest, making multiple visits over the next three years and detecting 293 coronaviruses.\n\nBut apart from one brief paper, very little was published about the viruses they collected on those trips.\n\nIn January this year, Prof Shi Zhengli became one of the first people in the world to sequence Sars-Cov-2, which was already spreading rapidly through the streets and homes of her city.\n\nShe then compared the long string of letters representing the virus's unique genetic code with the extensive library of other viruses collected and stored over the years.\n\nAnd she discovered that her database contained the closest known relative of Sars-Cov-2.\n\nRaTG13 is a virus whose name has been derived from the bat it was extracted from (Rhinolophus affinis, Ra), the place it was found (Tongguan, TG), and the year it was identified, 2013.\n\nSeven years after it was found in that mineshaft, RaTG13 was about to become one of the most hotly contested scientific subjects of our time.\n\nChina imposed tough restrictions on Wuhan to stop the spread of the virus\n\nThere have been many well-documented cases of viruses leaking from labs. The first Sars virus, for example, leaked twice from the National Institute of Virology in Beijing in 2004, long after the outbreak had been brought under control.\n\nThe practice of genetically manipulating viruses is also not new, allowing scientists to make them more infectious or more deadly, so they can assess the threat and, perhaps, develop treatments or vaccines.\n\nAnd from the moment it was isolated and sequenced, scientists have been struck by the remarkable ability of Sars-Cov-2 to infect humans.\n\nThe possibility that it acquired that ability as a result of manipulation in a laboratory was taken seriously enough for an influential group of international scientists to address it head on.\n\nIn what has become the definitive paper ruling out the possibility of a lab leak, RaTG13 has a starring role.\n\nPublished in March in the magazine Nature Medicine, it suggests that if there had been a leak, Prof Shi Zhengli would have found a much closer match in her database than RaTG13.\n\nWhile RaTG13 is the closest known relative - at 96.2% similarity - it is still too distant to have been manipulated and changed into Sars-Cov-2.\n\nSars-Cov-2, the authors concluded, was likely to have gained its unique efficiency through a long, undetected period of circulation in humans or animals of a natural and milder precursor virus that eventually evolved into the potent, deadly form first detected in Wuhan in 2019.\n\nMedics and scientists in Wuhan battled to control the early stages of the pandemic\n\nWhere though, some scientists are beginning to wonder, are those reservoirs of earlier natural infection?\n\nDr Daniel Lucey is a physician and infectious disease professor at the Georgetown Medical Centre in Washington DC and a veteran of many pandemics - Sars in China, Ebola in Africa, Zika in Brazil.\n\nHe is certain that China has already conducted thorough searches for evidence of precursor viruses in stored human samples in hospitals and in animal populations.\n\n\"They have the capability, they have the resources and they have the motivation, so of course they've done the studies in animals and in humans,\" he said.\n\nFinding the origin of an outbreak was vital, he said, not just for wider scientific understanding, but also to stop it emerging again.\n\n\"We should search until we find it. I think it's findable and I think it's quite possible it's already been found,\" he said. \"But then the question arises, why hasn't it been disclosed?\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Covid-19: How everyday life has changed in Wuhan\n\nDr Lucey still believes that Sars-Cov-2 is most likely to have a natural origin, but he does not want the alternatives to be so readily ruled out.\n\n\"So here we are, 12, 13 months out since the first recognised case of Covid-19 and we haven't found the animal source,\" he said. \"So, to me, it's all the more reason to investigate alternative explanations.\"\n\nMight a Chinese laboratory have had a virus they were working on that was genetically closer to Sars-Cov-2, and would they tell us now if they did? \"Not everything that's done is published,\" Dr Lucey said.\n\nIt's a point I put to Peter Daszak, the member of the WHO origins study team.\n\n\"You know, I've worked with the WIV for a good decade or more,\" he said. \"I know some of the people there pretty well and I have visited the labs frequently, I've met and had dinner with them over 15 years.\n\n\"I'm working in China with eyes wide open, and I'm racking my brain back in time for the slightest hint of something untoward. And I've never seen that.\"\n\nAsked if those friendships and funding relationships with the WIV presented a conflict of interest with his role on the inquiry, he said: \"We file our papers; it's all there for everyone to see.\"\n\nAnd his collaboration with the WIV, he said, \"makes me one of the people on the planet who knows the most about the origins of these bat coronaviruses in China\".\n\nThe conclusion [of the Kunming Hospital University thesis] is neither based on evidence nor logic. But it’s used by conspiracy theorists to doubt me\n\nChina may have provided only limited data about its hunt for the origin of Sars-Cov-2, but it has begun to promote a theory of its own.\n\nBased on a few inconclusive studies conducted by scientists in Europe that suggest Covid-19 may have been circulating earlier than previously thought, state propaganda is full of stories suggesting the virus didn't start in China at all.\n\nIn the absence of proper data, speculation is only likely to grow, much of it focused on RaTG13 and its origins in a Tongguan mineshaft. Old academic papers have been dug up online that appear to differ from the WIV's statements about the sick mine workers - among them a thesis by a student at the Kunming Hospital University.\n\n\"I've just downloaded the Kunming Hospital University student's masters thesis and read it,\" Prof Shi told the BBC.\n\n\"The narrative doesn't make sense,\" she said. \"The conclusion is neither based on evidence nor logic. But it's used by conspiracy theorists to doubt me. If you were me, what you would do?\"\n\nProf Shi has also faced questions about why the WIV's online public database of viruses was suddenly taken offline.\n\nShe told the BBC that the WIV's website and the staff's work emails and personal emails had been attacked, and the database taken offline for security reasons.\n\n\"All our research results are published in English journals in the form of papers,\" she said. \"Virus sequences are saved in the [US-run] GenBank database too. It's completely transparent. We have nothing to hide.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Can you become immune to coronavirus?\n\nThere are important questions to be asked in the Yunnan countryside, not just by scientists, but by journalists too.\n\nAfter a decade of sampling and experimenting on viruses collected from bats, we now know that back in 2013 the closest known ancestor was discovered of a future threat that would claim well over a million lives and devastate the global economy.\n\nYet the WIV, according to the published information, did nothing with it, except sequence it and enter it into a database.\n\nOught that to call into question the very premise on which the expensive, and some would say risky, mass sampling of wild viruses is based?\n\n\"To say that we didn't do enough is absolutely correct,\" Peter Daszak told the BBC. \"To say that we failed is not fair at all. What we should have been doing is 10 times the amount of work on these viruses.\"\n\nBoth Dr Daszak and Prof Shi are adamant that pandemic prevention research is vital, urgent work.\n\n\"Our research is forward-looking, and it's difficult for non-professionals to understand,\" Prof Shi wrote by email. \"In the face of countless micro-organisms that exist in nature, we humans are very small.\"\n\nThe WHO is promising an \"open-minded\" inquiry into the origins of the novel coronavirus, but the Chinese government is not keen on questions, at least not from journalists.\n\nAfter leaving Tongguan, the BBC team tried to drive a few hours north to the cave where Prof Shi carried out her ground-breaking research on Sars almost a decade ago.\n\nStill being followed by several unmarked cars, we hit another roadblock, and were told there was no way through.\n\nA few hours later, we discovered that local traffic had been diverted onto a dirt track that skirted the obstruction, but as we attempted to use the same route, we met yet another \"broken down\" car in our path.\n\nWe were trapped in a field for over an hour, before finally being forced to head for the airport.", "PSNI officers issued 68 fines under Covid-19 regulations at Black Lives Protests in June\n\nChief Constable Simon Byrne has apologised after the Police Ombudsman found justification in claims the handling of the Black Lives Matter protests was unfair and discriminatory.\n\nA report by Police Ombudsman Marie Anderson stated it was \"not intentional and not based on race or ethnicity\".\n\nHowever, confidence in policing among some in minority communities has been \"severely damaged\".\n\nMr Byrne said: \"The time is right to show some humility and say sorry.\"\n\nMrs Anderson launched an investigation after complaints about police actions on 6 June, when about 70 fines were handed out at demonstrations in Belfast and Londonderry.\n\nChief constable Simon Byrne has apologised after the policing of the Black Lives Matter protests\n\nIn contrast, no £60 fixed penalty notices were issued at a Protect our Monuments rally in Belfast on 13 June - those attending included loyalists and military veterans.\n\nMrs Anderson said police had \"failed to fully understand\" the human rights of those at the Black Lives Matter (BLM) events to be able to protest peacefully.\n\nHer report found officers had not engaged in any harassment as some had claimed.\n\n\"The differential treatment by PSNI of protesters on 6 June when compared with those attending Protect Our Monuments on 13 June gave rise to claims of unfairness and discrimination against those persons who organised and attended the 'Black Lives Matters' protests,\" the report stated.\n\n\"These concerns are in my view cogent, have substance and are justified in the circumstances.\n\n\"I believe that this unfairness was not intentional. Neither was it based on race or ethnicity of those who attended the event.\"\n\nOn the issue of fines and prosecutions, the ombudsman said they should be reviewed.\n\n\"A number of fines issued at the Guildhall Square and Custom House Square have now been paid by the recipients.\n\n\"My investigation has established that many of these contain inconsistencies and errors and therefore their validity is questionable.\"\n\nParts of her report echoed one from the Policing Board published in November, which questioned whether the PSNI approach had been unlawful.\n\nThe PSNI has already announced it is establishing a task force to help rebuild relations with black, Asian and ethnic minority groups.\n\nIn a statement, Mr Byrne said: \"We tried our best to respect the public health requirements of the Northern Ireland Executive to save lives and at the same time deal with public outcry triggered by this awful death [of George Floyd].\n\n\"We operated within the legal framework available to us at the time, but the ombudsman is clear that whilst unintentional, we got that balance procedurally wrong.\"\n\nHe added: \"It is clear to me that some members of the Black and Minority Ethnic Community have been frustrated, angry and upset by our policing response and our relationship with them has suffered.\n\n\"For that I am sorry, and I am determined in that regard to put things right.\"\n\nPatrick Corrigan, from Amnesty International, said the report was \"deeply critical\".\n\nHe called for a \"fundamental reassessment\" of how the PSNI approaches the right to protest and the police's relationship with black and minority ethnic communities.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nMore than 2,850 lorries are stuck in Kent waiting to leave the UK, the county council has said, as politicians thrash out a plan to reopen France's border to trade and travel.\n\nFrance shut its UK border for 48 hours on Sunday amid fears of a new coronavirus variant.\n\nAny solution would probably include testing for lorry drivers, BBC Paris correspondent Hugh Schofield said.\n\nMeanwhile, the EU Commission has urged countries to drop their travel bans.\n\nMore than 50 countries have banned UK arrivals following widespread concern about the spread of the new variant.\n\nIn a recommendation to all member states, the commission said flight and train bans should be discontinued to avoid supply chain disruption.\n\nPeople should be allowed to travel to their country of residence, provided they take a Covid-19 test or self-isolate, it said. But the commission added that non-essential travel should still be discouraged.\n\nCurrently, no lorries are leaving the Port of Dover or Eurotunnel to France.\n\nThe leader of Kent County Council, Roger Gough, told the BBC that 2,220 vehicles were at the temporary lorry park at Manston, while 632 were still being held on the M20.\n\nIt comes as Tesco said it would be reintroducing temporary purchasing limits on some essential products, including toilet rolls, eggs, rice and hand wash.\n\nA further 36,804 people in the UK have tested positive for coronavirus and there were 691 deaths within 28 days of a positive test, according to Tuesday's government figures.\n\nIt is the largest daily number of cases recorded yet, though it is thought the infection rate was higher during the first peak in spring when testing was much more limited.\n\nEarlier, Home Secretary Priti Patel told BBC Breakfast discussions were under way between the UK and France \"to find a resolution\" to the Channel disruption, with an update on the situation expected later.\n\nPrime Minister Boris Johnson and French President Emmanuel Macron spoke on Monday and, according to the BBC's Hugh Schofield, a solution to the blockage will probably include compulsory negative Covid tests for lorry drivers coming into France from the UK.\n\nAny plans agreed between the leaders would come into effect on Wednesday, France's Europe minister, Clément Beaune, said.\n\nMs Patel said potentially testing lorry drivers at ports was \"part of the discussions\", adding that setting up testing for this could \"happen relatively quickly\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nEU member states are understood to be pressing for UK arrivals to be tested for the virus before entering their countries.\n\nBosses at Eurotunnel estimate that up to 2,500 freight vehicles are expected to arrive in the UK on Tuesday, and the same again on Wednesday.\n\nThe port of Harwich in Essex - which is about 130 miles from Dover by road - is also seeing a build up of lorries as drivers divert from Dover, a spokesman for the port said. The port of Felixstowe in Suffolk is also busy but there are no queues.\n\nThe British Retail Consortium said trucks needed to be able to start travelling again in the next 24 hours to \"avoid seeing problems on our shelves\".\n\nAndrew Opie, its director of food and sustainability, told the Commons business, energy and industrial strategy committee: \"What we've been told by members is that unless those trucks can start travelling again and go back to Spain and Portugal and other parts of Europe, we will have problems with fresh produce from 27 December.\"\n\nLabour's Rachel Reeves told BBC Breakfast the government had \"wasted the last 24 hours\" and called for \"testing in place so we can reopen the border\".\n\nThe border disruption has also affected passenger services - with many air, rail and sea services cancelled between the UK and France, as well as other countries.\n\nEurotunnel said it hoped passengers would be able to travel between the UK and France from Wednesday or Thursday, if a solution was agreed.\n\nBritish Airways said it would operate \"a reduced and dynamic schedule\" amid the uncertainty.\n\nThe Channel is a vital trade route, with about 10,000 lorries a day travelling between Dover and Calais at Christmas, largely bringing in the freshest produce.\n\nShane Brennan, the head of the Cold Chain Federation which represents the UK's temperature-controlled transport industry, said the number of vehicles stuck was worse than the government figures suggested, as lorries were \"dispersed around southern England\".\n\nMs Patel said the numbers do \"fluctuate\", and added there were welfare facilities and support available for hauliers at Manston Airport.\n\nQueues on the M20 in Kent aren't exactly unheard of, but the French decision to close the border is dramatic and has caused a lot of disruption.\n\nPoliticians on both sides of the Channel are hopeful they might be able to agree a way of getting things moving again before the end of the year.\n\nBut if that requires a massive expansion of testing for coronavirus at the border, that's easy to say, far harder to do.\n\nIn England, 17 million people are under tier four rules, the toughest level, where people are being told to stay at home and not leave the area. Some parts of England, as well as Wales, have asked people who travel from tier four areas to self-isolate.\n\nWales has entered a new national lockdown while Scotland has said it might need to tighten its top level of rules (level four), ahead of the whole nation moving into that level on Boxing Day. Northern Ireland will begin a national lockdown on Boxing Day.", "Covid vaccinations will start being given to patients from GP surgeries in England as part of the next stage of the rollout of the programme.\n\nGP practices in more than 100 locations will receive their first deliveries of the vaccine later, the NHS said.\n\nSome will start vaccinating on Monday afternoon, with the majority getting under way on Tuesday.\n\nTens of thousands of people in the UK received the Pfizer-BioNTech jab last week in hospitals.\n\nLike last week, GP practices will prioritise over-80s, along with health and care staff.\n\nDr Simon Hodes, a GP from Watford who will begin vaccinations on Monday, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme patients are welcoming their jab offers with \"great excitement\".\n\nHe said calls to at-risk over-80s showed very few of his patients had worries about the vaccine.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Covid vaccine safety: How does a vaccine get approved?\n\n\"They've been reading the news - they know it's safe - and they're keen to have it,\" he said.\n\nHe added that his surgery has a \"military[-style] operation\" to ensure doses of the vaccine are not wasted - with a list of health workers drawn up if doses are going spare.\n\nDr Nikita Kanani, director of primary care at NHS England, urged people waiting for coronavirus vaccinations to be patient.\n\n\"There's a huge range of things that general practices are already doing so if we can ask for people to just wait a moment and wait to be contacted that would be very appreciated,\" she told Today.\n\nMeanwhile, Business Secretary Alok Sharma told BBC Breakfast arrangements were in place \"to make sure the distribution of vaccines is not in any way disrupted\" in the event of a no-deal Brexit.\n\nHe added that there would be \"some millions\" of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine in the UK before Christmas.\n\n\"We are going as fast as we can in terms of the vaccination programme,\" he said.\n\nOnce the vaccine is delivered, there will be no messing around. GP practices will receive batches containing 975 doses.\n\nThese will have been thawed out - they are kept in ultra-cold storage in hospital - which means practices only have three-and-a-half days to use them up.\n\nIt will be all hands on deck therefore with GPs, practice nurses and health care assistants working together to vaccinate the over-80s.\n\nThe 100 or so practices getting the vaccine on Monday will be followed by another 100 to 200 over the course of the week.\n\nThe rest of the network of 1,200 designated practices - each local area has been asked to nominate one practice to deliver the vaccine - are expected to follow in the coming weeks.\n\nBut that will depend on supply. There's thought to be fewer than one million doses of the Pfizer vaccine in the country - although more is due to arrive from Belgium soon.\n\nWhat could change the whole speed of rollout is approval of a second vaccine made by Oxford University and AstraZeneca.\n\nRegulators are currently assessing the safety and effectiveness of that vaccine, of which there are already over five million doses available.\n\nCare home residents in England are also expected to receive their first vaccine later this week, along with other parts of the UK, the NHS said.\n\nRoll-out to care homes - the highest priority for vaccination - had been held up by strict rules governing the handling of the Pfizer vaccine, which has to be stored at -70C.\n\nBut the regulator is expected to give the green light to vaccinators taking the jab into care homes in the coming days.\n\nIn Scotland, family doctors are helping deliver the vaccination programme via hospital hubs but England is the first part of the UK to roll out the jab through GP practices.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. How will the new Pfizer vaccine work?\n\nProf Martin Marshall, chairman of the Royal College of GPs, acknowledged there were \"logistical challenges\" to the rollout but said GPs had \"an excellent track record of delivering mass vaccination programmes\".\n\nHe added: \"We won't be vaccinating everyone all at once - it will be a relatively small number at first - but as long as there is supply, GPs and our teams at selected sites will start vaccinating people this week, starting with our most vulnerable patients.\"\n\nHe urged people not to contact their GP enquiring about vaccination, saying patients would be contacted when it was their turn to get the jab.\n\nIt comes as a further 18,447 coronavirus cases were recorded across the UK on Sunday, along with 144 deaths within 28 days of a positive test. Recorded deaths tend to be lower over the weekend due to reporting delays.\n\nMinisters and experts have warned the rollout of the vaccine does not mean coronavirus restrictions can be suddenly relaxed.\n\nOn Sunday NHS Providers - which represents hospital trusts in England - said people must think carefully about the risk of increased social contact over Christmas, despite the rules allowing three households to mix indoors and stay overnight between 23 and 27 December.\n\nFrom this week mass testing is being rolled out in 67 areas of England which are under tier three restrictions, including Oldham, Lancashire and Kent.\n\nMass testing is also being offered to sixth-form and secondary school staff, pupils and their families in parts of north-east London, Essex and Kent, following a rise in cases, particularly among 11 to 18-year-olds.", "Roberts Buncis, pictured with his father, died two days before his 13th birthday\n\nA third teenager has been arrested in connection with the death of a 12-year-old boy, police have confirmed.\n\nRoberts Buncis was found dead on a patch of land in the Fishtoft area of Boston, Lincolnshire, on Saturday.\n\nA 13-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of murder, Lincolnshire Police said.\n\nEarlier, a 14-year-old boy, who cannot be named due to his age, appeared at Lincoln Crown Court charged with murder and was remanded in custody.\n\nA plea and trial preparation hearing is due to take place on 11 January, with a provisional trial date set for 21 June.\n\nA 19-year-old man arrested earlier on suspicion of murder has been released with no further action, Lincolnshire Police said.\n\nThe body of Roberts Buncis was found in Fishtoft on Saturday\n\nRoberts's body was discovered at about 10:20 GMT on Saturday on a patch of land between Alcorn Green and Woodthorpe Avenue, just two days before his birthday.\n\nA police cordon remains in place around the area and a bouquet of flowers has been left at the scene.\n\nA JustGiving campaign set up to help Roberts's family has raised more than £12,000 since it was launched.\n\nFollow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk or send video here.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Greenwich Council has asked all schools to move to online learning amid rising Covid cases\n\nThe government has told a London council it must keep schools open or face legal action.\n\nGreenwich Council had written to head teachers asking all schools to move classes online from Tuesday amid rising Covid-19 cases.\n\nOn Monday evening, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson ordered the south-east London council to keep schools open.\n\nHe said: \"Using legal powers is a last resort but continuity of education is a national priority.\"\n\nOfsted said it was right to keep schools open as children were \"suffering\" from \"yo-yoing in and out of school\", while parents criticised the timings of the announcements and questioned the politics behind the move.\n\nLondon, most of Essex and parts of Hertfordshire will move into England's highest tier of Covid restrictions on Wednesday due to a rise in infections.\n\nSchools in England were told they could close a day early for Christmas last week to give staff a \"proper break\" from identifying potential coronavirus cases.\n\nIn Basildon, where the third-highest Covid rate was recorded, schools were also allowed to close early, while London's mayor Sadiq Khan has called on secondary schools and colleges in the capital to follow suit.\n\nBut Mr Williamson said the decision by councils in Greenwich, and also Islington in north London and Waltham Forest in east London, was \"not in children's best interests\".\n\nHe added: \"That's why I won't hesitate to do what is right for young people and have issued a direction to Greenwich Council setting out that they must withdraw the letter issued to head teachers on Sunday.\"\n\nEducation Secretary Gavin Williamson said it was \"vital\" children remained in school until the end of term\n\nHead of Ofsted Amanda Spielman described it as a \"really difficult situation\" in which people were \"weighing up short-term concerns about health risks and long-term concerns about children's education\".\n\nShe told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: \"It's so easy to call for closures and forget the long-term price which children pay which our visits show so clearly.\n\n\"We've had children yo-yoing in and out of school through the autumn and really suffering as a result. We need clarity, consistency, not last minute decisions.\"\n\nIn a letter sent on Sunday, Greenwich Council leader Danny Thorpe asked all schools to move the majority of pupils to remote learning but said buildings would remain open for vulnerable children and those of key workers.\n\nThe regional schools commissioner, who acts on behalf of the education secretary, told the council that new powers introduced under the Coronavirus Act allowed the secretary of state to issue \"directions\" to require schools to enable all pupils to attend school full-time.\n\nThe Department for Education (DfE) said no decisions had been taken yet about what action to take against all three Labour-run councils.\n\nSadiq Khan wants all students to be tested for Covid-19\n\nGreenwich Council had until 10:00 GMT on Tuesday to retract its letter and had said it would seek legal advice before responding.\n\nMr Thorpe previously said changing plans already in place before Tuesday would have been \"impossible\".\n\n\"Schools across the borough have now organised online learning from tomorrow (Tuesday), whilst others are opening their premises to all pupils,\" he said.\n\n\"We have alerted schools and will speak to them tomorrow. But given we received this notification just before 17:00 GMT, it was impossible to ask schools to change any of the arrangements they have in place for Tuesday.\"\n\nThe leader of Islington Council said in a tweet that the authority was recommending moving to online teaching.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Richard Watts #STAYSAFE This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nMr Khan has called for more testing in schools, citing a 75% increase in children aged between 10-19 testing positive for the virus.\n\nHe told the Today programme councils should speak to the DofE to avoid court action and described how parents were pulling children out of school either because they had been part of bubble that had to self-isolate, or because they wanted 10 days to self-isolate before seeing grandparents at Christmas.\n\n\"In the absence of community testing in schools, many children - despite the heroic efforts of teachers - could have the virus and not know about it,\" he said.\n\n\"And these very same children next week will be hugging and kissing granny because the rules are being relaxed so we're going from tier 2, to tier 3, to tier 0, and back to tier 3 in advance of another potentially national lockdown in January.\"\n\nOn Monday, the reaction was mixed among parents outside Robert Owen Nursery School and Christ Church Church of England Primary School, both in Greenwich.\n\nOne mother said: \"It's 2.5 days, so I don't see what difference this is really going to make and I think the timing of it is really, really bad.\n\n\"I'm on maternity at the moment but if I was working, it's just too short notice to get any kind of childcare arrangements in place.\"\n\nAnd a father added: \"I think the timing might be right as a lot of people will be gathering for Christmas and it takes 10 to 14 days to show up so it may be damage limitation.\n\n\"I hope it will have an impact. If not, then it's just political.\"\n\nHave you been affected by the issues raised in this story. You can share your experience by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "Last updated on .From the section Football\n\nFormer Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier has died at the age of 73.\n\nThe Frenchman managed the Reds from 1998-2004 and led them to five major trophies, including the FA Cup, League Cup and Uefa Cup treble in 2000-01.\n\nPrior to Liverpool, Houllier managed Lens, Paris St-Germain and the French national team, and after leaving the Reds won two Ligue 1 titles at Lyon.\n\nHis last managerial job was at Aston Villa, but he left in 2011 after nine months, following heart problems.\n\nIn a statement, Liverpool said they were \"deeply saddened\" by Houllier's death.\n\n\"We are mourning the passing of our treble-winning manager, Gerard Houllier,\" the club said.\n\n\"The thoughts of everyone at Liverpool Football Club are with Gerard's family and many friends.\"\n\nAston Villa said: \"All at Aston Villa are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Gerard Houllier, our manager during the 2010-11 season.\n\n\"Our thoughts are with Gerard's loved ones at this incredibly difficult time.\"\n• None 'He brought the good times back' - how fans reacted\n\nHoullier made his managerial name with Lens and PSG in the 1980s before taking over the French national side in 1992.\n\nHowever, after Les Bleus failed to qualify for the 1994 World Cup finals - with Houllier blaming a mistake from winger David Ginola for their exit - he resigned from the role.\n\nIn 1998, he moved to England and took charge of Liverpool as joint manager alongside Roy Evans.\n\nEvans resigned three months later and Houllier took sole charge, rebuilding the Reds and leading them to the unprecedented treble in the 2000-01 season.\n\nIn October 2001, he had open heart surgery after suffering from chest pains during a home match against Leeds, but returned to the dugout at Anfield and remained there for another three years before leaving in May 2004.\n\nAfter leaving Liverpool, he led Lyon to two French titles before joining the French Football Federation in 2007, but he was enticed back into management by Villa in September 2010, signing a three-year deal.\n\nBut the following April Houllier was admitted to hospital with chest pains and Gary McAllister stepped in to help steer Villa away from relegation trouble.\n\nHe stepped down from the role at the end of the 2010-11 season with concerns that a return to the dugout could cause further health issues.\n\nHe has since held the head of football role at Red Bull, and in November became technical director of women's football clubs Lyon and OL Reign.\n\nHoullier's record at Liverpool (games as sole manager only)\n\nMany of Liverpool's treble-winning squad from 2000-01 were quick to pay tribute to their former boss.\n\nEx-Liverpool midfielder Jamie Redknapp wrote on Instagram : \"Incredibly sad news to hear of the passing of Gerard Houllier. A man that did an amazing job for Liverpool football club and for football as a whole. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family. I will never forget the day he gave me the Liverpool captaincy, the greatest honour of my career.\"\n\nDietmar Hamann said: \"Devastated to hear the news that our former manager Gerard Houllier passed away. Great manager and an even better man. You'll never walk alone Gerard.\"\n\nPhil Thompson, Houllier's assistant manager at Liverpool, said he was \"absolutely devastated and heartbroken\".\n\nThe rest of the football world also paid tribute to Houllier, with many Premier League teams tweeting their condolences, including Tottenham, West Ham, Manchester United and Liverpool's Merseyside rivals Everton.\n\nCurrent and former Liverpool players also paid tribute, with Djibril Cisse, tweeting: \"Today I am very sad. Thanks to you, I was able to play in this wonderful @LFC. Many thanks for everything you have done for me.\"\n\nNeil Mellor said: \"Thank you for believing in me & giving me my professional debut.\"\n\nSpeaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, former Liverpool goalkeeper Chris Kirkland, who was signed by Houllier in 2001, said: \"I've always been a Liverpool fan, my first game was when I was seven in 1988 and then he made my dreams come true by signing me.\n\n\"He was a special man, it wasn't just about football, it was about a human being too. His door was always open. he had this warm feeling about him which, when you were talking to him, made you feel a million dollars. He will be really sadly missed.\n\n\"He changed the dynamics at Liverpool, he changed it all, and the way they went forward.\n\n\"His team talks were so special, especially when you needed to get a result in Champions League nights and huge Premier League games. He had you on the edge of your seat listening to every word.\n\n\"He was so calm. Some managers rant and rave but he always used to take a couple of minutes, he always used to compose himself before he came into the changing room. As soon as he came in, the dressing room went quiet and everyone was hanging onto his words.\n\n\"He had a calmness about him, if you were losing he would say he backed you and told you to trust each other. You had to be there to appreciate how special his team talks were and nine of 10 times they worked.\"\n\nLiverpool legend Kenny Dalglish tweeted: \"Very sad news about Gerard Houllier. He was a gentleman and a great footballing person; I enjoyed his company many times. His legacy at LFC will forever be appreciated, respected and never forgotten.\"\n\nSpeaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, Houllier's former co-manager Roy Evans said: \"The passing of Gerard Houllier is a real sad day for all Liverpool fans.\n\nOn the difficulty of trying to work as joint managers he added: \"It was more or less impossible, you have got two people trying to do one job. Football is all about opinions and different things and that is why I walked away at the time.\n\n\"But I never held that against Gerard, he came to do a job and he did a good one.\n\n\"The last time I saw him was about 12 months ago in Ireland and we had a good chat. It is another Liverpool legend who has passed away.\"\n\nFormer Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson said: \"The news has come as a total shock this morning. Gerard Houllier was still a young man at the age of 73.\n\n\"Gerard became a really good friend during his time at Liverpool. We remained great friends after he left and he was always a great ally to have.\n\n\"He had fantastic football knowledge which he gained during his extensive and varied career. When we saw each other at Uefa meetings or other events, we would often enjoy a chat, he was always great company and I will miss him dearly. He was a true gentleman.\n\n\"It is a sad day for the football world and my thoughts are with his family at this desperately sad time.\"\n\nNasser Al-Khelaifi, chairman of PSG - who won their first French title in 1986 under Houllier - said the club felt \"profound sadness\".\n\nFormer England full-back Ashley Young, now at Inter Milan, played under Houllier at Aston Villa.", "The makers of one of most anticipated games of the year have apologised and offered refunds amid a backlash from gamers about performance problems.\n\nCyberpunk 2077, which stars Keanu Reeves, came out last week after several delays.\n\nProblems with glitches and crashing have mostly appeared on last generation consoles like the PS4 and Xbox One.\n\nCD Projekt Red says it \"should have paid more attention to making it play better\" on those consoles.\n\nThey are now offering refunds to people who want to return the game.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Cyberpunk 2077 This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nProblems reported include choppy frame rates and screen tearing, but those with the newest versions of consoles have not experienced them.\n\nReviewers were sent a PC version of the game, which appears to be one of the reasons the problems were not reported before the game was released.\n\nThe game was originally supposed to be released in April, but faced three delays before its eventual release.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Robert Sole This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\n'Gamers have been let down'\n\nOne of the games that has had people salivating at every preview snippet or video for years - Cyperpunk 2077 was expected by some to be one of the best games ever made.\n\nWhile many reviewers still hold it in very high regard, especially when running on a PC, the problems that have made the game almost unplayable on many consoles will be a source of embarrassment for the developers.\n\nCD Projekt Red, up until now, has been considered one of the most respected game creators in the industry. This will no doubt be upsetting and frustrating for the team that worked so hard on trying to get the game ready in time for Christmas.\n\nAlso upset and frustrated though are the gamers who feel let down by the developer's failure to be fully transparent about the performance of the game they were buying on consoles.\n\nIt's hard to tell at the moment just how damaging to the reputation of the company this incident will be.\n\nIt's not uncommon for games to be released with bugs and errors in them - and 2020 has been a year like no other, making game development even harder than it is normally.\n\nBut for the conversation around a major title to be totally dominated by issues like this is rare and has overshadowed the release.\n\nIt begs the question - why didn't the company delay release one more time until these issues were sorted?\n\nThe developers have said they will be releasing a number of patches in January and February to fix the game for players who want to hang on to their copies of the game.\n\nDigital versions can be refunded through Sony and Microsoft online stores, while the boxed version can be returned to stores.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nMade by the people behind The Witcher games, Cyberpunk 2077 sees players live in a criminal world, where they can pay to upgrade their bodies with technology.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 3 by Steelers (11-2) Cavs (1-0) This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nCyberpunk started life as a role-playing game like Dungeons and Dragons, set in 2020 and was created by Mike Pondsmith, who helped created the new game.\n\nIn the original, written in the 1980s, he predicted instant messaging and corporate control, but also flying cars - which is one things that hasn't come true - not yet anyway.", "A house has collapsed after a gas explosion is believed to have ripped through the property.\n\nThe explosion happened in Holly Drive in Bourne, Lincolnshire, at about 09:10 GMT causing severe damage.\n\nA male occupant suffered minor injuries and is a \"little shaken\", Lincolnshire Police said.\n\nA spokesperson said the scene had been assessed and it had been deemed that there was no need to evacuate any other properties.\n\nThe force said: \"Whilst a full investigation is to be conducted, we believe it is probably a gas explosion.\"\n\nPolice, fire and gas services were called to the scene\n\nNo other properties were evacuated\n\nFollow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk or send video here.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Johnson: 'Whatever happens, the UK will do very, very well'\n\nWhen is a deadline not a deadline? When it's anything to do with Brexit, perhaps.\n\nBoth sides in this long, long process, have agreed to go on rather than pull the plug today.\n\nA joint statement emerged just before noon with a much more positive tone than anything that's come out of late, and did not feature the usual kind of warning of big gaps between the two sides.\n\nThe froideur from Thursday and Friday seems to be thawing a little. It's also worth noting no new time limit was put on the talks, although of course there is one hard deadline of 31 December, when the status quo runs out.\n\nIt's also worth noting that the prime minister was loath to show much sign of optimism when he appeared in front of a camera shortly after the joint statement emerged.\n\nStripping away the spin on both sides, there is little question that the prospects of a deal felt slim at the end of the week.\n\nThe prime minister moved repeatedly to start warning the public and business that leaving without an agreement felt increasingly likely, unless there was some shift in the EU position.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nRemember it's not that long ago that a deal had seemed within reach, before some countries started pushing for a more robust approach.\n\nIt seems now that in the last couple of days the negotiators have taken some small steps back towards that position with suggestions that Brussels has softened its position on how the two sides sort out disputes over common rules in the years to come.\n\nThere are whispers that they have pulled back from trying to include the \"ratchet clause\", a major UK gripe explained by my colleague Faisal Islam.\n\nThis was the problem described by Mr Johnson on Thursday using a rather bizarre metaphor about twins.\n\nHowever you describe it, it was clear the UK just wasn't willing to accept that the EU could take punitive action on its own, so the negotiators have been trying to sort out how to fix it together.\n\nIndeed one diplomatic source suggested that the \"ratchet clause\" approach had been abandoned some time ago, and the political narratives on both sides have been running behind what's been happening in the negotiating room.\n\nThe circle around the talks is extremely tight so it is very hard to know precisely what is going on. It is possible that both sides are dangling concessions.\n\nOne Cabinet minister on the call with the prime minister said even they weren't told about the details of where any movement has been going on.\n\nBut there is the sense now that the ground has shifted enough to make the chance of a deal worth pursuing.\n\nAs the Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told the BBC this morning, there is always the possibility of \"creative contours in the drafting\".\n\nIn other words - the political imperatives to make this happen are so strong that even tricky issues at this late stage can still potentially be fudged.\n\nIt's far from certain that the talks will end in agreement, but the chances of resolution are once again on the rise.", "The Welsh Government has updated its Coronavirus Control Plan , changing its traffic-light framework of restrictions to one of four alert levels.\n\nIt said the change was \"aligned to the measures we will need to have in place to control the spread of the virus through the difficult winter months ahead of us and to protect people’s health\".\n\n\"It also sets out how and when Wales will move between these alert levels,\" a statement said.\n\n\"The all-Wales measures are designed to be as simple, fair and clear as possible and they will provide greater certainty for people and businesses about what legal restrictions will be put in place, depending on the level of risk, helping them to plan for the future.\"\n\nAlert level one (low risk): This represents the level of restrictions closest to normality, which are possible while infection rates are low and other preventative measures, such as social distancing and working from home, remain in place.\n\nAlert level two (medium risk): This includes additional controls to limit the spread of coronavirus. These may be complemented by more targeted local actions to manage specific incidents or outbreaks.\n\nAlert level three (high risk): These represent the strictest restrictions short of a firebreak or lockdown. These respond to higher or rising level of infections where local actions are no longer effective in containing the growth of the virus.\n\nAlert level four (very high risk): Restrictions at this level would be equivalent to the firebreak regulations or lockdown. These could either be deployed as a preventative firebreak or as a lockdown measure.\n\nFull details have been published on the Welsh Government website.", "A former Holiday Inn, which offered landmark views of Washington DC, was brought down without a hitch in a controlled implosion.", "The London borough of Greenwich has become the first in England to ask all schools to move learning online from Tuesday amid rising Covid cases.\n\nThe council's Labour leader Danny Thorpe has written to parents and head teachers saying it is justified by the \"extreme risk\" of the virus.\n\nThe National Education Union said the decision was \"very sensible\".\n\nBut the Department for Education said it remained a national priority to keep schools open full time.\n\nIn two letters, to parents and to head teachers, Mr Thorpe explained why he is asking schools to close.\n\n\"I wouldn't be asking for this unless the risk was extreme, but with numbers rising so rapidly it is clear action is needed,\" he wrote to parents.\n\nAs a result, he said, the escalating number of cases demanded immediate action, and all schools were being asked to move teaching online from Tuesday.\n\nThe council is advising them to keep buildings open for vulnerable children and those of key workers, but for all other pupils to learn remotely.\n\nMr Thorpe wrote to parents he was \"extremely sorry\" for the disruption this was likely to cause.\n\nTo head teachers he wrote it had become clear rates of Covid-19 were rising extremely rapidly and he couldn't \"in all good conscience standby by whilst the numbers are doubling\".\n\nThe call from the local authority will put schools in a difficult position as ultimately they will have to make their own decisions.\n\nArk Greenwich Free School, which has the same autonomy as an academy, said the secondary would be remaining open.\n\nThe head teacher Rhys Spiers took to social media to tell parents they had not had a confirmed case of coronavirus at the school since October and \"our teachers are in school ready to warmly welcome your children to lessons\".\n\nSchools which rely on the local authority for support may feel under more pressure to move teaching online.\n\nKevin Courtney, general secretary of the National Education Union, said the request by Greenwich was very sensible.\n\n\"Local government is having to step in because central government is ignoring its responsibilities,\" he said\n\nThe move by a Labour led authority will be regarded as a provocative move by the government, which said it remained \"a national priority\" for schools to remain open.\n\nSchools who have said they would like to move learning online have been firmly reminded that the government has the legal power to require them to stay open.\n\nBut head teachers unions said a more flexible approach was needed.\n\nPaul Whiteman, from the NAHT, said the government was obsessed with a one size fits all approach, driven from Whitehall, that was not working for anyone.\n\n\"But it is working against any reasonable education objective, school leaders need flexibility to organise the best education possible in this crisis,\" he said.\n\nGeoff Barton, from the Association of School and College Leaders, said: \"The government's determination to force schools to provide direct classroom teaching for all pupils regardless of local circumstances with coronavirus rates is far too inflexible. \"\n\nA spokesman for the Department for Education said it was \"vital\" that children remain in school until the end of term.\n\nHe said: \"Schools, colleges and early years settings across the country have worked tremendously hard to put protective measures in place that are helping reduce the risk of the virus being transmitted.\"\n\nThe Regional Schools Commissioner for the South East of England and South London would be continuing discussions with Greenwich, he added.\n\nIn a letter to the prime minister Mayor of London Sadiq Khan called for an immediate increase in testing provision across the capital - including regular asymptomatic testing being rolled out to students and staff at the city's secondary schools and colleges.\n\n\"Time is running out to get the virus under control in our city,\" he said.", "Michel Barnier is leading the EU's negotiating team in Monday's talks\n\nUK and EU negotiators have restarted talks over a post-Brexit trade deal in hope of securing an agreement.\n\nIt comes after the two sides confirmed on Sunday there had been enough progress for negotiations to continue.\n\nEU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Monday there had been \"movement\" in the talks and negotiators had not exhausted all options.\n\nBut a UK government source later said there had not been \"significant progress in recent days\".\n\nTime is fast running out to finalise an agreement before the UK's Brexit transition ends in just over two weeks.\n\nThe decision to keep talking came after UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson discussed the main sticking points with President Von der Leyen on Sunday.\n\nNegotiations will continue in Brussels on Tuesday, but a new deadline for a decision has not been set.\n\nThe ultimate deadline comes on 31 December, however, when the UK stops following EU trading rules.\n\nWithout a trade deal in place by then, the two sides would begin trading on World Trade Organization (WTO) terms, meaning taxes - or tariffs - would be introduced, potentially raising the cost of imported goods such as food.\n\nFishing rights, \"level playing field\" rules on how far the UK should be able to diverge from EU laws, and how any agreement should be policed remain the major stumbling blocks.\n\nThe EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier has resumed talks with his UK counterpart Lord Frost, after briefing ambassadors of EU member states.\n\nAccording to an EU source, Mr Barnier is believed to have told them talks over a level playing field remained hard, but were moving towards an agreement.\n\nHe is also said to have told them a wider deal could fall into place if a route towards an agreement on fishing rights can be identified.\n\nBut a UK government source later downplayed progress, saying: \"Talks remain difficult and we have not made significant progress in recent days, despite efforts by the UK side to bring energy and ideas to the process.\"\n\nLord Frost has said a deal is only possible if it \"fully respects UK sovereignty\".\n\nSpeaking at an event on Monday, Mrs von der Leyen said the issue of the level playing field was the \"one and only important question\" if UK should continue to have access to the EU's single market.\n\nThe EU Commission president added: \"They have either to play by our rules, because this is a matter of fairness for our companies... or the other choice is there is a price on it, and the price is border and tariffs.\"\n\nLabour's shadow Cabinet Office minister Rachel Reeves welcomed the continuation of the talks and said the worst outcome would be to \"crash out with no deal whatsoever on 1 January\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Ursula von der Leyen: \"We want a level playing field not only at the start, but also over time\".\n\nThis new phase of the talks is expected to focus on how close the UK should stick to EU economic rules in the future.\n\nThe EU is determined to prevent the UK from gaining what it sees as an unfair advantage of having tariff-free access to its markets - not paying taxes on goods being bought and sold - while setting its own standards on products, employment rights and business subsidies.\n\nThe EU is reported to have dropped the idea of a formal mechanism to ensure both sides keep up with each other's standards and is now prepared to accept UK divergence - provided there are safeguards to prevent unfair competition.\n\nFishing rights is another major area of disagreement, with the EU warning that without access to UK waters for EU fleets, UK fishermen will no longer get special access to EU markets to sell their goods.\n\nBut the UK argues that what goes on in its own waters, and its wider business rules, should be under its control as a sovereign country.\n\nWhat does it mean in Brexit trade deal terms \"to go the extra mile\"?\n\nThat's the distance the UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, and the European Commission chief, Ursula von der Leyen, have promised to travel over the next days.\n\nBut will the road take them to deal or no-deal? And who will compromise on what to get there?\n\nEU contacts close to the talks say both sides are being constructive. They insist negotiations aren't simply continuing because neither the EU, nor the government want to be blamed in a no-deal scenario and prefer not to walk away first.\n\nRemember: what's said in front of the cameras is only part of the picture.\n\nWe aren't behind the scenes in the negotiating room or on the closed calls between Mr Johnson and Ms von der Leyen.\n\nBut however long these talks rumble on, ultimately neither the government, nor the EU, will sign up to a deal if they can't claim it as a victory.\n\nThe National Farmers' Union has warned there will be \"significant disruption\" to the sector if the UK fails to reach a trade deal with the EU.\n\nAnd the British Retail Consortium warned the public would face \"over £3bn in food tariffs [meaning] retailers would have no choice but to pass on some of these additional costs to their customers\".", "Some Covid restrictions are being reintroduced in response to the Omicron variant.\n\nCheck what the rules are in your area by entering your postcode or council name below.\n\nA modern browser with JavaScript and a stable internet connection is required to view this interactive. What are the rules in your area? Enter a full UK postcode or council name to find out\n\nIf you cannot see the look-up, click here.\n\nThe rules highlighted in the search tool are a selection of the key government restrictions in place in your area.\n\nAlways check your relevant national and local authority website for more information on the situation where you live. Also check local guidance before travelling to others parts of the UK.\n\nAll the guidance in our search look-up comes from national government websites.\n\nFor more information on national measures see:\n\nFind out how the pandemic has affected your area and how it compares with the national average by following this link to an in depth guide to the numbers involved.", "Scots have been urged to \"cut down on unnecessary contacts\" now if they plan to meet up with relatives at Christmas.\n\nRules on household meetings are being eased for five days over the festive period, allowing up to eight people from three households to meet indoors.\n\nFirst Minister Nicola Sturgeon said those who choose to do this should cut contacts now to be as safe as possible.\n\nShe said the \"best Christmas gift we can give family and friends\" is to \"keep our distance and keep them safe\".\n\nMs Sturgeon also urged people not to hold office Christmas parties, saying they present a \"real risk of transmission\".\n\nPeople will be allowed to form Christmas \"bubbles\" of three households between 23 and 27 December.\n\nMs Sturgeon said this was a \"pragmatic step\" to make the festive period \"as safe as possible\" for those who feel they must meet up - but has repeatedly urged people not to do it unless absolutely necessary.\n\nAt her coronavirus briefing on Monday, the first minister said Christmas might be \"the toughest\" point of the pandemic for many, but she added that people In Scotland should \"think really carefully\" about gathering indoors.\n\nShe said: \"Hopefully next year this will all be a bad memory and we'll be looking forward to a much more normal Christmas.\n\n\"What we should be thinking about this Christmas is about ensuring that everyone we love is still there when we get to next Christmas, and that we're not losing more people to Covid along the way.\"\n\nMs Sturgeon said people planning to meet up should \"reduce unnecessary contacts between now and then\", particularly if they will be seeing elderly relatives.\n\nShe suggested people avoid catching up with friends in cafes or car-sharing in the run-up to Christmas.\n\nThe first minister said: \"By taking precautions to cut down on unnecessary contact then we reduce any chance of getting the virus and inadvertently passing it on.\"\n\nThe first minister also urged people not to hold office Christmas parties, saying they present \"a real risk of transmission\" particularly if alcohol is involved.\n\nShe said: \"Perhaps think about postponing your Christmas celebration until spring or summer next year, when hopefully we will see some greater normality return to our lives.\n\n\"I know all of this is very hard at the end of a horrible year, but these are not normal times and it's important we get through them as safely as possible.\"\n\nThere have been concerns about rising cases of the virus in some parts of the UK, with London facing a move to the highest tier of restrictions in England.\n\nHowever, the UK government has said it has \"no plans to review the Christmas guidelines\" which will allow greater mixing.\n\nScottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said \"all politicians are right to highlight the risks\" around the festive period.\n\nHe said: \"This is not a risk-free option - this is an option to allow people to come together to celebrate Christmas, but to do so in a way that will be different to what we have experienced before.\n\n\"Let's do it safely - let's allow families as they can to come together in a small way, but know the risks of that and try to minimise the risks.\"\n\nThe Scottish Greens meanwhile said Ms Sturgeon's plea to cut contacts was contradictory to her stance on keeping all schools open.\n\nMSP Ross Greer said there was a \"very real chance that teachers could be spending their Christmas day calling pupils and their families to inform them they were a close contact of someone who tested positive and must self-isolate\", calling this a \"failure of leadership\" by the government.", "McLaughlan arrived in Ramsey on Friday afternoon and then walked to Douglas\n\nA man who crossed the Irish Sea from Scotland to the Isle of Man \"on a jet ski\" to visit his girlfriend has been jailed for breaching Covid-19 laws.\n\nDouglas Courthouse heard 28-year-old Dale McLaughlan took four-and-a-half hours to travel from the Isle of Whithorn to Ramsey on Friday.\n\nMcLaughlan, from North Ayrshire, made the crossing despite having never driven a water scooter before.\n\nHe admitted arriving unlawfully on the island and was jailed for four weeks.\n\nUnder the island's current laws, only non-residents given special permission are allowed to enter the Isle of Man.\n\nMcLaughlan, of Warrix Avenue in Irvine, was previously given permission to work as a roofer on the island for four weeks in September and, after isolating for 14 days, met his girlfriend on a night out.\n\nThe court heard his subsequent applications to return had been rejected.\n\nProsecutors said the 28-year-old bought the vehicle and set off on the journey of about 25 miles (40km), which he had expected to take 40 minutes.\n\nAfter he arrived in Ramsey at about 13:00 GMT, he walked another 15 miles (25km) to his girlfriend's home in Douglas, who believed he had been on the island working for several weeks, the court was told.\n\nThe following afternoon, he gave a police officer her address as his own and that evening, the couple went to two busy nightclubs.\n\nFollowing identification checks, police arrested him on Sunday evening.\n\nIn mitigation, the 28-year-old's defence advocate said he suffered from depression and was not coping with being unable to see his partner.\n\nSentencing him, Deputy High Bailiff Christopher Arrowsmith said McLaughlan had made a \"deliberate and intentional attempt to circumnavigate\" the border restrictions, potentially putting the community at risk.\n\nHe said the \"carefully planned\" journey had also put the 28-year-old \"at very real risk\" of harm.\n\nSpeaking after the hearing, a government spokesman said following an investigation, public health officials were \"satisfied\" there was \"no wider risk to the public\".\n\nWhy not follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and Twitter? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "The former president posts that he has been told to report to a grand jury, \"which almost always means an Arrest\".", "Esther Dingley last spoke to her partner on 22 November\n\nA British hiker missing in the Pyrenees was an experienced walker who was happy with life, her family have said.\n\nThe search for Esther Dingley, 37, began after she failed to return from a solo trek as planned on 25 November.\n\nShe last communicated with her partner of 19 years Dan Colegate via Whatsapp on 22 November when she was atop Pic de Sauvegarde on the Spain-France border.\n\nMr Colegate has dismissed media reports that she was unhappy, which seemingly stem from a French police source.\n\nMs Dingley had been travelling alone in the couple's campervan for a month while he stayed at a French vineyard, the pair having given up their home in Durham to tour Europe in 2014.\n\nMr Colegate said: \"We spoke every day, the time apart worked as we expected, and we were very joyful when we spoke.\n\n\"The hike she went missing on was to be her last before driving back. Our last conversation was totally loving and all smiles. She was so happy, and we were excited to see each other.\n\n\"Why the police [officer] who spoke to a journalist implied 'things weren't as happy as they looked' baffles me.\n\n\"I have never spoken to the person quoted.\"\n\nEsther Dingley and Dan Colegate had always been keen travellers\n\nMr Colegate also said claims he had been \"quizzed\" multiple times by police were a misrepresentation of the numerous meetings he has had with both French and Spanish police to provide information.\n\nMs Dingley's mother Ria described her daughter as an \"open book\" and said while the couple may have faced some \"difficult decisions\" about continuing their touring after Brexit, \"that didn't dampen her joy for the life they both were living\".\n\nShe said: \"We are utterly distraught not knowing where Esther is or what has happened to her and would implore anyone who may know anything, however seemingly insignificant, to come forward.\"\n\nMr Colegate said it was normal for the couple to spend time apart but that they also enjoyed their trips together, which included a 1,000 mile hike in the summer.\n\nEsther Dingley and Dan Colegate have been touring Europe in a campervan with their five dogs\n\nHe described Ms Dingley as a \"very experienced\" mountain hiker who always kept him updated with her planned routes.\n\nMr Colegate said: \"The terrain she was on is not difficult. The weather was excellent. It does not mean she hasn't had an accident; I just consider it unlikely.\n\n\"There seems to be a perception that because it's the mountains, because it's nearly winter and because Esther was alone, that what she was doing was reckless.\"\n\nPolice have previously said they are looking at all options including \"non-accidental\" ones.\n\nMs Dingley's family is now being supported by LBT Global, formerly the Lucie Blackman Trust, which assists relatives of missing people abroad.\n\nChief executive Matthew Searle MBE called for a \"swift end\" to speculation about what has happened to Ms Dingley.\n\nHe said: \"Our priority is supporting Esther's loved ones through this traumatic time and it is clear they are deeply upset at some of the speculation.\n\n\"Spreading unconfirmed assumptions is unhelpful and unfair, as well as deeply upsetting for those closest to Esther.\"\n\nSearches for Ms Dingley have been suspended due to bad weather and both French and Spanish police say they are investigating her disappearance.\n\nFollow BBC North East & Cumbria on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Johnson: 'Whatever happens, the UK will do very, very well'\n\nWhat does it mean in Brexit trade deal terms \"to go the extra mile\"?\n\nThat's the distance the UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, and the European Commission chief, Ursula von der Leyen, have promised to travel over the next days.\n\nBut will the road take them to deal or no-deal? And who will compromise on what to get there?\n\nEU contacts close to the talks say both sides are being constructive. They insist negotiations aren't simply continuing because neither the EU, nor the government want to be blamed in a no-deal scenario and prefer not to walk away first.\n\n\"We're carrying on talking because no-deal is a big deal,\" one EU contact told me. \"We think it will have a dramatic impact on lives and livelihoods. As long as talks aren't going backwards, it would be irresponsible not to give this a chance.\"\n\nBoris Johnson and Ursula von der Leyen said it was \"responsible at this point to go the extra mile\"\n\nThe now-infamous three main sticking points are still open, with tentative progress being made, we hear.\n\n1) On fishing rights, EU whispers suggest a kick-the-can, down-the-road fudged compromise might be found (though not settled yet), involving considerable European concessions\n\n2) The governance of the overall deal is being worked on in detail. Still to be agreed: what actions could be slapped with which sanctions, and who decides\n\n3) Competition regulations - aka the level playing field - are still a big issue\n\nAlongside technical talks, both sides say political intervention will certainly still be needed.\n\nSo, what are we to make of the prime minister sounding a whole lot gloomier on Sunday about the prospects of a deal, than the European Commission, carrying out the negotiations on the EU's behalf?\n\nRemember: what's said in front of the cameras is only part of the picture.\n\nWe aren't behind the scenes in the negotiating room or on the closed calls between Mr Johnson and Ms von der Leyen.\n\nBut however long these talks rumble on, ultimately neither the government, nor the EU, will sign up to a deal if they can't claim it as a victory.\n\nFor Mr Johnson, that means being able to say the deal respects post-Brexit national sovereignty; that it allows the UK to make and take its own decisions.\n\nBrussels wants to be able to confidently reassure the 27 EU leaders that the deal protects the single market and European businesses in it from what they feared could be unfair UK competition.\n\nIf there is a deal, the EU assumption is that many in the UK will want to trumpet what one Brussels insider called \"a Great British Victory\" and to point to EU concessions, real or alleged.\n\n\"If that narrative helps get a deal over the line in the UK, then it's worth it,\" he shrugged. \"Few Europeans are paying attention to the Brexit process anymore. We don't care about PR. We care about protecting our interests, deal or no-deal.\"\n\nThat last sentiment, of course, is one loudly expressed by the UK too.", "Households have been warned not to stockpile food and toilet roll ahead of 1 January when the UK stops trading under EU rules.\n\nOn Sunday, the UK and the EU agreed to extend a deadline aimed at reaching a deal on post-Brexit trade.\n\nThe British Retail Consortium (BRC) said ongoing uncertainty made it harder for firms to prepare for the New Year.\n\nBut it said shops had plenty of supplies and shoppers must not buy more food than usual.\n\n\"Retailers are doing everything they can to prepare for all eventualities on 1 January - increasing the stock of tins, toilet rolls and other longer life products so there will be sufficient supply of essential products,\" said BRC chief executive Helen Dickinson.\n\n\"While no amount of preparation by retailers can entirely prevent disruption there is no need for the public to buy more food than usual as the main impact will be on imported fresh produce, such as fresh fruit and vegetables, which cannot be stored for long periods by either retailers or consumers.\"\n\nSupermarkets are now used to dealing with anxious shoppers.\n\nSupermarkets had to impose limits on some goods during coronavirus lockdowns this year\n\nDuring the first lockdown earlier this year to stop the spread of the coronavirus, grocers introduced limits on goods such as toilet roll, dried pasta and UHT milk after panic buying by Britons.\n\nThere are fears shoppers might think disruption at ports after 31 December could lead to shortages in shops as the UK transitions to new trading rules with the EU.\n\nThe UK and the EU have agreed to carry on trade talks past Sunday's deadline.\n\nIn a joint statement, Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said it was \"responsible at this point to go the extra mile\".\n\nBut Mr Johnson told the BBC the two sides are \"still very far part on some key things\", and said the \"most likely\" course is an Australian-style trade deal with the EU.\n\nHe admitted that this type of deal \"it is not where we wanted to get to but if we have to end up with that solution the UK is more than prepared\".\n\nHowever, Ms Dickinson warned: \"Without a deal, the British public will face over £3bn in food tariffs and retailers would have no choice but to pass on some of these additional costs to their customers who would see higher prices filter though during 2021.\"\n\nOther business groups welcomed the extension to trade talks but also cautioned that it was imperative that the UK avoid a no deal Brexit with the EU.\n\n\"The news that talks will continue gives hope,\" said Tony Danker, director-general of the CBI business lobby group. \"A deal is both essential and possible.\"\n\nThis torture is better than no deal. The fact that talks are ongoing is a good thing. Business groups are unanimous in their view that if a deal is at all possible, it should be pursued with every last effort.\n\nHowever, the problem with this uncertainty is two-fold.\n\nFirst, political and business timetables are getting increasingly misaligned by the day. Businesses need to know whether tariffs are coming or not as it effects pricing of products and services for next year. How can firms place or take an order if they don't know what that price needs to be?\n\nSecond, there is a danger that businesses who watch this process being dragged out will take their eye off the ball while waiting for some rabbit to appear out of the hat.\n\nNo deal is very bad but a deal still leaves an awful lot of work to do in preparing for new procedures, for example customs, that will change in any event.\n\nBut the fact remains that while this may be torture, it could be worse. No deal would not put UK business out of its misery - it could put some sectors out of business.\n\nWhile Mr Danker said that \"ongoing delays are frustrating and cost businesses,\" he urged the government to \"make use of the time\".\n\n\"Government must move with even more determination to avoid the looming cliff edge of 1 January.\"\n\nBritish Chambers of Commerce director general Adam Marshall said it is a \"very frustrating time for business\".\n\nBut he added: \"If a few more hours or days makes the difference, keep going and get an agreement that delivers clarity and certainty to businesses and trade on both sides. Businesses will need time and support to adjust in a New Year like no other - whatever the eventual outcome.\"\n\nMike Hawes, head of the motor industry's trade body, the SMMT, said that although it was good the two sides will continue to talk, they must now \"finish the job\". A no-deal \"would be nothing less than catastrophic for the automotive sector, its workers and their families and represent a stunning failure of statecraft. Quite simply, it has to be ruled out,\" he said.\n\nAnd Make UK, the manufacturers' trade body, said that after more than four years of uncertainty \"UK manufacturers are now facing the most challenging start to the New Year, dealing with a pandemic and the risk of having no trading arrangement with our largest market\".\n\nNews that talks will continue pushed sterling higher against the euro and dollar, although trading on Sunday would have been limited. Against the dollar, the pound rose 1.1% to $1.3360, compared with Friday's close. Against the euro, it strengthened 1% to 90.58 pence.\n\nSterling fell to a one-month low last week on fears Britain would leave the EU without a deal.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Priti Patel says she “always promised to listen and act” and that it was her mission to “correct the wrongs of the past”.\n\nThe government is to give more money to victims of the Windrush scandal, which saw hundreds of people wrongly threatened with deportation.\n\nHome Secretary Priti Patel announced that the minimum payment will rise from £250 to £10,000, and the maximum from £10,000 to £100,000.\n\nThe figure will be higher still in \"exceptional\" circumstances, with money coming through quicker than before.\n\nThe Windrush scandal mainly affected UK citizens originally from the Caribbean.\n\nThey were granted indefinite leave to remain in 1971, but thousands were children who had travelled on their parents' passports.\n\nBecause of this, many were unable to prove they had the right to live in the country when \"hostile environment\" immigration policies - demanding the showing of documentation - began in 2012, under then Home Secretary Theresa May.\n\nThe scandal broke in 2018, including the revelation that many of those affected had lost homes and jobs and had been denied access to healthcare and benefits.\n\nThe BBC's Westminster Hour reported last month that at least nine people had died while awaiting payments under the compensation scheme set up for victims.\n\nCampaigners for the Windrush victims are likely to ask why this announcement by the home secretary didn't come sooner.\n\nThe government acted quickly in setting up the Windrush Compensation Scheme when the scandal became public in 2018, but that scheme has long been criticised for being too slow and resulting in offers some say are too low.\n\nThe speed at which claims are processed and money is offered is seen as being particularly crucial, given that many of those affected are elderly.\n\nThe additional announcement that the compensation process for loss of earnings will also change could potentially lead to even larger payouts for victims.\n\nEarly responses from claimants suggest a sense of cautious optimism at the latest announcement, with one person telling me they won't believe it until a cheque is in the post.\n\nThe Windrush Compensation Scheme will be updated following consultation with the Windrush Working Group, chaired by Bishop Derek Webley.\n\nMs Patel told the House of Commons there would be \"substantial changes\".\n\nShe added that these would \"make a real difference to people's lives\", saying: \"I've always promised to listen and act to ensure that the victims of Windrush receive the maximum amount of compensation they deserve.\n\n\"It's my mission to correct the wrongs of the past and I will continue to work with the Windrush Working Group to do exactly that.\"\n\nThe changes to the scheme will apply retrospectively, meaning those previously given less than £10,000 will receive top-up payments.\n\nThe Home Office is also removing the 12 months' salary limit on compensation for earnings lost by people forced out of their jobs.\n\nIt will start letting those affected by the changes know from next week.\n\nBishop Webley said: \"Many will benefit from the relief that these new payments will provide, and begin to move forward with their lives with hope and determination.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Explained: What is the 'hostile environment' policy?\n\nAn estimated 500,000 people living in the UK make up the surviving members of the Windrush generation.\n\nAn Equality and Human Rights Commission report last month said government action taken to \"record and respond to negative equality impacts\" of hostile environment immigration policies had been \"perfunctory, and therefore insufficient\".\n\nIt called for a plan\" of \"specific actions\" to \"avoid a future breach\", with the commission's interim chair, Caroline Waters, describing the treatment of the Windrush generation as \"a shameful stain on British history\".\n\nThe Windrush compensation scheme came into force last year, with £2m being paid out so far and a further £1m offered.", "Gerard Houllier put a smile on the faces of a lot of people who support Liverpool, say fans\n\nLiverpool fans have paid tribute to the team's former manager Gerard Houllier remembering the Frenchman as \"a gentleman\" who \"returned pride\" to the club.\n\nHoullier, who led Liverpool to five major trophies, died earlier on Monday, aged 73.\n\nHe \"brought the good times back\", said Reds supporter John Gibbons.\n\nOne fans' group is already looking to arrange a memorial tribute to Houllier at Anfield.\n\nAndy Knott, who twice previously arranged crowd mosaics in Houllier's honour, said he \"most definitely\" would look to remember him in a special way once supporters are allowed to return in numbers.\n\nAfter Houllier's heart attack in 2001, the Kop paid tribute in French spelling out the word 'Allez'\n\nLiverpool fans first showed their appreciation for their then manager in November 2001, spelling out his initials 'GH' after he underwent open heart surgery at Broadgreen Hospital, having been taken ill a month earlier.\n\nOn the Frenchman's return to management duties in March 2002, supporters once again united to spell out the words \"Allez, allez\" to mark his recovery.\n\nMr Knott, who is a contributor to Liverpool fanzine, Red All Over The Land, met Houllier at the club's Melwood training base soon after, and remembers him as \"a likeable gentleman\".\n\n\"He was busy, but came down and had a good chat with us and said how he was so grateful,\" he said.\n\nGerard Houllier guided Liverpool to a treble in the 2000-01 season, which included winning the UEFA Cup\n\nHoullier is a figure that will forever remain \"very much loved\" in Liverpool for the FA Cup, League Cup and Uefa Cup treble-winning season of 2000-2001.\n\nLifelong Reds fan Damian Kavanagh was there for all three finals.\n\n\"What a time of our lives that was,\" he said.\n\n\"That is how he should be remembered. no-one is perfect, he didn't get every single decision right, but he really did bring Liverpool up to date when we needed it because we were struggling before he took charge.\n\nKavanagh said Houllier's history in the city, having worked as a teacher in the Liverpool in the 1960s when he also watched the team as a fan at Anfield, ensured a \"strong connection\".\n\n\"The fact he had been on the Kop and lived amongst us all here showed that he understood how much the team means to us,\" Kavanagh continued.\n\n\"In our short lives all you can ever leave behind is smiles and Houllier can certainly rest peacefully that there are a hell of a lot of people that support Liverpool that he made smile.\"\n\nJohn Gibbons (third from left) with fellow Liverpool supporters meeting Gerard Houllier at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil\n\nFor John Gibbons, a podcaster for the Anfield Wrap, Houllier is manager that delivered glory to a new generation.\n\n\"We loved it (treble season) because for us winning trophies is what Liverpool did on video, on VHS tapes,\" he said. \"We were wondering when it would be our turn and when Houllier came, it was our turn.\n\n\"He gave us a lot of our pride back and brought good times back to the club. We will always be grateful for that.\"\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk", "Hop on board with no quarantine needed?\n\nNew Zealand has agreed to a quarantine-free travel bubble with Australia \"in principle\".\n\nThe country's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said trips under the agreement could begin early next year.\n\nHowever, the much-anticipated deal will depend on the Covid-19 situation in both counties remaining as it is now.\n\nTravellers from New Zealand have been allowed to enter most Australian states without quarantine since October.\n\nSo far though, this has been a one-way agreement - meaning they must do 14 days of managed isolation on their return to New Zealand.\n\nAnd Australians are not allowed into New Zealand at all, unless they have an exemption.\n\nMs Ardern did not give a date for the travel bubble to begin and the agreement will still need to be signed off by the Australian government.\n\nBoth countries have had very low case numbers over recent months but there have been regional outbreaks in Australia.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nNew Zealand was one of the first countries to declare itself virus free in June after a complete border closure and one strict lockdown period. It has since had a few cases.\n\nA planned travel bubble between Singapore and Hong Kong last month had to be postponed because of surging cases in the city.", "John le Carré (centre) at the 2011 UK premiere of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy\n\nAuthors, actors and admirers have paid tribute to the late John le Carré, the best-selling British spy writer who has died from pneumonia at the age of 89.\n\nIan Rankin praised his fellow writer for taking his chosen genre of spy fiction \"into the realm of literature\".\n\nAuthor Robert Harris agreed, describing le Carré as \"a writer of immense quality\" who \"transcended his genre\".\n\nLe Carré's best-known works included The Spy Who Came In From The Cold and Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.\n\nFatherland author Harris told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: \"You only have to read a page and you know it's le Carré\". His books would \"still be read in a hundred years\", Harris added.\n\nSusanne Bier, who directed the 2016 TV adaptation of le Carré's 1993 thriller The Night Manager, told Today he had been an \"incredibly contemporary\" author.\n\n\"Even his old novels have totally current resonance,\" she said, describing his prose as \"exciting, thrilling and deeply romantic\".\n\nSpeaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, historian Ben Macintyre praised le Carré for his insights into \"the knotted timbre of human personality\".\n\n\"He was often described as spy writer, but he was far more than that,\" he said. \"He was really a student and expert in the human condition.\"\n\nMacintyre described the late author's novels as \"neatly plotted, beautifully written examinations of the human character\".\n\n\"The world of espionage was a perfect backdrop for profound psychological examinations on why people behave how they do,\" he added.\n\nJohn le Carré with Susanne Bier (second from right) and the cast of The Night Manager in 2016\n\nScottish writer Rankin told BBC Breakfast le Carré had lived \"an extraordinary life\" and that authors like himself \"lived in his shadow\".\n\nRankin also revealed he had once \"used a bit of spycraft\" himself to obtain le Carré's autograph at an event at the House of Lords.\n\n\"It was 1988 and he had no idea who I was,\" he recalled. \"I went up to him, said I was collecting everyone's signatures as a memento. Really, though, his was the only signature I wanted.\"\n\nActress Florence Pugh, meanwhile, revealed she had once jokingly called the author \"an old fart\".\n\nThe pair met during the shooting of the 2018 TV adaptation of le Carré's 1983 novel The Little Drummer Girl, in which Pugh starred.\n\n\"I watched his eyes light up with glee and we both cackled until we cried,\" the British Oscar nominee recalled on Instagram.\n\n\"He peered at me over his glass and giggled, 'I think we're going to get along just fine.' We knew a magical friendship had arrived.\"\n\nThis Instagram post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Instagram The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip instagram post by florencepugh This article contains content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Meta’s Instagram cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nGary Oldman, who played spymaster George Smiley in the 2011 film adaptation of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, said he was \"generous with his creativity and always a true gentleman\".\n\nOther famous fans have used social media to pay tribute to the author, who died on Saturday.\n\n\"If there is a contemporary writer who's given me richer pleasure I can't for the moment name them,\" tweeted Stephen Fry.\n\nMargaret Atwood tweeted that his novels featuring Smiley - described by le Carré as an \"antidote\" to James Bond - were the \"key to understanding the mid-20th Century\".\n\nHistorian and novelist Simon Sebag Montefiore described le Carré as \"the titan of English literature\" and said he was \"heartbroken\".\n\nPointless star and author Richard Osman said he had been \"the finest, wisest storyteller we had\" and thanked him \"for a lifetime of tales\".\n\nBrazilian author Paulo Coelho, meanwhile, said le Carré - real name David Cornwell - had not only been \"a great writer but a visionary\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Paulo Coelho This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nBorn in Poole, Dorset, in 1931, le Carré worked in undercover intelligence before publishing his his first novel, Call For The Dead, in 1961.\n\nHis third novel, The Spy Who Came In From The Cold, brought him worldwide acclaim and allowed him to take up writing full time.\n\nHe is best known for creating spymaster Smiley, who appeared in Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and several other novels.\n\n\"We will not see his like again,\" sad his agent Jonny Geller in a statement confirming the author's death.\n\nI only met John le Carré once. A brief chat on the red carpet at the premiere of the film of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy in 2011. A three-minute experience I'd been looking forward to for months.\n\nI discovered his novels relatively late in life. My first was Tinker, Tailor, which I found so enthralling that at one point I was buying a new le Carré every week. I loved his style of storytelling - his ability to create vivid and believable characters in situations that may have been far from our own more mundane experiences, but which still felt utterly relatable.\n\nSo when a few years ago I was asked if I was interested in taking part in Celebrity Mastermind, I suggested as my specialist subject the author's George Smiley novels. Le Carré's complete body of work would have been a mammoth task. But the novels featuring his most famous and enduring creation seemed more manageable.\n\nHis Smiley books had always been my favourites.\n\nSo it was also a great and welcome reason to spend a few weeks revisiting some of the stories I'd enjoyed so much over the previous decade, from early work like A Murder of Quality (not a spy story at all - Smiley is asked to investigate a death at an exclusive public school) to later books like Smiley's People (where the spymaster goes into final battle against his Soviet nemesis Karla).\n\nI luckily didn't embarrass myself on the show, only fluffing one question. And at the end of the programme I came a creditable second to the formidable crime writer Val McDermid.\n\nOn the red carpet, I do remember discussing with le Carré whether his best-known piece of work was Tinker, Tailor or The Spy Who Came In From The Cold. The rest is a bit of a blur.\n\nIn my job I'm lucky enough to meet a lot of famous, well-known figures, it's a routine part of the work we do. But unusually for weeks afterwards I remember being unable to stop myself endlessly telling friends and colleagues, with a huge smile and sense of pride, that I'd finally met the great John le Carré.\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Johnson: 'Whatever happens, the UK will do very, very well'\n\nThe UK and EU have agreed to carry on post-Brexit trade talks after a call between leaders earlier on Sunday.\n\nIn a joint statement, Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said it was \"responsible at this point to go the extra mile\".\n\nThe pair discussed \"major unresolved topics\" during their call.\n\nThe two sides had said Sunday was the deadline for a decision on whether to continue with talks, with the UK set to leave EU rules at the end of the month.\n\nThe leaders agreed to tell negotiators to carry on talks in Brussels \"to see whether an agreement can even at this late stage be reached\".\n\nThey did not say how long these latest talks would continue, but the ultimate deadline is 31 December, and time must be allowed for the UK and European Parliaments to vote on any deal that emerges before then.\n\nMrs von der Leyen said Sunday's call with Mr Johnson had been \"constructive and useful\".\n\nBut Mr Johnson repeated his warning from earlier in the week that a no deal scenario was \"most likely\".\n\nThe UK and EU have been carrying out negotiations for a post-Brexit trade deal since March and are attempting to secure one before the so-called transition period end on 31 December - when the two sides would move to trading on World Trade Organization (WTO) rules.\n\nWithout a trade deal, tariffs - charges on goods being bought and sold between the two sides - could be introduced and, in turn, prices on certain products may go up.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nReading out the joint statement, Mrs von der Leyen said: \"Despite the exhaustion after almost a year of negotiations, despite the fact that deadlines have been missed over and over, we think it is responsible at this point to go the extra mile.\"\n\nMr Johnson later said \"where there is life, there is hope\", and that the UK \"certainly won't be walking away from the talks\".\n\nBut he added: \"I've got to repeat the most likely thing now is of course that we have to get ready for WTO terms.\n\n\"As far as I can see, there are some serious and very difficult issues that currently separate the UK from EU and the best thing to do now for everybody… [is to] get ready to trade on WTO terms.\"\n\nLabour's Rachel Reeves welcomed the continuation of the talks and said the worst outcome would be to \"crash out with no deal whatsoever on 1 January\".\n\nShe added: \"I hope that they [the talks] will swiftly conclude, but I also hope on behalf of all British businesses and workers, and our security as well, that the government deliver the promise they made to the British people and come back with a deal.\"\n\nTalks will now continue in Brussels, with a focus expected on how close the UK should stick to EU economic rules in the future.\n\nThe EU is determined to prevent the UK from gaining what it sees as an unfair advantage of having tariff-free access to its markets - not paying taxes on goods being bought and sold - while setting its own standards on products, employment rights and business subsidies.\n\nThe EU is reported to have dropped the idea of a formal mechanism to ensure both sides keep up with each other's standards and is now prepared to accept UK divergence - provided there are safeguards to prevent unfair competition.\n\nFishing rights is another major area of disagreement, with the EU warning that without access to UK waters for EU fleets, UK fishermen will no longer get special access to EU markets to sell their goods.\n\nBut the UK argues that what goes on in its own waters, and its wider business rules, should be under its control as a sovereign country.\n\nBusiness lobby group the CBI said the continuation of talks \"gives us hope\", and that a deal was \"both essential and possible\" for the UK economy.\n\nWhen is a deadline not a deadline? When it's anything to do with Brexit, perhaps.\n\nBoth sides in this long, long process, have agreed to go on rather than pull the plug.\n\nThe circle around the talks is extremely tight so it is very hard to know precisely what is going on. It is possible that both sides are dangling concessions.\n\nBut there is the sense now that the ground has shifted enough to make the chance of a deal worth pursuing.\n\nThe political imperatives to make this happen are so strong that even tricky issues at this late stage can still potentially be fudged.\n\nIt's far from certain that the talks will end in agreement, but the chances of resolution are once again on the rise.\n\nRead more from Laura here.\n\nThe National Farmers' Union has warned there will be \"significant disruption\" to the sector if the UK fails to reach a trade deal with the EU.\n\nAnd the British Retail Consortium warned the public would face \"over £3bn in food tariffs [meaning] retailers would have no choice but to pass on some of these additional costs to their customers\".\n\nTaoiseach (Irish prime minister) Micheál Martin said he believed a no-deal scenario \"would be very bad news for all of us\" and \"an appalling failure of statecraft\" on both sides.\n\nSpeaking to the BBC's Andrew Marr, he called for the teams \"with any bit of energy we have left [to] focus on negotiating a deal\".\n\nA number of Conservative MPs welcomed the continuation of talks, with former minister Damian Green, who backed Remain in the 2016 EU referendum, saying it was \"good news\" and that \"no deal would be terrible\".\n\nBut leading Tory Brexiteer Sir John Redwood tweeted: \"A long complex legal agreement that locks the UK back into many features of the EU that hinder us is not the Christmas present the UK needs.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Speaking to Andrew Marr, Micheál Martin stressed the importance of reaching a good Brexit deal", "The boy's body was found on common land\n\nA 14-year-old boy and a 19-year-old man have been arrested on suspicion of murdering a teenager found dead in Lincolnshire.\n\nThe boy was discovered on a patch of common land behind Alcorn Green in Fishtoft, near Boston on Saturday.\n\nPolice said final identification was yet to take place, but it was believed he was of secondary school age.\n\nDet Supt Martyn Parker said: \"This is a devastating incident in which a young boy has lost his life.\"\n\nPolice have appealed for anyone with external facing CCTV covering the junction of Freiston Road and Woodthorpe Avenue between 20:00 GMT on Friday and 10:20 GMT on Saturday to get in touch.\n\nThey also have asked for footage covering the entire length of Wing Drive and Alcorn Green between the same times.\n\nDet Supt Parker added: \"This type of incident is not what we would expect to see within our communities.\n\n\"I want to reassure the public that we will do all in our power to meticulously investigate the circumstances of this young boy's death.\"\n\nFollow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk or send video here.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nA 90-year-old woman in South Lanarkshire has become the first care home resident to receive the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine.\n\nFormer carer Annie Innes was immunised at Abercorn House in Hamilton.\n\nCare home residents across Scotland have been prioritised to receive the vaccine, along with frontline health care staff.\n\nMs Innes told reporters it was \"wonderful\" to get the vaccine just before Christmas.\n\n\"I hope it keeps me, my friends here and the staff safe and means we can get back to normal very soon,\" she said.\n\nShe added: \"The nurses and the care home staff have been great with us and we are relieved to have been offered the vaccine.\"\n\nHealth Secretary Jeane Freeman thanked those involved in rolling out the vaccine programme.\n\n\"It has been a challenge to get the Pfizer vaccine into care homes because of transport and storage requirements but I am delighted to see Mrs Innes become the first care home resident to receive her vaccine and I wish her many more years of good health,\" she said.\n\n\"Throughout the pandemic our priority has been to save lives and keep people safe. Vaccines give us a vital additional layer of protection we haven't had until now.\"\n\nThe second person vaccinated at the care home was 82-year-old Margaret Keating, a former bar tender who has been a resident at Abercorn House for a year.\n\nResidents and members of staff at Abercorn House will receive the vital second dose of the vaccine in the new year.\n\nMargaret Keating was the second care home resident in the country to be vaccinated\n\nTrudi Marshall, nurse director with health and social care North Lanarkshire, who is managing care home vaccination across the region, said they would be able to vaccinate 2,990 care home residents and 5,601 staff across 93 Lanarkshire care homes in the \"quick moving and complex operation\".\n\n\"It's important to recognise just how much work our staff have put in to the process in such a short time,\" she said. \"Care home staff and managers also deserve praise for their fantastic co-operation and help.\"\n\nThere were initial fears that care homes would not be able to receive the first batch of the drug because of logistical issues associated with its storage at -70C.\n\nMore than 65,000 doses have been distributed to vaccination centres across Scotland where they have been \"packed down\" before being diluted for use in care homes.\n\nSo far more than 5,000 frontline NHS staff and vaccinators have been given the first of two injections of the drug, which cuts cases of Covid by about 95%.\n\nThe vaccination programme is beginning after the most recent official weekly figures showed there have been 78 deaths in care homes in Scotland where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate.\n\nDonald Macaskill, the chief executive of Scottish Care, which represents care homes in Scotland, said there were about 50,000 adults in care homes in Scotland and that prioritising those most in need was key.\n\nBut he warned the vaccine rollout would be a slow process.\n\nSpeaking to BBC Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme, he said: \"This is an tremendously important and positive day for residents, for their family members and also for staff.\n\n\"We've had nine months of sheer hell and distress across Scotland's care home sector. This virus has hit the most vulnerable the hardest, and those sadly are individuals in our care homes.\n\n\"So this really is the beginning of turning a corner.\"\n\nAlison Strath, the Scottish government's interim chief pharmaceutical officer had worked \"tirelessly\" with the care home sector to ensure Scotland could be the first country where the vaccine could be taken to residents, he said.\n\n\"It is an amazing achievement in such a short space of time, but it will take a long time,\" Dr Macaskill said.\n\nHe added: \"Practically, we need to work with the fact that we have a supply which is the first phase supply and we need to prioritise those most at risk.\"\n\nAlong with rapid testing, which has begun in some care homes and is also being rolled out across the country from Monday, the vaccines would allow visits to residents to begin to return to normal, he said.", "A new variant of coronavirus has been found which is growing faster in some parts of England, MPs have been told.\n\nHealth Secretary Matt Hancock said at least 60 different local authorities had recorded Covid infections caused by the new variant.\n\nHe said the World Health Organization had been notified and UK scientists were doing detailed studies.\n\nHe said there was \"nothing to suggest\" it caused worse disease or that vaccines would no longer work.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. A new variant of Covid could be speeding up the spread of cases in parts of south east England, says Matt Hancock.\n\nHe told MPs in the House of Commons that over the last week, there had been sharp, exponential rises in coronavirus infections across London, Kent, parts of Essex and Hertfordshire.\n\n\"We've currently identified over 1,000 cases with this variant predominantly in the South of England although cases have been identified in nearly 60 different local authority areas.\n\n\"We do not know the extent to which this is because of the new variant but no matter its cause we have to take swift and decisive action which unfortunately is absolutely essential to control this deadly disease while the vaccine is rolled out.\"\n\nEngland's Chief Medical Officer Prof Chris Whitty said current coronavirus swab tests would detect the new variant that has been found predominantly in Kent and neighbouring areas in recent weeks.\n\nThe changes or mutations involve the spike protein of the virus - the part that helps it infect cells, and the target Covid vaccines are designed around.\n\nIt is too soon to know exactly what this will do to the behaviour of the virus.\n\nProf Alan McNally, an expert at the University of Birmingham, told the BBC: \"Let's not be hysterical. It doesn't mean it's more transmissible or more infectious or dangerous.\n\n\"It is something to keep an eye on.\n\n\"Huge efforts are ongoing at characterising the variant and understanding its emergence. It is important to keep a calm and rational perspective on the strain as this is normal virus evolution and we expect new variants to come and go and emerge over time.\"\n\nDr Jeremy Farrar, Director of Wellcome, said it was potentially serious. \"The surveillance and research must continue and we must take the necessary steps to stay ahead of the virus.\"\n\nThere is a simple rule for understanding all \"new strain\" or \"new variants\": Ask whether the behaviour of the virus has changed.\n\nThis is crucial as viruses mutate all the time, it's just what they do. And so far we've been given the \"scare\" but not the \"answer\".\n\nMatt Hancock said the new variant of coronavirus \"may be associated\" with the faster spread in the south-east of England.\n\nThis is not the same as saying it \"is causing\" the rise and Mr Hancock did not say this virus has evolved to spread from person-to-person more readily.\n\nNew strains can become more common for reasons that have nothing to do with the virus.\n\nOne explanation for the emergence of the \"Spanish strain\" over the summer was tourism.\n\nSo at the moment there are scary headlines everywhere, but still no scientific detail to know how significant this is.\n\nProf Jonathan Ball, Professor of Molecular Virology at Nottingham University, said: \"The genetic information in many viruses can change very rapidly and sometimes these changes can benefit the virus - by allowing it to transmit more efficiently or to escape from vaccines or treatments - but many changes have no effect at all.\n\n\"Even though a new genetic variant of the virus has emerged and is spreading in many parts of the UK and across the world, this can happen purely by chance.\n\n\"Therefore, it is important that we study any genetic changes as they occur, to work out if they are affecting how the virus behaves, and until we have done that important work it is premature to make any claims about the potential impacts of virus mutation.\"\n• None 'Mutant coronavirus' seen before on mink farms", "The next question comes from the BBC's Vicki Young, who asks whether the government reckons it should be rethinking plans to relax rules over Christmas?\n\nFrom 23-27 December rules are being relaxed to allow three households to mix.\n\nMr Hancock says it's \"important\" that all of us are cautious and \"very careful\" over Christmas.\n\nBut he says that \"especially after a difficult year\", he understands why people want to get together with their loved ones.\n\nProf Chris Whitty is also asked what he thinks of the Christmas rules, and says \"it's no secret... Christmas is a period of greater risk\".\n\nBut he says they have tried to strike the balance of doing what is \"least damaging\" while keeping the virus under control.\n\nAnd he urged people to take the tiers seriously before Christmas to reduce the risk as much as possible. \"Go no further than you have to,\" he said, of the relaxation in rules.\n\nProf Kevin Fenton, Public Health England's regional director for London, said \"the actions we take now\" will affect our ability to have a safe Christmas.\n\n\"The restrictions in the tiers will still be in place. But the Christmas period allows us to meet those who are nearest and dearest to us but also taking care to prevent the transmission to them as well.\"", "LaTroya Hall (left) said she had been \"devastated\" by the death of her husband Sherwin\n\nA man who had to \"beg\" to get an MRI scan because of the Covid-19 crisis has died of cancer, his family have said.\n\nSherwin Hall, 27, from Leeds, first went to hospital on 23 March suffering leg pain but was misdiagnosed and sent away with a course of antibiotics.\n\nAfter 13 visits in four weeks a scan on 26 May revealed a tumour in his pelvis and 30 small tumours on his lungs.\n\nLeeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said it had maintained scanning for all \"urgent interventions\".\n\nMr Hall's wife LaTroya said had his cancer been found sooner \"it is likely he would still be here today\".\n\nBefore his death, Mr Hall said he \"kept begging\" for a scan but was told services had been \"slowed down because of the coronavirus\".\n\nIn July, he featured in a special BBC Panorama programme Britain's Cancer Crisis.\n\nSherwin Hall made 13 hospital visits before he was given an MRI scan\n\nMrs Hall, who is being supported by the Catch Up With Cancer Campaign, said she was \"devastated\" and had \"lost the love of my life\".\n\nThe campaign was launched by the parents of Macclesfield beautician Kelly Smith who died after her treatment for bowel cancer was stopped as a result of the pandemic.\n\nMrs Hall said: \"It worries me that the government and NHS leaders continue to say cancer services are back to normal; our family's experience has been that, even now, this is simply not the case.\n\n\"Even if services were back at pre-pandemic levels, that is not enough. The cancer backlog also needs to be cleared.\"\n\nCancer charity Macmillan Cancer Support estimated there was a backlog of 50,000 people living with undiagnosed cancer across the UK as a result of the pandemic.\n\nA spokeswoman for Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said: \"We would like to offer our heartfelt condolences to Mr Hall's family at this very difficult time.\"\n\nShe said the trust had maintained scanning for all \"urgent interventions\" throughout the pandemic and had operated in accordance with Nice guidelines.\n\nA Department of Health and Social Care spokeswoman said cancer diagnosis and treatment had \"remained a priority\" during the pandemic and said the government had given £3bn to tackle the impact of Covid.\n\nFollow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk or send video here.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Thousands of Donald Trump supporters alleging electoral fraud converged on several US cities and towns on Saturday and there were isolated scuffles with counter-demonstrators.\n\nIn Washington DC, more than 20 people were arrested and four people were stabbed, police said.\n\nMr Trump lost the 3 November election to Joe Biden but is yet to concede.\n\nThe Electoral College, the system which elects US presidents, is due to endorse Mr Biden's victory on Monday.\n\nMr Biden won 306 votes to Mr Trump's 232 in the Electoral College, and gained over seven million more votes than his Republican rival in the popular vote.\n\nIn the nation's capital, police sought to keep the two sides apart, a strategy that included sealing off Black Lives Matter Plaza where counter-demonstrators had gathered.\n\nPro-Trump demonstrators, rallying under the banner of \"Stop the Steal\", were joined by members of the far-right Proud Boys, dressed in yellow and black, many wearing bullet-proof vests.\n\nMr Trump caused controversy by saying the group should \"stand back and stand by\" during a September presidential debate, though he later condemned \"all white supremacists\".\n\nAs night fell, Proud Boys and Antifa counter-demonstrators, mostly separated by police lines, yelled insults at each other. But sporadic violence broke out.\n\nThe stabbings took place near the downtown Harry's Bar, but it was not clear which group those injured belonged to, according to the Washington Post.\n\nEight people were taken to hospitals, including two police officers, according to CNN.\n\nMake America Great Again (MAGA) protesters, who support Mr Trump, were captured on video tearing down a Black Lives Matter sign from a church, pouring petrol on it and setting it alight.\n\nOn Sunday the Ashbury church pastor compared the actions to cross burnings.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Jack Jenkins This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\n\"Seeing this act on video made me both indignant and determined to fight the evil that has reared its ugly head,\" Rev Ianther Mills said in a statement.\n\nCounter-demonstrators were kept at a distance from Trump supporters by Washington DC police\n\nFar-right Proud Boys made gestures symbolising white supremacy as they gathered near the Washington Monument\n\nRallies also took place in Olympia, the capital of Washington state, Atlanta and St Paul, Minnesota. Police in Olympia said one person had been shot and three arrested as rival groups clashed.\n\nThe Washington DC rally attracted several thousand Trump-supporters but it was smaller than a similar event on 14 November. Few participants wore masks despite Covid-19 restrictions.\n\nThere were speeches by Mr Trump's now pardoned former National Security Advisor, Michael Flynn, and Sebastian Gorka, another former White House official.\n\nMr Trump's pardoned former National Security Advisor, Michael Flynn, was among those making speeches\n\nMr Gorka urged the president not to give up his legal campaign - based on debunked allegations of electoral fraud - to reverse the election result.\n\nThe president's latest legal defeat came on Friday when the Supreme Court rejected an unprecedented attempt to throw out results in four battleground states which Mr Biden won. Mr Trump has now lost more than 50 cases linked to the election.\n\nCheers erupted as the presidential helicopter, Marine One, flew over the Washington rally carrying Mr Trump to the Army-Navy football game at West Point, New York.\n\nThe president had earlier tweeted his support.\n\nSorry, we're having trouble displaying this content. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nGeneral Flynn likened the protesters to soldiers and priests breaching the walls of Jericho, echoing the rally organisers' call for \"Jericho Marches\" to overturn the election result.\n\nThat refers to a story in the bible where an army peacefully conquer the city of Jericho, which God has promised them, after marching around its walls for six days. It is considered symbolic of a test of faith.", "Farmed mink are known to escape into the wild\n\nThe first known case of coronavirus in a wild animal has been reported, leading to calls for widespread monitoring of wildlife.\n\nThe US Department of Agriculture (USDA) said a wild mink had tested positive around an infected mink farm in Utah.\n\nCoronavirus outbreaks at fur farms in the US and in Europe have killed thousands of the animals.\n\nAs a consequence, millions of farmed mink have had to be culled across Europe.\n\nThe USDA said it had found one positive case in \"free-ranging, wild mink\" in Utah as part of wildlife surveillance around infected farms.\n\nSeveral animals from different wildlife species were sampled and all tested negative, the agency added.\n\nIt said it had notified the World Organisation for Animal Health, but there is no evidence the virus has been widespread in wild populations around infected mink farms.\n\n\"To our knowledge, this is the first free-ranging, native wild animal confirmed with Sars-CoV-2,\" the USDA said in an alert to the International Society for Infectious Diseases.\n\nThe discovery raises concerns that the infection could spread between wild mink, said Dr Dan Horton, a veterinary expert at the University of Surrey, UK.\n\nThe case \"reinforces the need to undertake surveillance in wildlife and remain vigilant\", he added.\n\nMink are known to escape from mink farms and become established in the wild. In the UK, there is a population that is thought to have arisen from animals that escaped from fur farms many years ago, Dr Horton added.\n\nThe virus has also been found in zoo tigers, lions and snow leopards in the US, and in a small number of household cats and dogs.\n• None What's the science behind mink and coronavirus?", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nA man armed with two pistols has been shot dead by police after opening fire near a cathedral in New York.\n\nOfficers say the incident happened at the Cathedral of St John the Divine in Manhattan on Sunday near a crowd gathered for a Christmas concert.\n\nAs yet the man - who yelled \"Kill me\" as he began shooting - has not been identified.\n\nPolice Commissioner Dermot F Shea said it was \"by the grace of God\" that nobody had been injured.\n\nThe carol service - held outside because of Covid restrictions - had just ended when the shooting began. Cathedral staff wrote on Facebook that the man had \"set off a round of gunfire into the air\" from the front steps.\n\n\"Everybody is in shock,\" cathedral spokeswoman Lisa Schubert told the New York Times. \"There were hundreds of people here, and he shot at least 20 times.\"\n\nThree officers nearby fired 15 rounds at the suspect after he began to shoot, the commissioner said. At least one bullet hit the man in the head.\n\nA Reuters photograph shows the gunman carrying two pistols and wearing a face mask sporting the flag of the Dominican Republic\n\nA bag filled with gasoline, knives, rope, wire, a Bible and some tape was recovered from the scene, as well as two semi-automatic handguns.\n\n\"I think we can all surmise the ill intentions of the proceeds of this bag,\" Commissioner O'Shea told reporters.\n\nReuters news agency photographs show the gunman wearing a face mask bearing the flag of the Dominican Republic as well as a black winter coat and a white cap.\n\nAuthorities are awaiting fingerprints to confirm his identity, but police officials told the New York Times his identification said he was a 52-year-old man with a previous conviction for second-degree murder and a lengthy criminal record.\n\nManhattan borough President Gale Brewer confirmed on Twitter that members of her staff had been at the event and thanked the police for their response.", "The gowns ordered from PPE Medpro were similar to that pictured here\n\nMillions of medical gowns bought for the NHS at the end of the first lockdown for £122m have never been used.\n\nThe gowns were ordered by the government from a supplier which had set up just a month earlier, and no other companies were asked to bid for the contract.\n\nThe supplier, PPE Medpro, says it had met the agreed terms.\n\nThe Department of Health said all PPE must undergo rigorous checks.\n\nPPE Medpro was set up as a company in May while the UK was still in the first coronavirus lockdown.\n\nAt the time, hospitals across the country were reporting shortages of personal protective equipment - clothing and accessories to protect medics from the virus.\n\nEarlier this week NHS Providers, which represents English hospital trusts, told the House of Commons spending watchdog that the supply of gowns was the most \"pertinent problem\" over several months.\n\nSix weeks after it was incorporated, PPE Medpro signed a contract with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) for £122m to supply sterile surgical gowns to the NHS in England.\n\nThe contract was not opened to competition due to the exceptional urgency of the coronavirus pandemic.\n\nSterile surgical gowns are used to reduce the risk of infection when Covid patients are put on to ventilators, for example.\n\nThe DHSC told the BBC that contracts for the gowns must meet the British Standard for the sterilisation of medical devices or a \"technical equivalent\".\n\nPPE Medpro followed this second route. This required the DHSC to seek approval from the health regulator, the MHRA, for them to be used in the NHS.\n\nThe contract, which shows the agreed sum of £122m\n\nThe DHSC and MHRA declined to comment when asked for details of the approval application made for the Medpro products. There is as yet no record of PPE Medpro or either of its two Chinese suppliers on the regulator's exemptions list, although it is understood the evaluation process is now under way.\n\nPPE Medpro say they delivered 100 per cent of the contract to the terms specified.\n\nThe company said it supplied the equipment \"fully in accordance with the agreed contract, which included clear terms as to technical specification and performance criteria of the products\".\n\n\"We did so in very challenging circumstances earlier this year and are very pleased to have been able to assist DHSC fully and properly at a time of national crisis,\" it added.\n\nIn August the BBC revealed that 50 million face masks bought by the UK government from a different company earlier in the year would not be used in the NHS because of safety concerns.\n\nThe DHSC said: \"The safety of front-line staff and patients is of paramount importance and we now have a four-month stockpile of all Covid-critical PPE in place.\n\n\"All PPE must undergo rigorous checks so they meet the safety and quality required.\n\n\"Proper due diligence is carried out for all government contracts and we take these checks extremely seriously.\"\n\nMore from Phil on Twitter @phill_kemp", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. 'Two people every five minutes are getting Covid in Swansea area'\n\nThe Christmas relaxation of lockdown rules \"makes no sense\" as Covid-19 cases continue to rise in Wales, doctors have warned.\n\nThe Welsh Intensive Care Society also wants an \"urgent\" lockdown across Wales before Christmas, warning critical care would be unable to cope without urgent action.\n\nIt comes after the number of positive Covid-19 tests passed 100,000 in Wales\n\nWales' health minister Vaughan Gething has said \"nothing is off the table\".\n\nBut Mr Gething fears people would \"make up their own rules\" if meeting up over Christmas was banned.\n\nWales has the highest Covid-19 infection rate in the UK - a seven-day average of 425 cases per 100,000 - and eight of the UK's top 10 worst infected areas are in Wales with Merthyr Tydfil, Neath Port Talbot and Bridgend the top three.\n\nIn a letter to the health minister, the Welsh Intensive Care Society chairman Dr Richard Pugh warns critical care services will not be able to cope over the winter period without intervention \"at the highest level\".\n\nUp to three households can stay together and form a \"Christmas bubble\" from 23 to 27 December, all four UK nations have agreed.\n\nBut the body representing intensive care staff want that decision reviewed amid fears it will cause a surge in cases.\n\n\"Christmas is a special time but it seems a very, very difficult thing to justify,\" said Dr Pugh.\n\n\"It makes no sense viewed from a perspective of front-line staff and public health.\"\n\nWith 190 critical care beds already being used - almost half by coronavirus patients - Dr Pugh said critical care was already over-capacity.\n\n\"Welsh critical care services will be unable to manage rising demands relating to Covid-19, to maintain emergency non-Covid activity, and to continue providing peri-operative care for high risk urgent surgical cases in coming weeks without intervention at the highest level,\" he said.\n\nTwo health boards in south Wales have already cancelled some non-urgent care - Swansea Bay and Aneurin Bevan University Health Boards.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. People in Cardiff share their views on the relaxation of Covid-19 rules over Christmas\n\nAmbulances waited for the equivalent of a week to deliver sick patients to hospital staff at the new £350m Grange University Hospital in Cwmbran on Saturday.\n\nOn Sunday, Aneurin Bevan University Health Board apologised after a 73-year-old man waited more than 19 hours in an ambulance outside that hospital.\n\nThe Welsh Ambulance Service said more than 10 patients had waited more than 12 hours in ambulances outside hospitals awaiting beds in the last week.\n\nThe family of Ted Edwards from Monmouthshire said he waited for 19 hours in an ambulance outside a hospital\n\nThe service has raised its alert system to its highest level, which signals \"extreme pressure\".\n\n\"We've seen more Covid-related patients in the last six weeks than than we've seen since March,\" chief executive Jason Killens told BBC Radio Wales.\n\n\"We've more staff off sick or self-isolating since April and we've seen some of our busiest days this year in the last 10 days, with four of the last five days the busiest since the start of the pandemic.\"\n\nAdded to \"congestion\" outside hospital A&E departments, Mr Killen apologised as ambulance crews had \"real difficulties being able to respond in a timely way, particularly to less serious patients\".\n\nDr Pugh said there was now a case for the cancellation of elective surgery to happen on a \"national basis\" to allow the NHS to be able to treat new patients as coronavirus cases increased.\n\nHe said that while imposing more stringent rules ahead of the festive period was difficult, the impact of lockdowns took weeks to help departments.\n\n\"Viewed from a front-line perspective, I am afraid we do not have the luxury of deferring such steps until after the Christmas period,\" added the intensive care consultant at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd in Denbighshire.\n\nMorriston Hospital will be one of those in Swansea only treating urgent cases\n\nMr Gething said the situation across Wales was \"very serious\" but added it was not Wales' \"preference\" to break the Christmas rule relaxation.\n\n\"There is a lot of capital invested in that easing of the rules which all four countries signed up to,\" he said.\n\nMr Gething said officials were now working with hospitals to look at how to send patients who were no longer infectious - especially the elderly - home.\n\nThe seven-day case rate for Swansea Bay Health Board area, which treats patients in Neath Port Talbot and Swansea, now stands at 770.3 per 100,000 people.\n\nIt has the second highest rate for any of the board areas in Wales, behind Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board on 870.3.\n\nThere were also more than 250 Covid patients in Swansea Bay hospitals, with another 115 recovering patients. This is about a third of all patients.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Swansea Bay NHS This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nWales' First Minister Mark Drakeford warned the Welsh NHS was in danger of becoming the \"national coronavirus service\" when the number of positive Covid-19 tests passed 100,000 in Wales on Saturday.\n\nMr Gething said the Welsh NHS had experienced one of its busiest weekends of 2020 as it dealt with a combination of rising Covid cases and winter pressures.\n\nHe urged people to abide by rules and regulations, adding: \"We need everyone's help to get through what remains of this year.\"\n\nCovid-19 patients make up nearly 26% of all patients in hospital with 1,992 people in hospital across Wales on Sunday.\n\nDr Ami Jones, an intensive care consultant at the new Grange Hospital in Cwmbran, warned the hospital was \"stuffed full with patients with very significant needs\".\n\n\"We have reached a tipping point, we have more patients that have Covid than don't have Covid now,\" she said.\n\nDr Sarah Aitken, the health board's interim executive medical director, said there were now 404 patients with confirmed coronavirus in its hospitals - compared to 283 in April at the peak of the first wave of the pandemic.\n\nHowever she insisted the service was not close to \"breaking point\".", "People must think \"really carefully\" about the risk of more social contact over Christmas, NHS bosses have warned.\n\n\"I don't want to be the Grinch who stole Christmas,\" said Chris Hopson, the head of NHS Providers.\n\nBut he pointed out that the US saw \"record numbers\" of cases and deaths after the Thanksgiving holiday - and said the NHS was worried about January.\n\nThe government's Dominic Raab said people needed the five-day relaxation of Covid rules on \"an emotional level\".\n\nMeanwhile, the chances of the Oxford University vaccine being rolled out by the end of the year are \"pretty high\", the vaccine's architect Prof Sarah Gilbert has told the BBC.\n\nA further 18,447 cases were recorded across the UK on Sunday, along with another 144 deaths within 28 days of a positive test.\n\nThe number of deaths recorded tends to be lower over the weekend because of reporting delays.\n\nBetween 23 and 27 December, coronavirus restrictions are being relaxed across the UK, allowing three households to form a \"bubble\" and mix indoors and stay overnight.\n\nBut NHS Providers - which represents hospital trusts in England - has written to the PM urging him to \"personally lead a better public debate about the risks inherent in the guidance\" - although it stopped short of calling for a review of the rules over Christmas.\n\n\"There seems to be a sense at the moment that, 'hey because the government's put these rules down, there's no risk to people having more social contact over Christmas',\" Mr Hopson told BBC Breakfast.\n\n\"Of course, part of it is about sticking to the rules but any kind of extra social contact over Christmas - particularly with those who are vulnerable to the virus - actually is very risky.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. How you and your family can celebrate Christmas and minimise the spread of coronavirus\n\n\"I don't want to be the Grinch who stole Christmas, I really don't, but I think everybody needs to think really, really carefully what are they going to do over Christmas,\" he said.\n\n\"It's not, 'is what we're going to be doing sticking within the rules?' It's 'how much risk are we going to cause to the people we interact with?'\"\n\nThe rise in infections in the US after the Thanksgiving holiday was also highlighted by NHS Providers.\n\nThe NHS is worried about the potential pressure on hospital beds, and its ability to treat all the patients it needs to in December, January and February, Mr Hopson said.\n\n\"At the same time you've got rising infections in places like London, Essex, parts of Kent, parts of Lincolnshire,\" he added.\n\nForeign Secretary Dominic Raab ruled out any possibility that the government would review the Christmas relaxation of rules.\n\nSpeaking to Sky News's Sophy Ridge programme on Sunday, he said: \"I think people do need that five-day window over Christmas to spend a bit of time with their loved ones and I think at a mental health level, an emotional level, people do need it.\"\n\nIt comes after public health expert Prof Linda Bauld said loosening Covid restrictions over Christmas was \"a mistake\".\n\nWales' health minister Vaughan Gething said the rules around Christmas could be changed - but it could affect trust in the government.\n\nNHS Providers also warned that relaxing Covid rules when they are reviewed in England could trigger a third wave of the virus during the busiest time of year for hospitals.\n\nEngland's three-tier system is due to be reviewed on Wednesday 16 December.\n\nIt urged the PM against moving any area to a lower tier and said areas should be moved into tier three - the highest level of restrictions - \"as soon as this is needed, without any delay\".\n\nEarlier this week, some health experts called for London to be placed in tier three \"now\" after official figures showed Outer London had a higher infection rate than some areas already in the top tier.\n\nThe government said it \"will not hesitate to take necessary actions to protect local communities\".\n\nDecisions on tiers are made by ministers, based on the latest available data and advice from public health experts, a spokesperson added.\n\n\"We have introduced strengthened local restrictions to protect the progress gained during national restrictions, reduce pressure on the NHS and ultimately save lives,\" they said.\n\n\"On top of our record NHS investment, this winter we are providing an extra £3bn to maintain independent sector and Nightingale hospital surge capacity and a further £450m to upgrade and expand A&Es.\"\n\nMeanwhile, Prof Sarah Gilbert, lead researcher on the Oxford University/AstraZeneca vaccine, was upbeat when asked about the possibility of people receiving the Oxford jab by the end of the year.\n\nThe vaccine has not yet been approved by the UK's regulator, but a study this week showed it was safe and effective.\n\n\"I think the chances are pretty high,\" she told the BBC's Andrew Marr. \"But we do need multiple vaccines, all countries need multiple vaccines, the world needs multiple vaccines and we need vaccines made using different technologies, if that's possible.\"", "The US has begun delivering the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine \"across all states\" with the aim of inoculating more than 100 million people by the end of March, officials say.\n\nThe first doses, packed in containers with dry ice to keep them refrigerated, were transported across the country on trucks and planes early on Sunday.\n\nUS Army Gen Gustave Perna, who is overseeing distribution, said the vaccine would be delivered to 145 locations on Monday, and a further 491 sites on Tuesday and Wednesday. The initial delivery will cover about three million people.\n\nThe Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, which offers up to 95% protection against Covid-19, received emergency use authorisation from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Friday following intense pressure from the Trump administration.", "The NHS Choir recorded their half of the duet at Abbey Road Studios\n\nJustin Bieber has teamed up with a choir of nurses, doctors and other NHS staff to record a Christmas single.\n\nThe Lewisham and Greenwich NHS choir have added their voices to a remix of the star's single Holy, which reached number seven in October.\n\nThe charity collaboration comes five years after the two acts were locked in a battle for the Christmas number one.\n\nBieber eventually threw his weight behind the choir's efforts, leading them to clinch the festive top spot.\n\nAfterwards, Bieber said: \"I was honoured to meet everyone from the choir and I'm really happy that they got their number one.\"\n\nTheir new charity single is also aiming for Christmas number one, with proceeds to be split between NHS Charities Together, which represents more than 230 NHS charities, and the Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust Charity.\n\nBieber said he was \"humbled to team up\" with the singers.\n\nBieber presented the choir with their sales award after A Bridge Over You topped the charts in 2015\n\nChoir member Pamela Lutalo, who worked on a 30-bed Covid ward this year, said Holy was \"a song of appreciation to families, friends, colleagues and community who have provided encouragement and support to people during the pandemic\".\n\nMike Corr, a former immunisation clinical co-ordinator, added: \"The message that holding someone is such a special thing that it's almost a holy experience is so resonant with current difficulties and personal challenges.\n\n\"There are some special people I miss terribly and I hear them say, 'Hold me, hold me,' when all this is over.\"\n\nHoly is not the only song vying for this year's UK Christmas number one, which will be unveiled on BBC Radio 1 on Christmas Day. Here are some of the other contenders:\n\nThis YouTube post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on YouTube The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts. Skip youtube video by Liam Gallagher - Topic This article contains content provided by Google YouTube. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Google’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts.\n\nThis YouTube post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on YouTube The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts. Skip youtube video 2 by Jess Glynne This article contains content provided by Google YouTube. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Google’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts.\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "A woman who called 999 while being attacked by her boyfriend used a silent code to tell police she needed help but was unable to speak, a court heard.\n\nEmma Parkinson raised the alarm when she was kicked in the face by Alexander Boy at her home in Exeter.\n\nBoy, 25, of Station Road, Keswick, admitted battery and was jailed for 16 months at Exeter Crown Court.\n\nMiss Parkinson pressed 55 during the 999 call. This told the operator she was too scared or unable to speak.\n\nThe system, called the Silent Solution helps call handlers distinguish between nuisance and genuine calls.\n\nThe attack happened on 13 September after Boy had been drinking, the court heard.\n\nHe woke Miss Parkinson up at 04:00 GMT by sitting at the end of her bed and playing loud music on his phone.\n\nWhen she kicked him off the bed, he pulled her to the ground before kicking her in the face.\n\nBoy was arrested as he fled Miss Parkinson's flat and officers found her injured in her bedroom.\n\nMiss Parkinson was left with bruising all over her face and head, the court was told.\n\nAlexander Boy was jailed for 16 months at Exeter Crown Court\n\nAt the time of the attack, Boy was serving a suspended sentence for two previous attacks on Miss Parkinson.\n\nJudge Timothy Rose told Boy: \"You have a very worrying inability to control yourself in matters of domestic violence.\n\n\"This assault occurred when you were under the influence of alcohol, which makes it worse rather than better.\"\n\nHe imposed a seven-year restraining order banning any further contact with Miss Parkinson.\n\nIn a victim impact statement, Miss Parkinson said she was being treated for depression and felt embarrassed for ignoring advice from friends who warned her against resuming the relationship.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Ikea has apologised to customers after facing stock shortages due to the current congestion at UK ports.\n\nAngry shoppers complained they faced delays to orders and could not get through on the retailer's helpline.\n\nPorts have been hit by surging demand for imports caused by countries reopening after lockdown, Brexit stockpiling and the Christmas rush.\n\nIkea said it made orders for its flat-pack furniture harder to fulfil at a time of \"unprecedented demand\".\n\nOn Twitter, one angry customer said: \"My order is over a week late and @IKEAUKSupport will not reply to anything or update me on the status of the delivery.\"\n\nAnother said: \"@IKEAUKSupport Still waiting for a response for something broken when I opened my delivery... Been trying to sort this for 16 days and no response at all.\"\n\nSales at the Swedish retailer have boomed in lockdown as people spend more on doing up their homes.\n\nBut a spokeswoman said its supply chain - including the ports where its products are received - had been hit by the effects of Covid-19 and product availability had been impacted.\n\n\"These continue to be extraordinary times and we apologise unreservedly for the inconvenience caused to our customers,\" she added.\n\n\"We fully understand their frustration and want to assure them that we are working intensively to resolve these challenges as soon as possible.\"\n\nImports ranging from building materials to toys and fresh food have been held up due to the issues at ports, causing headaches for businesses.\n\nCarmaker Honda even had to pause production last week due to a shortage of components.\n\nOn Saturday, the British Ports Association said the issues were now \"cascading\", with long queues of traffic outside lorry ports becoming increasingly common.\n\nIts boss Richard Ballantyne blamed a \"perfect storm\" of surging global container movements, the busy pre-Christmas period and people moving more goods before the UK's Brexit transition ends.\n\n\"This is putting pressure on the logistics and storage sectors both in the UK and abroad,\" he said.\n\nSome have warned price rises are likely due to the problems.\n\nRyan Clark, director of the Essex-based freight forwarder Westbound Logistics Services, told the BBC last week: \"The increase in freight is either creating more expensive prices for the consumer, or unsustainability for businesses that will be forced to close where the onward price cannot be increased.\"", "Sizewell C (lighter grey on the right) would be built next to Sizewell B, which is still generating, and Sizewell A, which is being decommissioned\n\nThe government has begun talks with EDF about the construction of a new £20bn nuclear power plant in Suffolk.\n\nThe Sizewell C site could generate 3.2 gigawatts of electricity, enough to provide 7% of the UK's needs.\n\nBut it has proved controversial with campaigners saying it is \"ridiculously expensive\" and that taxpayers will have to foot the bill for extra costs.\n\nThe government said any deal would be subject to approval on areas such as value for money and affordability.\n\nEDF, the French energy giant, is also building the Hinkley Point C nuclear energy plant in Somerset in partnership with China General Nuclear Power.\n\nThe government said talks with EDF about Sizewell C would depend on the progress of the Hinkley Point C. However, that project is set to cost up to £2.9bn more than originally thought and will be up to 15 months late.\n\nChina General Nuclear Power has a 20% stake in Sizewell C but is thought to be planning to pull out after security concerns were raised about a Chinese state-owned company designing and running its own design nuclear reactor on UK soil.\n\nIf it does pull out, it would increase the need for new investors. One option could be for the government to take a stake in the plant.\n\nMonday's announcement is part of the long-awaited Energy White Paper, which ministers say will support up to 220,000 jobs over the next decade.\n\nThe paper sets out specific steps to cut emissions from industry, transport and buildings.\n\nThe policies should remove 230 million metric tonnes of emissions, which is equivalent to taking 7.5 million petrol cars off the road, the government says.\n\nThe paper outlines a policy to boost competition in the energy retail market to tackle the \"loyalty penalty\" in which long-standing customers pay more than new ones.\n\nIt will also provide at least £6.7bn in support to the fuel poor and most vulnerable over the next six years.Government in talks to fund £20bn nuclear plant\n\nThe government has always been clear that it remains committed to new nuclear power to meet its target of net zero emissions by 2050.\n\nWith other nuclear projects suffering recent setbacks, and an identical plant already under construction in Somerset, Sizewell was the clear front runner to get approval.\n\nThe high cost of big nuclear plants and the plummeting cost of renewables like offshore wind make a £20bn project like this controversial, but the enormous quantities of low carbon non-intermittent electricity it produces is considered by the government to be an essential part of the UK's future energy mix as existing nuclear plants are phased out.\n\nAny final decision to build the plant will be subject to a full regulatory and planning approval process. Some local opposition groups claim the project will damage the surrounding environment and important wildlife habitats, but there is also local support for the number of high quality jobs it will bring to an area which includes areas of high unemployment.\n\nCommenting on the talks with EDF, the government said they would hinge on how Hinkley Point C is progressing, \"and the developer's application of lessons learnt from Hinkley Point C across to Sizewell C from development and design, through construction and commissioning, and into operations\".\n\nHinkley Point is now estimated to cost between £21.5bn and £22.5bn, with EDF blaming \"challenging ground conditions\".\n\nIf the Sizewell C plant proceeds, it could create thousands of new jobs during construction and operation, the government said.\n\n\"We are starting negotiations with EDF, it is not a green light on the construction,\" Business and Energy Secretary Alok Sharma told the BBC's Today programme.\n\n\"The wind doesn't always blow and the sun doesn't always shine,\" he said - referring to the variability of renewable power.\n\nBusiness lobby group the CBI welcomed the news. \"Building new nuclear capacity will give us a vital tool to help meet our global climate obligations,\" said Rain Newton-Smith, CBI chief economist.\n\nThe Nuclear Industry Association's chief executive, Tom Greatrex said: \"Sizewell is a vital next step towards the net zero power mix we need for the future.\n\n\"As well as at least 60 years of constantly available clean electricity, this project will provide thousands of highly-skilled, well-paid and long-term jobs across the supply chain, at a time when they are badly needed.\"\n\nEDF is also building the Hinkley Point C nuclear plant in Somerset\n\nBut campaigners hit out at the plans.\n\n\"The idea that it could provide value for money is pie in the sky,\" said Alison Downes from the Stop Sizewell C campaign.\n\n\"Sizewell C remains too slow and expensive to help our climate emergency, and both the government and any pension funds considering the project must beware the reputational risk of investing in a still unproven reactor design.\"\n\nCaroline Lucas, Green MP for Brighton Pavilion, said: \"When renewables costs are plummeting, it's madness to waste £20bn on another nuclear white elephant,\n\n\"It will leave consumers with higher bills, destroy important habitats and unlikely to be online till the late 2030s.\"\n\nTalking about the energy white paper, Mr Sharma said: \"Today's plan establishes a decisive and permanent shift away from our dependence on fossil fuels, towards cleaner energy sources that will put our country at the forefront of the global green industrial revolution.\"\n\nThe paper says that electricity demand will double due to transport and low carbon heat.\n\nIt proposes that by the mid-2030s, all newly-installed heating systems should be low carbon or to be able to be converted to a clean fuel supply.\n\nCo-incidentally, on Monday the government faced criticism over two existing climate policies.\n\nThe Commons Environmental Audit Committee said the recently-imposed Green Homes Grant to help householders insulate their homes faced serious problems.\n\nIt said most people had difficulty using the website, and many could not find a contractor to install insulation.\n\nSeparately, the UK Energy Research Centre - a government-funded consortium of academics - said the government's policy of banning the sales of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030 was insufficient.\n\nIt said ministers needed to tax such vehicles heavily now, or people would still be buying them in 2029 and running them for a couple of decades.", "More than 127,000 people in the UK who contracted coronavirus have lost their lives - with the pandemic claiming more than 3.4 million deaths worldwide. As the UK marks a year since the first coronavirus lockdown was called, it's a time for reflection.\n\nWe have gathered tributes to more than 770 of those who have died. Below are words of remembrance from friends, family and colleagues.\n\nPlease enable JavaScript or upgrade your browser to see this interactive\n\nThe tributes are displayed at random, which means that you will see different faces each time you visit this page.\n\nIf we have used your tribute to your friend or family member, it will appear in the carousel above, or you can find it by entering their name in the search box below.\n\nA modern browser with JavaScript and a stable internet connection is required to view this interactive. Enter a name to search the tributes\n\nFor more on NHS and healthcare workers, please see this page dedicated to 100 people who died while helping to look after others.\n\nFor more on how it has affected people's lives, from family tragedy to its impact on everyday life, we have a collection of personal stories about life in lockdown.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Nelson said it was time to \"embark on a new chapter\"\n\nJesy Nelson has left Little Mix, saying being part of the pop group had \"taken a toll on my mental health\".\n\nShe explained: \"I find the constant pressure of being in a girl group and living up to expectations very hard.\"\n\nWriting on Instagram, the 29-year-old said being in the band had been \"the most incredible time\" but it was now time to \"embark on a new chapter\".\n\nHer former bandmates said it was \"an incredibly sad time for all of us but we are fully supportive of Jesy\".\n\nThe news comes a month after Nelson said she was taking an \"extended\" break from the pop group for \"private medical reasons\".\n\nLeigh-Anne Pinnock, Perrie Edwards and Jade Thirlwall performed as a trio on Strictly Come Dancing at the weekend.\n\nLittle Mix formed on The X Factor in 2011\n\nIn her statement, Nelson said she had made her decision \"after much consideration and with a heavy heart\".\n\n\"I need to spend some time with the people I love, doing things that make me happy,\" the singer continued.\n\nThe remaining members added: \"We know that Jesy leaving the group is going to be really upsetting news for our fans.\n\n\"We love her very much and agree that it is so important that she does what is right for her mental health and well-being.\"\n\nThey said they were \"still very much enjoying our Little Mix journey\" and would continue as a trio.\n\nLittle Mix formed on The X Factor in 2011 and have gone on to record six UK top 10 albums and four number one singles. They are currently number five in the chart with their hit Sweet Melody.\n\nLast year, Nelson was widely praised for discussing her mental health struggles in a BBC Three documentary.\n\nThe group were recently seen looking for a new backing band to join them on tour in the BBC One talent show Little Mix: The Search.\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.\n• None BBC Three - Jesy Nelson: 'Odd One Out'", "Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Monday evening. We'll have another update for tomorrow morning.\n\nLondon, as well as parts of Essex and Hertfordshire, will move into tier three - England's highest tier of coronavirus restrictions - from 00:01 GMT on Wednesday. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said action had to be taken immediately to slow surging rates of infection. Tier three restrictions mean pubs and restaurants must close except for takeaway and delivery services. The changes will affect Greater London, the south and west of Essex (Basildon, Brentwood, Harlow, Epping Forest, Castle Point, Rochford, Maldon, Braintree and Chelmsford, along with Thurrock and Southend-On-Sea borough councils), and the south of Hertfordshire (Broxbourne, Hertsmere, Watford and the Three Rivers local authority). You can read more about England's different tiers and what they mean here.\n\nThe surge in cases in the south-east of England may in part be due to a new variant of coronavirus. The health secretary said at least 60 different local authorities in England have recorded Covid infections caused by the new variant. He said the World Health Organization had been notified and the Porton Down science laboratory was doing detailed studies - but added there was \"nothing to suggest\" it caused worse disease or that vaccines would no longer work. \"We've currently identified over 1,000 cases with this variant predominantly in the south of England, although cases have been identified in nearly 60 different local authority areas,\" he told MPs. BBC medical editor Fergus Walsh said the new variant was \"nothing to panic about now, but absolutely right that the geneticists at Porton Down and elsewhere do all the due diligence and look at this\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. A new variant of Covid could be speeding up the spread of cases in parts of south east England, says Matt Hancock.\n\nMeanwhile, people in Scotland have been urged to \"cut down on unnecessary contacts\" now if they plan to meet up with relatives at Christmas. Rules on household meetings are being eased across the UK between 23 and 27 December, allowing up to eight people from three households to meet indoors. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said those who choose to do this should cut contacts now to be as safe as possible. She said the \"best Christmas gift we can give family and friends\" is to \"keep our distance and keep them safe\". Ms Sturgeon also urged people not to hold office Christmas parties, saying they present a \"real risk of transmission\". You can read more about the UK's Christmas Covid rules here.\n\nThe first Covid vaccinations approved for public use in the US are expected to take place in the coming hours, with high-risk healthcare workers set to be first in line. Millions of frozen vials of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine are being distributed, with almost 150 hospitals expected to receive doses on Monday. The US - where Covid deaths are nearing 300,000 - is gearing up for its largest ever vaccination campaign, with the aim of reaching 100 million people by April. The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine received emergency-use authorisation from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Friday.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nA series of paintings of NHS workers who have put their \"life on the line\" during the pandemic pay \"tribute\" to their bravery, their creator has said. Aliza Nisenbaum used photos and Zoom calls to create portraits of nurses, doctors, porters and a hospital chaplain for Tate Liverpool. She said they were about how workers \"balance life\" on the front line. Nurse Ann Taylor said she took part \"on a whim\", having been drawn by the chance to have \"my 15 minutes of fame\". Nisenbaum, who is known for her bright, large-scale portraits of people and community groups, created the works in her New York studio, using video calls and photographs to get to know her subjects.\n\nThe exhibition includes two large group pieces and 11 individual portraits\n\nFind more information, advice and guides on our coronavirus page.\n\nPlus, many of us are hoping to return to the office in 2021, but workplace air quality is a growing concern. What are employers and tech companies doing to improve it?\n\nWhat questions do you have about coronavirus?\n\nIn some cases, your question will be published, displaying your name, age and location as you provide it, unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published. Please ensure you have read our terms & conditions and privacy policy.\n\nUse this form to ask your question:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or send them via email to YourQuestions@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any question you send in.", "Les Miserables: The Staged Concert opened on 5 December in the West End\n\nLondon theatres have been given the \"devastating news\" that they must shut again as the city moves into England's highest tier of Covid-19 restrictions.\n\nA number of West End shows had restarted over the last two weeks.\n\nThe Society of London Theatre said the move would cause \"catastrophic financial difficulties\" for venues, producers and thousands of workers.\n\nCulture Secretary Oliver Dowden said he knew it would have a \"huge impact\" but that the government \"must act quickly\".\n\nThe measures mean Tuesday night will see the last live performances in London for an indefinite period.\n\nThe Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited Pantoland at the London Palladium on Friday\n\nSocially distanced performances to smaller audiences had been allowed in London since the last national lockdown ended.\n\nShows that had opened included Six the Musical, Love Letters, Everybody's Talking About Jamie and a concert version of Les Miserables starring Michael Ball and Alfie Boe.\n\n\"It was nice while it lasted,\" tweeted Carrie Hope Fletcher, who was also part of the Les Miserables cast at the Sondheim Theatre.\n\nProducer Sir Cameron Mackintosh, whose shows include Les Miserables, said the government's \"sudden volt[e] face\" was \"devastating for both the theatre and the economy\".\n\n\"The constant changes of rules and advice we have received is impossible for any business to react to,\" he continued. \"Where is the leadership this government promised?\"\n\nHe now had \"no idea when theatres are to be allowed to reopen\", he added.\n\nAndrew Lloyd Webber, who owns the London Palladium, said it seemed \"arbitrary and unfair\" that theatre performances were being banned while shopping could continue. But he said he \"reluctantly\" agrees with the decision to put London into tier three.\n\nPantoland at the Palladium, starring Julian Clary, Elaine Paige, Ashley Banjo and Nigel Havers, was among the other shows to have opened. On Friday, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge took their three children to a special performance of the production.\n\nProducer Michael Harrison announced on Twitter that its \"final\" two performances would take place on Tuesday and criticised the government's \"yo-young approach on advice\".\n\nHe said: \"It is not possible for any business to function in an environment where our leaders seem to have no idea how our country will look from one week to the next.\"\n\nThe National Theatre will also have to close Dick Whittington, only the second pantomime it has ever staged.\n\nActress Elaine Paige said she was disappointed that the theatre has to close, asking in a tweet why it was theatres were closing when Tube journeys and flights were still allowed.\n\n\"These rules are illogical,\" she said. \"The audience response shows how desperate they are for 2hrs of escapism. If its so terrible - cancel Christmas!\"\n\nThe Society of London Theatre's chief executive Julian Bird said the announcement was \"devastating news for the city's world-leading theatre industry\".\n\n\"The past few days have seen venues beginning to reopen with high levels of Covid security, welcoming back enthusiastic, socially distanced audiences,\" he said.\n\n\"Theatres across London will now be forced to postpone or cancel planned performances, causing catastrophic financial difficulties for venues, producers and thousands of industry workers.\"\n\nDeath Drop at the Garrick Theatre is another show affected\n\nHe urged the government to \"recognise the huge strain this has placed on the sector and look at rapid compensation to protect theatres and their staff over Christmas in all areas of the country\" that are in tier three.\n\nMr Dowden said the rules had been tightened because the capital's rising coronavirus figures were \"deeply concerning\".\n\nThe remaining £400m from the government's Culture Recovery Fund would \"be there to help those affected by [the] changes\", he promised.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Oliver Dowden This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nJon Morgan, director of the Theatres Trust, called London's move into tier three \"a disaster\" for the sector.\n\n\"Theatres have worked incredibly hard to create safe environments for audiences and through no fault of their own will now face enormous financial losses,\" he said.\n\nHe called for a government-backed insurance scheme for theatres, a request that was echoed by Sonia Friedman, producer of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and other shows.\n\nShe said: \"London going into tier three is yet another blow for British theatre - one it simply cannot afford after a brutal year, and one that both could and should have been avoided.\n\n\"This feels like a final straw,\" she said of the latest measures, calling them \"proof that this government does not understand theatre and the existential crisis it is facing\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Behind the scenes at the Arts Theatre in London to meet the sassy women in King Henry VIII's life\n\nThe producers of Six the Musical said it was \"frustrating that our industry has been sidelined once again and an already hard hit sector will have to try and survive with no income for a further period of uncertainty\".\n\nAndy Barnes and Kenny Wax said they and their fellow producers were \"being penalised for reopening the sector and rejuvenating the West End\".\n\nThe move into tier three will also see cinemas and other entertainment venues forced to close their doors.\n\nThe measures will have an impact on the UK release of Wonder Woman 1984, which is due to hit cinemas on Wednesday.\n\nA government spokesperson pointed to its £1.57bn Culture Recovery Fund and said it remains \"completely committed\" to supporting the arts industry during the pandemic.\n\nThey added: \"We held back £400m of contingency funding so we could respond to the changing public health context and will now use it to support organisations facing financial distress as a result of closure, as well as helping them transition back to fuller opening in the spring.\"\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "Coronavirus cases in one part of Wales are increasing at an \"alarming rate\", a health board has said.\n\nAneurin Bevan health board said its hospitals were under \"significant\" pressure due to Covid patient numbers.\n\nIt had already announced it would be halting outpatient appointments and non-urgent planned surgery from Monday.\n\nThe stark warning comes as First Minister Mark Drakeford said Wales' NHS was in danger of becoming the \"national coronavirus service\".\n\nOn Saturday, the day the number of positive Covid-19 tests passed 100,000 in Wales, the family of Ted Edwards, 73, from Monmouthshire, said they were \"really concerned\" after he spent more than 19 hours in an ambulance outside the Grange University Hospital in Cwmbran.\n\nThe Welsh Ambulance Service said it was \"facing high demand\" across the country \"with acute pressure\" around the hospital leading to \"some long delays with patients on our ambulances\".\n\nThe health board said: \"The number of Covid positive patients in our communities is increasing at an alarming rate and we need everyone to play their part to ensure our services are available for when our sickest patients need them.\"\n\nWeekly infection rates across the five south Wales counties the health board covers averaged about 550 cases for every 100,000 people.\n\nMeanwhile, Swansea Bay University Health Board tweeted that it now has nearly 240 Covid-19 patients in its hospitals, with a warning infection rates in its communities were \"exceptionally high\".\n\nSpeaking about the threat faced by the NHS, Mr Drakeford said unless \"we take all the action we can [not just] as a government, but as a population\", even more restrictions would be \"unavoidable\".\n\n\"The huge danger here is that we transform our National Health Service into a national coronavirus service.\n\n\"If the numbers continue to go up as they are, then we will end up diverting our staff resources away from all the things that we expect and need them to do, simply to take care of an ever-rising number of people who are so ill with this dreadful disease that they have to be looked after in hospital.\n\n\"We need our health service to be able to respond to all those other things that happen in people's lives in Wales.\n\n\"If the numbers continue to escalate in the way they are then, even more restrictions straight after Christmas seem to me to be unavoidable,\" he told BBC Radio Wales' Sunday Supplement.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. This map shows how cases per 100,000 people across the 22 council areas in Wales have changed by day over the last two months\n\nHe has previously said the coronavirus situation was \"very difficult\" but not out of control.\n\nLast month, a senior doctor said in an email, seen by BBC Wales, that she had \"huge concerns\" about patient safety ahead of the Grange hospital opening four months ahead of schedule.\n\nBut Mr Drakeford told BBC Politics Wales \"it was the right thing to open a hospital that was ready to open\".\n\n\"Imagine what it would be like in Aneurin Bevan [health board area] if we didn't have all the beds that are available today in the Grange hospital in addition to what is available,\" he added.\n\nMultiple ambulances were parked outside the Grange hospital on Sunday morning", "Sadiq Khan wants all students to be tested for Covid-19\n\nLondon's mayor has urged the government to ask all secondary schools and colleges in the capital to shut early ahead of Christmas.\n\nIn a letter to ministers, Sadiq Khan said he also wanted schools to reopen later in January amid \"significant\" Covid outbreaks in 10 to 19-year-olds.\n\nIt comes as the BBC was told London was likely to move into tier three.\n\nGreenwich and Islington councils are the first in England to urge schools to switch this week to online learning.\n\nCouncil officials in Greenwich have advised schools to shut from the end of Monday, although some academies will remain open, while Islington schools have been asked to move online from the end of Tuesday.\n\nA spokesman for the Department for Education said it was \"vital\" children remained in school until the end of term.\n\nThe prime minister's official spokesman said not being in school had \"a detrimental impact on learning and other areas of pupils' development\".\n\nRegional school commissioner teams were working closely with local authorities to\" keep schools open and keep pupils and staff safe,\" he added.\n\nSadiq Khan also urged the government to make face coverings mandatory in busy outdoor public spaces\n\nMr Khan described the surge in Covid-19 cases in London \"deeply concerning\" and that in the last week, there had been a 75% increase in those aged 10-19 testing positive for the virus.\n\nHe said \"if the government isn't careful these children will pass on the virus to really vulnerable people because the rules are relaxed\" over Christmas.\n\n\"My message to the government is if you can't keep the schools Covid safe in the last few days before Christmas, it's better to err on the side of caution and revert to online teaching for these few days.\"\n\nIn the letter, also sent to the prime minister, he said he wanted regular asymptomatic testing to be extended to everyone who could not work form home as well as students and staff at London's secondary schools, sixth-form college and further education colleges.\n\nHe has also called for face coverings to be made mandatory in busy outdoor public spaces, \"given the numbers on our high streets in the run-up to Christmas\".\n\n\"The rollout of the vaccine has provided some light at the end of what has been a very dark tunnel, but this is no time to be complacent and we cannot let so many months of compromise and sacrifice go to waste,\" he said.\n\n\"Time is running out to get the virus under control in our city which is why I urge the government to heed my call and provide us with the extra support we desperately need. Londoners always work together - and together our city will get through the winter and can look forward to better times ahead.\"\n\nMr Khan said if London went into further restrictions, the current financial support offered by the government would be \"insufficient to keep many businesses and the self-employed afloat\".\n\nHe warned if the capital moved to tier three, UK Hospitality predicted £2.7bn could be wiped off London's hospitality industry, with 160,000 jobs permanently at risk.\n\nMr Khan said that if London moved to tier three, UK Hospitality had warned £2.7bn could be wiped off the capital's hospitality industry\n\n\"Theatres and venues in London have begun to reopen, many for the first time since March and after making their venues as safe as possible,\" he wrote.\n\n\"Several major Christmas theatre productions are scheduled in December and January in the West End alone. Last-minute cancellations of these could prove ruinous.\"\n\nMr Khan said before any additional restrictions are imposed, ministers must set up a compensation scheme for all lost income during the crucial festive period based on last year's returns.\n\nHe added workers required to self-isolate must also receive full pay and not just statutory sick pay.\n\nA spokesman for the Department for Education said: \"Schools, colleges and early years settings across the country have worked tremendously hard to put protective measures in place that are helping reduce the risk of the virus being transmitted.\"\n\nThe Regional Schools Commissioner for the South East of England and South London would be continuing discussions with Greenwich, he added.\n\nLast week it was announced all pupils, their families and teachers in parts of London, Kent and Essex should take a Covid test with extra mobile testing units brought in.\n\nIt comes as east London and parts of Kent and Essex became some of England's major coronavirus hotspots.\n\nThree in four boroughs in the city have registered an increase in Covid-19 cases, figures released last week from the Office of National Statistics show.\n\nKevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the National Education Union, said it supported Greenwich Council and the mayor in their call for schools to move to online learning.\n\nHe said: \"The government should have been planning for this weeks ago.\n\n\"They have now started to recognise the blindingly obvious fact that transmission is happening in schools and that this can spread to families. But the government now needs to act.\n\n\"Much more is needed to control the virus in schools and to protect communities.\"\n\nA spokesman for the Department for Education said it was \"vital\" children remained in school until the end of term\n\nParents outside Robert Owen Nursery School and Christ Church Church of England Primary School, both in Greenwich, reacted to the news schools in the borough would be closing early.\n\nOne mother said: \"I really feel for the kids.\n\n\"After a pretty up and down year, a year that hasn't been the best, it would be nice to end the year with a couple of parties but I completely understand and I think the nursery does a great job.\"\n\nOne mother said: \"It's 2.5 days, so I don't see what difference this is really going to make and I think the timing of it is really, really bad.\n\n\"I'm on maternity at the moment but if I was working, it's just too short notice to get any kind of childcare arrangements in place.\"\n\nOne father added: \"I think the timing might be right as a lot of people will be gathering for Christmas and it takes 10 to 14 days to show up so it may be damage limitation.\n\n\"I hope it will have an impact. If not, then it's just political.\"", "A woman in Byron Bay had to rescue her dog, who was lost under a sea of foam, as wild weather batters Australia's east coast.\n\nByron Bay's famous beach has all but disappeared, and more than 2,000 homes in the cities were out of electricity on Monday after strong winds struck power lines.", "Tourists and scientists gathered at an observation site in Argentina's Neuquen province to watch a total solar eclipse.\n\nThe spectacle was visible from a 90km corridor spanning Chile's southern Pacific coast, across the Andean mountain range, and into Argentina.\n\nThe eclipse is the second to be visible in South America in 18 months, though poor weather conditions in Chile affected the visibility of the phenomenon when the moon passes between the sun and Earth.", "Buildings and roads make up the majority of human-made mass\n\nScientists say the weight of human-made objects will likely exceed that of living things by the end of the year.\n\nIn other words, the combined weight of all the plastic, bricks, concrete and other things we've made in the world will outweigh all animals and plants on the planet for the first time.\n\nThe estimated weight of human-made objects is about one teratonne.\n\nFor every person in the world, more than their body weight in stuff is now being produced each week.\n\nThese astonishing figures have been calculated by a team at the Weizmann Institute of Sciences in Rehovot, Israel, to show how our species is transforming the Earth.\n\n\"The significance is symbolic in the sense that it tells us something about the major role that humanity now plays in shaping the world and the state of the Earth around us,\" Dr Ron Milo, who led the research, told BBC News.\n\n\"It is a reason for all of us to ponder our role, how much consumption we do and how can we try to get a better balance between the living world and humanity.\"\n\nSince the first agricultural revolution, humans have halved plant biomass\n\nThe scientists worked out the combined mass of all human-made stuff from 1900 to the present day and compared this with the weight of all the living things on the planet (known as biomass).\n\nFrom plastic bottles to the bricks and concretes we use for buildings and roads, the weight of all the things we produce has been doubling every 20 years recently.\n\nAt the same time, the weight of living things has been falling, mainly due to the loss of plant life in forests and natural spaces.\n\nThe scientists knew at some point we would reach a crossover point. And according to their estimates, 2020 is the year when human-made mass from the likes of roads, buildings and machines, will likely overtake that of all the living things in the world.\n\nThe exact timing is sensitive to definitions, so there may be some variability in the estimates by a few years either side, they say.\n\nBut if we continue as we are, by 2040, the weight of all human-made stuff will have almost tripled from 1.1 teratonnes (1,100,000,000,000 tonnes) to about three teratonnes.\n\nBuildings and roads make up the majority of human-made mass\n\nThis means humanity is now producing stuff at a rate of more than 30 gigatonnes (30,000,000,000 tonnes) per year.\n\nThe research, published in Nature, is further evidence that we have entered a new geological age, known as the Anthropocene, where humanity's impacts on Earth will be visible in sediments and rocks millions of years into the future.\n\nThe formal start date could be the 1950s, which marks the beginning of the \"Great Acceleration\", when the human population and its consumption patterns suddenly speeded up.\n\nIt coincides with the spread of ubiquitous materials, such as aluminium, concrete and plastic.", "Owners of weapons such as knives, knuckle-dusters and rifles are being offered cash to hand them in to police.\n\nThe Offensive Weapons Act comes into force next year, and items banned under it can be surrendered under a three-month scheme in England and Wales.\n\nCompensation for lawful owners ranges from £2 to £5,105 for each item - but the total value of a claim must be at least £30.\n\nThe National Police Chiefs Council said the scheme would make streets safer.\n\nIt was already illegal to possess a knife or offensive weapon in public, but the new law makes it unlawful to possess certain rapid-firing rifles, specific types of knives and other offensive weapons in private.\n\nWhile the overall scheme applies to England and Wales, compensation will also be offered in Scotland and Northern Ireland but only firearms will be covered by those schemes.\n\nCrime and policing minister Kit Malthouse said the weapons in question had \"a high potential for causing harm\".\n\n\"Every item surrendered is one which can no longer fall into the hands of criminals,\" he added.\n\nThe Offensive Weapons Act was introduced by the government in response to a spike in serious violence, including knife crime.\n\nAs well as prohibiting the possession of dangerous weapons in private, it also made it a criminal offence to sell bladed products online without verifying the buyer was aged over 18.\n\nGraham McNulty, deputy assistant commissioner of the Metropolitan Police - who also acts as lead officer on knife crime for the NPCC - said: \"The surrender scheme will enable us to remove dangerous weapons off the streets and assist in keeping our communities safe.\n\n\"Every weapon removed is possibly a life saved and I urge people to please help us make our streets safer.\"\n\nPatrick Green, CEO of the Ben Kinsella Trust, said he welcomed the initiative and urged owners to come forward \"so that these knives can be disposed of in a safe and responsible way\".\n\n\"Knuckle-dusters, disguised knives, and zombie knives serve no useful purpose other than to cause harm or kill,\" he said.\n\n\"These knives have no place in our society and bring misery to thousands of families every year.\"", "The new options could see outpatient clinics close and non-urgent cancer treatment cancelled\n\n'Difficult choices' will have to be made by the NHS this winter, the health minister has admitted.\n\nVaughan Gething said Covid is spreading at an \"alarming rate\" as latest figures show a record number of patients in Welsh hospitals with Covid-19.\n\nIn a written statement, the minister set out a range of options which local health boards could implement if the pressures continue to rise.\n\nOther options include closing community dental services and postponing other planned treatments.\n\nBy issuing a written statement, the health minister has given permission for health boards to take these actions if there is a risk of becoming overwhelmed in the coming weeks - and so that staff can be redeployed to prioritise emergency care.\n\nIn March, the Welsh Government suspended almost all non-emergency care in anticipation of the first Covid wave.\n\nDuring the second wave, the NHS has been trying to keep as many of those services going in so far as possible.\n\nHowever some non-urgent treatments may soon be put on hold.\n\nVaughan Gething said: \"We are collectively growing increasingly concerned about the potential risk of harm to patients who require access to essential healthcare services.\n\n\"The framework of actions for local consideration by NHS organisations is intended to mitigate the potential risk of harm in the system.\n\n\"These actions will ease the pressures on the NHS by allowing for services and beds to be reallocated and for staff to be redeployed to priority areas.\n\n\"As well as taking individual actions set within a local context, I also expect NHS organizations to work together to ensure the resilience of the emergency response beyond their own boundaries.\"\n\nThe Welsh Ambulance Service is asking for the public to \"play their part\" and only call 999 or attend A&E if they are seriously sick or injured.\n\nChief Executive Jason Killens said: \"Winter is our busiest period, and this year we also have a global pandemic to contend with, and now rising rates of infection in our communities.\n\n\"We need to manage people's expectations about what service they'll get if they call for an ambulance.\"\n\nIn a joint statement unions representing, doctors, nurses and other front-line health care staff said they have significant concerns about the impact the five-day relaxation of rules over the Christmas period will have on infection rates and the NHS's ability to cope.\n\nThey said staff are 'beyond exhausted' and a potential third wave of the virus could prove too much for staff.\n\nThe Joint Health Trade Unions said: \"If pressure on the service continues to increase, we must be realistic about what it will mean for patients in hospitals where every bed is full - making treatment difficult and waiting lists longer.\n\n\"We are not seeking to change the decision that has been made about Christmas, but we have a responsibility to help minimise any impact on the health service and its staff and patients.\n\n\"Staff are truly exhausted, mentally and physically, and they are extremely concerned about what January will bring.\n\n\"All we ask, as we have done throughout the pandemic, is that when you make your choices about Christmas, you take the risk seriously and minimise contact as much as possible. Covid-19 has not gone away.\"\n\nHowever the Wales Cancer Alliance said cancelling of non-urgent cancer treatment was worrying time for patients.\n\nTenovus Cancer Care charity has urged the Welsh Government to explore \"all options\" to avoid delays to diagnostic and treatment.\n\nJudi Rhys, chief executive, said: \"We risk swapping COVID-19 deaths avoided today for unnecessary cancer deaths in a few years' time.\"", "GMP faced \"unprecedented challenges\" during the first Covid lockdown, a senior officer said\n\nEngland's second-largest police force failed to record about 80,000 crimes in a year and closed cases without proper investigation, a watchdog has found.\n\nInspectors said Greater Manchester Police's (GMP) service to victims of crime was a \"serious cause of concern\".\n\nHM Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) said about 220 crimes a day went unrecorded in the year up to June 2020.\n\nVictim support charities said it was \"shocking\" while the Greater Manchester mayor apologised on GMP's behalf.\n\nIn the 12-month period reviewed by inspectors, it was estimated the force had recorded 77.7% of reported crimes, a drop of 11.3% from 2018.\n\nHMIC's report said about one in five of all crimes and one in four violent crimes reported to GMP were not recorded.\n\nThe review also found officers prematurely closed some investigations on the basis the victim did not support police action.\n\nInspector Zoe Billingham said she was \"deeply troubled\" by the frequency of closed cases without a full investigation.\n\n\"In too many of these cases, the force did not properly record evidence that the victim supported this decision,\" she said.\n\nInspector Zoe Billingham said she was \"deeply troubled\" by the number of cases closed without full investigation\n\nThis was particularly evident in cases of domestic abuse, where seven in 10 were closed on this basis, Ms Billingham said.\n\nShe said it was \"simply not good enough\" that, despite being urged by the watchdog to improve in 2016, \"concerns have not been addressed for over four years\".\n\nMs Billingham did, however, acknowledge the force was taking action and had made a \"marked improvement\" in its recording of serious sexual offences and rapes.\n\nA further inspection will take place in six months.\n\nCharity Independent Choices said victims of domestic violence were \"extremely vulnerable\"\n\nIndependent Choices in Greater Manchester said: \"It's extremely shocking for us, as a domestic abuse charity, to hear that 70% of all domestic abuse cases were closed prematurely by GMP.\"\n\nJo Roberts, manager of the charity, said: \"Victims of domestic abuse are extremely vulnerable and it takes so much courage to seek help in the first place so it is vital they get the right support and help when they report cases to the police.\n\n\"This could discourage victims from reporting incidents in future, potentially putting their lives in danger.\"\n\nWomen's Aid said it was alarmed by the findings too.\n\nIt was \"crucial\" police and wider justice system listen and respond to the wishes and needs of survivors of domestic violence, Lucy Hadley, head of policy and campaigns said.\n\n\"Survivors and our member services continue to make clear that perpetrators of coercive and controlling behaviour are still not being held accountable - and, as today's report shows, a very high proportion of unrecorded crimes in the Greater Manchester Police region involved coercive control.\"\n\n\"This means that patterns of abuse and harm are not being investigated, and opportunities to support survivors are missed.\"\n\nFailing to report domestic abuse has \"a knock-on effect for future victims,\" Jane Gregory from the Salford Survivor Project said.\n\nThe abuse will not be recorded on Clare's Law register, she said, \"it may put other victims at risk\".\n\nThe scheme - named after Clare Wood, 36, from Salford who was murdered by her ex-boyfriend with a record of violence against women in 2009 - allows the police to disclose information on request about a partner's previous history of domestic violence.\n\nSarah Lewis, Greater Manchester Victim Support manager, said: \"We want victims to know we are here to support them regardless of whether they have reported an incident to the police.\n\n\"More needs to be done to strengthen victims' trust in the process so that they are not suffering in silence and feel supported and listened to when reporting crimes.\"\n\nGMP Chief Constable Ian Hopkins said the force had \"robust plans\" to address the issues\n\nDeputy Chief Constable Ian Pilling said the force was \"disappointed... particularly where we have let victims down\".\n\nHe said GMP had a long-term \"robust\" strategic plan to address the issues raised and \"secure the best possible outcomes for victims\".\n\nThe inspection had coincided with the implementation of a troubled computer system and \"unprecedented challenges posed by the first Covid lockdown\", he added.\n\nHe said: \"I would like to say sorry to all of the victims of crime who have found that the service has not been good enough.\n\n\"We owe it to them to improve and we will and we will do it fast.\"\n\nThe region's deputy mayor for policing Bev Hughes said the findings were \"extremely disappointing\".\n\nShe added that she had \"communicated my feelings\" to the force's Chief Constable Ian Hopkins, \"who must now move quickly to make improvements\".\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk\n\nHave you been affected by the issues raised in this story? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.\n• None HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Joe Biden (right) is \"deeply proud\" of Hunter Biden (left), the president-elect's transition team says\n\nUS President-elect Joe Biden's son Hunter has said his tax affairs are under investigation.\n\nThe investigation is being conducted by federal prosecutors in Delaware. US media quote sources saying it relates to business dealings with foreign countries including China.\n\nHunter Biden said he was confident he would be shown to have done no wrong.\n\nThe Biden-Harris transition team said the president-elect was \"deeply proud of his son\".\n\nA statement from the team said Hunter had \"fought through difficult challenges, including the vicious personal attacks of recent months, only to emerge stronger\".\n\nThe 50-year-old said he had learned of the investigation on Tuesday. He did not disclose any further details.\n\n\"I take this matter very seriously but I am confident that a professional and objective review of these matters will demonstrate that I handled my affairs legally and appropriately, including with the benefit of professional tax advisers,\" he said.\n\nReports say the investigation was begun in 2018, before Joe Biden announced his bid for the presidency.\n\nHunter Biden was a frequent target of Republican criticism during the 2020 election campaign, focusing on his business dealings in Ukraine and China when Joe Biden was vice-president in the Barack Obama administration.\n\nLast December, President Donald Trump was impeached by the Democratic-run House of Representatives on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress stemming from his attempts to pressure Ukraine to investigate the Bidens.\n\nBut Mr Trump was cleared by the Republican-held Senate in February.\n\nThe new investigation into Hunter Biden's tax affairs comes as his father assembles his cabinet. If the case is still ongoing when Mr Biden is sworn into office next month, his pick for attorney general could have oversight of the investigation, AP notes.\n\nThe presidential election is over, but it seems President-elect Joe Biden's son Hunter - a regular target of Republican attacks during the campaign - is going to stay in the news.\n\nThe revelation that Hunter is under tax investigation is not entirely surprising. There have been hints of such an inquiry for months. With official confirmation, however, comes further scrutiny - and potential political headaches for the president-elect.\n\nIf Republicans maintain control of the US Senate, hearings into Hunter's finances - and any ties to President Biden - are a foregone conclusion. And if the investigation turns into formal charges, political concerns for the Biden family could turn into very real legal ones.\n\nWhile Donald Trump's critics will be quick to accuse the outgoing president of orchestrating this investigation as political reprisal, the US attorney behind it - David Weiss of Delaware - is a veteran prosecutor. Although he was appointed by the current president, Weiss also worked as a deputy in the office, and as interim US attorney, during Democrat Barack Obama's presidency.\n\nHunter Biden, in a statement, says he acted \"legally and appropriately\". If so, this matter will eventually fade from view. Being under the federal criminal microscope, however, is never a pleasant affair.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. \"Masking, vaccinations, opening schools\": Joe Biden's key goals for his first 100 days\n• None What was Hunter Biden doing in China and Ukraine?", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Split opinion among parents on removing children from school in the run up to Christmas\n\nFears of families having to self-isolate over Christmas has prompted some parents to pull their children out of school before the end of term.\n\nMost Welsh local authorities have said schools should remain open until 18 December, despite calls from some unions to end lessons early.\n\nHowever Bridgend will follow Caerphilly and Rhondda Cynon Taf councils in closing schools early on 16 December.\n\nPupils in Blaenau Gwent will have their last day in the classroom on Wednesday.\n\nThe area recorded the highest Covid-19 infection rates in Wales last week, with pupils set to be taught online until 18 December.\n\nVictoria Rosser said there was \"a lot of pressure on parents\"\n\nFamilies with children have been told they should consider \"pre-isolating\" at home for 10 days before Christmas if they are planning to see elderly relatives, in a report by the Welsh Government's Technical Advisory Group (TAG) on Tuesday.\n\nBut Health Minister Vaughan Gething said harm had been done to children when schools were closed, particularly vulnerable children, highlighting the mental health impact particularly among secondary school age children.\n\nFormer primary school teacher Victoria Rosser, 34, from Cwmbran, is taking her children, aged five and eight, out of school a week early.\n\n\"There is a lot of pressure on parents. I feel the pressure immensely,\" she said.\n\n\"The children would be devastated if they came into contact with another child next week who was positive. It would mean isolating throughout the Christmas period.\n\n\"It would mean they couldn't see their grandparents over Christmas. I'm also worried they could pass it on to their grandparents.\"\n\nThe mother-of-four said she was also worried about her own auto-immune condition and her newborn daughter's health.\n\nShe said she informed her children's school she would not be sending them in next week, despite schools in Torfaen remaining open until 18 December.\n\n\"It's enough time to make sure they don't come into contact with any positive cases over the next two weeks and make sure they're nice and safe on Christmas Day to see family,\" she added.\n\n\"I've heard of a lot of families doing this. At the moment I think lots of parents would like to take their children out for the final week.\"\n\nSamantha and Daniel Pearce said news their daughter Hazel, 10, would be at home after Wednesday came \"totally out of the blue\"\n\nNic Cooke, 35, also from Cwmbran, has made the same decision for her seven and 11-year-old.\n\n\"We've had a lot of things spoiled for us and have had adapt to new ways of life this year due to Covid. I'm not letting them spoil Christmas,\" she said.\n\n\"If I sent my children in the last week of term and they needed to isolate then Christmas wouldn't be the same as we couldn't spend it with our family.\"\n\nFirst Minister Mark Drakeford has said schools were among the safest places for children to be during the pandemic.\n\nCaerphilly and Rhondda Cynon Taf councils are planning to close schools a few days before the end of term. Schools in Blaenau Gwent will be the earliest in Wales to stop physical teaching, nine days before the end of term.\n\nKimberley Lloyd is an NHS worker and mother-of-three from Swffrydd in Blaenau Gwent.\n\nShe said her children's school was not providing a hub for keyworker's children which had created a childcare problem.\n\n\"It's left us in a really difficult situation,\" she told BBC Radio Wales.\n\n\"I do understand the teachers' welfare and welfare of students - nobody wants to self-isolate over Christmas but my job doesn't stop tomorrow, my husband's job doesn't stop tomorrow…\n\n\"I really don't understand where the decision has come from and why it's been made.\"\n\nDaniel and Samantha Pearce said the news their daughter Hazel, 10, would be at home after Wednesday came \"totally out of the blue\".\n\nMrs Pearce, 34, who is a self-employed cleaner, said: \"There'll be parents that either can't or won't ask for their family's help to look after the children because they are frightened they could be giving them Covid just before Christmas.\"\n\nHealth Minister Vaughan Gething told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast: \"We are having conversations all the time with local authorities and we've agreed that face-to-face teaching can continue until the end of next week.\n\n\"If this local public health situation is so significant that schools can't operate because they've got staff who aren't there, they may need to make different choices. There isn't a significant public health case that suggests that we need to close our primary schools.\"\n\nHe said school closures would have a \"direct impact\" on front-line services, adding: \"These are really difficult choices. These are presented as a simple and obvious choice - 'close schools and all will be well' - but it isn't that simple at all.\"\n\nMr Gething added: \"We review the evidence that comes to us pretty much each and every day. There's nothing simple and there's certainly nothing glib in the way that we make our choices.\"\n\nThe National Association of Headteachers (NAHT) Cymru is urging the Education Minister to close schools early before Christmas.\n\nIn a letter to Kirsty Williams, NAHT Cymru called for blended or distance learning for the final week of term (14-18 December) for all school pupils.\n\n\"Self-isolation remains of paramount importance for anyone with COVID-19 symptoms,\" it said..\n\n\"The best way to protect older family members is not to expose them to potential infection, no matter how well-intended the reason for contact.\"", "Tesco and Morrisons will open their shops on Boxing Day despite calls to give staff the day off.\n\nUnions say supermarket staff should not have to go in on 26 December as a thank you for their work during the pandemic\n\nAsda, Marks & Spencer, Pets at Home, and toy store The Entertainer have all said they will close.\n\nBut Tesco and Morrisons have joined Sainsbury's in saying they would open on Boxing Day for a limited number of hours.\n\nTesco said it would reward frontline staff with an extra 10% bonus over the Christmas and New Year period.\n\nMorrisons said that working on the day would be voluntary with staff getting double pay.\n\nSainsbury's will open but has reduced the hours after requests from staff. It said most workers would have Boxing Day off.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Father Christmas has some tips on how to have a safe Christmas\n\nSupermarkets, which have been are classed as \"essential\" retailers during the pandemic, have seen their sales boom this year.\n\nAs part of a thank you to staff for their work during the pandemic, Asda said that all of its 631 shops would close for two days over the Christmas break.\n\nFrontline staff will also get 100% of their bonus entitlement regardless of whether they have reached sales quotas.\n\nAsda chief executive Roger Burnley said in a message to staff it had been a \"challenging year\" and they had \"done an incredible job\".\n\nHe also said that many staff would have missed out on spending time with their families and friends due to Covid restrictions.\n\n\"This is of course our busiest time of year but it was important for us to give as many of you as possible the opportunity to spend this time with those loved ones that you may not have not seen for many months so, uniquely for this year, we will not reopen our stores until 27 December.\"\n\nThe GMB union said it had been \"requesting Asda to allow their key worker heroes family time over the Christmas period, so we are really pleased they have agreed to our calls.\"\n\nGMB national officer Roger Jenkins, said: \"It's a shame this is not extra holiday - workers will have to book a day of their annual leave entitlement.\n\n\"But it's a step in the right direction and GMB now calls on the rest of the retail sector to follow suit and repay these key workers with a chance to spend Boxing Day with their loved ones.\"\n\nUsdaw, the union which represents shop workers, has also been calling on all retailers to close their doors on Boxing Day.\n\nUsdaw general secretary Paddy Lillis said at the end of November: \"With the country facing a crisis unlike any in our lifetime, retail and distribution workers have stepped up and kept food on all of our tables.\n\n\"When others stay safe at home, they go out to work.\n\n\"The only way they will be guaranteed a decent break at Christmas is if food retailers close for Boxing Day,\" he said.\n\nHowever, supermarket giant Sainsbury's, which has a large network of convenience shops as well as larger outlets, said on Wednesday that its supermarkets would remain open, albeit with reduced hours.\n\nA spokesperson for Sainsbury's said: \"For colleagues that have requested it, we have made sure they are able to take at least two consecutive days off over Christmas.\"\n\nTesco said: \"Our stores are open for reduced hours on Boxing Day. Many of our customers rely on their local stores over Boxing Day - from families in search of essentials, to key workers needing access to food.\"\n\nA Morrisons spokeswoman said it would open its stores for a limited number of hours on Boxing Day but it was \"working hard to ensure all colleagues get a meaningful break during the Christmas period\".\n\nIt said anyone who worked on Boxing Day would also get time back in lieu.\n\nIn November, Marks & Spencer said it would reverse its decision to open on Boxing Day so staff could spend more time with their families.\n\nPoundland said earlier in the year that it would stay closed on Boxing Day and New Year's Day, while retailers including Wickes, Pets and Home and the Entertainer have also said they will be closed.\n\nJohn Lewis and Waitrose stores are normally shut on Boxing Day, and will remain so this year.", "Last updated on .From the section European Football\n\nItaly's 1982 World Cup hero Paolo Rossi has died aged 64, his family says.\n\nRossi became a household name after leading the Azzurri to victory at the tournament in Spain, finishing as top scorer and being named best player.\n\nAt club level he first came to prominence as a prolific scorer for Vicenza, earning a move to Juventus and later playing for AC Milan.\n\nHis death was announced on Thursday, following what Italian media report had been a long illness.\n\nRossi's wife Federica Cappelletti posted a picture of them together on social media with the words \"Per sempre\" (\"forever\").\n\nShe did not disclose the cause of his death.\n\nRossi scored 20 goals in 48 appearances for the Italian national side, and more than 100 Serie A goals during spells with Vicenza, Perugia, Juventus, Milan and Verona.\n\nFollowing his performances at the 1982 World Cup, he was awarded the Ballon d'Or which at the time was given to the European footballer of the year.\n\nAfter retiring from football in the late 1980s, Rossi worked as a pundit for Sky, Mediaset and Rai.\n\nThe Italian football federation (FIGC) said flags would fly at half-mast at its headquarters in Rome and its technical centre in Florence.\n\n\"Pablito's passing away is another moment of deep pain, a wound to the heart of all fans that is difficult to heal,\" said FIGC president Gabriele Gravina.\n\n\"We've lost a friend and an icon of Italian football.\n\n\"In spurring the national team on to success in 1982, he had Italians celebrating in squares across the country, both for him and with him.\n\n\"He indelibly tied his name to the Azzurri and, through his style of play, inspired numerous strikers of future generations.\"\n\nEuropean football's governing body, Uefa, said \"a moment of silence\" would be held before Thursday's Europa League matches to honour the player.\n\nA statement from Vicenza, who Rossi helped win promotion to Serie A in 1977, said: \"Sometimes there are simply no words to express the pain we are all experiencing.\"\n\nMilan, where he played in the 1985-86 season, said Rossi would \"forever be in our memory\".\n\nRossi wrote his name into footballing folklore with his displays at the 1982 World Cup - although he nearly missed the competition after being implicated in a match-fixing scandal.\n\nAlthough Rossi maintained his innocence, he was banned from football for three years after being accused of taking part in the 1980 Totonero scandal.\n\nThis suspension was reduced to two years on appeal, meaning he was available to play at the World Cup in Spain.\n\nRossi later described going on to win the tournament as a \"personal redemption\".\n\nThe tournament started with a whimper for both Italy and Rossi. The Juventus striker failed to score in the opening group stage as Italy drew all three games to scrape through.\n\nThe Italians looked far from World Cup contenders - until Rossi, whose performances had come under criticism, found his sharpness in front of goal in the crucial meeting with Brazil in the second group stage.\n\nRossi scored a hat-trick as Italy won 3-2 to reach the semi-finals, then scored both goals against Poland as Italy set up a meeting with West Germany in the final.\n\nA tense final swung Italy's way when Rossi scored the opening goal in the second half, the Azzurri going on to win 3-1 and become world champions for a third time.\n\n\"On one hand I felt fulfilled. I said to myself, 'you've made it',\" Rossi later said about the triumph.\n\n\"On the other hand, I was disappointed that all of this just ended. The World Cup was over.\n\n\"[But] when you win something important it's not just about the trophy. It's about the group you win it with, it's about your entire career that took you there.\"\n\nItaly's triumph sparked an outpouring of emotion back home, providing national unity and joy at a time when the country was beset by political and social unrest.\n\nThose images of Rossi and his team-mates becoming world champions will forever be ingrained in the country's culture, says Italian journalist Daniele Verri.\n\n\"We are all shocked here because Paulo Rossi is such an iconic figure for Italian football,\" Verri told BBC World Service.\n\n\"He is part of Italian history that goes beyond football.\n\n\"For those who were lucky enough to see him play in the 1982 World Cup we cannot ever forget what he did.\n\n\"The images of Spain 82 are part of Italian culture.\"\n• None Lionesses legend Kelly Smith on what is takes to reach the top\n• None England's T20 series reviewed and will Burnley get a Jimmy Anderson street?", "ITV's Tom Clarke asks if it's inevitable we are going to see a third wave of cases, and whether ministers should be acting sooner in making a decision on restrictions.\n\nHe also asks what tests will be rolled out for secondary schools, and how effective they will be?\n\nMatt Hancock says decisions on tiers will depend on how people behave.\n\nHe says targeted testing is being rolled out due to a particular rise in cases in a particular part of London.\n\n\"That can help us and play a part in keeping case rates down, but only as part of an overall package.\n\n\"It's individuals behaviour that can make the biggest difference,\" he says.\n\nHe says PCR tests will be used in the first instance in London, and then lateral flow tests will also be rolled out. \"They are both effective,\" he says.\n\nProf Chris Whitty says a third wave \"is not inevitable\" but it can be avoided by everyone \"coming together\".\n\nHe says people should be \"very sensible\" over the Christmas period.\n\nOn testing, he says a testing programme is a \"useful addition\" to all the other social distancing measures. \"If you add it to those things it adds an additional bit of heft,\" he says.", "Former Italian footballer Paolo Rossi, who led the national team to victory in the 1982 World Cup, has died aged 64, his family says.\n\nHis wife Federica Cappelletti posted on Instagram a picture of them together with the words \"Per sempre\" (\"forever\" in Italian).\n\nShe did not disclose the cause of his death. Italian media are reporting that he had a long illness.\n\nRossi was the top scorer and the best player of the 1982 tournament in Spain.\n\nHis memorable hat-trick eliminated favourites Brazil in a match many fans see as one of the greatest in World Cup history.\n\nRossi nearly missed the competition after being banned from football for two years for his involvement in a match-fixing scandal.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nAt club level, the striker was also a prolific goalscorer for Vicenza. He also played for a number of other Serie A outfits, including Juventus and Milan.\n\nIn 2004, he was named by Brazilian legend Pelé as one of the top 125 greatest living footballers.\n\nAfter retiring from football in the late 1980s, Rossi worked as a pundit for Sky, Mediaset and Rai.", "Hilda Hubbard, known as Frances, was found dead at the retirement bungalow she shared with her husband of 50 years\n\nA woman killed by her husband was believed to have never experienced domestic abuse before, a report found.\n\nHilda Hubbard was repeatedly stabbed by her husband Michael, who had dementia, at their Norfolk bungalow in September 2018.\n\nThe pair had been happy, riding in a scooter and sidecar they had called \"Wallace and Gromit\", the report said.\n\nThe Domestic Homicide Review said there were \"many examples of good practice\" by professionals involved with them.\n\nMr Hubbard was later detained in a secure mental health unit after he was found to be unfit to stand trial over the death of his wife, to whom he had been married for 50 years.\n\nNeighbours rang 999 after they saw Mr Hubbard standing in the doorway of their home in Brooke, near Norwich, with his wife, known as Frances, lying on the ground.\n\nPolice fired a rubber bullet at the pensioner, who was 81 at the time, before taking him to hospital and later charging him with murder.\n\nThe review into her death, which does not use the couple's real names, was carried out to examine what could be learned from the case.\n\nIt looked at the roles of organisations involved with the couple from July 2014, when Mr Hubbard first raised concerns about his memory loss.\n\nFloral tributes were left for Mrs Hubbard, who, with her husband was described as \"community-minded\"\n\nThe \"community-minded\" and \"traditional\" couple were described as \"very private\", \"self-sufficient\" and \"proud\" of their children who both achieved master's degrees.\n\nMr Hubbard was forced to retire at the age of 43 after suffering health problems from breaking his back when he was 20.\n\n\"Life didn't turn out for either of them as they had expected, but they eventually won through and made an enviable life for themselves,\" their daughter told the report's author.\n\nThe couple became even more private following Mr Hubbard's diagnosis in 2014, and Mrs Hubbard - as her husband 's carer - had refused offers of support, the report said.\n\nIn summary, it found there had been \"notable practice\" by their GP, social housing provider and police, after an officer was called to them the day before Mrs Hubbard's death regarding a theft allegation.\n\nIt said the examples should be reinforced and shared across Norfolk and made a number of other recommendations.\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Ursula von der Leyen: \"Our negotiators are still working and we will take a decision on Sunday\"\n\nUK-EU talks to reach a post-Brexit trade deal are \"unlikely\" to continue after Sunday, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has said.\n\nHis comments come after a meeting between Boris Johnson and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen aimed at breaking the Brexit trade deadlock.\n\nMrs von der Leyen said she had a \"good conversation but it is difficult\".\n\nThe EU has set out the measures it would take in the event of a no-deal scenario with the UK.\n\nThe plans aim to ensure that UK and EU air and road connections still run after the UK stops following EU trading rules on 31 December.\n\nThey also allow the possibility of fishing access to each other's waters for up to a year, or until an agreement is reached.\n\nA Downing Street spokesman said: \"We would never accept arrangements and access to UK fishing waters which are incompatible with our status as an independent coastal state.\"\n\nTalks between the UK's chief negotiator Lord Frost and his EU counterpart Michel Barnier resumed in Brussels on Thursday.\n\nThe main obstacles continue to be access to fishing waters, rules about subsidising businesses and how any new deal would be policed.\n\nSpeaking in the House of Commons, minister Penny Mordaunt insisted that the UK would \"leave no stone unturned\" and will \"carry on negotiating until there is no hope\".\n\nLater on Thursday, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer urged the PM to \"get on and deliver\" a deal, adding the outstanding issues \"are capable of resolution\".\n\nAsked whether his party would back a deal in a vote in the Commons, he said: \"We will look at it - and we will act in the national interest.\"\n\n\"But on a straight choice between no deal and deal, then deal is clearly in the national interest,\" he added.\n\nAddressing MSPs in the Scottish Parliament, Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said she was \"deeply and increasingly concerned\" about a \"lack of clarity\" on what arrangements will apply after 31 December.\n\nArriving at an EU summit in Brussels, Mrs von der Leyen said: \"We are willing to grant access to the single market to our British friends - the largest single market in the world - but the conditions have to be fair and they have to be fair for our workers and our companies.\"\n\n\"This fine balance of fairness has not been achieved so far,\" she said, adding that negotiators were still working and that a decision would be taken on Sunday.\n\nThe Irish PM, Taoiseach Micheál Martin, said that no one understated the challenges that lie ahead.\n\n\"But it's important for the citizens of Europe that we do everything we can to get an agreement here,\" he said.\n\nSweden's Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said he was more \"gloomy\" about the trade talks following Wednesday night's meeting.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Penny Mordaunt told MPs the UK \"cannot accept a deal at any cost\" with the EU.\n\nSpeaking to the BBC earlier, Mr Raab said: \"We are rapidly approaching the point where we need some finality.\"\n\nAnd asked if talks would go beyond Sunday, he said it was \"unlikely\" but added \"never quite say never when you are negotiating with the EU\".\n\nResponding to a warning from the Tesco chair that food prices could rise were a deal not to be agreed, Mr Raab acknowledged there could be \"some bumps along the road\" but said he was \"not concerned about either supermarket cupboards running bare or food prices\".\n\nThe EU statement, published on Thursday morning, outlines some of the plans in place if there is no deal, and it says some sectors would be more affected than others.\n\nProvision for air travel, allowing aviation safety certificates, connectivity for road freight and passenger transport for six months, and reciprocal fishing access are included in the document.\n\nAfter 31 December, many things will change regardless of whether or not a deal is reached.\n\nUK travellers could be barred from entering the EU from 1 January as travel rules associated with being part of the EU expire and Covid restrictions block entry.\n\nIn the event of a no-deal scenario, prices of goods could go up - that's because the UK and EU are likely to impose import taxes (known as tariffs) on products crossing the border.\n\nThere could also be delays at the border as, without an agreement on food standards, freight is more likely to be stopped for checks.\n\nA Downing Street spokesman said that the government had put \"extensive preparations\" in place for the end of the transition period to secure supply chains.\n\nAsked whether families should ensure their fridges were well stocked at the end of December, the spokesman said: \"We have a resilient supply chain, that will continue to be the case after the transition period ends, whether that's with a free-trade agreement or otherwise.\"\n\nHow will Brexit affect you? Do you have any questions about the trade deal? Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "Mahalia won Best R&B/Soul and Best Female at this year's awards\n\nAfter a two-year break, the MOBO Awards have returned with a socially-distant show.\n\nThe ceremony was hosted by Maya Jama and Chunkz and broadcast on YouTube.\n\nMahalia and Nines both won two awards, with Mahalia taking home Best R&B/Soul and Best Female and Nines winning Best Album and Best Hip Hop act.\n\nMahalia told Newsbeat: \"As a young black artist at the MOBOs, everything it stands for and holds is really special.\"\n\nThe pandemic \"put a stop\" to a lot of Young T and Bugsey's plans\n\nYoung T and Bugsey were awarded Best Song for Don't Rush.\n\nThe Nottingham duo said the viral Don't Rush challenge helped it become such a staple sound of 2020.\n\nBugsey said: \"Day by day it was just growing and getting bigger and bigger, we had no idea that would happen.\n\n\"I was a big wrestling fan as a kid, so when I saw that the whole WWE lot did the challenge I was like 'yeah, we're doing something'.\"\n\nThe pair released their mixtape at the start of the year, with plans for tours and other live performances.\n\n\"All artists have had to learn how to manoeuvre through it, hopefully next year shows will be back again.\"\n\nIn a year filled with \"way too many Zoom calls\", the Best Newcomer award is some good news for Aitch\n\nAitch, who picked up Best Newcomer, said the event was a good end to a bad year.\n\nHe told Newsbeat: \"It's sick to be recognised for what I'm doing.\"\n\nIn a year like no other, Aitch says time away from touring and performances has had some advantages.\n\n\"Some things have happened that wouldn't have happened if I was out on the road.\"\n\nAlthough he's done \"way too many Zoom calls\".\n\nIt was Maya's second time hosting the show\n\nChunkz won Best Media Personality up against names including Clara Amfo, Mo Gilligan and co-host Maya Jama.\n\nWith social-distancing measures in place, it might not have been the best year to host such a big event. But, after the MOBOs were cancelled in 2018 and 2019, founder Kanya King said she \"felt like she had to\" bring them back.\n\nShe said: \"2020 has been such a unique year and MOBO has always a spotlight for talent to shine.\n\n\"Entertainment and activism have always gone hand in hand, and we're using the power of black culture to empower and uplift people.\"\n\nThis year's ceremony also included a one-off category to retrospectively award the best albums released between September 2017 and August 2019, which was won by Ella Mai.\n\nNines won two awards, and gave his acceptance speech via video\n\nFor a lot of artists, the pandemic was a chance to get creative.\n\nMahalia released her EP Isolation Tapes in May, made up of songs she previously hadn't found time to finish.\n\n\"If isolation hadn't happened, I might never have seen those songs again,\" she says.\n\nAlthough it's been a \"confusing and stressful\" year, Mahalia said ultimately she learned to \"be present and full of energy online\".\n\n\"I think a lot of us artists in that time realised how important social media platforms are,\" she says.\n\n\"It's a gateway to be able to speak to fans. I wasn't very good at that before so this has been a learning curve for sure.\"\n\n\"It made you interact with fans more and people who support you more because you can be connected,\" Young T said.", "If at first you don't succeed you can try and try.\n\nBut eventually, sometimes, failure is what follows.\n\nThat now seems the likely outcome of months of talks designed to create a smooth path for the country towards a different future - a deal that, in theory, would ease the junction from membership of a huge trading bloc to a world outside.\n\nThere is a chance still that a couple of frantic days could result in a change.\n\nThe prime minister could decide that after all, the potential disruption of no deal is just too great to risk.\n\nThe EU president might be able to persuade continental leaders to budge, as they gather in Brussels today.\n\nBut the chance of reassessing and refreshing the efforts seem now remote.\n\nThe talks between Boris Johnson and Ursula von der Leyen were difficult - the gaps between them no slimmer at the end than the start.\n\nThe hoped-for mutual understanding, the nudge or wink to pursue compromise, did not come.\n\nThe only agreement was on when they might call a halt.\n\nFor the first time in a world of highly moveable deadlines, they announced that a final decision must be taken by the end of the weekend.\n\nBoth sides want to stick to their principles. But that determination right now has set them on the path to the practical outcome they both wanted to avoid - and, if nothing changes, the chance of significant disruption at least in the short term for the country in many different ways.\n\nAnd for both sides, failing to agree would be a real political accident - something they don't want, and that didn't have to happen.\n\nOne diplomat told me: \"It's dystopian - the UK wants to have the absolute freedom to do things it will probably never do - apart from some tinkering. The EU wants to protect itself from things that will probably never come.\"\n\nPeople involved in the negotiations believed that there was a way through that could protect each part.\n\nBut unless one side, or more likely both, are willing to give up some of their principles very fast, or the negotiators come up with a sudden miracle, then for all his optimism, Boris Johnson may fail to achieve the trade deal that Brexiteers boasted would be easy.\n\nA result that he always said he would be ready for, but no doubt what he wanted to avert.", "Police said the girls were aged 13 to 16\n\nThirty-two men have been charged with sexual offences in connection with abuse involving eight girls.\n\nMost of the men, largely from the Kirklees area, are charged with rape offences which were allegedly committed between 1999 to 2012.\n\nPolice said the girls were aged 13 to 16 at the time with some victims being abused when they were young adults.\n\nThe alleged offences took place in parts of Kirklees, Bradford and Wakefield.\n\nPolice said the men had been charged as part of Operation Tourway, an investigation into non-recent child sexual exploitation in parts of West Yorkshire.\n\nThey are due appear at Kirklees Magistrates' Court on 11 and 14 December.\n\nFollow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk or send video here.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "The International Criminal Court says it will not take action against the UK, despite finding evidence British troops committed war crimes in Iraq.\n\nA 180-page report says hundreds of Iraqi detainees were abused by British soldiers between 2003 and 2009.\n\nBut the ICC could not determine whether the UK had acted to shield soldiers from prosecution.\n\nThe MoD said the ICC report \"vindicates our efforts to pursue justice where allegations have been founded\".\n\nThe ICC told the BBC: \"It is without dispute there is evidence war crimes were committed.\"\n\nIts report said there was a reasonable basis to conclude that at least seven Iraqis were illegally killed while in British custody between April and September 2003.\n\nThe ICC report refers to evidence of a pattern of war crimes carried out across a number of years by soldiers from several British regiments. Some detainees were raped or subjected to sexual violence. Others were beaten so badly they died from their injuries.\n\nThe Iraqi individuals, many of them civilians, were unarmed and in British custody at the time.\n\nThe UK government has repeatedly accused human rights lawyers of bringing vexatious claims, but the ICC says it is \"disingenuous to describe the entire body of claims, involving hundreds of claimants, as baseless or spurious\".\n\nA BBC Panorama investigation last year revealed that British detectives had also found credible evidence of war crimes committed in Iraq.\n\nBut the programme discovered that despite this, not one of the cases was taken forward by the army's prosecution service.\n\nBritish army base Camp Stephen in Basra, Iraq, where numerous detainees were alleged to have been abused and killed\n\nThe ICC said it took Panorama's findings very seriously, and that on the whole the information it received was consistent with the reports in the programme.\n\nIt could \"not rule out\" that there had been a cover up on the part of the British authorities.\n\nIts report concluded that investigations by the Royal Military Police had been \"inadequate\" and were \"marred by a lack of independence and impartiality\".\n\nHowever, it could not make a determination as to whether the UK had acted to shield soldiers from prosecution.\n\nThe ICC said it will reopen its examination of the UK's conduct in Iraq \"should new facts or evidence\" come to light.\n\nThe UK government is currently seeking to introduce a controversial new law which will make it harder to prosecute British soldiers.\n\nIt says the Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill, if passed, \"delivers on the government's manifesto commitment to tackle vexatious claims and end the cycle of re-investigations against our brave Armed Forces\".\n\nAfter scrutinising the proposed legislation, Parliament's Joint Human Rights Committee has said: \"We found that the real problem is that investigations into incidents have been inadequate, insufficiently resourced, insufficiently independent and not done in a timely manner.\n\n\"The government is effectively using the existence of inadequate investigations as a reason to legislate to bring in further barriers to bringing prosecutions or to providing justice for victims\".\n\nThere is a palpable sense of relief inside the Ministry of Defence that the International Criminal Court will not be pursuing a case against the UK government over allegations that British forces in Iraq committed serious war crimes against Iraqi detainees.\n\nThat said, there's still the potential that the ICC report will cause the government problems.\n\nThe publication comes as the government tries to pass new legislation aimed at protecting troops from what it calls \"vexatious claims\" by lawyers against British troops over allegations of abuse.\n\nAmong the proposals of the Overseas Operations Bill is a presumption against prosecution five years after any alleged abuse, unless there's compelling new evidence.\n\nThe legislation, which has already passed its first stages in the Commons, has been widely criticised by opposition parties, human rights groups, lawyers and some former senior military commanders.\n\nThe ICC report also raises concerns about the legislation.\n\nThe Ministry of Defence says the ICC has brought no new evidence to light.\n\nBut the ICC prosecutor says: \"The fact the allegations investigated by the UK did not result in prosecutions does not mean that these claims were vexatious.\"\n\nThose words will be seized upon by the bill's critics.\n\nOne of the investigations by the Royal Military Police, featured in last year's Panorama, was into the death of Radhi Nama in British custody.\n\nThe Royal Military Police concluded he had died of a heart attack - even though his body and face showed signs he had been beaten.\n\nTo date, no one has been prosecuted in connection with Radhi Nama's death.\n\nHis daughter, Afaf Radhi Nama, told Panorama: \"I saw torture signs on his body.\n\n\"They covered his head and tied his hands, he could not defend himself, and they killed him. It is my wish to see the soldiers who committed this crime put on trial and facing justice.\n\n\"If I was a British citizen my rights would be respected, but because I am an Iraqi citizen, it seems I have no rights.\"\n\nDefence Secretary Ben Wallace said the ICC review \"confirms that the UK is willing and able to investigate and prosecute claims of wrongdoing by armed forces personnel\".\n\nHe said it had brought to light \"no new evidence\" and the ICC statement \"vindicates our efforts to pursue justice where allegations have been founded\".\n\n\"I am pleased that work we have done, and continue to do, in improving the quality and assurances around investigations has been recognised by the ICC,\" he said.\n\n\"The Service Justice System Review and the appointment of Sir Richard Henriques to provide assurance of our investigative processes are all steps towards making sure we have one of the best service justice systems in the world.\"", "A teenager given a tent to live in, and a child denied the chance to say \"goodbye\" to his dying mother feature in a report revealing heart-breaking decisions about children in care.\n\nThe watchdog report also includes a case of siblings abruptly removed from a foster family wanting to adopt them.\n\nAnother details how a fostered girl returned home to find her bags packed and a taxi to a hostel waiting for her.\n\nThe cases are revealed by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.\n\nOmbudsman Michael King said even one case like this was one too many, and urged all councils, when making decisions about children in their care, to ask: \"Would this decision be good enough for my child?\"\n\nNone of the councils in England are named in the report.\n\nCathy Ashley, of the Family Rights Group, said such poor decisions could be \"so damaging at a critical moment in the lives of children in care or at risk of care\".\n\nWith the number of children in care at its highest for 35 years, and the pandemic increasing the pressure and strain on families and on children's services, this was very concerning, she said.\n\nThe report - Careless: Helping to improve council services to children in care - looks at the journey of children coming into care, creating stability, contact arrangements and eventually leaving care.\n\nIt uses a litany of real life case studies. whose names have been changed to protect their identities, to show where things have gone wrong.\n\nOne case featured was Albert who was 11 and living with foster parents, when he was told his birth mother had died.\n\nFour years later, during a review meeting, Albert learned his mother had been seriously ill and on life support.\n\nThis was switched off without him being told, thus denying him the opportunity to visit her before she died.\n\nHe also complained about the use of insensitive language and the way in which the information was shared with him. The council upheld the complaint.\n\nThe ombudsman said young children needed to be able to understand the decisions being made by their corporate parents.\n\nThe case of Billy, a vulnerable and troubled 17-year-old who was thrown out of his home by his father, is also highlighted\n\nThe unnamed council offered him accommodation, but far from where he usually lived. Then rather than consider whether it should accommodate Billy nearer, the council gave him a tent to live in, followed by a static caravan.\n\nBilly's mental and physical health seriously deteriorated during his ordeal, and shortly afterwards, he was detained under the Mental Health Act 1983 where he remained for nearly a year, the ombudsman said.\n\nIt added: \"The council had seriously failed Billy by not offering him suitable accommodation under section 20 of the Children Act 1989.\"\n\nThe council awarded Billy £2,500 for the distress they caused and for placing him at risk.\n\nIn another case, Tim and Nikki fostered two particularly vulnerable children when their birth parents were no longer able to look after them.\n\nAfter two years, the couple told the council they wished to adopt the children.\n\nBut the council questioned the amount of money the couple requested to help them support these needy children, and they were also concerned about the children's academic progress.\n\nThe council decided the children should be removed from Tim and Nikki's care without notice. There was no statutory meeting or evidence to support the council's claim about the foster parents.\n\nSocial workers then collected the children from school and told them Tim and Nikki had gone on holiday.\n\nThe ombudsman said: \"In this case, we used our powers to also consider the injustice the children suffered. We found the children would have been harmed by the sudden removal from the home.\n\n\"While, happily, they were found another foster placement which became long term, the way the council acted denied them the chance to voice their own wishes on the matter,\" it said.\n\nMs Ashley added: \"Putting the voices and experiences of children and families at the centre is key to getting this right.\"\n\nPresident of the Association of Directors of Children's Services Jenny Coles said there had been a 34% increase in the number of children in care over the past decade, and that the availability of placements for children in care was a key issue for the majority of councils.\n\nHe said; \"It is important that local authorities learn from their successes and also where things have gone wrong.\n\n\"The case studies in the report provide an opportunity for the sector to learn and subsequently improve practice.\"", "DeGeneres speaks from her living room during a Fox concert programme in March\n\nUS chat show host Ellen DeGeneres has announced that she tested positive for Covid-19. \"Fortunately, I'm feeling fine right now,\" she posted online.\n\nHer daytime programme - the Ellen DeGeneres Show - will pause production until January, according to a statement from her producers.\n\nThe show returned in September amid allegations of misconduct by senior staff. Three top producers were fired.\n\nDeGeneres, 62, herself apologised on air, pledging \"necessary changes\".\n\nOn Thursday, DeGeneres wrote that she was following the government's Covid guidelines, and had notified those with whom she had been in close contact.\n\n\"I'll see you all again after the holidays,\" she wrote. \"Please stay healthy and safe.\"\n\nHer last guest, who appeared in-person with her on Wednesday, was Hamilton musical actor Leslie Odom Jr.\n\nIn October, the programme became one of the first in the US to resume filming in-studio, according to USA Today. Forty audience members - rather than the normal capacity of 300 seats - have been allowed to attend tapings each day.\n\nOther December guests to her studio included singers Justin Bieber and Lil Nas X, and actors Bryan Cranston and Diane Keaton.\n\nOver the summer, DeGeneres faced criticism on social media amid reports that she had created a toxic work environment for her staff.\n\nAppearing for her 18th season premiere in September, she addressed the allegations of racism, sexism and bullying made by her employees.\n\n\"I am so sorry to the people who were affected,\" she said into the camera. \"I know that I'm in a position of privilege and power. I realised that with that comes responsibility and I take responsibility for what happens at my show.\"\n\nIn the aftermath, she has continued to apologise to her staff and has increased leave time and health insurance packages for her employees, according to Entertainment Weekly.", "Mass testing will be rolled out to secondary school children in the worst-affected areas of London, Kent and Essex, the health secretary has said.\n\nMatt Hancock said \"by far\" the fastest rise in coronavirus infection rates in these areas was in 11 to 18-year-olds.\n\nThis age group in these areas should be tested regardless of symptoms, he said.\n\n\"We need to do everything to stop the spread in school-age children now,\" Mr Hancock said, adding that more details will be set out on Friday.\n\nIt comes after Londoners were urged to \"stick by the rules\" this week amid fears the capital - in tier two - may be put under tier--three restrictions following a rise in Covid-19 cases.\n\nMeanwhile, all secondary schools and further education colleges in Wales will move classes online from Monday, Welsh education minister Kirsty Williams has announced.\n\nSpeaking at a Downing Street press briefing, Mr Hancock said the government was \"particularly concerned\" about coronavirus cases in parts of London, Kent and Essex, which were rising and were often \"already high\".\n\nHe said the government must not wait until the next review of the tiered restrictions on 16 December but must \"take targeted action immediately\".\n\nMr Hancock said \"in particular\" there was a \"very specific rise\" among the secondary school age group and specifically in north-east London, while the rate among adults in London was \"broadly flat\".\n\nHe said: \"We know from experience that a sharp rise in case in younger people can lead to a rise among more vulnerable age groups later.\"\n\nEast London and the parts of Kent and Essex that border it have become one of the major Covid hotspots in England.\n\nRates have been rising in recent weeks with some areas seeing well over 300 cases per 100,000 people in the past week. To put that in perspective, it's close to double the rate seen in Manchester which is currently in tier three.\n\nThe data shows cases are being driven by young people but the concern is that that will then lead to high rates among older age groups who are susceptible to serious illness.\n\nThe government's hope is by flooding the areas with testing they will be able to break the chains of transmission.\n\nBut that will be too late in terms of the difficult call that has to be made by Wednesday when the government decides whether areas move up or down in the system of tiers.\n\nMinisters have wanted to treat London as a whole, but with some of the southern boroughs seeing below average rates there is a growing argument the capital should be split when it comes to restrictions.\n\nThe mass testing plan will apply in the seven worst-affected boroughs of London, plus parts of Essex that border London and parts of Kent.\n\nMr Hancock said it was \"right\" to keep schools open \"for education and for public health\".\n\n\"We are therefore surging mobile testing units and will be working with schools and local authorities to encourage these children and their families to get tested over the coming days,\" he said.\n\nMr Hancock said both PCR (a standard coronavirus test) and lateral flow testing - which takes about half an hour to show a result - would be used.\n\nLondon and Essex are currently in tier two - the second highest level - meaning there is no household mixing allowed anywhere indoors and the rule of six applies outdoors.\n\nKent is in tier three, the highest level, in which you can only meet other households in outdoor public spaces such as parks, where the rule of six applies.\n\nFour London boroughs were among the 20 places with the highest case rates in England in the week ending 6 December, according to Public Health England. They are Havering (400.7 cases per 100,000 people), Barking and Dagenham (333.5), Waltham Forest (327.1) and Redbridge (310.3).\n\nProf Paul Hunter, from the University of East Anglia's school of medicine, told the BBC it \"does sadly look like\" the capital would be moved into tier three.\n\nMayor of London Sadiq Khan said on Thursday that London was facing \"a tipping point\" - but that placing it under tier three restrictions would be \"catastrophic\".\n\nHowever, Mr Hancock said he \"didn't want to pre-empt\" any decision that might be made about moving London and parts of the South East into tier three.\n\nHe said it was \"not inevitable\" that the capital would have to face tighter rules.\n\nMr Hancock also told the briefing it was important not to \"blow\" the progress made so far in controlling coronavirus and urged everyone to \"stay on our guard now and through Christmas\".\n\nHe said tens of thousands of people had been vaccinated with the Pfzier/BioNTech jab in 73 UK hospital hubs.\n\nGP-led sites will begin vaccinations next week, Mr Hancock said, with jabs administered in some care homes by Christmas.\n\nAsked whether people would be able to spend New Year's Eve with their close family members, he said there would be no special set of rules for the occasion.\n\nEngland's chief medical officer Prof Chris Whitty said a third wave was \"not inevitable\" but warned people must be \"very, very sensible\" over Christmas.\n\n\"The way we prevent it [a third wave] is everybody, all of us, coming together and deciding we want to try and stick to the guidance that's there,\" he said.\n\nLast week, Scotland's education secretary said there would be no extension to the nation's school Christmas holidays, despite talks about potentially shutting all schools on 18 December and reopening them again on 11 January.\n\nMeanwhile, Northern Ireland's education minister has repeatedly said there were no plans to close schools early for the Christmas break.\n\nThe latest coronavirus daily figures show 20,964 new coronavirus infections have been recorded across the UK, and another 516 people have died within 28 days of a positive test, bringing the total to 63,082.", "The European bison was driven to the edge of extinction in the early twentieth century by hunting and habitat loss\n\nThe European bison has moved a step back from the brink of extinction, according to an update of the official extinction list.\n\nEurope's largest land mammal was almost wiped out by hunting and deforestation a century ago, but numbers have now risen to over 6,000 in wild herds across the continent.\n\nThe recovery is regarded as a \"conservation success\" story.\n\nBut 31 species of plants and animals have gone extinct in the latest tally.\n\nThey include frogs, fish, several plants and a bat.\n\nThe extinction list by the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation for Nature) assesses the survival prospects of plants, animals and fungi.\n\nIn the third and final update for this year, Dr Bruno Oberle, director general of the IUCN, said the recovery of the European bison and 25 other species demonstrated \"the power of conservation\".\n\nBut the growing list of extinct species \"is a stark reminder that conservation efforts must urgently expand\", he added.\n\nFrom the 1950s onwards, European bison began to be reintroduced into the wild\n\nThe IUCN has now assessed almost 130,000 species of plants and animals, of which more than a quarter are threatened with extinction.\n\nIn the latest update of the \"RedList\", there is good news and bad news for a range of mammals, birds and amphibians.\n\nDespite good news for animals such as the European bison, a total of 31 species have been declared extinct, including three frogs of Central America, 17 freshwater fish of the Philippines, the Lord Howe long-eared bat and 11 plant species.\n\nThe frogs have been hit by a deadly fungal disease, while the fish have disappeared due to predation by introduced species and over-fishing.\n\nA dolphin found in the Amazon river, the tucuxi, has been classed as endangered. All the world's freshwater dolphins are now threatened.\n\nThe tucuxi dolphin found in the Amazon river is endangered\n\nThe small grey dolphin is in trouble due to accidental capture in fishing gear, pollution and the damming of rivers. The IUCN says its survival rests on eliminating the use of gillnets - curtains of fishing net that hang in the water - and reducing the number of dams in the waters where they live.\n\nIn the bird kingdom, the Andean condor, secretary bird, bateleur and martial eagle are now at high risk of extinction.\n\nThe Andean condor is one of the world's largest flying birds\n\nIan Burfield of BirdLife International, which compiles the extinction list for birds, said while any species being listed as threatened was obviously bad news, \"it doesn't have to be a tragedy\".\n\n\"For many, the road to recovery begins here, as listing brings visibility to their plight and helps to raise their conservation priority,\" he explained.\n\nThe benefits of conservation action are being seen for a number of animals. They include an upturn in numbers for the European bison and another 25 species of plants and animals, including skates, amphibians and birds.\n\nThe \"conservation successes\" announced on Thursday \"provide living proof that the world can set, and meet, ambitious biodiversity targets\", said Dr Jane Smart, global director of IUCN's Biodiversity Conservation Group.\n\nStatus: Moved from Vulnerable to Near Threatened\n\nLarge herds of wild bison once roamed across Europe, as recorded in ancient cave paintings. But human pressures and hunting caused their downfall, and by the 1920s, the large mammal was extinct, except in zoos.\n\nBy the end of the 1920s, less than 60 individual European bisons were alive in zoo and private parks\n\nEfforts to return the bison to its natural landscape started in Poland in the 1950s.\n\nNumbers have grown from around 1,800 in 2003 to more than 6,000 last year, mainly found in Poland, Belarus and Russia.\n\nThe bison are scattered in almost 50 herds, most of which are too small to survive without continued conservation work.\n\nDr Rafal Kowalczyk, a bison expert from the Polish Academy of Sciences, told BBC News: \"The species is very vulnerable to extinction but with this international effort we were able to save the species, to increase its number of herds and increase its distribution. and I hope the future of the species is bright.\"\n\nStatus: Moved from near threatened to least concern (the lowest category of extinction risk)\n\nThe red kite is increasing in number\n\nThe red kite was declining across Europe, due to poisoning from pesticides, persecution and loss of natural spaces. But legal protection led to an action plan, including large-scale reintroduction projects. The bird is now recovering and has become a common sight in many areas, although poisoning and persecution are still a problem in some places.\n\nStatus: Moved from Critically Endangered to Near Threatened\n\nMany amphibians are in trouble, but actions by local communities in Mexico have helped to protect this frog's habitat.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Jacqueline Mason visiting her mother Eileen McGrugan in the care home\n\nA bus driver has said his detour to let a passenger visit her mother in a care home was \"just the right thing to do\".\n\nJacqueline Mason had accidentally got on the wrong bus on her way to the home and could have missed her visiting slot.\n\nDriver Alec Bailey said it \"hit his heart\" when Jacqueline broke down in tears at that prospect.\n\nHe told his other passengers he would take a detour to get her as close to the home as possible.\n\n\"When the woman said to me she hadn't seen her mum in a long time, it just hit my heart,\" he said.\n\n\"A lot of people have suffered this year and you've seen on the news, people not able to see their mother or their father in the homes and it just struck a chord with me.\n\n\"I just said to myself, I have to get this woman as close as I can to that home.\"\n\nAlec Bailey said Jacqueline's plight struck a chord with him\n\nJacqueline, was due to visit her 79-year-old mother in Bradley Manor nursing home in north Belfast on Wednesday.\n\nDue to coronavirus restrictions, she only had a 30-minute slot to visit her mum.\n\nWhen she arrived, media crews were there to interview residents and staff as they received the Covid-19 vaccine.\n\nJacqueline told Sky's Ireland correspondent about the driver's kind gesture and how she wanted to thank him.\n\nBut all she knew was that his first name was Alec and that he drove a Translink Metro bus along the 11B route.\n\n\"I don't know this side of town at all,\" she explained.\n\n\"He asked people on the bus did they mind if he took a short detour and he took me to the roundabout just at the top here and then I was able to get here on time to see Mummy.\"\n\nSpeaking to BBC News NI on Thursday, Jacqueline said: \"I can't get over the other passengers as well, but especially Alec.\n\n\"He's made my Christmas and he's made my year, I can't thank him enough.\"\n\nJacqueline promised Alec a hug when it is safe\n\nAlec said he had not told anyone about the incident and spent the day worrying about whether the woman had got to see her mum.\n\nIt was only later when his daughter showed him the clip of Jacqueline that he was able to see the impact his kind gesture had had.\n\n\"My daughter sent me the clip and I looked at it and when I viewed it, I saw how happy the woman was to see her mum.\n\n\"The smile and the joy on her face just said it all and I was just so pleased.\n\n\"It was just a nice, magical moment. It was just the right thing to do.\"\n\nJacqueline's mother Eileen McGrugan was among the residents who were vaccinated at Bradley Manor nursing home\n\nIn a statement to BBC News NI, Translink's chief executive Chris Conway said: \"I am proud of Alec Bailey for going above and beyond to help Jacqueline.\n\n\"Alec exemplifies the spirit and resilience of the Translink team.\n\n\"He is a long-serving member of staff who has been working throughout the pandemic, going out of his way to ensure key and essential workers, education and communities stay connected.\n\n\"I'm delighted that we were able to help in this case,\" Mr Conway added.\n\nJacqueline's story was retweeted by Stormont's Transport Minister Nichola Mallon, and also by her department's official Twitter account, which described it as \"a real winter warmer\".\n\nJacqueline's mother, Eileen McGrugan, was among the residents who received their first dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine on Wednesday.\n\nJacqueline told Sky she was looking forward to being able to hug her mum again soon.", "Burley has been one of the faces of Sky News for more than 30 years\n\nSky News presenter Kay Burley and three colleagues have been taken off air while an investigation into breaches of Covid guidelines is carried out.\n\nPolitical editor Beth Rigby, north of England correspondent Inzamam Rashid and presenter Sam Washington are also off air while the inquiry takes place.\n\nBBC media editor Amol Rajan said Burley's job is hanging in the balance.\n\nIt follows her admission that she \"broke the rules\" while celebrating her 60th birthday at the weekend.\n\nThe journalist said she could \"only apologise\" for her \"error of judgment\".\n\nWriting on Twitter on Monday, Burley said she had been at a \"Covid compliant\" restaurant on Saturday and had later \"popped into another\" venue to use the toilet.\n\nAmol Rajan said she was one of a party of 10 people at the Century Club, a private members' club on London's Shaftesbury Avenue. Her group took up two tables, with six people on one and four on the other.\n\nBurley then went onto Folie restaurant, where she used the toilet, before moving on to a private residence where individuals from at least three households mixed, Rajan said.\n\n\"This is a source of deep anxiety among Sky News bosses,\" Rajan said. \"There is fury within the Sky News newsroom at the compromising of the brand, especially after Sky News has had a strong year.\"\n\nRigby, Rashid and Washington are reported to have been present during the evening, although it's not known which parts they attended.\n\nBurley was absent from her daily breakfast show on Tuesday and Wednesday, and fellow presenter Niall Paterson said he would be taking over her slot until Christmas.\n\nIn a tweet that was subsequently deleted, Burley said she had always planned to take time off this month to visit her \"beloved Africa\".\n\nSharing a video from a safari trip, she said she would be leaving on Friday to go \"sit with lions\", adding: \"They kill for food not sport.\"\n\nBurley, who joined Sky News in 1988 and has hosted the breakfast show since October 2019, offered an apology to her 519,000 Twitter followers on Monday.\n\n\"On Saturday night I was enjoying my 60th birthday at a Covid compliant restaurant,\" she wrote. \"I am embarrassed to say that later in the evening I inadvertently broke the rules.\n\n\"I had been waiting for a taxi at 11pm to get home. Desperate for the loo I briefly popped into another restaurant to spend a penny. I can only apologise.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Kay Burley This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nLondon is under tier two restrictions, which means people are not allowed to socialise with anyone from outside their household or support bubble indoors, either in a private home or a public place.\n\nSome venues have outdoor seating and you are able to meet in a group of up to six people outside, including in a garden or in a public place.\n\nOn Monday, a spokesman for Sky said: \"We place the highest importance on complying with the government guidelines on Covid, and we expect all our people to comply.\n\n\"We were disappointed to learn that a small number of Sky News staff may have engaged in activity that breached the guidelines.\n\n\"Although this took place at a social event in personal time, we expect all our people to follow the rules that are in place for everyone.\"\n\nBurley's apology followed those of pop star Rita Ora, who said sorry for failing to self-isolate following a trip to Egypt and for throwing a birthday party at a London restaurant.\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "Quote Message: The prime minister and President von der Leyen met for dinner in Brussels this evening. The leaders had a frank discussion about the state of play in the negotiations. They acknowledged that the situation remained very difficult and there were still major differences between the two sides. They agreed that chief negotiators would continue talks over the next few days and that a firm decision should be taken about the future of the talks by Sunday. The prime minister is determined not to leave any route to a fair deal untested, but any agreement must respect the independence and sovereignty of the UK. from Downing Street spokesman\n\nThe prime minister and President von der Leyen met for dinner in Brussels this evening. The leaders had a frank discussion about the state of play in the negotiations. They acknowledged that the situation remained very difficult and there were still major differences between the two sides. They agreed that chief negotiators would continue talks over the next few days and that a firm decision should be taken about the future of the talks by Sunday. The prime minister is determined not to leave any route to a fair deal untested, but any agreement must respect the independence and sovereignty of the UK.", "Sales of homes continued to rise ahead of Christmas, but surveyors are expecting a slowdown early next year.\n\nMany buyers have been trying to benefit from temporary stamp duty holidays, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) said.\n\nBut there were signs that demand was \"losing a bit of steam\" in some areas of the UK.\n\nDespite the predicted slowdown it is not expecting a significant fall in house prices.\n\nIt pointed out that \"stickier\" property prices could cause affordability problems for some people hoping to buy a home.\n\nEnquiries from new buyers had increased in November, RICS said, and sales had also been on the rise in most areas of the UK.\n\nWales and Northern Ireland seeing particularly strong growth for November, it said.\n\nSurveyors in the West Midlands, East Midlands and Scotland had started to report a flatter trend in agreed sales.\n\nMany buyers were making the most of a temporary reduction or removal of stamp duty, or its equivalent tax, in the different parts of the UK.\n\nColin Townsend, of John Goodwin Estate Agents in Malvern, Worcestershire, said that house prices were still rising and that he had seen \"another record-breaking month for sales in November as buyers seem to be trying to move before the stamp duty deadline\".\n\nOnce that tax break was withdrawn, there was an expectation of falling demand from buyers.\n\nSimon Rubinsohn, RICS chief economist, said: \"It is clear from responses to the latest survey that there is considerable concern about the prospect of a sharp slowdown in transaction activity following the end of the first quarter of the coming year.\"\n\nReduced government support and expectations of a rise in unemployment as redundancy programmes began to take effect were behind those predictions, he said.\n\n\"There is little sense that the projected softer sales picture will feed through into pricing which is viewed as likely to prove rather stickier in the face of ongoing macro challenges,\" he said.\n\nThe report comes after some of the UK's biggest mortgage lenders reported relatively large rises in house prices in November.\n\nThe Nationwide Building Society said UK house prices were 6.5% higher than a year ago - the sharpest rise for nearly six years.\n\nRival lender, the Halifax, said the average property price had risen by more than £15,000 since June.\n\nHouse prices have risen at a relatively rapid rate in many parts of the UK in the late summer and autumn as some people sought a Covid-inspired change in lifestyle, or more space to work from home.\n\nThere was also some pent-up demand from the first period of lockdown.", "Google has been fined 100 million euros (£91m) in France for breaking the country's rules on online advertising trackers known as cookies.\n\nIt is the largest fine ever issued by the French data privacy watchdog CNIL.\n\nUS retail giant Amazon was also fined 35 million euros for breaking the rules.\n\nCNIL said Google and Amazon's French websites had not sought visitors' consent before advertising cookies were saved on their computers.\n\nGoogle and Amazon also failed to provide clear information about how the online trackers would be used, and how visitors to the French websites could refuse the cookies, the regulator said.\n\nIt has given the tech giants three months to change the information banners displayed on their websites.\n\nIf they do not comply, they will be fined a further 100,000 euros per day until the changes are made.\n\nIn a statement published by Reuters, Google said: \"We stand by our record of providing upfront information and clear controls, strong internal data governance, secure infrastructure, and above all, helpful products.\n\n\"Today's decision under French ePrivacy laws overlooks these efforts and doesn't account for the fact that French rules and regulatory guidance are uncertain and constantly evolving.\"\n\nAmazon said it disagreed with the CNIL decision,\n\n\"We continuously update our privacy practices to ensure that we meet the evolving needs and expectations of customers and regulators and fully comply with all applicable laws in every country in which we operate,\" it said in a statement.\n\nIn a separate case, Google is being probed by a UK regulator over its plans to change the way the Chrome browser handles cookies.\n\nGoogle wants to stop advertisers using cookies to track users as they move around the web from one site to another when using Chrome, in a bid to improve privacy.\n\nIt plans to introduce an alternative system know as the Privacy Sandbox that will only provide anonymised feedback.\n\nA group of about a dozen small tech companies and publishers has lodged a complaint with the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) claiming this would damage their businesses.\n\nThe CMA is expected to announce whether it will intervene over the coming weeks.", "A black hair code has been created by a group of campaigners to try and end discrimination against people from African and Caribbean backgrounds.\n\nSchools and workplaces are being encouraged to sign up to the Halo code which supports students and staff to wear their Afro hair how they choose to. Unilever is one of the first businesses to sign-up to the code.\n\nIt’s hoped the Halo Code will educate more teachers and employers about natural Afro hair and normalise protective hairstyles.", "\"Very large gaps remain\" between the UK and EU, despite a meeting between Boris Johnson and EU chief Ursula von der Leyen aimed at breaking the Brexit trade deadlock, No 10 has said.\n\nAnd Mrs von der Leyen said the two sides were still \"far apart\".\n\nTalks between the UK's chief negotiator Lord Frost and the EU's Michel Barnier will resume in Brussels.\n\nBut Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said it was \"unlikely\" the negotiations would be extended beyond Sunday.\n\nAfter their meeting, the prime minister and European Commission president \"agreed that by Sunday a firm decision should be taken about the future of the talks\", a No 10 spokesperson added.\n\nAnd on Thursday morning, the EU set out the measures it would implement in the event of a no-deal scenario.\n\nThe plan includes allowing aviation safety certificates to continue to apply to avoid the grounding of aircraft.\n\nThe BBC's Laura Kuenssberg said the evening discussions between Mr Johnson and Mrs von der Leyen had \"plainly gone badly\" and the chances of the UK leaving the post-Brexit transition period at the end of the year without a firm arrangement was a \"big step closer\".\n\nTime is running out to reach a deal before 31 December, when the UK stops following EU trading rules.\n\nMajor disagreements remain on fishing rights, business competition rules and how a deal will be policed.\n\nThe dinner was seen as a last-ditch opportunity to work through the main sticking points and for the two sides to try and find some common ground.\n\nIf at first you don't succeed you can try and try. But eventually, sometimes failure is what follows.\n\nThat now seems the likely outcome of months of talks designed to create a smooth path for the country towards a different future - a deal that, in theory, would ease the junction from membership of a huge trading bloc to a world outside.\n\nThere is a chance still that a couple of frantic days could result in a change.\n\nThe prime minister could decide that after all, the potential disruption of no deal is just too great to risk.\n\nThe EU president might be able to persuade continental leaders to budge, as they gather in Brussels today.\n\nBut the chance of reassessing and refreshing the efforts seem now remote.\n\nIn a statement, the UK side said there had been \"a frank discussion about the significant obstacles which remain in the negotiations\".\n\n\"Very large gaps remain between the two sides and it is still unclear whether these can be bridged,\" a No 10 spokesperson said.\n\nThey said the two sides had agreed to further discussions over the next few days, and the PM did \"not want to leave any route to a possible deal untested\".\n\nThe two negotiators, Lord Frost and Mr Barnier, also attended the three-hour dinner meeting between the two leaders.\n\nMrs von der Leyen said the discussions had been \"lively and interesting\", and the two sides fully \"understand each other's positions\" but they \"remain far apart\".\n\n\"We will come to a decision by the end of the weekend,\" she said.\n\nMeanwhile the UK has signed a free trade deal with Singapore. The agreement is broadly similar to the Southeast Asian country's current arrangement with the EU and will cover a trade relationship worth more than £17bn.\n\nInternational Trade Secretary Liz Truss is now travelling to Vietnam to conclude a trade agreement with that country.\n\nThe EU, taken as a whole is the UK's largest trading partner, with UK exports to the EU totalling £294bn - or 43% of all UK exports - in 2019.\n\nDinner between Boris Johnson and Ursula von der Leyen ended as predicted in Brussels - with neither a breakdown, nor a breakthrough in the trade talks impasse.\n\nEU diplomats say the bloc is ready to go the extra mile during the next days of negotiations but contrary to the UK government view, the EU thinks the decision - deal or no deal - lies primarily in Downing Street.\n\nBrexit isn't on the official discussion agenda at an EU summit starting in Brussels later today, though leaders will be briefed on the negotiations.\n\nAttitudes seem to be hardening.\n\n\"No deal is better than a bad deal\" is a sentiment you hear both sides of the Channel now.\n\nSpeaking to the BBC, Mr Raab said: \"I think we are rapidly approaching the point where we need some finality.\"\n\nAsked if talks would go beyond Sunday, he said it was \"unlikely\" but added \"never quite say never when you are negotiating with the EU\".\n\nResponding to a warning from the Tesco chair that food prices could rise were a deal not to be agreed, Mr Raab acknowledged there could be \"some bumps along the road\" but said he was \"not concerned about either supermarket cupboards running bare or food prices\".\n\nThe Confederation of British Industry said the cost of no deal was \"significant\".\n\nIts director-general, Tony Danker, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: \"The difference between a deal and no deal is incredibly real in GDP [gross domestic product] terms, it's incredibly real for businesses - particularly in certain sectors - so we have to be in 'getting to yes' mode.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Dominic Raab says it's 'unlikely' negotiations will be extended beyond Sunday\n\nLabour's deputy leader, Angela Rayner, said the prime minister had \"completely failed\" to deliver the \"oven-ready\" deal he had promised at the last election.\n\n\"The failure to deliver the deal he promised is his and his alone,\" she said.\n\nEarlier this week, Mr Johnson said the oven-ready deal he was referring to was the withdrawal agreement, or divorce deal, rather than a trade deal.\n\nSNP's Westminster leader Ian Blackford tweeted: \"A no deal would be a massive failure of diplomacy and leadership which Boris Johnson has to take ownership of.\"\n\nMeanwhile, Tory Brexiteer MP John Baron said the PM deserved praise for \"standing firm\" rather than compromising in a rush to agree a deal. \"We must remember a trade deal is for keeps, not just for Christmas,\" he said.\n\n\"We all want a deal, but it has to be a good deal because as we've said many times before, no deal is better than a bad deal.\"\n\nSpeaking before he left for Brussels, Mr Johnson said the EU was insisting on terms \"no prime minister could accept\" in relation to access to UK fishing waters and retaliatory measures if the UK diverged from EU standards.\n\nAny deal also has to be ratified by the European Parliament and win the backing of MPs at Westminster.\n\nThe House of Commons could sit as late as Christmas Eve should it be required to look at a Brexit deal, Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle said.\n\nUnder current plans, the Commons will stop sitting on 21 December, but he told Sky News the recess could be delayed.", "Burley has been one of the faces of Sky News for more than 30 years\n\nSky News presenter Kay Burley is to stay off-air for six months after admitting breaking Covid rules during a night out for her 60th birthday.\n\nPolitical editor Beth Rigby and north of England correspondent Inzamam Rashid, who were among those with her, will be absent for three months.\n\n\"I made a big mistake, and I am sorry,\" Burley wrote on Twitter.\n\nBurley was among 10 people who went to a restaurant on Saturday before she briefly went into another restaurant.\n\nShe then moved on to a private residence where individuals from at least three households mixed, the BBC has been told.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Kay Burley This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\n\"I have today agreed with Sky News to step back from my broadcasting role for a period of reflection,\" Burley wrote.\n\n\"It's clear to me that we are all in the fight against Covid-19 and that we all have a duty to stick firmly by the rules.\n\n\"It doesn't matter that I thought I was Covid-compliant on a recent social event. The fact is I was wrong, I made a big mistake, and I am sorry.\n\n\"Some dear friends and colleagues - some of the most talented and committed professionals in our business - have been pulled into this episode and I regret this enormously.\n\n\"I was one of the founding presenters on Sky News. No one is prouder of our channel's reputation, the professionals on our team, and the impact we make.\n\n\"I very much look forward to being able to continue my 32-year career with Sky when I return.\"\n\nThe channel said it had completed an \"internal review into the conduct of a small number of team members who attended a social event\" on Saturday.\n\n\"Over the course of the evening, Covid guidelines were breached,\" a statement said. \"Sky News expects all team members to fully comply with the COVID restrictions. All those involved regret the incident and have apologised.\n\n\"Following our review of what took place on 5th December, we have agreed with Beth Rigby (Political Editor) and Inzamam Rashid (News Correspondent) that they will not be on air for three months, and we have agreed with Kay Burley (Breakfast Show Presenter) that she will not be on air for six months.\"\n\nThe channel did not say whether they would still be paid while off air.\n\nSky added that presenter Sam Washington, who was also off-air while the internal review took place, will be back at work next week.\n\nBurley, who joined Sky News in 1988 and has hosted the breakfast show since October 2019, first offered an apology on Monday, saying she had been \"at a Covid-compliant restaurant\" but \"inadvertently broke the rules\" by popping to the toilet in the second restaurant.\n\nLondon is under tier two restrictions, which means people are not allowed to socialise with anyone from outside their household or support bubble indoors, either in a private home or a public place.\n\nSome venues have outdoor seating and you are able to meet in a group of up to six people outside, including in a garden or in a public place.\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "Royal Mail has acknowledged delays to its deliveries amid \"exceptionally high volumes\" of post and anti-Covid measures.\n\nDespite \"exhaustive planning\", some customers may be experiencing \"slightly longer delivery timescales\" than normal, the postal group said.\n\nIt came as people complained of late or missed deliveries.\n\nRetailers including John Lewis, Boots and HMV have also blamed Royal Mail for delivery delays.\n\nOn Thursday, online shoppers messaged Royal Mail, as well as contacting retailers directly, to complain about parcels failing to arrive in time - in some cases weeks after they were expected.\n\nPeople also complained their post was arriving less frequently.\n\nOthers expressed sympathy for postal workers having to meet a surge in demand during the pandemic.\n\nMariusz Luczakowski runs a small chocolate company in Worcestershire and uses Royal Mail to send out orders to customers via first class delivery. Over the past few days he says he has received emails from customers complaining of delays - sometimes of seven or more days.\n\n\"I am feeling frustration, but at least it's not only me,\" he told the BBC.\n\n\"It is a really scary and uncertain time for a small business owner and so easy to destroy the reputation of your own company by not delivering on time as promised.\"\n\nBusiness owner Mariusz Luczakowski says he is frustrated with Royal Mail after customers complained about not receiving their deliveries on time\n\nNeil Watts, 58, from Edinburgh, told the BBC he ordered a Christmas present online for his wife on 27 November and he still has not received it despite paying for next day special delivery.\n\n\"It's the frustration of trying to resolve it,\" Mr Watts said. \"Tomorrow is two weeks before Christmas. Do I cancel the order or wait?\"\n\nA postman from Manchester, who did not want to be named, said their delivery office was short-staffed and had lost \"around 20 staff\" over the last two years.\n\n\"On top of that we're also receiving a far greater number of both parcels and letters than normal even for the time of year and are being told to prioritise tracked packets over everything else,\" the postman said.\n\n\"Everyone I speak to in the office feels awful that people aren't getting their Christmas cards and presents and many of us are working several hours overtime every day to try and prevent things backing up too much.\"\n\nIn a statement, the postal group said there had been a \"greatly increased uptake of online Christmas shopping\", driven \"in no small part\" by the lockdown.\n\nThis meant all delivery companies were experiencing \"exceptionally high volumes\" of post, it said.\n\nThe company said it had hired about 33,000 temporary workers to support its 115,000 permanent postmen and women and had expanded its seasonal sites to help manage the anticipated growth in parcel volumes.\n\nCoronavirus-related absences had also affected services, the Royal Mail's customer service account said.\n\n\"Despite our best efforts, exhaustive planning and significant investment in extra resource, some customers may experience slightly longer delivery timescales than our usual service standards.\n\n\"This is due to the exceptionally high volumes we are seeing, exacerbated by the coronavirus-related measures we have put in place in local mail centres and delivery offices.\n\n\"In such cases, we always work hard to get back to providing our usual level of service as quickly as we can.\"\n\nThe company advised customers to visit the service update page of its website.", "The infection rates are not falling as fast as the government had hoped\n\nFrance will delay the reopening of cultural venues and introduce a night-time curfew as it struggles to curb the spread of Covid-19.\n\nPrime Minister Jean Castex said the infection rates were not falling as fast as the government had hoped after a lockdown was imposed in late October.\n\nA stay-at-home order will be lifted as planned on 15 December, when the daily 20:00-06:00 curfew will begin.\n\nThe measure will not be waived on New Year's Eve, to prevent big gatherings.\n\nThe government had conditioned the easing of restrictions on the number of new cases falling to around 5,000 a day. But that number remains well above 10,000 - on Thursday, there were 13,750 infections.\n\n\"We aren't yet at the end of this second wave, and we won't reach the objectives we had set for 15 December,\" Mr Castex told a news conference. \"We can't let down our guard. We have to stay focused, and find our way through the next few weeks with lots of vigilance.\"\n\nMuseums, cinemas and theatres as well as sports venues, which were expected to reopen on Tuesday, will remain closed for an extra three weeks.\n\nThe decision was criticised by some in the cultural world, with actor and director Phillipe Lellouche telling BFM TV: \"We're tired of not being given more consideration. Once more culture is being left on the side of the road.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nMr Castex has also announced that:\n\nBars and restaurants will remain closed at least until 20 January. Some non-essential shops had already reopened on 28 November.\n\nFrance has confirmed more than 2.3 million cases and nearly 57,000 deaths since the start of the pandemic.", "Bee populations have been on the decline across the world\n\nResearchers have found that honeybees in Vietnam collect and smear animal faeces around their nests to prevent deadly raids by giant hornets.\n\nThey say the finding is the first to document the use of \"tools\" by honeybees.\n\nThe bees used chicken poo, buffalo dung and even human urine to defend their hives.\n\nHoneybees play a critical role in pollinating the plants humans depend on for their diet.\n\nThe scientists behind the study, published in the journal PLOSE ONE on Wednesday, said the research was sparked when a Vietnamese beekeeper told them that the mysterious dark spots they had spotted at hive entrances was excrement.\n\n\"We thought that'd be crazy because bees don't collect dung,\" lead author Heather Mattila told AFP news agency.\n\nBut the study confirmed that the poo was indeed a defence being deployed by the bees, specifically against giant hornets.\n\nIt adds to \"an already impressive list of defences they have to prevent these hornets from destroying their colonies\", Dr Mattila, a biology professor at Wellesley College in the US state of Massachusetts, said.\n\nBees are known for using a range of strategies to deflect attacks from predators.\n\nThey have been observed physically shielding their colonies through synchronised body shakes, hissing, or enveloping encroachers in a ball until they overheat.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Listen to the sounds of honeybee queens \"tooting\" and \"quacking\"\n\nGiant Asian hornets - up to five times bigger than honey bees - can slaughter a bee colony in a matter of hours. They can also inflict powerful stings on humans.\n\nThe scientists found that the hornets were less likely to launch mass attacks on hives dotted with more faeces, and that they spent 94% less time chewing at the entrance if they did land.\n\nThe use of excrement was particular to Asian honeybees, they added, saying their counterparts in Europe and North America lacked similar defences.\n\nAsian hornets have recently been detected in North America where they have been dubbed \"murder hornets\" for the threat they pose to local honeybees and ecosystems as well as concerns about human safety.\n\nAround 40 people are killed annually by the hornets in Asia, according to the Smithsonian Museum in Washington DC.", "Rhiannon Davies, pictured with daughter Kate, campaigned for a review into maternity care\n\nMothers were blamed for their babies' deaths and a large number of women died in labour at a scandal-hit maternity unit, a review has found.\n\nThe inquiry into Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS (SaTH) trust found deaths were often not investigated and an induction drug was repeatedly misused.\n\nRhiannon Davies said she never doubted what happened with her daughter Kate.\n\nSeven \"immediate and essential\" actions have been made for all maternity services across England.\n\nThe chief executive of SaTH said they \"commit to implementing all of the report's actions\".\n\nThe review began in 2018 following campaigns led by two families. Richard Stanton and Ms Davies' daughter Kate died hours after her birth in March 2009, while Kayleigh and Colin Griffiths' daughter Pippa died in 2016 from a Group B Streptococcus infection.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. WATCH: The parents of babies Kate and Pippa talk about the pain of losing their child\n\nThe interim report lists numerous traumatic birth experiences including the deaths of babies due to excessive force of forceps and stillbirths that could have been avoided.\n\nOthers recount repeated failures by staff to recognise mothers and babies in deteriorating conditions, including one mother whose baby died because staff were \"too busy\" to monitor her during labour.\n\nIt found letters and records \"which often focused on blaming the mothers\" rather than considering whether the trust's systems were at fault. This was exacerbated by the attitude of staff, the report said.\n\nIt said: \"One of the most disappointing and deeply worrying themes that has emerged is the reported lack of kindness and compassion from some members of the maternity team.\n\n\"The fact that this was found to be lacking… is unacceptable and deeply concerning.\"\n\nIn June police launched an investigation to examine if there was evidence to support a criminal case against the trust or any individuals involved.\n\nFollowing the publication of the report, Geoff Wessell, Assistant Chief Constable for West Mercia Police, said their investigation has been running concurrently with the review and remains ongoing.\n\nThe inquiry - the largest ever of NHS maternity care - is being led by senior midwife Donna Ockenden and is looking into 1,862 cases and initially examined 250 cases.\n\nIt looked at a selection of cases between 2000 and 2018 and found there were 13 maternal deaths, a rate that is disproportionately high.\n\nWhile the report said the women were often correctly identified as being \"high risk\" due to existing medical conditions, little concrete action appeared to follow with junior doctors conducting assessments and no team working to ensure best care.\n\nAfter each death \"in some cases, no investigation was initiated\" whilst in others \"no learning appears to have been identified.\"\n\nThe report said \"inappropriate language had been used at times causing distress,\" and there were cases \"where women were blamed for their loss and this further compounded their grief.\"\n\nMs Davies' daughter Kate was born \"pale and floppy\" at Ludlow Community Hospital and died after delays in transferring her from Ludlow to a doctor-led maternity unit.\n\nShe has fought for a review for 11 years and said: \"I may sound arrogant but I've never doubted my surety of what happened with Kate.\n\n\"I knew I was right. The interim findings will hopefully bring this essential change, critically required change, change this trust has not been able to see it needs to embed and that will hopefully ensure patient safety improves and that is the only reason we've continued.\"\n\nPippa Griffiths died at one day old after contracting meningitis from a Group B Strep infection\n\nHer husband Richard said: \"I think it's really important that the interim findings go someway to imposing emergency recommendations which are clearly needed at this point to improve maternity care, no family should have to go through what me and Rhiannon and all the others have gone through.\n\n\"We just wanted to get to the truth.\"\n\nThe reports lists 27 actions the trust must immediately carry out.\n\nMs Ockenden said: \"Today we are explaining in this first report local actions for learning and immediate and essential actions which we believe will improve maternity care, not only at this trust but across England so that the experiences women and families have described to us are not replicated elsewhere.\n\nThe work that follows \"owes its origins to Kate Stanton-Davies and her parents\", Ms Ockenden said.\n\nShe added Kate and Pippa's parents have shown \"an unrelenting commitment in ensuring their daughter's short lives made a difference to the safety of maternity care\".\n\nMrs Griffiths, Pippa's mother said: \"It's not acceptable... you have to pick those failures up, you have to own them and you have to make improvements.\"\n\nThis is not a dry report - its pages scream with the voices of the families who have been needlessly harmed.\n\nI've heard many of these stories over the years, having spoken to dozens of families, but to read it in black and white, was still a sobering moment.\n\nThe review's publication also draws a firm line under the pretence that successive poor, weak leaders of the organisation maintained until recently, namely that the trust was no worse than others. They are worse, much worse, and have been for years.\n\nThe alphabet soup of NHS organisations that were meant to protect these families - the inspectors, the regulators, the commissioners - have a lot of questions to answer too.\n\nTheir repeated refusal to see what was happening, despite being told of the problems, is just as shaming as the trust's stance. Their moment of reckoning will come next year, when the final report is published.\n\nConservative MP for Telford Lucy Allan said the findings of the review were \"deeply harrowing\".\n\nFormer Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who ordered an inquiry in 2017, tweeted: \"This is a tragic day for families across Shropshire who've had it confirmed in black & white that hundreds of babies died needlessly.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Jeremy Hunt This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nLouise Barnett, the trust's chief executive, said: \"I want to say how very sorry we are for the pain and distress that has been caused to mothers and their families due to poor maternity care at our trust.\n\n\"We commit to implementing all of the actions in this report and I can assure the women and families who use our service that if they raise any concerns about their care they will be listened to and action will be taken.\"\n\nThe seven actions outlined for maternity services across England include: Enhanced safety, listening to women and families, staff training and working together, managing complex pregnancy, risk assessment throughout pregnancy and Monitoring fetal wellbeing.\n\nAs part of those seven actions, it said there must be twice daily consultant-led ward rounds, seven days a week, in the day and at night.\n\nFollow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "The United States could move a step closer to approving the Pfizer-Biontech Covid vaccine on Thursday, as the Food and Drug Administration's advisers meet to discuss its authorisation.\n\nBut how will Americans get it? Will it be free? And will enough people take it?", "Mrs Whitehead died at a care home just days before her husband received the vaccine\n\nA man has been given the Covid vaccine, days after his wife died after contracting the virus.\n\nRae Whitehead, 79, died on 1 December after testing positive for Covid-19 at her care home in East Yorkshire.\n\nOn Tuesday her husband Edward, 84, was one of the first to receive the jab at Middlesbrough's James Cook Hospital.\n\nThe couple's surgeon son Dr David Whitehead, 49, said he felt relief his father had had the jab but \"heartbreak\" his mother could not be saved.\n\nMr Whitehead, 49, an ENT consultant in Middlesbrough, who also received the jab with his father, who is also a retired ENT surgeon, said: \"It's heartbreaking on the one hand and also potential relief on the other.\n\n\"My father and I are deeply saddened that, had we not put my mother in a nursing home, she would maybe be alive today and could have had the vaccine.\n\n\"Her life slipped away - a week later the vaccine is being rolled out.\"\n\nDr Whitehead said his mother, who had worked as a civil servant before having children, had spent her life \"looking after us and the family\".\n\nHe said he had contracted coronavirus himself in March, and had a temperature and a \"sensation as if my head was being boiled alive\".\n\nHe said the NHS rollout of the vaccine had made him proud.\n\n\"This is the good thing about the NHS - because it's nationalised we have this ability and power to have these interactions with the large pharmaceutical companies so that this sort of thing can happen,\" he said.\n\n\"I feel quite proud that we've managed to approve it, a vaccine from a trial, so quickly.\"\n\nOn Tuesday UK grandmother Margaret Keenan, who turns 91 next week, became the first person in the world to be given the Pfizer Covid-19 jab as part of a mass vaccination programme.\n\nFollow BBC North East & Cumbria on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Schools moving online at short-notice could be 'confusing' for students\n\nAll secondary schools and further education colleges in Wales will move classes online from Monday, the education minister has announced.\n\nKirsty Williams said it was part of a \"national effort to reduce transmission of coronavirus\".\n\nHowever, the Children's Commissioner for Wales has criticised the decision as disruptive to education.\n\nA number of counties have also said primary schools will close earlier, including Cardiff and Swansea.\n\nMs Williams said it was important to take a \"clear, national direction\" to ease the pressure from schools, colleges, local councils and parents and carers.\n\n\"Every day, we are seeing more and more people admitted to hospital with coronavirus symptoms,\" she added.\n\n\"The virus is putting our health service under significant and sustained pressure and it is important we all make a contribution to reduce its transmission.\"\n\nTeaching will move online from Monday in Wales\n\nShe said the advice from Wales' Chief Medical Officer, Dr Frank Atherton, was to implement the online learning plan \"as soon as is practicable\".\n\n\"Having spoken to local education leaders, I am confident that schools and colleges have online learning provision in place,\" added Ms Williams.\n\n\"This will also be important in ensuring that students are at home during this time, learning and staying safe.\n\n\"Critically, and this is very important, children should be at home.\n\n\"This is not an early Christmas holiday, please do everything you can to minimise your contact with others.\"\n\nThe latest data shows the infection rate across Wales is averaging more than 370 cases for 100,000 people, with 17% of tests now coming back positive.\n\nIt means the reproduction (R) number in Wales has now reached 1.27, with infections doubling in 11.7 days.\n\nThe Children's Commissioner for Wales Sally Holland says she does not support closing schools early\n\nBut Children's Commissioner Sally Holland said the move was \"not the right decision\" for children and young people in Wales and had yet to see any scientific advice to support the move.\n\n\"Whilst accepting the severity of the public health emergency and the responsibilities all of us have to keep each other safe, this decision compounds the disruption to our children's education over the last few months,\" she said.\n\nThe announcement does not extend to primary or special schools, with the education minister \"encouraging\" them to remain open.\n\nHowever, a number of local authorities have announced they will also be halting face-to-face learning early.\n\nSchools in Swansea will all move to online blended learning on Monday, so Friday is the last day in the classroom for primary school pupils.\n\nPembrokeshire and Ceredigion parents have been sent emails telling them classrooms will close after Monday.\n\nCarmarthenshire council has said primary and special schools will be given the choice to move to online learning or stay open from Tuesday.\n\nCardiff council said the final day in class will be Tuesday.\n\n\"The move is designed to enable students to remain at home in the run up to Christmas to try to halt the rise in infection rates,\" said a statement from Cardiff city officials on Thursday evening.\n\nThe neighbouring Vale of Glamorgan will close primary schools on Wednesday, 16 December.\n\nSeveral local authorities have already announced they would shut schools early\n\nSome local authorities had already announced plans to close schools early.\n\nBlaenau Gwent shut classrooms on Wednesday, with infection rates in the county now standing at nearly 600 cases for 100,000 people.\n\nIn north Wales, Flintshire and Wrexham had decided to shut schools on Friday, with infection rates running at 175 and 230 cases per 100,000.\n\nBridgend, Caerphilly and Rhondda Cynon Taf councils had also planned to shut early next Wednesday.\n\nThe teaching union NAHT had called for schools in Wales to shut this Friday, and be replaced with online classes.\n\nBut the union said it was \"bitterly disappointed\" the move did not include primary or special schools.\n\n\"This decision ignores Welsh Government's own advice on pre-isolating before seeing extended family over the Christmas holidays,\" said Laura Doel from the union.\n\n\"Many parents will simply vote with their feet and keep children at home anyway.\"\n\nThe Association of School and College Leaders has supported the Welsh Government's announcement.\n\n\"This is obviously a difficult decision but the public health advice is very clear that this needs to happen to tackle Covid infection rates in Wales and reduce transmission of the virus,\" said its director in Wales, Eithne Hughes.\n\n\"However, we urge the Welsh Government and local authorities to keep a close eye on the situation in primary schools and take appropriate action if needed.\"\n\nThe decision has also been welcomed by the National Education Union Cymru and Unison.\n\nBut the move has been criticised by the education leader at one north Wales council.\n\nHuw Hilditch-Roberts, of Denbighshire council, said the announcement was a \"blanket approach based on what is happening in the south\".\n\nThe rate of infection in the county is 101.4 per 100,000.\n\n\"Any decision to close schools should be made on the data, and the data in our area doesn't support the decision,\" he told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.\n\n\"I feel this could result in a community spike because it will be harder to manage with more children in the community for longer.\"\n\nResponding to the announcement, Plaid Cymru's education spokeswoman Siân Gwenllian said on-site provision must be made for all younger learners, and children of key workers \"who can't make alternative arrangements\".\n\nShe said every secondary school pupil must also have suitable devices for accessing online lessons, adding: \"Accessing education through Xboxes and mobiles phones is not good enough.\"\n\nThe Welsh Conservatives said the decision was another instance of \"confusing messages\" from the Welsh Government.\n\n\"There is no doubt that the situation is grave in parts of Wales, but I would have preferred targeted interventions where needed, not another blanket ban,\" said their education spokeswoman in the Senedd, Suzy Davies.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "An update to England and Wales's NHS Covid-19 contact-tracing app is adding a way to apply for a £500 grant if it gives a self-isolation order.\n\nUntil now, those on low incomes were only offered the payment if they had been told to stay at home by human Test and Trace operators.\n\nThe move comes at a time when the number of people testing positive for the coronavirus is on the rise again.\n\nExperts have suggested following the app's guidance could help reverse that.\n\n\"People are not isolating because they can't afford to or because they don't realise that they have to - the whole system is not working,\" Paul Hunter, professor of health protection at the University of East Anglia, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.\n\n\"I think there is ample evidence that many people who should be isolating don't feel they can for whatever reason, and I think that has to be fixed if this is going to be effectively controlled until we've had adequate rollout of the vaccine.\"\n\nNew figures reveal that the NHS Covid-19 app has been downloaded 20,361,253 times as of 2 December, representing about 40% of eligible adults.\n\nThat only represents a 0.7% gain since the previous week, suggesting that installations have plateaued.\n\nBut by offering financial support, more people might be willing to use it.\n\nAnd that in turn would help the system become more effective at identifying those at high risk of being infected by someone they were recently in close proximity to.\n\nHowever, officials say the key aim is to encourage and make it easier for more people to self-isolate.\n\nEngland and Wales have both allowed people on low incomes, who cannot work from home, to apply for financial help if they have received a phone call, email, letter or text message telling them to self-isolate.\n\nPreviously, that did not cover people who had received the app notification to isolate.\n\nThis was in part because the app is designed to keep the identity of anyone receiving an alert private.\n\nSo, the challenge was to find a way to add the facility while still being able to prevent fraudulent claims.\n\nThe solution involves a new financial support button that only appears on the app's home screen if the user has been told to self-isolate.\n\nIf tapped, the user is taken out of the app to a webpage that asks them to select if they live in England or Wales.\n\nIn the case of England, they will then need to fill in an eligibility criteria check.\n\nIf accepted, they are next asked to supply their email address and phone number to get a security code to register with NHS Test and Trace.\n\nThe NHS Test and Trace team then provides an account number that the user supplies to their local authority to get the payment.\n\nIn doing so, the user must reveal their identity and accept a legal obligation to stay at home for the duration of the order.\n\nIf they then break the self-isolation rules they can be fined £1,000 or more.\n\nWales's NHS Test, Trace, Protect service has a parallel system, which first asks users which of the country's 22 local authorities they live in.\n\nEach council has its own claims process, which must then be completed.\n\nThe system has been set up in such a way that the process only works once, and the external webpage checks it has been accessed in an authorised way via use of a token.\n\nAll data stored within the app, including locations checked in via QR barcode scans, remains anonymous to the authorities.\n\nNorthern Ireland's StopCovid NI app recently deployed a similar solution, generating a Self-Isolation Certificate that can be used to apply for a grant from its Department for Communities.\n\nBut at this point, the NHS Scotland Protect Scotland app lacks a similar facility to let users apply for help from the Scottish Welfare Fund.\n\n\"Currently we are not able to provide direct eligibility from an app-only request to isolate as it maintains the anonymity of the user so we cannot confirm that the applicant is the person who has been contacted,\" said a spokeswoman for the Scottish government.\n\n\"We are looking at possible solutions if a user chooses to be identified when asked to isolate.\n\n\"In the meantime, local authorities are being flexible and looking further into the individual circumstances of these types of applications on a case by case basis to determine whether the request to isolate can be verified by other means and an award made.\"", "The number of patients in England waiting over a year for routine hospital care is now 100 times higher than before the pandemic, figures show.\n\nNearly 163,000 out of the 4.4 million on the waiting list at the end of October had waited over 12 months for operations such as hip replacements.\n\nThere were just 1,600 year-long waiters in February, NHS England data shows.\n\nThe Royal College of Surgeons warned patients were being left in pain unable to carry on with \"day-to-day life\".\n\n\"Yet again, these waiting time figures drive home the devastating impact Covid has had on wider NHS services,\" RCS president Prof Neil Mortensen said.\n\nIt was a \"national crisis\" that could take two to three years to tackle, he added.\n\nThe number of long waits is now at its highest level since 2008.\n\nAlthough there are signs elsewhere in the figures that things may be starting to improve. The number of operations being done is on the increase, while average waits are falling.\n\nThe data also shows accident-and-emergency attendances dropped during lockdown.\n\nThere were 1.49 million visits to A&E in November - a quarter down on normal levels, raising concerns people with serious illnesses may not be receiving the help they need.\n\nAt the peak of the pandemic, attendances dropped to 900,000 a month before climbing during the summer and reaching a peak of 1.72 million.\n\nThe numbers of urgent cancer checks and patients starting cancer treatment, however, have returned to their normal levels.\n\nAn NHS England spokesman said: \"Although Covid hospitalisations almost doubled during November, for every Covid inpatient the NHS treated, hospitals managed to treat five other inpatients for other health conditions.\n\n\"With cancer referrals and treatments now back above usual levels, our message remains that people should continue to come forward for care when they need it.\"\n\nThere is mounting concern, however, about the current trends for Covid.\n\nThe number of Covid patients in hospital in England - currently 12,600, accounting for one in seven of all beds available - has shown a slight increase in recent days after several weeks of falls.\n\nAnd the number of cases being diagnosed has also stopped falling.\n\nThey peaked at just above 25,000 on average in mid-November but have been around the 15,000 mark for the past two weeks.\n\nOn Thursday, 20,964 more people tested positive for coronavirus and 516 people died in the UK.", "Joe Anderson, who has been mayor since 2012, was arrested on Friday\n\nThe mayor of Liverpool has stepped aside following his arrest on suspicion of conspiracy to commit bribery and witness intimidation.\n\nJoe Anderson said he was \"stepping away from decision-making\" and would take unpaid leave while the investigation continued.\n\nHe said his arrest on Friday was a \"painful shock\" and he believed \"time would make it clear that I have no case to answer\".\n\nHe was released on conditional bail.\n\nMr Anderson and four others, including Derek Hatton, the former deputy leader of the council, were held as part of an investigation into the awarding of building contracts in the city.\n\nThe year-long police inquiry, Operation Aloft, focussed on a number of property developers.\n\nLiverpool City Council's chief executive Tony Reeves met Local Government Secretary Robert Jenrick on Monday and the government later requested the authority reveal its planned commercial property deals.\n\nIn a statement, Mr Anderson said: \"I have always done what I believe is best for the city, and I am taking the following action with those best intentions in mind.\"\n\nHe said it was \"important\" that everyone in Liverpool knew leaders were \"focussed on what is most important to the people, their livelihoods and, with a pandemic still in force, their lives\".\n\nLiverpool City Council was asked to reveal all its proposed property deals to the government\n\nMr Anderson added: \"For this reason, I believe it is important that the city, and government, are reassured that our city is indeed operating in the correct way.\n\n\"I am, therefore, stepping away from decision-making within the council through a period of unpaid leave, until the police make clear their intentions with the investigation on the 31 December.\"\n\nDeputy mayor Wendy Simon will now become interim mayor.\n\nThe council's Liberal Democrat opposition leader Richard Kemp said Mr Anderson had made \"almost the right decision\" to step away from the city's affairs.\n\nHe added: \"His resignation would have been an even cleaner break\".\n\nMr Kemp also tweeted: \"Relationships with the government and the private sector would be very difficult whilst the city's political leader is under a cloud.\"\n\nHe said the situation had shown up the \"worst of the mayoral system\" and his party would submit a motion to end that system and return to a modern committee system \"in which there are checks and balances\".\n\nDerek Hatton, the former deputy leader of the council, was also arrested on Friday\n\nHe tweeted: \"Stand-in mayor Wendy Simon must act swiftly to restore trust in local democracy. Share power across a cabinet of all the parties to see us out of this health, financial and political crisis.\"\n\nMs Simon said her \"number one\" priority was \"steering this great city and its people through the pandemic and preparing for the recovery\".\n\nShe said while she was acting mayor she wanted to \"create a city that has equal opportunities for all\" and \"establish a platform of confidence\" to reassure investors.\n\nFather-of-four Mr Anderson was elected in 2012, having been a Labour councillor since 1998.\n\nHe said he was \"very grateful\" for messages of support and had \"faith\" that Liverpool's future was \"bright\" and the city's \"best days\" lay ahead.\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Boris Johnson says there is a “strong possibility” the UK will not reach a post-Brexit trade deal with the EU.\n\nBoris Johnson says there is a \"strong possibility\" the UK will fail to strike a post-Brexit trade deal with the EU.\n\nSpeaking for the first time since a crunch meeting in Brussels, the PM said \"now is the time\" for firms and people to prepare for a no deal outcome.\n\nTalks continue between the two sides but Mr Johnson said they were \"not yet there at all\" in securing a deal.\n\nTime is running out to reach an agreement before the UK stops following EU trade rules on 31 December.\n\nWeeks of intensive talks between officials have failed to overcome obstacles in key areas, including competition rules and fishing rights.\n\nMr Johnson met European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday, but the pair failed to make a breakthrough.\n\nMr Johnson pledged British negotiators, who earlier resumed talks with their EU counterparts in Brussels, would \"go the extra mile\" to reach a deal.\n\nBut he said the EU wanted to keep the UK \"locked\" into its legal system, or face punishments such as taxes on imports, which had \"made things much more difficult\".\n\nThe PM added that the EU's proposals would mean, despite leaving the bloc earlier this year, the UK would be forced to remain a \"twin\" of the 27-country organisation.\n\n\"At the moment, I have to tell you in all candour, the treaty is not there yet and that was the strong view of our cabinet,\" he said.\n\nMr Johnson said that \"looking at where we are,\" it was vital the UK prepares for the \"Australian-style option\" of not having a free trade deal with the EU.\n\n\"There's a strong possibility that we will have a solution much more like Australian relationship with the EU than a Canadian relationship with the EU,\" he said.\n\nMr Johnson has insisted the country will \"prosper\" on these terms, but former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm said the UK should be \"careful what you wish for\".\n\nMr Turnbull told BBC's Question Time there were some \"very large barriers to Australian trade with Europe\", adding: \"Australians would not regard our trade relationship with Europe as being a satisfactory one.\"\n\nWill there be no deal? Right now it is just too hard to say.\n\nBut is Boris Johnson only trying to send messages to his opposite numbers? The answer is no.\n\nOn Wednesday we saw this whole saga move closer to what both sides would consider a failure - an inability to agree on a trade deal that had been in reach and is still in their mutual interest.\n\nIt may yet come to pass that the prime minster or the EU leadership will have a change of heart.\n\nOf course the rhetoric does not tell us everything that's going on.\n\nBut the PM's warning tonight is far from just a message designed to be heard in EU capitals - whatever the merits of the decision he may take, Downing Street is preparing the ground for a choice to leave the status quo without firm arrangements in place.\n\nAustralia is negotiating a free trade deal with the EU but currently does not have one.\n\nIt largely does business with the EU on World Trade Organization (WTO) rules, but has a few arrangements in place, such as co-operation on science and trade on wine.\n\nMoving to WTO rules on 31 December could result in tariffs being imposed leading to higher prices for the goods the UK buys and sells from and to the EU, among other changes.\n\nCanada finalised a deal with the EU in 2017.\n\nMr Johnson said he \"tried very hard to make progress\" at his dinner with Mrs von der Leyen, but the EU was making things \"unnecessarily difficult\".\n\nMeanwhile, the EU has set out the contingency measures it would take in the event of no trade agreement being reached with the UK.\n\nThe plans aim to ensure that UK and EU air and road connections still run after the post-Brexit transition period ends on 31 December.\n\nThey also allow the possibility of fishing access to each other's waters for up to a year, or until an agreement is reached.\n\nEU leaders are meeting in the Belgian capital for a two day-summit of their own, although Brexit will not be the main focus.\n\nA spokesman said they discussed the situation on Friday morning, but only for 10 minutes.\n\nArriving at the summit, Mrs von der Leyen said the conditions for a trade deal would have to be \"fair for our workers and our companies.\"\n\n\"This fine balance of fairness has not been achieved so far,\" she said, adding that a decision would be taken on Sunday.\n\nBBC Europe correspondent Kevin Connolly said the EU leaders had been preoccupied with disputes about their own budget, a maritime row with Turkey in the Mediterranean and coronavirus as they talked into the early hours of Friday morning.\n\n\"Brexit has not been the only priority here - perhaps not even the main one,\" he said.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Sir Keir Starmer tells Boris Johnson to “get the deal” and his party will then look at it.\n\nBefore the PM's remarks, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer urged Mr Johnson to \"get on and deliver\" a deal, adding the outstanding issues \"are capable of resolution\".\n\nAsked whether his party would back a deal in a vote in the Commons, he said: \"We will look at it - and we will act in the national interest.\"\n\n\"But on a straight choice between no deal and deal, then deal is clearly in the national interest,\" he added.", "Folklore is the best-reviewed album of Taylor Swift's career\n\nTaylor Swift is releasing her second surprise album of 2020 at midnight, she has revealed on Twitter.\n\nEvermore is described as a \"sister album\" to the delicate, escapist Folklore, which itself arrived out-of-the-blue in July.\n\nRecorded remotely in quarantine, that record topped the US and UK charts and earned Swift nominations for six Grammy awards, including album of the year.\n\nSwift said the new 17-track collection featured songs from the same sessions.\n\n\"To put it plainly, we just couldn't stop writing,\" she said.\n\n\"To try and put it more poetically, it feels like we were standing on the edge of the folklorian woods and had a choice: To turn and go back or to travel further into the forest of this music. We chose to wander deeper in.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Taylor Swift This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\n\"I've never done this before,\" she continued. \"In the past I've always treated albums as one-off eras and moved onto planning the next one after an album was released.\n\n\"There was something different with Folklore. In making it, I felt less like I was departing and more like I was returning. I loved the escapism I found in these imaginary/not imaginary tales.\n\n\"I loved the ways you welcomed the dreamscapes and tragedies and epic tales of love lost and found into your lives. So I just kept writing them.\"\n\nAs with Folklore, the new album will contain collaborations with indie artists Bon Iver and Aaron Dessner, as well as female rock trio Haim - who are one of Swift's competitors in the Grammys' album of the year category.\n\nThe star also said she has directed the video for the song Willow, which will also be released at midnight on Friday, 11 December.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Taylor Swift This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nEvermore caps off a busy year for the singer-songwriter, who filled the empty space in her tour diary with a string of musical projects, including a live album and a performance film based on the Folklore sessions, which was released on Disney Plus last month.\n\nThe 30-year-old has also begun re-recording all of the material from her first six albums after the master tapes were sold against her will last year.\n\nShe revealed the first fruits of those sessions - a faithful reproduction of her hit single Love Story - in a TV advert last week.\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Mr Musk was delighted with how much the test outing achieved\n\nUS entrepreneur Elon Musk has launched the latest prototype of his Starship vehicle from Texas.\n\nCodenamed SN8, the uncrewed rocket lifted away from the Boca Chica R&D facility on what had been billed as a brief flight to 12.5km (41,000ft).\n\nThe 50m-tall vehicle crashed on touchdown but Mr Musk was delighted with how much the test outing achieved.\n\nBefore the flight, the tech billionaire had dampened expectations, warning his fans that some mishap was likely.\n\nNonetheless, Musk has big hopes for the Starship when it is fully developed. He says it is the future for his SpaceX company.\n\nStarship will launch people and cargo into orbit, and the entrepreneur also envisages the vehicle travelling to the Moon and Mars.\n\nThe SpaceX CEO praised his team, adding that the demonstration had acquired \"all the data we needed\".\n\n\"Mars, here we come!!\" he tweeted.\n\nThe SN8 was given a nosecone and flaps for the flight\n\nThe Boca Chica facility has developed a line of ever-more complex prototypes. The philosophy has been to test each iteration until it fails. Sometimes explosively.\n\nSN8 was the first to attempt a high-altitude suborbital flight.\n\nThe plan had been to demonstrate some manoeuvres that mimicked a belly-facing re-entry to Earth's atmosphere, ending up with a flip back to the vertical just before touchdown.\n\nMost of this was achieved: a clean launch off the pad, a steady climb to altitude, followed by a horizontal descent. But it was when the Starship tried to flip back to the vertical that things started to go wrong.\n\nThe vehicle came into its landing pad with too much speed, and promptly exploded on impact.\n\n\"Fuel header tank pressure was low during landing burn, causing touchdown velocity to be high & RUD,\" Mr Musk explained on Twitter.\n\n\"RUD\" stands for \"rapid unscheduled disassembly\". A crash, in other words.\n\nMr Musk will move swiftly on. He already has other prototypes at Boca Chica ready to take SN8's place.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Elon Musk This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nVisually, SN8 looked quite different from the test articles that had gone before it.\n\nThe new vehicle was given three of SpaceX's latest methane-burning Raptor engines, a nose cone and aerodynamic control surfaces - the large flaps at its top and base.\n\nJust three Raptors today, but eventually the Starship will fly with six\n\nThe Starship will eventually launch atop a booster called the Super Heavy.\n\nThis will feature perhaps 28 Raptors, producing more than 70 meganewtons (16 million lbs) of thrust. That's much more than even the mighty Apollo Saturn 5 rocket, which sent men to the Moon.\n\nBoth parts of the new SpaceX system - Starship and Super Heavy booster - will stand 118m tall on the launch pad.\n\nThe two elements are being designed to be fully reusable, making propulsive landings at the end of each mission.\n\nMr Musk is in a hurry to get to Mars\n\nIn June this year, Mr Musk stated that Starship was now his number-one priority, beyond the Falcon rockets he currently routinely flies for satellite companies, the US Air Force and the US space agency (Nasa).\n\nHe believes the Starship concept can transform the economics of spaceflight.\n\nThe specifications call for more than 100-tonnes to be lifted into low-Earth orbit.\n\nThis mass could include satellites, people and even hardware to build bases on the Moon and Mars.\n\nNasa has already asked Mr Musk to examine the possibility of landing a Starship on the lunar surface in the next few years.\n\nThe entrepreneur has in mind a higher objective and a faster timeline, however. Receiving an award last week from the Germany digital publishing group Axel Springer SE, he said he aimed to have people at Mars in the next four to six years.\n\nThe SpaceX CEO is famous for his aggressive and overly optimistic schedules. He does, however, have a habit of proving critics wrong by eventually attaining his goals.\n\nAn artist's impression of the entrepreneur's grand plans for the future\n\nJonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmos", "YouTube said on Wednesday it would start removing content that falsely alleges that widespread voter fraud changed the result of the US election.\n\nThe update applies to all new content, including videos from President Donald Trump.\n\nThe company had previously labelled potentially misleading election videos, adding links to accurate information.\n\nYouTube said \"enough states have certified their election results to determine a president-elect\".\n\nDemocrats have criticised YouTube for not doing enough to take down fake news and conspiracy theories on the platform.\n\nMr Trump and senior Republicans have repeatedly made unsubstantiated claims that the election was \"rigged\".\n\nTrump's lawyers have failed to provide evidence of this.\n\nThe announcement comes after a \"safe harbour\" deadline - which sets a date by which states need to certify the results of the presidential election.\n\n\"Yesterday was the safe harbour deadline for the US Presidential election and enough states have certified their election results to determine a President-elect,\" said YouTube.\n\nIt also said that the move was in line with its historical approach to US presidential elections.\n\nExamples it cited of videos it would now remove were uploads claiming that a presidential candidate won the election due to widespread software glitches or counting errors.\n\nLast month Reuters identified several YouTube channels making money from ads and memberships that were amplifying debunked accusations about voting fraud.\n\nYouTube said that it has taken down 8,000 channels since September, for uploading \"harmful and misleading elections-related videos for violating our existing policies\".\n\nThe latest move will anger President Trump and many Republicans, many of whom already believe Big Tech is biased against conservatives.\n\nThe focus now moves to Twitter and Facebook as to whether they will follow YouTube's lead.", "A coalition of news providers and tech companies has pledged to work together to tackle harmful misinformation about Covid-19 vaccines.\n\nThe Trusted News Initiative's members include the BBC, Reuters, Facebook, Google/YouTube and Twitter.\n\nThe project was set up last year to combat fake news around elections.\n\nBBC director general Tim Davie said: \"Whether it's a threat to our health or a threat to our democracy, there is a human cost to disinformation.\"\n\nHe said 2020 had seen \"the rapid spread of harmful disinformation and a growing number of conspiracy theories online\".\n\nThe project would not prevent \"legitimate concerns\" about vaccines being aired, but would attempt to stop \"harmful disinformation myths\", Mr Davie added.\n\nFalse claims about the vaccines have been rife on social media. The World Health Organization has said the world is fighting an \"infodemic\" as well as a pandemic, with an overload of information - some of it false - making it difficult for people to make decisions about their health.\n\nThe Trusted News Initiative said its members would alert each other to \"disinformation which poses an immediate threat to life so content can be reviewed promptly by platforms, whilst publishers ensure they don't unwittingly republish dangerous falsehoods\".\n\nYouTube, Facebook and Twitter already say they will remove harmful and misleading claims, and the companies are part of another group with fact-checkers, governments and researchers to come up with a new way of tackling misinformation.\n\nMargaret Keenan, 90, became a celebrity when she became the first person in the world to receive an approved Covid-19 vaccine\n\nThe roll-out of Covid-19 vaccines began in the UK this week.\n\nThe TNI members have already been working together in an attempt to tackle harmful false news around coronavirus and about elections in the UK, US, Myanmar and Taiwan.\n\nThe organisation has also announced a year-long research project into the effectiveness of different initiatives to prevent the spread of health disinformation.\n\nThe other members of the TNI are the Associated Press, Agence France Presse, CBC/Radio-Canada, European Broadcasting Union, Financial Times, First Draft, The Hindu, Microsoft, Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism and The Washington Post.", "Tom Sleigh said he needed to plunge his burnt fingers into a cold sink\n\nA London councillor accidentally set his notepad on fire while taking part in an online committee meeting.\n\nTom Sleigh was on a video call with the City of London Resource Allocation Sub-Committee when he ignited his papers in front of some 30 colleagues.\n\nThe Labour Party member said he had been trying to light a candle \"but it accidentally ignited my notepaper\" and he had \"badly\" burnt his fingers.\n\nNevertheless, his mishap seemed to go unnoticed and the meeting carried on.\n\nThe committee meeting was being streamed live online when the fire occurred.\n\nSpeaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Mr Sleigh said he was using a USB lighter to light a candle when things went awry.\n\nHe managed to put the flames out quickly but said he had badly burnt his fingers and he had \"plunged them into a cold sink\" afterwards.\n\nHowever, he also saw the funny side, later tweeting: \"Today didn't go as smoothly as I hoped.\"\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Travellers returning to the UK from Spain's Canary Islands from Saturday morning must self-isolate for two weeks, the transport secretary has said.\n\nGrant Shapps said this was because of rising infection rates on the islands.\n\nThe Canary Islands are popular with winter holidaymakers, being one of the few parts of Europe warm enough for beach holidays.\n\nTravellers to mainland Spain already have to isolate.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThe restrictions will be in place from 04:00 GMT on Saturday 12 December.\n\nIndustry body Airlines UK has previously said the islands were \"hugely important\" for winter travel and represent \"over 50% of bookings for some tour operators\".\n\nMeanwhile, Saudi Arabia and Botswana have been added to the UK's safe travel corridor list, meaning travellers will not need to self isolate if arriving from these places after 04:00 on Saturday.\n\nThe Department for Transport said there had been a \"sharp increase\" in the number of positive coronavirus tests in the Canary Islands, which had been added to the government's safe travel list in October.\n\nMore than 800 people are waiting to find out if their Tui holidays to Tenerife tomorrow morning will be cancelled, because the Foreign Office has not yet decided whether to also advise against travel to the islands.\n\nBetween 06:00 and 11:00 on Friday morning, six flights from various English airports are due to fly out to Tenerife with package holidaymakers.\n\nIf the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office advises against travel to the Canary Islands, Tui will cancel all holidays immediately as this change invalidates travel insurance.\n\nIt also expects to cancel its entire Christmas holiday schedule.\n\nThat would be a blow for the operator which announced losses of €3bn (£2.74bn) on Thursday.\n\nAt the moment, Tui has received no guidance on how to proceed.\n\nFor UK airlines and tour operators, the winter gloom has just deepened.\n\nThe Canary Islands are a vital market for winter travel, a magnet for holidaymakers trying to escape the chill back home.\n\nWith the industry in the throes of an unprecedented crisis that trade is badly needed.\n\nSo the removal of the canaries from the list of safe travel corridors so soon before the Christmas holidays will come as a bitter blow.\n\nReturning passengers will now have to self-isolate.\n\nNew rules that come into force next week will allow them to reduce the isolation period if they take a negative test after five days - but the test will have to be done privately, and will come at a cost.\n\nThe quarantine change comes ahead of the government's new \"Test and Release\" programme next week, which will allow travellers arriving into England to reduce their quarantine by more than half if they pay for a Covid test after five days.\n\nThe rules will come into force from 15 December and the tests from private firms will cost between £65 and £120.\n\nEngland has also introduced a quarantine exemption for certain categories of travellers, including people making high-value business trips, sports stars and performing arts professionals.\n\nThe Canary Islands and the Maldives were added to the government's safe travel list in October.\n\nThe reversal of this decision will come as a blow to UK travel businesses, who have pinned hope on a revival in holidays and revenue for Christmas and winter holidays to the Canaries.\n\nA number of operators saw a large uplift in bookings to places such as Tenerife, Lanzarote and Gran Canaria when the Canaries were reopened for safe travel.\n\nPaul Charles, chief executive of travel consultancy The PC Agency, said: \"It's utterly devastating news for the thousands of British travellers who booked to go to the Canaries for Christmas and New Year.\n\n\"It's also a body blow for travel firms who'd seen an uplift in bookings for the winter after the Canaries were added to the travel corridor list.\n\n\"It now means thousands of refunds and lost bookings for a sector that needed the Canaries to help them recover.\"\n\nAirline Easyjet chief executive Johan Lundgren said that the news would be \"disappointing for many customers booked to travel to the Canary Islands from the UK in the coming weeks.\"\n\nCustomers wishing to transfer their flights without a fee must do so within a week, he said.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. What do Welsh retailers hope Christmas will bring for business?\n\nWelsh retailers are on \"a knife edge\" amid fears many will not survive a fall in Christmas trade, according to an industry body.\n\nStores such as Debenhams, Peacocks, Top Shop and Bonmarche are the latest to feel the financial strain of 2020.\n\nMany non-essential shops had to close for months during lockdowns aimed at reducing Covid-19 rates.\n\nA Welsh Government spokesman said it has provided the UK's most generous package of support for businesses.\n\nHe said it has been worth nearly £2bn since the start of the pandemic, including extensive business rate relief.\n\nTwenty per cent of all retail sales usually come in November and December, said the Welsh Retail Consortium.\n\nBusinesses will be looking for good Christmas sales to help boost them after the losses felt this year, its head, Sara Jones, told BBC Wales.\n\n\"The festive period is absolutely critical for retailers... particularly in the current climate,\" she said.\n\n\"Signs are fairly positive that we're seeing footfall coming back onto our high streets in our town centres, but to say that's going any way to make up for the disaster of a year [for] retailers, certainly will be a long way off the mark.\n\n\"We had some hope in the pre-festive period that we should get some of that trade back, get people back into our shops able to take advantage of the fantastic offers.\n\n\"But, as it stands, we are looking at a concerning picture going into the new year.\"\n\nDebenhams, with eight stores in Wales, is expected to close its doors in the new year\n\nNon-essential retailers had to close over two periods in 2020 and the prospect of another lockdown in 2021 has been raised as a possibility if cases rise after Christmas.\n\n\"Retailers are already at a knife edge. They're having to make some really difficult investment and decisions around what happens in the new year,\" Ms Jones warned.\n\nThe Arcadia group which includes Top Shop, Peacocks and Bonmarche have gone into administration, posing a challenge for Welsh high streets especially in smaller towns and cities.\n\nDebenhams, with eight stores in Wales, has gone into liquidation and is expected to close its doors in the new year.\n\nBut it's not just the large chains that have felt the impact of the pandemic.\n\nJayne Rees has been running her toy shop in Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire, since 2002 but has only been trading online for the last three years.\n\nShe believes that has saved the business.\n\n\"We would be really struggling if we didn't have our online business. We've seen a three-fold increase in online sales,\" she said.\n\n\"We weren't expecting it, but it has saved the day, and has kept us going.\n\n\"We have missed our customers. A toy shop is a sad place when you've got no children in it, but we've survived so far.\"\n\nCardiff-based online retailer, Escentual, expects the rise in online trade to continue through the festive period as some customers avoid the shops.\n\nChelsey Edmunds: \"Christmas should be really good for us this year\"\n\n\"The biggest surprise this year was online actually overtook bricks and mortar for Black Friday, so that gives a really strong indication that Christmas should be really good for us this year,\" said Chelsey Edmunds, communications manager.\n\n\"We've seen more of a trend around classics and particularly home fragrance. It's going to be a really interesting year.\"\n\nSales of home fragrance had increased by over 265% as people increasingly stayed at home during the pandemic, the company said.\n\nIt also believes a drop in sales of lipstick but an increase in sales of mascara was down to people increasingly wearing masks.\n\nBut with vaccines now being rolled out, will this accelerated trend of more online shopping continue longer-term?\n\n\"I actually see online sticking because customers really appreciate the sort of ease - click, collect, done,\" she said.\n\nLaura Tenison: \"Some people will thrive but many will actually go to the wall\"\n\nLaura Tenison, who owns the mother and baby chain Jojo Maman Bebe, said the pandemic has meant businesses have had to adapt their services but that turning retail demand into a mail order business overnight was difficult.\n\n\"Retail in 2021 is a scary place to be,\" she said.\n\n\"I think some people will thrive but many will actually go to the wall and we're going to see a lot of empty shops.\"\n\nThe Welsh Government spokesman said it had \"engaged significantly\" with business and retail.\n\nHe added: \"Our Ministerial Town Centre Action Group, which includes representation from the Welsh Retail Consortium and other business interests, supports the economic and social recovery of our town centres, and our Transforming Towns programme is providing more than £90m to help achieve this.\"", "Food and drink supplies in the UK face more disruption after the end of the Brexit transition period than they did from Covid, the industry has said.\n\n\"There are 14 [working] days to go,\" the Food and Drink Federation's (FDF) chief executive, Ian Wright, told MPs.\n\n\"How on earth can traders prepare in this environment?\" he added.\n\nNoting that rules for sending goods from Welsh ports to Northern Ireland had only just been published, he said: \"It's too late, baby.\"\n\nUncertainty over a deal and new border checks would make it difficult to guarantee the movement of food through ports without delays, he said.\n\nMr Wright was giving evidence to the Commons business committee on Brexit preparedness.\n\nHe said there was a big concern that the problems would \"erode the confidence of shoppers in the supply chain\", adding: \"It has done very well over Covid and shoppers will expect the same thing over Brexit, and they may not see it.\"\n\n\"We can't be absolutely certain about the movement of food from the EU to the UK from 1 January for two reasons,\" Mr Wright said.\n\n\"One is checks at the border. The other is tariffs, and the problem with tariffs is, we don't know what they will be.\"\n\nMr Wright added: \"With just 14 working days to go, we have no clue what's going to happen in terms of whether we do or don't face tariffs.\n\n\"And that isn't just a big imposition. It's a binary choice as to whether you do business in most cases. My members will not know whether they're exporting their products after 1 January, or whether they'll be able to afford to import them and charge the price that the tariff will dictate.\"\n\nMr Wright warned that while he expected Kent and Operation Brock to work \"reasonably well\", he was less confident about ports such as Holyhead, with goods heading to Northern Ireland.\n\nHe called the Northern Ireland protocol a \"complete shambles\", adding: \"The idea that you can prepare for something as big as the change that's going to happen is ridiculous, it's a massive toll.\"\n\nMr Wright added that 43% of FDF members who supply Northern Ireland have said they were not going to do so in the first three months of next year.\n\nHe told MPs that many companies had lost some of their customer base in the EU. \"The problem is, if there's any disruption to supply, you lose your customer pretty quickly and you do not get them back,\" he added.\n\nMiles Celic, chief executive of TheCityUK, told the committee that up to a quarter of the UK's financial activity was EU-related and that in the worst-case scenario, about 40% of that business could be lost.\n\nHowever, he added: \"We've not seen this vast shift in jobs and activity.\"\n\nInstead, Brexit had acted as a \"strategic accelerator\", with firms taking action such as restructuring EU-based offices as standalone operations. Even so, he warned: \"This all comes ultimately at a cost.\"\n\nLloyd Mulkerrins of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said that if tariffs were levied on parts and finished vehicles, the UK's car industry was likely to see a sales decline of 20% to 30%.\n\nProduction would decline from as much as 1.6 million to just 800,000, he told the MPs.", "UK travellers could be barred from entering the EU from 1 January as travel rules associated with being part of the EU expire and pandemic restrictions block entry.\n\nUnrestricted travel to countries within the bloc will no longer automatically apply to UK residents from then.\n\nThis means entry into the EU would then be based on essential travel only.\n\nCurrently only countries with low coronavirus infection rates qualify for non-essential travel.\n\nThere are only eight countries with low Covid rates that are on the approved list for free travel and there are currently no plans to add the UK to that list.\n\nForeign Secretary Dominic Raab told the BBC's Today programme that Covid restrictions would depend on what the EU and its member states decide.\n\nHe added that \"restrictions on travel, inevitably, is going to be something that's kept under review\".\n\nWith talks about a trade deal between the UK and the EU still continuing, there is a possibility this could change.\n\nAlternatively, individual member state countries could decide to override the EU rules and create a corridor with the UK.\n\nAt the moment, the UK is considered to have the same status by the EU as countries such as Norway and Switzerland, which are members of the European Free Trade Association, travel expert Simon Calder told the BBC.\n\nMr Calder said that many regions dependent on tourism, such as the Canary Islands, may well make an exemption for British tourists, \"but there's no obligation to at the moment\".\n\nPaul Charles, chief executive of travel consultancy the PC Agency, agreed, saying: \"Cool heads need to prevail at this politically difficult time as travel and tourism is such a key contributor to economic growth in Europe.\n\n\"I'm sure that individual countries who need UK tourism will be sensible and override any EU-bloc decision which prevents entry. It is so important now for countries to work together globally to create a consistent approach.\"\n\nA spokesperson for airline EasyJet said: \"There is no EU blanket law which requires individual states to limit entry from those arriving from outside the EU and so just as they do today, we expect individual European countries to continue to apply their own rules.\"\n\nIt might come as a big surprise that UK travellers could be barred from entering the EU after 31 December. Remember - Europe is our top holiday destination with more of us going to Spain than any other country.\n\nBut with infection rates still rising, countries have to do what they can to protect themselves and now we're out of the EU, we have to follow new rules.\n\nTravel corridors, set up in the summer to help travellers bypass quarantine with countries with low infection rates, could come back.\n\nThey've operated between individual EU countries like Spain, France and Italy before, and could return so individual countries can welcome lucrative UK holidaymakers to spend their pounds in hotels, bars and restaurants.\n\nBut for now, yes, we could be barred. However, this scenario could also be negotiated away as part of the talks that go on until Sunday.\n\nA spokesman for ABTA, the travel industry trade body, said: \"The EU has sought to adopt a common approach to travel restrictions, but this is only a recommendation and individual countries are able to implement their own measures, including options like travel corridors and testing.\"\n\n\"It is too early to say what restrictions might be in place on 1 January given the uncertain nature of the pandemic, but we know that UK travellers are hugely important to a number of EU destinations, including some winter sun favourites like the Canary Islands and Madeira.\"\n\nA spokesman for Airlines UK said: \"We expect EU member states that gain enormously from the tourism and air travel from the UK, and the billions of pounds it generates, to continue to apply their own rules, in order to provide certainty to consumers and families looking to travel to the EU from January onwards.\"\n\nNorway, which is part of the EU travel arrangement, said British citizens who do not live in the country will be barred from entering the country from 1 January, the Financial Times newspaper reported.", "Jessica Watkins is a member of the most recent astronaut class, selected for training in 2017\n\nNasa has announced 18 astronauts who will travel to the Moon under the agency's Artemis programme.\n\nThey include individuals who have already travelled to the International Space Station, as well as new recruits who have never flown in space.\n\nThe group includes the next man and first woman who will walk on the lunar surface in 2024.\n\nThe cadre of nine women and nine men were announced by US Vice-President Mike Pence at an event in Florida.\n\nHe said: \"My fellow Americans, I give you the heroes of the future who will carry us back to the Moon and beyond.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. \"The Moon will help teach us about deep space survival\"\n\nStephanie Wilson, who has flown into space three times aboard the space shuttle, Christina Koch, who holds the record for the longest continuous time in space for a woman, and Victor Glover, who recently launched to the ISS aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon, are among those who will fly to the Moon in coming years.\n\nJonny Kim is a doctor and a former Navy Seal. Now he'll be flying to the Moon as well\n\nSpeaking at the eighth National Space Council meeting at Kennedy Space Center, Nasa administrator Jim Bridenstine said: \"This is the first cadre of our Artemis astronauts. I want to be clear, there's going to be more.\"\n\nThe US space agency plans to send a man and woman to the Moon's south pole in 2024 for the first crewed landing since Apollo 17 in 1972.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Engineers test one of the RS-25 engines used by the SLS\n\nBut this will be followed by further flights by astronauts travelling in a spacecraft called Orion, which will be launched by a huge rocket called the Space Launch System (SLS).\n\nBridenstine has said that Nasa wants to establish a \"sustainable\" programme of lunar exploration, including the construction of a lunar base.\n\nAstronaut Kate Rubins has been to the space station twice, and is there now\n\nThe astronauts announced on Wednesday are:\n\nNine of the astronauts have already flown in space; eight are members of the most recent astronaut class - selected in 2017. One, Nicole Aunapu Mann, was selected in 2013, but has not yet flown on a mission.", "Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf during a debate on the Hate Crime and Public Order Bill\n\nThe Scottish government has been urged to make further changes to its controversial Hate Crime Bill.\n\nPlans to amend the legislation had already been announced.\n\nIt followed an outcry over proposals to create a new offence of \"stirring-up hatred\", which critics fear will stifle freedom of expression.\n\nAfter scrutinising the Scottish government's plans, MSPs on Holyrood's Justice Committee say they believe additional changes are needed.\n\nThe committee has now recommended the Scottish Parliament back the general principles of the bill \"subject to those amendments being made\".\n\nConvener Adam Tomkins said the committee is unanimous in calling for more changes.\n\nThe Scottish government introduced the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Bill after a review of current legislation.\n\nThe government asked a senior judge, Lord Bracadale, to examine all of the country's existing hate crime legislation to make sure it was still fit for purpose in the 21st Century.\n\nThe bill was introduced in response to his recommendations.\n\nDespite Mr Yousaf pledging to make amendments to the bill, MSPs on the Justice Committee want provisions concerning the safeguarding of free speech to be \"deepened and strengthened\".\n\nIn a new report on the bill, the committee demand clarification of the \"reasonableness\" defence available to those who are charged with \"stirring-up\" offences.\n\nMSPs also argued that for behaviour to be considered \"abusive\" under the terms of legislation, prosecutors must be required to show a \"reasonable person\" would consider this to be the case - claiming this would set a higher bar for prosecutions.\n\nWhile the committee said \"hate crime offences are no more acceptable if they are committed inside a person's home than in public places\", MSPs added care should be taken to ensure people are not prosecuted for expressing their views in a private space if there is \"no public element\".\n\nThe report is clear the bill is \"not intended to prohibit speech which others may find offensive\" - stressing the \"right to freedom of speech includes the right to offend, shock or disturb\".\n\nMSPs said education - and not just legislation - is ultimately what is needed to tackle hate crime.\n\nThe report states: \"Hate crime legislation will not, of itself, rid Scotland of prejudice.\n\n\"In pursuing that goal, education is likely to be far more important than necessarily creating new criminal offences.\n\n\"As such, the committee seeks further information from the Scottish government on what further steps it proposes to take and what additional resources it intends to provide, including in relation to education, to tackle prejudice in Scottish society.\"\n\nAdam Tomkins is convenor of the justice committee\n\nMr Tomkins said \"balancing freedom of expression and legislating to ensure hateful actions can be prosecuted is a difficult task\".\n\nHe added: \"We believe that, if amended in line with our unanimous recommendations, this bill should be fit to protect the communities it affords extra protections to without encroaching on the ability of citizens to have robust debates, hold views others find unpalatable and express themselves freely.\"\n\nMr Tomkins said it is \"testament to the open-mindedness of all members\" that the committee had \"found such consensus on what has undoubtedly been a contentious piece of legislation\".\n\nMr Yousaf, the justice secretary, said the Scottish government would give the recommendations \"full consideration\" ahead of Holyrood debating the bill on Tuesday.\n\nHe said he hopes MSPs \"can listen to the voices of those affected by hate crime and come together to support the general principles of this legislation\".\n\nThe minister added: \"The parliamentary debate will provide the opportunity for MSPs to find consensus on how we collectively and effectively tackle hate crime, working together to ensure Scotland is an inclusive and forward-thinking society that safeguards all of its people and communities.\"\n• None Why is the Hate Crime Bill so controversial?", "There were 75 Covid patients in critical care - slightly more than the week before - but units are working over normal capacity\n\nThe number of Covid patients in hospital in Wales is the highest yet recorded.\n\nThere were 1,936 Covid-19 patients in hospital beds on Wednesday, this was 153 more patients than the week before - according to the latest NHS Wales figures.\n\nIt has risen in all areas, with Aneurin Bevan seeing the biggest increase and it has the most patients too - 592.\n\nThey include a record number - 585 - who are recovering from the virus.\n\nRecovering patients were not counted until the end of May but the numbers in hospital are now at the highest levels since then.\n\nCovid-19 patients make up about 24% of all patients in hospital. This compares with about 18% at the end of May and the proportion has been slowly increasing.\n\nBut hospital admissions are holding steady - at an average of 71 a day over the past week. NHS Wales said Covid admissions had \"generally decreased\" since the start of November although there was volatility and fluctuations.\n\nThere were 75 patients in critical care - slightly more than the week before.\n\nWith new records being set each day, it's easy to understand why the NHS, especially in parts of Wales, is struggling.\n\nFirstly, they're having to deal with the increasing burden of Covid - with rates of new infections surging across the country.\n\nSecondly, many of their own colleagues are either off work because they have Covid or having to isolate because of infections in their households - with one in 10 NHS staff here now estimated to be off work. The impact of stress and exhaustion is also having an effect.\n\nAnd thirdly, the NHS having approaching the time of year when usual winter pressures are at their most severe.\n\nIn a typical winter, hospitals struggle when people medically fit enough to leave can't because of delays in arranging social care.\n\nIt means hospitals quickly fill up, because patients are flowing in more quickly than beds are becoming available.\n\nThis year there's an added pressure of course - with hundreds (record numbers) of hospital beds now filled with patients who are taking a long time - several weeks or more - to recover from the virus.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Ch Insp Mark Runacres of Avon and Somerset Police: \"Sadly... there have been four fatalities\"\n\nFour people have died and another has been injured in a large explosion at a waste water treatment works.\n\nFirefighters were called to Wessex Water's premises in Avonmouth, Bristol, at about 11:20 GMT.\n\nThree of the people who died worked for the firm, and the other was a contractor. The injured person's condition is not life-threatening.\n\nThe blast happened in a silo containing treated biosolids and was not terror related, police said.\n\nA witness reported hearing a \"very loud explosion\" that \"shook buildings\", and another said they saw about 10 ambulances driving to the scene.\n\nPolice declared a major incident and are investigating the circumstances of the blast.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nCh Insp Mark Runacres, from Avon and Somerset Police, said the explosion happened in a chemical tank at a water recycling centre.\n\n\"The fire service led the rescue operation but sadly, despite the best efforts of all those involved, there were four fatalities.\n\n\"This is a tragic incident and our thoughts and sympathies go out to them.\"\n\nThe families of those who died have been contacted.\n\nPolice and paramedics were sent to the scene\n\nLuke Gazzard from Avon Fire and Rescue Service said the four people died at the scene and there was no report of a fire.\n\nHe said emergency services had dealt with \"a very, very challenging incident\".\n\nPrime Minister Boris Johnson said in a tweet he was \"deeply saddened\" to learn of the loss of life in the explosion.\n\n\"Our hearts go out to the victims and their families. Thank you to the emergency services who attended the scene,\" he said.\n\nColin Skellett, chief executive of Wessex Water, said the company's \"thoughts are with the families, friends and colleagues of those involved\".\n\nHe said they were \"absolutely devastated that the tragic incident at our site earlier today has resulted in four fatalities\".\n\nThe company is working with the Health and Safety Executive as part of the investigation.\n\nThe silo holds treated biosolids before it is recycled as an organic soil conditioner, Ch Insp Runacres said.\n\nHe said a \"thorough investigation involving a number of agencies\" would be carried out.\n\n\"I can reassure people living in the nearby area that there is not believed to be any ongoing public safety concerns.\"\n\nBiosolids are \"treated sludge\", a by-product of the sewage treatment process.\n\nAccording to Wessex Water, the sludge is treated in anaerobic digesters, oxygen-free tanks, to produce agricultural fertiliser and renewable energy.\n\nPeople have been urged to avoid the area.\n\nAn emergency services helicopter landed near the site\n\nJawad Burhan, who took a photo appearing to show a tank that had exploded, said there was a \"helicopter looking for missing people\".\n\n\"I heard the sound, I'm working beside the building in another warehouse.\n\n\"After 10 minutes I saw the helicopter coming and the police.\"\n\nKieran Jenkins, who works nearby, said he was inside a warehouse when he heard a \"big bang\".\n\n\"The whole warehouse was shaking and we literally stood there in shock,\" he said.\n\n\"We thought everything was going to fall and we came out and all we could see was people running - it was a bit of a shock, really.\"\n\nBristol Waste, which runs the nearby Avonmouth recycling centre, tweeted it had closed the site temporarily.\n\nLorry driver Ronan Doyle said he was parked off Kings Weston Lane about to enter the recycling plant when he heard the explosion.\n\n\"There was a quieter 'whoosh' first, followed by a much louder and more intense noise,\" he said.\n\n\"It sounded like someone had driven into the lorry - the noise was so loud it didn't sound like anything I've ever heard before and it was followed by a loud bang.\n\n\"I continued into the recycling centre and we have just locked ourselves in purely because our way out is blocked.\"\n\nSean Nolan, who witnessed the aftermath of the explosion, said he initially thought the noise was from a crash.\n\n\"I heard what I thought may have been two trucks colliding by the way it shook the ground... it was big.\n\n\"It was quite short-lived, I'd say about two or three seconds. Sort of a boom and echo and then it just went quiet.\n\n\"That was it. There was no smoke, there was no after-effects of it.\"\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer gave his condolences on Twitter, writing: \"My thoughts are with all those who tragically lost their lives today in Avonmouth. My heart goes out to their friends and family.\"\n\nDarren Jones, MP for Bristol North West, said: \"My family and I are keeping those affected in our thoughts and prayers, following the tragic consequences of the explosion in Avonmouth.\"\n\nHe was \"pleased that the situation has been contained and that there is no further risk to local people\".\n\nBristol Mayor Marvin Rees said: \"This has already been such a challenging year, and this news of further loss of life is another terrible blow.\n\n\"As a city we will mourn for them.\"\n\nAre you in the area? Did you witness what happened? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Prince Philip Hospital has 205 beds and treats both inpatients and outpatients\n\nFrontline NHS staff at a hospital have concerns they will miss out on the first round of the Covid vaccine due to an internal booking system.\n\nSome nurses in the Hywel Dda health board area said they were unable to book as they were not sent the link.\n\nThe new coronavirus vaccine was authorised for use just this week, with NHS healthcare workers first in line.\n\nThe health board called on staff to \"bear with us\" as it worked to confirm more slots.\n\nNo bookings have been confirmed after December 11, with a spokesperson telling staff: \"You may need to wait a couple of weeks before you are able to book an appointment.\n\n\"There will be enough vaccine for all patient-facing staff. We hope to be able to open up to 4,500 vaccine appointments before Christmas.\"\n\nSome frontline health workers at hospitals in the south west Wales area said they were not made aware of the link to make a booking for the vaccine - which meant all slots were immediately taken within five hours of going live, and many nurses in particular were left unable to get an appointment.\n\nOne nurse, who works on a Covid ward at the Prince Philip Hospital, Llanelli, said she was one of those who missed out on getting an appointment for the new vaccine - and so did her colleagues.\n\n\"I feel a bit let down,\" said the nurse who did not want to be identified.\n\n\"We were asked to give our availability, we were sent a link to book and by the time we got the link there were no appointments left.\n\nA vaccination centre has been set up at Glangwili Hospital, Carmarthen\n\n\"There are around 57-60 staff on the Covid ward. As far as I know none of them were able to get an appointment.\n\n\"What we've been told is that by time management gave us the link it had been circulating around the health board and others, not frontline workers, were able to get an appointment.\n\n\"Whether Prince Phillip were a bit slow off the mark, perhaps others sent to their friends in other departments and all the slots were gone.\n\n\"We've had lots and lots of members of staff off with Covid, some quite unwell, yet we weren't given priority.\"\n\nShe added that she does not know when the vaccine will be available to her, but was told it could be the following week.\n\nPeople will be vaccinated in Wales from Tuesday\n\nHywel Dda University Health Board said the invitation for a vaccination was sent to a strict clinical distribution list on Wednesday at 17:00 GMT, but that all appointments had been taken by 22:00 GMT.\n\nA limited supply of the new vaccine means the Hywel Dda health board has received 975 doses in this first round. It is currently unclear when the next batches will be available.\n\nThe vaccination programme is due to begin on Tuesday within the Hywel Dda health board area, with two vaccination centres being set up - one at Glangwili Hospital and the other in Cardigan.\n\nPlaid Cymru leader Adam Price called the reports \"very concerning\" and said it endangered both public health and trust.\n\n\"It would appear that poor communication on the part of the health board has prevented some frontline staff from securing their slot to be vaccinated, risking putting themselves and patients in danger,\" he added.\n\n\"We need an urgent statement from the health board and an immediate intervention from the Welsh Government to make it clear that frontline health and care staff, patients and residents must be first priority.\"", "There needs to be “a sustained fall” in the number of coronavirus cases to reverse the alcohol ban being imposed in Wales from this evening, the first minister has said.\n\nPubs and restaurants throughout Wales will be barred from serving alcohol on their premises from 18:00 on Friday.\n\nThe measures are due to be reviewed on 17 December.\n\nBut Mark Drakeford warned of conditions needed for the ban to be lifted.\n\n“We would need to see figures coming down across Wales, we need to see a sustained fall in those numbers and be clear that the trajectory is heading down as well,\" he said.\n\n“And we would need to see Wales in terms of the number of people falling ill with coronavirus coming more into line with the levels that are used to determine level two and tier two in England and Scotland.\n\n“Because if that were to be the case, then the flow of people into our hospital system and the pressures that are currently being created there would be being mitigated.\n\n“But those are the sorts of things that we would need to see before we would be in a position to do anything to lessen the restrictions that we have to have in place in Wales, in order to bring the virus under control.”\n\nPubs and bars in Wales have to close by 18:00 daily and will not be able to sell alcohol Image caption: Pubs and bars in Wales have to close by 18:00 daily and will not be able to sell alcohol", "A 16-year-old boy was among four workers killed in an explosion at a waste water treatment works.\n\nTeenager Luke Wheaton, Michael James, 64, Brian Vickery, 63, and Raymond White, 57, died in the blast in Avonmouth, Bristol. A fifth person injured is recovering at home.\n\nIt happened at 11:20 GMT on Thursday in a silo that treated biosolids.\n\nWessex Water said it was working with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to investigate the cause of the blast.\n\nIt is understood Mr James was a contractor working at the site, while Mr Vickery and Mr White were employees of Wessex Water and Luke was an apprentice at the firm.\n\nLuke was a former pupil at Bradley Stoke Community School in Bristol and had recently started an apprenticeship at the plant.\n\nIn a post on Facebook, the school said it was \"shocked and saddened\" to hear of the \"tragic passing of our former student Luke Wheaton\".\n\n\"Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time,\" it added.\n\nNorth Bristol Rugby Football Club also paid tribute to the teenager on Twitter, saying his death was \"absolutely heartbreaking\".\n\n\"Such terribly sad news that one of our Colts, Luke Wheaton was tragically lost in the accident in Avonmouth yesterday morning,\" it said.\n\n\"All of our love and thoughts to Luke's family, team mates, coaches and everyone else that knew him.\"\n\nFlowers have been laid at the scene\n\nA witness reported hearing a \"very loud explosion\" that \"shook buildings\" and another said they saw about 10 ambulances driving to the scene.\n\nAvon and Somerset Police declared a major incident in the immediate aftermath.\n\nSupt Simon Brickwood said he wanted to \"extend my heartfelt sympathies to the families of those involved\".\n\n\"We appreciate the impact this incident has had on the local community and we thank those affected for their patience while our investigative work is carried out,\" he said.\n\n\"This is likely to be ongoing for some time and we will be keeping the victims' families informed throughout.\"\n\nFormal identification of the victims is yet to take place and post-mortem examinations are under way, police said.\n\nInvestigators are due to speak to the fifth victim when it is appropriate to do so.\n\nThe blast happened in a silo that treated biosolids\n\nOn Thursday, Avon Fire and Rescue Service described the scene of the incident as \"very challenging\".\n\nSearch and rescue dogs were drafted in to locate casualties following the blast.\n\nColin Skellett, chief executive of Wessex Water, said the firm was \"absolutely devastated\" by what had happened.\n\n\"Our hearts go out to the family, friends and colleagues of those who lost their lives during the tragic event on Thursday,\" he said.\n\n\"I know from the thoughts and comments I have received from so many, that this has affected the whole Wessex Water family.\n\n\"We are determined to find out what happened and why and we will work with the relevant authorities to do just that.\"\n\nA police spokesman confirmed the blast, in a chemical tank, was not terror-related.\n\nBiosolids are \"treated sludge\", a by-product of the sewage treatment process.\n\nAccording to Wessex Water, the sludge is treated in anaerobic digesters, oxygen-free tanks, to produce agricultural fertiliser and renewable energy.\n\nPolice said a cordon at the site was likely to remain in place for several days while the blast is investigated by a team of chemical and mechanical experts, who are working with the HSE.\n\nGiles Hyder, HSE's head of operations in the South West, said: \"We send our deepest condolences to the families of those who tragically died. It is important a joint investigation is carried out.\n\n\"We will provide specialist support to what is likely to be a complex investigation under the command of the police.\"", "The percentage of people testing positive for the coronavirus has fallen in all English regions except the North East, according to the Office for National Statistics.\n\nIn the week to 28 November, one in 105 people in England had the virus compared with one in 85 a week before.\n\nMeanwhile, the R number for the UK has fallen to between 0.8 and 1 - the second week running it's been below 1.\n\nThis measures virus reproduction rate, suggesting the epidemic is shrinking.\n\nThe UK government says it's \"absolutely confident\" it will have 800,000 doses of a Covid vaccine to begin vaccination next week. The first delivery arrived in the UK on Thursday.\n\nThe ONS figures are based on swab tests of thousands of people in UK households whether they have symptoms or not. It is one source of data used by the government's scientific advisers to estimate the R number of the virus and how fast it is spreading.\n\nThey estimate the R number is currently below 1, which means the number of people an average infected person passes the virus onto is less than one.\n\nIt's also the first time since September that advisers believe there's a good chance infections are falling in every region in England.\n\nEngland's second lockdown, which lasted for nearly a month, ended on Wednesday.\n\n\"It is clear that on a national level, the lockdown has had the predicted effect,\" says Prof James Naismith from the University of Oxford.\n\nHe added: \"We are currently on the downward slope of the second wave. The lower we get the daily number of infections, the less risk the Christmas relaxation poses.\"\n\nElsewhere in the UK, where different levels of restrictions have been in place in over the past month, the picture is more mixed.\n\n\"We are seeing early signs of decreasing levels in Scotland whilst infections in Northern Ireland have been continuing to decline since October,\" said Katherine Kent, who analysed data from the ONS infection survey.\n\nBut she added: \"The level of infections appears to have stopped decreasing in Wales recently.\"\n\nFurther restrictions are being introduced there on Friday after a rise in cases across the country.\n\nAt the end of November, the ONS estimates the number of people infected was equivalent to:\n\nIn England, the ONS says infection levels are falling in all age groups but remain highest in children of secondary school age.\n\nThe percentage of people testing positive is highest in the North East, North West, and Yorkshire and the Humber regions.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Lidl will join other supermarkets to repay more than £100m of business rates relief it received during the pandemic.\n\nThe firm's UK boss said the company felt it was \"the right thing to do\".\n\nIt follows similar moves by the UK biggest grocers including Tesco, Sainsbury's and Asda, and will see more than £1.9bn handed back to taxpayers.\n\nSome retailers, whose sales have boomed during the crisis, have been criticised for taking government help while paying dividends to shareholders.\n\nChristian Härtnagel, chief executive of Lidl GB, said: \"The business rates relief that was provided to us, and the rest of the supermarket sector, came with a lot of responsibility that we took extremely seriously.\n\n\"We've been considering this for some time, and we are now in a position to confirm that we will be refunding this money as we believe it is the right thing to do.\"\n\nIn March, all retail, hospitality and leisure businesses in England were given a business rates holiday for 12 months to help them get through the crisis.\n\nHowever, shops deemed \"essential\" by the government, such as supermarkets, were allowed to stay open during lockdown.\n\nIn a statement, Lidl said that it had incurred Covid-related costs from recruiting 2,500 temporary staff, increasing stock levels and introduce protective, plastic screens at checkouts.\n\nBut, it has taken the decision to repay the rates relief due to strong customer footfall.\n\nOthers, including Morrisons, Aldi, Asda, Pets at Home and B&M, have also pledged to repay the rates relief, citing strong sales during Covid.\n\nSeveral retailers have been criticised for accepting the payments from government and then handing out dividends to shareholders.\n\nTesco came under fire in April for handing investors £900m in dividends despite receiving the tax break from the government.\n\nLabour MP Rushanara Ali, who is also a member of the Treasury Select Committee, described the tax break as \"completely disproportionate\" and \"an absolute scandal\".\n\nTesco chairman John Allan previously said he would 'defend to the death' a decision to pay dividends\n\nIn October, Tesco's chairman John Allan said he would \"defend to the death\" the board's decision to pay a dividend and that he didn't \"remotely feel any sort of guilt over it\".\n\nThis week Tesco said it would repay £585m in business rates relief. It was swiftly followed by the UK's other big grocers.\n\nMeanwhile, former retail chief Bill Grimsey has written to Chancellor Rishi Sunak, asking that the returned funds should be used to support for smaller businesses and struggling High Streets.\n\nHe writes: \"What the rate relief episode has proved beyond doubt is that a good proportion of Britain's biggest businesses do not need generous tax breaks.\n\n\"The public are not happy to see them paying big dividends to shareholders with taxpayers' money,\" he said.\n\nA spokesperson for HM Treasury said: \"We've been clear throughout the pandemic that businesses should use our support appropriately, and we welcome any decision to repay support where it is no longer needed.\"\n\nOn Friday, Pets at Home also announced that it would repay in full the £28.9m in rates relief it had received.\n\nPeter Pritchard, chief executive of Pets at Home, said that the cash had helped the firm take the decision to keep its stores, online operations and veterinary practices open during the pandemic.\n\nThe firm is classed as an essential retailer and its shops were allowed to stay open during lockdown restrictions.\n\nPets at Home announced it will hand back £28.9m in business rates relief\n\nPets at Home's sales between April and October rose by 5.1% to £574.4m while pre-tax profit grew by more than 14% to £38.9m.\n\nThe strong trading prompted the retailer to pay a 2.5p dividend, worth £12.4m, despite having received business rates relief.\n\nOn Friday, Mr Pritchard said Pets at Home \"is a robust business, both operationally and financially\" and its decision to return the business rates relief \"demonstrates our clear commitment to acting responsibly and treating all of our stakeholders fairly\".\n\nHe added that the repayment meant that the £35m in Covid-related costs, such as implementing new safety measures in its grooming salons, it has been forced to pay would no longer be off-set by the relief it had received.\n\nThe company will also be shutting its stores on Boxing Day, costing an estimated £3m in sales, to give its staff \"a rest\".", "Odeon owner AMC is in \"urgent talks\" with Warner Bros after the film maker said all releases would be available to stream instantly in the US.\n\nThe move will enable film fans to watch the forthcoming sci-fi epic Dune and the Matrix sequel on HBO Max at the same time as their cinema release.\n\nIt has escalated tensions between Hollywood and US movie theatres.\n\nBoth studios and chains are desperate to rebuild revenues after virus control measures closed cinemas.\n\nThe new releases will be available on the service, which is not yet available in the UK, for one month after release. HBO Max is set to launch in Europe in the second half of next year, according to its global boss Andy Forssell.\n\nThe releases are also expected to include Godzilla vs Kong, Mortal Kombat and The Suicide Squad.\n\nEarlier this year, assertive action by AMC successfully curbed a similar screening plan by rival Hollywood studio, Universal.\n\nCinemas are desperate for content to lure viewers back with new entertainment that can initially only be seen on their screens.\n\nTypically, new releases are shown exclusively at cinemas for months.\n\nAMC had agreed to allow one film, Wonder Woman 1984, to be shown simultaneously on HBO Max, the streaming service owned by its ultimate parent company AT&T.\n\nAMC boss Adam Aron, said: \"These coronavirus-impacted times are uncharted waters for all of us, which is why AMC signed on to an HBO Max exception to customary practices for one film only, Wonder Woman 1984, being released by Warner Brothers at Christmas when the pandemic appears that it will be at its height.\"\n\nKeanu Reeves will reprise his role as Neo in The Matrix 4\n\nIt accused Warner Bros of subsidising its HBO Max by its move: \"We will do all in our power to ensure that Warner does not do so at our expense. We will aggressively pursue economic terms that preserve our business.\n\n\"We have already commenced an immediate and urgent dialogue with the leadership of Warner on this subject.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. As ever more people sign up to streaming services, are fewer going to the movies?\n\nAnn Sarnoff, chair and chief executive of WarnerMedia Studios, said the pandemic called for \"creative solutions\".\n\n\"No one wants films back on the big screen more than we do,\" she said.\n\n\"We know new content is the lifeblood of theatrical exhibition, but we have to balance this with the reality that most theatres in the US will likely operate at reduced capacity throughout 2021.\"\n\nAMC banned all Universal films after the studio said it would release new movies at home and on the big screen on the same day.\n\nThe two firms eventually agreed that Universal films can go to digital services after just 17 days of viewing in cinemas.\n\nExplaining Warner Bros' decision, Ms Sarnoff said the \"unique one-year plan\" would give \"moviegoers who may not have access to theatres, or aren't quite ready to go back to the movies, the chance to see our amazing 2021 films\".\n\n\"We see it as a win-win for film lovers and exhibitors, and we're extremely grateful to our filmmaking partners for working with us on this innovative response to these circumstances.\"", "The large detached brick property was built in the 1920s\n\nSir Ian McKellen has backed a campaign to buy the house where author JRR Tolkien once lived.\n\nThe actor, who played Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings movie franchise, hopes a \"fellowship\" of fans will come together to raise £4.5m.\n\nThe crowdfunding campaign, called Project Northmoor, was set up by author Julia Golding to preserve the house for future generations.\n\nIt has also been backed by actor Martin Freeman who starred in The Hobbit.\n\nThey are joined by Annie Lennox, who wrote and performed an Oscar winning song for The Return of the King, Middle Earth illustrator John Howe, as well as actors John Rhys-Davies and Sir Derek Jacobi.\n\nTolkien is believed to have written The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings at the house, which was home to the writer and his family from 1930 until 1947.\n\nThe six-bedroom home in Northmoor Road, Oxford, is largely unchanged since it was built in 1924.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Ian McKellen This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nMcKellen said: \"We cannot achieve this without the support of the worldwide community of Tolkien fans, our fellowship of funders.\"\n\nMs Golding said purchasing the house was a once-in-a-generation opportunity.\n\nShe added: \"To raise six million dollars in three months is a huge challenge.\n\n\"However, we need only to look at Frodo and Sam's journey from Rivendell to Mount Doom, which took that same amount of time - and we are inspired that we can do this too.\"\n\nShe said the plan was to \"welcome Tolkien enthusiasts from the world\" there.\n\nSir Ian McKellen and Martin Freeman have backed the crowdfunding campaign\n\nJRR Tolkien remains one of the most celebrated fantasy authors of all time\n\nMr Rhys-Davies said: \"Unbelievably, considering his importance, there is no centre devoted to Tolkien anywhere in the world.\"\n\nHe said it would be a \"literary hub that will inspire new generations of writers, artists and filmmakers\".\n\nThe six-bedroom home in Northmoor Road, Oxford, is largely unchanged and has a blue plaque\n\nIt was bought by a private buyer in 2004 for more than £1.5m and was given Grade II-listed status shortly afterwards.\n\nTolkien died in 1973, but the popularity of his works remains undimmed, with Amazon Studios recently announcing a Lord of the Rings television series.\n\nThe show is widely tipped to be the most expensive ever made, at a cost of at least $1bn (£801m).\n\nFollow BBC South on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to south.newsonline@bbc.co.uk.\n• None Middle-earth in colour- How Tolkien drew his fantasy universe\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "The Bank of England should be trying to track down £50bn of \"missing\" UK currency, a committee of MPs has said.\n\nThe figure amounts to about three-quarters of all UK banknotes in existence.\n\nThe cash is not used in transactions or held as savings, but may be overseas, tucked away in homes unreported or being used in the \"shadow economy\".\n\nThe issue was first identified by the National Audit Office (NAO), which highlighted it in September.\n\nNow the Public Accounts Committee has said the Bank should \"get a better handle\" on the currency.\n\nThe committee said there were \"implications for public policy and the public purse\" if a material proportion of that large volume of banknotes was being used for illegal purposes.\n\nHowever, the UK is not the only country to face this problem - and other major global currencies could well be more seriously affected.\n\nA Bank of England spokesperson said: \"It is the responsibility of the Bank of England to meet public demand for banknotes. The Bank has always met that demand and will continue to do so.\n\n\"Members of the public do not have to explain to the Bank why they wish to hold banknotes. This means that banknotes are not missing.\"\n\nHowever, the figure of £50bn is not disputed, even if the terminology is.\n\nThe money \"is stashed somewhere, but the Bank of England doesn't know where, who by or what for - and doesn't seem very curious\", said Meg Hillier, who chairs the committee.\n\n\"It needs to be more concerned about where the missing £50bn is. Depending where it is and what it's being used for, that amount of money could have material implications for public policy and the public purse.\n\n\"The Bank needs to get a better handle on the national currency it controls.\"\n\nDemand for banknotes has steadily gone up, although their use is in decline, but the Bank of England does not \"appear to have a convincing reason for why the demand for notes keeps increasing\", says the committee in a report.\n\nRecent debate over cash has centred on whether vulnerable people - who might struggle with digital payments - will have access to notes and coins in the future.\n\nMPs on the committee say that means little attention is being paid to the whereabouts of banknotes today.\n\nThere is nothing wrong with stashing cash rather than spending it, assuming it is secure.\n\nBut that makes little sense for your average saver who could get some interest, however small, by keeping it safely in a bank or building society.\n\nThat is why MPs have their suspicions that many of these banknotes are being hidden for less innocent reasons instead.\n\nThis rising demand is \"a trend being seen with other major currencies\", as the committee itself admits.\n\nIt particularly affects the dollar and the euro, which are widely held as reserve currencies around the world.\n\nIn the case of the dollar, only about 15% of the US currency supply can be accounted for - a significantly lower proportion than for the UK.\n\nBoth those currencies are more attractive to criminals because they have higher-denomination notes which make it easier to smuggle or stash ill-gotten gains.\n\nFor instance, there are more $100 bills out there than any other denomination of the greenback, with 80% of them estimated to be held outside the US.\n\nAs for the euro, the European Central Bank in Frankfurt no longer issues the €500 note because of concerns it could facilitate illegal activities.\n\nHowever, it remains legal tender, while €100 and €200 notes are still in production.\n\nBy contrast, the highest-value note issued by the Bank of England is £50.\n• None No new 2p or £2 coins to be made for 10 years", "The government is \"absolutely confident\" the UK will have 800,000 coronavirus vaccine doses by next week, when the vaccination programme starts, the business secretary has said.\n\nAlok Sharma said some of the Pfizer/BioNTech doses had arrived, with more expected by the end of the year.\n\nHe was unable to say how many that will be.\n\nNHS Providers said the UK must work on the basis that more doses beyond this might not arrive \"for some time\".\n\nChief executive Chris Hopson tweeted that it was \"vital\" hospitals sought to vaccinate as many people as possible in the highest priority groups.\n\nHe added that with \"every day that goes past, we become more confident we will get a lot more [doses] and get them soon\".\n\nIt comes as official data showed infection levels were falling in all English regions, except the North East.\n\nThe government said the R number - the average number of people each person with Covid-19 goes on to infect - has fallen to between 0.8 and 1 in the UK, from between 0.9 and 1 last week.\n\nIt also reported that a further 504 people had died within 28 days of a positive Covid-19 test, bringing the total number of deaths in the UK to 60,617.\n\nThe first consignment of the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine arrived in the UK on Thursday, though the number of doses has not been confirmed.\n\nAsked about whether the 800,000 doses the UK is expecting in the coming days will arrive by next week, Mr Sharma told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: \"We will have - I'm absolutely confident - that we will have 800,000 doses available at the point next week when we start the vaccination programme.\n\n\"Of course, by the end of this year we will expect some more doses to come through - I can't give you a number on that.\"\n\nThe UK has ordered 40 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine - enough to vaccinate 20 million people.\n\nElderly people in care homes and care home staff have been placed top of the priority list - which is recommended by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) - followed by the over-80s and front-line health and care staff.\n\nMr Sharma reiterated that the bulk of the vaccination programme would be carried out next year, adding that the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) was also reviewing the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Ros Atkins from BBC's Outside Source asks if people will have to be vaccinated against Covid-19\n\nThe chief commercial officer for BioNTech, Sean Marett, said there would be more shipments of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, which is made in Belgium, next week.\n\nHe said the first batch arrived on Thursday via the Eurotunnel and they were then transported to a storage facility.\n\nMr Hopson said the vaccines will by now have reached the hospital hubs to enable vaccinations to begin on Tuesday.\n\nHospitals were working out how many care home residents, care home staff and over-80s they can get it to, he said.\n\nHe told BBC Radio 4's The World at One that the vaccine will be delivered to care homes within \"the next 10 to 14 days, but we're going as fast as we can\".\n\nProf Anthony Harnden, deputy chair of the JCVI, told The World at One that he understood the elderly in care homes \"might not end up being the first priority group for operational reasons\" and the committee would \"closely monitor this\".\n\nHe stressed that the JCVI still expected care home residents \"to be prioritised\".\n\nThis week, Dr Anthony Fauci, the top US infectious disease expert, apologised for remarks that seemed to criticise the UK's vaccine approval process.\n\nMr Sharma defended the UK's approach to approving the vaccine, saying the MHRA was \"absolutely meticulous\" and was regarded as a \"gold standard of regulation\" by international scientists.\n\nHe told Sky News: \"People should be really confident that this vaccine is safe. If it wasn't safe it wouldn't be deployed and I certainly have full confidence in the work the MHRA have done.\"\n\nDowning Street also defended the UK's medicines regulator, with the prime minister's official spokesman describing the MHRA as a \"world leader in its field\".\n\nWorld Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the development of vaccines means \"we can now start to see the light at the end of the tunnel\" - but added that the organisation was \"concerned that there is a growing perception that the Covid-19 pandemic is over\".\n\nThe vaccine is made in Belgium and has to be stored at around -70C\n\nNorthern Ireland has received its first doses of the vaccine. and vaccinations are due to begin on Tuesday morning.\n\nWales' First Minister Mark Drakeford said the country expected to receive its first supplies in the coming days and was planning to begin vaccinating people from Tuesday.\n\nHe told a coronavirus briefing: \"We hope, of course, this marks a turning point in the pandemic and that it'll put us on to what is going to be a long path back to normality.\"\n\nBut he cautioned that for now the situation in Wales \"remains very serious\" ahead of new national restrictions coming into force later to try to curb the spread of the disease.\n\nMeanwhile, scientists have expressed concern about how well rapid lateral flow tests - which provide results in about 20 minutes without the need for a lab - perform in practice.\n\nDr Angela Raffle, a consultant in public health and honorary senior lecturer at the University of Bristol, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the results on how these tests had performed during Liverpool's mass-testing scheme had been \"buried\".\n\nThis follows an article in the BMJ medical journal which also raised concerns about the effect of rapid testing in the city and the sensitivity of lateral flow tests.\n\nDr Raffle said: \"The infection rate in Liverpool has come down no quicker than in many other places that haven't got mass testing and we haven't yet seen a proper evaluation report from Liverpool.\"\n\nThere has also been concern in some parts of the care home sector over the use of the tests, with homes in Greater Manchester reportedly urged not to use them to allow visits.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Simon Jones and Jenna Roberts said the second cancellation was \"ten times worse\"\n\nA couple say they are \"heartbroken\" at having their wedding cancelled for a second time in six months by Covid-19.\n\nJenna Roberts and Simon Jones were due to tie the knot in July but the wedding was cancelled due to lockdown.\n\nNow their \"dream\" has been shattered again after the venue at Margam Park, Port Talbot, was confirmed as a Covid-19 vaccination centre.\n\nThey want compensation from Neath Port Talbot (NPT), claiming they have been left £2,000 out of pocket.\n\nSimon and Jenna, from Porth, Rhonda Cynon Taff, had waited almost three years for their wedding at The Orangery, after booking in 2017, but said they understood the reasons for cancelling first time, during lockdown.\n\nThey postponed the special day to July next year, only to be informed on Friday it can no longer go ahead.\n\nThe venue is to be used as a vaccination centre for up to 12 months from 13 December.\n\nNPT council said the venue was \"absolutely necessary\" and would play a \"crucial role\" in the Covid-19 vaccination programme for local people.\n\nThe venue has cancelled 64 weddings, which can be rearranged for a later date in 2022 when the venue is due to reopen - or a full deposit offered.\n\n\"The worst part was I had to get off the phone and tell my partner we had to cancel our wedding again. She just burst into tears,\" said Simon, 38.\n\n\"We've had no communication about this at all, so it just came out of the blue. Had we known, we wouldn't have booked suppliers again.\"\n\nThe couple say they have to find another £2000 to make up for lost costs\n\nJenna, 34, said: \"The first time was hard enough, the second time was ten times worse. There were a lot of tears.\n\n\"We have elderly relatives that might not be able to make our wedding in two years' time. It's just terrible.\"\n\nWhile they are able to set a new date or get most of their deposit back, they will not get refunds for stationery, such as invites, the videographer and their children's bridesmaids dresses and suits.\n\nSimon estimates the total cost to rearrange again will be about £2,000.\n\n\"In no way do we blame them for any of this, but we are truly heartbroken and devastated at the fact Neath Port Talbot Council have had no thoughts on the implications it has caused by taking over a wedding venue,\" he said.\n\nSimon and Jenna have one child together, alongside two Jenna has from a previous relationship.\n\nThe Margam Orangery is among 12 sites being used as a vaccination centre by NPT and Swansea councils, due to its size, location and available car parking.\n\nA NPT council spokesperson said it was aware of the disappointment but plan to deliver 500 vaccinations every day, seven days a week, to \"safeguard the health of local residents as quickly as possible\".\n\nThe venue said continuing to hold weddings would have reduced the building's capacity for vaccinating by 1,500 per wedding.\n\nCouncillor Peter Rees said: \"We sincerely apologise but the venue will play pivotal role in saving lives.\n\n\"We ask that couples and their families understand that we would not take this action unless it was absolutely necessary and in the interests of public safety.\n\n\"We will honour our 2020 prices for any of couples who chose an alternative date in 2022, and will offer them first refusal to move back to their original date, should the vaccination programme be completed earlier than next December.\"\n\nOn Wednesday, the Pfizer vaccine was judged safe for use in UK next week. Preparations will be made for the rollout of the vaccine as early as next week.\n\nEach health board will get its share and vaccines will go across Wales at the same time. Mass vaccination centres will be set up - particularly for the mRNA vaccine, which needs to be stored at -70 degrees.\n\nOfficials say each site will have tight security and the vaccines will be guarded \"like a VIP\", as well as cyber and IT security measures being taken.", "A light aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing on an interstate in Minnesota.\n\nThe single-propeller plane appeared to have suffered an engine failure, the Ramsey County Deputy's Federation said on Facebook.\n\nNobody was injured in the accident.", "The vaccine is made in Belgium and has to be stored at around -70C\n\nThe first consignment of the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine has arrived in the UK.\n\nIt has been taken to a central hub at an undisclosed location, and will now be distributed to hospital vaccination centres around the UK.\n\nThe UK has ordered 40 million doses - enough to vaccinate 20 million people.\n\nEngland's deputy chief medical officer said the first wave of vaccinations could prevent up to 99% of Covid-19 hospital admissions and deaths.\n\nSpeaking to BBC News, Prof Jonathan Van-Tam said that would be possible if everyone on the first priority list took the vaccine and it was highly effective.\n\nHe said it was key to distribute the vaccine \"as fast\" and at the \"highest volume\" as possible, but he acknowledged there would need to be some flexibility in the list.\n\nThe Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines are made in Belgium and have travelled to the UK via the Eurotunnel.\n\nThe order in which people will get the jab is recommended by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) and decided by the government.\n\nElderly people in care homes and care home staff have been placed top of the priority list, followed by over-80s and health and care staff.\n\nHowever, because hospitals already have the facilities to store the vaccine at the necessary -70C, the very first vaccinations are likely to take place there - for care home staff, NHS staff and patients - to lower the risk of wasting doses.\n\nProf Van-Tam told BBC News: \"If we can get through phase one [of the priority list] and it is a highly effective vaccine and there is very, very high up take, then we could in theory take out 99% of hospitalisations and deaths related to Covid 19.\n\n\"That is why the phase one list is what it is, that is the primary ambition.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. How will the new Pfizer vaccine work?\n\nThe UK became the first country in the world to approve the Pfizer vaccine on Wednesday.\n\nDr Anthony Fauci, the top US infectious disease expert, has apologised for remarks that seemed to criticise the UK's vaccine approval process.\n\nHe initially told Fox News: \"The UK did not do it as carefully. If you go quickly and you do it superficially, people are not going to want to get vaccinated.\"\n\nBut the UK defended its process, and said the jab is safe and effective.\n\nAnd speaking later to the BBC, Dr Fauci said: \"There really has been a misunderstanding, and for that I'm sorry, and I apologise for that.\n\n\"I have a great deal of confidence in what the UK does both scientifically and from a regulator standpoint.\n\n\"Our process is one that takes more time than it takes in the UK. And that's just the reality. I did not mean to imply any sloppiness even though it came out that way.\"\n\nThe Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine offers up to 95% protection against Covid-19.\n\nThe UK's 40 million doses will be distributed as quickly as they can be made by Pfizer in Belgium, with the first load rolled out next week and then \"several millions\" throughout December, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said.\n\nBut the bulk of the roll-out across the UK will be next year.\n\nAnd it could take until April for all those deemed most at-risk to receive the new vaccine, according to NHS England chief executive Sir Simon Stevens.\n\nThe arrival of the vaccines comes after the UK became the first country in Europe to surpass 60,000 coronavirus deaths\n\nOfficial figures show a further 414 deaths within 28 days of a positive test were recorded on Thursday, taking the total to 60,113.\n\nTwo other ways of measuring deaths - where Covid is mentioned on the death certificate, and the number of \"excess deaths\" for this time of year - give higher total figures.\n\nOnly the US, Brazil, India and Mexico have recorded more deaths than the UK, according to Johns Hopkins University.\n\nHowever, the UK has had more deaths per 100,000 people than any of those nations.\n\nIn terms of deaths per 100,000 people, the UK is the seventh-highest country globally, behind Belgium, San Marino, Peru, Andorra, Spain and Italy.", "City centre streets were deserted after the ban closed pubs and restaurants\n\nBarrels of beer are being poured down drains as Wales' hospitality industry prepared for the alcohol ban to come into force.\n\nPubs, restaurants and cafes are banned from serving alcohol from Friday evening and must close at 18:00 GMT, other than for takeaway service.\n\nBusinesses said it was \"a devastating hammer blow\" after going to lengths to keep customers safe.\n\nThey said the restrictions will also significantly impact the supply chain.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nAt the Glamorgan Brewery in Llantrisant, Rhondda Cynon Taf, staff have been pouring barrels of beer down the drain because it now cannot be sold in pubs.\n\nOn Thursday, 58 of the company's 64 employees went back onto furlough.\n\nBarrels of beer are being poured down the drain due to the ban\n\nDirector David Atkins said the new measures are \"an absolute kick in the teeth\".\n\n\"This time last year we probably turned over about £1.5m for the month of December. This year, it's £50,000.\n\nHe added the majority of their beer - about 45,000 pints - will have to be thrown away.\n\nPubs began clearing tables and chairs as the ban came into force at 18:00 GMT on Friday\n\nAt The Cricketers pub in Pontcanna, Cardiff, staff were also pouring away beer on Friday afternoon.\n\nSimon Buckley, of Evan Evans Brewery which supplies the pub said: \"How can it be right and safe to open to serve food in pubs but not alcohol? It defies logic.\n\n\"Why is 6pm the bewitching hour as opposed to 10pm? In these difficult times - and the month of December particularly - the lost revenue is significant.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. What does Wales' hospitality sector make of the new Covid rules?\n\nJames Cunningham, manager of the Ruthin Castle Hotel in Ruthin, Denbighshire, said customers have appreciated the safety measures put in place and the new rules were \"incredibly frustrating\".\n\n\"Whenever they can, people want to try to come out and enjoy themselves in these very, very testing times,\" he said.\n\nHe described the measures as a \"devastating hammer blow\" to the hospitality industry.\n\n\"Figures show that less than 5% of all settings of infection happen in hospitality - and yet here we are once again taking the hammer blow,\" he said.\n\n\"There's no guarantee those restrictions are going to be lifted,\" he said.", "Mariah Carey made it to number two this week, matching the song's best ever UK chart position\n\nIt's beginning to sound a lot like Christmas, with festive singles accounting for more than half of this week's UK top 40 chart.\n\nTwenty-one seasonal songs appear in the latest rundown, led by Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas is You.\n\nMariah is at number two, kept off the top spot by Ariana Grande's Positions.\n\nMartin Talbot, head of the Official Charts Company, said it was \"very unusual\" to see such a \"surge of interest\" in festive tunes.\n\nThe appetite for Christmas music \"essentially started in November\", Talbot said, with people throwing themselves into \"familiar TV, film, books and music as comfort from the miserable tone of so much of this year's news\".\n\nWham's Last Christmas and Fairytale of New York by The Pogues with Kirsty MacColl have both gone back into the top 10 this week.\n\nAriana Grande topped the chart with Positions, while her single 34+35 was at number 10\n\n\"The public are also buying their Christmas trees and putting up their decorations much earlier this year too, almost certainly finding solace in Christmas at the end of a year that most people want to put behind them as soon as possible,\" Talbot said.\n\n\"Who could dispute that, in 2020, we all deserve to start celebrating Christmas earlier than ever?\"\n\nLittle Mix, Miley Cyrus, Dua Lipa and Tate McRae are among the artists with non-Christmassy singles in the top 10.\n\nThe 21 Christmas singles in the top 40:\n\nThe star's latest album was inspired by everything from swing and jazz to the comedy of Morecambe and Wise\n\nGary Barlow's latest release Music Played by Humans topped the album chart, which he said felt to him like \"Christmas Day\", adding: \"What an honour, what a privilege, I can't believe it. This could, possibly, mean the most to me than any other before.\"\n\nHe was followed by Steps' new album What the Future Holds at number two.\n\nThe album chart also featured plenty of Christmas cheer, with Michael Ball and Alfie Boe's Together at Christmas at number three, Andre Rieu and his Johann Strauss Orchestra at number eight with Jolly Holiday, and Michael Buble's Christmas at number nine.\n\nMiley Cyrus, AC/DC, Little Mix, Kylie Minogue and Shakin' Stevens also made it into this week's top 10 album chart, while BTS fell from number two last week to number 33 with Be.\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "Bereavement charities say they are struggling to cope with a rising demand for support following the death of loved ones with Covid.\n\nThey've warned of what they call a “tsunami of grief” as restrictions continue for funerals and family contacts.\n\nResearch from the National Bereavement Alliance found up to 40% of services could be forced to close or cut back support because of fewer financial donations.\n\nDaniela Relph has been talking to those bereaved by Covid.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Dr Fauci told the BBC: \"I have a great deal of confidence in what the UK does both scientifically and from a regulator standpoint\"\n\nDr Anthony Fauci, the top US infectious disease expert, has apologised for remarks that seemed to criticise the UK's vaccine approval process.\n\n\"I have a great deal of confidence in what the UK does both scientifically and from a regulator standpoint,\" Dr Fauci told the BBC on Thursday.\n\nThe UK on Wednesday became the first country in the world to approve the Pfizer vaccine for the coronavirus.\n\nIt has defended the rapid approval and said the jab is safe and effective.\n\nDr Fauci on Wednesday had told Fox News that the UK did not review the vaccine \"as carefully\" as US health regulators, although he implied that the US would quickly also be in a position to approve a vaccine. \"We'll be there. We'll be there very soon,\" he added.\n\nHe later told CBS News that the UK had \"rushed\" the approval, but on Thursday he walked back the comments, and said there was \"no judgement on the way the UK did it\".\n\n\"Our process is one that takes more time than it takes in the UK. And that's just the reality,\" Dr Fauci told the BBC. \"I did not mean to imply any sloppiness even though it came out that way.\"\n\nThe UK medicines regulator - MHRA - said it had \"rigorously assessed the data in the shortest time possible, without compromising the thoroughness of our review\" - adding that it reviewed preliminary data on the vaccine trials dating back to June and had been running a \"rolling review\" since October which helped speed the process.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. How will the new Pfizer vaccine work?\n\nThe regulator said that Covid vaccines were being developed \"in a coordinated in a way that allows some stages of this process to happen in parallel to condense the time needed\" adding that it did not mean that \"the expected standards of safety, quality and effectiveness\" had been bypassed.\n\n\"Any vaccine must undergo robust clinical trials in line with international standards, with oversight provided by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency,\" it said.\n\n\"No vaccine would be authorised for supply in the UK unless the expected standards of safety, quality and efficacy are met,\" the MHRA added.\n\nOn Thursday, the UK's deputy chief medical officer Prof Jonathan Van-Tam told the BBC he was \"very confident\" in the MHRA.\n\nHe said there was more than \"100 years of medical experience\" between the UK regulator and the committee advising which groups of people are vaccinated first.\n\nDr Fauci's remarks came as the US surpassed 14 million Covid-19 infections in total, with a recorded 276,325 deaths.\n\nA woman waits for a Covid-19 test in California, as cases mount across the US\n\nAmerica's Food and Drug Administration does have a different approach to other regulators around the world - it often asks vaccine makers for their raw data, which it then spends time re-analysing.\n\nThe UK's medicines regulator in London, on the other hand, relies more heavily on the companies' own reports as does the European Medicines Agency, based in Amsterdam.\n\nPolitics may also explain why the FDA hasn't yet given the green light. Back in October, President Trump pressured health officials to approve the first vaccine candidates before election day on 3 November but they pushed back, fearing it might become a political football.\n\nThe FDA said it wanted to see two months' extra safety data from the final phase vaccine trials before pharmaceutical companies could apply for emergency approval.\n\nThat has inevitably left some arguing the US has got bogged down in a much more detailed review than might have been necessary.\n\nThe head of the European Medicines Agency also appeared to raise eyebrows yesterday at the truncated timetable in London.\n\nBut officials in the UK believe the US and EU are likely to approve the vaccine soon.\n\nThe UK has ordered 40 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine - enough to vaccinate 20 million people, and the first consignment of that vaccine has now arrived.\n\nIt has been taken to a central hub at an undisclosed location, and will now be distributed to hospital vaccination centres around the UK.\n\nEngland's deputy chief medical officer said the first wave of vaccinations could prevent up to 99% of Covid-19 hospital admissions and deaths.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Dr June Raine from the MHRA: \"The safety of the public will always come first\"\n\nThe US FDA plans to meet on 10 December to discuss approval for the UK-approved vaccine, and will meet again on 17 December to discuss a second vaccine - Moderna.\n\nDr Fauci had described the US Food and Drug Administration's approval process, slower than the UK, as the \"gold standard\". On Thursday he clarified, saying the US does \"things a little differently\" than the UK.\n\n\"That's all,\" he said. \"Not better, not worse, just differently.\"\n\nAn independent UK expert on the use and effects of drugs in populations - Prof Stephen Evans of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said the approvals processes carried out by the FDA and the MHRA were \"basically very similar\".\n\n\"The only major difference is that the FDA may reproduce all the tables submitted by a company by re-analysing the data,\" he said.\n\n\"It is very clear that the UK assessment of this has followed all the usual processes, but has been working incredibly long hours and seven days a week both with MHRA staff and with their academic advisors for quite a long time on initial and interim data before the final data were submitted.\"\n\nDr Fauci has led the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIH) for more than 30 years - covering five presidential transitions - and has become the most visible member of the White House's coronavirus task force.\n\nThe EU, meanwhile, is eyeing a 29 December meeting of the European Medicines Agency to determine if there is adequate safety data on the vaccine for it to be approved in Europe. This timeline puts the EU weeks behind both the UK and US. After the agency approves the vaccine, it will probably also need a sign-off from the EU Commission.", "Budget clothing retailer Primark says it expects sales and profits in its current financial year to rise, despite the disruption from recent lockdowns.\n\nIt said autumn store closures meant it missed out on £430m of sales, higher than a previous estimate of £375m.\n\nHowever, it said sales since reopening, including in England this week, had \"once again been very strong\".\n\nPrimark does not sell online, and on reopening on Wednesday, pent-up demand saw queues form at several stores.\n\nThe chain's owner, Associated British Foods (ABF), said it expected this financial year - which runs from September - to produce higher sales and profits at Primark than in the previous 12 months, which were affected by a longer lockdown period.\n\nIt also said it would continue to expand its retail selling space.\n\nHargreaves Lansdown analyst Susannah Streeter said Primark's loyal customers and the woes afflicting rivals such as Topshop owner Arcadia, which went into administration this week, would continue to support its growth.\n\n\"[Its] highly loyal customer base... waited until stores re-opened to satisfy their pent up shopping desires,\" she said.\n\n\"In the UK, it is likely to have easy pickings in prime locations in the future, given the demise of its rivals.\"\n\nABF said last month that so far Covid-19 had cost Primark £2bn in lost sales and £650m in profit.\n\nThis new financial year has seen a month-long shut down in England and a host of other curbs in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.\n\nClosures in the start of its financial year saw Covid restrictions, designed to stop a second wave of the coronavirus, temporarily close stores in a number of other major markets.\n\nThese include the Republic of Ireland, France and Belgium, which all also reopened in the last week.\n\nPrimark still has 34 stores - fewer than 10% of its 389 outlets worldwide - closed across its global markets, including all outlets in Northern Ireland and Austria.\n\nRecently it opened new stores in the US, in Italy and its 50th store in Spain.\n\nABF's other businesses include groceries, sugar and other agricultures. It said these were doing better than previously expected and would also perform better this year than last.", "Some coronavirus restrictions are being eased from next Friday\n\nThe business community has welcomed comments from the first minister that there will be no further Covid-19 restrictions before Christmas.\n\nNon-essential retail and some parts of the hospitality sector can reopen next Friday, the NI Executive agreed on Thursday.\n\nPubs that do not serve food will have to remain shut.\n\nBut health professionals have warned there will be an increase in transmission due to the eased rules.\n\nMany hospitality businesses, including restaurants, cafes and hotels, can resume trading but must be closed at 23:00 GMT each day.\n\n\"We're trying to make sure people have a good Christmas and can come together in a safe way,\" First Minister Arlene Foster said on Thursday.\n\nThe DUP leader said guidance would be issued for several sectors so that they could operate safely, and said there was a need to provide more financial support to drink-only pubs.\n\nDeputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill described the relaxations as \"measured\" and would allow people to move around \"a bit more freely\", but acknowledged it came with a risk.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. No further restrictions before Christmas - Foster\n\nThe executive agreed on Thursday that:\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe chief executive of Newry Chamber of Commerce welcomed a safe reopening of non-essential retail.\n\nColm Shannon told BBC Radio Ulster's Good Morning Ulster programme that there will be longer opening times in the area and council staff will be on the high street, to help with the flow of people.\n\nHe said that \"personal responsibility\" was also important, urging shoppers to \"respect the guidelines that are in place\".\n\n\"We have these two weeks now to try and recover some of the grounds but we do need to think about the future as well.\"\n\nNorthern Ireland Hotels Federation chief executive Janice Gault said that hotels would reopen \"in a responsible manner with the health of guests and staff to the fore\".\n\n\"Christmas is a vital trading period for the hotel industry with many guests checking in with their families over the festive season,\" she said.\n\n\"This year will be different, but hotels are determined that those who arrive will have an excellent experience after what has been a very difficult year for everyone.\"\n\nLondonderry hotel director Ciaran O'Neill said he was \"surprised but glad\" at the decision.\n\n\"Stormont have finally decided to give us proper notice on this and give us a week to reopen,\" said Mr O'Neill.\n\n\"We have been taking bookings with asterixis now for about six weeks so every week we have to ring people to cancel or move their booking to a different date.\"\n\nHowever, Mr O'Neill said his hotel is still operating \"under 50% capacity\", adding \"we need to be mindful of that\".\n\nBut owners of drink-only pubs have criticised the executive for the decision to keep them shut.\n\nWest Belfast bar owner Gerard Keenan has only opened his business for three weeks since March.\n\n\"We kind of knew that was going to happen but up until the point that somebody tells you, it's still a bitter pill to swallow,\" said Mr Keenan.\n\n\"It's just the future, I'm worried now about the future, but I'm grateful now that we're getting some financial help.\"\n\nHe described the situation as \"brutal\", adding \"the stigma now that's attached to wet pubs, it's killing us\".\n\nGyms will also be able to reopen under the rules agreed on Thursday\n\nDr Tom Black, the Northern Ireland chairman of the British Medical Association, said the easing of the restrictions appeared to be a \"pragmatic decision\".\n\n\"It is a calculated risk because when you have a holiday period and people meet up the transmission of the virus increases,\" he told the BBC's The View programme.\n\n\"We will have in the health service in Northern Ireland a very busy time in the first three weeks in January, that seems inevitable.\n\n\"We will be sitting down to a banquet of consequences with increased admissions to hospital and more people in intensive care.\"\n\nThe latest medical and scientific advice given to ministers indicates that the R-number - the average number of people that one infected person will pass the virus to - is about one.\n\nStormont ministers have been told that if the R-number can be maintained at 1.6 or below then no intervention, in terms of further restrictions, would be required until the end of December/beginning of January.\n\nBut if it was to rise as high as 1.8 then intervention would be required \"a few days earlier than this\", according to a Stormont briefing paper.\n\nA vaccine will be available in Northern Ireland from next week, after the UK drugs regulator gave approval in record time.", "Michel Barnier and his team were working late into the night with their UK counterparts\n\nTo do business with each other from January, the UK and the EU agree there will have to be some shared rules.\n\nIt's called the level playing field, if you want to use the jargon, and you can read about it in all the detail you want here.\n\nBut again and again, the two sides have clashed over who should be in charge of the rules and, particularly, what happens if things go wrong.\n\nAlongside who gets to catch fish in whose waters, this part of the talks has been the most problematic.\n\nLate on Wednesday though, there were signs that a deal was nearly concluded.\n\nThe pizzas fuelled the negotiators into what seemed like a good place - you can read about the state of play last night here.\n\nA swift deal was not inevitable, but it certainly felt like the jigsaw pieces were lining up, with sources on both sides of the Channel agreeing that agreement on Friday or Saturday could be very lightly pencilled in.\n\nBut after another day of talks on Thursday, just before 19:00 GMT, things seemed to take a turn for the worse.\n\nUK sources said the talks had \"gone back 24 hours\", claiming the EU has toughened its stance on an independent regulator to police what happens if the shared rules and regulations are broken, and things go wrong.\n\nA senior government source told the BBC: \"At the eleventh hour, the EU is bringing new elements into the negotiation. A breakthrough is still possible in the next few days but that prospect is receding.\"\n\nIt's been claimed that the French government has been leading a charge for a more robust system of oversight, trying to push the UK into a position they cannot accept.\n\nAn EU source told the BBC the talks were in difficulty and had become \"extremely sluggish\", confirming that the main point of tension was over enforcing the rules and regulations.\n\nBut another EU insider suggested the UK might just be posturing, and that there was bafflement at the suggestion anything new was put on the table - the theatrics, perhaps, in the closing moments of the negotiations.\n\nFrankly, at the moment, it is extremely hard to work out exactly what is going on - although we know for sure the negotiators are still hard at it (Thursday's food delivery was from the food chain Leon.)\n\nEvery Brexit negotiation has had last minute dramas, where very often, just in the nick of time, victory is snatched from the jaws of defeat.\n\nIt's true that both sides want a deal. It's also true that both sides can see the shape of a possible deal.\n\nBut when there is so much at stake, taking it for granted that it will happen is quite an assumption to make.", "US travel spiked over Thanksgiving despite warnings\n\nAs coronavirus spread across the US last month, health officials urged people to refrain from travel to see friends and family over the Thanksgiving holiday. But data shows that millions of Americans ignored these calls. While air travel was much lower than in previous years, airports still reported some of their busiest days since the start of the pandemic. The US Transportation Security Administration said it had screened over one million passengers on several days during the holiday period. Experts have warned the US could see \"surge upon surge\" of Covid-19 cases as a result, while the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention warned that even a small number of infected travellers could lead to hundreds of thousands of new infections. Meanwhile vehicle travel surged around Thanksgiving, peaking at only around 5% less than last year, according to transport analytics firm Streetlight Data. The company's founder, Laura Schewel, told the Associated Press that this showed \"people were less willing to change their behaviour than any other day during the pandemic”. Officials have made similar calls for people to avoid travel over Christmas and New Year period, as hospitalisation numbers soar to record highs. Read more: Millions travel for Thanksgiving despite warnings", "For months, the government has been urging businesses to get ready for a new era in trading with the EU. But it was only on Boxing Day that details of all the new rules were actually published.\n\nBusiness groups are relieved that the threat of a no-deal Brexit, which would have meant tariffs (or taxes) on goods crossing the border with the EU, has been removed. But companies that trade with the EU are still facing a lot of new bureaucracy.\n\nAnd the disruption in mid-December, caused by border closures related to the new variant of Covid-19, was a reminder of how dependent the UK economy is on trade across the English Channel.\n\nFrom 1 January 2021, goods entering the EU from Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) face large amounts of new paperwork and checks, including:\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nHauliers will also need to make sure they have the right transportation paperwork before they drive to the border.\n\nThere is particular focus on the \"short straits\" route between Dover and Calais, and the nearby Channel Tunnel, which taken together handle about four million lorries a year.\n\n\"This is the biggest imposition of red tape that businesses have had to deal with in 50 years,\" says William Bain from the British Retail Consortium.\n\nFull controls on British exports to the EU began on 1 January. The first day of the new regime appears to have gone relatively smoothly.\n\nBut it's feared that later in the year, the new controls could cause disruption, even though new border infrastructure has been built at ports such as Calais, to help process vehicles more efficiently.\n\nThere are some mitigating measures though.\n\nIn response to the Covid crisis, the government is delaying full controls on goods entering Great Britain from the EU for a further six months.\n\nThere will be checks from 1 January on controlled substances such as alcohol and tobacco, and traders deemed to be a risk will also be asked to fill in customs declarations.\n\nBut most checks on goods coming in from the EU will be delayed until 1 July, a deadline that could in theory be extended.\n\n\"I think we will want to monitor it,\" the chief executive of HM Revenue and Customs, Jim Harra, told MPs in November. \"Hopefully we will not still be in a situation where Covid-19 is consuming as much of people's attention.\"\n\nOther measures to tackle potential disruption include diverting trade to other ports around the country and opening lorry parks in Kent, to avoid gridlock on the roads.\n\nSome of these contingencies were put into action early, to deal with the Covid border closures in December.\n\nOperation Brock, for example, involved changing the layout of a section of the M20, using a concrete barrier to allow lorries heading for mainland Europe to queue safely on the motorway.\n\nThousands of lorries were also diverted to temporary parking at a disused airport at Manston.\n\nFrom 1 January drivers of lorries weighing more than 7.5 tonnes will need to acquire a Kent Access Permit before they enter the county. They will have to show that they have all the paperwork they need to ferry goods to Europe.\n\nBut that doesn't deal with the challenge of the thousands of vans that cross the Channel every week.\n\n\"What has been serially misunderstood by various parts of government is the scale of the complexity for people on the ground dealing with the paperwork,\" says Duncan Buchanan, the Policy Director of the Road Haulage Association.\n\nThat could mean that instead of queues on motorways, many traders won't be able to leave their depots.\n\n\"Either they won't be able to get vets to sign off on their meat exports, or they won't be able to get their permit because they don't have the right bits of paper,\" says Shane Brennan, chief executive of the Cold Storage Federation.\n\n\"We might see a quite significant holding off of trading - people just not moving stuff in the first few weeks.\"\n\nEighty-five per cent of the volume of trade between the EU and Great Britain is carried by EU hauliers, who are often paid not by the hour, but by the kilometre. If they think there will be too many delays, many may simply not come.\n\nThe government says the readiness of traders to deal with the new system remains its biggest concern.\n\nLorries parked on the M20 in Kent\n\n\"The sheer scale of the overall operation means there are literally many millions of moving parts,\" permanent secretary of the cabinet office Alex Chisholm told MPs. \"Inevitably there are going to be some difficulties for some individual people as they adjust to the new regime.\"\n\nThe government has also announced a new Border Operations Centre as part of plans \"for the UK to have the world's most effective border by 2025\".\n\nQuestions have been asked about how changes at the border might affect food supply. The short answer is no-one can say for sure, but nearly 30% of all the food consumed in the UK is imported from the EU.\n\nThe good news is that there is a deal, which makes a big difference. But the challenge is particularly acute because the UK grows relatively small amounts of fruit and vegetables in January and February and is most dependent on supplies from southern Europe at this time of year.\n\nSo, if there are delays, they could cause some shortages on the shelves.\n\n\"Some gaps are possible but we're not going to run out of food - that's not going to happen\" says Ian Wright.\n\nWhen it comes to non-perishable items, there had been some stockpiling in preparation for either outcome, but extra supplies won't last forever.\n\n\"The crunch point is probably not going to be in the first few days or weeks of January,\" William Bain argues. \"Towards the end of the month, when new orders start being placed and delivered, we will start to see the processes in Kent and the other ports really tested.\"\n\nAnd it's not only about food.\n\nOther retailers, which are used to moving their stock freely around the EU customs union, have had to create separate supply chains for the UK. That is costing them more money, and their new systems have yet to be tested properly.\n\nIt's not just about trade across the English Channel.\n\nTrade across the Irish Sea between Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland will be subject to the same pressures, while Northern Ireland will be a special case under the terms of the Northern Ireland protocol in the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement.\n\nNorthern Ireland will remain in the EU single market for goods, and unlike the rest of the UK it will continue to enjoy frictionless trade with the EU with no checks of any kind at the land border with the Republic.\n\nBut there is a price to pay for that - new bureaucracy within the UK between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.\n\nThe EU, for example, has strict rules on products of animal origin: meat, milk, fish and eggs.\n\nThese products must enter the single market (and, from 1 January, Northern Ireland) through a border control post where paperwork is checked, and a proportion of goods physically inspected.\n\nThere will be a grace period of three months for supermarkets and their suppliers, but some smaller traders may have to get used to the new rules straight away.\n\nAll shipments from Great Britain to Northern Ireland will also need a safety and security declaration, and a customs declaration from a new IT system which none of the traders have used before.\n\nThe government has set up a Trader Support Service to help.\n\nThe details of the new trading arrangements for Northern Ireland were announced separately in early December, and provided some clarity. They include an agreement which means the vast majority of goods being shipped from GB to NI will not be at risk of having tariffs imposed.\n\nBut there are plenty of unresolved issues.\n\nTraders are seeking answers about how to send parcels from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, and some online retailers have already suspended deliveries.\n\nThe trade from British to Northern Irish ports often involves multiple small shipments on a single lorry - all of which will need the right paperwork.\n\n\"We need clear rules for everyone in the supply chain,\" says Duncan Buchanan, \"and when you scratch the surface it is just not ready.\"\n\nIt is expected that many checks will be carried out on a 'light touch' basis to begin with.\n\nBut anyone trading between Great Britain and Northern Ireland is going to have to get used to a new way of working very quickly.", "The boy fell from a carriage on the Twister ride at Lightwater Valley in May 2019\n\nA theme park where a boy fell from a rollercoaster has been fined £350,000 for health and safety breaches.\n\nThe seven-year-old was airlifted to hospital with head injuries after falling from the ride at Lightwater Valley in North Yorkshire in May 2019.\n\nYork Magistrates' Court heard the ride no longer operated and the park viewed the accident with \"great sadness\".\n\nThe boy fell from the Twister attraction during the spring half-term holiday, the court heard.\n\nBosses at the theme park, near Ripon, admitted breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.\n\nJudge Adrian Lower was told the boy had not been wearing a seat belt and fell through a gap between the seat and a restraining bar.\n\nBut the boy and his mother, who was in the car with him, were not told they had to wear a seat belt, the court heard.\n\nJudge Lower was told the effectiveness of the restraining bar was not enough to hold the youngster in position.\n\nThe child was airlifted to hospital after the accident at Lightwater Valley\n\nProsecutor Craig Hassall said the victim suffered serious head injuries following the fall and was airlifted to hospital in Leeds.\n\nHis mother saw him slip under the restraint as he was ejected from the car which was between two and three metres from the ground at the time\n\nMr Hassall said seatbelt rules were not universally understood by ride operatives and that maintenance of seatbelts was not adequate or in effective working order.\n\nIn June 2001, 20-year-old Gemma Savage from South Yorkshire died when two of the rollercoaster's cars collided.\n\nFollow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Emily Jones \"was always full of joy, love and laughter,\" her family have said\n\nA woman who slit a seven-year-old's throat has been cleared of murder after the prosecution offered no further evidence and withdrew the charge.\n\nEltiona Skana, 30, had admitted the manslaughter of Emily Jones on the grounds of diminished responsibility.\n\nSkana, who has paranoid schizophrenia, had been on trial at Manchester Minshull Street Crown Court after pleading not guilty to murder.\n\nMr Justice Wall will sentence Skana for manslaughter on Tuesday.\n\nThe jury had been directed to formally return a not guilty verdict.\n\nAfter hearing evidence from a consultant forensic psychiatrist treating Skana at high-security Rampton Hospital, Michael Brady QC, prosecuting, told the court there was no realistic prospect of a conviction on the murder charge.\n\nThe court heard how Emily was in Queen's Park in Bolton with her father Mark Jones on the afternoon of Mother's Day on 22 March.\n\nShe was riding her scooter when she spotted her mother Sarah Barnes, who was jogging.\n\nThe youngster was calling out to her mother as she scooted past a park bench where Skana was sitting, alone and armed with a craft knife.\n\nSkana got up, grabbed Emily and slit her throat before running off.\n\nThe defendant, originally from Albania, was later detained under the Mental Health Act.\n\nDuring the trial, the prosecution alleged that it was for the jury to decide whether this was a case of murder rather than manslaughter and questioned whether Skana's poor mental health was a \"convenient excuse\" for her actions.\n\nThe court heard about a conversation between Skana and a nurse while in Rampton, which pointed to the attack being planned and therefore a calculated killing rather than manslaughter.\n\nSeven-year-old Emily Jones was stabbed as she played in Queen's Park, Bolton\n\nBut the jury was also told the conversation took place when Skana was not taking her anti-psychotic medication as part of a change in treatment at the hospital.\n\nDr Victoria Sullivan, who treated Skana at a medium secure mental health unit in Manchester after her arrest, said the defendant's sister Klestora told them she had not been taking her anti-psychotic medication before the attack.\n\nSkana came to the UK in 2014 and had been having injections of anti-psychotic drugs each month since 2017, the court heard.\n\nBut she also told medics this medication had caused her mental health to deteriorate and she began taking tablets instead.\n\nWhen police raided her flat in Bolton, they found a stash of untaken, anti-psychotic drugs, which amounted to around a month's worth of medication.\n\nFrom mid-December of last year until March 11, the defendant had no face-to-face contact with her mental health workers, the jury heard.\n\nEarlier, in 2017, Skana had stabbed her own mother and in another incident attacked her sister and had been admitted to psychiatric hospitals three times.\n\nDr Syed Afghan, her consultant at Rampton, agreed Skana became psychotically violent when not taking her medication.\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson is one of five men arrested\n\nLiverpool's mayor Joe Anderson has been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit bribery and witness intimidation.\n\nHe and four others were held as part of an investigation into the awarding of building contracts in the city.\n\nIt is understood the Labour Party has suspended Mr Anderson pending the outcome of the case.\n\nThe year-long police probe, Operation Aloft, has focussed on a number of property developers.\n\nLiverpool City Council said it was co-operating with Merseyside Police.\n\nA police statement said those arrested include two men, 33 and 62, both from Liverpool, on suspicion of conspiracy to commit bribery and witness intimidation.\n\nA 46-year-old man from Ainsdale has also been arrested on suspicion of the same offence.\n\nThe other two arrested men are a 72-year-old man from Liverpool and a 25-year old from Ormskirk, who have been arrested on suspicion of witness intimidation.\n\nDeveloper Elliot Lawless was arrested in January 2019 and denied any wrongdoing. Elliot Lawless is currently released under investigation and was not one of the five arrested earlier on Friday.\n\nCouncillor Richard Kemp, leader of the opposition Lib Dem group on Liverpool City Council, said Mr Anderson \"should follow the precedence set by leaders of the council and other senior figures in such cases.\"\n\n\"He should step away from the council and step away from his mayoralty while this goes through due legal process,\" he said.\n\nHe later studied for a degree in social work at Liverpool John Moores University and went on to become a social worker for Sefton Council in 1992.\n\nThe father-of-four was Liverpool's first elected mayor in 2012 having served on the city council since 1998.\n\nHis national profile been raised by his role in driving forward mass coronavirus testing in the city.\n\nMr Anderson, whose brother Bill died recently of Covid-19, was praised for his response to the virus by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "The first doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine have arrived in Northern Ireland.\n\nNearly 25,000 doses arrived in Belfast on Friday - it is hoped it will be the first of several deliveries this month.\n\nHealth Minister Robin Swann said confirmation of which groups will get the vaccine first is due next week.\n\nThere will be dummy runs at various locations, but it has been confirmed the first administration of the vaccine will be on Tuesday morning.\n\nMr Swann said there was \"a long journey ahead of us but we can be optimistic\".\n\nHe added: \"Vaccinators will be the first to receive the vaccine, followed swiftly by priority groups.\n\n\"We are being guided on prioritisation by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation.\n\n\"It has identified care home residents and staff and health and social care workers as priority groups.\"\n\nDistribution of the vaccine would be \"a massive logistical challenge\", particularly in terms of rolling it out in care homes, added the health minister.\n\nAnother six people in Northern Ireland have died after testing positive for coronavirus, taking the Department of Health's recorded total of deaths to 1,032.\n\nAnother 449 people have tested positive for the virus.\n\nIn the Republic of Ireland six more Covid-19-related deaths were recorded, taking the country's overall tally to 2,086.\n\nIrish health officials also reported that another 265 people have tested positive.\n\nThe arrival of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in Northern Ireland is a massive box ticked.\n\nBut it doesn't just magic the virus away and some people might see the vaccine as an excuse to forget about the restrictions.\n\nGiven the existing two-week lockdown, the authorities anticipate that number of new infections will decline ever so slightly or remain stable until shortly before Christmas.\n\nBut with more of us out and about and mixing they are sure to rise again.\n\nIt is understood that if the so-called R-number can be maintained at 1.6 or below then intervention would not be required until the end of December or beginning of January.\n\nHowever, if it was to rise as high as 1.8 then intervention would be required, possibly at end of December.\n\nAll of this depends on our behaviour and how closely we practice the Covid-19 guidelines.\n\nTo vaccinate care home residents in Northern Ireland, 12,000 doses of the vaccine are required.\n\nThe problem facing those responsible for rolling out the vaccination scheme is how to deliver it to care homes safely and effectively.\n\nIt is thought the seven vaccination centres that have been earmarked, including leisure centres and hospitals, will be used to roll out the vaccine to those care homes which are located nearby.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. What will the vaccination process look like?\n\nThe vaccine must be stored at around -70C and will be transported in special boxes, packed in dry ice.\n\nOnce delivered, it can be kept for up to five days in a fridge.\n\nOn Wednesday the UK regulator the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said the jab, which offers up to 95% protection against Covid-19 illness, is safe.\n\nIt is thought Northern Ireland will receive about 1.5 million doses in total.\n\nThe UK is the first country in the world to approve the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for widespread use.\n\nPatricia Donnelly, who is leading the vaccine rollout programme in Northern Ireland, said the fact the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine had to be stored at a very low temperature and came in large packs meant it was more practical to take the people receiving it to larger centres.\n\n\"We hope that we will start to deploy it next week - we're aiming for early in the week but we can't confirm that until we have all our final arrangments in place,\" she told BBC Radio Ulster's Evening Extra.\n\n\"Because we don't have a limitless supply of the vaccine we're also looking at where our priorities are for this.\n\n\"Next week we have a definite plan to vaccinate the vaccinators.\"", "I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here has brought in over £1m to Wales' economy, say the owners of the castle hosting the reality TV show.\n\nThis year's series, which finishes on Friday, is being filmed at Gwrych Castle, near Abergele, Conwy.\n\nThe castle's trust insisted local firms were employed as part of the deal to use the Grade I listed building.\n\nOne local coach company said the work had been a \"lifeline\" during the coronavirus pandemic.\n\nTV presenter Vernon Kay, author and podcast presenter Giovanna Fletcher and radio DJ Jordan North are in Friday night's final after Eastenders actor Shane Richie was voted out on Thursday night.\n\nMark Baker, chairman of the Gwrych Castle Preservation Trust, said ITV has fulfilled its promise to use local contractors wherever possible.\n\nThis included builders working on the set and firms providing portable toilet and temporary road surfacing, as well as accommodation for the crew.\n\n\"The programme is one of the biggest TV productions in Europe, and that's been reflected in the number of people on site and the amount of money that's been spent in the area,\" said Mr Baker.\n\n\"Local companies have supplied everything from the t-shirts the celebrities are wearing to the bags of castle coins that they win in their daily challenges.\n\n\"All in all, we've counted up to 50 Welsh businesses involved just in getting the castle ready for filming.\"\n\nLiz Castro said working with the show has meant a 'hectic few weeks'\n\nLiz Castro runs Place2Print in Llandudno, and printed the t-shirts, clothing and accessories worn by the celebrity contestants.\n\nThe timing could not have been better, having been forced to close earlier in the year due to the pandemic.\n\n\"It's really exciting. We watch the programme at home each year but for ITV to contact me was a major deal,\" she said.\n\n\"It's been really good to have a big job come through the door after being closed earlier this year.\n\n\"It's been a hectic few weeks, but we've been working with an amazing bunch of people.\n\n\"We had to move fast and get everything ready at speed when the names of the celebrities were confirmed.\n\n\"People may not realise, but all the celebrities have name tags in their sleeping bags and on their water bottles, so they know which is theirs. We printed them all.\n\nA few miles away from Gwrych Castle, Voel Coaches has described the programme as a \"lifeline\".\n\nThe company had seen its business wiped out by the pandemic but said this contract, transporting staff and crew both to and around the castle site, has safeguarded its immediate future.\n\nChris Gentile said he has had 150-200 phone calls from people who wanted to be drivers with Voels\n\nChris Gentile, marketing manager said: \"Since the coronavirus pandemic, we've had a really tough year.\n\n\"We run excursions and holidays and our business was almost non-existent after March. We suddenly found ourselves having to refund everyone.\n\n\"But in the last few months, we've been able to create jobs and take on new staff. It is still tough, but this work means we will get through.\n\n\"When people realised that we had the contract, we had around 150 to 200 phone calls from people who wanted to be drivers with us.\"\n\nFrom Ant and Dec welcoming viewers every night with \"noswaith dda\" - good evening in Welsh - to Kiosk Cledwyn and his Yr Hen Siop - or Ye Old Shop - the Welsh language has had exposure around the UK.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. How do you pronounce I'm A Celeb's Gwrych Castle?\n\nAn average audience of 10.9 million watched the first show on 15 November and people offering Welsh lessons say they have seen an increase in interest.\n\n\"I've spoken to many Welsh language lesson providers and many have told me that they've seen an increase in traffic,\" said Garffild Lewis, the language consultant who worked with ITV on the show.\n\n\"We introduced the language in a subtle way. It's not out there shouting at you but we've introduced words here and there and the language can be seen round the set\".\n\n\"That has brought a presence and it's had a very positive reaction.\n\n\"The profile of the language has increased and that leads people to wanting to know more and learning it, which of course is very important\".", "The Pfizer vaccine must be used within 12 hours of being unpacked, the regulator says\n\nThe Covid-19 vaccine will \"definitely\" be ready to go into care homes in the next two weeks, the regulator has said.\n\nThe Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said it had approved the way doses would be distributed to homes.\n\nIt means care home residents and staff may not be the first to receive jabs, despite being the top priority.\n\nBut the UK's chief medical officers say the vaccine will only have a \"marginal impact\" on winter hospital numbers.\n\nIn a letter to colleagues, the chief medical officers of England (Prof Chris Whitty), Scotland (Dr Gregor Smith), Wales (Dr Frank Atherton) and Northern Ireland (Dr Michael McBride) warn this winter could be \"especially hard\" for the health service due to coronavirus.\n\n\"Although the very welcome news about vaccines means that we can look forward to 2021 with greater optimism, vaccine deployment will have only a marginal impact in reducing numbers coming into the health service with Covid over the next three months,\" they said.\n\nThey added they did not expect the virus to \"disappear\" even once full vaccination had occurred.\n\nFestive gatherings are likely to place \"additional pressure\" on hospitals and GPs in the New Year, which \"we need to be ready for\", the experts said.\n\nThe experts' warning comes as vaccinations are expected to begin at 50 hospital hubs in England on Tuesday.\n\nNHS England also says GP-run vaccination centres will be up and running from 14 December and are expected to start inviting in patients aged over 80.\n\nDr Ellie Cannon, a GP in North London, said local GPs were working together to provide one centre or one team to administer the vaccines.\n\n\"We've been told we need to be available to vaccinate people from 8am to 8pm,\" she told BBC Breakfast, adding there was \"a lot of enthusiasm among healthcare staff to help and to be involved\".\n\nShe cautioned that strict guidelines would have to be followed and only \"the most high risk\" would receive the vaccine in the first week.\n\n\"Don't call us, we will be calling you,\" she advised patients. \"GPs have already identified exactly who their high risk patients are. We don't have the facility to bypass the rules,\" she warned.\n\nBecause of how the vaccine doses are packed, the regulator needs to approve the way in which they are broken down into smaller consignments for distribution to care homes, while ensuring that the vaccine stays at very cold temperatures.\n\nAsked when the vaccine would get to care homes, Dr June Raine, chief executive of the MHRA, told BBC Radio Cumbria that it might be \"variable\" but added: \"I would say definitely within the next two weeks.\"\n\nThe MHRA, which regulates medicines across the UK, requires that the vaccine doses are repacked for shipping to care homes in refrigerated cold rooms at between 2 and 8C and transferred into carriers that maintain the same temperature.\n\nAs soon as they thaw the vials of vaccine, assemblers have 12 hours to pack them, label them and transport them to care homes, an operation that has never been done before at this scale.\n\nBusiness Secretary Alok Sharma said the UK is \"absolutely confident\" it will have 800,000 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine - the first to be approved by the regulator - next week.\n\nHe said more doses were expected by the end of the year, but he was unable to specify how many.\n\nScotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have also said they are ready to begin vaccinations on Tuesday.\n\nMeanwhile, official data showed infection levels were falling in all English regions, except the North East.\n\nThe government said the R number - the average number of people each person with Covid-19 goes on to infect - had fallen to between 0.8 and 1 in the UK, from between 0.9 and 1 last week.\n\nIt also reported that a further 504 people had died within 28 days of a positive Covid-19 test, bringing the total number of deaths in the UK to 60,617.\n\nThe first consignment of the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine arrived in the UK on Thursday, and the government has ordered 40 million doses in total - enough to vaccinate 20 million people.\n\nElderly people in care homes and care home staff have been placed top of the priority list - as recommended by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) - followed by the over-80s and front-line health and social care staff.\n\nProf Anthony Harnden, deputy chair of the JCVI, told The World at One on BBC Radio 4 he understood the elderly in care homes \"might not end up being the first priority group for operational reasons\" and the committee would \"closely monitor this\".\n\nHe stressed the JCVI still expected care home residents \"to be prioritised\".\n\nChris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, said the vaccines would now have reached 50 hospital hubs to enable vaccinations to begin on Tuesday.\n\nHospitals were working out how many care home residents, care home staff and over-80s they can get it to, he said.", "The crash happened at the junction with Old Bothwell Road\n\nTwo men and a woman have died following a crash in Bothwell, South Lanarkshire.\n\nPolice were called to the collision, involving a Vauxhall Astra, on Blairston Avenue - near the junction with Old Bothwell Road - at about 04:35 on Friday.\n\nA woman, aged 30, and two men, aged 36 and 62, were pronounced dead at the scene.\n\nA man, aged 31, was taken to University Hospital Wishaw, where hospital staff described his condition as critical.\n\nA 42-year-old man was taken to the same hospital where his condition has been described as stable.\n\nCh Insp Darren Faulds said: \"Our thoughts are with the families and friends of those involved in this crash. Our officers are liaising with the families and providing support.\n\n\"Our investigation is ongoing to establish the full circumstances of this crash.\n\n\"I would ask any witnesses to the crash, or anyone with information that may assist our investigation to contact us.\n\n\"I would also like to speak to anyone who was driving on this road around the time of the crash and may have dashcam footage to come forward.\"\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "EU negotiator Michel Barnier has been in London since face-to-face talks resumed\n\nThe prospect of a breakthrough in post-Brexit trade negotiations between the UK and EU is \"receding\", according to a senior UK government source.\n\nThey told BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg that the EU team were \"bringing new elements into the negotiation\" at the \"eleventh hour\".\n\nBut the source said a breakthrough was \"still possible in the next few days\".\n\nTalks were continuing into the night in London. Current trading rules expire on 31 December.\n\nBoth sides are urgently seeking compromises in key areas, including fishing rights and competition rules.\n\nAn EU source told the BBC's political editor that talks were \"extremely sluggish\" around the so-called level playing field for competition rules and standards.\n\nBut another source from Brussels said there were \"never any surprises or new demands from the EU side\".\n\nLaura Kuenssberg said both sides were suggesting to her that the real sticking point was over how those rules would be policed.\n\nThe UK and EU have been locked in talks since March to determine their future relations once the UK's Brexit transition period ends in less than four weeks' time.\n\nThe BBC's political editor said: \"The stumbling blocks certainly aren't new, but the sense on the UK side is that talks have gone backwards 24 hours\".\n\nShe added that there were \"still real problems to solve\".\n\nEarlier, Ireland's foreign affairs minister Simon Coveney told Irish broadcaster RTE that talks were \"at the very end\".\n\nSpeaking ahead of Brexit meetings in Paris with his French counterpart on Thursday, he said efforts were under way to close negotiations \"in the next few days\".\n\nBoris Johnson has said the UK remains \"absolutely committed\" to \"getting a deal if we can\".\n\nSpeaking on Wednesday, the prime minister said the EU side \"know what the UK bottom line is,\" as talks continued in what is seen as a crucial week.\n\nFace-to-face talks between negotiators have been ongoing since the weekend after a week-long pause.\n\nThe EU's chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, is expected to return to Brussels on Friday to brief the bloc on the state of play, but Laura Kuenssberg said he may come straight back to join the four new negotiators who arrived on Thursday night.\n\nTo do business with each other from January, the UK and the EU agree there will have to be some shared rules.\n\nIt's called the level playing field, if you want to use the jargon, and you can read about it in all the detail you want here.\n\nBut again and again, the two sides have clashed over who should be in charge of the rules and, particularly, what happens if things go wrong.\n\nLate on Wednesday, there were signs that a deal was nearly concluded.\n\nBut after another day of talks on Thursday, just before 19:00 GMT, things seemed to take a turn for the worse.\n\nIt's true that both sides want a deal. It's also true that both sides can see the shape of a possible deal.\n\nBut when there is so much at stake, taking it for granted that it will happen is quite an assumption to make.\n\nRead more from Laura here.\n\nOn Thursday, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer told reporters: \"If the choice is a deal or no deal, then a deal is obviously in the national interest.\"\n\nHe said he was \"consulting across the Labour Party\" on whether the party's MPs should back a deal if it comes to a vote in the Commons, and would decide after examining the contents of the deal.\n\nHe denied Labour was split over the issue, after reports he was planning to ask his MPs to vote in favour but some shadow cabinet members want to abstain.\n\n\"We've pulled together incredibly over the last few months through difficult decisions, and we'll do so on this decision again,\" he added.\n\nThe government has not confirmed how it intends to ratify a deal in Parliament.\n\nBut the UK's chief negotiator Lord David Frost has said he assumed MPs would have to approve a law to implement \"at least some elements\" of a deal.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe negotiations are continuing ahead of a politically sensitive moment next week, when a controversial piece of Brexit legislation returns to the Commons.\n\nThe Internal Market Bill, which would allow ministers to override sections of the UK's withdrawal agreement, will come back before MPs next Monday.\n\nThe publication of the bill in September sent shockwaves through the talks, and led to the EU Commission beginning legal proceedings against the UK.\n\nBut on Thursday, Commons leader Jacob Rees-Mogg said the government intends to reinsert contentious clauses taken out of the bill by the House of Lords.\n\nThe PM's spokesman added the bill was a \"legal safety net\" to protect the UK internal market, in case talks about detailed arrangements for the Irish border break down.\n\nOn Wednesday, MPs are also set to vote on a new taxation bill that will reportedly contain similar powers to override the withdrawal agreement over the issues of customs and VAT.\n\nEU leaders are due to meet next Thursday in Brussels for a scheduled summit.", "The government has cut £1bn from the rail infrastructure budget following the chancellor's Spending Review.\n\nRishi Sunak had previously promised record infrastructure investment as part of the government's \"levelling up\" agenda.\n\nUntil now, Network Rail's \"enhancement\" budget for the five year period from 2019-24 had been set at £10.4bn.\n\nBut, this week rail minister Chris Heaton-Harris said that the budget would now be £9.4bn.\n\nThat has put a question mark over some long-planned improvements to rail infrastructure.\n\nThe BBC has contacted the government for comment.\n\nThe cuts were not mentioned in Spending Review documentation, which stressed record investment in strategic road and rail projects.\n\nThe shortfall is likely to leave some projects without funding.\n\nAnd the rail industry has raised concerns that the budget could be cut by as much as 10% overall if the government tries to claw back some funding that it was unable to spend this year, partly because of the pandemic.\n\nDarren Caplan, the chief executive of the Railway Industry Association, called the £1bn cut in funding \"very disappointing\".\n\n\"Rail enhancements are essential in ensuring our rail network is fit for the future, improving reliability, connectivity, customer experience and helping to reduce carbon emissions,\" he said.\n\n\"Taking our foot off the pedal now on rail investment will not help for when passengers return following the coronavirus pandemic.\"\n\nMeanwhile, the government is believed to have told the industry to concentrate on so-called \"Northern Powerhouse\" rail and reversing the Beeching cuts, which closed thousands of miles of railway in the sixties. Both plans featured in Boris Johnson's manifesto.\n\nSince the start of the pandemic, the government has spent billions subsidising the rail network, so that trains were able to continue running during lockdown, even as commuters stayed at home.\n\nSo far, the bill has run to more than £3.5bn and the Department for Transport has said \"significant\" support will still be needed.\n\nIn March, the government brought the Northern franchise under state control. Meanwhile, the Welsh government has announced plans to nationalise Transport for Wales' rail services.\n\nMinisters confirmed in October that they would take over the franchise from KeolisAmey, with day-to-day services set to be run by a publicly-owned company.\n\nAlthough passenger numbers have edged up since lockdown, they are still less than half their pre-pandemic levels.\n\nAs a result, emergency measures to cover the losses of train firms have been extended by 18 months. They reduce the fees that can be earned by the companies but will mean that trains are still able to run, even with fewer passengers.\n\nThe day-to-day operating budget of the state owned rail operator covering repairs, renewals and the operations of stations was unaffected.\n\nNews of the budget cuts comes as the future of the franchise system, under which the railways have been run since privatisation, looks set to be replaced by a system of concessions, tightening the grip of government over the industry.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The sound of thundersnow is heard across parts of Scotland\n\nPolice Scotland has reassured residents in Edinburgh after hundreds of people reported being woken by the sound of explosions.\n\nHowever, police said that what people were actually hearing was the phenomenon known as \"thundersnow\".\n\nTwo \"extraordinarily loud\" thunder claps were heard over the capital just before 05:00.\n\nThe snow caused disruption across many areas, including temporarily closing the Queensferry Crossing.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nBBC weather forecaster Gemma Plumb said snow had also fallen overnight and on Friday morning across parts of northern and eastern England as well as on the high ground of south west England and Wales.\n\nFurther snow was expected to continue falling in the afternoon in northern England and Wales and in parts of the Midlands and Scotland, but would become increasingly confined to higher ground.\n\nThere could also be some snow on the high ground of the rest of Wales, south west England and perhaps Northern Ireland in the afternoon, with much of the UK having outbreaks of rain - and potentially sleet or snow on higher ground later on Friday.\n\nAnd there will be a chance of ice in some areas - particularly in the south east of England.\n\nA number of yellow warnings for ice and snow are in place across large areas of Scotland and Northern Ireland and stretch down into North Yorkshire.\n\nThe coldest night of the autumn/winter so far was recorded at Altnaharra in the Highlands, where temperatures dipped to -9.6C (14.72F).\n\nSome residents in Midlothian, including in Penicuik and Loanhead, reported what they thought was a bomb exploding or a building collapse.\n\nThe sound, which is created when thunder and lightning combine with a heavy snowstorm, also caused dozens of car alarms to go off.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Police Scotland Control Rooms This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nAfter receiving a number of calls, Police Scotland took to Twitter to reassure residents that there was no need to be alarmed.\n\n\"We have received a number of calls regarding people concerned about explosions heard.\n\n\"Please do not be alarmed, we are currently experiencing thunder and lightning,\" a tweet from their control room said.\n\nSaoirse Morton, 19, in Leith, was up late listening to music when she heard the thundersnow.\n\n\"I heard what I thought was an explosion so I started looking for a factory nearby that could have exploded,\" she said.\n\n\"I just sat for 10 seconds in shock before checking on my pets. I was convinced something had exploded. I messaged some friends on Facebook and said something had exploded and they said 'no, no it's thunder and lightning' and started trying to convince me. I took some convincing.\"\n\nThe noise heard in Kirkcaldy was \"crazy\", according to Leanne Duffy\n\nAnne Ash, who lives in Edinburgh, told the BBC the \"extremely loud noise\" woke her up.\n\nShe described it as sounding \"a bit like a sonic boom\".\n\n\"I leapt out of bed and ran to the window and saw it was snowing quite heavily.\n\n\"My husband said it was thunder and I was unsure so googled it and learned the term 'thundersnow'.\n\n\"A little while later there was a second loud boom which went for a bit longer.\"\n\nShe said the weather later quietened down, and the snow was starting to melt away.\n\nThe noise was also heard in Fife, with Leanne Duffy tweeting that it was \"crazy\" to hear the phenomenon.\n\nThe snowfall has also caused issues on the area's roads, with the Queensferry Crossing closed for several hours in both directions on Friday morning because of falling ice and snow. However, it reopened at about 08:30.\n\nSome schools and nurseries have been closed due to the wintry weather.\n\nIn the Highlands, 10 primaries, two secondary schools and seven nurseries have been closed for the day, affecting almost 2,000 pupils.\n\nA small number of schools in Aberdeenshire, Moray and Dumfries and Galloway were closed due to the adverse weather.\n\nIn the Scottish Borders, schools were open but some bus services were not operating.\n\nScotRail also warned that train journeys across multiple routes were facing \"significant disruption\", and asked passengers to check their plans before setting off.\n\nSnowfall in the North East - including in Banchory, pictured - led to police warning motorists of dangerous driving conditions\n\nParts of Ayrshire also saw snow fall, including in Cumnock\n\nForecasters have warned that Friday will be a cold and windy day across the UK, with spells of rain, sleet and snow - mainly over the north and east of the country.\n\nIn the north east of Scotland, police warned of dangerous driving conditions on the A93 and the B993.\n\nAnd in Ayrshire, officers urged people to take extra care on the roads because of the snow.\n\nAlso in the east of the country, the A70 Lanark Road West, just after Balerno, was closed after an articulated lorry got stuck due to the weather.\n• None How do you stop ice falling from bridge cables?", "So, after a week of super intensive, last-ditch talks, EU and UK negotiators are going their separate ways.\n\nThe EU's chief envoy Michel Barnier heads back to Brussels on Saturday morning. His UK counterpart, David Frost, is to brief the prime minister on why the pause button was pressed.\n\nIs this the end of the road for talks, or are we just round the corner to a Happy Ever After?\n\nProbably neither. Just yet.\n\nIf you're in favour of this post-Brexit EU-UK trade deal and you're looking for clues to be upbeat, I'd say it's significant that the two chief negotiators issued a joint statement before parting ways.\n\nThis wasn't a case of each stomping off to a separate corner before briefing negatively about the other.\n\nThat differences remain on the three key issues: fishing rights in UK waters, competition regulations and the governance of a deal (ie how to ensure both sides stick to the agreement or face penalties) should come as no surprise.\n\nLimited progress was made this week on all fronts in talks, but as I, and many other Brexit commentators, have long suggested, you need political involvement at the highest levels to make the final, most difficult compromises.\n\nOr to publicly declare an agreement is just not possible, and a no deal scenario is heading our way.\n\nPositive-minded readers of this blog might also consider that, even if the EU-UK deal were almost agreed, the European Commission president and arguably, especially Boris Johnson, who has aligned himself so personally to \"getting Brexit done\", would want to put their personal stamp on things.\n\nConfirmation that they will call each other on Saturday afternoon could therefore be seen as a \"good\" sign. Although sources in the EU and UK warn not to expect news of the conclusive Big Breakthrough following their chat.\n\nCynics might nod their head too when I say that - considering the uncomfortable political compromises both sides have to make to reach a deal - one more \"crisis\", aka the current stop in talks, is quite useful to demonstrate to the public back home that you're hanging on in there, fighting for their interests.\n\nThat's certainly the way to interpret France's threat to use its veto if a deal is agreed, and it doesn't like it.\n\nEmmanuel Macron has enjoyed the role of Brexit bad cop throughout. It plays well domestically.\n\nAnd \"France the frenemy\" is an easy headline in the UK too.\n\nBut reality is more nuanced. Paris trumpets more brashly what is the belief in all EU capitals, and in the UK government: Yes to this deal but not at any cost.\n\nThe priority in Brussels is to protect the single market. The EU hoped to contain UK competition with a common rulebook.\n\nBut the UK wants to be nimble and competitive; to compromise post-Brexit sovereignty as little as possible.\n\nOtherwise, government figures ask, what was the point of leaving the European Union?\n\nIf you're looking for some certainty in all this, here you go: Neither side will sign on the dotted line if they can't sell this deal as a victory.\n\nNegotiations will likely become even thornier if they re-start next week.\n\nThe government's Internal Market Bill was expected to return to the House of Commons on Monday.\n\nAnd the long-awaited Finance Bill, scheduled to be tabled on Tuesday. Both could contain clauses contradicting the Protocol on Northern Ireland, signed with the EU last year as part of the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement.\n\nThe government insists the clauses are necessary, as a safety net, to ensure the smooth circulation of goods within the United Kingdom, in case of a no deal situation with the EU.\n\nBut the European Parliament has warned it will veto any deal with the UK, if Downing Street includes the clauses. Breaking the treaty is unacceptable, says the EU. Safety net or not.\n\nSo the pressure is on. On all sides.\n\nWe're witnessing that last minute, five to midnight scramble for a deal, widely predicted, but which the UK and EU always said was the last thing they wanted.", "Esther Dingley sent this photo of her at the top of a mountain on 22 November\n\nA search for a British hiker missing in the Pyrenees has been halted due to bad weather.\n\nEsther Dingley, 37, last messaged her partner Dan Colegate via WhatsApp on 22 November, when she was on top of Pic de Sauvegarde on the France-Spain border.\n\nShe had been due to return from her solo walking trek on 25 November.\n\nMr Colegate said police were now probing \"non-accident\" options. Police said bad weather in Huesca, in north-eastern Spain, had halted the search.\n\nOfficers are treating the disappearance as a missing person case and have circulated posters of Ms Dingley in the area.\n\nDan Colegate and Esther Dingley had always been keen travellers\n\nMr Colegate said the case had been turned over to a \"specialised judicial unit in France\".\n\n\"This means they will be looking at other options beyond a mountain accident,\" he said.\n\nMs Dingley had been travelling in the couple's camper van while Mr Colegate stayed at a farm in the Gascony area of France.\n\nThe weekend she set out on the trek, the couple's story about their adventures around Europe in the camper van since 2014 was published by BBC News.\n\nMs Dingley had started walking from Benasque in Spain and had planned to spend 22 November, when she was last heard from, at Refuge de Venasque in France, Mr Colegate said.\n\nThe couple had lived in Durham before deciding to pack up their lives and go travelling after Mr Colegate nearly died from an infection.\n\nMissing posters have been circulated around the region\n\nFollow BBC North East & Cumbria on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Gitanjali Rao says she doesn't look like \"your typical scientist\"\n\nA teenage scientist and inventor named Time magazine's first-ever Kid of the Year has said she hopes to inspire others to come up with ideas to \"solve the world's problems\".\n\nGitanjali Rao, 15, has invented technologies including a device that can identify lead in drinking water, and an app that detects cyberbullying.\n\nShe was chosen from more than 5,000 US nominees for the landmark title.\n\n\"If I can do it, you can do it, and anyone can do it,\" she said.\n\nIn an interview for Time magazine with actor and humanitarian Angelina Jolie, Ms Rao said she does not look like \"your typical scientist\".\n\n\"Everything I see on TV is that it's an older, usually white man as a scientist,\" she said.\n\n\"My goal has really shifted not only from creating my own devices to solve the world's problems, but inspiring others to do the same as well. Because, from personal experience, it's not easy when you don't see anyone else like you.\"\n\nMs Rao, from the US state of Colorado, said there are many issues that need to be solved.\n\n\"Our generation is facing so many problems that we've never seen before. But then at the same time we're facing old problems that still exist,\" she told Time.\n\n\"Like, we're sitting here in the middle of a new global pandemic, and we're also like still facing human-rights issues. There are problems that we did not create but that we now have to solve, like climate change and cyberbullying with the introduction of technology.\"\n\nThe Time award is just the latest accolade for Ms Rao.\n\nShe was previously named \"America's top young scientist\" for inventing a quick, low-cost test to detect lead-contaminated water.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Gitanjali Rao: 'Never be afraid to try'\n\nTime magazine began naming its Man of the Year in 1927, and later updated it to Person of the Year.\n\nLast year, Greta Thunberg, the Swedish schoolgirl who inspired a global movement to fight climate change, became the youngest person ever to be chosen by the magazine.\n\nTime said the new Kid of the Year title was a \"barometer for the rising leaders of America's youngest generation\".\n\nIt is set to announce its 2020 Person of the Year next week.", "The UK has appointed an entrepreneur as its first technology envoy to the United States and consul-general to San Francisco.\n\nJoe White has worked for 20 years in the digital sector, including as a Silicon Valley investor.\n\nIt is the first time the two roles have been combined and Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the move underlined the UK's commitment to the tech sector.\n\nMr White said it was an honour to represent the UK at a \"critical time\".\n\nThe Foreign Office said he had extensive experience as an entrepreneur and venture capital investor and most recently worked as a general partner at tech fund Entrepreneur First.\n\nHe was made an MBE in 2017 for services to technology businesses.\n\nMr Raab said: \"The UK and the US are the largest investors in each other's economies and this important appointment further underlines our commitment to the tech sector.\n\n\"I am delighted Joe will take on this enhanced role as we look to build back better and support an innovative post-pandemic global economy.\"\n\nMr White said: \"It is an honour to represent the UK at this critical time, and a pleasure to support our world renowned tech sector which continues to go from strength to strength.\n\n\"I am looking forward to working closely with UK government tech teams in the US and in the UK, to further our growing and important relationship with the US tech community.\"\n\nMr White will take up his appointment later this year and report to the British ambassador to the US.\n\nDiplomacy was once about nation talking unto nation.\n\nWell, not anymore. For power these days is held not just by countries but also by corporations - especially the technology giants in California.\n\nSo the UK has decided it needs a technology envoy to represent Britain to the likes of Apple and Amazon, Google and Facebook.\n\nOur new man in Silicon Valley, Joe White, is not a smooth-talking Foreign Office lifer but a successful technology entrepreneur.\n\nHis job will be to engage with the technology sector, spot commercial opportunities and support collaboration on everything from trade to research and development.\n\nHis biggest challenge, however, may be defending the interests of millions of Britons whose daily lives are shaped by these powerful firms and their ubiquitous products.", "The ad campaign will run on TV and radio as well as online\n\nOnline shoppers are being warned of the risks of cyber-fraud during the festive season.\n\nThe National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) - part of GCHQ - is launching a major campaign called Cyber Aware with its first ever TV ads.\n\nIt says over last year's Christmas shopping period there was an average loss of £775 per incident from online shopping fraud.\n\nThe NCSC is outlining six key things people can do to protect accounts.\n\nOnline shopping has seen significant growth this year and is likely to reach new levels at Christmas - even with High Street shops now re-open again in many areas.\n\nAnd with that comes the risk from criminals.\n\nThe NCSC is working on the campaign with the Home Office, the Cabinet Office and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and aims to help individuals and organisations to protect themselves online.\n\n\"Scammers stole millions from internet shoppers last Christmas - but by following our advice, you can protect yourself from the majority of their crimes,\" said Lindy Cameron, chief executive of the NCSC.\n\n\"We hope the Cyber Aware campaign helps people to shop confidently online and enjoy their Christmas.\"\n\nOnline shoppers will be advised to use two-factor authentication\n\nStatistics by the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau reveal that over last year's Christmas shopping period (from November 2019 to end of January 2020) there were 17,405 reports of online shopping fraud, reporting a loss of £13.5m - an average of £775 per incident, according to the NCSC.\n\nAs well as a website, there is also a television and radio advertising campaign running until Christmas Eve to advise on six essential behaviours to protect online accounts and devices.\n\n\"As we approach the Christmas season, we should all be on our guard and take the practical Cyber Aware actions to keep us safe as we work, shop and socialise online,\" Penny Mordaunt, the Paymaster General said.", "Madeleine McCann was three when she went missing in 2007\n\nScotland Yard is still treating Madeleine McCann as a missing person, the Met Commissioner has said, despite the belief of German prosecutors that she is dead.\n\nDame Cressida Dick said the force was working with German investigators but had not seen all of their evidence.\n\nMadeleine disappeared in 2007 aged three on holiday in Portugal.\n\nProsecutors previously said they have evidence a German child sex offender named as Christian B killed her.\n\nBut although Christian B, 43, was identified as a suspect in June, prosecutor Hans Christian Wolters said the evidence is not strong enough to charge him.\n\nSuspects' surnames are not usually revealed in Germany for privacy reasons.\n\nDame Cressida said that the Met's position had not changed since the summer, when the force said its investigation - Operation Grange - remained a missing person inquiry as there is no \"definitive evidence whether Madeleine is alive or dead\".\n\nShe said a small team of Met Police investigators continued to work \"very closely\" with police in Germany and Portugal.\n\n\"We will continue until the time that it is right, either because much more light has been thrown on this or somebody has been brought to justice,\" she said.\n\n\"Or if we feel we have exhausted all possible opportunities. We're not at any of those stages at the moment, and the team continues.\"\n\nDespite the close co-operation, she said she did not expect \"every single piece of material to be shared with us\".\n\n\"I'm sure they're sharing the relevant things at the relevant times with us,\" Dame Cressida said.\n\nMadeleine, from Rothley in Leicestershire, went missing from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, on 3 May 2007, shortly before her fourth birthday.\n\nOfficial records show Christian B has 17 previous convictions, including for rape and sexual abuse of children\n\nChristian B is currently serving a prison sentence for drug offences in Germany and lost an appeal last month against a further seven-year sentence for rape.\n\nHe attacked a 72-year-old American woman in 2005 in the same area from where Madeleine disappeared about 18 months later.\n\nPolice believe he was regularly living in this part of Portugal between 1997 and 2007, staying in a camper van at the time he is suspected of abducting Madeleine.", "Tommy Davies wrote a blog about his journey and spoke about it on BBC Radio 2\n\nA car enthusiast who claimed to have broken the speed record between John O'Groats and Land's End has been cleared of dangerous driving.\n\nThomas Davies, 29, allegedly completed the 841-mile journey in September 2017 in nine hours and 36 minutes, at an average speed of 89mph.\n\nMr Davies, of Corwen, north Wales, was also cleared of two counts of perverting the course of justice.\n\nHe told his trial that what happened was an \"exaggeration of real life\".\n\nTommy Davies (right) was cleared of all charges at Truro Crown Court\n\nTruro Crown Court heard Mr Davies wrote a blog about the journey for a website called Piston Heads and appeared on YouTube, in national newspapers and on the Jeremy Vine Show on Radio 2.\n\nRyan Murray, prosecuting, said Mr Davies had an ambition to travel between John O'Groats and Land's End \"quicker than anyone else had ever done before\" and that he used \"illegal methods\" to achieve his ambition.\n\nHe said the average speed to complete the 841-mile journey, including a stop for fuel, was 89mph.\n\nBut Mr Davies told the jury: \"I don't dispute a journey was made. I dispute the manner and the speed of the journey.\"\n\nHe said the prosecution's case was circumstantial and was \"wedded\" to the blog he had written being accurate - but he told the jury it was an exaggeration.\n\nHe said he accepted it was \"obvious\" that he had \"done some stupid things\", adding: \"I am not the man that I was three years ago.\"\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "A Roman figurine found near Chelmsford, Essex, in 2014, would now be classed as treasure\n\nPlans aimed at protecting newly-uncovered treasure in England and Wales have been unveiled by the government.\n\nChanges to the 1996 Treasure Act will see artefacts defined as treasure if they are of historical or cultural significance.\n\nThey are intended to ensure significant artefacts are not lost to the public and will instead be able to go on display in museums.\n\nThe move follows the growth in popularity of metal detecting.\n\nUnder the pre-existing rules, objects are classified as treasure if they are found to be more than 300 years old, made of gold or silver, or found with artefacts made of precious metals.\n\nThe Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) said a number of Roman finds on UK soil had not met the current criteria for the definition of treasure.\n\n\"The search for buried treasures by budding detectorists has become more popular than ever before and many ancient artefacts now see the light of day in museums' collections,\" said culture minister Caroline Dinenage.\n\n\"However it is important that we pursue plans to protect more of our precious history and make it easier for everyone to follow the treasure process.\"\n\nOnce they have officially been identified as treasure they become the property of the Crown and can be acquired by museums for public display.\n\nThe DCMS said the new rules would have protected discoveries like that of a Roman figurine, depicting a British person, found near Chelmsford, Essex, in 2014.\n\nThe artefact, now in the Chelmsford City Museum after an export licence delayed its sale, would not have previously met the definition of treasure because it is made from a copper alloy.\n\nThe \"licking dog\" is an example of a healing statue thought to be linked to a Roman temple at Lydney\n\n\"Although it was of outstanding archaeological importance, the dog did not fall under the definition of treasure in the 1996 Act because it was made of lead,\" the DCMS said.\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "Theatres and concert venues in Northern Ireland have not been given a date to reopen for audiences\n\nOne of Northern Ireland's leading performers has said he \"can't get my head around\" why there has not been a plan to allow venues and theatres to reopen safely.\n\nPeter Corry was giving evidence about the effect of Covid-19 restrictions on the arts to a Stormont committee.\n\nHe also said many young people were \"struggling mentally\" as arts and performance classes had been cancelled.\n\nTheatres and concert venues have not yet been given a date to reopen.\n\nAssembly members (MLAs) on the Communities Committee were also told that £29m in emergency funding for arts, culture and heritage has all been allocated.\n\nAs well as performing, Mr Corry runs a production company and is the artistic director of Belfast Performing Arts School.\n\n\"Like many, in March our diaries completely disappeared,\" he told MLAs.\n\n\"Everything that we had lined up for the year has gone.\n\n\"We are down to about 20% of what we thought we would have brought in in 2020.\"\n\nPeter Corry said imaginative ways should be found \"to open up performances\"\n\nMr Corry said he could not understand why there was not a plan to allow venues to open and performances to resume safely, even with limited capacity.\n\n\"I found it very confusing, like many people in my sector, how whenever restaurants and pubs opened, when they did open up and people were allowed to socially distance and sit beside total strangers, that wasn't applied to concerts and theatres,\" he told MLAs.\n\n\"I still can't get my head around that, especially when it was then shown that singing was no more dangerous than speaking at the same volume.\n\n\"We need the support to find imaginative ways to open up performance.\"\n\nMinisters have previously insisted that the rules on what can and cannot open are the safest way to avoid the spread of Covid-19 and are evidence-based.\n\nMr Corry also said the effect of restrictions had been \"hugely difficult\" for teachers and pupils at Belfast Performing Arts School.\n\n\"Many teachers have been utterly confused about what they can do and what they can't,\" he said.\n\n\"As a result, classes are cancelled no matter the size of the class or safety or suitability.\n\n\"That's to the detriment, not just to the livelihoods of the teachers, but also to the mental wellbeing of the students.\n\n\"I've spoken to many young people and many pupils in my school and they are struggling mentally with the uncertainty and the lack of routine, the inability to do what they enjoy most.\n\n\"For many young people, performing is the one place they feel they belong.\"\n\nMr Corry said online lessons worked \"to a certain extent\" but could not replace physical classes.\n\n\"I'm concerned that we are at a point where pupils are starting to disengage due to the lack of physical classes.\n\n\"Parents are also concerned about the amount of time their children are spending in front of a screen.\"\n\nAbout £29m of emergency funding for the arts, culture, heritage and languages was agreed by the Stormont executive in September.\n\nOfficials from the Department for Communities (DfC) told MLAs on the committee that all of that funding had now been allocated to a number of schemes but not all had yet been spent.\n\n\"It is important to say that all of the funding has been allocated to distribution bodies,\" Joanna Gray from DfC told the committee.\n\n\"So there isn't any funding that is still sitting around waiting to have approvals or policy decisions made about it.\n\n\"It's just a case now of those delivery bodies making assessments of applications.\"", "This phonetic alphabet used for decades is to be changed\n\nGermany is to revamp its phonetic alphabet to remove words added by the Nazis.\n\nBefore the Nazi dictatorship some Jewish names were used in the phonetic alphabet - such as \"D for David\", \"N for Nathan\" and \"Z for Zacharias\".\n\nBut the Nazis replaced these with Dora, North Pole and Zeppelin, and their use has since continued with most Germans unaware of their anti-Semitic origin.\n\nExperts are working on new terms, to be put to the public and adopted in 2022.\n\nThe initiative sprang from Michael Blume, in charge of fighting anti-Semitism in the state of Baden-Württemberg, backed by the Central Council of Jews in Germany.\n\nThe job of devising new terms for the problematic letters is now in the hands of the German Institute for Standardization (DIN).\n\nThe commonly-used equivalent in the UK is the Nato phonetic alphabet, with terms such as \"F for Foxtrot, T for Tango\". But many English speakers also use terms like \"D for Dennis, S for Sugar\" on the phone.\n\nIn order to preserve the memory of the anti-Semitic list, it will be presented as an annex to the new list to be put to a public consultation next year. After that discussion, the new German list is to be adopted in late 2022.\n\nDIN spokesman Julian Pinnig said choosing new personal names would be more problematic than German town or city names, because the choice of personal names might not reflect the nation's ethnic diversity today.\n\nOther Jewish names removed by the Nazis in 1934 were \"Jacob\" for the letter \"J\" and \"Samuel\" for \"S\", which became \"Julius\" and \"Siegfried\".\n\nA few Nazi references were, however, replaced after World War Two, such as \"Ypres\" for \"Y\", which became \"Ypsilon\" - originally representing the Greek letter pronounced \"U\" and later the Latin letter \"Y\". Ypres was notoriously the battle where the Germans first used poison gas in World War One.\n\n\"Nordpol\" (North Pole) retains echoes of Nazism, however. Adolf Hitler's ideology rested on the bogus superiority of a mythical northern Aryan race.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.", "Former US presidents Barack Obama, George W Bush and Bill Clinton have volunteered to have their Covid-19 vaccinations be publicly televised.\n\nThe trio of two Democrats and one Republican said they would get the jab once it has been approved by regulators and recommended by US health officials.\n\nThe move is intended to boost public confidence in the safety and efficacy of coronavirus vaccines.\n\nPolls indicate large swathes of the US public are reluctant to get the jab.\n\nA Gallup poll - conducted in October before the results of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccine trials were released - showed roughly six in 10 Americans would be willing to take the vaccine, up from a low of 50% in September.\n\nNo vaccination has yet been approved in the US, but government regulators will be examining Pfizer and Moderna's vaccines in the coming weeks.\n\n\"I promise you that when it's been made for people who are less at risk, I will be taking it,\" Mr Obama said in a SiriusXM radio interview on Wednesday.\n\n\"I may end up taking it on TV or having it filmed, just so that people know that I trust this science, and what I don't trust is getting Covid.\"\n\nRepresentatives for Mr Bush and Mr Clinton told CNN that the former presidents - who have banded together in the past - pledged to take the vaccine \"as soon as available\" to them and urged all Americans to do the same.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Not everyone is a fan of injections\n\nPublic health experts have said mass inoculation against the virus could result in herd immunity, an essential step in curbing the spread of the disease.\n\nThe public vaccinations may play into a broader awareness campaign once a vaccine is formally approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.\n\nIn the UK - where the Pfizer vaccine has already been approved - the press secretary to Prime Minister Boris Johnson has suggested he may take the vaccine live on TV to convince others to get it too.", "Talks to reach a post-Brexit trade deal have been paused, because UK and EU negotiators say \"significant divergences\" remain.\n\nMichel Barnier and David Frost said conditions for a deal between the two sides have not been met.\n\nEuropean Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen and PM Boris Johnson will discuss the state of play on Saturday.\n\nState aid subsidies, fishing and enforcement of new rules remain the key sticking points in negotiations.\n\nIf a deal is not agreed by 31 December, the two sides will trade on World Trade Organization rules, meaning the introduction of taxes on imports.\n\nReleasing identical statements on Twitter, Mr Barnier and Lord Frost said: \"After one week of intense negotiation in London, the two chief negotiators agreed today that the conditions for an agreement are not met, due to significant divergences on level playing field, governance and fisheries.\n\n\"On this basis, they agreed to pause the talks in order to brief their principals on the state of play of the negotiations.\"\n\nMr Barnier is negotiating on behalf of the 27 EU member states and can only act within the mandate set by their leaders.\n\nA senior UK government source told BBC News the statement shows how far apart both sides are and that the trade talks have run into problems.\n\nEarlier, Boris Johnson's spokesman said the government was \"committed to working hard to try and reach agreement\" but emphasised that the UK couldn't \"agree a deal that doesn't allow us to take back control\".\n\nHe added that \"time is in very short supply and we are at a very difficult point in talks\".\n\nThe Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin said it was important for the 27 EU member states to give negotiators \"the space to conclude these talks\". He added that he \"fervently hoped\" a trade deal can be agreed.\n\nMeanwhile, France's Europe minister, Clement Beaune, warned that his country could \"veto\" a deal if it did not satisfy their demands.\n\nThe European Parliament would need to ratify any deal before it can be implemented and UK MPs are likely to get the chance to vote on legislation implementing the agreement.\n\nAnd the 27 EU national parliaments could also need to ratify an agreement - depending on the actual contents of the deal.", "Frequent flyers John (l) and Tim Granger (r) are delighted with their purchases\n\nThey flew off shelves: slippers, cups and saucers, blankets and bedding, towels, even drinks trolleys.\n\nBritish Airways' online sale of thousands of surplus stock not needed for its aircraft caused a stampede of buying from aviation enthusiasts and bargain-hunters.\n\nIn the first 24 hours, 5,000 purchases were made, with the website getting 250,000 page views. In the first four days, 1,900 six-packs of bread baskets were snapped up.\n\nMeal trolleys were among the first to sell out. Items from the now-retired Boeing 747s in BA's aircraft fleet were in big demand.\n\nTrouble is, the sell-off seems to have been so popular it risks becoming a PR headache.\n\nWhile there are plenty of satisfied customers, there are also plenty of dissatisfied ones - just check Twitter, Trustpilot and the frequent flyer website Head for Points, where buyers are venting annoyance about broken and missing items, non-deliveries and lack of responses from BA and the company it used to handle the sale, Whatabuy.\n\n\"Such an unnecessary own goal,\" said Nick Hadjinikos, whose girlfriend is still waiting for her plates and bread baskets.\n\nThe director at communications consultancy Kallinos said: \"During the ordering process, the site kept crashing after payment information had been submitted. This was the big worry, so I put in a couple of emails to Whatabuy and never heard back.\n\n\"Then I took to Twitter and found we were not alone. BA should have spotted the problem and headed it off. I think most of the stuff was snapped up by hawks and ended up on eBay.\"\n\nMeal-equipment boxes from Boeing 747 aircraft were in the sale\n\nAnother buyer, Simon Saunders, told the BBC: \"The whole thing is a shambles. Whatabuy replied to my third email and simply said, 'You will get your stuff in due course.'\"\n\nComments on the Head for Points website include:\n\nWhatabuy did not respond to BBC requests for comment. But in an email to a customer complaining about their order, the company said it had seen \"an unprecedented level of demand\" and processing was taking longer than usual. There had also been IT issues, Whatabuy said.\n\nHead for Points' Rhys Jones said complaints to his website revealed obvious problems with the sale, but he still believes the majority of his readers seem delighted with their purchases.\n\nRhys Jones, from Head for Points, says that despite criticism of BA, most of his website's readers are happy\n\n\"This sale seems to have captured the imagination of travel enthusiasts. It offers them a chance to get hold of some authentic BA memorabilia,\" Mr Jones said.\n\nThat's why John Granger bought some mugs, plates and a blanket - a gift for partner Tim. \"It was curiosity and nostalgia. We love flying so much but have not been able to travel during the pandemic. It's a reminder of our travels.\n\n\"The crockery is actually high-quality bone china [designed by William Edwards].\" He paid £44.70 (including P&P) for the lot. \"That's remarkable value. I'm not sure why BA was selling them so cheap.\"\n\nKirill Maksaev and partner Alexander Smotrov bought £100 worth of BA crockery and would have purchased a lot more, had they been quicker off the mark. They haven't got the items yet, but are not concerned. \"It's fine. We can wait. We've had the confirmation email,\" said Kirill.\n\nKirill Maksaev (r) and Alex Smotrov (l) with some of their air travel memorabilia\n\nThe purchases will be part of the mini-museum Alex has set up in his home - boarding passes, amenity bags, napkins, crockery and branded goods marking his years of air travel. \"We are plane spotters: we are passionate about aviation,\" Kirill said.\n\nBA said it had expected a huge amount of interest from aviation fans, bargain hunters and people looking for \"unique\" Christmas gifts.\n\n\"But of course, no one could have predicted quite how popular it would be and how quickly items would sell out,\" the airline told the BBC.\n\n\"We are working hard to ensure all customers receive their orders as quickly as possible and in time for Christmas. We're in touch with those who may not have received their items yet to reassure them they're on their way.\"\n\nAnd the airline promised refunds \"for any items that are not in the condition advertised on the site\".\n\nWould BA do it again? \"We'll consider our options once we've reviewed the success of the scheme and any learnings,\" the airline said.", "Shukri Yahye-Abdi came to the UK in 2017\n\nThe death of a 12-year-old refugee girl who drowned in a river was an accident, a coroner has ruled.\n\nShukri Yahye-Abdi, who came to the UK in 2017, died after entering the River Irwell in Bury on 27 June 2019 while holding hands with another child, who cannot be named for legal reasons.\n\nCoroner Joanne Kearsley said there was \"no evidence whatsoever\" to suggest that Shukri was pushed into the river.\n\nShe added that claims Shukri had been bullied were \"totally incorrect\".\n\nShukri's mother Zam Zam Ture said the verdict had not brought \"justice\" for her daughter.\n\nFollowing the inquest, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said it did not find evidence to indicate Shukri's family were treated less favourably by police because of their ethnic background.\n\nShukri's family had claimed she had been pushed into the water by girls who had been bullying her.\n\nHer school later said it would review its anti-bullying policy amid concerns raised in the community.\n\nMs Kearlsey said there was no evidence of racist bullying by other children and such claims were \"simply rumours and unhelpful speculation\".\n\nShe said Shukri had gone into the river while holding hands with Child One and moved into deeper water after the 12-year-old was told she would be taught to swim.\n\nShe said Child One had been \"naive and foolish\" but what she did did not amount to manslaughter.\n\nShukri's mother Zam Zam Ture said she felt \"so bad\" about the verdict\n\nShukri's family's lawyer said they would seek a judicial review of the inquest's findings.\n\nMs Ture said she felt \"so bad today\" as she had waited a \"long time for justice\".\n\n\"I know what happened to my daughter. I know today I don't have justice, but the justice is coming,\" she added.\n\nShe had previously claimed institutional racism within Greater Manchester Police (GMP) meant officers failed to carry out a full investigation into her daughter's death.\n\nThe IOPC said there was \"insufficient evidence on which a case to answer for misconduct or gross misconduct for any of the individual officers could be found\".\n\n\"Therefore the complaints against GMP are not upheld,\" an IOPC spokeswoman said.\n\nThe IOPC's final report said GMP officers had reached the river within three minutes of receiving the report about Shukri being in trouble and taken witness accounts \"almost immediately\".\n\nIt said officers had visited the 12-year-old's school the following day and \"added relevant information concerning bullying to their investigation\".\n\nIt added that GMP had \"promptly brought in translation services\" and a family liaison officer had communicated with Shukri's family throughout.\n\nIOPC Regional Director Amanda Rowe said the complaints received following the 12-year-old's death \"were treated with the upmost seriousness and very carefully assessed against the evidence available to us\".\n\n\"I am satisfied that [GMP's investigation] was carried out in line with national and local policies and procedures,\" she said.\n\nShe added that while \"nothing we can do or say will bring Shukri back\", she hoped the IOPC's work could give her family \"the clarity and facts they had rightly sought\".\n\nIn the aftermath of the 12-year-old's death, more than a million people signed a petition about the case, calling for \"justice for Shukri\" and thousands of people attended events marking the anniversary of her death.\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Williamson: 'We are a much better country' for approving vaccine\n\nThe UK is getting a coronavirus vaccine first because it is a \"much better country\" than France, Belgium and the US, says the education secretary.\n\nSome UK ministers claim Brexit speeded the process up - but Gavin Williamson said it was down to having superior medical experts.\n\nOn Wednesday the UK's medical regulator was the first to approve the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine for use.\n\nThe EU said it was \"definitely not in the game of comparing regulators\".\n\nA source close to Mr Williamson said that his intention had been to \"praise the scientific brilliance of the regulator, but he is known to be enthusiastically patriotic and that enthusiasm clearly shone through in what was a broadly light-hearted conversation with the studio host\".\n\nThe Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency's decision means the vaccine will start to be rolled out to the most vulnerable people from next week.\n\nPeople will need two doses, three weeks apart, so the vaccination project is expected to take several months to complete.\n\nSpeaking to LBC radio on Thursday, Mr Williamson said: \"I just reckon we've got the very best people in this country and we've obviously got the best medical regulator, much better than the French have, much better than the Belgians have, much better than the Americans have.\n\n\"That doesn't surprise me at all, because we're a much better country than every single one of them.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. BBC's Laura Foster explains the order in which the Covid vaccine will be given\n\nHe said the UK had a \"real competitive advantage, but do you know who it's down to? It's down to those brilliant, brilliant clinicians in the regulator who've made it happen so fast, so our thanks go out to them because by doing what they've done, they're going to have saved lives.\"\n\nBut European Commission spokesman Eric Mamer said the MHRA's experts are \"very good\" but \"we are definitely not in the game of comparing regulators across countries, nor on commenting on claims as to who is better\".\n\n\"This is not a football competition, we are talking about the life and health of people,\" he said.\n\nConservative peer Lord Forsyth said it was \"disappointing to see some folk trying to make political capital out of the brilliant vaccine news\".\n\n\"Frankly it's just unseemly and we should just be united in our thanks to those responsible for this breakthrough and the hope it brings to every person on the planet,\" the former Scotland Secretary wrote in a tweet.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Michael Forsyth This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nAnd some have expressed concern that the UK approved the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine too quickly.\n\nDr Anthony Fauci, who is leading the response to the pandemic in the US, told Fox News that the US Food and Drug Administration was being more careful. and suggested the UK's process had been \"rushed\".\n\n\"The way the FDA is, our FDA is doing it, is the correct way,\" Dr Fauci said. \"We really scrutinize the data very carefully to guarantee to the American public that this is a safe and efficacious vaccine.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Dr Fauci told the BBC: \"I have a great deal of confidence in what the UK does both scientifically and from a regulator standpoint\"\n\nBut he later rowed back on his claims, saying he had a \"great deal of confidence\" in the UK's scientific and regulatory standards and he had not meant to \"imply any sloppiness even though it came out that way\".\n\n\"Our process is one that takes more time than it takes in the UK,\" he told the BBC. \"And that's just the reality.\"\n\nBoth the MHRA and the EU have rejected Health Secretary Matt Hancock's claim that Brexit allowed the UK to \"speed up\" doing \"all the same safety checks and the same processes\" as the EU.\n\nThe MHRA's chief executive, Dr June Raine, said on Wednesday that \"we have been able to authorise the supply of this vaccine using provisions under European law, which exist until 1 January\".", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Covid: 'People living alone won't be left alone'\n\nThe first people to get the coronavirus vaccine in Wales will get the jab on Tuesday, First Minister Mark Drakeford has said.\n\nThe Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine was approved by regulators on Wednesday and supplies have already started to arrive in the UK.\n\nFront-line NHS staff and the over 80s are at the top of the list for the vaccine.\n\nCare home residents are also among those identified as a priority.\n\nIt comes as new rules stopping pubs, restaurants and cafes serving alcohol on the premises come into force at 18:00 GMT on Friday.\n\nMeanwhile, the first minister confirmed a single person, single parent or someone with caring responsibilities can join a bubble at Christmas.\n\nBetween 23 and 27 December, three households from around the UK can join together and the single person would be in addition to those.\n\nWales' chief medical officer Frank Atherton previously said getting the vaccines to care homes was a \"work in progress\" and \"very difficult\" to do because it needs to be kept at a temperature of about -70C.\n\nSpeaking at the Welsh Government's briefing, Mr Drakeford said: \"Our plans in Wales have been thoroughly tested.\n\n\"We expect to receive the first supplies in the next couple of days.\n\n\"We have trained staff to give the new vaccine.\"\n\nThe first minister said a \"precautionary approach\" would be taken\n\nHe said he hoped it would mark \"a turning point in the pandemic\" and \"put us on what is going to be a long path back to normality\".\n\nHowever, he did say his government will take a \"precautionary approach\" to lifting Covid-19 restrictions \"until we have a sufficient number of people vaccinated\".\n\n\"Even with the vaccines that are coming our way fastest, you have to have two doses of them three weeks apart, and they are not effective until after the second dose,\" Mr Drakeford said.\n\n\"So even those people who will be vaccinated in Wales in December will not see the benefit of that vaccine until into the new year.\"\n\nWelsh Conservative leader in the Senedd Paul Davies called for Mr Drakeford to appoint a vaccines minister to ensure the process went smoothly.\n\nThe vaccine was \"giving people hope at the end of a very dark tunnel\", he said.\n\nMr Davies added: \"What's important now is that we see the roll out of the vaccine will take place as soon as possible and that's why I think it's important that the Welsh Government have a specific minister responsible for the rollout of this vaccine, making sure this vaccine now rolls out across Wales over the next few months.\"", "A decision to scrap next summer's exams was made in Wales last month\n\nThe man responsible for working out the details of next year's exam assessments in Wales says he hopes pupils and teachers will get clarity by January.\n\nFormer head teacher Geraint Rees said his group's ambition is to deliver both fairness to students and qualifications which \"stand the test of time\".\n\nGCSE, A-level and AS exams will be replaced by assessments in 2021 due to Covid-19 disruption.\n\nMr Rees said the qualifications must be \"worth what they say on the tin\".\n\nThe senior education consultant is chair of the design and delivery group, tasked by the Welsh Government with working out details of the assessments.\n\nEducation Minister Kirsty Williams decided last month to scrap exams in 2021 because of fears there would not be a level playing field due to the pandemic.\n\nSchool heads and college principals are also part of the 15-strong group, aimed at making sure there is both fair deal for students but also integrity in the qualifications themselves.\n\nMr Rees, a former head teacher of Ysgol Plasmawr in Cardiff, said students needed to know their qualifications were \"worth what it said on the tin and that I worked hard for it.\"\n\nHe said some adjustments would be made to reflect the disruption but the core of each subject had to remain and pupils needed to learn and understand them.\n\nKeep learning and keep driving yourself forward and it's everyone else's job to make sure the system is fair and reflects the circumstances we're in\n\nThe eventual assessments will be \"copper-bottomed\" ones that can be signed off by Qualifications Wales and everybody in the system could say they knew what they were doing and \"what we did was right for learners and what they receive in the summer will stand the test of time\".\n\nHe expects the group to pass its recommendations to the education minister by the end of the month.\n\n\"My hope is in January, everyone will have clarity around what it means for them and what the next few months will look like in terms of teaching, learning and assessment,\" said Mr Rees.\n\n\"For young people, the only advice I'd give is keep learning and keep driving yourself forward and it's everyone else's job to make sure the system is fair and reflects the circumstances we're in.\"\n\nIn England, extra measures were announced on Thursday to \"boost fairness and support students\" for next summer's GCSE and A-level exams, which are going ahead there.\n\nMore generous grading, advance notice of exam topics and \"second chance\" exams in July have been promised there to make up for the disruption faced by students during the pandemic.\n\nCancelling exams answered one big question but it posed many others.\n\nThey include: What exactly is meant by \"teacher-managed classroom-based assessments\" and what else will count towards grades?\n\nOver to the design and delivery advisory group with the big task of building a detailed model before Christmas.\n\nHow courses will be assessed is one thing, how the A*s, Cs, and Es compare with this and other years is another.\n\nIn England, where exams are still planned for next year, grades are set to be awarded in line with last summer.\n\nHow grading is decided here is bound to take account of that.\n\nQualifications Wales said it was continuing to \"work closely\" with regulators in England and Northern Ireland to protect \"the interests of learners in Wales\".\n\nFormer university vice-chancellor and higher education consultant Sir Deian Hopkin said he did not feel any differences between the nations would harm students' chances at university.\n\n\"I am under no doubt at all that universities are going to accept students from Wales just as they always have,\" he said.\n\n\"The reality is students come in all shapes and sizes and universities make all sorts of offers, sometimes with no conditions attached at all.\n\n\"Universities are competing for students. The student numbers have dropped and Brexit is about to hit us.\n\n\"The reality is universities are very glad to get as many students as they can and therefore I think Welsh students will be just as attractive to them - exam or not.\"", "Last updated on .From the section Premier League\n\nA rejuvenated Arsenal recorded an important victory over Chelsea to end their seven-game run without a win in the Premier League and ease the pressure on boss Mikel Arteta.\n\nTwo first-half goals set the platform for the Gunners' first top-flight win since 1 November.\n\nAlexandre Lacazette sent goalkeeper Edouard Mendy the wrong way from the penalty spot and Granit Xhaka curled in a superb free-kick 10 minutes later to put Arteta's side in control.\n\nBukayo Saka's cross then dropped into the top corner early in the second half to put the game beyond the visitors.\n\nTammy Abraham scored from close range to make it a nervy final five minutes for the hosts and Jorginho then saw his weak penalty saved by Bernd Leno.\n\nBut it was an otherwise lacklustre performance by Frank Lampard's side, who missed the chance to go second.\n\nIt was a well-deserved victory for Arsenal, who climb to 14th and will hope any talk of a relegation battle is now behind them.\n• None Premier League Christmas fixtures: How to follow on TV\n\nIt has been an arduous couple of months between Premier League wins for Arsenal boss Arteta but, on the first anniversary of his first game in charge of the Gunners, his side delivered arguably one of the most important victories of the Spaniard's tenure.\n\nFive months ago, Arsenal and Arteta were celebrating winning the FA Cup against their London rivals, only to watch the title-chasing Blues invest £200m on new players while the Gunners spent Christmas in their lowest league position since 1982.\n\nArteta made six changes to the side beaten by Everton last time out in the league and trusted in youth with 19-year-old pair Saka and Gabriel Martinelli and 20-year-old Emile Smith Rowe.\n\nHe was rewarded with renewed energy and, despite there appearing to be minimal contact when Reece James fouled Kieran Tierney in the box, Lacazette made no mistake from the spot to deservedly put the hosts in front.\n\nXhaka, back in the side following suspension, found the top corner with his free-kick soon after and when Saka's attempted cross dropped over Chelsea goalkeeper Mendy into the net, Arteta must have felt his luck was changing.\n\nMartinelli forced Mendy into a low save after a smart move down Arsenal's left and the Blues stopper was relieved when Lacazette failed to capitalise on his mistake.\n\nMohamed Elneny struck the bar as Arsenal threatened to add to their tally before Chelsea's late reprieve, but the Gunners held on for a first win in the Premier League since they beat Manchester United at Old Trafford almost two months ago.\n\nNew West Brom boss Sam Allardyce suggested the Gunners are one of their relegation rivals this week but Arteta will hope this victory proves the catalyst to propel them up the table.\n\nLampard said beforehand he did not want to let Arsenal off this \"moment\" and will be furious that his Chelsea side did exactly that.\n\nMason Mount hit the post with a free-kick after the dangerous Christian Pulisic was fouled, but the Blues otherwise struggled to break Arsenal down in the first half.\n\nOne of the concerns for Lampard will be Timo Werner's failure to score in his past 10 games in all competitions, his longest run without a goal for four years.\n\nThe German forward was taken off at half-time as Lampard brought on Jorginho and Callum Hudson-Odoi in a bid to inject some life into his side, but Arsenal's third goal 10 minutes into the second half quashed any hopes of a comeback.\n\nIt was only in the final few minutes that Chelsea really threatened, though Abraham's chested effort was initially ruled out for offside before being awarded by the video assistant referee.\n\nHad Jorginho netted from the spot moments later it may have been different, but Chelsea will head back across London disappointed with their performance at Emirates Stadium.\n\n'This was a big day for us'\n\nArsenal boss Mikel Arteta told BBC Sport: \"The result is the main thing, we really needed that win. We have been unlucky and frustrated with our results in the last eight weeks so this was a big day for us.\n\n\"From the first whistle you could see the team had the energy and willingness to come out and win the game.\n\n\"The spirit before the game was really positive, they really wanted it. I am pleased for the players and for the supporters, We have let them down for many weeks so it was a good day to give them something to cheer about.\"\n\nChelsea boss Frank Lampard told BBC Sport: \"In the second half we showed some urgency but it was too late. The first half we gave ourselves too much to do, we were very poor. You can't lack energy and desire in the Premier League and we did.\n\n\"You can prepare as well as you want but if you turn up like that that's another thing. It's in the mind.\n\n\"If you perform below par things go against you like the Saka goal. That's life. On another day we could have scored the penalty and come back but it's not a day for us.\n\n\"The teams that win, win, win relentlessly weren't winning two or three years ago. We are not there yet, that's clear. I felt it when we are on our long unbeaten run and I feel it now. We got a lot wrong today.\"\n\nLacazette leads the way - the stats\n• None Arsenal have won their past 10 home Premier League matches on 26 December, the second-best run in the competition after Manchester United won 12 in a row between 1997 and 2016.\n• None Arsenal recorded their first win in eight Premier League matches, and their first at the Emirates since a 2-1 win over Sheffield United in October.\n• None Chelsea have lost their past three away games in the Premier League, their worst run since February 2019.\n• None Arsenal netted more than once during the first half of a Premier League game for the first time this season, leading by at least two goals at the interval for the first time since a 3-2 victory over Watford in July.\n• None Since the start of last season, Tammy Abraham (21) has scored more than twice as many Premier League goals for Chelsea than any of his team-mates.\n• None No Premier League player has scored the opening goal of the game on more occasions this season than Arsenal striker Alexandre Lacazette, who has netted four of the Gunners' six such goals.\n• None After netting each of his first eight penalties for Chelsea in all competitions, Jorginho has since missed three of his past six for the club, also failing to do so against Liverpool in September and Krasnodar in October.\n\nChelsea host Aston Villa in the Premier League on Monday (17:30 GMT), before Arsenal visit Brighton on Tuesday (18:00).\n• None Attempt blocked. Kurt Zouma (Chelsea) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Christian Pulisic with a cross.\n• None Attempt blocked. Callum Hudson-Odoi (Chelsea) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Jorginho.\n• None Attempt saved. Christian Pulisic (Chelsea) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Reece James.\n• None Penalty saved! Jorginho (Chelsea) fails to capitalise on this great opportunity, right footed shot saved in the bottom right corner.\n• None Penalty conceded by Pablo Marí (Arsenal) after a foul in the penalty area.\n• None Attempt missed. Thiago Silva (Chelsea) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Christian Pulisic with a cross.\n• None Goal! Arsenal 3, Chelsea 1. Tammy Abraham (Chelsea) with an attempt from very close range to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Callum Hudson-Odoi.Goal awarded following VAR Review. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page\n• None Follow the footballer's campaign for free school meals\n• None Need a new box set for the festive period? All episodes of the epic fantasy drama are streaming now", "Anastasia Yeschchenko was described as a brilliant student\n\nA Russian historian who admitted shooting and dismembering his student partner in St Petersburg has been jailed for 12 and a half years.\n\nOleg Sokolov, 63, an expert on the Napoleonic wars, pleaded guilty to the murder of Anastasia Yeshchenko, 24.\n\nHe was found drunk in a river in November 2019 with Ms Yeshchenko's severed arms in his backpack.\n\nWomen's rights activists say the case shows indifference towards harassment and domestic violence in Russia.\n\nAn online petition with more than 7,500 signatures accused St Petersburg State University of ignoring previous complaints from students against Sokolov.\n\nHe has now been dismissed from the university and from another academic post in France.\n\nIn court Sokolov admitted shooting Ms Yeshchenko four times with a sawn-off shotgun, before chopping up her body with a saw and kitchen knife. A stun pistol was also found in the backpack.\n\nPolice later found other body parts further downstream and in Sokolov's flat.\n\nHe is said to have planned to get rid of the body before publicly taking his own life while dressed as Napoleon.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Oleg Sokolov broke down in court and confessed to the killing\n\nMs Yeshchenko had moved to St Petersburg to study from Krasnodar region in southern Russia, and was a postgraduate student at the time of her death.\n\n\"She was quiet, sweet and always the ideal student,\" an acquaintance told Russia's RIA news agency in November 2019.\n\nRussian media reported that her mother is a police lieutenant colonel and her father a school PE teacher. A brother once played as a goalkeeper for the national junior football team.\n\nA lawyer for the Yeshchenko family, Alexandra Baksheeva, said \"no jail term would bring [her] back\" but that they accepted the court's decision.\n\nSokolov had been living with Ms Yeshchenko for at least three years. He organised Napoleonic re-enactments - in which he played the part of Napoleon and she also took part.\n\nHe wrote dozens of historical research papers, some of them co-authored with Ms Yeshchenko.\n\nAccording to students quoted by AFP, Sokolov enjoyed speaking French and did impressions of Napoleon. They said he called Ms Yeshchenko \"Josephine\", after Napoleon's consort, and asked to be addressed as \"Sire\".\n\nIn court Sokolov alleged that Ms Yeshchenko had attacked him with a knife during a blazing row. It was then that he shot her.\n\nRussian media say he also blamed persecution by an academic rival for his actions.", "The Queen will not be making her annual trip to Sandringham this Christmas\n\nFor the past 32 years the Queen and other members of the Royal Family have spent Christmas at her estate in Sandringham, Norfolk. But this year, because of the coronavirus, the Queen has chosen instead to celebrate \"quietly\" at Windsor Palace. What will this mean for the Christmas regulars who gather at Sandringham?\n\nThis snap of the Royals in 2017 provided Karen Anvil with an income to carry out home renovations and help her daughter\n\nKaren Anvil and her daughter Rachel are regular Christmas Day visitors to church in Sandringham.\n\nMs Anvil shot to fame three years ago after her mobile telephone snap of the 'Fab Four' - The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Sussex - was bought by agencies and used worldwide. She describes the money she made from it as being \"like a lottery win\".\n\nKaren Anvil, with her daughter Rachel, captured images of the Royal Family used around the world\n\nHer good fortune was repeated in 2018 when she took and sold a photo of a pregnant Meghan.\n\n\"I would have liked to have gone this year but would probably have just got pictures of them in their face masks,\" says Ms Anvil.\n\nBut she admits seeing the Royal Family at Sandringham this year would have brought some much needed \"normality\" to her life.\n\nMs Anvil works as a nursing auxiliary at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge, where her daughter is also employed.\n\nShe says they might volunteer to work Christmas Day instead.\n\nSuper Royalist Mary Relph has spoken regularly with the Queen over the decades\n\nMary Relph, from Shouldham in Norfolk, is one of those Royal fans who gets her Christmas Day started by joining the throngs hoping to catch a glimpse, a wave or a chat with the Queen and members of her family.\n\nShe is known to the Queen by her first name, which, for someone who is not an aristocrat, politician or celebrity, is no mean feat.\n\nMrs Relph has been turning out each year to greet Her Majesty on Christmas morning since 1988.\n\n\"Ooh it's one of the biggest events Norfolk ever has, isn't it?\" she says.\n\nShe is disappointed by the cancellation of this year's gathering, but thinks the Queen has set an example to others by not going to Sandringham.\n\n\"I wasn't expecting them to come, not really, not after all the trouble with the [Covid-19] virus,\" says Mrs Relph.\n\n\"I think she's wise. I think we sort of knew with events she wouldn't come.\"\n\nFor her Sandringham visits, Mrs Relph is usually accompanied either by a friend from Dereham or with a Glaswegian friend she made one year amongst the crowd.\n\nShe says she normally gets her own \"spot\" from which she can watch and speak to members of the Royal Family.\n\n\"I'm one of the chosen few, I think, because I've been going for so many years,\" she says. \"I don't have to stand and queue at the gates like I used to. It's wonderful.\n\n\"We spoke to Kate last year and we always ask her about the children and what they're doing.\"\n\nPrincess Beatrice and Eugenie usually spend Christmas with the Queen\n\nPeter Gray, 61, and his wife Stella, 60, live on the Sandringham estate in the hamlet of Babingley.\n\nTurning out to watch the Royals has been part of their Christmas morning routine for the past eight years.\n\n\"It just makes our Christmas,\" says Mrs Gray. \"It's a good start to the day. We're up there by 07:00 GMT, take a flask, mince pies, sometimes brandy!\"\n\nHer husband Peter is a keen photographer and loves snapping the Royal Family.\n\nHe says his relatives in Australia wait for him to post his photos online.\n\n\"The rest of the family are going to be disappointed not to get my Royal photos this year,\" says Mr Gray.\n\n\"We get there and start queuing, start talking to people from all around the world. It's not just about seeing the royals, it's about the people from China, Canada, Australia and the US too.\n\n\"We stand by the same place each year to ensure a good spot, by the gate, as they come through. They don't normally talk to you heading into church but they do afterwards.\"\n\nPeter Gray captured the Duchess of Cornwall at a previous service\n\nPrince Philip and Prince Andrew among the crowds at Sandringham\n\nMrs Gray says she has been a royal fan \"forever\".\n\n\"I've spoken to Camilla, she's come up and said 'Merry Christmas'. Prince William has come up and said 'hello', too,\" she says.\n\n\"Prince Andrew has come up and been err, 'what are you all doing here? You should be at home'. He's quite abrupt!\n\n\"I don't think he understands why we're all out there in the freezing cold wanting to look round and see him, but we enjoy it.\"\n\nShe says things will be \"different\" this year, and a \"bit strange\".\n\n\"I suppose there are people for whom the day is their whole lives,\" she says. \"It's certainly a big part of our Christmas Day. But we're realists and it is what it is.\n\nUp to 5,000 people turn out to greet the Royal Family every Christmas Day at Sandringham\n\nAlso wondering how he will fill his Christmas morning is hair salon owner Tom Tokelove, 31, who lives in Dersingham, Norfolk, with his husband Ashley.\n\nThe couple and their three poodles have spent the past four Christmases \"freezing\" outside St Mary Magdalene Church.\n\n\"Why? It's such a magical morning,\" says Tom Tokelove. \"Everybody is happy.\n\n\"Even if you're not a massive royalist, it brings everyone together and it's just some way of keeping some sort of tradition.\"\n\nThe couple start the day with a glass of champagne before walking the 20 minutes to the estate.\n\n\"Last year we left at seven in the morning just to make sure we got there in the front of the queue,\" he says.\n\n\"We really, really wanted to see Kate and Wills. Kate said 'good morning' to myself as she glided by, looking very elegant with the children, too.\n\n\"And Charles waved and said 'Merry Christmas'.\"\n\nTom Tokelove caught the Royals including Prince George walking from church to Sandringham House last Christmas\n\nThe Tokeloves usually only stop to watch the Royal Family head into church.\n\nBut last year they stayed on and joined in with the carols as the service was broadcast to those outside.\n\n\"It will be a much different dog walk this year - obviously there'll be no Royals about to celebrate with,\" says Mr Tokelove.\n\n\"[We'll] probably drink much more champagne in the morning and have a more relaxed day.\"\n\nAshley and Tom Tokelove (right) say they will miss their annual walk to Sandringham\n\nThe Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are among those who turn out to greet the public\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Parts of the UK have woken up to snowy scenes, with a \"white Christmas\" officially declared by the Met Office.\n\nSnowfall was spotted from Suffolk and Cambridgeshire to East Riding of Yorkshire and Northumberland.\n\nMost of the country will have clear and dry weather for Christmas Day but eastern parts of England have seen a light scattering of snow.\n\nIt came as more than 1,300 people were urged to leave their homes amid flooding in Bedfordshire.\n\n\"We've just had official confirmation that this Christmas is a white one!\" the Met Office tweeted just before 06:00 GMT.\n\nA family took the sledge for a spin near Hexham in Northumberland\n\nMany woke up to a frost covering their cars, streets and gardens on Christmas morning.\n\nAn early morning dusting of snow spotted in County Durham\n\nIt doesn't have to be deep and crisp and even to count as a white Christmas. Pictures from Richmond in North Yorkshire and Skidby in the East Riding of Yorkshire\n\nIn some places, a scattering of snow had settled overnight.\n\nAndy Brunning took a selfie with the \"sprinkling of snow\" in Ely, Cambridgeshire\n\nThe Met Office said most areas would see a dry and cold day, but there was a chance of more snow showers across eastern parts of England.\n\nSnow dusted cars in Hessle in East Yorkshire on Christmas morning\n\nElsewhere in the UK, people have been dealing with the fallout from heavy rain that led to flooding.\n\nHomes have been evacuated and a leisure centre shut after flooding in Suffolk.\n\nPolice in Northamptonshire said the emergency services evacuated more than 1,000 people from the Billing Aquadrome holiday park on Thursday night and water had reached up to 5ft deep in some places.\n\nSouth Wales Fire and Rescue Service dealt with 500 calls in a matter of hours between Wednesday night and Thursday morning.\n\nA couple were rescued from a submerged car on Christmas Eve near Norwich in what onlookers called a \"Christmas miracle\", while heavy rainfall in Cambridgeshire left some roads impassable.\n\nOn Boxing Day, Storm Bella is forecast to bring further downpours and winds of up to 70mph in some coastal locations.\n\nAn amber warning for wind has been issued for parts of southern Wales and across southern England from 22:00 GMT on 26 December.\n\nA yellow warning for wind will also apply for the whole of England and Wales from 15:00 GMT on Boxing Day.\n\nThere will also be a yellow warning for rain in place for Wales, parts of the south-west and north-west of England, and north-west Scotland.\n\nHave you woken up to a white Christmas? Get in touch with your photos at haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nOr use this form to get in touch:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your comment or send it via email to HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any comment you send in.", "A near-deserted Regent Street in London as the Boxing Day sales began\n\nBoxing Day sales are expected to plummet after Covid-19 restrictions meant shops in many areas were forced to stay closed.\n\nBy midday, footfall was down 60% across the UK compared with last year, according to experts Springboard.\n\nStricter measures have been introduced in much of the UK with 40% of England's population now under tier four rules, meaning non-essential shops must shut.\n\nAnalysts said footfall had dropped even where other retailers could open.\n\nNational lockdowns in Wales and Northern Ireland, as well as most of mainland Scotland being placed into its own level four restrictions, meant non-essential stores are forced to be closed on what is traditionally a big day in the retail calendar.\n\nFootfall in tier four regions of England fell by 77.3% compared with last year, and even in tier two and three areas where shops are open, footfall was down by 38.2% and 42.4% respectively, according to Springboard, which analyses customer activity in stores.\n\nAn estimated £2.7bn will be spent by UK shoppers by the end of 26 December, with each consumer planning to spend an average of £162 online, according to research from Barclaycard, down from last year's projection of spending an average of £186 each and a total of £3.7bn.\n\nJace Tyrrell, chief executive of the New West End Company which represents 600 retail and leisure businesses in the capital, described the scenes as \"heartbreaking\", with the London district empty on Boxing Day for the first time since 1871.\n\nMr Tyrrell said the days around Christmas are usually \"the key golden period\" for sales but tier four restrictions have had a \"huge impact\".\n\nHe said coronavirus had cost the West End 80% of its usual year-on-year sales, with £2bn forecast to be lost during the Christmas period.\n\nDiane Wehrle, insights director at Springboard, said while the losses from reduced footfall will be offset a little by virtual \"comfort-buying\", for the majority of retailers \"the sales they get online are much smaller than what they get in-store\".\n\nLast year's post-Christmas sales also saw a drop in footfall with Springboard seeing an 8.6% decline, the largest since 2011.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch the aftermath of the explosion in Nashville\n\nA parked camper van exploded in the US city of Nashville, Tennessee, early on Christmas morning, injuring three people and knocking out communications systems across the state.\n\nPossible human remains were later found near the blast site, US media report.\n\nPolice believe the powerful blast was caused deliberately.\n\nOfficers responding to reports of gunshots just before 06:00 (12:00 GMT) found a camper van broadcasting a warning message to leave the area.\n\nThe van exploded a few minutes later.\n\nA police officer was knocked off their feet by the force of the blast, officials said.\n\nPolice have now released this image of the van - described by Nashville police as a recreational vehicle (RV) - arriving at the scene early on Friday.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Metro Nashville PD This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThe van blew up outside a building belonging to the telecoms giant AT&T, which also occupies an office tower nearby.\n\nBuildings suffered structural damage, windows were blown out, and trees were felled. Videos posted on social media showed water from damaged pipes running down walls as alarms howled in the background.\n\nPolice emergency systems were knocked out across much of Tennessee. Flights out of Nashville International Airport were briefly halted as a result of damage done by the blast but have now resumed.\n\nNo motive has yet been established, nor do police know who was behind the incident.\n\nA number of people have been taken to the central police precinct for questioning, a spokesman told the Associated Press.\n\nIt was not clear whether anyone was inside the vehicle at the time of the explosion, police said.\n\nThe FBI is leading the investigation. Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are also involved.\n\nThe blast was caused by a parked camper van, police say\n\nResident Buck McCoy said he had been woken up by the blast. He posted a video on Facebook, showing some of the damage done, with alarms howling in the background.\n\n\"All my windows, every single one of them got blown into the next room. If I had been standing there, it would have been horrible,\" Mr McCoy told AP. \"It felt like a bomb. It was that big.\"\n\nThe explosion hit an area of Nashville known for its restaurants and nightlife.\n\n\"To this point, we do believe that the explosion was an intentional act,\" police spokesman Don Aaron told reporters.\n\nCCTV footage posted on YouTube appeared to show the moments before the explosion, when a warning was broadcast, saying, \"If you can hear this message, evacuate now\". A loud bang follows and flames and smoke fill the screen.\n\n\"It looks like a bomb went off,\" Nashville Mayor John Cooper said, urging people to stay away from the area.\n\n\"This morning's attack on our community was intended to create chaos and fear in this season of peace and hope, but the spirit of our city cannot be broken,\" he said.\n\nThe explosion hit an area known for its restaurants and nightlife\n\nIn a tweet Tennessee Governor Bill Lee pledged to supply \"all of the resources needed\" to investigate what happened and who was behind it.\n\nPresident Donald Trump has been briefed on the matter.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Aerial footage shows the extent of flooding in Bedford on Christmas Day\n\nWater levels have passed their peak in Bedford but a a severe flood warning remains in place, a mayor said.\n\nPeople in more than 1,300 properties along the River Great Ouse in Bedfordshire were advised to leave as two evacuation centres were set up\n\nSome residents formed makeshift defences on Christmas Day in a bid to hold back the water.\n\nBedford Mayor Dave Hodgson said levels were now \"receding\" but significant floodwaters remained.\n\nSome bridges in Bedford were closed as water levels rose\n\n\"The peak of the water levels have now passed through Bedford but our officers continue to be out monitoring the peak as it moves east and responding to requests for assistance,\" he said.\n\n\"Floodwaters remain across Bedford borough so please take care and if you are going out please avoid them, they may be deeper than you think or contain unseen hazards.\"\n\nMakeshift flood defences have been formed along the River Great Ouse in Bedford\n\nUp to 40 homes were flooded on Thursday in Witney, Oxfordshire, where the Environment Agency has warned that river levels are still rising.\n\nThe council said an emergency assistance centre remained opened at Bedford International Athletic stadium.\n\nGary Huntley, Franco Felice and Adrian Coleman dug a trench between two trees along the banks of the River Great Ouse on Christmas Day.\n\nAs the night wore on, they said they were joined between 30 and 40 other residents from Tennyson Road and The Embankment. who helped with the digging and provided hot drinks.\n\nGary Huntley, Franco Felice and Adrian Coleman dug a trench alongside the river in a bid to protect their homes\n\nMr Huntley, 51, a boot camp coach, said: \"We just had Christmas Dinner when Franco, my next door neighbour, said we were going to get flooded.\n\n\"We worked until three, had a break and came back out again at six. Fortunately, the level has dropped this morning.\"\n\nA \"severe flood warning\" - meaning \"danger to life\" - is in place along the River Great Ouse in Bedford\n\nPaul Fuller, chief fire officer for Bedfordshire Fire and Rescue, said it was a \"dreadful situation\".\n\n\"People have had a terrible time. We've had all the measures in place to protect people from the spread of the virus,\" he said.\n\n\"It was Christmas Day yesterday, Boxing Day today, our hearts just go out to people that have now - with all that going on - had some of the highest levels of floods for over 20 years.\"\n\nBedford Mayor Dave Hodgson said water levels peaked in Bedford at about 02:00 GMT\n\nThe council said people who had been contacted and asked to evacuate were \"permitted to go to other people's homes\".\n\nBedfordshire is currently under \"tier four - stay at home\" Covid restrictions, which bans household mixing.\n\nBedfordshire Police said the flooding situation \"over-rides the current Covid-19 regulations\".\n\nJan Schofield said neighbourhood WhatsApp groups helped with the community response\n\nJan Schofield, who lives beside the river on The Embankment, said she had been prepared to evacuate if needed.\n\n\"The neighbours were superb,\" she said. \"They were digging the ditch over the road and filling sandbags.\n\n\"Because of WhatsApp groups that were set-up for Covid, it was really quick to get everyone together and act.\n\n\"It was a concern to see the rising water as it got darker. I'm less concerned now it's daylight.\"\n\nThe Carvell family (left) and Wood family live close to the river in Bedford\n\nReece Wood, who also lives nearby with his family, said: \"It was not the Christmas anyone was expecting, but it was great that everyone pulled together.\"\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk\n\nHave you been affected by the flooding in Bedfordshire? If it is safe to do so please share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch the aftermath of the explosion in Nashville\n\nBusinesses and TV personalities have offered more than $300,000 (£224,000) to catch those responsible for a camper van blast in the US city of Nashville.\n\nThe explosion rocked the city early on Christmas Day, injuring three people and knocking out communications systems across the state of Tennessee.\n\nPolice believe the powerful blast was caused deliberately.\n\nLaw enforcement agents have searched the home of a possible person of interest in nearby Antioch.\n\nNo motive has yet been established for the explosion, and no-one has yet said they were behind it. Possible human remains have been found near the blast site.\n\nLaw enforcement officers searched the property of a possible person of interest in Antioch\n\nFBI Special Agent in Charge Douglas Korneski said officials had received about 500 tips and that they were looking at a \"number of individuals\" in possible connection to the explosion.\n\nOfficers from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are also involved in the investigation.\n\nEarlier, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee said he toured the site, saying on Twitter it was a \"miracle\" that no-one had been killed. He said he had asked President Donald Trump for a federal emergency declaration for his state to aid relief efforts.\n\nThe FBI is leading the investigation into the explosion\n\nBusinessman Marcus Lemonis is the latest to donate to a reward pot, pledging $250,000.\n\n\"We can't have our streets terrorised like this,\" tweeted Mr Lemonis, who hosts reality TV show The Profit.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Marcus Lemonis This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nReward pledges began on Friday after a local tourism body, Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp, made an initial contribution of $10,000, later increasing it to $35,000.\n\nOfficers responded to reports of gunshots just before 06:00 local time (12:00 GMT) on Christmas Day in an area of the city known for its restaurants and nightlife.\n\nShortly afterwards, they found a camper van broadcasting a warning message to leave the area.\n\nThe van exploded a few minutes later, the force of the blast knocking an officer off their feet, police said. It is still unclear if anyone was inside the camper van at the time.\n\nPolice have released this image of the van - described by Nashville police as a recreational vehicle (RV) - arriving at the scene early on Friday.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Metro Nashville PD This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThe van blew up outside a building belonging to the telecoms giant AT&T, which also occupies an office tower nearby.\n\nBuildings suffered structural damage, windows were blown out, and trees were felled. Videos posted on social media showed water from damaged pipes running down walls as alarms howled in the background.\n\nPolice emergency systems were knocked out across the surrounding state of Tennessee.\n\nTelephone, internet and fibre optic TV services were also disrupted in Tennessee, Mississippi, Kentucky, Alabama and Georgia, according to telecoms firm AT&T.\n\nThe blast was caused by a parked camper van, police say\n\nResident Buck McCoy said he had been woken up by the blast. He posted a video on Facebook, showing some of the damage done, with alarms howling in the background.\n\n\"All my windows, every single one of them got blown into the next room. If I had been standing there, it would have been horrible,\" Mr McCoy told AP. \"It felt like a bomb. It was that big.\"", "Michael Gove said he has seen \"seen old friendships crumble\" since the Brexit vote\n\nThe UK and EU will be able to enjoy a \"special relationship\" as a result of the post-Brexit trade deal, Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove has said.\n\nWriting in the Times, Mr Gove said he hoped the agreement will also see politics move away from the bitterness surrounding the 2016 referendum.\n\nHe wrote: \"We can now embark on a new, more hopeful, chapter in our history.\"\n\nIt comes as EU ambassadors received a Christmas Day briefing on the trade deal from EU negotiator Michel Barnier.\n\nMr Barnier updated them on the agreement, which was reached on Christmas Eve after months of fraught talks on issues such as fishing rights and business rules.\n\nMPs will vote on the deal in Parliament on 30 December, with the UK set to exit existing trading rules on 31 December.\n\nA 1,246-page document, which has been published on the UK government's website, sets out the post-Brexit trade deal with the EU and includes about 800 pages of annexes and footnotes.\n\nWriting in the Times newspaper, Mr Gove, who was a leading campaigner for the Brexit vote in the 2016 referendum, said he \"won't deny it's been difficult\" for many people since then.\n\n\"Friendships have been strained, families were divided and our politics has been rancorous and, at times, ugly. Through the past four years, as a politician at the centre of this debate, I've made more than my share of mistakes or misjudgements, seen old friendships crumble and those closest to me have to endure pressures they never anticipated.\"\n\nHe said he had felt \"conscious of a responsibility\" to deliver Brexit, adding: \"I asked people to vote Leave so they could have their voices heard.\"\n\nOne of the most difficult issues in the negotiations was fishing\n\nMr Gove said the deal would give UK businesses \"certainty and the ability to plan for growth and investment\".\n\n\"We can develop a new pattern of friendly co-operation with the EU, a special relationship if you will, between sovereign equals,\" he added.\n\n\"The greatest prize, however, is the chance now to renew our country and help it to recover from the ravages of the Covid-19 pandemic in a spirit of shared endeavour and solidarity. We have a duty to spread opportunity more equally across the UK. Outside the EU, with a good trade deal in place, we can tackle the injustices and inequalities that have held Britain back.\"\n\nPrime Minister Boris Johnson said the deal will \"give certainty to business, travellers, and all investors in our country\".\n\nEuropean Commission President Ursula von der Leyen described the agreement as \"fair\" and \"balanced\", saying it was now \"time to turn the page and look to the future\".\n\nThe European Parliament needs to ratify the deal, which will define the future relationship for decades, but it is unlikely to do so until the new year.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey: \"This look a very bad deal\"\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer - who campaigned against Brexit - said the deal did not provide adequate protections for jobs, manufacturing, financial services or workplace rights and was \"not the deal the government promised\".\n\nBut with no time left to renegotiate, the only choice was between \"this deal or no deal,\" he added.\n\nLiberal Democrat leader Ed Davey, who also campaigned against Brexit, told BBC One's Breakfast the post-Brexit trade deal meant more red tape \"we all feared\", \"far more bureaucracy\" and was a \"defeat for those who wanted frictionless trade\".\n\nHe said the deal was \"bad for business\", \"less safe\" for families and it was therefore \"insupportable\".\n\nConservative MP and former cabinet minister Theresa Villiers, who voted for Brexit, told BBC Breakfast that \"many prime ministers\" had returned from negotiations Brussels with deals that appear to \"do the right thing and then closer scrutiny demonstrates that there are not as good as first billed\".\n\n\"I hope that we have finally seen the pattern broken and I hope that this is a deal that I can support, but it is important that we scrutinise that detail carefully and take some expert advice on it.\"\n\nShe said Tory colleague Bill Cash, of the European Research Group of Brexit-supporting Conservative MPs, had reconvened a group of lawyers - who had been highly critical of previous Prime Minister Theresa May's withdrawal agreement with the EU - to analyse the deal.", "The Queen has broadcast her annual address in the Christmas Message to the United Kingdom and Commonwealth.\n\nShe acknowledged the “difficult and unpredictable times” of the past year, saying “there is hope in the new dawn.”\n\nShe also paid thanks to the efforts of health workers and community volunteers in the UK and around the world.", "The Queen and other members of the royal family usually attend a Christmas Day service at St Mary Magdalene church in Sandringham\n\nThe Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will spend Christmas at Windsor Castle and not Sandringham as is their usual tradition, Buckingham Palace has said.\n\nA spokeswoman said after considering \"all the appropriate advice\" the royal couple had opted to celebrate \"quietly\" at their Berkshire residence.\n\nThey usually spend Christmas with other royals at the Queen's Norfolk estate.\n\nThe Queen, 94, and the duke, 99, have been living at Windsor during the pandemic with a small household staff.\n\nIt is thought to be the first time the couple have not spent Christmas at their Sandringham home since the mid 1980s.\n\n\"Like everyone they hope things will get back to normal in 2021,\" a palace spokesman said.\n\nThe announcement follows earlier speculation about where the Queen and the duke would spend the festive period, in light of Christmas coronavirus guidance that people should form \"bubbles\" of three households over a five-day period.\n\nThe Queen and other members of the Royal Family usually attend a Christmas Day service at St Mary Magdalene church in Sandringham, where large crowds gather to greet them.\n\nLast year, Prince George and Princess Charlotte went to the service for the first time.\n\nThe Queen will not be attending church on Christmas Day to avoid large crowds of well-wishers gathering, it is understood.\n\nThe Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall will spend 25 December at Highgrove, their estate in Gloucestershire, but are expected to see the Queen and Prince Philip at Windsor over the festive period. The duchess will also visit her family.\n\nLast month, the Queen and Prince Philip, who has retired from public duties, marked their 73rd wedding anniversary by releasing a photograph showing them opening a card from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's children.", "A post-Brexit agreement on trade and other issues has been agreed, just a week before the transition period between the UK and the EU comes to an end.\n\nIt avoids the disruption of a no-deal Brexit in the middle of the Covid pandemic, and marks a new era after more than 40 years of UK membership of the European Union.\n\nWe've now seen a copy of the text - more than 1,000 pages of dense legal text which outline how the relationship will operate in the future. Here are 10 initial questions and answers:\n\nOne of the most difficult issues in the negotiations: how many fish will EU boats be able to catch in UK waters in future, and how long will any transition period last before new measures come into full force? Officials involved in the negotiations say the UK initially wanted an 80% cut in the value of the fish caught by EU boats in UK waters, while the EU initially proposed an 18% cut. Who has given more ground?\n\nAnswer: The value of the fish caught by the EU in UK waters will be cut by 25% - which is a lot less than the UK initially asked for. The cut will be phased in over a transition period lasting five-and-a-half years - which is a lot shorter than the EU initially asked for. Once the transition period is over, the UK will fully control access to its waters, and could make much deeper cuts. If it decides to exclude EU fishing boats they can be compensated for their losses, either through tariffs on UK fishing products (or other goods) exported to the EU, or by preventing UK boats from fishing in EU waters.\n\nFishing was one of the most difficult areas of the negotiations\n\nWhat will the rules on fair competition look like, to ensure that businesses on one side don't gain an unfair advantage over their competitors on the other? The definition of what constitutes reasonable levels of state aid, or government subsidies for business, will be important.\n\nAnswer: There are level playing field measures which commit both the UK and the EU to maintain common standards on workers' rights, as well as many social and environmental regulations. This was a key EU demand. They don't have to be identical in the future, so the UK does not have to follow EU law, but they do have to be seen to protect fair competition.\n\nThe UK has also agreed to stick to common principles on how state aid regimes work, and to an independent competition agency which will assess them. But it can choose to develop a system which only makes decisions once evidence of unfair competition is presented. That is different from the EU system which assesses the likely impact of subsidies before they are handed out.\n\nThis will be the subject of years of negotiations to come. How will the deal actually be enforced if either side breaks any of the terms and conditions? If the UK chooses to move away more radically from EU rules in the future, how quickly can the EU respond? Will it have the ability to impose tariffs (or taxes on UK exports) in one area (for example on cars) in response to a breach of the agreement in another (fish, for example)?\n\nAnswer: If either side moves away from common standards that exist on 31 December 2020, and if that has a negative impact on the other side, a dispute mechanism can be triggered which could mean tariffs (taxes on goods) being imposed. It is based around a \"rebalancing\" clause which gives both the EU and the UK the right to take steps if there are significant divergences. This clause is much stricter than measures found in other recent EU trade deals, and was a key demand on the European side. It is a mechanism we may hear a lot more about in the coming years.\n\nThe overall policing of the trade agreement also means that tariffs can be targeted at a specific sector as a result of a dispute in another. There will be a binding arbitration system involving officials from both sides. It means that even though this is a tariff-free agreement, the threat that tariffs can be introduced as a result of future disputes will be a constant factor in UK-EU relations.\n\nThe EU's highest court will remain the ultimate arbiter of European law. But the UK government has said the direct jurisdiction of the ECJ in Britain will come to an end. So, will the European court play any role in overseeing the future relationship agreement?\n\nAnswer: The EU has dropped its demand that the ECJ should play a direct role in policing the governance of the agreement in future. That was a clear British red line. One place where the ECJ will still play a role is Northern Ireland, which has a special status under the terms of the Brexit withdrawal agreement. It will remain subject to EU single market and customs union rules, which means the European Court will remain the highest legal authority for some disputes in one part of the UK.\n\nWhat will the rules be for British people who want to travel to the EU from 1 January 2021? We already know some of the details but will there be any additional agreements on things like social security or vehicle insurance? And will there be any detail on any arrangement to replace the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)?\n\nAnswer: UK nationals will need a visa if they want to stay in the EU more than 90 days in a 180-day period. They will still be able to use their EHICs which will remain valid until they expire. The UK government says they will be replaced by a new UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC), but there are no further details yet on how to obtain it.\n\nIts advice is to take out travel insurance with healthcare cover before going on holiday - especially if you have a pre-existing medical condition.\n\nEU pet passports will no longer be valid, but people will still be able to travel with pets, following a different and a more complicated process.\n\nThe two sides agreed to co-operate on international mobile roaming, but there is nothing in the agreement that would stop UK travellers being charged for using their phone in the EU and vice versa.\n\nThe government also says British citizens will not need an International Driver's Permit to drive in the EU (unless they still have a paper licence or a licence from the Isle of Man, Guernsey, Jersey or Gibraltar). But they will need to carry a green card to prove they have the right vehicle insurance.\n\nThe trade agreement is primarily about the rules for goods crossing borders. It will say far less about the trade in services. Is there going to be a separate statement from the EU which will recognise UK rules governing financial services as roughly \"equivalent\" to EU rules? That would make it much easier for UK firms which export services to continue doing business in the EU market.\n\nAnswer: There is, as expected, not a lot in this agreement for service companies to cheer about. The UK will still be hoping that the EU issues \"equivalence\" decisions on financial services in the near future, but service companies in general have not got as much help in this deal as the British government had been pushing for.\n\nThe European Commission says a series of \"further clarifications\" will be needed from the UK, including more information on how it will diverge from EU rules after 31 December, before any decisions on equivalence can be made.\n\nThere is an agreement to continue talking about financial services regulation in the future, but some companies may have to apply to specific EU countries to be allowed to operate there. The guaranteed access that UK companies had to the EU single market is over.\n\nThis is a really important issue. What will the data protection rules be for UK companies which deal with data from the EU? Again, the UK is hoping the EU will issue separately what's known as a data adequacy decision recognising UK rules as equivalent to its own. But the detail will need to be scrutinised carefully.\n\nAnswer: Both sides say they want data to flow across borders as smoothly as possible, but the agreement also stresses that individuals have a right to the protection of personal data and privacy and that \"high standards in this regard contribute to trust in the digital economy and to the development of trade\".\n\nThat's why an EU decision to recognise formally that UK data rules are roughly the same as its own is so important - and we're still waiting for that. In the meantime the EU has agreed to a \"specified period\" of four months, extendable by a further two months, in which data can be exchanged in the same way it is now, as long as the UK makes no changes to its rules on data protection.\n\nWe know there will be more bureaucracy and delays at borders in the future, for companies trading between the UK and the EU. But will the two sides agree any measures to make things a little easier? There's something called \"mutual recognition of conformity assessment\" which would mean checks on products standards would not need to be nearly as intrusive as they otherwise might be.\n\nAnswer: There's no agreement on conformity assessment, even though the UK government had hoped there would be. It's just one reminder of how many new barriers to trade there are going to be. In future, if you want to sell your product in both the UK and the EU, you may have to get it checked twice to get it certified.\n\nOn other border issues, there is also no agreement on recognising each other's sanitary and safety standards for exporting food of animal origin, which means there will have to be pretty intrusive and costly checks for products going into the EU single market.\n\nThere will however be some measures which cut technical barriers to trade, and the mutual recognition of trusted trader schemes which will make it easier for large companies to operate across borders.\n\nA lot of people, from accountants to chefs, work in different EU countries and didn't have to worry about crossing borders multiple times while the UK was part of the EU. But will UK professional qualifications be recognised across the EU in the future, and what restrictions will there be?\n\nAnswer: The short answer is no - they won't be recognised automatically. That will make it harder for UK citizens supplying any kind of service to work in the EU. They will often have to apply to individual countries to try to get their qualifications accepted, with no guarantee of success. There is a framework in the deal for the UK and EU to agree on mutually recognising individual qualifications but that's weaker than what professionals have now.\n\nIt's not just about trade. The UK will lose automatic and immediate access to a variety of EU databases which the police use every day - covering things such as criminal records, fingerprints and wanted persons. So what kind of access will they have, and how will security co-operation work in the future?\n\nAnswer: The UK loses access to some very key databases but will have continued access to others, including the system which cross-checks fingerprints across the continent. But overall, security co-operation will no longer be based on \"real time\" access. And in some cases, such as access to data on which flights people take, that data will only be made available under much stricter conditions.\n\nAn agreement has been reached on extradition, and the UK's role in Europol, the cross-border security agency, allows it to sit in on meetings but not have a direct say in decisions. Both of these are positive, and on a par with the best other countries have achieved.\n\nDisagreements over data will be dealt with by a new committee, not by the European Court of Justice - again, a red line for the UK. But taken together, the speed with which the UK gets important data, and the influence it has on decisions, has been reduced.\n\nThere are many other questions to answer - this agreement will form the basis for UK-EU relations for years if not decades to come. And the two sides will have to continue to talk about how to implement it most effectively.\n\nThe team will continue to read through the text of the agreement and will add more to this story if necessary.", "George Blake told the BBC he had betrayed more than 500 Western agents to the Soviet Union\n\nGeorge Blake, the former MI6 officer and one of the Cold War's most infamous double agents, has died aged 98, Russian media has reported.\n\nOver nine years, the Soviet spy handed over information that led to the betrayal of at least 40 MI6 agents in Eastern Europe.\n\nHe was jailed in London in 1960, but escaped in 1966 and fled to Russia.\n\nThe Russian Foreign Intelligence Service said Blake \"had a genuine love for our country\".\n\nHis death, reported by Russia's state-owned news agency RIA Novosti, was confirmed by Sergei Ivanov, the head of the press bureau of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR).\n\nRussian president Vladimir Putin described him as an \"outstanding professional of special courage and life endurance\".\n\n\"Throughout the years of his hard and strenuous efforts he made a truly invaluable contribution to ensuring the strategic parity and the preservation of peace on the planet,\" he said in a message of condolence.\n\n\"Our hearts will always cherish the warm memory of this legendary man.\"\n\nBlake was born George Behar on 11 November 1922 in the Dutch city of Rotterdam.\n\nHis father was a Spanish Jew who had fought with the British army during World War One and acquired British citizenship.\n\nBlake himself worked for the Dutch resistance during World War Two, before fleeing to British-controlled Gibraltar. He was later, due to his background, asked to join the intelligence service.\n\nIn an interview with the BBC in 1990, Blake said he estimated that he betrayed more than 500 Western agents but he denied suggestions that 42 of them had lost their lives as a result of his actions.\n\nHis downfall came when a Polish secret service officer, Michael Goleniewski, defected to the West, bringing his mistress and details of a Soviet mole in British intelligence.\n\nBlake was recalled to London and arrested. At a subsequent trial he pleaded guilty to five counts of passing information to the Soviet Union.\n\nGeorge Blake did enormous damage to British intelligence operations during the Cold War, betraying agents and secret operations and showing that the KGB could run agents within the heart of the British state.\n\nHis escape from prison added to the embarrassment.\n\nThe reasons behind Blake's actions sometimes seemed mysterious, particularly his initial recruitment.\n\nWhen I contacted him a decade ago, he told me: \"It is no longer of particular importance to me whether my motivations are generally understood or not.\"\n\nPart of the problem for him was that he had chosen communism but lived to see its collapse and the end of the Soviet Union, living out his days in Russia, where he was still seen as a hero by the successors to the KGB.\n\nIn 1995, Blake's escape from HMP Wormwood Scrubs became the focus of the play Cell Mates, starring Stephen Fry and Rik Mayall.\n\nAnd in 2015, the BBC documentary Masterspy of Moscow followed what it called \"the strange life\" of an \"enigmatic traitor\".", "More than 70,000 people in the UK have now died within 28 days of a positive Covid-19 test, official figures show.\n\nA further 570 deaths in the UK were reported on Christmas Day, taking the total by that measure to 70,195.\n\nAccording to Johns Hopkins University, only the US, Brazil, India, Mexico and Italy have recorded more deaths from coronavirus.\n\nThe number of people who tested positive for Covid-19 in England and Scotland increased by 32,725 on Friday.\n\nIt came as the number of tests conducted over the last seven days rose by more than 25% compared to the previous week.\n\nThe government explained that the amount of data available will vary over the Christmas holiday period, with any unreported deaths and cases recorded on the following days.\n\n\"As a result, any changes to published data should be interpreted with caution during this period, as they may be a result of changes to reporting schedules,\" it said.\n\nAccording to Office for National Statistics data there have been than 81,361 excess deaths, those over and above what would usually be expected for the time of year, up to 11 December.\n\nLevels of infection are continuing to rise in England, the ONS has said, with figures for the week to 18 December estimating nearly 650,000 people have the virus, up from 570,000 the week before.\n\nThe rising number of deaths came as the UK marked a different Christmas with people under the toughest restrictions in England prevented from meeting other households indoors, while elsewhere planned relaxations of restrictions were cut to just one day on 25 December.\n\nIn England, six million more people are due to enter the highest level of restrictions on Boxing Day while other areas will move up into higher tiers after Downing Street warned the old system was not enough to control a new variant of the virus.\n\nAnd from Monday, all airline passengers arriving in the US from the UK will be required to test negative for Covid-19 within 72 hours of departure, amid concerns over the new variant.\n\nSo far, the UK has approved the use of the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine, with more than 500,000 people having been given the first dose, and Health Secretary Matt Hancock said on Wednesday the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine had now submitted full data to the medicines regulator for approval.", "On a roll: LadBaby is again joined by his wife Roxanne and their children on his latest festive hit\n\nLadBaby has become only the third act in UK chart history, after The Beatles and the Spice Girls, to score three straight Christmas number one singles.\n\nThe charitable sausage roll singer fended off competition from a Mariah Carey classic, and a protest song about Prime Minister Boris Johnson.\n\nSir Paul McCartney, meanwhile, topped the festive album chart, on Friday.\n\n\"I can't believe we've done it once, never mind three times,\" LadBaby told BBC Radio 1 presenter Katie Thistleton.\n\nHis latest offering, Don't Stop Me Eatin', which is raising money for The Trussell Trust food bank charity, was a pastry take on Journey's Don't Stop Believin'.\n\nIt followed his previous successful efforts, 2018's We Built This City... On Sausage Rolls; and I Love Sausage Rolls, from last year.\n\nThis YouTube post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on YouTube The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts. Skip youtube video by LadBaby This article contains content provided by Google YouTube. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Google’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts.\n\n\"We know the British public love a sausage roll,\" the hat-trick hero continued.\n\n\"And I think after the year we've all had we just wanted to come back and make everyone smile.\"\n\nHis new song, which was helped along by the release of a surprise alternative version with Ronan Keating earlier this week, became the fastest selling UK single in more than three years, since Artists For Grenfell's Bridge Over Troubled Water.\n\nIt also dislodged Carey's All I Want For Christmas Is You at the summit.\n\nAll I Want for Christmas Is Two: You got it Mariah\n\nThe diva's ubiquitous hit had reigned supreme for the past fortnight, remarkably for the first time since its release 26 years ago.\n\nLadBaby now finds himself in exalted company, alongside The Beatles, who dominated the Christmas number one spots between 1963-65, with I Want To Hold Your Hand, I Feel Fine, and the double A-side Daytripper / We Can Work It Out.\n\nAs well as the Spice Girls, who had three in a row from 1996-98, with 2 Become 1, Too Much, and Goodbye.\n\nYouTube comedian LadBaby, whose real name is Mark Hoyle, described 2020 as \"our most important year yet\" to help people, due to the impact of coronavirus.\n\nHe spoke to BBC News last week about why he and his band - aka wife Roxanne and their children - changed their minds after previously saying they wouldn't go for a third. \"We'd run out of songs with rock 'n' roll in the title, because that's been our go-to - you find a song with rock 'n' roll in the title and it's a good change [to sausage roll],\" he said.\n\n\"We wanted to choose a song that people love and can sing to,\" he continued. \"The best way is to look at karaoke songs, and Don't Stop Believin' always features highly on most karaoke lists.\n\n\"We felt like after the year everyone's had, it's a sentiment everyone needs - don't stop believing things are going to get better. It felt very fitting, so we had to weave some sausage roll magic into the lyrics.\"\n\nElsewhere in the singles chart, an expletive-laden song about PM Boris Johnson, by an Essex synth-pop outfit (whose name we can't really mention here without losing our jobs) also made the festive top five; and was at one-point the UK's second most-downloaded song of the week.\n\nJustin Bieber's cover of Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree [number eight] and Liam Gallagher's All You're Dreaming Of [24], which raised money for Action for Children, also proved popular this year.\n\nMcCartney III, the \"fun\" lockdown album by former Beatle Sir Paul, gave him his first number one LP in 31 years - since 1989's Flowers In The Dirt.\n\n\"I just want to say happy Christmas, happy New Year, and a big thank you to everyone who helped get my record to number one in the album charts,\" the rock 'n' roll knight of the realm told the Official Charts Company.\n\nTaylor Swift's surprise new album, Evermore, was close behind him in second.\n\nSir Paul McCartney recorded his Christmas number one album in isolation while spending lockdown with his daughter Mary, who took these photographs\n\nAlso on Christmas Day, it was announced by music licensing company PPL that The Pogues' widely-debated track, Fairytale Of New York was officially the UK's most-played Christmas track of the 21st Century.\n\nLast month, Radio 1 decided to stop playing the original version of the song in full, because its audience may be offended by some of the lyrics.\n\nAll I Want For Christmas Is You had to settle for second place once again in that poll of the past 20 years, while Wham!'s Last Christmas finished third overall - just as it did in this week's singles chart too.\n\nYou can listen to Radio 1's Christmas No.1 show, and Radio 2's 40 Most-Played Christmas Songs of the 21st Century now on BBC Sounds.\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "All airline passengers arriving in the US from the UK are to be required to test negative for Covid-19 within 72 hours of departure amid concerns about a new coronavirus variant.\n\nFrom 28 December travellers will need to provide written documentation of their test result to airlines.\n\nOther countries have shut their borders to UK flights because of the variant.\n\nBut its rapid spread has also led to stricter rules in the UK, including a ban on overseas trips for many Britons.\n\nAnd US airlines have drastically scaled back flying to the UK and Europe, after the entry of most foreign nationals was suspended at the start of the pandemic.\n\nHealth officials say there is no evidence the new variant is more deadly, or would react differently to vaccines, but it is proving to be up to 70% more transmissible.\n\nThe decision by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to require testing came after New York City introduced quarantine rules for international travellers in response to the variant.\n\nThe CDC said passengers must test negative via either a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) or an antigen test.\n\nSince Thursday, passengers travelling with Delta Air Lines and Virgin Atlantic on UK flights to the US have already been required to provide a negative test taken within 72 hours before departure.\n\nUnited Airlines will introduce similar requirements for passengers travelling from the UK to the US from 28 December.\n\nAs the new variant has spread quickly in London and south-east England, rules have been tightened across the UK, meaning more than 85% of the population - 48 million people - will be in the top two tiers after 26 December.\n\nThe UK reported 39,036 Covid cases on Thursday and another 574 deaths within 28 days of a positive test.", "Harsher Covid restrictions now apply to millions more people, as rule changes come into force across the UK.\n\nAround six million people in east and south-east England have gone into tier four, England's highest Covid level - which includes a \"stay at home\" order.\n\nLockdowns have also started in Scotland and Northern Ireland, and measures have been reimposed in Wales after being eased for Christmas.\n\nIt comes after official UK coronavirus deaths passed 70,000 on Christmas Day.\n\nThe toughest measures - which mean the closure of all non-essential shops, as well as hairdressers, swimming pools and gyms - now apply to around 24 million people in England, more than 40% of the population.\n\nMeanwhile, work has continued in Kent to clear the backlog of lorries formed after France closed the border to the UK due to the discovery of a fast-spreading variant of coronavirus.\n\nThe border has reopened but drivers must provide a negative Covid test before making the crossing, with the Department for Transport warning there were \"still long queues\" on Saturday evening.\n\nTransport Secretary Grant Shapps said more than 15,000 tests had now been carried out on lorry drivers, with 36 positive results.\n\nProf Devi Sridhar, chairwoman of global public health at the University of Edinburgh, told the BBC she believed all of England was likely to soon be in tier four.\n\n\"I think that's where it's heading and it's better to be honest with people so they can plan the next few weeks to understand what might be coming,\" she said, adding: \"To really keep a handle on these numbers, you need to move early.\"\n\nThe whole of Sussex, Oxfordshire, Suffolk, Norfolk and Cambridgeshire, as well Essex, Waverley in Surrey, and all of Hampshire with the exception of the New Forest, are now in tier four.\n\nBristol, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Swindon, the Isle of Wight, the New Forest and Northamptonshire, as well as Cheshire and Warrington, have all moved up to tier three. Meanwhile, Cornwall and Herefordshire have moved from tier one to tier two.\n\nTier four restrictions mean shops in many town and city centres have been closed for the first time in decades on Boxing Day, when there are usually sales.\n\nEven some retailers deemed \"essential\" - such as Asda - have opted not to open.\n\nIn Scotland - which operates under a different tier system - level four lockdown measures have come into force across the mainland for three weeks. Orkney, Shetland, the Western Isles and other island communities are in level three.\n\nAnd in Northern Ireland, a six-week lockdown has begun. The first week, until 2 January, has stricter restrictions, including essential shops closing at 20:00 GMT and no sport.\n\nFor the first week, people are also banned from meeting indoors or outdoors between 20:00 and 06:00.\n\nNI police have legally-enforceable powers to tell anyone out during those hours to return home, unless they have a \"reasonable excuse\", such as being a key worker or having caring responsibilities.\n\nOn Saturday, the UK government announced a further 34,693 people had tested positive for Covid-19 in England and Scotland, while a further 210 people had died within 28 days of a positive test in England.\n\nDue to service changes over the holiday period deaths in Scotland and deaths and cases in Wales and Northern Ireland will reported at a later date, the government said.\n\nIn Europe, France, Sweden, Spain and Switzerland have reported cases of the more contagious coronavirus variant identified in the UK.\n\nFrance has confirmed one case, while Switzerland has identified three, two of which are British citizens currently in the country, while Spanish officials said there had been three cases of the variant linked to a man who had flown from the UK on Thursday.\n\nIn Sweden the country's health agency said a traveller was ill with the strain there but was self-isolating.\n\nThe appearance of the new coronavirus variant in England triggered travel curbs with dozens of countries.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. What a pandemic Christmas looked like around the world\n\nOn Christmas Day, the Queen delivered a heartfelt message of hope to the country in her TV address, praising the \"indomitable spirit\" of those who have risen \"magnificently\" to the challenges of the pandemic.\n\nShe said what many people want \"for Christmas is a simple hug or a squeeze of the hand\" and that \"even on the darkest nights there is hope in the new dawn\".\n\nThe Archbishop of Canterbury used his Christmas sermon to praise schools and hospitals for bringing hope during the coronavirus crisis.", "The 28-year-old died after being struck by a car in Erdington, Birmingham\n\nA man was killed when a car was deliberately driven at him in Birmingham, police say.\n\nPolice have launched a murder inquiry after the victim was found with serious head injuries on Coton Lane in Erdington shortly before 06:00 GMT.\n\nDetectives believe the 28-year-old was deliberately hit by the car that then left the scene.\n\nWest Midlands Police have appealed for witnesses as officers piece together what happened.\n\n\"A family have lost a loved one and we need to find out what took place and who is responsible,\" Det Sgt Nick Barnes said.\n\nFollow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "China is the only major global economy that will have expanded in 2020\n\nChina will overtake the US to become the world's largest economy by 2028, five years earlier than previously forecast, a report says.\n\nThe UK-based Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) said China's \"skilful\" management of Covid-19 would boost its relative growth compared to the US and Europe in coming years.\n\nMeanwhile India is tipped to become the third largest economy by 2030.\n\nThe CEBR releases its economic league table every year on 26 December.\n\nAlthough China was the first country hit by Covid-19, it controlled the disease through swift and extremely strict action, meaning it did not need to repeat economically paralysing lockdowns as European countries have done.\n\nAs a result, unlike other major economies, it has avoided an economic recession in 2020 and is in fact estimated to see growth of 2% this year.\n\nThe US economy, by contrast, has been hit hard by the world's worst coronavirus epidemic in terms of sheer numbers. More than 330,000 people have died in the US and there have been some 18.5 million confirmed cases.\n\nThe economic damage has been cushioned by monetary policy and a huge fiscal stimulus, but political disagreements over a new stimulus package could leave around 14 million Americans without unemployment benefit payments in the new year.\n\n\"For some time, an overarching theme of global economics has been the economic and soft power struggle between the United States and China,\" says the CEBR report. \"The Covid-19 pandemic and corresponding economic fallout have certainly tipped this rivalry in China's favour.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. How US and China's break-up could affect the world\n\nThe report says that after \"a strong post-pandemic rebound in 2021\", the US economy will grow by about 1.9% annually from 2022-24 and then slow to 1.6% in the years after that.\n\nBy contrast the Chinese economy is tipped to grow by 5.7% annually until 2025, and 4.5% annually from 2026-2030.\n\nChina's share of the world economy has risen from just 3.6% in 2000 to 17.8% now and the country will become a \"high-income economy\" by 2023, the report says.\n\nThe Chinese economy is not only benefitting from having controlled Covid-19 early, but also aggressive policymaking targeting industries like advanced manufacturing, said CEBR deputy chairman Douglas McWilliams.\n\n\"They seem to be trying to have centralised control at one level, but quite a free market economy in other areas,\" he told the BBC. \"And it's the free market bit that's helping them move forward particularly in areas like tech.\"\n\nBut the average Chinese person will remain far poorer in financial terms than the average American even after China becomes the world's biggest economy, given that China's population is four times bigger.", "Flood warnings have been issued in Bedfordshire as water levels rise\n\nPeople in more than 1,300 properties have been urged to leave their homes as flood levels rise in Bedfordshire.\n\nPolice warned of a \"really serious situation\" and have contacted people living along the River Great Ouse.\n\nFire crews used boats to rescue people throughout Christmas Day. Nine people and three dogs were among those led to safety in the village of Harrold.\n\nSupt Steve Ashdown said: \"River levels are extremely high and we are expecting this to have a significant impact.\"\n\nA severe flood warning has been issued for areas along the River Great Ouse by the Environment Agency.\n\nRescue teams have been working to help residents in Harrold to evacuate from their homes\n\nAt Bromham, near Bedford, the river was reported to be flowing at its highest recorded level.\n\n\"The fact this is happening on Christmas Day makes the situation even worse, especially after the disruption so many of us have had to our plans already and I really do sympathise with people,\" Supt Ashdown, of Bedfordshire Police, said.\n\n\"But this is a really serious situation and we need people to take action in order to keep themselves safe.\"\n\nEmergency assistance centres have been set up at Bedford International Athletic Stadium and Bromham Village Hall for those with nowhere else to go.\n\nBedford Borough Council said it had set up Covid-safe emergency assistance centres at the Bedford International Athletic Stadium and Bromham Village Hall\n\nBedford Mayor Dave Hodgson said the floods were set to be the worst seen in Bedfordshire for several years.\n\n\"The Environment Agency is expecting this to be the highest level of flooding seen in Bedford borough in a number of years and, working with partners, we are strongly encouraging people who are at risk of flooding and have been contacted to leave if they can do so safely,\" he said.\n\nIn a tweet, he praised council staff and emergency services who are \"working hard to protect residents\".\n\nThe council said people who had been contacted and asked to evacuate were \"permitted to go to other people's homes\".\n\nBedfordshire is currently under \"tier four - stay at home\" Covid restrictions which bans household mixing.\n\nBedfordshire Police said the flooding situation \"over-rides the current Covid-19 regulations\".\n\nBefore leaving their homes, people were being urged to turn off gas, water and electricity and move any valuables upstairs.\n\nThe county was hit by heavy rainfall on Christmas Eve that saw many roads left under water.\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk\n\nHave you been affected by the flooding in Bedfordshire? If it is safe to do so please share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Last updated on .From the section Horse Racing\n\nBryony Frost became the first female jockey to win the King George VI Chase, riding Frodon to victory at Kempton.\n\nThe 20-1 chance led throughout the three-mile race and held off the fast-finishing Waiting Patiently (12-1), ridden by Brian Hughes, to give trainer Paul Nicholls his 12th King George win.\n\nHat-trick-chasing Clan Des Obeaux, the 85-40 favourite, was back in third.\n\n\"I have had the absolute best time going round there on him,\" said a delighted Frost, from Devon.\n\n\"He has just smashed everyone's expectations. I don't argue with him too much as he is his own personality.\n\n\"I cannot stress how much this horse means to me - he is my life. You dream as a little girl to ride a horse like this.\"\n\nThe win gave Frost her 175th career win, making her become the most successful female National Hunt jockey of all-time.\n\nFrost and Frodon had also made history at the 2019 Cheltenham Festival, winning the Grade One Ryanair Chase.\n\nThis time, in front of deserted stands at the Surrey track, Frodon was in front by the first fence, allowing Frost to dictate the pace.\n\nHer rivals were never able to get past her and some solid jumping on the home straight maintained the momentum.\n\nNicholls was surprised that his 12th win in the traditional Boxing Day showpiece had come with the outsider of his four runners.\n\n\"It's amazing - although obviously he's a very good horse on his day,\" he said.\n\n\"He loves it round here, and I said to Bryony: 'Just go as quick as you can, keep galloping and sail on - you know he's tough and brave.'\n\n\"You've just seen today what a remarkable horse he is. He never knows when he's beaten.\"\n\nEarlier, Silver Streak beat Epatante, this year's Champion Hurdle winner, to take the Christmas Hurdle.\n\nEpatante had gone off as the 1-5 favourite but Silver Streak and jockey Adam Wedge put in a superb display of jumping.\n\nAn error at the third-last did not help Epitante and jockey Aidan Coleman and although they tried to rally, Silver Streak went away again to win by six and a half lengths.\n• None Follow the footballer's campaign for free school meals\n• None Need a new box set for the festive period? All episodes of the epic fantasy drama are streaming now", "The annual Boxing Day dip in Whitby is one of the events cancelled due to the virus\n\nScores of bracing sea swims due to take place around England over the festive period have been cancelled due to safety fears over the Covid pandemic.\n\n\"Dippers\" would usually brave the chilly waters dressed as Father Christmas, elves, or even Christmas puddings to raise money for charity.\n\nOrganisers have asked people to take part in virtual challenges instead.\n\nDespite the official cancellations, a handful of hardy swimmers did still take the plunge in Clevedon, Somerset.\n\nBoxing Day and New Year's Day dips at Clevedon Marine Lake were cancelled but some still braved the lake's icy waters on Saturday.\n\nOutdoor swimming coach Rowan Clarke told BBC Breakfast that demand has soared over recent months.\n\nSwimmers still took to the waters at Clevedon Marine Lake on Boxing Day despite the organised swim being cancelled\n\nShe said: \"It's one of those things that people who have done it for a long time make it look really easy.\n\n\"I think that can lull you into a false sense of security that it's not an extreme sport, which of course it is.\n\n\"The best thing to do is start swimming in the summer and then gradually work your way up - or I should say down - to these temperatures.\"\n\nThe Ice Warriors, from Hull, took the plunge earlier in December after Covid put paid to the annual New Year's Day event in Hornsea, East Yorkshire.\n\nAndy Butler, from the group, said: \"We normally have a Christmas party, and attend the New Year's Day dip, but obviously we can't this year.\n\n\"So, we thought we would combine the two and have a charity swim.\"\n\nMr Butler said he had never known the event, organised by Hornsea Inshore Rescue, to be cancelled before - \"even when the weather was horrible\".\n\nHe said it would normally attract a large crowd and raise about £5,000 to help with the costs of running the lifeboat service.\n\n\"We raised about £600,\" he said. \"It's a big drop but better than nothing.\"\n\nHornsea Inshore Rescue said fundraising efforts this year had \"completely dried up\".\n\nSpokeswoman Sue Hickson-Marsay said: \"We need £35,000 to £40,000 a year to function and we've had less than £10,000 this year.\"\n\nLast year's Whitby event attracted about 200 people, many taking the plunge in fancy dress\n\nOthers, including the Whitby District Lions Club, which organises the resort's annual Boxing Day dip, have also been hit.\n\nBrian Harrison, from the charity, said: \"Last year, we had a record-breaking response with over 200 dippers taking part and at least 1,000 spectators supporting the event.\n\n\"As a result, the club raised over £14,000 for various local and national charities.\"\n\nThe charity is instead hosting a virtual ice bucket-style challenge in a bid to raise cash.\n\nHundreds of people would normally take part in Redcar's annual Boxing Day dip\n\nThe annual dip in Redcar, on the North Sea coast, is another long-standing event to be cancelled this year.\n\nThe 2019 event attracted about 360 swimmers and raised in the region of £40,000, the local Rotary Club said.\n\nIt too is asking people to take part in \"a virtual dip\" at home.\n\nNorfolk's annual Boxing Day dip, which claims to be one of the biggest in England, has been cancelled for the first time in its history.\n\nThe event in Cromer, organised by North Norfolk Beach Runners, has raised more than £75,000 since it started \"as a bit of a dare\" in 1985.\n\nOrganisers of the Cromer Boxing Day event said it would have been impossible to enforce social distancing rules\n\nClive Hedges, from the group, said: \"We just felt that under the circumstances it was best to cancel it and focus on a fantastic event next year.\n\n\"It's hugely disappointing but there really was no option.\n\n\"Maybe we could've kept the dippers safe in a Covid-secure environment, but it is ultimately the crowds we could not keep safe and they're the ones that provide the wonderful donations to charity.\"\n\nWhile hopeful \"normality will resume again for next year\", Mr Bridges said there were some who would argue taking a dip in freezing cold waters on Boxing Day \"just isn't normal\" anyway.\n\nCornwall's official Boxing Day swim gatherings have also been cancelled because of Covid restrictions.\n\nThe county went from tier one to tougher tier two on Boxing Day.\n\nMark Richards, of Charlestown Rowing Club, said they usually have between 100 and 600 swimmers in the water.\n\n\"But the problem is with track and trace and social distancing with the 600 to 1,000 people who turn up to watch, which we just cannot do.\"", "Restrictions have been increased in Edinburgh and across Scotland to curb the new strain of coronavirus\n\nMainland Scotland has moved into the toughest level of coronavirus restrictions.\n\nMillions of people are now living under level four curbs - the highest of the country's five-tier system of anti-virus measures.\n\nThe change means non-essential retail and hospitality have been closed and additional travel restrictions imposed to curb a new strain of the virus.\n\nThe restrictions are due to be reviewed in three weeks.\n\nThose living in Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles, along with other island communities off the Scottish mainland, are subject to level three measures.\n\nLatest Scottish government figures showed on Saturday that 1,149 new cases of Covid-19 have been reported across the country.\n\nFirst Minister Nicola Sturgeon has warned that level four restrictions could be further tightened if efforts to reduce the spread of the new transmissible strain of coronavirus were unsuccessful.\n\nAt an emergency briefing last week, Ms Sturgeon said \"firm preventative action\" was needed after the emergence of the faster-spreading strain, which is currently responsible for more than one in three cases of Covid-19.\n\nIt comes as concerns were raised about an outbreak of the new strain in south-west Scotland. Health officials say 64 cases of coronavirus have now been identified in Wigtownshire, with another confirmed in lower Annandale.\n\nLevel four restriction took effect from 26 December and followed a 24-hour period of relaxed rules for Christmas Day.\n\nFor one day only on 25 December, bubbles were formed with other households and travel restrictions were eased.\n\nHowever all but essential travel is now banned outside your local authority area for the remainder of the festive period.\n\nFigures for deaths, hospital admissions and intensive care cases associated with coronavirus will next be updated on 29 December.\n\nSchools will return later than originally planned after the Christmas holidays.\n\nMs Sturgeon said they should resume from 11 January, with learning taking place online until at least 18 January.\n\nThe new variant was first seen in mid-September in London and Kent - but by December it had become the \"dominant variant\" in London.\n\nGovernment advisers believe the new variant could increase the R number - or reproductive rate of the virus - by 0.4 or more.\n\nNicola Sturgeon said there was no evidence to suggest the new strain made people sicker than earlier variants, or that it would change the effectiveness of the vaccine.\n\nWhen the Boxing Day restrictions were announced, Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said families would be \"devastated\", but that he understood why the restrictions were necessary.\n\n\"None of us want this, but these sacrifices will save lives,\" he said.\n\nScottish Labour leader Richard Leonard said the Scottish government needed to publish \"persuasive evidence\" to avert a \"heightened risk of non-compliance\".\n\nThe Scottish Liberal Democrats and the Scottish Greens both backed the moves.\n• None Scottish level four rules 'may be strengthened'\n• None What Covid level are you in?", "Some Covid restrictions are being reintroduced in response to the Omicron variant.\n\nCheck what the rules are in your area by entering your postcode or council name below.\n\nA modern browser with JavaScript and a stable internet connection is required to view this interactive. What are the rules in your area? Enter a full UK postcode or council name to find out\n\nIf you cannot see the look-up, click here.\n\nThe rules highlighted in the search tool are a selection of the key government restrictions in place in your area.\n\nAlways check your relevant national and local authority website for more information on the situation where you live. Also check local guidance before travelling to others parts of the UK.\n\nAll the guidance in our search look-up comes from national government websites.\n\nFor more information on national measures see:\n\nFind out how the pandemic has affected your area and how it compares with the national average by following this link to an in depth guide to the numbers involved.", "Thousands of people have left their homes near the River Great Ouse amid \"severe\" flood warnings on Christmas day.\n\nThis was the scene from the skies in Bedfordshire.\n\nThere was also flooding in Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire, Norfolk and Suffolk.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. This is the weather forecast for the British Isles.\n\nGusts of more than 100mph have been recorded after Storm Bella brought heavy rain and high winds to large parts of the UK.\n\nThe Needles, on the Isle of Wight, saw gusts that reached 106mph (170kmh).\n\nA yellow warning for snow and ice - meaning disruption is likely - has been issued by the Met Office for Northern Ireland and north Wales, north-west England and southern Scotland.\n\nSouth Western Railway said heavy rain had \"flooded the railway\" between Bournemouth and Southampton, meaning cancellations and delays were expected all day.\n\nSouth Western, Southeastern Railway and the London Overground all reported fallen trees and other debris blocking lines and causing disruption in various locations.\n\nNational Rail advised anyone travelling by train to check their journey before setting off.\n\nIn York flood defences were put in place as River Ouse water levels are expected to rise to about four metres above normal early on Monday.\n\nMeanwhile, the ports of Dover and Calais warned Channel crossings had also been affected by the weather, with strong winds and poor visibility leading to a \"risk of delays\".\n\nSporting events have also experienced disruption, with the Welsh Grand National at Chepstow being called off due to a waterlogged course.\n\nA further yellow warning for snow and ice affecting travel was issued for much of Wales, the Midlands, the south of England and parts of the east of England from midnight on Sunday to 18:00 on Monday.\n\nThe A1101 in Welney, Norfolk, flooded after heavy rain\n\nAcross southern England, trees - like this one in Golders Green, London - were brought down by the storm\n\nHeavy rain has already caused flooding in Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire over the Christmas period.\n\nResidents in 1,300 homes by the River Great Ouse in Bedfordshire were advised to move out following high water levels on Christmas Day.\n\nMayor of Bedford Borough Dave Hodgson told BBC Radio 5 Live that around 40 of those homes had gone on to receive flood damage.\n\nHe added that water levels in the area were \"still high\" on Sunday \"but seem to be reducing at the moment\".\n\nSevere flood warnings remain in place in Northamptonshire for the River Nene, at Billing Aquadrome - where more than 1,000 people were evacuated on Christmas Day because of flooding - and at Cogenhoe Mill Caravan Site.\n\nA further 110 flood warnings have been issued in England, three in Wales and two in Scotland.\n\nFlooding near homes in Abbey Grounds, Cirencester, caused by the River Churn\n\nElsewhere, in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, council officials have been providing sandbags for those at risk of flooding due to heavy rain, after more than 70 homes were without power on Christmas Day when an electricity substation flooded.\n\nAnd up to 40 homes were flooded on Christmas Eve in Witney, Oxfordshire, where the Environment Agency has warned that river levels are still rising.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Aerial footage shows the extent of flooding in Bedford on Christmas Day\n\nThe Met Office said roads and railways in Northern Ireland, north Wales, north-west England and southern Scotland were \"likely\" to be affected by snow and ice until at least 10:00 on Monday.\n\nStorm Bella is the second period of severe weather to be officially named by the UK's Met Office this winter.\n\nA severe flood warning had been in place for the River Great Ouse at Bedford\n\nCommunities Secretary Robert Jenrick urged people to check official advice, including from the Environment Agency, which asked people to keep away from \"swollen rivers and flooded land\".\n\nA statement on its website said: \"It is often deeper than it looks and just 30cm of flowing water is enough to float your car.\"\n\nHave you been affected by Storm Bella? If it is safe to do so please share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "Last updated on .From the section Formula 1\n\nLewis Hamilton says the Black Lives Matter movement helped drive him on to his seventh Formula 1 world title.\n\nHamilton, 35, took a knee on the grid and wore anti-racism slogans in support of the cause during the season.\n\nThe Briton's Mercedes team also adopted a black livery for the 2020 campaign in a stand against discrimination.\n\nHamilton, who guest edited BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Saturday, said: \"I had this extra drive in me to get to the end of those races.\"\n\nHe was voted as the 2020 BBC Sports Personality of the Year earlier this month after equalling Michael Schumacher's record of winning seven World Championships and passing the German's total of 91 grands prix victories.\n\nOn Saturday, Hamilton told historian and presenter Professor David Olusoga: \"It was a different drive than what I've had in me in the past - to get to the end of those races first so that I could utilise that platform [for Black Lives Matter] and shine the light as bright as possible.\"\n\nAsked by Olusoga if he had been concerned about the response to his stance, Hamilton replied: \"There is no way that I could stay silent. And once I said that to myself, I didn't hold any fear.\"\n\nHamilton was also asked by presenter Nick Robinson about racism in his sport and the fact that he is the only black F1 driver.\n\n\"There are many other young kids of colour that deserve the opportunity to progress, have a great education, [who could] be an engineer or whatever it is they want. But the fact is, the opportunity is not the same for them,\" said Hamilton.\n\nThe Mercedes driver also hinted that activism might represent a new avenue for him when he retires from racing.\n\n\"The happiness and success of winning these championships is a wonderful thing, but it's short lived,\" Hamilton added.\n• None More on the Black Lives Matter movement\n\nEvery year, the Today programme invites a series of high-profile guests to take charge of an edition of the show, with each setting the agenda for one day across the Christmas and New Year period.\n\nOther guest editors this year include The Great British Bake Off judge Prue Leith and author Margaret Atwood.\n\nAs well as Black Lives Matter, Hamilton also discussed the Hamilton Commission, the programme set up in his name to increase diversity in motorsport, the power of sport to bring positive change, electric cars and animal rights.\n• None Follow the footballer's campaign for free school meals\n• None Need a new box set for the festive period? All episodes of the epic fantasy drama are streaming now", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe Queen's Christmas message - which focused on hope amid the pandemic - topped TV ratings on Christmas Day, overnight viewing figures have shown.\n\nAn audience of 8.14 million watched her festive address on BBC One, ITV and Sky News.\n\nBBC One's Call The Midwife had the second highest number of viewers, with an average audience of 5.43 million, and 5.26m tuned in for Blankety Blank.\n\nLast year, the return of sitcom Gavin and Stacey topped the ratings.\n\nAccording to ratings body Barb, Strictly Come Dancing, which featured the show's 25 most memorable dances, and Michael McIntyre's The Wheel were in fourth and fifth place with 4.86 million viewers and 4.66 million respectively.\n\nITV's highest rated programme was Coronation Street with 4.55 million viewers, making it number six on the ratings list.\n\nThe popular soap beat BBC One rival EastEnders - which was in ninth place with 3.54 million viewers, meaning it was beaten by another soap rival, Emmerdale.\n\nThat is a far cry from festive episodes gone by for EastEnders, which was once the powerhouse of the BBC's Christmas offering - including famously in 1986 when more than 30 million tuned in to see Den Watts, played by Leslie Grantham, hand divorce papers to wife Angie, played by Anita Dobson.\n\nThe Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special had 4.86 million viewers\n\nTV star Bradley Walsh, who hosted the Blankety Blank Christmas special, made a second appearance on the list with his quiz show The Chase, in at 10th place with 3.02m viewers.\n\nIn recent years, The Queen's annual broadcast has regularly been the most-watched TV show, based on the overnight figures - which do not include viewers who watch Christmas specials on catch-up services during the rest of the festive period.\n\nThis year, the 94-year-old, who like many was spending Christmas Day apart from her family, used her message to reassure anyone struggling without friends and family that they \"are not alone\".\n\nShe said what many people want \"for Christmas is a simple hug or a squeeze of the hand\" - but \"even on the darkest nights there is hope in the new dawn\".\n\nShe also praised acts of kindness, saying the pandemic \"brought us closer\" despite causing hardship.\n\n1. The Queen - 8.14m (BBC One, ITV 1, Sky One, Sky News, BBC News)\n\nKate Phillips, acting controller of BBC One said: \"I'm really proud of the range and quality of programmes we've shown across this special day,\" she said.\n\n\"BBC One entertained the nation and provided something for everyone to enjoy after a particularly difficult year.\"\n\nTV presenter Bradley Walsh has two shows in the top ten\n\nChristmas Day was an excellent day for Bradley Walsh.\n\nHe helped ITV to a stronger top 10 presence than they've enjoyed in over five years, with The Chase joining Coronation Street and Emmerdale in the day's most watched shows.\n\nThe last time the broadcaster had three top 10 programmes was back in 2014 with Downton Abbey alongside the two soaps.\n\n(But they'll have been disappointed that Britain's Got Talent couldn't break the three million mark and also scrape into the top 10).\n\nAnd Walsh also \"switched channels\" during the day to help BBC One's reboot of Blankety Blank into third place. A rare strong Christmas Day showing for a game show, and one which could well persuade the BBC to commission a full series return.\n\nOverall, the 2020 Christmas Day figures do seem to reflect the gradual decline in viewing that we've seen in recent years. While it's undoubtedly true that the explosion of streaming services and other non-TV related activities has drawn away much of the traditional 25 December audience, it's also worth noting a few other factors.\n\nThis year there wasn't anything like the return of a much-loved show like Gavin and Stacey, which last year performed exceptionally, with 11.6m \"overnight\" viewers. A massive figure by any standards.\n\nAlso, Christmas Day is thought of as being a time when families gather to watch TV. But this year, the pandemic means that many families haven't been allowed to or have chosen not to be together, something that is likely to have had an impact on that traditional part of the audience.\n\nBut the Queen's broadcast remains a unifying moment for many, and is unsurprisingly comfortably at the top of this year's viewing chart.", "The global fleet of Boeing 737s underwent an overhaul following two fatal crashes in 2019\n\nAn Air Canada Boeing 737 Max aircraft has been forced to make an unscheduled landing after developing engine trouble, the airline has said.\n\nThe plane was en route from the US state of Arizona to Montreal in Canada when it was diverted shortly after take-off, Air Canada said.\n\nThe plane was carrying three crew members at the time and landed safely.\n\n737 Max aircraft were grounded in 2019 after two fatal crashes, but resumed flying this month after an overhaul.\n\nThe crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia came within five months of each other and together killed 346 people.\n\nThe accidents were attributed to flaws in automated flight software called MCAS, which prompted the planes to nosedive.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Zipporah Kuria's father Joseph Waithaka was one of 157 people killed when a Boeing 737 Max crashed in March 2019\n\nIn a statement, Air Canada said the pilots \"received an engine notification and, according to the standard operating procedure for such a situation, they decided to shut down an engine\" before rerouting to Tucson, Arizona.\n\nThe aircraft, with no passengers on board, was being flown from a storage site. It remains on the ground in Tucson.\n\nIn the wake of the two crashes, Boeing implemented a series of modifications including updating flight control software, revising crew procedures and rerouting internal wiring.\n\nThe aircraft resumed passenger flights, in Brazil, less than three weeks ago.", "Countries across the EU received their first shipments of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccines. A healthcare worker in Budapest was the first to get the shot.", "Drivers are being tested before being allowed to make the crossing to France\n\nThousands of lorry drivers waiting to cross the English Channel to France are spending Christmas Day in their cabs in Kent.\n\nHundreds of military personnel have been deployed to help clear the backlog of about 5,000 lorries, which are waiting at Manston Airport.\n\nDrivers are allowed to travel on the condition they test negative for Covid-19 before boarding a train or ferry.\n\nTransport Secretary Grant Shapps said more than 10,000 tests had been done.\n\nHe said out of those lorry drivers who had been tested, 24 were positive for coronavirus.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nFrance closed its border after the UK warned of a fast-spreading variant of coronavirus but ended its ban on Wednesday, providing people tested negative before travelling.\n\nMore than 700 hauliers have been cleared for departure since France reopened its border.\n\nBut about 5,000 remain unable to get home and are waiting at Manston Airport, on a closed section of the M20, and in Dover.\n\nFreight traffic has started moving through the Port of Dover\n\nFrench firefighters have been supporting the testing effort, and a group of Polish medics was deployed to the UK on Thursday to help test drivers. the Polish news website TVN24 has reported.\n\nSome lorry drivers have already spent nearly a week stranded following the closure of the border on Sunday.\n\nMr Shapps said: \"We need to get the situation in Kent, caused by the French government's sudden imposition of Covid restrictions, resolved as soon as possible.\n\n\"I know it's been hard for many drivers cooped up in their cabs at this precious time of year, but I assure them that we are doing our utmost to get them home.\"\n\nThe UK's border with France was closed on Sunday and reopened on Wednesday\n\nThe government said catering vans were providing hot food and drinks to stranded hauliers at Manston, with Kent Council and volunteer groups providing refreshments to those stuck on the M20.\n\nHM Coastguard said its teams in the Dover area had so far delivered 3,000 hot meals, 600 pizzas, 2,985 packed lunches and 17 pallets of water to those waiting.\n\nSoutheastern Railway and Network Rail arranged for food to be delivered to lorry drivers stuck in Operation Stack on the M20.\n\nSeven trains carrying crates of food for the hauliers have left London in the past 48 hours, with the Salvation Army distributing the items.\n\nThere are more than 250 toilets at Manston, with a further 32 portable toilets added to existing facilities already along the M20.\n\nA Port of Dover spokesman said ferry services had run throughout Christmas Eve night and would continue on Christmas Day to help ease congestion.\n\nDuncan Buchanan, from the Road Haulage Association, said: \"The most reassuring thing is that food is getting through at Manston, and I have to say a big thank you to everyone who volunteered to help.\"\n\nAre you a lorry driver waiting to cross the English Channel to France? Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nOr use this form to get in touch:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your comment or send it via email to HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any comment you send in.\n\nFollow BBC South East on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe Queen has used her Christmas Day message to reassure anyone struggling without friends and family this year that they \"are not alone\".\n\nShe said what many people want \"for Christmas is a simple hug or a squeeze of the hand\" - but \"even on the darkest nights there is hope in the new dawn\".\n\nThe 94-year-old praised acts of kindness, saying the pandemic \"brought us closer\" despite causing hardship.\n\nThe Queen, like so many, is spending the day apart from her family.\n\n\"Remarkably, a year that has necessarily kept people apart has, in many ways, brought us closer,\" the monarch said in the broadcast, adding that the Royal Family has been \"inspired\" by people volunteering in their communities.\n\n\"In the United Kingdom and around the world, people have risen magnificently to the challenges of the year, and I am so proud and moved by this quiet, indomitable spirit.\"\n\nShe lamented that \"people of all faiths have been unable to gather as they would wish for their festivals\", but said \"we need life to go on\".\n\nThe Queen highlighted Diwali celebrations last month in Windsor - where she is spending Christmas with the Duke of Edinburgh for the first time in decades - as an example of \"joyous moments of hope and unity despite social distancing\".\n\n\"Of course for many, this time of year will be tinged with sadness - some mourning the loss of those dear to them and others missing friends and family members distanced for safety, when all they really want for Christmas is a simple hug or a squeeze of the hand,\" she added.\n\n\"If you are among them, you are not alone, and let me assure you of my thoughts and prayers.\"\n\nShe gave particular thanks to young people, to frontline workers, and to \"good Samaritans [who] have emerged across society, showing care and respect for all\".\n\nThe Queen made a private pilgrimage to the grave of the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Abbey last month\n\n\"We continue to be inspired by the kindness of strangers and draw comfort that even on the darkest nights there is hope in the new dawn,\" she said.\n\nReferring to the centenary of the Unknown Warrior's burial in Westminster Abbey, she said: \"The Unknown Warrior was not exceptional, that's the point. He represents millions like him who, throughout our history, have put the lives of others above their own and will be doing so today.\n\n\"For me, this is a source of enduring hope in difficult and unpredictable times.\"\n\nThis year's message was recorded in mid-December with a pared-back film crew and in accordance with government guidance.\n\nShe did not utter the words \"pandemic\", \"coronavirus\" or \"Covid-19\" but they were the dominant theme of this year's Christmas speech broadcast by the Queen.\n\nHer words conveyed three particular messages. She spoke of the gratitude owed to all those who'd \"risen magnificently to the challenges of the year\", in particular to young people, frontline workers and the \"amazing achievements of modern science.\"\n\nShe found hope in the actions of so many \"Good Samaritans\" who'd emerged across society to offer care.\n\nThere was hope too from the example of the \"Unknown Warrior\" buried at Westminster Abbey a century ago. He symbolised selfless duty: a source of \"enduring hope\" the Queen said.\n\nAnd finally there was reassurance for all those who are mourning or missing friends or family. This was the most touching part of the broadcast. These were people who just wanted \"a hug or a squeeze of the hand\" the Queen said.\n\nThat is not language she often uses in public.\n\nShe added: \"Let the light of Christmas, the spirit of selflessness, love and above all, hope, guide us in the times ahead.\"\n\nThe Queen and Prince Philip, 99, have been living at Windsor Castle during the pandemic with a small household staff.\n\nIt is thought to be the first year the couple have not spent Christmas at their Sandringham home since the mid-1980s.\n\nThe Royal Family usually spends Christmas Day together, but will not visit each other this year because of coronavirus restrictions.\n\nThe Queen also worshipped privately rather than attending a church service, as she usually does - in order, it is understood, to avoid crowds of well-wishers congregating.\n\nOn Christmas Day, the Royal Family tweeted a video of St George's Chapel choir singing.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by The Royal Family This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. End of twitter post by The Royal Family\n\nThe Duke and Duchess of Cambridge acknowledged those going through a particularly difficult time this year because of the pandemic, tweeting pictures of people working through the festive season.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. End of twitter post 2 by The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge\n\nMeanwhile, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall sent their Christmas wishes on social media, telling followers, \"Here's to a better new year.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 3 by The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. End of twitter post 3 by The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall\n\nThe Queen's address marks the end of a year that saw her go for seven months - March to October - without carrying out public engagements outside of a royal residence.\n\nDuring that time, her eldest child, Prince Charles, 72, contracted coronavirus and displayed mild symptoms.\n\nPalace sources also told the BBC that the Prince William tested positive in April - though Kensington Palace refused to comment officially.\n\nThe royals have spent some time together during the pandemic.\n\nThe Queen and several other senior royals attended a socially-distanced Christmas carol concert at Windsor Castle this month.\n\nShe was also joined by family members at a scaled-back Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph in London's Whitehall in November.\n\nThe Christmas broadcast was the Queen's third televised address this year, which is unusual for the monarch.\n\nIn April, as the first wave of the pandemic saw people across the country told to stay at home, she vowed that the the UK \"will succeed\" in its fight against the virus.\n\nIn a rallying message, she lamented the \"painful sense of separation from their loved ones\" that social distancing was causing people - but said it was \"the right thing to do\".\n\nIn April, the Queen said: \"We will be with our friends again, we will be with our families again, we will meet again\"\n\nThe following month, in a poignant address to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day, she said people's response to the virus had filled empty streets with \"love\".\n\nIn last year's Christmas speech, she described 2019 - which saw intense political debate over Brexit and a number of personal events affecting the Royal Family - as \"quite bumpy\".\n\nShe said the path is never \"smooth\" but \"small steps\" can heal divisions.\n\nChannel 4's alternative Christmas message will be delivered by a deepfake of the Queen this year.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nStorm Bella has brought strong winds and heavy rain to Wales on Boxing Day, with an amber weather warning for wind in force overnight.\n\nCoastal areas and hills could be hit by gusts of up to 80mph (130km/h) on Sunday and into Monday.\n\nThe Met Office has also issued yellow warnings for wind, across the rest of the country, and another for rain.\n\nAbout 400 homes across south and mid Wales suffered power cuts early on Boxing Day evening.\n\nHomes in Swansea, Caerphilly, Powys, Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion were left without power before the amber warning came into effect.\n\nThe M48 Severn Bridge has also been closed after being hit by strong winds.\n\nThe amber wind warning and yellow rain warning are in force until 09:00 on Sunday, while the yellow wind warning is in place until 12:00.\n\nAll of Wales is included in a yellow rain warning with south and west also expecting strong winds\n\nSixteen of Wales' 22 local authorities are covered by the amber warning and south-westerly gales could reach 60-70mph.\n\nThe Met Office says travel could be disrupted from Saturday night through to Sunday morning and there is a chance homes and businesses could flood.\n\nIt also warned that flying debris could cause injury or be a risk to life, and buildings could be damaged in the storm.\n\nAll counties in the south-west and the majority of those in the south-east are covered by the amber warning, as well as parts of Ceredigion, Powys and Gwynedd.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Derek Brockway - Weatherman This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThe Met Office has also warned that 40-60mm of rain could fall on hilly areas while 15-25mm is expected more widely.\n\nNatural Resources Wales has issued flood warnings and alerts for the River Ritec at Tenby, Pembrokeshire, and the Lower Dee Valley from Llangollen to Trevalyn Meadows near Wrexham.\n\nThe warnings follow parts of Wales waking up to a flood clean-up on Christmas Eve.\n\nA weather warning for snow and ice on Sunday night has also been issued for parts of north Wales.", "The post-Brexit deal will make the UK safer, Home Secretary Priti Patel says, despite concerns from police chiefs about a lack of access to data.\n\nShe said the UK would be \"more secure through firmer and fairer border controls\" after 31 December.\n\nThe deal allows cooperation on security and policing, but Brussels said the UK will no longer have \"direct, real-time access\" to sensitive information.\n\nThis includes a major database on people and items such as stolen guns.\n\nThe UK-EU trade deal - a 1,246-page document which has been seen by the BBC but not published by the government - will be voted on in Parliament on 30 December, with the UK set to exit existing trade rules the next day.\n\nIn the run-up to the UK's separation from the European Union, police chiefs raised concerns about losing access to databases and the European Arrest Warrant.\n\nMs Patel said the UK would continue to be \"one of the safest countries in the world\" and she was \"immensely proud\" of the package agreed with the EU.\n\nShe said: \"It means both sides have effective tools to tackle serious crime and terrorism, protecting the public and bringing criminals to justice.\n\n\"But we will also seize this historic opportunity to make the UK safer and more secure through firmer and fairer border controls.\"\n\nThe Home Office said the post-Brexit agreement included streamlined extradition arrangements, fast and effective exchange of national DNA, fingerprint and vehicle registration data and continued transfers of Passenger Name Record data.\n\nFrom July 2021, the UK will receive advance data on goods arriving from the EU into Great Britain, something which was not previously possible under EU rules.\n\nBut the UK will lose access to the EU's Schengen Information System II (SIS II) database of alerts about people and items such as stolen firearms and vehicles.\n\nThe EU has said it is legally impossible to offer SIS access to the UK.\n\nEarlier this month Steve Rodhouse, director general of operations for the National Crime Agency, warned that losing access to the database would mean alerts relating to around 400,000 investigations in European countries would disappear from the UK's national computer on 31 December.\n\n\"Investigations could take longer, and it could mean that serious criminals are not held to account as quickly,\" he said.\n\nBBC home affairs correspondent Dominic Casciani said that while the agreement did appear to protect continued security and policing cooperation it \"downgrades what British police can achieve - and how quickly\".\n\n\"As expected, the UK will have to unplug its connection to an enormous real-time database that shares alerts on wanted or missing people,\" he said.\n\nIn November, National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) lead for Brexit, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Richard Martin told peers that while contingency plans were being made the loss of access to SIS was \"still a capability gap and it will have a massive impact on us\".\n\nHe said his team had checked the system 603 million times last year.\n\nFollowing the announcement of the deal, the NPCC said while it welcomed a deal between the UK and EU it was working with the government to \"fully understand the detail of the security agreement and how it will be implemented, and ensure we are prepared for any changes to the way we currently operate\".\n\nBBC Reality Check correspondent Chris Morris said while the UK has reached an agreement on extradition and will be able to sit in on meetings of Europol - the cross-border security agency - \"on a par with the best other countries have achieved\", the speed at which the UK gets important data and the influence it has on decisions has been reduced.", "Ten people have been given antibodies as a form of emergency protection after being exposed to coronavirus, in the first trial of its kind.\n\nThe experimental jab is being offered to people who have been in close contact with a confirmed Covid-19 case within the past eight days.\n\nIf it proves effective, it could protect vulnerable people who have not yet been, or cannot be, vaccinated.\n\nAnd it could help to contain outbreaks.\n\nThe trial, run at University College London Hospitals (UCLH) NHS Trust, is looking at whether an injection of two different antibodies could prevent someone who has been exposed to Covid from developing the disease - or at least from becoming very ill.\n\nVaccines take weeks to offer full protection, meaning it's too late for them to be given once someone already has the virus brewing in their system.\n\nBut this monoclonal antibody treatment, developed by the drugs company AstraZeneca, should work to neutralise the virus immediately.\n\nAnd it gives ongoing protection for up to a year.\n\nIt could mean healthcare workers, hospital patients and care home residents could be given the treatment if they have been exposed to a known Covid case.\n\nIt could be offered to people with health vulnerabilities by their GPs.\n\nAnd it could be used to prevent one or two cases turning into an outbreak in settings like student accommodation.\n\nThe team, lead by UCLH virologist Dr Catherine Houlihan, wants to recruit 1,000 volunteers.\n\nThey are targeting recruitment at areas where people are likely to have been exposed including hospitals and student accommodation.\n\nPeople wanting to take part will have to show their close contact has tested positive.\n\nThe jab works by \"donating\" antibodies, Dr Houlihan said - \"it skips out that stage of your body doing the work\" to make them.\n\n\"We know that this antibody combination can neutralise the virus, so we hope to find that giving this treatment via injection can lead to immediate protection against the development of Covid-19 in people who have been exposed - when it would be too late to offer a vaccine.\"\n\nShe explained this technique was already used post-exposure for other viruses like rabies, and chickenpox during pregnancy.\n\nAnother trial already under way at UCLH is looking at whether the same antibody treatment could be used before someone is exposed coronavirus, to prevent them ever catching it.\n\nThis could be particularly useful for people who have immune deficiencies or are going through immune-suppressing treatment like chemotherapy.\n\nInfectious diseases consultant Dr Nicky Longley, who is running the pre-exposure trial, said it was being trialled on people with conditions like cancer and HIV which \"may affect the ability of their immune system to respond to a vaccine.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Can you become immune to coronavirus?\n\n\"We want to reassure anyone for whom a vaccine may not work that we can offer an alternative which is just as protective.\"\n\nIt might also be useful to protect vulnerable people as a stopgap before they can be given a vaccine, Dr Houlihan confirmed.\n\nBut she said it was not being suggested as an alternative to the vaccine. And it's also likely to cost considerably more, at hundreds of pounds a dose.\n\nAlong with UCLH, the antibody treatment will be trialled at multiple sites in the US as well as in Wakefield, Manchester, Southampton and Hull.\n\nBut only the London site has begun recruiting and jabbing people.\n\nThe first results for both arms of the trial - using antibodies before and after exposure to Covid - are expected in the spring.", "A growing number of US government agencies have been targeted in a sophisticated hack.\n\nThe US Treasury and departments of homeland security, state, defence and commerce were attacked, reports say.\n\nSolarWinds Orion, the computer network tool at the source of the breach, said 18,000 of its 300,000 customers might have been affected.\n\nMany suspect the Russian government is responsible for the attack, but it denied the claims as \"baseless\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Russian Embassy in USA 🇷🇺 This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. End of twitter post by Russian Embassy in USA 🇷🇺\n\nIt is unclear what information has been stolen or exposed in the hack, but the attackers have been monitoring networks since March and were active as recently as Sunday, the Washington Post reports.\n\nThe attacks were first revealed by Reuters, identifying breaches at the Treasury and homeland security, the department which manages cyber-security for the US government.\n\nParts of the defence department were also breached, the New York Times reports, while the Washington Post says that the state department and National Institutes of Health were hacked.\n\nThe UK's intelligence agency GCHQ is currently monitoring the situation and has described the compromises as \"serious events\".\n\nA number of UK government departments and other organisations use SolarWinds but its unclear if they use Orion.\n\nThe list of identified victims is expected to grow as more information about the incident emerges.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Obama's former director of cyber security warns Radio 4's Today Russia election hacking is like 'playbook'\n\nSolarWinds Orion's software allows IT staff to remotely access computers on corporate networks.\n\nIn a so-called \"supply-chain attack\", hackers gained access to SolarWinds Orion and then had access to all of its customers' networks.\n\nFireEye, a company that provides US government cyber-security, identified the large-scale campaign after it fell victim to the hackers in a separate attack.\n\nThe actors manipulated SolarWinds Orion's software updates to include malware which, once installed, allowed the hackers to monitor its customers' systems, Fireye said.\n\n\"We have been advised this attack was likely conducted by an outside nation state and intended to be a narrow, extremely targeted, and manually executed attack, as opposed to a broad, system-wide attack,\" SolarWinds said in a statement on its website.\n\nIt urged all users of its Orion platform to update their software immediately for security.\n\nFireEye's own hacking tools, which are used to carry out fake attacks on its customers, were stolen by the same actors, it said.\n\nBy mimicking the behaviour of hackers, it uses these programmes to investigate the security of different organisations and offer advice on how to protect vulnerabilities.\n\nSince the discovery, there is evidence that these tools have already been used in 19 countries including the US, UK and Ireland, Raj Samani, chief scientist at leading cyber-security firm McAfee said.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Raj Samani This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nFireEye has now released more than 300 countermeasures to detect the use of its stolen tools and to minimise the potential impact if they are used.\n\nWhen the experts investigating a cyber-attack downgrade their estimate of the number of people affected, it's normally a good thing.\n\nSo when SolarWinds says the number of organisations that could have been spied upon through its products is not the 300,000 initially feared, you'd think it would be cause for slight consolation.\n\nUnfortunately, this is almost completely irrelevant. Like all cyber-attacks, it's not about the quantity of victims but their quality.\n\nYou don't get much higher quality targets than US government departments.\n\nThe other key number in this hack is eight.\n\nThat's how many months it's thought the hackers had access to SolarWinds and could have started to snoop, poke around or steal sensitive material from their customers.\n\nThe thing we don't know, and may never know, is what the quality of the information stolen is.\n\nIt's unlikely that top-level government communications would have been breached - those are likely to be heavily encrypted and sent on separate systems.\n\nBut like any offices, sometimes important operational documents, snippets of information or even the digital keys to other parts of a business are left lying around in places they shouldn't be.\n\nThe investigation into this hack will be months long and its consequences could take years to be realised.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nUS Vice-President Mike Pence has received the coronavirus vaccine live on TV, telling the audience and doctors: \"I didn't feel a thing.\"\n\nThe White House said the aim of the move was to \"promote the safety and efficacy of the vaccine and build confidence among the American people\".\n\nMr Pence's wife and Surgeon General Jerome Adams also received the jab at the televised White House event.\n\nOn Monday the US began rolling out the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.\n\nThe first vaccine to be approved in the US, it offers up to 95% protection against Covid-19.\n\nThe first three million doses are being distributed to locations across the 50 US states.\n\nPresident-elect Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, will receive the vaccine on Monday, a spokesperson told US media.\n\nAlso on Friday, a second vaccine, developed by Moderna, received emergency approval by the Food and Drug Administration after it was endorsed by a panel of experts.\n\nAs Mr Pence was receiving his jab, Mr Trump incorrectly said on Twitter that the Moderna vaccine had been \"overwhelmingly approved\" with \"distribution to start immediately\". It is still awaiting final approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).\n\nMore than 310,000 people have died with coronavirus in the US, which has recorded more infections and fatalities than any other country. More than 17 million cases have been recorded in the country since the start of the pandemic.\n\nMr Pence, 61, received the first of two doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech jab at 08:00 local time (13:00 GMT), along with his wife Karen and Dr Adams. He is the most senior US official to be vaccinated so far.\n\n\"We gather here today at the end of a historic week to affirm to the American people that hope is on the way,\" he told the crowd, after the number of newly recorded US coronavirus deaths surpassed 3,000 for the third day in a row.\n\n\"Karen and I were more than happy to step forward before this week was out to take this safe and effective coronavirus vaccine that we have secured and produced for the American people,\" he continued, calling it \"a truly inspiring day\".\n\nTop infectious diseases expert Dr Anthony Fauci and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield were in the audience to observe the doctors from Walter Reed hospital perform the injections.\n\nBoth men elbow-bumped Mr Pence and his wife after their jabs. Mr Trump did not attend the event.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\n\"We want virtually everyone eligible to get this vaccine ultimately,\" Dr Fauci said in brief remarks. \"By the time we get to several months into this [coming] year we will have enough people protected that we can start thinking seriously about the return to normality.\"\n\nSpeaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, the most senior Democrat in Congress, and Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell had also received the vaccine on Friday.\n\n\"As the vaccine is being distributed, we must all continue mask wearing, social distancing & other science-based steps to save lives & crush the virus,\" tweeted Mrs Pelosi, alongside pictures of herself getting the jab.\n\n\"Just received the safe, effective Covid vaccine following continuity-of-government protocols,\" tweeted Mr McConnell, sharing a photo of his vaccination card. \"Vaccines are how we beat this virus.\"\n\nEarlier this week, President Donald Trump reversed a plan for senior members of his administration to be among the first to receive the vaccine \"unless specifically necessary\".\n\nThe president, who contracted coronavirus in October and recovered after hospital treatment, said he was not scheduled to take the jab but looked forward to doing so \"at the appropriate time\".\n\nMany of his support base have doubts about the efficacy and safety of vaccines.\n\nPresident-elect Biden, who at 78 is in a high-risk group from Covid-19, has set a goal of administering 100 million vaccination shots in the first 100 days after he takes office on 20 January.", "Alex Rodda was killed in woodland in Cheshire\n\nA teenager who beat a schoolboy to death with a spanner has told a court he did not think his friends would accept him if he was gay.\n\nMatthew Mason, 19, admits killing 15-year-old Alex Rodda in woodland in Ashley, Cheshire, on 12 December last year but denies his murder.\n\nChester Crown Court has heard Mr Mason paid Alex £2,000 to stop him revealing their sexual relationship.\n\nHe said he asked his friends for money but did not tell them what it was for.\n\nMr Mason told the court he was \"embarrassed and worried\" and feared the friendship would end \"because they would not accept me for what happened\".\n\nAsked by prosecutor Ian Unsworth QC what he meant, he said: \"Because of what me and Alex had done together, like if I was to speak to someone about it they wouldn't understand why it had happened and they wouldn't accept me if I was gay or bisexual.\"\n\nMr Mason, of Ash Lane in Ollerton, admitted having sex with Alex but said he thought it was wrong, adding: \"For one, because he was a male and, secondly, his age.\"\n\nHe told the jury he did not hate Alex for blackmailing him but he thought he was \"being a bit of a bully\".\n\nThe court heard Mr Mason had searched the internet for phrases including \"what would happen if you kicked someone down the stairs\" and \"everyday poison\".\n\nHe told jurors he felt depressed and suicidal after his girlfriend broke up with him when Alex contacted her and told her about an explicit photo and video he had sent him.\n\nMr Mason told the court he worked at a plant hire firm, attended Reaseheath College and was rehearsing for the Young Farmers' Club's Christmas play.\n\nHe accepted he hit Alex at least 15 times on the head with the spanner after driving to remote woodland.\n\nHe said when he drove away from the scene he threw Alex's phone out of the car.\n\nThe jury was told before giving evidence he had not previously admitted disposing of the phone.\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "How to help keep the virus at bay this Christmas\n\nWelsh minister Baroness Morgan has urged people to \"behave sensibly\" this Christmas to avoid further \"trouble\" in the new year. The number of households who can mix in Wales over Christmas has been cut from three to two (a person who lives alone can join too). But for people who are still undecided or planning to see loved-ones, here is a reminder of how to mix more safely. A study by Sage, the UK government's science advisory panel, found that if you double the number of people getting together, the odds of infection increase fourfold. And since the coronavirus can survive on surfaces, possibly for several hours, passing around objects could post a risk - so Sage recommends playing quiz-style games instead . For more guidance on everything from noise levels to the length of recommended time spent together, head here. Video caption: Covid Christmas: What are the Christmas Covid rules? Covid Christmas: What are the Christmas Covid rules?", "The Covid pandemic has exposed \"profound shortcomings\" in the UK's oversight of national security, a parliamentary report has said.\n\nThe Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy said problems the UK has faced reflect gaps in the planning and preparation for biological risks.\n\nA pandemic has been categorised among the highest security risks since 2010.\n\nBut the report says the only major planning exercise in the last decade left some critical areas untested.\n\nThe MPs and peers on the committee added that local authorities and emergency responders have sometimes lacked the intelligence and support they need from central government to carry out their role in biological security effectively.\n\nInsufficient attention had also been paid to areas like detection, they say.\n\nThe UK's preparations for a significant disease outbreak had mainly focused on a flu pandemic.\n\nBut the report says the \"novel features of Covid-19\", such as its high level of infectiousness compared with the flu, do not fully explain the government's \"inadequate response\".\n\n\"Insufficient attention was paid to important capabilities,\" they said, in areas including testing, isolation and contact-tracing capabilities.\n\nThey say the pandemic also exposed vulnerabilities in the supply of personal protective equipment and in tackling false or misleading information online.\n\nWhen the UK first published its list of top tier security threats a decade ago, a pandemic was there as part of the category covering a major accident or natural hazard.\n\nBut compared with the other three big risks listed - terrorism, cyber-attack and a major military crisis - there is no doubt that it received less attention and funding.\n\nCounter-terrorism scenarios are exercised regularly, the military - despite battles over budget - receives plenty of attention and cyber-security has risen up the agenda rapidly in the last decade, including with the creation of a new National Cyber Security Centre.\n\nBut natural hazards, and particularly bio-security, have felt more like the poor relation and this report argues the pandemic exposed those failings.\n\nThe committee calls for a minister to report annually to Parliament on the state of national preparedness for all top-tier risks, regular exercises to prepare for them and a task force to focus specifically on biological security.\n\nThe chair of the committee, Dame Margaret Beckett, said \"the pandemic in the UK was not unpredicted... it is clear that the government could have, and should have, done more to prepare\".\n\nShe added: \"Its negligence of key capabilities led to unnecessary fumbling for solutions, when instead the country needed decisive action.\n\n\"The government at times seems to have treated a vaccine as a 'fix-all', with little pre-consideration of our capabilities for detecting where the virus is and bringing cases under control.\"", "The World Health Organization (WHO) says it has secured agreements for two billion doses of vaccine for its Covax initiative - a programme that aims to ensure fair and equitable access to Covid-19 vaccines worldwide.\n\n\"The light at the end of the tunnel has grown a little bit brighter,\" WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told an online news conference.\n\nThe doses secured are from developers AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Novovax and Sanofi/GSK, although none have yet been authorised for use.\n\nIn a statement, the initiative said all 190 economies that had signed up to Covax would \"have access to doses in the first half of 2021, with first deliveries anticipated to begin in the first quarter of 2021 - contingent upon regulatory approvals and countries' readiness for delivery\".\n\nEarlier this week WHO officials warned that a $28bn (£21bn) shortfall in funding meant poor and low income countries could be left behind in a scramble to purchase vaccines.\n\nThe Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), which also helped set up the initiative, said the Covax alliance was also in talks with Pfizer and BioNtech over their vaccine, which has been approved in the US and UK, as well as with Moderna, which expects to have its vaccine approved in the US later.", "Taxes must increase or services be cut to compensate for the loss of fuel tax income thanks to the advent of electric cars, the Treasury has admitted.\n\nOfficials have been long concerned about the future loss of more than £30bn in revenue from drivers.\n\nIn a new review the Treasury has acknowledged the problem in a way that will spark a debate about how driving should be taxed in the future.\n\nOne idea would be to charge motorists for every mile they drive.\n\nBut the AA says such road pricing will be tough to sell politically.\n\nInstead, the motoring organisation is proposing a system of \"Road Miles\" in which motorists are allowed to drive free of charge for 3,000 miles (4,000 in rural areas) before they start paying.\n\nThe Treasury review offers another striking conclusion from a government department traditionally worried about harm to the economy from cleaning up the UK's emissions.\n\nThe latest message is the opposite - that tackling climate change might even benefit the economy by giving the UK a lead in clean technologies.\n\nIt says: \"Overall, in the context of the rest of the world decarbonising, the net impact of the transition on growth to 2050 is likely to be small compared to total growth over that period.\n\n\"It could be slightly positive or slightly negative.\"\n\nThe document continues: \"Climate change is an existential threat to humanity. Without global action to limit greenhouse gas emissions, the climate will change catastrophically with almost unimaginable consequences for societies across the world.\"\n\nEnvironmentalists welcome what they say is a dramatic change in tone from the Treasury,\n\nDoug Parr from Greenpeace told BBC News: \"Finally the Treasury has admitted that tackling climate change could actually be good for the economy.\n\n\"For years it's been a total drag on climate policies - it used to get in the way of any good proposals.\"\n\nHe said the Treasury should save money by scrapping the £27bn roads programme and the £100bn HS2 rail line - both of which will increase carbon emissions.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Will the UK be ready for a 2030 ban on sales of petrol and diesel cars?\n\nNick Mabey from the think tank e3g told BBC News the document raised false fears that the UK would lose industries to nations with dirty economies if the UK decarbonised.\n\nHe said: \"This report shows the Treasury still has a lot of homework to do to understand the full implications of the clean energy revolution for Britain.\n\n\"The report talks about the opportunities of moving to net zero but still underplays the benefits of cleaner air and healthier cities.\n\n\"[The Treasury has] still not grasped that British industry is not at risk from dirty imports but from industries powered by cheap solar power in Tunisia, the Gulf and Australia.\"\n\n\"The obvious implication of this report is that the UK can afford to move faster to reduce climate risks.\"\n\nBut both men praised the Treasury for accepting that the big challenge for climate policy will be fairness, not technology.\n\nIts document - an interim review - said poorer people must be protected from the changes in employment and taxation, or the government would lose support for cleaning up emissions.\n\nThis message was strongly advocated by the Citizens Assembly devised to gauge the opinions of the public on climate policy.", "Sony has pulled Cyberpunk 2077, one of the year's most-anticipated games, from its store and offered refunds to all players.\n\nThe unprecedented move follows complaints that the game has been riddled with bugs and glitches, and is prone to crashes.\n\nMicrosoft later said it would also refund any dissatisfied Xbox players.\n\nDeveloper CD Projekt Red has promised to issue patches to improve the game for those who do not return it.\n\nIt’s unclear when Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) plans to return the game to the PlayStation Store.\n\n“SIE strives to ensure a high level of customer satisfaction, therefore we will begin to offer a full refund for all gamers who have purchased Cyberpunk 2077 via PlayStation Store,” the company said.\n\nA Microsoft spokesperson said Xbox players would also get refunds - but is not pulling the game from sale.\n\n\"We know the developers at CD Projekt Red have worked hard to ship Cyberpunk in extremely challenging circumstances,\" a spokesperson said.\n\n\"However, we also realise that some players have been unhappy with the current experience on older consoles.\"\n\nTo rectify the situation it said it was issuing refunds to customers who have already requested one and would be expanding refunds to \"anyone who purchased Cyberpunk 2077 digitally from the Microsoft Store, until further notice\".\n\nTo request an Xbox refund, users needed to follow the steps listed on the Xbox refund page .\n\nSome Sony users reported being unable to request the refund, even after the announcement - something Sony said it was working \"to get up and running as soon as possible\".\n\nIt can still be bought on PCs - and gamers who do not want be reimbursed for their copies can still play the game and receive updates.\n\nIn Cyberpunk 2077, players live in a criminal world where they can pay to upgrade their bodies with technology.\n\nThe action role-playing game was originally \"announced\" in 2012, but then re-announced in 2018 and then showcased with huge fanfare - and an appearance by Keanu Reeves - in June 2019.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe game reviewed well, with critics praising its gameplay and visuals - despite many visual glitches and bugs, which are common in large open-world games and often patched after launch day.\n\nBut on release it became clear that versions of the game for older consoles like the PS4 and Xbox One ran poorly, with hitching, visual quality drops and slowdown that many players said made the game unplayable.\n\nThose with the newest versions of consoles, or a high-end gaming PC, have not experienced the same level of issues.\n\nCD Projekt Red, which traditionally has focused on the PC market, had already acknowledged it \"should have paid more attention to making it play better\" on those consoles.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Cyberpunk 2077 This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThe company says it will release patches to solve the problems in January and February.\n\n“They won’t make the game on last-gen look like it’s running on a high-spec PC or next-gen console, but it will be closer to that experience than it is now,” the company said in a statement on its website.\n\nIt also encouraged users to use refund systems on the Sony and Xbox stores if they were unhappy.\n\nHowever, PlayStation's policy is to usually not offer refunds if the game has been downloaded and played, \"unless the content is faulty\".\n\nThat led to much confusion among players seeking refunds as directed by CD Projekt Red, who were refused such refunds by Sony.\n\nIt is not clear if the removal of the game from the PlayStation store means that Sony has decided the game is \"faulty\" under its rules.\n\nHours after PlayStation's announcement that it was pulling Cyberpunk 2077 from sale, CD Projekt Red said the game was \"temporarily\" suspended \"following our discussion with PlayStation\".\n\nIt said the game would \"return as soon as possible\" - but gave no date.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Cyberpunk 2077 This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nXbox users also reported trouble with refunds, with many saying refund requests have been refused, despite an apparently flexible refund policy.\n\nMicrosoft says that while it considers all sales final, \"we understand there may be extenuating circumstances\" and it considers several factors for refund requests.\n\nBut the firm announced it was expanding its refund to cover all digital sales of Cyberpunk 2077 about half a day after Sony.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nCD Projekt Red also came under fire from fans when it announced staff would have to work overtime to finish the game - a process known in the industry as \"crunch\".\n\nIt had previously promised not to impose that kind of demand on its staff.\n• None Cyberpunk 2077: The story behind the video game. Video, 00:08:30Cyberpunk 2077: The story behind the video game", "Hundreds of drivers were left stranded when snow blanketed a major travel route in Japan.\n\nAuthorities have distributed food, fuel and blankets to the those stuck on the Kanetsu expressway, which connects the capital Tokyo to Niigata, in the north.\n\nThe heavy snow is expected to continue through the weekend.", "The UK's R - or reproduction - number is now estimated to be between 1.1 and 1.2, meaning the coronavirus epidemic is growing once again.\n\nCovid-19 cases have risen to an estimated 660,000 infections across the UK between 6-12 December.\n\nIn England, the rise was driven by sharp increases in London, plus rises in the South East and East Midlands.\n\nBut the proportion of people testing positive in the North West and Yorkshire has continued to fall.\n\nRoughly one in every 95 people had the virus across Britain last week.\n\nThe previous week's figures suggested about 560,000 people had the virus across the UK - one in 115 people in England, one in 120 in Scotland, one in 175 in Wales and one in 235 in Northern Ireland.\n\nSo weekly cases have gone up by about a fifth.\n\nCovid cases are broadly stable in Northern Ireland with about one in every 215 people testing positive, according to Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimates.\n\nThe R number tells you how fast the epidemic is growing or shrinking.\n\nAnything above one - indicating that each infection leads to more than one extra infection - means the epidemic is growing.\n\nProf Neil Ferguson, the influential epidemiologist from Imperial College London, told Radio 4's the World at One any future lockdown may have to be tougher than the one seen in England in November.\n\nHe said he was \"more concerned about what we're going to be facing in early January than I am over the Christmas period itself.\n\n\"We're facing very rapid increases in case numbers over time and we have very little headroom - we've heard reports today that local hospitals that really are at their limits at the moment - as is typically the case in winter. So we just won't be able to allow case numbers to rise much further.\"\n\nIn England, there were increases in people testing positive in all age groups apart from 17-24-year-olds and 50-69-year-olds.\n\nThe figures suggest infections maybe levelling off in teenagers and young adults.\n\nThe highest proportions of Covid cases are now found in London and the East Midlands, followed by the North East and North West of England.\n\nAcross the UK, restrictions are about to be loosened over the Christmas period.\n\nProf Linda Bauld, Professor of Public Health at the University of Edinburgh, said this policy, \"increasingly looks like the wrong decision at the wrong time.\n\n\"By allowing travel around the UK and changing guidance to allow household mixing indoors we are setting ourselves up for a miserable January with tough restrictions.\"\n\nWales and Northern Ireland have already announced new lockdowns to come into force immediately after this period of relaxation.\n\nSimilar arrangements for England and Scotland have not been announced, but they also haven't been ruled out.\n• None What is happening to the UK's R number?", "Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham should resign after the region's police force was placed in special measures, an MP has said.\n\nGreater Manchester Police (GMP) was placed into an \"advanced phase\" of monitoring on Thursday after it failed to record 80,000 crimes in a year.\n\nConservative MP for Bolton West Chris Green said Mr Burnham, who oversees policing in the area, should step down.\n\nThe Labour mayor said he would not be stepping down.\n\nOn Friday, GMP Chief Constable Ian Hopkins announced his resignation with immediate effect.\n\nHe previously announced he would be going on sick leave after suffering from labyrinthitis - an inner-ear infection which affects your balance - since the end of October.\n\nAsked why it was the chief constable who had stepped down and not him, Mr Burnham said: \"Because I do not run Greater Manchester Police.\n\n\"The police service is operationally independent from politicians and rightly so. My job is different. I have to hold the police to account for the services they provide to the Greater Manchester public, and I am here today doing my job holding the police service to account.\"\n\nInspectors said Greater Manchester Police's service to victims of crime was a \"serious cause of concern\"\n\nIn a report last week, inspectors said GMP's service to victims of crime was a \"serious cause of concern\".\n\nHM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services said about 220 crimes a day went unrecorded in the year up to June 2020.\n\nInspectors found officers prematurely closed some cases without a full investigation, while the force did not properly record evidence that victims supported the decisions, particularly in cases of domestic abuse.\n\nA spokesman for the inspectorate confirmed GMP had been placed in the \"engage\" stage of its monitoring process.\n\nThis means the force, the second largest in England, must \"develop an improvement plan to address the specific causes of concern\".\n\nAs part of his role, Mr Burnham has responsibilities around the governance and budgets relating to GMP, supported by Bev Hughes, the deputy mayor for policing and crime.\n\nEarlier, Mr Green said Mr Burnham should \"resign now\" as he has \"absolute responsibility for policing, its failures\".\n\n\"His role ultimately is to ensure that GMP is delivering. He is in a position if he doesn't think GMP is performing and is delivering then he can challenge and if necessary he can sack the chief of police,\" he said.\n\n\"That is Andy Burnham's power over policing in Manchester. He has absolute authority.\"\n\nFollowing the publication of the report earlier in the week, Mr Burnham apologised on behalf of GMP.\n\n\"I would like to say sorry to all of the victims of crime who have found that the service has not been good enough. We owe it to them to improve and we will and we will do it fast,\" he said.\n\nFormer GMP detective Maggie Oliver said victims were being \"fobbed off and failed\"\n\nFormer GMP detective Maggie Oliver, who resigned over the way grooming cases in Rochdale were handled by the force, said she and two ex-colleagues had a meeting with Mr Burnham in 2018 to highlight \"serious concerns\" and were \"treated with contempt\".\n\nShe said they gave him 26 examples of victims being failed by GMP, including \"people dying as a result of gross neglect\" and he \"basically slammed the door in our face\".\n\nThere was a \"culture of arrogance and cover-ups\" at the force, she said, and a \"radical overhaul\" was needed.\n\nMs Oliver said victim's \"trust in the police had gone\" and her charity, the Maggie Oliver Foundation, was \"drowning in cries for help\" from people who \"have nowhere else to turn\".\n\nGreater Manchester's chief constable Ian Hopkins had been due to retire in Autumn 2021\n\nSir Richard Leese, Manchester City Council leader, said the watchdog's findings indicate there are \"major issues\" that need to be addressed.\n\n\"I think it kind of says it all that GMP so far have not put up a spokesperson to explain what the situation is, what's been going on,\" he added.\n\nIn a statement released on Wednesday, the mayor and deputy mayor said they were \"putting in place the necessary actions to improve standards of service to victims of crime in Greater Manchester\".\n\nMr Burnham announced that a dedicated hotline for victims who have any complaints was also being set up.\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk", "Two weeks ago, millions of people watched Pastor Mick Fleming and Father Alex Frost on BBC News, feeding and clothing the poor in Burnley. Many were moved by their work, and since then they have received more than £250,000 in donations.\n\nBut Mick's life wasn't always about love and care. He was once a dangerous, violent drug user and dealer, covering up painful childhood memories. Until a single moment changed everything.\n\nIt was 10am, in a rough industrial area, far away from his home county of Lancashire. Mick Fleming, in his early 40s, was waiting outside a gym for someone to emerge. Mick was in a stolen car - a dark blue Vauxhall Cavalier - with the engine running. This was going to have to be quick.\n\n\"There was no sun, it was a dull dark day, I knew his routine, everything about him,\" he says. \"He was another drug dealer, just like me.\"\n\nMick was a well-established underworld fixer in the North West of England. He was the man others would ring to clear drug debts, and by the time he got the call it meant someone was heavily in debt to equally dangerous people. They were about to get hurt, and badly.\n\n\"My gun was in a plastic carrier bag, on the passenger seat, wrapped tight. You could see the shape of the gun, no DNA or prints would be left behind. Six bullets, spring loaded, it never fails.\"\n\nHe didn't have to wait long.\n\n\"I watched him walk out of the gym. But this time was different. He had two kids with him, two young children, blonde girls, around five years old.\n\n\"I got out of the car, and walked, my hand reaching into the plastic. But then I looked again at the children, again at their faces, their blonde hair, innocent kids.\n\nMick describes in detail seeing a blinding light coming from one of the children's hands.\n\n\"It was white, brilliant white. For 15 seconds I couldn't see,\" he says. \"It was like looking into the sun and I was paralysed by it.\"\n\nMick doesn't know what really happened to him that day, but one thing he is certain of - this was the moment that changed his life forever.\n\n\"I collapsed, then struggled back to the car. I felt sick, I was shaking, sweating, heart beating fast. I could hear my pulse as if it was in my head. I didn't know what was happening to me.\"\n\nAnd then, he says, he pleaded with God to help him. But nothing happened.\n\nThe only thing piercing the silence, he says, was Johnny Cash randomly playing on the radio. The song was Man in Black.\n\n\"I wear the black in mournin' for the lives that could have been,\" Cash sang.\n\n\"I felt like I was the Man in Black. By this point in my life, I had been arrested for attempted murder, kidnapping, firearms offences. I wanted to die, I'd had enough.\"\n\nMick took the gun, pressed it to his chin, still wrapped in plastic, and pulled the trigger.\n\n\"I broke down, the tears would not stop falling, and I started to feel sick again. I was retching and I punched and smashed the car radio, my hand started to bleed.\n\n\"In that moment I was seeing myself for who I really was. I hadn't cried for nearly 30 years. The last time I cried like this was when I was 11 years old. Sitting in that car it was like I was crying for him, that child, the boy I was, and the life I could have had.\"\n\nMick was suffering a complete breakdown, his violent past catching up with him, the end of decades of pain.\n\nMick was born during England's 1966 World Cup-winning year into a Burnley working-class family. His Dad was a window cleaner, who had contracts to clean factories around the town, and, as Mick describes him, a \"proper Labour-supporting man\".\n\n\"It wasn't poverty, but it wasn't luxury. It was a strict upbringing. We were forced to go to Church, we couldn't step out of line, it was old-school discipline.\"\n\nBut everything changed over two days at the beginning of February 1977. On the first day of the month, Mick was attacked by a stranger in the park on the way to school. He was just 11 years old.\n\n\"I was in turmoil,\" he says. \"I'd been sexually abused, and I couldn't cope.\"\n\nMick realised he needed help, but first he had to tell his Mum and Dad.\n\nHe walked out of his room where he had been crying, went downstairs, and looked his Mum straight in the eye. But what happened next was both cruel and extraordinary.\n\n\"Before I could open my mouth, the front door opened. It was my dad. He shouted, 'Your sister is dead.' It was brutal, just so direct. I remember the moment of pure silence, quickly pierced by the screams from my mother, howling like an animal.\"\n\nMick had been very close to his 20-year-old sister Ann. He says she looked out for him, gave him money, and bought him clothes.\n\nAnn, he later discovered, had had a heart attack and died in her father's arms at the doors to Burnley hospital.\n\n\"My dad was a tough man, but this must have been horrific for him. He watched the doctors and nurses trying desperately to resuscitate my sister.\"\n\nMick told me that this was the moment his childhood ended. A life disfigured in 48 hours.\n\n\"Drugs were my solution, and that was my introduction. The next 30 years were hell. Pure hell. I would use any drug, and always alcohol.\"\n\nBut with his dependency came criminality. At just 14 he was dealing drugs. People in Burnley, though, just thought he was self-employed, working out of town. The truth was very different.\n\n\"I was a drug runner and debt collector. I was good at my job. I'd hurt people. I wasn't bothered. I was arrested for murder twice, armed robbery three times, countless firearms offences.\n\n\"I was making crazy money, but there was nothing glamorous about this. I was lost, trying to keep my pain down, hide it. None of it worked.\"\n\nIn the 90s, there were two serious attempts on Mick's life, one a drive-by at traffic lights, the other a home invasion that went wrong.\n\n\"Criminality was my world. I didn't know how to work in a factory - I couldn't be normal. I'd see people going to work with sandwich boxes and I didn't want that. I wanted to stand out.\n\n\"Drugs were a constant around me - my best friend died from a drinking session aged 16. He choked on his own vomit, my other friend suffered a methadone overdose at 17.\n\n\"I became hardened to death. I always believed in God, but I also believed God didn't think too much of me.\"\n\nMick was also leading a double life - he had a wife and three children. But the years of lies took their toll. Mick's mum had to step in to take care of the children, to prevent social services getting involved.\n\nHe says that during this \"horrendous\" time his home was often raided by police looking for drugs and guns.\n\n\"All this destroyed my mental health, too. I started taking more drugs. I was now a very dangerous man collecting debts, hurting people. I never expected to live long - genuinely I always believed I'd die young. I didn't want to live, I didn't know how to change.\"\n\nIt was 2009 when Mick found himself outside that gym with a gun wrapped in plastic. What happened in the car, the call to God for help, the attempt to take his own life, triggered an intervention by the authorities.\n\n\"Within 24 hours, I was sectioned under The Mental Health Act. My new home was Burnley psychiatric unit. I had nothing but the clothes I arrived in.\"\n\nStrangely, Mick says, he felt at home in the unit. The patients made him feel loved and cared for. They gave him things - cigarettes, clothes, trainers.\n\n\"There were schizophrenic people in there who weren't treated, those who self-harmed, really ill people, the most vulnerable alcoholics. But these people were giving me essentials, because they saw I had nothing. I was overwhelmed.\"\n\nIt was here that Mick met Pastor Tony, who used to visit the unit. Together they prayed and talked, and Mick says he began to feel emotions again. He started helping others. It was the end of a troubled life, and the beginning of a new one of hope.\n\nA chance meeting with a tutor at the University of Manchester led to a degree in theology. It was tough at first - without much of an education Mick struggled to read and write, and was diagnosed with dyslexia and dyspraxia. He failed his first year, but with hard work and support from the university, he eventually achieved a 2:1 degree.\n\n\"I never drank or touched a drug again. It wasn't easy, it was horrendous. But it was my path to God - and all the way to 2020 and the pandemic. I had no idea of how much I'd be needed and how once again I'd be overwhelmed by suffering and pain.\"\n\nToday you'll find the man now known as Pastor Mick, with the charity Church on the Street Ministries, in Burnley, with those most in need - the homeless, the drug users, the hungry. During the coronavirus pandemic he's never been needed more.\n\nI met him on a crisp, late November evening in an almost-empty car park in the centre of town. It was only 6pm but it was quiet - a silence we've become used to during lockdowns.\n\nPastor Mick began to talk about the struggles he's witnessed this year.\n\n\"Politicians say that it's a leveller, this coronavirus. It's a lie, because if you're poor you've got no chance,\" he tells me.\n\nAcross a dual carriageway, in the distance, they started to arrive. First the homeless, some carrying their belongings in bin bags. Then the users, from those on heroin to those dependent on alcohol. There were around 20 people here, from their 20s and upwards.\n\nThen more people came - some in cars, most on foot. At least 40 people were here now, of all ages. Many were desperate, huddling around two cars belonging to the volunteers, looking for warmth and food.\n\n\"There's no need to push - there's plenty,\" shouted Kaz, a friend of Pastor Mick's, and a volunteer.\n\nThe boots of two cars opened and the waft of the hot food hits you first. It was hard not to notice the hands grabbing what they could, a slight push and a shove. Some were so in need, their freezing fingers burned as they touched the food, but it didn't stop them and not a single tray was dropped.\n\nIt didn't take long for the hot food to be snapped up. There was more though - pre-prepared food bags for people to take home. At the back of the queue there was a gentle complaint. \"There's no chocolate in mine.\" \"I think they've all got chocolate in brother,\" said Mick. \"Well mine hasn't.\" \"I'm not Asda,\" Pastor Mick retorted with a smile.\n\nMost here were respectful and thankful, but there was also a sense of community. It's hard to believe this is happening in the UK today.\n\nBurnley is one of the most deprived local authority districts in England. What's more, the local council's spending power was reduced at a greater rate than the English average between 2010/11 and 2018/19.\n\nThere's a young couple here who are struggling - she is in a wheelchair, he is her carer. They say they're having difficulties getting food and money to get by. \"A couple of day's food makes a massive difference to us,\" they tell me.\n\nAnother car boot opened, this time it was full of clothes. It was now a more frantic scene as people searched through it. One woman in her 30s told me that she suffered from depression and the pandemic had made it worse. \"If it hadn't been for all these, I'd basically be dead.\"\n\nPastor Mick was approached by a man in tears. \"My foot is white, Pastor Mick, I'm in so much pain,\" he said. \"Don't worry brother, we'll get you sorted.\" Mick guided the man in his 20s to two volunteer nurses, positioned away from the group for privacy.\n\nAfter 25 minutes, the initial rush had calmed. \"The need is absolutely colossal,\" said Mick. \"You've seen people who are working who can't make ends meet tonight. We've got volunteer NHS nurses for those who can't access primary care - some of these guys are sleeping on the concrete.\"\n\nIt was the day after the car park session, and Pastor Mick was in his white van, driving through the hilly mill town's stunning scenery, from the sandstone terraces to the prefab bungalows in the villages on the edge of Burnley. The van was packed with food, bread, biscuits, milk, chocolate.\n\nHis phone never stopped. A 10-year old boy was asking for a freezer on behalf of his mum. Mick was on it. A single parent needed a bed for her child. Mick would sort it.\n\nHe visited around 10 homes - and he does this every day, seven days a week.\n\n\"I go into houses and I sometimes have children ripping the bags open as I am carrying them through the door.\" Pastor Mick's voice started to falter, the emotion was too much. \"And it's not alright that, and it wasn't as bad as that before the virus.\"\n\nNot far from the centre of Burnley, Mick visited the imposing Gothic-style St Matthew's Anglican Church to see Father Alex Frost. They've worked together since the pandemic hit. The room next to the altar is now a makeshift food bank.\n\n\"The level of need here in Burnley at the moment, I think, is unprecedented,\" said Fr Alex.\n\n\"I think the people feel forgotten about. It is about money and numbers, and statistics. We can't rely on a food bank, it doesn't seem right, it doesn't seem modern day Britain. But it is.\"\n\nOnce Mick stocked up his van, he was back on the road.\n\nFirst up was Pete, his wife, and son. Debt has crippled them. An issue with the family's benefits meant payday loans and financial crisis.\n\n\"I had to take loans out, so we could eat and pay us bills,\" said Pete.\n\n\"We were in debt for well over a thousand pound. Thanks to Pastor Mick, we've got it down now to two, three hundred pounds. My son suffers from depression from it, and so does my wife.\"\n\nMick was off again. This time to see Viv. She's 55, lives alone and suffered terribly with her mental health during lockdown.\n\n\"I stopped eating for about a week, I just ended up collapsing on my bathroom floor and I were there for, I think, a full day,\" she tells me. \"Hyperthermia had kicked in with everything with me.\"\n\nViv had only recently got out of hospital, and was painfully thin. Mick had got some high-energy nutrition drinks to drop off.\n\nLiving alone during this time has brought back painful memories for Viv - of previous family bereavements.\n\n\"It's like losing all my family again, it's just like brought it all back.\"\n\nAs Mick left, he promised to collect her painkillers prescription later in the day. \"She was trapped inside her house, imagine being trapped inside your own mind. She stopped living,\" he said.\n\nNext was a food parcel for Sheila, in her late 50s. Sheila had been diagnosed with stage-four cancer and was worried about the impact coronavirus had had on her care.\n\n\"I'm supposed to have blood tests done once a month for my cancer count,\" she said. \"But nobody's been and done it [in] six months. And I've just found out that what I thought was two hernias is not, it's one huge hernia. I can't be operated on, because my lungs won't survive it.\"\n\n\"I don't want to be a drain on the system that's already dying, because I'm already dying, people need the NHS,\" she said.\n\nThis was just a small insight into one day on Pastor Mick's journey in one town.\n\nAcross England the death rate from all causes, between April and June this year in the most deprived areas of the country, was nearly double that of the least deprived areas.\n\n\"I've never seen anything like this, on this scale,'' said Pastor Mick, \"Poverty seems to be hidden, It's underneath the surface that people don't see, they think they do but they don't.\n\nPastor Mick has travelled his own road to Damascus, from a life of crime to being tested everyday by the impact of coronavirus. I wanted to know what motivates him to keep going.\n\n\"What I do today, it's not a penance, it's the complete opposite. It's a privilege to serve the people of Burnley. It's a glorious thing,\" he said.\n\nBut then Mick revealed a staggering story to try and explain why he is at peace with those terrible events of his childhood.\n\nTen years ago, he befriended a homeless alcoholic outside a take away. Mick listened to him, cared for him, helped him to get sober and reunite with his family. The man died two years later but his family was thankful they'd all been together.\n\n\"What I never told him or his family, or the police, was that he was the man who raped me as a child. Why? I knew that I had been forgiven for my past. I didn't do what he had done, but still, terrible things, but I felt forgiven and I didn't want to live in his sin.\"\n\n\"This is why I'm free, I'm not spending my life in torment. It's redemption.\"\n\nWe next found Pastor Mick praying with a woman outside St Matthew's. It was the second week in a row she had been here. She was distressed but finding comfort in Mick's words.\n\nFr Alex explained what had happened. \"She came last Saturday and she broke down and told me her daughter had killed herself.\"\n\nAfterwards, the woman, Sonia, explained the difference Pastor Mick and Fr Alex have made to her life. She said that without them she, too, would have taken her life.\n\nInside St Matthew's, Fr Alex, broke down and sobbed. \"I'm sorry about getting upset. You carry people's burdens, you try to tell them it's alright. It's so upsetting.\"\n\nPastor Mick is proud that it is \"the people of faith who are stepping in and making a massive difference\".\n\nBut Fr Alex wants others to find a longer-term answer to the issues exposed by the coronavirus in places like Burnley.\n\nThe government says it is committed to reducing deprivation and has spent £100bn on welfare support this year.\n\nThis is the story of Pastor Mick's journey, helping just some of those struggling in Burnley. But the fear is the challenges now facing our poorest communities will remain, long after this pandemic is over.", "Two rare Ferraris sold for £8.5m at auction\n\nA new lifeboat station has been built in north Wales after a businessman left the RNLI cars worth £8.5m in his will.\n\nHe left two rare Ferraris to the charity, which later sold for about £8.5m at auction - the most valuable items ever left to the organisation in a single donation.\n\nPart of the money funded new equipment in Hastings, while £2.8m paid for the new station at Pwllheli, Gwynedd.\n\nMr Colton left the RNLI a red 1960 Ferrari 250 GT SWB, which sold at auction for £6.6m, and a 1967 Ferrari 275 GTB/4, which raised £1.93m.\n\nWork on the new boathouse is now complete, although Covid delayed the manufacturing of a new lifeboat - due to arrive in April.\n\nPwllheli lifeboat operations manager Cliff Thomas said: \"Receiving this fantastic news really was a shock. What an exceptional Christmas gift for us all.\n\n\"This latest donation really is a humbling end to what has been a difficult year for everyone.\"\n\nClive Moore, Pwllheli coxswain, said: \"We are a small Welsh station and the move to the new building and site will mark a significant period in the history of the station.\n\n\"I find it remarkable and very humbling that a gentleman who had no seafaring connection should have the desire to support the RNLI through the sale of his treasured cars, and that we should now benefit at Pwllheli as a consequence of his generosity.\"\n\nThe local community has also raised £83,000 towards the new station.", "Smoke from wildfires could be a surprising new route for the spread of infections, according to research.\n\nScientist say that microbes and fungi can survive in large numbers in smoky plumes.\n\nThe authors believe it's likely that organisms from the soil, known to cause infection, could be transferred in this way.\n\nThey argue that greater monitoring of wildfire smoke by health authorities is urgently needed.\n\nFor decades, it has been widely assumed that nothing much lives in a plume of wildfire smoke.\n\nIt has also been assumed that if smoke poses a threat to human health, it's because it is full of particulate matter.\n\nThese microscopic particles of soot are known to be a severe irritant, causing respiratory and cardiovascular issues.\n\nHowever, there has been growing concern that wildfire smoke could also carry infectious microbes or fungi.\n\nThe US Centers for Disease Control (CDC0 says that firefighters are at risk of coccidioidomycosis, a common infection caused by a fungus that becomes airborne when soils are disturbed.\n\nScientists prepare to use a drone to gather smoke samples\n\nScientists are now beginning to uncover the scale of the potential infectious threat posed by smoke from wildfires.\n\nUsing new techniques to capture microbes in smoke, researchers say that they found over 900 different types of bacteria and around 100 unique fungi.\n\n\"The diversity of microbes we have found so far in the very few studies that have been done is impressive,\" said Dr Leda Kobziar, from the University of Idaho, in Moscow, US, who led the review.\n\n\"These taxa (groups of living organisms) were not found in non-smoky air in the same locations prior to the fire, proving that combustion and its associated winds aerosolise microbes into smoke columns.\"\n\nThe researchers believe that the microbes hitch-hike on particulate matter in the smoke.\n\nEven in high-intensity fires, the scientists found bacteria in abundance 300 metres above a fire. Over 60% of these were viable.\n\nThey suspect that the particulate matter on which they are travelling protects the microbes from ultraviolet radiation, which might kill them off.\n\nWhile the scientists have shown that there are large numbers of bacteria in smoke and that they can survive in the plume, the key question is how much of a threat to health do they pose?\n\n\"We have found a number of microbes that are commonly known to cause respiratory ailments - things that can trigger asthma, for example,\" Dr Kobziar said, via email.\n\n\"The likelihood of soil and plant-borne organisms known to cause infection is high, but has yet to be experimentally tested.\"\n\nPrevious studies with hurricanes and storms have shown that these infectious agents can travel extremely long distances, although no one has yet shown a similar journey for bacteria in a smoke plume.\n\nBut the ability of smoke to travel around the world suggests that it could be a \"missing link\" in explaining some patterns of infection.\n\n\"When infections are detected in patients, the potential causal agents that are screened are based on what is known to be endemic in a given region,\" said Dr Kobziar.\n\n\"However, smoke blurs the lines between regions. It may be that many cases of infection with undetermined causal agents have occurred due to smoke transport of microbes outside of their areas where it is endemic.\n\n\"It may be that smoke is the missing link to explain some of these patterns of infection across space and time.\"\n\nShe added: \"This could also have ecological ramifications.\"\n\nThe review study has been published in the journal Science.", "Sweden's king has said his country \"failed\" to save lives with its relatively relaxed approach to the coronavirus pandemic.\n\nKing Carl XVI Gustaf made the remarks as part of an annual TV review of the year with the royal family.\n\nSweden, which has never imposed a full lockdown, has seen nearly 350,000 cases and more than 7,800 deaths - a lot more than its Scandinavian neighbours.\n\nPrime Minister Stefan Lofven said he agreed with the king's remarks.\n\n\"Of course the fact that so many have died can't be considered as anything other than a failure,\" Mr Lofven told reporters.\n\nReferring to the government's strategy, Mr Lofven added that \"it's when we are through the pandemic that the real conclusions can be drawn\".\n\nIn the programme, the king says: \"I think we have failed. We have a large number who have died and that is terrible.\n\n\"The people of Sweden have suffered tremendously in difficult conditions. One thinks of all the family members who have happened to be unable to say goodbye to their deceased family members. I think it is a tough and traumatic experience not to be able to say a warm goodbye.\"\n\nWhen asked if he was afraid of being infected with Covid-19, the king - who is 74 - said: \"Lately, it has felt more obvious, it has crept closer and closer. That's not what you want.\"\n\nInstead of relying on legal sanctions, Sweden appeals to citizens' sense of responsibility and civic duty, and issues only recommendations. There are no sanctions if they are ignored.\n\nSweden has never imposed a nationwide lockdown or the wearing of masks, and bars and restaurants have remained open.\n\nHowever, earlier this week, schools across the Stockholm region were asked to switch to distance learning for 13 to 15-year-olds for the first time as soon as possible. The measure was announced in response to rising Covid-19 cases.\n\nThis came a week after a nationwide decision on 7 December to switch to remote learning for those over 16.\n\nAnd on Monday, new nationwide social-distancing recommendations for the Christmas period came into force, replacing similar region-specific guidelines.\n\nSwedes are advised to meet a maximum of eight people, gather outdoors if possible and avoid travelling by train or bus.\n\nA formal ban on public gatherings of more than eight people remains, affecting events such as concerts, sports matches and demonstrations.\n\nSweden's state epidemiologist, Anders Tegnell, in November explained the strategy relied on a combination of legal and voluntary measures.\n\nHe told the BBC that this was, in the Swedish context, \"the combination that we really believe is the best one\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Tegnell: \"Not yet possible to say which country has right strategy\" (November 2020 interview)\n\nAccording to an official report released earlier this week, the strategy failed in its effort to protect the elderly in care homes - for which the government has admitted responsibility.\n\nOver 90% of Covid-related deaths have been among those aged 70 and over, and nearly half of all Covid deaths have been in care homes, the government says.\n\nMr Tegnell said his agency (Sweden's Public Health Agency) was not responsible for directing the elderly care system, and added all stakeholders needed to help to improve the situation to make sure the elderly did not get infected.\n\nHe said he thought Sweden had become better at protecting older people, and that no country had succeeded entirely in that area - even Germany was being hit hard right now, he told Swedish radio on Wednesday.\n\nSweden has had more deaths than the rest of the Nordic countries combined. This has led to criticism from the country's neighbours, Norway, Denmark and Finland, that its less strict approach is putting their own measures at risk.\n\nOn Tuesday, Prime Minister Lofven also said he felt many experts had underestimated the second wave.\n\n\"I think most in the profession did not see such a wave incoming. There was instead talk of different clusters,\" he said in an interview with daily Aftonbladet.", "Forecasters have warned of difficult driving conditions due to flooding\n\nSome roads have been flooded and people are being warned to avoid rivers and beaches as heavy rain continues to fall across large parts of Wales.\n\nA yellow warning is in place until 03:00 GMT on Saturday, covering much of south, mid and West Wales.\n\nThe Met Office has also issued an amber rain warning across the south Wales valleys until midnight on Friday.\n\nNatural Resources Wales has issued 13 flood warnings, including for rivers in Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire.\n\nDozens of flood alerts, meaning flooding is possible and people should be prepared, are in place for people living near rivers, including in Powys.\n\nSouth Wales Fire and Rescue Service has warned people to stay away from beaches and river banks and not to attempt to walk or drive through flood water.\n\nIn Carmarthenshire, the A485 has been closed in both directions due to flooding between New Inn and Gwyddgrug, and flood gates leading into Abergwili Road have been closed due to water on the road, with Dyfed-Powys Police urging people to avoid the area.\n\nEmergency services have also urged people living in areas at risk of flooding to move essential medicine upstairs.\n\nForecasters have warned of disruption to transport services and power lines with up to 100mm of rain expected to fall in some areas.\n\nHomes are likely to be affected and communities could be be cut off due to water on the roads.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by BBC Weather This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThe weather warnings will remain in place while a band of heavy rain is expected continue overnight into Saturday.\n\nThe yellow weather warning also includes Ceredigion, Pembrokeshire and the Vale of Glamorgan.\n\nWeather warnings are in place across Wales\n\nNRW said its emergency response workers were working with partners across key sites to check defences were in working order and ensuring any drains were clear to reduce risk to people and homes.\n\n\"We are urging people to keep a close eye on weather reports and on the NRW website for details on any potential impacts in their areas,\" he said.\n\n\"We're also advising to take extra care when travelling as conditions could be hazardous.\"", "Alex Webb said he hoped \"to achieve my big dream of owning my own restaurant\"\n\nA young chef \"came of age\" as he was crowned the winner of this year's Masterchef: The Professionals.\n\nAlex Webb won the final of the BBC One TV show after impressing judges Marcus Wareing, Monica Galetti and Gregg Wallace with his three-course meal.\n\nThe 25-year-old said: \"It is the best feeling I have ever had in my life.\"\n\nMr Webb, who was born and lives in Essex, is the head chef of a restaurant in Dunmow he started working in as a pot washer when he was 15.\n\n\"To walk away with the trophy is incredible. I am so proud,\" he said.\n\n\"I really wanted it and all the blood, sweat and tears and sleepless nights have paid off.\"\n\nFor his winning meal, Mr Webb made a scallop ceviche starter with an artichoke and pickled pear tartare with yoghurt foam, parsley powder and capers.\n\nFor his main course he cooked pan-seared trout with a number of parsnip sides, plus a mussel and caviar cream sauce alongside a mini potato fish pie.\n\nJudges Marcus Wareing, Gregg Wallace and Monica Galetti were impressed with Alex Webb's winning meal\n\nMichelin-starred Wareing said: \"We have seen a young chef come of age.\n\n\"He is a brilliant young chef, I love his thirst for knowledge, and he has cooked beyond his years.\n\n\"Masterchef is about the next generation and for me as a chef I see Alex as the future.\"\n\nGaletti added: \"There is a bit of Alex's youth which comes through in his cooking which makes it very different and that is something I have really enjoyed.\"\n\nMr Webb said he had \"lots of ideas for a book\" and would like to do more television work.\n\n\"I will continue to work in the restaurant I do now, and I would like to keep learning and pushing myself,\" he added.\n\n\"Then, hopefully one day, I will be able to achieve my big dream of owning my own restaurant.\"", "Free range chickens were found to have Avian flu at a farm in Orkney\n\nA flock of chickens from an Orkney farm has been culled in Scotland's first serious case of bird flu since 2016.\n\nA six-mile (10km) control zone has been set up on the island of Sanday.\n\nThirty-nine free range laying chickens died of bird flu and the 11 remaining birds in the affected flock were put down.\n\nThe controls include restrictions on the movement of poultry, carcasses, eggs, used poultry litter and manure and restrictions on bird gatherings.\n\nScotland's Chief Veterinary Officer Sheila Voas said the risk to human health from the H5N8 Avian Influenza was very low.\n\nBird keepers have been urged to comply with an order to house birds that came in to effect on 14 December.\n\nThe last case of the H5N8 strain was found in a dead peregrine falcon in Dumfries and Galloway four years ago.\n\nOther less serious strains of have been detected since then.\n\nMs Voas said: \"We have already made clear that all bird keepers - whether major businesses or small keepers with just a few birds - must ensure that their biosecurity is up to scratch to protect their birds from disease and prevent any contact between their birds and wild birds.\n\nKeepers who are concerned about the health or welfare of their flock should seek veterinary advice immediately. Your private vet, or your local Animal and Plant Health Agency office, will also be able to provide practical advice on keeping your birds safe from infection.\n\n\"Any dead wild swans, geese, ducks or gulls, falcons or other birds of prey or five or more dead wild birds of other species in the same location, should be reported to the Defra dead wild bird helpline.\"\n\nShe added that avian influenzas pose a very low food safety risk for UK consumers, and it does not affect the consumption of poultry products including eggs.\n\nIn theory, this strain could transmit to humans but as yet there have been no cases of it anywhere in the world.\n\nHowever, it is highly infectious for birds and so restrictions for keepers have been put in place to lock their birds inside and away from wild birds.\n\nThis is more serious than the last case in 2016 when just a single wild peregrine falcon was infected. Clearly this time there has been transmission of the virus.\n\nFree range poultry can continue to be labelled as such for a while but if this goes on for more than 12 weeks they will have to be relabelled and that will effectively devalue them.\n\nIt's an additional headache producers could do without just now with everything else that's going on.\n\nBut it is absolutely worth stressing that there's no risk at all from eating properly cooked poultry or eggs.\n\nBecause of the number of cases in Europe and in England the risk of bird flu is currently judged to be very high for wild birds, high for poultry where there is poor biosecurity and medium for poultry with protection measures in place.\n\nA number of swans were recently found dead near the Hampshire coast and on the Isle of Wight and there were culls in Warwickshire and Worcestershire.\n\nEarlier cases have included two farms in Norfolk, East Anglia and a wildlife centre in Gloucestershire. All 10,500 turkeys at a farm in North Yorkshire were culled following an outbreak.\n\nRural Affairs Minister Mairi Gougeon said Scottish cases were not \"unexpected\" given the cases in wild and captive birds elsewhere in the UK.\n\n\"We ask that the public remain vigilant and report any findings of dead wild birds,\" she added.\n\nNFU Scotland animal health policy manager Penny Middleton described it as \"disappointing\".\n\n\"It is now a legal requirement for all bird keepers, whether they have one hen in the back garden or a large poultry business, to keep their birds indoors and to follow strict biosecurity measures to limit the spread of Avian Influenza and keep out the disease\", she said.\n\n\"It's crucial that everyone remains vigilant and reports any signs of disease - both in domestic birds and in wild birds - at the earliest opportunity.\"\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Demand for dogs skyrocketed in lockdown and has risen again in the run-up to Christmas. Prices have soared as a result.\n\nOrganised crime is exploiting the situation by smuggling puppies from abroad and stealing dogs in the UK.\n\nDog thefts are now believed to be at an unprecedented high, with puppies stolen for immediate sale and adults taken for forced breeding on puppy farms.\n\nAn organised crime expert tells the BBC how it works, and why this is the \"perfect crime\".\n\nIf you have any information about the incidents featured in this film, you can report it online or by calling 101 and quote reference number 40/49974/20 for Melissa and Tig's story - or 41/67201/20 for Trigger and Katy's.", "An average of 115 referrals from helpline calls were made each month between April and November\n\nThe number of referrals from the NSPCC about child abuse has increased by 79% since the UK-wide lockdown was imposed, according to the charity's data.\n\nCalls to its helpline resulted in 923 referrals to police and social services between April and November.\n\nAlmost a third related to neglect and the charity warned more children could be at risk over Christmas.\n\nWales' children's commissioner said the pandemic had a \"real and significant\" impact on the most vulnerable children.\n\nOne caller to NSPCC Cymru's hotline reported concerns their neighbour's son was being neglected.\n\nThey said they could hear the father screaming and shouting obscenities towards his three-year-old son.\n\n\"This led to the boy crying constantly. The parents have no concern for their child, I've noticed the boy is regularly left in the garden for hours on end unsupervised,\" said the caller.\n\n\"There is also an excess of bin bags all ripped in the back garden. I only noticed this because of the smell that was emanating from it. It makes me sad and upset seeing the boy treated like this.\"\n\nCalls to the NSPCC have resulted in more referrals to police and social services\n\nA mother also called as she was worried about her own son, who lived with his father.\n\n\"The father is unable to have a proper conversation about anything. The house is always a mess with lots of rubbish everywhere and my son is normally left to fend for himself,\" she said.\n\n\"I'm worried about the impact this is having on his emotional wellbeing. I can't keep quiet about this anymore, it's really worrying me, what should I do?\"\n\nThere was an average of 115 referrals from helpline calls made each month between April and November, compared to the pre-lockdown average of 64.\n\nNSPCC analysis of the data showed the level of concern about emotional abuse, neglect and physical abuse remained well above the pre-pandemic average across the UK.\n\nKamaljit Thandi, head of the NSPCC helpline, said: \"It's no secret that this Christmas is going to be a very different one and, for thousands of children, being stuck at home for the holidays will be a terrifying thought.\"\n\nChildren's commissioner for Wales, Sally Holland, said people should trust their instincts and not delay speaking up.\n\n\"During a year where many have spent long periods unable to socialise with friends and unable to attend their nursery, school or youth group, some children will have spent more time in a home where they do not feel safe.\n\n\"With infection rates so high in our communities and no clear timeframe for getting back to normal life, it's even more important than usual that people look out for signs of child abuse and contact their local child protection team, or Childline, if they are worried.\"\n\nNSPCC Cymru has urged the Welsh Government to encourage the public to be extra vigilant, especially during the Christmas holidays and while schools are closed, to ensure children and families \"get the help they need\".\n\nIt also said the government needed to invest long-term funding to support children recovering from adverse and traumatic experiences during lockdown.\n\nThe Welsh Government said it was committed to working with safeguarding partners to do everything possible to prevent and tackle child abuse and to support children who have experienced it.\n\n\"Our national action plan sets out clear actions to prevent child sexual abuse, to protect children at risk and to support abused children,\" a spokesperson said.\n\n\"It was published in 2019 and actions are to be completed by 31 December 2021. The existing plan sets out the next steps which would then be taken, including considering evidence from a review of its implementation, in consultation with stakeholders, to decide on next steps.\"", "Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Friday evening. We'll have another update for you tomorrow morning.\n\nSchool staff feel \"broken\" by last-minute demands for them to run testing schemes in secondary schools in England, a head teacher says. Teachers and administrators face working over Christmas to get ready for January - but the PM says mass testing can help get pupils back safely.\n\nThe UK's R - or reproduction - number is now estimated to be between 1.1 and 1.2, meaning the epidemic is growing once again. Covid-19 cases have risen to an estimated 660,000 infections across the UK between 6-12 December. Meanwhile, a further 28,507 new coronavirus cases were recorded in the UK on Friday, with a further 489 deaths within 28 days of a positive test.\n\nStill have Christmas cards and parcels to send? Well, you might want to think about getting a move on. The Royal Mail says its network is running as usual - despite what it describes as \"exceptionally high volumes\". There have been complaints about delivery delays from businesses and consumers across the UK.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\n...if you're concerned about the prospect of picking up - or passing on - the virus over Christmas, we have some advice from scientists.\n\nYou can find more information, advice and guides on our coronavirus page.\n\nWhat questions do you have about coronavirus?\n\nIn some cases, your question will be published, displaying your name, age and location as you provide it, unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published. Please ensure you have read our terms & conditions and privacy policy.\n\nUse this form to ask your question:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or send them via email to YourQuestions@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any question you send in.", "Commons leader Jacob Rees Mogg has accused Unicef of \"playing politics\" after the charity launched a campaign to help feed children in the UK.\n\nThe Tory MP said the charity was meant to look after people in the poorest countries and should be \"ashamed\".\n\nIt comes after Unicef said it would pledge £25,000 to a south London charity to help supply breakfast boxes over the Christmas holidays.\n\nUnicef said every child deserves to \"thrive\" no matter where they are born.\n\nThe grant to the charity School Food Matters in Southwark aims to help vulnerable children and families during the coronavirus crisis.\n\nUnicef said the initiative was its first emergency response in the UK in its 70-year history.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. \"It is a real scandal that Unicef should be playing politics in this way.\"\n\nMr Rees-Mogg was responding to a question from Labour MP Zarah Sultana in the House of Commons.\n\n\"For the first time ever, Unicef, the UN agency responsible for providing humanitarian aid to children, is having to feed working-class kids in the UK,\" she said. \"But while children go hungry, a wealthy few enjoy obscene riches.\"\n\nShe asked if Mr Rees-Mogg would \"give government time to discuss the need to make him and his super-rich chums pay their fair share so that we can end the grotesque inequality that scars our society\".\n\nResponding, Mr Rees-Mogg said Unicef \"should be ashamed of itself\".\n\n\"I think it is a real scandal that Unicef should be playing politics in this way when it is meant to be looking after people in the poorest, the most deprived, countries of the world where people are starving, where there are famines and where there are civil wars, and they make cheap political points of this kind, giving, l think, £25,000 to one council,\" he said.\n\n\"It is a political stunt of the lowest order.\"\n\nHe said the number of children in absolute poverty across the country had gone down by 100,000 over the past decade, which he described as \"a record of success\".\n\nIn response, Anna Kettley, Unicef UK's director of programmes and advocacy, said: \"Unicef UK is responding to this unprecedented crisis and building on our 25 years' experience of working on children's rights in the UK with a one-off domestic response, launched in August, to provide support to vulnerable children and families around the country during this crisis period.\"\n\nShe said more than £700,000 was being granted to community groups around the country to help tackle food insecurity during the pandemic.\n\n\"Unicef will continue to spend our international funding helping the world's poorest children. We believe that every child is important and deserves to survive and thrive no matter where they are born,\" she added.", "Business and consumers across the UK are still facing worries that Christmas deliveries won't arrive on time.\n\n\"Some things haven't been delivered yet, and it's causing stress to people waiting,\" said Ellie Chalkley, who has an Etsy shop in Glasgow.\n\nWith just a week till the festive celebration, couriers are dealing with an unprecedented volume of parcels.\n\n\"All delivery companies are experiencing exceptionally high volumes this year,\" said the Royal Mail.\n\nIt added that the majority of the Royal Mail network is now running as usual in line with the seasonal peak in demand.\n\nProblems have grown because of a huge increase in online Christmas shopping, partly driven by the recent lockdown, and the ongoing Covid restrictions.\n\nAccording to the online retail trade body the IMRG, sales for the first two weeks of December jumped by just over 50% compared to the previous year.\n\n\"We could not possibly have anticipated this level of packets and parcels, it seems to be intensifying every day,\" said Terry Pullinger, deputy general secretary of the Communication Workers Union.\n\n\"That coupled with the arrangements that are going to be in place to keep key workers safe because of COVID and the rising spread of COVID, is complicating what is already a strategical nightmare.\"\n\n\"Anything that is sent to me via Royal Mail is arriving at least a week late,\" writer Geordie Clarke who lives in north London told the BBC.\n\n\"For the past six weeks I've had one postal delivery every week to 10 days for letters and cards, and parcels arrive whenever.\n\n\"For example, it took nine days for a 48-hour tracked parcel to arrive.\"\n\nBut financial adviser Andy Rainer, who lives in the Scottish Highlands, reported the opposite experience.\n\n\"We haven't experienced any problems, although we may be the lucky ones,\" he told the BBC.\n\n\"Parcels sent on Wednesday arrived yesterday. Christmas cards have been sent and received the following day.\"\n\nThe Royal Mail took on around 33,000 seasonal workers to help it cope with the increased demand as well as opening two extra temporary sorting centres.\n\nEven so, some Royal Mail sorting offices and delivery depots fell behind, resulting in delays for customers.\n\n\"From the start, we have always said that despite our best endeavours, it is possible that some areas of the country may experience a reduction in service levels due to COVID-related absences and necessary social distancing measures at local mail centres and delivery offices,\" it said.\n\nFriday 18 December is the last recommended posting date for second class letters and packages, although there's no guarantee they will reach their destination on time.\n\nMonday 21 December is the last recommended posting date for first class deliveries although, again, there's no guarantee of timely delivery.\n\nBusiness owner Mariusz Luczakowski says he is frustrated with Royal Mail after customers complained about not receiving their deliveries on time\n\nWednesday 23 December is the last chance to use Royal Mail's Special Delivery Guaranteed by 1pm the next day service in time for Christmas.\n\nIt costs from £6.70 for a 100g letter, rising to £41.20 for a 20kg parcel.\n\nRoyal Mail - along with other couriers - offers a tracking service so you can follow the progress of your package.\n\nMariusz Luczakowski runs a small chocolate company in Worcestershire and uses Royal Mail to send out orders to customers via first class delivery. Over the past few days he says he has received emails from customers complaining of delays - sometimes of seven or more days.\n\n\"I am feeling frustration, but at least it's not only me,\" he told the BBC.\n\n\"It is a really scary and uncertain time for a small business owner and so easy to destroy the reputation of your own company by not delivering on time as promised.\"", "Leading UK property websites are hosting rental listings that may unlawfully discriminate against people who claim benefits, a BBC investigation has found.\n\nThe majority of adverts on SpareRoom and OpenRent say people on benefits will not be considered as tenants.\n\n\"It's very demoralising,\" said Emma, a single mother from London. \"Everyone deserves housing.\"\n\nThe rental platforms said they were working to address the issues.\n\nIn July, a judge ruled that blanket bans on renting properties to benefits claimants are unlawful and discriminatory, breaking the 2010 Equality Act on grounds of sex and disability.\n\nBut the practice is still widespread on SpareRoom and OpenRent. More than 80% of 59,000 listings we analysed on these websites were not open to benefits claimants.\n\nBoth platforms currently offer landlords a tick-box option to exclude people on benefits, although SpareRoom plans to remove the option.\n\nOther websites have policies to remove discriminatory wording from adverts. This includes language such as \"professionals only\", \"no housing benefit\" or \"no DSS\", a reference to the old Department of Social Security.\n\nFewer than 1% of 335,000 listings we analysed on Zoopla and Rightmove contained such phrases.\n\nHowever, the BBC found thousands of listings on these websites that seemed open to benefits claimants, where the same property advertised on OpenRent did exclude them.\n\nOpenRent founder Adam Hyslop said: \"We know that access to suitable properties for benefit claimants is a real and painful problem, and we want to solve the root causes of these issues.\n\n\"We've raised these issues in Parliament and with industry lobby groups and are working hard to address the root causes - as well as trying to combat prejudice by educating OpenRent users.\n\n\"OpenRent does not ban any group of tenants, and in the past year we have let over 25,000 properties where applications from benefit claimants were explicitly welcomed by the landlord.\"\n\nSpareRoom director Matt Hutchinson said: \"After the July ruling we changed the way SpareRoom works, so landlords can only list rooms as unavailable to benefit claimants if their mortgage or insurance specifically forbid it. However, we've seen far more rooms still being listed as unavailable than the small number we expected.\n\n\"The reality is that there are almost no buy to let mortgages left with those clauses in them, so we're currently in the process of removing the option to list as unavailable to benefit claimants completely.\"\n\nEmma lives in a privately rented one-bedroom flat with her son. \"I pay my rent on time every month,\" she said, \"I have references to prove that as well as a guarantor.\"\n\nDespite this, she has been unable to find a larger flat for two years. \"I'm in receipt of benefits, so landlords won't take [me].\" she explained. \"They'll gaslight you, ignore you.\"\n\nHer housing situation has taken a toll on her mental health and stress levels. \"It's made me quite angry,\" she said. \"It's very traumatising.\"\n\nEmma said landlords should not assume that benefit claimants will be unreliable tenants. \"In this economy, my benefits are more stable than your job,\" she added.\n\nSince the start of the coronavirus pandemic, the number of households in Great Britain in receipt of the Housing Entitlement of Universal Credit grew 62% to 1.2 million, according to the Department for Work and Pensions. A further 746,314 private renters claim Housing Benefit.\n\nRecent housing statistics gathered from official sources by Shelter show women and disabled people are disproportionally affected by policies that ban benefits claimants.\n\nDisabled households are almost three times as likely to use Housing Benefit as non-disabled households.\n\nWomen in the private rented sector are more than 1.5 times more likely to receive Housing Benefit than men.\n\nOne man, who asked to remain anonymous, said: \"DSS discrimination has been a constant hurdle in me even being able to secure a viewing.\"\n\nThe 49-year-old, who has learning disabilities and mental health problems, is in receipt of Housing Benefit, Employment and Support Allowance and Disability Living Allowance.\n\n\"As soon as I tell the letting agents that I'm not able to work as I'm disabled, either I don't hear back from them at all or I phone them up and they tell me the person I need to speak to isn't available,\" he said.\n\nPolly Neate, chief executive of housing charity Shelter, said: \"Property portals should be reminding landlords and letting agents of their duty not to discriminate - they should not be contributing to the problem.\"\n\nOtherwise, she said, landlords and agents risk serious legal action.\n\nShe said insurance policies covering landlords who rented to housing benefit tenants were easily available and that all major lenders had removed their \"no DSS\" clauses, including from historic contracts.\n\nA survey conducted by YouGov on behalf of Shelter suggests that landlords' main reasons for not letting to benefits claimants include \"I do not want to let to this type of person or household\" and \"my letting agent advised against it\".\n\nZoopla said: \"While we are happy that the BBC's research showed over 99% of our listings are compliant we recognise even one listing with discriminatory wording is too much. We are constantly updating our systems to ensure any attempts by agents to circumvent our rules are caught and, while we have made strong progress on this, the process is ongoing.\n\n\"Any agent we do find attempting to breach our rules on this can face a variety of sanctions including the removal of their ability to list properties on our site.\"\n\nA Rightmove spokesperson said \"We believe that all prospective tenants should have equal access to the widest possible selection of properties possible irrespective of how their rent is paid.\"\n\nWe analysed over 300,000 rental listings across Great Britain that were advertised between the 1st and 15th of December.\n\nOn OpenRent and SpareRoom, discriminatory listings were identified by a tick box option that excludes people on benefits from renting a property.\n\nOn Zoopla and Rightmove, we searched for language such as \"no housing benefits\" and \"No DSS\", using a list obtained from Shelter.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Michel Barnier says negotiations have \"just a few hours\"\n\nThere are \"just a few hours left\" for the UK and EU to agree a post-Brexit trade deal, says Michel Barnier.\n\nSpeaking in the European Parliament on Friday, the EU's chief negotiator said it was \"the moment of truth\" for the two sides to come to an agreement.\n\nHe said there was still a \"chance\" of a deal, but the \"path is very narrow\".\n\nBoris Johnson said the UK side was willing to \"keep talking\", but added: \"Things are looking difficult and there is a gap that needs to be bridged.\"\n\nTalks are resuming later between the two teams in Brussels after the prime minister and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen spoke on Thursday night.\n\nMrs von der Leyen said bridging \"big differences\", particularly on fishing rights, would be \"very challenging\", while Mr Johnson said a no deal scenario was \"very likely\" unless the EU position changed \"substantially\".\n\nEarlier, Mr Barnier met fishing ministers from EU states to discuss the ongoing division over the issue.\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer accused the government of \"dithering over Brexit\", calling for the PM to \"get this deal done\" and \"deliver it for the British people\".\n\nThe UK left the EU on 31 January, but has been following the bloc's trade rules while the two sides negotiate a trade deal.\n\nIf one is not agreed by 31 December, they will go on to trade on World Trade Organization (WTO) rules, which could see charges introduced on goods being sold and bought - and could lead to an increase in prices.\n\nMr Barnier said it was the UK that decided on the deadline and the EU would have been willing to extend the so-called transition period into next year so talks could continue.\n\n\"If they should leave with an agreement or without, it is nevertheless the Brits that decided on that deadline,\" he told the European Parliament.\n\nMr Johnson has insisted the UK will \"prosper\" with or without a trade deal with the EU.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Boris Johnson: \"Our door is open\" for post-Brexit trade talks\n\nThe talks taking place in Brussels between Mr Barnier and his UK counterpart, Lord David Frost, are aimed at breaking the deadlock on key issues that remain unresolved.\n\nThey include rights to fishing waters from 1 January and what is known as the \"level playing field\" - where the EU does not want UK businesses to get an unfair advantage by moving away from its rules and standards.\n\nOn fishing, Mr Barnier said if the UK wants to use its \"sovereignty\" over its waters to cut access for EU fisherman, \"then the European Union also has to maintain its sovereign right to react or compensate adjusting conditions [to access the] single market\".\n\nAnd on the level playing field, he said there needed to be \"fair competition\" in place, adding: \"If the sovereign United Kingdom would like to depart from those standards, that is their right, but it brings with it consequences when it comes to access to our markets without tariffs or quotas.\"\n\nSpeaking on a visit to Manchester, Mr Johnson said the UK position was \"always that we want to keep talking if there is any chance of a deal\".\n\nBut he called for the EU to \"recognise the UK has got to be able to control its own laws - that's what people voted for - and we have also got to be able to control our waters and fishing rights\".\n\nThe PM added: \"No sensible government is going to agree to a treaty that doesn't have those two basic things in it as well as everything else.\n\n\"Our door is open, we will keep talking, but I have to say that things are looking difficult and there is a gap that needs to be bridged.\n\n\"The UK has done a lot to try and help and we hope our EU friends will see sense and come to the table with something themselves.\"\n\nWhy, you might ask, if the EU's priority in negotiations was to protect the single market, is Brussels allowing the issue of fish to endanger the whole deal?\n\nThe level playing field is worth a lot more in monetary and political terms to the bloc, but it sounds quite abstract to voters.\n\nHowever, fishermen and women losing their jobs, industries dwindling... that would be very visible, very quickly, elevating the importance of fishing rights.\n\nIt is in coastal countries where governments fear a public backlash if it's perceived they've sacrificed national fishing communities for a deal with UK.\n\nAlthough the majority of EU members are not coastal nations, and although everyone in the bloc would love to finally put this deal to bed - for political and financial reasons, as well as being plain fed up with the process - the EU as a whole won't try to force member states to sign up if they are unhappy.\n\nMichel Barnier spoke to EU coastal countries on Friday to try to find a compromise position but, because of the \"nothing is agreed until everything is agreed\" mantra of negotiations, the EU mood is less optimistic about prospect of imminent breakthrough than it was two days ago.\n\nIf a deal is reached between the two sides, it would need to be agreed by parliaments in the UK and EU.\n\nSenior MEPs in the European Parliament have said they will not be \"rushed\" into signing off a deal on their side, and want to see the text of any agreement by Sunday if they are to approve it by the end of the year.\n\nUK MPs have now finished for the Christmas break, but Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove said on Thursday that they could be called back to ratify a deal in the coming days, were one to be agreed.", "PM Boris Johnson says he is \"hoping to avoid\" another national lockdown in England but that Covid-19 cases have increased \"very much\" in recent weeks.\n\nHe chaired meetings on Friday, No 10 sources said, amid \"growing concerns\" about the spread of a new variant of Covid in south-east England.\n\nHealth bosses have warned the NHS is already under significant pressure.\n\nNearly 90% of hospital beds in England are full, with coronavirus adding to normal winter demands.\n\nGovernment scientists are continuing to evaluate the new strain and ministers have been discussing what action will be necessary to deal with this, sources said.\n\nAsked if people were going to be told to re-think their Christmas plans, a Downing Street source said: \"We are not there yet.\"\n\nA separate government source suggested that travel restrictions were discussed, but it is not clear that they have been signed off.\n\nOn Monday Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the variant may be associated with the faster transmission of the virus in the South East but there was \"nothing to suggest\" it caused worse disease or that vaccines would no longer work.\n\nMeanwhile, the R number - which represents how many people each infected person passes the virus onto - has risen above 1 in the UK.\n\nThe latest figure, calculated by the government's scientific advisers, is estimated to be between 1.1 and 1.2, up from between 0.9 and 1 last week.\n\nThe UK recorded a further 28,507 cases on Friday, along with 489 deaths within 28 days of a positive test.\n\nOfficial figures show Covid-19 cases have risen in the past week in England, driven by sharp increases in London, as well as rises in the South East and East Midlands.\n\nThe president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, Dr Katherine Henderson, said England and Scotland needed to do \"whatever it takes\" to get a grip of the virus, even if that meant \"full lockdown\".\n\nAsked whether England would end up following Northern Ireland and Wales into lockdown, Mr Johnson said: \"Obviously we are hoping very much that we'll be able to avoid anything like that, but the reality is that the rates of infection have increased very much in the last few weeks.\"\n\nHe said the Christmas rules, which are being relaxed across the UK between 23 and 27 December, were \"very much a maximum\" and \"not a target people should aim for\".\n\nThe prime minister encouraged people to \"think about our elderly relatives\" to \"avoid spreading the disease\" over Christmas.\n\nHe added that he hoped next year, with the rollout of the vaccine, would \"be very different indeed\".\n\nEarlier, he tweeted a message warning people planning to form \"Christmas bubbles\" in the UK to start minimising contact with people from outside their households from today.\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer said \"nobody wants a third lockdown\" but England's tiered system was \"not strong enough\".\n\nHe called for the prime minister to \"toughen up over Christmas\", saying the Welsh government's decision to limit Christmas bubbles to two households, instead of three, was a \"step in the right direction\".\n\nProf Neil Ferguson, whose team's modelling led to the original lockdown in March, said he was \"more concerned\" about what the country was going to be facing in early January than over the Christmas period itself.\n\nThe epidemiologist from Imperial College London told BBC Radio 4's World at One programme that very rapid increases in case numbers had left \"very little headroom\", adding that any future lockdown in England may have to be tougher than the one seen in November.\n\nMeanwhile, teaching unions have criticised the government's announcement that the return to secondary school in January will be staggered to allow schools to set up a Covid testing scheme.\n\nThey say the move came too late for them to make the necessary preparations for testing. But Nick Gibb, the schools minister, has defended the plan, saying the government would provide support.\n\nIt comes after a tough new six-week lockdown was announced in Northern Ireland from 26 December.\n\nHealth Minister Robin Swann said the measures were essentially a return to March's sustained restrictions, with non-essential shops and close-contact services such as hair salons having to close.\n\nPubs, cafes and restaurants will be restricted to takeaway services.\n\nThe first week of the restrictions, running until 2 January, will see even tighter measures with essential shops, including supermarkets, having to close each day by 20:00 GMT.\n\nNo sporting events will be permitted at all - even at elite level - with people being urged only to leave their home for essential reasons.\n\nIn Wales, non-essential shops will close from the end of trading on Christmas Eve, with an alert level four lockdown starting four days later.\n\nIn England, some 38 million people will be subject to the nation's strictest measures - tier three - from Saturday.\n\nScotland's Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said the option for a post-Christmas lockdown in Scotland \"remains on the table\".\n\nMeanwhile, documents released by the government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) say avoiding social contacts for more than five days before meeting older or vulnerable people at Christmas will reduce the risk of transmitting the virus.\n\nA longer period - of a week or more - would reduce the risk even further. A document dated 26 November says taking a rapid coronavirus test before a multi-day gathering inside a home could also reduce the risk.\n\nSage says mixing between households over the festive period for one or two days would be less risky than multiple households spending the entire time together.\n\nBut the documents warn there may be a higher proportion of cases in more vulnerable age groups during the festive period, which could lead to an increase in hospital admissions.\n\nThe decision by all four UK nations to relax restrictions and allow more mixing for five days over Christmas has prompted concern that it will fuel a further surge in case numbers.\n\nAverage NHS bed occupancy in England has reached almost 89% for the week ending 13 December, with 59 out of 126 NHS trusts reporting bed occupancy of higher than 90% - which is above the recommended safe level.\n\nDr Katherine Henderson told BBC News the UK was at a \"really dangerous point where we could tip into finding it incredibly difficult to manage\" and her colleagues were \"increasingly\" seeing ambulances queuing outside hospitals.\n\nIn Northern Ireland, Dr Martin Kelly, a consultant respiratory physician in Londonderry, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: \"Right in the mouth of Christmas we're seeing a significant further surge in numbers which is already putting the service under significant pressure.\"\n\nAnd Dr Nick Lyons, a health board medical director in south Wales, said things were similar in his region, where non-urgent procedures have been cancelled.\n\nThe intensive care units \"were basically full with Covid patients\" while the area's field hospital was \"roughly at half its total capacity\", he told Today.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. \"You don't have to cancel Christmas, just postpone it\", says Chris Lea, who's in hospital with Covid-19\n\nA father who is in hospital with coronavirus has urged people not to visit relatives over Christmas.\n\nChris Lea, from Harpenden, Hertfordshire, was taken to hospital on Wednesday as he \"fought for every breath\".\n\nFrom his hospital bed, the 60-year-old said the thought of people travelling around the country visiting family was \"worrying the hell out of me\".\n\n\"It is not worth losing an aunt, an uncle or grandparent,\" he said.\n\nMr Lea is on oxygen and being treated with multiple drugs at the Luton and Dunstable Hospital.\n\nThe father-of-four said he had experienced tiredness for a few days but on Wednesday his situation \"escalated from getting short of breath to fighting for every breath in just a few hours\".\n\n\"The look on my 16-year-old son's face when I was fighting for breath was heartbreaking,\" he said.\n\nMr Lea was admitted to hospital on Wednesday\n\nMr Lea's said his son's year group was sent home from school and told to isolate recently due to two positive cases and he fears this may be how he caught the virus.\n\n\"Sending children to mix with other family members at Christmas is unwise,\" he said.\n\n\"If you saw the look on my son's face when I was fighting for my breath you would not want to be sending these children all over the country to see their family.\n\n\"You don't have to cancel Christmas, just postpone it, we are so close now with this vaccine - have the big family get-together at Easter or in the summer.\"\n\nMr Lea said the care he was receiving was \"phenomenal\" and he had made rapid progress in 48 hours.\n\n\"The doctors, nurses, the porters, everyone is working relentlessly hard, they're working like crazy,\" he said.\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk", "The casino once formed a key part of Atlantic City's skyline\n\nA casino formerly owned by Donald Trump is set to be demolished, and you can push the button for the right price.\n\nThe Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City went bankrupt and shut in 2014. Now, the city is auctioning off the chance to dynamite it for charity.\n\nThe property was one of three Trump-branded casinos that once formed the centrepiece of the world-famous resort city nicknamed \"America's playground\".\n\nBut as revenues plummeted, Mr Trump cut his losses and his ties with the city.\n\nCity officials have called several times for the idle building to be torn down after chunks of the crumbling landmark repeatedly broke off and fell onto surrounding streets.\n\nA bidding process that began on Thursday will determine who gets the right to count down and hit the button that will raze the 39-floor casino.\n\nProceeds from the auction will fund the local chapter of the Boys & Girls Club of America, a youth development organisation.\n\n\"I want to raise at least a million dollars and I think we can accomplish that,\" said Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small Sr, in a press conference.\n\nThe mayor said his office has already been \"bombarded\" with phone calls about the auction, from Arkansas to Canada.\n\nThe building was shut in 2014 and is now considered a safety hazard\n\nA noted hotspot of the \"Roaring Twenties'', Atlantic City resurfaced in the 1980s as the de facto casino capital of the US east coast.\n\nTouting it as a counterweight to Las Vegas, Donald Trump opened Trump Plaza at the centre of its famed boardwalk in 1984, then two more casinos, including the Trump Taj Mahal (which marketed itself as \"the eighth wonder of the world\").\n\nHowever, as gambling laws eased in neighbouring states, out-of-state gamblers stayed away and casino revenues dried up. Meanwhile, Mr Trump took on mountains of debt and endured negative press.\n\nHe distanced himself from the failing casinos and each one was sold off as his company filed for bankruptcy.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nAtlantic City's Mayor Small has been critical of Mr Trump's past, saying: \"He said he took advantage of the bankruptcy laws, took advantage of a lot of people, made a lot of money and then got out, so it's extremely important that we do something worthwhile with this [demolition]\".\n\nHowever, Mr Trump has held up his Atlantic City exploits as a success, once tweeting: \"Does anyone notice that Atlantic City lost its magic after I left years ago?\"\n\nThe demolition - originally set for January but postponed by inclement weather - will take place sometime in February.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Atlantic City down on its luck\n• None Why is gambling so addictive?", "Former Det Insp Tim Ireson led the unit for two years\n\nSix members of a \"toxic\" police unit have been found guilty of gross misconduct after their \"offensive\" conversations were secretly recorded.\n\nInvestigators bugged the Northern Serious Organised Crime Unit's office in Basingstoke, Hampshire, and analysed messages over a 24-day period in 2018.\n\nThe Northern Serious Organised Crime Unit was \"homophobic, racist and sexist\", a misconduct panel heard.\n\nThe panel is due to consider sanctions at a later date.\n\nJason Beer QC, prosecuting, previously said a \"toxic, abhorrent culture\" had developed amongst some officers because of a \"lack of leadership\".\n\nHe said vulgar language was the \"stock-in-trade\" of the unit, where the team's only black officer was often a target of abuse.\n\nMr Beer said the accused men \"habitually\" made offensive remarks about women, black people, immigrants, disabled, gay and transgender people and foreign nationals.\n\nThe six men were based at the Serious and Organised Crime Unit in Basingstoke\n\nThe panel listed numerous instances where gross misconduct was committed.\n\nIn one case, retired Det Insp Tim Ireson, who led the unit for two years, was described as failing to properly manage an officer who turned up for work drunk.\n\nDet Sgt Gregory Willcox failed to supervise the team, while Det Sgt Oliver Lage made \"highly offensive and racist comments\" about the black colleague, the panel found.\n\nOther instances of gross misconduct the panel recorded included PC Andrew Ferguson sending colleagues a fake pornographic image of members of the royal family, and former PC Craig Bannerman failing to challenge \"the most serious\" abuse recorded by investigators.\n\nAnother of the accused officers, PC James Oldfield, interrupted the panel as the verdicts were read out, saying: \"Absolutely unbelievable… nonsense.\"\n\nHampshire Constabulary said disciplinary action was also taken against 14 other officers and police staff from the unit.\n\nIn a statement, the force said the offences came to light when an anonymous source made allegations via its confidential reporting system.\n\nIt said it would respond fully after the panel reconvenes on 4 January to consider sanctions.\n\nMichael Lane, Hampshire police and crime commissioner, said the ruling showed the six officers did not hold themselves to the \"highest standards of ethical behaviour\".\n\nHe said: \"Hampshire Constabulary and I take, and have always taken, this matter very seriously.\"\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The health secretary announces several more counties in southern and eastern England will face stronger restrictions\n\nMore than two-thirds of England's population will be living under the toughest Covid-19 rules from Saturday.\n\nBedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Hertfordshire will move to tier three, as will parts of Surrey, East Sussex, Cambridgeshire and Hampshire.\n\nAnd swathes of the nation already in tier three will remain there.\n\nAnnouncing the changes, Health Secretary Matt Hancock told MPs: \"We've come so far, we mustn't blow it now.\"\n\nBristol and North Somerset will move from tier three to tier two, and Herefordshire will move from tier two into tier one.\n\nThe changes come into effect at 00:01 on Saturday.\n\nIt comes as the UK recorded a further 532 coronavirus deaths, taking the total number of people who have died within 28 days of testing positive for the virus to 66,052.\n\nA further 35,383 cases were also recorded on Thursday, up from 25,161 on the previous day.\n\nThis figure includes 11,000 positive cases from Wales that were not previously recorded in official figures due to maintenance work on Public Health Wales' computer systems at the end of last week.\n\nThe announcement on tiers means that 68% of England's population - 38 million people - will be living under the toughest restrictions of tier three from the weekend. Some 30% of the population will be in tier two, while just 2% will be in tier one.\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer said he was concerned the tier system was \"just not strong enough to control the virus\".\n\n\"We've been seeing the numbers going in the wrong direction across the country in the last seven days in particular,\" he added.\n\nIn Greater Manchester, which was first placed in tier three on 23 October, mayor Andy Burnham said he was \"not surprised but very disappointed\" that the region was staying in tier three, having called for some parts to be downgraded.\n\nHe told BBC Radio 4's World at One that Greater Manchester has lower infection rates than Liverpool and London had \"when they were originally put into\" tier two.\n\n\"It feels like if... London and the South East has rising cases, everyone stays under restrictions,\" he said.\n\nAnnouncing the outcome of the first formal review of the new tier system in England, Mr Hancock told MPs \"no-one wants tougher restrictions any longer than necessary\".\n\nHowever, he said \"these are always the most difficult months for people's health\" and we \"must keep suppressing this virus\".\n\nCases have risen by 46% in the past week in the south-east of England, he told MPs, and were up by two-thirds in the east of England.\n\nMeanwhile, the government has announced the return to school in January will be staggered for secondary pupils in England, with some starting term online rather than in class.\n\nIt will allow schools to set up a Covid testing scheme - but exam-year pupils will start term as usual.\n\nThere will also be a staggered return for schools in Wales after the Christmas break.\n\nThe health secretary said from 00:01 Saturday 19 December:\n\nWith the majority of the country in the highest tier, many will be wondering how long it will be before the rules are relaxed.\n\nThe trajectories are quite different across the tier three areas.\n\nLarge parts of the North have seen cases fall and now have lower than average infection rates, although there are signs those decreases have stalled.\n\nOther areas, particularly large parts of the home counties, have relatively low rates that are rising.\n\nThen there are places - east London and the surrounding areas - that have high rates that are rising.\n\nThe fact that they are all facing the tightest restrictions is a sign of how cautious ministers are being.\n\nThat, of course, is because of the Christmas relaxation - and fear it could lead to a spike in cases.\n\nIf that happens, tier three could become the norm for months - maybe accompanied by a third lockdown.\n\nThat would leave the government and public pinning everything on the vaccine programme.\n\nEarlier this week, ministers said a good start had been made with 137,000 people vaccinated.\n\nBut there are more than 25 million in the priority groups - 12 million of them over the age of 65.\n\nIn theory, two million could be vaccinated every week, but that depends on multiple things going right.\n\nThis could become the status quo for many until the spring.\n\nAround 34 million people have already been living under tier three rules.\n\nLondon, most of Essex and parts of Hertfordshire were placed under the strictest curbs on social contacts on Wednesday.\n\nThey joined much of the Midlands, north-west England and north-east England.\n\nThe news Greater Manchester would remain in tier three provoked anger from some of the area's MPs, including Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the influential 1922 Committee of Conservative backbenchers.\n\n\"The statement will be greeted with dismay in Greater Manchester where we have had severe restrictions for nine months, where in nine of the 10 boroughs rates are below the national average,\" he said.\n\nAnd the West Midlands' Conservative mayor Andy Street called for more government funding to support businesses in tier three areas.\n\nLeaders in areas moving from tier two to tier three also expressed their concerns.\n\nStephen McPartland, Conservative MP for Stevenage in Hertfordshire, tweeted that it was \"ridiculous\" the town is \"being dragged into\" tier three.\n\nHe said tiers \"should be imposed on a district basis instead of this unbalanced county-wide approach\".\n\nGerald Vernon-Jackson, the Liberal Democrat leader of Portsmouth City Council, said the decision to introduce the toughest measures there was \"bizarre\".\n\nHe said he was \"slightly surprised\" because he had been told that \"the problem\" was with the city's Queen Alexandra Hospital.\n\nHowever, the hospital also serves nearby local authorities, such as Fareham and Winchester City, which were not being moved up.\n\n\"The government has made a number of bizarre decisions, so it's no surprise they have made another one,\" he said.\n\nElsewhere in the UK, ministers in Northern Ireland have agreed a six-week lockdown from 26 December, in an attempt to curb the spread of the virus.\n\nIn Wales, non-essential shops will close from the end of trading on Christmas Eve, with an alert level four lockdown starting four days later.\n\nAnd in Scotland, the deputy first minister warned that tougher restrictions - including a potential lockdown - after the festive period cannot be ruled out.\n\nWhat are your plans for Christmas? How will you be affected by the rule changes? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "Concerns about the virus growing in some areas of the country has prompted the Scottish government to place restrictions on more people ahead of Christmas.\n\nNo local authority is currently in this toughest tier. Rules at this level are similar to the lockdown in March. However, schools - outside scheduled holidays - remain open but all non-essential shops, as well as pubs and restaurants, gyms, libraries and hairdressers, are closed.\n\nThree councils are being moved up from level two, joining the 18 local authorities already in this tier. Rules allow cafes, pubs and restaurants to open until 18:00 to serve food and non-alcoholic drinks to groups of up to six from two households. Alcohol sales are not permitted indoors or outdoors. All leisure and entertainment venues are closed, including cinemas. No non-essential travel is allowed out of a level three area. Indoor exercise, which includes gyms, are restricted to individual and not group exercise. Hairdressers and barbers can open.\n\nIn this tier there is no in-home socialising allowed and up to six people from two households can meet outdoors and in hospitality settings. Licensed premises can only serve alcohol indoors with a main meal - and then only until 20:00. Outdoors, you can be served until 22:30. Most leisure and entertainment premises are closed except gyms, cinemas, bingo halls and amusement arcades. From Friday, 18 December, residents on the outer Argyll islands of Islay, Jura, Colonsay and Ornosay; Coll and Tiree; and Mull, Iona, and the neighbouring islands of Ulva, Erraid and Gometra will be able to meet in houses in groups of up to six from a maximum of two households.\n\nSix people from two households have been able to meet indoors if they are resident in Shetland, the Western Isles, Orkney and some islands (but not ones, like Skye, that are connected to the mainland by road). Level one sees a \"reasonable\" degree of normality. Hospitality has a 22:30 curfew. Events, like weddings, are restricted to a maximum of 20 people. Indoor contact sports for adults are not permitted. Only those unable to work from home should go to their place of employment. Up to eight people from three households can meet outdoors.\n\nNo local authority has been assigned this level. At level zero, hospitality would operate \"almost normally\" - subject to rules on physical distancing, limits on numbers and other rules, such as table service.\n\nUse the form below to send us your questions and we could be in touch.\n\nIn some cases your question will be published, displaying your name, age and location as you provide it, unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published. Please ensure you have read the terms and conditions.\n\nIf you are reading this page on the BBC News app, you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question on this topic.", "Vehicles are stranded on the snow-covered Kanetsu expressway\n\nRescuers are trying to free more than 1,000 vehicles which have been stranded on a highway for two days after a heavy snow storm struck Japan.\n\nAuthorities have distributed food, fuel and blankets to the drivers on the Kanetsu expressway, which connects the capital Tokyo to Niigata, in the north.\n\nThe snow, which began on Wednesday evening, has caused multiple traffic jams along the road.\n\nIt has also left more than 10,000 homes in the north and west without power.\n\nA Kyodo News report said that there were multiple reports of congestion at different points of the Kanetsu expressway. The gridlock began when a trailer got stuck in snow on Wednesday night.\n\nAnother Kyodo report, quoting police and highway operator East Nippon Expressway Co, said the traffic jam had stretched up to 16.5km (10 miles) along the road at one point.\n\nOfficials have been using a combination of heavy machinery and physical labour to dig out the vehicles one by one, but around 1,000 cars were still stranded on the road as of Friday noon.\n\n\"We are trying our best to rescue drivers and passengers, we are ready to continue the operation through the night,\" a Niigata disaster management official told AFP on Thursday night.\n\nFood, fuel and blankets were distributed to drivers\n\nAnother similar traffic jam also occurred in the nearby Joshinetsu Expressway which saw 300 vehicles stranded. That gridlock lasted from Wednesday to Thursday morning.\n\nAccording to the meteorological agency, the heavy snow - said to be this year's most intense cold spell - is expected to continue through the weekend.\n\nThe country's prime minister Yoshihide Suga has called an emergency cabinet meeting and urged the public to be cautious.\n\nThe snow storm comes as Japan is battling a third wave of coronavirus cases, which has put unprecedented pressure on the country's hospitals.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.", "Google is being sued by 38 US states, accused of trying to make its search engine as dominant inside cars, TVs and speakers as it is in smartphones.\n\nThis follows a landmark lawsuit by the US Department of Justice (DoJ) over a similar issue in October.\n\nIt is the tech giant's third US government-related lawsuit in two months.\n\nGoogle said in a blog that redesigning its search engine would \"deprive Americans of helpful information\".\n\n\"We know that scrutiny of big companies is important and we're prepared to answer questions and work through the issues,\" wrote Google's director of economic policy Adam Cohen.\n\n\"But this lawsuit seeks to redesign Search in ways that would deprive Americans of helpful information and hurt businesses' ability to connect directly with customers. We look forward to making that case in court, while remaining focused on delivering a high-quality search experience for our users.\"\n\nHe added that there are many alternatives to Google when looking for relevant information, including Amazon, Expedia and Tripadvisor.\n\nThe tech giant's view is that the lawsuit is suggesting that Google Search \"should, in fact, be less useful\" to consumers.\n\n\"When you search for local products and services, we show information that helps you connect with businesses directly and helps them reach more customers,\" wrote Mr Cohen.\n\n\"This lawsuit demands changes to the design of Google Search, requiring us to prominently feature online middlemen in place of direct connections to businesses.\"\n\nAn animated gif showing what Google calls \"rich results\" when searching for the word \"bread\"\n\nThe complaint was filed on Thursday by 38 states and territories with both Democrat and Republican prosecutors, led by Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser.\n\n\"Google's anticompetitive actions have protected its general search monopolies and excluded rivals, depriving consumers of the benefits of competitive choices, forestalling innovation, and undermining new entry or expansion,\" Mr Weiser explained. \"This lawsuit seeks to restore competition.\"\n\nIt is a separate matter to the lawsuit filed on Wednesday in which 10 US states accuse Google of anti-competitive online advertising practices, including an allegation that it made a deal with Facebook to manipulate online advertising auctions.\n\nIn some ways, the latest complaint is similar to the DoJ's lawsuit, which focused on the billions of dollars Google pays each year to ensure its search engine is installed as the default option on browsers and devices like mobile phones.\n\nHowever, the latest legal complaint goes further to say that the tech giant is using its existing monopolies in search - such as \"exclusionary agreements\" and its ability to collect \"vast amounts of data\" - to dominate newer technologies as well.\n\nFor instance, the lawsuit claims Google bars devices that use Google Assistant from including competing virtual assistant technology, such as Amazon's Alexa.\n\nSmart speaker maker Sonos has publicly complained that Google used its market power unfairly to monopolise the voice assistant market\n\n\"Google is preventing competitors in the voice assistant market from reaching consumers through connected cars, which stand to be a significant way the internet is accessed in the near future,\" said Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller, who also sued Microsoft back in 1998 over antitrust issues.\n\nSmart speaker maker Sonos has publicly complained in the past that Google used its market power unfairly to monopolise the voice assistant market. Sonos only finally decided to support the Google Assistant in 2019.\n\nThe coalition is asking the court to halt what it calls Google's illegal conduct and restore a competitive marketplace, as well as removing any unfair advantages the tech giant gained as a result of its practices. It calls for Google's parent Alphabet to be forced to divest some assets and award damages, instead of paying a fine.\n\n\"Fines are like kicking gorillas in the shin. We fortunately have remedies that are much broader in scope,\" said Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson.\n\nThe states who filed the lawsuit on Thursday are: Colorado, Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wyoming, the District of Columbia, and the territories of Guam and Puerto Rico.", "Food was one of the few sectors to see sales grow\n\nStore closures enforced by Covid curbs pushed down UK retail sales in November, figures have indicated.\n\nSales fell by 3.8% last month, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said, bringing to an end a six-month streak of rising trade.\n\nClothing store sales saw a sharp fall from the previous month, the ONS said, while food stores and household goods stores were the only sectors that grew.\n\nDespite the monthly fall, overall sales remain above their pre-pandemic levels.\n\n\"After a run of strong growth, retail sales fell back in November as restrictions meant many stores had to close their doors again,\" said deputy national statistician for economic statistics Jonathan Athow.\n\n\"Clothing and fuel were particularly hit by the winter lockdown, with their sales falling sharply.\"\n\nMr Athow added that food sales, especially click-and-collect, were boosted as people were not able to eat out.\n\nIn another sign of the way the pandemic has changed shopping habits, online retailing accounted for 31.4% of the total, compared with 28.6% a year earlier.\n\nThe ONS said feedback from businesses suggested that consumers had brought forward Christmas spending.\n\n\"In a month where England went back into lockdown and the UK as a whole was subject to tightening restrictions, it's little surprise that physical retail sales growth stalled in November,\" said Lynda Petherick, head of retail at Accenture UKI.\n\nConsumers had already brought forward Christmas spending, the ONS said\n\n\"However, the show must go on when it comes to Christmas shopping, and some retailers have triumphed by preparing their e-commerce operations for the boom in online sales.\n\n\"Black Friday and early festive shopping continued to stimulate a sector so desperately trying to build recovery momentum.\"\n\nSamuel Tombs, chief UK. economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, said: \"Retail sales will rebound in December, probably to a new record high, as people undertake their pre-Christmas shopping over a narrower time period than usual.\"\n\nHe pointed out that consumers had \"rushed back to the shops\" since non-essential retailers were allowed to reopen on 2 December.\n\n\"Retail sales, however, probably will struggle to improve on December's level next year, given that income support schemes will come to an end in April and people will rotate towards consuming more services again once they have been vaccinated.\n\n\"What's more, non-essential shops might well be forced to close again to contain a third wave of Covid-19 in January. The collapse of more traditional High Street retailers next year, therefore, seems inevitable.\"\n\nMeanwhile, a separate survey by trade publication the Grocer has shed further light on how people's shopping habits have altered during the pandemic.\n\nThe magazine's annual Top Products Survey, covering the 52 weeks to 5 September, found that supermarket purchases of alcohol had soared as people attempted to compensate for their inability to go to the pub during lockdown.\n\nSales of lager were up more than a fifth on last year, adding more than £800m to the nation's grocery bill.\n\nMost-favoured brands included San Miguel, which saw sales growth of 63%, and perhaps surprisingly, the unfortunately named Corona beer, up 40%.\n\nAt the same time, sales of wine and spirits went up by £717m and £567m respectively.\n\nHowever, other products lost out. With people confined to their homes for much of the time, the UK bought 22% fewer cosmetics, while hairstyling products sagged by 18%.\n\nSales of toothbrushes and deodorants both fell 10% for similar reasons.", "Mohsin (left) and Zuber Issa in Blackburn last year\n\nA company co-owned by the billionaire Issa brothers who are buying Asda was fined for \"appalling\" safety breaches, a BBC investigation has found.\n\nOne worker lost a finger in a bubble wrap machine in 2012, and another lost four fingers in 2015, weeks after the brothers resigned as directors.\n\nEuroplast (Blackburn) Ltd showed \"a total lack of care about the safety of its employees\", according to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).\n\nIn 2014, the Lancashire packaging firm Europlast (Blackburn) Ltd was fined £50,000 at Preston Crown Court for an incident two years previously, when a worker got a hand trapped between rollers while trying to clean a bubble wrap machine.\n\nHe suffered burns and crush injuries, requiring skin grafts, and lost the top half of his middle finger.\n\nMohsin and Zuber Issa, the billionaire petrol station bosses who have agreed a deal to buy Asda for £6.8bn, were co-owners and directors of the company at the time, according to filings at Companies House.\n\nThe court was told of two previous hand injuries at the company, which had been warned as early as 2009 of the need to guard dangerous machine parts, according to a press release issued by the HSE.\n\nMohsin and Zuber Issa have agreed a deal to buy Asda\n\nHSE principal inspector Mike Sebastian said after the hearing that \"the company had failed to take any action to improve safety, despite receiving numerous warnings and at least two other workers also suffering injuries\".\n\nThe factory was in an \"appalling\" state when the HSE visited, he said. \"There appears to have been a complete absence of any attempt to organise or control health and safety.\"\n\nMohsin and Zuber Issa are still investors in Europlast (Blackburn) Ltd, though they resigned as directors in June 2015, leaving their lower-profile older brother Zakir as sole director.\n\nRepresentatives of Mohsin and Zuber Issa declined to comment on this story. Zakir Issa and Europlast (Blackburn) Ltd did not respond to requests for comment.\n\nTwo months after Mohsin and Zuber Issa resigned, in August 2015, another worker lost four fingers while cleaning a bubble wrap machine.\n\nThe company was prosecuted and pleaded guilty to this incident in 2017, paying a fine of £60,000.\n\nHSE inspector Steven Boyd said: \"These were life-changing injuries that could have been prevented. Sadly, in this case lessons from previous incidents had not been learned.\"\n\nPreston Magistrates' Court heard that the machines were being cleaned while still running - a clear health and safety breach.\n\nThe company was criticised for not reporting the incident until nine months after it happened, delaying the investigation and putting other employees at risk, according to the HSE.\n\nZuber and Mohsin Issa have won awards for their entrepreneurship, and were made CBEs in October\n\nEuroplast is a highly profitable firm, earning £2.7m on a turnover of £9.6m in the year to 30 March 2020.\n\nHowever, it doesn't feature in most accounts of the Issa brothers' meteoric rise.\n\nThey started from a single filling station in Bury in 2001 to build a global petrol and convenience store empire stretching from the US to Australia with over 6,000 sites and €20bn (£18bn) of revenue, according to their company website.\n\nAccording to Companies House filings, however, they were already successful packaging entrepreneurs when they started Euro Garages (now called EG Group).\n\nMohsin and Zakir Issa founded Europlast (Blackburn) Ltd in 1993 and Zuber Issa became a shareholder in 1998.\n\nThe bubble wrap business helped to fund the growth of the fledgling forecourt empire. Accounts show that in 2002 Euro Garages received a £251,393 unsecured interest-free loan from Europlast, which continued to provide free credit in subsequent years.\n\nTheir success with EG Group gave Mohsin and Zuber Issa the financial firepower to buy Asda from its previous owners, the US superstore group Walmart.\n\nIn June 2015, the three brothers transferred their shares in Europlast to a Jersey holding company, now called EP Holdings.\n\nMohsin and Zuber Issa each hold over a million preference shares in EP Holdings, which entitle them to a share of the company's profits, according to documents filed with the Jersey Financial Services Commission in September.", "Some Covid restrictions are being reintroduced in response to the Omicron variant.\n\nCheck what the rules are in your area by entering your postcode or council name below.\n\nA modern browser with JavaScript and a stable internet connection is required to view this interactive. What are the rules in your area? Enter a full UK postcode or council name to find out\n\nIf you cannot see the look-up, click here.\n\nThe rules highlighted in the search tool are a selection of the key government restrictions in place in your area.\n\nAlways check your relevant national and local authority website for more information on the situation where you live. Also check local guidance before travelling to others parts of the UK.\n\nAll the guidance in our search look-up comes from national government websites.\n\nFor more information on national measures see:\n\nFind out how the pandemic has affected your area and how it compares with the national average by following this link to an in depth guide to the numbers involved.", "The return to secondary school in January will be staggered in England, with some pupils starting online rather than in class, says the government.\n\nIt will allow schools to set up a Covid testing scheme - but exam-year pupils will start term as usual.\n\nThe National Education Union said making the announcement right at the end of the school term showed \"panic\".\n\nEducation Secretary Gavin Williamson said testing would \"clamp down\" on the virus after the Christmas break.\n\n\"Armed forces personnel\" will support the planning for testing in schools, says the Department for Education.\n\nApart from those taking GCSEs, A-levels and vocational exams next year, secondary school pupils will study online for the first week back in January.\n\nThis is to allow schools to make preparations for mass Covid testing - which will offer school staff a test each week and a daily test for seven days for pupils in contact with a positive case.\n\nThose exam year pupils returning for face-to-face lessons will also be offered tests, with all testing to be on a voluntary basis and requiring parental consent.\n\nFace-to-face learning is expected to re-start for all by 11 January.\n\nA similar scheme has been announced for Wales, where schools went online on Monday. A full return to the classroom is expected by 18 January at the latest.\n\nBut school leaders have reacted angrily at having to set up and manage such a testing system with so little notice - with the National Association of Head Teachers calling it a \"shambles\".\n\n\"They have handed schools a confused and chaotic mess at the eleventh hour,\" said the union's leader Paul Whiteman.\n\nJules White, head of Tanbridge House School in Horsham, said: \"The government has spent £22bn on a mass testing programme for test and trace.\n\n\"Schools are being asked to deliver mass testing for staff and students during the Christmas period with no funding, an 'idiot's guide' handbook and barely any notice.\"\n\nThe government is insisting the change to the start of term is not an extension to the school holidays and primary schools will not be affected by the move.\n\nBut it comes after the Department for Education instructed all local authorities to keep schools open in the final days of term, despite several initially telling parents that schools would close early and head teachers calling for more flexibility for online study.\n\nTeaching unions have challenged the practicality of being expected to train and deploy an \"army of volunteers\" to run the testing.\n\nThe National Education Union has now written to Education Secretary Gavin Williamson saying the plans for a school testing system are \"inoperable\".\n\nIt said: \"Telling school leaders, on the last day of term [for many schools], that they must organise volunteers and parents, supported by their staff, to test pupils in the first week of term, whilst Year 11 and 13 pupils are on site for in-school teaching, is a ridiculous ask.\"\n\nTeachers were already \"exhausted by the unreasonable demands, backed by legal threats, that they have been subjected to this term\", said the union's letter.\n\nIt added that running such medical procedures was \"significantly outside the experience and job description\" of school staff, highlighting expert advice that tests carried out by non-specialists were less likely to be effective.\n\nPatrick Roach, general secretary of the NASUWT teachers' union said: \"Yet again the government is announcing significant changes affecting schools with little or no time to prepare before the Christmas closure period.\"\n\nHe said it was not the responsibility of teachers or school leaders to undertake testing of pupils or employees.\n\n\"The government has to ensure that it puts into place all the necessary resources needed to deliver the practical and financial support to schools to ensure safety in schools,\" said Dr Roach.\n\nAssociation of School and College Leaders general secretary Geoff Barton said: \"We are very concerned about the feasibility of setting up a testing programme at the scale envisaged.\"\n\nHe added: \"The profession is very willing to work with the government over how to roll-out mass testing, but ministers must understand that chaotic, last-minute announcements do not constitute a collaborative approach.\"\n\nAs the plans for January have been announced, an official study suggests virus rates in schools reflect the levels in their local communities.\n\nVirus rates have been growing fast in some areas, including London and south-east England, in recent weeks, with many schools affected.\n\nThe analysis of tests on 10,000 staff and pupils from Public Health England, Office for National Statistics and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine found 1.24% of pupils and 1.29% of staff tested positive for coronavirus in schools.\n\nHowever, the impact of those cases will have been felt by many more, as close contacts were required to go home and self-isolate.\n\nThe governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have not announced any changes to the start of the January term, but schools in Wales moved online last Monday.", "Talks to reach a post-Brexit trade deal are in a \"serious situation\", Boris Johnson said after a call with the EU Commission head Ursula von der Leyen.\n\nHe warned that \"time was short\" and that a no deal scenario was \"very likely\" unless the EU position changed \"substantially\".\n\nMrs von der Leyen said it would be \"very challenging\" to bridge the \"big differences\", particularly on fish.\n\nHowever, she also welcomed \"substantial progress on many issues\".\n\nTalks in Brussels will continue on Friday, with two weeks to go before the UK leaves EU trading rules.\n\nIn a statement issued after the phone call, No 10 said: \"He [Mr Johnson] said that we were making every effort to accommodate reasonable EU requests on the level playing field, but even though the gap had narrowed some fundamental areas remained difficult.\n\n\"On fisheries he stressed that the UK could not accept a situation where it was the only sovereign country in the world not to be able to control access to its own waters for an extended period and to be faced with fisheries quotas which hugely disadvantaged its own industry.\n\n\"The EU's position in this area was simply not reasonable and if there was to be an agreement it needed to shift significantly.\"\n\nThe UK's chief negotiator David Frost echoed the prime minister's tone, tweeting: \"The situation in our talks with the EU is very serious tonight. Progress seems blocked and time is running out.\"\n\nEuropean Parliament leaders have set Sunday as a deadline for them to see the text of any deal agreed by the negotiating teams.\n\nThe senior MEPs said they would \"not be rushed\" into approving an agreement at their end, and would have to see the text by the end of the week if they were to sign it off by 31 December.\n\nThe call came after minister Michael Gove warned talks may go on until after Christmas. He said that while Christmas Day would be \"sacrosanct\", it was possible that Parliament could be recalled to approve a Brexit deal.\n\nParliament closed for the Christmas break on Thursday evening.\n\nMr Gove also said that although the European Parliament has said it would not have time to ratify a deal if it was not concluded by Sunday, they could \"apply provisional application of the treaty\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Michael Gove said Brexit talks 'may go on after Christmas'\n\nHe told the Commons Brexit Committee the \"most likely outcome\" was that the current transition period would end on December 31 without a deal.\n\nAsked how likely a deal is, he replied \"I think, regrettably, the chances are more likely that we won't secure an agreement. So at the moment less than 50%.\"\n\nIt's long been predicted that competition rules and fishing would be the last areas where compromise is found.\n\nFor Boris Johnson's government, being tied to EU regulations in perpetuity defeats the purpose of Brexit and makes a mockery of \"taking back control\".\n\nFor the European Union, it will not allow its internal market to be undermined by offering the UK unfair access.\n\nUrsula von der Leyen has claimed the two sides have made a significant step by agreeing to a \"strong mechanism\" to ensure neither side lowers their environmental or social standards, but are yet to agree on how each could diverge from these levels in the future.\n\nA good number of EU diplomats were quietly confident it was a matter of when, not if, EU access to UK fishing waters could be sorted. But it's proving trickier than they thought.\n\nSources tell me that Michel Barnier explained to EU ambassadors at the start of this week that if fishing is resolved, then a wider deal would quickly fall into place.\n\nBut there's no sign of a meeting of minds on fish, with the EU warning openly it may prove to be impossible.\n\nBut let's remember this is the most intense of negotiations and that every public proclamation from London or Brussels will be chosen to strengthening their respective hands in what are the final days and hours of talks.\n\nAlthough there is only 14 days until the deadline, Mr Gove said he believed there was enough time for the necessary legislation to pass before 31 December \"to give businesses legal certainty\".\n\nBut a number of opposition MPs raised issues already facing businesses waiting to discover the outcome of talks.\n\nOne Welsh MP, Jonathan Edwards, said: \"I was contacted late last night by a businessman in my constituency who is reliant on imports from the continent and he can't find a haulage firm willing to carriage on his behalf due to the current delays at the ports.\n\n\"He's very concerned unless this issue was resolved his business would not survive into the new year.\"\n\nMr Gove said he would get in touch with the business concerned.", "Actor Jeremy Bulloch, who played Boba Fett in the original Star Wars trilogy, has died aged 75.\n\nHe died in hospital on Thursday from health complications after living with Parkinson's disease for many years, his agent said.\n\n\"He had a long and happy career spanning more than 45 years,\" a statement said.\n\n\"He was devoted to his wife, three sons, and 10 grandchildren and they will miss him terribly.\"\n\nBulloch was best known for playing bounty hunter Boba Fett in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi.\n\nThe character has since featured in the second season of Star Wars spin-off series, The Mandalorian.\n\nBorn in Market Harborough, Leicestershire, Bulloch's first major role was in the musical film Summer Holiday in 1963, aged 17. He starred alongside Sir Cliff Richard, who played Don, as Edwin, one of Don's friends.\n\nBulloch also appeared in James Bond film Octopussy in 1983, and the BBC TV series Doctor Who in the 1970s.\n\nStar Wars creator George Lucas said Bulloch \"brought the perfect combination of mystery and menace to his performance of Boba Fett\".\n\nHe added: \"Jeremy was a true gentleman who was very supportive of Star Wars and its fans, and I'm very grateful for his contributions to the saga and its legacy.\"\n\nMark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker in the original Star Wars trilogy, described Bulloch as the \"quintessential English gentleman\".\n\n\"A fine actor, delightful company and so kind to everyone lucky enough to meet or work with him,\" he wrote on Twitter.\n\n\"I will deeply miss him and am so grateful to have known him.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Mark Hamill This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nBilly Dee Williams, best-known as Lando Calrissian in the Star Wars franchise, wrote on Twitter: \"Today we lost the best bounty hunter in the galaxy.\"\n\nA post from the official Star Wars Twitter account said Bulloch's \"unforgettable performance\" as Boba Fett \"captivated audiences since he first appeared\".\n\n\"He will be remembered not only for his iconic portrayal of the legendary character, but also for his warmth and generous spirit which have become an enduring part of his rich legacy,\" the post said.\n\nDaniel Logan, who took over from Bulloch to play the role of Boba Fett in the 2002 film Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones, paid tribute to the actor on Instagram.\n\n\"RIP Legend I'll never forget all you've taught me. I'll love you forever,\" he wrote.\n\n\"Conventions won't be the same without you. May the force be with you always.\"\n\nThis Instagram post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Instagram The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip instagram post by instadaniellogan This article contains content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Meta’s Instagram cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThe Boba Fett Fan Club, which was established in 1996, posted filmed interviews with Bullock on their website, and said he \"set the tone and stance\" in the Star Wars films, \"inspired by Clint Eastwood's A Fistful of Dollars less-is-more approach\".", "Nearly 90% of hospital beds in England are full as hospitals try to cope with the demands of Covid in addition to normal winter pressures.\n\nAmbulances queuing to offload patients, staff sickness and a lack of beds mean hospitals are \"at a really dangerous point\", say emergency doctors.\n\nThis could result in some trusts facing the decision to stop non-Covid work.\n\nRises in hospital admissions are particularly affecting areas in the south.\n\nThe percentage of NHS hospital beds which are occupied is increasing and has reached almost 89% in England for the week ending December 13.\n\nThis is the highest occupancy rate so far this year - it's still lower than the same time last year, although the extra burden of Covid is likely to make hospitals feel they are much busier.\n\nA safe level for bed occupancy is below 90% but nearly half of NHS trusts report a figure currently higher than this - the largest proportion this season.\n\nThe south and east of England are facing the most pressure on beds.\n\nAcross England, individual hospitals and trusts are coping with varying levels of pressure, and these can change daily.\n\nTrusts in and around London make up most of the busiest ranked by beds occupied - all of the top 10 are over 95%, with three running even higher at over 97%.\n\nDr Katherine Henderson, president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, told the BBC: \"We are at a really dangerous point which could tip into finding it incredibly difficult to manage.\"\n\nShe said the combination of staff who are tired, unwell or having to isolate, and the additional burden of Covid, was an \"awful situation\" to be in.\n\nShe added that it would be difficult to keep other work going, with pressure \"so tight\" on intensive care beds.\n\n\"We have to get a grip of the virus and do whatever it takes,\" Dr Henderson added.\n\nDr Nick Scriven, immediate past president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said he suspected \"many, many trusts\" had already cancelled routine clinics or procedures to try to free up staff for the challenges of winter.\n\n\"What we do know is that the country is in the grip of one crisis and is about to embark on another in the coming weeks, and the fact we will see a festive period with families mixing strikes fear into the hearts of clinicians on the frontline,\" he said.\n\nRecent rises in numbers of people admitted to hospital with Covid are putting major pressure on other hospital work.\n\nIt also means critical care is getting busier in England, with three-quarters of of adult critical care beds occupied last week - up slightly from the previous week.\n\nHowever, this figure was higher during the week ending 22 November in the midst of the second lockdown, when it hit 76.4%.\n\nThree NHS trusts reported their critical-care beds were 100% full - Calderdale and Huddersfield, Portsmouth Hospitals University and Sandwell and West Birmingham, in the week to 13 December.\n\nDelays in ambulances transferring patients over to emergency staff when they arrive at hospital are also causing knock-on problems.\n\nOne in seven ambulances faced delays of 30 minutes doing this, affecting more than 13,000 patients. The target is to transfer patients within 15 minutes.\n\nThe highest proportion of ambulance delays occurred in University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust (43%), Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust (42%) and North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust (41%).\n\nHowever, ambulance delays are common during winter and this number is not particularly high for this time of year.\n\nLike most front-line sectors, coronavirus has had an impact on staffing due to illness and self-isolation.\n\nBack in April, when the virus first peaked, the staff absence rate reached 6.2% - the highest on record. This means that more than one in 20 working days were lost to illness.\n\nRoughly a third of these were lost due to coronavirus.\n\nWe don't have data coinciding with the most recent surge in cases , so we can't assess how well Kent and Medway - which is very much at the epicentre of the outbreak at the moment - is dealing with staffing. But when London was the centre of the crisis, sickness rates hit as high as 7.2%.\n\nWith winter coming in, the pressures of coronavirus will add to what is already a difficult time of the year for staffing; over the past five years, January's absence rate has averaged at just under 5%.\n\nNHS Providers has pointed out that this is combined with already high staff vacancies, which stand at 85,000 in England. This is down from 110,000 in 2018.\n\nIt is also worth mentioning that - with the exception of April - coronavirus has not been the leading cause of staff absences throughout the year. Burn-out, anxiety and other mental health issues equate to one in three sick days for NHS staff in most months.", "The Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil is seeing \"unprecedented\" demand\n\nThe number of people in hospital with Covid is the highest since the pandemic began, with a top doctor saying it could get \"significantly worse\".\n\nThere are 2,231 coronavirus patients in hospitals and Wales' lead respiratory doctor said hospital pressures were \"much worse than the first wave\".\n\nIt comes as Cwm Taf Morgannwg health board said Covid patients were occupying all its intensive care beds.\n\nHywel Dda will delay routine care due to a record number of Covid inpatients.\n\nIntensive care units across Wales are treating the highest number of coronavirus patients since April.\n\nThe UK's seven most infected local authorities are all in Wales - Merthyr Tydfil tops the list with 1,128.9 cases per 100,000 people - while Bridgend, in second, has the highest Covid test positivity rate in the country with 28%.\n\nCwm Taf Morgannwg, the health board that covers Merthyr Tydfil, Pontypridd and Bridgend, has suspended some non-emergency services and is treating 500 coronavirus patients in an \"unprecedented demand\" on services.\n\nNow Hywel Dda, the health board that covers parts of west and mid Wales, will temporarily postpone routine appointments from Monday as it is \"treating the highest number of inpatients with confirmed Covid-19 since the onset of the pandemic\".\n\nTwo other south Wales health boards - Aneurin Bevan in the south-east and Swansea Bay - have also suspended non-urgent care.\n\nWales has the highest infection rate of the UK nations - 530.2 cases per 100,000 people over seven days - and Dr Simon Barry, the national respiratory lead doctor in Wales, has warned the pressure on Welsh hospitals will get worse.\n\n\"It is fair to say, and this belief is reflected by my colleagues in other parts of Wales, it is exceptionally busy and much worse than it was during the first wave,\" said Dr Barry.\n\n\"The hospitals are full - they are full of general medical patients. The difference with the first wave is that both streams are busy so we basically don't have capacity in the hospitals.\"\n\nAlmost 18,000 of Wales' 117,367 Covid cases have been reported by Public Health Wales in the past seven days and patients with the virus make up 28% of all patients in hospital.\n\nMore than 3,000 people have died in Wales with Covid and Wales' R number has risen to between 0.9 and 1.2 - and Dr Barry believes that is reflected in the number of patients in hospital.\n\nWhile hospitals are filling up, Dr Barry said the impact of staff sickness and isolation was affecting the care that can be delivered, with a shortage of intensive care nurses a \"major issue\".\n\nThe intensive care unit at Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend is also full of Covid patients\n\n\"On intensive care there are a lot of nurses who are sick or are shielding,\" said the consultant chest physician from Cardiff.\n\n\"You have to have one-to-two nursing, and they can't achieve that. Similarly, if you are managing patients on respiratory wards where you have got sick people, and it is essentially a high-dependency ward, we don't have enough nurses.\n\n\"That is reflected across every hospital in Wales. That is the major issue, it is about staffing.\"\n\nCwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board has seen a 28% rise in coronavirus patients over the past week and 42% of all its patients in hospital beds have the virus.\n\nThe numbers of patients with Covid-19 in hospital beds in Wales set another record on Thursday - 2,231 across Wales - up 13% on the week before.\n\nEarlier, Cwm Taf's medical director Dr Nick Lyons said people's behaviour was going to make a bigger difference, especially around Christmas, than the new Welsh Government rules.\n\n\"When I see our hospitals under the pressure they're under, the difficulties that are going to be caused to the population we serve by the decisions made, then I think it's as much making that personal link between what our own actions make as we prepare for Christmas,\" he said.\n\n\"That's going to make the real difference and that's going to save lives.\"\n\nCase rates in the areas which make up the Cwm Taf Morgannwg health board also include the two highest in Wales - Merthyr Tydfil and Bridgend.\n\nAneurin Bevan health board has the highest number of Covid patients - 43% of its 1,357 patients - while Hywel Dda is using more of its field hospitals to manage \"patient capacity and flow\" in hospitals.\n\n\"The measures we are taking are intended to protect patients with the most urgent clinical need whilst allowing us to reprioritise staff to mitigate the increasing risk of harm in acute and emergency care, due to the pressures,\" said Hywel Dda operations director Andrew Carruthers.", "Ian Hopkins had been on sick leave\n\nGreater Manchester Police's chief constable has stood down after the force was placed into special measures.\n\nThe force was put into an \"advanced phase\" of monitoring on Thursday after inspectors found it had failed to record 80,000 crimes in a year.\n\nIan Hopkins said he would step down with immediate effect.\n\nHome Secretary Priti Patel accused the region's mayor Andy Burnham of throwing the officer \"under the bus to save his own skin\".\n\nHer Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) said it was left \"deeply troubled\" over how cases handled by GMP were closed without proper investigation.\n\nIt said about 220 crimes a day went unrecorded in the year up to June 2020.\n\nIn a letter to the chief constable and Mr Burnham last week, Ms Patel said the report \"paints a worrying picture\" and she was \"deeply concerned\".\n\nBut Mr Burnham accused her of failing to give \"a fair and balanced picture\" of GMP.\n\nVictims' Commissioner for England and Wales Dame Vera Baird told BBC Radio 4's PM programme the force's failures were \"outstandingly bad\".\n\nShe said crimes like stalking and coercive control were \"profoundly traumatising\" and victims needed \"not only the support of police to get orders restraining the perpetrator and to take them to court, but they also need to be safeguarded and referred to appropriate victim's services\".\n\nShe added that \"none of that was happening\" and vulnerable people had \"simply been deserted\".\n\nIn a statement, Mr Hopkins, who had been on sick leave, said these were \"challenging times\" for GMP and he believed a chief constable should oversee the force's \"long-term strategic plan\" to address the issues raised from \"start to finish\".\n\nMr Hopkins revealed on Wednesday he had been suffering from labyrinthitis - an inner-ear infection which affects balance - since the end of October.\n\nThe news of the chief constable standing down had barely broken when reporters phones started buzzing with a message from Home Secretary Priti Patel's party political spokesman.\n\n\"It's no surprise that the Labour mayor of Manchester Andy Burnham has thrown a senior police officer under the bus to save his own skin,\" the message said.\n\nLast week, the MP wrote a blistering letter to Mr Burnham about GMP's performance, saying she was \"deeply concerned\".\n\nHer spokesman then sent the letter to journalists saying \"this is exactly what happens when Labour are in power - people are let down by them\".\n\nIn reply, Mr Burnham pointed out Conservative government cuts had lost the force 2,000 police officers and 1,000 police staff.\n\nHe also highlighted Ms Patel's department had failed to deport three members of an infamous Rochdale grooming gang.\n\nThis political tension between populist heavyweights could possibly bring about better policing for the people of Manchester, but it seems more likely that they will lose out as the parties battle over who is responsible for the miserable performance of the force, instead of working together to improve things.\n\nMr Hopkins said given his ill health, he would bring his retirement, which he was due to take in autumn 2021, forward.\n\nHe has been chief constable of GMP since October 2015, leading a force of almost 7,000 officers.\n\n\"Throughout my career, I have been committed to achieving the best outcomes for the people I serve [and] the decision to stand down is not one I have taken lightly, but I feel the time is right,\" he said.\n\nConservative MP for Bolton West Chris Green earlier called for Mr Burnham, who oversees policing in the region, to step down over the HMICFRS findings.\n\nThe Labour mayor said while he had \"a regard\" for Mr Hopkins, \"now is the time for new leadership and a new era in our police force\".\n\n\"At the end of the day, it's public confidence in Greater Manchester Police that matters,\" he said.\n\nHe said Mr Hopkins had led the force during \"one of the most difficult periods in its history\" and had dealt with budget cuts and \"complex threats\", such as the Manchester Arena terror attack, but GMP had not made the progress needed \"in other important areas\".\n\nMr Burnham, who has responsibilities around the force's governance and budgets, said he \"did not run GMP on a day-to-day basis\" and his job was to hold it to account.\n\n\"At times, this essential task has been made too difficult by an overly defensive culture within GMP,\" he said.\n\n\"This needs to change if GMP is to develop the open learning culture that will allow the failures identified to be properly addressed.\"\n\nMr Burnham said deputy chief constable Ian Pilling would assume the operational duties of chief constable ahead of a full recruitment process.\n\nStu Berry, the chairman of Greater Manchester Police Federation, said the issues that had been reported about the force's failures \"should not - and must not - detract from the efforts of our hard working officers\".\n\nHe added that it had been \"an extremely busy, difficult and demanding year for Greater Manchester Police and our members have worked tremendously hard to keep our communities safe during this extraordinary Covid pandemic\".\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "A selection of your pictures of Scotland sent in between 11 and 18 December. Send your photos to scotlandpictures@bbc.co.uk. Please ensure you adhere to the BBC's rules regarding photographs that can be found here.\n\nPlease also ensure you follow current coronavirus guidelines and take your pictures safely and responsibly.\n\nConditions of use: If you submit an image, you do so in accordance with the BBC's terms and conditions..\n\nFirst light house: Beautiful sunrise from Aberdeen beach silhouetting the harbour’s south breakwater wall and lighthouse, thanks to David Hughes.\n\nA creel Christmas tree: \"We found this delightful, unusual Christmas tree made out of fishing equipment whilst walking a section of the Moray coastal path at Hopeman Harbour in Moray\", says Wilson Metcalfe.\n\nA grand, national view: \"My wife Mags and I were admiring great views of Arkle and Foinaven - from which Grand National winners took their names - when all of a sudden a Brocken spectre appeared\", says Stephen Wells. \"Our heads were in the middle of theses circular rainbows and our long leg shadows ran all the way back to us!\"\n\nA tree line trip: \"The dappled winter sun through the trees on an early afternoon walk through the grounds of Crathes Castle in Aberdeenshire\", courtesy of Matt Donachie.\n\nSun dogs: \"Beautiful morning in Nairn\" says David Clark. \"Chester, Cooper, Parker, Walter and Arthur all decided to have a sit down and watch it after their walk along the beach.\"\n\nWhat Mor could you ask for: Buachaille Etive Mor looking spectacular, courtesy of Karolina Samerek.\n\nShip shape: \"This image is the MV Loch Shira and the MV Caledonian Isles silhouetted under Ailsa Craig, with Great Cumbrae making an appearance\", says Peter Ribbeck. \"Taken from Largs in North Ayrshire\".\n\nStreet art: \"Hope you like Buchanan Street with the low winter sun streaming up the street\", says Jim Johnston in Glasgow.\n\nA frosty reception: The snowman image welcoming entry into this garage in Spean Bridge is courtesy of Mark Reynolds.\n\nNutting to see here: \"I caught this squirrel peeking out at me in Dundee whilst out for a walk\", says Cara Rogers.\n\nJust face it: \"Do you see a man with a Van Dyke beard?\", asks Peter Crane. \"Simply a beautiful sunrise over Glenmore in Cairngorms\".\n\nLoch and quay: \"Loch Lomond, just before sunrise\", says Victor Tregubov.\n\nSwan around: Nicola Thorne captured this \"calm\" scene at Irvine beach, Ayrshire, her hometown.\n\nHeaven sent: \"Spotted this beautifully decorated stone on the footpath from Dornoch to Embo\", says Anne Maclean.\n\nBreakfast club: \"Our especially tame Robin getting its daily morning feed from our eight-year-old daughter\", says Jamie Stoddart in Port of Menteith.\n\nCold snap: \"This is Lochinver Women's Swimming Group\", says Franci Hutchison. \"We swim at the Whiteshore and have nicknamed our group the 'Blue Boobys' after an exotic looking bird with blue feet. We love the sea, wild swimming, a laugh and a good blether!\"\n\nMud bath: Caroline Eadie spotted this very Scottish scene at Pollok Country Park.\n\nSocial bubble: \"I snapped this lucky shot on my phone while my two-year-old daughter and I played in the garden in Oldmeldrum, Aberdeenshire\", says Rachel Smith.\n\nYou really otter have expected to see me: Richard Melvin sent us this image from Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh.\n\nRear window: \"Colours on my car back windscreen as the ice melted on it\" says Bill Crookston. \"It was unexpected and really beautiful\".\n\nSailing into the sunset: \"Watching the Isle of Arran ferry with Ailsa Craig on the Firth of Clyde\", says Patricia Strong.\n\nCity lights: \"I finally completed my Christmas shopping and took this picture of Glasgow City Chambers in George Square on my way home\", says Hannah McLatchie. \"So close to Christmas that even the puddle is festive! Hope you like it and that it was worth squatting for!\"\n\nA pony for your thoughts: \"An Exmoor pony at North Berwick Law looking like he was either admiring the view or snoozing\", says Sylvia Beaumont.\n\nCatch of the day: \"I am a fisherman so get good sunsets and sunrises from the boat and at home around the harbour area where I spend most of my time\", says Rowan Davies from Dunbar, East Lothian.\n\nDecorated hero: \"The WW1 centenary 'Tommy' Maybole silhouetted against the town's Christmas tree\", says Alistair Hastings. \"Reminded me of the Christmas truce in 1914\".\n\nMe and my shadow: \"We're stuck inside with bad weather, so Caty and daddy amused themselves making shadow puppets,\" says Alison Escobar.\n\nFlight of fancy? \"Apparently this plane is flying from Chicago to Baku\", says Gemma Brown from her garden in Insch, Aberdeenshire. \"But I feel it's flying past Cassiopeia, through Perseus on its way to the moon!\"\n\nCast away: Robert Kerr sent this shot of fishing at sunset near Moscow, in Ayrshire.\n\nWhy the long face? \"We had a friendly horse come over to say hello and get some of the nice grass on our side of the fence when out walking by Countesswells woods in Aberdeen\", says Ewan Martin.\n\nGolden wonder: \"I was just heading out of the Botanic Gardens when I noticed the low sun coming down\", says Henry Memmott. \"I waited for a while in the warm sun, and was rewarded with some gorgeous golden colours and beautiful silhouettes, just before the sun disappeared completely\"\n\nSanta claws: Guinea pigs Shakira and Boba getting into the Christmas spirit in Aberdeen. Hats off to Daisy Banks for this one.\n\nPlease ensure that the photograph you send is your own and if you are submitting photographs of children, we must have written permission from a parent or guardian of every child featured (a grandparent, auntie or friend will not suffice).\n\nIn contributing to BBC News you agree to grant us a royalty-free, non-exclusive licence to publish and otherwise use the material in any way, including in any media worldwide.\n\nHowever, you will still own the copyright to everything you contribute to BBC News.\n\nAt no time should you endanger yourself or others, take any unnecessary risks or infringe the law.\n\nYou can find more information here.\n\nAll photos are subject to copyright.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Before lockdown James was working on the extravagant touring UK musical, Priscilla: Queen of the Desert\n\nJames Marsh had built a 15-year career as a sound engineer for big productions and other live events.\n\nBut when theatres closed during the UK lockdown in March, he had to rethink his plans.\n\nNow James is a \"bin man\" and said he was grateful to have a job.\n\nWhile Wales saw the highest rate of unemployment between August and October of any nation or region of the UK, many people have taken on completely new jobs to sustain their income.\n\nIn the UK, 6.1% of employed people changed their occupation in the first half of this year, compared with 5.7% in the same period last year, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics.\n\nJames got a job working for Vale of Glamorgan council\n\nBefore lockdown, James, 35, from Cardiff, was working on the extravagant touring UK musical, Priscilla: Queen of the Desert.\n\nOn 16 March, the show was cancelled and James started looking for other work.\n\nAfter months of rejections, he was employed by Vale of Glamorgan council as a refuse collector in September.\n\nIt was a big change, with earlier shifts and a more physical working day.\n\n\"You're on your feet and you can do up to about 20km a day and it's hard work,\" said James.\n\nWhile James appreciates having a job while many other struggle to find work, he feels many of the skills he developed from his career are being \"wasted\".\n\nAccording to the Welsh campaign group We Make Events, about 10,000 live events could be lost before the sector recovers from Covid.\n\nAmy Buckle from Cardiff started her online store, Buckle and Boo Printhouse, from home\n\nAmy Buckle from Cardiff started her online store, Buckle and Boo Printhouse, from home.\n\nThe 38-year-old mother of two started making uplifting decorative prints two years ago to help her cope, following a number of tragedies.\n\nIn 2018, her mother died in an accident and the following year she lost her baby daughter, Hope, who was born at 21 weeks with a range of conditions.\n\n\"I noticed during this time the profound effect that words had on helping me get through,\" she said.\n\nAmy's husband, Dan, works in recruitment. During the lockdown much of his work disappeared so Amy decided to start making money from her craft.\n\n\"After a lot of chatting through with my husband we decided to take the plunge and invest in a high-end printer which would allow me to provide high class professional prints.\n\n\"So we used the lockdown to set up a business plan… I've had quite a lot of repeat business which is lovely because that gives you a bit of confidence to keep going.\"\n\nRhys Maule used his skills with plant machinery to become a digger driver\n\nRhys Maule, 25, has felt the sting of the sector shutdown as the owner of Pro LX Productions, a Cwmbran-based company which provides technical services for big events.\n\nIn October he decided to use some of the skills from his day job in a different field and became a digger driver for an agency.\n\n\"We already use plant machinery on festivals like telehandler and forklifts and things like that so it wasn't a massive jump,\" he said.\n\nRhys has been operating excavation machinery on a variety of sites, from new housing projects to archaeological digs.\n\nHe enjoyed the break from running a business full-time but said \"nothing will ever beat the adrenaline rush of a live crowd during a gig\".\n\nFor others, the lockdown served as a stepping stone towards running a business.\n\nTumi Williams now makes vegan food from his home and sells through his social media accounts\n\nFor more than 10 years, Tumi Williams has been setting up gigs in Cardiff, as well as touring festivals with his hip-hop band Afro Cluster.\n\nAs the shutdown kicked in, he found the impact on him was not just the loss of income. To find a creative outlet and make some money he turned to cooking, starting a business called Jollof House Party, cooking vegan food from his Nigerian heritage.\n\nTumi now does takeaway from home, selling through his social media accounts, and cooks at food markets and other events. He is also moving into new premises in the new year to expand his business. When lockdown ends he hopes to continue cooking and start playing live music again.\n\nTumi, whose first baby is due in the next few weeks, said: \"When the baby comes I want to be at the top of my game. I want to be the best father I can be.\n\n\"I am optimistic that I can be at a festival, running my store and then run to play a set, and then come back to work while baby and mummy are enjoying themselves in the festival.\n\n\"Next summer could be me cooking and playing gigs, which for me sounds like the life.\"", "The Duchess of Sussex has settled a legal claim against a news agency that photographed her and her son, Archie, the High Court has heard.\n\nSplash News and Picture Agency - which is in administration - has agreed not to take photos of her, Prince Harry or Archie, should it resume trading.\n\nMeghan's solicitor said the photos were taken during a \"private family outing\" in a park in Canada.\n\nThe pictures were taken in Horth Hill Regional Park on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, on 20 January, using a long lens, and showed Meghan walking with her two dogs, with Archie in a baby sling.\n\nThe duke and duchess had set up base in Canada at the time, after announcing their intention to step back as senior members of the Royal Family and divide their time between the UK and North America. They later relocated to Meghan's home state of California.\n\nMeghan brought privacy and data protection claims against Splash in March both in her own right and with her husband, Harry, on behalf of Archie.\n\nHowever, Splash UK went into administration on 1 July, after the claim had been issued and served.\n\nMr Justice Nicklin heard details of the settlement at a remote High Court hearing.\n\nMeghan's solicitor, Jenny Afia, said that in light of the administration the parties had agreed to settle the claim against the agency, with Splash UK agreeing not to take any photographs of the couple or their son, should it come out of administration in the future.\n\nMs Afia told the court the couple's case was that the taking of the photographs was an \"unlawful invasion of privacy\" and their subsequent syndication to the media violated their data protection rights.\n\nShe said the couple held that when the photographs were taken, Meghan and Archie were on \"a private family outing in a remote rural setting and that there was no public interest in the photographs\".\n\nMs Afia added it was the couple's case that, a day before the photographs were taken, a Splash photographer made \"a full reconnaissance inspection\" of their private home, \"walking around it looking to identify entry and exit points and putting his camera over the fence to take photographs\".\n\nNeil Allen, of the administrators of Splash UK, accepted \"all that Ms Afia has said\" on behalf of the agency.\n\nA spokesman for the parent company Splash said: \"Splash confirms that one of its former companies has agreed that, should it begin trading again, it will not take unauthorised photographs of the family of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.\"\n\nA spokesman for Schillings, Meghan and Harry's legal representatives, said the settlement was \"a clear signal that unlawful, invasive and intrusive paparazzi behaviour will not be tolerated, and that the couple takes these matters seriously - just as any family would.\"\n\nA simultaneous and similar claim against Splash US - Splash UK's American sister company - is continuing through the UK courts, the spokesman added.\n\nThe duchess is also suing Associated Newspapers, publisher of The Mail On Sunday and MailOnline, over publication of a letter the duchess wrote to her estranged father, Thomas Markle.\n\nIn October, she was granted a postponement of the trial, which had been due to be held in January, until autumn 2021.", "Lateral flow testing will be rolled out in secondary schools and colleges from January\n\nSchool staff feel \"broken\" by last minute demands for them to run testing schemes in secondary schools in England, a head teacher has said.\n\nNicola Mason, a Staffordshire school head, said she was staggered to hear, as the term ends, that heads have to set up testing for pupils next term.\n\nIt meant staff would be working through Christmas to get ready for January.\n\nBut Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the idea was to get pupils back safely when they returned to school.\n\nA joint statement from teachers' unions and the National Governance Association, representing school governors, says schools should not feel under pressure to carry out the testing, if it is not a realistic possibility in the time available.\n\nThe advice, also signed by the Association of Colleges and the Church of England education service, says the announcement of the programme has been \"chaotic and rushed\".\n\nIt also says the plan in its current form will be inoperable for most schools and colleges, and stresses that the Department for Education guidance refers to an \"offer\" of testing rather than a requirement for schools to test.\n\nGeneral secretary of the ASCL head teachers' union Geoff Barton said the scheme was \"undeliverable\" in the timescale set out.\n\n\"It is beyond belief that they were landed on school and college leaders in such a cack-handed manner,\" he said.\n\n\"It is not possible to recruit and train all the people needed to carry out tests, and put in place the processes that would be necessary, over the Christmas period.\"\n\nNational Association of Head Teachers general secretary Paul Whiteman said the government was \"in danger of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory once again\".\n\nThe plan involves using the first week of term to test pupils as they return gradually to classrooms in a staggered way.\n\nThose in exam years, Years 11 and 13, would return first for face-to-face teaching, while the rest would be taught online.\n\nMs Mason, head teacher at Chase Terrace Academy in Burntwood, said: \"The government at the very last minute again have literally broken the teachers.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Head teacher Simon Uttley: \"The rhetoric is very much Battle of Britain, the reality I'm afraid feels a bit more like Dad's Army.\"\n\nShe said local public health teams already had plans in place to phase tests in next term which were now not valid.\n\n\"Leaders are confused at best,\" she said. \"The guidance is way too late to plan effectively, there are still a number of things we don't know.\n\n\"We found out through BBC News, we weren't even told directly that this was being put into place. Frankly I am staggered.\"\n\nAnother head teacher, Simon Uttley, of Blessed Hugh Faringdon School in Reading, said he also first heard of government plans from the BBC News app.\n\n\"The rhetoric is very much Battle of Britain, the reality, I'm afraid, feels a bit more like Dad's Army,\" he said.\n\nBut the prime minister told reporters that in terms of \"social justice\" it was important to make sure as many children as possible were in school.\n\n\"Everybody in the country agrees this is a massive priority. If you listen to the Chief Medical Officer, for the health and well-being of young people, they have to receive their education,\" said Mr Johnson.\n\nHead teacher Ms Mason said already exhausted staff now had to use the Christmas holidays to plan for remote lessons, recruit volunteers, do safe-guarding checks, and organise the logistics of the testing and gain consent from parents.\n\nParent of two Ian Ahern from Sandymoor, Cheshire, said: \"What ridiculous timing!\n\n\"My two children are in Year 11 and 8. They have just finished for Christmas.\n\n\"My wife is a teacher and finishes school today. How are parents, teachers and staff supposed to organise this?\"\n\nHe added that as a school governor, he knew how hard schools have been working to organise for the next term.\n\nAnother parent, from Altrincham, Mark Simpson, said: \"It's ridiculously last minute to announce something like this on what for many schools in England is the last day of term, it seems nonsensical.\"\n\nThe late notice for the plan to test \"millions of pupils\" meant it was not going to work, he said.\n\nMr Gibb defended the plans, saying fuller guidance would be published next week filling in any gaps.\n\nHe said: \"This is a fast-moving pandemic, we have to take action at pace.\n\n\"We do have to take swift action, we've been testing these tests in schools over the last several weeks.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nHe said the programme would be a national effort supported by the Ministry of Defence and that schools would have the costs of agency staff covered - but it was not clear whether these staff would be health professionals or supply teachers.\n\n\"It is very important that we are testing 5.5 million students twice, three days apart, to make sure we are breaking the transmission of the virus after the increased mixing over the Christmas holidays,\" he said.\n\n\"It's all about making sure we have more young people in the classroom over the spring and summer term as we go forward, and this is an amazing initiative to get these tests into schools.\"\n\nThe Department for Education guidance says schools would have to provide one to two members of staff and several volunteers (for example governors) to organise and run the testing.\n\nAgency staff may be used and schools would be reimbursed, but it is not clear if this means teaching staff or health care professionals.\n\nAnd armed forces personnel are to support the scheme directly by planning with schools and colleges.", "By age 12, 90% of children use an online messaging app - despite a 13+ age requirement\n\nEncryption of online messages could make it harder to police child abuse and grooming online, the children's commissioner for England has warned.\n\nEnd-to-end encryption is a privacy feature that makes it impossible for anyone except the sender and recipient to read messages sent online.\n\nCommissioner Anne Longfield said it also prevented police from gathering evidence to prosecute child abusers.\n\nBut digital rights groups see it as an essential part of online privacy.\n\nFacebook, which is behind the most popular messaging apps children use, already offers end-to-end encryption for Whatsapp.\n\nIt has added an opt-in version to its Messenger service, with plans to make it the default for all its platforms. That could include Instagram, which does not yet have it.\n\nMs Longfield's warning came as she launched a new report looking at how children used online messaging apps.\n\nIt found the vast majority of children aged eight and over used some sort of messaging service.\n\nThat includes 60% of eight-year-olds and 90% of 12-year-olds, despite the main such apps having an age restriction of at least 13, if not older.\n\nMore than a third of children surveyed for the report said they had received a message that made them feel uncomfortable.\n\nOne in 10 talk to strangers online, and one in 20 have shared videos or photos of themselves with strangers.\n\nMs Longfield said the report \"shows how vigilant parents need to be, but also how the tech giants are failing to regulate themselves and so are failing to keep children safe\".\n\nShe is calling on the government to make the big tech firms responsible when it introduces the long-delayed Online Harms Bill, with large fines for companies that breach their \"duty of care\".\n\nShe has warned against classifying encrypted messaging as \"private communications\". Doing so could offer an exemption for the tech giants on their duty of care, she said.\n\nThat \"could be a cynical attempt on the part of some tech firms to side-step sanctions and litigation\" she warned.\n\nA spokesman for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport responded: \"Children will be at the heart of our new online harms laws with tough sanctions on social media platforms that fail to protect young people from harm.\n\n\"We are clear that firms should only implement end-to-end encryption if it can be done without preventing action against child abuse.\"\n\nEver since Mark Zuckerberg announced in March 2019 that end-to-end encryption was going to become standard across Facebook's messaging platforms, the criticism of the plan has got ever louder.\n\nMr Zuckerberg himself has admitted that the move could harm the fight against child abuse. \"You're fighting that battle with at least a hand tied behind your back,\" he told a Facebook staff meeting.\n\nNow the Children's Commissioner has joined those warning of the damaging effects of making messages too secret.\n\nBut her broadside may be aimed less at the tech firms than at the government, which she and other critics feel has dragged its heels on the issue of regulating online content.\n\nA year and a half after the publication of the Online Harms White Paper, there is still no clarity about when it will be turned into law and what sort of sanctions might be in it.\n\nThis week saw Labour's Margaret Hodge, a victim of online abuse, call for either an end to anonymity on social media or for directors of the platforms to be made liable for defamatory posts.\n\nThe critics' shopping list for measures against the tech giants is getting longer. Meanwhile, ministers must try to work out what is practicable as well as desirable.\n\nThe commissioner says that end-to-end encryption should not be applied at all to children's accounts, and that tech companies should \"retain the ability to scan for child sexual abuse material\".\n\n\"It's time for the government to show it hasn't lost its nerve and that it is prepared to stand up to the powerful internet giants, who are such a big part in our children's lives,\" she said.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nDigital rights organisations, however, have long argued that encryption is essential.\n\nThe Open Rights Group accuses the government of using the Online Harms Bill to weaken security for everyone, warning that a ban on encryption \"would create a degree of surveillance and government intrusion that simply should not be tolerated in a democratic society\".\n\nThe Electronic Frontier Foundation, meanwhile, says encryption \"is one of the most powerful tools individuals have for maintaining their digital privacy and security in an increasingly insecure world\".\n\nFacebook, as the owner of three messaging apps, said that child exploitation has \"no place on our platforms\" and that it has been \"developing news ways\" to prevent and detect abuse.\n\nBut it remains in favour of encryption, with added anti-abuse features.\n\n\"End-to-end encryption is already the leading technology used by many services to keep people safe\", a spokesman said.\n\n\"Through a combination of advanced technology and user reports, WhatsApp bans around 250,000 accounts each month suspected of sharing child exploitative imagery.\"", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The duke and duchess met students during their trip to Wales\n\nA visit by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to Wales has been questioned by a minister who said he would \"rather no one was having unnecessary visits\" as Covid-19 cases continue to rise.\n\nPrince William and Catherine are on a UK tour to talk to care home staff, teachers, pupils and volunteers to hear their challenges during the pandemic.\n\nThe royals arrive with Covid rates in Wales among the UK's highest.\n\nWales' health minister hopes the visit is not used as an \"excuse\" for people.\n\n\"I'd rather no one was having unnecessary visits,\" said Vaughan Gething.\n\n\"But their visit isn't an excuse for people to say they're confused about what they're being asked to do.\"\n\nKensington Palace is not making an official comment but it is understood that the visit was planned in conjunction with the Welsh Government as travelling across borders is permitted for work purposes.\n\nThe Duke and Duchess swapped secret Santa gifts with students\n\nWales reported 2,000 Covid cases in a single day on Monday as Mr Gething said the Welsh NHS is under \"considerable and sustained pressure\" with \"the highest number ever recorded\" of Covid patients in Welsh hospitals.\n\nWilliam and Kate arrived in Cardiff as part of their three-day tour on Tuesday morning on board the royal train to thank community workers and frontline staff in the UK.\n\n\"People always have divisive views about the monarchy,\" Mr Gething told the BBC.\n\nThe Duke and Duchess of Cambridge stop for a warm drink on a chilly morning at Cardiff Castle\n\nAsked whether William and Kate's visit should go-ahead, Wales' health minister said: \"I'm not particularly bothered or interested.\n\n\"I don't think that is going to be an excuse for people to say 'I should go and behave in a different way and I should act as if the harm that is being seen in front of us in every part of our healthcare system is not taking place'.\"\n\nThe duke and duchess boarded the royal train on Sunday for their 1,250 mile-journey which includes stops in England, Scotland and Wales.\n\nWilliam and Kate discussed their Christmas plans with people in Cardiff\n\nBut UK Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden welcomed William and Kate's trip to Cardiff, \"to see the impact\" that culture has on communities.\n\n\"Throughout the pandemic, organisations across the country have stepped up to support those in need and our choirs, bands, actors, film-makers, museums - and the technical crews that support them - are no different.\n\n\"Cultural and heritage organisations across the country have brought us joy and happiness online, on television and on our mobile phones by creating cultural content we can enjoy safely.\"\n\nThe duke got a Guinness coaster card game secret Santa gift while the duchess was given a Welsh love spoon\n\nAfter initially saying the Cambridges' tour was a \"matter for the palace\", No 10 said Boris Johnson welcomed the \"morale boost\" it would provide.\n\nA No 10 spokesman said: \"The PM is delighted to see the warm reception the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have received on their hugely valuable train tour of England, Scotland and Wales.\n\n\"The tour will be a welcome morale boost to frontline workers who have done so much during the pandemic.\"\n\nThe couple were joining students from Cardiff University, Cardiff Metropolitan University and the University of South Wales as they unwrapped their Secret Santa gifts to one another.\n\nThe duke and duchess talked to students in Cardiff about their experiences of studying during the Covid crisis\n\nThe duke received a Guinness coaster card game while the duchess was given a traditional Welsh love spoon. He gave a mini table football game while Kate gave a 'Prosecco pong' game.\n\nThe visit coincided with Christmas at the Castle - a festival of Christmas activities staged at the tourist attraction throughout December.\n\nWilliam and Kate browsed some of the Christmas stalls and toasted marshmallows over a fire.\n\nWilliam and Kate arrive in Cardiff as part of their three-day national UK royal tour\n\nTouching one of the sticky sweet treats with her gloved hand, Kate laughed and said: \"I'm going to have that marshmallow on my fingers all day.\"\n\nThe couple admitted they were still struggling over their plans for Christmas, telling students they did not know who to spend the festive season with.\n\n\"It is so difficult,\" William said. \"We are still trying to make plans. It's difficult to know what to do for the best.\"\n\nWilliam and Kate swap secret Santa gits as part of their visit to the Welsh capital\n\nLily Faulkner, a 21-year-old second year politics and international studies student at Cardiff University, said afterwards: \"They were trying like the rest of us to make Christmas plans with their family and still weren't 100 per cent sure of what they were going to do or where they were going to be.\"\n\nLaw student Alice Holloway was one of the first in Cardiff to talk to the royal couple.\n\n\"One of the main things we talked about was the impact of the pandemic on student mental health,\" said the 20-year-old in her third year at Cardiff University.\n\n\"I told them the social isolation students are facing is causing a lot of wellbeing issues at the moment. They were genuinely interested which was lovely to see.\"\n\nAs part of their tour, the royal couple later visited the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading to pay tribute to the work of its nurses.", "Top row (left to right): Alison Howe, Martyn Hett, Lisa Lees, Courtney Boyle, Eilidh MacLeod, Elaine McIver, Georgina Callander, Jane Tweddle - Middle row (left to right): John Atkinson, Kelly Brewster, Liam Curry, Chloe Rutherford, Marcin Klis, Angelika Klis, Megan Hurley, Michelle Kiss - Bottom row (left to right): Nell Jones, Olivia Campbell-Hardy, Philip Tron, Saffie-Rose Roussos, Sorrell Leczkowski, Wendy Fawell\n\nThe brother of the Manchester Arena bomber has admitted his involvement in planning the attack for the first time.\n\nHashem Abedi, 23, was jailed for murdering the 22 people who were killed in the bombing at the end of an Ariana Grande concert in May 2017.\n\nDuring his trial, he denied helping his brother Salman, 22, plan the attack that also left hundreds more injured.\n\nBut a public inquiry into the bombing heard Hashem Abedi had made the admission in prison in October.\n\nDuring an interview with inquiry lawyers, he admitted he had \"played a full part and a knowing part in the planning and preparation for the arena attack\", in which his brother also died, the inquiry heard.\n\nFigen Murray, whose son Martyn, 29, was killed in the bombing, said \"it would have been more bearable for all of us if he told the truth\" during the trial.\n\n\"We wanted to put that chapter behind us but focus our energies on the inquiry, which continues to be a gruelling and long process,\" she added.\n\nAbedi's admission was confirmed to the inquiry by Det Ch Supt Simon Barraclough, from Greater Manchester Police, who was the senior investigating officer on the case.\n\nPaul Greaney QC, counsel to the inquiry, said to him: \"You are aware, on 22 October this year, in prison serving his sentence, Hashem Abedi was interviewed by members of the inquiry legal team?\"\n\nMr Barraclough told the inquiry he knew of the admission during the interview and agreed it was a \"fair summary\" to say 23-year-old Abedi admitted he had played \"a full part and a knowing part\".\n\nThe detective added that there was \"no doubt in my mind\" that the prosecution of Abedi was \"entirely well founded\".\n\nMr Greaney said: \"So the point you are making is that it didn't need him to tell you that you had got it right?\"\n\nMr Barraclough responded: \"I think we had got there with the trial.\"\n\nNo further details of the prison interview were provided.\n\nThe court heard how the brothers spent months ordering, stockpiling and transporting the materials required for the attack.\n\nThey joined their parents in Libya the month before the blast, but Salman Abedi returned to the UK on 18 May.\n\nHe bought the final components needed for the bomb before carrying out the attack as fans left the arena on the evening of 22 May 2017.\n\nSalman Abedi in the foyer of the Manchester Arena, seconds before he blew himself up\n\nAbedi was arrested shortly afterwards and extradited to Britain.\n\nHe did not give evidence during his trial, providing only a statement in which he denied 22 counts of murder, attempted murder and plotting to cause an explosion likely to endanger life.\n\nAbedi originally claimed he did not hold extremist views and had been \"shocked\" by what his brother had done.\n\n\"Had I any idea of it I would have reported it to my mother initially and then to other family members to prevent it from happening,\" he said in his statement.\n\nBut Abedi, formerly of Fallowfield, Manchester, was convicted by a jury at the Old Bailey and jailed for life in August with a minimum term of 55 years.\n\nTwenty-two people were killed and hundreds more injured in the explosion\n\nA forensic link to Ismail Abedi, the elder brother of Salman and Hashem Abedi, was found in a car that was used to store explosives prior to the attack, the inquiry also heard.\n\nThe Nissan Micra was bought by Salman and Hashem Abedi about 40 hours before they flew to Libya with their parents in April 2017.\n\nWhen Salman Abedi arrived back in the UK on 18 May 2017, he went straight to the car and returned the following morning to collect explosives from the vehicle, the inquiry heard.\n\nIt was previously revealed that Ramadan Abedi, father of Salman and Hashem Abedi, is wanted for questioning after his fingerprints were found inside the Micra.\n\nDuring evidence by Mr Barraclough, the link to Ismail Abedi emerged.\n\nMr Barraclough agreed when questioned by Nicholas de la Poer QC, counsel to the inquiry, that \"the fingerprints and/or DNA of Ismail Abedi and Ramadan Abedi, brother and father respectively, [had been] discovered\".\n\nThe BBC recently sought to question Ismail Abedi about his refusal to assist the inquiry, which has heard he is citing a claimed privilege against self-incrimination.\n\nThe Manchester Arena inquiry, which is being chaired by Sir John Saunders, started in September and is expected to last until the spring.\n\nIt aims to explore the circumstances leading up to and surrounding the attack and whether it could have been prevented.\n\nThe inquiry is being held at Manchester Magistrates' Court, less than a mile away from where the bombing happened.\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "A mass vaccination programme against Covid-19 is set to begin in the UK on Tuesday. While the government is working to ease the fears of those who are worried about safety, some people have a more primal fear - needles.\n\n\"My heart would be racing. My mind saying, 'calm down, it's going to be fine' but also, 'it's terrifying, it's going to really hurt you'. Then 'you don't know this person, so you can't trust them'. I would be thinking of ways to get away from it.\"\n\nRaelene Goody, 31, who has cystic fibrosis, an inherited condition that causes lung infections and problems digesting food, regularly requires injections, including an annual flu jab.\n\nBut from the age of four to her late teens, she suffered from severe needle phobia that would leave her \"shaking\" and often meant she had to be sedated.\n\n\"It's like when you are really scared of something like spiders and snakes and you want to run away. It's a similar feeling, except it is a needle,\" she says. \"Apparently I punched my dad in the face once, but I was so petrified I can't remember it.\"\n\nRaelene's severe phobia of injections, known as trypanophobia, in her younger years is not uncommon. Some others have a more general fear of needles, known as belonephobia. Studies show such a fear is highest in children and decreases with age. Nevertheless, it affects up to 10% of the overall population, according to charity Anxiety UK.\n\nDespite her phobia, Raelene, from West Sussex, was still able to go through with her flu vaccination each year, although it could sometimes take hours to administer the jab.\n• None 80%(approx) of adults with needle phobia reported first-degree relative exhibits same fear Source: Fear of injections in young adults by Nir, Paz, Sabo & Potasman; Predisposition to vasovagal syncope in subjects with blood/injury phobia by Accurso et al\n\n\"I had to have it. If you don't have the flu jab and you get the flu it would be worse than getting a chest infection [which reduces lung function in people with cystic fibrosis],\" she says. \"You could actually die.\"\n\nShe has been prioritised for the Covid-19 vaccination, as a clinically extremely vulnerable person, for similar reasons.\n\nAnd she says there were ways she was able to get through her flu jabs at the height of her phobia. A friendly nurse would visit her at home and her parents would be present for reassurance.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nImmunisations with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, approved by the British medicines regulator, the MHRA, are due to start this week in the UK for people in some high-priority groups. People will be vaccinated via injection twice - 21 days apart - and full immunity starts seven days after the second dose.\n\nAs it stands, there is no alternative to the needle. All Covid-19 vaccines have to be given via injection. Could it mean some people might choose to opt out of the vaccine because of their fear of needles?\n\nThe Department of Health has not released any specific guidance around needle phobia and the coronavirus vaccine.\n\nPeople with concerns around vaccinations should contact their local healthcare provider, according to NHS England, which is expected to release vaccine guidance in the coming days.\n\nProf Heidi Larson, who runs the Vaccine Confidence Project at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, says needle anxiety and phobia are an issue for some people around vaccination \"in general\", and \"may be the case for the Covid-19\" vaccine as well.\n\nBut it's not expected to be \"the dominant cause of hesitancy\". Surveys and social media monitoring suggest there are a mix of reasons for people's concern, she adds, such as worries about the speed it was developed.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. How will the new Pfizer vaccine work?\n\nSo what can you do if you have a needle phobia?\n\nMethods of coping with needle phobia can vary from person to person, with treatments including cognitive behavioural therapy, and clinical hypnotherapy.\n\nThere are also self-help methods. Anxiety UK advises self-administered behavioural exposure - a technique where individuals expose themselves to the situation they are phobic about in a gradual manner.\n\nThere are three steps in the process:\n\nGuy's and St Thomas' Hospital in London also recommends trying applied tension, a technique to increase blood pressure levels back to normal to avoid fainting.\n\nRaelene has overcome her needle phobia, although she still has some lingering anxiety about having IV lines after a traumatic experience having one inserted. It's problematic, she says, because people with cystic fibrosis \"deal with having needles all the time for blood tests, IVs, CT scans\".\n\n\"It's something that happens to you a lot, so people will think you just deal with it but it's not as simple as that,\" she says. \"People have had traumatic experiences, and there's trauma there that will freak them out.\"\n\nReflecting on her fears, she says there will likely be people with needle phobia who are too scared to get the coronavirus vaccine.\n\nBut she says \"there will also be some that will feel the same way, but are also terrified of getting coronavirus. \"Knowing that can kill you, people will be terrified - but able to fight through it.\"\n\nInformation and advice: You can find more information on how to get help for phobias here.", "Last updated on .From the section Cricket\n\nTwo members of England's touring party who gave \"unconfirmed positive\" coronavirus tests will be able to return to the UK from South Africa after further testing and analysis showed they are not infected.\n\nThe cases in the England camp were announced on Sunday before the tour was abandoned a day later.\n\nBut England say the duo have been given the all-clear by \"independent virologists in Cape Town and London\".\n\nHad the pair not been cleared they would have had to remain in South Africa until 15 December.\n\nInstead, they are no longer isolating at the team's hotel in Cape Town and are free to rejoin the rest of the touring party before their departure.\n\nRelief at the end of a troubled tour\n\nThe news of the negative tests provides relief for England at the end of a difficult tour.\n\nAll three Twenty20 matches were played as planned, with England winning the series 3-0, but Friday's first one-day international was postponed when it emerged an unnamed South Africa player had returned a positive test.\n\nSunday's game was called off after two hotel staff tested positive and later that day, England announced two members of their touring party had given positive tests.\n\nEngland's medical team saw anomalies in the test results prior to the independent ratification process.\n\nThe pair returned negative results in a rapid test, before receiving the same result on Tuesday in a more sophisticated PCR test.\n\nOriginally a decision on finishing the series was due to be taken after the ratification process but it was called off on Monday to \"ensure the mental and physical health and welfare of players\".\n\nThe party will not have to isolate on their return to the UK - as per government exemptions for those playing elite sport - although players travelling to the Big Bash will have to quarantine for 14 days on arrival in Australia.\n• None The Amazon founder has strong beliefs and big plans\n• None Listen along to a playlist of the greatest Christmas No.1's", "Japanese carmaker Honda has warned that production at its Swindon plant will be disrupted, after transport problems caused a shortage of parts.\n\nThe plant operates on a \"just in time\" production system, where parts arrive at the factory when they are needed.\n\nHonda has told employees that it is currently experiencing vessel delays and congestion at UK ports.\n\nIt will pause production on Wednesday \"due to transport-related parts delay\", the car giant said.\n\n\"The situation is currently being monitored with a view to restart production as soon as possible,\" Honda said.\n\nIt is looking at other arrangements such as air freight.\n\nCongestion at UK container ports has been building up in recent weeks, causing problems initially at Felixstowe, but recently at Southampton and London Gateway as well.\n\nThe backlog has built up as companies increased orders after the initial pandemic lockdown, while some have looked to stockpile goods before the end of the Brexit transition period.\n\nProblems at the UK's container ports have been building up for weeks. Businesses have been complaining about consignments being delayed, or even ending up on the wrong side of the channel. Now a major manufacturer has admitted production will be disrupted.\n\nSo what's gone wrong? Issues at Felixstowe, Britain's biggest container port have been evident for some time - blamed by hauliers on a vehicle booking system that they claimed simply didn't work, preventing them getting into the port.\n\nThe Covid outbreak has also caused problems - which were exacerbated when thousands of containers of PPE imported on behalf of the government were simply left within the port for weeks, adding to the gridlock. And after the lockdown in the first half of the year, the volume of goods being imported has been much higher than normal.\n\nCongestion at Felixstowe has pushed more container traffic to Southampton and London Gateway - and now the situation in both of those ports is also reportedly getting worse.\n\nHonda is looking at air freight to ease its supply problems. The chances are other businesses may have to do the same.\n\nCongestion at England's ports is now so bad that some shipping firms have limited the amount of cargo they will bring to the UK.\n\nConsignments have reportedly been offloaded at continental ports such as Antwerp, Rotterdam and Zeebrugge.\n\nIn a statement, Honda said: \"Honda of the UK Manufacturing has confirmed to employees that production will not run on Wednesday 9 December due to transport-related parts delays.\"", "Laura Nuttall was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer in 2018\n\n\"I'm still getting out there and I'm trying to live my life, despite Covid.\"\n\nTwo years ago, when Laura Nuttall was 18, she was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer.\n\nShe has had surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and is now undergoing immunotherapy treatment in Germany.\n\nLaura's immunocompromised, which means her immune system is weak and might be unable to fight infections and other diseases.\n\n\"I obviously take precautions, maybe more seriously than others, the 20-year-old student tells Newsbeat.\n\n\"It's nerve wracking\", her mum Nicola says.\n\n\"I am very conscious that if Laura was to get Covid, I have no idea how badly it might hit her.\"\n\nMum Nicola and daughter Laura disagree about when she should get the Covid-19 vaccine\n\nLaura says she feels like she's \"doing fine\" and wants others, particularly older people, to get the Covid-19 vaccine before she does.\n\n\"I feel like there are people that deserve the vaccine, before I get it.\"\n\n\"I would feel a lot happier, knowing that she'd had the vaccine and was protected,\" she says.\n\nWhen Laura was diagnosed, doctors gave her 12 to 18 months to live.\n\nNicola says having a vaccine sooner would give Laura a bit more freedom, flexibility and more confidence.\n\n\"I don't want her to stop living her life and stop socialising - I don't want her to have to stay in.\n\n\"I think it's so important to know that she's had the vaccine early and we're not going to have to wait, it could be the best part of half a year before she gets a turn.\"\n\nAt the moment, they don't know when Laura will get the vaccine, as she may fourth or sixth on the list of priorities.\n\n\"It's the worst thing you can ever imagine being told, that your daughter has a terminal diagnosis,\" Nicola says.\n\n\"It's been hugely traumatic to see Laura go through surgery and radiotherapy, to lose her hair, and have to go through chemotherapy every month for 12 months.\"\n\nAlthough she says it's been tough, Laura has always been very positive.\n\n\"There's no rollercoaster ride like this one, it's horrific.\n\n\"But there have been highs, like the things we've done.\"\n\nLaura and her mum Nicola have been on loads of adventures - and even attended a film premiere\n\nThe family decided to start a bucket list of things to do in 2019.\n\n\"I took a gap year - a kind of an enforced gap year - and I did wonderful things,\" Laura says.\n\nShe travelled - going on safari in South Africa and taking trips to Amsterdam and New York.\n\nShe monster trucks, drove buses, spent a day with the police, went to football matches, watched beans being made in the Heinz factory and went fishing with Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse.\n\nLaura Nuttall went fishing with Bob Mortimer and Paul Whitehouse\n\nShe even got to meet Michelle Obama.\n\n\"I was kind of doing those just to make a statement that my life would not be limited by having cancer.\n\n\"I'm really glad that we managed to get out and do all the crazy stuff that we did.\n\n\"Having those memories to look back gives me a boost when I feel low during Covid.\"\n\nNow Laura is in her second year at Manchester University studying politics, philosophy and economics.\n\nUntil she gets the vaccine she says she's \"being sensible\" but continuing to live her life.\n\nLaura had loads of adventures in 2019, including going on a monster truck\n\nLooking back at 2019, Nicola and Laura say they feel thankful they did it all before the pandemic, as they don't know whether they'll have the time or opportunity to continue their family adventures.\n\n\"We have made good use of the time we had and I'm really glad it happened last year when we were able to do so many things that we couldn't do this year,\" Nicola says.\n\n\"None of us know how long we've got really.\"\n\nListen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.", "Ella Kissi-Debrah lived 25 metres from the South Circular Road in south-east London\n\nThe mother of a nine-year-old girl who died following an asthma attack says she \"would have moved\" if she had known how dangerous local air pollution was.\n\nElla Kissi-Debrah, who lived near the South Circular Road in Lewisham, south-east London, died in 2013.\n\nA 2018 report found unlawful levels of pollution likely contributed to a fatal asthma attack.\n\nAt a new inquest into Ella's death Rosamund Adoo Kissi-Debrah said her daughter was \"the centre of our world\".\n\nMs Kissi-Debrah said \"moving would have been the first thing\" the family would have done if they had known the risks air pollution posed to Ella.\n\nShe told the inquest she knew about car fumes but had never heard of nitrogen oxides (NOx) - one of the most dangerous forms of air pollution.As they did not know of the risks posed by air pollution Ms Kissi-Debrah said she never spoke to doctors about moving.\n\nMs Kissi-Debrah branded air pollution \"a public health emergency\", and called for more education about its dangers.\n\nElla was classified as disabled due to her respiratory problems\n\nElla was first taken to hospital in 2010 after a coughing fit and subsequently admitted to hospital 27 times.\n\nMs Kissi-Debrah said that by the summer of 2012, Ella was classified as disabled. She often had to carry Ella by piggyback to get her around.\n\nElla was seen by consultants at six different hospitals in the years before her death.\n\nOn the day before Ella died Ms Kissi-Debrah described her daughter \"screaming\" as she left her with paramedics.\n\n\"When I saw her in the ambulance I knew she was going to have a seizure, she was so bad,\" Ms Kissi-Debrah said.\n\nDescribing the efforts of doctors to resuscitate Ella on the night of her death, she said: \"They tried and they tried and they tried.\"\n\nRosamund Adoo Kissi-Debrah said she did not know how dangerous local levels of pollution were before her daughter's death\n\nAn inquest in 2014, which focused on Ella's medical care, concluded her death was caused by acute respiratory failure and severe asthma.But a 2018 report said it was likely unlawful levels of pollution, which were detected at a monitoring station one mile from Ella's home, contributed to her fatal asthma attack.\n\nElla may become the first person in the UK for whom air pollution is listed as the cause of death.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Much of Venice was left under water on Tuesday, as unexpectedly severe weather caused flooding in the city.\n\nA new system of 78 flood gates, known as Mose, guard the entrance to the Venetian lagoon and were designed to protect the city from tides of up to 3 metres (10 ft), however, they require 48 hours notice to be activated.", "Michael Gove and Maroš Šefčovič have been leading negotiations on implementing the withdrawal agreement\n\nThe UK and EU have reached agreement on how rules in the Brexit divorce deal will be implemented, particularly in relation to Northern Ireland.\n\nThe government says an \"agreement in principle\" has been found for issues including border control posts and the supply of medicines.\n\nDetails of the agreement have not been published but are expected to be rubber stamped in the coming days.\n\nSeparate negotiations to reach a post-Brexit trade deal are still ongoing.\n\nThe UK left the EU in January but has continued to follow the same rules and regulations during what is known as the transition period.\n\nThe new border arrangements will apply regardless of whether the two sides agree a deal to govern their trading relationship after the Brexit transition period ends on 31 December.\n\nThe UK government also agreed to withdraw controversial clauses from its Internal Market Bill, which is currently going through parliament.\n\nMinisters had threatened to use the bill to introduce powers which could override parts of the Brexit divorce deal it signed last year - the withdrawal agreement, potentially breaking international law.\n\nIt said it wanted a \"safety net\" to prevent a \"border down the Irish Sea\" in case talks with the EU broke down.\n\nThe threat had risked jeopardising the separate negotiations over a UK-EU trade deal, which are heading into a crucial stage, but the UK has now dropped plans to put the powers into law.\n\nThe agreement follows talks in Brussels between Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove and EU commissioner Maroš Šefčovič, which have taken place alongside the negotiations over a new trade agreement.\n\nSpeaking after the announcement, Mr Gove said he was \"delighted\" and thanked the EU team for their \"constructive and pragmatic approach\".\n\nMr Gove told reporters: \"We've agreed stability and security for Northern Ireland\", adding: \"We will be able to ensure unfettered access for goods which come from Northern Ireland to the UK\" and \"given certainty to businesses in Northern Ireland\".\n\nHe said there \"will be some necessary checks on food and products of animal origin as they go into Northern Ireland\" but added these are checks that reflect the fact that the island of Ireland has always been treated as a single zone for animal health.\n\nMr Gove added \"there will be a small number of precautionary checks on food products when they go into Northern Ireland\" but emphasised they would be \"as light touch as possible\".\n\nHe said businesses in Northern Ireland would have the access to the \"best of both worlds\" access to the single market without infrastructure and at the same time \"unfettered access to the rest of the UK market\".\n\nMr Šefčovič said the agreement had removed \"one big obstacle\" from the trade talks, and would create \"positive momentum\" for the negotiators.\n\nSpeaking to reporters in Brussels, he added that the negotiating teams are \"still very far apart, and we are not hiding this from anyone\".\n\nWelcoming the news, Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney told RTE News the new border deal was a \"very important positive for the island of Ireland\".\n\n\"It's hopefully a signal that the British government is in a deal-making mood and we can carry some momentum from this,\" he added.\n\nNorthern Ireland's First Minister Arlene Foster said her Democrat Unionist Party would await details of the new agreement before passing judgement.\n\nShe added it was important any new arrangements ensure Northern Irish businesses can trade freely with firms in Great Britain.\n\nThe pledge from UK ministers to remove the powers comes just one day after they ordered Conservative MPs to reinstate them to the bill on Monday. They had been removed from the bill by the House of Lords.\n\nBut not on those three sticking points we've heard so much about in the last few days: fishing rights, competition rules and enforcing any agreement.\n\nYou may remember all of the rows over the last few years about the border on the island of Ireland: how do you keep it open, with Northern Ireland outside of the European Union, and the Republic within it?\n\nThat is what this is about: working out mutually acceptable rules that will keep Northern Ireland more closely aligned to the EU than the rest of the UK.\n\nWhat has happened today is a necessary, but far from sufficient, step as the two sides attempt to reach a free trade deal.\n\nBut one thing it unquestionably does is improve relations between the two sides - with the UK no longer threatening to breach the last deal it did with Brussels, the withdrawal agreement, at just the point it's trying to sort out the next one.\n\nThe Brexit withdrawal agreement - or divorce deal - sets out the details of the UK's exit from the EU, which took place earlier this year.\n\nNorthern Ireland is the only land border between the UK and the EU.\n\nUnder an arrangement known as the Northern Ireland protocol - which is part of the withdrawal agreement - from January, goods will not need to be checked along the Irish border and the region will continue to enforce the EU's customs product standards rules.\n\nThis means, in order to comply with EU requirements, some checks will be needed on certain goods entering Northern Ireland from Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales).\n\nIn September, the EU expressed anger when the UK government published its Internal Market Bill, which would have enabled ministers to ignore some of the Northern Ireland protocol requirements.\n\nFor example, it would have allowed ministers to override sections of the Brexit divorce deal specifying that companies moving goods from Northern Ireland to Great Britain would have to fill out export declaration forms.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nEfforts to reach a UK-EU trade deal remain stalled over disagreements on fishing rights, business competition rules and how any deal would be enforced.\n\nBoris Johnson - who is due to travel to Brussels on Wednesday in a bid to break the deadlock - has described the situation as \"very tricky\" but added that \"hope springs eternal\".", "The Pfizer/BioNtech vaccine must be stored at a temperature of -70C\n\nUS regulators have confirmed the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid vaccine is 95% effective, paving the way for it to be approved for emergency use.\n\nThe Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found no safety concerns to stop approval of the vaccine.\n\nIt is the first time this level of detail for the jab, which the UK has already started using for mass vaccination, has been published.\n\nThe FDA will meet on Thursday to make a formal decision.\n\nThe agency is yet to approve the vaccine, but has published a document stating the trial data was \"consistent\" with the recommendations set out in its emergency use guidance.\n\nThe UK's regulatory body, the MHRA, approved the vaccine last week.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Fauci: 'We need to be transparent and articulate on the vaccine'\n\nBoth countries have had advanced rolling access to the information on the vaccine's safety and effectiveness.\n\nLast week Dr Anthony Fauci, the top US infectious disease expert, apologised for remarks that seemed to criticise the UK's vaccine approval process.\n\nHe told the BBC then that the US process was \"one that takes more time than it takes in the UK. And that's just the reality. I did not mean to imply any sloppiness even though it came out that way.\"\n\nEven at the time of his original remarks, he had said the US was only \"a couple of days\" behind.\n\nThe in depth material, published by the FDA, shows the vaccine is 95% effective against Covid-19, in keeping with the headlines published by the pharmaceutical company Pfizer.\n\nAlthough two doses are needed to offer full protection, the first jab prevented 89% of the most severe cases.\n\nAnd the vaccine gave similar levels of protection to people who had already had a Covid infection.\n\nThe document, published ahead of the FDA's meeting on Thursday, stated the most common side effect experienced by people who received the vaccine was pain, redness or swelling at the injection site (generally the arm).\n\nThat was followed by short-term fatigue, headache and muscle-pain.\n\nBut beyond these mild effects, there was no notable difference in health conditions between the vaccinated and control groups during the study period.\n\nPregnant women and under-16s were not included in those studied, and so the vaccine will not yet be approved for these groups.\n\nUK and US regulators have slightly different approval procedures for new vaccines.\n\nBoth complete an internal assessment and consult an advisory board, but the FDA also looks at raw figures as well as trial write ups.\n\nUsing these raw figures it has come to more or less the same conclusion as the pharmaceutical company.\n\nIf the vaccine is authorised in the US, it will continue to be monitored for safety.\n• None Pfizer- One of the world's premier biopharmaceutical companies The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Elisa Granato was one of the volunteers given the Oxford vaccine\n\nThe Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid vaccine is safe and effective, giving good protection, researchers have confirmed in The Lancet journal.\n\nMost in the study were younger than 55, but the results so far indicate it does work well in older people too.\n\nThe data also suggest it can reduce spread of Covid, as well as protect against illness and death.\n\nThe paper, assessed by independent scientists, sets out full results from advanced trials of over 20,000 people.\n\nRegulators, who will have seen the same data, are considering the jab for emergency use.\n\nBut there are still important questions about what dose to give, as well as who it will protect.\n\nWhen the interim trial results were made public in a press release about a fortnight ago, the researchers reported three efficacy levels for the vaccine - an overall effectiveness of 70%, a lower one of 62% and a high of 90%.\n\nThat's because different doses of the vaccine were used in one part of the trial. Some volunteers were given shots that were half the strength than originally planned.\n\nYet that \"wrong\" dose turned out to be a winner - giving 90% protection - while two standard doses gave 62%.\n\nThe Lancet report reveals 1,367 people - out of many thousands in the trial - received the half dose followed by a full dose, which gave them 90% protection against getting ill with Covid-19.\n\nThe relatively small numbers in this group mean it is hard to draw firm conclusions.\n\nNone of that group were over the age of 55 though - and experts know it is older people who are most at risk of severe Covid illness.\n\nIn terms of safety, there was one severe adverse event potentially related to the vaccine and another one - a high temperature - that is still being investigated.\n\nBoth these participants are recovering and are still in the trial.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe study also measured protection against asymptomatic infection by asking volunteers to do regular swabs to check if they had Covid without feeling unwell.\n\nMore of these cases were seen in the group that did not receive the vaccine.\n\nPascal Soriot, chief executive officer for AstraZeneca said: \"The results show that the vaccine is effective against Covid-19, with in particular no severe infections and no hospitalisations in the vaccine group, as well as safe and well tolerated.\n\n\"We have begun submitting data to regulatory authorities around the world for early approval and our global supply chains are up and running, ready to quickly begin delivering hundreds of millions of doses on a global scale at no profit.\"\n\nDr Charlie Weller, head of vaccines at Wellcome, said: \"Today marks another key milestone in the Covid-19 vaccine journey.\n\n\"Although we await the trial completion and full data, it is highly encouraging to see the data behind the interim results announced last month, including an analysis of the different dosing regimens. This suggests that this vaccine could prevent asymptomatic disease.\"\n\nBut some experts said the data could present regulators with a dilemma, with a relatively small cohort in the trial - which didn't contain any over-55s - getting a half-dose, which produced the best results.\n\nDr Michael Head, senior research fellow in global health, from the University of Southampton, said the researchers \"were not yet able to fully assess how effective this vaccine is in elderly populations\" and this could have implications for the roll-out in older age groups.\n\nAstraZeneca executive vice-president Sir Mene Pangalos said adults of all ages needed to be vaccinated to make a \"dent\" in the pandemic.\n\n\"I realise the people that are most severely impacted by disease are the over-65s, over-75s, over-85s, but the reality is we need to actually have vaccines that immunise everyone from adolescence to the oldest adults to really dent the pandemic around the world,\" he said.\n\nMeanwhile, the UK has started a mass vaccination campaign with another Covid jab made by Pfizer/BioNTech.\n\nOn Tuesday Margaret Keenan, a 90-year-old grandmother, became the first person in the world to get the Pfizer Covid-19 jab as part of a mass vaccination programme..\n\nThe Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine could also play a major role in fighting the pandemic if it is approved soon.\n\nIt is cheaper than some of the other Covid vaccines and easier to store and distribute.\n\nThe UK government has pre-ordered 100 million doses of the Oxford vaccine, which uses a harmless virus altered to look a lot more like the virus that causes Covid-19.\n\nAstraZeneca says it will make three billion doses for the world next year.", "Sue Hodge says people should not be put off sea swimming but wants them to know the risks\n\nA woman who lost her short-term memory after swimming in the sea last month has said people should not be put off.\n\nSue Hodge, 66, has no memory of going in the sea or even driving to Newquay in Cornwall for a swim on 18 November.\n\nHer friend noticed she appeared \"vacant\" and confused after the short swim and called an ambulance to take her to hospital.\n\nHer next memory was seven hours later and medics told her the cold water had triggered transient global amnesia.\n\nSea swimming has become increasingly popular during 2020 while indoor pools have largely remained closed.\n\nA woman-only sea swimming group in Newquay had 25 members at the start of the year, and now has more than 2,000.\n\nSea swimming is known to have significant mental and physical health benefits\n\nMrs Hodge said: \"We went swimming at about 16:00, and the next thing I remember is waking up in A&E at 23:00. The nurse told me I'd had an amnesic episode.\n\n\"My long-term memory was fine but I couldn't remember anything about what had happened. I couldn't remember even coming into Newquay for the swim, all of that was just obliterated, gone.\n\n\"The consultant who spoke to me said this can be caused through cold water, and so it must have been that which triggered it.\"\n\nSue Semley called an ambulance after becoming concerned for her friend\n\nShe said she would be avoiding the sea for now \"because I would like for it not to happen again\" but said that others \"should still do it, because it is really good fun and the after-effects are great\".\n\nMrs Hodge was swimming with her friend Sue Semley, who said: \"She was just staring. I called her name and she was just staring and she didn't know where she was, and became increasingly agitated.\"\n\nMrs Semley and other swimmers in the group said they had never seen anybody react in this way to cold water previously.\n\nExplaining what she enjoyed about swimming in the sea, Mrs Semley said: \"I just love the way it makes you feel. The cold water makes you feel incredible and really sets you up for the day.\"\n\nSwimmers are advised to make sure they can warm up quickly after getting out of the sea\n\nProfessor Mike Tipton, from the Extreme Environments Laboratory at the University of Portsmouth, said: \"There's an enormous number of people now doing it (sea swimming).\n\n\"We are not trying to stop people because exercising is really important, but we must do it safely.\n\n\"We should realise that we are a tropical animal and want to be in 28 degree air and going into 10 degree water is probably the biggest stress you can pose on the body.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by HM Coastguard This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Last updated on .From the section European Football\n\nParis St-Germain's Champions League game against Istanbul Basaksehir will resume on Wednesday after it was abandoned on Tuesday with a match official accused of using a racist term towards one of the away side's backroom staff.\n\nIstanbul allege fourth official Sebastian Coltescu used the language towards their assistant coach Pierre Webo.\n\nFormer Cameroon international Webo was shown a red card in an exchange on the touchline.\n\nIstanbul players walked off the pitch in protest, with PSG players following.\n\nThe incident happened just 14 minutes into the Group H tie, which was still goalless.\n\nThe match will recommence on Wednesday from the 14th minute. Kick-off will be at 17:55 GMT.\n\nA new set of officials will be in charge, with Dutchman Danny Makkelie appointed referee.\n\nCompatriot Mario Diks and Marcin Boniek of Poland are the assistant referees with another Pole, Bartosch Frankowsky, named fourth official.\n\nPSG are already through to the last 16 after Manchester United's defeat by RB Leipzig.\n\nIn a statement, Uefa said: \"Uefa has - after discussion with both clubs - decided on an exceptional basis to have the remaining minutes of the match played tomorrow with a new team of match officials.\n\n\"A thorough investigation on the incident that took place will be opened immediately.\"\n\nIstanbul forward Demba Ba, who was a substitute, could be seen on the touchline asking the official: \"Why, when you mention a black guy, do you have to say this black guy?\"\n\nTV footage also showed PSG defender Presnel Kimpembe saying: \"Is he serious? We are heading in. We're heading in. That's it, we're heading in.\"\n\nThere followed a wait of around two hours before official confirmation the game would not be finished on Tuesday. During that period, PSG players could be seen warming up in the tunnel awaiting a resumption, but their opponents did not re-emerge.\n\nPSG forward Kylian Mbappe later tweeted : \"Say no to racism. Webo we are with you.\"\n\nRecep Tayyip Erdogan, the president of Turkey, said he believed Uefa would \"take the necessary steps\".\n\n\"We are unconditionally against racism and discrimination in sports and in all areas of life,\" he wrote on Twitter.", "Food and drink supplies in the UK face more disruption after the end of the Brexit transition period than they did from Covid, the industry has said.\n\n\"There are 14 [working] days to go,\" the Food and Drink Federation's (FDF) chief executive, Ian Wright, told MPs.\n\n\"How on earth can traders prepare in this environment?\" he added.\n\nNoting that rules for sending goods from Welsh ports to Northern Ireland had only just been published, he said: \"It's too late, baby.\"\n\nUncertainty over a deal and new border checks would make it difficult to guarantee the movement of food through ports without delays, he said.\n\nMr Wright was giving evidence to the Commons business committee on Brexit preparedness.\n\nHe said there was a big concern that the problems would \"erode the confidence of shoppers in the supply chain\", adding: \"It has done very well over Covid and shoppers will expect the same thing over Brexit, and they may not see it.\"\n\n\"We can't be absolutely certain about the movement of food from the EU to the UK from 1 January for two reasons,\" Mr Wright said.\n\n\"One is checks at the border. The other is tariffs, and the problem with tariffs is, we don't know what they will be.\"\n\nMr Wright added: \"With just 14 working days to go, we have no clue what's going to happen in terms of whether we do or don't face tariffs.\n\n\"And that isn't just a big imposition. It's a binary choice as to whether you do business in most cases. My members will not know whether they're exporting their products after 1 January, or whether they'll be able to afford to import them and charge the price that the tariff will dictate.\"\n\nMr Wright warned that while he expected Kent and Operation Brock to work \"reasonably well\", he was less confident about ports such as Holyhead, with goods heading to Northern Ireland.\n\nHe called the Northern Ireland protocol a \"complete shambles\", adding: \"The idea that you can prepare for something as big as the change that's going to happen is ridiculous, it's a massive toll.\"\n\nMr Wright added that 43% of FDF members who supply Northern Ireland have said they were not going to do so in the first three months of next year.\n\nHe told MPs that many companies had lost some of their customer base in the EU. \"The problem is, if there's any disruption to supply, you lose your customer pretty quickly and you do not get them back,\" he added.\n\nMiles Celic, chief executive of TheCityUK, told the committee that up to a quarter of the UK's financial activity was EU-related and that in the worst-case scenario, about 40% of that business could be lost.\n\nHowever, he added: \"We've not seen this vast shift in jobs and activity.\"\n\nInstead, Brexit had acted as a \"strategic accelerator\", with firms taking action such as restructuring EU-based offices as standalone operations. Even so, he warned: \"This all comes ultimately at a cost.\"\n\nLloyd Mulkerrins of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said that if tariffs were levied on parts and finished vehicles, the UK's car industry was likely to see a sales decline of 20% to 30%.\n\nProduction would decline from as much as 1.6 million to just 800,000, he told the MPs.", "The age limit for playing the National Lottery is set to be raised from 16 to 18 from next October as the government moves to crackdown on gambling.\n\nThe government has pledged a \"major and wide-ranging review\" of the sector, which may include limits on online stakes and restrictions on advertising.\n\nBetting firms could also be banned from sponsoring football shirts.\n\nThe current legislation, established in 2005, was \"an analogue law in a digital age\", the government said.\n\nCulture Secretary Oliver Dowden said the industry had \"evolved at breakneck speed\" and the aim of the review was to tackle \"problem gambling in all its forms to protect children and vulnerable people\".\n\nThe age threshold for playing the National Lottery - including scratchcards - will rise from October 2021. Before that, online sales to 16 and 17-year-olds will stop in April 2021.\n\n\"We're committed to protecting young people from gambling-related harm, which is why we are raising the minimum age for the National Lottery,\" said sport minister Nigel Huddleston.\n\n\"Patterns of play have changed since its inception, with a shift towards online games, and this change will help make sure the National Lottery, although already low-risk, is not a gateway to problem gambling.\"\n\nThe government is canvassing views on the legislation in the form of a call for evidence, which will run for 16 weeks until the end of March 2021.\n\nThe Gambling Commission's role and powers will also be looked at, as will promotional offers and whether extra protections for children and young adults are needed.\n\nMr Huddleston told the Commons the review would seek to \"strike a careful balance\" between individual freedom and protecting the vulnerable.\n\nShadow sports minister Alison McGovern welcomed the announcement, but said it was \"disappointing\" that the government had taken so long.\n\nIn 2018, Paddy Power Betfair was fined £2.2m for failing to stop stolen money being gambled on its website and not protecting customers showing signs of problem gambling.\n\nIan Proctor, UK chairman of its parent company Flutter, told the BBC that gambling rules did need to be updated for the digital age.\n\nBut he warned of \"unintended consequences\" if regulations were not thought through and said that grassroots sports could suffer if sponsorship was restricted.\n\n\"We take [problem gambling] incredibly seriously... but let's also get this in a little bit of context,\" he told the BBC's Today programme.\n\n\"For millions of people every week, they enjoy a bet, it's a leisure activity, it gives people a lot of pleasure. For some people it's not, for a small minority. And we need to make gambling safer for those people.\"\n\nThe review of all the apparatus gambling companies use to attract customers - sponsorship, marketing, online promotion and stakes - should be extremely bad news for those companies.\n\nThis morning, however, the share prices of William Hill and Flutter, the two largest gambling outfits listed on the London market, have scarcely budged.\n\nThe review was, up to a point, priced in - investors knew it was coming, and its likely scope had been well telegraphed in advance.\n\nShareholders may also reflect that while the government has talked tough on gambling restrictions in the past, reforms have often been watered down, and the companies themselves have been able to develop their businesses in ways not anticipated by regulators.\n\nThese companies are also less affected by British regulatory developments than in the past.\n\nFlutter, the home of SkyBet, Betfair and Paddy Power, is now a FTSE 100 multinational, with operations across the world and the ability to switch investment where it sees fit.\n\nWilliam Hill, founded in London between the world wars when gambling was illegal, is being bought by an American company, Caesars Entertainment.\n\nThe Gambling Commission has imposed big fines on other gambling operators in recent years.\n\nIn March, online betting firm Betway paid a penalty of £11.6m for failings over customer protection and money-laundering checks, while in April casino operator Caesars Entertainment UK was hit with a £13m penalty following a \"catalogue\" of social responsibility and money laundering failures.\n\nBut in June, Parliament's Public Accounts Committee described the Gambling Commission as \"toothless\" and said it had an \"unacceptably weak understanding\" of the harms of gambling.\n\nThe review will also examine the actions that customers can take where they feel operators have breached social responsibility requirements.\n\nThe aim is to ensure customer protection is at the heart of the regulations, while giving those that gamble safely the freedom to do so, according to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).\n\n\"Whilst millions gamble responsibly, the Gambling Act is an analogue law in a digital age... the industry has evolved at breakneck speed,\" said Mr Dowden.\n\nJo Stevens, Labour's shadow culture secretary, said it was \"disappointing that the government has taken more than a year to launch this review, during which time more people have suffered with gambling addiction and without getting vital support\".\n\nThe Gambling Health Alliance (GHA), an umbrella group for 50 charities and academics, has called for the review to focus on the damage gambling can do to public health.\n\nThe group's chair, Duncan Stephenson, said for the past 15 years, the public had been at the mercy of a gambling industry which has taken advantage of \"sluggish and inadequate\" regulation.\n\n\"We have seen the devastating effects of this on lives lost and ruined, with gambling companies shamelessly exploiting the young and vulnerable, making obscene amounts of money at the expense of some of our most deprived communities,\" he said.\n\nThe GHA is calling for gambling to be \"de-normalised\", and for a ban on gambling advertising and sponsorship in sports.\n\n\"Just as we have rightly taken steps to ramp up the regulation of other harmful products such as tobacco and junk food, we now need to do the same with gambling,\" Mr Stephenson said.\n\nFormer gambling addict Matt Zarb-Cousin, who runs the Clean Up Gambling campaign group, said: \"This wide-ranging review is a long overdue opportunity to clean up our outdated gambling laws, which are incompatible with the smartphone era.\"\n\nThe gambling review follows a range of measures introduced by the government to protect consumers from the risk of gambling-related harm.\n\nLast year, the maximum stake that can be played on fixed-odds betting terminals (FOBT) was cut from £100 to £2.\n\nAnd in September, the government launched a consultation to explore young people's experiences of loot boxes in video games.", "Singapore is a long way from the snow-capped peaks of the Swiss Alps\n\nThe World Economic Forum, which usually hosts a glitzy annual meeting for political and business leaders in the Swiss ski resort of Davos, has moved next year's event to Singapore.\n\nThe forum says it's making the change to safeguard health and safety.\n\n\"In light of the current situation with regards to Covid-19 cases, it was decided that Singapore was best placed to hold the meeting,\" it said.\n\nSingapore has largely been seen as managing the crisis successfully.\n\nIts health ministry says there are currently 28 people being treated in hospital for the coronavirus, but none are in intensive care, and there are no cases in the community. Singapore's death toll for Covid-19 stands at 29.\n\nBut the country remains under \"phase two\" restrictions, which means gatherings are capped at five people and working from home is still the default for most companies.\n\nSingapore's Trade Minister Chan Chun Sing said the Forum's decision to hold the meeting in the country was \"an affirmation of Singapore's ability to provide a safe, neutral and conducive venue for global leaders to meet\".\n\nSafety measures could include tests on arrival and contact tracing of attendees, the government said.\n\nBreakfast panels are a staple of the Davos summit\n\nThe in-person World Economic Forum annual meeting is planned to take place in Singapore from 13-16 May, before returning to Switzerland in 2022.\n\nIt will be only the second time the event has been held outside Davos in its history. In 2002, the forum was organised in New York to show solidarity with the US after the 9/11 terror attacks.\n\nKlaus Schwab, who founded the forum in the 1970s, said a global leadership summit would be crucial to address the global recovery from the pandemic.\n\n\"Public-private co-operation is needed more than ever to rebuild trust and address the fault lines that emerged in 2020,\" he said.", "Mr Dunford said he used material from his work to create the monolith\n\nA designer has told the BBC he erected a monolith on a British beach in tribute to others which have popped up around the world.\n\nThe pillar, similar to ones in the US and Romania, sparked global headlines after it was found on the Isle of Wight off the south coast of England.\n\nTom Dunford, who lives on the island, said: \"I did it purely for fun.\"\n\nThe gleaming structure on Compton Beach has been attracting an influx of visitors since its discovery on Sunday.\n\nThe reflective structure sparked a stir on social media about who put it there and why.\n\nMr Dunford said he put the structure up at about 04:00 GMT on Sunday morning\n\nMr Dunford, 29, from Fishbourne, told BBC Radio Solent: \"If the aliens were to come down I think they'd go for the safest place which is the Isle of Wight in tier 1 [Covid restrictions].\n\n\"I was convinced it would be stolen in the first couple of hours.\"\n\nMr Dunford, who works for a design company, said: \"When I saw the first one pop up [in Utah] I thought it was brilliant, the second one popped up and I had a text from a friend which said 'you're the man that can do this on the island'.\n\n\"I'm absolutely fascinated in futuristic design, science and space. The actual idea sparked when I was walking back to the office and we had an old sheet of mirrored perspex.\"\n\nMr Dunford said he told a few trusted friends and relatives about his plan before he drove down to the beach at 04:00 GMT on Sunday to install it.\n\n\"I'm one of these guys, once I get a creative streak I have to just go for it,\" he added.\n\nMr Dunford (pictured) said his gleaming structure was inspired by the monolith in Utah\n\nBut he admitted he did not expect it to get the reaction it did.\n\n\"I'm going to leave it and let people take photos and go and collect it in a couple of days,\" he said.\n\nThe beach is being closely monitored to avoid a deluge of crowds, the National Trust has said.\n\nThe trust, which is responsible for the site, said rangers would \"ensure the beach remains safe and does not become overcrowded\".\n\nThe National Trust said visitor numbers to the beach would be monitored to \"to ensure the beach remains safe\"\n\nA metal monolith appeared briefly in the Utah desert late last month. It created wild speculation on social media and apparent copycats with two others found in southern California and Romania days later.\n\nAn anonymous collective called The Most Famous Artist has taken credit for the monoliths in Utah and California - it posted an image of the Utah monolith on Instagram, with a 45,000 US dollar (£34,000) price tag.\n\nIn 2001: A Space Odyssey - the 1968 film directed by Stanley Kubrick - imposing black monoliths created by an unseen alien species appear in the movie, based on the writings of novelist Arthur C Clarke.\n\nFollow BBC South on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to south.newsonline@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "In rural Florida and Georgia - a heartland of Trump support - the contentious presidential election has only deepened political divides.\n\nWith many Republicans believing conspiracy theories claiming the election was rigged, what's it like for voters here who backed Joe Biden?\n\nMusician Jim White says he's not seen the South as divided in his lifetime - but he's trying to reach out to neighbours who disagree with him. Political blogger Justin King says he'll never be able to repair relationships with those who voted for Trump.\n\nProduced by Aleem Maqbool, Eva Artesona. Filmed by Fred Scott. Edited by Alexandra Ostasiewicz.", "Adrian Smith was shocked to find that a photo of him as an eight-year-old had become an internet meme.\n\nHe stumbled upon the picture on Instagram, but it had come from a Tumblr blog in which his image was being used as the stepson of a fictional \"teenage stepdad\".\n\nHe said he was amused by it, but admitted that as a child he would have found it \"confusing and sad\".\n\nMr Smith's discovery has now gone more viral than the original meme.\n\nHe has been in touch with its original creator, and said he was happy that the image has not been used in a \"mean spirit\".\n\n\"Teenage Stepdad\" offered to kill the character off, but Mr Smith is happy for him to carry on with it if he wishes, he said.\n\nThe character which went with the photo was not a part of him, Mr Smith said.\n\n\"I had options - I could ignore it, I could get mad about it, or I could embrace it and make it part of my story now, and have it out there as an example of the chaotic randomness that happens with stuff on the internet that we put there,\" he said.\n\nMr Smith, who lives in North Carolina, had contributed the photograph to a Tumblr blog in about 2007 where people were sharing school photos with laser backgrounds. It was taken in 1992.\n\nHe said he remembered being very proud of the picture, having managed to find a top that matched the background, for which he had paid an additional $2.\n\n\"I'd like to say it's me pre-glasses, pre-braces, and 100% raw power as an eight-year-old,\" he said.\n\n\"My grin in the picture is one of smug satisfaction.\"\n\nMr Smith is himself a parent of two very young children - and said it would be a while before they understood what a meme was. But he did not wish to put them off sharing their lives online.\n\n\"The lesson is that what you put in the internet might last forever and have a life of its own, but also the internet doesn't define you, it doesn't have to be you,\" he said.\n\n\"Figure out who you are first, and if the stuff out there is part of how you want to define yourself then use it for that, if it's not, then don't.\"\n\nHis alter-ego has had a lively few years, sported some interesting hairstyles and made some questionable decisions, like the time he took up smoking. But Mr Smith thinks the fictional boy would also approve of his own career as an entomologist who \"puts videos about bugs on YouTube\".\n• None Viral dad on the trials of working from home", "For months, the government has been urging businesses to get ready for a new era in trading with the EU. But it was only on Boxing Day that details of all the new rules were actually published.\n\nBusiness groups are relieved that the threat of a no-deal Brexit, which would have meant tariffs (or taxes) on goods crossing the border with the EU, has been removed. But companies that trade with the EU are still facing a lot of new bureaucracy.\n\nAnd the disruption in mid-December, caused by border closures related to the new variant of Covid-19, was a reminder of how dependent the UK economy is on trade across the English Channel.\n\nFrom 1 January 2021, goods entering the EU from Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) face large amounts of new paperwork and checks, including:\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nHauliers will also need to make sure they have the right transportation paperwork before they drive to the border.\n\nThere is particular focus on the \"short straits\" route between Dover and Calais, and the nearby Channel Tunnel, which taken together handle about four million lorries a year.\n\n\"This is the biggest imposition of red tape that businesses have had to deal with in 50 years,\" says William Bain from the British Retail Consortium.\n\nFull controls on British exports to the EU began on 1 January. The first day of the new regime appears to have gone relatively smoothly.\n\nBut it's feared that later in the year, the new controls could cause disruption, even though new border infrastructure has been built at ports such as Calais, to help process vehicles more efficiently.\n\nThere are some mitigating measures though.\n\nIn response to the Covid crisis, the government is delaying full controls on goods entering Great Britain from the EU for a further six months.\n\nThere will be checks from 1 January on controlled substances such as alcohol and tobacco, and traders deemed to be a risk will also be asked to fill in customs declarations.\n\nBut most checks on goods coming in from the EU will be delayed until 1 July, a deadline that could in theory be extended.\n\n\"I think we will want to monitor it,\" the chief executive of HM Revenue and Customs, Jim Harra, told MPs in November. \"Hopefully we will not still be in a situation where Covid-19 is consuming as much of people's attention.\"\n\nOther measures to tackle potential disruption include diverting trade to other ports around the country and opening lorry parks in Kent, to avoid gridlock on the roads.\n\nSome of these contingencies were put into action early, to deal with the Covid border closures in December.\n\nOperation Brock, for example, involved changing the layout of a section of the M20, using a concrete barrier to allow lorries heading for mainland Europe to queue safely on the motorway.\n\nThousands of lorries were also diverted to temporary parking at a disused airport at Manston.\n\nFrom 1 January drivers of lorries weighing more than 7.5 tonnes will need to acquire a Kent Access Permit before they enter the county. They will have to show that they have all the paperwork they need to ferry goods to Europe.\n\nBut that doesn't deal with the challenge of the thousands of vans that cross the Channel every week.\n\n\"What has been serially misunderstood by various parts of government is the scale of the complexity for people on the ground dealing with the paperwork,\" says Duncan Buchanan, the Policy Director of the Road Haulage Association.\n\nThat could mean that instead of queues on motorways, many traders won't be able to leave their depots.\n\n\"Either they won't be able to get vets to sign off on their meat exports, or they won't be able to get their permit because they don't have the right bits of paper,\" says Shane Brennan, chief executive of the Cold Storage Federation.\n\n\"We might see a quite significant holding off of trading - people just not moving stuff in the first few weeks.\"\n\nEighty-five per cent of the volume of trade between the EU and Great Britain is carried by EU hauliers, who are often paid not by the hour, but by the kilometre. If they think there will be too many delays, many may simply not come.\n\nThe government says the readiness of traders to deal with the new system remains its biggest concern.\n\nLorries parked on the M20 in Kent\n\n\"The sheer scale of the overall operation means there are literally many millions of moving parts,\" permanent secretary of the cabinet office Alex Chisholm told MPs. \"Inevitably there are going to be some difficulties for some individual people as they adjust to the new regime.\"\n\nThe government has also announced a new Border Operations Centre as part of plans \"for the UK to have the world's most effective border by 2025\".\n\nQuestions have been asked about how changes at the border might affect food supply. The short answer is no-one can say for sure, but nearly 30% of all the food consumed in the UK is imported from the EU.\n\nThe good news is that there is a deal, which makes a big difference. But the challenge is particularly acute because the UK grows relatively small amounts of fruit and vegetables in January and February and is most dependent on supplies from southern Europe at this time of year.\n\nSo, if there are delays, they could cause some shortages on the shelves.\n\n\"Some gaps are possible but we're not going to run out of food - that's not going to happen\" says Ian Wright.\n\nWhen it comes to non-perishable items, there had been some stockpiling in preparation for either outcome, but extra supplies won't last forever.\n\n\"The crunch point is probably not going to be in the first few days or weeks of January,\" William Bain argues. \"Towards the end of the month, when new orders start being placed and delivered, we will start to see the processes in Kent and the other ports really tested.\"\n\nAnd it's not only about food.\n\nOther retailers, which are used to moving their stock freely around the EU customs union, have had to create separate supply chains for the UK. That is costing them more money, and their new systems have yet to be tested properly.\n\nIt's not just about trade across the English Channel.\n\nTrade across the Irish Sea between Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland will be subject to the same pressures, while Northern Ireland will be a special case under the terms of the Northern Ireland protocol in the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement.\n\nNorthern Ireland will remain in the EU single market for goods, and unlike the rest of the UK it will continue to enjoy frictionless trade with the EU with no checks of any kind at the land border with the Republic.\n\nBut there is a price to pay for that - new bureaucracy within the UK between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.\n\nThe EU, for example, has strict rules on products of animal origin: meat, milk, fish and eggs.\n\nThese products must enter the single market (and, from 1 January, Northern Ireland) through a border control post where paperwork is checked, and a proportion of goods physically inspected.\n\nThere will be a grace period of three months for supermarkets and their suppliers, but some smaller traders may have to get used to the new rules straight away.\n\nAll shipments from Great Britain to Northern Ireland will also need a safety and security declaration, and a customs declaration from a new IT system which none of the traders have used before.\n\nThe government has set up a Trader Support Service to help.\n\nThe details of the new trading arrangements for Northern Ireland were announced separately in early December, and provided some clarity. They include an agreement which means the vast majority of goods being shipped from GB to NI will not be at risk of having tariffs imposed.\n\nBut there are plenty of unresolved issues.\n\nTraders are seeking answers about how to send parcels from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, and some online retailers have already suspended deliveries.\n\nThe trade from British to Northern Irish ports often involves multiple small shipments on a single lorry - all of which will need the right paperwork.\n\n\"We need clear rules for everyone in the supply chain,\" says Duncan Buchanan, \"and when you scratch the surface it is just not ready.\"\n\nIt is expected that many checks will be carried out on a 'light touch' basis to begin with.\n\nBut anyone trading between Great Britain and Northern Ireland is going to have to get used to a new way of working very quickly.", "Is this a needle which I see before me? William Shakespeare receiving his first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine\n\nMargaret Keenan has made history by becoming the first person in the world to get a Covid-19 vaccine outside of a clinical trial, but if there's one name you'll associate with this day, it may not be hers.\n\nNot the writer, poet and playwright, but his 81-year-old namesake. This Mr Shakespeare was the second person to be given a jab - and, guess what, he also comes from Warwickshire.\n\n\"Much ado about nothing?\" It doesn't matter - \"all's well that ends well\".\n\n\"Is this a needle which I see before me?\" the present-day Shakespeare could have asked, but his reaction was a little bit less, well, dramatic: he said he was \"pleased\" to be given the jab, and staff at University Hospital in Coventry had been \"wonderful\".\n\nSo, if Ms Keenan was patient 1A, was Mr Shakespeare \"Patient 2B or not 2B\"?\n\nTheirs were the first of 800,000 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine that will be dispensed in the coming weeks in the UK.\n\nThe vaccine is given as two injections, 21 days apart, with the second dose being a booster. Immunity begins to kick in after the first dose but reaches its full effect seven days after the second dose.\n\n\"Two doses, both alike in quantity,\" if we're allowed another pun - but here are some others on the day \"the taming of the flu\" began.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Dan Walker This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. 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To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 4 by Otto English This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 5 by Callum May This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. End of twitter post 5 by Callum May\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 6 by Oonagh This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. NHS chief Sir Simon Stevens: This could be a \"decisive turning point\" in Covid-19 fight\n\nThe first vaccinations will mark a \"decisive turning point in the battle against coronavirus\", NHS England's chief executive has said on the eve of the jab being rolled out.\n\nPeople in the UK will begin to receive the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine on Tuesday.\n\nNHS England boss Sir Simon Stevens said vaccinations would continue \"at least until next spring\" and warned people to be \"very careful\" in the meantime.\n\nHealth Secretary Matt Hancock tweeted all parts of the UK had vaccine doses.\n\nOn Monday, the government announced a further 14,718 people had tested positive for the virus, while a further 189 people had died within 28 days of a positive test - taking the total by that measure to 61,434.\n\nFront-line health staff, those aged over 80, and care home workers will be first in line for the vaccine.\n\nIn England, 50 hospitals have been initially chosen to serve as hubs for administering it.\n\nScotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland will also begin their vaccination programmes from hospitals on Tuesday.\n\nSpeaking at the Royal Free Hospital in London ahead of the Covid-19 vaccine rollout, Sir Simon said: \"Tomorrow is the beginning of the biggest vaccination campaign in our history, building on successes from previous campaigns against conditions [and] diseases like polio, meningitis, and tuberculosis.\n\n\"Hospitals, and then GPs and pharmacists, as more vaccine becomes available, are going to be vaccinating at least until next spring.\"\n\nRefrigerated containers holding the vaccine doses, which need to be kept at -70C, have been arriving in the UK from Belgium, where it is made, and are being prepared to be moved from secure locations to the hospitals.\n\nThe UK has ordered 40 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech jab. It is enough to vaccinate 20 million people because two doses are needed.\n\nThere are 800,000 doses in the first tranche, meaning 400,000 people will be vaccinated initially.\n\nAlthough care home residents were placed at the top of the priority list agreed by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), they are not getting the very first vaccinations.\n\nThe government has explained this is because the chosen hospital hubs already have the facilities to store the vaccine at the required temperature. But Mr Hancock said the government was doing everything it could to overcome \"significant challenges\" to ensure care home residents were vaccinated as soon as possible.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The health secretary said care homes could get vaccines “by the end of next week”\n\nChris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, said people aged over 80 should not be worried if they are not called for the vaccine this month as the vast majority will have to wait until the new year to receive the jab.\n\nWhen asked about potential disruption to supply if there is a no-deal Brexit, Foreign Office minister James Cleverly said the vaccine was a \"top priority product\" and the government would consider using the armed forces to ensure supply \"if we need to\".\n\nThe Ministry of Defence said 60 military planners are working with the government's vaccine task force, with a further 56 personnel helping to construct vaccination centres.\n\nEarlier, Welsh health minister Vaughan Gething warned that potential delays at ports from Brexit changes could disrupt medical supplies.\n\nBut for medication like the Covid vaccine, which could become ineffective if it was delayed, \"the UK government have made arrangements to fly those into different parts of the UK,\" he said.\n\nDo you have an appointment to be vaccinated? Get in touch by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "We've looked into some of the most widely shared false vaccine claims - everything from alleged plots to put microchips into people to the supposed re-engineering of our genetic code.\n\nThe fear that a vaccine will somehow change your DNA is one we've seen aired regularly on social media.\n\nThe BBC asked three independent scientists about this. They said that the coronavirus vaccine would not alter human DNA.\n\nSome of the newly created vaccines, including the one now approved in the UK developed by Pfizer/BioNTech, use a fragment of the virus's genetic material - or messenger RNA.\n\n\"Injecting RNA into a person doesn't do anything to the DNA of a human cell,\" says Prof Jeffrey Almond of Oxford University.\n\nIt works by giving the body instructions to produce a protein which is present on the surface of the coronavirus.\n\nThe immune system then learns to recognise and produce antibodies against the protein.\n\nClaims that Bill Gates plans to use a vaccine to \"manipulate\" or \"alter\" human DNA have been widely shared\n\nThis isn't the first time we've looked into claims that a coronavirus vaccine will supposedly alter DNA. We investigated a popular video spreading the theory back in May.\n\nPosts have noted that messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine technology \"has never been tested or approved before\".\n\nIt is true that no mRNA vaccine has been approved before now, but multiple studies of mRNA vaccines in humans have taken place over the last few years. And, since the pandemic started, the vaccine has been tested on tens of thousands of people around the world and has gone through a rigorous safety approval process.\n\nLike all new vaccines, it has to undergo rigorous safety checks before it can be recommended for widespread use.\n\nIn Phase 1 and Phase 2 clinical trials, vaccines are tested in small numbers of volunteers to check they are safe and to determine the right dose.\n\nIn Phase 3 trials they are tested in thousands of people to see how effective they are. The group who received the vaccine and a control group who have received a placebo are closely monitored for any adverse reactions - side-effects. Safety monitoring continues after a vaccine has been approved for use.\n\nNext, a conspiracy theory that has spanned the globe.\n\nIt claims that the coronavirus pandemic is a cover for a plan to implant trackable microchips and that the Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is behind it.\n\nThere is no vaccine \"microchip\" and there is no evidence to support claims that Bill Gates is planning for this in the future.\n\nThe Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation told the BBC the claim was \"false\".\n\nOne TikTok user created a video about being \"microchipped\" and called a vaccine the \"mark of the beast\"\n\nRumours took hold in March when Mr Gates said in an interview that eventually \"we will have some digital certificates\" which would be used to show who'd recovered, been tested and ultimately who received a vaccine. He made no mention of microchips.\n\nThis led to one widely shared article headlined: \"Bill Gates will use microchip implants to fight coronavirus.\"\n\nThe article makes reference to a study, funded by The Gates Foundation, into a technology that could store someone's vaccine records in a special ink administered at the same time as an injection.\n\nHowever, the technology is not a microchip and is more like an invisible tattoo. It has not been rolled out yet, would not allow people to be tracked and personal information would not be entered into a database, says Ana Jaklenec, a scientist involved in the study.\n\nThe billionaire founder of Microsoft has been the subject of many false rumours during the pandemic.\n\nHe's been targeted because of his philanthropic work in public health and vaccine development.\n\nDespite the lack of evidence, in May a YouGov poll of 1,640 people suggested 28% of Americans believed Mr Gates wanted to use vaccines to implant microchips in people - with the figure rising to 44% among Republicans.\n\nWe've seen claims that vaccines contain the lung tissue of an aborted fetus. This is false.\n\n\"There are no fetal cells used in any vaccine production process,\" says Dr Michael Head, of the University of Southampton.\n\nOne particular video that was posted on one of the biggest anti-vaccine Facebook pages refers to a study which the narrator claims is evidence of what goes into the vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University. But the narrator's interpretation is wrong - the study in question explored how the vaccine reacted when introduced to human cells in a lab.\n\nConfusion may have arisen because there is a step in the process of developing a vaccine that uses cells grown in a lab, which are the descendants of embryonic cells that would otherwise have been destroyed. The technique was developed in the 1960s, and no fetuses were aborted for the purposes of this research.\n\nMany vaccines are made in this way, explains Dr David Matthews, from Bristol University, adding that any traces of the cells are comprehensively removed from the vaccine \"to exceptionally high standards\".\n\nThe developers of the vaccine at Oxford University say they worked with cloned cells, but these cells \"are not themselves the cells of aborted babies\".\n\nThe cells work like a factory to manufacture a greatly weakened form of the virus that has been adapted to function as a vaccine.\n\nBut even though the weakened virus is created using these cloned cells, this cellular material is removed when the virus is purified and not used in the vaccine.\n\nWe've seen arguments against a Covid-19 vaccine shared across social media asking why we need one at all if the chances of dying from the virus are so slim.\n\nA meme shared by people who oppose vaccination put the recovery rate from the disease at 99.97% and suggested getting Covid-19 is a safer option than taking a vaccine.\n\nA meme using images of rapper Drake has been used to promote false vaccine claims\n\nTo begin with, the figure referred to in the meme as the \"recovery rate\" - implying these are people who caught the virus and survived - is not correct.\n\nAbout 99.0% of people who catch Covid survive it, says Jason Oke, senior statistician at the University of Oxford.\n\nSo around 100 in 10,000 will die - far higher than three in 10,000, as suggested in the meme.\n\nHowever, Mr Oke adds that \"in all cases the risks very much depend on age and do not take into account short and long-term morbidity from Covid-19\".\n\nIt's not just about survival. For every person who dies, there are others who live through it but undergo intensive medical care, and those who suffer long-lasting health effects.\n\nThis can contribute to a health service overburdened with Covid patients, competing with a hospital's limited resources to treat patients with other illnesses and injuries.\n\nConcentrating on the overall death rate, or breaking down the taking of a vaccine to an individual act, misses the point of vaccinations, says Prof Liam Smeeth of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. It should be seen as an effort by society to protect others, he says.\n\n\"In the UK, the worst part of the pandemic, the reason for lockdown, is because the health service would be overwhelmed. Vulnerable groups like the old and sick in care homes have a much higher chance of getting severely ill if they catch the virus\".", "Last updated on .From the section Football\n\nThe qualifiers take place between March and November 2021 England will face Robert Lewandowski's Poland in qualification for the Fifa World Cup Qatar 2022. They will also play Hungary, Albania, Andorra and San Marino in Group I. Wales will meet Belgium, who they knocked out of Euro 2016, in Group E. Northern Ireland have been drawn with Italy, Switzerland, Bulgaria and Lithuania in Group C. The Republic of Ireland will come up against Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal in Group A, as well as Serbia, Luxembourg and Azerbaijan. The qualifiers will take place between March and November 2021, with play-offs scheduled for March 2022. Who the home nations will play See the complete draw here England have faced Poland in qualifying for the 1974, 1990, 1994, 2006 and 2014 World Cups. The two sides also met in the finals in Mexico in 1986. Poland have arguably the best striker in world football right now in Lewandowski, who has scored 70 goals in 61 appearances for Bayern Munich since the start of last season. England last met Poland in qualifying for the 2014 World Cup, when the Three Lions won 2-0 \"There is a great history with that fixture,\" said England manager Gareth Southgate. \"There was a spell when we seemed to draw them all the time.\" The group also sees England take on three sides they have beaten every time they have played them - Albania (four wins), Andorra (four) and San Marino (six). \"Poland are obviously a very good side,\" Southgate added. \"Hungary just got promoted into the Nations League top division - so those two in particular will be games that will be tough. \"The rest, whenever I have played for England or managed them, are complicated games to navigate.\" England's meeting with San Marino will stir memories of a World Cup qualifier between the two in 1993 when the Three Lions conceded after just 8.3 seconds - but they went on to win 7-1. Ryan Giggs' Wales side may have been drawn against the word's top-ranked side, but the famous triumph over the Belgians at the European Championship four years ago will still be fresh in their minds. The Welsh came back from a goal down to win 3-1 and reach the semi-finals of a major tournament for the first time. Scotland beat Serbia on penalties in their qualifying play-off final last month to reach Euro 2020 Scotland, who will play at next year's delayed Euro 2020, have been drawn in arguably the easiest group of the four home nations as they seek to qualify for a World Cup for the first time since 1998. They have never lost to the Faroe Islands or Moldova and have a good record against the group's toughest opponents Denmark, triumphing in 10 of their 16 previous meetings. Northern Ireland's group sees them renew hostilities with Switzerland, who controversially beat them in a play-off for the 2018 tournament. Italy, whose last World Cup triumph came in the 2006 tournament, are 10th in the latest Fifa rankings, with the Swiss occupying 16th spot. Thirty-two teams will take part in the World Cup in Qatar, of which 13 will be from Europe. The 10 group winners in qualifying will secure their place at the tournament while the 10 group runners-up will go through to the play-offs, along with the two best Nations League group winners who do not finish in the top two of their World Cup qualifying group. The 12 play-off teams will be drawn into three separate play-off paths, each of which will comprise semi-finals and final, with the three winners heading to Qatar. When are the World Cup qualifying group matches? And when are the World Cup finals themselves? Because of Qatar's intense summer heat, this World Cup will be held from 21 November to 18 December 2022, making it the first not to be held in May, June, or July. It is set to be played in a reduced timeframe of 28 days. Thirty-two teams will compete in eight venues in five host cities to succeed reigning champions France.\n• None Missed out on the weekend's Premier League action? All the goals and highlights are streaming now", "Sky News presenter Kay Burley has apologised for an \"error of judgment\" after she \"inadvertently broke the rules\" around Covid-19 safety.\n\nPosting on Twitter, the journalist said she had been celebrating her 60th birthday at a \"Covid compliant\" restaurant on Saturday.\n\nShe later \"popped into another\" venue to use the toilet. It's not clear what rule was broken through this action.\n\nAn internal review is now under way, Sky has confirmed.\n\n\"On Saturday night I was enjoying my 60th birthday at a Covid compliant restaurant. I am embarrassed to say that later in the evening I inadvertently broke the rules,\" Ms Burley posted on Twitter.\n\n\"I had been waiting for a taxi at 11pm to get home. Desperate for the loo I briefly popped into another restaurant to spend a penny. I can only apologise.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Kay Burley This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nMs Burley was notably absent from her daily breakfast show on Sky News on Tuesday morning.\n\nReports suggest Ms Burley was joined by a group of colleagues to mark her birthday in London, which is under tier two restrictions.\n\nThis means people are not allowed to socialise with anyone from outside their household or support bubble indoors, either in a private home or a public place.\n\nSome venues have outdoor seating and you are able to meet in a group of up to six people outside, including in a garden or in a public place.\n\nReacting to the reports, a spokesman for Sky told the BBC: \"We place the highest importance on complying with the government guidelines on Covid, and we expect all our people to comply.\n\n\"We were disappointed to learn that a small number of Sky News staff may have engaged in activity that breached the guidelines.\n\n\"Although this took place at a social event in personal time, we expect all our people to follow the rules that are in place for everyone.\"\n\nHe added: \"An internal process is underway to review the conduct of the people involved.\"\n\nMs Burley has grilled politicians throughout the pandemic, and in May questioned Michael Gove about Dominic Cummings' controversial lockdown trip to Barnard Castle.\n\nHer apology comes after pop star Rita Ora also said sorry for breaching the UK's Covid-19 restrictions, after failing to self-isolate following a trip to Egypt.\n\nShe had previously apologised for another breach after throwing a birthday party at a London restaurant.\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "While one Covid vaccine has been approved for use in the UK and two are awaiting approval, many more are still being tested. The UK has pre-ordered 60 million doses of the Novavax vaccine, which is currently undergoing phase three trials. Dr John Wright of Bradford Royal Infirmary talked to one man about the personal tragedy that prompted him to volunteer for the injection.\n\nPauline Demaline was fit and healthy and only 56 years old when she fell ill with Covid-19 in March. But within days of going into hospital she was dead.\n\nShe worked as a parish administrator at the Holy Trinity parish church in Skipton and it may be here that she caught the virus, in the early days of the pandemic.\n\nShe and her husband, Nigel, were very careful. They didn't go out much and Nigel would do the shopping early in the day, when the shops were quiet. But Pauline had to go into work and would sometimes meet other parishioners - couples about to get married, for example, and their parents.\n\nAt a certain point, she began feeling tired.\n\n\"It seemed like she would be exhausted when she finished work,\" says Nigel. \"She came home and lay down on the settee. I don't think she had a temperature, but she felt rotten. She had a bit of trouble with breathing but thought it was her normal asthma.\n\n\"People were telling her to see a doctor but she wouldn't go. She thought she'd be all right, that it would pass.\"\n\nEventually Nigel forced Pauline to get help.\n\n\"I said to her, 'You've got three choices: I can either get you to the doctor's, I can call an ambulance, which you'd hate, or I can take you down to accident and emergency.' Our neighbour across the road, Rachel, was home. So she had the dogs and I took Pauline to the hospital, not knowing that that was the last time she was going to leave the house.\"\n\nAt accident and emergency she was given a Covid test and put on an isolation ward. That test came back negative and doctors were preparing to move her but then an X-ray of her chest made them change their mind.\n\n\"It was about four hours later that the consultant came back to say sorry, it was a false negative,\" Nigel says. \"He said they were experiencing about 75% false negatives at that point, because the tests that they were doing were so new.\"\n\n\"The next time the consultant saw me and my son he said it's not a matter of if she'll die, it's a matter of when she'll die. We asked about the timescale and he said two days, maybe three days at most. And that was the first time that I suddenly thought, 'This is serious. This is real.'\"\n\nPauline went into hospital on Wednesday 25 March. The conversation with the consultant happened on the Friday. On Sunday Nigel and his son spent all day with Pauline, who was by now having great difficulty breathing, and on Monday 30 March she died.\n\n\"Just after Pauline died - and this is something I've never shown anyone else - I took a picture of her, of how unwell she was,\" Nigel says. \"And I look at it quite regularly because it reminds me of how she was, and it's so sad - that was how she was after her last breath. It's just something to hang on to, and of all the photos I have it's the one that upsets me the most, but gives me the most comfort. The memory is not out of reach. It's not out of grasp. It's there. It's really tangible. I can look at it.\"\n\nThe couple met when Nigel was 16 and Pauline was 15. He'd left school and joined the forces as a musician, and in July 1979 his military band was in the Isle of Man to celebrate the 1,000th anniversary of the island's parliament, while Pauline was on holiday there with a friend. They met on the sea front in Douglas, when Nigel recognised Pauline's friend from their home town.\n\nThe following year he joined other members of his regiment, the 16th/5th The Queen's Royal Lancers, stationed near the East German border, and in 1982 they married. \"We were very young but it was such a natural thing to do,\" Nigel says.\n\nNigel and Pauline always loved to travel\n\nThey had seven more years of Army life before moving to Silsden in West Yorkshire. Nigel worked in the motor trade and initially Pauline went to work for North Yorkshire Police in Harrogate. When she was asked to commute further, to a different office, she got the job at the church.\n\n\"She told me later that she'd always known we'd marry, even when she was just 15 and we started our relationship. I thought we were going into our 80s together,\" Nigel says.\n\nHe had always assumed that he would die first. Pauline's only health problem was asthma which had been well-managed since childhood.\n\n\"It's so overwhelming - the feeling of futility sort of sweeps across you,\" Nigel says. \"You think, 'I couldn't do anything!' I wanted to do something but I couldn't.\"\n\nNigel doesn't know if he was infected with Covid at the time of Pauline's death - he wasn't tested - but because he visited her at the Airedale General Hospital near Keighley, he had to isolate for two weeks afterwards, and now wonders whether he did then have some symptoms.\n\n\"That period is all a bit of a haze. I think I've blacked a lot of it out,\" he says. \"But I cried so much. I'd be sat there, the television would be on, and I couldn't tell you what I watched. I'd also be waking up in the early hours of the morning and my chest felt tight. Was it grief? Or was it that I had Covid, but just had very mild symptoms? I don't know.\"\n\nIt was Nigel's grief that spurred him on to become one of the first volunteers for a vaccine trial at Bradford Royal Infirmary, when he saw an appeal for volunteers on Facebook.\n\n\"I clicked on it without giving it a second thought. I thought, 'I need to be doing that.' I just felt the urge and the need to do it,\" he says.\n\n\"I wanted to do something to help. I really didn't want anybody else to go through what I was going through.\"\n\nAnd this is how I came to meet Nigel at one of the hospital's Monday vaccine clinics acouple of months later. I told him he was doing a wonderful thing.\n\n\"People have been saying I'm brave - I'm not,\" he replied. \"I can't do anything else but be brave. You've got to get on with life. I want to feel like I'm doing something.\"\n\nThe Novavax trial that Nigel is taking part in is the first of two that we plan to run in Bradford, and will be followed in January, by a trial of the Sanofi Pasteur vaccine developed with GlaxoSmithKline.\n\nWhy are we doing this when the results from the Pfizer, Moderna and Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine trials have been so good?\n\nWell, the more options we have to vaccinate the world's seven billion inhabitants, the better. This will help ensure we have effective vaccines for different population groups, provide safe alternatives should one of the vaccines turn out to have unexpected side effects, drive down cost (which is crucial for low- and middle-income countries) and offer simpler options for manufacture and distribution.\n\nThere are some 200 candidate vaccines in development and more than 40 now going through clinical trials.\n\nThe goal, in all cases, is to trigger our bodies to produce antibodies that will coat the virus and stop it from having its deadly effect, but never before has such an array of new technologies been used.\n\nProf John Wright, a doctor and epidemiologist, is head of the Bradford Institute for Health Research, and a veteran of cholera, HIV and Ebola epidemics in sub-Saharan Africa. He is writing this diary for BBC News and recording from the hospital wards for BBC Radio.\n\nThe traditional approach pursued by the Oxford/AZ team is to develop a weakened virus to trigger this response in the same way as a natural infection would. The novel Pfizer and Moderna vaccines stimulate antibodies by using Covid-19 messenger RNA (a single-stranded molecule of RNA) to prompt our own cells to produce a harmless piece of the spike protein found on the surface of the coronavirus, which also leads to the production of antibodies.\n\nThe Novavax vaccine has been developed in the US and is being trialled in the UK on 10,000 volunteers. It uses proteins extracted from the coronavirus spike to trigger the body's immune response, and like the Oxford vaccine it has the important advantage of being stable at normal fridge temperatures, so does not require expensive transport or storage solutions. This will be vital in less developed countries.\n\nThe real heroes of this remarkable triumph of science, though, are not the scientists or the clinical researchers, but the thousands of trial volunteers who have stepped forward, like Nigel, to be human guinea pigs. Every Monday I have the privilege of seeing their courage and altruism.\n\nI take consent from each participant, conduct a physical examination and take blood tests for antibodies. The volunteer then gets randomised to either the active vaccine or a placebo of saline solution. It is a double-blind trial, so I don't know what they get and the participant doesn't know. After three weeks they return for a booster and then get followed up after three, six and 12 months.\n\nThe vaccine is successful if it causes no serious side effects and if only a small proportion of those who receive it later come down with Covid-19. But whenever the participants return to the clinic their blood is also tested for antibodies. If they have high levels of antibodies for a long period, that is a good sign.\n\nWhen Nigel came back for his booster injection, he was keen to know whether the blood taken on his first visit showed signs of antibodies, which would have revealed whether he had been infected with the virus around the same time as Pauline. I explained that I couldn't tell him, because I didn't know - this being a double-blind trial - and also because if he were to learn whether he had antibodies, this could affect his behaviour and therefore influence the outcome of the trial.\n\nPauline's funeral had to be delayed for two weeks, while Nigel was isolating.\n\nThere was then a very small service for just her five closest family members, though it was all videoed and there was a live link so that other friends and relatives could watch online.\n\nIn his eulogy, Nigel began by explaining why the service had begun with Every Day Hurts by Sad Café, a memory of the time when he was living in Germany and she was in the UK. \"This was the first single I bought for Pauline and represented the fact that we were 300 miles apart and I missed her profoundly,\" he said.\n\nHe ended by noting that many people would miss her now, and that he would most of all. \"Forty years together has had a profound effect on my life, and I will be very sad for many years to come,\" he said. \"Pauline, I always have and will always love you dearly. Rest in Peace and sleep soundly my love.\"\n\nBy a tragic coincidence, Nigel had suffered another loss almost simultaneously, when one of the family's two dogs, Harry, a Yorkshire terrier, died in his sleep.\n\n\"They were both cremated on the same day, 15 April, and I got calls from the funeral director and the vet's on the same day to pick up the ashes,\" Nigel says. \"I came home with my wife in one carrier bag and our dog in the other.\"\n\nAt the back of the church there's a headstone marking where Pauline's ashes are laid, with the inscription: \"Pauline Demaline, 1964 to 2020. Dear wife, mother and nanna, beloved by family, cherished by friends.\"\n\n\"And she was cherished,\" says Nigel. \"I'd like to think she's there. I like to think of spirits there. And I just try to talk to her - to tell her the news, what's been happening, how people are, and thinking that she's listening.\"\n\nHe thinks Pauline would approve of the vaccine trial.\n\n\"I think she would be proud of what we're doing, and although it's too late for her she would be hoping it works for everybody.\"", "Rugby World Cup winner Steve Thompson and seven other former players claim the sport has left them with permanent brain damage - and are in the process of starting a claim against the game's authorities for negligence.\n\nEvery member of the group has recently been diagnosed with the early signs of dementia, and they say repeated blows to the head are to blame.\n\nThompson, 42, played in every England match when they won the 2003 World Cup, but says: \"I can't remember any of those games. It's frightening.\"\n\nIt is understood a letter of claim, amounting to millions of pounds in damages, will be sent next week to the governing bodies for English and Welsh rugby and World Rugby - and a group class action could follow.\n\nIt is the first legal move of its kind in world rugby and, if successful, could force change to the way the game is played.\n\nLawyers for the group suggest another 80 former players between the ages of 25 and 55 are showing symptoms and have serious concerns.\n\nGlobal governing body World Rugby told BBC Sport: \"While not commenting on speculation, World Rugby takes player safety very seriously and implements injury-prevention strategies based on the latest available knowledge, research and evidence.\"\n\nThe Rugby Football Union (RFU), which runs the sport in England, said: \"The RFU has had no legal approach on this matter. The Union takes player safety very seriously and implements injury prevention and injury treatment strategies based on the latest research and evidence.\n\n\"The Union has played an instrumental role in establishing injury surveillance, concussion education and assessment, collaborating on research as well as supporting law changes and law application to ensure proactive management of player welfare.\"\n\nThe Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) said it \"supported and endorsed the World Rugby comment on the subject\".\n• None 'I don't want to be a burden' - how a 41-year-old ex-international is dealing with early onset dementia\n\nWorld Cup memories have just gone - Thompson\n\nFormer hooker Thompson played 195 times for Northampton Saints before moving to France to play for Brive. He won 73 England caps, and three for the British and Irish Lions, in a nine-year international career.\n\nHe first retired in 2007 because of a serious neck injury but was given the all-clear to return, before being forced to retire again in December 2011 with the same problem.\n\nThompson, former England team-mate Michael Lipman, ex-Wales international Alix Popham and five other retired players are the first group to agree to - and have - testing.\n\nThompson says his condition is so progressed he cannot remember anything that happened in those 2003 World Cup games.\n\n\"It's like I'm watching the game with England playing and I can see me there - but I wasn't there, because it's not me,\" he said.\n\n\"It's just bizarre. People talk about stories, and since the World Cup I've talked to the lads that were there, and you pick up stories, and then you can talk about it, but it's not me being there, it's not me doing it, because it's just gone.\"\n\nThompson is convinced constant head knocks during matches and training are to blame.\n\n\"When we first started going full-time in the mid-1990s, training sessions could quickly turn into full contact,\" he said.\n\n\"There was one session when the scrummaging hadn't gone quite right and they made us do a hundred live scrums. When it comes to it, we were like a bit of meat, really.\n\n\"The whole point of us doing this is to look after the young players coming through. I don't want rugby to stop. It's been able to give us so much, but we just want to make it safer. It can finish so quickly, and suddenly you've got your whole life in front of you.\"\n\nThompson, who has four children, is frank about his fears for the future and open about some dark thoughts.\n\n\"When you are there alone, the number of times you just think to yourself it's probably easier if you go, if I'm not here,\" he said.\n\n\"You start to think, it's not right to put them through that. That's the difficult side to it.\"\n\nWhat is CTE & how can it be diagnosed?\n\nAll eight players to have come forward so far have been diagnosed by neurologists at King's College, London, with early onset dementia and probable Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE).\n\nCTE is the disease discovered by Dr Bennet Omalu in American football player Mike Webster, and the subject of the film Concussion starring Will Smith. In 2011, a group of former American football players started a class action against the NFL and won a settlement worth about $1bn (£700m).\n\nCTE can develop when the brain is subjected to numerous small blows or rapid movements - sometimes known as sub-concussions - and is associated with symptoms such as memory loss, depression and progressive dementia.\n\nThe disease can only be diagnosed in a brain after death, but some experts believe if history of exposure is evaluated, it is reasonable to conclude that the risk increases. The embryonic nature of the science around the issue could play a key part in the success or failure of the overall case.\n\nIt has been found in the brains of dozens of former NFL players, as well as a handful of deceased footballers, including former West Bromwich Albion and England player Jeff Astle. A re-examination of his brain in 2014 found he had died from CTE.\n\nSub-concussions cannot be detected on the pitch or in any post-match examination.\n\nDr Ann McKee, from Boston University, is the leading neurologist in CTE and was instrumental in bringing about change in the NFL.\n\nShe and others have faced scepticism within sport, from those who believe more research is needed before further changes are introduced.\n\n\"There's clearly a problem,\" she told the BBC.\n\n\"We don't know the magnitude of the problem, but as long as we insist that there is no problem, we'll never get to the bottom of it.\n\n\"We're just denying it and prolonging it and making sure that as many rugby players as possible get CTE.\"\n\nSo how could the claim be proved?\n\nIf the case progresses to court, the group must prove the governing bodies have been guilty of negligence.\n\nRichard Boardman, from law firm Rylands, is leading the action.\n\n\"We are now in a position where we believe the governing bodies across the rugby world are liable for failing to adequately protect their players on this particular issue,\" he said.\n\n\"Depending on how many people come forward, the case could be worth tens of millions, maybe even hundreds of millions.\n\n\"Right now we're representing over 100 former players but we expect many more to get in contact.\"\n\nDr Willie Stewart, who with his team at Glasgow University has been leading research around dementia in football, is confident there is an issue in rugby union.\n\n\"There is no question if you look at the data across all the sports in all the regions whether they be football, rugby, American football, I've looked at brains from people from all these different sports.\n\n\"The difficulty we have is gathering enough experience from former rugby players to be able to say with certainty, but I think you would be foolish to ignore it. \"\n\nThe issue of concussion in sport has been debated extensively over the past few years. The links between heading a football and degenerative brain disease have even forced rule changes at youth level.\n\nIn England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, children aged 11 and under are no longer allowed to head the ball in training. There are also limits to heading frequency at higher age group levels.\n\nAt senior level, former professionals have called for more research and better player welfare after the recent death of England World Cup winner Nobby Stiles, and following the news that Stiles' 1966 team-mate and Manchester United legend Sir Bobby Charlton is suffering from the disease.\n\nMore information about dementia and details of organisations that can help can be found here.", "Madeleine McCann was three when she went missing in 2007\n\nA prosecutor who believes Madeleine McCann was killed by a German sex offender says the public would reach the same conclusion if they \"knew the evidence we had\".\n\nHans Christian Wolters told the BBC that while his team does not currently have enough evidence to charge Christian B, he is \"very confident\".\n\nTheir prime suspect is in prison serving sentences in Germany for drug smuggling and rape.\n\nShe was on holiday with her family in Praia da Luz, Portugal, at the time of her disappearance, the same resort where Christian B raped a 72-year-old American woman.\n\nSuspects' surnames are not usually revealed in Germany for privacy reasons.\n\nAlthough Christian B, 43, was identified as a suspect in June prosecutors do not have enough evidence to charge him.\n\nMr Wolters said: \"If you knew the evidence we had you would come to the same conclusion as I do but I can't give you details because we don't want the accused to know what we have on him - these are tactical considerations.\"\n\nThe six-month investigation has yielded fresh evidence of other alleged crimes.\n\nChristian B lived in Portugal on and off for years and investigators now believe he may have committed at least three other sex crimes here - two of them against children, Mr Wolters said.\n\nHe said charges may follow early next year.\n\nMr Wolters said progress in the case of Madeleine was slower because of the logistical challenges posed by a disappearance now 13 years old in a different country.\n\nBut he said his team was working to build a water tight case against him.\n\nChristian B recently lost an appeal against his rape conviction and will remain in prison for a seven-year sentence once his current drugs sentence ends in January.\n\nMr Wolters said: \"I can't promise, I can't guarantee that we have enough to bring a charge but I'm very confident because what we have so far doesn't allow any other conclusion at all.\"\n\nLast week, Met Police commissioner Dame Cressida Dick said that the Met's position had not changed since the summer, when the force said its investigation - Operation Grange - remained a missing person inquiry as there is no \"definitive evidence whether Madeleine is alive or dead\".\n\nMadeleine, from Rothley in Leicestershire, went missing from a holiday apartment in Praia da Luz, on 3 May 2007, shortly before her fourth birthday.\n\nOfficial records show Christian B has 17 previous convictions, including for rape and sexual abuse of children\n\nChristian B is currently serving a prison sentence for drug offences in Germany and lost an appeal last month against a further seven-year sentence for rape.\n\nHe attacked the American woman in 2005 in the same area where Madeleine disappeared about 18 months later.\n\nPolice believe he was regularly living in this part of Portugal between 1997 and 2007, staying in a camper van at the time he is suspected of abducting Madeleine.", "Last updated on .From the section Olympics\n\nBreaking - a competitive form of breakdancing - has been confirmed as part of the final line-up for the Paris 2024 Olympics.\n\nIt will join surfing, skateboarding and climbing, which will be retained after debuts at the delayed Tokyo Games in 2021.\n\nHowever, parkour will not be part of the 2024 event after missing out.\n\nThe street sport typically involves running, jumping and climbing over obstacles.\n\n\"It's going to be great for breaking as it gives us more recognition as a sport,\" British breakdancer Karam Singh told BBC Sport.\n\n\"And for the Olympics, it will attract young people who may not follow some of the traditional sports.\"\n\nSquash campaigned unsuccessfully for inclusion in the Paris Games, as did billiard sports and chess.\n\nBreaking blends artistry and athleticism with key elements including top rocks - typically a competitor's introductory dance moves -footwork, power moves and freezes.\n\nPower moves are explosive displays such as spins, while freezes are when a performer sticks a pose.\n\nCompetitors - known as b-boys and b-girls - are not only judged on technical skill but also creativity and style, with strength, speed, rhythm and agility all considered.\n\nLast year, the Paris 2024 organising committee had proposed breaking, surfing, skateboarding and climbing for inclusion and were waiting for a final review by the executive board of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).\n\nThe IOC has insisted that new events would only be included if they used existing Paris 2024 venues, and priority would be given to those with youth appeal or that would help achieve gender equality.\n\nGames organisers said they wanted to include sports in the programme which were popular with new and younger audiences.\n\nUnder new IOC rules first introduced for the Tokyo Games, Olympic host cities can hand-pick sports and propose them for inclusion in those Games if they are popular in that country and add to the Games' appeal.\n\nCost-cutting measures will see athlete numbers drop from 11,238 at Rio 2016 to under 10,500 by 2024, which will be achieved despite the addition of new disciplines and the removal of only baseball/softball and karate.\n• None Missed out on the weekend's Premier League action? All the goals and highlights are streaming now", "Uber's self-driving car programme met with setbacks after a deadly crash in Arizona in 2018\n\nUber is selling its driverless car subsidiary to start-up Aurora Technologies, abandoning a unit that Uber's founder once hailed as critical to the future of the firm.\n\nAurora, founded in 2017, said the deal will help it \"accelerate\" its mission to make self-driving cars a reality.\n\nUber will invest $400m in the Amazon-backed company, giving it a 26% stake.\n\nIts chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi will also serve on Aurora's board, following closure of the deal.\n\nDespite the sale of its driverless car subsidiary known as Advanced Technologies Group, Uber said it remained interested in the sector, with plans to collaborate with Aurora when it comes to launching driverless cars on its network.\n\n\"Few technologies hold as much promise to improve people's lives with safe, accessible, and environmentally friendly transportation as self-driving vehicles,\" Mr Khosrowshahi said.\n\n\"For the last five years, our phenomenal team ... has been at the forefront of this effort - and in joining forces with Aurora, they are now in pole position to deliver on that promise even faster.\"\n\nDeveloping driverless technology was a key priority when Uber's founder and former chief executive Travis Kalanick was leading the ride hailing firm, since he saw it as a way to reduce costs.\n\nBut the programme hit setbacks after one of its cars was involved in a deadly crash in Arizona, though officials blamed human error for the accident and declined to bring criminal charges against the company.\n\nThe driverless car unit was also tangled up in legal fights over allegations of technology theft.\n\nMr Khosrowshahi, who replaced Mr Kalanick as the boss of Uber in 2017, has refocused the firm on taxi and food delivery services as he pushes to make Uber profitable.\n\nThe deal with Aurora values Uber's Advanced Technologies Group at roughly $4bn, down from the $7.5bn it was estimated to be worth last year, according to Reuters. It is expected to be completed in the first three months of 2021, Uber said.\n\nAurora, led by veterans of driverless car efforts at Google and Uber, says it has previously received \"significant investment\" from Amazon, which is known to be exploring the possibility of driverless delivery vehicles. South Korean carmaker Hyundai has also backed Aurora, which has offices in four US cities.", "Louise Smith had moved in with her aunt who is married to Shane Mays\n\nA man has been found guilty of the \"sexually-motivated\" murder of a teenager whose body he set on fire.\n\nLouise Smith, 16, was found dead at Havant Thicket, Hampshire, on 21 May - 13 days after she went missing.\n\nShane Mays, 30, who is married to Louise's aunt, said he punched her in an argument but claimed she was alive when he left her in the woods.\n\nMays, who admitted manslaughter, was convicted of murder by a jury at Winchester Crown Court.\n\nHe showed no emotion as the verdict was read out, while cries of \"yes\" could be heard from the public gallery.\n\nShane Mays will be sentenced on Wednesday morning\n\nLouise came to live with the couple in late April after an argument with her mother.\n\nMays \"flirted\" with the \"anxious and vulnerable\" teenager, including tickling her feet in a video found on her phone, jurors heard.\n\nJames Newton-Price QC, prosecuting, said Mays lured the teenager to a clearing on 8 May, attempted to sexually assault her and then killed her to \"silence\" her.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nLouise's body, which the court heard was \"dreadfully treated\" and burned, was found almost two weeks later after extensive searches by specialist teams.\n\nShe had suffered \"repeated, heavy blows\" to the head but the cause of death could not be determined due to the fire, the jury was told.\n\nGiving evidence during his trial, Mays, of Ringwood House, Leigh Park, claimed the teenager lured him to the clearing so that they could talk alone but ended up in a violent argument about her drug use.\n\nMays said he \"lost control\" as he punched her repeatedly as she lay on the ground. He claimed she was still alive and \"moaning\" as he walked away.\n\nBut the prosecution said it was actually Mays who had persuaded Louise to walk with him to the woodland by offering her cannabis, with the aim of sexually assaulting her.\n\nHe was later seen on CCTV calmly buying pizzas after murdering Louise.\n\nLouise's parents, Bradley Smith and Rebbecca Cooper, described the \"unbelievable pain\" of her loss\n\nMays, who was assessed by a psychologist as having an extremely low IQ of 63, said he forgot what he had done until he was in prison on remand in June.\n\nIn a statement following the verdict, Rebbecca Cooper, Louise's mother, said: \"No words can describe the loss we feel on a daily basis. She was our sunshine and is truly missed by all that knew her.\n\n\"...the pain inside is unbelievable, just knowing we will never see her again.\"\n\nLouise's father, Bradley Smith, said in a statement: \"We all find it impossible to accept that we will never hear her voice or see her cheeky smile again.\n\n\"Our chance to see her grow up has been ripped away from us. As a father, I moved away to try and build a life for both of us. I'll never get a chance to share that with her. The loss of Louise has destroyed our family.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The last known footage of Louise Smith was shown in court\n\nReacting to the verdict, Det Insp Adam Edwards said: \"It's brilliant to get justice for Louise's family and friends. They lost her in the most tragic of circumstances.\n\n\"The defilement of her body was shocking. It's something all officers at the scene will have to live with for the rest of their lives.\"\n\nThe teenager, who had a social worker, was descried as vulnerable during the trial.\n\nJurors were shown a message she sent to her aunt - May's wife - in which she wrote: \"I have had an amazing life, I hate the fact I am so childish, it's only because I have not been able to be a child.\"\n\nFollowing her death, Louise's family described her as a \"smiley, generous... typical 16-year-old girl\" who was training to be a veterinary nurse.\n\nThey added: \"Louise... enjoyed spending time with her friends. She loved animals and being outdoors.\n\n\"She will be remembered as a smiley, generous person who loved her family and was loved by all.\"\n\nHampshire Safeguarding Children Partnership said it was undertaking a review of Louise's case.\n\nMays will be sentenced on Wednesday morning.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Could it be the last supper?\n\nBoris Johnson will travel to Brussels for the first time in months on Wednesday night to sit and break bread with the EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen.\n\nIt is more than a standard diplomatic dinner.\n\nIt is possible that the encounter could be the moment at which the UK and the EU conclude that there cannot be a trade deal now, and that after decades of political and economic ties, efforts to say a polite political farewell have failed, with all the consequences that might entail.\n\nThe purpose of the dinner however is not to call a halt. But nor is the purpose to proclaim that a deal's been done.\n\nThe reason for the meeting is to see if both sides are willing in principle to tolerate the notion of budging, after the negotiations, and frankly negotiators, have been exhausted.\n\nIf the prime minister and Mrs von der Leyen can look each other in the eye and agree that there are still compromises to be had, then a deal is still possible.\n\nIf they are willing to make that kind of pact - to say privately to each other, I'm willing to budge if you are too - then that would in theory allow technical talks to get going again.\n\nThis wouldn't be any kind of changes to the formal mandates - the boundaries the negotiators have been set.\n\nBut it could reset the dial, sending Lord Frost and Michel Barnier back to the table in the understanding that their political bosses might just be a touch more wiling to be flexible after all.\n\nIn turn, that doesn't mean that a deal is going to be achieved.\n\nBut it could tip the balance back towards the overall political imperatives of making this happen, and away from both sides' commitment to stick so closely to their principles.\n\nHere, the government's actions on the Northern Ireland protocol on Tuesday are a hint that they just might be willing to bend a little further.\n\nEqually however, settling the joint protocol makes it easier for the government to minimise disruption if it walks away. So beware wise sages claiming it's definitive proof either way!\n\nDon't forget too, it's only this time last week that there was a sense we were moving towards a conclusion on both sides.\n\nBut that was before some member states, with France as the hard man, toughened their approach, surprising the UK and setting the process back - although any change is still denied officially by the EU side.\n\nWhat we just can't know, however, is whether the leaders will be able to find common cause when they meet on Wednesday.\n\nThere has been a real sense of \"you first\" in the last 24 hours, with both sides waiting to see what the other's next move would be.\n\nIf there is a chance that a deal can be done, tomorrow night's dinner needs to produce at the very least a metaphorical statement of intent.\n\nBut if the two leaders just aren't prepared to make a leap, it could yet be the last supper after all.\n\nP.S. It's interesting to note that when Theresa May was trying to manage these processes, she sometimes dashed off to see the individual leaders of the member states, or held phone calls with them, as did Boris Johnson sometimes.\n\nThere was one notable explosion with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on a call last year, which now seems a century ago.\n\nIt's understood that this time Boris Johnson's team was interested in the possibility of talking to Mrs Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron in these vital few days themselves.\n\nBut I'm told the EU wanted to keep everything channelled through one point of contact.\n\nDowning Street has denied the suggestion this afternoon that he wanted them to be on the call when he rang Mrs von der Leyen on Monday.\n\nBut it seems there have been discussions about whether to have those separate discussions that have then not (so far) taken place.", "Last updated on .From the section European Football\n\nManchester United's season suffered a huge blow as a defeat at German side RB Leipzig knocked them out of the Champions League.\n\nNeeding just a draw to progress to the last 16, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side conceded twice inside 13 minutes to leave their hopes in tatters before RB Leipzig added what ultimately turned out to be the killer third with 20 minutes left.\n\nUnited staged their now customary second-half fightback thanks to a Bruno Fernandes penalty and Paul Pogba header, but ultimately fell short.\n\nTo rub salt in the wound, the goalscorer of the first and supplier of the second, Angelino, is currently on loan in Germany from Manchester City.\n\nHis superb low shot into the far corner after just two minutes was followed soon after by a chipped cross to the back post, where Amadou Haidara ghosted in to volley past David de Gea.\n\nIt could have been even worse, with the home side seeing a third goal ruled out for offside against Willi Orban on the half-hour.\n\nUnited were better in the second half and struck the crossbar through a Fernandes free-kick but shortly after substitute Justin Kluivert chipped in following some shoddy defensive play from Maguire and De Gea.\n\nFernandes' penalty - awarded for a foul on Mason Greenwood by Ibrahima Konate - gave them a slim chance, which Paul Pogba made real with a back-post header into the net, but the Germans held on.\n\nPogba had started on the bench and came on with 30 minutes to go, a day after his agent Mino Raiola declared that the midfielder was \"unhappy\" at the club and \"has to leave\" in the next transfer window.\n\nIt is small solace for United that they now drop into the Europa League - a competition they won in 2017.\n\nRB Leipzig advance to the Champions League last 16 having reached the last four in 2019-20.\n\nWhether they do so as group winners or runners-up depends on the result between Paris St-Germain and Istanbul Basaksehir in a game that was suspended on Tuesday after a match official was accused of using a racist term towards one of the Turkish side's backroom staff.\n• None Man Utd out of Champions League - but at what cost?\n• None 'Inevitable is going to happen - Pogba has to leave Man Utd'\n\nNo comeback this time as United head for Europa League\n\nTuesday's defeat is the latest and lowest dip of what has already been a rollercoaster season for Solskjaer's side, both domestically and in Europe.\n\nThey were firm favourites to progress from Group H after beating PSG and Leipzig in their first two games of the campaign, but last week's home loss to the French side left them vulnerable and the German side completed the job.\n\nIn truth, though, much of the blame for their failure to progress lies with their defeat at Istanbul Basaksehir, who finished bottom of the group.\n\nCritics were quick to pounce on Solskjaer's side after that defeat, particularly in light of the negligent way their defence allowed Demba Ba to run unchallenged from inside his own half to score the opening goal of the Turkish side's 2-1 win.\n\nSuch defensive frailties have also been evident throughout their league season, including in wins at Everton, Southampton and West Ham, in which they fell behind but rallied to take the points.\n\nAgain in Germany they were unpicked with ease as Angelino surged into space on the left to fire in Leipzig's first and was then afforded too much room to pick out Haidara for the second.\n\nIt could have been different had Greenwood taken advantage of time and space on the counter-attack, but he placed his low shot too close to Peter Gulacsi, who saved to preserve the score at 1-0.\n\nIt was perhaps telling that not only did Pogba not start the game but that he was not Solskjaer's first port of call in his bid to alter the game, with Donny van de Beek his first substitution.\n\nWhen Pogba did arrive, he made a difference, scoring the second goal that gave them hope of yet another late recovery and almost an even bigger one with a cross that Nordi Mukiele would have poked into his own net but for the boot of Gulacsi.\n\nThe final whistle followed soon after to give Leipzig their revenge for the 5-0 loss they suffered at Old Trafford on matchday two.\n\nIt is the Manchester derby in the Premier League next for United, who host City on Saturday (17:30 GMT).\n• None Ole Gunnar Solskjær has lost six of his 10 Champions League matches as a manager (W4); he is the first manager to lose six or more times in their first 10 games in the competition while in charge of an English side.\n• None Manchester United have conceded three or more goals in consecutive Champions League games for the first time since April 2003.\n• None United exited at the group stage in a Champions League campaign for the first time since 2015-16 under Louis van Gaal.\n• None RB Leipzig are unbeaten in their past six home Champions League games (W5 D1), winning the last four in a row.\n• None Since his United debut in February, no player in Europe's top five leagues has scored more penalties in all competitions than Bruno Fernandes (13 - level with Cristiano Ronaldo).\n• None RB Leipzig full-back Angelino has had a hand in six goals in six Champions League appearances this season (three goals, three assists).\n• None Angelino's goal scored after 1:49 is the earliest United have conceded in the CL since Alan for Sporting Braga in October 2012 (1:27).\n• None Offside, RB Leipzig. Willi Orban tries a through ball, but Yussuf Poulsen is caught offside.\n• None Attempt saved. Marcus Rashford (Manchester United) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Paul Pogba.\n• None Attempt missed. Scott McTominay (Manchester United) left footed shot from the left side of the box is too high. Assisted by Marcus Rashford.\n• None Offside, RB Leipzig. Christopher Nkunku tries a through ball, but Justin Kluivert is caught offside.\n• None Offside, RB Leipzig. Angeliño tries a through ball, but Justin Kluivert is caught offside.\n• None Attempt missed. Paul Pogba (Manchester United) header from the right side of the six yard box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Bruno Fernandes with a cross following a corner.\n• None Tyler Adams (RB Leipzig) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.\n• None Goal! RB Leipzig 3, Manchester United 1. Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United) converts the penalty with a right footed shot to the bottom left corner.\n• None Penalty conceded by Ibrahima Konaté (RB Leipzig) after a foul in the penalty area. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page\n• None Missed out on the weekend's Premier League action? All the goals and highlights are streaming now", "Grocery sales hit a record in November as people spent more during lockdown and started their Christmas shopping early, research indicates.\n\nSome £10.9bn was spent as eating and drinking out was restricted in England, market research firm Kantar said.\n\nIt also found sales of goods such as turkeys jumped as people said they were determined to make this the \"best Christmas ever after a tough 2020\".\n\nBut another analyst said some would cut back in December due to money fears.\n\nKantar said the three days before non-essential retail and hospitality closed in England on 5 November were \"especially busy\" for grocers, with sales up by 17% that week.\n\n\"Limited opportunities to drink in pubs and restaurants, as well as an early eye on festivities, pushed alcohol spend 33% higher than in the same four weeks last year,\" added Fraser McKevitt, head of retail and consumer insight at Kantar.\n\nMr McKevitt said many people had also \"begun the countdown to Christmas 2020 already, using more time at home to go big on festive revelry\".\n\n\"Sales of turkeys, both whole birds and ready-to-roast joints, are up by 36% on last year, while more than £11m was spent on Christmas puddings.\"\n\nHowever, he said mince pie sales were down by 8%, reflecting \"fewer opportunities to share a treat with friends and colleagues\".\n\nKantar said more than six million households bought groceries online in November - the highest number to date.\n\nUnderlining this, in the 12 weeks to 1 December, sales at online grocer Ocado climbed by 38% from a year earlier, making it the fastest growing of all the UK grocers.\n\nIts next closest competitors were Iceland, with sales up 21%, and Morrisons, up 13.7%.\n\nSupermarkets, which have remained open throughout the lockdowns, have seen their sales boom this year as people spend more time indoors and splash out on food. Sales have also been helped because many other retailers were closed.\n\nHowever, the supermarkets have faced criticism for taking government support while also paying dividends to shareholders, leading some of the biggest retailers to repay hundreds of millions of pounds each in business rates relief.\n\nLike Kantar, Nielsen forecasts even stronger grocery sales in December, with £1bn more spent on shop food and drink than last year.\n\nBut it said one in four shoppers intended to spend less on Christmas groceries than usual, with half saying it was because they were entertaining less, and more than a third citing financial concerns.\n\nMike Watkins, Nielsen's UK head of retailer and business insight, said: \"With the peak Christmas period fast approaching, there are limited opportunities for shoppers to entertain this year and any gatherings that do take place will be smaller.\n\n\"We can see that shoppers are preparing for this where they can - buying packaged grocery, alcohol and frozen food - and many have planned their online orders early.\"", "Three generations of royals gathered at Windsor for a festive carol service\n\nThe Queen has appeared alongside several other senior royals for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic began.\n\nThe monarch, 94, welcomed the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to Windsor Castle following their royal train tour.\n\nPrince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall also attended the socially-distanced Christmas carol concert within the castle's grounds.\n\nThe Earl and Countess of Wessex and Princess Anne were also there.\n\nIt was confirmed last week that the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will spend Christmas \"quietly\" at Windsor, rather than Her Majesty's private estate at Sandringham in Norfolk.\n\nAnd rather than a gathering of senior royals as is traditional, the Queen and Prince Phillip, 99, will spend the festive period alone after considering \"all the appropriate advice\", according to Buckingham Palace.\n\n\"Like everyone they hope things will get back to normal in 2021,\" a palace spokesman said at the time.\n\nThe Cambridge's trip on the royal train saw them thank key workers, volunteers and communities in Scotland, England and Wales.\n\nWhile there was veiled criticism from Welsh and Scottish ministers over its timing, Prime Minister Boris Johnson hailed the tour as a \"welcome morale boost\", No 10 said.\n\nOn Tuesday, Prince William and Catherine told students in Cardiff they were still wrestling with their Christmas plans and had yet to decide where or with whom they would be.\n\nThe couple have previously spent the festive period with Catherine's parents at their home in Berkshire.\n\nOn the final day of their zig-zag three-day tour of Britain, the couple met undergraduates to hear about their mental health challenges during the pandemic in Wales, and they spoke with NHS workers in Reading.\n\nThe Queen thanked the Salvation Army and other local volunteers at Tuesday evening's service at Windsor Castle\n\nAt the end of Tuesday's performance, the Queen, chatted to her family in turn and as she turned to walk up the steps back inside the castle, Prince William said: \"Bye gran.\"\n\nCommissioners Anthony and Gillian Cotterill, territorial leaders for The Salvation Army in the UK and Republic of Ireland, also came forward to speak to the Queen, who told them \"nobody's allowed to sing anymore\".\n\nChoirs are allowed to perform in the open air and Princess Anne told her mother: \"Oh, we can sing outside.\"\n\nThe Queen spoke animatedly to Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall\n\nMr Cotterill said afterwards: \"The Queen was saying she was just so happy we were able to play some carols because she thinks this will be the only time she'll be able to hear carols, and she was disappointed we didn't sing. \"\n\n\"Sometimes we're playing musicians and other times we're a choir. At an event like this, it's better to have the band as you can hear it for miles.\"\n\nThe Salvation Army's Regent Hall Band, based in London's busy Oxford Street, played Hark The Herald Angels Sing and The First Noel for the royal family.\n\nMrs Cotterill added: \"I did see the Queen mouthing some of the words - so that was nice.\"\n• None Queen and Philip to spend Christmas at Windsor", "The first people in the UK are set to receive a coronavirus jab on what has been dubbed \"V-Day\", as a mass vaccination programme begins.\n\nAbout 70 hospital hubs across the UK are gearing up to give the Pfizer/BioNTech jab to the over-80s and some health and care staff.\n\nThe programme aims to protect the most vulnerable and return life to normal.\n\nGrandfather-of-nine Dr Hari Shukla, 87, said he was \"delighted to be doing my bit\" by getting the jab on Tuesday.\n\n\"I feel it is my duty to do so and do whatever I can to help,\" said Dr Shukla, who will receive his jab at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle with his wife, Ranjan.\n\nThe UK will be the first country in the world to start using the Pfizer vaccine after regulators approved its use last week.\n\nVaccination will not be compulsory.\n\nHealth Secretary Matt Hancock said there was now \"light at the end of the tunnel\".\n\n\"We will look back on today, V-day, as a key moment in our fightback against this terrible disease,\" he added.\n\nThose administering the vaccine will be the first to receive jabs in Scotland, while health workers will be first in line in Wales and Northern Ireland.\n\nPrime Minister Boris Johnson said: \"Today marks a huge step forward in the UK's fight against coronavirus.\"\n\nBut he added: \"As the programme ramps up in the weeks and months ahead, it is as important as ever to keep to the Covid Winter Plan - following the rules in your area and remember the basics of hands, face and space.\"\n\nMinisters have warned it could be Easter by the time restrictions are lifted in a significant way.\n\nRace relations campaigner Dr Hari Shukla, who was made a CBE in 2016, will be among the first to receive the Covid vaccine\n\nNHS England's chief executive Sir Simon Stevens said the vaccinations were a \"decisive turning point in the battle against coronavirus\" and will continue \"at least until spring\", urging people to be \"very careful\" before then.\n\nMore than 60,000 people in the UK have died after being infected with Covid-19, according to government figures.\n\nThe government has secured 800,000 doses of this vaccine to start with, but orders have been placed for 40 million in total, enough for 20 million people as two courses are needed.\n\nThe majority of that is not expected to become available until next year, although government sources said another four million doses should arrive in the country by the end of the year.\n\nThese freezers, at a secure location in the UK, can each hold more than more than 80,000 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine\n\nThe government had initially been promised 10 million doses by the end of December, but problems with manufacturing mean the supply is going to be slower than originally hoped for.\n\nRefrigerated containers holding the vaccine doses have been arriving in the UK over the past few days from Belgium, where it is made, and sent to the network of hospitals that will carry out the vaccinations.\n\nChris Hopson of NHS Providers, which represents hospitals, said there had been an \"incredible effort\" to start the vaccination programme so quickly given that the vaccine was only approved for use in the UK last week.\n\n\"This is our wonderful NHS in action,\" he added.\n\nHospital patients over the age of 80 are among the first people who will get the jab on Tuesday, along with the NHS staff who are carrying out the vaccinations.\n\nSome of the most at-risk NHS staff will also be offered the vaccine and, in the coming days, care homes will be able to book their staff in for vaccination.\n\nBut rollout of the jab has been complicated by the need to store it at -70C and that it comes in packs of 975 doses, which cannot yet be split into smaller batches.\n\nThat has meant it has not been possible to offer it to care home residents in the first phase of rollout, despite the government's vaccine advisers designating them the highest priority.\n\nThe NHS is awaiting guidance from the drugs regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, to see what steps are needed to allow these batches to be split and sent to individual care homes.\n\nThat is expected to come in mid-December, which will pave the way for the vaccine to be offered to care homes and distributed to more than 1,000 designated GP centres.\n\nMass vaccination centres at conference centres, sports stadiums and leisure centres are also expected to be established next year.\n\nThe vaccine is given as two injections, 21 days apart, with the second dose being a booster. Immunity begins to kick in after the first dose but reaches its full effect seven days after the second dose.\n\nMost of the side-effects are very mild, similar to the side-effects after any other vaccine, and usually last for a day or so.\n\nThe vaccine was 95% effective for all groups in the trials, including elderly people.\n\nBut it is not yet known how long the immunity it provides lasts, or whether it stops people from passing the virus on to others.\n\nClive Dix, deputy chair of the government's vaccine taskforce, said: \"We may have to vaccinate every year like we do for the flu.\"\n\nBut he said getting to this point was a \"great achievement\" as vaccine development could take 10 years, but had been achieved in 10 months.\n\nThe hope is that the bulk of the most vulnerable groups will be offered a coronavirus jab in the first few months of 2021. But achieving that is likely to require approval of a second vaccine made by Oxford University and AstraZeneca.\n\nThe government has pre-ordered 100 million doses of that jab, which is easier to distribute because is does not need to be kept in ultra-cold storage and is made in the UK. The MHRA is currently assessing the data from trials on that vaccine.\n\nVaccination to protect people from coronavirus in the UK has been promised to all over-50s, as well as younger adults with underlying health conditions - about 25 million people in total.\n\nDo you have an appointment to be vaccinated? Get in touch by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "UK scientists are planning trials to see if giving people two different types of Covid vaccine, one after the other, might give better protection than two doses of one jab.\n\nThis mix-and-match approach can go ahead only if another jab is approved by regulators, as has already happened with the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.\n\nThe head of the UK's vaccine task force said trial designs were being prepared.\n\nThe news comes as the NHS starts its Covid mass vaccination programme.\n\nA 90-year-old woman, Margaret Keenan, has become the first person to be given the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine as part of the rollout across the UK.\n\nMs Keenan, who is originally from Enniskillen, said: \"I feel so privileged to be the first person vaccinated against Covid-19. It's the best early birthday present I could wish for because it means I can finally look forward to spending time with my family and friends in the new year after being on my own for most of the year.\"\n\nThat vaccine, given as two doses a few weeks apart, offers up to 95% protection against Covid-19 illness, according to data.\n\nAlthough that is a very impressive figure, experts want to explore whether the immune response can be strengthened further and made more durable with a mix-and-match \"heterologous boost\" approach.\n\nKate Bingham, who chairs the vaccine task force, said: \"It's an established process.\n\n\"It's not being done because of supplies.\"\n\nThere is another Covid jab that could soon be approved by regulators - the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine.\n\nThis works in a slightly different way to the Pfizer jab which could make it a good companion for pairing, say scientists.\n\nThe Pfizer vaccine uses a small amount of genetic code from the pandemic virus to teach the body how to fight off an infection, while the Oxford one is a genetically modified virus that has been altered so it won't cause infection but does carry information on how to beat Covid.\n\nThe idea is to give people a shot of the Pfizer vaccine followed by a dose of the Oxford one a few weeks later or vice versa, rather than two doses of the same vaccine.\n\nThe hope is that it will make the immune system produce two responses strongly - antibodies and T-cells - to combat Covid.", "An Italian man stepped outside to cool off after quarrelling with his wife - and ended up walking 450km (280 miles).\n\nItalians have nicknamed him \"Forrest Gump\" on social media, after the slow-witted hero of a 1994 movie, played by Tom Hanks, who runs thousands of miles across the United States.\n\nPolice stopped the Italian's epic walk at 2am in Fano on the Adriatic coast, a week after he left Como in the north.\n\nThe man, 48, got a €400 (£362; $485) police fine for breaching the curfew.\n\nThe story was first reported by the Bologna-based newspaper Il Resto del Carlino but quickly went viral in Italian media.\n\nSome comments on social media presented the man as heroic and criticised the fine. One said he should have been rewarded - not fined - and given a new pair of shoes. Another praised him for walking off to cool his anger, rather than resorting to violence.\n\nThe man told police \"I came here on foot, I didn't use any transport\". He said \"along the way I met people who offered me food and drink\". \"I'm OK, just a bit tired,\" he said, having averaged 60km daily.\n\nPolice found him wandering aimlessly and cold at night on a coastal highway.\n\nAfter checking his ID in their database they found that his wife had reported him missing, so they contacted her and she travelled to Fano to collect him.\n\nThe Italian reports did not say how she reacted upon learning that he had picked up a €400 fine.\n\nWATCH: How Italians struggled with lockdown in April:\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The mental health toll as Italians struggle to cope with Europe's strictest and longest-running lockdown", "There is nothing surprising about the prime minister going to Brussels in the closing throes of a negotiation that's lasted many months.\n\nThat's a standard piece of political choreography - essentially, the bosses get to sign it off, and get their \"grip and grin\" moment.\n\nThe big headlines of drama, before the last-minute victory.\n\nIt was only the personal chemistry/diplomatic charm/tough muscle-flexing of the politician at the top of the tree (delete as applicable) that got his almost impossible deal over the final line.\n\nThe saga may well follow that well-worn script in the end.\n\nIt is still possible that by the end of the week, Boris Johnson will head to Brussels and return the conquering hero to his supporters, proving the naysayers who told him a deal couldn't be done wrong, again.\n\nMaking his many detractors gnash their teeth, he would prove the politician who seems to court disaster, but whose toast always lands butter side up in the end.\n\nBut as I write tonight, it just doesn't feel that way.\n\nFirst off, Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen have spent a significant amount of time talking in the last few days.\n\nYes, it's been virtual. And yes, the chemistry in the room does matter, of course.\n\nBut the two principals here have had two very lengthy private individual exchanges that don't seem to have resulted in any willingness on either side to compromise, or new instructions to their negotiators to budge.\n\nWhat is it that they will suddenly be able to realise or discover in the meeting - perhaps on Wednesday or Friday this week - that they haven't yet?\n\nBoris Johnson rang Ursula von der Leyen for the second time in a week on Monday.\n\nNext, as their official statement makes plain, their conversations have not been about a few pesky details that need to be ironed out.\n\nThey have made plain that the official negotiations have basically been exhausted and there are still big gaps.\n\nTrue, there is only a tiny circle of people who know exactly what is going on.\n\nBut the messages coming out from the centre are that much more than a nip and tuck is required to get this done.\n\nThey haven't asked their negotiators to have another go. They've asked them to sit down and make a list of all the things that are wrong.\n\nIn tone, it's very different to previous such moments, when the leaders were required to put the icing on a cake that was very nearly baked.\n\nAnd lastly, the expectations regarding an agreement have really shifted since this time last week. Even former strong Remainers now in the cabinet totally accept the notion of no agreement being reached.\n\nOne of them told me: \"If it fails, it wouldn't be fair to point the finger at London as the villain of the piece. The uniform approach of the EU suddenly looks very ropey, and they have been left exposed.\"\n\nAnother said \"everyone is just so fed up\" of \"EU game playing\".\n\nInside the government, it doesn't seem there would be an effort to stop the prime minister if he decides to walk away.\n\nOn the EU side, hopes aren't high about what can be achieved by the two leaders when they meet.\n\nOne source said: \"It feels like Saint Nick didn't bring you what you wanted, and we keep hoping every day he may after all.\"\n\nNow, before you scream, the two sides both still want a deal of course. And it makes sense to the EU and the UK to find an agreement.\n\nNot to do so would affect the economy, security, Northern Ireland, and so much more.\n\nAnd for the vast majority of those involved, to fail in this endeavour would be a historic political accident.\n\nBut sentiment is drifting away from a happy conclusion.\n\nIt's not obvious that a face-to-face meeting between two very different politicians will turn that back.\n• None What does Australia have to do with Brexit?", "Millwall and QPR players to stand arm-in-arm in 'show of solidarity' before Tuesday's match Last updated on .From the section Millwall\n\nMillwall players were booed when they took a knee before Saturday's match against Derby Millwall players will not take a knee before Tuesday's Championship fixture against QPR but will stand arm-in-arm in a \"show of solidarity for football's fight against discrimination\". It comes after some Millwall fans booed the players taking a knee before Saturday's defeat by Derby at The Den. Players of both teams will collectively hold up an anti-racism banner. Millwall's regular shirt sponsor will be replaced with the logo of anti-discrimination body Kick It Out. In a statement, Millwall said: \"Millwall believe that this gesture, which the club hopes to repeat with other visiting teams in the coming weeks and months, will help to unify people throughout society in the battle to root out all forms of discrimination. \"Millwall have a zero-tolerance policy against racial and all other forms of discrimination and want to again make clear to anybody who holds such views that you are not welcome at this football club. Millwall's stance, as always, is that anybody found guilty of racial abuse is banned for life.\" The decision came after a meeting on Monday between both clubs, Kick It Out, Show Racism The Red Card, the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA), the Football Association (FA) and the English Football League (EFL). In a statement, the EFL welcomed the decision of both clubs to \"continue to raise awareness of inequality and discrimination facing society\". \"Discrimination in any form is unacceptable and not welcome within our game or our communities - not today or any day,\" the statement said. \"Players often receive widespread criticism and negativity for merely doing their jobs but here they are leading the way, trying to effect positive change and they should be applauded for taking a stand, showing solidarity and setting an example for others to follow.\" Taking the knee is showing solidarity, not a political statement - Southgate Some QPR players will take the knee before Tuesday's game at The Den, despite having stopped the gesture earlier this season after director of football Les Ferdinand said its impact had \"been diluted\". Players, officials and staff at Premier League and EFL games have been taking a knee pre-match since football restarted in June in order to show their support for the Black Lives Matter movement for racial equality. The Den was able to host 2,000 home fans for the first time this season after the second national lockdown was lifted but the return of spectators was overshadowed by the booing, with which Millwall said they were \"dismayed and saddened\". The Millwall Supporters' Club said the booing was not motivated by racism, but instead in opposition to the political views held by the Black Lives Matter organisation. The FA has confirmed it is investigating the incident at Millwall, and a similar one at Colchester United's League Two game against Grimsby Town. If it finds that the actions were discriminatory, the clubs could face fines. Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club, former England defender Micah Richards said booing is \"not acceptable\". \"Millwall fans, from their point of view, this whole movement is becoming political. They're saying they don't think the players at their club should want to kneel because of what Black Lives Matter represents in their mind,\" he said. \"If they're booing that, it's not acceptable, but it's free speech and that is their opinion, but I think people are taking Black Lives Matter in a different context and changing the actual narrative of what it's all about. \"When the players are taking the knee they are not saying black lives matter and they are any better than white lives, they are trying to say it's a stand for equality and unity and that is why they are taking the knee.\" Sources described this evening's meeting as \"difficult but productive\". It is understood the PFA was critical of the EFL's perceived lack of involvement, a feeling many at the club share, having told it beforehand of what they feared was likely to happen at The Den on Saturday. There are many unanswered questions for football and Millwall in particular and evidently solutions will not be easy. However, the sense of desperation hanging round the club on Monday has now been replaced by a mixture of trepidation and optimism. No-one at the club can be entirely sure of what will happen when the QPR players take a knee as planned before kick-off but the noises among fans on social media who backed the booing on Saturday is that these measures should be supported. Millwall can only hope this is what happens. Because if what happened on Saturday is repeated, even insiders know the damage to the club will be catastrophic.\n• None Missed out on the weekend's Premier League action? All the goals and highlights are streaming now", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Margaret Keenan was given the vaccine by May Parsons, at University Hospital in Coventry\n\nA UK grandmother has become the first person in the world to be given the Pfizer Covid-19 jab as part of a mass vaccination programme.\n\nMargaret Keenan, who turns 91 next week, said the injection she received at 06:31 GMT was the \"best early birthday present\".\n\nIt was the first of 800,000 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine that will be dispensed in the coming weeks.\n\nUp to four million more are expected by the end of the month.\n\nHubs in the UK are starting the rollout by vaccinating the over-80s and some health and care staff.\n\nSenior NHS sources told the BBC \"thousands of vaccinations\" had taken place across the UK on Tuesday.\n\nDubbing the day \"V-day\", Health Secretary Matt Hancock said it was \"a tribute to scientific endeavour and human ingenuity and to the hard work of so many people.\n\n\"Today marks the start of the fightback against our common enemy, the coronavirus,\" he said.\n\nPrime Minister Boris Johnson, on a visit to a London hospital to see some of the first people getting the jab, said getting vaccinated was \"good for you and good for the whole country\".\n\nScotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: \"Today we should all allow ourselves a smile - but we must not drop our guard.\"\n\nOn Tuesday, the UK government reported a further 616 people had died within 28 days of a positive test, taking the total, by that measure, to 62,033. A further 12,282 people tested positive for the virus.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. How the vaccine rollout unfolded – and how a certain William Shakespeare was involved\n\nAt University Hospital, Coventry, matron May Parsons administered the very first injection to Ms Keenan.\n\n\"I feel so privileged to be the first person vaccinated against Covid-19,\" said Ms Keenan, who is originally from Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh.\n\n\"It's the best early birthday present I could wish for because it means I can finally look forward to spending time with my family and friends in the new year, after being on my own for most of the year.\n\n\"My advice to anyone offered the vaccine is to take it. If I can have it at 90, then you can have it too,\" she added.\n\nProf Stephen Powis, national medical director of NHS England, who witnessed the \"historic moment\", said: \"We couldn't hug her but we could clap, and everybody did so in the room.\"\n\nAn emotional Sister Joanna Sloan said she had been looking forward to the vaccine for so long\n\nThroughout the day, patients and health workers at some 50 hospitals around the UK have been getting the jab:\n\nThe UK is the first country in the world to start using the Pfizer vaccine after regulators approved its use last week.\n\nOn Tuesday, US regulators confirmed the vaccine is 95% effective, paving the way for it to be approved for emergency use.\n\nThe Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine has also been found to be \"safe and effective\", according to a paper published on Tuesday and assessed by independent scientists.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Matt Hancock says he is thrilled but warns that people must still stick to the rules\n\nSpeaking in the Commons, the health secretary stressed people did not need to apply for the vaccine. He said the NHS would be in touch with those eligible and urged them to \"please step forward for your country\".\n\nMr Hancock went on to warn that there was \"still a long march ahead\", saying there were \"worrying signs\" of the virus growing in Essex, London and Kent.\n\nNew data released by national statisticians for the week ending 27 November showed that of the 14,106 deaths registered in the UK, nearly 3,400 involved Covid. This is 20% higher than the five-year average but similar to the percentages seen in the past two weeks.\n\nNHS England chief executive Sir Simon Stevens called the first vaccinations \"remarkable achievement\", but cautioned it was a \"first step\" and \"incredibly important\" people continued to act sensibly.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Boris Johnson: 'It will gradually make a huge, huge difference... but we haven't defeated this virus yet\"\n\nOn a visit to London's Guy's Hospital, the prime minister spoke to 81-year-old Lyn Wheeler, who was the first to receive the vaccine there.\n\n\"It is really very moving to hear her say she is doing it for Britain, which is exactly right - she is protecting herself, but also helping to protect the entire country,\" Mr Johnson said.\n\nEarlier, he thanked the NHS, volunteers and \"all of the scientists who worked so hard to develop this vaccine\".\n\nLabour's shadow health secretary Jon Ashworth said it was \"absolutely fabulous\" to see people getting the vaccine and thanked everyone involved in making it happen.\n\nSome 800,000 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine have been secured by the government to be administered in the coming weeks - although vaccination is not compulsory.\n\nOrders have been placed for 40 million in total - enough for 20 million people, as two courses are needed. However, most supplies are not expected to become available until next year.\n\nMr Hancock said he expected it to take \"several weeks\" to get the first group of health workers, care staff and over-80s vaccinated.\n\nThis is a momentous day, but make no mistake the NHS faces a huge task in rolling out this vaccine.\n\nFirst, there needs to be a smooth supply - and already there are reports of manufacturing problems, which means the UK is expecting less than half of the 10 million doses of the Pfizer jab it was planning for by the end of the year.\n\nThe fact it needs to be kept in ultra-cold storage and in batches of 975 units is an added complication that has meant it cannot yet be taken into care homes to vaccinate residents - the very highest priority group - or sent out to GPs to run vaccination clinics in the community.\n\nNHS bosses hope to receive guidance from the regulator next week on how to get around this.\n\nBut these factors illustrate why the UK is still pinning its hopes on a second vaccine developed by Oxford University.\n\nThat one can be kept in fridges and so is easier to distribute, is British-made and - what is more - there is an ever-growing stockpile ready to use.\n\nIf that vaccine gets the green light from regulators, there will be a genuine hope the first few months of 2021 will see rapid progress in offering jabs to the most vulnerable people, so the UK can return to something closer to normality.\n\nAre you receiving the Covid-19 vaccine today? Or do you have any questions? Get in touch by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "More than 127,000 people in the UK who contracted coronavirus have lost their lives - with the pandemic claiming more than 3.4 million deaths worldwide. As the UK marks a year since the first coronavirus lockdown was called, it's a time for reflection.\n\nWe have gathered tributes to more than 770 of those who have died. Below are words of remembrance from friends, family and colleagues.\n\nPlease enable JavaScript or upgrade your browser to see this interactive\n\nThe tributes are displayed at random, which means that you will see different faces each time you visit this page.\n\nIf we have used your tribute to your friend or family member, it will appear in the carousel above, or you can find it by entering their name in the search box below.\n\nA modern browser with JavaScript and a stable internet connection is required to view this interactive. Enter a name to search the tributes\n\nFor more on NHS and healthcare workers, please see this page dedicated to 100 people who died while helping to look after others.\n\nFor more on how it has affected people's lives, from family tragedy to its impact on everyday life, we have a collection of personal stories about life in lockdown.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Chris and Henry Flanagan-Kane are one of 1,300 same-sex couples in Northern Ireland who can now convert their civil partnerships into marriages\n\nChris and Henry Flanagan-Kane were the first gay men in the UK to get a civil partnership back in 2005.\n\nBut they were left in a legal limbo when the laws were changed to allow same-sex couples to get married in NI.\n\nThose already in civil partnerships were denied the retrospective right to marriage, sparking a long legal battle.\n\nAs of Monday, more than 1,300 same-sex couples in Northern Ireland can convert their civil partnerships into marriages.\n\nThe Flanagan-Kanes were among the first going through the process.\n\nFinance Minister Conor Murphy said 17 couples were expected to convert their civil partnerships to marriages on Monday, with a total of 32 planned for this week.\n\nMr Murphy said that as \"a gesture of support\", he had waived the conversion fee for those couples and for all couples who wish to convert their civil partnership to a marriage for a year.\n\nLooking forward to their ceremony, Chris said it was worth the court case to finally have their love recognised as equal.\n\n\"Love is love,\" he said. \"If you fall in love, you want to get married and want the same rights as our heterosexual brothers and sisters.\n\n\"But in Northern Ireland we were denied the right to have equal marriage.\"\n\nChris and Henry Flanagan-Kane with their son Aodhan\n\nIn 2005, they initially thought they would only be able to get a blessing as a recognition they were a couple.\n\nBut a chance phone call revealed they could actually be the first to use the new rights to a same-sex civil partnership.\n\n\"We come from a strong family unit and we always grew up believing that when you met somebody and you fall in love you go and get married,\" said Chris.\n\n\"Unfortunately we couldn't, but the next best thing then was to get a civil partnership so we waited for that.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. 'This is just a day of equality' - civil partnerships can now be converted to marriages in NI\n\nAnother important thing for the Flanagan-Kanes was to become parents together - but adoption for same-sex couples in Northern Ireland was banned until 2013.\n\nWhen the ban was lifted and they successfully adopted their two children - Aodhan, eight, and Evelyn, two - Chris said they found there was still \"discrimination\" around civil partnerships.\n\nHe said: \"When we were filling in primary school forms and ticking a civil partnership box, you were kind of setting yourself up for discrimination before anyone had even met you.\n\n\"We were going in somewhere with a big flashing sign saying 'I'm gay' - so other people with opinions on that or who were prejudiced against that, they were forming them already before they had even met you.\n\n\"So that was a big thing for us as well, about getting full, equal marriage rights.\"\n\nThat experience meant the new parents increasingly felt they needed to be married as opposed to being in a civil partnership.\n\nChris said they did not want their children to grow up feeling their family was not worth as much as other families.\n\n\"It was for the kids and for the future,\" he said.\n\n\"We don't want our kids growing up thinking we're not equal to everyone else in the world, that we're lesser people or we're doing something wrong.\n\n\"We'll have been in a civil partnership 15 years next month, we've got two kids - you know what, we're doing better than some heterosexual couples and we've lasted a lot longer too.\"\n\nThey teamed up with a lesbian couple in the same predicament, crowdfunded legal fees and took the NI Office to court over the decision not to allow conversions.\n\nChris and Henry Flanagan-Kane at their civil partnership ceremony in 2005\n\nNew regulations to allow conversions from 7 December were introduced to Parliament in October by Northern Ireland minister Robin Walker.\n\nSo on Monday, the Flanagan-Kanes will be able to hold their marriage ceremony at Belfast City Hall, which will be retrospectively applied back to 2005.\n\nThat means they can celebrate their 15th anniversary on 19 December as an officially married couple.\n\n\"It's been a long, long slog,\" he said.\n\n\"It's been through a lot of people fighting behind the scenes to try and get these rights.\n\n\"We're not asking for anything special - we're just looking for the same human rights as everyone else.\"", "Earlier, we reported that a Welsh government minister said he would rather \"no-one was having unnecessary visits\" amid a royal UK tour.\n\nNow Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's royal train tour is a \"welcome morale boost\", according to No 10.\n\nIt comes after Downing Street officials initially refused to say it complied with coronavirus restrictions.\n\nThe prime minister's official spokesman said the tour was a \"matter for the palace\".\n\nChallenged on whether the royal couple had complied with the rules, the spokesman said: \"I'm making the general point that we have set out the regionalised tier system that is now in place and the guidance that we are asking people to abide by.\"\n\nIn response to a suggestion that No 10 was refusing to give its backing to the couple's trip, the spokesman said: \"I would point you towards the palace.\"\n\nBut an hour after the comments in a Westminster briefing, a statement issued by No 10 confirmed Johnson's support.\n\nA No 10 spokesman said: \"The PM is delighted to see the warm reception the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have received on their hugely valuable train tour of England, Scotland and Wales.\n\n\"The tour will be a welcome morale boost to frontline workers who have done so much during the pandemic.\"", "Last updated on .From the section Millwall\n\nMillwall fans applauded as their team and QPR players came together to hold an anti-racism banner before Tuesday's Championship match at The Den, days after booing them for taking a knee.\n\nPlayers were booed as they took a knee before Saturday's defeat by Derby.\n\nMillwall's players did not take a knee before kick-off on Tuesday but QPR's players did, despite stopping the gesture earlier this season.\n\nMillwall said it was \"one of the most important days in the club's history\".\n\nIn a letter handed to fans in attendance, they added: \"The eyes of the world are on this football club tonight - your club - and they want us to fail.\n\n\"Together as one, we will not let that happen.\"\n\nAfter the 1-1 draw, Millwall manager Gary Rowett told Sky Sports: \"I thought it was a very positive stance. I am proud of everybody at the club, because it has been a difficult few days.\n\n\"People perhaps turned up and tuned in tonight expecting - and possibly hoping - for a negative evening against Millwall Football Club.\n\n\"What we have proved tonight is that I believe the fans are behind our anti-discrimination message.\"\n\nQPR's Ilias Chair celebrating his opening goal by taking a knee and raising a fist in front of the Millwall fans, along with team-mate Bright Osayi-Samuel.\n\n\"[We] felt that we needed to do that - especially here,\" Chair told Sky Sports. \"So I think it was a good thing to do.\"\n\nMillwall defender Mahlon Romeo, who said Saturday's booing had \"personally disrespected\" and \"offended\" him, led the team out in front of captain Alex Pearce.\n\nAfter the match Romeo was applauded off the pitch as he held his shirt aloft. Millwall's regular shirt sponsor had been replaced with the logo of anti-discrimination body Kick It Out.\n\n\"He was sat in a meeting yesterday until six o'clock in the evening,\" Rowett added.\n\n\"I am proud of him. Not only [for] the way he spoke intelligently in that meeting and passionately, but also his response tonight and the fact that he has contributed hugely, for me, [to] a far more positive message and far more proactive message and far more positive evening - certainly than we had Saturday. I think he should be applauded for that.\"\n\nBefore the kick-off, players from both clubs stood arm-in-arm behind a banner with the same 'Inequality. United for change' message displayed on the big screen at The Den.\n\nThe decision to hold up the banner came after a meeting on Monday between both clubs, Kick It Out, Show Racism The Red Card, the Professional Footballers' Association, the Football Association and the English Football League (EFL).\n\nPlayers, officials and staff at Premier League and EFL games have been taking a knee pre-match since football restarted in June in order to show their support for the Black Lives Matter movement for racial equality.\n\nThe famous Millwall chant goes \"no-one likes us, we don't care\". But Tuesday night was different - there were nerves in the air in this corner of south London.\n\nA taxi driver shouted at our camera crew, telling us we should be focusing on far bigger issues than \"a few boos\". Some fans told us their club needed to do more to tackle societal issues of racism.\n\nThose among the 2,000 heading into The Den were handed a statement claiming all eyes of the world were on them. It added, bizarrely, that they \"want us to fail\".\n\nIt was claimed the statement was written without the backing of the club's chief executive, but the siege mentality clearly worked.\n\nAs the players linked arms and displayed an anti-racism banner, they were loudly clapped and cheered. It continued as some chose to take the knee. The club breathed a sigh of relief.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Sadiq Khan: \"None of us want tier 3\"\n\nLondoners have been urged to \"stick by the rules\" amid fears the capital may be put into tier three restrictions following a rise in Covid-19 cases.\n\nThree in four of the capital's boroughs registered an increase in coronavirus cases in the week to 4 December.\n\nOuter London now has a higher infection rate than some areas in tier three, according to Public Health England (PHE) figures.\n\nOfficials are due to meet on 16 December to review the tier system.\n\nLondon has been under tier two restrictions since 2 December, after the month-long England wide lockdown.\n\nHealth Secretary Matt Hancock was asked on an LBC radio phone-in whether the capital was close to going into tier three .\n\n\"My message to everybody in London is let's stick by the rules and not push the boundaries of the rules,\" he said.\n\n\"The case numbers are going up in parts of London, in parts of Essex, in parts of Kent, and we know what happens when case numbers go up, sadly more people end up in hospital and more people end up dying.\"\n\nMayor of London Sadiq Khan also called for people to \"continue to follow the rules\".\n\nPHE data shows 21 of London's 32 boroughs have infection rates higher than overall rate for England of 150 cases per 100,000 people.\n\nTaken together, London's outer boroughs have an infection rate of 205 cases per 100,000 - higher than the current rate in Leicestershire, Tees Valley or Bristol, all of which are in tier three restrictions.\n\nOne London restaurant owner said entering tier three during Christmas \"could be the last nail in our coffin\".\n\nUnder the rules, pubs and restaurants are allowed to open for a takeaway service only.\n\nSuleman Raza, who was named Curry King of the year in 2019, said: \"We've already lost so much business throughout the year we needed Christmas to be busy.\n\n\"We were looking forward to Christmas covering our losses.\"\n\nSuleman Raza runs several restaurants in south and west London\n\nRobin Smith, chair of Berwick Street Traders, said \"if we go into tier three the West End is screwed\".\n\nMr Smith, who owns several businesses in Soho, said \"we've nearly been getting back to business and getting money coming in this last week\".\n\nHe added: \"If we lose it now we're done for. Soho and the West End has no residential base, so we're reliant on people coming in to shop, eat and use the hotels.\"\n\nShoppers embraced a pedestrianised Regent Street in central London on the first weekend of tier two restrictions\n\nMr Khan said he was \"really worried\" about the impact moving into tier three would have on hospitality and shops.\n\n\"What none of us wants is to go into tier three. What none of us wants is for the virus to continue to spread,\" the mayor said.\n\nHe added it was particularly worrying that the latest increase in numbers had come during the last national lockdown and he had spoken to the health secretary and borough leaders about the issue.\n\nMatt Hancock called on Londoners to \"stick by the rules\" to prevent more people ending up in hospital\n\nAreas in the South East and London are now regularly seeing some of the highest coronavirus infection rates in England.\n\nThirteen out of the 20 places with the highest rates were from these regions in the week to 4 December. A month ago, no areas from these regions were in the top 100.\n\nKent accounts for eight of those 13 areas, with Swale currently seeing the highest infection rate in England of about 604 cases per 100,000 people.\n\nFor context, the rate across England overall was just over 150 per 100,000 over the same period.\n\nIn London, the borough of Havering saw the highest rate at 362 per 100,000 - and climbing.\n\nThe virus in these regions seems to have been spreading prior to England's second national lockdown, with cases increasing three to four weeks ago.\n\nMany parts of the country saw a drop or levelling off in infections for a few weeks after this point, but more recently the virus has started to spread again.\n\nShoppers flocked to high streets and shopping malls across London on the first weekend after restrictions eased but in numbers well below pre-pandemic levels.\n\nAny effect of an increase in contacts between people will not be seen for several days.\n\nDeaths of patients with coronavirus in London have dropped drastically from early April's peak.\n\nProf Kevin Fenton, London regional director for PHE, said: \"The latest data shows case rates are on the increase again in most London boroughs, including in the at-risk over 60s.\n\n\"Covid-19 behaves like clockwork - the more contact we have with others, the higher the chance of us catching or spreading the virus.\n\n\"If we want to keep infections down, every one of us needs to remain vigilant and follow the rules as we go about shopping, eating out or meeting friends outdoors.\"\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "General Lloyd Austin would need a special waiver from Congress because he retired less than seven years ago\n\nUS President-elect Joe Biden has chosen retired General Lloyd Austin as his defence secretary.\n\nIf approved, the 67-year-old who retired in 2016 would become the first African-American to lead the Pentagon.\n\nHe would need a congressional waiver as seven years are required between active duty and becoming military chief.\n\nMr Biden has been facing calls including from Democratic Asian, Black and Latino caucuses to nominate minorities to senior cabinet posts.\n\nVeteran Pentagon official Michèle Flournoy, who would have been the first woman to hold the position, had also been considered a front-runner - as well as Jeh Johnson, a former Pentagon general counsel and former secretary of homeland security.\n\nFour-star Gen Austin served under the Obama administration, leading the US Central Command, whose area of responsibility includes the Middle East, Central Asia and part of South Asia, between 2013 and 2016. He was the main military architect of the US-led offensive against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria.\n\nBefore that he was vice-chief of staff of the Army and the last commanding general of the US forces in Iraq. During these years he worked closely with Mr Biden, who was vice-president in the Barack Obama administration.\n\nIn an Atlantic magazine op-ed defending his choice, Mr Biden wrote: \"I've spent countless hours with him, in the field and in the White House Situation Room. I've sought his advice, seen his command, and admired his calm and his character. He is the definition of a patriot.\"\n\nGen Austin has a reputation for strong leadership and for avoiding the public eye, giving few interviews and opting to not speak publicly about military operations.\n\nJoe Biden and Gen Lloyd Austin - pictured here in Iraq in 2011 - worked closely together during the Obama administration\n\nGen Austin had once been viewed as a long-shot candidate but in recent days emerged as a top-tier contender and a safe choice.\n\nBut the nomination could draw criticism from some progressive groups over Gen Austin's position in recent years as a member of the board of directors of defence contractor Raytheon and opposition from lawmakers in Congress who favour a clear civilian control of the Pentagon.\n\nThe required congressional waiver has been granted only twice, most recently in the case of James Mattis, the retired Marine general who served as President Donald Trump's first defence secretary.\n\nAsking Congress to issue the needed waiver, Mr Biden wrote: \"The next secretary of defence will need to immediately quarterback an enormous logistics operation to help distribute Covid-19 vaccines widely and equitably.\n\n\"Austin oversaw the largest logistical operation undertaken by the Army in six decades - the Iraq drawdown.\"\n\nThe president-elect offered and Gen Austin accepted the post on Sunday, reports said.\n\nNews of the nomination emerged ahead of a meeting between Mr Biden, Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and civil rights groups on Tuesday. Rev Al Sharpton, the civil rights activist, said the decision was \"a step in the right direction but not the end of the walk\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. How are Biden voters in a Trump heartland dealing with the election aftermath?\n\nThe decision comes two weeks after Mr Biden announced other senior members of his national security team.\n\nMr Biden defeated Republican President Trump in the 3 November election. The president continues to refuse to accept defeat in the election, alleging, without evidence, there has been widespread fraud.", "Pubs, restaurants and non-essential shops have been closed across much of the west of Scotland since 20 November\n\nAll 11 areas living under Scotland's toughest level four coronavirus restrictions are to be downgraded to level three, it has been confirmed.\n\nThe move means that non-essential shops and many other businesses across much of western and central Scotland will be able to reopen from Friday.\n\nMore than two million people have been subject to the level four restrictions since 20 November.\n\nInfection rates in all 11 council areas have fallen since then.\n\nIt has also been confirmed that three level three areas - Inverclyde, Falkirk and Angus - will move down to level two.\n\nAnd both Dumfries and Galloway and the Scottish Borders will move to level one from level two.\n\nAll of the country's other council areas will remain in their current levels.\n\nRetail premises which have been closed under the level four restrictions will be allowed to re-open from 06:00 on Friday, with the other restrictions being eased from 18:00 on the same day.\n\nBut hospitality businesses in level three areas must close their doors by 18:00 - meaning they will have to wait until Saturday to welcome back customers for food and non-alcoholic drinks.\n\nAnnouncing the changes in the Scottish Parliament, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon urged people to \"continue to exercise care and caution\".\n\nAnd she said that travel restrictions will remain in place, meaning that people should not travel in or out of level three areas unless it is essential.\n\nPeople living outside of Glasgow should therefore not travel to the city for Christmas shopping when stores reopen on Friday, for example.\n\nMs Sturgeon added: \"As we know from our experience of Covid so far, progress can very easily go into reverse.\n\n\"So please continue to abide by the rules. That means, in particular, not visiting other people's houses.\"\n\nThe first minister also told MSPs that she considered moving Edinburgh down to level two - but the closeness to the Christmas period meant that this did not happen.\n\nShe also said the government was closely monitoring Clackmannanshire, which is remaining in level three for now despite having the highest number of confirmed cases per 100,000 in the country.\n\nMs Sturgeon said it was thought that the sharp rise in case numbers could be attributed to a mass testing pilot that is being carried out there, adding: \"The issue is more cases being identified rather than a rise in transmission.\"\n\nThere had been concern that Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire could move from level two to level three - but Ms Sturgeon said cases in both areas had dropped slightly in recent days.\n\nHowever, she said the situation would be monitored very carefully, with a move to level three not being ruled out in the weeks ahead.\n\nThe first minister said further support for businesses affected by the restrictions would be announced on Wednesday.\n\nScottish Conservative group leader Ruth Davidson said businesses in areas such as Edinburgh, which have relatively low case numbers, would find it a \"bitter pill to swallow\" that restrictions would not be eased because \"ironically they might get too much trade\" ahead of Christmas.\n\nScottish Labour leader Richard Leonard also criticised the decision not to move Edinburgh down to level two when the data appeared to show the infection was under greater control there than in other parts of the country.\n\nThe first vaccinations against the virus started on Tuesday morning\n\nThe announcement on the country's restriction levels came as vaccinations began at sites across Scotland.\n\nAn initial batch of 65,000 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine arrived in Scotland at the weekend - with those who will be giving the vaccine to others being the first to be injected with it.\n\nMs Sturgeon said the vaccination programme presents the \"beginning of the end\" of the pandemic.\n\nBut she urged people to continue to think about how to keep themselves and others safe in the meantime.\n\nThe deaths of a further 33 people who had tested positive for the virus have been recorded in the past 24 hours, alongside an additional 692 positive tests.", "Talks to reach a post-Brexit trade deal have been paused, because UK and EU negotiators say \"significant divergences\" remain.\n\nMichel Barnier and David Frost said conditions for a deal between the two sides have not been met.\n\nEuropean Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen and PM Boris Johnson will discuss the state of play on Saturday.\n\nState aid subsidies, fishing and enforcement of new rules remain the key sticking points in negotiations.\n\nIf a deal is not agreed by 31 December, the two sides will trade on World Trade Organization rules, meaning the introduction of taxes on imports.\n\nReleasing identical statements on Twitter, Mr Barnier and Lord Frost said: \"After one week of intense negotiation in London, the two chief negotiators agreed today that the conditions for an agreement are not met, due to significant divergences on level playing field, governance and fisheries.\n\n\"On this basis, they agreed to pause the talks in order to brief their principals on the state of play of the negotiations.\"\n\nMr Barnier is negotiating on behalf of the 27 EU member states and can only act within the mandate set by their leaders.\n\nA senior UK government source told BBC News the statement shows how far apart both sides are and that the trade talks have run into problems.\n\nEarlier, Boris Johnson's spokesman said the government was \"committed to working hard to try and reach agreement\" but emphasised that the UK couldn't \"agree a deal that doesn't allow us to take back control\".\n\nHe added that \"time is in very short supply and we are at a very difficult point in talks\".\n\nThe Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin said it was important for the 27 EU member states to give negotiators \"the space to conclude these talks\". He added that he \"fervently hoped\" a trade deal can be agreed.\n\nMeanwhile, France's Europe minister, Clement Beaune, warned that his country could \"veto\" a deal if it did not satisfy their demands.\n\nThe European Parliament would need to ratify any deal before it can be implemented and UK MPs are likely to get the chance to vote on legislation implementing the agreement.\n\nAnd the 27 EU national parliaments could also need to ratify an agreement - depending on the actual contents of the deal.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Diana Isajeva has taken social media in her search to find a live kidney donor\n\n\"I am faced with the reality that my heart may stop and I might not wake up tomorrow.\"\n\nDiana Isajeva has taken to Facebook and social networking app Nextdoor in her search to find a live kidney donor.\n\nThe 27-year-old, from Leckwith, Cardiff, had complete kidney failure during the coronavirus lockdown.\n\nThe Welsh Government said doctors had to balance the need for a transplant with the \"challenges of widespread community transmission of Covid\".\n\nOriginally from Lithuania, Diana has lived in Cardiff since she was 15.\n\nShe was in her first year studying law when she woke up one morning with neck pain: \"I just thought I had slept funny, but then my joints started to swell and I couldn't eat or sleep or walk, and was in complete agony.\"\n\nAfter several tests and a biopsy, she was diagnosed with an extremely aggressive form of lupus, which turned out to be life-threatening, and her organs started to fail.\n\n\"At 19 years old, the doctors saved my life, and I had to have chemotherapy in order to continue to live, this is what has affected my kidneys,\" she said.\n\n\"Eight years of chemotherapy takes its toll on the body and unfortunately my kidneys couldn't be saved.\"\n\nHer usual monthly blood tests were postponed for four months due to the pandemic and she said her chemotherapy was delayed for 10 weeks.\n\n\"I understand why the ward was turned into a Covid ward and the kidney doctors had to work to help those who had Covid, but the pandemic made it that my condition deteriorated a lot quicker.\"\n\nDiana Isajeva said it would be \"an absolute miracle,\" to find a kidney donor for Christmas\n\nWith the considerable decline in her kidney function, doctors said her best bet to live a healthy life was a transplant.\n\n\"Getting that news was awful, basically being told you are dying and then not being able to hug anyone or see anyone who could support was so, so hard,\" she said\n\nDiana's family all live abroad so cannot donate and her fiancé, Sandeep Singh Randhawa, is not a match, so she has decided to turn to the public.\n\nHer blood type - O - is universal, meaning donors can give to people with blood types A, B and AB, but can only have a transplant from someone who is type O.\n\n\"I read an article where a stranger donated a kidney and it inspired me, so I asked my doctor if I could run a campaign and she said she would support me, so I posted on Facebook and it is slowly picking up,\" she said.\n\n\"I have had responses from all over the world, it's been mixed but mostly positive. Some people have been sceptical and I have had a few offers from people offering to sell me a kidney but its mainly been messages of kindness and support.\n\n\"It would change my life, it would be the biggest gift that I could receive and would be like having a second birthday. I would be able to get married and pursue my career.\"\n\nDiana said, without a live donor, she would need dialysis, which would shorten her life expectancy: \"Dialysis wears out your heart, and cadaver transplants are full of toxins which make it harder to recover.\n\n\"With a live donor, the kidney can last a lifetime as it works much better and for a longer time, it would give me the opportunity to live a happy and healthy life.\"\n\nBecause of the backlog of people waiting for surgeries of kidney transplants after the pandemic, Diana said she was not able to be put back on the waiting list.\n\nWales' only transplant centre was temporarily closed during the UK-wide lockdown earlier this year.\n\nDiana said her ordeal \"made me realise how important life is and to cherish those closest around you\"\n\nFiona Loud, policy director of Kidney Care UK, said transplants were \"down by 800 year-on-year, and the overall drop in transplants was 73%\".\n\nDiana is having more chemotherapy in January, but said it was \"only to prolong my life until I get a transplant\".\n\nShe added: \"I'm just trying to live my life as long as I can, hoping that I can hold on and a match is found, I am so afraid with the realisation that my heart may stop and I may not wake up tomorrow.\"\n\nMs Loud said: \"A kidney transplant is the gold-star treatment for kidney failure yet there are always more people waiting for a transplant than there are donor organs available.\n\n\"Hospitals need to prioritise kidney surgery and ensure they are doing everything they can to support people whose kidneys have failed.\"\n\nThe Welsh Government said: \"We are unable to comment on people's individual circumstances but we are sorry to hear about this woman's situation and we wish the best for her ongoing treatment and care.\n\n\"Kidney transplants were suspended at the start of the pandemic but have been resumed over the summer. Renal services staff have also worked hard to ensure the active monitoring of people under their care has been maintained throughout the pandemic.\n\n\"However, transplant teams need to balance the patient's need for transplant against the additional challenges of wide spread community transmission of Covid and being immuno-suppressed at this time.\"", "So, after a week of super intensive, last-ditch talks, EU and UK negotiators are going their separate ways.\n\nThe EU's chief envoy Michel Barnier heads back to Brussels on Saturday morning. His UK counterpart, David Frost, is to brief the prime minister on why the pause button was pressed.\n\nIs this the end of the road for talks, or are we just round the corner to a Happy Ever After?\n\nProbably neither. Just yet.\n\nIf you're in favour of this post-Brexit EU-UK trade deal and you're looking for clues to be upbeat, I'd say it's significant that the two chief negotiators issued a joint statement before parting ways.\n\nThis wasn't a case of each stomping off to a separate corner before briefing negatively about the other.\n\nThat differences remain on the three key issues: fishing rights in UK waters, competition regulations and the governance of a deal (ie how to ensure both sides stick to the agreement or face penalties) should come as no surprise.\n\nLimited progress was made this week on all fronts in talks, but as I, and many other Brexit commentators, have long suggested, you need political involvement at the highest levels to make the final, most difficult compromises.\n\nOr to publicly declare an agreement is just not possible, and a no deal scenario is heading our way.\n\nPositive-minded readers of this blog might also consider that, even if the EU-UK deal were almost agreed, the European Commission president and arguably, especially Boris Johnson, who has aligned himself so personally to \"getting Brexit done\", would want to put their personal stamp on things.\n\nConfirmation that they will call each other on Saturday afternoon could therefore be seen as a \"good\" sign. Although sources in the EU and UK warn not to expect news of the conclusive Big Breakthrough following their chat.\n\nCynics might nod their head too when I say that - considering the uncomfortable political compromises both sides have to make to reach a deal - one more \"crisis\", aka the current stop in talks, is quite useful to demonstrate to the public back home that you're hanging on in there, fighting for their interests.\n\nThat's certainly the way to interpret France's threat to use its veto if a deal is agreed, and it doesn't like it.\n\nEmmanuel Macron has enjoyed the role of Brexit bad cop throughout. It plays well domestically.\n\nAnd \"France the frenemy\" is an easy headline in the UK too.\n\nBut reality is more nuanced. Paris trumpets more brashly what is the belief in all EU capitals, and in the UK government: Yes to this deal but not at any cost.\n\nThe priority in Brussels is to protect the single market. The EU hoped to contain UK competition with a common rulebook.\n\nBut the UK wants to be nimble and competitive; to compromise post-Brexit sovereignty as little as possible.\n\nOtherwise, government figures ask, what was the point of leaving the European Union?\n\nIf you're looking for some certainty in all this, here you go: Neither side will sign on the dotted line if they can't sell this deal as a victory.\n\nNegotiations will likely become even thornier if they re-start next week.\n\nThe government's Internal Market Bill was expected to return to the House of Commons on Monday.\n\nAnd the long-awaited Finance Bill, scheduled to be tabled on Tuesday. Both could contain clauses contradicting the Protocol on Northern Ireland, signed with the EU last year as part of the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement.\n\nThe government insists the clauses are necessary, as a safety net, to ensure the smooth circulation of goods within the United Kingdom, in case of a no deal situation with the EU.\n\nBut the European Parliament has warned it will veto any deal with the UK, if Downing Street includes the clauses. Breaking the treaty is unacceptable, says the EU. Safety net or not.\n\nSo the pressure is on. On all sides.\n\nWe're witnessing that last minute, five to midnight scramble for a deal, widely predicted, but which the UK and EU always said was the last thing they wanted.", "Last updated on .From the section Premier League\n\nChelsea went top of the Premier League as they came from behind to beat Leeds United in their first game in front of fans for nine months.\n\nFormer Blues striker Patrick Bamford, who spent five years at Chelsea without making a senior appearance, gave Leeds an early lead at Stamford Bridge after getting between defender Kurt Zouma and keeper Edouard Mendy.\n\nTimo Werner then somehow managed to miss from point-blank range after Olivier Giroud's flicked header from a corner, the Germany forward hitting the underside of the bar before Leeds cleared.\n\nHowever, Giroud marked his first league start of the season with his fifth goal of the week, the scorer of all four of Chelsea's Champions League goals away to Sevilla in midweek poking home from five yards after Reece James' cross.\n\nChelsea, who welcomed 2,000 fans back to Stamford Bridge after coronavirus restrictions were eased, went ahead as Zouma headed in from Mason Mount's corner.\n\nSubstitute Christian Pulisic added a late third from Werner's pass, with the United States winger becoming the 13th different player to score for Chelsea in the Premier League this season.\n\nChelsea, who started the day third, are one point clear at the top.\n• None Bamford returns to Stamford Bridge with point to prove\n\nThere were scenes of celebration after the final whistle as Blues boss Frank Lampard went over to applaud fans inside the ground, who gave the players a standing ovation while they headed for the dressing room.\n\nOne supporter held up a banner which read \"It's great to be back\" and Chelsea certainly relished the occasion as they turned on the style.\n\nWhen they last moved to the summit after a win at Newcastle on 21 November, Lampard said he was not going to \"get excited about being top for five minutes\".\n\nWithin a few hours they had been replaced by Tottenham following a win over Manchester City later the same day.\n\nLampard's side will at least enjoy being top a while longer this time, although they could be overtaken by Tottenham and Liverpool on Sunday.\n\nNevertheless, this was a highly satisfactory victory.\n\nWhile France's World Cup winner Giroud made the most of his first league start of 2020-21, Werner will wonder how on earth he did not score.\n\nAfter his astonishing miss, Werner was thwarted on three occasions by Leeds keeper Illan Meslier, while Kai Havertz headed another chance over.\n\nUnbeaten in nine top-flight games, Chelsea are handling the hectic Champions League-Premier League schedule well.\n\nAfter securing top spot in their European group, Lampard's men are looking down on all the rest in England.\n\nBamford arrived at Stamford Bridge with a point to prove - and, despite his team's defeat, left after once again demonstrating he belongs on the Premier League stage.\n\nThe 27-year-old was overlooked during his time at Chelsea, leaving for Middlesbrough in 2017 after five years in London without playing a competitive senior game.\n\nIn an extraordinary opening, and after the hosts had twice gone close in the first two minutes, Bamford got between Zouma and Mendy to connect with Jack Harrison's threaded pass to fire Leeds ahead.\n\nIt was another classy finish by Bamford, who is now level with Leicester's Jamie Vardy and Liverpool's Mohamed Salah in terms of top-flight goals in 2020-21.\n\nIncredibly, seven of his eight league goals have come away from Elland Road, with Bamford scoring in five of Leeds' six away games this season.\n\nHis side, however, could not capitalise.\n\nHaving beaten former leaders Everton in their previous game, they were unable to stop Chelsea from going top.\n\nBefore this weekend only Liverpool had more attempts in the Premier League than Marcelo Bielsa's side.\n\nThey had another eight against Chelsea but could not respond once Zouma headed the hosts ahead.\n\n'Defeats an opportunity to learn' - what they said\n\nChelsea manager Frank Lampard: \"I was nervous of Leeds. They're a threat until the end if you don't get a cushion.\n\n\"They are pretty unique in their style and they're well coached. We knew it was a big task. Character-wise and performance-wise, on lots of levels, I'm absolutely delighted.\"\n\nLeeds boss Marcelo Bielsa: \"It was difficult for us to stop them playing out from the back with their centre-backs and [midfielder] N'Golo Kante.\n\n\"I never question the refereeing decisions and this game was not decided by the referee. He did not decide the game. Always defeats are an opportunity to learn something.\"\n• None Leeds have conceded five goals from set-pieces (excluding penalties) in the Premier League this season, only Leicester have conceded more from such situations (six).\n• None Oliver Giroud has become the first Chelsea player to score in six consecutive Premier League starts since Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink in October 2001. At 34 years and 66 days, he is the oldest player to score in six consecutive Premier League starts.\n• None Chelsea have won four of their past five Premier League games (drawn one) - indeed, no current Premier League side is on a longer unbeaten run than the Blues (nine - won five, drawn four).\n• None Leeds have lost three of their past five Premier League games (won one, drawn one), conceding three or more goals in all three defeats.\n• None Marcelo Bielsa's side faced 23 shots in this match, their joint-most in a Premier League game this season (also 23 against Manchester City).\n\nChelsea, who have already sealed top spot, host Russian side Krasnodar in their sixth and final Champions League Group E game on Tuesday (20:00 GMT), while Leeds are back in Premier League action next Friday against West Ham at Elland Road (20:00).\n• None Raphinha (Leeds United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.\n• None Goal! Chelsea 3, Leeds United 1. Christian Pulisic (Chelsea) left footed shot from very close range to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Timo Werner following a fast break.\n• None Attempt missed. Tammy Abraham (Chelsea) right footed shot from the right side of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Timo Werner.\n• None Attempt blocked. Christian Pulisic (Chelsea) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Timo Werner.\n• None Offside, Leeds United. Stuart Dallas tries a through ball, but Ian Poveda-Ocampo is caught offside.\n• None Attempt missed. Reece James (Chelsea) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Mason Mount with a cross following a corner.\n• None Attempt saved. Ian Poveda-Ocampo (Leeds United) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.\n• None Attempt missed. Olivier Giroud (Chelsea) header from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Mason Mount with a cross following a corner.\n• None Attempt saved. Timo Werner (Chelsea) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Mason Mount. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page\n• None I May Destroy You star Michaela Coel joins for his new series", "Joe Anderson has been mayor since 2012\n\nLiverpool mayor Joe Anderson has been released on bail after being arrested by police investigating claims of bribery and witness intimidation.\n\nHe was held with four other men as part of an investigation into the awarding of building contracts in the city.\n\nThe Labour Party has suspended Mr Anderson pending the outcome of the case.\n\nMerseyside Police said all five people \"have been released on condition bail, pending further inquiries.\"\n\nTheir year-long investigation, Operation Aloft, has focused on a number of property developers.\n\nOn Friday, Mr Anderson, 62, was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit bribery and witness intimidation.\n\nIn a statement, he said he was \"interviewed for six hours\" and that he was \"co-operating fully\" with the police.\n\nMr Anderson said he would be \"talking to my cabinet colleagues over the weekend to ensure the challenges our city faces with the Covid pandemic continue to receive the focus they deserve\".\n\nHe also said he supported Labour's decision to suspend him while the police inquiry continues.\n\n\"I have been bailed to return in one month's time. Given the investigation is continuing, and there are bail conditions, I will not be making any further comments.\"\n\nCouncillor Richard Kemp, leader of the opposition Liberal Democrat group on Liverpool City Council, said that Mr Anderson should follow \"other senior figures in such cases\" and \"step away\" from the council and mayoralty during the legal process.\n\nPolice said they detained two other men, from Liverpool and Ainsdale, on suspicion of conspiracy to commit bribery and witness intimidation.\n\nTwo more, aged 25 and 72, were arrested on suspicion of witness intimidation.\n\nLiverpool City Council said it was co-operating with Merseyside Police.\n\nFather-of-four Mr Anderson, an ex-social worker and former member of the Merchant Navy, joined the Labour Party in 1980.\n\nHe was elected mayor of Liverpool in 2012, having been on the city's council since 1998.\n\nIn 2016, he vied to become Labour's candidate for the Liverpool City Region mayoral post, but was beaten by then Walton MP Steve Rotheram, who currently holds the position.\n\nMr Anderson recently spearheaded the drive for mass coronavirus testing in Liverpool.\n\nHis brother Bill died in October after contracting the virus.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Frequent flyers John (l) and Tim Granger (r) are delighted with their purchases\n\nThey flew off shelves: slippers, cups and saucers, blankets and bedding, towels, even drinks trolleys.\n\nBritish Airways' online sale of thousands of surplus stock not needed for its aircraft caused a stampede of buying from aviation enthusiasts and bargain-hunters.\n\nIn the first 24 hours, 5,000 purchases were made, with the website getting 250,000 page views. In the first four days, 1,900 six-packs of bread baskets were snapped up.\n\nMeal trolleys were among the first to sell out. Items from the now-retired Boeing 747s in BA's aircraft fleet were in big demand.\n\nTrouble is, the sell-off seems to have been so popular it risks becoming a PR headache.\n\nWhile there are plenty of satisfied customers, there are also plenty of dissatisfied ones - just check Twitter, Trustpilot and the frequent flyer website Head for Points, where buyers are venting annoyance about broken and missing items, non-deliveries and lack of responses from BA and the company it used to handle the sale, Whatabuy.\n\n\"Such an unnecessary own goal,\" said Nick Hadjinikos, whose girlfriend is still waiting for her plates and bread baskets.\n\nThe director at communications consultancy Kallinos said: \"During the ordering process, the site kept crashing after payment information had been submitted. This was the big worry, so I put in a couple of emails to Whatabuy and never heard back.\n\n\"Then I took to Twitter and found we were not alone. BA should have spotted the problem and headed it off. I think most of the stuff was snapped up by hawks and ended up on eBay.\"\n\nMeal-equipment boxes from Boeing 747 aircraft were in the sale\n\nAnother buyer, Simon Saunders, told the BBC: \"The whole thing is a shambles. Whatabuy replied to my third email and simply said, 'You will get your stuff in due course.'\"\n\nComments on the Head for Points website include:\n\nWhatabuy did not respond to BBC requests for comment. But in an email to a customer complaining about their order, the company said it had seen \"an unprecedented level of demand\" and processing was taking longer than usual. There had also been IT issues, Whatabuy said.\n\nHead for Points' Rhys Jones said complaints to his website revealed obvious problems with the sale, but he still believes the majority of his readers seem delighted with their purchases.\n\nRhys Jones, from Head for Points, says that despite criticism of BA, most of his website's readers are happy\n\n\"This sale seems to have captured the imagination of travel enthusiasts. It offers them a chance to get hold of some authentic BA memorabilia,\" Mr Jones said.\n\nThat's why John Granger bought some mugs, plates and a blanket - a gift for partner Tim. \"It was curiosity and nostalgia. We love flying so much but have not been able to travel during the pandemic. It's a reminder of our travels.\n\n\"The crockery is actually high-quality bone china [designed by William Edwards].\" He paid £44.70 (including P&P) for the lot. \"That's remarkable value. I'm not sure why BA was selling them so cheap.\"\n\nKirill Maksaev and partner Alexander Smotrov bought £100 worth of BA crockery and would have purchased a lot more, had they been quicker off the mark. They haven't got the items yet, but are not concerned. \"It's fine. We can wait. We've had the confirmation email,\" said Kirill.\n\nKirill Maksaev (r) and Alex Smotrov (l) with some of their air travel memorabilia\n\nThe purchases will be part of the mini-museum Alex has set up in his home - boarding passes, amenity bags, napkins, crockery and branded goods marking his years of air travel. \"We are plane spotters: we are passionate about aviation,\" Kirill said.\n\nBA said it had expected a huge amount of interest from aviation fans, bargain hunters and people looking for \"unique\" Christmas gifts.\n\n\"But of course, no one could have predicted quite how popular it would be and how quickly items would sell out,\" the airline told the BBC.\n\n\"We are working hard to ensure all customers receive their orders as quickly as possible and in time for Christmas. We're in touch with those who may not have received their items yet to reassure them they're on their way.\"\n\nAnd the airline promised refunds \"for any items that are not in the condition advertised on the site\".\n\nWould BA do it again? \"We'll consider our options once we've reviewed the success of the scheme and any learnings,\" the airline said.", "Daca protects young people who entered the US without documents as children\n\nA US judge has ordered the Trump administration to fully reinstate a scheme that protects immigrants brought to the country illegally as children from being deported.\n\nThe administration had moved to close the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (Daca) programme to new applicants earlier this year.\n\nBut District Judge Nicholas Garaufis on Friday ruled against the restrictions.\n\nHe told the administration to announce the full resumption of Daca by Monday.\n\nThe Daca programme was introduced by former Democratic President Barack Obama in 2012.\n\nHe set it up to help some of the more than 10 million immigrants who as young people entered the US illegally or overstayed a visa.\n\nMost of the children protected by the Daca programme are from Mexico and other Latin American countries. These migrants are known as \"Dreamers\".\n\nThe scheme protected an estimated 700,000 people, offering temporary permits for work and study.\n\nBut as part of his efforts to curb immigration, US President Donald Trump sought to end the programme in 2017, calling it unconstitutional.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Daca recipients: 'Life in the US is like a rollercoaster'\n\nThe Supreme Court took up the case after lower courts ruled the administration did not adequately explain why it was ending the programme, criticising the White House's \"capricious\" explanations.\n\nIn June this year, the Supreme Court upheld lower court rulings that found Mr Trump's move to rescind Daca was \"unlawful\".\n\nDespite this ruling, the Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf issued a memo to limit the programme to those who were already enrolled.\n\nNow Judge Garaufis of the US District Court in Brooklyn has ruled that Mr Wolf was not acting within his legal authority and that the scheme should resume.\n\nA protester demonstrating in support of the scheme holds up a placard that reads: I am an American\n\nThe Center for American Progress, a think tank, said more than 300,000 new applicants could now be eligible for Daca.\n\n\"This is a really big day for Daca recipients and immigrant young people,\" Karen Tumlin, director of the Justice Action Center, told AFP news agency.\n\nDemocratic President-elect Joe Biden, who takes office on 20 January, has said he plans to revitalise Daca.\n\nHis campaign said he will try to legislate to give a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants living in the US, although such a move would need to be approved by Congress.", "Demonstrators gathered outside the National Assembly in November when the lower house debated the measure\n\nArgentina has passed a new tax on its wealthiest people to pay for medical supplies and relief measures amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.\n\nSenators passed the one-off levy - dubbed the \"millionaire's tax\" - by 42 votes to 26 on Friday.\n\nThose with assets worth more than 200 million pesos ($2.5m; £1.8m) - some 12,000 people - will have to pay.\n\nArgentina has recorded close to 1.5 million infections and almost 40,000 deaths from the coronavirus.\n\nIt has been hit hard by the pandemic, becoming the fifth country worldwide to report one million confirmed cases in October despite only having a population of about 45 million people - making it the smallest nation at the time to surpass that figure.\n\nLockdown measures have further dented an economy struggling with unemployment, high poverty levels and massive government debt. Argentina has been in recession since 2018.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThose affected will pay a progressive rate of up to 3.5% on wealth in Argentina and up to 5.25% on that outside the country.\n\nAFP news agency reports that of the money raised, 20% will go to medical supplies, 20% to relief for small and medium-sized businesses, 20% to scholarships for students, 15% to social developments, and the remaining 25% to natural gas ventures.\n\nBut opposition groups fear it will discourage foreign investors, and that it will not be a one-time tax.\n\nCentre-right party Juntos por el Cambio reportedly described it as \"confiscatory\".", "Sports shirts worn by Michael Jordan, Colin Kapaernick, Barack Obama and LeBron James sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars\n\nTwo basketball vests - one worn by the NBA superstar Michael Jordan and the other by former US president Barack Obama - sold for record sums at a Los Angeles auction on Friday.\n\nJordan's number 23 vest, which he wore when he signed for the Chicago Bulls in 1984, sold for $320,000 (£235,000).\n\nMr Obama's vest, worn with his Punahou School team, went for $192,000 - a record for a high-school sports shirt.\n\nLast year, another one of his high-school vests fetched $120,000.\n\nJulien's Auctions in Beverly Hills said Mr Obama wore his shirt - also number 23 - in 1979, when he helped his team win the Hawaii basketball state championship.\n\nThe ex-president's love of the game has followed him through life. In his new memoir, A Promised Land, he said he had to stop coaching his daughter Sasha's basketball team after parents from a rival team complained that he was giving them an unfair advantage.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The couple were picked by the so-called 'Kiss-Cam' at the Verizon Center in Washington\n\nMichael Jordan - the first billionaire athlete - was at the centre of the Chicago Bulls team that won six NBA championships in the 1990s. A documentary series, The Last Dance, about the team's standout successes was a hit on Netflix earlier this year.\n\nPresident Obama appeared as one of the show's interviewees, saying: \"Michael Jordan and the Bulls changed the culture.\"\n\nThe previous record sum for a Jordan \"number 23\" shirt was $288,000 in an auction in July.\n\nAlso on sale in the latest auction was an autographed Cavaliers shirt worn by current NBA star Lebron James, which sold for $128,000, and an NFL football shirt worn by quarterback Colin Kapaernick, from his debut for the San Francisco 49ers.\n\nKapaernick's shirt also sold for $128,000 - a new record for an NFL shirt.\n\nIn 2016, Kaepernick became a symbol in the fight against racial injustice when he kneeled in protest during the US national anthem.", "It's not really possible for one photo to convey the scale of A68a\n\nAn RAF aircraft has obtained images of the world's biggest iceberg as it drifts through the South Atlantic.\n\nThe A400m transporter flew low over the 4,200-sq-km block, known as A68a, to observe its increasingly ragged state.\n\nThe pictures reveal multiple cracks and fissures, innumerable icy chunks that have fallen off, and what appear to be tunnels extending under the waterline.\n\nThe Antarctic berg is currently bearing down on the British Overseas Territory of South Georgia.\n\nA68a is now just 200km from the island and there is a real possibility it could become stuck in shallow coastal waters.\n\nThis cliff face is 30m high, but the berg probably reaches under water for 200m\n\nThe latest satellite imagery: A68a and South Georgia are about the same size\n\nThe British Forces South Atlantic Island (BFSAI) reconnaissance flight was sent out to assess the situation.\n\n\"Guided by satellite tracking, the A400M can get under the weather and closer to the iceberg, enabling more detailed observations,\" Squadron Leader Michael Wilkinson, Officer Commanding 1312 Flt, said in a BFSAI Facebook posting.\n\n\"I know I speak on behalf of all of the crew involved when I say this is certainly a unique and unforgettable task to be involved in.\"\n\nSome of the separated blocks are significant bergs in their own right\n\nSatellite images acquired in recent weeks have also suggested that A68a's edges are crumbling rapidly.\n\nRelentless wave action is breaking off countless small fragments, so-called \"bergy bits\" and \"growlers\". But some of the pieces being calved are significant objects in their own right and will need tracking because of the additional hazard they will now pose to shipping.\n\nThe A400m's new imagery - stills and video - will be analysed to try to understand how the berg might behave in the coming weeks and months.\n\nThere is now a mass of icy debris around A68a\n\nAlthough currently heading straight at South Georgia, A68a is being carried in fast-moving waters that should divert the bloc in a loop around the southern part of the island.\n\nThere is considerable interest in whether the berg might then ground on the territory's continental shelf.\n\nShould that happen, it could cause considerable difficulties for the island's seals and penguins as they try to get out to sea to forage for fish and krill.\n\nWhen A68a broke away from an ice shelf in Antarctica in July 2017, it measured nearly 6,000 sq km - about a quarter of the size of Wales. At 4,200 sq km, it now has an area closer to that of an English county like Somerset.\n\nExperts are surprised the iceberg hasn't lost more of its bulk. Many thought it would have shattered into several large pieces long before now.\n\nThe flight saw what appeared to be tunnels extending under the waterline\n\nWith a draft of about 200m, A68a has the potential to catch on the shallow shelf around the island", "Charley Oliver-Holland said the number of different social media channels meant \"bullying just doesn't stop\"\n\n\"I went online to make friends with people who were similar to me, so I could be myself, but when the other kids in school found my profile they made fun out of me.\"\n\nAbout one in five children aged 10-15 in England and Wales suffered at least one form of online bullying in the year to March 2020, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).\n\nCharley Oliver-Holland was 12 when she started getting bullied. She always had friends, but did not really fit in at high school.\n\n\"I had an Instagram page that I made of my favourite band and it allowed me to make friends online with similar interests, but when people from school found the page, I ended up getting so much grief,\" she said.\n\nThe 17-year-old from Caldicot, Monmouthshire, remembers being called dyke, emo, fat, as well as being told to die and go cut herself by people at her school, as well as total strangers.\n\n\"People saw I was different and expressing myself and didn't like it, because I didn't fit in, they would call me all sorts of names.\n\n\"It would be random people, I wouldn't even know them and they would post awful things. As a 12-year-old it's not a nice thing to hear and you take it to heart.\"\n\nCharley was targeted by bullies after posting pictures online of herself with black lipstick and hair\n\nShe said people got a feeling of invincibility when online, prompting them to say things they never would in person.\n\n\"All you need is an email address and you can make a fake account and say what you want about whoever. There were so many people in school who, when one account was shut down, they would just make another, it's really scary.\n\n\"People can be really horrible when they don't think there are consequences to their actions, they come across lovely in person but when they are on their phone in their bedroom they change.\n\n\"At school, you get bullied and can go home and escape from it, but with online it's constant, you can't escape from it, it is always there.\"\n\nCharley said some of her friends did not go into school due to the severity of the online bullying they suffered and there were times when she did not want to go in either.\n\n\"I would just feel like an outcast and that people would hold that against me. At 12 years old it feels like the worst thing that can happen to you,\" she said.\n\n\"At that age there aren't many things that are important, but your social status is and how you are viewed by other people, everyone talking about me, I just didn't want to be there, school just seemed like such a toxic environment.\"\n\nCharley feels online bullying behaviour is normalised and - because so many people get involved - it makes it harder to stop or report.\n\nThe ONS report - which featured new data it said should be interpreted with caution - showed more than half of those children who experienced online bullying would not describe what happened as bullying, while one in four did not report it to anyone.\n• None 19%children aged 10 to 15 years in England and Wales experienced at least one type of online bullying\n• None 52%of those children said they would not describe these behaviours as \"bullying\"\n• None 72% of children who experienced online bullying experienced some of it at school or during school time\n\n\"I didn't feel like I could tell anyone, it feels like there is nothing you can do, once it's happening. If you report it to the school what are they going to do? I did tell my mum about it and she did tell me to get off my phone, but it's difficult.\n\n\"It consumes you, I was always on my phone, trying to see what people were saying about me, what nasty messages were being posted.\n\n\"At that age social media is so important, you beg your parents to allow you to have a profile because you don't want to be the odd one out.\n\n\"I just felt alone, people would say nasty comments about my weight, about my sexuality, saying I had no friends, just putting me down. People would bully others for the phone that they have, it would be anything.\"\n\nCharley says she suffered \"relentless\" bullying at school and online\n\nCharley said she was now more careful with what she posts online, but the bullying she experienced five years ago still stays with her.\n\n\"Walking past a group of boys, it takes me back to when I was in school, and I worry if they are going to say something,\" she added.\n\n\"I think there needs to be better education in schools for young people about online bullying and taking a break from social media.\n\n\"I also think that to use those accounts you should have to submit proof to prove who you are, so you can't have fake accounts and are held accountable for what you say.\"\n\nOlivia Barbieri said online bullying leaves people with \"no switch-off and no safe place\"\n\nOlivia Barbieri said she has always been different and was bullied throughout her school life, but when she got her own social media accounts at the age of 13, she felt it got even worse.\n\n\"Face-to-face bullying is horrible and I have experienced that with people from work, but online is 100% worse. People have so much more confidence online and say whatever they want.\"\n\nThe 18-year-old from Caldicot has anxiety and said she did not experience anything really bad until a couple of weeks ago.\n\n\"I did an Instagram Live event with this guy and it just was awful, people were commenting on my appearance, saying I belonged in a mental asylum, that I should be aborted, just stuff that was irrelevant,\" she said.\n\n\"I had people I considered as friends sending me death threats. I ended up deleting all my social media channels and changing my name on my profiles, I had to because he doxxed me. It was really horrible.\n\n\"It's not just about one post or one video, it's everything, it all adds up, and online it's so difficult to report - social media platforms need to take more responsibility.\n\n\"If it wasn't for my family, partner and close friends, feeling I could turn to them and speak with them I don't know if I would be here today.\"\n\nIn a statement, Facebook, which owns Instagram, said: \"We are committed to leading the industry in the fight against online bullying. We have invested in technology to detect and remove offensive content from Instagram, expanded our dedicated safety and security team to over 35,000 people, and built strong partnerships with experts to help keep people safe.\"\n\nFounder of charity BulliesOut, Linda James, said the ONS statistics reflected what she had seen, but feels the true number of victims could be much higher.\n\n\"A lot of people hide bullying under the guise of banter and joking when it isn't, so I fear that the percentages of those being bullied online could be much higher than the figures seen by ONS,\" she said.\n\n\"We as a charity are seeing the trends that online bullying is increasing, and this is then spilling into other forms of bullying including physical.\n\n\"Online bullying is much more emotionally damaging and traumatising for young people than other forms as it is 24/7, it's relentless, it will have a massive impact on their mental health as they are unable to switch off.\n\n\"With more young people at home [due to coronavirus] they are online more and online for longer, there is nothing for them to do apart from being online and the impact this is going to have on them on their self-esteem and confidence is going to be horrific.\"\n\nShe feels more education is needed to understand and support young people: \"It isn't one person's responsibility, parents need to monitor their children and schools need to take responsibility when it comes to online bullying and have a zero-tolerance policy to all forms of bullying.\n\n\"There needs to be more education about what you do online and your digital footprint, so young people are mindful of their behaviour online.\"\n\nDr Sangeet Bhullar, executive director of WISE KIDS, which promotes safe internet use, said: \"We need to look at creating a culture of support where a young person feels comfortable talking about the social media platforms they access and what interaction they have. There needs to be greater accountability with schools and parents.\n\n\"I think we are in a better situation than we have been in as there is a lot more awareness about the situation, but we need to look at developing a sense of wellbeing and self-worth in young people, which will strengthen their ability to deal with uncomfortable situations such as online bullying.\"\n\nThe Welsh Government said: \"Challenging bullying within education remains a key priority for us and we are committed to ensuring all our learners are properly supported to achieve their full potential.\n\n\"It has never been more important to equip our children and young people with the knowledge, skills and resilience to navigate the online world.\n\n\"Protecting children and young people from harmful activity online is critical and it is therefore vital that we provide an education system that enables our learners to embrace technology and contribute positively online.\"", "Millwall say they are \"dismayed and saddened\" after some of their fans booed players taking a knee at the start of Saturday's game against Derby.\n\nThe Den was able to host 2,000 home fans for the first time this season after the second national lockdown was lifted.\n\nHowever, the return of spectators was overshadowed by the pre-match incident.\n\nThe Football Association and anti-discrimination body Kick It Out have also condemned the booing.\n\n\"Millwall Football Club was dismayed and saddened by events which marred Saturday's game against Derby County at the Den,\" said the club in a statement.\n\n\"The club has worked tirelessly in recent months to prepare for the return of supporters and what should have been a positive and exciting occasion was completely overshadowed, much to the immense disappointment and upset of those who have contributed to those efforts.\n\n\"The impact of such incidents is felt not just by the players and management, but by those who work throughout the club and in its academy and community trust, where so many staff and volunteers continue passionate endeavours to enhance Millwall's reputation day after day, year after year.\n\n\"The club will not allow their fine work to be in vain.\n\n\"The players are continuing to use the biggest platform they have to support the drive for change, not just in football but in society generally.\n\n\"There is much work to be done and at Millwall everyone is committed to doing all that is possible, both individually and collectively, to be a force for good and to ensure that the club remains at the forefront of football's anti-discrimination efforts.\"\n\nDerby boss Wayne Rooney, whose side won Saturday's game 1-0, said it was \"disappointing and upsetting\" to hear the booing from supporters.\n\n\"I'm pleased with how my team dealt with that,\" he added. \"They've had to put that to the back of their minds for the 90 minutes but I'm sure it's something they were thinking about.\"\n\nDerby forward Colin Kazim-Richards described the incident as \"an absolute disgrace\".\n\nSome boos were also heard when players took the knee at League Two Colchester United's JobServe Community Stadium, before the home side's 2-1 win over Grimsby Town in front of around 1,000 spectators.\n\nForward Callum Harriott, who scored the winner, later called the booing \"ridiculous\" and said it left him \"absolutely disappointed\".\n\nHis club said it was \"fully behind any and all of our players and staff who take a stand against any form of discrimination\", adding: \"We also condemn the behaviours of any supporters that actively voice opposition to those activities.\"\n\nPlayers, officials and staff at Premier League and English Football League games have been taking a knee pre-match since football restarted in June in order to show their support for the Black Lives Matter movement for racial equality.\n\n'We have come so far but we have so far to go' - reaction\n\nFormer Manchester City and England defender Micah Richards described the Millwall incident as \"disheartening\".\n\n\"How do these fans get allocated to the games?\" he said on BBC Final Score.\n\n\"There are 2,000 so you can pinpoint the people going. There are no excuses. I am sick to death of talking about this situation.\n\n\"It is so disheartening because it is like we have come so far but we have so far to go. I don't even like talking about the matter. It feels like it falls on deaf ears. It is time and time and time again.\"\n\nFormer Coventry and Aston Villa striker Dion Dublin, who had a loan spell at Millwall in 2002, added: \"They don't agree with taking the knee, which means they are racist. They don't agree with Black Lives Matter; that says they are racist to me.\n\n\"It says to me that a minority of Millwall fans are spoiling it for a club that is going in the right direction with a tag they have had for years and years and they are trying to eradicate it.\"\n\nOn Friday, Millwall's first-team squad issued a statement supporting efforts to rid the game \"of all forms of discrimination\".\n\nAfter Saturday's match, Lions boss Gary Rowett told Sky Sports: \"I'm disappointed that we are talking about that when we should be talking about the fact we are all back and we want to enjoy the football match again.\n\n\"The club does an enormous amount of work on anti-racism and the club do a lot of work in the community and there is some really positive stuff, so of course I am disappointed.\"\n\n'We applaud the players for defying the hate'\n\nA Football Association spokesperson said: \"The FA supports all players and staff that wish to take a stand against discrimination in a respectful manner, which includes taking of the knee, and strongly condemns the behaviours of any spectators that actively voice their opposition to such activities.\"\n\nKick It Out chair Sanjay Bhandari said he was \"saddened\" by the booing and praised the teams for \"defying the hate\" shown by some members of the crowd.\n\n\"What this demonstrates is that players are right to continue standing up to discrimination, whether that is through taking the knee or speaking out,\" he added.\n\n\"The fight for racial equality continues and we will continue to work closely with clubs across the country to tackle discrimination in all its forms.\n\n\"We applaud the players for taking a stand and defying the hate shown today.\"\n\nThe English Football League said: \"The EFL continues to support any individual player, players and clubs who choose to 'take the knee' in support of tackling inequality in society.\n\n\"We are disappointed that a small group of supporters have today chosen to voice their opposition to such activities directly aimed at raising awareness of the fight against racism.\"\n\nAmerican football player Colin Kaepernick started kneeling symbolically during the pre-game national anthem in the NFL in 2016, in protest at police violence against African-Americans in the United States.\n\nThe Black Lives Matter movement and taking a knee has grown in prominence in the UK following the death of George Floyd in the US in May, which sparked protests around the world.\n\nThe 46-year-old, an unarmed black man, died after a white police officer held a knee on his neck for nearly nine minutes.\n• None I May Destroy You star Michaela Coel joins for his new series", "The first Covid-19 vaccine has arrived in Scotland, the health secretary has confirmed.\n\nJeane Freeman said the vaccination programme would begin on Tuesday.\n\nThe first vaccinations will be given to priority groups including care home residents and staff, the elderly and frontline health workers.\n\nThe news comes as it was announced a further 22 people who tested positive for coronavirus had been recorded to have died in the past 24 hours.\n\nThere are currently 965 people in hospital with a positive Covid test and 64 of those are in ICU.\n\nScottish government figures show the total number of positive cases in Scotland has risen by 777 since Friday, which is 4.5% of those tested.\n\nNHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde has 210 new cases, while there are 149 in NHS Lothian and 117 in NHS Lanarkshire.\n\nThe remainder of the positive cases are split between the other eight mainland health boards.\n\nThe Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has said the new Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine - which offers up to 95% protection against Covid-19 illness - is safe to roll out, and immunisations for people in priority groups will start within days.\n\nJeane Freeman said the vaccinations would start on Tuesday\n\nMs Freeman said: \"I am pleased to announce that the vaccine is now in Scotland and being stored safely in order for vaccinations to begin on Tuesday. Science has given us hope and we are starting on a journey which will eventually allow us to escape this terrible virus.\n\n\"Following clinical advice from the joint committee on vaccination and immunisation (JCVI) we will begin with those groups which have been prioritised to address 99% of preventable deaths associated with Covid-19. These include the elderly, care home residents and staff, and frontline health and social care workers.\n\n\"I ask everyone to be patient as we work through these groups as vaccine supply allows. I urge you to go for the vaccine when it's your turn, but continue to follow the rules as set out in FACTS. And we will eventually reach the end of this pandemic by working together.\"\n\nThe UK government has already ordered 40 million doses - enough to vaccinate 20 million people, with two shots each.\n\nAbout 800,000 doses of the vaccine are expected to be available in the UK next week, with about 65,500 being made available for Scotland.\n\nHalf of the initial supplies of the vaccine that arrive in Scotland in December will be held back for the second dose.\n\nThe Scottish government has bought 23 ultra-low temperature freezers to store the vaccine.\n\nThey will be based at all major acute hospitals across the country and on Scotland's islands.\n\nIt has been confirmed care home residents in Scotland will be able to receive the vaccine from 14 December.\n\nThere had been fears that homes would not be able to receive the first batch of doses due to logistical challenges caused by the vaccine having to be stored at -70C.\n\nBut Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said on Thursday that confirmation on how the vaccine can be transported and stored meant it would now be possible to deliver them to care homes.\n\nDr Carey Lunan hopes over-80s can receive a vaccine at GP surgeries before Christmas\n\nDr Carey Lunan, chairwoman of the Royal College of GPs in Scotland, hopes the over-80s can start receiving the Oxford-Astrazenica vaccine from GPs from 21 December.\n\nShe told BBC Scotland: \"GPs will have a really crucial role to play in vaccinating the over-80s.\n\n\"We recognise that for that group of people, who've also got underlying health conditions or are more frail, it's not as appropriate for them to be going to the mass vaccination centres and they will be invited to come into their GP practices.\"\n\nShe added that vaccination uptake was lower in areas of higher social deprivation and among some ethnic groups.\n\n\"There's a lot of thinking and planning that needs to be done to make sure that everyone is able to get this vaccine,\" she said.", "Hannah Gaves was sentenced to three years in jail in August\n\nA former prison guard who tried to smuggle crack cocaine into prison in her underwear has had her jail term increased by the Court of Appeal.\n\nHannah Gaves, 27, from Bristol, was found carrying it and cannabis on her way into work at Erlestoke Prison near Devizes.\n\nShe admitted a series of offences and was jailed for three years in August.\n\nLord Justice Davis ruled her sentence was \"unduly lenient\" and increased the term to four years and eight months.\n\nGaves, of Butlers Close, St George, had pleaded guilty to possession with intent to supply a Class A drug, possession with intent to supply a Class B drug and attempting to bring tobacco into prison.\n\nThe court heard Gaves had been working as a prison officer for just under a year when she was caught with the drugs on 27 January 2019.\n\nCCTV footage showed her \"spending a considerable period of time in a cell of a particular prisoner\" and a decision was made to stop and search her.\n\nWhen she was told she would be searched and was asked if she had any prohibited items, said \"she answered, 'yes, weed and tobacco\"'.\n\nBut the judge said: \"That was not the whole truth because when she was searched, not only was a quantity of cannabis (found) ... in addition, and hidden in her underwear, was a lump of a white substance wrapped in cling film.\"\n\nGaves told police she felt she had \"no option\" and the unnamed individual who asked her to bring drugs into the jail \"knew where she lived and had contacted her on social media\".\n\nBut Lord Justice Davis said: \"If threats are made to (prison officers) they know that their responsibility is to report that threat.\"\n\nIncreasing Gaves' sentence, Lord Justice Davis said the three-year term was \"not simply lenient, it is undoubtedly unduly lenient\".\n\nIn a statement after the hearing, Solicitor General Michael Ellis QC said: \"Gaves intentionally smuggled contraband into prison with the intention of supplying dangerous drugs.\n\n\"She betrayed the trust inherent in her office.\"\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "One of the 13 prisoners deported from the UK to Jamaica on Wednesday has tested positive for Covid-19, the Jamaican government has told the BBC.\n\nThe man is being held in isolation at a hospital in the capital, Kingston.\n\nThe Home Office said he was on the flight, but has not made a statement in relation to the test.\n\nThe flight has already attracted controversy, with critics warning that people might be wrongly removed, as in the Windrush scandal.\n\nThe plane, containing 13 convicted criminals, took off on Wednesday. Twenty-three other prisoners were left off it following legal challenges.\n\nThe man, who did not want to be named on safety grounds, told the BBC he was tested for Covid-19 three days ago on arrival to Jamaica and on Friday received confirmation that he had coronavirus.\n\nHe has been taken under police escort to the St Joseph's medical facility in the Jamaican capital, Kingston, where he will be held under quarantine for 14 days.\n\nThe Home Office said all 13 men were offered tests on arrival, but could not confirm if the men had been tested before being deported from the UK last Wednesday.\n\nNinety public figures, including model Naomi Campbell and actress Thandie Newton, signed an open letter last month calling on airlines not to carry out Wednesday's flight.\n\nWarning that issues linked to Windrush have \"not been resolved,\" they argued the planned deportation flight brought \"credible risks of unlawful and wrongful deportations\" and urged airlines to boycott it.\n\nThe campaigners warned the UK \"frequently\" seeks to deport people whose crimes are linked to forced labour, and processes for identifying victims of trafficking were in \"disarray\".\n\nA separate letter last month signed by over 60 mostly Labour MPs and peers also called for the flight to be cancelled.\n\nHome Secretary Priti Patel said the references to Windrush were \"deeply offensive\".\n\nShe said she made no apologies for seeking to remove what Downing Street has termed \"dangerous foreign criminals\".\n\nMs Patel previously told the Daily Mail that it was \"misjudged and upsetting\" for \"ill-informed Labour politicians and do-gooding celebrities\" to invoke Windrush in their campaign.\n\nThe scandal - which came to light in 2018 - revealed that many people from Commonwealth countries, who had legally entered and settled in the UK, had been threatened with deportation and some had been wrongly deported by the Home Office.", "The mass use of rapid Covid tests has been defended by a senior NHS adviser, amid concerns over their accuracy.\n\nDr Susan Hopkins, chief medical adviser to NHS Test and Trace, said the lateral flow tests could identify many cases of infection in people without symptoms.\n\nSpeaking to the BBC, she accepted there had been \"false negatives\" but stressed the policy was a \"game-changer\".\n\nA study found the tests missed 50% of cases and some scientists fear people could start to ignore health advice.\n\nMeanwhile, a further 397 new coronavirus deaths were recorded in the UK on Saturday, with another 15,539 cases reported.\n\nMass testing is being introduced in England's tier-three \"high-risk\" areas and is starting in one of the areas hardest-hit by Covid-19 in Wales.\n\nAnd more than million rapid tests are being sent to care homes in England over the next month to allow safe indoor visits.\n\nHowever, an article in the BMJ medical journal raised concerns about the effects of rapid testing in Liverpool, where a pilot scheme was carried out. The lateral flow tests, which do not require processing in a laboratory, were reported to have missed half of all cases and a third of those with a high viral load who were likely to be the most infectious.\n\nDr Hopkins told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the tests had \"limitations\" but said they were helping diagnose asymptomatic cases that would otherwise have gone undetected.\n\nShe added: \"What we are doing here is case detection. We are not saying people do not have the disease if their test is negative.\n\n\"We are trying to say [to people who test positive] 'You do have the disease and now we want you to go and isolate for 10 days.' That is a whole different game-changer.\"\n\nHowever, Dr Hopkins said mass testing did not end the need for social distancing.\n\n\"We are also very clear that until we get a much lower prevalence of disease in this country that we shouldn't be changing our behaviours,\" she said.\n\nThe pregnancy-style lateral flow tests are cheap to produce and provide results on the spot, unlike the standard nose and throat swabs which have to be sent off to a lab.\n\nHowever, the higher number of false negative results means people may wrongly think they are not infectious.\n\nSome scientists worry those people may go on to mix with more vulnerable people, putting them at risk.\n\nBut the government says the Liverpool trial showed rapid tests could break chains of transmission, and they will start to use them for the first time next week in Wolverhampton - where Covid cases are more than twice the average level in England.\n\nDr Hopkins' comments came as the UK's chief medical officers warned the winter could be \"especially hard\" for the health service because of coronavirus.\n\nOfficials are preparing to begin using the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine as early as Tuesday, with Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon saying supplies have arrived in Scotland.\n\nBut in a letter to NHS staff, the chief medical officers of England (Prof Chris Whitty), Scotland (Dr Gregor Smith), Wales (Dr Frank Atherton) and Northern Ireland (Dr Michael McBride) said: \"Although the very welcome news about vaccines means that we can look forward to 2021 with greater optimism, vaccine deployment will have only a marginal impact in reducing numbers coming into the health service with Covid over the next three months.\"\n\nThe rapid lateral flow tests work by taking a nose and throat swab, shaking it in fluid until any viral particles come off, and then dropping the fluid onto a plastic stick. They take about half an hour to show a result.\n\nSome councils have raised concerns over their use, with Greater Manchester councils the latest to pause rapid testing for care home visitors.\n\nProf Jon Deeks, of Birmingham University, said lateral flow tests could not detect low levels of the virus and were being used in ways for which they were never intended.\n\n\"We can't see why the government is progressing with using this test when it is missing so many people,\" he told the BBC.\n\n\"They have been sold to people with the idea that if you are negative you will be able to go and visit people, you will be able to be clear that you haven't got Covid, and that is really dangerous.\"\n\nProf Calum Semple, from Liverpool University and a member of the government's Scientific Advisory group for Emergencies, defended their use, saying more than a thousand coronavirus \"transmission chains\" had been broken during the pilot scheme in the city.", "A 16-year-old boy was among four workers killed in an explosion at a waste water treatment works.\n\nTeenager Luke Wheaton, Michael James, 64, Brian Vickery, 63, and Raymond White, 57, died in the blast in Avonmouth, Bristol. A fifth person injured is recovering at home.\n\nIt happened at 11:20 GMT on Thursday in a silo that treated biosolids.\n\nWessex Water said it was working with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to investigate the cause of the blast.\n\nIt is understood Mr James was a contractor working at the site, while Mr Vickery and Mr White were employees of Wessex Water and Luke was an apprentice at the firm.\n\nLuke was a former pupil at Bradley Stoke Community School in Bristol and had recently started an apprenticeship at the plant.\n\nIn a post on Facebook, the school said it was \"shocked and saddened\" to hear of the \"tragic passing of our former student Luke Wheaton\".\n\n\"Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time,\" it added.\n\nNorth Bristol Rugby Football Club also paid tribute to the teenager on Twitter, saying his death was \"absolutely heartbreaking\".\n\n\"Such terribly sad news that one of our Colts, Luke Wheaton was tragically lost in the accident in Avonmouth yesterday morning,\" it said.\n\n\"All of our love and thoughts to Luke's family, team mates, coaches and everyone else that knew him.\"\n\nFlowers have been laid at the scene\n\nA witness reported hearing a \"very loud explosion\" that \"shook buildings\" and another said they saw about 10 ambulances driving to the scene.\n\nAvon and Somerset Police declared a major incident in the immediate aftermath.\n\nSupt Simon Brickwood said he wanted to \"extend my heartfelt sympathies to the families of those involved\".\n\n\"We appreciate the impact this incident has had on the local community and we thank those affected for their patience while our investigative work is carried out,\" he said.\n\n\"This is likely to be ongoing for some time and we will be keeping the victims' families informed throughout.\"\n\nFormal identification of the victims is yet to take place and post-mortem examinations are under way, police said.\n\nInvestigators are due to speak to the fifth victim when it is appropriate to do so.\n\nThe blast happened in a silo that treated biosolids\n\nOn Thursday, Avon Fire and Rescue Service described the scene of the incident as \"very challenging\".\n\nSearch and rescue dogs were drafted in to locate casualties following the blast.\n\nColin Skellett, chief executive of Wessex Water, said the firm was \"absolutely devastated\" by what had happened.\n\n\"Our hearts go out to the family, friends and colleagues of those who lost their lives during the tragic event on Thursday,\" he said.\n\n\"I know from the thoughts and comments I have received from so many, that this has affected the whole Wessex Water family.\n\n\"We are determined to find out what happened and why and we will work with the relevant authorities to do just that.\"\n\nA police spokesman confirmed the blast, in a chemical tank, was not terror-related.\n\nBiosolids are \"treated sludge\", a by-product of the sewage treatment process.\n\nAccording to Wessex Water, the sludge is treated in anaerobic digesters, oxygen-free tanks, to produce agricultural fertiliser and renewable energy.\n\nPolice said a cordon at the site was likely to remain in place for several days while the blast is investigated by a team of chemical and mechanical experts, who are working with the HSE.\n\nGiles Hyder, HSE's head of operations in the South West, said: \"We send our deepest condolences to the families of those who tragically died. It is important a joint investigation is carried out.\n\n\"We will provide specialist support to what is likely to be a complex investigation under the command of the police.\"", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Professor Lisa Harvey-Smith: The asteroid sample is ''exciting key'' to the origins of the Solar System\n\nA capsule containing the first significant quantities of rock from an asteroid is in \"perfect\" shape, according to scientists.\n\nThe container with material from a space rock called Ryugu parachuted down near Woomera in South Australia on Saturday evening (GMT).\n\nA recovery team in Australia found the spacecraft lying on the sandy ground, with its parachute draped over a bush.\n\nThe samples were originally collected by the Japanese spacecraft Hayabusa-2.\n\nThe spacecraft spent more than a year investigating Ryugu before returning to Earth. As it approached our planet, Hayabusa-2 released the capsule with the samples and fired its engines to push off in another direction.\n\nThe 16kg capsule, meanwhile, entered the Earth's atmosphere.\n\nThe official Hayabusa-2 Twitter account reported that the capsule and its parachute had been found at 19:47 GMT.\n\n\"Hayabusa-2 is home,\" Dr Yuichi Tsuda, project manager for the mission, said at a press conference on Sunday morning (GMT) in Sagamihara, Japan.\n\n\"We collected the treasure box,\" he said, adding: \"The capsule collection was perfectly done.\"\n\nHe said there was no damage to the container.\n\nA team member carries the capsule, which contains samples from an asteroid\n\nDr Hitoshi Kuninaka, director general of Japan's Institute for Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), said: \"We started development of Hayabusa-2 in 2011. I think the dream has come true.\"\n\nAddressing journalists, he acknowledged past missions that had experienced technical problems, but said: \"Regarding Hayabusa-2, we did everything according to the schedule - 100%. And we succeeded in sample return as planned. As a result, we can move on to the next stage in space development.\"\n\nThe next stage includes a mission called MMX, which will aim to bring back samples from Mars' largest moon Phobos.\n\nEarlier on Saturday, the capsule was picked up by cameras as a dazzling fireball streaking over Australia's Coober Pedy region.\n\nScreaming towards Earth at 11km/s, it deployed parachutes to slow its descent. The capsule then began transmitting a beacon with information about its position.\n\nThe capsule is packed into a protective box for transport to the \"quick look facility\"\n\nCameras in Australia captured the fireball as the capsule re-entered the atmosphere\n\nThe spacecraft touched down on the vast Woomera range, operated by the Royal Australian Air Force.\n\nAt around 18:07 GMT (04:37 local time), the recovery team identified the position of the capsule on the ground. A helicopter, equipped with an antenna to pick up the beacon, took to the air shortly afterwards.\n\nSatoru Nakazawa, Hayabusa-2 sub-manager at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (Jaxa), who was part of the operation at Woomera, described the search: \"We went there with the helicopter and it was emitting the beacon signal. But at that time, it was still dark, so it was unclear [where it was]. I was very, very nervous.\n\n\"We flew over the area [where it landed] many times and I thought maybe that was where it was. Then the Sun rose and we could visually confirm the existence of the capsule. We thought: 'Wow, we found it!\"\n\n\"But we had a very jittery, frustrating time until sunrise.\"\n\nThe capsule was then taken to a \"quick-look facility\" for inspection. On Monday, Jaxa said it had collected gases from inside the container for analysis, adding that it was still not known whether they come from the Ryugu sample.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Australian Space Agency This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nAfterwards, the capsule will be airlifted to Japan, where it will be transported to a curation chamber at Jaxa in Sagamihara for analysis and storage.\n\nThe mission planned to collect a sample of more than 100mg from the asteroid Ryugu.\n\nProf Alan Fitzsimmons, from Queen's University Belfast, said the sample would \"reveal a huge amount, not only about the history of the Solar System, but about these particular objects as well\".\n\nAsteroids are essentially leftover building materials from the formation of the Solar System. They're made of the same stuff that went into forming the Earth, but they avoided being incorporated into planets.\n\n\"Having samples from an asteroid like Ryugu will be really exciting for our field. We think Ryugu is made up of super-ancient rocks that will tell us how the Solar System formed,\" Prof Sara Russell, leader of the planetary materials group at London's Natural History Museum, told BBC News.\n\nStudying the samples from Ryugu could tell us how water and the ingredients for life were delivered to the early Earth.\n\nA rover deployed by Hayabusa-2 sent back this image from the surface of Ryugu\n\nIt had long been thought that comets delivered much of the Earth's water in the early days of the Solar System. Alan Fitzsimmons said the chemical profile of water in comets was sometimes rather different from the profile of water in our planet's oceans.\n\nThe water composition of some asteroids in the outer Solar System, however, is a much closer match. Ryugu probably originated in this cold zone, before migrating inwards to its current orbit, closer to Earth.\n\n\"It may be that we've been looking to comets all this time for delivering water to Earth in the early Solar System. Perhaps we should have been looking a bit closer to home, at these primitive but rather rocky asteroids,\" Prof Fitzsimmons told BBC News.\n\n\"Indeed that's something that will be looked at very carefully in these Ryugu samples.\"\n\nResearchers from around Japan, and other countries, will be working with the samples. In the UK, Prof Russell's team at the Natural History Museum and scientists from the universities of Manchester and Glasgow will get to study the material.\n\nDr Sarah Crowther is one of several researchers at Manchester expecting to receive samples next year. She explained: \"Different labs contribute different expertise, which all helps in understanding the material collected.\"\n\nThe Hayabusa-2 spacecraft, which bypassed the Earth after releasing its capsule, is being sent on another mission. It will now travel to a much smaller, 30m-wide asteroid, reaching it in 2031.", "Sir Keir Starmer - pictured on a visit earlier this week - is not showing any symptoms\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer is having to self isolate after a member of his staff tested positive for coronavirus.\n\nIn line with government advice, Sir Keir will now have to stay at home for 14 days since his last contact with the affected person.\n\nA spokesman for Sir Keir said this means he will come out of self-isolation on Wednesday 16 December.\n\nThey added the party leader was \"well and not showing any symptoms\".\n\nIt is the second time Sir Keir has had to isolate because of coronavirus. In September, a member of his family showed symptoms of the virus.\n\nBut they later tested negative, allowing Sir Keir to get back to Westminster.\n\nIt also comes a week after Prime Minister Boris Johnson came out of his own isolation period, having had contact with an MP who tested positive with the virus.\n\nSir Keir's spokesman said during this latest period of self-isolation, the Labour leader will continue to work from home.", "For months, the government has been urging businesses to get ready for a new era in trading with the EU. But it was only on Boxing Day that details of all the new rules were actually published.\n\nBusiness groups are relieved that the threat of a no-deal Brexit, which would have meant tariffs (or taxes) on goods crossing the border with the EU, has been removed. But companies that trade with the EU are still facing a lot of new bureaucracy.\n\nAnd the disruption in mid-December, caused by border closures related to the new variant of Covid-19, was a reminder of how dependent the UK economy is on trade across the English Channel.\n\nFrom 1 January 2021, goods entering the EU from Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) face large amounts of new paperwork and checks, including:\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nHauliers will also need to make sure they have the right transportation paperwork before they drive to the border.\n\nThere is particular focus on the \"short straits\" route between Dover and Calais, and the nearby Channel Tunnel, which taken together handle about four million lorries a year.\n\n\"This is the biggest imposition of red tape that businesses have had to deal with in 50 years,\" says William Bain from the British Retail Consortium.\n\nFull controls on British exports to the EU began on 1 January. The first day of the new regime appears to have gone relatively smoothly.\n\nBut it's feared that later in the year, the new controls could cause disruption, even though new border infrastructure has been built at ports such as Calais, to help process vehicles more efficiently.\n\nThere are some mitigating measures though.\n\nIn response to the Covid crisis, the government is delaying full controls on goods entering Great Britain from the EU for a further six months.\n\nThere will be checks from 1 January on controlled substances such as alcohol and tobacco, and traders deemed to be a risk will also be asked to fill in customs declarations.\n\nBut most checks on goods coming in from the EU will be delayed until 1 July, a deadline that could in theory be extended.\n\n\"I think we will want to monitor it,\" the chief executive of HM Revenue and Customs, Jim Harra, told MPs in November. \"Hopefully we will not still be in a situation where Covid-19 is consuming as much of people's attention.\"\n\nOther measures to tackle potential disruption include diverting trade to other ports around the country and opening lorry parks in Kent, to avoid gridlock on the roads.\n\nSome of these contingencies were put into action early, to deal with the Covid border closures in December.\n\nOperation Brock, for example, involved changing the layout of a section of the M20, using a concrete barrier to allow lorries heading for mainland Europe to queue safely on the motorway.\n\nThousands of lorries were also diverted to temporary parking at a disused airport at Manston.\n\nFrom 1 January drivers of lorries weighing more than 7.5 tonnes will need to acquire a Kent Access Permit before they enter the county. They will have to show that they have all the paperwork they need to ferry goods to Europe.\n\nBut that doesn't deal with the challenge of the thousands of vans that cross the Channel every week.\n\n\"What has been serially misunderstood by various parts of government is the scale of the complexity for people on the ground dealing with the paperwork,\" says Duncan Buchanan, the Policy Director of the Road Haulage Association.\n\nThat could mean that instead of queues on motorways, many traders won't be able to leave their depots.\n\n\"Either they won't be able to get vets to sign off on their meat exports, or they won't be able to get their permit because they don't have the right bits of paper,\" says Shane Brennan, chief executive of the Cold Storage Federation.\n\n\"We might see a quite significant holding off of trading - people just not moving stuff in the first few weeks.\"\n\nEighty-five per cent of the volume of trade between the EU and Great Britain is carried by EU hauliers, who are often paid not by the hour, but by the kilometre. If they think there will be too many delays, many may simply not come.\n\nThe government says the readiness of traders to deal with the new system remains its biggest concern.\n\nLorries parked on the M20 in Kent\n\n\"The sheer scale of the overall operation means there are literally many millions of moving parts,\" permanent secretary of the cabinet office Alex Chisholm told MPs. \"Inevitably there are going to be some difficulties for some individual people as they adjust to the new regime.\"\n\nThe government has also announced a new Border Operations Centre as part of plans \"for the UK to have the world's most effective border by 2025\".\n\nQuestions have been asked about how changes at the border might affect food supply. The short answer is no-one can say for sure, but nearly 30% of all the food consumed in the UK is imported from the EU.\n\nThe good news is that there is a deal, which makes a big difference. But the challenge is particularly acute because the UK grows relatively small amounts of fruit and vegetables in January and February and is most dependent on supplies from southern Europe at this time of year.\n\nSo, if there are delays, they could cause some shortages on the shelves.\n\n\"Some gaps are possible but we're not going to run out of food - that's not going to happen\" says Ian Wright.\n\nWhen it comes to non-perishable items, there had been some stockpiling in preparation for either outcome, but extra supplies won't last forever.\n\n\"The crunch point is probably not going to be in the first few days or weeks of January,\" William Bain argues. \"Towards the end of the month, when new orders start being placed and delivered, we will start to see the processes in Kent and the other ports really tested.\"\n\nAnd it's not only about food.\n\nOther retailers, which are used to moving their stock freely around the EU customs union, have had to create separate supply chains for the UK. That is costing them more money, and their new systems have yet to be tested properly.\n\nIt's not just about trade across the English Channel.\n\nTrade across the Irish Sea between Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland will be subject to the same pressures, while Northern Ireland will be a special case under the terms of the Northern Ireland protocol in the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement.\n\nNorthern Ireland will remain in the EU single market for goods, and unlike the rest of the UK it will continue to enjoy frictionless trade with the EU with no checks of any kind at the land border with the Republic.\n\nBut there is a price to pay for that - new bureaucracy within the UK between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.\n\nThe EU, for example, has strict rules on products of animal origin: meat, milk, fish and eggs.\n\nThese products must enter the single market (and, from 1 January, Northern Ireland) through a border control post where paperwork is checked, and a proportion of goods physically inspected.\n\nThere will be a grace period of three months for supermarkets and their suppliers, but some smaller traders may have to get used to the new rules straight away.\n\nAll shipments from Great Britain to Northern Ireland will also need a safety and security declaration, and a customs declaration from a new IT system which none of the traders have used before.\n\nThe government has set up a Trader Support Service to help.\n\nThe details of the new trading arrangements for Northern Ireland were announced separately in early December, and provided some clarity. They include an agreement which means the vast majority of goods being shipped from GB to NI will not be at risk of having tariffs imposed.\n\nBut there are plenty of unresolved issues.\n\nTraders are seeking answers about how to send parcels from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, and some online retailers have already suspended deliveries.\n\nThe trade from British to Northern Irish ports often involves multiple small shipments on a single lorry - all of which will need the right paperwork.\n\n\"We need clear rules for everyone in the supply chain,\" says Duncan Buchanan, \"and when you scratch the surface it is just not ready.\"\n\nIt is expected that many checks will be carried out on a 'light touch' basis to begin with.\n\nBut anyone trading between Great Britain and Northern Ireland is going to have to get used to a new way of working very quickly.", "Last updated on .From the section Cricket\n\nEngland's one-day international series against South Africa will begin on Sunday after the hosts' players tested negative for coronavirus.\n\nThe first game of the three-match series had been set to take place on Friday but was called off after a positive test in the Proteas squad.\n\nThe players were tested again on Friday evening after the match was cancelled and returned negative results.\n\nThe series opener will take place in Paarl from 08:00 GMT on Sunday.\n\nThe last two games are in Cape Town on Monday and Wednesday.\n\n\"The entire Proteas team has returned negative results from the Covid-19 tests that were conducted yesterday evening in Cape Town,\" a Cricket South Africa statement read.\n\nThis is the first England match to be postponed because of a positive case since the outbreak of the pandemic.\n\nTwo unnamed South Africa players tested positive before the Twenty20 leg of the tour last month, forcing the cancellation of a Proteas intra-squad practice game.\n\nSouth Africa have not named the player who tested positive and they do not know how he contracted the virus.\n\nThe players were tested after the three-match T20 series, which England won 3-0.\n\nThere have been no fans at any of the matches and the teams have been living in separate, bio-secure areas of hotels near to the grounds.\n\nEngland managed to complete a full revised home schedule this summer, with no home or opposition players testing positive, although England pace bowler Jofra Archer missed the second West Indies Test in July after breaching bio-secure protocols.\n\nIn England's summer series against West Indies, Ireland, Australia and Pakistan, the squads stayed in on-site hotels at Emirates Old Trafford and the Ageas Bowl, but no such facilities are available at the South Africa venues.\n\nBBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew on BBC Radio 5 Live: \"There was a test on Friday night for the South Africa squad and the hotel staff where they are staying.\n\n\"We know England were unhappy with the protocols. They felt there had been some breaches during the T20 series, where they are all staying in the same hotel, although they do not mix.\n\n\"The long and the short of it is there were no new cases and none amongst the staff, so the series will be able to begin.\"\n• None I May Destroy You star Michaela Coel joins for his new series", "City centre streets were deserted after the ban closed pubs and restaurants\n\nBarrels of beer are being poured down drains as Wales' hospitality industry prepared for the alcohol ban to come into force.\n\nPubs, restaurants and cafes are banned from serving alcohol from Friday evening and must close at 18:00 GMT, other than for takeaway service.\n\nBusinesses said it was \"a devastating hammer blow\" after going to lengths to keep customers safe.\n\nThey said the restrictions will also significantly impact the supply chain.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nAt the Glamorgan Brewery in Llantrisant, Rhondda Cynon Taf, staff have been pouring barrels of beer down the drain because it now cannot be sold in pubs.\n\nOn Thursday, 58 of the company's 64 employees went back onto furlough.\n\nBarrels of beer are being poured down the drain due to the ban\n\nDirector David Atkins said the new measures are \"an absolute kick in the teeth\".\n\n\"This time last year we probably turned over about £1.5m for the month of December. This year, it's £50,000.\n\nHe added the majority of their beer - about 45,000 pints - will have to be thrown away.\n\nPubs began clearing tables and chairs as the ban came into force at 18:00 GMT on Friday\n\nAt The Cricketers pub in Pontcanna, Cardiff, staff were also pouring away beer on Friday afternoon.\n\nSimon Buckley, of Evan Evans Brewery which supplies the pub said: \"How can it be right and safe to open to serve food in pubs but not alcohol? It defies logic.\n\n\"Why is 6pm the bewitching hour as opposed to 10pm? In these difficult times - and the month of December particularly - the lost revenue is significant.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. What does Wales' hospitality sector make of the new Covid rules?\n\nJames Cunningham, manager of the Ruthin Castle Hotel in Ruthin, Denbighshire, said customers have appreciated the safety measures put in place and the new rules were \"incredibly frustrating\".\n\n\"Whenever they can, people want to try to come out and enjoy themselves in these very, very testing times,\" he said.\n\nHe described the measures as a \"devastating hammer blow\" to the hospitality industry.\n\n\"Figures show that less than 5% of all settings of infection happen in hospitality - and yet here we are once again taking the hammer blow,\" he said.\n\n\"There's no guarantee those restrictions are going to be lifted,\" he said.", "Last updated on .From the section Championship\n\nSome Millwall fans booed players taking a knee at the start of the Championship match against Derby County on Saturday.\n\nIt is the first time supporters have been allowed into The Den this season, following the lifting of the second national lockdown on 2 December.\n\nThe boos rang out as the two teams took a knee before kick-off in a game which Wayne Rooney's Rams won 1-0.\n\n\"It is just disheartening. How do these fans get allocated to the games?\" said former England defender Micah Richards.\n\nPlayers, officials and staff at Premier League and English Football League games have been taking a knee pre-match since football restarted in June in order to show their support for the Black Lives Matter movement for racial equality.\n\nRichards told BBC TV's Final Score: \"There are 2,000 so you can pinpoint the people going. There are no excuses. I am sick to death of talking about this situation.\n\n\"It is so disheartening because it is like we have come so far but we have so far to go. I don't even like talking about the matter. It feels like it falls on deaf ears. It is time and time and time again.\"\n\nFormer Coventry and Aston Villa striker Dion Dublin, who had a loan spell at Millwall in 2002, added: \"They don't agree with taking the knee, which means they are racist. They don't agree with Black Lives Matter; that says they are racist to me.\n\n\"It says to me that a minority of Millwall fans are spoiling it for a club that is going in the right direction with a tag they have had for years and years and they are trying to eradicate it.\"\n\nA Football Association spokesperson said: \"The FA supports all players and staff that wish to take a stand against discrimination in a respectful manner, which includes taking of the knee, and strongly condemns the behaviours of any spectators that actively voice their opposition to such activities.\"\n\nThe match itself saw Derby end a 12-match winless streak with Jason Knight netting the winning goal midway through the second half after Millwall keeper Bartosz Bialkowski had saved from Martyn Waghorn.\n\nThe result lifted Derby off the bottom off the Championship table and was a first victory for caretaker-boss Rooney, who has expressed an interest in taking the job on a permanent basis.\n\nMillwall had arguably the better of the chances, with Jed Wallace forcing Derby keeper David Marshall into a fine save in the first half, and Jake Cooper glancing wide from a corner just before Knight's goal.\n\nThe Rams could have doubled the margin of victory but Matt Clarke's header was gathered by Bialkowski.\n\nOn Friday, Millwall's first-team squad issued a statement supporting efforts to rid the game \"of all forms of discrimination\".\n\nThe statement added: \"The gesture of 'taking the knee' before matches provides an opportunity for us to do exactly that and continues to allow all those playing to publicly showcase their support - on behalf of the whole squad - for the fight against discrimination.\n\n\"We wish to make clear that taking the knee, for us, is in no way representative of any agreement with political messaging or ideology. It is purely about tackling discrimination, as has been the case throughout.\n\n\"We will continue to do this until the start of the new year when a new and comprehensive anti-discrimination strategy will be announced by the club.\"\n\nKick It Out chair Sanjay Bhandari said he was \"saddened\" by the booing and praised the teams for \"defying the hate\" shown by some members of the crowd.\n\n\"What this demonstrates is that players are right to continue standing up to discrimination, whether that is through taking the knee or speaking out,\" he added.\n\n\"The fight for racial equality continues and we will continue to work closely with clubs across the country to tackle discrimination in all its forms.\n\n\"We urge the players to continue using their platforms and their voices to support this fight.\"\n\nAmerican football player Colin Kaepernick started kneeling symbolically during the pre-game national anthem in the NFL in 2016, in protest at police violence against African-Americans in the United States.\n\nThe Black Lives Matter movement and taking a knee has grown in prominence in the United Kingdom following the death of George Floyd in the US in May, which sparked protests around the world.\n\nThe 46-year-old, an unarmed black man, died after a white police officer held a knee on his neck for nearly nine minutes.\n• None Nathan Byrne (Derby County) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.\n• None Attempt missed. Mahlon Romeo (Millwall) right footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Ryan Leonard.\n• None Martyn Waghorn (Derby County) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.\n• None Attempt saved. Matthew Clarke (Derby County) header from a difficult angle on the right is saved in the top right corner. Assisted by Max Bird with a cross. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page", "The boy fell from a carriage on the Twister ride at Lightwater Valley in May 2019\n\nA theme park where a boy fell from a rollercoaster has been fined £350,000 for health and safety breaches.\n\nThe seven-year-old was airlifted to hospital with head injuries after falling from the ride at Lightwater Valley in North Yorkshire in May 2019.\n\nYork Magistrates' Court heard the ride no longer operated and the park viewed the accident with \"great sadness\".\n\nThe boy fell from the Twister attraction during the spring half-term holiday, the court heard.\n\nBosses at the theme park, near Ripon, admitted breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.\n\nJudge Adrian Lower was told the boy had not been wearing a seat belt and fell through a gap between the seat and a restraining bar.\n\nBut the boy and his mother, who was in the car with him, were not told they had to wear a seat belt, the court heard.\n\nJudge Lower was told the effectiveness of the restraining bar was not enough to hold the youngster in position.\n\nThe child was airlifted to hospital after the accident at Lightwater Valley\n\nProsecutor Craig Hassall said the victim suffered serious head injuries following the fall and was airlifted to hospital in Leeds.\n\nHis mother saw him slip under the restraint as he was ejected from the car which was between two and three metres from the ground at the time\n\nMr Hassall said seatbelt rules were not universally understood by ride operatives and that maintenance of seatbelts was not adequate or in effective working order.\n\nIn June 2001, 20-year-old Gemma Savage from South Yorkshire died when two of the rollercoaster's cars collided.\n\nFollow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson is one of five men arrested\n\nLiverpool's mayor Joe Anderson has been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit bribery and witness intimidation.\n\nHe and four others were held as part of an investigation into the awarding of building contracts in the city.\n\nIt is understood the Labour Party has suspended Mr Anderson pending the outcome of the case.\n\nThe year-long police probe, Operation Aloft, has focussed on a number of property developers.\n\nLiverpool City Council said it was co-operating with Merseyside Police.\n\nA police statement said those arrested include two men, 33 and 62, both from Liverpool, on suspicion of conspiracy to commit bribery and witness intimidation.\n\nA 46-year-old man from Ainsdale has also been arrested on suspicion of the same offence.\n\nThe other two arrested men are a 72-year-old man from Liverpool and a 25-year old from Ormskirk, who have been arrested on suspicion of witness intimidation.\n\nDeveloper Elliot Lawless was arrested in January 2019 and denied any wrongdoing. Elliot Lawless is currently released under investigation and was not one of the five arrested earlier on Friday.\n\nCouncillor Richard Kemp, leader of the opposition Lib Dem group on Liverpool City Council, said Mr Anderson \"should follow the precedence set by leaders of the council and other senior figures in such cases.\"\n\n\"He should step away from the council and step away from his mayoralty while this goes through due legal process,\" he said.\n\nHe later studied for a degree in social work at Liverpool John Moores University and went on to become a social worker for Sefton Council in 1992.\n\nThe father-of-four was Liverpool's first elected mayor in 2012 having served on the city council since 1998.\n\nHis national profile been raised by his role in driving forward mass coronavirus testing in the city.\n\nMr Anderson, whose brother Bill died recently of Covid-19, was praised for his response to the virus by Prime Minister Boris Johnson.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Hens, turkeys and other captive birds in Britain will have to be kept indoors from 14 December to prevent the spread of bird flu, the government has said.\n\nThe chief vets for England, Scotland and Wales made the decision after a number of cases were detected among both captive and wild birds.\n\nThe risk to humans is \"very low\", the government said, and should \"not affect the consumption of poultry products\".\n\nBut in a joint statement, veterinary chiefs said \"swift action\" was needed.\n\n\"Whether you keep just a few birds or thousands, from 14 December onwards you will be legally required to keep your birds indoors, or take appropriate steps to keep them separate from wild birds,\" read the statement.\n\n\"We have not taken this decision lightly but it is the best way to protect your birds from this highly infectious disease.\"\n\nThere are numerous strains of bird flu. Most either do not affect humans, or are not easily caught and spread by humans.\n\nDeaths have been recorded outside of the UK related to some strains, but the H5N8 strain - which makes up the bulk of the UK's current cases - has not infected any humans worldwide to date, the NHS said.\n\nA turkey farm in Norfolk is among those to found to have had an outbreak of the H5N8 bird flu strain. The birds will now be slaughtered to prevent the spread.\n\nWhile the news will be of particular concern to poultry farmers in the run-up to Christmas, the new rules will apply to all bird owners in Britain.\n\nHowever, despite the concern, the Department for Environment Farming and Rural Affairs said poultry products - including eggs - are still safe to consume.\n\nNo end date for the measures has been given, but Defra said they would be kept under \"regular review\".\n\nFarmers forced to move their birds indoors in circumstances such as these may continue to market the meat as \"free range\" as long as the measures do not last longer than 12 weeks.\n\nFor eggs, this deadline is slightly longer - 16 weeks. After this point, the eggs must be downgraded to \"barn produced\".\n\nAimee Mahony, chief poultry adviser for the National Farmers' Union, said the new rules were \"a logical next step\".\n\n\"These new measures mean that every poultry keeper, whether you have one hen in the garden or a large poultry business, must house their birds indoors and I would urge everyone with poultry to take these measures seriously,\" she said.\n• None Turkeys to be culled after bird flu found at farm", "The first doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine have arrived in Northern Ireland.\n\nNearly 25,000 doses arrived in Belfast on Friday - it is hoped it will be the first of several deliveries this month.\n\nHealth Minister Robin Swann said confirmation of which groups will get the vaccine first is due next week.\n\nThere will be dummy runs at various locations, but it has been confirmed the first administration of the vaccine will be on Tuesday morning.\n\nMr Swann said there was \"a long journey ahead of us but we can be optimistic\".\n\nHe added: \"Vaccinators will be the first to receive the vaccine, followed swiftly by priority groups.\n\n\"We are being guided on prioritisation by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation.\n\n\"It has identified care home residents and staff and health and social care workers as priority groups.\"\n\nDistribution of the vaccine would be \"a massive logistical challenge\", particularly in terms of rolling it out in care homes, added the health minister.\n\nAnother six people in Northern Ireland have died after testing positive for coronavirus, taking the Department of Health's recorded total of deaths to 1,032.\n\nAnother 449 people have tested positive for the virus.\n\nIn the Republic of Ireland six more Covid-19-related deaths were recorded, taking the country's overall tally to 2,086.\n\nIrish health officials also reported that another 265 people have tested positive.\n\nThe arrival of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in Northern Ireland is a massive box ticked.\n\nBut it doesn't just magic the virus away and some people might see the vaccine as an excuse to forget about the restrictions.\n\nGiven the existing two-week lockdown, the authorities anticipate that number of new infections will decline ever so slightly or remain stable until shortly before Christmas.\n\nBut with more of us out and about and mixing they are sure to rise again.\n\nIt is understood that if the so-called R-number can be maintained at 1.6 or below then intervention would not be required until the end of December or beginning of January.\n\nHowever, if it was to rise as high as 1.8 then intervention would be required, possibly at end of December.\n\nAll of this depends on our behaviour and how closely we practice the Covid-19 guidelines.\n\nTo vaccinate care home residents in Northern Ireland, 12,000 doses of the vaccine are required.\n\nThe problem facing those responsible for rolling out the vaccination scheme is how to deliver it to care homes safely and effectively.\n\nIt is thought the seven vaccination centres that have been earmarked, including leisure centres and hospitals, will be used to roll out the vaccine to those care homes which are located nearby.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. What will the vaccination process look like?\n\nThe vaccine must be stored at around -70C and will be transported in special boxes, packed in dry ice.\n\nOnce delivered, it can be kept for up to five days in a fridge.\n\nOn Wednesday the UK regulator the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said the jab, which offers up to 95% protection against Covid-19 illness, is safe.\n\nIt is thought Northern Ireland will receive about 1.5 million doses in total.\n\nThe UK is the first country in the world to approve the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for widespread use.\n\nPatricia Donnelly, who is leading the vaccine rollout programme in Northern Ireland, said the fact the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine had to be stored at a very low temperature and came in large packs meant it was more practical to take the people receiving it to larger centres.\n\n\"We hope that we will start to deploy it next week - we're aiming for early in the week but we can't confirm that until we have all our final arrangments in place,\" she told BBC Radio Ulster's Evening Extra.\n\n\"Because we don't have a limitless supply of the vaccine we're also looking at where our priorities are for this.\n\n\"Next week we have a definite plan to vaccinate the vaccinators.\"", "The explosion happened at a house in Green Lane, Illingworth\n\nThree people have been taken to hospital following an explosion at a house in West Yorkshire.\n\nOnlookers said the home, in Green Lane, Illingworth, near Halifax, was \"completely destroyed\" in the blast, which sounded \"like a bomb went off\".\n\nA woman suffered severe burns and a man was seriously injured, West Yorkshire Police said. A second woman sustained minor injuries.\n\nThe force said it was continuing to investigate the cause of the blast.\n\nCh Supt Sarah Baker said officers were conducting inquiries alongside the fire service, local council, Health and Safety Executive and Northern Gas Networks.\n\nWest Yorkshire Fire & Rescue said six nearby homes had been evacuated.\n\nAndy Sykes, who lives nearby, said: \"It's been completely destroyed. It's a real mess.\n\n\"The house is at the end of a row of three and and it just looks like it is completely gone. It's like a bomb has gone off.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Footage from the scene shows a large fire at the explosion site\n\n\"I saw people jumping out of the house, literally there was no front to the house,\" she said.\n\n\"I heard people saying get the old lady out who lives next door. They managed to get her out, I saw them carrying her over their shoulder.\n\n\"It was just like something out of a horror story.\"\n\nAn investigation into the cause of the explosion is under way\n\nBenjy Bush, group manager for West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue said about 20 firefighters were sent to the incident following reports of an explosion at 07:30 GMT.\n\n\"Crews on the ground reported scenes of fire and extensive damage to the property,\" he said.\n\n\"We had reports that there were three adults in the property. Those adults got out of the property and they were being dealt with by Yorkshire Ambulance Service on the scene and then they were transported to hospital.\"\n\nFirefighters were likely to be on the scene for some time and an investigation had been launched, he added.\n\nA fundraiser for those affected by the blast has been set up, with people offering to donate clothes and food to the family through local businesses and charities.\n\nMr Sykes, who works at the Noah's Ark Centre, in nearby Ovenden, said the charity was helping to co-ordinate fundraising.\n\n\"We've had lots of people contacting us wanting to make donations,\" he said.\n\n\"I'm sure over the course of the next 24 hours the community will rally round and we will end up with a good bit of support.\"\n\nFollow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk or send video here.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Simon Jones and Jenna Roberts said the second cancellation was \"ten times worse\"\n\nA couple say they are \"heartbroken\" at having their wedding cancelled for a second time in six months by Covid-19.\n\nJenna Roberts and Simon Jones were due to tie the knot in July but the wedding was cancelled due to lockdown.\n\nNow their \"dream\" has been shattered again after the venue at Margam Park, Port Talbot, was confirmed as a Covid-19 vaccination centre.\n\nThey want compensation from Neath Port Talbot (NPT), claiming they have been left £2,000 out of pocket.\n\nSimon and Jenna, from Porth, Rhonda Cynon Taff, had waited almost three years for their wedding at The Orangery, after booking in 2017, but said they understood the reasons for cancelling first time, during lockdown.\n\nThey postponed the special day to July next year, only to be informed on Friday it can no longer go ahead.\n\nThe venue is to be used as a vaccination centre for up to 12 months from 13 December.\n\nNPT council said the venue was \"absolutely necessary\" and would play a \"crucial role\" in the Covid-19 vaccination programme for local people.\n\nThe venue has cancelled 64 weddings, which can be rearranged for a later date in 2022 when the venue is due to reopen - or a full deposit offered.\n\n\"The worst part was I had to get off the phone and tell my partner we had to cancel our wedding again. She just burst into tears,\" said Simon, 38.\n\n\"We've had no communication about this at all, so it just came out of the blue. Had we known, we wouldn't have booked suppliers again.\"\n\nThe couple say they have to find another £2000 to make up for lost costs\n\nJenna, 34, said: \"The first time was hard enough, the second time was ten times worse. There were a lot of tears.\n\n\"We have elderly relatives that might not be able to make our wedding in two years' time. It's just terrible.\"\n\nWhile they are able to set a new date or get most of their deposit back, they will not get refunds for stationery, such as invites, the videographer and their children's bridesmaids dresses and suits.\n\nSimon estimates the total cost to rearrange again will be about £2,000.\n\n\"In no way do we blame them for any of this, but we are truly heartbroken and devastated at the fact Neath Port Talbot Council have had no thoughts on the implications it has caused by taking over a wedding venue,\" he said.\n\nSimon and Jenna have one child together, alongside two Jenna has from a previous relationship.\n\nThe Margam Orangery is among 12 sites being used as a vaccination centre by NPT and Swansea councils, due to its size, location and available car parking.\n\nA NPT council spokesperson said it was aware of the disappointment but plan to deliver 500 vaccinations every day, seven days a week, to \"safeguard the health of local residents as quickly as possible\".\n\nThe venue said continuing to hold weddings would have reduced the building's capacity for vaccinating by 1,500 per wedding.\n\nCouncillor Peter Rees said: \"We sincerely apologise but the venue will play pivotal role in saving lives.\n\n\"We ask that couples and their families understand that we would not take this action unless it was absolutely necessary and in the interests of public safety.\n\n\"We will honour our 2020 prices for any of couples who chose an alternative date in 2022, and will offer them first refusal to move back to their original date, should the vaccination programme be completed earlier than next December.\"\n\nOn Wednesday, the Pfizer vaccine was judged safe for use in UK next week. Preparations will be made for the rollout of the vaccine as early as next week.\n\nEach health board will get its share and vaccines will go across Wales at the same time. Mass vaccination centres will be set up - particularly for the mRNA vaccine, which needs to be stored at -70 degrees.\n\nOfficials say each site will have tight security and the vaccines will be guarded \"like a VIP\", as well as cyber and IT security measures being taken.", "Mass coronavirus testing has started in one of the areas hardest-hit by Covid-19 in Wales in a bid to bring the virus under control.\n\nPeople living or working in the Lower Cynon Valley - which includes Abercynon, Penrhiwceiber and parts of Mountain Ash and Aberaman - will be offered tests.\n\nTest centres will run from Saturday until 20 December.\n\nIt is the second place in Wales to have mass testing after Merthyr Tydfil.\n\nResidents in Mountain Ash East and West, and Aberaman South residents, are also eligible for the tests, which give results in 30 minutes.\n\nDr Kelechi Nnoaham: \"People in the Lower Cynon Valley can play a major role in protecting everyone in our communities\"\n\nCwm Taf Morgannwg health board public health director, Dr Kelechi Nnoaham, said: \"The rate of Covid-19 infection is still very high in our communities, and by engaging with this testing programme, people in the Lower Cynon Valley can play a major role in protecting everyone in our communities.\"\n\nThe main test centres are at Cynon Valley Indoor Bowls Centre, Mountain Ash and Abercynon Sports Centre.\n\nJohn Collins took his test at the bowls centre\n\nJohn Collins, 88, from Penrhiwceiber, who took a test at the bowls centre, said: \"At my age you have to try and avoid getting this virus.\"\n\nThe testing programme will use so-called lateral flow devices which can get results in about 20-30 minutes.\n\nSorry, we're having trouble displaying this content. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nIf a person tests positive, they will be asked to return home so they can self-isolate immediately.\n\nConcerns have been raised by some experts that people who are declared negative could have a misplaced sense of reassurance.\n\nIf someone tests negative, they should still follow the rules, and maintain social distancing, hand hygiene and mask wearing.\n\nRhondda Cynon Taf council leader Andrew Morgan said about 27,000 people could be tested in the Lower Cynon Valley.\n\n\"Unfortunately, over the last week or so, we are seeing our cases starting to increase at quite a concerning rate,\" he told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast with Oliver Hides.\n\nMass coronavirus testing will run until 20 December in the Lower Cynon Valley\n\nHe said the area had seen 300 positive cases in the last two days so it was \"important\" to identify and isolate those who were asymptomatic within communities to break \"chains of transmission\".\n\n\"This is an integral part of our fight against the virus, as it gives us a greater understanding of the prevalence and level of transmission within our communities,\" he said.\n\nHealth Minister Vaughan Gething said: \"I would encourage the people of Lower Cynon Valley to get tested.\"\n\nThe Merthyr pilot for mass testing, which launched last month, will run until 11 December.\n\nThe case rate in Rhondda Cynon Taf (RCT) is 368.5 per 100,000, reporting 889 new positive tests in the past week.\n\nThe south Wales valleys had been dominating for highest case rates and having fallen back early in November, the rates have now started to move up again.\n\nIn the most recent comparable week, Torfaen, Blaenau Gwent and Neath Port Talbot have been among the 10 highest case rate areas in the UK.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Fort Bragg is one of the world's largest military bases\n\nInvestigators looking into the deaths of a serving soldier and a veteran at a US army base say they suspect foul play was involved.\n\nThe bodies of Master Sergeant William J. Lavigne II and Timothy Duma were discovered at Fort Bragg army base in North Carolina on Wednesday.\n\nOfficials said their deaths were not related to official training.\n\nFort Bragg is one of the world's largest military complexes, housing about 57,000 active-duty personnel.\n\nThe US Army Special Operations Command said Lavigne, 37, did multiple tours of Afghanistan and Iraq and spent 19 years with the army.\n\nDumas, 44, served from November 1996 to March 2016, an army spokesperson at the Pentagon told military publication Stars and Stripes.\n\nTheir bodies were found in a training area of the base. An army official told US media that no weapon had been found at the scene.\n\nHowever shell casings were found on the ground, an official told the BBC's US partner CBS News.\n\nA defence official told the news outlet that both of the men had been under investigation for using and selling drugs.\n\nThe US Army Criminal Investigation Command is investigating the pair's death.\n\nIt comes as investigators continue to look into the death of army paratrooper Enrique Roman-Martinez.\n\nRoman-Martinez went missing during a camping trip with seven fellow soldiers from Fort Bragg in May. His partial remains washed ashore just days later.", "We're going to pause our live coverage now.\n\nBefore we leave you, here is a quick summary of what has happened with Brexit over the last 24 hours or so.\n• UK and EU negotiators put talks to reach a post-Brexit trade deal on hold citing \"significant divergences\" between the two sides\n• UK PM Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen held a phone call in a bid to break the deadlock\n• Following the call they released a joint statement reiterating the \"significant differences\"\n• However they also said \"further effort should be undertaken\" to try and bridge the gap\n• They instructed their negotiators to resume talks in Brussels on Sunday\n• And they agreed to speak again on Monday evening\n\nSo all eyes on Brussels tomorrow for any hint of a compromise from either side.\n\nUK chief Brexit negotiator David Frost and his EU counterpart Michel Barnier at start of the first round of post-Brexit talks in March 2020 Image caption: UK chief Brexit negotiator David Frost and his EU counterpart Michel Barnier at start of the first round of post-Brexit talks in March 2020\n\nAnd, so that's all from us.\n\nOn the team with you tonight were George Bowden, Hamish Mackay, Kate Whannel, Johanna Howitt and Joshua Nevett.\n\nThanks for joining us.", "Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen have spoken as they try to break the post-Brexit trade deal stalemate.\n\nUrsula Von Der Leyen says 'significant differences remain' in the Brexit trade deal.\n\nThese sticking points include fishing rights, rules on state subsidies for business and arrangements for policing any deal.", "The Pfizer vaccine must be used within 12 hours of being unpacked, the regulator says\n\nThe Covid-19 vaccine will \"definitely\" be ready to go into care homes in the next two weeks, the regulator has said.\n\nThe Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said it had approved the way doses would be distributed to homes.\n\nIt means care home residents and staff may not be the first to receive jabs, despite being the top priority.\n\nBut the UK's chief medical officers say the vaccine will only have a \"marginal impact\" on winter hospital numbers.\n\nIn a letter to colleagues, the chief medical officers of England (Prof Chris Whitty), Scotland (Dr Gregor Smith), Wales (Dr Frank Atherton) and Northern Ireland (Dr Michael McBride) warn this winter could be \"especially hard\" for the health service due to coronavirus.\n\n\"Although the very welcome news about vaccines means that we can look forward to 2021 with greater optimism, vaccine deployment will have only a marginal impact in reducing numbers coming into the health service with Covid over the next three months,\" they said.\n\nThey added they did not expect the virus to \"disappear\" even once full vaccination had occurred.\n\nFestive gatherings are likely to place \"additional pressure\" on hospitals and GPs in the New Year, which \"we need to be ready for\", the experts said.\n\nThe experts' warning comes as vaccinations are expected to begin at 50 hospital hubs in England on Tuesday.\n\nNHS England also says GP-run vaccination centres will be up and running from 14 December and are expected to start inviting in patients aged over 80.\n\nDr Ellie Cannon, a GP in North London, said local GPs were working together to provide one centre or one team to administer the vaccines.\n\n\"We've been told we need to be available to vaccinate people from 8am to 8pm,\" she told BBC Breakfast, adding there was \"a lot of enthusiasm among healthcare staff to help and to be involved\".\n\nShe cautioned that strict guidelines would have to be followed and only \"the most high risk\" would receive the vaccine in the first week.\n\n\"Don't call us, we will be calling you,\" she advised patients. \"GPs have already identified exactly who their high risk patients are. We don't have the facility to bypass the rules,\" she warned.\n\nBecause of how the vaccine doses are packed, the regulator needs to approve the way in which they are broken down into smaller consignments for distribution to care homes, while ensuring that the vaccine stays at very cold temperatures.\n\nAsked when the vaccine would get to care homes, Dr June Raine, chief executive of the MHRA, told BBC Radio Cumbria that it might be \"variable\" but added: \"I would say definitely within the next two weeks.\"\n\nThe MHRA, which regulates medicines across the UK, requires that the vaccine doses are repacked for shipping to care homes in refrigerated cold rooms at between 2 and 8C and transferred into carriers that maintain the same temperature.\n\nAs soon as they thaw the vials of vaccine, assemblers have 12 hours to pack them, label them and transport them to care homes, an operation that has never been done before at this scale.\n\nBusiness Secretary Alok Sharma said the UK is \"absolutely confident\" it will have 800,000 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine - the first to be approved by the regulator - next week.\n\nHe said more doses were expected by the end of the year, but he was unable to specify how many.\n\nScotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have also said they are ready to begin vaccinations on Tuesday.\n\nMeanwhile, official data showed infection levels were falling in all English regions, except the North East.\n\nThe government said the R number - the average number of people each person with Covid-19 goes on to infect - had fallen to between 0.8 and 1 in the UK, from between 0.9 and 1 last week.\n\nIt also reported that a further 504 people had died within 28 days of a positive Covid-19 test, bringing the total number of deaths in the UK to 60,617.\n\nThe first consignment of the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine arrived in the UK on Thursday, and the government has ordered 40 million doses in total - enough to vaccinate 20 million people.\n\nElderly people in care homes and care home staff have been placed top of the priority list - as recommended by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) - followed by the over-80s and front-line health and social care staff.\n\nProf Anthony Harnden, deputy chair of the JCVI, told The World at One on BBC Radio 4 he understood the elderly in care homes \"might not end up being the first priority group for operational reasons\" and the committee would \"closely monitor this\".\n\nHe stressed the JCVI still expected care home residents \"to be prioritised\".\n\nChris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, said the vaccines would now have reached 50 hospital hubs to enable vaccinations to begin on Tuesday.\n\nHospitals were working out how many care home residents, care home staff and over-80s they can get it to, he said.", "Wendy Knell's body was found in her bedsit in Tunbridge Wells in 1987\n\nA man has been charged with the murders of two women killed more than 30 years ago.\n\nDavid Fuller, 66, was arrested on Thursday in connection with the deaths of Wendy Knell and Caroline Pierce, from Kent, in 1987.\n\nCold case detectives have since charged Mr Fuller, from Heathfield, East Sussex, with two counts of murder.\n\nKent Police said he had been remanded in custody to appear at Maidstone Crown Court on Tuesday 8 December.\n\nAssistant Chief Constable Tracey Harman, from Kent Police, said: \"Whilst more than three decades have passed since these murders took place, I would urge anyone who has any information, no matter how minor or insignificant it may appear to be, to contact us.\"\n\nCaroline Pierce was murdered five months after Wendy Knell\n\nMs Knell, 25, was found dead at her home in Guildford Road, Tunbridge Wells, on 23 June, having been beaten and sexually assaulted.\n\nMs Pierce, 20, was attacked outside her home in the town's Grosvenor Park on 24 November.\n\nHer body was found on 15 December in a field near Romney Marsh.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen have spoken as they try to break the post-Brexit trade deal stalemate.\n\nThe leaders were called in after negotiators for the two sides said \"significant divergences\" remained following a week of intensive talks.\n\n\"If there is still a way, we will see,\" EU negotiator Michel Barnier said.\n\nSticking points include fishing rights, rules on state subsidies for business and arrangements for policing any deal.\n\nThe BBC understands the call between the two leaders began at 16:30 GMT. President Von Der Leyen will make a statement shortly.\n\nThe UK left the EU on 31 January but remains under EU trading rules until a transition period ends on 31 December.\n\nOne source close to the negotiations on the UK side suggested there had been a more optimistic outlook earlier in the week but pointed to demands for EU fishing boats to have 10-year access to UK waters as one issue that derailed progress - as had been reported in the Telegraph.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Michel Barnier: \"If there is still a way, we will see\"\n\nBBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg said the pattern of recent UK negotiations with the EU was for victory to be snatched from the verge of defeat at the very last moment - but that one member of the government was now putting the chances of a deal at around 50-50.\n\nShe said it would be complacent to think it would all automatically fall into place after a last bit of political scrapping.\n\nSpeaking to reporters in London as he prepared to return to Brussels, Mr Barnier said: \"We keep calm, as always, and if there is still a way, we will see.\"\n\nFrance's Europe minister suggested his country could veto a deal if it was not satisfied. French President Emmanuel Macron has been keen to ensure the fishing industry will not lose too much access to British waters.\n\nBut Belgian MEP Philippe Lamberts said the fishing issue had been \"overdone\" by both the UK and France, adding: \"We should cut it down to size. It should not be allowed to derail a good deal.\"\n\nMr Lamberts said the main issues that remain were competition and governance.\n\nHe said: \"These are much more important and this is a very tough nut to crack, and it will really depend on whether Boris Johnson wants to limit the economic damage caused by Brexit.\"\n\nMeanwhile, the spokesman for German Chancellor Angela Merkel said there was \"always room for compromise\".\n\nAnd Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin said he \"fervently hoped\" a trade deal can be agreed.\n\nFormer UK Brexit Secretary David Davis told BBC Breakfast the probability of a deal was \"still high\" but there would be compromise on both sides and the \"big decisions won't be this afternoon between the prime minister and president of the commission but in wires running hot between Berlin and Paris and other capitals\".\n\nHe said: \"My suspicion is when it gets to the end of the month there is no time to ratify... so they will have to do some sort of freeze in place of current customs arrangements to take us through the few months until everybody from the European Parliament to the Walloon parliament actually give their opinion.\"\n\nPositive-minded readers might consider that, even if the EU-UK deal were almost agreed, the European Commission president and arguably, especially Boris Johnson, who has aligned himself so personally to \"getting Brexit done\", would want to put their personal stamp on things.\n\nConfirmation that they will call each other on Saturday afternoon could therefore be seen as a \"good\" sign. Although sources in the EU and UK warn not to expect news of the conclusive Big Breakthrough following their chat.\n\nCynics might nod their heads too when I say that - considering the uncomfortable political compromises both sides have to make to reach a deal - one more \"crisis\", aka the current stop in talks, is quite useful to demonstrate to the public back home that you're hanging on in there, fighting for their interests.\n\nThat's certainly the way to interpret France's threat to use its veto if a deal is agreed, and it doesn't like it.\n\nEmmanuel Macron has enjoyed the role of Brexit bad cop throughout. It plays well domestically. And \"France the frenemy\" is an easy headline in the UK too.\n\nBut reality is more nuanced. Paris trumpets more brashly what is the belief in all EU capitals, and in the UK government: Yes to this deal but not at any cost.\n\nReleasing identical statements on Friday evening, Mr Barnier and his UK counterpart, Lord Frost, said: \"After one week of intense negotiation in London, the two chief negotiators agreed today that the conditions for an agreement are not met, due to significant divergences on level playing field, governance and fisheries.\n\n\"On this basis, they agreed to pause the talks in order to brief their principals on the state of play of the negotiations.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Ros Atkins looks at why fishing has held up the post-Brexit trade talks\n\nIf an agreement is reached it will need to be turned into legal text and translated into all EU languages and ratified by the European Parliament.\n\nThe UK government is likely to introduce legislation implementing parts of any deal reached which MPs will be able to vote on.\n\nAnd the 27 EU national parliaments could also need to ratify an agreement - depending on the actual contents of the deal.", "Mariah Carey made it to number two this week, matching the song's best ever UK chart position\n\nIt's beginning to sound a lot like Christmas, with festive singles accounting for more than half of this week's UK top 40 chart.\n\nTwenty-one seasonal songs appear in the latest rundown, led by Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas is You.\n\nMariah is at number two, kept off the top spot by Ariana Grande's Positions.\n\nMartin Talbot, head of the Official Charts Company, said it was \"very unusual\" to see such a \"surge of interest\" in festive tunes.\n\nThe appetite for Christmas music \"essentially started in November\", Talbot said, with people throwing themselves into \"familiar TV, film, books and music as comfort from the miserable tone of so much of this year's news\".\n\nWham's Last Christmas and Fairytale of New York by The Pogues with Kirsty MacColl have both gone back into the top 10 this week.\n\nAriana Grande topped the chart with Positions, while her single 34+35 was at number 10\n\n\"The public are also buying their Christmas trees and putting up their decorations much earlier this year too, almost certainly finding solace in Christmas at the end of a year that most people want to put behind them as soon as possible,\" Talbot said.\n\n\"Who could dispute that, in 2020, we all deserve to start celebrating Christmas earlier than ever?\"\n\nLittle Mix, Miley Cyrus, Dua Lipa and Tate McRae are among the artists with non-Christmassy singles in the top 10.\n\nThe 21 Christmas singles in the top 40:\n\nThe star's latest album was inspired by everything from swing and jazz to the comedy of Morecambe and Wise\n\nGary Barlow's latest release Music Played by Humans topped the album chart, which he said felt to him like \"Christmas Day\", adding: \"What an honour, what a privilege, I can't believe it. This could, possibly, mean the most to me than any other before.\"\n\nHe was followed by Steps' new album What the Future Holds at number two.\n\nThe album chart also featured plenty of Christmas cheer, with Michael Ball and Alfie Boe's Together at Christmas at number three, Andre Rieu and his Johann Strauss Orchestra at number eight with Jolly Holiday, and Michael Buble's Christmas at number nine.\n\nMiley Cyrus, AC/DC, Little Mix, Kylie Minogue and Shakin' Stevens also made it into this week's top 10 album chart, while BTS fell from number two last week to number 33 with Be.\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "Tram lines in Edinburgh were engulfed by water\n\nHeavy rainfall has caused extensive flooding in parts of Scotland, with train and tram lines being engulfed by water.\n\nScotRail services between Aberdeen and Inverness have been disrupted after a landslip near Huntly.\n\nTrain services were also affected by flooding on the line at Livingston and at Hartwood in North Lanarkshire. Hartwood services have now resumed.\n\nTram lines in Edinburgh were also swamped with water.\n\nEngineers were struggling to deal with floodwater affecting trams\n\nEdinburgh Trams said the flooding was near Edinburgh Airport and between the Gyle Centre and Edinburgh Gateway.\n\nIt said: \"Our engineers are working around the clock to minimise the effects of the heavy rainfall to ensure we are able to commence full route reservices as soon as the flooding subsides.\n\n\"They continue to pump excess water, however with the nearby Gogar Burn and River Almond at or above capacity, this is having little impact.\"\n\nTram customers can use their tickets on Lothian buses.\n\nServices from Inverness affected by the landslip will terminate and start back from Elgin and services from Aberdeen will terminate and start back from Huntly.\n\nCustomers are advised to use valid tickets on Stagecoach East.\n\nScotRail services between Aberdeen and Inverness have been suspended after the landslip near Huntly\n\nFlooding at Livingston and at Hartwood in North Lanarkshire affected rail services\n\nNetwork Rail used pumps to reduce the water levels near Hartwood\n\nA number of roads in Edinburgh were also closed due to flooding. Affected areas included those around the River Almond in Kirkliston and the Water of Leith in Stockbridge and Roseburn.\n\nEdinburgh City Council staff worked through the night dealing with problems caused by the heavy rain.\n\nThe council's flood response plan was put in place after a Sepa flood warning was received at 18:30 on Friday. Extra staff were also called in to help put out sandbags and clear debris.\n\nThe council's transport and environment convener Councillor Lesley Macinnes said: \"Our roads and flood prevention teams have worked extremely hard throughout the night to help the city cope with the impact of last night's severe weather.\n\n\"There has been some localised flooding and road closures and our flood response plan for the Water of Leith was put into place. Our roads teams will continue to work throughout the weekend to attend to any damage resulting from the flooding and clear away any debris.\"\n\nSome roads in Fife were also affected.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Police in Italy have arrested 19 people accused of running a smuggling ring bringing migrants to Europe.\n\nThe smugglers allegedly transported migrants from countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan to Italy and then on to northern Europe.\n\nThose arrested included Iraqi Kurds, Afghans and Italians, police said.\n\nPolice announced the findings following a two-year investigation that linked the suspects with smugglers in Turkey and Greece.\n\nInvestigators began looking into the alleged smuggling ring when ships carrying migrants began to arrive in the Sicilian city of Syracuse in 2018.\n\nAccording to police, the migrants paid roughly €6,000 (£5,412).\n\nProsecutors said that the migrants were brought from Turkey and Greece to Italy in sailboats that were hired or stolen. Those who drove the boats were paid about €1,000.\n\nThey then travelled onward to northern Europe or were given the choice of remaining in Italy.\n\nAccording to the investigation, specific groups across the country had their own special task.\n\nThose in Bari, southern Italy, were responsible for finding the migrants accommodation and provided documents and residence permits that allowed the migrants to move around the country.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Selena was born in a hospital close to Moria, Europe's largest refugee camp, which burnt down\n\nOthers in Turin and Milan helped direct them to the town of Ventimiglia, close to the border with France, where the migrants were helped cross the border and evade French police.\n\nOne of the suspects was discovered at a train station in Ventimiglia and was in the process of transporting migrants, police said.\n\nThe smugglers were \"dedicated to facilitating the entrance, stay and transit towards northern Europe of migrants coming from Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan,\" police said.", "Last updated on .From the section Premier League\n\nA rejuvenated Arsenal recorded an important victory over Chelsea to end their seven-game run without a win in the Premier League and ease the pressure on boss Mikel Arteta.\n\nTwo first-half goals set the platform for the Gunners' first top-flight win since 1 November.\n\nAlexandre Lacazette sent goalkeeper Edouard Mendy the wrong way from the penalty spot and Granit Xhaka curled in a superb free-kick 10 minutes later to put Arteta's side in control.\n\nBukayo Saka's cross then dropped into the top corner early in the second half to put the game beyond the visitors.\n\nTammy Abraham scored from close range to make it a nervy final five minutes for the hosts and Jorginho then saw his weak penalty saved by Bernd Leno.\n\nBut it was an otherwise lacklustre performance by Frank Lampard's side, who missed the chance to go second.\n\nIt was a well-deserved victory for Arsenal, who climb to 14th and will hope any talk of a relegation battle is now behind them.\n• None Premier League Christmas fixtures: How to follow on TV\n\nIt has been an arduous couple of months between Premier League wins for Arsenal boss Arteta but, on the first anniversary of his first game in charge of the Gunners, his side delivered arguably one of the most important victories of the Spaniard's tenure.\n\nFive months ago, Arsenal and Arteta were celebrating winning the FA Cup against their London rivals, only to watch the title-chasing Blues invest £200m on new players while the Gunners spent Christmas in their lowest league position since 1982.\n\nArteta made six changes to the side beaten by Everton last time out in the league and trusted in youth with 19-year-old pair Saka and Gabriel Martinelli and 20-year-old Emile Smith Rowe.\n\nHe was rewarded with renewed energy and, despite there appearing to be minimal contact when Reece James fouled Kieran Tierney in the box, Lacazette made no mistake from the spot to deservedly put the hosts in front.\n\nXhaka, back in the side following suspension, found the top corner with his free-kick soon after and when Saka's attempted cross dropped over Chelsea goalkeeper Mendy into the net, Arteta must have felt his luck was changing.\n\nMartinelli forced Mendy into a low save after a smart move down Arsenal's left and the Blues stopper was relieved when Lacazette failed to capitalise on his mistake.\n\nMohamed Elneny struck the bar as Arsenal threatened to add to their tally before Chelsea's late reprieve, but the Gunners held on for a first win in the Premier League since they beat Manchester United at Old Trafford almost two months ago.\n\nNew West Brom boss Sam Allardyce suggested the Gunners are one of their relegation rivals this week but Arteta will hope this victory proves the catalyst to propel them up the table.\n\nLampard said beforehand he did not want to let Arsenal off this \"moment\" and will be furious that his Chelsea side did exactly that.\n\nMason Mount hit the post with a free-kick after the dangerous Christian Pulisic was fouled, but the Blues otherwise struggled to break Arsenal down in the first half.\n\nOne of the concerns for Lampard will be Timo Werner's failure to score in his past 10 games in all competitions, his longest run without a goal for four years.\n\nThe German forward was taken off at half-time as Lampard brought on Jorginho and Callum Hudson-Odoi in a bid to inject some life into his side, but Arsenal's third goal 10 minutes into the second half quashed any hopes of a comeback.\n\nIt was only in the final few minutes that Chelsea really threatened, though Abraham's chested effort was initially ruled out for offside before being awarded by the video assistant referee.\n\nHad Jorginho netted from the spot moments later it may have been different, but Chelsea will head back across London disappointed with their performance at Emirates Stadium.\n\n'This was a big day for us'\n\nArsenal boss Mikel Arteta told BBC Sport: \"The result is the main thing, we really needed that win. We have been unlucky and frustrated with our results in the last eight weeks so this was a big day for us.\n\n\"From the first whistle you could see the team had the energy and willingness to come out and win the game.\n\n\"The spirit before the game was really positive, they really wanted it. I am pleased for the players and for the supporters, We have let them down for many weeks so it was a good day to give them something to cheer about.\"\n\nChelsea boss Frank Lampard told BBC Sport: \"In the second half we showed some urgency but it was too late. The first half we gave ourselves too much to do, we were very poor. You can't lack energy and desire in the Premier League and we did.\n\n\"You can prepare as well as you want but if you turn up like that that's another thing. It's in the mind.\n\n\"If you perform below par things go against you like the Saka goal. That's life. On another day we could have scored the penalty and come back but it's not a day for us.\n\n\"The teams that win, win, win relentlessly weren't winning two or three years ago. We are not there yet, that's clear. I felt it when we are on our long unbeaten run and I feel it now. We got a lot wrong today.\"\n\nLacazette leads the way - the stats\n• None Arsenal have won their past 10 home Premier League matches on 26 December, the second-best run in the competition after Manchester United won 12 in a row between 1997 and 2016.\n• None Arsenal recorded their first win in eight Premier League matches, and their first at the Emirates since a 2-1 win over Sheffield United in October.\n• None Chelsea have lost their past three away games in the Premier League, their worst run since February 2019.\n• None Arsenal netted more than once during the first half of a Premier League game for the first time this season, leading by at least two goals at the interval for the first time since a 3-2 victory over Watford in July.\n• None Since the start of last season, Tammy Abraham (21) has scored more than twice as many Premier League goals for Chelsea than any of his team-mates.\n• None No Premier League player has scored the opening goal of the game on more occasions this season than Arsenal striker Alexandre Lacazette, who has netted four of the Gunners' six such goals.\n• None After netting each of his first eight penalties for Chelsea in all competitions, Jorginho has since missed three of his past six for the club, also failing to do so against Liverpool in September and Krasnodar in October.\n\nChelsea host Aston Villa in the Premier League on Monday (17:30 GMT), before Arsenal visit Brighton on Tuesday (18:00).\n• None Attempt blocked. Kurt Zouma (Chelsea) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Christian Pulisic with a cross.\n• None Attempt blocked. Callum Hudson-Odoi (Chelsea) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Jorginho.\n• None Attempt saved. Christian Pulisic (Chelsea) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Reece James.\n• None Penalty saved! Jorginho (Chelsea) fails to capitalise on this great opportunity, right footed shot saved in the bottom right corner.\n• None Penalty conceded by Pablo Marí (Arsenal) after a foul in the penalty area.\n• None Attempt missed. Thiago Silva (Chelsea) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Christian Pulisic with a cross.\n• None Goal! Arsenal 3, Chelsea 1. Tammy Abraham (Chelsea) with an attempt from very close range to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Callum Hudson-Odoi.Goal awarded following VAR Review. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page\n• None Follow the footballer's campaign for free school meals\n• None Need a new box set for the festive period? All episodes of the epic fantasy drama are streaming now", "The prime minister has vowed to focus on \"levelling up the country\" and \"spreading opportunity\", after securing the post-Brexit trade deal this week.\n\nBoris Johnson told the Sunday Telegraph the deal would provide new legislative and regulatory freedoms to \"deliver for people who felt left behind\".\n\nBut fishermen's leaders have accused him of \"caving in\" and sacrificing their interests to reach the agreement.\n\nLabour called it a \"thin deal\" that needed \"more work\" to protect UK jobs.\n\nMeanwhile, Tesco chairman John Allan told BBC Radio 4's World This Weekend he expected the impact on food prices to be \"very modest indeed\".\n\nThe agreement was reached on Christmas Eve after months of fraught talks on issues including fishing rights and business rules. MPs will vote on the deal in Parliament on 30 December.\n\nScrutiny of the treaty began in earnest on Saturday morning when the 1,246-page document was officially published, with Conservative Eurosceptics among those promising to pore over the details.\n\nIn his first interview since the deal was agreed, Mr Johnson said \"big changes\" were coming, declaring \"it is up to us now to seize the opportunity of Brexit\".\n\nHe said a \"great government effort\" had gone into the plans, with animal welfare, data and chemicals being areas where the UK could diverge from EU standards.\n\n\"This government has a very clear agenda to use this moment to unite and level up and to spread opportunity across the government,\" Mr Johnson added.\n\nBut he told the Telegraph that the deal \"perhaps does not go as far as we would like\" on financial services.\n\nFrom the end of the transition period on 31 December, financial firms including banks and insurers will not be granted automatic access to EU markets.\n\nThey will have to be deemed by Brussels to be governed by rules as robust as within the bloc.\n\nChancellor Rishi Sunak has sought to reassure the City of London that it will not be damaged by the deal.\n\nHe said they would be \"doing a few things a bit differently\" and looking at \"how we make the City of London the most attractive place to list new companies anywhere in the world\".\n\n\"There is a stable, co-operative framework, mentioned in the deal which I think will give people that reassurance that we will remain in close dialogue with our European partners when it comes to things like equivalence decisions, for example,\" he said.\n\nThe chancellor said the deal was \"an enormously unifying moment for our country\" and it brought reassurance to those who were concerned about the impact on businesses.\n\nHe said the \"comprehensive nature\" of the free trade agreement ensured \"tariff-free, quota-free, access for British businesses to the European market\", and protected British jobs.\n\nThe chancellor says he wants to make the City of London \"the most attractive place to list new companies\"\n\nBut Labour's shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds said the agreement did not protect financial services, which employ a million people in the UK.\n\n\"This is a thin deal,\" she told the BBC.\n\n\"It's not the deal that the government promised and there are large areas of our economy, for example financial services - that employs one in 14 people in our country - where there aren't clear elements within this deal.\n\n\"Much more work will need to be done very speedily by the Conservative government in order to ensure that we keep jobs in the UK as a result of this deal and don't lose even more.\"\n\nBut she said her party would support the deal in next week's vote in order to provide legal certainty for businesses.\n\nLiberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey also criticised the agreement, saying it was \"threadbare\" and \"bad for jobs, business, security, and our environment\".\n\nThe agreement will bring \"long delays and higher costs\" because trade with the EU \"will now be wrapped in red tape\".\n\nSNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford said the deal was a \"disaster for Scotland\" because it will \"rip us out of the world's largest single market and customs union, end our freedom of movement rights, and impose mountains of red tape\".\n\nThe SNP's MPs will vote against the deal, he said.\n\nIn his article, the prime minister said the deal could withstand the \"most ruthless scrutiny\" from the European Research Group of Conservative Brexiteers.\n\nThe group has assembled a self-styled \"star chamber\" of lawyers led by veteran Eurosceptic MP Sir Bill Cash to examine the full text ahead of a Commons vote.\n\nSenior Conservative backbencher Sir Bill said \"sovereignty is the key issue\" as his team analysed the small print of the deal.\n\nTesco chairman John Allan told BBC Radio 4's World this Weekend that overall the post-Brexit agreement with the EU was a \"good outcome, certainly far better than having no deal\".\n\n\"There'll be a little bit more administration associated with importing as well as exporting,\" he said.\n\n\"But, in absolute terms, I think that will hardly be felt in terms of the prices that consumers are paying.\"\n\nBut the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisation (NFFO) accused Mr Johnson of having \"bottled it\" on fishing quotas to secure only \"a fraction of what the UK has a right to under international law\".\n\nThe National Federation of Fishermen's' Organisation accused Mr Johnson of having \"bottled it\" on fishing quotas\n\nBarrie Deas, chief executive of the NFFO, said Mr Johnson had \"sacrificed\" fishing to other priorities, after the subject proved to be an enduring sticking point during negotiations.\n\n\"Lacking legal, moral or political negotiating leverage on fish, the EU made the whole trade deal contingent on a UK surrender on fisheries,\" Mr Deas said.\n\nSenior UK negotiators have admitted to compromising \"somewhat\" over fish, although they say the EU also made concessions.\n\nScotland's First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, accused the government of having \"sold out Scottish fishing all over again\", adding: \"Promises they knew couldn't be delivered, duly broken.\"\n\nThe share of fish in British waters that the UK can catch will rise from about half now to two-thirds by the end of the five-and-a-half-year transition.\n\nAfter this, the UK would be free to reduce EU access to its coastal waters further but could face retaliatory action.\n\nGovernment sources have said any measures taken by the EU would have to be proportionate and would be limited to the fishing industry.\n\nMeanwhile, the EU's 27 member states indicated they will within days give their formal backing to the deal, which covers about £660bn of trade to allow goods to be sold without tariffs or quotas in the EU market.", "South Africa is seeing a steady increase in cases driven by the new coronavirus variant\n\nSouth Africa has become the first country on the continent to register more than one million Covid-19 cases.\n\nIt comes just days after authorities confirmed that a new, faster-spreading, coronavirus variant had been detected.\n\nSome hospitals and medical centres have reported a huge rise in admissions, putting a heavy strain on resources.\n\nPresident Cyril Ramaphosa is widely expected to announce tougher restrictions to prevent the virus from spreading further.\n\nThe latest milestone was announced on Sunday by South Africa's Health Minister, Zweli Mkhize. The country has now confirmed 1,004,413 Covid-19 infections and 26,735 deaths since the outbreak began in March.\n\nLast week, South Africa recorded a daily average of 11,700 new infections - a rise of 39% on the previous week - and from Wednesday to Friday, the daily number of new cases was above 14,000.\n\nA new coronavirus variant - known as 501.V2 - is believed to be driving the surge in infections. It was identified by a network of South African scientists in the Eastern Cape province and then rapidly spread to other parts of the country.\n\nBoth have a mutation - called N501Y - which is in a crucial part of the virus that it uses to infect the body's cells, but appear unrelated to each other.\n\nHospitals and clinics in South Africa are under strain as the numbers of new cases rise\n\nAfter South Africa, the worst hit country on the African continent is Morocco, which has seen 432,079 cases and 7,240 deaths. They are followed by Egypt with 131,315 cases and 7,352 deaths and Tunisia with 130,230 infections and 4,426 deaths.\n\nIn other Covid developments around the world:\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The Pfizer vaccine must be stored in ultra-low temperatures\n• None France finds first case of new coronavirus variant", "Patient demand in London is \"now arguably greater\" than in the first wave of the pandemic, according to the service\n\nLondon Ambulance Service (LAS) received as many emergency calls on 26 December as it did at the height of the first wave of Covid-19, the BBC has learned.\n\nNearly 8,000 calls were received, a 40% increase on a typical \"busy\" day.\n\nPatient demand was \"now arguably greater\" than during the first wave, an internal message to all staff said.\n\nLAS said it was \"working urgently\" to reduce delays. It urged people only to dial 999 with genuine life-threatening emergencies and to use 111 if possible.\n\nThe rapid spread of the new variant of Covid-19 was said to be the cause of the increased demand, according to the message.\n\nThe UK reported another 30,501 positive tests on Sunday, and 316 deaths of people who had tested positive within the past 28 days.\n\nMeanwhile South Central Ambulance Service - which serves Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Hampshire - said it was \"extremely busy\" and asked people only to dial 999 in a \"life-threatening or serious emergency\".\n\nOne London paramedic told the BBC that some patients were being treated in ambulance bays upon arrival at hospital, due to a lack of beds inside.\n\n\"It's been a horrendous time,\" the paramedic said. \"Ambulance staff are finding the whole situation very stressful.\"\n\nFigures seen by the BBC show that at one London hospital on Sunday morning, ambulance crews were typically waiting nearly six hours to hand over patients to hospital staff.\n\nLevels of patient demand were equal \"and now arguably greater\" than those seen during the first wave of the pandemic, according to the all-staff message sent by LAS chief executive Garrett Emmerson.\n\nOn 26 December, LAS received 7,918 calls, while on 16 March - one of its busiest ever days - it received marginally more.\n\n\"The demand is occurring because of the rapid spread of the new variant of the Covid-19 virus, initially in north-east London, but now spreading into north central London and predicted to spread further across the rest of the capital in the coming days and weeks\", the memo read.\n\nAs of 24 December, London, the South East, and the East of England had the greatest proportion of new variant cases\n\nThe NHS 111 service was twice as busy as usual in London, the message added.\n\nLondon Ambulance Service said it was working to find ways of alleviating pressures.\n\nIt said private ambulance services, student paramedics, volunteers and the London Fire Brigade had been recruited to supplement its crews in order to provide as many ambulances as possible with two staff members.\n\nLAS was also receiving assistance from South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS), East of England Ambulance Service and St John Ambulance.\n\nNon-patient facing colleagues with clinical skills have also been moved to work frontline shifts.\n\nA separate message sent to ambulance crews on 26 December requested them, when it was safe to do so, to transport all patients to hospital on blue flashing lights in order to \"reduce travel times\".\n\nUsually only the most seriously unwell patients are taken to hospital in this way.\n\nIn a statement, LAS said: \"Like NHS organisations across the country, demand for our services has risen sharply over the past weeks.\n\n\"Our colleagues in emergency departments are also under pressure receiving our patients as quickly as they can. We are working urgently with NHS partners to reduce any delays.\n\n\"The public can support us by only calling 999 for life-threatening emergencies. For urgent medical advice go to: 111.nhs.uk.\"\n\nThe capital has the highest coronavirus infection rate of any UK region, with 794.6 cases per 100,000 people over the last seven days.\n\nOn Sunday, it reported another 9,719 infections.\n\nThis chart, using data up to 23 December, shows how hospital admissions had been rising in London\n• None Cases of new Covid variant appear worldwide\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Flooding in India this year was linked to a very heavy Monsoon\n\nThe world continued to pay a very high price for extreme weather in 2020, according to a report from the charity Christian Aid.\n\nAgainst a backdrop of climate change, its study lists 10 events that saw thousands of lives lost and major insurance costs.\n\nSix of the events took place in Asia, with floods in China and India causing damages of more than $40bn.\n\nIn the US, record hurricanes and wildfires caused some $60bn in losses.\n\nWhile the world has been struggling to get to grips with the coronavirus pandemic, millions of people have also had to cope with the impacts of extreme weather events.\n\nChristian Aid's list of ten storms, floods and fires all cost at least $1.5bn - with nine of the 10 costing at least $5bn.\n\nAn unusually rainy monsoon season was associated with some of the most damaging storms in Asia, where some of the biggest losses were. Over a period of months, heavy flooding in India saw more than 2,000 deaths with millions of people displaced from their homes.\n\nThe value of the insured losses is estimated at $10bn.\n\nChina suffered even greater financial damage from flooding, running to around $32bn between June and October this year. The loss of life from these events was much smaller than in India.\n\nWhile these were slow-moving disasters, some events did enormous damage in a short period of time.\n\nCyclone Amphan struck the Bay of Bengal in May and caused losses estimated at $13bn in just a few days.\n\n\"We saw record temperatures in the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal, straddling between 30C-33C,\" said Dr Roxy Mathew Koll, a climate scientist at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology in Pune.\n\n\"These high temperatures had the characteristics of marine heat waves that might have led to the rapid intensification of the pre-monsoon cyclones Amphan and Nisarga,\" he said in a comment on the Christian Aid study.\n\n\"Amphan was one of the strongest cyclones ever recorded in the Bay of Bengal during the pre-monsoon season.\"\n\nAfrica was also on the receiving end of extreme events, with massive locust swarms ruining crops and vegetation to the tune of $8.5bn.\n\nLocust swarms ruined crops in parts of Africa, causing huge financial losses\n\nThe UN has linked these swarms to climate change, with unusually heavy rains in the Middle East and the Horn of Africa in recent years contributing to the locust outbreaks.\n\nEurope also saw significant impacts when Storm Ciara swept through Ireland, the UK and several other countries in February.\n\nIt resulted in 14 lives being lost and damages of $2.7bn.\n\nChristian Aid stress that these figures for financial costs are likely an underestimate as they are based only on insured losses.\n\nRicher countries have more valuable properties, and on the whole suffer greater financial penalties from extreme events.\n\nFirefighters in the UK had to rescue a stranded driver whose car got stuck in floodwater during Storm Ciara\n\nBut financial losses don't convey the full impact of these storms and fires.\n\nWhile South Sudan's floods weren't among the costliest in dollar terms, they have had a huge impact, killing 138 people and wiping out this year's crops.\n\nResearchers say that the influence of climate change on extreme events is strong and likely to continue growing.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. BBC Reality Check explains what the coronavirus pandemic has done for climate\n\n\"Just like 2019 before it, 2020 has been full of disastrous extremes,\" said Dr Sarah Perkins-Kirkpatrick, from the Climate Change Research Centre at the University of New South Wales in Australia.\n\n\"We have seen all this with a 1C of global average temperature rise, highlighting the sensitive relationship between average conditions and extremes.\"\n\nFires raged in many parts of the western US across 2020\n\n\"Ultimately, the impacts of climate change will be felt via the extremes, and not averaged changes.\"\n\n\"Unfortunately, we can expect more years to look like 2020 - and worse - as global temperatures creep higher.\"\n\nWhile 2021 is likely to bring a similar story of losses from extreme events, there is some sense of optimism that political leaders may be on the brink of taking steps that might help the world avoid the worst excesses of rising temperatures.\n\n\"It is vital that 2021 ushers in a new era of activity to turn this climate change tide,\" said report author, Dr Kat Kramer, from Christian Aid.\n\n\"With President-elect Biden in the White House, social movements across the world calling for urgent action, post-Covid green recovery investment and a crucial UN climate summit hosted by the UK, there is a major opportunity for countries to put us on a path to a safe future.\"", "Clinicians are warning health services could be overwhelmed by any surge in coronavirus cases after restrictions were temporarily eased at Christmas.\n\nThe Scottish Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and Faculties also said the new faster spreading strain of the virus could create a \"perfect storm\".\n\nThey warned it could take months for vaccinations to alleviate pressure on the \"severely stretched\" system.\n\nHowever Scotland's clinical director denied the system could be overwhelmed.\n\nProf Jason Leitch said measures were already in place to increase capacity where it was needed.\n\nBut the Scottish Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and Faculties, which includes anaesthetists, GPs and surgeons, said the short term situation for the NHS remained \"bleak\", despite hope from the vaccine.\n\nThe warning comes a day after the Scottish government put mainland Scotland into level four restrictions in response to the new more transmissible strain of coronavirus.\n\nLatest Scottish government figures showed on Sunday that 740 new cases of Covid-19 have been reported across the country.\n\nIn Dumfries and Galloway health officials said they feared the new strain could be driving a \"rapid increase\" in infections in the area after 64 cases of Covid-19 were confirmed in Wigtownshire.\n\nWhile reports have indicated the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine could be approved within days, the academy said restrictions would still be needed for some time.\n\nIn a statement they said: \"We know there is hope on the horizon with the rollout of a national immunisation programme, with further vaccines likely to be approved shortly.\n\n\"However, it will take months for this to make a significant difference, and the short-term situation facing our NHS and public health services remains bleak.\"\n\nThey said the NHS and social care services across Scotland were now on an emergency footing and while work had been done to reduce infection rates, the new strain of the virus would add pressure in the days and weeks ahead.\n\n\"We are gravely concerned that this could lead to the NHS being overwhelmed,\" the organisation said.\n\nThey called on the public to recognise the severity of the situation and take the necessary steps to support health and social care services.\n\n\"Our general practices are exceptionally busy and our hospitals are already near capacity. We risk facing a perfect storm of challenges if we don't take collective action now to prevent further spread of Covid-19.\"\n\nBut Scotland's national clinical director, Prof Jason Leitch, denied the system faced being overwhelmed.\n\nHe told the BBC: \"We're not at risk of overwhelming the health care system.\n\n\"But it's not quite as simple as a 'yes no' answer, because we can double, treble, quadruple our care for Covid - the number of beds, the number of intensive care beds - we can absolutely do that. We're ready for it, we have plans for it.\n\n\"But you can't do that at no cost to other elements of the health service.\n\n\"We don't have a spare thousand doctors and nurses just standing by waiting to do something, so if we have to do more intensive care for Covid, which I really hope we don't, then we will have to take away from somewhere else.\"\n\nProf Leitch said efforts had been made to maintain as much of the health service as possible, with hopes that elective surgeries would continue right through the winter.\n\nBut he added: \"The reality is, depending on what happens over the next couple of weeks, we may have to cut back some of that in order to make room for Covid care.\"\n\nThe Scottish government said it was working closely with health boards to ensure the NHS was prepared for additional pressures.\n\nA spokeswoman said: \"Our winter planning process includes assessing our readiness across all aspects of health and care, including Test and Protect, vaccinations, PPE supplies and the maintenance of essential services, including urgent and emergency.\n\n\"As part of the specific response to Covid-19, boards will maintain the ability to double their ICU capacity within one week, treble in two weeks and, if required, extend this to over 700 in total across Scotland. In addition, to support this, over 60 ICU and supportive care medicines, as well as supplies of Covid-19 treatments, have been centrally procured.\"\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Mark Drakeford said the four UK nations were \"closer\" under Theresa May than Boris Johnson\n\nWales has had less influence on UK affairs under Boris Johnson's leadership, First Minister Mark Drakeford has said.\n\nMr Drakeford said the relationship was \"closer\" between the UK government and devolved nations when Theresa May was in No 10.\n\nMr Johnson replaced Mrs May as prime minister after winning the Conservative leadership in July 2019.\n\nThe UK government has been asked to comment.\n\nSpeaking in an interview with Beti George for BBC Radio Cymru, recorded before Christmas, Mr Drakeford reflected on a challenging year for Wales amid the coronavirus pandemic and the UK's exit from the European Union.\n\n\"I don't think our voice in Wales has a lot of influence on Mr Johnson,\" he said.\n\n\"When Mrs May was prime minister - of course her situation was very different and she didn't have a majority in the House of Commons - and I'm sure that's one of the reasons why she was prepared to listen to others.\n\n\"But during the period when she was prime minister, we came together, almost every week, with UK ministers - us, Scotland's first minister and so on. The relationship was closer.\n\n\"After Mr Johnson became prime minister, that changed. He has a majority and can do as he likes in the House of Commons, without listening to anyone else.\"\n\nWales has deviated from the UK government over its response to the coronavirus pandemic several times over the course of the year, while last October Mr Drakeford said there had been no meetings about Brexit for more than a month.\n\nMark Drakeford said Wales would \"have to rethink\" its relationship with England if Scotland went independent\n\nMr Drakeford said that \"in the long term\" the lack of communication between Mr Johnson and the four nations would not be \"a successful way forward\".\n\n\"I think the UK's prime minister has a responsibility to listen and to collaborate and to see what can be agreed by the four governments of the United Kingdom.\"\n\n\"I don't want to see Scotland disappearing from the United Kingdom. If Scotland decides to take its own path - it's different in Northern Ireland - we'll have to rethink about our relationship with England - and will need to consider the arrangements and the options.\"", "Rescuers have so far managed to save 14 climbers\n\nAt least 10 climbers in Iran have died in mountains north of Tehran in an avalanche and blizzards, officials say.\n\nThe Alborz mountain range that towers over the capital city is popular with climbers and skiers but the past few days have seen treacherous weather.\n\nThe Red Crescent has deployed 20 teams who have rescued 14 climbers - but at least seven others are missing.\n\nThe search operation had to be halted at nightfall, and is now expected to resume on Sunday morning.\n\nAmong those who died are a political activist, an academic, a doctor and a mountaineering instructor.\n\nAt one point on Friday, about 100 people were stranded high up at a ski resort when the cable car broke down.\n\nThere had been earlier warnings of bad weather and possible avalanches.\n\nOn social media, some people reported malfunctions to GPS systems, which climbers rely on in the mountains. But it is unclear if those caught up in the blizzards and avalanche were affected.\n\nThe Alborz mountain range stretches from the border of Azerbaijan along the coast of the Caspian Sea\n• None Five things you may not know about Iran", "A near-deserted Regent Street in London as the Boxing Day sales began\n\nBoxing Day sales are expected to plummet after Covid-19 restrictions meant shops in many areas were forced to stay closed.\n\nBy midday, footfall was down 60% across the UK compared with last year, according to experts Springboard.\n\nStricter measures have been introduced in much of the UK with 40% of England's population now under tier four rules, meaning non-essential shops must shut.\n\nAnalysts said footfall had dropped even where other retailers could open.\n\nNational lockdowns in Wales and Northern Ireland, as well as most of mainland Scotland being placed into its own level four restrictions, meant non-essential stores are forced to be closed on what is traditionally a big day in the retail calendar.\n\nFootfall in tier four regions of England fell by 77.3% compared with last year, and even in tier two and three areas where shops are open, footfall was down by 38.2% and 42.4% respectively, according to Springboard, which analyses customer activity in stores.\n\nAn estimated £2.7bn will be spent by UK shoppers by the end of 26 December, with each consumer planning to spend an average of £162 online, according to research from Barclaycard, down from last year's projection of spending an average of £186 each and a total of £3.7bn.\n\nJace Tyrrell, chief executive of the New West End Company which represents 600 retail and leisure businesses in the capital, described the scenes as \"heartbreaking\", with the London district empty on Boxing Day for the first time since 1871.\n\nMr Tyrrell said the days around Christmas are usually \"the key golden period\" for sales but tier four restrictions have had a \"huge impact\".\n\nHe said coronavirus had cost the West End 80% of its usual year-on-year sales, with £2bn forecast to be lost during the Christmas period.\n\nDiane Wehrle, insights director at Springboard, said while the losses from reduced footfall will be offset a little by virtual \"comfort-buying\", for the majority of retailers \"the sales they get online are much smaller than what they get in-store\".\n\nLast year's post-Christmas sales also saw a drop in footfall with Springboard seeing an 8.6% decline, the largest since 2011.", "US wrestler Jon Huber, better known to fans as Brodie Lee or Luke Harper, has died aged 41.\n\nHuber's wife Amanda said in a post on Instagram: \"He passed surrounded by loved ones after a hard fought battle with a non Covid related lung issue.\"\n\nHe competed as Luke Harper for WWE, before leaving in 2019 and joining All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as Brodie Lee.\n\nAEW said it was \"heartbroken\" at news of the death of Harper, who stopped competing in October.\n\nWrestling legend Hulk Hogan said he was \"totally devastated\" over the loss of \"a great talent and awesome human being\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Hulk Hogan This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nTriple H also called Jon Huber an \"amazing talent\", but a \"better human being, husband and father\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Triple H This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nAmanda Huber, who also performed under the name Synndy Synn, described her husband as \"the greatest father\" to their two children.\n\n\"I never wanted to write out those words. My heart is broken.\n\n\"The world saw him as the amazing @brodielee (aka Luke Harper) but he was my best friend, my husband, and the greatest father you would ever meet.\n\n\"No words can express the love I feel or how broken I am right now.\"\n\nThis Instagram post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Instagram The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip instagram post by wwe This article contains content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Meta’s Instagram cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nCody Rhodes has been in the ring with Brodie Lee, and posted on Twitter saying he was \"honoured and privileged\" to have Brodie's \"last match\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 3 by Cody This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nMatt Hardy posted: \"I'm shattered over Brodie's passing. He was full of life with a wife and young children he loved.\n\n\"A devastating reminder of how fragile life is. Rest well, friend.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 4 by MATT HARDY This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nWWE said it \"extends its condolence\" to the \"family, friends and fans\" of the former Intercontinental Champion.\n\nListen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.", "Any changes to food prices after Brexit are likely to be \"very modest indeed\" under the deal struck between the UK and the EU, the chairman of Tesco has said.\n\nJohn Allan told the BBC that it would \"hardly be felt in terms of the prices that consumers are paying\".\n\nHe said the deal was a \"good outcome\" and far better than no deal.\n\nBut he said the main benefit was that it removes a distraction from business and government.\n\nWhen reports last month suggested that there might not be a post-Brexit trade deal, Mr Allan had warned that food prices could rise between 3% and 5%.\n\nBut he told BBC Radio 4's The World This Weekend that the deal agreed this week meant any noticeable changes in food costs for consumers were unlikely.\n\n\"The tariffs were the things that were going to generate the price increases,\" he said.\n\nPrime Minister Boris Johnson has said the deal ensures \"tariff-free\" trade between the UK and EU.\n\nMr Allan said: \"There'll be a little bit more administration associated with importing and exporting. But in absolute terms, I think that will hardly be felt in terms of the prices the consumers are paying.\"\n\nHe said UK companies would be able to cope with the additional work involved in the customs regime, with the possible exception of some small businesses.\n\nBut 70% of small businesses only trading with the EU, and not further afield, many of them may be dealing with customs paperwork for the first time, Mr Allan warned.\n\nIf the deal had not been struck, the Tesco chairman had previously suggested Brexit might change what Britons eat, as the prices of imported food such as brie cheese could have risen by up to 40%.\n\nBut Mr Allan suggested that Brexit would now only have a \"marginal effect\" on what shoppers put in their trolleys.\n\nThe deal should also make it easier for businesses to cope with some of the new customs issues between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.\n\nMr Allan said he was confident the deal \"will not obstruct our ability to keep our NI supermarkets supplied\".\n\n\"All the detail is not clear, but we were well set up, even if there was no deal, to continue to supply our NI supermarkets,\" he said. \"I think that will be even easier now.\"\n\nAny change to \"intra-Ireland\" trade, including agricultural businesses that operate north and south of the border, would be \"marginal\", he said.\n\nMr Allan said he did not see any major advantages to the supermarket industry of any new freedoms as a result leaving the EU, however.\n\n\"Certainly Tesco - and I assume our competitors - we're very keen to maintain food standards,\" he said.\n\n\"We won't be seeking food from other countries that have different and potentially lower food standards than us, so I don't think it's going to make any material difference.\"\n\nHe suggested the main benefit to the UK government and business would be the removal of Brexit as \"a major distraction\" as the country tries to recover from the economic impact of the coronavirus crisis.\n\n\"It should enable us to address the challenges and opportunities our economy has got in a much more full-blooded way,\" Mr Allan said.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch the aftermath of the explosion in Nashville\n\nBusinesses and TV personalities have offered more than $300,000 (£224,000) to catch those responsible for a camper van blast in the US city of Nashville.\n\nThe explosion rocked the city early on Christmas Day, injuring three people and knocking out communications systems across the state of Tennessee.\n\nPolice believe the powerful blast was caused deliberately.\n\nLaw enforcement agents have searched the home of a possible person of interest in nearby Antioch.\n\nNo motive has yet been established for the explosion, and no-one has yet said they were behind it. Possible human remains have been found near the blast site.\n\nLaw enforcement officers searched the property of a possible person of interest in Antioch\n\nFBI Special Agent in Charge Douglas Korneski said officials had received about 500 tips and that they were looking at a \"number of individuals\" in possible connection to the explosion.\n\nOfficers from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are also involved in the investigation.\n\nEarlier, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee said he toured the site, saying on Twitter it was a \"miracle\" that no-one had been killed. He said he had asked President Donald Trump for a federal emergency declaration for his state to aid relief efforts.\n\nThe FBI is leading the investigation into the explosion\n\nBusinessman Marcus Lemonis is the latest to donate to a reward pot, pledging $250,000.\n\n\"We can't have our streets terrorised like this,\" tweeted Mr Lemonis, who hosts reality TV show The Profit.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Marcus Lemonis This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nReward pledges began on Friday after a local tourism body, Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp, made an initial contribution of $10,000, later increasing it to $35,000.\n\nOfficers responded to reports of gunshots just before 06:00 local time (12:00 GMT) on Christmas Day in an area of the city known for its restaurants and nightlife.\n\nShortly afterwards, they found a camper van broadcasting a warning message to leave the area.\n\nThe van exploded a few minutes later, the force of the blast knocking an officer off their feet, police said. It is still unclear if anyone was inside the camper van at the time.\n\nPolice have released this image of the van - described by Nashville police as a recreational vehicle (RV) - arriving at the scene early on Friday.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Metro Nashville PD This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThe van blew up outside a building belonging to the telecoms giant AT&T, which also occupies an office tower nearby.\n\nBuildings suffered structural damage, windows were blown out, and trees were felled. Videos posted on social media showed water from damaged pipes running down walls as alarms howled in the background.\n\nPolice emergency systems were knocked out across the surrounding state of Tennessee.\n\nTelephone, internet and fibre optic TV services were also disrupted in Tennessee, Mississippi, Kentucky, Alabama and Georgia, according to telecoms firm AT&T.\n\nThe blast was caused by a parked camper van, police say\n\nResident Buck McCoy said he had been woken up by the blast. He posted a video on Facebook, showing some of the damage done, with alarms howling in the background.\n\n\"All my windows, every single one of them got blown into the next room. If I had been standing there, it would have been horrible,\" Mr McCoy told AP. \"It felt like a bomb. It was that big.\"", "Last updated on .From the section Tennis\n\nBritain's Andy Murray has been awarded a wildcard for February's delayed Australian Open.\n\nIt comes two years after he played what he feared would be his final match as a professional in Melbourne.\n\nThe five-time runner-up, suffering from chronic hip pain, lost in five sets to Spain's Roberto Bautista Agut in the first round of the 2019 event.\n\nA film paying tribute to his career was shown on the big screen in the Melbourne Arena after the match.\n\n\"We welcome Andy back to Melbourne with open arms,\" tournament director Craig Tiley said.\n\n\"His retirement was an emotional moment and seeing him come back, having undergone major surgery and built himself back up to get on to the tour again, will be a highlight of AO 2021.\"\n\nAt 122 in the world, Murray is ranked just too low to gain direct entry into the tournament, which is due to begin on 8 February after a delay because of coronavirus.\n\nThe 33-year-old Scot has also accepted a wildcard to compete at the ATP event in Delray Beach, Florida, in the first week of January.\n\nMurray was able to play only seven official matches this year because of a lingering pelvic injury, and the five-month suspension of the tours.\n\nBut he looked sharp in this month's Battle of the Brits event, as he beat both British number one Dan Evans and number three Cameron Norrie in straight sets.\n• None Murray says players should probably be required to get vaccine\n\nMurray has said he remains confident of winning big matches if he can stay fit and healthy, and has been making the most of an extended pre-season.\n\n\"I got on this body fat percentage scale thing, and the read-out that I got from that I wasn't happy with it,\" he told reporters in November.\n\n\"I've worked hard to get to this point, but I can do better. I could make sure I'm eating better, I can make sure I'm stronger in the gym.\n\n\"It's the length of time a boxer would have to train for a big fight, and you can get yourself in great shape in that time.\"\n• None Alerts: Get tennis news sent to your phone\n• None Follow the footballer's campaign for free school meals\n• None Need a new box set for the festive period? All episodes of the epic fantasy drama are streaming now", "George Blake told the BBC he had betrayed more than 500 Western agents to the Soviet Union\n\nGeorge Blake, the former MI6 officer and one of the Cold War's most infamous double agents, has died aged 98, Russian media has reported.\n\nOver nine years, the Soviet spy handed over information that led to the betrayal of at least 40 MI6 agents in Eastern Europe.\n\nHe was jailed in London in 1960, but escaped in 1966 and fled to Russia.\n\nThe Russian Foreign Intelligence Service said Blake \"had a genuine love for our country\".\n\nHis death, reported by Russia's state-owned news agency RIA Novosti, was confirmed by Sergei Ivanov, the head of the press bureau of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR).\n\nRussian president Vladimir Putin described him as an \"outstanding professional of special courage and life endurance\".\n\n\"Throughout the years of his hard and strenuous efforts he made a truly invaluable contribution to ensuring the strategic parity and the preservation of peace on the planet,\" he said in a message of condolence.\n\n\"Our hearts will always cherish the warm memory of this legendary man.\"\n\nBlake was born George Behar on 11 November 1922 in the Dutch city of Rotterdam.\n\nHis father was a Spanish Jew who had fought with the British army during World War One and acquired British citizenship.\n\nBlake himself worked for the Dutch resistance during World War Two, before fleeing to British-controlled Gibraltar. He was later, due to his background, asked to join the intelligence service.\n\nIn an interview with the BBC in 1990, Blake said he estimated that he betrayed more than 500 Western agents but he denied suggestions that 42 of them had lost their lives as a result of his actions.\n\nHis downfall came when a Polish secret service officer, Michael Goleniewski, defected to the West, bringing his mistress and details of a Soviet mole in British intelligence.\n\nBlake was recalled to London and arrested. At a subsequent trial he pleaded guilty to five counts of passing information to the Soviet Union.\n\nGeorge Blake did enormous damage to British intelligence operations during the Cold War, betraying agents and secret operations and showing that the KGB could run agents within the heart of the British state.\n\nHis escape from prison added to the embarrassment.\n\nThe reasons behind Blake's actions sometimes seemed mysterious, particularly his initial recruitment.\n\nWhen I contacted him a decade ago, he told me: \"It is no longer of particular importance to me whether my motivations are generally understood or not.\"\n\nPart of the problem for him was that he had chosen communism but lived to see its collapse and the end of the Soviet Union, living out his days in Russia, where he was still seen as a hero by the successors to the KGB.\n\nIn 1995, Blake's escape from HMP Wormwood Scrubs became the focus of the play Cell Mates, starring Stephen Fry and Rik Mayall.\n\nAnd in 2015, the BBC documentary Masterspy of Moscow followed what it called \"the strange life\" of an \"enigmatic traitor\".", "All airline passengers arriving in the US from the UK are to be required to test negative for Covid-19 within 72 hours of departure amid concerns about a new coronavirus variant.\n\nFrom 28 December travellers will need to provide written documentation of their test result to airlines.\n\nOther countries have shut their borders to UK flights because of the variant.\n\nBut its rapid spread has also led to stricter rules in the UK, including a ban on overseas trips for many Britons.\n\nAnd US airlines have drastically scaled back flying to the UK and Europe, after the entry of most foreign nationals was suspended at the start of the pandemic.\n\nHealth officials say there is no evidence the new variant is more deadly, or would react differently to vaccines, but it is proving to be up to 70% more transmissible.\n\nThe decision by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to require testing came after New York City introduced quarantine rules for international travellers in response to the variant.\n\nThe CDC said passengers must test negative via either a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) or an antigen test.\n\nSince Thursday, passengers travelling with Delta Air Lines and Virgin Atlantic on UK flights to the US have already been required to provide a negative test taken within 72 hours before departure.\n\nUnited Airlines will introduce similar requirements for passengers travelling from the UK to the US from 28 December.\n\nAs the new variant has spread quickly in London and south-east England, rules have been tightened across the UK, meaning more than 85% of the population - 48 million people - will be in the top two tiers after 26 December.\n\nThe UK reported 39,036 Covid cases on Thursday and another 574 deaths within 28 days of a positive test.", "Harsher Covid restrictions now apply to millions more people, as rule changes come into force across the UK.\n\nAround six million people in east and south-east England have gone into tier four, England's highest Covid level - which includes a \"stay at home\" order.\n\nLockdowns have also started in Scotland and Northern Ireland, and measures have been reimposed in Wales after being eased for Christmas.\n\nIt comes after official UK coronavirus deaths passed 70,000 on Christmas Day.\n\nThe toughest measures - which mean the closure of all non-essential shops, as well as hairdressers, swimming pools and gyms - now apply to around 24 million people in England, more than 40% of the population.\n\nMeanwhile, work has continued in Kent to clear the backlog of lorries formed after France closed the border to the UK due to the discovery of a fast-spreading variant of coronavirus.\n\nThe border has reopened but drivers must provide a negative Covid test before making the crossing, with the Department for Transport warning there were \"still long queues\" on Saturday evening.\n\nTransport Secretary Grant Shapps said more than 15,000 tests had now been carried out on lorry drivers, with 36 positive results.\n\nProf Devi Sridhar, chairwoman of global public health at the University of Edinburgh, told the BBC she believed all of England was likely to soon be in tier four.\n\n\"I think that's where it's heading and it's better to be honest with people so they can plan the next few weeks to understand what might be coming,\" she said, adding: \"To really keep a handle on these numbers, you need to move early.\"\n\nThe whole of Sussex, Oxfordshire, Suffolk, Norfolk and Cambridgeshire, as well Essex, Waverley in Surrey, and all of Hampshire with the exception of the New Forest, are now in tier four.\n\nBristol, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Swindon, the Isle of Wight, the New Forest and Northamptonshire, as well as Cheshire and Warrington, have all moved up to tier three. Meanwhile, Cornwall and Herefordshire have moved from tier one to tier two.\n\nTier four restrictions mean shops in many town and city centres have been closed for the first time in decades on Boxing Day, when there are usually sales.\n\nEven some retailers deemed \"essential\" - such as Asda - have opted not to open.\n\nIn Scotland - which operates under a different tier system - level four lockdown measures have come into force across the mainland for three weeks. Orkney, Shetland, the Western Isles and other island communities are in level three.\n\nAnd in Northern Ireland, a six-week lockdown has begun. The first week, until 2 January, has stricter restrictions, including essential shops closing at 20:00 GMT and no sport.\n\nFor the first week, people are also banned from meeting indoors or outdoors between 20:00 and 06:00.\n\nNI police have legally-enforceable powers to tell anyone out during those hours to return home, unless they have a \"reasonable excuse\", such as being a key worker or having caring responsibilities.\n\nOn Saturday, the UK government announced a further 34,693 people had tested positive for Covid-19 in England and Scotland, while a further 210 people had died within 28 days of a positive test in England.\n\nDue to service changes over the holiday period deaths in Scotland and deaths and cases in Wales and Northern Ireland will reported at a later date, the government said.\n\nIn Europe, France, Sweden, Spain and Switzerland have reported cases of the more contagious coronavirus variant identified in the UK.\n\nFrance has confirmed one case, while Switzerland has identified three, two of which are British citizens currently in the country, while Spanish officials said there had been three cases of the variant linked to a man who had flown from the UK on Thursday.\n\nIn Sweden the country's health agency said a traveller was ill with the strain there but was self-isolating.\n\nThe appearance of the new coronavirus variant in England triggered travel curbs with dozens of countries.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. What a pandemic Christmas looked like around the world\n\nOn Christmas Day, the Queen delivered a heartfelt message of hope to the country in her TV address, praising the \"indomitable spirit\" of those who have risen \"magnificently\" to the challenges of the pandemic.\n\nShe said what many people want \"for Christmas is a simple hug or a squeeze of the hand\" and that \"even on the darkest nights there is hope in the new dawn\".\n\nThe Archbishop of Canterbury used his Christmas sermon to praise schools and hospitals for bringing hope during the coronavirus crisis.", "At least seven people have been killed by a knife-wielding attacker in north-eastern China, media reports say.\n\nAnother seven people were reported wounded in the mass stabbing, which took place in Kaiyuan, a small city in Liaoning province.\n\nPolice have arrested a suspect, the state-run Xinhua news agency reports, although a motive remains unclear.\n\nWitnesses described seeing a man stabbing people seemingly at random.\n\nViolent crime is relatively rare in China, but the country has seen unrelated knife attacks in recent years.\n\nThey have usually been carried out by people living with mental illness, or seeking revenge against officials or individuals known to them.\n\nThe suspect in Kaiyuan began attacking people at random just after 08:00 local time, Hong Kong's South China Morning Post (SCMP) newspaper reports.\n\nPolice said an officer was injured while confronting the suspect. No other details on casualties have been provided.\n\nAn eyewitness told the SCMP that the attack started outside a school and most victims appeared to be middle-aged or elderly women.\n\n\"It's lucky that school is off today. Otherwise there could have been more victims,\" said the eyewitness, a woman with the surname Liu.", "At the beginning of 2020, photographer Tash Jones was looking forward to wedding bookings\n\nIn May, the UK was in lockdown and George Floyd was killed by US police officers, prompting a global outpouring of grief and anger - and an increased sense of urgency around the Black Lives Matter movement. For one black Welsh woman, 2020 changed her life.\n\nAt the beginning of the year, photographer Tash Jones had a full diary of weddings to capture, and her own marriage to plan.\n\nThen the Covid-19 pandemic struck, preventing large weddings - and in May George Floyd was killed after being pinned to the ground by a police officer in Minneapolis.\n\nThe combination of events led to the mother-of-two from Denbighshire becoming an \"accidental activist\".\n\nBorn to a white, Welsh-speaking mother and a black Jamaican father, Ms Jones was subjected to sustained racist bullying throughout her childhood, once resulting in her hair being set on fire when she was a teenager, and excrement being left on her doorstep.\n\nGeorge Floyd's death and the social media reaction of many of her white friends and acquaintances pushed her into being more vocal about her own experiences and worries for her young children.\n\nA mural in Oregon commemorates the death of George Floyd, which shocked the world in May\n\nAs her wedding jobs were cancelled, she found herself being asked to speak at virtual industry conferences, including one held by Looks Like Film, a large international photography platform.\n\n\"I was kind of thrust into speaking really. It wasn't really in my to-do list,\" she said.\n\nShe was also motivated by \"how I felt about my children, not being represented, and having the same struggles that I had growing up in north Wales\".\n\n\"That left me feeling really queasy because I know how hard it was and I don't want that for them. You always want better for your children.\"\n\nProtesters took the knee outside Cardiff's City Hall as part of the Black Lives Matters movement\n\n\"I think because of lockdown, and everybody having their jobs or their hobbies and their social circles taken away, [Black Lives Matter 2020] obviously got more attention because people were forced to watch it and couldn't look away.\n\n\"I was getting a lot of messages from clients, from old friends, from acquaintances and people I don't even know, asking me what they can do to be better, or what they can do to be anti-racist.\n\n\"And that was a massive pressure for me, and it was detrimental to my mental health because I found myself having to almost handhold everybody I know through a situation that was more harmful to me.\n\n\"It was hard to read comments from people that I thought were my friends, showing their true colours. That was so sad because I thought I was a good judge of character. Honestly so many people surprised me.\"\n\nShe started a Facebook group \"Let's Talk with Tash\", where she discussed other issues too, including mental health and plus-size, and also participated in a panel with Dr Rosena Allin-Khan MP on mental health among wedding industry professionals during the pandemic.\n\nTash Jones' work won her a place on the Professional Photo magazine's top 50 UK photographers list\n\nA high point of the year was to be named as one of Professional Photo magazine's top 50 UK photographers.\n\nPartly to set an example to her children, she sent the story to a local paper.\n\nBased on the experience of others, including black female MPs, she anticipated there could be a mix-up of her photos. She sent separate emails containing her own photo, and portraits of other black people.\n\nBut instead of picturing her, they mistakenly put her name against an image of one of her black clients, something she said seemed to happen much more to people of colour.\n\nFor someone who had fought to be recognised, and endured lifelong racism, the mistake triggered painful memories.\n\n\"I was crying my eyes out. It was just a shock... It reaffirmed all those childhood thoughts that I had that I'll never be good enough, that I'll never be [recognised or] important. I can't tell you how massively that impacted me.\"\n\nShe said the mistake also upset other black people - the American client whose photograph was mistakenly labelled, the UK black female photographers network, and her young son, who said \"we don't all look the same\".\n\nShe said positive representation was so important because, during her childhood, cultural depictions of black people were overwhelmingly negative.\n\n\"In films, I would see [black] people who were on drugs or not very good in school and saved by somebody white, or on crack or leaving their kids, or the dads abandon them... I actually thought I didn't have a chance of doing anything.\"\n\nShe said the reporter who made the mistake was \"mortified\", and the paper issued a correction and apologised for any distress caused.\n\nBut the incident underlined her view that much more needs to be done by organisations to improve diversity and deliver sustainable change.\n\n\"Couples in love\" like these photos is the focus of much of her photography work\n\nThis applies as much to the wedding industry as any sector, she said.\n\nAs Black Lives Matters protests spread in the summer, big wedding blogs switched from featuring predominantly white people to black brides and grooms.\n\n\"All of those images that they all posted simultaneously for weeks and weeks and months and months - that content was available to them prior to George Floyd being murdered.\n\n\"Why weren't you posting it then? Why is it taking a worldwide tragic event in uproar for you to be posting diversity?\n\n\"That doesn't sit right with me... So people felt the need to perform, when really they should have been addressing why it wasn't like that in the first place.\"\n\nOne of Tash Jones' \"Dŵr Du\" series, which was part of an exhibition of black female photography\n\nGoing into 2021, she wants to capture more pictures of \"love and life\" again and diversify her portfolio, as she did earlier in the year when her series of images Dŵr Du (black water in English) was selected for the We Are Here exhibition, which showcased black female photography.\n\n\"Most of all I wish to have a relatively stress-free year... and see a real change in systemic racism and those in power taking this to heart.\n\n\"Change is long overdue and I hope that people don't forget what needs to be done.\"", "China is the only major global economy that will have expanded in 2020\n\nChina will overtake the US to become the world's largest economy by 2028, five years earlier than previously forecast, a report says.\n\nThe UK-based Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) said China's \"skilful\" management of Covid-19 would boost its relative growth compared to the US and Europe in coming years.\n\nMeanwhile India is tipped to become the third largest economy by 2030.\n\nThe CEBR releases its economic league table every year on 26 December.\n\nAlthough China was the first country hit by Covid-19, it controlled the disease through swift and extremely strict action, meaning it did not need to repeat economically paralysing lockdowns as European countries have done.\n\nAs a result, unlike other major economies, it has avoided an economic recession in 2020 and is in fact estimated to see growth of 2% this year.\n\nThe US economy, by contrast, has been hit hard by the world's worst coronavirus epidemic in terms of sheer numbers. More than 330,000 people have died in the US and there have been some 18.5 million confirmed cases.\n\nThe economic damage has been cushioned by monetary policy and a huge fiscal stimulus, but political disagreements over a new stimulus package could leave around 14 million Americans without unemployment benefit payments in the new year.\n\n\"For some time, an overarching theme of global economics has been the economic and soft power struggle between the United States and China,\" says the CEBR report. \"The Covid-19 pandemic and corresponding economic fallout have certainly tipped this rivalry in China's favour.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. How US and China's break-up could affect the world\n\nThe report says that after \"a strong post-pandemic rebound in 2021\", the US economy will grow by about 1.9% annually from 2022-24 and then slow to 1.6% in the years after that.\n\nBy contrast the Chinese economy is tipped to grow by 5.7% annually until 2025, and 4.5% annually from 2026-2030.\n\nChina's share of the world economy has risen from just 3.6% in 2000 to 17.8% now and the country will become a \"high-income economy\" by 2023, the report says.\n\nThe Chinese economy is not only benefitting from having controlled Covid-19 early, but also aggressive policymaking targeting industries like advanced manufacturing, said CEBR deputy chairman Douglas McWilliams.\n\n\"They seem to be trying to have centralised control at one level, but quite a free market economy in other areas,\" he told the BBC. \"And it's the free market bit that's helping them move forward particularly in areas like tech.\"\n\nBut the average Chinese person will remain far poorer in financial terms than the average American even after China becomes the world's biggest economy, given that China's population is four times bigger.", "A 15-year-old boy is critically ill after he was hit by a police vehicle responding to a call out.\n\nOfficers were heading to a report of a domestic disturbance when the boy was struck on Garners Lane, Stockport, at about 21:30 GMT on Saturday, Greater Manchester Police said.\n\nThe officers stopped and administered trauma care to the boy until paramedics arrived, a spokesman said.\n\nHe was taken to hospital where he is in a critical state with a head injury.\n\nPolice were heading to a report of a domestic disturbance when the crash happened\n\nThe incident has been referred by GMP to its Professional Standards Branch and the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). An investigation has been launched.\n\nSupt Marcus Noden, GMP's divisional commander for Stockport, said: \"This is a terribly sad incident and our thoughts are with the young boy and his loved ones, who are being offered support by our specially-trained officers during this distressing time.\n\n\"This is an incident that police officers wish to never occur, and support is also being offered to the officers involved in last night's events.\n\n\"It is important that a thorough and independent investigation now takes place, and the IOPC will be leading with their enquiries into this incident; therefore it would be inappropriate for us to comment further at this time.\"\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "The health board said the situation has improved in the last 24 hours\n\nAn urgent appeal for specialist help caring for coronavirus patients has been made by the health board running Wales' largest hospital.\n\nCardiff and Vale health board, which runs University Hospital of Wales, put out a plea for assistance in its critical care department on Boxing Day.\n\nOn Sunday, it said staffing has been challenging but the position had improved.\n\nFigures show it had no spare intensive care beds on 20 December.\n\nA day later, First Minister Mark Drakeford said NHS staff were \"stretched to their limit\" with Wales' hospitals dealing with more than 2,300 Covid patients.\n\nThe health board tweeted a plea at about 21:15 GMT on Boxing Day saying its critical care department was \"urgently looking for assistance from medical students or other staff groups who have previously supported with proning patients\".\n\nProning involves turning patients on to their front to increase the oxygen supply to the lungs.\n\nOn Sunday morning it thanked people for responding to its request and said there was now \"no need to call us\".\n\nIn a statement, the health board said its critical care unit \"remains extremely busy due to Covid-19 and winter pressures\".\n\n\"Staffing has been challenging, however the position has improved within the last 24 hours,\" it said.\n\nThe number of intensive care beds available in a unit fluctuates day by day, depending on factors such as staffing.\n\nAccording to NHS Wales informatics, Cardiff and Vale health board's intensive care has been running at close to full capacity in recent days, with no spare bed on the unit at all on 20 December.\n\nThere have been a further 4,142 cases of coronavirus in Wales, taking the total number of confirmed cases to 139,642.\n\nPublic Health Wales reported another 70 deaths, taking the total in Wales since the start of the pandemic to 3,368.\n\nHowever, it warned figures would be higher as it did not report cases on Christmas Day.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Olwen Williams, of Royal College of Physicians in Wales, said the situation in intensive care is \"very worrying\"\n\nOlwen Williams, vice president of Royal College of Physicians in Wales, said: \"The number of people that are presenting as so seriously ill that they require intensive care is very worrying.\n\n\"I think we can call this unprecedented, not only in terms of the numbers that are presenting, but also the number of staff that are affected.\"\n\nWales brought forward its level four national lockdown by eight days to start on 20 December.", "Last updated on .From the section Horse Racing\n\nBryony Frost became the first female jockey to win the King George VI Chase, riding Frodon to victory at Kempton.\n\nThe 20-1 chance led throughout the three-mile race and held off the fast-finishing Waiting Patiently (12-1), ridden by Brian Hughes, to give trainer Paul Nicholls his 12th King George win.\n\nHat-trick-chasing Clan Des Obeaux, the 85-40 favourite, was back in third.\n\n\"I have had the absolute best time going round there on him,\" said a delighted Frost, from Devon.\n\n\"He has just smashed everyone's expectations. I don't argue with him too much as he is his own personality.\n\n\"I cannot stress how much this horse means to me - he is my life. You dream as a little girl to ride a horse like this.\"\n\nThe win gave Frost her 175th career win, making her become the most successful female National Hunt jockey of all-time.\n\nFrost and Frodon had also made history at the 2019 Cheltenham Festival, winning the Grade One Ryanair Chase.\n\nThis time, in front of deserted stands at the Surrey track, Frodon was in front by the first fence, allowing Frost to dictate the pace.\n\nHer rivals were never able to get past her and some solid jumping on the home straight maintained the momentum.\n\nNicholls was surprised that his 12th win in the traditional Boxing Day showpiece had come with the outsider of his four runners.\n\n\"It's amazing - although obviously he's a very good horse on his day,\" he said.\n\n\"He loves it round here, and I said to Bryony: 'Just go as quick as you can, keep galloping and sail on - you know he's tough and brave.'\n\n\"You've just seen today what a remarkable horse he is. He never knows when he's beaten.\"\n\nEarlier, Silver Streak beat Epatante, this year's Champion Hurdle winner, to take the Christmas Hurdle.\n\nEpatante had gone off as the 1-5 favourite but Silver Streak and jockey Adam Wedge put in a superb display of jumping.\n\nAn error at the third-last did not help Epitante and jockey Aidan Coleman and although they tried to rally, Silver Streak went away again to win by six and a half lengths.\n• None Follow the footballer's campaign for free school meals\n• None Need a new box set for the festive period? All episodes of the epic fantasy drama are streaming now", "Some Covid restrictions are being reintroduced in response to the Omicron variant.\n\nCheck what the rules are in your area by entering your postcode or council name below.\n\nA modern browser with JavaScript and a stable internet connection is required to view this interactive. What are the rules in your area? Enter a full UK postcode or council name to find out\n\nIf you cannot see the look-up, click here.\n\nThe rules highlighted in the search tool are a selection of the key government restrictions in place in your area.\n\nAlways check your relevant national and local authority website for more information on the situation where you live. Also check local guidance before travelling to others parts of the UK.\n\nAll the guidance in our search look-up comes from national government websites.\n\nFor more information on national measures see:\n\nFind out how the pandemic has affected your area and how it compares with the national average by following this link to an in depth guide to the numbers involved.", "Citizens Advice had the highest daily number of visitors to its website was topped four times in one week\n\nNew figures from Citizens Advice show three quarters of people seeking help with benefits or employment in 2020 had never contacted the charity before.\n\nMany people made contact for the first time in their lives after losing jobs during the Covid-19 pandemic, the charity said.\n\nIts advisors gave one-to-one advice to 1.1m people in 2020, which it said averages to 12 people a minute.\n\nIt also amassed a record-breaking 47.7m website page views, a 23% rise on 2019.\n\n\"We're seeing people who have always been employed, say for 20 years at the same company, and need help navigating the benefits system for the first time after being made redundant,\" said Jamie McGlynn, a contact centre manager.\n\nThe statistics, shared exclusively with the BBC, showed of 481,834 people seeking advice on benefits, 351,620 (73%) had never asked the charity for help before.\n\nSimilarly, 146,774 (83%) of 175,852 people needing help with employment issues sought advice for the first time.\n\n\"It's really very sad,\" said Mr McGlynn. \"All we can do is keep going and do our best for them.\n\n\"We'd usually expect it to quieten down at Christmas, but we're on track to see double the number of people as last December.\"\n\nThe most recent unemployment rate - for August to October - was 4.9%, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), which means 1.69 million people were unemployed.\n\nEarlier in the year Citizens Advice saw a spike in website visits after government broadcasts\n\nAs the first lockdowns began across Europe in March, advice pages on claiming refunds for cancelled holidays were most popular, before searches on sick pay surged.\n\nWhen the government advised the population to stay at home, pages offering guidance relating to redundancy and universal credit became the most visited.\n\nIn June, it reported seeing people becoming \"increasingly concerned\" about redundancy.\n\nWhen restrictions were tightened due to a second wave of infections in November, trends spiked in people searching for answers on self-isolation and rules around meeting other people.\n\nCitizens Advice monitored the changes in daily rankings of its most viewed website advice pages during the first lockdown\n\nLaiza, a nurse from Middlesbrough, was working for a private hospital on a mental health ward in early 2020, but lost her job when it was forced to close in March and patients were moved home.\n\nThe 54 year old, who had been working on a zero-hours contact, said by May she had \"no money for food\", with her \"gas and electricity down to almost zero on the meter\".\n\nAfter seeking advice from the charity, Laiza managed to secure an advance payment on her universal credit before finding a job as a permanent nurse.\n\n\"The advisers really looked after me, they were always checking on me to see if I was OK,\" she added.\n\nTop five most-searched terms on the Citizens Advice website in 2020:\n\nAlistair Cromwell, acting CEO of Citizens Advice, said the data allowed the charity to \"map the trajectory of the pandemic and its effect on people's lives\".\n\n\"But the one constant has been the demand for advice,\" he said.\n\n\"Over the past 10 months our frontline advisers have helped more than a million people, each with their own story and struggle.\"\n\nUnemployment has been rising throughout the pandemic", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. This is the weather forecast for the British Isles.\n\nGusts of more than 100mph have been recorded after Storm Bella brought heavy rain and high winds to large parts of the UK.\n\nThe Needles, on the Isle of Wight, saw gusts that reached 106mph (170kmh).\n\nA yellow warning for snow and ice - meaning disruption is likely - has been issued by the Met Office for Northern Ireland and north Wales, north-west England and southern Scotland.\n\nSouth Western Railway said heavy rain had \"flooded the railway\" between Bournemouth and Southampton, meaning cancellations and delays were expected all day.\n\nSouth Western, Southeastern Railway and the London Overground all reported fallen trees and other debris blocking lines and causing disruption in various locations.\n\nNational Rail advised anyone travelling by train to check their journey before setting off.\n\nIn York flood defences were put in place as River Ouse water levels are expected to rise to about four metres above normal early on Monday.\n\nMeanwhile, the ports of Dover and Calais warned Channel crossings had also been affected by the weather, with strong winds and poor visibility leading to a \"risk of delays\".\n\nSporting events have also experienced disruption, with the Welsh Grand National at Chepstow being called off due to a waterlogged course.\n\nA further yellow warning for snow and ice affecting travel was issued for much of Wales, the Midlands, the south of England and parts of the east of England from midnight on Sunday to 18:00 on Monday.\n\nThe A1101 in Welney, Norfolk, flooded after heavy rain\n\nAcross southern England, trees - like this one in Golders Green, London - were brought down by the storm\n\nHeavy rain has already caused flooding in Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire over the Christmas period.\n\nResidents in 1,300 homes by the River Great Ouse in Bedfordshire were advised to move out following high water levels on Christmas Day.\n\nMayor of Bedford Borough Dave Hodgson told BBC Radio 5 Live that around 40 of those homes had gone on to receive flood damage.\n\nHe added that water levels in the area were \"still high\" on Sunday \"but seem to be reducing at the moment\".\n\nSevere flood warnings remain in place in Northamptonshire for the River Nene, at Billing Aquadrome - where more than 1,000 people were evacuated on Christmas Day because of flooding - and at Cogenhoe Mill Caravan Site.\n\nA further 110 flood warnings have been issued in England, three in Wales and two in Scotland.\n\nFlooding near homes in Abbey Grounds, Cirencester, caused by the River Churn\n\nElsewhere, in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, council officials have been providing sandbags for those at risk of flooding due to heavy rain, after more than 70 homes were without power on Christmas Day when an electricity substation flooded.\n\nAnd up to 40 homes were flooded on Christmas Eve in Witney, Oxfordshire, where the Environment Agency has warned that river levels are still rising.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Aerial footage shows the extent of flooding in Bedford on Christmas Day\n\nThe Met Office said roads and railways in Northern Ireland, north Wales, north-west England and southern Scotland were \"likely\" to be affected by snow and ice until at least 10:00 on Monday.\n\nStorm Bella is the second period of severe weather to be officially named by the UK's Met Office this winter.\n\nA severe flood warning had been in place for the River Great Ouse at Bedford\n\nCommunities Secretary Robert Jenrick urged people to check official advice, including from the Environment Agency, which asked people to keep away from \"swollen rivers and flooded land\".\n\nA statement on its website said: \"It is often deeper than it looks and just 30cm of flowing water is enough to float your car.\"\n\nHave you been affected by Storm Bella? If it is safe to do so please share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "A further 30,501 positive tests for coronavirus were reported on Sunday, as hospitals in parts of the UK warn they are at risk of being overwhelmed.\n\nAnother 316 people died within 28 days of a positive test, bringing the total to 70,752.\n\nThe true numbers are likely to be higher as some parts of the UK are not reporting data over Christmas.\n\nNorthern Ireland has not reported cases or deaths and Scotland has not reported deaths.\n\nWales recorded 70 deaths on Sunday of people who had contracted coronavirus.\n\nMeanwhile, London Ambulance Service said it had been dealing with more than 400 calls an hour on Sunday afternoon and urged people to only call 999 in an emergency.\n\nWith almost 8,000 calls on Boxing Day, demand for ambulances in London almost matched 16 March, one of the service's busiest ever days.\n\nCrews arriving at one London hospital had a typical wait of six hours before they could hand over patients to overstretched hospital staff.\n\nOne paramedic told the BBC that some patients had been treated in ambulance bays because of a shortage of beds.\n\nAn LAS memo said the rising demand was down to the \"rapid spread of the new variant of the Covid-19 virus\".\n\nSaffron Cordery, deputy chief executive of NHS Providers, said hospitals in London and the south of England were under \"real pressure\" due to demand from Covid-19 and other conditions, as well as staff absence.\n\n\"The public should be under no illusions that this is one of the most challenging times for the NHS,\" she said.\n\nMeanwhile, NHS England said coronavirus vaccinations had been paused on Christmas Day and over the weekend but would resume on Monday.\n\nThe capital has the highest coronavirus infection rate of any UK region, with 794.6 cases per 100,000 people over the last seven days. On Sunday, it reported another 9,719 infections.\n\nBut in some parts of Essex, the infection rate is even higher. In the seven days up to 23 December, Brentwood had the highest number of cases per 100,000 people at 1442.5, followed by Epping Forest (1388.1) and Thurrock (1330.7).\n\nEssex County Council said it had increased testing in areas where infection rates were known to be high as part of a strategy to identify more cases and \"break the chain of transmission\".\n\nNine out of 10 local authorities in England saw a rise in coronavirus cases in the seven days up to 23 December.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Olwen Williams, of Royal College of Physicians in Wales, said the situation in intensive care is \"very worrying\"", "Kay White said her secret for a long career was \"liking people and helping one another\"\n\nA 93-year-old postmistress - believed to be the country's oldest - is retiring after 80 years of service.\n\nKay White started working at the Post Office in her home village of Claverley, Shropshire, at just 14.\n\nIn 1960 she became the branch's postmistress, a position she has held ever since.\n\nShe runs the post office with her 75-year-old niece Ann Madeley and locals say her services will be greatly missed when the branch closes this month.\n\nMs White was appointed postmistress in 1960 and has held the role ever since\n\n\"I never thought I would live 'til now,\" Ms White said. \"I thought I shall die and the place will all be sold and I shouldn't have to deal with all this.\"\n\nThe Post Office was closed temporarily earlier this year during the coronavirus lockdown restrictions due to Ms White and her niece's health, giving the villagers a taste of the community without its postmistress.\n\n\"Some people come daily just to say hello and speak to Kay,\" Rev Garry Ward said, adding that people \"really felt the loss\".\n\n\"The Post Office is the heart of the village and Kay is a big part of that.\"\n\nMs White started her career doing the accounts, something she still remembers despite the developments in technology.\n\nMs White started working at the village Post Office as a teenager\n\nAt the age of 14, she said the then postmistress, Mrs Drew, asked her mother if the teenager would come and help in the office.\n\n\"In those days, if your mother says you're going to do something, you do it, and that's how I came to be here,\" Ms White said.\n\nIn 2010, Ms White was awarded an MBE for her services to the community.\n\nLinda Sage, who runs Claverley's hairdressers, said her impact has been \"absolutely immense\".\n\n\"She is an absolute character and the person who will miss the Post Office the most is Kay herself,\" she said.\n\n\"It's just been her life.\"\n\nFollow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "More evidence of Margaret Thatcher's disdain for Europe in the final days of her premiership has been revealed in newly released government archives.\n\nNotes from 1990 show the former prime minister described plans for a single European currency as a \"rush of blood to the head\".\n\nShe also called for the European Commission to be turned into a professional civil service.\n\nIt comes days before the UK starts a new trade relationship with the EU.\n\nBaroness Thatcher, the longest-serving British prime minister of the 20th century, hit out at the \"politburo\" in Brussels and vowed not to be dictated to, during talks with her Irish counterpart, Charles Haughey.\n\nThe then-Tory premier likened giving away powers of taxation to gifting sovereignty to Europe, Dublin archives from 1990 show.\n\nIt was over the issue of Europe, and the divisions it caused in the Conservative Party, that led to her being ousted from Downing Street.\n\nAn Irish Government note recorded that Mrs Thatcher said: \"In talking of a single currency, Delors must have had a rush of blood to the head.\n\n\"We are not going to have a single currency.\"\n\nThe newly released papers come from a note of talks between Irish Taoiseach Charles Haughey and Margaret Thatcher from 1990\n\nJacques Delors - who Baroness Thatcher also referred to as a \"mere appointee\" in the notes - was the president of the European Commission and played a key role in the design of the euro and creation of the single market.\n\nBaroness Thatcher wanted to turn the commission into a professional civil service, without the power of initiative, whose job would be to service the Council of Ministers - which represents national governments in Europe.\n\n\"The days of appointed commissioners must be numbered,\" she said. \"We must give power to the Council of Ministers.\n\n\"I am not handing over authority to a non-elected bureaucracy.\"\n\nBaroness Thatcher also said she was getting \"completely fed up of the European community trying to tie us up with bureaucratic regulations\".\n\nAt the time, Soviet Union control over eastern Europe was collapsing, leading Baroness Thatcher to say: \"We are trying to get eastern Europe to accept democratic standards and here we are recreating our own politburo.\"\n\nShe said while the commission had been necessary \"to start off\" it was a \"totally non-democratic power structure now\".\n\nBaroness Thatcher also objected to the idea of a European police force, the papers show.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nIt was the issue of Europe which eventually brought an end to Baroness Thatcher's 11-year term as prime minister in 1990 after she hit out at her European counterparts leading to a rebellion in her cabinet.\n\nSir John Major was elected as her successor and she stood down as an MP in 1992.\n\nSir John Major succeeded Baroness Thatcher as leader of the Conservatives and prime minister\n\nShe was later elevated to the peerage as Baroness Thatcher, of Kesteven in the County of Lincolnshire, in 1995.\n\nIn the UK certain government documents are made available to the public 30 years after they were created.", "Last updated on .From the section Premier League\n\nSemi Ajayi scored a dramatic late equaliser against leaders Liverpool to earn struggling West Brom their first point since Sam Allardyce took charge.\n\nJurgen Klopp's side looked to be going five points clear at the top of the table when Sadio Mane chested down Joel Matip's long ball forward and fired past Sam Johnstone.\n\nLiverpool dominated for long periods without adding to their lead but the Baggies improved after the break and equalised in the 83rd minute.\n\nAjayi leapt high above the home defence to send a header in off the post to spark jubilant celebrations from the away team at Anfield.\n\nWest Brom keeper Johnstone made a superb save to deny Roberto Firmino a winner near the end.\n• None Reaction from Anfield and the rest of Sunday's Premier League action\n• None How big is the task facing West Brom boss Allardyce?\n\nThere was a deep sense of frustration at full-time from Liverpool's players after they dropped league points at Anfield for the first time this season.\n\nKlopp, who was booked during the second-half by referee Kevin Friend for protesting a decision, walked to the Kop to acknowledge the 2,000 fans allowed into the ground as the home team headed for the dressing room knowing they had let two points slip.\n\nIt has been a monumental 2020 with the Reds ending a 30-year wait for a league title, but this was not the result they wanted in their final home game of 2020.\n\nKlopp's side dominated the first half, enjoying 84% possession, but were unable to add to a sumptuous finish by Senegal forward Mane.\n\nTheir dominance was highlighted by captain Jordan Henderson, who completed 39 more passes (85) than West Brom as a team (46) before half-time.\n\nBut the visitors were livelier after the break and, after Liverpool lost defender Joel Matip to injury, the hosts allowed West Brom a way back.\n\nAlisson did well to keep out Karlan Grant after the forward had got the better of Rhys Williams before Ajayi's equaliser.\n\nJohnstone's save to keep out Firmino at the end only added to Liverpool's frustration, their lead at the top now three points.\n\nIt looked like it was going to be a long afternoon for West Brom when Mane struck early but the Baggies dug deep to return to the Black Country with a crucial point.\n\nThis result will give Allardyce, the last opposition manager to win a Premier League game at Anfield, with Crystal Palace in April 2017, huge encouragement as he looks to keep his new team in the Premier League.\n\nA week after being beaten 3-0 at home by Aston Villa in his first game in charge, West Brom refused to go under against the leaders and showed the spirit and character needed in a relegation battle.\n\nHaving drawn 1-1 at Manchester City in Slaven Bilic's final game in charge, the Baggies have now taken points off last season's top two clubs.\n\nAllardyce, whose side are still five points from safety, will need help when the transfer market opens next month.\n\nBut this result against a Liverpool side which had won the previous eight home league games will lift morale ahead of Tuesday's home game with Leeds.\n\n'It feels like a defeat' - what they said\n\nLiverpool manager Jurgen Klopp: \"It does feel like a defeat, but we have a point more than before so it is completely fine.\n\n\"It's our fault but they deserved the point. In the first half it looked like 90:10 possession - it's a massive challenge to stay on track and do it again but we should have done it.\"\n\nWest Brom boss Sam Allardyce: \"We've got a point against Liverpool, which no-one outside of us in the dressing room thought we'd get.\n\n\"When the first goal went in I think a lot of people thought how many was it going to be today, particularly after they knocked seven past Palace (last weekend).\n\n\"The players were so good today in their discipline, defending as a team, and finding a way in the second half to attack Liverpool when they got the opportunity.\"\n\nLiverpool fail to win for a sixth time - the stats\n• None Liverpool have failed to win six of their 15 Premier League games this season, as many as they did in the entire 2019-20 season.\n• None Having picked up just one point from their opening six away league games this season, West Brom have since earned two from their last two on the road away to Manchester City and Liverpool.\n• None This was the first time Liverpool failed to win a Premier League home game against a side starting the day in the relegation zone - despite taking the lead - since a 2-2 draw with Slaven Bilic's West Ham in December 2016.\n• None Among defenders since the start of the 2018-19 season, only Virgil van Dijk and Aaron Pierre (both nine) have scored more headed league goals in England's top four tiers than West Brom's Semi Ajayi (eight).\n• None Sadio Mane scored his 69th Premier League goal for Liverpool, moving him level with Luis Suárez and behind only Robbie Fowler (128), Steven Gerrard (120), Michael Owen (118) and Mohamed Salah (86) for most goals in the competition for the Reds.\n\nLiverpool's festive programme continues at Newcastle on Wednesday (20:00 GMT), while West Brom host Leeds United on Tuesday (18:00 GMT).\n• None Offside, West Bromwich Albion. Grady Diangana tries a through ball, but Matheus Pereira is caught offside.\n• None Attempt missed. Rhys Williams (Liverpool) header from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Trent Alexander-Arnold with a cross following a corner.\n• None Attempt saved. Roberto Firmino (Liverpool) header from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.\n• None Offside, West Bromwich Albion. Romaine Sawyers tries a through ball, but Matheus Pereira is caught offside.\n• None Attempt blocked. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Liverpool) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Sadio Mané.\n• None Attempt missed. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Liverpool) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right following a corner.\n• None Goal! Liverpool 1, West Bromwich Albion 1. Semi Ajayi (West Bromwich Albion) header from the centre of the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Matheus Pereira with a cross following a corner.\n• None Attempt missed. Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool) right footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high from a direct free kick. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page\n• None Follow the footballer's campaign for free school meals\n• None Need a new box set for the festive period? All episodes of the epic fantasy drama are streaming now", "Countries across the EU received their first shipments of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccines. A healthcare worker in Budapest was the first to get the shot.", "The IRA wanted to exclude Sinn Féin from proposed ceasefire talks with the British government, according to newly-released Irish state papers from 1990.\n\nThe Irish government document said the IRA's so-called army council told two prison chaplains that it was prepared to talk to the UK government.\n\nBut its least favourite approach was to involve Sinn Féin.\n\nIt said some Provisional IRA chiefs were averse to the \"socialist views being espoused\" by the party's leaders.\n\nThe message from a senior Irish official to colleagues in the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has been made public after being kept in the Republic of Ireland's National Archives - under file reference number 2020/17/34. 260900 DEC 20 - for 30 years.\n\nRev Will Murphy and Fr John Murphy, who were chaplains at the Maze Prison, had been engaged in a two-year process to encourage loyalist and republican prisoners to move away from violence.\n\nOn 4 May, 1990, Brendan McMahon, head of the Anglo-Irish Division, updated Dermot Gallagher, the assistant secretary at the DFA, on the potential breakthrough with the IRA.\n\n\"I had a conversation with Fr Murphy on 2 May who indicated that they had just concluded a series of intensive discussions with the IRA army council,\" he said.\n\n\"Arising from those discussions, the two chaplains had a meeting on 1 May with the four church leaders.\n\n\"At that meeting, the chaplains reported that the army council had clearly indicated to them their willingness to seek an alternative to the campaign of violence and, with this objective in mind, are prepared to enter exploratory discussions with the British government.\"\n\nNorthern Ireland Secretary Peter Brooke sanctioned backchannel talks between the UK government and the IRA a few months later\n\nMr McMahon added: \"The army council's preference is naturally for such talks to be held in public, though they accept that any talks would probably have to be conducted in absolute secrecy.\n\n\"The IRA's third, and least favoured, option would be for talks involving Sinn Féin.\n\n\"Fr Murphy commented that one thing which has struck him in the course of this initiative is the noticeable difference between the IRA and Sinn Féin - with army council members referring to Sinn Féin as merely \"the party which is the closest to our view\".\n\nCharles Haughey and Margaret Thatcher were two powerful personalities who didn't always see eye to eye\n\nThe 1990 Irish state papers also reveal that the accession of John Major as UK prime minister was regarded by the Irish government as an \"important opportunity\".\n\nMr Major was seen as less likely to back the cause of unionism as strongly as his predecessor Margaret Thatcher, an internal Irish government communique reported.\n\nA note, dated 12 December 1990, written by Dermot Gallagher to then-taoiseach (Irish prime minister) Charles Haughey said: \"The indications are that, as of now, Major has no fixed views or indeed little knowledge about Northern Ireland.\n\n\"At the same time, by instinct and temperament, the new prime minister is likely to find the unionist posture essentially anachronistic.\n\n\"Unionist rhetoric - which at least at times struck a chord with Margaret Thatcher - will sit uneasily with his pragmatism.\n\n\"To the extent that the nationalist case can be couched in terms of logic and common sense, there may be a real possibility of enlisting Major's sympathy and support.\"\n\nOn 30 July 1990, Former Eastbourne MP Ian Gow, who was Margaret Thatcher's parliamentary private secretary, died when the IRA detonated a bomb under his car.\n\nThe same note also speculates that the UK took the view that the Provisional IRA can \"continue their campaign of violence indefinitely at the present, or even at an increased, level\".\n\n\"This has horrendous implications for their security forces and also for the protection of public persons in Britain.\n\n\"The Leader of the House, John MacGregor, privately emphasised to the minister on Monday how shaken the Conservative Party had been - and still is - by Ian Gow's murder.\"\n\nThe note said that the chief constable in Northern Ireland had \"emphasised the scale of the security problem\" by saying that 5,000 British troops \"could be swallowed up in any one area of the border\".\n\n\"The British, I suspect, also realise that the Provisionals have the capacity, in the absence of draconian security measures, to bring down any new political structures in the north which exclude them,\" it added.\n\nThe newly published papers are contained in National Archives file reference number 2020/17/10. 260900 DEC 20.", "The Republic of Ireland intends to start Covid-19 vaccinations on Tuesday, a day earlier than planned, the head of the country's health service has said.\n\nPaul Reid said teams were working on the registration and consent process.\n\nA small number of people at St James's Hospital and Beaumont Hospital in Dublin and Cork and Galway university hospitals will receive the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine on Tuesday.\n\nThe country received its first batch of the vaccine on Saturday.\n\nThe delivery was part of an EU-wide rollout of the vaccine, with all 27 member states receiving a supply and some countries deciding to administer the jabs immediately.\n\nIn the Republic of Ireland the first vaccinations were expected to be provided on Wednesday.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The Pfizer vaccine must be stored in ultra-low temperatures\n\nBut Health Service Executive (HSE) chief executive Mr Reid told Irish national broadcaster RTÉ on Sunday that the \"intention is to start early next week\".\n\nHe added that there was a \"complex consent process\" in relation to elderly and vulnerable people.\n\nMr Reid said the HSE's initial six-week plan would be to vaccinate all residents and staff of nursing homes and other priority groups from 4 January before moving on to the wider population.\n\n\"Our concentration is to do it safely and over a three-week period across nursing homes and then to do it a second time,\" he said.\n\n\"Public and private nursing homes will be completed by the end of February.\"\n\nMr Reid said about 180 workers were being trained to administer the vaccines in nursing homes, while there would be 1,500 providing it in hospitals.\n\nThe first Covid-19 vaccinations in the Republic of Ireland will be given this week\n\nGPs and pharmacists will be tasked with administering the vaccines at a later date.\n\nThe Irish health department reported on Sunday that four more people have died after contracring coronavirus, taking the country's overall number of Covid-19-related deaths to 2,204.\n\nAnother 744 people tested positive for the virus.\n\nNorthern Ireland did not release any figures relating to coronavirus cases or deaths on Sunday.\n\nThe Republic of Ireland returned to stricter Covid-19 restrictions on Christmas Eve, including the closure of restaurants and hairdressing salons.\n\nNo new inter-county travel is allowed as part of the restrictions which will be reviewed on 12 January.", "Ian Jones' charity said he has paralysis in his legs and remained completely blind\n\nA charity worker has returned to the UK from India after being blinded and paralysed by a snakebite.\n\nIan Jones, from the Isle of Wight, was bitten by a cobra in a village near Jodhpur, Rajasthan.\n\nHis charity, Community Action Isle of Wight, said he has paralysis in his legs and remains completely blind.\n\nA statement said \"after a long and stressful journey\" Mr Jones was currently quarantining at home before hopefully receiving further treatment.\n\n\"He is having to adjust to these new found circumstances which is proving both emotional and challenging.\n\n\"The charity, Ian and his family, have been completely overwhelmed by the support and generosity that people have shown towards his situation and would like to reiterate their utmost thanks to everyone concerned,\" it added.\n\nA crowdfunding appeal to help towards medical costs and Mr Jones's repatriation has raised more than £19,000.\n\nIan Jones had also suffered malaria, dengue fever and coronavirus while in India\n\nThe former healthcare worker was running a charity-backed social enterprise aimed at helping craftspeople trade their way out of poverty.\n\nHe was bitten twice by a cobra, which could have proved fatal, in a warehouse he had made his living quarters.\n\nMr Jones has previously suffered from malaria, dengue fever and coronavirus while in India.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Introducing measures in response to the pandemic is a constant “balancing act”, according to Wales' first minister.\n\nMark Drakeford made the comments as he was asked about the possibility of further restrictions being introduced.\n\nSpeaking to reporters, Mr Drakeford said: “I took this press conference twice last weekend and in both press conferences I was asked repeatedly whether or not we were doing too much.\n\n“This week the question is whether we are going far enough.\n\n“And I think that that just demonstrates that this is constantly a balancing act.\n\n“It is constantly trying to find the right set of measures to address the issues that we are facing.\n\n“I believe that with the restrictions that we announced last week, with the changes we are making this week in the health service, in education, in relation to outdoor attractions that we have a package of measures provided - and this is the most important part - provided in our own life, we all do those things that have the biggest effect of all, but we have to allow that package to have an impact.\n\n“If it doesn't have it, if we don't manage to do that, then I'm signalling clearly to people today that more will have to follow.”\n\nAfter announcing that outdoor attractions will be told to close Mr Drakeford provided clarification that it wouldn’t apply to Christmas markets, but rather to attractions offering entertainment.\n\nWales could be facing another lockdown if infection rates do not fall, the first minister warned Image caption: Wales could be facing another lockdown if infection rates do not fall, the first minister warned", "DeGeneres speaks from her living room during a Fox concert programme in March\n\nUS chat show host Ellen DeGeneres has announced that she tested positive for Covid-19. \"Fortunately, I'm feeling fine right now,\" she posted online.\n\nHer daytime programme - the Ellen DeGeneres Show - will pause production until January, according to a statement from her producers.\n\nThe show returned in September amid allegations of misconduct by senior staff. Three top producers were fired.\n\nDeGeneres, 62, herself apologised on air, pledging \"necessary changes\".\n\nOn Thursday, DeGeneres wrote that she was following the government's Covid guidelines, and had notified those with whom she had been in close contact.\n\n\"I'll see you all again after the holidays,\" she wrote. \"Please stay healthy and safe.\"\n\nHer last guest, who appeared in-person with her on Wednesday, was Hamilton musical actor Leslie Odom Jr.\n\nIn October, the programme became one of the first in the US to resume filming in-studio, according to USA Today. Forty audience members - rather than the normal capacity of 300 seats - have been allowed to attend tapings each day.\n\nOther December guests to her studio included singers Justin Bieber and Lil Nas X, and actors Bryan Cranston and Diane Keaton.\n\nOver the summer, DeGeneres faced criticism on social media amid reports that she had created a toxic work environment for her staff.\n\nAppearing for her 18th season premiere in September, she addressed the allegations of racism, sexism and bullying made by her employees.\n\n\"I am so sorry to the people who were affected,\" she said into the camera. \"I know that I'm in a position of privilege and power. I realised that with that comes responsibility and I take responsibility for what happens at my show.\"\n\nIn the aftermath, she has continued to apologise to her staff and has increased leave time and health insurance packages for her employees, according to Entertainment Weekly.", "Dame Barbara Windsor has met Boris Johnson several times, including when he appeared on EastEnders in 2009\n\nDame Barbara Windsor has called on Prime Minister Boris Johnson to \"sort out\" care for people who have dementia.\n\nThe former EastEnders star, who has Alzheimer's, launched an open letter with her husband Scott Mitchell to coincide with their appointment as ambassadors for Alzheimer's Society.\n\nMinisters in England have been promising to publish plans on social care reforms since 2017.\n\nThe government said Mr Johnson was \"committed to fixing\" the care system.\n\nAlzheimer's Society said since March 2017 people in the UK with dementia have spent more than one million unnecessary days in hospital \"despite being well enough to go home\" - at a cost to the NHS of more than £400m.\n\nDame Barbara, who turned 82 on Tuesday, urged others to join her in signing the open letter calling for a \"long-term funding solution to end the social care crisis\".\n\n\"[Me and my husband are] lucky to have amazing support but my heart goes out to the many, many people who are really struggling to get the care they so desperately need,\" Dame Barbara wrote.\n\nSorry, we're having trouble displaying this content. View original content on YouTube The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts.\n\nMr Mitchell added: \"Seeing the true state of our social care system has shown me how people, who aren't as fortunate to be in the same position as myself and Barbara financially, are facing a constant battle to get what they need. I want to do everything I can to help them.\"\n\nThe open letter will be delivered to Downing Street in September, the charity said.\n\nA spokesperson from the Department of Health and Social Care said it was working to make the UK the \"best country in the world\" in which to live with dementia.\n\nThey added local authorities had been given nearly £4bn in extra funding for adult social care this year.\n\n\"The prime minister has been clear he is committed to fixing the social care system and will outline proposals as soon as possible,\" the spokesperson said.\n\nIn England and Wales, one in eight death certificates cite dementia. Alzheimer's disease is the most common of the diseases that cause the condition.\n\nGlobally about 50 million people are currently living with dementia - but cases are predicted to soar to 130 million by 2050 as populations age.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Police said Craig McCulloch was \"devious\" while pretending to be generous and caring\n\nA \"devious\" church treasurer who stole more than £450,000 from charities has been jailed for three years.\n\nCraig McCulloch, 34, stole more than £130,000 from a London church, defrauded a charity of £287,000 and took nearly £38,000 from a college.\n\nPolice said he \"squandered\" most of the money on fast food, eBay purchases and rental cars.\n\nMcCulloch, of Littleborough in Greater Manchester, pleaded guilty to four counts of fraud by abuse of position.\n\nAt Southwark Crown Court, he was also handed a five-year serious crime prevention order.\n\nMcCulloch stole from both the bank account of St James Church in New Barnet, north London, and the congregation when he volunteered there between September 2013 and December 2018.\n\nHe had been working in the accounting departments of south London-based young person's charity XLP and the Oasis College of Higher Education in Kennington when he stole from them, the court heard.\n\nVicar of St James Church, Rev Laura Jane Hewitt, said the church community had shared \"the sense of shock and betrayal of trust\".\n\n\"Now that justice has been done, we hope and pray that Craig himself will seek to put his life right and find a fresh start,\" she said.\n\nDet Con Mark Baker, from the City of London Police's fraud team, said McCulloch was \"one of the most devious individuals I have ever dealt with\" and people felt \"shocked and deceived\".\n\n\"He stole charity and church donations and used them for his own personal gain. He presented an image of someone caring, involved in his local community, leading a Christian lifestyle, and being generous with his money,\" he said.\n\nHe said some of the charities were left \"struggling to fund important services\".\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "UK banks are well prepared for serious economic shocks and can continue to lend during the pandemic, the Bank of England has said.\n\nBanks have built up strong capital buffers since the financial crisis more than a decade ago, the Bank said in its latest financial stability report.\n\nMost risks to the UK's financial stability posed by a no-deal Brexit have been mitigated, it said.\n\nBut it warned that \"some disruption to financial services could arise\".\n\nBusinesses, with the support of government guarantees, have borrowed £80bn so far this year, compared with £20bn by this time last year, according to the Bank.\n\nIt said the major UK banks could absorb credit losses in the order of £200bn, but that would involve \"incredibly severe\" shocks that were unlikely to occur.\n\nFor instance, unemployment would have to rise to 15% and house prices to fall by 30%.\n\nFormer Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee member Andrew Sentance told the BBC that the Bank saw the banking system as \"very resilient\".\n\n\"I think that the Bank's assessment makes sense,\" he said.\n\nHowever, he warned that outside the financial system, a no-deal Brexit would pose big challenges.\n\n\"The real economy is going to struggle if we go into a Brexit no-deal,\" he added.\n\n\"Financial sector preparations for the end of the transition period with the EU are now in their final stages,\" the Bank's report said.\n\n\"Most risks to UK financial stability that could arise from disruption to the provision of cross-border financial services at the end of the transition period have been mitigated.\"\n\nHowever, it added: \"Financial stability is not the same as market stability or the avoidance of any disruption to users of financial services. Some market volatility and disruption to financial services, particularly to EU-based clients, could arise.\"\n\nThe Bank said financial institutions should continue taking measures to minimise disruption.\n\nOn the housing market, the Bank noted that activity had picked up sharply in recent months, but the number of advertised mortgage products had continued to fall and was \"materially lower\" than earlier in the year.\n\n\"While some lenders have reintroduced products since the early stages of the pandemic, others have withdrawn further, especially at higher [loan-to-value] ratios,\" it said.\n\nThe Bank said it was important to prevent a rapid build-up of mortgage debt, which it said had \"historically been an important source of risk to financial and economic stability\".\n\nTo that end, the Bank's Financial Policy Committee had recommended limiting the proportion of new mortgages with high loan to income ratios, guarding against an increase in the number of highly indebted households.\n\nThose recommendations are under review and the conclusions will be published next year.", "After her diagnosis with Alzheimer's six years ago, actress Dame Barbara Windsor became a campaigner for those living with dementia. Following the star's death at the age of 83, charities have praised her for helping bring the disease out into the open. So, how did she help others in the UK?\n\nHelen Marshall, from Halifax, says Dame Barbara's campaigning made it easier to speak to her mum, Audrey, about her dementia, after she was diagnosed in 2015.\n\nHelen, 50, says she \"vividly\" remembers how they watched Dame Barbara visiting the prime minister at No 10, where she delivered a letter signed by 100,000 people pleading for better care for people with dementia.\n\n\"She was such an icon, in their generation as well as ours. For somebody so famous to come out and talk about it - it was a shift for my mum,\" she says, explaining that until that point Audrey, 88, never discussed her diagnosis.\n\n\"I don't know if she forgot or was in denial, with dementia you don't know.\"\n\nBut after seeing the footage, Audrey acknowledged her condition.\n\n\"It was quite visible, the effect [Alzheimer's] had had on [Dame Barbara]. I think that was what resonated with mum.\"\n\nHelen also believes attitudes towards those with dementia have changed since Dame Barbara shared \"candid\" details of the effects of dementia on \"every aspect of life\".\n\n\"I've noticed mum's peers are more able to talk about it,\" she says.\n\n\"There's still a lot more to do though.\n\n\"It can be a long time before people are diagnosed so the more awareness people have and the less stigma there is, it might mean diagnoses come quicker.\"\n\nKatie Thomas, 48, from Goddington, Oxfordshire, says campaigning by Dame Barbara and her husband Scott Mitchell, was \"so important\" in the effort to raise awareness and encourage funding to find a cure for dementia.\n\n\"They were instrumental in trying to get awareness and out, and in their openness about the disease,\" she says.\n\nKatie Thomas, with her dad Prof Ceri Peach, who received a Doctor of Letters degree from Oxford University a year after he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's\n\nKatie ran two marathons this year, including the virtual London Marathon, in memory of her father, Ceri Peach - an Oxford University professor who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2015 and died aged 78 in October 2018.\n\nShe raised £10,000 for dementia research through the two events - the first completed in her village during the spring lockdown, and the second in Oxford, where her dad lectured in geography at St Catherine's College, this autumn.\n\nKatie says she was inspired to take on the fundraising challenges after cheering on runners taking part in the 2019 London Marathon - in a team called Barbara's Revolutionaries.\n\n\"I joined their Facebook page, which [Dame Barbara's husband] Scott was a massive part of, and got to know a lot of people, and started running.\"\n\nKatie with husband Howard, and her two boys, Will and Charlie, her \"greatest cheerleaders\"\n\nCrossing the finish line in the University Parks in Oxford on 4 October for the virtual London Marathon\n\nThe training has since helped with her grief.\n\n\"Just getting out. Especially when the lockdown happened, it's just being able to get out in the fresh air and run,\" she says.\n\n\"It's my own time, and time to think things through and think about dad. It's really helped in that way.\n\n\"I feel very close to him when I run.\"\n\nDame Barbara Windsor and her husband, Scott, went public with her condition in 2018, four years after her diagnosis.\n\nThe same year, she appeared on a video in aid of a campaign to raise funds and change attitudes towards the condition.\n\n\"I'm asking you to make a stand against dementia,\" she said.\n\nHer husband and former EastEnders co-stars raised more than £150,000 by running the London Marathon in aid of a dementia campaign.\n\nDame Barbara was credited by her friend and former Albert Square co-star Ross Kemp, who made an ITV documentary on dementia, for helping to change the way people thought about the condition.\n\nRobert Beattie was diagnosed with Alzheimer's three years ago, and says he takes living with the disease \"day by day\".\n\nHe will often forget what room he is in, won't know where the bedroom or bathroom is, and his wife Karen will have to guide him through the process of getting changed.\n\nKaren says Dame Barbara going public about her diagnosis has been important \"to get the government talking about it and hopefully do something about it\".\n\n\"Hopefully the momentum won't stop,\" she adds.\n\n\"And we'll get more people like Rob and me that will go out and talk.\n\n\"People inside the houses that have shame, we need you to do the same thing and get this on the platform so that we can get the help that we need.\"\n\nDowning Street says the government has committed to \"significantly increasing research funding, over a number of years to help improve detection and care for people living with dementia\".", "The fire broke out in the three-storey house in St Neots on Thursday morning\n\nA three-year-old boy and seven-year-old girl have died in a fire at a house.\n\nThe children died at the scene of the blaze in St Neots, Cambridgeshire, on Thursday morning, police said.\n\nTheir 35-year-old mother suffered life-changing injuries from jumping from a second-floor window, while her partner, a 46-year-old man, had minor injuries.\n\nFirefighters described how they were told the children were still in the burning house when they arrived and they tried to get them out.\n\nAn investigation into the fire has concluded the most probable cause was an electrical fault in a first-floor bedroom.\n\nThere were no suspicious circumstances, Cambridgeshire Police said.\n\nSmoke was seen billowing from the house on Thursday\n\nAbout 40 firefighters were sent to tackle the blaze, at the home in Buttercup Avenue, Eynesbury.\n\nFloral tributes and soft toys have been left under a tree near the house.\n\nA message on a teddy bear said: \"We have no words. So heartbroken. Hope you are all in a better place. XXX.\"\n\nOne card reads: \"Dear darling angels, keep holding each other's hands. You are so loved.\"\n\nPolice, the ambulance service and an air ambulance were also sent to the scene\n\nNeighbour Charles Cooper, 30, said: \"The flames went up fairly swiftly. By the time my wife and I woke up, the firefighters had already arrived.\n\n\"It took a good three or four hours before the smoke abated. The flames were coming out of the top window.\"\n\nHe said he did not know the family to speak to but said \"we would give them a wave\".\n\nPeter Kellythorn, 40, said there was a smell \"like something might be smouldering\" when he awoke on Thursday.\n\n\"I got dressed, came outside and there was smoke billowing out from the back window,\" he said.\n\nHe added they were \"fairly new houses\" and said of the fire: \"It's just awful.\"\n\nMembers of Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service laid flowers at the scene\n\nTributes have been left under a tree to the front of the house\n\nChief Fire Officer Chris Strickland said: \"Crews fought tirelessly to get the fire under control and locate the children, who they had been told were still in the house.\n\n\"It's one of the toughest incidents you can attend as a firefighter and we're looking after the crews who were there.\n\n\"But all of our thoughts are very much with the family and the local community and we'll be in the area over the coming days providing support to residents.\"\n\nSoft toys have also been left among the floral tributes\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "The infection rates are not falling as fast as the government had hoped\n\nFrance will delay the reopening of cultural venues and introduce a night-time curfew as it struggles to curb the spread of Covid-19.\n\nPrime Minister Jean Castex said the infection rates were not falling as fast as the government had hoped after a lockdown was imposed in late October.\n\nA stay-at-home order will be lifted as planned on 15 December, when the daily 20:00-06:00 curfew will begin.\n\nThe measure will not be waived on New Year's Eve, to prevent big gatherings.\n\nThe government had conditioned the easing of restrictions on the number of new cases falling to around 5,000 a day. But that number remains well above 10,000 - on Thursday, there were 13,750 infections.\n\n\"We aren't yet at the end of this second wave, and we won't reach the objectives we had set for 15 December,\" Mr Castex told a news conference. \"We can't let down our guard. We have to stay focused, and find our way through the next few weeks with lots of vigilance.\"\n\nMuseums, cinemas and theatres as well as sports venues, which were expected to reopen on Tuesday, will remain closed for an extra three weeks.\n\nThe decision was criticised by some in the cultural world, with actor and director Phillipe Lellouche telling BFM TV: \"We're tired of not being given more consideration. Once more culture is being left on the side of the road.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nMr Castex has also announced that:\n\nBars and restaurants will remain closed at least until 20 January. Some non-essential shops had already reopened on 28 November.\n\nFrance has confirmed more than 2.3 million cases and nearly 57,000 deaths since the start of the pandemic.", "MPs will not be awarded a pay rise for the coming year.\n\nThe Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority - the independent body which sets MPs' pay - said in October that MPs could be in line for a £3,000 pay rise if its usual formula was applied.\n\nBut it now says such a rise would \"be inconsistent\" and \"would not reflect the reality that many constituents are facing\" because of the pandemic.\n\nMore than 50 MPs had already called for the increase to be cancelled.\n\nMany reacted positively to news of the pay freeze.\n\nLabour's Catherine West tweeted that \"anything else would have been an insult to public sector workers,\" while Conservative James Cartlidge said it was \"absolutely the right thing to do\".\n\nMPs' basic salary is currently £81,932 a year, and is more if they serve as government ministers. Ministers' salaries have also been frozen for a year.\n\nIPSA's formula for MPs' pay is linked to any increase in average pay for public sector workers, millions of whom have had their pay frozen.\n\nOverall, average wages have fallen in real terms this year.\n\nIn November, Boris Johnson's spokesman said the prime minister did not think MPs should receive a pay rise for 2021, \"given the circumstances\".\n\nAnd in October, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said \"this year of all years\" the money should go to key workers on the front line of the pandemic response.\n\nIPSA, which was set up in the wake of the MPs' expenses scandal, said: \"It is clear that applying the forthcoming official statistic for public sector earnings growth would result in a salary increase for MPs that would be inconsistent with the wider economic data and would not reflect the reality that many constituents are facing this year.\n\n\"The IPSA Board has therefore decided that the salary for Members of Parliament will remain unchanged for the financial year 2021/22.\"", "Deschamps (left) and Cantona (right) played together in the 1990s but fell out\n\nA defamation case brought by France's football team manager Didier Deschamps against his former teammate Eric Cantona has been declared void.\n\nThe court in Paris ruled that the complaint had not clearly defined the case for defamation. Deschamps has 10 days to appeal.\n\nDeschamps sued Cantona over comments he made ahead of Euro 2016.\n\nHe appeared to suggest Deschamps left out two players from the French squad because of their African origin.\n\nWith reference to Karim Benzema and Hatem Ben Arfa, Cantona told the Guardian newspaper at the time: \"Benzema is a great player. Ben Arfa is a great player.\n\n\"But Deschamps, he has a really French name. Maybe he is the only one in France to have a truly French name,\" the former Manchester United striker said.\n\nHe went on to say: \"Ben Arfa is maybe the best player in France today. But they have some origins. I am allowed to think about that.\"\n\nDeschamps' lawyer at the time called the remarks \"unacceptable, slanderous and defamatory\".\n\nBenzema was not selected to play in the European Championship after he was issued with a domestic ban for his involvement in an alleged blackmail scandal over a sex tape. Ben Arfa stayed on the standby list.\n\nCantona's lawyer welcomed Friday's court ruling, claiming it a \"victory\", and saying \"justice had been done\".\n\nEric Cantona, seen here at former club Manchester United, pledged his support for England over France during Euro 2016\n\nCantona and Deschamps, who are former France teammates, have fallen out numerous times since they played together in the mid-1990s.\n\nCantona previously called Deschamps a \"muppet\" and a \"vulgar water carrier\", a football insult implying Deschamps was good only to pass the ball to others.\n\nCantona was dropped from the French national team in 1995 after he attacked a fan during a Manchester United game with a kung fu-style kick, and never played for France again.", "Food and drink supplies in the UK face more disruption after the end of the Brexit transition period than they did from Covid, the industry has said.\n\n\"There are 14 [working] days to go,\" the Food and Drink Federation's (FDF) chief executive, Ian Wright, told MPs.\n\n\"How on earth can traders prepare in this environment?\" he added.\n\nNoting that rules for sending goods from Welsh ports to Northern Ireland had only just been published, he said: \"It's too late, baby.\"\n\nUncertainty over a deal and new border checks would make it difficult to guarantee the movement of food through ports without delays, he said.\n\nMr Wright was giving evidence to the Commons business committee on Brexit preparedness.\n\nHe said there was a big concern that the problems would \"erode the confidence of shoppers in the supply chain\", adding: \"It has done very well over Covid and shoppers will expect the same thing over Brexit, and they may not see it.\"\n\n\"We can't be absolutely certain about the movement of food from the EU to the UK from 1 January for two reasons,\" Mr Wright said.\n\n\"One is checks at the border. The other is tariffs, and the problem with tariffs is, we don't know what they will be.\"\n\nMr Wright added: \"With just 14 working days to go, we have no clue what's going to happen in terms of whether we do or don't face tariffs.\n\n\"And that isn't just a big imposition. It's a binary choice as to whether you do business in most cases. My members will not know whether they're exporting their products after 1 January, or whether they'll be able to afford to import them and charge the price that the tariff will dictate.\"\n\nMr Wright warned that while he expected Kent and Operation Brock to work \"reasonably well\", he was less confident about ports such as Holyhead, with goods heading to Northern Ireland.\n\nHe called the Northern Ireland protocol a \"complete shambles\", adding: \"The idea that you can prepare for something as big as the change that's going to happen is ridiculous, it's a massive toll.\"\n\nMr Wright added that 43% of FDF members who supply Northern Ireland have said they were not going to do so in the first three months of next year.\n\nHe told MPs that many companies had lost some of their customer base in the EU. \"The problem is, if there's any disruption to supply, you lose your customer pretty quickly and you do not get them back,\" he added.\n\nMiles Celic, chief executive of TheCityUK, told the committee that up to a quarter of the UK's financial activity was EU-related and that in the worst-case scenario, about 40% of that business could be lost.\n\nHowever, he added: \"We've not seen this vast shift in jobs and activity.\"\n\nInstead, Brexit had acted as a \"strategic accelerator\", with firms taking action such as restructuring EU-based offices as standalone operations. Even so, he warned: \"This all comes ultimately at a cost.\"\n\nLloyd Mulkerrins of the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said that if tariffs were levied on parts and finished vehicles, the UK's car industry was likely to see a sales decline of 20% to 30%.\n\nProduction would decline from as much as 1.6 million to just 800,000, he told the MPs.", "The Westway Trust was part of the \"collective response\" in aftermath of the Grenfell fire in 2017\n\nA west London charity that supported Grenfell Tower fire victims has been and remains institutionally racist, a review has found.\n\nThe Westway Trust, which manages land under the Westway road for the local community, commissioned a review in 2018 over allegations of racism.\n\nThe review found the trust had a \"legacy of institutional racism\" and should make a formal public apology.\n\nThe charity said it apologised \"to our entire community\".\n\nThe Westway Trust was created nearly 50 years ago to manage the 23 acres (9.3 hectares) of space under the elevated trunk road in west London.\n\nAccording to the charity's website, it was part of the \"collective response\" in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower fire, which killed 72 people.\n\nThe organisation commissioned the review after acknowledging \"serious\" allegations of institutional racism had been made over several decades.\n\nThe trust was created nearly 50 years ago to manage the land around the Westway\n\nThe report by the Tutu Foundation, an organisation that provides mediation services, found that, given all the evidence, the trust \"has been and remains institutionally racist\".\n\n\"The legacy of institutional racism lives within the organisation in terms of the perceptions and relations with the African Caribbean community, which has led to a continuing mistrust.\n\n\"The trust has failed to understand, identify and address racial disparity in terms of key functions including in relation to service delivery and employment,\" the review said.\n\nIt added the charity had \"lost sight of the reason for its establishment and early focus on community and inclusivity\", while anyone who had \"sounded the alarm\" about issues over the years had been ignored or silenced.\n\nThe review recommended a \"reparatory justice approach\" should be taken by the charity, which could include the offer of compensation to affected communities.\n\nIt also recommended the creation of a centre for civil rights and culture, which it said could be \"a way for the rich history of the area to be preserved and curated for future generations\".\n\nThe trust said it accepted the report's recommendations, adding that it wanted to be \"a truly inclusive organisation that is a beacon of good practice\".\n\nChair of trustees Toby Laurent Belson said trustees would now \"take the organisation through the changes necessary to bring about reparative and restorative justice\".\n\n\"Those changes will take time,\" he said. \"We look ahead to working with and representing our community as never before, so that in time we may be the organisation our community deserves.\"\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Actress Dame Barbara Windsor, best known for her roles in EastEnders and the Carry On films, has died aged 83.\n\nHer husband Scott Mitchell said she had died peacefully from Alzheimer's at a London care home on Thursday evening.\n\nHe said she would be remembered for the \"love, fun, friendship and brightness she brought to all our lives\".\n\nThe Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, who both met Dame Barbara, paid tribute to her acting and charity work.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. End of twitter post by The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall\n\nPrime Minister Boris Johnson added: \"So sad about Barbara Windsor, so much more than a great pub landlady and Carry On star.\"\n\nHe added that she was \"one of those people that just cheered you up, and cheered everybody up because she had a kind of irrepressible naughtiness that was totally innocent.\n\n\"She did a lot of good work for charity and looking after lonely and vulnerable people, she lit up people's faces.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Barbara Windsor visited Downing Street to highlight the concerns over dementia care\n\nSir Elton John added: \"The world has lost the biggest ray of light. And heaven has the sweetest and funniest angel.\"\n\nThe BBC's EastEnders programme also paid tribute, saying they were \"all deeply saddened\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by BBC EastEnders This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThe BBC announced it is dedicating Friday's Evening schedule on BBC One to Dame Barbara \"in loving memory\". It is showing Babs at 19:35 GMT- a dramatisation of her life story - followed by EastEnders at 21:05 GMT.\n\nDame Barbara was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2014 and had moved to a care home earlier this year.\n\nShe appeared in nine films in the Carry On comedy series, plus Sparrows Can't Sing, for which she was nominated for a Bafta, as well as parts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and On the Fiddle with Sir Sean Connery.\n\nShe was well-known to millions of TV viewers for her portrayal of landlady Peggy Mitchell in EastEnders, starring alongside her on-screen children Ross Kemp and Steve McFadden.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Some of Dame Barbara Windsor's highlights as Peggy Mitchell\n\nHer last appearance in the soap came in 2016, the same year she was made a dame for her services to charity and entertainment.\n\nShe also worked in theatre - making her stage debut at 13 - and appeared in productions including Oh! What A Lovely War and Fings Ain't Wot They Used To Be.\n\nThe moment you met her, she had an ability to make you feel like an old friend. She was funny, warm and engagingly open, she would arrive in a room and bring with her a little ripple of warmth.\n\nAnd the character you saw on TV and film was remarkably close to the person you would chat to before and after an interview. She was from a generation of working-class actors who had got their break in the 60s when theatre directors like Joan Littlewood were looking for talent that seemed real and natural on stage and screen.\n\nThat's not to say she wasn't also tough and canny enough to know how to turn on the charm. Her life was a story filled with gangsters, set backs and determination to succeed.\n\nShe had decided to act when she was a child and there was behind the laughter the sort of steel you need to have a career that lasts nearly 70 years. There was a definitely something of her character in the tough EastEnders landlady, Peggy Mitchell.\n\nBut she was always open about her ups and downs, she didn't hide the flaws and vulnerabilities, which only made her all the more likeable.\n\nAfter her dementia diagnosis, Dame Barbara became an ambassador for the Alzheimer's Society and met Mr Johnson to raise awareness about the disease.\n\nThe star delivered a letter signed by 100,000 people pleading for better care for people affected by dementia and saying the system was \"completely inadequate, unfair, unsustainable and in dire need of more money\".\n\nMr Mitchell, who campaigned alongside his wife, said of her death: \"It was not the ending that Barbara or anyone else living with this very cruel disease deserve.\n\n\"I will always be immensely proud of Barbara's courage, dignity and generosity dealing with her own illness and still trying to help others by raising awareness for as long as she could.\"\n\nThe couple went public with her diagnosis in 2018 and Mr Mitchell had said they had been \"really nervous\" about revealing she was affected by the condition.\n\nIn his statement he thanked the public, family and friends for support which he said \"Barbara deeply appreciated\".\n\nHe added: \"I've lost my wife, my best friend and soul mate and my heart or life will never feel the same without you.\"\n\nThe Alzheimer's Society said it was \"incredibly grateful\" to Dame Barbara and her husband for their work bringing awareness to the disease.\n\nIn a statement, the charity said: \"Dame Barbara Windsor was an amazingly true, much-loved national treasure, and in speaking out about her experiences shone like a beacon for others affected by dementia.\"\n\nLike her EastEnders character, Dame Barbara was born in east London, in Shoreditch in 1937.\n\nShe married three times, including to small-time criminal Ronnie Knight, and she also dated gangster Charlie Kray and his brother Reggie.\n\nThe actress married Mr Mitchell in 2000, with the pair having first met in 1992.\n\nIf you, or someone you know, has been affected by dementia you can find more information and support here.\n\nDid you meet or work with Barbara Windsor? Or has her Alzheimer's disease campaigning helped your family? Share your memories and experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Johnson: No-deal Brexit now \"very, very likely\"\n\nBoris Johnson and the EU have both warned they are unlikely to reach a post-Brexit trade deal by Sunday.\n\nEuropean Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said no deal was the most probable end to \"difficult\" talks.\n\nAnd the UK prime minister argued the EU needed to make a \"big change\" over the main sticking points on fishing rights and business competition rules.\n\nThe Sunday deadline was set by the two leaders after months of talks failed to achieve an agreement.\n\nIf a trade deal is not reached and ratified by both sides by 31 December, the UK and EU could impose taxes - tariffs - on each other's goods.\n\nThis could lead to higher prices, among other changes.\n\nMr Johnson chaired a meeting in Downing Street with Cabinet Officer minister Michael Gove and senior officials on Friday to carry out a \"stock-take\" of plans for a no-deal scenario, a No 10 official said.\n\nBBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg said there was \"no sign of much genuine movement to avert no deal\".\n\nWith talks continuing, the EU is determined to prevent the UK from gaining what it sees as an unfair advantage of having tariff-free access to its markets, while setting its own standards on products, employment rights and business subsidies.\n\nIt is also warning that, without access to UK waters for EU fleets, UK fishermen will no longer get special access to EU markets to sell their goods.\n\nBut the UK argues that what goes on in its own waters, and its wider business rules, should be under its control as a sovereign country.\n\nThe two sides also disagree on whether the European Court of Justice should settle future UK-EU trade disputes.\n\nEurope's leaders are keen to clarify they won't personally intervene in the current impasse in trade talks. There'll be no last-minute handshake or \"a-ha\" moment in Paris, Warsaw or Berlin.\n\nBehind the scenes, leaders are involved in discussions with their negotiators, but they don't want to be face-to-face, or ear-to-ear, with Boris Johnson in public.\n\nEU countries are joined together in their single market. So no individual EU leader - not even the most powerful ones, in France and Germany - can be perceived to be making the political compromises that could clinch the UK deal.\n\nConcessions will have an impact on the whole single market - and therefore all member states, as a collective.\n\nThe EU has rejected Mr Johnson's request to bypass the European Commission and speak directly to French President Emmanuel Macron and Germany's Angela Merkel about the unresolved issues.\n\nAccording to EU officials, he was told discussions could only take place through the bloc's chief negotiator, Michel Barnier.\n\nSpeaking on a visit to a vehicle battery factory in Blyth, Northumberland, Mr Johnson said: \"We're always hopeful and... our team is still out there in Brussels.\n\n\"If there's a big offer, a big change in what they're saying, then I must say that I'm yet to see it.\"\n\nIf there was no deal, the situation would still be \"wonderful for the UK\", as the country could \"do exactly what we want from 1 January\", he added, even if this was \"different from what we set out to achieve\".\n\nMrs von der Leyen, who met the prime minister in Brussels on Wednesday for three hours of talks, reportedly struck a downbeat tone when she told European national leaders the \"main obstacles\" to a deal remained.\n\nShe later told reporters that the two sides were still \"apart on fundamental issues\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. EC President Ursula von der Leyen says Brexit will be \"new beginnings for old friends\"\n\nBut German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas struck a more upbeat tone, saying: \"We believe finding a solution in the talks is difficult but possible.\"\n\nAnd Ireland's Taoiseach Micheal Martin said there was room for the two sides to \"come closer\" on the major sticking points if there was the \"political will\" to do so.\n\nEarlier on Friday, UK Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden suggested UK farmers and car manufacturers would get extra financial help if the EU targeted their products with tariffs.\n\nAnd the EU has set out contingency measures it would take in the event of no trade agreement being reached with the UK.\n\nIt says these would ensure UK and EU air and road connections still run after the post-Brexit transition period - under which the UK has continued to follow most of Brussels' rules - ends on 31 December.\n\nThey also allow the possibility of fishing access to each other's waters for up to a year, or until an agreement is reached.", "Disney has unveiled plans for a major expansion of its Star Wars and Marvel franchises on its Disney+ subscription streaming service.\n\nThe company said that its upcoming films Peter Pan & Wendy and Tom Hanks' Pinocchio would be launched directly on to Disney+, skipping theatres.\n\nBut it also announced price increases from February next year.\n\nDisney is the latest major studio to divert its focus from cinema to streaming.\n\nLast week Warner Brothers said all its 2021 releases would debut on HBO Max.\n\nThe coronavirus crisis has hit the film and entertainment industry hard, and cinemas are desperate for content to lure viewers back with new entertainment that can initially only be seen on their screens.\n\nBut content producers want to cater to audiences who may not be ready to go back to cinemas.\n\nThe Mandalorian is a big hit for Disney+\n\nAs part of the expansion, Disney is raising prices from £5.99 a month to £7.99 a month from 23 February. Prices will also increase in other countries by a similar amount.\n\nDisney said that it planned to offer 10 new TV series in its Marvel and Star Wars franchises over the next few years.\n\nThese include new series of Disney+'s biggest hit, The Mandalorian, featuring a Star Wars character who is the same species as Yoda.\n\nAnother Star Wars series, Andor, starring Diego Luna as the character he played in 2016's Rogue One film, was also announced.\n\nMore Star Wars animated series, The Bad Batch and A Droid Story are also in the works, the company said.\n\nAnother 15 live-action Disney Animation and Pixar shows and 15 Disney Animation and Pixar feature films will be available on the streaming service.\n\nExecutives said that customers should expect something new every week.\n\nThe news comes after a Warner Bros said last week that it would debut all 17 of its 2021 movies on its HBO Max streaming service on the same day they are released in cinemas.\n\nBut not every announcement was exclusively focused on streaming.\n\nWonder Woman director Patty Jenkins will become the first woman to direct a Star Wars film, Rogue Squadron, which focuses on a fighter pilot team in the Star Wars universe. It is scheduled for December 2023.\n\nDisney also announced a new streaming brand called Star, which will be part of Disney+ but stream shows from its other brands such as FX and 20th Century.\n\nThat includes a newly-announced TV series based on the Alien series of sci-fi films, but no date or plot details were given.\n\nDisney+, which was launched just over a year ago, now has 86.8 million subscribers - a figure far exceeding its own predictions for customer growth.\n\nTogether with its Hulu and ESPN sports streaming services the company has about 137 million subscribers in total.\n\nDisney+ is still well behind Netflix, which boasts nearly 200 million subscribers worldwide.\n\nBut the number of subscribers it has amassed, in such a short period of time, will have more established streaming services looking over their shoulders.", "All pupils, their families and teachers in parts of London, Kent and Essex should take a Covid test, Matt Hancock has said, as he set out a mass testing scheme for secondary schools.\n\nExtra mobile testing units will be sent out after east London and parts of Kent and Essex became some of England's major coronavirus hotspots.\n\nCases in these areas have risen fast, especially among 11 to 18-year-olds.\n\nOne London head teacher said the extra tests had been \"a long time coming\".\n\nGes Smith, head teacher at Jo Richardson Community School in Dagenham, said he would \"strongly encourage\" his pupils to get tested but added: \"As far as I know we have got no mandate on forcing students to take that test.\"\n\nHealth Secretary Matt Hancock said: \"I urge every student, parent and teacher in these areas to step forward for testing - irrespective of whether they have symptoms. While Covid-19 may be lower risk to children and young people, it still poses a significant risk to their families and communities.\"\n\nHe said he wanted to keep schools and colleges open but needed to target rising infection rates.\n\nKevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the National Education Union, said many parts of the country had higher infection rates than the places where the secondary school mass testing scheme was being rolled out.\n\nThe government should commit to a rolling out mass testing for schools across the country, including to primary schools in areas where rates for those age groups were high.\n\nA teacher from the Midlands, who asked to remain anonymous, said he was upset at the focus on London and the south east.\n\n\"It shows clear preferential treatment when London schools get offered mass testing, yet the Midlands and the North, which have been under massive pressure for months, have never been offered this mass testing,\" he told the BBC.\n\n\"Will they (the government) now roll out mass testing to other hard-hit areas in the North and Midlands?\"\n\nHe said his school had \"been under massive pressure\" since reopening, \"with close to 100 positive cases of both children and staff\".\n\nThe government said all local authorities in England's top tier three of Covid restrictions had been invited to apply for a six-week community testing programme following a mass testing trial in Liverpool.\n\nMass testing aims to find people who might be infected but not yet displaying symptoms so they can be told to isolate.\n\nMass Covid testing is going to become an ever bigger part of the attempt to keep schools open - and expect to see much more of it in the new year, for staff and pupils.\n\nBut this latest intervention seems to be more about targeting young people in this secondary school age group, in these hotspot areas, rather than entire school year groups being screened.\n\nIt's community testing with a focus on the rising infection rates among young people, rather than head teachers organising mass testing in schools.\n\nThere will be 15 mobile testing units \"in or near schools\" in London, but it seems so far unlikely to be schools testing pupils in the way universities carried out mass testing of students.\n\nThis will also raise questions. If there are such concerns about this age group, why not send pupils home to study online for the last few days of term - as has happened in Wales?\n\nThere have been consistent warnings about Covid hitting attendance in schools - so why is this testing appearing now when the term is almost over?\n\nAnd schools in northern England, struggling for months with high levels of infections, will be irritated at the sudden urgency of efforts to prevent London moving up to tier three restrictions.\n\nThere is also politics behind this. After a summer of U-turns, the government will do everything it can to keep schools open in England.\n\nMr Hancock said both PCR (a standard coronavirus test) and lateral flow testing - which takes about half an hour to show a result - would be used.\n\nIn a joint statement, the Department for Education and Department of Health said an extra 15 mobile testing units would be sent out in or near schools in the capital for staff, students and their families to be tested, providing about 75,000 tests.\n\nAnd 44,000 home test kits will be made available for school staff to be tested before term begins in January.\n\nIn Essex, 10 mobile testing units will be deployed tomorrow and over the weekend, while Kent will have a further 12 mobile testing units by the start of next week.\n\nFour of the affected London boroughs were among the 20 places with the highest case rates in last week, according to Public Health England. These were Havering (400.7 cases per 100,000 people), Barking and Dagenham (333.5), Waltham Forest (327.1) and Redbridge (310.3).\n\nSome 21 of London's 32 boroughs have infection rates higher than overall rate for England of 150 cases per 100,000 people.\n\nTaken together, London's outer boroughs have an infection rate of 205 cases per 100,000.\n\nThat is higher than the rate in Leicestershire, Tees Valley or Bristol, which are all under tier-three rules - the highest level - meaning people can only meet other households in outdoor public spaces such as parks, where the rule of six applies.\n\nKent is in tier three but London and Essex are currently in tier two - meaning no household mixing is allowed indoors and the rule of six applies outdoors.\n\nMr Hancock urged Londoners to \"stick by the rules\" this week amid fears the capital might be moved into tier three when the tiers are reviewed next week.\n\nAbout 99% of England's population are living in areas in the strictest two tiers of coronavirus rules, including more than 32 million in tier-two areas and more than 23 million in tier three.\n\nSchools in England have been given permission to close a day early for the Christmas holidays to reduce the chances of teachers having to spend their time off speaking to contact tracers about potential Covid cases.\n\nMeanwhile, more than 50 schools in Belfast have written to Northern Ireland's education minister urging him to reconsider his decision not to close schools early in the run-up to Christmas.\n\nThe Scottish government considered extending the Christmas school holidays to limit the spread of the virus after families get together during the festive period - but decided against it last week.\n\nWhat are your thoughts on the mass testing programme for secondary schools in the London, Kent and Essex hotspot? Share your views and experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "The song had stalled at number two for the last three Christmases\n\nCompleting a journey 26 years in the making, Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas Is You has reached number one in the UK singles chart.\n\nTaken from Carey's album 1994 Merry Christmas, the modern classic was originally held off the top spot by East 17's Stay Another Day.\n\nHowever, it finally climbed to the summit this week, after being streamed 10.8 million times.\n\n\"Happy Christmas UK! We finally made it!\" said Carey on hearing the news.\n\n\"We are keeping the Christmas spirit alive together despite how dismal the year's been.\n\n\"Love you always! ♥️ Joy to the world 🌎😇🎄!!!!\"\n\n\"Truly one of the greatest songs never to be number one has finally reached the top spot,\" said Radio 1's Scott Mills, who revealed the countdown on Friday. \"Hopefully it can hold on until Christmas Day!\"\n\nCarey knocked Ariana Grande's Positions off the top of the charts, as Christmas songs continue their annual takeover of the top 40.\n\nFestive songs account for 22 of the week's biggest-selling records, with six in the top 10 - including Wham's Last Christmas at number two, and The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl's Fairytale Of New York at four.\n\nWhile most of the songs are Christmas classics, there are also entries for Jess Glynne's cover of Donnie Hathaway's This Christmas and Justin Bieber's version of Brenda Lee's of Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree.\n\nBoth are exclusive to Christmas playlists on Amazon's music streaming service, highlighting the power of the company's smart speakers to boost a song into the charts.\n\nThis YouTube post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on YouTube The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts. Skip youtube video by MariahCareyVEVO This article contains content provided by Google YouTube. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Google’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts.\n\nAll I Want For Christmas Is You is the gift that keeps on giving.\n\nFirst released in 1994, it's an upbeat, catchy tribute to the Christmas hits of Motown and Phil Spector. A top three hit on both sides of the Atlantic, it quickly became a standard, with the New Yorker calling it \"one of the few worthy modern additions to the holiday canon\".\n\nCarey started writing the song while living in upstate New York in the summer of 1994, while playing the movie It's A Wonderful Life for inspiration.\n\nShe quickly stumbled on a chord progression and melody, which she captured on a mini tape recorder and brought to her longtime collaborator Walter Afanasieff.\n\nHe originally worried it was too basic. But that's exactly the quality that has made it such an enduring hit.\n\n\"The oversimplified melody made it easily palatable for the whole world to go, 'Oh, I can't get that out of my head!\" he said in an interview with ASCAP.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. All I Want For Christmas Is You: Meet the man behind Mariah Carey's festive classic\n\nIn her recent memoir, Carey said the song's opening chimes are meant to evoke the \"little wooden toy pianos, like the one Schroeder had on Peanuts\".\n\n\"I actually did bang out most of the song on a cheap little Casio keyboard,\" she added. \"But it's the feeling I wanted to capture. There's a sweetness, a clarity and a purity to it.\"\n\nAlthough she was unhappy at the time, dealing with the pressures of fame and a tempestuous relationship with her future husband Tommy Mottola, she wanted to \"write a song that would me me happy and make me feel like a loved, carefree young girl at Christmas\".\n\n\"I wanted to sing it in a way that would capture joy for everyone and crystallise it forever,\" she added. \"Yes, I was going for vintage Christmas happiness.\"\n\n'Finally able to enjoy it'\n\nThe song has since earned her more than $60m (£45m) in royalties; and has cumulatively spent 70 weeks in the UK's top 100.\n\nLast year, it topped the charts in America for the first time, making Carey the first artist to score a number one single in four different decades.\n\nSpeaking to the New York Times, however, the singer said she wasn't competitive about such matters.\n\n\"I don't need something else to validate the existence of this song,\" she said.\n\n\"I used to pick it apart whenever I listened to it, but at this point, I feel like I'm finally able to enjoy it.\"\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Malcolm Turnbull: \"Be careful what you wish for\"\n\nA former Australian prime minister has warned the UK to be \"careful what you wish for\" when it comes to EU trade.\n\nBoris Johnson has told people and businesses to prepare for the \"strong possibility\" we will not agree a post-Brexit trade deal with the EU, and end up trading on \"Australian\" terms.\n\nBut Malcolm Turnbull said there was no trade deal between his country and the bloc, which meant \"large barriers\".\n\nThe UK and the EU have until 31 December to come to an agreement.\n\nIf a deal is not struck, they will move to trading on World Trade Organisation rules - meaning tariffs or charges could be imposed on goods the UK buys and sells from and to the EU.\n\nTalks are ongoing, but Mr Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen agreed this week that a final decision on whether a deal can be reached must be made by Sunday.\n\nThe UK government has said throughout trade negotiations with the EU that it is seeking a \"Canada-style\" Free Trade Agreement, meaning tariffs would not be imposed.\n\nHowever, it has also said if that type of deal was not possible, it would move to an \"Australian-style relationship\" with the bloc, and the country would \"prosper\" either way.\n\nAustralia is negotiating a free trade deal with the EU, but does not currently have one.\n\nIt largely does business with the EU on World Trade Organisation rules, but has a few specific arrangements in place, such as co-operation on science and trade on wine - something that would not be the case for the UK if it leaves EU rules without a deal.\n\nAustralia has free trade agreements with most if its geographical neighbours and does not do nearly as much trade with the EU as the UK does.\n\nSpeaking on BBC Question Time, Mr Turnbull said: \"Australia has a deal with the EU on WTO terms and there are really some very large barriers to Australian trade with Europe, which we are seeking to address as we negotiate a free trade agreement with Europe\n\n\"But Australians would not regard our trade relationship with Europe as being a satisfactory one.\n\n\"There are very big barriers to Australian exports of agriculture products in particular and a lot of friction in the system in terms of services..\"\n\nMr Turnbull is the former leader of Australia's centre-right Liberal Party and was prime minister of the country between 2015 and 2018.", "Dame Barbara Windsor, who has died at the age of 83, became the nation's favourite pin-up, the bubbly blonde who packed a lot of personality into her 4ft 10in frame.\n\nHer journey from saucy minx in the Carry On films to the matriarch of the Queen Vic in EastEnders made her a national treasure.\n\nHer teenage life was troubled. She was rejected by her father, something that drove her into a string of stormy personal relationships.\n\nBut she went on to be a consummate actress who carved out a successful career on both stage and screen.\n\nBarbara Ann Deeks was born in Shoreditch, east London, on 6 August 1937, the daughter of a fruit and veg street seller and a dressmaker.\n\nHer mother Rose had great ambitions for her, paying for elocution lessons in an attempt to lose her cockney accent and move her up the social ladder. Windsor later said her mother's family felt she had married beneath her.\n\nA bright child, she sailed though her 11-plus examination. Her mother wanted her to go to university but she persuaded her otherwise by her performance in a school show.\n\nRose spent her savings on a place for Barbara at the Aida Foster School in Golders Green. The teachers took their turn in trying to iron out her cockney accent but all failed. Barbara made her stage debut at the age of 13.\n\nHer father John walked out when she was 15 and her mother forced her to give evidence at the divorce hearing, something she never forgot.\n\nThe unhappiness of her home life drove her to seek solace in a string of casual relationships, which led to her having three abortions by the time she was 21.\n\nShe had changed her name to Windsor when she appeared in her first film in 1954, as one of the schoolgirls in The Belles of St Trinian's.\n\nHer big break came when she joined Joan Littlewood's company at the Theatre Royal in Stratford, east London, appearing in the musical Fings Ain't Wot They Used To Be.\n\nHer role as Maggie Gooding in Littlewood's 1963 film Sparrers Can't Sing gained her a Bafta nomination.\n\nThere were also early roles in TV sitcoms including the BBC's The Rag Trade, which ran for two years from 1961.\n\nWindsor (right) with the cast of The Rag Trade in 1962\n\nEast End social life saw showbusiness intermingling with local gang culture, and Windsor became friends with the Kray twins and their entourage.\n\nShe dated Charlie Kray for six months - \"the most perfect gentleman I have ever known\" - and also had a brief relationship with his brother Reggie.\n\nIn 1964, she married a small-time criminal, Ronnie Knight, beginning a sometimes stormy union that would last more than 20 years.\n\nIn the same year, she was cast in Carry On Spying, the ninth film in the successful comedy franchise and the last to be shot in black and white.\n\nHer saucy laugh and flirtatious behaviour were perfect for the seaside postcard innuendo on which the success of the films was based.\n\nBarbara Windsor as a nurse in Carry On Doctor (1967)\n\nBut she was adamant that beneath the on-screen character was a serious actress.\n\n\"I am not like my image,\" she once said. \"Everyone thinks I just bounce in, but I study and everything has to be just right.\"\n\nAlthough she appeared in only a third of the Carry On series, they defined her career and later made it difficult to escape the inevitable typecasting.\n\nArguably her most memorable appearance was in Carry On Camping, when her bikini top flew off during some strenuous physical exercise.\n\nThe scene had to be shot three times, with the garment being removed by the deft use of a fishing rod in the hands of an off-screen assistant.\n\nBarbara had a 10-year affair with Carry On co-star Sid James\n\nDuring her Carry On career she had a 10-year affair with co-star Sid James, which ended just before the actor's death in 1976. It was later portrayed in the ITV drama Cor Blimey!, on which Windsor acted as an advisor.\n\nAt first, she fended him off, but his infatuation continued.\n\n\"I cared deeply for him,\" she recalled. \"I didn't at first, he was just my leading man and I used to push him off. But he was an old-fashioned charmer, opening doors and all the rest of it, making you feel like a lady. So our relationship was inevitable.\"\n\nIn between the Carry On films she continued her stage career, receiving a Tony Award nomination for the Broadway production of Oh! What A Lovely War.\n\nShe also starred as the music hall performer Marie Lloyd in the biopic Sing a Rude Song, a role she reprised in the BBC series The Good Old Days.\n\nIn the mid-1970s she toured with her own show, Carry On Barbara, and appeared as Maria in Twelfth Night at Chichester Festival Theatre.\n\nBut, as she reached her 40s, the image of the bubbly blonde with the sexy wiggle was hampering her ability to get work.\n\n\"I found myself in the doldrums in the early 90s. I was too old to play the dolly bird any longer and I looked too young to play a woman of my real age.\"\n\nShe did get the part of the raunchy landlady in a stage production of Joe Orton's black comedy Entertaining Mr Sloane, which was directed by her Carry On co-star Kenneth Williams.\n\nHer marriage to Ronnie was coming to an end, after he fled to Spain following his involvement in a multi-million-pound robbery from a security company.\n\nIn 1994, Dame Barbara was introduced to Albert Square as Peggy Mitchell, mother to Phil (right) and Grant\n\nHer career received a major boost in 1994 when she was chosen to play brassy landlady Peggy Mitchell in the BBC soap EastEnders.\n\nIronically, she had spent some of the previous few years pulling pints in a pub in Buckinghamshire that she owned with her second husband, Stephen Hollings.\n\nShe admitted she had found the idea of EastEnders daunting, joining what was an already well-established drama.\n\n\"I was as scared starting on EastEnders as I was when I first stepped on to the Carry On set,\" she later recalled. \"I had to prove myself in a different world.\"\n\nShe based the character of Peggy on Violet Kray, the matriarch of the gang family she had known so well in her youth.\n\nOn set she found herself acting as a mother figure to many of the soap's young actors, some of whom had no formal training in drama.\n\nAnd at the age of 70, she told one interviewer that she still got a thrill from being wolf-whistled in the street - and made sure she put an extra wiggle in her walk when it happened.\n\nShe was forced out of the soap for two years after contracting the debilitating Epstein-Barr virus at the end of 2002, which left her bedridden.\n\nThere was a brief return in 2004, but she was not well enough to resume the role full-time until the following year.\n\nShortly after picking up a lifetime achievement award at the British Soap Awards, she announced she was quitting EastEnders to spend more time with her third husband, Scott Mitchell.\n\n\"I'll be so sad to leave Peggy behind,\" she said at the time. \"She's such a wonderful character to play.\"\n\nThere was also a problem that she withheld from her fans. She had begun finding it hard to learn her lines and she kept repeating certain sentences and stories.\n\nAfter a series of mental agility tests and a brain scan, she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2014. \"I'm so sorry,\" she mouthed to her husband.\n\nTwo years later she filmed her final scenes as Peggy Mitchell. EastEnders were reluctant to kill off such an iconic character but she rang the producers to insist.\n\nIn 2009, she was presented with a lifetime achievement award at the British Soap Awards\n\nHer husband Scott went to see them to make sure they understood this really was the end. \"Look into my eyes,\" he said. \"She is not coming back.\"\n\nOn set they had an autocue ready but she did not need it. Peggy Mitchell, terminally ill with breast cancer, took a lethal overdose of pills and died in her sleep.\n\nIn the 2016 New Year's Honours, Barbara was made a dame for her services to charity and entertainment. But soon afterwards, Dame Barbara's Alzheimer's became more difficult to hide.\n\nBy the time she turned 80 in August 2017, a continual confusion had set in. She became more and more housebound, upset at having to keep her secret from the fans who flocked to her whenever she set foot outside.\n\nIn May 2018, she made the decision to go public with her condition and was still well enough to feel overwhelmed by the warmth of the public reaction.\n\nDame Barbara may have retreated from the public gaze but around her friends and family took on the role of campaigning and fundraising for dementia care in her honour.\n\nAdam Woodyatt and Jake Wood were among several EastEnders stars who ran the London Marathon in 2019 in a team called Barbara's Revolutionaries.\n\n\"It means so much to me to see some of my closest friends coming together to support this cause,\" Dame Barbara said.\n\n\"I know it will mean a lot to everyone else living with dementia.\"\n\nLater that year Dame Barbara put her name to an open letter with her husband calling on the prime minister for a \"long-term funding solution to end the social care crisis\". It coincided with the couple's appointment as ambassadors for the Alzheimer's Society.\n\nIn July 2020, Dame Barbara's husband had to make the difficult decision to move her into a care home as her condition deteriorated during the coronavirus lockdown.\n\nBoth on and off-screen Dame Barbara will be remembered as the \"sex-pot with a heart of gold, navigating a complicated and sometimes tumultuous private life\".\n\nShe enjoyed her successes, faced life's challenges bravely and found happiness in her final marriage to Scott.\n\nShe was a formidable character actress with a place in British hearts for more than half a century. And like many of the characters she played, Barbara Windsor was sometimes down, but never out.", "Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Friday evening. We'll have another update for you on Saturday.\n\nThe self-isolation period for contacts of people who test positive for coronavirus and those instructed to quarantine after returning from high-risk countries, will be shortened from 14 to 10 days across the UK from Monday. Here's a reminder of all of the self-isolation rules.\n\nPupils, their families and teachers should take a Covid test, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said as he set out a mass-testing scheme for secondary schools in parts of London, Kent and Essex. Cases among 11 to 18-year-olds in those areas have been rising rapidly in recent weeks - with one head teacher saying resources for extra testing had been \"a long time coming\". The National Education Union welcomed the extra tests but said the government should commit to mass testing \"across the country, not just in the South East\".\n\nWhile the schools testing programme only applies to the worst-affected areas of London and parts of Kent and Essex, positive coronavirus tests are increasing across the capital, according to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics. Cases could be on the up in the east of England too. It's a mixed picture across the UK though. Wales is seeing rising infections, while levels are falling in Northern Ireland and staying the same in Scotland. Meanwhile, the UK's R number, or reproduction number, has crept up slightly in the past week.\n\nBritons holidaying on Spain's Canary Islands say their Christmas plans have been thrown into jeopardy after quarantine rules were imposed. Travellers returning to the UK will have to self-isolate from Saturday due to rising infection rates. Even a reduced 10-day quarantine period means some of those due to return later next week would still need to isolate over Christmas. Here's a guide to travelling abroad during the pandemic.\n\nInternational blockbusters including James Cameron's Avatar sequels, Amazon's Lord of the Rings series and Jane Campion's The Power of the Dog all managed complex film shoots in New Zealand this year. Thanks to its handling of the pandemic, the country is enjoying an unprecedented boom in film production, with directors seeking safe conditions and that most elusive thing in 2020 - a normal life.\n\nFind more information, advice and guides on our coronavirus page.\n\nPlus, as the global race to develop a Covid vaccine makes great strides, we take a look at the vaccine pioneer the world forgot.\n\nWhat questions do you have about coronavirus?\n\nIn some cases, your question will be published, displaying your name, age and location as you provide it, unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published. Please ensure you have read our terms & conditions and privacy policy.\n\nUse this form to ask your question:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or send them via email to YourQuestions@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any question you send in.", "The mass Covid testing of students before Christmas has so far found 0.2% testing positive at one of the universities taking part.\n\nThe University of Portsmouth is reporting \"very low numbers\" of positive cases from its Covid testing.\n\n\"We are seeing fewer than two per day on average at present,\" said vice-chancellor Graham Galbraith.\n\nHe criticised a \"blame culture\" in which students had been accused of spreading infections.\n\n\"Prevalence in students is now very low indeed,\" said Prof Galbraith.\n\nEdge Hill University in Lancashire says it has so far found zero positive cases in its end-of-term testing.\n\nThe mass testing of students, launched on campuses last week, has been screening hundreds of thousands of students preparing to leave for the Christmas holidays.\n\nThere are no national figures so far on results from university testing, but some early findings are being published.\n\nThese include results so far from four universities - but it is not known how representative they might be of the wider picture.\n\nThe most recent figures for the general population show wide regional differences in rates of testing positive, including those without symptoms - from 1.3% in the north west of England to 0.4% in the south west.\n\nCovid testing at the University of Portsmouth has so far found few positive cases\n\nAt the University of Portsmouth, an initial sample of about 4,500 students, showed a rate of 0.2% positive results, or about nine students.\n\nThe University of Cambridge had even lower positive results last week from tests for those who did not have any Covid symptoms - with zero positive cases from more than 10,000 students being screened.\n\nThere were separate figures from Cambridge for those who thought they had Covid symptoms - with nine cases being confirmed out of 71 tested.\n\nCambridge has run its own test and tracking system throughout the term.\n\n\"Where outbreaks did occur, the testing programme helped us identify these quickly and put measures in place to prevent them spreading further,\" said Patrick Maxwell, regius professor and head of Cambridge's school of clinical medicine.\n\n\"Once the second lockdown was put in place, we saw the number of infected students fall away to single figures,\" said Prof Maxwell.\n\nEdge Hill University has reported zero positive cases from more than 2,100 students who took part in the mass testing since last week.\n\nAt the University of Reading, more than 3,500 tests have been carried out for students without symptoms - finding 15 positive results, about 0.4% of tests.\n\nStudents who test positive will then have further tests to confirm if they have the virus.\n\nBut there have also been warnings that lateral flow tests can miss some positive cases - and it remains uncertain how many students might not have taken a test before leaving at the end of term.\n\nPortsmouth's vice chancellor said he wanted to publish the evidence to show how much infection rates had fallen among his university's students.\n\nProf Galbraith said students should not \"bear the brunt of blame and criticism when in reality their overall behaviour has been exceptionally positive in conforming with the rules\".\n\nThe university, which carried out its own Covid testing through the autumn, says that its data shows there was no link between the pattern of student infections and cases in the wider local population.\n\nThere was a surge in early October in cases among students and the local Portsmouth population.\n\nBut from mid-October cases among students began to fall - while cases in the local population continued to climb, with these divergent trends continuing through to mid-November, when local cases also began to reduce.\n\nThe university says its own testing and tracing system had sharply reduced cases among students - and that students were unlikely to have been driving local outbreaks.\n\nNick Hillman, director of the Higher Education Policy Institute, said the \"hard evidence\" now emerging from testing could prove that expectations about infection rates among students had been wrong.\n\n\"Like everyone else, the higher education sector has been learning about Covid as it has gone along,\" he said.", "A lone Republican senator has blocked a congressional vote to create two new Smithsonian museums dedicated to American women and Latinos.\n\nCasting his dissenting vote, Senator Mike Lee said they would \"further divide an already divided nation\".\n\nThe legislation received unanimous bipartisan support by the remainder of the 100-member Senate.\n\nIt boasts of being the \"world's largest museum, education and research complex,\" with the newest Smithsonian museum - the Museum of African American History and Culture - added in 2016.\n\nA museum for Latino history has been being considered for at least 20 years, after a government report found in the early 1990s that the Smithsonian \"displays a pattern of wilful neglect\" toward Latinos and \"almost entirely excludes and ignores Latinos in nearly every aspect of its operations\".\n\nA measure to create a women history's museum was introduced in the early 2000s.\n\nIn his speech on the Senate floor on Thursday night, Mr Lee - a Utah senator who leans libertarian - condemned politics based on identity - a topic that many conservative Americans have voiced objections to in recent years.\n\n\"My objection to the creation of a new Smithsonian museum or series of museums based on group identity, what Theodore Roosevelt called hyphenated Americanism, is not a matter of budgetary or legislative technicalities,\" he said. \"It is a matter of national unity and cultural inclusion.\"\n\nSoldiers outside the African American museum during summer protests\n\nBecause the authors of the two museum bills had sought a unanimous vote of all 100 senators, each measure was struck down in its entirety by Mr Lee's objection. Measures supporting the Latino museum and women's museum had already been passed earlier this year by the House of Representatives - the lower chamber of Congress.\n\nMr Lee went on to say: \"The so-called critical theory undergirding this movement does not celebrate diversity; it weaponises diversity.\n\n\"I understand what my colleagues are trying to do and why. I respect what they're trying to do. I even share their interests in ensuring that these stories are told. But the last thing we need is to further divide an already divided nation with an array of segregated, separate-but-equal museums for hyphenated identity groups.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Why did so many Latinos back Trump?\n\nIn a following debate, Mr Lee argued that Native Americans and black Americans had their histories \"virtually erased,\" which was why Smithsonian institutions exist for them.\n\n\"We have been systematically excluded,\" retorted New Jersey Democratic Senator Bob Menendez, the author of the Latino museum bill.\n\n\"Believe me, we have been,\" he added, accusing Mr Lee of standing \"in the way of the hopes and dreams and aspirations of seeing Americans of Latino descent having their dreams fulfilled and recognised\".\n\nLatina Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a liberal Democrat from New York, was among those criticising Mr Lee. She noted that the debate over these two bills came as coronavirus stimulus relief bills continued to stall in the Senate.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nMaine Republican Senator Susan Collins, who sponsored the Smithsonian Women's History Museum Act, joined in the criticism of Mr Lee, calling it a \"sad moment\" and adding that \"it seems wrong\" for a single senator to block such popular measures.\n\n\"Surely in a year where we are celebrating the 100th anniversary of women's suffrage, this is the time, this is the moment to finally pass the legislation,\" she said, referring to the centennial of women's right to vote in the US.\n\nMuseum advocates say Mr Lee's objection is just one of many roadblocks, and that other legislative avenues still exist to having the measures pass.\n\nSenators could still attempt to attach the museum measures to the year's highly important budget bill, or otherwise reintroduce the measures when the new Congress convenes in January.\n\nEven if the votes had passed, it would still be years before building would begin, as Congress would also need to vote again to allocate funds to the projects.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nLast week, Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G Bunch III released a statement praising the two bills.\n\n\"Creating new museums is challenging, but, with appropriate funding, the Smithsonian has the skill and expertise to do it right,\" he said. \"We can, and have, created museums that meet the needs of the nation and showcase the US to the world.\"", "More than 50 schools in Belfast have written a joint letter to the education minister urging him to \"reconsider your stance on early school closure\".\n\nThe letter comes from nursery, primary and post-primary schools in the West Belfast Area Learning Community (ALC).\n\nIt contains a strongly-worded warning that easing many restrictions on 11 December will have a knock-on effect for schools.\n\nThe schools also said that a plan is needed for January.\n\nThey said \"there may be a tsunami of cases arriving in to each of our schools\" in the new year.\n\nEducation Minister Peter Weir has repeatedly stated that schools will not close early for the Christmas break.\n\nHe has also said that health experts have not recommended closing schools early.\n\nHowever some principals have said pupils will not be marked absent if parents want them to do schoolwork at home in the final week of term.\n\nMany schools are due to end term on Friday 18 December, but some continue until 22 December.\n\nThe joint letter from west Belfast schools told Mr Weir there had been a \"lack of clarity from the Department of Education, conflicting guidance from the department and Public Health Agency, and a real lack of insight from you or your department concerning the enormous volume of work which we face on a daily basis\".\n\nIt said that the easing of many restrictions in other areas would have an impact on schools.\n\n\"Given that the executive has agreed to 'relax' restrictions to enable people to experience a more normal Christmas, we are fearful that this allows for increased mixing of bubbles and larger numbers of households and people being able to gather leading to increased infection rates,\" it said.\n\nEducation Minister Peter Weir has repeatedly said there are no plans to close schools early for the Christmas break\n\n\"These increased risks on people's health, added pressure on NHS and likelihood of increasing mortality as a result of Covid-19 must have been judged to be tolerable in order to ensure that people are allowed to see loved ones at Christmas.\n\n\"However, failure to close schools at a time when hospitality and close-contact services resume, will undoubtedly impact on the Christmas experience of those school staff who are identified by contact tracing over the coming weeks.\n\n\"It might appear to some that whilst increasing deaths and illness rates are tolerable, safeguarding the Christmas of front-line staff such as healthcare workers and schools are not important to the executive or your department.\"\n\nThe letter also said that school staff had been providing constant support to pupils and parents affected by lockdown.\n\n\"Our school populations continue to grow and so, too, does the level of need and vulnerability,\" the letter said.\n\n\"We are all too aware of the 'breaking point' that some of our pupils and families have reached over the possibility of spending Christmas away from loved ones.\n\n\"This period of restrictions has been very difficult on those pupils with special educational needs, especially those suffering with Autistic Spectrum Disorder, as their ability to see loved ones from their extended family has been impacted and Christmas may be the only opportunity in the coming months.\"\n\nIt concludes by pleading with Mr Weir to allow school staff to teach and pupils to learn from home \"for a period of just five or six days\" before the planned end of term.\n\n\"As school leaders we also have a duty of care to our staff, pupils and the wider school community,\" it said.\n\n\"The biggest cause of stress and anxiety we see at the present time is the uncertainty people feel about their ability to see extended family over the Christmas break.\n\n\"In what has been an exceptional year for us all, can I ask that you reconsider your stance on early school closure, or at least trust in the professional judgement of school leaders to provide effective home learning opportunities which will enable the exceptionally hard working educational workforce to have the Christmas break which they have earned throughout this pandemic.\n\n\"This action, alone, has the power to do much to boost the morale and well-being of every member of staff in schools.\"\n\nThe government in Wales has said all post-primary schools will move to online teaching until Christmas from Monday 14 December.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nHonours titles associated with the British Empire are \"offensive and divisive\" and should be rebranded, a senior Labour MP has told the BBC.\n\nKate Green, who got an OBE in 2005, told the Political Thinking podcast it gave people \"huge pleasure\" to have their achievements recognised.\n\nBut the shadow education secretary said honours were hierarchical and the link to Empire was \"hurtful to people\".\n\n\"You can't justify that branding,\" she told host Nick Robinson.\n\nBut the Conservatives said \"abandoning\" the current honours system would amount to \"cultural and historic vandalism\".\n\nOrders of the British Empire - the CBE, OBE and MBE - were first awarded during World War One to recognise the contribution of civilians to the war effort and the actions of service personnel in support positions.\n\nThey are now awarded for outstanding achievements in different fields at either a national or local level.\n\nThe British Empire Medal, awarded for significant community service, was revived in 2012, having been scrapped in 1993.\n\nSome Labour MPs have previous called for the word \"empire\" to be replaced by \"excellence\" in honours awarded by the Queen.\n\nMs Green told the BBC's Nick Robinson she had thought hard before accepting an OBE for services to charity and welfare for her work in helping children as chief executive of the Child Poverty Action Group and before that as director of the National Council for One Parent Families.\n\nShe said she decided to take the honour, which she received five years before she entered Parliament in 2010, because it \"thrilled\" her father.\n\nWhile honours were a valuable way of celebrating people's contributions to their community or country, she added, their association with the economic and racial injustices of the British Empire was not defensible.\n\nEd Sheeran is among the famous people to have received an MBE\n\n\"It's really the wrong language. It's divisive, it's offensive and hurtful to people.\n\n\"One of the things I've been looking at a lot in recent weeks is the black curriculum campaign and decolonising our history and the whole curriculum. You can't excuse or justify that branding.\"\n\nShe said issues with the way in which honours were handed out ran \"deeper\" than just the titles and a \"lot more reform was needed\" of the secretive system.\n\nMembers of the public can nominate people for honours, but critics say the committees that make the final decisions are not representative of society as a whole and awards for political service make a mockery of the system.\n\nBoris Johnson, Theresa May, David Cameron and Tony Blair have all been criticised for using the honours system to reward political allies and people who have give money to their parties.\n\n\"I know many efforts have been made to democratise and open up that honours system but it's still pretty hierarchical of who gets what,\" she said.\n\nConservative Party co-chairwoman Amanda Milling said: \"The names given to our national honours reflect this country's history and traditions.\n\n\"We should not abandon them, just as we shouldn't rename the Victoria Line, the Royal Albert Hall or the Imperial War Museum, or tear down the countless public monuments, statues and landmarks that tell the story of our United Kingdom.\n\n\"To do so would be an act of cultural and historic vandalism.\"", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Jacqueline Mason visiting her mother Eileen McGrugan in the care home\n\nA bus driver has said his detour to let a passenger visit her mother in a care home was \"just the right thing to do\".\n\nJacqueline Mason had accidentally got on the wrong bus on her way to the home and could have missed her visiting slot.\n\nDriver Alec Bailey said it \"hit his heart\" when Jacqueline broke down in tears at that prospect.\n\nHe told his other passengers he would take a detour to get her as close to the home as possible.\n\n\"When the woman said to me she hadn't seen her mum in a long time, it just hit my heart,\" he said.\n\n\"A lot of people have suffered this year and you've seen on the news, people not able to see their mother or their father in the homes and it just struck a chord with me.\n\n\"I just said to myself, I have to get this woman as close as I can to that home.\"\n\nAlec Bailey said Jacqueline's plight struck a chord with him\n\nJacqueline, was due to visit her 79-year-old mother in Bradley Manor nursing home in north Belfast on Wednesday.\n\nDue to coronavirus restrictions, she only had a 30-minute slot to visit her mum.\n\nWhen she arrived, media crews were there to interview residents and staff as they received the Covid-19 vaccine.\n\nJacqueline told Sky's Ireland correspondent about the driver's kind gesture and how she wanted to thank him.\n\nBut all she knew was that his first name was Alec and that he drove a Translink Metro bus along the 11B route.\n\n\"I don't know this side of town at all,\" she explained.\n\n\"He asked people on the bus did they mind if he took a short detour and he took me to the roundabout just at the top here and then I was able to get here on time to see Mummy.\"\n\nSpeaking to BBC News NI on Thursday, Jacqueline said: \"I can't get over the other passengers as well, but especially Alec.\n\n\"He's made my Christmas and he's made my year, I can't thank him enough.\"\n\nJacqueline promised Alec a hug when it is safe\n\nAlec said he had not told anyone about the incident and spent the day worrying about whether the woman had got to see her mum.\n\nIt was only later when his daughter showed him the clip of Jacqueline that he was able to see the impact his kind gesture had had.\n\n\"My daughter sent me the clip and I looked at it and when I viewed it, I saw how happy the woman was to see her mum.\n\n\"The smile and the joy on her face just said it all and I was just so pleased.\n\n\"It was just a nice, magical moment. It was just the right thing to do.\"\n\nJacqueline's mother Eileen McGrugan was among the residents who were vaccinated at Bradley Manor nursing home\n\nIn a statement to BBC News NI, Translink's chief executive Chris Conway said: \"I am proud of Alec Bailey for going above and beyond to help Jacqueline.\n\n\"Alec exemplifies the spirit and resilience of the Translink team.\n\n\"He is a long-serving member of staff who has been working throughout the pandemic, going out of his way to ensure key and essential workers, education and communities stay connected.\n\n\"I'm delighted that we were able to help in this case,\" Mr Conway added.\n\nJacqueline's story was retweeted by Stormont's Transport Minister Nichola Mallon, and also by her department's official Twitter account, which described it as \"a real winter warmer\".\n\nJacqueline's mother, Eileen McGrugan, was among the residents who received their first dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine on Wednesday.\n\nJacqueline told Sky she was looking forward to being able to hug her mum again soon.", "The Gender Identity Service is based at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust\n\nAll but one child treated for gender dysphoria with puberty-blocking drugs at a leading NHS clinic also received cross-sex hormones, a study has shown.\n\nThe Tavistock and Portman Trust has argued the treatments are not linked.\n\nThe High Court ruled last week that under-16s are unlikely to be able to give informed consent to be treated with puberty-blocking drugs.\n\nThe trust said the study's findings were not accepted by a peer-reviewed journal until the day of the judgement.\n\nThese findings are from a study run by the Tavistock's Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS) - England's only NHS specialist gender clinic for children - and research partners at University College London Hospitals.\n\nThe study began in 2011 and enrolled 44 children aged between 12 and 15 over the following three years. At the time, only those aged 16 and over were eligible for puberty blockers in the UK.\n\nWhen BBC Newsnight covered the study and its preliminary findings last year it highlighted how previous research suggested all young people who took blockers went on to take cross-sex hormones - the next stage towards transitioning to the opposite gender.\n\nThe Tavistock's newly published findings appear to confirm this, with 43 out of 44 participants - or 98% - choosing to start treatment with cross-sex hormones.\n\nEarlier this month, the High Court ruled that children under-16 were unlikely to be able to give informed consent to treatment with puberty blockers.\n\nThe relationship between blockers and subsequent treatment with cross-sex hormones was a core feature of the case.\n\nLawyers representing the claimants said there was \"a very high likelihood\" children who start taking hormone blockers will later begin taking cross-sex hormones, leading potentially to infertility and impaired sexual function.\n\nThe Tavistock argued puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones were entirely separate stages of treatment and one does not automatically lead to the other.\n\nThe judges rejected that argument, saying \"in our view this does not reflect the reality\".\n\n\"The evidence shows that the vast majority of children who take [puberty blockers] move on to take cross-sex hormones,\" and that these are part of \"one clinical pathway\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe study findings potentially lend further support to that assertion.\n\nThe Tavistock disputes this, saying that as those in this study had persistent and consistent gender dysphoria throughout their childhood, it is not surprising they would seek to continue treatment after 16.\n\nIt argues that the fact not all chose to do so shows this course of treatment is not an inevitability.\n\nFurthermore, the data was requested by the High Court during the hearing, but the Tavistock did not provide it.\n\nThe data, the trust argued, would be published in a peer-reviewed journal, but comments were being reviewed by the study's principal investigator, Prof Russell Viner - the president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health.\n\nHowever, the Tavistock published the data the day after the High Court handed down its judgement, and not in a peer-reviewed journal.\n\nThe Tavistock told the BBC that the paper was not accepted for publication until the day of the judgement and it was put into preprint that day.\n\nThe published study showed that treatment with the blocker brought about no change in psychological function.\n\nThis differs from Dutch findings \"which reported improved psychological function,\" upon which many gender clinics have based their treatment.\n\nPreliminary findings which showed that after a year on blockers, there was a significant increase in those answering the statement: \"I deliberately try to hurt or kill myself\", were not replicated across the duration of the study.\n\nThe study had no control group - with children who did not take puberty blockers - to enable the researchers to compare results with.\n\nSo, it is hard to infer cause and effect or draw conclusions as to the potential harms or benefits of this treatment.\n\nThe Gender Identity Service is based at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust\n\nThe study also measured the impact of puberty blocking drugs on children's height and bone density.\n\nThe researchers found that suppressing puberty \"reduced growth that was dependent on puberty hormones\".\n\nHeight growth continued, \"but more slowly than for their peers\".\n\nThe Tavistock Trust said \"the paper has now been accepted by a peer-reviewed journal and will be published soon\".\n\nAll new referrals for puberty blockers are currently paused because of the High Court's ruling, and an NHS review into gender identity services for children and young people is currently under way.\n\nIf you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can find support and advice via BBC Action Line.\n\nYou can watch Newsnight on BBC Two weekdays at 22:30 or on iPlayer, subscribe to the programme on YouTube and follow it on Twitter.", "Rhiannon Davies, pictured with daughter Kate, campaigned for a review into maternity care\n\nMothers were blamed for their babies' deaths and a large number of women died in labour at a scandal-hit maternity unit, a review has found.\n\nThe inquiry into Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS (SaTH) trust found deaths were often not investigated and an induction drug was repeatedly misused.\n\nRhiannon Davies said she never doubted what happened with her daughter Kate.\n\nSeven \"immediate and essential\" actions have been made for all maternity services across England.\n\nThe chief executive of SaTH said they \"commit to implementing all of the report's actions\".\n\nThe review began in 2018 following campaigns led by two families. Richard Stanton and Ms Davies' daughter Kate died hours after her birth in March 2009, while Kayleigh and Colin Griffiths' daughter Pippa died in 2016 from a Group B Streptococcus infection.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. WATCH: The parents of babies Kate and Pippa talk about the pain of losing their child\n\nThe interim report lists numerous traumatic birth experiences including the deaths of babies due to excessive force of forceps and stillbirths that could have been avoided.\n\nOthers recount repeated failures by staff to recognise mothers and babies in deteriorating conditions, including one mother whose baby died because staff were \"too busy\" to monitor her during labour.\n\nIt found letters and records \"which often focused on blaming the mothers\" rather than considering whether the trust's systems were at fault. This was exacerbated by the attitude of staff, the report said.\n\nIt said: \"One of the most disappointing and deeply worrying themes that has emerged is the reported lack of kindness and compassion from some members of the maternity team.\n\n\"The fact that this was found to be lacking… is unacceptable and deeply concerning.\"\n\nIn June police launched an investigation to examine if there was evidence to support a criminal case against the trust or any individuals involved.\n\nFollowing the publication of the report, Geoff Wessell, Assistant Chief Constable for West Mercia Police, said their investigation has been running concurrently with the review and remains ongoing.\n\nThe inquiry - the largest ever of NHS maternity care - is being led by senior midwife Donna Ockenden and is looking into 1,862 cases and initially examined 250 cases.\n\nIt looked at a selection of cases between 2000 and 2018 and found there were 13 maternal deaths, a rate that is disproportionately high.\n\nWhile the report said the women were often correctly identified as being \"high risk\" due to existing medical conditions, little concrete action appeared to follow with junior doctors conducting assessments and no team working to ensure best care.\n\nAfter each death \"in some cases, no investigation was initiated\" whilst in others \"no learning appears to have been identified.\"\n\nThe report said \"inappropriate language had been used at times causing distress,\" and there were cases \"where women were blamed for their loss and this further compounded their grief.\"\n\nMs Davies' daughter Kate was born \"pale and floppy\" at Ludlow Community Hospital and died after delays in transferring her from Ludlow to a doctor-led maternity unit.\n\nShe has fought for a review for 11 years and said: \"I may sound arrogant but I've never doubted my surety of what happened with Kate.\n\n\"I knew I was right. The interim findings will hopefully bring this essential change, critically required change, change this trust has not been able to see it needs to embed and that will hopefully ensure patient safety improves and that is the only reason we've continued.\"\n\nPippa Griffiths died at one day old after contracting meningitis from a Group B Strep infection\n\nHer husband Richard said: \"I think it's really important that the interim findings go someway to imposing emergency recommendations which are clearly needed at this point to improve maternity care, no family should have to go through what me and Rhiannon and all the others have gone through.\n\n\"We just wanted to get to the truth.\"\n\nThe reports lists 27 actions the trust must immediately carry out.\n\nMs Ockenden said: \"Today we are explaining in this first report local actions for learning and immediate and essential actions which we believe will improve maternity care, not only at this trust but across England so that the experiences women and families have described to us are not replicated elsewhere.\n\nThe work that follows \"owes its origins to Kate Stanton-Davies and her parents\", Ms Ockenden said.\n\nShe added Kate and Pippa's parents have shown \"an unrelenting commitment in ensuring their daughter's short lives made a difference to the safety of maternity care\".\n\nMrs Griffiths, Pippa's mother said: \"It's not acceptable... you have to pick those failures up, you have to own them and you have to make improvements.\"\n\nThis is not a dry report - its pages scream with the voices of the families who have been needlessly harmed.\n\nI've heard many of these stories over the years, having spoken to dozens of families, but to read it in black and white, was still a sobering moment.\n\nThe review's publication also draws a firm line under the pretence that successive poor, weak leaders of the organisation maintained until recently, namely that the trust was no worse than others. They are worse, much worse, and have been for years.\n\nThe alphabet soup of NHS organisations that were meant to protect these families - the inspectors, the regulators, the commissioners - have a lot of questions to answer too.\n\nTheir repeated refusal to see what was happening, despite being told of the problems, is just as shaming as the trust's stance. Their moment of reckoning will come next year, when the final report is published.\n\nConservative MP for Telford Lucy Allan said the findings of the review were \"deeply harrowing\".\n\nFormer Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, who ordered an inquiry in 2017, tweeted: \"This is a tragic day for families across Shropshire who've had it confirmed in black & white that hundreds of babies died needlessly.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Jeremy Hunt This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nLouise Barnett, the trust's chief executive, said: \"I want to say how very sorry we are for the pain and distress that has been caused to mothers and their families due to poor maternity care at our trust.\n\n\"We commit to implementing all of the actions in this report and I can assure the women and families who use our service that if they raise any concerns about their care they will be listened to and action will be taken.\"\n\nThe seven actions outlined for maternity services across England include: Enhanced safety, listening to women and families, staff training and working together, managing complex pregnancy, risk assessment throughout pregnancy and Monitoring fetal wellbeing.\n\nAs part of those seven actions, it said there must be twice daily consultant-led ward rounds, seven days a week, in the day and at night.\n\nFollow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "The United States could move a step closer to approving the Pfizer-Biontech Covid vaccine on Thursday, as the Food and Drug Administration's advisers meet to discuss its authorisation.\n\nBut how will Americans get it? Will it be free? And will enough people take it?", "Tom Sleigh said he needed to plunge his burnt fingers into a cold sink\n\nA London councillor accidentally set his notepad on fire while taking part in an online committee meeting.\n\nTom Sleigh was on a video call with the City of London Resource Allocation Sub-Committee when he ignited his papers in front of some 30 colleagues.\n\nThe Labour Party member said he had been trying to light a candle \"but it accidentally ignited my notepaper\" and he had \"badly\" burnt his fingers.\n\nNevertheless, his mishap seemed to go unnoticed and the meeting carried on.\n\nThe committee meeting was being streamed live online when the fire occurred.\n\nSpeaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Mr Sleigh said he was using a USB lighter to light a candle when things went awry.\n\nHe managed to put the flames out quickly but said he had badly burnt his fingers and he had \"plunged them into a cold sink\" afterwards.\n\nHowever, he also saw the funny side, later tweeting: \"Today didn't go as smoothly as I hoped.\"\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nA woman who survived a fatal fire started by her boyfriend's brother has thanked a charity she says saved her life.\n\nRebecca Williams, known as Bex, was asleep in Cameron Logan's family home, in Milngavie, when his brother Blair set him alight in January 2017.\n\nCameron, 23, died in the blaze while Bex was left seriously injured from burns and smoke inhalation.\n\nShe turned to The Manda Centre charity during dark days later that year.\n\nThe centre was launched by Joe Duffy, whose daughter Amanda was murdered in Hamilton in 1992.\n\nBex spent weeks in hospital and needed a tracheostomy following the fire\n\n\"I've never been the sort of person who would have thought I would reach the stage where I've considered taking my own life but I was pretty lost,\" she said.\n\n\"I was so angry all the time. I'd lost my partner, my sense of self worth and respect.\n\n\"I literally reached out to them when I felt I couldn't control it anymore. I would be frightened to think what would happen if I hadn't found them.\"\n\nBex told how she was one of the 180,000 people shielding from March until July this year and was receiving government food parcels.\n\nShe said the isolation she experienced gave her \"too much time to think\" - but that The Manda Centre continued to support her.\n\n\"Everyone's lockdown experience is so different, people are at home with family or partners and I was myself,\" Bex said.\n\n\"I kept going 'well if Cameron was here we would be in lockdown together and it wouldn't be as bad'.\n\n\"[The centre] is really good. I can lift the phone whenever, talk about anything I'm upset about and they're never too busy or they never can't fit me in.\"\n\nIn August 2017 Blair Logan was ordered to spend at least 20 years in prison after he confessed to the attack.\n\nBex spent weeks in hospital, needed a tracheostomy which affected her voice and eventually left her job in broadcast journalism to work for Police Scotland.\n\nBex has spoken out praising the work of The Manda Charity, which supports people affected by trauma and loss\n\nShe said counselling has helped her deal with the ongoing challenges she faces in her working life.\n\n\"Naturally with my partner being murdered there are sometimes triggers in my work to do with murder, fire or violent crime,\" Bex said.\n\n\"I felt so far removed from everything normal, but it was just such a relief when I found the centre and I explained all this to them.\n\n\"I remember my first session I just broke down crying because it was such a release to explain all this to somebody and have them understand. I felt completely supported, like a family or community there.\"\n\nIf you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised, BBC Action Line has a list of organisations and charities offering advice and support.", "US President-elect Joe Biden and his running mate Kamala Harris have been chosen as Time magazine's Person of the Year in 2020.\n\nThe Democratic pair beat three other finalists: frontline healthcare workers and Dr Anthony Fauci, the racial justice movement, and President Donald Trump, who lost the White House race.\n\nTime has been choosing the year's most influential person since 1927.\n\n\"For changing the American story, for showing that the forces of empathy are greater than the furies of division, for sharing a vision of healing in a grieving world, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are TIME's 2020 Person of the Year,\" wrote Time's editor-in-chief Edward Felsenthal.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by TIME This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nMr Biden and Ms Harris, who was not mentioned on Time's initial shortlist, are yet to publicly comment on the announcement.\n\nIn 2016, Mr Trump, then also president-elect, received the same recognition from the magazine.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nEvery year, Time chooses a person, a group, an idea or an object that \"for better or for worse\" has had the most impact on the events over the 12 months.\n\nIn 2019, the publication expanded Person of the Year to include such categories as a Businessperson of the Year, Entertainer of the Year, Athlete of the Year and the Guardians of the Year.\n\nSo, this year's winners are:\n\nLast year, Time's Person of the Year was Greta Thunberg, the Swedish schoolgirl who inspired a global movement to fight climate change. Thunberg, who was 16 at the time, was the youngest person to have won the nomination.\n\nIn 2013, the world's first pontiff from the Americas was chosen as Person of the Year.\n\nArgentina's Jorge Mario Bergoglio had become Pope Francis in March of that year, and had already made his mark, rejecting the glittering trappings of the role to focus on the poorest in society.\n\nIn 2007, the title went to a man who Mr Trump has repeatedly said he admires: Russian President Vladimir Putin.\n\nHowever, whether Time Magazine admires Mr Putin is less clear.\n\n\"TIME's Person of the Year is not and never has been an honour. It is not an endorsement,\" it wrote in an editorial explaining the decision that year.\n\n\"It is not a popularity contest. At its best, it is a clear-eyed recognition of the world as it is and of the most powerful individuals and forces shaping that world - for better or for worse.\"\n\nThe civil rights activist was named Person of the Year in 1963 - the same year he stood at the Lincoln Memorial and delivered his acclaimed \"I Have a Dream\" speech.\n\nHe was the first African American to grace the cover, and publically said later he saw it not simply as a personal victory, but a victory for the civil rights movement.\n\nKing was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize the following year.\n\nIf there was ever a recipient to prove the claim that Person of the Year was not an \"honour\", it was the choice for 1938.\n\nAmong other things, 1938 was the year Adolf Hitler \"had stolen Austria before the eyes of a horrified and apparently impotent world\".\n\nBut it is the final line that is perhaps the most chilling: \"To those who watched the closing events of the year it seemed more than probable that the Man of 1938 may make 1939 a year to be remembered.\"\n\nWallis Simpson, pictured with her husband, the Duke of Windsor\n\nThe first woman to be named what had been until then the \"Man of the Year\" was Wallis Simpson, the divorcee who had almost brought the British monarchy crashing to the ground.\n\nShe is still one of the few women to grace the cover alone. Others include Queen Elizabeth II, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and former Philippine President Corazon Aquino.", "Britons holidaying on Spain's Canary Islands say their Christmas plans have been thrown into jeopardy after quarantine rules were imposed.\n\nTravellers returning to the UK will have to self-isolate from Saturday due to rising infection rates, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said.\n\nTravel giant Tui said 800 people were due to depart for the islands on Friday morning, with 5,000 there already.\n\nThe quarantine period will be shortened from 14 to 10 days from Monday.\n\nA statement from the four UK chief medical officers said the change came after a review of evidence and that self-isolation for those with coronavirus symptoms remained important.\n\nMeanwhile, the Foreign Office has yet to change its travel advice for the Canary Islands, meaning many holidaymakers may be unable to seek refunds or claim on their travel insurance policies.\n\nThe new quarantine restrictions will be in place from 04:00 GMT on 12 December.\n\nTravellers to mainland Spain already have to isolate, but an exemption for the islands in October encouraged many to book a break in almost-guaranteed winter sun, travel expert Simon Calder told BBC Breakfast.\n\nThe Department for Transport (DfT) said there had been a \"sharp increase\" in the number of positive coronavirus tests on the islands.\n\nIt comes as an upcoming \"test-to-release\" policy will allow travellers to leave quarantine after five days - if they pay for a private coronavirus test and receive a negative result.\n\nEven a reduced 10-day quarantine period would mean some of those due to return later next week would still need to isolate over Christmas.\n\nSteve Hay, from Bournemouth, arrived in Lanzarote on Thursday evening for a seven-day break with his family.\n\nThey now face cutting it short to avoid a quarantine period that could potentially run until 27 December - effectively cancelling their Christmas plans in the UK.\n\n\"How will we do our Christmas shopping?\" Mr Hay said. \"I think it's shocking and doesn't appear much thought has gone into it.\n\n\"Why is it being implemented so quick, this only gives us tomorrow to get back.\n\n\"I think it's crazy and the Canaries cannot be looked at as a whole, each island should be rated.\"\n\nIvor Langford says he faces Christmas alone without his wife after she returned home sooner than planned\n\nIvor Langford from Worcestershire, who is currently at his holiday home in Lanzarote, told the BBC the rule change meant he now faced spending Christmas Day alone in the UK.\n\nHis wife recently returned to the UK after her father caught Covid-19 in hospital, he said.\n\n\"I have been given less than a day to fly home before Saturday 04:00,\" he said. \"I'm due to fly back on 16 December but now will have to have Christmas without my wife.\"\n\nMore than 800 people are waiting to find out whether their Tui holidays to Tenerife departing on Saturday morning will be cancelled, because the Foreign Office has not yet decided whether to also advise against travel to the islands.\n\nIf the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office advises against travel to the Canary Islands, Tui will cancel all holidays immediately as this change invalidates travel insurance.\n\nIt also expects to cancel its entire Christmas holiday schedule, a further blow to the operator which recorded losses of €3bn (£2.74bn) on Thursday.\n\nTui said it would allow those booked between Friday and 17 December \"the opportunity to amend free of charge to another date or destination\".\n\nAirline Easyjet said customers wishing to transfer their flights without a fee must do so within a week.\n\nThe new test-to-release programme begins on 15 December, allowing travellers arriving in England to reduce their quarantine by more than half if they pay for a Covid test after five days.\n\nThey will have to opt in to the scheme on a passenger locator form, according to the government website.\n\nThe DfT said families could decide which members opted in to suit their circumstances but that only those who took a test after five days and received a negative result could be released early.\n\nThe tests, from private firms, will cost between £65 and £120. A list of approved providers has yet to be published.\n\nEngland has also introduced a quarantine exemption for certain categories of travellers, including people making high-value business trips, sports stars and performing arts professionals.\n\nDo you have plans to travel to the Canary Islands from the UK? Are you in the Canary Islands but due back after the quarantine rules change? Get in touch by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "German officials had hoped to relax \"partial lockdown\" conditions but are now planning to tighten them\n\nGermany is facing calls for a second lockdown before Christmas after recording 585 deaths and 29,875 new infections in one day - the highest numbers since the pandemic began.\n\n\"We have to act urgently. We have to do more than was previously planned,\" warned Economy Minister Peter Altmaier.\n\nRussia and Ukraine also reported record numbers of fatalities on Friday.\n\nHowever, the latest excess death statistics have cast doubt on the numbers announced in Russian updates.\n\nGermany has been under partial lockdown since early November, shutting bars, restaurants and entertainment venues, and a relaxation had been planned over Christmas.\n\nBut the rise in infections has increasingly alarmed top officials, with Lothar Wieler, head of Germany's public healthy body, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), describing the situation as \"extremely fragile\". Chancellor Angela Merkel made an impassioned speech in the Bundestag (parliament) this week calling for tighter measures, saying that \"500 deaths a day is unacceptable\".\n\nOn Friday, Interior Minister Horst Seehofer warned that the only chance of regaining control was an immediate lockdown. \"If we wait until Christmas, we'll have to struggle with high numbers for months,\" he told the Spiegel website.\n\nBavaria, in the south, has already imposed tighter measures and Mrs Merkel is reportedly set to meet all 16 state leaders on Sunday.\n\nThere are few joyful tidings for Germany this Christmas.\n\nThe country, which so successfully brought the first wave of the pandemic under control, is struggling to contain the second.\n\nToday Germans woke up to two miserable new records. The highest daily number of infections and deaths in a 24-hour period.\n\nA so-called \"lockdown light\", which includes the closure of bars, restaurants, leisure and arts facilities but is implemented to different degrees in different parts of the country, may have flattened the curve but it's done nothing to reduce the numbers.\n\nThe days when Germany's relatively low death toll was the envy of other countries are gone; it's rising fast and this week exceeded 20,000. So what's gone wrong?\n\nScientists say that Germans are simply not doing enough to reduce their social contacts. But many also point the finger at regional leaders, who for months have dithered, bickered and resisted Angela Merkel's calls for a tougher, countrywide response to the outbreak.\n\nRussia's pandemic task force says 613 deaths were recorded in the past 24 hours, bringing the total since the pandemic began to 45,893. Moscow and St Petersburg were worst hit.\n\nHowever, official data about \"excess\" deaths - those above expected levels - has called this total into question. There were nearly 50,000 more \"excess\" deaths in October 2020 than in the same month last year.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. In December the BBC's Sarah Rainsford went to a Moscow clinic where the Sputnik V vaccine was being given to patients\n\nStatistics service Rosstat said 22,761 of the October deaths were either confirmed or suspected Covid cases.\n\nOfficial health figures were less than a third of that, but only count deaths listed by a post mortem examination as having coronavirus as the main cause.\n\nRussia began using its Sputnik V vaccine on doctors, teachers and social workers last weekend and claims that some countries have been resorting to \"not very pleasant\" methods to discredit it. In a boost for Sputnik's producers, UK and Russian scientists are to trial a combination of the Oxford-AstraZeneca and Sputnik V vaccines to see if protection against Covid-19 can be improved.\n\nSputnik's backers claim it offers 95% protection against the coronavirus, but data released so far is based on interim results only. Russia previously mocked the AstraZeneca jab as a \"monkey vaccine\" - referring to its use of a modified common cold virus that infected chimpanzees, rather than one that affects humans, to elicit an immune response.", "Windsor arriving for a court case involving her husband Ronnie Knight in 1980 (left). He was tried and acquitted of murder. Windsor is pictured, right, holding a rose after his release", "Hundreds of protesters took to the streets in the Albanian capital, Tirana, on Wednesday after the police allegedly killed a man for breaking a coronavirus curfew.\n\nThe demonstrators chanted at riot police and tore down Christmas trees and other decorations around the city.\n\nThe officer accused of killing the 25-year-old man has been arrested and an investigation has been launched.", "The Duke of Cambridge paid tribute to Dame Barbara Windsor during a trip with his family to watch a special pantomime put on to thank key workers for their efforts during the pandemic.\n\nPrince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis watched a performance of Pantoland at the London Palladium with their parents in the royal box.\n\nIn a speech before the show, the duke called Dame Barbara \"a legend\".\n\nIt was the Cambridges' first red carpet engagement as a family of five.\n\nTheir visit followed the news that the actress, best known for her roles in EastEnders and the Carry On films, had died aged 83.\n\nWhen the Cambridges first arrived at the Palladium, George, seven, Charlotte, five, and two-year-old Louis stopped briefly to watch actors dressed as elves entertaining the guests on the red carpet.\n\nBefore the show, Matt Ridsdale, executive director of National Lottery operator Camelot, which has supported the pantomime, introduced Prince William and quipped: \"As this is panto, I'm very conscious of who's behind me.\"\n\nPrince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis stopped to watch actors dressed as elves on the red carpet\n\nThe royal children watch the National Lottery's Pantoland with their parents from the royal box\n\nThe duke said: \"Before I go on, I want to pause and pay tribute to a true national treasure, Dame Barbara Windsor, who so sadly passed away last night.\n\n\"She was a giant of the entertainment world, and of course a legend on pantomime stages across the country, including here at the London Palladium.\n\n\"And I know we'll all miss her hugely.\"\n\nThe Duke of Cambridge made a speech to thank key workers ahead of the performance\n\nThe show at London's Palladium stars Julian Clary and Elaine Paige\n\nThe duke said it was a \"very special performance\" because of the key workers in the audience.\n\n\"You include community workers, volunteers, teachers, NHS staff, representatives from the emergency services and military, researchers working on the vaccine, people helping the homeless, those manning vital call centres, and staff from a wide range of frontline charities - to name but a few,\" he said.\n\n\"You have given your absolute all this year and made remarkable sacrifices.\"\n\nEarlier this week the duke and duchess travelled around Great Britain on the royal train to thank key workers for their efforts during the pandemic.", "Jen Scott's view from Beinn Mhor in Argyll. She said: \"It was such a magical morning - everything was sparkling with frost, and as we climbed we saw the mist creep into the valley below where a herd of highland cows were grazing.\"", "The UK has been in a transition period with the EU since last January, during which rules and trade have stayed the same. But all of this will come to an end on 1 January 2021.\n\nWith just a few weeks left for the UK and the EU to negotiate a trade agreement, both sides are now talking about the prospect of a no-deal outcome. If there's no trade agreement in place, they will have to adjust quickly to doing things very differently.\n\nSo how are both sides preparing?\n\nFor the first six months from 1 January, the British government will bring in only minimal checks on goods coming in to the UK, but the EU will have full border checks on goods coming into the EU from the UK straight away.\n\nThe UK government has warned that a reasonable worst-case scenario could see queues of 7,000 trucks clogging up the roads around Dover and the Channel Tunnel.\n\nThe UK government has two contingency plans for this: Operation Brock and Operation Fennel.\n\nOperation Brock is a traffic management plan, which it is hoped will prevent more than 10,000 lorries a day from clogging up roads in Kent.\n\nUnder the scheme, drivers of very large lorries will need to get a special permit - a Kent Access Permit - before they enter the county, and permits will only be issued if they have completed the correct paperwork for exporting goods.\n\nOther traffic will be kept flowing around them, in what is known as a contraflow system. Highways England is trialling the moveable road barrier, which makes the contraflow system possible, on the M20 over four nights from 11 December.\n\nIf there are more than 2,000 lorries queued up, the government has made plans for several temporary lorry parks - it bought a 27-acre site in Ashford in Kent. There is also a plan called Operation Fennel in which as many as 7,000 heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) could be diverted to the disused Manston airfield, near Ramsgate.\n\nThis is part of the government's plans for building facilities away from ports.\n\nIf further capacity is needed, a \"last resort\" would be to turn the 10-mile M26 motorway into a temporary lorry park.\n\nThe UK government has also set up the Border Operations Centre to co-ordinate the response to any further disruption.\n\nQueuing at ports is not the only problem for lorry drivers.\n\nIf no further steps are taken, UK lorry drivers would need to apply for documents called ECMT permits to be allowed to enter EU countries. The European Commission has warned that there are not enough of these permits available, which would mean not enough UK lorries being able to travel to the EU to pick up goods to bring back to the UK.\n\nThe European Commission said this could result in serious disruptions, \"potentially even threatening public order\".\n\nTo prevent this, it proposed allowing UK lorries and buses into the EU for six months without special permits, as long as EU drivers are also allowed into the UK.\n\nThe proposals would also allow regular bus services that pick up and drop off passengers on either side of the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland to continue to do so.\n\nThe UK has not been clear yet on whether it plans to continue to allow EU operators to enter the country.\n\nA similar proposal is on the table for aviation. In the event of no deal, the UK would no longer be a member of the European Common Aviation Area, which allows British airlines to fly to destinations in the EU, and vice versa.\n\nThe European Commission is proposing a six month regulation to allow flights to continue until a new agreement is in place, but it would require the UK government to offer the same to operators from EU countries. The UK has not yet responded to the proposal.\n\nThe UK government has told pharmaceutical companies to stockpile and plan alternative supply routes in case of border problems. It has also arranged extra freight capacity for pharmaceutical companies should they need it.\n\nIn a memo, seen by the BBC in June, pharmaceutical companies warned the government that some stockpiles of medicines have been \"used up entirely\" by the coronavirus pandemic and said these could not be replenished in time for the UK's exit from the EU.\n\nThe head of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry warned that not having any sort of deal would cause \"increased complexity, duplication and cost\" in the middle of a pandemic. The government insisted, however, that \"robust contingency plans are in place\".\n\nFor the coronavirus vaccine, the government says there are contingency plans for making sure the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine made in Belgium can be shipped to the UK if border problems arise. These include alternative sea routes and the use of freight or even military aircraft.\n\nThe European Commission has also proposed extending the deadline to reach an agreement on fishing until the end of December 2021.\n\nThis would allow European fishing vessels to continue fishing in British waters and vice-versa for another year, or until an agreement is reached.\n\nBut a Downing Street spokesman said the UK \"would never accept arrangements and access to UK fishing waters which are incompatible with our status as an independent coastal state\".\n\nThe Ministry of Defence has said it will make four patrol boats available to monitor UK waters and added that it would have \"robust enforcement measures in place\".\n\nAs things stand, if nothing is agreed then non-UK boats will not be allowed to fish in UK waters from January.\n\nBut without a deal, the UK fishing industry would find its extensive exports to EU countries being hit by tariffs (import taxes) and regulatory hurdles.\n\nThe French government has said it would hand out compensation to trawlers if they were not able to fish in UK waters.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Frank Atherton: \"The reality is we are in a difficult position in Wales\"\n\nAuthorities have \"reached the limit... [of] telling people what to do\", Wales' top doctor has said, warning of a \"perilous\" rise in coronavirus cases.\n\nHowever, chief medical officer Frank Atherton said ministers were considering whether more restrictions would be needed in the coming weeks.\n\nAsked if that could happen before Christmas, he said: \"That's something ministers are considering.\"\n\nThe first minister Mark Drakeford had appeared to rule that out on Tuesday.\n\nFacing the same question, in the Senedd, Mr Drakeford said: \"I don't think that means that we will be taking further measures this side of Christmas.\"\n\nSpeaking to Dot Davies on BBC Radio Wales on Thursday, Dr Atherton urged people to think about their behaviour to keep themselves safe.\n\nHe has previously said he will not be visiting relatives in Northern Ireland and England over Christmas.\n\nThere will be a time lag before officials know the effect of the current rules, including the ban on serving alcohol in hospitality venues.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\n\"Ministers are considering what to do in the period immediately after Christmas to try to give us some headroom into January,\" Dr Atherton said.\n\n\"But the reality is we are in a difficult position in Wales. We are in a difficult position in the UK, but Wales has the highest rates at the moment of the four nations.\n\n\"And so it's down to all of us to think about what we can do to keep ourselves safe.\n\n\"I really believe that we have reached the limit of what we can do through legislation, through telling people what to do.\"\n\n\"We have to say to the people of Wales, 'Look at the situation we are in'.\n\n\"It really is quite perilous.\"\n\nDr Atherton also warned parents should not be talking at school gates, because of the risk of Covid-transmission, and \"we need to have as little contact as possible\".\n\n\"Even that kind of level of human contact in the winter with the level of virus transmission that we have in Wales can pass [on] the virus\", he said.", "A man dubbed Osama Bin Laden's spokesman in Europe has returned to the UK after being released from a US jail.\n\nAdel Abdul Bary was deported after a senior New York judge concluded the prisoner had a high risk of contracting Covid-19, partly because of his weight.\n\nIn 1998, Bary was the Europe-based publicist for al-Qaeda leaders and told journalists that the terror group had bombed US embassies in east Africa.\n\nMI5 and counter-terrorism police are reviewing his return and resettlement.\n\nIn 1999, Scotland Yard detectives arrested Bary as a co-conspirator to the embassy attacks. More than 200 people were killed in Nairobi and Dar Es Salaam - al-Qaeda's then biggest single attack against American targets.\n\nThat arrest - and those of other major UK-based suspects - triggered a mammoth extradition battle that lasted until 2012, when he was eventually flown to the US.\n\nHe went on to admit helping to plan the bombings.\n\nHis confession to a federal court in Manhattan confirmed that, working out of London, he had sent messages from journalists to Osama bin Laden - and also faxed news organisations confirming al-Qaeda had been behind the embassy attacks.\n\nIn October this year, US authorities approved Bary's release after he had served 21 years of his 25-year sentence.\n\nHis release had been pencilled in for the end of the year, after US authorities took into account the 14 years he had spent in prison in the UK before his extradition and his good behaviour since then.\n\nThe US embassy in Nairobi, Kenya, was targeted by a bomb in August 1998\n\nBut it was brought forward slightly after a court heard evidence that he had a high risk of catching and dying from Covid, if he was kept in prison any longer.\n\nIn the October ruling sanctioning Bary's release, US federal Judge Lewis Kaplan said that mercy should allow the offender to be with his family, given it may be the final period of his life.\n\n\"The [US] government concedes that the defendant has provided extraordinary and compelling reasons for his release,\" said the judge.\n\n\"The government notes that the defendant was diagnosed as obese in 2019 and that, as of April 2020, his body mass index was 36, which is well above the threshold for obesity.\n\n\"On that basis, the government concedes that defendant has presented an extraordinary and compelling circumstance [for release].\n\nFollowing his release from a federal jail, US immigration officials took him to a detention centre before putting him on a flight to the UK on Tuesday.\n\nAfter arriving in London, Bary - who is Egyptian - is believed to have been taken to his family home.\n\nThe now 60-year-old's US lawyer previously told journalists his client now wished to live a quiet life.\n\nWhen prisoners convicted of terrorism offences are released from jail in the UK, the case for continuing to monitor them is considered by a team of police and probation officers, who also take into account intelligence from MI5.\n\nSome offenders quietly get on with their lives and are eventually placed on the Security Service's massive list of former terrorism suspects. Others who have maintained ties with extremists - or try to resurrect them after years in jail - are subject to ongoing investigations.\n\nNext year, inquests will be held into how one released offender went on to murder two people in London in 2019.", "Hospitals such as the Royal Gwent in Newport have seen a surge in Covid cases\n\nAn under-pressure health board says it has been forced to postpone all non-urgent care as Covid cases increase.\n\nThe Aneurin Bevan University Health Board said it was halting outpatient appointments and non-urgent planned surgery from Monday.\n\nThe weekly infection rates across the five south Wales counties in the health board are averaging 534 cases for every 100,000 people.\n\nThe health board also has the highest number of patients with Covid, at 586.\n\nNewport has the third highest weekly infection rate for Covid-19 in Wales, at 634.9 cases for every 100,000.\n\nBoth Caerphilly and Blaenau Gwent both just tip over the 600 cases per 100,000 mark.\n\nPublic Health Wales recorded eight deaths of people with Covid on Friday, the highest for the day in Wales.\n\nIn a statement health board officials said: \"This decision has not been made lightly, however, the increasing transmission of Covid-19 within our communities, together with the usual winter demand on our emergency care is having a significant impact on our ability to provide normal services.\"\n\nFrom Monday, it said it would be making the following changes to services:\n\nThe health board stressed that cancer services and clinically urgent patients will continue to be seen, and cancer surgery and operations for clinically urgent conditions will continue.\n\nRadiology and endoscopy services will continue unchanged, as will heart condition services.\n\nOfficials said the Covid-19 programme that is now underway will also continue.\n\n\"Our child and adult mental health services will not be affected by these changes,\" they added.\n\nThe announcement follows a warning from First Minister Mark Drakeford that stricter restrictions will be introduced if Covid cases continue to rise.\n\n\"Our NHS will not be able to cope if we continue to see this level of coronavirus-related admissions in the coming weeks, on top of the normal winter pressures,\" he said.", "Burley has been one of the faces of Sky News for more than 30 years\n\nSky News presenter Kay Burley is to stay off-air for six months after admitting breaking Covid rules during a night out for her 60th birthday.\n\nPolitical editor Beth Rigby and north of England correspondent Inzamam Rashid, who were among those with her, will be absent for three months.\n\n\"I made a big mistake, and I am sorry,\" Burley wrote on Twitter.\n\nBurley was among 10 people who went to a restaurant on Saturday before she briefly went into another restaurant.\n\nShe then moved on to a private residence where individuals from at least three households mixed, the BBC has been told.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Kay Burley This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\n\"I have today agreed with Sky News to step back from my broadcasting role for a period of reflection,\" Burley wrote.\n\n\"It's clear to me that we are all in the fight against Covid-19 and that we all have a duty to stick firmly by the rules.\n\n\"It doesn't matter that I thought I was Covid-compliant on a recent social event. The fact is I was wrong, I made a big mistake, and I am sorry.\n\n\"Some dear friends and colleagues - some of the most talented and committed professionals in our business - have been pulled into this episode and I regret this enormously.\n\n\"I was one of the founding presenters on Sky News. No one is prouder of our channel's reputation, the professionals on our team, and the impact we make.\n\n\"I very much look forward to being able to continue my 32-year career with Sky when I return.\"\n\nThe channel said it had completed an \"internal review into the conduct of a small number of team members who attended a social event\" on Saturday.\n\n\"Over the course of the evening, Covid guidelines were breached,\" a statement said. \"Sky News expects all team members to fully comply with the COVID restrictions. All those involved regret the incident and have apologised.\n\n\"Following our review of what took place on 5th December, we have agreed with Beth Rigby (Political Editor) and Inzamam Rashid (News Correspondent) that they will not be on air for three months, and we have agreed with Kay Burley (Breakfast Show Presenter) that she will not be on air for six months.\"\n\nThe channel did not say whether they would still be paid while off air.\n\nSky added that presenter Sam Washington, who was also off-air while the internal review took place, will be back at work next week.\n\nBurley, who joined Sky News in 1988 and has hosted the breakfast show since October 2019, first offered an apology on Monday, saying she had been \"at a Covid-compliant restaurant\" but \"inadvertently broke the rules\" by popping to the toilet in the second restaurant.\n\nLondon is under tier two restrictions, which means people are not allowed to socialise with anyone from outside their household or support bubble indoors, either in a private home or a public place.\n\nSome venues have outdoor seating and you are able to meet in a group of up to six people outside, including in a garden or in a public place.\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "Self-isolation for contacts of people with confirmed coronavirus will be shortened from 14 to 10 days across the UK from Monday.\n\nThe change will also apply to people instructed to quarantine after returning from high-risk countries.\n\nAnd it means anyone who has been self-isolating for 10 days or more will be able to end their quarantine on Monday.\n\nThe announcement comes as data shows Covid cases falling in most of England and Northern Ireland.\n\nBut the Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures show that in the week to 5 December, there were increases in coronavirus case numbers in London and the east of England.\n\nMeanwhile, new data shows the virus's reproduction or R number is back at levels seen two weeks ago (0.9 - 1) meaning the epidemic is not growing, but it's not really shrinking either.\n\nAccording to the latest government data, there have been a further 424 deaths within 28 days of a positive test in the UK and another 21,672 coronavirus cases.\n\nOn Thursday, Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced mass testing would be rolled out for secondary school children, their families and teachers in the worst-affected areas of London, Kent and Essex where cases are rising.\n\nThe change in self-isolation rules was announced in a statement from the four UK chief medical officers (CMOs) said: \"After reviewing the evidence, we are now confident that we can reduce the number of days that contacts self-isolate from 14 days to 10.\n\n\"People who return from countries which are not on the travel corridor list should also self-isolate for 10 days instead of 14 days.\"\n\nEach of the four nations has its own lists of \"travel corridor\" countries which are exempt from the quarantine rules. While in the main, they include the same countries, they can differ slightly.\n\nThe change to self-isolation rules has already been announced in Wales, but this new announcement will apply to all four nations.\n\nThose with symptoms or a positive test are already expected to isolate for 10 days.\n\nThe CMOs added that self-isolation was \"essential to reducing the spread of Covid as it breaks the chains of transmission\".\n\nThe NHS app in England will not update its 14-day counter until next Thursday.\n\nBecause there will be a time-lag before it updates, anyone who has been advised to isolate by the app can leave isolation if their countdown timer hits three days between Monday and Thursday.\n\nPeople are most infectious around the time they first develop symptoms and, 10 days into an infection, only about 2% will still be capable of passing on the virus to others.\n\nThe change in the rules reflects this low risk, which was judged not to justify asking people to self-isolate for longer periods.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Covid symptoms: What are they and how long should I self-isolate for?\n\nDeputy Chief Medical Officer for England Dr Jenny Harries said the science was based on \"a continuous accumulation of evidence through the pandemic\".\n\nShe said the \"tail end\" of an infection was the period someone was least likely to transmit infection.\n\nThe latest estimate of the R number for the UK is 0.9 and 1 - up very slightly on the previous week. This means that the epidemic is still shrinking after lockdown but very slowly.\n\nThis is borne out by the latest Office for National Statistics infection survey. It indicates that cases continued to fall in most of England and Northern Ireland last week. But the view of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) is that the situation is fragile.\n\nCases are increasing in London and the East of England - especially among secondary school age children - and previous experience indicates that a surge among older age groups will inevitably follow.\n\nThe government's scientific advisers believe that it will be important to keep infection levels as low as possible in the run up to the holidays.\n\nThat's because the relaxation of restrictions that permit families to meet over Christmas will accelerate any increase in cases - and lead to another spike in infections early in the New Year.\n\nOne study suggested that less than 20% of people fully complied with self-isolation - although it's been pointed out this doesn't distinguish between people breaking the rules slightly by going for a walk on their own, and those who ignore it entirely.\n\nEconomic hardship has been identified a key factor in people not being able to isolate.\n\nBut it is understood the main aim of the change was not to encourage more people to comply.\n\nInstead, the chief medical officers, say it reflects the highest-risk period, when people are most likely to be infectious.\n\nA pilot in Liverpool is looking at testing the contacts of an infected person every day for a period after exposure, and not asking them to isolate unless they test positive.\n\nThis will be seen as the most attractive option as, if it doesn't increase infections, it will prevent significant numbers of people including school children from having to stay at home.\n\nBut it's not thought this will be able to be rolled out until early next year, provided the results of the pilot are positive.", "Royal Mail has acknowledged delays to its deliveries amid \"exceptionally high volumes\" of post and anti-Covid measures.\n\nDespite \"exhaustive planning\", some customers may be experiencing \"slightly longer delivery timescales\" than normal, the postal group said.\n\nIt came as people complained of late or missed deliveries.\n\nRetailers including John Lewis, Boots and HMV have also blamed Royal Mail for delivery delays.\n\nOn Thursday, online shoppers messaged Royal Mail, as well as contacting retailers directly, to complain about parcels failing to arrive in time - in some cases weeks after they were expected.\n\nPeople also complained their post was arriving less frequently.\n\nOthers expressed sympathy for postal workers having to meet a surge in demand during the pandemic.\n\nMariusz Luczakowski runs a small chocolate company in Worcestershire and uses Royal Mail to send out orders to customers via first class delivery. Over the past few days he says he has received emails from customers complaining of delays - sometimes of seven or more days.\n\n\"I am feeling frustration, but at least it's not only me,\" he told the BBC.\n\n\"It is a really scary and uncertain time for a small business owner and so easy to destroy the reputation of your own company by not delivering on time as promised.\"\n\nBusiness owner Mariusz Luczakowski says he is frustrated with Royal Mail after customers complained about not receiving their deliveries on time\n\nNeil Watts, 58, from Edinburgh, told the BBC he ordered a Christmas present online for his wife on 27 November and he still has not received it despite paying for next day special delivery.\n\n\"It's the frustration of trying to resolve it,\" Mr Watts said. \"Tomorrow is two weeks before Christmas. Do I cancel the order or wait?\"\n\nA postman from Manchester, who did not want to be named, said their delivery office was short-staffed and had lost \"around 20 staff\" over the last two years.\n\n\"On top of that we're also receiving a far greater number of both parcels and letters than normal even for the time of year and are being told to prioritise tracked packets over everything else,\" the postman said.\n\n\"Everyone I speak to in the office feels awful that people aren't getting their Christmas cards and presents and many of us are working several hours overtime every day to try and prevent things backing up too much.\"\n\nIn a statement, the postal group said there had been a \"greatly increased uptake of online Christmas shopping\", driven \"in no small part\" by the lockdown.\n\nThis meant all delivery companies were experiencing \"exceptionally high volumes\" of post, it said.\n\nThe company said it had hired about 33,000 temporary workers to support its 115,000 permanent postmen and women and had expanded its seasonal sites to help manage the anticipated growth in parcel volumes.\n\nCoronavirus-related absences had also affected services, the Royal Mail's customer service account said.\n\n\"Despite our best efforts, exhaustive planning and significant investment in extra resource, some customers may experience slightly longer delivery timescales than our usual service standards.\n\n\"This is due to the exceptionally high volumes we are seeing, exacerbated by the coronavirus-related measures we have put in place in local mail centres and delivery offices.\n\n\"In such cases, we always work hard to get back to providing our usual level of service as quickly as we can.\"\n\nThe company advised customers to visit the service update page of its website.", "The court ruled that the law was aimed at Muslim schoolgirls and was unconstitutional\n\nAustria's constitutional court has struck down a law prohibiting primary school children from wearing specific religious head coverings.\n\nIt said the law was aimed at the Islamic headscarf and breached rights on religious freedom.\n\nThe law was passed during the previous coalition government in which the conservative People's Party was allied with the far-right Freedom Party.\n\nThe court said the law could lead to the marginalisation of Muslim girls.\n\nIt also rejected the government's argument that the prohibition could protect girls from social pressures from classmates, saying it penalised the wrong people.\n\nIt said, if necessary, the state needed to draw up legislation to better prevent bullying on the grounds of gender or religion.\n\nThe legislation, which came into force last year, did not specify that headscarves were banned but instead proscribed the wearing of \"religious clothing that is associated with a covering of the head\" for children up to the age of 10. The government had itself said that head coverings worn by Sikh boys or the Jewish skullcap would not be affected.\n\nThe court decided that the ban was in fact aimed at Muslim headscarves.\n\n\"The selective ban... applies exclusively to Muslim schoolgirls and thereby separates them in a discriminatory manner from other pupils,\" court President Christoph Grabenwarter said.\n\nEducation Minister Heinz Fassman said he took note of the judgment but added: \"I regret that girls will not have the opportunity to make their way through the education system free from compulsion.\"\n\nAustria's Islamic Faith Community, which represents the country's Muslims and brought the legal challenge, welcomed the ruling.\n\nThe wearing of Islamic headscarves has been a controversial topic in Austria\n\n\"Ensuring equal opportunities and self-determination for girls and women in our society is not achieved through bans,\" it said in a statement.\n\nWhen the legislation was first proposed in 2018, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said the goal was to \"confront any development of parallel societies in Austria\".\n\nVice-Chancellor Heinz Christian Strache, of the Freedom Party, said the government wanted to protect young girls from political Islam.\n\nThe ban came into force in May 2019, just days after Mr Strache was forced to resign after being secretly filmed offering public contracts to a woman posing as a Russian oligarch's niece.\n\nThe People's Party is now in coalition with the Green Party, but the government had still intended to extend the headscarf ban up to the age of 14.\n\nThe coalition's current programme stipulates that children should grow up \"with as little coercion as possible\". The only example it gives is the wearing of headscarves.", "Harrison Ford first played Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark, in 1981\n\nUS actor Harrison Ford is to reprise his role as adventurer Indiana Jones in the Disney movie franchise.\n\nThe film, to be directed by James Mangold, is to be the 78-year-old actor's fifth and final instalment as Indy.\n\nDisney made the announcement in a virtual presentation to investors where it also unveiled plans for Star Wars series spin-offs and Marvel series.\n\nThe film is due for release in July 2022.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Disney This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nIn a 2013 interview, Harrison Ford said it was \"perfectly appropriate\" for him to return as the adventurer.\n\n\"We've seen the character develop and grow over a period of time and it's perfectly appropriate and OK for him to come back again with a great movie around him,\" he said at the time, stressing that Indiana Jones did not have to be so action-orientated.\n\n\"To me, what was interesting about the character was that he prevailed, that he had courage, that he had wit, that he had intelligence, that he was frightened and that he still managed to survive. That I can do.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Harrison Ford on returning as characters Han Solo and Indiana Jones (interview from 2016)\n\nFilm producer Frank Marshall recently told Den of Geek he had no intention of replacing the actor in his iconic role.\n\n\"We are working on the script,\" he said. \"There will only be one Indiana Jones, and that's Harrison Ford.\"\n\nThe actor first appeared in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), followed in 1984 by Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, then Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade in 1989, and in the fourth instalment, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, in 2008.\n\nThe fifth instalment has long been in the making, with several screenwriters coming and going, and was further slowed down by the outbreak of the global Covid pandemic.\n\nAt the Disney Investor Day announcement, the company also said it had plans for 10 Star Wars series spinoffs and 10 Marvel series to launch on Disney+. Also to debut directly on the subscription streaming service would be 15 live-action, Pixar and animated movies, it said.\n\nDisney+ subscribers worldwide had reached 86.8 million, exceeding most forecasts when it was launched in November last year, it added.", "Black workers at Lloyds Bank are paid a fifth less than their white colleagues, the company has disclosed.\n\nThe discrepancy is because they \"are disproportionately under-represented at senior levels\" the bank said.\n\nBlack staff make up 1.5% of Lloyds' total workforce and 0.6% of its senior management.\n\n\"That's not good enough - which is why we have resolved to take action,\" said the bank's chief executive António Horta-Osório.\n\nLloyds has pledged to increase the number of black staff in senior roles to at least 3% by 2025 to bring it into line with the black population in England and Wales.\n\nLloyds is the first major UK bank to reveal its ethnicity pay gap.\n\nIts figures, which were compiled in April, showed the median pay gap between black staff and their colleagues was 19.7%, while the bonus gap stood at 37.6%.\n\nBlack, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) workers account for 10.3% of all staff at Lloyds, and 7.3% of senior management.\n\nThe median pay gap between BAME staff and colleagues was 14.8%, while the bonus pay gap stood at 32.5%.\n\nFor Asian employees, the median pay gap stood at 15.7% and the bonus pay gap at 34.2%.\n\n\"These figures serve as a wake-up call that we must do better. No excuses,\" said Fiona Cannon, director of group sustainable business at Lloyds.\n\n\"They highlight the urgent need for us to increase representation at senior grades, which will not only improve our ethnicity pay gap, but also make us better colleagues, better employers and a better bank.\"\n\nAlongside the publication of its first Ethnicity Pay Gap Report as part of its part of its Race Action Plan, Lloyds launched a black business advisory committee.\n\nIt will be led by former Cabinet Office adviser and social entrepreneur Claudine Reid MBE to investigate the barriers to growth for the black business community.\n\n\"Disappointingly, the number of Black FTSE 100 chief executives, chief financial officers or chairs has fallen to 0.7%,\" said Ms Reid.\n\n\"I've taken on this role to help the UK's largest financial services group on its journey of change and transformation.\"\n\nMr Horta-Osório, who will step down from his role as chief executive next year, said: \"We want to be clear that we are an anti-racist organisation - one where all employees speak up, challenge, and act to take an active stance against racism. In doing so, our colleagues will help break down the barriers preventing people from meeting their full potential.\"\n\nFinancial services union Accord, said; \"The harsh reality is that race still plays a significant role in determining pay and career progression.\n\n\"The problem isn't going to magic itself away but we stand ready to work with employers on practical steps to tackle inequality and discrimination in the workplace in a meaningful and enduring way.\"\n\nIt said Lloyds should be \"commended\" for publishing the information. \"Other companies should do so too and government needs to step up too by introducing mandatory ethnicity pay gap reporting as a first step,\" it added.\n\nMost minority ethnic groups earned less on average than white British people in 2019, according to official figures published by the Office for National Statistics.\n\nThe median hourly pay gap was worse for Pakistanis at 16%, while it stood at 15% for Bangladeshis and African workers.\n\nHowever, the median hourly pay gap between ethnic minorities and white British workers stood at 2.3%, its narrowest level since 2012, after having risen to 8.4% in 2014.", "Actors Ross Kemp and Steven McFadden, who played the sons of Dame Barbara Windsor's EastEnders matriarch Peggy Mitchell, have paid tribute following the star's death at the age of 83.\n\nKemp, who played Grant Mitchell in the BBC soap, said she was \"the woman who always had time for everybody\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Ross Kemp This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nMcFadden, who played Phil, said: \"I truly loved Barbara and, like everyone, I am going to miss her terribly.\"\n\nHe added: \"She was everything you would hope she would be, and more.\"\n\nJune Brown, who played Dot Cotton in the soap for 35 years, said when she first met the actress she was \"tiny, bright, bubbly, pretty and friendly to everyone - she soon became loved by all the cast\".\n\nAdding the pair became \"great friends\" who shared coffee and gossip in their dressing rooms, she said: \"I wished we'd had more scenes together but our only one was in her last episode, when Dot said goodbye to Peggy, knowing she was dying.\"\n\nDame Barbara starred in EastEnders with June Brown, as Dot Cotton\n\nBrown also praised Dame Barbara's \"very loving\" husband Scott Mitchell, adding: \"They had such a happy marriage - they were like two children, always laughing together.\"\n\nPam StClement and Barbara Windsor would share coffee and gossip between EastEnders takes\n\nPam St Clement, who played Peggy's friend and sometime rival Pat Butcher, told BBC News: \"She was a brilliantly vivacious, joyful person, and a light's gone out today I'm afraid.\"\n\nThe real Dame Barbara \"wasn't as fierce as Peggy,\" she said, adding: \"We loved working together. We sparked off each other. She had star quality. She gave out, she took back.\n\n\"You could best describe it by seeing her with the public, with her fans. She just gave. She loved it.\"\n\nLarry Lamb and Barbara Windsor played a couple in EastEnders in 2009\n\nOther former co-stars also fondly remembered the actress. Larry Lamb, who played Peggy's controlling husband Archie, described her as \"an extraordinary woman\".\n\n\"The word 'star' gets a little bit over-used, and if you're going to be a star you've kind of got to learn out to be one,\" Lamb told BBC Radio 5 Live.\n\nShe knew how to carry herself on set, he said. \"You know what it means to be the top of the bill, to have the responsibility of carrying the show and and looking after everybody all around you, helping you to move it along and keep it up to scratch, and she had to do it.\n\n\"Everybody looked up to her - which physically wasn't the easiest thing to do, she was so tiny!\n\n\"But she was an extraordinary woman and a great loss.\"\n\nTracy-Ann Oberman joined the Albert Square cast in 2004, playing Chrissie Watts, the wife of \"Dirty\" Den. She told 5 Live Dame Barbara was \"like showbusiness's fairy godmother\".\n\n\"She was a wonderful, wonderful woman, because not only was she excellent at her work, she was also a really good human being,\" she said.\n\nPeggy and Chrissie fought at EastEnders' funeral of Den Watts in 2005\n\nOberman recalled how welcoming the star had been when she first arrived into the \"whirlwind\" of the \"fast-moving\" show, despite Dame Barbara having been absent from EastEnders for a couple of years due to ill health.\n\n\"She got my number and she rang me up and she said, 'Hello darling. This is Barbara here. I just want to let you know that I've been watching you on screen and you're fantastic, and if there's anything you need call me',\" Oberman said.\n\nFellow soap star Danny Dyer, who played Mick Carter, posted on Instagram that Dame Barbara was \"the only one Dame in my eyes\".\n\n\"So grateful to have known ya. You was a beautiful rare one,\" he wrote.\n\nThis Instagram post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Instagram The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip instagram post by officialdannydyer This article contains content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Meta’s Instagram cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nAdam Woodyatt, who plays Ian Beale, said it was \"a privilege and honour\" to work with Dame Barbara, having watched her in the Carry On films during his youth.\n\n\"I have so many happy memories and moments that I will always cherish, even when Peggy floored Ian with a punch,\" he said.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Some of Dame Barbara Windsor's highlights as Peggy Mitchell\n\nFormer EastEnder Shane Richie said he was \"absolutely devastated\" at the news because \"Barbara was a friend as well as my TV boss in the Queen Vic\".\n\nThe actor, who played Alfie Moon and was recently in ITV's I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!, wrote on Instagram: \"She will always be my Duchess.\"\n\nThis Instagram post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Instagram The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip instagram post 2 by theshanerichie This article contains content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Meta’s Instagram cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nLetitia Dean, who plays Sharon Mitchell, said the actress \"will be missed beyond measure\", adding: \"They broke the mould when they made Dame Barbara Windsor. There will never be another like that incredible woman. Everyone who met her loved her.\"\n\nElsewhere in the TV world, Phillip Schofield called the actress \"gorgeous\", adding that she was \"a real icon, showbiz lost a lot of sparkle today\".\n\nSheridan Smith called her \"one of my idols\", having met her through David Walliams, who told BBC Radio 4's World at One: \"I grew up watching Carry On films on television, for a lot of boys my age it was like a first crush because she was one of the first beautiful, funny dazzling women you ever saw.\n\n\"We became friends nearly 20 years ago - she was very kind to everybody... she would immediately make everyone feel at ease, immediately make everyone feel happy. Everyone who comes and talks to her she's got time for, she was just absolutely golden to spend time with.\n\n\"I sat on the sofa blushing as red as a tomato as I had never seen anyone as beautiful, funny or adorable as Barbara Windsor and I still never have.\"\n\nFellow Little Britain star Matt Lucas said \"it's not an overstatement to say I think the whole country is in mourning today\" and praised Dame Barbara for working \"tirelessly\" for charity \"even when her own health was failing her\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by MATT LUCAS This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nAmanda Holden wrote on Instagram: \"I was a big fan and was thrilled to meet Barbara on several occasions... she was an absolute joy.\"\n\nTV presenter Jonathan Ross tweeted: \"Barbara Windsor in real life was everything you might have hoped for. So warm, so funny, so kind. Goodnight sweetheart x.\"\n\nDanniella Westbrook, who played Dame Barbara's on-screen daughter Sam Mitchell in EastEnders, tweeted: \"My heart is broken. Bar, you will always [be] in my heart forever.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 3 by BBC Breakfast This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nPatsy Palmer, who played Bianca Jackson, said on Instagram: \"I'm sitting here thinking of the 100s of memories we shared.\n\n\"Too many to comprehend. We were like family for a long time, ups, downs, ins and outs but you will never meet a more professional actress than Babs.\"\n\nLucy Benjamin, who played Lisa Fowler, added: \"You were a true star in every sense\", while Tamzin Outhwaite, who played Mel Owen, described the actress as an icon and national treasure. \"All I can hear is 'ello darlin',\" she added in reference to Peggy Mitchell's cockney catchphrase.\n\nNitin Ganatra, who played Masood Ahmed, said it had been \"a privilege and honour to work with this remarkable, sparkling, funny, straight talking, generous woman... and what a giggle!! I will never forget the kindness she showed me\".\n\nCraig Fairbrass, Dame Barbara and Mike Reid as Frank in EastEnders in 2002\n\nCraig Fairbrass, who left EastEnders in 2001 having played Dan Sullivan, tweeted that she was a \"larger than life proper legend\", while Diane Parish, who played Denise Fox, said she would remember \"her kindness, and of course laughter\".\n\nCulture Secretary Oliver Dowden added his voice to the tributes, telling BBC Breakfast she was \"the greatest landlady Albert Square ever saw\".\n\nDiane Parish was in EastEnders in 2007\n\nDoctor Who star John Barrowman, who was interviewed by Dame Barbara on BBC Radio 2 in 2011, said in a Twitter video that the star would be \"sorely missed\".\n\n\"She was a small woman but feisty, and she had the biggest, biggest heart in the business,\" he said. \"And she was a genuine, lovely, warm, caring person and she will be sorely missed by the film, television, radio and theatre worlds.\"\n\nVeteran broadcaster Tony Blackburn added that she was a \"lovely lady who was always such fun\".\n\nDame Barbara was pictured with EastEnders' cast in 1997\n\nFollow us on Facebook or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "Adam Price says something \"new and better\" should come out of the Covid crisis\n\nA vote for Plaid Cymru is now a vote for an independence referendum in Wales, the party has said.\n\nLeader Adam Price has pledged that Plaid would offer a referendum if it formed a government and got a Senedd majority to back it.\n\nIt is a first for the party, which has never previously promised to offer an independence vote in the first term of a Plaid government.\n\nBut the power to call a vote would still lie with the UK government.\n\nIt allowed one to take place in Scotland in 2014 after the SNP won a majority in the Scottish Parliament elections three years earlier.\n\nIn a speech in Cardiff Bay, Mr Price said something \"new and better\" must come out of the Covid crisis.\n\n\"Independence is the most radical idea in Welsh politics today,\" he said.\n\nMr Price told an audience watching via social media that devolution was \"under attack\" from Boris Johnson's UK government and that Scottish demands for a second independence referendum were \"unstoppable\".\n\n\"Wales is in real danger of being left behind as part of a rump United Kingdom, in a new England-and-Wales formation - which would be the ultimate worst of all worlds,\" he said.\n\n\"It is for these reasons that I pledge today that, subject to party approval, a Plaid Cymru government, able to command a majority in the Senedd, will offer a referendum on independence for Wales in its first term.\"\n\nPreviously Mr Price had said a referendum would take place in the second term of a Plaid government and before 2030.\n\nThe change in policy comes in response to a report commissioned by the party which recommended two referendums on independence.\n\nThe first was proposed as \"multi-choice\" exercise to gauge opinion, and the second a vote on the preferred option in the referendum.\n\nNow Mr Price is promising one single vote offering a choice between independence and the status quo.\n\nThe political impasse over Brexit in 2019 saw a variety of pro-independence marches around Wales, organised by non-party political groups and attended by thousands of demonstrators.\n\nReferencing those events, Mr Price made a direct pitch to those who attended for their support.\n\n\"Banners and marches fuel our fire, but the Welsh spring will only truly bloom at the ballot box in May. If you want independence, you have to vote for it,\" he said.\n\nAfter the speech the Plaid Cymru leader added: \"I'm the only pro-independence candidate for first minister.\n\n\"If we're able to form a government and get that referendum I think we'll win it.\"\n\nThis is a big move from Adam Price. Even before he became leader he said Plaid should make independence their \"express purpose… sooner, rather than later\" and it's clear he feels the time is right.\n\nBrexit, and more recently the coronavirus pandemic, have moved independence into the mainstream of Welsh political conversation, as the growth of unaffiliated, pro-independence groups attest.\n\nMr Price wants to harness that momentum going into next year's elections, but it's by no means a clear route to electoral success.\n\nOpinion polling does suggest a rise in support for Welsh independence, but it's a very long way from showing a consistent majority in favour.", "Mass testing will be rolled out to secondary school children in the worst-affected areas of London, Kent and Essex, the health secretary has said.\n\nMatt Hancock said \"by far\" the fastest rise in coronavirus infection rates in these areas was in 11 to 18-year-olds.\n\nThis age group in these areas should be tested regardless of symptoms, he said.\n\n\"We need to do everything to stop the spread in school-age children now,\" Mr Hancock said, adding that more details will be set out on Friday.\n\nIt comes after Londoners were urged to \"stick by the rules\" this week amid fears the capital - in tier two - may be put under tier--three restrictions following a rise in Covid-19 cases.\n\nMeanwhile, all secondary schools and further education colleges in Wales will move classes online from Monday, Welsh education minister Kirsty Williams has announced.\n\nSpeaking at a Downing Street press briefing, Mr Hancock said the government was \"particularly concerned\" about coronavirus cases in parts of London, Kent and Essex, which were rising and were often \"already high\".\n\nHe said the government must not wait until the next review of the tiered restrictions on 16 December but must \"take targeted action immediately\".\n\nMr Hancock said \"in particular\" there was a \"very specific rise\" among the secondary school age group and specifically in north-east London, while the rate among adults in London was \"broadly flat\".\n\nHe said: \"We know from experience that a sharp rise in case in younger people can lead to a rise among more vulnerable age groups later.\"\n\nEast London and the parts of Kent and Essex that border it have become one of the major Covid hotspots in England.\n\nRates have been rising in recent weeks with some areas seeing well over 300 cases per 100,000 people in the past week. To put that in perspective, it's close to double the rate seen in Manchester which is currently in tier three.\n\nThe data shows cases are being driven by young people but the concern is that that will then lead to high rates among older age groups who are susceptible to serious illness.\n\nThe government's hope is by flooding the areas with testing they will be able to break the chains of transmission.\n\nBut that will be too late in terms of the difficult call that has to be made by Wednesday when the government decides whether areas move up or down in the system of tiers.\n\nMinisters have wanted to treat London as a whole, but with some of the southern boroughs seeing below average rates there is a growing argument the capital should be split when it comes to restrictions.\n\nThe mass testing plan will apply in the seven worst-affected boroughs of London, plus parts of Essex that border London and parts of Kent.\n\nMr Hancock said it was \"right\" to keep schools open \"for education and for public health\".\n\n\"We are therefore surging mobile testing units and will be working with schools and local authorities to encourage these children and their families to get tested over the coming days,\" he said.\n\nMr Hancock said both PCR (a standard coronavirus test) and lateral flow testing - which takes about half an hour to show a result - would be used.\n\nLondon and Essex are currently in tier two - the second highest level - meaning there is no household mixing allowed anywhere indoors and the rule of six applies outdoors.\n\nKent is in tier three, the highest level, in which you can only meet other households in outdoor public spaces such as parks, where the rule of six applies.\n\nFour London boroughs were among the 20 places with the highest case rates in England in the week ending 6 December, according to Public Health England. They are Havering (400.7 cases per 100,000 people), Barking and Dagenham (333.5), Waltham Forest (327.1) and Redbridge (310.3).\n\nProf Paul Hunter, from the University of East Anglia's school of medicine, told the BBC it \"does sadly look like\" the capital would be moved into tier three.\n\nMayor of London Sadiq Khan said on Thursday that London was facing \"a tipping point\" - but that placing it under tier three restrictions would be \"catastrophic\".\n\nHowever, Mr Hancock said he \"didn't want to pre-empt\" any decision that might be made about moving London and parts of the South East into tier three.\n\nHe said it was \"not inevitable\" that the capital would have to face tighter rules.\n\nMr Hancock also told the briefing it was important not to \"blow\" the progress made so far in controlling coronavirus and urged everyone to \"stay on our guard now and through Christmas\".\n\nHe said tens of thousands of people had been vaccinated with the Pfzier/BioNTech jab in 73 UK hospital hubs.\n\nGP-led sites will begin vaccinations next week, Mr Hancock said, with jabs administered in some care homes by Christmas.\n\nAsked whether people would be able to spend New Year's Eve with their close family members, he said there would be no special set of rules for the occasion.\n\nEngland's chief medical officer Prof Chris Whitty said a third wave was \"not inevitable\" but warned people must be \"very, very sensible\" over Christmas.\n\n\"The way we prevent it [a third wave] is everybody, all of us, coming together and deciding we want to try and stick to the guidance that's there,\" he said.\n\nLast week, Scotland's education secretary said there would be no extension to the nation's school Christmas holidays, despite talks about potentially shutting all schools on 18 December and reopening them again on 11 January.\n\nMeanwhile, Northern Ireland's education minister has repeatedly said there were no plans to close schools early for the Christmas break.\n\nThe latest coronavirus daily figures show 20,964 new coronavirus infections have been recorded across the UK, and another 516 people have died within 28 days of a positive test, bringing the total to 63,082.", "People are screened at a clinic in Huanggang, in China's central Hubei province (file photo) Image caption: People are screened at a clinic in Huanggang, in China's central Hubei province (file photo)\n\nA number of people in central China have been fined and told to self-isolate after they bought imported pork online that could potentially have been contaminated with Covid-19.\n\nAccording to the national Global Times newspaper, 24 residents in Huanggang, central Hubei province, have been fined 200 yuan (£23; $30.50) for buying imported pork from Brazil via the Meituan shopping platform.\n\nThe pork should have been destroyed rather than sold because, as the newspaper notes, batches had already tested positive for Covid-19 . An investigation is now being carried out into the shopping platform.\n\nOne of the big concerns in China is how imported food might carry the virus, and so the country is stepping up regulation to prevent ordinary consumers from directly getting their hands on such goods.\n\nThis week, China's top court announced that e-commerce platforms could be \"held legally responsible for food safety issues related to products purchased on their platforms\".\n\nChina says that many of its localised Covid-19 outbreaks over the last year have been linked to imported cold-chain goods, and there are regular news stories about coastal regions discovering the virus on overseas goods. Many of the first patients in cities that have experienced outbreaks have been workers who handle such products.", "The global response to the Covid-19 pandemic has driven the biggest annual fall in CO2 emissions since World War Two, say researchers.\n\nTheir study indicates that emissions have declined by around 7% this year.\n\nFrance and the UK saw the greatest falls, mainly due to severe shutdowns in response to a second wave of infections.\n\nChina, by contrast, has seen such a large rebound from coronavirus that overall emissions may grow this year.\n\nThe decline in carbon in 2020 has dwarfed all the previous big falls.\n\nAccording to the Global Carbon Project team, this year saw carbon emissions decline by 2.4 billion tonnes.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Is it possible to reverse the climate crisis? The BBC's Justin Rowlatt explains\n\nIn contrast, the fall recorded in 2009 during the global economic recession was just half a billion tonnes, while the ending of World War Two saw emissions fall by under one billion tonnes.\n\nAcross Europe and the US, the drop was around 12% over the year, but some individual countries declined by more.\n\nFrance saw a fall of 15% and the UK went down by 13%, according to one analysis.\n\n\"The main reason is that these two countries had two waves of confinement that were really quite severe compared with other countries,\" said Prof Corinne Le Quéré, from the University of East Anglia, UK, who contributed to the study.\n\n\"The UK and France have a lot of their emissions come from the transport sector and generally have a bit less coming from industry and other sectors.\n\n\"This is even more true in France, because so much of their electricity production is from nuclear energy, so 40% of their emissions are from the transport sector.\"\n\nThe use of cars fell dramatically during the two national lockdowns observed in the UK\n\nThe drop in emissions from aviation was still large by December\n\nAviation around the world has been badly hit by restrictions and by the end of this year, it's expected that emissions from this sector will still be 40% below 2019 levels.\n\nOne country that may have bucked the trend is China.\n\nOverall, the research team estimates that the country will experience a fall in emissions of 1.7% this year but some analysis suggests that the country has already rebounded enough from Covid-19 that the overall carbon output may have increased.\n\n\"All our datasets show that China experienced a big drop in emissions in February and March, but the datasets differ in the level of emissions towards the end of 2020,\" said Jan Ivar Korsbakken, a senior researcher at CICERO, who was involved in the study.\n\n\"In late 2020, China is at least close to having the same level of daily emissions as in 2019, and indeed some of our estimates suggest Chinese emissions may have actually increased for the year as a whole in 2020 relative to 2019, despite the pandemic,\" he added.\n\nResearchers believe that dramatic drop experienced through the pandemic response might be hiding a longer term fall-off in carbon, more related to climate policies.\n\nThe use of coal for energy has declined over the past decade\n\nThe annual growth in global CO2 emissions fell from around 3% in the early years of this century to around 0.9% in the 2010s. Much of this change was down to a move away from coal as an energy source.\n\n\"An emerging discussion pre-2020 was whether global fossil CO2 emissions were showing signs of peaking,\" said Glen Peters, research director at CICERO.\n\n\"Covid-19 has changed this narrative to one that involves avoiding a rebound in emissions and asking if emissions have already peaked,\" he said.\n\nAll the researchers involved in this project agree that a rebound of emissions in 2021 is almost certain.\n\nTo minimise the uptick in carbon, the scientists are urging a \"green\" rather than a \"brown\" response, meaning recovery funding should be spent on sustainable projects and not on fossil fuels.\n\nThey argue that efforts should also be made to boost walking and cycling in cities and to rapidly deploy electric vehicles.\n\nFactory output has increased in China after Covid-19 and emissions are on the up\n\nWhile 2020's fall of over two billion tonnes of CO2 is welcome, the scientists say that meeting the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement will need cuts of up to two billion tonnes every year for the next decade.\n\n\"Although global emissions were not as high as last year, they still amounted to about 39 billion tonnes of CO2, and inevitably led to a further increase in CO2 in the atmosphere,\" said lead researcher Prof Pierre Friedlingstein from the University of Exeter, UK.\n\n\"The atmospheric CO2 level, and consequently the world's climate, will only stabilise when global CO2 emissions are near zero.\"\n\nThe study has been published in the journal Earth System Science Data.", "The pound has declined this week as hopes of a Brexit trade deal breakthrough waned\n\nThe pound fell against the dollar on Friday after Prime Minister Boris Johnson said a no-deal Brexit looked \"very, very likely\".\n\nSterling fell nearly 1.2% before clawing back some ground when both the German and Irish foreign ministers said an agreement between the UK and the EU is still possible.\n\nBoth sides have until Sunday to reach a deal on trading from 1 January.\n\nTalks are deadlocked on a handful of key issues, including fishing quotas.\n\nThe pound is trading 0.6% lower against the dollar at $1.3220, while it's down 0.3% against the euro to €1.0915.\n\nThere had been speculation that the UK and the EU were close to a deal last weekend, however since then discussions have reached an impasse.\n\nMr Johnson said: \"It's looking very, very likely we'll have to go for a solution that I think will be wonderful for the UK.\n\n\"If there's a big offer, a big change in what they're saying then I must say that I'm yet to see it.\"\n\nCMC Markets analyst, David Madden, said: \"The UK-EU relationship has gone from bad to worse in the past 24 hours and that goes for sterling too.\n\n\"Traders are turning their back on the pound as the language being used now is more serious and a fears of a no-deal have increased considerably.\n\nBut later on Friday, Germany's foreign minister Heiko Maas said: \"We believe finding a solution in the talks is difficult but possible.\"\n\nHis Irish counterpart Simon Coveney said he believed \"it's possible to get a deal on a future relationship and on a trade agreement.\"", "CCTV footage of Sinaga near his flat was used as evidence at his trials\n\nSerial rapist Reynhard Sinaga is believed to have targeted more than 200 victims, 60 of whom remain unidentified, police have said.\n\nSinaga, described as Britain's most prolific rapist, was found guilty in January of luring 48 men to his Manchester flat and filming himself sexually assaulting and raping them.\n\nHis minimum jail term has been extended from 30 to 40 years at the High Court.\n\nPolice now believe Sinaga committed sexual offences against 206 men.\n\nSinaga, who was a postgraduate student , would wait for men leaving nightclubs and bars before leading them to his Princess Street flat on the edge of the city centre.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Who is Reynhard Sinaga? The BBC's Judith Moritz reports on the case\n\nHe drugged his victims before assaulting them while they were unconscious, often filming his rapes and collecting so-called trophies from them, such as mobile phones.\n\nWhen the victims woke up many had no memory of what had happened.\n\nHe was caught after one victim awoke as he was being abused and defended himself, before reporting the incident.\n\nWhen officers seized Sinaga's phone, they found hundreds of hours of footage of the attacks, a discovery which led to the launch of the largest rape inquiry in British history.\n\nPolice say Sinaga assaulted 206 men, but many have not been identified\n\nSinaga, originally from Indonesia, lived in a rented flat just a few moments' walk from the Factory 251 nightclub.\n\nHis trial was told he typically approached his victims, mostly men in their late teens or early 20s who had been out drinking, in the street and brought them back to his apartment.\n\nMany could not remember what happened, but some recalled being given a drink and then blacking out. Most were unaware they had been raped until they were contacted by police.\n\nSinaga claimed all the sexual activity was consensual and that each man had agreed to being filmed while pretending to be asleep.\n\nIn victim impact statements read out at the trial, one man said Sinaga had \"destroyed a part of my life\", while another said he had \"periods where I can't get up and face the day\".\n\nEvidence given in the trial suggested Sinaga drugged the men by giving them spiked drinks\n\nAssistant Chief Constable Mabs Hussain said as a result of further evidence \"coming to light\" since the trial, investigators had identified a further 23 victims and \"now believe that Sinaga committed sexual offences against 206 men\".\n\n\"We are yet to identify around 60 of these men and would urge anyone who thinks they may have been a victim to please get in touch with us,\" he added.\n\nAfter his trial concluded, Sinaga's case was referred to the Court of Appeal by the Attorney General under the unduly lenient sentence scheme.\n\nJudges rejected calls for a whole-life jail term but increased the minimum time he must spend in prison.\n\nThey noted he had not shown any remorse.\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "The coronavirus which causes Covid-19 makes some people seriously ill while others have no symptoms at all\n\nWhy some people with coronavirus have no symptoms and others get extremely ill is one of the pandemic's biggest puzzles.\n\nA study in Nature of more than 2,200 intensive care patients has identified specific genes that may hold the answer.\n\nThey make some people more susceptible to severe Covid-19 symptoms.\n\nThe findings shed light on where the immune system goes wrong, which could help identify new treatments.\n\nThese will continue to be needed even though vaccines are being developed, says Dr Kenneth Baillie, a consultant in medicine at the Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh, who led the Genomicc project.\n\n\"Vaccines should drastically decrease the numbers of covid cases, but it's likely doctors will still be treating the disease in intensive care for a number of years around the world, so there is an urgent need to find new treatments.\"\n\nScientists looked at the DNA of patients in more than 200 intensive care units in UK hospitals.\n\nThey scanned each person’s genes, which contain the instructions for every biological process - including how to fight a virus.\n\nTheir genomes were then compared with the DNA of healthy people to pinpoint any genetic differences, and a number were found - the first in a gene called TYK2.\n\n“It is part of the system that makes your immune cells more angry, and more inflammatory,” explained Dr Baillie.\n\nBut if the gene is faulty, this immune response can go into overdrive, putting patients at risk of damaging lung inflammation.\n\nA class of anti-inflammatory drugs already used for conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis targets this biological mechanism, including a drug called Baricitinib.\n\n“It makes it a very plausible candidate for a new treatment,” Dr Baillie said. “But of course, we need to do large-scale clinical trials in order to find out if that's true or not.”\n\nGenetic differences were also found in a gene called DPP9, which plays a role in inflammation, and in a gene called OAS, which helps to stop the virus from making copies of itself.\n\nVariations in a gene called IFNAR2 were also identified in the intensive care patients.\n\nIFNAR2 is linked to a potent anti-viral molecule called interferon, which helps to kick-start the immune system as soon as an infection is detected.\n\nIt’s thought that producing too little interferon can give the virus an early advantage, allowing it to quickly replicate, leading to more severe disease.\n\nTwo other recent studies published in the journal Science have also implicated interferon in Covid cases, through both genetic mutations and an autoimmune disorder that affects its production.\n\nProf Jean-Laurent Casanova, who carried out the research, from The Rockefeller University in New York, said: “[Interferon] accounted for nearly 15% of the critical Covid-19 cases internationally enrolled in our cohort.\"\n\nInterferon can be given as a treatment, but a World Health Organization clinical trial concluded that it did not help very sick patients. However, Prof Casanova said the timing was important.\n\nHe explained: “I hope that if given in the first two, three, four days of infection, the interferon would work, because it essentially would provide the molecule that the [patient] does not produce by himself or by herself.”\n\nDr Vanessa Sancho-Shimizu, a geneticist from Imperial College London, said that the genetic discoveries were providing an unprecedented insight into the biology of the disease.\n\n“It really is an example of precision medicine, where we can actually identify the moment at which things have gone awry in that individual,” she told BBC News.\n\n“The findings from these genetic studies will help us identify particular molecular pathways that could be targets for therapeutic intervention,\" she said.\n\nBut the genome still holds some mysteries.\n\nThe Genomicc study - and several others - has revealed a cluster of genes on chromosome 3 strongly linked to severe symptoms. However, the biology underpinning this is not yet understood.\n\nMore patients will now be asked to take part in this research.\n\nDr Baillie said: “We need everyone, but we're particularly keen to recruit people from minority ethnic groups who are over-represented in the critically ill population.\"\n\nHe added: “There's still a very urgent need to find new treatments for this disease and we have to make the right choices about which treatments to try next, because we don't have time to make mistakes.\"\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Reynhard Sinaga (left) and Joseph McCann were both given minimum terms of 30 years\n\nTwo serial rapists serving life sentences have had the minimum time they must spend in prison extended from 30 to 40 years by the Court of Appeal.\n\nJoseph McCann, 35, was jailed last year at the Old Bailey for 37 offences involving 11 women and children.\n\nReynhard Sinaga, 37, was sentenced at Manchester Crown Court in January for 159 offences against 48 men.\n\nThe judges rejected calls for whole-life jail terms, never successfully imposed in a non-homicide case.\n\nSuch an order, meaning a life sentence with no minimum term, is usually reserved for certain types of murders, like those involving serial murder, child abduction or a terrorist motive.\n\nThe attorney general referred McCann and Sinaga's convictions to the Court of Appeal after describing their original jail terms as \"unduly lenient\".\n\nPolice now believe Sinaga committed offences against 206 men - 60 of whom remain unidentified.\n\nFive senior judges - including the Lord Chief Justice Lord Burnett and the President of the Queen's Bench Division, Dame Victoria Sharp - heard the appeal in October at the Court of Appeal in London.\n\nTheir judgement, published on Friday, says they are \"unable to accept the submission\" that two offenders should have received a whole-life tariff.\n\nBut, they add, in the \"collective experience of this court the cases of McCann and Sinaga, albeit very different on their individual facts, come within the category of the most serious cases involving a campaign of rape to have been tried in England and Wales.\"\n\nThe judgement then alters the minimum terms for McCann and Sinaga to 40 years each, saying the \"multiple life sentences remain and whether either is in fact ever released will depend upon the assessment of risk by the Parole Board at the end of the minimum terms\".\n\nThe ruling states that \"neither man has shown any remorse and the long-term psychological damage for at least some of the victims in both trials is profound and will only be understood in the years to come\".\n\nThe judgement says it endorses the line of authority that does \"not shut the door\" to a whole-life tariff in a non-murder case.\n\nExamples it gives include a \"bomb planted on a commercial airliner\" that fails to explode or intervention by the authorities that \"prevents an act of mass-murder\".\n\nThe offending of McCann and Sinaga, \"does not, in our judgement, call for either to receive a whole-life tariff\", the ruling states.\n\nIt adds: \"This is not to minimise the seriousness of their offending but instead to ensure that the most severe sentence in our jurisdiction is reserved, save exceptionally, either for the most serious cases involving loss of life, or when a substantive plan to murder of similar seriousness is interrupted close to fulfilment.\"\n\nOne 17-year-old victim says a sentence extension of 10 years \"just isn't enough\".\n\nThe teenager and her 11-year-old brother were raped by McCann after he took them and their mother prisoner in their home.\n\n\"I think for me personally it's the fact that the courts don't think his crimes were serious enough for life without parole because he didn't commit murder,\" she said in a statement.\n\n\"When you're put in a position at such a young age - and not knowing whether you're going to come out of the horrific nightmare alive or dead - it has a different effect on your thoughts of everything.\n\n\"The fear of not knowing his next move or what's going to happen. It makes you think of everything differently.\n\n\"I will have to live with that fear I felt on that day for my whole life, it still haunts me.\n\n\"I was expecting him to get life, therefore I am upset and disappointed with the end decision and I think they will regret this decision in time to come.\"\n\nThe teenager added: \"No-one will ever understand as a victim how it feels for them knowing their offender isn't sorry for what they did, that they don't care about what they did.\n\n\"The victims don't go a day without thinking about what happened, having flash backs, nightmares and other related things.\"\n\nShe said McCann was not \"sorry for what he did\" and did not \"have to live the nightmare of what happened\".\n\nIn a statement after the ruling, Solicitor General Michael Ellis QC said: \"Both offenders carried out some of the most heinous and depraved sexual attacks that shocked the nation.\n\n\"I am grateful for the guidance the court gave about whole-life orders and I am pleased that the court imposed a longer minimum term.\n\n\"I hope this brings some solace to the victims of these despicable crimes.\"\n\nMeanwhile, Greater Manchester Police said it had identified a further 23 people it believed were victims of Sinaga. It said it had yet to identify about 60 of the 206 victims and suspected victims.\n\nSinaga filmed his rapes and collected so-called \"trophies\" from his drugged victims, but officers have not been able to establish the true identities of all the men. The force appealed again for anyone affected to come forward.\n\nThe list of offenders with a whole-life term includes serial killers Rosemary West and Stephen Port.\n\nAs of June this year there were 63 whole-life prisoners and an additional three life prisoners being treated in secure hospitals.", "Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Friday morning. We'll have another update for you at 18:00 GMT.\n\nNon-essential shops across much of western Scotland - including Glasgow - are reopening for the first time in three weeks. It comes as more than two million people across 11 council areas move from being subject to the country's toughest Covid restrictions under level four to level three in the tiered system. Pubs and restaurants will have to remain closed until Saturday.\n\nNorthern Ireland's non-essential retailers are reopening, along with restaurants, cafes and other venues serving food. There's a limited reopening, too, for hair and beauty salons, gyms and outdoor sports venues. However, pubs that do not serve food must remain shut and Health Minister Robin Swann is warning against a \"festive free-for-all\".\n\nThe mass Covid testing of students before Christmas has so far resulted in just 0.2% testing positive at the University of Portsmouth, says its vice-chancellor. That's fewer than two a day, on average. There are no national figures yet, and it is not known whether early findings are representative, but the University of Cambridge found no positive cases among more than 10,000 students without symptoms screened last week, with nine cases confirmed from 71 who felt ill.\n\nLockdowns and other restrictions on trade and movement around the globe have driven a 7% drop in CO2 emissions, the biggest annual fall since World War Two, a study indicates. The UK has seen the second-largest reduction, measuring 13%, mainly because of measures taken to tackle the second wave of infections, the Global Carbon Project says.\n\nIt's been a tough year for those kept apart from relatives in care homes. So when Jacqueline Mason accidentally got on the wrong bus and faced missing her allocated time-slot for visiting her mum, she broke down in tears. But thanks to an impromptu detour by driver Alec Bailey and the understanding of fellow passengers, all was not lost... she even ended up on TV. Read the heart-warming tale.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Jacqueline Mason got to see mother Eileen McGrugan in time\n\n...with restrictions eased in parts of Scotland and Northern Ireland, you can check the latest rules wherever you are in the UK.\n\nYou can find more information, advice and guides on our coronavirus page.\n\nWhat questions do you have about coronavirus?\n\nIn some cases, your question will be published, displaying your name, age and location as you provide it, unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published. Please ensure you have read our terms & conditions and privacy policy.\n\nUse this form to ask your question:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or send them via email to YourQuestions@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any question you send in.", "Levels of positive tests are rising in London and could be on the up in the east of England, according to data from the Office for National Statistics.\n\nFigures for the week to 5 December, as England's second lockdown was ending, suggest infection levels continued to fall in other regions.\n\nInfection rates are still highest in children of secondary school age, the ONS says.\n\nAcross the UK, the picture is mixed, with Wales seeing rising infections.\n\nIn Northern Ireland, the percentage of people testing positive continues to fall - while in Scotland it has stayed the same.\n\nThe R number - or reproduction number - of the virus is now between 0.9 and 1.0 for the UK - slightly up from 0.8-1.0 last week. But in some regions in the south and east it could be above 1, indicating infections are likely to be growing there.\n\nThe ONS figures are one source of data used by the government's scientific advisers to judge the spread of the virus, and take decisions on restrictions on people's daily lives.\n\nThey are based on swab tests of thousands of people in households, whether they have symptoms or not. The estimates are thought to give a more accurate picture of how many people are infected with the virus than data on positive tests alone.\n\nInfection levels in London started to rise sharply before the end of lockdown, according to the ONS, after falling in late November.\n\nIn all other regions, including the North West and North East, and Yorkshire and the Humber, the percentage of people testing positive is decreasing.\n\nBut there are \"early signs\" rates may be increasing in the east of England, the ONS says.\n\nThe latest estimate of the R number for the UK is up very slightly on the previous week, but still just below 1. This means that the epidemic is still shrinking after lockdown, but very slowly.\n\nThis is borne out by the latest Office for National Statistics infection survey. It indicates that cases continued to fall in most of England and Northern Ireland last week.\n\nBut the view of the scientific advisory group is that the situation is \"fragile\". Cases are increasing in London and the east of England - especially among secondary school age children - and previous experience indicates that a surge among older age groups will inevitably follow.\n\nThe government's scientific advisers believe that it will be important to keep infection levels as low as possible in the run-up to the holidays. That's because the relaxation of restrictions that permit families to meet over Christmas will accelerate any increase in cases - and lead to another sharp spike in infections early in the New Year.\n\nData on cases - or confirmed positive tests - suggests areas such as Basildon, Medway and Havering in the south east are now experiencing more than 400 cases per 100,000 people.\n\nEngland's tiers system is due to be reviewed on 16 December and there have been suggestions that London should be moved from tier two to tier three to avoid a spike in deaths over Christmas.\n\nKent is already in tier three while Essex is in tier two.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Boris Johnson says there is a “strong possibility” the UK will not reach a post-Brexit trade deal with the EU.\n\nBoris Johnson says there is a \"strong possibility\" the UK will fail to strike a post-Brexit trade deal with the EU.\n\nSpeaking for the first time since a crunch meeting in Brussels, the PM said \"now is the time\" for firms and people to prepare for a no deal outcome.\n\nTalks continue between the two sides but Mr Johnson said they were \"not yet there at all\" in securing a deal.\n\nTime is running out to reach an agreement before the UK stops following EU trade rules on 31 December.\n\nWeeks of intensive talks between officials have failed to overcome obstacles in key areas, including competition rules and fishing rights.\n\nMr Johnson met European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Wednesday, but the pair failed to make a breakthrough.\n\nMr Johnson pledged British negotiators, who earlier resumed talks with their EU counterparts in Brussels, would \"go the extra mile\" to reach a deal.\n\nBut he said the EU wanted to keep the UK \"locked\" into its legal system, or face punishments such as taxes on imports, which had \"made things much more difficult\".\n\nThe PM added that the EU's proposals would mean, despite leaving the bloc earlier this year, the UK would be forced to remain a \"twin\" of the 27-country organisation.\n\n\"At the moment, I have to tell you in all candour, the treaty is not there yet and that was the strong view of our cabinet,\" he said.\n\nMr Johnson said that \"looking at where we are,\" it was vital the UK prepares for the \"Australian-style option\" of not having a free trade deal with the EU.\n\n\"There's a strong possibility that we will have a solution much more like Australian relationship with the EU than a Canadian relationship with the EU,\" he said.\n\nMr Johnson has insisted the country will \"prosper\" on these terms, but former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm said the UK should be \"careful what you wish for\".\n\nMr Turnbull told BBC's Question Time there were some \"very large barriers to Australian trade with Europe\", adding: \"Australians would not regard our trade relationship with Europe as being a satisfactory one.\"\n\nWill there be no deal? Right now it is just too hard to say.\n\nBut is Boris Johnson only trying to send messages to his opposite numbers? The answer is no.\n\nOn Wednesday we saw this whole saga move closer to what both sides would consider a failure - an inability to agree on a trade deal that had been in reach and is still in their mutual interest.\n\nIt may yet come to pass that the prime minster or the EU leadership will have a change of heart.\n\nOf course the rhetoric does not tell us everything that's going on.\n\nBut the PM's warning tonight is far from just a message designed to be heard in EU capitals - whatever the merits of the decision he may take, Downing Street is preparing the ground for a choice to leave the status quo without firm arrangements in place.\n\nAustralia is negotiating a free trade deal with the EU but currently does not have one.\n\nIt largely does business with the EU on World Trade Organization (WTO) rules, but has a few arrangements in place, such as co-operation on science and trade on wine.\n\nMoving to WTO rules on 31 December could result in tariffs being imposed leading to higher prices for the goods the UK buys and sells from and to the EU, among other changes.\n\nCanada finalised a deal with the EU in 2017.\n\nMr Johnson said he \"tried very hard to make progress\" at his dinner with Mrs von der Leyen, but the EU was making things \"unnecessarily difficult\".\n\nMeanwhile, the EU has set out the contingency measures it would take in the event of no trade agreement being reached with the UK.\n\nThe plans aim to ensure that UK and EU air and road connections still run after the post-Brexit transition period ends on 31 December.\n\nThey also allow the possibility of fishing access to each other's waters for up to a year, or until an agreement is reached.\n\nEU leaders are meeting in the Belgian capital for a two day-summit of their own, although Brexit will not be the main focus.\n\nA spokesman said they discussed the situation on Friday morning, but only for 10 minutes.\n\nArriving at the summit, Mrs von der Leyen said the conditions for a trade deal would have to be \"fair for our workers and our companies.\"\n\n\"This fine balance of fairness has not been achieved so far,\" she said, adding that a decision would be taken on Sunday.\n\nBBC Europe correspondent Kevin Connolly said the EU leaders had been preoccupied with disputes about their own budget, a maritime row with Turkey in the Mediterranean and coronavirus as they talked into the early hours of Friday morning.\n\n\"Brexit has not been the only priority here - perhaps not even the main one,\" he said.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Sir Keir Starmer tells Boris Johnson to “get the deal” and his party will then look at it.\n\nBefore the PM's remarks, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer urged Mr Johnson to \"get on and deliver\" a deal, adding the outstanding issues \"are capable of resolution\".\n\nAsked whether his party would back a deal in a vote in the Commons, he said: \"We will look at it - and we will act in the national interest.\"\n\n\"But on a straight choice between no deal and deal, then deal is clearly in the national interest,\" he added.", "Folklore is the best-reviewed album of Taylor Swift's career\n\nTaylor Swift is releasing her second surprise album of 2020 at midnight, she has revealed on Twitter.\n\nEvermore is described as a \"sister album\" to the delicate, escapist Folklore, which itself arrived out-of-the-blue in July.\n\nRecorded remotely in quarantine, that record topped the US and UK charts and earned Swift nominations for six Grammy awards, including album of the year.\n\nSwift said the new 17-track collection featured songs from the same sessions.\n\n\"To put it plainly, we just couldn't stop writing,\" she said.\n\n\"To try and put it more poetically, it feels like we were standing on the edge of the folklorian woods and had a choice: To turn and go back or to travel further into the forest of this music. We chose to wander deeper in.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Taylor Swift This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\n\"I've never done this before,\" she continued. \"In the past I've always treated albums as one-off eras and moved onto planning the next one after an album was released.\n\n\"There was something different with Folklore. In making it, I felt less like I was departing and more like I was returning. I loved the escapism I found in these imaginary/not imaginary tales.\n\n\"I loved the ways you welcomed the dreamscapes and tragedies and epic tales of love lost and found into your lives. So I just kept writing them.\"\n\nAs with Folklore, the new album will contain collaborations with indie artists Bon Iver and Aaron Dessner, as well as female rock trio Haim - who are one of Swift's competitors in the Grammys' album of the year category.\n\nThe star also said she has directed the video for the song Willow, which will also be released at midnight on Friday, 11 December.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Taylor Swift This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nEvermore caps off a busy year for the singer-songwriter, who filled the empty space in her tour diary with a string of musical projects, including a live album and a performance film based on the Folklore sessions, which was released on Disney Plus last month.\n\nThe 30-year-old has also begun re-recording all of the material from her first six albums after the master tapes were sold against her will last year.\n\nShe revealed the first fruits of those sessions - a faithful reproduction of her hit single Love Story - in a TV advert last week.\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "Travellers returning to the UK from Spain's Canary Islands from Saturday morning must self-isolate for two weeks, the transport secretary has said.\n\nGrant Shapps said this was because of rising infection rates on the islands.\n\nThe Canary Islands are popular with winter holidaymakers, being one of the few parts of Europe warm enough for beach holidays.\n\nTravellers to mainland Spain already have to isolate.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThe restrictions will be in place from 04:00 GMT on Saturday 12 December.\n\nIndustry body Airlines UK has previously said the islands were \"hugely important\" for winter travel and represent \"over 50% of bookings for some tour operators\".\n\nMeanwhile, Saudi Arabia and Botswana have been added to the UK's safe travel corridor list, meaning travellers will not need to self isolate if arriving from these places after 04:00 on Saturday.\n\nThe Department for Transport said there had been a \"sharp increase\" in the number of positive coronavirus tests in the Canary Islands, which had been added to the government's safe travel list in October.\n\nMore than 800 people are waiting to find out if their Tui holidays to Tenerife tomorrow morning will be cancelled, because the Foreign Office has not yet decided whether to also advise against travel to the islands.\n\nBetween 06:00 and 11:00 on Friday morning, six flights from various English airports are due to fly out to Tenerife with package holidaymakers.\n\nIf the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office advises against travel to the Canary Islands, Tui will cancel all holidays immediately as this change invalidates travel insurance.\n\nIt also expects to cancel its entire Christmas holiday schedule.\n\nThat would be a blow for the operator which announced losses of €3bn (£2.74bn) on Thursday.\n\nAt the moment, Tui has received no guidance on how to proceed.\n\nFor UK airlines and tour operators, the winter gloom has just deepened.\n\nThe Canary Islands are a vital market for winter travel, a magnet for holidaymakers trying to escape the chill back home.\n\nWith the industry in the throes of an unprecedented crisis that trade is badly needed.\n\nSo the removal of the canaries from the list of safe travel corridors so soon before the Christmas holidays will come as a bitter blow.\n\nReturning passengers will now have to self-isolate.\n\nNew rules that come into force next week will allow them to reduce the isolation period if they take a negative test after five days - but the test will have to be done privately, and will come at a cost.\n\nThe quarantine change comes ahead of the government's new \"Test and Release\" programme next week, which will allow travellers arriving into England to reduce their quarantine by more than half if they pay for a Covid test after five days.\n\nThe rules will come into force from 15 December and the tests from private firms will cost between £65 and £120.\n\nEngland has also introduced a quarantine exemption for certain categories of travellers, including people making high-value business trips, sports stars and performing arts professionals.\n\nThe Canary Islands and the Maldives were added to the government's safe travel list in October.\n\nThe reversal of this decision will come as a blow to UK travel businesses, who have pinned hope on a revival in holidays and revenue for Christmas and winter holidays to the Canaries.\n\nA number of operators saw a large uplift in bookings to places such as Tenerife, Lanzarote and Gran Canaria when the Canaries were reopened for safe travel.\n\nPaul Charles, chief executive of travel consultancy The PC Agency, said: \"It's utterly devastating news for the thousands of British travellers who booked to go to the Canaries for Christmas and New Year.\n\n\"It's also a body blow for travel firms who'd seen an uplift in bookings for the winter after the Canaries were added to the travel corridor list.\n\n\"It now means thousands of refunds and lost bookings for a sector that needed the Canaries to help them recover.\"\n\nAirline Easyjet chief executive Johan Lundgren said that the news would be \"disappointing for many customers booked to travel to the Canary Islands from the UK in the coming weeks.\"\n\nCustomers wishing to transfer their flights without a fee must do so within a week, he said.", "Gabrielle Friel was found guilty of possessing weapons for purposes connected to an act of terrorism\n\nA man has been found guilty under the Terrorism Act of possessing weapons including a crossbow, 15 crossbow arrows and a machete.\n\nHowever, Gabrielle Friel was cleared of another charge alleging he wanted to carry out a \"spree killing\".\n\nA jury at the High Court in Edinburgh found the charge that he was motivated by incel (involuntary celibate) ideology was not proven.\n\nThe 22-year-old had denied both charges.\n\nFriel was accused of having the weapons and a bulletproof vest at various locations including his home, a community justice social work centre and the Royal Edinburgh Hospital between 1 June and 16 August last year.\n\nThe charge stated that he had the weapons in circumstances \"giving rise to the reasonable suspicion\" that it was connected to the \"commission, preparation or instigation\" of an act of terror.\n\nA crossbow, arrows, a scope, a machete and a ballistic vest were among the weapons on Friel's possession\n\nA second allegation that he prepared for terrorist acts by conducting online research in relation to spree killings during this time, particularly those connected with incels, was not proven.\n\nAs part of this charge, Friel was accused of having \"expressed affinity with and sympathy for one incel-motivated mass murderer\" and to have expressed \"a desire to carry out a spree killing mass murder\"\n\nJudge Lord Beckett deferred sentencing until 12 January but told members of the jury it was likely to be a \"substantial prison sentence\".\n\nFriel, a prisoner at Polmont young offenders' institution, denied both charges and gave evidence in his own defence during the trial.\n\nHe told the jury mass shooting was a \"fantasy\" for him and he had empathy for incel mass murder Elliot Rodger.\n\nBut he said he was not an incel and described killers as evil.\n\nHe said he bought the weapons in summer 2019 as he wanted to provoke police to shoot him.\n\nThe court heard Friel had previously been sentenced to 300 hours of community service after pleading guilty to stabbing a police officer at Edinburgh College's Granton campus in 2017.\n\nMr Friel claimed his motivation for taking knives into the college and stabbing the officer was that he wanted police to kill him.\n\nAssistant Chief Constable Patrick Campbell, of Police Scotland, welcomed the verdict in the \"extremely complex\" case.\n\nHe described Friel as a \"dangerous, socially isolated and disaffected individual\" and said the consequences of his actions could have been \"catastrophic\".\n\n\"I sincerely thank the health and social care professionals and the Police Scotland officers involved in what was an extremely complex and challenging investigation,\" he added.\n\n\"Their actions contributed to an early intervention and, undoubtedly prevented him undertaking an act that threatened the safety of our communities.\"\n\nShorthand for involuntary celibacy, incel is an online subculture which, at its extreme, spreads violent misogyny and blames women for depriving men of sex and relationships.\n\nDr Kaitlyn Regehr, senior lecturer in media and digital culture, said the movement tends to attract individuals who are actively seeking companionship to deal with their loneliness.\n\nThey are almost always men in their late teens to late 20s who are socially inadequate and have often been bullied.\n\nDr Regehr told BBC Scotland: \"Incel is an online community of people who perceive that they have an inability to enter romantic relationships and come to the digital space to voice feelings of loneliness, anger and, at times, desire for revenge.\n\n\"This anger tends to be directed at woman and so-called attractive people that are able to find sex and love.\"\n\nThe Kent University academic said they typically employ \"dark, edgy humour\" and \"deify\" those who have carried out atrocities, most notably Californian spree killer Elliott Rodger who murdered six people in 2014.", "Donald Trump may have lost the election but he won a record number of votes, and tightened his grip on states like Ohio. So what can Ohio tell us about the Republican Party's future?\n\nPowell, a suburb of the capital Columbus, has a charming and old-worldly feel.\n\nIts picturesque neighbourhoods with big houses and rolling lawns reinforce the much romanticised pop culture images of the ideal American suburban life. The downtown market is lined with small cafes, handicraft shops, ice-cream parlours and wine stores.\n\nPresident Trump won this county and, though the election is long over, many shops and businesses still have 'Trump-Pence 2020' campaign signs staked in their lawns.\n\nAmong them is a cigar shop called Stogies where a 'TRUMP 2020' banner is the centrepiece, flanking photos of Groucho Marx and Winston Churchill - celebrities of a bygone era - holding lit cigars.\n\nConcentric rings of smoke fill this cosy lounge, which used to be a church in the early 1900s. There is a group of men inside seated on sofas, all smoking cigars. President Trump looks down on them from an autographed photo.\n\nThey are all Trump supporters and part of the electorate that gave him a decisive victory in Ohio. Mostly in their 50s and 60s, they're college educated professionals and businessmen.\n\nNeil Berberick, a retired professional says: \"What Trump has done is that he has gone back to core values. He picked up the people that were forgotten by the Democrats. He was in tune with us. He has changed the Republican party for the good.''\n\nThere is a sense of longing for President Trump - even though they still don't entirely believe he's lost the presidency.\n\nAsked about the future of the Republican party after Trump, Taylor Burkhart, a young mechanical engineer says: \"The party is not just going to dissolve because Trump may not be on their ticket. Someone will fill his shoes. We'll find someone else whose values that we agree with.\"\n\nBut there is also this deep hope in the smoke-filled air that Mr Trump remains a force in Republican politics.\n\nThe owner of the cigar lounge, Hassan Dakhteh, an Iranian immigrant who came to the United States over 40 years ago, says: \"I think he will run in 2024, I hope he runs in 2024.\"\n\nPresident Trump remains a dominant force in Ohio. He won the state's 18 electoral college votes and also the popular vote by more than eight percentage points. According to the AP, he won more votes than any other presidential candidate in the state's history.\n\nIt's a testament to how effectively Mr Trump spoke to rural and working class Ohioans and created a base that adores him.\n\nBut not all Republican voters here endorse Mr Trump.\n\nAbout 14 miles from the cigar lounge, outside a grocery store in Hilliard, Amber Baumgartner is preparing to do some grocery shopping.\n\nShe is a 56-year-old teacher who is passionate about healthcare for ordinary Americans. She leans conservative on most issues but is not a fan of the turn the Republican party has taken in the last four years.\n\n\"I am hoping they are going to learn,\" she says.\n\n\"They are going to see that this extremism, we are going to have to get a clamp on this. I feel that the last four years have been a joke, almost. It's been embarrassing, scary, terrifying actually. I am hoping that the party understands that and I think that they do. Because so many of them have been unwilling to get on the crazy bus.\"\n\nAn autographed photo of President Trump in Stogies cigar lounge\n\nFormer Ohio governor and 2016 Republican presidential candidate John Kasich - a vocal critic of Mr Trump - thinks Republicans need to eschew Mr Trump's brand of politics going forward.\n\n\"It should become a party of ideas,\" he says. \"It's been basically an anti-Democrat party. They don't have any ideas on healthcare, environment or the wealth gap.\"\n\nThe Democrats are not in great shape either, he adds, but Joe Biden might be able to appeal to middle America. \"We'll see whether they will do that but Republicans really need to get some ideas otherwise they will wilt away.\"\n\nHowever, Donald Trump remains overwhelmingly popular in Ohio and it's clear he will continue exerting influence on the Republican party even after he leaves the White House.\n\n\"His performance in 2016 and 2020 suggests that he is the most popular Republican in Ohio in quite a long time, maybe since Ronald Reagan,\" says Mark Caleb Smith, a professor of political science at the University of Cedarville.\n\nHis popularity among his base has allowed President Trump to attack senior party leaders who don't agree with him.\n\nAmong them Ohio's governor, Mike DeWine, for not backing his unsubstantiated claims of a rigged election. Mr DeWine, though a supporter of President Trump, was one of the earlier Republicans out of the gate in recognising President-elect Joe Biden's win.\n\nUS President Donald Trump has been critical of Ohio Governor Mike DeWine\n\nEmboldened by Mr Trump's attack, some fellow Republicans are even trying to impeach the governor for enforcing measures to curb Covid-19, which is at a record high in the state.\n\nGov DeWine, who took steps early on to combat the coronavirus and has handled the pandemic very differently to Mr Trump, has hit back at his detractors.\n\nSo how can Republican leaders like him deal with hostility from within his own party going forward?\n\nProfessor Smith says that keeping the deeply conservative base happy could be key.\n\n\"Governor DeWine is willing to sign anti-abortion legislation, for example,\" he says. \"I'd expect that kind of thing to continue.\"\n\n\"His rhetoric on family and marriage will probably ratchet up a bit. Governor DeWine is a staunch Catholic and I would expect him to use that language more frequently about religion and his faith. I think that does quite well with the people who are supportive of the president.\"\n\nMr Trump did very well in Ohio in the rural areas outside of major cities such as Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati, where the electorate is predominantly white.\n\nHowever, can the party really sustain itself nationally by focusing on his base?\n\nStudies show that America is getting more diverse and minorities are already a powerful voting bloc, so Republicans will likely need new strategies going ahead.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. How are Biden voters in a Trump heartland dealing with the election aftermath?\n\nRepublican strategist Terry Casey says the party will look for new ideas but President Trump could potentially leave a lasting legacy.\n\n\"He has shifted the party somewhat for the good because the Republican party previously had the image of the party of the country club, and the Wall Street rich people. And now it has shifted to issues of the middle class or the working class and a lot of people in the Midwest who have been forgotten.\"\n\nWhether Donald Trump continues to remain a powerful presence in Republican politics will be determined in the months to come. But one thing seems certain, both parties need to make sure that middle America - like Ohio - does not feel ignored.", "Twice as many men die from drug-related deaths, but cocaine deaths among women surged last year\n\nDrug-related deaths reached their highest level for a quarter of a century last year as the number of women who died after using cocaine surged.\n\nFigures showed 4,393 people died in England and Wales from drug poisoning.\n\nCocaine deaths increased for the eighth year running, rising by 7.7% for men and 26.5% for women.\n\nThe Office for National Statistics said the overall death rate for men was twice as high as for women, however.\n\nAbout two-thirds of all deaths from drug poisoning were due to drug misuse, the ONS said - meaning the underlying cause was drug abuse or addiction, or they involved illegal drugs.\n\nOverall, deaths rose only slightly from 4,359 registered in 2018 to 4,393 registered in 2019. But that figure is the highest since records began in 1993.\n\nMen accounted for 2,968 drug-related deaths - more than two out of three - while 1,425 were women.\n\nOpiates such as heroin and morphine were involved in more than half of deaths where the drug type was known.\n\nThe ONS said rates of drug poisoning have been on a \"steep upward trend\" since 2012 due to rises in heroin and cocaine deaths.\n\nIn 2018, there were 637 registered deaths involving cocaine - including 117 women and 520 men. In 2019 there were 708 deaths - 148 women and 560 men.\n\nTaking age into account, the death rate for men declined slightly in 2019, while for women it increased for the tenth consecutive year.\n\nProf Julia Sinclair, chairwoman of the addictions faculty of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said years of cuts had left services ill-equipped to prevent drug deaths.\n\n\"The tragic number of drug-related deaths should be all the evidence the government needs to substantially invest in addiction services, before more lives are needlessly lost,\" she said.\n\nNiamh Eastwood, director of drug policy charity Release, said two Parliamentary committees - the Health and Social Care Select Committee and the Scottish Affairs Select Committee - had called for reform of drug policy to tackle these deaths.\n\nThe health committee recommended \"non-judgemental harm reduction\" policies and called for a consultation on decriminalising drug possession for personal use.\n\nShe said the prime minister and home secretary should \"stop playing politics and listen to the evidence\".\n\nDeath rates were highest in deprived areas, with people in their 40s living in the poorest neighbourhoods at least five-and-a-half times more likely to die from drugs than those in the least deprived, the ONS said.\n\nThe north-east of England had the highest drug-related death rate, almost three times higher than the area with the lowest rate in 2019, the east of England.\n\n\"Investment in these communities, adequate housing, restoring benefits to a decent level, along with drug policy and harm reduction initiatives can save lives,\" Ms Eastwood said.\n\nThe age at which most people died from drug use is increasing, the ONS said, from 20 to 29-year-olds from 1993 to 2002 to 40 to 49-year-olds today.\n\nIt is \"possible\" that a generation born in the 1960s and 1970s, Generation X, has been dying in greater numbers from drug misuse over time, the ONS said.\n\nThe figures include deaths from all drugs, including prescription and over-the-counter medications.\n\nThey also include accidents and suicides involving drugs, as well as complications from injecting drugs such as deep vein thrombosis and blood poisoning.\n\nAbout half of the deaths registered last year will have occurred in previous years, statisticians believe, due to the time it can take for an inquest to be held.", "A cross-party group of MPs has accused the UK government of the almost \"wholesale rejection\" of moves to tackle Scotland's record drug deaths.\n\nIt comes after the Scottish Affairs Committee published a report in November calling for a radical re-think of current drugs policy.\n\nTheir recommendations included decriminalising drugs for personal use and backing consumption rooms.\n\nHowever, the UK government has rejected most of the recommendations.\n\nThey include calls to declare Scotland's record drug deaths - 1,187 in 2018 - a public health emergency.\n\nThe UK government also said a recommendation to reform the 1971 Misuse of Drugs Act and decriminalise drugs for personal use would not \"eliminate the crime committed by the illicit trade, nor would it address the harms associated with drug dependence\".\n\nThey added: \"There is a strong link between drugs and crime, which is why we reject the assertion that the Department for Health and Social Care should lead on drug misuse. We know that people who regularly use heroin, cocaine or crack cocaine are estimated to commit around 45% of all acquisitive crime.\"\n\nSince 2008 the Scottish government has treated drug misuse as a health issue rather than a criminal justice issue.\n\nPeter Krykant said he hoped the drug consumption van would cut down on overdoses\n\nOn the idea of consumption rooms, the UK government responded that: \"We want to do all we can to stop people having access to drugs that could ultimately kill them. No illegal drug-taking can be assumed to be safe and there is no safe way to take them.\"\n\nThey added: \"Our approach on drugs remains clear - we must prevent drug use in our communities, support people through treatment and recovery, and tackle the supply of illegal drugs.\"\n\nGlasgow City Council has proposed allowing users to take their own drugs under the supervision of medical staff at a special facility in the city, but the idea has been blocked by the Home Office.\n\nSometimes dubbed \"fix rooms\", the aim would be to encourage users who inject heroin or cocaine on Glasgow's streets to enter a safe and clean environment.\n\nIt was hoped the scheme would encourage addicts into treatment, cut down on heroin needles on city streets and counter the spread of diseases such as HIV.\n\nLast week, a recovering heroin addict launched a drug consumption van in Glasgow despite warnings it could break the law.\n\nPeter Krykant said he hoped it would prevent overdoses and blood-borne viruses among drug users.\n\nThe committee called for Scotland's drugs crisis to be tackled as a public health issue\n\nThe cross-party committee currently comprises chairman, SNP MP Pete Wishart, and includes five Conservatives, two Labour members, two Lib Dems and two other SNP MPs.\n\nMr Wishart said this report, which was worked on by the committee when its membership was made up of MPs from the last parliament, was based on one of the most \"extensive drugs inquiries in Scotland ever conducted\".\n\nFollowing the government's response to the report, he said: \"We are surprised and disappointed by the government's almost wholesale rejection of recommendations by a Westminster Select Committee after collecting a substantial body of evidence from people with lived experience, charities and academics, as well as legal, criminal justice and health professionals…few of these will find comfort in this response.\"\n\nHe also accused the government of providing little evidence to support its stance and called for what evidence there was to be made available following of a drug summit in February.\n\nHe added: \"What is evident is there's little change in the government's drugs strategy despite the death rate in Scotland from problem drug use remaining stubbornly higher than any country in Europe.\n\n\"This fact itself should demonstrate that the current approach isn't working. This is undoubtedly a public health emergency.\"\n\nAll UK drugs misuse legislation is currently reserved to Westminster.\n\nA spokesman for the Home Office said it was committed to preventing drug use, supporting people through treatment and recovery and tackling the supply of illegal drugs.\n\n\"We have no plans to introduce drug consumption rooms or decriminalise drugs. Illegal drugs devastate lives and communities, and dealers should face the full consequences of the law,\" he added.\n\n\"We are committed to tackling drug misuse and held a UK-wide drugs summit in Glasgow earlier this year to discuss the most effect ways to tackle drug misuse and their terrible impact across Scotland, Wales, England and Northern Ireland.\"\n\nThe Scottish government has said it welcomes support for the introduction of a safe drugs consumption room in Glasgow as part of efforts to reduce deaths there.\n\nA spokeswoman said when the report was published in November: \"The outdated Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 should be amended to allow us to implement a range of public health focused responses, including the introduction of safe consumption facilities in Glasgow.\n\n\"We call on the incoming UK government to amend the Act or to devolve those powers to Scotland.\"", "Mass Covid testing of secondary-school pupils in England is to be greatly increased in January, in an attempt to reduce the numbers being sent home.\n\nAny students who have been in contact with a positive case will be offered seven days of daily testing, the Department for Education has announced.\n\nEducation Secretary Gavin Williamson said this \"huge expansion\" of testing would be a \"milestone moment\" in keeping schools open.\n\nHamid Patel, head of an academy trust that had piloted such testing, said it had been a \"game-changer\".\n\nThe announcement comes as attendance figures show more pupils out of school because of Covid outbreaks - with 15% missing last week on average across England and 23% in the West Midlands.\n\nAbsences have been higher in secondary school, with 20% of pupils missing school last week.\n\nAs infection rates have risen many schools have struggled to keep going with so many pupils and staff having to isolate - and mass testing is an attempt to break this cycle.\n\nBut the National Education Union said it was \"ridiculous\" for schools to be told to prepare for testing in the last few days of term with \"almost zero notice\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. BBC Health Correspondent Laura Foster explains what schools are doing to keep pupils safe\n\nInstead union co-leader Kevin Courtney called for the first week of next term to be moved online - allowing schools time to prepare for testing.\n\nThe announcement by the education secretary will make rapid Covid testing available to all secondary schools and colleges in England from the first week in January.\n\nIt will be used to test pupils who have been near a positive case and where otherwise a whole bubble, class or year group might have been sent home.\n\nSecondary school teachers will be offered a test each week - and daily tests if they have had a case in their class, in a bid to reduce the disruption from staff having to isolate.\n\nThe tests will be optional and require the consent of parents - and testing in primary schools could begin later in the term, said the Department for Education.\n\nThe aim is to improve attendance and to reduce the numbers having to go home, by identifying and isolating those who are infected, and allowing those who do not have the virus to stay in school.\n\nAlthough 15% of pupils were out of school last week, the latest figures show 0.2% of pupils were confirmed Covid cases.\n\nUniversity students had mass Covid testing ahead of the Christmas break\n\nMass testing is also designed to stop the virus being spread by those who are infected but have no symptoms.\n\nBut Paul Whiteman, leader of the National Association of Head Teachers, said providing testing kits without trained staff to use them meant the government was in \"danger of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory\".\n\nHe said expecting school staff to run the tests would be \"deeply flawed\".\n\nThere have been pilots for school Covid testing - including schools run by the Star academies trust - and the trust's chief executive Hamid Patel said \"the benefits have been tremendous\".\n\n\"Attendance has improved as fewer close contacts have been required to self-isolate. Parents who may have been wavering have gained confidence to send their children to school, and staff have been reassured by the availability of testing,\" said Mr Patel.", "The Welsh Government has some taxation powers, including over income tax\n\nThe first minister has not ruled out tax rises during the next Senedd term if Welsh Labour is in power.\n\nMark Drakeford said he would focus on jobs rather than increasing taxes in the early period after the 2021 Senedd election.\n\nBut he told ITV Wales that beyond that period \"everybody is entitled to make their decisions based on the facts at the time\".\n\nThe Welsh Government gained powers to vary income tax rates in April 2019.\n\nMinisters have stuck to Welsh Labour's 2016 manifesto commitment not to change the tax rates during the five year term.\n\nCounsel General Jeremy Miles told Welsh Labour's spring conference in April 2019 that the party should campaign \"unashamedly\" to use its income tax varying powers in the next assembly elections.\n\nTaxes are expected to be a more prominent issue in next May's election than in the past\n\nSpeaking on ITV Wales' Sharp End programme, Welsh Labour Leader and First Minister Mark Drakeford set out his stall: \"I don't think increasing taxes in a recession is good economic policy and my anticipation would be that the Labour party will not be proposing that here in Wales.\n\n\"In a buoyant economy there are a different set of arguments but at a time when there isn't money in people's pockets, taking money out of those pockets does not make good economic sense.\n\n\"We will go in to the [2021 Senedd] election at a very difficult time for the economy and the focus of the Labour manifesto will be on jobs here in Wales.\n\n\"Securing jobs that people already have and bringing new jobs for people who would have lost them during the recession. That will be our focus.\"\n\n\"Tax rises, I do not think will be part of our prescription in that period. Beyond that, I think everybody is entitled to make their decisions based on the facts at the time,\" he added.\n\nIn a recent blog on the Gwydir website, Welsh Conservative finance spokesman Nick Ramsay said: \"With the challenges of Covid far from over, and the economic damage yet unknown, it is far too early to make detailed tax and spend commitments for a Welsh Conservative Government.\"\n\n\"Our long term aim will be to reduce income tax when it is prudent to do so,\" he added.\n\nPlaid Cymru told BBC Wales in July it was considering which taxes to raise to pay for some of the policies in their 2021 election manifesto.\n\nThe party is proposing the introduction of free childcare and a weekly £35 support payment for children, as well as a national health and care service.\n\nParty leader Adam Price said: \"It's important that we're open and honest with the people of Wales.\"\n\nBrexit Party leader Mark Reckless said: \"Since Wales never had the promised referendum on these [tax raising] powers, I look forward to Mark Drakeford sending them back to Westminster.\"", "Greenwich Council has asked all schools to move to online learning amid rising Covid cases\n\nThe government has told a London council it must keep schools open or face legal action.\n\nGreenwich Council had written to head teachers asking all schools to move classes online from Tuesday amid rising Covid-19 cases.\n\nOn Monday evening, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson ordered the south-east London council to keep schools open.\n\nHe said: \"Using legal powers is a last resort but continuity of education is a national priority.\"\n\nOfsted said it was right to keep schools open as children were \"suffering\" from \"yo-yoing in and out of school\", while parents criticised the timings of the announcements and questioned the politics behind the move.\n\nLondon, most of Essex and parts of Hertfordshire will move into England's highest tier of Covid restrictions on Wednesday due to a rise in infections.\n\nSchools in England were told they could close a day early for Christmas last week to give staff a \"proper break\" from identifying potential coronavirus cases.\n\nIn Basildon, where the third-highest Covid rate was recorded, schools were also allowed to close early, while London's mayor Sadiq Khan has called on secondary schools and colleges in the capital to follow suit.\n\nBut Mr Williamson said the decision by councils in Greenwich, and also Islington in north London and Waltham Forest in east London, was \"not in children's best interests\".\n\nHe added: \"That's why I won't hesitate to do what is right for young people and have issued a direction to Greenwich Council setting out that they must withdraw the letter issued to head teachers on Sunday.\"\n\nEducation Secretary Gavin Williamson said it was \"vital\" children remained in school until the end of term\n\nHead of Ofsted Amanda Spielman described it as a \"really difficult situation\" in which people were \"weighing up short-term concerns about health risks and long-term concerns about children's education\".\n\nShe told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: \"It's so easy to call for closures and forget the long-term price which children pay which our visits show so clearly.\n\n\"We've had children yo-yoing in and out of school through the autumn and really suffering as a result. We need clarity, consistency, not last minute decisions.\"\n\nIn a letter sent on Sunday, Greenwich Council leader Danny Thorpe asked all schools to move the majority of pupils to remote learning but said buildings would remain open for vulnerable children and those of key workers.\n\nThe regional schools commissioner, who acts on behalf of the education secretary, told the council that new powers introduced under the Coronavirus Act allowed the secretary of state to issue \"directions\" to require schools to enable all pupils to attend school full-time.\n\nThe Department for Education (DfE) said no decisions had been taken yet about what action to take against all three Labour-run councils.\n\nSadiq Khan wants all students to be tested for Covid-19\n\nGreenwich Council had until 10:00 GMT on Tuesday to retract its letter and had said it would seek legal advice before responding.\n\nMr Thorpe previously said changing plans already in place before Tuesday would have been \"impossible\".\n\n\"Schools across the borough have now organised online learning from tomorrow (Tuesday), whilst others are opening their premises to all pupils,\" he said.\n\n\"We have alerted schools and will speak to them tomorrow. But given we received this notification just before 17:00 GMT, it was impossible to ask schools to change any of the arrangements they have in place for Tuesday.\"\n\nThe leader of Islington Council said in a tweet that the authority was recommending moving to online teaching.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Richard Watts #STAYSAFE This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nMr Khan has called for more testing in schools, citing a 75% increase in children aged between 10-19 testing positive for the virus.\n\nHe told the Today programme councils should speak to the DofE to avoid court action and described how parents were pulling children out of school either because they had been part of bubble that had to self-isolate, or because they wanted 10 days to self-isolate before seeing grandparents at Christmas.\n\n\"In the absence of community testing in schools, many children - despite the heroic efforts of teachers - could have the virus and not know about it,\" he said.\n\n\"And these very same children next week will be hugging and kissing granny because the rules are being relaxed so we're going from tier 2, to tier 3, to tier 0, and back to tier 3 in advance of another potentially national lockdown in January.\"\n\nOn Monday, the reaction was mixed among parents outside Robert Owen Nursery School and Christ Church Church of England Primary School, both in Greenwich.\n\nOne mother said: \"It's 2.5 days, so I don't see what difference this is really going to make and I think the timing of it is really, really bad.\n\n\"I'm on maternity at the moment but if I was working, it's just too short notice to get any kind of childcare arrangements in place.\"\n\nAnd a father added: \"I think the timing might be right as a lot of people will be gathering for Christmas and it takes 10 to 14 days to show up so it may be damage limitation.\n\n\"I hope it will have an impact. If not, then it's just political.\"\n\nHave you been affected by the issues raised in this story. You can share your experience by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "The higher numbers of deaths seen in the UK recent weeks may be starting to fall, figures suggest.\n\nIn the week ending 4 December there were 13,956 deaths - 15% above the five-year average.\n\nBut that is down on the previous week when deaths were 20% higher.\n\nJust over 3,100 of the deaths involved Covid - down by 200 on the week before. It brings the total excess deaths seen since the pandemic started close to 80,000.\n\nThese are a measure of all deaths above what would normally be expected.\n\nIt is a different way of measuring the death toll from the pandemic from the daily figures, which look at the numbers of people dying 28 days after a positive Covid test.\n\nPeople dying from Covid in this period are likely to have caught the infection in the first half of November after cases peaked.\n\nSince then cases continued to drop, before starting to climb again over the last week or so, particularly in the south east, which prompted the government to move London and some surrounding areas into tier three.\n\nThat suggests the next few weeks could see Covid deaths going down and then up again in the coming weeks.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nEngland footballer Jack Grealish has been banned from driving and fined more than £80,000 for two motoring offences.\n\nThe Aston Villa captain, 25, previously admitted two counts of careless driving at Birmingham Magistrates' Court.\n\nThe offences relate to a crash in Dickens Heath, near Solihull, on 29 March, and a second incident near Villa's training ground on 18 October.\n\nPrior to the convictions, Grealish already had six points on his licence for a speeding offence in 2018.\n\nHe has been banned from driving for nine months.\n\nGrealish arrived at court on foot while another man driving his car temporarily distracted the media's attention before emerging to hand out Cadbury's Milk Tray chocolate.\n\nDuring a hearing last month, which the midfielder did not attend, the court was told he was spotted in October driving carelessly on Bodymoor Heath Road in north Warwickshire, and tailgating other vehicles on the M42.\n\nOn the same day he was also clocked driving his Range Rover at 98 mph by police observing him in an unmarked vehicle.\n\nTwo vehicles were damaged in the earlier incident in March, with CCTV footage showing the footballer's £80,000 4x4 veering into a wall after clipping parked cars.\n\nGrealish's Range Rover was also damaged in the Dickens Heath crash in March\n\nDistrict Judge John Bristow was told a witness said Grealish, of Barnt Green, Worcestershire, smelled of \"intoxicating liquor\" and was slurring his words after the crash.\n\nThat incident came less than 24 hours after Grealish issued a Twitter video appeal during lockdown that urged people to stay at home to save lives.\n\nHe apologised shortly after for \"stupidly agreeing\" to go to a friend's house.\n\nGrealish's lawyer, John Dye, said the footballer was \"deeply ashamed\".\n\nMr Dye told the court: \"Not just because reputationally this is problematic for him but he is genuinely sorry.\"\n\nFollow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Electors from states across the US cast their votes in the 2020 presidential election, affirming Joe Biden as president-elect.\n\nWhile some votes were conducted virtually, other electors met in state capitols or undisclosed locations due to security risks.", "The LGBT-owned kilt producer pulled the yellow kilts from shelves in response to Proud Boys\n\nA Virginia kilt company is \"disgusted\" that their yellow kilts were worn by the far-right Proud Boys.\n\nMembers of the group were seen sporting the bright garments at a pro-Trump rally this weekend in Washington DC.\n\nThe Proud Boys are an all-male group of self-proclaimed \"Western chauvinists\" with a history of street violence.\n\nVerillas - the LGBT-owned brand - says the \"nightmare scenario\" has forced them to pull the kilts from the shelves.\n\nExtremist groups in the US often adopt or appropriate items of clothing as quasi-uniforms that indicate their allegiance and make them recognisable to others.\n\nOver the weekend, videos on social media showcased a row of Proud Boys in bright yellow Verillas kilts mooning the crowd gathered around them, with \"[expletive] antifa\" written on their bare bottoms.\n\nAntifa is a group of mostly far-left activists who have repeatedly clashed with the Proud Boys.\n\nVerillas owner Allister Greenbrier - a bisexual entrepreneur of Scottish descent - expressed shock and dismay that his brand was associated with the group.\n\n\"I was appalled, angry and frustrated because they are the opposite of everything our brand stands for,\" he told the BBC, noting that the men had initially claimed to be a metal band looking for kilts.\n\n\"I was quite angry. I had to calm down a bit, but we decided we really didn't want their money.\"\n\nIn a message on Twitter, Verillas announced a donation of $1,000 (£745) - a sum exceeding the Proud Boys' purchase - to the anti-racism organisation National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Verillas This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nAside from pulling the offending garment off its racks, the company is also offering free colour exchanges for anybody who had previously purchased its yellow kilts.\n\nMr Greenbrier says his brand is going to attach charitable donations to their product lines moving forward.\n\n\"I can't control who buys my product, but if they're buying our product, they're putting their money towards a good cause and I think they won't be too happy when they find out they accidentally bought from a company that's really fighting for the opposite of what they believe in,\" he says.\n\n\"We want to turn hate into love,\" Mr Greenbrier added.\n\n\"The loud outpouring of support we've gotten has really turned around a nightmare scenario and shown that a lot of people support the same message we believe in.\"\n\nIt is not the first time the Proud Boys have caused trouble for a clothing brand.\n\nEarlier this year, British clothing company Fred Perry halted US sales of its polo shirts after the clothing item became a regular part of the Proud Boys' \"uniform\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Trump: \"I don't know who the Proud Boys are\"", "Michel Barnier is leading the EU's negotiating team in Monday's talks\n\nUK and EU negotiators have restarted talks over a post-Brexit trade deal in hope of securing an agreement.\n\nIt comes after the two sides confirmed on Sunday there had been enough progress for negotiations to continue.\n\nEU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Monday there had been \"movement\" in the talks and negotiators had not exhausted all options.\n\nBut a UK government source later said there had not been \"significant progress in recent days\".\n\nTime is fast running out to finalise an agreement before the UK's Brexit transition ends in just over two weeks.\n\nThe decision to keep talking came after UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson discussed the main sticking points with President Von der Leyen on Sunday.\n\nNegotiations will continue in Brussels on Tuesday, but a new deadline for a decision has not been set.\n\nThe ultimate deadline comes on 31 December, however, when the UK stops following EU trading rules.\n\nWithout a trade deal in place by then, the two sides would begin trading on World Trade Organization (WTO) terms, meaning taxes - or tariffs - would be introduced, potentially raising the cost of imported goods such as food.\n\nFishing rights, \"level playing field\" rules on how far the UK should be able to diverge from EU laws, and how any agreement should be policed remain the major stumbling blocks.\n\nThe EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier has resumed talks with his UK counterpart Lord Frost, after briefing ambassadors of EU member states.\n\nAccording to an EU source, Mr Barnier is believed to have told them talks over a level playing field remained hard, but were moving towards an agreement.\n\nHe is also said to have told them a wider deal could fall into place if a route towards an agreement on fishing rights can be identified.\n\nBut a UK government source later downplayed progress, saying: \"Talks remain difficult and we have not made significant progress in recent days, despite efforts by the UK side to bring energy and ideas to the process.\"\n\nLord Frost has said a deal is only possible if it \"fully respects UK sovereignty\".\n\nSpeaking at an event on Monday, Mrs von der Leyen said the issue of the level playing field was the \"one and only important question\" if UK should continue to have access to the EU's single market.\n\nThe EU Commission president added: \"They have either to play by our rules, because this is a matter of fairness for our companies... or the other choice is there is a price on it, and the price is border and tariffs.\"\n\nLabour's shadow Cabinet Office minister Rachel Reeves welcomed the continuation of the talks and said the worst outcome would be to \"crash out with no deal whatsoever on 1 January\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Ursula von der Leyen: \"We want a level playing field not only at the start, but also over time\".\n\nThis new phase of the talks is expected to focus on how close the UK should stick to EU economic rules in the future.\n\nThe EU is determined to prevent the UK from gaining what it sees as an unfair advantage of having tariff-free access to its markets - not paying taxes on goods being bought and sold - while setting its own standards on products, employment rights and business subsidies.\n\nThe EU is reported to have dropped the idea of a formal mechanism to ensure both sides keep up with each other's standards and is now prepared to accept UK divergence - provided there are safeguards to prevent unfair competition.\n\nFishing rights is another major area of disagreement, with the EU warning that without access to UK waters for EU fleets, UK fishermen will no longer get special access to EU markets to sell their goods.\n\nBut the UK argues that what goes on in its own waters, and its wider business rules, should be under its control as a sovereign country.\n\nWhat does it mean in Brexit trade deal terms \"to go the extra mile\"?\n\nThat's the distance the UK Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, and the European Commission chief, Ursula von der Leyen, have promised to travel over the next days.\n\nBut will the road take them to deal or no-deal? And who will compromise on what to get there?\n\nEU contacts close to the talks say both sides are being constructive. They insist negotiations aren't simply continuing because neither the EU, nor the government want to be blamed in a no-deal scenario and prefer not to walk away first.\n\nRemember: what's said in front of the cameras is only part of the picture.\n\nWe aren't behind the scenes in the negotiating room or on the closed calls between Mr Johnson and Ms von der Leyen.\n\nBut however long these talks rumble on, ultimately neither the government, nor the EU, will sign up to a deal if they can't claim it as a victory.\n\nThe National Farmers' Union has warned there will be \"significant disruption\" to the sector if the UK fails to reach a trade deal with the EU.\n\nAnd the British Retail Consortium warned the public would face \"over £3bn in food tariffs [meaning] retailers would have no choice but to pass on some of these additional costs to their customers\".", "Some Covid restrictions are being reintroduced in response to the Omicron variant.\n\nCheck what the rules are in your area by entering your postcode or council name below.\n\nA modern browser with JavaScript and a stable internet connection is required to view this interactive. What are the rules in your area? Enter a full UK postcode or council name to find out\n\nIf you cannot see the look-up, click here.\n\nThe rules highlighted in the search tool are a selection of the key government restrictions in place in your area.\n\nAlways check your relevant national and local authority website for more information on the situation where you live. Also check local guidance before travelling to others parts of the UK.\n\nAll the guidance in our search look-up comes from national government websites.\n\nFor more information on national measures see:\n\nFind out how the pandemic has affected your area and how it compares with the national average by following this link to an in depth guide to the numbers involved.", "McLaughlan arrived in Ramsey on Friday afternoon and then walked to Douglas\n\nA man who crossed the Irish Sea from Scotland to the Isle of Man \"on a jet ski\" to visit his girlfriend has been jailed for breaching Covid-19 laws.\n\nDouglas Courthouse heard 28-year-old Dale McLaughlan took four-and-a-half hours to travel from the Isle of Whithorn to Ramsey on Friday.\n\nMcLaughlan, from North Ayrshire, made the crossing despite having never driven a water scooter before.\n\nHe admitted arriving unlawfully on the island and was jailed for four weeks.\n\nUnder the island's current laws, only non-residents given special permission are allowed to enter the Isle of Man.\n\nMcLaughlan, of Warrix Avenue in Irvine, was previously given permission to work as a roofer on the island for four weeks in September and, after isolating for 14 days, met his girlfriend on a night out.\n\nThe court heard his subsequent applications to return had been rejected.\n\nProsecutors said the 28-year-old bought the vehicle and set off on the journey of about 25 miles (40km), which he had expected to take 40 minutes.\n\nAfter he arrived in Ramsey at about 13:00 GMT, he walked another 15 miles (25km) to his girlfriend's home in Douglas, who believed he had been on the island working for several weeks, the court was told.\n\nThe following afternoon, he gave a police officer her address as his own and that evening, the couple went to two busy nightclubs.\n\nFollowing identification checks, police arrested him on Sunday evening.\n\nIn mitigation, the 28-year-old's defence advocate said he suffered from depression and was not coping with being unable to see his partner.\n\nSentencing him, Deputy High Bailiff Christopher Arrowsmith said McLaughlan had made a \"deliberate and intentional attempt to circumnavigate\" the border restrictions, potentially putting the community at risk.\n\nHe said the \"carefully planned\" journey had also put the 28-year-old \"at very real risk\" of harm.\n\nSpeaking after the hearing, a government spokesman said following an investigation, public health officials were \"satisfied\" there was \"no wider risk to the public\".\n\nWhy not follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and Twitter? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "The former president posts that he has been told to report to a grand jury, \"which almost always means an Arrest\".", "Some patients were being treated in ambulances outside Antrim Area Hospital\n\nAmbulances queued outside all NI hospital emergency departments on Tuesday as they struggled with covid pressures, the ambulance service said.\n\nDoctors treated patients in ambulances outside Antrim Area Hospital due to the hospital operating beyond capacity.\n\nAt 17:00 GMT on Tuesday, 17 ambulances were queued outside, although this had dropped to four by 20:45.\n\nBy 22:30 the ambulance service said it was not experiencing any major problems.\n\nAmid the pressure, politicians were urged to urgently rethink loosening covid rules over Christmas.\n\nNorthern Health Trust operations director Wendy Magowan said it was the first time she had witnessed such a situation at Antrim Hospital.\n\nSpeaking on Tuesday evening, Dr Nigel Ruddle, medical director of the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service, said: \"All of the emergency departments in Northern Ireland are seeing ambulances queued outside to various degrees.\n\n\"We are seeing the pressures right across Northern Ireland.\"\n\nHealth minister Robin Swann confirmed he would bring new proposals about restrictions to Thursday's executive meeting.\n\nThe meeting will see ministers look at options to manage the spread of Covid-19 in Northern Ireland.\n\nA further six Covid-19 related deaths were reported in Northern Ireland by the Department of Health, taking its total to 1,135.\n\nThere have been 59,121 positive tests after another 486 were recorded.\n\nThere are 87 outbreaks of the virus in NI care homes, while hospital occupancy levels are at 104%.\n\nThe reproduction rate of the virus in Northern Ireland remains at or slightly above 1, according to health chiefs.\n\nNorthern Trust executive Ms Magowan said: \"This has never happened in Antrim hospital before in my memory, never.\n\n\"We got to a situation last night that we had so many people waiting in ED to get into beds that we simply had no room left.\n\n\"We haven't got out of the second surge, in fact, our numbers are rising. We have the highest number of inpatients today that we've ever had with Covid.\n\n\"If this doubles, I don't know how we're going to make it through.\"\n\nThere were 17 ambulances queued at Antrim Hospital at 17:00 GMT on Tuesday\n\nPat Cullen from the Royal College of Nursing told the BBC's Evening Extra programme that nurses were exhausted from working \"excessive hours\".\n\nShe said hospital nurses were treating patients in the back of ambulances and along corridors as well as on the wards and in the emergency departments, while the district nurses were trying to cope with \"60% vacancies\" in their workforce.\n\nShe said: \"Speaking to many of our nurses today, there's no doubt that this is the closest I've ever seen nurses to being totally burnt out.\n\n\"Exhausted isn't even a word to describe how the nurses feel.\n\n\"At this moment in time, a 12-hour shift almost seems a luxury to them - they're working well beyond that.\"\n\nAt a briefing on Tuesday, Chief Medical Officer Dr Michael McBride and Chief Scientific Adviser Prof Ian Young told journalists that numbers were not where they would like them to be.\n\nThey also gave a stark warning that any third wave would come on top of already \"stubbornly high\" hospital in-patient numbers.\n\nProf Young said: \"The position is very different to what it was first wave and second wave of this virus.\n\n\"At the beginning of the first wave we had no hospital in patients with Covid.\n\n\"At the beginning of the second wave the numbers about 20.\n\n\"If we see an increase in numbers again as a consequence of the current position, then it will be an increase of numbers on top of a baseline of 300-400 people in hospital. And the numbers will only rise from there.\"\n\nI was at Antrim Area Hospital this morning until about midday and what I witnessed was a system that is clearly just hanging together.\n\nI saw staff clearly exhausted and anxious and they were the staff who were outside in the ambulance bay.\n\nThe problem is that the ambulances had nowhere to go, they couldn't unload their patients inside, so I also watched as doctors stepped inside ambulances, wearing their PPE, triaging those patients inside the ambulances, making decisions about who should be taken in first.\n\nThe picture was a really sorry one, a stark one and this is really at the start of what could become an incredibly busy period.\n\nProf Young urged people to stick with the guidelines over the festive period and said anyone who was forming a Christmas bubble should not see anyone else for the next 10 days.\n\nDr McBride revealed he would not be hosting family or friends this Christmas - having discussed the issue with elderly parents and children.\n\nHe said now was the \"best time for the virus\" but worst time for the health service.\n\nDr McBride said he will not be hosting family this Christmas\n\nHealth minister Robin Swann told the assembly the two-week limited lockdown which ended on 10 December had seen a \"stabilisation\" of the virus but the figures were still too high.\n\nHe said he would not pre-empt Thursday's executive meeting and provide details of suggestions he would put forward.\n\nDeputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill said Sinn Féin \"will support any proposals brought forward by the health minister to tackle the current situation.\"\n\nShe added: \"It is clear we are facing a very dangerous situation with the spread of Covid-19, the rise in hospitalisations and, sadly, people losing their lives.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Michelle O’Neill This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nFurther talks over whether to revise Covid rules over Christmas will take place between the UK government and the devolved governments on Wednesday.\n\nCabinet minister Michael Gove discussed the issue with senior politicians in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales on Tuesday, but no final decision was made.\n\nIt also emerged on Tuesday that vaccinators have been in all five health trusts.\n\nMr Swann told the assembly the Covid-19 vaccine had now been delivered in up to 54 care homes, starting with those with the largest numbers of residents.\n\nAbout 4,000 people in NI have been vaccinated so far.\n\nIf you are reading this page on the BBC News app, you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question on this topic.\n\nA second delivery of the vaccine arrived in Northern Ireland at the weekend, meaning around 50,000 doses are now available.\n\nThe vaccine requires two doses to be given, three weeks apart, to be effective.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Keir Starmer says Dominic Cummings lockdown breach journey was the \"tipping point\" for a loss trust over Covid.\n\nBoris Johnson's former chief aide Dominic Cummings, who left No 10 last month after an internal power struggle, enjoyed a bumper pay rise earlier this year, new figures have revealed.\n\nHis basic salary rose by about £45,000 to between £140,000 and £144,999.\n\nThe PM stood by Mr Cummings this summer when he was embroiled in controversy over a trip to Durham during lockdown.\n\nLabour said the rise was an \"insult\" to millions of workers whose pay is being frozen due to the Covid crisis.\n\nSeparately, it has emerged that Boris Johnson ignored the advice of the chief of the civil service in relation to a legal case brought by a special adviser sacked by Mr Cummings.\n\nSir John Manzoni urged the PM to reach a negotiated settlement with Sonia Khan, who was led out of No 10 by police in August 2019 following a reported row with Mr Cummings.\n\nNo reason was given for her sacking as an adviser to Chancellor Sajid Javid and before that Philip Hammond.\n\nIn a letter to the PM in March 2020, Sir John raised concerns about the cost to the taxpayer of fighting the case.\n\nHe sought a written instruction known as a \"ministerial direction\" - a specific order sought by civil servants in instances where they have reservations over a particular course of action.\n\nIn response, the PM said he fully understood concerns over the use of public money but he believed \"wider considerations\" took precedence in the case.\n\nHe said he wanted to \"test in litigation\" his belief that individuals should not receive more compensation than they are entitled to under their contract.\n\n\"The legal position is clear that the prime minister can withdraw consent for the appointment of any special adviser,\" he wrote. \"That is the reason for the termination of employment.\"\n\nMs Khan settled her case last month, shortly before it was due to go before an employment tribunal.\n\nSonia Khan worked for Philip Hammond in the Treasury and was kept on by his successor, Sajid Javid\n\nMr Cummings is still on the government payroll but is working his notice at home, having left Downing Street in November following a bitter row over the running of Mr Johnson's office.\n\nFigures released by the Cabinet Office show his salary rose during 2020 from between £95,000-£99,999 to £140,000-£144,999, making him among the highest-earning special advisers in government.\n\nIt is not clear when the increase, revealed in an annual report on the pay of special advisers, came into effect.\n\nWhile Mr Cummings was in the highest salary band when he was first taken on by Boris Johnson in July 2019, his pay was considerably lower at the time than other senior political advisers in Downing Street.\n\nThe pay rise brought Mr Cummings, whose Brexit strategy was credited with helping Mr Johnson win a thumping victory in the 2019 election, into line with other key figures such as Sir Eddie Lister, Lee Cain and Munira Mirza.\n\nThe most senior advisers to previous prime ministers, such as Theresa May and David Cameron, have typically also earned between £140,000 and £144,999.\n\nThe PM stood by Mr Cummings after he was accused of breaching coronavirus guidelines when he travelled 250 miles to stay on his parents' farm in County Durham in early April and later drove to Barnard Castle.\n\nDurham Police said Mr Cummings might have broken lockdown rules with his trip to Barnard Castle but it would not be taking any action.\n\nMr Cummings said he had made the 50-mile round-trip to the beauty spot, with his wife and child, to test his eyesight before embarking on the longer journey back to London.\n\nLabour's deputy leader Angela Rayner said the pay increase was a slap in the face to the public.\n\n\"Dominic Cummings' bumper bonus is an insult to key workers denied the pay rise they deserve,\" she said.\n\n\"It's another example of how under this government it is one rule for the Tory Party and their friends and another for the rest of us.\"\n\nThe figures show that while the overall pay bill for special advisers remained the same at £9.6m, having risen sharply the year before, the number of advisers earning more than £100,000 doubled on the year before.\n\nThose earning six-figure salaries included Allegra Stratton, the PM's new press secretary and Dan Rosenfield, the newly appointed No 10 chief of staff.", "Redbridge Council has asked schools to shut classrooms and move to online learning\n\nRedbridge Council has become the latest local authority in London to suggest schools move to online teaching amid a rise in coronavirus cases.\n\nIt comes after Greenwich and Islington Council backed down from a similar decision when the government threatened legal action.\n\nSchools minister Nick Gibb has also written to Waltham Forest Council after it asked schools to close.\n\nHe said he was \"deeply disappointed\" by the councils' choices.\n\nBBC Newsnight's Lewis Goodall said 7,000 pupils in Redbridge were self-isolating as of Monday.\n\nRedbridge Council said it believed schools should now consider whether they could remain open for all pupils or move to remote learning if absences were high enough.\n\nA total of 32 schools in the borough will close on Wednesday and move online, the council said.\n\nAnother 25 will stay open - 12 of which are taking an extra day to decide if they will close their classrooms.\n\nIn a letter seen by the BBC, council leader Jas Athwal said: \"Unfortunately, cases of Covid-19 continue to rise across the borough, and as a result, some of our schools are struggling to continue to provide the high-quality in-person teaching our children deserve.\n\n\"It is not the role of the council to close schools, but today we want to be absolutely clear - we will support our local schools if they choose to move to online learning.\"\n\nGreenwich Council was the first to ask all schools to move to online learning amid rising Covid cases\n\nLondon, most of Essex and parts of Hertfordshire will move into England's highest tier of Covid restrictions on Wednesday due to a rise in infections.\n\nSchools in England were told they could close a day early for Christmas last week to give staff a \"proper break\".\n\nIn Basildon, where the country's third-highest Covid rate was recorded, schools were also allowed to close early, while London's mayor Sadiq Khan has called on secondary schools and colleges in the capital to follow suit.\n\nThe Association of School and College Leaders said the government \"may find it has won a hollow victory in its squabble with Greenwich council\"\n\nEarlier the leader of Greenwich Council said he had \"no choice\" but to ask schools to remain open after threats of legal action from the government.\n\nThe authority wrote to head teachers asking for classes to move online from Tuesday amid rising Covid-19 cases, but Education Secretary Gavin Williamson ordered the council to keep all schools open until the end of term.\n\nOn Tuesday morning two other local authorities - Islington and Waltham Forest Councils - advised schools to move to online learning for the last few days of term amid rising Covid-19 rates in other parts of the capital.\n\nBut, by the evening Islington Council's leader Richard Watts had backtracked on this decision.\n\nHe said: \"After discussion today with the Department for Education, we have now advised our schools to open as usual to pupils on Wednesday, and advised our schools that they are able to arrange an INSET day on Thursday. Friday was to be an INSET day already.\"\n\nSchools Minister Mr Gibb had written to Islington and Waltham Forest asking them to reconsider their decisions to close schools and stating legal action would be considered if they did not.\n\nHowever, Waltham Forest Council's leader Clare Coghill said she had \"received no correspondence\" from Mr Gibb.\n\nThe decision to remain open or closed was left to individual schools in Waltham Forest, she added.\n\n\"We are confident that schools in Waltham Forest have made their decisions on the basis of their own individual risk assessment and with pupil safety at their heart.\n\n\"It is disappointing that, during a year when teachers, pupils and parents have made extraordinary efforts to ensure education continues through a once-in-a-lifetime crisis, the Minister has chosen to write to our schools threatening them with potential legal action.\n\n\"We will continue to do all we can to support schools to make the decisions that will safeguard the health and safety of pupils, teachers and their families and ensure children continue to be educated.\"\n\nHave you been affected by the issues raised in this story. You can share your experience by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "About half of proposed redundancies were in manufacturing, wholesale and retail\n\nMore than 10,000 redundancies have been proposed by Northern Ireland firms since March, according to official statistics.\n\nThat is the highest number ever recorded.\n\nNorthern Ireland's unemployment rate is now 3.9% - 1.6% more than the same time last year and an increase of 0.9% over the quarter.\n\nCompanies proposed 1,370 lay offs in November, which is an increase on the previous month.\n\nThe total number of proposed redundancies for the last 12 months was 10,720 - more than double the number recorded in the previous 12 months.\n\nAbout half of proposed redundancies were in manufacturing, and wholesale and retail.\n\nThe number of people claiming benefits primarily for the reason of being unemployed also increased to 59,900.\n\nEmployee jobs fell to 775,020 in September, marking the third quarterly decrease in a row.\n\nThe decline was driven by decreases within manufacturing, services and 'other' industry sectors.\n\nOn Tuesday, Ulster Bank published its latest PMI; the monthly survey is generally viewed as a reliable indicator as to how the economy is performing.\n\nIt said Covid-19 restrictions in November resulted in a decline in new orders and output, with the retail and services sectors hit hardest.\n\nConstruction posted the fastest rate of output growth of all sectors\n\nRichard Ramsey, the bank's chief economist said both those sectors were particularly affected by Covid-19 restrictions and recorded rapid rates of decline in output, orders and employment.\n\n\"Once again construction posted the fastest rate of output growth of all the sectors, marginally ahead of manufacturing,\" he said.\n\n\"However, the rates of expansion were modest and represented a marked slowing from construction's recent spurt of activity.\n\n\"Local construction firms continue to experience the steepest rises in input costs and as a result are raising prices at their fastest pace since January 2019.\n\n\"While business conditions remain challenging, the latest survey highlighted that there is some optimism returning.\n\n\"Manufacturing firms are the most bullish about output growth in 12 months' time, followed by construction.\"", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Priti Patel says she “always promised to listen and act” and that it was her mission to “correct the wrongs of the past”.\n\nThe government is to give more money to victims of the Windrush scandal, which saw hundreds of people wrongly threatened with deportation.\n\nHome Secretary Priti Patel announced that the minimum payment will rise from £250 to £10,000, and the maximum from £10,000 to £100,000.\n\nThe figure will be higher still in \"exceptional\" circumstances, with money coming through quicker than before.\n\nThe Windrush scandal mainly affected UK citizens originally from the Caribbean.\n\nThey were granted indefinite leave to remain in 1971, but thousands were children who had travelled on their parents' passports.\n\nBecause of this, many were unable to prove they had the right to live in the country when \"hostile environment\" immigration policies - demanding the showing of documentation - began in 2012, under then Home Secretary Theresa May.\n\nThe scandal broke in 2018, including the revelation that many of those affected had lost homes and jobs and had been denied access to healthcare and benefits.\n\nThe BBC's Westminster Hour reported last month that at least nine people had died while awaiting payments under the compensation scheme set up for victims.\n\nCampaigners for the Windrush victims are likely to ask why this announcement by the home secretary didn't come sooner.\n\nThe government acted quickly in setting up the Windrush Compensation Scheme when the scandal became public in 2018, but that scheme has long been criticised for being too slow and resulting in offers some say are too low.\n\nThe speed at which claims are processed and money is offered is seen as being particularly crucial, given that many of those affected are elderly.\n\nThe additional announcement that the compensation process for loss of earnings will also change could potentially lead to even larger payouts for victims.\n\nEarly responses from claimants suggest a sense of cautious optimism at the latest announcement, with one person telling me they won't believe it until a cheque is in the post.\n\nThe Windrush Compensation Scheme will be updated following consultation with the Windrush Working Group, chaired by Bishop Derek Webley.\n\nMs Patel told the House of Commons there would be \"substantial changes\".\n\nShe added that these would \"make a real difference to people's lives\", saying: \"I've always promised to listen and act to ensure that the victims of Windrush receive the maximum amount of compensation they deserve.\n\n\"It's my mission to correct the wrongs of the past and I will continue to work with the Windrush Working Group to do exactly that.\"\n\nThe changes to the scheme will apply retrospectively, meaning those previously given less than £10,000 will receive top-up payments.\n\nThe Home Office is also removing the 12 months' salary limit on compensation for earnings lost by people forced out of their jobs.\n\nIt will start letting those affected by the changes know from next week.\n\nBishop Webley said: \"Many will benefit from the relief that these new payments will provide, and begin to move forward with their lives with hope and determination.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Explained: What is the 'hostile environment' policy?\n\nAn estimated 500,000 people living in the UK make up the surviving members of the Windrush generation.\n\nAn Equality and Human Rights Commission report last month said government action taken to \"record and respond to negative equality impacts\" of hostile environment immigration policies had been \"perfunctory, and therefore insufficient\".\n\nIt called for a plan\" of \"specific actions\" to \"avoid a future breach\", with the commission's interim chair, Caroline Waters, describing the treatment of the Windrush generation as \"a shameful stain on British history\".\n\nThe Windrush compensation scheme came into force last year, with £2m being paid out so far and a further £1m offered.", "Across the UK there are now 1,692,000 people unemployed\n\nWales experienced the steepest rise in unemployment between August and October of any nation or region of the UK.\n\nThe rate of unemployment is now 4.6% in Wales and 4.9% across the UK as a whole, according to the latest official figures. Unemployment in Wales rose by 22,000 compared with the previous three months.\n\nThe Office for National Statistics' UK payroll data showed the hospitality sector had been the most severely affected, followed by wholesale and retail and manufacturing.\n\nThe rate of people not available for work is now at 24% - these are working age people who may be full-time carers or students, on long-term sick or have taken early retirement.\n\nThis is compared with 20.8% for the UK.\n\nThat means there were 459,000 \"economically inactive\" people in Wales, 8,000 more than in July, and 22,000 more than the same time last year.\n\nBefore the pandemic, Wales had seen low levels of unemployment.\n\nAcross the UK there are now 1,692,000 unemployed, which is 411,000 more than the same period a year ago.\n\nHospitality and food has been the most severely affected sector\n\nThe Office for National Statistics said the latest figures for the numbers of people paying tax in the UK showed there were 800,000 fewer on the payroll in November than in February, and one third of those people had been working in the hospitality sector.\n\nThis is the first time there has been a sector breakdown for the number of people on company payrolls.\n\nFurloughed workers are counted as employed in the statistics.\n\nThis latest set of labour market figures are for August to October, during which the UK government's Covid-19 pandemic furlough scheme was reducing the amount given to employers to pay workers.\n\nThe Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (JRS) - known as furlough - was brought in on 20 March to help employers keep on staff during lockdown.\n\nThe scheme meant the Treasury originally paid 80% of an employee's wages while they were not working, up to a maximum of £2,500 per person per month.\n\nThe scheme was due to be replaced by the Job Support Scheme on 1 November.\n\nOn 31 October the chancellor announced the JRS was instead being extended to 31 March and made more generous again, with the UK government paying 80% of employee wages, but with the employer covering pension and National Insurance contributions.\n\nFirms made more workers redundant in anticipation of the end of the furlough scheme, which was originally supposed to finish at the end of October.\n\nThe Treasury said the number of jobs furloughed in Wales reached a peak in July of 378,400 - roughly 29% of eligible jobs.\n\nFrom 1 July, employers could apply for flexible furlough, meaning an employee could be furloughed for part of their time employed.\n\nBy the end of August, more than 130,000 were on some form of furlough. That represented around 10% of eligible Welsh employees, according to the latest Treasury statistics.\n\nThese latest figures make grim reading and are a reminder of the extent to which Covid-19 has hit families' living standards.\n\nWhile some may be relieved the unemployment rate in Wales is still lower than for the UK as a whole, it is concerning that in the three months to October unemployment grew more steeply here than any other nation or region of the UK - in other words a greater proportion of people living in Wales lost their jobs.\n\nWhen comparing areas it is important that we look at proportions not absolute numbers because they have different-sized populations.\n\nIt is interesting the latest figures from the ONS show that of the 819,000 jobs lost across the UK since February, one third of them have been in accommodation and hospitality.\n\nThese sectors, along with their suppliers, are very important to the Welsh economy.\n\nIt is also important to remember that the furlough scheme has been highly effective in terms of keeping people on the payroll and it is still in operation.\n\nEven after that scheme ends it will take several months before we know the full extent of job losses across Wales.", "At least 10 cases of the new variant have been identified in Wales\n\nA new strain of coronavirus which was found to be circulating in England is already present in Wales, the Welsh Government has confirmed.\n\nOn Monday, the UK government said the variant \"may be associated\" with a faster spread in south east England.\n\nThe Welsh Government said there were at least 10 confirmed cases in Wales and more were expected to be identified.\n\nAn expert who helps track mutations of the virus said he was \"not especially concerned\" and urged calm.\n\nMore than 1,000 cases have been recorded across 60 English council areas.\n\nMatt Hancock, the UK government minister in charge of the NHS in England, said there was \"nothing to suggest\" it caused worse disease or that vaccines would no longer work.\n\nAnnouncing tougher restrictions in London and parts of Essex and Hertfordshire, he said: \"We've currently identified over 1,000 cases with this variant predominantly in the south of England, although cases have been identified in nearly 60 different local authority areas.\n\n\"We do not know the extent to which this is because of the new variant, but no matter its cause we have to take swift and decisive action which unfortunately is absolutely essential to control this deadly disease while the vaccine is rolled out.\"\n\nHe said the World Health Organization had been notified of the new variant and UK scientists were doing detailed studies.\n\nCardiff University Professor Tom Connor, bioinformatics lead at Public Health Wales, said: \"We see numerous numbers of variants accumulating in the population.\n\n\"The virus is continually introducing these changes as it progresses.\"\n\nMost mutations to the genetic code of the virus will have no impact on its risk to the public, he explained, but said it was important to monitor because an increase in the prevalence of a variant could be for a \"biological reason\" such as increased transmissibility.\n\nProf Connor said the new variant - called N501Y - could plausibly reduce the effectiveness of the vaccine because the mutations \"fall within the spike proteins\".\n\n\"That's the protein on the outside of the virus that helps it get into cells and actually cause the infection,\" he explained.\n\nWales has seen a rise in cases ahead of Christmas\n\nBoth the Moderna and Pfizer/Biontech vaccines rely on spike proteins, Prof Connor said.\n\nHe urged people not to be alarmed and to carry on following advice to observe social distancing, wash your hands and wear a face covering.\n\nHe added: \"We are potentially moving towards the point where we go from this being a pandemic to an endemic - so a disease which is circulating in the human population and we vaccinate against it every year, for example like we do with influenza.\"\n\nThe Welsh Government reiterated it was \"natural for the virus to mutate\", adding that further sequencing and tracking was taking place.\n\nDr Gill Richardson, who is senior responsible officer for the Covid-19 vaccine in Wales, said: \"Viruses are living beings that change and adapt, and we know that since the original Wuhan virus there [have] actually been 25 mutations.\n\n\"It's important to say that at the moment it is not thought to affect the behaviour of the virus at all, and it's not thought to affect the effectiveness of the vaccine.\"\n\nThere is a simple rule for understanding all \"new strain\" or \"new variants\": Ask whether the behaviour of the virus has changed.\n\nThis is crucial as viruses mutate all the time, it's just what they do. And so far we've been given the \"scare\" but not the \"answer\".\n\nMatt Hancock said the new variant of coronavirus \"may be associated\" with the faster spread in the south-east of England.\n\nThis is not the same as saying it \"is causing\" the rise and Mr Hancock did not say this virus has evolved to spread from person-to-person more readily.\n\nNew strains can become more common for reasons that have nothing to do with the virus.\n\nOne explanation for the emergence of the \"Spanish strain\" over the summer was tourism.\n\nSo at the moment there are scary headlines everywhere, but still no scientific detail to know how significant this is.\n\nThe news of the new variant comes as cases continue to rise in Wales.\n\nOn Monday it was revealed Wales was already breaching some of the key indicators used to determine if the country goes into lockdown.\n\nFirst Minister Mark Drakeford said a lockdown could be introduced after Christmas if rates do not begin to fall.\n\nPublic Health Wales figures on Monday showed Merthyr Tydfil had the highest case rate in the UK, with 870.3 cases per 100,000 people over the most recent seven days.\n\nEight Welsh counties were among the 10 areas with the highest case rates in the UK.\n• None 'New variant' of coronavirus identified in England", "I have one simple rule for making sense of \"new variant\" or \"new strain\" coronavirus stories.\n\nAsk: \"Has the virus's behaviour changed?\"\n\nA mutated virus sounds instinctively scary, but to mutate and change is what viruses do.\n\nMost of the time it is either a meaningless tweak or the virus alters itself in such a way that it gets worse at infecting us and the new variant just dies out.\n\nOccasionally it hits on a new winning formula.\n\nThere is no clear-cut evidence the new variant of coronavirus - which has been detected in south-east England - is able to transmit more easily, cause more serious symptoms or render the vaccine useless.\n\nHowever, there are two reasons scientists are keeping a close eye on it.\n\nThe first is that levels of the variant are higher in places where cases are higher.\n\nIt is a warning sign, although it can be interpreted in two ways.\n\nThe virus could have mutated to spread more easily and is causing more infections.\n\nBut variants can also get a lucky break by infecting the right people at the right time. One explanation for the spread of the \"Spanish strain\" over the summer was simply people catching it on holiday and then bringing it home.\n\nIt will take experiments in the laboratory to figure out if this variant really is a better spreader than all the others.\n\nThe other issue that is raising scientific eyebrows is how the virus has mutated.\n\n\"It has a surprisingly large number of mutations, more than we would expect, and a few look interesting,\" Prof Nick Loman from the COVID-19 Genomics UK (COG-UK) Consortium told me.\n\nThere are two notable sets of mutation - and I apologise for their hideous names.\n\nBoth are found in the crucial spike protein, which is the key the virus uses to unlock the doorway into our body's cells in order to hijack them.\n\nThe mutation N501 (I did warn you) alters the most important part of the spike, known as the \"receptor-binding domain\".\n\nThis is where the spike makes first contact with the surface of our body's cells. Any changes that make it easier for the virus to get inside are likely to give it an edge.\n\n\"It looks and smells like an important adaptation,\" said Prof Loman.\n\nMass vaccination will put a different kind of pressure on the virus because it will have to change in order to infect people who have been immunised\n\nThe other mutation - a H69/V70 deletion - has emerged several times before, including famously in infected mink.\n\nThe concern was that antibodies from the blood of survivors was less effective at attacking that variant of virus.\n\nAgain, it is going to take more laboratory studies to really understand what is going on.\n\nProf Alan McNally, from the University of Birmingham, said: \"We know there's a variant, we know nothing about what that means biologically.\n\n\"It is far too early to make any inference on how important this may or may not be.\"\n\nMutations to the spike protein lead to questions about the vaccine because the three leading jabs - Pfizer, Moderna and Oxford - all train the immune system to attack the spike.\n\nHowever, the body learns to attack multiple parts of the spike. That is why health officials remain convinced the vaccine will work against this variant.\n\nThis is a virus that evolved in animals and made the jump to infecting people around a year ago.\n\nSince then it has been picking up around two mutations a month - take a sample today and compare it to the first ones from Wuhan in China and there would be around 25 mutations separating them.\n\nCoronavirus is still trying out different combinations of mutations to properly nail infecting humans.\n\nWe have seen this happen before: The emergence and global dominance of another variant (G614) is seen by many as the virus getting better at spreading.\n\nBut soon mass vaccination will put a different kind of pressure on the virus because it will have to change in order to infect people who have been immunized.\n\nIf this does drive the evolution of the virus, we may have to regularly update the vaccines, as we do for flu, to keep up.", "A new variant of coronavirus has been found which is growing faster in some parts of England, MPs have been told.\n\nHealth Secretary Matt Hancock said at least 60 different local authorities had recorded Covid infections caused by the new variant.\n\nHe said the World Health Organization had been notified and UK scientists were doing detailed studies.\n\nHe said there was \"nothing to suggest\" it caused worse disease or that vaccines would no longer work.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. A new variant of Covid could be speeding up the spread of cases in parts of south east England, says Matt Hancock.\n\nHe told MPs in the House of Commons that over the last week, there had been sharp, exponential rises in coronavirus infections across London, Kent, parts of Essex and Hertfordshire.\n\n\"We've currently identified over 1,000 cases with this variant predominantly in the South of England although cases have been identified in nearly 60 different local authority areas.\n\n\"We do not know the extent to which this is because of the new variant but no matter its cause we have to take swift and decisive action which unfortunately is absolutely essential to control this deadly disease while the vaccine is rolled out.\"\n\nEngland's Chief Medical Officer Prof Chris Whitty said current coronavirus swab tests would detect the new variant that has been found predominantly in Kent and neighbouring areas in recent weeks.\n\nThe changes or mutations involve the spike protein of the virus - the part that helps it infect cells, and the target Covid vaccines are designed around.\n\nIt is too soon to know exactly what this will do to the behaviour of the virus.\n\nProf Alan McNally, an expert at the University of Birmingham, told the BBC: \"Let's not be hysterical. It doesn't mean it's more transmissible or more infectious or dangerous.\n\n\"It is something to keep an eye on.\n\n\"Huge efforts are ongoing at characterising the variant and understanding its emergence. It is important to keep a calm and rational perspective on the strain as this is normal virus evolution and we expect new variants to come and go and emerge over time.\"\n\nDr Jeremy Farrar, Director of Wellcome, said it was potentially serious. \"The surveillance and research must continue and we must take the necessary steps to stay ahead of the virus.\"\n\nThere is a simple rule for understanding all \"new strain\" or \"new variants\": Ask whether the behaviour of the virus has changed.\n\nThis is crucial as viruses mutate all the time, it's just what they do. And so far we've been given the \"scare\" but not the \"answer\".\n\nMatt Hancock said the new variant of coronavirus \"may be associated\" with the faster spread in the south-east of England.\n\nThis is not the same as saying it \"is causing\" the rise and Mr Hancock did not say this virus has evolved to spread from person-to-person more readily.\n\nNew strains can become more common for reasons that have nothing to do with the virus.\n\nOne explanation for the emergence of the \"Spanish strain\" over the summer was tourism.\n\nSo at the moment there are scary headlines everywhere, but still no scientific detail to know how significant this is.\n\nProf Jonathan Ball, Professor of Molecular Virology at Nottingham University, said: \"The genetic information in many viruses can change very rapidly and sometimes these changes can benefit the virus - by allowing it to transmit more efficiently or to escape from vaccines or treatments - but many changes have no effect at all.\n\n\"Even though a new genetic variant of the virus has emerged and is spreading in many parts of the UK and across the world, this can happen purely by chance.\n\n\"Therefore, it is important that we study any genetic changes as they occur, to work out if they are affecting how the virus behaves, and until we have done that important work it is premature to make any claims about the potential impacts of virus mutation.\"\n• None 'Mutant coronavirus' seen before on mink farms", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Great British Bake Off judge Prue Leith gets the coronavirus vaccine\n\nThe Great British Bake Off judge Prue Leith has become one of the first people to receive the Covid-19 vaccine.\n\nThe 80-year-old posted an image on Twitter of her receiving the vaccination while wearing a mask.\n\n\"Who wouldn't want immunity from Covid-19 with a painless jab??\" she asked in the tweet.\n\nThe rollout of the vaccine began in the UK last week, with healthcare workers, people living in care homes and the elderly being prioritised.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Prue Leith This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nLeith was also filmed receiving the vaccine, asking afterwards: \"Have you done it? I didn't even feel it.\"\n\nShe added the process was \"amazing\" and \"so efficient\".\n\nNoel Fielding, who co-hosts Bake Off, reacted to the news of his colleague being among the first wave of people in the world to be vaccinated against coronavirus.\n\n\"Always the most classy glamorous person in the room. Love you Prue x\", commented Fielding on Instagram.\n\nPrue Leith replaced Mary Berry on The Great British Bake Off when it moved to Channel 4\n\nFormer Bake Off winner Dr Rahul Mandal, wrote: \"Yes!! You just look as gorgeous in the tent as when you are taking your jab!!\"\n\nLeith joined Bake Off in 2017, replacing Mary Berry, when it moved from the BBC to Channel 4.\n\nPrior to joining the series, Leith appeared on BBC Two's Great British Menu for 11 years.\n\nThe latest series of Bake Off was initially halted by the Covid-19 pandemic.\n\nFilming was completed at the end of the summer, with the cast and crew following strict health protocols.\n\nThe series saw 20-year-old Peter Sawkins triumph - making him the youngest winner to date.\n\nThe first vaccine to be declared safe and effective and approved for mass use by UK regulators is made by Pfizer-BioNTech.\n\nThe company has manufacturing sites in Europe and the US. Initial vaccine doses for the UK are being produced at Pfizer's site in Puurs, Belgium.\n\nThe military have been called on to help, and some sports stadiums and conference centres are being converted into temporary vaccination centres.\n\nThe aim is to inoculate tens of millions of UK residents within months, with those in the higher risk health categories going first.\n\nThose receiving it will be given a booster jab 21 days after their first dose.\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "Greenwich Council has asked all schools to move to online learning amid rising Covid cases\n\nThe leader of Greenwich Council has said he has \"no choice\" but to ask schools to remain open after threats of legal action from the government.\n\nThe authority wrote to head teachers asking for classes to move online from Tuesday amid rising Covid-19 cases.\n\nEducation Secretary Gavin Williamson ordered the council to keep all schools open until the end of term.\n\nCouncil leader Danny Thorpe said he could not justify using public funds to fight the decision in the courts.\n\nIn a statement, the Labour councillor said he did not agree that it was right to keep schools open but he had \"no choice but to ask our schools to keep their doors open to all students, rather than just continuing with online learning\".\n\nParents told the BBC it was an odd and confusing time for schools and families in the borough.\n\nLondon, most of Essex and parts of Hertfordshire will move into England's highest tier of Covid restrictions on Wednesday due to a rise in infections.\n\nSchools in England were told they could close a day early for Christmas last week to give staff a \"proper break\" from identifying potential coronavirus cases.\n\nIn Basildon, where the third-highest Covid rate was recorded, schools were also allowed to close early, while London's mayor Sadiq Khan has called on secondary schools and colleges in the capital to follow suit.\n\nImagine how baffling it's been for parents in Greenwich and other London boroughs caught up in this end-of-term playground power struggle - which has become a microcosm of the uncertainty about whether children should be in school this week.\n\nOn Sunday night Greenwich council told parents schools were moving online - and then on Monday, the Department for Education issued legal threats saying they would have to stay open.\n\nAnd now on Tuesday, the council has backed down and says schools will have to stay open for Wednesday and Thursday.\n\nIt's added confusion to an already worrying time. Although parents will still be wondering what to believe when they're also being told to stay apart because of London's surge in Covid cases.\n\nIt might appear an unnecessary tussle about a couple of days in school. But it's been about who is in control and the government's determination not to see its biggest red line crumbling away - and that's keeping schools open.\n\nLeaders at two other Labour-run local authorities - Waltham Forest and Islington - have also advised schools to move to online learning for the last few days of term amid rising Covid-19 rates in the capital.\n\nBoth councils told BBC London they were sticking by their decisions.\n\nSchools Minister Nick Gibb has written to Islington and Waltham Forest asking them to reconsider. The BBC understands no legal action has been taken against the local authorities.\n\nMr Thorpe said on Friday there were 3,670 children self-isolating and 314 teaching staff, then on Monday an additional 580 children had to self-isolate.\n\nThis \"exponential growth\" in Covid-19 cases was the basis of his decision to ask schools to move to online teaching, he said.\n\n\"We are in a situation where the virus has been spreading quicker in Greenwich than it has done in other parts of London,\" he said.\n\n\"We had to make this call based on the data available to us. I find it regrettable the Secretary of State has pursued a legal route, as fundamentally my decision has been based solely on what is based for families here in Greenwich and not a courtroom battle.\n\n\"It shows the government think you can manage the pandemic response entirely from Whitehall and what we are saying is that we have different parts of London and different parts of the country that are experiencing difficult challenges.\"\n\nMr Thorpe said he made the decision \"in the best interests of the people of Greenwich\" but recognised the disruption that had been caused.\n\nOne mother, who has two children at Halstow Primary School in Greenwich, said: \"I really, really feel for schools because they've all worked so hard since September to have schools open to maintain education and that normality for kids.\n\n\"I don't know what the school is going to do now, whether they're going to say pupils need to go in or leave it for parents to make the decision. It's another day of poor schools making lots of decisions rather than focusing on our kids.\"\n\nA father, whose children attend a different school in the borough, added: \"It seems so odd that remote learning suddenly is no longer acceptable.\n\n\"I understand that some families will really struggle if parents cannot work from home. In Greenwich, we have never had numbers as bad as they are right now - I don't understand why relatively low impact options, such as online learning, are being taken off the table by the government.\"\n\nHead of Ofsted Amanda Spielman described it as a \"really difficult situation\" in which people were \"weighing up short-term concerns about health risks and long-term concerns about children's education\".\n\nShe told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: \"It's so easy to call for closures and forget the long-term price which children pay which our visits show so clearly.\n\n\"We've had children yo-yoing in and out of school through the autumn and really suffering as a result. We need clarity, consistency, not last minute decisions.\"\n\nThe Association of School and College Leaders said the government \"may find it has won a hollow victory in its squabble with Greenwich council\"\n\nMr Thorpe added that the Department of Health & Social Care had agreed that any resident could access a Covid-19 test, whether they were showing symptoms or not.\n\n\"This is a real step change from the current position and one that will benefit all of us locally,\" he added.\n\nA head teacher's union has said many parents could still keep their children at home this week despite the government's stance.\n\nGeoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), said: \"The government may find it has won a hollow victory in its squabble with Greenwich council over end-of-term arrangements.\n\n\"It has compelled direct classroom teaching for the last few days of term, but we would not be surprised if many parents simply keep their children at home given the evident concern over Covid infection rates.\n\n\"It has been an unseemly end to a gruelling and exhausting term when schools at the very least deserved some flexibility over their end-of-term arrangements in the best interests of their pupils and staff, but instead have been met with legal threats from the government.\"\n\nHave you been affected by the issues raised in this story. You can share your experience by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Tuesday evening. We'll have another update for you tomorrow morning.\n\nPlans to allow people to mix indoors over Christmas are under scrutiny following rising case numbers around many parts of the UK. The Health Service Journal and British Medical Journal say the easing of restrictions would be \"a major error\" that would \"cost many lives\", and Labour has joined their call for a review of the proposals. No 10 said the rules were \"under constant review\", but it still intended to allow families to meet up. The PM's spokesman said the government had been clear that people needed to \"remain cautious and vigilant\" during the five days of relaxed rules from 23 to 27 December. After Cabinet minister Michael Gove discussed the issue with leaders in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales this afternoon, a source told the BBC: \"There was broad recognition commitment has been made to people and they will expect us to honour it - but there is a need to be stronger and clearer in guidance and messaging\". BBC political correspondent Nick Eardley said the issue of people travelling between high and low tier areas had been discussed, but nothing had been decided. More talks are expected tomorrow. You can read more about the current plans for Christmas mixing in the UK here, and you can read tips on how to be safer at Christmas here.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The government needs to \"review\" and \"toughen up\" the planned Christmas virus restrictions, says Sir Keir Starmer.\n\nMass testing of secondary-school pupils in England is to be greatly increased in January, in an attempt to reduce the numbers being sent home. Any students who have been in contact with a positive case will be offered seven days of daily testing, while teachers can have weekly Covid tests. Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said this \"huge expansion\" of testing would be a \"milestone moment\" in keeping schools open. Hamid Patel, head of an academy trust that had piloted such testing, said it had been a \"game-changer\". The aim is to improve attendance and to reduce the numbers having to go home, by identifying and isolating those who are infected, and allowing those who do not have the virus to stay in school. Although 15% of pupils were out of school last week, the latest figures show 0.2% of pupils were confirmed Covid cases. You can read more about Covid safety measures for schools here.\n\nThree Scottish council areas are to have tougher coronavirus restrictions imposed from Friday in a bid to reverse a rising number of cases. Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and East Lothian will all move from level two to level three of the five-level system. It means people will no longer be allowed to travel outside of their own council area unless it is essential. Pubs, cafes and restaurants will have to stop serving alcohol and must shut at 6pm, and indoor entertainment venues such as cinemas, bingo halls and amusement arcades will also have to close. All the country's other 29 council areas will remain in their current levels, including Edinburgh - which had been pushing to be downgraded from level three to level two. You can read more about Scotland's Covid restrictions here.\n\nA new system meant to cut quarantine times for travellers arriving in England has been beset with problems on its first day. Travellers are allowed to end self-isolation early if they pay for a coronavirus test and test negative five days after arriving. The government picked 11 firms to carry out the private tests - but a number of them have hit problems. One said it could neither provide any more tests nor even answer queries. The government approved the list of companies allowed to provide the Test to Release scheme on Monday night. One company, SameDayDoctor, has asked to be withdrawn from the programme. It posted a message on its website stating: \"Unfortunately we have been so overwhelmed with requests for Test and Release that we cannot answer any more emails nor take any more bookings.\" You can read more about the UK's current Covid travel rules here.\n\nThe Great British Bake Off judge Prue Leith has shared a photo of her being vaccinated against coronavirus. The 80-year-old posted the image on Twitter after she received the vaccine on Tuesday, while wearing a mask. \"Who wouldn't want immunity from Covid-19 with a painless jab?\" she asked. The rollout of the vaccine began in the UK last week, with healthcare workers, people living in care homes and the elderly being prioritised. You can see when you will be in line for a vaccine here, and you can read about the safety of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine being rolled out in the UK here.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Prue Leith This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nFind more information, advice and guides on our coronavirus page.\n\nPlus, our lives have changed dramatically this year in so many ways. In twelve charts, and with the help of four of our correspondents, we set out some of them.\n\nWhat questions do you have about coronavirus?\n\nIn some cases, your question will be published, displaying your name, age and location as you provide it, unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published. Please ensure you have read our terms & conditions and privacy policy.\n\nUse this form to ask your question:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or send them via email to YourQuestions@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any question you send in.", "Nine cases of a new variant of Covid-19 first identified in England have been reported in Scotland, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has confirmed.\n\nThe cases were all detected in the Greater Glasgow area, and date back to the end of November.\n\nThe World Health Organisation has been notified about the new strain of the virus, with detailed studies ongoing.\n\nMs Sturgeon said there is nothing to suggest it causes a more severe illness in people, but it may spread faster.\n\nShe said people should not \"prematurely overreact\" to the development.\n\nUK Health Secretary Matt Hancock revealed on Monday that the new variant of coronavirus had been recorded in at least 60 different local authority areas.\n\nThese cases were found predominantly in Kent, but it has now been confirmed that they have spread as far as Glasgow.\n\nNine cases have been identified in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board area, dating back to the end of November - although almost 15,000 new cases of coronavirus have been reported in Scotland overall across that period.\n\nThere is, as yet, \"nothing to suggest\" that the new strain causes more severe illness, or that it could prove resistant to vaccines.\n\nMs Sturgeon was briefed by the chief medical officer on Monday, and will take part in a four-nation call with other UK leaders later on Tuesday.\n\nShe told MSPs: \"It is important to stress there is no evidence at this stage that this new variant is likely to cause more serious illness in people.\n\n\"And while the initial analysis of it suggests that it may be more transmissible, with a faster growth rate than existing variants, that is not yet certain.\n\n\"It may instead be the case that it has been identified in areas where the virus is already spreading more rapidly.\"\n\nScottish Conservative group leader Ruth Davidson said the new strain was \"a cause of great concern\", asking what was being done \"to assess the virulence of the strain\" and its transmission rate.\n\nMs Sturgeon said analysis was being undertaken by Public Health England, but said people should not \"prematurely overreact\".\n\nShe added: \"It is important to say that none of what is currently known about this yet is absolutely certain.\"", "Farmed mink are known to escape into the wild\n\nThe first known case of coronavirus in a wild animal has been reported, leading to calls for widespread monitoring of wildlife.\n\nThe US Department of Agriculture (USDA) said a wild mink had tested positive around an infected mink farm in Utah.\n\nCoronavirus outbreaks at fur farms in the US and in Europe have killed thousands of the animals.\n\nAs a consequence, millions of farmed mink have had to be culled across Europe.\n\nThe USDA said it had found one positive case in \"free-ranging, wild mink\" in Utah as part of wildlife surveillance around infected farms.\n\nSeveral animals from different wildlife species were sampled and all tested negative, the agency added.\n\nIt said it had notified the World Organisation for Animal Health, but there is no evidence the virus has been widespread in wild populations around infected mink farms.\n\n\"To our knowledge, this is the first free-ranging, native wild animal confirmed with Sars-CoV-2,\" the USDA said in an alert to the International Society for Infectious Diseases.\n\nThe discovery raises concerns that the infection could spread between wild mink, said Dr Dan Horton, a veterinary expert at the University of Surrey, UK.\n\nThe case \"reinforces the need to undertake surveillance in wildlife and remain vigilant\", he added.\n\nMink are known to escape from mink farms and become established in the wild. In the UK, there is a population that is thought to have arisen from animals that escaped from fur farms many years ago, Dr Horton added.\n\nThe virus has also been found in zoo tigers, lions and snow leopards in the US, and in a small number of household cats and dogs.\n• None What's the science behind mink and coronavirus?", "A-level students in NI will take fewer exams next summer, Education Minister Peter Weir has confirmed.\n\nHe insisted exams will not be cancelled, but said they would be \"underpinned by contingencies for all scenarios\".\n\nThe content of many GCSE courses and the number of GCSE exams has already been reduced due to the pandemic.\n\nThe number of A-level exam papers a pupil will have to take in each subject will also be reduced.\n\nMr Weir told the assembly that students would have the opportunity to omit up to 60% of their AS or A-level assessments, meaning for a \"significant\" number of subjects, this would mean taking only one exam.\n\n\"At the centre of this reduction is choice - our schools and colleges will choose which unit or units of assessment their pupils will take,\" he said.\n\n\"Our young people will be assessed on topics and content in which they feel most confident and well prepared, allowing them to demonstrate their skills and knowledge to the highest possible level.\"\n\nMr Weir also reiterated that the examinations board in NI, CCEA, will delay the start of the summer exam series by one week to provide more time for preparation.\n\nHe told the assembly that he had decided grading should \"carry forward the overall generosity and standards of 2020\", which saw students awarded teacher-predicted grades after examinations were cancelled.\n\n\"This will ensure the 2021 cohort are treated fairly, relative to their 2020 peers. Students will be awarded more generous grades, in line with last summer's significantly improved results,\" he added.\n\nMr Weir has faced calls to cancel exams, but said approaches in other parts of the UK were \"confusing\".\n\nThe Scottish government has decided to cancel Higher exams in 2021, meaning that pupils' final grades will be based on the judgement of their schools.\n\nIn Wales, pupils will face exams in class in the spring rather than the summer.\n\nExams are also set to go ahead in England in 2021 and measures like more generous grading and advance notice of topics have already been announced.\n\n\"I have also heard the quieter voices of those who are equally anxious that exams should go ahead, and have urged me to stand firm on this,\" said Mr Weir.\n\n\"Cancelling exams would undoubtedly lead to different sorts of anxieties for young people, and would put incredible additional pressures on schools.\"\n\nMr Weir said he was considering a Covid exam allowance for young people who miss a significant amount of school due to the pandemic\n\nThe minister, who has already announced changes to 2021 GCSE exams, added that students taking GCSE Mathematics exams next year will be given \"additional support materials\".\n\n\"These support sheets will relieve candidates of the burden of memorising all of the information they would normally have to,\" he said.\n\n\"I hope they will feel more prepared and more confident as a result. This aligns with recent announcements in England.\"\n\nMr Weir said he recognised some young people had missed significant amounts of school while others had missed none, due to the pandemic.\n\nHe said he wanted to reassure students who had to take time off that there would be special consideration for those candidates.\n\n\"I also will explore the possibility of a Covid allowance or tariff for young people who have missed a significant number of days face-to-face teaching due to self-isolating,\" he said.\n\n\"This would allow for specific account to be taken of the variations in disrupted learning since September,\" he added, stating it would be separate from the existing special consideration scheme.\n\nMr Weir said his priority was to ensure students in NI were not at a disadvantage from other parts of the UK, and that \"fairness\" would continue to be his priority.\n\nSchools were closed to pupils from mid-March until the end of August 2020, although some online teaching took place.\n\nSome pupils have also missed time in class since schools reopened as they have had to self-isolate after being identified as a close contact of a positive Covid case.", "\"Unconscious bias training\" is being scrapped for civil servants in England, with ministers saying it does not work.\n\nThe training, intended to tackle patterns of discrimination and prejudice, is used in many workplaces.\n\nThe government says there is no evidence it changes attitudes - and is urging other public sector employers to end this type of training.\n\nBut race equality campaigner Halima Begum said the government \"mustn't backtrack on anti-racism training\".\n\nLucille Thirlby, assistant general secretary of the FDA civil servants' union, called on ministers to say \"what are you going to replace it with\".\n\n\"How will they ensure people are not discriminated against? It's easier to attack something than do something positive about it,\" she said.\n\nUnconscious bias training is an attempt to challenge prejudiced ways of thinking that could unfairly influence decisions - such as who might get a job or a promotion.\n\nIt can be prejudiced behaviour, based on assumptions about others, that people are not aware of themselves.\n\nBut the government says there is no proof that such training changes behaviour - and that it can \"backfire\" and create a negative response.\n\nA written ministerial statement from Cabinet Office minister Julia Lopez will announce \"unconscious bias training does not achieve its intended aims. It will therefore be phased out in the civil service\".\n\n\"We encourage other public sector employers to do likewise,\" she says, urging the end to training which has been widely used to address bias in race, gender and sexuality.\n\nBut it has also been caught up in \"culture war\" arguments and accusations over \"political correctness\".\n\nThe government says it is \"determined to eliminate discrimination in the workplace\", but unconscious bias training is the wrong approach.\n\nThe Government Equalities Office says there has been \"no evidence\" that the training improved workplace equality.\n\nAmong the researchers cited is psychologist Patrick Forscher, who examined more than 400 studies on unconscious bias.\n\nHe said that few studies measured changes over time, and among \"the most robust of those that did\", the findings suggested \"changes in implicit bias don't last\".\n\nDr Forscher said such training had too often been used by employers as a \"catch all\", which failed to really tackle the specific barriers for different groups.\n\nHalima Begum, chief executive of the Runnymede Trust race equality think tank, said unconscious bias training is not always effective - and recognised the dangers of a corporate \"diversity industry\" wanting to have \"off the shelf\" training.\n\nBut she warned the government would have to replace it with something better and further reaching - which addressed bias and \"ingrained views\" at a more \"fundamental level\".\n\nMs Begum said there needed to be structural changes about fair pay, progression and work practices, rather than courses which \"make your boss feel better, but is not going to change the system\".\n\nThe value of such training was defended by Jane Farrell, chief executive of the EW Group, a diversity and inclusion consultancy.\n\n\"There is a misconception that unconscious bias training is guilt inducing and tells people off for who or what they are, which is simply not true,\" she said.\n\n\"Great unconscious bias training provides a positive and supportive environment to think through how to ensure we recruit the best staff rather than inadvertently clone ourselves,\" said Ms Farrell.\n\nPsychologist and author Stuart Ritchie said even though many staff might be required to take such unconscious bias training there was \"nowhere near robust evidence\" that it was able to change minds or behaviour.\n\nDr Ritchie said firms might use this training to \"placate worries\", but there was a lack of evidence that it would really reduce prejudice.\n\nJonny Gifford, who has worked with firms on diversity and inclusion, said unconscious bias had to be recognised as a \"massive problem\".\n\nBut Mr Gifford, adviser to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, warned the shortcomings of unconscious bias training should not be used to stop trying to \"make the workplace more inclusive and to reduce barriers to inequality\".\n\n\"To dismiss this as political correctness or being 'woke' is a very shaky place to be,\" said Mr Gifford.", "More than 1,200 people in Scotland died of drug misuse last year, new figures show.\n\nThe much-delayed figures show a record number of deaths for the sixth year in a row and the highest total since records began in 1996.\n\nThe figure of 1,264 is a 6% increase on 2018 and more than double the number of deaths in 2014.\n\nIt is the worst rate recorded in Europe and about three and a half times the rate for England and Wales.\n\nThe National Records of Scotland statistics are six months late after a huge backlog in processing toxicology results and delays due to Covid-19.\n\nThey show that two-thirds of those who died were aged 35 to 54.\n\nThe report said the median average age of drug-related deaths had gone up from 28 to 42 over the past two decades.\n\nHowever, there was also an increase in deaths among 15 to 24 year olds - from 64 in 2018 to 76 in 2019.\n\nThree-quarters of the deaths occurred in five health board areas.\n\nGreater Glasgow and Clyde had 404 deaths, Lanarkshire 163, Lothian 155, Tayside 118 and Ayrshire and Arran 108.\n\nHere we are again. For the sixth year running, Scotland has seen a record total of drug deaths. We are once again the worst in Europe.\n\nIt shouldn't come as a surprise. While the UK and Scottish governments organised competing summits to showcase their vision of how to tackle the problem, frontline workers warned that the death rate was accelerating.\n\nThis year, the mountain of toxicology reports into drug deaths needed £300,000 of extra funding to be cleared and, still, the figures were five months late.\n\nMuch of the focus of this issue has been on the Misuse of Drugs Act, which is reserved to Westminster.\n\nThe Scottish government argues that it needs more control over the law to trial initiatives such as safer injecting facilities; the UK government argues the opposite, and that instead there needs to be more investment in rehab beds.\n\nThose in the sector say these arguments only serve to simplify an issue that is so intractable, so huge.\n\nAlready identified as issues to tackle are punitive regimes that saw users kicked off methadone prescriptions for missing appointments. Those hoping for methadone were, in some cases, waiting up to five weeks for a prescription.\n\nWhile the death toll climbed, funding to frontline services was cut by the Scottish government. In 2016, treatment was only reaching 40% of those who needed it.\n\nThe drug-taking trends are also shifting under our feet - as older heroin users die, a younger generation have taken to injecting cocaine, supercharging an HIV epidemic in Scotland's largest city.\n\nMeanwhile, so-called street Valium - or etizolam - has a grip on the drug-using population.\n\nScotland's Drug Death Task Force is trying to turn the tide. They have encouraged same-day prescribing and the expansion medical assisted treatment, along with programmes to distributed the life-saving drug Naloxone.\n\nEven with these efforts though, this problem will take years to stabilise.\n\nScotland's \"polydrug\" habit - mixing dangerous street drugs with alcohol and prescription pills - caused many of the deaths.\n\nThe report said 94% of all drug-related deaths were of people who took more than one substance.\n\nHeroin and morphine were implicated in more deaths than in any previous year - more than half of the total.\n\n\"Street\" benzodiazepines (such as etizolam) were named in almost two-thirds of deaths, more than in any previous year.\n\nThere was also a big rise in cocaine being reported as taken by people who died (365) as well as gabapentin and pregabalin, which are used to treat nerve pain.\n\nIn September, a report from the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction said Scotland had the highest recorded drug death rate in Europe, far ahead of Sweden in second place.\n\nIt highlighted the problem of benzos, saying: \"In Scotland, criminal groups are known to be involved in the large-scale illicit manufacture and distribution of fake benzodiazepine medicines.\"\n\nThe fake Valium - that sells for as little as 50p - is many times stronger than prescription drugs.\n\nThe new breed of benzodiazepines are often taken alongside other drugs such as heroin.\n\nScottish Public Health Minister Joe FitzPatrick said the Scottish government was doing \"everything in its powers to tackle rising drug deaths\".\n\nMr FitzPatrick said the Drug Deaths Taskforce, which was established after a public health emergency was declared last year, was continuing its \"urgent work\" and there was a new sub-group looking at the issue of benzodiazepines.\n\nHe said: \"These deaths stem from a longstanding and complex set of challenges, and there is no shortcut that will suddenly solve this.\"\n\nScottish Conservative health spokesman Donald Cameron said the statistics were \"dreadful and heart-breaking in equal measure\".\n\n\"It is appalling that drug deaths have doubled in a decade, and there's no doubt that this government's cuts to drug rehab and addiction programmes have a large part to play in this awful trend,\" he said.\n\n\"The Scottish Conservatives have backed calls from rehab organisations - including Favor Scotland, Jericho House and Phoenix Futures - for a £20m Scottish Recovery Fund.\n\n\"We need to start helping people to get off drugs and get well, we can't simply try to manage addictions and leave it there.\"\n\nScottish Labour's Monica Lennon called on Public Health Minister Joe FitzPatrick to resign over the record levels of drug deaths.\n\nShe said: \"Time and time again, the Scottish government was warned by dozens of organisations to properly fund treatment and recovery services, but instead we got real terms cuts.\n\n\"Calls for bold and urgent action have not been acted on.\n\n\"The public needs to have confidence in the public health minister to lead us out of this human rights tragedy - these shocking statistics and his woeful response give us none.\"\n\nScottish Liberal Democrat health spokesman Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP said lives were being lost on an \"unprecedented and unparalleled scale\".\n\nHe said: \"Too often services simply aren't there, either through a lack of resources or a lack of political will.\"\n\nMr Cole-Hamilton called for more funding for drug services and sending people to treatment instead of prison.\n\nScottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie accused both the Scottish and UK governments of \"a shameful failure of leadership\".\n\nHe said criminalisation of drugs had caused more harm than it has prevented.\n\n\"Addiction is better tackled by trained medical professionals than the strong arm of the law,\" he said.\n\nHowever, decriminalisation has been ruled out by the UK government, which controls drugs law.\n\nDavid Liddell, the chief executive of the Scottish Drugs Forum, said the number of preventable deaths was \"a national tragedy and disgrace\".\n\n\"We need people to be in high quality treatment that protects them from overdose and death,\" he said.\n\nHe said the Drug Taskforce's plans for treatment standards, which would mean people gained quick access to drug services and have a choice of medication that best suits them, were a step forward.\n\nHe also called for drug consumption rooms, heroin-assisted treatment and assertive outreach.\n\nMr Liddell said there needed to be an end to \"the alienation, marginalisation and stigmatisation of people with a drug problem\".\n\n\"As part of this approach, we should decriminalise the possession of all drugs and extend the current recorded police warning for cannabis possession to apply to all other drugs,\" he said.", "Edinburgh remains in level three despite lower levels of positive Covid tests than nearby areas\n\nThe latest review of Scotland's Covid-19 restriction levels will be announced at Holyrood later.\n\nAll 32 local authority areas will have their situation assessed by politicians and public health officials.\n\nIt could be the last review before the five-day Christmas easing of restrictions begins on 23 December.\n\nFirst Minister Nicola Sturgeon said levels for all areas including Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire would be considered.\n\nMs Sturgeon said last week she expected it to be the last review until 5 January although a parliamentary update on levels is scheduled for next week.\n\nThe first minister said she wanted to provide consistency and stability over the Christmas period but would not rule out action if a particular area saw a surge in cases.\n\nEdinburgh is currently in level three, which means tough restrictions on hospitality and limits travel into and out of the local authority area.\n\nThe decision to keep Edinburgh in level three last week was controversial because positive Covid rates in the city were lower than surrounding areas.\n\nBut at the daily coronavirus briefing on Monday, the first minister said a 33% spike in cases in the past week showed it was the right one.\n\nMs Sturgeon said moving the capital to level two would have been like \"pouring petrol on smouldering embers.\"\n\nAberdeen has the second highest weekly rate of positive tests of all local authorities in level two and cases have continued to rise since the last weekly review.\n\nAny changes agreed will come at the same time as the government is advising people to cut down on contacts before Christmas.\n\nAt Monday's briefing, the first minister said people in Scotland should \"think really carefully\" about gathering indoors, adding that the \"best Christmas gift we can give family and friends\" is to \"keep our distance and keep them safe\".\n\nIn last week's review, it was announced that 11 council areas that were subject to the highest tier of restrictions would move down to lower levels.\n\nThe toughest restrictions were imposed to bring down case numbers in Scotland's Covid hotspots - but they came at a cost, with hospitality and non-essential shops required to close, among other measures.\n\nSpeaking on BBC Scotland's Coronavirus Update programme, Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross called on all the evidence behind the Scottish government's decisions on restriction levels to be made available, following the row over Edinburgh remaining in level three.\n\nThe Scottish Conservative leader reiterated the call for people to be sensible over the Christmas period, but said the government must be honest with the public about the science behind its decisions.\n\nVaccinations for care home staff and residents have started in Scotland\n\nMs Sturgeon told MSPs last week that she considered moving Edinburgh down to level two - but the closeness to the Christmas period meant that this did not happen.\n\nOn Friday, Scotland's highest civil court ruled the decision to keep Edinburgh under level three Covid restrictions was lawful, with the judge deciding the Scottish government had a right to consider factors other than data.\n\nThe court heard there was \"no simple algorithm\" to determine levels and the indicators used \"may change over time\".\n\nThe judge highlighted that in level two people could travel around Scotland freely - except for entering level three or four areas - whereas those in level three could not leave the local authority area, limiting the potential for viral spread in the capital city.\n\nThe assessment of restriction levels for each area come as vaccinations are rolled out for frontline health workers and care home residents.\n\nVaccinations for health staff began last week, and the first vaccines for care home residents, who are considered the most vulnerable to Covid-19, were administered on Tuesday.", "Test to Release, a new system meant to cut quarantine times for travellers arriving in England, has been beset with problems on its first day.\n\nTravellers are allowed to end self-isolation early if they pay for a coronavirus test and get a negative result five days after arriving.\n\nThe government picked 11 firms to carry out the private tests.\n\nBut some of the largest Covid test providers were not included and many on the list have hit problems.\n\nAirlines UK, the trade body for airlines, admitted there had been \"teething problems\", but said these would be resolved. \"Today is only the start - the end goal is the removal of quarantine altogether - but it's a positive beginning to what we hope will be the recovery of our sector,\" the group said.\n\nWhen the scheme launched on Tuesday morning, some test providers were overwhelmed with the sheer volume of demand from the public. One supplier has pulled out completely.\n\nSameDayDoctor asked to be withdrawn from the programme after being inundated with requests for tests.\n\nIt posted a message on its website stating: \"Unfortunately we have been so overwhelmed with requests for Test to Release that we cannot answer any more emails nor take any more bookings.\"\n\nAnother approved provider, Axiom, said it couldn't take bookings but an update would be available \"soon\", while another, Medicspot, told visitors to its website to register their interest.\n\nDr Laurence Gerlis, chief executive of SameDayDoctor, said he was initially delighted to have made the approved list.\n\n\"Getting on that list was the hardest thing I have ever done,\" he said. \"The paperwork was so thorough it took a full week. I was so proud to have been accredited and to be able to help. We went live at 7pm on Monday but were so overwhelmed it was clear we would struggle.\n\n\"Four hours later I emailed the government and asked to be taken off the list. We were inundated.\n\n\"I actually ended up in tears. We had to let so many people down. People had been relying on getting the test in order to come out of quarantine for all sorts of reasons. One of the most upsetting things I heard was a patient saying they needed the test because they knew this Christmas visit would be the last one they would be able to spend with their mother.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. How do I quarantine after returning from abroad?\n\nCollinson, which has had testing set up at Heathrow and Manchester Airport for months, was not put on the list until later on Tuesday. The firm had initially told the BBC it was \"surprised and disappointed\" not be on the government's list of private providers.\n\nThe Department for Transport later confirmed that Collinson was now on the list. The company's joint chief executive David Evans said Test to Release \"is a significant positive step forward that will help the aviation sector open up travel safely\".\n\nPeople arriving in the UK from destinations on the government's travel corridors list are exempt from the 10-day self isolation requirement.\n\nThe Test to Release programme was designed to benefit people arriving from other locations.\n\nPaul Charles, chief executive of travel consultancy The PC Agency, told the PA news agency: \"It's a chaotic start for a system that was flagged as a solution to recovery in the travel sector, but it's been weeks in planning and has taken minutes to fall apart.\n\n\"I think most people just won't pay for a test because they can't guarantee they're going to get the results quickly, so they may as well just opt to spend two or three more days in quarantine and save the money.\"\n\nRichard Burge, chief executive of the London Chamber of Commerce, said: \"It defies belief that the Government's long-awaited aviation Test To Release scheme has, within hours, proved to be unworkable.\"\n\n\"The return of international business travel and tourism is critical to London and the UK's economic recovery. This requires competent and proven testing companies.\n\nThe Prime Minister's official spokesman told the Press Association: \"We have made this option available to international travellers and we are working to approve more test providers.\"", "Barclays has been fined £26m for the way it treated customers who fell into debt or experienced financial problems.\n\nAmong those poorly treated were bereaved people whose financial issues should have been better assessed.\n\nThe City regulator, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), said Barclays' poor treatment of its customers \"risked making these difficulties worse\".\n\nThe bank has compensated those affected, paying over £273m to 1.53 million customer accounts since 2017.\n\nThe FCA said Barclays knew about many of the shortcomings in its systems and controls as early as 2013, but failed to adequately resolve them until late 2018.\n\n\"Firms must treat consumer credit customers fairly, including when they find themselves in arrears,\" said Mark Steward, of the FCA.\n\n\"We will take action against unfair treatment, or where firm systems expose customers to the risk of unfairness. While this case predates the pandemic, this message is especially important as the impact of coronavirus continues to affect household incomes and budgets.\"\n\nThe problems affected individual current account holders and small business customers between April 2014 and December 2018.\n\nThe regulator found these people had been poorly treated when they fell behind on credit repayments.\n\nThey included people whose loved ones had died, who were not given sustainable or affordable debt repayment plans.\n\nThe bank failed to contact people quickly enough, leading to more debt charges.\n\nStaff did not have appropriate conversations with people in order to understand why they were facing financial problems.\n\nThen, when they put repayment plans in place, they were delayed, included errors, had mistakes with payments, and charged interest or fees during a breathing space hold on payments, the FCA said.\n\nThe bank also missed signs that some of these customers were in a vulnerable situation \"in a significant number of cases\".\n\nA Barclays spokeswoman said: \"Barclays is a responsible lender and we strive to achieve good outcomes for our customers.\n\n\"We would like to apologise to those customers for not providing the level of service we should have.\"\n\nShe added that the bank had made changes to its systems, processes, and training to correct the issues and that \"the vast majority of customers who were impacted have already been contacted\".\n\nAny firm offering credit should properly understand customers' financial difficulties and show forbearance to those in arrears or in financial trouble.\n\nOtherwise, they could end up trying to pay their debt to the bank instead of a priority debt, such as a mortgage, council tax, child support and utility bills.", "A man has been charged with murdering his four-month-old daughter.\n\nWillow Lee was found seriously injured at a house on Onslow Road in Layton, Blackpool, on 3 December.\n\nShe was taken to Blackpool Victoria Hospital and transferred to Alder Hey Children's Hospital but died on 6 December.\n\nJordan Lee, 28, of Onslow Road, has been charged with her murder and is due to appear at Preston Magistrates' Court on Wednesday.\n\nLancashire Police said a post-mortem examination had been carried out but further expert analysis was needed to establish a cause of death.\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Big tech firms face yearly checks on how they are tackling illegal and harmful content under new rules unveiled by the European Commission.\n\nFresh restrictions are also planned to govern their use of customers' data, and to prevent the firms ranking their own services above competitors' in search results and app stores.\n\nThe measures are intended to overhaul how the EU regulates digital markets.\n\nLarge fines and break-ups are threatened for non-compliance.\n\nIt is proposed that if companies refuse to obey, they could be forced to hand over up to 10% of their European turnover.\n\nAnd \"recurrent infringers\" are warned that they could be made to divest \"certain businesses, where no other equally effective alternative measure is available to ensure compliance\".\n\nThe two new laws involved - the Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act - have yet to be passed, so would only come into force after the Brexit transition period has ended.\n\nThe European Commission's press conference was scheduled for the afternoon to allow tech leaders on the US's West Coast to watch live, but began later than originally advised.\n\nCompetition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager described the two laws as \"milestones in our journey to make Europe fit for the digital age... we need to make rules that put order into chaos\".\n\nInternal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton added that the laws had been designed to be applied \"very quickly\" once they came into effect.\n\nThe focus of the Digital Services Act is to create a single set of rules for the EU to keep users safe online, protect their freedom of expression and help both them and local authorities hold tech companies to account.\n\nIt introduces a sliding scale, under which firms take on more obligations the larger and more influential they are.\n\nSo, for example, all internet companies must provide users with a way of getting in touch and the means to see their terms and conditions.\n\nCommissioner Thierry Breton said the new laws would benefit online shoppers\n\nThe operators of online platforms - such as social media apps and video-sharing sites of any size - must prioritise complaints raised by \"trusted flaggers\", who have a track record of highlighting valid problems.\n\nLikewise, all online stores must be able to trace traders selling goods via their platforms, in case they are offering counterfeit items or other illegal products.\n\n\"[It] will require online marketplaces to check their sellers' identity before they are allowed on the platform, which will make it so much more difficult for dodgy traders to do their business,\" commented Mr Breton.\n\nBut the biggest players must also subject themselves to further scrutiny, including an annual independent audit to check they are following the rules.\n\nIn addition, once a year they must publish a report into their handling of major risks, including users posting illegal content, disinformation that could sway elections, and the unjustified targeting of minority groups.\n\nSuggested counter-measures include preventing abusive users earning money from ads, and checking moderator guidelines is kept up-to-date.\n\nFurthermore, the law specifies that local officials can send cross-border orders to make tech firms remove content or provide access to information, wherever their EU headquarter is based.\n\nThe law would give local officials a way to ask Airbnb and other apps to hand over information or remove listings\n\nA commission spokesman gave the example of Amsterdam's local government being able to ask a service like Airbnb, which is based in Dublin, to remove a listing of a non-registered apartment and share details about a host suspected of not paying taxes.\n\nThe Digital Markets Act centres on the regulation of \"gatekeepers\" - those behind \"entrenched\" services that other businesses use to provide their own products.\n\nThis covers the operators of search engines, social networks, chat apps, cloud computing services and operating systems, among others.\n\nThey are likely to include Google, Facebook, Apple, Amazon and Microsoft.\n\nThe idea is to prevent the firms gaining unfair advantages via their elevated positions.\n\nThe new rules include obligations to:\n\nThe commission would be able to issue fines of up to 10% of a firm's annual turnover in Europe under the Digital Services Act, and 6% under the Digital Markets Act.\n\nFacebook was one of the first to respond, saying it thought the laws were \"on the right track to help preserve what is good about the internet\".\n\nBut it also took the opportunity to call attention to one of the other US tech giants.\n\n\"We hope the Digital Markets Act will set boundaries for Apple,\" said a spokesman.\n\n\"Apple controls an entire ecosystem from device to app store and apps, and uses this power to harm developers and consumers, as well as large platforms like Facebook.\"\n\nFacebook took the opportunity to take a pot shot at its Silicon Valley neighbour Apple\n\n\"We are concerned that [the laws] appear to specifically target a handful of companies and make it harder to develop new products to support small businesses in Europe,\" said Karan Bhatia, its vice president of government affairs.\n\nThe DigitalEurope trade association also voiced concern about whether the commission had got the balance right between privacy and preventing harmful activities, but said it needed more time to read the details.\n\nThe tech giants and digital rights campaigners are among those likely to try to influence their final shape of the two laws.\n\nBut if passed, they should update current rules, which date back to 20 years ago when some of the tech firms affected did not exist.\n\nAnd they may influence other regulators - in the US and elsewhere - which are also planning to introduce new restrictions of their own.", "The plan to ease Covid rules over Christmas in the UK is a \"rash decision\" that will \"cost many lives\", two leading medical journals have said.\n\nThe Health Service Journal and British Medical Journal said people might see the lifting of restrictions \"as permission to drop their guard\".\n\nCabinet minister Michael Gove has held talks on the issue with leaders in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales.\n\nNI said scientific advisers would be consulted ahead of any decision.\n\nIt comes after Labour called on ministers to hold an emergency review of the plans.\n\nEarlier, No 10 said the rules were \"under constant review\" but it still intended to allow families to meet up.\n\nThe prime minister's spokesman said the government had been clear that people needed to \"remain cautious and vigilant\" during the five days of relaxed rules from 23 to 27 December.\n\nThe BBC's Nick Eardley said one possible change being discussed was a limit on how far people can travel, but he stressed that no decisions had been taken.\n\nIt comes as millions of people in London and parts of Hertfordshire and Essex prepare to move into England's toughest tier of coronavirus rules at 00:01 GMT on Wednesday.\n\nMeanwhile, another 18,450 cases and 506 deaths within 28 days of a positive test were reported in the UK on Tuesday, government figures showed.\n\nIn a joint editorial criticising the UK's Christmas rules, the editors of HSJ and BMJ wrote: \"We believe the government is about to blunder into another major error that will cost many lives.\n\n\"If our political leaders fail to take swift and decisive action, they can no longer claim to be 'protecting the NHS'.\"\n\nThey stressed that demand on the NHS was increasing, and added that a new strain of coronavirus \"has introduced further potential jeopardy\".\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer urged Prime Minister Boris Johnson to convene an emergency Cobra meeting to review the Christmas rules.\n\nIn a letter, he acknowledged that people \"want to spend time with their families after this awful year\", but said \"the situation has clearly taken a turn for the worse since the decision about Christmas was taken\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The government needs to \"review\" and \"toughen up\" the planned Christmas virus restrictions, says Sir Keir Starmer.\n\nAt the end of November, the leaders of the four UK nations agreed to allow some coronavirus rules to be temporarily relaxed over the festive period.\n\nTravel restrictions will be eased to allow up to three households to form a bubble and stay overnight at each other's homes.\n\nAhead of the latest talks, Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said there was \"a case\" for tightening planned rules over the Christmas period - \"both in terms of duration and numbers of people meeting\".\n\nShe said coming to a four nations agreement \"would be preferable\", but added: \"If that is not possible then of course we will consider within the Scottish government what we think is appropriate.\"\n\nWales' First Minister Mark Drakeford said he would not \"lightly\" put aside the agreement the four nations have reached, while Northern Ireland's health minister would not speculate on potential rule changes ahead of the call.\n\nAccording to a YouGov poll, a majority of people (57%) in Great Britain believe the relaxation of coronavirus restrictions over Christmas should be scrapped.\n\nSome 31% said the easing should go ahead as planned, while 12% said they were unsure.\n\nWhen the government announced the relaxation of rules for Christmas, it was hoped cases would be falling right up to the festive period.\n\nIt was mid-lockdown and with the new tougher system of regional tiers in the pipeline, the hope was that the virus could be contained.\n\nThat has not turned out to be the case - hence the moving of London and some of the surrounding areas into tier three.\n\nAs always, the bottom line is the risk to the NHS - so it's worth pointing out that for all the pressure at the moment hospitals still have more beds free than this time last year.\n\nThe full impact of the festive relaxation is, of course, impossible to predict. The UK's chief medical adviser Prof Chris Whitty has called it a \"modest\" relaxation - after all, in tier three areas hospitality will still be closed for all but takeaways.\n\nThe judgement that has been made is that the benefits outweigh the costs.\n\nAllowing families to come together will be an important boost after such a difficult year, the government believes. What is more, there was a fear the public would just ignore pleas not to mix.\n\nBut it clearly comes with risks - that's why the public is being asked to exercise caution.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. What can I do under tier 3 restrictions in England?\n\nIf the UK's Christmas plans are not changed, BMJ editor in chief Fiona Godlee said \"we will have people sitting in ambulances, we will have people in corridors\" as hospitals become overwhelmed with a surge in Covid patients.\n\nSpeaking to BBC News, she said: \"On the current trend, if nothing is done, by New Year's Day there will be as many people in hospital with Covid-19 as there were at the peak of the first phase in April.\n\n\"That's even without the Christmas relaxation - so if you add that on top, and then on top of that the winter pressures that we always see in the NHS at winter, you will see a worrying scenario of people not being able to get the care they need.\"\n\nShe also said England's tiered system is \"not succeeding in what it set out to do\", as case numbers have continued to increase in some areas in the top tiers.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Londoners on tier three restrictions and Christmas\n\nA review of which areas of England are in which tier is scheduled to take place on Wednesday.\n\nIt has already been announced that some 10.8 million people across London, Essex and Hertfordshire will join tier three on Wednesday, bringing the total number of people living under the toughest restrictions to 34 million people - or 61% of England's population.\n\nUnder tier three - very high alert - rules, pubs and restaurants must close, except for takeaway and delivery, and indoor entertainment venues such as theatres, bowling alleys and cinemas must remain shut.", "England footballer Jack Grealish has been banned from driving for nine months and fined £82,499 for two motoring offences.\n\nCCTV footage from an incident on 29 March shows the Aston Villa captain crashing into parked vehicles after disobeying lockdown rules to meet friends.\n\nThe video shared by West Midlands Police also shows Mr Grealish driving carelessly on 18 October.", "Advice around celebrating Christmas safely across the UK is expected to be significantly strengthened in the coming days, the BBC has been told.\n\nPeople are likely to be urged to think carefully about travelling and to stay local where possible.\n\nHowever, it is unlikely the agreed rules - allowing up to three households to mix for five days - will change.\n\nOfficials from all four nations held talks on Tuesday - and more are scheduled to take place on Wednesday.\n\nIt comes amid concern that relaxing the restrictions will fuel a further surge in Covid-19 case numbers.\n\nTwo leading medical journals described the current rules as \"rash\".\n\nA source said no final decisions had been taken but people are likely to be told that the relaxations are limits not targets and that they should be cautious when forming household bubbles.\n\nIt is still hoped a common approach can be agreed across the four nations.\n\nUnder the agreed Christmas rules, travel restrictions will be eased from 23 to 27 December to allow up to three households to form a bubble and stay overnight at each other's homes.\n\nA spokeswoman for Northern Ireland's government said scientific advisers would be consulted ahead of any decision, while a Welsh government spokesman said talks on Wednesday would \"confirm the position\".\n\nAhead of the talks, Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon argued there was a \"case\" for tightening the planned freedoms to combat a rise in infections and indicated she could break with the four-nations approach.\n\nMeanwhile, another 18,450 cases and 506 deaths within 28 days of a positive test were reported in the UK on Tuesday, government figures showed.\n\nThe four nations have been taking very different approaches to restrictions in the last few months, so agreeing a common approach to Christmas was no small ask.\n\nBut there are big questions now about what changes should be made given the rising number of Covid cases in many areas.\n\nI understand there are no plans to make changes to the restrictions in England; meaning it's unlikely the legal rules will change.\n\nHowever, we can expect firmer guidance in the next few days. One source on the call with the four nations told me there was an acceptance tougher messaging was needed.\n\nThere has been discussion about travel. Some are particularly worried about people moving from areas where the virus is spreading fast, to areas where it's fairly rare, and taking the virus with them. The new guidance could cover that - as well as reminding people the rules are a maximum, not a target.\n\nIt's not impossible that different parts of the UK will take different decisions. But there is still hope they can agree when talks reconvene on Wednesday morning.\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer has called on ministers to hold an emergency review of the plans.\n\nEarlier, No 10 said the rules were \"under constant review\" but it still intended to allow families to meet up.\n\nThe prime minister's spokesman said the government had been clear that people needed to \"remain cautious and vigilant\" during the five days of relaxed rules.\n\nAccording to a YouGov poll, a majority of people (57%) in Great Britain believe the relaxation of coronavirus restrictions over Christmas should be scrapped.\n\nSome 31% said the easing should go ahead as planned, while 12% said they were unsure.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The government needs to \"review\" and \"toughen up\" the planned Christmas virus restrictions, says Sir Keir Starmer.\n\nIn a joint editorial criticising the UK's Christmas rules, the editors of British Medical Journal and Health Service Journal wrote that the government was \"about to blunder into another major error that will cost many lives\".\n\nThey stressed that demand on the NHS was increasing, and added that a new strain of coronavirus \"has introduced further potential jeopardy\".\n\nIf the UK's Christmas plans are not changed, BMJ editor in chief Fiona Godlee said hospitals could become overwhelmed with a surge in Covid patients.\n\nShe told BBC News: \"On the current trend, if nothing is done, by New Year's Day there will be as many people in hospital with Covid-19 as there were at the peak of the first phase in April.\n\n\"That's even without the Christmas relaxation - so if you add that on top, and then on top of that the winter pressures that we always see in the NHS at winter, you will see a worrying scenario of people not being able to get the care they need.\"\n\nShe also said England's tiered system was \"not succeeding in what it set out to do\", as case numbers have continued to increase in some areas in the top tiers.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. What can I do under tier 3 restrictions in England?\n\nA review of which areas of England are in which tier is scheduled to take place on Wednesday.\n\nIt has already been announced that some 10.8 million people across London, Essex and Hertfordshire will join tier three from 00:01 GMT on Wednesday, bringing the total number of people living under the toughest restrictions to 34 million people - or 61% of England's population.\n\nUnder tier three - very high alert - rules, pubs and restaurants must close, except for takeaway and delivery, and indoor entertainment venues such as theatres, bowling alleys and cinemas must remain shut.", "Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Tuesday morning. We'll have another update for you at 18:00 GMT.\n\nEducation Secretary Gavin Williamson has told a London council it must withdraw its advice to schools to close early for Christmas or face legal action. Greenwich Council had told heads to switch to online learning from today given the surge in infections in the capital, and two other boroughs had followed suit. But Mr Williamson said such moves were not in the best interests of children and therefore, he had to act. It comes as watchdog Ofsted has voiced concern about the impact of isolation due to Covid on children's wellbeing.\n\nMr Williamson's intervention comes as the whole of Greater London - Greenwich included - prepares to enter the highest level of coronavirus restrictions on Wednesday, along with parts of Essex and South Hertfordshire. Our charts show area-by-area what's going on with infections, and our health correspondent explains what a new strain of the virus might have to do with the spike. All of this is raising questions about the relaxation of rules over Christmas. Scientists are very worried people from hotspot areas will spread the virus when they travel. Pressure is beginning to build on the government to review the plans, but No 10 says it doesn't intend to do that.\n\nFigures released this morning show redundancies rose to a record high of 370,000 in the three months to October. The unemployment rate rose to 4.9% for the same period. It comes as BBC analysis of figures from the Office for National Statistics show women under the age of 30 have been hit especially hard by the economic impact of coronavirus. That age group has seen the sharpest increase in unemployment benefit claims. Our business reporter Lora Jones has spoken to some of them, including Rosalyn Jackson, an actress, who told us she felt guilt for turning to universal credit. We've also heard from some of the youngest workers - apprentices who were just starting out when the pandemic hit.\n\nRosalyn Jackson wasn't eligible to be furloughed and had to use up all of her savings\n\nVaccination programmes are under way in the UK and elsewhere, but the approval of a second jab, particularly the one being developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca, would give that mission a big boost - as we explain. Regulators are currently assessing its safety and efficacy - this is how - and hopes are high that they'll give the green light soon. BBC medical editor Fergus Walsh has followed the Oxford vaccine's journey. Bogus reports, accidental finds... read the story of the jab and the people behind it.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Elisa Granato was the first volunteer to be injected\n\nCharlie Mackesy is a cartoonist and author of the book The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse. During lockdown, he began creating drawings to cheer on key workers and his messages of hope captured the public's imagination. They've been displayed in hospital wards, on garden gates, and in school corridors, and turned into t-shirts for Comic Relief. Charlie tells us about his year and gives one more message: \"Remember that the storm ends.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Cartoonist Charlie Mackesy dedicated his drawings to the people on the front line against Covid\n\nFind more information, advice and guides on our coronavirus page.\n\nPlus, our lives have changed dramatically this year in so many ways. In twelve charts, and with the help of four of our correspondents, we set out some of them.\n\nWhat questions do you have about coronavirus?\n\nIn some cases, your question will be published, displaying your name, age and location as you provide it, unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published. Please ensure you have read our terms & conditions and privacy policy.\n\nUse this form to ask your question:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or send them via email to YourQuestions@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any question you send in.", "A woman who called 999 while being attacked by her boyfriend used a silent code to tell police she needed help but was unable to speak, a court heard.\n\nEmma Parkinson raised the alarm when she was kicked in the face by Alexander Boy at her home in Exeter.\n\nBoy, 25, of Station Road, Keswick, admitted battery and was jailed for 16 months at Exeter Crown Court.\n\nMiss Parkinson pressed 55 during the 999 call. This told the operator she was too scared or unable to speak.\n\nThe system, called the Silent Solution helps call handlers distinguish between nuisance and genuine calls.\n\nThe attack happened on 13 September after Boy had been drinking, the court heard.\n\nHe woke Miss Parkinson up at 04:00 GMT by sitting at the end of her bed and playing loud music on his phone.\n\nWhen she kicked him off the bed, he pulled her to the ground before kicking her in the face.\n\nBoy was arrested as he fled Miss Parkinson's flat and officers found her injured in her bedroom.\n\nMiss Parkinson was left with bruising all over her face and head, the court was told.\n\nAlexander Boy was jailed for 16 months at Exeter Crown Court\n\nAt the time of the attack, Boy was serving a suspended sentence for two previous attacks on Miss Parkinson.\n\nJudge Timothy Rose told Boy: \"You have a very worrying inability to control yourself in matters of domestic violence.\n\n\"This assault occurred when you were under the influence of alcohol, which makes it worse rather than better.\"\n\nHe imposed a seven-year restraining order banning any further contact with Miss Parkinson.\n\nIn a victim impact statement, Miss Parkinson said she was being treated for depression and felt embarrassed for ignoring advice from friends who warned her against resuming the relationship.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Elizabeth has enjoyed getting \"glammed up\" for date nights Image caption: Elizabeth has enjoyed getting \"glammed up\" for date nights\n\nAll day, on BBC Radio 5 live, listeners are sharing their stories about Covid.\n\nElizabeth Blythe is 29 and lives in Stoke-on-Trent. She and her husband are 999 call assessors at West Midlands Ambulance Service.\n\nShe has had a tough year. As well as grieving for her dad who died last November, she had to postpone her honeymoon to New York because of Covid. Work has been challenging too.\n\n\"When coronavirus first hit the UK, it was pandemonium,\" she said. \"The phone was going constantly, you didn't get a break between calls.\n\n\"But as people got used to the 'new normal', the calls decreased quite a bit and it almost seemed that people were scared to call for an ambulance because they didn't want to go anywhere near where they thought coronavirus would be.\"\n\nTo make up for missing her honeymoon, Elizabeth and her husband have been having \"date nights\" to cheer themselves up.\n\n“I get myself all glammed up, he puts on nice clothes and we have a date night in the house,\" she said.\n\nHow has coronavirus impacted your life this year?\n\nText 5 Live on 85058 [Texts will be charged at your standard message rate. Check with your network provider for exact costs] or use #MyCovidYear on social media.\n\nWant to listen in? Head to BBC Sounds.", "A man is in a critical condition after a triple shooting in Hackney, east London.\n\nTwo other men were taken to hospital with \"gunshot injuries\" after shots were fired at about 21.45 GMT in Middleton Road.\n\nThe Metropolitan Police has launched an inquiry. No arrests have been made.\n\nA police cordon has been set up at the crime scene. Witnesses are asked to call 101, using reference 7439, the force said.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Aberdeen has seen a sharp rise in cases over the past week\n\nThree Scottish council areas are to have tougher coronavirus restrictions imposed from Friday in a bid to reverse rising numbers of cases.\n\nAberdeen, Aberdeenshire and East Lothian will all move from level two to level three of the five-tiered system.\n\nIt means people will no longer be allowed to travel outside of their own council area unless it is essential.\n\nPubs, cafes and restaurants will have to stop serving alcohol and must shut at 18:00.\n\nAnd indoor entertainment venues such as cinemas, bingo halls and amusement arcades will also have to close.\n\nAll of the country's other 29 council areas will remain in their current levels, including Edinburgh - which had been pushing to be downgraded from level three to level two.\n\nIt means that 80% of Scotland's population - about 4.35 million people - across 21 local authorities will be living under the level three rules when the changes come into force at 18:00 on Friday.\n\nThey include the 11 areas in western and central Scotland which were downgraded from the highest level four category last week.\n\nOnly four - Angus, Argyll and Bute, Falkirk and Inverclyde - remain in level two.\n\nHowever, Argyll and Bute is likely to move down to level one next week - and people living on the outer Argyll islands such as Islay, Mull and Iona will be able to meet in houses in groups of up to six from two households from Friday of this week.\n\nThe Scottish Borders, Dumfries and Galloway, Highland, Moray, Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles are all already in level one, with no councils currently in the lowest level zero tier.\n\nAll of the levels will be reviewed again next Tuesday as a precaution ahead of the festive period.\n\nCase numbers in Aberdeen have increased from 76 cases per 100,000 to 122 over the past week, and in East Lothian from 69 per 100,000 people to 116.\n\nThe increase in Aberdeenshire has not been quite as sharp, but cases there are also rising.\n\nAlexander Burnett, the Scottish Conservative MSP for Aberdeenshire West, said it was \"extremely disappointing\" that the area had been moved to level three so close to Christmas, and called for extra financial support to be put in place by the Scottish government.\n\nHe added: \"Our hospitality sector has been decimated by repeated closures and this is likely to hurt even more during what is supposed to be one of their busiest periods.\"\n\nEast Lothian Council said its move to level three was disappointing but understandable given the high infection rates in the area in recent weeks.\n\nTory councillor Douglas Lumsden, the co-leader of Aberdeen City Council, said he was \"not too surprised\" by the decision to move the area up to level three, but questioned role of the hospitality sector in spreading the virus.\n\nAnd the Scottish Licensed Traders Association said continual uncertainty over the levels was \"hugely unfair\" on businesses which were being expected to \"switch on and off like a tap\".\n\nIt added: \"It's not just a case of opening the doors - premises have to order supplies and organise staff rotas. Many have already taken the decision to remain closed until 2021 because of this uncertainty.\"\n\nSpeaking as she announced the changes, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon acknowledged that the level three restrictions would cause \"real and continued difficulties for many businesses\", particularly in the hospitality sector.\n\nBut she insisted that the move was essential to bring the virus under control again.\n\nNine cases of a new strain of the virus have now been detected in Scotland after emerging in the south of England\n\nMs Sturgeon said Angus and Falkirk would both be monitored \"very carefully\" over the next week after a rise in cases in both areas, with a move to level three not being ruled out.\n\nCases have also \"increased quite sharply\" in East Ayrshire, North Ayrshire and Fife, she said, adding: \"While the changes in these areas do not warrant a move to level four at this stage, we will be monitoring the situation very closely over the next few days.\"\n\nAnd she said it would be \"deeply irresponsible\" to ease restrictions in Edinburgh or neighbouring Midlothian as cases were rising sharply in both.\n\nThe rate in Edinburgh has increased from 70 to 100 per 100,000 over the past week, and in Midlothian from 88 to 147 per 100,000, with test positivity rates also increasing in both areas.\n\nMs Sturgeon took part in a four-nation call with leaders from around the UK later on Tuesday, which she told MSPs she had requested after a new strain of the virus was identified in England.\n\nNine cases of the new strain have now been confirmed in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board area, the first minister confirmed.\n\nThe talks were aimed at examining whether changes should be made to the planned relaxation of Covid-19 restrictions across the UK over Christmas, which will allow eight people from three households to mix indoors between 23 and 27 December.\n\nThey broke up with no decision being reached, although further discussions have been scheduled for Wednesday.\n\nSpeaking ahead of the meeting, Ms Sturgeon said: \"I do think there is a case for us looking at whether we tighten the flexibilities that were given any further, in terms of duration and numbers of people meeting.\"\n\nThe first minister said she would prefer to come to an agreed position across the UK, but said the Scottish government would \"consider what we think is appropriate\" if this was not possible.\n\nThe planned relaxation of the rules at Christmas has been described as a \"rash decision\" that will \"cost many lives\" by the both the Health Service Journal and British Medical Journal.\n\nScottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie said the rising number of cases across many parts of Scotland ahead of the festive break showed that the journals were right.\n\nHe added: \"It is rather concerning that the first minister was unable to tell parliament what position she would be advocating on behalf of Scotland in intergovernmental discussions planned for this afternoon.\"\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer has called on ministers to hold an emergency review of the Christmas plans.", "People are being warned to watch out for parcel delivery scams during the Christmas postal rush.\n\nCriminals are looking to defraud consumers by posing as well-known delivery companies, the banking trade body UK Finance has warned.\n\nFraudsters have been sending emails saying they have not been able to deliver goods, and then ask for a fee to rearrange the delivery.\n\nThey then try to extract financial details which are used to commit fraud.\n\nCustomers are typically tricked into clicking on links to seemingly genuine websites requesting personal and financial information such as their address, date of birth, mobile number or bank details.\n\nIn some cases, victims receive a call from the criminal later pretending to be from their bank's fraud team, trying to persuade them to move their money to a safe account or reveal their pass codes.\n\nUK Finance says the public should also be aware of an increased risk of scam phone calls and fake delivery notices posted through letterboxes.\n\nThese notices will ask for advance payment or for customers to provide information that is later used to defraud them.\n\n\"Unscrupulous criminals will stop at nothing to commit fraud and that includes exploiting the festive season to target their victims,\" said Katy Worobec, managing director of economic crime at UK Finance.\n\n\"We are urging people not to give a gift to fraudsters this Christmas and to follow the advice of the Take Five to Stop Fraud campaign. Always take a moment to stop and think before parting with your information or money and avoid clicking on links in an email or text message in case it's a scam.\"\n\nOne IT worker, who didn't want to give his name, told the BBC he received an email earlier this month purporting to be from the delivery firm DPD. It asked him to pay £2 for re-delivery.\n\nHe entered his bank details, but when he checked his account balance two days later he discovered a new purchase from Apple UK for £409.\n\n\"I fell for it without thinking as I have a lot of deliveries at the moment,\" the IT worker said.\n\nThe man's bank refunded the full amount and promised to investigate the fraud.\n\nBut not all victims will be so lucky. Some banks refuse to refund money that's been lost when victims volunteer information such as bank details, even though they've been duped.\n\nUK Finance says people should watch out for mis-spelled names, or cards and communication without your name specifically on them.\n\nIf you are asked to contact the delivery firm, copy and paste any web address into a new browser, rather than clicking straight onto a link and phone numbers should be checked against the company's own listed numbers.\n\nThe Take Five to Stop Fraud campaign is urging people to:\n\nHave you been the victim of a parcel fraudster? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "Nelson said it was time to \"embark on a new chapter\"\n\nJesy Nelson has left Little Mix, saying being part of the pop group had \"taken a toll on my mental health\".\n\nShe explained: \"I find the constant pressure of being in a girl group and living up to expectations very hard.\"\n\nWriting on Instagram, the 29-year-old said being in the band had been \"the most incredible time\" but it was now time to \"embark on a new chapter\".\n\nHer former bandmates said it was \"an incredibly sad time for all of us but we are fully supportive of Jesy\".\n\nThe news comes a month after Nelson said she was taking an \"extended\" break from the pop group for \"private medical reasons\".\n\nLeigh-Anne Pinnock, Perrie Edwards and Jade Thirlwall performed as a trio on Strictly Come Dancing at the weekend.\n\nLittle Mix formed on The X Factor in 2011\n\nIn her statement, Nelson said she had made her decision \"after much consideration and with a heavy heart\".\n\n\"I need to spend some time with the people I love, doing things that make me happy,\" the singer continued.\n\nThe remaining members added: \"We know that Jesy leaving the group is going to be really upsetting news for our fans.\n\n\"We love her very much and agree that it is so important that she does what is right for her mental health and well-being.\"\n\nThey said they were \"still very much enjoying our Little Mix journey\" and would continue as a trio.\n\nLittle Mix formed on The X Factor in 2011 and have gone on to record six UK top 10 albums and four number one singles. They are currently number five in the chart with their hit Sweet Melody.\n\nLast year, Nelson was widely praised for discussing her mental health struggles in a BBC Three documentary.\n\nThe group were recently seen looking for a new backing band to join them on tour in the BBC One talent show Little Mix: The Search.\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.\n• None BBC Three - Jesy Nelson: 'Odd One Out'", "A court sketch of Ghislaine Maxwell appearing at her arraignment hearing in July\n\nGhislaine Maxwell has asked a US judge to release her under a proposed $28.5m (£21.4m) bail package as she awaits trial on sex crime charges.\n\nThe British socialite is accused of helping the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein groom young girls.\n\nA court filing released on Monday said Ms Maxwell \"vehemently maintains her innocence\" and asked to be freed from jail until her trial.\n\nShe wants instead to be confined to her home and protected by armed guards.\n\nJudge Alison Nathan could rule on this latest bail request in New York by the end of the year.\n\nMs Maxwell's previous request for bail when she was arrested in July was denied.\n\nMs Maxwell was in a relationship with Jeffrey Epstein in the 1990s. The financier died in a prison cell in August last year as he awaited trial on sex trafficking charges, more than a decade after he was convicted for soliciting prostitution from a minor.\n\nFour of the charges against Ms Maxwell relate to the years between 1994 and 1997, when prosecutors say she helped Epstein groom girls as young as 14. The other two charges are allegations of perjury in 2016.\n\nShe faces up to 35 years in prison if convicted in her trial, which is scheduled to begin next July.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. New York attorney: Ghislaine Maxwell \"helped exploit girls as young as 14-years-old\"\n\nThe court filing released on Monday said that Ms Maxwell's husband would post a bond to support her bail application. Financial documents within the filing said they had been married since 2016, but do not name her partner.\n\nHer lawyers said the multi-million dollar bail proposal represents all of their joint assets, including three homes.\n\n\"Ms Maxwell wants to stay in New York and have her day in court so that she can clear her name and return to her family,\" the filing reportedly said, adding that the 58-year-old was \"not the person the media has portrayed her to be\".\n\nOfficials denied her initial request for bail when she was first arrested in July. At the time the court deemed she was a flight risk, despite her defence team denying this and alleging that she was at \"serious risk\" of contracting Covid-19 during her detention.\n\nJeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell in New York in 2005\n\nShe was quarantined at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn last month after a staff member tested positive for the virus. Prison officials say she is treated like other inmates and that she remains in good health, despite her defence team saying she has suffered hair and weight loss.\n\nThe daughter of a late British media mogul, Ms Maxwell was in a relationship with Epstein. She allegedly introduced him to wealthy and powerful figures.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Ros Atkins has taken a look at the many remaining questions for Ghislaine Maxwell", "Les Miserables: The Staged Concert opened on 5 December in the West End\n\nLondon theatres have been given the \"devastating news\" that they must shut again as the city moves into England's highest tier of Covid-19 restrictions.\n\nA number of West End shows had restarted over the last two weeks.\n\nThe Society of London Theatre said the move would cause \"catastrophic financial difficulties\" for venues, producers and thousands of workers.\n\nCulture Secretary Oliver Dowden said he knew it would have a \"huge impact\" but that the government \"must act quickly\".\n\nThe measures mean Tuesday night will see the last live performances in London for an indefinite period.\n\nThe Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited Pantoland at the London Palladium on Friday\n\nSocially distanced performances to smaller audiences had been allowed in London since the last national lockdown ended.\n\nShows that had opened included Six the Musical, Love Letters, Everybody's Talking About Jamie and a concert version of Les Miserables starring Michael Ball and Alfie Boe.\n\n\"It was nice while it lasted,\" tweeted Carrie Hope Fletcher, who was also part of the Les Miserables cast at the Sondheim Theatre.\n\nProducer Sir Cameron Mackintosh, whose shows include Les Miserables, said the government's \"sudden volt[e] face\" was \"devastating for both the theatre and the economy\".\n\n\"The constant changes of rules and advice we have received is impossible for any business to react to,\" he continued. \"Where is the leadership this government promised?\"\n\nHe now had \"no idea when theatres are to be allowed to reopen\", he added.\n\nAndrew Lloyd Webber, who owns the London Palladium, said it seemed \"arbitrary and unfair\" that theatre performances were being banned while shopping could continue. But he said he \"reluctantly\" agrees with the decision to put London into tier three.\n\nPantoland at the Palladium, starring Julian Clary, Elaine Paige, Ashley Banjo and Nigel Havers, was among the other shows to have opened. On Friday, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge took their three children to a special performance of the production.\n\nProducer Michael Harrison announced on Twitter that its \"final\" two performances would take place on Tuesday and criticised the government's \"yo-young approach on advice\".\n\nHe said: \"It is not possible for any business to function in an environment where our leaders seem to have no idea how our country will look from one week to the next.\"\n\nThe National Theatre will also have to close Dick Whittington, only the second pantomime it has ever staged.\n\nActress Elaine Paige said she was disappointed that the theatre has to close, asking in a tweet why it was theatres were closing when Tube journeys and flights were still allowed.\n\n\"These rules are illogical,\" she said. \"The audience response shows how desperate they are for 2hrs of escapism. If its so terrible - cancel Christmas!\"\n\nThe Society of London Theatre's chief executive Julian Bird said the announcement was \"devastating news for the city's world-leading theatre industry\".\n\n\"The past few days have seen venues beginning to reopen with high levels of Covid security, welcoming back enthusiastic, socially distanced audiences,\" he said.\n\n\"Theatres across London will now be forced to postpone or cancel planned performances, causing catastrophic financial difficulties for venues, producers and thousands of industry workers.\"\n\nDeath Drop at the Garrick Theatre is another show affected\n\nHe urged the government to \"recognise the huge strain this has placed on the sector and look at rapid compensation to protect theatres and their staff over Christmas in all areas of the country\" that are in tier three.\n\nMr Dowden said the rules had been tightened because the capital's rising coronavirus figures were \"deeply concerning\".\n\nThe remaining £400m from the government's Culture Recovery Fund would \"be there to help those affected by [the] changes\", he promised.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Oliver Dowden This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nJon Morgan, director of the Theatres Trust, called London's move into tier three \"a disaster\" for the sector.\n\n\"Theatres have worked incredibly hard to create safe environments for audiences and through no fault of their own will now face enormous financial losses,\" he said.\n\nHe called for a government-backed insurance scheme for theatres, a request that was echoed by Sonia Friedman, producer of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and other shows.\n\nShe said: \"London going into tier three is yet another blow for British theatre - one it simply cannot afford after a brutal year, and one that both could and should have been avoided.\n\n\"This feels like a final straw,\" she said of the latest measures, calling them \"proof that this government does not understand theatre and the existential crisis it is facing\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Behind the scenes at the Arts Theatre in London to meet the sassy women in King Henry VIII's life\n\nThe producers of Six the Musical said it was \"frustrating that our industry has been sidelined once again and an already hard hit sector will have to try and survive with no income for a further period of uncertainty\".\n\nAndy Barnes and Kenny Wax said they and their fellow producers were \"being penalised for reopening the sector and rejuvenating the West End\".\n\nThe move into tier three will also see cinemas and other entertainment venues forced to close their doors.\n\nThe measures will have an impact on the UK release of Wonder Woman 1984, which is due to hit cinemas on Wednesday.\n\nA government spokesperson pointed to its £1.57bn Culture Recovery Fund and said it remains \"completely committed\" to supporting the arts industry during the pandemic.\n\nThey added: \"We held back £400m of contingency funding so we could respond to the changing public health context and will now use it to support organisations facing financial distress as a result of closure, as well as helping them transition back to fuller opening in the spring.\"\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "Having to isolate because of Covid-19 is having a detrimental effect on children's education and well-being, particularly the most vulnerable, warns England's chief inspector of schools.\n\nAmanda Spielman says periods of repeated isolation have \"chipped away\" at progress since September's return.\n\nShe also warns that those arriving at secure children's homes have in effect been put in \"solitary confinement\".\n\nMinisters say it a \"national priority\" to keep schools and colleges open.\n\nIn a set of reports looking at the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on children, the Ofsted boss said: \"Remote education is better than nothing, but it's no substitute for the classroom.\n\n\"The problem that schools are continuing to grapple with is how to provide meaningful remote education under two distinct circumstances: bubble isolation and individual isolation.\n\n\"Many schools are making real progress with remote provision for bubbles - including live or recorded online lessons - but individuals who are isolating for a fortnight at a time often have a poorer experience.\n\n\"Whole bubbles can make some progress through the planned curriculum while they work from home, but many isolated individuals are provided with work that consolidates previous lessons, rather than new material.\n\n\"For these children, the loss of learning they experienced in the summer is being repeated.\"\n\nMs Spielman says many children are at least six months behind where they should be\n\nMs Spielman said many children are thought to be \"at least six months behind where they should be\".\n\n\"And for a significant number of pupils, repeated periods of self-isolation have chipped away at the progress they have been able to make since September.\"\n\nOfsted also found that the number of children being home schooled has risen again, with almost three-fifths of schools telling inspectors they had at least one pupil whose parents had removed them from school to be home educated.\n\nThe watchdog also warns that children with special educational needs and disability often struggled with the restrictions placed upon them, with many not attending school full-time.\n\n\"Remote education was a challenge for some of these children, particularly if their parents were unable to support them,\" said Ms Spielman.\n\n\"And when vulnerable children are not at school and are out of sight, they may be at risk of abuse or neglect.\"\n\nMs Spielman said youngsters who live in secure children's homes have had a difficult year, as they are \"vulnerable and many are at risk of self-harm\".\n\n\"The guidance on Covid security has added another layer of pressure to an already pressurised system. Children arriving at the homes were put into isolation for 14 days.\n\n\"In effect, this created a form of solitary confinement - and we learned that this removal from contact had resulted in greater anxiety, an increase in self-harm and, in some cases, physical attacks on staff.\"\n\nThe chief inspector said that while homes were working hard, the use of temporary workers to cover staff having to self-isolate meant there was \"not always the consistency of support that these children need\".\n\nA Department for Education spokeswoman said it remained a \"national priority\" to keep schools and colleges open for all.\n\n\"Schools and colleges have gone above and beyond to make high-quality remote education available for those times when self-isolation is unavoidable and we remain on course to deliver, by Christmas, half a million devices to schools and councils.\n\n\"We have also allocated £1bn to schools to support all children to catch up and are offering high-quality tuition - proven to help catch up on three to five months' lost learning - to those who need it most through the National Tutoring Programme.\"\n\nOfsted says remote education is no substitute for the classroom\n\nMs Spielman said that while \"there is real optimism that the end is finally in sight for the sort of restrictions that we currently live under\", there is a long way to go before education and social care return to normal.\n\nShe added: \"Faced with all of these pressures, the education and social care sectors are showing considerable resilience and creativity to provide children and learners with the best experience they can.\n\n\"And all of this is being done against the most challenging backdrop for staff in recent times.\n\n\"I would like to record my appreciation for everyone working in education and social care - from child-minders and social workers to teachers and college tutors.\"", "A speeding driver who killed a 13-year-old girl and seriously injured her sister and mother has been jailed for four-and-a-half years.\n\nIngrid Messenger was in the rear seat of a Citroen C4 hit by Tony Packenham's Land Rover Defender near Carlisle on 18 February 2019.\n\nThe 47-year-old was \"absolutely flying\" at almost 80mph (128kmh) prior to the crash, the city's crown court heard.\n\nAt a previous hearing, he admitted causing death by dangerous driving.\n\nWitnesses said the Land Rover was speeding before the crash at a crossroads between Stoneraise and Ivegill on the C1036.\n\nIngrid's mother, Catriona Messenger, suffered a broken pelvis, ruptured diaphragm and spinal fractures, and was unable to walk unaided for three months.\n\nHer eldest daughter - front-seat passenger Erikka, then aged 15 - suffered a broken shoulder blade and bleeding on the brain.\n\nTony Packenham had been warned he faced prison at a previous hearing\n\nProsecutor Brendan Burke told the court the crash at 14:30 GMT would have been averted had Packenham not been driving \"well over\" the 60mph speed limit and \"in disregard\" of the wet road surface, warning signs before the crossroads and hazards created by two other vehicles.\n\nVideo footage from his dashcam captured the crash and police recovered a memory stick he had thrown into bushes.\n\nPackenham, of Station Hill, Wigton, also pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice and admitted his dangerous driving caused serious injury to Mrs Messenger and Erikka.\n\nIn an impact statement, Mrs Messenger had spoken of the \"devastating and irreparable loss\" of her daughter and said her heart was \"forever broken\".\n\nThe court was told Packenham had been \"in a hurry\" to get home and was remorseful having \"devastated\" the lives of the Messengers and his own family, with his elderly parents being unable to visit him in prison.\n\nJudge Nicholas Barker said Packenham's speeding had been \"excessive\" with \"catastrophic and tragic consequences\".\n\nFollow BBC North East & Cumbria on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Tourists and scientists gathered at an observation site in Argentina's Neuquen province to watch a total solar eclipse.\n\nThe spectacle was visible from a 90km corridor spanning Chile's southern Pacific coast, across the Andean mountain range, and into Argentina.\n\nThe eclipse is the second to be visible in South America in 18 months, though poor weather conditions in Chile affected the visibility of the phenomenon when the moon passes between the sun and Earth.", "File photo of healthcare workers during the coronavirus pandemic in Paris\n\nHundreds of immigrants in France working on the coronavirus frontline have had their service to the country recognised with fast-track citizenship.\n\nThe interior ministry invited residents helping with efforts against Covid-19 to apply for accelerated naturalisation.\n\nMore than 700 have already been granted citizenship or are in the final stages of receiving it.\n\nFrontline workers around the world have been exposed to Covid-19 at a high rate with many dying from the disease including doctors and nurses.\n\nFrance is in the top 10 countries worst hit by coronavirus infections, with more than 2.5 million confirmed cases and close to 62,000 deaths.\n\nThe expediated citizenship initiative was first announced in September. Seventy-four people have already been granted a French passport and another 693 are in the final stages. A total of 2,890 people have applied so far.\n\n\"Health professionals, cleaning ladies, childcare workers, checkout staff: They all proved their commitment to the nation, and it is now the turn of the republic to take a step towards them,\" the office of Marlene Schiappa, junior minister for citizenship, said on Tuesday.\n\nNormally a successful applicant must have been resident in France for five years with a stable income and demonstrated integration into French society.\n\nBut the government has said frontline Covid workers must only live in France for two years to be eligible for citizenship in recognition of their \"great services rendered\".\n\nIn 2017 France's immigrant population was 6.4 million, including a significant number from former colonies including in north and west Africa, but becoming a citizen can be a fraught and slow process. The number of people granted naturalisation is decreasing, with 10% fewer in 2019 than in 2018.\n\nIt isn't the first time that France has recognised bravery and contributions to the nation with citizenship.\n\nIn 2018, Malian man Mamoudou Gassama was awarded French citizenship after he was dubbed \"spiderman\" for rescuing a small boy dangling from a Paris balcony.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.", "Hauliers will have to prove they have tested negative for coronavirus before travelling\n\nThousands of drivers are facing another night in their lorries, despite France reopening its border with the UK.\n\nLorries began boarding ferries at Dover on Wednesday after travel restrictions were lifted by the French government on the condition of a negative Covid test.\n\nTransport Secretary Grant Shapps said the government was using \"every tool we can\" to clear the backlog.\n\nAround 170 army personnel are helping to conduct tests, but police and weary drivers have clashed over long waits.\n\nAt the temporary lorry park at Manston airfield, drivers complained of limited food supply and inadequate bathroom facilities.\n\nMr Shapps warned of \"a lot of congestion and some, I'm afraid, anti-social behaviour around the ports that the police have been dealing with\".\n\nHe said 6,000 lorries were in the area and the government had called in the Army to assist with getting the hauliers who had tested negative on their way - but added it was \"not something that could be done instantaneously\" and said people should stay away from Kent and the ports.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Some drivers complained about unsanitary conditions and a lack of food\n\nFrance closed its border to arrivals from the UK late on Sunday amid concern over a highly-transmissible virus variant that was spreading in the UK.\n\nLatest measures allow French citizens, British nationals living in France and hauliers to travel - if they test negative less than 72 hours before departure.\n\nAll drivers, regardless of nationality, are required to take a rapid lateral flow test - with the results sent by text within 30 minutes. Drivers who test positive will be offered Covid-secure accommodation to self isolate, government minister Robert Jenrick said earlier.\n\nTesting will also take place on the French side for hauliers entering the UK.\n\nSome frustrated drivers staged a protest outside the port earlier in the day\n\nMr Shapps said the NHS Test and Trace team were conducting \"roving tests of hauliers\".\n\nHe added: \"They have to do that in many different languages because almost all the hauliers, I think well over 95%, are not UK hauliers. So they're having to deal with a lot of different things.\"\n\nEurotunnel said around around 700 cars, 50 vans and 20 trucks have been able to cross the Channel since this morning, and a \"flow\" of trucks has arrived at the British terminal since 16:00 GMT.\n\nKent County Council leader Roger Gough said tensions between police and drivers had calmed down but added the situation remained \"quite fragile\".\n\nHe told BBC Radio Kent that the \"most difficult\" challenge is clearing a route from Manston Airport to Dover, around 20 miles south, because of standing traffic.\n\n\"Whilst we're able, for instance, to get some progress in terms of people travelling via the Eurotunnel, it's much harder to get vehicles to the port in the current situation,\" he said.\n\nOne lorry driver complained to the BBC: \"Police three days ago told us that testing will start soon, but they don't know when and that's why people are protesting.\n\n\"We just want to do the test and just go straight home.\"\n\nOne driver told the BBC he is tired and does not have much food.\n\nRod McKenzie of the Road Haulage Association described the situation as \"chaos\", saying information given to lorry drivers had been \"extremely poor\".\n\n\"They're tired, frustrated, desperately wanting to get home for Christmas,\" he said.\n\nA government statement said they were \"working tirelessly to provide support to hauliers awaiting testing at Manston and the M20\" and free food and water was being provided.\n\nTypically around 10,000 lorries a day travel between Dover and Calais at Christmas, bringing in the fresh produce and the British Retail Consortium has warned the border closure may lead to some temporary food shortages.\n\nIt comes as a further 39,237 people in the UK tested positive for virus - an all-time high - and there were 744 deaths within 28 days of a positive test, according to government figures.\n\nAre you a lorry driver? Have you been affected by the delays? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "Communal signing isn't allowed in the UK under coronavirus guidelines but researchers are hoping to find the evidence needed to bring it back.\n\nUniversity College London has been analysing how wearing a face mask could make communal singing safe enough.", "Celebrity chef Nigella Lawson has said that \"for the first time ever\" she will not cook a Christmas turkey this year.\n\nInstead, she told the BBC's Newscast podcast, she would be cooking pork.\n\nWhile restrictions have been eased for some parts of the UK over Christmas, millions of people will not be allowed to see their loved ones.\n\nAnd Lawson, 60, said she felt following a traditional path while not having \"a family Christmas\" would make her \"feel what's missing\".\n\n\"I actually - and I only made the decision a couple of days ago - for the first time ever, I am not going to do a turkey - and I always do,\" she said.\n\n\"It's not going to be a normal family Christmas, therefore I think I will feel less sad doing something that is just a lovely lunch, that takes in a few Christmas traditions from elsewhere that interest me, but [does] not... make me feel what's missing.\"\n\nShe added: \"One of the things I think we've all realised is how we miss having people round our table, and therefore all that worrying over 'is this perfect, should we do this or that', you realise that is actually secondary to the feeling of eating with other people.\"\n\nHowever, Lawson believes many people will see things differently.\n\n\"I would have thought, for many people, the strange conditions under which we live will make them want to cleave to the traditions, and not add new and different things,\" she said.\n\nThe former journalist also revealed that, despite the difficulties of social distancing, she had coped well during the pandemic.\n\nAsked about spending time by herself, she said: \"I haven't been lonely once.\n\n\"I have been very happy. I'm almost afraid to say it as it makes me sound pathologically unsociable, but I've rather enjoyed it.\"", "Tesco has introduced purchasing limits on some products including eggs, rice, soap and toilet roll.\n\nThe move is to make sure everyone has access to the products, it said in an email to customers.\n\nCustomers are allowed to buy up to three of each item.\n\nThe move comes as almost 3,000 lorries remain stranded in Kent after restrictions on travel and freight between the UK and France were introduced.\n\nThe supermarket giant also encouraged customers to shop alone to ensure social distancing in stores.\n\nTesco said it has \"good stock levels\" and customers should \"shop as you normally would\".\n\nTesco introduced limits on some products in September in a bid to prevent a repeat of the panic-buying that led to shortages in March.\n\nFrance shut its UK border for 48 hours on Sunday amid fears of a new coronavirus variant.\n\nTransport Secretary Grant Shapps has since announcedthat some travel can resume, although lorry drivers are still advised not to travel to Kent after days of disruption.\n\nDozens of other countries have banned UK arrivals, including India, Iran and Canada.\n\nAny solution would probably include testing for lorry drivers, BBC Paris correspondent Hugh Schofield said.\n\nFrench authorities say some journeys will be allowed for residents and nationals with a recent negative test. Hauliers are expected to be updated later on Tuesday.\n\nMeanwhile, the EU Commission has urged other countries to drop their travel bans.\n\nIn a recommendation to all member states, it said flight and train bans should be discontinued to avoid supply chain disruption.\n\nPeople should be allowed to travel to their country of residence, provided they take a Covid-19 test or self-isolate, it said.\n\nBut the commission added that non-essential travel should still be discouraged.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nOn Monday, Tesco and Sainsbury's warned that some fresh items could run short if no way is found to get freight moving again.\n\nMuch of the UK's fresh vegetable stock comes from continental Europe in the winter, including tomatoes and cabbages.\n\nTesco anticipated that produce such as lettuces and citrus fruit could be hit.\n\nSainsbury's told the BBC that it did not currently have any product caps in place, and said it had \"good availability\".\n\nAndrew Opie, director of food and sustainability at the British Retail Consortium, pointed out that retailers have stocked up on goods ahead of Christmas, which should prevent immediate problems.\n\nHowever, he said that if testing is required to reopen borders \"we need to ensure it is quick to avoid adding friction to the supply chain.\n\n\"We have stressed to government there is no alternative to reopening the channel ports, given that it is a key supply route for fresh produce at this time of year.\"\n\nThe Channel is a vital trade route, with about 10,000 lorries a day travelling between Dover and Calais at Christmas, often bringing in the freshest produce.", "Posh cars on the driveway of his suburban house gave clues to Maher's lifestyle\n\nA UK-based haulier shipped drugs for gangs across Europe from his Warrington living room in lockdown.\n\nThomas Maher, originally from Ireland, has been sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court to more than 14 years in jail after pleading guilty to drugs and money-laundering charges.\n\nHe made thousands of pounds a week, using an encrypted Encrochat phone to fix the movement of drugs and money.\n\nHe is the first major crime boss jailed using messages obtained when French police cracked the Encrochat network.\n\nThe phones were considered mandatory for high-end organised crime, and more than a thousand suspects have been arrested on the strength of the evidence their messages contain.\n\nMaher, 39, used the Encrochat handles \"Satirical\" and \"Snacker\" as he did deals with organised crime networks in the UK, Ireland, Denmark, the Netherlands, Spain, Turkey and Bulgaria.\n\nThe National Crime Agency says he was \"hugely influential\" among Europe's drug cartels.\n\nSentencing him, Judge Aubrey QC said Maher was \"a high-ranking facilitator... a go-between for criminal networks needing to transport their drugs between Holland and Ireland\".\n\nPassing a sentence of 14 years and eight months, the judge told Maher: \"You were an extremely important cog in the wheel of a sophisticated network.\"\n\nMaher would arrange for lorries to move massive loads of drugs hidden alongside legitimate cargoes such as fruit or wine in one direction and then to bring cash in the other direction.\n\nThe NCA kept Maher under surveillance after French police passed on details of his activities\n\nPolice found out about his operation after he was arrested in connection with the deaths of 39 Vietnamese migrants while they were being transported to the UK in October 2019. He had previously owned the trailer in which they were found.\n\nThe NCA put him under surveillance in an attempt to identify the scale of his criminal activities.\n\nHowever, the cracking of the Encrochat network by French intelligence and the Gendarmerie provided the National Crime Agency with thousands of his encrypted messages.\n\nThey were able to watch, almost in real time, as he did deals with crime bosses around Europe.\n\nMartin Clark, from the NCA, said he posed as an \"honest haulier\", but was in fact \"very much a professional facilitator and he's done it all remotely sitting in his living room\".\n\n\"He's never personally been anywhere near any of it.\"\n\nIn fact, the NCA said he had been scrupulous about social distancing during the pandemic while communicating via Encrochat with dozens of criminals.\n\nThe evidence the agency has uncovered shines a new light on the way in which a smuggling network operates.\n\nMaher would be contacted by clients wanting to move hundreds of kilos of drugs.\n\nThe messages were written in criminal slang. He would discuss deals involving shipments of \"tops\" (top shelf drugs such as cocaine), or \"Colo\" (the purest form from Colombia).\n\nHeroin, which he deemed a more downmarket drug, was known as \"bottoms\".\n\nShipments might come from \"The Flat\" (The Netherlands) and the lorry returned with \"paper\" (cash).\n\nOfficers working on Encrochat cases are having to develop skills in understanding the slang suspects are using in their messages. In this message Thomas Maher (Satirical) is telling an alleged co-conspirator that they're not doing too badly despite the lockdown.\n\nHelpfully for police he sets out the network of drug transportation routes he is currently operating:\n\n\"Taxi ways are working out OK at the minute with this fella from flat to ours and Belgium to ours am other that's two - and plus a driver with [redacted] for Poly's sun to flat and we still have [redacted] turk to flat and and his men [redacted] to here where I am. Once we get this travel ban lifted m8 we be on the pigs bk that alone is a lot of taxi plus we have the receiver here from Asia so m8 we have a lot more than others... that's why I'm not stressing yet\n\nThe police translation reads: \"Our HGV drug courier business is working out OK at the moment. Someone is bringing shipments from Holland and Belgium to the UK. There's a driver for ecstasy from Spain to Holland, and we still have Turkey to Holland, and [redacted] is bringing shipments to the UK. Once the travel ban is lifted we will be doing rather well. That alone is a lot of shipments plus we have someone bringing drugs in from Asia. So, we have a lot more than other gangs... that's why I'm not stressing yet.\n\nHowever, like many users of the Encrochat network, Maher believed his messages could not be read, so he didn't bother trying to communicate in code.\n\nCrucial evidence was obtained from pictures on his phone. His drivers would photograph the shipments to prove they had been picked up.\n\nThey would sometimes use a \"token\" during the handover.\n\nThis involved showing a particular Euro bank note, with digits previously agreed as evidence of identity.\n\nWhen Maher was moving drugs he would earn around £3,500 each time. For money, transported for laundering in consignments of 300,000 euros at a time, he would \"skim\" 1% of the total as his payment\n\nHe was \"always showing £50 notes in the pub\", Martin Clark said, and people were suspicious that he was a criminal.\n\nMaher lived in a \"fairly modest\" Cheshire home, but police surveillance spotted luxury cars including a Range Rover, Porsche Cayenne, Mercedes GLS and Corvette parked on the drive.\n\nWhen they raided his house they found evidence he had spent hundreds of thousands of pounds on Rolex and Hublot watches.\n\nHe had taken holidays in Dubai, Mexico and New York where he liked to buy pricey modern art, including a map of the world created from bullets.", "Residents of care homes have been given a higher priority than other older people\n\nOlder people in Wales should be told when to expect a Covid vaccination, a commissioner representing them says.\n\nHelena Herklots says more clarity on the plan for over-80s in Wales would be \"helpful\" in light of different approaches elsewhere in the UK.\n\nFormer MP Ann Clwyd said many feared they were missing out as jabs were being given out in parts of England.\n\nThe Welsh Government says health boards are beginning to invite some people over the age of 80 for vaccination.\n\nThe priority list puts vulnerable people into nine groups. Priority one is care home residents and staff, with priority two being people over 80 along with front-line health and care workers.\n\nDefending the Welsh Government's handling of the vaccine rollout, Health Minister Vaughan Gething said on social media the vaccine programme is \"not stuttering in Wales\" and was ahead of England per-head of population.\n\nMr Gething said: \"I appreciate some people will be concerned but I can say categorically that people in Wales are not being left behind.\"\n\nHelena Herklots said there was \"potential confusion\" because of reports of vaccination rollouts elsewhere\n\nMs Herklots said older people wanted the vaccine as soon as possible and \"a great deal of work\" was going into to rolling out the vaccine \"quickly and effectively\".\n\n\"Given reports in the past few days about the different approaches being taking to deliver the vaccine in different parts of the UK, and the potential confusion this could cause, it would be helpful for the Welsh Government to provide further information to older people about its plans, clearly setting out what the arrangements will be and when they can expect to be vaccinated,\" the commissioner said.\n\nMs Clwyd, 83, who was Labour MP for Cynon Valley for 35 years, has also called for clarity.\n\n\"People are very afraid and they want assurances. They want to know what is happening,\" she told BBC Wales.\n\nAnn Clwyd: \"They think everybody's getting the vaccine apart from them\"\n\n\"I know people around me who are more elderly than I am, and ill, and they've had no notification at all.\n\n\"They're hearing what's happening in England and they think everybody's getting the vaccine apart from them.\"\n\nA Welsh Government spokesperson said: \"The safety and protection of the most vulnerable people is at the heart of our response to the pandemic.\n\n\"Health boards are starting to invite some people over 80 for vaccination now. We are hoping the second vaccine - the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine - will be approved by the UK regulator as this will help us accelerate our vaccination programme and provide more clinics in primary care settings, like GP practices.\"\n\nAcross Wales more than 25,000 people have received the first of two doses of the vaccine.\n\nCurrently only one vaccine, BioNTech/Pfizer, has been approved for use in the UK.\n\nWe can now see for the first time the breakdown of the numbers of people in Wales on the priority list for vaccines.\n\nThey include more than 40,000 people living or working in care homes, thousands of front-line NHS and social care staff and the 174,000 people aged over 80.\n\nMore than 1.4 million people in all belong to one of the nine priority groups - including the overlap of about 192,000 people who may belong to more than one group.\n\nThis leaves another one million or so people under 50, without a risk condition, who will be in line eventually to receive a vaccine.\n\nWelsh Conservative health spokesman Andrew RT Davies called on the Welsh Government to \"get a grip\".\n\n\"The vaccination programme is stuttering into life in Wales with some real concerns around lack of access for care homes and the over 80s compared to other parts of the UK,\" he said.\n\n\"To keep confidence Welsh Labour ministers need to get a grip. Otherwise, there is a risk, given the scale of the vaccination programme, the public will lose confidence in the Welsh Government's ability to deliver it, replicating their shambolic handling of the virus to date.\"\n\nPlaid Cymru Member of the Senedd Dai Lloyd also criticised \"a dearth of information about vaccine rollout for the over-80s, which only adds to the anxiety people are facing over this Christmas\".\n\nDr Lloyd, who is a GP, added: \"Reports suggest that other UK nations are well ahead of us in Wales, which is an unacceptable situation.\n\n\"To reflect Wales's older population, Plaid Cymru had called for vaccines to be allocated according to need, not simply allocated by population. The UK and Welsh Government must urgently reassess whether Wales is getting its fair share.\"", "A man who rode from Scotland to the Isle of Man by jet ski to see his girlfriend has left the island by ferry upon his release from jail.\n\nDale McLaughlan made the four-and-a-half hour crossing from the Isle of Whithorn to Ramsey on 11 December.\n\nHe then walked another 15 miles (25km) to his girlfriend's home in Douglas.\n\nThe 28-year-old - who served part of a four-week sentence for the Covid-19 border control breach - told the BBC he was \"happy to be going home\".\n\nUnder current Isle of Man coronavirus laws McLaughlan, from Irvine in North Ayrshire, was required to leave the island after his release or face further prosecution.\n\nSpeaking to Isle of Man Newspapers, his girlfriend Jessica Radcliffe said: \"I don't understand why he's been told to leave when he's isolated for two weeks before he came over with a negative test.\n\n\"He had a negative test in jail, he didn't put any of the public at risk, and he's done isolation in jail.\n\n\"That's four weeks already, so why does he need to leave the island? To punish him this much, they shouldn't be doing that.\"\n\nMcLaughlan was arrested two days after his arrival, having spent time mixing with people in two busy nightclubs, his court case heard.\n\nDouglas Courthouse heard it was the first time he had used a jet ski.\n\nOnly non-residents given special permission are currently allowed to enter the island.\n\nMcLaughlan's defence advocate said he suffered from depression and was not coping with being unable to see his partner.\n\nChief Minister Howard Quayle said the sentence sent \"a strong signal\" to potential lawbreakers.\n\nWhy not follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and Twitter? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "The UK has detected two cases of another new variant of coronavirus, the health secretary Matt Hancock says.\n\nThe cases in London and north west England are contacts of people who travelled to South Africa, where the variant was discovered.\n\nTravel restrictions with South Africa have been imposed.\n\nAnyone who has travelled there in the past fortnight, and anyone they have been in contact with, are being told to quarantine immediately.\n\nThe variant has been causing mounting concern in South Africa, where health minister Zweli Mkhize warned that \"young, previously healthy people are now becoming very sick\".\n\nHe said the country \"cannot go through what we went through in the early days of the Aids pandemic\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Dr Zweli Mkhize This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nScientists in South Africa say the variant has \"spread rapidly\" and became the dominant form of the virus in parts of the country.\n\nThe variant is still being analysed, but the data are consistent with it spreading more quickly.\n\nIt was detected for the first time in the UK on Tuesday.\n\nThis variant shares some similarities to the one that has already been detected in the UK, although they have evolved separately.\n\nBoth have a mutation - called N501Y - which is in a crucial part of the virus that it uses to infect the body's cells.\n\nProf Neil Ferguson, from Imperial College London, said: \"I think the greatest concern of ours at the moment is the South African one.\n\n\"There's certainly anecdotal reports of explosive outbreaks for that virus and very steep increases in case numbers.\"\n\nAt the Downing Street press briefing, Mr Hancock said the new variant was \"highly concerning\" and that anyone told to quarantine must avoid \"all contact with any other person whatsoever\".\n\nAt the same briefing, he announced millions more people were being moved to Tier 4 on Boxing Day in an effort to control the virus.\n\nDr Susan Hopkins, from Public Health England (PHE), said \"both look like they are more transmissible\" but said they were \"still learning\" about the variant imported from South Africa.\n\nShe said she was \"pretty confident\" the quarantine and travel rules would control the spread of the new variant.\n\nProf Lawrence Young, from Warwick Medical School, said: \"The standard measures to restrict transmission (hands, face, space) will prevent infection with this variant.\n\n\"The move to harsher levels of restriction across the country is inevitable. \"\n\nThe government tightened restrictions for the festive season, including closing beaches along the famous Garden Route in Western Cape province.\n\nIt faced resistance from the main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), and some lobby groups, who challenged the decision in the courts, arguing that the closure of beaches would have a devastating effect on small businesses.\n\nBut judges upheld the restrictions, saying the government had a duty to protect the health of people.\n\nWestern Cape premier Alan Winde said hospitals in the province were under \"severe strain\". The province had more Covid-19 cases this time around than during the first wave.\n\nSouth Africa has so far recorded about 950,000 cases and more than 25,000 deaths - the highest in Africa.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Some drivers complained about unsanitary conditions and a lack of food\n\nLorry drivers who have tested negative for coronavirus have begun boarding ferries at the port of Dover after France reopened its border with the UK.\n\nSome 3,800 lorries have been parked up in Kent after France closed its UK border on Sunday amid concern over a fast-spreading variant of the virus.\n\nFrance ended its ban on UK arrivals on Wednesday, on the condition that people were tested before travelling.\n\nEarlier, police clashed with drivers who have spent days in their cabs.\n\nTransport Secretary Grant Shapps warned there were \"severe delays\" and urged people to avoid travelling to Kent.\n\nAround 50 countries imposed a ban after the UK warned of a new, fast-spreading variant of coronavirus.\n\nThe French government's ban, introduced on Sunday, has now been eased to allow French citizens, British nationals living in France and hauliers to travel - if they test negative less than 72 hours before departure.\n\nSoldiers have joined NHS Test and Trace staff in Kent to carry out rapid tests on thousands of stranded lorry drivers.\n\nBut Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said it could take \"a few days\" to clear the backlog.\n\nLorry drivers will have to prove they have tested negative for coronavirus before travelling\n\nA number of drivers clashed with police this morning, with officers trying to push back a small crowd trying to enter the Port of Dover.\n\nKent Police said one man is in custody after being arrested for obstructing a highway in Dover and there have been disturbances at Manston Airport, where a lorry-holding facility run by the Department for Transport is now full.\n\nThe entrance to the Port of Dover is currently closed with a line of police officers blocking it, BBC reporter Amanda Akass said.\n\nThey told her they will not start allowing vehicles through until \"protesters\" - several dozen drivers - move from the roundabout at the entrance.\n\nBut the drivers have said they will not move as they do not want to go to the back of the queue and cannot move as the road is blocked in both directions.\n\nOne driver told the BBC he is tired and does not have much food.\n\n\"We are very tired. We're staying in cars, we don't have a lot of food, no money,\" one driver told the BBC.\n\n\"Police three days ago told us that testing will start soon, but they don't know when and that's why people are protesting,\" another said.\n\n\"We just want to do the test and just go straight home.\"\n\nRod McKenzie of the Road Haulage Association described the situation as \"chaos\" as lorry drivers headed to ports thinking the borders would be open.\n\n\"They're tired, frustrated, desperately wanting to get home for Christmas,\" he said.\n\nHe said the information given to them has been \"extremely poor\", while food provision, toilets and washing facilities were \"inadequate\".\n\nRichard Lloyd, director of a British firm that imports farm machinery from Poland, said he had been called by the family of a driver who was stuck without food, asking whether he could get a loaf of bread to the lorry.\n\n\"He didn't want to go anywhere because of the security of the truck, and obviously a place in the queue, so it was a desperate situation,\" Mr Lloyd said.\n\nThe government says free food and water is being provided. A statement said there are 12 food trucks at Manston Airport and eight more arriving, and more than 200 toilets. It also said there are toilets stationed every kilometre between parts of the M20.\n\n\"We are working tirelessly to provide support to hauliers awaiting testing at Manston and the M20,\" it said.\n\nBy Simon Jones, BBC reporter at the scene\n\nFrustrated lorry drivers have confronted the police as tensions over their continuing confinement threatened to boil over.\n\nSome hauliers marched out of the Manston lorry park, where they've been forced to sleep in their cabs, demanding to know when they'll be allowed to go home.\n\nThere's a huge backlog of traffic to clear. Some hauliers said they'd been told the testing on the site was initially delayed because the tests got held up in traffic.\n\nManston is now full - so there'll be some pressure on the authorities to get as many tests done as quickly as possible to clear space for any new arrivals.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Aerial views of the thousands of lorries stuck in Kent since the border shut\n\nEurotunnel said around around 700 cars, 50 vans and 20 trucks s have been able to cross the Channel since this morning, and a \"flow\" of trucks has arrived at the British terminal since 16:00 GMT.\n\nRoger Gough, leader of Kent County Council, told BBC Radio Kent that the \"most difficult\" challenge is clearing a route from Manston Airport to Dover, around 20 miles south, \"to be able to get those lorries onto the ferries\".\n\n\"Whilst we're able, for instance, to get some progress in terms of people travelling via the Eurotunnel, it's much harder to get vehicles to the port in the current situation,\" he said.\n\n\"The problem is also that - particularly for the non-HGV traffic, the families and so on - you have some really quite worrying welfare situations,\" he said.\n\nHe added that the British authorities are in a \"race against time\" because the last ferry leaves on Christmas eve, and are trying to persuade the French to \"keep things running on the Calais side over Christmas day\".\n\nMore than 5,000 lorries are being held in Kent, according to the Department for Transport.\n\nOfficials have been going from lorry to lorry to provide tests.\n\nHome Secretary Priti Patel urged hauliers \"not to travel to Kent as we work to alleviate congestion\" as \"travelling now will slow things down\".\n\n\"Tourist travellers who are not French residents should not travel,\" she tweeted.\n\nThe Port of Dover also urged passengers not to turn up without a negative coronavirus test.\n\nNHS Test and Trace staff have been going from vehicle to vehicle with tests at Dover.\n\nMr Jenrick told BBC Radio 4's Today programme it is likely to take \"a few days\" to clear the backlog of lorries that have built up.\n\nHe said there would be \"multiple testing sites\" at Manston Airport and elsewhere.\n\nRapid \"lateral flow\" tests will be used, which can detect the new variant and work like a pregnancy test to give a result in about 30 minutes.\n\nFreight drivers will receive their test result by text, and a negative result gives them the right to cross the Channel.\n\nIf they test positive they will be offered Covid-secure hotel accommodation nearby where they will have to self isolate.\n\nTesting will also take place on the French side for hauliers entering the UK.\n\nGermany's Lufthansa airline is airlifting fresh fruit and vegetables to the UK on Wednesday as firms seek to beat the lorry chaos at sea ports.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Lufthansa News This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThe British Retail Consortium also warned there may be shortages of some fresh goods until the backlog is cleared.\n\nThe Road Haulage Association said: \"Even if the border is opened up, a short delay in the process is going to mean huge delays in the supply chain.\"\n\nNormally, about 10,000 lorries a day travel between Dover and Calais at Christmas, largely bringing in the freshest produce.\n\nMore than 50 other countries, including Germany, Italy, India and Pakistan, are continuing to block travellers from the UK.\n\nThe Netherlands and Belgium have also now lifted their ban, but will only accept people if they have a recent negative result.\n\nThe Netherlands has demanded UK arrivals use so-called PCR tests, which can take over 24 hours to turn around as they require a lab.\n\nThe European Commission has urged other EU member states to lift travel bans affecting the UK - but said non-essential travel should be discouraged.\n\nOn Tuesday, a further 36,804 people in the UK tested positive for coronavirus and there were 691 deaths within 28 days of a positive test, according to government figures.\n\nIt was the largest daily number of cases recorded yet, though it is thought the infection rate was higher during the first peak in spring when testing was much more limited.\n\nAre you a lorry driver? Have you been affected by the delays? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "Men who became fathers during the pandemic lockdown have been talking about how coronavirus left them unable to go maternity appointments and be present during their partner's labour.\n\nThe three fathers met through online group Music Football Fatherhood, which has been supporting dads throughout the pandemic on parenting dilemmas.\n\nAt the start of lockdown hospitals put restrictions in place on people allowed in hospitals, but the NHS has now revised the rules.\n\n\"Pregnant women value the support from a partner, relative, friend or other person through pregnancy and childbirth as it facilitates emotional wellbeing,\" it now says.\n\n\"It is therefore our aim, further to a risk assessment, that a woman should have access to support from a person of her choosing at all stages of her maternity journey and that all trusts should facilitate this as quickly as possible.\"", "Joe Biden will have to build up his official Twitter followers from scratch\n\nTwitter has confirmed that the official US presidential accounts will be wiped of their millions of followers before being transferred to the Biden administration.\n\nMr Biden's team \"fought\" the plan, but the social media giant said its decision was \"unequivocal\".\n\nThe move marks a reversal from the last transition.\n\nTwitter agreed to Donald Trump's request in 2016 to inherit Barack Obama's millions of followers.\n\n“In 2016, the Trump administration absorbed all of President Obama's Twitter followers on @POTUS and @WhiteHouse - at Team 44's urging,” Rob Flaherty, the president-elect's digital director, tweeted on Monday.\n\n“In 2020, Twitter has informed us that as of right now the Biden administration will have to start from zero.”\n\nIt affects followers of government-led accounts such as @POTUS and @FLOTUS.\n\nTwitter said those who follow the current presidential accounts will be notified that they are being archived, and will be given the choice to follow the Biden administration's new accounts.\n\nMr Biden’s personal account, @JoeBiden, has 21.7 million followers, and will be unaffected by the move.\n\nPresident Trump has famously used his Twitter accounts, both professional and personal, to engage with voters.\n\nDuring his time in the White House, he has tweeted more than 50,000 times.\n\nHowever, according to Factbase, a website that tracks tweets and follower counts, Mr Trump has lost 369,849 followers on his personal account since November.\n\nIn the same timeframe, President-elect Joe Biden has gained 2,671,790 followers.\n\nThe decision from Twitter comes just days after chief executive Jack Dorsey unfollowed numerous political figures on the platform, including Mr Trump, Mr Biden and Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris.\n\nMarketing specialist Rebecca Lodge, from Start Up Disruptors, said of Twitter's decision: \"With millions of people following an account and Donald's 'fans' being quite fanatical, it could be a clever move by Twitter to ensure that any potential negative and hate-fuelled tweets are neutralised before the new president-elect takes up his position.\"", "No lorries are leaving the Port of Dover or Eurotunnel for France\n\nChaos at ports caused by EU border closures has set back the UK's efforts to reassure foreign customers post-Brexit, the food industry has said.\n\nFood and Drink Federation boss Ian Wright said UK exporters wanted to make sure foreign firms could rely on their supply chains after 1 January.\n\nBut the current crisis had harmed their cause, he told MPs.\n\n\"We've just proved... that you can't trust British products,\" he said. \"And that's really unhelpful.\"\n\nMr Wright was giving evidence to an emergency hearing of the Commons business committee, called to examine the impact of the border delays on UK business and security of supply.\n\nFrance shut its UK border for 48 hours on Sunday amid fears of a new coronavirus variant in the UK. More than 50 countries have now banned UK arrivals.\n\nAt the same time, UK-EU talks on a post-Brexit trade deal are continuing, with nine days left to reach and ratify any agreement.\n\nMr Wright said the current scenes at Dover, where the number of lorries stranded and unable to cross to France has continued to rise, could be \"replicated at any point\".\n\n\"I think we will see this happen particularly if we get a no-deal Brexit,\" he added.\n\nMr Wright said there were thought to be 4,000 trucks on their way to Dover at various points. He warned that the number could grow by the end of the day to possibly as high as 6,000 or 7,000.\n\nHe also criticised the government's handling of the announcement at the weekend and urged it to compensate those who had lost out.\n\nThe committee also heard that there were concerns over the welfare of lorry and van drivers caught up in the disruption, as the facilities provided for them are considered inadequate.\n\n\"We have no confidence, we have never had any confidence drivers will be looked after,\" said Duncan Buchanan of the Road Haulage Association.\n\n\"This is a very serious problem - whether you have moved trucks from one place to another, it is irrelevant.\"\n\nMr Buchanan said it was the start of supply chain disruption \"of the like we have probably never experienced\".\n\n\"Many of the retailers are saying that we are up until Christmas, we will be fine until Christmas at least, but we must recover very fast to keep the shops fully stocked after Christmas. It's a big worry,\" he added.\n\nAndrew Opie, of the British Retail Consortium, agreed, saying that if lorries were not moving within 24 hours, there could be problems with the availability of fresh food products from 27 December.", "Peter Cruddas won a libel case against the Sunday Times in 2013\n\nBoris Johnson has nominated businessman Peter Cruddas for a peerage, despite his rejection by the honours watchdog.\n\nThe Lords Appointments Commission did not support ennobling the businessman, who quit as Tory co-treasurer in 2012 following cash-for-access allegations.\n\nMr Cruddas later won a libel case against a newspaper over its claims.\n\nMr Johnson rejected the commission's recommendation, becoming the first PM to ignore its advice on a nomination since it was set up in 2000.\n\nLabour accused Mr Johnson - who received £50,000 from Mr Cruddas for his campaign to become Conservative leader in 2019 - of \"cronyism\".\n\nFormer Archbishop of York John Sentamu and ex-MI5 boss Sir Andrew Parker are also among those given peerages in the political honours list.\n\nMr Cruddas, who has donated more than £3m to the Conservatives since 2007, resigned as party co-treasurer in 2012 after a newspaper story suggested he was offering access to then Prime Minister David Cameron for a donation of £250,000 a year.\n\nBut the following year he won £180,000 in damages in a libel victory against the Sunday Times, which had published the claims. The damages were later reduced to £50,000 on appeal.\n\nIn a letter to the Lords appointment commission, Mr Johnson said its rejection of Mr Cruddas's nomination for a peerage related \"to historic concerns in respect of allegations\" made during his time as co-treasurer.\n\nBut he added that these had been found to be \"untrue and libellous\" and that an internal Conservative Party investigation had discovered \"no intentional wrongdoing\" on Mr Cruddas's part.\n\nMr Johnson also said the committee had found \"no suggestion of any matters of concern\" before or since the 2012 allegations.\n\nFormer Archbishop of York John Sentamu is among those honoured\n\nMr Cruddas, the founder of financial services company CMC Markets and a prominent Brexit supporter, had a \"long track record of committed political service\" and was one of the UK's \"most successful business figures\", the prime minister argued.\n\nThe commission provides advice but appointments to the Lords are ultimately a decision for the prime minister.\n\nLabour deputy leader Angela Rayner said: \"After months of revelations about the cronyism at the heart of this government, it's somehow appropriate the prime minister has chosen to end the year with a peerage to Peter Cruddas.\"\n\nShe added that there was \"one rule for the Conservatives and their chums, another for the rest of the country\".\n\nFormer environment minister Sir Richard Benyon; former MEPs Dame Jacqueline Foster, Syed Kamall and Daniel Hannan; Cerebral Palsy Scotland chief executive Stephanie Fraser; and Dean Godson, director of the Policy Exchange think tank, have also been nominated for Conservative seats in the Lords.\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer chose Leeds City Council leader Judith Blake; former MPs Vernon Coaker and Jennifer Chapman, who chaired his Labour leadership campaign; former MEP Wajid Khan; and Gillian Merron, chief executive of the Board of Deputies of British Jews and a former Labour MP.\n\nAs well as Mr Sentamu and Sir Andrew, the nominations for crossbench - non-party - peerages are former judge Sir Terence Etherton and Sir Simon McDonald, former permanent under-secretary at the Foreign Office.\n\nThe Lord Speaker, Lord Fowler, criticised the number of new peers, which will bring the total membership of the House of Lords to more than 830, accusing Mr Johnson of a \"massive U-turn\" on his predecessor Theresa May's policy of reducing it in size.\n\nIt added \"insult to injury\" that the appointments had been announced while Parliament was in recess, he said.\n\n\"It may also now be the time to review the role and the powers of the House of Lords Appointments Commission,\" Lord Fowler added.", "British model Stella Tennant has died at the age of 50, her family have said.\n\nThe Scot made her name in the early 1990s on catwalks for designers like Karl Lagerfeld and Versace, and on the covers Vogue and Harper's Bazaar.\n\nHer family said: \"Stella was a wonderful woman and an inspiration to us all. She will be greatly missed.\"\n\nThey said her death was \"sudden\", and police said there were \"no suspicious circumstances\". Her death came five days after her 50th birthday.\n\nThe family statement said: \"It is with great sadness we announce the sudden death of Stella Tennant on 22nd December 2020...\n\n\"Her family ask for their privacy to be respected. Arrangements for a memorial service will be announced at a later date.\"\n\nTennant made her name in the 1990s, when she was in her 20s\n\nTennant shot to fame after being photographed for British Vogue at the age of 22 in 1993, and went on to work with designers and fashion houses including Alexander McQueen, Calvin Klein, Jean Paul Gaultier and Burberry.\n\nVersace paid tribute to Tennant on Twitter, saying she was \"Gianni Versace's muse for many years and friend of the family\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by VERSACE This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nTennant was known for her androgynous sultry looks and aristocratic heritage, being the granddaughter of the 11th Duke of Devonshire, Andrew Cavendish, and Deborah Mitford.\n\nShe also starred in the closing ceremony of the 2012 London Olympic Games alongside fellow British models like Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell.\n\nTennant (left) with Kate Moss (centre) and Naomi Campbell at the London 2012 Olympics closing ceremony\n\nBefore becoming a model, she studied at Winchester School of Art and embarked upon a career in sculpting, which she described as \"my first love\".\n\nEven after being spotted by Vogue photographer Steven Meisel, she wasn't sure if she wanted a career in modelling.\n\n\"I didn't know if I wanted to be objectified,\" she told The Evening Standard in 2016. \"I thought it was a big, shallow world and I wasn't really sure if I liked the look of it.\"\n\nBut she did join the fashion world, and said the 90s were \"a great time to start modelling\".\n\nIn the late 90s, Lagerfeld unveiled her as the new face of Chanel, noting her resemblance to Coco Chanel.\n\nTennant (right) with designer Karl Lagerfeld and fellow models Naomi Campbell, Claudia Schiffer and Kate Moss in 1996\n\nTennant retired from the catwalk in 1998 as she was pregnant with her first child, but later returned.\n\nShe married French-born photographer David Lasnet in the small parish church of Oxnam in the Scottish Borders in 1999. They had four children.\n\nShe also worked on campaigns to promote using less energy and to reduce the environmental impact of fast fashion.\n\n\"It's going to take us a long time to change our habits, but I think that this is so obviously a step in the right direction,\" she told The Guardian last year.\n\nShe walked the runway during the Valentino Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2020 show as part of Paris Fashion Week in January\n\nShe said at the time that she was reusing clothes she has had since the 90s and only buying about five new items a year.\n\n\"At my age I think it's probably quite normal you're not that interested in consuming, [and not] loving shopping as much as when you're much younger. We all need to think a little bit harder.\"\n\nIn 2012, she was inducted into the Scottish Fashion Awards Hall of Fame.\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "The changes apply to people buying second homes in Wales\n\nAn increase in land transaction tax for second homes in Wales has begun with just a few hours' notice, causing \"chaos\" according to a solicitor.\n\nSecond home-owners must now pay an additional 4% levy when they buy properties up to £180,000, rising to 16% for homes worth at least £1.6m.\n\nBut solicitors said they were \"dismayed\" at being given just hours' notice of the changes.\n\nThe Welsh Government says they could help raise £13m for social housing.\n\nA spokeswoman added: \"As with any budget announcements, these changes were not shared in advance.\"\n\nThe Law Society says the changes only applying in Wales but not England may mean solicitors over the border handling purchases in Wales may not be aware until they do a final calculation upon completion.\n\nDavid Greene, president of the Law Society of England and Wales, said solicitors were dismayed when the changes were announced on Monday to come into effect on Tuesday, adding: \"These last-minute changes come at a time when solicitors are under enormous pressure.\"\n\nIn the village of Abersoch, Gwynedd, a beach hut can cost as much as an affordable home\n\nProperty solicitors were already dealing with Wales adopting stricter lockdown measures and people seeking to move before the 31 March tax holiday deadline, Mr Greene said.\n\nThey are dealing with \"record numbers of transactions, which are being hit by delays in searches\", he added.\n\n\"They now have clients who face paying thousands of pounds more if they are unable to proceed with their transaction within the very short notice period given.\"\n\nEdward Friend, director of Carreg Law in Carmarthenshire, said five of his clients due to complete on Monday or Tuesday were affected - with some managing to do so before the tax hike came in and others now having to pay extra money they had not anticipated.\n\n\"It amounted to four working hours' notice, so yes it has been chaotic.\n\n\"If you own a property and you buy another, it could be for your son or daughter or you're working somewhere, a holiday home or because you're separating - it catches you and you have to pay an increase.\n\n\"Yesterday we had transactions that were going to be completed yesterday and today, mirroring each other, and clients completing today are paying a significant amount more.\n\nMr Friend said his firm was now having to go through every file it has open, and inform clients they will have to pay more land tax than in the quote originally given.\n\n\"You tend to report how much it costs at the beginning so they're budgeting from the moment they put the offer in, the finances for a transaction take place a week before so they have to pay that difference on the spot.\n\n\"The reason it's chaotic is we have to go through the files we've opened and inform all the clients, and that's had to be done at the busiest time of the year.\"\n\nMr Friend added he had been contacted by firms in England asking for clarity.\n\n\"Every solicitor is unlikely to be aware, one English firm last night at 5:25 emailed me asking if their transactions are affected. It shows the pressure they are under.\n\n\"In my experience they've never been this last minute, they normally give you notice of the change.\"\n\nMr Friend added people who have exchanged but not yet completed are exempt from paying the extra tax - which he said was \"unfair and unjust\" as the exchange date is often beyond the client's control.\n\nThe changes to land transaction tax are part of the Welsh Government budget\n\nThe move comes as part of the Welsh Government's budget for 2021-22.\n\nFinance Minister Rebecca Evans said the budget would mean \"difficult choices\" as extra Covid-19 funding dries up.\n\nOpposition parties have said Wales needs a Covid-19 recovery plan.\n\nWhile Wales received an extra £5bn in funding from the UK government this year to deal with the pandemic, this will fall to £766m in 2021-2022.", "A child under the age of one has died with Covid-19 in Scotland, official figures show.\n\nThe death of the baby girl is the youngest Covid death in Scotland and the only one under the age of 15.\n\nNational Records of Scotland (NRS) counts all death certificates that mention Covid-19, even if the person has not been tested for the virus.\n\nThe baby's death was registered between 14 and 20 December along with 202 others that week.\n\nIn total, 6,298 death certificates in Scotland have mentioned Covid-19 since the outbreak began in March.\n\nAbout 75% of all these deaths are of people aged 75 or over, with 15% in the 65-74 age group.\n\nThe latest NRS figures also show that the total number of \"excess deaths\" in 2020 is now the highest for at least 40 years.\n\nExcess deaths are counted above an average from the last five years.\n\nThere have been 62,415 deaths from all causes so far this year, compared with a five-year average of 57,760 - an excess of 4,655.\n\nThere were 58,108 deaths in Scotland last year, with 1,122 excess deaths.\n\nSince the first Covid-19 deaths were registered in Scotland on 17 March there have been 6,399 excess deaths, but the number of deaths in the first weeks of 2020 was below average which makes the overall figure lower.", "Ministers are deciding whether more areas of England should be placed under the toughest coronavirus restrictions in a bid to contain the spread of a new variant of Covid-19.\n\nCabinet minister Robert Jenrick said No 10 would make a judgement on whether the current rules were strong enough.\n\nHe said there was no immediate plan to widen curbs on Boxing Day but \"the number of cases is rising\".\n\nHe will be joined by England's deputy chief medical officer Dr Jenny Harries and Dr Susan Hopkins of Public Health England.\n\nThe Covid operations committee, chaired by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, has been discussing the tiered system - earlier than the 30 December official review date - amid concern over the rapid spread of the new variant.\n\nThe latest change to restrictions placed London and large parts of south-east England under new tier four rules, as millions saw their festive plans scrapped or severely restricted.\n\nIt comes as the UK's chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance previously warned that extra curbs were likely to be needed in more areas of England to control the new variant.\n\nHe told a Downing Street briefing on Monday that measures could \"need to be increased in some places, in due course, not reduced\".\n\nMr Jenrick said earlier that ministers were \"trying to retain the robust tiered system\" which takes a \"proportionate approach\" across the country, but said it had been designed before the new Covid variant became apparent.\n\nHe said the variant - which could be up to 70% more transmissible than previous strains - was now present in other areas of the country, albeit to a \"lesser extent\" than in London, south-east and the east of England.\n\nHe said: \"The tiered system was designed before we knew the full ferocity of the new variant, and so we have to make sure it's sufficiently robust to be able to withstand this and to stop cases rising at the very worrying levels they are now in parts of the country.\"\n\nProf Neil Ferguson, whose scientific modelling led to the March lockdown, said the variant is \"everywhere now\" but said he anticipated that tier four restrictions and stricter rules over Christmas elsewhere could have a beneficial impact.\n\nHe told the Commons Science and Technology Committee: \"Schools are now shut, we are in a near-lockdown situation across the country. Contact rates are lower over Christmas.\n\n\"I expect, though I hesitate to make any sort of predictions, we will see a flattening of the curve in the next two weeks. We will see at least a slowing of growth.\n\n\"The critical question is what happens in January and the extent we want to make public health measures more uniform across the country if the new variant is everywhere.\"\n\nThe UK's R value - the number of people that one infected person will pass on a virus to, on average - is thought to have risen slightly to between 1.1 and 1.3 - up from 1.1 and 1.2 the week prior, according to the latest data published by the Government Office for Science and the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage).\n\nOn Tuesday, a further 36,804 people in the UK tested positive for the virus and there were 691 deaths within 28 days of a positive test, according to government figures.\n\nIt is the largest daily number of cases recorded yet, though it is thought the infection rate was higher during the first peak in spring when testing was much more limited.\n\nMr Jenrick said decisions from the committee would be communicated \"as soon as we can\" and that there was \"absolutely no plan\" at the moment to change restrictions before Christmas Day.\n\nUnder the revised Christmas rules for England, only people living in tiers one to three are permitted to socialise in a bubble of three households on 25 December.\n\nThose in tier four areas must only celebrate Christmas with members of their own household and support bubble. They will not be allowed to travel to other tiers to see family and friends.\n\nMr Jenrick said the PM had been \"very clear\" that even outside of tier four, there was a \"strong degree of personal judgment to be exercised here\".\n\nHe told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: \"It's still up to people to come to a conclusion as to how many members of their family or other households they want to bring together on Christmas Day.\n\n\"The strong advice is to keep it small, to keep it short and therefore to be safe.\"\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer has written to Mr Johnson to say his party will back any government moves to tighten restrictions if that is what scientists recommend.\n\nOn Wednesday, Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth urged the prime minister to act before it's too late.\n\nHe told BBC Breakfast: \"What we're saying to Boris Johnson is, last time you received advice from the scientists for tougher restrictions, you sat on it, you dithered, you delayed.\"\n\nHe urged the PM not to \"sit on the advice this time\", adding \"we know delaying has devastating consequences.\n\n\"If you're advised to take tougher action, take it, do it, act with speed, don't be behind the curve again.\"\n\nThe Labour leader of Crawley Borough Council, which is currently in tier two but bordering tier four areas, has said the area would be hit hard by a potential tightening of restrictions, and accused the government of failing to provide support.\n\nCllr Peter Lamb told BBC News that Crawley \"might\" be placed in a higher tier, adding that case numbers there \"would suggest that if it's not going in now, it will be going in at some point in the near future\".\n\nHe said there had been \"no coming back\" for Crawley - which includes Gatwick airport - since the March lockdown, and it was \"still waiting\" for the government to \"give us some support to get through this\", adding that more businesses would be impacted if the area was placed under the toughest measures.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Covid in Scotland: Advice moving to 'stay local, stay at home'\n\nThe top level of Covid-19 restrictions in Scotland may need to be strengthened further to contain the new strain of the virus, Nicola Sturgeon has warned.\n\nThe whole Scottish mainland is to move into level four from Boxing Day due to concerns about the new Covid variant.\n\nThe first minister said this was \"essential\" to protect the NHS and contain the faster-spreading virus.\n\nAnd she said consideration must be given to whether the current level four rules were sufficient to do the job.\n\nThe government is to narrow the definition of \"essential retail\" - forcing homeware shops and garden centres to close - while guidance urging people to stay at home as much as possible may be put down in law.\n\nMs Sturgeon told MSPs that the current rate of new cases in Scotland was currently \"significantly lower\" than in other parts of the UK, but said the new variant of Covid-19 necessitated \"real action\" and \"significant countermeasures\".\n\nThe move to level four will see blanket travel restrictions in place between every council area in Scotland, with people barred from leaving their local area other than for essential reasons.\n\nHospitality venues will have to close, as will \"non-essential\" shops - with this definition being expanded to include even more premises.\n\nSchools are to stay closed until 11 January, and most pupils will learn from home until at least 18 January - a situation Ms Sturgeon said would remain \"under review\".\n\nThe government is also examining whether the current level four measures will be enough to contain the new strain of the virus, which studies suggest can spread up to 70% faster than previous variants.\n\nMs Sturgeon said a decision on whether this was necessary would be taken as more evidence about the new variant became available.\n\nShe said: \"The current level four restrictions are not as stringent as the March lockdown, and up to now that has been a good thing.\n\n\"However it seems we may be facing a virus that spreads much faster now than in March, so we must consider whether the current level four restrictions are sufficient to suppress it in the weeks ahead.\"\n\nThe first minister said failing to take strong action quickly would see \"another period of exponential growth\" of the virus in the new year.\n\nShe said: \"This is preventative action, because we see a train coming rapidly down the track at us and we're trying to get out of its way.\"\n\nScottish Conservative group leader Ruth Davidson said \"most people understand\" the need for tighter curbs, but said \"in return they are demanding as much clarity from government as conceivably possible\".\n\nShe said people were tired of \"supposedly time-limited firebreaks stretching into months\", asking whether parents should start \"preparing now for a long haul of blended learning at home\".\n\nMs Sturgeon hinted that tighter measures might be introduced in a bid to see schools open again full time, saying that \"continues to be a priority\" for the government.\n\nShe said the intention was to reopen schools fully on 18 January \"if it is at all possible\", adding: \"If that means the rest of us living under more severe restrictions we will not shy away from that.\"\n\nScottish Green co-leader Patrick Harvie also asked about schools, calling for \"widespread routine testing\" for teachers and expanded use of remote learning.\n\nMeanwhile Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard said the government had \"abandoned\" the levels system for a blanket lockdown, saying that \"three weeks does not sound like three weeks, but considerably longer\".\n\nHe said if the new strain of the virus was 70% more transmissible, the government should commit to a 70% increase in business support and virus testing and a similar acceleration of the vaccination programme.\n\nMs Sturgeon said she would seek to get back to the local levels system \"as quickly as possible\", adding that the vaccine was being rolled out as quickly as possible and there were no \"simple equations\" around boosting support.\n\nLib Dem leader Willie Rennie voiced concerns about NHS boards cancelling \"ever greater numbers\" of non-urgent procedures, with the first minister saying the return of elective treatment relied on suppressing the virus as far as possible.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Heavy rain brings flooding and road closures two days before Christmas\n\nFirefighters have dealt with 500 flooding calls following heavy rain across south and mid Wales.\n\nHomes in Cardiff, Newport, Vale of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire have been flooded, two days before Christmas, South Wales fire service said.\n\nThe heavy rain has also caused travel chaos with roads closed and train services cancelled across Wales.\n\nA Met Office weather warning covering all but north Wales counties is in force until early on Christmas Eve.\n\nForecasters said up to 70mm (2.8in) of rain could fall throughout Wednesday into Thursday.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Anthony Lock 🎅 This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nNewport council officials said they have been dealing with \"significant levels of flooding\".\n\n\"The sheer volume of rain that has fallen over a short time has caused considerable flooding across the city. The teams are out responding as quickly as they can,\" said council officers.\n\nMotorists on Cowbridge Road in Cardiff have experienced difficulty\n\nCardiff council said teams were dealing with surface water flooding across the city and asked residents to help clear clear drains of debris or leaves.\n\nA spokesman said: \"The rain has filled up the brooks and streams which are now higher than the outfalls. This means the drains can't empty and are consequently backing up.\"\n\nFire crews have had a busy day, including in Undy, Monmouthshire\n\nRail services across the region have been badly affected.\n\nFlooding on the line between Abergavenny and Pontypool has led to services traveling towards Shrewsbury from Newport being suspended.\n\nSome lines between Gloucester, Newport and Cardiff Central stations are closed due to flooding, with long delays on revised service.\n\nThe railway at Llanharan, Rhondda Cynon Taf, and the Vale of Glamorgan line is also flooded, with delays and cancellations also on Valley Line services.\n\nNetwork Rail also reports disruption to services on the line to and from Milford Haven in Pembrokeshire.\n\nFlooding on Van Road, Caerphilly, has caused difficulty for motorists\n\nThe M4 motorway has been closed for parts of the evening between Newport and Magor due to flooding, from junction 24 Coldra through to junction 23A.\n\nThe M48 has also been shut at junction 23 of the M4, through to junction 2 at the A466 Wye Valley Link Road, in Chepstow, Monmouthshire.\n\nThe A48 at Penhow in Newport, and at Ringland Way westbound were also closed by flood water.\n\nIn Newport city centre, the A4042 is shut, and also at Usk Road northbound, at Pontypool, Torfaen.\n\nGwent Police said Crickhowell Lane in Gilwern, Monmouthshire, was blocked due to flooding.\n\nIn Cardiff, the A4050 Port Road at Culverhouse Cross has also been flooded and shut.\n\nParts of the Kiln Park caravan site in Tenby have flooded\n\nThere are 9 flood warnings in force across south-east Wales.\n\nFlood warnings have been issued for Dinas Powys, Vale of Glamorgan, with roads already affected by downpours\n\nTwo flood warnings have been issued by Natural Resources Wales for the Lower Dee Valley from Llangollen to Trevalyn Meadows, Wrexham and the river Ritec at Tenby, Pembrokeshire.\n\nThere were 19 flood alerts - meaning flooding is possible and people should be prepared - issued throughout Wednesday.\n\nWelsh Water said it had been monitoring the weather forecast over the past few days and \"have taken additional steps to prepare for heavy rainfall to minimise the impact on services to customers\".\n\n\"Our teams across the south east of Wales are busy responding to calls from customers reporting flooding,\" said an official.\n\nOn Saturday, parts of Carmarthen flooded after the River Towy burst its banks and there was a landslip at Wattstown in Rhondda Cynon Taf following heavy rain.\n\nThe Met Office warned the heavy rain would be accompanied by strong winds during Wednesday evening and overnight into Thursday.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "130,000 people in Wales were asked to shield and isolate in the first Covid wave\n\nThose asked to shield against Covid during the first wave of the pandemic in Wales have been advised to avoid leaving home for work or school.\n\nAbout 130,000 people deemed extremely vulnerable due to underlying health conditions were originally advised to stay at home and isolate from others.\n\nNow a rise in cases possibly linked to a new variant of the virus has prompted the Welsh Government to tell those affected not to attend work or school.\n\nHealth Minister Vaughan Gething wrote in a statement that the advice, which is effective immediately, was particularly relevant to those whose work required them to be in regular or sustained contact with people, or who shared a poorly ventilated workspace for long periods.\n\nMr Gething wrote: \"This decision has been taken based on number of factors but has been influenced most recently by the significant recent growth in rates of infection, possibly due to the new variant of the coronavirus.\n\n\"We have also taken account of the pressures we see on our health service with increasing hospitalisations.\"\n\nLetters will be sent from the chief medical officer (CMO) and can be used as evidence to claim statutory sick pay.\n\nPeople shielding can still go out to exercise and attend medical appointments, and are able to remain part of a support bubble.\n\nMr Gething added: \"We have been clear that the safest option for people within this group is not to be part of a Christmas bubble.\n\n\"However if they choose to do so they should follow the advice provided on our website which includes keeping contacts to an absolute minimum, meeting for short periods in well ventilated areas, maintaining strict hand and surface hygiene and staying two metres away from others.\"\n\nHe acknowledged that letters informing people of the change were likely to be delayed because of the Christmas period.\n\nThe Welsh Conservatives had urged the government to introduce \"a compassionate shielding process\", which would include food boxes, dedicated supermarket home delivery shopping slots and financial support for those who are unable to work.\n\nThe Welsh Conservatives had called for new measures to help the most vulnerable to shield again\n\nThe party's health spokesman, Andrew RT Davies, said: \"I'm pleased that the Welsh Government has thought about the most at risk in our communities however, today's announcement does not go far enough.\n\n\"What this pandemic has shown is that half measures are not good enough, especially when there are reports today that Wales has the highest rate of Covid-19 infections per 100,000 people in the world.\"\n\nPlaid Cymru Member of the Senedd for Rhondda Leanne Wood said she welcomed the decision.\n\n\"I have had people in Rhondda Cynon Taf tell me they were put in a terrible position of having to choose between risking their lives in work or staying at home and facing poverty because they had no right to stay at home,\" she said.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "The deepfake Queen looks very like the real one\n\nThis year's Channel 4 alternative Christmas message will be delivered by a deepfake of the Queen.\n\nWhile the Queen is delivering her traditional message on the BBC and ITV, her digitally created doppelgänger will be sharing its \"thoughts\" on Channel 4.\n\nBuckingham Palace told the BBC it had no comment on the broadcast.\n\nChannel 4 said the intention was to give a \"stark warning\" about fake news in the digital age.\n\nDeepfake technology can be used to create convincing yet entirely fictional video content, and is often used to spread misinformation.\n\nIn the message, the deepfake will try its hand at a TikTok viral dance challenge.\n\nThe five-minute message will refer to a number of controversial topics, including the decision by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to leave the UK. It will also allude to the Duke of York's decision to step down from royal duties earlier this year after an interview he gave to the BBC about his relationship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.\n\nThe BBC's royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell was not impressed: \"There have been countless imitations of the Queen. This isn't a particularly good one.\n\n\"The voice sounds what it is - a rather poor attempt to impersonate her. What makes it troubling is the use of video technology to attempt to sync her lips to the words being spoken.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. WATCH: Channel 4 says its deepfake video of the Queen is meant to act as a warning\n\nSome members of the public have also suggested the video is \"disrespectful\" via posts on social media.\n\nThe media watchdog Ofcom said it had received \"a small number of complaints\", but because it is a post-transmission regulator could not consider them at this time.\n\nWhile current technology does allow for voice deepfakes, the voice of this deepfake will be dubbed by British actress Debra Stephenson.\n\nThe TV star was previously the voice of a puppet of the monarch in the 2020 revival of satirical sketch show Spitting Image.\n\nStephenson said: \"As an actress it is thrilling but it is also terrifying if you consider how this could be used in other contexts.\"\n\nThe deepfake has been created by Oscar-winning VFX studio Framestore.\n\nDeepfakes first rose to prominence in early 2018.\n\nAt the time, a developer adapted cutting-edge artificial intelligence techniques to create software that swapped one person's face for another.\n\nHowever, the process has since become much more accessible.\n\nThere are now numerous apps that require just a single photo in order to substitute a Hollywood actor for that of the user.\n\nEarlier this year, Microsoft unveiled a tool that can spot deepfakes.\n\nThe firm said it hoped to help combat disinformation, but experts warned it was at risk of becoming outdated due to advances in technology.\n\nNina Schick, author of Deep Fakes and the Infocalypse, told the BBC there was growing concern about the other malicious ways deepfake technology could be used.\n\n\"While it offers tremendous commercial and creative opportunities, transforming entire industries from entertainment to communication, it is also a technology that will be weaponised.\n\n\"Used maliciously, AI-generated synthetic media, or deepfakes, are sophisticated forms of visual disinformation.\"\n\nThe Alternative Christmas Message will be shown on Channel 4 at 15:25 GMT on 25 December.", "Just as we’ve got used to the idea of one worrying variant of this coronavirus, another one comes along.\n\nThe newest one, which has been brought from South Africa in recent weeks and infected two people in the UK, is “highly concerning”, says Health Secretary Matt Hancock.\n\nIt comes hot on the heels of the discovery of another variant in Kent causing sharply rising cases in the south and east of England, which will mean strict tier four restrictions being introduced in more areas of England on Boxing Day.\n\nThese are two different variants, but they have some similarities and share a mutation.\n\nCrucially they are both concerning, leading to large increases in cases in South African and the UK.\n\nUK scientists are skilled at genomic sequencing - the technique used to track mutations of the virus. That’s the main reason these variants have been found quickly and acted upon, but just because other countries haven’t detected them yet doesn’t mean they aren’t present.\n\nThe faster they can be found, the more quickly they can be squashed. With hospital admissions rising to near levels of the spring peak and deaths increasing daily, ministers have no choice but to act quickly.\n\nCutting social contact between people, tighter rules on travel and rapid testing – which is being rolled out to workers in care homes and is planned in schools and many local authorities – are the tools they are using to fight the virus on all fronts.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. More tier 4 areas, a new variant and a message of hope - three things from the Downing Street press conference\n\nSix million more people in the east and south east of England are to enter tier four on Boxing Day, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has announced.\n\nThe places moving into the highest level of restrictions - which include a \"stay at home\" order - border the areas already in tier four.\n\nA number of areas will also move up into tiers three and two.\n\nMr Hancock also revealed that another new coronavirus variant from South Africa has been detected in the UK.\n\nHe said anyone who had been there in the last two weeks must quarantine immediately.\n\nOn Wednesday, a further 39,237 people in the UK tested positive for virus - an all-time high - and there were 744 deaths within 28 days of a positive test, according to government figures.\n\nHowever, cases were thought to be higher in the UK during the spring peak when testing was much more limited.\n\nThe health secretary told the Downing Street briefing the old tiering system was not enough to control the new variant of the virus.\n\nAcross the country, cases have risen 57% in the last week, he said, and hospital admissions are at their highest level since mid-April.\n\nThe rises have been in places neighbouring areas already in tier four, he said, adding that East Anglia had seen a \"significant number\" of cases caused by the new fast-spreading variant.\n\nAreas moving to tier four are: Sussex, Oxfordshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Hampshire, with the exception of the New Forest, and the parts of Essex and Surrey not already in the toughest restrictions.\n\nThe additional six million going into tier four takes the total number of people under the toughest restrictions to 24 million, or 43% of England's population. A further 24.8 million will be in tier three.\n\nMr Hancock said: \"This Christmas and the start of 2021 is going to be tough. The new variant makes everything much harder because it spreads so much faster.\n\n\"But we mustn't give up now, we know that we can control this virus, we know we can get through this together, we're going to get through it by suppressing the virus until a vaccine can make us safe.\"\n\nUnder tier four, non-essential shops, gyms, hairdressers and indoor entertainment venues must close.\n\nPeople in these areas also cannot meet other people indoors, unless they live with them or they are part of their support bubble, even on Christmas Day, when rules on household mixing are relaxed across the rest of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.\n\nMr Hancock also announced that other areas would move into higher tiers.\n\nAreas moving to tier three are: Bristol, Gloucestershire, Somerset, including the North Somerset council area, Swindon, the Isle of Wight, the New Forest and Northamptonshire as well as Cheshire and Warrington.\n\nCornwall and Herefordshire will move into tier two.\n\nThe British Medical Association union said the new restrictions in England were a \"necessary step to control the virus and prevent the NHS from being overwhelmed\".\n\nBut the British Retail Consortium called on the government to extend the business rates holiday for retailers and the hospitality sector beyond April next year.\n\nThe trade body also said testing should be increased and the vaccination programme \"stepped up\".\n\nAnyone singing In the Bleak Midwinter may want to write another verse.\n\nIt's likely the NHS will soon be dealing with more Covid patients than at the peak in April.\n\nThe new variants are causing concern - especially as the one detected first in the UK continued to spread even during the November lockdown.\n\nAnd cases, numbers in hospital and deaths are all going up.\n\nVaccines will be the solution, but they take time to roll out and until then it is going to be rough.\n\nThe only other tool we have to stop the virus spreading is reducing our contacts with other people.\n\nThat's why millions more of us are moving up the tiers on Boxing Day.\n\nThe hope is that come spring the virus's grip on our lives will start to ease.\n\nThe health secretary also said two cases have been detected of another new variant of the coronavirus in the UK.\n\nBoth were contacts of cases who have travelled from South Africa over the past few weeks, he said.\n\nHe said: \"This new variant is highly concerning because it is yet more transmissible and it appears to have mutated further than the new variant that has been discovered in the UK.\"\n\nThe health secretary said both cases and close contacts of the cases have been quarantined.\n\nThere are immediate restrictions on travel from South Africa and the government is telling those who have been in contact with anyone who has been in South Africa in the last fortnight that they must quarantine.\n\nThe measures were temporary, he said, while the new variant was analysed by scientists at the government's research centre at Porton Down.\n\nThe health secretary also announced an expansion of mass testing and the vaccination programme.\n\nCommunity testing will carried out in areas with the highest infection rates, he said, with 116 areas signing up.\n\nVaccinations have now begun in care homes, Mr Hancock said, with Chelsea pensioners among those set to receive the jab.\n\nMr Hancock also revealed the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine has now submitted full data to the regulator for approval.\n\nHe said: \"Amid all this difficulty, the great hope for 2021 is of course the vaccine.\n\n\"The vaccine is our route out of all this and however tough this Christmas and this winter is going to be, we know that the transforming force of science is helping to find a way through\", he said.\n\nIt comes as the first trucks began leaving a temporary lorry park in Kent, where they had been stuck since France closed its UK border on Sunday amid concern about the new variant.\n\nFrance has ended its ban on UK arrivals on condition of them having a negative coronavirus test less than 72 hours before departure.\n\nOn Wednesday, Northern Ireland became the latest country to confirm the presence of the new strain. It has already been detected in England, Scotland and Wales, as well as a number of countries on the continent.\n\nHave you been affected by the issues raised in this story? You can share your experience by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.\n• None UK has two cases of variant linked to South Africa", "Marston's is to take over the running of Brains pubs in a bid to save 1,300 jobs in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.\n\nThe pub operator will take over the running of all 156 of the brewer's pubs, mainly in Wales.\n\nBrains said restrictions during the pandemic had put the business under \"significant financial pressure\".\n\nUnder the agreement, Marston's will pay rent for the entire estate but keep the Brains name while running the pubs as a tenant.\n\nAll pubs in Wales have been forced to close as the country battles the pandemic\n\nBrains closed more than 100 of its pubs after the Welsh Government announced an alcohol ban in pubs and restaurants at the start of December in a bid curb the spread of the virus.\n\nOn Saturday all pubs were forced to close their doors in the final days before Christmas as Wales entered a level four national lockdown.\n\nLast month the 138-year-old firm suggested the previous firebreak lockdown had cost it £1.6m.\n\nThe deal, which is expected to close in February, will add to Marston's 1,368 pubs in the UK, including 106 in Wales.\n\nBack in March, Brains announced plans to sell 40 of its pubs with workers warned of potential job losses due to economic uncertainty caused by Brexit.\n\nRalph Findlay, Chief Executive of Marston's, said the pubs were a \"great fit\" within the operator's existing estate.\n\n\"We look forward to the pub teams joining us and to welcoming guests and the communities which they serve, back into these pubs as the country emerges from the pandemic over the weeks and months ahead,\" he said.\n\nThe Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) said the deal brought hope the pubs would survive, but added it would be disappointed if it marked steps towards closing the Cardiff brewery.\n\n\"It will be interesting to see what the details of this deal are, how the Marston's beer will sit alongside the Brains beer, and what the future is for the brewery itself,\" said CEO of CAMRA Tom Stainer.\n\nHe added: \"This is good news, as we were worried that these pubs would be closed permanently, or sold for property development or non-pub use.\"\n\nThere is currently no suggestion the brewery is affected by the plans.", "President Emmanuel Macron said the nation shared the grief of the families of the police officers\n\nA gunman has shot dead three police officers who were called to a domestic violence incident in central France.\n\nThe suspect, 48, said to be known to authorities on child custody issues, was later found dead, officials said.\n\nA woman had fled to the roof of a house in a remote village near Saint-Just in the early hours of Wednesday.\n\nThe gunman killed one officer and wounded another. He then set fire to the house and killed two more officers who arrived. The woman was rescued.\n\nPresident Emmanuel Macron said the nation shared the grief of the families of the police officers.\n\nElite tactical police officers were at the scene on Wednesday in the village in the Puy-de-Dôme department, in France's Massif Central mountain region.\n\nAs the sequence of events became clear, prosecutor Eric Maillaud described the scene as a \"real war zone\" as he described a man who had been in conflict with his wife and had an arsenal of weapons. \"What's certain is that he was totally battle-hardened in handling weapons,\" he told reporters.\n\nThe mayor of Saint-Just, François Chautard, said initially that the house had burned down but it took police time to confirm that the suspect was dead, and the prosecutor said an initial examination of his body suggested he had taken his own life.\n\nPolice told French media that he had been found dead in his car nearby. He was named locally as Frédéric Limol and described as a shooting enthusiast with a disturbing profile.\n\nInterior Minister Gérald Darmanin visited the scene and named the first officer who died as Brig Arno Mavel, 21, and the two who died in the second incident as Lt Cyrille Morel, 45, and Adjutant Rémi Dupuis, 37.\n\nThe incident began late on Tuesday when the suspect's new partner raised the alarm with a friend shortly before 21:00 (20:00 GMT). She was bleeding and had fled to the roof of the building. Soon afterwards a gendarme patrol arrived, realised the man was dangerous and called for help.\n\nThe first shots were fired at around 22:30. The youngest of the three gendarmes was killed but a colleague was saved by his bulletproof vest.\n\nThe man then set fire to his home and shot dead the two other gendarmes. It later emerged he was wearing a bulletproof vest and had a gun equipped for night-vision. The gunman's partner was led to safety.\n\nThe man eventually fled in his car but crashed into a tree and was found with a Glock pistol in his hand.\n\nMr Darmanin expressed his profound sadness at the gendarmes' deaths and extended his condolences to their family, friends and colleagues. He said the deaths showed once more the risks that police officers were exposed to in their daily duties.\n\nIn his tweet, Mr Macron said the security forces put their lives at risk to protect the public and were \"our heroes\":\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Emmanuel Macron This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nIn another tweet, Prime Minister Jean Castex said the tragedy touched the whole country. He said he shared the grief of the officers' relatives and sent his unwavering support:\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Jean Castex This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThe wounded officer was shot in the leg and his life is not in danger.\n\nGun attacks on police in non-terror-related incidents are relatively rare in France.\n\nTwo women police officers were shot dead during a dispute with a burglary suspect in the village of Collobrières, near Toulon, in 2012.", "The EU and UK appear close to striking a post-Brexit trade deal, with Boris Johnson briefing his cabinet on the progress of talks in Brussels.\n\nDisputes over fishing rights and future business competition rules have been the major hurdles to agreement during months of often fraught talks.\n\nBut BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg said Downing Street now seemed \"very confident\" of a deal.\n\nNegotiators are now thought to be thrashing out the final details.\n\nThe official announcement of a deal is expected on Thursday morning.\n\nThe document is thought to be around 2,000 pages long, with both sides having until 31 December - when the UK leaves EU trading rules - get it approved by parliamentarians.\n\nA deal would end the prospect of the two sides imposing widespread import taxes - tariffs - on each other's goods from 1 January, which could have affected prices.\n\nEU sources said the UK prime minister and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had been in contact in an attempt to break the deadlock before the expected pause in negotiations for Christmas.\n\nThe UK has insisted on having control over fishing in its waters from 1 January and retaining a larger share of the catch from them than under the current quota system.\n\nBut the EU wanted to phase in a new fishing system over a longer period and retain more of its access to UK waters for boats from France, Spain and other member states.\n\nThe sides also disagreed over whether UK firms should continue to follow the same rules as companies within the EU - and on how future trading disputes should be resolved.\n\nUK ministers have repeatedly ruled out any extension to the transition period, under which the UK has continued to follow Brussels's trade rules since it left the EU on 31 January.\n\nThe European Research Group of Brexit-supporting Conservative MPs has promised to reconvene its \"star chamber\" of lawyers - which was highly critical of previous Prime Minister Theresa May's withdrawal agreement with the EU - to analyse any deal that is reached.\n\nChairman Mark Francois and deputy chairman David Jones said it would \"scrutinise it in detail, to ensure that its provisions genuinely protect the sovereignty of the United Kingdom\".", "Hotel and restaurant group Whitbread has asked landlords for a 50% rent cut for the next three months as pandemic restrictions continue to hit trading.\n\nThe owner of the Premier Inn, Beefeater and Brewers Fayre brands said in a letter to landlords they must \"share some of the pain\" of lockdown.\n\nBritain's biggest hospitality group, with 800 hotels in the UK and Ireland, had already warned of big job cuts.\n\nLandlords and commercial property investors will likely resist rent cuts.\n\nThey have seen their own finances depleted by rent cuts and restructurings across the hospitality sector. Unlike many rivals, Whitbread had continued to pay rent in full.\n\nAndrew Jones, chief executive of LondonMetric, a FTSE 250 property company with a Premier Inn tenant, said Whitbread has \"behaved impeccably\" towards to landlords \"and so we will look to help them with their cash flow whilst the business recovers\".\n\nBut he added: \"A permanent transfer of value from our shareholders to theirs is not appropriate for a company still valued at over £6bn.\n\n\"There are no contractual provisions for landlords to share gains in the good years and so sharing pain in the tough years seems inequitable. After all, you can't un-sign a contract.\"\n\nDeferring rent payments for a period would be more \"equitable\", he said.\n\nWhitbread also owns the Beefeater chain of restaurants\n\nLaura Lambie, senior investment director for Investec, told the BBC's Today Programme that the letter, first reported by property news publication CoStar, was “worrying from the landlord’s point of view, not just Whitbread”.\n\nA Whitbread spokesperson said that since the start of the pandemic the business \"has taken decisive action to ensure that our cost base reflects the low levels of demand\".\n\nThe company added: \"Throughout the pandemic to date, we have paid our rent commitments in full, even when our hotels and restaurants were forced to close.\n\n\"With ongoing government restrictions expected to result in subdued market demand into the first half of 2021, we are now asking our landlords to support us, as other stakeholders have during the pandemic, through a reduction in rent for the December quarter in recognition of the current environment.\"\n\nIn September, Whitbread warned that 6,000 of its workers could be laid off. The company also scrapped its dividends to shareholders, while directors and senior management took pay cuts. More than 27,000 staff were furloughed under the Job Retention Scheme.\n\nThe company recently invested $40m (£30m) in new German hotels which it planned to open by December, despite reporting a £725m loss for the six months to the end of August.\n\nThe UK government has extended eviction protection for retailers and restaurants until the end of 2020, and has also renewed a business rate holiday for the current financial year.", "Actress Eileen Pollock, best known for playing Lilo Lil in 1980s TV sitcom Bread, has died at the age of 73.\n\nPollock, from Belfast, played Freddie Boswell's brassy mistress in the hit comedy about a large Liverpool family.\n\nShe also had a long stage career and appeared in such films as Far and Away, starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, and Mike Leigh's Four Days in July.\n\nHer agents said she was \"truly a powerhouse of an actor, with huge generosity and spirit\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by ANA This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nPollock trained as a translator, once joking that she \"could have been a Eurocrat with a Porsche in every European capital city\".\n\nBut her first love was theatre. After moving to London, she worked backstage at the Bush Theatre, getting her break when an actress announced she would not be able to go on the following night.\n\nPollock was sent home with the script to learn the part. \"It was really scary - but I did it,\" she said.\n\nWhen she auditioned for Bread, the producers wanted the character to be from Liverpool - but Pollock convinced them she should be Irish.\n\n\"The reason I said that was because I had been trying out my Liverpool accent on the taxi driver on the way to the audition and he asked me which part of Australia I came from. I thought then that I'd be better off sticking to what I knew.\"\n\nShe got the part, and Bread ran from 1986-91, attracting 21 million viewers at its peak in 1988.\n\nPollock (left) with Jean Boht (right) in Bread\n\nShe said she didn't mind being associated with the character. \"I disbelieve actors who say 'I want rid of that image',\" she told the Northern Echo in 2004.\n\n\"People will always remember me as Lilo Lil and it's wonderful. I like it when someone says in a supermarket, 'You know who you remind me of, don't take offence, that tart from Bread'.\"\n\nWhen she got her first Hollywood role, it was as brothel keeper Molly Kay in 1992's Far and Away.\n\n\"It amused Jean Boht [Nellie Boswell] from Bread,\" the actress recalled. \"She said I had been promoted from a tart in the TV series.\"\n\nHer other film credits included 1999's Angela's Ashes, and she played the title role in BBC Radio 4 comedy The Pamela Myers Show in 1995.\n\nFollow us on Facebook or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "Police said they were investigating a report of an assault that took place in August at Cygnet Woodside\n\nA hospital for men with learning disabilities has been placed in special measures after there were \"serious risks to patient safety\".\n\nThe Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspected Cygnet Woodside, in Bradford, in September following allegations of abuse by staff towards a patient.\n\nPolice said they were investigating a report of an assault at the hospital on 31 August and had arrested two men.\n\nThe mental health hospital said it was taking action to address improvements.\n\nDr Kevin Cleary, CQC deputy chief inspector of hospitals and lead for mental health, said: \"Our latest inspection of Cygnet Woodside found that the hospital was not ensuring its patients' safety.\"\n\nHe said there were \"inherent risk factors and warning signs\" including a high turnover of employees and an inadequate number of skilled staff looking after patients, which compromised care.\n\n\"The service showed warning signs that increased the likelihood of a closed culture developing. This would have put people at serious risk of coming to harm if we didn't take action,\" he said.\n\nThe CQC said senior leaders were not always fully aware of concerns in the service and \"this included the concern relating to the allegations of abuse toward a patient which is being investigated by police\".\n\nFollowing the unannounced inspection, the commission also suspended the nine-bed hospital's current \"good\" rating for caring.\n\nIt has been given an overall rating of \"inadequate\" after a strong odour of urine, damaged walls and peeling paint on wards were also found.\n\nCygnet Woodside said it was \"disappointed\" with the CQC's assessment, that their report was \"disproportionate\" and \"does not provide an entirely accurate representation\" of the hospital.\n\nA spokeswoman said it reported to police a \"single safeguarding concern that was raised against a member of staff\".\n\nThe hospital \"immediately suspended two employees\", she added.\n\nDr Cleary said there would be \"further action to keep people safe\" if inspectors saw insufficient improvement.\n\nWest Yorkshire Police said the arrested men were subsequently released under investigation but did not disclose the offence they had been held under.\n\nMencap, a learning disability charity, said the CQC report highlighted yet more concerns of inpatient units and called on the government for \"the right support and housing in the community\".\n\nFollow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Marie McCourt had hoped her daughter's killer would never get parole\n\nKillers who refuse to reveal where they hid a body could still be freed despite new laws aimed at denying them parole.\n\nParole Board chief executive Martin Jones said even when Helen's Law starts next year the board was obliged to free inmates who pose no risk to the public.\n\nHelen's Law is named after Helen McCourt, from Merseyside, whose killer Ian Simms was freed from jail without disclosing the location of her remains.\n\nHer mother Marie McCourt said the law could have \"gone further\".\n\nMr Jones said prisoners would be questioned and failure to co-operate may not work in their favour.\n\nBut he said it was a \"really difficult area\" and the legislation does not simply mean \"no body, no parole\".\n\nFailure to co-operate and reveal such information is \"frowned upon\" by the board and could see a prisoner having requests for parole denied in the first instance, Mr Jones said.\n\nHowever, he added: \"What it cannot do is act as a complete block on your release.\n\n\"Ultimately if someone is no longer a risk, we must release them.\"\n\nHelen McCourt was murdered by Ian Simms in 1988\n\nHelen McCourt, a 22-year-old insurance clerk, vanished on her way home from work in 1988. Her body has never been found.\n\nHer killer Ian Simms was released from prison earlier this year after Mrs McCourt lost a legal bid to keep him behind bars.\n\nMrs McCourt, 77, from St Helens, said Mr Jones's comments had \"belittled Helen's Law\".\n\nShe said it was \"upsetting to hear the law may not have helped our case\" and that it was \"a very cruel time to put something like that in the papers\", causing her \"great distress.\"\n\nShe added: \"Simms has a violent history. How can they say a man like that - who also won't reveal information - is safe to be released?\n\n\"But they have to make sure Helen's Law makes it harder and makes it far more difficult than it has been.\"\n\nMrs McCourt said: \"I acknowledge this is not a 'no body, no parole law'… I respect people's lives.\"\n\nBut to conceal where victims' remains are located is \"an offence against humanity\" and \"every family should have a chance to say a last goodbye\", she added.\n\nThe timing of Mr Jones's comments \"just days before Christmas, is hugely insensitive to victims [and] has deeply upset Marie McCourt and many families\", said her MP, Conor McGinn.\n\nThe Labour representative for St Helen's North wrote in a Tweet: \"The will of Parliament on Helen's Law is clear [and] so is the duty of the Parole Board.\"\n\nMs McCourt's family spent five years calling for legislation to help give grieving relatives closure.\n\nThe Prisoners (Disclosure Of Information About Victims) Bill finally gained Royal Assent last month after a series of political and constitutional setbacks.\n\nThe law sets out to toughen up existing guidelines, making it a legal requirement for the Parole Board to take into account a killer's failure to disclose the location of their victim's remains when considering them for release.\n\nIt will also apply to paedophiles who refuse to identify those they abused.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "A farming community of 50 people who all live together said their way of life had \"come into its own\" during the coronavirus pandemic.\n\nThe group, which dates back to 1974, share a house in East Bergholt, Suffolk, where they live off 70 acres (28 hectares) of land.\n\nThey said they had seen a large rise in applications to join them recently.\n\nCommunity member David Hodgson said it had been a \"blessing\" to live there and share their skills during the crisis.\n\n\"Within our group we have an incredible set of skills that are put to use for the benefit of us all,\" the 71-year-old added.\n\nThe house was a convent, an Army barracks and then a friary before it was bought in 1974 by a group of families who wanted to form a community\n\nThe community had managed to stay Covid-free by working together and being \"careful and vigilant\", he said.\n\nSeveral of its members are classed as vulnerable, including one resident who is 99 years old.\n\nThey decided to introduce their own social restrictions early in March, ahead of the national lockdown later that month, and have held regular meetings to work out how best to protect themselves.\n\nSinging, yoga and philosophy groups which are usually open to the public have all been paused and they have imposed a strict cleaning rota.\n\nSocial distancing had been relatively easy due to the amount of space they have, with their self-sufficient lifestyle well suited to a lockdown, David said.\n\nThey said there had been a 300% increase in applications to join the community during the pandemic.\n\nMembers buy a share and pay an annual charge to live there. Most also have part-time jobs in the outside world, but must commit to about 15 hours of work a week in the house and its grounds.\n\nThey breed sheep and pigs, grow fruit, vegetables and wheat for bread, milk their own cows and make butter, cheese and yoghurt.\n\nThey also generate their own heat and electricity.\n\nThe community has enjoyed many socially-distanced campfire meals this year\n\nDuring the first lockdown, the members made face masks and opened their own tuck shop, while holding meditation sessions and enjoying socially-distanced campfire meals and maypole dancing.\n\n\"If something is needed from the shop or the pharmacy in the village then the request goes out on social media and someone in the community will take up the action,\" David noted in his blog about life there during the first lockdown.\n\nThe community said it kept tight rules in place throughout the summer, despite the national easing of restrictions.\n\nDavid said: \"We cautiously allowed some potential members to visit the community and some friends and family between lockdown one and two.\n\n\"To accommodate this, we cleared a sheltered area under some trees, constructed a compost toilet and a temporary field kitchen so that our families could camp.\n\n\"Stays were limited to three nights. This enabled us to see family without letting them into the building.\"\n\nThe 16th Century manor house, which has more than 100 rooms, has also been a convent, an army barracks and a Franciscan friary before it was bought in 1974 by 14 families who formed the community.\n\nDavid Hodgson worked in the architectural profession before he moved to the community in 1989\n\nDavid worked in architecture before he moved there in 1989. He brought up two children and worked locally three days a week as a design lecturer to supplement his lifestyle.\n\nHe retired early to spend most of his time working in the orchards and vegetable gardens.\n\nHe said members were looking forward to Christmas, and would have a socially-distanced meal on Christmas Day.\n\n\"The children here are enjoying daily advent activities running up to Christmas. Anything from a treasure hunt to biscuit-making to decoration-making workshops,\" he said.\n\nHe said they would not let their guards down over the festive period and would continue to protect each other, acknowledging that Covid was \"by no means over\" despite the start of the national vaccination programme.\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Ex-Prime Minister Tony Blair is urging the government to give as many people as possible an initial dose of a Covid vaccine - rather than preserving stocks so there is enough for second jabs.\n\nThe Pfizer-Biontech and Oxford University-Astrazeneca vaccines require two doses to be fully effective.\n\nMr Blair said his idea would speed up the vaccine programme so the country could come out of lockdown sooner.\n\nIn the Independent, he argued the roll-out must be \"radically accelerated\".\n\nThe UK has pre-ordered 40 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and 100 million of the Oxford University Astrazeneca vaccines.\n\nMore than 500,000 people in the UK have now been given their first dose of the vaccine.\n\nThe two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine are administered around 21 days apart.\n\nIn a statement, Pfizer said this was needed \"to provide the maximum protection\", adding: \"Health professionals are advised to continue to follow the official guidance on administration of the vaccine.\"\n\nMr Blair told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that although \"you really need the two doses… the first dose gives you substantial immunity\".\n\nHe argued there was a \"strong case for not holding back the second doses of the vaccine\" and instead using those batches to give a greater number of people the first dose.\n\nHis proposal was backed up by Professor David Salisbury, the man in charge of immunisation at the Department of Health until 2013.\n\nHe told Today the numbers were \"straightforward\".\n\n\"You give one dose you get 91% [protection] you give two doses and you get 95% - you are only gaining 4% for giving the second dose,\" he said.\n\n\"With current circumstances, I would strongly urge you to use as many first doses as you possibly can for risk groups and only after you have done all of that come back with second doses.\"\n\nHowever, he acknowledged this would be harder to do with the Oxford University vaccine, where the efficacy of two doses is 60%.\n\nPfizer has not tested their vaccine as a single dose so where have the numbers come from?\n\nThe large clinical trial using two jabs showed 52% protection in the time between the first and second jabs.\n\nBut it takes time for the immune system to fully respond, so that figure will include the time when there is no protection from the vaccine.\n\nAnd this is true of the second jab; it's not an instantaneous response.\n\nData in the New England Journal of Medicine says there is 90.5% protection in the six days after the second jab.\n\nProf Salisbury's argument is this is all down to the first jab, as the second has not kicked in yet.\n\nProfessor Wendy Barclay, from the department of infectious disease at Imperial College London, said Mr Blair's idea was interesting but agreed it was \"too risky\" to try without further evidence.\n\nAnd Professor Neil Ferguson, also from Imperial, added that the UK regulator had authorised the vaccine on the basis that people would receive two doses.\n\nAdministering one dose only would require \"an entirely different regulatory submission\", he told a Commons committee.\n\nA Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: \"Over the coming weeks and months, the rate of vaccinations will increase as more doses become available and the programme continues to expand.\"\n\nMargaret Keenan became the first person in the UK to receive the Pfizer/BioNtech Covid-19 vaccine at University Hospital, Coventry\n\nMr Blair's suggestion is part of a seven-point plan he has drawn up, which also includes a plea to the government to start preparing \"health passports\".\n\nThe former Labour prime minister, who was in power between 1997 and 2007, predicted that in six months, countries would only allow travellers to visit if they could give proof of their disease status.\n\nHe also said it was important to \"have the best data systems in the world available to us\".\n\n\"Collecting this data in one place, with one patient record, is going to be absolutely vital - testing, vaccinations, every single thing to do with the development of this disease,\" he added.\n\n\"You need to record every single piece of data you can lay your hands on because we will be adjusting our vaccination programme as we go - we may even have to adjust the vaccine itself.\"\n\nMr Blair also said that while it was important to prioritise the vulnerable and health care staff, this should not delay vaccinating those who were more likely to spread the disease, such as students.\n\nTony Blair's theory about making vaccines go further is grabbing the headlines but the former prime minister's thoughts on health passports could prove even more controversial.\n\nHe's confident that within six months no country in the world will allow travellers in without proof of their disease status - and wants the UK government to get ahead of the curve, building a vast database of patient records, tests and vaccinations.\n\nIt would seem inevitable that any health passport would end up being used not just for foreign travel but at home, with restaurants, shops and even employers demanding to know about an individual's virus status.\n\nThe national ID card that Tony Blair's government proposed in the teeth of fierce opposition would finally become a reality.\n\nBut civil liberties and data rights campaigners have already raised concerns about issues such as the data collected by the NHS Covid-19 contact tracing app, and about the role in building a virus dashboard the government has given to the controversial American firm Palantir.\n\nThey can be expected to mount a vigorous fight against any attempt to create a national \"Covid passport\" - and many MPs across the political spectrum will share their unease.\n\nBut not everyone will reject the idea out of hand. Some whose freedoms to leave their house or to welcome family at Christmas have been curtailed may think that giving away some of their data is a price worth paying for a return to normality.", "Octopuses throw punches at fish and it could be out of spite, scientists say.\n\nMarine biologists filmed these interactions in the Red Sea but it has also been captured elsewhere. It's not entirely clear why they lash out but scientists say it may be a way of keeping the fish in line.\n\nFish and octopuses are known to hunt prey together and their interactions will continue to be analysed.", "Truckers have been stranded in Kent since France imposed a cross-Channel travel ban\n\nTeams of volunteers have delivered hundreds of meals to lorry drivers stranded in Kent.\n\nMembers of Maidenhead's KhalsaAid travelled 80 miles (130km) to take food to drivers hit by the travel ban between the UK and France.\n\nOn Tuesday, some of the Sikh charity's LangarAid members travelled almost double the distance, from Coventry, to take water and food.\n\nVolunteers from KhalsaAid provided more than 800 meals to stuck truckers\n\nRail, air and sea services between the two countries have resumed after France eased its travel ban.\n\nFrench citizens, British nationals living in France and hauliers are among those now able to travel - if they have a recent negative test.\n\nBut the delays will take some time to clear, with drivers remaining in need of help from the armies of volunteers.\n\nSome European nationals living in England have come to the aid of their compatriots who are stranded in Kent.\n\nMembers of a Facebook page for Hungarians in the UK helped to organise food donations.\n\nIvett Hidvegi said drivers were \"in a really bad situation\" with limited access to food and toilets.\n\nVolunteers were prevented from delivering food at Manston Airport on Tuesday, so handed donations to drivers on the roadside, she said.\n\nExtra toilets were delivered to Manston Airport on Wednesday\n\nSikhs from Guru Nanak Gurdwara in Gravesend, Kent, helped cook the meals before volunteers were given a police escort along the M20 to deliver them.\n\nMr Singh added: \"It's horrible for [the drivers], there's nothing here - no food, no shops - it's like a prison for them. We can't sit back and do nothing.\"\n\nThe Salvation Army has been giving out food and drink to drivers stuck on the M20\n\nThe Salvation Army has also provided 1,000 packs of sandwiches for lorry drivers on the M20.\n\nCapt Marion Rouffet said: \"We worked from 8:30 last night until midnight, and the sandwiches were stored by the pub next door.\n\n\"The shop owner next door offered anything we need, and Pret A Manger gave us lots of sandwich fillings.\n\n\"People will always rally when necessary.\"\n\nRamsgate FC was giving out pizzas to drivers as they arrived at Manston Airport\n\n\"We are a community club and we want anyone in the community or who passes through to know we will always look after them,\" chairman James Lawson said.\n\n\"We gave pizzas to the lorry drivers as they were driving into Manston Airport. We have a pizza kitchen and we can't play football at the moment, so we had a lot of stock which was starting to go out of date, so it seemed a perfect opportunity to help out.\n\n\"It was a lot of work over a few hours,\" he said.\n\nAshford International Truckstop said it was providing 1,000 food bags, prepared by staff who had volunteered to work at its sister hotel in Hythe and pub in Alkham.\n\nToby Howe, senior highways managers at Kent County Council, said: \"For those on the M20 there have been facilities - toilets have been provided - and we've had really good support from communities around the place to provide food.\n\n\"We're really appreciative of those who have brought food.\n\n\"There's been a lot of positives from this - people coming together to give support.\"\n\nFollow BBC South East on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer have thanked the armed forces and NHS staff for their work in dealing with Covid-19.\n\nIn a video call with troops in the UK and abroad, the PM saluted those who had helped build hospitals, deliver equipment and organise testing.\n\n\"You represent in my view the very best of our country,\" he said.\n\nIn his Christmas message, Sir Keir said the pandemic had shown the values of \"generosity and kindness\" in abundance.\n\nWhile it had been tough year for everyone and a traumatic one for many, the Labour leader said \"in every village, every town and every city, we have seen the very best of Britain\".\n\nHe paid tribute to the \"key workers who have been our country's rock, the servicemen and servicewomen who have stepped up, and the incredible scientists who have discovered a vaccine\".\n\nWhile there was \"light at the end of the tunnel\" in the country's fight against the virus, he acknowledged the difficulties many families face with \"an empty space around the Christmas table\" this year.\n\n\"I know it hasn't been easy. I know for many of our key workers they will have to step up again, one more time, this Christmas, as will our armed forces, who have deployed here and across the overseas,\" he said.\n\n\"Christmas is a time for us to be thankful for what we value most and to care for those who have lost so much.\"\n\nAnd he urged people to capture the spirit shown during the crisis to \"rebuild a better future for our country\".\n\nAddressing troops stationed in Mali, Estonia, Somalia and Afghanistan, as well as those deployed in the UK, Mr Johnson thanked them all for being \"our number one export\".\n\n\"You represent in my view the very best of our country, the thing people really want to see around the world.\n\n\"It's not just abroad that this has been an amazing year for the armed services. So many of you have been responsible for doing extraordinary things here at home, thousands of you helping to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.\n\n\"Building the Nightingales, delivering PPE, testing people, and now leading the way and helping the country to get vaccinated.\n\n\"Thank you for your sacrifice and your effort. You're bringing hope and encouragement to the entire country.\"", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. \"I am kicking myself very hard\" - Nicola Sturgeon apologises for mask rule breach\n\nScotland's first minister has apologised for breaching Covid rules by taking her face mask off at a wake.\n\nThe Scottish Sun has published a photograph of Nicola Sturgeon standing talking to three people at a social distance, but with her face uncovered.\n\nShe was attending a wake after the funeral of a Scottish government civil servant who died with Covid.\n\nMs Sturgeon had been wearing a tartan mask and is said to have taken it off briefly as she was leaving the venue.\n\nThe Scottish government's Covid regulations say that customers in hospitality venues must wear a face covering except when seated - including when they are entering, exiting and moving around.\n\nAnyone who breaches the face covering rules can be punished by a fixed penalty notice of £60.\n\nHowever Police Scotland said they would not be taking any action, saying the first minister had apologised and \"acknowledged this inadvertent breach\" of the regulations.\n\nIn a statement, Ms Sturgeon said she had \"briefly\" removed her face mask while attending a wake, calling it a \"stupid mistake\".\n\nAddressing MSPs at Holyrood, the first minister said she wanted to express \"how sorry I am for my breach of rules that I ask all of us to follow\".\n\nMs Sturgeon said: \"I want to be clear that regardless of the circumstances, I was in the wrong. There are no excuses.\n\n\"These rules do apply to me, just as they do to everyone else, and the rules really matter.\n\n\"I am kicking myself very hard - possibly harder than my worst critic ever could - but more importantly I'll be making sure I don't drop my guard again.\"\n\nMs Sturgeon is understood to have been at the wake in the Stable Bar and Restaurant in Edinburgh after attending a service at nearby Mortonhall Crematorium.\n\nThe first minister regularly uses her daily coronavirus briefings to remind people to cover their faces to limit the risk of spreading the virus.\n\nScotland's national clinical director Jason Leitch told Good Morning Scotland he had spoken to Ms Sturgeon last night and she was \"furious with herself\".\n\n\"She is absolutely mad at this little lapse in concentration - it's so easily done,\" he said. \"We live in a completely different world from a year ago.\n\n\"She was leaving a funeral of a colleague of ours - a wonderful, wonderful individual who did a huge amount of work during the pandemic. It was an awfully sad day for many of us in the government who knew him and his family well.\n\n\"It just reinforces again to all of us, the nature of these instructions and this virus.\"\n\nWhen you make and promote coronavirus rules, it is not a good idea to break them.\n\nNo-one understands that better than Nicola Sturgeon, who has already parted company with an MP and a medical adviser for past breaches.\n\nThe first minister has not taken a train journey having tested positive for the virus as MP Margaret Ferrier did.\n\nShe had not made unnecessary trips to a holiday home during lockdown as her former chief medical officer, Catherine Calderwood, did.\n\nNor has she taken a drive to Barnard Castle as the prime minister's former adviser Dominic Cummings did.\n\nNicola Sturgeon's breach - removing her face mask briefly to talk to people at a funeral wake - is relatively minor. But it is a breach.\n\nThat's why the first minister has put her hands up and apologised for what she calls a \"stupid mistake\".\n\nIt is a mistake that anyone could make but when you're fronting the campaign to get the public to obey coronavirus rules, it does not make that job any easier.\n\nA Scottish Conservative spokesman said: \"The first minister should know better. By forgetting the rules and failing to set a proper example, she's undermining essential public health messaging.\n\n\"It's a blunder that an ordinary member of the public wouldn't get away with. There cannot be one rule for Nicola Sturgeon and another for everyone else.\"\n\nScotland's Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf said in a tweet that Ms Sturgeon had been \"upfront\" from the very beginning of the pandemic.\n\n\"She has apologised for [the] accidental lapse (which I suspect most of us have had one over last 9 months),\" he wrote.\n\nHe said the FM was her own harshest critic and that \"most people\" would accept her apology and move on.\n\nJillian Evans, head of health intelligence at NHS Grampian, said high-profile breaches of Covid rules \"matter a lot\" to the public.\n\nShe told the BBC's Good Morning Scotland programme: \"There are clear breaches and then there are indiscretions.\n\n\"I'm not passing comment on anyone in particular, but some of us are prone to lapses now and again.\n\n\"The main thing is how honest and trustworthy our leaders are. I don't doubt anyone in Scotland's dedication to the cause but it really does matter, because everybody must follow the rules at all times as much as they possibly can.\"", "Last updated on .From the section Football\n\nDiego Maradona's autopsy has revealed that the Argentina legend had no signs of alcohol or narcotics consumption at the time of his death.\n\nThe 1986 World Cup winner died of a heart attack on 25 November at the age of 60.\n\nThe autopsy said Maradona had problems with his kidneys, heart and lungs.\n\nIt had been ordered as part of an investigation into Maradona's death to see if there was any negligence in the healthcare he was provided.\n\nMaradona, widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time, had a successful operation on a brain blood clot earlier in November and had been due to be treated for alcohol dependency.\n\nA first autopsy carried out on the day Maradona died found that the former Boca Juniors and Napoli player had died from \"acute pulmonary edema secondary to exacerbated chronic heart failure with dilated cardiomyopathy\".\n• None Who are the greatest Premier League captains?\n• None The best Christmas songs performed by the biggest artists", "An \"amazing\" new type of mineral has been discovered by scientists analysing a rock mined in Cornwall about 220 years ago.\n\nThe dark green mineral has been named kernowite after Kernow, the Cornish language word for Cornwall.\n\nA group led by Natural History Museum (NHM) mineralogist Mike Rumsey made the discovery while studying a rock taken from Wheal Gorland mine in St Day.\n\nMr Rumsey said: \"It's amazing that in 2020 we are adding a new mineral.\"\n\nFor centuries, mineralogists believed the green crystals to be a variation of another mineral, liroconite, but Mr Rumsey and his team found it has a different chemical composition.\n\nBlue liroconite is highly prized by collectors around the world, and the majority of it comes from the Wheal Gorland site.\n\nThe mineral was discovered within a rock specimen that has been at the Natural History Museum in London since 1964\n\nCornwall has a rich mining history with Unesco world heritage status and is known globally for the discovery of minerals.\n\nMr Rumsey, principal curator of minerals at the NHM in London, said: \"A lot of these discoveries happened over 100 years ago when the mines were still active, so the discovery of a new mineral from Cornwall, particularly one that is related to the region's most famous mineral, is really quite amazing.\n\n\"Considering how many geologists, prospectors and collectors have scoured the county over the centuries in search of mineral treasure, it's amazing that in 2020 we are adding a new mineral.\"\n\nMike Rumsey is principal curator of minerals at the Natural History Museum, which has one of the most important collections in the world\n\nA new mineral is discovered in the UK every three or four years on average, according to the NHM\n\nThe new description has now been approved by the International Mineralogical Association and the new type will be published in Mineralogical Magazine next year.\n\nMr Rumsey said most liroconite comes from Wheal Gorland, adding: \"The mine was used between around 1790 and 1909, but it has been demolished now.\n\n\"There is a housing estate on it and there is nothing left. It's an extinct locality, we can never go back.\"\n\nThe mine where it was discovered has now been built over\n\n\"What we've got is a bit like a little time capsule,\" Mr Rumsey said.\n\n\"The fact that this sample was preserved in a museum means that we can do this kind of research because we'd never be able to go back and collect any more.\"\n\nThe structure of the crystals is the same as liroconite, but kernowite contains iron instead of aluminium, creating the different colour\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Wednesday morning.\n\nRail, air and sea services between Britain and France have resumed, with French citizens, British nationals living in France and hauliers among those able to travel if they have a recent negative coronavirus test. The military is being deployed to help carry out rapid tests on thousands of stranded lorry drivers. Clearing the backlog of freight will take time and the crisis has highlighted the importance of the Dover-Calais route for food supplies, as we explain. More than 50 other countries are continuing to block UK travellers, including almost all of the EU 27. That's despite a call from the European Commission for nations to drop blanket bans.\n\nFirst Minister Nicola Sturgeon has apologised for breaching Covid rules by taking her face mask off at a wake. The Scottish Sun published a photograph of her standing talking to three people indoors at a social distance, but with her face uncovered. In a statement released to the BBC, the first minister said it was \"a stupid mistake\". \"I was in the wrong, I'm kicking myself, and I'm sorry,\" she added. The Scottish Conservatives accused her of \"undermining essential public health messaging\".\n\nRapid testing will be rolled out to another 17 local council areas across England, from Lincolnshire to Bristol, to try to stem rising infection rates - here's how the system works. It comes amid suggestions more areas could be moved up to tier four as early as Boxing Day after a meeting between ministers and public health officials on Tuesday. Sources say it's likely those would be places immediately adjacent to current tier four areas. Stricter rules are due to come into force across the whole Scottish mainland on Boxing Day, while Wales is already in another national lockdown, with those asked to shield during the pandemic's first wave advised to do so again.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Dads share their fatherhood experience of not being there for their partners and wives because of coronavirus\n\nIn other, slightly brighter news, British employers planned the lowest number of redundancies in November since the start of the pandemic. The figure was still more than 36,000, but that compares with a peak of 156,000 in June. Experts say the decision to extend the furlough scheme until the spring helped to prevent a bigger wave of job cuts. Read more on how furlough works and whether you could be eligible.\n\nAll in all, it's going to be a tough Christmas for many, but hopefully we can lift your spirits this morning with some stories of kindness. They include Jessica Rixon, who brought together friends to prepare Christmas dinner for 14 families who've been badly affected by the pandemic. And Callum Williamson, whose generous neighbour Rebecca has offered to cook him lunch after his plans fell through. Speaking of lunch, if you've found yourself unexpectedly cooking the Christmas meal for the first time, let us offer some tips. - or if you're going to be alone on the day, here are some suggestions for how to cope - or even thrive.\n\nJessica raised more than £1,000 to pay for the ingredients\n\nFind more information, advice and guides on our coronavirus page.\n\nPlus, there is mounting pressure on hospitals, with growing numbers being admitted each day. So will the Nightingales be used? Our health correspondent Nick Triggle has more.\n\nWhat questions do you have about coronavirus?\n\nIn some cases, your question will be published, displaying your name, age and location as you provide it, unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published. Please ensure you have read our terms & conditions and privacy policy.\n\nUse this form to ask your question:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or send them via email to YourQuestions@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any question you send in.", "Buckingham Palace's Masterpieces exhibition was forced to shut after less than two weeks\n\nThe two men in charge of the Queen's art collection have left and won't be replaced \"for the time being\" because of Covid's impact on royal finances.\n\nDesmond Shawe-Taylor, the Surveyor of The Queen's Pictures - a post that was created in 1625 - has taken redundancy.\n\nRufus Bird, the Surveyor of The Queen's Works of Art, has also left.\n\nThe Royal Collection Trust has said it expects to lose £64m in income this year because Buckingham Palace and other sites have been shut to visitors.\n\nThat has forced the Trust, one of the the royal household's five departments, into carrying out a restructure and staff cuts.\n\nWriting in the Trust's latest annual report, the Prince of Wales, its chairman, said: \"We are now facing by far the greatest challenge in the charity's history and have had to take many hard decisions in order to adjust to the new economic realities.\"\n\nThe Trust looks after the Queen's vast and distinguished art collection, which includes masterpieces by Vermeer, Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Rubens, Titian and Reynolds.\n\nThe post of Surveyor of The Queen's Pictures was created by Charles I, and previous holders include Anthony Blunt, who was later revealed to have been a Russian spy. Mr Shawe-Taylor had been in the job since 2005.\n\nThe Trust is also responsible for opening the Queen's official residences to visitors. Its latest exhibition, Masterpieces from Buckingham Palace, opened on 4 December but was forced to close less than two weeks later, when London's coronavirus restrictions were tightened.\n\nA statement from the Trust said: \"As part of the Royal Collection Trust restructure, Desmond Shawe-Taylor, Surveyor of The Queen's Pictures and Chief Surveyor, and Rufus Bird, Surveyor of The Queen's Works of Art, will leave the organisation under the Voluntary Severance Programme.\n\n\"The posts of Surveyor of The Queen's Pictures and Surveyor of The Queen's Works of Art will for the time being, be lost and held in abeyance.\n\n\"The Director of the Royal Collection, Tim Knox, will assume overall responsibility for the curatorial sections, supported by the Deputy Surveyors of Pictures and Works of Art.\"", "The EU and UK are making a \"final push\" for a post-Brexit trade deal, EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier has said.\n\nBut he told diplomats from the bloc's 27 member states there was little time left to reach agreement before the 31 December deadline.\n\nThe UK will leave the EU trading rules at that point.\n\nTalks have been taking place round the clock to try to settle differences over fishing, competition rules and how future disputes will be resolved.\n\nIf there is no trade deal by 31 December, both sides could place import taxes on each other's goods, potentially affecting prices.\n\nSpeaking in Brussels, where the talks are happening, Mr Barnier said: \"We are really in a crucial moment and we are giving it a final push. In 10 days, the UK will leave the single market.\"\n\nOne EU diplomat told the BBC Mr Barnier had said that, while most issues had been agreed or were close to being settled, differences on fishing access and quotas \"remain difficult to bridge\".\n\nHe said the EU thought the UK was \"not moving enough yet to clinch a fair deal on fisheries\".\n\nWhile progress on other issues has been made in recent days, there has been little sign of a breakthrough on fish.\n\nThe UK insists that, as a sovereign state, it must have control of its waters from 1 January and retain a larger share of the catch from them than it does under the current quota system.\n\nThe EU wants to phase in a new system over a much longer period and retain significant access to UK waters for boats from France, Spain and other countries with large fleets.\n\nDowning Street sources said Boris Johnson was in \"close contact\" with European President Commission Ursula von der Leyen and the pair were \"speaking from time to time\".\n\nBut, on Monday, the prime minister said the state of the talks remained \"unchanged\" and there were still \"problems\".\n\nEU diplomats have suggested the bloc would be willing to continue negotiations beyond 1 January if necessary.\n\nMr Johnson suggested the UK would \"prosper mightily\", whatever the outcome of the talks.", "After months of talks, UK cabinet ministers are understood to be gathering on a conference call to discuss a Brexit deal with the EU.\n\nOur political editor Laura Kuenssberg says that “wouldn’t happen in No 10 wasn’t by now very confident that a deal is shortly to be finalised”.\n\nAt the same time in Brussels, the UK and EU negotiating teams are still locked in discussions.\n\nIt’s understood they are talking about specific details for future fishing rights – on catches of specific species of fish.\n\nEarlier, EU sources said UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had also been in contact in an attempt to break the deadlock.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nFrance is starting to let traffic from the UK back in after the nations reached agreement over their shared border, closed amid concerns over a new coronavirus variant.\n\nFreight drivers and some passengers, including EU citizens, will be among those allowed to return - if they have a recent negative test for the virus.\n\nSome 2,850 lorries have been stuck in Kent since the border shut on Sunday.\n\nNHS Test and Trace staff and the military will be deployed for testing.\n\nPlanes, boats and Eurostar trains are due to resume on Wednesday morning.\n\nUnder the agreement between the two countries, admittance to France will be granted to those travelling for urgent reasons, including hauliers, French citizens, and British citizens with French residency.\n\nBut in order to travel, they will need to have received a negative test result less than 72 hours before departure.\n\nRapid lateral flow tests, which can detect the new strain and give a result in about 30 minutes, will be used rather than the 24 hours required for so-called PCR tests.\n\nThe drivers will receive the result by text message, and this message would give them the right to cross the Channel.\n\nA \"protocol is still being finalised\" to work out what to do with those drivers who test positive, a government source told the BBC.\n\nIn an interview with broadcasters, Mr Shapps said enough tests had been sent to Kent to test all those who wanted to return by Christmas, but suggested it could take until Christmas for congestion to be relieved near ports.\n\nMr Shapps warned hauliers against travelling to Kent until further notice to alleviate congestion at ports.\n\nHe said: \"I am pleased that we have made this important progress with our French counterparts this evening. This protocol will see the French border reopen to those travelling for urgent reasons, provided they have a certified negative Covid test.\n\n\"We continue to urge hauliers not to travel to Kent until further notice as we work to alleviate congestion at ports.\"\n\nThe arrangement agreed with the French government will be reviewed on the 31 December, but could run until 6 January, the Department for Transport said.\n\nThe French government will also carry out sample testing on incoming freight to the UK.\n\nThe announcement comes after the EU Commission urged member states to drop their travel bans to avoid supply chain disruption.\n\nMore than 50 countries have banned UK arrivals following widespread concern about the spread of the new variant.\n\nNo lorries have been leaving the Port of Dover or Eurotunnel to France.\n\nKent County Council leader Roger Gough told the BBC on Tuesday afternoon that 2,220 vehicles were at the temporary lorry park at Manston, while 632 were still being held on the M20.\n\nIt comes as Tesco said it would be reintroducing temporary purchasing limits on some essential products, including toilet rolls, eggs, rice and hand wash.\n\nThe British Retail Consortium warned that trucks needed to be able to start travelling again in the next 24 hours to \"avoid seeing problems on our shelves\".\n\nAndrew Opie, its director of food and sustainability, told the Commons business, energy and industrial strategy committee: \"What we've been told by members is that unless those trucks can start travelling again and go back to Spain and Portugal and other parts of Europe, we will have problems with fresh produce from 27 December.\"\n\nThe Channel is a vital trade route, with about 10,000 lorries a day travelling between Dover and Calais at Christmas, largely bringing in the freshest produce.\n\nA further 36,804 people in the UK have tested positive for coronavirus and there were 691 deaths within 28 days of a positive test, according to Tuesday's government figures.\n\nIt is the largest daily number of cases recorded yet, though it is thought the infection rate was higher during the first peak in spring when testing was much more limited.\n\nMeanwhile, truck drivers stranded in Kent have called for immediate help from the government, with hundreds facing a third night sleeping in their cabs.\n\nTruck driver Laszlo Baliga, 51, from London, spent Tuesday delivering food and water to those lined up at Manston Airport, a disused airfield.\n\nHe began taking supplies after Hungarian drivers stranded in the lorry park posted on Facebook asking for help, with one telling him the only toilet on the site had been blocked.\n\nHe said he and friends had so far spent more than £500 on food and water for drivers at the site.\n\nMr Baliga said: \"We have got ready-to-eat sausages, bread, tomatoes, lettuce, coffee. Basic foods for now for the drivers.\n\n\"We like to help because this is a difficult time.\"\n\nRonald Schroeder, 52, from Hamburg in Germany, said: \"I am now staying in a hotel, but in front of the hotel there are thousands of people without any rooms waiting to come over the Channel crossing.\n\n\"I feel a little bit like Robinson Crusoe on an island.\"\n\nThe government defended the facilities for stranded drivers, saying there were \"more than adequate health and welfare provisions available\".\n\nAre you a lorry driver? Have you been affected by the restrictions? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "A shortlist of six contenders has been announced for the 2020 BBC Sports Personality of the Year award.\n\nThe nominees are cricketer Stuart Broad, jockey Hollie Doyle, boxer Tyson Fury, Formula 1's Lewis Hamilton, footballer Jordan Henderson and snooker star Ronnie O'Sullivan.\n\nVoting will be open to the public during the Sports Personality programme on BBC One on Sunday, 20 December.\n\nThe show is being broadcast live from Media City in Salford.\n• None How the Sports Personality contenders were revealed\n\nFootball pundit Alex Scott will join the presenting line-up alongside Gary Lineker, Clare Balding and Gabby Logan to look back on a truly unusual year of sport in front of a huge virtual audience and millions of BBC One viewers.\n\nThe ceremony will champion the teams that triumphed despite the pandemic, sports stars that achieved greatness even with interrupted schedules and the coaches and local heroes that made it possible.\n\nThe public can vote by phone or online on the night for the main award, with full details announced during the show.\n\nOther awards to be announced include Team and Coach of the Year, World Sport Star of the Year and Unsung Hero, while Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford will receive a special award in recognition of his work to raise awareness of child food poverty in the UK.\n\nWho are the Sports Personality contenders?\n\nAfter being dropped for the opening match of the summer series against West Indies, the Nottinghamshire fast bowler returned for the final two Tests - both won by England - and took 16 wickets at an average of 10.93 to pass 500 for his career. He is seventh in the list of all-time Test wicket-takers.\n\nBroke her own record for the number of winners ridden by a British woman in a year, rode a historic double on British Champions Day, became the first woman to ride five winners on the same card and claimed her first victory at Royal Ascot. Doyle was named Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year.\n\nThe self-styled 'Gypsy King' became a two-time world heavyweight champion with a devastating defeat of Deontay Wilder to claim the WBC title in their Las Vegas rematch in February. Victory for the Manchester-born fighter marked another stage in his remarkable comeback after a battle with depression and drugs.\n\nOne of F1's all-time great drivers, he equalled Michael Schumacher's record of seven world titles with his fourth consecutive championship in 2020. En route, the Stevenage-born driver - who holds the record for most pole positions - surpassed the German's total of 91 grand prix victories.\n\nCaptained runaway leaders Liverpool to win their first league title since 1990, by a margin of 18 points, a year after lifting the Champions League trophy. The Sunderland-born midfielder, who has been capped 58 times by England, was also named the Football Writers' men's player of the year.\n\nWon his sixth world title at the Crucible to become the oldest champion for more than 40 years and cement his place as one snooker's greatest players. 'The Rocket' has secured more events (37) and Triple Crown event titles (20) than anyone else in history. The Essex potter is nominated for the BBC award for the first time in his 28-year career.", "Phèdre with Dame Helen Mirren was the first National Theatre Live broadcast in 2009\n\nThe National Theatre has launched a streaming service for its archive of filmed plays, which feature stars like Dame Helen Mirren and Olivia Colman.\n\nNational Theatre at Home will make plays available for either a one-off payment or a subscription.\n\nThey include Dame Helen's Phèdre, Medea starring Helen McCrory and Michaela Coel, and Adrian Lester's Othello.\n\nMany have previously been shown in cinemas, and some were streamed for free during the first lockdown.\n\nProductions staged by the National's partner theatres can also be viewed, including the Young Vic's Yerma with Billie Piper and the Donmar Warehouse's Coriolanus starring Tom Hiddleston.\n\nThe first tranche of productions also include plays that have not previously been shown in cinemas or online - such as Mosquitoes, a 2017 play by Lucy Kirkwood in which Olivia Colman and Olivia Williams play sisters.\n\nLisa Burger, the National's executive director, said the venture would \"continue to provide audiences with the power and joy of theatre for as long as it is needed\".\n\nNew titles will be added each month. They will available online and on smart TV and mobile apps, with payment options including an annual subscription costing £100.\n\nThe London venue is currently closed but will reopen on 11 December with a socially-distanced production of Dick Whittington, only the second pantomime the venue has ever staged.\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "Some Covid restrictions are being reintroduced in response to the Omicron variant.\n\nCheck what the rules are in your area by entering your postcode or council name below.\n\nA modern browser with JavaScript and a stable internet connection is required to view this interactive. What are the rules in your area? Enter a full UK postcode or council name to find out\n\nIf you cannot see the look-up, click here.\n\nThe rules highlighted in the search tool are a selection of the key government restrictions in place in your area.\n\nAlways check your relevant national and local authority website for more information on the situation where you live. Also check local guidance before travelling to others parts of the UK.\n\nAll the guidance in our search look-up comes from national government websites.\n\nFor more information on national measures see:\n\nFind out how the pandemic has affected your area and how it compares with the national average by following this link to an in depth guide to the numbers involved.", "Business periodically throws up pantomime villains who vault from the financial pages to the front of the tabloids and become the subject of public vilification.\n\nEdward Heath called Tiny Rowland, the corporate raider, \"the unacceptable face of capitalism\", Robert Maxwell was excoriated for raiding the Mirror Group pensions, and more recently Jeffrey Skilling, the chief executive of Enron, went to jail for 12 years for enriching himself at the expense of shareholders and suppliers.\n\nSir Philip Green, the boss (but not the owner) of Arcadia Group, is the latest business leader to be put in the pillory.\n\nIt began with his sale of the department store BHS to Dominic Chappell for a token sum in 2015. BHS, which was part of Arcadia, collapsed a year later, leaving a big hole in the pension fund.\n\nSir Philip sold BHS for £1 in 2015, a year before it went bust with a £571m pension deficit, to little-known businessman Dominic Chappell\n\nSir Philip was accused of having sold the company to Mr Chappell deliberately to avoid the retirement plan liability, a claim he vigorously denied. He later paid £363m to make good the scheme.\n\nThe looming administration of Arcadia puts Sir Philip in the firing line again. He will face calls to repair any deficit in the Arcadia scheme, despite he and the company's owner, his wife Lady Cristina Green, having put substantial additional sums into the pension in recent years.\n\nThere will also be accusations of his having been a poor manager. While the rest of the fashion retail world was getting out of the High Street and moving online as quickly as possible, Sir Philip was reluctant to take the plunge, and eventually laid low by the fatal combination of the internet and pandemic-related shop closures.\n\nBut has he actually done anything wrong? Lawyers will argue that the company - not its owners - is the legal entity responsible for maintaining the financial health of the pension scheme.\n\nSir Philip - who runs Arcadia - and Monaco-based Lady Cristina Green - who owns it\n\nAs far as is known, Arcadia did not ignore any directions from the pension regulator to mend the pension, and indeed received an endorsement from the Pension Protection Fund for a company voluntary arrangement - a form of insolvency that allows a business to restructure its finances - in June last year.\n\nSeveral prominent retail businesses have gone into administration in the past two years, but in no case has there been an outcry for the owners to finance pension deficits personally.\n\nThere may be no infringement of the law, but what attracts attention to Sir Philip's case is that he and his wife have become immensely rich on Arcadia's back.\n\nIn 2005 the company paid Lady Green a £1.2bn dividend, the foundation of the Green fortune. Now that the company has fallen on hard times, should there be a moral duty on the family to help those thrown out of work?\n\nThe relevant example here is not Robert Maxwell or Tiny Rowland, but a group of businessmen who were also vilified for their management of a British icon. John Towers, Peter Beale, Nick Stephenson and John Edwards were the \"Phoenix Four\", who bought MG Rover from BMW in 2000 with the implicit backing of the Labour government and a hefty dowry from the German carmaker.\n\nThe Phoenix Four bought MG Rover which collapsed in 2005 with the loss of 6,000 jobs\n\nThey proceeded to enrich themselves to the tune of several million pounds apiece while the company slowly spiralled downwards and eventually collapsed. They did nothing wrong - a government report into the collapse found their behaviour \"inappropriate\" - but they quietly volunteered to be banned as directors in future.\n\nWhat the inquiry into MG Rover's demise showed was that ownership means just that. Once sold to the Phoenix Four, the once-great Birmingham carmaker became a piece of personal property to be used as the Phoenix Four saw fit.\n\nThe same is true of the Greens and Arcadia. Yet even if there is no legal claim for them to refill the Arcadia pension, they might consider the wider court of public opinion, which is much less forgiving than any judge.\n\nSir Philip can contemplate whether he wants to be remembered as the man who enriched his family, but left others out of pocket, or as the retail tycoon who put his staff first, even when his empire ran out of steam.\n• None The 'king of the High Street's' biggest challenge", "The former president posts that he has been told to report to a grand jury, \"which almost always means an Arrest\".", "The UK prime minister’s recent 10-point climate plan won’t do enough to achieve his goal of curbing the country's greenhouse emissions, a report says.\n\nA consultancy has calculated that the UK will need to go further and faster to achieve its commitment of net zero emissions by mid-century.\n\nUN scientists say massive emissions cuts are needed immediately to stop CO2 accumulating in the atmosphere.\n\nSo, the year 2030 is a key date for avoiding dangerous climate change.\n\nThe analysis by Cambridge Econometrics suggests Mr Johnson’s plan will reduce emissions 59% per cent by 2030, based on 1990 levels. It says they should really fall by 70% by that date.\n\nIt’s rumoured that government advisers the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) will tell ministers that a percentage target reduction in the upper 60s will be needed.\n\nThe analysis released on Monday was commissioned by the Prince of Wales Corporate Leaders Group – a network of business heads concerned about climate change. Sixty of them have written to the PM to urge him to reduce emissions further still by 2030.\n\nThe intervention comes at an important time, because the UK is set next month to declare its 2030 climate target to other nations in the hope of persuading them all to do more.\n\nThe formal announcement will come at a special global meeting called by Mr Johnson for 12 December, but it’s believed that the UK’s 2030 target will be unveiled in coming days, in order to encourage other countries to raise their ambition.\n\nNations' climate commitments will come in the form of what’s known as an NDC – a nationally determined contribution towards the world goal of keeping temperature rise as close as possible to 1.5C.\n\nThe business leaders’ letter states: “As the UK calls on other governments to set their own increased NDCs, it has a unique opportunity to catalyse action globally and lead the way for other countries to reflect this level of ambition.\n\n“We hope you will announce an ambitious UK (target) before the end of the year.”\n\nEliot Whittington, director of the group, urged the government to go further in order to generate British jobs in “green” industries.\n\nHe told BBC News: “There’s a major problem with plans to decarbonise Britain’s buildings. It’s a huge challeng, but the government has only committed £1bn for next year. The scheme is barely off the ground, and one year doesn’t offer enough longevity to let industries get up and running.”\n\nOne signatory to the letter, Keith Anderson, who is chief executive of Scottish Power, said: “Setting an ambitious target of 70% by 2030 would be a clear signal to investors that the UK is ready to build back greener and that it’s happening now.”\n\nSarah Bentley, chief executive of Thames Water, said: “Setting an ambitious NDC will help to stimulate low carbon innovation, solutions and actions across the economy.”\n\nScotland has confirmed that it will aim for a 75% emissions cut by 2030.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The scene in Trier after a car ploughed through a pedestrian area of the western German city of Trier\n\nA car has ploughed through a pedestrian area in the western German city of Trier, killing five people including a nine-week-old baby girl, police say.\n\nThe driver, a 51-year-old local man, has been arrested. The prosecutor said the suspect had drunk a significant amount of alcohol.\n\nAuthorities said they were not working on the assumption that the incident was politically or religiously motivated.\n\nThe city's mayor described the scene as \"horrible\".\n\nWitnesses said people screamed in panic and some were thrown in the air by an SUV travelling at high speed in Trier's Brotstrasse and Simeonstrasse streets towards the city's famous Roman gate, the Porta Nigra.\n\nThe incident happened at around 13:45 local time (12:45 GMT), and the suspect drove for 1km (0.62 miles) \"hitting people at random on his way\" before being stopped by a police car, Trier police spokesman Karl-Peter Jochem said earlier.\n\nThe victims were three women, aged 25, 52 and 73. Police said the 45-year-old father of the baby was also killed. His wife and one-year-old son were injured and admitted to hospital.\n\nThe flashing blue lights of dozens of police vehicles compete with the Christmas illuminations in front of the Porta Nigra, the famous Roman gate. Tonight it is an entrance to a large crime scene.\n\nThe city, often claimed as Germany's oldest, is the now the latest to experience a horrific and fatal incident involving a vehicle and pedestrians so close to Christmas.\n\nArmed police stand guard at the edge of the cordon, which marks the point at which the suspect drove away from the scene.\n\nTwo friends, Stacy and Karolina, told me they had come to light candles and remember those who had been killed. \"This is just a small place\", said Stacy. \"You never imagine this could happen.\"\n\nFootage posted on social media appeared to show the presumed driver being held by several officers next to the damaged car. Police have been questioning the suspect, who was alone, and has been identified by German media as Bernd W.\n\nInitial indications \"suggest that psychiatric problems possibly played a role\", prosecutor Peter Fritzen told reporters. The man did not have a criminal record, had no fixed address and was living in the car, which had been lent to him by someone else.\n\nThe incident happened in the centre of Trier\n\nEarlier, Mayor Wolfram Leibe said up to 15 people had been injured, some of them seriously.\n\n\"We [had] a driver who ran amok in the city... I just walked through the city centre and it was just horrible. There is a trainer lying on the ground, and the girl it belongs to is dead,\" he told a news conference.\n\nChancellor Angela Merkel said in a statement: \"The news from Trier is very sad. My sympathy goes to the relatives of people who were torn from their lives so suddenly and forcibly. I also think of those who have suffered severe injuries and I wish them much strength.\"\n\nThe prosecutor said the suspect had drunk a significant amount of alcohol\n\nThe incident has shocked Trier, a medieval city of around 110,000 people and 720km west of Berlin, near the border with Luxembourg. A Christmas market that is usually held in the area was cancelled this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but shops were open.\n\nBollards that would usually be in place to protect the pedestrianised area because of the Christmas market were therefore not put up.\n\nThe case brought back memories of the 2016 attack in Berlin when an Islamist militant drove a hijacked truck into a Christmas market, killing 12 people and injuring dozens of others. He was shot dead by Italian police four days later.", "Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Tuesday morning. We'll have another update for you at 18:00 GMT.\n\nMPs are expected to give the go-ahead later to a stricter three-tier system of restrictions in England. Boris Johnson insists it's needed to keep infections under control, but a sizeable chunk of his own backbenchers are broadly against tighter controls. Labour won't endorse the new system, but won't reject it either. Sir Keir Starmer says he has \"serious misgivings\" and wants his MPs to abstain, but it isn't \"in the national interest\" to block it. The SNP will also abstain because the plans only apply to England. The upshot of all that is more than 55 million people are therefore set to enter the two toughest tiers from 00:01 GMT on Wednesday - a reminder of what that means.\n\nEngland's chief inspector of schools says the \"invisibility of vulnerable children\" during the pandemic should be a \"matter of national concern\". In her annual report, Amanda Spielman warns long absences from school mean signs of abuse may have been missed and it should now be a priority to find overlooked cases. She also raises concerns about the pressures on families of children with special educational needs. It's the latest in a long line of warnings about the impact of coronavirus on already disadvantaged groups. BBC's special correspondent Ed Thomas witnesses the struggles first hand in one town.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. A church in Burnley has seen an \"unprecedented need\" for help during the pandemic\n\nCovid-19 alert levels are to be reviewed later\n\nCovid-19 could be causing lung abnormalities still detectable more than three months after people catch the disease. The damage emerged in scans of 10 patients at Oxford University and researchers now plan a larger study to find out more. The risk of severe illness and death from Covid-19 increases markedly for the over 60s, but if the trial discovers that lung damage occurs across a wider age group - even in those not requiring hospital treatment - \"it would move the goalposts\", says Prof Fergus Gleeson, who is leading the work.\n\nChristmas tree growers across the UK say they're having a bumper year - potentially selling two million more specimens than normal. Pete Hyde, owner of Trinity Street Christmas Trees in Dorset. told the BBC his sales were up by nearly a third. It could be that some sales are coming earlier as people look to scratch a shopping itch while other stores are closed. Or it could be households are desperately looking for some festive cheer and an \"authentic\" Christmas experience after so much hardship this year.\n\nFind more information, advice and guides on our coronavirus page.\n\nPlus, with a number of potential vaccines now on the way, there are increasing concerns that misinformation online could put some people off being immunised. Our global health correspondent Tulip Mazumdar looks at the efforts being made to combat that.\n\nWhat questions do you have about coronavirus?\n\nIn some cases, your question will be published, displaying your name, age and location as you provide it, unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published. Please ensure you have read our terms & conditions and privacy policy.\n\nUse this form to ask your question:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or send them via email to YourQuestions@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any question you send in.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch the moment it was revealed that MPs approved the new tiered system\n\nA new tougher tier system of coronavirus restrictions for England will begin on Wednesday after the plan was approved by MPs.\n\nThe measures, which will come into force at 00:01 GMT, were supported by 291 votes to 78.\n\nThe new system will see more than 55 million people in the country placed into the top two strictest tiers.\n\nBut 55 Tory MPs voted against the government plan - the largest rebellion of Boris Johnson's premiership.\n\nA further 16 Conservatives abstained, with many of them having expressed concerns about the tougher tiers in the Commons debate that led up to the vote. The 55 Tory rebels included two MPs who acted as tellers.\n\nThe new tier system came into force when England's current lockdown ended in the early hours of Wednesday.\n\nEvery area of the country is in one of three tiers - medium (one), high (two) and very high (three) - with the vast majority of the population in the higher two tiers.\n\nThey are tougher than the previous tier system the country was under, before its second lockdown began in November, the government says.\n\nIn tier two, people are not allowed to mix with anyone outside their household or support bubble indoors, although they can socialise in groups of up to six outdoors.\n\nAnd in tier three, people must also not mix with anyone outside their household or support bubble indoors, or at most outdoor venues.\n\nConservative Mark Harper, who chairs the lockdown-sceptic Covid Recovery Group of Tory MPs, urged the government to listen to the warnings from its opponents about the \"cycle of repeated restrictions\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The health secretary tells MPs his step-grandfather died of Covid-19 in November\n\nHe said they \"very much regret that in a moment of national crisis so many of us felt forced to vote against the measures that the government was proposing\".\n\nBut he added that the government \"must find a way to... end this devastating cycle of repeated restrictions, and start living in a sustainable way until an effective and safe vaccine is successfully rolled out across the population\".\n\nSir Graham Brady, the chairman of the 1922 Committee of backbench Tory MPs, voted against the plans, saying: \"If government is to take away fundamental liberties of the people whom we represent, they must demonstrate beyond question that they're acting in a way that is both proportionate and absolutely necessary.\n\n\"Today, I believe the government has failed to make that compelling case.\"\n\nAnd former cabinet minister, Damian Green, whose Kent constituency is in the highest tier, also said the plans lacked public support, adding: \"I've had the most angry emails over a weekend since the Dominic Cummings trip to Barnard Castle.\"\n\nBut Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the new tiered system would help \"avoid another lockdown\", and \"help the UK bridge into the spring, where we hope a vaccine will move us into a whole different place\".\n\nIt's not even a year since Boris Johnson was carried to a thumping victory on the back of months of agonising parliamentary fiasco over Brexit.\n\nAnd it should, theoretically, have given Boris Johnson the kind of comfortable cushion in the Commons that no prime minister had had since the days of Tony Blair.\n\nThat has hardly gone according to plan.\n\nDespite the prime minister making appeals in person to MPs tonight, although Downing Street had moved over the last few days to meet some of their unhappy MPs demands by publishing documents, and promising more votes in the near future, 55 Tory MPs banded together to give the Boris Johnson his biggest Parliamentary kicking yet.\n\nWith more abstaining, the message from the backbenches to the government's front row was clear - right now, Downing Street should not feel able to rely completely on their support.\n\nRemember, the vote did actually pass. But this is a notable political moment too.\n\nRead more from Laura here.\n\nLabour MPs were ordered to abstain in the vote, with party leader Sir Keir Starmer saying he recognised restrictions needed to continue, but he was \"far from convinced\" the new system would work.\n\nHe also said help for businesses moving into the toughest tiers was \"nowhere near sufficient\".\n\nBut 15 Labour MPs defied Sir Keir to vote against the changes.\n\nThe tiers will be reviewed every two weeks and Mr Johnson has promised MPs a vote on whether to keep the system before 2 February.\n\nOpening the debate in the Commons on Tuesday, Mr Johnson urged MPs to support his proposals - offering an additional £40m for some pubs in tiers two and three.\n\nHe also said he appreciated the \"feeling of injustice\" many felt at their tier allocation, and pledged to \"look in granular detail\" at the \"human geography\" of the virus when the tiers are reviewed.\n\nClosing the debate for the government, an emotional Matt Hancock described how he had been personally affected by the virus, after his step-grandfather died from Covid-19.\n\n\"We can afford to let up a little, we just can't afford to let up a lot,\" he told MPs.\n\n\"Let that be the message that goes out from this House. We know through repeat experience what happens if this virus gets out of control.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Laura Foster explains the new three tier system for England\n\nDespite the appeals, the government faced its largest rebellion of Mr Johnson's tenure.\n\nThe last time the number got close was when 44 Tory MPs voted against the government's 10pm curfew for pubs, although it was still approved by the Commons.\n\nA government spokesman said they welcomed the result of the vote, which will \"help to safeguard the gains made during the past month and keep the virus under control\".\n\nBut they also said the government would \"continue to work with MPs who have expressed concerns in recent days\".", "News that tests are to be sent to care homes to allow relatives to visit over Christmas will be welcome for those in England who have waited a long time to visit loved ones and friends inside care homes, rather than trying to communicate through windows or on videolinks.\n\nBut therein lies the problem. The danger is that expectations will be raised of visits before Christmas which cannot all be fulfilled.\n\nThe biggest care home operators have been sent rapid testing kits but the smaller providers have not yet heard details about how they can obtain them. One told me that, while welcoming the initiative, he was concerned at the level of administration which would be required to book in visits and organise the testing and this might mean taking on more staff.\n\nSome doubts have been raised about the effectiveness of the rapid testing technology with a relatively high number of false negatives if administered by less trained staff.\n\nThe scheme will not be fully rolled out by Christmas but officials hope it will be more accessible to a wider public early in the new year.", "Many holiday destinations have been hit by the coronavirus crisis due to travel restrictions\n\nHoliday firm Lastminute.com has agreed to repay more than £7m owed to customers whose package holidays were cancelled due to the Covid-19 crisis.\n\nMore than 9,000 customers are waiting for refunds, and the move follows pressure from the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA).\n\nThe watchdog is currently chasing more than 100 package holiday firms to get refund commitments.\n\nThe travel sector has been deeply affected by the coronavirus crisis.\n\nLastminute.com was told to repay customers after hundreds of complaints that it was dragging its heels over refunds.\n\nThe firm has agreed to repay at least half of customers by 16 December and the rest by no later than 31 January 2021.\n\nAnyone entitled to a refund for cancellations on or after Thursday 3 December will be paid within 14 days, the CMA added.\n\n\"Online travel agents have a legal responsibility to provide prompt refunds to customers whose holidays have been cancelled due to coronavirus - irrespective of whether the agent received refunds from airlines and accommodation providers,\" said Andrea Coscelli, chief executive of the CMA.\n\n\"Our action today means that customers whose holidays were cancelled by Lastminute.com will receive their money back without undue delay.\"\n\nLastminute.com has been approached for comment.\n\nIn October, the CMA received a commitment from Virgin Holidays to refund all customers \"without undue delay\" after hundreds of complaints were made over delayed payments.\n\nThe watchdog also wrote to more than 100 package holiday firms in July to remind them of their refund obligations, and got commitments from Tui, Sykes Cottages and Vacation Rentals to repay customers.\n\nPackage holiday customers are legally entitled to refunds within 14 days for cancelled trips.\n\nBut many people have been left waiting months for a pay-out during the pandemic as travel firms face a cashflow crisis.\n\nMany airlines, including KLM, have parked planes due to the coronavirus crisis\n\nThe travel and aviation industries have been hit by the coronavirus crisis in most parts of the world, with the International Air Transport Association warning in September that hundreds of thousands of jobs were at risk without more state aid.\n\nThe industry body said in November that London, which was previously the world's most connected city, had seen a 67% fall in connectivity in air travel.\n\nLondon was overtaken by Shanghai, with the world's four most connected cities now all in China, where the coronavirus was first detected.\n\nAir travel within China has broadly recovered and during its Golden Week holiday season 425 million people travelled around the country, according to the Chinese tourism ministry.", "An ex-manager of an insulation maker whose product was used on Grenfell Tower has apologised for dismissing fire safety concerns and threatening legal action in internal emails.\n\nPhilip Heath, who works for Kingspan, forwarded a customer's fire test query and wrote that they were \"getting me confused with someone who gives a dam\".\n\nThe inquiry heard last week the firm \"stretched the truth\" on fire safety.\n\nOn Monday, the inquiry heard that Mr Heath used strong language in an internal email response.\n\nEx-employee Ivor Meredith, who was the firm's technical director, told the inquiry last week that Kingspan fire-tested its cladding in 2005, but changed the formulation the next year.\n\nThe first phase of the Grenfell inquiry concluded that cladding put on the west London tower block during its refurbishment fuelled the fire in June 2017 in which 72 people died.\n\nKingspan K15 insulation was used in the flammable cladding system mounted on to Grenfell Tower, alongside Celotex RS5000.\n\nIn October 2008 emails, an employee of facade engineers Wintech asked Kingspan for clarity on what basis its Kooltherm K15 insulation was suitable for buildings taller than 18 metres.\n\nA Kingspan employee said it was \"getting tricky what to write\" without \"putting ourselves in a legal situation\".\n\nIn an internal email, Mr Heath responded using strong language: \"Wintech can go f'#ck themselves, and if they are not careful we'll sue the a'#se of them\".\n\nInquiry lawyer Kate Grange QC challenged Mr Heath on his comment, saying: \"Can you explain why you wrote that, given Wintech were giving entirely accurate advice to their customers?\"\n\nHe replied: \"It was totally unprofessional and on reflection I wouldn't have said that. I think it was frustration we were going around in circles with them.\"\n\nHe was asked if it reflected a \"culture\" within Kingspan \"in terms of its response to these kinds of requests\".\n\nMr Heath said: \"I don't believe so. Like in any organisation, you have your good times and your difficult times.\n\n\"We were just going around in circles and a bit of frustration came out there on a Friday.\n\n\"I think we did take life safety seriously. We provided Wintech with the data we had for them to make the appropriate analysis.\"\n\nMr Heath, now divisional business development director at Kingspan, also apologised after reacting to a similar query by writing that the firm making the request was \"getting me confused with someone who gives a dam\".\n\nHe added in the forwarded email: \"I'm trying to think of a way out of this one, imagine a fire running up this tower !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!\"\n\nMr Heath told the inquiry he had forwarded the email to a terminally ill friend, adding: \"I can only apologise for the contents of this email at the time made in 2008.\n\n\"Keith was a dear friend of mine who was terminally ill at the time. I was just forwarding him an email to give a snapshot of some of the work I was working on.\n\n\"It had no reflection on how I felt, I was just trying to lighten his load and lighten my load.\"", "Page was the star of the 2007 film Juno\n\nThe Oscar-nominated star of Juno has announced that he is transgender, introducing himself as Elliot Page in a social media post.\n\nThe Canadian-born actor, formerly known as Ellen Page, said he could not \"begin to express how remarkable it feels to finally love who I am enough to pursue my authentic self\".\n\n\"I love that I am trans. And I love that I am queer,\" he wrote on Twitter.\n\nPage also used the post to address discrimination towards trans people.\n\n\"The truth is, despite feeling profoundly happy right now and knowing how much privilege I carry, I am also scared. I'm scared of the invasiveness, the hate, the 'jokes' and of violence,\" the 33-year-old wrote.\n\n\"To be clear, I am not trying to dampen a moment that is joyous and one that I celebrate, but I want to address the full picture. The statistics are staggering.\"\n\nAddressing the trans community, Page said he would \"do everything I can to change this world for the better\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Elliot Page This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nPage received international acclaim for starring as a pregnant teenager in the 2007 film Juno.\n\nOther major films include Inception and the X-Men series, while the actor has more recently starred in Netflix series The Umbrella Academy.\n\nPage came out as gay in 2014, telling an audience in Las Vegas: \"I am tired of hiding and I am tired of lying by omission.\"\n\nThe actor, who is married to choreographer Emma Portner, has been a prominent advocate for LGBT rights.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Page tells 5 Live's Must Watch marriage equality shouldn't have even been a debate.\n\nTrans people across the UK have told me that Elliot Page's coming out has happened at a \"much needed time\".\n\nThis news, from one of Hollywood's biggest stars, who now becomes one of the world's most famous transgender stars, has happened on a big day for trans rights in the UK.\n\nToday, a legal case about puberty-blocking drugs concluded, with leading charities calling it a \"rolling back\" of trans rights, and \"a catastrophic moment\" for trans people.\n\nIn Elliot Page's statement, he referenced how he will now fight for better trans healthcare.\n\nSince coming out as gay in 2014, Page has become known as one of Hollywood's most outspoken LGBT actors. In his viral speech in 2014, he said \"I suffered for years because I was scared to be out… And I'm standing here today, with all of you, on the other side of all that pain.\"\n\nToday's coming out has triggered another huge international wave of support.\n\nMany praised Page following his announcement on Tuesday.\n\n\"Elliot Page has given us fantastic characters on-screen, and has been an outspoken advocate for all LGBTQ people,\" said Nick Adams, director of transgender media at advocacy group GLAAD.\n\n\"He will now be an inspiration to countless trans and non-binary people. All transgender people deserve the chance to be ourselves and to be accepted for who we are. We celebrate the remarkable Elliot Page today.\"\n\n\"So proud of our superhero,\" Netflix wrote on Twitter.", "Fifteen further coronavirus-related deaths have been recorded in Northern Ireland bringing the Department of Health's recorded total to 1,011.\n\nSeven of the deaths occurred within the current reporting period, with eight outside it.\n\nHealth Minister Robin Swann said Tuesday's death toll was a \"sad milestone\" for Northern Ireland.\n\nHe also says the health service is \"primed\" and \"ready\" to deliver a vaccination safely and systematically.\n\nMr Swann said an effective vaccine was the biggest breakthrough since the pandemic began but that delivery will not be fast.\n\n\"There is no way around this and there is no quick fix,\" he said.\n\n\"We expect it to take many months before the vaccination programme is complete and we need to recognise that we are not through this yet.\"\n\nHealth service staff will begin receiving a vaccine later this month.\n\nPatricia Donnelly, head of the Covid-19 vaccine programme, says Northern Ireland is \"good to go\" from 14 December, pending the necessary approval of vaccines.\n\nThe department's daily figure is based on a positive test result having been recorded in the previous 28 days.\n\nA further 391 people tested positive for the virus in the past 24 hours.\n\nMr Swann said the new death toll was another \"harsh reminder\" of the threat of coronavirus and said people should not \"delude themselves\" by thinking otherwise.\n\n\"We always have to remember that we are not talking about statistics but much-loved people who are desperately missed.\n\n\"No-one should underestimate the virus, or delude themselves that it could never affect them.\"\n\nHe said a \"small and vociferous minority\" continued to try and play down its risk.\n\nDeputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill and First Minister Arlene Foster met Mr Swann on Tuesday, ahead of an executive meeting on Thursday.\n\nMs O'Neill said they were working through detail of plans for the Christmas period and this needed to include plans for visiting arrangements at care homes.\n\n\"It won't be a normal Christmas and our guiding principle should be what is the advice of health officials,\" she added.\n\nPeople from three households in Northern Ireland will be allowed to meet indoors for five days over the Christmas period.\n\nNI's chief medical officer says surpassing a death toll of 1,000 is a \"grim reminder\" that Covid-19 is a \"very serious infection\".\n\nAlthough Dr Michael Bride described the prospect of a vaccine as \"encouraging\", he also warned members of the public not to become complacent.\n\n\"That will not begin to do the heavy lifting until the spring,\" he said.\n\n\"It is only when we have those who are extremely clinically vulnerable, those older people vaccinated in sufficient numbers, that we will see the reduction on pressures on our health service, reduction in deaths and that we can begin to, with some confidence, look back to restrictions as increasingly a thing of the past.\n\n\"But, that is not today, that is not tomorrow, not next month.\"\n\nOn Tuesday Northern Ireland hospitals were at 100% occupancy, with 419 inpatients with Covid-19, of whom 38 are in ICU, according to the Department of Health.\n\nThere have been 52, 856 positive cases in Northern Ireland since the pandemic began, with 2,523 people testing positive in the last seven days.\n\nTougher lockdown measures came into force across Northern Ireland on Friday 27 November, which are set to expire on 11 December.\n\nIn the Republic of Ireland, another 18 Covid-19 related deaths have been reported, bringing the death toll to 2,069, according to the Irish Department of Health.\n\nA further 269 new cases of Covid-19 were also recorded in the country, bringing the total number to 72,798.", "The Queen and other members of the royal family usually attend a Christmas Day service at St Mary Magdalene church in Sandringham\n\nThe Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will spend Christmas at Windsor Castle and not Sandringham as is their usual tradition, Buckingham Palace has said.\n\nA spokeswoman said after considering \"all the appropriate advice\" the royal couple had opted to celebrate \"quietly\" at their Berkshire residence.\n\nThey usually spend Christmas with other royals at the Queen's Norfolk estate.\n\nThe Queen, 94, and the duke, 99, have been living at Windsor during the pandemic with a small household staff.\n\nIt is thought to be the first time the couple have not spent Christmas at their Sandringham home since the mid 1980s.\n\n\"Like everyone they hope things will get back to normal in 2021,\" a palace spokesman said.\n\nThe announcement follows earlier speculation about where the Queen and the duke would spend the festive period, in light of Christmas coronavirus guidance that people should form \"bubbles\" of three households over a five-day period.\n\nThe Queen and other members of the Royal Family usually attend a Christmas Day service at St Mary Magdalene church in Sandringham, where large crowds gather to greet them.\n\nLast year, Prince George and Princess Charlotte went to the service for the first time.\n\nThe Queen will not be attending church on Christmas Day to avoid large crowds of well-wishers gathering, it is understood.\n\nThe Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall will spend 25 December at Highgrove, their estate in Gloucestershire, but are expected to see the Queen and Prince Philip at Windsor over the festive period. The duchess will also visit her family.\n\nLast month, the Queen and Prince Philip, who has retired from public duties, marked their 73rd wedding anniversary by releasing a photograph showing them opening a card from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's children.", "People living in care homes in England will be able to have visits from family and friends by Christmas if the visitors test negative for Covid-19, the government has said.\n\nMore than a million coronavirus tests will be sent to care homes over the next month to allow safe indoor visits.\n\nVisits will be allowed across all tiers of coronavirus restrictions.\n\nThe health secretary said the move was possible due to \"unprecedented strides\" in testing technology and capacity.\n\nMatt Hancock said: \"The separation has been painful, but has protected residents and staff from this deadly virus.\n\n\"I'm so pleased we are now able to help reunite families and more safely allow people to have meaningful contact with their loved ones by Christmas.\"\n\nStrict restrictions have been placed on visits to care homes during the last eight months because of the pandemic.\n\nIn new guidance, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) says the \"default position\" is now that visits should be enabled to go ahead in all tiers - unless there is an outbreak in the care home.\n\nIt adds that hand holding and hugging may be possible if other infection control measures are followed.\n\nIt stresses the importance of visitors minimising contact as much as possible and wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) to help protect their loved ones.\n\nCare homes will manage the number of visits that take place, which must be arranged in advance, with visitors urged to be mindful of the additional workload for the care home.\n\nEach care home is responsible for setting the visiting policy in that home, it says.\n\nThis will be welcome news for families in England who have waited a long time to be given the chance to visit loved ones and friends inside care homes, rather than trying to communicate through windows or on video calls.\n\nBut therein lies the problem.\n\nThe danger is that expectations will be raised of visits before Christmas which cannot all be fulfilled.\n\nThe biggest care home operators have been sent rapid testing kits but the smaller providers have not yet heard details about how they can obtain them.\n\nOne told me that, while welcoming the initiative, he was concerned at the level of administration which would be required to book in visits and organise the testing and this might mean taking on more staff.\n\nSome doubts have been raised about the effectiveness of the rapid testing technology with a relatively high number of false negatives if administered by less-trained staff.\n\nThe scheme will not be fully rolled out by Christmas but officials hope it will be more accessible to the wider public early in the new year.\n\nMore than a million quick-turnaround or \"lateral flow\" tests, which provide results in about 20 minutes without the need for a lab, are being sent out to England's 385 biggest care homes as part of the first phase of the rollout.\n\nThe guidance says the number of test kits will allow up to two visitors per resident, based on them visiting twice a week, by Christmas.\n\nAs well as the tests, an extra 46 million items of PPE will be sent to Care Quality Commission (CQC)-registered care home providers.\n\nThe Alzheimer's Society urged the government to ensure care homes do not struggle with extra administrative costs so that visits can continue.\n\nThe National Care Forum, a member association for not-for-profit social care providers, applauded the announcement, calling it a \"game-changing moment for visits\".\n\nBut executive director Vic Rayner said recognition of what the sector needs to put the policy into practice \"remains an inherent weakness\".\n\nShe added: \"It is essential that the government addresses this immediately, or else risks setting in train huge expectations around visiting, with no meaningful ability for care homes to deliver at the scale and pace required to make visiting a reality for all by Christmas.\"\n\nAnd Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, said it was good news that the government has \"significantly shifted\" its position on care home visiting.\n\nBut she cautioned: \"The government has promised that everyone will be able to visit their loved one by Christmas and, while this is a laudable aim, it is also very ambitious, so we remain worried that practical difficulties of various kinds could get in the way for some.\"\n\nProf Martin Green, chief executive of Care England - the largest representative body for independent care providers - said: \"In order for these promising plans to land successfully, the sector must now be adequately supported by the government.\n\n\"We appreciate the continued risks associated with visits, but this represents a positive step forwards.\"\n\nSeparately, the government has published new guidance that may allow for some residents under the age of 65 to spend time with their families at Christmas outside of care homes - if their provider agrees and carries out risk assessments.", "Pubs will have to close to customers at 18:00, and will not be able to serve alcohol on the premises\n\nNew rules for pubs are \"insulting\" and \"a huge slap in the face\" for the sector, said the boss of Wales' biggest brewers.\n\nAlistair Darby of Brains called on politicians to \"stop changing their mind\" on what is required.\n\nWelsh pubs, restaurants and cafes will be banned from selling alcohol from Friday and will be unable to open to customers beyond 18:00 GMT.\n\nMark Drakeford said the new rules will tackle a rise in coronavirus cases.\n\nHealth Minister Vaughan Gething said he understood why companies in the industry are upset, but admitted there is \"no perfect balance\" between protecting public health and businesses.\n\nSpeaking on BBC Radio Wales Breakfast with Claire Summers, he added: \"What we can do is make sure more of us will be here in the future to celebrate life events.\"\n\nHowever Mr Darby said the move suggests pubs and restaurants are areas of \"high transmission\".\n\n\"It's hugely frustrating and a bit insulting. It says people are not making the effort being asked of them,\" he said.\n\nPubs will not be able to serve alcohol from Friday\n\nUK government Cabinet Minister Michael Gove said restrictions had been lifted too quickly after Wales' 17-day firebreak.\n\nHe told BBC Breakfast he sympathised with the Welsh Government, but added: \"As a result of doing that, the virus once more got out of control, so they've had to slam the brakes on again.\n\n\"The example of Wales shows what can happen if you lift the restrictions in too blanket a way too soon.\"\n\nThe Welsh Conservatives have accused the Welsh Government of putting jobs at risk with the new rules.\n\nBrains employs 1,400 people and has 104 pubs, but Mr Darby said the move will be felt by many thousands of other workers who supply the industry, such as electricians, plumbers and caterers.\n\n\"It will have an impact on a huge number of people who make a living from the sector and our communities who, I fear, will be deprived the opportunity to visit a pub this Christmas.\"\n\nMr Drakeford said new measures are necessary or there could be between 1,000 and 1,700 preventable deaths this winter.\n\nThe Brains boss said: \"The sector has done more than its fair share to ensure those potential deaths are avoided.\n\n\"And at the end of this, we will be asking, if lives aren't saved, what the answer will be?\"\n\nThe first minister said firms hit by the restrictions would be offered £340m in support which he claimed was \"the most generous package\" anywhere in the UK.\n\nHowever Mr Darby said the support \"would not touch the sides\".\n\nAs an £80m turnover business, Brains spent £500,000 in personal protective equipment (PPE) and digital technology for pre-booking, while it has \"surrendered\" huge capacity and lost summer trading, Mr Darby added.\n\nHe said: \"My message to politicians is 'you have to stop changing your mind on what is required in the sector'.\n\n\"We have done more than our fair share to ensure potential deaths are avoided at the end of this.\"\n\nDavid Cattrall of Harlech Foodservice said businesses need an exit plan and support\n\nDavid Cattrall, managing director of Harlech Foodservice, warned that many hospitality businesses would not survive the latest round of restrictions.\n\n\"There is a palpable sense of frustration, bewilderment and anger at the restrictions being placed upon the hospitality sector in north and mid Wales,\" he said.\n\n\"The rate of the virus is lower here than in south Wales so it defies logic that we are being subjected to this damaging one-size-fits-all policy.\n\n\"The run-up to Christmas is when the sector makes enough money to keep them going through the quiet months of January and February but it's clear now that Christmas has been cancelled as far as the hospitality sector is concerned.\"\n\nBusinesses need an exit plan and reassurance they will be able to open at Easter \"as a matter of urgency\", he added.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. An Irish bar has been \"turned into a coffee shop\" by the new rules, its owner says\n\nKelly Jolliffe, owner and landlady of The Greyhound Inn in Usk, Monmouthshire, said she was \"gutted\" about the new restrictions.\n\n\"I was expecting it, I was hoping that it would only be shutting at 6pm, which I think we could all have managed with and could have all worked around,\" she said.\n\n\"But when he banned the alcohol, I just thought there's no point really - we're a pub!\"\n\nShe told Radio Wales Breakfast she has decided to close, despite having got the pub ready for the Christmas trade.\n\n\"We were all decked out, all socially distanced, bookings coming in, everybody working around the regulations,\" she said.\n\nTory covid recovery spokesman Darren Millar said the restrictions could affect jobs across Wales.\n\nHe added: \"With one in 10 of the Welsh workforce employed by hospitality enterprises and with so many relying on pre-Christmas trade, the Welsh Government is now putting tens of thousands of jobs and livelihoods at risk.\"", "UK house prices are 6.5% higher than a year ago - the sharpest rise for nearly six years, the Nationwide has said.\n\nThe acceleration came as the housing market remained \"robust\" despite the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic, the lender said.\n\nHouse prices were 0.9% higher in November than in October, with the average property valued at £229,721, the Nationwide said.\n\nBut it added that property price growth was expected to slow.\n\nHouse prices have risen at a relatively rapid rate in many parts of the UK in the late summer and autumn as some people sought a change in lifestyle, or more space to work from home.\n\nThere was also some pent-up demand from the first period of lockdown, and some buyers have been looking to take advantage of stamp duty - or its equivalent - tax breaks in different parts of the UK.\n\nHowever, Robert Gardner, Nationwide's chief economist, said the economic fall-out from the Covid crisis would eventually be felt in the housing market.\n\n\"The outlook remains highly uncertain and will depend heavily on how the pandemic and the measures to contain it evolve as well as the efficacy of policy measures implemented to limit the damage to the wider economy,\" he said.\n\n\"Housing market activity is likely to slow in the coming quarters, perhaps sharply, if the labour market weakens as most analysts expect, especially once the stamp duty holiday expires at the end of March.\"\n\nAnalysts say a change in working trends post-vaccine could also affect the market.\n\nSamuel Tombs, chief UK economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics said: \"A relatively narrow cohort of well-off households, who already own their homes with little debt, seem to be driving the market with the savings that they have realised this year from working from home.\n\n\"House prices remain vulnerable to fall next year, when the trend towards working from home will be going into reverse, stamp duty will be higher, and mortgage rates still will be above their pre-Covid level, due to the weakened labour market.\"\n\nThe Nationwide also said its research suggested properties in national parks carried a 20% premium when sold, with homes on the outskirts of these areas also selling for 6% more than the equivalent property elsewhere.", "There were fears that Debenhams would have to close its stores if it didn't strike a rescue deal by the end of September. The department store chain is in administration and is looking for a buyer.\n\nBut chairman Mark Gifford told the BBC's Emma Simpson the group has enough cash to keep going long after the end of this month while a sale is negotiated.", "Scientists say the Amazon has suffered losses at an accelerated rate since Jair Bolsonaro took office\n\nDeforestation of the Amazon rainforest in Brazil has surged to its highest level since 2008, the country's space agency (Inpe) reports.\n\nA total of 11,088 sq km (4,281 sq miles) of rainforest were destroyed from August 2019 to July 2020. This is a 9.5% increase from the previous year.\n\nThe Amazon is a vital carbon store that slows down the pace of global warming.\n\nScientists say it has suffered losses at an accelerated rate since Jair Bolsonaro took office in January 2019.\n\nThe Brazilian president has encouraged agriculture and mining activities in the world's largest rainforest.\n\nThe Amazon is home to about three million species of plants and animals, and one million indigenous people.\n\nThe latest data marked a major increase from the 7,536 sq km announced by Inpe in 2018 - the year before Mr Bolsonaro took office.\n\nThe new figures are preliminary, with the official statistics set to be released early next year.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. A section of the Amazon forest is systematically removed over a three-year period\n\nBrazil had set a goal of slowing the pace of deforestation to 3,900 sq km annually by 2020.\n\nIn addition to encouraging development in the rainforest, President Bolsonaro has also cut funding to federal agencies that have the power to fine and arrest farmers and loggers breaking environmental law.\n\nMr Bolsonaro has previously clashed with Inpe over its deforestation data. Last year, he accused the agency of smearing Brazil's reputation.\n\nIn a statement, Brazilian non-governmental organisation Climate Observatory said the figures \"reflect the result of a successful initiative to annihilate the capacity of the Brazilian State and the inspection bodies to take care of our forests and fight crime in the Amazon\".\n\nBut some officials said the fact that the rate of increase was lower than that recorded last year was a sign of progress.\n\n\"While we are not here to celebrate this, it does signify that the efforts we are making are beginning to bear fruit,\" Vice-President Hamilton Mourão told reporters.\n\nThe scale of destruction in the Amazon rainforest is hard to comprehend.\n\nLast year I experienced the silent aftermath of deforestation where huge trees had been bulldozed and would later be burned.\n\nThis is done to create fields for cattle grazing and soya cultivation - big earners for Brazil.\n\nAt the time it was said that an area of forest the size of a football pitch was cleared every single minute.\n\nBut soon that calculation was overtaken, and this year has seen the largest fires for a decade.\n\nNone of this should be a surprise: Jair Bolsonaro, was elected on a promise of development.\n\nKeen to promote mining as well as agriculture, he described the Amazon as \"a periodic table\" of valuable minerals, and he resents what he sees as outside interference.\n\nBut climate scientists say the billions of trees are a vast store of carbon and, without them, the rise in global temperatures will accelerate.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. How is the rainforest helping to limit global warming?", "Debenhams has appointed a firm to draw up contingency plans for a possible liquidation of the department store.\n\nThe company, which is in administration, has hired Hilco Capital, a firm that specialises in winding up struggling retailers.\n\nDebenhams said it was \"trading strongly\" and Hilco's appointment did not mean a liquidation was likely.\n\nLast week Debenhams said it would axe 2,500 more jobs, on top of 4,000 cuts it announced in May.\n\nDebenhams filed for administration in April - the second time in a little over a year - and is examining options to exit the process.\n\nThese include the current owners continuing to run the business, a sale of Debenhams or a joint venture with new or existing investors.\n\nBut if the administrators, FRP Advisory, fail to find a buyer or new investment, Debenhams faces liquidation - putting 14,000 jobs at risk.\n\nA spokesperson for the department store said: \"Debenhams is trading strongly, with 124 stores reopened and a healthy cash position.\"\n\nDebenhams began reopening its shops in June after being closed since lockdown in late March to stop the spread of the coronavirus.\n\nSince lockdown started, it has announced store closures and job cuts.\n\nHowever, the company was struggling before the pandemic, including issuing a string of profit warnings.\n\nPrior to last year's administration, Sports Direct owner Mike Ashley had proposed injecting £200m into Debenhams.\n\nThe offer from Mr Ashley, who also owns House of Fraser, was rejected and Debenhams entered a pre-pack administration which allowed it to keep trading.\n\nHilco has worked on a number of high-profile liquidations in the retail sector including BHS, electronics specialist Maplin and Woolworths.", "Gwilym Owen has been given 250 hours of unpaid work and order to pay a total of £380 in costs\n\nA man who pulled plastic sheets off clothes in a supermarket during Wales' \"firebreak\" lockdown has been told to compensate Tesco over his protest.\n\nGwilym Owen was filmed pulling off the sheeting in Bangor on the first day of Wales' 17-day autumn lockdown.\n\nSupermarkets had been told they were not allowed to sell \"non-essential\" items during the firebreak period.\n\nOwen, of Holyhead Road in Gaerwen, Anglesey, pleaded guilty to damaging the sheeting and disorderly behaviour.\n\nHe was sentenced at at Caernarfon Magistrates' Court to 250 hours of unpaid work and ordered to pay £200 to Tesco in compensation and £180 in costs.\n\nFootage of Owen damaging the sheeting went viral after he uploaded it to Facebook.\n\nOwen uploaded the footage to his Facebook page\n\nGilly Harradence, defending, told the court Owen had not entered the store with the intention of causing trouble.\n\n\"He just wanted to highlight the unfairness and illogicality of the regulations,\" she said.\n\nMagistrates' chairman Alastair Langdon said Owen entered the shop to \"maliciously\" disrupt the running of the business and had used \"very nasty and abusive language\".\n\n\"You had no regard to the safety and welfare of staff or customers at the store,\" he said.\n\n\"Your actions must have been frightening and worrying to a number of people in the immediate vicinity.\"\n\nThe Welsh Government banned the sale of non-essential items, such as clothes, during Wales' 17-day firebreak lockdown which ran between 23 October and 9 November.\n\nMore than 60,000 people signed a Senedd/Welsh Parliament petition calling for the ban to be reversed, the largest ever submitted.", "The cost of a first class stamp will rise by 9p to 85p on 1 January, Royal Mail has announced.\n\nA second class stamp will also go up in price, rising by 1p to 66p on the same day.\n\nPrices were raised to their current levels in March. Royal Mail said the latest move was \"necessary to help ensure the sustainability\" of the universal service.\n\nIt said 2020 had been a \"challenging year\" for the business.\n\nThe company added that it had \"considered any pricing changes very carefully\" owing to the coronavirus pandemic.\n\nThe move comes shortly after it revealed letter volumes had fallen 28% in the six months to September 27, compared with a year earlier and that revenue from parcel deliveries has surpassed letters for the first time, fuelled by a surge in online shopping during the pandemic.\n\nRoyal Mail said: \"The reduction in letter volumes has had a significant impact on the finances of the universal service which lost £180m in the first half of the year.\n\n\"This demonstrates the need for change in the universal service. We are working tirelessly to deliver the most comprehensive service we can in difficult circumstances as the coronavirus pandemic continues to impact our operation.\"\n\nDefending the price rises, the company added that the Covid-19 pandemic had cost it £85m during the period on protective equipment, covering absences, overtime and agency staff.\n\nNick Landon, chief commercial officer at Royal Mail, said: \"Like other companies, 2020 has been a challenging year for Royal Mail.\n\n\"Our people have worked tirelessly to keep the UK connected throughout the pandemic and associated restrictions.\n\n\"These price increases will help us continue to deliver and sustain the Universal Service in challenging circumstances.\"\n\nRegulator Ofcom said last week that Royal Mail would be able to cut Saturday letter deliveries and still meets the needs of most customers.", "Esther Dingley sent this photo of her at the top of a mountain nine days ago\n\nPolice searching for a British hiker missing in the Pyrenees are \"looking at other options\" beyond an accident, her partner has said.\n\nEsther Dingley, 37, last messaged her partner Dan Colegate via WhatsApp on 22 November, when she was on top of Pic de Sauvegarde on the France-Spain border.\n\nShe had been due to return from her solo walking trek on 25 November.\n\nMr Colegate said after extensive searches the \"prevailing opinion\" is she is not in the mountains.\n\nIn a post on Facebook, he praised the French and Spanish search and rescue teams' efforts, but said: \"Taking into account Esther's high level of experience, the nature of the terrain, the good weather she would have had, the fact she had a clearly defined route for Sunday evening and Monday, and various other factors, both search coordinators have essentially told me that the prevailing opinion in the search teams is that she isn't there.\n\n\"If she had fallen from one of the paths, they really would have expected to find her given the intensity, the closeness of the search and the fact most of the trails are really quite straightforward across open ground.\"\n\nDan Colegate and Esther Dingley had always been keen travellers\n\nMr Colegate said Ms Dingley is now listed as a national missing person in Spain and her case has been passed to a \"specialised judicial unit in France\".\n\n\"This means they will be looking at other options beyond a mountain accident,\" he said.\n\nMr Colegate said: \"While this is a terrifying development in many ways, I'm trying to focus on the fact that it leaves the door open that Esther might still come home.\n\n\"She was so utterly happy and joyful when we last spoke, I'd do anything to see her face and hold her right now.\"\n\nMs Dingley had been travelling in the couple's camper van while Mr Colegate stayed at a farm in the Gascony area of France.\n\nThe weekend she set out on the trek, the couple's story about their adventures around Europe in the camper van since 2014 was published by BBC News.\n\nMs Dingley had started walking from Benasque in Spain on Saturday and had planned to spend Sunday night at Refuge de Venasque in France, Mr Colegate said.\n\nThe couple had lived in Durham before deciding to pack up their lives and go travelling after Mr Colegate nearly died from an infection.\n\nFollow BBC North East & Cumbria on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Coronavirus: Shops, hairdressers, and museums reopen in Republic of Ireland\n\nAll retail outlets, hairdressers, museums and libraries have reopened in the Republic of Ireland on Tuesday in an easing of Covid-19 restrictions.\n\nIreland had been in lockdown for nearly six weeks, with rules similar to those in spring, except schools stayed open and construction continued.\n\nIt is now moving from the most severe level five restrictions to level three.\n\nPeople will now also be able to attend religious services and play golf and tennis again.\n\nGatherings of 15 people can take place outdoors and gyms and swimming pools can reopen, as can hotels and guesthouses, with services limited to residents only.\n\nHowever, people will not be allowed to leave their county except for essential reasons such as work, education or a medical appointment.\n\nA number of other sectors will also reopen as the country moves out of lockdown\n\nHouseholds have been told not to mix with other households outside their bubble until Christmas week.\n\nPeople are still advised to work from home where possible, and a face covering should be worn outdoors on busy streets, inside crowded workplaces and in places of worship.\n\nFrom Friday, restaurants and pubs that have a kitchen and serve food will reopen.\n\nHowever, pubs that do not serve food will remain closed except for delivery or take-away services.\n\nShoppers queue outside Penneys in Dublin before it opened on Tuesday morning\n\nFrom 18 December until 6 January, people will be allowed to travel outside of their county and up to three households will be allowed to meet indoors.\n\nNon-essential shops in Northern Ireland are currently closed until 11 December.\n\nSome shoppers queued outside Penney's in Dublin from 04:30 local time on Tuesday ahead of it reopening.\n\nLeonard Watson, who is the owner of a menswear clothing business in Letterkenny, County Donegal, has said it has been a long six weeks but he is delighted to be reopening again.\n\n\"It is great to get the doors open again in the run up to Christmas,\" Mr Watson said.\n\nSpeaking to BBC Radio Foyle, the business owner said, if given the option, he would much rather have been closed for the past five weeks if it meant he could be open for the next two weeks in December.\n\n\"It is the golden quarter, December is the month for us as independent retailers to make most of our money that covers us through the quiet months of January and February.\n\n\"We are still here, people need the high streets and we just hope people will continue to shop local.\"\n\nMr Watson said he accepted that shops being open was conditional on coronavirus case numbers remaining low, but said he was hopeful local retailers would be able to get at least some Christmas trade.\n\nPaddy Malone, from Dundalk Chamber of Commerce, said more than 300 shops in the Dundalk area had availed of financial assistance from the Irish government to help them go online during the lockdown.\n\n\"The local office did more in the past four months than they did over the past five years of getting businesses to switch online,\" he said.\n\nLast month, it was reported that Tánaiste (Deputy Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar had advised against cross-border travel to Northern Ireland at Christmas, but he later said that was not the case.\n\nSpeaking on BBC Radio Ulster on Monday, Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney said no-one in the Irish government was suggesting that people could not cross the border.\n\n\"What needs to happen north and south is for people to respect the restrictions that are in place,\" Mr Coveney said.\n\nSimon Coveney told the BBC 'we're trying to contain a killer disease here and so people need to be responsible in how they travel'\n\n\"We are seeing strong advice coming from the executive in the north and the government in the south that there should be no non-essential travel.\n\n\"So in other words if people need to see a relative, if people need to travel for work or for study or medical reasons or other essential reasons, of course they are allowed to travel.\n\n\"But we're trying to contain a killer disease here and so people need to be responsible in how they travel, how they move around so we can limit the spread of this disease.\"", "Facebook will begin paying UK news publishers for some articles with the launch of Facebook News in January.\n\nThe feature adds a dedicated news tab to the Facebook app, and has already launched in the United States.\n\nFacebook said it will \"pay publishers for content that is not already on the platform\" and prioritise original reporting.\n\nIt comes after years of tension between Facebook and news publishers, who have often accused it of \"stealing\" content.\n\nBut hundreds of UK news outlets are already signed up to deals for the new feature, Facebook said.\n\nThey include publishers such as Hearst (Cosmopolitan, Elle, Esquire); the Guardian Media group; regional newspaper giant JPI Media; and the Midland News Association.\n\nFacebook said it expects more publishers to join after the launch.\n\nThe news tab is only available on the mobile app - not in a web browser.\n\nBut Facebook said its launch in the US has shown it that 95% of the traffic to Facebook News publishers through that tab, are new readers who \"have not interacted with those news outlets in the past\".\n\nThat may sound promising for news outlets trying to increase their audience on Facebook, as news accounts for only about 4% of a user's main \"news feed\".\n\nThe deals struck between Facebook and publishers are not public, so it is not known how lucrative they could be for struggling news outlets.\n\nBut previous efforts to bring publishers into the fold have not always been a success.\n\nOver the years, Facebook has encouraged news publishers to produce video for its platform and has changed the algorithms that govern its main user feed at the expense of news.\n\nIt has also tried to drive publishers to use its instant articles feature, which limits advertising and other features of the publisher's website.\n\nFacebook has always insisted it doesn't want to make editorial decisions. It outsources fact-checking to organisations like Full Fact, and will outsource curation of this news service to an organisation called Upday, tasked with surfacing \"reliable\" and \"relevant\" news, whatever an on-the-day editor decides that means.\n\nThis initiative crosses a commercial rubicon. The company has always directed traffic back to publishers, but this is the first time that Facebook will pay news publishers for their work.\n\nFor more than a decade, the likes of Rupert Murdoch's News UK - as well as many local publishers - have argued that big tech companies carry their content without paying for it, and so act as leeches.\n\nThis move will begin to weaken that argument. Some of the publishers paid by Facebook will be struggling local titles, dependent for their future on the flattering interest of a Californian tech giant.\n\nYet, as recently as 2018, Mark Zuckerberg said he wouldn't pay publishers for content.\n\nThis new move is a loud gesture to British regulators, saying Facebook will invest in public goods such as journalism, provided the regulatory environment is favourable.", "Covid-19 could be causing lung abnormalities still detectable more than three months after patients are infected, researchers suggest.\n\nA study of 10 patients at Oxford University used a novel scanning technique to identify damage not picked up by conventional scans.\n\nIt uses a gas called xenon during MRI scans to create images of lung damage.\n\nLung experts said a test that could spot long-term damage would make a huge difference to Covid patients.\n\nThe xenon technique sees patients inhale the gas during a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan.\n\nProf Fergus Gleeson, who is leading the work, tried out his scanning technique on 10 patients aged between 19 and 69.\n\nEight of them had persistent shortness of breath and tiredness three months after being ill with coronavirus, even though none of them had been admitted to intensive care or required ventilation, and conventional scans had found no problems in their lungs.\n\nThe scans showed signs of lung damage - by highlighting areas where air is not flowing easily into the blood - in the eight who reported breathlessness.\n\nThe results have prompted Prof Gleeson to plan a trial of up to 100 people to see if the same is true of people who had not been admitted to hospital and had not suffered from such serious symptoms. He is planning to work with GPs to scan people who have tested positive for Covid-19 across a range of age groups.\n\nThe aim is to discover whether lung damage occurs and if so whether it is permanent, or resolves over time.\n\nHe said: \"I was expecting some form of lung damage, but not to the degree that we have seen.\"\n\nThe risk of severe illness and death increases markedly for the over 60s. But if the trial discovers that the lung damage occurs across a wider age group and even in those not requiring admission to hospital \"it would move the goalposts,\" according to Prof Gleeson.\n\nIn the scarred lungs, on the right, there are much larger areas of darkness, representing parts of the lungs that are having difficulty transporting oxygen into the blood stream\n\nHe believes the lung damage identified by the xenon scans may be one of the factors behind long Covid, where people feel unwell for several months after infection.\n\nThe scanning technique was developed by a research group at the University of Sheffield led by Prof James Wild who said it offered a \"unique\" way of showing lung damage caused by Covid-19 infection and its after-effects.\n\n\"In other fibrotic lung diseases we have shown the methods to be very sensitive to this impairment and we hope the work can help understand Covid-19 lung disease.\"\n\nDr Shelley Hayles is a GP based in Oxford involved in helping set up the trial. She believes that up to 10% of those who have had Covid-19 might have some form of lung damage which is leading to prolonged symptoms.\n\n\"We're now at more than one and a quarter million who have been infected - and 10% of that is a lot of people,\" she said.\n\n\"When medical staff tell patients that they don't know what's wrong with them and they don't know how to sort the symptoms out, it's very stressful.\n\n\"With most patients, even if the news isn't great, they want the diagnosis.\"\n\nThat is true of Tim Clayden, who spent his 60th birthday at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford with Covid symptoms that were so severe he believed that he would die. Fortunately he recovered but remains weary to this day. Tim was frustrated not knowing why he wasn't recovering to full health.\n\nHe said that he was simultaneously concerned and relieved when he received one of Prof Gleeson's scans which showed that his lungs were damaged.\n\n\"It does help knowing that there is an issue with your lungs,\" he says.\n\n\"I now know what it is. I know the origin of it. What I don't know, because no one does, is whether it is permanent or if it will pass. But I'd rather know than not know.\"\n\nDr Samantha Walker, director of research and innovation at Asthma UK and the British Lung Foundation, said: \"This is an interesting investigation and it's important that post-Covid lung damage is looked into further and on a larger scale so we can better understand the longer term damage caused.\n\n\"If further investigation shows that lung damage occurs, it could enable the development of a test that can measure lung damage caused by Covid-19 which would make a huge difference to many people with 'long covid' respiratory issues and also allow specific treatments to be developed.\"", "JD Sports has pulled out of talks over a rescue deal for department store chain Debenhams.\n\nIt was the last remaining bidder for the firm, which is in administration, and up until the end of last week had been closing in on a deal.\n\nBut retail giant Arcadia is the biggest concession operator in Debenhams and its collapse is understood to have been a factor in JD Sports' decision.\n\nWithout a buyer, Debenhams could be wound down, risking thousands of jobs.\n\nThe company had already cut about 6,500 jobs since May, and now has 12,000 workers.\n\nThe 242-year-old retailer had been considering a potential sale since the summer after it went into administration in April for the second time in a year.\n\nThe news that Arcadia has collapsed into administration, after the Covid-19 pandemic hit trading, has further complicated matters.\n\nThe downfall of the Arcadia group puts 13,000 jobs at risk. The group, which runs 444 stores in the UK and 22 overseas, currently has 9,294 employees on furlough.\n\nArcadia's brands, such as Miss Selfridge and Dorothy Perkins, are sold across Debenhams stores. They account for about £75m of sales.\n\nFormer Debenhams chairman Sir Ian Cheshire told the BBC he felt \"desperately sorry\" for the thousands of employees who were worried about their jobs.\n\nHe said that Debenhams had been \"caught in a straitjacket\" with too many High Street outlets on long leases.\n\n\"You've got to be so much faster and so much more online,\" he said, adding that the chain would have been better off with about 70 stores instead of the 130 it currently operates.\n\nShareholders in JD Sports had reacted badly to the news of the potential purchase of Debenhams, with the sports retailer seeing a sharp fall in its share price last week.\n\nThat rebounded on Monday after weekend reports claiming that it was reconsidering its move.\n\nJD Sports was widely seen as the last chance to save the beleaguered British chain.\n\nBut in a short statement issued on Tuesday, JD Sports said that \"discussions with the administrators of Debenhams regarding a potential acquisition of the UK business have now been terminated\".\n\nIf a buyer is not found for Debenhams, the firm could go into liquidation, or face being wound down. During that process, buyers would be sought for its shops and the business's other assets, like stock.\n\nHilco Capital, a firm that specialises in winding up struggling retailers, was appointed by Debenhams in August to draw up contingency plans.\n\nDebenhams said at the time that it was \"trading strongly\", despite having issued a string of profit warnings even before the pandemic hit.\n\nIn recent years several big High Street names have struggled including Thomas Cook, Mothercare and Bonmarche as retailers try to adapt to the rise of online shopping and changing consumer habits.\n\nAre you a Debenhams employee? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "The poorest communities have been hit hardest during the Covid-19 pandemic.\n\nBBC analysis shows the death rate from all causes between April and June this year in the most deprived areas was nearly double that of deaths in the least deprived parts of England.\n\nThe majority of the top 10 cities and towns with the highest death rates were in the north of England.\n\nThe BBC’s special correspondent Ed Thomas spent four days with a community in Burnley facing severe economic hardship.\n\nThe government says it's providing funding for local authorities to deliver services, including £170m to help families stay warm and well fed, millions for food aid charities and £220m for children through the Holiday Activities and Food programme.\n\n\"We recognise how difficult restrictions can be, particularly for those areas that have been under restrictions for so long,\" a spokesperson said.\n\nFilmed and edited by Phillip Edwards. Produced by Louise Martin.", "Knockwellan Park is a residential area and police said the \"reckless\" pipe bomb attack \"could have injured or killed\"\n\nA pipe bomb has exploded in a van in Londonderry in what police have described as a \"reckless attack\".\n\nPolice were called to Knockwellan Park in the Waterside area just before 22:00 GMT on Saturday after a report that the vehicle was in flames.\n\nOn arrival, \"it became clear that the cause of the fire had been the detonation of a pipe bomb-type device,\" said PSNI Det Sgt Richard Donnell.\n\nThere were no reports of any injuries.\n\nHowever, parts of the device remained at the scene after the fire so the area was cordoned off and Army experts were deployed to make it safe.\n\nThey recovered the remnants of the device and took them away further forensic examination.\n\nThe operation continued until 02:00 GMT on Sunday.\n\n\"This was a reckless attack carried out in a residential area with no consideration given as to who this device could have injured or killed,\" said Det Sgt Donnell.\n\nHe said those responsible were \"a danger to us all\" and he appealed anyone with information about the incident to contact police.\n\nFoyle MP Colum Eastwood said the attack was a \"moronic\" attempt to \"intimidate and kill in our community\".\n\nIn a tweet, the SDLP leader added: \"The people of Derry do not want this mindless violence. Stop now.\"\n\nSinn Féin's Martina Anderson said it was the latest in \"a series of attacks\" in the area this year, and PSNI should \"step up its effort to bring these criminal gangs to book\".\n\nThe Foyla MLA added: \"Those behind this attack have nothing to offer the community and need to end these reckless actions immediately.\"", "Adamo Canto admitted stealing medals and photographs from the Palace\n\nA Buckingham Palace catering assistant has admitted stealing medals and photographs from the Queen's residence.\n\nAdamo Canto, 37, pleaded guilty at Westminster Magistrates' Court to three counts of theft between 11 November 2019 and 7 August 2020.\n\nPolice found a \"significant quantity\" of stolen items at his quarters at the Royal Mews in Buckingham Palace.\n\nCanto, from Scarborough, North Yorkshire, will be sentenced at Southwark Crown Court at a later date.\n\nDuring the Covid-19 pandemic, Canto's role was changed to include more cleaning which offered him access to offices and other areas he would not normally have been given, the court was told.\n\nSome of the stolen goods, worth between £10,000 and £100,000, were listed for sale on eBay, prosecutor Simon Maughan said.\n\nA total of 37 items were offered for sale \"well under\" their true value on eBay, Mr Maughan said, with Canto making £7,741.\n\nOne item was a royal state banquet photo album of US President Donald Trump's visit to the UK, worth £1,500.\n\nCanto also took official signed photographs of the Duke of Sussex and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.\n\nSome 77 items were taken from the palace shop, while others were stolen from places such as staff lockers, the Queen's Gallery shop and the Duke of York's storeroom, the court heard.\n\nCanto admitted stealing a Companion of Bath medal belonging to the Master of the Household, which was sold online for £350.\n\nIn a statement, Vice Admiral Master Tony Johnstone-Burt said he first realised the medal was missing because he needed to wear it for the Queen's Trooping the Colour and was later told by staff that stolen items were for sale online.\n\nCanto also stole a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order medal from the locker of former British Army officer Maj Gen Richard Sykes, which was given to him by the Queen in 2010.\n\nDistrict Judge Alexander Jacobs released Canto on conditional bail and warned he faced a possible jail sentence.\n\nFollow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk or send video here.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Thousands of people have fled after Indonesia's Ile Lewotolok volcano erupted, spewing ash high into the air.\n\nAuthorities have warned people of \"lava streams and poisonous gas\".\n\nIndonesia has the world's most active volcanoes.", "Artwork: The mission hopes to pick up a couple of kilos of surface materials\n\nChina has successfully put another probe on the Moon.\n\nIts robotic Chang'e-5 mission touched down a short while ago with the aim of collecting samples of rock and dust to bring back to Earth.\n\nThe venture has targeted Mons Rümker, a high volcanic complex in a nearside region known as Oceanus Procellarum.\n\nThe lander is expected to spend the next couple of days examining its surroundings and gathering up surface materials.\n\nIt has a number of instruments to facilitate this, including a camera, spectrometer, radar, a scoop and a drill.\n\nThe intention is to package about 2kg of \"soil\", or regolith, to send up to an orbiting vehicle that can then transport the samples to Earth.\n\nIt's 44 years since this was last achieved. That was the Soviet Luna 24 mission, which picked up just under 200g.\n\nThe probe casts its shadow on to the surface of the Moon\n\nUnlike the launch of the mission a week ago, the landing was not covered live by Chinese TV channels.\n\nOnly after the touchdown was confirmed did they break into their programming to relay the news.\n\nImages taken on the descent were quickly released with the final frame showing one of the probe's legs casting a shadow on to the dusty lunar surface.\n\nThe US space agency congratulated China. Nasa's top science official, Dr Thomas Zurbuchen, said he hoped the international research community would eventually get the chance to analyse any samples sent home.\n\n\"When the samples collected on the Moon are returned to Earth, we hope everyone will benefit from being able to study this precious cargo that could advance the international science community,\" he tweeted.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Jonathan Amos This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThe 8.2-tonne Chang'e-5 spacecraft \"stack\" was launched from the Wenchang spaceport in southern China on 24 November (local time). It arrived above the Moon at the weekend and then set about circularising its orbit before splitting in two.\n\nOne half - a service vehicle and return module - stayed in orbit, while a lander-ascender segment was prepared for a touchdown attempt.\n\nAnother frame from Chang'e-5's camera on the descent\n\nThe Chinese space agency said this lander-ascender element put down at 15:11 GMT (23:11 China Standard Time). The precise position was reported as 51.8 degrees West longitude and 43.1 degrees North latitude.\n\nChang'e-5's success follows China's two previous Moon landings - those of Chang'e-3 in 2013 and Chang'e-4 last year. Both of these earlier missions incorporated a static lander and small rover.\n\nChina has previously put two static landers and rovers on the Moon\n\nA total of just under 400kg of rock and soil were retrieved by American Apollo astronauts and the Soviets' robotic Luna programme - the vast majority of these materials coming back with the crewed missions.\n\nBut all these samples were very old - more than three billion years in age. The Mons Rümker materials, on the other hand, promise to be no more than 1.2 or 1.3 billion years old. And this should provide additional insights on the geological history of the Moon.\n\nThe samples will also allow scientists to more precisely calibrate the \"chronometer\" they use to age surfaces on the inner Solar System planets.\n\nThis is done by counting craters (the more craters, the older the surface), but it depends on having some definitive dating at a number of locations, and the Apollo and Soviet samples were key to this. Chang'e-5 would offer a further data point.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Thomas Zurbuchen This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nReports from China suggest the effort to retrieve surface samples may last no longer than a couple of days. Any retrieved materials will be blasted back into orbit on the ascent portion of the landing mechanism, and then transferred across to the service vehicle and placed in the return module.\n\nThe orbiter will shepherd the return module to the Earth's vicinity, jettisoning it to make an atmospheric entry and landing in the Siziwang Banner grasslands of the autonomous region of Inner Mongolia. This is where China's astronauts also return to Earth.\n\n\"Chang'e-5 is a very complex mission,\" commented Dr James Carpenter, exploration science coordinator for human and robotic exploration at the European Space Agency.\n\n\"I think it's extremely impressive what they're trying to do. And what I think is fascinating is you see this very systematic, step by step approach to increasing their exploration capabilities - from the early Chang'e missions to this latest one.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nJonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmos", "Children have not had the help they need in the pandemic, says Ofsted\n\nThe \"invisibility of vulnerable children\" during the pandemic should be a \"matter of national concern,\" says England's chief inspector of schools.\n\nAmanda Spielman warns when many pupils were out of school in the lockdown, teachers might not have picked up early warning signs of abuse or neglect.\n\nThe chief inspector says such children, at risk of harm, slipped out of sight.\n\nLaunching her annual report, Ms Spielman says it should now be a priority to find such overlooked cases.\n\nThe NSPCC has raised concerns about risks to vulnerable children during the lockdown. Here are some snapshots from calls to the charity.\n\n\"My uncle is touching me sexually. He did it today and it has been happening for a few months now. He is still visiting us and sleeps over despite the government lockdown and I don't feel safe at home. Nobody else knows and I don't know if I could tell my parents, it would destroy my dad.\"\n\nSchools remained open during the first lockdown for the children of key workers and for vulnerable children - but many eligible families did not send their children to school.\n\nMs Spielman says pupils not being in school and a lack of access for health visitors had a \"dramatic impact\" - with a reduction in concerns over neglect or abuse being referred to local authorities.\n\nThe Local Government Association says referrals to children's social care teams were down by about a fifth, to 41,000 cases between April and June, resulting in about 1,600 children being looked after, a third below previous years.\n\nThere will now need to be \"urgent\" co-ordinated action to identify children whose problems were missed during the pandemic, warns the chief inspector.\n\n\"I'm very worried about a young girl who is being physically abused by her mother. We are close family friends and I used to babysit her. She has told me her mother used a shoe to hit her across the face and arms while she was doing her homework. I feel like the situation has exacerbated due to the coronavirus restrictions.\"\n\nThe report also raises wider concerns about the mental health and well-being of pupils, after the pandemic, in which children could have faced isolation, anxiety, loneliness or even bereavement.\n\nThe Ofsted chief also raises concerns about the pressures on families of children with special educational needs - saying many were \"struggling to cope\".\n\nMany apprentices have faced disruption to their training\n\nThey faced a reduction in support services and specialist activities as well as time in school for those who were shielding - which might have provided respite for parents, as well as educational opportunities.\n\nSuch families were \"hidden victims\" of the pandemic, says Ms Spielman.\n\n\"Covid-19 has exposed an already crumbling infrastructure that fails to meet the needs of our most vulnerable children all too often,\" says the chief inspector.\n\nOfsted suspended regular inspections during the pandemic, but the watchdog's report says the disruption to lessons has seen many pupils slipping back - and it says it is likely that the attainment gap between rich and poor children will get wider.\n\n\"I've become increasingly disturbed by the noises coming from one of one my neighbours - it's been getting worse since the lockdown. I can hear the mother shouting and swearing at her two little ones, it sounds vengeful and aggressive. Sometimes the mother locks her kids out in the front garden as punishment - the youngest was crying hysterically for half an hour, it was awful.\"\n\nThe quality of online learning was \"variable\", says the report, with some children lacking access to technology and others lacking motivation to learn at home.\n\nThe annual report highlights weaknesses with apprenticeships - saying they had the \"least effective\" education providers.\n\nAnd it warned almost two thirds of apprentices had either been furloughed, been made redundant or had their off-the-job training suspended.\n\nThe gap in results between rich and poor pupils is likely to get wider in the pandemic, says Ofsted\n\nPaul Whiteman of the National Association of Head Teachers said school leaders shared concerns about vulnerable children in the pandemic.\n\nBut he said budgets for child support services have been \"slashed\" and \"10 years of government neglect has left vulnerable children and families on the edge - and Covid has nudged many of them over\".\n\nMr Whiteman warned schools were already under great pressure - and he called on Ofsted not to resume regular school inspections in the new year.\n\nGeoff Barton, head of the leaders' union ASCL said Ms Spielman was highlighting \"an important issue\".\n\n\"Schools worked very hard to reach out to families with vulnerable children and bring these pupils into the emergency provision in schools during the first national lockdown,\" he said.\n\n\"Schools have been highly focused on addressing any problems with the wellbeing of students since full reopening in September, and they are very relieved to have vulnerable pupils back in school where they can make sure they have the support they need.\"\n\nA Department for Education spokeswoman said: \"The safety and well-being of the most vulnerable children has always been our focus, which is why we kept nurseries, schools and colleges open for those children throughout the pandemic.\n\n\"It remains a national priority to keep full-time education open for all,\" she said.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Boris Johnson says the “plan through to Easter” would see areas “come down in the tiers they are in”.\n\nNo 10 has published data behind its decisions over England's new tier system as it tries to win MPs' support.\n\nDowning Street's report said it sought to \"balance the many complex impacts\" of restrictions and keep them in place \"for as short a time as possible\".\n\nIt said allowing the virus to spread exponentially \"would lead to impacts... considered intolerable for society\".\n\nBut senior Tory MP Mark Harper said the \"wheels are coming off the government's arguments\".\n\nMPs will vote on the plans on Tuesday.\n\nThe government announced its tougher three tiers to tackle the virus last week, with Boris Johnson telling reporters on Monday: \"We can't afford to take our foot off the throat of the beast... to let it out of control again.\"\n\nBut a number of Tory backbenchers have threatened to vote against the motion when it comes to the Commons, including the Covid Recovery Group (CRG) of MPs - chaired by Mr Harper.\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer said his party would abstain on the vote, saying he had \"serious misgivings\" about the measures.\n\nBut he said it was \"in the national interest\" to let the restrictions pass through the Commons without Labour's opposition to ensure some measures were in place.\n\nA No 10 spokesman accused Sir Keir of \"playing politics in the middle of a global pandemic, instead of working with the government to find a way through this difficult time for the British people\".\n\nEngland's current lockdown will end in the early hours of Wednesday 2 December and will see the country placed into one of three tiers: medium (one), high (two) and very high (three).\n\nHowever, the majority of the country, over 55 million, will be under the strictest two sets of measures.\n\nThe announcement led to criticism from some Tory MPs, who were concerned about the impact in their constituencies.\n\nMr Johnson wrote to his party twice over the weekend to appeal for their backing and to grant some of the CRG's demands.\n\nThey included the publication of the data on the health, social and economic impact of the tiers, and the promise MPs could vote again on the measures in January - with the possibility the tier system could end on 3 February.\n\nBut the government report - published on Monday - said it was \"not possible to forecast the precise economic impact of a specific change to a specific restriction with confidence\".\n\nThe document is largely made up of information already available.\n\nIt said the challenge of balancing health and societal impacts was not straightforward, but the government would continue to pursue the best overall outcomes.\n\nThe chair of the Treasury select committee, Tory MP Mel Stride, condemned the report as \"a rehashed document [that] offers very little further in economic terms\".\n\nHe told the BBC he would support the government to ensure there were some restrictions in place, but added: \"It's frustrating that there is little here that sets out how the different tiers might impact on the specific sectors and regions across the country.\n\n\"Those looking for additional economic analysis of the new tiered system will struggle to find it in this document.\"\n\nThe CRG chair, Mr Harper, said the report \"seems to be collapsing under the glare of scrutiny\".\n\nHe repeated accusations that the government's modelling on deaths and hospital capacity had been wrong, adding: \"We have asked repeatedly for the information that vindicates these hospital projections and they have not been forthcoming.\"\n\nWhile Labour will abstain, the Liberal Democrats have said they will not back the plan - although it is not clear whether they will vote against or abstain.\n\nThe SNP will abstain in the vote, as it only covers restrictions in England.\n\nWith many of the opposition MPs abstaining, it would take a huge Tory rebellion for the measures to fall, which is unlikely.\n\nAt first glance there doesn't appear to be much, if any, new information in this document.\n\nThe government's analysis draws on studies and data already in the public domain to try to assess the impact of the tiered system of restrictions.\n\nSo will it convince Conservative MPs sceptical about the need for tighter restrictions that they are, in fact, necessary?\n\nSome Tory backbenchers may be satisfied the government has at least attempted to provide further evidence that tougher measures are needed. They've made their point.\n\nOthers will flick through the 48 pages and discard it, knowing all along that without some elusive magic formula the government could provide, they would never have been convinced.\n\nThe government is likely to win Tuesday's vote, but as the pandemic wears on, it is having to go to greater and greater lengths to keep its own MPs on side.\n\nSpeaking shortly before the data was published, Mr Johnson said he \"understood people's frustration\" with the stricter tiers.\n\nHe said: \"The tiering system is tough, but it is designed to be tough to keep [the virus] under control.\"\n\n\"What we can't do is forsake and abandon all the gains we have made now just when we are starting to see real progress in the science.\"\n\nIn the report, the government pointed to data from the Office for National Statistics, showing a rapid increase in people testing positive for the virus between September and November - from 59,800 a week to 633,000 a week.\n\nIt said the new \"strengthened\" tier system was \"designed to keep R [the infection rate] below one so that prevalence continues to fall, the significant impacts of the virus are reduced, and so that, ultimately, fewer restrictions are required.\"\n\nIt added that a \"stable and fully functioning health system is one of the pillars that underpins our society and our economy\", with the government's view being \"the severe loss of life and other health impacts of allowing the NHS to be overwhelmed would be intolerable for our society\".\n\nThe document also pointed to the economic forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility - which were published alongside Chancellor Rishi Sunak's spending review last week - predicting the value of the economy will fall by 11.3% by the end of the financial year.\n\nBut, while the report conceded there would be \"major impacts\" on the economy from the restrictions, it added: \"Any attempt to estimate the specific economic impacts of precise changes to individual restrictions for a defined period of time would be subject to such wide uncertainty as to not be meaningful for precise policy making\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Laura Foster explains the new three tier system for England\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir defended his party's decision to abstain on the vote for measures, saying it was \"better that these regulations can be amended and put in place than if there are no regulations\".\n\nHe said the \"serious misgivings\" he had included over the performance of the test and trace system and \"real concerns\" over the level of economic support for those in the highest tiers.\n\nBut, Sir Keir added: \"Although the number of cases is coming down as a result of lockdown, the virus is still a significant risk and in principal we accept there is going to have to be continued restrictions.\"\n\nHowever, one Labour MP, Richard Burgon, has already said he will vote against the tier system, arguing that it will fail to lower the infection rate and make another lockdown more likely.\n\nLiberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey described the system as \"chaotic\" and said his party would not back the measures until the prime minister addressed their concerns - such as working with local authorities and supporting pubs.", "The Mail Force campaign has donated face masks - similar to the one in this picture - to the NHS and care workers\n\nA charity set up by the Daily Mail to buy protective equipment for NHS staff donated 100,000 face masks suspected of being made by workers in a controversial Chinese labour programme.\n\nThe masks were flown in from China by the paper's Mail Force campaign, which was launched in April to buy PPE.\n\nThey were bought from Medwell Medical Products, a firm suspected of using Uighur Muslims in the labour scheme.\n\nMail Force said it had been unaware of allegations about Medwell at the time.\n\nA spokesperson for the charity said: \"The masks in question represent 0.2% of the 42 million items of PPE we delivered to the UK. We are implacably opposed to forced labour of any kind.\"\n\nIn April, amid reports of PPE shortages in the UK, the Daily Mail newspaper and owners General Trust launched the Mail Force charity, to source and provide equipment for NHS and care workers.\n\nThe registered charity - which has a separate board of trustees - has since provided millions of items of PPE, as well as testing equipment to hospitals such as London's Great Ormond Street, as well as care homes, and charities such as Mencap.\n\nMore than £11m has been donated by readers, the Daily Mail, partner businesses, and from the paper's owner, Viscount Rothermere\n\nJust a few days after the charity was set up, it delivered 100,000 masks and 50,000 coveralls to NHS workers, bought through a third-party agent in China. The Daily Mail then published two videos showing reporters delivering boxes of PPE. The boxes of disposable masks are clearly marked \"Medwell\".\n\nIn fact, Medwell's factory, in the town of Fenglin, in Jiangxi province, eastern China, was identified by the New York Times in July as using suspected forced labour from the country's Uighur minority.\n\nAccording to the paper, Uighur Muslims make up 25% of the workforce at the factory.\n\nChina is facing global political criticism over its alleged persecution of the Uighurs - a Muslim minority group that lives mostly in Xinjiang province, north-west China.\n\nIt is believed that the Chinese government has detained up to a million Uighurs over the past few years, in what the government defines as \"re-education camps\". China has also been accused of a programme of forced sterilisation against Uighur women.\n\nMedwell makes a variety of PPE and ships its products around the world, including to the US, where it is registered with the regulator, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).\n\nAt least some of the firm's masks have ended up at the NHS supply warehouse, based in Daventry, Northamptonshire, the centre from which the NHS supplies Britain's hospitals and care homes with PPE.\n\nEarlier this month, health minister Lord Bethell confirmed an investigation of stocks at the warehouse did \"show a record of receiving PPE masks produced by Medwell Medical Products\".\n\nThe BBC understands that those masks were supplied by the Mail Force charity.\n\nThe Department of Health and Social Care said: \"These masks were donated through an intermediary and only represent a tiny proportion of the overall PPE supplied. The masks have been removed entirely from the distribution chain.\n\n\"We expect all suppliers to the NHS to follow the highest legal and ethical standards and proper due diligence is carried out for all government contracts.\"\n\nA spokesperson for the Mail Force charity added: \"Working with relevant government departments, we ensured that all items met the relevant procurement standards.\n\n\"Every batch was approved by Department of Health inspectors prior to being bought and prior to delivery. Despite this, we became aware in November that part of one consignment of PPE may have originated in one factory in China, where it has since been suggested that forced labour has been used.\"\n\nThe charity said more than 60% of the PPE it has supplied was manufactured in the UK.\n\nIn a statement, China's UK embassy said workers of all ethnic groups have \"the freedom to choose their jobs and locations of work with zero restriction on their personal liberty\". It said there was \"no such thing\" as forced labour in China.\n\nThe BBC has asked Medwell Medical Products for comment.", "Rita Ora says she's \"deeply sorry\" for breaking English lockdown rules to celebrate her 30th birthday.\n\nThe singer says she attended a party at a restaurant in west London on Saturday.\n\n\"Given the restrictions, I realise how irresponsible these actions were and I take full responsibility,\" she wrote in a statement.\n\nIt's reported up to 30 people were at the party, although she describes the event as a \"small gathering\".\n\nShe says it was a \"spur of the moment\" decision.\n\nLondon's Metropolitan Police confirmed officers went to the Casa Cruz restaurant after a report about a potential breach of Covid lockdown regulations.\n\n\"I'm deeply sorry for breaking the rules and in turn understand that this puts people at risk,\" she posted.\n\n\"This was a serious and inexcusable error of judgement.\"\n\nRita Ora wrote an apology and posted it on her Instastory\n\nCurrent lockdown regulations in England mean you can only meet one other person outside.\n\nPubs and restaurants are currently closed (although they can serve non-alcoholic takeaways) and you shouldn't be with people from outside your house or support bubbles indoors.\n\nPolice have the power to break up groups larger than six and those who ignore officers could be fined £100, doubling with each offence to a maximum of £3,200.\n\nSo far, the singer has not been fined.\n\nKensington and Chelsea Council, which is responsible for issuing Covid fines against businesses in the area, says it is still investigating what happened at Casa Cruz.\n\nThis Instagram post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Instagram The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip instagram post by ritaora This article contains content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Meta’s Instagram cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThe singer's not the first high-profile public figure to admit breaching lockdown. In October, Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham apologised \"for the naivety shown\" in attending a party for his 23rd birthday.\n\nIn May, Manchester City's Kyle Walker wrote to the club's supporters after breaching coronavirus restrictions.\n\nListen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.", "Education has been \"completely disrupted\" by the sheer scale of Covid absences in some schools in some areas, Ofsted regional bosses have warned.\n\nThe regional directors for North-West England and the West Midlands say the impact of rules around self-isolation has significantly impacted attendance.\n\nThey highlight areas where hundreds of pupils are absent and self-isolating at a time, some again and again.\n\nOfsted says some areas will have seen relatively little impact this term.\n\nThe latest official figures for overall attendance in England show 22% of pupils in secondary schools were absent last Thursday.\n\nThis was the same as the previous week, when figures also showed at least some pupils being sent home in 75% of schools.\n\nThe comments from these regional directors working with schools in hard-hit areas, come days before England's ministers are due to set out plans for public exams in the summer of 2021.\n\nJames McNeillie, who oversees West Midlands for Ofsted, meets regularly with groups of head teachers.\n\nHe said: \"I had one head teacher with schools in Dudley and Sandwell. Across three schools, there were 1,000 pupils self-isolating and 14 members of staff self-isolating.\n\n\"And he told me he had dealt with four Covid cases by 10 in the morning.\n\n\"That's the kind of messages we are getting about the impact on pupils and teachers.\"\n\nAndrew Cook, who overseas North-West England which has had some of the highest Covid rates in the country, said there were significant concerns about attendance in areas around Liverpool. Oldham and Greater Manchester.\n\n\"There are schools where 40% of staff are off - either self-isolating or having tested positive. The huge impact of self-isolation has a significant impact on attendance.\n\n\"Schools are struggling because the number of staff they have had to send home - that impacts their ability to keep schools open.\n\n\"Attendance was fairly stable at the beginning of term but its started to decline,\" he said.\n\nMr Cook added that there was one local authority where the whole of Year 11 (GCSE year) had only been in school for two weeks before half term because they were repeatedly having to isolate as a bubble.\n\nIt would be extremely difficult to keep lessons flowing in such a situation, he said.\n\nHe added that those pupils who were persistently absent - often those who were most vulnerable before the pandemic - were starting to stay away again.\n\nAnd that parental confidence in school safety was often being shaken when cases or suspected cases emerged.\n\nHe added: \"The impact on education is going to be significant. There will be some schools that have been hit hardest and with repeated episodes and that is going to completely disrupt their learning.\"\n\nBut he said schools had worked incredibly hard to provide learning online.\n\nLooking forward to the way public exams are to be held this year, both directors said it had to be fair.\n\nMr McNeillie said: \"Whatever it is that's decided by central government and Ofqual [the exams watchdog] - it has to be something that is fair for all.\"\n\nMr Cook agreed, adding that schools and head teachers were very focussed on exam groups and were trying to support them as much as possible.\n\nBoth directors paid tribute to teaching staff and heads, saying they had been doing an amazing job.\n\nData which I've seen exclusively suggests that even across the north of England some areas are recovering better than other.\n\nSo the proportion of schools with cases is lower in Blackpool at below 30%, than Oldham or Rochdale where it remained above 40% last week.\n\nOther places have suddenly been hit by the impact of the virus, with 16 schools in Kent reported closed recently. All of this makes it much harder to find a way of recognising lost learning for those facing exams.\n\nGeoff Barton, head of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: \"The health secretary yesterday said the national lockdown had helped to bring coronavirus back under control.\n\n\"It will not feel like that in many schools which continue to operate under very difficult circumstances because of the impact of the pandemic.\n\n\"We are particularly concerned about the final week of term when any positive cases will result in many children and staff having to self-isolate over Christmas in line with Covid protocols.\n\n\"We are pressing the government to allow schools to move to partial or full remote learning during that week if they feel this would help address the situation.\"\n\nBut a Department for Education spokesperson said it was a national priority to keep education settings open full-time.\n\nThis was supported by the Chief Medical Officer, Chris Whitty, who has highlighted the damage caused by not being in education to children's learning, development and mental health, he said.\n\n\"Schools, colleges and early years settings across the country have worked extremely hard to remain open, implementing safety measures and scaling up remote education provision for those children who are self-isolating, with approximately 99% of schools open each week since the start of term.\"\n\nHowever, National Association of Head Teachers general secretary Paul Whiteman said pupils and teacher attendance figures was fluctuating massively and head teachers were doing their best to help pupils catch up whilst keeping their schools running.\n\nBut he said they were \"operating largely in the dark\" because the government was dragging its heals on crucial announcements.", "Could we be on the verge of a vaccine announcement in Wales\n\nWales is ready and waiting to roll out a Covid vaccination programme within days, say officials in Wales.\n\nIt follows mounting speculation that UK regulators are ready to approve at least one of the vaccines being reviewed.\n\nThey have been reviewing data on three vaccines for emergency approval for use.\n\nA decision could come as early as Wednesday and First Minister Mark Drakeford said Wales was prepared.\n\nSpeaking at a Covid briefing, Mr Drakeford said: \"Last week, the NHS in Wales carried out a large and successful test of all the practical things, which will need to be in place once a vaccine is given the go-ahead.\"\n\nHe added that this \"could be as early as this week and we will be ready for it\".\n\nBoris Johnson saw one of the vaccine labs for himself in Wrexham on Monday\n\nOn Monday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited a laboratory in Wrexham, which is gearing up to produce the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine if it is approved.\n\nThe Wockhardt UK lab has the capability to produce around 300 million doses of vaccine a year and preparations to produce 150,000 vials a day of the vaccine have been under way for weeks.\n\nMr Johnson said it could provide \"salvation for humanity\" when it starts producing coronavirus vaccines.\n\nTrials have shown the Wrexham vaccine to be between 62% and 90% effective in protecting against Covid-19.\n\nIt is the cheapest of the vaccines being considered, and can be stored at normal fridge temperatures.\n\nBut the vaccine from Pfizer/BioNTech is also being scrutinised by regulators, and could also get early approval.\n\nModerna are also hoping to get the go-ahead in the US and Europe for its vaccine.\n\nThe UK has already pre-ordered doses of all three vaccines:\n\nTwo full doses of the Oxford vaccine gave 62% protection, a half dose followed by a full dose was 90% and overall the trial showed 70% protection.\n\nOlder, more vulnerable people and care home staff will be amongst the first to receive the vaccines when they are approved.\n\nThe Welsh Government will split the population into age groups to determine priority:\n\nThe priority 10 groups represent 60% of the population but also 99% of all deaths linked to Covid-19.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Plans have been made for a public information campaign about the vaccine\n\nA mass Covid-19 vaccination programme will need the full support of the executive in order to be delivered, the Ulster Unionist Party leader has said.\n\nSteve Aiken urged the first and deputy first ministers to present a united front on the importance of the vaccine.\n\nMr Aiken said Northern Ireland was moving to \"a critical stage\" of the pandemic.\n\nOn Sunday, the Department of Health reported three more coronavirus-related deaths and 351 new cases in NI.\n\nIt brings the department's overall death toll, which is based on deaths from any cause within 28 days of a positive test, to 986.\n\nGPs in NI are preparing for a mass vaccination programme to begin next month.\n\nSpeaking on BBC One's Sunday Politics Mr Aiken said: \"All of the executive should be working together and getting the same message out.\n\nMr Aiken called on Stormont to focus on recovering the economy and dealing with the pandemic\n\n\"Now is not the time for backbiting but what we must be doing is supporting [Robin Swann] because we must support our health service to get through this stage.\"\n\nMr Aiken said he would \"love\" the first and deputy first ministers to \"keep coherent with the message they have come out with in the past week\", saying \"they must do that because we're moving to a critical stage\" of the pandemic.\n\nSpeaking about the vaccines, Mr Aiken said: \"I really do hope that the various vaccines, their efficacy will be proved and they will be given the approval for their rollout to start.\"\n\nHe called on Stormont to focus on helping the economy to recover and dealing with the pandemic in the new year.\n\n\"We need to be doing this to be able to make sure we can come out the other side and make sure our health service isn't overwhelmed,\" he said.\n\nThe UUP leader added that the \"most important thing\" for the people of Northern Ireland to doing was to support the health minister.\n\nOn Saturday, the Department of Health reported nine more coronavirus-related deaths and 315 new cases of the virus in Northern Ireland.\n\nIt brings the department's overall death toll, which is based on deaths from any cause within 28 days of a positive test - to 983.\n\nMeanwhile, it emerged that GPs in Northern Ireland are planning to deliver Covid-19 vaccines for people aged over 80 who do not live in care homes from 4 January.\n\nVaccine approval is expected in the next two weeks\n\nDoctors have been advised to \"assume\" the GP vaccination programme will begin on that date.\n\nApproval is anticipated for two vaccines in the coming weeks.\n\nThe JCVI (Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation) group will decide on who should be first in line to receive it, but it has been widely reported that care home residents and health and social care workers will be the first priority groups.\n\nGPs will be central to the programme's roll-out, with Northern Ireland relying on them along with health trusts to \"urgently\" begin administering the doses once the drugs are licensed, according to a letter from the Health and Social Care Board sent to GP practices.\n\nThe initiative is a \"major undertaking\" by GP practices to \"help bring the pandemic under control\" according to the head of general medical services at the HSCB, Dr Margaret O'Brien.\n\n\"Whilst clarity is still required on a number of issues, including the date of approval and delivery of the vaccine, the exact storage requirements and priority groups, the situation is developing at pace and there is a need to plan for the earliest possible commencement of the vaccination programme,\" said Dr O'Brien.\n\n\"We do however have enough information to be able to start to plan for a Covid-19 vaccination programme.\"\n\nPlans from the executive include a public information campaign to encourage take up of the vaccine among the public\n\n\"This is the light at the end of the tunnel that so many of us have been waiting for,\" said Dr Alan Stout, chair of the GP committee at the British Medical Association.\n\nDr Stout said the intention is \"to get started this side of Christmas\" but acknowledged the rollout will be \"massively challenging\".\n\nHealth and social care frontline workers are expected to be vaccinated in the first phase, followed by residents and staff of care homes and the clinically vulnerable.\n\nWithout regulatory approval, plans for vaccine delivery are at this stage provisional.\n\nThe vaccination programme will be on a phased basis, and will run well into 2021, according to the Department of Health.\n\nPlans include a public information campaign to encourage take up among the public.", "Arcadia is \"an object lesson in what happens if you don't stay relevant\", said Lord Rose\n\nBreaking up the Arcadia retail empire, which includes Topshop, Burton and Dorothy Perkins, is \"the only way\" forward as it faces collapse, its former chief executive said.\n\nLord Rose, now chairman of Ocado, said \"people will come and pick over the carcass\" but not all the brands and infrastructure are likely to sell.\n\n\"If you aren't relevant, you're probably going to die,\" he said.\n\nAdministrators could be appointed on Monday, putting 13,000 jobs at risk.\n\nLord Rose, who was chief executive of Arcadia until it was bought by retail tycoon Sir Philip Green in 2002, said the company had been \"caught out\" by the \"relentless pace of change\" in retail, which was only made worse by the Covid-19 crisis.\n\n\"Sadly what will happen is people will come and pick over the carcass,\" he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme, adding that there were \"some tastier bits of the carcass\" - such as Topshop - and \"some less tasty bits of the carcass\".\n\n\"I just hope that someone will pick up some of the pieces, that some jobs are salvageable,\" he said.\n\nArcadia would be the biggest British corporate collapse of the pandemic if it enters voluntary liquidation, analysts said.\n\nThey said that if a large part of its 500 shops were forced to close, it would hollow out a huge swathe of the UK High Street.\n\nBut the shops are expected to continue to trade if administrators are called in, as buyers are sought for the company or its individual brands.\n\nLord Rose said he did not want to \"demonise\" Sir Philip, but said the controversial businessman had \"not moved from an analogue world to a digital world fast enough\", blaming that on a likely lack of investment over 10 or 15 years.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Monaco, models and money – who is retail mogul Sir Philip Green?\n\n\"It's a very, very tough place out there in the retail high street at the moment,\" said Lord Rose, who also led Marks & Spencer for more than six years.\n\n\"There is very little room for manoeuvre, we've got a whole load of pressures in the sector and I'm afraid if you aren't relevant, you're probably going to die.\"\n\nBBC business editor Simon Jack said that while Topshop is deemed to have some value as a brand, insiders are less optimistic about the appeal of Wallis Evans, Dorothy Perkins and Burton to buyers.\n\nMike Ashley, founder of Sports Direct and owner of House of Fraser, has been suggested as one possible buyer for some of the brands, he said.\n\nAccording to a report from Sky News, Mr Ashley's Frasers Group offered a £50m loan to Arcadia on Saturday.\n\nBut the BBC understands that Arcadia has not yet received a direct approach and a source close to the situation described the offer as a \"non-starter\".\n\nIf part or all of the company is sold, the proceeds would be likely to end up in the Arcadia pension fund, which is hundreds of millions of pounds in deficit and would have a priority claim on the company's assets.\n\nLord Rose said Arcadia teetering on the brink of collapse was jut one aspect of a \"sector-wide malaise that's been accelerated by the problems with Covid\".\n\nThere are forecasts of 20,000 shops closing and 250,000 retail jobs being lost, he said.\n\nMenswear retailer Moss Bros launched a restructuring of its business on Friday and earlier this month fashion chains Peacocks and Jaeger were placed into administration after owner Edinburgh Woollen Mill Group failed to find a buyer.\n\n\"If we don't get back to normality we're going to have more than 2.5m people unemployed, we're going to have really difficult times on the high street, and that is a real, real problem,\" Lord Rose said.\n\nRetail consultant Kate Hardcastle said Arcadia's brands had been \"suffering for years through under-investment\" while paying out large dividends.\n\nShe told the BBC that store closures could have a \"knock-on effect\" which \"casts a shadow\" on other high street retailers by reducing the overall footfall.\n\nThe future of the Arcadia brands is in developing an e-commerce presence \"rather than just bricks-and-mortar stores\", Ms Hardcastle said.\n\nArcadia has acknowledged that the pandemic had \"a material impact on trading across our businesses\".\n\nSir Philip had been in talks with potential lenders about borrowing £30m to help the business get through Christmas.\n\nThose talks collapsed and the company said it was \"working on a number of contingency options to secure the future of the group's brands\".\n\nBut Arcadia had also been struggling against online competition from companies such as Asos, Boohoo and Pretty Little Thing, as well as high street brands such as Zara which have invested heavily in their digital business.\n\nIn its most recent accounts for the year to 1 September 2018, Arcadia reported a £93.4m pre-tax loss compared with a £164.6m profit in the previous 12 months.\n\nIt also said sales fell 4.5% to £1.8bn.\n\nAre you an Arcadia employee? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "US President Donald Trump's controversial special adviser on the coronavirus, Scott Atlas, has resigned.\n\nThanking Mr Trump for the honour of serving the American people, Dr Atlas said he had \"always relied on the latest science and evidence without any political consideration or influence\".\n\nDuring his four months in the role, Dr Atlas questioned the need for masks and other measures to control the pandemic.\n\nHe also repeatedly clashed with other members of the coronavirus task force.\n\nThe radiologist and senior fellow at Stanford University's conservative Hoover Institution joined the task force in August. As well as questioning the usefulness of masks he was against lockdowns and supported herd immunity as a strategy to deal with the outbreak.\n\nHe sparked further controversy last month when he tweeted \"people rise up\" in response to new restrictions imposed in Michigan.\n\nHis tweet came just weeks after it emerged the state's governor, Gretchen Whitmer, was the subject of an alleged kidnapping attempt by militia members opposed to virus mitigation efforts.\n\nPublic health officials - including top infectious diseases expert Anthony Fauci - had accused Dr Atlas of giving President Trump misleading information about the spread of the virus.\n\nAfter Dr Atlas' resignation, Dr Fauci told the BBC that the current situation in the US was worse than at any time since the start of the outbreak. \"The slope of our curve is very steep so that every day it seems we almost break a new record,\" he said.\n\nAs of Sunday, the number of Covid-19 cases recorded in November in the US surpassed four million, double the figure recorded in October.\n\nAcademics at Stanford University welcomed Dr Atlas' resignation, saying it was \"long overdue and underscores the triumph of science and truth over falsehoods and misinformation\".\n\nFox News said Dr Atlas had joined the administration on a 130-day contract, which was set to expire this week.\n\nIn his resignation letter, carried by Fox, he said his advice had \"always focused on minimising all the harms from both the pandemic and the structural policies themselves, especially to the working class and poor\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. \"We're at war with a virus, not with one another\": President-elect Biden calls on Americans to unite against Covid-19\n\nHe also spoke of the \"free exchange of ideas that lead to scientific truths\", adding: \"Indeed, I cannot think of a time where safeguarding science and the scientific debate is more urgent.\"\n\nPresident-elect Biden has taken a markedly different stance to his predecessor, urging everyone to wear masks and pledging a \"bedrock of science\" to his policy on tackling the pandemic.\n\nThe US has recorded more than 13 million coronavirus cases and more than 266,000 people have died.\n\nMillions failed to heed scientists' appeals to stay at home during the Thanksgiving holiday, prompting Dr Fauci to warn the US could see \"surge upon surge\" of cases as people travel back.\n\nThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected to discuss the rollout of a vaccine with the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices this week, a move which Dr Fauci said offered a \"light at the end of the tunnel\".", "Salesforce has agreed to buy workplace messaging app Slack for $27.7bn (£20bn) in what would be one of the biggest tech mergers in recent years.\n\nMarc Benioff, boss of the business software giant, called the deal a \"match made in heaven\".\n\nHe has been pushing to expand the company's software offerings and fend off rivals such as Microsoft.\n\nThe acquisition comes as the pandemic has increased the focus on remote work and tools, like Slack, which enable it.\n\nTech analyst Dan Ives of Wedbush Securities called it a \"now or never\" purchase for Mr Benioff.\n\n\"If Salesforce wants to expand beyond its core gold mine of sales and marketing departments … this was the moment and thus represents a major shot across the bow against Microsoft,\" he wrote in a note to investors after the deal was announced.\n\nSlack, founded in 2009, has won a following with its group chats, which offer an alternative to email.\n\nWhen it listed its shares publicly in 2019, it was valued at roughly $20bn.\n\nHowever, its shares sank after the launch and have missed out on the stratospheric rise enjoyed by other tech firms this year.\n\nThe company, which had about 12.5 million users as of late March, has had difficulty making inroads against Microsoft Teams, a similar product that the tech giant unveiled in 2016 and now has more than 100 million users.\n\nThe deal never happened and Microsoft instead focussed on developing its own platform. Microsoft Teams was created - a clear rival to Slack.\n\nWhen a trillion dollar company like Microsoft looks to move into your business - you should be worried.\n\nInitially, Slack was confident of the challenge, even taking out a full page advert in the New York Times welcoming the competition in 2016.\n\nLooking back on it, it's hard to see that advert as any more than hubris.\n\nBig Tech can kill smaller companies. Their sheer size and dominance in the market makes them very hard to compete with.\n\nMicrosoft started flexing its muscle. It started bundling in Microsoft Teams with its Office Software.\n\nMicrosoft Teams is now used by nearly 10 times as many people as Slack.\n\nIf Slack thought it was fun to have Microsoft as a competitor in 2016, it definitely didn't in 2020.\n\nIts legal challenges claim that Microsoft uses its heft to unfairly bully the competition.\n\nSo, this acquisition should be seen in that context. Slack was being slowly squeezed.\n\nIt has now been bought by a much bigger fish - it will be better placed to compete with Microsoft.\n\nBut, there will be many who will use this case to lament the plight of smaller tech companies, who simply can't compete with a handful of tech giants.\n\nThe two companies hope that the tie-up will put them in a better position to take on a number of enterprise software competitors, and in particular Microsoft.\n\nMicrosoft's business applications have seen a massive surge as large numbers of people shifted to work-from-home arrangements due to the Covid-19 pandemic.\n\nMicrosoft's business suite includes features that are similar to Slack's messaging service.\n\nThe tech giant' CEO Satya Nadella remarked earlier this year that \"We've seen two years worth of digital transformation in two months\"\n\nBoth Salesforce and Slack have had previous run-ins with Microsoft.\n\nIn 2016, Salesforce lost out to its bigger rival when it attempted to buy the business-focused social media service LinkedIn.\n\nThis summer, Slack brought a competition complaint against Microsoft in the European Union, saying the firm was abusing its market dominance by bundling Teams into its other products.\n\nUnder the terms of the Salesforce deal, Slack shareholders are to receive $26.79 in cash per share - roughly what they were worth at the beginning of November, before rumours of the acquisition pushed the price per share to more than $43 as of Tuesday. They will also receive some shares in Salesforce.\n\nThe deal, which will be reviewed by Slack shareholders, is expected to close next year.", "A public inquiry into state collusion in the murder of Belfast solicitor Pat Finucane will not take place at this time, the government has said.\n\nMr Finucane was shot dead by loyalist paramilitaries from the Ulster Defence Association (UDA) in February 1989.\n\nHis family had fought a long campaign, involving numerous legal actions, in a bid to have London fulfil a commitment given 20 years ago to hold an inquiry.\n\nSeveral examinations of the case found state forces colluded in his murder.\n\nNI Secretary Brandon Lewis said he had taken the decision due to other review processes needing to run their course.\n\nHe discussed the outcome with Mr Finucane's family, shortly before outlining the details in the House of Commons.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\n\"I am not taking the possibility of a public inquiry off the table at this stage, but it is important we allow ongoing PSNI (Police Service of Northern Ireland) and Police Ombudsman processes to move forward,\" he said.\n\nBut Mr Finucane's widow Geraldine said the government's decision \"makes a mockery\" of previous rulings.\n\n\"The proposal falls so far short of what it required in this case that it beggars belief,\" she said in a statement on Monday.\n\n\"It makes a mockery of the decision by the UK Supreme Court and the forthright comments of Belfast High Court.\n\n\"It is yet another insult added to a deep and lasting injury.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nHer son, John Finucane, who is the Sinn Féin MP for North Belfast, said his family was angry and upset at the decision.\n\n\"To sit in a room with us today and present this as something credible, and ask for us to support that, it was astonishing,\" he said.\n\n\"I thought it was exceptionally arrogant and cruel of the secretary of state on behalf of his government.\n\n\"The British government, at every opportunity, will continue to make the wrong decision, and will put all of their efforts into ensuring that the truth as to what happened with the murder of my father - the full truth - will not see the light of day.\"\n\nBut Mr Lewis said while he understood the family's disappointment, he believed his approach was the \"right way forward\".\n\nThe government had been forced into taking a decision following two legal actions - one involving the UK Supreme Court in February last year.\n\nThe Supreme Court found there had never been an adequate investigation into the murder, but stopped short of directing a public inquiry, ruling it was entirely a matter for the government.\n\nFurther government information including details that were not presented during the Supreme Court case have now been published, said Mr Lewis.\n\nMr Lewis said the PSNI also intends to begin a process of review into the murder of Mr Finucane early next year.\n\nThis was an important development and a factor in determining the next steps in the case, he said.\n\nPSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne said it was his organisation's view that there were \"currently no new lines of inquiry\", and would now determine if a further review was merited given previous investigations.\n\nAny review would need to be conducted independently, he added.\n\n\"A review itself is not an investigation. Any decision to investigate would only be made following the review process,\" Mr Byrne said.\n\nThis was a decision the Finucane family has heard before - but their anger has been compounded by how they say the government has handled the matter this time.\n\nClearly the government says it is something that can be revisited, but the process has already lasted decades.\n\nIt is not clear how long the PSNI and Police Ombudsman reviews will take - it does not seem like they will be resolved quickly.\n\nWill this Conservative government end up having to address the matter again, or could it end up in the hands of a Labour administration, who have expressed support for a public inquiry?\n\nThere are also wider questions now about where this leaves the current government's handling of legacy issues in Northern Ireland more generally, let alone in handling the Finucane case.\n\nThe government said it will determine at the end of these current processes whether further investigation would be required, to ensure it has complied with its legal obligations.\n\nIn his role as a defence solicitor, Mr Finucane had represented both loyalists and republicans, including prominent members of the Irish Republican Army (IRA).\n\nThe claim made by his killers, that he was a member of the IRA himself, was rejected by the police and strongly denied by his family.\n\nGeraldine Finucane has long maintained that a public inquiry into her husband's death is the only way to establish the full truth\n\nThe 39-year-old was shot 14 times by two gunmen who burst into his north Belfast home during a family dinner in February 1989.\n\nThey have claimed that collusion went to the top of government and maintain only a public inquiry can bring full disclosure.\n\nIrish Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney said he was disappointed by the decision and would study the detail of the announcement in full.\n\nLabour's Shadow NI Secretary Louise Haigh criticised her Conservative counterpart's approach, and said confidence in his handling of legacy issues was \"in short supply amongst victims\".\n\nSinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald said only a full public inquiry would get to the truth, and accused the government of being \"determined to hide the story of collusion\".\n\nSDLP leader Colum Eastwood described the outcome as a \"disgraceful\" attempt to bury the truth, and said the British government was \"unilaterally dismantling the agreed approach to legacy\".\n\nAlliance MP Stephen Farry said Mr Lewis had failed miserably and expressed concerns that the government was \"turning back the clock\" on historical legacy investigations.\n\nBut the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) and Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) welcomed Mr Lewis's decision.\n\nDUP MP Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said what was needed was a \"holistic approach\", and a wider legacy process to deal with all outstanding cases.\n\nUUP assembly member (MLA) Doug Beattie said there could not be a \"hierarchy of victims\".\n• None A murder with 'collusion at its heart'", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Arla's UK managing director said it faces filling in an extra 30,000 pieces of paperwork from next year\n\nThe head of the UK's largest dairy farmers' co-operative has warned that prices may rise sharply in the event of a \"no-deal\" Brexit.\n\nArla is behind brands such as Cravendale Milk and Lurpak and imports about 15% of its products.\n\nIts UK boss told the BBC that if the UK could not strike a free trade deal with the EU, tariffs could add as much as 30% to their prices.\n\nA government spokesperson said it was working closely with the food industry.\n\nAfter the Brexit transition period expires at the end of December, dairy goods are amongst those which could face the highest increase in such taxes.\n\nIn theory, that could add about 40p to the price of a pack of imported butter or mozzarella, if passed on to consumers in full.\n\nResearch commissioned by Arla, from the London School of Economics, claims that 40% in total of food and agricultural products used by British households and businesses come from the European Union (EU). The study calculated that without a deal, foods imported from the EU could face charges of nearly 18%.\n\nArla imports about 15% of its products, in line with others in the dairy sector\n\nPassing a free trade deal by 1 January would take away the risk of those tariffs. But the extra border checks and other formalities that would still apply could still raise costs for businesses, and potentially disrupt imports.\n\nArla's UK managing director, Ash Amirahmadi, said his organisation faced filling in an extra 30,000 pieces of paperwork from next year. He estimated that grappling with new measures could add as much as 10% to costs.\n\nDescribing his collective of 2,300 UK farmers as a \"low margin business\", he said they would have no choice but to pass on increased costs to retailers.\n\nWith supermarkets commonly having very low profit margins themselves, he was concerned that those prices might be passed on to shoppers.\n\nAnd the cost of change could be more than financial. Mr Amirahmadi claimed dairy products are the way \"many people get their essential nutrients....and we're very concerned if we have to increase our prices.\"\n\nA government spokesman said: \"The UK has a highly resilient food supply chain and there will not be an overall shortage of food, regardless of what trading arrangements we agree with the EU.\n\n\"We are in regular contact with the food industry to support its preparations for a range of scenarios, and will continue to work closely with them to ensure people across the country have the food and supplies they need.\"\n\nBut Mr Amirahmadi pointed out that it would take years, and more investment, before the industry could source solely from the UK.\n\n\"What we're looking for is for the government to support the industry and to enable us to be competitive on the world stage.\n\n\"That includes making sure we protect our standards on foods.\"", "Last updated on .From the section Formula 1\n\nWorld champion Lewis Hamilton will miss this weekend's Formula 1 Sakhir Grand Prix in Bahrain after testing positive for coronavirus.\n\nHis team, Mercedes, said the Briton woke with mild symptoms on Monday and returned a positive result at a subsequent test and again at a retest.\n\nHamilton, who is now self-isolating, won the Bahrain Grand Prix at the same circuit on Sunday.\n\nThe 35-year-old said he is \"devastated\" to miss Sunday's race.\n\n\"I'm gutted not to be able to race this weekend but my priority is to follow the protocols and advice and protect others,\" he wrote in a post on Instagram.\n\n\"I am really lucky that I feel OK with only mild symptoms. Please look after yourselves out there. You can never be too careful.\"\n• None Grosjean wants to return for Abu Dhabi Grand Prix\n• None Russian Mazepin to race for Haas in 2021\n\nHamilton, 35, clinched his record-equalling seventh world title at the Turkish Grand Prix on 15 November.\n\nSunday's race will be the first Hamilton has missed since his F1 debut at the 2007 season-opening race in Australia.\n\nHe must return a negative test before returning to the paddock and therefore is a doubt for the final race of the season in Abu Dhabi on 13 December.\n\nMercedes said Hamilton was tested three times last week, including on Sunday at the Bahrain International Circuit, and returned a negative result on each occasion.\n\nHowever, as well as waking with mild symptoms on Monday, he was also informed that a contact \"prior to arrival in Bahrain\" had tested positive.\n\nHamilton is the third F1 driver to test positive for coronavirus this season following Sergio Perez and Lance Stroll.\n\nWho will fill in for Hamilton?\n\nMercedes have not said who will replace him but Belgian reserve driver Stoffel Vandoorne - the former McLaren F1 driver - will travel to Bahrain as planned after Tuesday's Formula E test in Valencia.\n\nVandoorne, who raced for McLaren in 2017 and 2018, is the obvious option for Mercedes but the team are also expected to explore the possibility of using Williams driver George Russell.\n\nThe 22-year-old Briton is a Mercedes protege and is being prepared for a potential switch to the factory team in F1 at some point in the future.\n\nAs a result, Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff could be tempted by the idea of giving Russell a one-off drive - which could stretch to two races if Hamilton is not free of Covid before the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix the following weekend.\n\nHowever, Russell is under contract to Williams until the end of next season and the British team would have to agree to release him temporarily before Mercedes could put him in Hamilton's car.\n\nWhen Mercedes were exploring their contractual options for 2021 earlier this year, they asked Williams whether they would be prepared to release Russell for next season, to see where they stood prior to confirming Valtteri Bottas. Williams said at the time that they were not prepared to release him from his contract a year early.\n\nWilliams are last in the constructors' championship but only three points behind Haas and, as Russell is their lead driver who has comprehensively out-performed team-mate Nicholas Latifi this season, they may not be keen on releasing him.\n• None How the John Terry incident drove him to tackle the problem in the game\n• None Follow a behind the scenes look at their return tour down under", "The charity is now providing a service throughout the night\n\nWales Air Ambulance has started providing a service around the clock for the first time.\n\nThe charity has introduced a new double-pilot crew so it can get anywhere across Wales overnight.\n\nThe decision to expand the service followed research showing it could have been deployed to nearly 1,000 more emergency calls over the past year.\n\nHowever the charity will now need to raise an additional £1.5m in donations every year to meet the extra costs.\n\n\"In 2021, the charity will mark 20 years of service and what better way to acknowledge that milestone than the introduction of a 24/7 air ambulance operation,\" said the chairman of Wales Air Ambulance, David Gilbert.\n\n\"This has been two decades in the making and we would not be here without the people of Wales and their incredible generosity, as well as our staff and volunteers.\"\n\nIt means the charity will have to find £8m a year to run the expanded services, with pilots, paramedics and doctors working out of four airbases across Wales, in Cardiff, Caernarfon, Llanelli and Welshpool.\n\nThe service effectively brings an emergency medical room to the patient, with critical trauma care not normally available outside of hospital, including surgical procedures, blood transfusions and emergency anaesthesia.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The family of Ellie Harris have been campaigning for a round-the-clock service - after it saved her life\n\nThe medical teams are provided through a partnership between the charity, Welsh Government and NHS Wales.\n\n\"The introduction of the overnight helicopter will provide emergency air cover to more people who have a clinical need for immediate treatment across Wales,\" said Health Minister Vaughan Gething.\n\n\"The work of the charity and its hardworking staff and volunteers has helped Wales to lead the way in best practice, clinical excellence and innovation and contributed to the charity becoming the largest air ambulance operation in the UK.\"\n\nSince the service began in 2001, it has carried out more than 37,000 missions, and each year its specialist children's service airlifts about 400 children with life-threatening emergencies or to children's hospitals across the UK.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "England's new tiers system has started, but many are complaining areas with lower than average rates of infection have been unfairly put in high tiers.\n\nIn the summer, action was supposed to be hyper-local, sometimes with different rules in the same local authority.\n\nBut now, tiers have been applied in broad areas, generally matching counties or city regions.\n\nAnd in those larger areas, the case rates were all higher in tier three than in tier two in the week to 19 November.\n\nThe modellers advising government say working on a broader scale \"may make measures more effective\" since it reduces the chances of people travelling across tier boundaries.\n\nThe only exception to the \"bigger regions\" approach is Slough.\n\nThe surrounding parts of Berkshire are all in tier two - but Slough, with a higher rate of infection, has been put into tier three.\n\nThe price of this approach is low-Covid areas can be swept up into county-wide restrictions.\n\nFor example, Tunbridge Wells and Ashford, in tier-three Kent, had about 120 cases per 100,000 in the week to 19 November.\n\nBut most local authorities in England saw more than 180 cases per 100,000 people that week.\n\nThe document describing the government's rationale for each decision lists four factors on top of the main case rates, however:\n\nTunbridge Wells and Ashford have seen rising rates in recent weeks, while the rates in the rest of England have been falling.\n\nAnd with hospitals in Kent already under pressure, the worry is the high rates of infection in Swale and Medway spread out into the rest of Kent.\n\nBut many MPs are still unsatisfied with the government's explanations.\n\nConservative MP Damian Green, who represents Ashford, asked the government to apply rules at \"a local level, districts rather than counties or regions\" as \"restrictions which people feel are unfair to their particular community will simply not be respected or obeyed\".", "Dave Ackerman (left) and Colin Griffiths questioned whether pubs could afford to stay open\n\n\"It does not seem to make sense,\" said one customer enjoying a drink at the Gold Cape pub.\n\nRetired Dave Ackerman was chatting with a friend over coffee a day after it was confirmed Wales' pubs and restaurants will have to stop serving alcohol on their premises from Friday and have to close after 18:00 GMT.\n\nFriend Colin Griffiths, a part-time taxi driver, doesn't think it will be viable to keep bars open if they don't sell food.\n\nBut at a nearby table, two more customers believe stopping alcohol sales on the premises, and shutting early, could help reduce the spread of Covid-19, as \"everyone mixes when they have had a few drinks\".\n\nTheir comments come after First Minister Mark Drakeford said the new rules would tackle a rise in coronavirus cases.\n\nMr Ackerman, from Northop, near Mold, said: \"Are they doing this because of Christmas parties in pubs? It does not seem to make sense.\"\n\nHe thinks more people are at risk of catching coronavirus in other public places with high footfall, like supermarkets, and said pubs have become quieter during the pandemic.\n\n\"A lot of the older ones have been staying away. Maybe they don't think it's safe. But you are more likely to catch something in the supermarket,\" he added.\n\nThe pub has introduced a one-way entrance system among its Covid-19 safety measures\n\nMr Griffiths, from rural Graianrhyd, in Denbighshire, said: \"There are a few pubs in Mold that don't sell food. It won't be viable to keep it open.\"\n\nHe was concerned there could be a \"free-for-all over Christmas\" with people mixing at home amid UK-wide rules over the festive period which allow up to three households to meet.\n\n\"I can see another lockdown. We will be back to this situation in January,\" he said.\n\nBefore lunch time, the tables looked busy with customers - fewer than four to a table to comply with regulations - using disposable menus and some seated between safety screens - at the bar run by JD Wetherspoon.\n\nThe Gold Cape takes its name from a Bronze Age artefact unearthed in the town more than 180 years ago by quarrymen.\n\nEileen Dulson (left) and Brenda Milner agree with the alcohol rules, if it helps to cut Covid-19 cases\n\nBrenda Milner, from Rossett, near Wrexham, who has relatives working in the health service, said she supported the new rules: \"If you want this virus to go you would give everything up.\n\n\"Everyone gets mixing when they have had a few drinks.\"\n\nFriend Eileen Dulson, from Wrexham, agreed: \"I want them to get the numbers dying in the hospital down. It's frightening.\"\n\nHer husband Ron said: \"I don't think everybody understands the rules. Wales is different from England. It would make it more understandable if the same rules apply.\"\n\nShoppers queue outside a newsagent on Mold High Street on Tuesday morning\n\nSitting beneath the pub's wall-mounted big screen TV, David Maher, 48, from Mold, called the alcohol rules a \"nightmare\" for drinkers who want to sit in.\n\nHe and partner Jane Parker, 50, questioned whether there should be regional differences in Covid rules according to the number of cases in an area, similar to the tier system over the border.\n\n\"Everyone has been careful in Mold. Every shop I have been in there are people in masks,\" he said.\n\nThe couple agreed the pub was a \"safe\" place to socialise and staff had been \"brilliant\" providing table service to customers.\n\n\"Sometimes you just want to get out of the house,\" said Ms Parker.\n\nMold student Ella Dokk-Olsen, 16, questioned the reason behind the 18:00 closing time, saying \"coronavirus doesn't know the time\".\n\nShe is concerned about people's mental health, saying closing bars reduced people's ability to socialise in a safe place.\n\nFellow sixth former Amelia Cole-Jones, also 16, said closing at 18:00 could \"drive people into houses\" to mix.\n\n\"In a pub the environment is safer, especially over Christmas when people want to meet up,\" she said.\n\nFellow student Megan Hughes, 16, said pubs were an important meeting place for people: \"For some people it is the only time they come out of the house.\"", "Topshop, Burton and Dorothy Perkins owner Arcadia has gone into administration, putting 13,000 jobs at risk.\n\nThe High Street giant has hired administrators from Deloitte after the pandemic \"severely impacted\" sales across the group.\n\nNo redundancies would be announced immediately, it said in a statement.\n\nAnd Arcadia's stores will continue to trade as Deloitte considers all options available to the group.\n\nAll orders made over the Black Friday weekend will also be honoured, the administrators added.\n\nSir Philip Green's retail empire had failed to secure extra funding to pay its debts after sales slumped during the pandemic.\n\nThe group, which runs 444 stores in the UK and 22 overseas, said 9,294 employees are currently on furlough.\n\nThe administration will give Arcadia breathing space from creditors, such as landlords for its shops or clothing suppliers, while a buyer is sought for all or parts of the company. Arcadia executives will still hold day-to-day control over the business.\n\nIan Grabiner, the boss of Arcadia, said it marked an \"incredibly sad\" day for the group.\n\n\"The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, including the forced closure of our stores for prolonged periods, has severely impacted on trading across all of our brands,\" he said.\n\n\"Throughout this immensely challenging time our priority has been to protect jobs and preserve the financial stability of the group, in the hope that we could ride out the pandemic and come out fighting on the other side.\n\n\"Ultimately, however, in the face of the most difficult trading conditions we have ever experienced, the obstacles we encountered were far too severe.\"\n\nMatt Smith, joint administrator at Deloitte, said that it would be working with Arcadia management to assess all of the options available to the group's brands, which also include Evans and Outfit.\n\nHe said Deloitte would rapidly seek expressions of interest and expected to identify one, or more, buyers to hopefully ensure the future of the businesses.\n\nFashion retailer Boohoo is seen as a potential buyer for some of Arcadia Group's big name brands, such as Topshop. In the past it has bought struggling brands Oasis, Warehouse, Karen Millen and Coast.\n\nThe prospects for the 13,000 workers look very challenging. There is a lot of industry chatter that online-only retailers might want to snap up the names that still have some consumer power - such as Topshop and Topman.\n\nBut while the likes of Boohoo and Asos may want the brands, they will not want to take on a portfolio of physical stores - which is where most of the jobs are. Other brands like Wallis, Evans, Dorothy Perkins and Burton are not considered very relevant to a new generation of consumers.\n\nAnd what of Sir Philip? His gruff and combative style belies - or is perhaps explained by - the fact he is much more thin-skinned and sensitive than you might think. He will feel this failure personally - but that will be little comfort to the thousands of employees facing an uncertain future with Christmas round the corner and rising unemployment limiting their other job options.\n\nHe is also very stubborn. That resistance to change, and insisting he knew best, was at the heart of Arcadia's demise. It's hard to see another act in what has been a career full of drama and controversy.\n\nAs many have said, at heart he was not really a retailer - he was a shrewd financier - a money man. The future of retail requires a very different skill-set.\n\nArcadia was once a darling of the High Street, but long before coronavirus, Sir Philip's brands were struggling against newer, online-only fashion retailers such as Asos, Boohoo and Pretty Little Thing.\n\nJulie Palmer, partner at professional services firm Begbies Traynor, said: \"While the Covid-19 crisis has undoubtedly accelerated the company's decline, in reality, the writing had been on the wall for Arcadia for some time.\n\n\"Its competitors forged ahead with high-profile online propositions that it simply failed to match.\"\n\nIn its most recent accounts for the year to 1 September 2018, Arcadia reported a £93.4m pre-tax loss compared with a £164.6m profit in the previous 12 months. It also said sales fell 4.5% to £1.8bn.\n\nThe pandemic did also lead to a huge drop-off in sales as stores had to shut for long stretches.\n\nWhile the business persuaded its landlords to lower its rents in June, it was not enough to steady the ship.\n\nArcadia's 13,000 workers now face an anxious wait. One store manager told the BBC they felt \"angry, sad and disappointed\" on Monday.\n\n\"I've now got a large team that's all terrified of what's going to happen to them and their futures\", they said.\n\n\"I am just hoping that something can be done to preserve the brands and the employees' jobs.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Monaco, models and money – who is retail mogul Sir Philip Green?\n\nDave Gill, from retail trade union Usdaw, said: \"It is crucial that the voice of staff is heard over the future of the business.\n\n\"We are seeking urgent meetings [with the administrators] and need assurances on what efforts are being made to save jobs, the plan for stores to continue trading and the funding of the pension scheme.\"\n\nAdding to the uncertainty facing the thousands of Arcadia staff is an estimated £350m hole in the company's pension fund, which has 10,000 members.\n\nStephen Timms, chairman of the Work and Pensions Committee, called on Sir Philip to cover a shortfall in the pension scheme and urged the pension watchdog to fight on behalf of the group's workers.\n\nBusiness Secretary Alok Sharma tweeted on Monday that the independent Pensions Regulator \"has a range of powers to protect pension schemes\", and that he would be keeping a \"very close eye\" on the administrators' report on director conduct.\n\nSir Philip previously faced controversy for selling off BHS, the former department store chain, for £1 to businessman Dominic Chappell. The following year, BHS went bust with the loss of 11,000 jobs and a pension deficit of £571m.\n\nSir Philip reached a deal with the Pensions Regulator to inject £363m into that scheme. Meanwhile, Mr Chappell was recently sentenced to six years for tax evasion.\n\nArcadia is the latest major retailer to have been hammered by store closures during the pandemic.\n\nCompetitors Debenhams, Edinburgh Woollen Mill Group, Oasis and Warehouse have all slid into insolvency since lockdown measures were first imposed in March.\n\nThe collapse of Arcadia could also affect Debenhams as it is feared it could scupper a sale of the department store chain to JD Sports.\n\nArcadia is the biggest concession in Debenhams, accounting for about £75m of sales. It sells brands such as Miss Selfridge and Evans across the department store chain.\n\nJD Sports had been closing in on a rescue deal to buy Debenhams, which is currently in administration for the second time in a year.\n\nDebenhams has already cut about 6,500 jobs since May, and now has about 12,000 employees across 124 stores.\n\nAre you an Arcadia employee? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "England and Wales' contact-tracing app is to add a Self-Isolation Payment feature as soon as next week.\n\nThe version 4 update will address a discrepancy that currently exists.\n\nThose told to stay at home by human contact-tracers can qualify for £500 of support.\n\nBut privacy safeguards built into the NHS Covid-19 app had complicated making the same offer to those who had received an automated self-isolate notification.\n\nIt is hoped the move will encourage more people to install the app and follow its guidance over the Christmas period, when there are concerns that cases of the coronavirus could spike again.\n\nThe charity Citizens Advice has warned that many people ordered to stop work by the app have faced an \"impossible choice\", as they can experience a big drop in income if they act to help stop the spread of the virus.\n\nEngland's NHS Test and Trace scheme and Wales's NHS Test, Trace, Protect counterpart both allow affected people on low incomes, who cannot work from home, to apply for financial help.\n\nChecks can be made against a register to prevent fraud.\n\nBut because the app keeps the identity of users who have received self-isolation alerts secret, the process had to be adapted.\n\nLast week Labour had called on the government to address this issue.\n\nAt present, users of the app cannot claim a support grant if told to self-isolate\n\nShadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds said: \"Many people will be astonished to find that people using the Covid-19 app can't access support to self-isolate - even if they're eligible for the payment.\"\n\nThe team behind the app is aware that many of those instructed to self-isolate for up to 14 days are not doing so.\n\nIt is thought the absence of a financial incentive is an important factor.\n\nBefore the version 4 release, there will be another update this week to show users what restrictions are being enforced in their local authority, rather than their post code.\n\nThis has been timed to coincide with England's switch from national rules to a tier-based approach on 2 December, which will be based on council boundaries.\n\nLonger-term, there is speculation that vaccination records could be a further feature to be added.\n\nThis has been sparked by remarks made by the head of Test and Trace, Baroness Dido Harding.\n\nSpeaking to a private meeting organised by the Health Service Journal and first reported by the Times newspaper, she said work was going on to help people log both tests and their vaccinations.\n\nThe first Covid-19 vaccines should be administered in the UK next month\n\nThe idea would be \"to have a single record as a citizen of your test results and whether you've been vaccinated.\"\n\nIt is not clear whether such a record would be stored in the NHS Covid-19 app or elsewhere.\n\nFor months, all kinds of companies have been touting so-called immunity passports, which would allow people to get on a plane or visit a pub by showing proof that they were not infectious.\n\nThe trouble with all of these schemes was that without official approval from a government body, nobody would trust them.\n\nI spoke to one person who played a leading role in the early development of the NHS Covid-19 app.\n\nHe remembered that building this kind of immunity ID card into it had been considered. But he said it was deemed an unnecessary complication at that early stage, and the idea was handed to a separate group to consider.\n\nThe idea is not without controversy.\n\nPrivacy experts warned early on in the app's development that using it to display a user's vaccination status might lead to employers or public places making its use compulsory.\n\nNow, though, the government seems keen to press ahead.\n\nMr Zahawi has been made responsible for the deployment of the coronavirus vaccine in England\n\nEngland's new vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi told the BBC: \"We are looking at the technology\".\n\nSpeaking on Radio 4's The World at One, he added: \"I think you'll probably find restaurants and bars and cinemas and sports venues will probably also use that system, as they've done with the app.\"\n\nHe pointed out that the QR barcode feature of the app - which registers visits to pubs, cafes and other businesses - had helped drive uptake.\n\nBut with vaccinations due to start as early as next week, it appears unlikely that any immunity passport will be ready by then.\n\nComplex decisions will be involved, such as whether the app simply records immunisation or the results of later immunity tests proving that the user is no longer capable of spreading the virus.\n\n\"At present we do not have an authorised vaccine and we do not know if a vaccine will impact transmission of the disease,\" said a spokesman from the Department of Health and Social Care, when asked about the matter.\n\n\"Should a vaccine pass our rigorous safety standards the NHS stands ready to immediately deploy it to those most at risk and this will allow us to see what impact a vaccine has on the epidemic as a whole.\n\n\"Then we will have the information needed to decide the next steps to a path back to normality.\"", "The UK's high level of obesity has fuelled a much-increased death rate from Covid-19, says the former chief medical officer for England.\n\nProf Dame Sally Davies said high obesity rates - and high levels of deprivation and overcrowded housing - had cost lives.\n\nThe poor state of public health meant it was not surprising that the UK had struggled during the pandemic.\n\nShe said: \"The fact that we are one of the fattest nations in the developed world has undoubtedly led to more deaths than we should have had.\n\n\"Our poor public health - whether it is deprivation, overweight, or other chronic illnesses, alongside crowding in urban areas - have led to a much increased death rate over what we could have had if we had a healthier basic population.\"\n\nThe UK became the first country in Europe to pass 50,000 coronavirus deaths earlier this month.\n\nDame Sally said stricter recent restrictions had reduced social encounters and so brought down coronavirus infections.\n\nBut she added that she expected a third wave of the virus, possibly in the New Year, and that it was going to be a difficult winter.\n\nDame Sally left her role as the government's chief medical adviser to become head of Cambridge University's Trinity College a few months before Covid-19 struck.\n\nShe has co-authored a book arguing for more effective measures to promote healthier living. Among the measures she supports are taxes on foods high in salt or sugar.\n\nShe said: \"It is incontrovertible that if you are overweight - particularly if you are obese - you increase your risk of death.\n\n\"All of the diseases associated with overweight, whether it is hypertension, diabetes or others, increase the risk of getting very ill.\n\n\"Clearly it is terribly important that we sort out obesity and overweight to improve the health of the nation.\"\n\nShe said that while average life expectancy in the UK had increased, the average number of years of healthy life had not, and among the most deprived sections of the population it had come down.\n\nThe UK government unveiled a plan to tackle rates of obesity in July, which included a ban on \"buy one get one free\" deals on unhealthy food in England, restrictions on where foods high in fat and sugar can be promoted in-store, and new rules for displaying calories on menus.\n\nThere will also be a national campaign to help people lose weight and eat more healthily, a consultation on whether to stop fast food adverts online altogether, and a review of traffic light labelling on food and drinks sold in shops.\n\nDame Sally Davies has made very few comments about the Covid-19 pandemic.\n\nShe has been understandably keen not to tread on the toes of her successor Chris Whitty.\n\nShe knows that any future review of the government's handling of the coronavirus crisis will partly cover her time as chief medical adviser.\n\nBut she has always been passionate about the need to improve health and wellbeing and implement tough anti-obesity policies.\n\nSo her broader arguments about the vulnerability of the UK population to Covid because of long-standing structural health inequalities is consistent with her stated views when in Whitehall.\n\nIt is a sobering thought that more people died in the UK with coronavirus than in many other leading industrialised nations because of poor underlying health.\n\nDame Sally has the issue out there for others to consider as they look for lessons to be learned. With her put stature and experience, the message cannot be ignored.", "Debenhams is set to close all of its 124 stores after last-ditch efforts to rescue the department store chain failed.\n\nIt looks like it is finally the end for the 242-year-old business.\n\nIt reached its position as a lynchpin of the UK retail landscape by 1950, when Debenhams became the largest department store group in the UK, with 110 stores.\n\nAnd in 2006 it joined the stock market - for the third time - with a worth of £1.7bn - a price tag it has never topped since.\n\nOver the last decade, it started its descent, as its profits fell and debts became unmanageable.\n\nThe chain has been placed in administration twice over the last two years, with the pandemic proving to be the final straw.\n\nSo how did things go so wrong for Debenhams?\n\nDebenhams has faced competition in areas like beauty\n\nExperts say Debenhams has fallen behind with fashion trends over the last decade, a problem familiar to other mid-market High Street retailers such as M&S.\n\nMaureen Hinton of retail consultancy GlobalData says it lacked products that differentiated it, which left it exposed when dynamic new brands, many of them operating purely online, started breaking through.\n\n\"Back in the 1990s they had Designers at Debenhams, where designers like Ted Baker or Jasper Conran would do in-house ranges for them. That was a good differentiator but they never moved on,\" she says.\n\n\"They also filled their stores with concessions that weren't anything you couldn't buy anywhere else on the High Street.\"\n\nIt made it very hard to compete against newer fashion retailers such as Primark, Boohoo and Asos, which also branched into other areas that Debenhams did well, such as beauty.\n\nDebenhams also failed to adapt quickly enough as more and more shopping moved online, says veteran retail analyst Richard Hyman.\n\nBut he caveats: \"It is no good having a good website if the product isn't right. The bigger problem was the brand became irrelevant.\"\n\nDebenhams had already begun shutting stores such as this one in Folkestone\n\nOver the years, Debenhams expanded at a rapid rate. In 2006 it announced plans to double its number of stores to 240 and was opening new shops as recently as 2017.\n\nAt the same time, shopping habits shifted and consumer spending was squeezed - firstly because of Brexit uncertainty, and then by the pandemic.\n\nDebenhams was left with many underperforming shops which came with high costs, including rising rents, business rates, wages and maintenance.\n\nThose liabilities got harder to cover, as revenue began to fall and the retailer booked a record £491.5m loss in 2018.\n\nSir Ian Cheshire, Debenhams' former chairman, told the BBC that its shops became a \"straitjacket\" and the retailer would have been better off with just 70.\n\nMs Hinton says this made turning the business around almost impossible when coronavirus hit.\n\nAnd Mr Hyman says a lack of strong leadership in previous years added to the problem. \"In order to arrest the decline there was an even greater need for top talent. But those people tended to avoid Debenhams.\"\n\nAs a by-product of its expansion, Debenhams also ended up shouldering unsustainable debts - something some experts blame on poor financial decisions.\n\nBack in 2005, the retailer sold 23 shop freeholds to property investment company British Land for £495m and then leased them back.\n\nThis locked the chain into costly leases of up to 35 years, with average annual rent rises guaranteed at 2.5%.\n\nThe short-term cash benefit was soon outweighed by the costs, says Ms Hinton, and by March this year the business was shouldering £720m of debt.\n\nIn a desperate bid to restructure its finances, Debenhams was put into administration in 2019, wiping out its shareholders. It then secured a so-called company voluntary arrangement (CVA) with its landlords, enabling it to cut its rent bill and embark on plans to close 50 of its 166 stores.\n\nBut the damage was already done and it was placed back in administration in April 2020.\n\nMr Hyman says: \"Its fate was sealed by the private equity-style of swapping assets for large amounts of debt, which might just about work in a growing economy and a growing retail market.\n\n\"Instead it left Debenhams fighting with one arm behind its back.\"", "Cole (left) and Walsh (centre) appear in a promotional image for Revolution of the Daleks\n\nBradley Walsh and Tosin Cole will make their final appearances as the Doctor's companions in the Doctor Who special on New Year's Day, the BBC has revealed.\n\nWalsh said viewers should \"expect a lot of poignancy\" from the episode.\n\nThe pair have been at Jodie Whittaker's side since 2018. Cole said it had been \"an honour\" to play Ryan opposite Walsh's Graham and Whittaker's Doctor.\n\nTitled Revolution of the Daleks, the special will also see John Barrowman return as Captain Jack Harkness.\n\nBarrowman said it was \"great being back\" and that returning to the show had been \"like going home\".\n\nBarrowman first appeared as Captain Jack in 2005\n\nWalsh and Cole made their Doctor Who debuts at the start of Whittaker's first full series as the time-travelling Time Lord.\n\nThey went on to appear in two series as well as the 2019 special Resolution, which also featured the villainous Daleks.\n\nWalsh said it was \"amazing\" to be \"only one of a few people on the planet\" to have battled the Doctor's long-time robotic nemeses.\n\nThe comedian and host of game show The Chase said he had \"absolutely loved\" being on the long-running sci-fi programme and would miss \"everyone and everything\" involved.\n\nMeanwhile, Cole said filming his last scene had been \"emotional\".\n\nBradley Walsh, Mandip Gill and Tosin Cole made their Doctor Who debuts in 2018\n\nBarrowman, who has played Captain Jack in both Doctor Who and its spin-off Torchwood, said the Daleks were the show's \"quintessential\" villains.\n\n\"They are never to be underestimated as they will always find a way to survive, which is exactly why they have survived over centuries,\" he added.\n\nCole said: \"Working with the Daleks is sort of like working with Doctor Who royalty. You have to respect them because they are so iconic.\"\n\nThe Christmas special will see Mandip Gill resume her role as companion Yasmin, while Chris Noth returns as business tycoon Jack Robertson.\n\nIt will also see Dame Harriet Walter make her Doctor Who debut alongside Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, of Utopia and Misfits fame.\n\n\"We've crammed this year's Doctor Who festive special with an explosion of extraordinary acting talent,\" executive producer Chris Chibnall said.\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was head of Iran's Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research\n\nSome of the individuals involved in the assassination of Iran's top nuclear scientist have been arrested, an Iranian parliamentary adviser has said.\n\nHossein Amir Abdollahian told Al-Alam TV he was unable to share the details for security reasons, but that the perpetrators would not escape justice.\n\nHe also said there was evidence proving Israeli involvement. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility.\n\nThe scientist, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, was killed near Tehran on 27 November.\n\nThe Iranian authorities have put out conflicting accounts of how he was shot dead as he travelled in a convoy through the town of Absard.\n\nOn the day of the attack, the defence ministry said there was a gunfight between Fakhrizadeh's bodyguards and several gunmen. An Iranian report also cited witnesses as saying that \"three to four\" assailants had been killed.\n\nA remote-controlled machine-gun fired 13 bullets at Mohsen Fakhrizadeh's car, according to Brig-Gen Ali Fadavi\n\nBut on Sunday, a senior Revolutionary Guards commander said a satellite-controlled machine-gun with \"artificial intelligence\" had fired at Fakhrizadeh's car.\n\nBrig-Gen Ali Fadavi told local media that the weapon, mounted in a pick-up truck, was able to \"zoom in\" on the scientist's head and shoot him without hitting his wife beside him.\n\nThe claim could not be independently verified and was greeted with scepticism by experts in electronic warfare.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was buried in Tehran following his assassination two weeks ago\n\nIn an interview with Al-Alam TV, Iran's state-run Arabic-language channel, Mr Abdollahian said: \"Some of the individuals involved in the execution of this assassination have been identified by our security apparatuses and even arrested.\"\n\nHe also said that, in his personal opinion, there were various pieces of evidence \"about those who planned and carried out the assassination that prove the Zionists [Israelis] were involved\".\n\n\"But whether the Zionists did so on their own and without the co-operation of, for example, the American [intelligence] service or another service? For sure, they could not have done so on their own,\" he added, without elaborating.\n\nThe Israeli government has not commented on Iran's assertion that it was behind the assassination, although one unnamed official told Israeli TV two days afterwards that \"Fakhrizadeh's activities had to be stopped\" and that \"the world is a safer place without him\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. In 2018, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu unveiled what he claimed to be Iran's secret atomic archive\n\nIsraeli and Western security sources say Fakhrizadeh, the head of Iran's Organisation of Defensive Innovation and Research (SPND), was instrumental in the Iranian nuclear programme.\n\nThey believe the physics professor led \"Project Amad\", a covert programme that Iran allegedly established in 1989 to carry out research on a potential nuclear bomb.\n\nThe project was shut down in 2003, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency.\n\nHowever, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu said in 2018 that documents obtained by his country showed Fakhrizadeh had led a programme that was secretly continuing Project Amad's work.\n\nIran insists its nuclear programme is entirely peaceful and that it has never sought a nuclear weapon.", "Japanese carmaker Honda has warned that production at its Swindon plant will be disrupted, after transport problems caused a shortage of parts.\n\nThe plant operates on a \"just in time\" production system, where parts arrive at the factory when they are needed.\n\nHonda has told employees that it is currently experiencing vessel delays and congestion at UK ports.\n\nIt will pause production on Wednesday \"due to transport-related parts delay\", the car giant said.\n\n\"The situation is currently being monitored with a view to restart production as soon as possible,\" Honda said.\n\nIt is looking at other arrangements such as air freight.\n\nCongestion at UK container ports has been building up in recent weeks, causing problems initially at Felixstowe, but recently at Southampton and London Gateway as well.\n\nThe backlog has built up as companies increased orders after the initial pandemic lockdown, while some have looked to stockpile goods before the end of the Brexit transition period.\n\nProblems at the UK's container ports have been building up for weeks. Businesses have been complaining about consignments being delayed, or even ending up on the wrong side of the channel. Now a major manufacturer has admitted production will be disrupted.\n\nSo what's gone wrong? Issues at Felixstowe, Britain's biggest container port have been evident for some time - blamed by hauliers on a vehicle booking system that they claimed simply didn't work, preventing them getting into the port.\n\nThe Covid outbreak has also caused problems - which were exacerbated when thousands of containers of PPE imported on behalf of the government were simply left within the port for weeks, adding to the gridlock. And after the lockdown in the first half of the year, the volume of goods being imported has been much higher than normal.\n\nCongestion at Felixstowe has pushed more container traffic to Southampton and London Gateway - and now the situation in both of those ports is also reportedly getting worse.\n\nHonda is looking at air freight to ease its supply problems. The chances are other businesses may have to do the same.\n\nCongestion at England's ports is now so bad that some shipping firms have limited the amount of cargo they will bring to the UK.\n\nConsignments have reportedly been offloaded at continental ports such as Antwerp, Rotterdam and Zeebrugge.\n\nIn a statement, Honda said: \"Honda of the UK Manufacturing has confirmed to employees that production will not run on Wednesday 9 December due to transport-related parts delays.\"", "The inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire has been suspended for over a month after a member of staff tested positive for Covid-19.\n\nIts chairman, Sir Martin Moore-Bick, said a number of staff needed to self-isolate and there would not be enough to continue hearing evidence.\n\nIt was due to break for Christmas on 17 December, but hearings will now not resume until at least 11 January.\n\nSir Martin said it was \"extremely disappointing\".\n\nSpeaking at the end of the hearing on Wednesday, he said he learnt \"earlier on today that one of the members of the inquiry team has tested positive for Covid-19\".\n\n\"As a result a number of members of the inquiry team and support staff are going to have to go into self-isolation for a couple of weeks,\" he said.\n\nStaff had tried to work out a way for witnesses to continue giving evidence, he said, \"but we've come to the conclusion that that simply is not possible\".\n\n\"Regrettably at this point we're going to have to close the hearings for the time being, we shall not be able to sit tomorrow and we shall not be able to sit next week,\" he said.\n\n\"So that means that we're going to have to close down the inquiry at least as far as hearings are concerned until January 11, when we shall resume.\"\n\nSir Martin added: \"It's extremely disappointing, I'm very sorry to have to give you all this news but we feel that there is nothing we can do to keep ourselves going in the interim.\"\n\nThe Grenfell inquiry has been running with fewer people than normal in attendance since it reopened in the summer, having closed during the first lockdown.\n\nIts first phase concluded that cladding put on the west London tower block during its refurbishment fuelled the fire in June 2017 in which 72 people died.\n\nThe inquiry is now examining how the blaze could have happened in the first place.\n\nLast month, an ex-manager of an insulation maker whose product was used on the tower apologised for dismissing fire safety concerns and threatening legal action in internal emails.", "\"Very large gaps remain\" between the UK and EU, despite a meeting between Boris Johnson and EU chief Ursula von der Leyen aimed at breaking the Brexit trade deadlock, No 10 has said.\n\nAnd Mrs von der Leyen said the two sides were still \"far apart\".\n\nTalks between the UK's chief negotiator Lord Frost and the EU's Michel Barnier will resume in Brussels.\n\nBut Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said it was \"unlikely\" the negotiations would be extended beyond Sunday.\n\nAfter their meeting, the prime minister and European Commission president \"agreed that by Sunday a firm decision should be taken about the future of the talks\", a No 10 spokesperson added.\n\nAnd on Thursday morning, the EU set out the measures it would implement in the event of a no-deal scenario.\n\nThe plan includes allowing aviation safety certificates to continue to apply to avoid the grounding of aircraft.\n\nThe BBC's Laura Kuenssberg said the evening discussions between Mr Johnson and Mrs von der Leyen had \"plainly gone badly\" and the chances of the UK leaving the post-Brexit transition period at the end of the year without a firm arrangement was a \"big step closer\".\n\nTime is running out to reach a deal before 31 December, when the UK stops following EU trading rules.\n\nMajor disagreements remain on fishing rights, business competition rules and how a deal will be policed.\n\nThe dinner was seen as a last-ditch opportunity to work through the main sticking points and for the two sides to try and find some common ground.\n\nIf at first you don't succeed you can try and try. But eventually, sometimes failure is what follows.\n\nThat now seems the likely outcome of months of talks designed to create a smooth path for the country towards a different future - a deal that, in theory, would ease the junction from membership of a huge trading bloc to a world outside.\n\nThere is a chance still that a couple of frantic days could result in a change.\n\nThe prime minister could decide that after all, the potential disruption of no deal is just too great to risk.\n\nThe EU president might be able to persuade continental leaders to budge, as they gather in Brussels today.\n\nBut the chance of reassessing and refreshing the efforts seem now remote.\n\nIn a statement, the UK side said there had been \"a frank discussion about the significant obstacles which remain in the negotiations\".\n\n\"Very large gaps remain between the two sides and it is still unclear whether these can be bridged,\" a No 10 spokesperson said.\n\nThey said the two sides had agreed to further discussions over the next few days, and the PM did \"not want to leave any route to a possible deal untested\".\n\nThe two negotiators, Lord Frost and Mr Barnier, also attended the three-hour dinner meeting between the two leaders.\n\nMrs von der Leyen said the discussions had been \"lively and interesting\", and the two sides fully \"understand each other's positions\" but they \"remain far apart\".\n\n\"We will come to a decision by the end of the weekend,\" she said.\n\nMeanwhile the UK has signed a free trade deal with Singapore. The agreement is broadly similar to the Southeast Asian country's current arrangement with the EU and will cover a trade relationship worth more than £17bn.\n\nInternational Trade Secretary Liz Truss is now travelling to Vietnam to conclude a trade agreement with that country.\n\nThe EU, taken as a whole is the UK's largest trading partner, with UK exports to the EU totalling £294bn - or 43% of all UK exports - in 2019.\n\nDinner between Boris Johnson and Ursula von der Leyen ended as predicted in Brussels - with neither a breakdown, nor a breakthrough in the trade talks impasse.\n\nEU diplomats say the bloc is ready to go the extra mile during the next days of negotiations but contrary to the UK government view, the EU thinks the decision - deal or no deal - lies primarily in Downing Street.\n\nBrexit isn't on the official discussion agenda at an EU summit starting in Brussels later today, though leaders will be briefed on the negotiations.\n\nAttitudes seem to be hardening.\n\n\"No deal is better than a bad deal\" is a sentiment you hear both sides of the Channel now.\n\nSpeaking to the BBC, Mr Raab said: \"I think we are rapidly approaching the point where we need some finality.\"\n\nAsked if talks would go beyond Sunday, he said it was \"unlikely\" but added \"never quite say never when you are negotiating with the EU\".\n\nResponding to a warning from the Tesco chair that food prices could rise were a deal not to be agreed, Mr Raab acknowledged there could be \"some bumps along the road\" but said he was \"not concerned about either supermarket cupboards running bare or food prices\".\n\nThe Confederation of British Industry said the cost of no deal was \"significant\".\n\nIts director-general, Tony Danker, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: \"The difference between a deal and no deal is incredibly real in GDP [gross domestic product] terms, it's incredibly real for businesses - particularly in certain sectors - so we have to be in 'getting to yes' mode.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Dominic Raab says it's 'unlikely' negotiations will be extended beyond Sunday\n\nLabour's deputy leader, Angela Rayner, said the prime minister had \"completely failed\" to deliver the \"oven-ready\" deal he had promised at the last election.\n\n\"The failure to deliver the deal he promised is his and his alone,\" she said.\n\nEarlier this week, Mr Johnson said the oven-ready deal he was referring to was the withdrawal agreement, or divorce deal, rather than a trade deal.\n\nSNP's Westminster leader Ian Blackford tweeted: \"A no deal would be a massive failure of diplomacy and leadership which Boris Johnson has to take ownership of.\"\n\nMeanwhile, Tory Brexiteer MP John Baron said the PM deserved praise for \"standing firm\" rather than compromising in a rush to agree a deal. \"We must remember a trade deal is for keeps, not just for Christmas,\" he said.\n\n\"We all want a deal, but it has to be a good deal because as we've said many times before, no deal is better than a bad deal.\"\n\nSpeaking before he left for Brussels, Mr Johnson said the EU was insisting on terms \"no prime minister could accept\" in relation to access to UK fishing waters and retaliatory measures if the UK diverged from EU standards.\n\nAny deal also has to be ratified by the European Parliament and win the backing of MPs at Westminster.\n\nThe House of Commons could sit as late as Christmas Eve should it be required to look at a Brexit deal, Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle said.\n\nUnder current plans, the Commons will stop sitting on 21 December, but he told Sky News the recess could be delayed.", "Much of Venice was left under water on Tuesday, as unexpectedly severe weather caused flooding in the city.\n\nA new system of 78 flood gates, known as Mose, guard the entrance to the Venetian lagoon and were designed to protect the city from tides of up to 3 metres (10 ft), however, they require 48 hours notice to be activated.", "Ride sharing business Uber has sold off its flying taxi unit Elevate to California-based electric aircraft developer Joby Aviation.\n\nElevate is the second business Uber has sold off this week as the company seeks a path to profitability.\n\nOn Monday, Uber announced the sale of its self-driving unit to autonomous vehicle start-up Aurora.\n\nJoby and Uber, however, described the latest transaction as an \"expanded partnership\".\n\n\"This deal allows us to deepen our partnership with Joby, the clear leader in this field, to accelerate the path to market for these technologies,\" Uber's chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi said in a statement.\n\nUnder the deal, Uber will also invest and additional $75m (£56m) in Joby Aviation.\n\nElevate began in 2016 and, until earlier this year, its team had promised the launch of flying taxi services in Los Angeles, Dallas and Melbourne in 2023.\n\nJoby was a partner in Elevate before taking over the business, and the two companies said they would each integrate the other company's services into their own app.\n\n\"These tools and new team members will be invaluable to us as we accelerate our plans for commercial launch,\" said Joby founder JoeBen Bevirt in a statement.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nJoby said its \"zero emissions\" aircraft will seat four passengers and will feature vertical take-off and landing.\n\nIt will have a range of up to 241km and a top speed of 321kmh, the company said.\n\nThe company is currently still testing the aircraft.\n\nThe latest move comes as Uber tries to cut costs in an effort to become profitable.\n\nAlthough Uber had promised investors that it will achieve profitability by the end of 2021, the company still reported a $625m loss last quarter.\n\nUber was initially hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic, with rides - its main source of income - plummeting by about 80% in April, before rebounding.\n\nIn order to reach profitability, the company has vowed to focus on its core ride-hailing and food delivery platforms, while cutting costs.\n\nIn May, the company said it would slash thousands of jobs, while closing or consolidating more than 40 offices.\n\nIn addition to selling off Elevate, Uber also sold off its driverless car subsidiary to Aurora Technologies on Monday, while taking a 26% stake in the driverless start-up.\n\nDriverless technologies were once seen as a key priority for Uber, but the program has faced numerous setbacks.\n\nOne of its cars was involved in a deadly crash in Arizona, though officials blamed human error for the accident and declined to bring criminal charges against the company.\n\nThe driverless car unit was also tangled up in legal fights over allegations of technology theft.", "The Pfizer/BioNtech vaccine must be stored at a temperature of -70C\n\nUS regulators have confirmed the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid vaccine is 95% effective, paving the way for it to be approved for emergency use.\n\nThe Food and Drug Administration (FDA) found no safety concerns to stop approval of the vaccine.\n\nIt is the first time this level of detail for the jab, which the UK has already started using for mass vaccination, has been published.\n\nThe FDA will meet on Thursday to make a formal decision.\n\nThe agency is yet to approve the vaccine, but has published a document stating the trial data was \"consistent\" with the recommendations set out in its emergency use guidance.\n\nThe UK's regulatory body, the MHRA, approved the vaccine last week.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Fauci: 'We need to be transparent and articulate on the vaccine'\n\nBoth countries have had advanced rolling access to the information on the vaccine's safety and effectiveness.\n\nLast week Dr Anthony Fauci, the top US infectious disease expert, apologised for remarks that seemed to criticise the UK's vaccine approval process.\n\nHe told the BBC then that the US process was \"one that takes more time than it takes in the UK. And that's just the reality. I did not mean to imply any sloppiness even though it came out that way.\"\n\nEven at the time of his original remarks, he had said the US was only \"a couple of days\" behind.\n\nThe in depth material, published by the FDA, shows the vaccine is 95% effective against Covid-19, in keeping with the headlines published by the pharmaceutical company Pfizer.\n\nAlthough two doses are needed to offer full protection, the first jab prevented 89% of the most severe cases.\n\nAnd the vaccine gave similar levels of protection to people who had already had a Covid infection.\n\nThe document, published ahead of the FDA's meeting on Thursday, stated the most common side effect experienced by people who received the vaccine was pain, redness or swelling at the injection site (generally the arm).\n\nThat was followed by short-term fatigue, headache and muscle-pain.\n\nBut beyond these mild effects, there was no notable difference in health conditions between the vaccinated and control groups during the study period.\n\nPregnant women and under-16s were not included in those studied, and so the vaccine will not yet be approved for these groups.\n\nUK and US regulators have slightly different approval procedures for new vaccines.\n\nBoth complete an internal assessment and consult an advisory board, but the FDA also looks at raw figures as well as trial write ups.\n\nUsing these raw figures it has come to more or less the same conclusion as the pharmaceutical company.\n\nIf the vaccine is authorised in the US, it will continue to be monitored for safety.\n• None Pfizer- One of the world's premier biopharmaceutical companies The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Mrs Whitehead died at a care home just days before her husband received the vaccine\n\nA man has been given the Covid vaccine, days after his wife died after contracting the virus.\n\nRae Whitehead, 79, died on 1 December after testing positive for Covid-19 at her care home in East Yorkshire.\n\nOn Tuesday her husband Edward, 84, was one of the first to receive the jab at Middlesbrough's James Cook Hospital.\n\nThe couple's surgeon son Dr David Whitehead, 49, said he felt relief his father had had the jab but \"heartbreak\" his mother could not be saved.\n\nMr Whitehead, 49, an ENT consultant in Middlesbrough, who also received the jab with his father, who is also a retired ENT surgeon, said: \"It's heartbreaking on the one hand and also potential relief on the other.\n\n\"My father and I are deeply saddened that, had we not put my mother in a nursing home, she would maybe be alive today and could have had the vaccine.\n\n\"Her life slipped away - a week later the vaccine is being rolled out.\"\n\nDr Whitehead said his mother, who had worked as a civil servant before having children, had spent her life \"looking after us and the family\".\n\nHe said he had contracted coronavirus himself in March, and had a temperature and a \"sensation as if my head was being boiled alive\".\n\nHe said the NHS rollout of the vaccine had made him proud.\n\n\"This is the good thing about the NHS - because it's nationalised we have this ability and power to have these interactions with the large pharmaceutical companies so that this sort of thing can happen,\" he said.\n\n\"I feel quite proud that we've managed to approve it, a vaccine from a trial, so quickly.\"\n\nOn Tuesday UK grandmother Margaret Keenan, who turns 91 next week, became the first person in the world to be given the Pfizer Covid-19 jab as part of a mass vaccination programme.\n\nFollow BBC North East & Cumbria on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Elisa Granato was one of the volunteers given the Oxford vaccine\n\nThe Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid vaccine is safe and effective, giving good protection, researchers have confirmed in The Lancet journal.\n\nMost in the study were younger than 55, but the results so far indicate it does work well in older people too.\n\nThe data also suggest it can reduce spread of Covid, as well as protect against illness and death.\n\nThe paper, assessed by independent scientists, sets out full results from advanced trials of over 20,000 people.\n\nRegulators, who will have seen the same data, are considering the jab for emergency use.\n\nBut there are still important questions about what dose to give, as well as who it will protect.\n\nWhen the interim trial results were made public in a press release about a fortnight ago, the researchers reported three efficacy levels for the vaccine - an overall effectiveness of 70%, a lower one of 62% and a high of 90%.\n\nThat's because different doses of the vaccine were used in one part of the trial. Some volunteers were given shots that were half the strength than originally planned.\n\nYet that \"wrong\" dose turned out to be a winner - giving 90% protection - while two standard doses gave 62%.\n\nThe Lancet report reveals 1,367 people - out of many thousands in the trial - received the half dose followed by a full dose, which gave them 90% protection against getting ill with Covid-19.\n\nThe relatively small numbers in this group mean it is hard to draw firm conclusions.\n\nNone of that group were over the age of 55 though - and experts know it is older people who are most at risk of severe Covid illness.\n\nIn terms of safety, there was one severe adverse event potentially related to the vaccine and another one - a high temperature - that is still being investigated.\n\nBoth these participants are recovering and are still in the trial.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe study also measured protection against asymptomatic infection by asking volunteers to do regular swabs to check if they had Covid without feeling unwell.\n\nMore of these cases were seen in the group that did not receive the vaccine.\n\nPascal Soriot, chief executive officer for AstraZeneca said: \"The results show that the vaccine is effective against Covid-19, with in particular no severe infections and no hospitalisations in the vaccine group, as well as safe and well tolerated.\n\n\"We have begun submitting data to regulatory authorities around the world for early approval and our global supply chains are up and running, ready to quickly begin delivering hundreds of millions of doses on a global scale at no profit.\"\n\nDr Charlie Weller, head of vaccines at Wellcome, said: \"Today marks another key milestone in the Covid-19 vaccine journey.\n\n\"Although we await the trial completion and full data, it is highly encouraging to see the data behind the interim results announced last month, including an analysis of the different dosing regimens. This suggests that this vaccine could prevent asymptomatic disease.\"\n\nBut some experts said the data could present regulators with a dilemma, with a relatively small cohort in the trial - which didn't contain any over-55s - getting a half-dose, which produced the best results.\n\nDr Michael Head, senior research fellow in global health, from the University of Southampton, said the researchers \"were not yet able to fully assess how effective this vaccine is in elderly populations\" and this could have implications for the roll-out in older age groups.\n\nAstraZeneca executive vice-president Sir Mene Pangalos said adults of all ages needed to be vaccinated to make a \"dent\" in the pandemic.\n\n\"I realise the people that are most severely impacted by disease are the over-65s, over-75s, over-85s, but the reality is we need to actually have vaccines that immunise everyone from adolescence to the oldest adults to really dent the pandemic around the world,\" he said.\n\nMeanwhile, the UK has started a mass vaccination campaign with another Covid jab made by Pfizer/BioNTech.\n\nOn Tuesday Margaret Keenan, a 90-year-old grandmother, became the first person in the world to get the Pfizer Covid-19 jab as part of a mass vaccination programme..\n\nThe Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine could also play a major role in fighting the pandemic if it is approved soon.\n\nIt is cheaper than some of the other Covid vaccines and easier to store and distribute.\n\nThe UK government has pre-ordered 100 million doses of the Oxford vaccine, which uses a harmless virus altered to look a lot more like the virus that causes Covid-19.\n\nAstraZeneca says it will make three billion doses for the world next year.", "Last updated on .From the section European Football\n\nParis St-Germain's Champions League game against Istanbul Basaksehir will resume on Wednesday after it was abandoned on Tuesday with a match official accused of using a racist term towards one of the away side's backroom staff.\n\nIstanbul allege fourth official Sebastian Coltescu used the language towards their assistant coach Pierre Webo.\n\nFormer Cameroon international Webo was shown a red card in an exchange on the touchline.\n\nIstanbul players walked off the pitch in protest, with PSG players following.\n\nThe incident happened just 14 minutes into the Group H tie, which was still goalless.\n\nThe match will recommence on Wednesday from the 14th minute. Kick-off will be at 17:55 GMT.\n\nA new set of officials will be in charge, with Dutchman Danny Makkelie appointed referee.\n\nCompatriot Mario Diks and Marcin Boniek of Poland are the assistant referees with another Pole, Bartosch Frankowsky, named fourth official.\n\nPSG are already through to the last 16 after Manchester United's defeat by RB Leipzig.\n\nIn a statement, Uefa said: \"Uefa has - after discussion with both clubs - decided on an exceptional basis to have the remaining minutes of the match played tomorrow with a new team of match officials.\n\n\"A thorough investigation on the incident that took place will be opened immediately.\"\n\nIstanbul forward Demba Ba, who was a substitute, could be seen on the touchline asking the official: \"Why, when you mention a black guy, do you have to say this black guy?\"\n\nTV footage also showed PSG defender Presnel Kimpembe saying: \"Is he serious? We are heading in. We're heading in. That's it, we're heading in.\"\n\nThere followed a wait of around two hours before official confirmation the game would not be finished on Tuesday. During that period, PSG players could be seen warming up in the tunnel awaiting a resumption, but their opponents did not re-emerge.\n\nPSG forward Kylian Mbappe later tweeted : \"Say no to racism. Webo we are with you.\"\n\nRecep Tayyip Erdogan, the president of Turkey, said he believed Uefa would \"take the necessary steps\".\n\n\"We are unconditionally against racism and discrimination in sports and in all areas of life,\" he wrote on Twitter.", "Buildings and roads make up the majority of human-made mass\n\nScientists say the weight of human-made objects will likely exceed that of living things by the end of the year.\n\nIn other words, the combined weight of all the plastic, bricks, concrete and other things we've made in the world will outweigh all animals and plants on the planet for the first time.\n\nThe estimated weight of human-made objects is about one teratonne.\n\nFor every person in the world, more than their body weight in stuff is now being produced each week.\n\nThese astonishing figures have been calculated by a team at the Weizmann Institute of Sciences in Rehovot, Israel, to show how our species is transforming the Earth.\n\n\"The significance is symbolic in the sense that it tells us something about the major role that humanity now plays in shaping the world and the state of the Earth around us,\" Dr Ron Milo, who led the research, told BBC News.\n\n\"It is a reason for all of us to ponder our role, how much consumption we do and how can we try to get a better balance between the living world and humanity.\"\n\nSince the first agricultural revolution, humans have halved plant biomass\n\nThe scientists worked out the combined mass of all human-made stuff from 1900 to the present day and compared this with the weight of all the living things on the planet (known as biomass).\n\nFrom plastic bottles to the bricks and concretes we use for buildings and roads, the weight of all the things we produce has been doubling every 20 years recently.\n\nAt the same time, the weight of living things has been falling, mainly due to the loss of plant life in forests and natural spaces.\n\nThe scientists knew at some point we would reach a crossover point. And according to their estimates, 2020 is the year when human-made mass from the likes of roads, buildings and machines, will likely overtake that of all the living things in the world.\n\nThe exact timing is sensitive to definitions, so there may be some variability in the estimates by a few years either side, they say.\n\nBut if we continue as we are, by 2040, the weight of all human-made stuff will have almost tripled from 1.1 teratonnes (1,100,000,000,000 tonnes) to about three teratonnes.\n\nBuildings and roads make up the majority of human-made mass\n\nThis means humanity is now producing stuff at a rate of more than 30 gigatonnes (30,000,000,000 tonnes) per year.\n\nThe research, published in Nature, is further evidence that we have entered a new geological age, known as the Anthropocene, where humanity's impacts on Earth will be visible in sediments and rocks millions of years into the future.\n\nThe formal start date could be the 1950s, which marks the beginning of the \"Great Acceleration\", when the human population and its consumption patterns suddenly speeded up.\n\nIt coincides with the spread of ubiquitous materials, such as aluminium, concrete and plastic.", "The firm says it experienced record demand on 27 November\n\nCurrys PC World has said that customers who lost out on Black Friday deals because it cancelled their orders will be able to buy the goods again at the same discounted prices.\n\nThe electronics retailer has blamed a website glitch for causing it to lose at least some of the sales involved.\n\nIts pledge comes after the BBC reported cases of shoppers being told they would have to reorder and pay the full cost.\n\nThe firm said it had yet to quantify how many people had been affected.\n\n\"We will be honouring promotional prices for any customer who placed an order between 25 November and 1 December and received an email confirmation of purchase but then had the order cancelled,\" a spokeswoman told the BBC.\n\n\"If we are out of stock on their item of choice we will give the customer a 10% discount off a similar product.\"\n\nShe added that a form would be added to the store's website by the end of Thursday to help those who qualify resolve the matter.\n\nCurrys PC World - which is owned by Dixons Carphone - said it had experienced an \"unprecedented volume of customers\" on 27 November, which had caused its site to fail.\n\nThe outage led it to lose details of transactions made via gift cards as well as some Order and Collect purchases.\n\nIn addition, it said, some users who bought goods for home delivery via debit or credit cards had their orders cancelled for other reasons.\n\nMany of the firm's stores were closed because of coronavirus restrictions, putting more pressure on the website\n\nMany customers did not suspect there was an issue as they had been sent an order confirmation email.\n\nAnd they only discovered there was a problem after the sale ended when they contacted the firm to chase up undelivered items or arrived to pick up goods.\n\n\"I waited in all day [for the delivery], rang them up and they said it had been cancelled,\" one Surrey-based shopper who had ordered two computers told the BBC.\n\n\"It was very disappointing. I could have obtained the laptops from Amazon, and like my son said I probably should have.\"\n\nAnother from North Ayrshire who had tried to buy a discounted television said: \"I had to take it upon myself to contact them to find out what was happening with my order just to be told that due to their own fault I wouldn't be receiving [the TV] for the price I had ordered it for - I was very angry.\"\n\nThe store has now told its customer service team to honour the original sales prices and it intends to contact shoppers who had previously been given different advice.\n\nThe law does not oblige retailers to honour discounts on cancelled orders so long as money is not taken from customers' accounts.\n\nHowever, the consumer rights group Which? had earlier suggested Currys PC World's reputation was on the line.\n\n\"The tech retailer has earned itself a poor reputation for customer service and in a recent Which? survey received just two stars for its after-sales service,\" said the organisation's consumer rights expert Adam French.\n\n\"The company must up its game or customers will rightly go looking elsewhere for a good deal.\"", "Do you need to wear a mask if you're vaccinated?\n\nOne of the big unknowns about the vaccines that are being developed is whether they prevent people from passing on the virus. The trials that have taken place have only established that they stop people getting ill. But it is quite possible that someone who is vaccinated could still infect others. The assumption is vaccination will at least disrupt this to some extent - but it may not end transmission completely. For that reason, those who are vaccinated will still be expected to wear masks and self-isolate if they are a close contact of someone who is infected. That does not mean these precautions can never be lifted. Once all the vulnerable people are immunised, there will be a strong case that these steps are not needed – or at least not needed on the scale they are currently being used. However, it will take many months to get to that point. Masks, self-isolation and social distancing are here for a while.", "The International Criminal Court says it will not take action against the UK, despite finding evidence British troops committed war crimes in Iraq.\n\nA 180-page report says hundreds of Iraqi detainees were abused by British soldiers between 2003 and 2009.\n\nBut the ICC could not determine whether the UK had acted to shield soldiers from prosecution.\n\nThe MoD said the ICC report \"vindicates our efforts to pursue justice where allegations have been founded\".\n\nThe ICC told the BBC: \"It is without dispute there is evidence war crimes were committed.\"\n\nIts report said there was a reasonable basis to conclude that at least seven Iraqis were illegally killed while in British custody between April and September 2003.\n\nThe ICC report refers to evidence of a pattern of war crimes carried out across a number of years by soldiers from several British regiments. Some detainees were raped or subjected to sexual violence. Others were beaten so badly they died from their injuries.\n\nThe Iraqi individuals, many of them civilians, were unarmed and in British custody at the time.\n\nThe UK government has repeatedly accused human rights lawyers of bringing vexatious claims, but the ICC says it is \"disingenuous to describe the entire body of claims, involving hundreds of claimants, as baseless or spurious\".\n\nA BBC Panorama investigation last year revealed that British detectives had also found credible evidence of war crimes committed in Iraq.\n\nBut the programme discovered that despite this, not one of the cases was taken forward by the army's prosecution service.\n\nBritish army base Camp Stephen in Basra, Iraq, where numerous detainees were alleged to have been abused and killed\n\nThe ICC said it took Panorama's findings very seriously, and that on the whole the information it received was consistent with the reports in the programme.\n\nIt could \"not rule out\" that there had been a cover up on the part of the British authorities.\n\nIts report concluded that investigations by the Royal Military Police had been \"inadequate\" and were \"marred by a lack of independence and impartiality\".\n\nHowever, it could not make a determination as to whether the UK had acted to shield soldiers from prosecution.\n\nThe ICC said it will reopen its examination of the UK's conduct in Iraq \"should new facts or evidence\" come to light.\n\nThe UK government is currently seeking to introduce a controversial new law which will make it harder to prosecute British soldiers.\n\nIt says the Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill, if passed, \"delivers on the government's manifesto commitment to tackle vexatious claims and end the cycle of re-investigations against our brave Armed Forces\".\n\nAfter scrutinising the proposed legislation, Parliament's Joint Human Rights Committee has said: \"We found that the real problem is that investigations into incidents have been inadequate, insufficiently resourced, insufficiently independent and not done in a timely manner.\n\n\"The government is effectively using the existence of inadequate investigations as a reason to legislate to bring in further barriers to bringing prosecutions or to providing justice for victims\".\n\nThere is a palpable sense of relief inside the Ministry of Defence that the International Criminal Court will not be pursuing a case against the UK government over allegations that British forces in Iraq committed serious war crimes against Iraqi detainees.\n\nThat said, there's still the potential that the ICC report will cause the government problems.\n\nThe publication comes as the government tries to pass new legislation aimed at protecting troops from what it calls \"vexatious claims\" by lawyers against British troops over allegations of abuse.\n\nAmong the proposals of the Overseas Operations Bill is a presumption against prosecution five years after any alleged abuse, unless there's compelling new evidence.\n\nThe legislation, which has already passed its first stages in the Commons, has been widely criticised by opposition parties, human rights groups, lawyers and some former senior military commanders.\n\nThe ICC report also raises concerns about the legislation.\n\nThe Ministry of Defence says the ICC has brought no new evidence to light.\n\nBut the ICC prosecutor says: \"The fact the allegations investigated by the UK did not result in prosecutions does not mean that these claims were vexatious.\"\n\nThose words will be seized upon by the bill's critics.\n\nOne of the investigations by the Royal Military Police, featured in last year's Panorama, was into the death of Radhi Nama in British custody.\n\nThe Royal Military Police concluded he had died of a heart attack - even though his body and face showed signs he had been beaten.\n\nTo date, no one has been prosecuted in connection with Radhi Nama's death.\n\nHis daughter, Afaf Radhi Nama, told Panorama: \"I saw torture signs on his body.\n\n\"They covered his head and tied his hands, he could not defend himself, and they killed him. It is my wish to see the soldiers who committed this crime put on trial and facing justice.\n\n\"If I was a British citizen my rights would be respected, but because I am an Iraqi citizen, it seems I have no rights.\"\n\nDefence Secretary Ben Wallace said the ICC review \"confirms that the UK is willing and able to investigate and prosecute claims of wrongdoing by armed forces personnel\".\n\nHe said it had brought to light \"no new evidence\" and the ICC statement \"vindicates our efforts to pursue justice where allegations have been founded\".\n\n\"I am pleased that work we have done, and continue to do, in improving the quality and assurances around investigations has been recognised by the ICC,\" he said.\n\n\"The Service Justice System Review and the appointment of Sir Richard Henriques to provide assurance of our investigative processes are all steps towards making sure we have one of the best service justice systems in the world.\"", "A vote on free speech at Cambridge University has strongly rejected guidelines requiring opinions to be \"respectful\" - after warnings this could limit freedom of expression.\n\nInstead the policy on free speech will support \"tolerance\" of differing views.\n\nThe proposed rules would have required staff, students and visiting speakers to remain \"respectful\" of the views and \"identities\" of others.\n\nBut there were claims this would block controversial ideas and debates.\n\nThe university's governing body, the Regent House, has voted by a big majority in support of amendments from those worried about a threat to academic freedom, introducing a commitment to \"tolerance\" rather than \"respect\".\n\nThe revised wording on free speech ensures the right to express \"controversial or unpopular opinions within the law, without fear of intolerance or discrimination\".\n\nThe guidelines, adopted after the vote, will expect \"staff, students and visitors to be tolerant of the differing opinions of others\".\n\nThere is also an assertion of the need to hear from outside speakers, even if controversial, as long as they remain within the law.\n\nThe row at Cambridge, which gained attention in terms of wider \"culture wars\" and a so-called \"cancel culture\", was prompted by the university's plan to update a statement on how it upholds free speech.\n\nThe proposal that views would have to remain \"respectful\" prompted complaints from some academics, who argued that controversial opinions or subjects could be blocked if they were accused of being disrespectful or causing offence.\n\nThere were also concerns about having to be respectful to claims or concerns, regardless of their merit.\n\nThe academics, headed by reader in philosophy Arif Ahmed, put forward an amendment saying that free speech should operate without \"fear of intolerance\".\n\nThis was backed by Professor Ross Anderson who argued that requiring \"respect\" would undermine the \"freedom to question\", with academics being afraid to examine controversial views in case they were reported for being disrespectful to the opinions of others.\n\n\"It's our duty to tolerate colleagues even when they say things that we consider foolish, when we find their views offensive we should point that out politely. We should not be running to the vice chancellor asking him to censor them,\" said Prof Anderson.\n\nThe actor Stephen Fry was among those worried about the threat to free speech - saying calls for \"respect\" might have been well-intentioned, but people could not \"demand\" that their views would always be respected by others.\n\nThe university's vice chancellor, Stephen Toope, said the aim had been to protect the \"core values\" of freedom of speech, but also \"recognising the need to maintain civility in debate\".\n\nThe outcome of the vote was an \"emphatic reaffirmation of free speech in our university,\" said Prof Toope.", "Rich countries are hoarding doses of Covid vaccines and people living in poor countries are set to miss out, a coalition of campaigning bodies warns.\n\nThe People's Vaccine Alliance says nearly 70 lower-income countries will only be able to vaccinate one in 10 people.\n\nThis is despite Oxford-AstraZeneca pledging to provide 64% of its doses to people in developing nations.\n\nSteps are being taken to ensure access to vaccines is fair around the globe.\n\nThis vaccine commitment, known as Covax, has managed to secure 700 million doses of vaccines to be distributed between the 92 lower-income countries that have signed up.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Five challenges of distributing a Covid-19 vaccine around the world.\n\nBut even with this plan in place, the People's Vaccine Alliance - a network of organisations including Amnesty International, Oxfam and Global Justice Now - says there is not enough to go round, and drug companies should share their technology to make sure more doses are produced.\n\nTheir analysis found that rich countries have bought enough doses to vaccinate their entire populations three times over if all the vaccines are approved for use.\n\nCanada, for example, has ordered enough vaccines to protect each Canadian five times, it claims.\n\nAnd even though rich nations represent just 14% of the world's population, they have bought up 53% of the most promising vaccines so far, according to data from eight leading vaccine candidates in Phase 3 trials that have done substantial deals with countries worldwide.\n\n\"No-one should be blocked from getting a life-saving vaccine because of the country they live in or the amount of money in their pocket,\" said Anna Marriott, Oxfam's health policy manager.\n\n\"But unless something changes dramatically, billions of people around the world will not receive a safe and effective vaccine for Covid-19 for years to come.\"\n\nThe People's Vaccine Alliance is calling on all pharmaceutical corporations working on Covid-19 vaccines to openly share their technology and intellectual property so that billions more doses can be manufactured and made available to everyone who needs them.\n\nThis can be done through the World Health Organization Covid-19 technology access pool, it says.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. 90-year-old woman first to get Pfizer vaccine\n\nThe Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine has already received approval in the UK and the most vulnerable are starting to be vaccinated this week. It is likely to receive approval from regulators in the US and Europe soon.\n\nTwo other vaccines, from Moderna and Oxford-AstraZeneca, are awaiting regulatory approval in a number of countries.\n\nThe alliance says that, so far, all of Moderna's doses and 90% of Pfizer/BioNTech's have been acquired by rich countries.\n\nAstraZeneca, the company manufacturing the Covid vaccine developed by the University of Oxford, has committed to making it available on a not-for-profit basis to the developing world.\n\nIt is cheaper than the others and can be stored at fridge temperatures, making it easier to distribute across the globe.\n\nWhile the alliance called this \"a welcome contrast\", it said Oxford/AstraZeneca could \"still only reach 18% of the world's population next year at most\" and \"demonstrates that one company alone cannot hope to supply the whole world\".\n\nThe Russian vaccine, Sputnik, has also announced positive trial results, and four other vaccines are going through late-stage clinical trials.\n\nMeanwhile, shipments of Beijing-based biopharmaceutical company Sinovac's Covid-19 vaccine Coronavac have arrived in Indonesia in preparation for a mass vaccination campaign, even though it is yet to finish its late-stage trials. The firm has also secured deals with Turkey, Brazil and Chile.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Quote Message: The prime minister and President von der Leyen met for dinner in Brussels this evening. The leaders had a frank discussion about the state of play in the negotiations. They acknowledged that the situation remained very difficult and there were still major differences between the two sides. They agreed that chief negotiators would continue talks over the next few days and that a firm decision should be taken about the future of the talks by Sunday. The prime minister is determined not to leave any route to a fair deal untested, but any agreement must respect the independence and sovereignty of the UK. from Downing Street spokesman\n\nThe prime minister and President von der Leyen met for dinner in Brussels this evening. The leaders had a frank discussion about the state of play in the negotiations. They acknowledged that the situation remained very difficult and there were still major differences between the two sides. They agreed that chief negotiators would continue talks over the next few days and that a firm decision should be taken about the future of the talks by Sunday. The prime minister is determined not to leave any route to a fair deal untested, but any agreement must respect the independence and sovereignty of the UK.", "The four workers died after an explosion in a biofuel silo\n\nThe families of three men and a teenage boy who died in last week's explosion near Bristol have paid tribute to them.\n\nLuke Wheaton, 16, Ray White, 57, Brian Vickery, 63, and Mike James, 64, died in the incident at the Wessex Water site on 3 December.\n\nLuke's family described him as \"the most gorgeous, loving, happy, talented, perfect son\".\n\nAvon and Somerset Police said a cordon at the site was removed on Tuesday evening, but investigations continued.\n\nIn a statement, Luke's family said: \"Luke knows how much he is loved and will be dearly missed by everyone.\n\n\"We just wish we could bring him back.\"\n\nMr James' family said he was a brother, husband, father and grandfather who would be missed while Mr White's family described him as a \"wonderful son, brother and father to his two sons\".\n\nMr Vickery's family said he \"brightened everyone's lives with his cheeky and wicked sense of humour\".\n\nLuke, of Bradley Stoke, Mr White, of Portishead, Mr Vickery, of Clevedon and Mr James, of Bath, were killed by the explosion in a biosolids storage silo.\n\nWessex Water's chief executive Colin Skellett said the company had been \"absolutely devastated\" by the deaths\n\nMore than £143,000 has been donated to a crowdfunding page set up by Wessex Water to support the families of the four workers.\n\nA separate fundraiser started by Stoke Lane Football Club, where Luke played for the under-18s, has raised more than £15,000 towards funeral costs.\n\nIt is understood Mr James was a contractor working at the site, while Mr Vickery and Mr White were employees of Wessex Water, which owns the plant, and Luke was an apprentice at the firm.\n\nWeston College, which Luke attended as part of his course, said it was \"shocked and saddened\" to hear of his death.\n\nIt said in a statement: \"We have extended our deepest condolences to Luke's family at this incredibly sad time and are providing support to students and staff here at the college.\n\n\"We also offer our heartfelt condolences to the other families who have lost their loved ones.\"\n\nFlowers were left outside the plant over the weekend\n• None Cause of blast that killed four investigated", "Supporters of Donald Trump demonstrated outside the Supreme Court on Tuesday\n\nThe US Supreme Court has rejected a challenge against President-elect Joe Biden's victory in Pennsylvania.\n\nRepublicans in the state wanted to overturn certification of the result, but justices rejected the request in a one sentence ruling.\n\nIt is a blow to President Donald Trump, who has previously suggested without evidence that the election result would be settled in the Supreme Court.\n\nMr Trump lost his bid for re-election last month.\n\nSince then he and his supporters have launched dozens of lawsuits questioning the vote results. None have come close to overturning Mr Biden's victory.\n\nThe Democratic candidate defeated Mr Trump by a margin of 306 to 232 votes in the US electoral college, which chooses the US president. Mr Biden won seven million more votes than the president nationwide.\n\nPennsylvania's Governor Tom Wolf has already certified Mr Biden's victory in the state. Under the rules of the electoral college, the state's 20 electors will meet on 14 December to officially cast their votes for the president-elect.\n\nRepublicans in the state however wanted to overturn Mr Wolf's certification. The state's top court had rejected their bid last week, which made them appeal to the US Supreme Court in Washington.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. How are Biden voters in a Trump heartland dealing with the election aftermath?\n\nLawyers for the state and Governor Wolf criticised the case as \"fundamentally frivolous\".\n\n\"No court has ever issued an order nullifying a governor's certification of presidential election results,\" they wrote.\n\nAnd on Tuesday the Supreme Court dismissed the suit. The one-sentence ruling did not even cover the Republicans' allegations, reading simply: \"The application for injunctive relief presented to Justice Alito and by him referred to the Court is denied.\"\n\nBefore, during and after the election, Mr Trump has made unsubstantiated claims of electoral fraud and suggested that the result would eventually be decided in the Supreme Court.\n\nThe president appointed three of the court's justices during his single term in office. Most recently he controversially placed conservative judge Amy Coney Barrett on the bench after the death of the court's most liberal justice, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, just weeks before the election.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Judge Barrett, in her confirmation hearing in October, said she hadn't discussed the elections with President Trump\n\nThis is not the end of legal challenges to Mr Biden's victory. Republicans in the state of Texas filed a lawsuit in the Supreme Court on Tuesday accusing four other states of election irregularities - a challenge legal experts have sharply criticised.\n\nPlaintiffs want the court to stop the use of \"unlawful election results without review and ratification by the defendant states' legislatures\".\n\nOne law professor at the University of Texas tweeted that this was \"a new leader in the 'craziest lawsuit filed to purportedly challenge the election' category\", while another law professor at the University of California dismissed it as a \"press release masquerading as a lawsuit\" in a blog post.\n\nLast week US Attorney General William Barr said his justice department had found no proof of mass fraud in the 2020 election.", "Zara and Mike Tindall have two daughters, Mia, six, and Lena, two\n\nThe Queen's granddaughter Zara Tindall is expecting her third child, her husband has announced.\n\nFormer England rugby player Mike Tindall revealed a \"third Tindall\" is \"on its way\" in a podcast he co-hosts.\n\nThe couple have two daughters, Mia, six, and Lena, two, and Mr Tindall said he \"would like a boy\".\n\nThe Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, who already have eight great-grandchildren, were \"delighted\" to hear the news, Buckingham Palace said.\n\n\"It's been a good week for me, had a little scan last week - third Tindall on its way,\" Mr Tindall, 42, said during an episode of The Good, The Bad and The Rugby.\n\n\"I'd like a boy this time, I've got two girls, I would like a boy,\" he added.\n\n\"I'll love it whether a boy or a girl - but please be a boy.\"\n\nFormer equestrian champion Mrs Tindall, 39, has spoken about suffering two miscarriages before having her second child.\n\nShe said for a time \"you don't talk about it because it's too raw\" but \"as with everything, time's a great healer\".\n\nMr Tindall said: \"Z is very good, always careful because of things that have happened in the past, and really looking forward to it.\"\n\nLast month, the Duchess of Sussex also revealed she had a miscarriage in July.\n\nMrs Tindall, who is the daughter of the Queen's only daughter, the Princess Royal, married Mr Tindall in 2011. They live at Princess Anne's estate in Gatcombe, Gloucester.\n\nAs a member of the Great Britain eventing team, Mrs Tindall won the Eventing World Championship in 2006 and was named BBC Sports Personality later that year, before securing a silver medal at the London 2012 Olympics.\n\nMr Tindall - who won the 2003 Rugby World Cup with England - does not hold a royal title and is not an HRH.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nMore than 50% of students say their mental health has declined since the Covid pandemic began, says a survey for the National Union of Students (NUS).\n\nMany of the 4,241 students surveyed in November say they have suffered stress, loneliness, anxiety and depression.\n\nStudents have seen most face-to-face teaching and social events cancelled.\n\nAnd the drop-off in interaction with other students appears to hit some students hard, with some finding themselves living completely alone.\n\nDespite these difficulties, only a fifth of the students surveyed had sought mental health support. That rose to 29% for those who reported worsening mental health, the survey found.\n\nLoneliness and isolation appear to have had a huge impact on wellbeing and mood, with many students socialising and meeting others far less after term began.\n\nShaakir, a second-year journalism student at South Bank University, lives alone in a studio flat in London and is one of those who did not seek support.\n\nHe has had no face-to-face lessons, and is living in a \"bubble of one\". He often walks the streets just to get out of his room, he says.\n\n\"I don't get to socialise with anyone, as my accommodation - and government - rules are that my bubble is myself.\n\n\"I'm not allowed to speak to anyone apart from reception, if I'm collecting a parcel. And I'm not allowed to socialise with any of my neighbours.\"\n\nShaakir passes the time by walking the streets alone\n\nShaakir describes himself as having \"zero motivation\" - a common symptom of depression.\n\n\"On the bad days, usually I'll just stay in bed, stay under the covers, and just sleep as I scroll through my phone, on Twitter or Instagram, whatever it is, and then just go back to sleep.\"\n\nHe adds: \"I think at its worst, it's been like three days of just lights out, blinds down. And just the only time I ever leave bed is to go to the bathroom.\"\n\nBut he feels cheated, as he had been expecting in-person teaching once a week.\n\nA South Bank university spokesman said almost all of its courses had face-to-face teaching, and it was made clear at the start of the year if that was not happening.\n\n\"If it hasn't happened in this case we apologise,\" the spokesman added.\n\nHe said students had been offered comprehensive mental health support, and those who found themselves living alone had been offered the chance to change accommodation.\n\nBut Shaakir feels his university could have done more to reach out to students like him who are struggling, rather than just sending emails, many of which he could not face opening because of his mental state.\n\nThe NUS is calling for more investment in student counselling and wellbeing services, as well as individual student unions for the support they offer.\n\nKlaudia says her lecturers are supportive\n\nKlaudia, a first-year student at Liverpool Hope University who suffers with anxiety, found herself being forced to isolate within a few days of arriving.\n\nThe philosophy student knew no-one, had no face-to-face teaching scheduled - despite that being promised - and was completely alone in her room for days at a time.\n\nShe describes how she was not even allowed to move freely in the communal areas of where she was living.\n\n\"Every sort of fire door's shut, and everything was cut off .... the living room - where the shared area was - was completely shut off.\"\n\nKlaudia says she fell into \"a very depressing state of mind\" in which she felt that everything was \"hopeless\".\n\nShe reached out to university counselling services, which offered her some sessions, but she found it difficult to engage and open up to \"strangers\".\n\n\"It was really hard to discuss the amount of overwhelming things that were happening in my mind at that time,\" she says.\n\nBut she says she survived with the support of her parents, her boyfriend and the kindness of her lecturers..\n\nEventually she took the tough decision, following advice from her counsellor, to return home to Newcastle to study.\n\n\"It was whether I wanted to fall down a hole by myself, or try and fight through it but lose out on things,\" she says.\n\nKlaudia also says the students stuck inside were monitored by security guards, which she found frightening and led to her feeling like \"a criminal in isolation\".\n\n\"With the rising [Covid] cases and the thinking that there'll be another lockdown, I didn't want to stay there, you know, through that.\"\n\nA spokesman for Liverpool Hope University said it took the wellbeing of its students extremely seriously, and worked tirelessly to offer mental health and other support.\n\nThis includes a team of pastoral advisers who make daily contact with those isolating, mental health and well-being advisers, a laundry service and food deliveries\n\nHe added: \"Students had access to outside space in a regulated manner according to guidelines.\n\n\"Security personnel worked diligently to ensure the safety of both the Hope family and the wider community, in line with government policy.\"\n\nNUS president Larissa Kennedy said it was no surprise students had experienced deteriorating mental health as a result of the pandemic.\n\n\"It is deeply troubling that students are not getting the support that they need, with only 29% of those reporting worse mental health accessing services.\n\n\"Students deserve better than their treatment this term. It is time for governments to fund university, college and NHS mental health services to ensure all students can get the support they require.\n\n\"Students' unions also need greater investment to continue to provide essential services to students.\"\n\nA Department for Education (DfE) spokesman said it recognised it had been a very difficult time for students, and protecting their mental health and wellbeing continued to be a top priority.\n\n\"We encourage students to contact their university's support and welfare team if they are struggling with their mental health. Many universities have adapted their resources to better support students online and at distance.\"\n\nThe DfE had provided up to £3m to fund the mental health platform Student Space, designed to work alongside university and NHS services, he added.\n\nSupport and information on mental health is available on the BBC Action Line page.", "Joe Biden (right) is \"deeply proud\" of Hunter Biden (left), the president-elect's transition team says\n\nUS President-elect Joe Biden's son Hunter has said his tax affairs are under investigation.\n\nThe investigation is being conducted by federal prosecutors in Delaware. US media quote sources saying it relates to business dealings with foreign countries including China.\n\nHunter Biden said he was confident he would be shown to have done no wrong.\n\nThe Biden-Harris transition team said the president-elect was \"deeply proud of his son\".\n\nA statement from the team said Hunter had \"fought through difficult challenges, including the vicious personal attacks of recent months, only to emerge stronger\".\n\nThe 50-year-old said he had learned of the investigation on Tuesday. He did not disclose any further details.\n\n\"I take this matter very seriously but I am confident that a professional and objective review of these matters will demonstrate that I handled my affairs legally and appropriately, including with the benefit of professional tax advisers,\" he said.\n\nReports say the investigation was begun in 2018, before Joe Biden announced his bid for the presidency.\n\nHunter Biden was a frequent target of Republican criticism during the 2020 election campaign, focusing on his business dealings in Ukraine and China when Joe Biden was vice-president in the Barack Obama administration.\n\nLast December, President Donald Trump was impeached by the Democratic-run House of Representatives on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress stemming from his attempts to pressure Ukraine to investigate the Bidens.\n\nBut Mr Trump was cleared by the Republican-held Senate in February.\n\nThe new investigation into Hunter Biden's tax affairs comes as his father assembles his cabinet. If the case is still ongoing when Mr Biden is sworn into office next month, his pick for attorney general could have oversight of the investigation, AP notes.\n\nThe presidential election is over, but it seems President-elect Joe Biden's son Hunter - a regular target of Republican attacks during the campaign - is going to stay in the news.\n\nThe revelation that Hunter is under tax investigation is not entirely surprising. There have been hints of such an inquiry for months. With official confirmation, however, comes further scrutiny - and potential political headaches for the president-elect.\n\nIf Republicans maintain control of the US Senate, hearings into Hunter's finances - and any ties to President Biden - are a foregone conclusion. And if the investigation turns into formal charges, political concerns for the Biden family could turn into very real legal ones.\n\nWhile Donald Trump's critics will be quick to accuse the outgoing president of orchestrating this investigation as political reprisal, the US attorney behind it - David Weiss of Delaware - is a veteran prosecutor. Although he was appointed by the current president, Weiss also worked as a deputy in the office, and as interim US attorney, during Democrat Barack Obama's presidency.\n\nHunter Biden, in a statement, says he acted \"legally and appropriately\". If so, this matter will eventually fade from view. Being under the federal criminal microscope, however, is never a pleasant affair.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. \"Masking, vaccinations, opening schools\": Joe Biden's key goals for his first 100 days\n• None What was Hunter Biden doing in China and Ukraine?", "Phone calls between Mr Johnson and Ursula von der Leyen have so far failed to find a way through\n\nBoris Johnson will fly to Brussels later for talks on a post-Brexit deal with the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.\n\nTime is running out to reach a deal before 31 December, when the UK stops following EU trading rules.\n\nThe pair will hold talks over dinner, after negotiations between officials ended in deadlock.\n\nMajor disagreements remain on fishing rights, business competition rules and how a deal will be policed.\n\nAt the dinner, expected to begin at 19:00 GMT, the prime minister will work through a list of the major sticking points with Mrs von der Leyen, who is representing the leaders of the 27 EU nations.\n\nA UK government source said progress at a political level may allow the negotiations - between the UK's Lord Frost and EU's Michel Barnier - to resume over the coming days.\n\nBut the source added that it was important to be \"realistic\" that an agreement might not be possible.\n\nSpeaking at Prime Minister's Questions, Mr Johnson said \"a good deal is still there to be done\", but stressed that the EU's position was to have an \"automatic right to punish us\" if the UK's rules and regulations didn't move in step with the EU in the future.\n\nMeanwhile German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said a Brexit deal was still possible but insisted that the integrity of the EU single market must be respected.\n\nEU sources told the BBC that Mr Barnier briefed the bloc's Europe ministers that talks were tilting towards no deal being reached before the deadline.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. A deal with the EU can't come \"at any price,\" says Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove\n\nBBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg says that the purpose of the dinner is not to call a halt or to proclaim that a deal's been done.\n\n\"The reason for the meeting is to see if both sides are willing in principle to tolerate the notion of budging, after the negotiations, and frankly negotiators, have been exhausted,\" she says.\n\nEU leaders are due to meet for a summit of their own on Thursday.\n\nIt comes as no surprise at all that EU-UK talks have gone down to the wire.\n\nThat was widely predicted. As was the \"both making last-minute political compromises\" part, believed to come right at the end, after the two sides abandon their high-stakes game of chicken.\n\nBut tonight's dinner is far more complex than the prime minister declaring \"OK, Ursula, we'll give you your level playing field, if you (EU) give us our fish.\"\n\nThe clash of ideologies, clear from the start, is still very much present.\n\nWe have the government's determination to protect its post-Brexit sovereignty, and not sign up to another Brussels rule book on the one side and on the other, the EU focus on protecting its single market a) from what it views as potentially unfair competition from the UK and b) in terms of global reputation.\n\nBrussels believes compromising single market rules for a UK deal, would weaken it in the eyes of other future trade partners.\n\nConclusion: As much as Boris Johnson and Ursula von der Leyen, say they still hope for a deal, 'no deal' is still very much on the table tonight, alongside dinner.\n\nIn separate talks on Tuesday, the UK and EU reached an agreement on specific trade arrangements for Northern Ireland - including on post-Brexit border checks and trading rules for NI, and how the new Irish Sea border will work.\n\nIt means the UK has now dropped plans to override sections of its EU exit agreement signed last year, which would have potentially broken international law.\n\nDetails of the NI agreement have not yet been published, but Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove is making a statement in the Commons on Wednesday.\n\nThe agreement was an important moment for businesses, said BBC Northern Ireland political reporter Jayne McCormack. \"But some firms and political parties may be less receptive when they see the finer details of what's been decided,\" she said.\n\nSpeaking to the BBC, Mr Gove confirmed that EU officials would be present in Northern Ireland \"to make sure the processes, that we are in control of, will be running appropriately\".\n\nFormer Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith said there would be a need \"for some explanation\" from the government because MPs had been \"assured by the government that there were would be no customs officials sitting around\".\n\nThe UK and EU are at loggerheads over the so-called \"level playing field\" - a set of shared rules and standards to ensure businesses in one country do not have an unfair advantage over their competitors in others.\n\nBrussels wants the UK to follow EU rules closely in areas such as workers' rights and environmental regulations, but the UK says the goal of Brexit is to break free from following common rules and reassert national sovereignty.\n\nAnd the two sides disagree on how any future trading disputes should be resolved.\n\nOn fishing, the two sides continue to haggle over how much access European fishing boats should have to British waters, and how much they would be allowed to catch from next year.", "A landmark report says the UK can make major cuts to carbon emissions more cheaply than previously thought.\n\nThe Climate Change Committee says that, for less than 1% of national wealth, the UK can reduce 78% of emissions by 2035, based on 1990 levels.\n\nThis brings forward the UK’s clean energy timetable by 15 years - a previously unimaginable leap.\n\nThe report says the low costs for the transformation are due to new clean technologies also being more efficient.\n\nThe authors say people can play their part by eating less red meat, curbing flying, driving less and installing low-carbon heating.\n\nThey estimate the costs of the low-carbon revolution will scale up to an annual £50bn by 2030 from around $10bn today, with most being private investment.\n\nBy 2030, they estimate that some of these costs will be offset by fuel savings of £18bn.\n\nProf Euan Nisbet from Royal Holloway, University of London, who was not involved with the report, said: \"This is a massively important report that maps out a whole new economy for Britain to create a better country.\n\n“This shows it can be done. It can be afforded. This is world-leading, and it’ll persuade other countries also to follow the path.“\n\nBut sceptics say that the committee, which advises the government on climate matters, has underestimated the eventual bill and overestimated the government’s ability to deliver change on the scale projected.\n\nSome experts believe that dangerous climate change may already have occurred\n\nBut the committee, also known as the CCC, says: “The message to the government is clear: the 2020s must be the decisive decade of progress and action on climate change”.\n\nIf its recommendations are carried out, the CCC says the UK will achieve its share of the UN target agreed under the Paris agreement drafted five years ago. This international deal aims to keep the global temperature rise well below 2C and “pursue efforts“ to keep it under 1.5C.\n\nSo far, temperatures have increased around 1.1C and are contributing to devastating forest fires and ice loss at the poles. As a result, some scientists believe dangerous climate change may have already begun.\n\nCCC members say the targets proposed for the UK's “carbon budget” period of 2033-2035 are definitely achievable, so long as the government moves urgently.\n\nThe advisory body says the shift to electric vehicles will prove cheaper than sticking with petrol cars because the former is about three times more efficient.\n\nThat means the government may need to claw back tax income by imposing pay-as-you-drive schemes.\n\nBut the committee warns that ministers will need to shield the poorest in society.\n\nIt will cost, for instance, an average of £10,000 to insulate a home and install low-carbon heating such as heat pumps. The report says the government must find £3-4bn a year to support households make the transition.\n\nMinisters will also need to cushion low-income households from what’s estimated to be a £100-a-year rise in electricity bills by 2030, although the report says this cost may be reduced by making appliances more efficient.\n\nEnvironmental campaign groups have expressed delight that the costs of a clean society will be cheaper than previously thought, although they need convincing that the government will grasp the challenge.\n\nThey point out that recently the Chancellor committed just £1bn to insulating homes to save emissions, whilst pledging £127bn to HS2 and new roads that will increase emissions.\n\nLarge infrastructure projects funded by the Treasury could undermine efforts to cut carbon, say campaigners\n\nThe report says to get the best results, the UK government must start cutting emissions aggressively, to prevent them accumulating in the atmosphere.\n\nIt sets out the following conditions for success:\n\nThe report says: “Many people can make low-carbon choices, about how they travel, how they heat their homes, what they buy and what they eat.”\n\nIt also includes a measure of popular opinion, gleaned through the recent UK Climate Assembly – where members of the public participated in sessions with climate experts to establish a dialogue on the best ways to cut emissions.\n\nThe assembly called for a tax on frequent flyers, a ban on selling polluting sports utility vehicles (SUVs), and a cut in meat consumption - although it stressed that people shouldn’t be coerced into changing behaviours.\n\nThe CCC estimates that 16% of the effort to achieve the targets will come from behaviour change, such as shifts in diet or flying less. Another 41% will come from painless improvements in low carbon technology, and 43% will be a combination of technology and behaviour change.\n\nThere will be a revolution in homes and how they're heated. This will involve insulating many more homes, making all new gas boilers hydrogen-ready - able to use cleaner hydrogen as a fuel - and making greater use of heat pumps.", "Currys PC World said its website was processing about six orders per second at times on Black Friday\n\nCurrys PC World is facing a growing number of complaints about cancelled Black Friday purchases, which customers only learned about after the sales period was over.\n\nThe firm has blamed a technical fault for causing some orders to fail even though it had sent confirmation emails.\n\nThe electronics retailer has apologised for \"the inconvenience caused\".\n\nBut many of those involved want it to go further and to honour the discounts it had offered.\n\nA spokeswoman for the company - which is owned by Dixons Carphone - was unable to say how many people had been affected.\n\nBut she indicated the firm would treat complaints on a case-by-case basis.\n\nThe issue follows reports of a related problem involving customers being left out of pocket after failed gift card payments to Currys PC World on Black Friday, which was revealed by MoneySavingExpert's news site last month.\n\nIn those cases, the company has allowed goods to be repurchased at their discounted prices.\n\nHowever, it has subsequently emerged that other types of purchases were also affected.\n\nDeals for reduced-priced televisions, computers and speakers are among those shoppers have complained of missing out on.\n\n\"I had ordered a 65in TV in the Black Friday sale,\" Iain Fairfield from Kilwinning told the BBC.\n\n\"But it never arrived, so I went onto live chat with Currys and they said that due to a technical glitch the order hadn't gone through properly, even though I had confirmation of it.\n\n\"They then informed me that I would have to pay full price for the TV again even though it was a Black Friday deal.\n\n\"I was very angry with this as they wouldn't be honouring the original price I had got the item for. And at no point did they ever inform me, from purchase point until delivery day, that the order had been cancelled.\"\n\nCharlie, another shopper who asked that his surname not be published, said he had a similar experience after a laptop he had ordered was not delivered.\n\n\"Glitches happen, everyone understands that. But not offering the goods now at [what was] the advertised price seems wrong,\" he said.\n\n\"What's most irritating is that I would have carried on shopping around on Black Friday had I known the sale hadn't gone through.\"\n\nIn some cases Currys did email users to inform them of the cancellations, but it appears not others.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Sarah Boyd This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Maggie This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThe company is now working through complaints, but the extent of the problem is still unclear.\n\n\"Due to the unprecedented volume of customers shopping online with Currys PC World on Black Friday, our website experienced a temporary outage,\" said a spokeswoman.\n\n\"We can confirm that transactions made by gift cards and some Order & Collect purchases were affected, but home delivery was not.\n\n\"Any customer who paid by gift card had funds put back in full by 20:00 on Wednesday 2 December.\n\n\"Those customers whose Order & Collect purchases were cancelled were informed as soon as possible, and they were able to replace their order the same weekend and still take advantage of our Black Friday promotions.\"\n\nHowever, the BBC has spoken to four customers who said they were affected after trying to buy products for home delivery without using a gift card.\n\nThe firm said it was still looking into the matter and urged all those affected to contact customer services if they still had a proof of purchase.\n\nConsumer rights group Which? has said the electronics store is not legally compelled to offer the cancelled goods at their sales prices, but suggested the firm's reputation was on the line.\n\n\"This is the latest in a long list of complaints we've heard about Currys PC World, and customers will be understandably frustrated that their Black Friday purchases could not be fulfilled,\" commented its consumer rights expert Adam French.\n\n\"The tech retailer has earned itself a poor reputation for customer service and in a recent Which? survey received just two stars for its after-sales service.\n\n\"The company must up its game or customers will rightly go looking elsewhere for a good deal.\"", "Last updated on .From the section European Football\n\nParis St-Germain striker Kylian Mbappe said he was proud his team-mates and Istanbul Basaksehir players had walked off the pitch during their Champions League tie on Tuesday night.\n\nThe match was abandoned at 0-0 after the fourth official was accused of using a racist term towards Basaksehir assistant Pierre Webo.\n\nPlayers took a knee around the centre circle before the restart on Wednesday.\n\n\"We are tired, we don't want to go through this again,\" said Mbappe.\n\n\"Of course, I am proud of what was done. We were not disappointed not to play. We made that decision. We were proud.\n\n\"A lot of things were said but, in fact, there's nothing better than actions.\"\n\nMbappe scored twice after the game resumed in the 14th minute, and PSG ran out comfortable 5-1 winners.\n\nWebo - who had been sent off - was allowed to take his place on the away bench, with his red card suspended while Uefa investigates the incident.\n\nBasaksehir coach Okan Buruk said: \"The referee should have dealt with the situation but he didn't and we had to show that we stood with Webo.\n\n\"The decision was made by the players. Some wanted to go back to the pitch but we stuck together as a team and it was eventually a team decision.\n\n\"We showed the entire world that we are united.\"\n\nWinger Nacer Chadli, who came on as a substitute in Wednesday's game, told the BBC's World Football programme: \"We're in 2020 now and that kind of incident is very hurtful for all of us.\n\n\"I was feeling very sad, like the other players in the dressing room. That hurt us deep because we love football and we were there to play a game and something happened that we didn't expect.\n\n\"We were talking, and sometimes it was very quiet. We wanted to make a decision: we go altogether outside or if one or two want to stay, we don't go out, we just have to stick together.\"\n\n\"They made a strong decision, they stuck with the other team and made a brave decision,\" he said.\n\n\"In the dressing room it was clear that they wanted to show that reaction.\"\n\nMidfielder Marco Verratti added: \"It was tough for everyone - for us on the pitch, for everyone watching the match - it was something that shouldn't happen.\n\n\"We should be examples, especially because we are followed by millions of people.\n\n\"That's why we did a strong gesture and decided, with the other team, not to play.\"\n\nA new set of officials took charge on Wednesday, with Dutchman Danny Makkelie appointed referee.\n\nBoth sets of players and the officials - who also took a knee during the Champions League anthem - wore 'no to racism' T-shirts in the warm-up, with anti-racism banners in the stands.\n\nWhen the game restarted, Neymar starred with his third Champions League hat-trick.\n\nHe opened the scoring by nutmegging a defender and curling home, before finishing off a counter-attack and getting his third from 20 yards.\n\nMbappe scored twice, including a penalty won for a foul on Neymar.\n\nVictory for PSG means they top the group ahead of RB Leipzig, who qualified and eliminated Manchester United with a 3-2 win over the English side on Tuesday.\n• None Attempt missed. Giuliano (Istanbul Basaksehir) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right following a set piece situation.\n• None Timothee Pembele (Paris Saint Germain) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.\n• None Attempt blocked. Neymar (Paris Saint Germain) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.\n• None Attempt saved. Deniz Türüç (Istanbul Basaksehir) left footed shot from the left side of the six yard box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Boli Bolingoli-Mbombo.\n• None Attempt saved. Neymar (Paris Saint Germain) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Idrissa Gueye.\n• None Timothee Pembele (Paris Saint Germain) wins a free kick on the right wing. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page\n• None The Amazon founder has strong beliefs and big plans\n• None Listen along to a playlist of the greatest Christmas No 1s", "The US Army has fired or suspended 14 commanders and lower-level leaders at the Fort Hood base in Texas over a pattern of violence there, including murder, sexual assaults and harassment.\n\nAn investigation into problems at the base was launched following the killing of soldier Vanessa Guillen this year.\n\nArmy Secretary Ryan McCarthy said the \"issues at Fort Hood are directly related to leadership failures\".\n\nThe army has also ordered a new policy on dealing with missing soldiers.\n\nThe firings and suspensions announced on Tuesday include major generals Scott Efflandt and Jeffery Broadwater.\n\nMr McCarthy said Ms Guillen's murder \"shocked our conscience and brought attention to deeper problems\" at Fort Hood and in the US Army more widely.\n\nIt \"forced us to take a critical look at our systems, our policies, and ourselves\", he told reporters.\n\nMs Guillen, 20, was missing for about two months before her remains were found in late June. Investigators say she was bludgeoned to death at Fort Hood.\n\nThe suspect in her death, Specialist Aaron Robinson, took his own life on 1 July as police were trying to take him into custody.\n\nMs Guillen's family allege that she had been harassed by Mr Robinson, but officials say they have no report to indicate she was sexually harassed or assaulted.\n\nThe case is still under investigation.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Vanessa Guillen family: \"My sister is a human being, and I want justice\"\n\nThe action by the US Army on Tuesday follows a year that saw 25 soldiers assigned to Fort Hood die as a result of suicide, homicide or accidents, according to the Associated Press news agency.\n\nA statement from the US Army said \"when a senior leader loses trust and confidence in a subordinate commander or leader, it is appropriate and necessary to relieve that person.\"\n\nMr McCarthy also announced on Tuesday a new policy aimed at ensuring that the army \"maximises efforts to find missing soldiers\".\n\nThe policy requires commanders to classify missing soldiers as \"absent-unknown\" for up to 48 hours, while doing everything they can to locate the soldier and determine if their absence is voluntary before declaring them Awol, or absent without leave.\n• None 'My sister is a human being, and I want justice' Video, 00:01:17'My sister is a human being, and I want justice'", "Mahalia won Best R&B/Soul and Best Female at this year's awards\n\nAfter a two-year break, the MOBO Awards have returned with a socially-distant show.\n\nThe ceremony was hosted by Maya Jama and Chunkz and broadcast on YouTube.\n\nMahalia and Nines both won two awards, with Mahalia taking home Best R&B/Soul and Best Female and Nines winning Best Album and Best Hip Hop act.\n\nMahalia told Newsbeat: \"As a young black artist at the MOBOs, everything it stands for and holds is really special.\"\n\nThe pandemic \"put a stop\" to a lot of Young T and Bugsey's plans\n\nYoung T and Bugsey were awarded Best Song for Don't Rush.\n\nThe Nottingham duo said the viral Don't Rush challenge helped it become such a staple sound of 2020.\n\nBugsey said: \"Day by day it was just growing and getting bigger and bigger, we had no idea that would happen.\n\n\"I was a big wrestling fan as a kid, so when I saw that the whole WWE lot did the challenge I was like 'yeah, we're doing something'.\"\n\nThe pair released their mixtape at the start of the year, with plans for tours and other live performances.\n\n\"All artists have had to learn how to manoeuvre through it, hopefully next year shows will be back again.\"\n\nIn a year filled with \"way too many Zoom calls\", the Best Newcomer award is some good news for Aitch\n\nAitch, who picked up Best Newcomer, said the event was a good end to a bad year.\n\nHe told Newsbeat: \"It's sick to be recognised for what I'm doing.\"\n\nIn a year like no other, Aitch says time away from touring and performances has had some advantages.\n\n\"Some things have happened that wouldn't have happened if I was out on the road.\"\n\nAlthough he's done \"way too many Zoom calls\".\n\nIt was Maya's second time hosting the show\n\nChunkz won Best Media Personality up against names including Clara Amfo, Mo Gilligan and co-host Maya Jama.\n\nWith social-distancing measures in place, it might not have been the best year to host such a big event. But, after the MOBOs were cancelled in 2018 and 2019, founder Kanya King said she \"felt like she had to\" bring them back.\n\nShe said: \"2020 has been such a unique year and MOBO has always a spotlight for talent to shine.\n\n\"Entertainment and activism have always gone hand in hand, and we're using the power of black culture to empower and uplift people.\"\n\nThis year's ceremony also included a one-off category to retrospectively award the best albums released between September 2017 and August 2019, which was won by Ella Mai.\n\nNines won two awards, and gave his acceptance speech via video\n\nFor a lot of artists, the pandemic was a chance to get creative.\n\nMahalia released her EP Isolation Tapes in May, made up of songs she previously hadn't found time to finish.\n\n\"If isolation hadn't happened, I might never have seen those songs again,\" she says.\n\nAlthough it's been a \"confusing and stressful\" year, Mahalia said ultimately she learned to \"be present and full of energy online\".\n\n\"I think a lot of us artists in that time realised how important social media platforms are,\" she says.\n\n\"It's a gateway to be able to speak to fans. I wasn't very good at that before so this has been a learning curve for sure.\"\n\n\"It made you interact with fans more and people who support you more because you can be connected,\" Young T said.", "Rugby World Cup winner Steve Thompson and seven other former players claim the sport has left them with permanent brain damage - and are in the process of starting a claim against the game's authorities for negligence.\n\nEvery member of the group has recently been diagnosed with the early signs of dementia, and they say repeated blows to the head are to blame.\n\nThompson, 42, played in every England match when they won the 2003 World Cup, but says: \"I can't remember any of those games. It's frightening.\"\n\nIt is understood a letter of claim, amounting to millions of pounds in damages, will be sent next week to the governing bodies for English and Welsh rugby and World Rugby - and a group class action could follow.\n\nIt is the first legal move of its kind in world rugby and, if successful, could force change to the way the game is played.\n\nLawyers for the group suggest another 80 former players between the ages of 25 and 55 are showing symptoms and have serious concerns.\n\nGlobal governing body World Rugby told BBC Sport: \"While not commenting on speculation, World Rugby takes player safety very seriously and implements injury-prevention strategies based on the latest available knowledge, research and evidence.\"\n\nThe Rugby Football Union (RFU), which runs the sport in England, said: \"The RFU has had no legal approach on this matter. The Union takes player safety very seriously and implements injury prevention and injury treatment strategies based on the latest research and evidence.\n\n\"The Union has played an instrumental role in establishing injury surveillance, concussion education and assessment, collaborating on research as well as supporting law changes and law application to ensure proactive management of player welfare.\"\n\nThe Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) said it \"supported and endorsed the World Rugby comment on the subject\".\n• None 'I don't want to be a burden' - how a 41-year-old ex-international is dealing with early onset dementia\n\nWorld Cup memories have just gone - Thompson\n\nFormer hooker Thompson played 195 times for Northampton Saints before moving to France to play for Brive. He won 73 England caps, and three for the British and Irish Lions, in a nine-year international career.\n\nHe first retired in 2007 because of a serious neck injury but was given the all-clear to return, before being forced to retire again in December 2011 with the same problem.\n\nThompson, former England team-mate Michael Lipman, ex-Wales international Alix Popham and five other retired players are the first group to agree to - and have - testing.\n\nThompson says his condition is so progressed he cannot remember anything that happened in those 2003 World Cup games.\n\n\"It's like I'm watching the game with England playing and I can see me there - but I wasn't there, because it's not me,\" he said.\n\n\"It's just bizarre. People talk about stories, and since the World Cup I've talked to the lads that were there, and you pick up stories, and then you can talk about it, but it's not me being there, it's not me doing it, because it's just gone.\"\n\nThompson is convinced constant head knocks during matches and training are to blame.\n\n\"When we first started going full-time in the mid-1990s, training sessions could quickly turn into full contact,\" he said.\n\n\"There was one session when the scrummaging hadn't gone quite right and they made us do a hundred live scrums. When it comes to it, we were like a bit of meat, really.\n\n\"The whole point of us doing this is to look after the young players coming through. I don't want rugby to stop. It's been able to give us so much, but we just want to make it safer. It can finish so quickly, and suddenly you've got your whole life in front of you.\"\n\nThompson, who has four children, is frank about his fears for the future and open about some dark thoughts.\n\n\"When you are there alone, the number of times you just think to yourself it's probably easier if you go, if I'm not here,\" he said.\n\n\"You start to think, it's not right to put them through that. That's the difficult side to it.\"\n\nWhat is CTE & how can it be diagnosed?\n\nAll eight players to have come forward so far have been diagnosed by neurologists at King's College, London, with early onset dementia and probable Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE).\n\nCTE is the disease discovered by Dr Bennet Omalu in American football player Mike Webster, and the subject of the film Concussion starring Will Smith. In 2011, a group of former American football players started a class action against the NFL and won a settlement worth about $1bn (£700m).\n\nCTE can develop when the brain is subjected to numerous small blows or rapid movements - sometimes known as sub-concussions - and is associated with symptoms such as memory loss, depression and progressive dementia.\n\nThe disease can only be diagnosed in a brain after death, but some experts believe if history of exposure is evaluated, it is reasonable to conclude that the risk increases. The embryonic nature of the science around the issue could play a key part in the success or failure of the overall case.\n\nIt has been found in the brains of dozens of former NFL players, as well as a handful of deceased footballers, including former West Bromwich Albion and England player Jeff Astle. A re-examination of his brain in 2014 found he had died from CTE.\n\nSub-concussions cannot be detected on the pitch or in any post-match examination.\n\nDr Ann McKee, from Boston University, is the leading neurologist in CTE and was instrumental in bringing about change in the NFL.\n\nShe and others have faced scepticism within sport, from those who believe more research is needed before further changes are introduced.\n\n\"There's clearly a problem,\" she told the BBC.\n\n\"We don't know the magnitude of the problem, but as long as we insist that there is no problem, we'll never get to the bottom of it.\n\n\"We're just denying it and prolonging it and making sure that as many rugby players as possible get CTE.\"\n\nSo how could the claim be proved?\n\nIf the case progresses to court, the group must prove the governing bodies have been guilty of negligence.\n\nRichard Boardman, from law firm Rylands, is leading the action.\n\n\"We are now in a position where we believe the governing bodies across the rugby world are liable for failing to adequately protect their players on this particular issue,\" he said.\n\n\"Depending on how many people come forward, the case could be worth tens of millions, maybe even hundreds of millions.\n\n\"Right now we're representing over 100 former players but we expect many more to get in contact.\"\n\nDr Willie Stewart, who with his team at Glasgow University has been leading research around dementia in football, is confident there is an issue in rugby union.\n\n\"There is no question if you look at the data across all the sports in all the regions whether they be football, rugby, American football, I've looked at brains from people from all these different sports.\n\n\"The difficulty we have is gathering enough experience from former rugby players to be able to say with certainty, but I think you would be foolish to ignore it. \"\n\nThe issue of concussion in sport has been debated extensively over the past few years. The links between heading a football and degenerative brain disease have even forced rule changes at youth level.\n\nIn England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, children aged 11 and under are no longer allowed to head the ball in training. There are also limits to heading frequency at higher age group levels.\n\nAt senior level, former professionals have called for more research and better player welfare after the recent death of England World Cup winner Nobby Stiles, and following the news that Stiles' 1966 team-mate and Manchester United legend Sir Bobby Charlton is suffering from the disease.\n\nMore information about dementia and details of organisations that can help can be found here.", "Burley has been one of the faces of Sky News for more than 30 years\n\nSky News presenter Kay Burley and three colleagues have been taken off air while an investigation into breaches of Covid guidelines is carried out.\n\nPolitical editor Beth Rigby, north of England correspondent Inzamam Rashid and presenter Sam Washington are also off air while the inquiry takes place.\n\nBBC media editor Amol Rajan said Burley's job is hanging in the balance.\n\nIt follows her admission that she \"broke the rules\" while celebrating her 60th birthday at the weekend.\n\nThe journalist said she could \"only apologise\" for her \"error of judgment\".\n\nWriting on Twitter on Monday, Burley said she had been at a \"Covid compliant\" restaurant on Saturday and had later \"popped into another\" venue to use the toilet.\n\nAmol Rajan said she was one of a party of 10 people at the Century Club, a private members' club on London's Shaftesbury Avenue. Her group took up two tables, with six people on one and four on the other.\n\nBurley then went onto Folie restaurant, where she used the toilet, before moving on to a private residence where individuals from at least three households mixed, Rajan said.\n\n\"This is a source of deep anxiety among Sky News bosses,\" Rajan said. \"There is fury within the Sky News newsroom at the compromising of the brand, especially after Sky News has had a strong year.\"\n\nRigby, Rashid and Washington are reported to have been present during the evening, although it's not known which parts they attended.\n\nBurley was absent from her daily breakfast show on Tuesday and Wednesday, and fellow presenter Niall Paterson said he would be taking over her slot until Christmas.\n\nIn a tweet that was subsequently deleted, Burley said she had always planned to take time off this month to visit her \"beloved Africa\".\n\nSharing a video from a safari trip, she said she would be leaving on Friday to go \"sit with lions\", adding: \"They kill for food not sport.\"\n\nBurley, who joined Sky News in 1988 and has hosted the breakfast show since October 2019, offered an apology to her 519,000 Twitter followers on Monday.\n\n\"On Saturday night I was enjoying my 60th birthday at a Covid compliant restaurant,\" she wrote. \"I am embarrassed to say that later in the evening I inadvertently broke the rules.\n\n\"I had been waiting for a taxi at 11pm to get home. Desperate for the loo I briefly popped into another restaurant to spend a penny. I can only apologise.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Kay Burley This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nLondon is under tier two restrictions, which means people are not allowed to socialise with anyone from outside their household or support bubble indoors, either in a private home or a public place.\n\nSome venues have outdoor seating and you are able to meet in a group of up to six people outside, including in a garden or in a public place.\n\nOn Monday, a spokesman for Sky said: \"We place the highest importance on complying with the government guidelines on Covid, and we expect all our people to comply.\n\n\"We were disappointed to learn that a small number of Sky News staff may have engaged in activity that breached the guidelines.\n\n\"Although this took place at a social event in personal time, we expect all our people to follow the rules that are in place for everyone.\"\n\nBurley's apology followed those of pop star Rita Ora, who said sorry for failing to self-isolate following a trip to Egypt and for throwing a birthday party at a London restaurant.\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove starts by saying the UK government has worked this year to ensure that the Northern Ireland Protocol can be agreed with the EU.\n\nThe protocol was a section of the Brexit withdrawal deal to protect trade across the border in Northern Ireland and the UK mainland.\n\nIt said that goods will not need to be checked along the Irish border when the new UK-EU relationship begins on 1 January.\n\nMr Gove starts by explaining that the Protocol set out objectives on trading.\n\nMr Gove says yesterday the UK reached a deal in principle which allows the UK to reach those commitments, and which puts the people on Northern Ireland first.\n\nHe says there will be no additional checks between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, unless it is rare and endangered species of animals.\n\nNorthern Ireland businesses selling to consumers or trading between businesses will face no tariffs, he adds. This will happen whether there is a deal or not.\n\nThere are additional flexibilities to protect supermarkets. There will be a grace period for supermarkets to implement new rules and trades.\n\nHe says this is three commitments the UK government has held.", "The bronze statue was thrown into Bristol harbour after being pulled down and rolled through the streets in June\n\nFour people have been charged with criminal damage over the toppling of the statue of Edward Colston.\n\nRhian Graham, 29, Milo Ponsford, 25, Jake Skuse, 32, and Sage Willoughby, 21, are all due to appear at Bristol Magistrates' Court on 25 January.\n\nThe 17th Century slave trader's statue was pulled down on June 7 during a Black Lives Matter protest in Bristol.\n\nSix people have already accepted conditional cautions for criminal damage for their part in the incident.\n\nThe CPS said it had authorised charges following a review of a file of evidence from Avon and Somerset Police.\n\nThe bronze memorial to the controversial figure was dumped in Bristol harbour by protesters after it was pulled down.\n\nThe statue of Edward Colston was erected in 1895\n\nIt was recovered four days later by Bristol City Council and assessed to have suffered £3,750 worth of damage.\n\nThe city council carried out preservation work on the statue and it is expected to be given a new home in a city museum.\n\nColston made his fortune in the slave trade and bequeathed his money to charities in Bristol, which led to many venues, streets and landmarks bearing his name.\n\nFollowing the toppling of the statue, Colston's Girls School changed its name to Montpelier High School and the city's Colston Hall music venue is now known as the Bristol Beacon.\n\nA statue of a Black Lives Matter protester was placed on the empty plinth without permission in July and was removed shortly afterwards.\n\nThe plinth remains vacant and mayor Marvin Rees has previously said it will be up to the people of Bristol to decide what would replace Colston's statue.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Wednesday evening. We'll have another update for you on Thursday morning.\n\nPeople with a history of significant allergic reactions should not have the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid jab, regulators have said, after two NHS workers had allergic reactions on day one of the vaccination programme. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency said the advice applied to those who have had reactions to medicines, food or vaccines. The two people who had a reaction are both fine now but have a history of serious allergies and carry adrenaline pens with them. We look here at what you need to know about vaccine safety.\n\nPeople should not mix with others outside their household in Wales between now and Christmas if they can avoid it, the country's chief medical officer Dr Frank Atherton has urged. \"The best present we can give our families this year is a coronavirus-free Christmas,\" he said. Currently, groups of four people from different households are allowed to meet indoors at pubs, cafes and restaurants, and outdoors, away from home. Your questions on what you can and cannot do under the rules are answered here.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. 'Don't mix' outside your household bubble was the message from Dr Frank Atherton\n\nLondon could become a \"super spreader, sending coronavirus to other parts of the country over Christmas and making a third wave of infections likely in January\", according to one scientist. Prof John Ashton, a former public health director and author of Blinded by Corona, wants the capital placed in tier three now to avoid a rise in deaths during and after the festive season. New figures show the city saw a spike in Covid-19 cases at the end of England's lockdown on 2 December. Government officials will meet on 16 December to review what tier each area should be in.\n\nWe heard earlier about the tough time endured by students confined to halls this term and the effect on their mental health. Here, BBC Three talks to the families and friends of two students who have died while studying, and tells of the impact coronavirus restrictions had on their lives.\n\nAnd finally, it's that time of year when Google releases its list of the most commonly searched terms. And the pandemic has put a certain twist on the genre. How to make hand sanitiser? How to cut your own hair? and When will pubs reopen? were suddenly the questions on everyone's fingertips. From Joe Wicks to the Tiger King, find out what people most wanted to find out here.\n\nFind more information, advice and guides on our coronavirus page.\n\nPlus, with the global race to develop a vaccine making great strides, we take a closer look at China's version - Sinovac.\n\nWhat questions do you have about coronavirus?\n\nIn some cases, your question will be published, displaying your name, age and location as you provide it, unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published. Please ensure you have read our terms & conditions and privacy policy.\n\nUse this form to ask your question:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or send them via email to YourQuestions@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any question you send in.", "Pubs, restaurants and non-essential shops have been closed across much of the west of Scotland since 20 November\n\nAll 11 areas living under Scotland's toughest level four coronavirus restrictions are to be downgraded to level three, it has been confirmed.\n\nThe move means that non-essential shops and many other businesses across much of western and central Scotland will be able to reopen from Friday.\n\nMore than two million people have been subject to the level four restrictions since 20 November.\n\nInfection rates in all 11 council areas have fallen since then.\n\nIt has also been confirmed that three level three areas - Inverclyde, Falkirk and Angus - will move down to level two.\n\nAnd both Dumfries and Galloway and the Scottish Borders will move to level one from level two.\n\nAll of the country's other council areas will remain in their current levels.\n\nRetail premises which have been closed under the level four restrictions will be allowed to re-open from 06:00 on Friday, with the other restrictions being eased from 18:00 on the same day.\n\nBut hospitality businesses in level three areas must close their doors by 18:00 - meaning they will have to wait until Saturday to welcome back customers for food and non-alcoholic drinks.\n\nAnnouncing the changes in the Scottish Parliament, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon urged people to \"continue to exercise care and caution\".\n\nAnd she said that travel restrictions will remain in place, meaning that people should not travel in or out of level three areas unless it is essential.\n\nPeople living outside of Glasgow should therefore not travel to the city for Christmas shopping when stores reopen on Friday, for example.\n\nMs Sturgeon added: \"As we know from our experience of Covid so far, progress can very easily go into reverse.\n\n\"So please continue to abide by the rules. That means, in particular, not visiting other people's houses.\"\n\nThe first minister also told MSPs that she considered moving Edinburgh down to level two - but the closeness to the Christmas period meant that this did not happen.\n\nShe also said the government was closely monitoring Clackmannanshire, which is remaining in level three for now despite having the highest number of confirmed cases per 100,000 in the country.\n\nMs Sturgeon said it was thought that the sharp rise in case numbers could be attributed to a mass testing pilot that is being carried out there, adding: \"The issue is more cases being identified rather than a rise in transmission.\"\n\nThere had been concern that Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire could move from level two to level three - but Ms Sturgeon said cases in both areas had dropped slightly in recent days.\n\nHowever, she said the situation would be monitored very carefully, with a move to level three not being ruled out in the weeks ahead.\n\nThe first minister said further support for businesses affected by the restrictions would be announced on Wednesday.\n\nScottish Conservative group leader Ruth Davidson said businesses in areas such as Edinburgh, which have relatively low case numbers, would find it a \"bitter pill to swallow\" that restrictions would not be eased because \"ironically they might get too much trade\" ahead of Christmas.\n\nScottish Labour leader Richard Leonard also criticised the decision not to move Edinburgh down to level two when the data appeared to show the infection was under greater control there than in other parts of the country.\n\nThe first vaccinations against the virus started on Tuesday morning\n\nThe announcement on the country's restriction levels came as vaccinations began at sites across Scotland.\n\nAn initial batch of 65,000 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine arrived in Scotland at the weekend - with those who will be giving the vaccine to others being the first to be injected with it.\n\nMs Sturgeon said the vaccination programme presents the \"beginning of the end\" of the pandemic.\n\nBut she urged people to continue to think about how to keep themselves and others safe in the meantime.\n\nThe deaths of a further 33 people who had tested positive for the virus have been recorded in the past 24 hours, alongside an additional 692 positive tests.", "Could it be the last supper?\n\nBoris Johnson will travel to Brussels for the first time in months on Wednesday night to sit and break bread with the EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen.\n\nIt is more than a standard diplomatic dinner.\n\nIt is possible that the encounter could be the moment at which the UK and the EU conclude that there cannot be a trade deal now, and that after decades of political and economic ties, efforts to say a polite political farewell have failed, with all the consequences that might entail.\n\nThe purpose of the dinner however is not to call a halt. But nor is the purpose to proclaim that a deal's been done.\n\nThe reason for the meeting is to see if both sides are willing in principle to tolerate the notion of budging, after the negotiations, and frankly negotiators, have been exhausted.\n\nIf the prime minister and Mrs von der Leyen can look each other in the eye and agree that there are still compromises to be had, then a deal is still possible.\n\nIf they are willing to make that kind of pact - to say privately to each other, I'm willing to budge if you are too - then that would in theory allow technical talks to get going again.\n\nThis wouldn't be any kind of changes to the formal mandates - the boundaries the negotiators have been set.\n\nBut it could reset the dial, sending Lord Frost and Michel Barnier back to the table in the understanding that their political bosses might just be a touch more wiling to be flexible after all.\n\nIn turn, that doesn't mean that a deal is going to be achieved.\n\nBut it could tip the balance back towards the overall political imperatives of making this happen, and away from both sides' commitment to stick so closely to their principles.\n\nHere, the government's actions on the Northern Ireland protocol on Tuesday are a hint that they just might be willing to bend a little further.\n\nEqually however, settling the joint protocol makes it easier for the government to minimise disruption if it walks away. So beware wise sages claiming it's definitive proof either way!\n\nDon't forget too, it's only this time last week that there was a sense we were moving towards a conclusion on both sides.\n\nBut that was before some member states, with France as the hard man, toughened their approach, surprising the UK and setting the process back - although any change is still denied officially by the EU side.\n\nWhat we just can't know, however, is whether the leaders will be able to find common cause when they meet on Wednesday.\n\nThere has been a real sense of \"you first\" in the last 24 hours, with both sides waiting to see what the other's next move would be.\n\nIf there is a chance that a deal can be done, tomorrow night's dinner needs to produce at the very least a metaphorical statement of intent.\n\nBut if the two leaders just aren't prepared to make a leap, it could yet be the last supper after all.\n\nP.S. It's interesting to note that when Theresa May was trying to manage these processes, she sometimes dashed off to see the individual leaders of the member states, or held phone calls with them, as did Boris Johnson sometimes.\n\nThere was one notable explosion with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on a call last year, which now seems a century ago.\n\nIt's understood that this time Boris Johnson's team was interested in the possibility of talking to Mrs Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron in these vital few days themselves.\n\nBut I'm told the EU wanted to keep everything channelled through one point of contact.\n\nDowning Street has denied the suggestion this afternoon that he wanted them to be on the call when he rang Mrs von der Leyen on Monday.\n\nBut it seems there have been discussions about whether to have those separate discussions that have then not (so far) taken place.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Addressing trade talks with the EU, Boris Johnson has “absolutely no doubt this country is going to prosper mightily”.\n\nBoris Johnson has said the EU is insisting on terms \"no prime minister could accept\" in UK-EU trade talks.\n\nThe PM told MPs \"a good deal is still there to be done\", ahead of post-Brexit deal negotiations with the European Commission president.\n\nBut he said the EU was seeking an \"automatic right\" to retaliate against the UK if its labour and environmental standards diverged from theirs.\n\nHe is in Brussels for talks with EU chief Ursula von der Leyen.\n\nThe prime minister also suggested the EU could not accept the UK having sovereign control over its fishing waters after Brexit, as he answered questions at Prime Minister's Questions.\n\nTime is running out to reach a deal before 31 December, when the UK stops following EU trading rules.\n\nMajor disagreements remain on fishing rights, business competition rules and how a deal will be policed.\n\nAt the dinner, expected to begin at 19:00 GMT, the prime minister will work through a list of the major sticking points with Mrs von der Leyen, who is representing the leaders of the 27 EU nations.\n\nA UK government source said progress at a political level may allow the UK's negotiator Lord Frost and his EU counterpart Michel Barnier - who will both also attend the dinner - to resume their work over the coming days.\n\nBut the source added that it was important to be \"realistic\" that an agreement might not be possible.\n\nMeanwhile, Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove outlined details on post-Brexit border checks and trading rules for Northern Ireland, after agreement was reached with the EU.\n\nSpeaking at Prime Minister's Questions, Mr Johnson warned that a deal would not be possible if the EU continued to insist that if it was to pass a new law in the future - and the UK did not follow suit - it wanted the \"automatic right punish us and retaliate\" with tariffs on goods.\n\nHe also claimed that the EU wanted the UK to become the \"only country in the world\" not to have \"sovereign control\" over its fishing waters.\n\n\"I don't believe that those are terms that any prime minister of this country should accept,\" he said.\n\nGerman Chancellor Angela Merkel has said a Brexit deal was still possible but insisted that the integrity of the EU single market must be respected.\n\nThe UK and EU are at loggerheads over the so-called \"level playing field\" - a set of shared rules and standards to ensure businesses in one country do not have an unfair advantage over their competitors in others.\n\nBrussels wants the UK to follow EU rules closely in areas such as workers' rights and environmental regulations, but the UK says the goal of Brexit is to break free from following common rules and reassert national sovereignty.\n\nBBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg says that the purpose of the dinner is not to call a halt or to proclaim that a deal's been done.\n\n\"The reason for the meeting is to see if both sides are willing in principle to tolerate the notion of budging, after the negotiations, and frankly negotiators, have been exhausted,\" she says.\n\nEU leaders are due to meet for a summit of their own on Thursday.\n\nIt comes as no surprise at all that EU-UK talks have gone down to the wire.\n\nThat was widely predicted. As was the \"both making last-minute political compromises\" part, believed to come right at the end, after the two sides abandon their high-stakes game of chicken.\n\nBut tonight's dinner is far more complex than the prime minister declaring \"OK, Ursula, we'll give you your level playing field, if you (EU) give us our fish.\"\n\nThe clash of ideologies, clear from the start, is still very much present.\n\nWe have the government's determination to protect its post-Brexit sovereignty, and not sign up to another Brussels rule book on the one side and on the other, the EU focus on protecting its single market a) from what it views as potentially unfair competition from the UK and b) in terms of global reputation.\n\nBrussels believes compromising single market rules for a UK deal, would weaken it in the eyes of other future trade partners.\n\nConclusion: As much as Boris Johnson and Ursula von der Leyen, say they still hope for a deal, 'no deal' is still very much on the table tonight, alongside dinner.\n\nIn separate talks on Tuesday, the UK and EU reached an agreement on specific trade arrangements for Northern Ireland - including on post-Brexit border checks and trading rules for Northern Ireland.\n\nFrom 1 January, Northern Ireland will stay in the EU single market for goods as the rest of the UK leaves.\n\nThat means a proportion of food products arriving in Northern Ireland from Great Britain will need to be checked under arrangements known as the Northern Ireland Protocol.\n\nSpeaking in the Commons, Mr Gove said it would ensure the smooth flow of trade \"on which lives and livelihoods depend....with no need for new physical customs infrastructure\" on the island of Ireland.\n\n\"The deal protects unfettered access for Northern Ireland businesses to their most important market,\" he said.\n\nHow will Brexit affect you? Get in touch by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "Three generations of royals gathered at Windsor for a festive carol service\n\nThe Queen has appeared alongside several other senior royals for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic began.\n\nThe monarch, 94, welcomed the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to Windsor Castle following their royal train tour.\n\nPrince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall also attended the socially-distanced Christmas carol concert within the castle's grounds.\n\nThe Earl and Countess of Wessex and Princess Anne were also there.\n\nIt was confirmed last week that the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will spend Christmas \"quietly\" at Windsor, rather than Her Majesty's private estate at Sandringham in Norfolk.\n\nAnd rather than a gathering of senior royals as is traditional, the Queen and Prince Phillip, 99, will spend the festive period alone after considering \"all the appropriate advice\", according to Buckingham Palace.\n\n\"Like everyone they hope things will get back to normal in 2021,\" a palace spokesman said at the time.\n\nThe Cambridge's trip on the royal train saw them thank key workers, volunteers and communities in Scotland, England and Wales.\n\nWhile there was veiled criticism from Welsh and Scottish ministers over its timing, Prime Minister Boris Johnson hailed the tour as a \"welcome morale boost\", No 10 said.\n\nOn Tuesday, Prince William and Catherine told students in Cardiff they were still wrestling with their Christmas plans and had yet to decide where or with whom they would be.\n\nThe couple have previously spent the festive period with Catherine's parents at their home in Berkshire.\n\nOn the final day of their zig-zag three-day tour of Britain, the couple met undergraduates to hear about their mental health challenges during the pandemic in Wales, and they spoke with NHS workers in Reading.\n\nThe Queen thanked the Salvation Army and other local volunteers at Tuesday evening's service at Windsor Castle\n\nAt the end of Tuesday's performance, the Queen, chatted to her family in turn and as she turned to walk up the steps back inside the castle, Prince William said: \"Bye gran.\"\n\nCommissioners Anthony and Gillian Cotterill, territorial leaders for The Salvation Army in the UK and Republic of Ireland, also came forward to speak to the Queen, who told them \"nobody's allowed to sing anymore\".\n\nChoirs are allowed to perform in the open air and Princess Anne told her mother: \"Oh, we can sing outside.\"\n\nThe Queen spoke animatedly to Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall\n\nMr Cotterill said afterwards: \"The Queen was saying she was just so happy we were able to play some carols because she thinks this will be the only time she'll be able to hear carols, and she was disappointed we didn't sing. \"\n\n\"Sometimes we're playing musicians and other times we're a choir. At an event like this, it's better to have the band as you can hear it for miles.\"\n\nThe Salvation Army's Regent Hall Band, based in London's busy Oxford Street, played Hark The Herald Angels Sing and The First Noel for the royal family.\n\nMrs Cotterill added: \"I did see the Queen mouthing some of the words - so that was nice.\"\n• None Queen and Philip to spend Christmas at Windsor", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Mr Giuliani asked a witness to remove her mask at a hearing on alleged election fraud last week\n\nPresident Donald Trump's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, has revealed in a call to his own radio show that he is being treated for coronavirus with the same drug cocktail his boss received when he was ill with Covid-19.\n\nHe was admitted to hospital on Sunday after becoming the latest official close to Mr Trump to test positive.\n\nMr Giuliani, 76, told the show he expects to leave hospital on Wednesday.\n\nHe has been treated with Remdesivir and Dexamethasone, he explained.\n\nMr Trump tweeted on Sunday that his ally, who has been leading the Trump campaign's legal challenges to the November election outcome, had been diagnosed with the virus.\n\n\"I am doing fine. Pretty much all the symptoms are gone. The minute I took the cocktail I felt 100% better. It works very quickly, wow,\" he told his colleagues on his weekly show with 77 WABC radio from the Medstar Georgetown University Hospital in Washington DC.\n\nMr Trump has strongly praised the experimental combination of drugs he received when he spent three nights in hospital with Covid-19 in October.\n\nDozens of people in Mr Trump's orbit are said to have tested positive for Covid-19 since October.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Four Covid rules broken by Trump and the White House\n\nMr Giuliani said the president's doctor had urged him to go to hospital where he could \"get it [Covid-19] over with in three days\".\n\nMr Giuliani's son Andrew tweeted that his dad had \"improved significantly\" adding \"I can't seem to get him off the phone for the last day\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Andrew H. Giuliani This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nReferring to his prior diagnosis of prostate cancer, Rudy Giuliani suggested \"You don't screw around your whole life because of an illness. I'd rather face risks than live in a basement my whole life.\"\n\nDuring the election campaign earlier this year, Mr Trump's campaign attacked his rival Joe Biden for \"hiding in his basement\" during the pandemic.\n\nMr Giuliani, a former mayor of New York City, had been on a cross-country tour in an effort to convince state governments to overturn the results of the November election vote when he contracted the disease.\n\nHe had criticised face masks and was frequently pictured at indoor events without a face covering.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. One travel nurse's journey to US Covid hotspots\n\nLast Wednesday, President Trump's lawyer appeared at a hearing on alleged election fraud in Michigan where he asked a witness beside him if she would be comfortable removing her face mask.\n\n\"I don't want you to do this if you feel uncomfortable, but would you be comfortable taking your mask off, so we can hear you more clearly?\" said Mr Giuliani, who was not wearing a face mask. The witness chose to keep her mask on after asking the panel if she could be heard.\n\nThe US has recorded more than 15 million cases so far and 285,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University research, which are both global highs. Many parts of the country are seeing peak infections, with record numbers of people in hospital.\n\nCorrection: an earlier version of this story wrongly stated that Regeneron made Remdesevir, a drug developed by Gilead.", "UK scientists are planning trials to see if giving people two different types of Covid vaccine, one after the other, might give better protection than two doses of one jab.\n\nThis mix-and-match approach can go ahead only if another jab is approved by regulators, as has already happened with the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.\n\nThe head of the UK's vaccine task force said trial designs were being prepared.\n\nThe news comes as the NHS starts its Covid mass vaccination programme.\n\nA 90-year-old woman, Margaret Keenan, has become the first person to be given the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine as part of the rollout across the UK.\n\nMs Keenan, who is originally from Enniskillen, said: \"I feel so privileged to be the first person vaccinated against Covid-19. It's the best early birthday present I could wish for because it means I can finally look forward to spending time with my family and friends in the new year after being on my own for most of the year.\"\n\nThat vaccine, given as two doses a few weeks apart, offers up to 95% protection against Covid-19 illness, according to data.\n\nAlthough that is a very impressive figure, experts want to explore whether the immune response can be strengthened further and made more durable with a mix-and-match \"heterologous boost\" approach.\n\nKate Bingham, who chairs the vaccine task force, said: \"It's an established process.\n\n\"It's not being done because of supplies.\"\n\nThere is another Covid jab that could soon be approved by regulators - the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine.\n\nThis works in a slightly different way to the Pfizer jab which could make it a good companion for pairing, say scientists.\n\nThe Pfizer vaccine uses a small amount of genetic code from the pandemic virus to teach the body how to fight off an infection, while the Oxford one is a genetically modified virus that has been altered so it won't cause infection but does carry information on how to beat Covid.\n\nThe idea is to give people a shot of the Pfizer vaccine followed by a dose of the Oxford one a few weeks later or vice versa, rather than two doses of the same vaccine.\n\nThe hope is that it will make the immune system produce two responses strongly - antibodies and T-cells - to combat Covid.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Margaret Keenan was given the vaccine by May Parsons, at University Hospital in Coventry\n\nA UK grandmother has become the first person in the world to be given the Pfizer Covid-19 jab as part of a mass vaccination programme.\n\nMargaret Keenan, who turns 91 next week, said the injection she received at 06:31 GMT was the \"best early birthday present\".\n\nIt was the first of 800,000 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine that will be dispensed in the coming weeks.\n\nUp to four million more are expected by the end of the month.\n\nHubs in the UK are starting the rollout by vaccinating the over-80s and some health and care staff.\n\nSenior NHS sources told the BBC \"thousands of vaccinations\" had taken place across the UK on Tuesday.\n\nDubbing the day \"V-day\", Health Secretary Matt Hancock said it was \"a tribute to scientific endeavour and human ingenuity and to the hard work of so many people.\n\n\"Today marks the start of the fightback against our common enemy, the coronavirus,\" he said.\n\nPrime Minister Boris Johnson, on a visit to a London hospital to see some of the first people getting the jab, said getting vaccinated was \"good for you and good for the whole country\".\n\nScotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: \"Today we should all allow ourselves a smile - but we must not drop our guard.\"\n\nOn Tuesday, the UK government reported a further 616 people had died within 28 days of a positive test, taking the total, by that measure, to 62,033. A further 12,282 people tested positive for the virus.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. How the vaccine rollout unfolded – and how a certain William Shakespeare was involved\n\nAt University Hospital, Coventry, matron May Parsons administered the very first injection to Ms Keenan.\n\n\"I feel so privileged to be the first person vaccinated against Covid-19,\" said Ms Keenan, who is originally from Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh.\n\n\"It's the best early birthday present I could wish for because it means I can finally look forward to spending time with my family and friends in the new year, after being on my own for most of the year.\n\n\"My advice to anyone offered the vaccine is to take it. If I can have it at 90, then you can have it too,\" she added.\n\nProf Stephen Powis, national medical director of NHS England, who witnessed the \"historic moment\", said: \"We couldn't hug her but we could clap, and everybody did so in the room.\"\n\nAn emotional Sister Joanna Sloan said she had been looking forward to the vaccine for so long\n\nThroughout the day, patients and health workers at some 50 hospitals around the UK have been getting the jab:\n\nThe UK is the first country in the world to start using the Pfizer vaccine after regulators approved its use last week.\n\nOn Tuesday, US regulators confirmed the vaccine is 95% effective, paving the way for it to be approved for emergency use.\n\nThe Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine has also been found to be \"safe and effective\", according to a paper published on Tuesday and assessed by independent scientists.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Matt Hancock says he is thrilled but warns that people must still stick to the rules\n\nSpeaking in the Commons, the health secretary stressed people did not need to apply for the vaccine. He said the NHS would be in touch with those eligible and urged them to \"please step forward for your country\".\n\nMr Hancock went on to warn that there was \"still a long march ahead\", saying there were \"worrying signs\" of the virus growing in Essex, London and Kent.\n\nNew data released by national statisticians for the week ending 27 November showed that of the 14,106 deaths registered in the UK, nearly 3,400 involved Covid. This is 20% higher than the five-year average but similar to the percentages seen in the past two weeks.\n\nNHS England chief executive Sir Simon Stevens called the first vaccinations \"remarkable achievement\", but cautioned it was a \"first step\" and \"incredibly important\" people continued to act sensibly.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Boris Johnson: 'It will gradually make a huge, huge difference... but we haven't defeated this virus yet\"\n\nOn a visit to London's Guy's Hospital, the prime minister spoke to 81-year-old Lyn Wheeler, who was the first to receive the vaccine there.\n\n\"It is really very moving to hear her say she is doing it for Britain, which is exactly right - she is protecting herself, but also helping to protect the entire country,\" Mr Johnson said.\n\nEarlier, he thanked the NHS, volunteers and \"all of the scientists who worked so hard to develop this vaccine\".\n\nLabour's shadow health secretary Jon Ashworth said it was \"absolutely fabulous\" to see people getting the vaccine and thanked everyone involved in making it happen.\n\nSome 800,000 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine have been secured by the government to be administered in the coming weeks - although vaccination is not compulsory.\n\nOrders have been placed for 40 million in total - enough for 20 million people, as two courses are needed. However, most supplies are not expected to become available until next year.\n\nMr Hancock said he expected it to take \"several weeks\" to get the first group of health workers, care staff and over-80s vaccinated.\n\nThis is a momentous day, but make no mistake the NHS faces a huge task in rolling out this vaccine.\n\nFirst, there needs to be a smooth supply - and already there are reports of manufacturing problems, which means the UK is expecting less than half of the 10 million doses of the Pfizer jab it was planning for by the end of the year.\n\nThe fact it needs to be kept in ultra-cold storage and in batches of 975 units is an added complication that has meant it cannot yet be taken into care homes to vaccinate residents - the very highest priority group - or sent out to GPs to run vaccination clinics in the community.\n\nNHS bosses hope to receive guidance from the regulator next week on how to get around this.\n\nBut these factors illustrate why the UK is still pinning its hopes on a second vaccine developed by Oxford University.\n\nThat one can be kept in fridges and so is easier to distribute, is British-made and - what is more - there is an ever-growing stockpile ready to use.\n\nIf that vaccine gets the green light from regulators, there will be a genuine hope the first few months of 2021 will see rapid progress in offering jabs to the most vulnerable people, so the UK can return to something closer to normality.\n\nAre you receiving the Covid-19 vaccine today? Or do you have any questions? Get in touch by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "The European Medicines Agency (EMA) says it has been hit by a cyber-attack and documents relating to a Covid-19 vaccine have been accessed.\n\nBioNTech, which makes one of the vaccines in partnership with Pfizer, said its regulatory submission was accessed during the attack.\n\nThe EMA is working on approval of two Covid-19 vaccines, which it expects to conclude within weeks.\n\nThe cyber-attack was not expected to impact that timeline, BioNTech said.\n\nThe EMA did not provide any details on the nature of the cyber-attack in a brief statement on its website, beyond saying a full investigation had been launched.\n\nA spokesperson for the agency said it was still \"functional\".\n\nBut BioNTech, in a statement published on its website, said it had been told its documents had been accessed.\n\n\"Today, we were informed... that the agency has been subject to a cyber-attack and that some documents relating to the regulatory submission for Pfizer and BioNTech's Covid-19 vaccine candidate, BNT162b2, which has been stored on an EMA server, had been unlawfully accessed,\" it said.\n\n\"EMA has assured us that the cyber-attack will have no impact on the timeline for its review,\" it added.\n\nIt said it had made the details of the hack public \"given the critical public health considerations and the importance of transparency\".\n\nAnd it also said it was \"unaware\" of any personal data of participants in its medical studies being compromised.\n\nThe EMA authorises the use of medicines across the European Union.\n\nIt is trying to decide if the Pfizer/BioNTech jab - which has just begun being rolled out in the UK - and another made by Moderna are safe for use in EU countries.\n\nIt is not clear if the Moderna documents have also been accessed.\n\nThe cyber-attack is the latest in a string of attacks and warnings about hacking threats against vaccine-makers and public health bodies.\n\nThe use of cyber-attacks against bodies involved in the vaccine rollout has been a feature of recent months.\n\nSecurity services warned in the summer that Russian intelligence had been targeting organisations attempting to develop a successful vaccine.\n\nIn October, a pharmaceutical company based in India was the victim of a significant cyber-attack.\n\nAnd in recent days, IBM said the cold storage supply chain used to transport viable vaccines had come under cyber-attack - probably by a nation state.\n\nThe cyber-attack comes the day before the agency is due to update the European Parliament on the progress of the vaccine assessments.\n\nEuro-MPs on the Public Health Committee are due to quiz the agency's executive director \"on how close the most advanced vaccines are to receiving authorisation\" on Thursday.\n\nThe UK's National Cyber Security Centre, meanwhile, said there was no indication the cyber-attack would affect the rollout of the vaccine in the UK.\n\n\"We are working with international partners to understand the impact of this incident affecting the EU's medicine regulator, but there is currently no evidence to suggest that the UK's medicine regulator has been affected,\" it said.", "St Leonard's Tower is a well-preserved example of a small, free-standing Norman tower keep.\n\nA key which opened the doors of an 11th Century tower has been returned almost 50 years after it disappeared.\n\nThe brass key to St Leonard's Tower in West Malling, Kent, was sent along with an anonymous note to English Heritage.\n\nThe mystery sender, who said they \"borrowed\" the key in 1973 wrote: \"Sorry for the delay.\"\n\nEnglish Heritage properties curator Samantha Stone said the sender was not in trouble and hoped they would get back in touch to give more information.\n\n\"Sorry for the delay\", wrote the sender, after having the key for almost 50 years\n\nThe key - thought to have been made at some point in the 19th Century - still fits in the keyhole of the doors to the Norman tower keep, although it no longer rotates.\n\nVery little is known about the history of the building or its original purpose.\n\nSome believe the tower was once part of a castle, built by Gundulf, Bishop of Rochester, while others say the builder was Bishop Odo of Bayeux, the half-brother of William the Conqueror.\n\nThe key fits in the lock, but no longer works as the locks were changed\n\nSpeaking to BBC's Today programme, Ms Stone said: \"There is no evidence of latrines or fireplaces, or anything that would suggest a domestic purpose, so its purpose has always been slightly mysterious.\n\n\"We assume it was for the administration of the bishop's manor.\n\n\"So the mystery of the key is very fitting in the wider history of the tower.\"\n\nShe said the sender had \"kept it safe all this time, which shows some care and dedication\" and English Heritage was \"very grateful\" and intrigued by the unusual story.\n\nShe urged the sender to get back in touch, saying she would like to offer them English Heritage membership.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "More than 127,000 people in the UK who contracted coronavirus have lost their lives - with the pandemic claiming more than 3.4 million deaths worldwide. As the UK marks a year since the first coronavirus lockdown was called, it's a time for reflection.\n\nWe have gathered tributes to more than 770 of those who have died. Below are words of remembrance from friends, family and colleagues.\n\nPlease enable JavaScript or upgrade your browser to see this interactive\n\nThe tributes are displayed at random, which means that you will see different faces each time you visit this page.\n\nIf we have used your tribute to your friend or family member, it will appear in the carousel above, or you can find it by entering their name in the search box below.\n\nA modern browser with JavaScript and a stable internet connection is required to view this interactive. Enter a name to search the tributes\n\nFor more on NHS and healthcare workers, please see this page dedicated to 100 people who died while helping to look after others.\n\nFor more on how it has affected people's lives, from family tragedy to its impact on everyday life, we have a collection of personal stories about life in lockdown.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Louise Smith had moved in with her aunt who is married to Shane Mays\n\nA man has been jailed for life for murdering his teenage niece in woodland and violating and burning her body.\n\nLouise Smith, 16, was found dead at Havant Thicket, Hampshire, on 21 May - 13 days after she went missing.\n\nHer uncle Shane Mays, 30, was previously found guilty of murder by a jury at Winchester Crown Court.\n\nImposing a minimum term of 25 years, the judge, Mrs Justice May, said he had committed \"the most gross abuse of trust\".\n\nShane Mays was jailed for a minimum of 25 years\n\nLouise went to live with her aunt and Mays, who was her uncle through marriage, in late April after an argument with her mother.\n\nMays \"flirted\" with the \"anxious and vulnerable\" teenager, including by tickling her feet in a video found on her phone, his trial was told.\n\nThe defendant, who had admitted manslaughter, told the jury the teenager lured him to woods to \"bond\" with him.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nGiving evidence, Mays said he became enraged when she hit him with a stick during an argument over drugs.\n\nHe told the court he did not know how many times he punched her as she lay on the ground, only stopping when he heard her moaning.\n\nThe defendant, of Ringwood House, Leigh Park, said someone else must have later interfered with and burned her body.\n\nLouise's father Bradley Smith said he was \"tortured by nightmares\" while her mother Rebbecca Cooper described Mays as a \"monster\"\n\nLouise suffered \"repeated, heavy blows\" to the head but the cause of death could not be determined due to the fire, the jury was told.\n\nMays, who was assessed by a psychologist as having an extremely low IQ of 63, said he forgot what he had done until he was in prison on remand in June.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The last known footage of Louise Smith was shown in court\n\nIn a victim personal statement read out in court, Louise's mother Rebbecca Cooper said her \"strong-willed, happy, smiley\" daughter had \"the whole world to look forward to\".\n\nAddressing Mays, she said: \"You killed her in such a traumatic way and what you did afterwards is beyond words. You are a monster...\n\n\"You damaged her so bad that I didn't have a chance to say goodbye, hold her hand or even kiss her. I will never forgive you for this.\"\n\nA statement from the teenager's father, Bradley Smith, said he was \"tortured by nightmares\" and felt he might \"never recover\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nRejecting a whole life term for Mays, the judge said she could not be sure that the murder was \"sexually motivated\".\n\n\"Shane Mays was in a position of trust in relation to Louise; theirs was like a father-daughter relationship,\" she said.\n\n\"That being, he committed the most gross abuse of trust.\"\n\nShe added: \"Louise had all her life before her. Her death was bleak, dreadfully so... She was grotesquely and cruelly injured and her body defiled.\"\n\nDet Insp Adam Edwards, of Hampshire Constabulary, said: \"Mays has shown no remorse throughout this case, and has lied to police in a bid to deflect any blame for Louise's murder away from himself.\n\n\"I am pleased that the jury were able to see through these lies.\"\n\nHampshire Safeguarding Children Partnership said it was reviewing how authorities had cared for Louise, who had an allocated social worker.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Jessica Watkins is a member of the most recent astronaut class, selected for training in 2017\n\nNasa has announced 18 astronauts who will travel to the Moon under the agency's Artemis programme.\n\nThey include individuals who have already travelled to the International Space Station, as well as new recruits who have never flown in space.\n\nThe group includes the next man and first woman who will walk on the lunar surface in 2024.\n\nThe cadre of nine women and nine men were announced by US Vice-President Mike Pence at an event in Florida.\n\nHe said: \"My fellow Americans, I give you the heroes of the future who will carry us back to the Moon and beyond.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. \"The Moon will help teach us about deep space survival\"\n\nStephanie Wilson, who has flown into space three times aboard the space shuttle, Christina Koch, who holds the record for the longest continuous time in space for a woman, and Victor Glover, who recently launched to the ISS aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon, are among those who will fly to the Moon in coming years.\n\nJonny Kim is a doctor and a former Navy Seal. Now he'll be flying to the Moon as well\n\nSpeaking at the eighth National Space Council meeting at Kennedy Space Center, Nasa administrator Jim Bridenstine said: \"This is the first cadre of our Artemis astronauts. I want to be clear, there's going to be more.\"\n\nThe US space agency plans to send a man and woman to the Moon's south pole in 2024 for the first crewed landing since Apollo 17 in 1972.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Engineers test one of the RS-25 engines used by the SLS\n\nBut this will be followed by further flights by astronauts travelling in a spacecraft called Orion, which will be launched by a huge rocket called the Space Launch System (SLS).\n\nBridenstine has said that Nasa wants to establish a \"sustainable\" programme of lunar exploration, including the construction of a lunar base.\n\nAstronaut Kate Rubins has been to the space station twice, and is there now\n\nThe astronauts announced on Wednesday are:\n\nNine of the astronauts have already flown in space; eight are members of the most recent astronaut class - selected in 2017. One, Nicole Aunapu Mann, was selected in 2013, but has not yet flown on a mission.", "Helen Barker says she felt boxed in by the fraudsters\n\nAt a difficult time in her life, Helen Barker was desperate for a job - and fraudsters tried to take advantage.\n\nThe 29-year-old, who has since been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, was looking for work in the care sector.\n\nShe sent off an application form and other details, only to be told that she had to pay for a DBS check - ensuring she had no criminal convictions - and training.\n\n\"They were asking for £250 for the training,\" she said. \"It all seemed above board and I thought it must be company policy.\n\n\"I felt boxed in and thought I had to do it to get a job.\"\n\nShe had already sent a copy of her passport, but was now being hassled for bank card details to pay.\n\n\"They were convincing, but I managed to step out of my desperation for a minute, and knew I should think about it first,\" she said.\n\nShe talked to people she trusted, realised it was a scam, and managed to avoid losing the money.\n\nSince then, she has secured a job managing volunteers, and is warning others that if anyone gets \"pushy\" in that kind of situation, the alarm bells should ring.\n\nOn top of that, she knows that her mental state at the time made her more vulnerable.\n\nPeople with mental health issues are three times more likely to fall victim to a scam, according to a report by the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute.\n\nIts survey and research suggested that 23% of those with mental health problems had been duped by an online scam compared with 8% of the general population.\n\nThe institute wants more protection written into the forthcoming Online Harms Bill, with online technology companies required to do more to police and prevent harmful content.\n\nMartin Lewis, who founded the institute, said vulnerable people were \"easy prey\" for online criminals, particularly during the pandemic.\n\n\"The UK already faced an epidemic of scams, but now lockdown has accelerated it, especially online,\" he said.\n\n\"These vicious criminals are exploiting the fact that more people are stuck at home, spending more time online, and potentially struggling with their mental health - all of which increase the risk of falling victim to these schemes.\"\n\nThe fight against scams has also been hit by trading standards officers - the front line against fraudsters - being transferred from their normal duties to other coronavirus-related work, according to the Association of Chief Trading Standards Officers.\n\nIt said officers had been moved to local authority work ensuring businesses were complying with restrictions, had been seconded as Covid marshals, or had been helping the distribution of food and supplies to people who had been shielding or were vulnerable.\n\n\"Rogue traders, scammers and those who sell dangerous products haven't stopped because of Covid-19, but the reality is that many trading standards officers are being pulled away from their usual work tackling criminal activity,\" said Steve Ruddy, who chairs the association.\n\n\"It is right that as a country we all pull together to combat this pandemic, but the danger of leaving some of society's most vulnerable people exposed to criminals is something that must be addressed.\"", "Epstein was awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges when he was found dead in his cell last year\n\nA former associate of deceased US financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has been placed under formal investigation and remanded in custody in France on suspicion of sex crimes.\n\nFrench modelling agent Jean-Luc Brunel is accused of sexual harassment and the rape of minors aged between 15 and 18.\n\nEpstein died in a New York prison last year as he awaited trial over allegations he ran a network using underage girls for sex.\n\n\"This is what the victims have been waiting for for many years,\" said lawyer Anne-Claire Le Jeune, who is representing Mr Brunel's accusers.\n\nMr Brunel was detained at Paris's Charles de Gaulle airport on Wednesday as he was preparing to board a flight to Senegal.\n\nHe co-founded French modelling agency Karin Models in 1977, and MC2 Model Management in the US with funding from Epstein.\n\nUS court documents allege that Mr Brunel procured girls for Epstein, flying them from France to the US and promising them modelling contracts.\n\nVirginia Giuffre, one of the main complainants in Epstein's prosecution, also claims to have been forced into sex with Mr Brunel.\n\nEpstein had an apartment on Paris's exclusive Avenue Foch, near the Arc de Triomphe\n\nHis arrest is the result of an inquiry by French prosecutors into rape and sexual assault allegations against Epstein, focusing on potential crimes committed against French victims and suspects who are French citizens.\n\nFrench police last year raided the offices of Karin Models and a flat near the Arc de Triomphe owned by Epstein.\n\nBefore his death, Epstein was charged in New York with sex trafficking and conspiracy and was awaiting trial.\n\nHe was already a convicted sex offender, having pleaded guilty to prostitution charges involving a minor in Florida in 2008.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Ros Atkins has taken a look at the many remaining questions for Ghislaine Maxwell", "Lateral flow testing will be rolled out in secondary schools and colleges from January\n\nSchool staff feel \"broken\" by last minute demands for them to run testing schemes in secondary schools in England, a head teacher has said.\n\nNicola Mason, a Staffordshire school head, said she was staggered to hear, as the term ends, that heads have to set up testing for pupils next term.\n\nIt meant staff would be working through Christmas to get ready for January.\n\nBut Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the idea was to get pupils back safely when they returned to school.\n\nA joint statement from teachers' unions and the National Governance Association, representing school governors, says schools should not feel under pressure to carry out the testing, if it is not a realistic possibility in the time available.\n\nThe advice, also signed by the Association of Colleges and the Church of England education service, says the announcement of the programme has been \"chaotic and rushed\".\n\nIt also says the plan in its current form will be inoperable for most schools and colleges, and stresses that the Department for Education guidance refers to an \"offer\" of testing rather than a requirement for schools to test.\n\nGeneral secretary of the ASCL head teachers' union Geoff Barton said the scheme was \"undeliverable\" in the timescale set out.\n\n\"It is beyond belief that they were landed on school and college leaders in such a cack-handed manner,\" he said.\n\n\"It is not possible to recruit and train all the people needed to carry out tests, and put in place the processes that would be necessary, over the Christmas period.\"\n\nNational Association of Head Teachers general secretary Paul Whiteman said the government was \"in danger of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory once again\".\n\nThe plan involves using the first week of term to test pupils as they return gradually to classrooms in a staggered way.\n\nThose in exam years, Years 11 and 13, would return first for face-to-face teaching, while the rest would be taught online.\n\nMs Mason, head teacher at Chase Terrace Academy in Burntwood, said: \"The government at the very last minute again have literally broken the teachers.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Head teacher Simon Uttley: \"The rhetoric is very much Battle of Britain, the reality I'm afraid feels a bit more like Dad's Army.\"\n\nShe said local public health teams already had plans in place to phase tests in next term which were now not valid.\n\n\"Leaders are confused at best,\" she said. \"The guidance is way too late to plan effectively, there are still a number of things we don't know.\n\n\"We found out through BBC News, we weren't even told directly that this was being put into place. Frankly I am staggered.\"\n\nAnother head teacher, Simon Uttley, of Blessed Hugh Faringdon School in Reading, said he also first heard of government plans from the BBC News app.\n\n\"The rhetoric is very much Battle of Britain, the reality, I'm afraid, feels a bit more like Dad's Army,\" he said.\n\nBut the prime minister told reporters that in terms of \"social justice\" it was important to make sure as many children as possible were in school.\n\n\"Everybody in the country agrees this is a massive priority. If you listen to the Chief Medical Officer, for the health and well-being of young people, they have to receive their education,\" said Mr Johnson.\n\nHead teacher Ms Mason said already exhausted staff now had to use the Christmas holidays to plan for remote lessons, recruit volunteers, do safe-guarding checks, and organise the logistics of the testing and gain consent from parents.\n\nParent of two Ian Ahern from Sandymoor, Cheshire, said: \"What ridiculous timing!\n\n\"My two children are in Year 11 and 8. They have just finished for Christmas.\n\n\"My wife is a teacher and finishes school today. How are parents, teachers and staff supposed to organise this?\"\n\nHe added that as a school governor, he knew how hard schools have been working to organise for the next term.\n\nAnother parent, from Altrincham, Mark Simpson, said: \"It's ridiculously last minute to announce something like this on what for many schools in England is the last day of term, it seems nonsensical.\"\n\nThe late notice for the plan to test \"millions of pupils\" meant it was not going to work, he said.\n\nMr Gibb defended the plans, saying fuller guidance would be published next week filling in any gaps.\n\nHe said: \"This is a fast-moving pandemic, we have to take action at pace.\n\n\"We do have to take swift action, we've been testing these tests in schools over the last several weeks.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nHe said the programme would be a national effort supported by the Ministry of Defence and that schools would have the costs of agency staff covered - but it was not clear whether these staff would be health professionals or supply teachers.\n\n\"It is very important that we are testing 5.5 million students twice, three days apart, to make sure we are breaking the transmission of the virus after the increased mixing over the Christmas holidays,\" he said.\n\n\"It's all about making sure we have more young people in the classroom over the spring and summer term as we go forward, and this is an amazing initiative to get these tests into schools.\"\n\nThe Department for Education guidance says schools would have to provide one to two members of staff and several volunteers (for example governors) to organise and run the testing.\n\nAgency staff may be used and schools would be reimbursed, but it is not clear if this means teaching staff or health care professionals.\n\nAnd armed forces personnel are to support the scheme directly by planning with schools and colleges.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nUS Vice-President Mike Pence has received the coronavirus vaccine live on TV, telling the audience and doctors: \"I didn't feel a thing.\"\n\nThe White House said the aim of the move was to \"promote the safety and efficacy of the vaccine and build confidence among the American people\".\n\nMr Pence's wife and Surgeon General Jerome Adams also received the jab at the televised White House event.\n\nOn Monday the US began rolling out the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.\n\nThe first vaccine to be approved in the US, it offers up to 95% protection against Covid-19.\n\nThe first three million doses are being distributed to locations across the 50 US states.\n\nPresident-elect Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, will receive the vaccine on Monday, a spokesperson told US media.\n\nAlso on Friday, a second vaccine, developed by Moderna, received emergency approval by the Food and Drug Administration after it was endorsed by a panel of experts.\n\nAs Mr Pence was receiving his jab, Mr Trump incorrectly said on Twitter that the Moderna vaccine had been \"overwhelmingly approved\" with \"distribution to start immediately\". It is still awaiting final approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).\n\nMore than 310,000 people have died with coronavirus in the US, which has recorded more infections and fatalities than any other country. More than 17 million cases have been recorded in the country since the start of the pandemic.\n\nMr Pence, 61, received the first of two doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech jab at 08:00 local time (13:00 GMT), along with his wife Karen and Dr Adams. He is the most senior US official to be vaccinated so far.\n\n\"We gather here today at the end of a historic week to affirm to the American people that hope is on the way,\" he told the crowd, after the number of newly recorded US coronavirus deaths surpassed 3,000 for the third day in a row.\n\n\"Karen and I were more than happy to step forward before this week was out to take this safe and effective coronavirus vaccine that we have secured and produced for the American people,\" he continued, calling it \"a truly inspiring day\".\n\nTop infectious diseases expert Dr Anthony Fauci and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield were in the audience to observe the doctors from Walter Reed hospital perform the injections.\n\nBoth men elbow-bumped Mr Pence and his wife after their jabs. Mr Trump did not attend the event.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\n\"We want virtually everyone eligible to get this vaccine ultimately,\" Dr Fauci said in brief remarks. \"By the time we get to several months into this [coming] year we will have enough people protected that we can start thinking seriously about the return to normality.\"\n\nSpeaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, the most senior Democrat in Congress, and Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell had also received the vaccine on Friday.\n\n\"As the vaccine is being distributed, we must all continue mask wearing, social distancing & other science-based steps to save lives & crush the virus,\" tweeted Mrs Pelosi, alongside pictures of herself getting the jab.\n\n\"Just received the safe, effective Covid vaccine following continuity-of-government protocols,\" tweeted Mr McConnell, sharing a photo of his vaccination card. \"Vaccines are how we beat this virus.\"\n\nEarlier this week, President Donald Trump reversed a plan for senior members of his administration to be among the first to receive the vaccine \"unless specifically necessary\".\n\nThe president, who contracted coronavirus in October and recovered after hospital treatment, said he was not scheduled to take the jab but looked forward to doing so \"at the appropriate time\".\n\nMany of his support base have doubts about the efficacy and safety of vaccines.\n\nPresident-elect Biden, who at 78 is in a high-risk group from Covid-19, has set a goal of administering 100 million vaccination shots in the first 100 days after he takes office on 20 January.", "Alex Rodda was killed in woodland in Cheshire\n\nA teenager who beat a schoolboy to death with a spanner has told a court he did not think his friends would accept him if he was gay.\n\nMatthew Mason, 19, admits killing 15-year-old Alex Rodda in woodland in Ashley, Cheshire, on 12 December last year but denies his murder.\n\nChester Crown Court has heard Mr Mason paid Alex £2,000 to stop him revealing their sexual relationship.\n\nHe said he asked his friends for money but did not tell them what it was for.\n\nMr Mason told the court he was \"embarrassed and worried\" and feared the friendship would end \"because they would not accept me for what happened\".\n\nAsked by prosecutor Ian Unsworth QC what he meant, he said: \"Because of what me and Alex had done together, like if I was to speak to someone about it they wouldn't understand why it had happened and they wouldn't accept me if I was gay or bisexual.\"\n\nMr Mason, of Ash Lane in Ollerton, admitted having sex with Alex but said he thought it was wrong, adding: \"For one, because he was a male and, secondly, his age.\"\n\nHe told the jury he did not hate Alex for blackmailing him but he thought he was \"being a bit of a bully\".\n\nThe court heard Mr Mason had searched the internet for phrases including \"what would happen if you kicked someone down the stairs\" and \"everyday poison\".\n\nHe told jurors he felt depressed and suicidal after his girlfriend broke up with him when Alex contacted her and told her about an explicit photo and video he had sent him.\n\nMr Mason told the court he worked at a plant hire firm, attended Reaseheath College and was rehearsing for the Young Farmers' Club's Christmas play.\n\nHe accepted he hit Alex at least 15 times on the head with the spanner after driving to remote woodland.\n\nHe said when he drove away from the scene he threw Alex's phone out of the car.\n\nThe jury was told before giving evidence he had not previously admitted disposing of the phone.\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "The Boeing 737 Max was grounded in March 2019 following two deadly crashes\n\nUS Senate investigators say that Boeing officials \"inappropriately coached\" test pilots during efforts to recertify the company's 737 Max aircraft.\n\nThe planes were grounded in March 2019 following two deadly crashes.\n\nInvestigators accused Boeing and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) officials of \"attempting to cover up important information\".\n\nBoeing said it was reviewing the findings and took them \"seriously\", while the FAA defended its conduct.\n\nThe FAA said the Senate Commerce Committee's report contained \"a number of unsubstantiated allegations\", and that its review of the 737 Max had been thorough. It said it was confident that safety issues with the aircraft had been addressed.\n\nThe crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia came within five months of each other and together killed 346 people. They have been attributed to flaws in automated flight software called MCAS, which prompted the planes to nosedive shortly after take-off.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Zipporah Kuria's father Joseph Waithaka was one of 157 people killed when a Boeing 737 Max crashed in March 2019\n\nA simulator test was conducted as part of the FAA's efforts to ensure that the aircraft could be made safe to fly again. The test was designed to see how quickly pilots could react to the faulty software.\n\nIn its report on Friday, the Senate committee said that based on \"corroborated whistleblower information and testimony during interviews of FAA staff\", it concluded that FAA and Boeing officials involved in the test had \"established a pre-determined outcome to reaffirm a long-held human factor assumption related to pilot reaction time\".\n\n\"Boeing officials inappropriately coached test pilots in the MCAS simulator testing contrary to testing protocol,\" it said. \"It appears, in this instance, FAA and Boeing were attempting to cover up important information that may have contributed to the 737 Max tragedies.\"\n\nThe report cited a whistleblower who claimed that Boeing officials prompted test pilots to use a particular control immediately before an exercise.\n\nIt comes after the FAA last month cleared Boeing's 737 Max plane to fly again. It said existing aircraft would need to be modified before going back into service, with changes to their design, while pilots would need retraining.\n\nThe FAA said the design changes it had required had \"eliminated what caused these particular accidents\".\n\nEarlier this month Brazil's Gol became the first airline to resume commercial flights with the Boeing 737 Max. American Airlines said it expected its first 737 Max flights in the US to resume on 29 December.", "Last updated on .From the section Watford\n\nWatford have sacked head coach Vladimir Ivic after four months in the role.\n\nThe Hornets, who have won nine of their 20 Championship games this season under Ivic, are fifth in the table, four points off second-placed Bournemouth and nine off leaders Norwich.\n\nThe 43-year-old signed a one-year deal in August, succeeding Nigel Pearson who was sacked shortly before the club were relegated from the Premier League.\n\nIt means Watford are looking for a fifth manager in just over a year.\n\nThe Serb's sacking came after his side were beaten 2-0 at mid-table Huddersfield Town on Saturday -just their second defeat in 11 games - a spell in which they have also had four draws.\n\nIvic rested club captain Troy Deeney for the match, despite scoring in Watford's last three games.\n\nDeeney was on the bench but Ivic said that he did not use him as a substitute, even when his side were losing, because of a \"discipline issue\".\n\nYet another managerial change at Vicarage Road\n\nWatford are now looking for their fifth main charge since the start of last season.\n\nJavi Gracia was replaced in September 2019 by former boss Quique Sanchez Flores.\n\nWith the club still at the bottom of the Premier League, Flores then lost his job after just two wins in 12 games after which Nigel Pearson took over in December.\n\nHe turned Watford's fortunes around and got them out of the relegation zone, as well as inflicting the first league defeat on eventual runaway champions Liverpool, 3-0 at Vicarage Road on 29 February, just before the Coronavirus lockdown.\n\nBut Pearson was sacked after losing 3-1 at West Ham with the club still three points above the drop with two games to go.\n\nUnder caretaker manager Hayden Mullins, the Hornets then lost their last two games, to be relegated back to the Championship after five seasons in the top flight.\n\nIn a short statement the club confirmed Ivic's departure and that of his coaching team.\n\n\"The Hornets thank Ivic and his staff for their efforts this season,\" the statement added. \"We wish them well for future success elsewhere.\"\n\nSince Watford's Italian owners the Pozzo family, who also own Udinese and Granada, took control of the club in June 2012 there have been 13 changes of manager.\n\nAmong the shortest tenures was Oscar Garcia's spell in September 2014 which lasted just 27 days after he stepped down due to ill health.\n\nHis replacement Billy McKinlay was in charge for just eight days and two games after a change of heart by the owners who installed Slavisa Jokanovic as his replacement.\n\nOnly two managers have lasted more than a year in the role under the Pozzo's - Gianfranco Zola was in charge from July 2012 until December 2013 while Javi Gracia, who led the Hornets to the 2019 FA Cup final, was at the helm from January 2018 to September last year.", "An Asian police officer is suing the Met Police for sexual harassment and discrimination after receiving \"hundreds\" of racist and sexist messages from a senior colleague.\n\nThe woman said she felt \"groomed and violated\" after Stephen Redgewell sent her sexual images over two years.\n\nDet Sgt Redgewell represented her through his role as deputy general secretary of the Met Police Federation.\n\nThe Met said it had \"zero tolerance\" for racist and sexist behaviour.\n\nMr Redgewell, now 54, resigned from the force in 2018 following separate reports that he had had sex with a \"dominatrix\" in the headquarters of the Met Police Federation.\n\nOn Wednesday, an independent panel set up by the Met Police found he had pursued an \"inappropriate relationship\" with the female officer he was supporting about a work issue between 2015 and 2017.\n\nThe Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said Redegewell behaved in a \"predatory manner\", following a three year investigation.\n\nThe Met said, had he not resigned, he would have been dismissed for gross misconduct.\n\nSome of the messages sent by Mr Redgewell\n\nBBC News has seen dozens of the 2,000 text messages sent between Mr Redgewell and the officer, who cannot be named for legal reasons, which were examined as part of the IOPC's investigation.\n\nThe messages were found to be sexual, anti-Semitic, racist, homophobic and sexist.\n\nMr Redgewell had repeatedly sent the officer highly-sexualised photos of the comic book characters Catwoman and Batman, including a mask and \"raunchy mug\" with her name on it.\n\nIn the exchanges, he described her as his \"Asian chippy bird\", a \"bossy Muslim woman\" and suggested she should leave her husband.\n\n\"I felt dirty, really dirty, like I literally had a lot of dirt on me,\" she told the BBC.\n\n\"I wanted to rip my skin out, it was disgusting. I felt so violated and degraded.\"\n\nMr Redgewell sent a fetishised picture of a woman dressed liked a baby to the officer\n\nThe officer, who has post-traumatic stress disorder owing to a separate event while on the job, said she had become so ill her weight had plummeted to an unhealthy size.\n\nMr Redgewell had been assisting her application for medical retirement as part of his role in the Met Police Federation, a staff association representing officers of senior rank.\n\nWhen she raised her ill health, he told her she had \"serious Stevie withdrawal symptoms\" and said she looked like an \"Asian babe drug addict\".\n\nOn one occasion, Mr Redgewell replied saying he should buy her nappies and sent a fetishised picture of a woman dressed like a baby.\n\nThe officer said in her police victim statement, seen by BBC News, that Mr Redgewell had used his high status in the police to \"groom me, manipulate me, use me and emotionally abuse me\".\n\n\"I always felt like I couldn't challenge him,\" she wrote. \"I felt trapped by him [and] imprisoned in this situation. He held a lot of power and…made sure I knew it.\"\n\nMr Redgewell sent the victim a mask and \"raunchy mug\" with her name on it\n\nThe woman, in her 30s, has since retired from the force and is taking legal action against the Met, including Mr Redgewell, over racial discrimination and sexual harassment.\n\nIn her victim impact statement and claim, she accuses the force of not taking the messages seriously at the time and believed his behaviour had been allowed to continue because of \"internal corruption, racism, and homophobic support\".\n\n\"[They] had very strong, photographic and electronic evidence yet they sat on it for two months, ignoring me, and refusing to contact me,\" she wrote in her complaint.\n\nShe had asked the police for safety measures to be put in place for her after Mr Redgewell had called her twice in the middle of the night, but says she was ignored.\n\n\"Throughout this whole process, I felt worthless,\" she wrote. \"It is no longer my shame or burden to carry, it is these people who facilitated this, it is for them to carry this.\"\n\nMr Redgewell repeatedly sent sexualised photos of the comic book characters Catwoman and Batman\n\nLawrence Davies, of Equal Justice Solicitors, representing the officer, said: \"Despite excellent work by the IOPC, former sergeant Redgewell was permitted to retire by the Met Police prior to the gross misconduct hearing despite abusing his office by his horrendous harassment of our very vulnerable female client.\"\n\nIOPC regional director for London Sal Naseem said Mr Redgewell had \"abused his position by behaving in a predatory manner\" and was now barred from the profession.\n\n\"This type of appalling behaviour corrodes the public's trust in policing and I have no doubt [it] will appal fellow officers, the wider policing community and members of the public,\" he said.\n\nCommander Paul Betts, of the Met's Directorate of Professional Standards, said the force had a \"zero tolerance policy for any behaviour that is racist, sexist or homophobic\".\n\nThe Met Police said it would be inappropriate to comment on ongoing legal proceedings and was awaiting a date for the final employment tribunal hearing.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon made the changes to restrictions in the wake of a new faster-spreading variant of Covid\n\nCovid restrictions will only be relaxed on Christmas Day and mainland Scotland will then be placed under the tightest restrictions from Boxing Day.\n\nFirst Minister Nicola Sturgeon said \"firm preventative action\" was needed after the emergence of a faster-spreading strain of coronavirus.\n\nIt had been planned to ease the rules between 23 and 27 December - but that will now only apply on Christmas Day.\n\nA ban on travel to the rest of the UK will apply over the festive period.\n\nScotland's toughest level four rules will come into effect across mainland Scotland from 26 December.\n\nUntil then, local authority areas are expected to remain under their current level of restrictions.\n\nSchools will return later than originally planned after the Christmas holidays.\n\nMs Sturgeon said they should resume from 11 January, with learning taking place online until at least 18 January.\n\nThe level four restrictions - which mean the closure of non-essential shops, pubs, restaurants and gyms - will last for three weeks.\n\nThey will apply across Scotland, with the exception of Orkney, Shetland, the Western Isles and other island communities where restrictions have recently been reduced. These areas will be placed in level three.\n\nThe first minister said decisive action was required because of a new strain of Covid which public health officials believe could be 70% more transmissible than previous strains.\n\nAt this stage she said there was no evidence to suggest the new strain made people sicker than earlier variants, or that it would change the effectiveness of the vaccine.\n\nThe new variant was first seen in mid-September in London and Kent - but by December it had become the \"dominant variant\" in London.\n\nGovernment advisers believe the new variant could increase the R number - or reproductive rate of the virus - by 0.4 or more.\n\nMs Sturgeon said the speed at which it could spread meant this was \"probably the most serious and potentially dangerous juncture we have faced\" in the pandemic. But, she said Scotland still had the opportunity to act on a preventative basis.\n\nSo far 17 cases of the new strain had been identified in Scotland through genomic sequencing.\n\n\"We do not yet know how widely this new strain of virus is circulating in Scotland, but I think we have to be realistic that that is likely to be an understatement of its true prevalence right now,\" she added.\n\nThere was a \"concern\", however, that this strain may be driving what appears to be faster transmission of Covid in some hospitals and care homes.\n\nCovid figures published at 14:00 on Saturday showed Scotland had recorded 41 new deaths and 572 positive tests over the previous 24 hours.\n\nThe first minister said Scotland's case numbers did not look as bad as those elsewhere in the UK, and that she understood why people might not understand that these steps were necessary.\n\nBut she said the new strain of the virus could very quickly \"overwhelm us\".\n\n\"Please believe me when I tell you... I would not be standing here on the Saturday before Christmas announcing this if I did not think this was necessary,\" Ms Sturgeon added.\n\nScotland has the lowest case rate in the UK, with 112.6 cases per 100,000 of the population.\n\nThis compares with 571.7 in Wales, 219.6 in England and 174.9 in Northern Ireland.\n\nRestrictions have also been tightened up over the Christmas period in England and Wales.\n\nThe planned relaxation of the rules has been scrapped for large parts of south-east England, and cut to just Christmas Day for the rest of England and Wales. A fourth tier has also been created for some of the worst affected areas in England.\n\nThe first minister said maintaining a \"strict travel ban\" would prevent more of the new strain entering Scotland from other parts of the UK, and reduce the risk of it spreading further within Scotland.\n\nThis ban will remain in place throughout the festive period, meaning that cross-border travel will only be allowed for essential purposes.\n\nMs Sturgeon said she would be asking the police to consider how the enforcement of the ban could be strengthened.\n\nIndoor mixing will be allowed on Christmas Day only. A maximum of eight people from three households will be allowed in law but the advice is to keep numbers to a minimum, celebrate in your own home, and meet others outdoors.\n\nBut Ms Sturgeon said: \"If you can't make it there and back in the same day, please don't go - and we're asking you not even to do that unless you feel there is genuinely no alternative.\"\n\nPolice Scotland said they would not be routinely stopping vehicles or setting up road blocks.\n\n\"However, officers may in the course of their duties come across people who are travelling from one local authority area to another,\" said Assistant Chief Constable Alan Speirs.\n\n\"Where travel restrictions apply, officers will continue to use the common sense, discretion and excellent judgement that they have applied since the crisis began.\"\n\nScottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said families would be \"devastated\", but that he understood why the restrictions were necessary.\n\n\"None of us want this, but these sacrifices will save lives,\" he said.\n\nScottish Labour leader Richard Leonard said the Scottish government needed to publish \"persuasive evidence\" to avert a \"heightened risk of non-compliance\".\n\nThe Scottish Liberal Democrats and the Scottish Greens both backed the moves, while calling for schools to close early for Christmas.", "Sony has pulled Cyberpunk 2077, one of the year's most-anticipated games, from its store and offered refunds to all players.\n\nThe unprecedented move follows complaints that the game has been riddled with bugs and glitches, and is prone to crashes.\n\nMicrosoft later said it would also refund any dissatisfied Xbox players.\n\nDeveloper CD Projekt Red has promised to issue patches to improve the game for those who do not return it.\n\nIt’s unclear when Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) plans to return the game to the PlayStation Store.\n\n“SIE strives to ensure a high level of customer satisfaction, therefore we will begin to offer a full refund for all gamers who have purchased Cyberpunk 2077 via PlayStation Store,” the company said.\n\nA Microsoft spokesperson said Xbox players would also get refunds - but is not pulling the game from sale.\n\n\"We know the developers at CD Projekt Red have worked hard to ship Cyberpunk in extremely challenging circumstances,\" a spokesperson said.\n\n\"However, we also realise that some players have been unhappy with the current experience on older consoles.\"\n\nTo rectify the situation it said it was issuing refunds to customers who have already requested one and would be expanding refunds to \"anyone who purchased Cyberpunk 2077 digitally from the Microsoft Store, until further notice\".\n\nTo request an Xbox refund, users needed to follow the steps listed on the Xbox refund page .\n\nSome Sony users reported being unable to request the refund, even after the announcement - something Sony said it was working \"to get up and running as soon as possible\".\n\nIt can still be bought on PCs - and gamers who do not want be reimbursed for their copies can still play the game and receive updates.\n\nIn Cyberpunk 2077, players live in a criminal world where they can pay to upgrade their bodies with technology.\n\nThe action role-playing game was originally \"announced\" in 2012, but then re-announced in 2018 and then showcased with huge fanfare - and an appearance by Keanu Reeves - in June 2019.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe game reviewed well, with critics praising its gameplay and visuals - despite many visual glitches and bugs, which are common in large open-world games and often patched after launch day.\n\nBut on release it became clear that versions of the game for older consoles like the PS4 and Xbox One ran poorly, with hitching, visual quality drops and slowdown that many players said made the game unplayable.\n\nThose with the newest versions of consoles, or a high-end gaming PC, have not experienced the same level of issues.\n\nCD Projekt Red, which traditionally has focused on the PC market, had already acknowledged it \"should have paid more attention to making it play better\" on those consoles.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Cyberpunk 2077 This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThe company says it will release patches to solve the problems in January and February.\n\n“They won’t make the game on last-gen look like it’s running on a high-spec PC or next-gen console, but it will be closer to that experience than it is now,” the company said in a statement on its website.\n\nIt also encouraged users to use refund systems on the Sony and Xbox stores if they were unhappy.\n\nHowever, PlayStation's policy is to usually not offer refunds if the game has been downloaded and played, \"unless the content is faulty\".\n\nThat led to much confusion among players seeking refunds as directed by CD Projekt Red, who were refused such refunds by Sony.\n\nIt is not clear if the removal of the game from the PlayStation store means that Sony has decided the game is \"faulty\" under its rules.\n\nHours after PlayStation's announcement that it was pulling Cyberpunk 2077 from sale, CD Projekt Red said the game was \"temporarily\" suspended \"following our discussion with PlayStation\".\n\nIt said the game would \"return as soon as possible\" - but gave no date.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Cyberpunk 2077 This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nXbox users also reported trouble with refunds, with many saying refund requests have been refused, despite an apparently flexible refund policy.\n\nMicrosoft says that while it considers all sales final, \"we understand there may be extenuating circumstances\" and it considers several factors for refund requests.\n\nBut the firm announced it was expanding its refund to cover all digital sales of Cyberpunk 2077 about half a day after Sony.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nCD Projekt Red also came under fire from fans when it announced staff would have to work overtime to finish the game - a process known in the industry as \"crunch\".\n\nIt had previously promised not to impose that kind of demand on its staff.\n• None Cyberpunk 2077: The story behind the video game. Video, 00:08:30Cyberpunk 2077: The story behind the video game", "The EU's chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, said it was \"the moment of truth\" for the talks\n\nThere will be no post-Brexit trade deal between the UK and EU unless there is a \"substantial shift\" from Brussels in the coming days, a government source has told the BBC.\n\nIt is understood there is likely to be a decision before Christmas on whether or not a deal can be reached.\n\nThe two sides have been in negotiations about how many years it will take to phase in new fisheries arrangements.\n\nThe EU's Michel Barnier said any deal must be \"balanced and reciprocal\".\n\nThe talks are expected to continue on Monday, a UK government source has said.\n\nWriting on Twitter on Sunday, Mr Barnier, the EU's chief negotiator, said the talks were at a \"crucial moment\" and the two sides were working \"hard\" to try to narrow their differences.\n\n\"We respect the sovereignty of the UK and we expect the same. Both the EU and Britain must have the right to set their own laws and control their own waters. And we should both be able to act when our interests are at stake.\"\n\nWhitehall sources say it is increasingly likely the UK will end its post-Brexit transition period without a free trade agreement with the EU, meaning that on 1 January the two sides will rely on World Trade Organization (WTO) rules to govern exports and imports.\n\nThis could see tariffs introduced on goods being sold and bought - which may lead to increased prices for certain products.\n\nA government source told the BBC the EU was \"still struggling to get the flexibility needed from member states\" to make a deal possible.\n\n\"We need to get any deal right and based on terms which respect what the British people voted for.\n\n\"We're continuing to try every possible path to an agreement, but without a substantial shift from the [European] Commission we will be leaving on WTO terms on 31 December.\"\n\nHealth Secretary Matt Hancock said an agreement was in both sides' interests \"given all the problems that are going on on the continent as well as here\" with Covid, but the EU needed to give ground.\n\n\"I hope the EU moves on its unreasonable demands, that I don't think anybody could reasonably accept, and then we can get a trade deal,\" he told the BBC's Andrew Marr.\n\n\"But we are ready, whatever's necessary.\"\n\nPrime Minister Boris Johnson has vowed to keep talking, but warned gaps had yet to be bridged.\n\nSenior MEPs in the European Parliament have said they will not be \"rushed\" into signing off a deal on their side and want to see the text of any agreement by Sunday if they are to approve it by the end of the year.\n\nA senior EU source told the BBC's Brussels correspondent Nick Beake: \"The Member States are the EU. And as a former member state, the UK knows well that the EU negotiator is there to protect the interest of Europeans.\n\n\"We believe it is in both sides' interest to reach a fair deal, which cannot be the case without a level playing field and sustainable arrangements for fisheries.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Michel Barnier says negotiations have \"just a few hours\"\n\nThe two sides have been at odds over the length of time it will take to introduce new arrangements once the UK leaves the bloc's Common Fisheries Policy.\n\nThe UK, led by its chief negotiator, David Frost, has insisted its sovereign rights over its waters must be respected from day one and its fleets must be able to keep a much larger share of their own catch.\n\nThe EU is insisting on a much longer transition period, with guarantees on access and how catches are distributed.\n\nThe two sides are reported to have made progress in recent days on the issues of fair competition and what to do if the UK is deemed to get an unfair competitive advantage by moving away from EU rules and standards.\n\nIf a deal is reached between the two sides, it would need to be agreed by parliaments in the UK and the European Union's member states.\n\nUK MPs have now finished for the Christmas break, but Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove said on Thursday that they could be called back to ratify a deal in the coming days, were one to be agreed.", "Last updated on .From the section Darts\n\nDeta Hedman's PDC World Darts Championship debut ended in a 3-1 defeat by Andy Boulton in the first round.\n\nHedman, 61, started nervously and missed six darts to win the opening leg before Boulton, 47, took control of the first set.\n\nBoulton then won the second set but a resurgent Hedman took the third.\n\nIt set up for a tense fourth set but Boulton was back to his ruthless best, as Hedman's challenge faded.\n\nHedman, who has won 215 titles, is the first black woman to compete at the tournament and qualified at the expense of Fallon Sherrock.\n\nWorld number one Michael van Gerwen of the Netherlands beat Scotland's Ryan Murray 3-1 in the last contest of the day, as Australia's Damon Heta lost to 3-2 American Daniel Baggish in the other late match.\n\nIn Saturday's earlier ties, Ireland's Steve Lennon beat Daniel Larrson of Sweden 3-1 and England's Scott Waites beat Canada's Matthew Campbell 3-2, while there were also wins for England's Mervyn King and Belgium's Kim Huybrechts.\n• None Hedman's story: From a Jamaican childhood to becoming a British darts star\n\nFind out how to get into darts with our special guide.", "Jane Griffiths and her family have been hit hard by the pandemic\n\nA mother says one of her children has been asking if he is going to die, as a survey shows almost half of children are struggling with anxiety.\n\nJane Griffiths, 47, said her four children had all been affected by the stress of the coronavirus pandemic.\n\nIt comes as research for a children's charity showed more than half of children believe their parents are worried about making Christmas nice.\n\nMore than a third were worried about getting Covid-19 and dying.\n\nOf the 1,000 children asked, 47% said they were experiencing anxiety.\n\nMs Griffiths, from Connah's Quay in Flintshire, said her children's stress increased after her husband Deion lost his job at the local paper mill and money became tight.\n\n\"My husband was laid off and we weren't entitled to furlough because he was with an agency,\" she said.\n\n\"It has been difficult... you have to cut back and not take the children to as many places.\n\n\"They know they won't get the same [for Christmas].\n\n\"Christmas is all about family anyway. That's the main thing.\"\n\nBrigitte Gater, director of Action for Children Wales which conducted the research with YouGov, said the pandemic has plunged new families into poverty.\n\n\"Where children were used to seeing their parents going to work, that new wave of parents are spending their first Christmas on Universal Credit and really struggling with making ends meet,\" she said.\n\n\"Making sure that there's toys, presents, Christmas is going to be ok, at the same time as utilities, rent having to be paid, so there's a lot of anxiety about eviction and borrowing money over this time, just to make it a nice time for children.\n\n\"Some of the parents we surveyed said that if they could, they would cancel Christmas this year.\"\n\nFather Dominic Cawdell runs a weekly food club which also helps buy Christmas presents for children\n\nFather Dominic Cawdell, of St Peter's Church in Holywell, runs a weekly food club where people can buy up to 15 items for £2 and helps find Christmas presents for children.\n\nHe said people were \"anxious about getting sick, they're anxious about their children getting sick, they're anxious about their finances because many people who only work occasionally or whose work isn't particularly secure haven't been able to take advantage of government schemes\".\n\n\"Children are amazingly perceptive and they pick up on their parents' anxieties... it's even bigger for them, they don't understand it, they just know their whole world has changed,\" he added.\n\nAnita Igbinoba lost her job in a holiday camp as a result of the pandemic\n\nOne of the food club customers, Anita Igbinoba who has two young daughters, said there was a lot of worry in her household after her job in a holiday camp ended.\n\n\"Panicking, pressure, children asking... I can't get them as much, they feel the anxiety and the pressure of it. It is upsetting really,\" she said.\n\n\"When they're handwashing, sanitising, it's become a big control thing.\"\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "The UK's R - or reproduction - number is now estimated to be between 1.1 and 1.2, meaning the coronavirus epidemic is growing once again.\n\nCovid-19 cases have risen to an estimated 660,000 infections across the UK between 6-12 December.\n\nIn England, the rise was driven by sharp increases in London, plus rises in the South East and East Midlands.\n\nBut the proportion of people testing positive in the North West and Yorkshire has continued to fall.\n\nRoughly one in every 95 people had the virus across Britain last week.\n\nThe previous week's figures suggested about 560,000 people had the virus across the UK - one in 115 people in England, one in 120 in Scotland, one in 175 in Wales and one in 235 in Northern Ireland.\n\nSo weekly cases have gone up by about a fifth.\n\nCovid cases are broadly stable in Northern Ireland with about one in every 215 people testing positive, according to Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimates.\n\nThe R number tells you how fast the epidemic is growing or shrinking.\n\nAnything above one - indicating that each infection leads to more than one extra infection - means the epidemic is growing.\n\nProf Neil Ferguson, the influential epidemiologist from Imperial College London, told Radio 4's the World at One any future lockdown may have to be tougher than the one seen in England in November.\n\nHe said he was \"more concerned about what we're going to be facing in early January than I am over the Christmas period itself.\n\n\"We're facing very rapid increases in case numbers over time and we have very little headroom - we've heard reports today that local hospitals that really are at their limits at the moment - as is typically the case in winter. So we just won't be able to allow case numbers to rise much further.\"\n\nIn England, there were increases in people testing positive in all age groups apart from 17-24-year-olds and 50-69-year-olds.\n\nThe figures suggest infections maybe levelling off in teenagers and young adults.\n\nThe highest proportions of Covid cases are now found in London and the East Midlands, followed by the North East and North West of England.\n\nAcross the UK, restrictions are about to be loosened over the Christmas period.\n\nProf Linda Bauld, Professor of Public Health at the University of Edinburgh, said this policy, \"increasingly looks like the wrong decision at the wrong time.\n\n\"By allowing travel around the UK and changing guidance to allow household mixing indoors we are setting ourselves up for a miserable January with tough restrictions.\"\n\nWales and Northern Ireland have already announced new lockdowns to come into force immediately after this period of relaxation.\n\nSimilar arrangements for England and Scotland have not been announced, but they also haven't been ruled out.\n• None What is happening to the UK's R number?", "East Cornwall Search and Rescue rescued a trapped driver and helped people evacuate their homes\n\nFire crews were pumping water out of houses through the night after flooding forced people to evacuate their homes.\n\nSeveral people in Lostwithiel, Cornwall, had to spend the night in a community centre, while 18 people had to abandon their caravans at Notter Bridge, near Saltash.\n\nThe fire service called in \"water rescue units\" from Devon after 35mm (1.4 in) of rain fell in just 24 hours.\n\nThe flood risk is reducing over the weekend.\n\nSaltash Community Fire Station said both of its pumps were sent to two separate incidents on Friday, with both appliances pumping water until 04:00 GMT on Saturday.\n\nWater levels in Cornwall have been close to breaching flood defences\n\nEast Cornwall Search and Rescue were sent out near Golitha Falls at 19:00 GMT on Friday after reports of a driver trapped by floodwater.\n\nThey also helped evacuate residents in Lostwithiel and Notter Bridge.\n\n\"Fortunately there were no injuries reported, but there is still a lot of floodwater around this morning so please take extra care especially if you are on the roads,\" it added.\n\nEnvironment Agency workers have been trying to clear rivers and screens through the night\n\nEnvironment Agency teams are clearing screens to keep rivers flowing and local Coastguard Rescue Teams have also been involved in the overnight operations.\n\n\"At about 06:30 we were called to a property at the end of Lostwithiel which was flooding,\" said firefighter Steve Strauss.\n\n\"Two people were taken out of there with two dogs, and we've now been pumping out ever since,\" he added.\n\n\"We are short of field operatives tonight to help keep the screens clear and rivers flowing,\" said Nick Ely, from the Environment Agency.\n\n\"I'm not needed at the moment in my normal duty role, so I'm out with the team tonight helping and just cleared a tree trunk,\" he added.\n\nFirefighters have been pumping water out of homes\n\nAreas hit by downpours on Friday are set to face lighter rain over the weekend, with the flood risk reduced.\n\nThe Met Office said this band of wet weather would gradually make way for sunshine and lighter showers across the whole nation throughout the weekend.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Bailey has become the oldest ever winner, while Mabuse is the first pro to win in two consecutive years\n\nStrictly Come Dancing 2020 concluded on Saturday after a shorter but largely successful series amid the coronavirus pandemic.\n\nBill Bailey fended off competition from HRVY, Maisie Smith and Jamie Laing to be crowned this year's winner with his partner Oti Mabuse.\n\nAged 55, he has taken the title of the oldest Strictly winner from Joe McFadden, who won in 2017 aged 42. Mabuse also becomes the first professional to triumph two years in a row.\n\nThe final featured music from Robbie Williams and a group performance from the show's professional dancers.\n\nIt has been an eventful and unusual series. Here are seven of the most memorable moments:\n\nAnton had to be dragged kicking and screaming on to the judging panel\n\n\"After much persuasion, Anton has reluctantly agreed to step in,\" joked Claudia Winkleman when Motsi Mabuse had to take two weeks off from judging to self-isolate.\n\nIt's no secret that Anton is keen to join the Strictly panel after clocking up more than 15 years as one of the show's pro dancers, but so far he hasn't made the leap.\n\nThat finally changed this year and many viewers were surprised that he was actually rather good, if a little generous with his scores.\n\nThis YouTube post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on YouTube The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts. Skip youtube video by BBC Strictly Come Dancing This article contains content provided by Google YouTube. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Google’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts. End of youtube video by BBC Strictly Come Dancing\n\nBill and Oti's dance to Rapper's Delight by The Sugarhill Gang was the biggest viral moment of this series by some distance - it was the only routine to cross the million mark on YouTube, with several million more watching it on Twitter.\n\nIt's easy to see why - Bailey could easily have fallen into the trap of embarrassing dad dancing, but instead he fully committed to a routine which packed in lots of content and detail. He even found time to rap along with the lyrics at one point. His dancing wasn't perfect, but it didn't matter. This was a turning point for both him and the series.\n\n\"All three members of the actual Sugarhill Gang sent me a personal video message of congratulations, and thanks for using their song,\" Bailey wrote in The Telegraph afterwards. \"I am still a little dazed by it all to be honest, but in a good way. I've even become a Gif.\"\n\nThe year is 2039. Coronavirus is long eradicated. Humans travel by hovercraft. All parcels are delivered by drones. And Jamie and Karen have survived another week in Strictly's bottom two.\n\nLast week's semi-final saw Ranvir Singh eliminated despite never previously being in the dance-off, much to the bafflement of viewers who had also just put Jamie there for the fourth time.\n\nThis marked the first time in Strictly history a couple had survived the dance-off four times, overtaking even Mike Bushell last year, who was eliminated on his fourth bottom two appearance.\n\n\"I know a lot of people think dance-offs are really bad, but for us they've been one of the best things ever,\" Karen said earlier this week, \"because during a dance-off [Jamie] completely just goes for it, and I've never seen that ever before. Usually people get scared in a dance-off but for us, it was like, 'Come on, let's bring it, we deserve to be here.'\"\n\nThe Wanted's Max George may not have lasted long in the competition, but this Simpsons routine from Movie Week will last long in the memories of Strictly viewers, for better or worse.\n\nWe loved it, lots of people hated it, but either way, full marks for creativity.\n\nThe blaze of publicity surrounding the first same-sex couple on Strictly was swiftly extinguished after Nicola Adams wound up in the bottom two early in the series, and then had to drop out entirely.\n\nHer partner, Katya Jones, tested positive for Covid-19, which meant both she and Nicola had to go into self-isolation for two weeks, making their continued participation in the show unviable.\n\nBut fortunately that was the only coronavirus casualty of the series, with HRVY just managing to return in time for the show's launch after testing positive during rehearsals.\n\nThe Strictly team overbooked this series to allow for a few celebrities to pull out due to Covid, but as only one has, we were left with an unusual (although not unprecedented) four-way final.\n\nAway from the competitive dancing, there were plenty of notable group and guest performances this year.\n\nThe group dances were all filmed in advance so the professionals could knock them all off in one go while isolating together in a hotel. Plus, we had guest performances on the results shows from The Vamps, Gary Barlow and the cast of & Juliet.\n\nBut the BBC received more than 150 complaints after pro dancers Gorka, Johannes and Giovanni appeared in drag during a Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert routine in Musicals week.\n\nIt's actually not the first time the show has dabbled in drag. Although, to be fair, Craig Revel Horwood's drag performance in last year's series was so impressive and convincing we bet a lot of viewers didn't even realise it was him.\n\nSocial distancing meant the contestants couldn't all cuddle up with Claudia as usual, so the upstairs area's informal name changed from the already brilliant Clauditorium to the possibly-even-better Chatterpillar.\n\nOther changes this year included the dramatically increased use of CGI. From Bill kneeling in front of a huge digital elephant to Clara Amfo dancing on a gigantic virtual record player, it added a new dimension to the dancing, although not all viewers were keen on it.\n\nAnd finally, this was the year that street dancing really reigned supreme. Having only been introduced in 2018, it's basically become the default option for Couple's Choice. That has sparked disapproval from traditional ballroom fans, but we're totally here for it.\n\nEarlier this week, the four finalists spoke to BBC News and other outlets about their experiences on this year's show.\n\nOne of the most noticeable things for HRVY is how much the experience has aged him. \"It's a really weird thing, I'm doing what my dad and granddad do now, which I really hate: every time I get up and down I make noises, it's just because my body and my knees are in agony,\" he says.\n\nHRVY says he hopes he has inspired other young people to take up dancing\n\nDespite his aching muscles, the 21-year-old's participation in the series has prompted interest in dancing from younger viewers. \"I've had so many comments and DMs from younger people who have watched the show saying they want to dance. And not just cool street dancing, the Latin stuff, the salsa and the cha-cha, that whole generation of dance is coming back round again. So hopefully we can inspire younger people to dance because we have so much fun.\"\n\nWhile HRVY might have inspired other young people to take up dancing, another contestant has the other end of the spectrum taken care of.\n\n\"Blokes sometimes feel a bit self conscious, particularly blokes of my age, they feel like they're going to be called the dad dancer,\" Bill Bailey says. \"And I think if me showing I can get out there and look a little bit more than somebody shuffling about, then why not?\" On the subject of encouraging older people to try dancing, he adds: \"If that is the consequence of me being on the show then that's wonderful.\"\n\nHis partner Oti Mabuse revealed: \"I had a conversation with Rob Brydon, and he said he's always watched Strictly, and he always sees the older gentleman being a comedic act. But for the first time, when he saw Bill, he thought, 'Oh my goodness, when I watch Strictly, there's a possibility I can go far.' It's just a different take, because he's a respected man and is a respectable character in English society if he ever came on to Strictly he would be taken seriously.\"\n\nSmith said being in the bottom two gave her and her partner Gorka Marquez extra motivation\n\nJamie Laing has made it to the finale in spite of struggling any time he hasn't had Karen Hauer by his side. \"If I'm by myself on the dancefloor, that is a no-no, I have to be connected with Karen most of the time, because if I'm by myself doing a solo dance, that is when things go wrong,\" he laughs.\n\nLaing has landed in the dance-off several times, as has fellow finalist Maisie Smith. But, she says, that has only served to motivate her. \"Being in the bottom two, it kind of made me realise how much this meant to me, and it did give me a massive push to just keep working as hard as I can,\" she says. \"And I think that was the turning point for me that made me just think, 'I've got to put my all into this,' and I think it's been paying off ever since.\"\n\nThe dances and songs in Saturday's final were:", "From Boxing Day the whole of mainland Scotland will be in the country's toughest tier of restrictions for at least three weeks. So what can you do - and not do - in level four?\n\nIf you want to delve deeper into the Scottish government's level four rules, click here.", "Three quarters of employers want large firms to be forced to release data on the pay gap between staff of different ethnicities, a leaked report shows.\n\nThe findings, seen by the BBC, came from a consultation exercise on ethnicity pay gap reporting launched by Theresa May in October 2018.\n\nThe then PM promised to \"help employers identify the actions needed to create a fairer and more diverse workforce\".\n\nBut two years later, the government has yet to respond.\n\nLabour has urged Boris Johnson to \"get on with it\", as it was clear the business community and unions backed the policy.\n\nThe Business Department said it would respond to the consultation in due course.\n\nThe document obtained by the BBC shows there were 321 responses to the consultation, including from 93 private sector employers, 42 public sector employers and 67 business organisations.\n\nOf these groups, 73% supported compulsory ethnicity pay gap reporting for organisations with more than 250 staff.\n\nA similar requirement is already in place for reporting of firms' gender pay gap, although it has been lifted this year because of coronavirus.\n\nA petition calling for the introduction of the policy gained more than 130,000 signatures earlier this year - meaning the issue should be debated in Parliament.\n\nResponding to the petition in July, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said it was still analysing the consultation and promised to respond by the end of the year at the latest.\n\nIt highlighted what it called \"genuine difficulties in designing a methodology that produces accurate figures, that allows for interpretation and action from employers, employees and the wider public\".\n\nA spokesperson for the department said: \"We are working closely with businesses to consider what steps can be taken to build more inclusive workplaces.\"\n\nOfficial guidance to departments carrying out consultations says the government should respond within 12 weeks of the consultation or provide an explanation for why this is not possible.\n\nShadow women and equalities secretary Marsha De Cordova said: \"Labour has long been calling for the introduction of mandatory ethnicity pay gap reporting.\n\n\"The business community and trades unions are all calling for it. It is time the government get on with it as they are the only one behind the curve on this.\"\n\nThe consultation summary document seen by the BBC said respondents had mixed views on whether pay gap reporting should be between white and all black, Asian and ethnic minority staff, or a breakdown of ethnic groups.\n\nA number of businesses already voluntarily publish their data - including professional services firm Deloitte, whose latest figures show a 14.5% mean gap.\n\nConsultant Nadine Dyer, the chair of Deloitte's Multicultural Network, is working with leaders at the company to reduce inequality.\n\n\"As a black woman, it's not fair that I could be sitting next to someone in the office and they're earning more than me just because of the colour of my skin,\" she said.\n\n\"If you really think about it, it can be heartbreaking. I use that to drive me forward.\"\n\nIn October, 30 business leaders wrote to Boris Johnson calling for the mandatory duty to be introduced - saying \"we don't see it as a burden\".\n\nCBI president Lord Karan Bilimoria told the BBC the move \"makes business sense and it's the right thing to do\".\n\n\"What gets measured gets done,\" he said. \"Our members want to disclose their ethnicity pay gap because they know this is such an important issue\n\n\"If they address this issue, they will have companies that are more diverse, more inclusive, more profitable, more innovative.\"\n\nA major review of race in the workplace in 2017, led by Baroness Ruby McGregor-Smith, recommended that employers with more than 50 staff should be subject to the legal disclosure requirement.", "Ministers have met to discuss how to contain the rising number of coronavirus infections in England.\n\nIt comes as Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he was \"hoping to avoid\" another national lockdown in England.\n\nFormer Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the government needed \"to respond to what is happening on the ground\" with hospital admissions rising.\n\nMeanwhile, millions more people in southern England are now living under the toughest Covid restrictions.\n\nGovernment scientists are continuing to evaluate the spread of a new variant of Covid in south-east England as there are \"growing concerns\" about its transmission.\n\nHospitals in Kent are postponing non-urgent procedures as coronavirus cases in the county rise beyond figures seen in the spring.\n\nEwan Birney, deputy director general of European Molecular Biological Laboratory, said the new Covid variant had been growing \"very strongly in the south of England\" but it was not possible to say definitively that it was transmitting faster than others or whether it was because the number of cases in general was growing.\n\nHowever, he added most scientists \"think it is going faster - that it really is a property of the virus\".\n\nHe told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: \"I must stress how complicated it is to work out, in a situation where things might be growing for other reasons, to really put your finger on that it's actually the virus which is doing it but the evidence is pointing in that direction.\"\n\nOn Monday, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the variant may be associated with the faster transmission of the virus in the South East but there was \"nothing to suggest\" it caused worse disease or that vaccines would no longer work.\n\nDr Birney said it was too soon to know whether the variant caused worse disease but scientists should start to get a good idea \"in a matter of weeks\", adding that other viruses had tended to mutate to become faster transmitters but less harmful.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. \"You don't have to cancel Christmas, just postpone it\", says Chris Lea, who's in hospital with Covid-19\n\nMinisters met on Friday to discuss what action will be necessary to deal with the new variant, but a Downing Street source said the government is \"not there yet\" on rethinking Christmas plans.\n\nThe decision by all four UK nations to relax restrictions and allow more household mixing for five days over Christmas has prompted concerns about a further surge in case numbers.\n\nAnalysis suggests the R number - which represents how many people each infected person passes the virus onto - has risen above 1 in the UK.\n\nNorthern Ireland and Wales have both announced post-Christmas lockdowns, while the Scottish government has said \"all options\" remain on the table ahead of a review on Tuesday.\n\nHealth bosses have warned the NHS is under significant pressure, with nearly 90% of hospital beds in England full.\n\nMr Hunt, chair of Parliament's health select committee, told the Today programme that the current situation was \"very serious\" and if the government did change its mind about relaxing the rules \"we should certainly not condemn it as a screeching U-turn but the responsible thing to do in a pandemic when the facts change\".\n\nHe cited two big developments - the new Covid variant and hospital admissions \"going up very, very sharply\" - adding that \"we have to look at the changing situation\".\n\nIf ministers did not want to change the law, Mr Hunt said they should consider strengthening the guidance on social distancing, adding: \"It would be an enormous tragedy if we had a spike in deaths at the end of January/February because we took our foot off the pedal this close to having a vaccine.\"\n\nAsked about reports that the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine could be approved for use in the UK by the end of the year, Mr Hunt said that would make \"a massive difference\".\n\nHe said the UK had doses of the Pfizer vaccine to \"keep us going until the end of January\" but then there wouldn't be another shipment until March so having the Oxford vaccine in January would mean the UK could \"keep the rollout going at its current pace\".\n\nA spokeswoman for the UK regulator MHRA said its review of the vaccine was \"ongoing\".\n\nCovid rules are due to be relaxed across the UK between 23 and 27 December, with up to three households being able to meet.\n\nBut the prime minister has urged people to think about elderly relatives to \"avoid spreading the disease\" over the holiday period.\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer has called for Mr Johnson to \"toughen up over Christmas\", saying the Welsh government's decision to limit Christmas bubbles to two households - instead of three - was a \"step in the right direction\".\n\nLeon Danon - an epidemiologist who sits on the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling which advises the government - has been trying to model the impact on the R number of various households getting together at Christmas.\n\nHe told Today that modelling showed putting three households together had a \"pretty bad\" effect on the R value, however he said over the festive period this would be counterbalanced by schools closing and fewer people going to work reducing people's other contacts.\n\nMeanwhile, tier three Covid rules have come into force for parts of southern England, meaning that 38 million people - more than two-thirds of the nation's population - are now subject to the toughest restrictions.\n\nThe changes, which came into effect at 00:01 GMT, see Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Hertfordshire and parts of Surrey, East Sussex, Cambridgeshire and Hampshire join the list of areas now in the highest level of England's three-tier system.\n\nIn tier three, pubs and restaurants must close and different households cannot mix indoors or in most outdoor venues.\n\nOn Friday, the UK recorded a further 28,507 cases, along with 489 deaths within 28 days of a positive test.\n\nOfficial figures show Covid-19 cases have risen in the past week in England, driven by sharp increases in London, as well as rises in the South East and East Midlands.\n\nAverage NHS bed occupancy in England has reached almost 89% for the week ending 13 December, with 59 out of 126 NHS trusts reporting bed occupancy of higher than 90% - which is above the recommended safe level.\n\nThe R number is estimated to be between 1.1 and 1.2, up from between 0.9 and 1 last week.", "PM Boris Johnson says he is \"hoping to avoid\" another national lockdown in England but that Covid-19 cases have increased \"very much\" in recent weeks.\n\nHe chaired meetings on Friday, No 10 sources said, amid \"growing concerns\" about the spread of a new variant of Covid in south-east England.\n\nHealth bosses have warned the NHS is already under significant pressure.\n\nNearly 90% of hospital beds in England are full, with coronavirus adding to normal winter demands.\n\nGovernment scientists are continuing to evaluate the new strain and ministers have been discussing what action will be necessary to deal with this, sources said.\n\nAsked if people were going to be told to re-think their Christmas plans, a Downing Street source said: \"We are not there yet.\"\n\nA separate government source suggested that travel restrictions were discussed, but it is not clear that they have been signed off.\n\nOn Monday Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the variant may be associated with the faster transmission of the virus in the South East but there was \"nothing to suggest\" it caused worse disease or that vaccines would no longer work.\n\nMeanwhile, the R number - which represents how many people each infected person passes the virus onto - has risen above 1 in the UK.\n\nThe latest figure, calculated by the government's scientific advisers, is estimated to be between 1.1 and 1.2, up from between 0.9 and 1 last week.\n\nThe UK recorded a further 28,507 cases on Friday, along with 489 deaths within 28 days of a positive test.\n\nOfficial figures show Covid-19 cases have risen in the past week in England, driven by sharp increases in London, as well as rises in the South East and East Midlands.\n\nThe president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, Dr Katherine Henderson, said England and Scotland needed to do \"whatever it takes\" to get a grip of the virus, even if that meant \"full lockdown\".\n\nAsked whether England would end up following Northern Ireland and Wales into lockdown, Mr Johnson said: \"Obviously we are hoping very much that we'll be able to avoid anything like that, but the reality is that the rates of infection have increased very much in the last few weeks.\"\n\nHe said the Christmas rules, which are being relaxed across the UK between 23 and 27 December, were \"very much a maximum\" and \"not a target people should aim for\".\n\nThe prime minister encouraged people to \"think about our elderly relatives\" to \"avoid spreading the disease\" over Christmas.\n\nHe added that he hoped next year, with the rollout of the vaccine, would \"be very different indeed\".\n\nEarlier, he tweeted a message warning people planning to form \"Christmas bubbles\" in the UK to start minimising contact with people from outside their households from today.\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer said \"nobody wants a third lockdown\" but England's tiered system was \"not strong enough\".\n\nHe called for the prime minister to \"toughen up over Christmas\", saying the Welsh government's decision to limit Christmas bubbles to two households, instead of three, was a \"step in the right direction\".\n\nProf Neil Ferguson, whose team's modelling led to the original lockdown in March, said he was \"more concerned\" about what the country was going to be facing in early January than over the Christmas period itself.\n\nThe epidemiologist from Imperial College London told BBC Radio 4's World at One programme that very rapid increases in case numbers had left \"very little headroom\", adding that any future lockdown in England may have to be tougher than the one seen in November.\n\nMeanwhile, teaching unions have criticised the government's announcement that the return to secondary school in January will be staggered to allow schools to set up a Covid testing scheme.\n\nThey say the move came too late for them to make the necessary preparations for testing. But Nick Gibb, the schools minister, has defended the plan, saying the government would provide support.\n\nIt comes after a tough new six-week lockdown was announced in Northern Ireland from 26 December.\n\nHealth Minister Robin Swann said the measures were essentially a return to March's sustained restrictions, with non-essential shops and close-contact services such as hair salons having to close.\n\nPubs, cafes and restaurants will be restricted to takeaway services.\n\nThe first week of the restrictions, running until 2 January, will see even tighter measures with essential shops, including supermarkets, having to close each day by 20:00 GMT.\n\nNo sporting events will be permitted at all - even at elite level - with people being urged only to leave their home for essential reasons.\n\nIn Wales, non-essential shops will close from the end of trading on Christmas Eve, with an alert level four lockdown starting four days later.\n\nIn England, some 38 million people will be subject to the nation's strictest measures - tier three - from Saturday.\n\nScotland's Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said the option for a post-Christmas lockdown in Scotland \"remains on the table\".\n\nMeanwhile, documents released by the government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) say avoiding social contacts for more than five days before meeting older or vulnerable people at Christmas will reduce the risk of transmitting the virus.\n\nA longer period - of a week or more - would reduce the risk even further. A document dated 26 November says taking a rapid coronavirus test before a multi-day gathering inside a home could also reduce the risk.\n\nSage says mixing between households over the festive period for one or two days would be less risky than multiple households spending the entire time together.\n\nBut the documents warn there may be a higher proportion of cases in more vulnerable age groups during the festive period, which could lead to an increase in hospital admissions.\n\nThe decision by all four UK nations to relax restrictions and allow more mixing for five days over Christmas has prompted concern that it will fuel a further surge in case numbers.\n\nAverage NHS bed occupancy in England has reached almost 89% for the week ending 13 December, with 59 out of 126 NHS trusts reporting bed occupancy of higher than 90% - which is above the recommended safe level.\n\nDr Katherine Henderson told BBC News the UK was at a \"really dangerous point where we could tip into finding it incredibly difficult to manage\" and her colleagues were \"increasingly\" seeing ambulances queuing outside hospitals.\n\nIn Northern Ireland, Dr Martin Kelly, a consultant respiratory physician in Londonderry, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: \"Right in the mouth of Christmas we're seeing a significant further surge in numbers which is already putting the service under significant pressure.\"\n\nAnd Dr Nick Lyons, a health board medical director in south Wales, said things were similar in his region, where non-urgent procedures have been cancelled.\n\nThe intensive care units \"were basically full with Covid patients\" while the area's field hospital was \"roughly at half its total capacity\", he told Today.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. \"You don't have to cancel Christmas, just postpone it\", says Chris Lea, who's in hospital with Covid-19\n\nA father who is in hospital with coronavirus has urged people not to visit relatives over Christmas.\n\nChris Lea, from Harpenden, Hertfordshire, was taken to hospital on Wednesday as he \"fought for every breath\".\n\nFrom his hospital bed, the 60-year-old said the thought of people travelling around the country visiting family was \"worrying the hell out of me\".\n\n\"It is not worth losing an aunt, an uncle or grandparent,\" he said.\n\nMr Lea is on oxygen and being treated with multiple drugs at the Luton and Dunstable Hospital.\n\nThe father-of-four said he had experienced tiredness for a few days but on Wednesday his situation \"escalated from getting short of breath to fighting for every breath in just a few hours\".\n\n\"The look on my 16-year-old son's face when I was fighting for breath was heartbreaking,\" he said.\n\nMr Lea was admitted to hospital on Wednesday\n\nMr Lea's said his son's year group was sent home from school and told to isolate recently due to two positive cases and he fears this may be how he caught the virus.\n\n\"Sending children to mix with other family members at Christmas is unwise,\" he said.\n\n\"If you saw the look on my son's face when I was fighting for my breath you would not want to be sending these children all over the country to see their family.\n\n\"You don't have to cancel Christmas, just postpone it, we are so close now with this vaccine - have the big family get-together at Easter or in the summer.\"\n\nMr Lea said the care he was receiving was \"phenomenal\" and he had made rapid progress in 48 hours.\n\n\"The doctors, nurses, the porters, everyone is working relentlessly hard, they're working like crazy,\" he said.\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Michel Barnier says negotiations have \"just a few hours\"\n\nThere are \"just a few hours left\" for the UK and EU to agree a post-Brexit trade deal, says Michel Barnier.\n\nSpeaking in the European Parliament on Friday, the EU's chief negotiator said it was \"the moment of truth\" for the two sides to come to an agreement.\n\nHe said there was still a \"chance\" of a deal, but the \"path is very narrow\".\n\nBoris Johnson said the UK side was willing to \"keep talking\", but added: \"Things are looking difficult and there is a gap that needs to be bridged.\"\n\nTalks are resuming later between the two teams in Brussels after the prime minister and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen spoke on Thursday night.\n\nMrs von der Leyen said bridging \"big differences\", particularly on fishing rights, would be \"very challenging\", while Mr Johnson said a no deal scenario was \"very likely\" unless the EU position changed \"substantially\".\n\nEarlier, Mr Barnier met fishing ministers from EU states to discuss the ongoing division over the issue.\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer accused the government of \"dithering over Brexit\", calling for the PM to \"get this deal done\" and \"deliver it for the British people\".\n\nThe UK left the EU on 31 January, but has been following the bloc's trade rules while the two sides negotiate a trade deal.\n\nIf one is not agreed by 31 December, they will go on to trade on World Trade Organization (WTO) rules, which could see charges introduced on goods being sold and bought - and could lead to an increase in prices.\n\nMr Barnier said it was the UK that decided on the deadline and the EU would have been willing to extend the so-called transition period into next year so talks could continue.\n\n\"If they should leave with an agreement or without, it is nevertheless the Brits that decided on that deadline,\" he told the European Parliament.\n\nMr Johnson has insisted the UK will \"prosper\" with or without a trade deal with the EU.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Boris Johnson: \"Our door is open\" for post-Brexit trade talks\n\nThe talks taking place in Brussels between Mr Barnier and his UK counterpart, Lord David Frost, are aimed at breaking the deadlock on key issues that remain unresolved.\n\nThey include rights to fishing waters from 1 January and what is known as the \"level playing field\" - where the EU does not want UK businesses to get an unfair advantage by moving away from its rules and standards.\n\nOn fishing, Mr Barnier said if the UK wants to use its \"sovereignty\" over its waters to cut access for EU fisherman, \"then the European Union also has to maintain its sovereign right to react or compensate adjusting conditions [to access the] single market\".\n\nAnd on the level playing field, he said there needed to be \"fair competition\" in place, adding: \"If the sovereign United Kingdom would like to depart from those standards, that is their right, but it brings with it consequences when it comes to access to our markets without tariffs or quotas.\"\n\nSpeaking on a visit to Manchester, Mr Johnson said the UK position was \"always that we want to keep talking if there is any chance of a deal\".\n\nBut he called for the EU to \"recognise the UK has got to be able to control its own laws - that's what people voted for - and we have also got to be able to control our waters and fishing rights\".\n\nThe PM added: \"No sensible government is going to agree to a treaty that doesn't have those two basic things in it as well as everything else.\n\n\"Our door is open, we will keep talking, but I have to say that things are looking difficult and there is a gap that needs to be bridged.\n\n\"The UK has done a lot to try and help and we hope our EU friends will see sense and come to the table with something themselves.\"\n\nWhy, you might ask, if the EU's priority in negotiations was to protect the single market, is Brussels allowing the issue of fish to endanger the whole deal?\n\nThe level playing field is worth a lot more in monetary and political terms to the bloc, but it sounds quite abstract to voters.\n\nHowever, fishermen and women losing their jobs, industries dwindling... that would be very visible, very quickly, elevating the importance of fishing rights.\n\nIt is in coastal countries where governments fear a public backlash if it's perceived they've sacrificed national fishing communities for a deal with UK.\n\nAlthough the majority of EU members are not coastal nations, and although everyone in the bloc would love to finally put this deal to bed - for political and financial reasons, as well as being plain fed up with the process - the EU as a whole won't try to force member states to sign up if they are unhappy.\n\nMichel Barnier spoke to EU coastal countries on Friday to try to find a compromise position but, because of the \"nothing is agreed until everything is agreed\" mantra of negotiations, the EU mood is less optimistic about prospect of imminent breakthrough than it was two days ago.\n\nIf a deal is reached between the two sides, it would need to be agreed by parliaments in the UK and EU.\n\nSenior MEPs in the European Parliament have said they will not be \"rushed\" into signing off a deal on their side, and want to see the text of any agreement by Sunday if they are to approve it by the end of the year.\n\nUK MPs have now finished for the Christmas break, but Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove said on Thursday that they could be called back to ratify a deal in the coming days, were one to be agreed.", "Dr Ceri Hayles said she still loved her job, but the strain was taking its toll\n\nOne in 10 staff at some Welsh health boards are off sick or self-isolating, BBC Wales has been told.\n\nThe NHS Confederation said staffing problems were having a \"huge impact\".\n\nIt said the overall NHS Wales absence rate was between 8% and 9%, but some services have up to half their staff absent.\n\nMonthly absence rates in December are usually about 5%, but Aneurin Bevan, Cwm Taf Morgannwg and Betsi Cadwaladr health boards have rates of about 10%.\n\nWelsh NHS Confederation director Darren Hughes told Wales Live the NHS was in \"the same storm but different parts will definitely be in different boats\", with absence rates higher in areas hit hardest by coronavirus.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. \"Covid patients are sicker during the second wave,\" says consultant\n\n\"We're seeing staff having to self-isolate because family members have got Covid, or people with caring responsibilities for people self-isolating, so it's having a big impact on the front line if you have one in 10 staff roughly off, but in some services a third or half the staff off,\" he said.\n\nThe Welsh Ambulance Service has 12.6% of staff off sick for all reasons. It said its absence rate was always historically higher than other services because of the nature of emergency work and its physical and emotional challenges.\n\nMr Hughes said there had been a \"huge impact\" on NHS activity, with staff shortages making things such as communication with patients' families harder.\n\n\"I think we're running at the moment - because it's much more difficult to provide the services we ordinarily would provide - at about 50 to 60% of capacity,\" he said.\n\n\"The staff would really like to be doing more than they are. But to provide services in this Covid-adjusted way is a huge challenge.\"\n\nOn Monday, Health Minister Vaughan Gething said there were 1,800 Covid-related patients in Welsh hospitals, the highest number recorded.\n\n\"We're seeing infection rates going up, and this is going to have a real serious impact on our ability to care for you at home, for your family,\" Mr Hughes added.\n\n\"But it's also having a big impact on the wellbeing of staff who've been working tirelessly for over eight months in providing care for people across Wales.\"\n\nHelen Whyley, the director of the Royal College of Nursing Wales, called for action following the figures of self-isolating NHS staff\n\n\"It's clearly a very pressurised situation,\" she said.\n\n\"Staff are being asked to move from dealing with the first wave, administering vaccines, then the second wave, covering people, double shifts and they're becoming exhausted.\"\n\nMark Henwood, consultant at Hywel Dda health board, said staff are \"desperate\" for the public to follow coronavirus rules \"certainly over the Christmas period\".\n\nMr Henwood also said people should \"avoid\" coming to hospital if they could, following an appeal from the health board for public support to reduce pressure on hospitals.\n\nLast week, Llandovery community hospital closed after Covid outbreaks meant several staff from there and Amman Valley hospital in Ammanford had to self-isolate.\n\nOn Tuesday, staff at Morriston Hospital said a \"perfect storm\" was developing with the combination of increasing numbers of patients, decreasing capacity and fewer staff.\n\nA photo of Ceri Hayles showing the effects of protective equipment on her face was used in an exhibition\n\nDr Ceri Hayles - a registrar in obstetrics and gynaecology at the Grange Hospital in Cwmbran, Torfaen - said staff were \"spread thinner\" than usual.\n\n\"We're sort of backed into a corner where we don't have any option because we never want to put our patients in a position where they're not being looked after safely.\n\n\"The service is still being provided, but there is a little bit less time to do all those extra things you'd want to do for people.\n\n\"Those bits where you go above and beyond for people which we all try and do. It's just draining and we're all exhausted.\"\n\nGail Parry said staffing levels led to poor communication about her husband's care\n\nGail Parry's husband David, 72, has emphysema and was in Nevill Hall Hospital in Abergavenny, Monmouthshire, last week.\n\nMrs Parry, a retired psychiatric nurse, believes staff being overstretched led to poor communication with her about her husband's treatment and the plan for him to return home for palliative care.\n\n\"When he ended up on the ward I tried and tried phoning with no response. I knew very little about what was going on.\n\n\"It's very distressing and it was distressing for him, because he wanted to come home and I felt as if I was doing nothing to help the situation, because I couldn't find anything out.\n\n\"So it was a bit of a black hole as far as knowing things or being able to communicate with him, really.\"\n\nA lack of communication was \"distressing\" for patient David Parry and his wife Gail\n\nAneurin Bevan health board said: \"We would like to apologise to Mrs Parry and her husband for their experience whilst Mr Parry was in Nevill Hall Hospital last week.\n\n\"We appreciate the worry that is caused when a loved one is in hospital and the extra stress that is caused when communication is not as we would expect it to be.\n\n\"The hospital is under significant pressure but the protection of patients and staff is our absolute priority.\"", "Concerns about the virus growing in some areas of the country has prompted the Scottish government to place restrictions on more people ahead of Christmas.\n\nNo local authority is currently in this toughest tier. Rules at this level are similar to the lockdown in March. However, schools - outside scheduled holidays - remain open but all non-essential shops, as well as pubs and restaurants, gyms, libraries and hairdressers, are closed.\n\nThree councils are being moved up from level two, joining the 18 local authorities already in this tier. Rules allow cafes, pubs and restaurants to open until 18:00 to serve food and non-alcoholic drinks to groups of up to six from two households. Alcohol sales are not permitted indoors or outdoors. All leisure and entertainment venues are closed, including cinemas. No non-essential travel is allowed out of a level three area. Indoor exercise, which includes gyms, are restricted to individual and not group exercise. Hairdressers and barbers can open.\n\nIn this tier there is no in-home socialising allowed and up to six people from two households can meet outdoors and in hospitality settings. Licensed premises can only serve alcohol indoors with a main meal - and then only until 20:00. Outdoors, you can be served until 22:30. Most leisure and entertainment premises are closed except gyms, cinemas, bingo halls and amusement arcades. From Friday, 18 December, residents on the outer Argyll islands of Islay, Jura, Colonsay and Ornosay; Coll and Tiree; and Mull, Iona, and the neighbouring islands of Ulva, Erraid and Gometra will be able to meet in houses in groups of up to six from a maximum of two households.\n\nSix people from two households have been able to meet indoors if they are resident in Shetland, the Western Isles, Orkney and some islands (but not ones, like Skye, that are connected to the mainland by road). Level one sees a \"reasonable\" degree of normality. Hospitality has a 22:30 curfew. Events, like weddings, are restricted to a maximum of 20 people. Indoor contact sports for adults are not permitted. Only those unable to work from home should go to their place of employment. Up to eight people from three households can meet outdoors.\n\nNo local authority has been assigned this level. At level zero, hospitality would operate \"almost normally\" - subject to rules on physical distancing, limits on numbers and other rules, such as table service.\n\nUse the form below to send us your questions and we could be in touch.\n\nIn some cases your question will be published, displaying your name, age and location as you provide it, unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published. Please ensure you have read the terms and conditions.\n\nIf you are reading this page on the BBC News app, you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question on this topic.", "I have one simple rule for making sense of \"new variant\" or \"new strain\" coronavirus stories.\n\nAsk: \"Has the virus's behaviour changed?\"\n\nA mutated virus sounds instinctively scary, but to mutate and change is what viruses do.\n\nMost of the time it is either a meaningless tweak or the virus alters itself in such a way that it gets worse at infecting us and the new variant just dies out.\n\nOccasionally it hits on a new winning formula.\n\nThere is no clear-cut evidence the new variant of coronavirus - which has been detected in south-east England - is able to transmit more easily, cause more serious symptoms or render the vaccine useless.\n\nHowever, there are two reasons scientists are keeping a close eye on it.\n\nThe first is that levels of the variant are higher in places where cases are higher.\n\nIt is a warning sign, although it can be interpreted in two ways.\n\nThe virus could have mutated to spread more easily and is causing more infections.\n\nBut variants can also get a lucky break by infecting the right people at the right time. One explanation for the spread of the \"Spanish strain\" over the summer was simply people catching it on holiday and then bringing it home.\n\nIt will take experiments in the laboratory to figure out if this variant really is a better spreader than all the others.\n\nThe other issue that is raising scientific eyebrows is how the virus has mutated.\n\n\"It has a surprisingly large number of mutations, more than we would expect, and a few look interesting,\" Prof Nick Loman from the COVID-19 Genomics UK (COG-UK) Consortium told me.\n\nThere are two notable sets of mutation - and I apologise for their hideous names.\n\nBoth are found in the crucial spike protein, which is the key the virus uses to unlock the doorway into our body's cells in order to hijack them.\n\nThe mutation N501 (I did warn you) alters the most important part of the spike, known as the \"receptor-binding domain\".\n\nThis is where the spike makes first contact with the surface of our body's cells. Any changes that make it easier for the virus to get inside are likely to give it an edge.\n\n\"It looks and smells like an important adaptation,\" said Prof Loman.\n\nMass vaccination will put a different kind of pressure on the virus because it will have to change in order to infect people who have been immunised\n\nThe other mutation - a H69/V70 deletion - has emerged several times before, including famously in infected mink.\n\nThe concern was that antibodies from the blood of survivors was less effective at attacking that variant of virus.\n\nAgain, it is going to take more laboratory studies to really understand what is going on.\n\nProf Alan McNally, from the University of Birmingham, said: \"We know there's a variant, we know nothing about what that means biologically.\n\n\"It is far too early to make any inference on how important this may or may not be.\"\n\nMutations to the spike protein lead to questions about the vaccine because the three leading jabs - Pfizer, Moderna and Oxford - all train the immune system to attack the spike.\n\nHowever, the body learns to attack multiple parts of the spike. That is why health officials remain convinced the vaccine will work against this variant.\n\nThis is a virus that evolved in animals and made the jump to infecting people around a year ago.\n\nSince then it has been picking up around two mutations a month - take a sample today and compare it to the first ones from Wuhan in China and there would be around 25 mutations separating them.\n\nCoronavirus is still trying out different combinations of mutations to properly nail infecting humans.\n\nWe have seen this happen before: The emergence and global dominance of another variant (G614) is seen by many as the virus getting better at spreading.\n\nBut soon mass vaccination will put a different kind of pressure on the virus because it will have to change in order to infect people who have been immunized.\n\nIf this does drive the evolution of the virus, we may have to regularly update the vaccines, as we do for flu, to keep up.", "The herbal pill is advertised on websites and in-store as helping with Covid-19\n\nFake \"Covid-19 immunity boosters\" are being sold over the counter in London shops, a BBC investigation has found.\n\nCoronil, a herbal remedy from India, was found on sale in shops in predominantly Asian areas across the capital.\n\nTests carried out for the BBC show the pills offer no protection from coronavirus.\n\nA lab test of the drug carried out by Birmingham University for the BBC showed the pills contained plant-based ingredients which cannot protect against Covid-19.\n\nVirologist Dr Maitreyi Shivkumar said the idea of \"boosting\" immunity makes no sense in terms of treating coronavirus.\n\n\"There are lots of nuances in how our immune system responds to the virus. We do not even know that heightening immunity helps,\" she said.\n\n\"It is unclear what Coronil is trying to do to the immune system.\"\n\nPatanjali Ayurved is a multibillion-pound healthcare brand in India, founded by Acharya Balkrishna (left) and Baba Ramdev\n\nSimilar claims are permitted in India, where Patanjali Ayurved has a large following.\n\nOne shop in Wembley advertises Coronil as a \"Covid-19 immunity booster\" both in store and on its website.\n\nThe BBC has located at least four other stores that sell the pills, claiming they treat Covid-19.\n\nOne customer told the BBC: \"I take it because I'm 78.\n\n\"If I go out shopping I could catch coronavirus from anybody. That's why I take it… to protect myself.\"\n\nThere are no authorised health claims in the UK that any substance can \"boost\" immunity, according to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).\n\nClaims to prevent, treat or alleviate the symptoms of coronavirus cannot be made without a product being licensed by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).\n\nThe MHRA, which has not approved Coronil for any use, said: \"Appropriate action will be taken where any unauthorised medicinal product is offered or sold on the UK market.\"\n\nPatanjali Ayurved founder Baba Ramdev claimed in June that Coronil had cured Covid-19 patients.\n\n\"Our medicine resulted in 69% of coronavirus patients testing negative after three days and 100% after seven days,\" he said.\n\nThe Indian government has said Patanjali Ayurved can market Coronil as an immunity booster but not a cure.\n\nPatanjali Ayurved has now withdrawn its claim that Coronil is a cure for Covid-19.\n\nAccording to Full Fact, an independent fact-checking organisation, \"misinformation like this can cause harm to people's health and finances\".\n\nAbbas Panjwani, a researcher at Full Fact, said: \"During a pandemic, it is natural and perhaps understandable for people to seek out answers.\"\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Strictly winner Bill Bailey: 'I never thought we'd get this far'\n\nComedian Bill Bailey has been crowned the winner of this year's Strictly Come Dancing, becoming the oldest celebrity to lift the glitterball trophy.\n\nThe 55-year-old shared his triumph with partner Oti Mabuse, the first Strictly dancer to win for two years in a row.\n\nBailey beat EastEnders' Maisie Smith and singer HRVY at the end of Saturday's grand final.\n\n\"It feel surreal, it feels extraordinary, it feels wonderful,\" Bailey said as he was named the winner.\n\n\"I never thought we'd get this far, never thought we'd get to the final.\n\n\"But I have had the most extraordinary teacher and the most extraordinary dancer,\" he added, paying tribute to Mabuse. \"Someone who believed in me right from the beginning, and she found something in me and turned me into this, into a dancer.\"\n\nIn response Mabuse told him: \"I think you are amazing, remarkable. You just put your heart and soul into everything. Thank you for being a friend, a father figure to me, a brother, and for this [the glitterball trophy]!\"\n\nActor Joe McFadden had been Strictly's previous oldest winner, having won in 2017 at the age of 42.\n\nBill and Oti performed their showdance to The Show Must Go On by Queen\n\nMabuse, who has danced on Strictly since 2015, also won last year's series with Emmerdale actor Kelvin Fletcher.\n\nAliona Vilani is the only other pro dancer to have triumphed twice, having won with Harry Judd and Jay McGuinness in 2011 and 2015 respectively.\n\nMade in Chelsea's Jamie Laing also made it to this year's final, having survived an unprecedented four dance-offs throughout the series.\n\nBailey is known for his appearances on QI, Never Mind the Buzzcocks and the Channel 4 sitcom Black Books.\n\nSaturday's finale was watched by an average audience of 11.6 million - up from 11.3 million last year.\n\nIn an interview last week, Craig Revel Horwood said he \"really thought Bill Bailey would be the Ann Widdecombe of this series\".\n\nAnd that perfectly sums up the attitude many had towards Bill at the beginning of Strictly 2020. At his age, particularly being a comedian, he would surely fall into the novelty category; hired for entertainment value rather than serious dancing.\n\nBut Bill gradually improved as the weeks went on, with his routine to Rapper's Delight by the Sugarhill Gang (who later praised his performance) proving a turning point. Viewers realised he was focused and really putting in the hours to learn complex routines.\n\n\"It makes me smile to have confounded people's expectations,\" Bailey recently wrote in The Telegraph. \"I always intended to give it my all, perhaps to offset my pantomime horse role - but what I didn't expect was to be able to dance well, certainly not with a degree of confidence.\"\n\nBill Bailey was not the best dancer in this year's Strictly. Until Saturday night's final, he hadn't topped the leaderboard, often trailing behind the younger, more agile, contestants like Maisie and HRVY.\n\nBut that didn't matter. Being the best dancer is actually not what Strictly is about. Much more important is the journey a celebrity goes on over the series; their effort, their commitment, their improvement. Oti's continuing popularity certainly didn't hurt, but ultimately the British public loves an underdog.\n\nBailey became a firm fan favourite during his time on the show, particularly after his and Oti's dance to Rapper's Delight by The Sugarhill Gang, which went viral earlier in the series.\n\nTheir Couple's Choice routine was one of three the pair performed on Saturday night.\n\nThis YouTube post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on YouTube The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts. Skip youtube video by BBC Strictly Come Dancing This article contains content provided by Google YouTube. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Google’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts. End of youtube video by BBC Strictly Come Dancing\n\nThe pair also reprised their week two Quickstep to Bobby Darin's Talk to the Animals, as well as a new Showdance to Queen's The Show Must Go On.\n\nSpeaking ahead of the final, Bailey said it was \"wonderful\" if he had come to be seen as a role model for mature would-be hoofers.\n\n\"Blokes sometimes feel a bit self-conscious, particularly blokes of my age,\" the hirsute funnyman told journalists. \"They feel like they're going to be called the dad dancer.\n\n\"I think if me showing I can get out there and look a little bit more than somebody shuffling about, then why not?\"\n\nThis year's series was shorter than usual due to the coronavirus pandemic, though that did not prevent the virus having an impact.\n\nHRVY tested positive for coronavirus 10 days before the launch show was filmed, while boxer Nicola Adams was forced to withdraw when her partner Katya Jones tested positive.\n\nThe Duchess of Cornwall made an appearance on the final to pay tribute to the Strictly cast and crew\n\nThe couple had made Strictly history by becoming the first same-sex duo to compete on the programme. They returned for a special performance in Saturday's final.\n\nThere was also a musical performance from Robbie Williams and an appearance from the Duchess of Cornwall, who paid tribute to the cast and crew of Strictly for \"lifting the whole country's spirits\".\n\n\"I'd like to, on the behalf of everybody who watches Strictly, to say an enormous thank you to everybody,\" she said. \"Everybody who has been involved in this production, in this particularity difficult year, you have given everybody so much pleasure and you've uplifted the nation.\"\n\nConcerns over Transatlantic travel meant Bruno Tonioli could only appear virtually this year, while judge Motsi Mabuse - Oti's older sister - had to take two weeks off in order to self-isolate.\n\nThat was good news for Anton Du Beke who, having been eliminated in week two along with his partner Jacqui Smith, got to sit on the judging panel while Motsi was away.\n\nThe BBC received more than 150 complaints from viewers after three of the other professional dancers appeared in drag during a Priscilla, Queen of the Desert routine.\n\nClaudia Winkleman, meanwhile, was forced to make an on-air apology after The Wanted's Max George was heard uttering a profanity after one of his dance routines.\n\nClaudia and Tess Daly will be back on Christmas Day to present a Strictly special featuring 25 of the BBC One show's most memorable routines to date.\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "Some Covid restrictions are being reintroduced in response to the Omicron variant.\n\nCheck what the rules are in your area by entering your postcode or council name below.\n\nA modern browser with JavaScript and a stable internet connection is required to view this interactive. What are the rules in your area? Enter a full UK postcode or council name to find out\n\nIf you cannot see the look-up, click here.\n\nThe rules highlighted in the search tool are a selection of the key government restrictions in place in your area.\n\nAlways check your relevant national and local authority website for more information on the situation where you live. Also check local guidance before travelling to others parts of the UK.\n\nAll the guidance in our search look-up comes from national government websites.\n\nFor more information on national measures see:\n\nFind out how the pandemic has affected your area and how it compares with the national average by following this link to an in depth guide to the numbers involved.", "We can bring you some business reaction to Boris Johnson's announcement of tier four restrictions in the south and east of England, including London.\n\n\"The consequences of this decision will be severe,\" Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium said.\n\nShe said the government’s \"stop-start approach\" to coronavirus restrictions has been \"deeply unhelpful\" for retailers ahead of the usually busy and lucrative Christmas period.\n\nAdam Marshall of the British Chambers of Commerce echoed Dickinson, calling on the government to \"address the economic consequences of its actions\".\n\nHe said that retailers needed extra financial support to get through the winter and beyond.\n\nFederation of Small Businesses vice-chair Martin McTague said tier four restrictions would be a \"hammer blow\" to non-essential retailers.\n\n\"From shops to hairdressers, this would normally the one of the busiest times of the year,\" he said.\n\n\"Many will have bought extra stock and increased staff hours, now their takings are to disappear literally overnight.\"\n\nMichael Kill, chief executive of the Night Time Industries Association, said retailers had \"lost all confidence\" in the UK government's strategy for tackling coronavirus.\n\n\"The unrelenting closing and reopening of businesses is costing owners hundreds of thousands of pounds, and coupled with the erratic decision-making around restrictions, is rapidly destroying the ability of the sector to bounce back,\" he said.", "A fourth tier of coronavirus restrictions is expected to be introduced in London and south-east England, sources have told the BBC.\n\nThere is also expected to be a tightening of the plans to relax the rules around households gathering during the Christmas period.\n\nThe PM is to hold a press conference at 16:00 GMT as concerns grow about the spread of a new variant of the virus.\n\nBoris Johnson hosted a cabinet meeting earlier to discuss what action to take.\n\nChief medical officer Prof Chris Whitty said government advisers \"consider the new strain can spread more quickly\".\n\nHe will join the prime minister and Sir Patrick Vallance, the government's chief scientific adviser, at the press conference.\n\nEngland's current three-tier system of coronavirus measures has faced criticism for not being effective in stopping the surge in cases.\n\nThe first ministers from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland held talks with Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove earlier.\n\nScotland's Nicola Sturgeon, who will hold a press conference later, tweeted: \"Cases currently at lower level in Scotland than UK - but preventative action may be necessary to stop faster spreading strain taking hold.\"\n\nWelsh ministers are meeting to discuss \"serious concerns\", while Northern Ireland First Minister Arlene Foster tweeted that the new variant of coronavirus prevalent in south-east England was \"very concerning\".\n\nWales and Northern Ireland have already announced post-Christmas lockdowns. Covid rules were due to be relaxed across the UK between 23 and 27 December, with up to three households being able to meet.\n\nAny change of restrictions for London and the South East would not require MPs' approval in a Commons vote, as they are only held for England or UK-wide measures.\n\nIt was just 72 hours ago that Boris Johnson was resisting pressure to cancel relaxations of restrictions over Christmas. He told a press conference cancelling the festive plans would be \"inhuman\".\n\nBut concern has grown significantly in the last couple of days; both about the rising number of cases and the new variant of the virus disclosed earlier this week.\n\nMinisters met with their scientific advisers on Friday evening - and again on Saturday morning. Things have moved quickly in the last 24 hours.\n\nSources have confirmed a new tier 4 will be introduced in London and the South East of England. That's likely to mean closure of non-essential shops and beauty salons.\n\nThat's likely to have a significant impact of Christmas plans and what people can do in and around the capital.\n\nThere are also conversations taking place in the devolved administrations about whether further restrictions are needed there too.\n\nFollowing concern about the rapid spread of a new variant, Prof Whitty said: \"We have alerted the World Health Organization and are continuing to analyse the available data to improve our understanding.\"\n\nThat came after advice from the New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (Nervtag) - the expert committee that advises the government on pandemics.\n\n\"There is no current evidence to suggest the new strain causes a higher mortality rate or that it affects vaccines and treatments although urgent work is under way to confirm this,\" Prof Whitty added.\n\nChairman of Nervtag, Peter Horby, said they had not found the variant to be more severe but being easier to transmit meant it was harder to control.\n\nPaul Hunter, professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia, said it was a big concern that the new variant seemed to be \"out-competing the other viruses very fast indeed\".\n\nHe told the BBC News Channel: \"The really worrying thing from my perspective is that this was something we didn't know about at the beginning of this month and it appeared. And from what we hear, it is already becoming one of the dominant strains.\"\n\nAsked if the transmission would move northwards, he said \"almost certainly\".\n\nViruses do mutate - so this development should not come as a complete surprise.\n\nThere's already been thousands of different variants of this coronavirus seen globally.\n\nThere is nothing to suggest this one causes more serious illness or would impact the ability of the vaccines to work.\n\nBut preliminary investigation suggests it is leading to faster transmission, according to the UK's chief medical adviser.\n\nThat's clearly causing concern, especially ahead of Christmas when relaxing restrictions means there is more opportunity for the virus to spread.\n\nIf the preliminary analysis is right it may well explain why infection rates started increasing in London during lockdown - something that has baffled experts.\n\nBut as yet there has been no detailed data published on this so it is hard to know how clear that evidence is.\n\nWhat is certain, however, is that cases are rising in most quickly in the South East - and that is translating to more pressure on hospitals.\n\nWhile the numbers in hospital has remained stable in recent weeks across the north of England and the Midlands, the number of patients in hospital in the South East is rising, especially in London, which has seen close to a 50% increase over the past week.\n\nThat in itself is not unusual - the first wave saw surges at slightly different times. What is happening in the South East could just be a repeat of that.\n\nBut ministers and their officials are clearly not prepared to wait to find out with the country entering such a delicate and potentially risky period with the Christmas relaxations.\n\nShadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth called on the prime minister to set out \"what action he will be taking\" as the virus was \"out of control in parts of the country\".\n\nJeremy Hunt, a former health secretary, said the government needed \"to respond to what is happening on the ground\" with hospital admissions rising.\n\nHealth bosses have warned the NHS is under significant pressure, with nearly 90% of hospital beds in England full.\n\nHospitals in Kent are postponing non-urgent procedures as coronavirus cases in the county rise beyond figures seen in the spring.\n\nAnalysis suggests the R number - which represents how many people each infected person passes the virus onto - has risen above 1 in the UK.\n\nMeanwhile, tier three Covid rules have come into force for parts of southern England, meaning that 38 million people - more than two-thirds of the nation's population - are now subject to the toughest restrictions.\n\nThe changes, which came into effect at 00:01 GMT, see Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Hertfordshire and parts of Surrey, East Sussex, Cambridgeshire and Hampshire join the list of areas now in the highest level of England's three-tier system.\n\nIn tier three, pubs and restaurants must close and different households cannot mix indoors or in most outdoor venues.\n\nOn Friday, the UK recorded a further 28,507 cases, along with 489 deaths within 28 days of a positive test.\n\nHow will these latest restrictions affect your plans for Christmas? Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "The UK and EU continue to negotiate as talks on a post-Brexit trade deal enter another critical 48-hour period.\n\nTalks in Brussels are understood to be focused on how many years it will take to phase in new fisheries arrangements.\n\nWith the two sides at odds over access to UK fishing waters and quota levels, the EU's negotiator said the \"moment of truth\" had arrived and there were \"only a few hours left\" to seal an agreement.\n\nBoris Johnson has vowed to keep talking but warned gaps had yet to be bridged.\n\nSenior MEPs in the European Parliament have said they will not be \"rushed\" into signing off a deal on their side and want to see the text of any agreement by Sunday if they are to approve it by the end of the year.\n\nThe UK will stop following the EU's trading rules in less than two weeks time.\n\nIf there is no agreement by 1 January, the two sides will rely on World Trade Organization (WTO) rules to govern exports and imports, which could see charges introduced on goods being sold and bought - and could lead to an increase in prices.\n\nSpeaking in the European Parliament on Friday, the EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier said it was \"the moment of truth\" for the talks and while there was still a \"chance\" of a deal, the \"path was very narrow\".\n\nEarlier, he met fishing ministers from EU states to discuss the continuing divisions over the issue.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Michel Barnier says negotiations have \"just a few hours\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Boris Johnson: \"Our door is open\" for post-Brexit trade talks\n\nThe two sides have been at odds over the length of time it will take to introduce new arrangements once the UK leaves the bloc's Common Fisheries Policy.\n\nTony Connelly, RTE's Europe editor, said: \"I think we are really in the final stages because it looks like they are just now talking about fish, perhaps state aid as well, but all of the issues have been boxed off and we are now in final hours focusing on fisheries.\"\n\nMr Connelly told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that although fishing only makes up a small part of the UK economy, for fishing communities in Europe, it is a \"moment of real pain.\"\n\n\"They have built up an industry, they have invested in boats and they've had access to these waters for decades, if not centuries and it has been taken away from them and they have not real say in the matter, they had no part in the vote - so feelings are running pretty high,\" he said.\n\nHe added that while both sides would like to come to an agreement this weekend, \"I don't think either side wants to be pressurised into last minute concessions they will regret later.\"\n\nThe UK, led by its chief negotiator David Frost, has insisted its sovereign rights over its waters must be respected from day one and its fleets must be able to keep a much larger share of their own catch.\n\nThe EU is insisting on a much longer transition period, with guarantees on access and how catches are distributed.\n\nMr Barnier warned on Friday that if the UK wanted to reduce access for EU fishing vessels then it would \"maintain its sovereign right\" to impose new conditions on UK firms' access to its common market for goods.\n\nIn response, Mr Johnson said the UK side was willing to keep talking but things were looking difficult and urged the EU to \"come to the table\" with new proposals that recognised the UK's autonomy.\n\nWhy, you might ask, if the EU's priority in negotiations was to protect the single market, is Brussels allowing the issue of fish to endanger the whole deal?\n\nThe level playing field is worth a lot more in monetary and political terms to the bloc, but it sounds quite abstract to voters.\n\nHowever, fishermen and women losing their jobs, industries dwindling... that would be very visible, very quickly, elevating the importance of fishing rights.\n\nIt is in coastal countries where governments fear a public backlash if it's perceived they've sacrificed national fishing communities for a deal with UK.\n\nAlthough the majority of EU members are not coastal nations, and although everyone in the bloc would love to finally put this deal to bed - for political and financial reasons, as well as being plain fed up with the process - the EU as a whole won't try to force member states to sign up if they are unhappy.\n\nMichel Barnier spoke to EU coastal countries on Friday to try to find a compromise position but, because of the \"nothing is agreed until everything is agreed\" mantra of negotiations, the EU mood is less optimistic about prospect of imminent breakthrough than it was two days ago.\n\nThe two sides are reported to have made progress in recent days on the issues of fair competition and what to do if the UK is deemed to get an unfair competitive advantage by moving away from EU rules and standards.\n\nIf a deal is reached between the two sides, it would need to be agreed by parliaments in the UK and the European Union's member states.\n\nUK MPs have now finished for the Christmas break, but Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove said on Thursday that they could be called back to ratify a deal in the coming days, were one to be agreed.", "The \"festive magic\" promised by the organisers did not materialise, according to angry visitors\n\nFamilies have demanded refunds from a \"shambolic\" drive-through Santa's grotto after queuing for hours.\n\nIt opened on Friday night and promised a 1km (0.6 mile) sparkling light trail through the grounds of Taverham Hall, near Norwich.\n\nThe event's Facebook page was later flooded with complaints about traffic chaos, \"creepy\" performers who scared children, and \"Poundland\" gifts.\n\n\"It was an absolute fiasco from start to finish,\" said visitor Louise Purdy.\n\nOrganiser We Make Events has been approached for comment.\n\nPeople commenting on social media said they queued for up to three hours in rush-hour traffic, having bought tickets for a time slot.\n\nA Scrooge character prompted a warning on a parenting site after he gave one young visitor nightmares\n\nMany turned away with tired, upset children, with one parent stating: \"Would've been quicker to get to the North Pole.\"\n\nAnother said: \"Three very grumpy children and four disappointed adults down £110.\"\n\nSome of those who did make it inside were unhappy with what had been billed as \"huge amounts of festive magic\".\n\nA \"scary\" Scrooge-like character prompted one mum to post a warning on a parenting site after her child had nightmares.\n\nLouise Purdy said she told her three-year-old son the inflatables were having a sleep\n\nMs Purdy, who was there with her two-year-old and five-year-old nephews and son, aged three, said the whole thing was comically awful.\n\n\"We wanted the sparkle, the magic of Christmas, but I actually started laughing because I couldn't comprehend how rubbish it was.\n\n\"The Scrooge guy called us all mutants, said Santa has crashed his sleigh and the presents are in the mud, and there was a man in chains by a tree just staring at the car.\n\n\"It was creepy, but was meant to be for little kids.\n\n\"The light tunnel at the end wasn't even switched on and the Santa couldn't be less interested.\"\n\nAnother parent said: \"The gifts were rubbish, not even wrapped, just in brown paper bags and they were things probably bought in Poundland.\"\n\nThe Purdy family queued for almost two hours\n\nKerry Prentice from Norwich, who paid £68 for three tickets, told BBC Radio Norfolk she left after 90 minutes having been told she would probably have to wait a further two hours.\n\n\"We wanted something really nice to do as a family, but it was appalling and we've had no response from the organisers.\"\n\nWe Make Events is yet to respond to complaints but has issued a statement asking visitors to adjust their route \"to ease traffic worries\".\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk", "Nearly 90% of hospital beds in England are full as hospitals try to cope with the demands of Covid in addition to normal winter pressures.\n\nAmbulances queuing to offload patients, staff sickness and a lack of beds mean hospitals are \"at a really dangerous point\", say emergency doctors.\n\nThis could result in some trusts facing the decision to stop non-Covid work.\n\nRises in hospital admissions are particularly affecting areas in the south.\n\nThe percentage of NHS hospital beds which are occupied is increasing and has reached almost 89% in England for the week ending December 13.\n\nThis is the highest occupancy rate so far this year - it's still lower than the same time last year, although the extra burden of Covid is likely to make hospitals feel they are much busier.\n\nA safe level for bed occupancy is below 90% but nearly half of NHS trusts report a figure currently higher than this - the largest proportion this season.\n\nThe south and east of England are facing the most pressure on beds.\n\nAcross England, individual hospitals and trusts are coping with varying levels of pressure, and these can change daily.\n\nTrusts in and around London make up most of the busiest ranked by beds occupied - all of the top 10 are over 95%, with three running even higher at over 97%.\n\nDr Katherine Henderson, president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, told the BBC: \"We are at a really dangerous point which could tip into finding it incredibly difficult to manage.\"\n\nShe said the combination of staff who are tired, unwell or having to isolate, and the additional burden of Covid, was an \"awful situation\" to be in.\n\nShe added that it would be difficult to keep other work going, with pressure \"so tight\" on intensive care beds.\n\n\"We have to get a grip of the virus and do whatever it takes,\" Dr Henderson added.\n\nDr Nick Scriven, immediate past president of the Society for Acute Medicine, said he suspected \"many, many trusts\" had already cancelled routine clinics or procedures to try to free up staff for the challenges of winter.\n\n\"What we do know is that the country is in the grip of one crisis and is about to embark on another in the coming weeks, and the fact we will see a festive period with families mixing strikes fear into the hearts of clinicians on the frontline,\" he said.\n\nRecent rises in numbers of people admitted to hospital with Covid are putting major pressure on other hospital work.\n\nIt also means critical care is getting busier in England, with three-quarters of of adult critical care beds occupied last week - up slightly from the previous week.\n\nHowever, this figure was higher during the week ending 22 November in the midst of the second lockdown, when it hit 76.4%.\n\nThree NHS trusts reported their critical-care beds were 100% full - Calderdale and Huddersfield, Portsmouth Hospitals University and Sandwell and West Birmingham, in the week to 13 December.\n\nDelays in ambulances transferring patients over to emergency staff when they arrive at hospital are also causing knock-on problems.\n\nOne in seven ambulances faced delays of 30 minutes doing this, affecting more than 13,000 patients. The target is to transfer patients within 15 minutes.\n\nThe highest proportion of ambulance delays occurred in University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust (43%), Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust (42%) and North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust (41%).\n\nHowever, ambulance delays are common during winter and this number is not particularly high for this time of year.\n\nLike most front-line sectors, coronavirus has had an impact on staffing due to illness and self-isolation.\n\nBack in April, when the virus first peaked, the staff absence rate reached 6.2% - the highest on record. This means that more than one in 20 working days were lost to illness.\n\nRoughly a third of these were lost due to coronavirus.\n\nWe don't have data coinciding with the most recent surge in cases , so we can't assess how well Kent and Medway - which is very much at the epicentre of the outbreak at the moment - is dealing with staffing. But when London was the centre of the crisis, sickness rates hit as high as 7.2%.\n\nWith winter coming in, the pressures of coronavirus will add to what is already a difficult time of the year for staffing; over the past five years, January's absence rate has averaged at just under 5%.\n\nNHS Providers has pointed out that this is combined with already high staff vacancies, which stand at 85,000 in England. This is down from 110,000 in 2018.\n\nIt is also worth mentioning that - with the exception of April - coronavirus has not been the leading cause of staff absences throughout the year. Burn-out, anxiety and other mental health issues equate to one in three sick days for NHS staff in most months.", "The Prince Charles Hospital in Merthyr Tydfil is seeing \"unprecedented\" demand\n\nThe number of people in hospital with Covid is the highest since the pandemic began, with a top doctor saying it could get \"significantly worse\".\n\nThere are 2,231 coronavirus patients in hospitals and Wales' lead respiratory doctor said hospital pressures were \"much worse than the first wave\".\n\nIt comes as Cwm Taf Morgannwg health board said Covid patients were occupying all its intensive care beds.\n\nHywel Dda will delay routine care due to a record number of Covid inpatients.\n\nIntensive care units across Wales are treating the highest number of coronavirus patients since April.\n\nThe UK's seven most infected local authorities are all in Wales - Merthyr Tydfil tops the list with 1,128.9 cases per 100,000 people - while Bridgend, in second, has the highest Covid test positivity rate in the country with 28%.\n\nCwm Taf Morgannwg, the health board that covers Merthyr Tydfil, Pontypridd and Bridgend, has suspended some non-emergency services and is treating 500 coronavirus patients in an \"unprecedented demand\" on services.\n\nNow Hywel Dda, the health board that covers parts of west and mid Wales, will temporarily postpone routine appointments from Monday as it is \"treating the highest number of inpatients with confirmed Covid-19 since the onset of the pandemic\".\n\nTwo other south Wales health boards - Aneurin Bevan in the south-east and Swansea Bay - have also suspended non-urgent care.\n\nWales has the highest infection rate of the UK nations - 530.2 cases per 100,000 people over seven days - and Dr Simon Barry, the national respiratory lead doctor in Wales, has warned the pressure on Welsh hospitals will get worse.\n\n\"It is fair to say, and this belief is reflected by my colleagues in other parts of Wales, it is exceptionally busy and much worse than it was during the first wave,\" said Dr Barry.\n\n\"The hospitals are full - they are full of general medical patients. The difference with the first wave is that both streams are busy so we basically don't have capacity in the hospitals.\"\n\nAlmost 18,000 of Wales' 117,367 Covid cases have been reported by Public Health Wales in the past seven days and patients with the virus make up 28% of all patients in hospital.\n\nMore than 3,000 people have died in Wales with Covid and Wales' R number has risen to between 0.9 and 1.2 - and Dr Barry believes that is reflected in the number of patients in hospital.\n\nWhile hospitals are filling up, Dr Barry said the impact of staff sickness and isolation was affecting the care that can be delivered, with a shortage of intensive care nurses a \"major issue\".\n\nThe intensive care unit at Princess of Wales Hospital in Bridgend is also full of Covid patients\n\n\"On intensive care there are a lot of nurses who are sick or are shielding,\" said the consultant chest physician from Cardiff.\n\n\"You have to have one-to-two nursing, and they can't achieve that. Similarly, if you are managing patients on respiratory wards where you have got sick people, and it is essentially a high-dependency ward, we don't have enough nurses.\n\n\"That is reflected across every hospital in Wales. That is the major issue, it is about staffing.\"\n\nCwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board has seen a 28% rise in coronavirus patients over the past week and 42% of all its patients in hospital beds have the virus.\n\nThe numbers of patients with Covid-19 in hospital beds in Wales set another record on Thursday - 2,231 across Wales - up 13% on the week before.\n\nEarlier, Cwm Taf's medical director Dr Nick Lyons said people's behaviour was going to make a bigger difference, especially around Christmas, than the new Welsh Government rules.\n\n\"When I see our hospitals under the pressure they're under, the difficulties that are going to be caused to the population we serve by the decisions made, then I think it's as much making that personal link between what our own actions make as we prepare for Christmas,\" he said.\n\n\"That's going to make the real difference and that's going to save lives.\"\n\nCase rates in the areas which make up the Cwm Taf Morgannwg health board also include the two highest in Wales - Merthyr Tydfil and Bridgend.\n\nAneurin Bevan health board has the highest number of Covid patients - 43% of its 1,357 patients - while Hywel Dda is using more of its field hospitals to manage \"patient capacity and flow\" in hospitals.\n\n\"The measures we are taking are intended to protect patients with the most urgent clinical need whilst allowing us to reprioritise staff to mitigate the increasing risk of harm in acute and emergency care, due to the pressures,\" said Hywel Dda operations director Andrew Carruthers.", "A selection of your pictures of Scotland sent in between 11 and 18 December. Send your photos to scotlandpictures@bbc.co.uk. Please ensure you adhere to the BBC's rules regarding photographs that can be found here.\n\nPlease also ensure you follow current coronavirus guidelines and take your pictures safely and responsibly.\n\nConditions of use: If you submit an image, you do so in accordance with the BBC's terms and conditions..\n\nFirst light house: Beautiful sunrise from Aberdeen beach silhouetting the harbour’s south breakwater wall and lighthouse, thanks to David Hughes.\n\nA creel Christmas tree: \"We found this delightful, unusual Christmas tree made out of fishing equipment whilst walking a section of the Moray coastal path at Hopeman Harbour in Moray\", says Wilson Metcalfe.\n\nA grand, national view: \"My wife Mags and I were admiring great views of Arkle and Foinaven - from which Grand National winners took their names - when all of a sudden a Brocken spectre appeared\", says Stephen Wells. \"Our heads were in the middle of theses circular rainbows and our long leg shadows ran all the way back to us!\"\n\nA tree line trip: \"The dappled winter sun through the trees on an early afternoon walk through the grounds of Crathes Castle in Aberdeenshire\", courtesy of Matt Donachie.\n\nSun dogs: \"Beautiful morning in Nairn\" says David Clark. \"Chester, Cooper, Parker, Walter and Arthur all decided to have a sit down and watch it after their walk along the beach.\"\n\nWhat Mor could you ask for: Buachaille Etive Mor looking spectacular, courtesy of Karolina Samerek.\n\nShip shape: \"This image is the MV Loch Shira and the MV Caledonian Isles silhouetted under Ailsa Craig, with Great Cumbrae making an appearance\", says Peter Ribbeck. \"Taken from Largs in North Ayrshire\".\n\nStreet art: \"Hope you like Buchanan Street with the low winter sun streaming up the street\", says Jim Johnston in Glasgow.\n\nA frosty reception: The snowman image welcoming entry into this garage in Spean Bridge is courtesy of Mark Reynolds.\n\nNutting to see here: \"I caught this squirrel peeking out at me in Dundee whilst out for a walk\", says Cara Rogers.\n\nJust face it: \"Do you see a man with a Van Dyke beard?\", asks Peter Crane. \"Simply a beautiful sunrise over Glenmore in Cairngorms\".\n\nLoch and quay: \"Loch Lomond, just before sunrise\", says Victor Tregubov.\n\nSwan around: Nicola Thorne captured this \"calm\" scene at Irvine beach, Ayrshire, her hometown.\n\nHeaven sent: \"Spotted this beautifully decorated stone on the footpath from Dornoch to Embo\", says Anne Maclean.\n\nBreakfast club: \"Our especially tame Robin getting its daily morning feed from our eight-year-old daughter\", says Jamie Stoddart in Port of Menteith.\n\nCold snap: \"This is Lochinver Women's Swimming Group\", says Franci Hutchison. \"We swim at the Whiteshore and have nicknamed our group the 'Blue Boobys' after an exotic looking bird with blue feet. We love the sea, wild swimming, a laugh and a good blether!\"\n\nMud bath: Caroline Eadie spotted this very Scottish scene at Pollok Country Park.\n\nSocial bubble: \"I snapped this lucky shot on my phone while my two-year-old daughter and I played in the garden in Oldmeldrum, Aberdeenshire\", says Rachel Smith.\n\nYou really otter have expected to see me: Richard Melvin sent us this image from Arthur’s Seat in Edinburgh.\n\nRear window: \"Colours on my car back windscreen as the ice melted on it\" says Bill Crookston. \"It was unexpected and really beautiful\".\n\nSailing into the sunset: \"Watching the Isle of Arran ferry with Ailsa Craig on the Firth of Clyde\", says Patricia Strong.\n\nCity lights: \"I finally completed my Christmas shopping and took this picture of Glasgow City Chambers in George Square on my way home\", says Hannah McLatchie. \"So close to Christmas that even the puddle is festive! Hope you like it and that it was worth squatting for!\"\n\nA pony for your thoughts: \"An Exmoor pony at North Berwick Law looking like he was either admiring the view or snoozing\", says Sylvia Beaumont.\n\nCatch of the day: \"I am a fisherman so get good sunsets and sunrises from the boat and at home around the harbour area where I spend most of my time\", says Rowan Davies from Dunbar, East Lothian.\n\nDecorated hero: \"The WW1 centenary 'Tommy' Maybole silhouetted against the town's Christmas tree\", says Alistair Hastings. \"Reminded me of the Christmas truce in 1914\".\n\nMe and my shadow: \"We're stuck inside with bad weather, so Caty and daddy amused themselves making shadow puppets,\" says Alison Escobar.\n\nFlight of fancy? \"Apparently this plane is flying from Chicago to Baku\", says Gemma Brown from her garden in Insch, Aberdeenshire. \"But I feel it's flying past Cassiopeia, through Perseus on its way to the moon!\"\n\nCast away: Robert Kerr sent this shot of fishing at sunset near Moscow, in Ayrshire.\n\nWhy the long face? \"We had a friendly horse come over to say hello and get some of the nice grass on our side of the fence when out walking by Countesswells woods in Aberdeen\", says Ewan Martin.\n\nGolden wonder: \"I was just heading out of the Botanic Gardens when I noticed the low sun coming down\", says Henry Memmott. \"I waited for a while in the warm sun, and was rewarded with some gorgeous golden colours and beautiful silhouettes, just before the sun disappeared completely\"\n\nSanta claws: Guinea pigs Shakira and Boba getting into the Christmas spirit in Aberdeen. Hats off to Daisy Banks for this one.\n\nPlease ensure that the photograph you send is your own and if you are submitting photographs of children, we must have written permission from a parent or guardian of every child featured (a grandparent, auntie or friend will not suffice).\n\nIn contributing to BBC News you agree to grant us a royalty-free, non-exclusive licence to publish and otherwise use the material in any way, including in any media worldwide.\n\nHowever, you will still own the copyright to everything you contribute to BBC News.\n\nAt no time should you endanger yourself or others, take any unnecessary risks or infringe the law.\n\nYou can find more information here.\n\nAll photos are subject to copyright.", "Ian Hopkins had been on sick leave\n\nGreater Manchester Police's chief constable has stood down after the force was placed into special measures.\n\nThe force was put into an \"advanced phase\" of monitoring on Thursday after inspectors found it had failed to record 80,000 crimes in a year.\n\nIan Hopkins said he would step down with immediate effect.\n\nHome Secretary Priti Patel accused the region's mayor Andy Burnham of throwing the officer \"under the bus to save his own skin\".\n\nHer Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services (HMICFRS) said it was left \"deeply troubled\" over how cases handled by GMP were closed without proper investigation.\n\nIt said about 220 crimes a day went unrecorded in the year up to June 2020.\n\nIn a letter to the chief constable and Mr Burnham last week, Ms Patel said the report \"paints a worrying picture\" and she was \"deeply concerned\".\n\nBut Mr Burnham accused her of failing to give \"a fair and balanced picture\" of GMP.\n\nVictims' Commissioner for England and Wales Dame Vera Baird told BBC Radio 4's PM programme the force's failures were \"outstandingly bad\".\n\nShe said crimes like stalking and coercive control were \"profoundly traumatising\" and victims needed \"not only the support of police to get orders restraining the perpetrator and to take them to court, but they also need to be safeguarded and referred to appropriate victim's services\".\n\nShe added that \"none of that was happening\" and vulnerable people had \"simply been deserted\".\n\nIn a statement, Mr Hopkins, who had been on sick leave, said these were \"challenging times\" for GMP and he believed a chief constable should oversee the force's \"long-term strategic plan\" to address the issues raised from \"start to finish\".\n\nMr Hopkins revealed on Wednesday he had been suffering from labyrinthitis - an inner-ear infection which affects balance - since the end of October.\n\nThe news of the chief constable standing down had barely broken when reporters phones started buzzing with a message from Home Secretary Priti Patel's party political spokesman.\n\n\"It's no surprise that the Labour mayor of Manchester Andy Burnham has thrown a senior police officer under the bus to save his own skin,\" the message said.\n\nLast week, the MP wrote a blistering letter to Mr Burnham about GMP's performance, saying she was \"deeply concerned\".\n\nHer spokesman then sent the letter to journalists saying \"this is exactly what happens when Labour are in power - people are let down by them\".\n\nIn reply, Mr Burnham pointed out Conservative government cuts had lost the force 2,000 police officers and 1,000 police staff.\n\nHe also highlighted Ms Patel's department had failed to deport three members of an infamous Rochdale grooming gang.\n\nThis political tension between populist heavyweights could possibly bring about better policing for the people of Manchester, but it seems more likely that they will lose out as the parties battle over who is responsible for the miserable performance of the force, instead of working together to improve things.\n\nMr Hopkins said given his ill health, he would bring his retirement, which he was due to take in autumn 2021, forward.\n\nHe has been chief constable of GMP since October 2015, leading a force of almost 7,000 officers.\n\n\"Throughout my career, I have been committed to achieving the best outcomes for the people I serve [and] the decision to stand down is not one I have taken lightly, but I feel the time is right,\" he said.\n\nConservative MP for Bolton West Chris Green earlier called for Mr Burnham, who oversees policing in the region, to step down over the HMICFRS findings.\n\nThe Labour mayor said while he had \"a regard\" for Mr Hopkins, \"now is the time for new leadership and a new era in our police force\".\n\n\"At the end of the day, it's public confidence in Greater Manchester Police that matters,\" he said.\n\nHe said Mr Hopkins had led the force during \"one of the most difficult periods in its history\" and had dealt with budget cuts and \"complex threats\", such as the Manchester Arena terror attack, but GMP had not made the progress needed \"in other important areas\".\n\nMr Burnham, who has responsibilities around the force's governance and budgets, said he \"did not run GMP on a day-to-day basis\" and his job was to hold it to account.\n\n\"At times, this essential task has been made too difficult by an overly defensive culture within GMP,\" he said.\n\n\"This needs to change if GMP is to develop the open learning culture that will allow the failures identified to be properly addressed.\"\n\nMr Burnham said deputy chief constable Ian Pilling would assume the operational duties of chief constable ahead of a full recruitment process.\n\nStu Berry, the chairman of Greater Manchester Police Federation, said the issues that had been reported about the force's failures \"should not - and must not - detract from the efforts of our hard working officers\".\n\nHe added that it had been \"an extremely busy, difficult and demanding year for Greater Manchester Police and our members have worked tremendously hard to keep our communities safe during this extraordinary Covid pandemic\".\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "The River Towy at Carmarthen flooded on Saturday\n\nA landslip at a coal tip is being investigated by engineers following heavy rain.\n\nRhondda Cynon Taf council leader Andrew Morgan said about a 40-50m section had slipped at Wattstown, although he did not believe it posed a risk to the nearby Rhondda bypass.\n\nElsewhere, parts of Carmarthen have flooded after the River Towy burst its banks.\n\nFlood warnings and alerts remain in place in some parts of Wales.\n\nNatural Resources Wales (NRW) warned people to \"take extra care and keep a safe distance\" from river banks.\n\nMr Morgan said the Wattstown site has been the focus of drone checks every two weeks after a landslip at nearby Tylorstown in February.\n\nNo properties are in the vicinity of the latest landslip, he said.\n\n\"It looks far worse than it is but it's the second landslip this year,\" he said.\n\nEngineers are investigating the landslip at Wattstown\n\nRhondda MP Chris Bryant tweeted that \"everything that needs to be done will be done\".\n\nWales is set to get £31m for essential flood repairs. The money would help repair areas - including coal tips - damaged by Storm Dennis in February.\n\nA Welsh Government spokesperson said it had \"already commissioned work to develop options\" for the Wattstown site and it would work with council and the Coal Authority to provide \"necessary support\".\n\nMore heavy rain is expected following severe flooding in Carmarthenshire\n\nCarmarthenshire was severely flooded by the River Towy on Saturday, with local businesses badly affected.\n\nDafydd Williams, from Llangunnor, said: \"\"High tide was 09:30 GMT this morning and we've got another high tide again around 16:30 GMT, so another coming in this afternoon.\n\n\"Businesses have already been badly hit by Covid and having to close at 18:00 every day, now they're clearing stock from where they've been flooded.\"\n\nParts of the Brecon Beacons had the most rainfall in Wales on Friday - with 98mm falling at Llyn-y-Fan in Carmarthenshire, making it the third wettest place in the UK.\n\nThe village of Tyn-y-Waun in Bridgend county was Wales' second wettest with 82mm (3.2in) on Friday, according to NRW data.\n\nThat compares to Wales' average December rainfall of 166mm (6.5in) for the whole month.\n\nIn Newbridge on Usk, Monmouthshire a delivery driver had to be rescued from flood waters as river levels rose in the heavy rain.\n\nNatural Resources Wales (NRW) warned people to \"take extra care and keep a safe distance\" from river banks.\n\nIt comes after the Met Office issued a weather warning for rain on Friday.\n\nStreets and roads were flooded by the River Towy in Carmarthen\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "The Duchess of Sussex has settled a legal claim against a news agency that photographed her and her son, Archie, the High Court has heard.\n\nSplash News and Picture Agency - which is in administration - has agreed not to take photos of her, Prince Harry or Archie, should it resume trading.\n\nMeghan's solicitor said the photos were taken during a \"private family outing\" in a park in Canada.\n\nThe pictures were taken in Horth Hill Regional Park on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, on 20 January, using a long lens, and showed Meghan walking with her two dogs, with Archie in a baby sling.\n\nThe duke and duchess had set up base in Canada at the time, after announcing their intention to step back as senior members of the Royal Family and divide their time between the UK and North America. They later relocated to Meghan's home state of California.\n\nMeghan brought privacy and data protection claims against Splash in March both in her own right and with her husband, Harry, on behalf of Archie.\n\nHowever, Splash UK went into administration on 1 July, after the claim had been issued and served.\n\nMr Justice Nicklin heard details of the settlement at a remote High Court hearing.\n\nMeghan's solicitor, Jenny Afia, said that in light of the administration the parties had agreed to settle the claim against the agency, with Splash UK agreeing not to take any photographs of the couple or their son, should it come out of administration in the future.\n\nMs Afia told the court the couple's case was that the taking of the photographs was an \"unlawful invasion of privacy\" and their subsequent syndication to the media violated their data protection rights.\n\nShe said the couple held that when the photographs were taken, Meghan and Archie were on \"a private family outing in a remote rural setting and that there was no public interest in the photographs\".\n\nMs Afia added it was the couple's case that, a day before the photographs were taken, a Splash photographer made \"a full reconnaissance inspection\" of their private home, \"walking around it looking to identify entry and exit points and putting his camera over the fence to take photographs\".\n\nNeil Allen, of the administrators of Splash UK, accepted \"all that Ms Afia has said\" on behalf of the agency.\n\nA spokesman for the parent company Splash said: \"Splash confirms that one of its former companies has agreed that, should it begin trading again, it will not take unauthorised photographs of the family of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.\"\n\nA spokesman for Schillings, Meghan and Harry's legal representatives, said the settlement was \"a clear signal that unlawful, invasive and intrusive paparazzi behaviour will not be tolerated, and that the couple takes these matters seriously - just as any family would.\"\n\nA simultaneous and similar claim against Splash US - Splash UK's American sister company - is continuing through the UK courts, the spokesman added.\n\nThe duchess is also suing Associated Newspapers, publisher of The Mail On Sunday and MailOnline, over publication of a letter the duchess wrote to her estranged father, Thomas Markle.\n\nIn October, she was granted a postponement of the trial, which had been due to be held in January, until autumn 2021.", "Boris Johnson and Ursula von der Leyen when they met earlier this year\n\nThe two sides in this complicated and drawn out process have agreed that it is worth trying one last time to find a way through their profound differences.\n\nBut the statements from the prime minister and the EU chief, Ursula von der Leyen, signal clearly that a trade deal is out of reach right now - spelling out that if no-one budges in the next few days, it's simply not going to happen.\n\nA feature of Brexit negotiations has often been the last minute stand off, the political emergency, before suddenly, lo and behold, a deal emerges from the wreckage.\n\nBy Monday night, that tradition may have been proven again.\n\nYet it seems there is a lot more to be done than ironing out a few last minute glitches.\n\nThe UK believes that after months of talks, the EU - pushed by some member states - has hardened its stance on the same old stumbling blocks.\n\nAnd that's pushed a deal that was in reach just a few days ago, further away.\n\nFor both sides, not reaching a deal would be a political failure.\n\nThe prime minister has warned that it might not come to pass and has tried to assure the public about what would happen if it can't be done.\n\nBut the UK and the EU have both said on repeated occasions that a deal is what they want - eager to avoid the disruption of leaving the transition period at the end of this year without arrangements in place.\n\nAnd their negotiating teams have worked for months on the mechanics of how the conundrums over our departure from the trading bloc could be resolved.\n\nBut the two sides are still stuck over the fundamental, political question - who really calls the shots.\n\nIt was Theresa May who coined the phrase, \"no deal is better than a bad deal\".\n\nIn the next 48 hours, Boris Johnson and the European Union have to decide if they want to test if she was right.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Health Secretary Jeane Freeman says “all options are on the table at this point”\n\nThe health secretary has revised her claim that parts of Scotland could stay in level four when Covid restrictions are reviewed on 11 December.\n\nEleven areas, including most of central Scotland, are currently at the highest alert level.\n\nThe first minister has previously said that the toughest restrictions would be lifted at 18:00 next Friday.\n\nJeane Freeman initially told BBC Scotland that \"all options are on the table\".\n\nBut she later said her comments were meant to be in respect of which levels the 11 areas would drop down to.\n\nThe health secretary said a cabinet decision would be reached on Tuesday morning with Nicola Sturgeon announcing the details later that day.\n\nMs Freeman's earlier comments on the BBC's Politics Scotland programme appeared to contradict what the first minister said at the government's coronavirus briefing on 20 November.\n\nNicola Sturgeon was asked by the BBC's Aileen Clarke whether she could provide reassurances to businesses in level four areas - including hospitality and hairdressers - that they could confidently plan to reopen in December.\n\nMs Sturgeon said: \"Level four restrictions in the areas will be lifted on the 11th of December. Before then we will have to make an assessment based on up-to-date data at the time about what levels these areas then go into.\n\n\"Will they go back to level three or could some of them go to level two? We can't make that assessment right now because we need to wait and see what the data is, but the level four restrictions will be lifted on the 11th of December.\"\n\nMs Freeman was asked on Politics Scotland about the chances of restrictions on nearly 2.3 million people in level four areas remaining - possibly until Christmas.\n\nShe said: \"Right now, as is always the case in advance of these reviews, a great deal of work is going on - analysing the data, talking to colleagues on local authorities, taking senior clinical advice.\n\n\"All of this is designed to help us reach a judgement about what is the right thing to do.\n\n\"All options are on the table just now as you would expect them to be. People shouldn't read from that any decision one way or the other.\n\n\"The work goes on over the weekend so that we have the most up-to-date data, the most up-do-date clinical advice. That's important and it's a big responsibility that we get that right for people across Scotland.\"\n\nMs Freeman later tweeted: \"11 local authorities currently in Level 4 will come out of that level on Friday. That position has not changed.\n\n\"The Cabinet will decide on Tuesday what level below 4 they'll go into. My comments were intended to mean in respect of that decision, all options are on the table.\"\n\nIt comes as a further five people who tested positive for coronavirus were recorded to have died in the past 24 hours.\n\nThere are currently 951 people in hospital with a positive Covid test and 62 of those are in ICU.\n\nThe Scottish Conservatives said the \"mixed messaging\" from the health secretary created uncertainty and was \"extremely unhelpful just days away from the latest review\".\n\nThe party's health spokesman Donald Cameron said: \"The questions she was asked could not have been clearer. These restrictions affect millions of people and they deserve a clear and consistent message from SNP ministers.\n\n\"While it is welcome that the government has eventually confirmed these restrictions will end, there was absolutely no need for this speculation to occur in the first place.\"\n\nLabour's Monica Lennon said: \"It's worrying that the first minister and the health secretary are contradicting each other on something as serious as the level four restrictions, leaving businesses and millions of Scots in limbo.\n\n\"This is no way to handle a pandemic.\"\n\nScottish Lib Dem leader Willie Rennie said ministers had consistently failed to demonstrate the right measures were being put in place to cut infection rates and facilitate an easing of restrictions.\n\nHe said: \"The public need a clear and effective plan of action, not guessing games.\"\n\nThe areas currently under level four restrictions are East Ayrshire, East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Glasgow, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire, South Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire, Stirling, West Dunbartonshire, West Lothian.\n\nThe rest of the country is in levels one to three of the five-tier system.", "Last updated on .From the section Cricket\n\nThe first match of England's one-day series in South Africa has again been called off because of positive coronavirus tests, this time from two members of hotel staff.\n\nThe game, due to be played on Friday, was postponed after an unnamed South Africa player tested positive.\n\nThe home squad was tested again on Friday and all returned negative results.\n\nSunday's match in Paarl was abandoned 30 minutes before the 08:00 GMT start.\n\nThe England squad were tested on Saturday after the positive tests of the hotel staff, and the ODI was initially delayed as the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said it is awaiting \"ratification\" of those results.\n\nThe cancellation was confirmed shortly after, and it was later revealed that two members of the England party had returned \"unconfirmed positive tests\".\n\nIt is unclear whether the games due to be played on Monday and Wednesday will take place. England are scheduled to fly home on Thursday.\n\nThe series is being played in a bio-secure 'bubble', with players only leaving their Cape Town hotel to play and train.\n\nBefore the Twenty20 series last month - which England won 3-0 - two South Africa players tested positive for coronavirus and two others were placed in isolation.\n\nThis series is England's first overseas tour since their trip to Sri Lanka was abandoned in March following the outbreak of the pandemic.\n\nAfter a delayed start to the home summer, the men's team fulfilled all their planned matches, playing matches in a bio-secure environment and without fans in grounds.\n\nFast bowler Jofra Archer was forced to miss the second Test against West Indies after returning home between Tests, but no fixtures were affected.\n\n'It would be a miracle if series is completed' - analysis\n\nBoth teams are staying in the same hotel in South Africa - they are segregated supposedly so I don't know how much contact the England players will have had with these two individuals. It just demonstrates that there has been a breakdown in the bio-secure bubble.\n\nThe England players weren't happy about the security anyway, and they were upset there were breaches during the Twenty20 series.\n\nIt would be a miracle if England were to continue. I suspect those games won't go ahead.\n\nIt's a pandemic, and everyone knows the virus won't just go away so we can play cricket.\n\nIt's not easy to stage these things. It only takes a little breakdown and it can sweep down - and that's what England are desperate to avoid.\n\nMissed out on Saturday's Premier League action? All the goals and highlights are streaming now", "Last updated on .From the section Golf\n\nPeter Alliss, the legendary BBC golf commentator, has died at the age of 89.\n\nAlliss, known as 'the voice of golf' to fans around the world, has been synonymous with the BBC's golf coverage for more than half a century.\n\nHaving first appeared on the BBC in 1961, he was made lead golf commentator in 1978 after retiring as a player.\n\n\"It is with great sadness we announce the passing of golfing and broadcast legend Peter Alliss,\" said Alliss' family.\n\nIn a statement, they described his death as \"unexpected but peaceful\".\n\nThey added: \"Peter was a devoted husband, father and grandfather and his family ask for privacy at this difficult time.\"\n\nAlliss provided the soundtrack to many of golf's most memorable moments, with November's Masters the last tournament he covered.\n\n\"Peter was the voice of golf. He was an absolute master of his craft with a unique ability to capture a moment with a magical turn of phrase that no one else could match,\" said Barbara Slater, director of BBC Sport.\n\nAs a player, Alliss won 31 tournaments and he and his father Percy were the first father-son duo to compete in the Ryder Cup, when it was a contest between Great Britain and the United States.\n\nIn 2012, he was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in the Lifetime Achievement category.\n• None Alliss reflects on the tales behind Great Britain's Ryder Cup wins\n\n'One of the greatest broadcasters of his generation' - Alliss as commentator\n\nAfter retiring from playing golf - in a professional sense, at least - Alliss moved into the commentary booth, where his descriptive and dead-pan style became the soundtrack to the BBC's coverage of major golf events.\n\n\"His inimitable tone, humour and command of the microphone will be sorely missed. His often legendary commentaries will be long remembered,\" said the BBC.\n\nAlliss' first experience behind the microphone came at the 1961 Open Championship, remarkably, in the same tournament he was challenging Arnold Palmer on the course.\n\nBetween trying to stop the American great claiming victory, with Alliss eventually finishing seven shots adrift of Palmer, the Englishman also cut his teeth analysing his fellow competitors.\n\nIn 1978 he was appointed the BBC's chief golf commentator following the death of his co-host and great friend Henry Longhurst.\n\n\"I'm there as an old player, a lover of the game and a good weaver of stories,\" is how Alliss once described his television role.\n\nTo the majority of British golf fans - and many more across the world - his soothing voice became synonymous as the audio accompaniment to the likes of Seve Ballesteros, Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods winning the sport's biggest prizes.\n\nOnly a few weeks ago, Alliss described the moment when world number one Dustin Johnson won the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club.\n\n\"After six decades behind the microphone, he was just a month ago at the incredible age of 89 doing what he loved - commentating for the BBC on the Masters,\" said Slater.\n\n\"He transcended his sport as one of the greatest broadcasters of his generation.\"\n• None \"What on earth are you doing? He's gone ga-ga. To attempt to hit the ball out of there is pure madness.\" - his iconic description of Frenchman Jean van de Velde taking off his shoes and socks and wading into the Barry Burn on the final hole of the 1999 Open at Carnoustie.\n• None \"It's like turning up to hear Pavarotti sing and finding out he has laryngitis.\" - reflecting on Tiger Woods shooting a third-round 81 at the 2002 Open.\n• None \"Looks a bit like Jurassic Park in there.\" - describing the rough on the 14th at Royal St George's, host of the 2003 Open.\n• None \"One of the good things about rain in Scotland is that most of it ends up as scotch.\" - on poor weather during a tournament in Scotland.\n• None \"That really is a settler. Better than Alka Seltzer.\" - after watching Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke sink an early final-round putt on his way to winning the 2011 Open.\n\nFollowing in his father's footsteps & teaching James Bond - Alliss as a player\n\nWith his father Percy established as one of England's leading professional players in the 1920s and 1930s, it was perhaps inevitable the golf genes were passed down to Alliss.\n\nAlliss was born in Berlin, where his father was the professional at the glamorous Wannsee club, and apparently weighed a European record 14lbs 11oz when he arrived in 1931.\n\nThose hereditary blessings helped him blossom into a fine ball striker himself, establishing Alliss as one of the brightest young players of the time.\n\nBetween 1954 and 1969, he won 21 professional tournaments - including three British PGA Championships - and was twice winner of the Harry Vardon Trophy, given to the leading European player of the year.\n\nThe biggest title evaded him, however. Alliss came within four shots of lifting the Claret Jug in 1954, one of five top-10 finishes he had at the Open Championship.\n\nPart of the reason he did not claim more of the biggest individual prizes seemed to be his infamously unreliable putting.\n\n\"I began to twitch on the short putts,\" he said after his decision to retire from the international game aged 38.\n\nYet, with the same self-deprecating humour he would bring to his commentary, Alliss made light of his deficiency.\n\nEach of his luxury cars - one of the things his princely golf earnings of £30,000 allowed him to indulge - was said to have been fitted with a personalised number plate: '3 Put'.\n\nHe won more than 30 tournaments at home and abroad including the Spanish, Italian and Portuguese Opens. But it is for his broadcasting skills that he will be most remembered.\n\nGolf gravitas was supplemented by sharp wit and whimsy that made his a uniquely charming voice. It brought him millions of fans on both sides of the Atlantic.\n\nAs golf grew ever more popular, he became one of Britain's most famous figures, hosting the highly successful Pro-Celebrity Golf programme on BBC television and his own chat show 'Around with Alliss', which attracted many of the biggest entertainment stars of the 1970s and '80s.\n\nHis influence on golf stretched far and wide. He had a course architecture business with Dave Thomas that included among its commissions The Belfry, which has hosted four Ryder Cups. Alliss also wrote several books on the game.\n\nHe was a traditionalist who enjoyed the peculiarities of golf club life and he remained a brilliant and buoyant raconteur until the very end. But above all, he was still interested and fascinated by the sport. He was determined to carry on commentating, looking forward to being there for the 150th Open at St Andrews in 2022.\n\n'Golf will never be the same' - Lineker & Cleese among those paying tribute\n\nFollowing the news on Sunday of Alliss' death, tributes poured in from former and current players, golf's governing bodies, celebrities, journalists and fans.\n\nDenmark's Thomas Bjorn, who captained Europe to Ryder Cup victory in 2019, said Alliss was a \"great man\".\n\nFive-time major winner Phil Mickelson, who in 2012 was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame with Alliss and Britain's first Masters champion, Sandy Lyle, paid an affectionate tribute.\n\nThe European Tour said it was \"deeply saddened\" at his death, describing him as \"truly one of golf's greats\".\n\n\"Peter made an indelible mark on everything he did in our game, but especially as a player and a broadcaster, and he leaves a remarkable legacy,\" said Keith Pelley, European Tour chief executive.\n\nMatch of the Day presenter Gary Lineker, who has also fronted the BBC's Masters and Open coverage in the past, and Monty Python actor John Cleese were among the first to mourn Alliss' passing.\n\nBBC director general Tim Davie said Alliss' commentary \"brought the game to life\" for millions of people.\n\n\"Nobody told the story of golf quite like Peter Alliss,\" he added.\n\n\"He captured golf's drama with insight, wisdom, and humanity. He was a legendary commentator.\"", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Fifty hospitals in England have been chosen as hubs for administering the vaccine\n\nThe coronavirus vaccine is the \"beginning of the end\" of the epidemic in the UK, Prof Stephen Powis has said, as vaccinations begin on Tuesday.\n\nBut the NHS England medical director warned the distribution of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine would be a \"marathon not a sprint\".\n\nIt will take \"many months\" to vaccinate everybody who needs it, he said.\n\nFrontline health staff, those over 80, and care home workers will be first to get the Covid-19 vaccine.\n\nIn England, 50 hospitals have been initially chosen to serve as hubs for administering the vaccine.\n\nScotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland will also begin their vaccination programmes from hospitals on Tuesday.\n\nProf Powis was speaking outside Croydon University Hospital in south London, which became one of the first hospitals in the UK to take delivery of the vaccine on Sunday.\n\nVaccines were delivered to Croydon University Hospital on Sunday\n\nIt comes as a further 231 deaths within 28 days of a positive test were reported in the latest UK government figures, and a further 17,272 cases.\n\nHealth Secretary Matt Hancock described the start of the vaccination scheme as \"a historic moment\".\n\n\"I urge everybody to play their part to suppress this virus and follow the local restrictions to protect the NHS while they carry out this crucial work,\" he said.\n\nRefrigerated containers holding the vaccine doses have been arriving in the UK from Belgium, and are being prepared to be moved from secure locations to the hospitals.\n\nProf Powis said despite \"huge complexities\", the first doses would arrive at hospitals on Monday, to be ready to administer from Tuesday.\n\n\"As a doctor this is a really exciting moment,\" he said.\n\n\"NHS staff around the country at vaccination hubs have been working tirelessly to make sure that we are prepared to commence vaccination on Tuesday.\"\n\nHe added: \"The NHS has a strong record of delivering large scale vaccination programmes - from the flu jab, HPV vaccine and lifesaving MMR jabs.\"\n\nAbout 800,000 doses of the vaccine are expected to be available in the UK from next week.\n\nSo far the government has ordered a total of 40 million doses - enough to vaccinate 20 million people, with two shots each, 21 days apart.\n\nWith limited quantities initially available, elderly people who are already attending hospital as an outpatient, as well as those who are being discharged home after a hospital stay, will be among the first to receive the jab.\n\nOthers over the age of 80 will be invited to attend the hospital to receive a jab, and care home providers will be able to book their staff into vaccination clinics.\n\nAny appointments not used for these groups will be used for healthcare workers who are at highest risk of serious illness from the virus.\n\nDr June Raine, chief executive of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), said people could have \"real confidence\" in the vaccine, adding: \"The highest standards of scrutiny, of safety and of effectiveness and quality have been met, international standards.\"\n\nShe also said the MHRA would also be \"following up all the safety issues after rollout incredibly carefully. Our job doesn't end when rollout starts.\"\n\nSpeaking on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show, Dr Raine vowed the vaccine will reach everyone in the UK who needs it - whatever the outcome of post-Brexit trade talks, saying officials were \"fully prepared\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. How will the new Pfizer vaccine work?\n\nBecause the Pfizer vaccine needs to stored and moved carefully each container is being inspected to ensure the vaccine vials have reached the UK in perfect condition.\n\nTracking data covering every box's journey from Belgium is being downloaded to check that the vials have been kept well below freezing.\n\nThe boxes each contain five packs of 975 doses, and will be split into smaller packs to be distributed around the country and defrosted.\n\nThe vaccine is made in Belgium and has to be stored at around -70C\n\nAlthough care home residents and staff are top of the priority list agreed by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), they may not get the vaccine first \"for operational reasons\".\n\nProf Anthony Harnden - deputy chair of the JCVI - told the BBC on Friday said the committee would \"closely monitor\" delivery and stressed he still expected care home residents \"to be prioritised\".\n\nMr Hancock said the government was doing everything it could to overcome \"significant challenges\" to ensure care home residents were vaccinated as soon as possible.\n\nSpeaking to the Sunday Telegraph, the health secretary said fast-track approval of the Covid jab meant restrictions might be relaxed before the end of March next year.\n\nAs well as the challenge of delivering the vaccine, health experts are also conscious that the public needs to be educated and persuaded to support the vaccination programme.\n\nA host of famous faces including chat show host Sir Michael Parkinson and the singer Lulu, have told the Sunday Mirror that they will take the coronavirus vaccine without hesitation.\n\nIt follows concerns that online misinformation about vaccines could turn some people against being vaccinated.\n\nThe Mail on Sunday reports that the Queen is expected to receive the vaccine \"within weeks\" before revealing she has had it to boost public take-up of the jab.\n\nThe paper quotes senior sources who say the 94-year-old monarch and her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh, 99, will not get \"preferential treatment\" and will \"wait in line\" during the first wave of jabs reserved for the over-80s and care home residents.", "Last updated on .From the section Premier League\n\nChelsea went top of the Premier League as they came from behind to beat Leeds United in their first game in front of fans for nine months.\n\nFormer Blues striker Patrick Bamford, who spent five years at Chelsea without making a senior appearance, gave Leeds an early lead at Stamford Bridge after getting between defender Kurt Zouma and keeper Edouard Mendy.\n\nTimo Werner then somehow managed to miss from point-blank range after Olivier Giroud's flicked header from a corner, the Germany forward hitting the underside of the bar before Leeds cleared.\n\nHowever, Giroud marked his first league start of the season with his fifth goal of the week, the scorer of all four of Chelsea's Champions League goals away to Sevilla in midweek poking home from five yards after Reece James' cross.\n\nChelsea, who welcomed 2,000 fans back to Stamford Bridge after coronavirus restrictions were eased, went ahead as Zouma headed in from Mason Mount's corner.\n\nSubstitute Christian Pulisic added a late third from Werner's pass, with the United States winger becoming the 13th different player to score for Chelsea in the Premier League this season.\n\nChelsea, who started the day third, are one point clear at the top.\n• None Bamford returns to Stamford Bridge with point to prove\n\nThere were scenes of celebration after the final whistle as Blues boss Frank Lampard went over to applaud fans inside the ground, who gave the players a standing ovation while they headed for the dressing room.\n\nOne supporter held up a banner which read \"It's great to be back\" and Chelsea certainly relished the occasion as they turned on the style.\n\nWhen they last moved to the summit after a win at Newcastle on 21 November, Lampard said he was not going to \"get excited about being top for five minutes\".\n\nWithin a few hours they had been replaced by Tottenham following a win over Manchester City later the same day.\n\nLampard's side will at least enjoy being top a while longer this time, although they could be overtaken by Tottenham and Liverpool on Sunday.\n\nNevertheless, this was a highly satisfactory victory.\n\nWhile France's World Cup winner Giroud made the most of his first league start of 2020-21, Werner will wonder how on earth he did not score.\n\nAfter his astonishing miss, Werner was thwarted on three occasions by Leeds keeper Illan Meslier, while Kai Havertz headed another chance over.\n\nUnbeaten in nine top-flight games, Chelsea are handling the hectic Champions League-Premier League schedule well.\n\nAfter securing top spot in their European group, Lampard's men are looking down on all the rest in England.\n\nBamford arrived at Stamford Bridge with a point to prove - and, despite his team's defeat, left after once again demonstrating he belongs on the Premier League stage.\n\nThe 27-year-old was overlooked during his time at Chelsea, leaving for Middlesbrough in 2017 after five years in London without playing a competitive senior game.\n\nIn an extraordinary opening, and after the hosts had twice gone close in the first two minutes, Bamford got between Zouma and Mendy to connect with Jack Harrison's threaded pass to fire Leeds ahead.\n\nIt was another classy finish by Bamford, who is now level with Leicester's Jamie Vardy and Liverpool's Mohamed Salah in terms of top-flight goals in 2020-21.\n\nIncredibly, seven of his eight league goals have come away from Elland Road, with Bamford scoring in five of Leeds' six away games this season.\n\nHis side, however, could not capitalise.\n\nHaving beaten former leaders Everton in their previous game, they were unable to stop Chelsea from going top.\n\nBefore this weekend only Liverpool had more attempts in the Premier League than Marcelo Bielsa's side.\n\nThey had another eight against Chelsea but could not respond once Zouma headed the hosts ahead.\n\n'Defeats an opportunity to learn' - what they said\n\nChelsea manager Frank Lampard: \"I was nervous of Leeds. They're a threat until the end if you don't get a cushion.\n\n\"They are pretty unique in their style and they're well coached. We knew it was a big task. Character-wise and performance-wise, on lots of levels, I'm absolutely delighted.\"\n\nLeeds boss Marcelo Bielsa: \"It was difficult for us to stop them playing out from the back with their centre-backs and [midfielder] N'Golo Kante.\n\n\"I never question the refereeing decisions and this game was not decided by the referee. He did not decide the game. Always defeats are an opportunity to learn something.\"\n• None Leeds have conceded five goals from set-pieces (excluding penalties) in the Premier League this season, only Leicester have conceded more from such situations (six).\n• None Oliver Giroud has become the first Chelsea player to score in six consecutive Premier League starts since Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink in October 2001. At 34 years and 66 days, he is the oldest player to score in six consecutive Premier League starts.\n• None Chelsea have won four of their past five Premier League games (drawn one) - indeed, no current Premier League side is on a longer unbeaten run than the Blues (nine - won five, drawn four).\n• None Leeds have lost three of their past five Premier League games (won one, drawn one), conceding three or more goals in all three defeats.\n• None Marcelo Bielsa's side faced 23 shots in this match, their joint-most in a Premier League game this season (also 23 against Manchester City).\n\nChelsea, who have already sealed top spot, host Russian side Krasnodar in their sixth and final Champions League Group E game on Tuesday (20:00 GMT), while Leeds are back in Premier League action next Friday against West Ham at Elland Road (20:00).\n• None Raphinha (Leeds United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.\n• None Goal! Chelsea 3, Leeds United 1. Christian Pulisic (Chelsea) left footed shot from very close range to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Timo Werner following a fast break.\n• None Attempt missed. Tammy Abraham (Chelsea) right footed shot from the right side of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Timo Werner.\n• None Attempt blocked. Christian Pulisic (Chelsea) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Timo Werner.\n• None Offside, Leeds United. Stuart Dallas tries a through ball, but Ian Poveda-Ocampo is caught offside.\n• None Attempt missed. Reece James (Chelsea) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Mason Mount with a cross following a corner.\n• None Attempt saved. Ian Poveda-Ocampo (Leeds United) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.\n• None Attempt missed. Olivier Giroud (Chelsea) header from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Mason Mount with a cross following a corner.\n• None Attempt saved. Timo Werner (Chelsea) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Mason Mount. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page\n• None I May Destroy You star Michaela Coel joins for his new series", "Joe Anderson has been mayor since 2012\n\nLiverpool mayor Joe Anderson has been released on bail after being arrested by police investigating claims of bribery and witness intimidation.\n\nHe was held with four other men as part of an investigation into the awarding of building contracts in the city.\n\nThe Labour Party has suspended Mr Anderson pending the outcome of the case.\n\nMerseyside Police said all five people \"have been released on condition bail, pending further inquiries.\"\n\nTheir year-long investigation, Operation Aloft, has focused on a number of property developers.\n\nOn Friday, Mr Anderson, 62, was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit bribery and witness intimidation.\n\nIn a statement, he said he was \"interviewed for six hours\" and that he was \"co-operating fully\" with the police.\n\nMr Anderson said he would be \"talking to my cabinet colleagues over the weekend to ensure the challenges our city faces with the Covid pandemic continue to receive the focus they deserve\".\n\nHe also said he supported Labour's decision to suspend him while the police inquiry continues.\n\n\"I have been bailed to return in one month's time. Given the investigation is continuing, and there are bail conditions, I will not be making any further comments.\"\n\nCouncillor Richard Kemp, leader of the opposition Liberal Democrat group on Liverpool City Council, said that Mr Anderson should follow \"other senior figures in such cases\" and \"step away\" from the council and mayoralty during the legal process.\n\nPolice said they detained two other men, from Liverpool and Ainsdale, on suspicion of conspiracy to commit bribery and witness intimidation.\n\nTwo more, aged 25 and 72, were arrested on suspicion of witness intimidation.\n\nLiverpool City Council said it was co-operating with Merseyside Police.\n\nFather-of-four Mr Anderson, an ex-social worker and former member of the Merchant Navy, joined the Labour Party in 1980.\n\nHe was elected mayor of Liverpool in 2012, having been on the city's council since 1998.\n\nIn 2016, he vied to become Labour's candidate for the Liverpool City Region mayoral post, but was beaten by then Walton MP Steve Rotheram, who currently holds the position.\n\nMr Anderson recently spearheaded the drive for mass coronavirus testing in Liverpool.\n\nHis brother Bill died in October after contracting the virus.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "The market is a popular annual tradition in the city\n\nA Christmas market which sparked concerns over the spread of coronavirus has closed - one day after it opened.\n\nNottingham's Winter Wonderland opened on Saturday despite objections from residents in the city, which is under tier three restrictions.\n\nOn Sunday, the city council said it had made a joint decision with the organisers not to reopen this year.\n\nThe market was set to run from 10:00 to 21:00 GMT every day until Christmas Eve.\n\nCrowds forced it to close at 18:00 on Saturday.\n\nSimilar annual events in cities including Birmingham and Manchester were cancelled this year due to the pandemic.\n\nConcerns have been raised over the levels of social distancing observed at the Christmas market in Nottingham\n\nJo Cox-Brown, from Night Time Economy Solutions, said she had been in the city centre to support Small Business Saturday and witnessed crowds where people were close together and not wearing masks.\n\nShe said she worried the market could cause a spike in local coronavirus cases.\n\n\"It wasn't being well-managed it wasn't being very well-controlled,\" she said.\n\n\"People were defecating in doorways because there's no toilets open.\"\n\nMs Cox-Brown said many people who had been in touch were \"really angry\" the event went ahead and felt organisers were \"putting their Christmas at risk\".\n\nSimon Bonsai said he was \"hugely disappointed\" to see the market closed\n\nTrader Simon Bonsai said he was \"hugely disappointed\" by the closure after a brisk day of trading on Saturday, but said the decision was \"obvious\".\n\n\"It was so busy last night, there were too many people about,\" he said.\n\nIn a joint statement, Mellors Group and the city council said it implemented a \"wide range of measures\" to ensure compliance with tier three restrictions.\n\n\"However, numbers were too large to implement these effectively,\" they said.\n\n\"We're sorry it has not worked out.\"\n\nMellors previously said there had been \"pent-up demand\" for city-centre shopping after the second nationwide lockdown, which ended on Wednesday.\n\nFollow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The witness chose to keep her face mask on after Mr Giuliani made the request\n\nPresident Donald Trump's personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, has tested positive for Covid-19 and is being treated in hospital.\n\nMr Giuliani, who has led the Trump campaign's legal challenges to the election results, is the latest person close to the president to be infected.\n\nSince November, he has been on a cross-country tour in an effort to convince state governments to overturn the vote.\n\nLike other Trump officials, he has been criticised for shunning face masks.\n\nMr Trump, who was ill with the virus in October, announced the diagnosis in a tweet, writing: \"Get better soon Rudy, we will carry on!\"\n\nMr Giuliani, 76, was admitted to the Medstar Georgetown University Hospital in Washington DC on Sunday.\n\nThe news came after Mr Giuliani had visited Arizona, Georgia and Michigan all in the past week - where he spoke to government officials while not wearing masks.\n\nFollowing news of Mr Giuliani's diagnosis, the Arizona legislature announced sudden plans to shut down for one week. Several Republican lawmakers there had spent over 10 hours with the former New York mayor last week discussing election results.\n\nFollowing Mr Giuliani's visit to Phoenix, Arizona, the state's Republican party tweeted a photo of him with other mask-less state lawmakers.\n\nIn a tweet, Mr Giuliani thanked well-wishers for their messages, and said he was \"recovering quickly\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Rudy W. Giuliani This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nHis son, Andrew Giuliani, who works at the White House and tested positive for the virus last month, tweeted that his father was \"resting, getting great care and feeling well\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Andrew H. Giuliani This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nIt is not clear if Mr Giuliani is experiencing symptoms or when he caught the virus.\n\nNearly 14.6 million people have been infected with Covid-19 in the US, according to Johns Hopkins University, and 281,234 people have died - the highest figures of any country in the world.\n\nOn Sunday, Dr Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus task force co-ordinator, criticised the Trump administration for flouting guidelines and peddling \"myths\" about the pandemic.\n\n\"I hear community members parroting back those situations, parroting back that masks don't work, parroting back that we should work towards herd immunity,\" Dr Birx told NBC.\n\n\"This is the worst event that this country will face,\" she said.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. \"Grow up, mask up\": Tensions in US Covid hotspot of North Dakota\n\nSince the 3 November election, Mr Giuliani has travelled the country as part of unsuccessful efforts to overturn Mr Trump's election defeat. During many of his events, he was seen without a face mask and ignoring social distancing.\n\nLast Wednesday, he appeared at a hearing on alleged election fraud in Michigan where he asked a witness beside him if she would be comfortable removing her face mask.\n\n\"I don't want you to do this if you feel uncomfortable, but would you be comfortable taking your mask off, so we can hear you more clearly?\" said Mr Giuliani, who was not wearing a face mask. The witness chose to keep her mask on after asking the panel if she could be heard.\n\nOn Thursday Mr Giuliani travelled to Georgia where he repeated unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud at a Senate committee hearing about election security.\n\nDozens of people in Mr Trump's orbit are said to have tested positive for Covid-19 since October.\n\nBoris Epshteyn, another Trump adviser, tested positive shortly after appearing alongside Rudy Giuliani at a news conference on 25 November.\n\nOthers include the president's chief of staff Mark Meadows and press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, along with his wife Melania and sons Donald Jnr and Baron.\n\nMr Trump's own diagnosis and hospital stay upended his campaign for a second term in office, less than a month before he faced Joe Biden in the presidential election.\n\nMr Trump has refused to concede, insisting without evidence that the election was stolen or rigged. Attorney General William Barr said last week that his department had not seen any evidence of widespread voter fraud that would change the result.\n\nMr Biden will be sworn in as president on 20 January.", "Millwall say they are \"dismayed and saddened\" after some of their fans booed players taking a knee at the start of Saturday's game against Derby.\n\nThe Den was able to host 2,000 home fans for the first time this season after the second national lockdown was lifted.\n\nHowever, the return of spectators was overshadowed by the pre-match incident.\n\nThe Football Association and anti-discrimination body Kick It Out have also condemned the booing.\n\n\"Millwall Football Club was dismayed and saddened by events which marred Saturday's game against Derby County at the Den,\" said the club in a statement.\n\n\"The club has worked tirelessly in recent months to prepare for the return of supporters and what should have been a positive and exciting occasion was completely overshadowed, much to the immense disappointment and upset of those who have contributed to those efforts.\n\n\"The impact of such incidents is felt not just by the players and management, but by those who work throughout the club and in its academy and community trust, where so many staff and volunteers continue passionate endeavours to enhance Millwall's reputation day after day, year after year.\n\n\"The club will not allow their fine work to be in vain.\n\n\"The players are continuing to use the biggest platform they have to support the drive for change, not just in football but in society generally.\n\n\"There is much work to be done and at Millwall everyone is committed to doing all that is possible, both individually and collectively, to be a force for good and to ensure that the club remains at the forefront of football's anti-discrimination efforts.\"\n\nDerby boss Wayne Rooney, whose side won Saturday's game 1-0, said it was \"disappointing and upsetting\" to hear the booing from supporters.\n\n\"I'm pleased with how my team dealt with that,\" he added. \"They've had to put that to the back of their minds for the 90 minutes but I'm sure it's something they were thinking about.\"\n\nDerby forward Colin Kazim-Richards described the incident as \"an absolute disgrace\".\n\nSome boos were also heard when players took the knee at League Two Colchester United's JobServe Community Stadium, before the home side's 2-1 win over Grimsby Town in front of around 1,000 spectators.\n\nForward Callum Harriott, who scored the winner, later called the booing \"ridiculous\" and said it left him \"absolutely disappointed\".\n\nHis club said it was \"fully behind any and all of our players and staff who take a stand against any form of discrimination\", adding: \"We also condemn the behaviours of any supporters that actively voice opposition to those activities.\"\n\nPlayers, officials and staff at Premier League and English Football League games have been taking a knee pre-match since football restarted in June in order to show their support for the Black Lives Matter movement for racial equality.\n\n'We have come so far but we have so far to go' - reaction\n\nFormer Manchester City and England defender Micah Richards described the Millwall incident as \"disheartening\".\n\n\"How do these fans get allocated to the games?\" he said on BBC Final Score.\n\n\"There are 2,000 so you can pinpoint the people going. There are no excuses. I am sick to death of talking about this situation.\n\n\"It is so disheartening because it is like we have come so far but we have so far to go. I don't even like talking about the matter. It feels like it falls on deaf ears. It is time and time and time again.\"\n\nFormer Coventry and Aston Villa striker Dion Dublin, who had a loan spell at Millwall in 2002, added: \"They don't agree with taking the knee, which means they are racist. They don't agree with Black Lives Matter; that says they are racist to me.\n\n\"It says to me that a minority of Millwall fans are spoiling it for a club that is going in the right direction with a tag they have had for years and years and they are trying to eradicate it.\"\n\nOn Friday, Millwall's first-team squad issued a statement supporting efforts to rid the game \"of all forms of discrimination\".\n\nAfter Saturday's match, Lions boss Gary Rowett told Sky Sports: \"I'm disappointed that we are talking about that when we should be talking about the fact we are all back and we want to enjoy the football match again.\n\n\"The club does an enormous amount of work on anti-racism and the club do a lot of work in the community and there is some really positive stuff, so of course I am disappointed.\"\n\n'We applaud the players for defying the hate'\n\nA Football Association spokesperson said: \"The FA supports all players and staff that wish to take a stand against discrimination in a respectful manner, which includes taking of the knee, and strongly condemns the behaviours of any spectators that actively voice their opposition to such activities.\"\n\nKick It Out chair Sanjay Bhandari said he was \"saddened\" by the booing and praised the teams for \"defying the hate\" shown by some members of the crowd.\n\n\"What this demonstrates is that players are right to continue standing up to discrimination, whether that is through taking the knee or speaking out,\" he added.\n\n\"The fight for racial equality continues and we will continue to work closely with clubs across the country to tackle discrimination in all its forms.\n\n\"We applaud the players for taking a stand and defying the hate shown today.\"\n\nThe English Football League said: \"The EFL continues to support any individual player, players and clubs who choose to 'take the knee' in support of tackling inequality in society.\n\n\"We are disappointed that a small group of supporters have today chosen to voice their opposition to such activities directly aimed at raising awareness of the fight against racism.\"\n\nAmerican football player Colin Kaepernick started kneeling symbolically during the pre-game national anthem in the NFL in 2016, in protest at police violence against African-Americans in the United States.\n\nThe Black Lives Matter movement and taking a knee has grown in prominence in the UK following the death of George Floyd in the US in May, which sparked protests around the world.\n\nThe 46-year-old, an unarmed black man, died after a white police officer held a knee on his neck for nearly nine minutes.\n• None I May Destroy You star Michaela Coel joins for his new series", "The end of sledging and snowball fights in the UK?\n\nSnowy winters could become a thing of the past as climate change affects the UK, Met Office analysis suggests.\n\nIt is one of a series of projections about how UK's climate could change, shared with BBC Panorama.\n\nIt suggests by the 2040s most of southern England could no longer see sub-zero days. By the 2060s only high ground and northern Scotland are still likely to experience such cold days.\n\nThe projections are based on global emissions accelerating.\n\nIt could mean the end of sledging, snowmen and snowball fights, says Dr Lizzie Kendon, a senior Met Office scientist who worked on the climate projections.\n\n\"We're saying by the end of the century much of the lying snow will have disappeared entirely except over the highest ground,\" she told Panorama.\n\nIf the world reduces emissions significantly the changes will be less dramatic, the Met Office says.\n\nThe average coldest day in the UK over the past three decades was -4.3 Celsius.\n\nIf emissions continue to accelerate, leading to a global temperature rise of 4C, then the average coldest day in the UK would remain above 0 Celsius across most of the country throughout winter.\n\nEven if global emissions are reduced dramatically and world temperatures rise by 2C, the average coldest day in the UK is likely be 0 Celsius.\n\nThe Met Office says these temperatures are subject to variation and some years may see days colder than the average. Its projections explore how the UK's climate might change.\n\n\"The overarching picture is warmer, wetter winters; hotter, drier summers,\" Dr Kendon says.\n\n\"But within that, we get this shift towards more extreme events, so more frequent and intense extremes, so heavier rainfall when it occurs.\"\n\nThe Met Office says we are already seeing dramatic changes in the UK climate.\n\nPicture postcard: Snow covered houses in Gold Hill in Shaftesbury, Dorset in 2019\n\n\"The rate and nature of the climate change that we're seeing is unprecedented,\" says Dr Mark McCarthy of the Met Office's National Climate Information Centre.\n\nMost of the country has already seen average temperatures rise by 1C since the Industrial Revolution and we should expect more of the same, he warns.\n\nThat may not sound like much, but even these small changes in our climate can have a huge impact on the weather and on many plants and animals.\n\nThe Met Office says there could be significant temperature rises in the decades ahead for both winter and summer.\n\nIt says the biggest increases will be in the already warmer southern parts of the UK. At the same time extreme weather is expected to become more frequent and more intense.\n\nHeatwaves are likely to become more common and last longer, with record temperatures being exceeded regularly.\n\nThe average hottest day could reach a sweltering 40C the data suggests\n\nNot every summer will be hotter than the last, the Met Office says, but the long-term trend is steadily upwards, particularly if emissions remain unabated.\n\nThat high-emissions scenario shows peak summer temperatures could rise by between 3.7 C and 6.8 C by the 2070s, compared with the period 1981 to 2000.\n\nIf the world succeeds in reducing emissions, these temperature rises will be considerably smaller.\n\nThe level of detail in the models mean it is possible to see how the climate might change in neighbourhoods across the country.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The Wingfields' home in South Yorkshire has only just recovered after floods in 2019.\n\nHayes in west London, for example, is likely to see some of the most dramatic temperature rises of all, the new data suggests.\n\nThe average hottest day in Hayes was 32C around 20 years ago. If emissions continue to accelerate, the new Met Office data suggests the average hottest day could reach a sweltering 40C by around 2070.\n\nIf global emissions reduce, this temperature rise will not be so severe.\n\n\"I mean, I think it's really frightening. That's a big change, and we're talking about in the course of our lifetime. It's just a wake-up call really as to what we're talking about here,\" says Dr Kendon.\n\nSummers might not just be hotter, they could be drier too, the Met Office predicts. Summer rain could become less frequent, but when it does rain it is likely to be more intense.\n\nThe combination of longer dry periods with sudden heavy downpours could increase the risk of flooding because dry ground doesn't absorb water as well as damp ground.\n\nRainfall is expected to increase in many parts of the country in winter too, the Met Office says.\n\nThe projections suggest western parts of the UK may get even wetter under a high-emissions scenario.\n\nOf course, some years will always buck the trend by being wetter or cooler than others - and there will be significant regional variations.\n\nThis pattern of wetter winters and more intense summer downpours across much of the country risks putting infrastructure under greater strain.\n\nRoads, railways, reservoirs, sewers, bridges and other infrastructure is all designed for the sort of rainfall we have had in the past and much of it may need to be upgraded or even rebuilt to cope with the storms and floods to come.\n\nLast week, the UK government announced ambitious new targets for tackling climate change.\n\nThe new goal is to cut the UK's greenhouse gas emission by 68% by the end of the decade, based on 1990 levels.\n\nBoris Johnson hopes the new targets will set an example to other nations, which will join a virtual climate pledges summit on 12 December.\n\nThis virtual event will occur in place of annual UN climate talks, which were set to have taken place in Glasgow this year, but were postponed because of Covid-19.\n\nYou can see more on Panorama: Britain's Wild Weather on BBC One at 19:00 GMT.", "Roald Dahl's family has apologised for anti-Semitic comments made by the best-selling author, who died in 1990.\n\nA statement condemning Dahl's controversial comments, made in two interviews in 1983 and 1990, was published on his official website.\n\nIn a discreet part of the website, his family and the Roald Dahl Story Company \"deeply apologise for the lasting and understandable hurt caused\".\n\nIt said his \"prejudiced remarks stand.. in marked contrast to the man we knew\".\n\nThe statement, which is undated, was spotted by the Sunday Times.\n\n\"The Dahl family and the Roald Dahl Story Company deeply apologise for the lasting and understandable hurt caused by some of Roald Dahl's statements.\n\n\"Those prejudiced remarks are incomprehensible to us and stand in marked contrast to the man we knew and to the values at the heart of Roald Dahl's stories, which have positively impacted young people for generations.\n\n\"We hope that, just as he did at his best, at his absolute worst, Roald Dahl can help remind us of the lasting impact of words.\"\n\nA spokesperson for the Campaign Against Antisemitism said it was \"disappointing\" Roald Dahl's family \"waited 30 years to make an apology\".\n\n\"It is a shame that the estate has seen fit merely to apologise for Dahl's anti-Semitism rather than to use its substantial means to do anything about it,\" the spokesperson said.\n\n\"The apology should have come much sooner and been published less obscurely, but the fact that it has come at all - after so long - is an encouraging sign that Dahl's racism has been acknowledged even by those who profit from his creative works.\"\n\nAnne Hathaway stars as the Grand High Witch in a new film version of Roald Dahl's The Witches\n\nRoald Dahl, who was born in Wales to Norwegian immigrant parents, remains one of the most popular children's authors in the world - with novels including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda and The BFG all adapted for the big screen.\n\nIn an interview with the New Statesman in 1983, he said he believed that there was \"a trait in the Jewish character that does provoke animosity\".\n\nSeven years later, in a piece in the Independent, the author acknowledged he had \"become anti-Semitic\".\n\nThe remarks, for which the writer refused to apologise, have continued to cause upset among the Jewish community.\n\nIn 2018, the Royal Mint chose not to issue a commemorative coin on the 100th anniversary of his birth because of his anti-Semitic views.\n\nAt the time, Wes Streeting, Labour MP, applauded the decision by the Royal Mint, citing the author's \"classic, undeniable, blatant anti-Semitism\".\n\nWith the enduring popularity of his novels, Roald Dahl's estate continues to be highly lucrative, posting annual pre-tax profits of £12.7m in 2018 - largely thanks to film and television deals.\n\nIn October this year, a new film version of The Witches was released starring Anne Hathaway, and in March Netflix announced a forthcoming adaptation of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.\n\nThe Roald Dahl Story Company later added: \"Apologising for the words of a much-loved grandparent is a challenging thing to do, but made more difficult when the words are so hurtful to an entire community.\n\n\"We loved Roald, but we passionately disagree with his anti-Semitic comments. This is why we chose to apologise on our website.\"", "The mass use of rapid Covid tests has been defended by a senior NHS adviser, amid concerns over their accuracy.\n\nDr Susan Hopkins, chief medical adviser to NHS Test and Trace, said the lateral flow tests could identify many cases of infection in people without symptoms.\n\nSpeaking to the BBC, she accepted there had been \"false negatives\" but stressed the policy was a \"game-changer\".\n\nA study found the tests missed 50% of cases and some scientists fear people could start to ignore health advice.\n\nMeanwhile, a further 397 new coronavirus deaths were recorded in the UK on Saturday, with another 15,539 cases reported.\n\nMass testing is being introduced in England's tier-three \"high-risk\" areas and is starting in one of the areas hardest-hit by Covid-19 in Wales.\n\nAnd more than million rapid tests are being sent to care homes in England over the next month to allow safe indoor visits.\n\nHowever, an article in the BMJ medical journal raised concerns about the effects of rapid testing in Liverpool, where a pilot scheme was carried out. The lateral flow tests, which do not require processing in a laboratory, were reported to have missed half of all cases and a third of those with a high viral load who were likely to be the most infectious.\n\nDr Hopkins told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the tests had \"limitations\" but said they were helping diagnose asymptomatic cases that would otherwise have gone undetected.\n\nShe added: \"What we are doing here is case detection. We are not saying people do not have the disease if their test is negative.\n\n\"We are trying to say [to people who test positive] 'You do have the disease and now we want you to go and isolate for 10 days.' That is a whole different game-changer.\"\n\nHowever, Dr Hopkins said mass testing did not end the need for social distancing.\n\n\"We are also very clear that until we get a much lower prevalence of disease in this country that we shouldn't be changing our behaviours,\" she said.\n\nThe pregnancy-style lateral flow tests are cheap to produce and provide results on the spot, unlike the standard nose and throat swabs which have to be sent off to a lab.\n\nHowever, the higher number of false negative results means people may wrongly think they are not infectious.\n\nSome scientists worry those people may go on to mix with more vulnerable people, putting them at risk.\n\nBut the government says the Liverpool trial showed rapid tests could break chains of transmission, and they will start to use them for the first time next week in Wolverhampton - where Covid cases are more than twice the average level in England.\n\nDr Hopkins' comments came as the UK's chief medical officers warned the winter could be \"especially hard\" for the health service because of coronavirus.\n\nOfficials are preparing to begin using the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine as early as Tuesday, with Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon saying supplies have arrived in Scotland.\n\nBut in a letter to NHS staff, the chief medical officers of England (Prof Chris Whitty), Scotland (Dr Gregor Smith), Wales (Dr Frank Atherton) and Northern Ireland (Dr Michael McBride) said: \"Although the very welcome news about vaccines means that we can look forward to 2021 with greater optimism, vaccine deployment will have only a marginal impact in reducing numbers coming into the health service with Covid over the next three months.\"\n\nThe rapid lateral flow tests work by taking a nose and throat swab, shaking it in fluid until any viral particles come off, and then dropping the fluid onto a plastic stick. They take about half an hour to show a result.\n\nSome councils have raised concerns over their use, with Greater Manchester councils the latest to pause rapid testing for care home visitors.\n\nProf Jon Deeks, of Birmingham University, said lateral flow tests could not detect low levels of the virus and were being used in ways for which they were never intended.\n\n\"We can't see why the government is progressing with using this test when it is missing so many people,\" he told the BBC.\n\n\"They have been sold to people with the idea that if you are negative you will be able to go and visit people, you will be able to be clear that you haven't got Covid, and that is really dangerous.\"\n\nProf Calum Semple, from Liverpool University and a member of the government's Scientific Advisory group for Emergencies, defended their use, saying more than a thousand coronavirus \"transmission chains\" had been broken during the pilot scheme in the city.", "Shoppers flocked to High Streets and shopping malls across England this weekend, but in numbers well below pre-pandemic levels.\n\nIt was the first weekend since stores in England reopened on Wednesday.\n\nMany business owners are pinning their hopes on a curtailed pre-Christmas trading period, having endured two national lockdowns already this year.\n\nBut on average, shopper numbers were a quarter below 2019 levels, according to market research firm Springboard.\n\nIt says across the UK as a whole, footfall was down by 30% compared to the same December weekend last year.\n\nIt comes on the back of a dreadful week for the retail industry with Topshop-owner Arcadia falling into administration and Debenhams saying it would be closing its 124 stores by March after it failed to find a buyer.\n\nCentral London remains far emptier than usual because of the coronavirus pandemic, despite some crowds flocking to specially pedestrianised shopping areas in Regent Street on Saturday.\n\nOn Sunday, shopper numbers in the capital were half what they would normally be weeks out from Christmas, Springboard reported.\n\nBoutique-owner Rowena Howie says her central London store had far fewer shoppers than a normal December weekend\n\nRowena Howie, who runs a womenswear boutique called Revival Retro in central London, said there were far fewer shoppers in her store than she would normally expect in the lead up to Christmas.\n\n\"We definitely wouldn't have been as busy in the shop as we might have been in a normal year, particularly in the first weekend of December,\" she said.\n\nAlthough Ms Howie - who took part in a campaign promoting small businesses on Saturday - said strong online sales meant she was able to record a good day's trading, the first since before Covid-19.\n\n\"We're in Fitzrovia, having a bricks and mortar store, our takings have been really impacted,\" she said.\n\nAnna Blackburn, managing director of jewellery chain Beaverbrooks, said footfall had increased by about 10% in its 70 High Street stores this weekend.\n\n\"There has been a trend of reducing footfall for sometime, but an increase in the average transaction size. People coming to the High Street are definitely spending more money,\" she told the BBC's Today programme.\n\nMs Blackburn said there had also been a spike in wedding and engagement ring sales. \"It's been a tough year, people want to treat their loved ones.\"\n\nShoppers appear more eager to visit retail parks than malls and High Streets. On Saturday, footfall numbers for England's retail parks were slightly higher than they were this time last year, but on Sunday they fell back and were 10% below last year's figure.\n\nShoppers queue up outside Primark in Coventry this weekend.\n\nWe are still a nation of shoppers. Overall, retail sales are above pre-pandemic levels, according to the ONS.\n\nBut that number masks a mixed picture of what we're buying and how we are buying it.\n\nClothing sales for example are down by 25%. And there has been a dramatic shift to online, accelerating a growing trend.\n\nIt's this dramatic change that has been so devastating for the High Street.\n\nSome of the pictures from this weekend might seem to show a bounce back.\n\nBut the figures show that the numbers of people out and about are well down on last December. That comes on top of lengthy closures for non-essential shops.\n\nThe Centre for Retail Research predicts more than 20,000 shops will close compared to 16,000 last year - and that job losses will rise to 235,000 people compared to 143,000 last year.\n\nThe cost of running a shop is just too much for many. One independent retailer in central London told me she couldn't see herself still in bricks and mortar next year.\n\nDespite a 12-month break from business rates offered by the government, the rent, coupled with falling shopper numbers, is just too much to bear.\n\nIn one encouraging sign for retailers and small business owners, shoppers seem far more comfortable returning to public shopping areas after the second national lockdown than they did after the first.\n\nFootfall across England was 60% higher this weekend than on 20-21 June, the first weekend shops were allowed to reopen after the country's first lockdown, which began in March.\n\n\"Part of this is timing - the proximity to Christmas means there is huge pent up demand amongst consumers to shop in store to purchase gifts,\" said Diane Wehrle, Springboard's marketing director.\n\n\"However, it is also an indicator of 'lockdown fatigue', whereby after many months of being restricted to their homes, consumers are keen to visit retail stores again, particularly to experience the excitement of Christmas.\n\n\"They have become accustomed to the 'new normal' that involves wearing face masks in stores and queuing in order to adhere to social distancing rules which we were not all comfortable with in June.\"", "Cocaine with an estimated value of £100m has been found in a banana pulp shipment, the Home Office has said.\n\nThe drugs, which weighed more than a tonne, were discovered during routine inspections at London Gateway, Thurrock in Essex, on 12 November.\n\nThey originated in Colombia and were headed for Antwerp in Belgium, according to customs officials.\n\nThe National Crime Agency (NCA) said the find was \"a significant hit to the organised crime groups involved\".\n\nThe parcels were discovered hidden in a shipping container docked at the port\n\nIt follows the discovery by UK Border Force officers of 1,155kg (2,550lb) of cocaine at the port in September.\n\nNCA branch commander Jacque Beer said: \"While the UK wasn't the end destination for either shipment, it is likely that at least a proportion would have ended up being sold on our streets.\n\n\"These were substantial seizures and will represent a significant hit to the organised crime groups involved, meaning less profit for them to reinvest.\"\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nA \"donate-a-sheep\" appeal inspired by the work of footballer Marcus Rashford has been launched.\n\nFarmers will sell a lamb or ewe and donate the profits to help families in difficult circumstances due to the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdowns.\n\nFarmer Iwan Pughe Jones set up the appeal to help people struggling with health issues and losing work.\n\nHe was inspired by Rashford's bid to ensure children in England receive free school meals during the holidays.\n\nHe pitched the idea to raise money at a Farmers' Union of Wales (FUW) Zoom meeting and livestock sales, auctions and cattle markets agreed to help.\n\nMr Pughe Jones said: ''Farmers in the meeting were moved when they heard of the hardship.\n\n\"Families were having to make difficult choices of turning off heating and electricity to the point that they had to justify turning the oven on to cook food for their families for a certain period of time, as they did not have the money to cover the cost, let alone offer their loved ones presents for Christmas day.\n\n\"I was inspired by the effort of Marcus Rashford. What he achieved set a benchmark for us all to aspire to.\"\n\nIwan Pughe Jones felt inspired by Marcus Rashford to do his bit to help struggling families\n\nHe added: \"When times are tough we've a proud history of coming together as a nation to support those who are disadvantaged and struggling to make ends meet.\"\n\nThe money raised will be managed by the Salvation Army in Aberystwyth.\n\nThe sales kick off on 4 December at Dolgellau and then there are further events at Welshpool, Oswestry, Machynlleth and Rhayader.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Hugh McManus was treated with a defibrillator after suffering a cardiac arrest at his Cushendall home in 2015\n\nThe government should fund the installation of defibrillators across public areas, a cardiac survivor has said.\n\nHugh McManus was treated with a defibrillator after suffering a cardiac arrest at his Cushendall home in 2015.\n\nHe said they should be as \"commonplace as fire extinguishers\".\n\nDUP MP Jim Shannon has proposed a bill calling for their installation in public buildings, including education and sports venues.\n\nHugh, now in his 60s, was returning home from a golf course in Cushendall five years ago when he started to feel unwell.\n\nBy the time he got home, his condition had worsened and his son called an ambulance.\n\nCushendall, County Antrim, is not easily reached by ambulance but Hugh said he was lucky local man, Joe Burns, had CPR training, a defibrillator and was designated as a first responder.\n\nHe was able to assess Hugh's condition and applied two shocks through the device to bring Hugh's heart back to a more normal rhythm.\n\nHugh was later operated on at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast.\n\nHugh (centre) seen here with members of his family, wants defibrillators to be made more widely available\n\nHe said he would not be alive if he had not received the defibrillator shocks.\n\n\"Ideally you would have one in every building where you have a large gathering of people, the window to save someone's life is so short.\n\n\"I'm immensely grateful to Joe and can never repay him - to save someone's life, what better thing could you do?\".\n\nHe has now called on politicians to back the call for funding to ensure more life-saving devices are made publicly available.\n\nNo-one should be afraid to use the automated devices, which have been designed to only apply a shock where necessary, he added.\n\n\"It's totally understandable that someone might be fearful of getting it wrong, but the way I see it, the alternative is that a person doesn't have that chance to live,\" he said.\n\nStrangford MP Jim Shannon has proposed a bill promoting access to defibrillators in public buildings\n\nThe Automated External Defibrillators Bill had its first reading in the House of Commons last week.\n\nMr Shannon said the push for \"mandatory installations of these life-saving devices in our public buildings must be welcomed\".\n\n\"We can no longer leave it to the public to hold raffles or coffee mornings,\" he said.\n\n\"We must consider it our duty as legislators to require Automated External Defibrillators to be present in public buildings, sporting facilities, places of education and wherever someone, be they young or elderly, might fall down and never get up again.\"\n\nThere are approximately 1,400 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests reported in Northern Ireland every year, according to the British Heart Foundation (BHF).\n\nThe charity estimates that fewer than 10% of people survive and that public-access defibrillators are used in fewer than 5% of cardiac arrests that happen away from a hospital.\n\nFearghal McKinney, head of BHF NI, said cardiac arrest survival rates remained \"shockingly low\" in Northern Ireland.\n\n\"When someone has a cardiac arrest, every minute without CPR or defibrillation reduces their survival chances by around 10%,\" he added.\n\n\"Making defibrillators more readily available could help save lives, but must be supported by the roll out of mandatory CPR training in all secondary schools.\n\n\"We need to give everyone who suffers a cardiac arrest the best chance of survival. \"\n\nThe bill presented by Mr Shannon had previously been proposed twice by MP Maria Caulfield, but was delayed by the dissolution of government.\n\nIt will move to a second reading on 5 February 2021.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Professor Lisa Harvey-Smith: The asteroid sample is ''exciting key'' to the origins of the Solar System\n\nA capsule containing the first significant quantities of rock from an asteroid is in \"perfect\" shape, according to scientists.\n\nThe container with material from a space rock called Ryugu parachuted down near Woomera in South Australia on Saturday evening (GMT).\n\nA recovery team in Australia found the spacecraft lying on the sandy ground, with its parachute draped over a bush.\n\nThe samples were originally collected by the Japanese spacecraft Hayabusa-2.\n\nThe spacecraft spent more than a year investigating Ryugu before returning to Earth. As it approached our planet, Hayabusa-2 released the capsule with the samples and fired its engines to push off in another direction.\n\nThe 16kg capsule, meanwhile, entered the Earth's atmosphere.\n\nThe official Hayabusa-2 Twitter account reported that the capsule and its parachute had been found at 19:47 GMT.\n\n\"Hayabusa-2 is home,\" Dr Yuichi Tsuda, project manager for the mission, said at a press conference on Sunday morning (GMT) in Sagamihara, Japan.\n\n\"We collected the treasure box,\" he said, adding: \"The capsule collection was perfectly done.\"\n\nHe said there was no damage to the container.\n\nA team member carries the capsule, which contains samples from an asteroid\n\nDr Hitoshi Kuninaka, director general of Japan's Institute for Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS), said: \"We started development of Hayabusa-2 in 2011. I think the dream has come true.\"\n\nAddressing journalists, he acknowledged past missions that had experienced technical problems, but said: \"Regarding Hayabusa-2, we did everything according to the schedule - 100%. And we succeeded in sample return as planned. As a result, we can move on to the next stage in space development.\"\n\nThe next stage includes a mission called MMX, which will aim to bring back samples from Mars' largest moon Phobos.\n\nEarlier on Saturday, the capsule was picked up by cameras as a dazzling fireball streaking over Australia's Coober Pedy region.\n\nScreaming towards Earth at 11km/s, it deployed parachutes to slow its descent. The capsule then began transmitting a beacon with information about its position.\n\nThe capsule is packed into a protective box for transport to the \"quick look facility\"\n\nCameras in Australia captured the fireball as the capsule re-entered the atmosphere\n\nThe spacecraft touched down on the vast Woomera range, operated by the Royal Australian Air Force.\n\nAt around 18:07 GMT (04:37 local time), the recovery team identified the position of the capsule on the ground. A helicopter, equipped with an antenna to pick up the beacon, took to the air shortly afterwards.\n\nSatoru Nakazawa, Hayabusa-2 sub-manager at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (Jaxa), who was part of the operation at Woomera, described the search: \"We went there with the helicopter and it was emitting the beacon signal. But at that time, it was still dark, so it was unclear [where it was]. I was very, very nervous.\n\n\"We flew over the area [where it landed] many times and I thought maybe that was where it was. Then the Sun rose and we could visually confirm the existence of the capsule. We thought: 'Wow, we found it!\"\n\n\"But we had a very jittery, frustrating time until sunrise.\"\n\nThe capsule was then taken to a \"quick-look facility\" for inspection. On Monday, Jaxa said it had collected gases from inside the container for analysis, adding that it was still not known whether they come from the Ryugu sample.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Australian Space Agency This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nAfterwards, the capsule will be airlifted to Japan, where it will be transported to a curation chamber at Jaxa in Sagamihara for analysis and storage.\n\nThe mission planned to collect a sample of more than 100mg from the asteroid Ryugu.\n\nProf Alan Fitzsimmons, from Queen's University Belfast, said the sample would \"reveal a huge amount, not only about the history of the Solar System, but about these particular objects as well\".\n\nAsteroids are essentially leftover building materials from the formation of the Solar System. They're made of the same stuff that went into forming the Earth, but they avoided being incorporated into planets.\n\n\"Having samples from an asteroid like Ryugu will be really exciting for our field. We think Ryugu is made up of super-ancient rocks that will tell us how the Solar System formed,\" Prof Sara Russell, leader of the planetary materials group at London's Natural History Museum, told BBC News.\n\nStudying the samples from Ryugu could tell us how water and the ingredients for life were delivered to the early Earth.\n\nA rover deployed by Hayabusa-2 sent back this image from the surface of Ryugu\n\nIt had long been thought that comets delivered much of the Earth's water in the early days of the Solar System. Alan Fitzsimmons said the chemical profile of water in comets was sometimes rather different from the profile of water in our planet's oceans.\n\nThe water composition of some asteroids in the outer Solar System, however, is a much closer match. Ryugu probably originated in this cold zone, before migrating inwards to its current orbit, closer to Earth.\n\n\"It may be that we've been looking to comets all this time for delivering water to Earth in the early Solar System. Perhaps we should have been looking a bit closer to home, at these primitive but rather rocky asteroids,\" Prof Fitzsimmons told BBC News.\n\n\"Indeed that's something that will be looked at very carefully in these Ryugu samples.\"\n\nResearchers from around Japan, and other countries, will be working with the samples. In the UK, Prof Russell's team at the Natural History Museum and scientists from the universities of Manchester and Glasgow will get to study the material.\n\nDr Sarah Crowther is one of several researchers at Manchester expecting to receive samples next year. She explained: \"Different labs contribute different expertise, which all helps in understanding the material collected.\"\n\nThe Hayabusa-2 spacecraft, which bypassed the Earth after releasing its capsule, is being sent on another mission. It will now travel to a much smaller, 30m-wide asteroid, reaching it in 2031.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. A video released in 2018 showed the original plan for the crossing in virtual form\n\nA new tunnel linking Kent and Essex will create five million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2), figures suggest.\n\nEstimates say building the Lower Thames Crossing (LTC), a flagship project in the UK's roads programme, will emit 2 million tonnes of the greenhouse gas.\n\nMeanwhile, traffic created by the road is expected to generate another 3.2 million tonnes over 60 years.\n\nEnvironmentalists say the statistics make a mockery of the prime minister’s claim to lead on climate change.\n\nA government report published in March provisionally estimated the UK's net carbon emissions in 2019 to be 351.5 million tonnes.\n\nThe Thames crossing is said to be the UK's biggest roads project since the M25.\n\nMinisters say the scheme, supported by the CBI and the AA, will bring a huge economic boost on both sides of the river and relieve congestion on the orbital motorway.\n\nBut the emissions figures, obtained through a Freedom of Information request after Highways England initially declined to release them, have angered environmentalists.\n\nCampaigners say the tunnel should never have been proposed without a debate on the projected CO2 impacts, and have demanded the government freeze all projects that will increase emissions.\n\nEnvironmentalists have been campaigning for the Highways Agency to publish a CO2 analysis of its full road-building programme.\n\nOther schemes will also generate CO2, such as the planned Stonehenge tunnel, which is expected to create half a million tonnes during construction.\n\nChris Todd, from green group Transport Action Network, told BBC News: “If the government is serious about tackling climate change, it can't keep ignoring the emissions roads are causing\".\n\nBoris Johnson, who will host a global climate conference on Saturday, has pledged to cut the UK’s emissions by 68% against 1990 levels) by the end of this decade.\n\nHe’s encouraging other nations to follow suit with ambitious offers as the climate warms.\n\nMr Todd said: “We welcome greater ambition from the PM on the international stage, but it’s very easy to make announcements without taking action – and right now transport policy is making a mockery of his promises.”\n\nThe eventual CO2 outputs for the roads should be lower than projected because of the advent of electric cars. But campaigners point out that making and running EVs still takes a great deal of energy and resources.\n\nThe tunnel, shown here in a computer-generated image, is designed to reduce congestion elsewhere\n\nThis row is part of a bigger critique of the UK’s whole infrastructure programme.\n\nThe Prime Minister is an enthusiastic supporter of eye-catching concrete-heavy projects. But these typically carry a high carbon cost.\n\nMeanwhile other less telegenic forms of infrastructure create more jobs than mega-projects, and quickly start to save CO2 emissions overall.\n\nRefurbishing homes, for instance, is estimated to create four times more jobs than road building.\n\nImproving broadband can take cars off the road, according to the AA, by improving employees' ability to work from home.\n\nThis also meets the wish of Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, who says more people need to switch away from their cars.\n\nIn his recent statement, the Chancellor promised £27bn to roads, £100bn to HS2 and just £1bn next year for his Green Homes Grant to insulate dwellings.\n\nA Highways England spokesperson told BBC News: \"The Lower Thames Crossing is the UK’s most ambitious roads project in a generation, which will add billions to the national, regional and local economies by almost doubling road capacity between Kent and Essex and reducing delays.\n\n“But it will also impact on the environment and minimising this impact is a key priority for us. Our proposed design includes the UK’s longest road tunnel as it offers the best possible local environmental benefits,\n\n“However, tunnels by their nature require large volumes of concrete with a high carbon footprint.”\n\nHighways England told BBC News it has changed construction methods to reduce emissions.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Sir Keir Starmer - pictured on a visit earlier this week - is not showing any symptoms\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer is having to self isolate after a member of his staff tested positive for coronavirus.\n\nIn line with government advice, Sir Keir will now have to stay at home for 14 days since his last contact with the affected person.\n\nA spokesman for Sir Keir said this means he will come out of self-isolation on Wednesday 16 December.\n\nThey added the party leader was \"well and not showing any symptoms\".\n\nIt is the second time Sir Keir has had to isolate because of coronavirus. In September, a member of his family showed symptoms of the virus.\n\nBut they later tested negative, allowing Sir Keir to get back to Westminster.\n\nIt also comes a week after Prime Minister Boris Johnson came out of his own isolation period, having had contact with an MP who tested positive with the virus.\n\nSir Keir's spokesman said during this latest period of self-isolation, the Labour leader will continue to work from home.", "For months, the government has been urging businesses to get ready for a new era in trading with the EU. But it was only on Boxing Day that details of all the new rules were actually published.\n\nBusiness groups are relieved that the threat of a no-deal Brexit, which would have meant tariffs (or taxes) on goods crossing the border with the EU, has been removed. But companies that trade with the EU are still facing a lot of new bureaucracy.\n\nAnd the disruption in mid-December, caused by border closures related to the new variant of Covid-19, was a reminder of how dependent the UK economy is on trade across the English Channel.\n\nFrom 1 January 2021, goods entering the EU from Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) face large amounts of new paperwork and checks, including:\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nHauliers will also need to make sure they have the right transportation paperwork before they drive to the border.\n\nThere is particular focus on the \"short straits\" route between Dover and Calais, and the nearby Channel Tunnel, which taken together handle about four million lorries a year.\n\n\"This is the biggest imposition of red tape that businesses have had to deal with in 50 years,\" says William Bain from the British Retail Consortium.\n\nFull controls on British exports to the EU began on 1 January. The first day of the new regime appears to have gone relatively smoothly.\n\nBut it's feared that later in the year, the new controls could cause disruption, even though new border infrastructure has been built at ports such as Calais, to help process vehicles more efficiently.\n\nThere are some mitigating measures though.\n\nIn response to the Covid crisis, the government is delaying full controls on goods entering Great Britain from the EU for a further six months.\n\nThere will be checks from 1 January on controlled substances such as alcohol and tobacco, and traders deemed to be a risk will also be asked to fill in customs declarations.\n\nBut most checks on goods coming in from the EU will be delayed until 1 July, a deadline that could in theory be extended.\n\n\"I think we will want to monitor it,\" the chief executive of HM Revenue and Customs, Jim Harra, told MPs in November. \"Hopefully we will not still be in a situation where Covid-19 is consuming as much of people's attention.\"\n\nOther measures to tackle potential disruption include diverting trade to other ports around the country and opening lorry parks in Kent, to avoid gridlock on the roads.\n\nSome of these contingencies were put into action early, to deal with the Covid border closures in December.\n\nOperation Brock, for example, involved changing the layout of a section of the M20, using a concrete barrier to allow lorries heading for mainland Europe to queue safely on the motorway.\n\nThousands of lorries were also diverted to temporary parking at a disused airport at Manston.\n\nFrom 1 January drivers of lorries weighing more than 7.5 tonnes will need to acquire a Kent Access Permit before they enter the county. They will have to show that they have all the paperwork they need to ferry goods to Europe.\n\nBut that doesn't deal with the challenge of the thousands of vans that cross the Channel every week.\n\n\"What has been serially misunderstood by various parts of government is the scale of the complexity for people on the ground dealing with the paperwork,\" says Duncan Buchanan, the Policy Director of the Road Haulage Association.\n\nThat could mean that instead of queues on motorways, many traders won't be able to leave their depots.\n\n\"Either they won't be able to get vets to sign off on their meat exports, or they won't be able to get their permit because they don't have the right bits of paper,\" says Shane Brennan, chief executive of the Cold Storage Federation.\n\n\"We might see a quite significant holding off of trading - people just not moving stuff in the first few weeks.\"\n\nEighty-five per cent of the volume of trade between the EU and Great Britain is carried by EU hauliers, who are often paid not by the hour, but by the kilometre. If they think there will be too many delays, many may simply not come.\n\nThe government says the readiness of traders to deal with the new system remains its biggest concern.\n\nLorries parked on the M20 in Kent\n\n\"The sheer scale of the overall operation means there are literally many millions of moving parts,\" permanent secretary of the cabinet office Alex Chisholm told MPs. \"Inevitably there are going to be some difficulties for some individual people as they adjust to the new regime.\"\n\nThe government has also announced a new Border Operations Centre as part of plans \"for the UK to have the world's most effective border by 2025\".\n\nQuestions have been asked about how changes at the border might affect food supply. The short answer is no-one can say for sure, but nearly 30% of all the food consumed in the UK is imported from the EU.\n\nThe good news is that there is a deal, which makes a big difference. But the challenge is particularly acute because the UK grows relatively small amounts of fruit and vegetables in January and February and is most dependent on supplies from southern Europe at this time of year.\n\nSo, if there are delays, they could cause some shortages on the shelves.\n\n\"Some gaps are possible but we're not going to run out of food - that's not going to happen\" says Ian Wright.\n\nWhen it comes to non-perishable items, there had been some stockpiling in preparation for either outcome, but extra supplies won't last forever.\n\n\"The crunch point is probably not going to be in the first few days or weeks of January,\" William Bain argues. \"Towards the end of the month, when new orders start being placed and delivered, we will start to see the processes in Kent and the other ports really tested.\"\n\nAnd it's not only about food.\n\nOther retailers, which are used to moving their stock freely around the EU customs union, have had to create separate supply chains for the UK. That is costing them more money, and their new systems have yet to be tested properly.\n\nIt's not just about trade across the English Channel.\n\nTrade across the Irish Sea between Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland will be subject to the same pressures, while Northern Ireland will be a special case under the terms of the Northern Ireland protocol in the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement.\n\nNorthern Ireland will remain in the EU single market for goods, and unlike the rest of the UK it will continue to enjoy frictionless trade with the EU with no checks of any kind at the land border with the Republic.\n\nBut there is a price to pay for that - new bureaucracy within the UK between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.\n\nThe EU, for example, has strict rules on products of animal origin: meat, milk, fish and eggs.\n\nThese products must enter the single market (and, from 1 January, Northern Ireland) through a border control post where paperwork is checked, and a proportion of goods physically inspected.\n\nThere will be a grace period of three months for supermarkets and their suppliers, but some smaller traders may have to get used to the new rules straight away.\n\nAll shipments from Great Britain to Northern Ireland will also need a safety and security declaration, and a customs declaration from a new IT system which none of the traders have used before.\n\nThe government has set up a Trader Support Service to help.\n\nThe details of the new trading arrangements for Northern Ireland were announced separately in early December, and provided some clarity. They include an agreement which means the vast majority of goods being shipped from GB to NI will not be at risk of having tariffs imposed.\n\nBut there are plenty of unresolved issues.\n\nTraders are seeking answers about how to send parcels from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, and some online retailers have already suspended deliveries.\n\nThe trade from British to Northern Irish ports often involves multiple small shipments on a single lorry - all of which will need the right paperwork.\n\n\"We need clear rules for everyone in the supply chain,\" says Duncan Buchanan, \"and when you scratch the surface it is just not ready.\"\n\nIt is expected that many checks will be carried out on a 'light touch' basis to begin with.\n\nBut anyone trading between Great Britain and Northern Ireland is going to have to get used to a new way of working very quickly.", "A man has been arrested over \"abusive\" Facebook posts made during a football match where players were booed for taking the knee.\n\nPolice said \"a number of comments of an abusive nature\" were reported as Derby County faced Milwall on Saturday.\n\nMilwall said it was \"dismayed and saddened\" after its fans were heard jeering players before kick-off.\n\nDerbyshire Police said a 25-year-old was arrested on suspicion of racially aggravated public order offences.\n\nThe booing of players before the match - the first time Millwall fans had been allowed at matches since attendance was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic - drew condemnation from figures across the football world.\n\nDerby boss Wayne Rooney said it was \"disappointing and upsetting\", while Millwall boss Gary Rowett said the incident overshadowed the long-awaited return of fans to stadiums.\n\nFollow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to eastmidsnews@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "The health secretary has revised her claim that parts of Scotland could stay in level four when Covid restrictions are reviewed on 11 December.\n\nEleven areas, including most of central Scotland, are currently at the highest alert level.\n\nThe first minister has previously said that the toughest restrictions would be lifted at 18:00 next Friday.\n\nJeane Freeman initially told BBC Scotland that \"all options are on the table\".\n\nBut she later said her comments were meant to be in respect of which levels the 11 areas would drop down to.\n\nThe health secretary said a cabinet decision would be reached on Tuesday morning with Nicola Sturgeon announcing the details later that day.\n\nMs Freeman's earlier comments on the BBC's Politics Scotland programme appeared to contradict what the first minister said at the government's coronavirus briefing on 20 November.", "The relationship between Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales, is covered in series four\n\nNetflix says it will not warn viewers of The Crown some scenes are fiction.\n\nResponding to calls for a warning from Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden, the streaming giant said the series has always been billed as a drama.\n\n\"As a result we have no plans, and see no need, to add a disclaimer,\" it said.\n\nMr Dowden earlier said younger viewers \"may mistake fiction for fact\" when watching the fourth series, which shows the breakdown of the marriage between the Prince and Princess of Wales.\n\nThe Crown's creator Peter Morgan has called the show \"an act of creative imagination\" with a \"constant push-pull\" between research and drama.\n\nIts latest series has attracted criticism from some quarters for its depiction of royal events - in particular the breakdown of the marriage of Prince Charles and Diana.\n\nThe culture secretary said last week Netflix should make clear the show was fiction.\n\n\"I fear a generation of viewers who did not live through these events may mistake fiction for fact,\" Oliver Dowden told the Mail on Sunday.\n\nHe said Netflix's \"beautifully produced work of fiction... should be very clear at the beginning it is just that\".\n\nBut the streaming giant said in a statement, first reported by the Mail: \"We have always presented The Crown as a drama - and we have every confidence our members understand it's a work of fiction that's broadly based on historical events.\n\n\"As a result we have no plans - and see no need - to add a disclaimer.\"\n\nEarl Spencer, brother of the late Diana, Princess of Wales, previously told ITV's Lorraine Kelly he was worried some viewers would take the storylines \"as gospel\".\n\n\"I think it would help The Crown an enormous amount if, at the beginning of each episode, it stated that: 'This isn't true but it is based around some real events',\" he said.\n\nEmma Corrin successfully transforms her character into the glamorous Princess Diana overshadowing Prince Charles, played by Josh O'Connor\n\nFormer Buckingham Palace press secretary Dickie Arbiter has accused the show of \"stretching dramatic licence to the extreme\".\n\n\"It's a hatchet job on Prince Charles and a bit of a hatchet job on Diana,\" Mr Arbiter told the BBC.\n\nMeanwhile, ex-royal correspondent Jennie Bond told the BBC Newscast podcast she feared some viewers might treat the show \"as a documentary\".", "The former president posts that he has been told to report to a grand jury, \"which almost always means an Arrest\".", "Last updated on .From the section Cricket\n\nTwo unnamed members of the England tour party in South Africa have returned \"unconfirmed positive tests\" for coronavirus.\n\nThe tourists were tested on Saturday after two members of staff from the hotel where they are staying tested positive.\n\nSunday's rearranged opening one-day international in Paarl was called off 30 minutes before the 08:00 GMT start.\n\nEngland players and staff are self-isolating in their hotel rooms.\n\nThe opening game of the three-match series on Friday was postponed after a South Africa player tested positive for coronavirus.\n\nThe South Africa squad were tested again on Friday evening and all returned negative results.\n\nA decision on the final two matches of the series - due to take place in Cape Town on Monday and Wednesday - will be made once the England test results have been ratified by independent medical experts. That is unlikely to come before Monday.\n\nIt is possible that the games could be played on Tuesday and Wednesday. England fly home on Thursday.\n\nEngland director of men's cricket Ashley Giles said \"the welfare of the players and support staff is our primary concern\" and that the series opener \"should not take place\" while they await the results of further tests.\n\nSouth Africa director of cricket Graeme Smith said: \"We are deeply regretful of the situation we find ourselves in after the amount of time and energy that has been put in place to host a successful tour.\"\n\nThe series is being played in a bio-secure 'bubble', with players only leaving their Cape Town hotel to play and train.\n\nBefore the Twenty20 series last month - which England won 3-0 - two South Africa players tested positive for coronavirus and two others were placed in isolation.\n\nThis series is England's first overseas since their trip to Sri Lanka was abandoned in March following the outbreak of the pandemic.\n\nAfter a delayed start to the home summer, England fulfilled all their planned matches, playing matches in a bio-secure environment and without fans in grounds.\n\nFast bowler Jofra Archer was forced to miss the second Test against West Indies after returning home between Tests, but no fixtures were affected.\n\nWhat do England do now?\n\nBBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew on BBC Radio 5 Live: \"It is now really very serious.\n\n\"Members of the touring party doesn't necessarily mean players - it could mean any of the coaching staff or backroom staff.\n\n\"It depends who the people are and how much contact they've had with everybody else, but you can imagine if you are in a bio-secure bubble then you're all living quite closely together.\n\n\"If there is Covid-19 in the England camp now, what do they do?\n\n\"A serious issue is the question of quarantine should these two tests be confirmed. England are due to return on a chartered flight on Thursday, but if there's been contact between these two members of the touring party and the rest even their return home could be fraught with logistical difficulties.\"\n\nMissed out on Saturday's Premier League action? All the goals and highlights are streaming now", "Hens, turkeys and other captive birds in Britain will have to be kept indoors from 14 December to prevent the spread of bird flu, the government has said.\n\nThe chief vets for England, Scotland and Wales made the decision after a number of cases were detected among both captive and wild birds.\n\nThe risk to humans is \"very low\", the government said, and should \"not affect the consumption of poultry products\".\n\nBut in a joint statement, veterinary chiefs said \"swift action\" was needed.\n\n\"Whether you keep just a few birds or thousands, from 14 December onwards you will be legally required to keep your birds indoors, or take appropriate steps to keep them separate from wild birds,\" read the statement.\n\n\"We have not taken this decision lightly but it is the best way to protect your birds from this highly infectious disease.\"\n\nThere are numerous strains of bird flu. Most either do not affect humans, or are not easily caught and spread by humans.\n\nDeaths have been recorded outside of the UK related to some strains, but the H5N8 strain - which makes up the bulk of the UK's current cases - has not infected any humans worldwide to date, the NHS said.\n\nA turkey farm in Norfolk is among those to found to have had an outbreak of the H5N8 bird flu strain. The birds will now be slaughtered to prevent the spread.\n\nWhile the news will be of particular concern to poultry farmers in the run-up to Christmas, the new rules will apply to all bird owners in Britain.\n\nHowever, despite the concern, the Department for Environment Farming and Rural Affairs said poultry products - including eggs - are still safe to consume.\n\nNo end date for the measures has been given, but Defra said they would be kept under \"regular review\".\n\nFarmers forced to move their birds indoors in circumstances such as these may continue to market the meat as \"free range\" as long as the measures do not last longer than 12 weeks.\n\nFor eggs, this deadline is slightly longer - 16 weeks. After this point, the eggs must be downgraded to \"barn produced\".\n\nAimee Mahony, chief poultry adviser for the National Farmers' Union, said the new rules were \"a logical next step\".\n\n\"These new measures mean that every poultry keeper, whether you have one hen in the garden or a large poultry business, must house their birds indoors and I would urge everyone with poultry to take these measures seriously,\" she said.\n• None Turkeys to be culled after bird flu found at farm", "A space capsule containing the first significant quantities of rock from an asteroid has arrived safely on Earth after being launched from Japanese spacecraft Hayabusa-2.\n\nThe container with material from a space rock called Ryugu parachuted down near Woomera in South Australia, amidst excitement and applause.", "The collapse of the Debenhams and Arcadia retail empires is likely to leave large gaps in High Streets and shopping centres up and down the UK.\n\nIf history is a guide, it may be years until some of these shops reopen, while many never will.\n\nIt is now more than four years since the closure of BHS, the last large department store chain to be wiped from the High Street.\n\nYet 24% of its stores still lie empty.\n\nThose premises that have been put to use have been snapped up by expanding brands such as Primark, B&M Bargains, H&M and Sports Direct, says Ronald Nyakairu, senior manager at the Local Data Company (LDC)\n\nBut even among smaller stores which closed their doors amid the slow decline of bricks-and-mortar retailers before coronavirus, many are vacant or have been demolished or converted, according to LDC data.\n\nIts analysis suggests that bigger premises, such as those formerly occupied by Toys 'R' Us or House of Fraser, have been harder to re-let.\n\nThis probably spells a permanent change that landlords and local authorities need to get used to and even seize, says Bill Grimsey, former head of Wickes, Iceland and Focus DIY. He has led three reports into the future of town centres and High Streets.\n\n\"You can't rely on retail any more for your town centres and High Streets as the main attraction, because of technology, because of the internet,\" he says.\n\n\"You need to reinvent these places for something else because we are social animals and we need to have a place to congregate and it won't be just shops.\"\n\nHe concedes that managers of his generation were \"part of the cohort than cloned every town centre\" with the same shop chains, and that a return to vibrant towns with individual attractions is needed.\n\nHe envisages a mix of health, education, entertainment, leisure, arts and crafts and green spaces. Some old shops could become housing, he adds.\n\nHe urges local authorities to take a lead, even through means such as compulsory purchase to stop empty buildings going to waste.\n\n\"It's a big change that's needed and that requires local leaders to find the owners and start to recognise that repurposing them is the way forward.\"\n\nCities that have suffered less during the High Street recession are those such as Brighton, Manchester and Leeds that have relied less on shops, says Paul Swinney, director of policy and research at the Centre for Cities.\n\nThese centres have more office space and higher-paid workers, who have then propped up bars, restaurants and shops after work.\n\nFor department stores in popular areas, there are ways to cope with fewer sales in-store, he says, pointing to John Lewis's application to convert part of its flagship London store to office space.\n\nBut he cautions that for smaller towns whose custom may be dwindling, that will not be an option, and stronger medicine will be needed.\n\nMany BHS stores, like this one in Bolton, remain closed\n\nWhile Mr Grimsey recommends that local authorities take the reins, he sees more of a role for central government, which has the financial muscle to buy struggling units and turn them into something vibrant, later selling them on.\n\n\"Having that control of the building rather than it being passed off to a group of investors that aren't linked to the place is probably a thing the government can do,\" he says.\n\n\"This grave situation presents an opportunity to take control of these things. There's an opportunity to get a good deal, do something with them and then sell them down the line.\"\n\nMark Robinson, who co-founded landlord Ellandi and heads the government-commissioned High Streets Task Force, also points to \"monoculture\" in town centres as something that must change.\n\n\"Landlords I know realise we have to be flexible, encourage vibrancy, not just the highest rent,\" he says.\n\n\"We need to be flexible about who we bring in and the terms. We are not going to get 20-year leases any more.\"\n\nIt will mean, at least in the short term, some pain for landlords' bottom line, Mr Robinson says.\n\n\"Rents are going to fall and they have fallen considerably. Might that encourage more entrepreneurialism? Yes. Might it encourage independent retailers in far more prominent locations? Absolutely. Does it mean taking risks? Absolutely. And this has to be good for the future.\"\n\nHe says that reform will be over when the presence or absence of a particular brand or shop on the High Street is no longer the measure for a town's success.\n\n\"We created 400 clone towns nobody loves. We shouldn't get upset - job losses aside - about changing them.\"", "Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen have spoken as they try to break the post-Brexit trade deal stalemate.\n\nUrsula Von Der Leyen says 'significant differences remain' in the Brexit trade deal.\n\nThese sticking points include fishing rights, rules on state subsidies for business and arrangements for policing any deal.", "Wendy Knell's body was found in her bedsit in Tunbridge Wells in 1987\n\nA man has been charged with the murders of two women killed more than 30 years ago.\n\nDavid Fuller, 66, was arrested on Thursday in connection with the deaths of Wendy Knell and Caroline Pierce, from Kent, in 1987.\n\nCold case detectives have since charged Mr Fuller, from Heathfield, East Sussex, with two counts of murder.\n\nKent Police said he had been remanded in custody to appear at Maidstone Crown Court on Tuesday 8 December.\n\nAssistant Chief Constable Tracey Harman, from Kent Police, said: \"Whilst more than three decades have passed since these murders took place, I would urge anyone who has any information, no matter how minor or insignificant it may appear to be, to contact us.\"\n\nCaroline Pierce was murdered five months after Wendy Knell\n\nMs Knell, 25, was found dead at her home in Guildford Road, Tunbridge Wells, on 23 June, having been beaten and sexually assaulted.\n\nMs Pierce, 20, was attacked outside her home in the town's Grosvenor Park on 24 November.\n\nHer body was found on 15 December in a field near Romney Marsh.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "More than 90% of Welsh lamb exports are destined for EU markets\n\nSheep farmers will receive financial help if no trade deal is reached with the European Union, the UK's environment secretary has said.\n\nGeorge Eustice said sheep farming would need financial support \"because it exports quite a lot to the EU\".\n\nThe Welsh Government's Brexit minister said the Treasury \"need to commit to that being available\" because funding promises \"have already been broken\".\n\nThe UK left the EU in January but entered a transition period until the end of 2020 in which the trading rules remained broadly the same.\n\nIf a deal is not reached, from 1 January border checks and taxes will be introduced for goods travelling between the UK and the EU.\n\nWith more than 90% of Welsh lamb exports destined for EU markets, Mr Eustice said the sector \"perhaps more than any other sector...is likely by to be impacted\" if there is no trade deal.\n\n\"We have already developed potential interventions to support the sector in the short term should that be needed,\" he said.\n\n\"It's important to realise as well that demand globally is currently very high - lamb prices are some 15% to 20% higher than they were last year.\n\n\"So, we will keep a very close eye on this sector, and we'll be ready to intervene if needed, but it's not clear at this stage that we would need to.\"\n\nSpeaking on the BBC Politics Wales programme, Montgomeryshire's Conservative MP Craig Williams said: \"Everyone around that [UK Government] cabinet table... has assured me that the cheque book will open instantly, regulations will be looked at and support will be put in place [for the Welsh lamb sector].\n\n\"We don't want a no deal. Sheep farmers, especially, don't want a no deal.\n\n\"But let nobody the other side of the English Channel be in any doubt, we'll have it if they're not going to treat us like an independent sovereign nation, and we'll cope.\"\n\nEarlier in the week, First Minister Mark Drakeford said plans for Holyhead Port show \"just how shambolic\" UK ministers have been on Brexit.\n\nMr Drakeford said the UK government was \"in a scramble to resolve\" issues around the Anglesey port as it entered talks to purchase a transport cafe near Holyhead for a customs site.\n\nResponding to the first minister's comments, Mr Eustice said a phased approach to introducing checks was always the intention.\n\nHe added: \"That meant that we didn't need to have all of that infrastructure in place at Holyhead.\"\n\nBut some customs checks will start on 1 January 2021 and therefore, until the site is operational, checks for lorries arriving at Holyhead Port will initially take place in Warrington.\n\nAs well as the joint site with the UK government in Holyhead, the Welsh Government is looking at two potential sites for food safety, and animal and plant health checks in the south west of Wales to deal with lorries arriving at Pembroke and Fishguard ports.\n\nHMRC intends to conduct customs checks at the ports themselves in the new year.\n\nThe food and plant checks will start in July but the Welsh Government's Counsel General Jeremy Miles said: \"We think there's a serious risk, both in north Wales and in the south west, that the arrangements won't be ready for July of next year because of the delay in getting the sites selected and those are choices the UK Government have made very recently.\"\n\nMr Miles also said he expected \"disruption at the ports\" following the transition period \"because of new frictions at the border\".\n\nHe added: \"We have plans to provide stacking for traffic as it approaches Holyhead.\"\n\nDublin politician and Fine Gael European affairs spokesman Neale Richmond said the Irish capital's port has \"now doubled in size\" and would be ready for 1 January.\n\nBut he told BBC Politics Wales: \"What we are seeing though, unfortunately, is a lot of exporters from Ireland... they are looking more and more at the direct shipping links.\n\n\"So, you would have seen last week the announcement of the new link from Wexford to Dunkirk.\n\n\"We're seeing new sailings to Santander, to Lisbon, to Zeebrugge and we hope to see a new one to Le Havre too because people cannot countenance possible delays, be it getting in and out of Holyhead or getting in and out of Dover.\"", "Shana Grice reported Michael Lane five times to police before he murdered her\n\nThe parents of a Brighton teenager stalked and murdered by her ex-boyfriend have lost a High Court bid for a full inquest into her death.\n\nShana Grice, 19, reported Michael Lane five times to police before he cut her throat and killed her in August 2016.\n\nHer parents, Sharon Grice and Richard Green, said a \"full, independent and focused inquest\" was necessary.\n\nA High Court judge ruled that independent inquiries had \"sufficient element of public scrutiny\".\n\nMichael Lane murdered Ms Grice in her Brighton home and then attempted to set fire to her body.\n\nShe had reported Lane to officers but was fined for wasting police time.\n\nLane was jailed for life in 2017 and ordered to serve at least 25 years.\n\nEarlier in December, the parents of Ms Grice challenged the decision of the senior coroner for Brighton and Hove not to conduct a full inquest into her death.\n\nThey said a \"full, independent and focused inquest\" was necessary.\n\nMichael Lane was jailed for life in 2017 after he slit Ms Grice's throat in her Brighton home\n\nIn a High Court ruling on Thursday, Mr Justice Garnham concluded the senior coroner for Brighton and Hove was right to rule previous inquiries were \"effective\".\n\nHe also said the results of previous investigations \"established relevant facts\", which provided a \"sufficient element of public scrutiny\".\n\nNeil Hudgell, who represented Ms Grice's family, said in a statement: \"This ruling is hugely disappointing.\n\n\"It is also unfortunate coming on Christmas Eve, when thoughts naturally turn to our loved ones,\" he said.\n\nHe added Ms Grice's family would consider the ruling and then decide on further action.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "From 26 December, the Isles of Scilly will be the only part of England in tier one - the lowest level of virus restrictions.\n\nCornwall, Herefordshire and the Isle of Wight have been moved to tier two, leaving the islands - 28 miles off the Cornish coast - as the only place with a \"medium\" alert.\n\n\"It's a very strange early Christmas present,\" local councillor Steve Sims told the PA news agency.\n\n\"Whilst it is a relief, it's a very sobering situation and I remain apprehensive as I'm sure most of my fellow islanders will be.\"\n\nThe islands, which have a population of around 2,000, have had only two recorded cases, he added.\n\nMr Sims's wife, Beth Hilton, edits local magazine Scilly Now & Then and said: \"I don't think we're jumping up and down celebrating the fact that we are still tier one - although it is very welcome news and means we can still go out socially at Christmas if we wish to do so.\"\n\nAn aerial shot of Tresco Abbey Garden in the Isles of Scilly Image caption: An aerial shot of Tresco Abbey Garden in the Isles of Scilly", "A man who rode from Scotland to the Isle of Man by jet ski to see his girlfriend has left the island by ferry upon his release from jail.\n\nDale McLaughlan made the four-and-a-half hour crossing from the Isle of Whithorn to Ramsey on 11 December.\n\nHe then walked another 15 miles (25km) to his girlfriend's home in Douglas.\n\nThe 28-year-old - who served part of a four-week sentence for the Covid-19 border control breach - told the BBC he was \"happy to be going home\".\n\nUnder current Isle of Man coronavirus laws McLaughlan, from Irvine in North Ayrshire, was required to leave the island after his release or face further prosecution.\n\nSpeaking to Isle of Man Newspapers, his girlfriend Jessica Radcliffe said: \"I don't understand why he's been told to leave when he's isolated for two weeks before he came over with a negative test.\n\n\"He had a negative test in jail, he didn't put any of the public at risk, and he's done isolation in jail.\n\n\"That's four weeks already, so why does he need to leave the island? To punish him this much, they shouldn't be doing that.\"\n\nMcLaughlan was arrested two days after his arrival, having spent time mixing with people in two busy nightclubs, his court case heard.\n\nDouglas Courthouse heard it was the first time he had used a jet ski.\n\nOnly non-residents given special permission are currently allowed to enter the island.\n\nMcLaughlan's defence advocate said he suffered from depression and was not coping with being unable to see his partner.\n\nChief Minister Howard Quayle said the sentence sent \"a strong signal\" to potential lawbreakers.\n\nWhy not follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and Twitter? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "John Harding's customers have included Joan Collins, Vanessa Redgrave, Roger Moore and Kristina Tholstrup, and Rod Stewart\n\nFor 35 years, the rich and famous came to John Harding's central London salon to get their hair cut, coloured, and styled. Joan Collins; Vanessa Redgrave; Rod Stewart; Tony Curtis; Kristina Tholstrup and occasionally husband Roger Moore; Sarah Churchill; and many more.\n\nThe salon was on Elizabeth Street, Belgravia; a place where leafy garden squares reflect in the polished brass plates of embassies and hedge funds.\n\n\"There were lots of wealthy people in the area,\" says John, now 77. \"Lady this and Lady that.\"\n\nBut the actors, singers, and aristocrats who came to John's salon would not have guessed his secret. Unless, that is, they noticed that he rarely answered the phone. That's because, if he did answer, he might need to check the appointments book, or write something down.\n\nAnd that was a problem - because John Harding, hairdresser to the stars, was unable to read.\n\nJohn grew up in Islington, north London, and went to Laycock School. He wasn't uninterested - \"I liked art, geography, history, and my maths was OK\" - but always found reading \"very difficult\".\n\nHe soon found himself in D class, the bottom rung, and stayed there. He doesn't blame his teachers -\"If there's 30 in a class, it's hard to help out\" - or his parents.\n\n\"My mum wasn't a very good reader, and my dad wasn't either,\" says John. \"My dad was a working class man - he was in the printing trade, a union man - and he didn't have a lot of vocabulary. He didn't have time to help me, but that was a man of that era.\"\n\nJohn could recognise three-letter words from memory, but \"just didn't have any idea how to break longer words down\".\n\n\"I couldn't read something that was interesting like a history book or a geography book,\" he says. \"That was too far.\"\n\nHe doesn't think he had dyslexia, but he was never tested. So he stayed in D class, hiding it from friends, bluffing as best he could, until it was time to leave. How did those school days feel?\n\n\"It's more of an embarrassment, you know?\" he says. \"I used to get very edgy when it came up.\"\n\nAt 16, it was finally time to leave school. But what jobs were there for boys who couldn't read? He was good with his hands, but didn't want to be a carpenter, electrician, or plumber. \"You had to get up too early,\" he jokes.\n\nAnd so he took a job at the hairdressers round the corner - sweeping the floor, washing the hair, and avoiding the appointments book.\n\nJohn Harding in 1970, aged 28, after opening his first salon\n\nAfter Islington, John progressed to salons in Kennington, Pimlico, then Mayfair. But it was difficult to learn the trade - after all, who wants their hair cut by a beginner? So, in his own time, he went to academies in the evenings. He \"won a few competitions\" and, when John was 20, an ex-colleague asked him to join his new salon in Pimlico.\n\n\"He offered me good money,\" says John. \"I told him I'd do it - provided I didn't have to do any bookwork.\"\n\nIt proved a life-changing decision. At Pimlico, the receptionist introduced John to her sister, Heather, and they were soon married. She became one of the few people to know about John's illiteracy.\n\n\"She was very clever. She did all that stuff for me.\"\n\nLooking back, says John, he should have learned to read then. But with a new wife, and soon a young family, he \"put it on the back burner\". It didn't affect his career - aged 25, he opened the successful salon on Elizabeth Street where he would stay for 35 years. But outside the salon, the challenges remained.\n\n\"If we went to a restaurant with friends, my wife would say 'You'd fancy this John', knowing full well I couldn't read it on the menu,\" he says. \"Basically, you bluff your way through life. It's crazy the things you make up.\"\n\nSo did any of his customers - Collins, Redgrave, Churchill, et al - know he couldn't read? \"None at all,\" he says.\n\nIn his 50s and 60s, John twice tried to learn at evening classes. \"But I felt I wasn't really getting very far,\" he says.\n\n\"It was difficult for the teachers to have time with you. The teacher would let you read alone, then give you 15 minutes of her time. Which is good, but not as good as one to one.\"\n\nSo John may have stayed illiterate. But then, eight years ago, he came home to find Heather - his wife of almost 50 years - dead in their lounge. She had suffered heart failure aged 69.\n\nOne in six adults in England - about 7 million people - has \"very poor literacy skills\", according to OECD statistics quoted by the National Literacy Trust. The figure is one in four in Scotland, one in five in Northern Ireland, and one in eight in Wales.\n\nRead Easy - the group that helped John - says 2.5 million adults in England can \"barely read at all\". \"This has a massive impact on people's chances in life and affects them in so many ways,\" says Ginny Williams-Ellis, Read Easy's founder and chief executive.\n\nWithout Heather to help him \"bluff\", John decided to try again. His children Gerard, now 53, and Fiona, 51, supported him, but he wanted to fix the problem that had plagued him since those long days at Laycock School. Three years ago he saw an advert for Read Easy, a non-profit group that uses volunteers to help teach adults in one-to-one sessions.\n\n\"I got in touch,\" says John. \"And I haven't looked back.\"\n\nBecause of Covid, the weekly one-on-one sessions with his coach, Yvonne Nicholas, now take place online, rather than in person - but the progress continues. John now reads the newspaper - \"the Daily Mail or the Daily Mirror; the Sunday Times might be a bit beyond me\" - and plans to read his first book. More importantly, he is \"much more confident\" in day-to-day life.\n\nIt's a change his coach has noticed, too. \"Although he is naturally modest, I know he is proud of himself,\" says Yvonne. \"He really is a far more confident person now.\"\n\nJohn still works at his daughter's salon in St Katherine's Dock in London - a business that carries his name. It might only be a few miles from Islington, but he has come a long way from sweeping the floor, aged 16, at his neighbourhood hairdresser.\n\nBefore the interview ends, John mentions that another reading charity, Coram Beanstalk, has seen an 80% drop in the number of volunteers going into schools to help children read. Most of the volunteers are older, John explains, and they're having to shield or self-isolate.\n\nSo how did John find out about this?\n\n\"I read it in the Evening Standard last night,\" he says, as if it's the most normal thing in the world.", "British model Stella Tennant has died at the age of 50, her family have said.\n\nThe Scot made her name in the early 1990s on catwalks for designers like Karl Lagerfeld and Versace, and on the covers Vogue and Harper's Bazaar.\n\nHer family said: \"Stella was a wonderful woman and an inspiration to us all. She will be greatly missed.\"\n\nThey said her death was \"sudden\", and police said there were \"no suspicious circumstances\". Her death came five days after her 50th birthday.\n\nThe family statement said: \"It is with great sadness we announce the sudden death of Stella Tennant on 22nd December 2020...\n\n\"Her family ask for their privacy to be respected. Arrangements for a memorial service will be announced at a later date.\"\n\nTennant made her name in the 1990s, when she was in her 20s\n\nTennant shot to fame after being photographed for British Vogue at the age of 22 in 1993, and went on to work with designers and fashion houses including Alexander McQueen, Calvin Klein, Jean Paul Gaultier and Burberry.\n\nVersace paid tribute to Tennant on Twitter, saying she was \"Gianni Versace's muse for many years and friend of the family\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by VERSACE This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nTennant was known for her androgynous sultry looks and aristocratic heritage, being the granddaughter of the 11th Duke of Devonshire, Andrew Cavendish, and Deborah Mitford.\n\nShe also starred in the closing ceremony of the 2012 London Olympic Games alongside fellow British models like Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell.\n\nTennant (left) with Kate Moss (centre) and Naomi Campbell at the London 2012 Olympics closing ceremony\n\nBefore becoming a model, she studied at Winchester School of Art and embarked upon a career in sculpting, which she described as \"my first love\".\n\nEven after being spotted by Vogue photographer Steven Meisel, she wasn't sure if she wanted a career in modelling.\n\n\"I didn't know if I wanted to be objectified,\" she told The Evening Standard in 2016. \"I thought it was a big, shallow world and I wasn't really sure if I liked the look of it.\"\n\nBut she did join the fashion world, and said the 90s were \"a great time to start modelling\".\n\nIn the late 90s, Lagerfeld unveiled her as the new face of Chanel, noting her resemblance to Coco Chanel.\n\nTennant (right) with designer Karl Lagerfeld and fellow models Naomi Campbell, Claudia Schiffer and Kate Moss in 1996\n\nTennant retired from the catwalk in 1998 as she was pregnant with her first child, but later returned.\n\nShe married French-born photographer David Lasnet in the small parish church of Oxnam in the Scottish Borders in 1999. They had four children.\n\nShe also worked on campaigns to promote using less energy and to reduce the environmental impact of fast fashion.\n\n\"It's going to take us a long time to change our habits, but I think that this is so obviously a step in the right direction,\" she told The Guardian last year.\n\nShe walked the runway during the Valentino Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2020 show as part of Paris Fashion Week in January\n\nShe said at the time that she was reusing clothes she has had since the 90s and only buying about five new items a year.\n\n\"At my age I think it's probably quite normal you're not that interested in consuming, [and not] loving shopping as much as when you're much younger. We all need to think a little bit harder.\"\n\nIn 2012, she was inducted into the Scottish Fashion Awards Hall of Fame.\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "Pilots and crew have to quarantine after each flight\n\nA New Zealand pilot blamed for causing Taiwan's first domestic coronavirus transmission in months, has been fired by the island's Eva Air.\n\nOn Tuesday, a contact of the pilot tested positive, ending Taiwan's 253-day streak without a local case.\n\nSome public Christmas activities have since been suspended and the government has suggested people should stay at home during New Year's Eve.\n\nOverall, Taiwan has recorded only 777 infections and seven deaths.\n\nThe pilot is thought to have contracted the coronavirus earlier in December but remained asymptomatic.\n\nPilots returning to the island after a flight are meant to remain in quarantine for three days but are not tested unless they show symptoms.\n\nUnaware that he carried the virus, he continued to fly and was reportedly coughing on a flight to Taiwan from the US.\n\nTwo days later, Taiwan discovered its first domestic infection in months. Authorities traced back that the infected woman had been in contact with the pilot.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Flying is a very different experience in the age of coronavirus\n\nAuthorities fined the man 300,000 Taiwanese dollars ($10,600, £7,900) for failing to properly declare contacts and activities to officials.\n\nEva Air said the pilot was fired for violating operational principles, including his failure to wear a mask in the cockpit.\n\nOther than the woman, he is thought to have infected two of his colleagues, a pilot from Japan and one from Taiwan.\n\nNeither authorities nor the airline have named the pilot but Eva Air said in a statement \"the behaviour of an individual employee has undermined everyone's efforts at epidemic prevention\" and had brought \"serious damage to the company's reputation and image\".\n\nIn the wake of the new case, authorities are considering toughening the Covid safety requirements for airlines.\n\nTaiwan's early response has kept the virus well in check\n\nHealth authorities have traced around 170 people who had contact with the infected woman and they are either in home quarantine or being monitored for symptoms.\n\nThe shops the pilot and the woman visited have been disinfected and anyone who had also visited the store has been asked to get tested.\n\nThe company where the woman works has shut its gym, café and canteen, restricted employees from eating at their desk and banned visitors from entering its premises.\n\nTaiwan has been one of the most successful places in the world in dealing with Covid-19, largely attributed to its early and strict border controls, a ban on foreign visitors and mandatory quarantine for all Taiwanese returning home.\n\nThe island's 23 million people have also proactively been wearing face masks, even before they were required to do so.", "Furious customers of energy provider E.On received an unwelcome Christmas Eve surprise when their bill payments were taken too early.\n\nDirect debits that should have been taken from customers in the next two weeks were taken on Thursday.\n\nAbout 1.5 million customers - including householders and small businesses - have been affected.\n\nThe company apologised and said refunds would be made on the first available date, which was 29 December.\n\nMany customers said they were facing Christmas overdrawn as a result of the company's IT error.\n\nOthers told the BBC that they faced the added frustration of being unable to contact the company for an explanation.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Vicki Stafford This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nAn E.ON spokeswoman said: \"Due to an IT issue, we have inadvertently taken direct debit payments early from some of our customers.\n\n\"We are sorry for this error and are taking steps to contact affected customers where we can, as well as putting information about the issue on our website and social media channels.\n\n\"Customers do not need to do anything or contact us, and we ask that they bear with us while we work to refund them on the first available date, which is 29 December. Customers' direct debit payments will then be taken in line with their usual payment schedule.\n\n\"If a customer has incurred bank charges as a result of this issue, we will of course reimburse this money to them. Any customer who is concerned should contact us to discuss their circumstances.\"\n\nThe company said that if customers were unable to wait for a refund, they should contact their bank directly for possible support.", "The deepfake Queen looks very like the real one\n\nThis year's Channel 4 alternative Christmas message will be delivered by a deepfake of the Queen.\n\nWhile the Queen is delivering her traditional message on the BBC and ITV, her digitally created doppelgänger will be sharing its \"thoughts\" on Channel 4.\n\nBuckingham Palace told the BBC it had no comment on the broadcast.\n\nChannel 4 said the intention was to give a \"stark warning\" about fake news in the digital age.\n\nDeepfake technology can be used to create convincing yet entirely fictional video content, and is often used to spread misinformation.\n\nIn the message, the deepfake will try its hand at a TikTok viral dance challenge.\n\nThe five-minute message will refer to a number of controversial topics, including the decision by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to leave the UK. It will also allude to the Duke of York's decision to step down from royal duties earlier this year after an interview he gave to the BBC about his relationship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.\n\nThe BBC's royal correspondent Nicholas Witchell was not impressed: \"There have been countless imitations of the Queen. This isn't a particularly good one.\n\n\"The voice sounds what it is - a rather poor attempt to impersonate her. What makes it troubling is the use of video technology to attempt to sync her lips to the words being spoken.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. WATCH: Channel 4 says its deepfake video of the Queen is meant to act as a warning\n\nSome members of the public have also suggested the video is \"disrespectful\" via posts on social media.\n\nThe media watchdog Ofcom said it had received \"a small number of complaints\", but because it is a post-transmission regulator could not consider them at this time.\n\nWhile current technology does allow for voice deepfakes, the voice of this deepfake will be dubbed by British actress Debra Stephenson.\n\nThe TV star was previously the voice of a puppet of the monarch in the 2020 revival of satirical sketch show Spitting Image.\n\nStephenson said: \"As an actress it is thrilling but it is also terrifying if you consider how this could be used in other contexts.\"\n\nThe deepfake has been created by Oscar-winning VFX studio Framestore.\n\nDeepfakes first rose to prominence in early 2018.\n\nAt the time, a developer adapted cutting-edge artificial intelligence techniques to create software that swapped one person's face for another.\n\nHowever, the process has since become much more accessible.\n\nThere are now numerous apps that require just a single photo in order to substitute a Hollywood actor for that of the user.\n\nEarlier this year, Microsoft unveiled a tool that can spot deepfakes.\n\nThe firm said it hoped to help combat disinformation, but experts warned it was at risk of becoming outdated due to advances in technology.\n\nNina Schick, author of Deep Fakes and the Infocalypse, told the BBC there was growing concern about the other malicious ways deepfake technology could be used.\n\n\"While it offers tremendous commercial and creative opportunities, transforming entire industries from entertainment to communication, it is also a technology that will be weaponised.\n\n\"Used maliciously, AI-generated synthetic media, or deepfakes, are sophisticated forms of visual disinformation.\"\n\nThe Alternative Christmas Message will be shown on Channel 4 at 15:25 GMT on 25 December.", "Businesses have given a relieved welcome to the Brexit trade deal, but warned there was more work to be done.\n\nIn a statement, Number 10 said: \"The deal is fantastic news for businesses in every part of the UK.\"\n\nBut Jonathan Geldart, director general of the Institute of Directors, said \"the clock is still very much ticking\" for firms and called for guidance.\n\nThe CBI called for urgent confirmation of grace periods to give firms time to adapt to new rules from 1 January.\n\n\"We need to ensure we keep goods moving across borders,\" said Tony Danker, CBI director-general.\n\nHe said the deal \"will come as a huge relief to British business at a time when resilience is at an all-time low\".\n\n\"But coming so late in the day, it is vital that both sides take instant steps to keep trade moving and services flowing while firms adjust.\"\n\nMr Geldart echoed the CBI's concerns and said digesting the practical changes required and adapting \"in the middle of a pandemic and the festive season, while border disruptions continue, is a huge ask\" for firms.\n\nAfter a last-minute titanic struggle over the economic minnow that is fish, a deal has finally been landed.\n\nThe relief of avoiding no-deal is the perfect Christmas present for UK business. Having avoided what they considered the calamity of no-deal, minds will now turn to the detail in nearly 2,000 pages of text.\n\nAnd those who do business with the EU will not have long to peruse it. Even though a deal has been done, UK traders face a new raft of paperwork and cost. More than 200 million additional customs forms will need completing at a cost of more than £7bn a year.\n\nHaulage companies warn that many businesses are not ready for this new normal. That is perhaps understandable when you consider they have had several previous false alarms when they've stockpiled for no reason. They've been dealing with the worst health and economic disaster in living memory and have had precious little detail on exactly what they are facing until the very last minute.\n\nThe elephant not in the room and barely mentioned in the deal is services. There is no automatic access to a market worth £100bn to UK firms last year. A huge sigh of relief, yes - but any celebrations may be brief.\n\nHelen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, urged the EU and UK governments to work to implement the new arrangement as soon as possible.\n\n\"They must ensure there are no tariffs from Day One and find new ways to reduce the checks and red tape that we'll see from 1 January,\" she said.\n\n\"Businesses are undoubtedly relieved to hear that a deal has been agreed and will be hoping that it will now be ratified by respective parliaments across Europe,' said Richard Burge, chief executive of the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry.\n\n\"However, in on-the-ground terms for business, there are likely to still be questions unanswered and operational detail missing.\"\n\nBusiness group Logistics UK was optimistic about the deal.\n\n\"It removes the risk of tariffs being placed on almost every item imported from the EU, which would have raised prices and slowed the rate of economic growth,\" said Elizabeth de Jong, the group's policy director.\n\nBut TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady was scathing. \"This deal is better than nothing, but not by much. It won't protect jobs and puts hard-won workers' rights on the line.\"\n\nShe called on the prime minister to \"make good on his promise to level up Britain\", saying: \"He needs to act fast. There can be no more pointing the finger at the EU.\"\n\nConcerns were raised over the fact that financial services did not form part of the trade deal.\n\n\"The agreement should be less criticised for what it contains than what it does not contain - namely the future of financial services,\" said Daniel Pinto, chief executive of Stanhope Capital Group.\n\nHe said the City now needed to take its future in its own hands. \"Post-Brexit, it should lure international companies and revamp its regulatory framework to make it much more flexible.\"\n\nNicolas Mackel, chief executive of Luxembourg for Finance, said the deal was positive news for financial services.\n\n\"While financial services has never been covered by the trade negotiations, this vital breakthrough bodes well for the conversations happening around equivalences and delegation,\" he said.\n\n\"Until now, the souring negotiating mood on the future relationship was putting these important financial footbridges across the Channel under great pressure and there was a risk of collapse.\"", "The EU and UK appear close to striking a post-Brexit trade deal, with Boris Johnson briefing his cabinet on the progress of talks in Brussels.\n\nDisputes over fishing rights and future business competition rules have been the major hurdles to agreement during months of often fraught talks.\n\nBut BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg said Downing Street now seemed \"very confident\" of a deal.\n\nNegotiators are now thought to be thrashing out the final details.\n\nThe official announcement of a deal is expected on Thursday morning.\n\nThe document is thought to be around 2,000 pages long, with both sides having until 31 December - when the UK leaves EU trading rules - get it approved by parliamentarians.\n\nA deal would end the prospect of the two sides imposing widespread import taxes - tariffs - on each other's goods from 1 January, which could have affected prices.\n\nEU sources said the UK prime minister and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had been in contact in an attempt to break the deadlock before the expected pause in negotiations for Christmas.\n\nThe UK has insisted on having control over fishing in its waters from 1 January and retaining a larger share of the catch from them than under the current quota system.\n\nBut the EU wanted to phase in a new fishing system over a longer period and retain more of its access to UK waters for boats from France, Spain and other member states.\n\nThe sides also disagreed over whether UK firms should continue to follow the same rules as companies within the EU - and on how future trading disputes should be resolved.\n\nUK ministers have repeatedly ruled out any extension to the transition period, under which the UK has continued to follow Brussels's trade rules since it left the EU on 31 January.\n\nThe European Research Group of Brexit-supporting Conservative MPs has promised to reconvene its \"star chamber\" of lawyers - which was highly critical of previous Prime Minister Theresa May's withdrawal agreement with the EU - to analyse any deal that is reached.\n\nChairman Mark Francois and deputy chairman David Jones said it would \"scrutinise it in detail, to ensure that its provisions genuinely protect the sovereignty of the United Kingdom\".", "The UK government has told the agricultural industry that the EU will allow almost all food and plant exports from Great Britain to continue after Brexit.\n\nAs a first step, the UK has to be awarded \"third country\" listed status to be allowed to export to the EU.\n\nA Defra letter says the EU will confirm this legally on Monday, with effect from 1 January.\n\nThis will apply irrespective of a post-Brexit deal.\n\nIf no deal were struck, taxes on imports both ways would apply too, while new red tape such as export health certificates will be introduced.\n\n\"Third country listing\" is essential to permit continuing exports of, for example, Welsh lamb or live chicks.\n\nThe National Farmers Union said it was a \"critical step forward\". While almost all UK plant exports are also listed, there is a delay on some exports of seeds.\n\nAnd whereas the export of Ware potatoes for eating is still permitted, there will be a ban on exporting seed potatoes - that is, potatoes which are not meant to be consumed, but are planted in order to grow more potatoes.\n\nThe Defra letter says: \"Unfortunately the EU have confirmed they will not accept our case for a permanent change to the prohibition on seed potatoes… on the grounds that there is no agreement for GB to be dynamically aligned with EU rules\".\n\nThis is an industry significantly focused on Scotland and the north of England.\n\nExports of seed potatoes will also be barred from Great Britain to Northern Ireland. A continuity trade deal with Egypt will protect the largest market for British exports.\n\nScottish government rural spokesman Fergus Ewing said it would be \"disastrous for our world leading industry\".\n\nIt was a delay to the process of granting third country listed status that led to the Government accusing the EU of threatening to \"blockade\" Northern Ireland. This news guarantees that access for almost everything.", "Actress Kay Purcell, known for her roles in Emmerdale and Tracy Beaker Returns, has died at the age of 57.\n\nHer death was announced \"with great regret\" on Twitter by her agents, David Daly Associates.\n\nPurcell played two roles in ITV's Emmerdale and Gina Conway in Tracy Beaker Returns, a role she reprised in its spin-off series The Dumping Ground.\n\nShe was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2017 and was told she had inoperable liver cancer earlier this year.\n\nEarlier this month she took to Facebook to say she was \"certainly not giving up\" and was looking forward to turning 60.\n\n\"From now on I'm going to live my life to the fullest, spending every day living the best of my life I can,\" she wrote.\n\nDani Harmer, who played Tracy in the character's various TV series, marked her co-star's death by posting a broken heart emoji.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by David Daly Assoc. This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nBorn in Leyland, Lancashire in 1963, Purcell appeared in Coronation Street and Casualty before joining Emmerdale.\n\nShe played Carmel Morgan from 1996 to 1998 before returning to the soap in 2001 to play Cynthia Daggert.\n\nPurcell went on to appear in the first series of Celebrity Fit Club and play Candice Smilie in Waterloo Road.\n\nShe was also seen as Mrs Rennison in So Awkward, in which she appeared alongside the late Archie Lyndhurst.\n\nIn 2009 Purcell set up a management company, Kay Purcell Management, in her native north-west.\n\nShe is survived by her three children, Ashley, Shemar and Indika, and her \"beautiful\" grandson Levon.\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "King Felipe VI delivered the traditional annual speech from Zarzuela Palace in Madrid\n\nSpain's King Felipe VI made a veiled allusion to his self-exiled father's scandals in his Christmas address, saying \"ethics are above family ties\".\n\nIt was a small interlude in a speech centring on the coronavirus pandemic, where the king thanked health workers.\n\nThe former king, Juan Carlos, fled to Abu Dhabi in August as corruption allegations mounted.\n\nJuan Carlos has denied wrongdoing but his departure heightened debate about the future of the country's monarchy.\n\nThere has been much speculation as to whether Felipe VI would reference the controversy in the annual speech.\n\nAccording to El Pais newspaper, many felt it would be impossible to ignore in an end-of-year address, though no-one was sure how he would go about acknowledging the \"elephant in the room\".\n\nThough he did not specifically mention his father, many felt the connection was clear.\n\n\"In 2014, during my induction into parliament, I referred to the moral and ethical principles that citizens expect of us. Principles that apply to us all without exception, and that prevail over all considerations, whatever their nature may be, personal or familial,\" said the monarch.\n\nHe recognised that many families were dealing with grief and spending the holidays apart. And he spoke of a \"great national effort\" was needed to overcome the difficulties Covid-19 had caused.\n\nHe ruled for close to 40 years, before handing power to his son in 2014.\n\nThis decision came after a corruption investigation involving his daughter's husband and a controversial elephant-hunting holiday in the middle of Spain's financial crisis.\n\nIn June this year, Spain's Supreme Court launched a further investigation into Juan Carlos's alleged involvement in a high-speed rail contract in Saudi Arabia, after the ex-king lost his immunity from prosecution following his abdication.\n\nThen in August, the ex-king made the shock announcement that he was leaving Spain.\n\nHe has denied all allegations against him and said he would be available for interviews with prosecutors.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. King Juan Carlos, 76, has had health problems in recent years", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nA post-Brexit trade deal has been agreed between the EU and the UK, prompting relief, sadness and optimism for the future.\n\nEuropean leaders have been reacting to the announcement. Here's what some of them have said.\n\n\"It was a long and winding road. But we have got a good deal to show for it. It is fair, it is a balanced deal, and it is the right and responsible thing to do for both sides.\n\n\"To all Europeans, I say: It's time to leave Brexit behind. Our future is made in Europe.\"\n\n\"The clock is no longer ticking.\n\n\"Today is a day of relief, but tinged by some sadness as we compare what came before with what lies ahead.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. 'Today is a day of relief', says EU chief negotiator, Michel Barnier\n\n\"The federal government will now carefully check the text of the agreement. But we're not starting at zero. The European Commission has closely included the member states throughout the entire negotiating process.\n\n\"We will thus be able to quickly judge if Germany can support today's outcome. I am very optimistic that we will have a good result.\n\n\"With the deal we create the basis for a new chapter of our relationship. The UK will continue to be an important partner for Germany and the EU outside of the European Union.\"\n\n\"There is no such thing as a 'good Brexit' for Ireland.\n\n\"But we have worked hard to minimise the negative consequences.\n\n\"I believe the agreement reached today is the least bad version of Brexit possible, given current circumstances.\"\n\nMr Martin said the deal was a \"good compromise\"\n\n\"The unity and strength of Europe paid off.\n\n\"The agreement with the United Kingdom is essential to protect our citizens, our fishermen, our producers. We will make sure that this is the case.\"\n\n\"Good news: deal between the EU and the UK has been agreed.\n\n\"Interests and rights of European businesses and citizens guaranteed. The UK will be a central partner and ally for the EU and Italy.\"\n\n\"We welcome the agreement between the EU and the UK. Congratulations to Michel Barnier, Ursula von der Leyen and their teams.\n\n\"The Member States and the EU Council will examine it in the next few days.\n\n\"Spain and the UK will continue dialogue to reach an agreement on Gibraltar.\"\n\nMr Sánchez (L) and Mr Macron (R) both welcomed the Brexit deal\n\n\"I welcome that an agreement could be reached by the negotiators on the EU's future relationship with the UK.\n\n\"We warmly welcome the agreement reached with the United Kingdom on the relationship with the EU from 1 January.\n\n\"UK will remain, in addition to our neighbour and ally, an important partner.\"\n\n\"Excellent news that an agreement on a new EU-UK partnership has been reached after tough negotiations.\n\n\"This is of great importance to us all. We will now study it carefully.\n\nMr Rutte (L) said he would examine the Brexit deal \"carefully\"\n\n\"I welcome the agreement that Michel Barnier and Ursula von der Leyen have negotiated with the UK. It offers perspective to maintain our strong relationship with the UK after Brexit.\n\n\"In the end, there is only one thing that matters to me: ensuring the best possible protection for Belgium's economic interests. We must protect our Belgian companies from unfair British competition.\n\n\"Initial reports seem to indicate that this agreement will give us this crucial guarantee.\"\n\n\"This agreement will protect the interests of Romanian companies and citizens - Romania's key objectives during these negotiations.\n\n\"Very few believe but Christmas can make miracles happen.\n\n\"Good news from both sides of the Channel. Big thanks go to Ursula von der Leyen and Michel Barnier.\n\n\"They secured a deal on our future relations between EU and UK. We will now look at it with great confidence so it can work from January.\"\n\n\"Very happy that the negotiations have finally led to a result. A deal between EU and UK is an important foundation for our future relationship.\"\n\nMr Löfven (R) said he was pleased with the outcome of the negotiations\n\n\"We welcome the agreement on the future relationship between the EU and the UK after intensive negotiations a week before the end of the transitional period, and we hope to continue a strong partnership with the UK.\"\n\n\"After long negotiations, the EU and the UK reached an agreement on the future partnership. Congratulations. This happened at the last minute, since the transition period ends at the end of this year.\n\n\"The agreement is mutually beneficial and issues of crucial importance to the EU, such as level playing field, have been taken into account. Nevertheless, this is damage control, since the new relationship lacks the benefits of the single market.\n\n\"This was the will of the UK.\"\n\n\"Finally a historic and unprecedented deal in the interest of all is reached.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Guy Verhofstadt This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\n\"I hope future UK politicians will build on this partnership so we can regain the close relationship the EU and the UK deserve.\n\n\"It will be a first step in the return of the UK into the European family.\"", "Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Thursday morning.\n\nThe UK government is imposing a ban on travel by visitors from South Africa amid concern over a new variant of Covid-19 linked to the country. It shares some similarities to the one that has already been detected in the UK, although they have evolved separately. You can read more about it here. Meanwhile, New York City has introduced quarantine rules for international travellers following the emergence of the new UK Covid variant.\n\nBoris Johnson and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer have thanked the armed forces and NHS staff for their work in dealing with Covid-19. The PM held a video call with troops in the UK and abroad - saluting those who had helped build hospitals, deliver equipment and organise testing. In a Christmas message, Sir Keir said the pandemic had shown the values of \"generosity and kindness\" in abundance.\n\nWith coronavirus restrictions in place across Europe, Christmas is going to be different this year. We've spoken to families in Sweden, Austria, Russia, Spain and Italy about how their festive celebrations have changed, and how they're finding ways to enjoy the holiday season despite everything that's happening.\n\nWill the 93rd Academy Awards look anything like the Oscar ceremonies movie fans have come to expect? Organisers are exploring how to hold an in-person ceremony in Los Angeles on 25 April 2021, two months later than normal. And they have asked director Steven Soderbergh to \"re-envision\" the event in the light of the Covid-19 pandemic. Entertainment reporter Emma Jones considers the options.\n\nThe 2007 Oscars set was a glitzy homage to the film industry's biggest awards ceremony\n\nWith many carol services cancelled across Wales, people are being urged to sing from their doorsteps on Christmas Eve. Silent Night has been chosen by the Church in Wales. Reverend Kevin Ellis, vicar of Bro Eleth in the Diocese of Bangor, says the song is a \"simple and effective way\" to tell the Christmas story.\n\nSilent Night has been chosen as \"A carol for Wales\"\n\nFind more information, advice and guides on our coronavirus page.\n\nPlus, if you're able to see loved ones on Christmas Day this year then check out our handy tips on how you can avoid catching Covid.\n\nWhat questions do you have about coronavirus?\n\nIn some cases, your question will be published, displaying your name, age and location as you provide it, unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published. Please ensure you have read our terms & conditions and privacy policy.\n\nUse this form to ask your question:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or send them via email to YourQuestions@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any question you send in.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. More tier 4 areas, a new variant and a message of hope - three things from the Downing Street press conference\n\nSix million more people in the east and south east of England are to enter tier four on Boxing Day, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has announced.\n\nThe places moving into the highest level of restrictions - which include a \"stay at home\" order - border the areas already in tier four.\n\nA number of areas will also move up into tiers three and two.\n\nMr Hancock also revealed that another new coronavirus variant from South Africa has been detected in the UK.\n\nHe said anyone who had been there in the last two weeks must quarantine immediately.\n\nOn Wednesday, a further 39,237 people in the UK tested positive for virus - an all-time high - and there were 744 deaths within 28 days of a positive test, according to government figures.\n\nHowever, cases were thought to be higher in the UK during the spring peak when testing was much more limited.\n\nThe health secretary told the Downing Street briefing the old tiering system was not enough to control the new variant of the virus.\n\nAcross the country, cases have risen 57% in the last week, he said, and hospital admissions are at their highest level since mid-April.\n\nThe rises have been in places neighbouring areas already in tier four, he said, adding that East Anglia had seen a \"significant number\" of cases caused by the new fast-spreading variant.\n\nAreas moving to tier four are: Sussex, Oxfordshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Hampshire, with the exception of the New Forest, and the parts of Essex and Surrey not already in the toughest restrictions.\n\nThe additional six million going into tier four takes the total number of people under the toughest restrictions to 24 million, or 43% of England's population. A further 24.8 million will be in tier three.\n\nMr Hancock said: \"This Christmas and the start of 2021 is going to be tough. The new variant makes everything much harder because it spreads so much faster.\n\n\"But we mustn't give up now, we know that we can control this virus, we know we can get through this together, we're going to get through it by suppressing the virus until a vaccine can make us safe.\"\n\nUnder tier four, non-essential shops, gyms, hairdressers and indoor entertainment venues must close.\n\nPeople in these areas also cannot meet other people indoors, unless they live with them or they are part of their support bubble, even on Christmas Day, when rules on household mixing are relaxed across the rest of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.\n\nMr Hancock also announced that other areas would move into higher tiers.\n\nAreas moving to tier three are: Bristol, Gloucestershire, Somerset, including the North Somerset council area, Swindon, the Isle of Wight, the New Forest and Northamptonshire as well as Cheshire and Warrington.\n\nCornwall and Herefordshire will move into tier two.\n\nThe British Medical Association union said the new restrictions in England were a \"necessary step to control the virus and prevent the NHS from being overwhelmed\".\n\nBut the British Retail Consortium called on the government to extend the business rates holiday for retailers and the hospitality sector beyond April next year.\n\nThe trade body also said testing should be increased and the vaccination programme \"stepped up\".\n\nAnyone singing In the Bleak Midwinter may want to write another verse.\n\nIt's likely the NHS will soon be dealing with more Covid patients than at the peak in April.\n\nThe new variants are causing concern - especially as the one detected first in the UK continued to spread even during the November lockdown.\n\nAnd cases, numbers in hospital and deaths are all going up.\n\nVaccines will be the solution, but they take time to roll out and until then it is going to be rough.\n\nThe only other tool we have to stop the virus spreading is reducing our contacts with other people.\n\nThat's why millions more of us are moving up the tiers on Boxing Day.\n\nThe hope is that come spring the virus's grip on our lives will start to ease.\n\nThe health secretary also said two cases have been detected of another new variant of the coronavirus in the UK.\n\nBoth were contacts of cases who have travelled from South Africa over the past few weeks, he said.\n\nHe said: \"This new variant is highly concerning because it is yet more transmissible and it appears to have mutated further than the new variant that has been discovered in the UK.\"\n\nThe health secretary said both cases and close contacts of the cases have been quarantined.\n\nThere are immediate restrictions on travel from South Africa and the government is telling those who have been in contact with anyone who has been in South Africa in the last fortnight that they must quarantine.\n\nThe measures were temporary, he said, while the new variant was analysed by scientists at the government's research centre at Porton Down.\n\nThe health secretary also announced an expansion of mass testing and the vaccination programme.\n\nCommunity testing will carried out in areas with the highest infection rates, he said, with 116 areas signing up.\n\nVaccinations have now begun in care homes, Mr Hancock said, with Chelsea pensioners among those set to receive the jab.\n\nMr Hancock also revealed the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine has now submitted full data to the regulator for approval.\n\nHe said: \"Amid all this difficulty, the great hope for 2021 is of course the vaccine.\n\n\"The vaccine is our route out of all this and however tough this Christmas and this winter is going to be, we know that the transforming force of science is helping to find a way through\", he said.\n\nIt comes as the first trucks began leaving a temporary lorry park in Kent, where they had been stuck since France closed its UK border on Sunday amid concern about the new variant.\n\nFrance has ended its ban on UK arrivals on condition of them having a negative coronavirus test less than 72 hours before departure.\n\nOn Wednesday, Northern Ireland became the latest country to confirm the presence of the new strain. It has already been detected in England, Scotland and Wales, as well as a number of countries on the continent.\n\nHave you been affected by the issues raised in this story? You can share your experience by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.\n• None UK has two cases of variant linked to South Africa", "For months, the government has been urging businesses to get ready for a new era in trading with the EU. But it was only on Boxing Day that details of all the new rules were actually published.\n\nBusiness groups are relieved that the threat of a no-deal Brexit, which would have meant tariffs (or taxes) on goods crossing the border with the EU, has been removed. But companies that trade with the EU are still facing a lot of new bureaucracy.\n\nAnd the disruption in mid-December, caused by border closures related to the new variant of Covid-19, was a reminder of how dependent the UK economy is on trade across the English Channel.\n\nFrom 1 January 2021, goods entering the EU from Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) face large amounts of new paperwork and checks, including:\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nHauliers will also need to make sure they have the right transportation paperwork before they drive to the border.\n\nThere is particular focus on the \"short straits\" route between Dover and Calais, and the nearby Channel Tunnel, which taken together handle about four million lorries a year.\n\n\"This is the biggest imposition of red tape that businesses have had to deal with in 50 years,\" says William Bain from the British Retail Consortium.\n\nFull controls on British exports to the EU began on 1 January. The first day of the new regime appears to have gone relatively smoothly.\n\nBut it's feared that later in the year, the new controls could cause disruption, even though new border infrastructure has been built at ports such as Calais, to help process vehicles more efficiently.\n\nThere are some mitigating measures though.\n\nIn response to the Covid crisis, the government is delaying full controls on goods entering Great Britain from the EU for a further six months.\n\nThere will be checks from 1 January on controlled substances such as alcohol and tobacco, and traders deemed to be a risk will also be asked to fill in customs declarations.\n\nBut most checks on goods coming in from the EU will be delayed until 1 July, a deadline that could in theory be extended.\n\n\"I think we will want to monitor it,\" the chief executive of HM Revenue and Customs, Jim Harra, told MPs in November. \"Hopefully we will not still be in a situation where Covid-19 is consuming as much of people's attention.\"\n\nOther measures to tackle potential disruption include diverting trade to other ports around the country and opening lorry parks in Kent, to avoid gridlock on the roads.\n\nSome of these contingencies were put into action early, to deal with the Covid border closures in December.\n\nOperation Brock, for example, involved changing the layout of a section of the M20, using a concrete barrier to allow lorries heading for mainland Europe to queue safely on the motorway.\n\nThousands of lorries were also diverted to temporary parking at a disused airport at Manston.\n\nFrom 1 January drivers of lorries weighing more than 7.5 tonnes will need to acquire a Kent Access Permit before they enter the county. They will have to show that they have all the paperwork they need to ferry goods to Europe.\n\nBut that doesn't deal with the challenge of the thousands of vans that cross the Channel every week.\n\n\"What has been serially misunderstood by various parts of government is the scale of the complexity for people on the ground dealing with the paperwork,\" says Duncan Buchanan, the Policy Director of the Road Haulage Association.\n\nThat could mean that instead of queues on motorways, many traders won't be able to leave their depots.\n\n\"Either they won't be able to get vets to sign off on their meat exports, or they won't be able to get their permit because they don't have the right bits of paper,\" says Shane Brennan, chief executive of the Cold Storage Federation.\n\n\"We might see a quite significant holding off of trading - people just not moving stuff in the first few weeks.\"\n\nEighty-five per cent of the volume of trade between the EU and Great Britain is carried by EU hauliers, who are often paid not by the hour, but by the kilometre. If they think there will be too many delays, many may simply not come.\n\nThe government says the readiness of traders to deal with the new system remains its biggest concern.\n\nLorries parked on the M20 in Kent\n\n\"The sheer scale of the overall operation means there are literally many millions of moving parts,\" permanent secretary of the cabinet office Alex Chisholm told MPs. \"Inevitably there are going to be some difficulties for some individual people as they adjust to the new regime.\"\n\nThe government has also announced a new Border Operations Centre as part of plans \"for the UK to have the world's most effective border by 2025\".\n\nQuestions have been asked about how changes at the border might affect food supply. The short answer is no-one can say for sure, but nearly 30% of all the food consumed in the UK is imported from the EU.\n\nThe good news is that there is a deal, which makes a big difference. But the challenge is particularly acute because the UK grows relatively small amounts of fruit and vegetables in January and February and is most dependent on supplies from southern Europe at this time of year.\n\nSo, if there are delays, they could cause some shortages on the shelves.\n\n\"Some gaps are possible but we're not going to run out of food - that's not going to happen\" says Ian Wright.\n\nWhen it comes to non-perishable items, there had been some stockpiling in preparation for either outcome, but extra supplies won't last forever.\n\n\"The crunch point is probably not going to be in the first few days or weeks of January,\" William Bain argues. \"Towards the end of the month, when new orders start being placed and delivered, we will start to see the processes in Kent and the other ports really tested.\"\n\nAnd it's not only about food.\n\nOther retailers, which are used to moving their stock freely around the EU customs union, have had to create separate supply chains for the UK. That is costing them more money, and their new systems have yet to be tested properly.\n\nIt's not just about trade across the English Channel.\n\nTrade across the Irish Sea between Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland will be subject to the same pressures, while Northern Ireland will be a special case under the terms of the Northern Ireland protocol in the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement.\n\nNorthern Ireland will remain in the EU single market for goods, and unlike the rest of the UK it will continue to enjoy frictionless trade with the EU with no checks of any kind at the land border with the Republic.\n\nBut there is a price to pay for that - new bureaucracy within the UK between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.\n\nThe EU, for example, has strict rules on products of animal origin: meat, milk, fish and eggs.\n\nThese products must enter the single market (and, from 1 January, Northern Ireland) through a border control post where paperwork is checked, and a proportion of goods physically inspected.\n\nThere will be a grace period of three months for supermarkets and their suppliers, but some smaller traders may have to get used to the new rules straight away.\n\nAll shipments from Great Britain to Northern Ireland will also need a safety and security declaration, and a customs declaration from a new IT system which none of the traders have used before.\n\nThe government has set up a Trader Support Service to help.\n\nThe details of the new trading arrangements for Northern Ireland were announced separately in early December, and provided some clarity. They include an agreement which means the vast majority of goods being shipped from GB to NI will not be at risk of having tariffs imposed.\n\nBut there are plenty of unresolved issues.\n\nTraders are seeking answers about how to send parcels from Great Britain to Northern Ireland, and some online retailers have already suspended deliveries.\n\nThe trade from British to Northern Irish ports often involves multiple small shipments on a single lorry - all of which will need the right paperwork.\n\n\"We need clear rules for everyone in the supply chain,\" says Duncan Buchanan, \"and when you scratch the surface it is just not ready.\"\n\nIt is expected that many checks will be carried out on a 'light touch' basis to begin with.\n\nBut anyone trading between Great Britain and Northern Ireland is going to have to get used to a new way of working very quickly.", "Travel by visitors to the UK from South Africa has been banned amid concern over a variant of Covid-19 linked to the country.\n\nPeople who have been in or transited through South Africa in the last 10 days are no longer allowed into the UK.\n\nThe new rule does not apply to British and Irish nationals - but they will have to self-isolate.\n\nThe variant was found in London and north-west England, both in contacts of people who had been in South Africa.\n\nThe Department for Transport said the ban reflects the \"increased risk\" from the new variant, but will be kept under review.\n\nThe travel ban came into effect at 09:00 GMT on Christmas Eve.\n\nAnyone required to quarantine will need to do so for 10 days, along with members of their household.\n\nUK visa holders and permanent residents arriving from South Africa will not be affected - but they will also need to self-isolate.\n\nThe government had already ordered anyone in the UK who has travelled to South Africa in the past fortnight, and anyone they have been in contact with, to quarantine immediately, along with their households.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. More tier 4 areas, a new variant and a message of hope - three things from the Downing Street press conference\n\nAt a Downing Street press briefing on Wednesday, Health Secretary Hancock said the new variant linked to South Africa was \"highly concerning\".\n\nHe said those required to quarantine \"must restrict all contact with any other person whatsoever\".\n\nThe variant was detected for the first time in the UK on Tuesday.\n\nScientists in South Africa say it is still being analysed, but the data are consistent with it spreading more quickly.\n\nIt shares some similarities with another new Covid variant that has already been detected in the UK, although they have evolved separately.\n\nBoth have a mutation - called N501Y - which is in a crucial part of the virus that it uses to infect the body's cells.\n\nOn Wednesday, a further 39,237 people in the UK tested positive for virus - an all-time high - and there were 744 deaths within 28 days of a positive test, according to government figures.\n\nHowever, cases were thought to be higher in the UK during the spring peak when testing was much more limited.\n\nSix million more people in England are being moved into the highest tier four restrictions on 26 December.\n\nThe latest data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) suggests levels of coronavirus are continuing to rise, with one in 85 people in England infected.\n\nAbout two-thirds of people testing positive in London, the east of England, and the South East could have the new variant - but this is only an estimate based on genes detected by the tests, the ONS says.\n\nIn Wales, about one in 60 people are infected - a sharp increase.\n\nThe percentage of people testing positive in Northern Ireland is also up, but in Scotland numbers are down.\n\nMeanwhile, more than 6,000 lorries are still being held in Kent in south-east England, with drivers being tested for Covid-19 before they are allowed to cross the Channel. France had imposed a temporary travel ban earlier in the week over concerns about the new UK variant of Covid-19.\n\nTransport Secretary Grant Shapps said more than 2,300 drivers have now tested negative, while three were positive.\n\nThe Department for Transport did not give figures on how many drivers have left so far, but the flow of traffic has increased since Wednesday night when, according to the Port of Dover, fewer than 100 left.\n\nMore than 50 other countries, including Germany, Italy, India and Pakistan, are continuing to block travellers from the UK.\n\nOn Thursday, China became the latest country to suspend flights to and from the UK.", "‘It’s only my problem because of my postcode’ Felicity lives on the Irish border in South Armagh\n\nFelicity McKee lives in South Armagh which is on the border between northern and southern Ireland. As a PhD student at Swansea University she regularly drives to Bristol to fly home via Dublin. As a woman who lives with multiple disabilities she is concerned about how health insurance will work in the future. “I get ill when I travel and there is no way I could afford a hospital stay. The cost of health insurance is higher anyway for disabled people and I’ve got ill abroad before. It is very concerning “As far as I can see the European Health Insurance card (EHIC) is dead in the water in the future and the issue of health insurance is messy. When it comes to the NHS and health care I don’t know how that will work if I got ill on the wrong side of the border. “There’s data roaming; am I going to need two phones like I needed when I was in secondary school? Paying for two contracts on a phone will add up. It's little things but they make a big difference. “My European friends are concerned whether they’ll be able to stay. One of my friends had their tyres slashed after the referendum result and I’ve noticed a lot of anti-Irish sentiment too; I think it’s affected a lot of people. People don’t realise the consequences of Brexit. It’s not the 70s or 80s anymore and international links are beneficial to have.\"", "The BBC has received 266 complaints about a scene in The Vicar Of Dibley, referencing the Black Lives Matter movement.\n\nIn last week's Christmas episode, Dawn French's character, Reverend Geraldine Granger, took the knee and delivered a sermon about racism.\n\nThe corporation has previously defended the sitcom scene.\n\nIt said in a statement it \"was in keeping with the character and the theme of the show\".\n\nFrench's character is shown being filmed by parishioner and farmer Owen Newitt as she tells the audience she has been preoccupied with the \"horror show\" of the death of George Floyd, who died while in US police custody.\n\nMr Floyd, an unarmed black man, was killed in May while being arrested by police in Minneapolis, Minnesota, sparking anti-racism protests around the world.\n\nIn the scene, the vicar noted that Dibley, the fictional Oxfordshire village, is \"not the most diverse community\", and encouraged its residents to get behind the anti-racism campaign, which gained pace around the real world following Mr Floyd's death.\n\nSome viewers of the episode criticised it on social media.\n\n\"A lovely calm day, full of humanity, compassion and support all round...\" responded French, at the time on Twitter.\n\nThe comic actor later clarified in the comments that she was being \"a tad ironic\".\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "Last updated on .From the section Football\n\nDiego Maradona's autopsy has revealed that the Argentina legend had no signs of alcohol or narcotics consumption at the time of his death.\n\nThe 1986 World Cup winner died of a heart attack on 25 November at the age of 60.\n\nThe autopsy said Maradona had problems with his kidneys, heart and lungs.\n\nIt had been ordered as part of an investigation into Maradona's death to see if there was any negligence in the healthcare he was provided.\n\nMaradona, widely regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time, had a successful operation on a brain blood clot earlier in November and had been due to be treated for alcohol dependency.\n\nA first autopsy carried out on the day Maradona died found that the former Boca Juniors and Napoli player had died from \"acute pulmonary edema secondary to exacerbated chronic heart failure with dilated cardiomyopathy\".\n• None Who are the greatest Premier League captains?\n• None The best Christmas songs performed by the biggest artists", "The additional numbers will come from the UK's high readiness Standby Battalions\n\nAn additional 800 military personnel are to be sent to Kent on Christmas Day to help clear a backlog of lorries waiting to cross to France.\n\nAbout 4,000 lorries are still waiting to cross the English Channel after the French closed their border with the UK.\n\nDrivers must test negative for Covid-19 before boarding a train or ferry.\n\nThe extra support will take the number of military personnel delivering testing to drivers in Kent to about 1,100.\n\nFrench firefighters have been supporting the testing effort, while the Polish defence minister said in a tweet that a team of territorial army soldiers would be sent to Kent.\n\nA group of Polish medics was deployed to the UK on Thursday to help test drivers. the Polish news website TVN24 has reported.\n\nTransport Secretary Grant Shapps said that of the 2,367 drivers tested by 12:00 GMT on Christmas Eve, three have tested positive.\n\nFerries will continue to operate from Dover over Christmas, but Mr Shapps said it could take several days to clear the backlog.\n\nThe military will organise welfare facilities and the distribution of food and water.\n\n\"Our aim is to get foreign hauliers home with their families as quickly as we can,\" Mr Shapps said.\n\n\"I know it's been hard for many drivers cooped up in their cabs at this precious time of year, but I assure them that we are doing our utmost to get them home,\" he added.\n\nVolunteers have delivered thousands of meals and food parcels to drivers parked up at Manston Airport and along the M20 as many spend Christmas Day in their vehicles.\n\nThe Department for Transport says: \"Free food, water and hot drinks are being provided to all.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Dept for Transport This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. End of twitter post by Dept for Transport\n\nSussex Police said dozens of lorry drivers who had been caught in disruption at Newhaven had arrived back in mainland Europe.\n\nFollow BBC South East on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk.\n• None Lorry drivers warned of Christmas in their cabs\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Speaker Nancy Pelosi asked the House to vote on the stimulus measures on Monday\n\nDemocrats and Republicans have blocked each other's attempts to amend a vital $900bn (£665bn) stimulus package after President Donald Trump sent it back to Congress demanding changes.\n\nThe coronavirus economic relief, which comes with a $1.4tn federal budget attached, was agreed by both sides.\n\nBut Mr Trump said one-off payments to Americans should increase from $600 to $2,000, and foreign aid should be cut.\n\nWithout the bill in force, many Americans face an uncertain Christmas.\n\nUnemployment benefits are due to expire on Saturday if the bill is not enacted, and a moratorium on evictions may not be extended.\n\nLegislators could pass a stopgap bill by Monday to prevent a partial government shutdown looming a day later, but this would not include coronavirus aid and Mr Trump would still have to sign it.\n\nMeeting on Thursday in response to Mr Trump's intervention, Democrats in the House of Representatives blocked Republican attempts to cut foreign aid from the federal spending bill, while Republicans refused to allow the increase in coronavirus payments to $2,000.\n\nHouse Republican leader Kevin McCarthy said in a letter to colleagues: \"House Democrats appear to be suffering from selective hearing.\"\n\nWhile the haggling continues on Capitol Hill, the president is spending Christmas at his resort in Palm Beach, Florida. A White House memo said he was working \"tirelessly\" with \"many meetings and calls\", though he was spotted at his golf course on Thursday morning.\n\nHouse Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat, said the lower chamber would meet again next Monday to vote on the stimulus payments for Americans.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nOn the same day, the House is also expected to vote on an unrelated, $740bn defence spending bill, which Mr Trump vetoed on Wednesday instead of signing into law. Lawmakers plan to override the president's veto and enact the legislation anyway, but to do so they need two-thirds of votes in both the House and Senate.\n\nMr Trump is objecting to provisions in the defence bill that limit troop withdrawals from Afghanistan and Europe and remove Confederate leaders' names from military bases.\n\nThe $900bn coronavirus aid relief bill - with the larger budget bill rolled in - overwhelmingly passed the House of Representatives and Senate on Monday but a day later Mr Trump issued an implied veto threat, describing the package in a video statement as a \"disgrace\" full of \"wasteful\" items.\n\nHe baulked at the annual aid money for other countries in the federal budget, arguing that those funds should instead go to struggling Americans.\n\nMr Trump's decision to bat the measure back to Capitol Hill stunned lawmakers since he has largely stayed out of negotiations for a coronavirus aid bill that had stalled since last July.\n\nHis top economic adviser, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, had proposed the $600 payments early this month, and many have questioned why the president waited until now to object.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. \"I'm not sure how we're going to survive\"\n\nThe one-off payments of $600 and the federal jobless benefits are half the sum provided by the last major coronavirus aid bill in March, which contained $2.4tn in economic relief.\n\nMr Trump's call for more generous one-off payments to Americans has found him in rare agreement with some liberal Democrats who are usually his sworn political foes.\n\nCongresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tweeted: \"Glad to see the President is willing to support our legislation.\"\n\nBut many of the president's fellow Republicans are said to be dismayed that Democrats will now depict them as Scrooges for rejecting higher spending.\n\nOn a conference call Wednesday, House Republicans said Mr Trump had thrown them under a bus, according to the Associated Press news agency.\n\nMany of them now face the dilemma of choosing between the president and party.\n\nThough conservatives are protesting over the spiralling trillion-dollar US deficit, they and the president enacted tax cuts in 2017 that added to America's overdraft.\n\nThe congressional gridlock comes amid runoff votes in Georgia for two Senate seats that will determine the balance of power in Washington next year.\n\nRepublican Senators David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler are fighting for their political lives in the 5 January special election. Both had backed the aid bill spurned by Mr Trump.\n\nIf Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock can flip these two seats, their party will control all of Congress and the White House once President-elect Joe Biden takes office later next month.", "1,645 days after the UK voted to leave the EU, 328 days after we actually departed, the shape of our relationship with our nearest neighbours has been drawn and agreed - only days before the status quo will disappear.\n\nThe deal that will determine how we do business with our biggest trading partner.\n\nThe deal that both sides desperately wanted to achieve.\n\nBut the deal that was not, even though political logic suggested it, inevitable.\n\nCertainly the prime minister always said he would be willing to walk away, claiming repeatedly that the UK would \"prosper mightily\" if there was no agreement in the end.\n\nIt is true that he and his allies sometimes scoffed at the nature of the widespread warnings about the potential damage abandoning the status quo without a deal could wreak.\n\nIt is also true that some of the positions the EU was putting forward even in the closing weeks of the talks were seen as intolerable by the UK side, which was even in some moments surprised by what appeared to be a hardening of attitudes late in the day.\n\nBut it is also true that the prime minister, the vast majority of ministers and MPs were concerned about the risk of taking a step into the unknown.\n\nThey wanted to avoid the disruption of leaving a relationship that has lasted four decades without a ready replacement.\n\nTo rip off the tentacles spread into almost every feature of how the country is run overnight could have caused major pain.\n\nEven with a deal, changes are on the way that may not feel smooth. But a sudden no-deal departure from the EU's rules could have been a disruptive at best, disastrous at worst, for some very concerned industries, adding to the country's difficulties during a pandemic that has caused so much pain.\n\nThe 1,500 or so pages of the deal (if you're stuck for Christmas reading, there'll be plenty to keep you busy!) have not yet been published, far less has there been time to comb through the actual detail.\n\nIn the coming days, without doubt, there will be a rhetorical bidding war over which side has given more ground, \"lost\" or \"won\".\n\nThere will have been compromises on both sides. But both the UK and the EU have put pragmatism over firm principle, and agreed an historic accord that will affect so many aspects of how we live.\n\nBoris Johnson has so often been accused of failing to keep the promises that he has made. The details of the deal may well contain more evidence that some of his vows on Brexit will be broken.\n\nBut he has managed to keep perhaps his biggest commitment after taking us out of the European Union - securing a deal - a huge political and personal relief, perhaps, for the man whose name and reputation will be forever linked with the UK's decision to leave the EU.", "The US President has even floated the idea of pardoning himself, but is that legal? The BBC's Rajini Vaidyanathan has the answer.", "Last updated on .From the section League Cup\n\nCaptain Harry Maguire said Manchester United \"have to start lifting trophies\" after they set up a Carabao Cup semi-final against rivals Manchester City with a late win at Everton.\n\nUnited's last domestic silverware was the League Cup in 2017 and they are within one game of another final after Edinson Cavani and Anthony Martial broke Everton's resistance at Goodison Park.\n\nCavani's stunning curling effort from 20 yards opened the scoring in front of 2,000 fans, just as the game looked set to head to penalties.\n\nWith Everton chasing the game, substitute Martial added a second in stoppage time to send Ole Gunnar Solskjaer one step closer to earning his first trophy as United boss.\n\n\"We are expected to win trophies,\" said Maguire. \"It's important to reach these big games but we have to start winning them and lift some trophies for this club.\n\n\"It was an excellent performance and we should have been out of sight, we had three or four great chances. We need to be more clinical.\"\n\nEverton were lacklustre in the second half, after Richarlison went off injured, having promised much in the first period, with Gylfi Sigurdsson's free-kick testing Dean Henderson.\n\nDefeat for Carlo Ancelotti's team ends a run of three successive wins which has lifted them to fourth in the Premier League table.\n\nUnited continued their upsurge over the last month with a victory which means they have now won all nine of their domestic away games this season - a run which has seen them go third in the Premier League table with a game in hand on their rivals.\n\nDespite making nine changes to the team which beat Leeds on Sunday after going 2-0 up inside three minutes, Solskjaer's side began with a similar intensity but could not find a breakthrough against an Everton team whose defence has improved in recent games.\n\nIn keeping with their 3-1 win at Goodison last month, Bruno Fernandes was at the heart of their endeavour and in Cavani, they had a striker with a keen eye for goal despite missing the last few games through injury.\n\nIt was an eventful night for the former Paris St-Germain forward, who joined United in October.\n\nHaving tested Everton keeper Robin Olsen early on, he was then involved in an off-the-ball incident with Yerry Mina where he appeared to grab the Everton defender. Without the use of VAR until the semi-finals, neither player was punished.\n\nThere were also chances for Mason Greenwood and Paul Pogba but once Everton found their feet midway through the first half, United found it hard to break down their opponents.\n\nWith the game petering out in the second half, Solskjaer sent on Marcus Rashford and Martial in search of a goal, but neither appeared to provide a spark.\n\nThat was until Martial found space on the counter attack to feed Cavani, who cut inside Ben Godfrey and found the bottom corner with a rasping strike for his fourth of the season.\n\nWith Everton committing players forward to take the game to spot-kicks, they allowed United to break twice more with Fernandes hitting the post on one surge before Martial finished a slick move for his fourth of the season too.\n\nHaving slipped up in three cup semi-finals last season, Solskjaer said he was \"desperate\" for silverware this campaign, and his side are showing signs they could win a first trophy for the club since their 2017 Europa League triumph.\n\nFans can't help Everton as trophy search continues\n\nEverton's improvement in their last three games has been buoyed by being one of a handful of teams who can now allow fans into their stadium.\n\nBut on a cold and wet night at Goodison Park, where the supporters did their best to raise the team, Ancelotti's side could not find a rhythm to overly trouble United, who looked like they had the extra guile to win the tie.\n\nMuch of Everton's recent success has come by holding firm in defence and breaking on the counter attack, and there were moments when Henderson was called into action to deny Sigurdsson and Calvert-Lewin.\n\nBut much of their endeavour came from set-pieces, and when they lost Richarlison to what looked like a head injury following a collision with Eric Bailly, they struggled to get in behind the United defence.\n\nBefore the break, it was the much improved Sigurdsson who provided the hosts' biggest threat, with his corner teeing up Calvert-Lewin and a weaving run leading to a blocked shot before his fizzing free-kick was saved.\n\nAfter Cavani's late finish, the fans in the Gwladys Street End urged an equaliser as Godfrey's shot was stopped, but Ancelotti's side missed out on a first semi-final since 2016 as their search for a first trophy since their 1995 FA Cup win continues.\n\n'We have no regrets' - what they said\n\nEverton boss Carlo Ancelotti said: \"We are disappointed because it was an important competition for us. We have no regrets because the team performed.\n\n\"We had a difficult start but after 20 minutes, defensively we were in control.\n\n\"In the second half we didn't give an opportunity against a team which is really strong. We performed defensively, we were good until the end, we were close to the penalties but anyway no regrets, absolutely.\"\n\nMan Utd boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said: \"We had three semi-finals last year and it is a step not far enough.\n\n\"It was an excellent performance from the beginning. I thought we should have been one or two goals up at least.\n\n\"The first 25-30 minutes we put them under pressure and created loads of chances but you always know it will be difficult against Everton and they pegged us back in the last 15 minutes of the first half.\n\n\"We defended well and in the second half it was tight but we had a little bit of an upper hand.\"\n\nEverton return to the Premier League with a trip to bottom of the table Sheffield United on 26 December, before hosting Manchester City two days later.\n\nManchester United are away at Leicester on Boxing Day, and face Wolves at Old Trafford on 29 December.\n• None Manchester United have reached the League Cup semi-finals for the 16th time, second only to Liverpool (17) in the competition's history.\n• None Everton failed to register a shot on target in the second half, with Gylfi Sigurdsson having 57% of their total attempts tonight (4/7).\n• None This was United's third clean sheet in 12 away games in all competitions this season, with all of these shutouts coming in the League Cup.\n• None United have scored in each of their last 25 away games in all competitions, since a 0-2 defeat at Liverpool in January.\n• None United are the first team to win away at Everton twice in the same season since Chelsea in the 2007-08 campaign.\n• None This was United's 14th consecutive away win in domestic competition, with the Red Devils last failing to win on the road in non-European competition against Spurs back in June (1-1).\n• None Martial is the third substitute to both score and assist a goal for Manchester United in all competitions this season (Greenwood v Luton, Cavani v Southampton), with no sub having done this for the club in either 2018-19 or 2019-20.\n• None Cavani's late winner for came from his fourth shot on target in the match, which was one more than Everton managed.\n• None Goal! Everton 0, Manchester United 2. Anthony Martial (Manchester United) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Marcus Rashford with a through ball following a fast break.\n• None Attempt saved. Marcus Rashford (Manchester United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Edinson Cavani.\n• None Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United) hits the bar with a right footed shot from the centre of the box. Assisted by Nemanja Matic following a fast break.\n• None Attempt blocked. Ben Godfrey (Everton) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Alex Iwobi.\n• None Attempt blocked. Marcus Rashford (Manchester United) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Anthony Martial.\n• None Anthony Martial (Manchester United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.\n• None Attempt missed. Ben Godfrey (Everton) header from very close range is too high. Assisted by Gylfi Sigurdsson with a cross following a set piece situation.\n• None Axel Tuanzebe (Manchester United) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.\n• None Goal! Everton 0, Manchester United 1. Edinson Cavani (Manchester United) left footed shot from outside the box to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Anthony Martial.\n• None Attempt missed. Gylfi Sigurdsson (Everton) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Alex Iwobi with a cross. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page\n• None Who are the greatest Premier League captains?\n• None The best Christmas songs performed by the biggest artists", "Boris Johnson and Ursula von der Leyen are said to have been working to reach an agreement before Christmas\n\nBoris Johnson is expected to announce later that the UK has reached an agreement with the EU over post-Brexit trade and security.\n\nOfficials in Brussels are believed to be finalising the details of a deal that will come into force when the UK leaves EU trading rules next week.\n\nIt follows months of often fraught negotiations between the two sides.\n\nThe PM will speak to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen by phone to sign off the deal.\n\nMr Johnson is then expected to hold a press conference in Downing Street to announce it.\n\nThe announcement had been expected earlier, but it has been delayed while final haggling between the two sides continues.\n\nIrish foreign minister Simon Coveney told RTE Radio there had been \"some sort of last-minute hitch\" over the small print of the fishing quotas agreement but a deal was still expected later.\n\nA deal would end the prospect of the two sides imposing widespread import taxes - tariffs - on each other's goods from 1 January, which could have affected prices.\n\nBBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg said Mr Johnson and Mrs von der Leyen spoke four times on Wednesday to get a deal \"over the line\".\n\nShe said negotiators were \"still haggling over some fine details\", including catch quotas for more than 100 species of fish in UK waters.\n\nIt is understood the agreement does not have a role for the European Court of Justice, the EU's top court, and the two sides have agreed a system to sort out disputes that follows international law, rather than EU law, our political editor said.\n\nIn addition, she said the two sides have agreed to phase new fishing arrangements over five years, with the UK catching as much as two-thirds of the fish in UK waters by the end of the transition.\n\nThe deal document is thought to be around 2,000 pages long. It is expected that the UK Parliament will be recalled to vote on a law implementing a deal before 31 December, when the Brexit transition period ends.\n\nOn the EU side, leaders can decide to apply a deal provisionally before the European Parliament holds a ratification vote early next year. It could also need eventual approval in national EU parliaments, depending on the exact contents of the deal.\n\nBBC Europe correspondent Gavin Lee said Mrs von der Leyen was also due to speak later to set out details of the deal.\n\nIt is believed one of the final obstacles being discussed include quotas for particular types of fish.\n\nThe UK has insisted on having control over fishing in its waters from 1 January and retaining a larger share of the catch from them than under the current quota system.\n\nBut the EU wanted to phase in a new fishing system over a longer period and retain more of its access to UK waters for boats from France, Spain and other member states.\n\nThe sides also disagreed over whether UK firms should continue to follow the same rules as companies within the EU - and on how future trading disputes should be resolved.\n\nThe pizzas arrived as the negotiations continued into the evening\n\nAs afternoon gave way to evening and evening gave way to night in Brussels optimism that agreement was close never dwindled, but never quite turned into a deal either.\n\nAt one point pizzas arrived for the weary officials - a delivery man on a bike turning up at the front gates of the European Commission.\n\nIt was understood that negotiators were still haggling over precise quotas of individual species of fish that EU boats will be allowed to catch in British waters.\n\nThe governments of individual EU member states must consider the details of any deal but they have been briefed regularly throughout the process and shouldn't find much if anything to surprise them.\n\nThe issue of how to promote the deal for public consumption is much more pressing for the British side than the European.\n\nFor the EU there are legal loose ends to be tied up but the European Parliament will only vote on a deal retrospectively at some point in the New Year.\n\nIn the UK the government will have to get any deal through parliament before 31 December.\n\nUK ministers have repeatedly ruled out any extension to the transition period, under which the UK has continued to follow Brussels's trade rules since it left the EU on 31 January.\n\nSir Ian Cheshire, chairman of Barclays UK, said he welcomed an agreement, which would bring \"clarity\" for business.\n\nSpeaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, he said planning for a new trading relationship with the EU had been \"the overriding issue for businesses over the last two years\".\n\n\"This was pure politics. It was always the last minute sort of rabbit from the hat,\" he added.\n\nThe European Research Group of Brexit-supporting Conservative MPs has promised to reconvene its group of lawyers to analyse any deal that is reached.\n\nThe group was highly critical of previous Prime Minister Theresa May's withdrawal agreement with the EU.\n\nChairman Mark Francois and deputy chairman David Jones said it would \"scrutinise it in detail, to ensure that its provisions genuinely protect the sovereignty of the United Kingdom\".", "Ex-Prime Minister Tony Blair is urging the government to give as many people as possible an initial dose of a Covid vaccine - rather than preserving stocks so there is enough for second jabs.\n\nThe Pfizer-Biontech and Oxford University-Astrazeneca vaccines require two doses to be fully effective.\n\nMr Blair said his idea would speed up the vaccine programme so the country could come out of lockdown sooner.\n\nIn the Independent, he argued the roll-out must be \"radically accelerated\".\n\nThe UK has pre-ordered 40 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and 100 million of the Oxford University Astrazeneca vaccines.\n\nMore than 500,000 people in the UK have now been given their first dose of the vaccine.\n\nThe two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine are administered around 21 days apart.\n\nIn a statement, Pfizer said this was needed \"to provide the maximum protection\", adding: \"Health professionals are advised to continue to follow the official guidance on administration of the vaccine.\"\n\nMr Blair told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that although \"you really need the two doses… the first dose gives you substantial immunity\".\n\nHe argued there was a \"strong case for not holding back the second doses of the vaccine\" and instead using those batches to give a greater number of people the first dose.\n\nHis proposal was backed up by Professor David Salisbury, the man in charge of immunisation at the Department of Health until 2013.\n\nHe told Today the numbers were \"straightforward\".\n\n\"You give one dose you get 91% [protection] you give two doses and you get 95% - you are only gaining 4% for giving the second dose,\" he said.\n\n\"With current circumstances, I would strongly urge you to use as many first doses as you possibly can for risk groups and only after you have done all of that come back with second doses.\"\n\nHowever, he acknowledged this would be harder to do with the Oxford University vaccine, where the efficacy of two doses is 60%.\n\nPfizer has not tested their vaccine as a single dose so where have the numbers come from?\n\nThe large clinical trial using two jabs showed 52% protection in the time between the first and second jabs.\n\nBut it takes time for the immune system to fully respond, so that figure will include the time when there is no protection from the vaccine.\n\nAnd this is true of the second jab; it's not an instantaneous response.\n\nData in the New England Journal of Medicine says there is 90.5% protection in the six days after the second jab.\n\nProf Salisbury's argument is this is all down to the first jab, as the second has not kicked in yet.\n\nProfessor Wendy Barclay, from the department of infectious disease at Imperial College London, said Mr Blair's idea was interesting but agreed it was \"too risky\" to try without further evidence.\n\nAnd Professor Neil Ferguson, also from Imperial, added that the UK regulator had authorised the vaccine on the basis that people would receive two doses.\n\nAdministering one dose only would require \"an entirely different regulatory submission\", he told a Commons committee.\n\nA Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: \"Over the coming weeks and months, the rate of vaccinations will increase as more doses become available and the programme continues to expand.\"\n\nMargaret Keenan became the first person in the UK to receive the Pfizer/BioNtech Covid-19 vaccine at University Hospital, Coventry\n\nMr Blair's suggestion is part of a seven-point plan he has drawn up, which also includes a plea to the government to start preparing \"health passports\".\n\nThe former Labour prime minister, who was in power between 1997 and 2007, predicted that in six months, countries would only allow travellers to visit if they could give proof of their disease status.\n\nHe also said it was important to \"have the best data systems in the world available to us\".\n\n\"Collecting this data in one place, with one patient record, is going to be absolutely vital - testing, vaccinations, every single thing to do with the development of this disease,\" he added.\n\n\"You need to record every single piece of data you can lay your hands on because we will be adjusting our vaccination programme as we go - we may even have to adjust the vaccine itself.\"\n\nMr Blair also said that while it was important to prioritise the vulnerable and health care staff, this should not delay vaccinating those who were more likely to spread the disease, such as students.\n\nTony Blair's theory about making vaccines go further is grabbing the headlines but the former prime minister's thoughts on health passports could prove even more controversial.\n\nHe's confident that within six months no country in the world will allow travellers in without proof of their disease status - and wants the UK government to get ahead of the curve, building a vast database of patient records, tests and vaccinations.\n\nIt would seem inevitable that any health passport would end up being used not just for foreign travel but at home, with restaurants, shops and even employers demanding to know about an individual's virus status.\n\nThe national ID card that Tony Blair's government proposed in the teeth of fierce opposition would finally become a reality.\n\nBut civil liberties and data rights campaigners have already raised concerns about issues such as the data collected by the NHS Covid-19 contact tracing app, and about the role in building a virus dashboard the government has given to the controversial American firm Palantir.\n\nThey can be expected to mount a vigorous fight against any attempt to create a national \"Covid passport\" - and many MPs across the political spectrum will share their unease.\n\nBut not everyone will reject the idea out of hand. Some whose freedoms to leave their house or to welcome family at Christmas have been curtailed may think that giving away some of their data is a price worth paying for a return to normality.", "Former celebrity chef Pete Evans has amassed a huge following online\n\nFacebook has removed the page of Australian celebrity chef Pete Evans after he repeatedly shared misinformation about the coronavirus.\n\nEvans, who had about 1.5 million Facebook followers, spread conspiracy theories about Covid and vaccines which are refuted by medical experts.\n\nPreviously, Facebook had taken down individual posts from Evans deemed to be misinformation.\n\nBut the platform has now removed his entire page.\n\n\"We don't allow anyone to share misinformation about Covid-19 that could lead to imminent physical harm or [about] Covid-19 vaccines that have been debunked by public health experts,\" the company said.\n\nFacebook said it had removed the page for \"repeated violations\" of its policies.\n\nEvans had shared a range of debunked theories about the severity of the virus, mask-wearing and vaccines, as well as incorrect claims about 5G networks.\n\nThe chef came to prominence as a judge for 10 seasons on Australian cooking show My Kitchen Rules.\n\nHis account on Facebook-owned Instagram - with 278,000 followers - remains active.\n\nEvans posted on Instagram on Thursday that he was \"very glad to be one of the catalysts for a conversation about such an important topic... freedom of speech\".\n\nMany of his fans expressed frustration about Facebook's decision.\n\nEvans' critics have long called on Facebook to remove his access to the platform for spreading false information.\n\nPrior to the pandemic, several Australian health bodies had criticised Evans - known as \"Paleo Pete\" - for promoting pseudo-science about diets and cancer cures.\n\nIn 2017, the Australian Medical Association accused Evans of endangering lives with his false claims about the benefits of certain minerals and toxins in sunscreen.\n\nHis following has grown larger this year.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Sebastian’s mum became one of the leaders of Britain’s conspiracy community\n\nSome protesters cited his videos as inspiration for attending anti-lockdown rallies in cities such as Melbourne.\n\nIn April, his company was fined by Australian regulators for selling a A$15,000 (£8,400; $11,300) light machine which he incorrectly claimed could cure the \"Wuhan coronavirus\".\n\nThen in November, he lost several business sponsorships after he shared a meme on social media that featured a neo-Nazi symbol.\n\nHis post included a \"black sun\" - a symbol associated with Nazi Germany and used by the far-right including the Christchurch gunman. Following a backlash, he offered an apology to \"anyone who misinterpreted\" the post.\n\nHis cookbooks were pulled by major retailers after that post, and his publisher Pan Macmillan said it had ended his author contract.\n\nEvans was also fired from the next Australian season of television show I'm A Celebrity ... Get Me Out Of Here.", "Truckers have been stranded in Kent since France imposed a cross-Channel travel ban\n\nTeams of volunteers have delivered hundreds of meals to lorry drivers stranded in Kent.\n\nMembers of Maidenhead's KhalsaAid travelled 80 miles (130km) to take food to drivers hit by the travel ban between the UK and France.\n\nOn Tuesday, some of the Sikh charity's LangarAid members travelled almost double the distance, from Coventry, to take water and food.\n\nVolunteers from KhalsaAid provided more than 800 meals to stuck truckers\n\nRail, air and sea services between the two countries have resumed after France eased its travel ban.\n\nFrench citizens, British nationals living in France and hauliers are among those now able to travel - if they have a recent negative test.\n\nBut the delays will take some time to clear, with drivers remaining in need of help from the armies of volunteers.\n\nSome European nationals living in England have come to the aid of their compatriots who are stranded in Kent.\n\nMembers of a Facebook page for Hungarians in the UK helped to organise food donations.\n\nIvett Hidvegi said drivers were \"in a really bad situation\" with limited access to food and toilets.\n\nVolunteers were prevented from delivering food at Manston Airport on Tuesday, so handed donations to drivers on the roadside, she said.\n\nExtra toilets were delivered to Manston Airport on Wednesday\n\nSikhs from Guru Nanak Gurdwara in Gravesend, Kent, helped cook the meals before volunteers were given a police escort along the M20 to deliver them.\n\nMr Singh added: \"It's horrible for [the drivers], there's nothing here - no food, no shops - it's like a prison for them. We can't sit back and do nothing.\"\n\nThe Salvation Army has been giving out food and drink to drivers stuck on the M20\n\nThe Salvation Army has also provided 1,000 packs of sandwiches for lorry drivers on the M20.\n\nCapt Marion Rouffet said: \"We worked from 8:30 last night until midnight, and the sandwiches were stored by the pub next door.\n\n\"The shop owner next door offered anything we need, and Pret A Manger gave us lots of sandwich fillings.\n\n\"People will always rally when necessary.\"\n\nRamsgate FC was giving out pizzas to drivers as they arrived at Manston Airport\n\n\"We are a community club and we want anyone in the community or who passes through to know we will always look after them,\" chairman James Lawson said.\n\n\"We gave pizzas to the lorry drivers as they were driving into Manston Airport. We have a pizza kitchen and we can't play football at the moment, so we had a lot of stock which was starting to go out of date, so it seemed a perfect opportunity to help out.\n\n\"It was a lot of work over a few hours,\" he said.\n\nAshford International Truckstop said it was providing 1,000 food bags, prepared by staff who had volunteered to work at its sister hotel in Hythe and pub in Alkham.\n\nToby Howe, senior highways managers at Kent County Council, said: \"For those on the M20 there have been facilities - toilets have been provided - and we've had really good support from communities around the place to provide food.\n\n\"We're really appreciative of those who have brought food.\n\n\"There's been a lot of positives from this - people coming together to give support.\"\n\nFollow BBC South East on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer have thanked the armed forces and NHS staff for their work in dealing with Covid-19.\n\nIn a video call with troops in the UK and abroad, the PM saluted those who had helped build hospitals, deliver equipment and organise testing.\n\n\"You represent in my view the very best of our country,\" he said.\n\nIn his Christmas message, Sir Keir said the pandemic had shown the values of \"generosity and kindness\" in abundance.\n\nWhile it had been tough year for everyone and a traumatic one for many, the Labour leader said \"in every village, every town and every city, we have seen the very best of Britain\".\n\nHe paid tribute to the \"key workers who have been our country's rock, the servicemen and servicewomen who have stepped up, and the incredible scientists who have discovered a vaccine\".\n\nWhile there was \"light at the end of the tunnel\" in the country's fight against the virus, he acknowledged the difficulties many families face with \"an empty space around the Christmas table\" this year.\n\n\"I know it hasn't been easy. I know for many of our key workers they will have to step up again, one more time, this Christmas, as will our armed forces, who have deployed here and across the overseas,\" he said.\n\n\"Christmas is a time for us to be thankful for what we value most and to care for those who have lost so much.\"\n\nAnd he urged people to capture the spirit shown during the crisis to \"rebuild a better future for our country\".\n\nAddressing troops stationed in Mali, Estonia, Somalia and Afghanistan, as well as those deployed in the UK, Mr Johnson thanked them all for being \"our number one export\".\n\n\"You represent in my view the very best of our country, the thing people really want to see around the world.\n\n\"It's not just abroad that this has been an amazing year for the armed services. So many of you have been responsible for doing extraordinary things here at home, thousands of you helping to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.\n\n\"Building the Nightingales, delivering PPE, testing people, and now leading the way and helping the country to get vaccinated.\n\n\"Thank you for your sacrifice and your effort. You're bringing hope and encouragement to the entire country.\"", "Buckingham Palace's Masterpieces exhibition was forced to shut after less than two weeks\n\nThe two men in charge of the Queen's art collection have left and won't be replaced \"for the time being\" because of Covid's impact on royal finances.\n\nDesmond Shawe-Taylor, the Surveyor of The Queen's Pictures - a post that was created in 1625 - has taken redundancy.\n\nRufus Bird, the Surveyor of The Queen's Works of Art, has also left.\n\nThe Royal Collection Trust has said it expects to lose £64m in income this year because Buckingham Palace and other sites have been shut to visitors.\n\nThat has forced the Trust, one of the the royal household's five departments, into carrying out a restructure and staff cuts.\n\nWriting in the Trust's latest annual report, the Prince of Wales, its chairman, said: \"We are now facing by far the greatest challenge in the charity's history and have had to take many hard decisions in order to adjust to the new economic realities.\"\n\nThe Trust looks after the Queen's vast and distinguished art collection, which includes masterpieces by Vermeer, Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Rubens, Titian and Reynolds.\n\nThe post of Surveyor of The Queen's Pictures was created by Charles I, and previous holders include Anthony Blunt, who was later revealed to have been a Russian spy. Mr Shawe-Taylor had been in the job since 2005.\n\nThe Trust is also responsible for opening the Queen's official residences to visitors. Its latest exhibition, Masterpieces from Buckingham Palace, opened on 4 December but was forced to close less than two weeks later, when London's coronavirus restrictions were tightened.\n\nA statement from the Trust said: \"As part of the Royal Collection Trust restructure, Desmond Shawe-Taylor, Surveyor of The Queen's Pictures and Chief Surveyor, and Rufus Bird, Surveyor of The Queen's Works of Art, will leave the organisation under the Voluntary Severance Programme.\n\n\"The posts of Surveyor of The Queen's Pictures and Surveyor of The Queen's Works of Art will for the time being, be lost and held in abeyance.\n\n\"The Director of the Royal Collection, Tim Knox, will assume overall responsibility for the curatorial sections, supported by the Deputy Surveyors of Pictures and Works of Art.\"", "This is a political victory for the prime minister with up front control \"taken back\" in a deal struck in a very short time.\n\nIn economic terms, it prevents the equivalent of a low level tariff trade war with our biggest trading partner breaking out, in the middle of an historic recession and health crisis.\n\nThe UK has stayed in a free trade zone stretching from Iceland to Russia, as Vote Leave promised ahead of the referendum.\n\nBut his manifest error in declaring there are \"no non-tariff barriers\" for trade with the EU had business leaders falling off their chairs.\n\nThis is patently not the case. The government has entire websites informing the public and businesses of tens of millions of new customs declarations, export health checks, regulatory checks, rules of origin checks, conformity assessments.\n\nBut while we wait for 2,000 pages of legal detail, that quote might help both explain a lot about the last four years, and map out some rocky moments ahead.\n\nIt is possible that the prime minister has a different definition of what the phrase means. He seemed, when questioned to confuse them with technical standards for plugs.\n\nBut any government confusion about this is about to meet a brick wall of reality from January. Industries are having to replicate regulatory processes for the UK market that previously existed only for the EU, doubling the cost.\n\nThe deal mitigates the impact of some of this. But there is no precedent for the avalanche of new trade barriers that is coming. As retailers have said \"it is the biggest imposition of red tape in 50 years\".\n\nMore than that, not only will those barriers now exist between the UK and EU, but some will also now occur within the UK between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, as the news about seed potatoes shows.\n\nThe government indeed is currently trying to advertise to thousands of business that these changes need to be prepared for, and urgently so. Failure to do so, still risks problematic congestion on key freight routes.\n\nBut it also shows up the strategy of negotiators. Typically they carve up into defensive asks, where you manage your trade partners' access to your markets, and demand offensive asks about your access to their markets.\n\nThe UK had few offensive asks. This was not a typical trade deal. For the UK, this was a means through which to establish regulatory independence, not to further share it and therefore increase trade, by reducing barriers.\n\nDetails really matter here. A key question will be whether the most important exports qualify for tariff free status. The government claims a win here.\n\nThe car companies are the ones best placed to judge that. The EU was playing hardball on this issue, even against the wishes of its own carmakers. Certainly, it has rejected the UK wish to count Japanese and Turkish parts as effectively \"made in Britain\".\n\nAccepting that means that there will be new trade barriers with the EU, though thankfully not actual tariffs. The challenge really is about whether the new freedoms the prime minister has won, can help more than make up for more trade friction with what is currently our main market.\n\nIt means significant change, winners and losers. It means the government needs a proper strategic economic plan. This deal makes that process easier at an already challenging time. But it does not eliminate the economic challenge from this political win.", "After months of talks, UK cabinet ministers are understood to be gathering on a conference call to discuss a Brexit deal with the EU.\n\nOur political editor Laura Kuenssberg says that “wouldn’t happen in No 10 wasn’t by now very confident that a deal is shortly to be finalised”.\n\nAt the same time in Brussels, the UK and EU negotiating teams are still locked in discussions.\n\nIt’s understood they are talking about specific details for future fishing rights – on catches of specific species of fish.\n\nEarlier, EU sources said UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had also been in contact in an attempt to break the deadlock.", "About 4,000 lorries have been parked at Manston Airport overnight\n\nIt could take days to clear the backlog of lorries waiting to cross to France, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps says.\n\nDrivers have been warned they may have to spend Christmas in their cabs.\n\nAbout 4,000 lorries are parked at Manston Airport in Kent, with another 2,300 being held on the M20 after the French closed their border with the UK.\n\nCrossings will continue over Christmas but all drivers are required to test negative for Covid-19 before being allowed into France.\n\nTests are being administered by members of the military and French firefighters.\n\nPolish defence minister Mariusz Blaszczak said in a tweet that a team of territorial soldiers was being sent to the UK to support the testing effort.\n\nOf the 2,367 drivers tested by 12:00 GMT, three have tested positive, Mr Shapps said.\n\n\"Spending days in a lorry on your own puts you in an extremely low risk category,\" he added.\n\nCroatian driver Ante Kostelac told the BBC: \"All hopes for Christmas with the family are over.\n\n\"I'm still waiting for testing at the airport, when asked when it will be, I got the answer 'who knows'.\"\n\n\"I'll obviously be at this airport for Christmas.\"\n\nOperation Stack has been put in place on the M20 allowing lorries queuing for the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel terminal to be held on the motorway.\n\nThe Port of Dover said fewer than 100 freight vehicles had passed through overnight due to the restrictions on testing.\n\n\"However, now testing has fully mobilised at the port we anticipate that figure rising significantly throughout the day,\" a spokesman said.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nMr Shapps said: \"It will take several days to clear the backlog.\"\n\n\"The one thing that people can do is not turn up in Kent; it won't get you through faster, indeed it will make things more difficult on the ground.\n\n\"The testing is happening and the negative tests are coming through now, and with police's help clearing the entrance to Dover, the traffic is able to move, and with Eurotunnel's help, things are just starting to move.\n\n\"It's never going to be a quick operation.\"\n\nThe head of the Road Haulage Association said he sympathised with the small number of lorry drivers who clashed with police in Dover on Wednesday.\n\nRichard Burnett said: \"I really feel for these drivers that have ended up being pawns in a larger game.\n\n\"Are they going to be held here until Boxing Day or beyond?\"\n\nTesting is under way at the Port of Dover with traffic slowly moving through this morning.\n\nMany of the drivers have spent two, three or even four nights in their cabs with no toilet or washing facilities.\n\nIt's not just hauliers either. There are hundreds of vans full of workers from across Europe and families with small children trying to get home in time for Christmas.\n\nSome drivers queuing through the town centre told me they've only moved 100m since the port reopened. I saw a few arguments breaking out at junctions where drivers were perceived to be pushing in.\n\nThe main routes through Dover are still largely blocked although there are definitely more police around today redirecting traffic away from the gridlock. Local volunteers are also out in force delivering much-needed food and drink to the waiting travellers.\n\nAs part of Operation Stack, the coast-bound carriageway of the M20 is closed between junction eight and the A20 at Hawkinge.\n\nThe London-bound carriageway is also shut between junction nine for Ashford and junction eight for Leeds Castle, with traffic being diverted on to the A20.\n\nAll EU freight traffic heading to the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel Terminals is being redirected to Manston Airfield, Highways England said.\n\nFreight traffic on the M25 is being told to use the M2 and A2.\n\nFollow BBC South East on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Prime Minister Boris Johnson announces new deal between UK and EU\n\nThe EU and UK have reached a post-Brexit trade deal, ending months of disagreements over fishing rights and future business rules.\n\nAt a Downing Street press conference, Boris Johnson said: \"We have taken back control of our laws and our destiny.\"\n\nThe text of the agreement has yet to be released, but the PM claimed it was a \"good deal for the whole of Europe\".\n\nThe UK is set to exit EU trading rules next Thursday - a year after officially leaving the 27 nation bloc.\n\nIt will mean big changes for business, with the UK and EU forming two separate markets, and the end of free movement.\n\nBut the trade deal will come as a major relief to many British businesses, already reeling from the impact of coronavirus, who feared disruption at the borders and the imposition of tariffs, or taxes on imports.\n\nAs the deal was announced, Mr Johnson - who had repeatedly said the UK would \"prosper mightily\" without a deal - tweeted a picture of himself smiling with both thumbs lifted in the air.\n\nIn a press conference in Brussels, European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen said: \"This was a long and winding road but we have got a good deal to show for it.\"\n\nShe said the deal was \"fair\" and \"balanced\" and it was now \"time to turn the page and look to the future\". The UK \"remains a trusted partner,\" she added.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nAt his press conference, Boris Johnson said the £668bn a year agreement would \"protect jobs across this country\" and \"enable UK goods to be sold without tariffs, without quotas in the EU market\".\n\nHe acknowledged he had been forced to give ground on his demands on fishing.\n\n\"The EU began with I think wanting a transition period of 14 years, we wanted three years, we've ended up at five years,\" he said.\n\nAnd he said the UK had not got all it wanted on financial services, a vital part of the UK economy, but he insisted the deal was \"nonetheless going to enable our dynamic City of London to get on and prosper as never before\".\n\nMost of the UK - except from Northern Ireland - will no longer participate in the Erasmus student exchange scheme, which Mr Johnson said was because it is \"extremely expensive\" - but a British option called the Turing Scheme will provide an alternative, he added.\n\nStudents in NI will still be able to take part thanks to an arrangement with the Irish government.\n\nThe UK's chief trade negotiator Lord Frost said the full text of the free trade agreement would be published soon.\n\nThe UK Parliament will be recalled on 30 December to vote on the deal - it will also need to be ratified by the European Parliament.\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer - who campaigned against Brexit - said his party would vote for the deal in the Commons, ensuring it will pass.\n\nHe said it was \"a thin agreement\" that \"does not provide adequate protections\" for jobs, manufacturing, financial services or workplace rights and \"is not the deal the government promised\".\n\nBut with no time left to renegotiate, the only choice was between \"this deal or no deal,\" he added.\n\nNo deal would have \"terrible consequences for this country and the Labour Party cannot allow that to happen\", said the Labour leader, and that was why he had decided to back it.\n\nWales First Minister Mark Drakeford said a deal was better than no deal but criticised the timing just a week before the UK exits the EU single market and customs union.\n\nScotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: \"Brexit is happening against Scotland's will - and there is no deal that will ever make up for what Brexit takes away from us.\n\n\"It's time to chart our own future as an independent, European nation.\"\n\nTaoiseach (Irish prime minister) Micheál Martin said he would study the text of the deal but added: \"From what we have heard today, I believe that it represents a good compromise and a balanced outcome.\"\n\nBrexit Party leader Nigel Farage - who played a leading role in the campaign to get the UK out of the EU in the 2016 referendum - told the BBC the deal was \"far from perfect\" and that for fisheries in particular it was a \"rotten deal\" - but added: \"It's a lot better off than we were five years ago.\"\n\nOne fishing industry representative said the UK had made \"significant concessions on fish\", and \"there will be a lot of disappointed and frustrated fishermen tonight\".\n\n\"There will certainly be those that see this as selling out \", said Barrie Deas, the head of the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations.\n\nNegotiations in Brussels went down to the wire over what EU fishing boats are allowed to catch in UK waters. Fishing makes up just 0.12% of the UK's economy.\n\nIt is a massive achievement for both sides that they have done such a huge trade deal on the timetable that was said to be impossible at the start.\n\nWhatever your personal view, there's a sense of vindication in the camp of those who campaigned to leave the EU - they got a free trade deal with zero quotas and zero tariffs (although there may be some before you scream) but the UK will not be under European law.\n\nIt's no coincidence that David Frost's number two, Oliver Lewis, wrote the Vote Leave manifesto. No 10 believes the PM, who was propelled to his position by the Vote Leave tribe, has been able to keep his central Brexit promises.\n\nLook out for the \"rebalancing clause\" when the deal finally emerges - the mechanism where either side can request a change to the deal, or seek to punish the other side if they believe they are breaking the agreement.\n\nIn short, the UK side believes it means they have been able to achieve two clear objectives: the deal applies to both sides, it's reciprocal, but there is the possibility of exit if things go wrong, without collapsing the whole shebang.\n\nBut it's Christmas Eve, so I suspect you agree that's enough for now. The vote in Parliament is set for the 30th. The result is not in doubt, but the theory that's been agreed tonight, will only be tested in years to come.\n\nRead more from Laura on Twitter and her latest blog here.\n\nThe government's economic watchdog, the Office for Budget Responsibility, had warned that leaving without a deal would have shrunk the national income by 2% next year and led to major job losses.\n\nThere were also concerns it would lead to higher prices in the shops for many imported goods.\n\nThere are still big question marks about what the deal will mean for the rest of British business.\n\nFirms that trade with the 27 member states have carried on as normal for the past year during the so-called transition period that kicked in when Britain left the EU.\n\nThey will still face extra paperwork when the country leaves the EU single market and customs union next week.\n\nBut the threat of tariffs - import taxes - between the UK and its biggest trading partner will be removed.\n\nHow will Brexit affect you? Do you have any questions about the trade deal? Get in touch by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "Hauliers will have to prove they have tested negative for coronavirus before travelling\n\nThousands of drivers are facing another night in their lorries, despite France reopening its border with the UK.\n\nLorries began boarding ferries at Dover on Wednesday after travel restrictions were lifted by the French government on the condition of a negative Covid test.\n\nTransport Secretary Grant Shapps said the government was using \"every tool we can\" to clear the backlog.\n\nAround 170 army personnel are helping to conduct tests, but police and weary drivers have clashed over long waits.\n\nAt the temporary lorry park at Manston airfield, drivers complained of limited food supply and inadequate bathroom facilities.\n\nMr Shapps warned of \"a lot of congestion and some, I'm afraid, anti-social behaviour around the ports that the police have been dealing with\".\n\nHe said 6,000 lorries were in the area and the government had called in the Army to assist with getting the hauliers who had tested negative on their way - but added it was \"not something that could be done instantaneously\" and said people should stay away from Kent and the ports.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Some drivers complained about unsanitary conditions and a lack of food\n\nFrance closed its border to arrivals from the UK late on Sunday amid concern over a highly-transmissible virus variant that was spreading in the UK.\n\nLatest measures allow French citizens, British nationals living in France and hauliers to travel - if they test negative less than 72 hours before departure.\n\nAll drivers, regardless of nationality, are required to take a rapid lateral flow test - with the results sent by text within 30 minutes. Drivers who test positive will be offered Covid-secure accommodation to self isolate, government minister Robert Jenrick said earlier.\n\nTesting will also take place on the French side for hauliers entering the UK.\n\nSome frustrated drivers staged a protest outside the port earlier in the day\n\nMr Shapps said the NHS Test and Trace team were conducting \"roving tests of hauliers\".\n\nHe added: \"They have to do that in many different languages because almost all the hauliers, I think well over 95%, are not UK hauliers. So they're having to deal with a lot of different things.\"\n\nEurotunnel said around around 700 cars, 50 vans and 20 trucks have been able to cross the Channel since this morning, and a \"flow\" of trucks has arrived at the British terminal since 16:00 GMT.\n\nKent County Council leader Roger Gough said tensions between police and drivers had calmed down but added the situation remained \"quite fragile\".\n\nHe told BBC Radio Kent that the \"most difficult\" challenge is clearing a route from Manston Airport to Dover, around 20 miles south, because of standing traffic.\n\n\"Whilst we're able, for instance, to get some progress in terms of people travelling via the Eurotunnel, it's much harder to get vehicles to the port in the current situation,\" he said.\n\nOne lorry driver complained to the BBC: \"Police three days ago told us that testing will start soon, but they don't know when and that's why people are protesting.\n\n\"We just want to do the test and just go straight home.\"\n\nOne driver told the BBC he is tired and does not have much food.\n\nRod McKenzie of the Road Haulage Association described the situation as \"chaos\", saying information given to lorry drivers had been \"extremely poor\".\n\n\"They're tired, frustrated, desperately wanting to get home for Christmas,\" he said.\n\nA government statement said they were \"working tirelessly to provide support to hauliers awaiting testing at Manston and the M20\" and free food and water was being provided.\n\nTypically around 10,000 lorries a day travel between Dover and Calais at Christmas, bringing in the fresh produce and the British Retail Consortium has warned the border closure may lead to some temporary food shortages.\n\nIt comes as a further 39,237 people in the UK tested positive for virus - an all-time high - and there were 744 deaths within 28 days of a positive test, according to government figures.\n\nAre you a lorry driver? Have you been affected by the delays? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "Levels of coronavirus are continuing to rise with one in 85 people in England infected, according to the Office for National Statistics.\n\nFigures for the week to 18 December estimate nearly 650,000 people have the virus, up from 570,000 the week before.\n\nLondon now has the highest percentage of people testing positive - more than 2%.\n\nIn Wales, the virus is infecting one in 60 people - a sharp increase. Infection levels are also up in Northern Ireland.\n\nIn Scotland, the percentage of people testing positive has decreased, equating to one in 140 people there with the virus, the ONS suggests.\n\nIt comes as a total of 521,594 people have been vaccinated against coronavirus in England over the two weeks since roll-out started, with thousands more across the UK nations. People aged 80 and over received 70% of these doses.\n\nIn Scotland 56,676 people have received the vaccine, in Wales the figure is 22,595 and in Northern Ireland it is 16,068.\n\nAccording to the ONS figures, there are sharp rises in levels of positive tests in the capital, the east of England, and the South East, where a new variant of the virus is spreading at a dangerous rate, according to government ministers.\n\nAbout two-thirds of people testing positive in these areas could have the new variant - but this is only an estimate, the ONS says.\n\nMeanwhile, case rates in London have doubled in one week, figures from Public Health England show, to 602 per 100,000 people.\n\nDr Yvonne Doyle, medical director at PHE, said: \"This will not be a normal Christmas for any of us.\n\n\"By continuing to reduce your contacts you can help to slow the spread of Covid-19. Remember that about one in three people may never experience any symptoms so could infect others without realising it.\"\n\nThere are two variants causing concern at the moment - the first, which emerged in Kent, is thought to be driving a rapid growth in cases and hospital admissions in the south and east of England in recent weeks.\n\nScientists advising government are worried the rest of the UK could experience the same thing, as the number of patients in hospital with Covid approaches levels of the spring peak.\n\nThis has led to strict rules being imposed on six million more people in England from 26 December when 40% of the country will be living under tier 4 restrictions.\n\nScientists say the new variant spreads more easily than other forms of the virus although they don't believe it causes more serious disease.\n\nThe second variant, which originated in South Africa and is causing a spike in cases there, was detected in two cases in the UK on Tuesday, prompting a ban on travel from the country.\n\nThe R, or reproduction number of the virus, is now between 1.1 and 1.3 for the UK, with regions in the south and east of England even higher, signalling that the epidemic is growing fast.\n\nThe ONS figures are based on tests of people in thousands of households across the UK whether they have symptoms or not, giving an accurate estimate of how many people are infected with the virus.\n\nProf Kevin McConway, emeritus professor of applied statistics at The Open University, says the figure of one in 85 people with the virus in England is \"worryingly high\".\n\nBut there is some good news - infection rates in the north of England have been falling in recent weeks.\n\n\"I hope that the new virus variant and any extra mixing of people over Christmas does not reverse the positive trends in those parts of the country,\" Prof McConway says.\n\nDaily UK government figures show there were 39,036 confirmed new cases on Thursday, slightly down from yesterday's record of 39,237. The total number of cases reported in the last week is nearly 50% higher than the week before.\n\nOn the same day, the deaths of another 574 people were reported within 28 days of a positive test for Covid-19.\n\nIt is almost inevitable that this figure will rise in the coming weeks as small numbers of those infected become seriously ill with the disease.\n\nThe latest figures show 21,286 people in hospital with Covid-19 as of Tuesday. The first wave peak was 21,683 people in hospital on 12 April.", "Chinese tech giant Alibaba is being investigated by regulators over monopolistic practices.\n\nChina's State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) made the announcement on Thursday.\n\nRegulators have previously warned Alibaba about forcing merchants to sign exclusive deals which prevent them from offering products on rival platforms.\n\nFinancial regulators will also meet with Alibaba's financial technology offshoot Ant Group in the coming days.\n\nThe investigation into monopolistic behaviour centres on the so-called \"choosing one from two\" practice.\n\nThis requires merchants (sellers) to sign exclusive co-operation pacts, preventing them from offering products on rival platforms\n\nChina's tech giants such as Alibaba and Tencent are facing increased scrutiny by the Chinese government, which is concerned about their growing size and power.\n\nRegulators are worried about the millions of users they have amassed and the influence they have over daily life in China, including shopping and payments.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. How a little Ant became a financial giant\n\nAlibaba, founded by the flamboyant Jack Ma, has already felt the wrath of regulators from a coordinated crackdown.\n\nLast month, the Ant Group, which was previously called Alipay, was forced to halt its stock market listing, which would have been the world's biggest launch.\n\nRegulators made the decision to block the IPO just days before the launch, after raising concerns about its micro-lending services.\n\nBut many believe the real reason behind the decision was a talk Mr Ma gave in late October that was critical of China's regulators and banking system.\n\nThe billionaire said Chinese banks operated with a \"pawnshop\" mentality, and some feel he is paying the price now for those comments.\n\nSince then, tough new antitrust rules have also been introduced across the tech sector and have triggered a decline of about $140bn (£103bn), or 17%, in the market value of Mr Ma's Alibaba.\n\nThe meeting with the Ant Group is to \"guide Ant Group to implement financial supervision, fair competition and protect the legitimate rights and interests of consumers\", a statement from the People's Bank of China said.\n\nFollowing notice by regulators, Ant said that it will \"seriously study and strictly comply with all regulatory requirements and commit full efforts to fulfil all related work\".\n\nThe Chinese government has become increasingly concerned with parts of Ant's sprawling empire, particularly its lucrative credit business.", "The UK has detected two cases of another new variant of coronavirus, the health secretary Matt Hancock says.\n\nThe cases in London and north west England are contacts of people who travelled to South Africa, where the variant was discovered.\n\nTravel restrictions with South Africa have been imposed.\n\nAnyone who has travelled there in the past fortnight, and anyone they have been in contact with, are being told to quarantine immediately.\n\nThe variant has been causing mounting concern in South Africa, where health minister Zweli Mkhize warned that \"young, previously healthy people are now becoming very sick\".\n\nHe said the country \"cannot go through what we went through in the early days of the Aids pandemic\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Dr Zweli Mkhize This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nScientists in South Africa say the variant has \"spread rapidly\" and became the dominant form of the virus in parts of the country.\n\nThe variant is still being analysed, but the data are consistent with it spreading more quickly.\n\nIt was detected for the first time in the UK on Tuesday.\n\nThis variant shares some similarities to the one that has already been detected in the UK, although they have evolved separately.\n\nBoth have a mutation - called N501Y - which is in a crucial part of the virus that it uses to infect the body's cells.\n\nProf Neil Ferguson, from Imperial College London, said: \"I think the greatest concern of ours at the moment is the South African one.\n\n\"There's certainly anecdotal reports of explosive outbreaks for that virus and very steep increases in case numbers.\"\n\nAt the Downing Street press briefing, Mr Hancock said the new variant was \"highly concerning\" and that anyone told to quarantine must avoid \"all contact with any other person whatsoever\".\n\nAt the same briefing, he announced millions more people were being moved to Tier 4 on Boxing Day in an effort to control the virus.\n\nDr Susan Hopkins, from Public Health England (PHE), said \"both look like they are more transmissible\" but said they were \"still learning\" about the variant imported from South Africa.\n\nShe said she was \"pretty confident\" the quarantine and travel rules would control the spread of the new variant.\n\nProf Lawrence Young, from Warwick Medical School, said: \"The standard measures to restrict transmission (hands, face, space) will prevent infection with this variant.\n\n\"The move to harsher levels of restriction across the country is inevitable. \"\n\nThe government tightened restrictions for the festive season, including closing beaches along the famous Garden Route in Western Cape province.\n\nIt faced resistance from the main opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), and some lobby groups, who challenged the decision in the courts, arguing that the closure of beaches would have a devastating effect on small businesses.\n\nBut judges upheld the restrictions, saying the government had a duty to protect the health of people.\n\nWestern Cape premier Alan Winde said hospitals in the province were under \"severe strain\". The province had more Covid-19 cases this time around than during the first wave.\n\nSouth Africa has so far recorded about 950,000 cases and more than 25,000 deaths - the highest in Africa.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Up to 10 sperm whales have been stranded on the East Yorkshire coast\n\nTen sperm whales found washed up on the North Sea coast have died.\n\nThe pod was first spotted on a beach between Tunstall and Withernsea, near Hull, at about 08:30 GMT.\n\nMembers of the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) said poor weather conditions and the size of the whales meant it was impossible to save them.\n\nA spokesperson said the young whales were \"in very poor nutritional condition\" and had most likely suffered a \"navigation error\".\n\nThey rarely survive long once stranded, the group said.\n\nThe BDMLR has been involved in the rescue of marine wildlife since its formation in 1988\n\nAccording to the BDMLR the size of the sperm whales - which can reach 65ft (20m) in length and weigh up to 80 tonnes - meant there were no safe methods for lifting and moving them.\n\nA member of the public called 999 to report the stranding, and the coastguard was despatched to the scene.\n\nCh Supt Darren Downs, of Humberside Police, urged people to stay away from the area \"to allow teams from HM Coastguard to manage what is an extremely distressing scene\".\n\nHe warned that gathering in groups posed a risk of spreading Covid-19.\n\nMarine expert Robin Petch said younger males can end up \"confused in shallower water off the east coast\"\n\nRobin Petch, a marine expert and Sea Watch Foundation ambassador, said: \"Sperm whales are a species that shouldn't come into this part of the North Sea, but a few come down that way.\n\n\"They are a deep-water animal that feed on squid and dive in the deep waters of the continental shelf. Often younger males can end up confused in the shallower water off the east coast.\n\n\"Once they are ashore, chances of survival are very slim, none of the rescue equipment can deal with whales that big.\n\n\"The loss of a large group, probably of young males, is catastrophic,\" Mr Petch added.\n\nThe whales on the beach are sperm whales, according to the BDMLR\n\nFollow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to yorkslincs.news@bbc.co.uk.", "The Crewe family in Austria are expecting a quieter Christmas this year\n\nIt's no surprise that this Christmas will be different. With coronavirus restrictions affecting everyone, plans have had to change and the usual traditions postponed or altered.\n\nBut there can be comfort in knowing others are going through something similar.\n\nThat's why the BBC has spoken to five families in five different countries about how their festive celebrations have changed, and how they're finding ways to enjoy the holiday season despite everything that's happening.\n\nThe family moved north to a Swedish mountain town in July\n\nMichaela and Emil Boson, and sons Lucas, six, and Casper, 13\n\nDespite average daily temperatures of -2C (28.4F), the Boson family are \"probably going to be outside all the time that it's light\" over Christmas.\n\nThey'll keep warm by skiing and sledging, eating porridge, cooking a barbecued lunch and drinking Glogg, Sweden's festive, boozy hot wine which is often spiced-up with spirits, fruit and nuts.\n\nThis will be their first Christmas living in Are, a mountain town around 400 miles (643km) north of Stockholm. The family relocated there in July after Michaela lost most of her work in the hospitality industry which was hit hard by the pandemic.\n\n\"We'd been talking about moving for a few years, but now it was just like 'OK, we need to do it',\" she said.\n\nOne of her brothers and his two children will join them for their snow-based activities, but they will stay in a nearby hotel in order to reduce the risk of infection. Other relatives will join them throughout the day via video call.\n\n\"It's a bit boring to not be with the whole family,\" said Michaela, who used to host up to 20 people for Christmas lunch. But she added that she wouldn't want to be back in the city. \"Sometimes it feels like I'm a bit too happy. It's a cheaper lifestyle [and] we just love being outside.\"\n\nThe family decorated the Christmas tree earlier than usual this year\n\nKenza Mekouar and Juan Olaizola, and children, Ivan, 12, and Sofia, eight\n\nFor Kenza and Juan, who have friends and family scattered around the world, 2020 has been a particularly strange year.\n\nKenza is originally from Rabat, Morocco but lives in Juan's hometown of Madrid with their two children. Their multicultural background means that English, French and Spanish are all spoken at home.\n\nThey usually divide much of the Christmas period between Madrid and Marbella. But a three-month lockdown in the spring, home-schooling their children and a swathe of cancelled plans have made this year different.\n\n\"I wanted to make things a bit more fun this year,\" Kenza said. \"We're trying to make things a little more festive, happier.\"\n\nShe decorated the Christmas tree earlier than usual and has been sending out Christmas cards by post for the first time in years. A marathon session of the drawing game Pictionary is also on the cards for Christmas Eve.\n\nBut with restrictions on movement between many Spanish regions, the usual trip to Marbella, with the customary hiking in the nearby mountains, is looking unlikely.\n\nOne aspect of Christmas that is not going to change is the food. Having developed a British turkey recipe while living in London, the family give their Christmas Eve dinner a Spanish twist by adding seafood. A French-Moroccan flourish is then added in the form of a Bûche de Noël (chocolate log) for dessert.\n\nBut that's about as far as it goes in terms of preparations, both for Christmas and New Year. \"It's the first time I've had no idea what we're going to do,\" Kenza said.\n\n\"That's a very Spanish thing,\" added Juan. \"We're not going to plan anything!\"\n\nThe family, pictured last Christmas, keep both Austrian and British traditions\n\nEva and Graham Crewe and their children, Amelie,11, Elena, 9, and Matilda, 5\n\nEva is Austrian and Graham is from the UK. Usually Graham's parents would come and visit them, but this year that isn't possible.\n\nInstead, the family are hoping to see Eva's parents. \"We can only see them and not the big family. So it will be very small and reduced,\" she said. \"We also can't see my grandmother who is 97, so that will be very different.\"\n\nThe family keeps both Austrian and British Christmas traditions, celebrating with presents on the evening of 24 December, and with Christmas stockings on the morning of the 25th.\n\n\"Normally we'd have a big English lunch with turkey and so on,\" Graham said. \"But this year we're going to save a lot of money because we'll have a chicken instead - and there's just us.\"\n\n\"Everything's cancelled, really,\" he said. \"It'll just be quieter.\"\n\nBut the family have adapted to ensure some traditions can be kept up. Amelie plays the piano and Elena plays the violin, and they would usually perform in Christmas concerts at this time of year.\n\n\"I think they're going to record a video [of them playing] and send it to our parents,\" Eva explained.\n\n\"There'll be a lot more Zoom and FaceTime. It's better than nothing, but of course we miss the personal contact,\" Graham said. \"It's actually an opportunity because we wouldn't see them all anyway. So there are some opportunities as well, some bright spots.\"\n\n\"We're already making plans for next summer,\" he added. \"The thing I'm looking forward to next year is much more physical contact with all our friends and family around the world.\"\n\nNadia and Simone, and their two sons, Samuele, 7, and Sebastian, 5\n\n\"It's not going to be like any previous Christmas,\" said Nadia. \"My family is very big. Mamma is the head of the family, and it really means everything to her that we're all there for lunch [back home in Calabria] on Christmas Day.\"\n\n\"It's the first time in my life we won't all be home.\"\n\nUsually, the whole family would gather for a prayer on Christmas Day. \"This year we'll do it all on Whatsapp; we'll have a video call and pray together,\" she said. \"We'll make a toast together and we'll chat a bit.\"\n\nAfter a difficult year, Nadia also decided to buy a puppy for her family because they had wanted one for a long time. \"The kids are overjoyed,\" she said. \"If all goes to plan, we'll have him just before Christmas. We'll feel a bit less lonely!\"\n\n\"It'll be the four of us at the table with the dog on Christmas Day,\" she added. \"Even if there are just the four of us, I'll make a special table. I'll cook lunch and try to respect traditions and make more or less the same things we eat down south.\"\n\nThat means antipasto, pasta dishes, various types of meat, vegetables, then dessert and fruit. \"Then at five o'clock you get hungry and start again,\" Nadia said. \"We eat constantly!\"\n\nNatalia says this Christmas will be very different from last year\n\nNatalia is a health worker in the Russian capital, Moscow, who has been working on the frontline during the coronavirus pandemic. \"It was really difficult,\" she said.\n\n\"This year will be really different,\" she explained. \"Last year, I went to a restaurant with my whole family and we were there all night and ended up dancing and having fun. Two years ago, I went to China with my husband. So it will be different.\"\n\n\"We'll invite maybe two people over on 31 December [when Russia's big New Year celebrations take place] and that's all,\" she said. \"Our parents won't come over because they're afraid of the virus. I'm a medical worker, so I'm more high-risk.\"\n\nNatalia will video-call her parents for Orthodox Christmas a week later instead. \"We're not going to gather all together in our apartment. No way,\" she said.\n\nBut she believes Russians are more in need of a celebration now than ever - even if it is on a much smaller scale. \"People want to feel happy, more than they did last year, because it's been so hard and so tough.\n\n\"It's more important than ever,\" she said.\n\nWith reporting by Maddy Savage, Guy Hedgecoe, Bethany Bell, Dany Mitzman and Gareth Evans", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The rescue of the car-trapped couple from \"freezing\" flood water was \"touch and go\" say eyewitnesses\n\nA couple have been rescued from a submerged car in what onlookers called a \"Christmas miracle\".\n\nFootage showed fire crews removing a man and a woman from the vehicle at about 10:44 GMT on Christmas Eve near Norwich.\n\nNorfolk Police said they were investigating, and the couple were taken to hospital by ambulance.\n\nThe county saw almost two inches of rain (50mm) causing major flash floods across south Norfolk.\n\nAlex and Matt Emmerson witnessed the drama unfold in the flooded lane next to their house\n\nEyewitnesses Matt and Alex Emmerson, aged 42 and 44, noticed the car from their bathroom window about 15 minutes before the emergency services arrived.\n\nThey had assumed the vehicle was empty until crews began their rescue.\n\n\"Whoever this poor couple were, they were in there for a long time - close to two hours. The water must have been freezing,\" said Mr Emmerson.\n\nThe East of England Ambulance Service said both patients were transported to hospital for \"further assessment and treatment.\"\n\nMrs Emmerson said flooding near their home in Green Lane, Thorpe End, was a regular occurrence during heavy rain.\n\n\"I just assumed that there would be nobody in there,\" she added. \"Because normally people leap out and wade to safety before it gets to that point.\"\n\nHer husband - who called the rescue a \"Christmas miracle\" - said a firefighter went straight into the water and smashed a car window to gain access \"despite the water coming up to his chin\".\n\nThe couple said permanent signs, rather than temporary ones, were needed to warn drivers about the regular risk of flooding.\n\nOne of the submerged car's occupants was believed to be aged 70\n\nTwo cars were found submerged under the bridge at Thorpe End, Norwich; one was empty\n\nNorfolk Fire and Rescue Service said it had received more than 300 calls about flooding since Wednesday afternoon, as some areas received a month of rainfall in 24 hours.\n\nTim Edwards of Norfolk Fire and Rescue Service said a major incident had been declared and advised people to stay away from flooded areas.\n\n\"It's very difficult to know exact depths. Do not enter flooded water at any point,\" he said.\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "The teenager drew up a \"hit list\" of areas he wanted to attack\n\nThe youngest person to be convicted of planning a terrorist attack in the UK is bidding to keep his identity secret.\n\nThe 17-year-old, from Durham, was detained in January after his conviction for several neo-Nazi terror offences.\n\nHe has not been publicly named due to his age and his legal team has applied for him to remain anonymous when he turns 18.\n\nOnly a small number of criminals have ever been granted ongoing anonymity.\n\nManchester Crown Court was told that a hearing in early January would deal with the application.\n\nThe County Durham teenager's trial heard he was an adherent of \"occult neo-Nazism\" and had described himself as a \"natural sadist\".\n\nHis attack preparations included researching explosives, listing potential targets, and trying to obtain a bomb-making chemical.\n\nHe is currently serving a sentence of six years and eight months.\n\nIn a separate hearing at Leeds Youth Court, the boy was given another custodial term for unrelated child sexual offences.\n\nAppearing via video link, he was given an 18-month sentence for five sexual assaults against a girl.\n\nThe boy had denied the offences but was found guilty at trial earlier this year.\n\nDistrict Judge Richard Kitson told the teenager the term would run concurrently with his current sentence, saying the offences were \"so serious\" that only immediate custody was appropriate.\n\nCourts can ban the publication of a child defendant's identity but such orders cease to apply once they reach 18.\n\nIn 2019, a boy from Blackburn, who had admitted inciting a terrorist attack in Australia when he was 14, was allowed to remain anonymous after the High Court ruled that naming him was likely to cause \"serious harm\".\n\nLifelong anonymity has also been granted after release to the Newcastle child killer Mary Bell; Maxine Carr, who obstructed police investigating the 2002 Soham murders by her partner Ian Huntley; and Jon Venables and Robert Thompson, who murdered Liverpool toddler James Bulger.\n\nFollow BBC North East & Cumbria on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "A post-Brexit agreement on trade and other issues has been agreed, just a week before the transition period between the UK and the EU comes to an end.\n\nIt avoids the disruption of a no-deal Brexit in the middle of the Covid pandemic, and marks a new era after more than 40 years of UK membership of the European Union.\n\nWe've now seen a copy of the text - more than 1,000 pages of dense legal text which outline how the relationship will operate in the future. Here are 10 initial questions and answers:\n\nOne of the most difficult issues in the negotiations: how many fish will EU boats be able to catch in UK waters in future, and how long will any transition period last before new measures come into full force? Officials involved in the negotiations say the UK initially wanted an 80% cut in the value of the fish caught by EU boats in UK waters, while the EU initially proposed an 18% cut. Who has given more ground?\n\nAnswer: The value of the fish caught by the EU in UK waters will be cut by 25% - which is a lot less than the UK initially asked for. The cut will be phased in over a transition period lasting five-and-a-half years - which is a lot shorter than the EU initially asked for. Once the transition period is over, the UK will fully control access to its waters, and could make much deeper cuts. If it decides to exclude EU fishing boats they can be compensated for their losses, either through tariffs on UK fishing products (or other goods) exported to the EU, or by preventing UK boats from fishing in EU waters.\n\nFishing was one of the most difficult areas of the negotiations\n\nWhat will the rules on fair competition look like, to ensure that businesses on one side don't gain an unfair advantage over their competitors on the other? The definition of what constitutes reasonable levels of state aid, or government subsidies for business, will be important.\n\nAnswer: There are level playing field measures which commit both the UK and the EU to maintain common standards on workers' rights, as well as many social and environmental regulations. This was a key EU demand. They don't have to be identical in the future, so the UK does not have to follow EU law, but they do have to be seen to protect fair competition.\n\nThe UK has also agreed to stick to common principles on how state aid regimes work, and to an independent competition agency which will assess them. But it can choose to develop a system which only makes decisions once evidence of unfair competition is presented. That is different from the EU system which assesses the likely impact of subsidies before they are handed out.\n\nThis will be the subject of years of negotiations to come. How will the deal actually be enforced if either side breaks any of the terms and conditions? If the UK chooses to move away more radically from EU rules in the future, how quickly can the EU respond? Will it have the ability to impose tariffs (or taxes on UK exports) in one area (for example on cars) in response to a breach of the agreement in another (fish, for example)?\n\nAnswer: If either side moves away from common standards that exist on 31 December 2020, and if that has a negative impact on the other side, a dispute mechanism can be triggered which could mean tariffs (taxes on goods) being imposed. It is based around a \"rebalancing\" clause which gives both the EU and the UK the right to take steps if there are significant divergences. This clause is much stricter than measures found in other recent EU trade deals, and was a key demand on the European side. It is a mechanism we may hear a lot more about in the coming years.\n\nThe overall policing of the trade agreement also means that tariffs can be targeted at a specific sector as a result of a dispute in another. There will be a binding arbitration system involving officials from both sides. It means that even though this is a tariff-free agreement, the threat that tariffs can be introduced as a result of future disputes will be a constant factor in UK-EU relations.\n\nThe EU's highest court will remain the ultimate arbiter of European law. But the UK government has said the direct jurisdiction of the ECJ in Britain will come to an end. So, will the European court play any role in overseeing the future relationship agreement?\n\nAnswer: The EU has dropped its demand that the ECJ should play a direct role in policing the governance of the agreement in future. That was a clear British red line. One place where the ECJ will still play a role is Northern Ireland, which has a special status under the terms of the Brexit withdrawal agreement. It will remain subject to EU single market and customs union rules, which means the European Court will remain the highest legal authority for some disputes in one part of the UK.\n\nWhat will the rules be for British people who want to travel to the EU from 1 January 2021? We already know some of the details but will there be any additional agreements on things like social security or vehicle insurance? And will there be any detail on any arrangement to replace the European Health Insurance Card (EHIC)?\n\nAnswer: UK nationals will need a visa if they want to stay in the EU more than 90 days in a 180-day period. They will still be able to use their EHICs which will remain valid until they expire. The UK government says they will be replaced by a new UK Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC), but there are no further details yet on how to obtain it.\n\nIts advice is to take out travel insurance with healthcare cover before going on holiday - especially if you have a pre-existing medical condition.\n\nEU pet passports will no longer be valid, but people will still be able to travel with pets, following a different and a more complicated process.\n\nThe two sides agreed to co-operate on international mobile roaming, but there is nothing in the agreement that would stop UK travellers being charged for using their phone in the EU and vice versa.\n\nThe government also says British citizens will not need an International Driver's Permit to drive in the EU (unless they still have a paper licence or a licence from the Isle of Man, Guernsey, Jersey or Gibraltar). But they will need to carry a green card to prove they have the right vehicle insurance.\n\nThe trade agreement is primarily about the rules for goods crossing borders. It will say far less about the trade in services. Is there going to be a separate statement from the EU which will recognise UK rules governing financial services as roughly \"equivalent\" to EU rules? That would make it much easier for UK firms which export services to continue doing business in the EU market.\n\nAnswer: There is, as expected, not a lot in this agreement for service companies to cheer about. The UK will still be hoping that the EU issues \"equivalence\" decisions on financial services in the near future, but service companies in general have not got as much help in this deal as the British government had been pushing for.\n\nThe European Commission says a series of \"further clarifications\" will be needed from the UK, including more information on how it will diverge from EU rules after 31 December, before any decisions on equivalence can be made.\n\nThere is an agreement to continue talking about financial services regulation in the future, but some companies may have to apply to specific EU countries to be allowed to operate there. The guaranteed access that UK companies had to the EU single market is over.\n\nThis is a really important issue. What will the data protection rules be for UK companies which deal with data from the EU? Again, the UK is hoping the EU will issue separately what's known as a data adequacy decision recognising UK rules as equivalent to its own. But the detail will need to be scrutinised carefully.\n\nAnswer: Both sides say they want data to flow across borders as smoothly as possible, but the agreement also stresses that individuals have a right to the protection of personal data and privacy and that \"high standards in this regard contribute to trust in the digital economy and to the development of trade\".\n\nThat's why an EU decision to recognise formally that UK data rules are roughly the same as its own is so important - and we're still waiting for that. In the meantime the EU has agreed to a \"specified period\" of four months, extendable by a further two months, in which data can be exchanged in the same way it is now, as long as the UK makes no changes to its rules on data protection.\n\nWe know there will be more bureaucracy and delays at borders in the future, for companies trading between the UK and the EU. But will the two sides agree any measures to make things a little easier? There's something called \"mutual recognition of conformity assessment\" which would mean checks on products standards would not need to be nearly as intrusive as they otherwise might be.\n\nAnswer: There's no agreement on conformity assessment, even though the UK government had hoped there would be. It's just one reminder of how many new barriers to trade there are going to be. In future, if you want to sell your product in both the UK and the EU, you may have to get it checked twice to get it certified.\n\nOn other border issues, there is also no agreement on recognising each other's sanitary and safety standards for exporting food of animal origin, which means there will have to be pretty intrusive and costly checks for products going into the EU single market.\n\nThere will however be some measures which cut technical barriers to trade, and the mutual recognition of trusted trader schemes which will make it easier for large companies to operate across borders.\n\nA lot of people, from accountants to chefs, work in different EU countries and didn't have to worry about crossing borders multiple times while the UK was part of the EU. But will UK professional qualifications be recognised across the EU in the future, and what restrictions will there be?\n\nAnswer: The short answer is no - they won't be recognised automatically. That will make it harder for UK citizens supplying any kind of service to work in the EU. They will often have to apply to individual countries to try to get their qualifications accepted, with no guarantee of success. There is a framework in the deal for the UK and EU to agree on mutually recognising individual qualifications but that's weaker than what professionals have now.\n\nIt's not just about trade. The UK will lose automatic and immediate access to a variety of EU databases which the police use every day - covering things such as criminal records, fingerprints and wanted persons. So what kind of access will they have, and how will security co-operation work in the future?\n\nAnswer: The UK loses access to some very key databases but will have continued access to others, including the system which cross-checks fingerprints across the continent. But overall, security co-operation will no longer be based on \"real time\" access. And in some cases, such as access to data on which flights people take, that data will only be made available under much stricter conditions.\n\nAn agreement has been reached on extradition, and the UK's role in Europol, the cross-border security agency, allows it to sit in on meetings but not have a direct say in decisions. Both of these are positive, and on a par with the best other countries have achieved.\n\nDisagreements over data will be dealt with by a new committee, not by the European Court of Justice - again, a red line for the UK. But taken together, the speed with which the UK gets important data, and the influence it has on decisions, has been reduced.\n\nThere are many other questions to answer - this agreement will form the basis for UK-EU relations for years if not decades to come. And the two sides will have to continue to talk about how to implement it most effectively.\n\nThe team will continue to read through the text of the agreement and will add more to this story if necessary.", "Negotiations between the UK and the EU have come to an end with both sides reaching an agreed deal.\n\n“It is fair, it is a balanced deal and it is the right and responsible thing to do for both sides,” President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen said of the deal.\n\nUK MPs now have until the 31 December to approve its details.", "Heavy rain has left standing water up to 5ft (1.5m) in places\n\nMore than 1,000 people are being evacuated from a flooded holiday park.\n\nOccupants of 500 caravans have been forced to leave the Billing Aquadrome park in Northampton, where heavy rain left water up to 5ft (1.5m) deep.\n\nPolice, who were helped by firefighters and lowland search and rescue teams, said some of those stranded were suffering from hypothermia.\n\nAt least two leisure centres in Northampton are set to be turned into emergency accommodation.\n\nMembers of the Northamptonshire Search and Rescue have helping in the operation\n\nResidents have been told to find accommodation with friends and family where possible, and assured that they would not be breaching Covid-19 regulations in such \"exceptional circumstances\".\n\nHowever Ch Supt Mick Stamper, of Northamptonshire Police, urged people to avoid homes where others are shielding or self-isolating.\n\n\"This is an exceptionally challenging situation and emergency services, working with partners and volunteers working flat out to resolve the situation and safeguard those affected on site,\" he said.\n\nTemperatures in the area are due to drop below freezing in the early hours of Friday, and police said waters are set to keep rising for another four to five hours.\n\nBilling Aquadrome describes itself as a \"place you can come to relax and recharge whenever you like, and for as long as you like (during our 11-month season)\".\n\nIn November 2012 the park was evacuated also due to flooding.\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have been affected by the flooding, email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "HMS Northumberland monitored the Russian destroyer Vice-Admiral Kulakov off the west coast of Scotland last month\n\nThe crew of a Royal Navy warship has been forced to return to shore and isolate over Christmas after \"a number of suspected Covid cases\" on board.\n\nHMS Northumberland, which has specialist sensors to hunt for foreign submarines, had been on call to protect UK waters over the festive period.\n\nBut she was forced to return to Devonport Naval Base, near Plymouth, on Wednesday.\n\nThe Navy said it will still meet all of its \"operational tasks\" over Christmas.\n\nA spokesman said: \"Following a number of suspected Covid cases onboard HMS Northumberland, the crew are now following health guidelines and protocols to isolate.\"\n\nHe added: \"The Royal Navy continues to meet all operational tasks over Christmas, as it has done throughout this pandemic.\"\n\nLast month, the Type 23 frigate escorted the Russian destroyer Vice-Admiral Kulakov as she sailed off the west coast of Scotland.\n\nMinisters and senior military officers have warned of a significant increase in Russian submarine activity in the North Atlantic over the past few years.\n\nThe Ministry of Defence said the Royal Navy monitored nine Russian vessels near UK waters over a two-week period in late November and early December.\n\nThey included a surfaced submarine, a destroyer, a corvette and a patrol ship as well as their supporting tugs and supply ships.", "Teigen documented her pregnancy and stillbirth on social media\n\nChrissy Teigen has expressed sadness she will not be pregnant again, having lost the baby she was expecting with husband John Legend earlier this year.\n\n\"I love being pregnant, so, so much, and I'm sad I never will be again,\" the US model wrote on Instagram.\n\nShe accompanied her post with a selfie showing her still-visible baby bump.\n\nThe 35-year-old lost her son, whom she and Legend had named Jack, in September, after suffering pregnancy complications and bleeding.\n\n\"Even though I'm no longer pregnant, every glance in the mirror reminds me of what could have been,\" she wrote in her latest social media post.\n\nTeigen did not clarify in her post why she would not be pregnant again, and did not elaborate on if it was through choice, or whether she could no longer get pregnant or if she had been advised by her doctors not to.\n\nThis Instagram post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Instagram The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip instagram post by chrissyteigen This article contains content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Meta’s Instagram cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\n\"I have no idea why I still have this bump,\" she continued. \"But I'm proud of where this entire journey took my body and mind in other ways.\"\n\nHer Grammy-winning husband, with whom she has two children, responded to her post by posting five heart emojis.\n\nTeigen, who is also a TV presenter, documented her pregnancy and subsequent stillbirth in a series of moving posts.\n\nAfter losing her baby, she told her followers she and her husband were \"in the kind of deep pain you only hear about\".\n\nThe US model posted pictures of her and her husband in hospital\n\nIn October she addressed the criticism she faced for posting photos of her and Legend mourning their loss in hospital.\n\n\"These photos are only for the people who need them,\" she wrote in a blog post. \"The thoughts of others do not matter to me.\"\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Homes, shops and roads were all hit when heavy rain brought flooding\n\nHouseholds and businesses have woken up to a Christmas Eve clean-up after emergency services faced hundreds of calls for flooding help.\n\nDownpours on Wednesday saw South Wales Fire and Rescue Service deal with 500 calls in a matter of hours.\n\nFirefighters were called to flooding at properties in Cardiff, Newport, Monmouthshire and Vale of Glamorgan.\n\nHuw Williams from Natural Resources Wales said rivers were still rising on Thursday morning.\n\nWednesday's downpours saw parts of the M4 and M48 closed and train services cancelled.\n\nWater poured into the ground floor of a home in Sully\n\nThere are five flood warnings in place and Mr Williams told BBC Radio Wales: \"What we are seeing is the water coming down from the catchments to the river areas so we are asking people to be very careful when travelling.\n\n\"Flooding can have a devastating impact on people's lives... We are hoping for a bit of respite over the next few days but we are expecting more rain, unfortunately, later on in the weekend.\n\n\"Our staff have been out all night... trying to protect properties but we are asking people to be vigilant.\"\n\nThe Sportsman's Rest Club at Peterston-super-Ely, Vale of Glamorgan\n\nEnzo Nigro, the senior manager of Potters Pub in Newport, said he spotted his cellar had flooded via the CCTV.\n\n\"It's [the future] not looking bright at the moment, this was the last thing we wanted before Christmas, the cherry on the cake that shows how bad this year has been,\" he said.\n\nRichard Williams said neighbours helped build a barricade in front of his house in Mathern, Monmouthshire, after water started rushing in off nearby fields.\n\n\"It was a Dunkirk spirit when the call went out, the village rallied together, people we don't even know,\" he said.\n\n\"Mathern does have that community spirit so we shouldn't expect anything less. I was absolutely amazed with the people who turned up to help us.\"\n\nPeople are having to deal with flooding and damage to their homes just before Christmas\n\nMr Williams said emergency services had to use a boat to transport people across the village after the flood waters rose. \"At the moment, everyone is thankful that the rain has stopped and it seems to have subsided slightly,\" he said.\n\nLian James has praised the community effort after her mother's house in Sully flooded\n\nLian James has praised the community effort after her mother's house in Sully flooded.\n\n\"A cry went out for help on the Sully Community Hub and everyone turned up with dehumidifiers, buckets... everyone was amazing\n\n\"An upsetting story but with an amazing response.\"\n\nA man who provides free second-hand bikes to children whose parents cannot afford them posted on Twitter to offer scooters or bicycles to anyone who lost Christmas gifts in the flooding.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by PuffaJones This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nRussell Thomas, general manager at Glamorganshire Golf Club, said he \"feared the worst\" when he turned up to work this morning.\n\nBecause the club house is lower than the golf course, water often runs off the course into the club house.\n\n\"The rain was so bad that the pumps in the cellar couldn't deal with it,\" he said.\n\nThe cellar was submerged in about a foot of water, but it could have been a lot worse.\n\n\"You do fear the worst when the pumps are over capacity but I have seen the cellar flood quite badly before with barrels bobbing up and down,\" Mr Thomas added.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Russell Thomas This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThe Newport home of Lauren Torjesen was also damaged in the floods.\n\n\"If I don't laugh I will cry,\" she said.\n\n\"The electric has to be turned off so I don't know what we'll do with all that good food.\"\n\nLauren Torjesen says her Christmas food could be ruined\n\nIn Newport city centre, shops and roads were flooded.\n\nMary Pring, 78, from Newport, has had to abandon her plans to shield alone over Christmas due to flood damage in her home.\n\n\"Absolutely dreadful, I'm supposed to be shielding, which I was, I was going to stay on my own on Christmas but now I will have to go to my children.\n\n\"I couldn't live in that, it's dreadful.\"\n\nSoaked carpets and rugs are taken from Mary Pring's home\n\nMrs Pring's son Nicholas said water saturated all of his mother's carpets.\n\n\"This has been going on now for numerous years, what happens is a backfill of water fills up the street.\"\n\nArnold's Lighting and Electrical on Skinner Street, said on social media: \"There are no words to describe the devastation... water is now almost over the top of the counter.\n\n\"We have lost everything. What a 2020.\"\n\nNewport council's leader Jane Mudd said all its available teams were out on Wednesday evening \"doing everything we can do to assist as much as possible in the worst affected areas\".\n\nWhen her dad's home was flooded in Sully, Vale of Glamorgan, Maris Lyons put on her wellies and went over to help.\n\n\"It was devastating and shocking, the water was so deep and as I arrived, the elderly couple who live next door to my parents were being lifted out on a man's shoulders,\" she said, adding a dog had swum out of a neighbouring property.\n\n\"It's a scene that I never thought I'd imagine I'd see.\"\n\nMari Lyons said the community spirit in the area had been amazing\n\nA Met Office weather warning was in place until 02:00 GMT on Thursday, affecting most of Wales, apart from parts of six counties in north Wales.\n\nCardiff council called on residents to help clear drains of debris and leaves to reduce water levels.\n\nA spokesman said: \"The rain has filled up the brooks and streams which are now higher than the outfalls. This means the drains can't empty and are consequently backing up.\"", "Deer were among the animals slaughtered in central Portugal\n\nPortuguese officials have expressed outrage at the massacre of more than 500 deer and wild boar in a hunting zone in the centre of the country.\n\nEnvironment Minister João Fernandes said the killing by 16 Spanish hunters was \"vile\" and an \"environmental crime\" that should be prosecuted.\n\nPictures of the slaughter were shared on social media.\n\nHunting individual animals is allowed but in this incident most of the zone's deer population are said to have died.\n\nThe killing is thought to have taken place on a farm in the Torrebela tourist hunting zone, near Azambuja, about 40km (24 miles) from the Portuguese capital Lisbon on 17 and 18 December.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Alberto Mancebo This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThe 1,100ha (2,700-acre) farm is described as being walled in, meaning that the 540 animals had no means of escape from their killers.\n\nThe Environment Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday that \"the reports and news about the indiscriminate slaughter of animals... have nothing to do with hunting, understood as a practice that can contribute to the maintenance of biodiversity and ecosystems\".", "(Left to right) Designer Stella McCartney and models Stella Tennant and Naomi Campbell\n\nBig-name fashion designers including Stella McCartney and Victoria Beckham have paid tribute to the late model Stella Tennant, who has died aged 50.\n\nFellow models Naomi Campbell and Cindy Crawford have also offered tributes.\n\nThe Scottish catwalk icon was confirmed dead by her family on Wednesday, and police said there were no suspicious circumstances.\n\n\"My darling Stella, I love you and will miss you so, so terribly,\" wrote McCartney on Instagram.\n\n\"What sad, horrific news to end this already shocking year! My heart goes out to your stunning family who must be in such undeserving pain. I am speechless.\"\n\n\"Rest in peace, you inspiring woman,\" she added. \"Your soul and inner beauty exceeded the external perfection, Stella. May you ride high above us all on the most perfect horse, eternally in peace.\"\n\nCampbell described Tennant \"a class act in every way. Humble, loyal, balanced, practical, a rare beauty inside and out\".\n\nThis Instagram post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Instagram The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip instagram post by naomi This article contains content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Meta’s Instagram cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nBeckham, like McCartney, posted a picture of the 1990s fashion star online, alongside her own memories of her.\n\n\"She was an incredible talent and someone I had so much admiration and respect for,\" wrote the Spice Girl-turned-designer.\n\n\"I just loved everything about her. My thoughts are with her family,\" she added.\n\nThis Instagram post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Instagram The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip instagram post 2 by victoriabeckham This article contains content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Meta’s Instagram cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nTennant was one of the most famous British models of the last 30 years, alongside the likes of Campbell and Kate Moss, and later worked on campaigns to reduce the environmental impact of fast fashion.\n\nUS model and actress Cindy Crawford, meanwhile, added that she \"always admired her fearlessness and style\".\n\nOn Wednesday, designers Versace - one of many big labels that Tennant modelled for - were among the first to pay tribute to the late runway star.\n\nThis Instagram post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Instagram The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip instagram post 3 by donatella_versace This article contains content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Meta’s Instagram cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nDesigner Donatella Versace later added her own personal tribute, saying she will \"cherish every moment we spent together\".\n\n\"Stella, I cannot believe you are gone. You have left us way too soon,\" wrote the Italian.\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "A smiling Steve in Gran Canaria before the government's travel corridor announcement\n\n\"We have paid the best part of £2,000, we thought it was worth the investment for a relaxing week in the sun but we're flying back stressed,\" says Steve Jennings, from Liverpool.\n\nThe retired chief executive was on holiday in Gran Canaria when he heard the news that the government had changed the quarantine rules for the Canary Islands.\n\nFrom Saturday morning, anyone returning to the UK from the islands has to self-isolate. Although the quarantine period is being cut to 10 days from next week, anyone who doesn't get back in the next few days could see their Christmas plans at risk.\n\nFor Steve, 61, the news left him anxious as he scrabbled to find out how he and his partner Lynn - who has hospital appointments booked next week - could avoid the quarantine.\n\n\"It leaves us totally confused and anxious,\" he said. \"It tends to ruin the end of the holiday.\"\n\nLike many, Steve is pinning his hopes on the government's new testing scheme which lets travellers to England cut their quarantine by half if they pay for a Covid test after five days.\n\nBut the scheme - called test-to-release - doesn't launch until Tuesday and the list of approved providers has not been published yet.\n\n\"The thing that brasses me off [is] you like to be proud of your government and civil service,\" he says. \"This [scheme] is due to be launched on Tuesday, here we are still with no details.\"\n\nFor other Brits in the Canaries, the pressure is on to make sure they're back in the UK with enough time to quarantine before Christmas, so their festive plans aren't ruined.\n\n\"I was extremely stressed on Thursday,\" says David Evans, 23, a DJ living and working in Fuerteventura.\n\n\"From when I got home from work at 6/7pm, I didn't do anything until 1am except talk to family members, talking to work, to my housemate, trying to work out what to do.\"\n\nDavid DJs in clubs and on the beach, and says he has around five gigs next week\n\nHe is due to fly back to Brighton next week and plans to get a test, ahead of hopefully seeing his parents and nan at Christmas. \"I already have some gigs lined up so can't come back any earlier,\" he says.\n\nDavid says he thinks the Canary Islands should be treated individually by the UK government when it comes to quarantine rules.\n\nThe government has said data suggests cases are rising in the Canaries, but David points out the number of cases in Fuerteventura is lower than in other islands.\n\n\"I'd like to see them separate the islands as Tenerife seems to be the problem,\" he says. \"They've done this with the Greek islands, why not the same for the Canaries?\"\n\nKeith Baldwin, from Liverpool, agrees and has emailed Transport Secretary Grant Shapps to ask why the islands aren't being treated separately.\n\n\"Tenerife is right off the scale with Covid. Lanzarote's a bit high. But Gran Canaria is right down,\" says Keith, who is in Gran Canaria.\n\n\"Work's not going to be happy [if I have to isolate]. I'm a support worker and we're short as it is.\"\n\nThe Foreign Office has not changed its travel advice for the Canary Islands, meaning many holidaymakers who were due to go on holiday may be unable to seek refunds or claim on their travel insurance policies as companies will not cancel bookings.\n\nOne such holidaymaker was Kathy Hemingway, from East Yorks, who was due to fly to Fuerteventura on Saturday.\n\nShe paid £170 to get Covid tests done on top of her holiday, which she can't get a refund for from Tui as the FCO have not changed the travel advice rules.\n\n\"We can move our booking,\" she adds. \"We have to pluck a date out of the air. We have no idea when it will be safe to travel.\"\n\nKathy had already changed her holiday destination twice, from Mexico to Lanzarote, then to Fuerteventura\n\nOther holidaymakers have highlighted how safe they feel in the Canaries. Everyone aged six and over must provide a negative test when arriving into Spain, and when checking in to tourist accommodation in the Canaries.\n\n\"I feel safer in Tenerife than I do back in Scotland,\" says Philip Knight, who has been on holiday with his partner Luke in Tenerife, but flew back two days early on Friday.\n\nPhilip says he fears the impact this will have on the local economy\n\n\"I, and every other holiday-maker had to get a Covid-19 test before coming here,\" he says. \"Everyone must wear a mask at all times (in the street etc), there are no exemptions unless a doctor provides a certificate. Everyone obeys this.\n\n\"There is a curfew at 11pm which is enforced strictly by the police and respected by the residents and tourists. Everyone must be in their property and remain there till 6am.\n\n\"The island is quiet with no crowds and only groups of four.\n\n\"The UK government has therefore made me return to the UK which has a higher rate of infection with less protection (i.e. no masks and no curfew),\" adds Philip, a partner in an Edinburgh law firm.\n\nLee Rowell-Burton, from Manchester, says he and his wife \"have had no personal contact with anyone\" since arriving in Fuerteventura to fix a problem at their apartment.\n\n\"We took a private PCR test on 7 December to get here, costing £120 each, which both came back negative.\n\n\"Now we have to either self-isolate or take another test, at our own expense, after five days. Another test? That's another £120 we don't have. I'm supposed to be back to work on Monday.\"\n\n\"It's so safe here,\" says Lee, in Fuerteventura\n\nHe adds: \"We are both extremely careful as we both have lost relatives to Covid-19 and are on one of the safest Canary Islands to visit, and only for five nights, yet still are having to self-isolate on our return? Ridiculous.\"\n\nThe news of the quarantine change came on Thursday, in a tweet by Mr Shapps who said data indicated weekly cases and positive tests were increasing.\n\nThe government has previously said that decisions about which places go on or off the list are based on a range of factors, not just case rates.\n\nThe Department for Transport said in a statement on Saturday the government had been \"consistently clear\" that it would take action rapidly if the public health risk became too high.\n\n\"Throughout the outbreak, all our decisions have been based on the best scientific evidence,\" it said. \"Any emerging evidence is continually monitored and considered in the government's policy making.\"\n\nWhen the test-to-release scheme opens on Tuesday, anyone already self-isolating after travelling to the UK is able to book in a test.", "Alfred Bourgeois was put to death for the murder of his two-year-old daughter\n\nA man who killed his toddler daughter nearly 20 years ago has become the second US federal inmate to be executed in as many days.\n\nAlfred Bourgeois' death by lethal injection on Friday comes after Brandon Bernard was put to death on Thursday.\n\nThree more executions are planned before the end of Donald Trump's presidency on 20 January.\n\nFederal executions had been on pause for 17 years before Mr Trump ordered them to resume earlier this year.\n\nIf the remaining executions go ahead, Mr Trump will have overseen the most executions by a US president in more than a century.\n\nThey break with an 130-year-old precedent of pausing executions during a presidential transition. President-elect Joe Biden takes office on 20 January.\n\nMr Biden, who for decades was a fierce supporter of the death penalty as a Delaware senator, has now said he will seek to end federal executions once he takes office.\n\nThe federal death penalty had not been used since 2003, in part due to concerns about the drugs used in executions.\n\nCourts ruled that Bourgeois had physically and sexually abused his two-year-old daughter before killing her as he passed through Texas while working as a long-haul truck driver.\n\nProsecutors say he killed her by slamming her head into the car's window and dashboard after she spilled her training potty in the vehicle while he was parking.\n\nBourgeois, who was sentenced to death in 2004, was making a delivery to a military base when he killed his daughter so he was tried in a federal court.\n\nHis lawyers argued that he had a severe intellectual disability that should have prevented him from being executed.\n\nBrandon Bernard was executed in Indiana after last-minute clemency pleas were rejected by the US Supreme Court.\n\nBernard, 40, was convicted of murder in 1999 when he was a teenager, and is the youngest offender to be executed by the federal government in nearly 70 years.", "The Banksy work appeared on a house in Totterdown in Bristol on Thursday\n\nThe owner of a house on which a Banksy mural appeared has said the sale of the property will still go ahead, despite reports they had pulled out.\n\nNick Makin said it was \"not true\" that his mother, Aileen Makin, had withdrawn the house in Bristol from the market.\n\n\"When you wake up to tabloids saying the house is now worth £5m you've got to think about what you're doing... but it's not changing anything,\" he said.\n\nHe added that he wanted the artwork to remain in place and be protected.\n\nMr Makin told BBC Radio Bristol the sale had been \"put on hold for 48 hours\" after the mural appeared on the side of the semi-detached house in Totterdown on Thursday.\n\nThe work was authenticated on Banksy's website\n\nThe creation - entitled \"Aachoo!!\" - depicts a woman in a headscarf sneezing and her dentures flying into the air.\n\n\"It does increase the value, and you have to take a moment to think about it, but it's not changing anything in terms of the house sale for us,\" Mr Makin said.\n\nHe added that \"nasty things\" had been said about the family after it was reported by several newspapers and websites on Friday that they were pulling out of the sale of the £340,000 house.\n\n\"That's always going to happen with something like this. We've received a bit of abuse from it.\"\n\nThe house owners said they wanted the artwork to be protected\n\nMr Makin said they had put a piece of clear acrylic over the artwork and installed an alarm system to try to protect it.\n\n\"Not only has it not earned us £5m, it's actually cost us money,\" he said. \"We think it should be protected and stay where it is.\"\n\nHe added that the family was \"looking at getting a covenant put into the deeds of the house\" to make sure the Banksy mural stays where it is.\n\n\"Or if it was to be removed, to be removed to Bristol City Council or the museum, so it can be kept in its condition and safe and in the right hands,\" Mr Makin added.\n\nFollow BBC West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: bristol@bbc.co.uk", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. EC President Ursula von der Leyen says Brexit will be \"new beginnings for old friends\"\n\nBoris Johnson's declaration that he would go to Paris, travel to Berlin, \"do whatever it takes to reach a deal\" was quietly rebuffed again by the EU on Friday.\n\nNormally after big summits like the one we've just had in Brussels, leaders make media statements about their most pressing discussions.\n\nClimate change, Covid, relations with Turkey... they all featured prominently at the summit. Brexit was hardly mentioned.\n\nThere's no denying that the prospect of the pain of no deal at all with the UK certainly weighs on EU minds.\n\nA German think tank has estimated that up to 700,000 European jobs could be at risk.\n\nBut Europe's leaders are keen to clarify they won't personally intervene in the current impasse in trade talks. There'll be no last-minute handshake or \"a-ha\" moment in Paris, Warsaw or Berlin.\n\nGerman Chancellor Angela Merkel (r) says a Brexit deal is still possible but insists that the integrity of the EU single market must be respected\n\nBehind the scenes, of course, leaders are involved in discussions with their negotiators, but they don't want to be face-to-face, or ear-to-ear, with Boris Johnson in public.\n\nEU countries are joined together in their single market.\n\nSo, no individual EU leader - not even the most powerful ones, in France and Germany - can be perceived to be making the political compromises that could clinch the UK deal. Concessions will impact the whole single market - and therefore all member states, as a collective.\n\nJust this week, an Élysée Palace spokesman described as \"not desirable\" the idea of a visit or bilateral call between the prime minister and Emmanuel Macron in these last negotiating days. And the French president underlined again on Friday that EU countries were united behind the European Commission negotiating with the UK on their behalf.\n\nSomething Downing Street then said it accepted.\n\nSo can a deal be reached between the EU and UK by Sunday, despite the pervading mood of gloom plus a sense - in public, at least - that both sides are digging in their heels?\n\nIt's difficult but possible.\n\nOne of the main obstacles to a deal, according to the UK government, is that the EU refuses to accept the UK's post-Brexit national sovereignty.\n\n\"How can the EU demand that we tie ourselves to a new rule book to get good access to the single market?\" ministers ask. After all, wasn't Brexit all about breaking free from Brussels' regulations?\n\nBut on Friday the European Commission president - who had a working dinner with the prime minister just this week - hit back at the EU-is-in-denial-about-UK-sovereignty claim.\n\nYes, said Ursula von der Leyen, the EU was insisting on what it views as rules on \"fair competition\" in exchange for agreeing the UK could have preferential access to the single market - i.e. tariff and quota-free. But she pointedly added that the UK would remain free - \"sovereign, if you wish\" were the words she used - to decide what it wanted to do.\n\n\"We [the EU] would simply adapt the conditions for access to our market accordingly. It would be the decision of the UK and this would apply vice versa.\"\n\nThis refers to something often discussed in my blog over the past weeks.\n\nWe know, oh so well by now, the three main sticking points still in talks: EU fishing rights in UK waters; competition regulations for the UK to have that good access to the single market; and the governance of the deal - how to ensure both sides keep to the agreement or face punitive measures.\n\nThe EU has gradually shifted its focus as it has become more and more aware that a post-Brexit UK will, almost inevitably, want to make up its own rules and regulations for business: deciding for itself which industries it wants to invest in and promote.\n\nDespite this, the EU still would rather have a trade and security deal with the UK than not.\n\nBecause, in theory, it would be economically beneficial for both sides and because the deal contains other important aspects of the relationship, such as social security and police and judicial co-operation, how the EU and UK deal with nuclear waste, and more.\n\nSo Brussels has been pondering how it can live with the UK's sovereign right to diverge and yet still have an overall deal.\n\nTheir answer: focus more on governance.\n\nTrade between the UK and the EU would be disrupted by a no-deal Brexit\n\nThis is what Mrs von der Leyen was referring to. A proposal that if the UK changes its environmental or labour standards, for example, the EU could then take immediate action to protect its businesses. And the UK would be able to take measures against the EU if the situation were reversed.\n\nSo far, so sensible, you might think.\n\nBut surprise, surprise, it's far from being that straightforward.\n\nThe EU doesn't want to have to wait for some independent body/arbitration panel to judge whether it has the right to retaliate if it believes there is \"unfair competition\" afoot.\n\nBrussels worries a legal process like that could take too long. In the meantime, EU businesses could flounder or go under completely. EU leaders worry how they could justify that to their voters.\n\nThe words \"level playing field\" or \"competition regulations\" may sound bewilderingly abstract but the Danish prime minister pointed out on Thursday that each EU leader was thinking about protecting jobs and businesses in their country - be it Denmark, Germany, France or the Netherlands, when it came to this deal with the UK.\n\nSo, the EU is pushing to be able to retaliate even before a judgement on unfair competition has been reached. Something the UK clearly says it cannot accept.\n\nCan this key disagreement be resolved? Maybe.\n\nMichel Barnier, the EU's chief negotiator, is described by his team as being in a \"determined, positive mood\". The UK says it's willing to go the extra mile.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Johnson: No-deal Brexit now \"very, very likely\"\n\nYou can dismiss all this as a PR exercise for public consumption, but the fact that negotiations will continue over the weekend means neither side has stopped trying.\n\nThe problem facing all of us outside the negotiating room, is that there are leaks and assertions aplenty being made on both sides, but in the absence of the publication of texts, the only ones who know for sure what's going on, are the men and women currently sitting opposite each other in closed rooms in Brussels.\n\nSunday will be here before we know it.\n\nBoris Johnson and the European Commission president say that's when \"a decision will be made\".\n\nBut based on all the other false dawns in these talks, be warned: Sunday's decision could be \"deal\", \"no deal\" or \"let's keep talking, a little while longer\".", "The song had stalled at number two for the last three Christmases\n\nCompleting a journey 26 years in the making, Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas Is You has reached number one in the UK singles chart.\n\nTaken from Carey's album 1994 Merry Christmas, the modern classic was originally held off the top spot by East 17's Stay Another Day.\n\nHowever, it finally climbed to the summit this week, after being streamed 10.8 million times.\n\n\"Happy Christmas UK! We finally made it!\" said Carey on hearing the news.\n\n\"We are keeping the Christmas spirit alive together despite how dismal the year's been.\n\n\"Love you always! ♥️ Joy to the world 🌎😇🎄!!!!\"\n\n\"Truly one of the greatest songs never to be number one has finally reached the top spot,\" said Radio 1's Scott Mills, who revealed the countdown on Friday. \"Hopefully it can hold on until Christmas Day!\"\n\nCarey knocked Ariana Grande's Positions off the top of the charts, as Christmas songs continue their annual takeover of the top 40.\n\nFestive songs account for 22 of the week's biggest-selling records, with six in the top 10 - including Wham's Last Christmas at number two, and The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl's Fairytale Of New York at four.\n\nWhile most of the songs are Christmas classics, there are also entries for Jess Glynne's cover of Donnie Hathaway's This Christmas and Justin Bieber's version of Brenda Lee's of Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree.\n\nBoth are exclusive to Christmas playlists on Amazon's music streaming service, highlighting the power of the company's smart speakers to boost a song into the charts.\n\nThis YouTube post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on YouTube The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts. Skip youtube video by MariahCareyVEVO This article contains content provided by Google YouTube. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Google’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts.\n\nAll I Want For Christmas Is You is the gift that keeps on giving.\n\nFirst released in 1994, it's an upbeat, catchy tribute to the Christmas hits of Motown and Phil Spector. A top three hit on both sides of the Atlantic, it quickly became a standard, with the New Yorker calling it \"one of the few worthy modern additions to the holiday canon\".\n\nCarey started writing the song while living in upstate New York in the summer of 1994, while playing the movie It's A Wonderful Life for inspiration.\n\nShe quickly stumbled on a chord progression and melody, which she captured on a mini tape recorder and brought to her longtime collaborator Walter Afanasieff.\n\nHe originally worried it was too basic. But that's exactly the quality that has made it such an enduring hit.\n\n\"The oversimplified melody made it easily palatable for the whole world to go, 'Oh, I can't get that out of my head!\" he said in an interview with ASCAP.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. All I Want For Christmas Is You: Meet the man behind Mariah Carey's festive classic\n\nIn her recent memoir, Carey said the song's opening chimes are meant to evoke the \"little wooden toy pianos, like the one Schroeder had on Peanuts\".\n\n\"I actually did bang out most of the song on a cheap little Casio keyboard,\" she added. \"But it's the feeling I wanted to capture. There's a sweetness, a clarity and a purity to it.\"\n\nAlthough she was unhappy at the time, dealing with the pressures of fame and a tempestuous relationship with her future husband Tommy Mottola, she wanted to \"write a song that would me me happy and make me feel like a loved, carefree young girl at Christmas\".\n\n\"I wanted to sing it in a way that would capture joy for everyone and crystallise it forever,\" she added. \"Yes, I was going for vintage Christmas happiness.\"\n\n'Finally able to enjoy it'\n\nThe song has since earned her more than $60m (£45m) in royalties; and has cumulatively spent 70 weeks in the UK's top 100.\n\nLast year, it topped the charts in America for the first time, making Carey the first artist to score a number one single in four different decades.\n\nSpeaking to the New York Times, however, the singer said she wasn't competitive about such matters.\n\n\"I don't need something else to validate the existence of this song,\" she said.\n\n\"I used to pick it apart whenever I listened to it, but at this point, I feel like I'm finally able to enjoy it.\"\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "Police previously arrested a 29-year-old man in connection with the investigation\n\nA fake game show host tricked two men into being filmed carrying out naked challenges for the chance to win cash, police have said.\n\nIn 2018, a 28-year-old man told the Met he had been filmed in a hotel room in Newham, east London, by another man who claimed it was for a show.\n\nEarlier this year, a 31-year-old man reported a similar thing had happened to him in 2013, the force said.\n\nScotland Yard said officers \"believe there may be more victims\".\n\nThe 28-year-old approached police in June 2018 to report that a man claiming to be in the entertainment industry had asked him to take part in a game show for the chance to win £5,000.\n\nHe said he was required to take part in several \"nude challenges\" which were filmed by the suspect who kept the footage.\n\nThe second victim, who was identified by police in February this year, told officers a man had coerced him into doing something similar in a hotel in south-east London in August 2013.\n\nOfficers arrested a 29-year-old man in January 2019 on suspicion of voyeurism and he was released under investigation.\n\nSgt James Mason said: \"We believe there may be more victims in relation to these events.\n\n\"I urge anyone who may be a victim of similar crimes or incidents from 2013 to the present day, to come forward with information.\"\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Donald Trump may have lost the election but he won a record number of votes, and tightened his grip on states like Ohio. So what can Ohio tell us about the Republican Party's future?\n\nPowell, a suburb of the capital Columbus, has a charming and old-worldly feel.\n\nIts picturesque neighbourhoods with big houses and rolling lawns reinforce the much romanticised pop culture images of the ideal American suburban life. The downtown market is lined with small cafes, handicraft shops, ice-cream parlours and wine stores.\n\nPresident Trump won this county and, though the election is long over, many shops and businesses still have 'Trump-Pence 2020' campaign signs staked in their lawns.\n\nAmong them is a cigar shop called Stogies where a 'TRUMP 2020' banner is the centrepiece, flanking photos of Groucho Marx and Winston Churchill - celebrities of a bygone era - holding lit cigars.\n\nConcentric rings of smoke fill this cosy lounge, which used to be a church in the early 1900s. There is a group of men inside seated on sofas, all smoking cigars. President Trump looks down on them from an autographed photo.\n\nThey are all Trump supporters and part of the electorate that gave him a decisive victory in Ohio. Mostly in their 50s and 60s, they're college educated professionals and businessmen.\n\nNeil Berberick, a retired professional says: \"What Trump has done is that he has gone back to core values. He picked up the people that were forgotten by the Democrats. He was in tune with us. He has changed the Republican party for the good.''\n\nThere is a sense of longing for President Trump - even though they still don't entirely believe he's lost the presidency.\n\nAsked about the future of the Republican party after Trump, Taylor Burkhart, a young mechanical engineer says: \"The party is not just going to dissolve because Trump may not be on their ticket. Someone will fill his shoes. We'll find someone else whose values that we agree with.\"\n\nBut there is also this deep hope in the smoke-filled air that Mr Trump remains a force in Republican politics.\n\nThe owner of the cigar lounge, Hassan Dakhteh, an Iranian immigrant who came to the United States over 40 years ago, says: \"I think he will run in 2024, I hope he runs in 2024.\"\n\nPresident Trump remains a dominant force in Ohio. He won the state's 18 electoral college votes and also the popular vote by more than eight percentage points. According to the AP, he won more votes than any other presidential candidate in the state's history.\n\nIt's a testament to how effectively Mr Trump spoke to rural and working class Ohioans and created a base that adores him.\n\nBut not all Republican voters here endorse Mr Trump.\n\nAbout 14 miles from the cigar lounge, outside a grocery store in Hilliard, Amber Baumgartner is preparing to do some grocery shopping.\n\nShe is a 56-year-old teacher who is passionate about healthcare for ordinary Americans. She leans conservative on most issues but is not a fan of the turn the Republican party has taken in the last four years.\n\n\"I am hoping they are going to learn,\" she says.\n\n\"They are going to see that this extremism, we are going to have to get a clamp on this. I feel that the last four years have been a joke, almost. It's been embarrassing, scary, terrifying actually. I am hoping that the party understands that and I think that they do. Because so many of them have been unwilling to get on the crazy bus.\"\n\nAn autographed photo of President Trump in Stogies cigar lounge\n\nFormer Ohio governor and 2016 Republican presidential candidate John Kasich - a vocal critic of Mr Trump - thinks Republicans need to eschew Mr Trump's brand of politics going forward.\n\n\"It should become a party of ideas,\" he says. \"It's been basically an anti-Democrat party. They don't have any ideas on healthcare, environment or the wealth gap.\"\n\nThe Democrats are not in great shape either, he adds, but Joe Biden might be able to appeal to middle America. \"We'll see whether they will do that but Republicans really need to get some ideas otherwise they will wilt away.\"\n\nHowever, Donald Trump remains overwhelmingly popular in Ohio and it's clear he will continue exerting influence on the Republican party even after he leaves the White House.\n\n\"His performance in 2016 and 2020 suggests that he is the most popular Republican in Ohio in quite a long time, maybe since Ronald Reagan,\" says Mark Caleb Smith, a professor of political science at the University of Cedarville.\n\nHis popularity among his base has allowed President Trump to attack senior party leaders who don't agree with him.\n\nAmong them Ohio's governor, Mike DeWine, for not backing his unsubstantiated claims of a rigged election. Mr DeWine, though a supporter of President Trump, was one of the earlier Republicans out of the gate in recognising President-elect Joe Biden's win.\n\nUS President Donald Trump has been critical of Ohio Governor Mike DeWine\n\nEmboldened by Mr Trump's attack, some fellow Republicans are even trying to impeach the governor for enforcing measures to curb Covid-19, which is at a record high in the state.\n\nGov DeWine, who took steps early on to combat the coronavirus and has handled the pandemic very differently to Mr Trump, has hit back at his detractors.\n\nSo how can Republican leaders like him deal with hostility from within his own party going forward?\n\nProfessor Smith says that keeping the deeply conservative base happy could be key.\n\n\"Governor DeWine is willing to sign anti-abortion legislation, for example,\" he says. \"I'd expect that kind of thing to continue.\"\n\n\"His rhetoric on family and marriage will probably ratchet up a bit. Governor DeWine is a staunch Catholic and I would expect him to use that language more frequently about religion and his faith. I think that does quite well with the people who are supportive of the president.\"\n\nMr Trump did very well in Ohio in the rural areas outside of major cities such as Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati, where the electorate is predominantly white.\n\nHowever, can the party really sustain itself nationally by focusing on his base?\n\nStudies show that America is getting more diverse and minorities are already a powerful voting bloc, so Republicans will likely need new strategies going ahead.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. How are Biden voters in a Trump heartland dealing with the election aftermath?\n\nRepublican strategist Terry Casey says the party will look for new ideas but President Trump could potentially leave a lasting legacy.\n\n\"He has shifted the party somewhat for the good because the Republican party previously had the image of the party of the country club, and the Wall Street rich people. And now it has shifted to issues of the middle class or the working class and a lot of people in the Midwest who have been forgotten.\"\n\nWhether Donald Trump continues to remain a powerful presence in Republican politics will be determined in the months to come. But one thing seems certain, both parties need to make sure that middle America - like Ohio - does not feel ignored.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Malcolm Turnbull: \"Be careful what you wish for\"\n\nA former Australian prime minister has warned the UK to be \"careful what you wish for\" when it comes to EU trade.\n\nBoris Johnson has told people and businesses to prepare for the \"strong possibility\" we will not agree a post-Brexit trade deal with the EU, and end up trading on \"Australian\" terms.\n\nBut Malcolm Turnbull said there was no trade deal between his country and the bloc, which meant \"large barriers\".\n\nThe UK and the EU have until 31 December to come to an agreement.\n\nIf a deal is not struck, they will move to trading on World Trade Organisation rules - meaning tariffs or charges could be imposed on goods the UK buys and sells from and to the EU.\n\nTalks are ongoing, but Mr Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen agreed this week that a final decision on whether a deal can be reached must be made by Sunday.\n\nThe UK government has said throughout trade negotiations with the EU that it is seeking a \"Canada-style\" Free Trade Agreement, meaning tariffs would not be imposed.\n\nHowever, it has also said if that type of deal was not possible, it would move to an \"Australian-style relationship\" with the bloc, and the country would \"prosper\" either way.\n\nAustralia is negotiating a free trade deal with the EU, but does not currently have one.\n\nIt largely does business with the EU on World Trade Organisation rules, but has a few specific arrangements in place, such as co-operation on science and trade on wine - something that would not be the case for the UK if it leaves EU rules without a deal.\n\nAustralia has free trade agreements with most if its geographical neighbours and does not do nearly as much trade with the EU as the UK does.\n\nSpeaking on BBC Question Time, Mr Turnbull said: \"Australia has a deal with the EU on WTO terms and there are really some very large barriers to Australian trade with Europe, which we are seeking to address as we negotiate a free trade agreement with Europe\n\n\"But Australians would not regard our trade relationship with Europe as being a satisfactory one.\n\n\"There are very big barriers to Australian exports of agriculture products in particular and a lot of friction in the system in terms of services..\"\n\nMr Turnbull is the former leader of Australia's centre-right Liberal Party and was prime minister of the country between 2015 and 2018.", "A smiling Steve in Gran Canaria before the government's travel corridor announcement\n\n\"We have paid the best part of £2,000, we thought it was worth the investment for a relaxing week in the sun but we're flying back stressed,\" says Steve Jennings, from Liverpool.\n\nThe retired chief executive was on holiday in Gran Canaria when he heard the news that the government had changed the quarantine rules for the Canary Islands.\n\nFrom Saturday morning, anyone returning to the UK from the islands has to self-isolate. Although the quarantine period is being cut to 10 days from next week, anyone who doesn't get back in the next few days could see their Christmas plans at risk.\n\nFor Steve, 61, the news left him anxious as he scrabbled to find out how he and his partner Lynn - who has hospital appointments booked next week - could avoid the quarantine.\n\n\"It leaves us totally confused and anxious,\" he said. \"It tends to ruin the end of the holiday.\"\n\nLike many, Steve is pinning his hopes on the government's new testing scheme which lets travellers to England cut their quarantine by half if they pay for a Covid test after five days.\n\nBut the scheme - called test-to-release - doesn't launch until Tuesday and the list of approved providers has not been published yet.\n\n\"The thing that brasses me off [is] you like to be proud of your government and civil service,\" he says. \"This [scheme] is due to be launched on Tuesday, here we are still with no details.\"\n\nFor other Brits in the Canaries, the pressure is on to make sure they're back in the UK with enough time to quarantine before Christmas, so their festive plans aren't ruined.\n\n\"I was extremely stressed on Thursday,\" says David Evans, 23, a DJ living and working in Fuerteventura.\n\n\"From when I got home from work at 6/7pm, I didn't do anything until 1am except talk to family members, talking to work, to my housemate, trying to work out what to do.\"\n\nDavid DJs in clubs and on the beach, and says he has around five gigs next week\n\nHe is due to fly back to Brighton next week and plans to get a test, ahead of hopefully seeing his parents and nan at Christmas. \"I already have some gigs lined up so can't come back any earlier,\" he says.\n\nDavid says he thinks the Canary Islands should be treated individually by the UK government when it comes to quarantine rules.\n\nThe government has said data suggests cases are rising in the Canaries, but David points out the number of cases in Fuerteventura is lower than in other islands.\n\n\"I'd like to see them separate the islands as Tenerife seems to be the problem,\" he says. \"They've done this with the Greek islands, why not the same for the Canaries?\"\n\nKeith Baldwin, from Liverpool, agrees and has emailed Transport Secretary Grant Shapps to ask why the islands aren't being treated separately.\n\n\"Tenerife is right off the scale with Covid. Lanzarote's a bit high. But Gran Canaria is right down,\" says Keith, who is in Gran Canaria.\n\n\"Work's not going to be happy [if I have to isolate]. I'm a support worker and we're short as it is.\"\n\nThe Foreign Office has not changed its travel advice for the Canary Islands, meaning many holidaymakers who were due to go on holiday may be unable to seek refunds or claim on their travel insurance policies as companies will not cancel bookings.\n\nOne such holidaymaker was Kathy Hemingway, from East Yorks, who was due to fly to Fuerteventura on Saturday.\n\nShe paid £170 to get Covid tests done on top of her holiday, which she can't get a refund for from Tui as the FCO have not changed the travel advice rules.\n\n\"We can move our booking,\" she adds. \"We have to pluck a date out of the air. We have no idea when it will be safe to travel.\"\n\nKathy had already changed her holiday destination twice, from Mexico to Lanzarote, then to Fuerteventura\n\nOther holidaymakers have highlighted how safe they feel in the Canaries. Everyone aged six and over must provide a negative test when arriving into Spain, and when checking in to tourist accommodation in the Canaries.\n\n\"I feel safer in Tenerife than I do back in Scotland,\" says Philip Knight, who has been on holiday with his partner Luke in Tenerife, but flew back two days early on Friday.\n\nPhilip says he fears the impact this will have on the local economy\n\n\"I, and every other holiday-maker had to get a Covid-19 test before coming here,\" he says. \"Everyone must wear a mask at all times (in the street etc), there are no exemptions unless a doctor provides a certificate. Everyone obeys this.\n\n\"There is a curfew at 11pm which is enforced strictly by the police and respected by the residents and tourists. Everyone must be in their property and remain there till 6am.\n\n\"The island is quiet with no crowds and only groups of four.\n\n\"The UK government has therefore made me return to the UK which has a higher rate of infection with less protection (i.e. no masks and no curfew),\" adds Philip, a partner in an Edinburgh law firm.\n\nLee Rowell-Burton, from Manchester, says he and his wife \"have had no personal contact with anyone\" since arriving in Fuerteventura to fix a problem at their apartment.\n\n\"We took a private PCR test on 7 December to get here, costing £120 each, which both came back negative.\n\n\"Now we have to either self-isolate or take another test, at our own expense, after five days. Another test? That's another £120 we don't have. I'm supposed to be back to work on Monday.\"\n\n\"It's so safe here,\" says Lee, in Fuerteventura\n\nHe adds: \"We are both extremely careful as we both have lost relatives to Covid-19 and are on one of the safest Canary Islands to visit, and only for five nights, yet still are having to self-isolate on our return? Ridiculous.\"\n\nThe news of the quarantine change came on Thursday, in a tweet by Mr Shapps who said data indicated weekly cases and positive tests were increasing.\n\nThe government has previously said that decisions about which places go on or off the list are based on a range of factors, not just case rates.\n\nThe Department for Transport said in a statement on Saturday the government had been \"consistently clear\" that it would take action rapidly if the public health risk became too high.\n\n\"Throughout the outbreak, all our decisions have been based on the best scientific evidence,\" it said. \"Any emerging evidence is continually monitored and considered in the government's policy making.\"\n\nWhen the test-to-release scheme opens on Tuesday, anyone already self-isolating after travelling to the UK is able to book in a test.", "Britons holidaying on Spain's Canary Islands say their Christmas plans have been thrown into jeopardy after quarantine rules were imposed.\n\nTravellers returning to the UK will have to self-isolate from Saturday due to rising infection rates, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said.\n\nTravel giant Tui said 800 people were due to depart for the islands on Friday morning, with 5,000 there already.\n\nThe quarantine period will be shortened from 14 to 10 days from Monday.\n\nA statement from the four UK chief medical officers said the change came after a review of evidence and that self-isolation for those with coronavirus symptoms remained important.\n\nMeanwhile, the Foreign Office has yet to change its travel advice for the Canary Islands, meaning many holidaymakers may be unable to seek refunds or claim on their travel insurance policies.\n\nThe new quarantine restrictions will be in place from 04:00 GMT on 12 December.\n\nTravellers to mainland Spain already have to isolate, but an exemption for the islands in October encouraged many to book a break in almost-guaranteed winter sun, travel expert Simon Calder told BBC Breakfast.\n\nThe Department for Transport (DfT) said there had been a \"sharp increase\" in the number of positive coronavirus tests on the islands.\n\nIt comes as an upcoming \"test-to-release\" policy will allow travellers to leave quarantine after five days - if they pay for a private coronavirus test and receive a negative result.\n\nEven a reduced 10-day quarantine period would mean some of those due to return later next week would still need to isolate over Christmas.\n\nSteve Hay, from Bournemouth, arrived in Lanzarote on Thursday evening for a seven-day break with his family.\n\nThey now face cutting it short to avoid a quarantine period that could potentially run until 27 December - effectively cancelling their Christmas plans in the UK.\n\n\"How will we do our Christmas shopping?\" Mr Hay said. \"I think it's shocking and doesn't appear much thought has gone into it.\n\n\"Why is it being implemented so quick, this only gives us tomorrow to get back.\n\n\"I think it's crazy and the Canaries cannot be looked at as a whole, each island should be rated.\"\n\nIvor Langford says he faces Christmas alone without his wife after she returned home sooner than planned\n\nIvor Langford from Worcestershire, who is currently at his holiday home in Lanzarote, told the BBC the rule change meant he now faced spending Christmas Day alone in the UK.\n\nHis wife recently returned to the UK after her father caught Covid-19 in hospital, he said.\n\n\"I have been given less than a day to fly home before Saturday 04:00,\" he said. \"I'm due to fly back on 16 December but now will have to have Christmas without my wife.\"\n\nMore than 800 people are waiting to find out whether their Tui holidays to Tenerife departing on Saturday morning will be cancelled, because the Foreign Office has not yet decided whether to also advise against travel to the islands.\n\nIf the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office advises against travel to the Canary Islands, Tui will cancel all holidays immediately as this change invalidates travel insurance.\n\nIt also expects to cancel its entire Christmas holiday schedule, a further blow to the operator which recorded losses of €3bn (£2.74bn) on Thursday.\n\nTui said it would allow those booked between Friday and 17 December \"the opportunity to amend free of charge to another date or destination\".\n\nAirline Easyjet said customers wishing to transfer their flights without a fee must do so within a week.\n\nThe new test-to-release programme begins on 15 December, allowing travellers arriving in England to reduce their quarantine by more than half if they pay for a Covid test after five days.\n\nThey will have to opt in to the scheme on a passenger locator form, according to the government website.\n\nThe DfT said families could decide which members opted in to suit their circumstances but that only those who took a test after five days and received a negative result could be released early.\n\nThe tests, from private firms, will cost between £65 and £120. A list of approved providers has yet to be published.\n\nEngland has also introduced a quarantine exemption for certain categories of travellers, including people making high-value business trips, sports stars and performing arts professionals.\n\nDo you have plans to travel to the Canary Islands from the UK? Are you in the Canary Islands but due back after the quarantine rules change? Get in touch by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "Birmingham is in tier three, meaning shops and gyms can open, but pubs and restaurants must remain closed, other than for takeaway and delivery\n\nA \"test and dine\" pilot has been proposed in Birmingham in a bid to help the struggling hospitality sector.\n\nThe scheme, put forward by the city council, would see people wanting to eat out tested for Covid-19 a few hours earlier.\n\nIt comes as hospitality businesses in the city consider legal action after being forced to close under tier three measures.\n\nThe plans, at a very early stage, would need to be approved by government.\n\nBirmingham City Council leader Ian Ward told a regional Covid-19 briefing on Friday that the local authority was discussing the idea.\n\nEngland's tiers are set to be reviewed on 16 December, but Birmingham is expected to remain in tier three until the new year\n\n\"We would pilot it initially with a very small number of restaurants,\" Mr Ward said. \"If it worked we would look to expand that going forward.\n\n\"If people book a seat at one of those restaurants to eat out, we would allow them to be tested, and provided they tested negative and the booking was within six hours of that test, then they would be able to go and dine at that particular restaurant.\"\n\nSome rapid Covid-19 tests can provide results within an hour, but there have also been concerns about their accuracy.\n\nMike Olley said the restrictions had been devastating to Birmingham's hospitality sector\n\nMike Olley, who runs the Westside Business Improvement District, which supports local firms, said he would welcome any scheme to help the city's hospitality industry.\n\n\"I don't doubt the sincerity of the council,\" he said. \"It's a plan, it's something. At least they're thinking outside of the box.\"\n\nHowever he raised questions about who would pay for the tests and how restaurants and bars could apply to take part in the pilot.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Laura Foster explains the new three tier system for England\n\nTier three measures have been \"devastating\" for hospitality, he said.\n\n\"We've got bars, restaurants, casinos, theatres which are all incredibly safe areas and they're not trading, yet they're still having to pay out massive overheads.\"\n\nThe council said it believed the scheme could help businesses, but it has not yet made clear the finer details of the plans.\n\nFollow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "The Duke of Cambridge paid tribute to Dame Barbara Windsor during a trip with his family to watch a special pantomime put on to thank key workers for their efforts during the pandemic.\n\nPrince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis watched a performance of Pantoland at the London Palladium with their parents in the royal box.\n\nIn a speech before the show, the duke called Dame Barbara \"a legend\".\n\nIt was the Cambridges' first red carpet engagement as a family of five.\n\nTheir visit followed the news that the actress, best known for her roles in EastEnders and the Carry On films, had died aged 83.\n\nWhen the Cambridges first arrived at the Palladium, George, seven, Charlotte, five, and two-year-old Louis stopped briefly to watch actors dressed as elves entertaining the guests on the red carpet.\n\nBefore the show, Matt Ridsdale, executive director of National Lottery operator Camelot, which has supported the pantomime, introduced Prince William and quipped: \"As this is panto, I'm very conscious of who's behind me.\"\n\nPrince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis stopped to watch actors dressed as elves on the red carpet\n\nThe royal children watch the National Lottery's Pantoland with their parents from the royal box\n\nThe duke said: \"Before I go on, I want to pause and pay tribute to a true national treasure, Dame Barbara Windsor, who so sadly passed away last night.\n\n\"She was a giant of the entertainment world, and of course a legend on pantomime stages across the country, including here at the London Palladium.\n\n\"And I know we'll all miss her hugely.\"\n\nThe Duke of Cambridge made a speech to thank key workers ahead of the performance\n\nThe show at London's Palladium stars Julian Clary and Elaine Paige\n\nThe duke said it was a \"very special performance\" because of the key workers in the audience.\n\n\"You include community workers, volunteers, teachers, NHS staff, representatives from the emergency services and military, researchers working on the vaccine, people helping the homeless, those manning vital call centres, and staff from a wide range of frontline charities - to name but a few,\" he said.\n\n\"You have given your absolute all this year and made remarkable sacrifices.\"\n\nEarlier this week the duke and duchess travelled around Great Britain on the royal train to thank key workers for their efforts during the pandemic.", "Jen Scott's view from Beinn Mhor in Argyll. She said: \"It was such a magical morning - everything was sparkling with frost, and as we climbed we saw the mist creep into the valley below where a herd of highland cows were grazing.\"", "A lone Republican senator has blocked a congressional vote to create two new Smithsonian museums dedicated to American women and Latinos.\n\nCasting his dissenting vote, Senator Mike Lee said they would \"further divide an already divided nation\".\n\nThe legislation received unanimous bipartisan support by the remainder of the 100-member Senate.\n\nIt boasts of being the \"world's largest museum, education and research complex,\" with the newest Smithsonian museum - the Museum of African American History and Culture - added in 2016.\n\nA museum for Latino history has been being considered for at least 20 years, after a government report found in the early 1990s that the Smithsonian \"displays a pattern of wilful neglect\" toward Latinos and \"almost entirely excludes and ignores Latinos in nearly every aspect of its operations\".\n\nA measure to create a women history's museum was introduced in the early 2000s.\n\nIn his speech on the Senate floor on Thursday night, Mr Lee - a Utah senator who leans libertarian - condemned politics based on identity - a topic that many conservative Americans have voiced objections to in recent years.\n\n\"My objection to the creation of a new Smithsonian museum or series of museums based on group identity, what Theodore Roosevelt called hyphenated Americanism, is not a matter of budgetary or legislative technicalities,\" he said. \"It is a matter of national unity and cultural inclusion.\"\n\nSoldiers outside the African American museum during summer protests\n\nBecause the authors of the two museum bills had sought a unanimous vote of all 100 senators, each measure was struck down in its entirety by Mr Lee's objection. Measures supporting the Latino museum and women's museum had already been passed earlier this year by the House of Representatives - the lower chamber of Congress.\n\nMr Lee went on to say: \"The so-called critical theory undergirding this movement does not celebrate diversity; it weaponises diversity.\n\n\"I understand what my colleagues are trying to do and why. I respect what they're trying to do. I even share their interests in ensuring that these stories are told. But the last thing we need is to further divide an already divided nation with an array of segregated, separate-but-equal museums for hyphenated identity groups.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Why did so many Latinos back Trump?\n\nIn a following debate, Mr Lee argued that Native Americans and black Americans had their histories \"virtually erased,\" which was why Smithsonian institutions exist for them.\n\n\"We have been systematically excluded,\" retorted New Jersey Democratic Senator Bob Menendez, the author of the Latino museum bill.\n\n\"Believe me, we have been,\" he added, accusing Mr Lee of standing \"in the way of the hopes and dreams and aspirations of seeing Americans of Latino descent having their dreams fulfilled and recognised\".\n\nLatina Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a liberal Democrat from New York, was among those criticising Mr Lee. She noted that the debate over these two bills came as coronavirus stimulus relief bills continued to stall in the Senate.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nMaine Republican Senator Susan Collins, who sponsored the Smithsonian Women's History Museum Act, joined in the criticism of Mr Lee, calling it a \"sad moment\" and adding that \"it seems wrong\" for a single senator to block such popular measures.\n\n\"Surely in a year where we are celebrating the 100th anniversary of women's suffrage, this is the time, this is the moment to finally pass the legislation,\" she said, referring to the centennial of women's right to vote in the US.\n\nMuseum advocates say Mr Lee's objection is just one of many roadblocks, and that other legislative avenues still exist to having the measures pass.\n\nSenators could still attempt to attach the museum measures to the year's highly important budget bill, or otherwise reintroduce the measures when the new Congress convenes in January.\n\nEven if the votes had passed, it would still be years before building would begin, as Congress would also need to vote again to allocate funds to the projects.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nLast week, Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie G Bunch III released a statement praising the two bills.\n\n\"Creating new museums is challenging, but, with appropriate funding, the Smithsonian has the skill and expertise to do it right,\" he said. \"We can, and have, created museums that meet the needs of the nation and showcase the US to the world.\"", "More than 50 schools in Belfast have written a joint letter to the education minister urging him to \"reconsider your stance on early school closure\".\n\nThe letter comes from nursery, primary and post-primary schools in the West Belfast Area Learning Community (ALC).\n\nIt contains a strongly-worded warning that easing many restrictions on 11 December will have a knock-on effect for schools.\n\nThe schools also said that a plan is needed for January.\n\nThey said \"there may be a tsunami of cases arriving in to each of our schools\" in the new year.\n\nEducation Minister Peter Weir has repeatedly stated that schools will not close early for the Christmas break.\n\nHe has also said that health experts have not recommended closing schools early.\n\nHowever some principals have said pupils will not be marked absent if parents want them to do schoolwork at home in the final week of term.\n\nMany schools are due to end term on Friday 18 December, but some continue until 22 December.\n\nThe joint letter from west Belfast schools told Mr Weir there had been a \"lack of clarity from the Department of Education, conflicting guidance from the department and Public Health Agency, and a real lack of insight from you or your department concerning the enormous volume of work which we face on a daily basis\".\n\nIt said that the easing of many restrictions in other areas would have an impact on schools.\n\n\"Given that the executive has agreed to 'relax' restrictions to enable people to experience a more normal Christmas, we are fearful that this allows for increased mixing of bubbles and larger numbers of households and people being able to gather leading to increased infection rates,\" it said.\n\nEducation Minister Peter Weir has repeatedly said there are no plans to close schools early for the Christmas break\n\n\"These increased risks on people's health, added pressure on NHS and likelihood of increasing mortality as a result of Covid-19 must have been judged to be tolerable in order to ensure that people are allowed to see loved ones at Christmas.\n\n\"However, failure to close schools at a time when hospitality and close-contact services resume, will undoubtedly impact on the Christmas experience of those school staff who are identified by contact tracing over the coming weeks.\n\n\"It might appear to some that whilst increasing deaths and illness rates are tolerable, safeguarding the Christmas of front-line staff such as healthcare workers and schools are not important to the executive or your department.\"\n\nThe letter also said that school staff had been providing constant support to pupils and parents affected by lockdown.\n\n\"Our school populations continue to grow and so, too, does the level of need and vulnerability,\" the letter said.\n\n\"We are all too aware of the 'breaking point' that some of our pupils and families have reached over the possibility of spending Christmas away from loved ones.\n\n\"This period of restrictions has been very difficult on those pupils with special educational needs, especially those suffering with Autistic Spectrum Disorder, as their ability to see loved ones from their extended family has been impacted and Christmas may be the only opportunity in the coming months.\"\n\nIt concludes by pleading with Mr Weir to allow school staff to teach and pupils to learn from home \"for a period of just five or six days\" before the planned end of term.\n\n\"As school leaders we also have a duty of care to our staff, pupils and the wider school community,\" it said.\n\n\"The biggest cause of stress and anxiety we see at the present time is the uncertainty people feel about their ability to see extended family over the Christmas break.\n\n\"In what has been an exceptional year for us all, can I ask that you reconsider your stance on early school closure, or at least trust in the professional judgement of school leaders to provide effective home learning opportunities which will enable the exceptionally hard working educational workforce to have the Christmas break which they have earned throughout this pandemic.\n\n\"This action, alone, has the power to do much to boost the morale and well-being of every member of staff in schools.\"\n\nThe government in Wales has said all post-primary schools will move to online teaching until Christmas from Monday 14 December.", "It's been a week of split-screens in American politics.\n\nThe nation's attention is divided between the president and the president-elect; between the coronavirus vaccine and the rising death toll from the pandemic; between congressional attempts to reach compromise and congressional attempts to rebuff Donald Trump.\n\nAs the days tick down until the holidays, and a new year, and a new Congress and a new president, here are some of the key political stories from this week.\n\n\"For individuals and organisations that champion the rule of law and claim the mantle of the founding principles of our nation to call for overturning an election reeks of hypocrisy\" - conservative commentator Linda Chavez\n\nIt was yet another rough week for the president's efforts to reverse the results of his November defeat in the US presidential election.\n\nFirst, the \"safe harbour\" date for states certifying the results arrived on Tuesday with all but one, Wisconsin, meeting the deadline. That will make it much more difficult for Trump's allies in Congress to contest the results of the election in January.\n\nTuesday also delivered a one-two legal punch to the president. The Arizona Supreme Court unanimously ruled that there was no evidence of fraud or misconduct in Joe Biden's victory in that state. And the US Supreme Court batted down a legal challenge to the Democrat's win in that state with a terse, one-sentence \"application denied\" order.\n\nThat left Trump placing all his judicial hopes on a lawsuit filed by the attorney general of Texas that sought to discard the presidential election results in four states Biden won - Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Georgia. Texas asked the court to allow the state legislatures - which all happen to be controlled by Republicans - to determine who should get their electoral college votes.\n\nElection law experts largely scoffed at the prospects for the suit - \"utter garbage,\" writes UC-Irvine Professor Rick Hasen - but 17 other states with Republican attorneys general, as well as Trump himself, joined the effort.\n\nOn Friday night, the Supreme Court slammed that door closed, as well.\n\nThe ruling was slightly longer than the one-sentence response in a Pennsylvania case. Two justices, Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas, wouldn't have dismissed the lawsuit outright. But even they would not express a view on whether Texas's attempt to throw out millions of votes and effectively hand the presidency to Trump had merit.\n\nThe decision paves the way for the members of the Electoral College to meet in state capitals across the US on Monday. At that point, Trump's legal challenges to the election will be finished. And while his supporters may try a last-ditch effort to block the Joe Biden's victory in Congress in January, those political manoeuvres are destined to fail. Democrats will make sure of that.\n\nThe implications of this challenge, however, are unlikely to quickly fade away. In a democracy of 328 million Americans, the presidency came down to what seven people on the Supreme Court thought.\n\nThat will be something Democrats, and the history books, won't quickly forget.\n\nI have been through many public health crises before, but this is the toughest one we have ever faced as a nation. The road ahead will not be easy\"- Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases\n\nWhen the president wasn't fulminating about the results of the presidential election this week, he was celebrating the development of multiple vaccines to treat Covid-19.\n\nAt a \"vaccine summit\" event on Tuesday, Trump touted what is, without a doubt, a remarkable medical achievement.\n\n\"From the instant the coronavirus invaded our shores, we raced into action to develop a safe and effective vaccine at breakneck speed,\" the president said. \"In order to achieve this goal, we harnessed the full power of government, the genius of American scientists, and the might of American industry to save millions and millions of lives all over the world.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. One travel nurse's emotional journey through US Covid hotspots\n\nThe good news on immunisations, however, comes as record numbers of Americans are dying from Covid-19 every day - and the outlook for the months ahead, before the vaccinations reach most Americans.\n\nThat was the message Biden was delivering to the nation from his transition headquarters in Delaware at the same time as the White House event.\n\n\"We're in a dark winter. Things may well get worse before they get better,\" Biden said. \"A vaccine may soon be available, but we need to level with each other. It will take longer than we would like to distribute it to all corners of our country. We will need to persuade enough Americans to take it. It's daunting, but I promise you that we will make progress starting on day one.\"\n\nBiden was unveiling his choices for top health positions in his administration, including California Attorney General Xavier Becerra for health secretary, Vivek Murthy as surgeon general and Fauci as this \"chief medical adviser on Covid-19\".\n\nThe president-elect said once inaugurated on 20 January, he would mandate mask-usage in interstate commerce and on federal property, distribute 100 million doses of vaccine in his first 100 days and prioritise reopening schools.\n\nIt's a tall order, but his administration's ability to control the pandemic, and efficiently and equitably distribute the vaccine, will be the standard by which his early success as president will be judged.\n\nMembers of the House and Senate have been engaged in good-faith negotiations and continue to make progress. The bipartisan talks are the best hope for a bipartisan solution\" - Democratic Congressional leaders Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer\n\nThe public-health aspect of the coronavirus pandemic is just one component of the crisis currently facing US policymakers. The disease, and efforts to control its spread, have placed enormous strain on the US economy, as businesses have been forced to close and workers lose their jobs\n\nWhile Republicans and Democrats in Congress and Trump administration officials have been negotiating another round of economic stimulus for months to no avail, a bipartisan group of legislators gave new life to attempts at a compromise with their proposal for a $900bn package of aid last week.\n\nIn an encouraging development, Democratic Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, who had been pushing for nearly three times that amount, endorsed the compromise - while saying that she would ask for more when Biden becomes president.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. How are Biden voters in a Trump heartland dealing with the election aftermath?\n\nA deal needs to be wrapped up in the next few weeks, before this congressional term ends, and there are still a number of big sticking points.\n\nDemocrats want hundreds of millions of dollars for cash-strapped local and state governments that have seen their revenues drop during the pandemic. Republicans want lawsuit protections for business that stay open. Democrats would like to reauthorise hundreds of dollars in supplemental weekly payments to the unemployed. The Trump administration would prefer a one-time payment to all Americans.\n\nIt's a lot to try to wrap up in very little time. But with the latest economic figures showing unemployment rising and businesses struggling, the pressure on Congress to do something - anything - is growing.\n\nI think one of the things I'm looking for, when I see all of these picks together is: What is the agenda? What is the overall vision going to be? I think that's a little hazy - Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.\n\nAmidst all the turmoil surrounding Trump's challenge of the election results and the coronavirus pandemic, Biden continues the slow process of unveiling his nominations for top administration jobs.\n\nIn addition to his health picks this week, Biden has also announced his selections for secretaries of defence (Lloyd Austin), agriculture (Tom Vilsack), veteran's affairs (Denis McDonough) and housing (Marcia Fudge).\n\nGeneral Lloyd Austin would need a special waiver from Congress because he retired less than seven years ago\n\nBiden continues to form a diverse cabinet, but one common thread running through many of these picks is their personal connection to the president-elect - a \"team of buddies\", as a New York Times headline put it.\n\nVilsack was agriculture secretary under Barack Obama and campaigned for Biden during this year's Iowa Caucuses. McDonough was an Obama chief-of-staff. Austin was a general in Iraq during the Obama administration and friends with Biden's late son, Beau.\n\nThat has raised some unease among the more liberal members of the Democratic party who, like Ocasio-Cortez, want to see Biden - a self-professed moderate - pursue a more assertive progressive agenda.\n\nThere are also specific concerns about Biden's choice of Austin, given that the recently retired Army officer would require a special congressional waiver to run the Pentagon. Trump asked for, and received, one for James Mattis, his first defence pick - over the objection of many Democrats.\n\n\"As Democrats, we just spent four years watching these kinds of rules be violated,\" Democratic Congressman Tom Malinowski told the New York Times. \"It really does feel as if a waiver would turn the exception into a rule.\"\n\nToday the House sent a strong, bipartisan message to the American people: Our service members and our national security are more important than politics - House Armed Services Chair Adam Smith\n\nSpeaking of national defence, a mini-showdown has been unfolding in Congress this week after Trump threatened to veto the National Defence Authorisation Act - the law funding the US military - if it did not include language removing liability protections for big tech companies.\n\nSection 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which insulates social media companies from being held responsible for unlawful content produced by their users, has become a frequent target of criticism for the president, who says it is a government handout to tech companies that censor the speech of conservatives like him.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Why Donald Trump keeps outperforming the polls\n\nAlthough it is in no way connected to military spending, Trump has made the defence appropriations the hill on which he's going to fight this battle.\n\nIt looks like it's going to be a losing one for him. The general reaction to the president's threats in Congress has been one of indifference bordering on derision.\n\nOn Tuesday, the House of Representatives passed the defence bill by more than the two-thirds margin required to override a presidential veto. The Senate will probably do the same in the coming days.\n\nThen the ball is in the president's court. If he follows through with a veto - either because of Section 230 or earlier objections to a requirement that the Army rename bases honouring Confederate generals - it seems probable that, in the waning days of his presidency, this will be the first time Congress has successfully reversed such a move.\n\nWhile Republican politicians seem largely unwilling to challenge the president's claims that he won re-election, when it comes to military spending they're more than willing to push back.", "Little terns travel 3,000 miles from west Africa to breed on the UK coast\n\nA colony of one of the country's rarest seabirds has had its most successful season for more than 25 years, the National Trust has said.\n\nNesting pairs of little terns fledged more than 200 chicks at Blakeney Point, off the north Norfolk coast.\n\nThe bird has been in serious decline nationally since the 1980s, with fewer than 2,000 pairs now left in the UK.\n\nRangers counted 154 pairs of little terns nesting over the summer months and 201 chicks - the most since 1994.\n\nThe National Trust, which manages Blakeney Point, believes the success was in part due to fewer people visiting the site at the beginning of the breeding season, during the first national lockdown.\n\nThe little terns nested at the far end of The Point, which is further away from the mainland, with fewer visitors walking that far along.\n\nLittle terns have been in serious decline nationally since the 1980s\n\nThere were fewer predators affecting the little terns this year, rangers said.\n\nThey believe this could be because the birds nested further away from the watch house, and were all together, meaning there was some safety in numbers.\n\nStaff kept watch on the site to ward off predators using techniques such as laying out food sources away from the colony.\n\nThey also used clay decoys to encourage nesting in suitable areas of the shoreline.\n\nBlakeney Point is a four-mile shingle spit off the north Norfolk coast\n\nCountryside manager Chris Bielby said: \"Little terns have been rapidly declining in the UK for the past few decades, so it's particularly rewarding to see so many of these tiny seabirds fledging the nest.\n\n\"The species is still very much at risk and we'll need to keep up our efforts to make sure they have safe places to breed.\n\n\"But for now, it's good to be able to celebrate a successful season given what a challenging year 2020 has been.\"\n\nCommon terns had a similarly successful year at Blakeney Point, with 289 pairs fledging at least 170 chicks, the most since 1999.\n\nRangers believe the colony relocated from other nesting sites which flooded during bad weather in June.\n\nSandwich terns were late arrivals to the site but arrived in high numbers, almost triple that of the previous year.", "The first editions initially sold for £10.99 when printed in 1997\n\nA first edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone has fetched a magical £68,000 at auction.\n\nThe issue was among 500 hardback copies printed in 1997, before JK Rowling's fantasy saga soared to global success.\n\nAnother first edition, which nearly sold for 50p in a car boot sale, drew £50,000 in an online auction at Hansons Auctioneers in Staffordshire on Friday.\n\nA library copy featuring date stamps sold for £19,000, while a fourth sold for £17,500.\n\nThe issues were among the first 500 hardback copies printed, of which 300 were sent to schools and libraries. At the time those copies were selling for £10.99.\n\nCharlotte Rumsey initially put a copy found in her mother's box of unwanted things in a 50p box for a car boot sale in July.\n\nBut after watching Antiques Roadshow, she asked her mother, from Blackpool, to check the copy with Hansons Auctioneers.\n\nRupert Grint, Emma Watson and Daniel Radcliffe appeared in the films between 2001 and 2011\n\nOn finding out the book was a first edition, a \"delighted\" Ms Rumsey said she \"couldn't stop hopping about\".\n\nThe copy was one of the rarer 200 that went to shops and sold for £50,000.\n\nThe bride-to-be has previously said she plans to split the money between her wedding and her mother's new home.\n\nOne auctioned copy was stocked in a library in JK Rowling's adopted home of Edinburgh\n\nIn October, another first edition sold for a hammer price of £60,000.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "The UK has been in a transition period with the EU since last January, during which rules and trade have stayed the same. But all of this will come to an end on 1 January 2021.\n\nWith just a few weeks left for the UK and the EU to negotiate a trade agreement, both sides are now talking about the prospect of a no-deal outcome. If there's no trade agreement in place, they will have to adjust quickly to doing things very differently.\n\nSo how are both sides preparing?\n\nFor the first six months from 1 January, the British government will bring in only minimal checks on goods coming in to the UK, but the EU will have full border checks on goods coming into the EU from the UK straight away.\n\nThe UK government has warned that a reasonable worst-case scenario could see queues of 7,000 trucks clogging up the roads around Dover and the Channel Tunnel.\n\nThe UK government has two contingency plans for this: Operation Brock and Operation Fennel.\n\nOperation Brock is a traffic management plan, which it is hoped will prevent more than 10,000 lorries a day from clogging up roads in Kent.\n\nUnder the scheme, drivers of very large lorries will need to get a special permit - a Kent Access Permit - before they enter the county, and permits will only be issued if they have completed the correct paperwork for exporting goods.\n\nOther traffic will be kept flowing around them, in what is known as a contraflow system. Highways England is trialling the moveable road barrier, which makes the contraflow system possible, on the M20 over four nights from 11 December.\n\nIf there are more than 2,000 lorries queued up, the government has made plans for several temporary lorry parks - it bought a 27-acre site in Ashford in Kent. There is also a plan called Operation Fennel in which as many as 7,000 heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) could be diverted to the disused Manston airfield, near Ramsgate.\n\nThis is part of the government's plans for building facilities away from ports.\n\nIf further capacity is needed, a \"last resort\" would be to turn the 10-mile M26 motorway into a temporary lorry park.\n\nThe UK government has also set up the Border Operations Centre to co-ordinate the response to any further disruption.\n\nQueuing at ports is not the only problem for lorry drivers.\n\nIf no further steps are taken, UK lorry drivers would need to apply for documents called ECMT permits to be allowed to enter EU countries. The European Commission has warned that there are not enough of these permits available, which would mean not enough UK lorries being able to travel to the EU to pick up goods to bring back to the UK.\n\nThe European Commission said this could result in serious disruptions, \"potentially even threatening public order\".\n\nTo prevent this, it proposed allowing UK lorries and buses into the EU for six months without special permits, as long as EU drivers are also allowed into the UK.\n\nThe proposals would also allow regular bus services that pick up and drop off passengers on either side of the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland to continue to do so.\n\nThe UK has not been clear yet on whether it plans to continue to allow EU operators to enter the country.\n\nA similar proposal is on the table for aviation. In the event of no deal, the UK would no longer be a member of the European Common Aviation Area, which allows British airlines to fly to destinations in the EU, and vice versa.\n\nThe European Commission is proposing a six month regulation to allow flights to continue until a new agreement is in place, but it would require the UK government to offer the same to operators from EU countries. The UK has not yet responded to the proposal.\n\nThe UK government has told pharmaceutical companies to stockpile and plan alternative supply routes in case of border problems. It has also arranged extra freight capacity for pharmaceutical companies should they need it.\n\nIn a memo, seen by the BBC in June, pharmaceutical companies warned the government that some stockpiles of medicines have been \"used up entirely\" by the coronavirus pandemic and said these could not be replenished in time for the UK's exit from the EU.\n\nThe head of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry warned that not having any sort of deal would cause \"increased complexity, duplication and cost\" in the middle of a pandemic. The government insisted, however, that \"robust contingency plans are in place\".\n\nFor the coronavirus vaccine, the government says there are contingency plans for making sure the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine made in Belgium can be shipped to the UK if border problems arise. These include alternative sea routes and the use of freight or even military aircraft.\n\nThe European Commission has also proposed extending the deadline to reach an agreement on fishing until the end of December 2021.\n\nThis would allow European fishing vessels to continue fishing in British waters and vice-versa for another year, or until an agreement is reached.\n\nBut a Downing Street spokesman said the UK \"would never accept arrangements and access to UK fishing waters which are incompatible with our status as an independent coastal state\".\n\nThe Ministry of Defence has said it will make four patrol boats available to monitor UK waters and added that it would have \"robust enforcement measures in place\".\n\nAs things stand, if nothing is agreed then non-UK boats will not be allowed to fish in UK waters from January.\n\nBut without a deal, the UK fishing industry would find its extensive exports to EU countries being hit by tariffs (import taxes) and regulatory hurdles.\n\nThe French government has said it would hand out compensation to trawlers if they were not able to fish in UK waters.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Nurse Bethan Cox: \"There's a lot of hope out there now\"\n\nThousands of people in Wales have received the Covid-19 vaccination since the rollout began on Tuesday, health bosses have confirmed.\n\nFive out of Wales' seven health boards said a total of 3,973 people had been given the vaccine by Friday morning.\n\nNHS and care workers and people over 80 are the first to receive the jab.\n\nAbout 40,000 doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine are in the first batch being administered in Wales, the Welsh Government has said.\n\nThat is enough for about 20,000 people to receive a follow-up dose.\n\nHealth Minister Vaughan Gething has warned it could take months before some people receive the vaccination.\n\nOn Friday, Public Health Wales' published data showing 2,234 more people had tested positive for Covid-19, taking the total to 98,232 since the pandemic began.\n\nIt said a further 29 people have died with coronavirus, taking the total to 2,818.\n\nA post-Christmas lockdown will come into force if Covid cases do not begin to fall, First Minister Mark Drakeford has warned.\n\nMerthyr Tydfil has the highest case rate - 764.2 cases for every 100,000 people, close to its highest.\n\nIt is followed by Neath Port Talbot with 718.9 and Newport, with 634.9 cases per 100,000, over the past week, compared with the all-Wales average of 403.8.\n\nDr Robin Howe, from Public Health Wales, said: \"If we are to have meaningful and safe interactions within the permitted exclusive Christmas 'bubble', then everyone should immediately start to limit their interactions with other as much as possible in the lead up to the festive period.\"", "Deploying Royal Navy gunboats to protect UK fishing waters under a no-deal Brexit would be \"undignified\", a former Conservative minister has said.\n\nTory MP Tobias Ellwood described the threat as \"irresponsible\" after the Ministry of Defence said four ships were ready for \"robust enforcement\" when the transition period ends.\n\nUK-EU trade talks are continuing ahead of a mutual deadline on Sunday.\n\nThe MoD said it was prepared for a \"range of scenarios\" after 31 December.\n\nNavy vessels are already deployed to enforce UK and European fishing laws for large parts of the year.\n\nA major sticking point in negotiations has been access to UK fishing waters, with the EU warning that without access to UK waters for its fleets, UK fishermen will no longer get special access to EU markets to sell their goods.\n\nA UK government source said talks were continuing overnight \"but as things stand the offer on the table from the EU remains unacceptable\".\n\nMr Ellwood, who chairs the Commons Defence Committee, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that headlines highlighting the threat to deploy the navy risked distracting from the ongoing talks and were \"absolutely irresponsible\".\n\n\"This isn't Elizabethan times anymore, this is global Britain - we need to be raising the bar much higher than this,\" he said.\n\n\"Being ready for the worst-case scenario and using this final 48 hours to actually get a deal, they are two very different things,\" he added.\n\nHe said the focus should be on what is \"already in the bag\" and that outstanding issues like access to fishing waters could be sorted once a trade deal is signed.\n\nFormer Tory party chairman Lord Patten accused Prime Minister Boris Johnson of being on a \"runaway train of English exceptionalism\".\n\nHumza Yousaf, the Scottish government justice minister, told the BBC: \"This UK government gunboat diplomacy is not welcome in Scottish waters.\n\n\"We will protect our fisheries where necessary. Police Scotland and Marine Scotland have primacy to do that. But we won't do that by threatening our allies, our Nato allies in fact, by threatening to sink their vessels.\"\n\nBut Admiral Lord West, a former chief of naval staff, defended the threat of using the Royal Navy to protect UK waters from foreign fishing vessels if asked to do so in a no-deal Brexit scenario.\n\n\"It is absolutely appropriate for the navy to do as it is told by the government,\" he said, adding that additional powers would allow Naval officers to deal with \"stormy\" altercations with foreign fishermen.\n\nThe MoD has said it has conducted \"extensive planning and preparation\" to ensure it is ready for a range of scenarios at the end of the transition period, including having 14,000 personnel on standby to support the government over the winter with the EU transition.\n\nIt said four offshore patrol boats will be available to monitor UK waters and added that it would have \"robust enforcement measures in place to protect the UK's rights as an independent coastal state\".\n\nAn expansion of powers for the Royal Navy Police, enabling officers to potentially board foreign boats and arrest those breaking the law, is one proposal in the MoD's no-deal contingency planning, a spokesman confirmed.\n\nAccording to the MoD's website, three River Class patrol ships with a crew of 45 sailors already work \"at least 275 days a year at sea enforcing British and European fisheries law\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Johnson: No-deal Brexit now \"very, very likely\"\n\nThe Sunday deadline was set by Mr Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen after the pair met in Brussels on Wednesday, after months of talks failed to achieve an agreement.\n\nMr Johnson said the EU needed to make a \"big change\" over the main sticking points on fishing rights and business competition rules, while Mrs von der Leyen said no deal was the most probable end to \"difficult\" talks.\n\nThe EU has rejected Mr Johnson's request to bypass the European Commission and speak directly to French President Emmanuel Macron and Germany's Angela Merkel about the unresolved issues.\n\nAccording to EU officials, he was told discussions could only take place through the bloc's chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, who is meeting with his UK equivalent in Brussels.\n\nSpeaking on Friday, the PM said a no-deal Brexit was now \"very, very likely\" and that planning for that outcome was ramping up.\n\nMrs von der Leyen told reporters that the two sides were still \"apart on fundamental issues\".\n\nMeanwhile, tests of a motorway barrier system designed to deal with potential traffic disruption in Kent once the transition period ends on New Year's Eve have been carried out.\n\nThe EU has set out contingency measures to ensure UK and EU air and road connections still run after 31 December.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nHonours titles associated with the British Empire are \"offensive and divisive\" and should be rebranded, a senior Labour MP has told the BBC.\n\nKate Green, who got an OBE in 2005, told the Political Thinking podcast it gave people \"huge pleasure\" to have their achievements recognised.\n\nBut the shadow education secretary said honours were hierarchical and the link to Empire was \"hurtful to people\".\n\n\"You can't justify that branding,\" she told host Nick Robinson.\n\nBut the Conservatives said \"abandoning\" the current honours system would amount to \"cultural and historic vandalism\".\n\nOrders of the British Empire - the CBE, OBE and MBE - were first awarded during World War One to recognise the contribution of civilians to the war effort and the actions of service personnel in support positions.\n\nThey are now awarded for outstanding achievements in different fields at either a national or local level.\n\nThe British Empire Medal, awarded for significant community service, was revived in 2012, having been scrapped in 1993.\n\nSome Labour MPs have previous called for the word \"empire\" to be replaced by \"excellence\" in honours awarded by the Queen.\n\nMs Green told the BBC's Nick Robinson she had thought hard before accepting an OBE for services to charity and welfare for her work in helping children as chief executive of the Child Poverty Action Group and before that as director of the National Council for One Parent Families.\n\nShe said she decided to take the honour, which she received five years before she entered Parliament in 2010, because it \"thrilled\" her father.\n\nWhile honours were a valuable way of celebrating people's contributions to their community or country, she added, their association with the economic and racial injustices of the British Empire was not defensible.\n\nEd Sheeran is among the famous people to have received an MBE\n\n\"It's really the wrong language. It's divisive, it's offensive and hurtful to people.\n\n\"One of the things I've been looking at a lot in recent weeks is the black curriculum campaign and decolonising our history and the whole curriculum. You can't excuse or justify that branding.\"\n\nShe said issues with the way in which honours were handed out ran \"deeper\" than just the titles and a \"lot more reform was needed\" of the secretive system.\n\nMembers of the public can nominate people for honours, but critics say the committees that make the final decisions are not representative of society as a whole and awards for political service make a mockery of the system.\n\nBoris Johnson, Theresa May, David Cameron and Tony Blair have all been criticised for using the honours system to reward political allies and people who have give money to their parties.\n\n\"I know many efforts have been made to democratise and open up that honours system but it's still pretty hierarchical of who gets what,\" she said.\n\nConservative Party co-chairwoman Amanda Milling said: \"The names given to our national honours reflect this country's history and traditions.\n\n\"We should not abandon them, just as we shouldn't rename the Victoria Line, the Royal Albert Hall or the Imperial War Museum, or tear down the countless public monuments, statues and landmarks that tell the story of our United Kingdom.\n\n\"To do so would be an act of cultural and historic vandalism.\"", "Mr Sharma said progress had been made, but it was not enough yet to avoid dangerous warming this century\n\nThe UK minister tasked with leading UN climate talks says world leaders are failing to show the necessary level of ambition.\n\nAlok Sharma was speaking at the conclusion of a virtual climate summit organised by the UK, UN and France.\n\nHe said \"real progress\" had been made and 45 countries had put forward new climate plans for 2030.\n\nBut these were not enough to prevent dangerous warming this century, Mr Sharma explained.\n\nTaking place on the fifth anniversary of the Paris climate agreement, the summit heard the UN Secretary General warn that every country needed to declare a climate emergency.\n\nAround 70 heads of state and government took part in the meeting, which was organised by the UK, UN and France. They outlined new pledges and commitments to curb carbon.\n\nChina's contribution was eagerly awaited, not just because it is the world's biggest emitter, but because it has recently promised to reach net zero emissions by 2060.\n\nAchieving net zero means that emissions have been cut as much as possible and any remaining releases are balanced by removing an equivalent amount from the atmosphere,\n\nBut while President Xi Jinping outlined a range of new targets for 2030, many analysts felt these did not go far enough.\n\nIndia brought little in the way of new commitments but Prime Minister Narendra Modi said his country was on track to achieve its goals under the Paris agreement and promised a major uptick in wind and solar energy.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Climate change: How 1.5C could change the world\n\nAccording to the UK, some 24 countries had outlined net zero commitments and 20 had now set out plans to adapt and become more resilient to rising temperatures and their impacts.\n\nBut despite these commitments, Mr Sharma said not enough had been achieved.\n\n\"Have we made any real progress at this summit? And the answer to that is: yes,\" he said.\n\n\"But they will also ask, have we done enough to put the world on track to limit warming to 1.5C, and protect people and nature from the effects of climate change? To make the Paris Agreement a reality.\n\n\"Friends, we must be honest with ourselves, the answer to that, is currently: no. As encouraging as all this ambition is. It is not enough.\"\n\nMr Sharma re-stated a commitment made last year to double the UK's international climate finance spend. This will bring it to at least £11.6bn over the next five years.\n\nEarlier on Saturday, UK Prime Minister Mr Johnson said advances in renewable energy technologies would \"save our planet and create millions of high-skilled jobs\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nHe added: \"Together we can use scientific advances to protect our entire planet - our biosphere - against a challenge far worse, far more destructive even than the coronavirus. And by the promethean power of our invention, we can begin to defend the Earth against the disaster of global warming.\"\n\nMeanwhile, UN Secretary General António Guterres criticised rich countries for spending 50% more of their pandemic recovery cash on fossil fuels compared to low-carbon energy.\n\nMr Guterres said that 38 countries had already declared a climate emergency and he called on leaders worldwide to now do the same.\n\nOn Covid recovery spending, he said that this is money being borrowed from future generations.\n\n\"We cannot use these resources to lock in policies that burden future generations with a mountain of debt on a broken planet,\" he said.\n\nThe meeting is taking place after the pandemic caused the postponement of the annual Conference of the Parties (COP) meeting, which had been due to take place in Glasgow this year.\n\nThe UK has announced an end to support for overseas fossil fuel projects, and has today deposited a new climate plan with the UN.\n\nIt's the first time that Britain has had to do this, as it was previously covered by the European Union's climate commitments.\n\nThe UK pointed to its new commitment on overseas fossil fuel projects as well as a new carbon cutting target of 68% by 2030, announced last week by the prime minister.\n\nThe EU presented a new 2030 target of a 55% cut in emissions, agreed after all-night negotiations this week. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, said: \"It is the go-ahead for scaling up climate action across our economy and society.\"\n\nChina's President Xi Jinping announced that the country would reduce its carbon emissions per unit of gross domestic product (GDP) by over 65% compared with 2005 levels. China will also increase the share of non-fossil fuels in primary energy consumption by about 25%. And President Xi pledged to increase forest cover and boost wind and solar capacity.\n\nHurricane Iota was one of a record number of storms to wreak havoc on the Americas this year\n\nBut Manish Bapna, managing director of the World Resources Institute (WRI) said: \"The strengthened renewable energy, carbon intensity, and forest targets are steps in the right direction, but recent WRI analysis shows that China would benefit more economically and socially if it aims higher, including by peaking emissions as early as possible.\"\n\nAlthough President Donald Trump pulled the US out of the Paris pact, the summit saw statements from the Republican governor of Massachusetts, Charlie Baker, and the Democrat governor of Michigan, Gretchen Whitmer, who said the US was \"all-in\" on tackling climate change.\n\nPope Francis said the Vatican had committed to reaching net zero emissions, similar to carbon neutrality, before 2050. \"The time has come to change course. Let us not rob future generations of the hope for a better future,\" he said.\n\nA number of big emitters, including Australia, Saudi Arabia, Russia and Mexico, did not take part, as their climate actions were not deemed ambitious enough.\n\nSome observers believe this hard line on some countries is justified.\n\n\"From a kind of symbolic procedural point of view, it's good to have everybody on board,\" said Prof Heike Schroeder from the University of East Anglia.\n\n\"But from a proactive, creating some kind of sense of urgency approach, it also makes sense to say we only get to hear from you if you have something new to say.\"\n\nThe five years since the Paris agreement was adopted have been the warmest on record, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), and emissions have continued to accrue in the atmosphere.\n\nBut many countries and businesses have started the process of decarbonisation in that time.\n\nThe progress they've made now needs to be acknowledged and encouraged, says former UN climate chief Christiana Figueres.\n\n\"That progress that's been seen in the real economy has to be reflected and incentivised further by those additional commitments,\" she said.\n\nOne area that yielded little progress at this meeting was the question of finance. Rich countries had promised to mobilise $100bn a year from 2020 under the Paris agreement - but the commitments on cash are not forthcoming.", "The UK, France and the UN are hosting a virtual climate meeting on Saturday. About 75 world leaders will attend, marking five years since the adoption of the Paris climate agreement. Pope Francis will also address the meeting.\n\nThis virtual gathering is taking place after the pandemic caused the postponement of the annual Conference of the Parties, due to take place in Glasgow this year.\n\nNations will be revealing how they intend to cut their greenhouse gas emissions which means we’ll find out if their commitments are ambitious enough to stop the worst effects of climate change. But just what is climate change? And why are scientists calling for urgent action?\n\nThis video was first published in January 2020.", "The Gender Identity Service is based at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust\n\nAll but one child treated for gender dysphoria with puberty-blocking drugs at a leading NHS clinic also received cross-sex hormones, a study has shown.\n\nThe Tavistock and Portman Trust has argued the treatments are not linked.\n\nThe High Court ruled last week that under-16s are unlikely to be able to give informed consent to be treated with puberty-blocking drugs.\n\nThe trust said the study's findings were not accepted by a peer-reviewed journal until the day of the judgement.\n\nThese findings are from a study run by the Tavistock's Gender Identity Development Service (GIDS) - England's only NHS specialist gender clinic for children - and research partners at University College London Hospitals.\n\nThe study began in 2011 and enrolled 44 children aged between 12 and 15 over the following three years. At the time, only those aged 16 and over were eligible for puberty blockers in the UK.\n\nWhen BBC Newsnight covered the study and its preliminary findings last year it highlighted how previous research suggested all young people who took blockers went on to take cross-sex hormones - the next stage towards transitioning to the opposite gender.\n\nThe Tavistock's newly published findings appear to confirm this, with 43 out of 44 participants - or 98% - choosing to start treatment with cross-sex hormones.\n\nEarlier this month, the High Court ruled that children under-16 were unlikely to be able to give informed consent to treatment with puberty blockers.\n\nThe relationship between blockers and subsequent treatment with cross-sex hormones was a core feature of the case.\n\nLawyers representing the claimants said there was \"a very high likelihood\" children who start taking hormone blockers will later begin taking cross-sex hormones, leading potentially to infertility and impaired sexual function.\n\nThe Tavistock argued puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones were entirely separate stages of treatment and one does not automatically lead to the other.\n\nThe judges rejected that argument, saying \"in our view this does not reflect the reality\".\n\n\"The evidence shows that the vast majority of children who take [puberty blockers] move on to take cross-sex hormones,\" and that these are part of \"one clinical pathway\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe study findings potentially lend further support to that assertion.\n\nThe Tavistock disputes this, saying that as those in this study had persistent and consistent gender dysphoria throughout their childhood, it is not surprising they would seek to continue treatment after 16.\n\nIt argues that the fact not all chose to do so shows this course of treatment is not an inevitability.\n\nFurthermore, the data was requested by the High Court during the hearing, but the Tavistock did not provide it.\n\nThe data, the trust argued, would be published in a peer-reviewed journal, but comments were being reviewed by the study's principal investigator, Prof Russell Viner - the president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health.\n\nHowever, the Tavistock published the data the day after the High Court handed down its judgement, and not in a peer-reviewed journal.\n\nThe Tavistock told the BBC that the paper was not accepted for publication until the day of the judgement and it was put into preprint that day.\n\nThe published study showed that treatment with the blocker brought about no change in psychological function.\n\nThis differs from Dutch findings \"which reported improved psychological function,\" upon which many gender clinics have based their treatment.\n\nPreliminary findings which showed that after a year on blockers, there was a significant increase in those answering the statement: \"I deliberately try to hurt or kill myself\", were not replicated across the duration of the study.\n\nThe study had no control group - with children who did not take puberty blockers - to enable the researchers to compare results with.\n\nSo, it is hard to infer cause and effect or draw conclusions as to the potential harms or benefits of this treatment.\n\nThe Gender Identity Service is based at the Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust\n\nThe study also measured the impact of puberty blocking drugs on children's height and bone density.\n\nThe researchers found that suppressing puberty \"reduced growth that was dependent on puberty hormones\".\n\nHeight growth continued, \"but more slowly than for their peers\".\n\nThe Tavistock Trust said \"the paper has now been accepted by a peer-reviewed journal and will be published soon\".\n\nAll new referrals for puberty blockers are currently paused because of the High Court's ruling, and an NHS review into gender identity services for children and young people is currently under way.\n\nIf you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can find support and advice via BBC Action Line.\n\nYou can watch Newsnight on BBC Two weekdays at 22:30 or on iPlayer, subscribe to the programme on YouTube and follow it on Twitter.", "The rapid tests have already been used by universities before students head home for Christmas\n\nMass testing programmes like the one trialled in Liverpool are to be rolled out in 67 tier three areas of England, with the first starting on Monday.\n\nMore than 1.6 million of the rapid lateral flow tests will be delivered for community testing this month, the government said.\n\nThe programme will last six weeks.\n\nBut concerns have previously been raised about the lateral flow tests, with experts warning they can give false negative results.\n\nMore areas will be involved in the rollout of testing in the new year.\n\nThose involved in this first wave will receive government support for at least six weeks, the Department for Health and Social Care said.\n\nIt is hoped the testing initiative, along with existing measures, could help lead to an easing of restrictions in tier three areas.\n\nThe community testing is in addition to schemes run by local directors of public health. They have been able to request a set number of lateral flow tests to be used in their area, regardless of tier, since early November.\n\nHealth Secretary Matt Hancock said the enhanced testing programmes follow the mass testing pilot in Liverpool and were a \"vital additional tool\" in finding asymptomatic cases. It is thought as many as one in three cases of coronavirus could be in people who have no symptoms.\n\nHowever, preliminary data released on Friday by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) suggested the rapid coronavirus tests rolled out in Liverpool missed about 51% of all Covid-19 cases.\n\nA separate mass testing scheme for secondary school-aged pupils in London, Essex and Kent was announced earlier this week.\n\nLiverpool has taken part in a mass testing programme\n\nEarlier this month, Dr Susan Hopkins, senior medical adviser to NHS Test and Trace, said the tests were a \"game changer\" and had helped find Covid-19 infections in people that would otherwise have been missed, because they had no symptoms.\n\nAn evaluation by Oxford University and Public Health England workers at Porton Down previously concluded the test has an overall sensitivity of 76.8%. It detects almost all cases where patients have a high viral load, however.\n\nAmong the 67 areas taking part in the testing programme is Oldham, Greater Manchester, where the increased access to testing will initially focus on schools and colleges, along with those in higher-risk supported living accommodation, and health and social care staff.\n\nIn Kirklees, West Yorkshire, high-risk workplaces will be among those focused on first. And in Lancashire, large manufacturing sites and workplaces with staff of more than 200 will be prioritised.\n\nLocal authorities in Kent - said to be seeing a \"worrying\" rise in cases - are also in the first wave of areas taking part in the testing.\n\nA full list of the areas involved in this first rollout can be found here.\n\nMr Hancock said: \"Community testing will be very important in helping the areas where levels of the virus are highest to drive down infection rates and, ultimately, will help areas ease tougher restrictions.\n\n\"This is just the start, and we are working quickly to roll out community testing more widely as soon as more local teams are ready. I urge all those living in areas where community testing is offered to come forward and get tested.\"", "Self-isolation for contacts of people with confirmed coronavirus will be shortened from 14 to 10 days across the UK from Monday.\n\nThe change will also apply to people instructed to quarantine after returning from high-risk countries.\n\nAnd it means anyone who has been self-isolating for 10 days or more will be able to end their quarantine on Monday.\n\nThe announcement comes as data shows Covid cases falling in most of England and Northern Ireland.\n\nBut the Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures show that in the week to 5 December, there were increases in coronavirus case numbers in London and the east of England.\n\nMeanwhile, new data shows the virus's reproduction or R number is back at levels seen two weeks ago (0.9 - 1) meaning the epidemic is not growing, but it's not really shrinking either.\n\nAccording to the latest government data, there have been a further 424 deaths within 28 days of a positive test in the UK and another 21,672 coronavirus cases.\n\nOn Thursday, Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced mass testing would be rolled out for secondary school children, their families and teachers in the worst-affected areas of London, Kent and Essex where cases are rising.\n\nThe change in self-isolation rules was announced in a statement from the four UK chief medical officers (CMOs) said: \"After reviewing the evidence, we are now confident that we can reduce the number of days that contacts self-isolate from 14 days to 10.\n\n\"People who return from countries which are not on the travel corridor list should also self-isolate for 10 days instead of 14 days.\"\n\nEach of the four nations has its own lists of \"travel corridor\" countries which are exempt from the quarantine rules. While in the main, they include the same countries, they can differ slightly.\n\nThe change to self-isolation rules has already been announced in Wales, but this new announcement will apply to all four nations.\n\nThose with symptoms or a positive test are already expected to isolate for 10 days.\n\nThe CMOs added that self-isolation was \"essential to reducing the spread of Covid as it breaks the chains of transmission\".\n\nThe NHS app in England will not update its 14-day counter until next Thursday.\n\nBecause there will be a time-lag before it updates, anyone who has been advised to isolate by the app can leave isolation if their countdown timer hits three days between Monday and Thursday.\n\nPeople are most infectious around the time they first develop symptoms and, 10 days into an infection, only about 2% will still be capable of passing on the virus to others.\n\nThe change in the rules reflects this low risk, which was judged not to justify asking people to self-isolate for longer periods.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Covid symptoms: What are they and how long should I self-isolate for?\n\nDeputy Chief Medical Officer for England Dr Jenny Harries said the science was based on \"a continuous accumulation of evidence through the pandemic\".\n\nShe said the \"tail end\" of an infection was the period someone was least likely to transmit infection.\n\nThe latest estimate of the R number for the UK is 0.9 and 1 - up very slightly on the previous week. This means that the epidemic is still shrinking after lockdown but very slowly.\n\nThis is borne out by the latest Office for National Statistics infection survey. It indicates that cases continued to fall in most of England and Northern Ireland last week. But the view of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) is that the situation is fragile.\n\nCases are increasing in London and the East of England - especially among secondary school age children - and previous experience indicates that a surge among older age groups will inevitably follow.\n\nThe government's scientific advisers believe that it will be important to keep infection levels as low as possible in the run up to the holidays.\n\nThat's because the relaxation of restrictions that permit families to meet over Christmas will accelerate any increase in cases - and lead to another spike in infections early in the New Year.\n\nOne study suggested that less than 20% of people fully complied with self-isolation - although it's been pointed out this doesn't distinguish between people breaking the rules slightly by going for a walk on their own, and those who ignore it entirely.\n\nEconomic hardship has been identified a key factor in people not being able to isolate.\n\nBut it is understood the main aim of the change was not to encourage more people to comply.\n\nInstead, the chief medical officers, say it reflects the highest-risk period, when people are most likely to be infectious.\n\nA pilot in Liverpool is looking at testing the contacts of an infected person every day for a period after exposure, and not asking them to isolate unless they test positive.\n\nThis will be seen as the most attractive option as, if it doesn't increase infections, it will prevent significant numbers of people including school children from having to stay at home.\n\nBut it's not thought this will be able to be rolled out until early next year, provided the results of the pilot are positive.", "After her diagnosis with Alzheimer's six years ago, actress Dame Barbara Windsor became a campaigner for those living with dementia. Following the star's death at the age of 83, charities have praised her for helping bring the disease out into the open. So, how did she help others in the UK?\n\nHelen Marshall, from Halifax, says Dame Barbara's campaigning made it easier to speak to her mum, Audrey, about her dementia, after she was diagnosed in 2015.\n\nHelen, 50, says she \"vividly\" remembers how they watched Dame Barbara visiting the prime minister at No 10, where she delivered a letter signed by 100,000 people pleading for better care for people with dementia.\n\n\"She was such an icon, in their generation as well as ours. For somebody so famous to come out and talk about it - it was a shift for my mum,\" she says, explaining that until that point Audrey, 88, never discussed her diagnosis.\n\n\"I don't know if she forgot or was in denial, with dementia you don't know.\"\n\nBut after seeing the footage, Audrey acknowledged her condition.\n\n\"It was quite visible, the effect [Alzheimer's] had had on [Dame Barbara]. I think that was what resonated with mum.\"\n\nHelen also believes attitudes towards those with dementia have changed since Dame Barbara shared \"candid\" details of the effects of dementia on \"every aspect of life\".\n\n\"I've noticed mum's peers are more able to talk about it,\" she says.\n\n\"There's still a lot more to do though.\n\n\"It can be a long time before people are diagnosed so the more awareness people have and the less stigma there is, it might mean diagnoses come quicker.\"\n\nKatie Thomas, 48, from Goddington, Oxfordshire, says campaigning by Dame Barbara and her husband Scott Mitchell, was \"so important\" in the effort to raise awareness and encourage funding to find a cure for dementia.\n\n\"They were instrumental in trying to get awareness and out, and in their openness about the disease,\" she says.\n\nKatie Thomas, with her dad Prof Ceri Peach, who received a Doctor of Letters degree from Oxford University a year after he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's\n\nKatie ran two marathons this year, including the virtual London Marathon, in memory of her father, Ceri Peach - an Oxford University professor who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2015 and died aged 78 in October 2018.\n\nShe raised £10,000 for dementia research through the two events - the first completed in her village during the spring lockdown, and the second in Oxford, where her dad lectured in geography at St Catherine's College, this autumn.\n\nKatie says she was inspired to take on the fundraising challenges after cheering on runners taking part in the 2019 London Marathon - in a team called Barbara's Revolutionaries.\n\n\"I joined their Facebook page, which [Dame Barbara's husband] Scott was a massive part of, and got to know a lot of people, and started running.\"\n\nKatie with husband Howard, and her two boys, Will and Charlie, her \"greatest cheerleaders\"\n\nCrossing the finish line in the University Parks in Oxford on 4 October for the virtual London Marathon\n\nThe training has since helped with her grief.\n\n\"Just getting out. Especially when the lockdown happened, it's just being able to get out in the fresh air and run,\" she says.\n\n\"It's my own time, and time to think things through and think about dad. It's really helped in that way.\n\n\"I feel very close to him when I run.\"\n\nDame Barbara Windsor and her husband, Scott, went public with her condition in 2018, four years after her diagnosis.\n\nThe same year, she appeared on a video in aid of a campaign to raise funds and change attitudes towards the condition.\n\n\"I'm asking you to make a stand against dementia,\" she said.\n\nHer husband and former EastEnders co-stars raised more than £150,000 by running the London Marathon in aid of a dementia campaign.\n\nDame Barbara was credited by her friend and former Albert Square co-star Ross Kemp, who made an ITV documentary on dementia, for helping to change the way people thought about the condition.\n\nRobert Beattie was diagnosed with Alzheimer's three years ago, and says he takes living with the disease \"day by day\".\n\nHe will often forget what room he is in, won't know where the bedroom or bathroom is, and his wife Karen will have to guide him through the process of getting changed.\n\nKaren says Dame Barbara going public about her diagnosis has been important \"to get the government talking about it and hopefully do something about it\".\n\n\"Hopefully the momentum won't stop,\" she adds.\n\n\"And we'll get more people like Rob and me that will go out and talk.\n\n\"People inside the houses that have shame, we need you to do the same thing and get this on the platform so that we can get the help that we need.\"\n\nDowning Street says the government has committed to \"significantly increasing research funding, over a number of years to help improve detection and care for people living with dementia\".", "San Francisco police published sketches of the suspect in 1969\n\nCode-breakers have cracked a 340-character cipher 51 years after it was purportedly sent to the San Francisco Chronicle by the so-called Zodiac Killer, the FBI has confirmed.\n\nThe killer, who was never caught, murdered five people in stabbings and shootings that terrorised the San Francisco Bay area in the late 1960s.\n\nThe message was one of several sent to newspapers during the killing spree.\n\nThe code was solved by three people from the US, Belgium and Australia.\n\n\"I hope you are having lots of fun in trying to catch me. I am not afraid of the gas chamber because it will send me to paradice (sic) all the sooner because I now have enough slaves to work for me,\" the decrypted message reads, without throwing any light on the killer's identity.\n\nIn a video posted on YouTube, Virginia web-designer David Oranchak says he cracked the cipher along with Australian applied mathematician Sam Blake and Belgian Jarl Van Eycke, a warehouse manager and code-breaking software engineer.\n\nThis YouTube post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on YouTube The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts. Skip youtube video by David Oranchak This article contains content provided by Google YouTube. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Google’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts.\n\nThe message, which Mr Oranchak described as \"more of the same attention-seeking junk from Zodiac\", consists of rows of capital letters and symbols. The code-breaking team, who used human ingenuity and software to decipher the message, dedicated their efforts to the killer's victims and their relatives.\n\nConfirming the code-breaking achievement, the FBI said it continued to seek justice for those killed.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by FBI SanFrancisco This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThis is not the first encoded message attributed to the killer, according the San Francisco Chronicle. Two others remain to be decoded - one of which may contain the killer's name.\n\nThe series of murders began in December 1968 with a man and a woman shot dead in their car. In July 1969, another man and woman were shot, but he survived.\n\nLater that year, a man and woman - a couple - were stabbed next to a lake. Only the man survived. In October 1969, a cab driver was shot dead in San Francisco.\n\nThe killer, who has never been charged or identified, claimed to have murdered 37 people in letters to newspapers, but investigators have worked on the basis of seven victims in total, five of them homicides.\n\nThe murders inspired two films - 2007's Zodiac, featuring Robert Downey Jr and Jake Gyllenhaal, and Dirty Harry in 1971 starring Clint Eastwood as a tough San Francisco detective.", "CCTV footage of Sinaga near his flat was used as evidence at his trials\n\nSerial rapist Reynhard Sinaga is believed to have targeted more than 200 victims, 60 of whom remain unidentified, police have said.\n\nSinaga, described as Britain's most prolific rapist, was found guilty in January of luring 48 men to his Manchester flat and filming himself sexually assaulting and raping them.\n\nHis minimum jail term has been extended from 30 to 40 years at the High Court.\n\nPolice now believe Sinaga committed sexual offences against 206 men.\n\nSinaga, who was a postgraduate student , would wait for men leaving nightclubs and bars before leading them to his Princess Street flat on the edge of the city centre.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Who is Reynhard Sinaga? The BBC's Judith Moritz reports on the case\n\nHe drugged his victims before assaulting them while they were unconscious, often filming his rapes and collecting so-called trophies from them, such as mobile phones.\n\nWhen the victims woke up many had no memory of what had happened.\n\nHe was caught after one victim awoke as he was being abused and defended himself, before reporting the incident.\n\nWhen officers seized Sinaga's phone, they found hundreds of hours of footage of the attacks, a discovery which led to the launch of the largest rape inquiry in British history.\n\nPolice say Sinaga assaulted 206 men, but many have not been identified\n\nSinaga, originally from Indonesia, lived in a rented flat just a few moments' walk from the Factory 251 nightclub.\n\nHis trial was told he typically approached his victims, mostly men in their late teens or early 20s who had been out drinking, in the street and brought them back to his apartment.\n\nMany could not remember what happened, but some recalled being given a drink and then blacking out. Most were unaware they had been raped until they were contacted by police.\n\nSinaga claimed all the sexual activity was consensual and that each man had agreed to being filmed while pretending to be asleep.\n\nIn victim impact statements read out at the trial, one man said Sinaga had \"destroyed a part of my life\", while another said he had \"periods where I can't get up and face the day\".\n\nEvidence given in the trial suggested Sinaga drugged the men by giving them spiked drinks\n\nAssistant Chief Constable Mabs Hussain said as a result of further evidence \"coming to light\" since the trial, investigators had identified a further 23 victims and \"now believe that Sinaga committed sexual offences against 206 men\".\n\n\"We are yet to identify around 60 of these men and would urge anyone who thinks they may have been a victim to please get in touch with us,\" he added.\n\nAfter his trial concluded, Sinaga's case was referred to the Court of Appeal by the Attorney General under the unduly lenient sentence scheme.\n\nJudges rejected calls for a whole-life jail term but increased the minimum time he must spend in prison.\n\nThey noted he had not shown any remorse.\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "The country has introduced new restrictions amid a rise in cases\n\nSouth Korea has recorded a new high in the number of coronavirus cases, with 950 infections announced on Saturday.\n\nPresident Moon Jae-in said the country was facing \"an emergency situation\" and vowed to strengthen testing and tracing in response\n\n\"This is the last hurdle before the roll-out of vaccines and treatments,\" he said.\n\nMost of the new cases have been in the capital Seoul and the surrounding areas.\n\nThe region is home to around half of South Korea's population.\n\nIn recent days, the country has recorded between 500 and 600 new daily infections.\n\nEarlier this week, South Korea raised its level of alert amid a third wave of cases.\n\nNew measures, which came into effect on Tuesday, include a ban on gatherings of more than 50 people. Gyms and karaoke bars have been closed, while restaurants are only allowed to offer deliveries after 21:00 local time.\n\nHowever, the government has warned that restrictions could be raised to the highest level, which would see gatherings limited to 10 people, school closures and all but essential roles working from home.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. South Korea's Covid contact tracers battle long hours as they try to get suspected carriers to co-operate\n\nSouth Korea has recorded more than 41,000 cases and 578 deaths since the pandemic began.\n\nThe country initially saw a huge spike in infections in February, after a religious group in the city of Daegu was identified as a virus cluster.\n\nUnlike many countries in Europe and elsewhere, however, the South Korean government has avoided nationwide lockdowns and has instead focused its efforts to contain the virus on testing and contact tracing.", "Klarna has 10 million customers in the UK and was recently valued at £7.5bn\n\nThe Buy Now, Pay Later company Klarna plans to report missed and failed payments to credit reference agencies.\n\nKlarna gives customers different ways to pay for items online such as within 30 days or over three instalments.\n\nThe company doesn't currently report customers who miss payments.\n\n\"What we are looking at in terms of to protect consumers is to work with the credit reference agencies to enable reporting in the future,\" Klarna's Alex Marsh, told Radio 4's Money Box.\n\nMr Marsh, Klarna's UK lead, said while the company only accepts customers which it believes can pay on time, it freezes or closes down the accounts of those who end up missing too many payments or make none at all.\n\n\"We work with debt collection agencies to support customers on payment plans. They [debt collectors] do not have the ability to report back into the credit reference agencies,\" Mr Marsh said.\n\nMr Marsh also said deferred payments services like Klarna should to be regulated by the UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).\n\n\"At the moment with a complaint, we'll treat them the same way internally. But once it reaches a certain stage, consumers won't have the right to escalate to the financial ombudsman,\" Mr Marsh said.\n\nFCA regulation would mean that Klarna customers can contact the Financial Ombudsman to resolve disputes with a company.\n\n\"Buy now, pay later\" allows customers to delay payment or split it into smaller instalments\n\nAlice Tapper, a campaigner who has called for tougher rules to stop customers falling into debt with buy now, pay later services, welcomed regulation.\n\n\"The product can encourage people to spend beyond their means and leave them unprotected if things go wrong,\" Ms Tapper said.\n\n\"There should be more transparency around credit scores and the way their products are promoted as being a payment provider rather than a form of loan or credit.\"\n\nKlarna has boomed over the last few months. On Black Friday in November, the company said it processed 100 transactions a second in all the countries it operates in and did more transactions in a single day than over the last four years.\n\nOver 10 million customers have now used Klarna to pay for items in the UK.\n\nThe FCA is reviewing how the deferred payment market is regulated in the UK and the results are expected in early 2021.\n\nChris Woolard, the regulator's former chief executive, is leading the review which warns that customers can end up losing control of their finances when buy now, pay later services don't work well.\n\nYou can hear more on BBC Radio 4's Money Box programme on Saturday at 12:00 BST or listen again here.", "A man has died in a crash between two lorries on the M1 motorway.\n\nThe crash happened at about 19:00 GMT on Friday near junction 21a for Leicester Forest East and forced the closure of the southbound carriageway overnight.\n\nA 52-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene, but no-one else was hurt.\n\nLeicestershire Police has appealed for any witnesses to the crash to get in touch. The carriageway reopened at about 05:00 on Saturday.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "People must think \"really carefully\" about the risk of more social contact over Christmas, NHS bosses have warned.\n\n\"I don't want to be the Grinch who stole Christmas,\" said Chris Hopson, the head of NHS Providers.\n\nBut he pointed out that the US saw \"record numbers\" of cases and deaths after the Thanksgiving holiday - and said the NHS was worried about January.\n\nThe government's Dominic Raab said people needed the five-day relaxation of Covid rules on \"an emotional level\".\n\nMeanwhile, the chances of the Oxford University vaccine being rolled out by the end of the year are \"pretty high\", the vaccine's architect Prof Sarah Gilbert has told the BBC.\n\nA further 18,447 cases were recorded across the UK on Sunday, along with another 144 deaths within 28 days of a positive test.\n\nThe number of deaths recorded tends to be lower over the weekend because of reporting delays.\n\nBetween 23 and 27 December, coronavirus restrictions are being relaxed across the UK, allowing three households to form a \"bubble\" and mix indoors and stay overnight.\n\nBut NHS Providers - which represents hospital trusts in England - has written to the PM urging him to \"personally lead a better public debate about the risks inherent in the guidance\" - although it stopped short of calling for a review of the rules over Christmas.\n\n\"There seems to be a sense at the moment that, 'hey because the government's put these rules down, there's no risk to people having more social contact over Christmas',\" Mr Hopson told BBC Breakfast.\n\n\"Of course, part of it is about sticking to the rules but any kind of extra social contact over Christmas - particularly with those who are vulnerable to the virus - actually is very risky.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. How you and your family can celebrate Christmas and minimise the spread of coronavirus\n\n\"I don't want to be the Grinch who stole Christmas, I really don't, but I think everybody needs to think really, really carefully what are they going to do over Christmas,\" he said.\n\n\"It's not, 'is what we're going to be doing sticking within the rules?' It's 'how much risk are we going to cause to the people we interact with?'\"\n\nThe rise in infections in the US after the Thanksgiving holiday was also highlighted by NHS Providers.\n\nThe NHS is worried about the potential pressure on hospital beds, and its ability to treat all the patients it needs to in December, January and February, Mr Hopson said.\n\n\"At the same time you've got rising infections in places like London, Essex, parts of Kent, parts of Lincolnshire,\" he added.\n\nForeign Secretary Dominic Raab ruled out any possibility that the government would review the Christmas relaxation of rules.\n\nSpeaking to Sky News's Sophy Ridge programme on Sunday, he said: \"I think people do need that five-day window over Christmas to spend a bit of time with their loved ones and I think at a mental health level, an emotional level, people do need it.\"\n\nIt comes after public health expert Prof Linda Bauld said loosening Covid restrictions over Christmas was \"a mistake\".\n\nWales' health minister Vaughan Gething said the rules around Christmas could be changed - but it could affect trust in the government.\n\nNHS Providers also warned that relaxing Covid rules when they are reviewed in England could trigger a third wave of the virus during the busiest time of year for hospitals.\n\nEngland's three-tier system is due to be reviewed on Wednesday 16 December.\n\nIt urged the PM against moving any area to a lower tier and said areas should be moved into tier three - the highest level of restrictions - \"as soon as this is needed, without any delay\".\n\nEarlier this week, some health experts called for London to be placed in tier three \"now\" after official figures showed Outer London had a higher infection rate than some areas already in the top tier.\n\nThe government said it \"will not hesitate to take necessary actions to protect local communities\".\n\nDecisions on tiers are made by ministers, based on the latest available data and advice from public health experts, a spokesperson added.\n\n\"We have introduced strengthened local restrictions to protect the progress gained during national restrictions, reduce pressure on the NHS and ultimately save lives,\" they said.\n\n\"On top of our record NHS investment, this winter we are providing an extra £3bn to maintain independent sector and Nightingale hospital surge capacity and a further £450m to upgrade and expand A&Es.\"\n\nMeanwhile, Prof Sarah Gilbert, lead researcher on the Oxford University/AstraZeneca vaccine, was upbeat when asked about the possibility of people receiving the Oxford jab by the end of the year.\n\nThe vaccine has not yet been approved by the UK's regulator, but a study this week showed it was safe and effective.\n\n\"I think the chances are pretty high,\" she told the BBC's Andrew Marr. \"But we do need multiple vaccines, all countries need multiple vaccines, the world needs multiple vaccines and we need vaccines made using different technologies, if that's possible.\"", "Chris McNaghten and Jon Swan are the first same-sex couple to have a religious wedding ceremony in NI\n\nThe first same-sex religious wedding in Northern Ireland has taken place.\n\nChris McNaghten and Jon Swan were married at a wedding venue in Larne, County Antrim, on Saturday, by Pastor Steve Ames.\n\nIt follows legislation introduced by the Northern Ireland Office in July.\n\n\"For most people, your wedding day is known as being the best day of your life - for us, it's a dream come true that growing up we thought we would never have,\" said Mr McNaughten.\n\nHe said his \"praise goes out to all those involved in this battle for equality over the years\".\n\nThe couple had been forced to cancel their previous wedding plans twice due to coronavirus restrictions.\n\nOn Saturday they were joined by their close friends and family after a relaxation of restrictions.\n\nSame-sex marriage has been legally recognised in Northern Ireland since January but did not extend to ceremonies in churches or to religious bodies.\n\nThe new law will protect religious freedom and churches will not be \"compelled nor prevented\" from offering same-sex ceremonies.\n\nMr McNaghten said: \"Jon and I wouldn't see ourselves as having strong religious beliefs.\n\n\"However, our family minister is someone with whom we are close and trust, and some of our family take comfort from a religious ceremony.\"\n\nDirector of Amnesty International in Northern Ireland, Patrick Corrigan, said it has been a \"momentous week\" for equal marriage.\n\n\"With Chris and Jon's wedding, following the first civil partnership conversions on Monday, we now reach the end of the long campaign for marriage equality here.\n\n\"For those couples who want a church wedding or another religious dimension to their wedding ceremony, the recent law change is hugely significant.\"", "People in England could be banned from keeping monkeys and other primates as pets, the government has said.\n\nUp to 5,000 are living outside licensed zoos in the UK, with animal welfare minister Lord Goldsmith saying many of them are in \"misery\" due to a lack of space and stimulation.\n\nThe Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is also looking at restrictions on breeding primates.\n\nAn eight-week consultation on the proposed changes has begun.\n\nUnder the plans, those who keep them without a zoo licence would need to obtain a new specialist private primate keeper licence to ensure they are meeting zoo-level welfare standards.\n\nLord Goldsmith said: \"Primates are hugely intelligent and socially complex animals. When they are confined in tiny cages, often alone and with little stimulation, their lives are a misery.\n\n\"It's important that we take action to prevent the suffering caused to them when they are kept as pets and so I am delighted that we are moving a big step closer towards banning the practice.\"\n\nMarmosets are the most commonly held primates in the UK.\n\nCapuchins, squirrel monkeys, lemurs and tamarins are also popular species.\n\nDr Ros Clubb, senior scientific manager at the RSPCA, said primates could \"become depressed without adequate stimulation\".\n\nShe added: \"Sadly, our inspectors are still seeing shocking situations where monkeys are cooped up in bird cages, fed fast food, sugary drinks or even class A drugs, deprived of companions of their own kind, living in dirt and squalor and suffering from disease.\"\n\nThe government is proposing that primates not living in zoos should be registered by councils, with inspectors working out a \"course of action\" for each animal.", "The coronavirus which causes Covid-19 makes some people seriously ill while others have no symptoms at all\n\nWhy some people with coronavirus have no symptoms and others get extremely ill is one of the pandemic's biggest puzzles.\n\nA study in Nature of more than 2,200 intensive care patients has identified specific genes that may hold the answer.\n\nThey make some people more susceptible to severe Covid-19 symptoms.\n\nThe findings shed light on where the immune system goes wrong, which could help identify new treatments.\n\nThese will continue to be needed even though vaccines are being developed, says Dr Kenneth Baillie, a consultant in medicine at the Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh, who led the Genomicc project.\n\n\"Vaccines should drastically decrease the numbers of covid cases, but it's likely doctors will still be treating the disease in intensive care for a number of years around the world, so there is an urgent need to find new treatments.\"\n\nScientists looked at the DNA of patients in more than 200 intensive care units in UK hospitals.\n\nThey scanned each person’s genes, which contain the instructions for every biological process - including how to fight a virus.\n\nTheir genomes were then compared with the DNA of healthy people to pinpoint any genetic differences, and a number were found - the first in a gene called TYK2.\n\n“It is part of the system that makes your immune cells more angry, and more inflammatory,” explained Dr Baillie.\n\nBut if the gene is faulty, this immune response can go into overdrive, putting patients at risk of damaging lung inflammation.\n\nA class of anti-inflammatory drugs already used for conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis targets this biological mechanism, including a drug called Baricitinib.\n\n“It makes it a very plausible candidate for a new treatment,” Dr Baillie said. “But of course, we need to do large-scale clinical trials in order to find out if that's true or not.”\n\nGenetic differences were also found in a gene called DPP9, which plays a role in inflammation, and in a gene called OAS, which helps to stop the virus from making copies of itself.\n\nVariations in a gene called IFNAR2 were also identified in the intensive care patients.\n\nIFNAR2 is linked to a potent anti-viral molecule called interferon, which helps to kick-start the immune system as soon as an infection is detected.\n\nIt’s thought that producing too little interferon can give the virus an early advantage, allowing it to quickly replicate, leading to more severe disease.\n\nTwo other recent studies published in the journal Science have also implicated interferon in Covid cases, through both genetic mutations and an autoimmune disorder that affects its production.\n\nProf Jean-Laurent Casanova, who carried out the research, from The Rockefeller University in New York, said: “[Interferon] accounted for nearly 15% of the critical Covid-19 cases internationally enrolled in our cohort.\"\n\nInterferon can be given as a treatment, but a World Health Organization clinical trial concluded that it did not help very sick patients. However, Prof Casanova said the timing was important.\n\nHe explained: “I hope that if given in the first two, three, four days of infection, the interferon would work, because it essentially would provide the molecule that the [patient] does not produce by himself or by herself.”\n\nDr Vanessa Sancho-Shimizu, a geneticist from Imperial College London, said that the genetic discoveries were providing an unprecedented insight into the biology of the disease.\n\n“It really is an example of precision medicine, where we can actually identify the moment at which things have gone awry in that individual,” she told BBC News.\n\n“The findings from these genetic studies will help us identify particular molecular pathways that could be targets for therapeutic intervention,\" she said.\n\nBut the genome still holds some mysteries.\n\nThe Genomicc study - and several others - has revealed a cluster of genes on chromosome 3 strongly linked to severe symptoms. However, the biology underpinning this is not yet understood.\n\nMore patients will now be asked to take part in this research.\n\nDr Baillie said: “We need everyone, but we're particularly keen to recruit people from minority ethnic groups who are over-represented in the critically ill population.\"\n\nHe added: “There's still a very urgent need to find new treatments for this disease and we have to make the right choices about which treatments to try next, because we don't have time to make mistakes.\"\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "The court ruled that the law was aimed at Muslim schoolgirls and was unconstitutional\n\nAustria's constitutional court has struck down a law prohibiting primary school children from wearing specific religious head coverings.\n\nIt said the law was aimed at the Islamic headscarf and breached rights on religious freedom.\n\nThe law was passed during the previous coalition government in which the conservative People's Party was allied with the far-right Freedom Party.\n\nThe court said the law could lead to the marginalisation of Muslim girls.\n\nIt also rejected the government's argument that the prohibition could protect girls from social pressures from classmates, saying it penalised the wrong people.\n\nIt said, if necessary, the state needed to draw up legislation to better prevent bullying on the grounds of gender or religion.\n\nThe legislation, which came into force last year, did not specify that headscarves were banned but instead proscribed the wearing of \"religious clothing that is associated with a covering of the head\" for children up to the age of 10. The government had itself said that head coverings worn by Sikh boys or the Jewish skullcap would not be affected.\n\nThe court decided that the ban was in fact aimed at Muslim headscarves.\n\n\"The selective ban... applies exclusively to Muslim schoolgirls and thereby separates them in a discriminatory manner from other pupils,\" court President Christoph Grabenwarter said.\n\nEducation Minister Heinz Fassman said he took note of the judgment but added: \"I regret that girls will not have the opportunity to make their way through the education system free from compulsion.\"\n\nAustria's Islamic Faith Community, which represents the country's Muslims and brought the legal challenge, welcomed the ruling.\n\nThe wearing of Islamic headscarves has been a controversial topic in Austria\n\n\"Ensuring equal opportunities and self-determination for girls and women in our society is not achieved through bans,\" it said in a statement.\n\nWhen the legislation was first proposed in 2018, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said the goal was to \"confront any development of parallel societies in Austria\".\n\nVice-Chancellor Heinz Christian Strache, of the Freedom Party, said the government wanted to protect young girls from political Islam.\n\nThe ban came into force in May 2019, just days after Mr Strache was forced to resign after being secretly filmed offering public contracts to a woman posing as a Russian oligarch's niece.\n\nThe People's Party is now in coalition with the Green Party, but the government had still intended to extend the headscarf ban up to the age of 14.\n\nThe coalition's current programme stipulates that children should grow up \"with as little coercion as possible\". The only example it gives is the wearing of headscarves.", "The skull tower was discovered five years ago under Mexico City\n\nArchaeologists have excavated more sections of an extraordinary Aztec tower of human skulls under the centre of Mexico City.\n\nMexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) said a further 119 skulls had been uncovered.\n\nThe tower was discovered in 2015 during the restoration of a building in the Mexican capital.\n\nIt is believed to be part of a skull rack from the temple to the Aztec god of the sun, war and human sacrifice.\n\nKnown as the Huey Tzompantli, the skull rack stood on the corner of the chapel of Huitzilopochtli, the patron of the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan.\n\nThe Aztecs were a group of Nahuatl-speaking peoples that dominated large parts of central Mexico from the 14th to the 16th centuries.\n\nTheir empire was overthrown by invaders led by the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés, who captured Tenochtitlan in 1521.\n\nThe tower of human skulls is believed to form part of the Huey Tzompantli\n\nA similar structure to the Huey Tzompantli struck fear in the soldiers accompanying the Spanish conqueror when they invaded the city.\n\nThe cylindrical structure is near the huge Metropolitan Cathedral built over the Templo Mayor, one of the main temples of Tenochtitlan, now modern day Mexico City.\n\n\"The Templo Mayor continues to surprise us, and the Huey Tzompantli is without doubt one of the most impressive archaeological finds of recent years in our country,\" Mexican Culture Minister Alejandra Frausto said.\n\nArchaeologists have identified three construction phases of the tower, which dates back to between 1486 and 1502.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Archaeologist Lorena Vazquez explains why the Aztecs created their skull towers\n\nThe tower's original discovery surprised anthropologists, who had been expecting to find the skulls of young male warriors, but also unearthed the crania of women and children, raising questions about human sacrifice in the Aztec Empire.\n\n\"Although we can't say how many of these individuals were warriors, perhaps some were captives destined for sacrificial ceremonies,\" said archaeologist Raul Barrera.\n\n\"We do know that they were all made sacred,\" he added. \"Turned into gifts for the gods or even personifications of deities themselves.\"", "Levels of positive tests are rising in London and could be on the up in the east of England, according to data from the Office for National Statistics.\n\nFigures for the week to 5 December, as England's second lockdown was ending, suggest infection levels continued to fall in other regions.\n\nInfection rates are still highest in children of secondary school age, the ONS says.\n\nAcross the UK, the picture is mixed, with Wales seeing rising infections.\n\nIn Northern Ireland, the percentage of people testing positive continues to fall - while in Scotland it has stayed the same.\n\nThe R number - or reproduction number - of the virus is now between 0.9 and 1.0 for the UK - slightly up from 0.8-1.0 last week. But in some regions in the south and east it could be above 1, indicating infections are likely to be growing there.\n\nThe ONS figures are one source of data used by the government's scientific advisers to judge the spread of the virus, and take decisions on restrictions on people's daily lives.\n\nThey are based on swab tests of thousands of people in households, whether they have symptoms or not. The estimates are thought to give a more accurate picture of how many people are infected with the virus than data on positive tests alone.\n\nInfection levels in London started to rise sharply before the end of lockdown, according to the ONS, after falling in late November.\n\nIn all other regions, including the North West and North East, and Yorkshire and the Humber, the percentage of people testing positive is decreasing.\n\nBut there are \"early signs\" rates may be increasing in the east of England, the ONS says.\n\nThe latest estimate of the R number for the UK is up very slightly on the previous week, but still just below 1. This means that the epidemic is still shrinking after lockdown, but very slowly.\n\nThis is borne out by the latest Office for National Statistics infection survey. It indicates that cases continued to fall in most of England and Northern Ireland last week.\n\nBut the view of the scientific advisory group is that the situation is \"fragile\". Cases are increasing in London and the east of England - especially among secondary school age children - and previous experience indicates that a surge among older age groups will inevitably follow.\n\nThe government's scientific advisers believe that it will be important to keep infection levels as low as possible in the run-up to the holidays. That's because the relaxation of restrictions that permit families to meet over Christmas will accelerate any increase in cases - and lead to another sharp spike in infections early in the New Year.\n\nData on cases - or confirmed positive tests - suggests areas such as Basildon, Medway and Havering in the south east are now experiencing more than 400 cases per 100,000 people.\n\nEngland's tiers system is due to be reviewed on 16 December and there have been suggestions that London should be moved from tier two to tier three to avoid a spike in deaths over Christmas.\n\nKent is already in tier three while Essex is in tier two.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Virgin Galactic is set to carry out a milestone test flight of its rocket-powered tourist plane on Saturday.\n\nThis will be the first crewed flight of its reusable Unity vehicle to take off from the purpose-built commercial spaceport in New Mexico, US.\n\nAlready, more than 600 paying customers - including Justin Bieber and Leonardo DiCaprio - are booked to take a ride on the plane.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Virgin Galactic gives a glimpse of what it will look like inside the Unity vehicle\n\nSaturday's flight will be the first of three final demonstration flights before that commercial service begins.\n\nIt is on the third of these that Sir Richard Branson himself will test the service he's been promising for 16 years. Before that can happen Virgin Galactic needs to go through some final preparatory steps.\n\nSaturday's mission will have just the two pilots on board - former Nasa astronaut CJ Sturckow and Galactic chief test pilot Dave Mackay.\n\nThey will run checks on all their plane's operating procedures by making the first ever powered climb above Spaceport America, the centre that was developed specifically for this commercial operation by the New Mexico state government.\n\nIt has been a long road for the company's engineers to get the technology to where they want it, and progress this year has, of course, been slowed by the Covid-19 crisis, with limited numbers of staff able to work both in New Mexico and at Galactic's manufacturing base in California.\n\nWill Whitehorn, president of the UK Space Industry Group, described the flight as a huge milestone.\n\n\"This is going to be a very safe and low-cost system,\" he told BBC News. \"Developing it has been ground-breaking and it hasn't been easy.\"\n\nA fatal accident back in 2014 led to an investigation and the redesign of some elements of the system.\n\n\"But when it comes to space, you're not in a race with anyone. You're in a race to be safe,\" said Mr Whitehorn.\n\nThe craft will also serve as an astronaut training facility.\n\n\"At the moment, we have to train them in simulated environments - swimming pools and so-called vomit comets, which are planes that dive out of the sky,\" he explained.\n\n\"So as well as space tourism and space science, that training will be a crucial component of the industrial revolution that is coming to space.\"\n\nThe cabin has a big mirror at the rear so passengers can see themselves weightless\n\nVirgin Galactic recently unveiled the design of the tourist cabin.\n\nPassengers will sit in seats that move to manage G-forces in the different phases of flight - on the boost up to space and on the descent back to Earth.\n\nThey'll get personal seat-back screens that display live flight data, and the 12 large windows - more than any other spacecraft in history, according to the company - are designed to ensure no passenger has to compete for a view when they unbuckle at the top of the climb to float free inside the cabin.\n\nThere will even be a big mirror at the aft end so they can see themselves weightless.", "A member of the public found the body at a property in Victoria Quadrant\n\nA newborn baby has been found dead in a garden.\n\nThe body was discovered by a member of the public in a private garden of a property in Victoria Quadrant, Weston-super-Mare, at about 08:50 GMT.\n\nA woman police believe is the mother was found following an appeal - she has been taken to hospital where she is receiving \"expert medical attention\".\n\nPolice are treating the baby's death as unexplained. Det Ch Insp Mike Buck said it was \"very sad and distressing\".\n\nPart of Victoria Quadrant was sealed off\n\nHe added: \"During the course of our enquiries, information has been received which has helped us locate who we believe is the baby's mother.\n\n\"This woman has been taken immediately to hospital where she'll receive the expert medical attention and professional support she needs.\"\n\nFollow BBC West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: bristol@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "MPs will not be awarded a pay rise for the coming year.\n\nThe Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority - the independent body which sets MPs' pay - said in October that MPs could be in line for a £3,000 pay rise if its usual formula was applied.\n\nBut it now says such a rise would \"be inconsistent\" and \"would not reflect the reality that many constituents are facing\" because of the pandemic.\n\nMore than 50 MPs had already called for the increase to be cancelled.\n\nMany reacted positively to news of the pay freeze.\n\nLabour's Catherine West tweeted that \"anything else would have been an insult to public sector workers,\" while Conservative James Cartlidge said it was \"absolutely the right thing to do\".\n\nMPs' basic salary is currently £81,932 a year, and is more if they serve as government ministers. Ministers' salaries have also been frozen for a year.\n\nIPSA's formula for MPs' pay is linked to any increase in average pay for public sector workers, millions of whom have had their pay frozen.\n\nOverall, average wages have fallen in real terms this year.\n\nIn November, Boris Johnson's spokesman said the prime minister did not think MPs should receive a pay rise for 2021, \"given the circumstances\".\n\nAnd in October, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said \"this year of all years\" the money should go to key workers on the front line of the pandemic response.\n\nIPSA, which was set up in the wake of the MPs' expenses scandal, said: \"It is clear that applying the forthcoming official statistic for public sector earnings growth would result in a salary increase for MPs that would be inconsistent with the wider economic data and would not reflect the reality that many constituents are facing this year.\n\n\"The IPSA Board has therefore decided that the salary for Members of Parliament will remain unchanged for the financial year 2021/22.\"", "Trade talks between the UK and European Union are continuing in Brussels with one day to go until a deadline imposed by the two sides.\n\nThe leaders of both parties have warned they are unlikely to reach a post-Brexit trade deal by Sunday.\n\nOn Friday, Boris Johnson chaired a \"stock-take\" on the UK's preparedness for a no-deal scenario.\n\nMeanwhile, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said four Royal Navy patrol boats are ready to protect UK fishing waters.\n\nThe Sunday deadline was set by Mr Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen after the pair met in Brussels on Wednesday, after months of talks failed to achieve an agreement.\n\nMr Johnson said the EU needed to make a \"big change\" over the main sticking points on fishing rights and business competition rules, while Mrs von der Leyen said no deal was the most probable end to \"difficult\" talks.\n\nThe EU has rejected Mr Johnson's request to bypass the European Commission and speak directly to French President Emmanuel Macron and Germany's Angela Merkel about the unresolved issues.\n\nAccording to EU officials, he was told discussions could only take place through the bloc's chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, who is meeting with his UK equivalent in Brussels.\n\nIf a trade deal is not reached and ratified by both sides by 31 December, the UK and EU could impose taxes - tariffs - on each other's goods.\n\nThis could lead to higher prices for some goods, among other changes.\n\nA major sticking point in negotiations has been access to UK fishing waters, with the EU warning that without access to UK waters for its fleets, UK fishermen will no longer get special access to EU markets to sell their goods.\n\nThe MoD has said it has conducted \"extensive planning and preparation\" to ensure it is ready for a range of scenarios at the end of the transition period, including having 14,000 personnel on standby to support the government over the winter with the EU transition.\n\nIt said four offshore patrol boats will be available to monitor UK waters and added that it would have \"robust enforcement measures in place to protect the UK's rights as an independent coastal state\".\n\nAn expansion of powers for the Royal Navy Police, enabling officers to potentially board foreign boats and arrest those breaking the law, is one proposal in the MoD's no-deal contingency planning, a spokesman confirmed.\n\nAdmiral Lord West, former chief of naval staff, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme it was \"entirely appropriate\" for the Royal Navy to protect UK waters, although he said there would need to be parliamentary authority to allow officers to board foreign ships.\n\nBut Tobias Ellwood, Conservative chairman of the Commons Defence Committee, called the threat of using Royal Navy gunboats to patrol UK waters in a no-deal outcome \"irresponsible\".\n\n\"This isn't Elizabethan times anymore, this is global Britain - we need to be raising the bar much higher than this,\" he told Today.\n\nAccording to the MoD's website, three River Class patrol ships with a crew of 45 sailors already work \"at least 275 days a year at sea enforcing British and European fisheries law\".\n\nBBC economics editor Faisal Islam said the government's contingency assumptions are that a lack of business readiness will lead to queues of thousands of lorries, with Kent - which is home to the Port of Dover, operating an access permit for hauliers.\n\nA presentation, seen by the BBC, only identified room to fast track between 70 and 100 lorries of perishable goods per day should there be tailbacks, he said.\n\nThe authorities have chosen to focus on \"fish and chicks\" - live and fresh seafood, often transported from Scotland to French restaurants, as well as day old chicks. No other commodities have been added to the list, he adds, raising fears among other food exporters.\n\nThere's no denying that the prospect of the pain of no deal at all with the UK certainly weighs on EU minds.\n\nBut Europe's leaders are keen to clarify they won't personally intervene in the current impasse in trade talks.\n\nBehind the scenes, leaders are involved in discussions with their negotiators, but they don't want to be face-to-face, or ear-to-ear, with Boris Johnson in public.\n\nConcessions will have an impact on the whole single market - and therefore all member states, as a collective.\n\nMr Johnson said on Friday a no-deal Brexit was now \"very, very likely\".\n\nMrs von der Leyen told reporters that the two sides were still \"apart on fundamental issues\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Johnson: No-deal Brexit now \"very, very likely\"\n\nThe EU has set out contingency measures to ensure UK and EU air and road connections still run after 31 December.", "Professor of Public Health Linda Bauld said the UK loosening rules over Christmas is a mistake\n\nLoosening Covid restrictions across the UK over Christmas is a \"mistake,\" a public health expert has said.\n\nEdinburgh University's Prof Linda Bauld said there was concern about people travelling from \"high to low prevalence areas\" to see their loved ones.\n\nWales' Health Minister Vaughan Gething said changes would cause \"huge issues about trust\", but could happen if case rates stayed high.\n\nThe UK has recorded another 519 deaths within 28 days of a positive test.\n\nThe latest government figures also include 21,502 new positive cases in the UK, taking the total number in the past seven days to 124,988.\n\nUp to three households can stay together and form a \"Christmas bubble\" from 23 to 27 December, as agreed by all four UK nations.\n\nProf Bauld told BBC Breakfast that \"from a public health perspective, I have to be perfectly honest, I think this is a mistake and I think people, even though we're permitted to do this, I think people have to think very carefully whether they can see loved ones outside or do it in a very, very modest way\".\n\nShe added there was \"nothing to stop\" governments reversing the rules, \"but the problem is they've made that commitment to people across the UK, and that may affect trust in government if they roll back on that\".\n\nMr Gething said \"of course we could\" change the rules around Christmas, but \"much of what we have done during the course of the pandemic is because people have trusted the government - when we said things we kept our word\".\n\nHe said was concerned a change in rules now would have people \"completely ignoring the rules\", and was worried that may be the case even with the current five-day relaxation agreement in place.\n\n\"That's why we are anticipating an increase after Christmas, we expect there'll be an increase after New Year's Eve as well,\" he added.\n\nProf Chris Whitty, England's chief medical officer, earlier this week warned people to be \"very, very sensible\" and not go \"too far\" over Christmas, which he called a \"very risky period\".\n\nAccording the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) - which feeds into UK government decision-making - just because people can meet up, it does not mean they should.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. This map shows how cases per 100,000 people across the 22 council areas in Wales have changed by day over the last two months\n\nMr Gething said he would not rule out another lockdown if cases continued to rise, echoing a warning made by First Minister Mark Drakeford on Friday.\n\nHe added: \"But the agreement around the Christmas period isn't just a political settlement. It really is because we understand that sort of shape to that period of time, we might see many people make up their own rules with the real potential of even greater harm.\n\n\"So it isn't as simple as saying 'this is just a political choice, and you could make it safer' because actually a lot of people invest lots of time, energy and effort in Christmas in travelling around the UK to see family when they don't do that in the rest of the year.\n\n\"Now we have to take account of the reality of the position as well and what would like to happen, how we want people to behave.\"\n\nA UK government spokesperson said this year won't be \"a 'normal' Christmas\", but people would want to be with loved ones.\n\n\"Meeting with friends and family over Christmas will be a personal judgement, and we must be mindful of the risks, particularly to vulnerable individuals,\" the spokesperson said.\n\n\"Everyone has a role to play by remembering hands, face, space and keeping indoor spaces well ventilated to limit the spread of the virus and protect our loved ones.\"", "The teenager was found in Woodman Street, North Woolwich\n\nA man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after a 15-year-old boy was stabbed to death in east London.\n\nThe teenager was found fatally injured in Woodman Street, near the Royal Docks in Newham, at 18:50 GMT on Friday.\n\nHe was treated by paramedics but was pronounced dead at the scene. His next of kin has been informed.\n\nThe Met said a 25-year-old man had been arrested at a property in Newham in the early hours of the morning. He remains in custody.\n\nThe force added that while an arrest had been made, \"the investigation is still in its early stages\".\n\nA 25-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of murder\n\nLawrence Adu said he was a friend of the boy's uncle and had known him \"all his life\".\n\n\"I just got home, I'm so shocked,\" Mr Adu, who is also the boy's neighbour, said.\n\n\"He's a nice young man, very handsome and always laughing.\"\n\nDet Supt Paul Whiteman described the death as \"a tragic loss of a young life\".\n\n\"Local officers will step up patrols in the area in the coming days to reassure the public and continue to target violent crime,\" he said.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Johnson: No-deal Brexit now \"very, very likely\"\n\nBoris Johnson and the EU have both warned they are unlikely to reach a post-Brexit trade deal by Sunday.\n\nEuropean Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said no deal was the most probable end to \"difficult\" talks.\n\nAnd the UK prime minister argued the EU needed to make a \"big change\" over the main sticking points on fishing rights and business competition rules.\n\nThe Sunday deadline was set by the two leaders after months of talks failed to achieve an agreement.\n\nIf a trade deal is not reached and ratified by both sides by 31 December, the UK and EU could impose taxes - tariffs - on each other's goods.\n\nThis could lead to higher prices, among other changes.\n\nMr Johnson chaired a meeting in Downing Street with Cabinet Officer minister Michael Gove and senior officials on Friday to carry out a \"stock-take\" of plans for a no-deal scenario, a No 10 official said.\n\nBBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg said there was \"no sign of much genuine movement to avert no deal\".\n\nWith talks continuing, the EU is determined to prevent the UK from gaining what it sees as an unfair advantage of having tariff-free access to its markets, while setting its own standards on products, employment rights and business subsidies.\n\nIt is also warning that, without access to UK waters for EU fleets, UK fishermen will no longer get special access to EU markets to sell their goods.\n\nBut the UK argues that what goes on in its own waters, and its wider business rules, should be under its control as a sovereign country.\n\nThe two sides also disagree on whether the European Court of Justice should settle future UK-EU trade disputes.\n\nEurope's leaders are keen to clarify they won't personally intervene in the current impasse in trade talks. There'll be no last-minute handshake or \"a-ha\" moment in Paris, Warsaw or Berlin.\n\nBehind the scenes, leaders are involved in discussions with their negotiators, but they don't want to be face-to-face, or ear-to-ear, with Boris Johnson in public.\n\nEU countries are joined together in their single market. So no individual EU leader - not even the most powerful ones, in France and Germany - can be perceived to be making the political compromises that could clinch the UK deal.\n\nConcessions will have an impact on the whole single market - and therefore all member states, as a collective.\n\nThe EU has rejected Mr Johnson's request to bypass the European Commission and speak directly to French President Emmanuel Macron and Germany's Angela Merkel about the unresolved issues.\n\nAccording to EU officials, he was told discussions could only take place through the bloc's chief negotiator, Michel Barnier.\n\nSpeaking on a visit to a vehicle battery factory in Blyth, Northumberland, Mr Johnson said: \"We're always hopeful and... our team is still out there in Brussels.\n\n\"If there's a big offer, a big change in what they're saying, then I must say that I'm yet to see it.\"\n\nIf there was no deal, the situation would still be \"wonderful for the UK\", as the country could \"do exactly what we want from 1 January\", he added, even if this was \"different from what we set out to achieve\".\n\nMrs von der Leyen, who met the prime minister in Brussels on Wednesday for three hours of talks, reportedly struck a downbeat tone when she told European national leaders the \"main obstacles\" to a deal remained.\n\nShe later told reporters that the two sides were still \"apart on fundamental issues\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. EC President Ursula von der Leyen says Brexit will be \"new beginnings for old friends\"\n\nBut German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas struck a more upbeat tone, saying: \"We believe finding a solution in the talks is difficult but possible.\"\n\nAnd Ireland's Taoiseach Micheal Martin said there was room for the two sides to \"come closer\" on the major sticking points if there was the \"political will\" to do so.\n\nEarlier on Friday, UK Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden suggested UK farmers and car manufacturers would get extra financial help if the EU targeted their products with tariffs.\n\nAnd the EU has set out contingency measures it would take in the event of no trade agreement being reached with the UK.\n\nIt says these would ensure UK and EU air and road connections still run after the post-Brexit transition period - under which the UK has continued to follow most of Brussels' rules - ends on 31 December.\n\nThey also allow the possibility of fishing access to each other's waters for up to a year, or until an agreement is reached.", "Dutch prosecutors have found a hacker did successfully log in to Donald Trump's Twitter account by guessing his password - \"MAGA2020!\"\n\nBut they will not be punishing Victor Gevers, who was acting \"ethically\".\n\nMr Gevers shared what he said were screenshots of the inside of Mr Trump's account on 22 October, during the final stages of the US presidential election.\n\nBut at the time, the White House denied it had been hacked and Twitter said it had no evidence of it.\n\nIn reference to the latest development, Twitter said: \"We've seen no evidence to corroborate this claim, including from the article published in the Netherlands today. We proactively implemented account security measures for a designated group of high-profile, election-related Twitter accounts in the United States, including federal branches of government.\"\n\nThe White House has not responded to a request for further comment.\n\nMr Gevers had previously shared this screenshot that appeared to show him editing Donald Trump's Twitter profile information\n\nMr Gevers said he was very happy with the outcome.\n\n\"This is not just about my work but all volunteers who look for vulnerabilities in the internet,\" he said.\n\nThe well respected cyber-security researcher said he had been conducting a semi-regular sweep of the Twitter accounts of high-profile US election candidates, on 16 October, when he had guessed President Trump's password.\n\nVictor Gevers has been discovering security flaws in software and websites for 22 years\n\nDutch police said: \"The hacker released the login himself.\n\n\"He later stated to police that he had investigated the strength of the password because there were major interests involved if this Twitter account could be taken over so shortly before the presidential election.\"\n\nThey had sent the US authorities their findings, they added.\n\nMr Gevers had told officers he had substantially more evidence of the \"hack\".\n\nIn theory, he would have been able to see all the president's data, including:\n\nThe president's account, which has 89 million followers, is now secure.\n\nBut Twitter has refused to answer direct questions from BBC News, including whether the account had extra security or logs that would have shown an unknown login.\n\nEarlier this year, Mr Gevers also claimed he and other security researchers had logged in to Mr Trump's Twitter account in 2016 using a password - \"yourefired\" - linked to another of his social-network accounts in a previous data breach.", "Facebook will shift its UK users onto agreements with the company’s corporate headquarters in California.\n\nThe move could put UK users out of reach of Europe's privacy laws.\n\nBut Facebook said there will be no change to the privacy controls or the services it offers UK customers.\n\nCurrently, UK users are governed by agreements with Facebook’s Irish headquarters, but this legal relationship will change following the UK's exit from the European Union (EU).\n\n“Facebook has had to make changes to respond to Brexit and will be transferring legal responsibilities and obligations for UK users from Facebook Ireland to Facebook Inc,\" the social media giant told Reuters, which first reported the story.\n\nThe changes come into effect in 2021, and users will be notified by an update to Facebook’s terms of service in the first half of the year.\n\nA number of other tech companies also have their European headquarters in Dublin, including Google, Microsoft, AirBnB and Twitter.\n\nFacebook’s decision follows a similar move by Google in February.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. An advertising boycott wants Facebook to do more about hate speech and misinformation (video published in July)\n\nFacebook’s UK users will remain subject to UK privacy law, which will still largely mirror the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).\n\nGDPR is among the world’s strictest privacy regimes.\n\nPrivacy advocates have expressed concern that the UK might be tempted to water down its protections in the pursuit of free trade deals as it leaves the EU.\n\nIn particular, they are worried about a possible deal with the US, which has weaker privacy laws.\n\nAlready, the Cloud Act - a US law passed in 2018 - has made it easier for US and UK authorities to access data stored by digital service providers stored in each other’s territory.\n\nHowever, Facebook has been under increasing pressure in the US.\n\nIn a landmark lawsuit, US regulators have accused Facebook of buying up rivals in order to stifle competition.\n\nRegulators are seeking the sale of Facebook's picture sharing platform Instagram and its messaging service WhatsApp.", "The Supreme Court has breathed new life into plans for a third runway at Heathrow Airport.\n\nThe scheme was previously blocked by the Court of Appeal, who said the government’s airports strategy didn’t meet up-to-date UK climate targets.\n\nBut the Supreme Court has ruled the strategy was legitimately based on previous, less stringent, climate targets at the time it was agreed.\n\nThe firm behind Heathrow can now seek planning permission for the runway.\n\nBut it still faces major obstacles, including having to persuade a public enquiry of the case for expansion.\n\nAnd if planning inspectors approve the scheme, the government will still have the final say.\n\nMinisters have been advised by their Climate Change Committee that, in order to keep emissions down, Heathrow should only expand if regional airports contract.\n\nThis will pose a problem for a government that’s committed to improving infrastructure away from the South-East.\n\nAnd a full application from Heathrow Airport may still be more than a year away as the airport re-assembles a planning team and strives to cope with Covid.\n\nA Heathrow spokesman called the decision to lift the ban \"the right result for the country\".\n\n\"Only by expanding the UK's hub airport can we connect all of Britain to all of the growing markets of the world, helping to create hundreds of thousands of jobs in every nation and region of our country.\n\n\"Demand for aviation will recover from Covid-19, and the additional capacity at an expanded Heathrow will allow Britain as a sovereign nation to compete for trade and win against our rivals in France and Germany.\"\n\nThe business coalition Back Heathrow said it would boost the UK once it stops following EU trading rules on 31 December.\n\n“It is a huge moment for the UK as it moves towards an uncertain Brexit, but now with the confidence that international trade could be boosted by additional capacity at the country’s only hub airport,\" said executive director Parmjit Dhanda.\n\n“We believe this news reflects a unity of purpose between the highest court in the land and our parliament – which has already delivered a majority of 296 for sustainable expansion at Heathrow,” he added.\n\nThe ruling is a blow for campaigners who’ve been hounding the runway project in the courts because they say it breaches the government’s policy of removing almost all carbon emissions from the economy by 2050 – the so-called Net Zero commitment.\n\nBut environmentalists still plan to challenge every stage of the planning application in the courts – including at the European Court of Human Rights, where campaigners will argue that relying on outdated emissions targets is inconsistent with the right to life.\n\nThe old UK emissions strategy was based on the target of holding global temperature rise to 2C, whereas the latest government aim is a maximum temperature rise of 1.5C. This means emissions must be cut by more than previously thought.\n\nOn the back of the previous Appeal Court ruling in their favour, environmentalists have launched copy-cat legal actions against plans for other government projects that will fuel climate change.\n\nThese include the £27bn roads programme; expanding North Sea oil and gas; and a proposed Cumbria coal mine.\n\nThey fear the Supreme Court ruling signals that judges aren’t willing to hold the government’s feet to the fire on climate policy - as the Dutch Supreme Court did last year, when it ruled that the country’s failure to act urgently against climate change constituted a violation of human rights.\n\nSimilar cases are underway in several other nations where citizens want politicians to keep promises to tackle emissions.\n\nThe Supreme Court case was taken by Friends of the Earth in conjunction with a tiny NGO called Plan B.\n\nIts founder Tim Crosland told BBC News: “This is a terrible verdict – the runway plan is in clear breach of climate change targets and it can’t be allowed to go ahead. I can’t imagine how the judges came to this decision.”\n\nPaul McGuinness from the No 3rd Runway Coalition, said before the court ruling that a decision in favour of Heathrow wouldn’t change the underlying case against the proposed runway.\n\nHe argued: “Heathrow expansion can’t proceed. Putting aside investors' lack of appetite to find new money - even to maintain the airport as a going concern through the pandemic - expanding Heathrow no longer ticks any boxes.\n\n“Since the Airports Commission recommended Heathrow expansion, five years ago, the world has changed and the assessments on noise, air quality and carbon have been exposed as inadequate.”\n\nPrime Minister Boris Johnson is a long-term opponent of Heathrow expansion, and significantly, his government didn’t join the appeal against the previous Appeal Court verdict, which was made by Heathrow Airport plc.\n\nA government spokesperson said before the verdict: “We have always been clear that Heathrow expansion is a private sector project which must meet strict criteria on air quality, noise and climate change, as well as being privately financed, affordable, and delivered in the best interest of consumers”.", "Fire safety inspections have uncovered hundreds of blocks of flats in England and Wales with faulty or missing fire prevention measures, the BBC has found.\n\nFlat owners have been looking for evidence of unsafe cladding in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire that killed 72 people in 2017.\n\nBut many of the inspections have revealed problems inside the buildings.\n\nThe government said it was introducing the biggest improvements to building safety for 40 years.\n\nWhen surveyors visited Lucy Seker's flat in central Manchester earlier this year, they found the cladding was compliant with safety standards.\n\nBut other fire safety issues, such as missing fire barriers in some of the cavities inside the flat, have left her and her neighbours facing repair bills of more than £30,000.\n\n\"At first, I thought I'm ok, there are far worse off than me. But because of the cavity issues I'm just as much at risk from fire and living in an unsafe building,\" she said.\n\nLucy Seker says she does not feel safe in her building\n\n\"The impact has been monumental - shattering. I've worked hard all of my life and I now have a worthless property.\n\n\"Where am I going to find £30,000?\"\n\nThe fire issues have seen her insurance costs rise by 300%, as well as a 40% increase in her service charge and residents must now also pay for a fire warden to guard the block.\n\n\"I don't feel safe in the building,\" she added. \"If fire spread through the cavities, then how far could it get before anyone stops it?\"\n\nMany owners are now finding problems with \"compartmentation\" - the way their individual flat is sealed to stop fire and smoke spreading within a building.\n\nTypically, flats should have barriers inside the spaces between any cladding and the outside walls, and fire breaks in the internal walls to ensure flats are protected for as long as possible should a fire break out.\n\nDorian Lawrence, whose company Façade Remedial Consultants has been inspecting the cladding on hundreds of blocks across England and Wales, said he has found defective fire safety in 90% of the 2,000 buildings he has inspected and around 60% of those are not cladding related.\n\n\"Post-Grenfell we've only really started taking cladding off buildings and taking a look behind to see what's there,\" he said.\n\n\"The issue is the building may look fantastic on the outside with the cladding correctly fitted, but once you've taken the cladding off, what we uncover is quite a mess in many instances.\n\n\"After Grenfell everyone realised perhaps their buildings were not compliant with building regulations and found a necessity to undertake the intrusive works to make sure [whether] they're compliant or not, and in the majority of cases, they are not.\"\n\nWhile statistics showing the extent of the problem nationwide are scarce, a picture of the scale of internal wall defects is emerging in Manchester and London.\n\nLondon Fire Brigade shared data with 5 Live Investigates showing that of the 576 blocks which have a \"waking watch\" - considered such a fire risk they need overnight fire wardens - more than 100 had compartmentation problems.\n\nIn Manchester, the problems are even more stark.\n\nThe Greater Manchester High-Rise Task Force, set up to assess fire safety in all of the city's tall residential blocks, has imposed \"interim\" safety measures such as fire wardens or extra fire alarms in around 100 buildings.\n\nOf those, around 70 have other serious defects like missing or incorrectly-fitted cavity barriers and, in some cases, inadequate fire protection on the frame of the building.\n\nNigel Glen, of the Association of Residential Managing Agents, whose members are responsible for the day-to-day running of almost 1.5 million leasehold flats, said he had been trying to draw the government's attention to the problems.\n\n\"It is quite clear these defects are not the fault of the leaseholders and so they shouldn't be expected to pay for compartmentation failures,\" he said.\n\n\"The impact on residents and flat owners can only be that of yet more stress - both financial and mental. On property managers the emotional toll is proving to be massive - leaseholders are understandably frightened and angry and property managers are, in many cases, the only people that they have to hand to take matters out on.\"\n\nRichard Beresford, chief executive of the National Federation of Builders, said the challenge is what to do with building work that was at the time within the rules, but now no longer meets safety standards.\n\n\"Government and industry know what needs to be done for future buildings and building work; ensuring a value-based rather than cost-based approach to buildings, the need for hand-in-glove working all along the supply chain on matters of safety, as well as much tighter building regulations and adequately funded and resourced building control.\n\n\"But what we still need is action for those who fall between the gap of legal and safe. Here the only answer is for government to intervene to resolve the ludicrous situation whereby remediation works fall on leaseholders and run to tens of thousands of pounds or more - rendering their flats unsellable.\"\n\nThe Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: \"Building owners are responsible for ensuring their buildings are safe and residents should speak to their building owner if they are concerned.\n\n\"If a building contains a hazard or the measures in place do not sufficiently mitigate the risk to life from a fire, both Fire and Rescue Authorities and councils are responsible for enforcement and can take action.\"", "The fire service was called at about 23:00 GMT on Tuesday\n\nA large fire has caused damage to a changing block at Drayton Manor theme park.\n\nThe blaze took hold in the Thomas Land area on Tuesday night, Staffordshire Fire and Rescue said.\n\nThe theme park confirmed no-one was injured and all of the animals at the park were safe.\n\nCurrently closed due to Covid-19 restrictions, Drayton Manor keeps about 100 animals on its premises in Tamworth, Staffordshire.\n\nIncident commander Stuart Ruckledge said the whole changing block had been alight, but crews were able to stop the fire spreading to other areas of the park.\n\nDrayton Manor is currently closed and unable to hold Christmas events because of Covid restrictions\n\nThe park said it had been able to assess the damage and said it was \"relieved\" that it was \"limited to a toilet block and store cupboard, both within Thomas Land\".\n\nIt said all of the rides \"remain intact with very limited damage\".\n\nThe fire service is expected to start an investigation into the cause of the blaze.\n\nStaffordshire Fire and Rescue said 28 service personnel attended the scene from 22:30 GMT and the fire was put out after crews \"broke through the roof of an adjoining building\".\n\nA fire appliance remained at the site, damping down hotspots, all night and into the morning, the service said.\n\nThe park, unable to run Christmas events due to coronavirus restrictions, has a 15-acre zoo and more than 25 rides and attractions. It also has a 150-bedroom hotel with restaurants and bars.\n\nIn February, it was flooded after Storm Dennis swept the country and in August, it was announced the park had been sold to Looping Group after entering administration.\n\nFollow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "There were queues of ambulances outside Antrim Area Hospital on Tuesday night\n\nHospitals in Northern Ireland are continuing to face severe pressures after a night which saw queuing ambulances outside hospitals across NI.\n\nOn Wednesday morning there were 48 people in the emergency department at Antrim Area hospital.\n\nOn Tuesday night, doctors treated patients in ambulances with 17 vehicles outside the hospital at one point.\n\nAn emergency department consultant from the Ulster Hospital said one patient there had waited 28 hours for a bed.\n\nSpeaking on BBC's Evening Extra, Sean McGovern, said: \"That patient is still waiting, they're waiting within the emergency department.\n\n\"People are maybe waiting on a bed in a designated area within the emergency department, or waiting on a trolley.\"\n\nAt 11:25 GMT, there were 34 people waiting to be admitted to the Ulster Hospital, with 30 waiting more than 12 hours, according to a spokesperson for the South Eastern Trust.\n\nThe spokesperson said there were 59 patients at the hospital's emergency department, with one waiting outside in an ambulance.\n\nFive of the patients had been in the department for between four and 12 hours.\n\nThere have also been long waits at Antrim Hospital on Wednesday, with 48 people in the emergency department at 07:00 GMT.\n\nOf these, 43 were waiting to be admitted, with 29 of those people who have been waiting for more than 12 hours.\n\nHundreds of hospital staff from across NI are also isolating for Covid-related reasons\n\nIn a statement, the trust said it was \"not a situation that anyone wants to see\", adding that the hospital remained under \"severe pressure\".\n\n\"We sincerely apologise to the patients affected and their families. Staff are working very hard to try to manage the situation and maintain flow,\" the trust said.\n\nAt hospitals in Belfast, 39 were awaiting admission - 29 more than 12 hours.\n\nIn the Western Trust, 34 were awaiting admission - all 34 waiting more than 12 hours.\n\nIn the Southern Trust hospitals, 60 were waiting admission but no figure for length of wait is known.\n\nThe British Medical Association in Northern Ireland said the pressures on hospitals were \"extremely concerning\".\n\nA spokesperson said: \"I have spoken to many secondary care colleagues over the past few days who are very worried as to how hospitals are going to cope over the next few days and weeks, and the decisions they may have to take over how people are cared for.\"\n\nMedical Director with the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service Dr Nigel Ruddell said there had been 30 to 35 ambulances outside Emergency Departments across Northern Ireland on Tuesday night.\n\nHe said they were \"the most significant queues\" he had seen in the 12 years he had worked for the ambulance service.\n\n\"What we are seeing reflects the pressure of the normal increase in illness, particularly among the elderly and, of course, the pressures of Covid,\" he told BBC's Good Morning Ulster programme.\n\nDr Ruddell thanked the hospital and ambulance staff, and said it had taken a \"massive effort overnight\" to clear queues outside hospitals.\n\nSpeaking to RTÉ's Morning Ireland programme on Wednesday, Wendy Magowan, the Northern Health Trust operations director, said \"whilst it has improved dramatically overnight we are still starting out this morning with a very low base rate\".\n\nThere are also hundreds of staff isolating for Covid-related reasons.\n\nSo far, 366 staff from the Southern Trust are isolating as are 681 from Belfast Trust, 324 from the Western Trust, 307 from the South Eastern Trust and 289 from the Northern Trust.\n\nHealth Minister Robin Swann is to bring new proposals about Covid restrictions to Thursday's executive meeting.\n\nThe meeting will see ministers look at options to manage the spread of Covid-19 in Northern Ireland.\n\nThere were 17 ambulances queued at Antrim Hospital at 17:00 GMT on Tuesday\n\nDeputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill said Sinn Féin \"will support any proposals brought forward by the health minister to tackle the current situation.\"\n\nStronger guidance has been issued by London and the devolved governments about how people should celebrate Christmas this year.\n\nRelaxed rules between 23 December and 27 December are to stay in place.\n\nMrs Foster and Ms O'Neill spoke to leaders from the other governments earlier and more guidance from the executive is expected later in the week.\n\nThe big issue is not so much what they agree when it comes to restrictions, but the fact that compliance is not where it should be.\n\nThe health service has stepped forward and they're hoping that they're going to listen to the voices that we heard last night with ambulances queued outside the hospitals.\n\nHealth Minister Robin Swann is going to be bringing recommendations to the executive on Thursday for a decision around restrictions and the likelihood is that we will see, perhaps, an partial lockdown started after Christmas.\n\nWe could be looking at, maybe, 28 December.\n\nThe key concern is that we may be heading for a third wave at a point when our hospitals are saturated.\n\nIf you are reading this page on the BBC News app, you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question on this topic.", "Nine cases of a new variant of Covid-19 first identified in England have been reported in Scotland, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has confirmed.\n\nThe cases were all detected in the Greater Glasgow area, and date back to the end of November.\n\nThe World Health Organisation has been notified about the new strain of the virus, with detailed studies ongoing.\n\nMs Sturgeon said there is nothing to suggest it causes a more severe illness in people, but it may spread faster.\n\nShe said people should not \"prematurely overreact\" to the development.\n\nUK Health Secretary Matt Hancock revealed on Monday that the new variant of coronavirus had been recorded in at least 60 different local authority areas.\n\nThese cases were found predominantly in Kent, but it has now been confirmed that they have spread as far as Glasgow.\n\nNine cases have been identified in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board area, dating back to the end of November - although almost 15,000 new cases of coronavirus have been reported in Scotland overall across that period.\n\nThere is, as yet, \"nothing to suggest\" that the new strain causes more severe illness, or that it could prove resistant to vaccines.\n\nMs Sturgeon was briefed by the chief medical officer on Monday, and will take part in a four-nation call with other UK leaders later on Tuesday.\n\nShe told MSPs: \"It is important to stress there is no evidence at this stage that this new variant is likely to cause more serious illness in people.\n\n\"And while the initial analysis of it suggests that it may be more transmissible, with a faster growth rate than existing variants, that is not yet certain.\n\n\"It may instead be the case that it has been identified in areas where the virus is already spreading more rapidly.\"\n\nScottish Conservative group leader Ruth Davidson said the new strain was \"a cause of great concern\", asking what was being done \"to assess the virulence of the strain\" and its transmission rate.\n\nMs Sturgeon said analysis was being undertaken by Public Health England, but said people should not \"prematurely overreact\".\n\nShe added: \"It is important to say that none of what is currently known about this yet is absolutely certain.\"", "Passengers spent the night on the Stena Edda ferry before disembarking in Birkenhead\n\nMore than 300 passengers were stranded on a ferry overnight after crew members tested positive for Covid-19.\n\nThe Belfast-bound Stena Line ferry was advised by Port Health Authorities not to leave Birkenhead after six members of staff were found to have coronavirus.\n\nAll 322 passengers have now disembarked and the 53 crew members are being tested for Covid-19.\n\nStena Line said passengers would travel to Belfast on another ferry.\n\nPassenger Alan Cogan said he was waiting for the replacement Stena Mersey vessel to take him home to Northern Ireland, but the delay meant he had to cancel a work video conference meeting.\n\nHe said tensions were initially high when a public announcement was first made at about 03:30 GMT, more than five hours after the Stena Edda's departure time.\n\n\"I know there were a few irate people this morning,\" he said.\n\n\"We all had visions of what had happened to the crew ships around the world when passengers had tested positive and were left stranded and not allowed off.\n\n\"That would be a nightmare. It's not the most comfortable boat.\"\n\nThe 47-year-old, who is an area manager for a heating company, said staff had \"been friendly and supportive\".\n\nAlan Cogan said he was waiting for a replacement ferry to take him home to Northern Ireland\n\nMalcolm Sheen said he only realised the ferry had stayed in Birkenhead overnight when he woke up in the early hours.\n\n\"At 03:30, half asleep, I heard an announcement over the tannoy,\" he said.\n\n\"I didn't quite catch what had been said so assumed it was the announcement they make as we approach Belfast, which usually happens at 05:30.\n\n\"I looked out of the porthole and thought, that's not Belfast, that's Liverpool.\"\n\nMr Sheen, who is from Devon, said he had to wait in his van for almost two hours before he could disembark.\n\n\"At 10:00, I went down to my van and had to sit and wait in it for all the lorries to get backed up off the ferry,\" he said.\n\n\"At 11:45, I managed to get off and most passengers on board were transferred to the other ferry.\"\n\nHe added that he hoped he had not \"been in contact with any of the crew members that tested positive\".\n\nPassengers will be able to sail to Belfast on a replacement vessel - the Stena Mersey\n\nA woman who is travelling to Belfast with her three-year-old daughter for a funeral said she boarded \"with no problems\" and was not made aware of any risks about Covid-19.\n\n\"I went to my cabin and went to bed. We were not informed of any problems until 03:30 in the morning,\" she said.\n\n\"We had no further updates until 07:45 and that's when we where told that we would be moving to another ship to sail to Belfast.\n\n\"We were given a free cooked breakfast onboard, they were all giving free drinks to everyone onboard.\"\n\nStena Line said the six crew members were \"doing well\" and were showing mild symptoms.\n\nThe company said another 15 people were self-isolating after being identified as \"close contacts\".\n\n\"The welfare of our passengers and crew is paramount at this time,\" it added.\n\nWere you a passenger on the Belfast-bound Stena Line ferry? Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nOr use this form to get in touch:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your comment or send it via email to HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any comment you send in.\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah lived 25 metres from the South Circular Road in south-east London\n\nA nine-year-old girl who died following an asthma attack has become the first person in the UK to have air pollution listed as a cause of death.\n\nElla Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, who lived near the South Circular Road in Lewisham, south-east London, died in 2013.\n\nAt the conclusion of the two-week inquest, coroner Philip Barlow said Ella had been exposed to \"excessive\" levels of pollution.\n\nThe inquest heard that in the three years before her death, she had multiple seizures and was admitted to hospital 27 times.\n\nDelivering a narrative verdict, Mr Barlow said levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) near Ella's home exceeded World Health Organization and European Union guidelines.\n\nHe added: \"There was a recognised failure to reduce the levels of nitrogen dioxide, which possibly contributed to her death.\n\n\"There was also a lack of information given to Ella's mother that possibly contributed to her death.\"\n\nGiving his conclusion over almost an hour, the coroner said: \"I will conclude that Ella died of asthma, contributed to by exposure to excessive air pollution.\"\n\nRosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah said she did not know how dangerous local levels of pollution were before her daughter's death\n\nElla's mother Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, said: \"We've got the justice for her which she so deserved.\n\n\"But also it's about other children still, as we walk around our city of high levels of air pollution.\"\n\nMs Adoo-Kissi-Debrah said she was \"shocked\" by how \"decisive and comprehensive\" the findings were.\n\nElla was first taken to hospital in 2010 after a coughing fit, Ms Adoo-Kissi-Debrah had told the inquest.\n\nAs a six-year-old, she had to be placed in a medically induced coma for three days to try to stabilise her condition.\n\nBy the summer of 2012, Ella was classified as disabled and her mother said she often had to carry her by piggyback to get her around.\n\nMs Adoo-Kissi-Debrah said: \"I think people need to understand when Ella was rushed into hospital, a lot of the time she was barely breathing.\n\n\"It was an emergency, cardiac arrest.\"\n\nElla died in the early hours of 15 February 2013, following a severe asthma attack.\n\nElla was classified as disabled due to her respiratory problems\n\nA 2018 report found unlawful levels of pollution, which were detected at a monitoring station one mile from Ella's home, contributed to her fatal asthma attack.\n\nThe report's author Prof Sir Stephen Holgate said Ella had been \"living on a knife edge\" in the months before her death.\n\nThe inquest heard Ella's family did not know of the risks posed by air pollution.\n\nThis is an historic verdict.\n\nTypically, experts refer to air pollution being \"associated\" with premature deaths because they can't be sure any one individual's death was caused or partly caused by dirty air.\n\nThis case pins Ella's untimely death partly on to the air she breathed.\n\nIt will heighten the debate about social equity in the UK.\n\nThe poorest tend to suffer the worst air, whilst - on a national basis - the richest tend to drive furthest.\n\nCampaigners now want emergency action - including expanding London's clean-air zone for vehicles out to the M25 and making Britain's streets better for walking and cycling.\n\nBut there are myriad sources of pollution. Gas boilers, construction equipment, paint and dust from brakes and tyres all contribute.\n\nUltimately, it won't be possible to completely clean the air in some of the UK's big cities.\n\nAhead of the conclusion of the inquest, Arnold Schwarzenegger wrote to Ms Adoo-Kissi-Debrah calling her \"a hero\".\n\nThe Hollywood actor and former governor of California, who has long been an advocate for better clean-air standards, thanked her for \"exposing air pollution for the killer it is\".\n\nProf Shaddick, who leads Exeter University's data science department, said he hoped the inquest ruling \"makes improving the air we breathe easier to achieve in the future\".\n\n\"It's just regrettable it's taken this case to achieve it,\" he added.\n\nSadiq Khan, who as mayor of London was named as an interested party in the inquest, called the result \"a landmark moment\".\n\nMr Khan said: \"Today must be a turning point so that other families do not have to suffer the same heartbreak as Ella's family.\n\n\"Ministers and the previous mayor have acted too slowly in the past, but they must now learn the lessons from the coroner's ruling.\"\n\nElla lived 25 metres from the South Circular Road, one of the capital's busiest roads\n\nSarah Woolnough, chief executive of Asthma UK and the British Lung Foundation, called on the government to outline a public health plan to protect against \"toxic air\" immediately.\n\nShe said: \"Our hearts go out to Ella's family who have fought tirelessly for today's landmark outcome.\n\n\"Today's verdict sets the precedent for a seismic shift in the pace and extent to which the government, local authorities and clinicians must now work together to tackle the country's air pollution health crisis.\"\n\nResponding to the verdict, a government spokesman said: \"Our thoughts remain with Ella's family and friends.\n\n\"We are delivering a £3.8bn plan to clean up transport and tackle NO2 pollution and going further in protecting communities from air pollution.\"\n\nThe mayor of Lewisham, Damien Egan, said Ms Adoo-Kissi-Debrah's campaign for clean air had been \"hugely impactful\".\n\nHe added: \"Our hope is that today's ruling is the evidence needed to effect lasting change, to finally secure a national commitment to tackling air pollution in a meaningful way.\"\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Waiting to get the Covid vaccine in Barnet, north London\n\nPeople from ethnic minorities in the UK are significantly less likely to take the coronavirus vaccine - with warnings of targeted online scaremongering.\n\nA study from the Royal Society for Public Health found 57% of black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) people said they would take the vaccine.\n\nThis compared with 79% of white people who would take a Covid vaccine.\n\nVaccine minister Nadhim Zahawi warned of the impact of conspiracy theories being shared online.\n\n\"Anti-vaccination messages have been specifically targeted\" at some ethnic and religious communities, said Christina Marriott, chief executive of the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH).\n\nDame Donna Kinnair saw first-hand the impact of Covid on BAME communities\n\n\"People send WhatsApps, videos, all kinds of messages - if you don't know where that's coming from then it is very likely to be inaccurate,\" said the vaccine deployment minister, Mr Zahawi, asking people to look at health information from official sources rather than rumours.\n\n\"This is an incredibly well developed scientific endeavour and I would urge everyone to take the information, read it and then make your mind up,\" he said.\n\nDame Donna Kinnair, chief executive of the Royal College of Nursing, said the apparent reluctance among BAME communities flew in the face of those most in need of vaccinations - which she had seen first-hand.\n\n\"For someone like me, who stood in the Nightingale, and saw row after row of BAME patients being ventilated - and seeing how it disproportionately affected people from the BAME community - I'd be urging everybody to take the vaccine,\" she said.\n\nAmong the vaccine rumours, rejected as groundless by independent health experts, have been suggestions that vaccines could change someone's DNA or that it would inject a microchip.\n\nRumours about vaccines is a problem for many online platforms, not just WhatsApp, - but the messaging service is using spam detection technology to control how information is shared and has partnered with reliable sources of information, including the World Health Organization, on a chatbot for Covid questions.\n\nJabeer Butt, head of the Race Equality Foundation, said the findings on a lower ethnic minority take up were \"particularly worrying\".\n\nHe warned the \"Covid vaccine may not reach the communities\" who had been worst affected and most \"disproportionately impacted\" by the virus.\n\nThe study, based on a survey of more than 2,000 adults across the UK, revealed different levels of trust in the vaccination process among social and ethnic groups.\n\nOn average, more than three-quarters of people would take a coronavirus vaccine if they were advised to by a doctor or health professional.\n\nPeople on lower incomes also seemed less confident about a vaccine, with a wealth gap in take-up:\n\nMs Marriott, chief executive of the RSPH, said the findings were \"highly concerning\" that people from ethnic minorities and on low incomes were less willing to be vaccinated.\n\n\"These are exactly the groups which have suffered most through Covid.\n\n\"They continue to be most at risk of getting ill and most at risk of dying. So the government, the NHS and local public health must rapidly and proactively work with these communities,\" she said.", "A recording has emerged of Tom Cruise apparently shouting at workers on the set of Mission: Impossible 7 and threatening to fire them if they broke Covid-19 guidelines.\n\nThe Sun published the expletive-laden audio in which Cruise said: \"If I see you doing it again, you're... gone.\"\n\nThe paper said Cruise had seen two crew members \"standing too close to one another in front of a computer screen\".\n\nVariety and Reuters quoted sources confirming the audio was genuine.\n\nFilming is currently taking place in the UK. The Sun did not say when the incident happened, but film-makers returned to the country in early December, according to Reuters.\n\nThe Mission: Impossible franchise is hugely successful at the box office, starring Cruise as Ethan Hunt. Cruise is also a producer on the series.\n\nThe seventh movie had to pause filming in Italy in February due to concerns about the coronavirus outbreak, and The Sun said the actor had \"personally tried to ensure there are no more delays\".\n\nIn the recording, Cruise can be heard shouting: \"They're back there in Hollywood making movies right now because of us. We are creating thousands of jobs.\n\n\"That's it. No apologies. You can tell it to the people that are losing their... homes because our industry is shut down.\n\n\"We are not shutting this... movie down. Is it understood? If I see it again, you're... gone.\"\n\nCruise wore a mask during recent shooting of Mission: Impossible 7 in Rome\n\nHe is starring in the film with Hayley Atwell (pictured in Rome in October)\n\nVariety said the film is scheduled for release in November 2021. BBC News has asked for comment from Cruise's representatives and the Mission: Impossible studio and producers.\n\nThe audio quickly spread around the internet. Nick Murphy, who directed last year's A Christmas Carol for BBC TV and Save Me for Sky Atlantic, praised the star's actions, writing: \"Tom Cruise was right.\"\n\nUS radio host John Rocha also voiced his support, writing: \"I wish MORE people in charge would react like this to people who violate protocols or not wearing masks. If only more people saw the bigger picture that Tom is highlighting here.\"\n\nDennis Tseng from movie site Collider added: \"Tom Cruise ain't wrong. Now he just needs to come back to America and yell at every single anti-masker.\"\n\nAnd British actress Rebecca Front joked: \"The one thing missing from that #TomCruise audio is the distant sound of a lone drill and an anguished 1st AD [assistant director] shouting 'Can we PLEASE hold the work?!\"\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Ursula von der Leyen: \"I cannot tell you whether there will be a deal or not\".\n\nA \"narrow path\" has opened up for the UK and EU to strike a post-Brexit trade deal, the president of the European Commission has said.\n\nUrsula von der Leyen said the \"next few days are going to be decisive\", with just two weeks left before the UK quits EU trading rules.\n\nShe said differences over enforcing a deal are \"largely being resolved,\" but talks over fishing remain \"difficult\".\n\nPM Boris Johnson told MPs there was \"every opportunity\" to reach a deal.\n\nOfficials from both sides are continuing talks in Brussels, as they race to strike a deal before the UK's post-Brexit transition period ends on 31 December.\n\nDespite weeks of intensive talks, they have remained stuck over fishing rights and how far the UK should be able to depart from EU rules.\n\nUpdating the European Parliament on an EU leaders' summit last week, Mrs von der Leyen said: \"As things stand, I cannot tell you whether there will be a deal or not.\n\n\"But there is a path to an agreement now - the path may be very narrow, but it is there.\"\n\nShe said that negotiators had agreed a \"strong mechanism\" to ensure neither side lowers their environmental or social standards, which was a \"big step forwards\".\n\nBut she added differences remained over how to \"future proof\" rules in this area, although disagreements over how to enforce a deal \"by now are largely being resolved\".\n\nOn Wednesday Mr Johnson's spokesman said: \"We have made some progress in some areas, but it still remains that there are some significant gaps.\"\n\nHe added that it is \"still the case\" the prime minister views no deal as \"the most likely outcome\".\n\nSpeaking after Mrs von der Leyen, Mr Johnson said: \"There's every opportunity, every hope I have, that our friends and partners across the Channel will see sense and do a deal.\n\n\"All that it takes is for them to understand that the UK has a natural right, like every other country, to be able to want to control its own laws and its own fishing grounds.\"\n\nHe told MPs at Prime Minister's Questions that \"whatever happens in the next few days,\" the UK will \"prosper mightily\" whether a deal is found or not.\n\nMrs von der Leyen also reported progress in another area which has proved contentious - agreed rules on how and when each side can give government subsidies to private firms.\n\nShe confirmed the two sides were now trying to agree \"common principles\" for when subsidies could be offered.\n\nAt an earlier stage in talks, the EU had insisted the UK should follow its current and future \"state aid\" rules in this area - a demand rejected by the UK.\n\nThe German politician added that there had been progress on \"guarantees of domestic enforcement\" of the rules, as well as allowing both sides to \"autonomously\" take action where disagreements arise.\n\nHowever, she was more downbeat on fishing, where the two sides are haggling over access to each other's waters for their fishermen after 1 January.\n\n\"In all honesty, it sometimes feels that we will not be able to resolve this question,\" she said, but added that continuing the talks was the \"only responsible\" course of action.\n\nShe added the EU respected British \"sovereignty\" over its waters, but needed \"predictability and stability\" for European fishing fleets.\n\nMeanwhile, it has been announced that both Houses of Parliament will begin their Christmas recess at the end of Thursday's sitting.\n\nBut No 10 said MPs and peers could be recalled to Westminster to vote on legislation to implement a deal before the end of the Brexit transition.\n\nOn Tuesday, Commons leader Jacob-Rees Mogg said Parliament would ideally need six days to pass any such law, but this period could be \"truncated\" if required.\n\nAny potential deal would also need to be voted on by the European Parliament and potentially EU national parliaments before it can fully come into force.\n\nEU leaders can in theory decide to provisionally apply any agreement and hold these votes after 31 December, but it would be unpopular among MEPs.", "Last updated on .From the section Premier League\n\nRoberto Firmino's last-minute header broke Tottenham's stubborn resistance at Anfield and sent Liverpool to the top of the Premier League table.\n\nAn entertaining encounter looked set to end in stalemate before - with the game entering stoppage time - Firmino soared to flash a header high past Spurs keeper Hugo Lloris from Andrew Robertson's corner.\n\nLiverpool flew at Spurs in the opening exchanges and went ahead when Mohamed Salah's shot took a big deflection off Eric Dier and looped over Lloris.\n\nSpurs had barely left their own half but struck with a counter punch seven minutes later when Son Heung-min raced clear to slip a composed finish past Alisson.\n\nSpurs actually had the better chances in the second half, with Steven Bergwijn firing wide then hitting a post when clean through and Harry Kane heading over from point-blank range.\n\nManager Jose Mourinho was left to regret those missed opportunities as a late Liverpool surge ended with Firmino's winner to send the defending champions three points clear at the top of the table and inflict Spurs' first Premier League loss since the opening weekend home defeat against Everton.\n\nThis was the night Anfield paid tribute to former manager Gerard Houllier who died aged 73 this week.\n\nThere were poignant moments with a minute's applause before kick-off and those fans gathered on The Kop sang the songs they used to sing to celebrate the Frenchman's success.\n\nLiverpool's players paid their own tribute with a display that started in blistering fashion as a succession of chances were created, then showed grit and resilience to fashion the three points as Spurs threatened after the break.\n\nLiverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was animated, even by his standards, raging at the officials on numerous occasions before celebrating wildly with his players and The Kop at the final whistle.\n\nAfter a lacklustre performance at Fulham, this was the perfect response as they returned to familiar territory at the top of the table.\n\nSpurs were left bitterly disappointed and deflated as they were sunk by a late goal at Anfield once again - their frustration made even more acute by the golden chances they missed to secure a statement victory and end a Liverpool unbeaten home sequence in the league that now stretches to 66 games.\n\nBergwijn squandered two opportunities to score with only Alisson to beat then Kane somehow directed a header down and over the top at The Kop end, holding his head in disbelief.\n\nWhen the dust settles, Mourinho will feel Spurs showed why they are currently one of the top two sides in the country as they survived that Liverpool assault to open up the opportunities to actually win.\n\nThe last time Mourinho managed a side at Anfield, a 3-1 defeat when he was in charge of Manchester United in December 2018 saw him sacked 24 hours later. Here at Spurs, he is in charge of a developing side that will certainly contest places at the top end of the table this season.\n\n'Jose told me that the better team lost' - what they said\n\nLiverpool boss Klopp: \"It was just a really good game against a counter-attacking monster, the possession we had we did incredibly well. The best way to defend Tottenham is to keep the ball all the time.\n\n\"Yes, they have scored a goal and had two chances. Apart from that, we controlled the game and it is a massively deserved three points. I am happy. For me, it [the Spurs goal] is offside. They watch it 20 times, but when I saw it, it is offside.\n\n\"I am so happy we scored that goal because it felt like 70% of the ball against a top side. Bobby [Firmino], what a header. I am over the moon for him. What a game he played, those movements, he opens up all the other gaps.\"\n\nOn exchange with Mourinho after the final whistle: \"Jose told me 'the better team lost'. I thought he was joking, but he wasn't.\"\n\nSpurs boss Mourinho: \"We were playing to win, we were not playing to get a point. A point would have been quite a fair result but we played to win and had the biggest chances to win it. The moment of the occasions and the reaction they had, they were in trouble.\n\n\"I feel it was a very undeserved result, but that's football. At half-time we move the pieces a little bit, but overall the game was always under control and I am very pleased with the performance.\n\n\"The changes were to find counter-attack situations which we did immediately, but with Gio's [Lo Celso] yellow card and the incredible pressure these guys on the touchline put on the officials, I was afraid of the yellow card and I had to take him off. I am not the one to speak to my colleagues about their behaviour on the touchline.\"\n• None Tottenham have won just one of their past 27 Premier League away games against Liverpool (D8 L18), last winning there in May 2011.\n• None Tottenham have only conceded more Premier League goals against Chelsea (102) than they have against Liverpool (97).\n• None This was Tottenham's first Premier League defeat in 12 Premier League games (W7 D4), since a 0-1 loss to Everton in September.\n• None Mourinho has never won away against Klopp in six attempts in all competitions (D2 L4), with Klopp being the manager he's faced the most away from home without ever tasting victory.\n• None Son has scored 11 goals in 13 Premier League appearances this season, equalling his goal tally from the entire 2019-20 campaign (11 in 30).\n• None Twenty of Tottenham's 25 Premier League goals this season have been scored by either Son (11) or Kane (9).\n• None Salah now has eight goals against Tottenham in all competitions - against no other side has he scored more in his club career in European football (level with Bournemouth and Watford).\n\nLiverpool visit Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Saturday (12:30 GMT) while Tottenham host Leicester City on Sunday (14:15).\n• None Goal! Liverpool 2, Tottenham Hotspur 1. Roberto Firmino (Liverpool) header from the centre of the box to the top left corner. Assisted by Andrew Robertson with a cross following a corner.\n• None Attempt saved. Eric Dier (Tottenham Hotspur) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.\n• None Attempt blocked. Curtis Jones (Liverpool) left footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Sadio Mané.\n• None Attempt missed. Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur) right footed shot from the left side of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Toby Alderweireld. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page\n• None A mega mixtape of the very best indie floorfillers\n• None Former England cricketer on his desire to coach at the highest level", "Advice around celebrating Christmas safely across the UK is expected to be significantly strengthened in the coming days, the BBC has been told.\n\nPeople are likely to be urged to think carefully about travelling and to stay local where possible.\n\nHowever, it is unlikely the agreed rules - allowing up to three households to mix for five days - will change.\n\nOfficials from all four nations held talks on Tuesday - and more are scheduled to take place on Wednesday.\n\nIt comes amid concern that relaxing the restrictions will fuel a further surge in Covid-19 case numbers.\n\nTwo leading medical journals described the current rules as \"rash\".\n\nA source said no final decisions had been taken but people are likely to be told that the relaxations are limits not targets and that they should be cautious when forming household bubbles.\n\nIt is still hoped a common approach can be agreed across the four nations.\n\nUnder the agreed Christmas rules, travel restrictions will be eased from 23 to 27 December to allow up to three households to form a bubble and stay overnight at each other's homes.\n\nA spokeswoman for Northern Ireland's government said scientific advisers would be consulted ahead of any decision, while a Welsh government spokesman said talks on Wednesday would \"confirm the position\".\n\nAhead of the talks, Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon argued there was a \"case\" for tightening the planned freedoms to combat a rise in infections and indicated she could break with the four-nations approach.\n\nMeanwhile, another 18,450 cases and 506 deaths within 28 days of a positive test were reported in the UK on Tuesday, government figures showed.\n\nThe four nations have been taking very different approaches to restrictions in the last few months, so agreeing a common approach to Christmas was no small ask.\n\nBut there are big questions now about what changes should be made given the rising number of Covid cases in many areas.\n\nI understand there are no plans to make changes to the restrictions in England; meaning it's unlikely the legal rules will change.\n\nHowever, we can expect firmer guidance in the next few days. One source on the call with the four nations told me there was an acceptance tougher messaging was needed.\n\nThere has been discussion about travel. Some are particularly worried about people moving from areas where the virus is spreading fast, to areas where it's fairly rare, and taking the virus with them. The new guidance could cover that - as well as reminding people the rules are a maximum, not a target.\n\nIt's not impossible that different parts of the UK will take different decisions. But there is still hope they can agree when talks reconvene on Wednesday morning.\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer has called on ministers to hold an emergency review of the plans.\n\nEarlier, No 10 said the rules were \"under constant review\" but it still intended to allow families to meet up.\n\nThe prime minister's spokesman said the government had been clear that people needed to \"remain cautious and vigilant\" during the five days of relaxed rules.\n\nAccording to a YouGov poll, a majority of people (57%) in Great Britain believe the relaxation of coronavirus restrictions over Christmas should be scrapped.\n\nSome 31% said the easing should go ahead as planned, while 12% said they were unsure.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The government needs to \"review\" and \"toughen up\" the planned Christmas virus restrictions, says Sir Keir Starmer.\n\nIn a joint editorial criticising the UK's Christmas rules, the editors of British Medical Journal and Health Service Journal wrote that the government was \"about to blunder into another major error that will cost many lives\".\n\nThey stressed that demand on the NHS was increasing, and added that a new strain of coronavirus \"has introduced further potential jeopardy\".\n\nIf the UK's Christmas plans are not changed, BMJ editor in chief Fiona Godlee said hospitals could become overwhelmed with a surge in Covid patients.\n\nShe told BBC News: \"On the current trend, if nothing is done, by New Year's Day there will be as many people in hospital with Covid-19 as there were at the peak of the first phase in April.\n\n\"That's even without the Christmas relaxation - so if you add that on top, and then on top of that the winter pressures that we always see in the NHS at winter, you will see a worrying scenario of people not being able to get the care they need.\"\n\nShe also said England's tiered system was \"not succeeding in what it set out to do\", as case numbers have continued to increase in some areas in the top tiers.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. What can I do under tier 3 restrictions in England?\n\nA review of which areas of England are in which tier is scheduled to take place on Wednesday.\n\nIt has already been announced that some 10.8 million people across London, Essex and Hertfordshire will join tier three from 00:01 GMT on Wednesday, bringing the total number of people living under the toughest restrictions to 34 million people - or 61% of England's population.\n\nUnder tier three - very high alert - rules, pubs and restaurants must close, except for takeaway and delivery, and indoor entertainment venues such as theatres, bowling alleys and cinemas must remain shut.", "England footballer Jack Grealish has been banned from driving for nine months and fined £82,499 for two motoring offences.\n\nCCTV footage from an incident on 29 March shows the Aston Villa captain crashing into parked vehicles after disobeying lockdown rules to meet friends.\n\nThe video shared by West Midlands Police also shows Mr Grealish driving carelessly on 18 October.", "MI6 has its headquarters in Vauxhall, London\n\nMI6 agents and informants may be committing crimes in the UK, a watchdog has revealed.\n\nThe Investigatory Powers Tribunal disclosed the ruling despite government attempts to keep the matter secret.\n\nIt also said questions raised should be disclosed to campaigners, who have been asking for greater legal clarity over what the intelligence agencies can do.\n\nIt comes a day after the intelligence services watchdog raised its own questions about some MI6 activities.\n\nSince 1994, MI6 - the UK's foreign intelligence service - has been able to authorise people that it recruits to help the UK overseas to commit crimes as part of its targeting of threats to the UK.\n\nThat power has long-been dubbed the \"James Bond clause\" - but it does not explicitly permit criminal operations in the UK.\n\nUnprecedented legislation that clarifies how agencies recruiting undercover informants can authorise them to commit crimes is reaching its final stages in Parliament.\n\nThe disclosure of crimes potentially committed by people supplying MI6 with intelligence has come amid a long-running court battle over whether such secret undercover activity can ever be legal.\n\nWhile the legal battle has revealed details of how MI5, the domestic security service, authorises crimes by its informants, Wednesday's disclosure by the Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT) is the first indication that MI6 may be doing the same.\n\nIn the ruling, the IPT rejected secret submissions from the government to keep the entire matter behind closed doors.\n\nThe disclosure came the day after the annual report of the Investigatory Powers Commissioner, the watchdog that oversees the secret agencies, revealed that one of MI6's agents overseas may have gone rogue and committed serious crimes.\n\nThe report says that in 2019 the secret agency had recruited a potential agent overseas and had sought a standard authorisation from the foreign secretary for the individual to potentially commit crimes as part of their work for the UK.\n\nThe report does not state which foreign secretary it was.\n\n\"The Secret Intelligence Service [MI6] identified a risk that the agent may be involved in serious criminality overseas,\" said the report. \"SIS did not encourage, condone or approve any such criminality on the part of their agent.\n\n\"In their submission, SIS set out that they had secured the agent's cooperation on terms of full transparency about the activities in which the agent was involved.\n\n\"It included some clear 'red lines', setting out conduct that was not authorised and would result in the termination of SIS's relationship with the agent.\"\n\nSix months later, when the authorisation had to be reviewed, it appeared that MI6 had concluded the asset had probably crossed those red lines - but they did not tell the foreign secretary, who had to sign off the continuing operation.\n\n\"We concluded that the renewal did not provide a comprehensive overview of available information which we believe would have provided the Secretary of State with a fuller and more balanced picture,\" said the watchdog. \"SIS immediately responded to these concerns by updating the FCO.\"\n\nCampaigners behind the legal action say both revelations prove the public are being kept in the dark.\n\nBut ministers say legislation going through Parliament will provide clear safeguards for agents to commit crimes while undercover.", "The UK's inflation rate fell dramatically to 0.3% in November from 0.7% in October, official figures show.\n\nLower prices for clothing, food and non-alcoholic drinks made the biggest contribution to the fall, the Office for National Statistics said.\n\nHowever, games, toys and hobbies increased in price, partly offsetting those declines.\n\nThe figures reflect the fact that most of the country was in some form of Covid lockdown during the month.\n\nAnalysts also pointed to November's Black Friday sales, saying clothing retailers offered bigger discounts than usual this year.\n\nThe ONS said there had been media reports that some Black Friday sales might have spread further across the month.\n\nGames and toys became more expensive as people tried to amuse themselves while their movements were restricted.\n\nNormally, prices for clothes fall each year in summer sales before autumn ranges come in, then rise before further sales towards the end of the year, the ONS said.\n\nClothes would usually go up in price in November, the ONS said.\n\nHowever, the coronavirus crisis has changed how prices move.\n\nInflation is the rate at which the prices for goods and services increase.\n\nIt affects everything from mortgages to the cost of our shopping and the price of train tickets.\n\nIt's one of the key measures of financial well-being, because it affects what consumers can buy for their money. If there is inflation, money doesn't go as far.\n\nThe latest Consumer Prices Index figures come amid evidence that shop prices are falling in the run-up to Christmas, as retailers race to clear stock and deal with a \"deepening\" High Street crisis.\n\n\"With significant restrictions in place across the UK, inflation slowed, predominantly due to clothing and food prices. Also, after several months of buoyant growth, second-hand car prices fell back a little,\" said the ONS deputy national statistician for economic statistics, Jonathan Athow.\n\nDiscounts are most common at retailers selling fashion and DIY goods, according to the British Retail Consortium's (BRC) Shop Price Index.\n\nThe sharp fall in inflation \"came as a bit of a surprise\", said Ruth Gregory, senior UK economist at Capital Economics.\n\n\"What we hadn't anticipated was the slump in food inflation from 0.6% to -0.6%, which came despite the boost to demand for food in the supermarkets during the second Covid-19 lockdown.\"\n\nHowever, she added: \"This does not change the big picture that inflation will start to rise more sharply from April when the temporary VAT cut for the hospitality sector is reversed and the downward drag from the previous plunge in fuel prices drops out of the annual comparison.\n\n\"Together these forces could lift inflation to 2% by the middle of next year. But given there will still be some spare capacity in the economy, there seems little danger of inflation rising sustainably above the 2% target unless there is a no-deal Brexit.\"\n\nLaith Khalaf, financial analyst at AJ Bell, said there had been a Black Friday effect, with increased discounting by retailers pushing down the cost of clothing and footwear.\n\n\"Of course, Black Friday occurs every year, but this time around, discounts were particularly steep in clothing sales, which led to an unseasonal fall in prices,\" he said.\n\n\"That highlights the continued pressure on the retail sector, and while price cuts on the shelves are good for consumers, they don't bode well for profits.\"\n\nHannah Audino, economist at PwC, said: \"The acceleration of consumer price growth over the past two months has been cut short.\n\n\"Most of the main groups of goods and services experienced a fall in prices between October and November, including transport, health, recreation and culture.\n\n\"The largest drop in prices came from clothing and footwear as retailers discounted products for Black Friday.\"", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nA long-lost Egyptian artefact has been found in a cigar box in Aberdeen - and it is hoped it could shed new light on the Great Pyramid.\n\nThe chance discovery was made by a member of staff at the University of Aberdeen during a collection review.\n\nThe small fragment of 5,000-year-old wood - which is now in several pieces - is said to be \"hugely significant\".\n\nThe engineer Waynman Dixon originally discovered it among items inside the pyramid's Queens Chamber in 1872.\n\nThe piece of cedar - which it is believed may have been used during the pyramid's construction - was donated to the university in 1946 but then could not be located.\n\nCuratorial assistant Abeer Eladany found it while conducting a review of items housed in the university's Asia collection.\n\nAbeer, who is originally from Egypt and spent 10 years working in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, cross-referenced it with other records.\n\n\"Once I looked into the numbers in our Egypt records I instantly knew what it was, and that it had effectively been hidden in plain sight in the wrong collection,\" she said.\n\n\"I'm an archaeologist and have worked on digs in Egypt but I never imagined it would be here in north-east Scotland that I'd find something so important to the heritage of my own country.\n\n\"It may be just a small fragment of wood, which is now in several pieces, but it is hugely significant given that it is one of only three items ever to be recovered from inside the Great Pyramid.\"\n\nThe wood was originally found in 1872\n\nTwo other items found by Waynman Dixon - a ball and hook - are now housed in the British Museum, but the wood was missing.\n\n\"The university's collections are vast - running to hundreds of thousands of items - so looking for it has been like finding a needle in a haystack,\" Abeer added.\n\n\"I couldn't believe it when I realised what was inside this innocuous-looking cigar tin.\"\n\nAn illustration by Charles Piazzi Smyth of pyramid work\n\nCovid restrictions delayed the dating of the rediscovered cedar fragment.\n\nResults have recently been returned and show that the wood can be dated to somewhere in the period 3341-3094 BC.\n\nThis is said to support the theory that, whatever their use, the so-called Dixon Relics were original to the construction of the Great Pyramid and not later artefacts left behind by those exploring the chambers. But the dating is also surprising as historical records have dated the pyramid itself to a period about 500 years later.\n\nNeil Curtis, head of museums and special collections at the University of Aberdeen, said: \"Finding the missing Dixon Relic was a surprise but the carbon dating has also been quite a revelation. It is even older than we had imagined.\n\n\"This may be because the date relates to the age of the wood, maybe from the centre of a long-lived tree. Alternatively, it could be because of the rarity of trees in ancient Egypt, which meant that wood was scarce, treasured and recycled or cared for over many years.\"\n\nHe added: \"It will now be for scholars to debate its use and whether it was deliberately deposited, as happened later during the New Kingdom, when pharaohs tried to emphasise continuity with the past by having antiquities buried with them.\n\n\"This discovery will certainly reignite interest in the Dixon Relics and how they can shed light on the Great Pyramid.\"\n\nYou might be interested in:\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.", "First Minister Mark Drakeford has said people in Wales should do the least they need to do this Christmas.\n\nThe Welsh Government clarified today that only two households - plus an additional single person who lives alone - will be able to meet at Christmas in Wales.\n\nIt comes despite earlier the prime minister claiming all four UK nations had agreed to stick to an agreement to allow three households to meet.\n\nMr Drakeford said people in Wales need to \"use the freedoms responsibly, carefully and cautiously, and think always of the impact of that will have on your own safety and the safety of others.\"", "Rail fares will rise more than expected next year - although the new inflation-busting 2.6% increase is being delayed until 1 March.\n\nRegulated fares were expected to increase by 1.6% in January, as successive governments linked annual rises to July's RPI inflation rate.\n\nRail minister Chris Heaton-Harris said the rise reflected \"unprecedented taxpayer support\" for rail this year.\n\nBut unions said the rise was a \"kick in the teeth\" for passengers.\n\nAn average increase of 2.6% across all fares will still be the lowest since 2017, and it will only last nine months, until the end of 2021.\n\nHad the rise come in in January it would have equated to a 1.95% jump across the whole year.\n\nUntil 28 February season tickets holders can renew at existing prices and the cost of daily fares will stay the same.\n\nRail travel has been badly hit during the coronavirus crisis, and Mr Heaton-Harris said delaying the price rise from January \"ensures passengers who need to travel have a better deal this year\".\n\nRegulated fares make up about half of fares and include season tickets on most commuter routes. But operators are expected to match their rises for unregulated fares.\n\nIt means, for example, a Brighton-to-London annual season ticket going up by about £129 to £5,109, and a Manchester-to-Glasgow off-peak return rising by £2.30 to £90.60.\n\nThe rail minister said: \"By setting fares sensibly, and with the lowest actual increase for four years, we are ensuring that taxpayers are not overburdened for their unprecedented contribution, ensuring investment is focused on keeping vital services running and protecting frontline jobs.\"\n\nThe government took over rail franchise agreements from train operators in March, following the collapse in demand for travel caused by the virus crisis. This is expected to have cost about £10bn by mid-2021.\n\nThe rise will help recover some of the significantly increased costs met by taxpayers to keep services running during the pandemic, Mr Heaton-Harris said.\n\nJacqueline Starr, chief executive of the Rail Delivery Group, representing train operators, acknowledged that \"passengers will be disappointed\" about the fares rise, adding that \"governments must ultimately decide the balance between how much farepayers and taxpayers pay to run the railway\".\n\nShe added that industry was committed to working with the government to make the fares and ticketing system easier to use.\n\nThe department has written to all operators telling them to begin immediate work on developing flexible season tickets, allowing people who travel two or three days a week to save money compared with buying daily tickets. Firms have been told these must be introduced across England by the end of next year.\n\nAnthony Smith, chief executive of consumer watchdog Transport Focus, said: \"This fare increase makes it even more important that, when travel restrictions start to be lifted, the industry is able to attract people back by offering fares that match how we know people hope to live, work and travel in future.\"\n\nUnion leaders condemned the rise, with Manuel Cortes, general secretary of the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association calling it a \"kick in the teeth for passengers\".\n\nHe continued: \"Ministers are well aware that millions have suffered this year with the uncertainty of employment, a changing picture on furlough provision, pay cuts, wages freezes and lost jobs. So, to reach for a hike in fares of this size is both extortionate and plain daft.\"\n\nMick Cash, general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union, said ticket prices were being \"forced up to subsidise private profit. The time is right for a publicly-owned railway system that delivers reasonable fares for our people as the public and the economy tries to recover and shake off the Covid crisis next year.\"\n\nUpdate 8 January 2021: This story has been amended to remove an example of a season ticket price increase faced by one passenger. The example of a first class ticket was considered to be unrepresentative of the situation faced by the average commuter.", "Pregnant women should be allowed to have one person alongside them during scans, appointments, labour and birth, under new NHS guidance sent to trusts in England.\n\nThe chosen person should be regarded as \"an integral part of both the woman and baby's care\" - not just a visitor.\n\nBut midwives are concerned safety is being sacrificed in favour of popularity.\n\nThey say decisions on access should be left to local maternity staff.\n\nSince the first lockdown, individual hospitals have drawn up their own rules on partners being present, meaning some women have had to give birth unaccompanied.\n\nThe new guidance says pregnant women \"value the support from a partner, relative, friend or other person through pregnancy and childbirth, as it facilitates emotional wellbeing\".\n\nWomen should therefore have access to support \"at all times during their maternity journey\".\n\nAll trusts should now make it easy for this to happen, while keeping the risk of coronavirus transmission within NHS maternity services as low as possible.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. How has giving birth changed during the pandemic?\n\nThe guidance says pregnant women should chose their support person, who does not need to be the co-parent or baby's father.\n\nHospital trusts are being asked to reduce the risks of virus spread by:\n\nThe guidance says support people who test negative should be treated as part of the team supporting the woman.\n\nBut Royal College of Midwives chief executive Gill Walton said: \"With more areas moving into tier-three restrictions, many will question the common sense of releasing this new guidance now.\n\n\"We support and trust local maternity and midwifery leaders to make decisions in the best interest of the women in their care.\n\n\"We trust them to work with health and safety representatives and to follow NHS England's own risk assessment process, which enables maternity services to make decisions about visiting and access for partners and families that are based on current, local information.\"\n\nPregnancy and childbirth doctors said they welcomed the new guidance, recognising how difficult restrictions on birth partners had been for women during the pandemic - but they queried the use of rapid tests to assess risk.\n\n\"We hope the roll-out of rapid testing will increase the time partners who test negative can spend with women and their babies on antenatal and postnatal wards, although we have concerns about the capacity and sensitivity of lateral flow testing to enable maternity services to reopen fully,\" said Dr Edward Morris, President of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.\n\nDr Morris said decisions about visiting and access for partners and families would \"need to be based on local information and testing capacity, and clearly communicated to women and their families\".", "The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have signed a deal with streaming service Spotify to produce and host podcasts.\n\nPrince Harry and Meghan's charity will receive an undisclosed sum from the partnership between their production company, Archewell Audio, and Spotify.\n\nIn a trailer, Prince Harry and Meghan promised \"different perspectives\" and interviews with \"amazing people\".\n\nIt comes after the couple this year signed a Netflix deal to produce a range of programmes and series.\n\nTheir first podcast, due for release during the Christmas period, is described as a holiday special.\n\nThe trailer on the Spotify's website features the duke and duchess promoting the deal, with Harry saying: \"That's what this project is all about, to bring forward different perspectives and voices that perhaps you haven't heard before and find our common ground.\"\n\nAbout the first podcast episode, Meghan said: \"We're talking to some amazing people, they're going to share their memories that have really helped shape this past year which has been, as we know, a difficult one for everyone.\"\n\nPrince Harry said: \"So many people have been through so much pain this year, experiencing loss, a huge amount of uncertainty, but it feels worth acknowledging that 2020 has connected us in ways we could have never imagined, through endless acts of compassion and kindness.\"\n\nThe couple are now living in California after announcing in January that they would be stepping back as senior royals.", "Michael and Emily Eavis say that Glastonbury \"lost millions\" after cancelling in 2020\n\nGlastonbury organiser Emily Eavis says she hopes the festival can go ahead in 2021, despite the \"huge uncertainty\" surrounding live music in the pandemic.\n\n\"We're doing everything we can on our end to plan and prepare,\" she told the BBC, \"but I think we're still quite a long way from being able to say we're confident 2021 will go ahead.\"\n\nEavis said Glastonbury lost \"millions\" in 2020. Her father, Michael, has previously warned the festival \"would seriously go bankrupt\" if they had to cancel again next year.\n\nBut that scenario is unlikely \"as long as we can make a firm call either way in advance\", Eavis clarified to the BBC.\n\nThe live music industry has been hit particularly hard by Covid-19, with more than 90% of the gigs planned for 2020 cancelled.\n\nDespite the arrival of a vaccine and rapid-turnaround tests, there are still uncertainties about when concerts can resume.\n\nOrganisers are also facing difficulties in obtaining cancellation insurance, putting huge sums of money at stake if an event is called off.\n\nEavis and other festival organisers are calling on MPs to create a fund that would cover the cost of events cancelled due to Covid-19 next year, following the example of the German government.\n\nIn an exclusive BBC interview, Eavis added that some sets could be live-streamed from Worthy Farm \"if we can't run the full show next year\"; and that this year's headliners - Paul McCartney, Taylor Swift and Kendrick Lamar - would all be welcomed back in the future.\n\nYou can read the full interview below.\n\nThe festival normally welcomes 200,000 people to Worthy Farm in Somerset every year\n\n2020 was due to be Glastonbury's 50th birthday party. How hard was the decision to cancel?\n\nOh, it was really hard. We obviously had so many plans for the 50th birthday, and it was set to be a full blown celebration. To be honest, we stayed optimistic about being able to run right until the 11th hour. I remember we had a meeting in February where we talked about there being a 10% chance of us being forced to cancel because of Covid. But that chance kept creeping up day by day, and by the middle of March, it had become clear there was simply no way we could plan, build and run the show. So we had to pull it. And within a week of us cancelling, the Covid crisis had moved up several levels and the whole summer's events had basically shut down.\n\nThousands of fans really want to be back at Worthy Farm next June. At this point, what would you say the odds are?\n\nI can't tell you how much we'd love to welcome everyone back to the farm! It's been way too quiet here this year and we want to get people back here as soon as we possibly can. Obviously the vaccine news in recent weeks has increased our chances, but I think we're still quite a long way from being able to say we're confident 2021 will go ahead.\n\nWe're doing everything we can on our end to plan and prepare, but there are still just so many unknowns and factors which are completely out of our control. What we definitely can't afford to risk is getting too far into the process of next year, only for it to be snatched away from us again. We lost millions this year, and we can't risk that happening again.\n\nWhat changes would have to be made to ensure the festival can go ahead?\n\nThat's sort of the issue, really: It's just too early to say. We're talking about a situation where the goalposts move weekly and sometimes daily. Clearly the vaccine is being rolled out, and that's great news, but there isn't yet any kind of clarity or consensus on what things will look like in May - when we'd usually have thousands of staff on site - or June, when we'd obviously have the festival.\n\nWe're doing everything we can to plan for next year. The hard part is understanding exactly what we'll be planning for, and what impact that will have on what we're able to do. But, right now, I'm not sure there's anything we could do that would completely ensure we can welcome 200,000 people to spend six days in some fields in June 2021.\n\nThis year's Pyramid stage headliners were due to be Taylor Swift, Kendrick Lamar and Paul McCartney\n\nYour dad said Glastonbury would go bankrupt if you had to cancel again in 2021. Is that still the case?\n\nWell, it certainly wouldn't be good news if we got to the week of the Festival - having obviously spent a huge amount of time and money building the event - and then heard a few days before gates opening that we weren't allowed to go ahead. But, as long as we can make a firm call either way well in advance, then we'll be OK. The next few weeks are going to be crucial, really. They'll hopefully give us a much better idea of what is and isn't going to be possible.\n\nThe House of Commons culture select committee has launched an inquiry into the future of the festival industry. What support would you like to see being offered?\n\nI think everyone - including government - wants there to be festivals next summer. But because of the huge uncertainty I just spoke about, and the fact that events take months to plan, there's a huge risk for organisers that they'll spend an awful lot of money and then see their events being cancelled for reasons completely outside of their control. And when those events go down, a huge number of jobs and livelihoods will disappear again too.\n\nSo, for that reason, I would certainly love for the UK government to offer some kind of support for events in the case that they are forced to cancel. Germany announced a €2.5bn (£2.3bn) event cancellation fund last week, and the whole UK festival industry would certainly welcome something similar from our government.\n\nThis summer, we should have seen Kendrick Lamar, Paul McCartney and Taylor Swift headlining the Pyramid Stage - what are the chances that they'll come back for 2021?\n\nWell, I certainly hope they'll be coming at some point! Again, it's much too soon for us to be able to confirm line-up for 2021, but we were so pleased with our line-up for 2020 and I really hope all three of those headliners will be here at the farm before too long.\n\nNow that Taylor has started recording indie albums in a woodland cabin, will she have to be re-booked for the acoustic stage?\n\nGood question! She'd be great there, wouldn't she? Her album has been a soundtrack to us on Worthy Farm this year, and rather than imagining what could have been, I've definitely been listening to it imagining what eventually will be! That moment is definitely coming.\n\nAnd when she does finally come and deliver a Pyramid headline set, she's welcome to play as many sets in other venues as she fancies! I certainly get the impression she'll be staying for the whole weekend and getting stuck in.\n\nDua Lipa was due to headline Glastonbury's Other Stage, having previously played the John Peel tent in 2017 and 2018\n\nWhat was the music that got you through the lockdown?\n\nOh, so many things. It feels like we've had music on constantly. Taylor, Laura Marling, Nick Cave, Phoebe Bridgers, Michael Kiwanuka, Dua Lipa, Sault and Bob Dylan have all been on heavy rotation.\n\nLivestreams and virtual gigs really took off this year. Did you tune in? And were there any that particularly impressed you?\n\nThey've been great, haven't they? We've watched quite a few. I absolutely loved Dua Lipa's one. It was designed by the team behind Block9, one of our late-night areas, and it really captured that proper club feel. It had us dancing around in the living room, by the fire. It really set the bar for live streams, I think, and I heard 5 million people tuned in, which is huge.\n\nThere's a unique feeling that comes with sharing a music event online with millions of others, knowing everyone else is stuck at home too. It's a new sensation, the 2020 version of gigs, and I think we've needed those connections.\n\nWe're actually looking into the possibility of streaming some things from here if we can't run the full show next year. We really want to get busy with planning some gigs - even if they're to be streamed!\n\nThis YouTube post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on YouTube The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts. Skip youtube video by BBC Music This article contains content provided by Google YouTube. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Google’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts.\n\nThe BBC showed highlights from its Glastonbury archive over the summer… Did you wallow in the nostalgia like the rest of us?\n\nAbsolutely! It was certainly a bittersweet weekend for us, but the BBC created what I was just talking about, a shared weekend of musical reflection and connection. And I don't normally get to watch Glastonbury on the telly! It was really lovely.\n\nAnd there's no doubt that watching crowds of people experiencing something together has a new level of emotion attached to it now. That's why I think live music is going to return bigger and brighter - and also more moving and joyous - than ever. I can't wait for the next time I'm at a big show.\n\nOutside of music, what's the main thing that's helped you survive 2020?\n\nI was thinking the other day, actually, it almost feels like we've been as busy this year as any year, trying to plan and manage the difficult situations we've found ourselves in. But at the same time, I am hugely aware that I'm really lucky to have experienced these crazy times in good health and with my family, surrounded by Somerset countryside. Those are things which have definitely made this whole thing much easier to survive than the experiences of so many other people. I really can't complain at all.\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "Test to Release, a new system meant to cut quarantine times for travellers arriving in England, has been beset with problems on its first day.\n\nTravellers are allowed to end self-isolation early if they pay for a coronavirus test and get a negative result five days after arriving.\n\nThe government picked 11 firms to carry out the private tests.\n\nBut some of the largest Covid test providers were not included and many on the list have hit problems.\n\nAirlines UK, the trade body for airlines, admitted there had been \"teething problems\", but said these would be resolved. \"Today is only the start - the end goal is the removal of quarantine altogether - but it's a positive beginning to what we hope will be the recovery of our sector,\" the group said.\n\nWhen the scheme launched on Tuesday morning, some test providers were overwhelmed with the sheer volume of demand from the public. One supplier has pulled out completely.\n\nSameDayDoctor asked to be withdrawn from the programme after being inundated with requests for tests.\n\nIt posted a message on its website stating: \"Unfortunately we have been so overwhelmed with requests for Test to Release that we cannot answer any more emails nor take any more bookings.\"\n\nAnother approved provider, Axiom, said it couldn't take bookings but an update would be available \"soon\", while another, Medicspot, told visitors to its website to register their interest.\n\nDr Laurence Gerlis, chief executive of SameDayDoctor, said he was initially delighted to have made the approved list.\n\n\"Getting on that list was the hardest thing I have ever done,\" he said. \"The paperwork was so thorough it took a full week. I was so proud to have been accredited and to be able to help. We went live at 7pm on Monday but were so overwhelmed it was clear we would struggle.\n\n\"Four hours later I emailed the government and asked to be taken off the list. We were inundated.\n\n\"I actually ended up in tears. We had to let so many people down. People had been relying on getting the test in order to come out of quarantine for all sorts of reasons. One of the most upsetting things I heard was a patient saying they needed the test because they knew this Christmas visit would be the last one they would be able to spend with their mother.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. How do I quarantine after returning from abroad?\n\nCollinson, which has had testing set up at Heathrow and Manchester Airport for months, was not put on the list until later on Tuesday. The firm had initially told the BBC it was \"surprised and disappointed\" not be on the government's list of private providers.\n\nThe Department for Transport later confirmed that Collinson was now on the list. The company's joint chief executive David Evans said Test to Release \"is a significant positive step forward that will help the aviation sector open up travel safely\".\n\nPeople arriving in the UK from destinations on the government's travel corridors list are exempt from the 10-day self isolation requirement.\n\nThe Test to Release programme was designed to benefit people arriving from other locations.\n\nPaul Charles, chief executive of travel consultancy The PC Agency, told the PA news agency: \"It's a chaotic start for a system that was flagged as a solution to recovery in the travel sector, but it's been weeks in planning and has taken minutes to fall apart.\n\n\"I think most people just won't pay for a test because they can't guarantee they're going to get the results quickly, so they may as well just opt to spend two or three more days in quarantine and save the money.\"\n\nRichard Burge, chief executive of the London Chamber of Commerce, said: \"It defies belief that the Government's long-awaited aviation Test To Release scheme has, within hours, proved to be unworkable.\"\n\n\"The return of international business travel and tourism is critical to London and the UK's economic recovery. This requires competent and proven testing companies.\n\nThe Prime Minister's official spokesman told the Press Association: \"We have made this option available to international travellers and we are working to approve more test providers.\"", "Aberdeen has seen a sharp rise in cases over the past week\n\nThree Scottish council areas are to have tougher coronavirus restrictions imposed from Friday in a bid to reverse rising numbers of cases.\n\nAberdeen, Aberdeenshire and East Lothian will all move from level two to level three of the five-tiered system.\n\nIt means people will no longer be allowed to travel outside of their own council area unless it is essential.\n\nPubs, cafes and restaurants will have to stop serving alcohol and must shut at 18:00.\n\nAnd indoor entertainment venues such as cinemas, bingo halls and amusement arcades will also have to close.\n\nAll of the country's other 29 council areas will remain in their current levels, including Edinburgh - which had been pushing to be downgraded from level three to level two.\n\nIt means that 80% of Scotland's population - about 4.35 million people - across 21 local authorities will be living under the level three rules when the changes come into force at 18:00 on Friday.\n\nThey include the 11 areas in western and central Scotland which were downgraded from the highest level four category last week.\n\nOnly four - Angus, Argyll and Bute, Falkirk and Inverclyde - remain in level two.\n\nHowever, Argyll and Bute is likely to move down to level one next week - and people living on the outer Argyll islands such as Islay, Mull and Iona will be able to meet in houses in groups of up to six from two households from Friday of this week.\n\nThe Scottish Borders, Dumfries and Galloway, Highland, Moray, Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles are all already in level one, with no councils currently in the lowest level zero tier.\n\nAll of the levels will be reviewed again next Tuesday as a precaution ahead of the festive period.\n\nCase numbers in Aberdeen have increased from 76 cases per 100,000 to 122 over the past week, and in East Lothian from 69 per 100,000 people to 116.\n\nThe increase in Aberdeenshire has not been quite as sharp, but cases there are also rising.\n\nAlexander Burnett, the Scottish Conservative MSP for Aberdeenshire West, said it was \"extremely disappointing\" that the area had been moved to level three so close to Christmas, and called for extra financial support to be put in place by the Scottish government.\n\nHe added: \"Our hospitality sector has been decimated by repeated closures and this is likely to hurt even more during what is supposed to be one of their busiest periods.\"\n\nEast Lothian Council said its move to level three was disappointing but understandable given the high infection rates in the area in recent weeks.\n\nTory councillor Douglas Lumsden, the co-leader of Aberdeen City Council, said he was \"not too surprised\" by the decision to move the area up to level three, but questioned role of the hospitality sector in spreading the virus.\n\nAnd the Scottish Licensed Traders Association said continual uncertainty over the levels was \"hugely unfair\" on businesses which were being expected to \"switch on and off like a tap\".\n\nIt added: \"It's not just a case of opening the doors - premises have to order supplies and organise staff rotas. Many have already taken the decision to remain closed until 2021 because of this uncertainty.\"\n\nSpeaking as she announced the changes, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon acknowledged that the level three restrictions would cause \"real and continued difficulties for many businesses\", particularly in the hospitality sector.\n\nBut she insisted that the move was essential to bring the virus under control again.\n\nNine cases of a new strain of the virus have now been detected in Scotland after emerging in the south of England\n\nMs Sturgeon said Angus and Falkirk would both be monitored \"very carefully\" over the next week after a rise in cases in both areas, with a move to level three not being ruled out.\n\nCases have also \"increased quite sharply\" in East Ayrshire, North Ayrshire and Fife, she said, adding: \"While the changes in these areas do not warrant a move to level four at this stage, we will be monitoring the situation very closely over the next few days.\"\n\nAnd she said it would be \"deeply irresponsible\" to ease restrictions in Edinburgh or neighbouring Midlothian as cases were rising sharply in both.\n\nThe rate in Edinburgh has increased from 70 to 100 per 100,000 over the past week, and in Midlothian from 88 to 147 per 100,000, with test positivity rates also increasing in both areas.\n\nMs Sturgeon took part in a four-nation call with leaders from around the UK later on Tuesday, which she told MSPs she had requested after a new strain of the virus was identified in England.\n\nNine cases of the new strain have now been confirmed in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board area, the first minister confirmed.\n\nThe talks were aimed at examining whether changes should be made to the planned relaxation of Covid-19 restrictions across the UK over Christmas, which will allow eight people from three households to mix indoors between 23 and 27 December.\n\nThey broke up with no decision being reached, although further discussions have been scheduled for Wednesday.\n\nSpeaking ahead of the meeting, Ms Sturgeon said: \"I do think there is a case for us looking at whether we tighten the flexibilities that were given any further, in terms of duration and numbers of people meeting.\"\n\nThe first minister said she would prefer to come to an agreed position across the UK, but said the Scottish government would \"consider what we think is appropriate\" if this was not possible.\n\nThe planned relaxation of the rules at Christmas has been described as a \"rash decision\" that will \"cost many lives\" by the both the Health Service Journal and British Medical Journal.\n\nScottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie said the rising number of cases across many parts of Scotland ahead of the festive break showed that the journals were right.\n\nHe added: \"It is rather concerning that the first minister was unable to tell parliament what position she would be advocating on behalf of Scotland in intergovernmental discussions planned for this afternoon.\"\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer has called on ministers to hold an emergency review of the Christmas plans.", "The publisher of a book about cancel culture by Julie Burchill has cancelled it after the writer was accused of Islamophobia on Twitter.\n\nThe book, Welcome to the Woke Trials, had been due to be published by Little, Brown in April.\n\nBut Burchill got embroiled with a row with fellow writer Ash Sarkar.\n\nLittle, Brown said her comments were \"not defensible from a moral or intellectual standpoint\" and \"crossed a line with regard to race and religion\".\n\nA statement from the company said: \"We will no longer be publishing Julie Burchill's book. This is not a decision we have taken lightly.\n\n\"We believe passionately in freedom of speech at Little, Brown and we have always published authors with controversial or challenging perspectives - and we will continue to do so.\n\n\"While there is no legal definition of hate speech in the UK, we believe that Julie's comments on Islam are not defensible from a moral or intellectual standpoint, that they crossed a line with regard to race and religion, and that her book has now become inextricably linked with those views.\"\n\nWriting on Facebook, Burchill said the publishers had told her there was \"also a concern that the line might be crossed again during the promotion of the book\", to which she added: \"I'LL SAY!\"\n\nSarkar accused Burchill of Islamophobia after the Sunday Telegraph columnist made comments about the age of one of the Prophet Muhammad's wives.\n\nAccording to Little, Brown's official description, Welcome to the Woke Trials was inspired by the \"vitriolic reaction\" Burchill received in response to an article she wrote for The Observer in 2013, after which she was \"pursued by the outrage mob\".\n\nThe publisher billed it as \"part-memoir and part-indictment of what happened to Burchill between then and now, as the regiments of the woke took over\".", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. \"I was told prepare my children for the worst\"\n\nA terminally ill cancer patient has been given the all-clear after becoming the first woman in Wales to be given a pioneering treatment.\n\nHelen Wynne Hughes, 32, was given CAR-T treatment that uses the body's own cells to fight cancer.\n\nThe mother-of-three, from Denbighshire, had the therapy earlier this year after other treatments failed.\n\n\"When the doctor said it was clear... we were in tears. Finally, there was no cancer at all,\" she said.\n\nWhatever Covid restrictions may be in place this Christmas, it is set to be special for the Hughes family.\n\nIt is a world away from a year ago when Helen was making memory boxes for her three young children - Aled, four, Tomos, two, and 19-month-old Beca.\n\n\"I had to tell them 'perhaps it is mummy's last Christmas',\" she recalled.\n\n\"They are so small, it was very hard. Making memory boxes, looking back thinking I might not get to do things with them again.\"\n\nHelen feared last Christmas would be her last\n\nThis festive period will also bring back memories of when this ordeal began.\n\nIt was Christmas Eve 2018 when she was told scans had revealed a mass on her chest \"the size of a grapefruit\".\n\nShe had felt unwell during her third pregnancy, only to be diagnosed with lymphoma.\n\n\"I was allowed to go home on Christmas Day to see the children open their presents and have lunch,\" she recalled.\n\n\"But I only managed two hours as I was so ill.\"\n\nHelen, from Ruthin, started chemotherapy almost immediately and 10 weeks later, she gave birth to her \"bundle of joy\" Beca.\n\nHowever last autumn she was given the devastating news that the cancer was unresponsive and had spread to her bones, liver, lungs.\n\n\"I was told to prepare my children for the worst,\" she said..\n\nHelen and Elgan were married in 2019 when she was told the treatments were not working\n\nEarly this year, Helen was offered a glimmer of hope when she was told she qualified for the new Chimeric Antigen Receptors Cell Therapy (CAR-T) treatment that had just been approved by the NHS.\n\n\"CAR-T was the last hope for me. I'd do anything,\" she said.\n\nHelen and husband Elgan had looked into getting the treatment privately but the estimated £500,000 bill made it \"out of our reach\".\n\nIt is a \"living drug\" that is tailor-made for each patient using their body's own cells\n\nFirstly, parts of the immune system - specifically white blood cells called T-cells - are removed from the patient's blood, frozen in liquid nitrogen and sent to laboratories in the United States.\n\nThere, the white blood cells are genetically reprogrammed so that rather than killing bacteria and viruses, they will seek out and destroy cancer.\n\nThey are now \"chimeric antigen receptor T-cells\" - or CAR-T cells.\n\nMillions of the modified cells are grown in the lab, before being shipped back to the UK where they are infused into the patient's bloodstream.\n\nAs this is a \"living drug\", the cancer-killing T-cells stay in the body for a long time and will continue to grow and work inside the patient.\n\nHelen spent five weeks at The Christie Hospital cancer centre in Manchester when the first coronavirus lockdown had just started.\n\n\"There were some quite shocking side effects,\" she said.\n\n\"I couldn't remember who I was, I couldn't eat and I couldn't walk properly but it was all worth it.\"\n\nThe family then faced an agonising six-month wait to learn whether the treatment had worked.\n\nLast week she was finally given the news she had craved, that the cancer \"had all gone\".\n\nHelen Wynne Hughes was diagnosed with lymphoma while pregnant with daughter Beca\n\n\"I was prepared for the worst but luckily CAR-T has saved my life,\" she said.\n\n\"I feel quite proud being the first female from Wales to have the treatment and hopefully many more after me will be allowed to have the treatment.\"\n\nWhile she still receives monthly blood transfusions because her immune system is \"at rock bottom\", she is now also looking for a stem cell donor and hoping to go back to work as a primary school teacher later next year.\n\n\"The stem cell treatment will hopefully mean the cancer can't return,\" she said. \"So I'm looking for a match.\"", "The LGBT-owned kilt producer pulled the yellow kilts from shelves in response to Proud Boys\n\nA Virginia kilt company is \"disgusted\" that their yellow kilts were worn by the far-right Proud Boys.\n\nMembers of the group were seen sporting the bright garments at a pro-Trump rally this weekend in Washington DC.\n\nThe Proud Boys are an all-male group of self-proclaimed \"Western chauvinists\" with a history of street violence.\n\nVerillas - the LGBT-owned brand - says the \"nightmare scenario\" has forced them to pull the kilts from the shelves.\n\nExtremist groups in the US often adopt or appropriate items of clothing as quasi-uniforms that indicate their allegiance and make them recognisable to others.\n\nOver the weekend, videos on social media showcased a row of Proud Boys in bright yellow Verillas kilts mooning the crowd gathered around them, with \"[expletive] antifa\" written on their bare bottoms.\n\nAntifa is a group of mostly far-left activists who have repeatedly clashed with the Proud Boys.\n\nVerillas owner Allister Greenbrier - a bisexual entrepreneur of Scottish descent - expressed shock and dismay that his brand was associated with the group.\n\n\"I was appalled, angry and frustrated because they are the opposite of everything our brand stands for,\" he told the BBC, noting that the men had initially claimed to be a metal band looking for kilts.\n\n\"I was quite angry. I had to calm down a bit, but we decided we really didn't want their money.\"\n\nIn a message on Twitter, Verillas announced a donation of $1,000 (£745) - a sum exceeding the Proud Boys' purchase - to the anti-racism organisation National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Verillas This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nAside from pulling the offending garment off its racks, the company is also offering free colour exchanges for anybody who had previously purchased its yellow kilts.\n\nMr Greenbrier says his brand is going to attach charitable donations to their product lines moving forward.\n\n\"I can't control who buys my product, but if they're buying our product, they're putting their money towards a good cause and I think they won't be too happy when they find out they accidentally bought from a company that's really fighting for the opposite of what they believe in,\" he says.\n\n\"We want to turn hate into love,\" Mr Greenbrier added.\n\n\"The loud outpouring of support we've gotten has really turned around a nightmare scenario and shown that a lot of people support the same message we believe in.\"\n\nIt is not the first time the Proud Boys have caused trouble for a clothing brand.\n\nEarlier this year, British clothing company Fred Perry halted US sales of its polo shirts after the clothing item became a regular part of the Proud Boys' \"uniform\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Trump: \"I don't know who the Proud Boys are\"", "I have one simple rule for making sense of \"new variant\" or \"new strain\" coronavirus stories.\n\nAsk: \"Has the virus's behaviour changed?\"\n\nA mutated virus sounds instinctively scary, but to mutate and change is what viruses do.\n\nMost of the time it is either a meaningless tweak or the virus alters itself in such a way that it gets worse at infecting us and the new variant just dies out.\n\nOccasionally it hits on a new winning formula.\n\nThere is no clear-cut evidence the new variant of coronavirus - which has been detected in south-east England - is able to transmit more easily, cause more serious symptoms or render the vaccine useless.\n\nHowever, there are two reasons scientists are keeping a close eye on it.\n\nThe first is that levels of the variant are higher in places where cases are higher.\n\nIt is a warning sign, although it can be interpreted in two ways.\n\nThe virus could have mutated to spread more easily and is causing more infections.\n\nBut variants can also get a lucky break by infecting the right people at the right time. One explanation for the spread of the \"Spanish strain\" over the summer was simply people catching it on holiday and then bringing it home.\n\nIt will take experiments in the laboratory to figure out if this variant really is a better spreader than all the others.\n\nThe other issue that is raising scientific eyebrows is how the virus has mutated.\n\n\"It has a surprisingly large number of mutations, more than we would expect, and a few look interesting,\" Prof Nick Loman from the COVID-19 Genomics UK (COG-UK) Consortium told me.\n\nThere are two notable sets of mutation - and I apologise for their hideous names.\n\nBoth are found in the crucial spike protein, which is the key the virus uses to unlock the doorway into our body's cells in order to hijack them.\n\nThe mutation N501 (I did warn you) alters the most important part of the spike, known as the \"receptor-binding domain\".\n\nThis is where the spike makes first contact with the surface of our body's cells. Any changes that make it easier for the virus to get inside are likely to give it an edge.\n\n\"It looks and smells like an important adaptation,\" said Prof Loman.\n\nMass vaccination will put a different kind of pressure on the virus because it will have to change in order to infect people who have been immunised\n\nThe other mutation - a H69/V70 deletion - has emerged several times before, including famously in infected mink.\n\nThe concern was that antibodies from the blood of survivors was less effective at attacking that variant of virus.\n\nAgain, it is going to take more laboratory studies to really understand what is going on.\n\nProf Alan McNally, from the University of Birmingham, said: \"We know there's a variant, we know nothing about what that means biologically.\n\n\"It is far too early to make any inference on how important this may or may not be.\"\n\nMutations to the spike protein lead to questions about the vaccine because the three leading jabs - Pfizer, Moderna and Oxford - all train the immune system to attack the spike.\n\nHowever, the body learns to attack multiple parts of the spike. That is why health officials remain convinced the vaccine will work against this variant.\n\nThis is a virus that evolved in animals and made the jump to infecting people around a year ago.\n\nSince then it has been picking up around two mutations a month - take a sample today and compare it to the first ones from Wuhan in China and there would be around 25 mutations separating them.\n\nCoronavirus is still trying out different combinations of mutations to properly nail infecting humans.\n\nWe have seen this happen before: The emergence and global dominance of another variant (G614) is seen by many as the virus getting better at spreading.\n\nBut soon mass vaccination will put a different kind of pressure on the virus because it will have to change in order to infect people who have been immunized.\n\nIf this does drive the evolution of the virus, we may have to regularly update the vaccines, as we do for flu, to keep up.", "\"Too feminist\" - Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo's mocking response after being told she had broken the law by naming too many women to senior posts.\n\nEleven women and five men had been promoted in 2018, breaching a national 2013 rule designed to bring about gender parity in employment.\n\nThe Paris authorities are being fined €90,000 ($109,000; £81,000) by the public service ministry.\n\n\"I am happy to announce we have been fined,\" Ms Hidalgo said.\n\nThe 2013 rule meant no more than 60% of new appointments to management positions in public service should go to one sex. Ms Hidalgo's recruitment drive saw 69% of the jobs go to women.\n\nAddressing a council meeting, the Socialist mayor joked: \"The management of the city hall has, all of a sudden, become far too feminist.\"\n\nBut she also highlighted a continuing lag in the promotion of women to senior positions in France and the need to accelerate progress towards parity by appointing more women than men.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Paris Deputy Mayor Audrey Pulvar says it \"will be an honour to pay the fine\"\n\n\"This fine is obviously absurd, unfair, irresponsible and dangerous,\" she said.\n\nFrance's Public Service Minister Amélie de Montchalin responded on Twitter, pointing out that the law had been changed since 2018.\n\nIn 2019, fines were dropped for appointing too many women or too many men to new jobs, as long as the overall gender balance was not affected.\n\nShe invited Ms Hidalgo to discuss how to promote women in public service and said the fine would go towards \"concrete actions\".", "Some Covid restrictions are being reintroduced in response to the Omicron variant.\n\nCheck what the rules are in your area by entering your postcode or council name below.\n\nA modern browser with JavaScript and a stable internet connection is required to view this interactive. What are the rules in your area? Enter a full UK postcode or council name to find out\n\nIf you cannot see the look-up, click here.\n\nThe rules highlighted in the search tool are a selection of the key government restrictions in place in your area.\n\nAlways check your relevant national and local authority website for more information on the situation where you live. Also check local guidance before travelling to others parts of the UK.\n\nAll the guidance in our search look-up comes from national government websites.\n\nFor more information on national measures see:\n\nFind out how the pandemic has affected your area and how it compares with the national average by following this link to an in depth guide to the numbers involved.", "At Prime Minister’s Questions, Labour leader Keir Starmer said that “In three out of four tier two areas, infections are going up. In over half of the tier three areas, infections are going up.”\n\nWhen England exited its second national lockdown on December 2, 119 of the country’s 316 local authorities were placed into tier three areas.\n\nOf these areas, rolling weekly case rates have increased in 61 of them (although the latest day the government has released these numbers for is December 10) – or just over a half.\n\nAnd case rates are increasing in an even higher proportion of tier two areas – 159 out of 195 local authorities placed in tier two areas have cases growing.\n\nSo Mr Starmer is correct in both of his claims.\n\nCase rates are increasing in a higher proportion of local authorities in the South of England than those in the North or Midlands.\n\nCase rates show the proportion of the population who have tested positive for coronavirus in any given week. This can though be influenced by the amount of tests done in an area.\n\nHowever, weekly admissions to hospital, which can be a metric of serious coronavirus cases, have also started increasing again.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Great British Bake Off judge Prue Leith gets the coronavirus vaccine\n\nThe Great British Bake Off judge Prue Leith has become one of the first people to receive the Covid-19 vaccine.\n\nThe 80-year-old posted an image on Twitter of her receiving the vaccination while wearing a mask.\n\n\"Who wouldn't want immunity from Covid-19 with a painless jab??\" she asked in the tweet.\n\nThe rollout of the vaccine began in the UK last week, with healthcare workers, people living in care homes and the elderly being prioritised.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Prue Leith This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nLeith was also filmed receiving the vaccine, asking afterwards: \"Have you done it? I didn't even feel it.\"\n\nShe added the process was \"amazing\" and \"so efficient\".\n\nNoel Fielding, who co-hosts Bake Off, reacted to the news of his colleague being among the first wave of people in the world to be vaccinated against coronavirus.\n\n\"Always the most classy glamorous person in the room. Love you Prue x\", commented Fielding on Instagram.\n\nPrue Leith replaced Mary Berry on The Great British Bake Off when it moved to Channel 4\n\nFormer Bake Off winner Dr Rahul Mandal, wrote: \"Yes!! You just look as gorgeous in the tent as when you are taking your jab!!\"\n\nLeith joined Bake Off in 2017, replacing Mary Berry, when it moved from the BBC to Channel 4.\n\nPrior to joining the series, Leith appeared on BBC Two's Great British Menu for 11 years.\n\nThe latest series of Bake Off was initially halted by the Covid-19 pandemic.\n\nFilming was completed at the end of the summer, with the cast and crew following strict health protocols.\n\nThe series saw 20-year-old Peter Sawkins triumph - making him the youngest winner to date.\n\nThe first vaccine to be declared safe and effective and approved for mass use by UK regulators is made by Pfizer-BioNTech.\n\nThe company has manufacturing sites in Europe and the US. Initial vaccine doses for the UK are being produced at Pfizer's site in Puurs, Belgium.\n\nThe military have been called on to help, and some sports stadiums and conference centres are being converted into temporary vaccination centres.\n\nThe aim is to inoculate tens of millions of UK residents within months, with those in the higher risk health categories going first.\n\nThose receiving it will be given a booster jab 21 days after their first dose.\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "PC Andrew Harper got married four weeks before he was killed\n\nThe killers of PC Andrew Harper will not have their sentences increased after judges rejected the attorney general's case that they were \"unduly lenient\".\n\nSuella Braverman QC had argued Henry Long, Albert Bowers and Jessie Cole should be handed longer jail terms.\n\nShe said the sentences of the three men had caused \"widespread public concern\".\n\nPC Harper died after he was dragged for more than a mile behind a car driven by Long, 19, in Berkshire in August 2019.\n\nThe Thames Valley Police officer became tangled in a strap attached to the back of the car as he tried to apprehend the teenagers, who were suspected of stealing a quad bike.\n\nFollowing a trial at the Old Bailey, Long, Bowers and Cole were all cleared of murder but convicted of manslaughter.\n\nLong was jailed for 16 years, while getaway car passengers Bowers and Cole, both 18, were sentenced to 13 years each.\n\nDame Victoria Sharp said at the hearing earlier that their applications to reduce their sentences had also been refused.\n\nJessie Cole (l) and Albert Bowers (r) were convicted along with Henry Long (centre) in July\n\nCole and Bowers launched separate appeals against their convictions for manslaughter, which were also rejected.\n\nFollowing the judgement, a spokesman for the attorney general said she believed the sentences should be increased, but \"respects the decision of the Court of Appeal\".\n\nPC Harper, 28, from Wallingford, Oxfordshire, had been married to his wife Lissie for four weeks when he died.\n\nMrs Harper, 29, said in a statement she was \"disappointed\" and the sentences \"do not reflect the severity and barbarity of the crimes they committed\".\n\n\"I continue to feel let down by our justice system and the inadequate laws that we have in place,\" she said.\n\nMrs Harper has been campaigning for a change to the law to increase the sentences of those who kill emergency services workers.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Lissie Harper gives a statement after the decision\n\nIn their judgement, Dame Victoria Sharp, Lord Justice Holroyde and Mr Justice William Davis said PC Harper's family had the \"profound sympathy of the nation\".\n\nThey said \"no one\" doubted the \"seriousness of the offending in this case\", the \"importance of the fact that the victim was a police officer engaged in performing his duty\" and the \"gravity of the harm caused\".\n\nBut they added that trial judge Mr Justice Edis \"had to sentence three young offenders for manslaughter, not for murder\" and that \"mere disagreement with his decisions as to the nature and length of the appropriate sentences provides neither a ground for finding the sentencing to have been unduly lenient nor a ground for finding a sentence to have been wrong in principle or manifestly excessive\".\n\nThe judges said the attorney general's argument, that the sentences of Bowers and Cole were unduly lenient because the judge did not \"depart\" from the sentencing guidelines, was \"to say the least, an unusual submission\".\n\nFollow BBC South on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to south.newsonline@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "The former president posts that he has been told to report to a grand jury, \"which almost always means an Arrest\".", "More than 130,000 people have been vaccinated in the first week of the UK's vaccination programme.\n\nMinister Nadhim Zahawi, who is in charge of vaccine rollout, tweeted 137,897 people had been given their first doses of the Pfizer / BioNTech jab between 8 and 15 December.\n\nHe described it as a \"really good start\" for the programme.\n\nThe figure only captures the start of the community vaccination programme run by GPs which launched on Monday.\n\nAbout 200 of these local vaccination clinics are expected to be up and running by the end of the week.\n\nThey will be followed by another 1,000 in the coming weeks.\n\nThe government wants to offer everyone over 50 and younger adults with health conditions a vaccine - about 25 million people.\n\nBut the National Audit Office has warned \"complex logistical challenges\" remain.\n\nIt said thousands of extra staff would be needed to deliver vaccinations on the scale being talked about - the government has committed to offering all over 50s and younger adults with health conditions a vaccine.\n\nIt said hospitals and GP-run local clinics would not be able to do this on their own.\n\nBut it added the government had worked \"quickly and effectively\" to secure access to vaccines - contracts have been signed giving priority access to five different jabs.\n\nIt estimated the vaccination programme, including manufacturing, purchasing and delivering the jabs, could cost up to £12bn.\n\nDuring the first week, more than 70 hospitals took part in the vaccination programme - with another 10 starting this week.\n\nMr Zahawi said the figures were provisional and from next week there would be published data available.\n\n\"Transparency is vital as we deliver vaccines across the UK,\" Mr Zahawi added.\n\nHealth Secretary Matt Hancock said: \"This is just the start and we will steadily expand our vaccination programme - ultimately helping everyone get back to normal life.\"\n\nThe over-80s have been invited for vaccination first, along with some health and care staff.\n\nBut the highest priority group, care-home residents, have only just started to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech jab.\n\nIt has to be kept in in large batches in ultra-cold storage.\n\nAnd the NHS had been waiting for guidance on how it can be safely taken into care homes.", "Model railway maker Hornby is pausing all international orders until January next year because of uncertainty around post-Brexit trade rules.\n\n\"We hope you can understand the difficult position we are in and remain patient with us until we can find a solution,\" the company said on Twitter.\n\nHornby, which also makes Corgi cars and Scalextric racing kits, said non-UK orders can resume on 4 January 2021.\n\nThe company said port congestion issues are also affecting its operations.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Hornby This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nIt is still unclear what rules will apply to UK-EU trade after the transition period ends on 31 December, but talks negotiations are continuing this week after the two sides failed to reach a deal by an agreed deadline on Sunday.\n\nHowever, time is running out and businesses say they need clarity.\n\nIf a free trade deal can't be done, tariffs, extra taxes, are expected to be added to goods imported from the EU, and on British products exported to the bloc.\n\nHornby boss Lyndon Davies said: \"Within Europe people are already asking us: 'If I buy something, are those tariffs already included in your pricing?' Because we don't know what's going to happen, it's just a very difficult position.\"\n\nThere are also huge problems shipping products to the UK, because of bottlenecks at ports such Felixstowe and Southampton, Mr Davies said.\n\nSome shipping firms have been bypassing UK ports and unloading cargo in continental ports instead, to avoid the congestion and delays.\n\n\"I had a ship that should have arrived three weeks ago with Batman vs Joker Micro Scalextric sets. They've travelled the world. They've been to Rotterdam, Rotterdam was busy. We couldn't get a truck,\" Mr Davies said.\n\n\"You've got a pandemic, you've got Brexit, you've got a container shortage. It's chaos.\"\n\nThe Hornby boss said the political leaders engaging in trade negotiations \"aren't living in the real world\".\n\n\"We as a country, we're shuffling the deck chairs as the Titanic is sinking. People who are having these talks just don't understand how the real world operates. They think at the last minute they can come up with a solution. People are going to be losing jobs.\"\n\nMany UK companies have spent the last few months stockpiling goods and materials imported from abroad to mitigate against possible disruption to trade and supply chains at the end of the year. Mr Davies said he began \"over-shipping\" Hornby products months ago.\n\nBut some business leaders say they don't expect much to change.\n\nAlex Baldock, the boss of Dixons Carphone, which owns Currys PC World, said: \"As far as Brexit is concerned, we're ready.\n\n\"We think there are about two days of supply delays that we're going to face and we can handle that. That's a reasonable worst case,\" he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.\n\nWith so many firms stockpiling though, demand for warehouse space in the UK is in danger of reaching full capacity, according to the logistic industry.\n\n\"In the run up to Brexit... importers have been getting stock in just to mitigate the risk of any potential disruption come January, the end of the transition period,\" said Peter Ward, chief executive of the UK Warehousing Association.\n\n\"The danger signs at the moment are that we're running at full capacity, in a bit of a perfect storm.\"\n\nMr Ward said that while the pandemic is still affecting supply chains, firms have been preparing for Brexit and there's been huge shipments of PPE. Those factors have combined to create a backlog of stock in warehouses, just as the logistics sector reached the peak Christmas season.\n\n\"In addition to all of that, there's an exponential growth in e-commerce going on out there which is really bringing about transformational change in the logistics sector, which really started a long time before the pandemic but has accelerated over the last several months.\"", "Proposals for controversial planning reforms in England have been revised, after new housing targets prompted a backlash amongst many Conservative MPs.\n\nA computer-based formula used to decide where houses should be located has been \"updated\" to focus more on cities and urban areas in the North and Midlands.\n\nMinisters said cash for brownfield sites would be distributed more fairly outside London and the South East.\n\nSome MPs in southern England said their areas risked being \"concreted over\".\n\nThe government wants to 300,000 new homes to be built across England each year by the mid-2020s.\n\nIn August, it proposed a new formula designed to provide a rough estimate to councils on how many properties needed to be built in their communities.\n\nLocal authorities would have been expected to come forward with potential sites - taking into account constraints, such as areas protected by the green belt.\n\nBut several senior Conservative MPs expressed concerns about relying on what one of them called a \"mutant algorithm\" to decide housing needs.\n\nHas the pandemic changed the housing supply equation for England?\n\nWorking from home and shopping online have hollowed out many urban centres, with offices and shops empty and unused. Could our struggling High Streets and business zones be repurposed as residential neighbourhoods?\n\nToday's planning announcement suggests just that, shifting the housebuilding emphasis to brownfield urban sites in the West Midlands and northern England, away from rural and semi-rural communities in the South East.\n\nWhile that may please some of the government's critics on its own backbenches, the question is whether the change makes it harder for ministers to keep their promise to build enough affordable and beautiful homes where people want to live.\n\nThere is a limited supply of brownfield sites and often they are difficult and expensive to develop - odd-shaped bits of land alongside a railway line or contaminated by industry. Recent experience of turning office blocks and shops into homes has seen concerns about quality standards.\n\nThe greatest demand for housing is in the South East where affordability remains the biggest issue. Today the ONS reported that the average house price in the region rose to a new high of £337,400 - almost two and a half times the average in north-east England.\n\nIn October, former Prime Minister Theresa May called the plans \"ill-conceived\", while ex-Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt accused the government of risking \"undermining\" local democracy by pressing ahead.\n\nThe 300,000 target, a Conservative manifesto commitment at the last election, remains in place and new homes will still be built in the South, but the government will prioritise brownfield sites in England's 20 largest cities and other urban areas.\n\nBut they \"understandably wanted more homes to be built in urban areas\", as these were the \"most environmentally sustainable\" sites, with good transport links, he added.\n\nMr Jenrick also said: \"They wanted to use housing to push private sector investment into the cities of the North and Midlands...that's what we've done in this update to the methodology.\"\n\nA taskforce has been set up to advise on inner-city regeneration and how to respond to the fall in demand for office and retail space during the pandemic.\n\nThe West Midlands and Greater Manchester Mayoral Combined Authorities will receive £67m in new funding between them for brownfield developments.\n\nA new £100m fund will be launched in January, giving councils across England the chance to pitch for money to support developments on public land and regeneration of council estates.\n\nMinisters have also pledged to think again about how up to £7bn in future funding is allocated across England so that it is not concentrated in the most prosperous areas in London and the South East.\n\n\"This is good news,\" said Isle of Wight Conservative MP Bob Seely, one of the most stringent critics of the algorithm. \"This is an initial victory for those who care about their communities.\n\n\"I, and I am sure many others, want to work supportively with the government to make sure we build the right homes in the right places.\"", "A delay in reporting an extra 11,000 positive Covid tests in Wales has led to a big jump in case rates.\n\nPublic Health Wales (PHW) said planned IT maintenance meant there was a \"significant under-reporting\" but anyone who tested positive had been contacted in the usual way.\n\nThe delayed results came from Lighthouse Laboratories, which process about 70% of Wales' tests.\n\nThe Welsh Conservatives said the news was \"staggering\".\n\nThe 11,000 extra positive tests were taken between 9 and 15 December. PHW said the \"vast majority\" have been added to its dashboard, which records the figures, on Thursday.\n\nThe figures show an additional 4,221 cases have been added to the total for the week ending 11 December, an adjustment to what was reported on Wednesday.\n\nA total of 11,250 - including the usual daily cases - have been added, meaning the latest weekly case rates have increased as a result.\n\nWales, already at its highest case rate so far, saw a jump to 530.2 cases per 100,000 for the most recent seven days, to 12 December.\n\nThe case rate stood at 377.8 on Wednesday, although PHW warned this was an underestimation of what we should expect.\n\nThe new figures showed the case rate for Merthyr Tydfil - already the highest in the UK - is now 1,032.7 cases per 100,000 - with 623 positive tests in the past seven days.\n\nEight council areas in Wales are in the 10 hardest-hit areas in the UK for case rates in latest comparison.\n\nThere are 14 out of 22 council areas which have their highest case rates so far - including Denbighshire, Flintshire and Wrexham.\n\nThree others would have reported their highest figures on Wednesday, had all the figures been available.\n\nPHW said its previous data collection system was \"on its last legs\".\n\n\"The system would collapse very frequently and it was proving to be unsustainable to run with its existing system,\" said PHW incident director Dr Giri Shankar.\n\n\"This was not an unplanned activity. We knew it was going to have an impact, therefore we constantly communicated before it actually happened and while it was happening and even after it had happened, to say that this is affecting the results.\"\n\nThe planned maintenance of the NHS Welsh Laboratory Information Management System (WLMS) \"has not affected individuals receiving their results\", PHW insisted.\n\nFirst Minister Mark Drakeford told BBC Radio Wales: \"The story is not about missing data or computer problems, it's about the seriousness of the situation.\n\n\"You were told in advance that this was going to happen. The data was never missing it was always there, waiting to be uploaded into the system.\"\n\nPlaid Cymru health spokesman Rhun ap Iorwerth said: \"With positive cases in Wales rising to record levels it is crucial that the reporting of data is both timely and robust.\n\n\"The public need a complete and current picture of the situation to realise the gravity of what we are facing.\n\n\"We need urgent reassurance that the failings have been addressed.\"\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Some patients were being treated in ambulances outside Antrim Area Hospital\n\nAmbulances queued outside all NI hospital emergency departments on Tuesday as they struggled with covid pressures, the ambulance service said.\n\nDoctors treated patients in ambulances outside Antrim Area Hospital due to the hospital operating beyond capacity.\n\nAt 17:00 GMT on Tuesday, 17 ambulances were queued outside, although this had dropped to four by 20:45.\n\nBy 22:30 the ambulance service said it was not experiencing any major problems.\n\nAmid the pressure, politicians were urged to urgently rethink loosening covid rules over Christmas.\n\nNorthern Health Trust operations director Wendy Magowan said it was the first time she had witnessed such a situation at Antrim Hospital.\n\nSpeaking on Tuesday evening, Dr Nigel Ruddle, medical director of the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service, said: \"All of the emergency departments in Northern Ireland are seeing ambulances queued outside to various degrees.\n\n\"We are seeing the pressures right across Northern Ireland.\"\n\nHealth minister Robin Swann confirmed he would bring new proposals about restrictions to Thursday's executive meeting.\n\nThe meeting will see ministers look at options to manage the spread of Covid-19 in Northern Ireland.\n\nA further six Covid-19 related deaths were reported in Northern Ireland by the Department of Health, taking its total to 1,135.\n\nThere have been 59,121 positive tests after another 486 were recorded.\n\nThere are 87 outbreaks of the virus in NI care homes, while hospital occupancy levels are at 104%.\n\nThe reproduction rate of the virus in Northern Ireland remains at or slightly above 1, according to health chiefs.\n\nNorthern Trust executive Ms Magowan said: \"This has never happened in Antrim hospital before in my memory, never.\n\n\"We got to a situation last night that we had so many people waiting in ED to get into beds that we simply had no room left.\n\n\"We haven't got out of the second surge, in fact, our numbers are rising. We have the highest number of inpatients today that we've ever had with Covid.\n\n\"If this doubles, I don't know how we're going to make it through.\"\n\nThere were 17 ambulances queued at Antrim Hospital at 17:00 GMT on Tuesday\n\nPat Cullen from the Royal College of Nursing told the BBC's Evening Extra programme that nurses were exhausted from working \"excessive hours\".\n\nShe said hospital nurses were treating patients in the back of ambulances and along corridors as well as on the wards and in the emergency departments, while the district nurses were trying to cope with \"60% vacancies\" in their workforce.\n\nShe said: \"Speaking to many of our nurses today, there's no doubt that this is the closest I've ever seen nurses to being totally burnt out.\n\n\"Exhausted isn't even a word to describe how the nurses feel.\n\n\"At this moment in time, a 12-hour shift almost seems a luxury to them - they're working well beyond that.\"\n\nAt a briefing on Tuesday, Chief Medical Officer Dr Michael McBride and Chief Scientific Adviser Prof Ian Young told journalists that numbers were not where they would like them to be.\n\nThey also gave a stark warning that any third wave would come on top of already \"stubbornly high\" hospital in-patient numbers.\n\nProf Young said: \"The position is very different to what it was first wave and second wave of this virus.\n\n\"At the beginning of the first wave we had no hospital in patients with Covid.\n\n\"At the beginning of the second wave the numbers about 20.\n\n\"If we see an increase in numbers again as a consequence of the current position, then it will be an increase of numbers on top of a baseline of 300-400 people in hospital. And the numbers will only rise from there.\"\n\nI was at Antrim Area Hospital this morning until about midday and what I witnessed was a system that is clearly just hanging together.\n\nI saw staff clearly exhausted and anxious and they were the staff who were outside in the ambulance bay.\n\nThe problem is that the ambulances had nowhere to go, they couldn't unload their patients inside, so I also watched as doctors stepped inside ambulances, wearing their PPE, triaging those patients inside the ambulances, making decisions about who should be taken in first.\n\nThe picture was a really sorry one, a stark one and this is really at the start of what could become an incredibly busy period.\n\nProf Young urged people to stick with the guidelines over the festive period and said anyone who was forming a Christmas bubble should not see anyone else for the next 10 days.\n\nDr McBride revealed he would not be hosting family or friends this Christmas - having discussed the issue with elderly parents and children.\n\nHe said now was the \"best time for the virus\" but worst time for the health service.\n\nDr McBride said he will not be hosting family this Christmas\n\nHealth minister Robin Swann told the assembly the two-week limited lockdown which ended on 10 December had seen a \"stabilisation\" of the virus but the figures were still too high.\n\nHe said he would not pre-empt Thursday's executive meeting and provide details of suggestions he would put forward.\n\nDeputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill said Sinn Féin \"will support any proposals brought forward by the health minister to tackle the current situation.\"\n\nShe added: \"It is clear we are facing a very dangerous situation with the spread of Covid-19, the rise in hospitalisations and, sadly, people losing their lives.\"\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Michelle O’Neill This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nFurther talks over whether to revise Covid rules over Christmas will take place between the UK government and the devolved governments on Wednesday.\n\nCabinet minister Michael Gove discussed the issue with senior politicians in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales on Tuesday, but no final decision was made.\n\nIt also emerged on Tuesday that vaccinators have been in all five health trusts.\n\nMr Swann told the assembly the Covid-19 vaccine had now been delivered in up to 54 care homes, starting with those with the largest numbers of residents.\n\nAbout 4,000 people in NI have been vaccinated so far.\n\nIf you are reading this page on the BBC News app, you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question on this topic.\n\nA second delivery of the vaccine arrived in Northern Ireland at the weekend, meaning around 50,000 doses are now available.\n\nThe vaccine requires two doses to be given, three weeks apart, to be effective.", "Redbridge Council has asked schools to shut classrooms and move to online learning\n\nRedbridge Council has become the latest local authority in London to suggest schools move to online teaching amid a rise in coronavirus cases.\n\nIt comes after Greenwich and Islington Council backed down from a similar decision when the government threatened legal action.\n\nSchools minister Nick Gibb has also written to Waltham Forest Council after it asked schools to close.\n\nHe said he was \"deeply disappointed\" by the councils' choices.\n\nBBC Newsnight's Lewis Goodall said 7,000 pupils in Redbridge were self-isolating as of Monday.\n\nRedbridge Council said it believed schools should now consider whether they could remain open for all pupils or move to remote learning if absences were high enough.\n\nA total of 32 schools in the borough will close on Wednesday and move online, the council said.\n\nAnother 25 will stay open - 12 of which are taking an extra day to decide if they will close their classrooms.\n\nIn a letter seen by the BBC, council leader Jas Athwal said: \"Unfortunately, cases of Covid-19 continue to rise across the borough, and as a result, some of our schools are struggling to continue to provide the high-quality in-person teaching our children deserve.\n\n\"It is not the role of the council to close schools, but today we want to be absolutely clear - we will support our local schools if they choose to move to online learning.\"\n\nGreenwich Council was the first to ask all schools to move to online learning amid rising Covid cases\n\nLondon, most of Essex and parts of Hertfordshire will move into England's highest tier of Covid restrictions on Wednesday due to a rise in infections.\n\nSchools in England were told they could close a day early for Christmas last week to give staff a \"proper break\".\n\nIn Basildon, where the country's third-highest Covid rate was recorded, schools were also allowed to close early, while London's mayor Sadiq Khan has called on secondary schools and colleges in the capital to follow suit.\n\nThe Association of School and College Leaders said the government \"may find it has won a hollow victory in its squabble with Greenwich council\"\n\nEarlier the leader of Greenwich Council said he had \"no choice\" but to ask schools to remain open after threats of legal action from the government.\n\nThe authority wrote to head teachers asking for classes to move online from Tuesday amid rising Covid-19 cases, but Education Secretary Gavin Williamson ordered the council to keep all schools open until the end of term.\n\nOn Tuesday morning two other local authorities - Islington and Waltham Forest Councils - advised schools to move to online learning for the last few days of term amid rising Covid-19 rates in other parts of the capital.\n\nBut, by the evening Islington Council's leader Richard Watts had backtracked on this decision.\n\nHe said: \"After discussion today with the Department for Education, we have now advised our schools to open as usual to pupils on Wednesday, and advised our schools that they are able to arrange an INSET day on Thursday. Friday was to be an INSET day already.\"\n\nSchools Minister Mr Gibb had written to Islington and Waltham Forest asking them to reconsider their decisions to close schools and stating legal action would be considered if they did not.\n\nHowever, Waltham Forest Council's leader Clare Coghill said she had \"received no correspondence\" from Mr Gibb.\n\nThe decision to remain open or closed was left to individual schools in Waltham Forest, she added.\n\n\"We are confident that schools in Waltham Forest have made their decisions on the basis of their own individual risk assessment and with pupil safety at their heart.\n\n\"It is disappointing that, during a year when teachers, pupils and parents have made extraordinary efforts to ensure education continues through a once-in-a-lifetime crisis, the Minister has chosen to write to our schools threatening them with potential legal action.\n\n\"We will continue to do all we can to support schools to make the decisions that will safeguard the health and safety of pupils, teachers and their families and ensure children continue to be educated.\"\n\nHave you been affected by the issues raised in this story. You can share your experience by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "Mackenzie Scott pictured with her ex-husband Jeff Bezos in 2017\n\nMacKenzie Scott, the ex-wife of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, has donated more than $4bn (£3bn) to food banks and emergency relief funds in four months.\n\nIn a blog post, Ms Scott said she wanted to help Americans who were struggling because of the pandemic.\n\nMs Scott is the world's 18th-richest person, having seen her wealth climb $23.6bn this year to $60.7bn.\n\nMuch of her fortune comes from her divorce from Mr Bezos who is the world's richest man.\n\n\"This pandemic has been a wrecking ball in the lives of Americans already struggling,\" she wrote in a blog post on Tuesday, adding that she had picked more than 380 charities to donate to having considered almost 6,500 organisations.\n\n\"Economic losses and health outcomes alike have been worse for women, for people of colour and for people living in poverty. Meanwhile, it has substantially increased the wealth of billionaires.\"\n\nMs Scott donated $1.7bn to 116 charities in July saying she wanted to call attention to \"organisations and leaders driving change.\" This takes her total donations for the year to almost $6bn.\n\nDonations were focused on those \"operating in communities facing high projected food insecurity, high measures of racial inequity, high local poverty rates, and low access to philanthropic capital.\"\n\nLast year she signed the Giving Pledge, promising to give away the majority of her fortune. The Giving Pledge is a commitment by the world's wealthiest individuals and families to dedicate the majority of their wealth to giving back.\n\n\"I have a disproportionate amount of money to share,\" she wrote in her pledge.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. MacKenzie Scott is divorced from Jeff Bezos, the world's richest man\n\nCharity experts have applauded the amount she has given away and how she has done it. Ms Scott has worked with a team of advisers to research thousands of organisations.\n\n\"We leveraged this collective knowledge base in a collaboration that included hundreds of emails and phone interviews, and thousands of pages of data analysis on community needs, programme outcomes, and each non-profit's capacity to absorb and make effective use of funding,\" she wrote.\n\nThis year Mr Bezos, who is the boss of Amazon, has also been active with philanthropy, committing $10bn to issues related to climate change.\n\nIn November, he announced the first of those grants, handing out nearly $800m to 16 groups. Mr Bezos has seen his net worth increase $70bn this year to reach a fortune of $185bn, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.\n\nDuring the pandemic there has been a massive rise in online shopping benefitting online retailers such as Amazon. Swiss bank UBS said billionaires had done \"extremely well\" in the Covid crisis.\n\nThis year there has been a relatively high number of mega-donations as celebrities, sports stars and business leaders respond to the Covid-19 pandemic and other causes.\n\nAmong the most generous was Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey who announced in April that he was moving $1bn of his assets into a fund to support pandemic relief efforts and other causes. This represents about a quarter of his $3.9bn net worth.\n\nBill Gates and his wife Melinda have committed $305m for vaccines, treatment and diagnostic development through their charitable foundation, while Harry Potter author JK Rowling donated £1m to help homeless people and those affected by domestic abuse during the pandemic.\n\nOn a different theme, Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan donated $300m to \"protect American elections\". The majority of the money went to the Centre for Tech and Civic Life, a non-profit organisation to recruit poll workers and supply them with personal protective equipment, and to set up drive-through voting.\n\nIn June, basketball legend Michael Jordan announced he was donating $100m to Black Lives Matters and social injustice causes over the next decade.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. What does a billion pounds look like... and what can it buy?", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Keir Starmer says Dominic Cummings lockdown breach journey was the \"tipping point\" for a loss trust over Covid.\n\nBoris Johnson's former chief aide Dominic Cummings, who left No 10 last month after an internal power struggle, enjoyed a bumper pay rise earlier this year, new figures have revealed.\n\nHis basic salary rose by about £45,000 to between £140,000 and £144,999.\n\nThe PM stood by Mr Cummings this summer when he was embroiled in controversy over a trip to Durham during lockdown.\n\nLabour said the rise was an \"insult\" to millions of workers whose pay is being frozen due to the Covid crisis.\n\nSeparately, it has emerged that Boris Johnson ignored the advice of the chief of the civil service in relation to a legal case brought by a special adviser sacked by Mr Cummings.\n\nSir John Manzoni urged the PM to reach a negotiated settlement with Sonia Khan, who was led out of No 10 by police in August 2019 following a reported row with Mr Cummings.\n\nNo reason was given for her sacking as an adviser to Chancellor Sajid Javid and before that Philip Hammond.\n\nIn a letter to the PM in March 2020, Sir John raised concerns about the cost to the taxpayer of fighting the case.\n\nHe sought a written instruction known as a \"ministerial direction\" - a specific order sought by civil servants in instances where they have reservations over a particular course of action.\n\nIn response, the PM said he fully understood concerns over the use of public money but he believed \"wider considerations\" took precedence in the case.\n\nHe said he wanted to \"test in litigation\" his belief that individuals should not receive more compensation than they are entitled to under their contract.\n\n\"The legal position is clear that the prime minister can withdraw consent for the appointment of any special adviser,\" he wrote. \"That is the reason for the termination of employment.\"\n\nMs Khan settled her case last month, shortly before it was due to go before an employment tribunal.\n\nSonia Khan worked for Philip Hammond in the Treasury and was kept on by his successor, Sajid Javid\n\nMr Cummings is still on the government payroll but is working his notice at home, having left Downing Street in November following a bitter row over the running of Mr Johnson's office.\n\nFigures released by the Cabinet Office show his salary rose during 2020 from between £95,000-£99,999 to £140,000-£144,999, making him among the highest-earning special advisers in government.\n\nIt is not clear when the increase, revealed in an annual report on the pay of special advisers, came into effect.\n\nWhile Mr Cummings was in the highest salary band when he was first taken on by Boris Johnson in July 2019, his pay was considerably lower at the time than other senior political advisers in Downing Street.\n\nThe pay rise brought Mr Cummings, whose Brexit strategy was credited with helping Mr Johnson win a thumping victory in the 2019 election, into line with other key figures such as Sir Eddie Lister, Lee Cain and Munira Mirza.\n\nThe most senior advisers to previous prime ministers, such as Theresa May and David Cameron, have typically also earned between £140,000 and £144,999.\n\nThe PM stood by Mr Cummings after he was accused of breaching coronavirus guidelines when he travelled 250 miles to stay on his parents' farm in County Durham in early April and later drove to Barnard Castle.\n\nDurham Police said Mr Cummings might have broken lockdown rules with his trip to Barnard Castle but it would not be taking any action.\n\nMr Cummings said he had made the 50-mile round-trip to the beauty spot, with his wife and child, to test his eyesight before embarking on the longer journey back to London.\n\nLabour's deputy leader Angela Rayner said the pay increase was a slap in the face to the public.\n\n\"Dominic Cummings' bumper bonus is an insult to key workers denied the pay rise they deserve,\" she said.\n\n\"It's another example of how under this government it is one rule for the Tory Party and their friends and another for the rest of us.\"\n\nThe figures show that while the overall pay bill for special advisers remained the same at £9.6m, having risen sharply the year before, the number of advisers earning more than £100,000 doubled on the year before.\n\nThose earning six-figure salaries included Allegra Stratton, the PM's new press secretary and Dan Rosenfield, the newly appointed No 10 chief of staff.", "When will the Oxford vaccine be available?\n\nTim Ross, from Bloomberg, asks whether the prime minister hopes the Oxford/AstraZeneca will be available by the end of this year, adding: \"When will all over 50s be vaccinated?\" Johnson replies that he has \"always been in the worried, sceptical camp on vaccines\" and worried that he \"shouldn't over-promise\". He says it is \"incredibly exciting\" about the coronavirus vaccines, adding: \"I don't want to jinx things by over-promising at this stage.\" Whitty says the approval of the Oxford/AstraZeneca this is in the hands of the regulator the MHRA and it is \"very important we let them do their job free of any pressure\". Whitty says there is a \"fair chance\" that by \"early in the new year\" the regulator will be able to says whether the vaccine is effective and safe. \"With AstraZeneca, if it comes through, it does make it a lot easier - not only is the volume going to be greater,\" he says, as the Pfizer vaccine is limited because of global demand - \"but it is easier to deploy because it doesn't have the -70C requirements the Pfizer one has\". He says if the vaccine is approved \"it will speed up substantially the period when those in the highest risk groups can all be vaccinated\".", "Four Household Cavalry soldiers died in the IRA's Hyde Park bomb attack as they rode to the Changing of Guard ceremony in Whitehall\n\nThe family of one of the four soldiers killed in the Hyde Park bombing in July 1982 has been awarded £715,000 in damages.\n\nThe ruling followed a civil case brought against John Downey, one of those involved in the IRA attack.\n\nFour members of the Household Cavalry died in the blast in London.\n\nLast year, a High Court judge ruled that John Downey was an \"active participant\" in the bombing.\n\nOn Wednesday, the court ruled that an award of \"substantial damages\" to \"mark society's condemnation\" of the bombing can only be made if either parliament or the supreme court allowed it.\n\nHowever, the court awarded £715,000 in the case of Sarah Jane Young, daughter of one of the soldiers, L/Cpl Jeffrey Young, who was 20 when he was killed.\n\nThis is in recognition of her father's loss of earnings in what is known as a dependency claim.\n\nMost of the amount will go to Ms Young's mother for her past care.\n\nA judge ruled John Downey was an \"active participant\" in the bombing\n\nA criminal case against Mr Downey in relation to the bombing collapsed in 2014 after it emerged he had received a guarantee that he would not face trial.\n\nMr Downey, who is from Donegal, has denied murdering the soldiers and conspiring to cause an explosion.\n\nSquadron Quartermaster Corporal Roy Bright, 36, Lt Anthony Daly, 23 and Trooper Simon Tipper, 19, were also killed by the car bomb as they rode through central London to attend the Changing the Guard ceremony.\n\nTwo of the soldiers died instantly in the blast, while L/Cpl Young and Squadron Quartermaster Corporal Bright died within days.\n\nEarlier this month, a remote High Court hearing considered how much compensation the families of the victims should be awarded.\n\nA lawyer for Ms Young told the court that relatives had been \"failed\" by the state in their search for justice.\n\nShe argued that Ms Young, who was four at the time, had suffered post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression as a result of the bombing.\n\nThe court was told she had heard the explosion from a nearby nursery and saw injured soldiers returning to Knightsbridge barracks.", "Travel company Tui said it has cancelled flights out of Luton Airport because it falls under the new tier four Covid restrictions.\n\nTui flights from the London airport are cancelled between 20 and 30 December.\n\nIt said: \"We will be in direct contact with these customers to offer them a full refund or the option to amend their booking.\"\n\nTui will continue to operate out of Gatwick and Stansted which are located in tier two areas.\n\nA company spokesperson said: \"Any customers that live in tier four and are due to depart in the next 14 days will be entitled to cancel and receive a full refund or amend for free to any holiday that's currently on sale.\"\n\nLuton, Heathrow and London City airports are all located in areas of England facing the toughest restrictions under measures aimed at stopping the spread of a new coronavirus variant.\n\nA number of European countries are banning or considering stopping flights from the UK following the emergence of a new variant of the virus.\n\nItaly has joined the Netherlands and Belgium in suspending flights to the UK, and other nations are considering the move.\n\nTrains to Belgium have also been banned.\n\nThe government is recommending that people living in tier four regions should not travel abroad unless for legally permitted reasons such as for work.\n\nPeople living outside a tier four area are allowed to journey through that area if they are travelling abroad but the government said: \"You should carefully consider whether you need to do so.\"\n\nEasyjet, which operates out of Luton, said it was planning to fly its current schedule over the coming days.\n\n\"However, following the UK government's announcement implementing tier four restrictions which includes advice against travelling abroad, we understand some customers may now need to change their flights,\" the airline said.\n\nIt said affected customers can transfer to an alternative flight free of charge, receive a voucher or can opt for a refund for any flight up until 30 December.\n\nEasyjet also flies out of Gatwick and Stansted.\n\nStansted is in Uttlesford, Essex, which has been kept in lower tier two restrictions. Gatwick is in Crawley, west Sussex, which also remains under tier two.\n\nVirgin Atlantic, which operates out of London Heathrow, said: \"Where a customer is unable to travel for any reason, we offer as much choice and flexibility as possible to help them change or amend their plans, with a name change and two date change fees waived for a new travel date up until 31 December 2022.\n\n\"Where a flight is cancelled, customers are of course entitled to a full cash refund.\"\n\nHave your travel plans been affected? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "Last updated on .From the section Boxing\n\nSaul 'Canelo' Alvarez produced a near-flawless display to unpick Callum Smith and take the British fighter's WBA world super-middleweight title.\n\nThe Mexican, 30, shone in Texas as he all but froze Smith out over 12 rounds with calculated pressure, spiteful punching and evasive defensive work.\n\nSmith, 30, struggled to land anything heavy and was told by his corner he had \"one more round\" after a torrid ninth.\n\nHe admirably fought on but lost 119-109 119-109 117-111 on the judges' cards.\n\nAlvarez - who has only one defeat on his record from 57 fights - also picked up the vacant WBC world super-middleweight title, meaning he holds two of the four significant belts at 168lbs.\n\n\"I'm devastated. I came here to win,\" Smith told DAZN at the Alamodome in San Antonio. \"No excuses, he was very good.\n\n\"It could have been a better version of me. He is smart and he is clever. He closes ground, sets traps and before you know it he's closed the ground up. I maybe let him close the ground up too easily.\"\n\nSmith's seven-inch height advantage had formed much of the foundation for those suggesting he could defy his underdog status.\n\nBut Alvarez refused to take a step back at any point. He shut down space patiently, remained compact, showed head movement and ultimately made himself difficult to hit.\n\nWhen he was close enough, he jabbed smartly and loaded up with his trademark shots to the body.\n\nAt the end of the fifth, Smith's three older fighting brothers shouted \"better\" from ringside as he began to throw more but in the seventh, Alvarez - the youngest of seven fighting brothers - landed hard body shots on the counter and a fine uppercut.\n\nA hard right hand sent Smith slumping into the ropes in the ninth and, with his nose bloodied, he replied to trainer Joe Gallagher that he was \"fine\" after it was made clear he would only get one more round.\n\nOminously, four-weight world champion Alvarez explained he knew he could take Smith's power \"from the first round\" and it was later revealed the Liverpool fighter may have torn a bicep early in the contest.\n\nAlvarez simply presented a puzzle his opponent never looked like solving. By the 10th round, US broadcasters were calling the fight \"a bad beating\".\n\n\"This is one of the best nights I have had,\" said Alvarez, who added he would consider a third fight with Gennady Golovkin, who beat Kamil Szeremeta 24 hours earlier.\n\n\"One of the greatest nights. I will go for more. I want all the belts, it doesn't matter who has them. I don't run from anybody. I have fought against the best. I have shown the world I fight the best.\"\n\nAlvarez has now reeled off five wins since his six-month ban for failing drugs tests in 2018. His sole loss in 15 years was against Floyd Mayweather in 2013 but his current momentum and this well-rounded display underline why he is the sport's best-paid star.\n\nA restricted crowd of about 12,000 may have impacted on his overall earnings in his first bout in 13 months but his quality is undeniable, his rivals look a class below, and crucially his hunger appears undiminished.\n\nThe iconic middleweight Marvin Hagler once said: \"It's tough to get out of bed to do roadwork at 5am when you've been sleeping in silk pyjamas.\"\n\nThe sight of Alvarez walking round the fight hotel's bubble in designer pyjamas this week prompted questions as to how much more he could give.\n\nHis status, earning power and lifestyle are far removed from the life he knew on his family's farm as a child but there can be no doubt his grit and desire remain, and future rivals will need to find something special to stop him.\n\nSmith can be proud of his own journey to face a man he once dreamed of fighting. Alvarez, though, was simply too good.\n\nClass, tears and call-outs - what they said...\n\nCutting a dejected figure in his corner, Smith said he would take time out and consider a move up to the 175lbs light-heavyweight division.\n\nHis sentiment led BBC 5 Live commentator Mike Costello to wonder if he was considering calling time on his career at the age of 30.\n\nBritain's Billy Joe Saunders - who holds the WBO belt at super-middleweight - quickly tweeted to call on Alvarez to \"get it on\" in 2021 but for the most part, the boxing world was simply left praising the sport's biggest star.\n\nPromoter Eddie Hearn confirmed Smith damaged his arm early on in his San Antonio defeat and revealed the fighter was \"in tears\" in the changing room.\n\n\"It was a masterclass from Canelo,\" Hearn told 5 Live.\n\n\"I just left Callum's changing room and everyone is talking about Alvarez. He's just so good. Callum never stopped throwing but he came up against the best fighter on the planet.\"\n\nFormer world champion George Groves told BBC Radio 5 Live: \"Canelo bullied Smith, marched him down and used his punch power to control the entire fight.\"\n\nAnd BBC Radio 5 Live boxing analyst Steve Bunce added: \"That's what happens when you fight Canelo. You discover things about yourself you didn't know and things about him you didn't recognise before you got in the ring.\n\n\"Smith has been broken. Canelo took away his height, reach and confidence. That is class.\"\n• None Stream all the goals and highlights from Saturday's Premier League action now", "Last updated on .From the section Watford\n\nWatford have sacked head coach Vladimir Ivic after four months in the role.\n\nThe Hornets, who have won nine of their 20 Championship games this season under Ivic, are fifth in the table, four points off second-placed Bournemouth and nine off leaders Norwich.\n\nThe 43-year-old signed a one-year deal in August, succeeding Nigel Pearson who was sacked shortly before the club were relegated from the Premier League.\n\nIt means Watford are looking for a fifth manager in just over a year.\n\nThe Serb's sacking came after his side were beaten 2-0 at mid-table Huddersfield Town on Saturday -just their second defeat in 11 games - a spell in which they have also had four draws.\n\nIvic rested club captain Troy Deeney for the match, despite scoring in Watford's last three games.\n\nDeeney was on the bench but Ivic said that he did not use him as a substitute, even when his side were losing, because of a \"discipline issue\".\n\nYet another managerial change at Vicarage Road\n\nWatford are now looking for their fifth main charge since the start of last season.\n\nJavi Gracia was replaced in September 2019 by former boss Quique Sanchez Flores.\n\nWith the club still at the bottom of the Premier League, Flores then lost his job after just two wins in 12 games after which Nigel Pearson took over in December.\n\nHe turned Watford's fortunes around and got them out of the relegation zone, as well as inflicting the first league defeat on eventual runaway champions Liverpool, 3-0 at Vicarage Road on 29 February, just before the Coronavirus lockdown.\n\nBut Pearson was sacked after losing 3-1 at West Ham with the club still three points above the drop with two games to go.\n\nUnder caretaker manager Hayden Mullins, the Hornets then lost their last two games, to be relegated back to the Championship after five seasons in the top flight.\n\nIn a short statement the club confirmed Ivic's departure and that of his coaching team.\n\n\"The Hornets thank Ivic and his staff for their efforts this season,\" the statement added. \"We wish them well for future success elsewhere.\"\n\nSince Watford's Italian owners the Pozzo family, who also own Udinese and Granada, took control of the club in June 2012 there have been 13 changes of manager.\n\nAmong the shortest tenures was Oscar Garcia's spell in September 2014 which lasted just 27 days after he stepped down due to ill health.\n\nHis replacement Billy McKinlay was in charge for just eight days and two games after a change of heart by the owners who installed Slavisa Jokanovic as his replacement.\n\nOnly two managers have lasted more than a year in the role under the Pozzo's - Gianfranco Zola was in charge from July 2012 until December 2013 while Javi Gracia, who led the Hornets to the 2019 FA Cup final, was at the helm from January 2018 to September last year.", "Sydney residents have been told to stay at home\n\nAustralia's most populous state has announced new restrictions for the Greater Sydney area in an attempt to contain a growing outbreak of Covid-19.\n\nHousehold gatherings will be capped at 10 people and hospitality venues at 300 until Wednesday. Residents had already been told to stay at home.\n\nThe cases were found in the city's Northern Beaches area, which entered a five-day lockdown on Saturday.\n\nSince then Sydney residents have rushed to leave the city ahead of Christmas.\n\nThousands have travelled from the city in New South Wales (NSW) to the neighbouring state of Victoria. In response, Victoria will close its borders to residents of Greater Sydney and the NSW Central Coast from midnight. People will then face a 14-day quarantine.\n\nSouth Australia state also said all arrivals from the Greater Sydney area would have to quarantine for 14 days from midnight. People who have been in the Northern Beaches area will be barred from the state entirely.\n\nThe outbreak has also forced organisers of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race to cancel the event for the first time in its history.\n\nUntil Wednesday, Australia had recorded just one locally transmitted infection in the past fortnight. The country, which is considered a relative success story of the pandemic, has recorded about 28,000 infections and 908 deaths in total, according to a Johns Hopkins University tally.\n\nThe restrictions in Greater Sydney - including the Central Coast and Blue Mountains - can be lifted if no cases of community transmission are reported. They include:\n\nSpeaking at a news conference, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian urged people in the Sydney area to wear face masks in public although it was not mandatory. Earlier she pleaded with all residents to limit their activities over the next few days and stay at home \"unless you really have to\" go out.\n\nSydney's Northern Beaches outbreak grew to 68 cases on Sunday, with 30 new cases recorded in the previous 24 hours. The new cluster emerged just days before the Christmas period, prompting concern that travel restrictions may impact festive plans.\n\nMore than 250,000 residents have been banned from leaving their homes except for work, exercise, essential shopping and compassionate reasons until Wednesday.\n\nThose living in other parts of Sydney have been told to avoid the area. The NSW government has urged all locals to wear masks in public areas like supermarkets and churches and to be on \"high alert\".\n\nThe next five days has been described as a \"tipping point\" by epidemiologist Mary-Louise McLaws. \"We can only hope that it remains focused in the Northern Beaches, but if it goes across all of Australia then we will need more tightening.\"\n\nAll of Sydney's residents have been told to limit their activities over the next few days\n\nTests have shown that the outbreak is similar to a strain of Covid-19 found recently in quarantined travellers, state officials said. But authorities still do not know how it got into the community.\n\nThey said it had spread after one couple failed to isolate at home while awaiting coronavirus test results. Their 11 December visit to a popular lawn bowls club and pub in the Northern Beaches suburb of Avalon has now been identified as the \"super spreader\" event.\n\nHowever, it is unclear how the couple - who had not travelled overseas - became infected.\n\nSince Australia closed its borders in March, its outbreaks have largely begun with breaches in its hotel quarantine system for returned international travellers. Such instances led to Australia's biggest outbreak in Melbourne.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Sydney-based Alan Kinkade reunites with his grandson Tom after six months of separation\n• None The year when everything changed", "Actress Rosalind Knight - whose credits include early Carry on films and Channel 4's Friday Night Dinner - has died aged 87, her family has said.\n\nThe TV, film and theatre actress appeared in Carry On Teacher and Carry On Nurse in the 1950s.\n\nMore recently, she played the character known as \"Horrible Grandma\" in Channel 4 comedy show Friday Night Dinner.\n\nIn a statement, her family said the \"well-loved\" actress who had a \"glorious career\" died on Saturday.\n\nHer other screen credits include 1957's Blue Murder At St Trinian's, where she played a schoolgirl and a teacher in The Wildcats Of St Trinian's in 1980.\n\nShe also starred as retired prostitute Beryl in BBC sitcom Gimme, Gimme, Gimme, which ran from 1999 to 2001, with Kathy Burke and James Dreyfus.\n\nKnight's family said in their statement: \"She was known to so many generations, for so many different roles, and will be missed as much by the kids today who howl at Horrible Grandma in Friday Night Dinner as by those of us who are old enough to remember her in the very first Carry On films.\"\n\nHer daughters, theatre director Marianne Elliott and actress Susannah Elliott, said she would be remembered for her \"immense spirit and sense of fun, and her utter individuality\".", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon made the changes to restrictions in the wake of a new faster-spreading variant of Covid\n\nCovid restrictions will only be relaxed on Christmas Day and mainland Scotland will then be placed under the tightest restrictions from Boxing Day.\n\nFirst Minister Nicola Sturgeon said \"firm preventative action\" was needed after the emergence of a faster-spreading strain of coronavirus.\n\nIt had been planned to ease the rules between 23 and 27 December - but that will now only apply on Christmas Day.\n\nA ban on travel to the rest of the UK will apply over the festive period.\n\nScotland's toughest level four rules will come into effect across mainland Scotland from 26 December.\n\nUntil then, local authority areas are expected to remain under their current level of restrictions.\n\nSchools will return later than originally planned after the Christmas holidays.\n\nMs Sturgeon said they should resume from 11 January, with learning taking place online until at least 18 January.\n\nThe level four restrictions - which mean the closure of non-essential shops, pubs, restaurants and gyms - will last for three weeks.\n\nThey will apply across Scotland, with the exception of Orkney, Shetland, the Western Isles and other island communities where restrictions have recently been reduced. These areas will be placed in level three.\n\nThe first minister said decisive action was required because of a new strain of Covid which public health officials believe could be 70% more transmissible than previous strains.\n\nAt this stage she said there was no evidence to suggest the new strain made people sicker than earlier variants, or that it would change the effectiveness of the vaccine.\n\nThe new variant was first seen in mid-September in London and Kent - but by December it had become the \"dominant variant\" in London.\n\nGovernment advisers believe the new variant could increase the R number - or reproductive rate of the virus - by 0.4 or more.\n\nMs Sturgeon said the speed at which it could spread meant this was \"probably the most serious and potentially dangerous juncture we have faced\" in the pandemic. But, she said Scotland still had the opportunity to act on a preventative basis.\n\nSo far 17 cases of the new strain had been identified in Scotland through genomic sequencing.\n\n\"We do not yet know how widely this new strain of virus is circulating in Scotland, but I think we have to be realistic that that is likely to be an understatement of its true prevalence right now,\" she added.\n\nThere was a \"concern\", however, that this strain may be driving what appears to be faster transmission of Covid in some hospitals and care homes.\n\nCovid figures published at 14:00 on Saturday showed Scotland had recorded 41 new deaths and 572 positive tests over the previous 24 hours.\n\nThe first minister said Scotland's case numbers did not look as bad as those elsewhere in the UK, and that she understood why people might not understand that these steps were necessary.\n\nBut she said the new strain of the virus could very quickly \"overwhelm us\".\n\n\"Please believe me when I tell you... I would not be standing here on the Saturday before Christmas announcing this if I did not think this was necessary,\" Ms Sturgeon added.\n\nScotland has the lowest case rate in the UK, with 112.6 cases per 100,000 of the population.\n\nThis compares with 571.7 in Wales, 219.6 in England and 174.9 in Northern Ireland.\n\nRestrictions have also been tightened up over the Christmas period in England and Wales.\n\nThe planned relaxation of the rules has been scrapped for large parts of south-east England, and cut to just Christmas Day for the rest of England and Wales. A fourth tier has also been created for some of the worst affected areas in England.\n\nThe first minister said maintaining a \"strict travel ban\" would prevent more of the new strain entering Scotland from other parts of the UK, and reduce the risk of it spreading further within Scotland.\n\nThis ban will remain in place throughout the festive period, meaning that cross-border travel will only be allowed for essential purposes.\n\nMs Sturgeon said she would be asking the police to consider how the enforcement of the ban could be strengthened.\n\nIndoor mixing will be allowed on Christmas Day only. A maximum of eight people from three households will be allowed in law but the advice is to keep numbers to a minimum, celebrate in your own home, and meet others outdoors.\n\nBut Ms Sturgeon said: \"If you can't make it there and back in the same day, please don't go - and we're asking you not even to do that unless you feel there is genuinely no alternative.\"\n\nPolice Scotland said they would not be routinely stopping vehicles or setting up road blocks.\n\n\"However, officers may in the course of their duties come across people who are travelling from one local authority area to another,\" said Assistant Chief Constable Alan Speirs.\n\n\"Where travel restrictions apply, officers will continue to use the common sense, discretion and excellent judgement that they have applied since the crisis began.\"\n\nScottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said families would be \"devastated\", but that he understood why the restrictions were necessary.\n\n\"None of us want this, but these sacrifices will save lives,\" he said.\n\nScottish Labour leader Richard Leonard said the Scottish government needed to publish \"persuasive evidence\" to avert a \"heightened risk of non-compliance\".\n\nThe Scottish Liberal Democrats and the Scottish Greens both backed the moves, while calling for schools to close early for Christmas.", "The landslips came after heavy rain caused flooding overnight\n\nThe Eden Project in Cornwall has been forced to close after flooding caused several landslips at the site.\n\nHeavy rain across the wider region on Friday meant some people had to evacuate their homes.\n\nA spokesman said managers closed the site as a precaution and were assessing the damage.\n\nThe botanical gardens have been open since 3 December, when the county was categorised in tier one, the mildest of the coronavirus restrictions.\n\nAdvice on when the site is likely to reopen will be available on the company's website, the spokesman added.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Last updated on .From the section Football\n\nEngland and Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford has been honoured for his work to raise awareness of child food poverty in the UK.\n\nHe was given the Expert Panel Special Award at the Sports Personality show.\n\nRashford successfully campaigned for the government to extend free school meals during the Covid-19 pandemic.\n\nIt resulted in about 1.3 million children in England being able to claim free school meals vouchers during the summer holidays.\n\nAnother policy change in November saw the government announce more than £400m to support poor children and their families in England, following further campaigning by Rashford.\n\nThe footballer has spoken of going without food as a child and the sacrifices his family had to make.\n\nHe became an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours and has continued to lobby for further help for poorer families.\n\nRashford has also launched a book club to help children enjoy the escapism of reading.\n• None Moments of triumph: Your personal stories and videos from 2020\n\nThe BBC Sports Personality show's judging panel unanimously agreed that Rashford's accomplishments off the pitch should be commended with a special award as the criteria for the main award shortlist is based around sporting achievements.\n\nOn Monday, a documentary - Marcus Rashford: Feeding Britain's Children - going behind the scenes of the footballer's free school meals campaign will air on BBC One.", "The EU's chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, said it was \"the moment of truth\" for the talks\n\nThere will be no post-Brexit trade deal between the UK and EU unless there is a \"substantial shift\" from Brussels in the coming days, a government source has told the BBC.\n\nIt is understood there is likely to be a decision before Christmas on whether or not a deal can be reached.\n\nThe two sides have been in negotiations about how many years it will take to phase in new fisheries arrangements.\n\nThe EU's Michel Barnier said any deal must be \"balanced and reciprocal\".\n\nThe talks are expected to continue on Monday, a UK government source has said.\n\nWriting on Twitter on Sunday, Mr Barnier, the EU's chief negotiator, said the talks were at a \"crucial moment\" and the two sides were working \"hard\" to try to narrow their differences.\n\n\"We respect the sovereignty of the UK and we expect the same. Both the EU and Britain must have the right to set their own laws and control their own waters. And we should both be able to act when our interests are at stake.\"\n\nWhitehall sources say it is increasingly likely the UK will end its post-Brexit transition period without a free trade agreement with the EU, meaning that on 1 January the two sides will rely on World Trade Organization (WTO) rules to govern exports and imports.\n\nThis could see tariffs introduced on goods being sold and bought - which may lead to increased prices for certain products.\n\nA government source told the BBC the EU was \"still struggling to get the flexibility needed from member states\" to make a deal possible.\n\n\"We need to get any deal right and based on terms which respect what the British people voted for.\n\n\"We're continuing to try every possible path to an agreement, but without a substantial shift from the [European] Commission we will be leaving on WTO terms on 31 December.\"\n\nHealth Secretary Matt Hancock said an agreement was in both sides' interests \"given all the problems that are going on on the continent as well as here\" with Covid, but the EU needed to give ground.\n\n\"I hope the EU moves on its unreasonable demands, that I don't think anybody could reasonably accept, and then we can get a trade deal,\" he told the BBC's Andrew Marr.\n\n\"But we are ready, whatever's necessary.\"\n\nPrime Minister Boris Johnson has vowed to keep talking, but warned gaps had yet to be bridged.\n\nSenior MEPs in the European Parliament have said they will not be \"rushed\" into signing off a deal on their side and want to see the text of any agreement by Sunday if they are to approve it by the end of the year.\n\nA senior EU source told the BBC's Brussels correspondent Nick Beake: \"The Member States are the EU. And as a former member state, the UK knows well that the EU negotiator is there to protect the interest of Europeans.\n\n\"We believe it is in both sides' interest to reach a fair deal, which cannot be the case without a level playing field and sustainable arrangements for fisheries.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Michel Barnier says negotiations have \"just a few hours\"\n\nThe two sides have been at odds over the length of time it will take to introduce new arrangements once the UK leaves the bloc's Common Fisheries Policy.\n\nThe UK, led by its chief negotiator, David Frost, has insisted its sovereign rights over its waters must be respected from day one and its fleets must be able to keep a much larger share of their own catch.\n\nThe EU is insisting on a much longer transition period, with guarantees on access and how catches are distributed.\n\nThe two sides are reported to have made progress in recent days on the issues of fair competition and what to do if the UK is deemed to get an unfair competitive advantage by moving away from EU rules and standards.\n\nIf a deal is reached between the two sides, it would need to be agreed by parliaments in the UK and the European Union's member states.\n\nUK MPs have now finished for the Christmas break, but Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove said on Thursday that they could be called back to ratify a deal in the coming days, were one to be agreed.", "East Cornwall Search and Rescue rescued a trapped driver and helped people evacuate their homes\n\nFire crews were pumping water out of houses through the night after flooding forced people to evacuate their homes.\n\nSeveral people in Lostwithiel, Cornwall, had to spend the night in a community centre, while 18 people had to abandon their caravans at Notter Bridge, near Saltash.\n\nThe fire service called in \"water rescue units\" from Devon after 35mm (1.4 in) of rain fell in just 24 hours.\n\nThe flood risk is reducing over the weekend.\n\nSaltash Community Fire Station said both of its pumps were sent to two separate incidents on Friday, with both appliances pumping water until 04:00 GMT on Saturday.\n\nWater levels in Cornwall have been close to breaching flood defences\n\nEast Cornwall Search and Rescue were sent out near Golitha Falls at 19:00 GMT on Friday after reports of a driver trapped by floodwater.\n\nThey also helped evacuate residents in Lostwithiel and Notter Bridge.\n\n\"Fortunately there were no injuries reported, but there is still a lot of floodwater around this morning so please take extra care especially if you are on the roads,\" it added.\n\nEnvironment Agency workers have been trying to clear rivers and screens through the night\n\nEnvironment Agency teams are clearing screens to keep rivers flowing and local Coastguard Rescue Teams have also been involved in the overnight operations.\n\n\"At about 06:30 we were called to a property at the end of Lostwithiel which was flooding,\" said firefighter Steve Strauss.\n\n\"Two people were taken out of there with two dogs, and we've now been pumping out ever since,\" he added.\n\n\"We are short of field operatives tonight to help keep the screens clear and rivers flowing,\" said Nick Ely, from the Environment Agency.\n\n\"I'm not needed at the moment in my normal duty role, so I'm out with the team tonight helping and just cleared a tree trunk,\" he added.\n\nFirefighters have been pumping water out of homes\n\nAreas hit by downpours on Friday are set to face lighter rain over the weekend, with the flood risk reduced.\n\nThe Met Office said this band of wet weather would gradually make way for sunshine and lighter showers across the whole nation throughout the weekend.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "A number of the larger roundhouses were burned down and the defensive enclosure cleared during the late First Century AD\n\nThe destruction of a \"clearly high status\" Iron Age village \"may represent reprisals after the Boudiccan revolt\", an archaeologist has said.\n\nMore than 17 roundhouses were discovered in a defensive enclosure at Cressing, near Braintree in Essex.\n\nThe site was burned down and abandoned during the late First Century AD.\n\n\"The local Trinovantes tribe joined the AD61 rebellion and after Boudicca's defeat we know the Romans punished everyone involved,\" said Andy Greef.\n\nThe four-hectare (10-acre) site had been little disturbed in the centuries since the Iron Age settlement was abandoned\n\nOne of the more unusual finds was this copper alloy cockerel, which is believed to have been an offering to the gods\n\nThe excavation by Oxford Archaeology East ahead of a housing development by Countryside Properties began during the first lockdown and lasted eight months.\n\nThe enclosure was \"clearly an important place\" with an \"avenue-like entrance\" and continued to expand after the Roman invasion in AD43, so archaeologists were surprised it was not resettled after its destruction.\n\nFurther evidence of the settlement's abandonment was the complete lack of Roman burials in subsequent centuries, Mr Greef added.\n\nDespite this, the site remained a centre of \"votive offerings\" - possibly linked to the cult of the Roman god Mercury - until the end of the Roman occupation in the Fourth Century AD.\n\n...and more than 100 brooches\n\nMr Greef said: \"More than 100 brooches, 10 Iron Age coins, dozens of Roman coins, hairpins, beads, finger rings and a lovely copper alloy cockerel figurine were discovered.\n\n\"It could be there was a shrine on the site that continued to attract people and, as it's very close to the Roman road Stane Street, it was easy to access.\"\n\nThe dig also revealed \"one of the most significant assemblages of late Iron Age pottery from Essex in recent years\".\n\nMany months of analysis lie ahead, but once completed, it is hoped some of the finds will find homes in Essex museums.\n\nThe dig continued throughout lockdown with archaeologists observing social distancing\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Readers' stories: 'I am missing potentially the last Christmas with my parents'\n\n“I am missing potentially the last Christmas with my parents.” The nurse says the original guidance for the rules to be relaxed for a five-day window over Christmas would have been the first opportunity to see her parents safely because of her job and their age. Her father also has prostate cancer. She lives with her husband and two daughters, aged 18 and 21, in Thame, Oxfordshire, and her parents, who are in their 70s, live five hours away in Northumberland. With the rule change, they are allowed to meet only on Christmas Day as they are in tier two and tier three respectively. She received approval from her boss to work from home for the two weeks leading up to 23 December and her family had also been isolating too, she says. “I cried myself to sleep last night as did my mother and my dad broke down on the phone to me which I have never heard before,” she says. “That is how my Christmas has been affected. I don’t know when or whether I will see my parents again.”", "A self-described whistleblower at the company which made the cladding used on Grenfell Tower has refused new requests to give evidence to the public inquiry.\n\nClaude Wehrle, who worked for Arconic, says he fears he might breach a law in France which prevents evidence being given to proceedings abroad.\n\nAn inquiry letter seen by the BBC reveals he is one of at least two employees who are holding out.\n\nSeventy-two people were killed in the fire in North Kensington in June 2017.\n\nThe inquiry is now in its second phase and is examining the causes of the fire, including how the Grenfell Tower came to be in a condition which allowed the blaze to spread in the way it did.\n\nLast month, Mr Wehrle told the BBC, working jointly with CBS, that he could not speak without permission from Arconic's lawyers. Arconic says that is not true.\n\nThough Mr Wehrle no longer works at the US company, when contacted by phone in November in France, he claimed that law firm DLA Piper was influencing his decisions.\n\n\"DLA Piper is handling everything,\" he said. \"Everything has to go through them.\"\n\n\"I am a good soldier and I follow what is asked of me, and on this point, it is very touchy and important for me to follow the rules.\"\n\nDLA Piper is an international law firm which is representing Arconic and its current employees during investigations by the Grenfell Tower Inquiry and the Metropolitan Police Service.\n\nA joint investigation by the BBC and CBS News has uncovered emails suggesting the firm was handling legal approaches to Mr Wehrle earlier this year.\n\nHowever, in a statement, DLA Piper said it was no longer advising \"certain other individuals associated with [Arconic's architectural subsidiary] AAP SAS in France\".\n\nArconic has been paying for Mr Wehrle to have legal representation since July but stressed that it did not have any influence over his decisions.\n\nAnother firm in France, Navacelle Law, said it was now representing him independently.\n\nKarim Mussilhy, who lost his uncle Hesham Rahman in the fire, delivered a letter of protest to the French Embassy this week\n\nA letter to \"core participants\" of the inquiry, seen by the BBC, reveals Mr Wehrle is one of at least two former employees of the cladding manufacturer Arconic who remain intent on not giving oral evidence.\n\nThat is despite a statement this week by the French government. It said there was no reason for any French citizen to fear criminalisation at the Grenfell Tower Inquiry.\n\nWhen the BBC spoke to Mr Wehrle in November he said \"my target is not, and will never be, to go against Arconic\".\n\n\"It is awful what happened, for sure, but... the fire didn't only have one cause. It is linked to a lot of events that happened one after the other.\"\n\nMr Wherle said he had given the inquiry \"as much as possible, I gave many, many, many exchanges of emails\".\n\nWhen asked whether he felt that he had done the right thing by raising concerns internally he said, \"that's for sure.\"\n\n\"In French we say \"donner d'alert\". I don't know if you know what I mean by this: whistleblower.\"\n\n\"That was my role and it was a difficult situation, trust me,\" he said.\n\nKarim Mussilhy, who lost his uncle Hesham Rahman in the fire, delivered a letter of protest to the French Embassy this week.\n\n\"We need these people to come to the country and tell the truth. It's in the interest of public safety,\" he said.\n\n\"Thousands of people are living in homes with the material that caused the spread of the fire and caused the deaths of their families and they must come here in the interest of public safety.\n\n\"They must come and tell the truth so we make sure that this never happens again.\"\n\nMr Wehrle was a technical manager at Arconic and his testimony is central to the inquiry's investigations into why flammable cladding was installed on the tower.\n\nHis knowledge of concerns within the company goes back at least as far as 2010.\n\nDuring this period Arconic tested its Reynobond PE aluminium cladding product and found it to have worse performance than expected when exposed to fire.\n\nIn an email that year to colleagues, Mr Wehrle said that his company's concerns about the performance of the cladding were something \"we have to keep as VERY CONFIDENTIAL\".\n\nThe BBC has also previously revealed that he emailed customers in 2015 to warn them that according to the new tests the cladding used at Grenfell Tower had a fire rating of class E, on a scale from A1 to F.\n\nIn the email he said he was attempting to address \"concerns about the product's fire reaction class in the UK\".\n\nHowever, Arconic did not inform the body which issues product specification certificates in the UK.\n\nThe company says it was not responsible for designing cladding systems which used its product or for ensuring they met the requirements of the building regulations.\n\nMr Wehrle has failed to respond to recent approaches from the BBC.", "Oxford Street, in central London, was virtually deserted on Sunday\n\nCoronavirus cases in the UK have risen by 35,928 - nearly double the number recorded last Sunday, figures show.\n\nPublic Health England medical director Yvonne Doyle said the \"sharp\" rise in cases was of \"serious concern\".\n\nIt comes as Health Secretary Matt Hancock warned that a new variant of the virus was \"getting out of control\".\n\nChristmas plans have been scrapped or restricted for millions across the UK amid warnings the variant is up to 70% more transmissible than previous types.\n\nThe number of new UK infections on Sunday is an all-time high for recorded cases and nearly double the 18,447 cases reported a week ago.\n\nHowever, it is thought the infection rate was higher during the first peak in the spring, with testing capacity too limited at the time to detect the true number of daily cases.\n\nProf Doyle said most of the new cases in England were concentrated in London and the South East, although it was too early to say if this was linked to the new variant.\n\nThe government's New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (Nervtag) estimates the variant could increase the R number by between 0.4 and 0.9, minutes released on Sunday show.\n\nThe R number is how many other people one person will infect on average; an epidemic is growing if it rises above 1.\n\nA growing number of countries have banned travel from the UK as a result of this variant, including Ireland, France, Belgium, Italy and the Netherlands.\n\nEurotunnel is suspending access to its Folkestone terminal from 22:00 GMT for traffic and freight heading to Calais due to the 48-hour travel ban introduced by France.\n\nSpeaking on the BBC's Andrew Marr programme, Mr Hancock said the news about the new variant \"has been an incredibly difficult end to frankly an awful year\".\n\nHe said: \"Of course we don't want to cancel Christmas... we don't want to take any of these measures, but it's our duty to take them when the evidence is clear.\"\n\nSusan Hopkins, from Public Health England, told Andrew Marr there was evidence that people with the new strain had \"higher viral loads\", which meant they were more infectious.\n\nSome 21 million people in England and Wales who entered new restrictions at midnight are being told to stay at home, while non-essential shops and businesses have to close.\n\nThose living under the newly-created tier four restrictions in England will now be unable to mix with other households indoors at Christmas, unless they are part of their existing support bubble.\n\nThe health secretary said it was not clear how long the tier four measures would be in place, but it could be for months, \"until we can get the vaccine going\".\n\nHe added that people in tier four should act as if they may have the virus.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Starmer: Boris Johnson \"has once again been caught behind the curve\"\n\nIn the rest of England, Scotland and Wales, relaxed indoor mixing rules will only apply on Christmas Day.\n\nCovid rules had been relaxed across the UK to allow up to three households to mix indoors for five days over the Christmas period.\n\nA ban on travel between Scotland and the rest of the UK will also apply over the festive period. Police Scotland said it would be doubling its patrols on the borders but it would not be introducing check points.\n\nMainland Scotland is being placed under the tightest restrictions from Boxing Day.\n\nWales has also entered a new shutdown, with the health minister saying the new variant was \"seeded\" in every part of the country.\n\nIn Northern Ireland, where the planned relaxation of rules for Christmas is going ahead unchanged, four of the five main parties have called for an urgent meeting to discuss the restrictions.\n\nNorthern Ireland is already due to enter a six-week lockdown on Boxing Day.\n\nNurse Rachel Adams said she was potentially missing the last Christmas with her parents\n\nPeople whose Christmas plans were affected as a result of the changes have told the BBC of their anguish at being unable to see loved ones.\n\nNurse Rachel Adams had been planning to see her parents, who are in their 70s. Her father has prostate cancer.\n\nShe lives with her husband and two daughters, aged 18 and 21, in Thame, Oxfordshire, which is in tier two, and her parents live five hours away in Northumberland, which is in tier three.\n\n\"I am absolutely heartbroken,\" she said.\n\n\"I am missing potentially the last Christmas with my parents.\"\n\nGaynor Cawood said she couldn't believe the short notice given to cancel plans\n\nGrandmother Gaynor Cawood, who lives near Loughborough in Leicestershire, was expecting to see her son, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren for Christmas.\n\nBut she lives in tier three and they live in London, which is now in tier four - meaning a ban on travel to other tiers.\n\n\"I can't believe the short notice the government have given us to cancel plans,\" she says.\n\n\"Not only am I now unable to get our Christmas presents to my son, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren - how do you explain to a five-year-old that all the exciting plans we made will now not happen?\"\n\nBut not everyone will be obeying the restrictions over Christmas.\n\nAlex, a teacher from Huddersfield, which is in tier three, said: \"I will be continuing with my plans and meeting family on three days over Christmas.\"\n\nHe said he had recently recovered from Covid-19 and his family are being careful by taking tests and self-isolating.\n\n\"As a teacher I'm expected to work till the last day, mixing with 70 random households in an early years bubble, most of which I know do not follow the rules outside of school, or face legal action from [Education Secretary] Gavin Williamson.\n\n\"Therefore for three days, when I'm probably safest, as I know we are all OK, I'll continue as normal.\"\n\nThe PM's announcement on Saturday of new restrictions came just days after he defended plans to relax restrictions for five days during the festive period - despite calls by some in the medical profession to scrap the change.\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer said his party supported the latest restrictions, but he accused Boris Johnson of \"gross negligence\" in failing to act earlier.\n\nSir Keir told an online press conference that it was \"blatantly obvious last week\" that Mr Johnson's plans to relax the rules over Christmas was \"a risk too far\", adding that his claim that \"this is all down to a new form of the virus that has just emerged does not stand up to scrutiny\".\n\nLondon Mayor Sadiq Khan told BBC Breakfast the \"11th-hour announcement is a bitter blow\" for families and businesses, saying it is the \"chop-change, stop-start, that's led to so much anguish, despair, sadness and disappointment\".\n\nSimilar to England's second national lockdown - tier four applies to Kent, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Surrey (excluding Waverley), Gosport, Havant, Portsmouth, Rother and Hastings.\n\nIt also applies in London (all 32 boroughs and the City of London) and the east of England (Bedford, Central Bedford, Milton Keynes, Luton, Peterborough, Hertfordshire and Essex (excluding Colchester, Uttlesford and Tendring).\n\nThe measures will be reviewed on 30 December.\n\nHow will these latest restrictions affect your plans for Christmas? Email haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.\n• None 'Our duty' to act over Christmas plans - Hancock", "From Boxing Day the whole of mainland Scotland will be in the country's toughest tier of restrictions for at least three weeks. So what can you do - and not do - in level four?\n\nIf you want to delve deeper into the Scottish government's level four rules, click here.", "Andrew Marr's guests this morning are Health Secretary Matt Hancock and Shadow Foreign Secretary Lisa Nandy.\n\nAlso on the show: Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, Dr Maria Van Kerkhove from the World Health Organization, Professor Susan Hopkins from Public Health England and music from Annie Lennox.", "Sir Keir Starmer said he was \"under no illusion about the scale of the task Labour faces\" in Scotland\n\nLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer has committed his party to delivering the \"boldest devolution project in a generation\" in a policy speech.\n\nHe is to set up a constitutional commission to offer a \"positive alternative to the Scottish people\".\n\nSir Keir said leaders had a \"shared duty\" to \"rebuild together\" across the UK in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis.\n\nBut First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has argued that independence is \"essential\" to rebuilding Scotland post-pandemic.\n\nThe SNP have dismissed the plans as \"constitutional tinkering\" while the Scottish Conservatives said Labour were offering nothing new to challenge the SNP's dominance of Scottish politics.\n\nSir Keir used his speech on Monday - delivered online due to physical distancing - to confirm the setting up of a UK-wide constitutional commission, advised by former prime minister Gordon Brown, to deliver a \"fresh and tangible offer\" to the Scottish people.\n\nHe said the pandemic had put \"rocket boosters\" under the case for decentralisation of power, saying his party must \"grasp the nettle and offer real devolution of power and resources\" if it is to have any hope of preserving the future of the union.\n\nHe said: \"It is Labour's duty to offer a positive alternative to the Scottish people. To show that you don't have to choose between a broken status quo and the uncertainty and divisiveness of separatism.\n\n\"The United Kingdom is much more than that, more than any individual. It has been before - and can be again - a great force for social justice, for security and for solidarity.\"\n\nThe independence campaign has regained momentum in the polls following defeat in 2014\n\nWith polls suggesting support for independence is on the rise, Sir Keir argued that the shared \"history, values and identity\" of the people of the UK mean there should be no place for internal borders.\n\nHe said Labour's offering must be \"every bit as bold and radical\" as the devolution delivered in the 1990s, saying the constitutional commission would target \"real and lasting political and economic devolution\" to local communities in all parts of the UK.\n\nSir Keir said this was about more than shifting powers from one parliament to another or transferring \"a few jobs out of London\", adding: \"There's a yearning across the United Kingdom for politics and power to be much closer to people.\"\n\nThe project is to start with a listening exercise, with the party looking to \"hear from as many people as possible across the UK\".\n\nThe UK leader said he was \"under no illusion about the scale of the task Labour faces\" ahead of May's Scottish Parliament election, with Scottish Labour having been in opposition at Holyrood since 2007.\n\nThe party has also struggled in other elections north of the border, being reduced to a single Westminster seat in 2019 and finishing fifth in that year's European Parliament elections.\n\nThe MP said Labour would argue \"passionately\" against a new independence referendum saying it was \"entirely the wrong priority\" to hold a new vote in the teeth of a recession and \"when there is such uncertainty about how Brexit and coronavirus will affect us\"\n\nHe attacked the SNP's record in power, saying: \"It's no wonder that Nicola Sturgeon wants to make May's election a referendum on another referendum, because on education, health and social justice the SNP have no story to tell.\"\n\nThe next Holyrood election is due in May 2021, with Labour currently the parliament's third party\n\nThe SNP's deputy Westminster leader Kirsten Oswald dismissed Labour's plans, saying the system was \"broken\" and \"not working for Scotland\".\n\n\"No amount of constitutional tinkering of the kind proposed by Labour will protect Scotland from Brexit or the Tory power grab being imposed upon us against our will,\" she said.\n\nShe said that even Labour supporters doubted their ability to oust the Conservatives from Westminster for another decade at least.\n\nThe MP added: \"It's clear that only with the full powers of independence will we be able to properly protect our interests and secure our place in Europe - and that decision lies solely with the people of Scotland, not an out-of-touch Westminster system.\"\n\nThe Scottish Conservatives insisted they were the only party capable of taking on the SNP and championing the union.\n\nScottish Tory leader Douglas Ross said: \"This isn't leadership from Labour on the union, this is the same old tired argument that they've made before and they're offering nothing to challenge the SNP.\n\n\"Scottish Labour won't work with unionist parties to stop the nationalists, and they won't stand up to Nicola Sturgeon's demand for another independence referendum as early as next year.\n\n\"Only the Scottish Conservatives have the strength to take on the SNP right across Scotland and the determination to stop their push for indyref2 again.\"\n\nThe Scottish Liberal Democrats, however, said they are willing to work with Labour on a \"third way\" forward.\n\nLeader Willie Rennie said: \"Liberal Democrats support a new federalist settlement that means we can find a better way to agree a common future across the United Kingdom.\"\n\nDevolution is pretty straightforward when national and devolved leaders agree. When they don't, it becomes a lot harder.\n\nNowhere has that been more obvious than in Scotland - and his speech was Sir Keir's first major foray into the independence debate.\n\nFor years, many believe Labour in Scotland has been in a constitutional no man's land; stuck between the pro-independence SNP and the strongly unionist Conservatives.\n\nLabour has flirted with different positions - and has taken a hammering at the polls as a result.\n\nToday's speech was intended to give more clarity on exactly where Sir Keir stands ahead of May's Holyrood election. He has adopted a similar position to the UK government on calls for another independence vote; not now, but not quite ruling it out forever.\n\nLabour is open to more powers for Holyrood, presents itself as the party which introduced devolution in the first place, and will oppose what it sees as attacks on devolution from the current UK government.", "The cancellation of Christmas plans for millions of people across the UK will bring \"intense pain\" but there is \"hope\" for the future, the Archbishop of Canterbury has said.\n\nJustin Welby told the BBC he had spent Christmases alone and had \"no illusions about how dark it feels\".\n\n\"But as the vaccine comes in, things will change,\" the archbishop said.\n\nHe urged people to take practical steps to avoid loneliness and plan for proper celebrations in the future.\n\nHe also said the elderly and vulnerable should not feel compelled to go to church this Christmas.\n\nOn Saturday, the planned relaxation of Covid rules for Christmas were scrapped for London and parts of south-east and east England and cut to just Christmas Day for the rest of England, Scotland and Wales.\n\nSpeaking on The Andrew Marr show, the archbishop acknowledged that for many families this year has been difficult and that many will be feeling lonely.\n\nAsked directly whether Christmas was cancelled, he replied: \"No. The celebrations are cancelled - we'll come to those again.\n\n\"This is very different to what we hoped for and longed for and it is the most intense pain for a lot of people.\n\n\"But it's not cancelled because at the heart of Christmas is Jesus coming into the world, God coming into the world and then coming onto Easter.\n\n\"This is a moment of God saying 'I am with you in the mess and there is hope'.\"\n\nThe archbishop said people should share memories of lost loved ones, speak to friends and family, and make plans for the future when the pandemic has eased.\n\nHe said: \"Talk to people on the phone - ring, share and plan.\n\n\"Something about planning for the future helps us dream.\n\n\"What are you going to do? What are we going to do when this time is over?\n\n\"It may be many months yet but as the vaccine comes in things will change.\n\n\"What are we going to do to celebrate?\n\n\"And to mourn and to grieve, but crying and laughing to celebrate.\"\n\nThe Archbishop of Canterbury also said people needed to decide for themselves whether it was too risky to attend church at Christmas.\n\nPlaces of worship will remain open over the festive period, even in areas in tier four - the toughest level of restrictions in England.\n\nHe said his mother, who is in her 90s, would not be going because it was \"too dangerous\".\n\n\"There are clergy who have underlying health conditions, who will not be going to church,\" he added.\n\nFor those who decide to attend church in person, they should not \"mingle\" after services and should stay away from the choir.\n\n\"Wave happily to people and go home,\" he said.", "\"I've never in my life felt so much love and felt so grateful,\" Chloe Collins said\n\nA couple rearranged their wedding in just two hours to ensure they tied the knot before London went into tier four.\n\nChloe Collins, 31, and Jamie Collins, 29, were due to marry on 6 September, but had reorganised three times due to changing coronavirus restrictions.\n\nMrs Collins said \"our hearts sank\" when Boris Johnson announced on Saturday a new tier-four lockdown across south-east England would start on Sunday.\n\nThe couple were married at 22:00 GMT on Saturday at Edgware United Synagogue.\n\n\"I've never in my life felt so much love and felt so grateful,\" Mrs Collins, a lettings negotiator, said.\n\nThe couple were allowed 15 guests but \"over 100 people logged on to Zoom to watch us\".\n\n\"We felt the love, and it felt like they were there,\" Mrs Collins said.\n\nThe couple were married at Edgware United Synagogue\n\nEstate agent Mr Collins said their wedding had been planned with 130 guests at a country estate-turned-hotel in Watford.\n\nWhen coronavirus restrictions meant only 15 guests could attend weddings, the couple moved venue and planned for a wedding on 22 November.\n\nThey then rearranged for 20 December, after a four week-England wide lockdown came into force through November.\n\nMrs Collins said she \"felt physically sick\" as the prime minister announced new tier four restrictions on Saturday afternoon.\n\n\"Our rabbi had the idea to bring the wedding forward,\" Mr Collins said.\n\n\"We just started calling people to see what we could do, and the more calls we made the more people said 'yes'.\n\n\"It was a miracle that it just kind of came together. It felt like a dream. Some people take years to plan a wedding, but we did it in two hours.\"\n\nMr Collins's best man drove more than two hours to attend the wedding, before \"getting back in his car and driving home\", the couple said.\n\nUnder tier four guidelines, weddings and civil partnerships are only allowed under \"exceptional circumstances\", such as if one partner is seriously ill and not expected to recover.\n\nSince the wedding, the couple, from Watford, have been inundated with messages.\n\n\"I've been welling up with messages from people who aren't my close friends saying it was amazing,\" Mrs Collins said.\n\n\"I think it's just nice to hear nice news for a change.\"", "Aerial footage filmed on the first day of new restrictions in England shows queues, full car parks and quiet streets.\n\nMillions of people had their Christmas plans disrupted after tier four was announced for London and parts of east and south-east England on Saturday.\n\nThe government changed the plans in an effort to stop the spread of a new coronavirus variant.", "The government and trade groups have warned of \"serious disruption\" after France blocked arrivals of UK passengers for 48 hours over concerns about the new coronavirus variant.\n\nFreight lorries cannot cross by sea or through the Eurotunnel and the Port of Dover has closed to outbound traffic.\n\nAbout 10,000 lorries a day travel between Dover and Calais during peak periods such as Christmas.\n\nUK ministers will discuss the move at a Cobra emergency committee on Monday.\n\nOn Sunday, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps urged the public and hauliers not to travel to ports in Kent, saying \"significant disruption\" was likely in the area.\n\nKent Police have mobilised Operation Stack - a system to park lorries on the M20 motorway in Kent at times of disruption - to deal with the build-up of traffic.\n\nRichard Burnett, head of the Road Haulage Association, told the BBC's Today programme that the ban could deter EU hauliers from coming to the UK over fears they will end up being stranded.\n\n\"The retailers have done a good job of stocking up on ambient products [for Christmas] - there will be plenty of stock,\" he added.\n\n\"But the fresh food supply, where it's short shelf life and there will be product on its way now, that's where the challenge comes from.\n\n\"The retailers will absolutely be assessing their inbound flows this morning and understanding whether or not those flows are on their way into the retail distribution centres around the country and I'm sure there will be further reassurance given today that those things are in control.\"\n\nKent Police said it had implemented the closure of the coast-bound carriageway of the motorway between Junctions 8 and 11 as a \"contingency measure\".\n\nThe Department for Transport has said that Manston Airport in Kent is being readied to take up to 4,000 lorries to ease congestion in the county.\n\nThe Port of Dover is closed to traffic leaving the UK \"until further notice\" due to border restrictions in France, port authorities said in a statement.\n\n\"Both accompanied freight and passenger customers are asked not to travel to the port,\" it said. \"We understand that the restrictions will be in place for 48 hours from midnight.\"\n\nFreight coming to Britain from France will be allowed, but there are fears lorry drivers will not travel to avoid being stuck in the UK.\n\nUnaccompanied freight, such as containers or lorry trailers on their own can still be transported, but outbound vans, lorries and trucks are banned. Hauliers are advised to find other routes into the continent.\n\nBorder restrictions could mean disruption to food supplies, as well as difficulties in meeting orders of British goods in continental Europe.\n\n\"Tonight's suspension of accompanied freight traffic from the UK to France has the potential to cause serious disruption to UK Christmas fresh food supplies - and exports of UK food and drink,\" Food and Drink Federation (FDF) chief executive Ian Wright warned on Sunday.\n\n\"The government must very urgently persuade the French government to exempt accompanied freight from its ban.\"\n\nFreight industry lobby group Logistics UK said it was concerned about the welfare of drivers going from the UK to France, and said they should have access to regular testing.\n\nIt appealed for calm from shoppers, and said it was \"maintaining close contact with UK government to ensure that supplies of fresh produce are available throughout Christmas and the new year\".\n\nThe British Retail Consortium (BRC) joined the FDF in appealing to the government to find a solution, but also added that there should be no immediate shortages.\n\n\"Retailers have stocked up on goods ahead of Christmas which should prevent immediate problems,\" the BRC said.\n\nThe government does not think the restrictions will affect the delivery of Covid-19 vaccines to the UK, according to BBC political correspondent Nick Eardley.\n\nScotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has called on the government to extend the Brexit transition period as it deals with the new coronavirus variant, saying it was a \"profoundly serious situation\" which \"demands our 100% attention\".\n\nThe current transition period is due to expire at the end of the year and the EU and UK are still negotiating a trade deal.\n\nWithout it both sides will have to collect expensive tariffs that the Office for Budget Responsibility says could harm the UK's economy.\n\nLabour's Rachel Reeves, shadow minister for the Cabinet Office, called the development \"deeply worrying\".\n\n\"The country needs to hear credible plans and reassurance that essential supplies will be safeguarded, including our NHS, supermarkets and manufacturers with crucial supply chains,\" she said.\n\nThe block on freight traffic into France came as a number of European countries banned flights and other travel from the UK over fears about VUI - a mutation of the coronavirus that is spreading rapidly in the UK.\n\nFrance, Italy, Ireland, Germany, Belgium the Netherlands and Turkey are among those to have banned flights from the UK while other nations are considering the move.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nMPs want the government to publish a list of the companies that signed up to the furlough scheme amid concerns money is being lost through fraud and error.\n\nUnder the scheme, the government pays up to 80% of staff wages.\n\n\"Opportunistic fraud\", where furloughed staff continue to work, could be running at between 7% and 34% of cases, the Public Accounts Committee said.\n\nThe wages of more than nine million workers have been paid by the government at a cost of £46bn.\n\nThe Commons Public Accounts Committee, which is responsible for overseeing government expenditures, wants HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to release a list of employers that have received funding from the scheme by the end of January.\n\nThe committee said the Treasury had not been able to give a \"ballpark figure\" or explain how it would determine whether the spending represented good value for money.\n\nChancellor Rishi Sunak last week extended the furlough scheme for one month until the end of April and self-employed support is due to continue until the end of January.\n\nAs of October, the furlough scheme and the income support scheme for the self employed had cost more than £55bn.\n\nA further £21bn of taxpayers' money will be paid into the furlough scheme by the end of April next year, the Office for Budget Responsibility has estimated.\n\nUnder existing plans, the true scale of the losses will not be known until the end of next year at the earliest.\n\nMPs also want HMRC and the Treasury to do more to help the estimated 2.9 million workers who have been excluded from both furlough and the income support scheme for the self-employed.\n\n\"HM Treasury and HMRC should investigate whether more data within and outside of the tax system could be used to determine eligibility for currently excluded groups and write to the committee within six weeks to explain their findings,\" the committee said.\n\n\"Many workers including freelancers and entrepreneurs have not had a penny and are really struggling as they continue to fall through the gaps.\"\n\nMeanwhile, the government's hotline for furlough fraud has received more than 20,000 tips since it was set up.\n\nA government spokesperson said: \"The furlough scheme has saved millions of jobs and kept businesses in operation.\n\n\"We will consider carefully the findings and recommendations of the PAC (Public Accounts Committee) report and respond in due course.\"", "Police patrols will be stepped up but road blocks are not envisaged\n\nPolice patrols on Scotland's borders are to be doubled but there are no plans for checkpoints or road blocks.\n\nPolice Scotland's chief constable said he expected roads to be quieter in the coming days and that most people would \"do the right thing\".\n\nBut Iain Livingstone ruled out setting up checkpoints, saying they were not \"appropriate\" or \"proportionate\".\n\nThe first minister announced on Saturday that cross-border travel would be banned for the festive period.\n\nNicola Sturgeon said tighter travel rules were essential, along with a number of extra measures, to prevent a new variant of Covid-19 spreading rapidly.\n\nThere are only a limited number of specific exemptions to the law.\n\nIn addition to the cross-border travel ban, the whole of Scotland will move into either level four or level three Covid restrictions from 26 December, meaning people are only allowed to make essential journeys outside their council area.\n\nThe chief constable said he had compassion for all those affected by \"highly restrictive measures\" but insisted they were \"absolutely necessary\" to save lives.\n\n\"Following the announcement by the first minister, there can be no doubt that, other than for the most essential journeys, people should not be travelling between Scotland and other parts of the UK,\" he said.\n\nChief Constable Iain Livingstone said policing of travel restrictions must be \"proportionate\"\n\nMr Livingstone said the increase in Covid alert levels from midnight on 26 December amounted to a \"blanket ban\" for mainland Scotland.\n\nBut he added: \"I remain clear I do not consider it appropriate or proportionate for officers to establish check points or road blocks to simply enforce travel restrictions\n\n\"These restrictions are a preventative measure to halt the progress of Covid and Police Scotland will support this approach with a strong operational profile to deter those who would put others at risk.\n\n\"Today, I have authorised the doubling of our operational presence in the border areas of Scotland.\"\n\nHe said the force's experience throughout the pandemic was that the \"overwhelming majority\" of people had \"demonstrated personal responsibility to do the right thing\".\n\nHe added: \"It is the consent of the public from which policing in Scotland draws its legitimacy. As our communities expect, where officers encounter wilful, persistent or flagrant breaches we will act decisively to enforce the law.\"\n\nBritish Transport Police have also boosted the number of officers at stations across the UK's rail network.\n\nAssistant Chief Constable Sean O'Callaghan said: \"As has been the case throughout the pandemic, officers will be supporting rail staff through high-visibility patrols across England, Scotland and Wales, ensuring those on the network are safe.\n\n\"Our policing method remains the same - officers will engage with passengers and only use enforcement if absolutely necessary.\n\n\"Anyone planning a journey over the festive period is urged to consider whether travelling is essential and encouraged to stay at home as per latest Government advice.\"", "I have one simple rule for making sense of \"new variant\" or \"new strain\" coronavirus stories.\n\nAsk: \"Has the virus's behaviour changed?\"\n\nA mutated virus sounds instinctively scary, but to mutate and change is what viruses do.\n\nMost of the time it is either a meaningless tweak or the virus alters itself in such a way that it gets worse at infecting us and the new variant just dies out.\n\nOccasionally it hits on a new winning formula.\n\nThere is no clear-cut evidence the new variant of coronavirus - which has been detected in south-east England - is able to transmit more easily, cause more serious symptoms or render the vaccine useless.\n\nHowever, there are two reasons scientists are keeping a close eye on it.\n\nThe first is that levels of the variant are higher in places where cases are higher.\n\nIt is a warning sign, although it can be interpreted in two ways.\n\nThe virus could have mutated to spread more easily and is causing more infections.\n\nBut variants can also get a lucky break by infecting the right people at the right time. One explanation for the spread of the \"Spanish strain\" over the summer was simply people catching it on holiday and then bringing it home.\n\nIt will take experiments in the laboratory to figure out if this variant really is a better spreader than all the others.\n\nThe other issue that is raising scientific eyebrows is how the virus has mutated.\n\n\"It has a surprisingly large number of mutations, more than we would expect, and a few look interesting,\" Prof Nick Loman from the COVID-19 Genomics UK (COG-UK) Consortium told me.\n\nThere are two notable sets of mutation - and I apologise for their hideous names.\n\nBoth are found in the crucial spike protein, which is the key the virus uses to unlock the doorway into our body's cells in order to hijack them.\n\nThe mutation N501 (I did warn you) alters the most important part of the spike, known as the \"receptor-binding domain\".\n\nThis is where the spike makes first contact with the surface of our body's cells. Any changes that make it easier for the virus to get inside are likely to give it an edge.\n\n\"It looks and smells like an important adaptation,\" said Prof Loman.\n\nMass vaccination will put a different kind of pressure on the virus because it will have to change in order to infect people who have been immunised\n\nThe other mutation - a H69/V70 deletion - has emerged several times before, including famously in infected mink.\n\nThe concern was that antibodies from the blood of survivors was less effective at attacking that variant of virus.\n\nAgain, it is going to take more laboratory studies to really understand what is going on.\n\nProf Alan McNally, from the University of Birmingham, said: \"We know there's a variant, we know nothing about what that means biologically.\n\n\"It is far too early to make any inference on how important this may or may not be.\"\n\nMutations to the spike protein lead to questions about the vaccine because the three leading jabs - Pfizer, Moderna and Oxford - all train the immune system to attack the spike.\n\nHowever, the body learns to attack multiple parts of the spike. That is why health officials remain convinced the vaccine will work against this variant.\n\nThis is a virus that evolved in animals and made the jump to infecting people around a year ago.\n\nSince then it has been picking up around two mutations a month - take a sample today and compare it to the first ones from Wuhan in China and there would be around 25 mutations separating them.\n\nCoronavirus is still trying out different combinations of mutations to properly nail infecting humans.\n\nWe have seen this happen before: The emergence and global dominance of another variant (G614) is seen by many as the virus getting better at spreading.\n\nBut soon mass vaccination will put a different kind of pressure on the virus because it will have to change in order to infect people who have been immunized.\n\nIf this does drive the evolution of the virus, we may have to regularly update the vaccines, as we do for flu, to keep up.", "Last updated on .From the section Sports Personality\n\nFormula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton has been voted BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2020.\n\nOne of F1's all-time great drivers, he equalled Michael Schumacher's record of seven world titles with his fourth consecutive championship in 2020.\n\nThe 35-year-old, from Stevenage, also surpassed Schumacher's total of 91 grand prix wins.\n\nIn a public vote, Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson finished second while jockey Hollie Doyle was third.\n\nBoxer Tyson Fury, England cricketer Stuart Broad and snooker great Ronnie O'Sullivan were also shortlisted for the main award.\n\n\"I want to say congratulations to all the incredible nominees,\" said Hamilton. \"I'm so proud of what they have achieved and I want to say thank you to everyone that has voted for me.\n\n\"I wasn't expecting this knowing there's so many great contenders.\n\n\"I want to say Merry Christmas to everyone - it's been such an unusual year and I want to mention all the front line workers and all the children round the world, I want you to try and stay positive through this difficult time, I'm sending you all positivity. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.\"\n• None How the night unfolded in our live text\n• None Moments of triumph: Your personal stories and videos from 2020\n\nIt is the second time Hamilton has been crowned Sports Personality of the Year, having first won the award in 2014.\n\nHe is also a four-time runner-up, most recently in 2019.\n\nHamilton, who holds the record for most pole positions, won 11 of the 17 grands prix during the 2020 season, which started four months late because of the coronavirus pandemic. He achieved three further podium finishes.\n\nSpeaking to BBC Breakfast's Sally Nugent, Hamilton also paid tribute to Captain Sir Tom Moore, who was honoured with the Helen Rollason Award for his incredible fundraising efforts during lockdown, Young Unsung Hero winner Tobias Weller, and Manchester United and England footballer Marcus Rashford, who won a special award.\n\n\"There's so many great stories out there,\" said Hamilton. \"And so I truly wasn't expecting it.\n\n\"Your heart's always pumping in those last few seconds when they're announcing because you have absolutely no idea who was called in. But I am so, so, so grateful to the British public.\n\n\"This definitely goes a long way to giving me the best Christmas that I can have given the circumstances.\"\n\nHenderson's runner-up spot came after his Liverpool side were named top team while manager Jurgen Klopp won coach of the year.\n\nAfter picking up the trophy for finishing third, Doyle said: \"It felt unbelievable but felt like it wasn't for myself but for our industry as a whole, which I'm proud to be part of.\"\n\nThe Sports Personality of the Year 2020 was broadcast live from MediaCityUK, Salford, in front of a 1,000-strong virtual audience and millions of BBC One viewers.\n\nFootball pundit Alex Scott joined the presenting line-up alongside Gary Lineker, Clare Balding and Gabby Logan to look back on a truly unusual year of sport.\n• None Stream all the goals and highlights from Saturday's Premier League action now", "Joe Biden said the US needed a \"unified national response\" to climate change\n\nUS President-elect Joe Biden has introduced his climate and energy team, saying they will lead an \"ambitious plan\" to combat climate change.\n\nMr Biden has vowed to make the issue a top priority in an agenda that reverses many Trump administration policies.\n\nHe said there was \"no time to waste\".\n\nIf confirmed by the Senate, the team will include the first black man to run the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the first Native American cabinet member.\n\nMr Biden, who is set to be inaugurated on 20 January, has pledged to build a diverse administration that reflects the US.\n\n\"We're in a crisis,\" he said. \"Just like we need to be a unified nation to respond to Covid-19, we need a unified national response to climate change.\"\n\nMr Biden has pledged to break away from climate policy under the Trump administration. He says he will re-join the Paris climate agreement immediately upon taking office and \"put America back in the business of leading the world on climate change\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nUnder President Donald Trump, the US this year became the first country to formally withdraw from the Paris agreement, which commits countries to working to limit the global temperature rise.\n\nMr Biden described his picks for his new climate and energy team as \"brilliant, qualified and tested, and barrier-busting\".\n\nNominees include North Carolina's top environmental regulator Michael Regan, who would be the first African-American man to head the EPA, and New Mexico representative Deb Haaland who would be the first Native American to lead the Department of the Interior.\n\nMs Haaland hailed her nomination as a \"profound\" moment in the history of the country.\n\nEnvironmental lawyer and Obama administration official Brenda Mallory was nominated to run the Council on Environmental Quality. If confirmed, she would be the first African American to hold the position.\n\nFormer Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm was nominated for the position of energy secretary.\n\nLast month Mr Biden named John Kerry, a former secretary of state and one of the leading architects of the Paris agreement, as his climate envoy.\n\nThe Biden transition team said the position would see him \"fight climate change full-time\". He is also set to be the first official dedicated to climate change to sit on the National Security Council.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Strictly winner Bill Bailey: 'I never thought we'd get this far'\n\nComedian Bill Bailey has been crowned the winner of this year's Strictly Come Dancing, becoming the oldest celebrity to lift the glitterball trophy.\n\nThe 55-year-old shared his triumph with partner Oti Mabuse, the first Strictly dancer to win for two years in a row.\n\nBailey beat EastEnders' Maisie Smith and singer HRVY at the end of Saturday's grand final.\n\n\"It feel surreal, it feels extraordinary, it feels wonderful,\" Bailey said as he was named the winner.\n\n\"I never thought we'd get this far, never thought we'd get to the final.\n\n\"But I have had the most extraordinary teacher and the most extraordinary dancer,\" he added, paying tribute to Mabuse. \"Someone who believed in me right from the beginning, and she found something in me and turned me into this, into a dancer.\"\n\nIn response Mabuse told him: \"I think you are amazing, remarkable. You just put your heart and soul into everything. Thank you for being a friend, a father figure to me, a brother, and for this [the glitterball trophy]!\"\n\nActor Joe McFadden had been Strictly's previous oldest winner, having won in 2017 at the age of 42.\n\nBill and Oti performed their showdance to The Show Must Go On by Queen\n\nMabuse, who has danced on Strictly since 2015, also won last year's series with Emmerdale actor Kelvin Fletcher.\n\nAliona Vilani is the only other pro dancer to have triumphed twice, having won with Harry Judd and Jay McGuinness in 2011 and 2015 respectively.\n\nMade in Chelsea's Jamie Laing also made it to this year's final, having survived an unprecedented four dance-offs throughout the series.\n\nBailey is known for his appearances on QI, Never Mind the Buzzcocks and the Channel 4 sitcom Black Books.\n\nSaturday's finale was watched by an average audience of 11.6 million - up from 11.3 million last year.\n\nIn an interview last week, Craig Revel Horwood said he \"really thought Bill Bailey would be the Ann Widdecombe of this series\".\n\nAnd that perfectly sums up the attitude many had towards Bill at the beginning of Strictly 2020. At his age, particularly being a comedian, he would surely fall into the novelty category; hired for entertainment value rather than serious dancing.\n\nBut Bill gradually improved as the weeks went on, with his routine to Rapper's Delight by the Sugarhill Gang (who later praised his performance) proving a turning point. Viewers realised he was focused and really putting in the hours to learn complex routines.\n\n\"It makes me smile to have confounded people's expectations,\" Bailey recently wrote in The Telegraph. \"I always intended to give it my all, perhaps to offset my pantomime horse role - but what I didn't expect was to be able to dance well, certainly not with a degree of confidence.\"\n\nBill Bailey was not the best dancer in this year's Strictly. Until Saturday night's final, he hadn't topped the leaderboard, often trailing behind the younger, more agile, contestants like Maisie and HRVY.\n\nBut that didn't matter. Being the best dancer is actually not what Strictly is about. Much more important is the journey a celebrity goes on over the series; their effort, their commitment, their improvement. Oti's continuing popularity certainly didn't hurt, but ultimately the British public loves an underdog.\n\nBailey became a firm fan favourite during his time on the show, particularly after his and Oti's dance to Rapper's Delight by The Sugarhill Gang, which went viral earlier in the series.\n\nTheir Couple's Choice routine was one of three the pair performed on Saturday night.\n\nThis YouTube post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on YouTube The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts. Skip youtube video by BBC Strictly Come Dancing This article contains content provided by Google YouTube. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Google’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. YouTube content may contain adverts. End of youtube video by BBC Strictly Come Dancing\n\nThe pair also reprised their week two Quickstep to Bobby Darin's Talk to the Animals, as well as a new Showdance to Queen's The Show Must Go On.\n\nSpeaking ahead of the final, Bailey said it was \"wonderful\" if he had come to be seen as a role model for mature would-be hoofers.\n\n\"Blokes sometimes feel a bit self-conscious, particularly blokes of my age,\" the hirsute funnyman told journalists. \"They feel like they're going to be called the dad dancer.\n\n\"I think if me showing I can get out there and look a little bit more than somebody shuffling about, then why not?\"\n\nThis year's series was shorter than usual due to the coronavirus pandemic, though that did not prevent the virus having an impact.\n\nHRVY tested positive for coronavirus 10 days before the launch show was filmed, while boxer Nicola Adams was forced to withdraw when her partner Katya Jones tested positive.\n\nThe Duchess of Cornwall made an appearance on the final to pay tribute to the Strictly cast and crew\n\nThe couple had made Strictly history by becoming the first same-sex duo to compete on the programme. They returned for a special performance in Saturday's final.\n\nThere was also a musical performance from Robbie Williams and an appearance from the Duchess of Cornwall, who paid tribute to the cast and crew of Strictly for \"lifting the whole country's spirits\".\n\n\"I'd like to, on the behalf of everybody who watches Strictly, to say an enormous thank you to everybody,\" she said. \"Everybody who has been involved in this production, in this particularity difficult year, you have given everybody so much pleasure and you've uplifted the nation.\"\n\nConcerns over Transatlantic travel meant Bruno Tonioli could only appear virtually this year, while judge Motsi Mabuse - Oti's older sister - had to take two weeks off in order to self-isolate.\n\nThat was good news for Anton Du Beke who, having been eliminated in week two along with his partner Jacqui Smith, got to sit on the judging panel while Motsi was away.\n\nThe BBC received more than 150 complaints from viewers after three of the other professional dancers appeared in drag during a Priscilla, Queen of the Desert routine.\n\nClaudia Winkleman, meanwhile, was forced to make an on-air apology after The Wanted's Max George was heard uttering a profanity after one of his dance routines.\n\nClaudia and Tess Daly will be back on Christmas Day to present a Strictly special featuring 25 of the BBC One show's most memorable routines to date.\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "A Scrooge character who gave one youngster nightmares has been deemed to be an unsuitable sight for little children\n\nOrganisers of a drive-through Santa's grotto described as \"shambolic\" have blamed \"teething problems\" and insisted that improvements have been made.\n\nThe event in the grounds of Taverham Hall, near Norwich, opened on Friday.\n\nLater that day, the event's Facebook page contained complaints about traffic chaos and \"creepy\" performers.\n\nBut Ollie George, from organisers We Make Events, said the feedback was now \"much more positive\". Saturday grotto visitors found it \"magical\", he added.\n\nPeople commenting on social media on Friday said they queued for up to three hours in rush-hour traffic, having bought tickets for a time slot.\n\nMany turned away with tired, upset children, with one parent stating: \"Would've been quicker to get to the North Pole.\"\n\nThe \"festive magic\" that was originally promised is now on offer, organisers claim\n\nMr George said a Scrooge-like character had since been removed after being deemed \"too frightening for very young children\".\n\nLouise Purdy, who visited on Friday, previously said: \"The Scrooge guy called us all mutants, said Santa has crashed his sleigh and the presents are in the mud, and there was a man in chains by a tree just staring at the car.\"\n\nMr George also said the entry system had been altered to alleviate the traffic issues, although he pointed out that some customers had not arrived at their allotted time and this had caused congestion.\n\nLouise Purdy said she told her three-year-old son the inflatables were having a sleep\n\nHe said the organisers had \"taken on board the complaints and concerns that we have received\" and were still making improvements.\n\n\"We're asking everyone who didn't have a great experience to get in contact and we are in the process of refunding people who are eligible.\"\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk", "Some Covid restrictions are being reintroduced in response to the Omicron variant.\n\nCheck what the rules are in your area by entering your postcode or council name below.\n\nA modern browser with JavaScript and a stable internet connection is required to view this interactive. What are the rules in your area? Enter a full UK postcode or council name to find out\n\nIf you cannot see the look-up, click here.\n\nThe rules highlighted in the search tool are a selection of the key government restrictions in place in your area.\n\nAlways check your relevant national and local authority website for more information on the situation where you live. Also check local guidance before travelling to others parts of the UK.\n\nAll the guidance in our search look-up comes from national government websites.\n\nFor more information on national measures see:\n\nFind out how the pandemic has affected your area and how it compares with the national average by following this link to an in depth guide to the numbers involved.", "The \"festive magic\" promised by the organisers did not materialise, according to angry visitors\n\nFamilies have demanded refunds from a \"shambolic\" drive-through Santa's grotto after queuing for hours.\n\nIt opened on Friday night and promised a 1km (0.6 mile) sparkling light trail through the grounds of Taverham Hall, near Norwich.\n\nThe event's Facebook page was later flooded with complaints about traffic chaos, \"creepy\" performers who scared children, and \"Poundland\" gifts.\n\n\"It was an absolute fiasco from start to finish,\" said visitor Louise Purdy.\n\nOrganiser We Make Events has been approached for comment.\n\nPeople commenting on social media said they queued for up to three hours in rush-hour traffic, having bought tickets for a time slot.\n\nA Scrooge character prompted a warning on a parenting site after he gave one young visitor nightmares\n\nMany turned away with tired, upset children, with one parent stating: \"Would've been quicker to get to the North Pole.\"\n\nAnother said: \"Three very grumpy children and four disappointed adults down £110.\"\n\nSome of those who did make it inside were unhappy with what had been billed as \"huge amounts of festive magic\".\n\nA \"scary\" Scrooge-like character prompted one mum to post a warning on a parenting site after her child had nightmares.\n\nLouise Purdy said she told her three-year-old son the inflatables were having a sleep\n\nMs Purdy, who was there with her two-year-old and five-year-old nephews and son, aged three, said the whole thing was comically awful.\n\n\"We wanted the sparkle, the magic of Christmas, but I actually started laughing because I couldn't comprehend how rubbish it was.\n\n\"The Scrooge guy called us all mutants, said Santa has crashed his sleigh and the presents are in the mud, and there was a man in chains by a tree just staring at the car.\n\n\"It was creepy, but was meant to be for little kids.\n\n\"The light tunnel at the end wasn't even switched on and the Santa couldn't be less interested.\"\n\nAnother parent said: \"The gifts were rubbish, not even wrapped, just in brown paper bags and they were things probably bought in Poundland.\"\n\nThe Purdy family queued for almost two hours\n\nKerry Prentice from Norwich, who paid £68 for three tickets, told BBC Radio Norfolk she left after 90 minutes having been told she would probably have to wait a further two hours.\n\n\"We wanted something really nice to do as a family, but it was appalling and we've had no response from the organisers.\"\n\nWe Make Events is yet to respond to complaints but has issued a statement asking visitors to adjust their route \"to ease traffic worries\".\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk", "The River Towy at Carmarthen flooded on Saturday\n\nA landslip at a coal tip is being investigated by engineers following heavy rain.\n\nRhondda Cynon Taf council leader Andrew Morgan said about a 40-50m section had slipped at Wattstown, although he did not believe it posed a risk to the nearby Rhondda bypass.\n\nElsewhere, parts of Carmarthen have flooded after the River Towy burst its banks.\n\nFlood warnings and alerts remain in place in some parts of Wales.\n\nNatural Resources Wales (NRW) warned people to \"take extra care and keep a safe distance\" from river banks.\n\nMr Morgan said the Wattstown site has been the focus of drone checks every two weeks after a landslip at nearby Tylorstown in February.\n\nNo properties are in the vicinity of the latest landslip, he said.\n\n\"It looks far worse than it is but it's the second landslip this year,\" he said.\n\nEngineers are investigating the landslip at Wattstown\n\nRhondda MP Chris Bryant tweeted that \"everything that needs to be done will be done\".\n\nWales is set to get £31m for essential flood repairs. The money would help repair areas - including coal tips - damaged by Storm Dennis in February.\n\nA Welsh Government spokesperson said it had \"already commissioned work to develop options\" for the Wattstown site and it would work with council and the Coal Authority to provide \"necessary support\".\n\nMore heavy rain is expected following severe flooding in Carmarthenshire\n\nCarmarthenshire was severely flooded by the River Towy on Saturday, with local businesses badly affected.\n\nDafydd Williams, from Llangunnor, said: \"\"High tide was 09:30 GMT this morning and we've got another high tide again around 16:30 GMT, so another coming in this afternoon.\n\n\"Businesses have already been badly hit by Covid and having to close at 18:00 every day, now they're clearing stock from where they've been flooded.\"\n\nParts of the Brecon Beacons had the most rainfall in Wales on Friday - with 98mm falling at Llyn-y-Fan in Carmarthenshire, making it the third wettest place in the UK.\n\nThe village of Tyn-y-Waun in Bridgend county was Wales' second wettest with 82mm (3.2in) on Friday, according to NRW data.\n\nThat compares to Wales' average December rainfall of 166mm (6.5in) for the whole month.\n\nIn Newbridge on Usk, Monmouthshire a delivery driver had to be rescued from flood waters as river levels rose in the heavy rain.\n\nNatural Resources Wales (NRW) warned people to \"take extra care and keep a safe distance\" from river banks.\n\nIt comes after the Met Office issued a weather warning for rain on Friday.\n\nStreets and roads were flooded by the River Towy in Carmarthen\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Footage showed large crowds at St Pancras station hours before tier-four restrictions came into force.\n\nLondoners who crowded on to trains to leave the capital on Saturday night were \"totally irresponsible\", the health secretary has said.\n\nLondon has moved into tier-four restrictions, meaning it is illegal to leave the capital from 00.01 GMT Sunday unless for essential travel.\n\nMatt Hancock called for people to act responsibly but said the majority of people were abiding by the guidelines.\n\nThe announcement of the new rules, shortly after 16.00 GMT on Saturday, prompted a rush to London's railway stations.\n\nBy 19.00, there were no tickets available online from several stations including Paddington, Kings Cross and Euston.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Harriet Clugston This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nAt St Pancras, which connects south-east England with the East Midlands and North, several passengers told the BBC they were catching pre-booked trains and had not heard about the new rules being brought in.\n\nHowever one passenger, who did not wish to be named, said she and her partner had made the \"split decision\" to take their young son to her parents' home on the coast.\n\n\"We just made the decision to leave based on the fact that my parents said come, and we couldn't bear the thought of no fresh air and a toddler going rogue round a small flat for the foreseeable,\" she said.\n\nEast Midlands Railway said it had run a full service on Saturday and only two of its 10 evening departures had been full.\n\nA spokesman for the railway apologised for any \"inconvenience and discomfort caused\" by the \"unexpected surge in passengers\".\n\nSome 21 million people are now under tier-four restrictions which ban households from mixing as well as requiring non-essential shops and businesses to close.\n\nMayor of London Sadiq Khan criticised the government for making the announcement \"late\", following days of reassurances restrictions would be relaxed over the Christmas period.\n\nHe said crowded stations were \"a direct consequence of the chaotic way the announcement was made\".\n\nMatt Hancock said only \"relatively small numbers\" were breaking the rules\n\nMr Khan urged people in London and the South East to stay at home and avoid \"breaking the rules\".\n\nHe said: \"Yesterday, technically speaking, you may not have been breaking the rules but you may well have the virus and not realise you've got the virus.\n\n\"Keep [the virus] within London, follow the rules and let's get on top of this.\"\n\nMr Hancock said only \"relatively small numbers\" were breaking the rules.\n\n\"The large, vast majority of people throughout this whole pandemic have followed the rules,\" he said.\n\nHe added people should \"restrict social contact as much as is possible because this is deadly serious\".", "\"This vaccine is more than good news, it's a game changer,\" Dr Mohammed Khaki tells Newsbeat.\n\nToday it was announced the Covid-19 vaccine could be rolled out as early as next week - with NHS staff among the first to get it.\n\nIt's after the UK approved the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine for widespread use.\n\nDr Khaki, who works as a GP and in A&E, says for doctors it'll hopefully mean the return to a normal situation.\n\n\"Hopefully we'll be able to see patients face-to-face and hold their hands again,\" he says.\n\nThe British regulator, the MHRA, says the jab offers up to 95% protection against Covid-19.\n\n\"It hopefully means we're able to move away from lockdowns, a world restricted by masks where conversation is difficult, where movement is difficult and working is stifled,\" Mohammed says.\n\nHe's looking forward to a world where we can travel and see friends again.\n\nFor many NHS workers, a vaccine will mean they can see vulnerable family members and friends again.\n\n\"I've been isolating from vulnerable family members since the beginning of March,\" Dr Sara Otung, who's been treating Covid patients in Cardiff, tells Newsbeat.\n\n\"The hope of getting a vaccine and getting that extra layer of protection is really exciting. Vaccines can save lives,\" the 27-year-old junior doctor says.\n\n\"It feels like a glimmer hope on what's been such a difficult year.\"\n\n\"I was ecstatic to hear the news a vaccine is now becoming possible and we're getting closer to it,\" Dr Daniel Olaiya tells Newsbeat.\n\nThe 28-year-old works at a busy hospital in London treating Covid patients.\n\nDr Daniel Olaiya says the rollout of the vaccine is \"monumental progress\"\n\n\"For clinical staff working in Covid areas, you can wear as much PPE as possible and be as careful as possible, but at the end of the day we are at risk.\n\n\"Having another barrier of protection, a weapon of armoury, is exactly what we need.\"\n\n\"We needed a glimmer of hope and it's come at the best time - Christmas, New Year and new beginnings.\"\n\nLucy works as nurse administering the flu jab to NHS colleagues.\n\nThe 23-year-old says she expects to be on the frontline giving fellow NHS workers the Covid-19 vaccine in the next few weeks.\n\nAround 50 hospitals are on standby and vaccination centres in venues such as conference centres are being set up now.\n\n\"If you're asymptomatic, you don't know if you've got the Covid virus ,so it's a really good way to stop the spread and protect those vulnerable around you.\"\n\nThis is the order people will get the vaccine in its first phase\n\nListen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.", "A shortlist of six contenders has been announced for the 2020 BBC Sports Personality of the Year award.\n\nThe nominees are cricketer Stuart Broad, jockey Hollie Doyle, boxer Tyson Fury, Formula 1's Lewis Hamilton, footballer Jordan Henderson and snooker star Ronnie O'Sullivan.\n\nVoting will be open to the public during the Sports Personality programme on BBC One on Sunday, 20 December.\n\nThe show is being broadcast live from Media City in Salford.\n• None How the Sports Personality contenders were revealed\n\nFootball pundit Alex Scott will join the presenting line-up alongside Gary Lineker, Clare Balding and Gabby Logan to look back on a truly unusual year of sport in front of a huge virtual audience and millions of BBC One viewers.\n\nThe ceremony will champion the teams that triumphed despite the pandemic, sports stars that achieved greatness even with interrupted schedules and the coaches and local heroes that made it possible.\n\nThe public can vote by phone or online on the night for the main award, with full details announced during the show.\n\nOther awards to be announced include Team and Coach of the Year, World Sport Star of the Year and Unsung Hero, while Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford will receive a special award in recognition of his work to raise awareness of child food poverty in the UK.\n\nWho are the Sports Personality contenders?\n\nAfter being dropped for the opening match of the summer series against West Indies, the Nottinghamshire fast bowler returned for the final two Tests - both won by England - and took 16 wickets at an average of 10.93 to pass 500 for his career. He is seventh in the list of all-time Test wicket-takers.\n\nBroke her own record for the number of winners ridden by a British woman in a year, rode a historic double on British Champions Day, became the first woman to ride five winners on the same card and claimed her first victory at Royal Ascot. Doyle was named Sunday Times Sportswoman of the Year.\n\nThe self-styled 'Gypsy King' became a two-time world heavyweight champion with a devastating defeat of Deontay Wilder to claim the WBC title in their Las Vegas rematch in February. Victory for the Manchester-born fighter marked another stage in his remarkable comeback after a battle with depression and drugs.\n\nOne of F1's all-time great drivers, he equalled Michael Schumacher's record of seven world titles with his fourth consecutive championship in 2020. En route, the Stevenage-born driver - who holds the record for most pole positions - surpassed the German's total of 91 grand prix victories.\n\nCaptained runaway leaders Liverpool to win their first league title since 1990, by a margin of 18 points, a year after lifting the Champions League trophy. The Sunderland-born midfielder, who has been capped 58 times by England, was also named the Football Writers' men's player of the year.\n\nWon his sixth world title at the Crucible to become the oldest champion for more than 40 years and cement his place as one snooker's greatest players. 'The Rocket' has secured more events (37) and Triple Crown event titles (20) than anyone else in history. The Essex potter is nominated for the BBC award for the first time in his 28-year career.", "Mark Drakeford says the rules will save 'hundreds and hundreds\" of lives\n\nMinisters have been accused of showing \"disrespect\" to the Welsh Parliament because its members will not get a chance to vote on the latest coronavirus restrictions before pubs have to stop serving alcohol.\n\nAn opposition request for a debate was denied by the Senedd's presiding officer\n\nElin Jones said a vote would be held in the chamber next Tuesday.\n\nLaws banning alcohol in pubs and restaurants are due to start on Friday.\n\nHospitality venues will also have to close at 18:00 every night when the law changes on Friday.\n\nThe Welsh Government is facing calls to produce more evidence to support the restrictions, including from its own backbenches.\n\nMs Jones said MSs would be able to table amendments to a Welsh Government debate at the next full meeting of the Senedd on Tuesday.\n\nThat meant \"the Senedd has the opportunity therefore to debate and vote on the matter during the next plenary session\", she said.\n\nConservative health spokesman Andrew RT Davies said he understood the presiding officer's \"balancing act\", but that it was \"a missed opportunity\".\n\nHe said: \"We are a parliament. We are parliamentarians. If we are to be taken seriously we should have the opportunity to debate the issue and represent the people who put us here.\n\n\"I am grateful for your consideration presiding officer and I think it is the government that has missed the opportunity here and has in this particular instance, in my opinion, shown disrespect to the Welsh Parliament.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Mark Drakeford defends the new rules to tackle the spread of coronavirus\n\nPlaid Cymru MS Sian Gwenllian asked whether more pressure could be put on the government to hold a vote on the principle behind the regulations before they come into force on Friday.\n\n\"The changes happening on Friday are significant and we also need to see the evidence that has led to their introduction,\" she said.\n\nDefending the alcohol decision on Tuesday, Mr Drakeford said without the rules \"hundreds and hundreds of people in Wales who otherwise would have been alive will not be alive in 2021\".\n\nEarlier, Wetherspoon chairman Tim Martin said his chain would close its pubs in Wales from Friday, as staying open but only selling food had been \"ruinously expensive\" when tried in Scotland.\n\nHe told BBC Radio Wales the rules had been made by \"people who have never run a business\".\n\n\"This new puritanism in Wales and elsewhere is madness, is economic madness,\" he said.\n\n\"I don't want to wind the Welsh up by criticising their first minister, but he's talking cobblers.\n\n\"There's very good evidence that lockdowns - and this is a type of lockdown, it's a quasi-lockdown - simply don't work...\n\n\"This scare tactic saying so many people are going to die is nonsense in my opinion.\"\n\nEnzo Nigro says he was not expecting a ban on serving alcohol\n\nEnzo Nigro, the owner of Potters pub in Newport, said he was concerned by the new rules.\n\n\"We had 70 to 80 emails come through 10 minutes after the announcement, and everyone was wondering what was going on,\" he said.\n\n\"People don't really understand the rules because they thought we would be able to serve alcohol until 6 o'clock and not no alcohol at all.\n\nConservatives say the rules are \"completely disproportionate\" in parts of Wales where the rate of infection is comparatively low.\n\nPlaid Cymru, which has backed most of the Welsh Government's restriction during the pandemic, has said ministers should find a \"sensible compromise\" that allows alcohol to be served until 19:00, with closing time an hour later.\n\nMandy Jones, of the Independent Alliance for Reform in the Senedd, said a petition started by former MEP Nathan Gill \"shows that the public also agree with us in demanding that the Welsh Government publish the science they've used to justify this claim\".\n\nThe petition showed more than 18,500 signatures on Wednesday evening.\n\nPubs, bars and restaurants in Wales will not be able to serve alcohol on the premises and they will have to close at 18:00. Only takeaway alcohol will be allowed when the new rules kick in on Friday.\n\nOn Tuesday, Mr Drakeford pointed out that up to four people from different households will still be able to meet in bars and cafes, but without alcohol.\n\n\"Now I am sorry that is a significant deprivation for many people,\" he said.\n\n\"But the evidence is that when people drink then their behaviour changes and their behaviour changes in ways that make them and other people more vulnerable to the virus.\"\n\nWithout further action, he said modelling suggested between 1,000 and 1,700 more deaths would occur this winter.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Last orders for 100 Brains pubs in Wales - as they close for Covid on Friday\n\nMr Drakeford also said his government was publishing more information than any other administration in the UK.\n\nIncident management teams had \"repeatedly\" highlighted problems with alcohol and hospitality venues in outbreaks, he added.\n\nThe boss of Brains, the biggest Welsh-owned brewery, has called the new alcohol rules \"closure by stealth\" and announced more than 100 managed pubs will be closed from Friday.\n\nBrains data shared with BBC Wales shows between July and the end of November it served more than 850,000 customers at the 100 pubs it manages and had five inquiries from the Test, Trace, Protect scheme.\n\nChief executive Alistair Darby said it was hard \"to believe that the latest restrictions which will force the closure of all of our managed pubs will do much to reduce transmission of the virus\".\n\nThe company said three of its pubs were temporarily closed and deep cleaned after staff tested positive for coronavirus.\n\nA new tougher tier system of coronavirus restrictions for England began on Wednesday, as the country emerged from its lockdown, after the plan was approved by MPs, despite a major rebellion on the Tory benches.\n\nUnder the highest, tier three, all hospitality venues must stay closed, except for delivery and takeaway services.", "Tesco and Morrisons will together hand back more than £850m worth of business rates relief they received as support during the coronavirus crisis.\n\nTesco said it would repay £585m after it was criticised for paying dividends to shareholders.\n\nMorrisons subsequently announced it had \"brought forward\" a decision on rates relief and would pay back £274m.\n\nTesco said the help to retailers had been a \"game-changer\" and hugely important at the time.\n\nBut it added that its business had proven \"resilient\" and it had now decided to return the money in full.\n\n\"We will work with the UK government and devolved administrations on the best means of doing that,\" it said.\n\nIn October, Tesco defended paying a £315m dividend to shareholders after reporting a 29% increase in profits for the first half of the year. Finance chief Alan Stewart told reporters it was the right policy.\n\nMeanwhile, Morrisons said it would announce its dividend when it knows how much it has made this year.\n\nCommenting on the decision to pay back the rates relief, Morrisons' chief executive, David Potts, said the supermarket chain had \"done its best work\" to meet the \"enormous challenges\" the pandemic had brought.\n\n\"We are grateful for the government's swift action at the start of the pandemic which enabled the whole sector to face squarely into the challenges and disruption caused by Covid-19,\" he said.\n\nBusiness rates relief was extended to all retailers as part of a package of measures announced in March.\n\nIn March, Tesco was accused of \"whipping up a huge lobbying operation\" against a decision not to give its biggest stores in Wales financial help.\n\nThe Welsh government changed its mind and decided to grant business rate relief to all retail, hospitality and leisure firms.\n\nTesco is understood to have asked the Welsh government for an explanation of its thinking rather than a change in policy.\n\n\"The decision to repay business rates relief is one for individual companies to consider for themselves,\" said Tom Ironside, director of business and regulation at the British Retail Consortium.\n\n\"Many have used this money to cover increased costs as a result of Covid - hiring extra staff and making significant investment in the safety and protection of their premises. As such, there are many firms who simply cannot afford to repay this government relief.\"\n\nWhile most of the public focus has - for obvious reasons - been on the furlough scheme, the business rates holiday for retailers and hospitality companies has been one of the main ways the government has tried to keep alive the companies most affected by pandemic closures. Like all coronavirus schemes, however, the rates relief was a blunt instrument - it went also to retailers who have stayed open throughout.\n\nWhen those retailers decided to pay dividends to shareholders, there was an understandable outcry. Tesco was the object of most opprobrium; it said it would pay £315m to investors after reporting that pandemic trading had been buoyant.\n\nDirectors at the supermarket chain have obviously read the headlines. The company said it would repay the £585m it has had so far this year in business rates relief, while pointing out in passing that it estimated the pandemic had brought it £725m in additional costs.\n\nThe question now is whether other essential retailers - especially the big grocery chains such as Sainsbury's and Asda - will follow Tesco's lead. It would be surprising if they did not.\n\nAnd while the repayments might appear like a public-spirited move, bear in mind the board may have had other motivations: in particular, a desire not to have the public support they have received hanging over them and preventing them from exercising their normal commercial judgement in paying dividends, approving bonuses and making deals.\n\nTesco said the money meant that it had had the immediate confidence, in the face of significant uncertainty, to invest in colleagues and support its customers and suppliers.\n\n\"Every penny of the rates relief we have received has been spent on our response to the pandemic. Our latest estimate at our interim results in October was that Covid would cost Tesco [about] £725m this year - well in excess of the £585m rates relief received.\n\n\"Ten months into the pandemic, our business has proven resilient in the most challenging of circumstances. While all businesses have been impacted - many severely so - we have been able to continue trading throughout, serving many millions of customers every day and although uncertainties still exist, some of the potential risks faced earlier in the year are now behind us.\"\n\nChief executive Ken Murphy said: \"Giving this money back to the public is absolutely the right thing to do by our customers, colleagues and all of our stakeholders.\"", "Corbyn addressed supporters outside the court after the judgement was handed down\n\nPiers Corbyn has been found guilty of breaching coronavirus restrictions at an anti-lockdown gathering.\n\nThe 73-year-old brother of former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn was arrested when he refused to leave the event in Hyde Park, London, on 16 May.\n\nHe was given an absolute discharge after Westminster Magistrates' Court heard he had spent 12 hours in police custody after his arrest.\n\nAddressing supporters outside, Corbyn said it had been \"a tremendous result\".\n\nDistrict Judge Sam Goozee dismissed a second count of the same charge - linked to a protest on 30 May - after hearing police had issued a fixed penalty notice earlier that day.\n\nProsecutor David Povall had described Corbyn as a \"poster boy for disparate groups\" attending both events near Speakers Corner.\n\nHe told the court there was no reasonable excuse for \"breaching clear and emphatic regulations that were in force at the time\".\n\nCorbyn's defence had argued his arrest on 16 May was a \"disproportionate and unnecessary\" contravention of his right to peaceful protest.\n\nReturning his decision, judge Mr Goozee said Corbyn's actions would have been lawful if lockdown regulations had not been in force at the time.\n\nBut their enforcement had been necessary for public health, he said, concluding that police \"took a measured response\".\n\n\"You, however, didn't engage with police - police action in arresting you was necessary and proportionate,\" he said.\n\nAddressing around two dozen supporters outside the court after the verdict, Corbyn raised his fist in the air and said: \"We've had a tremendous result.\"\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Not yet two months old, Molly Gibson has already set a record\n\nWhen Molly Gibson was born in October of this year, it was 27 years in the making.\n\nHer embryo was frozen in October 1992, and stayed that way until February 2020, when Tina and Ben Gibson of Tennessee adopted it.\n\nMolly is believed to have set a new record for the longest-frozen embryo to have resulted in a birth, breaking a record set by her older sister, Emma.\n\n\"We're over the moon,\" Ms Gibson said. \"I still get choked up.\"\n\n\"If you would have asked me five years ago if I would have not just one girl, but two, I would have said you were crazy,\" she said.\n\nThe family struggled with infertility for nearly five years before Ms Gibson's parents saw a story about embryo adoption on a local news station.\n\n\"That's the only reason that we share our story. If my parents hadn't seen this on the news then we wouldn't be here,\" Ms Gibson, 29, said. \"I feel like it should come full-circle.\"\n\nMs Gibson, an elementary school teacher and her husband, a 36-year-old cyber security analyst, connected with the National Embryo Donation Center (NEDC), a Christian non-profit in Knoxville that stores frozen embryos that in vitro fertilisation patients decided not to use and chose to donate instead.\n\nFamilies like the Gibsons can then adopt one of the unused embryos and give birth to a child that is not genetically related to them. There are an estimated one million frozen human embryos stored in the US right now, according to the NEDC.\n\nMark Mellinger, the NEDC's marketing and development director, said that experience with infertility is common among families who seek embryo donations.\n\n\"I'd say probably 95% have encountered some sort of infertility\", he said. \"We feel honoured and privileged to do this work\", and help these couples grow their families.\n\nAfter their first embryo adoption, Ms Gibson gave birth to Emma in 2017, swapping sleepless nights praying for children with the sleepless nights of motherhood. \"It's the best kind of tired and it's the best kind of exhausted,\" she said.\n\nFounded 17 years ago, the NEDC has facilitated more than 1,000 embryo adoptions and births, and now conducts around 200 transfers each year. Similar to a traditional adoption process, couples can decide if they would like a \"closed\" embryo adoption or an \"open\" one - allowing for some form of contact with the donor family.\n\nThis contact ranges between a couple of emails each year to a cousin-like relationship, Mr Mellinger said.\n\nCouples are presented with 200-300 donor profiles, complete with the donor family's demographic history. The Gibsons had wanted a child for so long, the options were overwhelming.\n\n\"We did not care what this baby looked like, where it came from,\" Ms Gibson said. She sought advice from the NEDC where an employee told her to pick something \"silly\" and go from there.\n\n\"My husband and I are smaller people, and so we went through and narrowed it down by height and weight and looked for something similar to ours. That narrowed it down at ton,\" she said.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. After years searching, I found my sister next door\n\nThe Gibson's children, Molly and Emma, are genetic siblings. Both embryos were donated and frozen together in 1992, when Tina Gibson was around a year old. According to the NEDC, Emma's 24-year-old embryo was the oldest in history to have been born, until Molly came along this year.\n\nEmma loves her new little sister, Ms Gibson said. \"She introduces her to anyone that sees her as 'my little sister Molly.'\" And Ms Gibson has loved seeing the similarities between her girls, including a tiny wrinkle between their eyebrows when they're mad or upset.\n\nAccording to the NEDC, the shelf-life for frozen embryos is infinite. The time-frame is limited, however, by the age of the technology - the first baby born from an embryo frozen after IVF was born in Australia in 1984.\n\n\"It's entirely possible that there will someday be a 30-year-old embryo that comes to birth,\" Mr Mellinger said.", "Last updated on .From the section Sport\n\nFans returned to English Football League grounds on Wednesday for the first time in more than nine months as coronavirus restrictions were eased.\n\nLuton and Wycombe, who had not played in front of fans at their home grounds since February, were permitted capacities of 1,000 for their matches.\n\nOther EFL teams playing on Wednesday were in tier three areas, which prohibits supporters at elite level.\n\nLuton and Wycombe were only permitted capacities of 1,000 but Charlton, Shrewsbury, Cambridge and Carlisle, who all staged test event matches earlier in the season, were all able to house 2,000.\n\nNo away fans were allowed and no supporter was able to attend if they live in a tier three area.\n\nArsenal will be the first Premier League club permitted to host home supporters, when they play Rapid Vienna in the Europa League on Thursday.\n\nThe first Premier League fixture to welcome fans since March will be West Ham's game at home to Manchester United on Saturday, before Chelsea host Leeds later that day.\n\nWith the exception of two pilot events at Warwick and Doncaster in September, horse racing has also been without crowds since March, but racegoers were able to return on Wednesday with Lingfield Park in Surrey, among the tracks able to welcome back spectators.\n\nSnooker remains without spectators as the UK Championship continues in Milton Keynes, but on Wednesday plans were announced for up to 1,000 fans to attend each session of the PDC World Darts Championship, which starts at London's Alexandra Palace on 15 December.", "A group of MPs have warned of the \"risk of serious disruption and delay\" at Channel crossings when the Brexit transition period ends on 31 December.\n\nThe Commons Public Accounts Committee said the government was \"taking limited responsibility\" for national readiness ahead of the looming deadline.\n\nAnd it said the necessary systems would not be in place in time, regardless of whether an EU trade deal is agreed.\n\nA government spokeswoman said they were \"making significant preparations\".\n\nThey added it was \"vital that businesses and citizens make their final preparations too\", and they were \"intensifying our engagement... so they know exactly what they need to do to get ready.\"\n\nBut the committee's chair, Labour's Meg Hillier, said the prime minister's promise of an \"oven ready\" Brexit deal at the last election had become more of a \"cold turkey\".\n\nThe UK left the EU on 31 January, but has been following the bloc's rules as part of a transition period while the two sides negotiate a trade deal.\n\nTalks began in March and are continuing in London this week, but sticking points on fishing and competition rules remain, despite the impending deadline of the end of 2020.\n\nIf a deal is not agreed and ratified by parliaments by the end of the year, the UK will trade with the EU on World Trade Organisation rules - which critics fear will damage the economy.\n\nBut Boris Johnson believes the UK will \"prosper\" with or without an EU trade deal.\n\nThe committee has published 12 reports warning about the need for Brexit readiness since the referendum in 2016.\n\nIt said it had been assured the necessary systems were \"on track or that delays were being managed\", but added: \"And yet, with a few weeks to go, border systems remain in development and plans for managing disruption or prioritisation of key goods are unclear.\"\n\nIn its latest publication, the cross-party group of MPs said it remained \"extremely concerned\" - especially for Channel crossings, which were the delivery point for the majority of the UK's fresh food supplies.\n\nThe committee added: \"There are still significant risks to the country being ready for the end of the transition period on 31 December 2020, but government still only seems to be taking limited responsibility for that readiness.\n\n\"Industry bodies have said that government has not provided key information needed by businesses to prepare, such as detailed guidance on how to apply for simplified customs procedures.\"\n\nBut in response to the report, the government insisted IT systems were \"on track and will be ready\" and its \"wider plans for managing disruption and the prioritisation of key goods are well established\".\n\nA spokeswoman added: \"Industry has been engaged in the plans from the outset.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nThe report from the committee also said:\n\nMs Hiller, added: \"Pretending that things you don't want to happen are not going to happen is not a recipe for government, it's a recipe for disaster.\n\n\"We're paying for that approach in the UK's response to the Covid-19 pandemic and can only hope that we're not now facing another catastrophe at the border in four weeks' time.\n\n\"A year after the oven-ready deal, we have more of a cold turkey and businesses and consumers do not know what to be prepared for.\"\n\nThe report called for the Cabinet Office to conduct a formal review of the whole period of preparations.\n\nIt added: \"Government must maximise all remaining opportunities for getting businesses and individuals to act in the time remaining to January 2021.\"\n\nA government spokesman said: \"We've been clear from the outset that we all have a responsibility to get ready.\n\n\"And with just one month to go it's vital we all dig deep and do what needs to be done before the end of the year.\"", "Debenhams is set to close all of its 124 stores after last-ditch efforts to rescue the department store chain failed.\n\nIt looks like it is finally the end for the 242-year-old business.\n\nIt reached its position as a lynchpin of the UK retail landscape by 1950, when Debenhams became the largest department store group in the UK, with 110 stores.\n\nAnd in 2006 it joined the stock market - for the third time - with a worth of £1.7bn - a price tag it has never topped since.\n\nOver the last decade, it started its descent, as its profits fell and debts became unmanageable.\n\nThe chain has been placed in administration twice over the last two years, with the pandemic proving to be the final straw.\n\nSo how did things go so wrong for Debenhams?\n\nDebenhams has faced competition in areas like beauty\n\nExperts say Debenhams has fallen behind with fashion trends over the last decade, a problem familiar to other mid-market High Street retailers such as M&S.\n\nMaureen Hinton of retail consultancy GlobalData says it lacked products that differentiated it, which left it exposed when dynamic new brands, many of them operating purely online, started breaking through.\n\n\"Back in the 1990s they had Designers at Debenhams, where designers like Ted Baker or Jasper Conran would do in-house ranges for them. That was a good differentiator but they never moved on,\" she says.\n\n\"They also filled their stores with concessions that weren't anything you couldn't buy anywhere else on the High Street.\"\n\nIt made it very hard to compete against newer fashion retailers such as Primark, Boohoo and Asos, which also branched into other areas that Debenhams did well, such as beauty.\n\nDebenhams also failed to adapt quickly enough as more and more shopping moved online, says veteran retail analyst Richard Hyman.\n\nBut he caveats: \"It is no good having a good website if the product isn't right. The bigger problem was the brand became irrelevant.\"\n\nDebenhams had already begun shutting stores such as this one in Folkestone\n\nOver the years, Debenhams expanded at a rapid rate. In 2006 it announced plans to double its number of stores to 240 and was opening new shops as recently as 2017.\n\nAt the same time, shopping habits shifted and consumer spending was squeezed - firstly because of Brexit uncertainty, and then by the pandemic.\n\nDebenhams was left with many underperforming shops which came with high costs, including rising rents, business rates, wages and maintenance.\n\nThose liabilities got harder to cover, as revenue began to fall and the retailer booked a record £491.5m loss in 2018.\n\nSir Ian Cheshire, Debenhams' former chairman, told the BBC that its shops became a \"straitjacket\" and the retailer would have been better off with just 70.\n\nMs Hinton says this made turning the business around almost impossible when coronavirus hit.\n\nAnd Mr Hyman says a lack of strong leadership in previous years added to the problem. \"In order to arrest the decline there was an even greater need for top talent. But those people tended to avoid Debenhams.\"\n\nAs a by-product of its expansion, Debenhams also ended up shouldering unsustainable debts - something some experts blame on poor financial decisions.\n\nBack in 2005, the retailer sold 23 shop freeholds to property investment company British Land for £495m and then leased them back.\n\nThis locked the chain into costly leases of up to 35 years, with average annual rent rises guaranteed at 2.5%.\n\nThe short-term cash benefit was soon outweighed by the costs, says Ms Hinton, and by March this year the business was shouldering £720m of debt.\n\nIn a desperate bid to restructure its finances, Debenhams was put into administration in 2019, wiping out its shareholders. It then secured a so-called company voluntary arrangement (CVA) with its landlords, enabling it to cut its rent bill and embark on plans to close 50 of its 166 stores.\n\nBut the damage was already done and it was placed back in administration in April 2020.\n\nMr Hyman says: \"Its fate was sealed by the private equity-style of swapping assets for large amounts of debt, which might just about work in a growing economy and a growing retail market.\n\n\"Instead it left Debenhams fighting with one arm behind its back.\"", "Some Covid restrictions are being reintroduced in response to the Omicron variant.\n\nCheck what the rules are in your area by entering your postcode or council name below.\n\nA modern browser with JavaScript and a stable internet connection is required to view this interactive. What are the rules in your area? Enter a full UK postcode or council name to find out\n\nIf you cannot see the look-up, click here.\n\nThe rules highlighted in the search tool are a selection of the key government restrictions in place in your area.\n\nAlways check your relevant national and local authority website for more information on the situation where you live. Also check local guidance before travelling to others parts of the UK.\n\nAll the guidance in our search look-up comes from national government websites.\n\nFor more information on national measures see:\n\nFind out how the pandemic has affected your area and how it compares with the national average by following this link to an in depth guide to the numbers involved.", "The former president posts that he has been told to report to a grand jury, \"which almost always means an Arrest\".", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The scene in Trier after a car ploughed through a pedestrian area of the western German city of Trier\n\nA car has ploughed through a pedestrian area in the western German city of Trier, killing five people including a nine-week-old baby girl, police say.\n\nThe driver, a 51-year-old local man, has been arrested. The prosecutor said the suspect had drunk a significant amount of alcohol.\n\nAuthorities said they were not working on the assumption that the incident was politically or religiously motivated.\n\nThe city's mayor described the scene as \"horrible\".\n\nWitnesses said people screamed in panic and some were thrown in the air by an SUV travelling at high speed in Trier's Brotstrasse and Simeonstrasse streets towards the city's famous Roman gate, the Porta Nigra.\n\nThe incident happened at around 13:45 local time (12:45 GMT), and the suspect drove for 1km (0.62 miles) \"hitting people at random on his way\" before being stopped by a police car, Trier police spokesman Karl-Peter Jochem said earlier.\n\nThe victims were three women, aged 25, 52 and 73. Police said the 45-year-old father of the baby was also killed. His wife and one-year-old son were injured and admitted to hospital.\n\nThe flashing blue lights of dozens of police vehicles compete with the Christmas illuminations in front of the Porta Nigra, the famous Roman gate. Tonight it is an entrance to a large crime scene.\n\nThe city, often claimed as Germany's oldest, is the now the latest to experience a horrific and fatal incident involving a vehicle and pedestrians so close to Christmas.\n\nArmed police stand guard at the edge of the cordon, which marks the point at which the suspect drove away from the scene.\n\nTwo friends, Stacy and Karolina, told me they had come to light candles and remember those who had been killed. \"This is just a small place\", said Stacy. \"You never imagine this could happen.\"\n\nFootage posted on social media appeared to show the presumed driver being held by several officers next to the damaged car. Police have been questioning the suspect, who was alone, and has been identified by German media as Bernd W.\n\nInitial indications \"suggest that psychiatric problems possibly played a role\", prosecutor Peter Fritzen told reporters. The man did not have a criminal record, had no fixed address and was living in the car, which had been lent to him by someone else.\n\nThe incident happened in the centre of Trier\n\nEarlier, Mayor Wolfram Leibe said up to 15 people had been injured, some of them seriously.\n\n\"We [had] a driver who ran amok in the city... I just walked through the city centre and it was just horrible. There is a trainer lying on the ground, and the girl it belongs to is dead,\" he told a news conference.\n\nChancellor Angela Merkel said in a statement: \"The news from Trier is very sad. My sympathy goes to the relatives of people who were torn from their lives so suddenly and forcibly. I also think of those who have suffered severe injuries and I wish them much strength.\"\n\nThe prosecutor said the suspect had drunk a significant amount of alcohol\n\nThe incident has shocked Trier, a medieval city of around 110,000 people and 720km west of Berlin, near the border with Luxembourg. A Christmas market that is usually held in the area was cancelled this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but shops were open.\n\nBollards that would usually be in place to protect the pedestrianised area because of the Christmas market were therefore not put up.\n\nThe case brought back memories of the 2016 attack in Berlin when an Islamist militant drove a hijacked truck into a Christmas market, killing 12 people and injuring dozens of others. He was shot dead by Italian police four days later.", "Christine Colburn said embracing her mother, Audrey Cornell, was \"just like the old days\"\n\nA daughter has hugged her elderly mother at a care home for the first time in nine months.\n\nChristine Colburn had a rapid lateral flow Covid test, which produces results in 30 minutes, at the home in Bampton, Devon, so she could embrace her 95-year-old mother, Audrey Cornell.\n\nThe home is one of several across the South West taking part in a pilot scheme for rapid testing.\n\nMs Colburn said it felt \"amazing\" to hug her mother again.\n\n\"It's really exciting,\" she said. \"Just like the old days, just brilliant.\n\n\"It'll be even nicer when we can touch skin [without PPE] but this is pretty good.\"\n\nMs Cornell said it was \"grand\" to be able to hug her daughter again\n\nSince the pandemic started, Ms Colburn has only be able to call her mother on Skype or talk to her through a screen - travelling the one hour and 45 minute journey from her home in Dorchester.\n\nMs Cornell said it was \"grand\" to be able to hug her daughter again.\n\nThe manager of Castle Grove care home, Lucy Bull, said the pilot scheme has gone well but they \"do worry about getting enough tests and the added costs, especially for smaller homes\".\n\n\"I think it will be expensive because we'll have to up-skill our staff,\" she said. \"It's also quite hard to recruit care staff at the moment.\"\n\nThe lateral flow testing that Ms Colburn had involves a swab of the nose and throat to collect a sample, which is then inserted into a tube of liquid for a short time.\n\nDrops of liquid are added to the test strip and after about half an hour a result will be shown.\n\nMass testing with lateral flow tests began in Liverpool on 6 November.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nA World War Two mine found in the Firth of Clyde contained about 350kg (771 lbs) of explosives, the Royal Navy has said.\n\nThe \"pristine\" German-laid mine was discovered by the crew of a Marine Scotland research boat near Wemyss Bay on Wednesday.\n\nSeven crew members were evacuated by lifeboat before their vessel was sailed to Ettrick Bay on the Isle of Bute.\n\nBomb disposal experts then carried out a controlled explosion of the mine.\n\nThe unexploded mine was said to be in pristine condition\n\nLieutenant Commander Mark Shaw, Commanding Officer of of the Royal Navy's Northern Diving Group, said the submarine-laid mine was in \"remarkable\" condition considering it had been in the water for 80 years.\n\nHe added: \"From the initial pictures, we were able to easily identify the mine type and importantly determine that the explosive fill was intact and therefore presented a significant hazard.\n\n\"This highlights the remaining presence of historic ordnance. Even small items can be unstable and present an explosive hazard.\n\n\"Carrying-out a controlled explosion is the only safe way of dealing with them and neutralising the hazard.\"\n\nHe said that anyone who comes across a suspected piece of ordnance should not interfere with it and immediately contact the emergency services.\n\nThe mine was found by the crew of a Marine Scotland research boat\n\nThe Scottish government said the marine research ship had quickly alerted the emergency services and other agencies once the mine had been discovered.\n\nA spokesperson said: \"The safety of our staff and crew remained of paramount importance as we worked with the Maritime and Coastguard Agency to coordinate the emergency response. At all times the incident was handled in order to minimise the risk to the public.\"\n• None Boat's crew taken to shore after finding WW2 mine", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Watch the moment it was revealed that MPs approved the new tiered system\n\nA new tougher tier system of coronavirus restrictions for England will begin on Wednesday after the plan was approved by MPs.\n\nThe measures, which will come into force at 00:01 GMT, were supported by 291 votes to 78.\n\nThe new system will see more than 55 million people in the country placed into the top two strictest tiers.\n\nBut 55 Tory MPs voted against the government plan - the largest rebellion of Boris Johnson's premiership.\n\nA further 16 Conservatives abstained, with many of them having expressed concerns about the tougher tiers in the Commons debate that led up to the vote. The 55 Tory rebels included two MPs who acted as tellers.\n\nThe new tier system came into force when England's current lockdown ended in the early hours of Wednesday.\n\nEvery area of the country is in one of three tiers - medium (one), high (two) and very high (three) - with the vast majority of the population in the higher two tiers.\n\nThey are tougher than the previous tier system the country was under, before its second lockdown began in November, the government says.\n\nIn tier two, people are not allowed to mix with anyone outside their household or support bubble indoors, although they can socialise in groups of up to six outdoors.\n\nAnd in tier three, people must also not mix with anyone outside their household or support bubble indoors, or at most outdoor venues.\n\nConservative Mark Harper, who chairs the lockdown-sceptic Covid Recovery Group of Tory MPs, urged the government to listen to the warnings from its opponents about the \"cycle of repeated restrictions\".\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. The health secretary tells MPs his step-grandfather died of Covid-19 in November\n\nHe said they \"very much regret that in a moment of national crisis so many of us felt forced to vote against the measures that the government was proposing\".\n\nBut he added that the government \"must find a way to... end this devastating cycle of repeated restrictions, and start living in a sustainable way until an effective and safe vaccine is successfully rolled out across the population\".\n\nSir Graham Brady, the chairman of the 1922 Committee of backbench Tory MPs, voted against the plans, saying: \"If government is to take away fundamental liberties of the people whom we represent, they must demonstrate beyond question that they're acting in a way that is both proportionate and absolutely necessary.\n\n\"Today, I believe the government has failed to make that compelling case.\"\n\nAnd former cabinet minister, Damian Green, whose Kent constituency is in the highest tier, also said the plans lacked public support, adding: \"I've had the most angry emails over a weekend since the Dominic Cummings trip to Barnard Castle.\"\n\nBut Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the new tiered system would help \"avoid another lockdown\", and \"help the UK bridge into the spring, where we hope a vaccine will move us into a whole different place\".\n\nIt's not even a year since Boris Johnson was carried to a thumping victory on the back of months of agonising parliamentary fiasco over Brexit.\n\nAnd it should, theoretically, have given Boris Johnson the kind of comfortable cushion in the Commons that no prime minister had had since the days of Tony Blair.\n\nThat has hardly gone according to plan.\n\nDespite the prime minister making appeals in person to MPs tonight, although Downing Street had moved over the last few days to meet some of their unhappy MPs demands by publishing documents, and promising more votes in the near future, 55 Tory MPs banded together to give the Boris Johnson his biggest Parliamentary kicking yet.\n\nWith more abstaining, the message from the backbenches to the government's front row was clear - right now, Downing Street should not feel able to rely completely on their support.\n\nRemember, the vote did actually pass. But this is a notable political moment too.\n\nRead more from Laura here.\n\nLabour MPs were ordered to abstain in the vote, with party leader Sir Keir Starmer saying he recognised restrictions needed to continue, but he was \"far from convinced\" the new system would work.\n\nHe also said help for businesses moving into the toughest tiers was \"nowhere near sufficient\".\n\nBut 15 Labour MPs defied Sir Keir to vote against the changes.\n\nThe tiers will be reviewed every two weeks and Mr Johnson has promised MPs a vote on whether to keep the system before 2 February.\n\nOpening the debate in the Commons on Tuesday, Mr Johnson urged MPs to support his proposals - offering an additional £40m for some pubs in tiers two and three.\n\nHe also said he appreciated the \"feeling of injustice\" many felt at their tier allocation, and pledged to \"look in granular detail\" at the \"human geography\" of the virus when the tiers are reviewed.\n\nClosing the debate for the government, an emotional Matt Hancock described how he had been personally affected by the virus, after his step-grandfather died from Covid-19.\n\n\"We can afford to let up a little, we just can't afford to let up a lot,\" he told MPs.\n\n\"Let that be the message that goes out from this House. We know through repeat experience what happens if this virus gets out of control.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Laura Foster explains the new three tier system for England\n\nDespite the appeals, the government faced its largest rebellion of Mr Johnson's tenure.\n\nThe last time the number got close was when 44 Tory MPs voted against the government's 10pm curfew for pubs, although it was still approved by the Commons.\n\nA government spokesman said they welcomed the result of the vote, which will \"help to safeguard the gains made during the past month and keep the virus under control\".\n\nBut they also said the government would \"continue to work with MPs who have expressed concerns in recent days\".", "Police were called to a report of a stabbing inside Marks and Spencer\n\nA staff member and a shopper have been injured in a stabbing at a Marks & Spencer store.\n\nThe two women were hurt in the attack in the St James Street store in Burnley at 09:30 GMT, Lancashire Police said.\n\nA force spokesman said both were taken to hospital but their injuries were not believed to be life-threatening.\n\nSupt Stasia Osiowy praised the \"brave actions\" of passers-by, who detained a 57-year-old man, who was then arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.\n\nShe said the attack was \"not being treated as a terrorism incident, but due to some comments made at the scene, counter-terrorism detectives will be leading on the investigation\".\n\nDetectives were \"keeping an open mind as to motivation\", she said, but were \"considering the mental health background\" of the arrested man.\n\nSupt Osiowy thanked \"members of the public who acted very quickly, and without regard to their own safety, in order to detain the attacker\".\n\n\"Without their brave actions, this incident, while serious, could have been so much worse,\" she said.\n\nThe force spokesman said the two women, a staff member in her 40s and a customer in her 60s, had \"thankfully\" not been seriously injured.\n\nA knife was recovered at the scene.\n\nA police cordon is in place outside the store as inquiries continue\n\nCarl Stredder, who was shopping with his wife at the time, had stopped at the cash machine opposite Marks & Spencer when he heard shouting coming from the store.\n\nHe told the BBC he saw a man \"holding down\" another man before the emergency services arrived at the scene.\n\n\"Within a couple of minutes, the police had arrived. There were six or seven police cars, sirens all over the place,\" he said.\n\n\"Then within another five or so minutes, an ambulance came. It was apparent by then that some sort of major incident had occurred.\"\n\nHe added: \"It was a bit of a frightener when we came home and realised in the cold light of day what could have happened.\"\n\nA Marks & Spencer spokesman said the company was \"incredibly grateful\" to the emergency services and pleased both victims were \"now in good care\".\n\n\"Our focus is on ensuring that our colleagues in Burnley receive all the support they need,\" he added.\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Dua Lipa and Lana Del Ray were among those whose pages were changed\n\nSome of the world's most popular singers have had their Spotify pages defaced by a hacker who posted messages about Donald Trump and Taylor Swift.\n\nOn Wednesday, artists including Lana Del Rey and Dua Lipa had their biographies replaced by the attacker.\n\nThe hacker called himself Daniel, and replaced the celebrities' photos with one of himself.\n\nThe action will be an embarrassment to the platform's security efforts. It is the most popular app of its kind.\n\nThe attacker also asked people to add him on Snapchat, and added the words \"Trump 2020\".\n\n\"Best of all shout out to my queen Taylor Swift,\" he added.\n\nOn Twitter, users posted images of the changed pages, which also affected artists like Future and Pop Smoke.\n\nSpotify quickly reversed the changes, and the artists' pages appear to have returned to normal.\n\nIt is not clear how the edits to some of the world's biggest musicians took place.\n\nSpotify has a special product available for music publishers and independent artists, called Spotify for Artists, which is what manages band pages and biographies.\n\nThe tool lets Spotify users \"claim\" a band page or join the artist's team to manage it. But an already-claimed page cannot be claimed again.\n\nIt can be joined by team members - such as staff on a recording label who have the right login - or through a verification process.\n\nSpotify has not publicly said anything about the attack or how it happened, but has been contacted for comment.\n\nThe problem comes at a busy time for Spotify, which has just announced the year's most-streamed tracks and when users are exploring their annual \"Wrapped\" playlists of their most-played tracks.\n\nDua Lipa - one of the artists who had their profile defaced - clocked in at the fifth-most streamed song of the year worldwide, with Don't Start Now.", "Page was the star of the 2007 film Juno\n\nThe Oscar-nominated star of Juno has announced that he is transgender, introducing himself as Elliot Page in a social media post.\n\nThe Canadian-born actor, formerly known as Ellen Page, said he could not \"begin to express how remarkable it feels to finally love who I am enough to pursue my authentic self\".\n\n\"I love that I am trans. And I love that I am queer,\" he wrote on Twitter.\n\nPage also used the post to address discrimination towards trans people.\n\n\"The truth is, despite feeling profoundly happy right now and knowing how much privilege I carry, I am also scared. I'm scared of the invasiveness, the hate, the 'jokes' and of violence,\" the 33-year-old wrote.\n\n\"To be clear, I am not trying to dampen a moment that is joyous and one that I celebrate, but I want to address the full picture. The statistics are staggering.\"\n\nAddressing the trans community, Page said he would \"do everything I can to change this world for the better\".\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Elliot Page This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nPage received international acclaim for starring as a pregnant teenager in the 2007 film Juno.\n\nOther major films include Inception and the X-Men series, while the actor has more recently starred in Netflix series The Umbrella Academy.\n\nPage came out as gay in 2014, telling an audience in Las Vegas: \"I am tired of hiding and I am tired of lying by omission.\"\n\nThe actor, who is married to choreographer Emma Portner, has been a prominent advocate for LGBT rights.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Page tells 5 Live's Must Watch marriage equality shouldn't have even been a debate.\n\nTrans people across the UK have told me that Elliot Page's coming out has happened at a \"much needed time\".\n\nThis news, from one of Hollywood's biggest stars, who now becomes one of the world's most famous transgender stars, has happened on a big day for trans rights in the UK.\n\nToday, a legal case about puberty-blocking drugs concluded, with leading charities calling it a \"rolling back\" of trans rights, and \"a catastrophic moment\" for trans people.\n\nIn Elliot Page's statement, he referenced how he will now fight for better trans healthcare.\n\nSince coming out as gay in 2014, Page has become known as one of Hollywood's most outspoken LGBT actors. In his viral speech in 2014, he said \"I suffered for years because I was scared to be out… And I'm standing here today, with all of you, on the other side of all that pain.\"\n\nToday's coming out has triggered another huge international wave of support.\n\nMany praised Page following his announcement on Tuesday.\n\n\"Elliot Page has given us fantastic characters on-screen, and has been an outspoken advocate for all LGBTQ people,\" said Nick Adams, director of transgender media at advocacy group GLAAD.\n\n\"He will now be an inspiration to countless trans and non-binary people. All transgender people deserve the chance to be ourselves and to be accepted for who we are. We celebrate the remarkable Elliot Page today.\"\n\n\"So proud of our superhero,\" Netflix wrote on Twitter.", "The Queen and other members of the royal family usually attend a Christmas Day service at St Mary Magdalene church in Sandringham\n\nThe Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will spend Christmas at Windsor Castle and not Sandringham as is their usual tradition, Buckingham Palace has said.\n\nA spokeswoman said after considering \"all the appropriate advice\" the royal couple had opted to celebrate \"quietly\" at their Berkshire residence.\n\nThey usually spend Christmas with other royals at the Queen's Norfolk estate.\n\nThe Queen, 94, and the duke, 99, have been living at Windsor during the pandemic with a small household staff.\n\nIt is thought to be the first time the couple have not spent Christmas at their Sandringham home since the mid 1980s.\n\n\"Like everyone they hope things will get back to normal in 2021,\" a palace spokesman said.\n\nThe announcement follows earlier speculation about where the Queen and the duke would spend the festive period, in light of Christmas coronavirus guidance that people should form \"bubbles\" of three households over a five-day period.\n\nThe Queen and other members of the Royal Family usually attend a Christmas Day service at St Mary Magdalene church in Sandringham, where large crowds gather to greet them.\n\nLast year, Prince George and Princess Charlotte went to the service for the first time.\n\nThe Queen will not be attending church on Christmas Day to avoid large crowds of well-wishers gathering, it is understood.\n\nThe Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall will spend 25 December at Highgrove, their estate in Gloucestershire, but are expected to see the Queen and Prince Philip at Windsor over the festive period. The duchess will also visit her family.\n\nLast month, the Queen and Prince Philip, who has retired from public duties, marked their 73rd wedding anniversary by releasing a photograph showing them opening a card from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's children.", "Students in England will be urged to take two Covid tests three days apart, to cut the risk of spreading infection when they travel home for Christmas.\n\nThese are lateral flow tests with rapid results - with those testing negative expected to leave university within the following 24 hours, according to the latest guidelines seen by the BBC.\n\nThe pre-Christmas testing will start in many universities early next week.\n\nBut testing will remain voluntary - and not all universities will offer tests.\n\nThe National Union of Students said there should be capacity for all students who wanted a test to get one before Christmas.\n\nMore than a million students in England will leave their university addresses to spend the Christmas holidays in another part of the country - and plans for testing are intended to stop this migration from spreading coronavirus.\n\nIt is understood that most universities, but not all, are taking part in the government's plans for the mass testing of students using lateral flow tests, starting on 30 November.\n\nStudents will be encouraged to take two tests\n\nDurham University, which has piloted testing, says about 2,000 students have already booked tests ahead of the Christmas departures.\n\nThe government guidelines recommend a double test to increase accuracy, three days apart, in the form of swab tests administered by the students themselves, at centres being set up by universities.\n\nThe results will be sent by text or email - with students who are not infected expected to leave their term-time accommodation \"immediately\", which is defined as within 24 hours of the second negative test.\n\nGetting students to leave soon after they get results is intended to cut the risk of infections post-testing.\n\n\"The closer to your travel time the better,\" says Professor Jacqui Ramagge, who is leading on testing for Durham University. And at her university, the two tests will be seven days apart rather than three.\n\nMinisters are urging students to take Covid tests before travelling, as a way of protecting their families, but it is not compulsory and not all universities will offer the testing.\n\nThose who do not take tests, or only have one test, will still be able to leave at the same time - with an encouragement to \"travel home as safely as possible\" during the \"travel window\" of 3 to 9 December, which the government has identified as when it expects most students to leave university for Christmas.\n\nThis will be after the current lockdown ends on 2 December, and ahead of universities switching to online teaching for the end of term.\n\nStudents who test positive will be directed towards taking another type of test - a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test to confirm whether they are infected - and will have to stay and self-isolate while waiting for the result.\n\nBut those who test positive from this PCR test will be required to stay in their term-time accommodation for 10 days of self-isolation - which should still leave enough time to get back before Christmas.\n\nThe \"window\" for students to travel home begins from 3 December\n\nTeesside University is among those opening testing centres from 30 November - and is encouraging students to book for two lateral flow tests at its Middlesbrough campus.\n\nPro Vice-Chancellor Professor Mark Simpson said it would provide a \"quick and easy testing option to our students and enable them to make an informed decision about returning home for the upcoming Christmas break\".\n\nHe said it would help to address the \"considerable anxiety and a need for reassurance\" about the safety of travel ahead of the end of term.\n\nUniversities Minister Michelle Donelan said: \"Testing will offer further assurances that students can keep their families safe this winter, and I urge all students who can to take the tests on offer.\"", "More than 200 swimming pools in England will remain closed despite being able to reopen as lockdown restrictions are eased, a Swim England report has said.\n\nThe swimming body said the decision presented a \"catastrophe for the health and wellbeing of the nation\".\n\nThe 221 pools were council-run, with the North West being particularly hard hit, affecting about half a million swimmers, Swim England said.\n\nCouncils pointed to financial difficulties in their decision making.\n\nA number of council-run gyms are also still shut\n\nWith lockdown in England having come to an end, gyms and swimming pools across the country are allowed to reopen from Wednesday, regardless of what tier their area is in.\n\n\"While it's extremely positive that millions of swimmers up and down the country can return to the activity they love, it's unacceptable to even think that so many people or clubs will not have a much-loved swimming pool to visit,\" Swim England's chief executive Jane Nickerson said.\n\nShe said more investment was needed to keep swimming pools and leisure centres open, adding despite a government grant for the industry \"financial pressures have not gone away\".\n\nFour times world champion triathlete Barbara Holmes, from Lancashire, said: \"People need their pools, especially the children.\"\n\nMs Holmes, who is the over-60s world champion, has been backing campaigners trying to reopen Fleetwood swimming pool.\n\n\"The community needs to be heard,\" she said.\n\nSome leisure centre staff have been redeployed to support work tackling coronavirus\n\nTrafford Leisure said all of its centres would remain closed until the new year, saying they would be \"largely empty and costly to run\".\n\nTo save money, its chief operating officer said it had had to furlough staff as well as leaving its pool and building unheated.\n\nIn Stoke-on-Trent, the council said it recognised the \"essential\" physical and mental health benefits of leisure facilities but had made the decision to stagger their reopening and only two of the city's gyms would not remain closed.\n\nCouncil leader Abi Brown said 75% of its leisure centre staff had been \"redeployed to critical services including welfare calls and contact tracing\" in an effort to bring down coronavirus cases and some centres had been adapted for community testing.\n\n\"If the current situation improves, we expect to restart more of our sport and leisure services from the new year,\" she said.\n\nWhile some pools have been \"mothballed\", Ms Nickerson said some would \"sadly never reopen\".\n\nSwindon's Oasis Leisure Centre is one victim, which will not reopen after its landlord Seven Capital found its operation was \"not viable\".\n\nA spokesperson for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport said it had announced £100m of funding to support local authority leisure centres, as well as £7.2bn to councils to help with the impacts of coronavirus.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "People living in care homes in England will be able to have visits from family and friends by Christmas if the visitors test negative for Covid-19, the government has said.\n\nMore than a million coronavirus tests will be sent to care homes over the next month to allow safe indoor visits.\n\nVisits will be allowed across all tiers of coronavirus restrictions.\n\nThe health secretary said the move was possible due to \"unprecedented strides\" in testing technology and capacity.\n\nMatt Hancock said: \"The separation has been painful, but has protected residents and staff from this deadly virus.\n\n\"I'm so pleased we are now able to help reunite families and more safely allow people to have meaningful contact with their loved ones by Christmas.\"\n\nStrict restrictions have been placed on visits to care homes during the last eight months because of the pandemic.\n\nIn new guidance, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) says the \"default position\" is now that visits should be enabled to go ahead in all tiers - unless there is an outbreak in the care home.\n\nIt adds that hand holding and hugging may be possible if other infection control measures are followed.\n\nIt stresses the importance of visitors minimising contact as much as possible and wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) to help protect their loved ones.\n\nCare homes will manage the number of visits that take place, which must be arranged in advance, with visitors urged to be mindful of the additional workload for the care home.\n\nEach care home is responsible for setting the visiting policy in that home, it says.\n\nThis will be welcome news for families in England who have waited a long time to be given the chance to visit loved ones and friends inside care homes, rather than trying to communicate through windows or on video calls.\n\nBut therein lies the problem.\n\nThe danger is that expectations will be raised of visits before Christmas which cannot all be fulfilled.\n\nThe biggest care home operators have been sent rapid testing kits but the smaller providers have not yet heard details about how they can obtain them.\n\nOne told me that, while welcoming the initiative, he was concerned at the level of administration which would be required to book in visits and organise the testing and this might mean taking on more staff.\n\nSome doubts have been raised about the effectiveness of the rapid testing technology with a relatively high number of false negatives if administered by less-trained staff.\n\nThe scheme will not be fully rolled out by Christmas but officials hope it will be more accessible to the wider public early in the new year.\n\nMore than a million quick-turnaround or \"lateral flow\" tests, which provide results in about 20 minutes without the need for a lab, are being sent out to England's 385 biggest care homes as part of the first phase of the rollout.\n\nThe guidance says the number of test kits will allow up to two visitors per resident, based on them visiting twice a week, by Christmas.\n\nAs well as the tests, an extra 46 million items of PPE will be sent to Care Quality Commission (CQC)-registered care home providers.\n\nThe Alzheimer's Society urged the government to ensure care homes do not struggle with extra administrative costs so that visits can continue.\n\nThe National Care Forum, a member association for not-for-profit social care providers, applauded the announcement, calling it a \"game-changing moment for visits\".\n\nBut executive director Vic Rayner said recognition of what the sector needs to put the policy into practice \"remains an inherent weakness\".\n\nShe added: \"It is essential that the government addresses this immediately, or else risks setting in train huge expectations around visiting, with no meaningful ability for care homes to deliver at the scale and pace required to make visiting a reality for all by Christmas.\"\n\nAnd Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, said it was good news that the government has \"significantly shifted\" its position on care home visiting.\n\nBut she cautioned: \"The government has promised that everyone will be able to visit their loved one by Christmas and, while this is a laudable aim, it is also very ambitious, so we remain worried that practical difficulties of various kinds could get in the way for some.\"\n\nProf Martin Green, chief executive of Care England - the largest representative body for independent care providers - said: \"In order for these promising plans to land successfully, the sector must now be adequately supported by the government.\n\n\"We appreciate the continued risks associated with visits, but this represents a positive step forwards.\"\n\nSeparately, the government has published new guidance that may allow for some residents under the age of 65 to spend time with their families at Christmas outside of care homes - if their provider agrees and carries out risk assessments.", "Valéry Giscard d'Estaing, France's president from 1974 to 1981, has died at the age of 94.\n\nHe died of complications from coronavirus, surrounded by his family at his estate in central France.\n\nA centre-right, pro-Europe politician, Giscard d'Estaing also liberalised laws on divorce, abortion and contraception during his seven years in power.\n\nPresident Emmanuel Macron said his presidency had transformed France and his direction still guided its way.\n\n\"A servant of the state, a politician of progress and freedom, his death has plunged the French nation into mourning,\" he said in a statement.\n\nThe late president's family said his funeral would take place amid \"strict intimacy\".\n\nIn later life, Giscard d'Estaing liked to portray himself as the grand old man of French politics.\n\nAs one of France's youngest presidents - he was 48 when he came to power, he had a longer career in politics after he left high office than he had enjoyed on his way to the Élysée Palace.\n\nHe was seen by many as arrogant and aloof; his presidential popularity was short-lived and he was eventually squeezed out of office by a strengthening of opposition from both the left and the right.\n\nHe was also caught up in a scandal surrounding his support for a corrupt African dictator.\n\nValéry Marie René Georges Giscard d'Estaing was born on 2 February 1926 in Koblenz, in what was then French-occupied Germany.\n\nHis father was a civil servant who worked for the French occupying forces, while his mother was descended from King Louis XV of France via one of his mistresses.\n\nGiscard d'Estaing's education was disrupted by World War Two. He was just a teenager when he joined a French resistance group in occupied Paris before enlisting in a tank battalion in 1944, earning the Croix de Guerre in the last months of the war.\n\nHe worked for a while as a teacher in Montreal before graduating from the Ecole Nationale d'Administration and joining the tax and revenue service.\n\nIn 1955 he spent some time on the staff of prime minister Edgar Faure before winning the seat of Puy-de Dome in the National Assembly, the area from which his mother's family came.\n\nPolitical allies in 1969, Giscard d'Estaing (l) and Jacques Chirac would later become rivals for the presidency\n\nHe became secretary of state for finances in 1959, a post he held for almost four years until his party broke with the ruling Gaullists with whom they were in a coalition. However, Giscard d'Estaing refused to leave the government and founded the Independent Republicans, which allied itself to the majority Gaullists.\n\nHe was sacked from the cabinet in 1966 but, as chairman of the National Assembly committee that scrutinised the country's finances, he remained a powerful voice, latterly increasingly critical of the De Gaulle government.\n\nThrown out of his chairmanship by the Gaullists in 1968, he gained his revenge by supporting Georges Pompidou in the 1969 presidential elections, whereupon he was reappointed to the finance ministry.\n\nWhen Pompidou died suddenly in 1974, Giscard d'Estaing announced he would run for the Élysée Palace, presenting himself as a modern and moderate alternative to the austere conservatism of Gaullism.\n\nHe successfully gained the support of the centre while, at the same time, taking advantage of divisions among the Gaullists, some of whom - notably Jacques Chirac - announced their support for Giscard d'Estaing as the only hope of defeating the left.\n\nGiscard d'Estaing narrowly defeated the socialist François Mitterrand in the second round of voting with just 50.7% of the poll, becoming the third youngest president in French history.\n\nAfter years of Gaullist stagnation, he made his intentions plain: \"You want a deep political, a deep economic and a deep social change. You will not be disappointed,\" he said.\n\nAt home, he made several reforms early on in his term in office. The voting age was lowered from 21 to 18, while divorce and abortion laws were relaxed, in spite of fierce opposition from the Catholic Church.\n\nThe newly elected French president was committed to European unity\n\nHe also saw through laws on equal pay and opportunities for women, reduced the retirement age to 60 and allowed Paris to elect its own mayor.\n\nAlthough he voiced his opposition to the death penalty, he refused to commute three of the death sentences passed during his term, and the last use of the guillotine in France took place in 1977.\n\nA fan of technology, Giscard d'Estaing was a strong advocate of the French high-speed train network, the TGV, construction of which began in earnest in 1976.\n\nHe was also an enthusiastic supporter of the drive to increase France's dependence on nuclear power, following the oil crisis of 1973.\n\nGiscard d'Estaing was committed to the European ideal and developed a close relationship with Germany's Chancellor Helmut Schmidt. Together they turned their dream of a more integrated Europe into reality.\n\nHis main contribution was the formation of the European Council in 1974 - bringing together the heads of states of all member countries - which, in 1979, pushed forward a European monetary system.\n\nHowever, his domestic reforms worried his more conservative political allies, with Jacques Chirac resigning as prime minister in 1976. His successor, Raymond Barre, introduced a programme of austerity and unemployment began to rise.\n\nThe right won a majority in the 1978 coalition elections and Giscard d'Estaing responded by founding the Union for French Democracy (UDF).\n\nGiscard d'Estaing was heavily criticised for his support of Jean-Bedel Bokassa.\n\nGiscard d'Estaing's popularity began to wane. His standing was not enhanced after he was accused of accepting a gift of diamonds from the self-styled Emperor of the Central African Republic, Jean-Bedel Bokassa.\n\nBokassa's brutal dictatorial regime had received a great deal of support from the French government, with Giscard D'Estaing declaring in 1975 that he was a \"friend and family member\" of Bokassa.\n\nFrance played a major part in Bokassa's lavish coronation ceremony in 1977, which cost more than the annual gross domestic product of the impoverished country.\n\nIn 1979, the French satirical magazine, Le Canard enchaîné, alleged that Giscard d'Estaing had received the diamonds in 1973, when he was finance minister.\n\nHis initial explanation that he had sold them and given the proceeds to a number of charities was undermined when one of the alleged recipients, the Red Cross, denied having received any funds.\n\nGiscard d'Estaing lost the 1981 presidential election to Francois Mitterrand. He defeated Jacques Chirac in the first round of voting, but Chirac's failure to call on his supporters to support Giscard d'Estaing in the second round widened the gulf between the former allies.\n\nSubsequently, he based himself in his political heartland - the Auvergne region of central France - delivering regular pronouncements to newspapers and on television about the state of the nation.\n\nHis national standing sank so low that he became known as Monsieur Ex in Parisian political circles.\n\nHe lost the 1981 presidential election to his socialist rival Francois Mitterrand\n\nHis hopes of becoming prime minister under Mitterrand in 1986 were dashed and he refused to support either right-wing candidate in the 1988 presidential elections.\n\nBetween 1989 and 1993, he served as a member of the European Parliament and seemed destined to end his days in political obscurity.\n\nBut, in 2002, he returned to the limelight when he was chosen to head up the convention tasked with drawing up a constitution for the European Union\n\nHis selection for the job was the result of intensive lobbying by French President Jacques Chirac, who is said to have insisted on it at the EU's summit in the Belgian town of Laeken in December 2001.\n\nMany criticised the choice of a man in his late 70s for a job designed to bring the EU closer to the people, and especially the young.\n\nThere was also criticism over Giscard d'Estaing's reported demands for a salary in excess of €20,000 per month, plus expenses. He is said to have asked for a luxury suite of rooms in a Brussels hotel for a year and for a handpicked private staff.\n\nHowever, he denied that he was being greedy. \"It is simply that things should be comfortable,\" he told Le Monde newspaper.\n\nIn 2004, European heads of state signed a European Constitution that was based primarily on the work carried out by Giscard d'Estaing's convention.\n\nHis somewhat aloof nature did not endear him to ordinary people\n\nA year later, and to Giscard d'Estaing's profound embarrassment, the constitution was roundly rejected by the French people. He later complained that \"the rejection of the Constitutional treaty by voters in France was a mistake that should be corrected\".\n\nIn 2005, he and his brother purchased the castle of Estaing in the French district of Aveyron, which had previously been owned by Admiral d'Estaing. Giscard d'Estaing's family had no direct connection with the deceased naval officer and there was much criticism that he was attempting to buy his way into the nobility.\n\nIn 2009, he published a novel about a relationship between a fictional French president and the fictional Princess of Cardiff. It led to speculation that it was based on a relationship between Giscard d'Estaing and Diana, Princess of Wales, although he eventually poured cold water on those suggestions.\n\nEarlier this year, he was accused of groping a German reporter during a 2018 interview - charges he denied.\n\nValery Giscard d'Estaing was something of an enigma. Intellectually gifted, he lacked the common touch and never became popular with the French people.\n\nHis single-minded approach to greater European integration was not to everyone's taste and his aloof nature meant he often fell out with his allies.\n\nBitterly disappointed that Britain decided to leave the European Union in 2016, he described it as a \"backward step\". But the enthusiastic architect of European unity was, by now, in his nineties. He felt, he said, inclined to take the long view.\n\n\"We functioned without Britain during the first years of the European Union,\" he said, with a Gallic shrug. \"So we will rediscover a situation that we have already known.\"", "The Debenhams website has been overwhelmed by shoppers searching for bargains after the department store chain collapsed.\n\nThe firm launched a stock clearance sale on Wednesday at 07:00 as non-essential retailers in England reopen after a four-week lockdown.\n\nBut high demand led to long, virtual queues of thousands and by mid morning the site had crashed altogether.\n\n\"We have been seeing unprecedented levels of visits,\" a spokesperson said.\n\nIn a bid to keep up with the additional demand, the retailer was forced to implement a queuing system for its website, which promised customers: \"We will get you onto the site as soon as possible.\"\n\nOn Tuesday, the company spelled out how many shoppers were on its site, at one point queues stretched into many hundreds of thousands, but on Wednesday Debenhams was no longer displaying that information.\n\nSome social media users reported as many as 900,000 other customers in the queue for the website.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Craig Edward FRSA This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThe company had already been running a 14-day \"Black Friday\" sales event, with discounts of up to 70% from Wednesday onwards in-store and online across clothes and homeware.\n\nFor other customers, the website crashed completely on Tuesday evening, either before reaching the virtual queue or having reached the checkout stage for their purchases.\n\nOne social media user wrote that they had been given only 30 minutes to complete their shopping online.\n\n\"Only problem is once you get in there the homepage keeps crashing. No wonder they've gone bust,\" they wrote.\n\nTwitter user Danielle Harmer said: \"Finally get onto the website, start adding to my basket and then an error message pops up saying my queue number has been rejected and I have to join the back of the queue again! Actually livid.\"\n\nOn Tuesday shoppers were told how many people were in the queue but on Wednesday Debenhams were no longer giving that information\n\nAll of Debenhams' 124 UK stores are set to close after the failure of last-ditch efforts to rescue the ailing store chain.\n\nIt means all 12,000 employees are likely to lose their jobs when the shops cease trading, unless the administrators do a deal for all of parts of the business.\n\nSome social media users expressed sympathies for those staff members now facing uncertainty. Heather Angus wrote: \"If you're planning to go raid Debenhams with the announcement of them selling off stock, please be kind to their staff. This is awful.\"\n\nDebenhams had been in administration since April. It is now set to enter liquidation, also known as winding-up, which means it will cease to exist as a company.\n\nThe 242-year-old retailer had already trimmed its store portfolio and cut about 6,500 jobs since May as it struggled to stay afloat.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. 'I'll miss it', shoppers say of the 242-year-old retailer\n\nHopes of a rescue were crushed after the last remaining bidder for the company, JD Sports, withdrew.\n\nThere have been suggestions that JD Sports pulled out of bidding for Debenhams because of the collapse of Arcadia, which is the biggest concession operator in Debenhams, accounting for about £75m of sales.\n\nTough trading during the coronavirus pandemic proved to be the final blow for both Debenhams and Arcadia, which employ more than 25,000 people between them.\n\nRestructuring firm Hilco will start going into Debenhams stores on Wednesday to begin clearing stock.\n\nShoppers will still be able to buy items in-store and on the Debenhams website, until all of it is sold.\n\nAnyone who has ordered something on the website, including during the Black Friday sales, should receive it. They should also be able to return these items, under the normal rules, within 14 days, if they do not want them.\n\nThe business is also accepting payment cards, such as gift cards. If the business is sold, these cards might continue to be valid.\n\nHowever, if cards are unspent or items not delivered if Debenhams closes entirely, then shoppers may need to contact their bank, via the chargeback scheme, or their credit card provider (if they spent more than £100 on a single order) to get a refund.", "We've looked into some of the most widely shared false vaccine claims - everything from alleged plots to put microchips into people to the supposed re-engineering of our genetic code.\n\nThe fear that a vaccine will somehow change your DNA is one we've seen aired regularly on social media.\n\nThe BBC asked three independent scientists about this. They said that the coronavirus vaccine would not alter human DNA.\n\nSome of the newly created vaccines, including the one now approved in the UK developed by Pfizer/BioNTech, use a fragment of the virus's genetic material - or messenger RNA.\n\n\"Injecting RNA into a person doesn't do anything to the DNA of a human cell,\" says Prof Jeffrey Almond of Oxford University.\n\nIt works by giving the body instructions to produce a protein which is present on the surface of the coronavirus.\n\nThe immune system then learns to recognise and produce antibodies against the protein.\n\nClaims that Bill Gates plans to use a vaccine to \"manipulate\" or \"alter\" human DNA have been widely shared\n\nThis isn't the first time we've looked into claims that a coronavirus vaccine will supposedly alter DNA. We investigated a popular video spreading the theory back in May.\n\nPosts have noted that messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine technology \"has never been tested or approved before\".\n\nIt is true that no mRNA vaccine has been approved before now, but multiple studies of mRNA vaccines in humans have taken place over the last few years. And, since the pandemic started, the vaccine has been tested on tens of thousands of people around the world and has gone through a rigorous safety approval process.\n\nLike all new vaccines, it has to undergo rigorous safety checks before it can be recommended for widespread use.\n\nIn Phase 1 and Phase 2 clinical trials, vaccines are tested in small numbers of volunteers to check they are safe and to determine the right dose.\n\nIn Phase 3 trials they are tested in thousands of people to see how effective they are. The group who received the vaccine and a control group who have received a placebo are closely monitored for any adverse reactions - side-effects. Safety monitoring continues after a vaccine has been approved for use.\n\nNext, a conspiracy theory that has spanned the globe.\n\nIt claims that the coronavirus pandemic is a cover for a plan to implant trackable microchips and that the Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is behind it.\n\nThere is no vaccine \"microchip\" and there is no evidence to support claims that Bill Gates is planning for this in the future.\n\nThe Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation told the BBC the claim was \"false\".\n\nOne TikTok user created a video about being \"microchipped\" and called a vaccine the \"mark of the beast\"\n\nRumours took hold in March when Mr Gates said in an interview that eventually \"we will have some digital certificates\" which would be used to show who'd recovered, been tested and ultimately who received a vaccine. He made no mention of microchips.\n\nThis led to one widely shared article headlined: \"Bill Gates will use microchip implants to fight coronavirus.\"\n\nThe article makes reference to a study, funded by The Gates Foundation, into a technology that could store someone's vaccine records in a special ink administered at the same time as an injection.\n\nHowever, the technology is not a microchip and is more like an invisible tattoo. It has not been rolled out yet, would not allow people to be tracked and personal information would not be entered into a database, says Ana Jaklenec, a scientist involved in the study.\n\nThe billionaire founder of Microsoft has been the subject of many false rumours during the pandemic.\n\nHe's been targeted because of his philanthropic work in public health and vaccine development.\n\nDespite the lack of evidence, in May a YouGov poll of 1,640 people suggested 28% of Americans believed Mr Gates wanted to use vaccines to implant microchips in people - with the figure rising to 44% among Republicans.\n\nWe've seen claims that vaccines contain the lung tissue of an aborted fetus. This is false.\n\n\"There are no fetal cells used in any vaccine production process,\" says Dr Michael Head, of the University of Southampton.\n\nOne particular video that was posted on one of the biggest anti-vaccine Facebook pages refers to a study which the narrator claims is evidence of what goes into the vaccine developed by AstraZeneca and Oxford University. But the narrator's interpretation is wrong - the study in question explored how the vaccine reacted when introduced to human cells in a lab.\n\nConfusion may have arisen because there is a step in the process of developing a vaccine that uses cells grown in a lab, which are the descendants of embryonic cells that would otherwise have been destroyed. The technique was developed in the 1960s, and no fetuses were aborted for the purposes of this research.\n\nMany vaccines are made in this way, explains Dr David Matthews, from Bristol University, adding that any traces of the cells are comprehensively removed from the vaccine \"to exceptionally high standards\".\n\nThe developers of the vaccine at Oxford University say they worked with cloned cells, but these cells \"are not themselves the cells of aborted babies\".\n\nThe cells work like a factory to manufacture a greatly weakened form of the virus that has been adapted to function as a vaccine.\n\nBut even though the weakened virus is created using these cloned cells, this cellular material is removed when the virus is purified and not used in the vaccine.\n\nWe've seen arguments against a Covid-19 vaccine shared across social media asking why we need one at all if the chances of dying from the virus are so slim.\n\nA meme shared by people who oppose vaccination put the recovery rate from the disease at 99.97% and suggested getting Covid-19 is a safer option than taking a vaccine.\n\nA meme using images of rapper Drake has been used to promote false vaccine claims\n\nTo begin with, the figure referred to in the meme as the \"recovery rate\" - implying these are people who caught the virus and survived - is not correct.\n\nAbout 99.0% of people who catch Covid survive it, says Jason Oke, senior statistician at the University of Oxford.\n\nSo around 100 in 10,000 will die - far higher than three in 10,000, as suggested in the meme.\n\nHowever, Mr Oke adds that \"in all cases the risks very much depend on age and do not take into account short and long-term morbidity from Covid-19\".\n\nIt's not just about survival. For every person who dies, there are others who live through it but undergo intensive medical care, and those who suffer long-lasting health effects.\n\nThis can contribute to a health service overburdened with Covid patients, competing with a hospital's limited resources to treat patients with other illnesses and injuries.\n\nConcentrating on the overall death rate, or breaking down the taking of a vaccine to an individual act, misses the point of vaccinations, says Prof Liam Smeeth of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. It should be seen as an effort by society to protect others, he says.\n\n\"In the UK, the worst part of the pandemic, the reason for lockdown, is because the health service would be overwhelmed. Vulnerable groups like the old and sick in care homes have a much higher chance of getting severely ill if they catch the virus\".", "Gwilym Owen has been given 250 hours of unpaid work and order to pay a total of £380 in costs\n\nA man who pulled plastic sheets off clothes in a supermarket during Wales' \"firebreak\" lockdown has been told to compensate Tesco over his protest.\n\nGwilym Owen was filmed pulling off the sheeting in Bangor on the first day of Wales' 17-day autumn lockdown.\n\nSupermarkets had been told they were not allowed to sell \"non-essential\" items during the firebreak period.\n\nOwen, of Holyhead Road in Gaerwen, Anglesey, pleaded guilty to damaging the sheeting and disorderly behaviour.\n\nHe was sentenced at at Caernarfon Magistrates' Court to 250 hours of unpaid work and ordered to pay £200 to Tesco in compensation and £180 in costs.\n\nFootage of Owen damaging the sheeting went viral after he uploaded it to Facebook.\n\nOwen uploaded the footage to his Facebook page\n\nGilly Harradence, defending, told the court Owen had not entered the store with the intention of causing trouble.\n\n\"He just wanted to highlight the unfairness and illogicality of the regulations,\" she said.\n\nMagistrates' chairman Alastair Langdon said Owen entered the shop to \"maliciously\" disrupt the running of the business and had used \"very nasty and abusive language\".\n\n\"You had no regard to the safety and welfare of staff or customers at the store,\" he said.\n\n\"Your actions must have been frightening and worrying to a number of people in the immediate vicinity.\"\n\nThe Welsh Government banned the sale of non-essential items, such as clothes, during Wales' 17-day firebreak lockdown which ran between 23 October and 9 November.\n\nMore than 60,000 people signed a Senedd/Welsh Parliament petition calling for the ban to be reversed, the largest ever submitted.", "Former Woman's Hour host Dame Jenni Murray has opened up about her decision to take her clothes off on television for The Real Full Monty On Ice.\n\nDame Jenni will strip to her underwear on the ITV show to raise awareness of the importance of checking for cancer.\n\nThe 70-year-old has had breast cancer herself, resulting in a mastectomy in 2007.\n\nAfter talking about it for years on the Radio 4 programme, she said it was time to \"put my money where my mouth is\".\n\nDame Jenni told the Radio Times that when her agent first suggested the idea to her, she said: \"'Don't be ridiculous!... I'm not baring my one remaining breast to the entire nation.'\n\n\"And then I thought about it. The Full Monty is probably my favourite film ever. I thought, 'Come on, Jenni. You've been talking about breast cancer for donkey's years.'\"\n\nThe presenter explained the subject has come up frequently on Woman's Hour, with listeners regularly being encouraged to check their breasts.\n\nAlmost one million women in the UK have missed vital breast screening due to coronavirus, a leading charity recently estimated.\n\nDame Jenni added: \"You have to be gung ho about these things. I've had two children. I've had my hips replaced. I've had a mastectomy. I've had stomach surgery. I've had an operation on my left humerus, which I managed to break six years ago, slipping on a very icy step.\n\n\"My body has been exposed and dealt with on numerous occasions, and I can't see the point of being shy about it. It's a couple of seconds of taking your bra off. What's the problem?\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Dame Jenni closes her last programme with Helen Reddy\n\nDame Jenni has been cancer-free for 14 years now, and told the publication she dislikes being termed a \"survivor\", preferring \"recovered\" instead.\n\nLast month, she made her final broadcast as host of the Radio 4 show, after 33 years in the hot seat.\n\nShe signed off her tenure by playing Helen Reddy's feminist anthem, I Am Woman.\n\nThe broadcaster thinks her next eyebrow-raising venture will be a challenge - particularly the ice part - but nothing compared to what she has put her body through previously.\n\nEpisode one of Emmy-winning show, led by Ashley Banjo and Coleen Nolan, is on ITV on 14 December.\n\nAlongside Dame Jenni, will be actresses Linda Lusardi and Hayley Tamaddon; and Love Island's Shaunghna Phillips, as well as This Morning's Dr Zoe.\n\nBaring all for the blokes will be rugby star Gareth Thomas, Love Island's Chris Hughes, and actor Jamie Lomas; along with singer Jake Quickenden, Diversity's Perri Kiehly and jockey Bob Champion.\n\nFollow us on Facebook, or on Twitter @BBCNewsEnts. If you have a story suggestion email entertainment.news@bbc.co.uk.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. United Nations chief Antonio Guterres issues a stark warning to world leaders about the state of the planet\n\n\"Our planet is broken,\" the Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, has warned.\n\nHumanity is waging what he describes as a \"suicidal\" war on the natural world.\n\n\"Nature always strikes back, and is doing so with gathering force and fury,\" he told a BBC special event on the environment.\n\nMr Guterres wants to put tackling climate change at the heart of the UN's global mission.\n\nIn a speech entitled State of the Planet, he announced that its \"central objective\" next year will be to build a global coalition around the need to reduce emissions to net zero.\n\nNet zero refers to cutting greenhouse gas emissions as far as possible and balancing any further releases by removing an equivalent amount from the atmosphere.\n\nMr Guterres said that every country, city, financial institution and company \"should adopt plans for a transition to net zero emissions by 2050\". In his view, they will also need to take decisive action now to put themselves on the path towards achieving this vision.\n\nThe objective, said the UN secretary general, will be to cut global emissions by 45% by 2030 compared with 2010 levels.\n\nHere's what Mr Guterres demanded the nations of the world do:\n\nOur war on the natural world will come back to haunt us, says Mr Guterres\n\nIt is an ambitious agenda, as Mr Guterres acknowledged, but he said that radical action is needed now.\n\n\"The science is clear,\" Mr Guterres told the BBC, \"unless the world cuts fossil fuel production by 6% every year between now and 2030, things will get worse. Much worse.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Is it possible to reverse the climate crisis? The BBC's Justin Rowlatt explains\n\nClimate policies have yet to rise to the challenge, the UN chief said, adding that \"without concerted action, we may be headed for a catastrophic three to five-degree temperature rise this century\".\n\nThe impact is already being felt around the world.\n\n\"Apocalyptic fires and floods, cyclones and hurricanes are the new normal,\" he warned.\n\n\"Biodiversity is collapsing. Deserts are spreading. Oceans are choking with plastic waste.\"\n\nMr Guterres said the nations of the world must bring ambitious commitments to cut emissions to the international climate conference the UK and Italy are hosting in Glasgow in November next year.\n\nAs well as pressing for action on the climate crisis, he urged nations to tackle the extinction crisis that is destroying biodiversity and to step up efforts to reduce pollution.\n\nWe face, he said, a \"moment of truth\".\n\nBut he does discern some glimmers of hope.\n\nMore from Our Planet Now:\n\nHe acknowledged that the European Union, the US, China, Japan, South Korea and more than 110 other countries have committed to become carbon neutral by the middle of this century.\n\nHe said he wants to see this momentum turned into a movement.\n\nTechnology will help us to reach these targets, Mr Guterres said he believes.\n\nTechnology could help forge a more sustainable path, says Antonio Guterres\n\n\"The coal business is going up in smoke,\" because it costs more to run most of today's coal plants than it does to build new renewable plants from scratch, he told the BBC.\n\n\"We must forge a safer, more sustainable and equitable path\", the UN chief concluded.\n\nHe said it is time for this war against the planet to end, adding: \"We must declare a permanent ceasefire and reconcile with nature.\"\n\nAnd you can hear the full speech exclusively on BBC World News and BBC World Service, on our special programme State of the Planet at 1600 GMT on 2 December.\n\nI've travelled all over the world for the BBC and seen evidence of environmental damage and climate change everywhere. It's the biggest challenge humanity has ever faced. Tackling it means changing how we do virtually everything. We are right to be anxious and afraid at the prospect, but I reckon we should also see this as a thrilling story of exploration, and I'm delighted to have been given the chance of a ringside seat as chief environment correspondent.", "The coronavirus vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech appears to protect 94% of adults over 65 years old.\n\nMore data released from their continuing phase three trial suggests it works equally well in people of all ages and ethnicities.\n\nThe companies say they will now apply for authorisation for emergency use of the jab in the US.\n\nThe trial involved 41,000 people worldwide. Half were given the vaccine, and half a placebo.\n\nLast week, Pfizer and BioNTech published preliminary data suggesting the vaccine offered 90% protection against Covid-19 and said there were no safety concerns.\n\nThis was followed by data on a vaccine made by US company Moderna suggesting nearly 95% protection and similarly promising results from trials of another developed in Russia, called Sputnik.\n\nWednesday's data from Pfizer and BioNTech, which builds on last week's data, suggests the vaccine is 95% effective based on 170 cases of Covid-19 developing in volunteers.\n\nJust eight were in the group given the vaccine, suggesting it offers good protection. The rest of the cases were in the placebo group given a dummy jab.\n\nIn older adults, who are most at risk from the virus and have weaker immune systems, the vaccine worked as well as it did in younger people.\n\nScientists said the data was further encouraging news, with Prof Trudie Lang from the University of Oxford describing it as \"a remarkable and very reassuring situation\".\n\n\"To go from identifying a new virus to having several vaccines at the point of applying for regulatory approval is an incredible milestone for science,\" she said.\n\nAlthough the full trial data has yet to be published, the companies say there have been no serious safety concerns.\n\nBut they did notice fatigue in 3.8% of volunteers given the vaccine and headaches in 2%, both after the second dose, although older people seemed to experience minimal side effects.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Coronavirus vaccine: How close are you to getting one?\n\nThere is also evidence that the vaccine protects against severe Covid - but this is based on only 10 cases.\n\nIt's still unclear how long protection from the vaccine lasts and if it stops people transmitting the virus.\n\nIn the trial, 42% of all participants are from diverse ethnic backgrounds and 41% are aged between 56 and 85 years old.\n\nMore vaccine good news is what we've all been waiting for. This time it's really encouraging to know the Pfizer vaccine seems to work on older people as effectively as in younger ones.\n\nBut this vaccine is still a long way off widespread use. First, regulators need to be absolutely sure in their own minds that it's safe - not least because Moderna and Pfizer both use an experimental technology that's never been approved before.\n\nThat process could still take a few weeks. Then there's the massive issue of availability. Pfizer is promising 50 million doses by the end of the year. But remember: it's a two-shot vaccine.\n\nPerhaps one of the biggest problems is that wealthy countries have already swooped in to buy up the first batches that will be ready. That's good news for a country such as the UK, but not such good news for developing countries which haven't got the money to place bids.\n\nThat's why so much hinges on other vaccines such as the Oxford AstraZeneca one, as they may be more scalable, and there are more advanced plans to get it to low- and middle-income countries through a UN-backed project called Covax.\n\nThe trial, which is testing people at 150 sites in the US, Germany, Turkey, South Africa, Brazil and Argentina, will collect data on the safety and efficacy of the vaccine for another two years.\n\nThe companies behind it expect to produce up to 50 million doses of the vaccine this year and up to 1.3 billion doses by the end of 2021.\n\nThe UK has pre-ordered 40 million doses and should get 10 million by the end of the year.\n\nIt has also ordered 100 million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, which is planning to release data from its phase three trial soon.\n\nThere are hundreds of vaccines in development around the world, and about a dozen in the final stages of testing, known as phase three.\n\nThe first two to show any results - made by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna - both use an experimental approach, called mRNA, which involves injecting part of the virus's genetic code into the body to train the immune system.\n\nAntibodies and T-cells are then made by the body to fight the coronavirus.\n\nThe Sputnik vaccine, developed in Russia, has also released early data from phase three based on a smaller number of volunteers and Covid cases.\n\nThere are some logistical challenges with mRNA vaccines, namely the need to store them at cold temperatures.\n\nThe Pfizer vaccine must be stored at about minus 80C, although it can be kept in a fridge for five days.\n\nModerna's vaccine needs to be stored at minus 20C for up to six months and kept in a standard fridge for up to a month.\n\nProf Stephen Evans, professor of pharmacoepidemiology at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said the full data would have to be submitted to bodies like the US Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency for approval.\n\n\"We can expect both agencies to conduct a very careful evaluation and we can rely on their conclusions,\" he said.\n\nThis process could take several weeks.\n\nCorrection 26 March 2021: This article was amended to make clear that fatigue was noted in a slightly higher percentage of volunteers than headaches after the second dose.", "Esther Dingley sent this photo of her at the top of a mountain nine days ago\n\nPolice searching for a British hiker missing in the Pyrenees are \"looking at other options\" beyond an accident, her partner has said.\n\nEsther Dingley, 37, last messaged her partner Dan Colegate via WhatsApp on 22 November, when she was on top of Pic de Sauvegarde on the France-Spain border.\n\nShe had been due to return from her solo walking trek on 25 November.\n\nMr Colegate said after extensive searches the \"prevailing opinion\" is she is not in the mountains.\n\nIn a post on Facebook, he praised the French and Spanish search and rescue teams' efforts, but said: \"Taking into account Esther's high level of experience, the nature of the terrain, the good weather she would have had, the fact she had a clearly defined route for Sunday evening and Monday, and various other factors, both search coordinators have essentially told me that the prevailing opinion in the search teams is that she isn't there.\n\n\"If she had fallen from one of the paths, they really would have expected to find her given the intensity, the closeness of the search and the fact most of the trails are really quite straightforward across open ground.\"\n\nDan Colegate and Esther Dingley had always been keen travellers\n\nMr Colegate said Ms Dingley is now listed as a national missing person in Spain and her case has been passed to a \"specialised judicial unit in France\".\n\n\"This means they will be looking at other options beyond a mountain accident,\" he said.\n\nMr Colegate said: \"While this is a terrifying development in many ways, I'm trying to focus on the fact that it leaves the door open that Esther might still come home.\n\n\"She was so utterly happy and joyful when we last spoke, I'd do anything to see her face and hold her right now.\"\n\nMs Dingley had been travelling in the couple's camper van while Mr Colegate stayed at a farm in the Gascony area of France.\n\nThe weekend she set out on the trek, the couple's story about their adventures around Europe in the camper van since 2014 was published by BBC News.\n\nMs Dingley had started walking from Benasque in Spain on Saturday and had planned to spend Sunday night at Refuge de Venasque in France, Mr Colegate said.\n\nThe couple had lived in Durham before deciding to pack up their lives and go travelling after Mr Colegate nearly died from an infection.\n\nFollow BBC North East & Cumbria on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to northeastandcumbria@bbc.co.uk.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Matthew Horne and Joanna Page will reunite to host a BBC Radio Wales show on Christmas Day\n\nThe cast of Gavin and Stacey are to reunite for a Christmas Day radio show.\n\nJoanna Page and Mathew Horne, best known for their roles as Gavin and Stacey in the hit BBC comedy, will host a festive special on BBC Radio Wales.\n\nThey will be joined by co-stars Melanie Walters, Larry Lamb, Alison Steadman, Steffan Rhodri, Robert Wilfort and Laura Aikman, Welsh singer Bonnie Tyler and singer-songwriter Shakin' Stevens.\n\nThere will also be a special message from co-creator James Corden.\n\nLast year's Gavin and Stacey Christmas special was the UK's most-watched scripted TV programme of the 2010s with 17.1 million viewers across the UK.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nAnd although we won't be treated to another special on TV - at least not this year - Radio Wales' show promises to go some way to filling that Gavin and Stacey void.\n\nPage, who hosted the station's Sunday Morning with Joanna Page show earlier this year, said she \"absolutely loves Christmas\".\n\n\"So when it came up that we could do a Christmas Day show I knew that if there was anybody I'd want to share that with, it's Mat. I love working with him, he's so much fun,\" she added.\n\nFor his part, Horne said he \"jumped at the chance\", adding: \"I love working with Jo, I love Wales and I love doing radio.\n\n\"Christmas Day is a special day and, particularly this year, it's been very challenging for a lot of people, so it's nice to feel like we might be bringing a little bit of joy.\"\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Nessa (Ruth Jones) had to ask fans for quiet during filming\n\nPage said the show would involve \"chatting to some brilliant friends and guests\", quizzes and some classic Christmas tracks.\n\nRadio Wales editor Wales Colin Paterson added: \"Having Wales' best loved couple, out of character, is a real treat. We hope their sense of fun will lift everyone's spirits.\"\n\nListen to Christmas Day with Joanna Page and Mathew Horne from 12:00 GMT until 14:00 on BBC Radio Wales, and on BBC Sounds.", "This is the day we have been waiting for.\n\nBut it is clear listening to NHS England chief executive Simon Stevens and deputy chief medical officer Professor Jonathan Van Tam that there are some huge logistical challenges from here on in.\n\nFirst of all, supply. The UK is expecting 800,000 doses in the next few days. But given there are 15 million people over the age of 65 and working in health and care sectors, and all need two doses, it is clear getting more into the country is essential.\n\nRollout is also difficult. Through a combination of the need to keep the vaccine at ultra cold storage and the fact that the jab comes in batches of 975 that cannot be split up at the moment, immunisation will only be offered from a network of 50 hospitals to start with.\n\nIt is why there is still so much hope pinned to the Oxford University vaccine, that regulators are currently reviewing. That does not need to be kept in ultra cold storage and so can be distributed much more easily. Plus there are already millions of doses in the country.\n\nThen there is vaccine hesitancy. Officials have been at pains to stress that despite the vaccine being developed in record time the full testing and regulatory process has been followed.\n\nBut the more people don’t come forward, the longer restrictions have to remain in place.\n\nThere is a long way to go yet.", "Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Wednesday morning. We'll have another update for you at 18:00 GMT.\n\nA hugely positive bit of news to wake up to this morning. The UK has become the first country in the world to approve a coronavirus vaccine for widespread use. The government says the Pfizer/BioNTech jab will start being made available across the UK from next week. The UK has already ordered 40m doses - enough to vaccinate 20m people, with two shots each. About 10m doses should be available soon. Experts have drawn up a provisional priority list, targeting people at highest risk. Top are care home residents and staff, followed by people over 80 and other health and social care workers.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Laura Foster explains the new three tier system for England\n\nThe health secretary has announced that relatives of all care home residents in England will be able to visit over the Christmas period if they test negative for Covid-19. He promised more than a million tests would be sent to homes over the next month, along with extra PPE. Vic Rayner, from the National Care Forum, said it was \"a huge step forward\". BBC health editor Hugh Pym says the news will be welcomed by families struggling with separation, but there's a danger of hopes being raised only to be dashed again because not all facilities will be able to meet the demand for a visit in time for Christmas.\n\nRetail discounts in the run-up to Christmas are now commonplace, but lockdown has left stores with an excess of seasonal stock to shift. That means prices are falling - good news for consumers at least - with the biggest discounts at fashion and DIY stores, according to the British Retail Consortium. Debenhams has launched a huge stock clearance - so big its website has been overwhelmed. The retail sector in general is having a really tough time, and it's often young retail staff who are especially hard-hit - we spoke to some feeling the strain.\n\nAs part of our CEO Secrets series, we've been looking at businesses that have launched during this very difficult year. This week, we hear from people whose jobs are under threat in hospitality and have decided to try something new. Bruce Tate was in a bad place after the first lockdown. His business, Need Music, handled live bookings for pubs and weddings, but was forced to close. Now he's transformed his office into a cycling cafe. Read his story and others for a much-needed dose of optimism.\n\nBruce even brought in some of his old clients to play outdoor gigs during the summer\n\nFind more information, advice and guides on our coronavirus page.\n\nPlus, ministers say the tougher tiers are needed to stop the NHS being overwhelmed, but is that true? Our health correspondent Nick Triggle looks closely.\n\nWhat questions do you have about coronavirus?\n\nIn some cases, your question will be published, displaying your name, age and location as you provide it, unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published. Please ensure you have read our terms & conditions and privacy policy.\n\nUse this form to ask your question:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or send them via email to YourQuestions@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any question you send in.", "Students have been taking Covid tests this week ahead of leaving for Christmas\n\nStudents will have staggered starting dates for returning to universities in England after Christmas - with some not back until 7 February.\n\nThe government's plan will mean students taking hands-on courses such as medicine or performing arts returning from 4 to 18 January.\n\nOther subjects would be taught online at the start of term, with students back between 25 January and 7 February.\n\nStudents are being promised Covid tests when they return next term.\n\nIt means some students heading home in the next few days will not be in university again for nine weeks.\n\nThe National Union of Students said students would still have to pay rent on \"properties they are being told not to live in\".\n\nThe plan, to avoid a surge of students and the risk of spreading coronavirus, will see a staggered return for students over five weeks in the new year - with most courses starting online before a return to in-person teaching.\n\nThe first students returning will be for practical courses which are difficult to teach solely online - which will include medicine, nursing and dentistry; sciences which need to use laboratories; or music, dance and drama.\n\nCourses are going to be online at the start of next term for many students\n\nThose starting later will include subjects such as English literature, history and maths.\n\nStudents will be offered two lateral-flow Covid tests when they arrive back - similar to the process for their departure.\n\n\"This plan will enable a safer return for all students,\" Universities Minister Michelle Donelan said, who also announced a £20m student hardship fund.\n\nThe UCU lecturers' union, which has called for teaching to be online to avoid the spread of infection, said the plan for a delayed start to in-person teaching was a \"step forward\".\n\nVanessa Wilson, leader of the University Alliance group, welcomed the \"clarity\" about next term - and also the recognition that campus facilities would have to be kept open for students not going home at Christmas.\n\nEmma Hardy, Labour's shadow universities minister, said \"the delay in providing this guidance has caused huge, unnecessary stress for students and universities\".\n\nThe arrangements have been announced on the eve of students being able to return home for Christmas - with the \"travel window\" for students opening on Thursday.\n\nLouis will be part of the logistical challenge to get students home this week\n\nLouis Chambers, a first year studying geology at the University of Hull, will be among the students heading home this week.\n\nHIs parents are coming to take him back to Norfolk - and the university is running a system of one-hour slots for students to be collected, which he says will mean \"not so many leaving at once\".\n\n\"It will be a relief to get back home,\" he says, as he has been able to see his family only once this term, because of Covid restrictions.\n\nBut he thinks the Covid testing and \"travel window\" have been uncomplicated so far - and he has enjoyed his first term.\n\nAnd many students will already have left. Out of the six in Louis's flat, he says, three have already gone home.\n\nThe \"window\" for students to travel home begins on Thursday\n\nUniversity of Hull student services director Anji Gardiner has been organising the staggered departures through the Christmas \"travel window\".\n\nAs well as slots for those being collected by car - which run from 07:00 to 20:00 - there are coaches being laid on and a booking system for the limited capacity on trains, with the numbers travelling spread out across the week.\n\n\"We want to keep it safe - we didn't want a logjam of people trying to get home,\" Dr Gardiner says.\n\nThe mass Covid testing of students began in universities on Monday - with temporary testing centres set up in sports halls and in rooms on campus.\n\nBefore leaving for Christmas, students have been encouraged to have two tests three days apart - and to travel within 24 hours of receiving a second negative test result.\n\nThe \"travel window\", in which students are expected to move out of university, will run from 3 to 9 December.\n\nIn England, about 1.2 million students will be travelling from a university to a home address in another part of the country, including:\n\nUniversities UK welcomed the plans for more testing for students when they returned after Christmas.\n\n\"The high demand for tests from students shows they understand the important role testing can play in keeping themselves and their communities safe,\" said a spokesman.", "Shop prices are falling in the run-up to Christmas as retailers race to clear stock amid a \"deepening\" High Street crisis, a report has said.\n\nDiscounts are most common at retailers selling fashion and DIY goods, according to the British Retail Consortium's (BRC) Shop Price Index.\n\nOverall, it found prices of goods excluding food fell 3.7% in November.\n\nMarket researchers Mintel and Springboard say they see similar trends and expect further falls in December.\n\nThe BRC said the discounting reflected \"an extremely challenging year\" for retailers after trade was put on hold because of lockdowns.\n\n\"As we approach Christmas, consumers will be glad to see another month of falling prices,\" said boss Helen Dickinson.\n\n\"Where demand was weak for some products, discounting has followed, with many retailers trying to encourage more consumer spending, particularly those selling fashion and DIY goods.\"\n\nThe BRC's Shop Price Index tracked the price of 500 of the most commonly bought High Street products from 2 to 6 November - a period that crossed into the start of England's second national lockdown.\n\nDiane Wehrle, marketing and insights director at Springboard, said pre-Christmas discounts were not new, but that there would be more deals than usual this year as non-essential shops tried to make up for lost sales.\n\n\"Many retailers will have committed to orders, not had enough time to cancel and then ended up lumbered with stock,\" she told the BBC.\n\n\"They won't be able to sell things like seasonal gift sets and certain fashion lines in the new year, so we expect lots of discounts on those.\"\n\nRetailers are also trying to get people to do their Christmas shopping earlier, fearing a spike in online orders that will be hard to fulfil, said Nick Carroll, associate director of retail at Mintel.\n\nThis partly explains why this year's Black Friday sale had lasted longer than usual, with deals available as early as 1 November, he said.\n\n\"We've seen huge pressure on logistics operations and people not able to get their goods on time, so the more demand is spread out out, the easier it will be.\"\n\nThe pandemic continues to batter retailers, putting thousands of jobs at risks.\n\nThe BRC's Ms Dickinson said businesses shuttered during lockdown had \"lost billions in sales and many are now in a precarious financial position\".\n\nShe called for more government support saying that \"without such interventions, we will see countless more store closures and job losses\".", "The UK has become the first country in the world to approve the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine for widespread use.\n\nHealth Secretary Matt Hancock said he was \"thrilled\" with the news and that the vaccine would be rolled out \"from next week\".", "The system can be used to check if workers are wearing masks and are staying far enough away from each other\n\nAmazon plans to sell companies a way to detect when staff are not wearing face masks or socially distancing.\n\nBeyond the pandemic, the system could also be used to track compliance of other workplace rules or to monitor the public - for example, to check the number of customers queuing in a store.\n\nIt involves retrofitting a box to existing security cameras that can then draw on off-the-shelf AI apps.\n\nRemote working has already led to an increase in the use of software that checks up on employees, but Amazon's new solution is focused on tracking people and products in factories, shops and other traditional workplaces.\n\nAmazon refutes the characterisation of its new product as a surveillance tool.\n\nA spokeswoman told the BBC it was designed to improve industrial operations and workplace safety, and that how it is used is up to customers.\n\n\"For example, AWS Panorama does not include any pre-packaged facial recognition capabilities,\" she said.\n\nAll its machine learning functions can happen on the device \"and [relevant data] never has to leave the customer's facility\", she added.\n\nThe AWS Panorama appliance plugs into internet protocol (IP) cameras - a standard type of digital video camera used by a huge range of companies on their sites.\n\nThe technology can be added on to existing CCTV hardware\n\nIt can automate inspection tasks, such as detecting manufacturing defects or tracking the movement of barcodes and labels.\n\nBut the tool can also be applied to people.\n\nFor example, in a retail shop, it could count the number of customers, track their movements and check the length of queues, Amazon has suggested.\n\nIn a factory or other workplace, the same tech can be used to monitor employees \"and get notified immediately about any potential issues or unsafe situations so you can take pre-emptive action\", the company said.\n\nIn the promotional material for the product, Fender guitars says it uses the product to \"track how long it takes for an associate to complete each task in the assembly of a guitar\".\n\nThe Financial Times reports that AWS Panorama can detect vehicles bring driven in places they are not supposed to be. Some major companies are already trialling the system, including Siemens and Deloitte, the FT added.\n\nThe AWS Panorama Appliance boxes need to be installed on the same network as the cameras they are linked to\n\nIt is still, however, in preview, and not yet widely available.\n\nThe Trades Union Congress (TUC), the umbrella group for UK unions, this week published its report into the use of AI-powered tools used by employers.\n\n\"The announcement of this new monitoring tool is another example of how this revolution at work is picking up pace,\" said policy officer Mary Towers.\n\nBut she warned that it must not gloss over workers' needs.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Is your boss spying on you as you work from home?\n\n\"In our report, we warn about the potentially negative effects that intrusive technology of this type can have on workers' well-being, right to privacy, data protection rights and the right not be discriminated against.\"\n\nPolling suggested that workers were already concerned about CCTV cameras being used to monitor performance when they were supposed to have been installed for security, she said.\n\nSilkie Carlo, director of privacy group Big Brother Watch, said automated monitoring of workplaces \"rarely results in benefits for employees\".\n\n\"It's a great shame that social distancing has been leapt on by Amazon as yet another excuse for data collection and surveillance,\" she said.\n\nAmazon has already faced scrutiny over how its warehouse employees are monitored. In September, a report from a US research group said Amazon used extensive worker surveillance to limit union organising activity. And the company has clashed with some of its employees who have accused it treating them \"like robots\".\n\nThis week, Microsoft apologised for allowing individuals' activity to be monitored by their employers through a \"productivity score\" designed to give high-level oversights.\n\nAfter an outcry, Microsoft removed individual user names from the product.", "The UK has become the first country in the world to approve the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine, paving the way for mass vaccination.\n\nBritain's medicines regulator, the MHRA, says the jab, which offers up to 95% protection against Covid-19 illness, is safe to be rolled out.\n\nThe first doses are already on their way to the UK, with 800,000 due in the coming days, Pfizer said.\n\nHealth Secretary Matt Hancock said the NHS will contact people about jabs.\n\nElderly people in care homes and care home staff have been placed top of the priority list, followed by over-80s and health and care staff.\n\nBut because hospitals already have the facilities to store the vaccine at -70C, as required, the very first vaccinations are likely to take place there - for care home staff, NHS staff and patients - so none of the vaccine is wasted.\n\nA further 648 deaths within 28 days of a positive Covid-19 test were recorded in the UK on Wednesday, with another 16,170 cases reported.\n\nPrime Minister Boris Johnson urged the public not to get \"carried away with over optimism or falling into the naive belief that our struggle is over\".\n\nHe told a Downing Street news conference that, while the \"searchlights of science\" had created a working vaccine, significant logistical challenges remained.\n\nThe Pfizer/BioNTech jab is the fastest vaccine to go from concept to reality, taking only 10 months to follow the same steps that normally span 10 years.\n\nThe UK has already ordered 40 million doses of the jab - enough to vaccinate 20 million people.\n\nThe doses will be rolled out as quickly as they can be made by Pfizer in Belgium, Mr Hancock said, with the first load next week and then \"several millions\" throughout December.\n\nScottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the first people in Scotland will be immunised on Tuesday.\n\nWelsh Health and Social Care Minister Vaughan Gething said the rollout of the Pfizer jab to care homes would be particularly difficult because of how it needs to be stored.\n\nMr Gething said that it was not possible to transport the Pfizer vaccine to more than 1,000 care homes across Wales.\n\nThe bulk of the rollout across the UK will be next year, Mr Hancock said, adding: \"2020 has been just awful and 2021 is going to be better.\"\n\nThere is a clear priority list for who gets the vaccine first - and care home residents and staff are top of it.\n\nBut operational complexities mean the reality will be somewhat different.\n\nWhen the vaccines arrives, it will be sent straight to major hospitals who have the ultra-cold facilities to store it.\n\nFrom there it can be moved just once - and when it is, it must be kept in batches of 1,000.\n\nThat means sending it out to care homes, where there may be only a few dozen residents in some places, would lead to a huge amount of vaccine being wasted.\n\nBecause of that, the NHS, which is in charge of distributing the vaccine, will run clinics from hospitals at first.\n\nThis will allow NHS and care home staff to get immunised first as well as, perhaps, some of the older age groups who come into hospital.\n\nIt looks like it will not be until much more of the Pfizer vaccine is available or the Oxford University one, which is easier to distribute, is approved that care home residents will be able to get it.\n\nWhile Mr Hancock said that the government does not yet know how many people need to be vaccinated before restrictions can start being lifted, he added: \"I'm confident now, with the news today, that from spring, from Easter onwards, things are going to be better. And we're going to have a summer next year that everybody can enjoy.\"\n\nMr Johnson added: \"It's the protection of vaccines that will ultimately allow us to reclaim our lives and get the economy moving again.\"\n\nDowning Street press secretary Allegra Stratton said Mr Johnson would not rule out receiving the vaccine jab live on television, though she said he would not want to take a jab meant for someone more vulnerable.\n\nThe free vaccine will not be compulsory and there will be three ways of vaccinating people across the UK:\n\nAround 50 hospitals are on stand-by and vaccination centres - in venues such as conference centres or sports stadiums - are being set up now.\n\nIt is thought the vaccination network could start delivering more than one million doses a week once enough doses are available.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Health Secretary Matt Hancock: \"This is a day to remember and, frankly, a year to forget\"\n\nNHS England chief executive Sir Simon Stevens said the health service was preparing for \"the largest-scale vaccination campaign in our country's history\".\n\nBut experts said people still need to remain vigilant and follow rules to stop the virus spreading - including with social distancing, face masks and self-isolation.\n\n\"We can't lower our guard yet,\" said the government's chief medical adviser Prof Chris Whitty.\n\nThe order in which people will get the jab is recommended by the Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisations and decided by the government.\n\nMass immunisation of everyone over 50, as well as younger people with pre-existing health conditions, can happen as more stocks become available in 2021.\n\nPfizer confirmed that the first stocks of the vaccine will be for the NHS, which will give them out for free based on clinical need. People in the UK will not be able to bypass this and buy the vaccine privately to jump the queue.\n\nThe vaccine is given as two injections, 21 days apart, with the second dose being a booster. Immunity begins to kick in after the first dose but reaches its full effect seven days after the second dose.\n\nMost of the side effects are very mild, similar to the side effects after any other vaccine and usually last for a day or so, said Prof Sir Munir Pirmohamed, the chairman of the Commission on Human Medicine expert working group.\n\nThe vaccine was 95% effective for all groups in the trials, including elderly people, he said.\n\nThe head of the MHRA, Dr June Raine, said that - despite the speed of approval - no corners have been cut.\n\nBatches of the vaccine will be tested in labs \"so that every single vaccine that goes out meets the same high standards of safety\", she said.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Dr June Raine from the MHRA: \"The safety of the public will always come first\"\n\nGiving the analogy of climbing a mountain, she said: \"If you're climbing a mountain, you prepare and prepare. We started that in June. By the time the interim results became available on 10 November we were at base camp.\n\n\"And then when we got the final analysis we were ready for that last sprint that takes us to today.\"\n\nThe Pfizer/BioNTech was the first vaccine to publish positive early results from final stages of testing.\n\nIt is a new type called an mRNA vaccine that uses a tiny fragment of genetic code from the pandemic virus to teach the body how to fight Covid-19 and build immunity.\n\nAn mRNA vaccine has never been approved for use in humans before, although people have received them in clinical trials.\n\nBecause the vaccine must be stored at around -70C, it will be transported in special boxes of up to 5,000 doses, packed in dry ice.\n\nOnce delivered, it can be kept for up to five days in a fridge. And once out of the fridge it needs to be used within six hours.\n\nOther coronavirus vaccines are also being developed:\n\nThe World Health Organization's Dr David Nabarro said the Pfizer vaccine would not replace the other measures \"for a number of months, even a year, so we'll have to keep doing physical distancing, mask wearing, hygiene and isolating ourselves when we're sick\".\n\nHe told BBC Radio 4's World at One programme \"the vaccine will only start to dent the size of the pandemic somewhat later in the year\".\n\nThe pace has been breathtaking.\n\nFrom an unknown virus at the start of the year to a vaccine approved by the regulator and ready to use in early December is an unprecedented timescale.\n\nAt the Downing Street briefing, the MHRA's chief executive said it was like climbing Everest, with preparations starting in June and a team working \"night and day\" assessing early data and reaching \"base camp\" by early November when Pfizer/BioNtech published the trial results.\n\nAt the same time, the MHRA was adamant that the process had been robust with safety considerations paramount. A rapid emergency approval process was used by the UK regulator.\n\nThe European Medicines Agency is taking longer to reach a view and there has been some sniping from European politicians arguing their processes are more reliable and authoritative.\n\nBut the MHRA is an internationally respected independent watchdog and for now those about to receive the first jabs will rely on its ruling.\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. How will I travel home in time for Christmas?\n\nThe mass Covid testing of students, so they can go home safely for the Christmas break, is starting at many universities across the UK.\n\nUniversities are opening temporary testing centres where hundreds of thousands of students will be checked for Covid this week before they leave.\n\nStudents have been asked to take two tests, three days apart.\n\nIf they test negative, many students will leave university in the \"travel window\" starting from 3 December.\n\nBut testing is voluntary and it will not be available in all universities.\n\nThe UCU lecturers' union has warned about the reliability of the testing plans and says there could be \"chaos\".\n\nInshaal says students in Bradford are concerned about bringing back the virus to elderly relatives\n\nCaleb Shaw, a journalism student at the University of the West of England in Bristol, is taking a test on Monday.\n\n\"I know I'm less likely to get seriously ill with it,\" he says, but he wants to get a test to protect his family.\n\n\"If I get a test then I can make sure I don't bring it home to them. It would be stupid to not take advantage of it,\" Caleb says.\n\nThe university is using its sports centre as a temporary testing site until 6 December with 90 staff and students helping with the testing process.\n\nInshaal Ahmad, a students' union sabbatical officer at the University of Bradford, says most students seem supportive of the testing.\n\nA student taking a swab sample at the University of St Andrews\n\nHe says many students at Bradford live in multi-generational households, including older relatives, and want to \"be on the safe side\" and not risk bringing the virus back from university.\n\nTesting at Bradford will continue until 6 December and as with other universities, booking slots for tests will also be a way of staggering the times when students can leave, within the \"travel window\" that ends on 9 December.\n\nThe mass testing is intended to reduce the risk of spreading coronavirus as students travel away from their term-time addresses.\n\nSports halls and rooms on campus are being converted into testing centres, where students will take \"lateral flow\" swab tests, which will provide results within an hour, with the outcome sent by email or text.\n\nCaleb will be among the students taking the Covid test on Monday\n\nTwo tests are recommended to increase accuracy - and students will be expected to travel soon after a second negative result, with students in England and Wales encouraged to leave within 24 hours.\n\nIf students get a positive result, they will have to take another test to confirm - and if they have coronavirus they will have to stay and self-isolate.\n\nMost universities are providing testing - 130 \"expressed an interest\" in taking part in the scheme, according to the Department for Health and Social Care.\n\nBut the National Union of Students says there should be capacity for all students who want a test to get one before Christmas.\n\n\"We are not aware of how universities will decide which students are tested if testing is oversubscribed,\" says the NUS.\n\nThe UCU lecturers' union says the approach to testing has been rushed and confused and the last-minute arrangements will be a \"recipe for chaos\".\n\nThe union said it had \"grave concerns\" and \"testing so many people and following necessary safety measures would be an extremely challenging operation\".\n\nBut not all universities in Northern Ireland are planning to offer testing.\n\n\"Testing will help to break the line of transmission amongst students, especially when they are infected but are not aware of it,\" said Professor Steve West, vice chancellor at the University of the West of England.\n\nBradford's vice chancellor, Professor Shirley Congdon, told students the tests \"offer extra assurance to you, your families, friends and community\".", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.\n\nShoppers have returned to the High Street in England, after non-essential retailers opened their doors at the end of a four-week national lockdown.\n\nA three-tiered system of Covid-19 rules has now come into force in the nation, with gyms and businesses such as hairdressers also able to open.\n\nMore than 55 million people are in the strictest two tiers and cannot mix indoors with those in other households.\n\nThe government said it would \"safeguard the gains made during the past month\".\n\nAt a Downing Street briefing, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he accepted that the tiered system was \"tough\", but insisted that regional restrictions and mass testing were the way to \"keep the virus under control\".\n\nHe said he hoped that places would be able \"to come down the tiers\" before Easter, while stressing that the tier restrictions would continue to be a \"very important\" part of battling coronavirus.\n\nThere were queues outside stores across England early on Wednesday as shoppers returned to High Street giants such as Primark.\n\nAnd people arrived promptly to take advantage of a stock clearance sale at Debenhams department store from 07:00 GMT.\n\nSome retailers are extending their trading hours to try to recoup the loss in sales over the lockdown.\n\nFootfall at UK shops was up by 64.5% compared to last week, but down by 24.1% on the same day last year, according to analyst Springboard.\n\nQueues were seen outside Primark in Birmingham early on Wednesday\n\nA swimmer takes to the water at London's Serpentine Swimming Club as outdoor swimming pools are also allowed to reopen\n\nJordan Roberts, 19, was among a dozen people queuing outside Selfridges in London's Oxford Street before the department store opened its doors - and shoppers were welcomed by store workers dressed as elves on roller skates.\n\nShe said she was there to do her Christmas shopping, adding: \"It feels more enjoyable being in a store and things run out of stock online.\"\n\nAnother London shopper, Tamara Rass, 44, said she hit the stores early as she expected they would be busy.\n\n\"For me, it's a little bit of light at the end of the tunnel and getting back to normality,\" she said.\n\n\"There are things in store that I can't get online and I like to treat my daughter once a month.\"\n\nElsewhere, there were also reports of \"steady\" footfall in England's town centres.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post by Helen Mole This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nThis Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser. View original content on Twitter The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Skip twitter post 2 by Peter Gordon This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.\n\nTransport for London said 760,000 journeys were made on the London Underground network on Wednesday from the start of service until 10:00 GMT - up 14% on last week, but only 31% of normal demand.\n\nThere were 970,000 bus journeys made. This was up 8% on last week and 57% of pre-pandemic levels.\n\nBritish Retail Consortium chief executive Helen Dickinson said businesses were looking forward to welcoming back customers, with billions lost in sales during the lockdown, adding \"every purchase we make is a retailer helped, a job protected and a local community supported\".\n\nThe government has also announced that people living in care homes in England will be able to have visits from family and friends by Christmas, if the visitors test negative for coronavirus.\n\nAnd later on Wednesday about 10,000 fans will be allowed into six games in the English Football League for the first time, other than a few pilot games, since March.\n\nEngland's new tiered system was backed by MPs in a Commons vote just hours before it came into effect, despite 55 Tories voting against PM Boris Johnson's plan.\n\nThe latest restrictions are tougher than the previous tier system that was in place before the lockdown was introduced on 5 November.\n\nUnder the system every area of the country is in one of three tiers - medium (one), high (two) and very high (three) - with the vast majority of the population in the higher two tiers.\n\nIn tier two, people are not allowed to mix with anyone outside their household or support bubble indoors, although they can socialise in groups of up to six outdoors.\n\nAnd in tier three, people must also not mix with anyone outside their household or support bubble indoors, or at most outdoor venues.\n\nOn Wednesday, a further 16,170 people tested positive for Covid-19 in the UK, while a further 648 deaths were reported within 28 days of a positive test.\n\nHow are the new tiers affecting you? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.\n\nPlease include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at HaveYourSay@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.", "Women's fashion chain Bonmarché has fallen into administration, putting more than 1,500 jobs at risk.\n\nBonmarché, which has 225 stores around the country, was owned by retail tycoon Philip Day.\n\nHis other chains - Edinburgh Woollen Mill, Peacocks and Ponden Home stores - collapsed into administration last month.\n\nAdministrators said the stores would continue to trade while options for the business were explored.\n\nDamian Webb and Gordon Thomson of RSM Restructuring Advisory have been appointed as joint administrators of the firm, known as BM Retail Limited.\n\nMr Webb said: \"Bonmarché remains an attractive brand with a loyal customer base. It is our intention to continue to trade whilst working closely with management to explore the options for the business.\n\n\"We will shortly be marketing the business for sale and based on the interest to date, we anticipate there will be a number of interested parties.\"\n\nYorkshire-based Bonmarché specialises in clothing for the over-50s.\n\nIt has been in and out of administration before, most recently in October last year, but it was rescued a month later.\n\nThis is the third time Bonmarché's been in administration. It had a 3,800-strong workforce back in 2012 before it collapsed and was then bought by a private equity firm. 160 stores closed and 1,400 job losses followed.\n\nThe chain was floated on the stock exchange in 2013. But in recent years it's continued to struggle. Philip Day built up a stake last year and then went on to buy the rest of it in a £5.7m deal, only for it to fall into administration a few months later.\n\nHe then went on to buy it back in what's known as a pre-pack deal. That allowed him to cut costs and reduce the number of stores. It also left suppliers out of pocket.\n\nDon't expect Philip to ride to the rescue again this time, said one source. Today's news means his retail empire has now completely collapsed.\n\nThe collapse of the chain adds to a grim week for the High Street, after Debenhams announced all its stores were set to close for good and Topshop owner Arcadia fell into administration.\n\nThose two firms employ 25,000 people between them.\n\nIn both cases, tough trading conditions and long-standing difficulties have been exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic, which forced stores to close for lengthy periods during 2020.\n\nAnd there is no end in sight for the uncertainty faced by retailers. Consumer confidence is expected to remain fragile into next year, amid fears that unemployment is set to rise as Covid continues to take its toll on the economy.\n\nRetail analyst Kate Hardcastle told the BBC it was a mistake to think that Bonmarché and other troubled retailers were suffering purely because they had lagged behind on their online offer.\n\nShe said Bonmarché had shown \"disrespect\" towards its target market of older women by failing to engage with them and taking a traditional view of retail that no longer applied.\n\n\"It was led by a team that did not understand and reflect that their customers had changed and it did not move with them,\" she said.\n\n\"These are smart, sophisticated women. They're not your pearls-and-twinset customer.\n\n\"You can't just sell stuff to people any more. You have to embrace the way that 50-plus women live their life.\"\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Col Richard Latham said it was \"a managerial fault\" that two stewards failed to report concerns\n\nStewards on duty on the night of the Manchester bombing did not think Salman Abedi was a threat because they had not been trained properly, a security expert has told the attack inquiry.\n\nCol Richard Latham said \"a managerial fault\" meant Showsec staff Kyle Lawler and Mohammed Agha failed to respond to suspicious behaviour.\n\nThey were \"hardly briefed\", he said.\n\nThe inquiry heard lives could have been saved if security had been quicker to shut the doors of the foyer.\n\nTwenty-two people were killed and hundreds more were injured as they left an Ariana Grande concert when Abedi detonated a bomb on 22 May 2017.\n\nCol Latham and his colleague Dr David BaMaung said if Mr Lawler and Mr Agha had \"properly communicated\" concerns over Abedi there would have been time to close the doors before the concert ended.\n\nDr BaMaung said: \"Irrespective of how quickly we could close the arena doors, realistically if he was going to detonate, people would die that night.\n\n\"But the potential would be if the procedure had been quickly, the casualties and deaths would have been less.\"\n\nThe inquiry has previously heard how a member of the public reported suspicions about Abedi to Mr Aghar at 22:15 BST.\n\nHe then alerted Mr Lawler to the report and the pair observed him.\n\nAbedi left his position at the back of the City Room, a CCTV \"blind spot\", to detonate his device at 22:31.\n\nTop row (left to right): Alison Howe, Martyn Hett, Lisa Lees, Courtney Boyle, Eilidh MacLeod, Elaine McIver, Georgina Callander, Jane Tweddle - Middle row (left to right): John Atkinson, Kelly Brewster, Liam Curry, Chloe Rutherford, Marcin Klis, Angelika Klis, Megan Hurley, Michelle Kiss - Bottom row (left to right): Nell Jones, Olivia Campbell-Hardy, Philip Tron, Saffie-Rose Roussos, Sorrell Leczkowski, Wendy Fawell\n\nCol Latham said a failure by Mr Lawler and Mr Agha to report concerns about Abedi to their control room was due to \"insufficient supervision and direction\".\n\nThey should have been \"clearly told in meetings about what to do if a member of the public informed them about suspicious behaviour\", he said.\n\nHe added: \"They are doing a job they've never done before and one they are hardly briefed upon and aren't given written notes. That is more than a supervisor's fault, that is a managerial fault.\"\n\nHe said the \"major factors\" were the two security stewards \"did not think that Salman Abedi was actually much of a threat\".\n\nHe said he thought Mr Lawler was also concerned about \"being criticised for escalating something which was not a real problem\" and of being accused of racial profiling.\n\nThe court heard the experts concluded there was no proper risk assessment of the terrorist threat by SMG, Showsec or British Transport Police and no effective system for identifying hostile reconnaissance.\n\nThey said there was a failure to understand the need to check the area where Abedi hid, and insufficient monitoring of CCTV systems.\n\nDr David BaMaung said fewer lives could have been lost if the doors had been closed quickly\n\nThey also said there was an inadequate policing response by British Transport Police, particularly because there was no officer in the foyer when people were leaving the concert.\n\nPatrick Gibbs QC, representing British Transport Police, asked the security experts whether an email from Sgt Gareth Wilson - which instructed officers on duty at the arena that night about what they should do during their shift - was close to a \"model briefing\".\n\nDr BaMaung told the court he felt the email briefing had been sufficient up to the point at which it was realised the most senior officer on duty was not going to get to the arena as planned.\n\nHe said he felt Sgt Wilson should have been \"more specific\" in the information he gave to officers.\n\nDr BaMaung said: \"I would class that as a pretty large event and if I was a sergeant I would brief the individuals, I wouldn't just leave it up to a group to work out amongst themselves what they wanted to do.\"\n\nCol Latham also told the inquiry there were \"missed opportunities\" to spot Abedi on the night of the bombing including him carrying a very heavy backpack affecting his gait and being overdressed for the weather.\n\nWhy not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "Last updated on .From the section European Football\n\nManchester United's Champions League campaign is hanging in the balance as two goals from Neymar helped Paris St-Germain secure victory at Old Trafford.\n\nMarcus Rashford had cancelled out the Brazilian's early opener with his third goal in four games against the French outfit.\n\nBut Marquinos' excellent second-half finish put the visitors back in front and after United midfielder Fred had been sent off for a foul on Ander Herrera, Neymar tapped home his 38th Champions League goal.\n\nThe result leaves United level with PSG and RB Leipzig on nine points in Group H and knowing they need a draw away to the German side next Tuesday to progress to the last 16.\n• None 'Maybe I should have taken off Fred'\n• None Who needs what to reach Champions League knockout stage?\n\nIn the build-up to the game, PSG boss Thomas Tuchel admitted Rashford had become \"a little bit annoying\".\n\nThe sentiment was perfectly understandable given two seasons ago the England forward scored the injury-time penalty that knocked PSG out, even though they had won the first leg of their last-16 tie 2-0 at Old Trafford.\n\nRashford was also responsible for United's 87th-minute winner in the French capital on matchday one.\n\nSo it is fair to assume Tuchel's view only hardened when Rashford's shot - after Kaylor Navas had pushed away an Anthony Martial effort - completely wrong-footed the keeper and ended up in the bottom corner.\n\nThe goal equalised Neymar's well-taken sixth-minute effort and took Rashford's tally in this season's competition to six, level with the likes of Erling Haaland and former United team-mate Romelu Lukaku.\n\nHad Martial not blazed over when presented with an open goal when the second half was still in its infancy, or had he finished off the rebound when Edinson Cavani's delicate chip came back off the crossbar, rather than blast it into Marquinos, PSG might have had the life sucked out of them.\n\nAs it was, they were the ones building up a head of steam when Ander Herrera's off-target shot was turned into Marquinos' path and he put them back in front.\n\nUnited did push for an equaliser and substitute Paul Pogba came close when he volleyed over from the edge of the area but, with an extra man, PSG always had the edge and after Kylian Mbappe had fired wide, Neymar finished the hosts off.\n\nWith 38 goals he is now two behind Sergio Aguero, who is the second highest South American goalscorer in the competition.\n\nMajor question marks will hang over Solskjaer after this result.\n\nWhile the United boss can legitimately argue the caution that got Fred sent off was debatable - he screamed for a VAR check but they do not intervene on yellow card decisions - he can barely claim the Brazilian did not deserve to be sent off at some point in the game.\n\nThe biggest flashpoint came when he clashed with Leandro Paredes shortly before Rashford's equaliser.\n\nAs the pair faced off, Fred appeared to push his head towards Paredes, who went down clutching his face. Italian referee Daniele Orsati went to the screen to check what had happened but, to Tuchel's disbelief, only issued a yellow card.\n\nWhen the same pair came together again shortly afterwards, Orsati ruled Paredes was the aggressor and cautioned him, even though Fred ended up standing on his opponent.\n\nGiven an angry Neymar went to the referee for a long chat at half-time, after he was pulled away from Scott McTominay, it felt an obvious decision to replace Fred, particularly as Solskjaer had five substitutes at his disposal.\n\nInstead, Fred returned for the second period, leaving his manager to face the consequences, with PSG's official Twitter feed announcing 'finally' as the Brazilian made his way prematurely to the dressing rooms.\n• None The away side have won all four Uefa Champions League matches between Manchester United and Paris St-Germain. Excluding games played at neutral venues, it's the first fixture in the competition's history to see the first four meetings all won by the away side.\n• None Manchester United have now lost more of their eight home games in all competitions this season (4) than they did in 28 matches at Old Trafford last term (3).\n• None Manchester United have lost four of their past seven Champions League home games (W3), as many as in their previous 52 matches beforehand.\n• None PSG have won both of their past two away matches against English opposition in all competitions (both v Man Utd); they had only won one of their first 10 such visits before this (D4 L5).\n• None Both of Manchester United's last two Champions League red cards have come at home to PSG (Pogba the other in February 2019) - their only two such meetings with the French side.\n• None Man Utd's Fred was the 49th different Brazilian player to receive a Champions League red card; only France has had more different players sent off in the competition's history (55).\n• None At 05:45, Neymar's opener for PSG was the earliest Champions League goal conceded by Manchester United since September 2015, when Daniel Caligiuri scored against them after 03:53 for Wolfsburg.\n• None Since his Uefa Champions League debut in 2013, only Cristiano Ronaldo (79), Robert Lewandowski (60) and Lionel Messi (59) have more goals in the competition than PSG's Neymar (38). However, his double was the Brazilian's first goals in his six Champions League matches away to English clubs.\n• None Marcus Rashford has scored more goals in five Uefa Champions League games for Man Utd this season (6) than he managed in 18 appearances in the competition across his two previous seasons, 2017-18 and 2018-19 (5).\n• None Rashford is the first Man Utd player to score in all three of their home games in a single group stage in the Uefa Champions League since Ruud van Nistelrooy in 2004-05. Indeed, he is just the second Englishman to score six Champions League goals in a single group stage for any side, after Harry Kane in both 2017-18 and 2019-20 (six in both).\n\nManchester United travel to West Ham in the Premier League on Saturday (17:30 GMT). That game is set to be the first top-flight match to have fans since March.\n• None Goal! Manchester United 1, Paris Saint Germain 3. Neymar (Paris Saint Germain) left footed shot from the centre of the box to the centre of the goal. Assisted by Rafinha.\n• None Substitution, Paris Saint Germain. Idrissa Gueye replaces Abdou Diallo because of an injury.\n• None Attempt missed. Kylian Mbappé (Paris Saint Germain) left footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Ander Herrera following a fast break.\n• None Attempt blocked. Harry Maguire (Manchester United) header from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Alex Telles with a cross.\n• None Attempt saved. Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United) header from the left side of the six yard box is saved in the top left corner.\n• None Offside, Paris Saint Germain. Mitchel Bakker tries a through ball, but Kylian Mbappé is caught offside. Navigate to the next page Navigate to the last page\n• None Fast-living, expensive exploits and fallouts await in this hit new drama\n• None The former president on his cautious optimism for the future and more", "Harris moved from Gweek in Cornwall to Sea Life Scarborough to be with Pumpkin\n\nTwo otters have found love in lockdown after losing their former partners.\n\nHarris from the Cornish Seal Sanctuary, whose partner died four years ago, moved to Sea Life in Scarborough to be with Pumpkin.\n\nShe was lonely after losing her elderly partner Eric and her animal care team hoped a new male otter would cheer her up.\n\nTamara Cooper, curator at the Cornish Seal Sanctuary, said it was \"the perfect fairytale ending\".\n\nBoth otters lost their partners prior to being put on an otter dating website\n\nTo ensure the best chance of success for a new pairing of Asian short clawed otters, it is best to introduce a new male into a female's territory so that the male more easily submits to the female on first meeting.\n\nSea Life Scarborough said things were going \"swimmingly\" and the otters had enjoyed a series of dates.\n\nThe curator at the sanctuary in Scarborough, Todd German, said: \"We are delighted to report that not only is Pumpkin happy once again, but Harris has settled in extremely well.\"\n\nWhen Pumpkin started to show signs of loneliness, the sanctuary in Scarborough reached out to fellow otter sanctuaries to see if there were any otters feeling the same.\n\nThe curators at the Cornwall and Scarborough sanctuaries spoke and checked the otters' temperaments would be compatible, before deciding to move Harris.\n\nThe otters have now moved into their new home together, where visitors to the sanctuary can see the happy couple.", "Salesforce has agreed to buy workplace messaging app Slack for $27.7bn (£20bn) in what would be one of the biggest tech mergers in recent years.\n\nMarc Benioff, boss of the business software giant, called the deal a \"match made in heaven\".\n\nHe has been pushing to expand the company's software offerings and fend off rivals such as Microsoft.\n\nThe acquisition comes as the pandemic has increased the focus on remote work and tools, like Slack, which enable it.\n\nTech analyst Dan Ives of Wedbush Securities called it a \"now or never\" purchase for Mr Benioff.\n\n\"If Salesforce wants to expand beyond its core gold mine of sales and marketing departments … this was the moment and thus represents a major shot across the bow against Microsoft,\" he wrote in a note to investors after the deal was announced.\n\nSlack, founded in 2009, has won a following with its group chats, which offer an alternative to email.\n\nWhen it listed its shares publicly in 2019, it was valued at roughly $20bn.\n\nHowever, its shares sank after the launch and have missed out on the stratospheric rise enjoyed by other tech firms this year.\n\nThe company, which had about 12.5 million users as of late March, has had difficulty making inroads against Microsoft Teams, a similar product that the tech giant unveiled in 2016 and now has more than 100 million users.\n\nThe deal never happened and Microsoft instead focussed on developing its own platform. Microsoft Teams was created - a clear rival to Slack.\n\nWhen a trillion dollar company like Microsoft looks to move into your business - you should be worried.\n\nInitially, Slack was confident of the challenge, even taking out a full page advert in the New York Times welcoming the competition in 2016.\n\nLooking back on it, it's hard to see that advert as any more than hubris.\n\nBig Tech can kill smaller companies. Their sheer size and dominance in the market makes them very hard to compete with.\n\nMicrosoft started flexing its muscle. It started bundling in Microsoft Teams with its Office Software.\n\nMicrosoft Teams is now used by nearly 10 times as many people as Slack.\n\nIf Slack thought it was fun to have Microsoft as a competitor in 2016, it definitely didn't in 2020.\n\nIts legal challenges claim that Microsoft uses its heft to unfairly bully the competition.\n\nSo, this acquisition should be seen in that context. Slack was being slowly squeezed.\n\nIt has now been bought by a much bigger fish - it will be better placed to compete with Microsoft.\n\nBut, there will be many who will use this case to lament the plight of smaller tech companies, who simply can't compete with a handful of tech giants.\n\nThe two companies hope that the tie-up will put them in a better position to take on a number of enterprise software competitors, and in particular Microsoft.\n\nMicrosoft's business applications have seen a massive surge as large numbers of people shifted to work-from-home arrangements due to the Covid-19 pandemic.\n\nMicrosoft's business suite includes features that are similar to Slack's messaging service.\n\nThe tech giant' CEO Satya Nadella remarked earlier this year that \"We've seen two years worth of digital transformation in two months\"\n\nBoth Salesforce and Slack have had previous run-ins with Microsoft.\n\nIn 2016, Salesforce lost out to its bigger rival when it attempted to buy the business-focused social media service LinkedIn.\n\nThis summer, Slack brought a competition complaint against Microsoft in the European Union, saying the firm was abusing its market dominance by bundling Teams into its other products.\n\nUnder the terms of the Salesforce deal, Slack shareholders are to receive $26.79 in cash per share - roughly what they were worth at the beginning of November, before rumours of the acquisition pushed the price per share to more than $43 as of Tuesday. They will also receive some shares in Salesforce.\n\nThe deal, which will be reviewed by Slack shareholders, is expected to close next year.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Arla's UK managing director said it faces filling in an extra 30,000 pieces of paperwork from next year\n\nThe head of the UK's largest dairy farmers' co-operative has warned that prices may rise sharply in the event of a \"no-deal\" Brexit.\n\nArla is behind brands such as Cravendale Milk and Lurpak and imports about 15% of its products.\n\nIts UK boss told the BBC that if the UK could not strike a free trade deal with the EU, tariffs could add as much as 30% to their prices.\n\nA government spokesperson said it was working closely with the food industry.\n\nAfter the Brexit transition period expires at the end of December, dairy goods are amongst those which could face the highest increase in such taxes.\n\nIn theory, that could add about 40p to the price of a pack of imported butter or mozzarella, if passed on to consumers in full.\n\nResearch commissioned by Arla, from the London School of Economics, claims that 40% in total of food and agricultural products used by British households and businesses come from the European Union (EU). The study calculated that without a deal, foods imported from the EU could face charges of nearly 18%.\n\nArla imports about 15% of its products, in line with others in the dairy sector\n\nPassing a free trade deal by 1 January would take away the risk of those tariffs. But the extra border checks and other formalities that would still apply could still raise costs for businesses, and potentially disrupt imports.\n\nArla's UK managing director, Ash Amirahmadi, said his organisation faced filling in an extra 30,000 pieces of paperwork from next year. He estimated that grappling with new measures could add as much as 10% to costs.\n\nDescribing his collective of 2,300 UK farmers as a \"low margin business\", he said they would have no choice but to pass on increased costs to retailers.\n\nWith supermarkets commonly having very low profit margins themselves, he was concerned that those prices might be passed on to shoppers.\n\nAnd the cost of change could be more than financial. Mr Amirahmadi claimed dairy products are the way \"many people get their essential nutrients....and we're very concerned if we have to increase our prices.\"\n\nA government spokesman said: \"The UK has a highly resilient food supply chain and there will not be an overall shortage of food, regardless of what trading arrangements we agree with the EU.\n\n\"We are in regular contact with the food industry to support its preparations for a range of scenarios, and will continue to work closely with them to ensure people across the country have the food and supplies they need.\"\n\nBut Mr Amirahmadi pointed out that it would take years, and more investment, before the industry could source solely from the UK.\n\n\"What we're looking for is for the government to support the industry and to enable us to be competitive on the world stage.\n\n\"That includes making sure we protect our standards on foods.\"", "The NHS Covid-19 app was launched on 24 September\n\nApple has revealed the NHS Covid-19 app was the second most downloaded iPhone product on its App Store in the UK this year.\n\nOnly the video chat app Zoom was installed more times. TikTok came third.\n\nThe contact-tracing app's achievement is notable given it only launched about two months ago and is solely targeted at users based in England and Wales.\n\nThe iPhone is the UK's best-selling smartphone brand.\n\nHowever, more people use Android. The BBC has asked Google where the government's app appears on its own Play Store's rankings.\n\nAs of 18 November, the NHS Covid-19 app has been downloaded 20,056,685 times across both platforms, according to the government's latest figures.\n\nThe BBC has asked how many users have subsequently deleted it.\n\nHowever, the Department of Health and Social Care has declined to provide the information at this time.\n\nResearchers at Oxford University initially said that 80% of UK smartphone owners would need to use the app to halt the pandemic rather than just slow it.\n\nBut in a follow-up paper they produced evidence that the number of hospital admissions and deaths could be \"meaningfully reduced\" at a much lower level of uptake.\n\nOne issue that has deterred some people from using it has been that those on low incomes do not currently qualify for a support payment if the app tells them to self-isolate.\n\nThis contrasts with the £500 grant they can apply for if they are told to stay at home by human contact-tracers.\n\nHowever, the BBC has learned that the app will soon generate a unique code that will make it possible to apply for a corresponding payment via an external website.\n\nZoom has become a popular way for workers and families to stay in touch\n\nThe pandemic also had an impact on the UK edition of TikTok's end-of-year review.\n\nIt said the biggest trend was #blindinglights - a dance challenge that became popular at the start of the first lockdown, featuring NHS workers and families moving to The Weeknd's Blinding Lights track.\n\nMany key workers posted videos of themselves dancing to the #blindinglights challenge\n\nThis was followed by #isolationgames, a challenge organised in partnership with Team GB for users to perform sporting activities at home, to help make up for the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics.\n\nDownload numbers for the NHS Covid-19 app look good, and compare well with those for similar contact-tracing apps in other countries.\n\nBut we are still missing out on some key data which would tell us how well it is working.\n\nWe need to know how many people have deleted the app and - the key number - how many users have received notifications to go into isolation because they have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for the virus.\n\nThe nature of the Google-Apple system underlying the app means only limited data is available to the government.\n\nBut there should be some information which would illustrate how effective the app has been over the last two months in its core mission of contact-tracing.\n\nWhat we won't know is how many people have obeyed instructions to self-isolate.", "England's new tiers system has started, but many are complaining areas with lower than average rates of infection have been unfairly put in high tiers.\n\nIn the summer, action was supposed to be hyper-local, sometimes with different rules in the same local authority.\n\nBut now, tiers have been applied in broad areas, generally matching counties or city regions.\n\nAnd in those larger areas, the case rates were all higher in tier three than in tier two in the week to 19 November.\n\nThe modellers advising government say working on a broader scale \"may make measures more effective\" since it reduces the chances of people travelling across tier boundaries.\n\nThe only exception to the \"bigger regions\" approach is Slough.\n\nThe surrounding parts of Berkshire are all in tier two - but Slough, with a higher rate of infection, has been put into tier three.\n\nThe price of this approach is low-Covid areas can be swept up into county-wide restrictions.\n\nFor example, Tunbridge Wells and Ashford, in tier-three Kent, had about 120 cases per 100,000 in the week to 19 November.\n\nBut most local authorities in England saw more than 180 cases per 100,000 people that week.\n\nThe document describing the government's rationale for each decision lists four factors on top of the main case rates, however:\n\nTunbridge Wells and Ashford have seen rising rates in recent weeks, while the rates in the rest of England have been falling.\n\nAnd with hospitals in Kent already under pressure, the worry is the high rates of infection in Swale and Medway spread out into the rest of Kent.\n\nBut many MPs are still unsatisfied with the government's explanations.\n\nConservative MP Damian Green, who represents Ashford, asked the government to apply rules at \"a local level, districts rather than counties or regions\" as \"restrictions which people feel are unfair to their particular community will simply not be respected or obeyed\".", "Daryl Bunn's family and fiancée have been left devastated by his death, police said\n\nA man who launched an unprovoked attack on a husband-to-be has been convicted of his manslaughter.\n\nDaryl Bunn, 27, was attacked in Maldon, Essex, after a meeting to discuss best man speeches at another friend's wedding.\n\nChelmsford Crown Court heard Sonny Hazell, 25, knocked him to the ground with a single punch, inflicting a traumatic brain injury.\n\nHazell was found guilty of the 29 June 2019 killing after a trial.\n\nMr Bunn had met his friend and fellow best man earlier that afternoon before meeting up with another group at two pubs.\n\nAs the men made their way home they \"became involved in an altercation\" outside a branch of Iceland, the force said.\n\nMr Bunn hit his head on the ground, causing a traumatic brain injury.\n\nHe was airlifted to hospital in Cambridge where he died eight days later.\n\nDet Ch Insp Lee Morton said: \"The case shows that any act of violence can lead to someone being seriously injured and even killed.\n\n\"Daryl Bunn's death was needless and completely avoidable, and his family and fiancée have been left devastated.\n\n\"They have been in court throughout the trial and heard how Daryl did nothing to instigate or provoke the incident that led to him losing his life.\"\n\nMr Bunn's family previously said they had been left \"totally heartbroken\".\n\n\"Everyone who knew him would say what a lovely, beautiful soul he had inside and out, with a heart of gold, and he will be truly missed,\" they said in a statement.\n\nHazell and Jordan Hooper, 24, of Princes Avenue, Southminster were cleared of a grievous bodily harm charge in relation to Mr Bunn's friend, who suffered a broken jaw.\n\nHazell, of Waterside Road, Southminster, near Maldon, is due to be sentenced on 8 January.\n\nFind BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk\n\nThe BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.", "This video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. \"He would push, shove and kick me out of bed\"\n\n\"It was a massive step - it was scary. I thought the little one could be taken away from me.\"\n\nWhen Beth sought help to flee her abusive partner before the first lockdown in March, she and her daughter were placed in a women's refuge.\n\nBut she fears women in that situation today might not get that as domestic abuse services warn a lack of capacity will lead to more people dying.\n\nThe Welsh Government said £1.3m had been spent to help accommodate victims.\n\nDomestic violence services say they have struggled to cope with a surge in referrals since schools reopened in September, with many cases previously going unreported.\n\nCharities NSPCC Cymru and Welsh Women's Aid say support services for children in Wales were already \"sparse\" and \"underfunded\", with people relying on a \"postcode lottery\".\n\nBeth says her 11-year-old daughter started \"hearing and seeing\" the abuse she was being subjected to\n\n\"He was accusing me of sleeping with other people while I was working,\" said Beth, which is not her real name and is being used to protect her identity.\n\n\"He would say I wasn't a fit enough mother to look after his daughter. It was then becoming physical.\n\n\"He began to push me, shove me, kick me out of the bed. One day I had a bottle of Coke poured over my head because I was accused of not calling him when his food was ready.\n\n\"It was having an impact on the little one, she was hearing and seeing things.\"\n\nBeth, from south Wales, managed to flee and spent the next eight months living in a women's refuge with her 11-year-old daughter, who has complex needs.\n\nBeth said she finally decided to call for help after her mother threatened to ring social services - but she had to wait for her partner to leave for work and her daughter to go to school.\n\nShe said making that initial phone call was the most difficult step.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Coronavirus and domestic abuse: \"You’re with each other 24/7\"\n\n\"It's the not knowing where you're going to go after that phone call, who's at the end of the phone and who's going to help you,\" she explained.\n\nBeth said social services managed to find her a refuge before she went to pick her daughter up from school that day.\n\n\"[My daughter] was all questions about why I hadn't brought my own car to pick her up,\" she recalled.\n\n\"I explained that we weren't going home and I remember her saying to me: 'We'll be ok now and we'll be safe, because daddy can't shout and do anything now can he?'\"\n\nKate Annison says her service has had to introduce waiting lists for the first time in her career\n\nA domestic abuse service in Powys says it has had to put a waiting list in place after a \"huge surge\" in cases, and feared the worst for those they could not support.\n\n\"We're really struggling with referrals and for the first time in my career, we've had to introduce a waiting list,\" said Kate Annison, who runs the children's service at Montgomeryshire Family Crisis Centre in Newtown.\n\nShe said referrals had more than doubled between August and October compared to last year, adding that children's support services often reveal more about the scale of the abuse taking place.\n\n\"Making people wait even a short amount of time could mean that they get hurt really badly,\" says Ms Annison\n\n\"The children are disclosing a lot of things that were happening over the previous lockdown or are still happening. There's been a huge surge in cases,\" Ms Annison said.\n\n\"We've had to put six people on the waiting list for support so far - that's four families.\n\n\"Making people wait even a short amount of time could mean that they get hurt really badly. These decisions we're making could ultimately result in a death.\"\n\nChildren's support services often reveal more about the scale of the abuse taking place, Ms Annison says\n\nShe said her team were already aware of a case where a family member died after being told there was not enough space in any refuges.\n\n\"We know they tried a few different services in a few different areas but failed to find any space,\" she said.\n\n\"Unfortunately, they then pulled out of trying to find somewhere and there was a fatality in that family.\n\n\"That victim was asking for support at the time they were able to, potentially when the perpetrator was not around.\n\n\"If we'd have had the capacity as a nation to put them into refuge then they would be safe now. Unfortunately, due to the lack of capacity, there is somebody who's died and young people are in care.\"\n\nThe pressure on services \"will result in people losing their lives,\" says Angelina Rodriques\n\nBoth NSPCC Cymru and Welsh Women's Aid said many services were underfunded and relied on charitable donations and grants to get by.\n\n\"What the pandemic has done has just exacerbated something that was struggling already,\" said Angelina Rodriques, of the Atal Y Fro refuge and support service in the Vale of Glamorgan.\n\n\"If a service hasn't got the finances or the resources, then all you're doing is holding women and children on waiting lists.\n\n\"Referrals are coming in every day and you can't keep up. We're doing the best that we can in this situation, but we're missing loads of people around the Vale of Glamorgan.\n\n\"It will result in people losing their lives, because they can't get the support at that time.\"\n\nDespite now feeling safe, Beth said she feared the long-term impact of the pandemic on victims of domestic abuse.\n\n\"I think it will be 100 times more difficult to reach out to those services now,\" she explained.\n\n\"If I was in the same position in March or April then I don't think I would have got out, I think I would still be there.\n\n\"You need to get out of there before that predator even knows anything about what's going on - you need to get out that door.\"\n\nA Welsh Government spokeswoman said: \"We recognise the extreme pressures facing women fleeing domestic abuse with children.\n\n\"This year we have invested over £1.3m for disbursed community accommodation for those for whom refuge might not be the right answer.\"\n\nShe added it had provided local authorities with £50m for housing support, including for those fleeing domestic abuse, as well as other grants, guidance and training.\n\nIf you have been affected by the issues raised in this story, visit BBC Action Line for information on the support available.", "Now it's the turn of SNP Westminster leader Iain Blackford.\n\nHe also welcomes the vaccine approval which he says is \"the news we have all been waiting for\".\n\nBut he says it has come too late for what he says are the three million people who have \"not had a penny of support\" during the pandemic from the UK government.\n\nHe says following a recent meeting with campaign group Excluded UK he learnt the \"shocking\" news that eight people had taken their own lives in the past 10 days.\n\nIn response, the PM says he is sorry to hear this and goes on to talk about the extra funding on offer for mental health support and the increase in Universal Credit.\n\nMr Blackford says this is not good enough and the lack of support for self-employed people in the arts and construction has been an \"abject failure\" and people have been \"abandoned\".\n\nThe PM rejects this, saying \"no-one has been abandoned\" and the tiered restrictions approved yesterday would pave the way for the economy to re-open, particularly the retail sector.", "Researchers have revealed a flaw that allowed Apple iPhones to be hacked from afar without the owner doing anything.\n\nUsually, smartphone hacks rely on user error - by clicking on a suspicious link, opening a message or downloading a malicious app - to gain control.\n\nBut Google Project Zero researcher Ian Beer has revealed how attackers could steal emails, photos, messages - and even access the camera and microphone.\n\nApple fixed the issue in May. And all up-to-date devices are secure.\n\nThe hack was possible because Apple's devices use a technology called Apple Wireless Direct Link.\n\nThis uses wi-fi to allow users to send files and photos over Apple's AirDrop technology and easily share screens with other iOS devices.\n\nMr Beer exploited this network to show how hackers could gain access to a device from a distance.\n\nIn a blog post, he explained how he was able to complete the hack, which he spent six months investigating.\n\nHe found no evidence the vulnerability had been \"exploited in the wild\", although said some people tweeted when the bug was fixed in May.\n\n\"As we all pour more and more of our souls into these devices, an attacker can gain a treasure trove of information on an unsuspecting target,\" he said.\n\nApple has not yet responded to a BBC News request for comment.\n\nProf Daniel Dresner, cyber security expert at the University of Manchester, said the lack of known exploitation was reassuring, as was the quick reactions of those involved in detection and remediation.\n\n\"It's significant given how new services could be exploited, as devices become more connected,\" he said.\n\n\"As phones seem to be the pivot point of always-on online living, they are rich pickings for finding these vulnerabilities to exploit.\"\n\n\"This showed you didn't have to be very close at all to the phone to hack it,\" Prof Alan Woodward, from the University of Surrey, said.\n\n\"It's a very simple hack. You don't even really have to understand what's going on inside the device to be able to remove a considerable amount of data from it.\"\n\nLast year, Mr Beer revealed a \"sustained effort\" to hack iPhones, using booby-trapped websites, said to have been visited thousands of times per week.\n\nOnce on an iPhone, the implant could access an enormous amount of data, including (though not limited to) contacts, images and global-positioning-system (GPS) location data, and relay it to an external server every 60 seconds.\n\nIn response, Apple accused Google of fear-mongering, as the investigation had been published six months after it had fixed the issues.\n\nHowever, it is common practice for responsible security researchers not to publish their findings until after a company has been given the chance to fix a flaw.\n\nThis video can not be played To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. Cyber-security researchers show off how they have \"fooled\" the iPhone X's Face ID system\n\nAnother Apple flaw was also revealed in March by mobile security company ZecOps.\n\nTheir research said a bug in the Mail app had made devices susceptible to sophisticated attacks.\n\nAt the time, an Apple representative told Reuters news agency a fix would be included in upcoming software updates.\n\nGoogle's Android devices have also previously had vulnerabilities revealed.\n\nWatchdog Which? suggested more than a billion Android devices were at risk of being hacked because they were no longer protected by security updates.\n\nAnyone using an Android phone released in 2012 or earlier should be especially concerned, it said.", "A resident from the Enniskeen estate described hearing a \"very large bang\" on Tuesday evening\n\nA man injured after a pipe bomb partially exploded in Craigavon has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, police have said.\n\nThe incident happened at about 21:30 GMT in the Enniskeen area on Tuesday.\n\nThe man suffered non-life threatening injuries to his chest and hands and had to be taken to hospital for treatment.\n\nA number of homes were evacuated, but residents have since been allowed to return.\n\nDet Insp Simpson said the alert was triggered after police received a report of an explosion at the rear of a house in the estate.\n\n\"Upon arrival officers found a man in the vicinity of where the explosion was reported to have occurred being treated by paramedics for injuries received after the device exploded,\" he said.\n\n\"The injured man, who has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and possession of an explosive device with intent to endanger life, currently remains in hospital receiving treatment for his injuries which are described as not life threatening.\"\n\nRemnants of a pipe bomb-type device have been taken away for forensic examination, the officer added.\n\nThe security alert is now over and police thanked local residents for their patience during the incident.\n\nAn Enniskeen estate resident described hearing a \"very large bang\" shortly before 21:30 on Tuesday, which he believed was a pipe bomb explosion.\n\nHe added that a while later, the police helicopter flew over the area.\n\nPolice at the scene of the incident\n\nUpper Bann MP Carla Lockhart told BBC News NI the people of Enniskeen had been subjected to attacks for quite some time and did not want them to continue.\n\nMs Lockhart described the explosion as \"a very worrying development\".\n\nThe Democratic Unionist Party politician praised St Saviour's Church for providing shelter to people whose homes were evacuated and called on anyone with information about the attack to contact police.\n\n\"Obviously information is key to answering all the questions as to what happened in Enniskeen,\" she said.\n\n\"Those who cause hurt and disruption in our communities must be brought to justice.\"\n\nLocal representatives said the Enniskeen estate was a \"close-knit community\"\n\nSDLP councillor Thomas Larkham said: \"This is the last thing that anyone in Enniskeen wants or needs.\n\n\"This is a close-knit community full of people trying to get on with their lives during a difficult time for us all.\"\n\nAlliance Party councillor Eóin Tennyson said: \"The patience of residents who have had to leave their homes as police work to make the area safe is greatly appreciated.\n\n\"Those behind this have nothing to offer only misery and destruction.\"\n\nMr Tennyson added: \"These kinds of devices have no place in our streets, there's no support in the community for this kind of activity.\n\n\"I would utterly condemn those responsible, they've been reckless in their behaviour and have shown total disregard for local residents.\"", "Here are five things you need to know about the coronavirus pandemic this Wednesday evening. We'll have another update for you on Thursday morning.\n\nPrime Minister Boris Johnson has hailed the approval of the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine, saying the \"searchlights of science\" had picked out the \"invisible enemy\". Speaking at a Downing Street press conference, Mr Johnson said scientists had performed \"biological jiu-jitsu\" to turn the virus on itself, after the UK became the first country in the world to approve the vaccine. The PM said the NHS would now embark on the \"biggest programme of mass vaccination in the history of the UK\" from next week. But he warned that it would be \"some months before all the most vulnerable are protected\". Read our explainers here on how vaccines are decided to be safe and how you will be able to get the vaccine.\n\nBoris Johnson said the \"searchlights of science\" had picked out the \"invisible enemy\"\n\nShoppers have been out in force in stores across England after the four-week national lockdown ended and the revised system of Covid tiers came into force. There were queues outside stores early on Wednesday as non-essential shops were able to open their doors for the first time in weeks. Some retailers are extending their trading hours to try to recoup the loss in sales over the lockdown. It comes as more than 55 million people entered the toughest two tiers of restrictions. Want to know what the new rules are? You can check what you can do right now and why your area is in the level it is.\n\nShoppers have returned to high streets across England as non-essential retailers can now reopen\n\nThe reopening of non-essential shops comes as another high street casualty was announced. In a torrid week for retailers that has already seen the collapse of retail empire Arcadia and Debenhams, Bonmarché fell into administration, putting more than 1,500 jobs at risk. Owner Philip Day's other chains - Edinburgh Woollen Mill, Peacocks and Ponden Home stores - went the same way last month. Administrators said Bonmarché's 225 stores would continue to trade while options for the business were explored.\n\nTesco is to repay £585m worth of business rates relief - months after paying hundreds of millions of pounds worth of dividends to shareholders. The supermarket giant said the business rates holiday, aimed at keeping struggling businesses alive during the pandemic, had been hugely important at the time, but its business had proven \"resilient\". In October, it announced half-yearly profits had risen 28.7% compared with the year before as online orders doubled and people bought more food. The company was criticised at the time for paying a £315m dividend to shareholders, having benefitted from the government's help.\n\nAnd there's good news for sporting enthusiasts. A number of amateur sports are able to resume in England for the first time in nearly a month following the lifting of the lockdown. The FA confirmed that organised grassroots football can take place outdoors in all three tiers, with certain restrictions in place. And for some parts of England, a limited number of fans will be allowed to return to stadiums. But a BBC Sport poll suggests fans are split about whether they should be allowed to return to matches before a vaccine is available. Here we look at five key points about the new coronavirus guidance for grassroots sport in England.\n\nFind more information, advice and guides on our coronavirus page.\n\nPlus, ministers say the tougher tiers are needed to stop the NHS being overwhelmed, but is that true? Our health correspondent Nick Triggle looks closely.\n\nWhat questions do you have about coronavirus?\n\nIn some cases, your question will be published, displaying your name, age and location as you provide it, unless you state otherwise. Your contact details will never be published. Please ensure you have read our terms & conditions and privacy policy.\n\nUse this form to ask your question:\n\nIf you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or send them via email to YourQuestions@bbc.co.uk. Please include your name, age and location with any question you send in.", "Experts are calling for urgent action to protect England's ponds, ditches and streams.\n\nSmall freshwater habitats contain an abundance of life, including rare amphibians, insects and plants, they say.\n\nYet, unlike large lakes and rivers, there is no obligation to monitor and protect them.\n\nA group of 20 scientists outline their concerns in a letter to the government's natural capital committee.\n\nThey are calling for measures to monitor, manage and protect England's smallest freshwater habitats.\n\nThe letter points out that small water bodies make up 80% of England's freshwaters and support over 70% of freshwater species, but lack any formal monitoring in the UK.\n\nDr Jeremy Biggs of the charity, the Freshwater Habitats Trust, who organised the letter, said better protection of ponds and streams could help address the biodiversity crisis.\n\n\"Small water bodies are at least as important as big water bodies because there are a lot more of them and they are very rich biologically,\" he said.\n\nFreshwater lakes of 50 hectares and above, and about a third of large rivers and streams, are monitored under EU regulations.\n\nBegwns Pond near Hay-on-Wye is a site of special scientific interest\n\nBut there is no obligation to monitor the richness of life in ditches, ponds and small streams.\n\nThese habitats support a large number of freshwater species, including crested newts, toads, fish, water beetles, dragon flies and wetland plants such as the water-violet."], "link": ["http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-55391397", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-55393246", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-55394353", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55385729", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-55346213", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-55395683", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55388001", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-55381322", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-55399004", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-55390371", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-55403316", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55403944", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55389134", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-55390304", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/55366320", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55388916", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-55384938", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55385939", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-55389505", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-55392619", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/sports-personality/55336369", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-55386392", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-55393560", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55396027", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-55400339", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-55370302", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tees-55398100", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-55392579", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-55395682", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-55387700", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-55162318", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-55159994", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-55173667", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-jersey-55161923", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-55144501", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-55162041", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-55164607", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-55168633", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/55165850", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-55180055", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-55171974", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-55169728", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-23544529", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-54373904", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-54097437", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-55114807", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55181665", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-55167152", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-55164453", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-55177948", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-53573289", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-55164410", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-55169107", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-55162714", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-54117766", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-55047597", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-55157177", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13062449", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55179100", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-55162217", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-55170329", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-55166975", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-55171563", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-55177846", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55175923", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55172426", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-55171623", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-55171283", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-55167473", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-55163380", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-55165552", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55181357", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-england-bristol-55175933", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-55171483", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-55169799", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-55160374", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55157299", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-54881746", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-55145696", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-55177476", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-55106312", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-55177741", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55153899", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-55168602", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-55172349", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-55145313", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-54723147", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55135808", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-55131049", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-55175162", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-55173200", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-55158833", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-55163009", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-55171163", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-55151257", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55351292", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-55349747", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55340234", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-55340597", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55350085", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-54373904", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55219607", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55342399", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-55105307", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-55337192", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-55329741", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-55348475", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-55330579", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55329310", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-55348474", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-55323176", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-55345020", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-55348886", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-55347723", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-55346880", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-55332242", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-55352610", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55343507", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-55330945", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-55347091", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/55241015", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-55349843", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-55347021", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-34541363", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-55323345", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-55341799", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-55346920", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-55332206", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-55329573", "https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-sh/Lockerbie_Scotland_Pan_Am_flight_103", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/55345195", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-55345452", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-55352605", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-55330599", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55354958", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-55357512", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-55337327", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-55358301", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55286237", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-55283183", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-55292318", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-55287868", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-55293117", "http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-55293595", 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\ No newline at end of file